White Hot Flames (ZukoxOC)

50

        Rezalia swung her legs from where she was perched the roof overturning the courtyard where Aang and Zuko were holding their lessons. This specific lesson appeared to be about redirecting lightning if the demonstrated moves were anything to go by. Rezalia couldn't really hear but she'd seen Zuko go through the moves countless times. They pause for a moment, talking. Aang's eyes shoot up to Rezalia as they speak and Zuko nods. Katara walks over, gesturing up toward Rezalia and then to herself.

"Gossiping right in front of me?" Rezalia calls down, grinning. "Seems a bit uncouth, don't you think?"

Zuko laughs and waves her down. "C'mere!"

She tips forward, allowing herself to fall toward the ground. At the last second, she sends out a burst of fire from her feet to slow her fall slightly. Standing fully, she makes her way to Zuko's side. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he speaks, "We were talking about using bending techniques from other nations in firebending which reminded me that I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything."

Zuko tightens his arm around her lovingly. "I wanted to know if you would mind joining me in teaching a lesson. You know more about incorporating foreign bending techniques better than anyone I've ever known."

"Z..." Rezalia hesitates.

"I know," he assures. "But you can demonstrate the techniques, yeah? Obviously, you don't have to if you don't feel comfortable."

She shakes her head. "It's okay. As long as it's not traditional training, I can help."

Katara frowns. "Wait. Is what you've been doing not traditional training?"

"Not at all," Zuko denies, frowning. "Traditional training is awful. You make a mistake, you are punished with fire. It's a system designed to breed hatred and fear and pain to fuel anger used to bend. It's an awful system that I refuse to participate in."

Rezalia squeezes his hip. "It's only thanks to Iroh that either of us received training that didn't give us endless amounts of trauma."

"We got our trauma elsewhere," Zuko quips. Rezalia laughs. Aang and Katara looked like they weren't sure if they were allowed to.

Katara speaks up after a moment. "Lia, I know that you don't like to bend but I have to ask: will you bend during the fight?"

"I don't dislike bending. I just..."Rezalia trails off. "It's complicated. I told you about my father and how I was supposed to be a war general, right? Because of my training, my traditional training from before Iroh took over, I don't have good memories with fighting with my fire. I can do it, I just prefer not to use it on people. But for this....I'll think about it."

Aang smiles. "Don't push yourself, Lia."

"You're no use in a fight if you question every move," Zuko adds. "If using your bending is going to hold you back, just kick ass the way you always do."

Rezalia laughs, listing up onto her toes to kiss his cheek. "Aye aye, captain."

He rolls his eyes. "We're going to be late to Sokka's drill thing if we don't get ready now."

"What? My skirt doesn't seem war training appropriate?" Rezalia teases, gesturing at her outfit consisting of a thin black skirt with a tied cloth belt and her red bikini top with the gold chain straps.

Zuko blushes a bit and rolls his eyes. "Zali."

"I'm going, I'm going. Meet you here in ten?"