Post by sayuri on Dec 29, 2006 18:34:18 GMT -5
OneShot, italics are flashbacks.
Summary: He only wished to give his son the childhood he never had, one filled with laughter, and joy.
He rises with the sun; his father always did, as it was expected of him as well. Faint red, orange, and pink streams of light pass through the palace curtains as a young boy creeps through the door. He walks like a cat, but his father knows the boys antics all too well. He peaks an eye open as he hears the hushed and hesitant steps of his son. Then it immediately returns it to its original position.
Tap tap tap. Zuko rested with one hand on his head taping his fingers on the table after a long hard day. He had many new responsibilities as Fire Lord, not to say that he could not handle it, it was just exhausting. Not to mention the new family and his promise to raise his son better than he was raised
Tap tap tap. Zuko looked down to see at the other end of his desk his son was watching him carefully, repeating his methods. Zuko often let his son, Iroh, be with him throughout the day, he believed that if he started early, perhaps Zuko could break the reputation of tyranny in the Fire Nation.
Sigh, he sat up straight. Zuko was now eyeing his son, watching his every move. He knew he would give his son a good life, a good childhood. With no war, no impossible expectations, no disappointments. One that Zuko was never lucky enough to have.
Sigh, Iroh sat up at tall as he could. Iroh was trying to match his father move for move, he wanted to be just like his dad. In his eyes, Zuko was a god of perfection. Iroh wanted to be that as well. But it was not only his perfection that Iroh loved, it was Zuko. He was his hero, he was his dad.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap.
Zuko clears his throat, so does Iroh.
The guards outside of Fire Lord’s Zuko’s personal office look at each other quizzically as they soon enough hear laughter erupting from the room. Laughter, something that this palace has not heard for years, though now it does not seem so unusual.
With his hair pulled high into a pony tail the boy’s face pops up right in front of his father’s. His gaze is intent as he holds his breath and stays absolutely silent in awe of his sleeping father.
10 seconds. Breathe. Hold.
The Fire Lord’s face is unemotional; nothing seems unnatural about this sleep. But the boy, too, knows his father’s antics. The sun is up, so should be his father. He narrows his eyes as each exhale becomes longer and harder for the Fire Lord not to move.
Two inches from his face and the Fire Lord still does not stir. Gingerly placing a hand on the empty space on the mattress separating him from his father’s sleeping form. Breathing lightly now, he moves closer.
One inch. Nothing. The boy knows now, he is just waiting for the moment.
Half an inch, he can’t hold back his smile any longer; he did not have his father’s full capability of remaining straight faced.
“Iroh what are you looking at? Eat your dinner,” his mother instructed while giving her child a strange look as if he were going mad.
But Iroh does not budge; his golden eyes are narrowed as he continues an emotionless stare. Both of his hands on the table, as if to keep himself balanced. But his mother just looks again then without turning her head tapping Zuko in the forearm.
“Zuko, what is wrong with your son? He always listens to me!” She whispered so that Iroh could not hear.
No response.
“Zuko?” She now turns to him seeing the same determined face of her son’s, but intensified.
Zuko is leaning forward with his hands folded under his nose and elbows on the table. He looks as if he could attack whatever he is staring at. It is then that his wife looks at both of them; they are engaged in an intense battle of “Who can stare down who first – without smiling.”
She laughs at them both, causing Zuko to stop his glare to turn to his wife. But then realizes his deadly mistake, and he groans slapping himself in the forehead.
“Dad looked away I win! Again!” Iroh points to his father with a triumphant grin.
Zuko hated loosing, it was the competitive nature in him, he was normally so good a this game, but considering his competition… Zuko figured that he could afford to loose a couple of games.
Now just centimeters away the boy was sure that he could not keep silent much longer. But like his father, he did not want to loose at this game. For the first time he blinks, but when his eyes open again it was a blur. The quick movement of his father caught him off guard as he leapt at the small boy pulling him on the bed. They laugh loudly as Iroh it set on top of his father’s stomach. He pretends to fight the Fire Lord, but Zuko just holds his wrists and laughs at the wriggling child on his torso.
His wife is used to both of their games, their playing. They did this every morning, at sunrise. One grows accustomed to waking to laughter, the two men in her life wrestling. She does not budge, but only smiles in her sleep. She thanks the gods every night for giving her this family, no matter how childish their games can be.
I wanted to show a softer side to Zuko, what he would be like as a father if he ever finally got things worked out. This is a oneshot. Thanks!
Summary: He only wished to give his son the childhood he never had, one filled with laughter, and joy.
He rises with the sun; his father always did, as it was expected of him as well. Faint red, orange, and pink streams of light pass through the palace curtains as a young boy creeps through the door. He walks like a cat, but his father knows the boys antics all too well. He peaks an eye open as he hears the hushed and hesitant steps of his son. Then it immediately returns it to its original position.
Tap tap tap. Zuko rested with one hand on his head taping his fingers on the table after a long hard day. He had many new responsibilities as Fire Lord, not to say that he could not handle it, it was just exhausting. Not to mention the new family and his promise to raise his son better than he was raised
Tap tap tap. Zuko looked down to see at the other end of his desk his son was watching him carefully, repeating his methods. Zuko often let his son, Iroh, be with him throughout the day, he believed that if he started early, perhaps Zuko could break the reputation of tyranny in the Fire Nation.
Sigh, he sat up straight. Zuko was now eyeing his son, watching his every move. He knew he would give his son a good life, a good childhood. With no war, no impossible expectations, no disappointments. One that Zuko was never lucky enough to have.
Sigh, Iroh sat up at tall as he could. Iroh was trying to match his father move for move, he wanted to be just like his dad. In his eyes, Zuko was a god of perfection. Iroh wanted to be that as well. But it was not only his perfection that Iroh loved, it was Zuko. He was his hero, he was his dad.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap.
Zuko clears his throat, so does Iroh.
The guards outside of Fire Lord’s Zuko’s personal office look at each other quizzically as they soon enough hear laughter erupting from the room. Laughter, something that this palace has not heard for years, though now it does not seem so unusual.
With his hair pulled high into a pony tail the boy’s face pops up right in front of his father’s. His gaze is intent as he holds his breath and stays absolutely silent in awe of his sleeping father.
10 seconds. Breathe. Hold.
The Fire Lord’s face is unemotional; nothing seems unnatural about this sleep. But the boy, too, knows his father’s antics. The sun is up, so should be his father. He narrows his eyes as each exhale becomes longer and harder for the Fire Lord not to move.
Two inches from his face and the Fire Lord still does not stir. Gingerly placing a hand on the empty space on the mattress separating him from his father’s sleeping form. Breathing lightly now, he moves closer.
One inch. Nothing. The boy knows now, he is just waiting for the moment.
Half an inch, he can’t hold back his smile any longer; he did not have his father’s full capability of remaining straight faced.
“Iroh what are you looking at? Eat your dinner,” his mother instructed while giving her child a strange look as if he were going mad.
But Iroh does not budge; his golden eyes are narrowed as he continues an emotionless stare. Both of his hands on the table, as if to keep himself balanced. But his mother just looks again then without turning her head tapping Zuko in the forearm.
“Zuko, what is wrong with your son? He always listens to me!” She whispered so that Iroh could not hear.
No response.
“Zuko?” She now turns to him seeing the same determined face of her son’s, but intensified.
Zuko is leaning forward with his hands folded under his nose and elbows on the table. He looks as if he could attack whatever he is staring at. It is then that his wife looks at both of them; they are engaged in an intense battle of “Who can stare down who first – without smiling.”
She laughs at them both, causing Zuko to stop his glare to turn to his wife. But then realizes his deadly mistake, and he groans slapping himself in the forehead.
“Dad looked away I win! Again!” Iroh points to his father with a triumphant grin.
Zuko hated loosing, it was the competitive nature in him, he was normally so good a this game, but considering his competition… Zuko figured that he could afford to loose a couple of games.
Now just centimeters away the boy was sure that he could not keep silent much longer. But like his father, he did not want to loose at this game. For the first time he blinks, but when his eyes open again it was a blur. The quick movement of his father caught him off guard as he leapt at the small boy pulling him on the bed. They laugh loudly as Iroh it set on top of his father’s stomach. He pretends to fight the Fire Lord, but Zuko just holds his wrists and laughs at the wriggling child on his torso.
His wife is used to both of their games, their playing. They did this every morning, at sunrise. One grows accustomed to waking to laughter, the two men in her life wrestling. She does not budge, but only smiles in her sleep. She thanks the gods every night for giving her this family, no matter how childish their games can be.
I wanted to show a softer side to Zuko, what he would be like as a father if he ever finally got things worked out. This is a oneshot. Thanks!
