Chapter Text
“If you come with us, I’ll let you ride on Appa,” Aang promised, trying to make it sound like it was the opportunity of a lifetime. It wasn’t.
“If I wanted to ride your dumb bison, I’d have done it when I freed him from the Dai Li.” Zuko snapped, trying to concentrate on not pouring hot tea all over himself as he filled several obnoxiously small tea cups. Why bother paying for something that’s gone in three sips? If you’re going to have tea, at least get enough to last for half a minute. Tea people are weird, and Zuko will never understand them.
Telling the Avatar that he’d freed his bison was, however, the wrong thing to say if he wanted to be left alone.
It was absolutely the wrong thing to say. Maybe the worst thing he’d ever said in his life, short of ‘Please don’t send untrained troops on a suicide mission’ and ‘Please don’t burn half my face off, Dad.’
Okay… maybe the first one wasn’t quite as bad… at least that one he still agreed with.
Sometimes.
“You rescued Appa!”
“No,” Zuko lied, knowing it was too little, too late.
Then the unspeakable happened, followed very quickly by the expected.
The Avatar hugged him. Latching himself around Zuko’s middle, like Azula used to do when she was trying to convince their Mom that she was being good after lighting various things and people on fire for no reason.
That was the unspeakable thing.
This upset the teapot Zuko was precariously trying to pour into four tiny glasses, making him drop it and shatter it and cover himself in hot tea.
That was the expected thing.
“Oh… Oops.” The Avatar said cautiously and waterbended the tea out of Zuko’s uniform before it had a chance to hurt him. All the while, Zuko stood stock still, trying very hard to not set the Avatar on fire in front of nearly a hundred Earth Kingdom civilians and a handful of police officers.
Maybe their customers would assume all the steam was coming from the tea.
“Sorry. I might be able to fix it. Was it just clay?”
Zuko didn’t answer, so Aang took that as permission and placed the repaired teapot back on the counter as gently as possible before slowly backing away.
“I heard a crash. Are you alright, Lee?” Uncle asked, his head popping out from the kitchen and smiling when he saw the Avatar, regardless of anyone’s expressions. “Oh, good afternoon, Avatar Aang.”
“General Iroh.” The Avatar greeted him with a pathetic version of a traditional Fire Nation bow, even though they were undercover.
That in combination with the use of his uncle’s real name and title was the last straw on the camel-donkey’s back.
“Out,” Zuko ordered loudly now. Which admittedly wasn’t doing him any favors in trying to get the entire tea shop to stop staring at him with amusement.
The Avatar jumped at the sudden order and gave him a salute.
“Yes sir, Sifu Hotman.”
His uncle had to stop Zuko from throwing the teapot at him in response.
Slightly giggling and slightly panicked, the Avatar tried to run away from him, again. This time, however, he was blocked by a customer entering the tea shop.
“Lee? It is you,” the customer said with a bright smile, distracting the Avatar from his attempt to flee. “I heard your Uncle got his own tea shop, that’s wonderful. You both deserve it.”
Jin practically bounced up to Zuko giving his uncle a polite smile. Iroh beamed back with an obnoxious amount of enthusiasm.
“I’ve popped into nearly every tea shop in the upper ring to find you, but I saw the name Jasmine Dragon and just knew it had to be Uncle Moshi’s.”
“Oh… ah. Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t warn you... Things have been crazy.”
“I bet. I heard you all were involved in that mess at the palace. With the fire princess and everything. I’m so glad you’re alright.”
The Avatar still hadn’t left yet. He was staring, eavesdropping. And for some reason, knowing he was watching made Zuko’s face burn.
“Oh yes. Very unlucky, you see. We were invited to serve tea to the Earth King just as everything happened.” Iroh said, since Zuko was busy trying to think of a way to force the Avatar out without making it look like he was embarrassed. “Thankfully, Lee is quite skilled with a blade. Aren’t you, Nephew?”
“I’m capable,” Zuko said, wishing his uncle would stop. “Can I get you some tea?”
“Oh yes. I’d love some. The whole lower ring misses you, especially me,” she said, and even Zuko could tell he was being flirted with, for once. “I was wondering, I know it’s a new shop, but I never used that coupon you gave me. If you’ll still accept it.”
“It would be my honor,” Iroh said as though he could reciprocate her flirtations for Zuko. The Avatar was still watching. “We’ve been considering hiring a few more employees and starting up a delivery service to the other parts of town. I know I disappointed quite a few people by leaving.”
“Oh, that would be wonderful. I’ll let everyone know. They’ll be delighted.” Jin said and Iroh smiled at her as he returned to the kitchen.
“There’s a seat over by the window. Sorry, we’re a little full… all the time.” Zuko led her to the seat indicated, even though there was one closer. The window was in front of the dining area, and thus right by the door, giving him a chance to grab the Avatar by his collar and drop him on the front step, hopefully making his meaning very clear. Stupid nosy brat.
“That’s a good problem,” Jin said, taking a seat, but Zuko was looking out the window at the Avatar, rapidly running away from the tea shop with a big smile on his face that could only ever mean trouble.