ZW 2014 Day 6: Socks

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Dumb Luck

Zuko and Katara's socks meet in the community dryer.

Zuko is missing one of his socks. It's not a big deal, really, except for the fact that he has a job interview in an hour and it's a dress sock. He supposes he could wear a regular sock, but all of his regular socks are white, and Aang is pretty sure you're not supposed to wear white socks with black shoes. Especially not to semi-formal engagements. And also if he ever gets a man-bag, he should make sure to match it to his belt, and if Zuko needs any more information, Aang's friend, Sokka, is full of little life-saving tips like this.

Zuko does not want to know how Aang comes across information like this, in fact.

There's only one thing to do, so he picks himself up from his couch, sock clenched in one hand, and stomps down the stairs and into the street. Luckily for him, the laundromat is only a quarter mile from his house. Unluckily for him, it's raining. Zuko can't say he's surprised at this turn of events. He storms into the laundromat, the bell tinkling (oddly cheerfully) as he fails to slam the door behind him. Stupid soft-close hinges.

A girl is reaching into his dryer, about to dump a load of wet clothes into the space where his sock has (probably, hopefully) taken refuge. "Stop!" He shouts.

Everyone in the room turns to stare at him, including the girl (woman, he amends), and he can feel the blood rushing into his cheeks. "I lost a sock in that dryer."

He probably should have used a softer approach because she bristles and all but snarls at him. "The only socks in here are mine."

Backpedaling as fast as he can, Zuko raises his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I was hoping to make it back here before someone else used this dryer."

She turns back to the wet laundry in her basket. "Well it's not here."

Zuko is at a loss for how to deal with this. Obviously, coming back here was stupid. He probably dropped the sock on the sidewalk when he came back and it's waterlogged now. "Thanks anyway," he mutters, tossing the sock in his hand on to a nearby table, and leaves the way he came.

He's nearly back to his house when he hears her voice. "Excuse me!" She calls, and he stops long enough to let her catch up. "I found your sock." She holds two socks out to him, one the dry one he'd tossed, the other soaking wet. "It was in the washing machine, mixed up with a few of mine. You must not have put it in the dryer."

"Thank you," he says, taking the socks from her. They stand awkwardly for a moment longer than anyone with a modicum of social ability would have allowed while Zuko reaches deep into his mind for something to say. "I'm sure your socks were good company."

She blinks at him. Tentatively, she reaches out and offers him her hand. "I'm Katara. Maybe just ask nicely to look into the dryer next time."

He shakes the proffered hand, hoping his palm isn't sweaty. "Zuko. Sorry about that. You're really nice, and I'm an idiot."

The first smile she offers him is bright and wide, and it crinkles the corners of her eyes a little. "You can make it up to me with tea while my laundry dries."

Zuko smiles back. "Deal."

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He doesn't find out until a few years later that normally, she'd take the wet laundry home and waterbend all of the water out of it instead of paying for the dryer. He feels incredibly lucky that on that particular day, she'd really wanted her laundry warm. Zuko has never been so grateful for cold, rainy days.

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A/N: Fluff alert, fluff alert. Maybe. I normally don't really like present-day settings, but this just rolled off the keyboard. Thanks to all who have been reading and reviewing!