"Peng", by the way, means both "fluffy" and "clump" in Chinese. And “Leishang” means “lightning”, because I have a morbid sense of humor.
The Earth king hopped out of the saddle and slid down the bison’s leg, holding his glasses against the bridge of his nose, grinning wildly. “Did you have a nice flight in?” Zuko asked mildly.
Kuei nodded. “The city looks small from the air, different from Ba Sing Se.”
Next to him, Mai glanced up at the sky. Kuei probably had no idea how that sounded. Leishang tugged against her parents’ hands, trying to break free to pet the sky bison, but Zuko and Mai held tight.
Kuei’s guards followed him out of the saddle more sedately, and the Earth King gazed back at his bear and the bison’s driver. “Do you have somewhere Bosco can stay while I’m here?” he asked breathlessly.
“It’s alright, I’ll take care of Bosco,” Ty Lee called from the saddle. “Peng thinks he’s funny.”
Zuko remembered how little Peng and his siblings had been when Ty Lee had picked him. He wasn’t little anymore. Aang said Appa was on, um, her third litter, and Zuko wondered where she kept finding dads.
Leishang dragged harder on her arms, but her mom and dad still didn’t let go. Kuei smiled at her and crouched down. “What’s your name?”
She twisted from side to side the way children did when they were shy, and buried her face in her dad’s robe, grinning.
“Leishang,” Zuko answered for her, swinging her up into his arms. “Our oldest.”
“‘m not supposed to talk to strangers,” Leishang told Earth King repressively, shaking her finger at him.”
Mai glanced up at the sky again and pulled her daughter’s bangs out from behind her ears. “That’s only when we’re not right here with you.”
Leishang jutted out her jaw, and pushed her bangs back behind her ears.
Kuei stuck out his tongue and scrunched up his eyes, and Leishang grabbed his nose.
Kuei never seemed older than Zuko. He had to be by ten years, or more, but he just never seemed it.
When the spasm hit, Zuko shoved his daughter into Mai’s hands before he fell to his knees. Every time, he was afraid he was going to drop her.
Kuei leapt backwards. “Are you alright? Somebody do something!”
“I’m okay!” Zuko waved him away and scrambled to his feet. “That just happens sometimes.” He shook the dust off his robes and held his head up. “So you wanted to talk about the Pohuai Stronghold.”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
Zuko and Kuei, chillin’ together (Lightning Strike AU)
Date: 2010-10-13 08:11 pm (UTC)The Earth king hopped out of the saddle and slid down the bison’s leg, holding his glasses against the bridge of his nose, grinning wildly. “Did you have a nice flight in?” Zuko asked mildly.
Kuei nodded. “The city looks small from the air, different from Ba Sing Se.”
Next to him, Mai glanced up at the sky. Kuei probably had no idea how that sounded. Leishang tugged against her parents’ hands, trying to break free to pet the sky bison, but Zuko and Mai held tight.
Kuei’s guards followed him out of the saddle more sedately, and the Earth King gazed back at his bear and the bison’s driver. “Do you have somewhere Bosco can stay while I’m here?” he asked breathlessly.
“It’s alright, I’ll take care of Bosco,” Ty Lee called from the saddle. “Peng thinks he’s funny.”
Zuko remembered how little Peng and his siblings had been when Ty Lee had picked him. He wasn’t little anymore. Aang said Appa was on, um, her third litter, and Zuko wondered where she kept finding dads.
Leishang dragged harder on her arms, but her mom and dad still didn’t let go. Kuei smiled at her and crouched down. “What’s your name?”
She twisted from side to side the way children did when they were shy, and buried her face in her dad’s robe, grinning.
“Leishang,” Zuko answered for her, swinging her up into his arms. “Our oldest.”
“‘m not supposed to talk to strangers,” Leishang told Earth King repressively, shaking her finger at him.”
Mai glanced up at the sky again and pulled her daughter’s bangs out from behind her ears. “That’s only when we’re not right here with you.”
Leishang jutted out her jaw, and pushed her bangs back behind her ears.
Kuei stuck out his tongue and scrunched up his eyes, and Leishang grabbed his nose.
Kuei never seemed older than Zuko. He had to be by ten years, or more, but he just never seemed it.
When the spasm hit, Zuko shoved his daughter into Mai’s hands before he fell to his knees. Every time, he was afraid he was going to drop her.
Kuei leapt backwards. “Are you alright? Somebody do something!”
“I’m okay!” Zuko waved him away and scrambled to his feet. “That just happens sometimes.” He shook the dust off his robes and held his head up. “So you wanted to talk about the Pohuai Stronghold.”
Kuei couldn’t stop staring.