Glad I’m your first, *snerk* Not that predictable; there are no babies.
Zuko’s legs gave out twice as he made his speech, and he kept his hands behind the balcony to hide the shaking. The whole time, he could hear the physician’s words to Mai, over and over again. “His heart’s weak. We need an heir as fast as you can possibly manage.”
He could feel it fluttering within his chest.
Later, on Appa, Mai didn’t mention it, and as he lay with his head in her lap, Katara bending the water out of the clouds to try to fix everything, he hoped she didn’t know he had overheard.
~*~
The teashop walls had a few scorch marks, and places where the paint was still drying, but Uncle was standing in front, just as pleased with it as ever. Zuko leapt down, hands hidden in his Earth Kingdom robe, and ran to him. The robe flapped around him, and Uncle held his arms out-
And his legs decided to spasm right there, and he fell hard on the teashop steps.
Mai and Uncle sprinted to him at the same time to help him to his feet. “Are you alright?” his uncle demanded, throwing Zuko’s arm over his shoulder.
“I’m fine,” he said gruffly, pulling his arm back, and Mai smacked the heel of her hand gently into his forehead.
“He walked right into Azula’s lightning,” she told him, arm around Zuko’s waist, keeping him up.
“What!” he yelled, and Zuko shrugged halfheartedly.
As soon as they were inside, he moved to serve the tea, but his uncle grabbed the tray off the counter before he could reach it, and Zuko was left awkwardly letting Mai guide him to a seat.
He got his tea last, and when Uncle handed it to him, he rested a hand on Zuko’s shoulder before sitting down next to him.
It was nice to rest like this. You weren’t supposed to rest after saving the world; you were supposed to start making things work again, but it was nice.
“So what am I supposed to do?” he muttered, taking a sip of tea and glancing at his uncle. “Lean on walls or sit down all the time and hope no one notices?”
“No,” Zuko glanced at him hopefully, “There’s no way people aren’t going to notice.”
“Oh,” he looked away, wondering why he always thought his uncle was helpful again. “Thanks.”
“There is nothing wrong with everyone noticing, Nephew,” he soothed, “Scars are a mark of honor.”
“It’s not a scar, Uncle!”
“Yes it is! Some scars are just harder to identify than,” he pointed at the burn scar around his nephew’s eye, “others.”
Zuko glared.
“Scars mean you walked away from the battlefield,” Uncle murmured. “They mean you’re alive.”
No, he wanted to say, they mean you’re too stupid to block properly.
Azula's lightning strike on Zuko has something far more serious consequences
Zuko’s legs gave out twice as he made his speech, and he kept his hands behind the balcony to hide the shaking. The whole time, he could hear the physician’s words to Mai, over and over again. “His heart’s weak. We need an heir as fast as you can possibly manage.”
He could feel it fluttering within his chest.
Later, on Appa, Mai didn’t mention it, and as he lay with his head in her lap, Katara bending the water out of the clouds to try to fix everything, he hoped she didn’t know he had overheard.
~*~
The teashop walls had a few scorch marks, and places where the paint was still drying, but Uncle was standing in front, just as pleased with it as ever. Zuko leapt down, hands hidden in his Earth Kingdom robe, and ran to him. The robe flapped around him, and Uncle held his arms out-
And his legs decided to spasm right there, and he fell hard on the teashop steps.
Mai and Uncle sprinted to him at the same time to help him to his feet. “Are you alright?” his uncle demanded, throwing Zuko’s arm over his shoulder.
“I’m fine,” he said gruffly, pulling his arm back, and Mai smacked the heel of her hand gently into his forehead.
“He walked right into Azula’s lightning,” she told him, arm around Zuko’s waist, keeping him up.
“What!” he yelled, and Zuko shrugged halfheartedly.
As soon as they were inside, he moved to serve the tea, but his uncle grabbed the tray off the counter before he could reach it, and Zuko was left awkwardly letting Mai guide him to a seat.
He got his tea last, and when Uncle handed it to him, he rested a hand on Zuko’s shoulder before sitting down next to him.
It was nice to rest like this. You weren’t supposed to rest after saving the world; you were supposed to start making things work again, but it was nice.
“So what am I supposed to do?” he muttered, taking a sip of tea and glancing at his uncle. “Lean on walls or sit down all the time and hope no one notices?”
“No,” Zuko glanced at him hopefully, “There’s no way people aren’t going to notice.”
“Oh,” he looked away, wondering why he always thought his uncle was helpful again. “Thanks.”
“There is nothing wrong with everyone noticing, Nephew,” he soothed, “Scars are a mark of honor.”
“It’s not a scar, Uncle!”
“Yes it is! Some scars are just harder to identify than,” he pointed at the burn scar around his nephew’s eye, “others.”
Zuko glared.
“Scars mean you walked away from the battlefield,” Uncle murmured. “They mean you’re alive.”
No, he wanted to say, they mean you’re too stupid to block properly.