Okay, a little backstory on this one. For those of you who have been here for a while and know of some of my works, I had written a trio of stories a long time ago (two one shots and a slightly longer form story). For various reasons, they were lost, but the oneshots were graciously saved by another reader, and re-posted. They got in contact with me to see if I had the originals, to which I sadly did not. So, I offered to do a re-write for the whole project. But after reading Sweet Cup of Jin and Heart Over Honor, the idea came to me to do them over in a different style. So, the two oneshots, of which this is the first, will be more like companion pieces, fleshing out the girls a little more instead of focusing on Zuko. Some parts will be similar, but mostly it will be all new. So when the third part comes out, readers will have the choice to read the (by that point) 4 one shots, or kind of pick and choose which they prefer. Sorry for the exposition dump so early, but going forward they won't be necessary.
Anyway, here we have Jin heading home after a hard workout with local self defense instructor (she likes a civilian title, even if it's not appropriate per se) June and stops at the Jasmine Dragon on her way home. Sexy shenanigans ensue. Thoughts welcome as always and hope y'all enjoy.
Shot of Jin
Rating: M
Jin x Zuko (Jinko)
Brian and Mike own everything, I'm just using existing stuff.
"Okay ladies, that's enough for today. Hit the showers, and I'll see you all same time next week."
"Thank you Miss June," the group of girls said in unison, bowing in deference to their teacher.
As the dark haired instructor left the room, the gathered women all split off into their own little groups, murmurs of conversation filling the room as they all took drinks of water and toweled themselves off
Jin sighed in contentment as the cool water slid down her throat, the chilled substance thankfully helping to extinguish the heat built up during the intense exercise. Out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of one of the girls she had gotten close to during the self defense class, Song, approaching her, offering a gentle wave in the other girl's direction.
"Oww. I'm so sore. Did it seem like class was way more intense today than usual?" Song said as she approached the brunette, her voice strained as she rubbed her fingers into the tense muscles on her upper arms in an attempt to relieve some of the soreness.
"Just a little. I wonder why," Jin mused idly, mimicking her friend's actions and attempting to loosen her tight muscles.
"You think maybe her and her girlfriend are having some problems?" Song whispered, cupping her hand over her mouth to keep her voice from carrying as she leaned in towards the brunette.
"That would make sense. They do seem to fight a lot though, so it must have been really intense this time."
"I just wish she wouldn't take it out on us though, honestly," Song whimpered, her body aching with each step towards the showers.
"Well, it just shows she thinks we can handle it, so that's good, right?" Jin supplied, trying to lighten the mood a little bit.
"I guess. But self defense doesn't really help if we're too tired to do anything if things get serious," Song countered, a heavy sigh echoing from her lips as she pressed the cool surface of her water bottle against her forehead.
"That's a good point. I just hope nothing happens tonight," the brunette murmured, placing her gym bag on the narrow bench as she set about removing the sweaty clothing.
"You're wild, you know? I'd never want to be walking around the Lower Ring so late at night," Song said, her voice ringing with admiration and worry for her friend.
"It's not that bad. It just gets a bad reputation, but the people around where I live are all really nice."
"So it would be alright to come over to hang out?"
"Sure, I don't see why not. I'd just have to run it by my parents just in case, but I'm sure they'd be thrilled to have you over," Jin chimed, her voice beaming with excitement at the idea of having a friend over for the first time in a depressingly long time.
The two girls continued to chat as they prepared to hop in the showers, both eager to wash the salty buildup from their bodies. As the water cascaded from their bodies to the tile floor beneath, the two girls sighed in relief, heat filling the room with a thick layer of steam that slowly relieved the built up aches and pains.
Once they finished showering, the pair made their way back into the changing area, towels wrapped tightly around their bodies as they pulled their more casual clothing from their bags. As they began changing, a mellow, folksy song began to play, Song pulling the phone from its resting place in her pocket before clicking into the converstion.
"Hey Haru… Yeah, we just got finished showering so I'll see you in a little bit?…. Alright, drive safe. Love you." Once the short exchange finished, Song locked the digital device, quickening her pace of changing a bit as excitement filled her mind.
"New ring tone?" Jin asked, the sound different from the one she was familiar with from her friend.
"Yeah, lately I've really been into this new band called Trustfully In Love. Have you ever heard of them?"
"I think I heard one of their songs once. It wasn't really my thing. A little bit too… experimental for my taste," Jin said, fluffing her hair a bit as she slipped the tight fitting black t-shirt over her head.
"Yeah, they're definitely not for everyone. But the music just speaks to me, I don't know how to explain it," Song attempted explaining, her voice uncertain as she sought to think of a solid way to explain the appeal of the light tones of the recently formed folk band.
"I think everyone has some music like that, so I get you. Like, most people don't really like listening to Bumi's flute playing, but it's so calming. It really helps me when I'm studying," Jin's voice fluttered a bit as she recalled the soft, cheery sound of the floutist's sound, a warm smile gracing her round features as the sound echoed in her mind.
"I can't do classical type of stuff. I need lyrics to listen to."
"You mean like the Rough Rhinos?" Jin teased, referencing the favorite band of Song's boyfriend.
"Ugh, that stuff I don't get. Like, their voices are so good, but you can never hear them over the ruckus they call music to accompany it," Song groaned, shuddering a bit as she realized she was about to experience a whole car ride with the aggressive music blaring through Haru's speakers.
"Hahahah. They're not that bad. You just need to give them a chance," Jin cheered, gathering up the messy chocolate tinted locks still slightly damp from the shower before sliding a narrow hair band through to create a loose ponytail.
"I'll listen to that when he listens to some pop music."
"That'll be the day." The two girls shared a short laugh at the notion of the notoriously macho Haru ever admitting to listening to something soft and flowery.
"You still don't have a phone yourself, do you?" Song asked, cramming her workout clothes into her duffle bag before hoisting the small bag over her shoulder.
"No. I don't really have the money for it. Things are pretty rough at home right now," Jin said, her voice carrying a bit of sadness over her family's situation.
"I could help you out with one if you want?"
"That's really nice of you, but no, that's okay. I do have a job interview tomorrow, so hopefully that will help. Though I do need to save some money if I want to afford tuition next year, so I have to make some tough choices."
"Oh, you got into Ba Sing Se University?"
"Yeah. It was close on the test scores, but I just barely made it. I got an offer for some financial aid, so that will help a lot," the girl's face brightened at the mention, heart thumping in excitement at the notion of attending such a prestigious college.
"Congratulations, I'm so proud of you," Song cheered, throwing her arms around her friend in a warm, comforting hug.
"Thanks, Song. I just have to really buckle down and nail the finals in a few weeks, and I'm pretty nervous," Jin admitted, hanging her rather heavy looking bag over her shoulder as the two girls made their way towards the exit of the cozy dojo.
"Why are you nervous? You always end up acing your tests, so you'll be fine."
"I wouldn't say acing my tests, but I do well enough."
"So modest. It's alright to puff your chest out from time to time… though maybe you don't need to do that, after all," Song teased, eyes glancing down at her friend's ample bosom.
"I didn't know you were into girls, Song. Maybe I should tell your boyfriend," Jin said playfully in return, lips curling at the corners as she caught her friend's look from the corner of her eyes.
"I'm not. But you have to admit, you're very… well endowed. Most girls would be pretty jealous."
"Jealous of what? Back, shoulder and neck pain? It's not all it's cracked up to be," Jin sighed, casting her gaze down towards the aforementioned fleshy globes, teasingly cloaked in black beneath the emerald frame of her soft cardigan.
"I think most girls just want to get guys' attention, so that's all it comes down to," Song replied, casting her eyes down at her own bust in slight envy.
"...it doesn't always help," Jin said sadly, her eyes narrowing in recollection of the one night she had experienced those few years ago.
"I'm sorry, Jin, I didn't mean to bring that up," Song offered, placing a reassuring hand on her friend's shoulder.
"No, it's alright. I need to move on some time. It's just… sometimes things just have a way of sticking with you, you know?"
"Trust me, I know. When you open your heart to someone and they just use it as an opportunity to hurt you. He's an idiot, and he doesn't deserve you. You'll find someone better, girl. Believe me," Song's voice brought Jin's eyes towards her, a comforting smile on her face as she attempted to cheer her friend up.
"I know. So what are you and Haru doing tonight?" Jin asked, eager to change the subject from such a silly moment in time.
"I think we're just going to be hanging out, watching movies or something. You're more than welcome to come with."
"Somehow I don't think Haru would be as alright with that," Jin laughed, leaving her meaning clear to her friend.
"Well, I'm sure he'd be understanding about it," the shy girl blushed, eliciting a widening smile from her friend.
"That's sweet of you, but I need to get some studying done anyway. I'll see you on Friday then?"
"Alright. Be careful on your way home, alright?" Song offered, eyes set with worry as her friend turned and started heading towards the train station a good distance away.
"Nothing to worry about. Tell Haru I said hi," Jin chimed, waving to her friend as she felt the heavy bass of his car's music as he pulled up.
As the pair drove away, Jin felt her smile fade, a dull ache throbbing in her chest.
"Lee…" she whispered, the name echoing dully in the cool night air around her.
Memories of their date surged unbidden to her mind. His awkward, nervous demeanor during the whole date. The somewhat forced, shy smile, masking a clear sense of self doubt and uncertainty.
The soft, almost unbelievably brief kiss.
Touching her fingers to her lips, the brunette could almost feel the sensation even all that time later, the empty feeling in her gut softening at the recollection.
'Oh yeah, that wasn't even his real name,' she corrected herself, having to remind herself of his real name.
Zuko. The name oddly fit him, though she suspected it would always be difficult for her to consider him as anything other than 'Lee'.
After their date, she had heard the rumors of course. They were hard to ignore even for someone like herself who didn't spend much time involved with social media, or taking part in gossip and hearsay.
Feeling herself trailing down a mental path she had no desire to revisit, she shook the thoughts from her mind, attempting to get her thoughts back to the good things going on in her life.
She had made new friends, had gotten accepted into a prestigious university, and June's self defense (or more accurately labeled "survivalist training") had increased her confidence in steady measures.
So what if some jerk had just bolted in the middle of a date, and left her high and dry without so much as an apology or a call or anything. It was his loss.
As she made her way down the street towards the train station, Jin felt her feet beginning to ache, the intensity of the night's workout combined with her having stupidly chosen her most uncomfortable shoes making such a long walk more of a chore than usual.
The heavy burden of her book filled bag was not helping either.
"Great, it's going to be a long walk," she sighed, wishing she had taken Song up on her offer of a ride home, or to the train station at the very least.
Looking down at her watch, she felt a slight sense of relief, realizing she still had some time to walk more casually and still be on time for the last train. For a moment she considered taking a breather and changing into her workout shoes, the comfortable sneakers doubtlessly being more beneficial for a long trek than the flat rubber soles she was wearing at the moment.
Before she could consider it too long, a familiar neon sign began to glow in her vision, surprise flashing in her eyes as she looked down at her watch again.
"They're still open? I thought they'd have been closed a while ago," she commented to herself, taking stock of the time left until she needed to be at the station as she considered stopping in for a cup of some calming tea.
Figuring it might just be a mistake and that it was indeed actually closed, Jin decided to head over to the fancy tea shop, her mouth watering a bit in anticipation.
The Jasmine Dragon was well known to have the best tea in the city, after all.
As she approached the clear glass door, she silently cursed herself, noticing the lone employee sweeping around the store. They probably were closed after all, and had just forgotten to turn off the sign.
"Well, I'm here, so I might as well give it a shot," she reasoned with herself, hesitantly pushing on the bar on the outside of the door. The distinctive ringing of the bell atop the door echoed through the otherwise empty shop, the employee groaning audibly as he stopped his cleaning and turned towards her.
"Sorry, we're clo-" his words died in his throat as he caught sight of her, familiar golden eyes flashing with recollection, hesitance and a distinctive desire to run away gleaming in the amber pools.
Jin's mind went blank as her own body tensed in recollection. A jumble of thoughts all sought her attention at once, a din of half baked notions rising to the surface in an irritating, chaotic scramble.
It was as though all the time that had elapsed since their depressingly halted date had not happened at all. All at once, she was back to being the awe struck teenager, eyes glittering as she stared at him.
The two years since the date had been extremely kind to him, his hair falling around his face in waves of lustrous black, framing his sharp features while hiding parts of his remarkably prominent burn scar.
Her heart began to pound in her chest, her mind finding it difficult to think of what to say in this situation. She wanted to be mad, to be indignant and furious and to just rip into him and get the answers she had been seeking all that time.
But that wasn't how she felt upon seeing his face after so long. All she could think of was the moment. The singular, special moment they had shared at the fountain that night. Her lips pulled into a smile, the emptiness she had felt during the walk evaporating like a small puddle beneath the beating of the sun.
"Le- Zuko!? Is that you?" she asked, her bag dropping lazily to the floor in front of the door as she strode the distance between them. Her stomach churned in knots, butterflies fluttering all through her body as she threw her arms carelessly around his neck, his body tensing as she pressed herself effortlessly against him. 'God I'm such a sucker. I know this is going to go badly, but…' she thought to herself, the oddly comforting warmth of his body casting those thoughts aside. "It's been so long, how have you been?"
"Jin. It's, uh, it's nice to see you too," he said, his voice cracking with nerves, so similar to how he had acted on their date. Jin fought to keep a chuckle from escaping at the sound. Her cheeks flared a bit as she felt his hands resting on the small of her back, his warm breath brushing at the soft bangs above her eyes. "Um, I have to finish cleaning up, so if you'd like you can, uh, take a seat and we can talk in a little bit?" he suggested, swallowing audibly as he shifted his hands from her back to her shoulders, gently nudging her out of the hug.
"Oh, sorry. I guess I just got excited. I'd like that," she answered honestly, taking a few steps back as her body cooled down with the distance from his own. "I really didn't expect to see you here," she added, tensing her legs slightly as she made her way towards the wide countertop, sitting herself on the polished marble near the register.
"That's not the first time I've heard that today," he mused, his voice nearly breaking into a… laugh? Jin blinked at the realization, taking in the sight of him fully as she kicked her legs lazily back and forth.
Two years was by no means a large amount of time, but the duration had clearly had quite a positive influence on him.
Gone was the tense, almost palpable sense of hesitance. The barely constrained rage and irritation was nowhere to be found. He seemed to almost be an entirely different person. She wondered to herself what exactly could have happened in such a short time to cause such a drastic transformation.
"Besides, it's past closing time, so it's pretty surprising to see anyone else here, so what's your excuse?" he said, his voice carrying across the shop as he swept at a distant corner.
"Well, I was on my way home, and happened to see the sign was still on, so I figured I'd see if you were actually open," she answered, a soft grin on her face as she watched him work.
"Sometimes it seems like this is the only tea shop in the whole city," he grumbled, the gravelly rasp of his voice still vibrating as pleasantly in her ears as she remembered.
As Zuko continued his cleaning, he leaned down beneath a table, an apparent effort to get into the harder to reach corners. Jin's smile widened as she caught a glimpse of him turning his head slightly towards her, a clear effort to look at her without her knowing. Deciding to tease him a bit, she brushed a few strands of her soft brown hair behind her ear.
A loud bang rocked the room, a recognizable cracking of skull on carved stone echoing along with a loud, intense profanity. Jin placed the hand near her ear over her mouth, an attempt to keep herself from laughing at the sudden outburst of clumsiness.
"Fuck. That hurt. God damn-" his voice trailed off, the more recognizable anger and annoyance thick on his voice as he rubbed at the undoubtedly sore spot on the back of his head.
"Are you alright?" she asked sympathetically, still fighting the chuckle that urged itself forward at his predicament.
"Yeah. I'm alright. Damnit, that hurts," he grumbled, sweeping the accumulated dirt into the dustpan before heading towards a trash can behind the counter.
Jin watched as he took a wet towel from a small sanitizing bucket, wringing the cloth out before heading back out towards the dining area to clean off the tables. Small mutters of profanity cropped up periodically as he worked, keeping the playful smile on her face.
Once he had finished cleaning, he discarded the towel into the waste bin before tying the trash bag off. "I gotta take this out, be right back," he explained, heading towards the back exit of the shop as she continued to watch him.
'He really is so different. He seems so much less awkward,' she thought to herself, rotating her body atop the counter, leaving her legs on the opposite side of the smooth surface. As he made his way back into the shop, locking the back door behind him, Jin felt the nagging thoughts regarding their date echoing softly in the back of her mind.
She watched, a near predatory look etched across her rounded features, as he made his way towards her, seemingly not realizing that she was now facing him. Kneeling down, he reached into a space beneath the counter top, pulling out simple red back pack.
Hoisting the heavy looking bag on his shoulder, Zuko came to a standing position, eyes widening in surprise as he finally realized he was standing immediately in front of the young woman. His cheeks tinted a soft shade of red, his eyes shifted from side to side, taking stock of the fact that he was squarely settled between her inviting legs.
"That looks kind of heavy. Homework?" she asked, a cheshire grin on her face to match the gleam of mischievous flirtation in her eyes. Jin could see the somewhat panicked look on his face, the clear look of prey in front of a predator. Her smile widened ever so slightly at the comparison as it came to her mind.
"No, not really homework. I did pretty bad on the last test, so I just need to study a little bit," he said, shifting his eyes forcefully away from hers as he made his way out from behind the counter.
"How bad are we talking?" she asked, setting herself down from her perch on the countertop to follow after him.
"Let's just say it wasn't what I was hoping for," he offered cryptically, an audible groan rolling in his throat as he set his bag on a large table near the front of the shop.
"That bad, huh?"
"I'll get a good grade next time no matter what," he muttered, clicking the key into the lock on the front door.
"I'm sure you will. So I don't suppose you mind if I study with you for a little bit?" she asked, the forced back giggle escaping its captivity as she heard him fumble a bit with the keys.
"I was wondering what was up with the bag," he said, a dejected tone to his voice as he followed her gaze towards the large green duffel bag near the front door. "I guess that's fine," he agreed, slipping the keys into his pocket before grabbing her bag.
Watching as he set her bag down before settling into a spot against the large pane glass window, Jin made her way towards the table, casually taking a seat directly across from him.
"So what are you studying?" she asked, maintaining her innocent tone despite the fact that she could tell he was shifting his gaze from her face to his book to her ample chest and back again.
"Is it hard?" she asked, snickering a bit at the gag of a cough that emanated from the young man in front of her, clearly latching onto a meaning she hadn't intended.
"What!?" he questioned, nervous panic on his words as he spoke.
"The class. I've never taken trig before, is it difficult?"
"Oh. Um, yeah, it's pretty hard- I mean difficult," he said, the tint to his cheeks darkening as he caught himself.
Pulling a book from her own bag, Jin set to her own studying, lifting her gaze from time to time towards Zuko, her heart fluttering as she noticed him doing likewise.
The pair studied in mostly silence for a while, the sound of lead scribbling on paper and the turning of pages the only sound filling the space. The occasional tug on the locked door followed by irritated knocks drew their attention, some people clearly taking the two people in the shop as a sign that they were still open.
After a couple of hours studying, Zuko looked down at his watch, loudly cursing at how late it had gotten.
Catching onto the source of his annoyance, Jin looked at her own watch, silently lamenting having let herself lose track of the time to such an extent. 'So much for catching the train,' she thought, sighing as she began to think of ways to get home.
"I guess it's a little later than I thought," she offered up, hiding her panic at the hour.
"Definitely should have called it quits about an hour ago. But I guess I lost track of time," Zuko said, sagging heavily against his seat.
"Well, since we're here, and it's late, how about a little tea?" Jin suggested, slipping her books into her bag.
"It's too late for that, and Uncle went home a long time ago," Zuko countered, likewise closing his textbooks before gruffly shoving them into his own bag.
"Hey, you can't just say no to a customer, can you? Besides, I'll make some, so you don't have to worry."
Zuko blinked at her in surprise, wondering if there was some kind of angle to her sudden offer of generosity.
Before he could respond in either the negative or affirmative, she had left, quickly making her way into the kitchen.
Filling the nearest kettle with water, she set the instrument atop the stove to boil. As the water sat over the heat source, she began looking through the various storage units for tea leaves, feeling the nerves she had been able to keep under wraps surface with full force.
She hadn't really considered it, but the two of them were alone. Together. In one place.
'Calm down, Jin. It's not a big deal. You've been calm this whole time, so there's no reason to freak out now.' she reasoned, hoping that logic would help to keep her from ruminating too much on the situation.
Filling the teapot with a measured amount of leaves, she waited for the water to come to a boil, the downtime while waiting allowing her mind time to click into action, taunting her with ideas regarding the situation.
She hadn't ever expected to run into him again, but somehow, she felt that meeting him that night was some kind of fate, something that was meant to happen. It was an unusual feeling, one that left her chest with a dull ache.
"What are the odds that the one night he forgets to lock the front door, I happen to be passing by?" she reasoned to herself, realizing fully that she was just indulging in a fantasy at the thought.
The loud shriek of the kettle sounded in her ears, bringing her back to the moment. Hurriedly closing the distance, she clicked the burner off, gripping the kettle's handle with a nearby towel. Using the method she had worked out herself, she poured the hot water over the loose leaves at the bottom of the teapot, attempting to eyeball the amount as well as she could.
While the tea was steeping, she looked for a couple of cups, setting them on the countertop while casting a glance at her watch.
Once the dark tea had set for the right amount of time, she tilted the spout over the cups' opening, her eyes instinctively closing as she savored the aroma of the delicious smelling brew. Iroh for sure had an inside track on getting the best quality leaves.
Setting the cups on a small tray, Jin made her way back out into the lobby, trying her best to hide the nerves creeping up on her at the situation.
"Here you go. I hope it's not too bad," she said, her voice taking a subtle shift down from its usual confident, energetic tone.
Settling back into her seat, she watched with nervousness as Zuko gripped his cup, seemingly eyeing the dark brown liquid with hesitation. Jin held her breath as he took a sip, hoping that her first time actually serving someone tea wasn't going to go down as a total disaster.
"Wow. This is almost as good as my uncle's," he said, setting the cup down on the table as he seemed to savor the flavor.
"Geez, you sure know how to build a girl's confidence," she replied with a hint of sarcasm, taking a small sip from her own cup.
"No! I mean, I didn't mean it in a bad way," he stumbled over his words, a habit she was wondering to herself if he would ever be able to break. "I just mean, my uncle is the best, and you did a really good job. I think he'd probably hire you on the spot if he tasted this," Zuko continued, his face seeming to show that it was his honest opinion.
"I know that, gosh. You take things way too seriously," Jin teased, a small giggle at his expense ringing out across the table.
As silence passed over the pair, Jin found herself working her fingers around the surface of the cup, its warmth giving her something to focus on other than the questions she found burning hotly in her mind.
She found herself wanting to get the answers that had eluded her for so long, to know why he had done what he did. She deserved to know, didn't she? Had she done something wrong, something that had pushed him away?
"You know," he began, his voice quivering slightly as he spoke, "if there's something on your mind, you can, I mean if you want, you can tell me. But if you don't I totally get that," he asked, his voice again falling to pieces as his gaze shifted pretty much anywhere but at her.
As though he knew what she was going to say.
The hold she had on her mind slipped, giving way and allowing the questions to force their way from her mouth.
"…why did you leave?" she asked, her voice a ghostly whisper as the words spilled out. Her voice shook, the emotions over the evening in question swelling to a point she had not felt since the event itself. "You were having a good time, I know you were. We had something there, you felt it, so why? Why did you leave?"
The dam had broken, the pent up anger and frustration and sadness all surging forth as the need for closure or answers or anything buckling away from any mental control she had over the thoughts. Jin could feel the tears stinging at the corners of her eyes, threatening to flow at any moment.
"It's complicated," he said weakly, his noncommittal response pushing her over the edge.
With a harsh grating of metal on stone, Jin pushed her chair back, leaning over the table to grasp his collar. His eyes widened in surprise at the outburst, his lips opening loosely as though to protest something, but she beat him to it.
"No! You don't get to say that. What's complicated about it? You were having fun, and I was having fun, and then we kissed and I felt something, and I know you felt something too, so no more hiding, Zuko. Tell me the truth, I think I deserve it." The words fell in a torrent of emotion, unable to be hindered any longer. She watched as his face hardened, eyes narrowing as he glared at her.
"And just what would you know? You don't know what it's like living the life I've lived. Having to always worry about every single little thing. Always being compared to your perfect younger sister while your own father despises your very existence. Always having to consider how your family would react to you being intimate with someone of a supposed low class, regardless of how much I might be enjoying myself."
Jin loosened her hold on his shirt's collar, taking a step back at the onslaught of words from the young man in front of her. Her heart began to beat quicker, her olive green eyes glimmering in the light from the fluorescent bulbs above them.
"You… you were really having a good time?" she asked, her naive, girlish side taking hold as she focused on the concluding thought to his little tirade.
"Of course I was. How could I not? You're so sweet, and kind, and patient and cute and all that stuff," his words slipped forth, as though a dam similar to the one she had erected over her own feelings had burst.
She watched with a nervous anticipation as he made his way around the table towards her, his eyes flashing with a light similar to a flame, glowing brightly against the pale, artificial light illuminating the shop.
"I thought… I thought maybe I pushed too hard, or made you uncomfortable somehow," Jin spoke, her heart beating a mile a minute as she watched him come to a stop right in front of her, her nostrils filling with the scent of hot cinnamon and spices wafting from his body.
"You didn't do anything wrong," he began, the gruffness of his voice sending pleasurable shivers surging through her body. Her eyes widened as she felt his arms snake around her waist, pulling her closer towards him. "I was just confused. You met me at a really confusing time in my life," he continued, the anger fading from his face, leaving only a strangely serene expression.
"Complicated?" she said, her fingers gently working around towards his own back.
"Now you get it?" he joked, a light chuckle sounding from his mouth.
"That still doesn't fully explain anything," she added, the tips of her fingers plying at the shirt resting on his back.
"Always having to worry about what people think, it sucks. But now, I'm free to do whatever I want… free to be with whoever I want," he said, his own fingers insistently pressing on the small of her back.
"What are you trying to get at, Zuko?" she questioned, her breathing becoming more labored as she considered his words. Was he really saying what she thought he was saying?
"I'm saying if you're alright with me, I'd like to try again," he said simply, his lips parting invitingly as he leaned down towards her.
Jin had no words, instead leaning up on her toes to close the short distance between them, placing her lips firmly against his. While she had often times since enjoyed the feel of their first kiss, the memory haunting her like an annoyingly insistent ghost, this one was one she would always remember.
Where their first kiss was chaste, almost hesitant and uncertain, the one she felt now was more electric, filled with passion and unspoken emotion. Jin felt like her entire body would turn to goo on the spot, a warmth surging from the spot where their lips joined to fill the entirety of her being.
Her fingers trailed up along his back, memorizing each contour of his taut muscles before digging into the flesh of his shoulders, seeking an anchor to keep her in the moment. She found herself not wanting it to ever end.
As breathing became difficult, Zuko broke the kiss, tilting his head back to allow himself an opportunity to regain a modicum of his composure.
"I've wanted to do that ever since that night. So can I take that as you being alright with giving me one more shot?" he asked, a nervous hesitance to his voice as he spoke.
Licking her lips, Jin felt her eyes hood half closed, leaning up to capture his lips in a deep, heated kiss for her response. Her momentum pushed him backward, a soft thud echoing as his thighs bumped against the edge of the table they had been using to study on.
Her arms slid around his neck, fingers teasingly running through the messy black hair at the back of his head. Pressing her body firmly against his, she moaned into his mouth, her tongue pressing past his lips as it sought out his own. The half lidded eyes closed fully, allowing her to enjoy the warmth of his body fully.
Jin could feel her arousal beginning to swell, soft, scintillating throbs echoing in her nether regions as she rubbed her tongue against his. The tell tale sound of lips smacking against lips rang through the empty dining area, adding a tawdry soundtrack to the whole affair.
Olive green eyes fluttered open as she felt his hands work around towards her ass, his fingers pressing hungrily at the pliable flesh.
"Feeling bold, are we?" she teased, her eyes smoldering with lust as she locked him in her gaze.
"We don't have to. Not if you don't want to," he said, his voice genuine as the grip on her round ass loosened.
"Zuko. I've wanted to for a long time. There's never been anyone but you," she said, her cheeks burning as she poured her feelings out. "Maybe it's just because of the way things ended, but no matter what guy came along, you were always in the back of my mind. I can't explain it well," she finished, her eyes glittering as they caught the white light.
"Jin… I'm sorry," he apologized, tugging the girl more firmly against him.
"You better be. But that's in the past. As long as you don't just run out on me again," she said, half teasing half serious about the matter.
"Not unless you run out on me first. Crazy does run in my family after all, so nobody would blame you." Zuko's voice cracked a bit, a notable hint of sadness between the words as he offered her one final out.
Placing her hand on his chest, she pushed him against the table, his butt landing on the flat surface with a muffled thud. The passion flaring in her eyes gave her answer.
As he blinked in shock, Jin slowly dropped to her knees, kneeling between his legs as she grabbed the zipper to his pants. The heat of his arousal was evident even through the stiff denim, the bulge teasing her with its contents.
Making sure to look him in the eye, the brunette undid the fastening on his pants, her face a mask of pure, unadulterated lust. With a deft flick of her fingers, she slid the button through the notch around the waist, the canary tinted silk of his boxers pressing insistently through the newly created opening.
Jin could feel a wetness beginning to seep into her own underwear, her body hot with anticipation. With a heavy tug, she pulled his pants down, not even allowing him a moment to lift his backside from off the table.
Maintaining eye contact with the raven haired young man, she reached her fingers through the slit in his boxers, extricating his scorching length from its imprisonment. The wetness in her panties increased as his full length stared her in the face, her mouth watering slightly at the sight of it.
"Jin, you don-" he was cut off as she engulfed the length of his manhood with her mouth, a soft moan coursing through the room as her tongue traced along the underside of the stiff organ.
Tightening her lips around his shaft, she began to bob slowly along his cock, her saliva glistening against the soft light. Jin's head grew foggier as she sucked him, his natural masculine scent throwing her arousal into overdrive.
She could tell he was enjoying the actions, his voice a mess of moans and groans as his fingers tangled themselves in the soft expanse of her hair. Reaching up, she pulled the tie from around the base of the rough ponytail, her hair cascading around her shoulders in soft, rippling waves.
Jin found her rhythm interrupted as his hips began to loosely buck against her mouth, the head of his cock bumping against the back of her throat as his natural instincts took hold of his mind.
The grip of Zuko's fingers on her head tightened, uneven growls and groans overlapping with the lurid slurps of her lips around his manhood. Gradually the thrusts of his hips became more erratic, a sign that he was closing in on his climax.
Not wanting the event to end too soon, Jin pulled her lips from around his shaft, a soft pop filling the space between them. Looking up towards her lover, Jin let the thin trail of saliva connecting her mouth to his cock droop, before breaking off and trailing down her chin.
"Jin… why did you...?"
"That's an easy one, Zuko," she replied, her entire body flushing as she came to a stand. In a veritable flurry of motion that she hadn't thought herself capable of, Jin undid the button fastening her own pants, swiftly tugging the jeans down her legs along with her panties.
The traces of her arousal were evident to his gaze as she stepped out of her bottom layers, her exposed labia slick with the traces of her nectar. Jin hurriedly discarded her thigh length cardigan before grasping the soft black t-shirt and pulling it over her head. She watched as Zuko followed her cue, lifting his crimson red band shirt up, revealing the chiseled muscles resulting from his years of intensive martial arts training.
Nudging him backward along the surface of the table, Jin climbed atop him, her mind unable to process anything other than the desire to get his cock in her as soon as possible. Placing her legs on either side of his own, the feisty brunette slid her slit along his length, the pair moaning in an echoing unison at the action.
Reaching down between them, she grasped his manhood, shifting it so that it was pointed directly at her quivering honeypot. Running her tongue along the outline of her lips, Jin began lowering herself on him, sighing and moaning with each steady motion.
Bursts of a searing heat rolled through her as his length slid deeper into her, culminating in a deep, satisfied moan as she nestled herself fully on the turgid length.
A small shriek of surprise escaped her as she felt his hands begin to massage the large mounds of flesh on her chest, fingers outlining the supple, inviting flesh. The shriek of surprise gave way to a heady moan as his fingers clasped her nipples, tweaking and rolling the erect nubs as he massaged her breasts.
"Ffffffuck. Not-ahh-fair," she eeked out, her mind fritzing at the combined stimulation rocking her body.
"Had to-ngh-get you back," he teased, his eyes scorching with a playful sparkle as she gazed down at him.
Not to be outdone, Jin tensed the muscles in her core, tightening the grip of her womanhood around him. Grinning in satisfaction at the guttural groan that rolled off his tongue, Jin lifted herself slowly off of him.
Rolling her hips teasingly, she worked herself against him, sighing and moaning his name with each stroke. The sensations emanating from her breasts amplified the pleasure scorching her insides, her mind going blank as she lost herself in the libidinous rhythm she was gradually building.
The periphery of her conscious thought buzzed with the knowledge that they were in a precariously public position, but the passion overruled the logical thought.
A bead of sweat rolled teasingly down her neck, trailing between the sumptuous valley of her breasts, sending subtle shivers down her arms at the feel.
Leaning forward, she captured his lips in a volcanic kiss, her lips sealing tightly against his as their tongues playfully nudged at each other. Jin found herself not wanting this moment to ever end.
But as the time passed, she felt the signature bucking of his hips against her return, signalling that his orgasm imminent. The realization sent a dull throb of pleasure through her own erogenous zone, her womb echoing the teasing throb with anticipation.
"Jin, fffffuck," Zuko muttered, giving his hips one final thrust upward as he began to release himself in her hot depths.
Biting down on her lip hard enough she wasn't sure she didn't draw blood, Jin pressed herself as fully onto him as she could, her body tightening and quivering as her own orgasm washed over her.
A loud scream echoed loudly through the cozy expanse as the biting of her lip proved fruitless, the pleasures rocking her body too much to keep contained.
As the tightness passed, Jin's body gave out, collapsing atop his as the two lovers both sucked in heavy, labored breaths. A thin layer of sweat glistened on both their bodies, the fruits of their intensive physical act.
"Ahh. That was worth the wait," Jin purred, her fingers tracing the outline of the muscles on his arm as his fingers worked through her soft hair.
"I'm glad. I'm really sorry. I have it on good authority that I'm an idiot sometimes," he murmured, letting his hands simply roam her sweat slicked body.
"You already apologized, so you don't need to keep saying it," she said, her voice a hushed whisper as she rested her chin against his chest. Taking a deep breath, she dared to lift her right hand towards his face, her fingers tracing gentle trails along the edges of his scar. "I can't even imagine…" she said, voice laced with sympathy.
"It's alright. I mean, it sucks, and it hurts from time to time, but the past is the past," he replied, a concoction of sadness and anger in his voice.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Maybe some other time," he husked, a soft smile replacing the momentary harshness. "I just want to enjoy this night as long as I can."
Jin felt her heart swell at the tone of his voice, her stomach a mess of butterflies and knots and all sorts of other teasing feelings. Stretching her neck a bit, she placed a soft kiss to his lips, wordlessly trying to convey the sense that whenever he was ready, she would be there for him.
His gentle laugh seemed to indicate that he understood, despite his hand resting on her ass sending a decidedly different message.
"Again? What have I gotten myself into," she teased, extricating herself from her perch atop his body.
"We do have a lot of time to make up for," he reasoned, sitting upright atop the table as he watched her gather up her discarded clothing.
"Oh, and we will, believe me," Jin said, winking suggestively at him as she slid her pants up along her legs, leaving the uselessly damp panties to the side for the moment.
"Something to look forward to," Zuko replied, following suit and gathering up his own clothing.
"Oh. Fuck," Jin cursed, the haze of lust falling away long enough for reality to crash annoyingly over her.
"What? Is something wrong?" he asked, slipping the button through the eye to fasten his pants around his waist.
"The train. I missed it hours ago. Now I don't know how I'm going to get home," she responded, fingers running nervously through her hair as she began to think.
"Well, I know it's kind of forward, but you could stay with me tonight? I actually live kind of close by, so we can go… together… if you want?"
Jin's body froze, eyes blinking as she looked towards him. The panic subsided, curbed by the bursting affection coursing through her.
"Oh, that would be a lifesaver. Are you sure though? Won't your uncle be kind of upset?"
"Have you met my uncle? He would probably be ecstatic and get set on planning a wedding," Zuko groaned, earning a laugh from his lover (girlfriend?).
"That's a good point," she added, slipping her arms through the sleeves of her soft sweater.
"Besides, uncle usually stays in the fancier parts of town. Business stuff, I think. Although he is always going on about Madame Wu, so…" Zuko shuddered as he recalled the mention from his uncle about a "hot date" that day.
"In that case, I'd be so grateful," Jin spoke, her voice bursting with relieved joy as she threw her arms around him.
"I figure it's the least I could do since I kind of kept you busy too long," he offered in return, his arms resting comfortably around her waist. "And no funny business, I promise," he said, doing his best to reassure her with a gentlemanly tone.
"Oh, are you sure? Because I definitely was planning on some funny business," she said, her voice thick with suggestive tones as she pulled slowly away from him.
Zuko's manhood twitched against his pants in approval as he followed after her, grasping the strap of his bag before pulling the keys from his pants pocket.
"Zuko?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you going to clean up first? That table looks kind of…"
Following her gaze, Zuko's face lit up with an embarrassed blush, with a faint trace of resigned irritation.
"I'll be right back," he muttered, setting his bag down next to the door before making his way back towards the counter to grab a towel.
Jin smiled warmly as she leaned against the door frame, watching as he grudgingly set to cleaning the table.
'Life does work in mysterious ways sometimes,' she mused to herself, her arousal sparking back to life at the anticipation of round two.