Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A few months ago, Jin thought her life could end any day.

The Fire Nation army was marching through the streets of Ba Sing Se, the one place in the Earth Kingdom that was supposed to be safe from them. There were whispers that King Kuei was already dead, that the terrifying Fire Nation princess had installed herself as the city’s ruler. Things really couldn’t get much worse.

And then, after weeks living in fear, a string of seemingly impossible miracles happened within days. Ba Sing Se was retaken for the Earth Kingdom, by a small group of men rumored to be led by a firebender. Word reached the city that the Avatar had captured the Firelord. Stopped him. He was alive, yet somehow no longer a threat. Jin didn’t understand that, but if the Avatar said it, it must be true.

There was a new Firelord, the son of the previous one, who had apparently been banished years ago for disagreeing with his father’s violent tendencies. But he’d returned and, this was the part Jin found hardest to believe, his first official act as Firelord had been to declare the Hundred Year War over. No more fighting. No more conquering or aggression from the Fire Nation. For the first time since before even Jin’s grandparents could remember, there was going to be peace.

Oh, and King Kuei was alive. The Avatar had managed to get him out of the palace just in time to save him from the clutches of the Evil Fire Princess, and now he’d returned to lead his people. Also, the royal palace was hiring a lot of new staff. Apparently far too many of the previous ones had reported directly to the Dai Li.

And peace might have changed the world, but it hadn’t changed everything. Jin and her family were still struggling to make ends meet, and a job serving at the royal palace could certainly help with that.

The spirits seem to be on Jin’s side, because she’s been doing just that for a few weeks now.

But on this particular night, Jin isn’t sure if she should be thanking the spirits or begging their forgiveness for whatever she must have done to upset them. Because this is the first night of the new Firelord’s diplomatic visit to Ba Sing Se. And she’s supposed to help serve dinner to him and King Kuei. Jin, who like every Earth Kingdom child grew up fearing the Firelord above all else, is supposed to approach within mere feet of him and act like that isn’t a big deal.

On one hand, Jin is desperately curious about this new Firelord. She’s heard so many rumors about him. On the other hand, despite his declarations of peace, she’s still pretty terrified of him. After all, she’s heard a lot of rumors about him.

People say that Firelord Zuko has a fearsome temper that frightens even his own generals. They say that he spent his banishment living in the wilderness, that he learned to fight from spirits and to firebend from dragons, that there is something wild and untamable inside him still. The rumors also say that he’s disfigured, a scar that covers half of his face, and that anyone who dares to look at it will be subject to his wrath.

Of course, Jin knows that rumors can’t always be trusted. But that doesn’t mean she can afford to ignore them either. The new Firelord might have called an end to the war, but that doesn’t automatically make him a good person, or a safe one to be around. Her parents even tried to convince her to fake illness, but Jin refused. This job is important. It’s changed things for her family, for the better. She can’t afford to lose it.

Some of her coworkers seem to think the risk of getting fired is well worth it, however, as both the cooking and waiting staff are suspiciously smaller than usual tonight. Even when it comes time to bring out the food, it isn’t hard to tell that the serving staff are all reluctant to pick up any dishes that will need to be placed near the Firelord’s side of the table.

Finally, Han, a stout, elderly woman who has worked here since the time of King Kuei’s father, scowls and picks up a tray.

“Come on, all of you. Do you really think it’ll make things better if His Majesty’s guest is kept waiting for his food?”

Jin takes a deep breath, pushes up her sleeves, and follows Han’s example.

As she steps through the doors into the cavernous dining room, she does her best to keep her eyes lowered. Spirits, is she ever curious, but if there’s any truth to the rumors, it’s not worth the risk. She’s heard that a firebender’s flames can burn hotter than the sun, that they can shoot lightning from their fingertips.

She’s been practicing, too. Keeping her curiosity under control, not asking too many questions, not putting her nose where it doesn’t belong. Even in the Earth King’s palace, there are things she’d be punished for seeing or thinking about. She just has to keep her head down, keep the Firelord a blurry silhouette in her peripheral vision even as she approaches him.

But even from the corner of her eye, Jin can tell that the rumors about the scar are true. It really does cover half of his face, standing out starkly red against his pale Fire Nation skin, like a drop of blood on snow. It almost reminds her of— but no. That’s ridiculous.

She reaches the table, sets down the tray with what she hopes is an appropriate bow, and prepares to retreat.

“Thank you.” The Firelord says quietly, and Jin isn’t sure if it’s the strangeness of being thanked for just doing her job, or if it’s the fact that she knows that voice, but all her practice at stifling her curiosity comes undone in an instant.

Her eyes flick up without her permission— and then her head snaps up and she’s staring, oh no, no no, she’s staring at the Firelord— But how can she not stare? Because sure, his clothing and his posture are more regal, yes, his hair is longer and pulled back and topped with the Firelord’s crown oh spirits— But also she knows that face, and that scar, and she knows the way his eyes are widening in surprise that’s turning to panic that’s turning to embarrassment, there’s absolutely no mistaking him—

“Lee?!” She blurts out before she can stop herself.

“Shit.” Says the Firelord, in a tone that suggests he’s the one who’s about to be in trouble. His cheeks are quickly reddening, exactly the way Lee’s always did when his uncle had embarrassed him. “Uh… Hi, Jin…”

Jin isn’t an idiot. She already suspected that Lee could be Fire Nation before their date. There weren’t exactly a lot of Earth Kingdom refugees with bright golden eyes. Then, when he asked her to close her eyes, and lit a hundred lanterns in less than thirty seconds? When she kissed him and he mumbled something about how they couldn’t be together because ‘things are complicated’? Yeah, that kind of gave him away.

But, she figured, there had to be people from the Fire Nation who weren’t loyal to it. If anything, Lee’s scar proved her point. What sort of person would be loyal to a place that had clearly caused them so much suffering?

Lee would, apparently. Because now he’s the Firelord. Apparently.

“Lee?” She repeats, because she still can’t believe it. “Wh— How—”

The Firelord’s shoulders rise to his ears the same way Lee’s did when he messed up at juggling.

“It’s, uh, Zuko.” He corrects, in a voice that’s about as far from ‘Imposing Firelord’ as Jin can possibly imagine. “My name’s Zuko.”

“Right…” Jin nods, feeling a little dizzy. “And you’re… the Firelord.”

The Firelord winces.

“Look…” He says sheepishly. “I told you it was complicated…”

Someone clears their throat suddenly, and Jin feels icewater down her spine as she remembers that her King is still seated at the other end of the table. Oh, she is so fired.

“I hate to interrupt…” King Kuei puts in, “But would someone care to fill me in on what’s going on here?”

For a moment, the Firelord looks so mortified that Jin is a little scared he might genuinely, literally, burst into flames. But then he takes a deep breath and straightens his back, making eye contact with King Kuei.

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” He inclines his head, a bow exchanged between equals. “I didn’t expect it to be relevant to our conversation tonight, but… I have been in Ba Sing Se before. There was a time, before my father’s defeat, when my Uncle and I were considered enemies of the Fire Nation. In order to protect ourselves, we assumed false identities and lived in the city as war refugees for several months.”

“Months?” King Kuei asks incredulously. “And no one caught you? The Dai Li never—”

“No.” The Firelord shakes his head, and Jin, familiar with Lee’s expressions, could swear he’s fighting a smile. “We were careful. And the Dai Li were too concerned with pretending there was no war to notice actual threats.”

King Kuei blinks at him.

“So let me get this straight. You’re telling me that the fearsome general who at that point was known as the man in all of history who had come closest to breaching the walls of Ba Sing Se, was in fact living inside its walls, along with the prince of the Fire Nation, for months, and not a single one of my supposedly elite, highly trained secret police noticed either of them?”

The Firelord looks nervous, his momentarily recovered composure already starting to slip again.

“Um… yes?” He answers uncertainly.

King Kuei covers his face with one hand.

“Oma. Long Feng was even more incompetent than I realized. I’m not sure whether I should be furious or amused.” He shifts his hand, rubbing his temples in clear exasperation. “Either way, I suppose in the end it’s a good thing that you weren’t caught. This war could have ended very differently, were that the case.”

“It could have.” The Firelord agrees. “Although I still believe the Avatar would have accomplished his mission.”

Someone tugs at Jin’s elbow, and she turns her head to see Han making a subtle, ‘let’s go’ gesture. Oh. Right. She isn’t supposed to just be standing here listening to two of the most important people in the world talk. Bad Jin. Rude Jin.

She bows hastily and retreats.

The Firelord looks after her for a moment, like he wants to say something, then turns his attention back to the King.

Jin closes the doors to the kitchen behind her and Han to find every single one of her coworkers staring at her.

“What?” She says defensively.

“You… You talked to him.” Says Ahn, a girl about Jin’s age, with whom she’s shared gossip many times. “Like… Like it was nothing. Like he was just… a person.”

“Well… he is a person.” Jin reasons. “I mean, I know we all grew up really scared of the Firelord, but… he’s not literally a demon. Or at least, this one isn’t. He’s actually kind of… someone I know? He and his uncle used to live near my family, and I think we were sort of friends?”

“You were friends with the Firelord?!”

“I didn’t know he was the Firelord!” Jin scoffs. “And technically he wasn’t, at that point.”

“What was he doing in Ba Sing Se?” Asks Xinyi, one of the cooks.

“Working at my dad’s friend Pao’s tea shop,” Jin answers truthfully.

“Working?” Another cook says doubtfully. “The Firelord?”

“But what was he really doing?” Xinyi presses.

“Nothing, I think.” Jin shrugs. “I never saw him do anything bad, or even anything mean, really. He was just… serving tea.”

That statement is met with raised eyebrows and skeptical silence, but no one actually offers a contradiction.

“What… what was he like?” Ahn ventures in a cautious whisper, as if she’s asking about military secrets.

“Um…” Jin hesitates, feeling her face get warm. Don’t say hot. Don’t say hot. “…nice.” She offers instead. “Kind of grumpy, but not mean. At least, not on purpose, or unless somebody deserved it. He actually seemed… sort of shy?”

“‘Shy.’” Xinyi echoes with clear disbelief. The others support this sentiment with more raised eyebrows and shaking heads.

“I’m just answering the question.” Jin huffs, crossing her arms. “It’s like I said before, he was— is— just a person.”

“I guess…” Says Ahn uncertainly. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, but— I mean… He’s still the Firelord!”

“And we still have a job to do!” Han’s voice cuts through the chatter that is starting to begin. “This is a kitchen, not a Pai Sho parlor!”

With varying expressions of guilt, disappointment, and unsated curiosity, everyone scatters and gets back to work.

——

Jin’s parents are waiting up for her when she gets home, and they both get to their feet immediately, coming over to hug her with expressions of obvious relief.

“Thanks the spirits.” Her mother says, while her father looks her up and down.

“You aren’t hurt, are you?”

“I’m fine, Papa. Everything’s fine. It turns out, the new Firelord isn’t anything to be scared of. He’s… actually really nice.”

Her parents both stare at her like she’s missing her head.

“N-Nice?” Her mother manages.

“Sweetheart…” Her father sighs. “Just because a man is civil or polite does not mean that he is kind or good. Many people, especially those in power, can mask their true selves so completely that—”

“No,” Jin insists. “I’m not just saying he made a good impression. I’m saying he’s good. I know he is, because… because he’s Lee!”

There is a beat of silence, in which her mother starts to look genuinely worried for her health.

“He’s what?” Her father finally inquires.

“Not ‘what’!” Jin shakes her head. “‘Who!’ He’s Lee, from Pao’s! Don’t you remember Lee?”

“Ah… yes, I remember him…” Her father confirms, while her mother nods mutely.

“Yeah, well, you know how everyone says the new Firelord was banished by his father, and he was hiding out in the wilderness?” Jin presses on, “Turns out he was actually hiding out at Pao’s Tea Shop!”

Her parents look at each other.

“Jin…” Her mother begins with a pained expression. “You have a wonderful imagination, but…”

“It’s true!” Jin protests. “I even asked him!”

“You what?!” Her parents gasp in horrified chorus. Jin cringes.

“I… That part was an accident, I swear! I know I shouldn’t have, but I was just so surprised when I saw him, I said ‘no way, Lee?!’ before I could stop myself, and, well… He confirmed it!”

“Jin…” Her mother says softly. “You… you could have been killed…”

“It was an accident!” Jin insists. “And he didn’t even seem mad. I do feel kind of guilty, because I think he was a little bit embarrassed, but… He was really nice about it.”

There is a long moment of silence.

“I need to sit down.” Her mother says, sinking back into her chair at the kitchen table.

“Mom, it’s fine!” Jin says, for what feels like the fifth time in as many minutes. “I’m fine, I promise. Lee wouldn’t do anything to hurt me, or any of us.”

“‘Lee’ was a lie.” Her father says, his face stony. “A false identity that the Fire Prince assumed for Shu only knows what reason. We would all be fools to assume that anything about him was more than an illusion, more than what he wanted us to see.”

“Then why didn’t he just pretend he didn’t know who I was?” Jin challenges, crossing her arms over her chest. “He could easily have lied tonight too, acted like I was some rambling idiot, gotten me fired, or worse. It would have been my word against the Firelord’s. But he didn’t do that. He recognized me just as much as I recognized him, and he said so. He even remembered my name.”

Her father stares at her, and she stares back.

“I need to sit down too.” He says finally, dropping into the chair opposite her mother.

Jin sighs.

“Why don’t you guys believe me?”

“We do believe you, honey.” Her mother says gently. “This is just… a lot to take in.”

Her father runs a hand over his face.

“That boy… We watched him serve tea and sweep floors, we spoke to him like he was one of us, and… and all that time he was the Fire Nation prince.”

“Yeah.” Jin nods. “He was. But he—”

“And his uncle…” Her father straightens up, eyes wide with dawning horror. “If Lee was the Fire Nation prince, that would make his ‘Uncle Mushi—’”

“No.” Her mother shakes her head. “No, that— that isn’t possible. There’s simply no way that sweet old man was The Dragon of The West.”

“You— you’re right.” Her father agrees. “It must have been someone else. A-A bodyguard or something. Them being family was a cover story. It has to have been.”

Jin has heard of ‘The Dragon of the West.’ Everyone has. Even among the many legendary Fire Nation villains that decorate the history of the Hundred Year War, he’s one of the most well known. He can’t really be the same person as Lee’s silly, doddering uncle, a man who seemed to exist with the sole purpose of brewing delicious tea and embarrassing his nephew. Can he?

And yet Zuko all but confirmed as much at dinner. She can’t decide if saying so to her parents will help prove her point or not.

Instead, she says,

“Okay, so Lee might not have been one of us, but he was— he is like us. Even as the Firelord, he’s still... just a man. So I don’t think we need to be scared of him. At least, not the same way we were before.”

Both of her parents just look at her, uncertain, apprehensive. She sighs.

“Look, it’s not like I think I’m suddenly best friends with the Firelord or anything. I’m not an idiot, okay? He’s still a king, and he’s not even our king. I get that it would be stupid to expect him to put anything from his life as Lee over that. All I’m saying is that… We’ve only ever known the Firelord as a monster. Whatever else he might be, I know Lee isn’t a monster. The Firelord is still the Firelord, but… I think Lee can make that title mean something different, something better. Kinder. And I think we should give him the chance.”

“Oh, Jin…” Her mother gets to her feet again, her eyes filling with tears.

“Mom, it’s okay, really! He didn’t do anything to me—”

“I know.” Her mother sniffles. “It’s not that. I just… The war is all anybody has known, for so long. It’s hard to let go of that. But you… you reach out like it’s the most natural thing in the world, ready to make peace, ready to give people a chance. It makes me so afraid for you, but…” She dries her eyes on her sleeve and straightens up a little. “It also makes me very proud to have you as my daughter.”

“Oh.” Jin says quietly, feeling a little embarrassed. “Thanks, Mom…”

Her mother nods, pulling her into her arms. Her father stands up as well, placing one hand on his wife’s shoulder and the other on his daughter’s.

“Jin… Your mother is right. You have a kind heart and an open mind, and those are good things, worth holding on to. I’m very proud of you. But just… please be careful, alright?”

“I will, Papa.” Jin agrees. “I promise.” She yawns suddenly. “But for now, I think I need to go to bed.”

Chapter Text

Jin wakes to a soft, rhythmic tapping.

Tap-tap-tap-tap, pause. Tap-tap-tap-tap, pause.

She sits up groggily, rubbing her eyes, and notices a strange shadow being cast across her bedroom wall. The tapping grows louder, and she turns her head to look towards the source.

Lee is outside her window.

Well, technically, Firelord Zuko is outside her window. But he’s dressed like Lee, in plain dark clothes, hair unadorned and braided to keep it out of his face, and— Okay, she doesn’t remember Lee having a sword strapped to his back.

“What are you doing here?!” Jin hisses, scrambling to open the window. Shit, that’s definitely not the proper way to address the Firelord.

“I wanted to talk to you.” Firelord Lee says, like that’s a normal reason to be hanging off the side of someone’s house at two in the morning. “Can I come in?”

“O-Oh…” Jin says, backing away from the window to give him space to climb through. “Yeah, of course, sorry…”

The time it takes him to clamber into the room is about the same amount of time it takes for Jin to start panicking. The Firelord is climbing through her bedroom window. What exactly is the protocol for this situation? Should she be bowing? She should probably be bowing.

“Oh no, please don’t do that.” Lee sighs as he straightens up. “It’s embarrassing.”

“But you’re the Firelord.” Jin argues, looking up at him.

“Yeah, but… You’re not from the Fire Nation.” He says, offering a hand to help her up from her kneeling position. “So you don’t have to bow to me. I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not…” Jin says doubtfully, but she takes his hand and lets him help her to her feet anyway.

They both stand there for a moment.

“So…” Jin ventures. “I’m, uh, guessing you and your uncle weren’t actually in the circus?”

Lee, The Firelord, chuckles.

“No. We did travel the world, but we were, uh… well, I was, um… hunting the Avatar.”

“Hunting?”

“I’m not proud of it!” He says hurriedly. “Obviously I never, y’know, caught him, not permanently anyway— and I’m glad I didn’t! But at the time… When my father banished me, he said the only way I could ever return was if I brought back the Avatar. And I…” He sighs, looking at the floor. “I wanted to go home.”

“Oh.” Jin says quietly. She can’t pretend it’s not really fucking weird to hear Lee, the sweet boy from the tea shop, talk about capturing the Avatar like it’s a mean prank he played as a kid, but she does understand what it’s like to lose her home.

“Lee— Sorry, I— I mean Zuko— Or, wait, sh-should I call you Firelord Zuko, or, uh, your majesty? Are you supposed to call the Firelord ‘your majesty?’ I don’t even—”

“Just Zuko is fine!” He says, waving his hands almost frantically.

“Okay.” Jin nods. “Zuko. Sorry, this is… uh. This is really weird.”

“It is.” Zuko agrees, avoiding her gaze somewhat guiltily. “Sorry if I startled you, showing up like this. I just… I felt like I should apologize. I lied to you. I did it to protect myself and my uncle, but still…”

“It’s okay.” Jin says, and she means it. “All of this is still freaking me out a lot, but I’m not mad at you. I get it. It was too big of a risk. If I’d turned you in to the Dai Li, they probably would have killed you. Although, just for the record, I did figure out you were a firebender that night at the fountain. And I didn’t tell a soul.”

“You what?” The Firelord’s eyes go almost comically wide. “But you said you didn’t peek!”

Jin raises an eyebrow at him.

“I didn’t need to peek to know that it would have taken a guy with some spark rocks at least fifteen minutes to light all those lanterns.”

“Oh.” Zuko says, and she gets the impression he genuinely hadn’t thought of that.

“Also,” Jin adds, “Remember that time you dropped one of Pao’s teapots and it cracked in half?”

“Yes…” He admits reluctantly.

“You were whispering, so I don’t think anyone else could tell, but you were right next to my table… I heard you swear by Agni.”

The Firelord groans, his face turning pink, and spirits help her, Jin still finds it as cute as she did back when he was just Lee.

Not that she’s going to do anything about that. No boy is cute enough to be worth the drama that would be trying to date the Firelord.

“Hey, can I ask you something… kind of embarrassing…?”

Zuko makes a noise that sounds almost like he’s in pain.

“Is that not what you’ve been doing?”

“Uh… Not on purpose?” Jin winces apologetically. “But I meant embarrassing for me.”

“Oh.” Zuko looks at her strangely, like he’s trying to fathom the kind of profound insanity that would prompt someone to voluntarily embarrass themselves. “I guess so. If you really want to.”

“I do.” Jin assures him. “I’m just… y’know. I don’t know how to, um…” She bites her lip. “Did you only go out with me because your uncle made you?”

“I…” Now he looks like he’s in pain too. Great job, Jin. “Maybe a bit? But not— It wasn’t because I disliked you, or anything like that! It was just… At that point, all I was really thinking about was the war, and the Avatar, and proving myself to my father. My uncle was always telling me I should ‘spend time with people my own age’ and ‘try to make some friends’, but… I called him a fool. I thought things like that were pointless, a distraction from my real purpose.”

Zuko sighs heavily, and despite the fact that it was only one date and his reasons weren’t personal, Jin can’t help feeling a little hurt that it apparently meant nothing to him. She supposes it’s her fault for asking, though.

“But,” He continues. “I’m actually glad that I, um… Did that with you. Because I think it made me understand, a little bit, what my uncle was talking about.”

“It… did?” Jin asks.

“Yeah.” Zuko nods very seriously. “When I was a child, my father taught me that power was the only thing that mattered. Having power, and keeping it, was all I was supposed to care about. I didn’t have any power as Lee, and I hated it. I hated how people treated me, I hated all the things I had to do, all the things I couldn’t do…” He shakes his head, laughing a little to himself. “I couldn’t imagine anyone being happy with that kind of life.

“But that night at the fountain… It showed me that maybe there was something to it all… something I’d been missing. Right then… I was actually kind of jealous of Lee. He got to just… be, without the weight of destiny or expectation. He got to have a— a private moment, where the only thing that mattered was the person he was with, sharing that time with her, making her smile… And for just that moment, through being him, I got to have that too. It was… nice. And I wouldn’t have had that experience if it wasn’t for you. So, thank you.”

He finishes his speech, looking very earnest, and only then seems to realize that Jin is staring at him with wide eyes. His shoulders tense.

“Sorry, was— was that a weird thing to say? I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable…”

“It’s okay!” Jin says quickly. “I’m not— You didn’t make me uncomfortable. It’s just that… the way you talk about growing up, how everything was about power and destiny and pleasing your father, that you felt like you weren’t allowed to do normal stuff like go on dates and have friends… It sounds— It makes me feel really sad.”

“Oh.” Zuko says quietly, eyes straying to the floor. “I— I guess it is sort of sad. At the time I thought it was just the way things had to be, the way they should be… And by the time I realized it wasn’t, well… I’m the Firelord now.”

Jin frowns.

“And the Firelord isn’t allowed to have friends?”

“Well, I…” Zuko smiles a little. “I guess I do have friends now. But I don’t get to see them as much as I’d like to. I have a lot of responsibilities, a lot of things that need my attention…”

“But you still need to take breaks and have fun sometimes! You’ll go crazy otherwise. And the last thing this world needs is another crazy Firelord.” Jin sees his startled expression and frantically backtracks. “No, wait, shit, I didn’t mean it like that, I just—”

“It’s fine.” Is the Firelord… laughing at her? “‘Crazy’ is hardly the worst thing I’ve heard my father called. It’s just that for a minute you sounded exactly like Aang.”

“Aang?” Jin asks him. “Who’s— Wait Avatar Aang?!”

“Yeah.” Okay, now he’s definitely laughing at her. “He’s always saying things like that.”

“Telling you to rest, or that your father is crazy?”

Zuko shrugs.

“Both. He doesn’t have much of a filter, but he’s a good kid. And a good friend.”

“You’re friends with the Avatar?”

“Yeah. I was his firebending teacher. Actually, he hasn’t mastered it yet, so technically I still am.”

His sudden grin tells Jin there’s a lot of firebending practice in the Avatar’s near-future.

“Wow.” She says. “That’s really cool. Although I think people might have an even harder time believing that Lee taught the Avatar than they did believing he became the Firelord.”

Zuko looks suddenly stricken.

“Wait, have you been telling people that Lee and the Firelord are the same person?”

“Only a few people…” Jin says worriedly. “Is that… bad?”

Zuko covers his face with both hands.

“Jiiin, why would you tell people that?” He says, in a tone that could charitably be labeled as ‘petulant’, and uncharitably labeled as ‘whining.’

“Because it’ll make them less scared of you!” Jin says earnestly.

Zuko is quiet for a moment.

“People… People are scared of me?”

“Well, yeah.” Jin shrugs. “The only thing people around here really know about Firelord Zuko is that he’s, y’know, the Firelord. Us war refugees don’t exactly have great associations with Firelords.”

“I… That’s fair.”

“But people around here do know Lee.” Jin continues. “They like Lee. If they know him and Firelord Zuko are the same person, maybe they’ll stop spreading rumors that you shoot lightning bolts out of your eyes to punish anyone who speaks your father’s name. You… You don’t do that… right?”

“Wh— of course I don’t— That’s not even physically possible! And even if it was I still wouldn’t—” Zuko sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose, another gesture that is familiar to Jin as one of Lee’s. “Look, Jin, I… My father was a tyrant. I don’t want to be like that. I want to lead by example, not by force. I’ve had to deal somewhat harshly with a few people who were actively trying to put my father back on the throne, but I would never punish someone just for talking about him. That’s exactly the sort of thing he would have done, and I don’t want to be anything like him.”

“Yeah.” Jin smiles. “I kinda figured something like that.”

“You did?” Zuko asks. “You’re not, uh, scared of me, like everyone else?”

“Nah.” Jin shakes her head. “I mean, yeah, you’re the Firelord, which is— I’m not gonna say that’s not hard to wrap my head around and really intimidating… But you’re also still the guy who put food out for the stray pygmy puma kittens every night, even when you thought no one was watching.”

“They were hungry.” Zuko says defensively, as if he’s being scolded. “I couldn’t just let them starve.”

“But you could have.” Jin argues. “That’s exactly my point. You could have let them starve, but you didn’t, because you’re a good person.”

The look Zuko gives her in response tells her a little bit too much about how few times in his life he’s heard those words. It makes Jin sad for him again.

“Besides,” She jokes, hoping to lighten the mood, and also possibly to find out why he’s brought a sword into her house. “I know you wouldn’t really hurt me. I’ve said a lot of things in this conversation alone that you’re definitely not supposed to say to a Firelord, and you haven’t threatened me with that sword even once.”

Zuko raises an eyebrow at her.

“It’s two swords, actually.” He says, as if that makes it better. “And they’re just for self-defense.”

“Self-defense against what, exactly?”

“Assassins.” He answers casually. “A lot of people want the Firelord dead.”

“Why?”

Zuko shrugs.

“Lots of reasons. Some of them are afraid I’ll become my father. Some of them hate me because I’m not my father. A lot of times we’re not even able to discover their motives. It’s… honestly pretty exhausting.”

“Exhausting?” Jin squeaks. “People are trying to kill you, and all you can say about it is that it’s exhausting?!”

“I grew up as Prince of the Fire Nation.” Zuko says seriously, and yet not seriously enough for the topic. “Then I was its most well-known traitor. Now I’m the Firelord. People have literally wanted me dead since before I was born. It’s not exactly something I enjoy, obviously, but…”

Jin stares at him.

“Are you seriously saying you’ve just ‘gotten used to’ being the target of assassination attempts?”

“I… guess so?” Zuko looks awkward again. “Is that really weird? That’s really weird, isn’t it?” He sighs. “It’s just. Either I get used to it, or I let it drive me insane. And it’s like you said, the world can’t afford for me to go insane.”

“That’s— I guess you have a point.” Jin concedes. “But, um… if so many people are trying to kill you, wasn’t it really dangerous for you to come here alone?”

Zuko scoffs.

“The imperial guards won’t even notice I’m gone.”

“What?” Jin asks, horrified. “Isn’t that a bad thing? Aren’t they supposed to be, you know, guarding you?”

“They do what I need them to do.” Zuko says. “I can take care of myself.”

“You…” Jin hesitates. “I mean, I’m sure you’re a great firebender, and you have the swords and everything, but… you’re still just one person.”

Zuko crosses his arms with a huff.

“I broke Aang out of Pohai as ‘just one person,’ and I didn’t even need bending to do it. I think I can handle a few assassins.”

“I mean, i-if you’re sure, I g—” Jin stops. “Wait, Pohai? Why do I know that name? Isn’t that the Fire Nation stronghold where the Avatar met the Blue Spirit?”

Zuko freezes.

“Um… is it?”

Jin narrows her eyes at him.

“The way I’ve heard it in all the stories, it was the Blue Spirit who single-handedly helped the Avatar escape. And—” She gasps, the pieces suddenly fitting together, “And The Blue Spirit fights with two swords! And he was in Ba Sing Se at the same time Lee was!”

Zuko shuffles his feet guiltily.

“All of those things are true…”

Jin throws up her hands.

“Is there anyone else I should know about who’s secretly been you this whole time?!”

“Um…” Zuko says, like he actually has to think about it. “No, I think that’s it.”

“Unbelievable.”

“Sorry…” Zuko says. He actually looks guilty too, as if he really thinks he has something to apologize for.

Jin laughs.

“You don’t need to be sorry, Zuko. It’s a lot to take in, but honestly, it kind of makes sense too. And I think it’s really amazing that you did all of that stuff.” She smiles. “I think you’re really amazing.”

Zuko blinks at her. It’s hard to tell in the dim light of the room, but his face looks faintly pink.

“You do?”

“Well, yeah. I don’t get why you’re surprised, really. I mean, you already know I liked you as Lee. Why would finding out you did a bunch of cool shit and helped the Avatar save the world change that?”

Zuko shrugs, his shoulders slumping a little when he lets them drop.

“I never really understood why you liked Lee in the first place. I mean, it’s not as though he had anything to offer you.”

“So? He was cute, and sweet, and funny… He— you, didn’t need to offer me anything to make me like you.”

Zuko studies her face, frowning.

“Huh.” He says after a long moment, expression shifting subtly in a way that Jin doesn’t quite grasp the meaning of.

“What?”

“I— Nothing.” Zuko shakes his head. “I just… realized something, that’s all. It’s not important.”

“Tell me anyway.”

Zuko gives a little huff of fond exasperation that Jin remembers hearing directed at Lee’s uncle with great regularity. He crosses his arms again, not meeting her gaze when he speaks.

“When I was growing up, the only other kids around were my sister’s friends. And after I was banished, there weren’t really a lot of opportunities… My point is, when I joined up with Aang and the others, I started to feel like I had friends, real friends, for the first time in my life. But I guess that wasn’t exactly true. It was close to the truth, but… When I really think about it, you were my first friend, Jin.”

His first friend. The Firelord’s first friend.

It’s tragic and heartwarming at the same time, a beautiful and terrifying honor.

“I, um— Thank you. I mean— I’m glad. To have been your friend. Do you— Are we… still friends?”

“Do you… Do you want to be?”

“Yeah, of course.”

He shoots her a relieved smile.

“Then yeah, we are.”

Jin gives him a smile in return.

A warm moment passes between them, then lingers. The time stretches on until they’re both just standing there awkwardly, suddenly feeling like there’s nothing left to say.

Zuko shuffles his feet.

“I guess I should probably go. The guards will eventually notice I’m gone if I don’t get back. I don’t want to scare them. And you probably need to sleep too.” He rests one hand on the back of his head, suddenly sheepish. “Uh… sorry for waking you up. I just wanted a chance to, you know, actually talk to you. We couldn’t really have this conversation in the Earth King’s palace.”

“No, I’m glad you came,” Jin says, shaking her head. “You’re… I wanted to talk to you too. And it was nice, to see you again.”

“Yeah?” Zuko’s expression is adorably hopeful, like he really wasn’t sure if she felt that way. “I… it was nice. Thanks, Jin. For a lot of things.”

He starts to turn back to the window, but Jin grabs his elbow.

“Wait—” And she pulls him into a hug.

Zuko freezes, for a moment just standing there stiffly with his hands half raised like he was about to ward off an attack. Then he takes a breath in and lets himself relax, bringing his arms up aroud her shoulders and gently returning the embrace. They both linger there for a moment before pulling away, faces pink but smiling.

“I, uh… My uncle still has his tea shop in the upper ring.” Zuko murmurs. “The Jasmine Dragon. You should stop by, I’m sure he’d be thrilled to see you.”

“You really think he’d remember me?”

Zuko laughs.

“You’re joking, right? After that night we went out, he wouldn’t stop talking about you for days. I think he wanted to adopt you.” Jin blinks at him. “Don’t worry, I told him you have parents.”

“He’s… Your uncle always seemed like a really sweet man.”

“He is,” Zuko affirms, with equal parts fondness and conviction.

“Is he really, um… Is he really General Iroh? You know, like… that General Iroh?”

“Huh?” Zuko frowns as the realization dawns. “Oh. Yeah, he is. But he’s changed a lot since then. Just like I’ve changed from back when I was hunting the Avatar.”

Jin nods.

“Okay. I guess I just… might not mention to my parents exactly which tea shop I’m going to.”

“That’s… understandable,” Zuko sighs. “Um… I really do need to go now. The sun will start coming up soon.”

“Right,” Jin agrees. “Well… It was nice seeing you again.”

Zuko hoists himself back out the window, but stays hanging onto the frame for a moment, looking at her.

“So… I can’t get away from Caldera very often, but I try to come and visit my uncle at least once a year. Maybe the next time I do… I’ll see you at the Jasmine Dragon?”

“Oh!” Jin’s eyes widen. “Yeah, I— I’d like that.”

Zuko’s warm, bright smile reminds her why firebenders worship the sun.

“Good luck, Jin,” He says, before springing to the ground.

She watches him go, his all-black clothing quickly disappearing into the darkness.

“Good luck, Firelord Zuko.”