8(A/N): Here is duck! Enjoy, read, and review!
Duck
By Waiyi
They were his consolation, his way to escape from the world's current problems.
"Here you go" Zuko said, ripping and tossing pieces of bread to the eager ducks and turtle gave him a retreat, the simple taste of an average man's life. Theses duckling never judged him, nor did they serve as any threat to him.
"What's bothering you, Sparky?" A female presence asked as she sat next to him near the pond, almost routinely as she tore off half the loaf in his hand, and began to feed the ducks herself.
"Everything." Zuko mumbled, tossing the bread morsel a little more forcefully than before.
After the war and his coronation everything were migrains stacked on top of each other; civil unrest, uprisings, protests, assasination plots, terrorist plots, extremist threats, coup de'tat plans, and conspiracies attempt to knock the young Fire Lord down. What it did knock down was the Fire Lord's love life and self esteem, and the forementioned were conspired by his own brain washed citizens. Internationally speaking, various of delegates, diplomats, council members, religious leaders, government officials, and any gold-plate-grubbing noble were badgering him for compensations and reparations to unreasonable extents. He is just one man; one man expected to fix 100 years of his fore fathers' wrongs.
"Don't let them get to you. Just continue working with Aang by finding peaceful and safe ways to solve this whole mess. Demonstrate your firm hand, Zuko" the female said calmly.
"That's easy for you to say Miss Toph Bei Fong, but it is not easily done. I wish I could, but this burden is too great...even with Aang's help, I don't think I can clean it all up in my life time." Zuko's expression sunk even more as he fed the little animals.
Toph turned her head towards him, her eye brows furrowed as she landed her signature 'affection' punch on his arm.
"Owww! Toph, why did you-"
"Listen here, and listen well Sparky. First off, the stupid people who expected you to clean up this 100 years mess, to reparate and compensate all this shit in mere years are fucking idiot. Second, don't be so hard on yourself Zuko, it's a bad look on your pretty little face." Toph yelled, jabbing her fingers at his chest.
There was a moment of silence before Zuko finally spoke: "Very funny Toph; that joke can't work on me but thank you," he said smiling
"And here I was hoping you would fall for that. Sparky, you've smartened up over the years." Toph said as she gave him a light punch and a weak smile."But seriously, stressing over it would only make you fall ill, and we don't want that, now do we?"
"Not at all." Zuko said, giving a weak smile back to her and began to study her features. The boyish prepubesent Toph he knew during the war had transformed into the epitome of a noble beauty; she still had pale, soft-looking skin, a waterfall of silken ink black hair, pink pouty lips, and entrancing celadon eyes. Toph's body formed her soft feminine curves over the years while still keeping her body a majority of lean muscle, and her voice had matured and was sweetened by a strong but feminine tone; Toph was a true strong beauty.
"Thank you Toph for listening to my burdens." Zuko said softly as he felt his hand gain a mind of its own, and tucked away a stray hair.
"No problem, Sparky. If it helps, I'll always be by your side." Toph said, smiling reassuringly as a tint of blush grazed her cheeks.
"I would like that...I would like that a lot.." Zuko said with a soft smile. She'll be by my side, by my side with the ducks. Zuko thought and chuckled a bit. It was one of these moments that he felt the most content and reassured of his decisions, they happened when she's there, with the ducks.
(A/N): Well...R&R! I'll really appreciate it!