Small Moments With a Ghost

Day 23: Regret/Memories

Another AU prompt coming your way! This can be thought of as a continuation of my Day 4 prompt, or as a different 'Morro comes back to life' AU, it's up to you!

Could I have done this for Day 20 (Reunion/"I'm sorry") instead of today? Probably, but this was the prompt that spoke to me. :P

Okay, enough spoilers. Enjoy!

~~~~~

Wu lived much of his life with regret.

He regretted not going after his own sword, and allowing his brother to get bitten. He regretted later sending Garmadon-however unintentionally-to the Underworld. He regretted withholding certain things from his current students, things that could have helped them much sooner. He regretted not holding their faith in him in higher regard.

His biggest regret, though, was one that would haunt him for the rest of his days.

Well, Wu thought, a slight smile appearing on his face despite his dark mood. Perhaps a little less literally nowadays.

The humor vanished as quickly as it came, and Wu felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He barely resisted the urge to change directions and head for the room where his pupils bunked together, to check that-

No. He wouldn't. He had promised to give space, and he was determined to do just that.

He would not mess this up again. He refused.

Shaking his head, Wu headed towards his goal-the kitchens. He needed a fresh pot of tea to soothe his nerves. Perhaps that new chamomile blend he had recently bought...

Wu stepped into the kitchen, instinctively moving towards the cupboard where his favorite tea set was-

-except it wasn't there. A few cups remained, but his favorite one--the sage-green one with the tiny crack in it--and the tea pot was missing.

Wu frowned severely. He had told his pupils several times to return his tea set should they choose to use it! And he always insisted that they avoid using his favorite teacup. He opened the nearby cupboards, hoping that the objects had simply been misplaced, but without any luck. Frustrated, he closed the last door firmly-he was a dignified Spinjitzu Master, he did not slam doors unless he was making a point-and turned to find a different (less special) teaset to use-

...ah.

Someone had left his teapot on the stove, his favorite tea cup set on the counter next to it. Sighing, Wu walked over, more than ready to make his tea now.

Except, as he walked over to the stove, he noticed steam rising from the teapot's spout. And, he noticed belatedly, there was a vaguely sweet, herbal scent permeating the air.

There was no doubt about it. Someone had been in the kitchens making tea. And, when Wu waved a cautious hand towards the tea pot, it was very recent.

The question was, who? There was no one else in the kitchen, and Wu didn't see or hear anyone leave.

...unless of course, they didn't leave.

Something itched at Wu's mind. Keeping all of his senses open, he opened the lid of the tea pot, peering inside. The herbal scent grew stronger-and he quickly identified it as mint-but there was another, sweeter smell too. Fruity, like fresh berries, and he was certain he had smelled this particular blend before. Where...

He caught a glimpse of the teacup out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly he remembered. A confusing wash of grief, nostalgia, and amusement came over him, and Wu found himself blinking back tears. He chuckled instead, trying to focus on the happy parts of the memories.

He checked the tea inside the pot again--there was more than a few cups worth inside-before replacing the lid and grabbing his favorite cup. He placed them both on the kitchen table before-on a complete whim-going to the cupboards. He grabbed a small plate and a package of shortbread cookies that he had hidden (many of his pupils had sweet tooths, and it was necessary to hide such things if he wanted to save them for special occasions) and brought them over as well.

He poured out a cup of tea, then placed a few small cookies on the plate. He grabbed one for himself and started to make his way out of the kitchen.

He paused at the threshold, however. After a moment's hesitation, he found himself saying, "My door is always open for you, young one. I'll be up for a while yet, so you may knock if you wish." He cast a look back at the table, spotting the cracked cup, and chuckled. "You may keep using that cup as well, though I ask that you be careful with it. It happens to be a favorite of mine-an old student of mine had given me the first cup of tea he'd ever made in it, and was so excited that he dropped and cracked it." He chuckled again, fond and sad and regretful. "Perhaps one day, I'll taste another cup of his tea again."

With that, Wu exited the kitchen and headed back to his room. Once there, he settled into a meditative state, occasionally taking a bite out of his cookie.

Time passed. Eventually, his cookie was gone and he was feeling calm enough to sleep again. Fighting a slight wave of disappointment-he'd promised to give space-Wu got up and headed to his bed-

Tap tap.

A knock, soft and quiet, sounded outside his door. Wu was there in a second, sliding it open-

-only to see no one was there.

Wu blinked, glancing down the hall-nothing. It was empty.

Then he glanced down.

There was a steaming cup of tea near the foot of the door. A shortbread cookie had been placed next to it on a napkin.

Wu stared for a second, wondering if he were dreaming. He picked both items up-not a dream then-and noticed that something was written on the napkin. Shifting the cookie and tea to one hand, Wu read the message.

Don't look too much into this old man, was written on one side, the ink heavy and dark. I'm still mad at you.

Thanks for the cup, said the other side, the strokes lighter (almost hesitant) here. I remember that day too (your face was hilarious; should've told me I oversteeped it). Sleep well.

A smile slowly formed on Wu's face. Chuckling, he offered the empty hallway a quiet "thank you" before closing his door and retiring for the night.

(The tea, he was pleased to note, was nearly perfect, if a tad oversteeped.)

~~~~~~

Awww.

One thing I struggle with (and thus avoided writing) was what a Sensei Wu and Morro reunion would look like in the 'My Best Friend's a Ghost' universe. While it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it is in canon, it won't be pretty either. Both sides made mistakes; both had hurt each other; and while Morro isn't nearly as likely to enact revenge on Wu, he's still upset with him in some regard and is more likely to get snappy with him (when he's not actively avoiding him).

Thankfully, with the others to mediate, I do think that Wu and Morro come to a sort of agreement and are able to repair some of their relationship. It won't be the same as it once was, but they get to a point where moments like this one are more common.

(If you're wondering where Morro was hiding while Wu was in the kitchen, he was on top of the cupboards, tucked into a shadowy corner)

Hope you guys enjoyed!