She was pretty, if you liked that. Olive green eyes, nice skin, thick brown hair. Zuko would like her better if her hair was curlier, her eyes a little more to the silver blue side and if her skin was tanner…
There he goes again. This was ridiculous; he had never before been so distracted by some girl, especially when it wasn't the girl he was on a date with! That brought him to another point; he was on a date with some Earth Kingdom peasant. It was a means to an end, he tried to remind himself, they'd get out of this stink hole, he'd get the Avatar and his Father would welcome him home.
"So what do you like to do for fun?" asked the girl before him, trying to be friendly and make conversation.
Fun? Thought Zuko incredulously, I don't have time for fun! But, without his permission or control an image of he and Zoe bending together flew into his mind to then be followed by her leaning slowly toward him, her hand on his cheek…"Nothing." He replied quickly, tossing his left over food about in his bowl.
"Excuse me sir," said a waiter by Zuko's side, "would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?"
Zuko's blood boiled, "She is NOT my girlfriend!" He snapped furiously, slamming his fist on the table. The waiter skulked off. And so he should, thought Zuko, to assume he, Prince Zuko, would have a peasant girlfriend.
Stop being so uppity about yourself Zuko.
Shut up Zoe. He hated it that she constantly invaded his head.
He clasped his hands together in front of his chin trying to calm himself and brush over the awkward moment. Jin didn't seem to have noticed or minded; she was too busy scoffing down her noodles. Zuko had never seen anyone eat with such gusto except for his Uncle.
"You have…quite an appetite for a girl." He said in an awkward attempt to by nice.
"Umm…thanks?" she replied, unsure while Zuko twiddled his thumbs looking down. "So, Lee," she continued, "where were you and your family living before you came here?"
Damn it, he was so bad at lying on the spot, "Uhm…" he said thinking madly, but Zoe's face kept swimming into his minds eye and he couldn't think. "Well we've been travelling around for a long time…" he said truthfully.
"Oh!" Cried Jin, glad for a topic to continue on, "Why were you travelling so much?"
Why so many questions! "We were ah…" Once again the floating face of a tanned, blonde girl clouded his mind, she was swinging from a trapeze, laughing, and he had an idea. "Part of this travelling circus!"
"Really? What did you do?" She asked excitedly, "Wait, let me guess:" she tapped her in a cute fashion, "you juggled!"
"Yes…" said Zuko crossing his arms dubiously, "I juggled."
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle." She swooned, "can you show me something?"
"Huh?" he said in shock. Come on Zuko, came Zoe's voice, give it a go, be nice; it won't hurt you. He relented and put out his hands to receive her bundle of items that he was supposed to use.
He nearly dropped them as soon as they were in his arms, but then he caught himself, sat up straight and threw them in the air neatly. That is until they came back down to fall all over him. Thanks Zoe, never taking your advice again. He thought and could swear he could hear her giggling.
"I haven't practiced for a while." He tried to make up for himself.
"It's alright." Smiled Jin and Zuko had a feeling she knew he wasn't a juggler. "Hey, I want to show you one of my favourite places in the city!"
With that he was being pulled out of his chair and through the city to a place apparently called the Fire Light Fountain.
But, when they got there, there was no fire, no light, just a fountain with unlit lanterns.
"I can't believe it!" Cried Jin sadly, "they aren't lit."
Her face looked so miserable it reminded Zuko of Zoe and the silly rabbit-hen she wanted. "Close your eyes." He said recklessly, "and don't peek."
She smiled and shut them, covering them with her hands for extra measure. Zuko jumped into a firebending stance and flicked his fingers at every lamp, lighting them with his fire.
"Ok," he said huskily, "now you can look."
"Oooh wow!" she crooned, "what happened? How did they light? What did you…?" Zuko just smiled proudly and they both turned to gaze at the glittering water. He supposed the city wasn't so bad.
Suddenly Jin took his hand, Zuko expected to feel what he usually did when the only other person who ever held his hand did that. But, nothing happened, no spark, no fire, no electricity. He looked down at her confused. She turned to him and quickly without thinking he held up a coupon.
"I brought you something!" he said, "it's a coupon for a free cup of tea."
"Lee," said Jin, "this is so sweet."
"Don't thank me," he said stepping away from her quickly. "It was my Uncles idea. He thinks you're out most valuable customer."
"You're Uncle is a good teacher," That was true really. Suddenly Jin's hand was on Zuko's cheek, turning him to face her. "I have something for you too." She said, "Now it's your turn to close your eyes."
What could happen really? Was he willing to risk closing his eyes to this girl? Had she figured him out? That he was a Fire bender? Well, she had closed her eyes for him; it was only fair really…
He closed his eyes.
Her lips brushed lightly against his and it was nice, sweet, he leaned in to kiss her too, but it wasn't right.
They didn't fit, something was off. He pulled away.
"What's wrong?" she cried confused when he turned away from her.
"It's complicated." He muttered, "I have to go." And he ran, back to his home, back where someone was waiting for him.
"How was your evening , Prince Zuko?" asked his Uncle as soon as he walked in the door, Zuko nearly rolled his eyes; it was obvious his Uncle had been watching out the window for him. He went to his bedroom and slammed the door.
The crash sent Zoe flying out of her bed startled and Zuko turned around and opened it again a crack. "It was nice." He said.
Zoe straightened herself up and sat back down in her bed, "So…you and she…you had a good time then…?" she struggled to say.
"I thought you would be sleeping." He replied sitting on his bed and taking his shoes off.
"Well I was, until someone rather rudely slammed his door."
"Oh…sorry about that."
"So did you…did she…ahh, did you kiss?" She had to ask it, she'd been fretting about it all evening.
Zuko dropped his shoe startled, "Uum…" he croaked nervously. Would she care if they had? He wanted to know. No he didn't! He shouldn't care, but he did. "Well once but-"
"You did?" Cried Zoe, her voice rising several notches.
"For a second, but it meant nothing." Zuko continued hurriedly, a small sense of elation filling him with her response. Get a grip Zuko, he tried to tell himself. Zoe didn't say anything, "Hey, you kissed Jet." He felt he needed to put that out there; she was making him feel guilty, which was stupid because it's not like he'd done anything to deserve it.
Zoe stood up from her bed furiously and stormed over to Zuko, leaning down so that they were nose to nose. "I did not!" she snarled in his face.
Zuko's eyes narrowed, "I just imagined him and you on that ship then did I?"
Zoe growled furiously, "If you actually saw anything, you would have seen me shoving the bastard off!" she cried, "If I was going to kiss anyone it would be-"
She stopped suddenly and blushed and Zuko pounced. "Who?" he demanded.
"No one, I don't know what I was going to say." She lied looking determinedly to the side.
Zuko scoffed angrily and pushed himself onto his back on his bed scowling. Stupid girl; this is exactly we I shouldn't waste my time with them.
Zoe huffed in frustration at Zuko's behaviour and turned back round and lay with her back to him on her bed.
"What are you doing?" Demanded Zuko harshly, grabbing Zoe's forearm before she could disappear out the back of the shop.
"What are you talking about?" she asked innocently, glaring at the tight fingers on her arm.
"You've been flirting with every man out there! You say you hate their attention, but then you go flaunting yourself in front of them!" He steamed and Zoe's face went bright red.
"I am not!" She hissed, "Get your hands off me!"
Zuko didn't loosen his grasp, "Oh really? Good day sir, did you like your tea? Would you like to see my cleavage?" He mocked in a fake girly voice and Zoe's face darkened dangerously.
She picked up the full glass of ice tea on her tray slowly and Zuko's eyes followed her movements and within a second the contents of the glass…was all over his face. He gasped in shock, his eyes widening. Well that was just below the belt. He thought, but, then as if still not satisfied Zoe yanked her arm out of his now loose grasp and swung her hand round to slap, hard, him across the face.
Then, seeming still too angry to produce words she bristled furiously on the spot for a moment, and then stormed off.
Steaming, and trying to make the steam literal Zuko stormed into the kitchen to dry himself off. His Uncle took one look at him and burst out laughing.
"What did you do this time nephew?" he chuckled.
"I didn't do anything!" He snarled, grabbing a cloth and wiping his face down while subtly heating his skin to make it let off some drying steam.
He grabbed a fresh tray of tea and stormed back into the shop, his Uncle following him with a freshly brewed pot of tea. Zoe was no where in the shop, which Zuko was glad of, but there were some very upper class looking men, whom Zoe had been chatting up still sitting in the middle of the shop. Iroh went up to them with his pot of tea.
Zuko saw them smile and nod to each other before standing up.
"So you're the genius behind this incredible brew!" The majestic looking man said. "The whole city is buzzing about you! I hope Pao pays you well!"
"Good tea is its own reward!" said Iroh modestly.
"But, it doesn't have to be the only reward! How would you like to have your own tea shop?" continued the man.
"My own tea shop!" Zuko saw Pao their boss turn around quickly, horror etched all over his face. "This is my dream come true!" Zuko scowled and went back to filling his tray with empty cups
He hated it here, he hated everything about it and he did not want to make a life here!
"I even get to name the shop?" Iroh was saying and Zuko's scowl deepened.
"Of course!" Assured the man, and Zuko hated him. He was furious with his Uncle too, did he not realise Zuko wanted more to his life then working in a tea shop?
"Did you hear that nephew?" Called Iroh, "this man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city!"
"That's right young man!" Back the pompous Earth Kingdom noble. "Your life is about to change for the better!"
Zuko threw his tray down angrily. "I'll try to contain my joy." And he stormed out of the shop.
"I'm sorry." Zoe was outside the shop too and looking bashful. Zuko scowled; Zoe sighed. "You were right; I was being stupid in there. I'm sorry for slapping you." She was trying to be mature about this, even though she was still cross; she hated arguing with him.
Zuko raised an eyebrow, "and what about the ice tea?"
Zoe grimaced, "Ah…no I'm not sorry for that; I think that was earned and I think you should apologize too."
"What?" stormed Zuko, "How exactly was that earned?"
"You insulted me, I may have been extra friendly to the customers…the males in particular, but I was to no extent saying come see my cleavage!" argued Zoe, trying not to let her temper get the better of her.
"Maybe I over exaggerated." allowed Zuko, but his attention had been lost, his eyes following a falling piece of paper.
He grabbed it when in reach and his eyes widened.
"What is it?" asked Zoe warily. Zuko didn't answer, his eyes searched the sky frantically and suddenly he was scaling the tea shop, climbing to the roof.
Zoe followed him to the top and took the poster out of his grasp; he didn't really notice; he was too busy searching the skies.
"Zuko…" said Zoe miserably; it was a poster of the avatar's bison, who was apparently lost.
"The Avatar is here!" Excitement and desperation in his voice, "In Ba Sing Se, and he's lost his bison; this could be my chance!"
"I don't know Zuko…" said Zoe unsure, "I don't think…even if you caught him that anything would change…your fath-"
"You don't know what my father would do!" Snarled Zuko, spinning around dangerously, "You don't know what he thinks! You don't know anything!"
"Zuko, please I-"
"This is my chance." Interrupted Zuko angrily, "I want my destiny." With that he jumped down from the roof and ran off while Zoe watched him go sadly, heaving a sigh.
Would he never give up his search for the Avatar?
Doubtful.
Sigh...Why can't life just be easy for once?
A/N Silly Zuko :(