'Treasures' Restaurant and Collectibles

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He knew he should be flattered. Maybe. But Shtiya was mostly just... uncomfortable. Obviously this guy had gotten the clue, as sometimes people did, from his style and stature that maybe Shtiya was a little... different. That he didn't like girls. Kwan was probably expecting to get something out of the young healer that he, quite frankly, just wasn't able to give. When the man smiled with his teeth and asked if he could rightly assume Shtiya had never been in a Satomobile, a warning bell in the young man's head went off.

Get out of it. Don't get in anyone's Satomobile.

"Ah," he said quickly, "I — I h-haven't but I d-d-d-don't really c-care for them." Shtiya rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. He truthfully didn't mind them all that much. But he didn't want to be asked to go for a ride, either, and the Waterbender figured the best way out was to decline before he was asked. It was no surprise when Kwan began to tell him bits of personal information. Wasn't that how people did it? They started talking to you to get you all comfortable...

"...Sorry, I...lost my train of thought."

Shtiya smiled nervously. Maybe he was wrong. This giant seemed pretty gentle, and maybe he was just socially awkward. Shtiya knew what it was like to be socially awkward.

"I'm not sure how much you know about teas, but this one is a particular favourite of mine. Perhaps you'd like to try it?"

Well, he could trust the owner of the establishment. Shtiya gingerly took the cup, not wishing to be rude and feeling terrible for having been so uncharitable in his thinking. He didn't hear Kwan's soft utterance because he was too busy picking up the cup and sipping the tea, trying to focus on the taste of it. It had an intense aroma to it, and as he tasted it, Shtiya noticed it was slightly sweet. It was a delicate tasting tea, clearly much nicer than he was used to. No wonder Kwan liked it so well. "It's v-v-v-very good," he said, setting the cup back down with a soft tic. "Ah--" the blush on Kwan's face was actually quite adorable, though Shtiya wasn't sure why it was there. Embarrassment? Possibly. It seemed that unfortunately the man had turned his attention on the package between them, something the healer was just longing to get out of his sight.

"Um, I would really like you to keep that. As a gift... I would feel upset if I couldn't at least do this for you."

The Waterbender shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. Gifts made him feel nervous and awkward — his family had never been much for gifting, and Shtiya wasn't very skilled at receiving a present. He didn't know how to gracefully refuse, and he felt he couldn't possibly accept. In the end, he settled for putting food in his mouth and looking away, breaking the straightforward gaze just as Kwan got himself lost in thought again.

As soon as he saw the man's reaction, Shtiya knew he'd judged him incorrectly. He still couldn't bring himself to accept such an extravagant present, but it was quite clear to the young healer now that Kwan was simply a lonely person who possibly found him quite pretty. It was endearing to see that confidence fold up — it revealed someone who seemed more real underneath. At the same time, it also revealed that by saying nothing and being avoidant, Shtiya had hurt Kwan's feelings. He didn't have much experience with having hurting someone else's feelings.

They ate in silence that seemed to get thicker and thicker, and Shtiya tried to figure out what, if anything, he ought to say to the handsome man. He was coming up blank. When Kwan spoke again, it was so soft and devoid of confidence that Shtiya felt almost heartbroken. Kwan sounded like Shtiya remembered feeling so much of the time, and it ached to know that it was his fault.

"Shtiya, thank you for allowing me to buy you a meal in apology. I... I think that I've gotten the wrong impression, and I seem to have lost my appetite. Please forgive the rudeness I have shown."

Stunned, the young Waterbender watched the man practically bolt from the restaurant. "I —" Never had he ever scared anyone else off. Even the waiter, when he returned, looked shocked. The diminutive, effeminate Waterbender didn't seem capable of saying a mean thing to anybody. What could possibly have gone on? Feeling confused and achingly mean, Shtiya pushed his food around for a while before getting up to go. As he loaded up his packages, he realized that there was one left on the other side of the table — the shirt Kwan had purchased.

Crap. Surely after his unforgivable rudeness, the tall man wouldn't want to see Shtiya again, right? He stared at the colourful package for a moment before groaning loudly. "Stupid, stupid, stupid!" He didn't realize he said it aloud as he lightly beat his fist on his head with each word. Now he'd had to find the power plant! And return the package! And apologize for being the worst at non-clinical social interaction ever! Picking up the package, he added it to his bundles and turned around. The clock caught his eye and he realized that it was actually quite late. Biting his lip, the dark young man made up his mind to find the power plant on a different day. He had to get back to the clinic to hang up the herbs to dry and put things away.

—————-

It took Shtiya a week to remember the bright package he'd placed on a shelf after coming home. He hadn't opened it or looked at it again since that wretched meal, but one day after slipping and spilling Bruised Violet Compound all over his floor, he'd noticed that it was still sitting there. Unbelievable! How could he had forgotten to take it back? After embarrassing the Firebender and refusing to take it, how could he have been so stupid?!

Shtiya had to beg for time off to go return it, and as soon as he got outside he had to run back in and put on his coat. It was more frigid than he'd realized! Clothed now almost entirely in his old clothes from home, he set out to find the local power plant. He thought, mistakenly, that it would be easy to find. Unfortunately, it.... wasn't.

Twice the young Waterbender took a wrong turn and twice again he had to ask for new directions, lamenting his lack of knowledge of the city. Despite having lived in Republic City for a few years, he had very little knowledge of where things were. He knew how to get to the places he needed to go most — like the market and the library — but otherwise? He was completely out of his depth. It took him no less than two hours to find the power plant. By the time he got there, it was almost quitting time for most of the workers. Shtiya blew into the power plant bringing wintery weather in with him, cheeks pink from the cold. His blue eyes were wide and sparkling, jubilant at having finally found the place. "E-e-e-excuse me," he said to the nearest person, "I'm s-sorry to b-b-b-—--other you but I'm looking f-for s-———--omeone named Kwan?" His s's came out hissy due to nerves.

"Kwan?" Laughing, the foreman pointed at the man, saying something about how it 'should have been obvious' due to the man's size. Kwan was head and shoulders taller than everyone else, and like all of them he looked powerful as he bent his lightning. Shtiya decided to wait for Kwan to come his way. It was almost closing time anyhow, and the lightning made him nervous. He'd just wait for the man to be on his way home. It seemed as good a plan as any. Leaning against the wall, Shtiya put his hood back down, warmed by all the bending inside. His hair, loose that day, flooded around his face and the cool blue of his clothing stood out among the grey and brown of the plant. He hoped the man would find him.

After a short while, it seemed workers were beginning to filter out. Shtiya had no way of knowing that a rumour of some kid waiting for Kwan had already swept through the plant, but he was conscious of some of the looks he was getting, standing there watching people go by. He anxiously tapped the toe of his black boot against the floor. Wouldn't the man ever come out? Nervously, he tightened his grip on the colourful package in his hand.

Shtiya sighed. It was taking so long. Maybe Kwan was avoiding him. That thought tightened his grip on the package even more, whitening his knuckles. He'd hurt the man's feelings! And now he didn't want to see him, even to take the package back! Chewing his lip, Shtiya shrank a little from people's questioning glances. The hands on the clock were taunting him with how much time had passed. More and more people went by, obviously on their way home.

His feet were beginning to get tired, so the young healer leaned against the wall. He glanced toward the door, but it didn't seem like Kwan was coming out any time soon. The steady stream of people passing him by slowly began to thin as the majority of workers left on their varied ways home. Shtiya let out a nervous breath and rubbed one scarred wrist. It was cooling down quickly in the plant due to the weather outside. He was glad he still had on his coat. Nervously he cast his eyes up at the clock again. Twenty minutes. Thirty.

When the Firebender finally showed up, he was wearing a very... distracting... white tank top that left basically nothing to the imagination. Shtiya blushed fiercely and looked at the floor. He had forgotten how ruggedly attractive Kwan was. How he had forgotten that was a pure mystery, honestly... the diminutive Waterbender was glad, suddenly, of his thick trousers and long coat.

"H-hello Shtiya. I apologise if you've been waiting long... Is there anything that I can help you with?"

The man leaned against the wall, arms crossed. He cut a very imposing picture, and Shtiya was more sure than ever that Kwan was upset with him. How could he not be? The Waterbender had been unspeakably rude to someone who had only been trying to be nice!

"I, um," Shtiya swallowed. Just apologize! "I'm s-sorry," he blurted, "i-i-it shouldn't have taken s-————-o long for me to b-b-bring this back, but I l-lost track of t-t-t-time..." He offered the package to the towering man, the bright wrapping a little squished from his tight grip on it. The edges of bandages peeked out from his long blue sleeves. The word vomit just kept on coming. "I r-really m-m-meant to bring it back s-s-s-sooner but I got so b-——-usy at the clinic and, and, and then I got lost because I c-c-c-can't find my way around the city v-very well yet, and so I — I — um —" he could not concentrate. Every time he looked back up, the Waterbender found himself blushing more. It seemed rude to keep looking away and avoiding eye contact, but did Kwan have to be so... built?

Swallowing again, the young man steeled his resolve and pushed the package forward more firmly. "It's t-too nice a thing to k-k-k-keep and I d-didn't mean to hurt your feelings." His blue eyes were quite sincere, clearly distressed. "I — I just th-thought that you w-w-were trying to get me in your car b-because you think I'm g-g-g-—" his eyes closed as he tried to force the word out, a physical tic. "Effeminate," Shtiya said finally, skipping the word 'girly' altogether. "It h-happens sometimes. So I — I was def-—-ensive. I, um. I was nervous. And I don't get out much." As if that weren't obvious. Why couldn't he just shut up!?

Sighing, the Waterbender ran his hands through his thick black hair. This was going even worse than he'd imagined. Honestly! Why couldn't he just be normal? Why couldn't he just hand over the package and apologize and just leave without making things worse? Letting out a breath, he groaned a little. This was why he didn't have any friends. He was too awkward for words. At least maybe Kwan could get his money back and feel relieved about being well shut of Shtiya. "I'm really sorry," he said miserably, looking at his feet. Let's just get this over with...

The Firebender was smiling, no doubt because Shtiya was amusingly without composure. Kwan began trying to assure him that he could have kept it, really, but the healer was resolved. It wouldn't have been right. He could never accept such a thing — he wouldn't let a friend give him such an expensive present. He had no experience with having a lover, so he couldn't say whether or not he'd accept such a thing from one. But he dimly felt that that could be the only acceptable situation in which such a present was acceptable. It was hard to think much on it with Kwan's physique in his vision. He breathed a slight sigh of relief when the package left his hands and quickly pulled his arms back, twisting his fingers together as he put them down in front of him.

"While I wasn't trying to take advantage of you, Shtiya, would it have been wrong of me to think that you were somewhat effeminate?"

For that, the healer had only a shrug. It wasn't wrong, it was just annoying. It was a common enough mistake that people had tried to take advantage of him before, thinking he was female — or that he was trying to sell something he definitely was not trying to sell. Shtiya knew he looked somewhat effeminate. His slight stature, slim wrists, long lashes... those were all things he couldn't change. It didn't usually bother him that much. He couldn't do anything about it, anyway. Kwan's next sentence, though...

"I don't really 'go' for girls. I never really have. Since I was little I knew that I liked boys."

The Waterbender's eyes snapped up instantly, the light-collecting blue vivid in the dimming evening light of the factory. How could this man say that so calmly? Was it because he was big enough and strong enough not to get beaten for it? Shtiya recalled with perfect clarity the day his father had hit him across the face. Such behaviour was indecent, and he hadn't believed for a minute that Shtiya — or anyone else — could have been born with such an orientation.

But Kwan was the embodiment of a 'real man'. His father would have thought so. Shtiya felt stunned. So stunned, in fact, that he was unable to say a single thing. There had to be some mistake. The young healer's frantic mind grasped for any reason to believe that Kwan was not telling the truth, only to be interrupted by the warmth of the man's hand on his face. Avoiding eye contact was, by now, impossible. His tan skin was stained with a warm blush, and he was acutely aware of Kwan's body temperature.

"I suppose, simply put, that I would just like to say that I find you attractive and would love the opportunity to get to know you better."

He wanted to get to know Shtiya better? He found him attractive? "I —"

Kwan closed the space between them and kissed him, for what was only the second time in his life. The man was tall and smelled like soap and the faint metal tang of lightning. Finally his brain seemed to shut off and his hands came up, lightly grasping at Kwan's elbows. Without realizing it, Shtiya leaned into the kiss, and as it deepened before it ended, he let out a barely audible moan. The faint sound was almost a whimper, and it betrayed how rarely he'd ever been touched. Butterflies fluttered frantically in his stomach and when they parted, Shtiya was glad he'd been leaning against a wall. He felt — and looked — a little breathless.

Blue eyes stared into amber ones as Shtiya tried to figure out what came next. He honestly hadn't the slightest idea. Suddenly, as if he'd only just realized what had happened, the young man leaned back a bit, casting his gaze around nervously. What if someone had seen? Was he going to get in trouble? He was sure that Kwan could handle himself, but — well, Shtiya had never been very good in a fight. He twisted slender fingers back together.