Tea, it turns out, was a very serious venture. Iroh refused to tell her the name of their destination, and instead only provided her with the cross-street where she was to meet him.
Without a name, Asami couldn't really fret about her wardrobe or hair. After all, tea houses in Republic City ranged from open and sprawling stands—closer to a cafeteria than a restaurant—to luxurious and expensive establishments, like the ones her father used to go to.
Iroh's secrecy about the tea house, however, could also have been explained by the name.
"The Leaping Shirshu?" Asami felt her eye twitch, and had to fight to keep her expression neutral. The sign hanging above her proudly displayed said name, along with a reptilian looking creature contorted into a strange position. She supposed it must have been "leaping."
Iroh rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a sheepish look, which she couldn't help but find quite adorable. "It is an odd name, to be sure." He put his hand down and stood a little straighter, gaining a bit more of authority in his voice. "The first Great General Iroh opened this tea shop as his second business after the fall of Fire Lord Ozai. He chose to open shop in Republic City to help the Avatar and Fire Lord Zuko in their rebuilding and peace keeping efforts."
"But why the Leaping Shirshu?" Asami couldn't quite keep the giggle out of her voice this time around.
"I was told it was named after a striking young woman that the general was particularly fond of: a bounty hunter and one of the few people ever known to bond with a Shirshu. A headstrong and intelligent woman, as dangerous as she was beautiful." Iroh gained a mischievous glint in his eye. "Reminds me of someone else I know."
Asami blushed and looked away before he could see her smile. Though she was still unsure of the general's intentions beyond taking her to tea, it was nice to feel courted. Her last relationship she fell into easily, but it wasn't until later that she realized how little connection they had had beyond friendship.
In comparison, Iroh's compliments and his gentle hand on the small of her back made her feel giddy and light headed, like she was fourteen all over again, thrust into her first high society party.
Asami shook her head to rid herself of such thoughts. She didn't know what the general wanted with her, yet. Tea was tea, and for all she knew he wanted to discuss nothing more than the rebuilding of his fleet and the new effort to incorporate technology.
But while she was excited at the prospect to be able to talk strategy with somebody who would actually listen without getting impatient (as a certain blue-eyed friend of hers would often do), she couldn't help but want this meeting to mean something more.
"This General Iroh seems to be quite an accomplished man," Asami prodded. She knew a little of the first General Iroh, who wouldn't? The former grandmaster of the Order of the White Lotus and part of the small group who had retaken Ba Sing Se during the return of Sozin's Comet. But she enjoyed hearing her companion talk about him, especially the way his back would straighten and his eyes would shine with pride.
The younger Iroh nodded. "I can only hope to live up to my namesake. He was a powerful man, but also wise and honorable."
They took their seats in a secluded corner of the shop and Asami was momentarily distracted by the large menu of teas sitting in front of her. There were so many to choose from! Fruity teas to hearty Oolong teas to a spicier Chai to smoky Black teas, all with descriptions of their contents and origins. How a small shop could keep track of so many teas was mind boggling.
Asami snuck a glance around the shop, which was decorated in subtle reds and greens. Lanterns of a fire nation pattern were strung around the perimeter of the shop, giving off a low, flickering glow. Electric lamps with etched earth kingdom designs were mounted on the walls, giving off just enough light to read from. Since many of the more enthusiastic tea drinkers were from the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation, the decor made sense.
"You know," Iroh said, peering over the top of his menu. "They say that what tea you prefer says a lot about a person."
"Do they now?" Asami wasn't sure if he was making this up or not, but was happy to play along. She enjoyed being able to tease the general, and every time he responded in kind she was less worried about acting properly and happier to just let her own words flow of her tongue. "And which tea do you prefer, my dear general?"
Iroh coughed and quickly duck his head behind his menu, but not before Asami could see the beginning of a blush. She raised her menu up to hide her smirk as she listened to his reply. "I have always been a fan of the ginseng tea at this particular establishment. They have a spicier variety that uses ginger and pepper that reminds me of the tea my grandfather would always drink at home."
Asami pictured the former fire lord and his grandson sharing a pot of tea in the luxuries of the fire nation and had to stifle a laugh. As the picture morphed to just Iroh, clad in an apron, making a pot of tea she blushed furiously.
"And what does that say about you?" she asked, trying to distract him from her burning cheeks.
"I don't know, I've never asked," Iroh replied. He leveled his gaze at her and she swallowed. His eyes were still a burning amber in the lamplight, and his expression, while relaxed, was very serious. "Perhaps you will be able to tell me."
This was not helping her blushing. Asami coughed and looked back down to her menu, trying to decide which tea to order. So far they all sounded delicious. She was narrowing down her choices by only considering ones with animals in the name when she saw a waiter come up to their table.
"Welcome to the Leaping Shirshu!" The waiter was young and enthusiastic, wearing a green apron with a reptilian figure embroidered on the edge. His smile stretched from ear to ear and Asami briefly wondered if he ever got stuck with such a grin on his face. "Which of our lovely teas can I get started for you today?"
"I'll have your Ginger Ginseng Tea, please," Iroh said, folding his menu down in front of him. His eyes flickered towards Asami and she quickly glanced down at her menu, eyes landing on the last tea she had been reading about.
"I'll have the Dancing Dragon Pearl Jasmine, please," she read off quickly, before handing her menu to the waiter.
"Excellent choice!" he crooned. "I will be right out with your teas." With that, he sped off, apron flapping behind him. Asami shook her head.
Iroh coughed. "The staff here takes their jobs very seriously." He gave her a grave look. "If they didn't, they wouldn't get any free tea."
She chuckled and held a well manicured hand up to her mouth, briefly noticing that she had forgot to paint her nails their normal shade of red. "That would be serious punishment, indeed."
He laughed, a soft, deep sound that she was suddenly sure she would never get tired of. "You will understand when you try their tea. The jasmine you ordered will be quite unlike anything you've had before."
"I've never had Jasmine tea before," Asami confessed, feeling a bit odd to say such things in a tea shop. "We were never big tea drinkers in my family, it would always feel strange to drink tea after working on different satomobiles all day. Especially when I was covered in oil." At Iroh's sharp look she felt the need to clarify. "From the cars. Machine oil and grease."
He coughed and let out a strained, "I see."
Asami closed her eyes and could only imagine what sort of images her proclamation brought up. Her blush was returning. "What is special about this Jasmine Tea?" she asked, desperate for a change in topic.
Iroh cleared his throat, still not quite meeting her eyes. The topic of tea, however, was apparently able to restore him some sense of dignity. "This particular shop sells a very extraordinary jasmine tea that is rolled up into small pearls using the leaves and buds of jasmine flowers. It's a strong tea, with a subtle sweetness to it."
He was looking far too comfortable after Asami had made such a fool of herself. Oh well, she thought, nothing to lose now. She rested her chin on her hand, giving him a coy look over the flickering lights on the table. "And what, exactly, does that say about me?"
Iroh smiled, his eyes darkening as he met her challenging gaze. "Well, Jasmine tea is a green tea, meaning you are strong of character, but you can hide it well. The jasmine flowers add a touch of sweetness, indicating that you are kind and caring, but not so much that it diminishes your strength."
"Is that so?"
"Yes," he affirmed, leaning closer now. "And the dragon pearls are a sign of great strength of character and steadfastness in the heart of danger." She was subconsciously moving closer to him too, and could almost feel the heat of his gaze. "And they are also a sign of great beauty."
"Great beauty?"
"Unparalleled beauty," he affirmed, now just centimeters from her lips. She saw his eyes flicker down to her mouth and she tilted her head slightly, giving silent permission for him to move just a bit closer and…
"Here are your teas!"
Asami sprung back as if bitten by a lion snake and knocked her knee on the underside of the table, swearing loudly. At the startled look from the waiter and her companion, she bit her lip and lowered her voice, apologizing. She had picked up some cruder language from the workers she learned from while tending to her own racecars, but she normally did a much better job at keeping her tone appropriately ladylike in public.
Iroh's eyes crinkled at the edges and his mouth twitched up into a smirk, causing her to relax. "Thank you," he directed at the waiter, helping him hand a cup and steaming pot across the table in front of Asami.
"Wait!" Asami cried, just as the waiter was about to turn and leave. "I have a quick question." He turned towards her and eyed her warily. "What can you tell me about ginseng tea?"
Across the table, Iroh raised an eyebrow at her as he poured himself a steaming cup of tea.
"Our ginseng is an herbal blend, with spices imported from the Fire Nation," the waiter began slowly. "It is a spicier variety of tea, and is very difficult to dull with sugar. Our blend adds just a pinch of dried fruit to add a sweeter flavor to it, but it is very subtle compared to the spices."
"What is it usually used for?" Asami pressed.
"Uhm, well," the waiter looked distinctly uncomfortable now, but continued. "The ginseng plant is often used for…well…particular enhancements and virility."
She frowned, unsure of the waiter's meaning. "What sorts of enhancements?"
The man blushed bright crimson before stuttering, "Particular male…body part enhancements, my lady."
Iroh choked violently on his tea, dropping the cup into his saucer with a loud clatter. He hastily grabbed his napkin to clean up the tea while the waiter made a hasty escape.
Across the table, Asami burst into laughter. She gasped for air, putting a hand on her chest and doubling over. She couldn't help it! The answer had been so unexpected, and the general's response so embarrassed. She hadn't seen him so flustered since she had found him dangling from an Equalist flag on Avatar Aang's statue, pleading with her to help him get down.
Iroh glared at her as she straightened up, still chuckling under her breath. Everything she had been taught in her twenty years of life said that she should apologize to the general right now, and to act appropriately for a lady of her rank.
"Let me try it," she said instead, reaching over to grab his still steaming cup of tea and pull it closer towards her. Her father's voice echoed in her head, telling her that a lady would never reach over and try another's food, but she quickly banished it.
"I'm not sure that will have quite the same effect on you." Iroh remarked dryly, cheeks still red with embarrassment.
"A shame, women can also use enhancements."
"I think you're perfect the way you are."
Asami took a deep sip of the tea, using the cup to hide her smile. The tea was delicious, light and subtly flavorful. The spices danced on her tongue, leaving a pleasant aftertaste.
She pushed the cup back towards him. "Since you have kindly told me what my choice of tea says about me, it's only fair that I return the favor."
"If you say one thing about bed sports-"
"It means-" she began, effectively cutting him off. The general gave her a look that could only be described as a mix of a pout and a glare and she briefly wondered if his grandfather ever did anything like that. Surely not. She cleared her throat and started again.
"It means that you are strong and bright, like the Fire Nation spices in the ginseng tea. You are determined and easy to follow, making you a good leader and fantastic general. You are stubborn and powerful, but you have a good heart underneath it all."
Iroh smiled. "I have always thought that jasmine and ginseng were two very well matched teas."
"Well matched?" Asami busied herself with taking a sip from her own cup, trying to quell the giddiness threatening to rise in her chest.
The general blushed and cleared his throat. "I mean that the teas are similar, have similar characteristics. My grandfather said they were his two favorite teas."
"Your grandfather seems like a wise man, I'm sure he would know." Asami could still taste the spiciness of the ginseng on her tongue, and briefly wondered what it would be like to taste the ginseng on his tongue.
"What I mean is, well…" Iroh swore and her eyes widened. He put down his tea and reached over the table, grabbing her hands in his and looking straight into her eyes. "I think you are incredible, Asami. You're smart and kind and determined, and you challenge me like nobody else can. When you were in the South Pole, I counted the days until you came back." He smiled wryly. "And then I counted the days until it would be appropriate to ask you to tea. And now it seems like all that time was gone in the blink of an eye, with the way that you make me feel eclipsing everything else."
"How do I make you feel?" She knew she felt like she was floating, and she wanted—needed—him to feel the same.
He took a breath. "Anxious like when I'm sitting on the deck of my ship, waiting for battle. Completely distracted and entranced whenever you're around. You're the most amazing woman I've ever met, and each moment I spend with you I never want to end."
Asami knew she could never top that proclamation. Instead, she abandoned all ladylike virtue her father had taught her and leaned across the table, sealing his lips with hers.
Moments passed and she knew of nothing else, not the murmur of customers in the shop or the slow flicker of light from the candles. Only the soft feeling of the general's lips moving against hers and the heat slowly rising in her chest. One of his hands reached up to her cheek, thumb brushing against her cheekbone. She shivered in response, reaching around the back of his neck to draw herself closer.
When they finally drew apart, both with color in their cheeks and eyes still locked on each other, she smiled. "You're right," she said. "Jasmine and ginseng tea go very well together."
A/N: This chapter…I just…I don't know exactly where it came from. I had it planned out as something serious and it turned into a giant tea innuendo. This is what happens when my characters grow minds of their own. I hope you liked it.
The bit about the ginseng plant is true, and ginseng tea was Uncle Iroh's favorite tea in ATLA. Jasmine Pearl Tea/Dragon Pearl Jasmine is an amazingly delicious tea that you should try if you haven't already. The Leaping Shirshu is named after June and her trusty steed.
