A.N. I'd like to thank Sorrin.R.P and zukoxhottie for reviewing. When I get more chapters made, I might be selfish and wait until a certain amount of reviews, but I'm not that cruel. I will try to update as soon as possible. I get the most success with chapters when I write them late at night when I am tired and hyper at the same time. Like I am now. It's not a good combo. Not an idea for someone who wants to stay sane or on their parent's good side. Here's the second chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender no matter how hard I dream.
The Aang Gaang: Why aren't we in the story?
Zuko: 'Cause you're not special like I am.
Sokka: You're special all right, but not in a good way.
Zuko: If you don't shut up, I burn you to a crisp and you'll be Sokka bacon.
Me: Shut your traps, especially you two Sokka and Zuko. I'll put the Aang Gaang in soon enough. Until then, don't kill each other or I'll post those embarrassing pictures of you two playing "fairy princess" together.
Everyone else: O.o
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Tea Buying Time
It had been a couple of days since Kaiya came to helpout. And Zuko was sick of it.
It was morning, before all the customers came and before the teahouse opened. Zuko had completely avoided Kaiya up until then, and to his good luck, that was easy since she avoided him as well. The only words spoken between them were on that first day when she came. They hadn't spoken since. It's not as if she really needed to speak to him, Iroh (Mushi to her) had all the answers, not that she needed more then once. She learned quickly and didn't need help. This left some free time for Iroh and Zuko, not that Iroh needed it and Zuko didn't want it. But it was still silent. The most conversation he could get was from the customers. Maybe even a couple of words from Kaiya, but his nephew stayed silent. He couldn't have his nephew undo what he's done for him, so he was going to do something about.
Iroh's P.O.V.
Damn teenagers! I swear get more stubborn as the days go by. Well, I am going to do something about it. Iroh thought for a bit then grinned mischievously. I've got the perfect plan.
Iroh grinned even more mischievously as he "accidentally" dropped the tea leaves and anything to flavor it with all over the muddy floor while Zuko was out of the room, doing nothing but staring in space. A little while later, Kaiya showed up. Iroh had plenty of time before the teahouse opened to put his plan into action. (The teahouse opens at like nine in the morning and it's only six thirty.)
"Mushi, did you know that all your tea and stuff is all over the muddy floor?" Kaiya said. Iroh just pretended to looked shocked. After all, who would even think in their right mind that he would sacrifice his precious TEA for two stubborn teenagers.
"Well then, I guess we need to get some more. While we're at it, we can get some more flavors or choices to sell." Iroh replied after he seemed to have regained his composer.
"'We'? Who the hell is 'we'?" Zuko questioned while quite angry that he got pulled into it.
"'We' as in you and Kaiya." Iroh replied. Kaiya just looked at him while Zuko (Kaiya knows him as Lei) glared at his uncle. "After all, it is part of Kaiya's job to get tea leaves."
"And I have to go why and you stay here?" Zuko was getting pretty mad about this whole thing all over stupid tea leaves, but he was working in a teahouse after all and it was owned by his uncle who was tea obsessed. Sometimes he wondered what he did to deserve this kind of torture.
"Why, my old, achy bones don't feel up to it and I need you to have a say in the tea." Iroh said innocently. Zuko saw it is on of those things that you just can't win no matter how hard you try. So he signed and mumbled fine.
Come on Kaiya. Just go with him to buy the tea. Please make my plan work. Come on! Iroh silently urged her on. His plan was at a precious stage, it might be his only chance. And finally, to his luck, she said, "Fine. I'll go if you give me a list of what you need us to pick up and the money to buy."
Yes! Stage One, complete! Iroh silently cheered and gave her a list and a bag of coins. "Don't forget to come back with three new flavors." And with that, Iroh shoved them out the door.
Once they had left and were out of hearing range, Iroh couldn't bare it any longer and cheered some more, only this time out loud. Then he happily went back to cleaning up the mess that he made and dug out his big stash of tea supplies that he was going to used when he opened the teahouse for the day. He seriously doubted that they would come back with tea to replace what he destroyed, especially new tea. That wasn't at all part of his plan, though, as he though to him self, it is a nice reward. The whole idea was to force them to interact with each other, whether they liked it or not. And, as another bonus, he wasn't stuck dealing with the awkward silence between the two.
Zuko's P.O.V.
They were silent for most of the way to the market, or whatever part of the market was awake this early at seven in the morning. Zuko was thinking of a way to get back at his uncle and Kaiya was being a good little helper and thinking of the fast route through the market and where to buy the tea. When they had come to the market, he noticed that Kaiya was going a different way and she didn't seem to notice. Zuko was in charge of this mission, at least in his own mind. Kaiya was already pretty far away and absorbed in the list Iroh had given her. Zuko thought that she probably had it memorized by now.
"Hey, you! Where do you think you're going?" Zuko shouted at her while going in her direction. He got no response from Kaiya who just kept walking. Zuko had to shout again. Damn girl! If she doesn't answer, I'm going to drag her the rest of the way. "I said, where do you think you're going?" Zuko had yelled louder and now the market place was filling up with lots of vendors and early customers.
Kaiya had looked around before stopping to look at him and say, "Oh. You're actually talking to me."
As Zuko caught up with her, he ignored the comment and said, "Yes I'm talking to you. Where the hell do you think you're going?"
Kaiya looked at him like he had grown another head until she finally answered, "I'm taking a shortcut through the market and am on the way to a place to buy what's on this list. Why, do you have something better?" She looked at him like she doubted he did. Which he really didn't. Taking his silence as a no, she said, "I guess not. Well then, follow me." And with that, she walked off, leaving him to decide whether to follow her or find his way on his own. He chose to follow her.
Kaiya had arrived at a big vendor and was talking while Zuko caught up. "I think that's about it except for the white tea and our choices. That was pretty fast, I think. We can go to any vendor to look at new flavors. I guess we have the time." And then she took off around the corner, searching for the white tea. Zuko had to catch up with her, again and was getting more than just a little annoyed.
"What kind of white tea does he want?" She asked, oblivious to his anger. Zuko was starting to think that maybe Kaiya wasn't as sane as she should be. "Well?"
"I don't know. Try for some Sow Me." Zuko replied irritably. Then Kaiya turned to talk to the shopkeeper. She is definitely going to be a pain to deal with if I'm stuck with her every day. And why am I stuck on this shopping trip if I'm not needed?
Kaiya turned around and said, "Seeming how we have plenty of time left before we need to get back, might as well look at new choices for you and your uncle's teahouse. That's why shopping for what was on the list was fast, more time to choose." And after a few seconds, she added, "I don't like to waste time."
Great, she rushes everything. Zuko walked a couple carts down pretending to look at tea when he heard someone coming very, VERY close to him.
"Hi Lei!" Zuko whipped his head around to find Jin, the girl his uncle forced him to go on a date with. It ended with him getting a peck on the lips, ever he who never had a kiss before could say that it wasn't a kiss. What is she doing here? Is she freaking stalking me?
"I heard about your uncle getting his very own teahouse. Isn't that great? You must be so happy! You deserve it. By the way, I like our date. Got any plans tonight?" There was definitely something different about her. Either she was acting that way on purpose or she normally acted this way, which in that case, he never wanted to see her again. He wasn't so sure he liked their date and would go on another one so soon, at least not with her.
"I have plans tonight to help my uncle with uh… tea stuff, like now." Zuko lied to her. He didn't have to help his uncle tonight, not that she needed to know that.
Jin looked disappointed, but continued on, "Well, how about another night? Like tomorrow night?"
Zuko was now getting really annoyed. All Zuko said was, "I am very busy with stuff!" and then walked off, weaving in and out of the vendors and carts a couple dozen times incase Jin followed him and set off to find Kaiya who conveniently ditched him when Jin showed up. He decided that the only thing he was going to say to her was when he was wringing her freaking neck out for everything. He finally found her again, with a bored expression.
"Oh, you're back. Did you find anything at all?" She said bored.
Zuko glared at her and then replied rather haughty, "Yes I did, and also was cased by an annoying girl who is stalking me!"
Kaiya just laughed at him. "It is not funny! And where were you?!" Zuko said.
"I was getting away from the biggest floozy in this part of Ba Sing Sa. I've got the other teas so if you're done playing hind and seek with your girlfriend, we should really get back to the shop." Kaiya replied.
Zuko only growled in reply, and then answered, "Let's go."
Closing Time Later That Same Day
Iroh was glad to be free of those teens, but nothing of importance happened during that trip, except Zuko was glaring Kaiya and Iroh for the rest of that day. He hadn't really had time to talk to his nephew about and all Kaiya said was that it was boring. His plan had worked out quite like it was supposed to, but he expected some minor difficulties. He was still working on the rest of his plan when Kaiya left and after Zuko went to bed.
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Sow Me: is a famous white tea. Only young buds are picked, steamed and dried to produce this tea - it makes light golden liquor. From China.
A.N. This chapter didn't come out quite as I expected it to. I did a section from Iroh's P.O.V. for a reason. You never really see it from his sight or point of view. And before I forget, I'll have a chapter or two about Aang and Gang very, very soon. Another sorry for those who think that they fought, they actually haven't spoken since the second chapter and couldn't find a better word than awkward.
Hope you liked the surprise! The girl Zuko barely pecked on the lips twice (not kissed), Jin, will appear again and you'll get a chance to see from her view MAYBE. I'll be showing the story from totally different views for a change.
