❃ The Tale of Zuko ❃
The next day, Iroh was busy stacking some new inventory when a worried Zuko approached him. Keya was still recovering at home, so it wasn't a surprise to the old man that his nephew would be anxious all day. However, the intense gaze in the young Prince's golden eyes let him know that something more was going on. He listened carefully as Zuko leaned over to whisper something to him.
"Uncle, we have a problem: one of the customers is onto us." The teen warned softly.
Iroh raised an eyebrow in response. Had Jet's actions lead to more suspicious eyes on their backs? He climbed down from his ladder and walked over to his nephew.
"Don't look now," Zuko said and glanced back subtly, "but there was a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation."
Without hesitating, Iroh turned his head to look at the girl that his nephew was talking about. He was pretty sure that he knew exactly who had caught the boy's attention, having noticed her presence more and more often in the past few days. His eyes caught sight of her. Oho! It was her indeed!
Zuko's eyes widened angrily when he saw the man look. He instantly grabbed Iroh's arm and pulled him back to face him. "Didn't I say 'don't look'?"
"You're right, Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you." Iroh suggested with a jolly laugh and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
"What?!" Zuko gasped and stepped back in surprise. How could his uncle say something so absurd?!
"Thank you for the tea."
Iroh and Zuko jumped and turned around when said girl suddenly appeared behind their whispering forms. The latter of the two quickly collected himself and offered his service. The girl handed Zuko the money shyly. He turned around and put it in the register.
"What's your name?" She asked with a pretty smile.
Zuko cringed awkwardly at being spoken to so directly. He observed her carefully. For a regular Ba Sing Se citizen, she was admittedly not too bad to look at. Something about her Earth Kingdom features looked warm and welcoming to him. Her skin was somewhere between Keya's and his own, tan enough to show some Earth Kingdom heritage, but also pale enough to know that she didn't work outside. Her hazel eyes were bright and friendly. For her outfit she wore a green kimono with pale, yellow rims. Her dark brown hair was kept in two low braids with messy bangs framing her face.
"My name's Lee. My uncle, friend, and I just moved here." He mumbled and handed her some copper coins as change. When she heard his reply, her eyes lit up and the corners of her mouth tugged up a bit further.
"Hi Lee. My name's Jin." She introduced herself. Zuko just nodded as she spoke. "Thank you, and, well, I was wondering if you would like to go out sometime..."
Her bold request threw the Prince once again. Back in his homeland, a date with a member of the royal family was only meant to be scheduled by the royal elders. If anyone were to confess their romantic interest, they would have done so privately (and most often anonymously as well). And what did she supposedly like about him anyway? Was this a way to separate him from his uncle? Was she going to try to expose his firebending?
Before Zuko could refuse, Iroh jumped in and answered for him. "He'd love to!" The old man exclaimed with an arm around the teen's shoulder.
"Great!" Jin smiled again and bowed politely. "I'll meet you in front of the shop at sundown."
With that said, the Earth Kingdom girl walked out of the shop gracefully, leaving behind a rather stupefied Fire Nation Prince. Iroh gave Zuko a suggestive pat on the shoulder. The teenager just scowled. Now he was forced to go on a stupid date... didn't his uncle realise that he had more important things to worry about? Besides, he still didn't trust that she had asked him out because of her interest in him. His insecurities would not let him believe that a girl would just 'like' him, since his scar was so prominent on his face. Then again, he reminded himself, Keya didn't seem to mind it. Speaking of which...
"You're going to be the one to help me get ready, uncle. I'm not going to bother Keya with this, she needs to rest." He said bitterly to his uncle, who nodded in agreement. If he had to deal with it, the least he could do was to get it over with as soon as he could- and without the pestering help of the concussed girl who was resting back home. He sighed and continued with his shift.
The tea house wasn't too busy today. A few patrons were scattered about the relaxed room of the shop, but other than that most citizens were still off somewhere else. It seemed like they got most of their customers at night and during the weekends.
Once the sun started hanging low in the sky, Iroh gently called Zuko to him. The old man used an old comb to tidy his nephew's messy hair. "It's getting longer. Are you intending to grow it out?" He inquired.
Zuko felt the end of a particularly long strand and thought for a second, before he nodded and let his uncle do his job. Iroh had insisted on a very neat look, leaving the young Prince with a middle part. It had taken ten minutes of hard work, but his once messy hair had been transformed into a fancy coup.
After fixing his hair and getting dressed in some fancier clothes, Zuko inspected himself in a shiny knife. It wouldn't get any better than this. He sighed and said goodbye to his uncle, before going outside. He looked around for the girl. She jumped from behind the corner and greeted him.
"Hey!" She looked him over. "Well, look at you," her pale index finger pointed at his hairstyle, "you look so cute!" She smiled and ruffled his hair. The tidy style went back to its usual ruffled state in no time.
"It took my uncle ten minutes to do my hair." Zuko grumbled softly as he inspected the damage. He tried to bring it back down again while Jin looked at him fondly. His hair stayed messy.
The Earth Kingdom girl grabbed his arm and led him away from the shop for their date. Since Zuko was new in town, Jin had decided where they were going to eat. The brunette ended up taking him to a local restaurant. The two of them ordered some dinner and ate in silence.
After about fifteen minutes of small talk and silent eating, Jin decided to really start a conversation. She was curious about the mysterious 'tea server Lee' that she had seen and heard so much about. His actions to save his friend from the crazy boy the day before had impressed her enough to finalise her decision to ask him out. Now it was time for her to figure out if they were compatible. Zuko silently played with his last dumpling, rolling the small thing around his plate as Jin talked.
"So, how do you like the city so far?" Her simple question was met with a curt response.
"It's okay." Zuko mumbled. He looked down and avoided her gaze, somehow feeling a sense of guilt bubbling up from his stomach. His thoughts drifted back to Keya. Was she feeling better after resting the whole day? He watched the people walk by their dinner spot in silence.
Jin slurped her soup. When it became obvious that her date wasn't going to elaborate, she continued. "What do you like to do for fun?" She asked again, but was met with a similar response.
"Nothing."
A waiter came up to them and interrupted their small talk. "Excuse me, Sir." He addressed Zuko politely. "Would you and your girlfriend care for some dessert?"
"She is not my girlfriend!" Zuko lashed out and slammed his fists against the table. The waiter walked off with his tail between his legs. All the other guests looked over at them with nosy interest after hearing the ruckus. They quickly looked away again when they met the angsty teenager's scowl.
Once the restaurant had settled down, Zuko focused his attention back on his date. He noticed how she slurped her noodles with a gusteau that rivalled his uncle's. As a matter of fact, her slurping even reminded him of Keya and his uncle back at the ferry. The memory lit up his spirit and his eyes sparkled with fondness.
"You have... quite an appetite for a girl." He noted out loud. After realising what he had said, he twiddled his thumbs awkwardly and looked down again. This was not exactly going very well.
"Uhm, thanks?" Jin raised a neutral brow. She figured that it was his own way of allowing her to continue their dry conversation. "So, Lee, where were you and your uncle living before you came here?"
"Uhm... well, we've been travelling around for a long time..." Zuko was great at many things, but the boy was an awfully bad liar. Jin picked up on his strange tone, but said nothing about it.
"Oh! Why were you travelling so much?" She put down her bowl and smiled curiously.
"We were, uh, part of this, uhm, travelling circus." Zuko stammered. It was the first thing that had come to his mind, although he later realised that he could have just lied and said that they were refugees just like Keya. Whatever, he sighed, too late now.
"Really? What did you do? Wait- let me guess..." She tapped her chin for a moment, then held out her index finger when she thought of something. "You juggled!"
"Yes. I juggled." Zuko held his arms across his chest and, because he couldn't think of a better lie, agreed with her statement -to his great disamusement. Hopefully she wouldn't ask him to-
"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle. Can you show me something?" She held out a bunch of different objects to him. Great.
"Huh?" Zuko suddenly realised that he actually had to juggle, but the look on Jin's face reminded him of the same childish innocence he often found in Keya's eyes. They were the eyes of a girl who looked at him like a regular teen, rather than the disappointing disgrace he was to everyone else. He couldn't help but entertain her a bit. Besides, what else was he supposed to do? Hopefully he was better at juggling than making up a background story for himself.
Zuko accepted the different objects from Jin and observed their shapes for a moment, before making his attempt. Let's just say that he wasn't very successful. Within two seconds of his juggling act, all of his instruments had fallen from his grasp. Jin hid her laugh behind her hand as she giggled at his failure. Zuko found the action familiar; Keya always did the same thing when she smiled- was this an Earth Kingdom thing? He gave her a sheepish grin. Pieces of broken clay laid on his head in a goofy fashion. He shook them off as he spoke.
"I haven't practised for a while."
"It's all right." Jin laughed sympathetically. She sat up straight and leaned over to him. "Hey, I wanna show you one of my favourite places in the city."
Zuko nodded and stood up. He made sure to pay for both of their meals (as his uncle had instructed him to do) and followed her outside. Jin quickly took his arm again and dragged him through the dark streets of Ba Sing Se. For a moment, Zuko's mind conjured up the image of a tanned hand holding his, but he forced the thought back down. He was on a date with another girl! Why did he keep thinking of her..? He shook his head and focused back on his date. Jin hadn't stopped talking since they had left the restaurant, although her date had not followed her train of thought very well so far.
"I'm so excited for you to see the firelight fountain. The lamps make the water sparkle and reflect in the pool in the most beautiful way." Jin rambled enthusiastically. Her hazel eyes sparkled as she spoke. Were normal people usually this happy? He wasn't too sure which of them was the odd one out.
However, Jin's smile didn't remain plastered on her face for very long. Soon, they reached the cobbled square where the firelight fountain was supposed to be. Zuko could see the many lanterns that his date had gushed to him about. To her great disappointment, they weren't lit tonight. Such a situation would be no big deal in the Fire Nation, of course, but he realised that a city like Ba Sing Se required more effort to keep such a place alight.
"I can't believe it. They aren't lit..." Jin sighed dejectedly.
Zuko looked at her. He felt bad for some reason, the feeling of guilt tugged on his heart. She had really tried her best tonight. Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to return her feelings. The two of them were so different. She was a simple peasant girl who had grown up in the safe confines of the impenetrable city, he was a dishonoured Prince from the enemy country. His whole being, body and soul, had been scarred since that fateful day years ago. There was no way that a girl like her could ever understand what he had gone through.
Still, the innocent sparkle in her eyes stirred something within him. Having lost his own hope and innocence so young, it seemed that he just couldn't stand something similar happening to those around him. Perhaps it was exactly what had helped him open up to Keya as well. This war had hurt so many people that it sometimes made him feel physically nauseated. The drive to help those who still held others in such high regard, those who still saw the good in humanity- he never wanted it to perish. He wanted to prove to Keya that firebenders weren't evil, to prove that there was honour to be found in others, in him. In a way, that drive to prove himself as a firebender presented itself to the young woman before him as well. That innocent look in her eye, the way it faded into disappointment when she saw that the lights weren't lit... added together with the fact that he knew that he could fix her problem and make that gleam return- it cemented a new idea into his mind. However, he was wise enough to take some precautions this time.
"Close your eyes- and don't peek!" Zuko instructed his date. The girl did as she was told. Jin held her slender fingers to her face and closed her eyes dutifully as Zuko took a few steps away from her.
The Prince made sure to check whether or not anyone else was around, before getting into a proper firebending stance. His arms shot out quickly. He kept silent and lit each and every lantern one by one. Before long, the whole square was lit up again. The stone fountain in the middle of the square was now lit up romantically. The water glistened and sparkled as it splashed peacefully in its own basin. The whole square looked rather magical. She was right, Zuko thought to himself as he admired the sight, this was definitely worth it. For a moment, he wondered if his friend back home would like it. She would love it, he realised. He turned back to his date.
"Okay, now you can look." Zuko said. Jin slowly took her hands off of her face and gasped when she saw the lanterns.
"Oh, wow! What happened? How did they light? What did you...?" It was at that moment that she put two and two together on her mysterious date from out of town. Considering that he hadn't told her about it made her realise that he probably had a good reason to keep his bending a secret. So, she decided not to pester him about it and let it slide. The fact that he had 'somehow' lit the lanterns for her made the city girl melt.
She turned to face him with the intention to plant her lips on his. Her eyes were half-lidded, and fully on their ways to close, when Zuko cringed. Something in him protested heavily against the idea of kissing another girl. And so, just before their lips could touch, the teen panicked and put a voucher in front of her face. He pushed it safely between their lips. "I brought you something!" He stammered. "It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."
"Lee, this is so sweet." Jin smiled politely. She liked his awkwardness, he was clearly innocent to the world of dating. It relieved her. Before she asked him out, she was kind of worried that the girl he lived with was his girlfriend.
"Don't thank me, it was my uncle's idea. He thinks you're our most valuable customer." Zuko said defensively. He didn't want to be mean or rude to her, but he also didn't want to give her the wrong impression. Especially not now that they were in a very romantic space all by themselves...
"Your uncle is a good teacher. I have something for you too." She placed her hand on his cheek. "Now it's your turn to close your eyes." Thinking that she was going to show him something, the young Prince closed his eyes.
For a very brief moment, he felt her warm lips on his. This was his first kiss! In his mind, a young brunette with tanned skin stood in front of him. It aroused a deep feeling within him. The young Prince was suddenly being confronted with a feeling that he had been trying to suppress for a while now. He kissed her back as his imagination took control. He felt like he had just given in to a very forbidden, but very strong desire. Yet, as soon as he realised what he was doing -and with whom he was doing it- he immediately pulled back. His eyes were wide and he made sure to take two long steps back just to be safe. The girl in front of him was from the Earth Kingdom, sure, but she was not the girl for him. He couldn't lead her on like this. His throat choked up slightly as he saw the disappointment in her eyes. His heart thumped with guilt.
"What's wrong?" Jin asked. Zuko just frowned and shook his head silently. He couldn't break the girl's heart like this.
"It's complicated."
Jin was silent for the first time since the start of their date. She seemed to ponder something for a while, something that she had apparently expected from him sooner than she had known it for certain. "Is it that girl that you work with?"
Yes.
"..." Zuko didn't answer, because he didn't know. Yes. His heart was trying to tell him something, but his head could not yet admit it. Yes. His brain was trying to comprehend it. It couldn't be the truth, right? Yes. His heart thudded in his chest and his cheeks flushed. He felt butterflies in his stomach as he thought it over.
"I have to go." It was all he could say. Jin looked after him with mild disappointment, but Zuko was gone before she could say 'impenetrable city'. He never looked back once.
❃
A/N: For those of you who are still reading this; thanks so much! Leave a comment and give feedback if you want, I'd love to read about your thoughts on Road to Ba Sing Se! <3