Zuko stretched his feet out against the cool, stony Earth. The sun had almost disappeared over the horizon, and a few bugs were beginning to buzz around the fire, settling down and soon enough flying again to capture its elusive warmth. Staying at the Western Air Temple had always been a respite of sorts for him - right from the days when he and Aang would escape here to take even half a day's break from the long and arduous work of putting the United Republic together (and keeping it running), all the way to the present day. Regular Fire Lord duties definitely took their toll too.
He looked around the circle. Sokka and Suki sat across from him, the blanket of evening sky guarding their backs. Toph was perched on a recently-erected stack of her own, feet dangling far above the ground (Zuko figured this was her way of resting her eyes). Aang sat cross legged, tending to the fire in the middle. The altitude up here and the cool breeze tonight weren't really conducive to the campfire atmosphere they had been going for.
Nevertheless, they were here. It was rare enough that the whole gang found themselves free of some duty or the other to gather together these days, and Zuko knew that they were all going to take what they could get. He stretched and lifted his head to let the breeze ruffle his hair. Katara shivered next to him, and he drew his arm around her. Toph was explaining some anecdote to them, but he hadn't been keeping up. The weight of Katara leaning against him, and the cool wisps of her hair brushing his cheek occasionally, might have had something to do with that. Well. He tried not to dwell on that. Instead, he was content to just hear the chatter, which now seemed to consist of Sokka contesting some detail of Toph's story, so really, it was more like bickering now.
He felt calm and he treasured it. It was crazy to think that this was the same place he had approached them a million years ago, offering his services and pleading for their acceptance. They didn't know then, how the course of Zuko's life had depended on their whims. Maybe he should have stopped being grateful years ago, but a night like this, surrounded by friends, made him feel no other emotion more.
Aang, being Aang, had planted the first seeds of Zuko's… renewal. And no, he wasn't being dramatic with that notion.
He was currently twisting his hands in frustration, mouth quirked into an annoyed pout as he worked the fire. It was a little crazy how he still managed to give off that same guileless air he did when Zuko first met him as a tiny, overexcited kid aged twelve; despite being the most powerful being in five nations, a formidable political figure, and even, maybe possibly slightly taller than Zuko.
Zuko took pity on his friend. "That's not how you do it - you need more juice, Aang. Focus on getting the centre hotter, not making the whole thing bigger."
Aang made a face that really should have been less endearing than it was. "Hey, are you telling the Avatar how to firebend?"
"Are you telling the Firelord how to?"
"Oh, not at all, Your Fieriness." He changed tactic, finally concentrating on holding his palm still over the feeble fire.
"I'm just saying, it's not going to keep burning on its own until you make it hotter."
Sure enough, the flames began to glow brighter as Aang continued. Aang glanced at him sheepishly, and Zuko wasn't too big to not feel smug over that. It caught him off guard, even now, after they had worked together for so long. Aang would always take his advice so freely, like he wasn't the one who had saved Zuko, and seen Zuko, and bothered to stay and build Zuko's life again after the war.
Well, not just him. He shifted so he and Katara were leaning on each other. She smelled like the sea, which revealed that she had been back home recently, even more than her relaxed demeanour today did. She smiled and nuzzled his shoulder. It was the rare nights off like these when that normally aching, confusing draw towards them felt almost normal, like it should ease him instead of worry him. It wasn't jealousy, exactly.
He had family. Family that would make his breath catch and his heart stop when he caught them pulling each other close in a corner, but still. He didn't begrudge either of them anything. Not the swift hands Katara pressed over her husband's ears as she embraced him (the same ones that healed Zuko's scars, though not literally, through reassuring touches over their many late night conversations); not the way Aang seemed to melt and sober the moment his eyes rested on her face, an expression that stirred Zuko more than he would like to admit.
Aang watched the fire with a pleased expression. "Well, it looks like I defer to your expertise, Your Hotness."
"Don't call me that," Zuko snapped.
Aang only laughed. He leapt to his feet and sprang in front of Zuko, bowing so deeply that his knees began to wobble under his tunic. "Sure, Your Hotness."
Katara giggled in delight next to him. Zuko grumbled incoherently under his breath. Seriously? He saw the gleam in Aang's eyes as they met Katara's over the fire. He felt like he should look away. He would have envied the way they seemed to understand each other, play off each other, and the steadfast way they could reason with each other; if that wasn't also the main reason she was squeezing Zuko's arm now, full of affection and not fury.
"I said don't." He felt his face flush, caught between them.
Aang's face lit up with pure glee, even by his standards, and that was clearly egging Katara on to join in. She nodded seriously, "Fire Nation etiquette says you must always use the appropriate title."
"It's true, Your Hotness," Aang concurred, briefly looking at Zuko before lowering his eyes in mock deference.
"Shut up, Aang."
Aang and Katara were heedless, clearly having their own conversation via smug looks in firelight. Aang whizzed towards where they sat, not taking his eyes off Katara's for a second, and sat by her feet. Satisfied, he looked up at Zuko earnestly, though his lips were threatening to twitch.
"I'm sorry, but I have to be honest, Your Hotness, " he said, his face the picture of innocence.
What did Zuko do to deserve this? He really, really wished he was imagining the way Aang reddened, despite his tone, but to tell the truth it wasn't that dark yet.
"Careful, Twinkletoes, your wife can see you blushing," came a sing-song reply from their audience.
Trust Toph to make it worse. Zuko put his head in his hands.
"Well," Katara's voice glittered with humor, low and silvery next to him. Was she doing that on purpose? "I like it when he's blushing."
She sidled up so she was resting against the back of the dais, and slid her arm around his shoulders. "And besides, who wouldn't call Zuko Your Hotness?"
Mortified, Zuko opened his mouth noiselessly before closing it again and hiding his face in his hands. "Please, please shut up."
"Touche," Toph remarked, impressed with Katara's reply, as Sokka screeched and mimed gagging into the bowl of mini moon cakes that was making its way around.
Aang, Zuko suddenly realised, was also covering his face. No doubt, it was Katara's comment about the blushing that was the one to put him over the edge.
(Zuko didn't need to admit it for her to know that he silently agreed).
He appreciated the solidarity of that facepalm, until Aang lifted his head and piped up through another bout of giggling, "Your Hotness, I readily defend that statement regarding your hotness."
Zuko would gladly have liked to pass out right then, or have Druk come and rescue him immediately with some important Fire Nation business, if it wasn't for the way Aang beamed up at Katara and him, eyes bright and flitting preciously between their faces.
He wasn't kidding, then. Oh.
Zuko fidgeted, adjusting his collar. He hoped Katara didn't notice, but every bone in his body told him she definitely did.
The snack bowl made its way around to Katara. Immediately she grabbed it with both hands and urged, "After you, Your Hotness."
"Oh Supreme Lord Hotness of the Fire Nation," Aang was whispering solemnly. Suki and Sokka howled in delight, and Aang's expression betrayed nothing. "The mighty and regal Hotness." He pulled Zuko's wrist into Katara's lap and gave it a friendly squeeze, and held on to it, maybe as a strange sort of consolation for the embarrassment, Zuko supposed. Well, it didn't help.
"Hotter than all Firelords past, present and future," Katara added.
"The hottiest."
"Guys!" Okay, now it was more than ridiculous. He felt laughter rise in his chest, despite himself, and that just irritated him more.
Aang was on a roll, "Oh, do bestow that Hotness upon your humble subjects - "
"-Your Fiery, Hotty, Hotness," Katara cooed into his ear. She didn't release him.
Toph's loud laughter echoed the walls as she loudly slapped the stone next to her. Suki stifled hers behind a hand, eyes twinkling. Aang was almost horizontal. It wasn't that funny.
Sokka stood up, shaking his head. His voice was high in disbelief, "O-kay, I think that's all the weird foreplay I need to see tonight," He pulled on Suki's hand, "Come on. I'll see you guys in the morning." Toph followed suit soon after.
Zuko mumbled a goodnight to his friends, Katara and Aang only managing brief waves, still giggling at their own stupid joke. The moment they were alone Aang leapt up to sit on Zuko's other side. He made himself comfortable on Zuko's shoulder, glancing amusedly at Katara across his stiff frame. Their laughter faded away to amused little sighs.
"Uh - guys," Zuko managed, before realising they probably weren't going to budge. He tried to calm himself down a little. Steady breathing. Aang caught his eye, and breathed along with him - something that made him smile instantly (not shyly) despite himself, recalling the days they would practice their firebending with each other.
Katara's arms were wrapped firmly around his waist, and she seemed deep in thought. She nudged his arm until she was under it. Zuko wrapped his arm around her shoulder, breathing in her hair deeply.
They must have felt it, the fast, awkward catch of his heartbeat, yet they were both still here.
That's what family was, he gathered. He sat back and relaxed into it, watching the flames flicker and the moths gather, feeling stupidly grateful for even those tiny things. He was grateful for the cool wind keeping certain other things in check, too.