White Hot Flames (ZukoxOC)

17

        A few more days went by without any problem. That is, until Zuko calls Rezalia and Iroh over under what he called urgent circumstances. "We have a problem. One of the customers is on to us. Don't look now, but there is a girl over there at the corner table. She knows we're Fire Nation." Rezalia and Iroh turn to look at a girl in the corner. Zuko forces them to turn back around. "Didn't I say don't look!"

Rezalia sighs. "You oblivious buffon."

"You're right Zuko. I've seen that girl in here quite a lot. (Cut back to them.) Seems to me she has quite a little crush on you," Iroh teases.

Zuko reels back in shock. "What?!"

"Oh, don't be so surprised, Z," Rezalia says as she picks up a ready tray of tea and walks off to deliver it. Distantly, she registers Zuko asking her what the hell that meant and Iroh laughing at him. She gives the girl from the corner a stiff smile as they pass one another.

A moment later, the girl rushes out of the shop with a grin. "I have a date tonight," Zuko tells her blankly, seemingly not believing it himself.

"You are ridiculous, Z. It's a girl, not a Saber Moose," Rezalia says, crossing her arms.

"I don't know how to talk to girls, Zali," Zuko hisses.

Rezalia raises an eyebrow. "Oh, wow. Guess I hallucinated this conversation, then. I should probably go see a doctor for that."

Zuko groans. "That's not what I meant. I've known you forever. I am not a conversational person with anyone but you or uncle. I'm gonna drown myself."

"Spirits, you're dramatic," Rezalia laughs, ignoring the odd squeezing in her chest. "Just relax and have fun. Try not to let uncle gel back your hair, it's not a good look."

Zuko laughs a bit and hugs Rezalia quickly before serving the next batch of tea.

~*~

In the end, Zuko wasn't able to keep Iroh from the gel or his hair so he met Jin outside looking like a butler. She didn't seem to mind. "Hey. Well, look at you. You look so cute!" she exclaims as she muses his hair, an action that had previously been done by Rezalia and his mother alone. He wasn't quite fond of it coming from another person.

"It took my Uncle ten minutes to do my hair," he murmurs. Jin pays his mutterings no mind as she leads him to a nearby cafe.

Zuko was as awkward as ever, demonstrating the point he had tried to make to Rezalia earlier. "So, how do you like the city so far?" Jin asks as Zuko picks at his food.

"It's okay," Zuko murmurs without making eye contact.

Jin continues, not bothered by his apparent inability to hold a conversation. "What do you like to do for fun?"

"Nothing." That one seemed to throw her off a bit, but she recovered quickly.

The waiter walks over and bows a bit to Zuko. "Excuse me sir. Would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?" Zuko snaps at him defensively.

"She is not my girlfriend!" he shouts as he slams his hand down on the table. The waiter retreats hastily and Zuko slowly looks back at his date to find her eating without a care in the world. He shifts awkwardly as he searches for a conversation topic. Rezalia said silence wasn't usually good. "You have... quite an appetite for a girl."

Jin seemed a bit confused by the compliment. At least, she thought it was a compliment. "Um, thanks So, Lee, where were you and your Uncle living before you came here? And the, uh, girl you work with? Did you know her before?"

"I've known Rei almost my entire life. Um, well, we've been traveling around for a long time. Rei got split from me and my uncle for about a month but we meet back up on the ferry ride here," Zuko answers, the most natural he'd been the entire time.

"Oh! Why were you traveling so much?" Jin asks, leaning forward a bit as if to get closer to the answer.

Zuko becomes uncomfortable again. "We were uh, apart of this traveling circus." He internally cringes at his own answer. He could imagine the look Rezalia would give him.

"Really? What did you do? Wait, lemme guess, you juggled!"

Zuko folds his arms over his chest and forces out a reply. One he was not fond of. "Yes. I juggled."

"I've always wanted to learn how to juggle. Can you show me something?" Jin asks, thrusting a handful of random objects toward Zuko. He takes them awkwardly and tosses them into the air in a poor attempt to juggle. It ends with him shattering every bottle he'd been giving, one of them over his head.

"I haven't practiced for awhile," Zuko mumbles as he sweeps the pottery out of his hair.

Jin waves off what might have been considered an apology. "It's alright. Hey, I want to show you one of my favorite places in the city." And she was dragging him away again, this time winding around roads and alleys. She rambles as she runs. "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."

They stop at the fountain Jin had been so excited about. "I can't believe it! They aren't lit."

Zuko bites his lip and examines Jin's disappointed face. Finally, he sighs, already imagining the mental scolding both his uncle and best friend would give him. "Close your eyes and don't peek."

Jin does as told and Zuko gets to work. Spinning around to quickly light every light around them. When he finishes, Zuko tells Jin to open her eyes. She gasps, hand flying to her mouth. "Oh wow..." Jin spins in a slow circle to take everything in. "What happened? How did they light? What did you...?"

Zuko doesn't answer, just gives the girl a tight-lipped smile. Jin suddenly gets to close for his liking and he holds a coupon between them. "I brought you something. It's a coupon for a free cup of tea."

Jin seemed a bit disappointed but takes the coupon with a smile. "Lee, this is so sweet."

Zuko fiddles with his fingers. "Don't thank me. It was Rezalia's idea. She said it would make it less awkward. I'm pretty sure she was wrong."

Jin's smile becomes a bit odd around the edges. "She sounds great, Lee. And don't worry, I won't tell."

Zuko's eyebrows furrow. "Tell? Tell what?"

Jin gestures to the lights. "This. And that Rei isn't her name. This was really fun, Lee. I hope we can be friends." Zuko blinks at Jin in surprise.

"I....yeah. Of course. Thank you."

The walk back to the apartment was a blur. Zuko was vaguely surprised that he remembered the way back. "How was your night, Prince Zuko?" Iroh asks as Zuko walks through the door.

Zuko ignores him, walking into the room he shared with Rezalia and slamming the door shut. The girl doesn't look up from her book. Slowly, he cracks the door open. "Confusing," he murmurs before shutting the door again, oblivious to Iroh's smile.

Rezalia marks her spot in the book and sets it aside. "Wanna talk about it?"

"I..." Zuko trails off. "No. I'm okay, thanks Zali."

"Sure thing, Z. You take the bed tonight, you look like you need it more than I do."

"Okay, Zali. Night."

"Night, Z."