#workplace au

“Leave her alone, Toph. She can use the distraction, you know, the dude’s not a bad thing to look at.” The whistle that let his lips in your defense made you laugh a little, feeling your face get a little hot with the realization that you were not even a little discrete.

“It's not like I could’ve known.” Toph’s lips curled in a little smile when she shook her hand in front of her eyes. They were green under the layer that covered them and it was always a little enchanting to look at. That was a problem you had, apparently, the incapacity to simply look away. “I know it's hard to believe, but I’m not trying to be mean. It's just that you were a little quieter all of a sudden. You always look away when this guy is in the room and I thought that maybe it could be him again, so… was I right?”

You looked at Sokka, shaking your head. It would be easy for him to understand that you wanted him to deny, deny, deny, no?

“You were.” He confirmed, rolling his eyes at the idea of lying to Toph for such a banal thing as your obvious liking of this stranger. She smiled brightly at the confirmation.

“What’s so interesting about him? Sokka said he’s not bad. Is he pretty?” You don't answer at first, ashamed of the fact that you could give her a good reason for it without even touching on the obvious matter. The scar.

It was true, the dude, as Sokka had called him, was a very handsome man. Everything about him seemed to work out perfectly fine on its own, and the whole set? Frustratingly breathtaking. He had broad shoulders, long hair, a good bone structure, well-built muscles and… well, the scar. A burn mark around his eye that blended on his face in a way that told everyone who gave it five seconds of thought that he had it for a long time, which urged the next question, and the next, and the next. How long? How did this happen? Who did this to him? Was it an accident? Had it been provoked? Imposed? You felt bad for the curiosity because really, it was none of your business, but there was no way of denying it anymore: he spiked your interest, and you didn't think your curiosity would simply go away without being fed first.

This time around, when Sokka opened his mouth to answer, you just cut him off by saying it before he could.

“He is handsome,” you started, as it sounded in your head when you rationalized it, but something about the question made your own lips curl when your shoulders shrunk. She cannot see for herself, so even though it makes you feel shy to say it out loud, you have to be the one to say that, yes, he is a handsome man in all the ways that made one, but also… he had a sort of delicacy to his face that made him more than that. “He has a burn mark right here,” you continue, lowering the tone of your voice so that you couldn’t be heard by the bystanders as your fingers rose to reach her face, your touch resting just below her left eye. “It doesn't make him any less pretty.”

“Oh, wow.” Her brows shot up, amused and surprised.

“What?”

“You would think he’s a muse and not a work crush hearing this. Calm down, Shakespeare.”

You roll your eyes at the comment and laugh it off, but can’t avoid noticing how the skin under your fingers turns hot. Toph’s pale skin is painted by a light blush; you refrain your touch when Sokka clears his throat, earning a new shrug out of you.

“He’s not a work crush. And you make it sound like I just said something crazy, but it's true, he is handsome and pretty and whatever. Sokka, tell her!” Your exasperation only earned a laugh from both of them.

“I already said it, he's not bad. You sound a little more romantic saying it, though.”

“I do not.”

“Oh, you do. He’s just so pretty.” He imitates your voice, making Toph laugh.

“I do not sound like that!” Even with the emphasis, Sokka continues to insist and at any point in the whole exchange you consider for only a brief moment to just give up in your denial and admit. You deny again and again, and again, and you could keep denying for a whole long time if your lunch break wasn’t about to end, a fact reminded by your colleagues, who got here fifteen minutes before you and had to go right now.

“Hit us up if you need anything, okay?” Even with the teasing, he could sound a little fraternal. It was obvious in the way he would not intervene in Toph’s moves but existed around her ready to help if she needed anything at any time.

“Good luck with your people watching, stalker.” She blows you a kiss when standing up, her hand brushing past your hair in a temptative caress before opening the retractable cane. Her comment makes you blush and you can’t really avoid asking yourself if that was what she wanted as revenge for daring to touch her.

You try not to delve into that line of thinking. Not allowing yourself to think about questions you knew that wouldn't be answered and daring to feel curious about people who would not be around you for too long. There was a lot about Toph you didn't understand. You knew she was the daughter of your boss and that she was pleasant to be around, with her dynamic duo attached to the hip, but there was a lot more you would like to know that you accepted was probably for the best to not indulge, even then, the curiosity remained. There was always a voice in your head reminding you that even though she is one of your best friends here, this was still a workplace and you were not exactly the best person at keeping a job and being her friend would not protect you. Could you even say it assuredly? That she was your friend? Who could say what was genuine in a place like this? What kept being genuine after you were fired? Keeping things at a distance was the best way to protect yourself and your feelings when things did not work out in the end. Even though you really liked the job and felt comfortable for the first time in a while, it was not like this one was going to last. None of the ones before did.

Thinking about the briefness of relationships built in the workplace did not exactly make you feel better about the sudden interruption of your daily dosage of company. Instead, it makes their absence very noticeable when they're gone and you’re reminded that you still have some minutes you don't know how to use. Having a good look at your food that sat there barely touched, it's clear that the last minutes were too distracting and you did not want to eat anymore. You close the lids on the containers and put it back on the lunch box, the hunger as absent as the presence around you, even now that the distraction is over. Is it, though?

It’s sudden, a mere suggestion that makes your face contort on itself in a grimace. It's a thought that taunts your peace, because you’re trying. You're trying not to look at him, now that you know you’re not the most discrete and if Toph knew, it was certainly because someone had told her and you know exactly who had done it, because he was not even a little ashamed of it. Toph could be as smart and perceptive as she was and not be able to simply guess the scar on his face, but if Sokka out of all people had been able to realize your new obsession… well, it was not going to be a secret for long. Everyone would hear about it and if you were not aware of it yet, you would be soon enough. The possibility makes your insides turn.

You were curious about him, not only about the scar or about what he did at work or how he could be so beautiful and seem to not be aware of it, no, it was all of it but not only that, it all could be boiled down to that specific moment. You were curious about what was that sudden thought that made him absent for a little while, and why would he look in your general direction sometimes and if maybe, just maybe, he remembered your name like you remembered his?

You could not admit it in front of your friends. That you had his name engraved in your mind since the day that you smiled at him in the coffee shop after a mistake on which card to use to pay for your coffee made him step up and get it for you. It was so embarrassing that you were only capable of smiling and thanking him before fleeing away as fast as you could. You could not admit that he tried to introduce himself and all you could retain was his first name and nothing else. It's Zuko, he said, when you thanked him with a thank you, kind stranger empathizing the stranger where his name was supposed to be. You didn't tell him yours, not that day at least. You were already in a hurry to come back to work and you just… zapped away. Which was a terrible decision, because the embarrassment that pushed you to run only made everything even more awkward in your head and in the subsequent days, when you met him by accident, that same scene replayed in your head and your first instinct was to avoid him. There was no reason for that, really, but you always hid, tried to walk faster, to seem like you were interested in anything but him. It did not work out. When you started avoiding him, he also started to be everywhere: the coffee shop, the canteen, the damn corridors, for fucks sake! You were sure he did not work in the same office as you, but somehow that had happened, as if the universe had a particular way of laughing in your face.

Eventually, you found peace at being at the same places at the same time, by telling yourself that that random act of kindness seemed like something he would do for anyone and you should not worry that he would remember you forever. The thought comforted you in that moment and everything went downhill ever since.

You told him your name a few weeks later, when the lack of avoidance made you weirdly comfortable to give it a try. The power supply in the whole building had gone out and everyone was dismissed for the rest of the day. It would be a dream to have the whole day for yourself and do something fun with the extra time, if the rain wasn't starting to get really nasty out there, of course. The only option you had was to get home as soon as possible before any possible means of transport got crowded and useless; you dreaded the idea of taking the subway under these conditions, but if you tried a cab or a bus, it would take forever to get home with the awful traffic, so the subway it would be. It was by the exit, when you finally decided what to do, that you saw him, looking like a lost puppy in the hall.

“I thought everyone in your office was gone already.” Your comment attracted his eyes and he gave you a soft smile. At that moment, rather than wanting to run away, you felt at ease. “What kept you here? Afraid of melting in the rain?”

“Kind of. I don't have an umbrella.” His voice was not exactly deep, but now that you could hear it in a whole sentence, it was not bad on the ears either.

“Are you going to the station? I can take you with me.” You lifted the umbrella. Seemed spacious enough for the two of you.

“The station?” He looked at you, looking genuinely confused for a moment. Maybe by the fact that you said more than two words and had just proposed to stand in his vicinity for the next ten minutes.

“The subway station.” The clarification made his expression brighten.

“Oh, yes. Yes, of course. Can I go with you?” The question was his way of asking for an educated confirmation, but even before you answered, Zuko was already walking up to you.

“That's what I said.”

It was as simple as that. You laughed, he laughed. It was easy to keep talking to him for some reason, like there was not a way of the talk going wrong now that you had no way of running in the opposite direction. In the ten minutes of conversation you discovered the possibility of keeping him on your mind as more than the guy you're trying to run away since he paid you a favor without asking for anything in return. It sounded a little crazy, when you thought about it, that you were so nervous that everything seemed like the absolute wrong thing to say and to avoid the crippling anxiety the idea of being unpleasant gave you, you just avoided being anything at all.

At some point in the walk he offered himself to hold the umbrella and you let him, thinking about how it was easier that way, no? Being taller, it was probably better to protect himself from the rain and you were being a little clumsy trying to shield you both. By the time you arrived at the station, you had managed to be almost completely dry but the side of his clothes were wet. It was a large umbrella, enough for the both of you, but still to this day, you cannot bring yourself to stop thinking about the way he made sure you were guarded. He was aware that you noticed it, but none of you said a thing about it.

“You never told me your name.” And just before your train arrived, you finally gave it to him. “I like it. Better than stranger danger, I think.” That same soft smile indicates that the nature of the comment was lighthearted, but you were taken aback by the comment and your whole expression freezes with surprise.

You told yourself it was a joke about the kind stranger comment you made the other day, but it reminded you of the self-consciousness that you had ignored up until that point. All you could do was laugh awkwardly, when the guilt of avoiding him and then starting to watch the guy almost obsessively finally caught up to you. He knew? Was he scared? He thought you were insane? You didn't know what to say and you could swear that he did not expect you to be out of words, so it was easier to believe in the joke alternative, but the way that his eyes analyzed you in that moment did not lie; seeing you like that up close had an effect on him and he did not apologize. Zuko seemed… amazed. When you entered the wagon, he did not make a move that indicated that he was going anywhere. Until your face was out of sight, he stayed on the platform, watching you through the window and waving you goodbye. You two have not talked since.

This happened a few weeks ago and you didn't think you would stop revisiting that whole exchange anytime soon, as long as you kept seeing him. Which happened a lot lately because you both always ended up in the same lunch break and you not only saw the guy, but kept watching him like a crazy stalker, to the point of noticing the smallest details and only feeding into the future accusations he could possibly throw in your direction. You really were a stranger danger, after all. That was the reason why the comment made you so anxious, wasn’t it? Because the familiarity between the two of you was artificial, and all the information you had about the guy had been given to you by any means that were not… him. You were not a criminal, but what if Zuko thought that meant you were insane? And that what your friends called a work crush to him seemed as an absurd obsession?

You feel nauseous. You feel nauseous and can only thank when your phone rings and the call disturbs your thoughts, dragging you back to this moment only to remember that even though your mind was in another place, your body is still in the canteen, alone, thinking about a guy who’s sitting across the room, while not even eating, which could make you seem even more weird. Toph’s name and a picture of you two light the phone screen along a sequence of messages with your new tasks for the rest of the day. You take that as the sign that your lunch time is over and finish packing your stuff, drinking the whole soda before throwing the can on your way out.

You try not to check up on him before leaving for good, because you are doing oh so well when only thinking about him, but your eyes betray you. A chill runs down your spine and pushes you to hurry yourself out even faster, because when you look at him, he is already looking at you.

*

He wonders if you thought that he wouldn't notice. Everytime you looked at him and stayed looking at him for an awfully long time, turning your gaze elsewhere only when someone snapped your attention away, or even before, when you would simply refuse to stay in the same room with him and would always find the most creative hiding spots just to make sure he wouldn't see you. It was a waste of time, you know, the idea of trying to hide. Zuko was very aware of you, since the day in the coffee shop, maybe even before; he was just more composed about it. He wonders if you thought that he wouldn't notice, because he knows for sure that you didn't.

At first, he thought it was cute. The whole thing, you, it felt very lighthearted and it would make him smile all of a sudden when thinking about the pretty girl in the publishing office upstairs, for which he would sometimes offer his services as a law consultant in intellectual property. Then, he started to revisit the idea of you more frequently than it would be considered healthy to think about someone he didn't even know the name of. He was not the most lazy lawyer that the firm had, nor the most brilliant, but it was clear to everyone he was a damn competent one, and somehow, not even that protected him of being observed by his colleagues, who noticed how his work started to get done at an astounding speed, especially when the contractor was the publishing house. Someone joked about the girlfriend he must have there, to be so anxious to keep visiting the other office, but he just rolled his eyes and kept working, because he could not admit they were right. He wanted to see you.

He had an umbrella, on the day he walked with you in the rain. He had left it in the office and was about to get back to pick it up when he saw you in the hall, and you said something for the first time since the other encounter. He doubted for a moment that you were talking to him, but the lie he answered you with was so automatic that there was no turning back from that. Walking with you was nice, even though he was not really someone to take the subway, it was just a good opportunity to know more about you before the awkwardness and embarrassment made you close to an advance again. The talk went well and right before he could ruin it all with a comment he thought was going to make you laugh, the realization that you were pretty, cute and funny made him mortified. Now that you were more than an idea in his head and he liked what he saw of you, Zuko immediately felt sick to his stomach. It was going to get so much worse.

The thought of becoming obsessed with you probably sounded a lot worse in his head than it really was, and he felt bad for it, because he could not bring himself to just cut the distance between the two of you and stop just lurking around like an idiot and a creep. He was lucky you were a little clueless and that your friends were more focused on the fact that you were making a fool of yourself to notice that he was not any better. Not only was he not better, but he could also be very much more pathetic. The only thing protecting him from the teasing by his closest colleagues was the fact that he knew about their secret dates that the HR would not appreciate, and that they thought he really needed someone new. More than a year had passed since his last breakup and Aang and Katara were already losing their hopes that Zuko would ever be interested in another girl apart from Mai. It was mutually beneficial to the three of them that they let him just… feel that.

A part of him liked the fact that he had your undivided attention without any talk being needed, that you surely thought of him and that you had so many questions that he would love to answer, but what would happen after answering your questions? Would your interest vanish? What did you know about him? How much more could you know before you got tired and bored? Zuko knew your name, your schedule, where in the office you worked, who your friends were. He knew the coffee you liked and when to go for his lunch break just to see you every day, but what about you? Despite the constant watching, what else was there in the image you constructed of him in your head? Would the real Zuko be a complete disappointment in comparison? Could he be able to make up for it?

He doesn't know exactly when simply existing in your vicinity ceased to fulfill his initial need of proximity. Zuko knew the day would come, of course, but it felt too soon, didn't it? Or was it too late? This thing between you two could be dragged along forever if it depended on the capacity of any of you to take the lead; at the end of the day, he _was_ shy. And you… well, you were you. If making the wrong comment was able to put you in such an embarrassed state, anxious how the others would react to it and feeling the need to hide to not face that it was really not that serious, he could not even imagine how that translated into your love life. He was not one to judge, though.

It was hard for him to have enough interest in anyone to muster the courage needed to actively talk to the person and for the first time in a really long time, it seemed like he had finally met that one specific requirement, in an amount far greater than expected. Now that Zuko had enough interest, the only thing missing was courage, of course. It was not an easy feat to achieve and you could very much not reciprocate the feeling and feel obligated to say yes if he asked you out so… that locked the both of you in an impasse where no one dared to make a move while waiting for the other one to move, which ultimately just left you two exactly in the same initial spot. It was eating him up on the insides. He needed something to be done soon; he needed to do something soon.

Zuko did not show up in the canteen for a whole week after you saw him looking at you. He imagined you were talking about him to your friends, even after you lowered your voice, because you were watching him just before touching Toph’s face exactly where his burn mark sat. It was a little upsetting to think about how that was the thing everyone noticed upfront, but to see your eyes lost when your mind wandered had stolen his attention much more vigorously than anything absurd he could ever think and Zuko decided he could forgive you for not seeing much beyond; he had not given you the opportunity yet. And after thinking extensively about how you were not good at disguising the way you looked at him, he just… did that. He sat there and watched you until your phone rang and you went away. Not before looking at him for the last time, though, which meant your eyes had locked with his eyes and the way you seemed mortified about it just wasn't funnier because he too was mortified with the idea of getting caught red-handed. Suddenly, he became very conscious of how odd it may have been, and decided he could not show up in front of you again without being prepared to make the first move.

The restlessness about when, where and how to ask you out drove him crazy in a way that ended up taking him three steps back on the productivity he had been displaying in the whole period of trying to get a glimpse of you when frequently visiting the publisher for the consultation they hired him for. When his appearances decreased in frequency again, his absence was not weird to Poppy Beifong, who trusted immensely in his capableness and even with the wonky deadlines, his ability to get the job done right; she knew it could take a while, but the matter was in good hands, so there was nothing to worry about. Even though your boss trusted him, she did not let him go easy with the delayed delivery of work, making a snarky comment for everyone to hear about how hard it was to make him get out of his office and how she had forgotten what a pretty face Zuko had. He wished for a place to bury his head and hide, so that he could not get caught blushing and trying to explain himself before the woman erupted in laughter. His reaction to the teasing was enough to pay off the delay in Beifong’s eyes. Zuko could not thank the gods and spirits enough for deciding to go up to the publisher at the time he knew you would be on your lunch break.

“I wish whatever was taking your sleep a few weeks ago would make a comeback as soon as possible.” This time, she said it lower, closing the doors before accommodating herself behind the desk and starting to revise the papers you had delivered. “I’m almost snatching you for good from Iroh’s hands just so that I can control how many hours a day you spend working instead of daydreaming.” She sighed, but her tone was far from a reprimand.

“You can always hire another one, you know. I’m sorry to be delaying your deadlines, but the firm has other professionals that can keep up with the demand.” The answer was calm, even if the comment made his ears red hot. There was no need for a comeback. You were just a few meters away.

“The worst part is that you’re not delaying anything. Even doing it at a healthy rhythm, you are still capable of doing everything right on time. Frustrating for me, of course, who would simply love to overload you with all the work I want to be done. So lame of you, Zuko.” Poppy shrugged, rolling her eyes and curling her lips in the same jokingly manner of her daughter. He was not very familiar with the girl who was going to inherit the company, aside from the fact that she always accompanied you, but he imagined she could not be much different. Fun, but cutthroat.

“Sorry for not being the best to exploit, Mrs. Beifong.” The comment earned him a soft laugh. She was never serious, but with the almost four years of business partnership between them and the proximity of their families since he was little, she could not stop herself of picking on him, as if someone would to a very dear child; Poppy would only do it when he showed around, though, which was not often, so she had to take the opportunities laid to her!

“Well, for the record, we have this new girl that's been around for a few months and she is very good at that.” She says, and he knows immediately that it’s about you. Zuko’s expression freezes for a moment, momentarily mad at the idea before he realizes she's joking again. “She can do surprisingly good work with contract management for someone who’s not a lawyer or studied business, it relieved a lot of our demand. She probably deserves a raise, poor thing.” Her eyes never left the papers, so she can’t notice that his interest spiked at your mention. “I can never really talk to her about it. I think she's afraid of being fired if she stays next to me for more than five minutes. Don’t you think that's insane? I haven’t fired you!”

“She seems like a very anxious person.” The instant the words fell out of his mouth, Zuko knew he had taken the bait. Her eyes come up when the last page is finished reading and there’s a wicked grin spreading in her lips.

“Oh, wow.” Her brows shot up, amused.

“What?”

“When Iroh told me about it, I couldn’t really believe it.”

“Told you about what?” His brows furrow in genuine confusion.

“That you were looking for someone in here! Oh, I even thought we were going to finally introduce you to Toph!” Poppy put the papers aside, more interested in the gossip displayed than in the idea of keeping working.

“You were not the only one thinking it.”

“She asked about you one day, did you know? If Iroh’s nephew wasn’t the guy with a scar right here?” She pointed to the left eye. “I think that settles it, uh? If she was asking, maybe it was because someone else wanted to know.”

“I think that's an HR infringement.” That makes her laugh. It is very much clear how Zuko wants to disguise the fact that that one piece of information had made him all excited, blushing and everything just with the confirmation of something he only suspected but could not prove and therefore, felt insane to think about so surely. You were talking about him to Toph. Even her mom knew!

“We work two separate offices, as far as I know, I’m just talking to a friend now. Besides, I won’t tell them if you don't.” She winked.

“It's not a big deal. We talked once and I’m thinking about asking her out, that's it.” The confession is simple, but makes him feel like a weight is lifted off his shoulders.

“Well, I can’t tell by myself because she's afraid of me, but Toph’s not a bad judge of character and they are always together, so…”

“Yeah, I thought so too. She does not look like a bad person at all. Are you going to give her a raise for being Toph’s friend?” Zuko cannot avoid poking fun at the thought, trying to dodge the attention away from him.

“Oh, never. Sokka’s been trying this one with me since day one. She is, in fact, just really good at what she does.” Poppy realizes what he’s doing, but decides to not point it out. “Could use a little more confidence and some rest and relaxation, though.”

“Everyone in your team needs a little rest and relaxation, Mrs. Beifong. I doubt a lot of them have my luck in having a really lovely lady to talk to instead of working.” He starts to stand up when a brief look at his wrist watch tells Zuko that if he doesn't get out of here soon enough, you are going to get back to the office. The look at the time and the girl by the door, also. Toph.

“Hey! You're here!” Toph’s voice met him with a surprising warmth. Zuko looked from Toph to Poppy, from Poppy to Toph, confused if the woman was talking to him. Her eyes were never a good indicator of that. “You’re Iroh’s nephew, aren’t you?”

“Good afternoon, Toph. Do you need anything?” It's her mother who answers, making Toph smile brightly in the fashion of the shameless daughter reputation she had.

“Yes! Thank you for asking.” She felt the ground wiggling the cane around when entering the office. “Your name is Zuko, right? I’m Toph.” The woman stretched out her arm, making Zuko move to meet her hand right where it was in the air.

“Nice to finally meet you, Toph. I was just leaving. I’ll go so that you two can talk.” He shook her hand and was about to go when she grabbed him with force, keeping him right where he was.

“Oh, no, I want to talk to you.” She clarified, which surprised him. “It's nothing serious, really, I was thinking about just asking Sokka to send the message to Katara, but now that you’re here, that makes it easier, right?”

“Hm… I think so?”

“Could you please tell her and Aang we're going to meet at the hall for the happy hour later? You're invited too.” She’s still smiling and holding his hand the whole time it takes for him to answer, which is a little unsettling. Poppy clears her throat and Toph finally lets him go.

“I’ll give them the message.” Zuko nods out of habit, embarrassed when he reminds himself that she is blind. “It was a pleasure to meet you again, Mrs. Beifong, and really nice to be introduced to you, Toph.”

“Yeah, I’m sure. We’ll be waiting for you guys at the hall!” She has a mischievous grin when he walks out as if running away for dear life, not even stopping to hear her mother say goodbye.

He doesn't look around for you when crossing the office to the exit, hoping that you would still be at your lunch. Of course, his calculations were only slightly wrong; if Zuko had left before Toph got to him, he could’ve avoided you, but with the distraction… that only resulted in him walking right up to you at the entrance. It must make a funny scene to watch from the outside, how the both of you freeze and just stand there looking mutually stupid while facing each other. It was awkward, to say the least, but very endearing also.

“Hm… hi. Can I…?” You say, pointing to the office as if to ask him to get out of your way in the softest of voices.

“Oh, shit, sure. Sorry, I’m sorry.” He excuses himself with a nervous smile, taking a step back in the frame of the doors to give you space to enter.

“Don’t worry, Zuko. I don't bite.” The statement is a little bolder than he’s used to coming from you, but seems to be what his nervousness needs to dissipate. You finally walk past him and give him a bright smile. The absence of your usual anxiousness puts him at ease.

“That's a waste of some good teeth you have there.” The words fall out of his mouth before he can think about it and the absurdity of that phrase makes his eyes widen. You try to hold your laughter, but it's impossible. His ears and neck get all red when his face can’t contain just how much embarrassment he feels.

“I think no one has ever said a good thing about my teeth, so… thank you?” He nods, not knowing what to say after and prepares to retreat back to his work in order to avoid saying anything awkward again. “Is it true that you work with Sokka’s sister?”

“Katara, yes.” Zuko stopped on his tracks, his attention caught again, snatched away from the need to escape.

“Is she nice? I think I’m going to meet her later.”

“You’ll love her, it’s impossible not to.” He can swear your brows furrowed for a slight moment, but Zuko does not give it a second thought when the details given align on his head. “Are you going to the happy hour?”

“Absolutely. Toph’s paying, so who am I to refuse?” You nodded, your own eyes widening when everything clicks to you too. “Are you coming with us?”

“Oh, yes. Sure.” Well, he was not intending to, but your presence was certainly an effective encouragement.

“I guess it's a date, then.” Now your face is the one getting all flushed once you realize what you just said. The nervous laugh leaves your lips when you get really conscious about where you are now, with who, being watched by who. “See you later, Zuko.” Is the last thing you can say before rushing off to your desk. He waves before parting on his own way, even if you don't see it. It's a little dumb, but he’s smiling when letting Aang and Katara know about what the three of them were going to be up to later.

*

As the day goes by, it becomes very much clear that Toph set you up in this. The whole interaction with Zuko by the door had not gone unnoticed by anyone present in the office and you could only thank the fact that most of your colleagues were on their own lunch breaks when yours finished and you got back, but you did not come out unscathed from Sokka’s gossiping. He was right there beside Toph when you sat at your desk and the thumbs up she gave you when informed that you were looking at them told you everything you needed to know about what was the subject of their talking. When she invited you to the happy hour yesterday, it was mentioned that Sokka’s sister was disgustingly in love with one of her coworkers in the law firm and that Sokka was going to introduce his new girlfriend to his friends, so that made her the only one single and unaccompanied in the group and that you simply had to go if you didn't hate her and wanted to make sure she had a pair in the third wheeling. Well, you were not a bad friend at all, so with an invite like that added to the proposition of paying for everything, you couldn’t find a reason to decline the invitation and was actually happy to be considered for a meeting that seemed almost intimate; until, of course, hearing that Zuko was also going to be there.

The way he answered earlier when asked about Katara made you momentarily nauseous and suddenly aware of the fact that you didn't know who was the coworker Sokka’s sister was disgustingly in love with. You told yourself it would be insane to believe Toph would make you go out drinking with them only to let you know that your hypothetical work crush was taken by someone much closer to them after both spent the last days joking about your obsession. It was not even a reasonable thought to have, that she was doing it on purpose, but every time the measly chance of that being the case passed through your head, you felt like throwing up.

You had not seen Zuko in a whole week after you caught him staring at you in the cafeteria, which was slightly disappointing because when you got over the awkward feeling that exchange of glances hit you with, you were excited by the idea that it could happen again. That you could look at him and he could look at you at the same time and… you didn't know what to expect next, after one of you won the staring contest, but there was a hope that in the meantime of looking into his eyes from across the room, you would finally learn the right thing to say. Unfortunately, your hopes of ever learning were crushed by his absence and now, you could only ask yourself if there was a reason for his presence fading and if that was his interest for another woman. One that he could talk with, for sure, and it was impossible not to love.

At the end of the day, you didn't know much about Zuko beyond his name, what he worked with and what services he offered to Poppy Beifong, only because she had once mentioned that the talented lawyer downstairs was a little lazy and that she was grateful for you being able to organize everything in a way that made it easier for the law consultant to work faster when he was needed and that was how you clicked what exactly was he doing up here when you bumped into him in the corridors. You also knew the law firm he worked for was owned by his uncle, but that was not much, and even the fact that you were sure his lunch break always aligned with yours could not be supported anymore by a whole week of vanishing completely. The options were that you were wrong about his schedule, a possible sickness, or he was out in very expensive restaurants trying to impress his coworker to the point of her being head over heels. None of which sounded pleasant to think about.

The possibility that you were about to be faced with a heartbreak without even shooting your shot made you ill. You thought about cancelling, but Toph looked so excited about it that you didn’t have the heart to frustrate her plans even though your own expectations for tonight had been busted. This night was going to be the first time you were going out with them in the entirety of your four months here, finally yielding under the pressure of the invites you thought were made only out of politeness. Now that you accepted, changing your mind midday was a guarantee that you were probably never going to be invited out again, so you just tried to not focus on the idea of seeing Zuko with another woman and looking at her with something in his eyes that was more than the awkwardness and embarrassment you earned or that blank stare when he was fixated on something. It was not fair. It did not feel fair. But of course, what could’ve you done? They worked together and the oh so lovely Katara probably was capable of sustaining a whole conversation without running away or overthinking everything she said and then killing the conversation by saying something really odd, despite thinking too hard on what she should say. You were pathetic. You were sure of it now, if all that came before was not enough to indicate that, but instead of doing something about it, you decided that you should just accept it for today and be pathetic on your own, without making it everyone’s problem. The happy hour was going to happen and you were going to watch Zuko and Katara together, laughing and looking at each other, despite having called the encounter a date between the two of you earlier.

After telling yourself you were not going to think too hard about it and then proceeding to spend the whole day thinking too hard about it, you reached the very obvious conclusion that you absolutely dreaded the thought of having to face him after saying that, but as if the gods and spirits were in your favour, by the time all of you had to meet at the hall, none of the lovey dovey employees of the law firm were there. You sighed, letting go of the breath you didn’t even realize you were holding in the way down.

“Katara told us to get going so that we can find ourselves a good spot in the bar. They had something urgent come up.” Sokka warned, already waiting for you and Toph outside with the girlfriend he was intending to introduce to his sister. Suki, who was very pretty and pleasant at the first sight, introduced herself as an Aikido instructor, right before adding that it was how she and Sokka had met, when he complained about being placed in a low level in the classes and challenged the strongest one in the dojo to knock him down. “She kicked my ass in less than five seconds. It was humbling, to say the least.” He added, with a tone that indicated that he had made peace with the humiliation to the point of finding it endearing to revisit.

The four of you decided to squish up in an Uber to the bar, and while Sokka assumed his designated passenger princess seat, you, Toph and Suki found a way to fit in comfortably in the backseat. You held Toph’s hand, listening attentively when Suki talked about her work, rather than talking extensively about how the relationship had started out. There would be time for that later, when you should hear all about how Katara fell in love with her coworker too. You inhaled deeply to soothe yourself and when the Uber dropped you off at the bar, instead of breathing slowly and counting five things you see to calm down, you resorted to distracting yourself of that already familiar line of thinking by becoming the waiter’s best friend and trying the most you could out of the drink’s menu before the other ones arrived, so that you wouldn’t be sober to deal with that.

The talk went smoothly with Suki, with Toph’s snarky comments and occasional remarks of how loud the place was and the need to talk even louder. It was probably by smelling your breath when you talked how she realized that not even an hour in, you were already drunk. She decided on not commenting on that, directing her mean spirited jokes at the couple all while still holding your hand. You two were a pair of third wheels after all, it was for obligation that she had to team up with you to crush the spirit of those in love. You wished she kept that energy until Zuko and Katara arrived.

When you tried ordering another drink after downing the last, she asked for water instead, pushing it on your hands when you tried giving it to her. You took it without a word, feeling your face get hot when you realized you had gone overboard. Your friends seemed to be too absorbed in each other's presence to notice that brief exchange, making you loosen up a bit instead of simply closing in on yourself. It was okay. Everything was going to be okay. Just another hour and you could think of a good excuse to leave without raising suspicion about your true motives.

“Oh, finally. Look who it is!” Sokka pointed to the entrance, and you looked at your half empty cup of water, drinking the rest of it before taking a look. “I was almost convinced that one of the two colleagues you talked about only existed in your head.” Two? Your brows furrow in genuine confusion and your eyes shoot up at an astounding speed.

When you looked at the couple that had just arrived, your gaze was met with three people instead of the two you expected. You realized a few things when observing the newcomers: for starters, Katara was absolutely beautiful. You were fixated on her face and the sweet smile on her lips, right before your attention was snatched by her hand intertwined with the one of a complete stranger. A tall, bald and muscular handsome stranger. Zuko was right behind them, with that look of a lost puppy you had only seen before when it rained. Then, the second realization kicked right in: if the hand holding meant a thing, the mysterious coworker Katara was in love with was that stranger and not Zuko. You got it all wrong.

“You can be so dramatic sometimes, Sokka. It’s a special occasion, of course he wanted to be here for it.” She laughs, and lets go of the stranger to greet everyone with hugs and kisses, even you. She smelled great too. “Hi! Nice to meet you! I’m Katara!” Your eyes widened with the sudden warmth and as she walked past you to Toph, leaving you behind stunned, the sheepish smile was everything you felt capable of offering alongside your name. “Don’t give him a hard time over it or he’s not accepting any of our invites anymore.”

“Please, do not comment on Zuko never going out with us. He’s going to leave.” The stranger's smile widened when complementing Katara’s phrase as he also greeted everyone with a hug and a kiss before sitting in a chair and starting to look at the menu. “It's a pleasure to meet all of you. I’m Aang, by the way.”

“Do you guys realize I’m right here?” It was the first time you heard his voice since earlier this day. Zuko’s face looks so hot and the expression so mortified, that it almost matched the lighter tone of the burn mark.

“I’m sorry. We didn't even know you knew Toph and it’s not like you were interested in spending the rest of your Friday with us before.” Katara shrugged, unapologetic, already finding a seat by Aang’s side. The only place there was for Zuko was… beside you. He realized that and seemed even more agitated before taking his seat.

“Zuko actually just met me earlier today. My mom likes the guy and talks to him lots and lots, what can I do? I thought it would be nice to finally introduce myself to him and ask him to come. Not my fault I’m more convincing than any of you losers.” Toph laughed. Your shoulders touch his and the room feels a little too crowded suddenly. Or was it the alcohol catching up to you? You felt hot. Like you could use another cup of water, actually. Or maybe washing up your face would suffice?

“Excuse me.” You ask, getting up too suddenly, by the surprised looks on everyone’s faces. You laugh nervously while not offering any explanation, before heading up to the bathroom, crushed under the weight of his gaze following you. You couldn’t even be sure if someone had tried talking to you, not like you were listening anyway.

For a bar like that, loud and busy, the bathroom was surprisingly empty. There were other girls around still, but not a lot of them, which made it easier to slide in there, wash up your face and look in the mirror for an unsettling amount of time without disrupting some kind of queue. Staring at your image reflected in the mirror, you could only look slightly better than a few minutes earlier, now that you realized the thought that consumed you the whole day was all a misunderstanding. Now, instead of feeling just pathetic, you felt pathetic and stupid. Pathetic, stupid and very drunk, after making that much ado about nothing. You can’t even bring yourself to return immediately to the table, going to the bar counter to ask for another cup of water. You needed to sober up and try to not keep making a fool of yourself.

“You should probably eat something.” It's sudden and you jump in the stool, a hand over your heart with the scare. Zuko’s voice disturbs the noise and the fact that it’s him contributes to leaving you even more petrified. He sits in the stool by your side, asking for a drink. “Aang accused me of scaring you off.” You almost miss that, his voice sounding a little too low for such a place. “I can go if me being here is a problem for you.”

“What? No!” You’re too stunned to form a coherent thought, taken aback with the idea that he could really think that. Well, yes, you needed some time to deal with the fact that you went a little insane earlier and now you would have to bear the consequences while sitting beside him, but that was not his fault. If someone was guilty, it was you. Your wide eyes go up to his face and he tries so hard not to look at you, but ultimately, he just stares back.

“I don't think the others heard, but Toph said you may have drunk a lot. I just… wanted to ask if you’re okay.” His drink and your water are placed in front of you both, but it takes a few seconds to notice, still looking at him.

“I am, yes. It was just… well, I had this awful thing on my head the whole day and ended up realizing that I was being a little stupid about it. It's not a problem with you.” Your shoulders shrunk when you shrugged, drinking the water and laughing nervously.

“Oh, yeah? Can you tell me what it was?” The soft tone of his voice makes you feel comfortable. You probably shouldn’t do it, but you nod almost obediently, the alcohol messing up with your notion of what was acceptable.

“I thought you and Katara were dating.” He coughs immediately, resting his cup at the counter to clear his throat. His face told you everything you needed to know: he could not fucking believe it. The cough turns into a mixture between a cough and a laugh and when he won’t stop, your eyes go even wider and your face even redder, fearing that you could be the very first one to kill someone by saying something absurd. You offer your water and he takes it, already asking for another to replace the one he took.

“Me. And Katara.” Eventually, the cough laugh moment ceases, and there is again this familiar silence while he downs the rest of the drink right after the water, as if to soak up a little liquid courage. “Aside from the obvious, that she's dating my best friend and is a dear friend also, why was that awful?”

There is a kind of expectation in his eyes when you finally manage to lock your gaze into his again. You had never been so close before. It was clear at this distance that the left side of his face, the one where the burn mark was, would always be stilled and couldn’t contribute much to the expression, but somehow, he managed to put such intensity in only his right eye, that you felt almost crushed under it.

“Do you like her?” Instead of answering his question, that's the best you can come up with.

“She’s my friend, of course I like her. If you want to know if I like her romantically, though, that is a different matter.” Another drink for him. It does not seem like any of your fancy drinks from earlier, but he just took them without giving it much thought. Without even making a face. “And the answer would be no, in that case. We’re not dating and I’m not sad she's with Aang because I’m secretly in love with her.” His need to be very specific probably intended to kill your possible reasoning before it took place.

“That's… great, I guess. That your friends are happy and you’re happy for them.” You nodded to yourself, stretching up your hand to call the bartender. Maybe it was automatic or intentional, but he rested his hand on your forearm for a moment, lowering your arm. Your skin burned under your clothes.

“They serve espresso martinis here.” He mentions and when you open your mouth to say that you shouldn’t drink anymore, he shakes his head in agreement. “We’ll get just a regular espresso. Is there something you want to eat?” You reached out for the menu and started analyzing your options, pointing out to him, without even thinking of telling him he didn't have to do that. To guarantee that you were hydrated and fed and the most sobered up possible. He didn't have to do that, but you liked that he did and the attention made you feel happy, erupting in sudden giggles and low laughs when you thought he wasn’t looking.

When you finished eating and drinking the strong coffee alongside another cup of water, you went to the bathroom one more time before you two returned to the table. The fact that both of you had passed the last hour at the counter was not pointed out or that he was helping you walk back without falling with your unstable stance. No one said a thing, but when you sat by his side for the rest of the night and actually managed to take part in the group conversation, it was noticeable how much more used to each other the two of you seemed.

*

Zuko still couldn’t fully wrap his head around your unintended confession. He didn't think that you yourself could. The drunkenness probably protected you from realizing you told him that the idea of him and Katara had disturbed you the whole day to the point of drinking more than you should before he even arrived. He understood the feeling, of course, because after spending the whole day all smiles with the idea of seeing you out of the work place, Zuko felt his blood freeze for a brief moment when Katara mentioned Sokka was going to bring his new girlfriend to the hang out. They were already on their way and he could not just ask her to stop the car so that he could get off and not step foot in a bar to see you with her brother, the idea tormenting him for almost the whole ride, before she could keep talking about this girl who not only had a name that was not yours, but her description went on to sound less and less like you, until he was completely convinced that was not the case right before they got there; what he couldn’t quite understand yet was why would you tell him that and not answer directly when asked about it. It messed him up.

At the bar counter, you looked at him with watery eyes and a mouth half-open when thinking about the next best thing to say and the only thing he could think about was asking himself if it was bad that he wished to kiss you. It was a whole moment filled with silence, despite the loud music around you; you couldn’t hear it, neither could him. All that could be heard and felt was what one shared look, in which none of you said a thing and yet, the nervousness soon dissipated because it was simply too comfortable to just look at each other without feeling the need to fill in the lack of words because your eyes were doing all the talking. Maybe the messages couldn’t quite fly across without being lost in translation, but if you kept just like this for long enough, soon there would be a shared language between the ones the both of you spoke.

When you two got back, the rest of the night went easy. After a few drinks, everything sounded a little funny and despite the combined efforts of Katara and Aang in messing with him, instead of embarrassment, he shared a few laughs more than they thought he would. Zuko couldn’t stop himself from noticing how the Beifong girl clung to your hand and sometimes, despite being the loudest at the table, she would say something in your ear low enough for no one else to hear and only to make you laugh. He couldn’t decide if he was jealous or curious, but reminding himself that you were friends with her long before he even set sight on you was enough for him to accept that at the end of the day it was only natural that she knew best what to say. At some point, he would be able to lean in and whisper something in your ear without it seeming weird for everyone else. For now, the smiles he earned from you would suffice.

For someone who was not into social gatherings at all, Zuko feels weirdly disappointed as soon as people start to leave and the bar starts to empty itself, which means that soon all of you are going home too. It's late at night now and everyone at the table with the sole exception of Aang had enough alcohol for today. At some point in the night, you even got back to sipping an alcoholic drink without feeling the need to empty the cup as soon as it got on your hands, which meant that even if you were hydrated, you’re still far from sober.

“I’m headed to the West Side, any of you want to go with me to the subway?” That same unstable stance when you walked back from the bar was very noticeable now with you standing up again. Zuko held your elbow in order to help you balance yourself.

“You’re not taking the subway in these conditions, I can drive you.” He offered with a slight slurring.

“You are not driving in these conditions. Your car is not even here.” Aang intervened, asking for a last round of water for everyone at the table and thrusting each of them a bottle to their hands before paying for everything consumed. Toph was not even given a chance. Zuko rolled his eyes at the comment when taking his card back from Aang’s hands.

“It's not the end of the world to take an Uber, you know, you guys should try it.” Toph also talked with a slur to her words, which made you giggle. She was already asking for her car on the phone.

“All of you had a drink, so do as Toph said and call an Uber, okay? It's safer, since I can’t fit the five of you in my backseat.” Aang agreed, lowering his voice to sweet talk Katara into drinking her water and offering his own bottle when she asked for more. Your eyes fixated on them and Zuko let his eyes rest on the way you looked when soaking up all the interesting details in the environment. He was still supporting your elbow.

“As your girlfriend’s brother, I’m going to call dibs on the backseat with Suki. We’re almost neighbors anyway.” Sokka put his coat on, helping Suki to dress her own before saying goodbye and heading out without even giving Aang a slight chance of denial.

“That settles it, then. Suki and Sokka come with us and we trust that our very responsible friends are not doing anything stupid when we turn our backs?” The three of you just shrugged. After the two bottles of water, Katara sounded almost sober and equally nice, saying goodbye with another round of hugs and kisses before clinging to Aang.

“Hey, if you two are going West, we’re all going in the same direction. We can add stops and take the same Uber.” Toph suggested, before confirming the Uber ride. Zuko and you agreed.

“Alright. Let me know if you guys got home safe, please.” Aang passes an arm over Katara’s shoulders as they leave.

“Okay, Dad.” You retort when he’s already at a distance, with a chuckle, making him turn his head to offer you a smile and a wave goodbye. Zuko waved at them, taking his things and offering to hold the bags you two brought.

Now that they were gone and the Uber was close, you three headed out last to wait by the sidewalk. There is a silence and now that he’s not keeping your arm close, you’re back at the handholding with Toph.

“So… I’m back to third wheeling?” The girl finally asks, that same mischievous grin from earlier spread across her lips.

“Shut up, Toph.” You censored her, rolling your eyes before reading the car plate from the vehicle approaching. “No such thing as third wheeling when there's not a couple around.”

Zuko didn't say a thing, waiting for the car to stop before occupying the passenger seat, not wanting to be squished in the back with them and taking the risk of things getting awkward.

“You two are pathetic.” She murmured, the slurring even more pronounced with her voice lowered. Zuko tried to distract himself by talking to the driver, but he seemed more interested in whatever was going on with the strangers in his car and decided to not endorse the avoidance. “Sokka and Katara are very nosy people who compare notes about their friends all the time and the fact that I can notice what’s going on and you two are incapable of admitting is revolting. I’m fucking blind!” In the rearview mirror, Zuko can see that your lips are pressed together and your gaze is directed to your feet, avoiding his eyes.

“Don’t do that.” He warns, noticing that not even the drunkenness can make it easy on you. It removed some of his own shame, but he perceived that the same could not be said of you.

“Or what? I’ll have to be around you all the time while the couples are together, as if you two are capable of paying attention to anything that is not each other?” Her own face is red, and Zuko can’t say if it's genuine anger or pure exasperation. Her stop would be the first in a few minutes, but it seemed like the two of you had pissed Toph to a point that she could not take it even for a quick ride home. “I thought that making you two finally sit together close enough to be obligated to talk could solve this, but there’s no difference! You didn't even exchange numbers! It's fucking maddening.”

“We talked.” You murmured, defending yourself with such a quiet voice he almost couldn’t hear you. That prevented Zuko from asking more about what she meant by making them sit together and if that was why she had made a point to invite him herself.

“Yeah, you talked while at the bar and then got back and decided to not keep doing it in front of us.” Toph laughed, as if she couldn’t even believe it to start with. “What are you guys so afraid of? It's not like you work at the same place or one of you is dating someone else. You worked with us for four months and three of those were spent obsessing with some guy you don't even know!”

“I was–I was not obsessing.” The denial may come easy to you, but the stutter betrayed the truth in the accusation.

“Don’t bother. Zuko’s not going to judge you because he’s not any better, eh?” His jaw becomes tense, still watching the scene back there in the rearview mirror. Toph had a sardonic smile, as if she could say that she had his attention. “He started coming up to our office in person to deliver work only so that he could see you.” That makes you look at him, finally. Your eyes are in the mirror looking for him, surprisingly, he does not avert your gaze.

“What?” Toph’s smile widened and so did your eyes when he didn't even try to deny. “Is this true?”

“I had never talked to him before today, even though our families are very close, because not only does he almost never leave his office, he's also never out in public for long after work and never bothered to be introduced to anyone.” It's the final blow to convince you and while you are still appalled, your mind is thrown out of the attempts of guarding yourself from the exposition when Zuko becomes the focus.

So, there it was. Zuko can’t even get mad at Toph or try to argue, because he then understands exactly how he got caught. There was no care in the world that could have protected him; Zuko could try all that he could to hide or disguise his interest, but it was the simple fact that he was interested in something that was surprising in the first place. That had gotten their attention and eventually, with all the information provided, his friends connected the dots leading to you. Understanding floods through him, as the car stops at Toph’s. Nothing is said after that beyond the goodbyes and Zuko takes advantage of the fact that there’s an empty seat next to you to change seats before the Uber takes off.

“You don't have to say anything if you don't want to.” It's the first thing he offers you and the low laugh that comes from you actually does all the answering before your words can try to. You never want to say anything.

“I was afraid you would think I’m insane. You know, for watching you all the time? I don't understand how you… how could you…” You press your lips, disturbed.

“Watch you and go unnoticed?” He completes the sentence and you nod. “There’s this funny thing you do after a while. You look away when you think I’ll see you.”

“And you knew?” He shakes his head, confirming. Zuko sighs, running a hand over his face. “Why have you never said a thing?”

“I was afraid you would think I’m insane.” The parroting makes you roll your eyes, biting your lip. The idea that he was perfectly aware, instead of scaring you off, demystified a part of him in your mind that made him look so unattainable. Along, of course, with feeling a little more ridiculous for being an idiot so openly. Well, at least you were doing it together. “I was planning on asking you out. At some point this week.”

“Was? As in not anymore?” Your need for reassurance gets his eyes on you. He was a little obsessive, and in some way, you could be so much worse. Zuko smiled softly, reaching out with his hand.

“Give me your phone.” There’s no need to ask for more than once and when you put the phone in his hand, he also offered you his with the contact list already open. “I am still planning on asking you out if you want to. Can I consider that having your number means you want to hang out with me more?”

“Well, yes. But Toph and your friends… they said you’re not… you know, you don't like going out. Wouldn't it be… boring, or even annoying? I’m sure I can’t sustain a whole conversation for more than five minutes.” Zuko gives your phone back after writing down his number, looking at you and not saying a thing until you write down yours.

“I think you missed the part they also implied that I’m making an effort for a very specific reason.” The statement shuts you up. He puts the phone away when you give it back.

It’s only in that brief moment, after everything comes clear and the feelings of both of you are out in the open, that he considers the idea that maybe, just maybe, you really are a little crazy. Not for watching him or being awkward or easily embarrassed, but because, even after learning that you’re mutually obsessed with each other, you still made an effort to think of reasons to discourage him. Zuko’s not sure if he finds it endearing or a little worrying or if, at the end of the day, you only liked the idea of him and now that he was too close, it was time to find the next best thing around. Maybe Toph. You sure seemed to be more comfortable around her.

He writes something on his phone and your screen lights up with the notification of a new message. He covers the screen, so that you can’t read right now.

“Answer me tomorrow. The headache will be a pain in the ass but you’ll be sobered up and clear-headed.” You nod, putting your phone away to not even glance at the text.

The backseat of the car is dark and even though three people could normally fit there, it doesn't seem like enough space for the two of you. Probably because you were afraid of letting your skin be provoked with the idea of touching him; you tried it at the bar and not only felt like a shock, it also made you feel like you were burning up a fever all over. He had tensed up earlier when you came close, but he could only pray that your drunkenness at the time had let that go unnoticed. While you burned, he was the one about to start a fire with how his blood boiled under the skin. The lack of lighting helped to disguise how flushed he was, but it didn't help much more, because now that there was no talking to distract him, Zuko felt very conscious of the fact that despite the driver being right there, he still wanted to kiss you.

He wanted to kiss you earlier at the bar counter, when you looked at him as if expecting him to do it and he didn't have the heart to simply lean in and realize he actually had gotten it all wrong and confirming you were not interested. He wanted to kiss you and had not stopped thinking about it even after returning to the table, when you hardly looked back at him. He heard you talking to the others and Toph and clung onto the few words you two exchanged, wondering if your words were everything he was going to get out of you, or maybe if he wished for it hard enough, he could be clinging to your lips eventually.

It was not on purpose. Zuko said to himself, at least, that it was not on purpose that you outstretched your hand and leaned over him to open the window instead of simply asking him. He didn't care if it was calculated to push him around the edge or not, because one way or another, it was exactly what he needed to take the first step. The way you moved, as if not caring that he was on your way, seemed so automatic that when you noticed what you did, your body froze and you looked at him. There was the silence filled with all those things you couldn’t say out loud and that look, the one that he thought to have misread earlier but told him to just take what he wanted because you wanted it too. That look on your wide and watery eyes, as if you were about to cry at any moment if he let you go without finally closing the distance between the two of you and pressing his lips to yours. You don't move away. It takes a while and you don't move away, so how exactly can he? He doesn't. He doesn't want to.

There’s a hunger on his lips that is to die for when his hand finds the side of your face before leaning in and letting himself go. Your arm falls briefly before you can get over the initial startle to reciprocate the kiss, letting your fingers run up to the burn mark, your thumb caressing the skin there when you pressed yourself against him even harder; for a moment he thought you would end the kiss, but the sudden touch along with your lips parting so that he could slide his tongue into your mouth was a nice surprise. Zuko realizes three things when he kisses you: first, he is fucked if you wake up tomorrow and changes your mind; second, you’re still in the backseat of a car and the noise he just heard you make is borderline indecent; and third, not only he doesn't want to stop, but he wants to do it again. He wants to kiss you till you’re out of it. He wants you all to himself and when the car stops at your house and he knows that it’s over for today, the frustrated groan you hear tells you that your arrival home is not disappointing only to you.

When the driver clears his throat to remind you to leave, you chuckle awkwardly before kissing Zuko on the cheek and leaving in a hurry, once you overcome the difficulty of moving away at first. There is a type of hunger that never goes out and that one kiss revealed it to you, passed like a contagious disease through his lips; the hunger that could never be satisfied even when fed was one that kept growing until no amount was ever enough to make it go away. You felt it now. You were going to feel it forever.

Tonight, you were going to lay down on your bed and think about what could’ve happened if you just asked him to go home with you. You were going to close your eyes and dread the idea that it was all a dream, because you felt like walking on clouds right now. You were going to feel the ghost of his lips pressed up to yours and wait for your sleep, because when you woke up the other day, you would be able to answer his message and be sure of it. That you wanted him in the same way and that you would love to go out with him any day now.

You woke up from your afternoon nap with a series of tings coming from your phone. 

It was the day. JK’s official farewell party but only with the ‘survivors’ gang. Sometimes you wondered who even came up with that group name.

Oh wait.

It was you. Definitely you.

At one point it was only you, Yuna, Mingyu, Iseul, Yoongi and Taehyung. You had made the group after a very exhausting day and were done with the whole bullshit of this company and almost at the verge of quitting the job. And at one point you did.

Exactly a month later, Jungkook was hired. At first you found him a little annoying (still do), since he was always loud, joking around and not taking things seriously.

It was a notion and you knew you were judgemental of him and boy did he prove you wrong. You remember it was a Tuesday afternoon in June, three weeks into his tenure. The office was in full-blown panic mode because a high-profile client had just pulled out of a campaign launch for Burberry, leaving a gaping hole in the production schedule. Everyone was frantic. You were buried under spreadsheets, your hands shaking from the sheer volume of work, while Natasha was hovering—literally pacing behind your chair like a predatory bird.

Jungkook, who you’d pegged as the "office clown" who would flake at the first sign of real pressure, had walked in with a stack of files and a calm that was frankly annoying.

He hadn't joked once. He hadn't asked for a coffee break. He had simply looked at your monitor, assessed the disaster, and started delegating with a quiet authority that made even someone like Natasha stop pacing. He’d spent the next six hours working beside you, sharing his snacks with you, handling the client's angry calls, and effectively saving the project from imploding.

That was the moment. The realization that he wasn't just "there." He was a pillar.

You shook the memory away, staring at your reflection in the mirror as you got ready for The Den. You were wearing something simple—a black dress that you knew you could move in, something that didn't feel like a costume.

Your phone chimed again and it was the groupchat.

shane (work): The Den is crowded. I’ve secured the corner booth. Don't be late!

You grabbed your bag and headed out. The walk to the bar felt longer than usual, the cool evening air doing little to settle the nervous fluttering in your chest.

When you pushed through the doors of The Den, the music hit you, a low, rhythmic bass that seemed to vibrate in your bones. It didn't take long to spot them. The "Survivors" were already in full swing, a loud, chaotic circle of laughter and clinking glasses. And there, right in the middle, sat Jungkook.

He looked different out of his office clothes. He was wearing a brown leather jacket, his hair slightly messy, and he was laughing at something Taehyung had said.

As if he could feel your eyes on him, he turned.

His eyes locked onto yours, and the noise of the bar seemed to instantly drop away. His smile shifted, losing that performative, "farewell party" edge and becoming something softer, something that made your breath hitch. He patted the empty space on the bench beside him, a silent invitation that felt far more significant than it had any right to be.

The two of you didn’t know but both Yuna and Namjoon had seen this little interaction.

You walked over, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs, and sat down.

"You made it," he said, his voice just audible over the music. He leaned in closer, the scent of his cologne; something crisp and familiar washing over you.

"Wouldn't miss the chance to see you get roasted," you replied, trying to keep your tone light, but your voice betrayed you, sounding breathless even to your own ears.

Jungkook didn't pull back. He just watched you, his gaze roaming over your face as if he were memorizing it. "I'm glad," he whispered. "I was worried you wouldn't come."

“Now why would you feel that?” You asked a little confused, raising your eyebrows.

For a second there you saw him falter. It was very rare when Jungkook didn’t have an answer ready.

“Only because you are...” he stopped. Why is he not saying the whole thing? You looked at him expecting him to complete that sentence.

Before he could, Shane came and sat next to you and said, “Girl why are you wearing black? This is a farewell and not a funeral,” and immediately the whole table let out a loud laugh. Shane’s joke about the funeral was loud, drawing a chorus of snickers from the group. You let out a breath you didn’t realize you were holding, your shoulders dropping.

"Very funny, Shane," you muttered, though a laugh bubbled up despite yourself. You took a seat, and for a moment, the bar felt like the only world that existed. Jungkook was right there, his shoulder brushing yours, the low hum of conversation swirling around you like a cocoon.

He turned to you, his expression shifting from amusement back to that intense focus. "You look nice," he said, his voice dropping below the roar of the loud pop music playing. It wasn't the teasing tone he usually adopted, it was just... observation. Your heart did that treacherous flip again. You opened your mouth to give him a sarcastic comeback about his leather jacket, when Mingyu spoke up.

"Alright," Mingyu announced, standing up on the bench and raising his glass, his eyes bright with drink and affection. "We are not letting this man leave without a trip down memory lane. Best Jungkook moment—go!"

You watched as the group leaned in, a collective buzz of energy taking over.

"Oh, it has to be the time he tried to fix the printer," Iseul started, her shoulders shaking with laughter. "He literally disassembled the entire thing in the accounts room because he thought he heard a 'weird noise,' and then had to call maintenance because he couldn't put the rollers back."

"Hey!" Jungkook defended, laughing into his drink. "I was trying to be efficient!"

"Efficient? You paralyzed our whole department for two hours!" Hoseok countered, a wide, genuine grin spreading across his face. "But, honestly? My favorite was the 'Emergency Coffee Run' during that blizzard. Everyone else had left, and you came back with a tray of lattes balanced on a cardboard box like it was a holy offering."

"I was just looking out for the team," Jungkook said, his voice dropping an octave, a soft look crossing his face.

Taehyung chimed in, "What about the time you convinced Natasha that you were fluent in French just to get out of a meeting, and then she actually put you on a call with a French client?"

That immediately made you laugh.

"The silence on that call was the loudest thing I've ever heard," Jin wheezed, clutching his stomach. "Jungkook just kept saying 'Oui, oui' until the client hung up in confusion."

The group erupted. Even Yoongi, usually the most stoic of the bunch, was wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. You watched Jungkook through the haze of the bar, his head thrown back in genuine, uninhibited joy. This wasn't the office Jungkook who was constantly checking his watch; this was the guy who had been your partner, your sounding board, and your sanity-saver for the last two years.

"Your turn, ___," Mingyu said, nudging you with his elbow. The table went quiet, waiting.

You cleared your throat, feeling all eyes on you—especially Jungkook’s. You looked at him, really looked at him, and realized you didn't want to pick a funny story.

"The Burberry launch," you said, your voice steady. "When the client pulled out and we were staring at an empty schedule. I thought I was going to lose my mind. And you just... walked in. You didn't panic. You just started working." You looked down at your hands, then back up at him. "You made me feel like we weren't just a failing project. You made me feel like we were a team."

The air in the booth shifted. The laughter died down, replaced by a soft, warm silence. Jungkook’s expression softened, his thumb brushing against the rim of his glass.

“See,” Shane whispered, nudging you with his elbow, his voice just loud enough for the table to hear. “I told you it was a love story.”

You felt the blood drain from your face, followed immediately by a sharp prickle of heat. You whipped your head around, eyes wide, and shot Shane a look.

“Excuse me?” you hissed, your voice tight.

The table didn't erupt; they just chuckled. Jimin rolled his eyes, taking a swig of his drink. “Oh, relax. He’s just being dramatic.”

Jungkook was sitting perfectly still. He didn't laugh, and he didn't join in the teasing. He simply watched you, his glass frozen halfway to his lips, his expression unreadable. For a heartbeat, the air in the booth felt heavy, like it was pulling the oxygen out of the room. He didn’t deny it, but he didn't confirm it either; he just held your gaze with an intensity that made you feel like you were standing in a spotlight.

Finally, Shane cleared his throat, sensing the air had gone a bit thin and your expression. If looks could kill, Shane knew it was this one.

“No, no, wait, I mean, the love story between Jungkook and the client,” Shane backtracked, though his grin was still mischievous. “Because we all know that event was saved because Jungkook was the only one who could handle a client like Jihoon. Not even our CEO Kim Song, who is in fact her friend and the reason we even got this project, could handle her.”

A ripple of laughter went through the table, light, casual, and oh so oblivious.

You let out a breath you hadn't realised you were holding. This was getting awkward.

“Seriously,” Jin muttered, sliding a microphone toward the center of the table. “And honestly? I think we’ve had enough ‘sentimental’ talk for one night. Who’s ready to kill my ears with some bad singing?”

The mood snapped back to the usual party chaos and you were thankful. As the group began to filter out of the booth toward the karaoke stage, you stayed back for a second to grab your bag.

“You looked really panicked there, ___,” a low voice said.

You jumped slightly, turning to find Namjoon standing by the edge of the table, his expression thoughtful as he watched the rest of the group already starting to belt out a song. He wasn't teasing, he was just observing, that calm, steady gaze of his making you feel like he could see through every one of your defenses.

“I just don’t like being the butt of the joke, Joon,” you said, forcing a casual shrug as you slung your bag over your shoulder.

Namjoon hummed, a small, knowing smile touching his lips. He didn’t push, didn't pry; he just nodded, his eyes shifting toward the stage where Jungkook was already grabbing a mic. “Fair enough. Come on, let’s go join the chaos.”

You followed him to the front, taking a seat at a different table to watch the performance. As the karaoke started, you watched Jungkook. He was loud, he was dancing badly, and he was acting like the life of the party—but you couldn't shake the memory of how still he had been in the booth. You kept your eyes glued to the screen, focusing intently on the lyrics, desperately trying to convince yourself that the rapid thumping in your chest was just the bass of the music.

It’s nothing, you reminded yourself. It’s just a farewell for a friend. Nothing more. The mood was still heavy with that "almost" moment when suddenly, the air in the bar shifted. The opening notes of "Wiggle" by Jason Derulo blasted through the speakers.

Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung froze immediately and next to you Iseul bursted laughing. "Wiggle! Wiggle! Wiggle!" Dae and Iseul chanted in unison.

"Get up there, you three!" Jin shrieked, physically shoving Jungkook, Jimin, and Taehyung toward the small stage.

Jungkook looked like a deer in headlights, laughing and protesting, "Guys, no! This place isn't ready for that kind of iconicity! We are absolutely not doing the choreography!"

"Do it or the office finds out about the Vegas off-site photos!" Yoongi threatened, brandishing his phone. Yoongi was so drunk.

The three of them looked offended and it was a funny sight.

The boys shuffled onto the stage, gave it a half-hearted, awkward attempt at the choreography by mostly just swaying and shoulder-shrugging. As the beat dropped, the three of them—who were, mind you, supposed to be respectable professionals—immediately fell into a routine that was simultaneously offensive to the art of dance and a masterpiece of comedic timing. They weren't just singing; they were committing. The "wiggle" moves were exaggerated, borderline violent, and perfectly synchronized, a testament to the absolute chaos of that Vegas trip. The bar was roaring, but your table was the loudest. Iseul was filming with her phone, gasping for air, while Hoseok and Dae were mimicking the moves in their seats, nearly knocking over their drinks.

You watched Jungkook,the same guy who had looked at you with such intensity a moment ago,now gyrating aggressively while Jimin and Taehyung tried to out-do him in ridiculousness. It was stupid. It was childish. It was the absolute highlight of your year.

"Look at them!" Namjoon shouted over the music, wiping genuine tears from his eyes. "Those are the brightest minds in our company, ladies and gentlemen!"

By the time the song ended, the three of them were panting, red-faced, and laughing harder than anyone else. Jungkook stumbled off the stage, his hair a total wreck, looking back at the group with a grin that could light up the entire block.

But before he could catch his breath, two girls from a nearby table slid into the vacated spots right beside him. They were loud and not-so-subtly flirting, their hands lingering on his arm maybe talking about what just happened on the floor.

You felt a sharp, icy prick of annoyance. You took a long, steady sip of your drink, trying to look bored. You were in fact nonchalant as the kids say.

Across the table, Yuna caught your eye, her mouth curling into a knowing smirk and mouthed ‘subtle’ and you rolled your eyes at her.

"Alright, break it up, ladies," Mingyu said, his voice firm as he stood up. "The guest of honor needs to focus on his cake."

Jungkook looked relieved. He scrambled out of the booth, his eyes immediately seeking yours. He collapsed into the seat right next to you, leaving no space between you.

"Thank god," he exhaled. "I thought I was going to be trapped there for the rest of the night."

"You could have just said you were boring," you teased.

He turned to face you, ignoring the room entirely. "I'm not boring. I was just waiting for the right person to join in."

Before you could respond to whatever the hell that was, Dae cleared his throat and wheeled over the cake box. As Jungkook opened it, his face lit up at the Ferrari F1 car, boxing gloves, and music notes.

"You did this?" Jungkook asked, looking at you rather than the cake.

"I did with everyone’s help," you said, smiling. You remembered the planning and asking for ideas and how in a family sort of way everyone came together. The rest of the group was busy cheering, their voices fading into a dull roar. Jungkook smiled at you. A genuine smile.

“Okay, okay, now cut your cake,” You smiled and told him. Mingyu lit up the candle and for a moment it all froze.

You saw him, smiling, and while the rest of the gang looked back at him smiling. It was the perfect moment. A happy moment. The melancholy didn't even matter right now, at this moment.

The cake was a resounding success. After the frenzy of the F1 car design and the "Survivors" devouring every last crumb, the energy in the booth began to settle. The group drifted into smaller clusters, laughing and finishing their drinks.

It was the kind of night that felt like a quiet ending to an era. You sat back, feeling a strange, hollow sense of peace, watching Jungkook across the table. He was leaning back, talking to Yoongi and Yuna, his expression relaxed, looking every bit like the guy you’d worked alongside for two years.

Eventually, the group started to disperse. Jimin and Taehyung were the first to stand, followed by Iseul and Hoseok. One by one, the "Survivors" offered their goodbyes, and dreading Monday. Finally, it was just you, Jungkook, and a few lingering stragglers near the exit.

You stood up, smoothing down your black dress. "Well," you said, your voice soft. "That’s that. Farewell party, officially done and dusted."

Jungkook stood up with you. He looked at you, his eyes lingering on your face as if he were trying to memorize your expression in the dim bar lighting. "Yeah," he said, his voice dropping into that low, dangerous register that always made your pulse jump. The air between you felt thick, charged with all the things you hadn't said. He reached out, his thumb picking out a small lash on that was on your cheek you held your breath, and he softly said “Make a wish”. You took a deep breath.

You wish you knew what this was.

Bzz. Bzz. Bzz.

The vibration of your phone shattered the moment. You scrambled to grab it, your heart hammering a frantic rhythm against your ribs.

Dia (Calling)...

You sighed, your shoulders slumping with immediate, weary frustration. You looked at Jungkook, who still had his hand hovering near your face, looking slightly dazed by the interruption.

"It's Dia," you breathed, shaking your head. "She’s probably out somewhere and can't find her way home. Give me a second."

You swiped, pressing the phone to your ear, ready to deliver a lecture. "Dia? What is it? I told you, I was out."

"I… I think I drank way too much," your sister’s voice came through, thick, slurred, and laughably uncoordinated. "And I don't know where I am. Everything is spinning."

The frustration vanished, replaced by that familiar, protective concern. You frowned, glancing at Jungkook. He had stopped, his expression shifting from that vulnerable, soft gaze to one of immediate, focused alertness.

"Dia, stay right there. Send me your location now," you commanded, your voice sharpening.

You hung up, and before you could explain, Jungkook was already grabbing his jacket. He didn't wait for you to ask. He signaled to Namjoon and Mingyu—who were the last two still lingering—with a quick nod that said emergency.

"I'm driving," he said, moving toward the door, his hand instinctively finding the small of your back to guide you through the crowd. "Where is she?"

"She’s at that lounge, The Velvet," you said, your voice tight. "It’s about fifteen minutes away." The biting chill was doing nothing to calm your nerves. You were already fumbling with your phone, your thumb trembling as you pulled up the map Dia had just texted.

Jungkook was already walking toward his car, his stride long and purposeful. He didn't ask how you were feeling, or if you were okay; he just unlocked the passenger door and gestured for you to get in. As soon as you were buckled, the engine roared to life. He didn't hesitate, pulling into the flow of traffic with a smooth, controlled intensity that felt completely different from the chaotic, joking guy you’d seen on the karaoke stage just an hour ago.

The silence in the car wasn't empty; it was heavy with the echo of this whole night. You stared out the window, watching the city lights blur, your mind racing between your sister's slurred voice and the lingering sensation of his thumb against your jaw.

"She'll be fine," Jungkook said, his eyes fixed on the road, though he reached over and briefly brushed his hand against yours. It was a grounding gesture, steady and warm. 

"She knows better," you muttered, leaning your head back against the seat. "She’s going to get an earful the second I see her."

"Maybe," he agreed, a small, knowing smirk touching his lips. "But I have a feeling you're going to be more relieved than angry once we see her."

The drive seemed to pass in a blur of dimmed streetlights and minimal conversation. When he finally pulled up to the curb in front of The Velvet, you saw her. Dia was sitting on the low stone wall outside the entrance, head in her hands, looking absolutely gone.

You were out of the car before he had even put it in park.

"Dia!" you called out, hurrying over.

She looked up, squinting through the neon light, her hair a disheveled mess. When she saw you, a goofy, lopsided smile broke across her face. Then, her eyes drifted to the person walking up behind you.

Jungkook had stepped out of the car, his leather jacket draped over his shoulders, looking effortlessly sharp even after the night’s antics. He stopped a few feet back, giving you space, but his presence was impossible to ignore.

Diya’s eyes widened, her drunken daze momentarily replaced by a look of profound, chaotic recognition. She stood up, swaying slightly, and pointed a wobbly finger at him.

"Oh my god," she slurred, her voice loud enough to turn heads. "It's the... the office husband!"

You felt your face go searingly hot. "Dia, shut up! You are drunk."

"I am not!" she protested, trying to look offended but failing spectacularly. She stumbled toward you, grabbing your arm for balance, but her eyes stayed locked on Jungkook. "You!" she shouted at him, giggling. "You’re the one who calls her every time the printer breaks, right? I know all about you!"

Jungkook let out a low, amused laugh, his shoulders shaking. He walked forward, stepping into the light, and offered Dia his arm to help her steady herself.

"Nice to finally meet you, Dia," he said, his voice smooth, completely unfazed by her outburst. He looked at you, his eyes dancing with a mix of mischief and affection. "I think your sister is right. We should probably get you home before you start spilling any more company secrets."

You wanted the ground to open up and swallow you whole. You looked at Jungkook, terrified of his reaction, but he just shook his head, his gaze meeting yours with a soft, steady warmth.

"Let's get her in the car," he said, ignoring her comment entirely, though you didn't miss the way his hand lingered on the small of your back.

He’s playing it cool, you thought, even as your heart hammered against your ribs. He’s playing it so, so cool.

The drive to your apartment was far more subdued than the chaos at the bar. Dia had slumped into the backseat, her earlier sharp-tongued observations replaced by a drowsy, quiet contentment.

When he pulled up to your building, he came around to help you usher Dia inside. The lobby was empty and quiet. It was a strange, intimate scene—the three of you in the small, mirrored elevator, Jungkook supporting most of Dia’s weight while you fumbled with your keys.

Inside your apartment, it took only a few minutes to get Dia settled onto the couch. She was mostly out, her breathing even. You stepped back out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind you, the silence of the corridor feeling heavy.

You looked up at Jungkook, the apology bubbling up in your throat.

"I am so sorry," you said, your voice barely above a whisper. "For the interruption, for dragging you out here, and for whatever nonsense she was saying in the car. That dumbass...gets weird when she's had too much."

Jungkook was leaning against the wall, his hands tucked deep into his pockets, his gaze fixed on you with an intensity that made the hallway feel like it was closing in. He looked at you for a long moment, his expression unreadable and calm, his usual playful mask firmly in place.

"She wouldn't be the first person to say things like that," he said, his voice dropping into that low, even tone that gave nothing away. He didn't confirm or deny a single thing; he just shrugged it off as if it were just more drunken rambling he'd heard a thousand times before. "Don't worry about it."

He pushed off the wall, closing the distance between you. The air shifted, becoming electric. He looked at you, not with a confession, but with a gaze that felt heavy and intentional. It was happening a lot tonight.

He hugged you. 

What were you expecting?

He pulled back just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and daring, but his expression remained cool and unshaken.

"Goodnight, you are tired," he murmured, his voice a low vibration against your ear. "Text me if you need anything."

He turned on his heel and walked toward the elevator, leaving you standing there in the silence of the hallway while your heart was hammering against your ribs. 

You were so fucked and nothing had even happened.

© foreignjaykay