Prisoner of War

Together Again

Rhea took a deep breath, her chest tight with worry. She'd left Azara at the palace, but now she wished she had someone there to hold. She forced herself to take one step forward, then another.

Soon, she was standing in the doorway of a tea shop called the Jasmine Dragon watching Zuko and Iroh serve the crowd of customers.

She froze, holding her breath. It felt like her heart had stopped. What now? She hadn't thought she'd really get this far. She wanted to hide behind her long brown hair, hanging loose around her face.

Zuko turned from a table and stopped dead in his tracks. He dropped his empty tray, the metal clattering against the stone floor. He stared at her for what seemed like hours, brown eyes locked on each other as if searching for answers etched in the others expression.

All the customers turned at the rattle of the tray, but Rhea ignored them. This wasn't the first time she'd drawn attention to herself. Let them stare. There were only two people in the building that she cared about.

As if on cue, Iroh came out of the kitchen to see what was wrong. He froze when he saw her in the doorway.

Rhea tore her gaze away from Zuko and made herself look at Iroh, fighting back her tears. "I... I don't know what to say."

Iroh set his teapot on the counter and approached Rhea purposefully. He reached out.

Rhea closed her eyes ready for the sting of a slap across the face, but he simply brushed her hair behind her ear and pressed his warm hand against her cheek.

"You don't need to say anything." His familiar voice made her heart melt.

She relaxed, leaning into his touch. She took a shaky breath and finally opened her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek.

Iroh smiled, his eyes glassy. "I have missed you, my girl." He pulled her into a hug.

She pulled away. "I failed. I made a promise and I failed you."

He cupped her face in his hands. "No. You're here. You left that life behind." He smiled at her warmly. "I'm proud of you."

Rhea collapsed into another hug. She'd missed him so much.
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Rhea pulled the teapot off the fire and poured the boiling discolored water into a set of cups. Steam rose from the glasses, wafting around her face and flooding her senses with the taste and smell of freshly brewed tea.

Iroh approached from behind and inhaled the steam deeply. "A perfect batch." He placed his hand on the small of her back. "So, you do remember what I taught you."

Rhea grinned. "Every word." Her smile fell and she lowered the pot onto the counter. "I'm sorry."

Iroh sighed and turned her to face him. "I have already told you; you have nothing to apologize for."

Rhea stared at the floor, unable to meet his gaze. "But I-"

"I know what you did," Iroh interrupted her. "What my brother made you do." He grabbed her shoulders. "It doesn't matter. What matters is you came back. You took the risk and left that life behind." He tipped her chin so she would look at him. "We have all done things that we regret." He wiped away a tear Rhea hadn't noticed running down her cheek. "But we cannot dwell on them. We must move forward."

Rhea took a deep shaky breath. "I'll try."

Iroh nodded. "That is the first step." He grabbed a tray. "Now, help me get this tea to our customers."

A smile spread across her face. "Of course."
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"Are you sure you do not want to come with us?" Iroh packed the last bag onto the cart.

Rhea helped him tie it down. "Yes, I'm sure. I've spent enough time in the palace." She looked back at the Jasmine Dragon. "I think I need a break from politics. I'll hold down the fort while you're gone." She gave him a big hug. "Say 'hi' to the king for me."

Iroh smiled and went to make sure they had everything.

Rhea noticed Zuko staring at her. She took a deep breath. "We haven't really had the chance to talk since I got back." She faced him. "I have a lot of apologizing to do."

"You think." Zuko crossed his arms and looked away, hiding his scar from sight.

Rhea sighed. "I'm sorry... for a lot of things. I shouldn't have attacked you; I shouldn't have taken the mission in the first place; I shouldn't have come to the Fire Nation. I just screwed up your life."

Zuko finally met her gaze. "No you didn't. You were my best friend."

"Your only friend." She corrected.

He glared at her.

She shrank back a little. "Sorry."

He sighed. "And... I don't blame you for accepting the mission. We both know my father is a hard man to say 'no' to."

It was Rhea's turn to look away. "That didn't mean I had to be so committed."

She flinched when she felt Zuko's hand on her shoulder. "Look who you're talking to." He waited for her to meet his gaze. "We were both a little overly zealous."

"Does that mean I'm forgiven?" She tried.

Zuko smiled for the first time in, Rhea couldn't remember when. "Only if you forgive me."

Rhea grinned. "Done." She nudged him towards the carriage. "Now, get out of here. You have a king to meet." She watched him climb into the carriage and waited in the doorway of the tea shop as they rolled away towards the palace. She drew a long breath. Things were finally looking up.

A/N
OH MY GOSH!!!! GUYS, I DID IT!!!! I UPLOADED AGAIN IN LESS THAN A WEEK!!!!!! 😆😆😆😆😆😆😆
So, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It'll probably be a while before I get the next one out. I just had a really weird burst of inspiration for this chapter so... YAY!!!
Thanks for bearing with me guys. 🥰
Until next time,
-Cheshire