Life Happens Wherever You Are (Zuko x OC)

Chapter 11

Somehow I woke up before Zuko this morning. I yawned and sat up, looking around. Iroh was gone, I don't know where he went. But there is tea made at the fire, so I gently place a hand on Zuko's shoulder.

"Zuko," I said softly.

He jolted up, looking around, "What? What's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?" he searched my face and hands, looking for any signs of me being hurt.

"Zuko, it's okay, I'm fine. Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I chuckled to myself.

His face relaxed, "I wasn't scared," he huffed, stretching. "I was just making sure nothing was wrong, that's all." He side eyed me.

I smiled warmly at him, "Well thank you Zuko, I appreciate your concern."

He rolled his eyes at me and looked around, "Where is my uncle?"

"I do not know, he was gone when I woke up. But he made tea," I motioned towards it.

Zuko got up and went over to it, pouring two cups and coming back over, handing me one before sitting back down. He yawned and then took a sip.

"You seem tired this morning, is everything alright?" I asked him, hiding behind my cup.

"I stayed up late after you went to sleep to make sure that guy didn't come back." I could tell he was still upset about what happened by the way his voice changed when he mentioned the man.

I nodded silently and we finished our tea.

Iroh came strolling back into the camp not too long after, greeting us with a grin. "Ah, good morning my nephew and Mara,"

"Good morning Iroh," I greeted back, bowing my head.

Zuko grumbled at him in response. I raised an eyebrow at him, but he didn't look at me. "Where were you?" I could sense the annoyance in his voice, making me cringe this early in the morning.

"I went for a walk and meditated. What, did something happen while I was gone?" he looked from Zuko to me, then back to Zuko.

Zuko blushed, "No, nothing happened." He sounded defensive. I hid a smile behind my empty cup and avoided eye contact with Iroh.

"Well, we should probably get going, if we hurry we can get to Full Moon Bay by sundown."

We all nodded and packed up, then continued on our journey to Ba Sing Se.

*          *          *

            I looked out on the water as we emerged out onto the sea from the bay.

"Who would have thought after all these years I'd return to the scene of my greatest military disgrace as a tourist?" Iroh grinned and put on a straw hat with a flower on it.

I giggled, but Zuko wasn't amused. He had been very quiet since we got to the bay, and I could tell something was bothering him.

"Look around. We're not tourists, we're refugees," Zuko growled back.

"Well, it could be worse, you could be in a fire nation prison," I offered, though I'm not sure I helped at all, because I got a look from Zuko in return.

            He took a sip of the soup they were handing out on the boat, and immediately spit it out over the side. "Ugh!" he made a face that radiated disgust, "I'm sick of eating rotten food, sleeping in the dirt. I'm tired of living like this."

So that's what's been bugging him. He doesn't like living like a commoner, being treated like one. Being treated like one of us. I opened my mouth to say something, but a voice behind me sounded before I could.