Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a merry Christmas, or just lovely holidays, or simply a good time, or a happy whatever you were celebrating:) And to all a happy new year!

Here's the next chapter, the first of 2020, which starts where the last one ended. Zuko just picked up Katara, and now he's driving her home.


Chapter Twelve

Katara leaned against the car door, her eyes looking at nothing particular. She barely recognised the part of the city they were driving though, not really seeing the large, impressive, important buildings.

She was already thinking about everything she would have to do in order to convince people to be Zuko's girlfriend. They would have to talk about a way they would present themselves as a couple, they would have to take selfies for social media, and gift each other things. And Katara would have to think about what to tell her family.

"Shit," Zuko murmured.

She turned around to look at him. "What is it?"

He kept staring at the street, his hands tight around the steering wheel. "It's just very late, and I… I'm sorry, but would you mind if we go downtown first?"

"Uh…"

"I left Jet at the cinema, and since we came there together, I wanted to pick him up again," he quickly explained.

Katara raised her eyebrow. "You like the films Jet likes?"

"Urgh, no. But I didn't have anything to do, and it wasn't that bad. But then I… I remembered to do something," he said quietly. "And I left, and then I went to pick you up, and yeah…"

Not feeling entirely convinced Katara leaned back in and shrugged. "Sure, if you think that's what you need to do. I don't mind."

"It's not that I need to. But I wouldn't be a good friend, if I would just let him stand there, would I?" Zuko shot back, seeming to be a bit offended.

Katara noticed that it would be very easy to tease him, and couldn't help the evil grin which spread on her lips. "Well, if I were you I would ask myself if that's all Jet is to you."

"What do you mean?" A confused frown had settled on his brow, but before Katara could answer Zuko nodded. "No, I know. You're right. In some cases I'm closer to him than to my family. We're kind of like brothers."

Katara blinks, staring. Wow, she would not have accepted this answer. Brothers? That close?

"How come?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Well, I've been around him for almost four years now, and we were friends before. He also does a lot of stupid things, because he thinks they're fun. In the end, I mostly have to get him out of those things. I guess I'd be the big brother," he mused.

"But if you're so close, wouldn't you be able to simply ditch him? He would forgive you," said Katara hesitantly, still studying his face.

He grimaced. "Probably. But I wouldn't do that. If you're not okay with it, I can drive you home, and just text him to wait," he proposed.

She shook her head. Frowning she thought that she really didn't want to get between these two, just because driving downtown was a detour for her. And she didn't have a problem with jet being Zuko's best friend. "No, it's okay."

"Really? I thought you didn't like him anymore."

Frowning she leaned back in her seat. "Why would I?"

"You told him."

Oh yeah. That stupid game her brother had forced on her. She totally forgot to call him later to explain how the situation had been to him. Katara groaned in annoyance, smacking her palm to her forehead. "Oh no! I didn't tell him I didn't mean it!"

"So why did you tell him then?" Zuko asked, leaving the highway.

"Uh… That was because of Sokka. We were playing truth or dare, and he dared me to call someone and tell them I didn't want to be friends anymore," she explained sheepishly. Oh man, how could she have forgotten to tell him she didn't mean it? Jet and Zuko must think she was a horrible person.

"Uh-huh," was his reply.

Oh no. "Hey, I wouldn't do that in reality. I mean, ending a friendship over the phone. And I really don't have anything against Jet. I'm sorry if you thought I didn't like him anymore."

"Honestly, I was a bit amused." There was a grin in his voice, and her head whipped around so she could look at him.

"What?" Had she heard correctly?

"It just reminded me of how you treated me in high school."

Her eyes almost fell out of her head. Was he being serious? "And you found that amusing?"

"Kind of." He shrugged, and grimaces a moment later. "I would have asked you about it, what I just did, but the moment Jet told me what you had said to him, I had to laugh."

Confused was probably understating the feeling Katara felt. What on Earth had made Zuko laugh at that? What strange humour did this boy have?

Katara would have been furious, if someone would have rejected one of her friends, and Zuko still had been so nice to her. That didn't make sense, but then again, she already had thought he might not be a good friend.

"Okay. So you're a too good friend to let Jet wait at the cinema, but you laugh at someone rejecting him?" she asked, an accusing tone very evident in her voice.

"Uh… Yeah? I mean, it was just so typical for you, I guess. And honestly, if you really had decided not to want to be friends with him anymore, I wouldn't be able to hinder you from it. You seem to be stubborn, when you don't like someone." His tone sounded nonchalant again.

"I'm not!" she defended herself.

He shortly looked at her, raising one eyebrow. "You didn't even talk to me in high school."

Katara opened her mouth, but… he was right. "That's because you were a jerk!"

He only rolled his eyes. "Can we please not talk about Jet anymore?"

"Fine."

They talked about nothing else, until they arrived at the cinema.

Jet was already standing outside, shivering, and scowling. First, he wanted to climb into the car on the passenger seat, but when he noticed Katara, his face fell, and he quickly got in on the backseat. "Woah, Katara. I wouldn't have guessed that." He raised an eyebrow.

"Hey! I'm sorry for telling you I didn't want us to be friends, that was only a dare from truth or dare, I don't have anything against you!" she quickly blurted, turning around to look at him. Well, maybe except for him being a lying ass, and having chosen Zuko's and Azula's friendship over her love at high school. But since she was over that, she simply didn't trust him.

He blinked a few times, then shrugged. "Alright. That's okay. I'm glad you didn't mean it." He offered her a smile, which she returned.

It was typical of him just to accept her apology like this and act as if nothing had happened. Sometimes she wished her mind would work that easily, too.

Turning back to look through the front window she shot a glance at Zuko, who seemed very calm, just starting driving again.

"But, Zuko," started Jet, "I thought you had something to do for the company, and now you show up with Katara?"

She looked back at Zuko, who suddenly seemed a bit tense. She narrowed her eyes, wanting to be able to see everything of his reaction.

"Yes. I did both. I just needed to bring something to my father, and since Katara was there, talking to him, I offered her a ride," he explained.

Oh. So he hadn't really wanted to pick her up. It had just been convenient.

Not that it mattered anyhow. He shouldn't have picked her up in the first place, which hadn't bothered her then. But now, that he had… She wanted it to be because of her.

Frowning she wondered why she felt like this.

"Ah, sure," Jet drawled, as if he didn't believe Zuko, who only tensed more.

"Uh, yes," he finally murmured, his gaze held stoically out of the front window.

Katara knew she could tease him enough to make him say what she wanted to hear. That he had picked her up, because of her. Not because he had been there, anyway, not because it had been convenient.

But she let it be.

She also didn't want to behave like that. Besides, she didn't need anything from Zuko except for his money. And maybe they could become friends, but until then she was only something like an employee to him. Plus, she hadn't actually needed a ride, since there was a bus route leaving at the old palace, which would have only taken her fifteen minutes to walk there. Then she could have taken the underground, once she would have been in the city centre.

It would have been totally possible for her to go home by herself!

"Uh, Zuko?" she asked after a while, when she had noticed he was nearing the campus. "Do you know where to go?" She was pretty sure she hadn't told him where she lived.

Sitting straight he gasped. "No! No, I do not know where you live!" His eyes were super strangely wide, and his lips pressed tightly together.

Katara frowned at his suspicious reaction. "But you're going the right way."

"Er… You said you lived in a dormitory, so I figured campus, you know?" he rambled, his voice higher than normal, while his knuckles turned white from the force with which he held on to the steering wheel.

"Oh," she answered. Yes, that seemed logical. Although his behaviour was still a bit… off. "Erm, yep. It's on the campus. You can just stop at the gate, if you don't mind."

"No, no, I don't mind. S-sure thing," Zuko replied.

"Did you make up your mind yet?" Jet suddenly asked, leaning forward between driver and passenger seat.

Katara raised an eyebrow, turning left to look at him. "Hm?"

"About being Zuko's fake girlfriend? The reason he freaked out over every little thing in the last weeks? The only thing he seemed to be able to think and talk about?"

"It's a lot of pressure," Zuko murmured, looking at Katara apologetically, as if he was defending himself.

Deciding not to continue this conversation in this direction she simply nodded. "Yes. I have decided. I'm going to give it a try. I mean, I need to pay my rent, and if I would have a job, I wouldn't do it, but… Guess, Zuko was lucky here." She shortly glanced at him, hoping to see him smile, but he still kept staring straight ahead. Was it really so difficult for him to relax?

She looked back at Jet. "Is he always like that?"

"Worse."

"Aw man! Seriously? I agreed to become the fake girlfriend of some tense stick-in-his-ass guy?" she whined sarcastically.

Jet let a bark of laughter escape him, but Zuko didn't reply at all.

Had he really taken that seriously? "Hey," Katara nudged him in the arm. "I didn't mean that, you know."

He only nodded.

"I said it because it's funny," she explained further, wondering if Zuko had any knowledge of social interacting.

"Yeah, got it," he rasped, sounding as if he didn't bother at all.

This answer did not satisfy Katara, but she let it be. She was not a persistent and annoying person, after all.

Saying goodbye to him at the gate felt awkward, maybe also because of Jet's presence, who immediately climbed on to the passengers' seat.

Zuko's facial expression seemed a bit pained, as he nodded to her, saying good night.

The moment had only been very short, so she wasn't sure about what she had seen, since his car drove away almost in that moment.

Hugging herself against the cool night air she watched them leave, wondering why Zuko had suddenly become so quiet and distanced. Had she said something which had come out the wrong way? Or was it just his own problem?

Either way, she hoped he wouldn't be like this a lot, when they would start fake dating.

oOo

It would be alright.

Yeah, nothing to worry about.

Why had she even forgot the stupid coffee machine? Aang didn't drink coffee, and Katara had hoped he wouldn't notice that she forgot it in their – no, his apartment.

The last weeks hadn't been easy without coffee, but she had made it work nonetheless. Black tea, milk tea, and hot chocolate had made up for the loss of the coffee machine.

It had been overly childish to pretend that she hadn't forgotten it there, but she also hadn't wanted to see or talk to Aang. Not when, according to Sokka, he was still not over her. But now he had texted her, and told her she should come by and take the coffee machine back.

There was no way around it. Taking a deep breath she rang the bell, feeling her heart drum heavily.

As usual, she hadn't heard his footsteps behind the door, before he opened it.

Katara tried to smile, and dipped her head back to be able to look up in his eyes. She had forgotten how tall he was. Sometimes, when she thought of him, she was still only thinking of him as a small, skinny teenager. He certainly was still lean, Gran Gran's cooking hadn't changed anything about that, but he was a head taller than her, something which had changed during their last year in high school.

But the most strange thing about him was his hair. Or the lack of it.

He had been bald, when he had been new in high school, a relic of the monk school he had attended before. But the last six years she had only ever seen him with short shiny jet black hair. Blinking she tried not to say anything about it.

"Hi."

Aang's smile seemed to be genuine. "Hey. I'm glad you came. I bought a mixer, and I don't have any space to put it, but with the coffee machine gone..."

She nodded. "I see."

Stretching out his arm Aang moved to the side to let her in.

When she looked around, her eyes almost fell out of her skull. "Wow! You, uh..."

Aang followed her gaze, and rubbed his neck, chuckling sheepishly. "Yeah, I did some redecorations."

The walls were painted in yellow with beautiful, delicate, orange swirls on it. Wind chimes hung from doorframes and a lot of mountainer's decoration stood everywhere. A large painting of a temple on a mountain peak hung now over the sofa.

"Wow, it is... beautiful," she whispered. "I feel as if I would be in one of the mountain provinces."

"Yeah, I felt like I needed it."

Katara quickly looked at her former boyfriend. He looked thoughtful, while he was looking at the painting of the temple. "Do you miss it?" she asked.

He shrugged. "All the time, but during these last weeks it got worse."

"Oh." She quickly looked down at her feet. Was it her fault somehow?

Aang shook his head. "Anyway..." Taking an exaggerated deep breath he walked to the kitchen and grabbed the coffee machine package. He had put it into a bag. "Here. I still got the original package, if you'd like to have it, but I figured it would be easier to transport it like this", he said, handing it over to Katara.

"Thanks." She smiled again, and wanted desperately to say something, because she had missed him. But nothing good came to her mind.

"Uh, Katara?"

"Hm?"

"I know you feel bad for... breaking up. But I'll be okay. I'm doing fine, and..." He sheepishly scratched his neck. "I'd like us to be friends again. It just feels strange, you know, not having you in my life."

Katara felt her heart warming, a soft smile tugging at her lips. "Yes, I know what you mean. I was just trying to give you some time. But I hope we can be friends again, too."

"Good," Aang sighed, grinning. Then a thoughtful expression suddenly covered his face. "I mean, I'm not ready yet to be friends now, but I'll call you then, okay?"

Smiling Katara nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm just glad that you want to be friends again." Feeling a very satisfying happiness in her chest, she sighed heavily. "Alright. I've got to go now. Coffee Cups."

Aang's face seemed to light up. "Oh, we can walk together. I was just about to head out anyway. There's this farmers market not far from there, and Meng told me they had incredibly good tofu."

Katara slowly raised her brows. Meng?

The girl had befriended Aang und Katara immediately, once they had started their studies. Meng had introduced them to friends of hers, and they had all hung a lot at Coffee Cups, studied together, or partied together.

But since Katara had broken up with Aang, Meng and the others had not once written her a message or even called. During lectures it had been pretty tense, and since Aang had always sat with them, she had taken a seat far away from them.

Aang rushed to his room, and came back seconds later with a wool poncho in yellow and orange, bending down in the hallways to put his sneakers on.

Her mouth formed an O, for it really surprised her that he wanted to walk with her.

"So...," she began, not knowing quite what to talk about. "Meng is now a vegetarian, too?"

Aang rose back up, after having bound his shoes, grinning. "No, she is only open to new food. And, I am not trying to get others to convert to vegetarianism. It's a personal choice for everyone."

Katara grinned back, but rolled her eyes, since she had heard the same thing for years. "Good. Ready?"

Aang was really convinced that vegetarianism was the best way to live, and he often said so, but he also paid attention not to annoy or pressure people about it. That he had to point put very often, too.

When they still had been together, Katara had often eaten vegetarian, too, since it had just been easier this way, when living together. She had also saved the ones for buying good meat, which had also not hurt. At her family's home, or when they had eaten outwards had been the only times for her to eat meat, but she hadn't even missed it that much.

Grabbing his keys from the key board, that she knew so well, Aang nodded, saluting.

Katara rolled her eyes again, walking outside.

It had been strange to be in this apartment again, since she had lived in there for one year and a half. Some things had still been, and mostly felt familiar, but she wasn't overwhelmed by any nostalgic feelings, which gladdened her. She had been afraid that coming here would wake old feelings, not for Aang, but just a longing for an easier time, when it had been just the two of them. But it was better like this.

"Are you seeing someone?" Aang suddenly asked, while they were passing the first floor.

Katara stumbled and quickly grabbed the handrail.

"Woah, be careful, Katara!" Aang shouted out.

"I'm okay. Uh, what... you... Uh, what do you mean?" Pressing her lips together she concentrated better on the next steps, but still felt mortified that Aang had actually asked that question. She had been pretty sure he would be too shy, or embarrassed to ask.

"Well, you said you wanted to go to Coffee Cups, and I'm curious if you're going to meet someone there," he explained, and Katara let out a deep breath, continuing descending the stairs.

"Yes," she said carefully. "Why?"

"I thought," she could hear from his voice that the whole thing made him nervous, "that if it were Sokka or someone, I could join you, and then we could go all together to the farmers market."

Katara opened the door, holding it open to let Aang out, and fell into step next to him, walking on the pavement down the street.

Trees stood on both sides of the street, and the beautiful old houses, painted in different colours, did actually make Katara feel waves of nostalgia. She had loved this neighbourhood, colourful, lots of green, and mostly just students of the university. The whole block belonged to some rich graduates of the university, and they were renting the apartments for very modest prices. Nowhere else in the city had Katara found something else like it, so she unfortunately had had to move into the dormitory.

"I thought you needed time to be friends again," she said with a frown, adjusting the weight of the coffee machine, hiding her nose in her scarf.

Aang didn't look very bothered by the cold. He had always been rather tolerant to it, which had annoyed her a lot, since she was the one who had grown up surrounded by ice and snow.

"Yes. But maybe I can already get used to it like that." He shrugged. "And I... I miss hanging with you and the others. Only hanging with them is not the same."

She sighed, looking at him.

"I know what you mean. I miss it, too, but... I'll meet with someone else," she said quietly, slowly.

"Oh, okay then." He sounded a bit disappointed, but Katara told herself that this was only the case, because he had wanted to spend time with her as a friend.

"I can't keep quiet anymore," she suddenly exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I know it's not polite, but... Why did you shave your head?"

A grin answered her, and he touched his head. "Why? I think it looks cool. Besides, you know I was in a monk school, before I moved to Ba Sing Se, right? I thought I might take the old look back."

"Oh. Like you decorated the apartment?" Katara asked.

Aang hummed affirmatively. "Yep."

This woke a feeling inside of her she didn't like at all. Was Aang so homesick that he would maybe leave the capital soon? Didn't he like living here? Was he going to leave her and all his friends behind?

"Are you going back soon?" she asked.

"Why? Do you want me to?"

"No! I just meant, because you miss your home," she explained. "So it might seem as if you'd like to go back, even if only for a few weeks."

Aang touched his chin thoughtfully. "Maybe during summer holidays."

"Hm."

"And you? Didn't you want to go back, too?"

Katara nodded. "Yes, I still want to. But I don't have time during these holidays, and in summer I wanted to do that internship we'll need."

"Oh yeah, totally forgot about that."

Katara had to smile, thinking that this was typical about Aang. He did take his studies seriously, but he got easily distracted, and often forgot about focusing on important things.

"How is your new apartment?" he asked then.

"Oh, it's great. Uh, I have a balcony, but I have to walk up four floors. And there was already a wardrobe in it, yeah... I'm not used to living alone yet, I think."

Aang nodded. "You were always a family person after all."

She nodded. "Yes. I'm visiting them every Sunday for lunch."

They turned a corner, and Katara began to panic a bit. She didn't want Aang to see who it was she was meeting there. Hopefully he was already inside, and then they wouldn't see each other at all. She didn't think that Aang would become angry because of their rivalry in high school, mostly because it hadn't bothered Aang that much, after Katara had snapped at Zuko. Aang also wasn't a person who dwelled on the past a lot. If Zuko would tell him that he was a good person now, and wanted to be his friend, Aang would probably believe it and hug him.

"That's good to know. Hey, wasn't your cousin's dog pregnant a few months ago?"

Katara frowned, thinking about Korra's last visit. "Uh, yeah, I think so. Why?"

"Because I want to get a puppy,' he said, his voice full of happiness. "I'm allowed to bring him to lectures, and working with him would be okay, too, so can you please ask Korra, if she could give me one of Naga's cubs?"

She was very surprised that Aang still knew their names, but then again, she had probably dragged him to enough family events for him to know.

"Yeah, I'll ask her," she said, smiling, staring at the entrance door to Coffee Cups, how it was almost already next to her. "I hope you'll get your tofu," she added, turning towards Aang the moment the door was next to her, hoping to get rid of him quickly.

Smiling he turned towards her, too. "Thanks. Uh, Meng and the others wanted to go to that dormitory party at Teo's in a week. Do you wanna come, too?"

Grimacing, she looked down on her feet. "I, uh... I'd like to, but Meng hadn't been really nice to me, after uh, we broke up. So I don't know if I want to see her." She looked up at him again, seeing the disappointment in his dark brownish grey eyes. "But I'll think about it. Thanks for inviting me." She smiled.

"No problem," Aang said, cocking his head to the side.

Now Katara could see him crossing the street behind Aang.

Oh no.

Their eyes locked, and she knew she had to do something, if she didn't want the situation to become uncomfortable.

"Okay then, uh, bye," she said, feeling a little embarrassed at not knowing how to say goodbye to him. She chose to hug him lightly, and drew back quickly, biting on her lower lip.

"Yeah, bye," Aang said, smiling, and turned around to cross the street.

Zuko stopped immediately in his tracks, when he saw him.

Aang stood still, too, and Katara only wished she hadn't got out of bed this morning.

oOo

What was she doing here with him?

He'd thought they had broken up. Was she here to tell him that she couldn't be his fake girlfriend, since she still had feelings for Aang?

The boy had certainly grown a lot, he noticed.

He almost hadn't recognised him, but those wide grey eyes, shimmering with tears, had been hard to forget. He had never wanted to make him cry, but... that was almost seven years ago now. He was sure Aang wouldn't care about it anymore. After all, he had tried to befriend Zuko later, only Zuko hadn't wanted to.

"Hi!" Aang said, recovering first from the surprise.

Zuko couldn't keep the frown out of his face. "Hello."

"Wow, we haven't seen each other in ages!" Aang exclaimed, grinning.

Zuko reluctantly took more steps in their direction, knowing he had to get off the road.

"Yeah," he said, once he was standing on the pavement. He scratched the side of his head, wondering how to go on. Why didn't Katara say anything?

Aang turned back to look at Katara, his face grimacing slightly.

Katara looked as if she was in pain, and Zuko's worries became only graver. Oh no, she would recline his offer, after all!

Why was she still not saying anything?!

"Uh, do you live here?" Aang went on, raising his eyebrows in a polite manner.

"Yep. I am originally from here, and moved back."

"Wow, that's funny, how all of us ended up here, while we were in high school in Ba Sing Se and born in totally different provinces." Aang chuckled a bit, but it didn't sound genuine.

Zuko only nodded, still not knowing enough about this situation to act in a certain way. Should he just try and do what he came here for?

"Yeeeeaaaaah," Aang drew it out, rubbing his neck, and looking from Zuko to Katara, looking a bit uncomfortable. "You, uh, did you want to go to this coffee shop?" he asked, pointing over his shoulder behind him.

Licking his dry lips Zuko looked at Katara, and decided to just say what he came here for. "Yes, I wanted to."

"Oh." Aang's eyes grew wider, looking horrified as he looked at Katara.

Zuko took a deep breath. "I was going to meet Katara here."

That had apparently been the wrong thing to say, for she grimaced in a terrified way.

"Really?" Aang sounded surprised. "I thought... So how come you two don't hate each other anymore?"

"We talked about it."

Katara tucked her hair behind her ears, and started to smile. "Yeah, and we found out that the other isn't as bad as we always thought."

Zuko held his breath, staring at Aang. So did that mean they weren't together again?

"Ah, so, you two..." Aang pointed at both of them, with his arms crossed. "You have a date?"

Zuko's eyes widened in horror. No, of course not! Never! How could he...?

"Yeah," Katara chimed in, smiling at him, way too widely to look normal.

Zuko blinked, but got a grip, and nodded.

Aang looked back at Katara, and Zuko couldn't see his face anymore, but he observed Katara's face to harden a bit, as she looked back. She looked as if she wanted to say 'So what?'.

"Oh, then, I'll leave you guys. Have fun!" Aang said, nodded, turned to Zuko to smile at him, also very wide, waved, and walked past him to cross the street.

Zuko turned to Katara, whose eyes were suddenly wide, as if she had seen a ghost, and he could see tears shimmering in them. Oh gosh.

"You can go with him if you want," he said.

Katara wiped her cheeks dry. "No, it's okay, thanks. It's just... He told me earlier that he's not totally over me, and now he's even more hurt although it shouldn't matter, since I broke up with him, right? I have every right to have a date. Even though this is none." She smiled weakly at him and sniffed. "Let's just go inside."

"Katara..." he began, but she ignored him and simply walked into the coffee shop.

Letting out a deep sigh he moved to follow her, hoping she had said the truth. This situation was incredibly uncomfortable to him and he hoped her relationship with Aang wouldn't ruin their arrangement, nor their "date" now.


This was getting so long, so I chose to split it up.

Ha, and I could finally write some Aang! I've been waiting for forever to write him, he's just such a great character, and I really missed him in this story! But since this story retells the story of Avatar in a different way, he will be more important towards the end of it. I really can't wait to write Zuko and Aang as friends!:D

I hope you liked the chapter, and please let me know what you think about it!

Until next time!