I’m still on a Shameless (US) kick, and I also wanted to get another prompt done, so here’s the Addiction/Withdrawal fill!
I went with just cigarette withdrawal because I think these times call for a way to make things a bit less angsty than you could have done, especially for a show like Shameless.
And then it turned into 8k words, so back to AO3 I go.
Summary: After suffering through a particularly brutal cold and flu season, Mickey and Ian put in their best efforts to quit smoking.
"Cold turkey is hard enough when you aren't a pair of felons with a short fuse and some seriously fucked up brain chemistry."
“Hey, Zuko, did you know Jeong Jeong?” Aang asked.
Only three official firebending lessons deep into training, Zuko still hadn’t had a chance to properly adjust to Aang’s intense distractibility. The question startled him out of his form demonstration; it took constant effort on his part to keep a hold on both his temper and the web of flames he had been in the middle of carefully manipulating.
His instinct was to ignore what was probably just Aang’s effort to tempt him into an early break in their lesson. It was growing close to lunch time, but that was no excuse. Still, the question had thrown him off his rhythm, and that was enough to delay his reprimands.
“The ex-fire navy admiral Jeong Jeong, you mean?”
Aang nodded, eyes lighting up at his success in baiting Zuko into conversation. “Yeah, that’s the one!”
“I mean, everyone knew about him. I didn’t know him personally, but he probably came to the palace plenty of times when I was a kid. People didn’t like talking about him much after he left, though. How do you even know about him?”
“He was kind of...my first firebending teacher.”
It was starting to make more sense to Zuko why Aang’s mind had wandered in that particular direction now. Abandoning hopes of resuming his demonstration, he turned to face his student with curiosity.
“That was when you burned Katara and decided you hated firebending?” Zuko connected the dots.
Aang’s slight flinch at the memory was enough to send him a wave of guilt for his careless words. Aang might have been the most powerful bender in the world, but Zuko was also coming to learn that he could be one of the most sensitive people he’d ever met. He wished he was better equipped to deal with it, but it was going to take time to teach himself that not everyone could be as unflappable as Azula.
“So tell me, how did you possibly manage to track down Jeong Jeong? He’s supposed to be impossible to find. More impossible than hunting the Avatar, actually. And I would know,” Zuko deflected the awkwardness with his best attempt at humor.
Aang cracked a smile.
“Actually, it was an accident! We went to this thing called a Fire Days festival in one of the colonies because I thought it would be helpful to see a firebending show.”
“They celebrate it in the colonies, too? It’s a major Fire Nation holiday,” Zuko pointed out. Just before the absurdity of Aang’s story truly settled in, he felt a pang of nostalgia. “Wait, let me get this straight. You guys just waltzed into an important Fire Nation cultural event, somehow didn’t get caught, and you found yourself a firebending teacher? You have some serious luck on your side.”
“Well, I wouldn’t say that. We did get caught, but we got away and that’s how I ended up meeting Jeong Jeong,” Aang explained. “It was a really cool festival before people started attacking us, though! I’d love to go again and learn how to do those firebending tricks. Hey, do you know any festival tricks you could teach me?”
Zuko sighed. “I’ve never been to a Fire Day’s festival before. It was always considered more of a celebration for the commoners. My father used to hate it when my uncle would send me and Azula masks and firecrackers as gifts for it every year. And honestly, it’s hard to imagine anyone in the Fire Nation using their bending for entertainment instead of violence.”
Aang’s smile drooped, but he didn’t let it completely fade.
“Maybe when this is all over, you’ll finally get a chance to go,” he said softly. “Maybe we can all go together!”
“That’s a nice thought, but you’re never going to master firebending by daydreaming all day. Come on, let’s get through this next form before lunch.”
Aang deflated but ultimately did manage to get through the rest of the lesson without further distraction. In fact, Zuko had to admit that there was something uplifting about speaking about a happy future as a ‘when’ rather than an ‘if’. As they practiced the form together, he noticed a certain reverence in both of their motions; it was as if the reminder that fire could be downright beautiful and fun was enough to add a new energy to their work.
Here’s the very brief follow-up piece to Part 1 of my Avatar the Last Airbender series! It’s better read directly after part 1
--
On the day that Zuko’s sister was born, the Fire Nation palace held what was regarded as one of the most beautiful celebrations of the century. Zuko was too young to remember it, of course, but his father enjoyed referencing that particular day whenever Azula did something remarkable. That was to say, quite frequently.
“Mom, was there a big celebration on the day I was born?” a seven-year old Zuko asked, tugging on the arm of her robe with childlike intensity.
“Of course there was!” Ursa replied, smiling sweetly down at her son while also unfurling his little fist from her sleeve.
“Then why does no one talk about it?” Zuko questioned. His eyes were wide.
“Well, we didn’t celebrate on the day itself. We had to wait a few weeks.”
“Why? Azula got celebrated right away.”
“We had to wait just a little bit for you to get strong! You gave us quite a scare when you were born, you know. You were so excited to be out in the world that you came early, and you were very small.”
Ursa told the tale with fondness and gratitude, and it almost made up for the fact that Ozai seemed ready to erase the event from memory. For the time being, Zuko basked in the feeling that his mother was happy to have him in the world.
I’m so intrigued by what those three years were like that Iroh and Zuko spent traveling together before the series began. I could probably write 10 more stories from that time period, but here’s this for now!
--
For the entire morning of Prince Zuko’s fourteenth birthday, Iroh didn’t see his nephew at all. He knew that this was intentional, of course. He would have to be a fool to expect festive spirit, and he knew Zuko well enough after the last few months spent in close quarters to understand that trying to force cheer or even acknowledge the reason for festivity would lead to hostility.
But when did that ever quite manage to stop him?
The door to Zuko’s cabin was pointedly locked, and Zuko made no sign of life upon Iroh’s hearty knock.
“Happy birthday, Prince Zuko!” he said anyway.
Zuko did not emerge for breakfast, and Iroh waited until all of the food at the table had long gone cold. Still, he left a plate of leftovers by Zuko’s door with one more friendly knock. He wished he could have left a small gift alongside this rather meager offering, but the ship had not docked in any place habitable enough for a shopping trip in nearly a month. Iroh suspected this may also have been a purposeful decision, even if a subconscious one.
Though Iroh never strayed too far, he somehow missed the moment that Zuko at last opened his door and rejoined the rest of the crew. All afternoon, he caught himself wondering how Zuko could make himself so scarce on a vessel so small.
He heard Zuko more than he saw him- just distant quarreling with men who likely were guilty of nothing beyond looking at Zuko the wrong way. The bandages had been off for a few weeks by then, and still everyone seemed to be either looking at him too long or looking away too quickly.
Iroh sometimes worried that he fell into the second category. Otherwise, wouldn’t he have managed to hold down a solid conversation with Zuko by sundown?
When sundown did arrive, Iroh was surprised by a knock on his own cabin door. Zuko entered, avoiding eye contact but uncharacteristically calm.
“Uncle Iroh, may I ask you for something?”
“Anything, Prince Zuko.”
“Teach me firebending.”
This interaction was framed as a request, but it certainly did not feel optional to Iroh. He had promised anything and he had meant it. And yet, he couldn’t help but think back to Lu Ten’s fourteenth birthday. His son had asked for a trip to Ember’s Island and he had happily complied.
Now, he couldn’t think of anything he would less happily give as a birthday gift.
“Are you sure-”
“I’m ready,” Zuko declared.
On another day, he would have likely refused, citing anything from the fact that a small ship was a terrible training location to his lack of experience teaching firebending to children.
“We will begin tomorrow, then. At sunrise,” he said anyway.
Zuko cracked a slight smile for the first time that Iroh could remember since his banishment. This was a victory. A small one, but worth it.
Zuko left his cabin with a curt nod. Iroh took a deep, fiery breath and realized that he had not used firebending since witnessing the Agni Kai.
I love writing about Iroh and Zuko’s earth kingdom adventures. There’s so much interesting character development that probably happened while in Ba Sing Se
--
Iroh had to hand it to himself- he was getting much better at keeping his true nationality under wraps after weeks of stressful missteps that nearly revealed them. While Iroh had complete faith that the people of the lower ring were busy enough dealing with their own troubles to pay any real attention to their tea servers, he could practically feel Zuko’s blood pressure spike dangerously whenever he got even the slightest bit careless.
His nephew was unfortunately not around to witness his latest success; Pao was becoming more and more willing to ask for Iroh’s input in the back office, away from the rest of the customers.
“I need to order any extra shipment for Lotus Day. What seems to be the most popular order right now?”
And Iroh did not even hesitate before saying, “oh, certainly Oolong would be a good choice,” instead of, “sorry, what is Lotus Day?”.
“I’ll make sure to buy extra, then! Thank you,” Pao replied, and went back to his business none the wiser.
Having dodged a potentially damning admittance of his own ignorance about Earth Kingdom culture, Iroh felt a wave of pride. Sadly, the feeling was fleeting when he considered the fact that he now knew that a major holiday was approaching and he didn’t have the first clue about what day it would be, much less how to properly celebrate it. He found himself wishing, not for the first time, that he had spent less time plotting this country’s demise and more time researching their way of life.
As Iroh returned to the stove, he let muscle memory take over the tea-making process while he strategized. There was no public library in the lower ring, so he wouldn’t be able to look up the customs. That left only one option: carefully worded reconnaissance and an airtight backstory.
He spent the rest of the afternoon gathering all the information he could from his customers. He started small.
“So, are you looking forward to Lotus Day this year?” he politely asked one of their regular patrons, a kind-faced woman who also favored Jinseng.
“Of course!” she laughed. “It’s always so lovely to come together and be grateful for springtime.”
Ah, so it was a springtime celebration. That meant it was likely on the first day of spring, which was in only a week’s time.
Seeing her pleasant smile, he decided to lean into the conversation.
“I must be honest, my nephew and I have not been in Ba Sing Se for very long, and we have not had the opportunity to truly embrace the holiday in quite some time since we became refugees a few years ago. I worry that the traditions of our little village couldn’t possibly compare.”
“Oh, nonsense! I’m sure you always managed to find a way. Where are you from, again?”
“A town that no longer exists anymore, due to the war,” Iroh skillfully evaded. This was quickly becoming a counterproductive conversation.
The woman’s eyes widened. “I’m sorry, it must be painful to speak about.”
“I prefer not to look back, and instead look towards a brighter future!” he countered. “That’s why I’m trying to make this the greatest Lotus Day celebration that my nephew and I have ever had! Tell me, where would you recommend I buy decorations?”
“Oh, you have to go to get your flowers from Ping’s! He makes the best arrangements around,” another regular chimed in. “Sorry to eavesdrop, but I’d love to help you plan your first Lotus Day in the city.”
“Tell me, how old is your nephew again? Is he still young enough to get gifts from the Wood Nymphs under his pillow? Because my cousin makes the most adorable little trinkets to give to the young ones.”
Iroh grinned. “No one is too old for a visit from the Wood Nymphs, in my opinion.”
Zuko clearly disagreed when he awoke to find a small carving of a badger-mole underneath his pillow exactly a week later.
“Uncle, what is all this?” he grumbled, most likely referring to the fact that their small apartment was almost entirely covered in a beautiful array of fresh flowers.
“Happy Lotus Day!” Iroh declared.
“Just because we live here doesn’t mean we have to act like one of them all the time, you know.”
“That may be true. But look at this, Prince Zuko,” Iroh gestured to the window.
Despite what was surely his best efforts, even Zuko couldn’t help but crack the slightest smile at the sight of their normally dismal street completely transformed by the floral arrangements adorning the balconies and window frames of every single neighbor’s home as far as the eye could see.
Not only did Zuko happily attend Aang and Katara’s engagement party, he also somehow ended up hosting it. As it turned out, Aang and Katara’s world-travelling lifestyle had prevented them from having a permanent home where they could reasonably accommodate even the most modest guest list. When Sokka had so kindly reminded Katara how convenient it was that they were all friends with several people who had significant real estate to their name, the solution to their problem seemed actually quite simple.
With that, Zuko found himself opening up his family’s Ember Island beach house to what ended up being a Team Avatar reunion of sorts. He himself wasn’t familiar with the concept of celebrating a couple’s engagement, and he supposed that came with the territory of his family history of arranged marriages. Still, when Sokka had declared his interest in getting the gang back together in honor of his little sister and long-time friend’s impending marriage, Zuko certainly wasn’t about to argue. There was a first time for everything, after all.
Perhaps none of them truly had the blueprints for what an engagement party should entail, but whenever Aang was involved, you could be sure that it would turn into a dance party at some point. Zuko found himself watching Aang try to teach Toph and Sokka an ancient Air Nomad waltz, and he couldn’t help but think about how Azulon would be rolling over in his grave if he knew that the Avatar was currently in his beach house giving dancing lessons to an Earthbender and a Water Tribe warrior. The thought gave him a rush of pride in a way he never could have imagined years ago.
When it seemed clear that the moves Aang was trying to teach required a certain degree of ability to defy gravity for proper execution, Aang broke away from the dance floor, sweaty and gleeful. He caught Zuko’s eye, and for a moment Zuko worried that he was about to suggest they do the Dancing Dragon together. It turned out that Aang had a different objective, however.
“Oh, Zuko! Can I ask for your advice on something?” he asked, joining his friend in the torchlight away from main festivities.
“Well, you’d be better off asking my uncle if you want advice. But I can try,” Zuko responded. He wondered if performing the Dancing Dragon in front of all their friends might actually have been an easier request.
“I’m sure your advice will be just as good!” Aang said brightly, in that way of his that was so entirely genuine. “So, Katara and I are getting married next summer.”
“Yeah, that’s kind of why we’re all here,” Zuko pointed out.
“But, see, the thing is that I’ve never actually been to an Air Nomad wedding before. I want to incorporate my culture into our wedding somehow, but how can I do that if it’s one part of my culture that I just...don’t know anything about? I want to honor my people in some way, but I don’t know how to do it right. Is it worth it to try to find something in a book somewhere about it? The only library I know that might have had something is buried in the desert! So maybe it’s time for another life-changing field trip...”
This wasn’t what Zuko had been expecting at all.
“Aang, I really don’t know if I’m the right person to be asking,” he said cautiously. “Look, my country probably has thousands of books on traditional wedding culture, but they were also the people who started a hundred year war just because they thought that their culture was the best of all time and felt like traditions needed to be the same everywhere. At this point, I’d say you can just make something up. Or do whatever the Water Tribe does. Or both?”
Zuko’s heart sank while waiting for the response to what he feared was the least helpful advice he had ever given, but to his surprise, Aang actually seemed less tense than before.
“I guess I never thought about it like that before. I’ll have to ask Katara what the Water Tribe does, since I’ve never been to a Water Tribe wedding either! Actually, I don’t think even she has. Maybe we will have to make something up. Thanks, Zuko.”
--
Months later, Zuko found himself wrapped in a thick, ornate blue parka while attending what was certainly the most epic jumble of a wedding that the world had ever seen, with a guest list that featured the Earth King, the chiefs of the Southern and Northern Water tribe, the Fire Lord, the full force of the Kyoshi Warriors, a handful of swamp people, Air Acolytes, ex-pro benders, and the greatest earthbender in the world. Aang looked wise and regal in his brilliant, golden robes, and Katara was breathtaking in her finest furs.
In the end, Aang and Katara’s ceremony was most likely unfamiliar to any culture, but all that mattered was that there was a massive potluck dinner, a full night of music and dancing, and many, many heartfelt speeches about how love is brightest in the dark.
I’ve been rewatching Avatar the Last Airbender to get through the chaos, so I think it’s time to start posting my fanfiction for that fandom again.
This is part 1/10 of a series of little pieces I’m writing using the prompt “Iroh, Zuko, and celebrations”. My lovely sister gave me the prompt many, many months ago and I’m still thinking on it.
--
On the day that Iroh’s brother was born, there was a magnificent feast held in honor of the Fire Nation’s newest prince. This was standard practice, of course, as the birth of an heir was always an auspicious occasion. Still, the magnitude of the fanfare felt foreign to Iroh.
When he had heard the news that his mother had gone into labor, he was as overjoyed as he was expected to be. His joy was a different breed than what he saw reflected on his father’s aging face, however. Azulon was bursting with anticipation of the bright new potential represented by the impending child; Iroh merely felt relieved that his mother’s months of suffering were nearing completion. It had been a difficult pregnancy from the start, and no one seemed very surprised that Ilah had entered labor almost three weeks early. She hadn’t seemed able to take much more of the experience ever since being restricted to bedrest at six months.
Iroh wasn’t allowed in the room during Ilah’s labor, but there was an eruption of activity the moment his mother’s screams began resonating throughout the palace. He was perfectly content to be swept up in the flurry of preparations- it was a welcome distraction. He busied himself by ordering the servants about, and by the time Ozai’s screams replaced Ilah’s, the celebrations were already underway. The scent of incense and roasted flying boar filled the halls, and every torch across the palace was alight with flame.
The citizens of the capital were diligently gathered in the courtyard for the official birth announcement, and Iroh was dressed in his finest silk. His robes were a brilliant gold- the customary color to represent a joyous new life. Peering out over the balcony, Iroh was met with a swirling sea of the dazzling hue. Looking at the crowd felt like staring into the sun itself; he couldn’t bear to hold his gaze for long before feeling overwhelmed by it all.
He had a brother. The thought felt strange, abstract, almost impermanent. Even as he heard the booming voice of the head fire sage declare this reality, he couldn’t quite decipher his own reaction.
“We present to you… Prince Ozai!”
The crowd went wild, and Iroh clapped alongside his people.
His brother was just a tiny, fragile thing in the arms of the fire sage. It was hard to believe that this child was meant to be a potential heir to the throne one day.
At fifteen, Iroh was far too old to feel jealous of the attention bestowed upon his new brother. He was also far too old not to realize that the timing of Ozai’s arrival into this world quite coincidentally followed his own announcement that he intended to accept an apprenticeship with the esteemed General Wei in the Earth Kingdom as soon as he turned sixteen.
His military ambitions were never a secret; he had not missed a single war meeting over the last year. However, he greatly suspected that Azulon had not quite grasped the reality of Iroh’s intended participation in the war efforts until he had made it abundantly clear that he would leave the palace in seek of his destiny the moment he came of age.
No, he was not jealous of his brother. He knew his own destiny, and that was to earn military glory by helping his country seize the Earth Kingdom and finally secure some form of stability. If his brother’s destiny was to remain safely at the palace in case of tragedy, that was no concern of his. He refused to resent an infant.
Iroh was scarcely noticed during the evening’s festivities, and it was no trouble to slip away and creep gently into his mother’s chamber. She was sleeping, but she looked pained even in rest. Her face was still streaked with sweat and tears.
Perhaps, he thought, he was allowed to resent Ozai just for a brief moment.
