Work Text:
Yue thought that school was a drag. The student next to her had just jolted her out of a daydream with a quick poke of her shoulder as the teacher prattled on about life before the war. Yue was never too interested in history, it didn't affect her what had happened hundreds of years ago.
The bell finally rang, and Yue rummaged through her bag to find her earbuds. She heard an excited squeal coming from a waterbender in her class.
"IT'S FINALLY OUT!" she said, and started sprinting towards the door. Yue's acquaintance Toph, scoffed when she heard the news.
"Why on earth would you read something so stupid, Katara? Like, have you ever seen an actual steambaby?"
The girl stopped in her tracks. "Are you kidding me, Toph? Steaming Love is the best manga ever written!"
Yue, who was intent on ignoring the girls, stopped as well. "Steaming Love? I've been waiting for volume 8 forever! I have to get to the book rental store!" Yue thought, her stroll becoming a sprint as she ran to her local rental store.
--
Zuko, who was attempting to shelve the latest shipment of Dragon Mantra, accepted the fact that he was not going to finish today. Call after call interrupted him, and he repeatedly told the callers that all of the store's Steaming copies were sold out. Zuko felt a bit guilty for hiding a copy for his girlfriend on the shelf, but whatever. These damn bookworms could wait.
Katara couldn't. He knew that if she didn't get a copy, Zuko would be in for it. He winced at the thought of when volume 7 came out, Katara had almost tore him apart when he didn't save her a copy. And Zuko thought the topic was just weird, like who's even seen a frickin steambaby?
Zuko was just about to put the last book on the shelf when a girl with ice-white hair burst into the store, knocking the bell off the door.
"STEAMING LOVE, VOLUME 8!" Yue exclaimed, breathless from running so far.
"Sorry, all sold out." Zuko said, getting up to hang the bell back up. "Want to try Dragon Mantra?"
Yue's normally good posture dropped into a slump. "Okay." Her eyes glazed over the shelves, and she spotted a binding that she would know anywhere.
"HEY!" she screamed. "THAT'S IT! YOU'RE NOT OUT!"
Zuko attempted a cover up. He grabbed Steaming Love. "Damn it, I can't find Dragon Mantra. Too bad."
Yue felt her rage rising. "I saw that! Who are you saving that for?"
"ZUKO, VOLUME 8!" Katara pushed open the door, knocking down the bell yet again.
"IT"S MINE!" Yue exclaimed. "I was here like 3 minutes before her!"
"But I called in and requested it." Katara objected.
"I mean, technically, Katara, you do have a membership at our competitor's store..."
If looks could kill, Zuko would've been dead and buried.
Both Katara and Yue reached for the book. They both grabbed a side, and that started a tug-of-war.
"Girls, please stop bending the book," Zuko tried to intervene.
They pulled harder.
"Girls, I'm begging you. Let go."
Zuko could see his protests were not working. "OKAY, I'M RIPPING THIS BOOK UP!"
"NO!" the girls said, but neither was willing to let go.
At that moment, Yue noticed a tiny tattoo on Katara's wrist. It was of a waxing crescent moon on her right wrist, matching Yue's waning crescent moon on her left wrist.
Yue let the book go. "Let her have it. Any friend of the moon is a friend of mine as well."