Late Night (Cranky)

[darkauthor26]

Title: Late Night
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Character(s): Aang, Zuko
Pairing(s): Implied Mai/Zuko
Rating: K+
Warning(s): Post series
Word Count: 560
Prompt: Cranky
Summery: Zuko and Aang are having a late preparing for an early morning meeting.  

 

Aang rubbed his itchy eyes, leaning back in his seat. Beside him, Zuko’s head bobbed, and he rested his cheek on his hand. Aang sighed. He rolled up the scroll in front of him. “What do you say we call it a day?”

Zuko slumped in his chair. “We can’t,” he said. “The meeting is at nine tomorrow morning. If we stop now, there’s no way we’ll be able to finish all these scrolls before then.” 

“Then move the meeting back.”

“I can’t.” 

“Why not? Just say something came up.”

“I told you, I can’t,” Zuko muttered, laying his head down on the desk and closing his eyes.  

“You’re the Fire Lord!” Aang said irritably. He threw the scroll in his hands back into its box. “If anyone could push the meeting back it would be you!”

“And you’re the Avatar.” Zuko glared up at him. “Still, that doesn’t give us the right to just—” 

“Doesn’t give us the right.” Aang rolled his eyes. “You say that like we’re going to kill someone.”

“Ambassadors from the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes are going to be there. We can’t just tell them that the meeting isn’t going to happen. That would mess up the other talks.” 

“It doesn’t matter. Besides, we’re discussing too many things at once! We need to take things one at a time, but they want answers to everything right away. You need to tell them we need to resolve the talks we’re already having before we start any more.”

“These things are important, Aang.” 

“I know, but this is ridiculous! They schedule meetings one after another, and we don’t have time for anything else! I haven’t been able to spend time with my friends for three weeks, and when was the last time you saw Mai?”

Zuko glared at him, but said nothing. “Look,” he said, lifting his head off the table, “I know this is hard, but these things need to be discussed. Besides, we’re going to figure what happens to Azula tomorrow, and I can’t keep putting that off.” 

Aang felt his temper flare, and immediately pushed it back. They were both tired and stressed and missed their friends, and it wouldn’t do any good to start snapping at each other. He took a deep breath. Then he said calmly, “Why do you need to discuss Azula with the other Nations?”

“Because they want a say in what will happen to her,” Zuko said. He seemed to become even more and more tired as he spoke. “Particularly the Earth Kingdom since she was the one to capture Ba Sing Se.” 

“So? Who cares what they want you to do to Azula? What happens to her is your decision, and no one else’s. And there’s nothing else in that meeting that’s so important it can’t wait until next week.”

“But Azula—the other Nations, they—” 

“Azula isn’t a citizen of the other Nations. Her fate is decided by you alone.”

Zuko ran a hand through his hair. “But I don’t know what to do with her.”

Aang patted his shoulder. “You’ll figure it out.” He rolled up the remaining scrolls and placed them inside the open box on the table. “Come on. Let’s get some sleep. The meeting can wait another week.” 

Zuko sighed, rose to his feet and followed Aang out of his study.