The fire war renaissance

Chapter 29: Reunion two

Seriously romantic stuff is going on in this chapter.

Brace yourself for the fluff and uninhibited lovin'! Plus, this chapter is pretty dang long, so just be prepared for a lot of reading.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. I wish I owned a boyfriend but, come on, who am I kidding?

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Reunion Two

"I don't know if this is the best idea, Katara. I know he's your boyfriend but I think we all know Aang can handle himself." Zuko tried to persuading Katara. She was preparing herself to go underground in the Black Jade and meet Aang face to face. Although Iroh tried to inform Katara that Aang was down there conducting business and they were all sure he was in no real danger at the moment, Katara didn't want to hear a word from anyone.

"I'm starting to get the feeling that Katara is just going down there so she can simply be with Aang." Iroh suggested.

"Bingo," Toph confirmed. "Normally, I'd mention that Katara being completely over dramatic about this whole thing is a little unnecessary because Aang's been in danger before, and she never acted like such a scared little girl."

"Normally?" Iroh echoed, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, normally I would. But, I know the reason she's so lost is because her and Aang are apart, this time."

"Interesting that you've figured that out." Iroh complimented. Toph just smiled and flopped down on the couch in the lounging area. The tea shop hadn't opened yet, and everyone was simply relaxing and finishing breakfast before they had to open shop.

"It's not the hard to figure out, actually. I remember after Azula shot Aang down and Aang finally woke up, he ran away. Katara was such a mess. She was all hysterical and crying her eyes out until me and Sokka finally let her go out and look for Aang on Appa, even though it was torrentially raining outside." Zuko's head lowered slightly at this as he listened, knowing that he had a role in causing that trauma for Katara. He knew he'd always feel that guilt, even years from now, it was just a price for the mistakes he had made. Iroh recognized this and placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder, smiling at him with reassurance.

"Toph, have you packed yet?" Yuexi came up to Toph and asked. "Katara's moving fast and I don't want her to leave on her own because we're being too slow." Toph sighed and took her feet off the low table near the couch.

"Be right there." Toph told him and Yuexi smiled, going back into one of the many guest rooms Iroh had in his home/teashop. Zuko looked at Toph skeptically, and now that her feet were back on the floor, she could tell Zuko's head was turned towards her. "What?" She asked.

"So that's your boyfriend huh? The servant guy I met when we first went there?"

"Yep," Toph answered simply, sipping some of her tea. She was past the initial blushing and being tentative when someone asked about the nature of her and Yuexi's relationship. They had been dating for almost two months, and the time for mutual shock and denial was over.