A/N: Hi, and welcome! I hope you enjoy this story I've had ~brewing in my head for a while :)
Katara sat slumped in her chair, one hand propping up her chin, the other listlessly scribbling down notes in her favorite blue Kokyo Campus notebook. Afternoon sunbeams filtered through the tall windows, teasing her for being stuck inside a dreary classroom. With something akin to desperation she glanced at the clock on the wall. Four minutes to three, which meant four minutes to freedom, and the only thing standing in her way was the infamous Professor Feng lecturing endlessly about World Politics.
His voice was so monotone and his gaze so hypnotizing she often felt on the verge of falling asleep, and she wasn't the only one. Katara willed herself to pay attention for the last few minutes, blearily wondering how Professor Feng managed to take such an interesting topic and turn it into a class she couldn't wait to get out of.
"Well, it appears that is all we have the time for today," he finally intoned.
Immediately, the entire class began to perk up. "Please come prepared on Thursday to discuss Lord Ruko's seminal autobiography, from chapters 1-8. I will be sending out an email with discussion questions, so make sure to read through those as well. As a reminder, I will be holding office hours tomorrow if you would like to ask any questions prior to our next class," he continued at the same pace, heedless of his forty-odd students anxious for release.
Come on, come on! You're already three minutes over, just let us go already…
"That is all. You are dismissed." A collective sigh of relief, and then as if on cue the formerly still room was filled with motion.
Yes! In a flash, Katara packed away her notebook and trusty Muji pens, furiously zipped up her backpack, and ran out the door. She practically flew down the stairwell and barged through the glass doors, then walked at a more reasonable pace down the quad. All around her, students flowed from one class to another, or headed back to their dorms. Many were dressed in the colors of their respective university sorted Houses, red for Fire, blue for Water, green for Earth, and white for Air House. She, of course, wore her classic blue dress with white accents –a piece both functional and comfortable.
Squinting at her phone through the glare, Katara opened up Kingdom Maps and typed in "The Jasmine Dragon," then let the blue line guide her through the little college town right next to Ba Sing Se University. Already halfway through her second year, Katara had never actually ventured this far into the Lower Circle, so called because it stood at the bottom of a hill. Her mission today was to scope out the popular new tea shop and see if it fit The Gang's "vibes," as her brother liked to say.
She frowned slightly, remembering Sokka's jibe the night before.
"Wait, she gets to go first? Since when do we send the grouch to investigate a hangout spot?" He had gotten a solid punch to the shoulder for that one, and since he had his fencing lessons, Toph and Aang had class, and Suki was working, Katara was the only one free. Besides, even though she had been a little tense recently, what with taking five classes a semester, being co-captain of the Ba Sing Se Swim Team, and a general member of the mixed martial arts club... you couldn't call her a grouch. At least, not to her face.
Admittedly it had been a tough week, and there was still one more day to go. Yet another reason why she was more than ready to try a nice cup of calming jasmine tea.
One brisk walk later, Katara stopped in front of cute little shop, almost full despite it being half past three on a Thursday. Over the entrance was a logo of two intertwined dragons surrounding a white flower, all on a background of emerald green. Although she would never admit it, graphic design was one of Katara's secret passions, and she mentally took note of the logo's elegant shape as she pushed open the glass door. The soft tinkling of a wind chime accompanied her entrance, making her smile. Several simple wooden tables lined the walls, and a lush green carpet cushioned her feet as she stepped in, looking around at the customers sitting and chatting over steaming cups of tea and little cakes.
Wow, they even have pastries? Hmm… I'd better try one so that I can give a more comprehensive review later. Katara liked this rationalization, and grew even more enamored with it as she examined the tempting row of cakes and tarts on display. By the time she reached the front of the line she had finally settled on a small three-layer green tea mousse cake.
"Welcome to my tea shop!" boomed a voice in front of her. She looked up and met the smiling face of a portly, grey-haired man, dressed in a simple but comfortable looking uniform. Despite his apparent age, he moved with surprising energy and grace, and Katara couldn't help but immediately take a liking to him. He both looked like a quintessential grandfather type, speaking with a gravelly warmth in every word.
"I think you must be a new customer!" he continued. "My name is Iroh, and I am happy to take your order. If you have had a long day and would like to relax, you have come to the right place."
"Thank you Mr. Iroh," she replied, wondering at how he had immediately sensed her feelings. "I'd like one cup of the House Special Jasmine Tea, please, and one of the green tea cakes."
He raised a friendly eyebrow. "Please, please, just Iroh is fine. I must say, you have fine taste –that particular cake is also the favorite of my nephew. Here, take this and one of our servers will bring your order in no time at all," Iroh said, handing over a numbered metal stand.
With a quick smile and mental images of a cute little boy with cake, she set off to take the last available corner table. Katara sank gratefully down onto the wooden seat, feeling her stress begin to melt away with the gentle atmosphere of the tea shop. She took a moment just to breathe and let her mind wander. But she hadn't just come to drink tea, and so, with a sigh, she pulled out a slightly battered textbook and a green notebook –of course, all her subjects were color coded. Well, at least Marine Ecology was a subject she actually enjoyed. Flipping to chapter thirteen, she began to read up on the formation of coral reefs.
Three paragraphs in, she saw the flash of a cup and saucer in her peripheral vision. Subconsciously she took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance of the tea and letting it seep over her body. A quick sip was enough to assure her of its taste, as well as its scalding temperature. And there was the cake too, a scrumptious looking affair with delicate layers of mousse and crepe, topped with chocolate shavings. She turned to thank the server just as he began to walk away.
Their gazes met, Katara's heart skipped a beat, and the "thank you" died on her lips.
She stared in open astonishment at the young man she instantly knew, the amber eyes that mirrored her own surprise. Katara immediately felt her adrenaline kicking in. For a long moment, while the hum of the shop faded into the background and his face was thrown into sharp focus, neither said a word.
He had changed since she had last seen him; that messy black hair was longer, those broad shoulders seemed more relaxed. One hand curled around a metal stand, the other supported a tray half full of empty cups. Dressed in the standard shop uniform and a tidy white apron, he could almost be mistaken for someone else entirely. But the burn scar was still the same, and she could never forget the eyes that had once glared at her so fiercely.
"You –you work here?" she whispered, knowing as soon as she said it that there would be no backing down.
Zuko, for of course it was Zuko, didn't reply immediately. For a moment, Katara thought he was just going to walk away. His previously relaxed shoulders were now tense, and the metal stand suddenly looked more like a weapon. Unidentifiable emotions flickered through his face but receded almost as quickly, leaving a stoic blankness in their wake.
"Yes," he answered finally, cracking open the delicate silence. His voice was tight, as if covering for another emotion –fear, perhaps? Surprise? But before she could even draw breath to reply he spun away with a sharp twist of the shoulders, vanishing through a curtain panel into the back of the store.
Slowly, Katara turned back to her seat. Her mind was racing, she could feel her heartbeat thumping in her chest. As if on autopilot her hands reached for the tea, and she carefully drank in a slow trickle. What was she supposed to make of that? The whole exchange had only lasted a few seconds, but left a small hurricane in its wake. Unbidden, memories began to bubble up and resurface. She thought back to the beginning of the year's fall semester, and the moment she realized that the intense boy in her Ethics of Business class was the son of the oil magnate Ozai. The same man who ruled over Phoenix Rising Corporation with an iron fist, whom employees had nicknamed Lord Ozai for his overbearing demeanor. Zuko's father ran the powerful company that was threatening to build a giant new pipeline through her hometown –one that would destroy the natural life for miles around, that would pollute the beautiful rivers and lakes of her childhood, not to mention their drinking water. They had seen it all play out before. Phoenix Rising had already destroyed Aang's once-peaceful home in the mountains, and had sent him, lost and hurting, to start a new life with Katara and her brother.
And although she had initially tried to see the best in Zuko, their debates in class had quickly become infamous for sharp words and rancor. He seemed to care only for the success of his father's company, heedless of the human cost and environmental damage that came with "progress." Over the course of the semester, she had come to associate his face with the enemy, with those that wanted to tear her world apart. But what hurt most was that she had once sensed something different in him, had felt a connection –right before he betrayed her. He had rushed to join his father and sister to bring charges against Aang, still only a first year in university, for defamation against Phoenix Rising. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.
Taking in a few deep breaths, Katara tried to calm herself down. It had been several months since they had last met, and she hadn't expected this sudden rush of anger and hurt. He's not worth it, she told herself. Once she finished the tea and cake, she would go and study somewhere else.
Tragically, both of her purchases went far beyond her expectations. She had hoped that they would be mediocre so she could afterwards avoid the shop for all eternity, but with every sip and every bite of fluffy just-sweet-enough cake her resolve weakened. She could almost forget that the whole encounter with Zuko had even happened. Almost. With one last appreciative glance at her now empty plate, Katara began to pack up her things. As she returned the dishes to the front counter, Iroh walked over and beamed.
Man, how is he always in such a good mood?
"I hope you enjoyed your tea, Katara. The Jasmine is one of my favorite blends, although I must admit to having many favorites!" He laughed, and she felt her spirits rise in response.
"I loved it!" she replied with complete honesty. "It's one of the best I've tried, and I've been to a few tea shops around here."
Iroh's eyes twinkled with pride. "Ah, that is incredible to hear, and particularly from someone as well versed in the art of tea as you are." He hesitated for a moment. "By the way, I saw that you met my nephew today. He said that you two had taken a class together, and it seems to have left a very strong impression."
For the second time that day, Katara did a double take. Zuko was this man's nephew? The cold, arrogant boy she met last semester was related to the owner of this tea shop? With rising horror, another thought came into her mind.
She had picked his favorite cake?
"Oh, right," she said, stumbling over her words. "It was a… really interesting class. I'd, uh, better be off now! My friends are expecting me back home."
"Please do come back soon!" Iroh called encouragingly as she made for the door. She nodded back at him, but her heart was sinking. How could she come back to this place, wonderful as it was, when she might see Zuko at any moment? As she left the shop, Katara had only one clear thought in a mental sea of confusion.
This called for a serious meeting of The Gang.
A/N: And.. there it is! If you have any thoughts, whether you enjoyed it, or have any constructive criticism, I would love to hear it! All reviews are very much appreciated. Until next time...