A/N: For Angelic Land, who was super patient even though I said this would probably be up on Monday… And who is very great to talk to, and also writes Zukaang sometimes if you're interested. Romance was what was requested, and it's not my strong point so I had to build up to it. Oh, and also only Zuko and Aang, no other characters.

Date Night

Aang looks down at his plate of delicious vegetable stir-fry, and back to Zuko who has, perplexingly, ordered the same thing. Unsurprisingly, he is not eating any of it; anyone coming from the Fire Nation is notoriously fond of meat-eating.

Zuko immediately notices him looking, having been paying absolutely no attention to his meal in the first place. (What even is this, a hot salad?)

Completely at ease, Aang smiles. They have just finished walking to the restaurant, a suggestion made by Zuko when they'd finished the day's firebending training. At first Aang had been hesitant, but with very little prompting from Zuko and convincing that they would remain unnoticed, he was glad to go.

Weirder still was when Zuko had said that he had plenty of money, and there was no need to go back to camp and get money from Toph and invite everyone else. But Aang is all for letting people do what they feel they need, so if this is what Zuko wants, he can go along with it.

Zuko smiles back, awkwardly, before looking back at his unexciting meal. But Aang keeps staring, curiously.

"Is… is this supposed to be a date?" he asks, the grin audible in his voice.

Zuko drops his fork. "Wh-what would make you ask that?"

"Well," Aang answers, smirk widening, "you took me here, fully aware that I didn't have any money and that you would have to pay. You didn't want to talk to anyone else because you knew they'd want to come with. And we walked all the way here together, nicely, and I noticed that there were plenty of restaurants along the way."

Aang looks incredibly sure of himself, but Zuko iss not ready to admit defeat until he knows what he says will be well received.

"Maybe I just had something super important to tell you,"

"Oh, and that's why you've been dropping hints by flirting with me every time we're training?"

"I have not – I have not been flirting with you!" Zuko exclaims, attracting the attention of a few people at nearby tables.

"Sure, you really did just want to help me with the firebending forms the whole time we were training."

"They're important!" Zuko protests, though he could feel himself losing. "You sure didn't seem to have a problem with it," he added quietly.

"No," Aang answers, "I really didn't."

Well this is interesting.

"You didn't?" Zuko asks, pushing aside his food so he could lean forward.

"I thought you could tell," Aang says, smiling.

"It's nice to be reminded."

Aang considers this, and then his eyes widen slightly with his idea. "So let's get out of here, then."

This seems like a good idea, so Zuko throws down extra money just to be safe, and they exit the restaurant.

When they end up on a mapped out trail in a forest, Aang gets his confident look back on his face, and Zuko immediately notices.

"What?" he asks, fighting a grin.

"You really did plan this!" he announces, and throws his arms in the air. He slightly unbalances himself, and rests his hand on Zuko's arm to steady himself. Zuko catches himself and stops the natural reaction of pulling away.

"Sheesh," Aang says, "firebenders really are warm."

"Yeah, well," is all Zuko can manage as Aang completely easily and naturally brings his hand to grab Zuko's.

Being interconnected really changes their walk, at least from Zuko's perspective. Though he is the one who decided that they were taking the long way back, he certainly was not expecting this to turn into a real date so easily and naturally, but that just seems to be how things are around Aang. Easy. Natural. Nice.

So Zuko throws caution to the wind and decides to just let whatever is going to happen, happen.

Aang leads the conversation the whole time, and Zuko just answers in the pauses in speaking and admires Aang's ability to still seem optimistic when there is going to be a war soon. Nobody knows that better than Aang, and yet he just takes things how they are, and enjoys a date when the opportunity presents itself.

Zuko would be jealous, but instead it is just kind of rubbing off on him.

So he is kind of looking incredulously at Aang, like he has never seen anything this amazing, which is true, and Aang is talking about his time back at the Air Temple when it was full of monks and energy and life (and Zuko is ignoring twinges of guilt in the back of his mind) and Aang suddenly looks back from where he has been slightly leading their walk.

"Why do you look at me like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like… I'm something worth looking at. Like you're looking up to me, even though I'm shorter. And younger. And like… maybe you want to kiss me."

"Um," Zuko starts, intelligently, "those are all true."

And Aang turns around, leaning his back against a tree and bringing Zuko closer to him with their interlocked hands. "Is that so?"

Suddenly they are so close it seems like kissing is the only option, but Zuko still hesitates, until his hand is gripped tighter and he looks at Aang, who has a challenge in his eyes.

Zuko would never turn down a challenge. He closed the distance between their lips. At first they met awkwardly, but they both managed to adjust until it was probably the nicest kiss of Zuko's life. Despite being a few years younger, Aang does not seem inexperienced.

After that even Zuko has trouble not smiling. The walk back to camp is close, silent, and companionable.

When they get back and are asked where they have been, surprisingly, Aang is the one to cover and lie. Zuko looks a little dazed, but Aang distracts everyone from noticing this with his hand gestures and exciting story.