Irrel did another incredible piece of art for the AU here: Snowball Fight (Found at the Katara Zuko lj comm) and anais ninja raised the question of what would have happened if Jet threw his snowball and it struck Azula instead of its intended target Zuko...

Well, the idea rattled around in my head and after a quick character consult and dialogue plotting chat with Kirschreich I came up with this...

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Revenge is a Dish Best Served Cold

It was the holiday break and everyone had come home to visit. They were all in the backyard of Katara's house playing in the snow. It should have been a happy time and it was, for everyone except a certain scruffy-haired young man.

Move, Katara, I have a little present for Zuko. Jet hefted the snowball, packed it hard again and smirked. It was a petty way to repay the guy who stole his girl from him but it was better than nothing. Scar-faced jerk.

Just then Zuko stood up, laughing at Katara and shaking snow out of his hair. This is my chance. But at the same moment the projectile left his hand, Katara knocked Zuko's feet out from under him leaving a clear shot at… Azula.

A shocked laugh left his mouth at the sight of the snow hitting the side of her head and plopping down her bare neck and collarbone. It was funny. And she deserved it too, so he didn't really feel all that bad about it. Leaving him for that pansy Haru. His humor evaporated when she whipped her blazing bronze eyes towards him and took a step in his direction, claws extended.

"Jet, you bastard!" Ouch. This was gonna hurt. He prepared to run.

Before she could even take more than that first step though, her boyfriend put a hand on her shoulder and started to wipe the quickly melting snow away from her exposed skin. He saw Haru murmur something in her ear and then amazingly she just nodded and let him lead her back towards the house. He watched them leave thinking how much of a wuss Azula's new boy toy was when Haru looked back at him.

By then everyone had stopped to see what was happening. Suki and Toph were freaking out and calling him all kinds of names. Under the direction of Katara, Zuko, Sokka, and Aang just started making snowballs. Hard ones.

But all Jet could see were ice-cold green eyes glittering like diamonds and he shuddered slightly. Whoever this guy glaring at him now was, he was NOT the harmless boy he had grown up with. Haru blinked and the black expression disappeared making Jet wonder if he hadn't been seeing things, then Haru turned away and continued walking.

Jet didn't have much time to think about that though, as he was then buried in a barrage of rock solid snow coming from all directions.

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Haru sat on the living room floor with his arms wrapped around the dozing girl in his lap. She shivered again; he tucked her blanket closer and began to calculate.

Jet.

Weaknesses:

Katara, PSP, Katara, and that pathetic game of one-upmanship he has with Zuko.

How to use that information to repay his actions from earlier, however?

He was still ruminating when Aang sat down next to him. "Is she ok?" The boy lifted his mug of hot cocoa towards Azula.

"Yeah, she's fine." He smiled softly and looking down, brushed some hair off her forehead. The lingering dampness of it made his face tighten momentarily in fury. Typically, his young companion didn't notice. No one ever did. A loud cry arose from the vicinity of the television and he looked up to see Katara crowing in triumph as she beat Zuko yet again at Mortal Combat.

"Flawless Victory!"

Jet, who had been standing behind the couch, jumped over it and shoved his way between the couple. "You lose, Sozin! My turn!" Rolling his eyes, Zuko got up and walked over to sit by Sokka who was playing cards with Toph and Suki.

Oh, Jet is making this too easy.

Haru arranged his expression into one of worried melancholy and sighed. Predictably, Aang looked at him. "Something wrong?"

"It's just… sad."

"What is?" At Aang's look of confusion, Haru raised his eyebrows and jerked his chin pointedly at the teen with the peppermint stick clenched between his teeth on the couch across the room.

The boy followed his look and laughed lightly. "I really doubt Azula would ditch you for him, if that's what you're worried about. Especially after today."

Haru just shook his head and shot another seemingly nervous glance at Jet, who, true-to-form, was presently hugging an arm around Katara's shoulder. "Better luck next time, Kat!"

Aang's already large eyes rounded even further. "Wait, you don't mean?"

But Haru only sighed again and stood, placing his precious bundle on the couch behind him, arranging the blanket around her sleeping form carefully. Aang looked up at him but Haru averted his gaze. "Never mind…" He smirked to himself as he saw the boy's eyes suddenly narrow on Jet.

Raising his voice a bit louder, Haru called out. "Anyone game for more hot chocolate?" As he walked into the kitchen he could hear the chaos begin.

"Hey JET! Why don't you get your hands off Zuko's girlfriend!"

"What?!! I'm not touching her!"

"Jet, you ass! You just can't leave well enough alone can you?"

"Why do you have to be such a sneaky bastard, Jet?!"

Soon the sound of the meaty smack of flesh on flesh added to the mix. As he was alone, Haru let a radiant grin break across his face.

"Pretty pleased with yourself, huh?" Turning to the familiar sleep roughened voice coming from the doorway, he cocked an eyebrow at the woman he had loved since he was a child.

"I don't know what you mean."

Azula approached him and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing a cheek to his chest. "Sure you don't. But thanks anyway."

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Later, as a benevolent but smirking, Katara handed him a bag of ice for his eye, Jet wondered what the hell had just happened. He really and truly hadn't been trying anything… that time. He absently looked around the room and attempted to figure it out when his gaze fell on that pretty boy Azula dumped him for. Haru was looking right back at him and for an instant Jet saw that "other" boy. Then the moment was gone, leaving him to wonder yet again just what he saw.

Haru simply smiled politely. "How's the eye, Jet?"

Fin