White Hot Flames (ZukoxOC)

16

        "Well, you certainly look like official tea servers," The tea shop owner says happily. Of course Iroh would have them work at a tea shop. "How do you feel?"

"Ridiculous," Rezalia and Zuko reply in tandem. Iroh frowns as he struggles to tie his apron to no avail. The pair bite back their laughter in an attempt at not getting fired before they even properly start.

Iroh finally gives up and turns to the shop owner. "Uh, Does this possibly come in a larger size?" he asks.

The tea shop owner says that he has some extra string in the back. He pours three cups of tea and hands them to his new employees before going to get aforementioned string. Iroh takes a sip and makes a face. "Eeow! This tea is nothing more than hot leaf juice!"

"Uncle, that's what all tea is," Zuko deadpans. Rezalia snickers, hiding her laughter behind her hand as Iroh gasps in offense, picking up the entire pot of tea and tossing it out the window.

"How can a member of my own family say something so horrible? We'll have to make some major changes around here."

Rezalia laughs out loud and moves to help Iroh. The day is long and many of the customers were rude old men. More than half of them had something to say about Rezalia that neither she nor Zuko were fond of. it took every ounce of their combined self control to not deck someone. By the end of the day, the teenagers were exhausted. Zuko had collapsed on the couch as soon as they'd reached their apartment, Rezalia not far behind him. Each of them rested their end on a different arm rest, their legs intertwining in the center.

"Would you like a pot of tea?" Iroh offers, not even phased by the day they had.

Rezalia scoffs loudly and dramatically. "We've been working in a tea shop all day. I'm sick of tea!" Zuko exclaims.

"Sick of tea? That's like being sick of breathing!" Iroh exclaims as he rummages through the drawers.

"No. It's really not," Rezalia replies.

Iroh ignores her. "Have you seen our spark rocks to heat up the water?" Neither Zuko nor Rezalia reply, which Iroh rightly takes as a 'no'. He walks out of the apartment and neither teen move. Iroh returns a moment later. "I borrowed our neighbors, such kind people."

"Don't they have a little girl?" Rezalia asks as she turns to lie on her side, both legs wrapping around one of Zuko's. Iroh cheerfully confirms, announcing her an adorable little girl.

Their second day of work, Iroh receives a raise. It made sense to Rezalia, he'd been there one day and his tea had already been pronounced the best in the city. In their one day working there, their customers had doubled. Though, Rezalia suspected that was mostly a product of Iroh's tea rather than her and Zuko's serving skills. For someone with excellent balance mid-fight, Zuko couldn't balance a tray on his hand for shit.

On a lower note, Jet busted down the doors on their second day. "I'm tired of waiting. These two men are firebenders!" Rezalia sighs and pulls a few stray customers out of the line of conflict. Jet seemed to only have eyes for Zuko as he unhooked hs swords. "I know they're firebenders! I saw the old man heating his tea!"

"Jet, we work at a tea shop," Rezalia sighs, stepping in between the two boys.

Jet seemed a bit offended by her lack of faith in her. "He's a firebender, I'm telling you! You have to believe me, Rei!"

One of the officers who were sitting down enjoying tea stands and gives Jet a stern look. "Drop your swords boy, nice and easy."

Jet looks over Rezalia's head (she was not at all happy that he was able to do that) to Zuko. "You'll have to defend yourself. Then everyone will know. Go ahead, show them what you can do."

Zuko sighs and steps forward to stop the officers from drawing their swords. " You want a show? I'll give you a show." He draws the officer's double broadswords for himself, sinking into a fighting stance and gesturing for Rezalia to step aside.

"Try not to break anything," Rezalia sighs as she moves. She stands with the other spectators, crossing her arms as she waits for the two idiots to resolve this pointless battle.

Of course, Zuko immediately kicks a table at Jet, ignoring Rezalia's words. Jet slams his swords into the table and jumps over it in a move that Rezalia considered highly unnecessary. Zuko dodges the swords that swung for his legs, landing on the splintered table that Jet breaks once more, causing Zuko to leap to the other half. As he lands, Zuko brings his blades down toward Jet. The brown eyed teen flips out of the way, charging once more as soon as he made contact with the ground. Zuko and Jet swing at the same time, their swords clashing together.

Zuko slams through the shop door, literally. The door splinters as the table had and Rezalia mentally slaps her best friend upside the head. Jet runs at Zuko, who just barely manages to get his feet under and block the attack. "You must be getting tired of using those swords. Why don't you go ahead and firebend at me," Jet sneers.

The two trade more blows as Iroh and Rezalia make their way to the front of the crowd. "Please son, you're confused. You don't know what you're doing!" Iroh calls out.

"Seriously, Jet! Drop it!" Rezalia adds. Jet ignores them both and twirls his swords around in large, circular motions, yanking one of Zuko's swords out of his hand. Zuko walks back to avoid the swinging blades.

"Bet you wish he'd help you out with a little fire blast right now," Jet shouts.

Zuko was growing annoyed. Jet swings once more but with a downward stroke, Zuko had Jet's sword pinned to the ground beneath his own. "You're the one who needs help." Jet releases the pinned sword and retreats a step. Zuko lunges forward and sweeps his sword across where Jet's neck would've been if he hadn't leaned back. The blow only succeeds in relieving Jet of his weird wheat thing. he jumps back onto the edge of a well.

"You see that? The Fire Nation is trying to silence me. It'll never happen," Jet calls in what he probably thought was a call to action. Jet hooks his remaining sword and uses it as a swing of sorts, sending himself flying at Zuko. Both of them trade blow after blow, neither of them able to make it past the other's defense.

One of the Dai Lee step in. "Drop your weapons!"

Zuko backs off immediately, lowering his sword, while Jet points his remaining sword at him and Iroh. "Arrest them. They're Firebenders," he demands.

Rezalia steps forward. "They're not. I can vouch, I travelled here with them and grew up with them. If they were Firebenders I'd know. This guy just attacked out of nowhere!"

"This young man wrecked my tea shop, and assaulted my employees," the tea shop owner shouts out.

One of the officers from before steps forward to stand beside Rezalia. "It's true sir. We saw the whole thing. This crazy kid attacked the finest tea maker in the city."

Iroh turns red at the man's words. "Oh ho ho. That's very sweet."

The Dai Lee exchange looks and grab Jet by the arms, dragging him away despite all his kicking and screaming. Rezalia turns to Zuko. "You broke shit."

Zuko returns the double broadswords to the officer. "I'll fix it," he replies. Rezalia hums her agreement and reenters the tea shop to begin clean up.

"I wonder where they're taking him," she murmurs a while later.

Zuko scoffs from where he was sweeping debris into a pile for Rezalia to dispose of. "Who cares?" Rezalia rolls her eyes and smacks him lightly with her dust pan.