Yet another dang what-if scenario. XD
*
It had taken him three long years to get here, but Zuko knew he'd done it at last. Three years of exile, loneliness, anger and self-hatred, three years of traveling on a beaten down old warship through icy waters and wandering through countless villages had led him to this moment.
"The Avatar is in this cave, isn't he? All I have to do is break down this iceberg," he whispered. "My honor. After all this time, my honor will be restored..." His fingers traced the garish scar over his eye, his mark of shame. It wouldn't matter anymore once he had the Avatar in his grasp.
Taking a deep breath, he stood back and made a fire blast strong enough to melt the ice, but not strong enough to roast the inside of the cave; the Avatar was no good to him dead, after all. However, just as the iceberg cracked open under the heat a near-blinding pillar of blue light filled the sky. When Zuko was able to look again, a boy in an orange and yellow jumpsuit was sliding out onto the snow.
"That can't be..." Zuko crouched down to catch the boy in his arms; he was obviously an Air Nomad, but that was impossible. The next Avatar would be born to the Air Nomads, that was why Fire Lord Sozin had them all killed one hundred years ago.
"Unless..." Had this boy known what was coming and saved his own life by hiding in the ice for one hundred years? Just then the boy's eyes fluttered open, and he groaned.
"W...where am I?"
"Are you the Avatar?" Zuko asked.
"No, my name's Aang. Why?" But before Zuko could answer, Aang's expression grew concerned. "What happened to your face?! It's all burned on one side...let me get you to a healer!"
"I..." Zuko was completely dumbfounded. An Airbender should be terrified of a Fire Nation prince, just how long had this Aang been frozen? Didn't he know there was a war going on?
"Sir?" Aang smiled. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm. Hey, do you wanna go penguin-sledding with me later?"
"Enough of this," Zuko snapped. "You are the Avatar and I have to capture you to restore my honor."
"Why? ...oh, I get it, you lost a sparring match with someone and it's a game you're playing," Aang laughed, and Zuko almost throttled him before remembering he had no idea of what was going on in the world, much less how Zuko got his scar. "You lost, so now you have to show him the Avatar. Maybe next time the loser should just buy the winner a bowl of noodles!"
There was something so pure and innocent in the boy's ignorance, something that touched a part of Zuko he'd thought was long dead; for the first time in years, he laughed.
"At least come back to the ship with me, then," he said. "You're lucky you haven't frozen to death yet." He helped Aang stand. "My name's Zuko."
"Nice to meet you." Aang smiled, then paused, shuffling his feet. "Hey, Zuko?"
"Yeah?"
He stood on his tiptoes to press a light kiss to the prince's cheek, causing him to blush furiously and nearly fall over again.
"W-what was that for?"
"Thanks for helping me out," Aang said. "You seem like a nice guy, Zuko. Let's be friends!"
The surge of warmth and love that filled Zuko just then could have melted the entire South Pole. Only his uncle Iroh had shown him any sort of kindness since his banishment; people who saw him and his scar feared or pitied him. But there was none of that in Aang's voice or face when they'd spoken, only genuine kindness.
Was it possible to fall in love at first sight, much less with another boy?
I don't need you to restore my honor, he thought. I just need you.