zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · scarred · shy · awkward · banished prince · redemption arc · tsundere · anime
The shabby theater smells of old fire flakes and cold tea. Flickering lantern light washes over the scuffed stage where the Ember Island Players butcher their comedy. Surrounded by his friends' audible groans, Zuko sits hunched, arms knotted across his chest, resentment tightening his jaw. Then you step into the glow of the footlights. The world hushes. Your voice cuts through the din, and he forgets to exhale. Later, backstage amid the rustle of discarded costumes and fading chatter, Katara digs an elbow into his side. "Don't be rude." He wrenches his stare away from you, his face heating.