An Unwavering Heart

The Dinner

Sticky, beads of sweat trailed down his forehead as he so badly wanted to escape this dinner party prison. For a firebender, he was usually used to sweating, but unfortunately this was not a sweat from fighting. Zuko's sweating came from nerves. He was trying to appear like a normal guy that definitely didn't have a crush on his colleague's girlfriend. He felt like an imposter in their home. He chided himself in his head for even coming to this dinner, "I'm so stupid, why couldn't I just say no?!" In this moment, he knew he could never be a spy because he sweated way too much and couldn't conceal a secret for shit. He tried to stare at the floor or at his wine glass while Katara tried to ask him about himself. This would be not as bad if it weren't for the Avatar's eyes burning into his soul.

The oval, cedar dining room table was modest but large enough to fit the three of them comfortably. Zuko sat in the chair that was closest to the front door, while Katara and Aang were on either side of him. To make him feel welcome, Katara had placed Zuko right in the middle of them, with Aang and Katara separated by Zuko and the table. Aang smiled at his beautiful girlfriend as she talked and poured red wine into everyone's glasses. That pleasant feeling lasted briefly as a niggling thought burrowed it's way into Aang's mind. "This guy is sweating like he has a secret." Aang mentally shook this thought from his mind as he steeled himself to remain optimistic. "Maybe he's just socially awkward. His sister is so off-putting she has to bribe people to be her friends. I bet the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," he thought. He was taken from these thoughts at the sight of Katara blushing. His eyes narrowed and focused on the fire bender.

"No," Katara blushed pink in her cheeks, "I did what any doctor would do. I really don't think I'm all that great." Zuko gulped, not daring to look in Aang's direction. "I would never lie. I've seen and experienced many burns in my life," he pointed to the red scar on the left side of his face, "and I've never seen healing work this fast." A smile began to form on Zuko's lips but fell quickly. Katara beamed thanking Zuko profusely. She turned to look at Aang, who quickly turned his scowl into a smile. "You really are the best, sweetie. Best waterbender, best doctor, best healer, best GIRLFRIEND." Katara raised an eyebrow at Aang loudly emphasizing the last word. She wondered if he had too much wine so soon. "Oh, you boys flatter me. I really am great, aren't I?" She laughed and looked at Zuko with a big smile, "But a lot of your healing came from taking care of it like I suggested. You're a great patient." After this statement, Zuko promptly excused himself, "Uh, gotta..bathroom."

Katara gave Zuko directions to the restroom and looked at Aang in shock. "Well, he's certainly the odd turtle-duck," she whispered as a giggle escaped her throat. Aang wasn't sure what was coming over him, but he wanted to follow Zuko and confront him. He heard her giggle as a result of Zuko's behavior and could feel heat rising up in his neck. His jealousy subsided as reason thankfully took over. "No, I'll have to talk to him when Katara isn't around, I don't know anything for sure" he thought to himself. He pretended to be shocked as he looked at the waterbender in a hushed voice, "Pfft, I know, right? The whole family is kind of weird."

In the bathroom, Zuko was splashing cold water on his face, trying to keep his thoughts off of Katara and what she might look like without clothes on. Her smile opened a Pandora's Box that he didn't know how to close. He gripped the bathroom sink with white knuckles as he tried to take some deep breaths. "This is just lust, she doesn't like me, I just need to forget about her and move on," he muttered to himself. He quietly groaned at how pathetic he was. He knew this wasn't just lust, he wanted to be around her every minute of every day, whether or not they had sex. He did acknowledge that her beautiful face and her body were major pluses. He splashed more cold water on himself, thinking about Aang beating him up and that put his romantic feelings at bay for the time being.

In the dining room, the airbender held her hand on the table and rubbed it gently with his thumb. She was talking about what she wanted to try in the bedroom tonight. She gave him a sultry look and he melted on the spot. Aang and Katara continued their hushed whispers until they heard the bathroom door creek open. Aang spoke at normal volume and changed the subject so as to not arouse any suspicion. He cleared his throat, "Yeah, and so, that's why there are no bathrooms in the Spirit World." The couple turned and greeted the firebender back to the table. Zuko came back to the table, noticeably more calm and less sweaty. "Sorry, sometimes I get flushed after drinking wine." Aang smiled to hide his angry thought, "Damn, this kid is a good liar."