"Sokka, hold still." Zuko watched from across the lounge as Anika bent over her adoptive brother, trying to dab a mixture of herbs onto his swollen split lip. "The healers can fix you up a lot better than I can. Just go to them already."

"You're joking, right?" Sokka's indignant voice was slightly lisped from the swelling. "The main healer is Hahn's grandma. I bet you anything he's already gone crying to her, whimpering about how I attacked him for no reason at all." He grinned. "Not that there's much she's going to be able to do about the killer black eye I gave him."

"You shouldn't have done that. I can handle myself perfectly fine, and I don't need my idiot brother beating up every guy that I have a bad date with." Anika shook her head and put aside her herb cream. "That's about as good as it's going to get. You let it sit and fester all night long, so don't expect any miracles. Katara is the one with the glowing healer hands, not me."

"Too bad she was too busy making out with Aang to want to come with us." Sokka scratched his chin in mock contemplation. "Maybe it's time I gave Aang a beat down to keep him in his place."

"You're going to try to fight the Avatar? Let me know before you do so I can write up the obituary."

"Will do. You always have my back, sis. It's touching."

Zuko silently picked a piece of lint from his robe and rolled it between his fingers as little flames of jealousy and self-pity licked at his insides. Anika was basically an orphan, and yet she still managed to have a better family life than him. His father was an evil tyrant locked up in jail for life, his sister was in an insane asylum, and his mom had disappeared years ago.

Was it too much to ask for a little love from his family? Even a sliver of caring? Uncle Iroh was amazing, but he couldn't fill the family-shaped void in Zuko's heart all by himself. What he wouldn't give for a sibling who didn't hate his guts, for a-

"Zuko, you coming with us?"

"Mm?" Zuko flicked the lint aside and looked up into Anika's expectant face as she tugged on her mittens. "Are you coming to watch the waterbenders? You weren't even listening, were you?"

"I was kinda lost in my thoughts, I guess. And I better stay behind. Fire Lord duties and all that."

Anika scoffed. "Please, the diplomatic meeting isn't for another three hours. You've got to see the waterbenders train; it's super majestic."

"Majestic? I just like watching them kicking each other's butts!" Sokka was already at the doorway, waiting expectantly. "C'mon, Zuko, I can only stand crazy sisters for so long before I need someone sane to hang with."

Zuko found himself smiling. Maybe his family was messed up, but having amazing friends almost made up for it. Almost. "I guess I can c-"

"Awesome!" Anika grabbed his hand before he could finish and eagerly pulled him to his feet and towards the door. They passed through the halls of the palace and out into the crisp, cold air at the top of the steps leading to the training courtyard. Four pairs of guys were sparring each other. They were so focused that they didn't notice the trio descending the icy stairs until they had reached the bottom. One by one, the boys all stopped training and turned to face the little group.

Zuko coughed awkwardly, suddenly realizing how out-of-place he looked as a blot of deep red among a sea of blue and white.

"Don't you need a parka?" one of the closer, younger boys inquired after a couple beats of uncomfortable silence.

Zuko took a deep breath and then exhaled, letting a swirl of flames curl from his mouth before shrugging nonchalantly. "Nah."

The boy gaped for a moment, then raised his hands and laughed. "Okay, man." Zuko glaced sideways at Anika. She'd noticed that, right? She only rolled her eyes, but he thought he caught something like an impressed smile under her exasperated features. Score.

"Hey Sokka, nice lip," an older teen smirked approvingly. "Wouldn't be related to the black eye I saw on Hahn this morning, would it?"

Sokka casually dusted off his sleeve. "It might."

"Impressive. That guy deserved the reality check. Not that you could do much against, say, a skilled waterbender such as myself."

Sokka crossed his arms and smiled good-naturedly. "Is that a challenge?"

"If you're up to it."

"Pfft, please." Sokka reached behind his back and withdrew his sword. Unlike the lost space sword, it was light and shiny. This one may not have been crafted from a meteor, but Sokka could wield it with equal skill. "Splashing around in puddles is cool and all, but it can't compare to the ancient art of swordbending."

Zuko groaned. "Sokka, that's not a thing."

"I don't know, seems real to me," one of the boys intoned respectfully as he eyed the gleaming blade.

Sokka ignored the comments and gave the sword a twirl. "You're on."

The older teen gestured for Sokka to follow him onto the courtyard. "Awesome! Lets see what Southern Tribe kids have to offer."

"Woo, Sokka!" Anika settled down on one of the bottom steps, and Zuko sat next to her. "Represent! This should be interesting."

Zuko leaned in close and muttered, "You think he'll win?"

"Nope, but stranger things have happened," Anika replied.

The two bowed to each other, then Sokka lifted his sword and the boy collected water from the ice at his feet. Soon the battle was in full swing, flying ice shards and blade swings glistening in the frosty morning air. "I'm kinda jealous," Anika breathed softly.

Zuko turned to face her, his eyebrow raised. "What d'you mean by that?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to say that out loud." Anika paused before venturing, "I guess I've just always been a little jealous of waterbenders. When I was little, everyone acted like Katara's bending was a huge blessing. A dangerous one that had to be kept secret, yes, but still an awesome gift. My abilities weren't exactly viewed in the same light."

Zuko shifted uncomfortably. "Look, Anika. I have a confession to make. A while ago, you were talking to Iroh about some things, and I eavesdropped fo-"

Anika held up a hand to cut him off. "I know, Zuko. You don't have to explain yourself."

"You... know?"

"I saw you going down the hall when I opened the door to leave. Also, you left your teacup outside the door. Wasn't that hard to figure out."

Zuko blushed. "And you're not mad?"

Anika shrugged tiredly. "I guess I should be, but I have a hard time getting angry at anything that makes it so I don't have to repeat my story. It's whatever."

Anika traced her boot on the ice below the bottom step, cleared her throat. "My mom was a waterbender, Zuko. I could have turned out like her. I had everything going for me. Neither of Katara's parents are benders, and even she managed to inherit it. Hell, I could have been a non-bender and been fine with it. Instead, I get this." Anika ignited a fire in her palm and watched it dance musingly. "I've been able to accept it a lot better now after talking with you and Iroh, but some things still keep me awake at night."

Anika clenched her fist, and the flames died with a wisp of smoke. "From my father, I got my bending. Some of my features. My dark eyes, I presume. But... what else? What about his personality? His morals?"

Zuko's heart squeezed. "Anika, those all have nothing to do with your parents."

"Don't they?" Anika turned to Zuko, her eyes flashing with an angry kind of desperation. "I get that at the end of the day, it's your decisions that determine who you are. But sometimes, in my darkest, most hurt moments, I see a side of myself that I don't recognize. Something hidden among all the good stuff. Something selfish, cruel, cowardly."

"That just means you're human."

"No. It's something else. I've been around Sokka and Katara my entire life, and we're different. For them, good is poured into their beings. They have their flaws, but at the end of the day, they're pure to the core. Katara met the man who killed her mother, and even though she couldn't forgive him, she couldn't kill him. She literally didn't have the ability in her to take a life. If it had been me in her place, something tells me it would have ended differently." Anika bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the ground. "You don't understand."

"You think I don't understand?" Zuko snapped heatedly. The words his uncle had said to him not so long ago flooded his brain. Evil and good are always at war inside of you, Zuko. It is your nature, your legacy... Born in you, along with all this strife, is the power to restore balance to the world. "My dad is Ozai. Can't get much more 'pure evil' than the guy who tried to destroy the world as we know it."

Anika winced. "I know, I'm sorry. But I can't help but wonder... what if I'm actually a monster deep down, waiting to snap? What if-?"

Zuko reached up and gently placed his fingers over her mouth. "Shut. Up." Before he could stop himself, Zuko slid his hand aside and brought his face to Anika's. Their lips made contact and held it as Anika leaned into him, into the kiss. For a moment, everything in the world righted itself. Zuko finally moved his mouth from hers to take a breath. He couldn't bring himself to pull away from her bliss-inducing touch, so he rested his forehead against hers as he murmured, "I don't think you're a monster."

Anika's voice came out hushed with surprise. "Zuko, I-"

"I knewww it," Sokka's voice sang out. Zuko and Anika jumped at the same time. They tore apart and spun to face Sokka, who was using his sword to deflect three speared ice shards at once. "Anika, you owe me-agh," he ducked to avoid a shot of water, "-a shopping trip!"

"Spirits, Sokka!" Anika's face turned the color of Zuko's robe, and she quickly stood and stormed up the stairs. "You're so, augherrr, embarrassing!"

Zuko waited for her to dissapear into the palace before crossing his arms sulkily. "Aaand she left. Thanks a lot, Sokka."

"No problem." Sokka dropped his sword in defeat as his body was encased in frozen ice. He nodded at his opponent. "Good match. By the way, Zuko, if you guys decide to date and you hurt her, Hahn's black eye will look like a smudge."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Zuko shook his head in mock-grumpiness even as his heart skipped a happy little beat. By the sound of it, Anika really did like him. Zuko absentmindedly touched his fingers to his lips, which were still tingling softly from the kiss. Maybe he had a shot at this, after all.