Chapter Text
“Cmon Zuko, just open it already.” Mai spoke unenthusiastically, as she always had.
Zuko and her sat at a table of one of the finest tea shops in the city, The Jasmine Dragon, owned by his uncle. The air was comforting, with the nostalgic aroma of warm tea. He had received his letter almost a week ago. The pit in his stomach making it impossible to even look at it.
He had applied for the same collage as Mai after his sophomore year. Mai had decided to go to the same collage as her best friend- Ty Lee, and dragged Zuko along with her. It wasn’t too big of a change for him in the first place, he was just in general studies, not sure what he wanted to do with his future quite yet.
His fingers shook over the seal of the blindingly white letter. Zuko closed his eyes, ripping it open. He bit his lip as he looked down, unfolding it, eyes darting around until he reached that one sentence. “Congratulations, Kyoshi university expects to see you in the fall.”
He turned to Mai with a bright smile. “I made it in!”
She grinned and pulled him into a hug. Kissing his temple.
And that was it. Content, innocent, and full of honest, immature love.
They broke it off that summer. They both knew it was coming, and they just needed to go their own ways. It hurt, of course it did. Mai was Zuko’s first love, but he felt…. Glad, for some reason. Like he knew this was a good thing. A new start. A new beginning. He didn’t know what was to come, but he would embrace it all with open arms.
“Zuko! Hurry up! You’re wasting daylight!” Uncle Iroh yelled from downstairs. Your caretaker being campus councilor for your collage definitely had its perks. You never really had to say goodbye, and you got a free ride to school.
”just wait a moment, I’m just double checking!” Zuko was lying. He had waited till last second to pack everything. He was shoving clothes into a duffle, waiting to put his stuffed turtle duck in until last. His mother had got it for him on his 11th birthday. He made sure he had all of his toiletries and keepsakes before rushing downstairs, almost tripping due to the heavy bags slung around his form.
”can you please put these in the car?” Zuko asked, setting down the backpack and duffle, looking over to an amused Iroh.
“I suppose…” he sighed, picking them up with a small grunt, stepping outside, putting them in the back of their Mazda.
*Zuko tied his converse, grabbed a granola bar and ran out to the car, helping Iroh with the rest of the luggage.
”are you ready” he asked the older man.
”yes I am, are you?” Iroh asked, looking his nephew up and down, worry creased in his brow.
”I hope so.” Zuko rounded to the passenger seat, buckling up and sinking down into the leather, pulling out his phone and scrolling on Pinterest.
Iroh got into the drivers side. Climbing Into the car and starting her up. He switched to a music channel that he liked, and started to drive.
”I have to stop at the Jasmine Dragon to make sure she’s all locked up.” He reminded Zuko. His tea shop was his summer job. He usually found co-owners to keep it open while he was at work, but most people in town were working for bigger corporations, leaving not many to cover for him.
Iron continued to occasionally look over to Zuko. “Hey, are you sure you ready?”
“I told you already uncle, I’m fine.” Zuko pugged his headphones in, Turing on his music. He just needed time to mentally prepare for this big change.
“Okay… I’ll lay off… for now.” Iroh teased, pulling to the curb outside his tea shop, closing it up and leaving a notice on the door.
Zuko crossed his arms and decided to try and sleep. It was a long drive. Almost 6 hours. He turned his playlist up, drowning out almost all the outside noises before drifting into that blank headspace. He was wondering who he would meet. What his classes would be like. Then he felt some anxiety seep in. Who would his roommate be?…