Team: Earth Kingdom
Round: Two
Category: Themed
Prompt: 10.3 Soulmate AU
Word count: 1532

A/N: This is shameless Zutara using the Black Mirror episode "Kill the DJ" for inspiration.

Zuko shivered despite feeling flushed and slumped further down in his seat. He secretly wished the booth in the restaurant would swallow him whole and transport him safely back to his living room couch. He pulled out his phone again to check the dating app icon for any alerts, and the small numbers at the top of the screen screamed at him.

7:03 PM

She's late. She's probably not coming at all.

Zuko clicked a button, and his screen switched back to black. Like a dismal pocket-sized mirror, it reflected his nervous expression, seemingly accentuated by the large burn scar across his left eye—something he had neglected to mention in his online dating profile. Carefully chosen words coupled with a strategically posed photo only showed his good side, of course. This was obviously going to backfire on the first date, which should be any minute now…

"Hi, so sorry I'm late!"

Zuko drew in a breath at the same time she did—when her eyes settled ever so briefly on his marred face.

She thinks I'm horrid. It'll never work out. Not when she looks like that.

"Katara." She let out the breath she had been holding. "My name is Katara. But I guess you knew that already. Um, have you ordered, yet? Because I'm starving. I've never been here before. Is the food good? Did you pick the restaurant or did you use the app? Oh God, I'm talking too much. So sorry. I ramble when I'm nervous, uhhh—"

"N-n-no, you're f-f-fine," Zuko managed. "I s-s-stutter when I'm nervous apparently."

Katara laughed, but it sounded shaky and forced. Zuko didn't care, though, because whether it was genuine or not, it was beautiful. She was beautiful. He had no idea why the dating app had matched them. She probably shouldn't waste her time.

"Do you want to eat first or check how much time the app gives us?" she asked.

Zuko expected this question, yet still fumbled on his answer. The dating app intended to make things more straightforward—easier, even—but he had his doubts on how the system worked. His response would be very telling, as if Katara wasn't already examining his soul with those striking blue eyes of hers.

"Uhh sure, let's check and see," he said finally. It was better to know anyway.

Katara whipped out her phone, and her face immediately fell. Zuko's stomach flip-flopped as he figured they'd been marked "soulmates" or something. Why else would she look so disappointed?

She clicked a button, and Zuko stared hard at the ominous black screen resting in her palm.

"Twelve hours," she said with a sigh.

"Oh." Zuko caught her eye, and she quickly looked away.

It was the "one night stand" designation, when the app basically said to get it on with this person and then get on with it. Most couples didn't proceed at this point since it indicated an incompatibility status. Others would use the time as a learning opportunity—comparing between previous dates and preparing for the next. And of course, no-strings-attached casual sex was often on the table. Even though this was just his first match with this app, Zuko was ready to ditch the dating scene altogether.

Twelve hours? Why did we even meet up in the first place?

"Do you really want to eat here?" Katara's voice interrupted his internal pity party.

"Huh?"

"Like, did you pick this restaurant or did Soulmate?"

"The app did, why?" Zuko asked, perplexed.

She still wants to eat together? Hmm, she did say she was starving.

"Because I know a better place just around the corner. Come on!"

Zuko briefly checked his phone before slipping out of the booth to follow her. The time was 7:21 PM. Then Soulmate chimed in with a notification.

They had 11 hours and 56 minutes left.

Zuko hoped this night would never end. Somewhere between shared glasses of sake, a bottomless bowl of steamed edamame, and the house special nigiri, a sense of fun and freedom settled between them. It even felt a little naughty, like they were defying destiny by not following the app's suggestion for dinner. They were also enjoying one another's company… a lot, despite Soulmate's granting of a mere twelve-hours to spend together.

Maybe since Zuko knew he would never see this girl again after the next morning, he threw caution to the wind and told her things he'd never told anyone else before. Katara was incredibly easy to talk to, and he did feel really comfortable around her.

She also seemed to think little was at stake here. "So, how'd you get your scar?" she asked, boldly and suddenly.

Taken aback, Zuko gave his automatic answer. "Training accident."

She poked his chopstick with hers and snatched the last piece of edamame. Then, with a smirk, she said, "No, really. How did it happen?"

Zuko watched her lips wrap around the pod as she sucked out the salty soybeans in a tantalizing, almost seductive manner. He took a long swig of his wine, swallowed slowly, and sighed. Alcohol and nerves burned in his throat, although he didn't have much to lose here by answering honestly. "My father… he and I… we got in a fight."

Katara stopped chewing, and her eyes went wide. "Your father did that to you?" Her shaky fingers reached up to clasp the pendant of a stone-carved necklace. It wasn't the first time she'd done that, either, Zuko noticed.

"It's pretty," he said. "Your necklace."

Katara's face reddened, and he immediately felt bad for mentioning it. "Thanks. It was… my mother's," she said. "She, uhh, died… when I was a kid."

"S-s-sorry. My mom, she—" Zuko let out a fake cough. "I haven't seen her since I was a kid, either."

As the awkward silence stretched between them, Zuko couldn't think of another question to ask besides, "And your dad?"

"He was gone a lot fighting in the war. But he's home now. We're good. It's not like he ever—" Her eyes settled on his scar again. She winced. "God, Zuko, that must've hurt. I'm a med student, and whenever I interned in the burn unit…"

She visibly shuddered, and Zuko resisted the urge to reach out and embrace her. They'd only known each other for 2 hours and 37 minutes. Yet, there were very few people who knew the truth—and she was one of them.

Zuko and Katara left the restaurant walking hand in hand without much of a plan. They just kept walking and talking, hoping their twelve hours would stretch out for as long as possible. Zuko could tell this girl anything, and that was the most amazing feeling in the world. At one point, he finally worked up the nerve to wrap his arms around her as a shield from the nighttime chill.

She sighed happily and buried her face into his chest. "Mmmm, you're so warm."

He almost suggested they go back to his place, if anything, to get some rest. But sleep would make the time go by faster, and he wanted to savor every moment he had left. As far as first dates go, this was everything he could have hoped for… and more.

It was their last hour together when she reached up to touch his scar. He stiffened. He was about to tell her she'd gone too far, that no one was allowed to touch him there, but she cut him off with a kiss.

Zuko lost all sense of time. He wasn't sure if the kiss lasted seconds or minutes, but it was pure bliss. When they reluctantly pulled away from each other, Katara caressed his cheek once again. "I don't know the story behind this, and I wish you could be free of it," she said. "But it doesn't have to mark you, you know. I don't see you as Zuko with the scar. I just see you for who you are."

Zuko wondered if it was possible for this girl to truly know him in less than twelve hours. Is that what a soulmate is? Someone who knows you better than you know yourself?

But before he could answer, both of their phones chimed simultaneously, indicating the end of their time together and assigning them each a new partner.

Katara glanced at hers first. "Ugh. I don't know how much longer I can do this."

This piqued Zuko's curiosity. "How many dates have you been on?"

"Oh, let's see, first there was Haru. Then, there was Jet. Then this creepy guy, Long Feng. I had to report him to the system. It took me a while to recover after that. And now… you."

"Actually, now it's someone else." Zuko shrugged.

"Right. Some guy named Aang. Who'd you get?"

"Oh, ummm—" Zuko pulled his phone out of his back pocket. "It says… Mai."

Katara smiled, but there was sadness in her eyes. "Mai is one lucky girl." She stood on her tiptoes to kiss him on the forehead. "Goodbye, Zuko. I hope you find your soulmate someday."

"You, too, Katara," Zuko said with a half-hearted wave. And then, he watched his soulmate walk away.