𝐆𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 [ᴢᴜᴋᴏ]

Chapter 18

Episode 18, The Waterbending Master

A few days passed and nothing really happened and Zuko gradually calmed down after his last defeat. Sometimes I think that’s bad karma, really. Maybe if he let me go, he would catch Aang for once.

Iroh invited me to the music night but I politely declined since I wanted to read the books about the biggest myths of the spirit world and what connection we can have to spirits. In addition, I didn’t want to see Zuko because I’ve been mad at him for being so mean to Kano and me.

With a big smile on my face I took the book of my nightstand and laid it on the ground before I laid on my stomach ready to read it. As I flipped open the first page, somebody knocked on my door. 

I groaned mentally but told the person to come in. When the door opened, I looked up from the book only to see ponytail coming in. I rolled my eyes and asked him what he wanted.

He fumbled with his fingers and cleared his throat before he looked at me, “I wanted to say sorry,” he mumbled so quietly I almost didn’t catch it. 

My eyebrows shot up and I small smile made its way on my face as I stood up from the ground. I really wanted to tease him about it but I’m sure that this must have been really hard for him to say that, so I let it be.

“Apology accepted,” I said, my smile getting bigger. He looked up from the ground with a slightly agape mouth and raised eyebrows. 

“Don’t look at me like that or I will take it back,” I chuckled and slapped his arm playfully. Zuko still didn’t say anything and just watched me sit down on the ground. I crossed my legs as I took the book in my hands.

Before I started reading, I looked up at him, “you know, if you don’t have anything to do, you could join me,” I said and blushed when he looked at me with confusion in his eyes. “I mean, I have a few more books here if you want to read something. Because I noticed that you don’t have a library here but if you don’t-“ 

“Yeah, sure,” he interrupted my rambling and took a book from my nightstand and sat down next to me on the floor. I blushed madly because I can’t stop talking when I’m nervous and that’s embarrassing. 

But I was quite relieved when he just ignored it and began reading his book. For a while we were just sitting in my room and reading in a comfortable silence and I could feel Zuko glancing at me every now and then but I ignored it.

When there was something about the Fire Nation’s royal family in my book, I put it aside and turned my complete body to face Zuko. 

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Zuko hummed without looking up from the book and I took that as a yes, “What is it like being part of a royal family?” at my question Zuko’s head snapped up but he didn’t look at me. Guess I caught him off guard with my question.

“Or would you rather be a part of a normal family?” he slowly closed the book and looked at me. I saw a glint of sadness in his eyes, “I don’t know, I’ve never really been a part of either,” he mumbled and looked into my eyes.

My face fell and his answer really got to me and I cursed myself for asking that but I really wanted to know what’s really going on in royal families because it certainly isn’t happy all the time like in the stories we read and hear.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered and slowly reached out my hand to his scar. He didn’t move away or flinched when my fingers touched his scar, he just kept looking at me. 

I remembered the story Iroh told me and the crew about the scar and the Fire Lord and my eyes started to well up with tears. “You didn’t deserve that,” I whispered and connected my eyes with his. I really grew to like him during the time I was here.