Hey all!

Sorry about the longer-than-usual wait. I literally traveled to the other side of the earth. The travel itself and the jetlag have been hell. Though, I have a couple different conferences coming up, not to mention school. My pace is going to be slowing. But I will definitely be taking this story to the complete end.

Enjoy Chapter 14!

When Anil and Zenji came into the training area later, Aang immediately blurted out that Zuko firebended. Zuko stood back, shoulders hunched and his face red. He was honestly embarrassed at Aang's over-the-top enthusiasm. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Anil seemed to think differently.

Zuko hardly had time to process Anil's sudden proximity before the man had him wrapped in his arms. Zuko let out a small yelp in surprise. He would have hugged Anil back, but Anil had pinned his arms down to his sides.

"I'm so happy for you…" Anil said, his body shaking. "This is a huge step, you realize that, right?"

"A-Anil…" Zuko squeaked. "I… I-I can't… breathe…"

"Oh! Sorry…"

Zuko took a deep breath as Anil stepped back. "Really?" he said incredulously. "It can't be that big of a - "

He was cut short as Zenji practically tackled him, squeezing him even harder than Anil had.

"Ah! Z-Zenji… br… breathing…"

"You can survive without air for a few seconds while I smother you. Okay? Okay."

True to her word, she only held on for another few seconds before letting him go. As Zuko replenished his supply of oxygen via large gulps of air, Zenji said, "It is a big deal, Zuko. The first step is always the hardest." She didn't add that this also said volumes about the psychological progress he's made.

Zuko was still embarrassed. But embarrassment was a whole lot better than all of the other emotions he had been experiencing lately.

Of course, they all knew that there was still work to be done. Now that Zuko could produce fire, it was time he started to learn to manipulate and control it. Anil asked if Zuko remembered any bending katas from his childhood. Zuko just replied sullenly that he remembered a few, but had only mastered five of them before being kidnapped.

Anil frowned at Zuko's change in demeanor. "What's wrong with that?" he asked. "Having mastered five complete katas as an eight year old is quite impressive."

Zuko crossed his arms across his chest, looking very uncomfortable. "Not when you're part of a royal bloodline that prides itself in its bending prowess. And not when your sister is a firebending prodigy."

"Who cares about them?" Zenji said. "You should only be concerned with your own progress."

Zuko shrugged but didn't respond, avoiding eye contact.

Anil internally sighed. Just as Zuko had finally made some positive progress, it seems that the act of actually bending was going to dig up a whole new host of emotional problems. Namely, the psychological abuse his original 'family' had inflicted on him.

It's not like it was surprising. They all knew it was going to a long, difficult road. Anil just wished the universe would give the poor boy a break every now and then.

Over the next week, Zuko slowly worked through the katas he could remember, both the ones he had mastered and the ones he had not. He was surprised to find how well he actually remembered them. His footwork was a little sloppy, he mix up the steps occasionally, and it took him hours to fully remember the entire routine for a single kata, but he was slowly fitting back into the mold of a firebender.

It wasn't just him practicing, though. Aang had joined him, and had asked Zuko to teach him. Zuko already knew all the airbending forms; why shouldn't Aang learn the firebending ones? Zuko had hesitated at first, but it was rather unnerving to having his family all staring at him as he performed these katas alone, so he acquiesced.

This made the entire experience much more enjoyable. It turned out that Zuko was a natural teacher. He was able to quickly identify problems with Aang's attempts and offer up meaningful advice to rectify these problems. Encouraged by this, Zuko approached his own practice with more confidence than he thought he would have been able to muster.

In terms of his bending, summoning that first flame to his palm seemed to have opened the floodgates. Zuko still thought his progress was slower than it should have been for an eighteen year old, but he was still pleased with how much had accomplished in a week.

However, he was still have nightmares and inexplicable panic attacks on a daily basis. He was extremely grateful that his hallucinations had finally gone away, hearing only the occasional whisper every now and then. He just wished his night terrors would also go away as easily. Though, there was one perk…

Like before, Aang was always there to comfort him when he finally came back to reality. He still held him and muttered quiet reassurances. But now these were interspersed by soft kisses and 'I love you's. It usually took a while for Zuko to fully escape the grasps of his nightmares, but once he did, he would give a shaky smile and return the words and kisses in kind.

These were actually the only times Aang and Zuko expressed their affections to each other. They had a silent agreement that they should avoid these displays when in public. Especially when Zenji or Anil were around. They were both uncertain how Anil would react to such a relationship. In the general world, homosexual relationships were looked down on, even prosecuted against. Aang knew that the traditional Air Nomads had forbidden it. Zuko didn't know explicitly where Anil stood on the issue, but he didn't want to risk angering or, even worse, disgusting the man. And he definitely didn't want to cause Anil to look at Aang that way.

Knowing Zenji, she probably wouldn't care, but they didn't want to risk that she might tell Anil.

And so, they hid their relationship. It was both thrilling and demoralizing for Zuko. Every time Aang even smiled at him, Zuko's stomach would do somersaults in excitement. However, having to hide their affections made Zuko feel as though their relationship was wrong, and he had just dragged Aang down to his level of depravity.

He hadn't voiced these concerns to Aang. Even if their relationship was… perverse… Zuko didn't want to do anything to jeopardize it. If he said anything, Aang might realize that he was right and quickly snip the relationship in the bud. And Zuko didn't think he'd be able to handle that kind of rejection. It would be worse than if their relationship had simply never begun in the first place.

That being said, he had no idea how this relationship was going to progress if they were constantly hiding it. They couldn't keep it up forever, right?"

Trying not to let such thoughts distract him, Zuko was practicing. He was alone for a change, wanting to work out some of the steps and movements on his own without his family.

He was currently working through the last kata he had been working on before he had been kidnapped. He never actually mastered it, and it would probably be impossible to do now without a teacher. He could be working on smoothing out his other katas, but that prospect seemed tedious.

Slowly and with purpose, he turned to the right, bringing his arms together in a circle and bending his knees slightly. Turning back forward, he swung his arms out then brought them back down in front of him.

"You'll never catch up."

He crossed his arms before pulling them back down. Stepping to the right, he bent his knees and brought his hands back up, letting out a couple small flames. He could have made them bigger, but he was determined not to lose control.

"She's a true prodigy!"

Zuko kicked his leg out while thrusting out with his arms, but he lost his balance and fell, landing on the ground with a small grunt.

"Dad's going to kill you~!"

With a frustrated growl, Zuko sat up and crossed his legs. It would have been better if his father had killed him. At least the feeling of betrayal would have been short lived. All the pain and anguish would have been over in a matter of seconds. His father was nothing if not efficient.

I would have done anything for you, Zuko thought to the phantom of his father. And you left me to rot in the hands of the enemy.

He buried his face in his hands. Why was he thinking like this? Why did he care about what Ozai had thought of him? His father had been an evil man. From all accounts (including his own), Azula had been just as bad. If Zuko had been raised with them, he probably would have been just as bad. He was, after all, born of that evil.

A monster.

"Training?"

Zuko looked up and saw Gyatso standing in the entrance. "You like just popping in randomly, don't you?"

Gyatso smiled. "I felt like checking up on your progress. Anil tells me you've been doing well since last week."

Zuko shrugged and stood up. "I haven't lost control, if that's what you're asking."

Gyatso looked around the training area. "Where is your family?"

"They're with that Eiji guy, getting new staffs made for Anil and Aang…" Zuko grimaced at his own words. The whole reason they needed new staffs was because he had destroyed them.

"I see." Gyatso turned towards the benches that were at the sides of the room. "Would you mind having a small chat with this old man?"

Zuko frowned slightly, but shook his head. "Not at all."

When they sat down, they shared a short awkward silence before Gyatso said, "Are you happy?"

Zuko stiffened. What kind of question was that? "Uh…"

"...with the progress you've made?"

"Oh." Zuko looked down at his hands, cringing slightly at the sight of his burn. His progress? What progress had he made? He supposed beginning to firebend again after ten years would be considered progress. Besides that he hadn't really made much for progress. He was just as incompetent as he had been as a child. He was uncertain what kind of answer Gyatso was looking for. Knowing that their welcome was conditioned on his ability to control his bending, he gave a small shrug. "Happy is not the word I'd use. I promise I'm working hard."

"I know you are." Gyatso turned towards him and smiled. "You have done incredibly well. You should be proud."

"Proud?" Zuko echoed incredulously. "I'm struggling just to do what other people do naturally!"

"And that's what?"

"Thats - !" Zuko frowned in confusion. "What?"

"What is it exactly that you think other people can do so naturally that you can't?"

Zuko gaped at the older man skeptically. "I don't know where you've been the last several weeks, but I can't even function. I haven't been able to control my bending for most of my life, and even when I did, I was terrible at it! Especially when compared to virtually every other bender on this planet."

"Most other benders haven't had your circumstances," Gyatso replied calmly. "And if they did, I doubt they would have survived and thrived despite these circumstances as you have." He gave a shrug and a smile. "Besides, why are you comparing yourself with others? It is a useless endeavor. No matter who you are, you will always find someone better than you. You should only be concerned with your own successes and failures."

Zuko just hung his head in response. There was no point in trying to explain his… feelings… to his man: to try and explain what it was like to do nothing but fail even though you're trying as hard as you can.

Gyatso looked at Zuko's dejected form for a moment before adding, "Your strength lies in your refusal to ever give up. And that's no small feat. It's easy to quit when the world seems determined to tear you down. It takes an extraordinary amount of will and determination to keep getting up even after failure." He chuckled. "From what I've heard, you've been this way ever since you were a child."

A child? While he had essentially been a child in mind, he had actually nearly been a teenager when Anil and Zenji rescued him. From the wording, it didn't sound like Gyatso was talking about that time in his life. But how could he possibly know anything about Zuko before that?

Seeing the confusion on Zuko's face, Gyatso said quietly, "I used to be very close friends with your uncle."

Zuko looked up at Gyatso with a raised eyebrow. "My uncle?"

"General Iroh. Commonly known as the Dragon of the West."

Zuko's eyes widened slightly. "You knew my uncle?"

Gyatso nodded. "We were quite close before he fell at the wall of Ba Sing Se. Among other things, he spoke of his family. That includes you."

Zuko didn't respond, honestly not knowing what to say. He only vaguely remembered his uncle. Like virtually everyone else, he couldn't even remember his face. He remembered liking his uncle. He could faintly recall his uncle giving him some firebending tips. However, the memory of his mother sadly announcing that he had died with his son was, frankly, the strongest memory of him he had.

"He was quite fond of you," Gyatso continued. "I know it pained him to see how your father treated you."

"You don't know anything about my father!" Zuko snapped instinctively. He immediately closed his eyes and sighed as he realized how stupid he was being. "I mean… my father… he hated me. Even if he was a terrible person, that doesn't mean that he wasn't… justified in his feelings for me." Gyatso was giving him a look of pity, and Zuko hated him for it. "It's not my father's fault I was terrible at everything I did!"

The old man just looked at him for a moment before sighing. "Your uncle would have been proud. Of everything you've accomplished."

Zuko just shook his head. That didn't mean anything to him. He couldn't remember the man; he wasn't family to him. Anil, Zenji, Aang… they were his family. The opinions of people long gone and forgotten meant nothing.

Gyatso stood and gave a small bow. "I wish you luck with your training and with your future." Then, he walked out, leaving behind a slightly bewildered and frustrated Zuko.

Aang watched Zuko practice with his dao blades. Zuko had admitted to Aang that he had been avoiding his regular practice. With his more-real-than-life hallucinations, he had been afraid of inadvertently swinging at someone and hurting them.

Why Zuko was still stubbornly insistent that he was a 'monster', Aang had no idea.

Zuko was practicing with one of the dummies, which Aang didn't really understand, but he wasn't a swordsman. Still, it was fascinating to watch him. Being surrounded by airbenders, it was nice to be able to observe a different style of fighting. For the most part, Zuko had slowly taught himself over the last five years, learning from texts that they found while on the road. These were forms that Aang had no familiarity with. There were similarities to be sure, but the swords acted more as extensions to Zuko's arms rather than separate parts. Similar to how Aang used his staff, though the style was completely different.

Zuko's movements were fluid and quick. It was nothing like his firebending katas. The mixture of his fear and insecurity made them hesitant and stunted.

This he was confident with. This he was comfortable with. Aang hoped that Zuko would become this comfortable with his firebending eventually. He had already come a long way. Zuko was able and willing to summon small flames. He incorporated a bit of firebending into his katas, though they were always overly subdued. He just needed more time. Comfort came with familiarity, and Zuko would only gain that through practice.

Breathing deeply and evenly, his body coated in sweat, Zuko placed his blades together and effortlessly slipped them back into their scabbard. His body relaxing, he removed his blades and set them beside Aang's staff, grabbing a towel and sitting next to the airbender. "You don't have to stay here with me," he said, wiping the sweat off his face. "It must be boring."

Aang smiled and leaned closer. "Not at all." He placed a small kiss on Zuko's shoulder.

Zuko smiled softly. "I'm sweaty and nasty."

"Mmm… not to me." Aang leaned his head against Zuko's bare shoulder, just next to his collarbone.

"I stink."

"No… you smell nice." Aang nuzzled him slightly before sitting back up. "Really nice…" He leaned in and pressed his lips against Zuko's, internally smiling when Zuko leaned back against him. Zuko brought up a hand to the side of Aang's head, deepening the kiss with a small moan. Aang opened his mouth slightly and darted his tongue out to barely taste the firebender's lips.

Zuko stiffened a little, opening his eyes and pulling back a little. "Aang…"

Aang frowned. "Everything okay?"

Zuko nodded, stroking his hand through Aang's hair, but he looked uncertain. "Yeah… I-I just…"

Aang reached up and grabbed the wrist of the hand Zuko had on his head. "If something's the matter, you can talk to me about it. I don't want you hiding things from me."

"I'm not hiding." Which was a lie, and they both knew it.

Aang searched Zuko's face before slowly pulling back. He grabbed Zuko's arm and slowly wrapped it around his own shoulders, leaning heavily against the firebender's side. He felt Zuko squeezed him gently. "What's wrong?" Aang insisted.

Zuko shook his head. "Nothing. I'm just…" He growled and ground his forehead with the the palm of his hand. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't know why I'm being so hesitant. Especially since we hardly do anything outside of... You know."

Aang wrapped an arm around Zuko's middle. "There's nothing wrong with it. We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"But that's just it: I do want to. I want to do so much more. I just… feel so uncertain."

Aang gave him a reassuring squeeze. "Zuko, for once in your life, do what you want. Do what you're comfortable with. It's not like we're in a hurry."

Zuko stiffened. "You're not," he muttered.

Aang looked up with a small frown. "Why would you be in a hurry?"

Zuko visibly gulped, a small shiver sweeping through his body. "I…" He rubbed his hand up and down Aang's arm. "I just don't want you to… t-to get… bored… with me."

Aang jerked up, gaping at Zuko, his chest constricting painfully. "What would make you think I would get bored of you?!"

Zuko flinched. "I-I-I j-just… why n-not?"

Aang stuttered incoherently for a moment before words started spilling out. "One! You are the least boring person on this planet. Two! You think I'm going to just… stop liking you because we don't kiss enough? Three…!" Aang grabbed the sides of his face and forced Zuko's head to face his. "I love you. You have been my best friend for… for my entire life. I have watched you suffer, and I have watched you grow and overcome the worst of what this world has to offer. I have seen you cry, and laugh, and smile. I would do anything for you." He gave Zuko a quick kiss, just to emphasis the point. "You understand me? I'm more than willing to let you take the reins on this relationship. Really."

Zuko's eyes filled with tears, but he was trying to blink them back. He gave a breathy smile. "I love you."

Aang smiled widely. "I love you so much…" He leaned in for another kiss.

The entire room suddenly started to shake violently, knocking Aang full bodied into Zuko. Zuko wrapped his arms around him protectively as the tremors continued. They didn't stop for nearly minute, but when they did, Zuko only slightly loosened his grip. "An earthquake?"

Aang looked up. "That was… a weird earthquake. Too long and - "

The shaking began again, and Zuko grabbed his swords and Aang's staff and started to pull Aang towards the exit. "We need to get out of here!"

The shaking was on and off in an uneven pattern. As they stumbled through the halls, they blended in the crowd of other members of the enclave also trying to get out. Even as they moved, they could see things falling, walls collapsing, structures cracking.

This isn't normal, Aang thought, maintaining his death grip on Zuko's tunic. This area isn't prone to earthquakes. That's part of the reason this enclave was built. He tried to keep an eye out for his father and Zenji, but couldn't make out any individuals.

It was a good thing they were following the crowd. It turned out the cottage wasn't the only exit. Whatever throng of people they were following, they were guiding Zuko and Aang through an exit near the banquet hall.

As they poured up the stone staircase and through the opening out into the light, Aang saw that there had been a door hidden underneath the forest brush. But the crowd dispersed and revealed that the forest had been torn down. Everything in the area had been cleared.

As Zuko and Aang stood in the epicenter of the the evacuation, spinning from side to side to try and gather their bearings, the sounds of screaming and of fighting started to permeate into their awareness.

Then they saw them.

They saw the Earth Kingdom soldiers.

Not my greatest chapter, but I wanted to get an update up for you guys.

Review and let me know what you guys think!