Letters From Iroh

A Burning Ember

A/N: Hey guys! So, to everyone who has liked this story and let me know, thank you so much! I wasn't ever really planning to update it since I left off at a part that made sense to me to close it off unless I felt called to revisit it later. It was my first real attempt at a fan-fiction, and I used a lot of my own life as parts within the plot. I wrote it my first semester of college/uni and many of my actual insecurities and feelings at the time influenced what I ended up writing within it. So, the formatting and style was very different from how I write now. I think I've improved, but then again, it's also nice to know that people really seem to like this work a lot, even more so than some of my newer ones. So, all in all, readdressing this story and what it means to me will be fun! I just want to let everyone know it may be a tad different as far as style and grammar but otherwise, it'll be the same sort of thing! That being said, I hope you all like this long overdue update. Also, the song at the start of this is one I really like! It was one I listened to as a kid and it makes me think of myself and Bao. The song is about a woman who is okay with all the chaos in life, and somehow finds love anyway, with someone who sees her for what she is. That person actually enjoys how deep she can be, and the fact that she can be confusing interests them more than anything else. Do enjoy it and hopefully you see how it influenced the title of this chapter!

Rolling over in my sleep, I nearly fell off the side of the bed. Grappling for something to use to rescue myself, I turned to see that Iroh had snatched most of the blanket we were supposed to be sharing, covering himself with it, leaving me next to nothing. At the same time, I noticed that he was shoved as far to his side of the bed as humanly possible. Sheesh. We were not the most graceful sleepers. Seeing that it was the first time we had shared a bed, I was surprised that it seemed as though we'd had some fight for control in our sleep. Well, I'm awake now. I sat up and rubbed my temples, looking down at the man I now would have to openly call my boyfriend, rolling my eyes, and stood to look out of the window adjacent to where he was snoring loudly and wholly unbeautifully. The sun was just rising, and as its light hit the water, the shine on the gently rolling waves seemed to shimmer brighter than gold as the waters lit up in its brilliance. I was somewhat surprised I'd woken up so early, but I guess it wasn't fully my choice alone, since I was about to fall on my face. I spent a few more minutes watching the light from the sun grow stronger and brighter, finally getting too impatient to wait for Iroh to wake up.

I walked back over to the bed and yanked the blanket he was holding out from his arms, surprised I could do it so swiftly. He groaned and turned to reach for it, looking again like a little kid rather than a powerful general who also would one day rule an equally powerful nation. I laughed to myself as he finally woke up, his eyes narrowing in indignation before seeing who it was that disturbed his slumber. His expression softened immediately after seeing me try to fight back tears while resisting the urge to break down and laugh my head off.

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" he sat up, rubbing his head. "If it was anyone but you, love, I would have to hit you." He smirked. Was he teasing me? Clearly he was.

"Go ahead." I leaned down. "I can take it." I smirked right back at him.

"No no. We'll get to that one of these days." He yawned. He wasn't fully awake yet, I assumed.

"What do you mean by that?" I raised an eyebrow. "We're gonna fight?" He smirked this time, and I felt my face grow hot. I must be blushing after realizing what he meant. He didn't say anything but looking back at what remained of the well-made bed we'd destroyed solely through sleep, I took it he knew the same as I did that was not anything close to how messed up a room would be if there was well- "Nevermind. I get it." I looked away from him and folded my arms across my chest. "How crass."

He laughed and ran a hand through his hair, in a vain attempt to smooth it over. "crass? that's an odd word to describe it."

"Oh whatever." He caught me looking at him, and after a few more useless strokes to his head, he sighed and stood up. I nodded towards my shower. "Need to get dressed? Or well, better dressed? You could use my shower, but I don't want the men to get any ideas." I used the same words he'd said to me when we first met, when I was in his room, scared and confused, and now I was smiling and more secure than I'd been in months. Or, well, years, even. I was happier than I'd been in my whole life. He laughed and walked past me into the smaller washroom I had in my cabin.