This was a request from my friend, Lizzy-chan at DA. Her request was a Christmas with the Gaang [Zuko included, scarves [she has a bit of a scarf fetish and a little bit of Tokka. [Not a lot, seriously.

"Everyone have their tea?" Aang asked brightly, totally ignoring the flat-gazed glares from his friends.

"I'm freezing," Sokka mumbled as a snowflake landed on his nose, making him sneeze and send his steaming cup of tea out of his hands and splash onto the ground, dousing the fire centered in the middle of the group.

Zuko sighed as he lit it again, picking up his own cup and staring into it. "What kind?" He dared to ask.

Aang, who'd been cheerfully airbending snowballs at a grumpy-looking Momo, turned to him in surprise. "Kind? Ginseng, I think."

Zuko felt a lump grow in his throat and he reached up to tighten the scarf around his neck. That was Uncle's favorite.

Toph took a sip of her tea, unnaturally mute, her still-bare feet tucked underneath her to keep them warm in the frigid air. She made a face in what she hoped was Momo's direction as he began to bat the fringes of her earthy-green scarf like a cat.

"Why are we doing this?" Sokka moaned, pulling his extra-long scarf, the same shade blue as his eyes up to cover most of his face, his tea already downed.

"It's Christmas!" Aang said, looking a little disappointed with everyone as he finally realized his mood wasn't infecting anyone. "You guys are supposed to be happy! Christmas is the season of giving and being together and…" he drifted off as he looked around him.

Toph's pale eyes were fixed on the bonfire, her hands being warmed by the cup between them.

Katara was resolute; a stern look in her expression, the tea in her right hand hadn't been touched.

Sokka was glaring from Aang to Zuko, to the snow falling down on him, looking like he couldn't decide which to complain about first.

Zuko still held his tea, a distressed look in his amber eyes.

"Ugh. What's wrong with you?" Aang asked him, trying to get more than a one-worded answer out of the former prince.

Zuko didn't answer at first, but he finally lifted his head. Aang was surprised with his answer, and he could feel Katara stir beside him. "My uncle. He loves ginseng tea." He murmured quietly and took a tiny sip.

Aang twisted his face in frustration. Now what was he supposed to say to that? He still wasn't comfortable with this guy and he didn't know if he even should say something.

"He'll be fine, ya wuss." The firebender turned, eyes flashing at the young girl beside him who had barely moved. "He's the Dragon of the West, right? Don't worry about him so much. He wouldn't want that."

Zuko blinked at her a couple of times, eyebrows drawn together, golden eyes narrowed. Sokka put an arm on the Toph's shoulder protectively, and her pale eyes widened.

"Toph's right," Aang said finally and glanced at Katara, who was looking neither at him nor at his new master. "I'm sure wherever he is, he's holding up. He seems like that kind of person to me."

Zuko studied the airbender and eventually the young Water Tribe siblings. He had underestimated them. He had underestimated them all.

"Thank you."

It was so quiet, the former gang wasn't quite sure they'd heard it. Sokka thought it had been a snowflake landing in his ear. Katara and Toph thought maybe Aang had airbended another snowball at his lemur or sky bison and the slight whoosh! had fooled them for a moment. Into thinking they'd heard something.

But Aang knew what had come out of his mentor's mouth. "Merry Christmas," he said absently and everyone's face finally twitched into a smile.

"Can I say something?" Zuko asked and Aang's gray eyes widened into a question as he drew his tea away from his mouth.

"Sure, what is it?"

"This is so weird." He replied and jumped a little when Sokka started laughing.

Toph grinned and Katara pulled her scarf, which matched her brother's, up to her face to hide her smirk.

Aang's silly grin returned and he set down his tea as the snow finally settled onto the still ground. Letting Momo play with the frays on his scarlet scarf he gazed into the fire. I have to protect them.

The sounds of laughter at something Toph had said nearly drowned the thoughts out.

Please. Help me protect them.

Epilogue

Somewhere in a nice, safe, and cozy teahouse, a member of the Order of the White Lotus suddenly sneezes.

"Someone's talking about you," an old man remarks with a wink to his friend.

"Oh, dear," Iroh says with a half-hearted smile, sounding more distressed at who it might be.