Fuel To My Fire - Book Two (ATLA Zuko Fanfiction)

Chapter Eighteen

Sakari's POV

A few days later we were in our new apartment in the upper ring of the city, and it was beautiful! It was much bigger than our old apartment; Zuko and Iroh didn't have to share a room anymore. Speaking of Zuko, he was feeling much better and he had changed somehow, I couldn't really explain it, but he seemed happier. He hadn't mentioned anything about Aang since his fever broke, he almost seemed like a different person.

"What's that smell?" He asked, yawning and stretching as he entered the kitchen, stopping to give me a kiss on the cheek.

"It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it." Iroh told him. "Even Sakari seems to be having trouble eating it."

"It's not that bad." I aimed my comment to Zuko, who I thought for sure would not want to try it.

To both mine and Iroh's surprise, he stood over the pot and inhaled deeply, taking in the smell of the jook.

"Actually, it smells delicious. I'd love a bowl, Uncle." He said, holding up a bowl.

"You seem different, now that your fever is gone." Iroh said, eyeing Zuko suspiciously but pouring some into his bowl, nonetheless.

"It's a new day! We've got a new apartment, new furniture, today's the grand opening of your new tea shop." Zuko stated, taking a seat next to me. "And I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world. Things are looking up."

I blushed horribly and hid my face with my hair, it had grown a little since cutting it and now came to just past my shoulders. Zuko smiled sweetly at me and brushed some of my hair behind my ear, lifting my chin so that I would look at him.

"I love you, Ri." He said softly.

"I love you too, Zu." I replied, using a nickname other than hothead.

"Bleh." Iroh groaned jokingly, making us all laugh happily.

*****

Iroh was practically giddy when he unlocked the doors of the Jasmine Dragon for the first time. We stepped inside and saw a beautiful little shop with many tables around the room, there was a carpet in the middle of the room with two golden dragons pictured on it.

"Wow, this is beautiful, Iroh." I said, giving Iroh a congratulatory hug.

"It is isn't it." Iroh said as we all walked through the shop together. "Who would have thought when we came to this city as refugees, that I'd end up owning my own tea shop. Follow your passion, kids, and life will reward you."

"Congratulations, Uncle." Zuko said genuinely.

"I am very thankful." Iroh said humbly.

"You deserve it." Zuko told him, smiling at how happy Iroh was. "The Jasmine Dragon will be the best tea shop in the city."

"No, I am thankful because you decided to share this special day with me. It means more than you know." Iroh told Zuko. "And you, of course, Sakari."

Zuko pulled his uncle into a hug; Iroh pulled me into it as well, and we stayed like that for a moment, letting the reality of our new lives sink in.

"Now let's make some tea!" Zuko announced.

The two of them disappeared into the back to make the tea, while I had decided to greet people at the front door, along with another girl we had hired whose name I had already forgotten. We had barely been open for half an hour and we already had so many customers, word must have gotten out about us somehow. I greeted so many people that my cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling so much, and then I saw a remarkably familiar person with a flying lemur on her shoulder enter the tea shop.

"Table for two, please." She said, she hadn't recognised me yet!

"Katara?!" I asked in disbelief.

Her eyes widened as she got a proper look at me, and she pulled me into a tight hug.

"Sakari! I've missed you so much!" She squealed. "You changed your hair!"

"Really? I thought you hated me." I said, looking at my feet awkwardly.

"Of course not! I mean, I was mad. But I never hated you. Adopted or not, you're still my sister." She said, filling me with utter happiness. "So, how did you get away?"

"Get away?" I asked, raising my eyebrow in confusion.

"How did you get away from Zuko?" She asked again, making herself clearer.

"Oh, well, um..." I started awkwardly.

"Uncle, I need two jasmine, one green, and one lychee." Zuko suddenly yelled to Iroh, gaining Katara's attention.

"I'm brewing as fast as I can." Iroh replied to him from behind the counter.

Katara looked from Zuko and Iroh to me, coming to the correct conclusion that I had not gotten away from them. I didn't even want to get away from them! I tried to start explaining everything to Katara, but she bolted away from the tea shop as quickly as she could.

"Katara, wait!" I called out to her, but she didn't stop running. "I'll be right back." I said to the other greeter girl.

I sprinted after her, yelling her name, hoping that she would stop and let me explain myself. But she didn't, and I got frustrated. I shot my arm out angrily and watched Katara freeze up and fall to the ground on a bridge. I can't believe I just bloodbended my own sister!

"How could you do this to us!" She shouted, making me freeze where I stood.

"Katara, you have to listen to me. Zuko is good now!" I tried to tell her.

"Ha! Right! Like I would believe that!" She spat.

"Katara, please." I begged, trying to make her listen to me.

"No, Sakari! I was willing to give you another chance when I thought you weren't with them anymore." She explained, her eyes filled with anger. "But now? You're still with them and  you just bloodbended me! I just can't believe you'd betray us like that!"

"I didn't betray you!" I yelled.

"Really? That's a nice necklace you've got there. Did Zuko buy it for you?" She asked in annoyance.

"He did." I said, crossing my arms and furrowing my brows at her. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Do you love him?" She suddenly asked out of nowhere.

"I... What?" I asked, trying to stall.

"You heard me." She stated.

"Yes." I sighed; I wasn't going to lie to her.

"Get out of my sight." She spat, turning her back on me and leaving me standing there alone.

I let out an angry scream and bended the water below me, shooting it into the air angrily and making it crash back down into the river below.