So I joined up "ZK-Underground" over on deviantart and the Feb prompt of the month is "Tea". So thunking and thunking, trying not to do the usual (because I like to be at least somewhat different), the idea popped into my head last night and I present it to you here and over on DA. Yes, I had flash backs of my favoritest movie from my elementary days: Princess Bride. Enjoy! takes place in Ba Sing Se, Season 2, with our two fav firebenders moonlighting as tea servers.
Also, I don't own ATLA nor Princess Bride.
Oh Tea Server!
Iroh had noticed the young woman dressed in blue sitting at the corner table. He had also noticed the scowl on his nephew's face as he served her. It was the fifth, no sixth, time she had been in for tea. And the sixth time, his nephew sucked up his last remaining bits of pride and served her. Iroh noticed that each time she arrived, something would change in Zuko.
"Oh, tea server!" a scheming smirk on her face, seeming to rather be enjoying their reverse roles. Prince serving peasant. But she didn't outright say she knew who they were and for that Iroh was immensely thankful. She waved him to her, and being the good server he was, he made his way. Upon his arrival, she flicked her head away, chin in the air, "I want a cup of jasmine tea with one sugar cube and two biscuits with strawberry jam. Not lychee jelly. Strawberry jam. You messed that up last time," she ordered annunciating her order as if he didn't understand her.
"As you wish, miss," he answered between clenched teeth, the last word practically spat out, tray held tightly in his hands to his chest. Behind the counter he roughly threw the cup on the tray, practically slammed the biscuits on the plate and slopped the strawberry jam (not lychee jelly) into a small bowl. He ambled back to the table and, despite wanting to throw the tray onto the table to get away from that infuriating young woman, he delicately placed her items onto the table. "Enjoy," he mumbled.
Before he could completely walk away, he rolled his eyes when he heard her sing-song voice, "Oh, tea server!"
He didn't turn. He couldn't turn. If he did, he would have blasted her and ruined their cover. "Yes?"
"You didn't bring me a napkin," she said with self-righteous sugar dripping from her voice.
"I apologize. Let me get that for you," tromping stubbornly back to the counter, yanking the top napkin from the table and made his way back to her table.
Words as sweet as the jam in the bowl, "Thank you, tea server."
Iroh imagined them reenacting a prior battle with their eyes, or maybe it was caution of who was going to start this next battle. Or maybe it was something more. Stroking his beard gently he watched the two teens. Tea and a show! What could be better?
"Oh, tea server!" she would call out.
Zuko would make his way to her table. "Yes?" he would ask primly and she would reply that she needed something. A refill of tea, an extra spoon, more jam for the biscuits. Trivial things to make him come to her and he would do as she asked. With each request, his huffs and eye rolls lessened. They seemed to be trying to start something but never knowing how or when to take that next step.
She sat demurely upon the bench, window at her back shining its light upon her. She picked at her biscuits dipping them in the jam, popping a morsel in her mouth, and then sucking her fingers clean of any wayward jam or crumbs. Sipping her tea slowly from the cup, then setting the cup down she drew her tongue across her lips for any drops that remained while running her finger around the rim of the cup. Her half-lidded eyes flicked to Zuko as his did to her.
Finally, she took that next step that Iroh had been waiting for the past five, no six times that she had been in his tea shop. "Oh, tea server!" she called out sweetly, demanding his nephew's attention yet one more time. It was between rushes, so she and one other body were the only customers.
He cautiously approached, eyes diverted, body resolved to oblige whatever menial task she demanded, "Yes?"
She pointed daintily to the ground. The white napkin on the floor, carelessly fallen (with the help of her "clumsy" fingers of course) from her lap. "I seemed to have dropped my napkin. Pick it up for me."
"As you wish," he knelt down and picked up the fallen piece of fabric.
"Place it back on my lap?" she requested so quietly, eyes staring into him, searching for something but what it was Iroh couldn't quite tell.
"As you wish," he folded it out and cautiously laid it across her lap, slowly running his hands over the material so that it was smooth against her thighs. He could feel the shiver that ran over her as he did this. Glancing up, he saw the heat in her eyes. He felt them in his own.
"Anything else?" he inquired still kneeling beside her, ever the good tea server.
She quickly looked over her table, desperate to find something for him. Spying the tea cup, she pointed to it. "My cup has some lip marks on it. Clean it?"
He picked the cup from the table, the innocent bystander in their drama, slowly running his thumb over the traces where her lips had been as if running his finger along her lips. "There," he stated, setting the cup back on the table. She blushed and looked away.
"Thank you, tea server," the waterbender breathed. Just then, a rush of people entered and whatever opportunity the two young benders sought slipped away.
After nearly half an hour, she approached the counter, dropped the coins for the tea into Zuko's hand. Iroh noticed their fingers gently brush and both of their eyes softening for the briefest of moments before returning to their cautious hardness. The two teens' eyes trained on each other.
"Thank you, tea server. It was... delicious." Iroh noticed an unusual inflection with that final word. As if it was a secret the two shared. The non-verbal communication between those two was confusing the older man. It wasn't romantic (at least not in the typical sense). That was obvious. It was as if a truce was happening and the walls of negative emotion so long built up were slowly coming down making room for other things.
"You're business is much appreciated," Iroh reluctantly interrupted whatever it was that was going on. She smiled brightly and thanked him again, turned and walked out of their humble little tea shop. Iroh turned to his brews as the door closed behind her. Out of the corner of his eye, Iroh spied Zuko standing in place staring at the door with his familiar sulk, eyes emotionless, rolling the coins in his hand as if absorbing the heat of the hand that had held them prior, before finally dropping them into the drawer and getting back to work.
Iroh silently cursed the afternoon rush. Otherwise he would have told him to follow her. And not to get the Avatar, but something far more important. Perhaps tomorrow at tenth hour, just as she had for the past five, no six, times before.
this wasn't my best and I know it. I know I could have drawn out the tension far longer but something in me said "no, just finish it. too much will detract." and I had to agree to that little voice in my head. Something about dom Katara and servant Zuko that makes me so happy! I'm twisted I know.
Also I have come to the conclusion that I am, in fact, a review whore. The more I get, the more I get inspired to write. So it's win-win for everyone! So press that little button and feed my addiction. Maybe you'll get some updates to my other stuff.