Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Author's Note: Here's a small treat for my readers. Not a vital chapter, just for fun and insight. Enjoy.
[Leaves from the vine falling so slow,
Like fragile, tiny shells drifting in the foam.
Little soldier boy, come marching home.
Brave soldier boy comes marching home.]
"Uncle, we have a problem!" Zuko hissed under his breath. He stepped behind the counter of the tea shop that he and Iroh worked in to converse with his uncle more privately. Iroh turned his head towards Zuko to indicate that he intended to listen to Zuko's complaints and worries with patient ears.
"What is it, my nephew?" Iroh murmured to Zuko as he stepped down from the ladder from which he stood. He placed the box he held in his hand onto the counter that stood before him, and looked Zuko in the eye while he waited for Zuko to explain his story.
"One of the customers is onto us," Zuko whispered, just loud enough for Iroh to hear him. He glanced over his should to take a peek at someone sitting inside the tea shop, and then turned back to his uncle. Iroh followed his gaze, and smiled lightly when he saw Zuko staring at a young woman sitting at a table in the farthest corner of their teashop.
"Don't look now, but that girl sitting in the corner knows we're fire nation," Zuko hissed, urging his uncle to withdraw his gaze from the young lady. Iroh chuckled, and turned around so he could no longer look at the girl, like his nephew had wished.
"I think you may be right Zuko- I see that girl in here a lot. If you ask me, I'd say she has quite the crush on you!" Iroh announced, and released a short boom of laughter afterwards. Zuko let out a sound of utter confusion, shock, and slight disgust as he took in his uncle's words. However, he was unable to come up with a retort, for the girl had approached the counter, hindering him from saying anything else about her.
"Thank you for the tea," the girl said, and held out a few silver coins. Zuko swiftly took them from her hand, and turned around, avoiding all eye contact with her. He placed the coins into a wooden box that they used to store their money, and he flinched when she spoke again. "What's your name?" she asked softly.
"My name is Lee," Zuko gulped as he turned back around to face her. As confused as he was by the young girl, he couldn't bear being rude to her. Besides, there was something familiar about her that intrigued him. He glanced at Iroh as he said, "My uncle and I just moved here." Iroh winked at him slyly, and Zuko scowled at him in response. The young girl before him didn't appear to notice.
"Hi Lee, my name is Jin. Thank you again, and- well, I was wondering if you'd like to go out sometime," she said, and looked up into Zuko's eyes. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from embarrassment, but she had a look of hopefulness about her. Zuko's eyes widened and his voice tightened as he tried to muster the strength to turn her down.
However, before he could say anything, Iroh interrupted their small conversation and accepted her invitation for him. Zuko was struck with the urge to slap his uncle across the face, but he knew it wouldn't do any good. Now, it was too late, and he had a date planned with Jin, and he had no way of getting out of it.
Jin beamed up at Zuko and his uncle as she said, "Great! I'll meet you in front of the shop at sundown. Sound good?" Iroh nodded in agreement and she clasped her hands together excitedly. She turned around, and paced out of the shop, although the happy atmosphere she gave off would make it seem as though she'd almost floated her way outside.
"Uncle, why would you do that? I don't even know her!" Zuko growled at his uncle as he grasped a sponge and began to scrub the countertops with such vigor that he could have made a gash in the shiny surface, had he not been using such soft material.
Iroh merely chuckled as he began to heat up another pot of tea. His silence irritated Zuko even more, but he couldn't find the voice to yell at his uncle even more. Instead, he continued to wash the counter before moving onward to serving more tea to their customers.
Later that evening, Iroh took Zuko to the nearest textiles shop. Iroh searched around for a formal outfit for Zuko to wear. After several minutes of pursuit, Iroh came across an impressive outfit that he thought suited Zuko the best. He bought it, and escorted Zuko back to their home above the tea shop.
The remainder of the evening was spent preparing Zuko for his date. Zuko dug his fingers into his thighs as his uncle stood over him and ran gel through his hair, flattening it back upon his head. After ten minutes, Iroh clapped his hands as he admired the work he'd done to Zuko's hair. Zuko stood up and examined himself in the nearest mirror.
He grimaced at his own appearance, and frowned as he looked at his outfit from head to toe. He thought he looked positively absurd, and the way his hair stuck to the top of his head made him appear even goofier in his eyes. Finally, Iroh handed him a card with a discount to their teashop, and told him to present it as a gift to Jin.
"She's our most valuable customer! I want to thank her for her generosity," Iroh said to Zuko. Zuko tucked the card into his pocket, and stepped outside the teashop. Iroh smiled at him, and gave him a small wave 'goodbye', and shut the door behind him.
Zuko looked from his left to his right in search of Jin, but she was nowhere to be seen. He sighed in annoyance, secretly wishing he didn't have to stand outside and wait for Jin to show up. Much to his satisfaction, he didn't have to wait too long, for Jin appeared from around a corner and approached him with a wide grin spread across her face.
"Aw, you look so cute!" Jin exclaimed with a small giggle as she ruffled a hand through Zuko's hair. He withheld himself from grunting with irritation as he felt the gel in his hair give way, loosening his hair, giving himself his ordinary appearance. He ran his hands through his hair to release the tangles and rid himself of the remaining gel. He sighed as he said, "It took my uncle ten minutes to do my hair."
Jin said nothing, but smiled simply at him as she took his arm and started to escort him to a place where they could sit down and grab a bite to eat.
The streets were littered with homeless people; people whose lives had been ruined by the fire nation. Everywhere Zuko walked there were men, women, and children of all ages lying out on the streets, and against walls. Zuko wondered to himself if they were happy just to get by with a small meal and the clothes on their back. He felt a pang of remorse as he walked by them, suddenly silently appreciated the small teashop and shelter he had been provided.
Jin guided Zuko to a small bistro that was off to the side of one alleyway. It wasn't very formal, although Zuko hadn't expected it to be. He lived in the slums of Ba Sing Se- he hardly believe there was any place elegant enough to be suitable for the perfect date. Yet, Jin appeared happy enough to be out with him, and so he concealed is disapproval.
They were seated at a lone table that stood near the entrance of the small restaurant. Zuko ordered their special for the evening, and Jin requested to be brought a bowl of noodles. Little conversation was exchanged as they waited for their food to arrive. Even when their food had arrived, Zuko continued to eat in silence as he picked at his plate of rations with a pair of chopsticks.
Jin eyed him up and down warily, and then displayed a friendly grin for Zuko. She opened her mouth to break the awkward silence and asked, "So how do you like the city so far?" She lifted her cup of hot tea and took a small sip from it as she waited for Zuko to respond.
Zuko continued to pick at his food while he tried to muster up a response. After a moment he responded, "It's okay." He stared down at his plate and avoided eye contact with Jin. She slurped her beverage as he spoke.
"What do you like to do for fun?" she inquired as she lowered her cup. The corners of her mouths still curved upwards as she tried to maintain her grin for Zuko. He glanced up at her from below his furrowed eyebrows, and relaxed for a moment as the warmth of her personality radiated towards him. He set his chopsticks down and replied, "Nothing." He felt apologetic, wishing he wasn't so nervous, and had more to say. She was trying her hardest, but he wasn't motivated enough to continue a conversation with her.
One of the waiters approached them, having seen that their food was nearly entirely consumed. Zuko looked up at the waiter as he asked, "Would you and your girlfriend like some dessert?" Zuko's temple pulsed with agitation after the waiter's question, and Zuko felt repulsed and offended. How could this man assume he was dating a girl he'd only just met?
"She's not my girlfriend!" Zuko shouted back at the man in defense. The man shot him an angry but apologetic look as he backed away, leaving Zuko alone with Jin again. Zuko, still frowning, turned back towards Jin, and instantly abandoned his frown as he gaped at the amount of food Jin was taking in. She held the bowl up close to her mouth, and was continuously shoving heaps of noodles into her mouth, hardly taking a moment to chew before swallowing.
"You have quite an appetite for a girl," Zuko uttered without thinking as he watched her consume the remainder of her dinner. She slowly set the bowl back down and began to blush. The redness that filled her cheeks gave Zuko a sense of familiarity once again, and he began to feel irritated as he tried to recall why it was so recognizable to him.
"Thanks?" Jin reacted to his comment. Zuko twiddled his thumbs, and said nothing, still feeling irritated, confused, nervous, and awkward. Jin gazed down at the table as she tried to conjure more questions to ask Zuko. After a moment she asked, hesitantly, "Where were you and your Uncle living before you came to Ba Sing Se?"
Zuko gulped as he was instantly placed on the spot. He hadn't had time or motivation to think of a back-up story to tell people if they asked. His uncle hadn't thought to think of something to tell Jin either, if she'd asked, and it made him even more nervous. He stumbled over his own words as he tried to say, "We've been travelling around for some time." He glanced at Jin to see if she'd bought his lies. She appeared intrigued, and he felt relieved.
"Oh? Why were you travelling so much?" she questioned curiously. Zuko felt the urge to both laugh and shout at Jin. It was comical that she pressed her questions further, yet irritating at the same time- why was his personal life her business?
"We were… Part of this travelling circus," Zuko said and gathered the strength to give her a half-smile. She grinned back at him, more curious than ever. Zuko's half-smile slowly became a real smile, although a small one, as he felt she was more and more familiar to him, and he became more and more comfortable.
"Really? What'd you do? No, wait- let me guess!" Jin giggled, and then her face became a stern, thoughtful appearance. She tapped a single finger against her lips as she pondered what Zuko's specialty as a circus member could have been. She snapped her fingers as a thought came to her. "You juggled, didn't you?" she laughed.
Zuko crossed arms and decided that if she thought he juggled, then there was no reason why he shouldn't go along with it. After all, it'd be less for him to have to make-up. "Yes, I juggled," he responded, confirming her assumptions. His tone was sarcastic, but she didn't notice.
"That's so wonderful! I've always wanted to learn how to juggle," she said, and her smile grew wider as she spoke to him. He maintained a serious focus on her, and allowed their eyes to lock once. Then, he realized her eyes were a stunning green color, and thus he found himself more drawn to staring into her eyes. "Can you show me something?" Jin asked as she picked up a few empty goblets and held them out towards him.
Jin seemed to glow, then, as she smiled up at Zuko and held out the objects for him to juggle. He stared at her, and felt his mouth drop a slight amount as he watched her mousy hair turn red, and a few of her facial features changed slightly. Her green eyes stared up at him hopefully, and he gazed into her eyes as he realized he was looking at Ashlynn. He blinked once, and the image vanished, and Jin was the one sitting before him once again.
Realizing that Jin reminded him of Ashlynn made him feel completely relaxed, and he took the goblets without hesitation. Suddenly, he was filled with the desire to make her smile, and to laugh. Although he did not know how to juggle, he tossed the goblets into the air as he gave it one attempt. As he suspected would happen, the goblets fell with a crash around them. Jin gasped and brought a hand to her mouth to hide her smile as she laughed quietly.
"Sorry, I haven't practiced in a while," Zuko told her as he picked the cups back up and placed them neatly on the table. He couldn't believe how comfortable he felt with her, now, and he was not ashamed that he'd messed up.
"It's alright. Hey, Lee, listen- I'd like to show you my favorite place in the city," Jin said as she stood up from the table. Zuko stared up at her, and was drawn to her small smile and soft eyes. For an instant he saw Ashlynn in her again, but once he blinked it was gone. He stood up, and she took his hand, and guided him to where she wanted to go.
Zuko took several glances upwards towards the sky to get a view of stars and the moon. They shimmered brightly upon him and Jin as she dragged him down alleyways towards her favorite part of the city. Zuko was overcome with the feeling that the stars and moon were giving off a romantic vibe that he wasn't very fond of. He didn't view Jin in that way, although he felt guilty for it.
"I'm so excited for you to see the Firelight Fountain," Jin said as she ran towards the spot. She turned back to look at him as she ran down one alleyway and shot him a flirtatious smile. It was dark, and still her face seemed to glow. The more Zuko ran with her, the more he wished he were with Ashlynn. "The lamps make the water sparkle, and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way," she sighed as she turned back around to make sure she was still going the right way. Zuko's heart began to beat faster as more images of Ashlynn flashed through his mind. His desire to be with her grew stronger and stronger, and his mind floated away from Jin the more he thought about Ashlynn.
The sound of running water interrupted Zuko's thoughts, and he and Jin slowed down to a stop. She gasped with utter disappointment as she looked around them. A glorious fountain stood before them, and there were lampposts surrounding it. Jin revealed the obvious as she said with disappointment, "I can't believe it- they aren't lit!" Her face sank with sadness, and Zuko's heart sank with her. An image of Ashlynn's disheartened face pierced Zuko's mind like a sharp arrow. It stung him internally, and he was overwhelmed with the need to make Jin happy.
Although she was not Ashlynn, she was the closest thing to her that Zuko could come to.
"Close your eyes," Zuko said, and Jin's face lit up again as she was filled with curiosity and anticipation. She shut her eyes like she was told, and when Zuko made sure she wasn't peeking, he surveyed the lanterns around the fountain. He inhaled deeply, and began to swiftly shoot out small flames towards every lantern. The flames hit the wicks of the candles within the lanterns, and the whole area lit up and glowed a brilliant orange color.
Zuko approached the fountain cautiously, and smiled as he saw that the lamps did make the water sparkle. He turned around to face Jin, and allowed her to open her eyes. When she did she gasped as she took in the magnificent view before her. "Wow," she sighed with shock as she approached the fountain. "What happened? How did they light? What did you do?" she laughed, and her face lit up again with a wide and attractive smile.
Zuko said nothing as he turned to face the fountain. He couldn't help but smile as well as he gazed at the fountain, then the lamps, and then the sky. His small smile fell as he felt Jin grasp his hand. Nervous, he didn't return the gesture, but he did turn to face her. His heart pounded as she took a step towards him. However, before she could do anything, Zuko promptly presented the coupon to the teashop to her.
"Lee, this is so sweet," she beamed as she took the coupon from his hand. He released his other hand from her grasp and took a step back. He watched as she tucked the coupon into the folds of her dress, and then he turned away from her.
"Don't thank me- it was my uncle's idea," Zuko rapidly explained. He gazed down into the pool of the fountain as he said, "He thinks you're our most valuable customer." Jin replied with a hearty laugh, and said, "Your uncle is a good teacher."
Then, Jin took a step towards Zuko again, only this time he did not move. She placed a hand upon one of his cheeks, and drew his face towards her. He looked down at her, and his heartbeat sped up as he realized he was gazing down at Ashlynn once again. He blinked, and this time the image didn't disappear. Sadness overwhelmed him as he longed for the vision to last for eternity.
"I have something for you too. Now it's your turn to close your eyes."
Even Jin's voice had transformed to match Ashlynn's vocals. Putting too much trust and comfort into his imagination, he closed his eyes as Jin had requested. He yearned for her to speak again, for he desired to hear Ashlynn's comforting voice sound through his ears.
Instead of speaking again, she took a single step forward and lightly placed her lips upon his. His heart skipped a single beat, and he craved more as she took a step back. He responded by stepping forward, and returning the kiss lightly. His insides were flooded with a variety of motions within the next second that passed.
He'd never kissed Ashlynn before, although he'd thought of it many times in the past. Now that it was happening, his heart fluttered in ways he hadn't thought possible. Yet, he felt remorseful; for he knew the last time they'd spoken he'd been harsh towards her. She wanted to draw her into his arms and apologize for all the times he'd hurt her. He wanted to cry, and wanted her to be with him for the rest of the evening. Then, suddenly, he remembered that the girl before him wasn't Ashlynn, but Jin.
He broke their contact abruptly and stumbled backwards several feet away from Jin. He gawked at her in disbelief and utter shock. He was engulfed with the powerful need to set the entirety of Ba Sing Se on fire. He wanted to run away and find the real Ashlynn. He felt ashamed for using the innocent girl before him, even if it was for a split second. It hurt that he hadn't actually kissed Ashlynn, and that he couldn't tell her he was sorry. He wanted to collapse onto a bed and sleep for the rest of time.
"What's wrong?" Jin stammered as she watched Zuko back away from her. The sadness in her face no longer affected Zuko, and he wanted to get away from her. It hurt to be near her, and he suppressed tears as he said, "It's complicated." He knew there was no other way to explain his problems to Jin. "I have to go," he said finally, and without another word he fast-walked down the nearest alleyway, leaving Jin far behind.
"How was your night Prince Zuko?"
Iroh was heating up another pot of tea when Zuko had returned home. Zuko, still ashamed, furious, confused and pained, stormed towards his bedroom. He tore open the sliding doors to where his single bed lay before him. He slammed the doors behind him, and collapsed on its white surface. He moaned silently as he shook with rage and sadness, and grasped his arms to help calm him down. Once he felt slightly better, he opened one door a single inch, and said to his uncle, "It was nice."
Then, he shut the door again, and rolled over to lie on his back. He placed his arms behind his head, and stared up at the ceiling, allowing his mind to be swallowed by images and memories of his missing companion.
As he recalled their last meeting, and his evident cruelness towards her, he allowed a single tear to roll down his cheek. Then, wiping the tear from his face, he shut his eyes, and drifted off into a deep slumber, in which he dreamt of his old friend Ashlynn.