Blades and Fans

Tales of Ba Sing Se: Suki & Zuko Part 1

Suki smiled as she approached the tea shop. She and Zuko were finally going out on a real date. Zuko used the money he's earned at the tea shop and bought them both tickets for the theatre. Suki could barely contain her excitement. She had been looking forward to going to see a play with Zuko ever since they entered the city.

Zuko too was anxious for tonight. This being the first official date he's had in years. He wanted to make everything perfect. He had gotten new clothes, got the tickets with the best seating he could afford, and Iroh even offered to do his hair, which he reluctantly accepted. "Tonight has to be perfect," he repeated to himself as Iroh combed and trimmed his hair.

"There, all done," Iroh smiled proudly at his handy work. "You look quite dashing if I say so myself," Iroh said as he removed the towel around Zuko's neck and dusted him off.

"Thanks, Uncle," Zuko said as he rose from his seat, not even bothering to look in the mirror as he rushed to make sure he had everything ready. He pulled the two tickets from the kitchen drawer, stuffing them in his pocket as he grabbed up his money pouch. "Okay, Suki should be here soon. I'm not sure when we will be back, so don't wait up for me," Zuko said as he made sure he had his apartment key.

"Don't worry about me. Just go out and have fun," Iroh encouraged as he patted his nephew's shoulder.

"Thanks," Zuko nodded his head, taking a breath as he tried to calm his nerves. Even though he put on a brave face for his Uncle he was still very nervous. "Tonight has to be perfect, Tonight has to be perfect," Zuko still silently repeated to himself as he stepped out of the kitchen. Once outside Zuko glanced around looking for Suki as he left the tea shop. His eyes darting around as he looked through the crowd for her.

"Li!"

Zuko immediately turned seeing Suki jogging over to him. His eyes were wide and his cheeks flushed red as he saw what she was wearing. Suki wore a tasteful lime green yukata, the fabric dotted with white flowers and cherry blossoms. Her hair was done up in a bun exposing more of her elegant neck, as a simple flower pin held it in place. "Wow, Suki you look amazing," Zuko smiled.

"Thank you, Li," Suki said before pausing for a moment, doing her best to stop herself from laughing. Indeed Zuko looked handsome in his dark tailored suit, but his hair was something else. The way it was combed down and parted down the middle was a bit ridiculous. "You look nice too," she said with a small chuckle as she reached out to ruffle his hair.

Zuko reeled back a bit as she messed with his hair doing his best to comb it back. "My Uncle spent ten minutes doing my hair," he complained a bit causing Suki to giggle.

"Trust me it looks better like this," she said as she looped her arm around his. "So Li where are we going first?" she asked smiling happily up at him.

Zuko smiled back at her as he stopped fixing his hair, trusting her judgment. "Well the show will be starting soon, and after that, I booked reservations for us to have dinner," he explained showing her the two tickets he bought.

"Well I can't wait!" she exclaimed excitedly to finally see a real play, especially with the man she loves. "What are we seeing?" she asks pulling him along as they both head down the street.

"It's called the Two Lovers it's supposed to be a romance I think," he said as he read over the ticket.

"Two Lovers huh. Did someone write a play about us and I didn't know it?" Suki said with a knowing smirk.

"Haha, not that I'm aware of," Zuko said as he walked with Suki. "But it should be interesting regardless," he spoke as they headed to the theatre. And once they arrived, to their surprise, it was packed. A long line spanning from the front door and around the corner.