Façades [A Zuko x OC Story]

19 - A New Found Home

Finally getting off the ferry I look around at its passengers and of course, my mother is still missing. I continue on with Zuko and Iroh arriving at the ticket booth.

Iroh, Zuko, and I place our tickets onto the ledge, "So, Ms. Li, Mr. Lee," I look at Zuko with a confused expression but he does not meet my gaze, "And Mr umm... Mushy, is it?" The ticket booth operator continues.

"It's pronounced Mushi," Iroh corrects. The ticket booth operator frowns, "You telling me how to do my job?" She snaps.

Iroh steps closer to the woman, "Uh, no, no. But may I just say you're like a flower in bloom. Your beauty is intoxicating." He flirts.

"You're pretty easy on the eyes yourself, handsome. Raorr!" She growls, "Welcome to Ba Sing Se." She flirts back, stamping our tickets.

Zuko makes a disgusted face and grabs his ticket, "I'm going to forget I saw that." I burst into laughter at his statement, "Well if you don't like your uncle doing all the flirting maybe you could try next time." This comment only earns me a scowl from the grumpy prince.

-

I sit between Zuko and Iroh on a bench when I finally decide to ask Zuko about his alias, "Lee, really? You know how weird it will be to introduce ourselves to people. 'Hi I'm Li and this is my friend Lee! We're twins from different mothers!" I say in a mocking tone.

"It was the first thing I thought of."

"Well I'm glad you were thinking of me while I was gone, but I didn't think you were going to steal my name." I push him with my shoulder.

"Why don't you just go by Mei?" Zuko suggests.

My face contorts in anger, "You know full well why I don't like being called that name." I turn my back to him and he doesn't say anything further and we return to an uncomfortable silence. If this moment couldn't get any worse Jet approaches and squeezes himself between me and Zuko, almost pushing me to the ground.

"So, you guys got plans once you're inside the city?" Jet asks Zuko, most likely trying to recruit him. But I'm soon distracted from their conversation when a man with a cart full of tea walks by.

"Get your hot tea here! Finest tea in Ba Sing Se!" Iroh waves his hand excitedly to signal the tea merchant.

"Ooh! Jasmine please."

The tea merchant pours the tea into a cup and hands it to Iroh. The merchant looks over at me, "Does the pretty young lady wish for a cup of tea?" He smiles at me, gesturing a cup in my face.

"No, I'm fine." I push the cup away. Iroh happily sips his tea but his face soon turns to one of repulsion, "Blaugh! Ugh, coldest tea in Ba Sing Se is more like it! What a disgrace!" I chuckle at his response until I listen to Jet's voice again.

"Hey, can I talk to you for a second?" Jet stands up from beside me and I can finally unsquish myself from Iroh as the two boys walk away. Suddenly a warmth washes over me and I see that Iroh has created a small flame in the palm of his hand under the teacup.

"What are you doing?" I move my body to shield Iroh from anyone's vision.

"I don't like cold tea." Is his simple answer as he lifts his steaming tea to his lips. Before getting a second sip in, Zuko stomps back over to us and knocks the cup to the ground, the scalding hot liquid narrowly missing my legs.

"Hey! I don't want another burn from you!" I exclaim while Iroh cries over his tea.

"What are you doing firebending your tea? For a wise, old man, that was a pretty stupid move!" Zuko says between gritted teeth.