The Fire Within - an atla fanfic (Zuko x OC)

Oh Mamma Mia, Mamma Mia

"Meditation is good for controlling anger." Zuko instructed me as we took deep breaths.

"Well clearly it can't be that good." I mumbled, thinking of a past Zuko. We were sitting on some sort of cliff in the Western Air Temple. The sun was about to rise. Zuko told me there was a form of meditation where you would wait until the sun would rise. It was said that meditating during sunrise would empower firebenders with a large amount of strength for that day. "Why aren't you teaching Aang this?" I asked quietly, my eyes closed.

"I'm sure Aang already knows how to meditate." Zuko replied.

"Well, I do too. Uncle taught me in Ba Sing Se."

Zuko exhaled quickly, sounding more like a sigh. "I guess I just wanted an excuse to spend more time with you. We don't have much time left." Well, that took a turn.

I opened my eyes to see Zuko staring harshly back at me. I closed my eyes again uncomfortably. "I guess you're right. I don't even know how to get home though."

"You're still sure you want to go back?" Zuko asked. "I just don't understand. I try so hard to make you happy, and I know you love it here. I just can't imagine what is so good about your home."

"..And you'll probably never know. I spent 16 years of my life in my world, that's not something you could ever understand." I said reasonably.

He sighed. "Well, in that case, I think I know how you can get home."

I opened my eyes. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't want to tell you in case you ended up staying... but I thought for a while and I think I figured it out." Zuko explained. "Theres the spirit world, and this world and the spirit world are closest on the days of the solstices. So I thought that maybe something was similar to your's. I thought back to the day you originally came. It was exactly a month before the Winter Solstice."

I thought for a few moments. "So maybe I could go back a month before the summer solstice."

Zuko nodded solemnly. "I'm not 100% sure, but it makes sense."

"Well when is the summer solstice?" I asked.

"A little under 2 months." Zuko answered sadly.

"So I would have to go in about a month." I pondered.

"Only a month until I never see you again." Zuko confirmed.

I looked at the ground guiltily. There was nothing I could say to make him feel better that I hadn't already said. "We'll make the most of it."

Zuko closed his eyes in hurt. "You always say that. But what's even the point? You're just leading me on..."

I glanced at him in confusion. "What? Leading you on? I would never.."

"But you are. I don't... how can we continue this if it will lead to nothing?" Zuko explained slowly.

"Zuko, I didn't mean for that to happen. I never realized it would come to this. But you went along with it this whole time without telling me your concerns." I said defensively.

"Of course I went along with it!" Zuko cried. "I love you, Ash, you are the smartest, most beautiful girl ever. I couldn't just give that up!" He was flushed with emotions.

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling quite pathetic. "Please don't put this on me." I begged.

"You know what this means, don't you? I've been trying to hold back, but I just can't. It's the only thing I can think anymore." Zuko said in frustration.