'So you and your uncle work I a tea shop, and you hate it…why? I would love to work in a place like that' Sai said just as they passed a pot makers kiosk. The pot maker was counting the profits that he had made today while his son put away and covered all their merchandise. It had gotten late, that little Miri girl lived farther away than expected, almost on the complete opposite of town. Now all the merchants were packing up shop. The long walk left Zuko and Sai the opportunity to talk and get to know each

other. Zuko was reluctant at first to share anything about himself leaving the walk between him and the girls to be quite akward, but after 2 or 3 miles he loosened up. Just as long as he avoided details or anything personal about his past he was safe.

This girl Sai was more than happy to strike up conversation. She asked so many questions about him. Like what Zuko did for fun, what was his favorite color, who were his relatives, did he have any pets, did he have any friends, what he liked and didn't like about Ba Sing Se, just millions of random questions. Now they were on the topic of his occupation. He had told her he worked at a teashop with his uncle, and how his uncle was absolutely mad about tea. When she asked him if he liked working there he had honestly answered NO. This made her laugh, which was weird to Zuko because he was not someone who made people laugh. He was someone who scared the crap out of people to gain respect, not putting smiles on people's faces.

Zuko answered her question, 'I don't know why! It's a dumb job, with lousy pay, and our customers are dirty peasants' This made her laugh again.

'Well, I hate to break it to you, but you are a dirty peasant to, Lee' Zuko stared at her, obviously offended. He was the crown prince of the Fire Nation, and some girl was telling him that he was a dirty peasant.

'O comeon, relax, I was just kidding' she quickly added once she had noticed his outraged expression 'you need to stop being so uptight'

Zuko rolled his eyes at her. He knew she was right, but he refused to admit it.

They continued to walk down the dirt road, Sai had taken her shoes off and had decided to go barefoot for the rest of the way. She continued to talk about nonsense, realizing that getting information out of zuko was like pulling teeth. Zuko was more than happy to just listen to her gab. One thing Zuko had realized in the past few hours that they had been walking was that this girl Sai was more than happy to talk to anyone about anything. She would probably have a wonderful conversation with a tree if that was her last resort. He had learned a lot of stuff just by listening to her talk to him. She was apart of a group of nomads that had taken residence in Ba Sing Se after the war started to get really violent. Now they just went all around the huge city performing, which was easy since Ba Sing Se was one of the largest cities in the world, trying to earn any amount of money. (Sai scolded Zuko when he recommended they just steal the money, comments like that were the reason nomads and gypsies like her got their aweful, and untruthful reputations). She had no idea who her parents were, and had been tossed around between 6 orphanages as a little girl. When she turned 12 she ran away and met a man named Chong (cave of 2 lovers) and his wife, who recommended joining him and becoming a nomad and traveling the world. Unfortunately their travels were postponed by the war. Now Sai and about 20 other nomads and their families have taken residence in Ba Sing Se.

It made Zuko feel guilty that his family was the reason for so many people's suffering.

The two made it to the tea shop where Zuko and Uncle Iroh worked and it was time for them to go on their separate ways.

Zuko stood in front of the shop and turned towards Sai. 'Well,… umm… I guess ill see you around then'

Sai responded with a nod. Then the two stood looking at each other for an awkward moment as if they expected something from each other. Zuko didn't really understand what was going on. He wanted to leave but he wanted to stay at the same time. It was very confusing to him.

Zuko broke the silence with another goodbye and then a small wave. As he turned around to go inside he suddenly felt something on his right cheek, it was soft and warm and then it was gone. It had ended as quickly and as suddenly as it had happened.

Then Zuko felt warm air past his ear as Sai's lips whispered a goodbye to him and then left his side to walk down the dirt road on home.

Zuko took a moment to realized that Sai had just kissed him. It really wasn't a big deal, to anyone passing by it would look more like a thank you kiss rather than an endearing one. It was so quick too. Yet it was probably the most haunting feeling the young prince had ever felt. The heat where her lips touched his skin still tingled. Zuko was afraid to touch it, in fear that the feeling would go away.

He tried to keep his mind more on what he was going to say to his uncle rather than the tingling sensation on his lips as he walked into the tea shop. There Uncle Iroh stood wiping off the table with one hand and cradling a crate of dirty tea cups in the other. Iroh looked up at Zuko when he heard him enter

'Ah, there you are! I was beginning to think you had gotten lost. Where have you been all day?'. Zuko took the tray of tea cups from his uncle as he mumbled some rediculouse excuse about sight seeing. Uncle Iroh looked at Zuko with a peculiar expression as he watched his nephew take the dishes back to the kitchen, wondering to himself if the slight twitch in the corner of his nephews lips was a smile or something else…

3 days had passed since Zuko had seen the Sai girl who had run him over. Each day was spent trying to ignore the feeing at the pit of his stomach every time he thought about her. He continuously wondered about the kiss she had given him. did she kiss him or had he imagined it. If so why? And why did it make him feel so fucking weird. He was acting like he had never been kissed by a girl before. Zuko was the prince of the Fire Nation, girls were always throwing themselves at him, and he was more than happy to catch all of their advances. He just supposed he was acting this way because it was the most action he had gotten since he became a fugitive.

Zuko continued to work like a dog. Still hating his job and hating everyone to walked through the door. He currently was trying to take orders from people who were taking forever to decide what they wanted. Between the couple, they had chosen just about every tea on the menu and then changed their minds to something else at least 3 or 4 times already. They had chosen black tea, then green, then lemon tea. Then they decided on lilly tea and then one wanted jasmine but the other wanted it to and they didn't want to pick the same thing. If they didn't choose something right now Zuko was going to have a kaniption fit.

After bickering for 2 minutes they turned to zuko. 'What would you suggest young man, what is your favorite tea on the menu'

'zuko looked at the man with an expressionless glare 'I hate tea'

'o…well then…I suppose we'll have the jasmine tea then'

Zuko let out a huge sigh of relief and began to write it down and just as he was about to turn around and get the tea from the kitchen the old man changed his mind AGAIN

"ITS JUST TEA!!!! MAKE UP YOUR FUCKING MIND'

everyone in the shop went silent and the old man sat there petrified of the angry young man glaring at him a few inches from his face. He gave Zuko the menu and mumbled his order of 2 jasmine tea's and shrunk into his seat.

Zuko stormed off to the kitchen and banged his fist into the wall leaving a small dent. He was so sick of this. He wasn't a fucking peasant he was a prince for fuck's sake! The only way he could get to go back home is if the caught the avatar but instead he was serving tea to retards!!! He went to the back corner of the kitchen and sank down resting his hands on his knees trying to remember to breathe in and out, in and out, relax.

'Zuko'

Zuko banged his head against the wall harder than he had intended.

'What Uncle!'

'there are some men here to see you, come out here'

Who would want to see him? He didn't know anybody in this town.

Zuko got up reluctantly and made his way toward the front of the shop. As he passed the doorway that separated the kitchen and the tea shop he heard a recognizable voice that he was not looking forward to hearing.

'That's him boss!!' one of the 4 men screeched both out of excitement and anger

The 3 men from the other day were standing in the center of the tea shop, taking up most of the walking room in the place. The 3 men were all huddled around a much shorter, heavier man. The man in the middle spoke after staring at zuko for a few moments. Zuko stared back at the familiar face of the fat man who cheated him out of change 3 days ago. The 4 enemies that he had made that day were all here. What the hell did they want and how the fuck did they all know each other.

The hefty man spoke up. 'Hello boy, remember me'

'What the hell do you want', zuko was really not in the mood for any confrontation now.

The man ignored Zuko's rudness and walked around towards him. 'what, no polite greeting? Aren't you going to seat me? Serve me some tea?'

The 3 brutes chucked obnoxiously in the center of the room.

Zuko glared and kept silent

'well, im afraid I cant stay long, im just here to clear up a few things' the man said sarcastically. 'it seems that not to long ago you upset my men'

'so' Zuko really wasn't in the mood for this bullshit.

The mans face turned sour and a forced smile spread across his face 'well, you must not be from around here then boy, because you obviously don't know when to show respect'

'well neither do you, fucking worthless piece of shit' Zuko thought to himself. If only this man knew who he realy was then they would see who was having issues with showing respect. He was getting quite irritated at the man who was growing quite red at the moment, but Zuko continued to keep his cool, which was easier said than done.

Then the man inched forward and leaned over the counter as if he was superior to everyone. He still held his red color and tried to look casual. 'so, you gonna apologize like a good tea boy? Or are we gonna have to make a scene'

Zuko then noticed that the 3 minions had come behind their boss behind the counter and were towering over them with violent looks in their eyes. The medium sized man kracked his knuckles in a threatening manner.

Zuko's nostrils flared in anger. Were they threatening him?!?

Zuko leaned his head level with the fat man. 'Ill apologize when you give me back the money you cheated out of me and my uncle.' Zuko held back the urge to spit in the mans face as he told the man off in the most threatening tone.

The fat mans face turned a bit redder and his face lost the sarcastic appearance and was followed up by a pathetically menacing look. He then reached for Zuko around the collar of his shirt and pulled him across the counter until zuko and him were starring at eachother centimeters apart.

'Don't get fucking smart with me boy, you don't know who you're dealing with"

Zuko almost lost it when the pig touched him but still tried his hardest to remain calm. He didn't need any attention drawn to him and his uncle, especially after the Jet incident a while back.

Breathing heavily through his nose Zuko said sowly, enunciating every word. 'Get your fucking hands off me' then shoved the man away from him'

The man stared at Zuko in disbelief and with complete malice. He then turned to the 3 idiots that caused him so much trouble the other day. He nodded at them as if giving them permission and then proceeded out of the door.

The 3 guys advanced on zuko and zuko advanced on them. He had one fist raised ready to strike as did the other men. Right as they were about to knock each other out, Uncle Iroh came out from the kitchen and ordered them all to stop.

'Get out now!' Uncle Iroh was furious at the 3 men. How dare they even think of brawling in the tea shop!!! When the 3 men refused Iroh barked at them to leave more forcefully. Zuko would have laughed at the thought that 3 morons like them were intimidated by his uncle if Zuko wasn't intimidated as well.

The 3 men began to leave when the medium sized man turned around and shouted ' this isn't over punk, were gonna get you and your fucking girlfriend!'

Zuko charged after them but his uncle caught him and held him back. What few customers that had stayed through the little tiff were all now staring at Zuko. He was so restless and irritable right now that he couldn't take it anymore and stormed off back into the kitchen where he sank back into his corner and went back to breathing and thinking. He thought about Sai again and what the man said…he hoped she wasn't in any danger.

"stop thinking about her!! just relax!!'

In and out, in and out, relax.