A/N

Well... I was going to wait until I recieved ten reviews on the first chapter, but then I began thinking otherwise and stuck with a hundred hits per chapter.

I do want to take this time to thank my reviewers thus far. You've been uberly kind, and it's taken several hours to knock the cocky grin off of my face. Welcome back heynamassu and Folle! It's good to hear from you again. And for the new folk; aquamarie, Silver Shadow75, Sare Liz, and Saiyan Moon Slave;thank you for taking your time to review. Warm fuzzy feelings ensue...

The following chapter may be a tad bit fluffy, at least for my style it is. I like it, but some may not. We'll just see...

xxx

"What did you do to that stuff?" Sokka groaned.

Zuko scowled at him. "No one else is sick! You wanted to be sick, just because I made the food!"

Katara put a wet cloth to her brother's sweaty brow. "Zuko didn't do it. You're probably just allergic to the seasonings we found."

"He put stuff in my food to make me sick." Sokka mumbled. "Conniving little-."

"Sokka, shut up." Katara snapped. "I helped him make it, so if you want to put the blame on anyone, put it on me."

"Okay. You better be sorry." Sokka said grumpily.

"I sure am. Now settle down and just be quiet." Katara sighed.

Aang, busy fumbling through a few water bending scrolls, didn't seem to be showing any signs of illness from Zuko's meal, which relieved the troubled prince somewhat. Iroh was still chomping on the grilled fish two hours after it had been served and wasn't complaining either. Katara's allergy theory was holding out so far.

She met Zuko's eyes across the fire and passed him a sympathetic smile. He half-smirked back. It wasn't too bad that Sokka was upchucking every half hour, but he hadn't planned it. He'd succeeded in capturing Katara's trust once more, and that was really all he'd wanted; Sokka's illness was just an added bonus.

"Stop grinning." Sokka snapped groggily. "This isn't funny."

"No. It's tiring. Seriously, are you in that much pain that you have to complain about it every five seconds?" Iroh said.

Zuko chuckled to himself.

Sokka pointed at Zuko. "You wait till I stop… Ugh… Katara…"

She sighed and helped him to his feet to drag him into the bushes.

"Sokka always exaggerates." Aang said once the two had stumbled away. "I just ignore it now."

"What are you looking at?" Iroh asked, leaning over for a closer view of the scrolls.

Aang held one up for Iroh to see. "Water bending scrolls. Master Paku from the North Pole gave them to me."

"These are very detailed. Look, Zuko. It would make fire bending a lot easier if a master would make a few of these…" Iroh said, pointing to figures.

"Mhm." Zuko's attention was elsewhere, and he was beginning to nod off under the glow of the fire.

"Zuko never pays attention. I just ignore it now." Iroh grinned at Aang, who laughed along with him.

Zuko's head drooped to his chest, which made Iroh and Aang laugh harder. Zuko jerked awake and turned a glare to the pair.

"Do you mind?" Zuko snapped. "I'm trying to sleep."

"Sorry, Zuko." Aang said, quieting down.

Zuko stretched out on the ground. His thoughts finally settled into something he could sleep with, and just as he was drifting off into a blissful sleep, Sokka and Katara came back, with Sokka louder than ever.

"You're sleeping? I'm throwing up, and you're sleeping? You jerk! Get over here and give me some sympathy, you worthless lump!"

"Sokka, you sound like an old, grumpy man. Sit down and just shut up!" Katara growled.

"I do not sound like an old man! He needs to feel just a little sorry for me."

"No." Zuko growled. "Look, I'm tired. Could we argue about this later?"

"Will I be barfing later? No!"

Zuko grabbed his overcoat and stalked away, leaving a barking Sokka and a campful of weary travelers.

xxx

Katara had attempted to sleep next to Sokka, but he kept waking her up complaining of some new ailment.

"My arm is cramping from holding my stomach…"

"Can I just have one piece of meat? That might make it better…"

"Can you rub my shoulder? It hurts to sit up like this."

"I'm thirsty."

"You're snoring." She hadn't been.

"Katara, I think I'm gonna…Eugh... Sorry about your skirt."

She finally gave up trying to sleep altogether and stared into the flames, waiting for Sokka to rouse again and pester her.

She loved her brother. She wanted to do anything she could for him to make him comfortable, but she had to wonder if he really was in that much pain that he couldn't just take care of some of his own problems. He relied on her a little too much, but such was the way of the Water Tribe. Women took great care of their men, and were given seal meat in return. Katara honestly couldn't remember a time when Sokka had given her seal meat, but it no longer sounded appetizing to her.

After a few hours of silence from Sokka, she leaned her head against Appa and let sleep claim her.

Half an hour later Aang was bouncing up above her. "Morning Katara! Did you sleep well?"

She groaned. "I didn't sleep at all…"

"Oh. Well, I'm going to go find Zuko, be right back!" Aang bounded away, in the general direction of Zuko.

"Katara, can I get some water? I'm parched." Sokka said.

She threw him a look. "Are you still sick?"

"Well… Not really, no."

"Then go get it yourself."

"But the water pouch is over there… Couldn't you just bend me some?"

"Sokka. I spent all night catering to your every whim. Get up and get it yourself."

He sighed and made an extravagant show of standing and walking three feet. For his laziness he received a water whip to his backside. He noted not to anger Katara today.

xxx

The sun reached Zuko's eyes in a beam that had battled its way through the dense leaves of the forest. It triumphed in waking him. For once, upon awakening, he didn't want to crawl back into bed (he had no bed), never to face that day. He wanted to wake.

"Zuko… Zuko!...Hey, Zuko! Where are you?" Aang called.

Zuko frowned. He'd welcome going back to sleep now.

"I'm over here." Zuko grumbled.

Aang popped into sight. "Morning! How did you sleep?"

He shrugged. "Is Sokka still complaining?"

"Not yet. He's still groggy enough not to have his wit." Aang paused, glancing at the canopy that sent dappled sunlight upon their shoulders. "I wanted to tell you that it was really nice of you to make dinner. Katara gets really frustrated with just us guys sometimes, and Sokka and I try to make her happy, but… You know how girls are."

Zuko raised an eyebrow. Actually, he didn't.

"I'm trying not to be too much trouble." Zuko said. "I realize that I'm on thin ice with this group."

"What do you mean?"

"Not with you, necessarily, but Katara and Sokka are quick to hate me."

"Well… considering your history with us…"

"Yeah, I know."

Zuko shoved his coat over his head, and he and Aang headed back to their group.

"So…" Zuko struggled with his wording. "Do you… and Katara… uh…"

Aang flashed him a clueless look. "Do we what?"

"Are you together?"

Embarrassment struck Aang at once and he ducked his head. "Not… officially. Why do you ask?"

"You just have this look about you…"

"Am I that obvious?"

"Do you want the truth or a softer version?"

Aang sighed. "The truth."

"Yes, it's obvious."

"Oh…" Aang hung his head in defeat. "Do you think she knows?"

Zuko shrugged.

Aang stopped walking and pulled Zuko to a halt as well. "Can I tell you something?"

Zuko looked wildly around him. Was this a prank?

"I…I guess." Zuko muttered.

"Before we got to Omashu we went through a tunnel. A secret tunnel is what the nomad called it. He said that it was an easy way to get to Omashu without having to go over the mountains, so we went that way, but we got lost. Got all this so far?"

Zuko nodded. He had never felt so confused in his entire life. Was this common for other kids his age? Or was Aang just weird?

"The nomad said that to get through the tunnel we had to trust in love. Then there was a cave-in and we were separated. Katara and I wandered around and found a temple dedicated to Oma and Shu. Do you know about them?"

"I slept through my history tutor's teachings."

"Oh. Well, they're a couple that was separated by war and they fell in love, so they created the tunnel, and blah blah blah, so Katara got the idea that we could kiss."

"Why? Who?"

"Me and her. To… find our way out of the tunnel."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Are you going to listen or argue?"

"Go on."

"So… she and I… we kissed…"

"Did you get out?"

"Get out of what? The kiss?"

"No! The tunnel!"

"Yes, and Katara hasn't said a word about it since. She acts like it never happened, and I really, really want her just to say something about it."

"Mhm. I still don't see how that works."

"That's kind of not the point. Listen, I asked Sokka for advice, and he told me to act 'aloof' which didn't work and made me feel dumb. So… Can you give me some advice?"

Zuko furrowed his eyebrows. He knew battling. He knew tracking. He knew how to lance a wound, a handful of fire bending moves, meditation, how to behave at a formal function, and even how to execute a few knots. What he absolutely did not know were girls. They were as foreign as foreign could be with Zuko.

Of course, on account of his huge pride issue, Zuko refused to let this knowledge slip to Aang.

"You should talk to her." Zuko said firmly.

Aang returned a blank stare. "How?"

"You… get her alone and… you address the problem. Then, the two of you will work out a solution."

Aang's only thought was that that comment was dumber than Sokka's, somehow. In fact, Aang wasn't sure that Zuko had ever held a relationship, but he was positive that Sokka had at least been in love with Yue.

"Uh… Thanks, Zuko. I'll… think about that."

"Good." Zuko marched away.

xxx

Katara was quite literally dragging her feet. She could barely keep her head off of her chest, and every step was a labor she didn't have the rest to cope with. She began straggling, falling behind all of them.

Zuko noticed her slack first and paused his march so she could catch up.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She threw him the dirtiest look she could afford in her exhaustion. "I'm fine."

"You don't look 'fine'. You look like you're dead."

"I'm… half dead."

"You stayed up all night taking care of your brother."

"Yes. But I can manage."

He slid off the horse and landed beside her. "Listen, I know you hate the fact that I stole this, but I will return it as soon as I have the opportunity, and I can also tell you that the people I stole this from are unharmed. I never laid a hand upon them. Please just ride it, and that way you can at least rest."

Katara watched him with unlit eyes. She wasn't sure she could make it for more than an hour more, much less than half the day. She'd planned on catching a nap at lunch, but if she rode the horse, she'd be able to sleep for a few hours.

Her head swam, and she found herself nodding.

Zuko swung back up onto the horse and held his arm out for her to grasp. She pulled herself up behind him. Once she'd settled herself, Zuko tugged the horse forward. Katara, unused to the sudden lurch, hurled her arms around his middle.

"Don't go so fast." She muttered.

"It's not fast, and we're behind."

She pressed her face into his shoulder blade, finding his warmed back a hundred times more comfortable than her sleeping bag. Before they had even caught up with the rest of the group, she'd closed her eyes and sleep had claimed her.

xxx

Sokka rubbed his stomach, taking pleasure in the fact that it no longer pained him. Katara knew how to make a guy feel better. He glanced over his shoulder to thank her. The road was empty of her, however.

Sokka stopped and searched their crowd for her.

"Where's Katara?"

Aang and Iroh leaned over Appa's side and sought out their female companion as well.

Zuko, who was just reaching the others, motioned behind him. Sokka glimpsed a blue skirt peek out from behind him.

"What?" Sokka gasped.

Iroh grinned, but no one caught the reason.

Zuko pulled up further to reveal a peaceful Katara curled against his back. The scene that met Aang's eyes stirred an unnamed emotion, and his temper rose for a moment, but he let it pass over him. She was tired, and she needed sleep.

Sokka scowled at Zuko. "What are you doing?"

Zuko motioned for him to keep his voice down. "She's asleep."

"I noticed. Why is she sleeping… like that?"

"She's tired, and seeing as you weren't doing anything to help her out, I figured I would."

Sokka's face was scrunched into an unidentifiable tan mass of fury. "I can take care of my own sister!"

"Sokka, just leave her alone." Aang groaned. "She's sleeping."

Sokka grumbled something about 'spite' and 'stupid', but after that he was quiet. He guessed he owed Katara at least a few hours of sleep; she had stayed up all night while he soiled her skirt.

xxx

Zuko wasn't sure how to feel. He obviously couldn't show much more thought than duty in front of Sokka, or else he'd jump him. Not that Zuko was scared of Sokka; he proved no threat, but he just didn't want to fight him any more than he had to.

He tried to keep his thoughts at bay. He couldn't afford to realize (at least not now) that there was a girl sleeping behind him, using his back as a pillow. His skin prickled where her hands were curled into cups against it. Every once in awhile, she'd shift, emit a soft sigh, and settle back into him again. It made him uncomfortable to sit so still for so long, but waking her seemed like the worse thing he could do at the moment.

Aang kept glancing at the two of them, letting a critical eye roam over them. Unanswered questions filled his mind to the brim, and he ached to have them answered in Katara's own sweet voice.

xxx

Katara dreamt of the South Pole. She was kneeling over a fire, kindling it, and stirring a big pot of sea prunes. The fumes wafted to her face, curling around her nose playfully. Sokka and Aang were sharpening various kinds of Water Tribe knives in the corner. She tossed them a smile, which they both returned.

'Why is he so late?' Aang asked.

Momo, larger than life, sat up from his bed across the fire. 'He's coming.' Momo said in a deep voice that reminded her of Iroh.

'He better hurry. The sea prunes might just dance away.' Katara said jovially.

A figure dressed from head to toe in furs and blue cloth crawled into their hut. He huddled next to the fire, warming his hands with its orange plumes. His hood fell away. Zuko's face, unscarred and smiling, revealed itself to her, and she wasn't surprised or upset to see it.

He sat back on his heels. 'It sure is nice to see you.'

She nodded. 'Eat your prunes before you get scurvy.'

"And then the pirates chased us all through the marketplace!" Aang exclaimed.

"How did you get there? There were no witnesses to the bison." Zuko said.

Katara still had her cheek pressed against him, and his voice reverberated through her, deeper than she thought it had been. She decided not to 'wake up' for a few more minutes. Hearing his voice was soothing, and she was pretty sure he would mind if she pressed her ear to his chest in the middle of one of his gripes.

"We walked most of the way." Aang explained. "Then once we had to escape the pirates we flew off on my glider."

"All of you?" Iroh asked.

"It wasn't as easy as it sounds." Sokka grumbled. "He barely kept a few feet off the ground."

"We were airborne, trust me. Ask Katara when she wakes up."

"Of course she'll say yes because you two are always finding ways to buddy up against me. It's always the avatar and the water bender against the guy with the boomerang."

"Speaking of her… Could you be any louder?" Zuko growled.

"Why do you care? Besides, she's slept for five hours, and we're going to stop for lunch pretty soon."

"Why don't you care?" Zuko retorted. "You under appreciate her."

"And you'd know nothing of under appreciating people," Sokka jerked his head towards Iroh, "Would you, Zuko?"

"Guys… Don't fight again…" Aang begged.

Katara, who still had her eyes shut, missed the glares exchanged between the two older boys, but felt Zuko fell silent and his tense shoulders slacken slightly.

She sat up, stretching the cramps in her back.

"Hey, sleeping queen." Sokka grumbled. "Have a nice nap?"

"Yes, until you started bickering. The women at the South Pole didn't bicker as much as you boys do."

"We'd fist fight, but seeing as you were asleep…" Zuko said.

"He didn't want to disturb that serene look on your face." Iroh said coyly.

"Uncle, please." Zuko scoffed.

"I'm gettin' kind of hungry. Who else is hungry?" Aang diverted the conversation.

A/N

This is absolutely killing me. I love Aang too much, and to put him in this twisted kind of love pain is just making me sick. However, Zutara is much more intriguing than Kataang (besides, I think that it's kind of… well, he's a little kid, and Katara needs a MAN). I'm going to have to soften Aang's reaction, otherwise I'll just not sleep at night.

Was it too fluffy? Do tell...