Façades [A Zuko x OC Story]

26 - Li Mei Alone

It feels strangely wrong to be in my house. It's wrong to be here without my parents. It is so quiet and it feels so alone even though I know that there are dozens of guards outside keeping constant watch over me. All of the old paintings watch me as I pace the halls of the house over and over again. There is nothing to do here besides sit in the hot spring and tour the property.

A knock on the door signals me. It is probably just one of my meals for today. When I get to the front door, it is not a guard who stands there. It is Zuko.

"Leave." I say coldly, turning my back to him, "I have a choice of who gets to come into my house and you are not one of the people I want in here." My back still faces him.

"I brought you komodo-chicken." He says blandly.

I turn back around raising my brow, "Did your uncle already reject that offering?" I point to the basket he holds.

He puts it down on the small table next to him, "You must know where the Avatar is." He says with confidence following me down the hall.

"Ha!" I laugh dryly, "I already told you," I sit down on the couch facing him, "I know nothing. For all I know, he is dead. So, if that's all you're here for, you can leave with your komodo-chicken," I scowl gesturing to the door. His expression contorts.

"I don't know what to do." His character suddenly changes.

"Maybe you should've made the right choice in the first place." I choke out, pushing him with my shoulder. I grab the komodo-chicken from the table and shove it into his hands, "Get out of my house." I order. He stays planted in his spot in front of the door. I move closer to him, "Get out!" I yell forming a wall of flames between us. I make an opening in the flames and speak, "Don't come back here. I don't want your pity." I reform the wall of fire. Once the sound of the door closing echoes, I drop my wall which has created a line of scorch marks on my floor, walls, and ceiling.

-

I regret telling Zuko not to come back. Not because I want his company but, because it gets very boring and alone in this giant house. Whenever I look out the windows I can see Zuko visiting Mai's house and something deep down in my heart hurts, wishing that it was me he was visiting.

There is a knock at the door and I almost hope that it's Zuko.

"Princess Azula is here to visit you." One of the female guards calls through the door. The door slides open and I'm met with Azula's golden gaze, "What are you doing here?" I spit.

"What? I'm not allowed to visit old friends." Azula sneers.

"We were never friends,"

Zuko and I are sitting next to the turtle-duck pond like we always do. It is nice until Azula comes up to bother us, "Zuzu, what are you doing with her?" Azula rudely points to me.

"Don't call me that!" Zuko shouts, "And I'm allowed to hang out with whoever I want to!" He stands up angrily.

"You'd be better off spending time with Mai. She's more interesting than Li Mei." Azula suggests looking me up and down.

"But Mai is so gloomy all the time," Zuko debates, "Li is actually fun to be around." My heart warms at his words.

"If your friends are so fun to be around, why don't you go bother them," I say, standing up next to Zuko.

Azula scowls, "I am the princess! You will treat me with respect!" She pushes me to the ground. She turns on her heel and leaves us alone again.

"Sorry about Azula." Zuko says sitting back down, "Are you hurt?" He touches my shoulder. I shake my head, "No, I'm okay." I smile brightly.

"I want you to leave," I say.

"You will not speak to me that way." In her hand blue flames begin to flicker.

"Sorry," I 'apologize', "Please, come in," I say with hinted sarcasm. If she noticed it, she didn't show it. She walks into the living room and spreads herself across my couch, "Why are you here?" I ask again.

"I thought you would be lonely as Zuzu is spending all his time with Mai, he doesn't have any time for you." My eyebrow twitches, "Oh, is that a touchy subject for you?" She smirks, "I heard about you and Zuko. I guess he didn't really care about you after a-"

"Shut up!" I yell louder than expected.

"He and Mai are very happy. You should be more supportive."

"No." I can feel my emotions boiling along with my palms heating slightly.

"He's much happier with her than he ever was with you." She keeps pushing me further, "I'm surprised he even bothers visiting you at all. Oh, wait, he only visited you to get information about the Avatar, right?" I slam my hand against the wall creating a small fire blast.

"How do you know that?" I question.

"It's obvious the Avatar isn't really dead. Zuko wants the job finished, so he needs to find out where the Avatar is so he can kill him." She chuckles evilly, "But, now that you can't provide him with that information, he won't visit anymore. How sad." She sneers.

"Get. Out." I order. Her smile turns into a frown, "Alright, I know when I'm not wanted." She gets up from her seat and looks me in the eye, "Good luck with getting Zuko to like you again." She pushes me out of the way and walks out the door.

As soon as she leaves, I slam my hand into one of the paintings on the wall with a scream. It rips through the centre and my wall dents with the strength of the punch. I create a flame in my hand making the painting burn. Zuko's smile burns away in the painting along with my own equally large smile.