Aww... isn't Zuko so cute~? ^w^
Hahaha, I've always wanted to write him jealous... I find it adorable when Zuko gets flustered x3
This is a one-shot, sorry, I don't want to write the rest (why? no ideas on how to end it!) xD lol
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I put this almost everytime, and everytime it still hasn't changed: I, like all the other ATLA fanfic writers, do not own the epic cartoon. (Damnit!)
Jet hadn't died in Ba Sing Se. Thanks to Longshot's (unpredicted) medical skills, he had survived the Dai Li while Smellerbee held off the attacks single-handedly.
It was pretty unbelievable, but the live proof showed that miracles still occurred in the world.
Aang had welcomed Jet back with open arms (he had repented for his past deeds and truly felt remorse), and had invited him to live with the Team. They were vacationing in Ember Island for the month, and were staying in the Ozai's (now Zuko's) beach house.
Katara took him back somewhat apprehensively: she still had trouble being around those who had betrayed her, but she was warming up to him slowly.
Mostly because of Zuko. He disliked his friend being so agitated, and wanted to make her more comfortable around Jet. He had forgiven him after a week of his presence, and invited him to parties and games so that he wouldn't feel so alone.
He knew how that felt.
But lately, Katara was spending more and more time with Jet. It had been a couple months, after all. In the beginning, Zuko had dismissed it as them talking and smoothing over past wounds, but recently, Katara seemed to be looking forward to her meetings with Jet more than she used to, and when she returned, she always seemed happy.
Zuko wasn't jealous. Nope. Not at all. He just wanted to make sure she was okay, after all, she was acting very oddly, and all he wanted to make sure his friend was fine.
So, Zuko began hanging out with the other Team members more often.
At first, the guys had laughed good-naturedly at him, and had teased him (though about what, he still wasn't sure). Aang would always shake his head sagely and grin at him; Sokka would snicker behind his hand and make obnoxious jokes; Teo and The Duke would giggle and whisper things.
It didn't take that long for Zuko to get fed up.
"What is with you guys?" he asked them. Everyone looked mildly surprised (except Toph: she was busy picking her toes and bending pebbles at Aang's head).
"Honestly, Sparky, you don't know?"
"Of course I don't! What with you guys giggling, and, and, and laughing, and all that…" he trailed off, flustered. Toph sighed dramatically.
"Zuko… you're jealous," she said simply. Zuko looked taken aback and incensed at the same time.
"I am not jealous. I'm just worried that—"
"Uh-huh, riiight. Sparky. You. Are. Jealous. Deal with it," dismissed Toph. She tossed an especially large pebble (compared to the others, but not large enough to injure) at Aang's head. He turned around irately.
"Hey…" he protested. Toph smiled sweetly at him. He grumbled and rubbed the back of his head as he scooted away, closer to Sokka, but then realized that Suki was with him. Looking mildly sickened, he settled for sitting near Zuko, who was busy glaring daggers at his blind companion. The right words to convey how he felt escaped him, and, in frustration, he threw his hands up and stalked away.
He walked over to Iroh, who was busy drinking his herbal tea.
"Oh, hello, Zuko! It is nice to see that my favorite nephew has come to visit me!" he greeted cheerily.
"Uncle… I'm your only nephew…" said Zuko.
"Ah, details, details. Sit down, Prince Zuko. Something is bothering you." Zuko mentally thanked his uncle for being so perceptive, and proceeded to tell him the whole story (minus what the others had said).
Iroh stared at his tea for a while after Zuko finished, then looked up with a knowing smile.
"Nephew, have you ever considered that you might be… jealous of young Jet?"
"By Agni—" Iroh frowned slightly: he preferred it when Zuko did not curse. Zuko felt a slight pang of guilt, but his irritation over his dignity overrode the remorse.
"You too, Uncle? Everyone says that I'm 'jealous'. I am not jealous of Jet! I am simply worried about Katara's well being! I—"
"Prince Zuko, if you are not jealous, what are you getting so worked up about?"
Zuko was speechless.
Iroh smiled.
"Tea?"
