Fire You Are (Zuko Love Story)

Honor

For weeks, we feel the aura of a new life being built here in Ba Sing Se. We work by day, rest by night, and hear nothing of the war. Nothing having to do with the Fire Nation. It's as if we were free. But nobody can be free in oblivion, right? Maybe that's why it's so hearbreaking to run away.

Zuko's burning up in fever, and he has been an entire day. Iroh and I stay close to him, attending to his needs and trying to nurse him back to health. His sickness came out of nowhere. One day, he just... fell ill. Maybe the stress of being cooped up here was too much for him. Maybe this sickness is just a physical manifestation of his inner conflict.

I hold a fabric damp with cold water against Zuko's forehead as he breathes heavily with his eyes closed. Soon, the cold of the fabric fades into heat and I have to replace it yet again. I look at my partner in worry, hoping he'll be back up on his feet soon.

After a whole day of being down at the teashop, Iroh returns to the apartment looking glad just as Zuko manages to fall asleep. 

"I have good news, Aida," he says.

"We could sure use them," I say. "What is it?"

"We have been offered a larger tea shop all to ourselves," Iroh says happily. "We would move closer to the center of the city to a new apartment."

"Iroh, that's great!" I say. 

"It sure is!" He replies. "I knew our hard work would pay off soon. I just want to wait until my nephew feels better for us to move."

Iroh kneels down next to Zuko and feels his forehead. "He still has a very high fever. For now it will be best to simply let him rest."

"I'll stay here in case he wakes up," I reply.

"Good," Iroh says. 

That night, Zuko wakes up a couple of times asking for water, and each time he goes to sleep again. A little past midnight, Zuko finally drifts off into a deep and steady sleep, and it's only until then when I feel it's okay to get some sleep myself. Due to the lack of sleep I got at night, I sleep in later the next morning. When I wake up, I don't find Zuko lying next to me anymore and can feel silent noises of things being move around. I sit up to find Zuko up and about, feeling much better as if he'd never been sick at all.

"Morning," he says with a kind smile.

That's weird.

"What medicine did Iroh give you?" I ask him.

"None," he replies with that same smile and an overall good attitude. "I just feel a lot better now."

"Huh," I say. "Are you sure?"

He chuckles. "Yes, I'm sure."

"It's just..." I say. "You seem so happy."

"You want me to go back to being angry?" He says.

"No, that's not it," I say. 

Zuko smiles softly and I notice the box in which he seems to be packing our things.

"Uncle Iroh told me about the new tea shop," Zuko says as he continues to pack. "We're moving today. It's not as if we have that many things for now anyway."

"Right," I say. "What do you think about that?"

"I think it's great," Zuko says sincerely. "Things are really turning up now for us and... I'm very glad to see my uncle happy."

"You and me both," I say.

That must be why Zuko seems so peaceful all of a sudden. He accepted our life here, but more than that, he welcomed it. And I couldn't be happier. I love that sweet smile of his.