when fire meets air

Chapter 19: Zuko

He thought that going and seeing Appa would be one of the most peaceful places in the air temple, and he was right at first. He saw Appa and smiled when the bison gave him a warm welcome. The stables were quiet, given that their only occupant was Appa, and so Zuko found himself drifting off in the saddle. He didn't intend to stay there for that long, but when he came to the sun was setting and the person he was trying to avoid was talking to Appa.

Zuko had spent the majority of the day thinking about the kiss. He wanted to know what it meant, why he did it. It changed something in him. It took a little bit of the resentment away, allowing for him to look at who really hurt him. It wasn't Aang. No, Aang had never hurt him. He had just made a mistake, which resulted in the monsters from the prison destroying him. It wasn't his fault, and Zuko knew that he was being a dick to him, but what else could he do? He had grown up thinking that compassion was a weakness and when he started to show love and kindness, the world was the most cruel to him.

So, when they were flying, peaceful at last, he chose to put a little of himself out there. To give Aang some slack. To show the truth.

Their conversation went better than he thought it would. Sure, the entire time there was a sense of panic that warped through his lungs and chest and it was one of the hardest things he ever had to do. But he did it, and the look on Aang's face when he told him he didn't hate him made all the panic worth it.

They flew back to the temple in silence, but not a tense one. The silence was comfortable; it was almost a prelude for them to start feeling comfortable around each other again. A new beginning for them.

When they landed safely, they silently walked back to the temple. He knew that he now had the obligation to talk to him. To tell him what he had experienced. But he didn't know if he could. He followed Aang into the building, and watched as the Avatar walked back toward the kitchen. He knew he could run away. He knew he could go back to his room and hide until it was time for them to eat, but he also knew that that was wrong. So Zuko followed him into the kitchen, leaning against the doorframe with the smallest of smiles on his face.

"Would you like some help with dinner?" He asked, his voice more confident than he felt. He saw Aang tense up, before turning around to beam at him with that smile that always got his heart going. The smile that once made him think that maybe, just maybe, his feelings were returned.

"I'd love some help! Can you get chopping the carrots?" He asked, instantly sending him back to a time where they cooked around a camp fire and laughed into the night. Zuko nodded and walked over to the cutting board, his hands shaking as he held something that could be considered a weapon for the first time in six years. This shouldn't have been so hard, cutting carrots, but he was unable to get his fingers to stop shaking and nearly cut his thumb off. He hated to ask for help, but he knew he needed to.

"Aang, can I do something that doesn't involve chopping things?" The confidence was gone, and his voice quivered with fear. He would think he was incompetent, a child that can't even cut a carrot. He would think that he was no long we a functioning member of society and deserved to be back in prison. He would think...

"Yeah, of course! Come stir the broth, I'll finish up on those carrots!" Aang smiled as he interrupted his thought process. Zuko smiled in turn, forgetting how sweet he truly was. He would never think that of him, all he has tried to do since he had arrived was be nice, and this was no exception.

"Thank you." Zuko smiled and walked over to the pot on the heater, his hip brushing by Aang's as they squeezed through the tiny kitchen. They continued to cook in silence, before Aang spoke up.

"Your hair, its falling all over the place. Momo brought this back to me, I'm sorry he's such a little theif." He laughed awkwardly before putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder gently.