Blazing: An Avatar AU

Chapter Thirty-Eight

[Zuko's POV]

Vacation. Not a luxury I wanted. We were off to Lo and Li's house on Ember Island. I didn't like this place at all. 

We'd stopped going here after my mother...

Whatever. 

I laid on my bed. My hand drifted to the locket around my neck. I closed my eyes for a moment.

I cupped her cheek and kissed her. She kissed me back. Her lips were soft. I backed her against a wall, and pulled away looking at her face.

"Why'd you stop?" She asked me.

"No reason," I smiled, "I just...I love you (Y/N)."

"I love you too, Zuko," she grinned and closed the distance between us.

"Zuko?" Mai knocked on the door.

Shit. What was I doing? Dreaming about a girl who hates me now. I knew Mai liked me but was using her as a distraction really the best thing?

I slipped the locket under my shirt before she saw anything. 

"Yeah, Mai?" I got up.

"We're going to the beach," she said, "Are you coming?"

I didn't think I had a choice. I nodded and grabbed a pair of swim trunks.

When we got to the beach, a bunch of boys swarmed around Ty Lee. I sat with Mai. 

I stared out into the ocean. I hate it here, everything reminds me of (Y/N). The beach was a place where land and water met. A place where the sun shines down onto the water. And that's a perfect depiction of (Y/N). She's the sun, a skilled firebender that can burn you at any moment, but she also radiates warmth. And the water... she's a waterbender. She keeps her cool in high-pressure situations. 

Maybe I'm looking too much into it.

"Zuko?" Mai reached for my face. 

"What?" I pulled away.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing."

Everything. 

Azula got us to play volleyball with some random people. My head wasn't in the game, but we still won. 

Then, we got ourselves invited to a party.

Parties. Another luxury I didn't want. 

We arrived at the party pretty early. I sat down with Mai and we both took out our phones, essentially ignoring each other. This phone had all the information my old phone, which (Y/N) had chucked in the river, had. It was all backed up on my Banana ID.

I went to my old messages and flipped through them. I opened (Y/N)'s contact and started typing. 

Me: I miss you

I'm sorry but the number you are trying to text is no longer in service. 

I sighed and opened my camera roll. I slid through my old memories. My old camera roll was filled with pictures of (Y/N) and I. 

"What are you looking at?" Mai asked. 

I jumped and shut my phone off, "Nothing. I'm gonna go get us food."

She shrugged and went back to typing on her phone. I went to the bathroom and locked the door. I looked at myself in the mirror. It was my face, but I didn't recognize it. 

Uncle...

(Y/N)...

God, I'm an idiot. I slapped myself across the face.