Zuko wasn't stupid. Azula told their father he killed the Avatar for one reason: if it turned out the Avatar had somehow survived that lightning to the back, Zuko would be the one who failed in their father's eyes. It was Azula's way of shifting the blame from herself and setting him up for more pain and humiliation.

Zuko continued to walk through the streets, pulling his cloak more tightly around himself. Uncle, what should I do? he found himself thinking; this only intensified the sick feeling in his stomach. He'd betrayed the only person who had believed in him, and all it brought him was uncertainty. If the Avatar lived, he was in trouble. If he was dead, the world would fall to the mercy of his father.

He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't watch where he was going and bumped into someone.

"Hey, watch it!"

That voice...he dared to lay eyes on who he'd just bumped into, and he felt his heart leap into his throat. The kid had grown a full head of black hair and his tattoos were barely visible in the darkness, but there was no mistaking that voice, or those eyes.

"So you live." Now that he'd laid eyes on the boy he couldn't seem to stop looking. He seemed older, somehow, even those innocent eyes that forever taunted him looked more intense.

"Z-Zuko!" Aang nearly dropped the bag of supplies he was carrying. Zuko shook his head.

"That's impossible. I saw you die, no one could have survived a shot like that," he said.

"Katara brought me back with her Spirit Oasis water," Aang said. Zuko snapped his fingers, of course. She'd offered to heal his scar with the same water before Uncle and the Avatar had shown up.

"I see."

"So did you come to finish the job, then?" Aang snapped. "I might not be able to use the Avatar State anymore, but I can still fight you, so if you're gonna do it-"

"No." Zuko grabbed him by the shoulders, and this time Aang did drop his bag. "Look...as far as everyone's concerned, the Avatar is dead. My father thinks I killed you."

"Exactly. Sokka said I can't let anyone know I'm alive until-" he stopped himself before he mentioned the invasion. "I just can't." He frowned. "You can let me go now."

Instead, Zuko leaned forward, planted a hand in Aang's short, scruffy hair and kissed him. He didn't even bother to wonder why he was doing something so crazy, and apparently Aang didn't either as he pulled back the hood of Zuko's cloak, threading his fingers through his hair. When they came up for air, Zuko's heart was beating a mile a minute and Aang was blushing several shades of red.

"Z-Zuko," he gasped, "why...I mean, I thought you-"

"I don't know," Zuko said. "Why did you let me?"

"I don't know."

They stared uncomfortably at each other for a moment, then Zuko composed himself, pulling his hood back up and straightening his clothes.

"This never happened," he said. Aang nodded, grabbed his supplies and ran off without a word. Zuko sighed, running a finger over his bottom lip. Damn Avatar! How could one boy manage to make his life so complicated?

He turned around and headed back towards the capitol, more confused than ever.