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Your boyfriend—a secret firebender, and also the prince of the fire nation that'd been banished—was on his work break.Typically, he would spend it with his uncle, but with your major exams being over, you decided to pay him a visit.
He was there, outside of the tea shop, sitting on a big rock.
Discreetly walk towards it on the tip of your toes.
"Boo!" You're yelling in his ear.
Nothing.
Zuko slowly turns his head to face you. His face barely moved from that stone like expression, but there was a small smile on his face. A win?
"Sorry," you murmur.
Shrugging, you reply, "I don't know. When I came I just wanted to spend time with you. It really doesn't matter."
The smile on his face grows more bigger, and you can hear his laboured breaths. "Well... I have been meaning to go the river. The one near the border of the Earth Kingdom."
That river was known for its bright blue, almost unrealistic color. It was undoubtedly popular despite the few visits the river gets. You remember it vaguely it about some folk about a villainous mermaid..
You nod, your hand interlocking with his.
"I really like to swim, you know," you tell him. "Even if my parents didn't allow me to do a lot."
He smiles, his cheeks the shade of his scar. "Maybe you can help me. I'm an amateur at it."
you raise an eyebrow at him, surprised. "seriously? An amatuer? You don't seem like that."
"Well, I didn't have any time to do it."
You smile at him, standing up back to your original height. You outstretch your hand for Zuko, and he grabs it.
"I can teach you, Zuko."
He nods, and the two of you walk toward the river, and like the tales told, the river was extremely blue. You weren't allowed to go outside a lot, so you were extremely impressed.
"this is really pretty, Zuko."
He nods in agreement, "really is."
Splash.
Your hand glides through the water, the rim of your sleeve getting wet. The reflection of you and Zuko moving with your hand.
In the corner of your eye, you see Zuko's soft smile at you.
"What are you looking at?"
"My pretty, nice girlfriend."
You chuckle, and playfully you splash the water at his feet.
He laughs, "what are you doing?"
"You are looking at me weird. Do I have something on my face?" You ask rhetorically, your smile big.
He shakes his head, "no. You're just pretty."
You feel your body heat up as you laugh. "thank you, zuko."
He laughs with you, "yes, but the tales of it being so surreal is true. I feel like this a fever dream."
"Agree," you say.
Your senses felt fuzzy yet too clear: the grass on your naked feet, the view of his face. You were joyous. Exams sucked, the scolding of your parents sucked, but if it meant you would spend time with him, it was all worth it.
If this is what it meant to be happy; you'd die to be happy; to be right next to zuko, during the sunsets and sunrises to come, everything. You were loved. You loved him. This is what happiness was.
You fall your back on the green grass.
"Did I ever tell you how I love you?" Zuko says, joining you.
You smile, "a billion times."
He chuckles at your comment, "well... I love you."
"I love you too."