i.

He found a white dragon bush at the peak of Mt. Makapu (not a panda lily, of course it wasn't, perhaps they all burned down during its eruption) on the second night of their class camping activity. Zuko had crept out of his tent (careful not to wake Professor Jeong Jeong nearby) and began his ascent to the heart of the volcano. Panda lilies are tendrils of black-and-white fire, his uncle had told him once, and they burn just as brightly.

(The flower wasn't for her, no, it was for uncle, perhaps its tea was as delectable as its fire.)

But when Zuko finally reached the rim of the mountain (and the volcano was but a closed eye), there were no lilies to be found. He started digging (not for her, never for her), fingernails clawing at the hardened clay, trying to find even a smothered bloom, a dying whisper. Black and white fire does not exist, Uncle.

When his hands brushed against something soft, he expected to unearth a panda lily, maybe a flat stone forged by fire, but it was a white dragon flower, lilting in the sulfurous air.

Zuko steeped the flower in hot water, and waited for dawn to break.

(Just in case, he prepared two flasks of the tea.)

ii.

She only ordered leechi tea on Wednesday mornings. Iced, a dash of sugar, with a sea prune tart on the side. (Not that Zuko knew, or claimed to know, because Jet and his easy smile manned the counter on Wednesday mornings. He, on the other hand, was condemned to rearranging tea leaves in the storage area.)

"Fire lilies," he heard her comment.

"I bought them for my nephew," Iroh said, "Maybe one day, he'd bring a lady friend over for tea."

"That's very thoughtful of you," she replied, and claimed her tea. She turned to Jet and smiled, "You have a very nice uncle."

When they were closing up shop, Iroh didn't question him why the spiced tea was beside the oolong, and not the chai.

iii.

"Hi," he said to her, a Bunsen burner the only thing in between them, "I don't think we've ever met before."

"We don't run in the same social circles," she replied; terse, uncomfortable. She fiddled with the test tube holder.

"Right. Well, I'm Zuko," he extended his hand to shake hers.

"Um, the fire-"

"Oh, right. The gas valve should be turned this way for safety…"

iv.

"So, college is looming closer."

"You don't have to worry about college, Zuko. Didn't your father reserve a slot for you at the Royal Fire Nation Academy or somewhere?"

"Only if I finished first in class."

"Should I be sorry that Aang beat you?"

"Second's fine with me."

"Is there a hidden meaning behind your words?"

"No. And, seriously, Katara, who even talks like that?"

"Like what?"

"Behind your words. Who says that?"

"Why are you so edgy?"

"I'm just commenting on your choice of words."

"Whatever."

"How eloquent."

"What course are you planning to take, anyway?"

"I'd probably be forced into taking Political Science or Economics or Business Administration. Honestly, though, I'd want to double major in Applied Chemistry and Musical Theory."

"Hey, Political Science isn't so bad! It's my second choice after Psychology. But a Science course sounds cool, too."

"What course is Aang taking?"

"He got accepted early for a degree in Philosophy and Theological Studies. Why the sudden interest?"

"I dunno, maybe because we're friends?"

"What course is Mai taking, then?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You may wanna smoothen that edginess, Zuko."

"I don't know what course Mai is taking, if you wanted an answer so badly."

"I didn't want an answer."

"Now you really lost me, Katara."

"I really did, didn't I?"

v.

Somehow, Wednesday mornings were a lot emptier now.