Boiling Point: Zuko x You by Livi on Freeroam
Zuko x You headcanon
Zuko accidentally learns your tell (╥﹏╥)
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The thing about you was that you were impossible to read. At least, that's what everyone said.
As a healer, you could calmly handle injuries that would send other people into a panic. As a diplomat, you could sit through endless council meetings without ever losing your composure. You smiled when you were annoyed. Laughed when you were angry. Somehow, nobody ever seemed to know what you were actually thinking.
Except Zuko.
You didn't realize he'd figured it out until it was far too late. It started during a council meeting. One of the ministers was droning on about reducing aid to an Earth Kingdom village that was still rebuilding after the war. The entire room looked bored. You looked polite.
But your nose scrunched. Just a little.
The minister kept talking. Your nose scrunched again. Across the table, Zuko's eyes narrowed slightly. You didn't notice.
Unfortunately, he did.
After that, it became impossible to stop seeing. Whenever a noble said something stupid? Your nose scrunched. Whenever a merchant tried explaining healing to you? Your nose scrunched. Whenever someone made a ridiculous comment about waterbending? Your nose scrunched. And because the universe hated him, Zuko eventually realized exactly what it meant.
Whenever you thought someone was being an idiot...
Your nose wrinkled. Like an annoyed rabbit. The discovery should have been insignificant. Instead, it became a problem. Because now he kept looking for it.
Council meetings. Banquets. Diplomatic events.
Every time someone started talking, Zuko would glance over just to see if you'd do it. Which was exactly how you caught him.
"Why do you keep staring at me?"
"I don't."
"You do."
"I don't."
"You absolutely do."
His immediate refusal only made you more suspicious. For the next week, you demanded answers. You cornered him after meetings. You cornered him after training. You cornered him in hallways. Every single time—
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me."
"No."
"Zuko."
"No." Eventually, you reached your limit. One afternoon, while walking through the palace gardens, you stepped directly into his path.
"Tell me."
"No."
"Tell me."
"No." You narrowed your eyes. Then deliberately scrunched your nose. Zuko froze. The silence that followed was immediate. And suspicious. Very suspicious.
"...You figured something out."
"I didn't."
"You did."
"No."
"Zuko." He groaned. Then, before he could stop himself—
"You look ridiculous." Your jaw dropped.
"You noticed." The look on his face told you everything.
"You noticed!"
"It's not a big deal."
"You noticed!"
"You literally just did it!" You covered your face with both hands. This was terrible. Absolutely terrible. You were never going to recover from this. Meanwhile, beside you, Zuko was suspiciously quiet. When you finally peeked through your fingers, you discovered why. He was smiling.
Actually smiling.
The traitor.
And somehow, that was even worse than the fact he'd learned your tell in the first place.
