I rose a little after the sun began poking up from the horizon and got started on making a big breakfast for everyone. I figured it would be an acceptable apology for staying out so late last night and leaving them to fend for themselves for dinner. The house was silent except for the light sizzling of the eggs as I scrambled them in the pan. I had already made a fruit salad, bacon, squeezed some orange juice, and made Aang's egg custard tart which was now baking in the oven.
"You're up early."
The sudden break in silence caused me to quickly whip around and throw the wooden spoon in my hand at Sokka's head, "Spirits! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"My bad," Sokka picked up the spoon and handed it back to me, "I figured you'd sleep in, you got here pretty late last night."
I hummed and moved to scrape the eggs onto a plate, "I wanted to make everyone breakfast, since I couldn't make dinner."
Sokka gave me a side eye, "Yeah . . . Why were you out so late? I was getting worried."
It took everything in me not to freeze on the spot. Instead I moved to the oven, avoiding Sokka's piercing gaze, "Oh, you know detours and the train takes forever and the lines were so long". Sokka kept his stare even, not buying my obvious fibs, "Anyway, could you go wake everyone up before breakfast gets cold?"
He nodded slowly, still side-eyeing me as he exited the kitchen. Once he was gone I took a deep breath and tried to regulate my breathing. I probably should've told Sokka that Zuko was in the city, but I couldn't. Even though he always teased me about me and Zuko's (nonexistent) relationship, I knew he would immediately grow defensive over me and everyone else. I didn't want to stress the GAang out and wanted them to enjoy their time in Ba Sing Se. I decided that, for now, I would keep both the GAang and Zuko's presence in Ba Sing Se a secret from both.
I removed the tart from the oven and set it on the counter to chill. That was when Aang came bursting in, "You made the tart! Thank you (Y/N)!"
He embraced me tightly and I laughed before explaining, "Yes, it needs to cool off first though."
Aang wasted no time in cutting himself a slice before using his pointer finger to send a small wind gust to cool down the hot food. He then began to dig into the tart and was done and getting seconds before Toph and Katara even had a chance to sit down. I smiled before getting myself a plate of fruit and sitting beside Katara.
"How was the market," Katara questioned from beside me.
"Yeah (Y/N) how was the market," Sokka narrowed his eyes at me from his place across the table.
I swallowed, turning to Katara, "It was good. I went to the lower ring for cheaper prices and they had a wide variety of products."
"You went all the way to the lower ring? Is that why you got home so late," Toph questioned before adding, "Your footsteps woke me up when you came back."
"I got home late because the trains were running slowly. I would've been home sooner but my train was late."
"Huh, that's weird. Ba Sing Se's trains are known for their strict promptness," Katara shrugged, brushing it off, before continuing to eat her eggs.
I was the first to finish my meal and decided to get some fresh air in the backyard. I walked outside, the sunlight causing me to squint under its harsh light. The backyard was moderately sized, with a small pond in the middle. It was barren of any plants except for a single tree in the corner of the yard. I heard someone open and close the backdoor before coming to stand behind me.
"What is it, Sokka?"
He moved beside me, "I just want to know the real reason why you were home so late."
"I told you, my train was late," I crossed my arms.
He maintained eye contact and I held it without fault as he spoke, "I don't believe you."
"You don't have to, because it's none of your business," I was beginning to grow frustrated. I didn't want to have this conversation. I wish he would just drop it so I could stop lying.
"It is my business. What if you got caught up in the wrong crowd? You would have no one there to protect you. No offense but your judgment isn't too great," he retorted.
My cheeks heated, "What is that supposed to mean?"
Sokka spoke quietly, breaking eye contact, "I don't know."
"I think you do know. What did you mean?" He stayed silent, keeping his eyes trained on the ground. "I can handle myself, Sokka. Believe it or not I was doing just fine on my own before I joined you guys." He opened his mouth to speak but I raised my hand, "You know what, we'll finish this later. I'm going out. See you later."
I didn't give him a chance to respond before walking back into the house. I grabbed my sickles and my bag and waved goodbye to the kids, telling them I'd be back later. I made my way to the train station and before I even knew what happened, I was in the lower ring. I stepped off the steps of the station and began to aimlessly wander the streets. I had no destination in mind when I left the house but I guess my mind and body both wanted to come here so I figured to just go with it. I passed buildings of all kinds, cartography shops, butchers, and bars. Each one had a smell and sound of their own emanating from the open doorways. But one in particular stood out, the refreshing smell of jasmine wafted into my nostrils and the sound of idle chatter passed through my ears.
I stood in the entrance to read the sign which said 'The Pao Family Tea House'. The name sounded familiar and as I tried to remember why, a familiar voice exclaimed, "(Y/N)! You came to visit and so soon too!"
Iroh came up to me, a teapot in hand. I mentally facepalmed for not realizing sooner that this was the tea shop he and Zuko said they were working at. I smiled despite my realization, "Well, I needed to get out of the house so I figured why not stop by and say hello." That was when I saw Zuko. He was serving tea to an elderly couple, wearing a green uniform. My cheeks heated and I spoke fast, "Well now that I've said hello I better get going. It was great to-"
"You can't leave without having some tea first," Iroh stated, ushering me to sit down.
"Oh, um I don't want to get in the way of you two working," I tried to hide my face with the menu to avoid Zuko seeing me.
Iroh grabbed the menu from me, "Nonsense! You won't be in the way at all." He then turned to where Zuko stood, "Nephew, get (Y/N) some jasmine tea, on me!"
Zuko's head immediately shot up at his uncle's exclamation. Our eyes met and I felt my palms get sweaty as I offered him a small smile. He gave a small wave, looking as if he was in a trance, before he shook his head and looked down at his uniform. I could see his neck flush pink before he went to the back to make my order.
"You'll have to bear with him. He's just now learning to make tea and so far, he's hopeless," Iroh laughed before leaving to go take another table's order.
After a few minutes Zuko exited the kitchen, he stopped to whisper something fervently to Iroh before his uncle practically pushed him in my direction. He awkwardly set my tea on the table in front of me, "Here's your tea."
He was about to walk away before Iroh came up behind him, "Zuko, it's time for your break."
"Uncle I just had a break not even twenty-"
Iroh cut him off, "You're mistaken it's your break time now. Why don't you and (Y/N) chat for a bit." He made him sit down in the chair beside me, "Besides, it'll give you a chance to get feedback on your tea making skills from someone besides me."
Before Zuko or I could protest, Iroh quickly walked away to tend to another table. Zuko huffed, placing his head in his hand as he watched me pour my tea. The tea smelled right, but smell and taste were two different things. Usually, with Iroh's tea, no honey or sugar was needed for it to be enjoyable and I hoped Zuko's would be the same. I brought the cup to my lips and took a good gulp before immediately regretting my decision. I looked up from my cup, Zuko was studying my expression from across me and I tried my best to conceal my disgust. I forced the hot liquid down my throat and gave a wry smile as I placed my cup down.
"It's bad, right?"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no," I hesitated, "It's super good."
Zuko deadpanned, "(Y/N), I've known you since we were kids. I know it was bad. You can tell me it was."
"Fine, it's pretty awful," I hoped I didn't offend him too badly but he didn't seem hurt in the slightest.
He shrugs, "Uncle says I'll improve, but I've been at it for nearly two weeks with no progress."
"Well, I mean a little practice can't hurt. If you want my opinion-," I waited for him to nod before continuing, "It was a little too hot, maybe let it cool down a bit next time. I think it burned my tongue."
I stuck out the tip of my tongue and tried to feel the burn with my finger. Zuko scoffed, "I believe you. Don't do that, it's gross."
I put my tongue back in my mouth, "Says the boy who once ate a cookie he found on the ground in the courtyard, right by the turtleduck pond might I add, just because I dared him to."
Zuko laughed. He actually laughed. It wasn't a little inhalation through his nose, it wasn't a scoff, it was a barking laugh. But it ended as quickly as he let it slip out and he resumed his cold facade. Despite its abrupt end, that didn't stop the weird feeling I got in my stomach and the swift heating of my cheeks. I never realized till now just how much I missed his laugh. I wanted to hear it more, wanted him to finally show some emotion other than annoyance, anger, and contempt. I knew I was in trouble, I knew I wouldn't want to leave the company of Zuko and Iroh until late again, and knew it was futile to try and pretend I didn't want to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That was how I ended up spending the rest of the days that week at Iroh and Zuko's workplace. I would wake up everyday, make the kids breakfast, and then leave to visit the tea shop. While at the tea shop I would sit at what was now my usual table and chat with Iroh or Zuko whenever they got a break. Me and Iroh discussed what kind of teas he could add to the menu and brainstormed ideas for small desserts the shop could serve.
On the other hand, Zuko and I awkwardly talked about how he could improve his tea-making and recalled memories from when we were younger. It was so weird how easy it was to return to our old ways. Sure, there was still an undertone of awkwardness and wariness between us, but we were able to banter and joke like we did as kids. He was slowly coming out of his shell, letting his smile (even though it was small) break through whenever we spoke. Meanwhile my walls, which were put up because of him in the first place, began crumbling down. I felt myself beginning to trust him again.
After I would spend the majority of the day at the tea shop, I would return home and make the GAang dinner. Once we finish dinner, we all gather in the living area to play a game or just talk about our past adventures and our plans while in Ba Sing Se. The first day I visited the tea shop, Sokka and I reconciled when I returned later that night.
I walked through the front door of the house and set my bag on the dining table. I returned a little after dinner time and the kids were all lounging around in the living area. I walked to my room, but Sokka came up behind me before I could enter. Our fight from this morning was making me feel guilty. I know what he said was a little out of line, but I understood where he was coming from. If anyone else was leaving during the day and not coming back till late, I would be worried too.
"Hey, can we talk," he seemed nervous and I led him into my room. The moment I closed the door he began pacing, "Look, I'm so sorry for what I said this morning. I know I shouldn't have said what I said, but I was just worried. I don't want us to fight over something some dumb. I'm-"
"Sokka. Sokka!" He stopped pacing and turned to me, "It's okay. I understand, you were worried. But you have to trust me when I say that I am perfectly safe. If there is any sign of danger, I know to go the other way."
He sighed, "I know. I'll try not to pester you from now on. But it won't stop me from worrying, even if just a little bit."
"I think I can handle that," I smiled before pulling the boy into a firm hug, "Now, enough of this sappy stuff. Get out so I can change."
I was currently walking to the tea shop, the sun was covered just enough to where the heat wasn't unbearable. It was around four o'clock, usually I got to the tea shop a little before lunch, but today I was running very late. This was because Toph needed help with her hair, which was particularly difficult to style today. Sokka then needed help as his hair was growing out and he needed me to trim the back since he couldn't see it. Then, Aang had asked if I would help him shave his head. Apparently I was now the group hairdresser, but I didn't mind. It allowed me to talk to each of them individually and spend some quality time together.
Since it was well past noon, the shop's busiest hour, there was hardly anyone at the tables. I looked around for Zuko or Iroh and spotted both of them talking to a female customer at the counter. The girl turned around to leave and as she passed I got a good look at her features. She was around my age, with beautiful long hair, eyes that were a nice, subtle green, and a cheery smile on her face as she practically skipped out of the establishment. I made my way up to the counter, Zuko's back was to me as he whisper-yelled at Iroh.
Iroh was first to see me, "(Y/N)! There you are! I was beginning to worry you weren't coming."
Zuko turned around quickly at the sound of my name, a hint of guilt flashing across his features. I raised an eyebrow at him before turning back to Iroh, "Yeah, sorry about that. I slept in a bit too late this morning. Anyway, what's wrong with him?"
I pointed to Zuko and he pretended to be busy counting coins in his hand. Iroh laughed, slapping his nephew on the back, "He just got himself a hot date for tonight!"
"Uncle," Zuko exclaimed, clamping a hand over Iroh's mouth.
The two began to playfully argue about whether or not it was a date but their voices were muffled to my ears. The moment Iroh said the word 'date' a bile had begun to rise in my throat and my chest weirdly started to hurt. What was this? Why was I suddenly feeling dizzy? Was I getting sick?
I felt a finger tap my shoulder, "Hey, are you alright?"
I looked up and met Zuko's gaze, his eyebrows were furrowed and he was slow as he handed me my tea. I took a sip from the cup and felt the sensations I was feeling before dissipate to a dull roar, "Yeah, I'm fine. Just had a sudden wave of dizziness, that's all." I took a deep breath before speaking again, "So, a hot date huh? Is it with that girl I just saw leaving?"
Zuko hesitated before he spoke, "Um, yeah I guess so."
"She's pretty," I hummed, sipping my tea once again. I tried to stop the bitter feeling that was arising in me, it even made my tea taste sour.
Iroh walked over to the both of us, not allowing Zuko to respond, "Nephew, we'll have to get you ready before your date."
"What do you mean," Zuko deadpanned.
"I mean you can't go on a date with such a lovely young lady wearing what you normally do. You have to look nice," Iroh stated as if it was the obvious thing in the world. "Don't worry, I have lots of experience with the ladies and will help you get ready."
I tried to hold in my laugh, "This I have to see."
The whole time Iroh was getting Zuko ready, I was trying to wrangle with the ceaseless new feelings that arose every time either of them mentioned this date. I hated this feeling, whatever it was. It made me antsy as I couldn't stop bouncing my knee as I waited for what Iroh called, 'The Big Reveal'. Zuko never seemed like the dating type to me, not that I had ever thought about it. But if I had, neither this Zuko nor the one from when I was a kid seemed interested in romance. All he ever wanted to do as a kid was play and hang out with me, while now all he seemed to want to do was restore his honor (and I don't think that involved any romance). But what if I was wrong, what if he's excited for this date. What if it goes well and him and this girl run away together, get married, and have a trillion babies.
I felt like I was actually going to throw up the more I thought about it. But Iroh walked into the room before I could, "He's ready! He'll be out in a few, I'm going to grab him some money to take, be right back!"
Iroh strolled out of the living room and to the kitchen. I tapped impatiently on my thigh as I waited. Zuko came out of the bedroom after a minute or so. He looked . . . ridiculous. He was wearing a high collar, button-up shirt that was in traditional earth kingdom male fashion. The worst part, however, was his hair. It was slicked down to his head so tight, I feared it would stay like that forever.
Zuko stared at me impatiently, it finally clicked he was waiting for me to comment. I tried to suppress my obvious distaste for his hair when I strained out, "You look so . . ."
"Stupid," Zuko finished my sentence, looking in the mirror that was on the wall near him.
"The outfit isn't that bad, it's just your hair. This might be worse than your little ponytail-thing you had going on a few months ago," I laughed but quickly shut up when I saw Zuko narrowing his eyes at me. I got up from my place on the couch and walked up to him. He seemed to freeze at the close proximity and I could hear his breath hitch when I reached up to ruffle his hair, "There. Much better."
His breathing was shallow and his ears were tinged pink as he whispered, "Thanks."
"Zuko! You better get going before you're late!" Iroh came bursting into the room.
Me and Zuko immediately got on opposite ends of the room. I tried to steady my breathing as Iroh gave him a few words of encouragement. What the hell just happened? That was a little too close for comfort. Zuko gave me a final glance before he left the small apartment and I tried my best to offer a smile, despite my racing heart.
"Ah, romance," Iroh sighed as he looked at the door. He then turned to me, "Do you want to play Pai Sho?"
ZUKO POV
"So, how do you like the city so far?"
The girl, who I had learned was named Jin, sat across from me at the small restaurant. She was trying to make small talk, but I was not in the mood. I didn't want to go on this stupid date in the first place. "It's OK," I answered bluntly.
She slurped at her tea, something (Y/N) never did as we were both told it wasn't 'proper' growing up. She set her cup down, "What do you like to do for fun?"
"Nothing," I continued to push around my food.
That was when the waiter decided to come up and ask, "Excuse me, sir, would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?"
"She is not my GIRLFRIEND," I yelled, slamming a fist on the table. The waiter slinked away, a regretful expression on his face. The girl seemed unphased as she aggressively slurped up her noodles, "You have, um, quite the appetite . . . for a girl."
"Um, thanks?" She changed the subject, "So, Lee, where were you and your uncle living before you came here?"
I spoke hesitatingly, "Um, well, we've been traveling around for a long time."
"Oh! Why were you traveling so much," she questioned.
Spirits, did dates always involve this much pointless small-talk. It seemed as if she was only talking to fill up the silence that surrounded us. This never happened with (Y/N). She and I used to always sit in silence for hours without it being awkward, just enjoying each other's company. I came up with a quick lie to satisfy the girl, "We were, uh, part of this traveling circus."
The girl's face lit up, "Really? What'd you do? Wait, let me guess." She tapped her chin before pointing at me, "You juggled?"
Seriously? I gave a blank stare, "Yes, I juggled."
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle." She remarked before shoving miscellaneous items in my face, "Can you show me something?"
I took the items from her and threw them up. I couldn't even catch a single one before they all fell to the ground, one shattering on my head. (Y/N) could probably juggle. I cleared my throat, "I haven't practiced in a while."
"It's alright. Hey! I wanna show you one of my favorite places in the city," she placed some money on the table (not even allowing me to attempt to offer to pay) before grabbing my hand and leading me through the city streets. "I'm so excited for you to see the firelight fountain. The lamps make the water sparkle, and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way." We made it to her destination and she finally let go of my hand, "I can't believe it! They aren't lit."
I felt bad for the girl, as she was excited to bring me here. I didn't particularly care to see the lights, but I still commanded, "Close your eyes. And don't peek." She covered her eyes with the palms of her hand. I looked around to make sure no one was around. I walked forward and used my bending to send short, small flames to each of the lamps, lighting them one by one. Once I was done I turned to her, "Okay, now you can look."
Her eyes widened as she looked around, "Oh wow! What happened? How did they light? What did you . . ."
She trailed off as we both admired the scenery around us. I guess it was sort of pretty, I'd have to show (Y/N) this place one day. Jin snaked her hand into mine, breaking me from my thoughts. I turned to look at her and she started leaning in. I panicked and stepped back, removing my hand from her hold, "I'm sorry. I can't."
"There's someone else, isn't there," she spoke solemnly, her gaze on the floor.
My eyes widened, "What? No. Well I mean . . . It's just-"
She cut me off with a swift peck on my cheek. She patted my shoulder, "Whoever it is, they're lucky to have you. You're a total catch Lee."
With that, she walked away leaving me alone in the beautiful lantern light. I knew I should've felt bad for the girl, and a small part of me did. But it never would've worked out and I knew it was best not to lead her on. I have bigger things to worry about and, while I enjoyed the date a little bit, I knew she wasn't the one for me.
I trudged back to me and Iroh's temporary home, the back of my mind hoping that (Y/N) was still there. She was acting weird before the date, I was worried she may have been coming down with something and wanted to make sure she got to the train station okay. But when I entered the living room, it was just Iroh sitting on the couch, reading.
"You're back! How was it?"
"It was . . . fine." I shrugged before adding, "I assume (Y/N) went home?"
Iroh shook his head, "No. She said she was feeling sick so she went up to the roof to get some fresh air. I told her to go home but he said she wanted to stay here with me until you got back." Iroh laughed, "That girl, she means well but she makes me feel old, always insisting to take care of me. But hey, who am I to complain? She made me cookies!" He held up a small cookie and began eating it, turning back to his book. I grinned before making my way up to the roof to check on (Y/N).
Normal POV:
I layed on the roof, the cool air making my previous nausea slowly ease itself away. The moon was bright, illuminating the space around me and the city was quiet, only the buzzing of insects could be heard. That is, until a set of footsteps began to tiptoe their way over to where I was. I sat up from my position and saw Zuko plop down beside me.
"You're back," I stated, mentally facepalming at my choice of words. Could I have said anything more obvious? Zuko nodded, staring up at the moon. I cleared my throat, "How was the . . . date?"
"It was fine," Zuko answered, still not looking at me.
I felt my stomach drop. The date was fine. What exactly did that mean? Did it mean he was going to see her again (not that I care). I then felt a shudder run through my spine. Did they kiss? Did this mean he wouldn't want to hang out with me anymore? That he would now devote all his time to this girl, forgetting about me and our history?
"I don't think we'll have another date though," Zuko added.
I snapped out of my overthinking, "What? Why?"
Zuko finally looked at me. His eyes seemed to be trying to say something, I just wish I could decipher what it was. "Because . . ." he trailed off before breaking our intense eye contact, "Because I don't have time for a relationship right now. I'm trying to build a new life for myself here and that would be complicated by unnecessary romance."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, "Do you . . . like her?"
Zuko smirked and began to tease, "Why? Jealous?"
"As if! You know what I should actually get going," I stood up too quickly and stumbled, falling into Zuko's lap. My head was now laying on his leg. I stared up at him, feeling myself begin to sweat. I was sure he would immediately push me off and retreat back inside after this awkward moment caused by my clumsiness. But instead, he laughed and I joined in, laughing hysterically. I lifted my head from his lap and resumed my sitting position.
My laughter had died down but he still had a few giggles escaping his lips. His lips were upturned on both sides, the bottom edge of his scar creasing the wider his smile grew. Before I could stop myself, my hand reached out and ran its thumb over the bottom of his scar. I finally got a hold of what I was doing and froze, my fingers still resting on his scar. Zuko's laughing had stopped the moment he felt my hand on my face and we were both frozen. I didn't know what to do. I knew once I moved my hand he would either start yelling at me or throw me off the roof. But to my surprise, neither occurred when I actually removed my fingers.
Instead, the boy sighed and brought his own hang up to his scar, tracing the edges with his finger. This was somehow worse than him yelling at me. I quickly scrambled to apologize, "I'm sorry. I just-I just . . ."
"You want to know what happened," Zuko questioned, assuming that's what I was going to ask.
While that wasn't my reasoning for doing what I did, I decided to just go along with it (since it was less embarrassing). I nodded my head, "I was just curious. But you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. Don't feel pressured to tell me."
Zuko gave a small smile, "It's fine. You deserve to know."
He then began to tell me about the origin of his scar. How his own father had challenged him, a thirteen year old boy, to an Agni Kai just for speaking out of turn. How his father had held his palm to his own son's eye and singed the skin right off. Told me how he was then banished, along with Iroh, and sent to find the Avatar. Explained how capturing Aang was the only way he could restore his honor and be allowed back home. He knew it was wrong and didn't want anyone to get hurt on his quest. But he was so desperate to return back home that he developed tunnel-vision, his only care being to gain back his honor.
With every sentence he spoke, every horrid memory he shared, my heart broke more and more for the boy in front of me. Especially when he spoke of how his father burned his face and the immense pain he felt not only physically, but emotionally as well. He went through so much at the hands of his own father and still sought his approval. I knew deep down this wasn't a matter of honor at all, but simply a matter of him wanting to win his father's love. Something he so deeply wanted ever since we were kids.
Zuko finished his story and tears were now streaming from my eyes. I fiercely tried to rub them away. I had no right to be crying after all he had gone through. I knew I had gone through a lot as well, but I always had numerous people around to support me, but all Zuko had was his uncle to keep him from succumbing to his loneliness and depression.
I hiccuped, finally having pulled myself together, "I had no idea, Zuko. I'm so, so sorry. You didn't deserve any of what happened to you."
Zuko lifted his head quickly, as if he had never heard those words before. Then, before I could add on to what I said before, he pulled me into a warm embrace. He still had his same scent of citrus and it flooded my senses as I closed my eyes and breathed him in. His body was skinny and frail, an effect of living off the land for those few months back. I then felt his shoulder's begin to shake and realized he was crying. I didn't comment on it and instead rubbed his back in a soothing manner. We stayed in that position for I don't know how long, but I didn't mind and patiently waited for him to collect himself.
Once he did, he pulled back and wiped his eyes. He smiled, "Thank you."
I nodded, returning the smile, "What're friends for?"
"Friends," Zuko questioned, his eyebrow raised.
I nodded, "Friends."