hellooooooo I might take a few days break from writing because I don't want to get writers block aha...
<3
Zuko was supposed to visit his father in prison that weekend, because of his application for parole. It would be the first time he'd seen him in three years.
He was freaking out worse than when he had orginally asked for parole.
"Aang, I can't," He said.
"Then don't," Aang said. "If it's not required why should you?"
"Because," Zuko pulled the phone down from his ear to look around. "My uncle thinks I should."
"Isn't he like, amazing at telling what's good for you?" He asked.
"Yes, but he says I should see him and give him forgiveness," Zuko hissed. "I can't. It's too early."
"Tell him that," Aang said. "He'll understand."
"I have to go," He whispered, and hung up.
Aang dropped his phone back on the receiver and rolled onto his stomach. Even if it was the middle of the day, Aang could probably sleep on his bed at any time.
He knew his parents were downstairs. They were home for the weekend. He just didn't want to see them.
Aang worried for Zuko instead. He didn't think it was right that his father, whose name he learned was Ozai, should see him after attempted murder.
"Aang! Dinner!" His mom called.
"Coming!" He yelled back, and then didn't move.
He layed on his bed for a few moments, thinking of nothing. When his mom called again, he rolled off the bed and slowly made his way to the kitchen.
"What'd you make?" Aang asked.
"We ordered chinese," She smiled. "Your mother is getting milk from the gas station. She'll be back soon."
"I have a lot of homework," Aang said. "I should do that."
"But... we're leaving tomorrow morning," Emily said. "Couldn't you have one last family dinner?"
"Okay," Aang sighed. Deeo down he was very glad his mom had asked him to stay. Normally she would have said nothing, ruffle his hair, and continue eating.
"Good," She smiled. "Do you want more honey chicken?"
"Nah," He said.
Aang moved the food around on his plate with a fork until his mother came home. Then, after about ten minutes, he picked up his plate roughly and threw it away.
"I'm going to do homework," Aang said. "Goodnight."
"Oh, uh, alright," Hannah said, glancing at Emily. "We won't see you until next saturday."
"I know," He gave them a small smile and sprinted up the stairs.
Aang loved his parents, he just got sick of them. Not in a sense that they were around too much, because god knows they're gone most of the time. He got sick of them trying to over compensate their affection for the two or three days they were home a week. So whenever they came home, Aang miraculously had a project he needed to catch up on.
And then he'd go straight to sleep.
♡
It was Saturday, the sun burned Zuko's eyes when he first opened them. He knew what today was. He knee if he went to see his father, something bad was going to happen.
"Zuko! Get dressed!" His uncle banged on the small wooden door of his 'bedroom'.
He climbed over his mattress and pushed the door open. "What for?"
"Your visit to your father, of course," Iroh said. "You will have to drive yourself, I must go to work."
Zuko sat there staring at his uncle for a moment, hoping his gaze conveyed the anger he felt, and then slammed the small door shut. Zuko sifted through his clothing hanging from the window bar and grabbed a sweatshirt. He threw it on over his tshirt and climbed out of his room.
"I'm leaving now!" Zuko called to his Uncle.
♡
Aang hadn't expected his doorbell to ring. He assumed his parents had forgotten something, so he ran down the stairs and opened the door without checking who it was.
"Zuko?" Aang stepped back. "Why are you here? Aren't you going to see your father?"
"Uh... Well," He was out of breath. "I decided not to. Is it cool if I crash here?"
"Er...Yeah, yeah, totally," Aang stepped back further to let him in.
"My uncle doesn't know I'm here, so if he calls... well, you know," Zuko said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Thank you."
"What for?" Aang pulled the backpack off Zuko's shoulders and hung it on a keyhook.
"Letting me stay here," He said, giving him a soft look as if to further his thank you. "You're kind of a life saver..."
"Oh," Aang swallowed.
Well, Aang was in a situation. A situation that is any horny teenager's dream, stuck alone in a big house with your crush for a whole day. But he was too cowardly to do anything, of course.
"Do you want a drink?" Aang asked. "Might aswell, I was going to show you around.."
Zuko nodded and followed him, looking at the marble floors and dark oak wood doors. The chandelier was magificent, made from glass shards extended from the light. Everything was white and clean and bright. While it was very pretty, Zuko hardly saw this place as a home.
"This is the kitchen," Aang grinned, coming to a stop.
"Your kitchen is bigger than my room," Zuko said. "But, then again, the school bathroom is bigger than my room."
"Yeah... we have a lot of unnecessary space," He rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess my parents make enough money to have that."
"Huh," Zuko placed a hand gently on the counter. "It's, uh... nice."
Aang nodded. "Well... we can go upstairs now, if you want. There's not much down here except the living room and my parent's bed and bath."
Zuko nodded again and continued to follow Aang. His converse made the wood creak, unlike Aang's barefeet, and it made him feel self concious. Zuko tried to lighten his step, which worked, but he was a lot slower. Then he setteled that he was over thinking, and put it in the back of his mind.
"We have an attic," Aang said. "When I was five they found some old guy living up there. He'd gotten in when the realtor had an open house."
"And you stayed in the house?" Zuko wrinkled his nose.
"Yeahhhh... the other option was moving back to the other side of the earth kingdom," He said. "I'm glad I didn't."
"I would've left," Zuko said. "I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."
"It's pretty easy for me," Aang shrugged. "Going to school everyday... Makes me very tired. Which is why I don't often do my homework until the class before."
"That's a bad habit," Zuko laughed. "You need to be responsible. Do your 50 page packet in one night! Finish 5 other research projects while you're at it. Oh, and, you're going to have the assignments from your other class aswell."
"That's school in a nutshell," Aang scoffed. "Are you going to sleep here?"
"If that's alright," He glanced over. "My uncle will be mad this time."
Aang pulled on his arm and brought him down the hallway. "You can sleep in my room. Take the bed, though. I like sleeping on the couch."
"Okay," Zuko ran a hand through his hair. "I can't have Iroh finding me... So, if the phone rings, I will never answer. That sounds simple. Er... but what if he's had an accident? And I didn't answer?"
"I don't think that's going to happen," Aang raised a brow. "Calm down, Zuko, it'll be fine."
"Yeah, yeah..." He paced in a small circle. "'Course."
Aang watched him walk in circles, biting his nails. It went on for a good few minutes before Aang had enough and pulled him onto the bed.
"Sit down and take a deep breath," He said, stepping back. "Seriously. Calm down. Nothing could possibly go wrong."
Zuko let out an agrivated sigh and closed his eyes. "Okay, whatever..."
When the day was over, and night time had begun, the phone hadn't rung once. Zuko was laying in Aang's bed, staring at the ceiling. Aang was laying on the couch across the room.
"Are you sure your parents don't come home tonight?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah," Aang said. "I'm glad they're gone."
Then he flinched, realizing how insensitive that was. Zuko lost both of his parents on the same day, for different reasons. Aang waited for his reaction, but he just stared straight up.
"Goodnight," Was all he said, and turned away from Aang.
"Night," Aang said quietly.
He mentally smacked himself until he drifted into sleep with no dreams.
♡
oh it's the end!! see u in a few days 😁
im so tiredddddd i dont like this chapter much it's sorta short but yknow had to publish em. you'll like the next few chptrs a lot better trust me