Chapter 12: Rumors & Such

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Things had gone quiet in the Jasmine Dragon tea shoppe as Iroh made up two cups of tea and sat down with his nephew to play some Pai Sho. Though Zuko never much cared for the game, he would indulge his Uncle on occasion, especially the occasions where he had lost his temper at the man as he had early. The young boy pushed around a tile with his finger, his eyes not truly focused on anything, as his tea cooled and his Uncle set up the game board. His elbow rested up on the table and his head was leaned against his hand. His mind wandered aimlessly, replaying his fight with Azula, replaying what he had said about Sokka, replaying what he had said to Iroh, he didn't even notice the small bell that signaled someone coming into the shoppe.

"Did you come back for this?" Iroh asked, holding a small, brown, leather square up in the air.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and made out that his Uncle was holding a wallet, then spun around to see who the man was talking to. "Sokka," he said, distantly as the boy came rushing over with a huge grin on his face.

"Yes! Oh, I'm so glad it was here. I thought for sure I lost it on the walk," Sokka cried out as he took his wallet back from Iroh and stuffed it into his back pocket. "Where was it?"

"Under the table. I just spotted it a few minutes ago, actually." Iroh smiled back at Sokka and slipped down into his chair. "How was your lunch?" he asked, innocently, as his eyes fixed back on the tiles in front of him. "Zuko, I need that one," he said, pointing the tile under the boy's finger.

"It was fine...ish," Sokka answered with a grin.

"Ish?" Zuko snorted as he handed over the tile to Iroh.

"Yeah." Sokka let out another laugh, but snapped it silent as the door to the shoppe opened once more and Haru stepped in.

"Did you find it?" Haru asked, his eyes worried.

"Yeah," Sokka answered as he dug the wallet back out of his pocket and started to open it.

Haru put his hand up and pushed Sokka's wallet back from him. "I said don't. Lunch was on me. Least I can do for boring you to death." He gave a hearty laugh and stuffed his hands down into his jeans pockets.

"You didn't...bore me," Sokka argued, laughing nervously and putting on a clueless face. "Why...why would you think that?" He made a small snorting sound, somewhere between a cough and laugh, then shoved his wallet back into his pocket.

Haru rolled his eyes comically and shook his head. "You looked like you were gonna fall asleep in your noodle bowl, Sokka. It's okay, though, I get it. I did spend most of the time talking about your sister." He smirked at the other boy to show understanding and gave a small wave to Iroh and Zuko, who were both making no effort at hiding the fact they were listening to them talk.

While Iroh waved back, Zuko spun back around in his chair and folded his arms over his chest, then slouched down as small as he could get.

"Anyways, I'll talk to you tomorrow," Haru continued. "About something other than Katara. Promise." He laughed quietly and gave another wave to Iroh as he pushed back onto the sidewalk.

Sokka turned back to the inside of the shoppe and shifted awkwardly on the spot. "So...um, I'll see you... Yeah, see you when I see you," he said, nodding for no actual reason. "Later."

"Wait," Zuko called out quickly as he spun around out of his chair and stood up. "Can we talk for a minute? Just one minute, let me explain," he begged, his hand rubbing over the back of his neck.

Sokka shrugged, though Zuko didn't see on account of he was staring at the floor, and let out a sharp breath. "Yeah, sure. I can spare a minute for a coworker," he said, bitterly.

"Damn it, I knew you were going to do that," Zuko growled. "I didn't...when I said...if you knew..." He trailed his words off into an exasperated sigh and flung his hands up wildly. "I didn't mean to say that, okay? I'm... If you knew Azula, if you had any idea how frustrating she can be..." His fingers twisted up into his hair and his head tilted upwards. He closed his eyes tightly and growled at himself. "I'm sorry. I am sorry. I didn't mean to call you...not a friend, I was just annoyed and angry and t-"

"Right," Sokka interrupted, his voice simple.

"What?" Zuko dropped his hands to his side with an audible slap and stared across at Sokka with confusion in his eyes. "What do you mean right?"

"I mean that you were right. I'm not your friend. I barely know you and you can't seem to stand me," Sokka pointed out, his voice light and seemingly uncaring. "It's fine though. I'm not as needy and self absorbed as you seem to think that I am. Just don't worry about it." He waved over the other boy's shoulder to Iroh, then turned towards the door. Halfway outside, he poked his head back in and flicked a strand of dark brown hair from his eyes. "Wanna come over and hang out? Katara still has friends over and it's a chick fest. Could really use another guy around."

"Wha-what?" Zuko asked, his brow furrowing in confusion. "You want...but you just said and I heard that we aren't and now you want me to...you are so weird."

"I said that we weren't friends, not that we couldn't be. So...do you want to come over?" Sokka asked, his words slow and pointed. "I'm not going to ask you twice. Well...technically, I did ask you twice, but you know what I mean. So, yes or no?"

"Now you've asked three times," Zuko pointed out with a smirk.

"And now I'm leaving," Sokka said with a flourish as he headed out of the door.

Zuko cast a glance back towards his Uncle, who gave him a rather stern face and pointed decidedly towards the door. The boy made a weary face and charged out of the building after Sokka. "Wait, I'll co- You're awfully presumptuous aren't you?" he finished, once he spotted Sokka leaning near the wall just outside of the door.

Sokka poked at his lip ring with his tongue and gave Zuko a small grin. "Just wanted to give you a chance to make your mind either way," he answered, shrugging. "I live this way." He hooked his thumbs into his pockets and started in the direction of the Crescent Island Apartments. "Hey, so um...if two is a couple and three is a crowd, then...what are four and five?" he asked, glancing back at Zuko with the trace of his usual smile crawling onto his lips.

Zuko pushed one hand back through his hair and sighed. "I know that I'm gonna regret this," he said, already laughing under his breath. "What are four and five?"

"Nine," Sokka answered, the smile on his face stretching from ear to ear. "Guess they don't teach Maths here in Omashu," he added with a laugh.

"Guess they don't teach Maths, dork," Zuko mocked, laughing as he shoved his hand into the other boy's shoulder. He watched with a grin as Sokka caught his balance back.

"If I'm such a dork, then why are you laughing?" Sokka argued, still laughing himself, as he pointed to the huge smile on the other boy's face. "You think I'm funny, you think I'm funny," he said in a sing song voice.

"Nu uh, no, I do not think you're funny. Don't go saying that stuff, that's how rumors start. Today people hear that I think you're funny and by next week, they'll all be talking about us opening up our own comedy bar in Ba Sing Se," Zuko pointed his finger, mock-threateningly, at Sokka and gave him a stern face. He was taken aback as Sokka stepped up to the door of the apartment and started fumbling with the keys. "Whoa, you live here? This is like one of those retirement complexes where a bunch of- Oh yeah, you live with your Grandmother, I forgot."

"Yeah, I do," Sokka answered, distantly as he focused on the proper key. He gave a start when the door pulled open and Gran Gran poked her head out.

"I thought I heard someone out here," the old woman said with a grin as she stepped out of the way so that the boys could come inside. "Who is this young man?" she asked, her eyes taking in Zuko.

Zuko reached up and fumbled his fingers around his earrings on one ear while he twisted his other hand in his pocket. "I'm Zuko. Iroh's nephew. You know him, right? The Professor, I mean Pakku, he talks about you sometimes." He cleared his throat nervously and cut his eyes towards Sokka.

"Yes, I know Iroh. He talks about you often," Kanna answered, though her voice left no indication as to if she thought this a good or bad thing to have the boy in her home. "I've just made some fried dough if you'd like any."

Sokka was in the kitchen before his Gran Gran had even finished the offer. He beamed at his sister, Jin and Suki as he spotted them all sitting around the table, chatting away. "Since you girls are in here, the rooms mine," he said quickly, ignoring the cry of protest that came from his sister. He snagged a plate from the cupboard and quickly knocked enough of the fresh treat onto in for both himself and Zuko.

"I know you can't eat all of those. You eat a lot, but Sokka," Katara said rolling her eyes at him.

"I have company," Sokka sighed, making a face at his sister.

"Is it Jet?" she asked, quickly, catching hold of Sokka's arm.

"No, it isn't," he answered, pulling from her grip and charging back into the entryway where Zuko was looking rather uncomfortable next to a smirking Kanna. "Come on, the females are in the kitchen, we can have the room." Sokka shoved the filled plate into Zuko's hands and grabbed his shoulders from behind, then push steered him towards the bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door and took the plate back from Zuko. "Thith i' my chide," he said, his mouth already full of the powdered sugar dusted fried dough. He dropped the plate onto his desk, on top of a scattered pile of skateboarding magazines.

"You...share a room with your sister? Isn't that a little awkward?" Zuko asked, staring with wide eyes at the large flowers donning Katara's walls.

"Not really, we've shared a room since she was born. Beside, this is just a two bedroom place. Gran Gran was going to let Katara have her room and sleep on the couch, but we wouldn't let her. It's enough that she' letting us stay, we're not gonna put her out," Sokka answered as he dropped heavily onto his bed, then scampered up to retrieve another sweet and got back into position at the top of his bed, his legs tucked under him. "Try one."

Zuko picked up a treat and perched himself on the end of Sokka's bed. "Why do you...well I just...I was wondering why you live here. Like...where are your parents? You don't have to answer that, I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry," he corrected himself, staring down at the fried dough in his hand and breaking off a tiny piece of it.

"Is okay," Sokka said, his mouth full once again. He sped up his chewing and swallowed before answering. "Dad's off fighting the war. He's a General."

"Uncle was a General, back in his day," Zuko interjected with a grin, finally looking up at Sokka.

"Really? He doesn't strike me as the military type." Sokka pointed towards the plate and patted the bed when Zuko picked it up.

"What about your...mom?" Zuko asked, his eyes darting to the plate as he placed it where Sokka's hand had been.

Sokka picked up another piece of fried dough and held it between his fingers. "She's dead. It was twelve years ago, so it isn't a fresh wound or anything." He nodded and stuffed the dough into his mouth, eagerly.

"So you came here when your dad went to war? That doesn't make since, if he's a General..." Zuko let his words trail off when Sokka shook his head.

"Dad's been in the military since before I was born. His last leave was two years ago, haven't actually seen him since then. We were living with a buddy of his on the base. Bato was his best friend growing up, so he knew we were safe. He left the service about six years ago, but the others, they got him to agree to serve tour, so we came to stay here." Sokka held out his hands to indicate the apartment.

"Still, I couldn't imagine having to share a room with my sister. Ever. Not even for a day. We would rip each other apart." Zuko forced a laugh and stuffed his mouth with another sweet.

"Well, I met that sister of yours and I can tell you, Katara is not like that. We may bicker and snap, but your sister just seemed..." Sokka gave a shudder in lieu of finishing his words, causing Zuko to laugh out genuinely. "You think I'm funny, you think I'm funny, okay, shushing," Sokka said, holding his hands up when Zuko pointed at him threateningly again. "Wanna listen to music?" he asked, not waiting for an answer to flick on the stereo.

The music only, tail end of a song faded out and was followed by a man's voice. "That was the latest by the Five-Seven-Five Club, I hope you enjoyed it. You are listening to Midday Madness with the Hippo-"

"-and The Boooouuldeeeeer-"

"-bringing you steady tunes to get you through the midday slump. This next one is by the B-"

The sound of the Hippo's voice was over powered by Sokka. "You know that Blind Bandit chick? Do you think she's really blind?"

"What?" Zuko asked, turning his attention from the radio to Sokka.

"Do you think that she's blind? The Blind Bandit, do you think that she is really blind or is it just a statement that she's blind to the commercialism and so called trends of today's society?"

"Oh, the Blind Bandit? No, she' really blind," Zuko answered with sincerity. "So I've heard," he added quickly, looking away from Sokka's face. "You know...rumors and such..."


A Note From the Author: Don't you guys just LOVE it when I leave you with more questions? Like...how does Zuko know that the Blind Bandit (AKA Toph) is really blind? So anyways, it seems like Zuko and Sokka just might actually manage a friendship. In case you aren't exactly following the time line, it is just after lunch now, there will at least one more chapter to this day and then it will be Monday, which, if you recall...the first class will include Zuko, Jet and Sokka. How do you think that this potentially budding friendship will fair against the unwavering advances of Jet? :D -Jenna