Author's Note:Hello everyone! This chapter is slightly shorter than the last one, but the next one is more full of romance, angst, and a good old dash of action! The chapter following the next one will be very very spicy. I hope you enjoy this chapter and what little fluff I was able to put in. :)
I promise that I will have the next chapter up asap!
~Chapter 7 Start~
We were walking down the street heading towards our new home when Iroh began to run off to check out the various vendors. Zuko walked along with an air of 'fuck off', leaving me to look around in an attempt to memorize the city so I wouldn't get lost later. I caught sight of Iroh wandering off towards a flower merchant and gave him a questioning look. He began to chat up the woman working there, bowing in greeting and tipping his hat. He seemed to be looking at a small bouquet of flowers. With a shrug I turned back around and continued to follow Zuko.
"So what do you think now?" I asked, clasping my hands behind my back.
"About what?" He responded with a short grunt.
"Ba Sing Se, now that you're actually here." I replied.
"I think it's dirty and crowded." Zuko sighed irritably.
"Is your home not similar in any way?" I asked, finding it hard to believe he had never seen a city that was dirty and crowded before.
"Not the area I lived in. It was meticulously maintained, and although there were lots of people it was never this crowded. As for the rest of the city, I never went into the outer parts so I wouldn't know." Zuko shrugged, avoiding mentioning his royal status since we were in Ba Sing Se.
"It's not strange for me, many places I've lived were this crowded." I said with a shrug, opting not to say too much more on the subject.
I looked around at the throng of people, mulling over Zuko's words. Guess I was used to dirty and crowded growing up in a metropolis. Iroh came bounding up behind us holding a vase full of orange flowers; huh, guess they sold vases too. Zuko cast him a questioning look once he noticed, moving to no doubt complain about the flowers.
"I just wanted our new place to look nice in case someone brings home a lady friend." Iroh said before Zuko could say anything.
I giggled at Iroh's nudging, but felt a sick twist in my heart. I had no right to care if Zuko dated someone. It's not like we were dating or anything, we were still just friends nothing more. No matter how much he made my heart leap and I how I wished he felt the same. Regardless of how I sometimes felt like we had a connection whenever he did kind things for me. Zuko was his own person capable of making his own decisions and this was one I couldn't make for him. Zuko shook his head and gave Iroh a particularly nasty look, before looking away.
"This city is a prison. I don't want to make a life here." Zuko answered plainly.
"Life happens wherever you are, whether you make it or not. Now come on, I found us some new jobs and we start this afternoon" Iroh said, ignoring Zuko's dour mood.
"What? I don't get to bring home any gentlemen friends?" I joked back, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Don't encourage him." Zuko said, shooting me a scathing glare.
"So you found jobs already?" I asked, changing the subject and avoiding Zuko's mood.
"Indeed. The flower vendor said her friend owns a tea shop and he's been looking for new employees. It sounded like a perfect fit." Iroh winked as he led us down the bustling street.
He led us towards a small tea shop and we stepped inside. It wasn't very big, but had cozy decor and a few small tables for patrons to sit at. The decor was plain, but held a certain charm. I rather liked it and could imagine Naia and me finding a place like this hidden between the deeply packed city we lived in. We would order tea and talk about the most recent books we've read. Sometimes she would even bring her newest dessert obsession, last time it was Persian Love Cakes; guess it really was the last time huh. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut. It was hard to keep smiling, remembering the bittersweet memories of what I had left behind.
"Hello, Mrs. Shin said you were looking for three employees?" Iroh asked, stepping up to the owner who was behind the counter.
"I am indeed, do you know anything about making tea?" He asked as he dried his hands on a towel tied to his apron.
"Do I? Tea is my life's passion!" Iroh laughed as he patted his belly in a show of joy.
"I've served in restaurants before, so I have experience." I offered, rising my hand meekly to interject.
Zuko just shrugged when the man looked at him. Yeah, I guess most things a prince would learn wouldn't be useful here. We really did come from different worlds, even before taking our birth years into account. If I had been born in this time, I'd have been a peasant who never would have met him. I also wouldn't be the Avatar either, but that isn't really the point of this train of thought.
"Well, I'll give you guys a shot. My name is Pao. Come on, let's get you some uniforms." He said as he tucked into the back.
He returned after a few minutes with three sets of aprons. He handed one to each of us and we put them on. Well, I put mine on, Zuko held the apron out and gave it a distasteful look, while Iroh couldn't get his apron tied up all the way. I went to help put Zuko's on, avoiding his glares of dissent as I tied the string in the back into a sloppy bow. Walking back towards Zuko's front, I made sure it sat right on his neck while he continued to glower at me.
"Well, you certainly look like official tea servers," Pao nodded, "how do you feel?"
"Ridiculous." Zuko said as he raised his arms up and looked at the apron with another glare, this one was exasperated.
"Don't listen to him, we feel great." I said, nudging Zuko's shoulder for being rude.
"Uh, does this possibly come in a larger size?" Iroh asked, finally giving up on tying his apron up.
"I have extra string in the back. Have some tea while you wait." Our new boss said as he poured us some tea.
Iroh took a sip and gagged, the face reminding me of earlier. His disgusted look was the same, but at least he drank it this time. It was probably a bad idea to try it though, but I was curious, this tea was indeed hot this time around. It also couldn't be any worse than the tea Zuko had made. I took a sip and gave the cup an odd look. It honestly tasted like hot water with a faint after taste of...grass? Well, grass jelly was a thing in my time so stranger things.
"Eow!" He exclaimed, pulling the cup away from his face. "This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"
"Uncle, that's what all tea is." Zuko said, disgruntled as he looked up at the ceiling in irritation.
"How dare you!" I gasped, covering my mouth with my hand.
"How could a member of my own family say something so horrible?" Iroh said as fake tears appeared in his eyes.
"So we're doing this then." Zuko sighed, clearly tired of our shenanigans.
"Leaf juice, honestly the nerve." I bristled as Iroh nodded towards me.
"We'll have to make some major changes around here." Iroh declared.
He grabbed the pot and walked towards one of the windows before tossing the tea out. He walked back over to us and began to make a new batch, taking great care to measure out the tea leaves and prepare them. Pao returned with some string, handing it to Iroh before walking over to see what he was doing.
"Are you making tea?" He asked, intrigued by what Iroh was doing.
"I am. I wanted to make a few minor adjustments. Here." Iroh offered pouring him a cup.
He took the cup with a small bow of his head and took a sip. A smile broke out across his lips as he turned to face Iroh. It was clear this man had never had a proper cup of tea before. Although, Iroh's tea was amazing so I couldn't fault his taste too much. I went over to help Iroh tie his apron up with the extra string, while Pao nursed his cup of tea.
"This is amazing, please tell me you can make more for our next rush." He asked, his eyes gleaming so brightly I could almost see dollar signs in them.
"Of course I can." Iroh smiled, his eyes crinkling in joy.
I gave Zuko a wink as I grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil. I handed him his own set as he stared at me bewildered. Figures he wouldn't have a clue what the pencil and paper was for. I shook my head as I gave him an amused look; guess it was my turn to teach him a thing or two.
"You're going to need it to remember all the orders," I laughed as someone came in. "Welcome, please take a seat."
I bowed to the customer, motioning for the nearest table. The man smiled at me as he took a seat. I quickly began to work as Zuko sighed while watching me. I could feel his stare burning into my back and wondered what he was thinking. Was he impressed or did I look as much like a peasant as I felt? Was it really so surprising that I knew how to serve? It wasn't all that unusual in my time, status or not. Although, status usually did mean not in my time too, but the gap was smaller than in this time. Of course, he would probably find everything in my time surprising, especially me.
~Break~
"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh asked once we got home, wasting no time in heading to the kettle.
The place wasn't very big, just two rooms, the living area divided by a sliding door, and a very simple bathroom. It was also an apartment building so we could often hear our neighbors going about their days. It was more hectic than in my time, with the walls being thinner, but at least it was more familiar. We now also had three beds, a dining room table, a functional kitchen, and a proper bathroom of our own. No more straight roughing it for us. Compared to how we were living, this was like living in the lap of luxury.
"We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea." Zuko complained as he lazed on his bed.
"I'll take a cup!" I chirped, ignoring whatever mood Zuko was in now.
What could I say? I loved tea. In some way it was still the only connection I had left to my old life. Zuko didn't respond, and so I assumed he had closed his eyes to pretend he was sleeping. It was a common avoidance tactic he adopted after he was no longer able to use his title to boss people around.
"Sick of tea?" Iroh asked, "That's like being sick of breathing."
I felt Iroh's words on a deeper level. I agreed with him, not that I could voice my nostalgic thoughts out loud. Iroh began to prep the pot as he reached for a spark rock. Grabbing at nothing he turned back to us with a confused look on his face. I blinked and got up, taking a look around the kitchen as I padded over to try and help Iroh.
"Have either of you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?" He asked as I reached him.
"Not there? I'm pretty sure we put them away in the drawer on the right." I mused as I looked under different dishes on the counter.
"They aren't there. Hmm." Iroh said as he walked out the door.
He was gone for a few moments as I drummed my fingers on the table before sitting back down. I swore we had placed the spark rocks there, and we had been at work all day so it's unlikely we misplaced them. Just what was going on? Iroh returned with a soft smile, holding a spark rock in his hand.
"I borrowed our neighbors," Iroh explained as he moved to light a fire. "Such kind people."
"That's nice of them." I smiled as I waited for my tea.
Tea always had a calming effect on me. If we were going to attempt at making a life here, I had to find other ways to manage without medication. I snorted to myself as I realized just how long it took me to remember this problem. But of course, I had been fixated on other things. Being on the run gave little time for your thoughts, neither did nightmares.
~Break~
It was our first night in our new home. Iroh had fallen asleep easily and I kind of hated him for it. I always wanted the ability to fall asleep at will, but never could. I was eternally tired since we left the boat, finding no more routine or familiarity to call home. Without my meds it was hard to sleep after such a...regular day. I wasn't run ragged and just passing out anymore. I wasn't anxious and spending my nights talking to Aang so I could plan. No, now I was left with myself and my...thoughts. It was unsettling to say the least.
So I got up and went to make myself some tea in an attempt to calm myself. I walked barefoot into the kitchen attempting to be as quiet as I could when I noticed Zuko sitting and staring out the window. I wondered if I should interrupt him by making myself tea, but decided having company couldn't hurt for either of us right now. I changed directions and walked towards Zuko, leaving my decision to make tea behind.
"Oh, you're up too." I blinked as I took a seat next to him.
"Couldn't sleep." He sighed as he ran his hand through his shaggy hair.
It had grown out so much since he had cut it off and it struck me how much it suited him. He looked handsome like this, softer even. I couldn't stop my admiring of his face when his eyes slid to mine to see why I was being so quiet. Averting my gaze I cleared my throat, trying to piece together a dignified response.
"Uh, same. Everything feels so...different here, I don't know how Iroh does it." I said with a fond smile, taking a moment to look at where Iroh was sleeping to avoid Zuko's gaze.
"Uncle has always been able to find home wherever he is. Truth be told, back in the palace, I think he always just wanted any other life." Zuko confessed as he turned back to look out the window.
"Really? What makes you say that?" I asked as I turned to look out the window with him.
"He always liked the simple things. When his son, Lu Ten, was born, he apparently spent a lot of time at home away from the war. It wasn't until his son was old enough to enlist he returned to being a General. He led the siege of Ba Sing Se I think only to make sure his son was okay and to be with him." Zuko explained.
"What happened to Lu Ten?" I asked, unable to remember if I had ever heard that name before.
How come Iroh never mentioned him? Where was he, back in the Fire Nation? No, there was no way Iroh would have left his son behind, which meant...less than good things for Lu Ten's fate. Was he the reason Iroh was so caring and worried about Zuko and I as much as he did?
"He died during the siege, that's what made Iroh give up and come home. It was...around that time my mother...disappeared as well." Zuko whispered, getting a faraway look in his eyes.
It was like he wasn't in the room with me anymore, but somewhere else. He was lost in his thoughts...no, not thoughts, memories. I didn't want to disturb him, but it seemed like he really wanted to talk. Plus, getting lost in memories never helped none; it never helped me. I never thought about Zuko's mother before, mostly because he never really mentioned her. I knew she existed of course, the birds and the bees and all that. But most of our discussions centered around his father. What was Zuko's mother like? Was she soft and caring like Iroh, or was she cruel and stern like Ozai? What was Zuko's relationship like with her, was it better than his relationship with his father? I wanted to ask so many questions, but I asked the only one that really mattered right now.
"What do you disappeared..." I asked, needing to take a breath before finishing my question. "Is she...dead?"
"I don't know. It happened when I was still a kid. My sister had brought up Lu Ten's death one afternoon as a reason Iroh was too weak to succeed our grandfather as Fire Lord. She did this in front of our mother and admitted she had overheard our father discussing it a few times. Azula has always been a nosy troublemaker, even back then. She dragged me to hide behind the tapestries a few nights later during a private meeting between our father and grandfather. Our father asked our grandfather to name him as the next Fire Lord instead of Iroh, he didn't think Iroh would make a good successor since his only heir was dead and he had two health heirs." Zuko stopped for a moment to take a steadying breath, detaching himself from the story. "This enraged my grandfather and he got angry, yelling that my father should suffer the same pain Iroh felt.
"Azula mocked me that night, saying that our father was going to kill me to appease our grandfather and that our mother didn't agree and had begged our father to spare me. They made some sort of deal and I don't know what happened after that. All I remember is that the last time I saw my mother, she came into my room to say goodbye. Azula says she killed our grandfather to save my life and thus was exiled. Other times she says father had our mother killed so he could secure the throne. My father simply said she was just gone and to stop bringing her up. He refused to talk about her after that. But you know how Azula always lies so I'm not really sure what happened anymore. She's just...gone."
"That...sounds horrible I'm so sorry. When all of this is over I promise I'll help you find out what really happened." I said, surprising myself at my words.
Was there really a him and I after all of this was over?
"You don't need to make me any promises like that. I don't think there is anything to find. Besides, I promised to get you home" He sighed.
I was quiet for a moment. I had little reason to feel like my life was horrible...after what Zuko had been through I felt embarrassed I was so worked up over the realization I no longer had access to my medication. It made me realize how unfairly I had kept judging him at the start. I remembered the man he threw into his hut and my instant rage and fear. It was understandable of course. I had always been highly sensitive towards violence and rage, but now? Now he had a good reason to be filled with such rage. Even if it did scare me sometimes.
"Zuko...after all we have been through you should realize by now I mean it when I say I promise. I also can't go home, with or without your help. It was sweet of you to promise, but all that I can do now is find a home here," I said as my hand brushed his. "Let me help you find the truth about what happened."
"I'm just...afraid of what I will find. What if she is really dead?" He asked, avoiding my eyes. "What if she's still alive but doesn't want to see me anymore..."
"You won't know until you try. One day, when you are ready, I'll be there. I promise." I said as I threaded two of my fingers between his.
He stiffened at first, but eventually lifted his hand and placed it over mine. We finished weaving our fingers together and just sat together just looking at the stars. I couldn't stop smiling as I felt his heat seep into me. Whether or not I could admit it out loud, Zuko was where my home was now. I just hope he still would be at the end of everything.
"I'll hold you to that promise then." Zuko softly smiled as he shifted to sit a bit closer.
~Break~
We were working again the next day, and through the night shift; oh how I missed labour laws. Zuko was slowly getting more accustomed to serving, but his attitude still needed work. Fortunately, most people ignored his silent brooding in favour of Iroh's delicious tea. Some even seemed to enjoy my perky demeanour, not quite cluing in about the fact it was my customer service facade. Most people had one in my time, at least it was coming in handy now. Zuko had more trouble schooling his face when he had to deal with picky or rude customers. More often than once he had to stop serving and wash dishes instead to calm down. I was just thankful that Zuko was at least trying now, he never used to bother with fitting in wherever we went.
"Thank you, my dear. Compliments to the tea maker." A soldier smiled as he handed me money for his bill, along with a generous tip.
"Thank you so much, sir. I hope you see you again soon." I bowed as he left.
Someone else entered the shop and I quickly went to greet them and led them to an open seat. I placed a menu on the table, giving it a quick wipe to ensure it was clean. The customer was a young woman wearing a cream coloured hanbok. She gave me a soft smile as I greeted her.
"A server will be with you momentarily. Today's special is caramel oolong." I bowed once more as I went to collect someone's order and bring it to them.
"Here you go. Let me know if you need anything else." I smiled as I placed two cups in front of an elderly couple.
"We are fine, my dear, thank you so much." The old woman smiled as her grumpy husband began to drink his tea with a grunt.
"I hope you enjoy your tea." I bowed.
"This is the best tea in the city." Another soldier complimented as Iroh served him.
"The secret ingredient is love." Iroh smiled, poking his head out from where he was brewing tea.
Zuko rolled his eyes as I caught his stare. He grinned at me as he went back to bussing the tables so I could seat more guests. Well, at least I wasn't getting his sour attitude directed at me anymore. It was a vast improvement since we had spoken last night. Something about my affections seemed to embolden him to act more familiar with me. I was just about at the point of thinking he enjoyed having me around now. I wasn't an expert in social interactions during this time, but I was pretty confident in my guess that we were becoming closer than just friends.
"I think you are due for a raise." Pao said as Iroh came to stand beside him.
"Miss, can I get a napkin?" One of our patrons asked.
"Oh of course! One moment!" I half bowed before rushing towards the counter to grab a few napkins.
I brought them over with an apologetic look. Wiping my hands on my apron, I took a look around to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything else. It had been awhile since I had to work a serving job, I was more used to fighting these days.
"Is there anything else I can get you, sir?" I asked.
"No, just your beautiful smile. Thank you." He grinned as he said his cheesy line.
"Of course." I smiled wider as I went back to help Zuko bus tabled.
"How can you stand that?" Zuko asked, giving the man a look like he had smelled something foul.
"What?" I hummed as I took a filled tray from him and brought it to the sink.
"The flirting. I would get irritated pretty fast." Zuko explained, moving to stand beside me.
Zuko had an almost embarrassed look of anger on his face and I watched as he glared at the flirty patron. I tilted my head amused at the scene, was Zuko jealous or merely curious? He appeared jealous to me, but I was rather biased in that observation. In an attempt to play it cool I started to wash some of the cups.
"Hmm. I guess I'm just used to it from my old job." I shrugged, avoiding his face.
"You went to school, practiced sword fighting, and worked a menial job? You are the strangest person I've met." Zuko said with a shake of his head.
"What can I say, I'm a woman of many talents." I grinned as I poked his cheek with a soapy finger.
"Stop that, I'm trying to work." Zuko frowned as he swatted me away, rubbing the wet mark on his face off with his sleeve.
"Oh come on, admit it, you love it when I annoy you." I said, causing him to flush.
"I do not!" He dismissed becoming even more flustered.
Interesting, something to file away for later. I could embarrass Zuko now, perhaps that meant...But my train of thought was interrupted by the front door slamming open. I turned ready to greet our new guests when I spotted Jet. To be fair, barging in on us while we were flirting at work wasn't ever on my bingo card.
"Jet?" I asked, completely bewildered at his appearance.
"I'm tired of waiting," He grunted as he stalked forward. "These three are firebenders!"
He pointed at us at his accusation. The entire shop turned to look at us with wide eyes. Jet drew his swords and the patrons closest to him scattered, cowering near the walls. Well shit, that accusation that we were Fire Nation I did have on my bingo cards. I watched as Jet deftly held his unique hook swords in a threatening manner, clearly trying to goad us into firebending.
"I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!" Jet shouted once more.
Well shit, he did catch that, I wasn't being paranoid. New rule, I'll stop overthinking things when I stop being right about the things I overthink. The only question now is if anyone else believed him, but I doubted it since most were scared of him right now. Poor Jet looked like a lunatic with swords attacking their beloved tea maker. Iroh's ability to fit in was benefiting us to a point that I was debating my introverted nature.
"He works in a tea shop." One of the soldiers said with a confused expression.
"He's a firebender, I'm telling you!" Jet continued in outrage.
"Drop your swords, boy, nice and easy." The soldier ordered.
"You'll have to defend yourself, then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do." Jet growled as he faced us.
"You want a show? I'll give you a show." Zuko asked, drawing the soldiers swords before he could act.
I was worried for only a moment that Zuko was going to bend, until he grabbed the man's swords. I watched as he unsheathed them from one another and readied himself. He didn't wait for Jet to make the first move this time, hooking his leg around one of the tables and kicking it at Jet. Jet dodged with a flip, slashing out with his swords catching Zuko's incoming assault. Zuko jumped onto another table and parried one of Jet's blows, slowly herding Jet towards the door of the tea shop. I was struck with the consideration Zuko now had as he fought. Once upon a time he would tear through entire towns to fight, now he was carefully controlling Jet's every movement. I wonder if poor Jet even knew what was happening.
Disgruntled, Jet cut the table Zuko was standing on in two, letting out a snarling cry. Zuko balanced on one of the broken pieces before jumping into the air to avoid another incoming slash. The hooks on Jet's swords were nasty, and Zuko had to watch his parries and slips because Jet could pull the sword back and catch him with the hook. He landed with a downward slash causing Jet to retreat out of hooking distance. Zuko kept pushing him towards the entrance to the shop, trying to funnel him out into the streets where he couldn't accidentally hurt someone. Most of the patrons had fled towards the back of the shop where Iroh, Pao, and I stood watching.
Zuko slashed one in an attempt to push him out the door, only to have Jet hook his blades around his and throw him out the window. I let out a gasp as the glass shattered, cascading onto the floor. I didn't expect Jet to escalate that quickly, nor did I expect Zuko to be flung through glass. I began to move before I had registered my thoughts, leaving Iroh and Pao to shout after me.
"Lee!" I shouted as I bolted out the door.
"You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me?" Jet goaded as he clashed swords with Zuko once again.
"Please, son, you're confused! You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh shouted.
"I'm going to help him." I muttered as I attempted to step forward.
Pao had grasped my shoulder and was shaking his head. God how I hated this time, everyone always assumed I was this cute little girl who couldn't defend herself. I was the avatar for Pete's sake, he should be wanting me to help. I looked around finding that nearly everyone from within the shop had followed me out onto the street to watch Zuko and Jet fight. Even Iroh stood there watching intently with an incredibly serious expression.
"A fight is no place for a lady, especially one who is my best server. Please stay where it is safe, let the soldiers and lawmen do their jobs." Pao spoke to me as if I were a child.
I watched as Zuko and Jet continued to exchange blows, unable to believe Pao had actually said that to me. I stared on, feeling helpless and angry; I know we were supposed to lay low, but did that mean I was supposed to excuse sexism? Was I expected to allow Jet to harass and bully us into submission? I clenched my fists in anger, watching as Zuko paired another of Jet's attacks, following his movements with deadly precision. Simply watching Jet's movements and allowing him to work himself up.
"Bet you wish he helped you out with a little fireblast right now." Jet mocked.
Zuko caught Jet's blade by spearing it into the ground. He looked up in triumph and grinned. He had let Jet rile himself up until he made a mistake. I recognized that as a tactic Iroh had taught us all those months ago on Zuko's ship.
"You're the one who needs help." Zuko stated, continuing his assault with one blade.
He slashed at Jet who barely dodged, righting himself as he continued to fight Zuko with one blade as well. He jumped backwards and onto a well, pointing at Zuko in accusation. His eyes were wild and they held something I knew all too well, hysteria. Jet was becoming hysterical, locked up in whatever memory or fear that was leading this attack. Jet wasn't dangerous because he was selfish and egomaniacal, Jet was dangerous because he was wounded and was lashing out.
"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me!" Jet shouted, his eyes wide and feral, "It'll never happen!"
He launched himself towards Zuko again and then continued to fight through the streets. Zuko continued to retreat, moving Jet's attacks away from property and people. Our little tea shop crowd continued to follow after them, watching and shouting at Jet to stop. I was at a loss at what I should do. I could bend water and dispel Jet's accusation, but then I would have a lot to explain to Iroh and Zuko. Maybe this was fate, maybe now should be the time I come clean. If Jet didn't stop soon, I would have to intervene.
"What is your problem? Just leave us alone!" I shouted, flexing my fingers out to calm my nerves.
They were dancing around one another now, exchanging blows and trying to trip or catch the other off guard. It didn't take long for it to draw the attention of some sharply dressed guards. They walked through in robes of dark green and gold, matching hats on their heads and gloves made of stone. They didn't look like the rest of the Earth Kingdom soldiers, but still carried themselves with an air of authority. The crowd parted to let them through, and they took one look at Zuko and Jet before intervening.
"Drop your weapons." They declared.
"Arrest them, they're firebenders!" Jet demanded, pointing towards us.
"This poor boy is confused. We're just simple refugees." Iroh defended us, bowing slightly and making himself look like an unimposing old man.
"This young man wrecked my tea shop and assaulted my employees!" Pao complained, pointing towards Jet.
"It's true, sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city." The soldiers who were inside the shop confirmed for us.
"Oh, that's very sweet." Iroh thanked the soldier.
"Now is not the time, Iroh." I sighed.
"Come with us, son." The man dressed in dark green robes asked as he and another advanced on Jet.
Jet slashed out onto to be stopped by a stone gauntlet. The guard twisted Jet's arm behind his back as the other grabbed his other arm and helped handcuff him. I watched in abject horror as they used such force to capture Jet. I wasn't sure if I could defend myself against those stone gloves either, they were fast and held quite a punch. Just who the hell were these guys?
"You don't understand! They're Fire Nation! You have to believe me!" Jet screamed hysterically as he was dragged off.
They loaded him into a barred-up cart and wheeled him off. People began to return to their homes and go about their business. Soon most patrons had returned to the tea shop leaving us standing there. We watched as Jet got carted off into the night, his screams echoing down faintly in the distance. I walked over towards Zuko, inspecting a cut on his hand with a sigh.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." I said, keeping hold of his hand as I dragged him back into the shop.
~Break~
I took Zuko into the back room and sat him down. Grabbing a small set of first aid supplies I dampened a rag and began to clean out his wounds. I got a particularly bad cut causing Zuko to hiss and pull away. I drew his arm back towards me with a tut, eyeing his childish response with amusement. It was funny how at the strangest moments Zuko seemed to act his age.
"Sorry." I whispered as I rubbed some medicinal ointment on it.
"It's fine, I've had worse. Obviously..." Zuko whispered, looking away.
"Doesn't mean you deserved it." I sighed, washing my rag off and continuing.
"Why do you care so much?" Zuko asked, still avoiding my gaze.
I took a moment to look at him, really look at him, and wondered. Did I have an answer for him? The truth was Zuko was my hero in a way, my knight in shining armor. It was foolish to put him there, we were such polar opposites. Not just in our goals but our personalities as well. But lately I had already come to terms with the fact that I had feelings for him, and thought perhaps he might even return them. All I needed to do was explain how I felt about him without making it awkward...
"Well...you're my friend and I care about you. Maybe it's because you are virtually the only person I know here besides Iroh but..." I trailed off.
I continued to put ointment over his worse cuts, then started to bandage him up. I was trying to piece together my words as I chewed on my bottom lip. I was never very eloquent when I was put on the spot. I was much better when I was able to plan my words out. I didn't want to pretend he wasn't important to me, but I also didn't want to admit my true feelings to him. Damn I missed technology more than ever, it was easier to type out your thoughts before hitting send.
"Home seems to be wherever you are, as stupid as that sounds..." I admitted, giving him just enough of the truth to satisfy.
I finished bandaging his last wound and pulled away. Zuko grabbed my hand and pulled me back. I stared into his eyes, startled by his actions. His gaze of appreciation was genuine and I felt lost in his warmth once more. Truth was, Zuko was my hero. No matter what seemed to happen, he was always there to help me.
"Thank you..." He whispered, rubbing the back of my hand as he spoke.
~Break~
It was late by the time we got home. We had ended up needing to stay late to clean up the shop and board up the broken window for the night. No one really said anything as we worked, we simply entered our apartment. Zuko and I sat down at the table, while Iroh started to brew some tea. I laid my head against the cool wood, basking in the silence surrounding us. So our story with Jet had come to an end, and a rather satisfying one at that. I hadn't seen anyone in the Earth Kingdom act that violent before and I was reeling. Up until this point only the Fire Nation had acted aggressive and with little regard for human life. My small understanding of this time had been thrown for a loop and I was exhausted.
"We will need to lay low after what happened tonight." Iroh said as he pulled the teapot away from the fire.
"We? You were the one he caught firebending." Zuko hissed out quietly.
"Now isn't really the time for blame, what's done is done. I don't think we are going to see Jet again anytime soon..." I trailed off as I traced a groove in the table with my finger.
"We might not see Jet again, but he was screaming about us being Fire Nation in front of all those people. Not to mention his two buddies are still out there." Zuko scoffed, giving me a tired glare.
"We have other citizens of Ba Sing Se backing us up, as long as no one else firebends, we will be fine. His two friends would have to be suicidal to act now. Iroh even has a few of the Earth Kingdom soldiers favour." I muttered, too tired to argue.
How on earth Zuko found the energy too I'd never know. I took a moment to really look at him and saw how tired he looked. His pupils were blown wide showing how much adrenaline he still had. That couldn't have been easy to do with Jet taunting him like that.
"You kicked his ass though." I offered as Zuko remained silent.
His eyes flickered to mine before he let out a snort. He crossed his arms and leaned back into his chair. His demeanour seemed to calm and I relaxed a little as I watched his frown turn upwards.
"Whatever you say." Zuko said with a small shake of his head.
~Chapter 7 End~