Sequel time! I just couldn't resist sharing with you all the wonderful things that go on inside my head. This takes place not long after An Avatar and his Cat. In relation to the show it's just before 'The Blind Bandit'. You're going to have to bear with me as I repeat that episode and maybe parts of 'The Chase' and 'Bitter Work' because there's relevant stuff in them. But it will be interesting to see how Zuko and Iroh fit into these episodes.
The rating may go up but for now Zuko and Aang's relationship isn't going to be too intense. Even if Zuko is a hormonal teenager Aang isn't…yet.
Now, without further ado I present to you…
An Avatar and his Prince
Chapter 1
It had been about a week since Zuko had returned to his human form. It had been a very strange week for all concerned since they were all getting use to the now enlarged group. It was hard work putting bitter rivalries behind and many disputes had erupted within the camp. These mostly involved Sokka and Zuko. Both boys greatly disliked the other, and it was a regular occurrence for an insult to slip out accidentally. One would have thought that Sokka would learn quickly that Zuko was not to be messed with but this was not the case.
"Zuko stop!" Aang cried urgently.
Zuko stopped shooting fireballs at Sokka to turn to Aang. "Someone needs to teach him to respect his betters," Zuko said coldly.
"And that person is Katara," Aang explained carefully.
Zuko gave Sokka one last glare before walking away. Aang gave a relieved sigh before going to see if Sokka was injured. The young warrior had taken refuge behind a tree to try to get out of the line of fire. Aang used his Airbending to jump up into the tree Sokka was hiding behind. When he jumped down in front of the boy from the Southern Water Tribe he watched in amusement as Sokka screamed before diving to the floor.
"You know, if you didn't annoy Zuko so much he wouldn't try to kill you," Aang said calmly, holding back his laughter.
Sokka looked up at Aang and was suddenly mad at the young Avatar for tricking him. "Aang! Why did you do that?!"
"Because I knew you'd get all scared and you look really funny when you cower," Aang replied cheerfully.
"I was not cowering!" Sokka shouted, his face turning red from a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
"Of course not," Aang said before leaving Sokka to seek out Zuko.
Aang found the firebender meditating at the other side of the camp. Zuko often meditated after fighting with Sokka. Aang guessed that this was his way of calming down. It seemed to work since Zuko never tried to bite his head off when he tried to start a conversation.
"What did Sokka do this time?" Aang asked as he took a seat next to Zuko.
"He opened his big mouth," Zuko replied without opening his eyes.
Aang shook his head, wondering if the two would ever stop fighting. He didn't think they would since both Sokka and Zuko were too stubborn for their own good. He understood this and all he asked of his two friends was that they didn't try to kill each other; they could try to severely injure each other but not kill.
Aang took up the same meditating position as Zuko. Iroh had told him that if he was to learn Firebending he must learn to control his breathing. He had sat like this with Zuko many times over the past week. What usually would have been a boring exercise to Aang was made less tedious by the fact that his boyfriend was right next to him and in this state of serenity Aang felt very close to Zuko.
Zuko's eye opened and he looked over at Aang. A smile tugged at his lips as he watched the boy breathing gently. The young prince was still amazed that he was here with Aang and the rest. If he had been told a few months ago that he was to become the boyfriend of the Avatar he would have dismissed the whole issue entirely. But now that he was here, with Aang, everything seemed so different. His view of the world was changing and he knew that in time he would have to change some of his hard-core beliefs. But for now he was content to just sit and listen to Aang breathing in time with himself.
"Aang still needs an Earthbending teacher," said Katara, as practical as ever.
"There's a town not that far away, maybe there will be someone there willing to teach him," said Iroh as he sipped his tea.
Katara nodded in agreement. "I think we should go to the town tomorrow morning and have a look."
There were nods and acceptant mutterings from around the campfire. Aang then turned to Zuko and said, "This will be your first time flying on Appa won't it?"
"Yes," Zuko replied calmly.
"Don't worry, Appa's a great flyer," Aang reassured even though it didn't seem that Zuko was worried about riding a giant flying bison.
After that the gang retired for the night. Aang curled up in Zuko's arms, his head resting on the Prince's strong chest. "Good night Zuko," Aang whispered.
"Good night Aang," Zuko whispered back before drifting into the throws of sleep.
The next day the four teenagers and one senior citizen were exploring the Earth Kingdom town. Even though they were only supposed to be here to stock up on supplies and find an Earthbending master Sokka had still managed to move away from the intended agenda.
"It's pricy but I really do like it," he said as he observed the green bag.
"Then you should get it. You deserve something nice," Katara said kindly, wishing Sokka would hurry up already.
"You're right I do," Sokka said but then changed his mind. "I can't though, it's too pricy. I shouldn't; or should I?"
"Just make up your mind already!" Zuko shouted, losing his patience entirely.
"Hey, I'll make up my mind when I feel like it," Sokka snapped back.
Zuko threw his hands up in the air and walked off before he caused a scene by setting something on fire. Aang and Iroh shared a look before following him. "We'll see you guys when Sokka's sorted out his dilemma," Aang called over his shoulder.
Katara sighed, wishing she hadn't been left alone with her brother who had returned to studying the bag. At least Momo hadn't deserted her. She glared at the little lemur as it turned traitor and followed Aang.
Zuko didn't go far. Aang and Iroh found him doing breathing exercises whilst leaning against a wall. Both exchanged glances before settling down beside him.
"So how did you find your first ride on a flying bison?" Aang asked to break the silence.
"Most enjoyable even if the take off wasn't very good for my old heart," Iroh replied merrily.
Both turned to Zuko who seemed to have stopped doing his exercises. "It would have been better if that idiot hadn't been there," Zuko replied quietly.
It appeared that Zuko was calm and ready to move on. "Shall we begin the search for an Earthbending teacher then?" Iroh asked.
"Alright," Zuko replied, sneakily taking hold of Aang's hand. He didn't know why he did it; it just felt right.
Aang grinned and ran back into the bustle of the market place, dragging Zuko along with him. Iroh followed more slowly, basking in the happiness the two youths created.
When Sokka had finally decided that he was buying the bag he and Katara began looking for the others. They found Iroh waiting for them not far from where they had been. He led them both to a place called 'Master Yu's Earthbending Academy' where they found Zuko wearing an amused smile, but no Aang.
"Where's Aang?" Katara asked before Aang came through the gates of the Academy looking disappointed.
"He's not the one," he informed the others.
Just then two other students walked out of the dojo. Their conversation was ignored by all until the words 'best Earthbenders in the world' met the gang's ears. Aang instantly became interested in what the boys were saying. "Hey! Where exactly is this Earthbending tournament being held?"
The boys ignored him and carried on walking. Zuko frowned and made a move to follow them. Katara held out her arm to stop him. "I'll do it," she said before running after the boys. Moments later she returned wearing a self-satisfied smile. "The tournament's at Earth Rumble 6," she said proudly.
So they all made their way to Earth Rumble 6, a great underground stadium where Earthbenders went to claim glory. There were already hundreds of spectators sitting in the stands but for some reason they had left the first few rows empty. "Wow, front row seats! I wonder why nobody else is sitting here," Aang said as he and the others took a seat on the stone benches.
Just then a giant boulder landed a few feet away from where they were sitting. "Does that answer your question?" asked Iroh.
Moments later the host stepped forward and began announcing the line up. Everyone except Katara stared excitedly at the ring. "This is just going to be a bunch of guys throwing rocks at each other isn't it?" she asked in a bored tone.
"That's what I paid for!" Sokka said hopefully.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "I doubt we're going to find a master here."
Sokka turned to shush him. Zuko glared at his back, imagining the young warrior mysteriously setting on fire. Aang noticed the glare and leaned in close to Zuko. "Ignore him. If this gets too boring we can always take up our favourite past time."
Zuko's lips twitched up into a smile as a light blush covered his cheeks. How could they not at the thought of kissing his boyfriend?
The matches started and the gang watched for anyone who could be Aang's Earthbending teacher. None of the participants matched the criteria though and soon everyone except Sokka became bored. The only bit of interest came when a fighter named 'Fire Nation Man' came into the ring. Both Zuko and Iroh felt insulted by his ridiculous portrayal of someone from the Fire Nation. It got worse when he started to 'sing' the national anthem. The crowd started booing and throwing things at him; even Sokka joined in. The Water Tribe boy would not have lived much longer if Aang hadn't quickly diverted Zuko's attention by pulling him into a fierce kiss. Zuko immediately forgot his desires to disembowel Sokka since making out with Aang was so much more fun.
After that Sokka was the only one who paid any attention to the action in the ring. Katara was paying attention to some action, but it wasn't in the ring. Iroh had fallen asleep, not the least disturbed by what his nephew was doing a few feet away from him.
Aang was deeply upset when he heard Katara calling his name. He remorsefully removed his lips from Zuko's. He looked into the deep amber eyes of his boyfriend, his breathing heavy from lack of oxygen. Aang was sorely tempted to return to passionately kissing Zuko but Katara seemed intent on getting his attention.
"Aang, what about the Blind Bandit as your teacher?"
Aang looked over at the twelve year old in the ring. She was the champion? How was she going to compete with the Boulder? She must really be a powerful Earthbender.
Everyone in the audience watched in amazement as the young blind girl easily defeated The Boulder. Sokka was on the verge of crying now that his hero had been beaten; the others were staring open mouthed at how strong she was. Iroh was still sleeping.
Aang stared at the Blind Bandit intently. "She's going to be my Earthbending teacher," he said quietly so that only Zuko caught it. The young Firebender watched Aang suspiciously, wondering what he was planning.
Next the announcer challenged the audience to fight the Blind Bandit. Aang jumped up and shouted, "I will!" before making his way into the arena.
Sokka called for Aang to avenge the Boulder while Katara and Zuko watched anxiously. "What do you think he's planning to do?" Zuko asked quietly.
"I don't know," Katara replied in an equally subdued voice.
Once Aang reached the ring he revealed what he was planning on doing. "Please, I don't really want to fight you; I just want to talk."
"Boo! No talking!" shouted Sokka.
"Don't boo at him," Katara reprimanded, smacking her brother's arm. This was followed by a much harder punch from Zuko who was taking any opportunity that presented itself to hit Sokka.
Aang and the Blind Bandit then commenced in something resembling a fight. Only, it wasn't a proper fight since all Aang did was jump about while trying to start a conversation. It was then ended quickly when Aang used his Airbending to knock the Bandit out of the ring.
After a stunned silence there was a massive round of applause. The Bandit walked away before Aang could convince her to become his teacher. He therefore returned to the ring saddened that he had missed his chance. The others were already there, Iroh rubbing his eyes and wondering what had happened. Sokka took the prizes from the announcer Aang had won for defeating the Bandit, grinning like an idiot all the while. Zuko and Katara were the only ones who noticed Aang's sadness and failure.
As they exited the stadium Zuko put a comforting hand on Aang's shoulder. "We can still find her if you're sure she's the one you want as a teacher."
Aang looked up hopefully. "Really?"
Zuko nodded. A smile spread across Aang's face and he moved closer to Zuko. Zuko moved his hand from Aang's shoulder to around his waist. "We'll start at the Earthbending Academy. If she learnt to Earthbend there they'll know where we can find her."
"Maybe we should do that tomorrow," suggested Iroh. "It is late and we should all get some rest."
The others all looked up at the black sky and agreed with the General. Tomorrow they would find out who the Blind Bandit really was.
As the sun rose the five travellers returned to the Earthbending Academy. Fortunately (or unfortunately) the only ones about where the two students who Katara had…convinced to reveal the location of Earth Rumble 6. As before, they were unwilling to reveal any information. A few fierce looks from Katara and they were soon a model of co-operation. However, it turned out that even though they were co-operating they weren't being useful.
"We swear we don't know who the Blind Bandit is," one of them said, cowering under Katara's glare.
"Maybe we're asking the wrong question," Aang voiced as he thought about the problem. "I had a vision last night of her and a flying boar. Know anybody like that?"
"The flying boar is the symbol of the Bei Fong family but they don't have a daughter," replied one of the students.
Aang shrugged. "It's worth a try."
They left the Academy and headed to Bei Fong family estate. It was a huge place that gave off an air of wealth and superiority as well as beauty. In some ways it reminded Zuko of the palace back in the Fire Nation. Once again he felt his heart ache for that place he once called home.
They snuck around the back to a large wall that hid the view of the garden beyond. Aang used his Airbending to leap up and over the wall. The others were left to struggle up on their own. Seeing that this was the case Iroh decided it would be best if he stayed behind. The others silently agreed whole-heartedly.
The four rushed across the grass to hide behind a bush. They looked about for any signs of life. Seeing nobody they relaxed slightly. Then they were thrown up into the air by a surge of earth. Landing unceremoniously on the ground they quickly struggled to right themselves. When they looked up they were face to face with the Blind Bandit, only dressed in a more elegant robe.
"What are you doing here? How did you find me?" the Bandit demanded.
Aang used Airbending to get to his feet. "Well a crazy king told me I have to find an Earthbender that listens to the earth and then I had a vision that told me-"
Katara quickly cut him off. "What Aang's trying to say is that he's the Avatar and needs to master Earthbending soon or he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord."
Again Zuko was reminded that that was the Avatar's mission. Being Aang's Firebending teacher meant that he was part of the Resistance, he was opposing his father. If he stayed with Aang and the others it meant that he would eventually have to face his father again in battle. He resisted the urge to touch his scar and pressed down the memories that came with it. It was no good thinking about that right now; such thoughts were best considered when one was alone.
The Bandit stuck her hand in Katara's face. "That's not my problem. Now get out of here before I call the guards."
"Look, we all have to do our part in this war and yours is helping Aang to learn Earthbending," Sokka insisted.
Just then the Bandit cried out for the guards to help her. The four teens quickly made a run for it, jumping over the wall and out of sight just in time. Sure that the guards couldn't hear him, Aang whispered, "Drat."
"Looks like we're moving on to plan B," Zuko observed.
"What's plan B?" questioned Katara.
"Is there even a plan B?" queried Sokka.
Zuko smirked. "When you can't convince someone to join you the next best thing is blackmail."
Aang's face suddenly broke out into a cunning smile. "Zuko, you're a genius!" he cried, jumping up to peck Zuko's cheek.
Whilst Zuko's cheeks darkened Sokka's face twisted to portray a look of disgust. "Must you do that in public?"
Zuko glared at him but Aang was not daunted. "Come on, I have a plan."
The others followed Aang away from the garden. "What plan is this?" Iroh asked as they approached the main gates.
Aang didn't answer as the guards demanded they halt. "What do you want?" one of the guards asked impatiently.
"The Avatar and friends would like to visit Lord Bei Fong," Aang answered calmly.
Whatever the guards had expected him to say, this definitely wasn't it. They shared nervous glances before the guard with the most seniority allowed them to enter. As they walked Zuko leaned down to Aang and whispered, "Good idea."
Aang blushed, a gigantic smile spreading across his face. It was nice to hear Zuko praise him like that. He then stayed that way as they waited for a servant to send word of their arrival. It took quite a while since nobody had expected a visitation and Lord Bei Fong was busy with other things. Eventually they were lead into the dinning room and Aang was able to find out his Earthbending teacher's real name: Toph.
Dinner was an…interesting affair. Toph and Aang fought a silent war under and over the table. Both were covered in their dinner by the end of the night and both were extremely annoyed by the other. It had been very uncomfortable for those having to watch. Zuko in particular had not felt at ease once during the meal. Again the topic of defeating his father had come up. He had quickly lost his appetite. The thought of fighting his father did not sit well with him. It just didn't seem right – he was his father. Zuko had not been able to fight him in their Fire Duel and he didn't think he could fight him now.
Iroh, who had been seated next to Zuko, sensed his nephew's situation. He had long ago broken all ties to his brother after seeing how ruthless he had become. If they were to fight, Iroh believed he would not hold back. He knew that Fire Lord Ozai needed to be defeated if the war was to end. It was not as easy for Zuko to except this. Iroh had hoped that Aang would be able to help his nephew realize that he owed his father nothing. It seemed he was expecting too much too soon. One could not change who they are in the time span of a few days. Iroh could only hope that when it came for Zuko to choose his destiny he would choose to take the right path.
Later that night the gang was gathered in a room and preparing for bed. Aang had just said goodnight to Appa when Toph appeared and asked if they could take a walk. After their secret fight Aang had been anxious about walking alone with her but had rejected Zuko's silent offer to accompany them.
It turned out all Toph was interested in was talking. She explained to Aang all about how Earthbending helped her to see even though she was blind. She explained that her parents thought of her as helpless and she resented it. That was the reason she became the Blind Bandit.
"Why do you stay here if you're not happy?" Aang eventually asked.
"They're my parents, where else am I supposed to go?"
"You could come with us," Aang offered.
Toph thought about it and was about to reply when she felt something amiss. "We're being ambushed," she warned just before a metal case fell down and trapped them.
Aang looked out from the small window with metal bars to see the contestants from Earth Rumble 6. One of them leered at the two prisoners. "You kids owe me some money," he said sinisterly.
"No we don't," Aang said quickly, confused.
"Let us go!" Toph demanded fiercely.
The man shook his head, a grim smile on his face. "You'll learn not to steal from Xin Fu," he said before the two were dragged away back to Earth Rumble 6.
When Aang and Toph did not return the others became worried. At first they thought that they had merely lost track of time but their hopes were dashed when they found Toph's parents and discovered that they hadn't seen Toph since earlier that evening. Their search for the missing teens led them into the garden where they discovered two strange imprints in the ground. Along with the imprints was a note held down by a sword. Sokka picked up the note and offered it to Katara. "If you want to see your daughter again, bring 500 gold pieces to the arena. It's signed Xin Fu and the Boulder."
Zuko's fists clenched in anger. Aang had been kidnapped? Someone had taken his Avatar? Aang was his and his alone! Zuko allowed his fury to rage inside of him and mask the dread he felt in the pit if his stomach. He didn't give his fury too much free reign though – he didn't want to set something on fire and reveal that he was more than an Earth Kingdom peasant.
Zuko turned quickly on his heel and stormed back towards the house. Iroh noticed his nephew leaving and shouted, "Zuko, where are you going?"
"To get them back," was enough of a reply to get everyone to follow him to Earth Rumble 6.
When they arrived there seemed to be nobody about. But, as they walked through the cold, empty passages they heard voices and followed them to the main arena. The sight that greeted them as they walked out into the light was of Toph and Aang imprisoned in metal cages suspended from the ceiling. The fighters standing beneath them turned around as the group marched into the ring.
"Here's your money. Now let them go," Sokka said as he kicked the sack of gold over to Xin Fu.
Xin Fu opened the bag, examining the contents. He nodded to someone out of sight and Toph's cage was slowly lowered. As soon as the exit at the bottom was open she rushed over to her father. The gang waited for the second cage to be opened but it wasn't.
"What about Aang?" Katara asked, looking worriedly at the still imprisoned Avatar.
"I think the Fire Nation will pay a hefty sum for the Avatar," Xin Fu said with a sadistic grin. "Now get out of my ring!"
When nobody moved the fighters from the Tournament made their presence known. Eyes darted between the fighters and Aang uncertainly. Aang tried to smile as he told the others to leave without him. While Katara and Sokka backed away, Zuko remained exactly where he was. "If you think I'm leaving without you, you're sorely mistaken," Zuko informed Aang.
Aang didn't know whether to feel flattered, angry or exasperated. On the one hand, Zuko was being stupid thinking he could take all of them. On the other hand it was kind of nice knowing that your boyfriend was willing to get himself all beaten up to save you.
"Zuko, there's too many; you can't beat them all," Katara tried to reason.
"I never said I was going to beat them," Zuko informed her calmly. "I'm just buying some time so you can convince Toph to get her revenge."
Katara opened her mouth to argue but closed it again swiftly. It was a good idea. Katara grabbed Sokka's arm and dragged him towards the passage. Iroh remained where he was, watching Zuko carefully. "You know if you fight them you reveal you're a firebender don't you?"
"If those two are quick enough then I won't need to fight," Zuko replied quietly.
Xin Fu got their attention by shouting, "Get out of my ring right now before I make you!"
Zuko turned his intimidating gaze upon the man and his accomplices. Some of the smart ones inched back but the stupid ones (which was most of the group) were unaffected. Even as Zuko tried to glare them into submission they did not bat an eyelid. If they'd had enough brain cells to realize what Zuko had in store for them, they would have turned tail and ran. As it was, they merely became impatient and it seemed Zuko would need to do more to keep them from leaving.
Thankfully, just as Zuko was about to approach for some close-quarters fighting, Toph stepped into the ring. "You guys better let Aang go right now. I've beaten you before and I can do it again." Toph then turned towards Zuko. "I can take them without your help," she declared.
Zuko nodded and circled around to Aang's cage. The Earthbenders would have tried to stop him if they hadn't been more concerned with trying to break Toph into a million pieces. Luckily Toph was more than a match for any of them. This let Sokka, Katara and Iroh help Zuko to free Aang.
"How are we going to get him down from there?" Sokka asked the question everyone was thinking.
"Is anybody else looking this way?" queried Zuko.
Sokka looked around. Toph was busy fighting the Earthbenders and her father was busy watching her. "No. Why?"
Zuko smirked and sent a jet of flames towards the chain suspending Aang from the ceiling. After a moment the links in the chain began to melt under the intense heat. Zuko stood back and watched as the chain links buckled under the weight. Aang's cage came crashing to the floor.
The whole 'plummeting to the ground at excessive speed' experience was not one Aang would have liked to repeat. He made this very clear to all present. "You could've been a little gentler you know," he said irritably.
Zuko ignored him and moved to the lock at the bottom of the cage. He placed a red-hot palm over the lock which also began to glow red as well as melt. Zuko then stood up and brought the heel of his boot down over the lock, effectively breaking it. Aang immediately climbed out of the cage, looking around to see how Toph was doing. He smiled as he saw her kick the last one into a wall.
Aang was startled when he felt a hand rest firmly on his shoulder. He looked up and was met with a pair of probing amber eyes. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"
Aang felt himself smile at the concern hidden under Zuko's gruff manner. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine!"
Zuko nodded, his hand remaining on Aang's shoulder. Iroh chuckled as he watched the pair. "Perhaps we should go congratulate young Toph on her victory," he suggested lightly.
The rest of the gang nodded and slowly walked over to where Toph was waiting for them, proud and victorious.
Later, when they had all returned to Toph's home, Toph explained to her parents why she had led a secret life as the Blind Bandit. She also asked if she could leave home to teach Aang Earthbending. Her parents adamantly refused and the others had no choice but to leave.
"You really wanted her to be your teacher didn't you," Zuko said to Aang while Sokka and Katara readied Appa to leave in the background.
"Yeah," Aang said quietly, his disappointment clearly expressed by his body language.
"There are other great Earthbenders out there."
"But none like her."
Zuko put his arm comfortingly around Aang's shoulders. They stayed that way until they heard someone running towards them. Turning, they saw Toph approaching. A surprised smile spread across Aang's face. "Toph! What are you doing here?"
"My dad changed his mind. He said I was free to travel the world," Toph replied, smiling too.
"That's great! Toph, you're going to be a great teacher," Aang said, slowly walking towards her.
"I know," she said proudly before her voice took on a sly tone. "By the way, I have something to show you."
"What is it?"
Before Aang knew what hit him he was hurled up into the air by a sneak attack from Toph. He landed upside down, in a tree, wearing a look of astonishment. Toph, looking self-satisfied, then said, "Now we're even."
The smugness soon disappeared off the girl's face as Zuko towered over her. If she hadn't been blind Toph would have seen the look of intense fury on his face. "Do that again and you'll be sorry," he threatened.
"What you going to do, hit a blind girl?" Toph baited confidently.
"I'll do much worse than that," Zuko said lowly.
Sensing the impending danger Aang quickly untangled himself from the tree. "Zuko, it's alright; just calm down."
Zuko spun round, pinning Aang with his glare. Aang suddenly wished he was blind and didn't have to experience the chill he felt when the glare was turned on him. Still, he tried to pretend he was not affected.
Zuko, deciding he'd had enough of the subject, strode over to Appa to prepare for the imminent journey. Aang let out a sigh of relief. It seemed his job as peacekeeper had just become a lot more difficult.
As soon as everyone was ready Appa took off. It was serene flying through the night sky. The night's worries and anxieties seemed to drop away as they flew further and further away from Toph's home town. Aang approached Zuko who was wearing a mask of nonchalance. He sat next to him silently, wondering if he was still mad. The fact that Zuko didn't acknowledge him probably meant that he was.
"One more person to not get along with," Aang said with a quiet sigh.
Zuko continued staring at the stars for awhile. "Where are we heading?" he eventually asked softly.
Aang cocked his head to the side in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"What's our destination? What place are we going to? What is the next plan of action?"
Aang shrugged. "I don't know. I was thinking we find a place with lots of rocks so I can start learning Earthbending."
"How can you just drift without setting a course or making a basic plan?"
"Because I know that sometimes when you have your sights so set on something you miss the important things that are going on around you," Aang replied, looking intently at Zuko's expression. "For example: if I'd been so focused on impressing Katara I'd still be pinning for her and you'd still be a cat."
Zuko considered this. "I see your point." The next thing Aang knew Zuko was kissing him with a gentle passion. When they broke apart Zuko added, "It's a good job you're an air-head with no focus."
It took Aang a moment to realize he was being insulted. "Hey!"
Zuko just smirked and wrapped an arm around Aang's waist. Aang smiled and leaned into the embrace. Together they stared at the stars, forgetting the destination and just concentrating on the journey.
Hehe, I've turned Katara into a Yaoi fangirl.
So, what do you think? Have I got them all in character? Is the amount of romance between Zuko and Aang alright? Please review and share your comments with me before I die from writing the longest chapter ever! Even if you don't think this is long it's long for me. Hopefully the next one will be shorter.