This Is My Uniform

Gold Trimmed Vest

"-without Avatar Aang going into the avatar state. And this is how the hundred year war ended."

Wu dropped the pencil he had been balancing from his lip, suddenly straightening and nodding as the tutor turned back to him. "I see." A look of concentration on his face.

Mako hated him for it. If they could switch places for just a second, just one minute, he would take advantage of all this opportunity and-

No. Mako breathed slow, stemming the familiar rage that rose within. No. Eyes closed.

Wu was his employer. Mako was his employee. He couldn't cross those lines. He couldn't let himself get greedy. Eyes opened as he stared at Wu, who was scribbling on his notepad, probably doodling. Resentful, fine. Greedy, no.

"And can I ask," Wu's eyes narrowed, making Mako's nerves ache in anticipation of the absurdity he was sure the future King was about to spout. "I mean, aside from the whole 'there is no war' Dai Li brainwashing and the wall of Ba Sing Se, what did the Earth Kingdom do, exactly, to help?" Pencil balancing again on his lip. "Were there war relief funds? Did we provide troops or food to other war torn nations?" Pencil dropped suddenly. "Did we do anything to assist after the slaughter of the air benders? I'm just..." Hands tangled in hair. "I just don't understand."

The tutor was silent for a moment. Mako felt a thrill of shock rock through him. Wu had looked completely uninterested, he had looked like he wasn't paying attention.

"I understand some colonies not exactly within my Kingdoms reach did provide aid, correct?" Green eyes rose after a moment, looking just as bored as they had before, a stupid smile stretched languid.

"W-well yes." The tutor straightened, cleared her voice. "Yes! The Kyoshi Warriors from Kyoshi Island were supporters of the Avatar on the day of-"

"I don't mean to interrupt-" Wu's voice strong, serious. "But what did Ba Sing Se do? What did my family do?"

"Th-they were captured by the Fire Nation at that point and had to be rescued by the Order of the White Lotus, Prince Wu." His voice came out nervous. Low and wavy. "But beforehand they were the greatest resource for refugees displaced due to the war. That cannot be discounted. A safe haven is still-"

"But we were essentially a city unto itself? We didn't fight the fire nation back even though we could have? We had the Kyoshi Warriors, the Dai Li. More numbers and resources at the time, despite the comet and sudden swell of power we should have-" Wu's hands clasped, his face again unreadable before breaking into his over wide smile. "That's all I wanted to know, thank you."

"O-okay." The tutor turned her gaze to Mako, who could only shake his head.

He really had no idea what was going through Prince Wu's mind half the time.

"I just don't understand." Wu muttered. "How could my ancestors, my family, do nothing while people were..." He chuckled. "Sorry for interrupting again." He waved it off. "Just not the history I was taught, of course."

"I can see how that can be jarring." His tutor grinned, turning back to the board before her. "Now, if you look here-"

~+~+~+~+~

"Hey Mako," Wu leapt up over the back of the couch to settle in a lump beside his bodyguard.

"And here I thought you weren't athletically inclined." Mako deadpanned.

"I'm spry." Wu sniffed. "Not strong." Hand reached over to pat Mako's shoulder as he straightened himself. "I leave all the hard work to you, tough guy."