Note: Second chapter! I'm still feeling a little sketchy about it, but appreciate the reviews! [Although few, I took them all with great thought and I'm glad my little story had been enjoyed]. HAA- I have no idea when to call Zuko, "Zuko" or "Li"... o_o" But oh well! Enjoy, and I'll have the third chapter up as soon as I can. c:
Calloused hands gripped the flat rocks, tight in annoyance while a groan followed through the air. Zuko had tried very hard to light up the burner to start boiling the water. As the rocks smashed together to create nothing but sparks, and even damaging his fingers from hitting them by mistake, Zuko threw the rocks at the wall.
"Nephew…that's not how you treat things!"
"No, Uncle!" Zuko turned quickly and pointed to the burner, "It won't turn on! Those things are broken!" He hissed as his blood boiled over, it would just be easier to use fire bending. -But since they had been deemed traitors and escaped to Ba Sing Se, bending was not something they could use in their life style anymore.
Iroh had already gone over and picked up the light green colored rocks and brought them over to the burner. The usually jolly old man gestured for Zuko to come over to him, in which he reluctantly did. "Now, press them together with great pressure. With a flick of the wrist…" Doing as he instructed verbally, within seconds a decent fire was blazing on the burner. "See?"
Zuko grimaced, "I did that, Uncle!"
"You obviously didn't." Iroh responded back, setting the kettle on top of the burner.
Another groan from the younger proceeded, "I did too! Those stupid rocks just hate me! I could have easily done the same with-" A thick hand was clamped tightly over his mouth. Zuko's gaze shifted to look at his uncle's stern expression.
Slowly, the older man removed his hand from his nephew's mouth, "You're burning up. Go cool off." His tone said it all, Zuko had almost messed up. Who knew who was listening, if anyone found out that they were Fire Nation, their peaceful life in Ba Sing Se would be over.
The two had been living with in Ba Sing Se's wall for over a week, and they had made a decent life working a tea shop that was quickly becoming popular with the locals. Often Zuko would over hear his uncle speaking to a costumer about why the tea taste's so good, 'With love!' Iroh would say. It was just "hot leaf juice' after all. Nothing special about it. Zuko just never understood the big hype over it. Now, having to work with it, serve it, and smell like it for who-knows-how-long, he could go to the point of saying he hates tea.
Walking out of the back door, cool air hit his hot face. He, once again, lost his temper. Zuko did this often, but recently with the pent up power within him his body would become ten-times hotter than the average human being. Almost to the point that if the person wasn't a fire bender themselves they would get burned. He wasn't proud of it, multiple times he would need to be sent outside to cool himself off, which could take from two minutes to thirty depending on how angry he was.
"Oh hey! To think I'd run across you here, Li!"
That voice…
Zuko pulled himself from his thoughts and created a fighting stance. He looked around him, not spotting anyone. "Where-?" He turned around and started to back up away from the building.
"Up here."
The voice came again, and led Zuko to raise his head and look on top of the building he was next to. His golden eyes narrowed, "Jet." tightening his stance, Zuko didn't let his eyes off of the tanned teen. "What are you doing here? I thought I ended our association with each other on the boat!"
It was true, after the incident that left Zuko in a flurry of confusion and fury, he hadn't spoken to Jet. In fact, he went as far as to avoid the other teen completely. Perhaps running from his problems wasn't the best idea, but that's what he had been doing with the majority of his life, why stop now…
Jet jumped from the roof, landing in a crouch in front of the unknown fire bender. "Look Li, I know we had a bad breakup-"
"Breakup? You make it sound like we had a relationship." Zuko spat.
"Oh, come on Li! The point is, I want to start over. That's the whole reason why me and the gang are in Ba Sing Se. Why can't it be the same between us?"
Jet was pulling out the charm again, his signature grin plus the piece of grass sticking out of the corner of his mouth, bobbing as he chewed, it surprisingly was considered attractive. A colored hand was brought to Zuko's cheek, fingers tips caressed the warm face, "Come on Li, give it a chance."
Zuko's mind went to his uncle's speech about everyone deserving second chances…they had talked about it once over dinner on the boat, while he and Jet were still on talking terms. Cold finger's touched his cheek, causing his face to flare up. The heat within his body did the same.
Jet pulled back his hand quickly, "Damn Li…you're burning up…"
Like he hadn't heard that before since the strange condition started, Iroh hadn't been experiencing this, then again the elder was all about serenity, inspiration, and tea. -And when his body would suddenly rise in heat it always had been when his emotions were all stirred up.
The conversation was left there as Jet tugged on Zuko's sleeve, "C'mere. I know something that will cool you down!" The two of them shot off in a run around to the front of the building. Along the streets were various vendors selling their own specialized items. The Freedom Fighter led Zuko down the busy road, despite desperate calls to be let go so he could get back to work. -But no matter how Zuko struggled, Jet wouldn't let go, on the contrary his grip grew tighter.
The two boys came up to a stall with a bright colored sign that gave Zuko no hint on what was actually being sold. The lady that ran the small street store leaned up against the counter, "What can I get for ya'?" She asked, with a perky smile.
"Give me two creams." Zuko looked over to Jet as he ordered, his free hand holding up two fingers as the vendor smiled and ducked down in to the stall. Zuko almost went on his toes to see where she had gone before she popped right back up again with two wooden bowls filled with what looked like soft yet a solid cream. Overall, it just seemed unappetizing.
Giving the lady two coins, Jet was handed the bowls and shoved one in Zuko's direction. "Eat up, it's good, I promise." the teen smiled, still leaving Zuko unsure if he should trust Jet's opinion on this…is it a dessert?
"You know, thanks for the offer but I-" A lump of the white cream was shoved down his throat by Jet's spoon from his own order. Zuko gagged lightly, not because of how far the spoon went in to his mouth, but by how sweet the cream actually was. It had melted in an instant and drained down his throat. "W-what is that? It's too sweet-"
"It's custard." Jet replied taking a spoon full in to his mouth, his usual piece of grass now residing on the road. "So far this is the only place I've found it, for cheap too! Come on Li! Eat up!" The tanned teen took another spoonful from the lump and shoved it yet again in to the hot mouth of the other.
Zuko gagged again and shoved himself away from the spoon that kept infiltrating his mouth, "Stop it, I already told you it's too sweet. I don't want it!" The spoon once again came towards Zuko's direction and he quickly avoided it by shoving the hand leading it away.
The hand gripping the spoon released, causing the utensil to fling across the road. Jet frowned and looked back to Zuko, "Now you have to share your spoon with me." He faked like that was going to be a terrible thing, like he hadn't been sharing his before it was thrown unintentionally.
"I don't even want this!" Zuko gestured to the bowl that he carried in his hand, still untouched and melting slowly due to the air and his warm hand around the wooden piece. "So, take it!"
"Li- Li- Li-" Brown tuffs of hair swooshed back and forth as Jet disapprovingly shook his head. "If you don't eat it, then I'll just make you skip work completely." he smiled and took the bowl from Zuko, not giving much notice to how warm the bowl was, as he dumped the rest of his custard inside and set the empty one on the counter of the stall they still stood beside. They could clean it up.
"You wouldn't-"
"I didn't hesitate pulling you out here did I?"
Another spoonful went in to Zuko's mouth as he opened up to speak, "Stop that!" he hissed flinging his arms up to avoid the spoon coming after him again. Instead causing Jet to lose his grip on the bowl, letting it slip out if his hands and land to it's doom just as the spoon earlier had. "Uh-"
Jet sighed, obviously not too upset with just wasting two coin on something that ended up on the ground, "Well, I guess that's that." He looked to Zuko who nodded and gave a glance back where they came from, to the tea shoo. "Oh? You're cute-" A tan hand shuffled itself through jet black hair, "You think you're going to be able to go back to work!"
"What?" Zuko growled, clawing at the hand on his head that was ruining his hair. Not like he cared much for how he looked, it was just the frustration of being touched. "I'm going back!" He pulled away and started down the busy road. He prayed Jet wouldn't follow, but his prayers weren't answered as a cool hand latched on to his.
Zuko's hand was considerably cooler than the last time Jet had touched his body, the custard seemed to have worked- even if it was wasted in the end. With a flick of his wrist and a swift pull, Zuko came back [much against his will]. The space between them closed as Jet embraced the sour refugee. Their display out in the middle of the streets received various looks from those passing, Zuko became embarrassed while Jet on the other hand paid no attention. One arm released the pale male and traced the seam of the brown tunic, up the side and down the sleeve until Jet latched on to Zuko's hand all while the boy fidgeted. The only thing keeping Zuko not fighting Jet to his full extent was the curiosity of what the Freedom Fighter was actually doing!
A brown hand squeezed the considerably paler one, "Li-baby, let's go on a date!" Jet whispered in to Zuko's unscarred ear. He sounded like that idea was absolutely genius, like it would be impossible for the other to even begin to say otherwise.
He was right, Zuko didn't say a word about going against the idea. Instead the banished prince took a strong hold on Jet's hand, which still held on. With a flick of his wrist, Zuko was able to loosen the embrace Jet had him in enough to move his other hand to the upper part of the other's arm. As his whole body lunged forwards, Jet toppled over Zuko's back and landed instantly with a hard 'thud!' on to the ground.
The pale teen was now hovering over a dizzy Jet, more bystander's were staring. "Listen here, I told you to leave me alone! I never want to see your face again!" He turned on his heel and started walking off in the direction of the shop. Iroh was probably worried about him since he had been dragged off, the owner on the other hand would just be angry at him for leaving with out notice. He'd have to apologize to the both of them and probably be punished by closing up that night, not like it was much of a punishment.
As for Jet, for the second time he was entranced by the figure storming off after an encounter. He sighed and a smile grew on his aching head, "This is certainly entertaining, Li. You're impressive."
"What are you doing on the ground, Jet?" A high, but still husky, voice of a small girl sounded as a hand was swung over and offered to the obviously still dazed man. The man next to her quirked a thick brow at their leader.
Jet was brought out of his thoughts and took hold of the hand that led him back up to his feet, "Aye Bee, Longshot! I was just-" The smile on his face grew strangely charming as he thought back to an obviously angry Zuko, "Visiting an old friend that I came across while exploring."
"-And that left you on the ground?" Smellerbee questioned as her expression twisted in to confusion.
"Well, I guess we weren't exactly friends…" Jet responded, the smile still very intact.
"Whatever." She sighed already having a clue to who Jet was talking about, not like it was hard to figure it out. The tone in their leader's voice and that expression only led to one possible person, Li. Some refugee they had met back on the boat, why Jet was so stuck up on this one person was beyond her. She didn't much care enough to figure it out either. "Come on, let's head back home for dinner then." Smellerbee stated with a wave of her hand as she turned her back. The trio heading back to their dump of an apartment that they could only afford by the job Smellerbee acquired on the their fourth day in Ba Sing Se.