And now it's high time to be something bigger than we are [Closed]

[edge_of_honor]

Characters: Edgeworth and Iroh
Content: Iroh and Edgeworth's odd friendship as it develops through the years
Setting: von Karma's manor, the Firelord estate, and the best little teashop in Reial
Time: Fifteen years ago, ten years ago, and almost nearly a year ago
Warnings: None yet

Comments

A year ago, at the Jasmine Dragon tea shop in Melior

[myfavoritetea]

The afternoon peak serving time was, thank goodness, just about over. Granted, the Jasmine Dragon was never completely devoid of customers, (perish the thought!) but there were certainly times of the day that were more frantically paced than others. Piling an already well-laden tray with even more empty cups and teapots, Iroh smiled at each of his happily departing customers in turn. Heading towards the back, he was stopped by one of his many much younger employees, to whom he gratefully handed the heavy tray.

"Thank you, Jin," he smiled amicably at the young girl who had very quickly proven herself to be extremely capable. Sweeping his eyes around the shop, Iroh noted that everything else seemed to be well in order. Taking a pot of his own special blend of ginseng tea (his favorite of the day), he wondered if there would be time for him to get in a game of Pai Sho before the evening rush began....

[edge_of_honor]

It had been a long time since Edgeworth had talked to the ad-to the former admiral. Too long, in fact. However, he was not some snivelling child anymore, nor was he some coward who played at being a man. He had spent the last few months putting his past to rest, but some loose ends still remained.

Which brought him to the tea shop. Edgeworth took a deep breath and straightened his posture before he entered the Jasmine Dragon.

[myfavoritetea]

Iroh's back was to the door at that particular moment, setting up his preferred Pai Sho board and arranging the tiles in the order that most pleased him (just in case anyone was foolish enough to want to play him). Finishing, he took a sip of his tea and smiled contentedly. He was far happier doing this for a living than he ever had been waging war.

Turning, he glanced over his shoulder at the door, saw the flash of color as someone entered, and bowed deeply at the newcomer. "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon," he said merrily, raising up to look at the new patron more fully. "I am Iroh, the owner and--" he blinked. "Miles?"

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth removed his bowler hat and bowed in turn. When he straightened up, he cleared his throat, and said, "It's been some time...sir."

[myfavoritetea]

Iroh blinked again, straightening more fully to look up at the young man. "It certainly has."

A beat. "Where are my manners?" he laughed, rubbing the back of his neck, but a large smile slid over his face. "Please, come in! Have a seat. Let me get you some tea. Is there any blend in particular you would like?"

[edge_of_honor]

"Anything will be fine," he said, as he pulled out a chair for himself. Edgeworth gave Iroh a weak smile, and said, "You are the shop owner, after all."

[myfavoritetea]

"Yes," he nodded, and made a few elaborate hand gestures to his shop assistant, who seemed to understand perfectly and brought over a pot of just water and a blend of tea. Iroh proceeded to assemble the tasty beverage there at the table. "And you- have been keeping busy, I hear."

[edge_of_honor]

"That's one way to put it," he said simply. "But I'm curious - what have you heard, exactly?"

[myfavoritetea]

"A number of things, really. I heard, of course, of the incident with Manfred...." He shook his head a little sadly at the the memory of all that the other former Admiral had done to Miles. "And of the note you left." There was no judgement in Iroh's voice at that last part- he above anyone else very well understood the fact that Miles had simply left and retreated from everyone he had known to go wander around the continent. Iroh couldn't be upset with him about it. "But I got enough reports of your movements to know that while 'choosing death,' you were not killing yourself."

[edge_of_honor]

His expression darkened when Iroh mentioned von Karma, but it passed quickly, like an afternoon thunderstorm. The only remnants of this mood were some lines around his mouth and slight tension in his shoulders. As Iroh continued to speak, though, his expression shifted into a vague sort of unease.

"It's...a bit difficult to explain," he said. However, despite his apprehension, he also felt a sort of understanding with the older man. After his journey, he finally understood once and for all why Iroh had left so many years ago.

[myfavoritetea]

The tension emanating from the younger man was almost palpable. Iroh merely raised a hand. "Do not feel that you need to," he offered simply, moving his attention to the preparation of the tea. He went through the motions easily, and of course heating the water was no problem at all. "I certainly will not fault you."

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself. This silence was a gift that should not be refused.

So instead, he focused his attention on the tea preparations. This wasn't the first time he had seen Iroh make tea, but there was still something fascinating about it. The tension left his shoulders as he found himself calmed by this everyday ritual, and old childhood memories, good ones, were brought to the fore.

"How long have you been doing this?" he asked, his voice quiet.

[myfavoritetea]

Iroh was happy enough to change the subject. It had been quite a while since he'd seen his old friend, after all. There was a lot to catch up on in a variety of different areas. "A good while. It is absolutely wonderful. I get to drink tea and play Pai Sho every day!"

He smiled genuinely. "And share my love of tea with those who truly appreciate it."

[edge_of_honor]

Edgeworth smiled back, and said, "I'm glad that it's worked out so well for you. And...I suppose that answers my next question."

[myfavoritetea]

"I am very content, thank you for almost-asking," he chuckled, stroking his beard in a playful gesture of thought. "And it is good to be so close to my dear sister... though she worries constantly about her sons...."

[edge_of_honor]

"Sons?" Edgeworth blinked in confusion for a moment, until he remembered one of Irohs' earlier letters.

"Nevermind," he said. "How are they doing nowadays?"