Watch it Burn

Chapter 21

Zuko's POV:

I walked slowly back to the tea shop, reluctant to get back to work. My cheeks still burned bright with a blush as I thought of Amara pressed against me.

"Stop it," I grumbled at myself, earning quite a few odd stares from some merchants. At that I finally picked up my feet and started walking quickly to the tea shop.

"Ahh Lee, you're back," the shop owner said, "come serve this customer."

I sighed deeply, as I put my apron back on and grabbed the teapot. It was the old woman again from the other day and I cringed remembering what had happened last time.

Thankfully though she didn't mention the incident and I managed to pour her tea without any sort of accident or emotional breakdown.

The rest of the day was fairly slow and frankly I was pretty distracted. I couldn't stop thinking of Amara and I pressed up against each other. How I could distinctly smell the sweet scent of her shampoo.

'What the fuck is wrong with you Zuko?' I thought to myself, 'stop being creepy'

Before I knew it the sun had set and the day was over. Uncle Iroh and I closed the shop up in silence and started walking back to our apartment.

A group of young children were playing in the street, arguing over some made up rule regarding a ball and a fisherman's net they had found in the trash. A young girl held the ball while a young boy held the net. They were yelling at each other until the girl just groaned and threw the ball at him and ran away.

"Lee," Uncle Iroh said to me as we watched the boy huff and sit on the curb by himself, "is something on your mind?"

I whipped around and looked at the man.

"W-what NOOO!" I stuttered and the old man just smirked at me as we continued on.

"You have been so stuck in your head today, no emotional outbursts," he remarked.

"I'm sorry," I yelled at the old man in a frustrated tone, "is this better?!"

"Is it..... Amara?" he asked and I felt the blush return to my face.

"No, no it's not!" I denied quickly, getting an eyebrow raise from my uncle.

We walked back to the house in silence. I barely acknowledged my uncle and went back into my room. I stared at the wall for a while.

The more I tried to not think about today's event, the more I remembered. I didn't know what was worse, the fact that I liked how she was pressed against me, or the fact that she liked it too.

I wondered what would happen if I was ever Fire Lord. That would probably never happen, but if it ever did, what would happen.

Would we still be at war?

Would the Avatar have to take me down?

What would happen to Amara?

"Stop" I stopped my thoughts, "I won't be fire lord and nothing will happen between Amara and I"

But something has already happened, I realized. Then I thought of a terrible thought.

"Could Amara ever be the fire lady?"

No, I know she could never be the fire lady. I would have to be fire lord, she would want to marry me, the war would have to be over, and the fire nation people would have to accept her.