Day 15: Courting
A continuation of Day 9: Fake Dating
A Lesson in Not Holding Back
The first three weeks after the wedding move like a blur. He isn't quite sure what to do and trying to return to normal is surreal and he's terrible at it. He throws himself into work and hopes that it'll distract him enough. He wonders if they're both waiting for the other to text when she sends him a cute picture of some turtleducks and they sort of go back to their casual interactions from before it all happened but with an added layer of stilted awkwardness. He avoids her whenever he can, he isn't sure how to behave around her anymore.
Ty Lee reaches out to get coffee after she gets home from her honeymoon and Zuko instantaneous agrees.
She spends the first 15 minutes filling him in, showing him photos of the adventures they had but very conspicuously checked each time before showing him a photo.
When their drinks - and her cake - do arrive, she puts her phone face down on the table, cocks her head to one side and asks
"So, what's up with you, Bud?"
Zuko wasn't sure he believed in auras but she was always almost eerily good at reading him. He wondered if he should lie again but instead, he decided to tell her everything, how the relationship with Katara had been fake and how much it pained him after the whole reason for it dissipated. Hot he doesn't know how to talk to her now and how she's been messaging him less and he has no idea what to do.
Ty Lee nods and lets him talk. She looks slightly surprised but not intensely and he feels almost like he's telling his mother that he lied to her.
"I'm glad you decided to tell me Zuko. I am a married woman now and I believe I can give you sound advice."
He leans forward and waits patiently.
"TALK TO HER! Tell her what you told me, that you loved being her fake boyfriend and would like to try it for real this time. Trust me I think she'd be into it."
"I can't just do that Ty Lee omg, I'd get so nervous!"
"Zuko that girl was signalling all over the place. I have photos from our wedding which are legitimate proof that she was into you at least that night."
"She is just a really good actress."
"I really doubt that Zuko, her aura was almost as pink and in love as Mai's"
"Mai's aura was pink?"
"She caught the bouquet."
"She threw one of them."
"Not Mai, Katara. She looked really happy about it too and I literally watched her look over at you but you weren't paying attention."
His brows furrowed. "I don't remember that happening…"
"Well it did."
"She didn't bring it back to the table…"
"She gave it to my niece, she'd been admiring the flowers all night." She reached across the table to hold his hand, "She is a very loving young woman, you have good taste. She is also very compassionate so even if my hunch is wrong - which I really doubt - she would probably handle it really well."
He looked up at her kind face,
"It'll all work out alright Zuko, just put yourself out there."
Putting himself out there was not Zuko's forte, after years of rejection from his family he wasn't sure how well he'd be able to just go ahead and tell her that he was in love with her for real and was devasted when the wedding ended.
He needed help trying to transition from the awkward mess of the moment to actually dating her.
So he enlisted help.
"I am so thrilled you came to me, Nephew. Matters of the heart are some of the most complex yet beautiful."
"I didn't really have a wealth of options, Uncle."
"Regardless, I am honoured that you would involve me."
"So what do I do? What if I say something and then she doesn't feel the same way and I lose her friendship? Then I'd lose my friendship with Sokka and Suki too because they're related… "
"Zuko. That isn't going to happen. Miss Katara is still friends with Aang is she not? I don't think she would cut you out if it isn't something that makes sense for her."
Zuko's swallow was strangled.
"I saw those pictures of you two from the wedding Zuko. I have a feeling she is holding the same candle for you."
"She was pretending, Uncle. We were pretending to be dating."
"And you don't think she could have been pretending to just be pretending like you were?"
He was stumped there.
"Is it ok for me to want this? Want more? Shouldn't I just accept and appreciate her friendship? Why isn't that enough for me."
"Nephew…You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back. "
He decides to try to stop holding back.
He goes home and stares at a blank notepad trying to work out how he'll do it.
How he'll give her the gesture she deserves. How he'll show her that he's serious without forcing anything on her.
It's raining outside and the sound is both soothing and distracting.
He's tapping on the page with the end of his pen when there is a knock at the door.
He gets up eventually, confused. He vaguely wonders if Azula had escaped the institution and was here to murder him or cry and confess she really does care (He spent a lot of
time in therapy discussing the possible outcomes of seeing her, unmonitored).
The last person he expects to see on his doorstep is Katara carrying a bag of take away.
"Can I come in?" She looks coy (and absolutely adorable), smiling up at him. He opens the door more and lets her in.
She walks straight towards the kitchen, putting the bag on the table as she goes. He can hear the sound of crockery and cutlery rattling around. He is absolutely stunned and dumbfounded that she's even there. He doesn't know what to say or do.
She sets his table like it's her house, not his. She gets a bottle of water out of the fridge and pours them both a glass. He's still standing, frozen, in the middle of the room.
She looks over and waves for him to come over.
"I'm not bothering you, am I?"
"No, no… Just surprised I guess."
She tucks her hair behind her ear then untucks it and tucks it again.
She's nervous too.
"I hope you don't mind me dropping in… I just thought it might be nice to pick up something to eat, I know you don't always remember to eat when you're home…"
"That was very thoughtful of you."
She'd ordered him his favourite food from his favourite restaurant.
They barely spoke while they ate, stealing glances at one another frequently and offering tight smiles if they got caught.
She goes to do the dishes afterwards but he stops her and tells her to just get comfortable and he'll do it.
She insists on at least drying.
It takes no time at all and he realises after the fact that he does have a dishwasher… he should've just put them in there. It's just that he liked the domesticity of doing the dishes with her, passing dishes back and forth.
She's putting away the last dry plate when he can't hold it in anymore.
"I missed you."
"I've missed you too." Her eyes seem bigger somehow, like she's starting to tear up, "I thought I was the only one, you started getting so distant."
"I'm sorry, I was just sad."
Concern flooded her features. "Why? What's wrong."
"I didn't want it to end."
"Didn't want what to end?"
"Our fake courtship! I wanted it to be real. I also wanted to tell you that in a way smoother way, shit."
She laughs, the first tears escape. "I wanted it to be real too."
"You did?" He's almost shaking. He takes her face in his hands, wiping away her tears with his thumbs, "You really did?"
"Zuko. I'm in love with you."
"I love you more."
Then she captures his lips in a searing kiss and he doesn't even register he's crying too.
She later teases him about calling it courtship. She insists when they tell everyone they're together they say courting, not dating. He's embarrassed but he's too happy to care.
He isn't sure he has ever been so happy.
Short and sweet. I've had such a crazy busy few days but I managed to get this done inbetween 21st birthday parties which I'm very pleased about.
"You never lose by loving. You always lose by holding back." is actually a quote from Barbara De Angelis.