AN: Happy new year, everyone! I hope the holidays were kind and everyone ate lots of good food, went around spreading good cheer and made their resolutions. ;) I've been so busy trying to relax that I haven't really written in a while. But I still managed to get a chapter out, so I hope you guys enjoy it. I try to update at least once a month so please look forward to a fairly regular schedule. No promises though. Haha.

Thank you's for last chapter:

lilly: Thank you!

sarah: Haha, I wish! But thank you for thinking so. I'm glad the story is good enough to make you think that. ;D (And is it just me, or did you review twice? I'm not sure because people with the same names confuse me. Haha.) I update once a month or every other month though, so just keep that in mind. Unfortunately my free time is pretty much gone at the moment. :(

isha: Thank you very much. I plan pretty excessively. Haha.

morgan: I update usually once a month or every other month. If I'm really inspired, then every two weeks. Until next month, I hope this will sate your hunger. :)

Raquel: Thank you~ I try to write more but we'll see how much school hates me. :/

mary: Thanks so much! I'm just happy you guys are liking it as well. It's not as fun writing when no one's reading after all. Haha. Enjoy~

Aisha: And so I have. Thanks for reviewing~

Elizabeth: Thank you. I work very hard on all my fics so I'm glad they're being appreciated. :)

Lila: Aww, that's very sweet. I'm really just an average author, in my honest opinion. Still have lots of room to grow, after all. Still, I hope you enjoy the chapter.

Warnings: The plot thickens. ;)


Chapter Seven

The next few days flew by in a blur, faces blending in with the cities of the Earth Kindom and sights she knew she saw but still couldn't fully believe. Rustic buildings replaced the cement jungle she grew up in, along with trees that stretched for miles and garb dyed the color of spring leaves. Travelling into the lush forests brought Jinora more peace than she would've initially thought, as they spent three days anchored in the old, well established port.

And with the changing scenery, Jinora found herself slowly falling into new habits concerning General Iroh as well. Every day she'd be called to his quarters and they would talk, just as he promised they would. And each day held at least one simple conversation about how they were doing, what she'd seen, what he'd done. It scared her was how easy it became between them, as if she'd never been hurt and he'd never done everything in his power to stop that pain, futile as it was.

Eventually the banter became more playful, smiles always at the ready and a retort always on the other's lips. And each day it became a little easier to pretend she still wasn't just a little head over heels for her first love, as she let the routine become the new basis of the friendship they were rebuilding. But more than anything else, she hoped and wished that she could fool herself back to normal.


As the icy gates of the North came into view on the horizon at daybreak, the young courier was against the railing of the ship, gripping the frozen metal with gloves that weren't thick enough. But her excitement ate up any cold she felt, as she breathed in needles of frost and felt a smile flutter onto her features. Too bad her winter coat wasn't made for the current weather, as they only offered moderately thick jackets for the stable weather in Republic City. She made a mental note to buy a new one once they reached the capital, a souvenir she'd happily treat herself to.

"Ack!" Struggling against whatever was tossed over her head, Jinora broke free with a gasp of air and a dark frown as she did an about face. And it was only by sheer force of will that it stayed there, as she met the chastising eyes of the ship's captain.

"You should bundle up a bit more, Jin. You're not used to this sort of climate and I'd hate for you to catch a cold before we got there."

Gripping the thick blanket, she fought the urge to toss it overboard in defiance, but decided against it at the last minute. The nip was starting to permeate through her skin, settling in for as long as it cared to. Throwing it over her shoulders instead, she swung back and continued her perusal of the barren landscape, intent on enjoying the quiet morning as it so deserved to be.

Not that the prince would let her. "What, no thank you? I think I deserve that much, don't you?"

"I think you should take that thank you and shove it," she grumbled beneath her breath, digging into the brown fur that trapped heat like a furnace. It wasn't meant to reach his ears, but the general had remarkable hearing to go along with that annoying way of getting under her skin.

Jinora nearly jumped out of it, in fact, when she felt him approach, coming to rest his chin atop her head in a teasing manner. She wished she could call him out on the gesture, but little acts like these were starting to become his favorite tools to bother her. It seemed that finding ways to make her uncomfortable was a game that only Iroh knew how to play.

"The youth today are so ungrateful. You do someone a favor and she shoots you down without sympathy," he sighed dramatically, head perched as he surveyed the North Pole with interest.

Turning an interesting shade of red, the airbender gently head-butted him off before sidestepping a few spaces to the left. She didn't have to look at him to see the amused smile he wore, as she shifted the fallen cloth to wear it as a hood. As far as she was concerned, this blanket was hers now.

Still, the older man didn't let up. "Well?"

"Well what?" The one-sided conversations were starting to become increasingly frequent between them. While she'd usually be polite whenever he called her to talk, she'd decided early on to avoid any conversation topics that she could've misread as overly friendly or flirtatious. But that plan had gone up in smoke as Iroh seemed to figure out the distance she was intentionally putting between them only a day after she'd put it into action. And while he respected her choice, it didn't mean he'd take it lying down.

Which brought them back to this scenario, a constant chase that Jinora did her best to stamp down with a disapproving frown and a few hints. And even though he always accepted them, Iroh was a persistent man when it came to his goals. Just what he was chasing after was still a mystery, however.

"Aren't you going to thank me for protecting you from the cold?" he led gently, taking a step in her direction and biting back a laugh as she took one back. Hunched in the cloak, she looked more like a little old lady than a powerful but peaceful airbender.

"I don't thank blankets for doing their jobs. And anyway I don't see you keeping me warm." Glaring her eyes at him from beneath the fringe of her bed head, her brown irises glittered with warning as he opened his mouth to speak again.

His enjoyment was silent but so obvious that it was almost as tangible as the flakes in the air. "Well, if you'd prefer that I did—"

"No one's asking you to do anything!" Jinora shouted, jumping back at the mischievous expression crossing the other's face.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but what you said before sounded like an invitation to me." The nonchalant shrug was paired with that boyish grin of his and she was gone. And what terrified her was that this was just Iroh in all his plainness, none of the layers of soldier or blueblood or family friend to get in the way. She was finding him annoyingly fun to just be with, even more than when she'd first stepped foot on the boat.

So she kept fighting for the distance she created, knowing that he refused to make any himself. "You're wrong, you weirdo. I'd rather curl up with Naga than you. At least she's smart enough to know when to back off."

"Wow, you really don't pull punches when you're bruising someone's ego, do you?" The almost sheepish smile he offered in truce was troubling enough on its own. Combined with the twinkle in his eye and the handsomeness that she often denied seeing, it was an all-kill on her slowly recovering heart.

"When the ego's as big as yours, I know it can take a few hits," Jinora shrugged, pulling her protective shell on a little tighter.

As he chuckled, hiding it behind his glove hand, Jinora could feel herself smiling in return. It was getting better between them, at least. The carefulness was still very much present, but there was less tip-toeing around each other, less worrying about what was and what wasn't between them. Mostly because she'd stopped trying to define it and just let it be, even if it hurt sometimes, making her heart clench strangely when she let herself dwell on it too long.

When Iroh was called by one of the crewmen, the brown-haired girl could only tell herself that she was building up a tolerance. It was doubtful she'd be able to escape him for the rest of her life so until the day she stopped loving him she was determined to resolve her heart's cries by taking Iroh in small doses. It wasn't as if she could be in love with him forever. Something had to give and force her to accept that this was as good as it was going to get for them, for her.

If only she knew just how right she would be.


"Jinora!"

"Korra!" Rushing down from the small bridge, the younger woman was met by the waving arms of the Avatar and her three companions, plus a barking Naga and an excited Pabu. Wrapping her arms around her old friend, the feeling of coming home filtered through her. It looked as if it was true that home was about the people in it and not the place you settled.

Exchanging a few more embraces with Mako, Bolin and Asami, Jinora couldn't stop from grinning up at them excitedly. Republic City might've brought Team Avatar together but duties had pulled them all in different directions. As guardian of the physical world, Korra went where she was needed, bringing along Mako and their two children in tow. On Asami and Bolin's end, they were caught between her running an international conglomerate and his training of inexperienced earthbenders, which kept them from following the other half of their group. That, plus a little girl of their own and plans to have another child soon enough. It was a small miracle that they all managed to converge and meet at the same place and time.

"How was your trip?" Korra asked, watching as the airbender went to grab the suitcase she'd left near the docking area.

"As good as can be expected traveling with a bunch of guys, I guess," Jinora joked, hefting it up as she made her way over. As the brothers motioned to take her things, she had to glare them down jokingly to keep them away, smiling sweetly in apology.

"You're doing it all wrong, guys. If you really want to help Jinora with her bag, you're gonna have to take it."

The sentence was horribly ill-timed, making her spine straighten as a hand covered hers and stole the luggage. The déjà vu made her scowl as she turned towards Iroh, who was greeting Mako with a handshake and kissing Asami on the cheek. His insolence was as sweet and arrogant as always, and immediately she hated him all over again.

"I see you two have gotten close," the Avatar teased, giving her old friend a hug and shooting a grin at Jinora. The warning bells were ringing incessantly, as the younger girl hoped that she only meant it as the jest it sounded like.

Luckily for her, all the practice she'd done over the last few days made it easy to pretend her heart wasn't hammering crazily hard in her chest. "Oh yeah. Why doesn't General Iroh tell you all about the fights I got into with him? After all, we get along so well."

"Or I can tell them about the fight you started in my training hall, hmm?" he offered, moving in the direction of the Water Tribe representative who had appeared only moments before. "I'm sure they'd love to hear all about you incinerating my ship and kicking around one of my top officers."

"You did that, Jinora? Awesome!" But by the glares Bolin received from the other three, they weren't exactly sharing in his excitement. "I mean, no… that's bad?"

"Yes, Bolin, that's very bad," Asami repeated, sending a worried look in Jinora's direction. Trying to look guilty and apologetic, all the girl managed was a glower at Iroh's form for spilling her secret. Okay, so it wasn't exactly that but it certainly wasn't any of his business to tattle on her to anyone who'd listen.

"You know Master Tenzin won't approve of your behavior once he hears about it," Mako said gently, interjecting some guilt into her fury, effectively putting it out. Nodding solemnly, she offered a contrite smile as they made their way up a set of icy stairs, presumably towards the dignitaries' lodgings.

"And doing something like that isn't at all like you, Jinora. You're better than that," Korra chastised. As if she needed another thing for her overactive conscience to sink its teeth into and never let go.

Opening her mouth in rebuttal, she was surprised by another voice coming to her defense. "To be fair, the situation was my fault. Perhaps if I'd been watching over her better the entire thing wouldn't have happened."

In her shock, Jinora's feet clumsily stumbled as she heard the admittance, catching herself before turning toward Iroh. But instead of the good-humored temperament he usually wore, the air around him was that of omniscient responsibility. For her, for his crew, for everything he felt he had the right to care for. And even though it might've left another maiden with a sense of gratitude, all it did was thoroughly aggravate her.

"No, Iroh, you don't get to take the blame for my actions," she retorted with a glare, halting the others as they watched with confused fascination. "I was the one in that fight and I am the one at fault, no matter what you think of Lieutenant Tae Hyun's part in it. So don't go around patronizing me by acting as if what I did had anything to do with disobeying orders."

"I should've watched over you. You know, taken care of you better. It's what your father would've wanted."

"But it wasn't what I wanted and that's all that matters."

Her steely glower met his impatient frown, a face-off they hadn't had in a few days. But this was the other side of their coin, she'd learned. When they weren't exchanging witty barbs they were arguing, something she'd never been quite so partial to in Republic City. However, life changed rather quickly for Jinora, as she found a voice she hadn't known she'd housed while discovering that her feelings for Iroh burrowed far deeper than she'd ever imagined.

"Now, now, children, don't fight." Stepping between them to diffuse the obvious tension, Korra smiled winningly as she looked between them. However it quickly turned to helplessness when she saw that neither visages changed except for the slight tightening around Iroh's eyes.

As Korra looked over at her friends for help, Asami reached for Jinora's arm, quietly calling her to continue their trek. With all the nervous and curious glances aimed at her form, the Air Nomad strangely felt nothing. It because she knew how it would all work out, that Iroh and her would make up again soon enough and he'd go right back to being himself and the cycle would repeat.

It couldn't be healthy, the way she kept coming back for more, Jinora pondered as they took another turn in the maze of city walls. And she never understood why he wouldn't let her have some peace of mind long enough for her to sort her thoughts out. This whole arrangement was temporary and no one knew it better than her. After all, she'd have to fall in love with someone else one day, a man who would rightfully return her affection.

And Iroh would as well, finding a good woman who would both lead his country and follow his directions. Just the last few weeks were more than evidence enough that they'd never be good together even if he did return her feelings. There were too many collisions and power struggles wherever they were concerned for any normal pair to survive. Truly they were a match that no one would ever make and she couldn't blame them, she thought as she tugged her coat tighter in an effort to keep the cold out and her heart warm.

Coming to a stop outside of a non-descript, upscale building, the otherwise silent representative announced that this would be Jinora's housing, one she would share with Team Avatar. The idea of rooming with her friends—no, her family helped bleed some of her anger out. Realizing she had to go through Iroh to get her things, however, had some of the irritation roaring back, as she spun to face him.

She didn't trust herself to speak. Instead, she stuck out her hand with a look that clearly stated give it here. The hiss of warning Korra sent her way only made her shrug her shoulders in nonchalance.

Not that the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation was having any of that. "Really, Jin? Is this how you want this to go down?"

"One, I have no idea what you're talking about," Jinora began with a deepening grimace, "Two, we wouldn't be doing this at all if you could stop trying to 'help me' all the time. And three, my name is Jinora. Ji-no-ra. I shouldn't have to keep telling someone as smart as you something as simple as this."

"Yes, you know exactly what I'm talking about. The whole get along for a while, fight over something stupid and then become friends again thing is getting old fast." Holding a hand up to stop her from talking, Jinora bit the inside of her cheek as she watched his angled face harden with authority. "Also, I don't 'help you' to annoy you. I do it because I care about you, Jin. And yes, I might know your real name, but it doesn't mean I'm gonna use it."

"Why not? It's my name, for spirits' sakes!"

"Because I don't see you as 'Jinora.' To me, you're always going to be 'Jin.'"

There were far too many way to interpret and misinterpret those words that Jinora shut her brain down before she could even begin doing so. Even now, she wasn't sure if it was her own wonderings or his actual intentions that would hurt her more in the end. At the moment, the airbender decided that she'd ignore the urge to find out, as she clamped her lips shut and looked defiantly away.

Only the slight shuffling of feet behind her reminded her that they had an audience, one that had absolutely no idea how their dynamic worked. Mentally groaning, she aimed a self-righteous glare at Iroh, as if it was his fault she had a lapse in judgment. His own indignant huff of air and raised brow said that he was no more responsible than she was.

And now she was even more worried because they were communicating without words, which meant they were becoming much too close for comfort. The only people who read her that well were her father and Ikki, so what did it say for the two of them that he'd mastered a kind of language in a mere two weeks that had taken decades for her family to comprehend? For self-preservation purposes, Jinora's subconscious refused to touch that one as well.

Instead, she held out her hand again, a definitive command in the downturn of her lips. Well, if she forged some odd, almost telepathic link with Iroh, she might as well get some use out of it. It would have to fade eventually, when their lives diverged on separate paths once again. Until then, she'd just have to take better care of herself.

The reluctance in which he handed her her things was obvious, compounded by a spark of gold that had her stomach tightening even as she accepted her luggage. As silent as it was, the intent was loud and clear. This isn't over.

As she spun around to find her room, all Jinora could do was hope that the United Forces' general wasn't more stubborn than she was.


"That exchange with you and Iroh was kinda intense earlier."

Here we go with the so-called 'inconspicuous' probing, Jinora sighed deeply, cutting up whatever Korra had given her to help prepare dinner. With the conference officially beginning tomorrow, there wasn't anything scheduled for the international visitors other than the provision of meals and optional informal meetings with other diplomats. If her mood had been better, Jinora would've loved to steal into the main hall in the North's palace. Too bad she was still holding a bit of a temper from her last argument.

"I don't know. We're generally like that with each other so it feels pretty normal," she replied easily, the truth buttered up and sweetened to make it easier to swallow.

Not that Korra or Asami were buying it, if the former's question was anything to go by. "So it's normal to look like you're about to get into a brawl with Iroh?"

"Well, it's not abnormal."

"Are you sure? Because the Iroh I know is nice and thoughtful and charming. It never even occurred to me that he could get angry at anyone he cared about." As if she needed a list of his amazing attributes. Honestly, if she hadn't spent the last fortnight with her conflicting emotions, Jinora would've agreed with Asami.

"I guess I'm the exception. Hurray." Her voice was little more than dull cheer, as she sliced a sea prune particularly hard and mashed it on accident. Growling in contempt for the exotic produce, she did her best to fix her ruffled feathers.

"Did something happen to you guys while you were travelling together?" Korra pried, earning a glare from her partner at her lack of subtlety.

Oh, you know, spurned love confessions and lots of confusing friendliness mixed in with boundary issues. Typical stuff when you're dealing with the next leader of the Fire Nation. Although the words were there on her tongue, Jinora didn't let them get any farther, chewing on them before taking a large gulp to try and come up with a better answer.

"We got to know each other better and now I guess we know each other a little too well," she shrugged, faking indifference.

"He seems pretty fond of you," Asami pushed gently, as she stirred the contents of the stew that was only half-done.

"More than a little, for sure," Korra grinned conspiratorially, winking in her direction. This time Jinora barely managed to stop herself from mincing the poor vegetable in her hands, taking in a deep breath to try and buy some time and more than a little patience. Sufficed to say, it didn't do her much good.

"He doesn't like me so stop smiling so big, Korra. You look super creepy."

"Hey!" As the waterbender thrust her hands on her hips, the look of fury was off-set by the smirk she couldn't quite fight off. Together with Asami's laughter, Jinora grinned back widely in return, their energy infectious especially after all their time apart.

"Don't say I was never honest with you."

"You're gonna get yourself in trouble one of these days with that mouth of yours, kid," she joked, her attention drawn away for a moment as she looked outside a nearby window. From where she stood, the younger woman couldn't see what the Avatar was staring at but the way her face melted into pure pleasure told her more than any scene ever could.

Just outside the house, Mako and Bolin were playing babysitters to their children for the night. And judging by the giggles of excitement coming from the latter's little girl and his older brother's elder son, they were no doubt enjoying the early dawn running after the earthbender. And off to the side, Mako was probably nursing the baby of their family, a little boy with his father's dark hair and light skin but his mother's dark blue eyes. Just admiring the look on Korra's face sent a jolt of awareness down Jinora's spine, as her gaze fell to her chopping board and her mouth melded into a sad frown.

The envy she felt was palpable in her gut, as she did her best to shut the lid on the emotion and return to her work. Now was not the time for self-pity, nor did she have any reason to feel it. She was blessed with far more than any one person should have and no one deserved happiness as much as her friend, who fought for balance in a world that occasionally fought her right back. Still, she wondered if she could ever have what they did, if there would ever be someone who she could look at with so much love and have him stare right back with just as much.

If she was fortunate enough, maybe one day she'd find such a man.

Unfortunately Jinora forgot about the other pair of eyes in the room, who watched her expression eventually change into lonely resignation. But even if she had remembered, there was no doubt in her mind that Asami would've figured out her secret soon enough. What she lacked in physical power the older woman made up for with insightfulness and intelligence that others couldn't help but admire.

"You love him." A statement, not a question.

The rushed intake of breath made her choke a little, as she coughed to the side and attempted to catch herself. But Jinora couldn't deny the conviction in the other's voice, nor did she think she could lie to Korra's astonished face. So she wouldn't. If slipping so far as to be an open book to the world, she might as well be honest with them. If she didn't, there was no telling what kind of interventions they'd run to get the truth from her.

"Yeah, I loved him," she replied warily, cutting slower to try and relax herself. But in past tense, the admission still sounded like a lie.

"Wait, are we still talking about Iroh?" Korra interjected, moving into the medium-sized kitchen and away from the dining table she'd been setting up. Quickly stifling the urge to back away, she met the stunned expression with a clandestine smile of her own.

"I don't believe there's any other man in this city I could claim to be in love with," she shrugged, the sarcasm a comfortable defense mechanism.

"Oh, wow. Umm, for how long?"

She turned away then, a shadow falling across her eyes. "Far too long, in my opinion."

"Does he know?" Asami asked, coming stand beside Korra. The understanding dip of her mouth spoke of a past that Jinora had forgotten about. It felt strange recalling that there was a time before Mako and Korra fell in love, a time when he had belonged to Republic City's industry queen. And she knew that she could trust them with her burden because of it, as hard as it was to hand over.

She nodded, a self-deprecating giggle falling from her lips. "Iroh has always been a bit too observant for his own good."

"And how did it go?" But even though she asked, the shine in those sea-colored orbs told her she already knew the answer.

"He broke my heart, of course." She meant for it to come out light and conversational, as if she could care less how he'd stamped down on her feelings. To protect her, he would say, and that was what drove her crazy, making her want to fight him at every twist and turn they took. Because it was never his job to soften every blow or accept her every mistake as his own, making her despise the fact that deep down she was touched by his concern.

And it disgusted her how simple it was to let herself be taken care of if it was Iroh who was willing to do it, as if every teaching she'd ever learned about independence and self-sufficiency was merely a lesson to be heard and not followed. He made her inexplicably weak and Jinora couldn't be that, not for him at least.

There was no flash of depression but the crushing loss came at her harder this time, as Korra wrapped the girl in a silent hug with Asami leaning into her other side. As much as it hurt the first time to admit it, Jinora hadn't expected that finally accepting the reality of their relationship would leave her as numb as it did right then.


Dressed for warmth but in clothes that rung of patriotism, the peace conference had every province of the Earth Kingdom represented, as well as each state of the Fire Nation and the united people of the Southern Water Tribe. The ruling family of the North set out their finest cuisine straight from the hands of their best chefs for dinner, a buffet-style banquet to allow for socializing and political talks.

By the end of the first day, Jinora's confidence grew with her experience, as she found herself neck-deep in foreign territory. But she didn't back down whenever a pair of eyes passed over her, granting her entrance into their circles but offering none of the respect her father had. It was clear what many of the elderly men and women thought of her. She was young and green, here for the thrill and adventure but none of the work. Not that she could blame them for it, as their sureness hardened her resolve and gave certainty to her words.

Listening carefully about legislation being pushed and territory disputes, she formulated educated responses to their questions, letting them test her and see if she was as ignorant as she was unproven. But she was happy to disappoint them, as she spoke her mind about a collaborative building project between two divisions with tenuous relations. The logic was solid and her explanation had merit, gaining a few pleased smiles and a number of dignitaries' grudging acceptance.

But it was tiring, Jinora realized, as she excused herself for some air. With the heat blazing from the fires along the edges of the ballroom and its many patrons, she needed space to gather her wits. She always knew that politics was a battle of will and cunning, but she hadn't expected so many people to play the game so well.

Catching Bolin's questioning gaze, she gestured at a nearby set of doors to signal where she was heading. Although the freezing, perpetual winter would leave her frozen to her core, she took her chances and made her way to a small bench that seared her nerves with its iciness. Still, it was better than trying to sit inside and being dragged into another conversation, guard up as she kept a brave face on. It was a wonder how her father still had the strength to do this every day.

From doors along the opposite side of the courtyard, she felt the wind shift as another woman stepped out. Dressed in hues of dark jade and earthy browns, it was effortless to see where she originated from. But even without her country's signature colors, Jinora would've noticed the statuesque beauty. Xiao Xing was a ruler of a medium-sized division of the Earth Kingdom, an earthbender with eyes that sparkled like emeralds, silken hair almost midnight in shade and skin the color of the purest porcelain. Currently she was the measuring stick that every woman compared themselves to and one of the most desired mates in the world, as most men would claim.

But if her stunning good looks weren't enough, then her astute mind and graciousness would be more than enough to do a person in. If there was anyone in the world that Jinora looked up to, it was her. However, after a brief introduction where she'd promptly clammed up and blushed all the way down to her toes, the air acolyte decided that now wasn't the time to be striking up a conversation. Luckily the distance between them and the elegant statues around the estate left her hidden, as she blatantly watched the other move towards the edge of the landscape to lean against the small wall fencing the area.

As a few more minutes dragged on, Jinora knew she needed to go back in a recollect some of her heat. But before she could summon the strength to move her limbs, from the corner of her eye she saw the other woman turn and smile at an approaching figure. It was more than enough of a reason to stand up and get out of there, as she hated thinking she was acting as a voyeur to her and her companion. And yet she couldn't will herself to do anything more than stare as she realized who'd walked in.

In hindsight, Jinora would tell herself that she really should've seen this coming. Her karma hadn't been good for weeks so what was stopping her from having one more tally added to the rows and rows of backtracks and disappointments? What she hadn't expected was the form that it came in.

The even, soundless shuffle should've been warning enough, as she knew few people who could move almost as deftly as she could. But just the silhouette of his frame in the moonlight had her eyes going wide, as she took in the radiant smile Xiao Xing gave him. The slight tilt of his head told her that he was returning it with one of his own, as he said something that made her laugh even in this arctic tundra.

As she sat down and helplessly gazed at them from afar, Jinora had a feeling that this was what they meant when someone said they were on the outside looking in. Because she was so close, no more than meters away, and yet she'd never felt so out of place in her life. It was the way she smiled at him, wide and carefree, so unlike the polished and poised noble that she was in front of others. It was the way he spoke, little more than hushed tones from where she perched but filled with warmth that left her feeling oddly betrayed. It was the way she couldn't spare herself the hurt and walk away, the one thing she could never seem to do whenever it came to a certain Fire Nation prince.

If she thought the below-freezing temperature burned, then the way Iroh reached for Xiao Xing's hand left her insides in complete ashes. It was funny, really, how she kept on believing she had no more heart to break, no more hurt to feel over the same man who made her love him a little more each day. And truly there was nothing more hilarious than a little girl pining over a man for over ten years and how she could still find more tears to waste on him.


AN: Oh, angst, how I love thee. But I bet you guys aren't loving it all that much, right? LOL This story has a long way to go still so don't worry. I'm just warning up. Jinora will get her guy. Just not before I torture her and Iroh a bit.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your input. I'm so glad so many people are following this odd couple and their journey. I'm actually very proud of my writing so far. It's been pretty consistent and I'd hate to lose the feeling of the story because I was careless. Anyway, reviews are loved and cherished and so very much appreciated, if you catch my drift. ;DDDD

Thanks for reading, everyone! Until next time~