Dreamers (Zuko x Yue)

Pouhai

After Zhao had left his Uncle and he stayed on the deck silently, neither willing to approach the topic of what they would do next.

Finally, his Uncle broke the silence, "What will you do nephew?"

Zuko knew what his uncle was asking him if he would go and save the Avatar. If he would begin to fight against his father and risk earning worse than the burn to his face.

His scar throbbed at the thought of what would happen to him when his father found out, what would happen to him if he was brought back home as a traitor rather than an outcast.

He swallowed the bile rising in his throat and shook his head. He turned to retire to his cabin, unable to look at his Uncle's disappointed gaze.

"Nothing Uncle, I won't do anything. The Avatar got himself caught, he can get himself out."

He went underneath the deck, unwilling to listen to his Uncle's reply.

.........

Iroh sighed sadly as he watched his nephew retire for the night.

He knew his nephew was still terrified of rebelling against his father. The consequences of doing so had been seared onto his skin, and as much as he wished for his nephew to help the Avatar, he knew he couldn't push him.

Iroh had lost that right the second he turned away from his nephew's mutilation, forcing his nephew to live with the reminder of his father's brutality.

He turned to the dock to get a messenger hawk, he knew that if the Avatar was captured the war would be as good as lost.

He wrote to his associates at the White Lotus and told them to get ready to raid Zhao's ship on the return trip to the Fire Nation.

He sighed as he watched the hawk fly towards Jeong-Jeong and his band of deserters.

Stay alive Avatar, you are our only hope...

.........

Zuko lay in his bed, looking at the cabin ceiling, trying to force himself to sleep.

His mind was whirling with stray thoughts of what to do.

He knew the Avatar wouldn't survive his father's cruelty. He barely survived it and he was his son. The Avatar was a random person that was his father's biggest obstacle. He wouldn't survive a day with him.

He kept thinking about if he should save the Avatar. If he should go with him and see if he will defeat his father and stop the war.

Zuko thought about going to save him, but every time he did his face throbbed, and fear kept him in his bed.

He'll be fine. He's the Avatar, he mastered the four elements. He'll break out on his own and then he'll defeat my father. He doesn't need my help.

He turned to flick off the candle lighting his room when he spotted his Uncle's knife on the counter.

The inscription written on it taunted him, Never give up without a fight.

He thought back to his promise to Yue all those years ago. The promised to give her the knife in person, to meet her, and thank her for being there for him when he had no one.

He thought back to Yue's promise to be there for him when he found out the truth about the war.

He remembered her joy at creating the Koi Fish. He remembered her carefree expression when they sparred. He remembered her beautiful singing, the melody drawing him in like waves to the shore.

He remembered how he promised to give her the knife, and how she held his hand, her ice-blue eyes pouring into his as she promised the same.

He had looked toward the ocean every day since then, looking at the blue waves to remind him of her. To remind him of her bending and her determination to get better, even if her Tribe didn't want her to.