A/N: Hello everybody! For this collection of one-shots, I chose to participate in the Zhurrick week challenge, so you can expect a new story every day for a week :) this is the first time that I participate to a fanfiction challenge and I hope you will like it ^^
STORY 3 - ZHURRICK WEEK, DAY 1 : TEA
The first task Zhu Li had to do for Varrick was making him tea. Since then, tea has had a particular role in their relationship…
The first thing that Varrick asked from Zhu Li was tea. That was probably the least eccentric thing he ever asked and the only one that was fully voiced, instead of the standard "Zhu Li, do the thing". Sometimes, Zhu Li would think back of that first task of hers, when she just barely started working for Varrick.
"You're starting right now!" he said, "And it's just about time for my tea!"
Tea was serious matter. Any other person would ask what sort of tea Varrick wanted, because getting your tea wrong for the first time may influence the other person's perception of you. In those situations, people usually ask about the desired preparation of the beverage. With or without milk. Sugar, honey or none. With or without lemon. What tea at all.
But not Zhu Li.
Zhu Li could always count on her extremely well-developed sense of observation and deduction. Varrick would learn to appreciate it.
"Thank you, Zhu Li," he said once that she brought him tea. Perfectly brewed, perfectly sweetened.
Varrick would always thank for tea. Be it tea served in his office, in prison, or in a platypus bear, Varrick always appreciated Zhu Li's tea.
He only realized that they had never taken their tea together until they started working for Kuvira.
"Zhu Li, why won't you take some tea with me?" Varrick asked.
Zhu Li looked at him with a blank face, blinked several times, then said:
"I'm here to serve you tea, sir."
Varrick didn't know what to say. For some time now, he wasn't able to look at Zhu Li the way he used to. He started noticing little details about her, little things he didn't see before. He saw the way in which her hair moved, when she let it down, or admired the way in which she made her strict bun. He could see the sparks in her eyes when she was interested in something, despite her always keeping the same stern expression. There was also that green dress, which followed the moves of her body. Green was her color. And then there were her hands. She was his assistant; he could see her hands often enough. But he didn't really feel the need to look at them before. At least, not until now.
Another thing that he never noticed until now was that he never invited her for tea. What sort of employer he was? It had been years of their partnership and they still never took tea together. They had established that sort of relationship, where she would make him tea and it would end there.
"I'm here to serve you tea, sir."
It was time to change that.
"And what about you?" he asked.
"Sir?"
"When do you have the opportunity for tea?" he asked, trying to sound nice.
"When I want to drink some, I make some for myself, sir."
"But drinking tea without company gets so lonely, doesn't it?" he asked in a childishly whiny tone, getting up to come closer to her.
"If you say so," she answered.
"Come on, have tea with me!" he said all smiles and sunshine, pushing Zhu Li down on a chair.
He sat in front of her. Zhu Li was eyeing him suspiciously, but she finally ended up taking tea with him. After that, it became tradition. Tea was not to be enjoyed alone. Tea was to be enjoyed together.
The first morning after their wedding night, Varrick woke up before Zhu Li. He turned towards her sleeping face and suddenly, an idea started blooming in his mind. He slipped out of bed and went down to the kitchen. The first thing that Varrick did for Zhu Li on their first official morning as husband and wife was the same as the first thing that Zhu Li did on her first official job day for Varrick.
And Zhu Li woke up to the smell of tea.