Aang felt the nausea twist his stomach and lunged for the trash can beside his desk. After a few moments of choking and retching, he managed to expel the large frog. "Well," he muttered, "that formula's a failure." He scratched it off on his parchment, then glanced at his arm. The intentionally made scar was still there. Even if it hadn't been, the side effects would have made it unusable. Damn it. Zuko's birthday was the following week, and Aang wanted this done before then.

Zuko was extremely self-conscious about his scars, had the mistaken belief they made him ugly. Aang snorted. He doubted a Curse of Ugliness could make the golden-eyed teen ugly. Slightly less heart-stoppingly gorgeous, maybe. But not ugly. Never ugly. Of course, whenever Aang expressed this fact to him, Zuko didn't believe him. He was a stubborn one, his Zuko was. Aang brushed away his thoughts of Zuko-as pleasant and enjoyable as they were, they were distracting-and began to mix the next formula on his parchment.

Aang sat in Iroh's kitchen. It was a day before Zuko's birthday, and he and the old man were making a few last minute plans for the surprise party the following afternoon.

"Clematis is making the cake, I'll be handling the food, Jim is going to handle the entertainment-" Iroh's voice broke off as the sound of the shower ceased. Zuko was done with his shower and would be coming downstairs soon.

"He still has no idea, right?" Iroh smiled conspiratorially.

"Nope."

"Good. I'll take him out tomorrow while you and Jim get everything set up." They both heard Zuko's feet padding down the stairs. Zuko-sweet Zuko!- had no idea Aang was there. He was expecting him the next day. He stopped dead in the doorway at the sight of Aang, looking adorable in only a fluffy white towel and a faint pink blush. Aang smiled broadly at him. "Afternoon, beautiful!" he said, striding over to press a gentle kiss to Zuko's forehead. Thanks to his bastard father raping him a little over a month earlier, Zuko was only comfortable holding his boyfriend's hand and being kissed on the forehead. Aang hoped that he would be comfortable being hugged soon. His arms ached to hold Zuko close. Still, Zuko had made fantastic progress over the last month with his therapist. He'd announced a week earlier that he would be comfortable dating Aang. Aang had been tickled pink by the announcement, and surprised that it had come so soon. Zuko turned a darker shade of pink at his greeting.

"Aang, I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow...," he mumbled. If he had known his uncle wasn't alone, he would have gotten dressed before coming down. He hated Aang seeing his scars. He didn't mind his uncle seeing them, though, since the man had tended to most of the wounds that caused them. Of course, if he and Aang were ever intimate, Aang would see them then. Zuko dismissed the thought-it would be a while before he was ready for that.

"I know. I came early as a surprise for you." Zuko smiled up at him.

"It's a nice surprise, really, but..."

"But you're embarrassed about being caught in a state of undress?" Zuko nodded, his cheeks going from dark pink to scarlet. He excused himself, then dashed upstairs to get dressed. When he came back down he was wearing blue jeans and a loose long-sleeved dark blue shirt. Aang thought that Zuko looked wonderful.

"Can Aang and I go to the movies, Uncle?" Iroh beamed at him.

"Of course, my nephew. You don't need my permission. Have fun," he said. Zuko slipped his hand into Aang's as they left the room. "Call me if you need anything," Iroh called after them.

"We will, sir," Aang called back, then turned to Zuko. "Which movie are we going to?"

"A family movie. You'll like it." He glanced shyly at Aang. "It's about a kitten that saves the world." Aang smiled at him.

"That does sound good," he said.

The kitten turned out to be absolutely adorable, all fluffy fur and huge wide eyes. The rest of the movie, sadly, was like watching paint dry. Zuko almost fell asleep a few times. Several children in the audience actually did, including one that snored astonishingly loudly for such a small child.

"I'm sorry, Aang. That movie sounded more interesting than it was."

"That's all right, bella. (beautiful one) I enjoyed it." Zuko glanced at him doubtfully. "I did! The kitten was very cute, as was the little girl. They made a very good team." Aang smiled at him so genuinely that Zuko realized he'd meant what he said. "I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it though." He linked his hand through Zuko's. "Will your appetite be ruined if I buy you and ice cream cone?"

"No." Zuko led Aang to his favorite ice cream parlor, where Aang bought them both small cones, vanilla for him, chocolate for Zuko. He was going to buy one for Iroh and one for Jim, but Zuko assured him that they would be melted messes before they got home. They sat outside on one of the picnic tables as they ate, holding hands.

"What did you get me for my birthday?" Zuko asked casually. Aang glanced at him in amusement.

"You'll find out tomorrow, mia bella." (my beautiful one) Aang's gift was two-fold-the scar removal lotion he'd finally perfected (the only side effects were slight redness and a bit of itchiness.), and he would be taking Zuko out for most of the day, doing whatever Zuko wanted. An older lady approached them, her graying blonde hair twisted back in an elegant French Twist, blue eyes narrow and her small red mouth pinched.

"Excuse me for interrupting, dears, but Ah noticed you holding hands and Ah was curious. Are you nice young men brothers or cousins?" the woman asked in a thick Southern accent.

"Neither, ma'am. Zuko's my boyfriend," Aang told her cheerfully. Zuko glanced at him sharply. He recognized this woman, she was one of his father's secretaries. (Ozai had a different secretary at each of his offices.) She knew that Zuko had no brothers, or living male cousins. What game was Ms. Harbuckle playing? Her lips tightened further, and she nodded curtly.

"Ah thought so. Zuko, dear, does your father-" Aang cut her off coldly.

"Ozai signed over his parental rights three weeks ago. It's really none of his business what Zuko is doing or with whom." Aang smiled frostily. "He's not breaking any laws, so I fail to see how this is any of your business, either." Aang had noticed recognition, alarm, and dread flash across the younger teen's aura, and had adjusted his attitude accordingly. Shielding Zuko from distress was more important than unfailing politeness, in his eyes. "Now, if you'll excuse us...we have better things to do than stay around nosy busybodies such as yourself." Aang slid off the table, stepping nimbly to the ground, then helped Zuko step off the table. Re-lacing his finger's through Zuko's, they walked away, heading back to Zuko's home without a further word to the nosy woman.

Iroh and Col. Jim Taylor both smiled broadly at the teens when they returned. "How was the movie?" Iroh asked.

"Boring. Aang liked it though."

"Good. As long as you boys had fun." Zuko told his uncle about seeing Ms. Harbuckle. "It could just be a coincidence, running into her at the ice cream parlor like that." Iroh paused, thinking. "Or, it could be an elaborate plot on Ozai's part to send spies all around the city to spy on you and report back to him." Zuko began to smile, his lingering worries evaporating. Once his uncle put it that way... Aang kissed his temple tenderly.

"See, mia bella? It was nothing to worry about." Aang had reassured Zuko repeatedly on their way home, but the other male hadn't been comforted.

Shinto stalked in, completely ignoring Zuko.

"What are you so grumpy about, Shinto," Aang asked. He received a single curt mew in response. "He's mad we didn't we didn't take him with us to the theater," he translated.

"He was asleep!" Aang made a 'don't tell me' gesture. "You were asleep, buddy. You know how much you don't like being woken up. Besides, cats aren't allowed in movie theaters." Shinto stopped grooming his chest and growled at Zuko.

"He says that never stopped you from taking him places before," Aang put in helpfully. Iroh and Jim watched in amusement as Zuko tried to mollify his annoyed cat, with Aang translating Shinto's responses to Zuko's various offers.

"Whoever said that cat worship is dead never watched somebody attempted to appease an angry feline," Jim said wryly.

"All right, fine. We'll watch the movie again, and this time we'll take you along," Zuko grumped, conceding defeat. Shinto padded over, and began butting his head against Zuko's knee and purring loudly. Zuko scooped him into his lap and stroked his silky fur. He sighed. Now I have to watch that stupid movie again." Aang scratched under Shinto's chin.

"Why don't Iroh and Jim come with us, and we can all go out to dinner afterwards," Aang suggested cheerfully. "My treat."

Jim found the movie just as boring as Zuko had, although Iroh and Shinto both enjoyed it. Afterward they went to Zuko's favorite restaurant, Jade Moon Asian, for dinner. A small problem occurred to Iroh while they were there.

"Where is Aang going to sleep?" Iroh's home had three bedrooms: one was his, one was Zuko's, and the third was a guest bedroom, currently occupied by Jim.

"I can sleep on the couch," Aang and Jim said in unison as Zuko said, "He can sleep with me." Iroh looked at him in surprise.

"Would you be comfortable with that, my nephew?" Zuko shrugged, blushing furiously as he slipped Shinto some chicken in the cat's hiding spot inside Zuko's backpack.

"I was in Red Lodge," he muttered. "I don't think Aang's going to forget that he's a gentleman now that we're dating."

"Of course I won't darling." Aang laced his fingers through Zuko's, receiving a shy smile in return. "I'll make the Great Barrier of Pillows again." Zuko snorted faintly at Aang's use of the term Zuko had coined at the Safe Haven Inn in Red Lodge.

Zuko woke the next morning sprawled across Aang's chest. His head was cushioned almost directly over the other teen's heart, and his hand rested on Aang's shoulder, his tummy lying across one of the pillows in the Great Barrier. Aang's arm was wrapped loosely around his waist, and Shinto was curled peacefully on the unused pillow. It was the same he'd woken that morning in Red Lodge, the only difference being that Aang was still sound asleep and snoring. Apparently, his body gravitated to Aang's whenever they slept in the same bed.

He clung to this state between sleep and wakefulness for as long as he could. Here, the emotional and mental scars left by Ozai didn't bother him, and he could enjoy this intimacy with Aang.

Wakefulness claimed him, bringing with it discomfort at being in Aang's arms. He sat up, gently easing out of Aang's loose, one-armed embrace. He padded over to the mirror, and after a quick check to ensure that Aang was still asleep, stripped off his pajama top off to study his scars. His torso was dotted with cigar and cigarette burns. There were also knife scars, most prominently a long one stretching from under one arm, across his chest and stomach, and curving around his his hip. His father had caused that one because he didn't like the shirt that Zuko had been wearing. There were a few scars wrapping around from his back left by the whip Ozai had used on him a few times. The coup de grace were the letter carved deep into his stomach just above the waistband. Examining his scars like this was a morning ritual. He hadn't told the therapist about it, though.

Not for the first time, he wondered if Aang only pretended to have feelings for him, pretended to find Zuko as beautiful as he claimed. Yet again, he brushed the thoughts aside. Aang didn't lie to him-besides, he couldn't fake the way his eyes lit up, the way his whole face brightened whenever he saw Zuko. The other male even stood straighter when he saw him. Of course, Aang had yet to see the scar disfiguring a full quarter of his face. Zuko intended to keep that damned thing hidden from him as long as possible. True, the Wizard hadn't given any indication that the other scars bothered him one whit. Zuko was still paranoid, though. Maybe the burn on his face would be the straw that broke the camel's back. 'Or scar, in this case,' Zuko thought dryly. A low, sleepy voice from the bed drew his attention.

"Ciao, mia bella. (Hello, my beautiful one.) How do you feel now that you're the ripe old age of seventeen?" Zuko sent a quick, awkward smile over his shoulder as he fumbled for his pajama top. "Admiring your beauty, gorgeous?" Zuko shook his head, blushing furiously. He pulled his pajama top over his head, trying to hide as many of his scars as possible in the process. The sheets rustled as Aang sat up, swinging his feet over the side of the bed. Zuko heard him pad up behind him, resting his hands lightly on his shoulders. He pressed a light kiss to the back of his head.

Their eyes met in the mirror.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you, bella." Grey eyes twinkled. "You're not old, or ripe, sweeting." Zuko smirked.

"No. I'm not. It's good to hear you admit it, though." Zuko was grateful that Aang had completely ignored the real reason he'd been uncomfortable. "Shoo. I have to get dressed." Aang bowed formally to him.

"Your wish is my command, oh beautiful one." Zuko shoved him playfully as Aang straightened. He stumbled a step or two backwards, chuckling. He grabbed his bag and headed towards the bathroom. Pausing at the door, he said, "I'll meet you downstairs. I'm taking you out."

"Where are we going?"

"Wherever you want to go. I am your personal chauffeur."

Zuko called after him as he disappeared out the door, "When did you learn how to drive?" Aang's laughing response drifted back to him.

"Magic, Zuko." Zuko shook his head as he chose clothes to wear that day, still smiling. Aang's happiness and enthusiasm for everything was infectious. The scarred teen often smiled around him. He was not going to get into a car driven by Aang, though.

Once dressed in blue jeans and dark green long sleeved T, he padded down the stairs to find Aang ready and waiting for him in the kitchen. Aang was dressed casually in in jeans and a blue T shirt.