Chapter Text
“Uncle, get the jasmine leaves from the back!” Zuko calls, writing ‘silent passion tea’ in neat brushed letters beneath the ingredient list.
Iroh huffs, clambering out of the small dusty closet with armfuls of jars. “You know, Prince Zuko, a healthy young man like you should be the one running around. You should help me get off my aging feet.”
Zuko laughs quietly before blowing on the ink to speed its drying. “How many times do I have to tell you, Uncle, I can’t and won’t accept the title of ‘prince’ any time soon.”
“What an easy way to skirt the question of my age.” Iroh winks as she sets the jars on the granite countertops. “What mix have you decided on, Prince Zuko?”
Ignoring the honorific his uncle refuses to drop, Zuko places the name card in its wooden holder and grabs the green tea jar. “Not a good one.”
“‘Green tea, jasmine and vanilla notes’, eh?” Iroh raises an eyebrow, his trademark wide smile taking over his face. “Very romantic.”
Zuko snorts. “There’s customers waiting, Uncle.”
He pretends not to notice the prying look on Iroh’s face as he shuffles from table to table. Romantic. Pfft, as if Zuko could ever know what that will feel like. His best case is taking up a Red Lamp District lover who charges a single silver coin each night.
“Hello, Zuko here.” Zuko never knows what to do with his face when greeting customers. When he first started working at the Jasmine Dragon, he had been a bitter 14 year-old convinced he was wasting his time on trivial things instead of chasing the Avatar. His frustration had driven more than enough customers away. Zuko of the present settles on a warm half-smile, though he wonders vaguely if it comes across as a grimace. “What would you like?”
“Zuko… as in Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation?” the man squints at him, grasping the hilt of his dagger.
He laughs, trying not to let bitterness seep onto his tongue. “I wish. Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Gao, please,” the woman, face pale with cosmetics and eyelids blue as the sky, places a hand on the man’s shoulder. “I’d like a jade springberry tea and he’ll have a black tea with syrup.”
Zuko shrugs, notes down the order, and greets the next table. His smile is marginally less forced when he sees the familiar face of a regular. “Miss Sora, what can I get you?”
Sora groans, wrinkled face offering a dry smile. “It is not what you can get me, dear Zuko, but what I can get you.”
She often spouted nonsense Zuko seldom understood but he was used to it, living with his uncle and all. “I assume it’ll be the regular. Green tea with lemon and a meaningless epiphany.”
“Not meaningless, my dear!” she gestures for him to come closer. He sighs. The more he complies, the faster he can get back behind the counter where he’s most comfortable. She drops her voice as she speaks. “There’s talk along the outskirts of the wall.”
He has to roll his eyes discreetly. He has long given up caring about the outside world. He’s tired of hearing about his sister chasing after the Avatar and his crew from his uncle, he’s tired of hearing about the useless Earth King, and he’s especially tired of hearing about the scores of refugees entering the city. All Zuko wants is to pretend he didn’t exist before the age 16 and try his best to forget the royal blood in his veins.
But he hardly has these luxuries.
“Are you listening, boy?” she shouts in his ear. He cringes but nods regardless. Grabbing his ear, she whispers again. “I have heard there is a girl from the Water Tribe in the inner-city. Looks of marriageable age. I imagine a cabbage cart’s worth of boys will be chasing her tail.”
Shaking his head, he reclaims his ear and stands back up. He taps his foot insistently on the stone floor. What does he care about some washed-up girl from a broken tribe? “Just the green tea, then?”
Sora slams a hand down on the table, her green eyes wide. “Zuko, my boy! Think of the potential! The only Fire Nation boy in all of Ba Sing Se and the only Water Tribe girl for miles!” she presses a hand to her heart. “What a love story to behold.”
He tries his best not to fume but his palms prickle. Why is everyone trying to marry him off? Why does anyone care what happens to him at all? But more than anything, Zuko is worth more than a Water Tribe peasant, regardless of his lost title.
He’s about to blow when his uncle pops out from the counter with a mug filled with well-steeped green tea. “Sora,” Iroh sings, practically oozing charm and charisma. “Have you finally come to accept my marriage proposal?”
Predictably enamored by him, Sora blushes a deep red and fluffs her silver hair. “Oh, you’ll have to bring me more than tea for that, Iroh.”
Zuko stalks off, fingers prickling with the fire he can’t summon.
~
Katara is not enjoying being cooped up in a Ba Sing Se upper-class house with three children and an overbearing chaperone.
She wants to read her scrolls quietly? Nope, Toph is idly bending rocks up into their hardwood floors. A nice hot shower? No! Sokka and Aang used all the hot water to wash the ink off Momo. A stroll down the street? Joo Di must accompany her, of course.
Slipping away was the easy part. The gang had set out into the city earlier that morning to spread word about Appa. Toph and Sokka paired up and went on their way, pasting posters and chatting away. Aang had taken to the skies. And Katara had finally found a peaceful afternoon to herself.
Knowing where to go though, is turning out to be harder than she thought.
She hums old songs as she strolls down cobblestone streets, enjoying the sun and the clamor in the streets. It’s nothing like her close knit village back home. Ba Sing Se is vast and heavily populated. And though Katara’s only ‘allowed’ to roam the wealthy rings of the city, she can’t help but wonder what true hardships still plague the impoverished streets outside the ring.
Itching to learn more and honestly incredibly thirsty after a day in the sun, she ducks into a lavish teashop, already enjoying the cool indoors.
She’s only marginally sweating through her thick cotton clothes as she seats herself in a tucked away booth. No need for Joo Di to catch wind of her out and about. Better to lay low anyway.
“Hello, miss, I— oh!” the aged man exclaims, a grin on his face wider than Katara had thought possible. “I would recognize those beautiful blue eyes and those lovely exotic clothing anywhere.”
“Oh,” Shit. She really didn’t think she could’ve been recognized so easily. “I shouldn’t be here.” she climbs out of the booth. “I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“Trouble?” he laughs. “The presence of a Water Tribe native is nothing but a gift, please have a seat.” a wild twinkle in his golden eyes startle her but she takes her seat again slowly. “I think my nephew would suit your… needs far better. Allow me to introduce you.”
What is this guy on about? “No, that’s not necessary, I was just looking for—“
“Zuko!” the man shouts. “Come attend to our guest!”
Katara sinks into her seat. All she was looking for was a simple afternoon finally alone with her thoughts and this commotion is haunting her now. She’s brainstorming how quickly she can leave when he arrives.
“Uncle, you know I was on a break how could you—”
She stares at him. Dark hair, as thick as hers but far more straight, tumbles into a pair of eyes golden like the sun. Honestly, she’s wondering if she’ll be blinded if she stares for too long. Though far more distracting is the deep burn scar across his eye and scraping into the pale skin of his cheek. Her healer’s hands are itching while her heart thrums loudly in her ears.
“Zuko! I think this lovely girl would like some tea. Please serve her.” the man chuckles through his whole body before winking at the two of them individually. He flounces off, leaving them gaping at each other.
“What can I get you?” he sighs, grumbling something under his breath about crazy old people and their meddling ways.
Zuko, the name is vaguely familiar but Katara writes it off, completely distracted. She is struggling to find her voice in her Si Wong desert of a throat. “Just some jasmine tea.” she chokes out, holding onto her necklace for dear life. “With honey.”
He merely grunts and stalks off, not nearly as friendly as his uncle.
She sighs. She has got to stop finding pretty boys at every pit stop. The urge to repeatedly smack her forehead against the table takes over but she’d rather not be concussed when she returns to everyone else. She settles for tugging on her mother’s necklace nervously and endlessly fussing with her hair.
Shouting from the back startles her enough to yank hard on the necklace. Something about marriage and royalty and… flirting? Regardless, it ends with a scarred waiter storming out of the back with several teacups and pots in hand.
Katara sinks back into her booth, chiding herself. She doesn’t have time to care about pretty temperamental teashop boys. She’s in Ba Sing Se to find Appa, convince the Earth King to rally his forces for the invasion, and get out.
“Forgot to ask if you wanted just a cup or a full serving.” the boy’s voice shocks her from her internal scolding. She looks up at him, finding eyes desperately trying not to meet hers and lips pursed. “Uncle said to just bring a full pot for you.”
“Mmm hm,” Words, Katara. Words. “That’s kind of you, thank you.”
His brow seems to soften as he nods. “How hot do you want it?”
The double entendre makes her tug hard enough on her mother’s necklace to break the clasp. She sighs, holding up the torn satin strings. “Oh fuck… um, however it is now should be fine.”
He shakes his head as if to laugh at her, holding the teapot like a turtleduckling. His eyes close, brows drawn together as he concentrates.
Katara squints at him, thoroughly confused until steam rises through the spout of the pot. Her heart stumbles, she isn’t sure if it’s fear or something else entirely. “You’re a firebender,” she whispers, a hand uncorking her water skin.
He offers her a confused look as he pours her tea. “Um… yeah? What did you—“
Her waterbending stance comes naturally as she pops out of the booth, water poised for striking. “He’s a firebender! Everyone get to safety!” she shouts.
The room looks back at her, the same confused look on their faces as the one of her server.
“Why aren’t you leaving?! He’s dangerous!” she throws her water closer to his face. “Who are you?! Are you working for Azula?”
The recognition flickering over his face is enough for her. She drenches him, the force of her bending throwing him against the back wall.
“Stop, stop!” his uncle comes trotting out from the back. “It isn’t what you think, miss!”
“Are you a firebender too?!” she draws her water back, splitting it to hover dangerously close to both the firebenders. “Is this teashop for some sort of front for a Fire Nation military base?”
“How do you know Azula? Did she send you here?” his broadswords seem to materialize from nowhere.
“Me?! Working with Azula? How dare you!” she bends her water into ice shards, flicking them to pin him against the wall. He deflected them and it only makes her angrier. “Tell her her chase for the Avatar ends in Ba Sing Se!”
“Alright, alright, let’s all calm down, hm?” the elderly man skirts around the water she’s wielding, a smile on his face. “My dear, we are only Fire Nation refugees. We came to Ba Sing Se to settle away from the oppression of the Fire Nation.”
The boy snorts, still gripping his broadswords.
“The Fire Nation has taken so much from us.” his face falls, flickers of grief in his eyes. “We mean you and this city no harm at all.”
Katara’s heart softens. The pain written all over the old man’s face guides her to ease her weapons. She knows it well. “The Fire Nation has stolen so much from me. I’ve never heard of or seen peaceful Fire Nation citizens, so I hope you understand why—”
“We’re not citizens.” the other firebender rolls his eyes, drawing back one of his swords. “It’s your turn to explain, waterbender. How do you know Azula?”
She glares at him, poised to whip her water out once again. “I don’t owe you any explanation. In fact, I think we should all pretend I was never here to begin with.”
Katara backs towards the door, eyes flickering between the old man and the firebender. Her tongue mourns the untouched tea left on the table but she turns on her heel, a hand on the door.
A sword beneath her chin steals her breath. When the boy speaks, she can feel his breath in her hair. “Let me rephrase. My name is Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation and if my sister is in the city, I need to know.”
“Zuko!” his uncle hisses. “Let the poor girl go! We have nothing to do with the royal family anymore.”
“If she’s here, it’s only a matter of time before Azula comes for us too!” his voice is strained in his throat. “Tell us, waterbender.”
Katara laughs bitterly. “So not only are you a firebender, you’re literally the heir of the man causing mass genocide across the globe?” she slips the water out of her water skin discreetly. “I’d never tell you anything.”
He grunts, his breath unnaturally hot against her shoulder.
His exasperation is her distraction. In the seconds before his interrogation starts up again, she drops to her knees and sweeps her water backwards, knocking the firebender to the ground.
Katara rushes for the door and doesn’t stop running until she’s sure no lurking handsome firebender is on her tail.
~
Zuko huffs as Iroh flits from table to table, apologizing for the commotion. Though, most of their regular customers know well that some in the city don’t react well to Fire Nation within the walls.
As Iroh rushes around the shop, Zuko puts away his broadswords. While the exchange with the waterbender proved useless, he did find it satisfying to take out his swords every once in a while. It was the moments when he was brandishing his weapons that he felt less exposed, less vulnerable.
He mops up the water the girl had splashed across the floor, still sore from crashing to the ground earlier. He can hardly pay attention to the pain.
Azula is approaching Ba Sing Se and he has no idea how to process that. He knows if Azula catches wind of him and his Uncle, she’ll come. Come to taunt, to toy, to terrorize.
Zuko sighs. Just when he had accepted his fate as a banished prince with stupid useless royal blood, Azula has to come in and turn his mind into a storm.
“Uncle?” Zuko puts up the mop at the back of the shop where Iroh is storing away tea leaves.
“An interesting day it has been, right Prince Zuko?” he laughs heartily. “Who could imagine a waterbender in our humble shop today!”
“A waterbender who’s affiliated with Azula and the Avatar.” his hands turn to fists. “Don’t you remember what the Fire Lord had asked of me when I was banished? He wanted me to chase the Avatar! And of course Azula managed to find an Avatar that’s been missing for a hundred years!”
Iroh sighs deeply, placing a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “All I want is for you to let the past go, Prince Zuko. Does it matter what Azula is off doing?”
“She could find us! How could you not understand?” Zuko is more than tired of hearing about how he has to let the past go. He has.
“Do you fear seeing her, or do you fear her seeing you here, nephew? Be honest.” the lines etched into Iroh’s face seem to deepen, aging him. “Are you afraid of her seeing you honorable without a crown?”
Zuko steps back, eyes shut tight. “I have no honor. I’ve accepted that.”
“If that is what you think, then you have not accepted yourself, Prince Zuko.” Iroh sighs and turns away from him. “That is why your fire is dying.”
The blow throws him. He glances down at the palms that have been unable to produce a flame greater than that of a stovetop. His inner fire had flickered out months ago and he knew why. He knew it was losing everything he had, his mother, his home, his family, his title, his honor. Zuko has been stripped of his identity and his fire has been doused. “Regardless, Azula is on our heels now, Uncle.” Zuko takes a deep breath. “And I’m going to figure out how to keep us safe from her.”
Iroh nods. “If you insist on chasing Azula, I imagine this might help you.” he slides something out of his apron pocket and presses it into Zuko’s hand. Offering him a smile, he says, “I hope you find what you are searching for, nephew.”
Zuko stares at the Water Tribe pendant in his hand, the one that had been hanging from the girl’s neck. He nods. “Thank you, Uncle.”
He claps Zuko on the shoulder. “My teas won’t serve themselves.”
~
“Hey Katara! How did putting up posters go?” Aang waves from the couch on their Ba Sing Se home, fiddling with his staff.
Katara pastes a smile on her face, bending the sweat off her forehead. “It went great! I think we’ll find Appa really soon!”
She had decided not to tell the rest of the gang about the Fire Nation teashop. It wasn’t worth it to send the whole squad in to scope it out, even though that firebender had threatened her with a sword under her chin. And made her heart race like Azula was chasing it. But that’s just a silly irrelevant detail.
Besides, the elderly guy seemed nice enough. She isn’t worried.
“Something’s different about you.” Sokka squints, pointing a paintbrush at her from his dark oak desk. “Did you change your hair?”
“Yeah! It looks so much better, Katara!” Toph laughs, as she picks at her toes.
“Ha ha, Toph, you’re so funny.” Katara rolls her eyes, collapsing onto a plush green chair near Aang. “But no, I didn’t do anything with my hair.”
Aang gasps. “Your necklace is gone!”
Katara reaches for her neck, coming up empty. She mentally smacks herself. She must have left it on the table after it had broken at the teashop. “Oh,” she sighs. “It must have fallen off when I was, um, putting up posters.”
“Please don’t tell me we have to put up posters for the necklace now too,” Toph groans, falling back against the ground.
Aang touches Katara’s shoulder and smiles. “We’ll find it, don’t worry.”
Katara nods, brows drawing together. She knows exactly where to start.