When We Were Young

Chapter 7

"Are you alright?" Su asked, after listening to a good five minutes of Zari tapping his foot on the ground. When she agreed to wait for his mother to be done with Katara, she thought they'd spent the time talking, not just sitting in awkward silence filled with tapping.

"To be honest, I've been better." the Prince was sitting on one of the chairs in his mother's tent so with nothing to do being still wasn't that easy. With some strength of will he steadied his legs and reached under his shirt for his father's necklace. He was developing a habit of holding onto it in hard times.

"You don't have to worry. Aunt Katara is the best at what she does, even my mom admits that. And your mom is easily the best firebender in the world, you don't have to worry." she may have told him not to worry one too many times for it to be believable.

"You're not going?" he asked to change the subject.

"No, I've been grounded in the middle of battle... That's gonna be a funny story when I'm old." Su smiled, but Zari didn't follow her lead.

"Tell me what to do?" Su asked since she was lost, "Should I keep talking? Should I just shut up? Help me out..."

"I don't want you to shut up." he paused after that and let go of his necklace, "You know what my parents used to do when they were in a tight spot like this?"

Suyin shook her head no.

"My mom told me that whenever they found themselves with their back against the wall, they'd make each other promises on what they will do if they manage to fight their way out alive. Just start a sentence with If we get out of this..."

"If we get out of this, I... I don't think I have anything. I just want things back to normal right now. You got one?"

"If we get out of this," he started, "I'm not coming back to my crew. I'm going back home and I'm enrolling in university. That's what I want to do, I don't care what anyone thinks."

"If we get out of this, I..." Su looked around the room thinking, "I'm going to try and fix things with Lin. We've never really gotten along, but she's been kind of nice to me lately."

"But you have to really do the things you promise here. That's the point."

"I know. I'll really do it. Your turn." she moved to the edge of her chair to be closer to him.

"If we get out of this, I want to take you to that play I promised when we first met. Just the two of us." he reached over and took her hands into his.

"I'd like that." Su saw he was getting closer as well and realized this could be it. Her first kiss. She'd imagined it countless times, reading all kinds of romance novels Kya lent her, and it was finally going to happen. She was ready! She saw Zari leaning in and closed her eyes like all the girls in the books did. Finally, after what felt like forever she felt his lips... On her cheek. That didn't count, did it?

She opened her eyes to find him studying her face for a reaction. If you want something done right...

"I think you missed." she smiled and leaned towards him to lock their lips.

Even though the kiss didn't realistically last that long, it was still long enough for them to get caught. They were interrupted by Azula's fake caught.

When they saw her the kids immediately jumped away from each other, like that'd fix anything... Su even took it as far as to actually get up like she was leaving.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt. I can come back." Azula smiled after realizing what had happened.

"No, I was just here while he waited for you." Su explained, heading outside.