I recommend listening to Rosyln by Bon Iver & St. Vincent
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La'kea watched the prince bustled back and forth across their small apartment, gathering various items into a small pack that he slung across his back.
"Are you sure you don't want me to help with... Whatever you're doing?" She asked, brows raised at the sight.
"Don't worry, I got it," The prince held open the door to the apartment for her, calling out to his uncle behind him. "We'll be back."
She blinked, smiling although confused. "Are we running away?" She joked. Zuko had woken her up that morning to tell her that they were going to be out all day, and to wear something fit for walking. But he hadn't told her what they were going to be doing.
He rolled his eyes, "We're not running away. I just don't want to spend our day off inside the apartment."
"Aren't you worried Iroh might get lonely," She glanced above them as they stepped onto the street.
Zuko just stared at her for a moment before shaking his head, giving her a gentle push as they started walking. "He'll be fine, drinking tea and doing whatever he does." Her laugh bounced off the walls of the street.
She followed his lead, still unaware of what he had planned, and part of her was tempted to question him, but the other part said he was trying to surprise her. And as they gossiped and ridiculed about their worst customers together, La'kea didn't bother hiding her small smile.
Her brain stopped short of forming words as her hand brushed against his unintentionally. She shivered despite the warm day, clearing her throat as she looked up at the prince. "Okay, I have to know," He raised a brow at her question, "Where are we going?"
The corner's of his mouth twitched up, "You'll know it when you hear it."
The face she made caused him to snort, "What is that supposed- Oh!" Her eyes grew wide as she bounced on the balls of her feet, "The music festival! I completely forgot that was today, I can't believe I almost missed it."
Zuko's heart skipped a beat as she wrapped her hand around his arm and was suddenly dragging him through the streets.
True to his word, she heard the strange but delightful sounds suddenly filled the air as they reached the large town circle. La'kea bit back a delighted squeal.
There were dozens of stages and platforms, some filled with groups of people playing instruments, others held only one solo artist. Huge crowds of people littered the circle, some simply enjoying the free entertainment. Others had formed groups that danced around to the music playfully. The shops that lined the open area had their windows and doors wide open to invite patrons, multiple market stalls were set up selling anything and everything.
Zuko looked down at the islander who was practically buzzing in place. "Where do you want to start?"
She exhaled sharply, puffing up her cheeks comically. "I have no idea, there's so many different options." Three years at sea hadn't given her much experience with this worlds form of music, but what little she had heard was fascinating.
The prince gave half a shrug, "Take your time. We have all day," He looked over her head at something. "I'm going to grab us some food. Don't go anywhere." With a light touch at her shoulder, he disappeared into the crowd.
La'kea tried to heed his suggestion, she knew he would be displeased at having to search for her. But as a sharp melodic sound was drawn out into the air, she couldn't help but gravitate towards it.
The sound was accompanied by the sound of drums, an instrument she was familiar with, but also two other alien noises. Squeezing her way through the crowd, the islander finally stumbled upon the stage calling to her.
Zuko should have guessed that as soon as he turned his back she'd run off. He grunted in annoyance as he shouldered his way through the crowd. It shouldn't be so hard to find her, the islanders face could rival any jewel.
When he did find her a few minutes later, of course it was in front of a stage where she was dancing. Planting her feet in the ground, the islander was rolling her hips to the beat of the drums, skirts spinning in the air hypnotically. Her arms stayed parallel to the ground in front of her chest, one hand stretched out in front of her.
La'kea could feel the eyes on her as she spotted Zuko at the front of the crowd forming, she gave the prince a wide grin. He smiled back hesitantly, holding up two bowls of noodles as a way to tell her to take a break. The islander continued sashaying her hips, swinging one leg around as she sent him a beseeching look. She was never one to beg, but the longer she danced the more she remembered how she used to do this dance with Oliana. There was still something she was forgetting...
Someone from the crowd tentatively tried to mimic her movements, and like clockwork, suddenly a group was around her, dancing to the strange and beautiful music. La'kea had no idea those types of sounds would fit so well with the dance of the spirits.
But the musicians eventually had to break, and the crowd scattered to find another group to listen to. Zuko was still waiting patiently with the bowls of food as she ran over to him breathlessly. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, someone on a platform nearby began to clap with a rapid rhythm, and was soon accompanied by a heavenly voice.
The prince lifted his eyes to the sky, sighing in exasperation when the islander disappeared as she ran to the singer. When he finally caught up with her, it was a mild surprise to find her simply swaying on the spot, hanging onto every word with rapt focus. The song was pleasant, a simple lively tune about falling in love in a grassy meadow. Zuko just watched the transfixed girl with an almost invisible smile.
When the song ended, she found another person or group to listen to and continued the action over and over until they had nearly exhausted all the performers. La'kea finally stopped bouncing from platform to stage, falling back into a much more reserved pace besides the prince.
"Did you have fun?" He asked softly, surprising her with his sincerity.
"It was amazing," She sighed blissfully, thinking of a time when Oliana and her had snuck out to go watch the firebenders perform dangerous dances. Spinning the flames over their head and around their legs in unison, all while keeping in beat with the drums.
La'kea suddenly jolted like she had been shocked. She had remembered something from her island tribe. Of her father, who's face was beginning to blur in her memory. Was it possible to tell Oliana she was wrong while she wasn't dreaming? That she wasn't a Fire Nation monster at all. The ghost of the chieftess' gentle laugh echoed in her ear.
Zuko squinted at the islander that had just stopped in her tracks, brow furrowed at the ground. "Are... you okay?"
She blinked, shaking herself as she looked up at him with startling determination. "I want to start my kakua."
The prince blanched, "What?"
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"Remember a long time ago," La'kea explained as he followed behind her helplessly, searching for someone to embed the art into her skin. "When I told you about how the different benders of my tribe often got tattoos to symbolize themselves?"
The prince frowned in concentrating, trying to recall what she was referring to. "I think so..."
"I would have started mine when I turned sixteen," She explained, scanning over the multiple signs of shops and market stalls as they moved through the town rapidly. "They're not just symbols, they help the flow of mana- Chi. And can make some... stronger, or just better at honing their bending."
Zuko clenched his jaw, guilt gnawing at him as he started to understand the significance of it to the islander. She had been stolen from her home and her culture, and now that they were out of the Fire Nation's reach.'I'm trying to reconnect with my roots,' She had said last night, looking discouraged and... sad.
Casting one last look behind his shoulder at the elaborate music festival, at least she had gotten to enjoy it. The prince shielded his eyes as he looked up at the sky, it was still mid afternoon, and although he didn't know how long this would take, they still had time before the end of the day.
"I found someone!" She gasped, suddenly grabbing his hand and dragging him forward through the busy street. As they ducked through the door, they had to blink rapidly to adjust to the dim interior. The enclosed shop was so small it might as well have been a market stall.
To both their surprise, a reedy old woman was leaning back against a chair behind the counter, her graying hair pulled back tight into a bun. She lifted one sharp brow at them, "May I help you?"
La'kea took a step forward, "Are you the... Artist?"
The old woman turned fully in her chair to look her up and down with scrutiny. "You're not the type I usually get in here, but yes."
"How much?"
The artist leaned back in her seat, crossing her arms as she kicked a chair out from behind the counter towards her. "Depends what you want, take a seat."
When she was young, La'kea would have never thought that she would one day be paying to receive her tattoos, let alone in a strange shop from a strange woman. But she didn't have the luxury of her traditional ceremonies.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled the chair forward and sat down.
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"How do you feel?"
La'kea winced, trying to twist her wrists around in an attempt to alleviate the pain. "Sore," On her island, the process of receiving a tattoo was painstaking, it would take days, or even weeks to allow the body to heal. She hadn't expected the woman to move so quickly, by late afternoon she had completed the first stage of patterns. The artist hadn't made a comment on La'keas peculiar request, only accepting her payment silently. "And tired."
Zuko glanced out the window of the train they were seated in, in the Fire Nation, tattoos were considered... Low class. But she had seemed so happy looking down at the rolling waves and lines that covered the mangled scar tissue on her wrists. "They look... Nice."
Her smile was radiant as she turned towards him, "Thank you, so now where are we going?" He had been so secretive about their destination, but as soon as she had to break for the day from the pain, the prince had hauled them to the train station.
"I think you'll like it," He answered vaguely, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the city speed past below them.
The islander rolled her eyes, but couldn't fight the urge to smile. He was making an effort to surprise her, which made her so nervous she could vomit, but... It made her happy. Bewilderingly, their train continued past the city, past the inner wall to the farm lands and mountains. What could possibly be out here?
"Oh, wow," La'kea breathed as they stepped off the train onto the platform. At the bottom of the mountain stretched a glittering deep blue lake, surrounded by lush trees and rocky cliffs. "It's amazing."
The prince adjusted the pack on his shoulder, starting down towards the numerous steps that led to the lake. "Let's get moving, we only have a while before nightfall." She blinked, snapping herself out of the mesmerizing sight and trotted after him.
Zuko aimed for the sandy lakeside, but La'kea tugged at his arm and pointed to a deviating path. "Let's go this way."
The prince raised his brows, "Why?"
"It's quieter," She answered easily, unwrapping the seaweed bandages she had been given for her still healing tattoos.
As they picked their way through the trees and thicket to finally reach the sand. The sound of the soft waves sloshing against the shores washed over La'kea immediately, easing a certain part of her. Her shoulders relaxed with a heavy sigh as they picked out a secluded spot for Zuko to set down the bag he had been carrying all day.
Without even thinking, La'kea began undoing the ridiculous layers she had been wearing since they reached Ba Sing Se. Not even bothering to fold them before wading knee deep in the water.
Zuko was much more methodical undressing, even folding La'keas dress for her before tucking them away in his pack. As well as making sure her present was still safely wrapped. She was currently wrapping her arms in water, glowing bright as she healed them rapidly.
Once satisfied, she looked back at Zuko with such a bright smile he almost stumbled into the waves. He gave her an unsure smile back, attempting to walk closer but she just laughed and dived headfirst beneath the surf. Popping up much farther out within moments, he sighed finally subjecting himself to the plunge.
The islander floated on her back, arms outstretched, "I didn't even know there was a lake in Ba Sing Se. I would have come here sooner."
He swam closer, she had been wearing her makeshift islander clothing under her Earth Kingdom dress. The pale skirt drifted the water along with her dark curls, her eyes were closed as she blissfully soaked in the sunlight. Thinking back, he didn't think he had ever seen her as happy as she had been this day. The prince tried floating alike to her, but couldn't quite stay upright, must be a waterbender skill.
"We were at sea for three years," Zuko commented curiously. "Why did you never swim then?"
She let herself sink in the water, up righting herself to face him as she shrugged. "We were... Busy."
The prince snorted, it was a light way of referring to their humiliatingly unsuccessful hunt for the Avatar. Three years ago, neither of them would have guessed that they'd be living as tea servers in Ba Sing Se. Zuko absolutely never would have thought he be here, swimming alongside a waterbender. Or diving after her when she dipped beneath the waves.
She just grinned up at him from the lake depths, quickly bending a bubble around her head to breathe. He kicked downwards until he was beside the islander, gesturing for her to create a bubble for himself. Obligingly, La'kea pushed her hands outwards, and the water was pushed away to make a sphere of air.
Zuko inhaled slowly as they simply floated, sunlight streaming through the water in soft dancing rays. Her fathomless eyes were looking upwards at the surface, dark curls suspended around her head, and she didn't notice the prince reaching out until both his hands were suddenly cupping her face. And pulling her in close.
The air bubbles disappeared entirely as she realized what he was doing.
The prince kissed her softly.
When Zuko pulled away, still holding her head gently, she was starring at him in wide eyed and slack jawed in astonishment. In that moment, he could have stayed beneath those waves forever, but his lungs started to hurt, and he finally let go of her to swam to the surface.
Just as he broke through to the air, the lake beneath him surged outwards with such force the prince was thrown back onto the shore. La'kea suddenly appeared in front of him, hair dripping. Zuko swallowed nervously.
"You kissed me," She breathed, somewhat dazed.
His face burned as he rolled onto his elbows, "I did."
"Finally," La'kea bent to his level, sliding to her knees as she lightly put her hand on the back of his head and kissed him deeply.
Eagerly, he pulled her in even closer, savoring the feel of her lips against his. The softness of her breaths as she would pull away and quickly push back. Before they even realized it, La'kea was laying on top of him, held securely by his arms around her waist.
By the time she thought to pull away, the water still clinging to them had evaporated. Neither said anything, just smiling stupidly.
The prince shook his head, clearing the fogginess as he reached for the pack he had been carrying around all day. "I- Uh... Got you something."
She stared at it curiously as she gently climbed off him, slipping on her earth kingdom garbs again. "Oh?"
Zuko handed her the paper wrapped item before tying his robes on again. La'kea lifted a brow quizzically at it as she pulled the string off, and quickly unfolded the wrappings. Her breath hitched as her hand brushed against the achingly familiar geometric patterns on the woven bark cloth.
"You..." She couldn't find the words, discarding the wrappings entirely to unfold the tapa cloth and hold it front of her. It was small, but it was still a piece of her culture that she held to her chest protectively, her eyes burned. "Zuko..." La'kea sniffed, tears gathering in her eyes. "Thank you."