Disclaimer: I do not own YGO GX. Yay me.

"Does this look hot to you?" Scowling, Aster raised the fragile tea cup to Chazz's reluctant yet didn't-have-much-of-a-choice-to-obey hand.

"And…what precisely is wrong with it?" Chazz replied through his teeth.

Aster rolled his as-always perfect cobalt eyes that every fangirl seemed to think were so entrancing. Black eyes were just as good. Onyx black. Black eyes were rarer too. As Chazz's mind wandered, Aster's words became louder. (After he realized that Aster was indeed still talking to him.)

"I said, can you hear ME?" Aster yelled.

"YES!" Chazz yelled back with all his might.

"GOOD!" the arrogant Pro Duelist shot back. "Now, that I have your full attention, may I comment on this horridly lukewarm tea?"

"What?" Chazz snarled. "I used the microwave and set it at least two--"

"See, THAT'S your problem, Chazz," Aster groused. "You do things the easy way and nothing more. I specifically asked that you use the teapot. Also, I asked for sugar cubes and lemon wedges. All I see is cream. Well, at least you managed to get that right." A dignified sniff.

"It's…just a cup of tea," Chazz attempted to reason.

At this, Aster's face grew quite ruddy. "Just a cup of tea? A cup of tea can make a bad day into a good day or a good day into a better day!" At Chazz's apparent expression of incredulousness, Aster thrust the cup at him; nearly scalding the boy in the process. "Here. Make it again! If you can't even make an adequate cup of tea, don't ever expect to get into the Pros! Or, should I fire you right now?"

Chazz tried to appear composed as he took the offending cup of tea back into the kitchen. However, once he was inside, he slammed the tea cup onto the counter so hard that some boiling water sloshed out. It was only the grace of God that kept the china cup intact and without a crack at that. Then, he threw the towel that he had used to dry dishes with against the placid white tiled wall.

It was only two days that he was Aster's student. Two days too long in his opinion. Sure, Chazz needed his "mentor's" help to get his foot in the door of the almighty Pro Leagues. Even his money couldn't buy that. But, why Aster wasn't teaching him the finer points of dueling or how to deal with a backlog of fan letters was beyond him. First of all, Aster wanted to teach him the "value of hard work" of all things. Menial labor, in other words.

As if being forced to live in the Slifer dorm for an entire year wasn't bad enough.

Grumbling to himself, Chazz drained the cup into the sink before filling the enormously important teakettle on the stove. Of course, he couldn't put the pretty ceramic teapot on the burner (which was sort of too feminine in his humble opinion). Instead, he had to heat the water only to pour it into the teapot which would be then poured into Aster's cup. How tedious it all was. Couldn't he just have a container of cold green tea like everyone else? Also, what sort of sixteen-year old had an hour or so put aside strictly for…"tea time?"

Still grumbling and cursing to himself, Chazz searched around in the cupboards for the lemons. He grabbed one before yanking a paring knife out of the drawer. Fiercely, he drew out his chair and sat down at the table.

How is cutting a lemon into wedges for an anal-retentive Pro Duelist going to help my future career?

Resolutely, he continued his task as the heat rumbled under the teakettle.

"What's taking so long in there?" Aster's loud voice demanded.

"Son of a bitch!" Chazz shrieked as the momentary distraction caused the knife to slip—right into his finger.

Lemon juice…burning…burning!

Chazz lunged himself out of the chair…which naturally caused him to stumble on the table leg. He felt sympathy for his poor shin before he lost his balance and fell to the hard floor. In a pain-induced haze, the teakettle whistled merrily above him.

"Chazz!" Aster roared. "Get the tea! Get it, or do I have to?"

Unfocusedly, Chazz's eyes roamed the ceiling. If he had the guts, Chazz would pick up that paring knife and cut deep.

Author's Note: I was always fond of these two together, but never thought it would fly. However, I was pleased as punch when I saw episodes 165 and 166.