You & I

Team Avatar

Iroh's POV
"Well, don't you clean up nice!"

At the sound of her voice, my head quickly turned to Y/N, but when I laid my eyes on her, my jaw dropped and I was completely lost for words... I stared at her for a few moments before clearing my throat and managing:

"Wow, Y/N, you look... beautiful."

Beautiful was an understatement, her radiance was breathtaking.

She nervously chuckled and mumbled a "thanks", fiddling with her hair, she was adorable. Any guy would be so lucky to be with her, she was perfection personified. She was the strongest, most determined and most skilled girl I knew, and she was beautiful, so beautiful, she was fun and she had the most contagious smile.

It hurt knowing that I didn't even stand a chance with her, considering she wasn't interested in a relationship with anybody, at all. Except maybe Tenzin, who was going to see her... tonight... at the dinner... looking as beautiful as she was. The idea of that situation made me feel uneasy, but then looking at her smile at me, the way she was at that moment, that was worth it.

I cleared my throat again and held out my arm and jokingly asked her:

"Well, m'lady, shall we?"

She chuckled at me before clearing her throat, mimicking me, linking her arm through mine and replying in the same jokey tone:

"We shall!"

When we arrived at the dinner, Avatar Aang and Tenzin welcomed us, next to where they were supposed to be sat were Katara, Kya and Bumi, across from them were myself and Y/N, as well as my grandfather, Zuko, my grandmother, Mai, my mother, Fire Lord Izumi, and my father and little sister. Next to us were Sokka and Suki and beside Katara and Aang's family were Toph and Lin, I suppose Su wasn't coming. I sat beside my grandfather with Y/N on my right side who had Suki on her right side. Directly opposite me was Tenzin, great.

Before we began to eat, I formally introduced Y/N to everybody else, my family already knew her well from all of the time she spent at the palace, but she was yet to properly meet the rest of the team and their children. She was so excited to meet everyone, especially Toph, Suki and Katara. She had told me back in the fire nation how much she admired them, especially considering the way she is treated in her village for being a girl, they're an inspiration to her. I then realised how out of line I was to be even the slightest bit irritated that she was planning to leave to visit the South Pole to train with Katara, that opportunity was probably a dream come true to her.

As we ate, Tenzin decided to try and make conversation with Y/N:
"So, Y/N, are both your parents originally from the water tribe, or?"

"Well, my Dad's family came from the Northern Tribe, but my mother is from the fire nation"

Before Tenzin could reply, I interrupted them by asking him:

"So, Tenzin, how are things going with you and you-know-who?"

Tenzin flushed crimson,

"Iroh! Not right now!"

Y/N looked curious,

"With who?"

But Tenzin quickly snapped,

"No one, don't worry about it, Y/N!"