fandomtownies | The Graveyard: Friday Evening

After a spending a few days in Cairo and approximately 85 years in stasis, Mel was very much in the mood to get outside and patrol. Even if there weren't any vampires, demons or stone angels with ability to rutting send you back in time in space.

Stupid statues.

However after going through her usual trek through the preserve and then the park what she found waiting for her in the graveyard was not what she expected.

"What are you doing here?" she asked suspiciously.

Zuko	He would have thought that was fairly obvious. "I thought I could join you tonight."
Mel	Mel gave him a suspicious look. "You hated going on patrol."
Zuko	Well he did, but... "You were stuck in the past."
Mel	"And that changed your attitude toward patrolling?" Mel asked.
Zuko	"No," he said instantly, feeling embarrassed now as he continued to talk. "Just... You were gone and we didn't know if you'd be back..."
Mel	"We?" Mel said with an amused grin. "Is that to say Katara was worried about me as well?"
Zuko	His eyes widened as he realised how that sounded and it hadn't been what he meant. Not really, but then he hadn't talked to a whole lot of people besides Katara yet... Still not what he meant. "Of course she was, I just meant us. People stuck here. Like... Sokka, too."
Mel	Mel smirked a little and started her routine walk through the graveyard. "Yes. I'm sure you and Sokka sat down and talked a lot about that," she said with just a touch of sarcasm. "After all you're such good buddies."
Zuko	Well she was walking, so Zuko followed anyway. "No, it's not about me and Sokka," he grumbled.
Mel	"Then what is it about?" Mel asked. "Does this have to do with me and Sokka?"
Zuko	"I suppose," he admitted reluctantly. "I'm glad you're back."
Mel	"Good to be here," Mel replied. "Not that Cairo wasn't fun but this is what I call home now."
Zuko	Zuko glanced at her and he nodded slowly. "The room was quieter," he told her.
Mel	"You mean you didn't take the empty room to your advantage?" Mel teased. "Or did you just go to Katara's room?"
Zuko	"No, just..." he made a face and glared at her. "It's weird when you do that."
Mel	"Why is it weird?" Mel replied sharply. "Because right now we're just roommates. That's it."
Zuko	"Because it feels like you should be mad about it," he said honestly.
Mel	Mel stopped and faced Zuko with an angry expression. "Does it now? And why should I be angry? Because the only time I expressed any kind of emotion to you I got shot down? Or how about how you pretended to be 'at peace' with yourself only to toss a fireball at me at the first chance you got to be with your family again?" She turned and started walking away again. "You made it pretty clear where I stood with you. I only hope you do better for Katara's sake."
Zuko	Zuko stared at her back and he couldn't quite tell her she was wrong about any of this. She wasn't, really. "Because I don't want you to feel like I'm betraying you again."
Mel	Mel turned around and glared. "The first time was enough," she snapped. "Like I said: We're just roommates."
Zuko	"I know," he shouted back, at least that much hadn't changed. "I didn't do it to hurt you!"
Mel	"Is that supposed to make it all better?" Mel retorted. "And does it even matter?"
Zuko	"No," he spat and he wasn't sure what he wanted. Maybe he should have just shut up. "Forget it."
Mel	"No! I want to hear this!" Mel shouted. "You're worried about hurt feelings now? After everything that happened?"
Zuko	"Yes!" It was easier to just shout now cause apparently they communicated better with raised voices. "I shouldn't have turned against you like that. I should have been better then."
Mel	Mel opened up her mouth to say something back but realize she had nothing to retaliate with. "Oh. So..." Mel stumbled for something to say in response and came up short. "Jesu. I don't know how to respond to that."
Zuko	Zuko blinked at the lack of rebuttal, his anger deflating. "You don't have to," he said quietly, shrugging his shoulders as if he was trying to get rid of the guilt.
Mel	"Look," Mel said heaving a big sigh, "You want to know if I'm hurt? I'm not. I was before but I'm not going to get upset because you're seeing Katara. I don't have the energy for it and I like her too much."
Zuko	"Okay," he agreed because there wasn't much else he could say to that. A thanks would be pointless as he doubted she was doing this for him anyway and he didn't much feel like getting that thrown back at him. "That's good."
Mel	"It's not going to be a problem for us to be roommates, now is it?" Mel asked cautiously.
Zuko	He looked at her sharply and shook his head. "No. It won't."
Mel	"Good," she replied. "Though we might want to work out some kind of... signal. Or something. Just so we don't walk in on one another."
Zuko	It took a minute for Zuko to catch on to what she was meaning and when he did, he made a face. Some things, he'd just rather not think about. "Pick whatever you want."
Mel	Mel just smirked at that. "Fine. I'll leave my bra on the doorknob and you can leave your loincloth."
Zuko	He stared at her. "You want to hang our underwear in the hall?"
Mel	"You said I could pick whatever I wanted," Mel replied. "Why? You have something better in mind?"
Zuko	"Anything would be better than that," he snarked. "Just hang up a rubber band or something."
Mel	"Oh sure. If you want to be subtle," Mel said with a little humor. "Good to see you still don't know when I'm pulling your leg."
Zuko	He blinked at her. "If you think that's good."
Mel	Mel just shook her head in amusement as she turned back to walking the graveyard. "Oh well. Maybe Katara can teach you to have a sense of humor."
Zuko	"I have a great sense of humour," Zuko argued, scowling at her.
Mel	"You have a lame sense of humor," Mel smirked back. "Do you even know any jokes?"
Zuko	"I don't need any jokes to have a good sense of humour. Jokes are lame," Zuko grumbled.
Mel	"You're lame," Mel snarked back.
Zuko	That earned her another glare. "I'm not lame! I'm..." He was miserably failing to come up with a good come back. "I'm a prince!" That probably wasn't it.
Mel	"Not at the moment," Mel snarked back... And the snarking continued as the two roommates went back to the dorm. Arguing all the way home.

[ooc: Preplayed with the Sensational Zuko. NFI though OOC cherished like pie]

The Graveyard: Friday Evening

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