#sumimasu

Xuan sat behind the worn counter with sleeves rolled to his elbows, carefully sorting folded prescription slips into neat stacks beside rows of labeled jars. The apothecary smelled faintly of camphor and crushed mint, and the soft scratch of paper against wood filled the quiet while he worked through the morning’s pickup orders.

“Mrs. Fen… arthritis tonic,” he murmured under his breath, sliding another packet into place before reaching for the next slip.

The bell above the door chimed softly.

@sumimasu said: Sumiko closed her eyes as she melted into their embrace. "You're really warm... It's nice."

Zuko went still for a heartbeat when she said that. The words caught somewhere deep in his heart. His warmth wasn’t a word he’d ever thought of as something gentle someone could like.

“Yeah… comes with the firebending,” he murmured, the hint of a smile touching his voice as a breath left him, softer than the wind moving over the rooftops, though it was quieter than his usual dry humor. Careful, almost. His arm tightened just slightly around her shoulders beneath the blanket, instinctively drawing her closer as if to shield her from the chill in the night air.

“I’m glad it helps,” he added after a pause, voice soft, almost lost to the open sky above them. “I don’t… usually get to be that for anyone.”

The air in the tidy, sunlit wagashi shop smelled faintly of sweet bean paste and toasted rice flour that wrapped around him like a blanket. Or maybe that was just because of her. He cleared his throat, hoping he didn’t sound desperate just to buy candy. As he approached the counter, telling himself to keep his posture relaxed. He managed something close enough. He didn't look rigid, at least. He slipped the folded order slip from his sleeve that read Hong Moshi [Uncle’s alias] and handed it to @sumimasu with what he hoped was a normal, not at all weird expression as his fingers brushed hers and heat shot up his arm.

“Uh—this is… for an order,” he said, and immediately wished he could turn around and head for the door. Of course it was for an order. That was the entire purpose of the slip. While she read it, Zuko tried not to stare. He failed. Her lashes caught the light when she glanced down, her dimples briefly appeared, and he felt the tips of his ears burn. “W–we really appreciate it,” he added stiffly. “The Jasmine Dragon, I mean. Our customers… like the flower ones. They sell fast.” He winced internally. Why was he explaining any of this? She knew what she sold.

● — || @sumimasu continued from HERE .

● — || 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐍’𝐓 𝐒𝐄𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐒𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐀𝐕𝐄 , she certainly hoped he could feel it . He held an anger and resentment that burned through him like [ [ poison ] ] , and made things harder for him — whether he realized it or not . They had referees for a reason . It was their job to call the shots , and make sure that unfair moves were called as so . Otherwise , players seemed to handle things on their own . Clearly , Junsei was no exception to this fact .

❝ It looked like a headshot from the sidelines , but was this worth it ? You should have let the ref handle it . It would have saved you some trouble . ❞

Though , she had to admit that how he handled the situation on the playing field [ [ was ] ] impressive . Reckless ? Stupid ? Also yes , but impressive . Her eyes looked at the skin beneath her hands , then just past his ear as if he could see her expression .

❝ As for how it looks . . . You have to take it easy the next match . You’ll take yourself out completely if you don’t . ❞ She knew all too well that he was not going to be thrilled by that answer . Frankly , he had no reason to be . Being taken from a match , when that was your [ [ whole ] ] world . . . Katara might as well have sentenced him to death .