A Love Born Within

Chapter 24: His Crucial Decision

Chloe's P.O.V.

I stood back watching as Iroh had just been offered his own tea shop. He was offered an apartment in the upper ring and he even gets to name his shop. That's something he's always wanted. I smiled as Zuko and I stepped up beside him.

"Did you hear, nephew and McKenna? This man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city," Iroh said to us happily.

Zuko said nothing as he continued carrying his tray.

"That's right young folks, your life is about the change for the better," the man who offered the tea shop to Iroh told us with a smile.

"I'll try to contain my joy," Zuko stated before he set the tray down, walking out the door.

Iroh and I looked at one another before I sighed. I walked to the door, stepping outside, to see Zuko leaning against the wall of the shop. I closed the door gently as I asked:

"Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he replied nonchalantly refusing to look at me.

I stood there for a moment not saying anything.

"Your uncle getting his own tea shop is exciting," I said to him casually.

"Yeah, about as exciting as us having job two days after moving into the city," Zuko said to me annoyed.

"I mean you can't expect really exciting things to happen all at once can you?"

"Chloe you can't honestly tell me that you like living here?"

"Well, I mean, it has been kinda lonesome without Adelina, but I have hope that's she's doing well,"

"Yeah, parading around with the Avatar as if to rub it in my face that I was never able to catch him. This place is so boring. It's like being trapped,"

"I don't know, I mean at least you're not here alone, like some other unlucky people. You have us,"

"And still nothing exciting happens. Nothing ever happens here,"

I looked just as a piece of paper started to fly towards us. Zuko caught it just looking at it for a moment. It was a lost poster for Aang's bison, Appa. He said nothing as he looked around, before climbing up onto a roof, trying to see if he could find anything. A look of determination crossed him as he got down from the roof. He said nothing to me as he started to walk past me.

"Zuko, don't. You don't have to get involved in this," I said to him softly but sternly.

"I think you know that's not true," he told me before walking away from me.

I sighed as I watched him leave. How am I gonna help him if he doesn't want to be helped?

🔥🔥🔥

Iroh and I looked as Zuko walked into the apartment.

"So, I was thinking, about names for my new tea shop. How about the Jasmine Dragon?-"

"Ooh, I like that one," I said to him with a smile.

"It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it," Iroh spoke in curiousity.

Zuko took out the lost Appa poster from his robes, showing his uncle.

"The Avatar is here in Ba Sing Se and he's lost his bison," Zuko said to his uncle sternly before walking to the window.

"We have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us,-"

Zuko turned to his uncle in anger.