Im ✨Ionely✨

Zuko let out a low groan and cracked one eye open. Instantly regretting it, he squeezed it shut again and pulled the blankets higher. A moment later, [Y/n] made an equally offended noise and attempted to roll away from the brightness, only to discover he was still wrapped around the Fire Lord. Both men remained half-asleep, clinging stubbornly to the last remnants of unconsciousness while the morning light continued its assault. After several seconds of increasingly futile resistance, Zuko groaned again and muttered something unintelligible into [Y/n]'s shoulder. The strategist responded with an equally incoherent complaint. Neither had any intention of getting out of bed anytime soon, and both silently agreed that the sun was their greatest enemy.

Eventually, both men accepted defeat.

With matching expressions of exhaustion and betrayal, they slowly opened their eyes and immediately regretted it. The morning sunlight had somehow become even brighter during their brief struggle against consciousness. Zuko squinted at it as though personally offended by its existence. Beside him, [Y/n] muttered several deeply unflattering things about the sun beneath his breath. Neither moved. Neither sat up. They simply lay there, wrapped in blankets and each other's arms, quietly cursing the natural order of the world.

"This is cruel..." Zuko mumbled. [Y/n] nodded in complete agreement.

"The worst crime committed in the last twenty-four hours."

"Worse than the terrorists?"

"Absolutely."

For a few moments, neither moved. They simply remained tangled together beneath the blankets while sunlight continued its relentless assault on their desire to stay asleep. Another moment passed before they finally gave up glaring at the sunlight and turned their attention elsewhere. Almost immediately, they found themselves looking at each other instead. The irritation lingering from being woken up faded astonishingly quickly. Zuko's hair was a complete disaster. His face was still marked faintly by creases from the pillow. And somehow, seeing him like that made something warm settle in [Y/n]'s chest.

Slowly, he reached up and brushed a loose strand of hair away from Zuko's face. The Fire Lord immediately leaned into the touch while staring back at [Y/n], who looked equally dishevelled, his expression still soft with lingering exhaustion. Neither seemed particularly concerned about it. After everything that had happened, simply seeing the other person there beside them was enough to make the annoyance disappear. Neither said a word. They didn't need to.

Slowly, naturally, they leaned toward one another. The distance between them vanished in seconds. Their lips met in a brief, gentle kiss, soft enough to feel more like a greeting than anything else. A quiet confirmation that neither of them had imagined the previous days. That they were both still there. That everything was real. When they eventually pulled back, neither went very far.

Instead, they remained close, their foreheads almost touching. Zuko's hand found [Y/n]'s cheek. His thumb traced a lazy path across his skin while he studied him with sleepy eyes, and [Y/n]'s fingers brushed softly against the side of Zuko's scar. Neither seemed capable of looking away. The city, the palace, the investigations waiting for them downstairs, all of it faded into the background again. For a few precious moments, there was nothing except the warmth of each other's touch and the quiet happiness reflected back at them in matching smiles. For a while, neither of them said anything. They simply lay there beneath the blankets, holding each other's faces and quietly enjoying the fact that neither had to be anywhere for at least a few more minutes. The morning light no longer seemed quite so offensive. Eventually, Zuko let out a soft laugh, the sound warm and slightly embarrassed.

"You know..." He said quietly, tracing his thumb along [Y/n]'s cheek. "Part of me was worried I was going to wake up this morning and discover last night was a dream." [Y/n]'s smile immediately softened.

"Yeah." The answer came without hesitation. "Me too." He glanced briefly around the room before a mischievous look appeared in his eyes. "But I think the evidence is pretty convincing."

"What evidence?" Zuko raised his eyebrow. [Y/n] pointed vaguely toward the far wall. The Fire Lord followed the gesture and immediately spotted several scorch marks near each of the candle holders. Nothing serious. Just dark marks left behind by a few moments of exceptionally intense emotions from their activities the night before.

"Those." The strategist grinned. For a moment, Zuko simply stared. Then he laughed. A genuine, helpless laugh.

"Those are your proof?"

"They seem fairly convincing."

"Really?"

"Absolutely." [Y/n] teased. The Fire Lord shook his head fondly.

"I think there's a much more obvious piece of evidence." [Y/n] looked curious. Zuko's smile widened. Then he gestured pointedly toward the bed, specifically toward the fact that [Y/n] was currently occupying half of it. "I think the fact you're in my bed is proof enough." The strategist stared at him for a second. Then immediately burst out laughing. The sound filled the room. Warm and completely unrestrained. Zuko joined him a moment later. Neither managed to hold onto their dignity for very long.

Eventually, still laughing, [Y/n] shifted closer and wrapped an arm around Zuko's waist before pulling him against his chest. The Fire Lord didn't resist in the slightest. Instead, he settled comfortably into the embrace, his smile lingering as he rested his forehead against [Y/n]'s shoulder. For a few moments, they simply remained there, enjoying the quiet certainty that neither of them had dreamed any of it. The previous night had been real. The confession had been real. And most importantly of all, when they finally found the strength to leave the bed and face the rest of the world, they would be doing it together.

The gentle smile between them lingered as they leaned toward each other once more. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains, the blankets were warm, and for a few blissful moments, the rest of the world simply didn't exist. [Y/n]'s hand rested against Zuko's cheek while Zuko's thumb lazily traced circles against the back of his hand. They were halfway through another soft kiss when a sharp knock echoed through the room.

Both froze instantly.

The silence that followed was immediate and absolute. Slowly, very slowly, [Y/n] and Zuko turned to look at the bedroom door. Another knock echoed through the room. Then another. The two men exchanged a look. A deeply concerned look. Because they both knew exactly what would happen if somebody walked into the room right now. The teasing would never end. Ever. 

"If we're quiet, they'll assume you're asleep and go away." [Y/n] whispered as he leaned closer. Zuko looked unconvinced but nodded nevertheless.

"That's not the worst plan you've ever had." Neither of them made a sound. The silence lasted approximately three seconds. Then a familiar voice called through the door.

"Zukoooo!" [Y/n] closed his eyes. Zuko did the same. The sing-song tone alone was enough to tell them exactly who it was. The word drifted through the door with enough smugness to physically wound people. Somehow, [Y/n] could practically hear the shit-eating grin in Sokka's voice through the wood. Outside the door, Sokka seemed to take Zuko's continued silence as a personal challenge. His voice became even louder and somehow even more smug. 

"You know, Fire Lord, most people are awake by now." He paused for dramatic effect. "Unless they're exhausted." Another pause. "Which raises some very interesting questions." Beneath the blankets, Zuko slowly lowered his face into his hands while [Y/n] stared at the ceiling in silent suffering. Unfortunately, Sokka wasn't finished. "What's got you so tired, Zuko?" He called. "Were you up all night talking to someone?" The emphasis he placed on the word 'talking' made both men want to launch themselves out the nearest window. When no answer came, Sokka let out a dramatic gasp that echoed down the hallway. 

"Oh no." A beat. "Toph, do you think he's dead?" The moment the words left his mouth, both Zuko and [Y/n] visibly winced. Not because of the question. Because of what it implied. They weren't dealing with just Sokka anymore. Immediately, another voice answered from outside the room.

"Nope." Toph sounded entirely too confident. The silence inside the room became catastrophic. Because if Toph was there, then hiding was about to get a lot harder. Beside her, Suki burst out laughing. The moment they heard it, both men realised the horrifying truth. Sokka hadn't come alone. Somehow, an audience had formed outside the door. An audience consisting of some of the worst possible people. [Y/n] slowly covered his face with both hands while Zuko groaned into the pillow. Neither had even seen them yet, but they already knew they were never going to hear the end of this. Eventually, Zuko's patience snapped. With a long, exhausted groan, he sat up slightly in the bed and glared toward the door as though he could somehow see through it. 

"Sokka, go away!" The response was immediate. A loud cheer erupted from the hallway. 

"HE'S ALIVE!" Sokka sounded entirely too pleased with himself. Beneath the blankets, [Y/n] covered his face while Zuko contemplated several forms of violence. Taking a slow breath, the Fire Lord decided to attempt diplomacy instead. 

"Go away." He repeated. "I'll be down for breakfast soon." There was a brief pause from the hallway.

"Oh wow." Sokka gasped dramatically. Zuko immediately knew where this was going. "You must really be tired." Another pause. "Sounds like you and [Y/n] had a very deep conversation." The emphasis he placed on the last two words made [Y/n] nearly choke, trying not to laugh. Beside him, Zuko looked ready to set the entire hallway on fire. Outside, Sokka continued completely undeterred. 

"Speaking of [Y/n]..." There was a suspicious amount of excitement in his voice now. "Where is he?" The room immediately went quiet. Both men froze. Slowly, they turned to look at each other. The silence stretched for several seconds as they both realised there was only one possible answer. It was a terrible answer. A completely unconvincing answer. But it was still the only answer available to them. Zuko cleared his throat.

"He left last night." The lie came out surprisingly smoothly. For one glorious second, hope blossomed. Maybe Sokka would accept it. Maybe he'd move on. Maybe this nightmare would finally end. Beside him, [Y/n] was already starting to look relieved. Unfortunately, after spending years around Sokka, neither of them should have been optimistic. Because from the hallway came complete silence. Not confusion. Not acceptance. Just silence. The sort of silence that immediately told both men that Sokka absolutely did not believe a single word of what had just been said. Then, Toph's voice broke it. 

"Huh." The earthbender sounded entirely too pleased with herself. "That's weird." Both Zuko and [Y/n] immediately froze. "If [Y/n] isn't in there..." Toph paused dramatically. "...Then who's the other person I can hear breathing in your bed?" The silence inside the room became catastrophic. Both men stared at the door. Neither spoke. Neither breathed. Outside, Toph started laughing. A second later, Suki joined in. 

"Oh, what a mystery." Her voice was dripping with fake innocence. "Because I actually walked past [Y/n]'s room earlier, and he wasn't there." The smile in her voice was impossible to miss. "Not in the hallway either." Beside her, Sokka gasped dramatically. 

"Really?" He asked. "That's so strange." Another pause. "Very strange." Then another. "Almost impossible to explain." The three of them immediately dissolved into laughter. Meanwhile, inside the room, Zuko slowly lowered his head into his hands while [Y/n] stared blankly at the door. There was no lie left. No excuse. No escape route. Toph had destroyed their story in a single sentence. Outside, Sokka was still going. 

"Maybe he vanished." More laughter. "Maybe he's invisible." More laughter. "Maybe he learned teleportation." More laughter. "Maybe-"

"Oh, for the love of Agni, GET LOST!" [Y/n]'s voice echoed through the room loudly enough that it probably carried halfway across the palace. The hallway immediately erupted into celebration. 

"HE'S IN THERE!" Sokka shouted triumphantly. "I knew it!" 

"Toph knew it." Suki corrected. 

"Toph always knows it." Toph agreed smugly. 

"WAY TO GO, ZUKO! TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH, BUDDY!" Sokka beamed, practically doubling over with laughter. The three of them practically cheered outside the door. Inside, [Y/n] groaned and collapsed backwards onto the mattress while Zuko followed a second later. They stared at the ceiling while their friends continued celebrating outside the door as though they'd personally won a war.  Eventually, Zuko let out a long, exhausted groan and sat up slightly. 

"Please leave." His voice carried enough suffering that it should have inspired sympathy. Unfortunately, the people outside the door were Sokka, Suki, and Toph. Sympathy was not among their stronger qualities. 

"Fine, fine." Sokka called back, sounding entirely too pleased with himself. "We're going." A pause. Then, in the most obnoxiously cheerful voice imaginable: "Don't take too long, lovebirds." Inside the room, both men immediately grimaced. Outside, Sokka's laughter echoed down the hallway. Then Suki spoke up. 

"You know, at least [Y/n] didn't sneak out first thing in the morning this time." The moment she said it, both men froze. Suki's grin was practically audible. "That's progress." The reference to the Southern Water Tribe immediately brought back memories of [Y/n] quietly slipping out of Zuko's room before dawn after their conversation following the Burning Eye attack and Suki's relentless teasing afterwards.

"Oh, that's true." Sokka agreed. 

"Character growth." Toph added. More laughter followed. By this point, [Y/n] had buried his face in his hands while Zuko was seriously reconsidering his friendship with all three of them. Outside, the trio seemed determined to drag the moment out as long as possible.

"Go away!" [Y/n] yelled. That only earned more laughter. 

"We're leaving!" Sokka called back. "See you at breakfast!" 

"Eventually!" Suki added. "Assuming you two ever make it out of bed!" Toph's cackling joined the others as the three finally started walking away. Their voices gradually grew quieter as they disappeared down the corridor, still laughing and teasing each other. Slowly, the sounds faded completely, leaving the room blessedly silent once more. For several moments, neither Zuko nor [Y/n] spoke. Then they simultaneously groaned and fell backwards onto the bed, both silently agreeing that breakfast was going to be a disaster.

Eventually, with all the enthusiasm of condemned prisoners marching toward their fate, they forced themselves out of bed. The moment [Y/n] stood upright, he immediately regretted it. Zuko wasn't doing much better. Both grimaced as muscles that had been perfectly content a moment ago suddenly reminded them that they'd spent a significant portion of the previous evening 'making up for lost time'. As [Y/n] stretched, Zuko's eyes landed on a series of deep scratches across his back.

"Wow."

"What?" [Y/n] looked over his shoulder.

"You look like you lost a fight with a badger-mole." Zuko hissed at the mere sight of them. The strategist narrowed his eyes.

"Well, the 'badger-mole' in question didn't seem to have a problem doing it last night.

"No idea what you're talking about." A grin appeared on Zuko's face.

"Sure, you don't." While [Y/n] was still grumbling, his gaze shifted downward and immediately found evidence that Zuko wasn't exactly unmarked either. There were several dark hickeys scattered along his neck, collarbone, chest and shoulders, far too noticeable for either of their liking. Zuko shot him an annoyed glare, and [Y/n] looked away. More telling was the way the Fire Lord straightened slightly before wincing and placing a hand against his lower back.

"Agni... Did you have to be so rough?" He complied, earning a look of disbelief from [Y/n].

"I seem to remember someone begging for more." The Fire Lord looked deeply offended. Meanwhile, [Y/n] was laughing too hard to continue the argument.

Eventually, both of them conceded defeat and began collecting the clothing they'd discarded throughout the room. Robes were draped over chairs, belts had somehow ended up near the balcony doors, and at least one boot had vanished beneath the bed. Neither questioned how any of it had happened. They simply started gathering everything together in weary silence. Zuko had just finished pulling on the outer layer of his robes when something caught his eye near the side of the bed. His expression immediately shifted.

Without a word, he bent down and picked up the gilded amulet. The gold caught the morning light as it dangled from his fingers. For a moment, he simply stared at it. Then his gaze slowly lifted toward [Y/n]. The strategist immediately knew he was in trouble.

"You left it on the floor." Zuko glared, the irritation clear as day in his voice. [Y/n] blinked. Then glanced at the amulet. Then back at Zuko. A smug grin slowly spread across his face.

"Whose fault is that?" He asked, reminding Zuko that he hadn't discarded his clothes on his own last night. The Fire Lord stared at him for a second. Then rolled his eyes so hard it was genuinely impressive.

"Unbelievable."

"I seem to recall you being involved."

"Shut up." The argument continued right up until Zuko stepped forward and carefully pinned the amulet back over [Y/n]'s heart. His fingers lingered for a brief moment against the fabric of the strategist's robes before he finally pulled away. Despite the exasperation in his expression, there was obvious fondness behind it. [Y/n]'s own smile softened slightly as he glanced down at the familiar weight resting against his chest. Somehow, it immediately felt right again.

A few moments later, both men were mostly dressed and ready to leave. Mostly. 

Zuko caught sight of his reflection and groaned. His hair was a disaster. An absolute catastrophe. Strands stuck out in several directions at once, his topknot was nowhere to be seen, and his fringe looked like it had personally survived a small war.

One look at the tangled mess was enough for him to quietly hand [Y/n] a comb. [Y/n] stared at it, then at him, then sighed dramatically before accepting his fate. A few moments later, Zuko was seated in front of the mirror while [Y/n] stood behind him, running the comb through the dark strands. Neither had the energy for anything elaborate that morning. Eventually, [Y/n] gathered it into a simple high ponytail before securing it neatly enough to support the Fire Lord's crown.

The room remained quiet except for the occasional scrape of the comb through Zuko's hair. What surprised [Y/n] most was the fact that Zuko kept making small, contented sighs every few moments. Not dramatic ones. Just soft little breaths whenever the comb moved through a particularly stubborn section. The strategist raised an eyebrow as another one escaped him. Then another. And another. By the fourth, he couldn't help himself. 

"You know..." He said, trying and failing to suppress a grin. "Your reaction to this is very different from your reaction when I was pulling your hair last night." The comb nearly slipped from his hand as Zuko immediately choked. The Fire Lord's ears turned bright red.

For a second, complete silence filled the room. Then an elbow shot backwards and connected directly with [Y/n]'s ribs.

"Oof!"

"Deserved."

[Y/n] laughed despite the pain while Zuko glared at him through the mirror. Unfortunately, the glare lost most of its effectiveness thanks to the blush still lingering on his face. The strategist only laughed harder. A few moments later, the hairstyle was finally finished. [Y/n] secured the final tie, adjusted the positioning, and then carefully settled the crown at the base of the ponytail and locked it in place with a golden hairpin. Satisfied, he stepped back and admired his work. It wasn't particularly fancy, but it was neat, practical, and respectable enough for a Fire Lord attending breakfast. Zuko stood and glanced at his reflection before nodding approvingly. 

"Good enough." 

"High praise." 

"Don't push it." Zuko rolled his eyes and headed toward the door. Then, after one final shared sigh of suffering, the Fire Lord and his Chief Strategist headed for the door together, united in the certainty that breakfast was about to be the longest meal of their lives.

~*~

By the time Zuko and [Y/n] finally reached the dining room, they had already accepted that breakfast was going to be unpleasant. What they hadn't anticipated was just how immediate the suffering would be. The moment the doors opened and the pair stepped inside, every conversation in the room stopped dead. Ursa lowered her teacup. Noren paused mid-sentence. Iroh's smile widened. Kiyi practically lit up. Across the table, Aang, Katara, Sokka, Suki, Toph, Ty Lee, and Mai all turned toward the doorway simultaneously. The room became so quiet that Zuko could hear the doors closing behind them.

Both men froze. Slowly, they looked around the table. Every single person was staring at them. Zuko's hand was already halfway toward the door before he remembered he was the Fire Lord and probably couldn't flee his own breakfast. Beside him, [Y/n] looked equally tempted. Unfortunately, the moment they hesitated, Sokka's grin became visible. That alone told them they were doomed. With all the enthusiasm of prisoners approaching an execution platform, they forced themselves into the room and began walking toward the table. The teasing started before either of them reached their seats.

"Oh, good, the newlyweds are awake." Sokka announced loudly.

"We are not newlyweds." Zuko said immediately.

"We've been dating for less than a day." [Y/n] added.

"So, you admit you're dating." Toph snorted. Across the table, Ty Lee clasped her hands together.

"You two are matching." She beamed. Both men immediately looked down at themselves, confused when they saw that they were wearing nothing at all similar.

"What?" Zuko asked.

"The smiles." Ty Lee pointed at them. "You've got matching smiles."

"Oh, Agni above..." [Y/n] rolled his eyes.

"They do." Mai calmly sipped her tea while Zuko sighed.

"Mai."

"I'm just saying." The teacher shrugged. Meanwhile, Kiyi was practically vibrating in her chair.

"I told everyone you'd still be together!"

"Kiyi..." Zuko groaned.

"What?"

"You make it sound like we got lost."

Ursa failed completely to hide her laughter. Noren wasn't doing much better. At the far end of the table, Iroh simply smiled into his tea while watching the chaos unfold.

Eventually, [Y/n] and Zuko managed to sit down, though neither looked particularly relieved. If anything, sitting seemed to make them easier targets. Sokka immediately leaned forward. Toph grinned. Suki looked far too pleased with herself. Katara was trying and failing to look innocent. Aang looked amused. Ty Lee looked delighted. Mai looked entertained. Even Iroh, Ursa and Noren seemed to be enjoying themselves. As the two men realised nobody in the room had any intention of rescuing them, they exchanged a long, suffering look. Breakfast had barely started, and somehow it was already worse than either of them had feared.

The teasing continued relentlessly as breakfast progressed. Every time either Zuko or [Y/n] spoke, someone found a way to make a comment. Every glance they exchanged seemed to result in another round of smirks from around the table. 

Somewhere amidst the chaos, however, they learned that Kuei had already departed before dawn. Neither of them found that particularly surprising. After discovering that Jian had betrayed him and served Long Feng from within his own inner circle, it made sense that the Earth King would want to return to Ba Sing Se as quickly as possible and begin examining every part of his government for traces of the former Grand Secretariat's influence. 

They also learned that Hakoda, Malina, the Southern Water Tribe delegation, and the Northern Water Tribe leaders had left not long afterwards. Reports from sailors and weather-watchers had indicated storms would be rolling across the seas surrounding the Fire Nation later that day, and the delegations had decided it was wiser to begin the journey home early rather than risk being trapped in port for several more days.

Once that topic had passed, Kiyi suddenly began giggling into her breakfast. The sound immediately drew everyone's attention. Unfortunately for Zuko, she was looking directly at him. 

"What?" The Fire Lord narrowed his eyes suspiciously. The young princess only giggled harder. 

"I was right." Instantly, several people around the table started smiling. 

"About what?" Zuko looked even more suspicious. Kiyi looked delighted that she'd been asked. 

"Remember?" She asked. "When [Y/n] first came to dinner with us?" The moment she said it, a terrible feeling settled in both young men's stomachs. Kiyi, completely oblivious to their growing horror, continued happily. "I said your reunion was just like Mom and Dad's love story!" The effect was immediate. Zuko froze. Beside him, [Y/n] stopped chewing entirely. Across the table, Ursa covered her mouth as a laugh escaped her while Noren looked amused. The comparison had embarrassed both men the first time they'd heard it months ago. Somehow, hearing it again now was even worse.

The blush spreading across Zuko's face immediately betrayed him. [Y/n] wasn't faring any better. Kiyi noticed both reactions and looked even more pleased with herself. She pointed dramatically at her older brother. 

"See?" She declared. "I told you!" The entire table immediately started grinning. Sokka looked moments away from falling out of his chair. Toph was already laughing. Even Mai looked entertained. Meanwhile, Zuko looked like he desperately wanted to disappear. Kiyi leaned forward and began teasing him in an exaggerated sing-song voice. 

"Zuuuuzu loves [Y/n]." The table erupted instantly. Zuko groaned and buried his face in his hands while [Y/n] covered his own face with one hand in a failed attempt to hide his embarrassment. The laughter around the table only grew louder as the Fire Lord contemplated whether being captured by the Burning Eye again might somehow be less humiliating than being bullied by his eight-year-old sister in front of literally everyone he knew.

Ty Lee was the first to recover from her laughter. She smiled warmly at the pair of them and rested her chin on her hands. 

"Honestly, I'm just glad you finally admitted it." Both Zuko and [Y/n] immediately groaned, knowing exactly where this was going. Ty Lee ignored them. "It was getting harder and harder to pretend not to notice." Beside her, Suki burst out laughing and nodded vigorously. 

"Seriously. At some point, it stopped being a secret and started being a public performance." The two women exchanged a look before dissolving into laughter again while Zuko seriously considered throwing himself into the nearest volcano. Mai took a sip of tea before calmly joining the conversation. 

"Personally..." She started, her voice completely flat. "If I had to travel all the way from my school after a full day of teaching just to deal with the two of you refusing to communicate again, I would've killed one of you." The room fell silent. Zuko blinked. [Y/n] blinked. Mai took another sip of tea. "Possibly both." Neither Zuko nor [Y/n] was entirely convinced she was joking.

"Look, I don't care that you're together." Toph pointed toward them with a grin. She shrugged. "Good for you." Then her grin widened. "But if you two start calling each other 'sweetie' every other sentence like these two do..." She pointed directly at Aang and Katara. "...Then you can take all your oogie relationship stuff and get out." The entire table erupted. Katara immediately sat upright in outrage. 

"We do not do that!" 

"You totally do." Sokka said. 

"I love you both, but you do." Suki added.

"Constantly." Zuko chimed in. 

"It's disgusting." Toph agreed.

"We have absolutely no intention of doing that." [Y/n] spoke up, answering Toph's earlier question. Beside him, Zuko nodded in complete agreement. Across from them, Katara crossed her arms and looked deeply offended while Aang suddenly became fascinated by the wall behind them. The Avatar scratched the back of his head awkwardly and avoided eye contact with everyone in the room. Unfortunately, that only made the laughter louder, leaving him and Katara to suffer alongside Zuko and [Y/n] for once.

Sokka opened his mouth. Immediately, both Zuko and [Y/n] became suspicious. The grin spreading across the Water Tribe warrior's face was never a good sign. He looked between the two men before leaning forward slightly. 

"You know..." He began. "For two people who apparently stayed up all night talking..." He put particular emphasis on the last word. "I'm starting to think there might've been a lot more than just-" His sentence ended abruptly. Not because he'd changed his mind. Because [Y/n]'s elbow connected directly with his ribs. "Ow!" Sokka doubled over dramatically and stared at him in outrage. "What was that for?" Across the table, several people immediately looked concerned. Several others looked amused. Meanwhile, [Y/n] didn't say a word. He simply stared at Sokka for a moment before silently shifting his gaze toward the opposite end of the table. Sokka followed it automatically.

Ursa was sitting there. Next to her sat Kiyi. The eight-year-old was happily eating breakfast and paying absolutely no attention to the conversation. The realisation hit immediately.

"Oh." Sokka nodded. [Y/n] slowly raised an eyebrow. Then the Water Tribe warrior cleared his throat and sat back down. "I withdraw my joke."

"Smartest thing you've said all week." [Y/n] muttered dryly. Around them, several people who had witnessed the entire silent exchange immediately started laughing. Ursa looked suspiciously amused. Noren was trying not to smile. Mai simply shook her head. Meanwhile, Kiyi glanced up from her breakfast, completely confused by what had just happened. 

"What joke?" She asked. Instantly, every adult at the table became very interested in literally anything else. Sokka especially. 

"No joke." He said quickly. "Absolutely no joke." Then, deciding that survival was the better part of wisdom, he immediately changed the subject. "So...." Nobody helped him. "Nice weather?"

The conversation gradually settled into something far more normal after that. At least as normal as breakfast could be when half the table was still occasionally snickering every time Zuko and [Y/n] looked at each other.

Food continued disappearing from platters. Tea was refilled several times. Stories were exchanged. Sokka eventually moved on from tormenting the Fire Lord and his strategist to arguing with Toph over something entirely unrelated, which everyone silently agreed was a welcome development. For a little while, the morning almost felt peaceful.

Eventually, the laughter around the table began to die down. The conversation drifted into smaller topics, tea was refilled, and breakfast slowly wound toward its conclusion. It was during one of the quieter moments that Ursa gently cleared her throat. The sound immediately drew everyone's attention. She smiled politely before gesturing toward herself, Noren, Iroh, and Kiyi. 

"Would you all mind giving us a few moments of privacy with these two?" The request was delivered innocently enough. Unfortunately, it made both Zuko and [Y/n] immediately freeze. Around the table, the reactions were much less concerned.

Sokka's grin widened instantly. Toph started laughing before anyone had even answered. Suki looked delighted. Ty Lee looked even more delighted. Mai simply smirked and shook her head as though she'd been expecting this. One by one, everyone agreed. Chairs scraped back as their friends began standing and handing empty dishes to the waiting servants. Unfortunately, none of them seemed capable of leaving quietly. 

"Good luck." Sokka said solemnly as he passed the pair. "You're going to need it." 

"Try not to get embarrassed any harder than you already are." Toph added. Suki snorted while Ty Lee waved enthusiastically. Even Aang and Katara looked amused as they headed toward the doors. Before long, the last of their friends and the final servants disappeared from the room, leaving only Zuko, [Y/n], Ursa, Noren, Kiyi, and Iroh behind.

The dining room suddenly felt much quieter. Both young men sat perfectly still. Neither seemed entirely sure what to do with their hands. Or their faces. Or themselves. Across the table, Ursa watched them for several seconds before finally breaking. A soft laugh escaped her, warm and fond. 

"It really is about time." The effect was immediate. Zuko looked away so quickly he nearly gave himself whiplash. Beside him, [Y/n] looked just as embarrassed. Across the table, Noren immediately started laughing as well.

"She's right."

"Absolutely right." Iroh agreed. The retired general took a sip of tea. "I was beginning to wonder if we'd have to lock the two of you in a room together permanently."

"Uncle."

"I considered it."

Meanwhile, both Zuko and [Y/n] sat there in identical states of humiliation as the three older adults continued smiling at them. Somehow, being interrogated by the Burning Eye had felt less intimidating than being the centre of attention in front of Zuko's family. Unfortunately, judging by the amused looks on Ursa's, Noren's, and Iroh's faces, neither of them believed the embarrassment was ending anytime soon.

Iroh smiled into his tea as he watched the two young men slowly sink further into their chairs. The old general looked entirely too pleased with himself. 

"Honestly, everyone else should have figured it out sooner." Both Zuko and [Y/n] immediately became suspicious. They knew whatever he was about to say could never end well. Iroh continued anyway. "The first time I had tea with the two of you after [Y/n] returned, it was obvious." Zuko looked horrified. 

"It was not." 

"It was." 

"Uncle." Zuko sat upright immediately. "How?" The question came out far more defensive than he intended. Iroh looked delighted to have been asked. 

"The conversation about fire and lightning." Both young men froze. Iroh smiled knowingly. "I was explaining how they complement each other. How one provides energy while the other guides it. How they work best together despite appearing so different." His gaze shifted toward Zuko. "And while I was talking, you spent the entire time staring at [Y/n] as if I'd just revealed the meaning of life." The silence that followed was devastating. Zuko opened his mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again. Nothing came out. Across from him, Iroh looked completely vindicated.

"To be fair, Noren and I weren't quite that quick." Ursa laughed softly into her hand. Both young men looked relieved. For approximately half a second. "We figured it out during dinner." The relief vanished immediately. Noren nodded. 

"The first dinner where [Y/n] met us." The strategist immediately groaned. He remembered that dinner. He had spent the entire evening terrified of making a bad first impression. Apparently, he had failed spectacularly. 

"Kiyi was right." Ursa continued. "The moment she compared your reunion to our story, your reactions told us everything." Kiyi looked delighted to hear herself being referenced. 

"I knew it!" She announced proudly. Ursa smiled and nodded. 

"You did." The young princess beamed while her older brother visibly suffered. "The two of you reacted exactly the same way." Ursa continued. "Neither of you denied it. Neither of you laughed it off. You just stared at each other and panicked." Noren chuckled. 

"At that point, we didn't know whether either of you understood your own feelings yet, but we knew something was there." He pointed between them. "The way you watched each other all evening made that impossible to miss."

By now, both Zuko and [Y/n] looked completely defeated. Zuko had buried his face in one hand while [Y/n] was staring very intensely at the table as though it might suddenly offer him an escape route. Across from them, Ursa, Noren, and Iroh all looked far too entertained. Kiyi was grinning proudly at having apparently solved the mystery months before everyone else. The worst part, neither young man could even argue. Every memory being brought up was painfully accurate. Looking back, they had been obvious. Painfully, embarrassingly, unbelievably obvious. And judging by the laughter of the adults across from them, everyone except the two of them had known it.

The laughter gradually faded from the room. Ursa's smile remained, but the teasing amusement behind it softened into something quieter. Something more thoughtful. She looked at her son for a long moment before speaking. 

"When I heard what the council intended the banquet to be... I was worried." The shift in her tone immediately drew everyone's attention. Zuko blinked and sat a little straighter. Beside him, [Y/n] looked up from the table. Ursa folded her hands together. "When I learned they were treating it as an opportunity to find you a wife, I was afraid of where it might eventually lead." Zuko froze. The warmth of the room seemed to fade slightly as he looked at his mother. Ursa shook her head softly. "You've always been willing to put other people before yourself." A small smile touched her lips. "Even when you were little." Her eyes grew sadder. "And that only became stronger after you became Fire Lord." The room had gone completely silent.

"I watched you spend years carrying responsibilities that no one your age should have had to carry." Ursa continued. "I've watched you sacrifice your time, your happiness, your comfort, and sometimes even your own health because you believed it was your duty." She looked directly at him. "And I admire that about you." Her expression softened. "But it also frightened me." Zuko swallowed. Ursa's gaze drifted briefly toward [Y/n].

"Because as the banquet got closer, and the council became more persistent, and neither of you seemed willing to tell the other how you felt..." She laughed quietly, though there was little amusement in it. "We started worrying." Noren nodded in agreement while Iroh remained unusually quiet. "I was afraid you'd eventually convince yourself that marrying someone you didn't love was simply another responsibility of the throne." Her fingers tightened slightly around her teacup. "That you'd put duty ahead of your own heart." The sadness in her voice became impossible to miss. "And that you'd spend the rest of your life trapped."

For a moment, nobody spoke. Ursa looked away briefly before returning her gaze to her son.

"Like I was."

The words settled heavily over the table.

"You know why your father first sought me out. Why he chose me." She said softly. "But I wasn't given a choice in that marriage." Her smile became faint and melancholy. "And when things became difficult, I couldn't simply walk away. The crown, the expectations, the politics, they all became chains." Her eyes softened as they rested on Zuko once more. "I never wanted that for you." A long silence followed. "So when I saw the way you looked at [Y/n]... and the way he looked at you... I found myself hoping that for once, you'd choose something because it made you happy instead of because it was expected of you." Beside him, [Y/n] felt Zuko's hand slowly find his beneath the table. Neither said a word. They simply held on while Ursa smiled gently at them both. "I'm very glad you did."

The room remained quiet as Zuko sat absorbing his mother's words. Beneath the table, [Y/n] could feel his hand still clasped in the Fire Lord's. Neither seemed particularly eager to let go. Eventually, however, Iroh cleared his throat. The old general's smile had returned, though it was gentler than before. 

"That is also the reason Ursa sent someone to find [Y/n] the morning of the banquet." Both young men immediately turned toward him. 

"What?" They asked in perfect unison.

"That was our last hope." Iroh chuckled. Across the table, Ursa looked only slightly guilty. Noren didn't look guilty at all. Seeing their expressions somehow made everything worse. "We knew the council was becoming more aggressive." Iroh continued. "We knew the banquet was about to begin. And we knew neither of you seemed capable of admitting what was staring both of you in the face." He took a sip of tea. "So we thought that if we could give you a moment alone..." He gestured vaguely between them. "Just one moment where you could forget the throne, the council, the investigations, the expectations, and everything else weighing on your shoulders..." His smile softened. "Then perhaps the reality of what was about to be forced upon you might finally make one of you say something."

The room fell silent again. Both Zuko and [Y/n] stared. Thinking back, they remembered that morning perfectly. The summon. The unexpected privacy. Ursa handing him the comb so they'd be close together. The conversation about the banquet. The fear that had been hanging over both of them. Looking back now, it was painfully obvious what Ursa, Noren, and Iroh had been trying to do. Neither quite knew how to feel about the revelation. Before either could respond, however, Kiyi spoke up. 

"The amulet wasn't their idea, though." Instantly, every eye in the room shifted toward Zuko. The Fire Lord's face immediately turned bright red. 

"Kiyi!"

"What?"

"Please stop helping." He forced out. The young princess ignored him completely.

"That was all Zuko." She smiled, sticking her tongue out at her brother when he shot her a half-hearted glare for the betrayal. The blush somehow became worse. Beside him, [Y/n] felt warmth spread through his chest. Almost unconsciously, his free hand rose toward the familiar weight resting over his heart. His fingers brushed against the amulet's surface. The gesture was automatic now. Beneath the table, his other hand softly squeezed Zuko's. 

Across from them, Ursa, Noren, and Iroh all noticed immediately. They watched as [Y/n]'s fingers lingered over the gift and as a small smile appeared on his face without him even realising it. None of them said a word. They didn't need to. The sight alone was enough. Meanwhile, beside him, Zuko's embarrassment gradually gave way to something softer as he watched [Y/n] touch the amulet. For the first time since entering the dining room, neither looked particularly concerned about the teasing. And judging by the fond smiles spreading across the faces of the three older adults, neither did anyone else.

Ursa's gaze lingered on the two young men for a long moment. The teasing had completely faded from her expression now, replaced by something softer. She watched the way [Y/n]'s fingers rested over the amulet pinned above his heart. She watched the way Zuko's hand remained intertwined with his beneath the table. Most of all, she watched the look on her son's face whenever he glanced toward his strategist. It was a look she had not seen in years. The sort of expression that needed no explanation; pure, unfiltered adoration. Slowly, her smile softened further before she pushed herself to her feet. The movement drew everyone's attention. 

Without a word, she crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around both young men at once. The hug caught them completely off guard. Both froze instantly. For a moment, neither seemed entirely sure what to do. Then Ursa laughed softly. The sound was warm. Gentle.

"I'm so happy you found each other again." The words settled over them like a blanket. Neither immediately responded. Instead, they simply stood there, taking in the unexpected warmth and sincerity behind them. Eventually, the stiffness left their shoulders. Slowly, they returned the embrace. Neither looked at the other. Both were smiling. Behind them, Iroh watched the scene with a fond expression before finally speaking. 

"Welcome to the family, [Y/n]." The reaction was immediate. Both young men turned bright red. 

"Uncle..." Zuko groaned. "It's been one day." Beside him, [Y/n] nodded rapidly. 

"One day." 

"And?" Iroh asked innocently. The old general laughed softly. "My boy, everyone in this room can see how much you love him." Zuko looked ready to melt into the floor. "And that's more than enough for us." The Fire Lord opened his mouth, clearly intending to argue, before giving up entirely. Unfortunately, Iroh wasn't finished. The old general pointed between them with his teacup. 

"Besides, with how much time the two of you spend together every day, you may as well be a married couple already." The silence that followed was catastrophic. Zuko immediately looked away. [Y/n] immediately looked the other way. Neither dared glance at the other. Across the room, Noren started laughing while Ursa didn't even bother to hide her amusement. Then Kiyi gasped. The young princess sat upright so quickly her chair nearly tipped over.

"I can't wait for the wedding!" The effect was devastating. Both men made the mistake of glancing at one another, immediately realised what they'd done, and immediately looked away again. Which only made everyone else laugh harder.

"Kiyi!"

"No!"

"Absolutely not!"

"It's been one day!"

"You're both no fun." The young princess folded her arms and pouted dramatically. Around her, the adults dissolved into laughter once again while Zuko and [Y/n] sat there suffering in silence. Neither looked at the other. Neither looked at anyone else. At this point, both were convinced that surviving the Burning Eye had somehow been easier than surviving breakfast with Zuko's family.

As the laughter gradually faded, Noren's smile softened. The teasing atmosphere remained, but there was a sincerity in his expression as he looked toward [Y/n]. 

"Jokes aside..." He said, leaning back in his chair. "I speak for all of us when I say if either of you ever needs anything, we're here." His gaze shifted briefly between the strategist and the Fire Lord. "Whatever happens next, you're family to us." The words immediately made [Y/n] feel awkward in a way that all the teasing somehow hadn't. He rubbed the back of his neck and offered a small smile. 

"Thank you." Beside him, Zuko looked equally touched, though significantly less willing to admit it out loud. For a moment, the room settled into a comfortable silence. Then [Y/n] ruined it. "So..." he began carefully. Immediately, everyone became suspicious. The strategist pointed vaguely between Noren, Ursa, and Iroh. "Would any of you be willing to explain all of this to the Grand Chamberlain for us?"

The room went silent for exactly three seconds before all three older adults burst out laughing again.

"Anything except that." Noren said without hesitation. 

"Traitor." [Y/n] groaned. Noren grinned. Across the table, Zuko slowly lowered his forehead into his hands. The Chamberlain... The council... Somehow, after surviving assassination attempts, terrorist plots, kidnappings, palace conspiracies, and international diplomatic disasters, the wrinkled old ministers in the audience chamber remained one of the most intimidating problems in his life. Zuko let out a long sigh and leaned back in his chair. The brief moment of laughter and teasing faded as reality slowly returned. 

"The heir conversation is going to get so much worse now." Nobody argued. Even Kiyi seemed to understand enough about the Grand Chamberlain to know that was true. Beside him, [Y/n] sighed as well. For a moment, he stared down at the table before speaking. 

"Yeah." There was a heaviness to his voice that immediately drew Zuko's attention. The strategist shook his head slightly. "Even if the council accepted me as your partner..." He laughed quietly. "Which they won't." The statement made Zuko's eyes soften immediately. He wanted to interrupt. To argue. To tell him he was wrong. But [Y/n] continued before he could. "And even if they did..." Another sigh escaped him. "They're probably just going to start demanding that you take a concubine." The words came out flat. Defeated. As though he'd already accepted the outcome. "They'll say it's for the royal line. For tradition. For the nation." He looked away. "Something like tha-"

"No." The answer came without hesitation. [Y/n] blinked. Zuko's expression didn't change. "As long as I'm with you, I belong to you and you alone." The certainty behind the words made everyone at the table pause. Even Iroh stopped drinking his tea. [Y/n] looked back at him, a sad smile appearing despite himself.

"Zuko-"

"No." The Fire Lord cut him off immediately. His voice wasn't angry. It was firm. Certain. For once, there wasn't a trace of doubt in him. "I gave up fighting about the banquet because I didn't think you could ever feel the same way." The admission made [Y/n] freeze. Zuko looked down briefly before continuing. "I thought eventually I'd have to choose between what I wanted and what everyone else expected." A faint laugh escaped him. "And I was losing that fight." His hand tightened slightly around [Y/n]'s beneath the table. "But things are different now." The room remained silent. Zuko met his gaze.

"You chose me." Zuko's words were simple, but they hit harder than anything else he'd said. "And now that we're together..." His expression hardened. The same expression he wore when making decisions as Fire Lord. The same expression he wore when facing enemies. The same expression he wore when refusing to back down. "...I'm not letting the council do anything about it."

For a moment, nobody spoke. [Y/n] simply stared at him. The sadness he'd been carrying moments before slowly gave way to something warmer. Something lighter. Meanwhile, Zuko seemed entirely unaware that he'd just said something capable of stopping [Y/n]'s heart. Because to him, it wasn't complicated. It was simply true.

Across the table, Ursa smiled softly. Iroh looked quietly proud. Noren seemed pleased. Because, for perhaps the first time since the first conversation about the banquet and heirs, Zuko wasn't speaking as someone being dragged along by expectations. He wasn't speaking as a prince. Or a politician. Or even a Fire Lord.

He was simply speaking as a man who had finally found something he refused to lose.

Ursa's smile softened as she listened to her son speak. There was pride in her eyes, but also sadness born from memories she would never fully escape. Slowly, she reached across the table and rested a hand over his. 

"Zuko..." She started gently, drawing his attention. "Heirs have always been considered one of the responsibilities of the royal family." Both young men tensed slightly at the subject, but Ursa immediately shook her head. "But there have always been exceptions. Traditions change. Expectations change. The world changes." Her expression softened further as she looked at him. "What matters is that the people leading the nation are happy and capable of guiding it forward." For a moment, she was quiet. Then a sad smile touched her lips. 

"I spent far too many years letting the crown rob me of my happiness." The room fell silent. Ursa's gaze drifted briefly toward Noren, and immediately her expression warmed. "I convinced myself it was my life whether I wanted it or not. I told myself that my own happiness didn't matter." A faint laugh escaped her. "Then I learned how wrong I was." She looked back toward her son. "Look at me now." The smile that appeared on her face was genuine, warm and filled with happiness. "I am happier sitting here with the people I love than I ever was living in this palace as the Fire Lord's prisoner bride." The words settled heavily over the room. Ursa never looked away from Zuko. 

"So don't let the same thing happen to you." Her voice was firm now. "If you have the chance to have your happy ending, don't hesitate to fight for it." Her eyes flickered briefly toward [Y/n] before returning to her son. "You've spent your entire life sacrificing things for other people. Don't sacrifice this too." For several moments, Zuko couldn't find the words to answer. Beside him, [Y/n] felt his chest tighten at the sincerity in her voice. Then Iroh smiled and set down his teacup. 

"I agree." The old general looked entirely calm, entirely certain. "As usual, your mother is correct." That earned a laugh from Noren. 

"That's a dangerous thing to admit in front of her." He teased, earning a smirk from his wife while Iroh laughed before continuing.

"My boy, you have spent years rebuilding this nation. You ended the war. You restored alliances. You repaired relationships that many people believed were broken forever." His smile widened slightly. "You have worked harder than anyone could reasonably ask. The people know that. They trust you. They respect you. More importantly, they know that you care about them." The old general folded his hands together and looked directly at his nephew. 

"So while the council will undoubtedly have their complaints..." He said, earning several amused snorts around the table at how much of an understatement that was. "I suspect the people themselves will be far more understanding." His smile softened. "Because I think most of them would be very happy to see the man who has spent years fighting for their happiness finally have a chance to find his own."

Beneath the table, Zuko's fingers slowly tightened around [Y/n]'s hand, and the strategist squeezed back immediately. For the first time since the banquet, since the council's demands, since the endless conversations about heirs and duty and expectation, the future didn't seem quite so daunting. For a while, neither of them spoke. They simply sat there, letting everything settle. The embarrassment from the teasing. The relief of finally having confessed. The worries that still lingered about the council, the Chamberlain, and the future waiting for them beyond the palace walls. Yet alongside those anxieties was something warmer now. Something steadier. Slowly, Zuko let out a breath and smiled. 

"Thank you." The words were quiet but sincere. Beside him, [Y/n] nodded in agreement. 

"Yeah. Thank you." Across the table, Ursa, Noren, and Iroh all smiled back, each of them seeming relieved in their own way to finally see the two young men allowing themselves a little happiness.

The moment of sincerity lasted all of three seconds. Then Kiyi giggled. The sound immediately drew everyone's attention. Before either Zuko or [Y/n] could react, the young princess hopped out of her chair and marched around the table. A moment later, she climbed directly into her brother's lap and wrapped both arms around him in a fierce hug. 

"Hey." Zuko let out a surprised laugh as he instinctively wrapped an arm around her to stop her from falling. Kiyi ignored him entirely and squeezed tighter. 

"I'm happy too." Her answer was so immediate and genuine that it drew smiles from everyone in the room. Even [Y/n] couldn't stop himself from laughing softly. For a few moments, they let themselves breathe. They didn't think about their duties, the council or anything to do with heirs or brides. They simply sat together, enjoying the rare peace that had settled over the dining room. Ursa leaned comfortably against Noren while Iroh smiled into his tea. Kiyi remained stubbornly attached to her brother, who had long since accepted that she wasn't moving. 

Beside him, [Y/n] felt Zuko's shoulder brush against his own. The future was still uncertain. There were investigations waiting for them, political battles yet to come, and undoubtedly a very irritated Grand Chamberlain somewhere in the palace. But those problems could wait a little longer. For now, surrounded by family and people who cared about them, both young men found themselves content to simply exist in the moment and be grateful that, after everything they'd been through, they were all together.

~*~

By the fifth rescue, the moment he caught sight of you standing in another evacuation zone, he simply closed his eyes for a second before muttering beneath the mask, "You again?" After pulling you to safety, he'd fold his arms and look you over for injuries before asking in complete seriousness, "Have you made getting yourself nearly killed several times a week into a hobby?"

Every single time you'd protest that none of it was your fault, and every single time he'd respond with the same unimpressed look before quietly checking your injuries anyway. Somewhere between those increasingly ridiculous rescues, brief conversations became routine.

He'd occasionally stop by after saving the city again, not because he intended to socialize, but because Varka had once mentioned that people appreciated being checked on after traumatic events. The visits gradually became less about duty and more about you, though he'd never admit that aloud.

Without either of you acknowledging it, the line between friendship and something far more gradually disappeared. He started making multiple different excuses to Varka as to why he kept coming home late, and you stopped pretending you hadn't been waiting for him by the window everytime.

Some evenings were spent wandering quiet streets after he changed into ordinary clothes somewhere nearby, while others ended with the two of you sitting atop rooftops until the city lights blurred into dawn.

There were moments where words became unnecessary entirely, your shoulder resting lightly against his, his gloved hand instinctively finding yours whenever the rooftop edge became too narrow, conversations interrupted by comfortable silences neither of you felt compelled to fill. It reached a point where even the mask no longer felt like a barrier between you.

One evening, as he sat beside you beneath an open sky, you reached up almost absentmindedly, your fingers slipping beneath the lower edge of his mask before carefully rolling the fabric just high enough to reveal the curve of his lips. He froze. The distance between you disappeared inch by inch, your eyes searching his as though silently asking a question neither of you had ever been brave enough to voice. Just before your lips could meet, he pulled back. "I..." The word came quietly, almost painfully. For a long moment he simply remained there, forehead lowered, unable to meet your gaze before carefully pulling the mask back into place himself. "We can't." He couldn't meet your confused gaze when he uttered those words, "I'm sorry." The next moment he's already letting your hand go and left.

Finding out his identity wasn't dramatic so much as it was unfortunate. Following another brutal fight, you caught sight of a familiar figure disappearing into an abandoned warehouse moments after Spider-Man vanished from the rooftops. Worried he'd been seriously injured, you followed.

Inside, you found Lohen seated heavily against the wall, his mask discarded beside him while one bloodied hand remained pressed firmly against a deep wound across his side. The instant he realized someone had entered, every muscle in his body tensed. His head snapped toward you, eyes widening in genuine alarm before instinct took over. In one swift motion, he reached for the discarded mask, attempting to pull it back over his face despite the obvious pain the movement caused. "Don't." His voice came out sharper than intended. "G-Get out." He immediately pushed himself upright as though nothing were wrong, one hand still stubbornly covering the wound while the other braced against the wall. Blood continued slipping between his fingers regardless. "I'm fine." The lie was so blatant it bordered on insulting. He took one step forward, only for his knees to threaten giving out beneath him. Irritation flickered across his face more than embarrassment, frustrated that his own body had chosen that exact moment to betray him. Eventually, his shoulders lowered almost imperceptibly, the fight leaving him in one slow exhale. His hand fell away from the mask before dropping uselessly to his side. "This wasn't how you were supposed to find out." Even then, when you moved to help him, he'd immediately object. "I said I'm fine." You'd point silently toward the blood steadily pooling beneath him. "…It's barely anything." Another pointed glance. "…It'll stop." It very obviously wasn't stopping.

Only after several increasingly unconvincing attempts to insist the injury was "just a scratch" would he finally surrender with a resigned sigh, allowing you to guide him back against the wall so you could tend to the wound, grumbling under his breath the entire time that you were making far bigger a deal out of it than necessary.

The first time Lohen met you, was during highschool.

Like any other committed athlete, he didn't take school very seriously. Assignments were submitted with the bare minimum and classes were dedicated to napping and doodling, on the very rare occasions Lohen actually decided to attend.

He had acquaintances but not friends; people he'd play football and basketball with, but no one Lohen would go out of his way for.

Not that it mattered to him. Regardless of association, Lohen poked fun at whoever he wanted, and it was sufficient entertainment and 'companionship' for his school life.

So when he was assigned a partner for an English project, his first thought was how he was going to mess with you a bit. No one liked group projects and quite frankly, he needed some entertainment before forcing himself to do schoolwork.

You were quiet and kept to yourself, sitting towards the front with straight posture rather than retreating to the back of the classroom. He never intended to freeload off of your intellect, but Lohen wanted to indulge in your shock for a bit.

It was nothing personal, Lohen just thought it'd be funny. After a bit of entertainment he'll apologise. University applications were soon, after all, he was still going to do his best, knowing it'd affect you. University wasn't apart of his dreams, but it was clearly one of yours.

"So yeah. 'm not gonna do anything. Got a lot of training to go to. 'm sure you'll be fine because you're a smart cookie, right?"

You stared at him blankly in the school library, as he propped his feet onto the table.

You're processing his words, Lohen thought. You're going to hesitantly nod and avoid his gaze, probably without a word, too. You're way too introverted to snap back or retaliate—

"That's fine." You said, words clear as day. "You were never that...bright, anyways. I understand if this project is too difficult for you."

Lohen's jaw dropped as your pen resumed, dancing across your notebook and building onto the mind map you had laid out.

For someone who spent most of his time teasing others, Lohen had no words. He wanted to be offended, but that wasn't exactly waranted if he was the one who tried to piss you off in the first place.

Word after word appeared in your notebook, birthing sentences and paragraphs. Lohen had no idea how you wrote that fast, nor how you'd be able to read your cursive later.

"It's not hard—it's literally just a book report."

"No I get it, seriously. Not everyone's into reading and that's fine with me. You probably train too much to understand what Jane Austin's talking about."

His cheeks flared and he suddenly forgot how to speak normally. "She's not that complicated. I was joking."

A smirk creased at your lips. "Sure."

Before Lohen could retort, you pushed your notebook towards him, the entire plan already constructed. "You can prove that to me when we get an A on this."

And with that, marked the beginning of your friendship.

Contrary to his first impression, you weren't nearly as mischievious as him. Your weekly meetings when smoothly, as if he hadn't tried to poke fun at you the first time the two of you met.

Neither did you. You kept to yourself, typing away with a calculated fevour, as if your wits were merely a fragment of his imagination.

Aside from the very first study session you had together.

"Everything alright, Imunlaukr? Do you remember what a simile is?"

Lohen scoffed. "I'm not stupid."

"That's not what a simile is." Your pen twirled in your fingers. before ignoring whatever attempts he made at a witty comeback.

You went back to satisfying his expectations of an introverted bookworm, and the group project flew by quickly without trouble.

Lohen himself had no idea how you exactly became friends. The two of you were nothing alike; you were an unexplainable existence to him.

Within the two weeks you had that project together, he noticed your life was composed of a bland monotony, every afternoon was spent at the library without fail. You studied with the same routine and at the same library everyday and revised the same content. He didn't get why you were willing to do all of this; there was no thrill of a fight in studying, nor the same fulfillment as a workout.

"Why do you do this to yourself?" It was revolting to Lohen. Even your weekly meetings managed to bore him, he mustered every shred of willpower to survive those study sessions, thanking the lord for your intellect despite being a dedicated atheist. "I've only done this a few times and I already want to kill myself."

You had shrugged, fingers still typing. "I like good grades."

"Wow." Lohen droned, slouching over the desk as he struggled to piece together a final sentence. He was so close to finishing, yet every combination of words he could conjure simply fell flat, even for his standards. "Nerd."

Yet Lohen continued to follow, accompanying the end of your study sessions at the library, with the flimsy excuse of match analysis after his trainings.

"I don't like the library." Lohen grumbled, plopping down to the empty seat next to you, with takeout in one hand.

The library and studying still sucked, of course. But he had to make sure you didn't work yourself to death, and the library wasn't that far from his gym, anyways.

"You can go then." You quipped, adjusting your reading glasses. "The group project was done last week."

Lohen scoffed, placing the food next to you. "I have to make sure you don't kill yourself studying."

"Didn't you just have training? I thought your gym was in different suburb."

"It is."

You finally peeled yourself away from your notes. "Then why come here?"

It was only a thirty minute walk, and it served as a good cooldown anyways. "Isn't that what friends do?"

His heart skipped a beat. He hadn't realised you never agreed upon that notion. Lohen's friendships mainly consisted of his fellow training partners at the gym, and his coach Varka (if he could even be called that).

But you giggled, eyeing the takeaway containers. "I suppose you're right. I'll hurry up soon and we should eat together."

A victorious smile bloomed across his lips, as his feet swung underneath the table, the smell of fresh rice and stirfry coaxing him.

You liked reading. You were aiming for a law degree at a nearby uni, the one that dominated the rankings, and you preferred English far more than math. You were the type of person who ate their least favourite things first, and saved your favourites for the very end.

(Something about it "being special" and so you could savour it properly. Lohen found it silly. He always ate his favourite bits of a meal first, just in case he ever got full.)

These, among many things, he discovered about you. At first it was simply his company at the library. He'd prop up his phone on a pile of books from a random shelf and watch his MMA matches, with the pretense of 'analysis', when he was instead watching them for pure enjoyment.

On one cold night, he noticed you from the corner of his eye, leaning slightly to where his phone sat. Lohen pulled out his airpod and cocked a brow. "You interested?"

You nodded. "Isn't this what you want to do in the future? Get locked in a cage and beat up another shirtless guy for the world to see?"

Lohen snickered. "Pretty much. I like these guys, especially this one." He pointed to the left. "He's got a real good kick."

The two men threw careful punches and kicks at one another, gauging their distance and range. "I wanna be in their place someday."

"Why not drop out and just commit to it? You would've been pro by now." You commented, wincing at a particularly hard kick. In Lohen's ears, the audience exploded into excitement, a stark contrast with your reaction.

"Are you saying 'm too dumb for school?"

"Don't twist my words."

He chuckled, turning off his phone. "It's a deal with my parents. They didn't want me fighting but I refused to listen. They said they'd support me as long as I graduated and didn't fight while injured. I'd be on TV by now if I didn't have to stay in school."

Lohen remembered that tense dinner and his parent's refusal to meet his eyes. Despite their expectations he agreed, quite easily too. He knew that professional combat athletes were at risk of ruining their career at any moment. He should at least have a highschool degree just to be safe.

"Hmm. Fair. It's a shame you have to wait though. Especially when most athletes are allowed to go straight into competing."

Lohen shrugged. "I'll catch up to them easily." It's not like he had any other choice, anyways.

"If you say so. Make sure you don't forget me when you're famous, okay?"

Your company grew beyond your time together at the library. You eventually began seeking Lohen out at school, always offering him company. If the teacher announced groupwork your gaze would snap to him, even though other, much smarter people wanted to partner with you. During break times you'd come watch him play basketball, cheering him on and filling up his bottle whenever needed.

Lohen never asked nor wished for your presense, but he found himself attached to it over time.

"I need to buy a gift for someone. Can you help me today?"

You asked him one day, as the school bell dismissed everyone, sending the school into relief. Lohen didn:t have any training on, and you seemed to not have anything to revise.

"For who?"

"My cousin. He's into MMA too. I wanna buy him something from the sports store."

Lohen shrugged. "Sure. Sounds easy enough." The mall wasn't too far, and you were fun to spend time with. Rest days were difficult for Lohen. The urge to fight kept itching throughout each one, and Varka often yelled at him for trying to work out during them. Most of them were dedicated to watching MMA matches with a painful envy.

"So, I was thinking of getting him new gloves? He needs new ones and he trains all the time. But there's so many and I have no idea."

Lohen scanned the shelves. "Is he professional?"

"Trying to be."

Huh. Lohen only knew this guy through your words, but he seemed cool. "Well. The weight depends on what he's doing. If it's for heavy training, the heavier gloves are better to avoid injuring yourself and your sparring partners. But for competitions you're supposed to use the light ones."

You stared, confused and almost annoyed.

How did you understand math and not this? "I use these ones." Lohen grabbed the exact model of his. "If that helps."

Your eyes lit up. "Perfect. I'll get these then."

You flinched at the price tag and Lohen cackled. "Pricey, I know. You can settle for handwraps for him. We're still in highschool and I know a guy that likes to design cool ones."

You shook your head, holding the gloves close. "I saved up for this, don't worry."

Impressive, Lohen thought. The bank accounts of students weren't known to be abundant. He brushed it off, you were meticulous with school, it was only natural for the rest of your life to be just as organised.

Lohen accompanied you as you paid, requesting for a bag and a receipt. Together, you walked out, and before Lohen could propose hanging out for longer, you held out the shopping bag.

"For you."

"I'm not your cousin."

"Yeah no shit. These were always going to be for you." You pushed the bag closer, shoving it into his chest. "I saw that yours were beaten up."

Lohen's chest flared up. "I have money—this shit is expensive and my parents are well off. You didn't have to." He just didn't replace them because he didn't like money. If he was going to get a replacement, then it'd be when his current gear is rendered completely unusable.

You shrugged. "But you never replaced them. If it's too early or whatever you can put them away for now. Receipt's there if you change your mind too."

He still refused to accept the gift, allowing you to keep it pressed into his chest. "You don't have to do this for me."

"But I want to. And I don't really care, either." Your hands pounced on his, and for once in his life, his reflexes permitted someone else to exert such control over him. "It's a thank you for all the food and snacks you bring to the library for me."

You ran off, your big school bag awkwardly bouncing on your back.

"I share that crap with you, idiot—" He called out. You always insisted you were full whenever you ate together, and always threatened to throw it out if he didn't believe it. "And come back—"

Lohen sprinted after you, a warmth already settled onto his pale cheeks long before he pursued you.

Lohen hated Valentines Day.

He's not sure why school decided to take it so seriously. The student committee turned it into a charity event, selling anonymous serenades and roses. Lohen found it ridiculous, the songs they selected were generic and boring, and always sung live by people who clearly didn't belong in performing arts.

He shrivelled his nose up at another stupid couple, who were making out in the corridor right as he turned the corner. For the rest of his route to class, he had to push past stupid freshmen holding hands, taking up the entire hallway and having the audacity to act surprised.

When he finally made it to class he dropped into his seat besides you, groaning.

"What happened to you?"

"I hate Valentines Day."

"Really? I think it's nice."

"It's not."

"Aw." You fake pouted at him. "I'll buy you a rose next time."

Lohen sat up. "You actually spent money on this shit?"

"Yeah. I got a rose for my single friends." You unpacked your things, preparing your notebook and stationary. "Next time I'll get something for you. If you're still single by next Valentine's."

He scoffed, going back to slouching on his table. "Ew. No thanks."

Class went by as normal, until the Valentine's Days gifts arrived to your class. Students were dressed in pink and decorated in hearts, with obscene props.

They read out names, handing out roses, chocolates, and candies, before heading where you sat.

You stared up at them with uncertain eyes before they burst out in love song.

From where he sat, Lohen watched you turn red. First, your cheeks began to resemble tomatoes, and then your ears glowed pink, as well. By the end of the song you were clearly flustered, and embarrassed, to the point Lohen didn't even want to tease you for it.

After class, someone else spoke to you before him, yelling across the classroom.

"I wonder who bought that for you—" One of the boys snapped, cackling away with his equally obnoxious friends. "Look at red they are."

Before everyone's eyes could turn on you, you ran out the door, clearly uncomfortable and upset.

Lohen's gaze drifted to where the boys sat, before he slowly stood up and followed.

By the end of the day, Lohen had them on their knees, in a discrete area in the school, begging for forgiveness with bloody noses and bruised skin.

Every plea was ignored as he headed off in search of you. The class he just skipped should be done by now, meaning you were also done with the school day. He spat at the boys before running off. He had no clue who they were and why they ordered you a love song, nor what your relationship with them was, but he discarded his curiosity and searched for you, in hopes of being able to cheer you up.

Your familiar back came into view, near the school gates. His hands pounced on your shoulders and he cloaked himself over you.

"Wanna go to a bakery with me?"

You furrowed your brows. "Aren't you dieting now?"

"It's for you. You're also single and lonely like me."

Wrestling him off, you retorted. "I thought you hate Valentine's Day."

Lohen shrugged. "It's compensation for having to deal with all these stupid couples." A pair of first years snapped their neck towards him, cowering away before shuffling down the hallway. Lohen snickered at the sight, quickly returning to normal before you'd notice and tell him off for being mean. "I've seen all your likes on social media. You keep liking posts about the new bakery nearby."

He carefully watched your expression as it melted into a yield. It soldified into his victory. "Sure then. As long as you're fine with it."

Of course Lohen was. The desserts didn't matter as long as you were there.

"What is love?" Lohen asked out of the blue, after a full day of being driven crazy by obnoxious couples.

You took a few more photos before putting your phone away. "Why're you asking that all of a sudden?"

Lohen scoffed, watching you dig into a cheesecake. "And why aren't you answering me? Don't answer my question with another question."

With your mouth full, you hummed. "Well...I don't exactly know."

"Very useful."

"Shut up." You took a sip of water before continuing. "I've never been in love, and I doubt you have, either."

"Isn't that why 'm asking you?"

Lohen watched you fumble with a strawberry, before slumping into the booth and sighing. The bakery was no exception to the festivity of Valentines Day, swarming with couples both young and old, shamelessly cooing at one another. The sight grossed him out; some even went as far as borderline making out and groping each other.

Half the cheesecake was gone, and crumbs perched on the corner of your mouth. "Why are you asking, though?"

He shrugged. "You're the smartest person I know. And so many fucking idiots are making out everywhere we go."

You hummed, sucking on your fork. "I mean, I don't think relationships and love are the same thing."

Lohen already anticipated a headache, at the complexity of things you explained. But by no means were you the one irritating him.

"Like, plenty of people are just together because they're lonely or whatever. Especially at our age. I think it's just someone you want to be with forever?" You scraped up a bit of cream from the plate with a finger, before licking it up. "But if I had to give it a definition...it depends."

Well no shit were you getting into law, you already allergic to short, straight answers that made sense.

"Everyone likes different things. Everyone has their own goals for the future, and everyone is fundamentally really different. I think love would be when all these things align within two people, and they're attracted to each other I guess?" You listed off the criteria on your fingers. "And of course, adding in the fact that neither parties are toxic or abusive to the other."

"I guess it's about finding someone who aligns in their idea of love with you." You concluded, satisfied with the answer you conjured.

Lohen nodded along. That actually made plenty of sense, compared to the simple 'explanations' of 'you know when you know' or 'you'll feel butterflies in your stomach'.

"But then again, at our age I think it's a matter of hooking up." You deadpanned, grabbing a huge chunk of cake.

Lohen agreed. He had no idea why he was asking in the first place anyways. You were committed to your studies and all he cared was for martial arts. You both had far more important things to dedicate yourself to. "And getting in everyone's day."

You jolted straight. "I know right? Isn't making out embarrassing? Oh and also—" You stabbed a strawberry with your fork. "Open."

He's not being fed by someone else. Lohen covered his mouth. "No. 'm not a baby."

"Oh come on—you haven't eaten anything. And fruits are healthy. You should try the cheesecake too."

"I'll die." Literally. Lohen agreed to his club's harsh diet plans and schedules. "One of my coaches will kill me. Or my friends will."

"Just say I forced it against your will. Which is exactly what I'm doing right now, no?"

Your fork kept insisting. Lohen sighed and opened his mouth, while leaning in closer. The strawberry was sweet, so sweet to the point his nose scrunched and squeezed his eyelids shut. "It's good."

"Try the cheesecake too. Just a bit." You already had some on your fork, holding it up again. "We can walk around and burn it off together."

This time, Lohen relented immediately, deciding that Varka and Jean would never find out, anyways.

Your birthday was coming.

Lohen himself had no idea. He overheard a girl in braided pigtails asking if you were going to throw a party, and if your underclassmen were allowed; to which you smiled and ruffled her hair, saying you'd love to celebrate with her. She celebrated with two blue haired boys, immediately planning on a cake flavour for you. Nilou from biology class already teased your gift, to which you giggled and tried to guess, and apparently Childe, the rumoured rich kid already brought you a gift, courtesy of an overseas trip he was going on for god knows what.

Lohen however, had no idea what to get you.

He knows you read a lot, but he was too unfamiliar with any form of literature to pick out something anything good, nor did he want to blindly trust a random influencers. Anyone knows you care a lot for your studies, but buying a gift related to school is just pathetic, and besides, no top student enjoyed studying, you yourself only did it for the grades and opportunities.

Your birthday month was approaching, with far more ease than Lohen preferred.

He could've asked, but that would've ruined the surprise. It'd ruin the thrill of opening up his gift, and he didn't want to seem like he didn't understand you well enough.

Especially not after you noticed his worn out gear.

Lunchtime was coming to a halt. You were in the library helping people cram for an upcoming test. Lohen played basketball as always. He filled up his bottle at the bubblers, already dreading having to go back to class.

"I dunno what to get for Y/n's birthday."

Lohen leaned ever so slightly, summoning all his will to not whip his head instantly.

The first voice, who he'd assume was Kaveh, moaned to Nilou, who sighed and reassured him. "Anything from Sanrio works. They love Cinnamoroll."

Cinnamoroll. Lohen engraved it in his mind before hurrying away, immediately, typing it into his phone.

A white bunny with pale blue eyes appeared. He recognised her from your bag, you had a little keychain of your head. Lohen always wondered who exactly that was.

This was perfect. Today was a night session at the club, he had time to pop by the mall before training.

So he hid in the back of the classroom as always, carefully researching on his phone for where he could buy you a Cinnamoroll. He was the first to hurry out the door at the teacher's dismissal. Glued to his phone, he made his way to the Sanrio store.

The store was far out of his comfort zone, a myriad of pastel colours and cute animals. Lohen stepped in, clearly out of place.

But luckily, he didn't need help. He instantly recognised Cinnamoroll, a figure with a beach party theme. Lohen was never interested in this kind of merch, but even he found it cute.

The shelf had nothing but Cinnamoroll, too. Thank god she wasn't a fan favourite; his shopping trip concluded smoothly, and he didn't even need to ask the staff to check the back or to provide recommendations.

Lohen smiled. Today was going well, he thought, as he hurried to training.

"Since when did you like Sanrio?" Eula peered over Lohen's shoulder and stared into his bag during stretching. "You seem extra weird to me now."

Lohen pulled out his phone. "It's not for me. For my friend's birthday."

"That makes more sense." She mumbled. "Why buy one of these though?"

"Cinnamoroll. The bunny. She's on this." Lohen pointed to where the bunny stood, holding up a volleyball with her usual pink cheeks. ""My friend loves her."

Eula had never looked at anyone with such disgust. It was a low bar, considering she loved to glare at most.

"First off, Cinnamoroll is a guy—"

"—that's a male??"

Lohen stared at the box with dismay. What the fuck?

"And second, he's a dog."

"Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Shut up and listen." Eula snapped. Lohen zipped his mouth as he savoured every word from the expert in front of him. "Just because he's on the front, doesn't mean it's actually Cinnamoroll."

Lohen's brow furrowed, and Eula sighed before snatching the box. She turned it to the side.

"See here? These are all the things you can get."

The side of the box was adorned with rows of other characters. All Lohen recognised was Hello Kitty, and the rest meant nothing to him.

"Why is Cinnamoroll on the front then?"

She sighed. "It's a blind box, Lohen. It's basically gambling. Cinnamoroll just happened to be the front cover."

Lohen stared at the box, as if betrayed by it. "That's fucking stupid. How these still in business then?" Why not just...buy the character you like? All Lohen gave a shit about was getting Cinnamoroll. If he wanted a gambling addiction he'd go to the casino, or start betting on horse races.

Eula shrugged, finishing up her cooldown stretch. "I dunno either." She shuffled over to where Amber was, talking to her friend as Lohen processed her explanation.

Right. So now he had to go back and buy you an actual Cinnamoroll.

Well done Lohen, well done.

"Alright. Your friend likes Cinnamoroll, right?"

Eula made the very kind offer to accompany him, insisting that Lohen needed the help, and she wanted to browse through the store anyways.

"Plushies are nice. I think the stationary's cute but they're probably not the most practical—" Eula strolled through the aisles, scanning through every product. "Lohen. I didn't mean buying everything I look at."

Lohen stared at the mountain of merchandise he was holding. "But why not?"

Eula scrunched her nose. "That costs like 300 dollars minimum."

He hasn't bought any new training gear, thanks to your stunt from the other day, and he hadn't touched his allowance for this month. Worst comes to worst, he'll use his savings that he's kept aside for when he can finally move out. "So?"

The woman sighed, before helping him carry a plushie. "Love really makes you do funny things, huh?"

"Stop that."

Lohen deadpanned and Eula flinched, surprised at the sudden change in tone. She muttered an apology before inspecting another display to avoid looking at him.

He scratched his nape 'til the flesh was red and throbbing. "Sorry—dunno why I got so defensive." Lohen cleared his throat. "We're not dating. I just want to do something nice..."

It felt pathetic enough that he had to eavesdrop on others' conversations to even gain an idea of what to get you, and how he was relying on another friend. Lohen thought he had to compensate for his shortcomings somehow.

Eula watched the younger boy softly. "I think you're doing great so far."

"I literally had to get your help."

"Eh. You cared enough to go out of your way. I'm surprised you even know Cinnamoroll."

Lohen scratched at his nape again. "Someone else mentioned her—I mean him. So I kinda just stole the idea."

Eula shrugged. "That's fine. You could've asked your friend too."

"That's lame, no?"

"I don't think so. It still means you care and you're willing to listen. It'd rather someone take the things I say seriously." Eula paused browsing the shelves, turning to Lohen with a soft look on her face. "It'll be okay. We'll figure it out together."

Denial danced at the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it down before nodding. He was grateful for her help before he was doubtful of his birthday gift to you.

"Now c'mon." Eula pried another plushie out of Lohen's arms. "You can't go that crazy. I promise I'll help you find something good."

Lohen gave up on protesting and followed her.

Your birthday came, fast.

Lohen avoided spending 300 dollars that night, and with the help of Eula, he managed to piece together what he thought, was a good gift.

Pick a plushie you think suits them. They like collecting them, don't they?

Don't worry about picking out a book if you don't know any, just get a giftcard. That way they can pick whatever they like.

I just spoke to one of the staff members. She said heated face masks are good for strained eyes, so you can throw those in too since they're studying to get into uni.

Write a card too—

Lohen had argued, insisting that he was terrible with words. I'm basically illiterate in front of them. I'll look stupid

Eula scoffed. I don't care.

He had opened his mouth to argue but Eula had cut him off. You said you wanted to pay me back, right? Write the damn card.

So, he did his best. He thanked you for being so understanding, and how cool it was to watch your dedicated to your goals. He thanked your kindness and consideration, and how warm your company was.

Lohen thanked you, for being you. With his messy, but honest handwriting, he put whatever came to mind on the card, throwing the pen across the room out of frustration and returned to his phone.

At 11:59pm, he glared at every passing second. The happy birthday message was typed out beforehand and his thumb hovered over the send button.

Should he send it a bit earlier? What if his wifi is slow? But it'd be embarrassing if he sent it too early by accident, and his desparation would be obvious—

The clock struck twelve, and he hit send, before tossing his phone on the bed. It vibrated in his sheets, Lohen pounced on it immediately.

Thanks Lohen !! how were you so fast? you're usually asleep at this time

Well, today wasn't exactly a 'usual' day, was it? You always went to sleep early, too.

i wanted to be the first to say it. ill see you at school tmr

Lohen stared at the roof before throwing his blanket over his impossibly hot face, as sleep brought him daylight.

At school, you were loved. As always.

Before he could say hi, Nilou had pounced on you, giggling about you were finally 18. Candace joined her, her gift joined the one you received from Nilou, hanging off your forearm.

Soon, your arms were filled with presents and you garnered birthday wishes from both students and teachers alike.

Lohen swore he'd give you his when breaktime came around, but you were swarmed by then too. A group of students surrounded you at one of the benches, singing happy birthday over a cake with candles that Lohen was sure weren't allowed on school campus.

He hesitated, deciding after school was a better time. He didn't know any of these people, and they didn't know him. It'd be awkward if he butted in now, while they were cheering in chorus.

But even when the school day ended, Lohen was embarrassed, and you were unapproachable for some particular reason. You were still surrounded by people, your other friends asked you for your plans tonight and insisted on you to throw a party whenever you could. With burning ears, Lohen really began to ponder if he was going to chicken out.

It didn't matter, since you were already walking towards him with a smile.

"I haven't seen you all day. I missed you."

Lohen tensed at the diction, before concealing it with his gift. "M–me too. I had to give you this." Lohen helped carry your other gifts as you headed somewhere quiet to open his present.

Hopefully, you'll pull out the plushie, and swoon about how adorable it was, before celebrating how it's new addition to your collection. Then, you'll notice the gift card and eye masks, and read the card at home, where he wouldn't have to watch you read it in front of him.

But your fingers brought it out first, gently tearing the envelope open before reading its contents.

Of every fight and training session he'd attended, Lohen's face had never felt so hot. With every moment he spent staring at your face his anxiety was only nourished, yet he couldn't stop watching your every movement, either.

You smiled, thankfully.

"This is so sweet! Thank you, Lohen." You peered into the bag, admiring the contents before putting the card back in. "You got me so much, too."

That statement sounded silly, when someone baked an entire cake for you and another friend brought you a plushie that your arm could barely wrap around.

"And I'm really happy to be your friend too." You said, picking your things up again. "I'm glad I had that group project with you."

Relief washed over Lohen. His muscles finally relaxed, and he no longer felt sick with anticipation. "Me too."

Lohen wiped his palms on his uniform before clearing his throat and hoisting your gifts. "I'll carry these to your place."

"Aren't you training today?"

"Training's cancelled." Lohen held your gifts out of your reach before heading for the school gate. "I need to kill time."

You hurried after him, having given up on declining his help. "You should stop by at my place for some food then."

"Sounds good to me."

Lohen did in fact have training that day. But you didn't need to know that.

It was tests like these that made Lohen grateful he wasn't trying to get accepted into university.

The scarlet 40 donning his test paper was a nauseating sight, even for him. Passing came easily for him normally, but the essay questions on this exam were verbose enough to throw him off, and he managed to stuff up multiple choice. He skimmed through it after training, before stuffing it into his pocket and skipping into the night. He should check on how you were feeling, too.

Speak of the devil, you were sipping on a cup of milk tea near the convenience store, seated on a bench. Lohen hurried over to you, akin to a puppy finding its owner.

"Hey. How'd you do on the test?" Knowing you, you definitely got an A at minimum, and probably top in the class, as well. But you didn't smile, your eyes were tired and you slouched. "Not good? You seem a bit upset."

You took a final sip before removing your drink and nodding a bit. "I got a 90."

"Why would you be upset about that, dumbass?" The general consensus was a fail, or barely passing. Lohen watched a group of honour roll students bicker about mark allocations and rankings, knowing damn well you were smarter than any of them. "You did great, what are you even on?"

Lohen scoffed, and he regretted it immediately when he heard you cry. He burst into apology, before panicking. "Shit—I was just being a dumbass, I'm sorry."

You hiccuped and continued crying, without sign of stopping anytime soon.

"Here—" He held your hand, savouring its warmth before closing it into a proper fist, making sure your thumb was positioned correctly. "—you hold a fist like this, then you can punch me as hard as you want. Beat me as much as you need. You can slap me if that's easier too—the back hand hits harder. I'm sorry—please don't be mad at me."

Lohen hurried into the convenience store for tissues, he clearly wasn't helping. He made sure to grab that one brand of melon ice cream you loved, and added those chewy candies you loved after seeing them displayed at the front.

You calmed down, eventually.

"Sorry..." You blew your nose, the tip turning dry and red. "I know you're right. It's really not bad..."

"Stop apologising, I was the one being a bitch." Lohen remembered to breathe, picking up your used tissues to throw out later.

"You weren't exactly wrong, though." You stared at your hands, one of your fingers donned a large callus, and ink stained were scattered across your palm. "It's just that nothing ever feels enough for me. All I thought about was how I could've gotten much better if I didn't make such a stupid mistake."

It was odd hearing you, out of all people saying something like that, when you've always been more than enough.

"Heck, even if I got an 100—" You sniffled. "—I'd see it as a fluke and think it means nothing since it was a one time thing."

"I guess..." You mumbled, bringing up your knees to rest your forearms and head on them. "I guess I'm just stressed about getting into uni. It's hard to feel good about anything when it's so important to me."

Lohen had no idea what to say nor do. Academics meant nothing to him, and he wasn't even allowed to pursue his career until he graduated. He clearly had no right to comment on your insecurity and worries, you were far more capable.

So he tore the ice cream open and handed it to you.

"To be honest, I'm really useless with this stuff." You took the ice cream, though reluctant, Lohen celebrated internally. "But I'll try my best. Food makes things better. I'll get you more if you want."

(What was he even saying?)

"For what it's worth, you're plenty capable. I can't change how you feel, but I still want to remind you." Lohen stared at an ant on the pavement. It followed its friends in an orderly line that his teachers from primary would've envied.

Lohen was sure he'd look even more stupid if he looks you in the eye while saying all of this. "I think it's good you're always determined to improve. I just hope you won't forget how amazing you are while you do."

His gaze ventured upwards slowly, finally looking at your face. Your eyes were puffy, but you nodded along to his words, ice cream coating your lips.

"I'm sorry again for making you cry." Lohen added. He'll shut up for real now.

You shook your head, licking at the ice cream. "It wasn't you. School just makes me moody sometimes."

"You can still beat me up if needed. I can take it, and it'll be good stress relief."

"No thank you."

He shrugged. "My offer's always open. But seriously." Lohen leaned back on his palms, thankful you stopped crying. "If I can do anything, just tell me. Please."

With wet, wide eyes you looked at him, wiping your mouth before nodding. "Then...can we just talk about something else? Just not school or exams."

"I saw a cat today." Lohen blurted. "It was really fucking chunky."

Lohen cringed at himself, but you laughed, almost choking on the ice cream. "Did you take a photo? I wanna see."

"Probably, hang on, lemme check..."

Together, you sat there, watching all of people of the night pass by while talking about whatever came to mind. Lohen prayed that you'd soon find something to comfort you, since he knew very well he couldn't.

Your first entrance examination was today.

Despite his urges to ask, Lohen never brought up school with you. He itched to check up on your study sessions and desperately wanted to cheer you on, but he pledged to himself to avoid stressing you out even more, and Lohen kept his promises.

The past month or two was torturous, not knowing anything about your preparations. As extreme as it may have seemed, Lohen had occasionally wished he was smart as well, so he could've been of some use to you.

At the crack of dawn, with the excuse of a morning jog, Lohen went to your house, carrying a makeup pouch his mum never used. While shifting his weight on both his feet, Lohen texted you to come out.

Soon, the front door creaked open, with you already in uniform. You gave him a small wave before he bounced up the steps.

"I know you're super busy and shit so I'll make this quick." Lohen held out the pouch to you. "I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to make you feel better for this moment, but I still wanted to do my best to help."

You blinked, fishing through the makeup pouch.

Inside, were random essentials Lohen thought would help. He found the eyedrops you used for your dry eyes at the local pharmacy, and packed those alongside a pack of gum (the ones he liked to share with you; he found them to be good stress relief, so hopefully you would too) and a few heatpacks, after your complaints about not being able to write as fast in the cold. Lohen put a tray of throat lozenges and painkillers, just in case an emergency happened. Although he didn't know what kind of pens you liked, he bought a few new ones as spares for you as well.

It's been a while to see one this bright, but you smiled. Uncontrollably, too. "This is amazing Lohen, thank you so much—"

"—good luck with your exams." Lohen cut you off, accidentally. "You've worked so hard, it's gonna pay off. And if uni doesn't take you then it's probably not worthy going at all."

(Lohen swore at himself for mentioning the possibility of that. He wanted it to sound funny, but now all he did was potentially make you think about not getting in.)

"I won't bother you anymore—"

"—at least let me finish." You zipped the pouch. "Stop saying you're of no help. You're everything." You looked down at the pouch with a tender smile. "You, and everything you've done for me are so precious, alright?"

His heart skipped a beat, and he almost forgot to nod.

"I'll be okay, I promise. I'll stop by your gym to say hi."

Unsure of what else to say, he wished you good luck again and bid you farewell, before ushering you back inside.

Towards the end of the day, Lohen saw you through the glass window.

He cut his current set of squats short, sprinting to the front to greet you. Lohen held a thumbs up and an intrigued expression reserved only for you, before you smiled back and returned the gesture.

"Knew it." Lohen grinned. "Told you."

You beamed. "Did I come at a bad time?"

Lohen shook his head. "Today's just a gym session. And you're always welcome here anyways." He grabbed his shirt and wiped his sweat off, awkwardly waiting for you to respond. "Everything alright?"

You blinked aggressively, gaze flitting. "Yeah, everything's fine."

The door behind him opened, and Mika came out with a sigh. "Why are you running off this time, Lo—oh. Hello."

You politely greeted Mika back, who turned to Lohen and whispered. "Your...?"

"—friend." Lohen snapped. "What were you saying, again?"

Mika glanced back into the gym, where Varka was coming. "Varka told me to come get you."

Great. The old man probably had a lecture in store for him.

But the scolding never came, for Varka immediately went for you instead.

"Ah. Lohen's friend?"

You nodded. "Sorry if I'm interrupting anything, sir."

"You're fine." Varka waved it off. "How can we help ya?"

Lohen interjected. "They're telling me about their exam. Shoo." He wants to spend time with you, not listening to his coach drone on and on.

Varka ignored him and continued talking to you. "For university?" When you nodded, Varka beamed, large chest swelling up with pride despite not knowing you. "Well, good job today, kid. If you ever get stressed come over and beat up Lohen. Buuuut, I can tell you're smart enough to get by fine."

You laughed at the joke, adjusting your bag. "I'll leave the fighting to you guys."

Before Lohen could slip back inside to grab his things and leave with you, Varka boomed, and his proposal to you made Lohen's blood run cold.

"You should come in. I've got photos of this one." A beefy forearm wrapped around Lohen, tugging him closer. "—when he was little and started out."

Embarrassment shot to his face, Lohen writhed and spat. "Too far."

But you accepted, eyes lighting up. "Yes please—"

Before Lohen could protest further, Varka opened the door for you, where the rest of the gym welcomed you with open arms and curiosity.

Training was much easier, knowing that you were done with exams. With every exam, each update you gave him gradually became more confident, and naturally, Lohen was happier.

I'm so happy I'll never have to do chemistry ever again

Thank god sir kept giving us math homework throughout the year...they threw so many curveballs at us lol. dunno why they made the papers harder for us but it's fine

I bent Shakespeare over ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ

No subject left you clueless, aside from a couple of strange questions, you reported back only good results to Lohen, beaming about it was far less intimidating than expected.

Now, you were on a road trip with your family to celebrate.

The day you're back, Lohen already cleared his schedule to have your own celebration together. He'll let you pick a place to eat, wherever you want and covered by him, obviously.

Only three more days, Lohen reminded himself, as he continued his stretches to wrap up today's session.

"How do you tell if you like someone?" Amber asked out of the blue, while stretching.

Varka cocked a brow and leaned closer. "Are you interested in someone? Who's the lucky guy?"

"You didn't answer the question, Varka." Amber deadpanned as she continued stretching. "And it's not a guy."

Varka stuttered before loudly clearing his throat. "Who's the lucky girl?"

"That's still not an answer." Amber huffed.

Kaeya intervened, as he passed with a box of gear. "Imagine them dating someone else."

Lohen scoffed, looking up from his stretch. "Does that actually work?"

The older man scoffed. "Obviously. If you feel indifferent then it means you're just friends. Plus if you're questioning it, then you probably like them already anyways."

Amber pulled a face as she took a moment to ponder. "Ew. Thanks Kaeya. That worked great."

Lohen and Kaeya watched Varka guess Amber's newfound crush. Lohen quickly went back to stretching, muttering about it being stupid.

"It's true." Kaeya insisted, refusing to let go of it.

Lohen rolled his eyes. "Shut up already."

He kept teasing. 'Imagine it with me and you'll see what I mean by indifferent."

"I can't even imagine you dating someone, Kaeya."

But he could imagine you.

You're intelligent. And pretty. And nice, and comfortable; the kind of person that listened without judgement and tread carefully around the emotions of others. Not to mention you were cute, and attractive. You had a nice smile and something about your face he couldn't name made him want to treasure you. Once you're accepted into university, you'll probably start dating, most likely someone from the same faculty—

Fuck. There's a pang of nausea and envy striking his gut.

For the sake of his sanity and your friendship, Lohen was going to pretend Kaeya's methodology had no validity.

His unwavering sincerity meant he seldom reciprocated your jokes, particularly when they revolved around your own safety. He had always thought that this would make him appear too stiff. Little did he know that it endeared him to you even more.

You walked over to Xiao, taking both his hands in yours. Eyes meeting his serious, amber gaze, you gently kissed the spot between his brows, trying to smooth out the furrow that had made its home there. He tensed ever so slightly before relaxing, still getting accustomed to your open affection.

“I’ll always be accompanied by members of the Knights of Favonius,” you detailed. “And I’ll be staying in the city whenever I’m not doing my training.”

Conceding to your rational arguments, his frown melted away with a sigh. The sharpness on his face was replaced with a softer expression as you squeezed his hands. He let out a low hum, focusing on the weight of your hands in his own. After your leave, it would be a little while until he would be able to feel this once again.

“I’ll be alright, Xiao.”

Your voice resonated through his head. Sweet and reassuring.

Of course everything would be alright. It was you after all.

However, there would be nothing stopping Xiao from being who he was either.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

There always seemed to be a pleasant breeze in the City of Mondstadt, neither too strong nor too cold. You were thankful for the window in your room facing outwards into the street so you could always enjoy the fresh air. The accommodation in Angel’s Share tavern was modest, with all the essential features for a visitor like yourself. A bed, a cupboard for storage, and small writing desk below a window.

Today, the winds cooled your skin, toying with loose strands of your hair, but never disrupting the papers on your desk below as you worked.

After tidying up the notes from that day’s alchemical training session, you brought out a fresh piece of parchment. Dipping your quill into the black ink pot, you began to write, taking care so your handwriting wouldn’t be as illegible as your study notes.

Dear Xiao…

To ease your boyfriend’s worries about your status, you also each promised to write to each other. Fortunately, with Liyue and Mondstadt being neighbouring nations, mailing could be sent and received within a few days. Verr Goldet would certainly be surprised to see Xiao skulking around the lobby, secretly waiting for a letter addressed to him.

Too engrossed in your penning, you failed to notice company joining you by your open window.

A small bird landed on the sill with unnatural grace. It hopped curiously, head tilting one side then the other. It was only until it gave a chirp did your head shoot upwards.

“Archons!”

You placed your hand over your chest in surprise. The bird let out another chirp, ruffling its own feathers. A laugh bubbled out of you, amused by how frightened you were by such a harmless creature.

Placing your pen to the side, you leaned your head in your hand and observed the bird.

“You nearly scared me to death, you know that?” you said to it, lifting your brows in mock scolding.

You hadn’t seen a bird like this before. Its plumage was a mixture of teals with purple around the top of its head. Maybe it was a native bird of Mondstadt. You’d have to ask Albedo about it during your training session tomorrow.

The little bird didn’t move. It simply stared back with unblinking eyes.

You were no animal whisperer, yet something about its stance made it look like it was anticipating something. Your natural urge to pet cute things took over and you slowly reached out a hand towards it. That seemed to be the correct response as the bird quickly met the palm of your hand, nuzzling under your touch. You chuckled, rubbing small circles into its head with your thumb.

The bird gave another chirp, quieter this time but satisfied, nonetheless.

“You might be the cutest bird I’ve ever seen,” you mused aloud. “I should keep you to myself and take you home with me.”

From under your palm, the bird squeaked. It almost sounded alarmed. You lifted your hand curiously, and it hopped out of your touch. Its head swivelled around, looking between you and the window behind it. It came to a decision and unfurled its wings, taking flight into the open air.

You stood up and stuck your head out of the window, following its path before it blended in with the clear blue sky and disappeared from your sight.

You flopped back down into your chair, the wood creaking beneath you. The inked greeting you wrote at the beginning of your letter had dried down, settling into the parchment. Smiling to yourself, you picked up your pen and continued to write.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The little teal bird could only make it to Stone Gate before it had to make a stop.

Away from the eyes of any merchant or traveller passing through, it landed on one of the cliffs that lined the edges of the board walk.

If it were to land where there would be citizens present, it would probably cause a spectacle for what it was about to do next.

Wisps of green energy formed and coalesced around the bird, covering its body. The once tiny form grew larger and larger, reaching human size. Once upon a time, the transformation would have been much faster—almost instantaneous. But it had been a long time since he last used this power.

No trace of the little bird could be found as Xiao’s human form materialized.

Immediately, he fell to his knees. Partly because the transformation had been strenuous to concentrate on, but mostly because of his own embarrassment.

It had been less than a week since your departure, and Xiao could not wait for your first letter. He had to see for himself that no harm had befallen you.

He covered his beet-red face with both gloved hands, letting out a flustered groan.

His act would have been utterly blown had you kept him with you like a pet. The thought of him using up the last of his power and transforming while with you was too mortifying of a scenario. He also harshly reminded himself that you had not called him cute but rather the bird, and therefore there was no reason for his heart to be beating so fast.

How foolish of me... Of course nothing bad happened, he thought to himself. He had seen you unscathed, diligently studying, and even writing this week's letter for him.

Xiao took a moment to regain his energy and steady his heart. He gazed out at the landscape of Dihua Marsh. The remnant sensation of your warm hand caressing his feathered head left goosebumps on his skin. He had missed your soothing touch. Though, it just wasn’t the same compared to his human form. He couldn’t wrap his arms around you, feel you relax in his hold, or smell the scent of your perfume.

Xiao quietly admitted to himself that he preferred that you held his normal self. And because of that, he would be responsible and wait out these remaining four weeks until you returned to Liyue. That would be his first and last instance of spying in on you. Besides, he had your letters to look forward to.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

The golden piece rested in his hands for a moment before he set it carefully upon a nearby table. Something changed immediately. The shift was subtle, but [Y/n] noticed it all the same. The crown was a symbol. A reminder. A responsibility. Without it, the figure standing across from him looked a little less like the Fire Lord and a little more like the boy he'd once spent entire afternoons playing Pai Sho with. A few moments later, the hairpins followed. Dark hair fell loose around Zuko's shoulders, and he let out a quiet breath of relief. The sight pulled an involuntary smile from [Y/n].

Piece by piece, title and responsibility seemed to fall away alongside the formal clothing.

The Fire Lord became Zuko.

The Chief Strategist became [Y/n].

No council meetings waited for them here. No political crises. No expectations. No nobles demanding heirs or alliances. Just two people standing in a quiet room at the end of a very long day. The weight of their positions remained, of course. It always would. But for the first time since the banquet began, neither seemed interested in carrying it for a little while. Not when there was finally room to breathe.

Eventually, only silence remained between them. Not awkward silence. Not uncertain silence. Just the comfortable quiet that existed between people who understood one another completely. Outside, the lights of the capital still burned beneath the night sky. Somewhere in the palace, guards continued their patrols, and ministers were undoubtedly still working. But here, in the privacy of Zuko's chambers, none of that seemed particularly important. For a few precious moments, there was no Fire Lord and no Chief Strategist. There was only Zuko. Only [Y/n]. And all the thoughts and feelings they had spent far too long keeping to themselves.

As the last of the ceremonial layers disappeared, [Y/n]'s gaze drifted back toward the chair where he'd left his outer robe. At first, he wasn't entirely sure what had drawn his attention. Then he saw it. The amulet still hung exactly where he'd left it, the gold crest catching the lanternlight as it rested against the dark fabric. For a moment, he simply stared at it. The absence suddenly felt strange. Wrong, somehow. He hadn't even realised how accustomed he'd become to the weight of it resting over his heart until it was gone.

Slowly, [Y/n] crossed the room. His fingers brushed against the familiar metal before carefully lifting it free from the robe. The chain shifted softly in his hands. For a brief moment, he simply held it there, remembering Zuko fastening it over his heart before the banquet. Remembering the warmth in his voice. The sincerity. The way he'd looked at him when he'd said he wanted the world to know [Y/n] stood beside him. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he pinned the amulet securely over his simpler underrobes.

The moment it settled against his chest again, some tension he hadn't realised he was carrying seemed to ease. The feeling was ridiculous. And yet completely genuine.

The weight of the amulet was comforting in a way he couldn't properly explain. Not because of what it was. Not because it was valuable. But because of what it meant. The strategist found himself resting a hand over it briefly, quietly relishing the familiar presence against his chest. It felt right there. Like it belonged there.

Across the room, Zuko had gone still.

The Fire Lord watched the entire exchange unfold without interrupting. There was something warm in his expression. Something impossibly fond. By the time [Y/n] looked up again, he found Zuko smiling at him. Not teasingly. Not triumphantly. Just... happy. The sort of smile that appeared when someone saw something they hadn't realised they needed until it happened. Neither of them said anything. Neither needed to. But as [Y/n]'s hand lingered over the amulet and Zuko's smile softened further, both of them understood exactly what that simple gesture had meant.

Zuko was the first to move.

Without a word, he crossed the room and pushed open the balcony doors. Cool night air immediately drifted inside, carrying with it the distant sounds of the capital beyond the palace walls. The Fire Lord stepped out into the darkness and rested his hands lightly against the railing. For a few moments, he simply stood there, breathing. Taking in the silence. Taking in the fact that, for the first time all evening, nobody wanted anything from him. No ministers. No nobles. No generals. No diplomats. Just peace.

[Y/n] followed a moment later.

The strategist came to a stop beside him and leaned against the railing as well. The city stretched out before them in every direction, a sea of warm lights scattered across the darkness. Lanterns illuminated winding streets below. Small groups of people still wandered through markets and plazas despite the late hour. Music drifted faintly upward from somewhere in the city. Laughter followed it. The distant sounds were softened by the height of the palace, becoming little more than a gentle reminder that life continued beyond its walls.

For a long while, they simply watched.

After months of investigations, attacks, conspiracies, political pressure, and responsibilities, neither felt particularly eager to fill the silence. The city below was alive, happy, and most importantly, safe. Children would wake tomorrow and think only about school or games. Merchants would open their shops. Families would gather for breakfast. Most of them would never know how close the Burning Eye had come to succeeding. They would never know about the operatives captured that night or the plans that had been stopped before they could unfold. And honestly, that was exactly how both of them wanted it.

Gradually, the last of the evening's tension began to fade.

The summit.

The attack.

The investigations.

The banquet.

The kidnapping.

The confrontation with Long Feng's followers.

The endless pressure from the Chamberlain.

One by one, the worries that had occupied their minds for months seemed to drift away into the night. Not permanently. The work would still be there tomorrow. The responsibilities would still be waiting. But for tonight, neither of them wanted to think about reports, arrests, politics, or threats. For tonight, they allowed themselves the rare luxury of simply existing.

Side by side, they stood beneath the moonlight and gazed out across the capital they had both fought so hard to protect. The city glowed warmly beneath the stars, bustling and alive despite the late hour. Somewhere below, people laughed, celebrated, and carried on with their lives, completely unaware of the battles fought on their behalf. The sight settled something deep inside both of them. A quiet reminder of why they endured the long days, the sleepless nights, and the impossible responsibilities. Because, despite everything, this was worth protecting. And as the lights of the Fire Nation capital stretched endlessly before them, they took it all in together, letting the final remnants of duty and tension slip away into the night.

For a couple of minutes, neither of them spoke. They simply stood together beneath the moonlight, leaning against the balcony railing and looking out across the capital. The city stretched endlessly before them, lanterns glowing warmly along streets that were still busy despite the late hour. Somewhere below, music drifted through the air from a tavern. Laughter followed it. Life continued as normal, blissfully unaware of everything that had happened that evening. Exactly how they'd hoped it would. Eventually, Zuko let out a long sigh.

"That was the worst party of my life." [Y/n] immediately laughed. The Fire Lord looked genuinely offended by the response. "I'm serious."

"I know."

"It was awful." Zuko folded his arms and stared accusingly at the city as though it were personally responsible. "Every time I escaped one conversation, another noble appeared." He shook his head. "And if it wasn't a noble, it was their daughter." His expression somehow grew even more pained. "They just kept throwing themselves at me." The horror in his voice suggested he'd survived some terrible ordeal. "One of them followed me halfway across the ballroom. Another interrupted me while I was speaking to Kuei. I think a third somehow found me after I deliberately left through a different door." He groaned. "And through all of it, I had to stand there and be polite."

"Oh, poor Fire Lord." [Y/n]'s smile widened.

"I knew you were going to say that."

"You do realise I had to deal with exactly the same thing all day, right?" [Y/n] asked, smirking. Zuko opened his mouth, but the strategist raised a finger before he could speak. "Actually, no. I had to deal with the same thing..." A second finger joined the first. "...and I got kidnapped." A third finger. "...tied up." A fourth. "...dragged through the palace." A fifth. "...and slammed into a wall." He finally looked directly at Zuko. "So if anyone deserves to complain about tonight, it's definitely me."

For a moment, Zuko simply stared at him. Then he laughed. A quiet laugh at first before it grew into something warmer.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I would've traded places in a heartbeat." The Fire Lord shook his head. [Y/n] blinked.

"What?"

"Absolutely."

"You would've preferred being kidnapped?"

"Without hesitation." The strategist stared at him in disbelief. Zuko nodded confidently. "At least then I wouldn't have been on the dance floor." The silence lasted exactly one second before [Y/n] burst out laughing again. The sound echoed across the balcony. Zuko looked entirely too pleased with himself.

"One of those situations ended with you uncovering a terrorist conspiracy." He pointed out. "The other involved me discussing flower arrangements with a noblewoman for twenty minutes." [Y/n] immediately lost any chance of arguing because he was laughing too hard. Zuko's grin widened in victory as the two of them stood together beneath the stars, the weight of the evening finally beginning to fade away.

The conversation drifted naturally from there, both of them taking great pleasure in complaining about the various nobles they had been forced to endure throughout the evening. It quickly became a competition to determine who had suffered more. Zuko described one nobleman who had spent nearly half an hour explaining how his family had once advised Fire Lords three generations ago and therefore should obviously be granted several important positions. [Y/n] immediately countered with a noblewoman who had cornered him beside the refreshments and spent twenty minutes trying to convince him that her niece would make a perfect wife for Zuko despite never having spoken to the Fire Lord once. Zuko laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.

"I met that woman."

"Then you know exactly which one I mean."

"Unfortunately."

That only opened the floodgates further. Soon, they were recalling increasingly ridiculous conversations from throughout the evening. Zuko described one woman who had somehow managed to work the phrase "future Fire Lady" into a conversation less than three minutes after introducing herself. [Y/n] retaliated with the memory of an elderly nobleman who had spent an entire dinner course attempting to subtly determine whether Zuko preferred brown hair or black hair in potential wives.

"Subtly?" Zuko asked. [Y/n] deadpanned.

"He held up portraits." The Fire Lord buried his face in one hand while laughing. Neither of them could decide whether the nobleman or the woman who had attempted to compare herself to a dragon was worse.

The more they talked, the more absurd the evening became in retrospect. Every time one of them thought they had found the worst interaction of the night, the other somehow produced an even worse example. And somehow, looming over all of it, had been the Grand Chamberlain himself. The man had seemed capable of materialising from thin air whenever either of them escaped a conversation they didn't want to have.

"I swear he was watching us the entire night." Zuko muttered. [Y/n] snorted.

"Watching us?" He pointed accusingly toward the palace behind them. "That man was circling overhead like a fire hawk waiting for one of us to accidentally speak to an unmarried noblewoman for longer than thirty seconds." Zuko immediately laughed again because it was completely true. Between the scheming nobles, the endless introductions, the marriage candidates, the terrorists, the kidnapping, and the Chamberlain stalking them across the ballroom, neither of them could decide which part of the evening had been the most exhausting. Which was saying something, considering one of them had literally been kidnapped.

The complaints continued for several more minutes, both of them taking increasing satisfaction in recounting the worst interactions of the evening. At some point, however, [Y/n] suddenly stopped mid-sentence. His eyes narrowed slightly as another memory resurfaced.

"Actually." He pointed vaguely toward the city. "Remind me tomorrow that I need to hunt down that old bastard from dinner."

"Which one?" Zuko glanced over. The strategist looked genuinely offended by the question.

"The pompous asshole sitting near the Northern delegation. The one who kept trying to talk about military funding and noble bloodlines." Recognition immediately crossed Zuko's face.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Him." [Y/n]'s expression darkened. "The one who made that comment about your scar." The irritation in [Y/n]'s voice was immediate. "Remember?" He folded his arms. "'Such a shame it ruined your face.'" The strategist's tone turned openly mocking as he repeated the words. "I swear to Agni, the arrogance of some of these people. It took everything I had not to rip the rotten old bastard's throat out the second he said it." He shook his head. "He spent an entire evening proving he had the personality of spoiled cabbage and somehow still thought he was qualified to comment on anyone else's appearance." The muttering continued under his breath. None of it was particularly complimentary. Several creative threats involving cliffs, oceans, and unfortunate accidents made brief appearances.

Beside him, Zuko grew quiet. The amusement slowly faded from his expression. Almost unconsciously, his hand lifted toward the left side of his face. His fingers brushed lightly against the scar beneath his eye, tracing the familiar path of the burn.

For a moment, he simply stared out over the city lights without saying anything. The sounds of the capital drifted upward from below, but they seemed strangely distant now. The old nobleman's words weren't new. Zuko had heard variations of them for years. Ever since the Agni Kai. Ever since that day. Yet hearing them still carried an unpleasant sting no matter how much time passed.

[Y/n] continued grumbling for another few seconds before finally noticing the silence. The threats stopped immediately. His attention shifted toward Zuko. The moment he saw the Fire Lord's expression, all traces of irritation disappeared. Concern replaced them instead.

"Zuko?" The strategist studied him carefully. The distant look in his eyes. The way his fingers lingered against the scar. The way the amusement had vanished entirely. Suddenly, the old nobleman wasn't important anymore. Neither were the insults. Neither was the anger. Slowly, [Y/n] stepped a little closer, his expression softening as he looked at the man beside him. "Hey." His voice was quiet now, gentle and worried. Because, for all the terrible things that had happened that night; the kidnapping, the terrorists, the conspiracies, it was one careless comment from a self-important noble that had finally managed to steal the smile from Zuko's face.

Zuko was quiet for a few moments longer. His gaze remained fixed on the city below while his fingers lingered against the scar. Eventually, he let out a slow breath and lowered his hand. The movement seemed almost reluctant. Like he already knew [Y/n] wasn't going to like what he was about to say.

"He wasn't exactly wrong." The words landed like a punch to the stomach. [Y/n] stared at him in disbelief. Genuine horror crossed his face so quickly that Zuko almost laughed. Almost. Unfortunately, the amusement didn't quite reach his eyes. Instead, he simply looked away again. The expression he wore was worse than anger. Worse than frustration. It was acceptance. "It's hard to miss." His voice was calm. Matter-of-fact. "I could see it all night."

"See what?" [Y/n]'s brow furrowed immediately. Zuko shrugged slightly.

"People trying not to look at it." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. It wasn't a happy smile. Just a tired one. The strategist hated that smile immediately. "They always do." His eyes drifted back toward the city. 

"It starts the same way every time." Zuko continued. "First they notice it. Then they realise they're staring. Then they spend the rest of the conversation trying to focus on the other side of my face." His fingers briefly brushed against the scar again. The movement was unconscious, habitual, like he'd done it a thousand times before." Or pretending they don't see it at all." The smile remained, but it had fallen small and resigned. "I saw it happening all evening."

[Y/n] felt something unpleasant twist in his chest. Because Zuko wasn't angry. He wasn't bitter. He wasn't even upset. He simply sounded tired. That would've been easier. Instead, he sounded like someone discussing a day of unfortunately bad weather. Like it was simply another fact of life. Another thing he'd learned to endure. Another burden he'd quietly carried for years. Eventually, Zuko shrugged again.

"I got used to it." The words landed harder than anything else he'd said. His expression remained calm. Accepting. As though he'd made peace with it long ago. As though this was simply how the world worked. People noticed. People stared. People judged. And eventually you stopped expecting anything different.

[Y/n] hated every word. He hated the casual way Zuko said it. He hated the quiet resignation in his voice. He hated the look on his face. Most of all, he hated that Zuko genuinely seemed to believe it. Because standing there beneath the moonlight, looking out across the city they had both fought so hard to protect, Zuko sounded like someone discussing a flaw he'd accepted rather than a wound he'd survived.

And [Y/n] wanted nothing more than to erase that expression from his face forever.

"Do you remember the first time we met?" The question seemed to come from nowhere. Zuko blinked in surprise. His mind immediately travelled backwards through the years. Back to the palace gardens. Back to sunlight and stone pathways. Back to his mother standing beside him and [Y/n]'s uncle introducing them for the first time. Back to an argument that had somehow started almost immediately. A small smile appeared on his face despite himself.

"Of course I do."

"Then describe me." The request only deepened Zuko's confusion.

"What?"

"Describe me." The strategist folded his arms. "The first time we met." Zuko looked at him for a moment before eventually sighing and deciding to humour him.

"You were small."

"We were children." [Y/n] immediately looked offended.

"You were still small." A laugh escaped Zuko before he continued. "You had your hair tied back. You looked angry at the entire world." His smile widened slightly. "Mostly at me." [Y/n] snorted.

"Fair."

"You were smart. Annoyingly smart. Completely incapable of admitting when you were wrong." Zuko's gaze softened as the memory became clearer.

"That is incredibly rich coming from you." [Y/n] teased back. Zuko ignored that.

"And you always looked like you had a plan." He finished, sighing softly as the image of little [Y/n] standing across from him that fateful day pulled the smile at his lips ever wider. Slowly, [Y/n] nodded. Then he pointed toward Zuko.

"Your turn."

"My turn?" The Fire Lord raised an eyebrow. For a moment, [Y/n] seemed to be looking at the past instead of the man standing beside him.

"You looked exactly like what I thought a prince was supposed to look like." Zuko groaned immediately. [Y/n] continued anyway. "Perfect posture. Perfect clothes. Perfect manners." His smile softened. "And completely convinced you were right about everything." That earned a laugh.

"Fair."

"But you also looked kind." The amusement faded from Zuko's face. "You were trying very hard to seem confident." [Y/n] continued. "But even back then, you cared about people. You couldn't help it." For a moment, both of them simply stood there with the memory hanging between them. Eventually, [Y/n] looked back toward the city.

"I remember our reunion too." The words made Zuko go still immediately. His hand unconsciously moved toward the left side of his face. [Y/n] continued before he could stop him. "I remember seeing the scar for the first time." Zuko's expression tightened slightly. The strategist noticed but pressed on anyway. "I'd heard about it." A small shrug. "Everybody had." He glanced sideways at Zuko. "And honestly?" A faint smile appeared. "I thought it would make you look intimidating." That earned a tired laugh.

"Intimidating?"

"That's what everyone always said." [Y/n] replied. "The scarred prince of the Fire Nation. The banished one who opposed his father. The Agni Kai." He shook his head. "So I expected someone terrifying."

"And?" Zuko laughed again, softer this time. [Y/n] finally turned toward him. The warmth in his eyes nearly stole the breath from his lungs.

"It didn't." The answer came without hesitation. "Not even a little." The Fire Lord stared at him. [Y/n] stepped a little closer. "Do you know what I actually thought?" Zuko couldn't answer. The strategist smiled sadly. "Every time I look at that scar, it reminds me exactly why you're the strongest person I've ever met." The city seemed to disappear around them. Neither noticed the breeze anymore. Neither noticed the lights below.

"You survived it." [Y/n]'s voice was quiet now. "You survived your father. You survived exile. You survived being alone." His eyes never left Zuko's. "And after everything that happened to you..." The smile returned, soft, private, and insurmountably fond. "...you still became the kindest person I know." The words landed harder than anything else he'd said that night. Harder than the compliments. Harder than the teasing. Harder than the confession. Because there wasn't a hint of pity in his voice. No sympathy. No sorrow. Only admiration.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. Zuko's hand slowly fell away from the scar. The movement was almost unconscious. Because for the first time since that conversation had begun, he wasn't thinking about the way strangers looked at it. He wasn't thinking about the nobleman's comment. He wasn't thinking about the years spent trying to ignore it. He was looking at [Y/n]. Looking at the certainty in his eyes. The absolute sincerity behind every word. And suddenly the scar didn't feel like a flaw. It didn't feel like something ugly. It didn't feel like something that ruined anything at all. Because standing there beneath the moonlight, [Y/n] wasn't looking at it as a wound. He was looking at it as proof of everything Zuko had survived. And somehow, hearing that from him meant more than every compliment Zuko had received in the last four years combined.

Slowly, Zuko swallowed. The words lingered between them, refusing to fade.

You survived your father.

You survived exile.

You still became the kindest person I know.

For a moment, he couldn't quite look at [Y/n]. Couldn't quite bear the weight of that admiration directed at him. Not because he didn't want it. Not because he doubted [Y/n]'s sincerity. But because hearing those words from him somehow reached places that every compliment, every title, every victory had failed to touch. Almost unconsciously, Zuko turned his head slightly away. The movement was subtle, but [Y/n] recognised it immediately. The familiar instinct. The old habit of hiding the scarred side of his face whenever he felt exposed.

A small smile appeared on [Y/n]'s face. Not amused. Not teasing. Just gentle. Understanding. Without a word, he stepped forward. The distance between them disappeared. Then he slowly raised a hand and rested it against the left side of Zuko's face.

The Fire Lord froze.

The warmth of [Y/n]'s palm settled against skin that far too many people spent their lives pretending not to see. His breath caught in his throat. For a moment, the city below vanished. The palace vanished. The responsibilities, the investigations, the endless expectations placed upon him vanished too. There was only the feeling of [Y/n]'s hand against his cheek. Then [Y/n]'s thumb moved, slowly and carefully as he gently traced the rough skin beneath his eye. Not with pity. Not with hesitation. Not like he was touching something broken. 

Like he was touching something precious.

The moonlight washed across the balcony. The lights of the capital stretched endlessly beneath them. Somewhere below, the city continued to laugh and celebrate, completely unaware of the moment unfolding high above it. Yet neither of them noticed. They simply stood there. [Y/n]'s hand resting against Zuko's face. Zuko staring back at him. Every unspoken feeling hanging between them.

And somehow, in that silence, they understood each other perfectly. Because words had carried them this far. Words had rebuilt a friendship lost eight years ago. Words had helped them survive misunderstandings, fear, and self-doubt. But the look they shared now said more than words ever could. The way [Y/n] looked at him told Zuko everything he needed to know. That he saw the scar. Saw every part of him. And treasured him anyway.

No. Not 'anyway'.

Because that scar was part of him. Part of the person [Y/n] cared for. Part of the man standing before him. And as Zuko looked back into those familiar eyes while [Y/n]'s thumb continued its gentle path across the scarred skin, he realised he couldn't remember the last time anyone had made him feel so completely seen.

For a few moments, neither of them moved.

Zuko remained frozen beneath [Y/n]'s touch, staring at him as though he'd forgotten how to do anything else. Gradually, almost without realising it, some of the tension left his shoulders. Then more. The defensive instinct that had made him turn away moments earlier quietly unravelled. Before he even noticed what he was doing, he found himself leaning slightly into the warmth of [Y/n]'s hand. The movement was almost unconscious, the silent proof that, in that moment, even without thinking about it, he felt completely safe.

[Y/n]'s smile softened immediately. There was something so painfully familiar about it. The sight of Zuko finally allowing himself to stop hiding. To stop pretending. To simply exist. His thumb continued its gentle path across the scarred skin beneath Zuko's eye before eventually coming to rest against his cheek.

"You know..." His voice was quiet, soft enough that it almost disappeared into the night. "I don't think I've ever looked at your scar the way everyone else seems to." Zuko's eyes remained fixed on him. Unable to look away. [Y/n] let out a small breath. "Not once." The words carried no hesitation. No uncertainty. No room for doubt. "I never thought it was something you should be ashamed of." His hand remained exactly where it was, grounding him to this precious moment. "Not when I saw it for the first time eight years later. And not now."

The city seemed to disappear around them. There was only [Y/n]'s voice. Only the warmth of his hand. Only the absolute sincerity in his eyes.

"It's part of you." The statement was simple. Matter-of-fact. The same certainty Zuko had used earlier when talking about the scar. Only this time it sounded entirely different. Not like a burden. Not like a flaw. Just a truth. "It's part of your story." [Y/n]'s gaze never wavered. "It's part of everything you've survived." A small pause followed. Then his smile grew warmer still. "And it's part of who you are." The strategist's fingers shifted slightly against his cheek.

"So to me..." His voice softened even further. "...that means it's perfect."

For a second, Zuko genuinely forgot how to breathe. The words hit harder than anything else that night. Harder than the teasing. Harder than the banquet. Harder than the conspiracy. His breath caught somewhere in his chest and refused to move.

The expression on his face shifted so quickly that even he couldn't have stopped it. Shock. Disbelief. Relief. Affection. Something deeper than all of them. All tangled together at once.

His eyes stung unexpectedly. The city lights blurred. And all he could do was stare back at [Y/n]. Because nobody had ever said anything like that to him before. Not once. Not in all the years since the Agni Kai. Not in all the years since exile. Not in all the years since he'd returned home.

Yet somehow, hearing it from [Y/n] felt like something he had been waiting for without ever realising it. And looking into those familiar eyes beneath the moonlight, Zuko wasn't entirely sure whether he wanted to laugh, cry, or simply pull him closer and never let go.

Slowly, Zuko lifted his own hand. The movement was almost hesitant. Almost disbelieving. As though some part of him still couldn't quite accept that this moment was real. His fingers found [Y/n]'s cheek and gently settled there, mirroring the gesture [Y/n] had made only moments earlier. Immediately, [Y/n] felt the warmth of his skin. Felt the rough calluses that years of swordsmanship, firebending, training, and responsibility had left behind. The touch was familiar, comforting, and unmistakably real.

For a moment, neither of them moved. They simply stood there beneath the moonlight, each holding the other's face as though afraid the moment might disappear if they let go. The city continued to glow below them. The breeze continued to drift through the night air. Yet neither noticed. Neither cared. There was only this.

Only the warmth beneath their hands. Only the quiet certainty that had been building between them for months. Neither spoke. Because there was nothing left to explain. Nothing left to justify. Nothing left to hide. Every fear. Every insecurity. Every feeling they had spent so long burying had already been laid bare. And somehow, standing there together, it didn't feel frightening anymore.

It felt easy. It felt right. It felt like coming home.

Eventually, Zuko let out a quiet laugh. The sound was as soft as it was exhausted. He shook his head slightly, still staring into [Y/n]'s eyes. The expression on his face made [Y/n]'s chest tighten. Because it was the same expression Zuko always wore whenever he looked at him and forgot to hide how much he cared.

"I think..." Another small laugh escaped him. "...you're smart enough to know exactly what I want to say."

For the first time all evening, [Y/n] froze. Not because he didn't understand. Because he understood perfectly. His heart gave a painful thump against his ribs. For a moment, neither of them looked away. Then [Y/n]'s expression softened. The tension left his shoulders. He leaned slightly into Zuko's hand.

"I'm pretty sure..." His voice was just as quiet. Just as fond. "...you know exactly what I want to say too."

The words settled between them. Neither needing clarification. Neither needing explanation. Because after everything they had been through together, after eight years apart, months spent rebuilding what they had lost, countless sleepless nights, arguments, laughter, fears, confessions, and moments neither of them had been brave enough to acknowledge, they both already knew.

They had known for far longer than either wanted to admit.

And standing there together beneath the moonlight, with the city they loved spread out before them and each other's hands resting gently against their faces, neither of them needed the words.

Not yet.

Because for the first time in a very long time, they were both completely certain they would be heard when they finally said them.

Zuko was quiet for a few moments after that. His hand remained against [Y/n]'s cheek, his thumb brushing lightly across his skin as he searched for the right words. Eventually, he let out a slow breath and looked out across the city again.

"After that day..." His voice was soft. "After your family left..." The Fire Lord shook his head slightly. "I spent years wondering what happened to you." The confession came so simply that it somehow hit harder because of it. "Every now and then, I'd find myself thinking about where you were. Whether you were safe. Whether you were happy." A small laugh escaped him. "And somehow I always ended up thinking about that stupid unfinished game."

"The one you were losing?" [Y/n] immediately smiled, though, despite the teasing tone, the adoration in his eyes gave his true feelings away. Zuko snorted.

"The one where I finally started adapting."

"That's a very generous interpretation of events."

The familiar argument settled between them so naturally that it almost felt like being children again. Zuko's smile lingered for a few moments before slowly softening.

"But that's the thing." His gaze drifted downward briefly. "You changed how I thought about things." [Y/n] blinked. Zuko continued before he could interrupt. "Before I met you, I approached everything the same way. Every problem. Every challenge." A faint laugh. "You changed everything." [Y/n] blinked. The Fire Lord smiled faintly.

"Before I met you, I thought strength was simple." A small shrug. "Hit harder. Fight better. Be louder than everyone else." A fond laugh escaped him. "You spent years proving me wrong." The strategist's expression softened. Zuko continued quietly. "You taught me how to think. You taught me how to adapt." The smile grew. "You taught me that winning and being right aren't always the same thing."

"Then you kept beating me at Pai Sho." Zuko sighed dramatically, earning a genuine laugh from [Y/n] in response. The sound was like music to Zuko's ears.

"Repeatedly." [Y/n] added helpfully.

"Repeatedly." Zuko agreed. The Fire Lord shook his head fondly. "You drove me insane."

"I know."

"You questioned everything."

"I know."

"You never accepted 'that's how it's always been done' as an answer." [Y/n]'s smile widened. Zuko's expression softened further. "And eventually I started doing the same thing." The strategist fell quiet. "Not because you told me to." Zuko's eyes met his again. "Because you showed me there was another way to look at the world." The warmth in his voice made [Y/n]'s chest tighten.

"You made me think differently. You made me want to be better. You changed my life." The night seemed to grow quieter around them. "You were my best friend." The words landed heavily. Zuko's gaze never left his. "And I don't think I ever appreciated that properly when we were children." The admission was quiet, honest, and painfully sincere.

"Because when you're a kid, you just assume the important people in your life will always be there." A small smile appeared. Sad this time. "You don't stop and think about how much they matter." The words settled heavily between them. Then Zuko let out another tired breath. "And then one day you were gone." The smile disappeared entirely.

"I remember looking for you afterwards." His voice was barely above a whisper now. "Looking for your uncle. Looking for anyone who could tell me where you'd gone. And there was nothing." His hand tightened slightly against [Y/n]'s cheek.

"I didn't get to say goodbye." The vulnerability in his voice made something ache inside [Y/n]. Zuko shook his head once. "I think that's when I realised how much you meant to me." His eyes softened. "Because suddenly every place I expected to find you was empty." The city lights reflected faintly in his eyes. "And it stayed that way for eight years." For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Zuko smiled again, one filled with a kind of affection he wasn't trying to hide anymore.

"So when Ty Lee told me she'd found you..." A quiet laugh escaped him. "...I don't think I've ever written a letter so fast in my life." The confession lingered between them beneath the moonlight, carrying eight years of loss, hope, and gratitude within it. Zuko's smile lingered for a few moments before his gaze drifted away again. He looked out across the sea of lanterns and rooftops stretching beneath the palace, though [Y/n] suspected he wasn't really seeing any of it. His thoughts were elsewhere.

"When you finally agreed to come back..." A quiet laugh escaped him. "Part of me was terrified." The admission caught [Y/n] completely off guard. He frowned slightly.

"Terrified of what?" For a moment, Zuko looked almost embarrassed by the answer.

"Of a lot of things." Another laugh followed, softer this time. "Mostly that things would be different."

"What do you mean?" [Y/n] asked softly. Zuko was quiet for a moment before answering.

"I was worried we'd be strangers." The words settled heavily between them. "Eight years is a long time." His eyes remained fixed on the horizon. "I kept wondering what would happen when we finally saw each other again. Whether we'd sit down and realise we didn't actually know each other anymore." He laughed quietly. "I thought maybe too much time had passed." His hand tightened slightly against [Y/n]'s cheek. "And..." His voice softened further. "I was afraid you'd look at me the way everyone else does." [Y/n]'s expression immediately tightened, but Zuko continued before he could interrupt.

"I thought maybe you'd only see the Fire Lord." A small shrug followed. "Or Ozai's son." Another. "Or someone you used to know when you were a kid." His smile turned self-deprecating. "Just somebody from your past." For a few moments, [Y/n] simply stared at him because the idea was so absurd. So completely impossible that he couldn't even imagine how Zuko had managed to convince himself of it. The Fire Lord seemed to read that realisation on his face immediately. And slowly, he smiled again. This time it was warmer. 

"I've never been happier to be wrong." The words came easily. Without hesitation. His thumb brushed lightly across [Y/n]'s cheek. "The second you came back, it felt like nothing had changed." A quiet laugh escaped him. "You walked into the palace and immediately started arguing with me."

"Your strategy was terrible." [Y/n] snorted.

"It wasn't."

"It absolutely was." The familiar exchange earned a smile from both of them. But after a moment, Zuko's expression softened again.

"And then you just..." He paused briefly, searching for the right words. "...started making everything better." The honesty behind the statement stole the humour from the moment. His eyes never left [Y/n]'s.

"Every terrible council meeting. Every impossible decision. Every day that felt too long." The smile returned. "You were always there." A pause followed. "Not because you had to be. Because you wanted to be." He felt his breath hitch quietly as he thought back on it all with an undeniable adoration. "Before I realised what was happening, you weren't just the person I was happiest to see again." His voice dropped slightly. "You became the person I wanted beside me for everything." The confession hung between them beneath the moonlight. Then Zuko smiled once more, looking at [Y/n] with an affection he wasn't trying to hide anymore. "And somehow, from the moment you came back, you just kept making my life better every single day."

For a moment, [Y/n] couldn't find a single thing to say. He had spent so long carrying those feelings in silence that hearing Zuko voice his own so openly almost felt unreal. Every word settled somewhere deep in his chest and refused to leave. 

You became the person I wanted beside me for everything. 

The sentence echoed through his mind over and over again. His heart was beating so hard he was half convinced Zuko could hear it. Part of him wanted to laugh. Part of him wanted to cry. Mostly, he just wanted to stand there and hold onto this moment for as long as possible. Because after months of uncertainty, after weeks spent convincing himself that he wasn't worthy of standing beside Zuko, hearing those words felt like sunlight after years of rain.

Slowly, his eyes dropped for a moment as he tried, and completely failed, to hide the overwhelming affection written across his face. A soft, breathless laugh escaped him before he looked back up. The sight of Zuko standing there beneath the moonlight, looking at him with so much warmth and certainty, made something inside him ache in the best possible way. He felt seen. Chosen. Wanted. Not as a strategist. Not as an advisor. Not because of his intelligence or his usefulness or what he could do for the Fire Nation. Just because he was [Y/n]. And somehow, knowing that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

The distance separating them felt impossibly small now. Neither seemed willing to look away. Neither seemed able to. And somewhere in the back of both their minds, the conversation they had been avoiding for months had finally become impossible to avoid any longer. [Y/n]'s smile lingered for only a few seconds before it faltered. Not enough that most people would have noticed. But Zuko noticed. Of course he did.

The warmth remained in [Y/n]'s eyes, but something else appeared alongside it. Something quieter. Heavier. The hand resting against Zuko's face didn't move, yet his chest suddenly felt tight. The momentary happiness gave way to memories he had spent weeks trying to escape. His mind flashed backwards to those awful two weeks. To every conversation he'd cut short. Every excuse he'd made. Every time he'd deliberately put distance between them because being near Zuko had started to hurt more than being away from him. The feelings he'd spent so long trying to bury resurfaced all at once, and with them came the familiar shame that had nearly consumed him.

He remembered every miserable night. Every failed attempt to convince himself that the feelings would disappear if he ignored them long enough. Every moment he'd looked at Zuko and immediately hated himself for wanting more. For wanting something he had convinced himself he didn't deserve.

He remembered sitting alone in his office long after everyone else had gone to sleep. Remembered staring at reports without reading them. Remembered the constant voice in the back of his mind insisting that he was selfish. That he was taking advantage of Zuko's kindness. That every smile directed his way only made what he felt worse. That he was somehow betraying the friendship that meant more to him than anything else in the world.

Most of all, he remembered Zuko's reaction. Not anger. Not frustration. Concern. Patience. The Fire Lord had looked him in the eye and told him that whatever was wrong, he'd wait until [Y/n] was ready to talk about it. He hadn't pushed. Hadn't demanded answers. Hadn't made him feel guilty. He had simply stayed. The memory made something ache painfully inside his chest. Slowly, [Y/n] let out a shaky breath. His eyes dropped for a moment before lifting back to meet Zuko's.

"Zuko..." His voice was quieter now, more vulnerable than it had been all evening. The Fire Lord immediately straightened slightly. And he waited, giving him all the time he needed. "Have you figured it out?" The question made Zuko's brow furrow slightly. [Y/n] looked down toward the city below. Toward the thousands of lights glittering in the darkness. "Those two weeks... When I pulled away... When I stopped spending time with you." His voice trembled despite his best efforts. The strategist's fingers tightened slightly against the balcony railing. "When I kept making excuses." His laugh was soft. Humourless. "When I started acting like an idiot." Zuko's expression softened immediately.

"[Y/n]-"

"No." The strategist shook his head. "I need to say it." The words emerged before he could lose his nerve. "I need to." Slowly, he looked back at him. Their eyes met. "What was it?" The question was barely above a whisper. "What do you think was destroying me?" The Fire Lord didn't answer immediately. [Y/n] continued anyway. "What made me think I didn't deserve to be around you?" His voice trembled again. "What made me start hating myself?"

The words hurt to say. He could feel it. The memory of those weeks still lingered. The exhaustion. The guilt. The constant effort of pretending everything was fine. The feeling that every moment spent beside Zuko was somehow selfish.

"What was it?" [Y/n] asked again. His eyes never left Zuko's. "What do you think I spent countless nights trying to bury?" A faint laugh escaped him. The sound was fragile. "Telling myself it wasn't there. Telling myself it would go away." His smile faltered. "Until it started tearing me apart." The night seemed to go silent around them. The city below disappeared. The breeze disappeared. Everything disappeared except the space between them.

[Y/n]'s eyes never left Zuko's. And for the first time since those awful weeks had begun, he stopped trying to hide what they had really been about. Because if there was ever a moment to tell the truth, it was now.

For a few seconds, Zuko didn't answer. He simply looked at him. Really looked at him. At the vulnerability [Y/n] wasn't trying to hide anymore. At the uncertainty lingering beneath the question. At the old fear still sitting behind his eyes despite everything that had happened that night. The silence stretched between them, and then, slowly, a smile appeared on Zuko's face. It wasn't teasing. It wasn't triumphant. It was soft. The kind of smile that carried understanding rather than surprise. His thumb brushed lightly against [Y/n]'s cheek as he nodded once.

"I think I know." The words hit [Y/n] harder than he expected. His breath caught slightly. Part of him had known that answer was coming. Another part had spent weeks convincing itself it couldn't possibly be true. The pain in his chest remained, but it was different now. Less sharp. Less suffocating. Slowly, despite himself, a small smile appeared. It was shaky, vulnerable, the silent proof that he'd finally stopped running from something. His eyes dropped briefly before returning to Zuko's.

"Then you figured it out." A quiet laugh escaped him. "You figured out what was tearing me apart for weeks." He swallowed. "And you're still here."

Zuko's smile softened even further. The fondness in his eyes was almost overwhelming. Almost unbearable. As though he couldn't quite believe [Y/n] was still questioning it. For a moment, he simply shook his head. A small, affectionate movement. Then his hand shifted slightly against [Y/n]'s face, caressing it gently as if it had always belonged there.

"How could I pull away?" The question was so genuine that [Y/n] felt his heart stutter. Zuko's eyes never left his. Not for a second. "How could I?" His voice was barely above a whisper now. Warm. Certain. As though the answer should have been obvious all along. "When we both know I feel the same."

The world seemed to stop. [Y/n] froze completely. Every thought vanished. Every fear. Every doubt. Every awful night spent convincing himself he was alone in this.

Gone.

His eyes widened slightly before a breathless laugh escaped him. The sound was somewhere between disbelief and relief. He could feel his chest tightening again, but this time it wasn't from pain. His vision blurred slightly. He wasn't even sure when he'd started smiling, only that he couldn't seem to stop. Across from him, Zuko looked much the same. The confidence he'd spoken with was beginning to crack beneath the sheer relief of finally saying it aloud. His smile trembled slightly. His eyes shone in the moonlight.

For months, they had danced around the truth. For weeks, they had suffered because of it. And now, standing together on the balcony beneath the stars, both of them finally understood that neither of them had been alone for even a second.

Slowly, neither of them even seemed to realise they were moving.

The words they'd exchanged lingered between them, wrapping around them as surely as the warmth of their hands against each other's faces. Zuko's thumb rested against [Y/n]'s cheek. [Y/n]'s hand remained against the scar Zuko no longer felt any need to hide. The city lights below had long since faded from their awareness. The palace had disappeared. The world had narrowed until it contained only the two of them. Neither made a conscious decision. Neither spoke. They simply found themselves leaning closer, drawn together by months of unspoken feelings and years of never truly forgetting one another.

Time seemed to slow.

Every tiny movement became impossible to ignore. The slight catch in Zuko's breathing. The way [Y/n]'s pulse hammered beneath his skin. The nervous tremor neither of them could completely suppress despite everything they'd survived together. They were both smiling faintly, though neither seemed aware of it anymore. The scent of smoke and firewood lingered around Zuko, familiar and comforting after years spent near him. [Y/n] carried traces of fresh air, parchment, and the faint scent of ozone that always seemed to accompany him somehow. The distance between them grew smaller and smaller until there was almost nothing left at all.

For one final moment, they hesitated. Not because they wanted to pull away. Because they couldn't quite believe they had finally reached this point. After eight years apart. After months spent rebuilding what they had lost. After weeks of trying and failing to ignore feelings that had only grown stronger with time. They stood there with their foreheads nearly touching, breaths mingling in the cool night air, each seeing the same hope reflected back at them in the other's eyes.

Then the last of the distance disappeared.

The kiss was gentle.

Soft. Almost impossibly careful. Yet beneath that gentleness lived something deeper. Relief. Longing. Gratitude. A thousand emotions neither of them had ever quite found the words to express. Zuko's fingers tightened slightly against [Y/n]'s cheek. [Y/n]'s hand remained against the scar he had just declared perfect. The nervous tremors were still there, but neither cared. For the first time in months, every fear that had haunted them seemed to fall silent. There were no doubts. No titles. No responsibilities. Just the certainty of finally being exactly where they wanted to be.

[Y/n]'s hand slid from Zuko's cheek to rest against the back of his neck. Zuko's fingers tightened slightly against his face. Neither seemed willing to let go.

The city stretched endlessly beneath them. Thousands of lanterns and windows illuminated the capital below. The distant sounds of life drifted upward from the streets. Laughter. Music. Conversation. A city rebuilding itself beneath the reign of a good Fire Lord. But none of it mattered. Not right now. Not compared to this. Not compared to finally being able to stop pretending.

When they eventually pulled back, neither went far.

Their foreheads rested together, breaths uneven, eyes still closed for a moment as though neither wanted to break the spell. Then they opened them. The moonlight reflected in Zuko's eyes. [Y/n] felt his own heart threatening to burst from his chest. Neither could stop smiling. Neither could stop looking at the other. And standing there above the sleeping capital, with the night stretching endlessly around them, they both knew that everything had changed, and somehow, at the same time, it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

For a long moment after they pulled apart, neither of them moved. Their foreheads remained pressed together, their hands still resting against each other's faces. Both were breathing a little harder than before, neither quite able to stop smiling. The city lights blurred into the background once more as they simply stood there, basking in the quiet certainty of what had just happened. Eventually, [Y/n] let out a breathless laugh and closed his eyes.

"We're idiots." The words hung in the air for half a second before Zuko barked out a laugh. The Fire Lord's shoulders shook slightly as he nodded.

"We really are." Another laugh escaped him. "Do you realise Sokka and Toph are never going to let us hear the end of this? Not to mention Suki, Mai and Ty Lee." [Y/n] groaned immediately. The mental image alone was enough to cause him physical pain.

"Oh, Agni." His forehead dropped slightly against Zuko's. "They already knew."

"They totally already knew."

"Toph definitely knew with that stupid seismic sense of hers." That earned another laugh from both of them. For a moment, neither could stop smiling. Then [Y/n]'s eyes opened again. His expression immediately became mischievous. "Oh, that's nothing."

"What?" Zuko immediately looked suspicious. The strategist's grin widened.

"The Chamberlain." The smile vanished from Zuko's face. Immediately. [Y/n] laughed.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes." The strategist nodded enthusiastically. "You think Sokka's going to be bad?" He pointed toward the palace behind them. "That man is going to have so many opinions." Zuko groaned. The kind produced by a man who had suddenly remembered a problem he'd successfully forgotten for five entire minutes.

"You know..." The Fire Lord sighed dramatically. "...I somehow hadn't considered that."

"You should."

"I was happier before you reminded me." [Y/n] laughed harder. Meanwhile, Zuko rolled his eyes toward the stars. "The heir argument is going to become unbearable." His voice dripped with sarcasm. He counted on his fingers. "First, he'll panic." A second finger. "Then he'll spend a week trying to figure out how to phrase the problem." A third. "Then he'll schedule approximately six hundred meetings." The strategist was openly laughing now. Zuko continued anyway. "And then he'll somehow convince himself that this is entirely my fault."

"It is entirely your fault."

"It is not."

"It definitely is." The Fire Lord ignored him. Eventually, [Y/n] shook his head and let out another helpless laugh. "You know..." His eyes sparkled with amusement. "We could always flee the nation." Zuko blinked.

"What?"

"We disappear." [Y/n] shrugged. "Take a ship. Live on some tiny island. We both know I've got plenty of experience in that regard." He laughed again at the mere idea. "No nobles. No ministers. No Chamberlain." Zuko stared at him for a moment. Then a grin slowly spread across his face. Dangerous. Tempted. Far more tempted than he should have been. The Fire Lord leaned forward slightly.

"Don't tempt me." The answer came immediately. Completely sincere. [Y/n] laughed so hard he nearly lost his balance. Zuko's own laughter joined his a moment later, echoing out across the balcony and into the warm Fire Nation night. For the first time in months, perhaps years, neither of them felt particularly concerned about what tomorrow would bring. Because whatever arguments, meetings, disasters, and Chamberlain-induced headaches waited for them in the morning, they would face them together. And somehow, that made all the difference.

The moon hung high above the capital. The night breeze drifted through loose hair. Their laughter faded slowly, leaving behind warm smiles and flushed faces. For a moment, they simply looked at each other again, the amusement still lingering in their eyes. Then, almost at the same time, they leaned forward. This time, there was no hesitation. No uncertainty. No wondering whether they should. They had already crossed that bridge. Months of doubt and years of unspoken feelings had finally been left behind. The distance between them vanished effortlessly, and they met each other halfway beneath the moonlit sky.

The second kiss was deeper than the first, not because it was rushed, but because neither of them felt the need to hold back anymore. All the affection, relief, and certainty they'd finally shared lingered between them. Zuko's hand remained against [Y/n]'s cheek while [Y/n]'s fingers rested lightly against the side of his face. The city below continued to sparkle with life, but neither of them paid it any attention. After spending so long dancing around their feelings, there was something almost overwhelming about finally being allowed to simply exist in them.

Gradually, familiar sensations began to emerge. [Y/n] could feel the warmth radiating from Zuko, subtle at first before growing stronger as emotion stirred the firebender's instincts. It wasn't enough to burn, only enough to surround him with a comforting heat that felt unmistakably like Zuko. At the same time, faint static danced along [Y/n]'s skin, tiny sparks of nervous energy that always seemed to appear when his emotions got the better of him. Zuko felt them through the hand resting against his cheek. Neither commented on it. Neither needed to. Both of them knew exactly what it meant.

Instead, they simply moved a little closer, letting the rest of the world fade away. The heat of fire and the faint crackle of lightning mingled in the night air as naturally as they did. There was no urgency anymore. No fear that the moment would disappear if they blinked. Just the quiet certainty that, after everything they had survived and everything they had almost lost, they were finally exactly where they wanted to be.

Slowly, they pulled apart. Not far. Neither seemed particularly interested in creating much distance between them anymore. Their foreheads brushed briefly as they separated, both breathing harder than before. The warmth radiating from Zuko hadn't completely faded, and faint traces of static still lingered along [Y/n]'s skin, dancing harmlessly through the air between them. Both of them were smiling. Completely, hopelessly smiling. Unable to hide happiness even if they wanted to. And for the first time in a very long time, neither of them wanted to.

For a moment, Zuko simply stared at him. The look in his eyes made [Y/n]'s heart stumble. There was no hesitation there anymore. No uncertainty. No fear. Only affection. Only relief. Only so much love that [Y/n] wasn't entirely sure how one person could hold it all.

The Fire Lord opened his mouth once, then closed it again. A faint blush appeared on his face. He seemed to be gathering courage for something, which would have been amusing under any other circumstances. As it was, [Y/n] found himself smiling despite his curiosity.

"What?" He asked, smiling up at him. Zuko laughed softly. Then shook his head.

"Nothing."

"You are very clearly trying to say something."

"I am."

"Then say it."

The Fire Lord looked at him for another second. Then another. And finally, whatever battle he was fighting with himself seemed to end. Slowly, a smile appeared. Warm. Certain. Beautiful.

"I love you." The words landed with enough force to steal the breath from [Y/n]'s lungs. Zuko's eyes never left his. "I love you so much."

For a moment, everything stopped. The city disappeared. The palace disappeared. The world disappeared. [Y/n] simply stood there, staring at him. Every fear he'd carried. Every sleepless night. Every awful thought that had convinced him he wasn't worthy of this.

Gone.

Completely gone.

Replaced by something so overwhelming that it almost hurt.

Relief.

Pure, unbridled relief.

His vision blurred instantly. Before he could stop them, tears slipped down his cheeks. Not sad tears. Not even emotional tears. Just the inevitable result of carrying something too heavy for too long and finally being allowed to put it down. A breathless laugh escaped him. His smile trembled. And then he shook his head.

"You idiot." He laughed, leaning into Zuko's hands as he wiped his eyes.

"I know." Zuko laughed. The sound was watery too. Another tear escaped [Y/n]. His chest ached. His heart felt impossibly full.

"I love you too." The words came out softer than he'd intended. But they were real. Every single one of them. "I love you so much it hurts." The smile that spread across Zuko's face was brighter than any fire. The look on his face was so openly happy that [Y/n] couldn't help laughing through the tears still running down his cheeks.

Neither of them looked away. Neither of them could. Standing together beneath the moonlight, with the lights of the Fire Nation capital stretching endlessly below them, they simply stared at one another as the reality of it finally settled in. After years of separation, months of rebuilding, and weeks of fear, they had finally said the words both of them had been carrying for far too long. And as their hands remained intertwined and their hearts swelled with more love than either thought possible, neither could imagine wanting to be anywhere else.

And before either of them could think too hard about it, they kissed again. Not because they had anything left to prove. Not because there was anything left to say. Simply because after all this time, after years apart, after months of dancing around the truth, after every conversation, every shared glance, every moment neither of them had been brave enough to acknowledge...

They finally could.

The moon shone above the Fire Nation capital. The city glittered below. And on a quiet palace balcony overlooking it all, two stubborn idiots finally got exactly what they'd both wanted for far too long.

And for the first time since returning to the Fire Nation, for the first time since a Pai Sho game had been left unfinished eight years earlier, neither of them felt like something was missing anymore.

At some point, without either of them noticing when, the game they didn't even realise they were playing had finally reached its conclusion.

And for once, both of them had won.

~*~

Dating Peter Parker will never be easy, even before you knew he was Spider-man. Before that you just had to deal with a boyfriend who seemed always on edge, lonely and unsure about a lot of things. 

After everything that’s happened, accepting another person’s love would be very hard for Peter. Especially because he’d still have MJ in the back of his mind, in the beginning anyways. 

There's also the fear that you would end up getting hurt because of him, you know? But through determination your part, and the fact that you two kept bumping into each other, something real starts growing. 

It takes a while for Peter to tell you his secret identity. A part of him is terrified about it, because of what happened last time someone knew his secret identity. 

Knowing Peter, you figuring out the truth was an accident. Like Peter swooping in as spider-man and saving you from a villain, and you immediately clock is voice and how he holds you just like your boyfriend. 

And well, after that the can of worms is open. You would be mad about the secret, but also understand, ya know? A part of you also can’t stop giggling at the fact that you’re dating THE spider-man. 

I mean, he’s New Yorks one and only spider-man, how can you not start kicking your feet and giggling like a schoolgirl.  

Insert Peter trying to give you a spider-man kiss and you just start giggling and covering your face because omg that’s spider-man and he wants to kiss you. 

After Brand New day, with everything with Jean, with Frank and Peter almost dying, there’s a new peace over your boyfriend. He's always tried to carry himself with self-assurance and confidence, but it finally feels real. 

And well, you also kinda find his more spidery acts kinda hot. 

You almost lose your brain the first time Peter gets extra predatory. Maybe he’s been in a bit of a mood, and you decide to tease him, only to turn and try to run away to be a little brat about it. 

Only for Peter to snatch you right back with his webs and pin you against his desk, barring his teeth and little out a little hiss. You swear his eyes even flash black for a moment. 

Poor Peter starts apologizing like crazy when he catches himself, only for you to be like “I’ve never been this hard in all my life” cuz holy shit. 

Dating Spider-man means a lot of things, it means date nights swinging through New York, it means lying draped over a couch as Peter works on his suit and tech, it means dates cancelled last minute because Rhino got out again, which always results in Spidey showing up at your apartment full of apologies. 

But it also means being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of your window sliding open. 

Dating New Yorks hero means you’ve been taught self-defense from both Peter and Frank, cuz that guy cares about Peter like a broody overprotective chicken. So yeah, maybe you freak out a bit. 

Until you wake up enough to realize, oh shit, it’s just Peter. And then it hits you, oh shit, it’s Peter. 

You've been extra anxious since his near-death experience, especially with him only surviving thanks to Jean, so you do start sweating when you see how bloody and beat up he is. 

Had it been any other time, you may have found his ripped up suit pretty hot, but he looks pretty bad. 

Our lovely Peter will know you’re freaking out, and of course try to talk you down again. That he’s fine, mostly fine, and didn’t mean to wake you up. 

The fool might even ask about your day as he’s slumped on your floor, holding his bleeding side, giving you a bloody but goofy grin. 

it takes some maneuvering and the training Frank gave you to drag your spidery hunk to the bathroom, but you get it done, only bumping him into a doorway once. 

The whole time Peter tries to keep the conversation going, acting all casual like he’s not leaving blood stains all over your floor. 

Somehow you get him sitting on your closed toilet so you can wrench the torn up suit off him, at least down to his hips, so you can start patching him up. 

And Peter, well, he’s all spider hormones and hot-blooded man, starts letting out little spidery noises and tapping his foot, like some kind of spidery courting display. 

It's not his fault that he thinks it’s really hot that you can manhandle him, it’s just in his DNA, okay? Plus, he just loves you, a lot, and his brain is kinda scrambled from the pain and fighting. 

You end up kinda having to just shove his face away when Peter tries to get kisses, because you’re trying to stitch his side up damnit. But peter just wants nuzzles and kisses and to bite you a little bit. 

And hey, maybe you can use his spider behavior against him. Give him a quick but hard bite, kinda like a corrective nip, and Peter settles down, for a bit. Expect his eyes to flicker black for a bit though. 

Peter’s a real champ about pain, he has to be with what he does, so he sits still for most of your care, even as he jokes about you using too many bandages, because he’s just gonna heal anyways. 

I do think Peter likes to cuddle after getting hurt, like, burrowing in bed, curled up under a lot of blankets and holding on to you. Even better if you start running your hands through his hair. 

He gets extra cuddly after times like these, especially as the adrenaline wears out, because it always seems to hit him that he could have lost you. Or rather, you could have lost him, and Peter wouldn’t want that to happen. 

Expect a lot of small kisses all over your face and neck, as well as his hands running up and down your back before he nuzzles into your chest. Hell, he might press his ear against it so he can listen to your heart, because why not. 

Honestly, Peter only sleeps good when it’s with you, so even when he’s all banged up, Peter conks out real quick when he’s with you. 

Just watch out, cuz Peter feels like the kinda guy who twitches and jolts in his sleep, as well as mumbling and talking in his sleep. It’s kinda freaky sometimes.