A/N: Happy Zutara Week, everybody!

Wow, I can't believe this is my third year participating. Seems like only yesterday I was writing the first prompt of 2011. I bring this up because it's kind of funny to me that the first prompt of 2011 was 'Masks.' You'll see why in a minute.

Anyway, I decided to try something a little different with the prompts this year. Instead of unconnected drabble collections like my last two years of entries have been, I'm going to write a full seven chapter story. Unfortunately, I still have a lot of work to do on the later days as this has proven to be a lot harder than I thought it would.

Don't worry! I will have everything out on the appropriate days. That, I swear.

So, without further ado, here's Day One of Zutara Week and the first chapter of The Red Hydrangea.

Hope you enjoy!

It started three months and five days after Mai left.

On the morning she left, Zuko awoke to an empty bed and a wide open closet that was missing half its contents. A note rested on her pillow. It was neat, articulate, and straight to the point in the harshest possible way without being outright mean.

In short, it was completely Mai.

The contents of the note were lost in the recesses of his memory, but the gist of it was painfully clear.

It wasn't working out.

She didn't feel that way about him anymore.

He didn't either, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

She felt bored and restricted and never liked Nobleman's life anyway.

Their time together was happy and she didn't regret it, but it was time to move on.

One hour after Zuko found the note he left his chambers and went out for a walk. He missed three important meetings and one rehearsal for his next state address. Uncle wasn't happy at all when he finally returned at nightfall, but all things considered, he hadn't been as mad as he could have been. One speech about the importance of responsibility and grace under pressure was all he got. Then Uncle pulled him into a hug and told him to go and rest. He'd smooth things over with the Council. He was as cool and collected as he'd ever been. Perhaps he knew all along that this day would come.

Three months and five days later, Zuko entered The Red Hydrangea for the first time.

Among the locals of the Fire Nation up to and including those of the highest social standing, The Red Hydrangea was something of a great mystery. Many still had never heard of it, those who did often denied that it existed. Nobody had any idea what it was actually about. The multiple theories ranged from relatively tame to extreme.

Was it a cult?

Was it a drug ring?

Was it a secret meeting place for the few remaining supporters of Ozai?

Was it a tribunal for members of all the different nations to come together in newfound unity?

Was it an illegal fighting ring for the underground benders and runaway criminals?

Was it a brothel?

Was it something entirely different that no one as of yet had thought of?

The facts were few and far between. All Zuko knew was that the name was being whispered among the younger palace servants. It was no wonder he wound up overhearing them several nights in a row when he couldn't sleep and resorted to walking along the spacious halls until his mind and body started to sag with exhaustion.

Finding out what it was had been harder. He couldn't very well ask a gossiping servant girl or a lawful guard. Well, technically he could, and then he'd get to spend the next few weeks fielding off reporters and a whole slew of new rumors placed squarely on his shoulders. It had taken over a week of endless meetings and dreary parties, listening to elderly noblemen tell repetitive stories about their glory days and wealthy, well-to-do families offer shallow sympathy for his recent breakup while simultaneously talking up their sisters and daughters and trying to arrange lunch dates. One week until he had a brief window of time that was his and his alone, and he spent it in the closest city, where a very famous and noteworthy tavern was located; a hotspot for secret information. Fully disguised in peasant garb and a thick, face covering cloak with a fist sized bag of gold coins in hand, he had just one request for the bartender.

"Tell me about The Red Hydrangea."

This was to be a conversation that would permanently alter Zuko's life, short and one-sided as it was. It was exactly three months after Mai left, and the next five days were a bursting schedule of more meetings and more events and speeches and dinners. Five days later, he followed the directions he had been given to The Red Hydrangea. His first time there had been a veritable whirlwind of light and color and sounds all mixed together in ways that should have been familiar to him, or at least recognizable, but somehow took on all new life under a new lens that was so overwhelming it almost brought him to tears.

This story begins on the night of Zuko's eleventh visit. It was always night time that he went, when the world slept and there was no one to watch him. He walked along the empty streets; the only people still out were too drunk or too apathetic to notice him. He kept going until he was on the outskirts of a small forest, where an enormous mansion sat empty and abandoned, stretched out over a steep hill. No one knew who owned it, only that it was a private citizen who never allowed it to be torn down, no matter how much of an eyesore it was. The steps up the hill were as decayed as the house itself. They creaked under Zuko's feet, though he was light and his feet and quick in motion. One day, he was going to arrive and find them mysteriously replaced with brand new wood overnight with no explanation. That, he was sure of.

Getting to the top, he spared the mansion a glance before moving around it. In the wide and spacious back yard was a gray stone path, which were cracked and covered with dust but looked brand new compared to the stairs. He followed it for half a mile, through a deep grove of trees with thick leaves that shrouded the whole forest in near darkness. Zuko unworriedly lit a fire to guide him. At this point, he probably could have walked the path blind-folded, but it was always best to be safe.

He found himself in a less dense part of the forest, enough that a little bit of moonlight peeked out and shined on him. A small way's ahead, it also shined on a small chasm in the earth. Zuko headed towards it with purposeful strides. As he got closer, he reached into the satchel tied to his waist. He drank from the water jug inside to quench a sudden wave of thirst, and then pulled out what he was really looking for. He held it to his face, tracing down the smooth lines and contours. The two small holes for his eyes showed that it was getting brighter out. The clouds and the trees were parting for him and he could see the full moon perfectly. It reminded him of the one person he wanted to see tonight, more than anything else.

He descended the new set of steps, getting lower and lower into the earth as a new, more final sort of darkness wrapped around him. A few lanterns nailed to the walls and his own fire kept him from total blindness, and revealed a hardwood door at the very bottom.

He knocked three times and waited, taking the time to secure his mask over his face, something he really should have done earlier. A tiny window opened up and a pair of shapeless green eyes peeked out at him.

"Are you looking for something?" asked a gruff voice.

"Nothing but a place to rest my feet," Zuko answered like an actor reading off a script.

The eyes observed him a moment longer, and then the window slammed shut. Zuko waited patiently for the many locks to be undone and the door to click open. The doorman stood before him, large and imposing, but with a friendly smile as he stepped aside to grant Zuko entry.

"Good to see you." The doorman's face turned knowing now. "You made good time. Someone was asking about you."

Zuko went still, instinctively scanning the area for signs of other life. He could only hear them; a heavy red tarp kept the two rooms separate to the eyes, but loud and powerful music wafted through. Zuko could feel his fingers twitching. He thanked the doorman and moved on, leaving the man to stand ever diligent at his post. Zuko pushed past the curtain, entering what in the past few weeks had become his one true safe haven.

The bright lights assaulted him at once. He had to scrunch his eyes shut and open them slowly until they adjusted. From there, the whole room expanded before him. The walls covered in deep red, blue and green tapestries, the light of many lanterns filling the room with a warm and welcoming glow. The ceiling was low enough that an exceptionally tall person could touch it with their feet flat on the ground. The only window was on the far wall, so high that barely an inch of stone separated it from the ceiling. It would have been unimpressive on its own if not for the people who frequented. On one end sat the bartender, currently alone save a young couple, sitting so close that only the fabric of their masks kept their faces from touching. There was a tightness to their composure like they were a moment away from launching at each other. Zuko silently wished them well. He walked along the sidelines, away from the main floor and its smooth surface that shined so bright it could have blinded him. Couples took up at least half of it, dancing freely to the music the band provided. The current song was one Zuko didn't know, but it had a vaguely Earth Kingdom vibe to it. Indeed, there were a good number of dancers in green clothes and masks moving to the beat, eyes close with contented little smiles where they could be seen. Those who knew the steps joined in, everyone else watched in appreciation mixed with awe. After so many missions of peace that sent him to practically every major city in the Earth Kingdom, Zuko could relate. They really were beautiful. When it was over, the dancers received a smattering of applause and one or two took bows. Then the band started up a again with a Fire Nation staple. The dance floor quickly filled up once more.

He sat down at the bar, several seats away from the couple, preserving their privacy. The bartender replaced a newly cleaned glass on top of a stack and then looked in Zuko's direction. It was difficult to discern what his expression was. He always wore one of the bigger masks that covered the entire face, with tented black lens hiding his eyes, so that Zuko couldn't even be sure that he was seen until the bartender addressed him.

"Evening, stranger," he said with familiarity despite how very common a greeting it was. "Usual?"

Zuko nodded once and the bartender went off to prepare his drink without another word. If this were anyplace else, every member of the staff would be tripping over themselves trying to wait on him. Some places had gone so far as to drive out patrons already well into their meals just to prepare a dining room for him without any distractions. Zuko appreciated the effort, but he rarely returned to those places a second time.

That never happened at the Red Hydrangea. He wasn't the Fire Lord here, just another wanderer. His mask was bright red and considerably plainer than most. It covered the top half of his face and the entirety of his scar, leaving only his mouth and the bottom of his nose free. The eyeholes were small and curved upward, and the whole thing was meant to give off an enigmatic and alluring vibe. On one of his first visits, another patron had described him as exactly that while attempting to flirt. He hadn't a single idea how to respond to that beyond a long silence, followed by an extremely awkward thank you destroyed any illusion of mystique he might have given off. The mask itself was just another part of the Red Hydrangea's mystery, and for many, its' appeal. He didn't have an entire nation looking to him for guidance here. He didn't have detractors and former supporters of his father sniffing around like vultures for any reason to call for his overthrow. They were all a distant memory for these precious few hours once a week.

And then there was her.

Zuko sought her out, as always, from his spot at the bar. It had become an unspoken routine for them. Somehow, she was always there before he was, standing in the corner, hidden by shadows. She stepped out now, dressed in blues and whites with her brown her wavy over her shoulders. She was not alone in her choice of fashion, but no one wore it like she did. Zuko was positive he could find her in a hundred Water Tribe women dressed to the nines in their traditional garb. The one spotlight that traveled the room rarely reached her, far from the action as she was, but to Zuko, she might as well have exuded her own light source. When she entered the room and caught his gaze, there was nothing else.

Her mask was far more elaborate than his. Like her dress, it was many shades of blue and boasted an array of feathers around the eye holes, which were clear of obstruction and emphasized the blue of her irises, a shade none of her fabulous wardrobe could ever hope to match. It was her eyes that had initially struck him, so many weeks ago. They had seemed so familiar, and yet like nothing he'd ever seen before. The fact that her face was hidden by a mask had been meaningless.

"You're back," she said when she sat down next to him. This was how she greeted him every week. The first few times, it was with genuine, happy surprise at seeing him again. Now it was just habit.

"Can I get you a drink?" Zuko asked. More of the same, just as her answer would be.

"Maybe later."

Right on cue, the band starts up with a new song, slower, yet with all the power of a faster song. Two notes in and Zuko was itching to stand up. He looked deep into her eyes, and the little bits of brown skin surrounding them that was all her mask would allow him to see. He placed his hand on the table, his longest finger reaching out to hers and brushing it. The electricity that coursed through him almost made him shudder.

"Would you like to dance?"

She smiled. The feathers almost hid it, but her white teeth shined through their barriers. She laced her fingers through his and they stood. She took the lead for now, bringing them to the center of the dance floor. He held her there, her toned body pushed against his as the music picked up and they moved as one. The song in question was one Zuko never heard before the Red Hydrangea. He knew it by heart now, like it had been with him since birth. He once asked her, and she'd admitted to not knowing it either. From there, he could have chalked it up to just another Earth Kingdom song. Problem was it didn't sound anything like the music native to that nation, in tone or in instrumentation. It seemed to be something all its' own, or perhaps all their own.

He spun her around, her hair going wild behind her. She never once put it up, not that Zuko minded. Her shorter stature meant she was always looking up at him, always with those eyes that captivated him. And how strange that really was when he'd seen so many just like them before, especially in recent times. A whole ship of Water Tribe citizens from the north had arrived just two months ago on a mission of goodwill, and he'd met with almost all of them at least once. He looked at his partner and could only assume she was one of them. He had never asked before. Nobody asked questions at the Red Hydrangea.

She pulled closer to him, whether or not by design, he couldn't say. It sent a flare of heat through his chest, one he was desperate to recreate. He wrapped his strong arms more fully around her, hands going just a tad lower around her waist. Such forwardness could never have occurred anywhere else, without this mask. He could have never worked up the nerve. His partner gasped softly, then sighed and relaxed with her head pressed into his chest. Zuko smiled to himself.

The sea of dancing couples parted on one side, enabling them to see out, and the stragglers to look in. A few men on the sidelines were glancing their way, looking at her. Zuko scowled and turned them around, so that his body shielded hers from their hungry gazes. His arms went tighter, completely by themselves this time. He imagined she wouldn't like it if she knew why he was doing it. She felt strong, like a fighter. She could handle herself perfectly well against lecherous men, no doubt. For the moment, Zuko didn't care. For this small moment in time, she was his and he was hers and no one was going to take it from them.

The song ended and she pulled away, leaving behind a chill that made him long for the return of her warmth. Like before, the end of the song was met with applause from some and a departure from the dance floor for others, themselves included.

"I'm a little tired," she said, leading him away as they came. "Is it okay if we sit out for the rest of the night?"

Zuko nodded his head, even though it really wasn't. Wonderful as getting to just sit and talk with her was, he wanted to hold her. The intoxicating heat of her skin wouldn't reach him separated by a table.

They closed in on the dining area (Zuko had rarely ever seen it used for such), but then she slowed, like she was uncertain. They came close to a stop, and then she sped up again, dragging him away from the tables and towards the back door. Behind it was a dimly lit hall Zuko had never entered before, but knew very well where it led.

"What are you doing?" he asked in disbelief.

She glanced back at him, appearing much too calm behind that mask. She never gave him an answer beyond that, and soon, they were out of the main room and in the hallway, plunged into near darkness.