Zuko slumped down onto a fallen tree, whose rotting carcass gave a loud crunch under his weight. He ignored it, wearily eyeing his healed arm. He was still holding it away from his body, as if he feared it might still be hurt. Though he'd told Katara his deepest, darkest, innermost secret, he didn't put complete trust into her. How... Stupid.

He carefully raised and lowered his arm in a slow flapping motion. Though there was a remnant of soreness, he no longer felt the jolts of pain from before.

"What'd you get yourself into?" He questioned aloud, shaking his head. You could've atleast not added the 'got onto my knees and begged' part!

"You opened up, that's what you did." Katara- the causer of his silent torment- was walking toward him, smiling shyly.

"Maybe you shouldn't-" It was too late. She'd sat next to him, their increased weight forcing the tree's rotting trunk to cave in, and give way. She instinctively caught his arm in her slender fingers as they tumbled a little ways away from the splintered wood.

"You okay?" He was about to ask more, but his voice was drowned out by her uproarious laughter.

The Prince found himself frowning at her strange behavior. How dare she laugh at me- Prince of the Fire Nation! His mind was howling, She.. She doesn't even deserve to have my company!

"I.. Probably.. Look like.. An.. An idiot." He heard her pant through a series of laughs.

There was something wrong. Something terribly, terribly wrong. The corners of his lips were turning up. Not in his trademark smirk, or even one of those tight-lipped smiles that he forced, which he'd been born and bredto do, back in the Fire Nation. A real, genuine smile. This girl was poison! She was contagious! Her stupid attitude was being rubbed off on him!

That was the only explination!!

Katara took no notice of his obvious delima, one hand still holding him down by the sleeve. She was taking her time to wipe tears of mirth from her eyes, while attempting to stifle her own giggles. She turned to him slightly when she stopped laughing. "I guess I should've listened to you, huh?" She whispered, laying back to view the clouds, which were far past the tree tops.

"Can you let go?"

"Oh!" She released her death grip on his linen sleeve, blushing lightly. "Oops."

He hid his small smile with an humorless frown, angry with himself. He knew that his eyes betrayed him, though, when she looked over and smiled thoughtfully, still laying by his side.

DAMMIT! Zuko couldn't help it. He cracked a smile, which only made the waterbender's eyes glow. He quickly transformed it into a smirk as he came up with the best comeback he could think of on such short notice. "Yeah, you did look like an idiot."

Her blissful smile dissapeared, replaced by a frown, and her radiance had dulled. Then, she was smiling again, as if it had never happened. "Yeah, I guess I did."

Before she had time to shed more of her contagious attitude on him, he was on his feet, holding a hand out to her. She took it in hers gently, gasping softly when his capable arms pulled her into an upright position. He released her, and in one fluid movement, he was leaving; vacating the premisis without so much as a 'good bye'.

"Bye to you, too, Zuko." Katara muttered, picking at the remnants of rotted bark that clung to her blue tunic.

--

"Idiot..." Zuko was muttering, storming off in the general direction of their encampment. "You could you have done that?" He demanded, not noticing anothers' presence. "Smile..." He grumbled. "Stupid girl, just ripped your pride, right in half!" He replayed the scene in his head, still not noticing the footfalls behind him. "You shouldn't have let her heal your goddamn arm, dumb ass!" He fell into a volley of varying curses, all directed toward a certain waterbender.

Finally, and quite suddenly, he noticed the others' presence.

"Uncle!" He cried, his voice raising an octive. He felt his face flush slightly, at being so deep in his thoughts. Iroh was staring at him thoughtfully, a small grin plastered on his face.

"The Water Tribe warrior informed me of an injury you'd recently aquired?" The retiree looked down at his now un-injured arm. "But I can see that you got help from the healer."

"Yeah..." The Prince whispered, averting his amber gaze elsewhere. He began to walk, his uncle at his side.

"Lady Troubles?" Iroh offered, his stupid grin growing wider at his nephew's blush.

"No!" He said quickly... Too quickly.

"The waterbender?" He was unperturbed his brother's son's anger.

"N-no! Of course not! Th-that peasant?" After this spluttering, he choked out a few peals of sarcastic laughter. "Hell no!" He finally regained his voice, thankful to Agni that he had.

"I see." The Dragon of the West was pondering this. "... How long have you liked her?" Judging by the intense silence, Iroh judged that he did, indeed, like the Water Tribe girl. "Tell me, what traits do you like about her?" Nothing. "She's a great fighter, no?" Once again, silence. "Quite selfless, if you ask me."

"She's my element's opposite, Uncle." He'd been taking his time composing himself, mentally meditating to not verbally attack anyone... Or physically. "We're of differing nations." He'd adopted his business-tone. "Even if I did like her- if only a little bit- nothing would ever work out." He swallowed thickly. "Besides, she's the Avatar's pet."

"Pet?" Iroh demanded, making the Prince jump at his anger. "Prince Zuko, I thought I'd taught you better than that!"

Zuko couldn't help but chuckle. "Uncle, you should've seen your face!"

"Pet..." The tea-lover was grumbling. "She's a woman, Zuko. She has feelings, too."

The Prince sighed. "That too." He paused before explaining. "I don't want to deal with the many fickle moods of women." He shuddered. "Especially a master waterbender." With that, he walked away, all hopes of any relationship- even friendship- gone from his mind. They were acquaintances, that was it.

As for Iroh... Well, that old match-maker was more determined than ever.

Short, I know. Sorry I stink at updating... Too many assignments are going on at school, and I was kinda late with turning a MAJOR one in, and I'm kind of... Well, let's just say, I might be failing maths!