Katara looked around the crowded bar. She knew she should have stayed home. Her friend Suki had ditched her to hang out with her brother Sokka, of all people, leaving her alone on girls night. She sipped her beer and decided she would leave after she finished it. The young girl looked down at her phone and tried to avoid all glances and stares. Someone sat down beside Katara at the bar and she looked up, not recognizing the guy beside her. She was about to go back to her phone when the person beside her spoke up.

"Hey, gorgeous," a voice piped up from her left.

Her head snapped up and looked around. "Uhmm, hello?"

He smiled at her with a look that could have spoiled milk. He looked her up and down, hesitating when he got to the curve of her breast underneath her flowy blue blouse.

"All by yourself tonight, darlin'? I'm Donny."

"Katara."

"So," Donny said. "Waiting on a boyfriend maybe?"

"No, just a friend." His eyes gleamed brightly when Katara told him.

She turned back around and tried to focus on finishing her drink. But, no luck.

"Got a boyfriend?"

Katara sighed and muttered a no while still facing forward. She looked at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar and stared, wondering why people had to be so... Ugh. She just wanted to drink with Suki. But that obviously wasn't going to happen. She pulled out her wallet and started pulling her money out when Donny started talking again.

"So, Katara, Kat, can I call you Kat? Can I get you a drink? Stay and talk with me some more. I never get to talk to beautiful girls. Stay, stay, stay."

"I really can't. I've got to-"

"Nonsense!" He exclaimed and before she could stop him, he had ordered another beer for her. He kept chattering on and on and then slowly put his hand on her knee.

She jumped a little and tried to excuse herself, but he continued to talk over her.

As Katara started wondering why she had come out tonight just to endure this pushy guy, she felt an arm slip around her shoulder.

"Katara! I'm so sorry I'm late! I got caught up at the office. One of those big conference call deals."

She looked around and saw a young man in a button down and slacks. The mystery guy gave her a small smile and flicked his eyes over to the guy beside her at the bar.

"Hi, I'm Zuko," he introduced himself to Donny. "Thanks for keeping an eye on my friend. I hated leaving her to fend for herself. Always got a few douchebags who want to mess with her and put there hands all over her. Knowing her since we were kids, I'm really protective."

Donny recoiled and removed his hand from her leg. He grabbed his drink and started moving away. He muttered something that she caught a few words of. "No boyfriend, fuckin', never, get laid" before he left completely.

Her hero slid into the seat beside her and Katara exhaled loudly.

"Uhmm, thank you. I wasn't sure how to get rid of him without it getting messy."

He nodded to her. "Yeah, I figured. I've seen him hit on lots of pretty girls and then get pissy when they turn him down. It sucks that we live in a world where a guy is the only way to get guys to leave girls alone. I can't even tell you how many times I've had to save my little sister."

"I'm Katara."

"Zuko." He offered her a smile. "Local business man by day, bar hero by night."

She laughed. "I really do appreciate it. My friend Suki ditched me to hang out with my brother. I was just about to leave when that Donny guy showed up."

Zuko nodded. "Do you want me to let you get going? I was about done here anyways. I just wanted to get you out of that situation."

"Yeah, I was gonna just head back to my apartment and study."

"Oh? You're in school? What are you studying?" He leaned in, seemingly truly interested.

"History and education. I've got another year and then I'm done. I'll be released into the wilds of the school systems."

They continued talking and they seemed to enjoy each others company so much that the next thing they knew, it was last call. By then, they had learned so much about each other. She had grown up with her grandmother and brother in a small town, he had grown up with his father and sister in a big metropolis. He was working his way up through one of his father's businesses while she worked her way through college.

As they gathered their things and paid their bills, Katara grabbed a napkin and jotted down a number.

"Here," she said shyly, handing it to Zuko. "Just in case you need a rescue in the future."