Zuko and I stood in front of the mental asylum. He looked conflicted. I took his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He turned his head towards me and smiled.
"Hey," I said, "Don't worry. I got Ty Lee and Suki at the palace for back up. And Azula's in a straight jacket. Nothing will go wrong. It'll be fine."
Zuko nodded.
This was it for him. This was his chance at closure. I had gotten closure on my mother, I met her side of the family, I live with her niece. I had gotten my closure. Now, it was Zuko's turn. He needed this.
Zuko took a breath and we headed into the asylum.
A few doctors led into a room. We sat there in silence for a moment before Azula was wheeled into the room.
Zuko glanced at me. I nodded.
Zuko turned back to Azula, "I... I need to know what happened to our mother. I've had conversation over conversation with Ozai and it's gone nowhere. He refuses to reveal what happened to her. So I've come to an uncomfortable conclusion. You are the only person in the world who can coax the information I need out of Ozai. Tell me, then... what do you want in return for helping me find mother?"
Azula smiled, "Don't be silly, Zuzu! The satisfaction of serving the Fire Lord in some way will be compensation enough! Besides, not a day has gone by since you put me in here that I haven't wondered," her eyes grew wild, "What exactly happened to our dear mother?"
Something about her expression didn't sit right with me. In fact, it terrified me. I shot Zuko an uneasy look, but he didn't seem to notice.
❊❊❊
Zuko, Suki, Ty Lee, and I peered through the cell's window- looking at Azula and Ozai. They just... sat there, staring at each other.
Zuko held a tray of tea.
"So," I said, "How's the whole bring all the nations together thing going?"
"Aang and I are working on a prototype for a new city, uniting the four nations," Zuko said.
Ty Lee smiled, "That sounds exciting!"
"It sounds idealistic," Zuko looked back at his family members, "Though... I guess we do need some idealism," Zuko sighed in frustration, "They still haven't said anything?"
"No," Suki replied.
Zuko opened the door, walking inside the cell with the tray of tea.
I laughed, "Do you really think tea is the best way to treat your prisoners, Fire Lord?"
"They're still my family."
"Point taken," I shrugged.
Azula glared at Zuko and grabbed the tray of tea with her teeth, knocking Zuko to the floor.
I raised my hands and blood bent her head down, "What the fuck, Azula?!"
"How did you expect me to drink tea while wearing a straight jacket, Zuzu?! Did you want to watch me lap at it like some kind of animal?!" Azula screeched.
"No-" Zuko started to say, but Suki and Ty Lee burst into the room.
Ty Lee glanced at Zuko, then at Azula and chi blocked her in seconds. Azula fell out of her wheelchair to the ground, unable to move her limbs in the slightest.
"She was already restrained! And (Y/N) was bloodbending her! You didn't need to chi block her."
"You never know with Azula," I said to Zuko, "Ty Lee was right to do that."
"Ah. My old friend Ty Lee," Azula said. Then, her eyes grew wild, her pupils dilating, "Tell me how she got to you and Mai! How'd she make you lose your fear of me?!"
"You're not making any sense, Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed.
"Azula," I said in a warning tone, "You're severely outmatched here. Watch your tone."
"(Y/N)! Ty Lee! Suki! Let me handle this!" Zuko exclaimed.
Suki and Ty Lee left the room.
I sighed, "As you wish, Zuko," I started to leave.
Zuko reached out and grabbed my hand, "Wait," he looked at me with pleading eyes, "I- uh... I need you to stay."
I smiled, "Yeah. I'm here."
Zuko turned to Azula, "You and Father are meeting for the first time in over a year, and I know these aren't the best of circumstances. I thought the tea might lend a little ... dignity."
Azula snorted, "You want dignity? Let Father and me talk to one another like two human beings. In private."
"You can't seriously think-" I started to say only to be cut off by Zuko.
"Fine."
"Zuko!"
Zuko looked at me with those pleading eyes. I sighed and nodded, glancing back at Azula and Ozai one more time before leaving the room with Zuko.
Zuko and I walked back to his room. He closed the door and sighed in frustration.
"Zuko," I put a hand on his shoulder.
Zuko banged his head into the closed door, "In class last Friday the professor said that a nation is a family. I put my father in a prison, my sister in a mental hospital, and my mother has been banished for years. I don't know if she's even alive. I can't keep a family, how am I supposed to run a nation?"
"You can keep a family. You've been my family for years. You're an amazing person, and you're an even more amazing Fire Lord. You are doing everything you can to find out about your mother. You're showing the kind of initiative that a head of state should. You're amazing."
He turned his head to me, "You... you really think so?"
"I know-"
Zuko wrapped a hand around my waist and pressed his lips onto mine. The abruptness of the kiss surprised me, but I soon became consumed by it, pressing my body onto his. He picked me up and I wrapped my legs around him. He slammed me into the door, using it as support.
Then, his phone rang.
He deepened the kiss once more before pulling away. He stared into my eyes, his expression unwavering.
His phone stopped ringing.
He let me stand and pressed his lips to my forehead.
"I love you, (Y/N)."
"I love you too, Zuko."
This time, my phone rang. I took it out of my pocket. Suki.
"Yeah, what's up?" I asked once I picked up the phone.
"You and Zuko should head back now, I just walked past the cell, they seem to be done."
"Got it, we're on our way."
❊❊❊
After a lot of protesting, Zuko convinced me to go home, while he dealt with Azula himself. He also came up with this insane idea that Azula should stay in the palace, which I obviously did not approve of. Still, I trusted Zuko, and if he thought this was right, it was right. Besides, he needed this.
So, I laid down in my bed staring up at the ceiling. It was midnight, but I couldn't sleep. Not when I didn't know what was happening with Zuko and Azula. Azula's dangerous, and Zuko's desperate. Not a good combination.
I sighed and picked up my phone to call Zuko. I had to know what happened. Almost on cue, the second I picked up my phone, I got a call from Zuko. I answered right away.
"Zuko. What happened?"
"(Y/N)," I heard Zuko's voice through the phone, "Can you come over? I'll explain everything."
I jumped out of bed, "Yeah," I started walking down the stairs, "I'm on my way."
I put on my shoes, grabbed my car keys, and walked out the door, the cool air hitting me on impact. I drove to the Palace and Zuko was waiting outside the gates, holding a sweatshirt. I parked my car and met Zuko.
"I knew you were going to forget a jacket or something," he held out the sweatshirt, "You don't want to catch a cold."
I giggled, "That's just your excuse to get me to wear more of your clothes."
Zuko laughed, "Probably."
I threw on the sweatshirt and turned to look at him, "So?"
"Come on," he took my hand and we walked inside the palace gates. Zuko took me to the gardens and we sat on the grass. Zuko laid down, putting his head in my lap, he looked up at the sky. I started to stroke Zuko's hair. This felt familiar.
"Ba Sing Se, huh?" I said.
"This is where I first told you I loved you," Zuko sighed and put his head on my shoulder, "Isn't it?"
I chuckled, "Yeah," I paused, "When did you start loving me?"
"I told you. I've always loved you."
"I mean, when did you realize it?"
"When did you?" Zuko asked.
"I asked you first," I said.
Zuko adjusted his position and laid down in my lap. He looked up at the sky, "When I first realized?" He thought for a moment, "I knew for sure that I loved you that night I caught you water bending. You panicked and it was the first time I've seen you genuinely vulnerable. You had never cried before that, not when your father died, though I understand why. You told me everything that night. You told me about your father, your mother... I... I felt even more connected to you that day," he turned his face towards me and smiled, "I knew since then that I didn't want anyone to hurt you like that ever again."
"Zuko..."
"Well?" Zuko asked, "What about you?"
I stroked Zuko's hair, "I guess it was obvious that I liked you from the start. I mean, I got jealous when girls asked for a picture with you or talked about you from a distance. I was always flustered when I saw you without a shirt, and every time you came really close to me my heart would beat ten times faster. But," I sighed, "I guess I didn't really realize I loved you until I was scared of losing you. When you told me that I was nothing to you-"
"(Y/N), I'm sorry. I was just a kid-"
"Shh, I forgave you a long time ago. The point is, it never hurt me when people would say mean things like that to me, at least it didn't until it was you saying those things. Only the person I love could hurt me in such a way. I guess it's not as sweet as how you realized it, but... it's true."
Zuko got up from my lap, and faced me, "I'll never hurt you again, (Y/N). I promise."
He closed his eyes, "This reminds me of that time outside the walls of Ba Sing Se. You know, when Aang went missing?"
"Yeah," I breathed, "I was just thinking that," I continued to stroke his hair.
Zuko opened his eyes and turned his head towards me, "You want to know about Azula and my mom and everything, right?"
I nodded.
He closed his eyes and turned his face towards the sky again, "Father told Azula about these letters... and she burned them. Not that I should be surprised, that's just like her. But, she said that she would tell me what was in the letters... if I let her come with us."
"Come with us...?"
"She also learned that my mom was from a small Fire Nation town called Hira'a. I'm, well we're going to look for her," he looked at me, "That is... if you're up for it? A Team Avatar mission? Me, you, Sokka, Katara, Aang, Toph?"
I smiled and brought my lips down to his.
"I would love too."