CHAPTER FOUR;

'Are you going to get out of my way or should I pass round the house, because it's not hard really.' He stared hard at the frightening looking water-bender before him. He drank in her cool lapis lazulis for eyes,that made her glare seem less like she was trying to pierce icicles through him, the beauty beneath-he figured.

'How could you Zuko!' and there it was, the accusatory tone, the verbal slander. He had half a mind to just press her up against the wall and shut her smart mouth with his. She'd probably fight back-at first. That's how it had always been, and unless he did something, that's how it would always be.

'I'm sorry could you be a little more specific as to what crime I have committed this time, I tend to lose track.' He smirked. Toph was a bad influence.

'You seriously have nooo shame.' She said instead, her voice going octaves lower as she cocked her hip out. He quirked a brow slightly at her…distracting stature before sighing.

'A little more specificness would be a lot of help Katara.'

'Oh you want specific? How about making Toph drink, huh? How's that for specific, the poor girl is sick to her stomach, and where the hell did you even get Fire whiskey from? Are you mad, there could…' she rambled on, all Katara like. Zuko wanted to point out that if anything it was Toph who forced him to drink but seeing the Southerner's current state decided against it anyway. The corners of his mouth involuntarily curled up in a sardonic smile, and he felt the least necessary of emotions well up inside of him…amusement. 'And then poor Aang had to clean up the mess and… and are you grinning Zuko?'

He folded his arms and shook his head more to himself. 'So what's your point exactly?' She looked appalled. Like he'd knocked the wind out of her with just his words, her facial expression was priceless, her neat brows furrowed in a well knit scowl.

'uh…you, humph! You're impossible you know that?' She raised her arms in exasperation.

'I've been told.'

'What you did, it was wrong…' she pointed. He was in no mood for a lecture. Even if it was from an attractive blue-eyed girl, his grin faded.

'Toph was feeling bad, so I helped her.'

'Right, instead of feeling bad, she felt nothing, genius philosophy…'

'Are you…being sarcastic, it's hard to tell…'

'Are you being funny?' She looked grimmer than the cabbage guy when Aang knocked over his cart.

'Zuko I…' she begun, then on realizing she was getting nowhere gave an exasperated sigh to still herself. 'Where in Yue's name did you get whiskey from anyhow?'

'I can't tell you that.' A sly grin brushed against the surface of his lips. He crossed his arms defensively. She had a tendency of making him feel like he was under interrogation. Maybe it was the startlingly blue eyes, like a search light scorching through his damaged soul. And maybe he was afraid of what she'd see inside, that it'd be too broken for even her to heal, and that she'd give up on him just like his dad had, just like he himself had, time and time again…maybe.

'I suppose you can't tell me what you and Toph we're discussing in her room before you intoxicated her either…' Damn she did her research.

'No. I can't tell you that either.' Another sigh

He could literally see the confliction dancing in her eyes. Something else was gnawing at her soul, and he thought he had a clue-she'd been acting rather over-Katara-like of late. There was only a standard amount of Katara that was healthy. He stole another glance at her-and lately he'd been mentally over-dosing.

'Is everything okay?' he dared. Their gazes locked, gold clashed with blue as a mutual understanding passed between them, and they both knew that in that instant they'd both thought of the Western Air temple. Nostalgia swamped Katara while guilt rattled Zuko, a pleasant sort of guilt, but guilt none the less.

'It has to be.' She said, a certain pain seeping into her voice. She peered intently up at him, looking at the callous scar on the left of his otherwise beautiful face that she had had the privilege of getting close enough to touch. He knew what she meant, at least he knew he would when he lay back on his bed at night and recapped all the moments he wanted to grab her and kiss her for no apparent reason. All the moments he wanted to hold her, all the moments he didn't.

'You know what I mea-'

'How's fire bending practice going with Aang?' She untactfully changed the subject. Why would she be so uncomfortable? When it had first happened they convinced, lied to themselves that it was probably the discomfort and heat of Zuko's room at night that had caused the slight…mishap. Yeah-that was it, a glitch, nothing big… her mouth had randomly wandered to his, and he had randomly exquisitely responded. Mistakes like that happened aaaall the time. Zuko, however still concealed his amazement. He decided he would play her game.

'Um it's great. Aang's a natural at the breathing techniques, and breath is an essential part of fire bending, you know? He just seems to pull that chi right from his solar plexus and…' blah blah blah. She truthfully had no interest in shirtless boys throwing fire at each other. Okay maybe she did, but for all the wrong reasons.

'However the problem comes with channeling the…' And he was still taking. For all his diplomacy Zuko tended to ramble aimlessly or be totally speechless whenever on the hot seat. There was no in between. She took a slight step forward. He shut up. No in between. She didn't know how to translate the fact that he was actually paying attention to her every move. To be flattered or concerned, that was the question. So they just dumbly stood their being dumb and drinking in each other's features, afraid that the first step would be a giant leap off of a cliff of no return. He was barely a foot from her, his supple mouth hovering barely inches above hers, but then she wanted to be able to like without guilt tainting your every move. So what did you do when the guilt came in the form of an intense happy go lucky monk? What did you do? Katara was afraid that if she kept on mentally pacing like this her heart would take over the job of her mind, and that was never good. He was looking at her too, and she tried to guess what thoughts we're running through his mind in vain. She swore she could hear her heart say to her brain "Okay, you're wasting time here, Are you going to kiss the boy or what-because if you're not sure I'd be happy to guide-" But thankfully the responsibility of deciding was taken from her hands (and brain and heart) when Zuko clamped a hand on her shoulder.

'Katara…' His voice came out as a forced whisper, like it had been squeezed out of his throat. 'Katara I think-'but he didn't get to finish. Just at that instant Toph Beifong burst in like she owned the place. Briskly she darted between the confused pair.

'Its okay, keep doing what you're doing, I'm blind.' She waved a dismissive hand before vanishing into the hallway. Katara's mouth was agape in shock while Zuko just smiled and shook his head. Just when her shock was waning, or so she thought, a strong gale that announced the presence of the avatar burst forth. Zuko stepped back as Aang rushed after Toph. 'Hey Sifu Hotman, hey Katara!'

'I told you to stop calling me that.' Zuko chided though that was one battle he had given up on. Aang's attention was somewhere else anyway.

'What's that supposed to mean!?' the air bender asked. Katara looked questioningly at Zuko who merely shrugged. She sighed and held the bridge of her nose, all awkwardness having tried to melt away and followed after Aang. Who had Toph cheated this time around; who did she have to stop her from killing?

Aang was at Toph's doorway when she arrived.

'Then make me understand!' he was saying, but he got no reply. Turning to go back, he bumped into Katara. 'Hey Katara…again.' He was strangely somber.

'Anything I can help with?'

'Nah, it's just Toph being…confusing. Never mind.'

Of course she was going to mind. With a curt smile she patted his back in an almost motherly fashion before they parted. Why was he so confused anyway? But Katara, Katara made him feel safe with her warm gestures, open smiles and ability to last a day without throwing rocks at him. Katara, beautiful caring and strong. Aang found himself smiling at the thought of the blue-eyed water bender. She strangely made his heart lighter…

'Toph, I have good news and bad news.'

Toph only chose to answer because she recognized Katara's voice.

'What?' she snapped. If Katara was at all affected by her rude reply and rude tone of reply, she didn't say.

'Well the good news is Aang is gone, you can come out now.'

'What's the bad news?'

'He looks miserable.'

At that Toph paused for a moment. 'So what's the bad news?'

'You can start over, you can run free, you can find other fish in the sea, you can pretend it's meant to be, but you can't stay away from me.'-maroon 5

A/N; it's evident I just rushed through this… listening to the city by Ed Sheeran on repeat so I'm feeling super emo…oh and a lot of there for tomorrow…that band is sexy. I just look at Zuko and he's too perfectly imperfect for me to mess about with, but I'll try. What to do for chapter five… I love and adore all those who fave and or review, you make me a better person. No really, for each review I go about handing bran crackers to the less fortunate. Although in most cases they think I'm high on crack and I'm spreading the "love". Whatever….