An: Well, another brand new story. It took me about ten minutes of procrastination on my homework and a hot fudge Sunday to get this done. Not too shabby really. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Alas, ATLA is not mine… but I do have TiVo…

Just this one

"What?" he growled as he swatted the offending hand away, his own tightening on his glass of punch.

"Dance with me." She repeated and nudged her him again.

"Why would I do something like that?" He asked and took a sip of his drink. He was not going to dance with the girl. She was loud and annoying and stubborn. And he didn't like her, so there. No reason to dance.

"Because I'm asking you to," She smiled as she twirled in a circle before him, the slim blue dress spinning out around her.

And she definitely wasn't pretty; Zuko's mind ticked off on another reason why not to dance with Katara.

"Besides, you looked lonely, and having a bit of fun won't kill you, despite what you may believe."

"I am having fun," Zuko replied coolly. "Lots of fun, and I'm not lonely." I have my punch he thought and absentmindedly stroked the plastic cup.

Katara rolled her eyes. "And that's why you're moping around here all by yourself right?"

"Right, I mean no. I'm not moping, I'm just…"

"You're just to shy to come over and ask me to dance yourself."

"For the last time I don't want to dance with you. And even if I did," Zuko continued. "I wouldn't be shy at all."

"Oh?" Katara asked as she raised a thin eyebrow and cocked her head. "What would you say to me then?"

"I would say…" Zuko trailed off and thought for a moment before he looked back at the younger girl. "Katara would you like to dance with me."

"Yes please," she chirped and grabbed his hand, dragging him onto the dance floor despite his muttered curses, complaints and obvious pouting as Katara took his punch from him and put it on a nearby table.

"Oh come on," Katara murmured as she placed his hands around his waist and positioned her own arms around her neck. "You act as if you were a twelve year old with his first dance. And you did ask me you know."

"Under protest," Zuko muttered, but let himself be positioned in the right stance for dancing.

"See? This isn't so bad." Katara whispered as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "It's kind of fun right?"

"…"

Katara sighed. "Alright, don't admit it, but you like dancing, you always let me drag you out here every Christmas party.

"I do not." Zuko grumbled.

Katara pulled back for a moment and once more lifted a single eyebrow. "Then we must not be dating. Funny, I thought I remembered asking you to dance for the first time five years ago at this very party. My mistake, you must not be my boyfriend then." She turned to go, but Zuko caught her wrist and pulled her back, adjusting his arms tighter around her waist.

Katara sighed and smiled, and leaned her cheek once again on his shoulder. Zuko sighed too and resigned himself to a whole tiresome evening of dancing. Without his punch. Still, when Katara ran her hands through his hair like that, and smiled into his neck, it really didn't seem so bad. In fact, he might be able to put up with it for a whole evening. Just this once.