"So," June said as she and Mai left the shop with their bags of supplies, "I guess you're the girlfriend, then. Sorry for the mix-up, he showed me the necklace before I knew you were along for the ride."
Mai rolled her eyes, fighting back a blush.
"I'm just his friend. Zuko isn't exactly capable of having a girlfriend right now, and anyone who tried would give up after five minutes of his complaining about the Avatar," she said. "Like I told the Water Tribe girl, keeping Zuko out of trouble is a big job and his uncle's gotta sleep sometime."
"If you say so." June shrugged. "I gotta wonder, though, how do you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Stay sane when you're traveling with Prince Pouty and his creepy uncle."
"General Iroh's not creepy," Mai said. "Actually, he's the sane one if you ignore his little tea obsession."
"Really, could've fooled me," June laughed. "I didn't know sane people hit on women some forty years younger than 'em."
"Well..." Mai shrugged. "In the grand scheme of things it could be a lot worse. Be glad you've never met his father."
"I'll take your word for it," June said. "But anyway, your fighting back there was pretty impressive! Where'd you learn to handle a knife like that?"
"Back home I used to throw knives at the wall whenever I got bored," Mai said. "And I was always bored."
"Fascinating!" June smiled. "Well, those men sure are lucky to have you along."
*
Outside the shop, Zuko buried his face in his hands and sighed.
"They're talking about me in there, Uncle, I just know it," he groaned. Iroh chuckled, wrapping an arm around his nephew's shoulder.
"So what if they are? Why not feel flattered that two lovely young ladies find you that interesting?" he said. But when Mai and June finally rejoined them, their grins only served to unnerve Zuko further.
Spirits help me, he thought.