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Zuko watched his uncle sleep, his heart pounding in his chest.
It had been months since he last saw Iroh, and now, seeing him again stirred a whirlwind of emotions within him. Katara had managed to convince him to go inside the tent, but that didn’t ease his nerves. Once he entered the room, Iroh was already asleep, which didn’t help. Now, he had to wait for Iroh to wake up before Zuko could finally apologize to him.
He sat down and meditated while he waited to calm his mind. He had to admit it—he was nervous about Iroh waking up. He was sure that no matter what he did, his uncle would never forgive him. He clutched the fabric of his tunic, to prevent himself from fidgeting; he was quite scared, actually. The last time he had apologized to a father figure, he got burned and banished from his own nation.
He had betrayed Iroh. If his uncle did anything remotely close to what Ozai had done, he would, in Zuko's opinion, be lenient. His actions in Ba Sing Se towards his uncle were far worse than just speaking out of turn. He deserved a much worse punishment. Iroh would never forgive him for backstabbing him. This was probably the last time he’d ever see him again. He’d be lucky if Iroh even heard him out. Katara was convinced Iroh would forgive him, but she wasn’t aware of his family’s history. He hadn’t told them about his scar's origin. If he had, she probably wouldn’t think that way.
He took a deep breath to settle his mind. He wouldn’t fall asleep—he needed to apologize to Iroh and wanted to do it as quickly as possible. But Iroh was already angry at him; if Zuko decided to wake him up, Iroh would only be more furious, and he feared that might seal his fate.
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Sokka, Katara, and Toph sat around the campfire, waiting for Zuko. "He's been in there for quite some time now," Sokka muttered worriedly, staring at the tent Zuko had disappeared through.
Piandao approached his former pupil, handing him a hot bowl of stew. "There's no need for you to worry. Iroh is a compassionate and forgiving man. He loves Zuko as his own son; he'll forgive him."
Sokka grabbed the bowl, glancing at his master. "But what's taking this long, then?" Sokka's gut churned with anxiety. He was even too worried to eat! He, Sokka, was too worried to eat.
He poked at the stew half-heartedly with his spoon, trying to muster the appetite that usually never escaped him. "You know, I never thought I’d be too worried to eat," he muttered, glancing at Katara with a half-smile. "Maybe I’m turning into Zuko."
Katara raised an eyebrow. "Turning into Zuko? That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?"
Sokka smirked, though his eyes betrayed his concern. "Okay, maybe not Zuko-level brooding, but you have to admit, it’s weird, right? He’s been in there for an hour, and I haven’t heard him yell at anyone. That’s gotta mean something."
Toph slurped her stew loudly, enjoying the warmth it brought, and burped. She tilted her head slightly, focusing on the vibrations. "Their heartbeats are calm," she announced but then added with a shrug, "Zuko’s is a little shaky, though. He’s probably freaking out in there."
Katara frowned. "You think Zuko’s scared?"
Toph smirked, leaning back on her hands. "Come on, Katara. Zuko’s about as good at hiding his feelings as Sokka is at sitting still."
Katara shifted uneasily in her seat, her eyes flickering from the tent to the fire. "I know Iroh will forgive him. I just hope Zuko isn't being too hard on himself in there. He tends to punish himself more than anyone else ever could."
Sokka nodded, looking down at his bowl of stew, his appetite completely gone. "He—he looked so scared going in. I don't think he's as convinced about Iroh forgiving him as we are."
Toph raised an eyebrow. "Well, there’s not much we can do except wait. Zuko needs to face this on his own. But if he needs us, he’ll come out and let us know."
Piandao, who had been watching the group with a thoughtful expression, finally spoke. "It’s not unusual for someone to feel overwhelmed by their past actions, especially when facing someone they deeply care about. Zuko’s internal struggle is part of his journey. It’s good that he’s willing to face it. That’s a sign of growth."
Katara sighed and looked toward the tent. "I just hope he doesn’t think he's unworthy. Iroh loves him, he wouldn't allow Zuko to think so."
In the dead of night, the campfire crackled softly, and the sky grew darker. The gentle rustling of the wind and the occasional distant sound of wildlife were the only interruptions.
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Sokka gasped as he awoke. They had fallen asleep. He couldn't remember when, but now it was already morning. He did remember one thing, though: they were waiting for Zuko.
He quickly scanned the area to see if he could find the Fire Prince, but he was nowhere to be seen. But instead of rushing to conclusions, he took a deep breath. "Okay, okay, maybe he’s just… helping Iroh make tea or something," he mumbled to himself, trying to keep his voice steady.
He then looked over to Toph, who was still asleep and nudged her gently. "Toph, you awake? Can you check on Zuko for me? I mean, without barging in there or anything," he added quickly, not wanting to seem too overprotective but also needing some reassurance.
Toph rubbed her eyes and pointed towards Iroh's tent. "They're both still in there," she said, yawning through her sentence. Sokka's anxiety skyrocketed and paced around Toph. "You mean they've been there all night!" he exclaimed, turning towards the tent, contemplating if he should go in or not.
Katara, who was already awake by the time Sokka had gone into a panic, grabbed Sokka's hand. She noticed the contemplative look that crossed his face and stopped him before he did something rash, like barging into the tent. "Sokka, it's a tent, not a torture room. They could've just gone to sleep," Katara stated, tired.
"But—what if—"
"Just go back to bed, Snoozles," Toph told him, falling back onto the ground. Within seconds, she was back asleep. Sokka turned around to face his sister. Why couldn't the girls understand his worry? "Katara—"
Shuffling cut him off, and the flaps of Iroh's tent moved. Zuko emerged from the tent, looking tired with bags and tear tracks under his eyes. Sokka and Katara gasped. "Zuko!" the siblings exclaimed as they ran up to him. "Are you alright? What happened?" Katara said as she grabbed his hand to examine him. Maybe Sokka had a point.
Zuko pulled his hand out of her grip, rubbing his eyes. "I'm fine," he breathed out, smiling on the inside at his friends' concern. Sokka didn't seem to believe him, though. "I knew we should've gone and checked on you," he muttered, glaring at the empty spot behind the Prince. "Sokka, I'm fine," Zuko repeated, trying to reassure them. "Really, it’s okay. We just talked."
Katara and Sokka exchanged curious looks. "And?" Sokka asked, wanting him to elaborate. Zuko didn't respond, but the slight smile he gave them was enough of an answer. Katara smiled. "I knew he'd forgive you," she quickly wrapped her arms around his middle, which was quickly followed by Sokka doing the same.
"See Snoozles, you were being irrational," Toph called from the campfire and Sokka glared at the earthbending menace. "Shut up, Toph!" he shouted. They all pulled away from the hug and Zuko watched the thre with furrowed eyebrows. "What?" he asked, hoping someone could give him an explanation.
Toph came near them and hugged Zuko as well. "Sokka, thought you were being killed or something," she replied. "Hey!" Sokka exclaimed while Zuko blushed. His face filled with a mix of various emotions. "Why was I being killed?" Zuko asked hesitantly, not sure he wanted the answer.
Sokka rlled his eyes. "I didn't think you were being killed, I just-" he paused, his face flushed with embarrassment as he tried to find the right words. "I just thought, you know, maybe something was wrong."
Zuko raised an eyebrow, still trying to piece together the situation. "You were worried about me?" he asked with a hint of surprise lacing his voice.
Sokka crossed his arms defensively, trying to play it cool. "Well, yeah. I mean, you were in there all night, and we didn’t hear anything. It was just... weird, okay?"
Zuko’s expression softened as he realized how much his friends cared. His mouth twitched into a small smile. "Thanks, Sokka. But really, I’m fine."
Sokka huffed, attempting to hide his embarrassment. "Yeah, well, next time, don’t make me worry for no reason," he complained, but there was no malice in his tone.
Behind them, a gentle voice said, "It seems like you made some friends." Katara and Sokka looked at Iroh, a proud look gracing his features. The warmth in his eyes was a stark contrast to the fear Zuko had felt earlier.
"Yeah, I did," Zuko replied, his voice filled with a mixture of gratitude and happiness.
Iroh’s eyes sparkled with emotion. "I am so proud of you, Zuko," he said, his voice carrying the weight of years of affection. The words were a balm to Zuko’s soul. He had missed his uncle so much. He couldn't express his gratitude for Iroh forgiving him.
Afterwards, he, Katara, Toph, and Sokka walked away, and Sokka started asking him questions about what happened. Katara elbowed him, signaling him to be quiet, saying that it was a private moment between the two and that he shouldn't pry.
Iroh watched his nephew interact with his friends. His friends. Pride bloomed in his chest upon hearing those words. Zuko had managed to make the people he had once called enemies his friends, and from the way they interacted with each other, Iroh could guess they were more than just that. The boy he had once known had grown up into a man.
Piandao walked up to him, a worried look plastered on his face. "Iroh, are you alright?" his friend asked. Iroh smiled in his direction, wiped a tear that trailed down his face and smiled again. "Yeah, I'm just happy."