Part IV
Revelations

Zuko looked up as the door to his study flew open and Aang entered, his wary gaze looking around the room before resting on the fire bender.

"Uh, hi, Aang. Did you need something?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

The air bender looked at him dumbly, puzzlement clearly showing on his face. "I thought you called me."

"What?" Zuko asked in confusion. "No, I didn't."

Aang continued to look confused for a second more before comprehension dawned on his face. "Toph."

"Toph?"

"Yeah, she told me you wanted to see me." He said with a shrug.

"Oh." Zuko said, his expression guarded. "Well, I'll just get back to these documents. You're...welcome to stay if you want." He said, awkwardly averting his gaze from the air bender's.

"Yeah, sorry, but I have to go. I'll see you around." Aang said and without waiting for a reply, reached the door in two long strides.

"That eager to leave." Zuko muttered to himself with a wry smile but cursed as the air bender stopped in his tracks.

"I just have work to do." Aang said, looking affronted.

"I didn't say anything." Zuko said coldly.

The air bender glared at him for a few seconds and opened his mouth to say something but seemed to think better of it as he turned on his heel and turned the doorknob.

"What the hell?" He muttered angrily as he frantically pulled on the door.

"Aang, its a doorknob. You have to twist it." Zuko said without looking up.

"Don't you think I would know that?" Aang retorted angrily.

"Well, you never know."

"And why are you being such a bastard today, Fire Lord Zuko?" He asked snidely.

Zuko looked up once to shoot the air bender a bored look before turning back to his work. Aang gritted his teeth in anger but turned to the door and began pulling on it again.

"Honestly, Aang. I'd appreciate it if you didn't break my door." He said coldly.

"It won't open." The air bender said exasperatedly.

"Then use your bending, you idiot." He said irritably.

The suggestion turned out to be a rather careless one and a huge racket issued from the door as Aang assaulted it with every element at hand. Zuko pushed back his chair and making his way to the door, he shoved the air bender aside and pulled on it.

"Ha!" Aang said triumphantly.

"You're the one who's going to be stuck in here, Aang. Don't sound so happy." He said dully as he made his way back to his desk and took a seat behind it.

"What's your problem?" Aang asked defiantly.

The silence stretched on and Zuko merely pored over the parchment in front of him, blatantly ignoring Aang.

"Hey, I asked you something." He said loudly.

Zuko's eyes snapped up to Aang and at once, the temperature in the room rose considerably. "Just be glad you don't have a crazy ex-girlfriend, Aang. Now go figure it out." He said angrily.

Mouth set in a straight line, Zuko's gaze slid back to the parchment in his hand as he leaned back in his chair.

"Sorry." Aang mumbled sheepishly and plopped onto the seat across from Zuko.

"Whatever." The fire bender said stiffly.

"So." Aang said, elongating the syllable in his discomfort. "What have you got there?"

"Files, documents, plans." Zuko said shortly.

Well, at least he replied. "I never did understand what the Fire Lord does with those." Aang wondered curiously.

"I have to review them, and then apply my seal." Zuko said dully.

"Need some help?" Aang asked as he stared pointedly at the pile on the right side of Zuko's desk.

"No."

"Please." The air bender said sweetly.

"You'll have to summarize it all for me once you've read it." Zuko warned.

"I don't mind." Aang said with a grin.

"Fine." He muttered. "But stay quiet!"


The room flooded with red as the sun set over the Fire Nation and the shadows lengthened. The last few streaks of blood red streaked the sky for several minutes before they too disappeared and the room was plunged into darkness.

"Wow, I didn't realize it got so late." Aang said as he looked up in surprise.

"Were you really having that much fun, Aang?" Zuko's voice drifted through the darkness as he stood up and made his way to the plethora of candles lining the side of the room.

"Maybe." The air bender replied playfully as he kneeled beside Zuko and the two began to light the candles using their fire bending.

A chuckle sounded in Zuko's throat as he looked at Aang with a grin on his face, his mood having improved drastically in the past several hours. As the air bender glanced at him as well, their eyes met and his lips curved into a smile.

Aang looked fondly at his best friend and his eyes drifted over Zuko's face, the tricks of the light slightly puzzling him. Why does this seem so familiar? He wondered to himself as his gaze scoured Zuko's face which was half thrown into shadow while the other half was illuminated by the candle light.

The fire bender's expression faltered a little as Aang's smile faded and then disappeared completely as he began to stand up. Trepidation etched over his face, Zuko latched onto his arm and pulled him back to his knees. "Don't do this again, Aang."

"Zuko, I'm sorry but-"

"We're not doing anything!" He said firmly.

"Yes but we could be." Aang said uncertainly as he averted his gaze from Zuko's.

"But we're not." The fire bender insisted angrily.

"Zuko, please." He pleaded.

"You're being ridiculous, Aang. Don't you think you would be able to stop yourself from doing something you didn't want to do? You're completely sober so would you please stop thinking I'm going to try and jump you every time! It's insulting." Zuko said with a frown.

Aang looked up, seeming incredibly like the twelve year old boy Zuko had once known, the same innocence still etched painted all over his face. The fire bender wondered just how he could have retained it for so long.

"Fine, I'm sorry." He muttered and they lighted the rest of the candles before lying down on the floor like little children. A silence followed but Aang abruptly broke it by speaking. "Hey, Zuko?"

"Hm."

"Can I ask you something?" Aang asked.

"Sure." The fire bender said as he intertwined the fingers of both his hands and placed them underneath his head.

"Were you lying? In your room the other day?" He asked uncertainly.

Aang's unease grew as a long silence ensued and the comfort of being in Zuko's company suddenly began to dissipate as the silence stretched on.

"Who knows?" Zuko replied evasively.

"That's a stupid answer. Wouldn't you know if you were lying?" Aang asked irritably.

"I don't know, Aang. Maybe I was lying, maybe I wasn't." He said monotonously. "Either way, what does it matter?"

"It matters to me." The air bender said.

"You only want to know so that you can finally reach a decision about avoiding me or not." Zuko said bitterly.

"That's not true." Aang said defiantly.

"No? Well, what would you do, Aang, if I said that I was lying and I really am in love with you?" The fire bender asked.

"I-" Aang said uncertainly before trailing off.

"That's what I thought." Zuko said wryly.

"Why are you so concerned with what I would do, Zuko? Are you saying you really were lying?"

"I already told you I don't know."

"And I already told you that's a stupid answer so tell me the truth."

"I don't have the truth."

"I thought best friends didn't keep secrets, Zuko." Aang pointed out.

"What do you want to hear, Aang?" The fire bender said, sitting up in frustration. "And don't answer with a measly the truth." He warned.

"But that's what I want." Aang said quietly.

Zuko merely let out a bitter laugh and fell back onto the carpet, his wary eyes looking up at the ceiling. "Do you know why Mai left me, Aang?" He began quietly.

"Not really." Aang said.

"She thought I was...uh."

"What? What were you?"

"Gay."

"WHAT?" The air bender practically yelled as he sat up. "You're gay?"

"No! I just said she thought I was gay, you idiot." Zuko said as a blush crept onto his normally pale skin.

"Why would she think that? I didn't think Mai of all people would be so stupid." Aang said with a laugh.

Zuko's blush merely deepened as he averted his gaze and reached up to sheepishly rub his neck. "Zuko?" The air bender asked cautiously.

"It's nothing." He said hurriedly, already regretting having told Aang.

"No, tell me. You can't leave it there." The air bender said hurriedly.

"Well, she-uh, it was...silly, really. But you know, she thought that because...I-" Zuko said uncomfortably as he stared down at his feet.

"Honestly, Zuko, stop blushing like a school girl and tell me!"

"Well, it was stupid of her, really. She thought that because we spent so much time together and you know..." Zuko said with an embarrassed smile.

"She thought I was gay too?" Aang exclaimed angrily.

"No, no. Just me, because she already knew you were in love with Katara and also, because, she thought you were too much of a wuss to ever do anything with a guy."

"That...witch!" Aang began indignantly but stopped as he saw Zuko's wry grin.

"Relax, Aang. It's not like it matters what she says." The fire bender said as he lay back onto the floor quite unlike the esteemed Fire Lord he was supposed to be.

"Hmph." The air bender said grumpily but lay down nonetheless."So..." He began.

"Shush." Zuko breathed quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"Just be silent." He said.

"Well, that's very nice of y-" Aang began but was cut off as Zuko placed a hand onto his mouth and silenced him with a look.

The fire bender pretended not to notice as a light blush crept onto Aang's cheeks at the contact and instead, looked carefully at the door. "Don't you hear that?" He asked cautiously.

"No..wait, yeah! I do." Aang said loudly. "But it sounds like..."

"Aang!" Zuko yelled warningly and grabbing the air bender, scrambled out of the way just as the door flew off its hinges and smashed against the wall opposite before clanging onto the floor.

"Toph, honestly! They're probably dead now." Sokka's incredulous voice called out as he stepped cautiously into the room. "Aang? Zuko?"

"Perhaps a little more warning next time, guys." Zuko said irritably and the tribesman began to laugh as he spotted him and Aang lying in a heap to one side of the room.

"There you are, Aang. I was beginning to get worried. You were gone for almost half the day!" Katara said exasperatedly as she stepped into the room.

Zuko untangled himself from Aang and standing up, he helped the air bender up as well. "You worry too much, Katara." Toph said, her voice dripping with boredom.

Aang sprang up as he spotted the earth bender and accusingly pointed a finger at her. "You! You locked me in here!" He said, practically bursting with indignation.

"Huh?" Toph replied blankly.

"Don't play dumb, Toph." Aang said indignantly.

"Don't waste my time, twinkletoes." She said as she turned to go out of the room.

"Uh, Zuko." Katara hesitantly said as she looked at the fire bender.

"What?" He said absentmindedly as he looked at his ruined door in dismay.

"Ty Lee and Mai arrived about an hour ago. They're very eager to see you." She said shortly and without waiting for a reply, sidled out of the room with Sokka.

"It'll be okay, Zuko." Aang said with a small smile.

"We'll see about that." He said coldly.


"ZUKO!" Ty Lee squealed as she launched herself at him, clinging to his neck so tightly that her feet rose off the ground.

"Uh, hi, Ty Lee." Zuko said in slight puzzlement as he wondered just when they had become good enough friends to actually hug each other.

"Don't you look hot?" She said as she drew back to survey him from head to toe. "Doesn't he, Mai?"

"Sure." Mai said absentmindedly as her gaze scoured the whole of the Entrance Hall.

"Aw, come now, Mai. Don't be so mean." Ty Lee said as she sauntered over to her best friend and dragged her forward to stand in front of Zuko.

"It's been a long time, Mai." The fire bender said somewhat stiffly as he stared down at her.

"It has." She said and to his surprise, leaned forward to place a light kiss onto his cheek.

Behind her, he could see Toph and Sokka laughing behind their hands while a slight smile played on Aang's lips.

"That's just a very nice reunion but dinner's getting cold." Suki said, abruptly shattering the former silence outlined by the suppressed giggles.

The rest of the evening, for Zuko at least, passed in a blur. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and he could have sworn he saw Haru checking out both Mai and Ty Lee. Once they were done with dinner, everyone lounged in one of the rooms before, one by one, trickling out until only Aang, Zuko and Toph were left.

"Well, that turned out pretty good." Aang said as he rose from his seat and plopped down onto the couch beside Zuko.

"I suppose." The fire bender said with a nonchalant shrug.

"You suppose? It was great. She actually kissed you!" Aang said excitedly. "Well, now that I'm engaged she obviously doesn't think you're gay." He whispered into his ear.

"Let's hope not." Zuko said darkly.

"Oh, cheer up. It'll turn out just great." Aang reassured before standing up and stretching luxuriously as he yawned. "Well, I'm off to bed. Good night, Toph, Zuko." He said before strolling out of the room.

"I think I'll call it a day too. Good night, Toph." Zuko said quietly as he stood up, not wanting to stay with her for too long lest she bring up an awkward subject again.

"Did you know that Aang was wondering if you were lying?" She asked nonchalantly, her lips curving into a smirk as she sensed his heartbeat quicken.

"Yes, I do. He asked me." He said stiffly, his back to her.

"Oh. And what did you say?" Toph said.

"That I don't know." Zuko answered coldly.

"Liar."

"I told him the truth. He knows I did. So you can just stay out of it." He retorted.

"Touchy topic, I see." Toph drawled as she stood up as well and made her way towards the door. Zuko exhaled quietly as she was almost out the door and actually thought it was over when she suddenly turned around, her sightless eyes gazing steadily at him.

"But when do you intend to tell him the actual truth, Zuko? The one that he doesn't want to hear and the one you just wish you had the courage to tell? I don't think there's much time left. Better make your move fast before Katara steals him away." She said, sounding dead serious. "Forever."

That was all she said before turning on her heel and slipping out of the room, leaving the fire bender feeling more conflicted than ever.


Well, whaddaya know? The muse did pay me a little visit and I actually wrote most of it on Friday...I just finished off the last scene today so there you go!

And thank you so much for the reviews ^_^

Also, if you're adding my story to your alerts, I'd really appreciate it if you left a review :D I'll have the next chapter done around Saturday, I think.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter and do tell if Mai turned out OOC. I really can't remember her talking all that much in the series x_x so, I did my best.

-Jade258