DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIR BENDER. ALL RIGHTS GO TO ITS RESPECTIVE OWNERS.

"Manipulative"

1.) To tamper with or falsify for personal gain

2.) To influence or manage shrewdly or deviously

Iroh spared a glance at his nephew over his cup of steaming tea. Zuko stared at the cup, as if lost in thought. As his index finger traced the rim, and his golden eyes stared far off into space, Iroh could imagine what the young teenage boy was thinking of.

Stifling a chuckle Iroh patted his nephew's shoulder, pulling him back into reality.

"Honestly nephew!" Iroh said heartily, unable to contain his amusement any longer.

"What Uncle?" the boy asked confused, as if he thought he were concealing anything. Iroh could see the way he longingly stared at the water tribe girl from across the camp fire as she enjoyed the meal she had concocted. He noticed the way Zuko would glance up every now and then when she was close by, only looking down when a light, faint blush flooded into his cheeks. Iroh had found this as a way of amusing himself. Why, he wondered, was it so difficult to tell a person how you felt?

Iroh, never being a particularly shy individual had found this concept foreign. Zuko's infatuation with the water bender was understandable, and, must he say it, predictable; fate must have had a reason for this. And what kind of uncle would he be if he idly sat by and watched as his nephew got his heart broken? No, he wasn't that kind of uncaring person. Maybe… Zuko just needed a little push in the right direction.

The old man motioned towards his nephew's tea cup, to which Zuko scowled at. "Uncle, this does not smell in the least bit like anything you would create. What is in this tea cup?"

"Tea, my dear boy." The old man said matter- of-factly.

Zuko narrowed his eyes suspiciously at his Uncle. It was silent for a while. Birds chirped in the distance, and Sokka's off- key humming could be heard as he stumbled up the walkway into camp.

Finally, with a sigh, Iroh spoke once more. His palms outstretched in a motion of surrender, he spoke. "You are found me out," he said dramatically. "I was only attempting to help my exhausted nephew. You see Zuko, you have trained endlessly this week. I do not believe that a young boy should continuously do that sort of thing to himself. It is unhealthy."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, until finally sighing in defeat. "Thank you for being considerate Uncle. Come to think of it, I am tired. It will be nice to get some rest."

Iroh smiled. "Very well Zuko."

The rim touched his lips and he sipped at it, hesitantly at first. Then his eyes alight with surprise at the tasty flavor, gulped the entire cup down immediately.

Iroh nodded his approval. "Now, why don't you go find the young Katara, Zuko? She was looking for you this morning."

"Y- you know," Zuko sputtered almost incoherently. "that's a veeeeery good idea, Uncle! I- I think I will."

Iroh grinned from ear to ear as he observed Zuko walk over to Katara.

He tapped her on the shoulder, to which she turned around, almost confusedly when she saw that it was Zuko.

Sokka, passing by with a handful of fire wood, had stopped to watch the quarrel that was bound to happen whenever those two were within hearing distance of each other.

Katara's eyes had widened at something Zuko had said, mouth hanging agape at his words.

Sokka had dropped his fire wood, mouth hanging open, and eyes bugging out of his head until realization dawned on him. Picking up a piece of wood, the young man raised it above his head, almost crazily.

"NO!!!! THIS IS MY BABY SISTER YOU CREEP!!!" he shouted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Zuko had come out of his drunken state almost immediately and quickly started running away from the crazed maniac after Sokka hit him over the head with the piece of lumber.

Iroh chuckled at the faint blush adorning Katara's face which immediately turned to a flush of anger as she chased after them. "SOKKA!!! DON'T HURT HIM!!! THIS IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY!"

Toph, the young blind earth bender sat at his side, chuckling herself.

"What did my nephew say to her?"

"Oh… nothing." Toph said. Iroh really didn't have to guess, for he already knew his nephew had confessed his feelings to the water bender.

And Katara hadn't attacked him. The old man took that as a good sign.

But there was another problem that had been nagging at him for some time. He took it as his own responsibility to play the role of the group's matchmaker. Who else would steer them towards their rightful soul- mates?

Filling a tea cup to the brim, he handed it to Toph, who was busily looking out the window at the avatar.

"I do believe you are looking quite tired Toph. Perhaps a soothing cup of tea would calm your nerves."

She had been silent. And the next thing Iroh knew, the cup was broken at her feet, releasing its content all over the ground.

A grin spread across her face. "Not this time old man."

For being the matchmaker, he certainly didn't receive the respect and credit he deserved.

*****So yea, we all have to love Iroh don't we? ;)

So how was this drabble? I love hearing from you guys!

R&R!!!!

~Moonlit- Silhouette