A/N

Mood: weighted down

Listening To (regrettably): Up, Up, Up by Rose Falcon

On the actual show side: that was really really creepy. I haven't squirmed like that since I saw The Village. Those people… Poor Jet! Zuko and Iroh… What will they do?

APPA! Go get Appa!

And now this fic is way way way dated. I'll have to put a disclaimer on the first chapter that says, "YES! I know that this is not how the city looks. Get over it.

And now… I have a crazy desire to spin off another fic. (That lasted a long time- my whole, "one at a time" thing) And I'm debating whether I should just start this other one for the heck of it or what.

Disclaimer: These characters and setting do not belong to me. I apologize if it upsets anyone that I'm writing about these adorable folks but really… Lawyers… You need to get a life!

Avatar and Company property of Nickelodeon Studios

dream on

xxx

Zuko leaned his forehead against the balcony window sill, watching with disdain as water fell in turrets from the sky, spilling from the window overhand onto the building wall. He pushed a jet of air from his lips. Of all days, did the weather have to suit his mood so perfectly on this day?

Aang and Sokka were slouched in the lounge behind him. The Avatar was fiddling his sleeve, and Sokka was busying himself with the edge of his boomerang.

"This is pointless." Zuko growled, rolling his sweltering forehead against the coolness of the wood sill. "And this apartment is so hot! Why is it so hot?"

"Your uncle is taking a bath," Sokka quipped. "He's steaming up the place. And if you think this is so pointless, then go talk to her yourself."

Aang groaned. "No, don't do that. Katara will just get even more angry."

"I'm tired of skirting around her. Who does she think she is?" Zuko snapped.

"She's a girl." Sokka stated. "This is what girls do. They hole themselves up in their room until someone dares to walk in and make amends. Then they explode. Like I said: if you want to be the one who sets off the trap, be my guest."

Zuko muttered his distaste and turned back to the window. "Stupid restaurant."

"You're blaming the restaurant?" Aang asked.

"Yes. If I hadn't chosen the stupid thing in the first place, she wouldn't have seen the poster, no conversation would've been sparked, and all would be well."

"What do you care, exactly?" Sokka frowned.

"I want to be on good terms with her just as anyone else." Zuko explained sulkily.

Sokka grunted, unbelieving.

"I'm going to my room." Zuko mumbled and shuffled off in the direction of the hall.

"Good. Maybe the heat will go down." Sokka said crabbily.

"What was that?" Zuko asked sharply.

"Nothing. Move along, hothead."

"Sokka." Aang warned.

Zuko decided to ignore the idiot in blue and continued to his room.

xxx

It had been awhile, he realized, since he'd meditated. Zuko folded himself up on the floor at the foot of his bed and shut his eyes. He wasn't sure what he wanted to find out from this session of thinking, but it would feel good to let his thoughts go for a moment. He found a rhythm in his breathing and concentrated on it. Slowly, tension slipped from his shoulders and he was left with calmness.

And a red and yellow clad boy that sat quietly in front of him.

"That didn't take you long," Zuko muttered, eyes still closed serenely.

"I want to apologize…If I had just told them before about that escapade, then she wouldn't be mad at either of us…And I shouldn't have instigated the fight, either."

Zuko sighed. "It's behind us now."

"That's a strange, almost contradictory statement from you." Aang said accusingly.

"Hey," Zuko cracked open his good eye, "I'm pardoning you, don't ruin it."

He smirked. "Sorry. May I join you?"

"You already have, haven't you?"

Aang didn't necessarily take this as a 'no' and proceeded to relax his shoulders and concentrate on his own breathing. In this way, the two passed the next half hour in a leisurely silence.

xxx

"Katara?" Sokka knocked softly on her door. "Can I talk to you?"

He took a deep breath as he realized he was being the said 'idiot' to 'break the silence'. She pushed the door back and nodded wearily to him.

"Come in."

"So," he said, shutting the door behind him, "What are you thinking?"

She slumped onto her bed. "I think I may have been wrong for blowing up at them. I mean, I can sort of understand why they would keep that from us."

He scoffed. "Well, I sure can't, but it doesn't bother me too much."

She offered a small smile. "I think I just want to get some fresh air."

"The market?"

"Sure. Why don't we all go?"

"Why? Because it might be traumatic for you mental well-being, that's why." He grinned, jokingly and pulled her up into a hug. "I really can't see how you forgive so easily, but I'm glad you can. This little group would literally be up in flames without you."

She squeezed his ribs harder. "Thanks, Sokka."

xxx

"Sokka!" Katara squealed. "Put that back!"

Sokka dropped the potentially harmless stick back onto the market table.

"Do you know what that is?" Zuko asked, mockingly.

"It's… a metal stick." Sokka pouted. "Obviously."

"It's-." Zuko began.

"No, don't explain it to him," Katara cut him off. "He doesn't need to know."

"Need to know what?" Sokka studied the thing on the table.

"When you're older," Zuko smirked.

"Zuko…" Katara groaned. "No, Sokka, it's not like that-."

"Hey, look at this 'antique' Air Temple stuff!" Aang called from across the street.

"Ah," Iroh rubbed his hands, "We will have the opportunity to test the authenticity of this market."

"Wonderful." Zuko muttered.

Katara offered an apologetic smile, and Zuko returned it, momentarily losing his frustration with their bargain-hunting venture.

"Love spray?" An old woman pushed a glass bottle into Zuko's face.

He jumped backwards. "What?"

"Love spray!" She cackled. "Guaranteed to win any lady's attention." She jerked her head meaningfully to the water tribe girl in Zuko's wake.

"No thanks," Zuko spat and tried stepping around her.

"Because," she said, jumping back into his path, "I see you need it. I'll let you test it out. One spray for a day! It even comes in several different scents! Which would you like, cinnamon, apple-."

"I said I don't want any!" Zuko shouted.

Katara touched his arm. "Oh, come on, just try it to make her happy."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't-."

"Or lavender or peppermint. Which would you like?"

"He'll take the apple." Katara answered.

"No." Zuko demanded. "For the last time, I don't-."

"Close your mouth, boy, or it'll fly into your throat!" The wrinkled and purple-hued woman spritzed the potion onto his chest and wrists. "There," she said. "Now watch with magical wonder as women will flock to you! Enjoy your day! I'll be here tomorrow when you'd like some more."

Katara had her palm clamped over her lips in a giggle.

"Well," Zuko growled, raking his fingers across his damp skin. "I'm glad you're amused."

"Oh, I'm just so attracted," she joked.

"I need to find something dumb and pointless for you to do," Zuko scanned the surrounding market. "Maybe you'd like a nice hat that attracts flying lemur…"

"No…" she chortled. "I think I'm fine without a hat."

"Oh, but I insist! They come in red, yellow, green or brown!"

She continued her giggle fit while Zuko continued to scratch his now inflamed flesh.

"This," he grunted, "stuff really burns!"

"It does?" Katara chuckled. "Or is that just what it feels like to have a 'flock' of women stare at you at once?"

"I'm serious! It…really… itches!"

"Let me see," Katara took his wrist and pulled back his sleeve. Red welts decorated his pale skin in clumps that seemed to surface as they stared. "Zuko," she gasped. "That looks bad!"

"All thanks to you…" he groaned irritably. "Fix it."

"Fix it? How?"

"I don't know! You're a healer, aren't you?"

"Well… Yes, but I don't know how to do anything like this!"

"You got me into this mess… Get me out."

"We're going to find help."

"Why's Zuko dancing?" Sokka asked, appearing at their side cradling a bag of nuts.

"I'm not dancing." He answered through gritted teeth. "I'm in pain."

"Oh." Sokka took a handful of food and shoved it all at once onto his tongue.

"Come on," Katara took Zuko's arm. "Let's take you back to the-."

"The what?" Zuko snapped. "The palace? Oh sure, and we can just pretend my scar's an allergic reaction too, right?"

"There's no need to get testy about it."

"No need? Hello, Katara! You're the reason I got sprayed with the stupid stuff in the first place!"

"Oh…" Sokka said dramatically. "He's doomed, Katara, help him!"

"Shut up!" Zuko and Katara chorused.

"Sokka, butt out, okay?" Katara ordered.

"That's right. I only want to threaten one Water Tribe citizen right now. You can have your turn later." Zuko leered.

"Threaten?" Sokka's voice was squeaky. "You're threatening her?"

"Where have you been?" Zuko would've slapped Sokka's forehead, had his hands not been busy furiously clawing at his arms, shoulders, and chest.

"You talk pretty big, you know." Sokka growled, abandoning his food and staring Zuko down.

"Good thing I can back it up then." Zuko spat.

"Boys, that's enough. We need to get Zuko a healer-."

"Healer?" Zuko looked around sarcastically. "Where can I get one of those?"

"You know what, that's it!" Katara screamed. "You want some remedy, you pompous jerk?"

"Only if you're in the right mood to do so you little-."

His retort was cut short by a wall of water that was dumped onto his head, rivets of it coursing down his front and back. His only reaction was to sputter and try to form some sort of insult.

"There!" Katara snarled. "Happy now?"

"What's going on?" Aang asked, stepping from the sidelines of the three-way game.

"Zuko…" Sokka gasped between peals of laughter. "Just got told!"

"Told?" Aang asked, glancing at the steaming prince.

"You're next, Sokka! Keep up that mindless banter and your mouth will be too full of ice to speak!" Katara screeched.

Zuko finally tightened the reins on his fury and took a step towards Katara.

"You would pick a fight here where I can't touch you, wouldn't you?" He asked darkly.

"Any time any place." She scowled. "I'd be more than happy to challenge you somewhere private."

"What are you fighting over?" Aang cried, lost.

"Something about a rash." Sokka shrugged.

"Aang." Katara said, never taking her eyes from her dripping opponent. "Are the sparring arenas open?"

"Well… I had one reserved for practice in about an hour…"

"Great. We'll take it." Zuko said.

"I don't think you should fight!" Aang protested. "There's no point…"

He trailed off, as Zuko and Katara were already storming away. He looked desperately to Sokka, who grinned.

"I never really did see what a fight between the two of them looked like. 'Cept for that time at the cave… But they didn't actually fight…" Sokka rambled.

"You're just going to let them?" Aang exclaimed.

"Yeah…Why not?"

Aang set his jaw. "Because they shouldn't have to fight, that's why."

"Maybe…" Iroh spoke quietly from behind them. "The best thing for them is to fight."

xxx

"This is just to get back at me for not telling you straightaway about the Blue Spirit thing, isn't it?" Zuko snarled. They were marching towards the palace, were waved past by the guards, and proceeded to duck into the spacious, dim halls to find the arenas.

"Because if it is," Zuko continued, "and you really want to know so much about me, then I might as well just start out now. When I was seven, Azula convinced me that if I went on top of the palace roof, then I'd find a colony of air benders, and if I caught one then Father would be pleased."

"That's-."

Zuko cut her off and barreled on into his story. "So I climbed onto the roof. At least I tried, and I got one foot onto the roof tiles before Mom saw. When she called out, I slipped. Almost broke my neck."

"Why is this relevant?" Katara frowned, pushing open an arena door.

"Well," Zuko answered icily, "I thought you wanted to know all about me. Which, by the way, I think is just a little crush you've-."

"A crush?" Katara squealed. "You think I'm crushing on you?"

"'Oh just try on that stupid perfume,'" Zuko mocked.

Katara bended the water from her pouch and tossed the empty sachet to the ground. "Sokka's right. You talk pretty big."

Zuko took a stance. "Why don't I just walk the talk, as they say?"

"That's walk the walk, Zuko, and yes, why don't you?"

Katara threw her might against him, but before a single drop could graze his flesh, it froze and fell to the ground in unnerving shatters. Katara and Zuko glanced at each other, then to a younger fellow approaching them from the other side of the nearly-empty arena.

"That's enough." Aang said fiercely. "This is ridiculous!"

Zuko furrowed his brow, contemplating some sort of response, but nothing came to him. He found Katara's eyes searching his, and they instantaneously looked in opposite directions.

"I'm supposed to save the world." Aang shook in his rage. "I'm supposed to unite the nations! How can I do that if I can't even get my own friends to cooperate? You both have said you'll help me, so do it! You're going to have to settle your differences!"

"Yeah…" Sokka sniffed from the background. "That's a tough one. See, there's this dividing line that's-."

"That doesn't exclude you, Sokka!" Aang shouted. "You and Zuko have to get along! How do you think peace will work if even you two won't sit in the same room without some sort of insult? This…" Aang threw his fists the ground. "This is impossible!"

He threw them all one last glare before stomping back up the apartment, presumably, to stew. Katara started to head after him, but Iroh stopped her.

"You three work this out. I'll check on him."

Katara turned back to Zuko and dropped her gaze to study his toes. "I'm sorry, Zuko."

"You didn't do anything wrong," he answered, miserable, "I lost my temper for no reason."

"I shouldn't have pushed you to take the perfume."

"You were just teasing."

"Wow…" Sokka droned. "This is touching and all, but I'm kind of hungry so…"

"Don't you even care about what Aang said?" Katara asked.

"Sure! And I figure that Zuko won't stick around long enough for me to have to get along with after the war, so hey, no Zuko, no problem!"

Zuko scowled. "I plan on sticking around for quite some time, you worthless lump of salt."

"Salt?" Sokka gasped. "Mm. I'm insulted."

"Hush, both of you. You're going to have to find some common ground." Katara ordered.

Each studied one another.

"We both breathe…" Zuko postulated.

"And we're both human and male. Whoo, look at all those similarities! Uncanny…" Sokka sighed. "Can we go eat now?"

"I'm up for eating." Zuko agreed.

"No." Katara answered. "Tomorrow I want the two of you to spend the afternoon in the market. Together. Without fighting. In fact, Aang and I will follow you just to make sure there's no conflict."

"What?" the boys chorused.

"Yes," Katara nodded to herself. "That's the plan."

"That's not fair Katara." Zuko started to protest.

"No, what's not fair is our bickering. We all have promised Aang to help him, and we can't do that if we're divided." Katara answered sternly. "Now, Sokka, we can go back up and eat."

The three headed back up to the apartment, and Zuko ducked behind Katara to sneak a few private words.

"A whole afternoon?" He muttered.

"Don't kill him," Katara pleaded. "Please?"

"For you," Zuko smirked. "I'll spare him."

A/N

So I just saw "Tales of Ba Sing Se", and truthfully, Jen does not frighten me. I am not angered or terrified out of my Zutarian mind. Flame and threaten to kill me all you'd like, but I only see this girl as a step towards Zuko's transformation. If she was important, she would not have advanced so quickly into his life. Look at Suki, for example. She had to appear/ get mentioned in three episodes before she and Sokka kissed. So can anyone honestly tell me that in a span of four minutes Zuko's gonna find his soul mate?

No.

Just breathe, wait patiently, and read some Zutara fanfics and look at some art in the meantime, aight?

Now, I hope you all are totally geared up for this next chapter, because it is going to be all of your favorites. Of this, I am almost sure.

And almost sure is the most sure I can get.

More fanarts! From Irrel (did I mention that before? Oh well if I did) and from yanocchi and from IcEKoLd (I'm pretty sure I mentioned hers…but again, oh well if I did). Links to be added, if not already up, on my profile page.

Garsh, guys. I feel all fuzzy inside. Tee hee…