Zuko exhales heavily and glances up at the older man. His face is brushed with the redness of shame, and he deliberately avoids eye contact.

"I suppose it was bound to happen. The endless chase, the consuming obsession. I hate that I feel this way."

Iroh finally responds. "Zuko, remember, the first step to letting go of these feelings is-"

The young Firelord never hears what the first step is.

"Zuko?"

The feminine voice strikes Zuko like a thunderbolt. He blanches as he stares at the slim silhouette at the door. "TOPH!" How much did she hear?

"ZUKO!" She mimics as she steps into the light. "Surprise!"

"Miss Toph! We were not expecting your company. Oh dear, I believe I'm woefully unprepared for your visit- Zuko and I just finished the last pot of tea," Iroh says. "I think I'll set some to boil."

"Thanks but no thanks, Uncle. I 'preciate the offer, but I think you'd be more help in the courtyard." She spins on her heel and jogs back down the hall.

She was navigating the halls merely by memory, but the two mystified men still had to break into strides to catch up with her.

Zuko and Iroh break into the courtyard a few seconds after she does. Immediately, Zuko has to fight for purchase. His bare feet slip about on the courtyard floor, which is slick with blood. The sight of the shocking red causes Zuko to reel back in horror, which doesn't exactly help him gain footing. "Whoa!" Zuko loses all control and careens forward. He only spots vague flashes of blue and yellow before he impacts.

"Hiya, Sifu Hotman!" The object he struck says cheerfully. "Now, do you mind getting off of me?"

Zuko blushes furiously when he realizes who he has landed on. "A-aang? What are you doing here?" He shifts off of him and tries to avoid staring as the Avatar gets up and brushes himself off.

"Came to see you! Surprise!" Aang grins at him.

Zuko stops breathing. Agni. He didn't know why he had been dreading their union, he felt like he was soaring. A stupid grin to match Aang's threatens to spread across his face, but he subdues it into a barely perceptible twitch at the corner of his mouth. "Are the others with you?" A normal person would ask this, a person whose mind wasn't consumed by the thoughts of one sole boy. He still avoids eye contact, absurdly fearing that Aang would see the more-than-friendly feelings in his eyes.

"Yeah, Sokka's right-"

"Zuko!" Sokka shouts. He throws a lean arm around the taller youth's shoulders. "Let's go inside. I think Suki and Katara are already heading that way." He says as he jerks a thumb backwards.

Zuko almost grins for the second time that night at Sokka's endearingly familiar tone. "Sure."

"Just hold on a sec." A tearing sound rents the air.

Zuko can't help but look in Aang's direction, and his breath catches again. The airbender has ripped a wide strip of fabric from his shirt. A stripe of pale midriff is exposed, a tantalizing stripe of pale midriff. Aang kneels and ties the strip around Appa's foot. Don'tstaredon'tstaredon'tstare… If he could deny his feelings earlier, it was impossible to deny them now.

Aang feels at his back. When his hand comes away, it is sticky with a film of blood. He makes a face at it, then abruptly yanks his shirt up and off.

Of course.

Sokka saved Zuko unintentionally when he grabs his arm and tows him behind. "Come on! Aang can catch up."

"No-wait. Hey, you!" Zuko yells to a servant that is cowering in the corner. He's not in a polite mood. "See that the bison is stabled!"

"Of course, Your Highness." She squeaks. She begins to tentatively approach Appa, who regards her with a faintly amused air.

They enter the palace, Sokka examining the elaborate architecture by the light from his swinging lantern.

Suki and Katara are sitting at a small circular table just off the entryway, chatting with Iroh. Aang reaches them and flops down beside Katara, while Sokka positions himself between Suki and Iroh.

Zuko takes the last chair, between Aang and his uncle.

There is an oddly comfortable silence as the friends look at each other. Aang is the first to break it. "Wow, Zuko, you look terrible!"

Zuko is obligated to look at him. He has changed so little, and yet so much. Aang's skin is a shade more golden, his tattoos are a shade darker, his cheeks are a shade sharper. His eyes shine as bright as ever, even though they have acquired new depths. Zuko's gaze trails down to Aang's arms. Their lithe muscles are more prominent, and what he can see of his torso appears to have a defined V-shape. You look amazing.

Zuko starts as he realizes that they are all looking expectantly at him, waiting for an answer that he has forgotten to give. He settles on a neutral "yeah".

"Have you been sleeping okay?" Katara fusses, her blue eyes brimming with worry.

A tic jumps in Zuko's cheek. He has always found the waterbender's desire to mother them all incredibly irritating. "Just a lot on my mind." He says shortly.

"A lot's been going on for me, too." Aang adds. "I'm really glad we decided to come. I think we all need some time to relax."

"Speaking of relaxing… I have taken the liberty to arrange rooms for you. They should be ready in a few minutes, and then we can all turn in." Iroh pours more tea for each of them.

"I'm not going to sleep." Toph scoffs. "At least you guys were on your own schedules! My parents made me go to bed at sundown."

"All that excitement's kinda woken me up, too." Aang agrees.

"Aang, you really should try and get some sleep." Katara admonishes.

"Katara, you're not his mother. Let the kid do what he wants." Toph snaps, voicing Zuko's thoughts.

"Fine. I was trying to help!" She spins on her heel and heads to her room."Nice seeing you again, Zuko." She adds politely.

Suki and Sokka glance at each other. Sokka shrugs, grabs Suki's hand, and follows her.

"Your room's by Zuko's, Sokka." Iroh calls after their retreating backs. "Would you like to go change, at least?"

"I'm okay. I need my natural earthy smell, you know?"

Aang pretends to gag in Toph's direction. "Yeah, I think I will."

Once the airbender has left (Zuko staring after him subtly, of course), Iroh leans toward Toph. "Miss Toph, when you found us-"

"I didn't hear anything." Toph interjects, as if she has been waiting for the question. "Should I have been listening?" She asks conspiratorially.

"It's none of your business!" Zuko bursts.

"You know, that just makes me wish I'd eavesdropped." She smirked.

Zuko frowned and pinched the bridge of his nose. No one can find out.

Iroh looks between them both. "I'll bring out the pai sho board." He offers, bustling off before they can answer.

"I know." Toph murmurs.

"You know? But how can you? Sure, I blushed a couple of times around him, but I was so careful-" Zuko babbled stupidly.

"Actually, I didn't. Thanks for telling me." Toph's smirk widened. "I'm guessing "him" is Twinkletoes?" Toph looks thoughtful. "Well, your heart was going crazy, and you were drooling a bit." She reflects. "Plus, all that chasing would have gotten to you."

"Oh, no." Zuko sank into himself. "This is terrible."

"Relax. I'm not telling them- I promise. And it's not that bad- it's actually pretty cute."

Zuko's red face was contorted in a bizarre mixture of mortification and gratitude. "You won't tell?"

"I keep my promises!" Toph said defensively. "But this is GREAT!"

"How is it great?" Zuko demanded, perplexed.

"I'll play matchmaker, of course." Toph said jovially.

Zuko groaned and flopped back, utterly defeated and exhausted.