Prompt: Ramen

Iroh sat up in his bed, rubbing his forehead. Being at sea all the time gave him headaches, and the main thing that cured them was a nice bowl of ramen. He sighed wistfully, wishing he had some. Of course, cuisine like that wasn't very common when you were on a boat for months at a time. Although... an idea came to his mind, and he didn't want to wait a second before putting it into action.

Leaving his poor excuse for a bedroom, Iroh walked down the hallway to the front deck of the ship. There's a ninety percent chance he would find Zuko there staring angrily at the sea. Sure enough, there he was. Ponytail blowing in the wind, he was looking through his scope in hope of a glimpse at the Avatar. Dark circled lined his eyes, and his back was slightly hunched.

"Nephew, you look exhausted. Perhaps we should stop for a nice relaxing afternoon with Pai Sho and, oh, ramen perhaps," Iroh said, resting his hand on Zuko's shoulder. Zuko scowled at him, swatting away his hand.

"You idiot! Of course we can't stop! You know that I can't rest until I capture the Avatar and restore my honor!" he snapped. If Iroh had a gold piece for every time he had heard this line, he would be the richest man in the world. But if Zuko wasn't going to be willing, then it was time for plan B. Though it was a bit of a stretch, Iroh would go to great lengths at the moment for his ramen.

Iroh excused himself from the front deck and walked to see the captain. His footsteps echoed through the hall as he made his way up the stairs. "Good afternoon, captain." The captain turned and gave Iroh a warm smile. From the way his fists clenched on his seat when the door handle turned, it was clear he was expecting someone much more cranky than Iroh.

"Good afternoon, Iroh. How are you?" he asked, turning in his seat to face him.

"Oh, it's dreadful. I've had an awful headache, and we must stop for ram-.. medicine!" Iroh did his best to put a pained expression on his face as he said this. If he was being honest, his headache was nearly gone. But once he set his mind to something he wasn't about to give up.

"Of course! I'll change our course, there's a town on the shore just a half an hour away." the captain turned the steering wheel, and Iroh smiled.

"My deepest gratitude goes to you, my friend," he said, and left the room. He decided to enjoy his last few moments before Zuko noticed the course change in his sleeping quarters, fantasizing about the sauce drenched noodles and perfectly round eggs. Soon enough, there was a bang on his door.

"Come in, prince Zuko," Iroh said wearily, preparing himself for Zuko's outburst.

"What is the meaning of this? I did not order the captain to change our course! This had better not be about your Pai Sho!" he roared, forehead going nearly purple.

"My nephew, this is not about Pai Sho," Iroh said honestly. "We have found information of the Avatar in a nearby seaside village." That was a lie but it evened out, right?

"..I-" Zuko struggled to come up with a retort, and Iroh knew he had succeeded. Zuko finally decided to just turn on his heel and slam the door in response. One day those hinges would collapse, Iroh was sure of it.

Not long after, the ship arrived in the town. The crew was overjoyed to finally be at land after almost three weeks at sea. Iroh invited a few of the crew members to join him at the local ramen restaurant, and they graciously accepted.

They went inside and were greeted by a young woman, who led them to a birch wood table by the window. The cool, salty breeze was relaxing as Iroh scanned the menu. His eyes landed on a ramen bowl that fit his fantasies perfectly, and he ordered it straight away. Time couldn't see to pass fast enough as he drummed his fingers on the table while making light conversation with the others.

At long last, the waitress returned with their meals. Iroh's mouth watered as he watched his bowl get set down, and he grabbed his chopsticks immediately. He was midway through devouring his first bite when the captain came into the restaurant in search of him.

"Iroh, what about your medicine?" he asked, watching him leisurely eat a bowl of noodles.

"Oh, this is the perfect medicine," Iroh responded, pulling a chair for the captain to join him. He pushed the thought of Zuko finding out about his lie from his head and enjoyed his first pleasant afternoon in months.

Word count: 808