The Honor of Love (ATLA fanfic)

24. The tea shop

Zuko grabbed my hand and took me to the bedroom.

"It's okay, Iz. As long as we have each other, we will be fine. You are amazing, don't you every forget that." He said with a smile. "T-thank you." I replied and I rested my head on is shoulder. "I am so happy that we're back together. I have missed you terribly." I cried, squeezing in his hand. "I have missed you too." Zuko replied.

After sitting a few minutes in silence, I stopped crying. I still felt very uncomfortable and I wanted to go out, to be on my own and to process what had happened. "I-I'm gonna go for a walk, I need to get out for a bit."
"Want me to come with you?" Zuko asked.
"No, it's okay." I said as I stood up. I kissed him and walked out of the room.
"Don't be back late, we have a job to do. We got hired in the tearoom downstairs." Iroh said quickly.
"Oaky." I replied and I swung my bag over my shoulders walking out of the apartment.

It was very depressing, everyone looked at me... As if they were judging me. And I can understand, they are in the same position as me. Most of them are refugees, they had to leave their home.

I found a square with a fountain in the middle and I sat down, trying to calm myself down. I played with the water, moving my hand in the cold water. I heard some noise in the street, and the people ran up, celebrating. They passed me, happy and singing. "Cheer up, girl! The Avatar just saved us!" A young woman said happily to me.

It took me a while before I realized what she said. I jumped up and ran up to her. "What?" I asked startled.
"Yeah, he's here, in Ba Sing Se! He stopped the drill on the other side of town." She said with a huge smile.
"Where is he now?" I asked breathlessly. "The upper ring probably, bye!" She shouted when she ran away, following the group.
"Huh..." I mumbled and I turned around. "Upper ring it is."

I wanted to see my friends badly. I needed to see them, hug them, let them tell me it will all be okay. After I calmed down and came back to my senses, I got out of the train station and saw some people standing in line in front of desks. I saw that everyone was showing some sort of passport. It was my turn and I stood down in front of the man. "I need to see your passport." He said without looking at me. I showed him the passport that Iroh gave me.

"Not that one." He said, still not looking up.
"Why not?" I asked blankly. He looked up at me, annoyed. "You need a special passport to be able to enter the middle and upper ring." He mumbled. "Why?" I asked with gritted teeth. "So peasants like you stay here in the lower ring, where you belong."

I gaped at him, trying to calm myself and not pulling him over the desk to smack him. "Listen," I said, forcing a smile, "I am a friend of the Avatar," and I put my hands on the desk, "and I really, really need to see him."
"Well he's everyone's best buddy these days." The man replied, looking back down at his desk.
"Well he certainly is mine and I certainly am his, so I'd very much like you to let me pass."
"You should know all the things I want." The man replied airily.

"Tell him that Ista-" I stopped, remembering the wanted posters all over the earth kingdom, "Izzy is here to see him."
"Okay." The man replied, not looking up. "Maybe you should write it down, just in case." I insisted. "Maybe you should back off before I call security."
"How rude!" I hissed and I snatched my passport off his desk, walking away with my head up high.

I looked back at the station and sighed. I shouldn't rely on other people anyway. I go to the apartment, focus on my job in the tearoom and try to make the best out of it with Zuko.

And yeah, so I did.

The last couple of weeks have been interesting. Working at the tea shop was actually going well. It wasn't much to begin with but with Iroh there it kinda blossomed into a decent tea shop with a lot of customers in just a few days. Zuko was doing the dishes, I was walking around serving the tea and Iroh was making it. We were a very good team. I still had my mind set on trying to reach Aang, as I returned to the station many times, but after I calmed down and Zuko was there to comfort me, I can say I was actually feeling a lot better.