The Heat that Drives the Light

Chapter 3

"So you think that the fire nation will be better if you introduce the spirits back again?" Zuko asked me.

"Yeah." I shrugged and sipped tea. We sat in his room, taking a moment out of his busy day to spend time together.

"So it'll be like the other nations?" He asked me.

I hummed a simple yes, hoping that he would agree.

"I'm not against it...but do you think that the people of the fire nation will actually want to celebrate the spirits?" He asked.

"I'm sure there are a few spirits that the people of the fire nation will like," I said, thinking of the demon girl that had shared our bed a few weeks earlier.

Both of us shivered and cringed, knowing exactly who I was talking about.

"Does this mean you will be staying longer?" He asked.

"I mean I suppose...." I giggled, earning a smile from the firebender, "If the gracious fire lord would allow it."

He rolled his eyes in a playful manner before grabbing my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"I would be honored to host the spirit girl for however long she needs." He said.

We stayed in silence for a little while, sipping tea and leaning on one another. I sighed, not wanting it to end.

"How long till you have to go to another meeting?" I asked.

"Five minutes." He responded.

"Well...I'll see you in an hour and a half when we have to go to another meeting...." I groaned.

"Trust me, I'll make it up to you in any way you like." He whispered in my ear.

"I don't doubt it." I whispered back.

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"It's a nice day out," Katara said as we walked through the garden together. Even though we had always butted heads during the mission, she was still one of my best friends and it was nice to spend time with her.

"Yeah," I said, "a lot better than the south pole, right?"

She rolled her eyes at my comment. I had been trying to convince her to stay in the fire nation with Sokka. Sokka had been given the title of southern water tribe ambassador and since Suki and the other Kyoshi Warriors were staying that made the decision easier. Katara was still on the fence, seeing as how she hadn't seen her Grandmother in a year.

"I'm still not decided, but I don't really want to talk about it," she said and I elected to leave the topic alone. We walked in silence for a few moments before she spoke up again.

"Soooo, Zuko and you are happy together," she asked and I nodded, "do you guys think you are gonna get.... married or something?"

"MARRIED?" I scoffed at her, "I mean it's a little early in relationship-"

"I meant in the future," she interrupted, "like marriage and kids or something like that."

I scoffed, but an uneasy feeling planted itself in the pit of my stomach. Yet for some reason I really couldn't tell why.

"You know funny enough I thought I was pregnant a while back," she continued to my surprise, "after Jet and I... yeah, my cycle was late for a while but it came back eventually."

"Why didn't you tell me!?" I practically yelled at her.

"Well you were kinda busy being captured on Zuko's boat..." she said and I realized she was right, "when it came back right after we found you and I felt stupid to bring it up."