Would it really be so bad to be bisexual? To be with Aang? It wasn't like his father could do anything to him now. Uncle would never let that happen. He seemed to approve of them, too. At least, he seemed to approve of the idea of him and Aang being together.

Aang was fun to be around. He was a genuinely sweet person. Aang knew most of his secrets, just as Zuko knew most of his. He had been there for Zuko when his father had thrown acid into Zuko's face. He'd been there when he was trying to get up the nerve to ask Mai out on a date. Zuko made a face at the thought of his ex-girlfriend. He still felt a little bad about the fact that he'd dumped her in a letter. If she'd ever bothered to visit him, he would have told her face to face.

Aang had come over, time and again, whenever his father had beaten him. Just like Zuko had for Aang. They had enough things in common that they wouldn't drive each other insane, and enough differences that they wouldn't bore each other to death. There had been plenty of times when he and Mai had bored each other. He and Aang would probably make a good couple. There was no doubt in Zuko's mind about that. The only question was, did he really want to be with Aang? What if they started dating, but when it came to sex, or even just kissing, Zuko had absolutely no interest? That would hurt Aang, badly. That was the last thing Zuko wanted. The dreams he was having every night now seemed to indicate that there would be no problems with compatibility between them. But those were dreams. He had dreams sometimes where he had huge wings and could fly like a bird. Or dreams where he could hold fire in the palm of his hand without getting burned; could control it easily, with martial arts. The fact that he dreamed about having mindblowing sex with his best friend didn't mean they would actually be compatible. He would have to talk with his uncle.

"How are you feeling today, my nephew?"

"I've felt better, Uncle." Iroh nodded. "I need advice. About these dreams."

"What about them?"

"Should I tell Aang about them? I know you said I shouldn't because he's in love with me, but I-I'm starting to feel confused. They're getting more…intense, Uncle. And I'm starting to look at Aang differently. I'm starting to…think about him differently." He looked at Iroh, trying to gauge his reaction to what he was saying. "Before you got here, I was thinking about how we would make a good couple." Was Uncle smiling a little? "And I was worried that if we did start dating that I would end up hurting him by not being…interested in sex. I…I think I'm starting to be attracted to him, but I'm not sure if we'll be…compatible. And I don't want to hurt him. How do I find out if we're compatible without risking hurting him? And how do I approach him without upsetting him?

"Why do you think approaching him would upset him?"

"Because he might think I found out about his feelings, and that I'm playing a joke on him, or leading him on."

"What on earth makes you think Aang would think that about you?"

"After Jet outed him in front of most of the school, Aang has been so insecure when it comes to dating. Unsure of himself. And besides, as far as he knows I'm straight as an arrow. He doesn't know I'm starting to have doubts about my sexuality."

"How do you think you could hurt him?"

"What if we start dating, and he goes to kiss me, and I realize that I'm not attracted to him the way I am…was to Mai?" Uncle definitely smiled as Zuko admitted he wasn't attracted to Mai anymore. "That would hurt Aang. I know it would, and it would be selfish of me to risk hurting him that way to satisfy my own curiosity."

"If I was in your position, I would tell him that I was starting to have doubts about my orientation. That I was starting to feel attracted to him, but I wasn't sure if we would be compatible. Aang would understand, and, given his feelings, would more than likely be willing to help you figure it out. Especially since, if it turned out that you were bisexual and attracted to him, you two would start dating." That was excellent advice. He was glad he'd decided to ask Uncle about the situation.

"I'll do that. As soon as I'm out of here so I can actually touch him." Iroh snorted at his blatant procrastination.

"If you wait more than three days after getting out of the reverse isolation ward, I will tell him everything you told me."

"What if I change my mind between now and then?"

"Then you had better tell me that before you get out of here, shouldn't you?"

"You never really approved of me and Mai did you?"

"In the beginning, when you were both happy, I did. But in the year or so before your illness, when it was so obvious that you were miserable with her…I didn't approve then. I kept hoping you would break up with her; find someone who would make you happy. I'm sorry that it took her cheating on you to get you to finally dump her.

"Aang will be happy." Zuko looked at him, surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"Aang came over to the teashop after visiting you yesterday. He mentioned that you seemed a little upset, and that you said it was about 'relationships.' He was hoping that I would be able to get you to open up, since you didn't want to talk to him about it." He should have realized that Aang would mention that to his uncle. "I was expecting, however, to have to put a little more effort into getting you to talk about it."

"You won't tell him what I told you, will you?"

"No. I'll tell him that you told me about what was bothering you, and that you preferred it stay just between us for now. He'll understand. In any case, I think his main concern was that you were upset." That certainly sounded like Aang.

"See you tomorrow, Uncle?" He pressed his hand against the glass, smiling as Iroh did the same on the other side.

"Nothing short of Armageddon could keep me away."

Zuko looked up as Aang approached the window. His talk with Iroh had left him feeling a lot better, although Aang looked like he could use some cheering up. Zuko stiffened as Aang's collar slipped a little, revealing a hickey. Aang, apparently, had moved on, found a boyfriend. He wasn't in love with Zuko anymore, obviously. He forced a smile as Aang flipped on the intercom, and sank to his knees to pull out the puppets. Zuko laughed where he was supposed to, although his heart wasn't in it. There weren't very many laughs this time around.

The Prince Zuko puppet betrayed the Uncle Iroh puppet and the Avatar puppet. The Azula puppet killed the Aang puppet, but the Katara puppet managed to save him. The theme of betrayal certainly fit the fact that Zuko felt a little betrayed by Aang dating someone else. That was ridiculous and childish, since they weren't dating. Hell, neither one of them had ever indicated to the other that they were interested in each other.

"What's his name?" The words popped out before Aang even had a chance to say hello. Aang looked startled.

"Who's name?"

"Your new boyfriend." He hoped Aang couldn't hear the bitterness in Zuko's voice. It was bad enough that he was asking. Aang guessing why he wanted to know would just make it even worse.

"I don't have a boyfriend, new or otherwise." Aang was lying to him. Aang never lied to him. It hurt, almost as much as realizing that Aang had moved on had. Zuko let it go, and listened as Aang chatted on about what was happening at school. It was almost time for finals, and there was a big district wide art show. There was also a new student, named Ruon-Jian. Aang had stopped talking, making Zuko look up.

"Are you feeling okay, Zuko? You seem a little upset about something. Was it something I said?" 'No, Aang, it was something you didn't say,' Zuko thought.

"I'm fine." He glanced at the clock over the nurse's station and saw that it was time for Aang to leave. He didn't press his hand to the glass like he usually did, though. And he didn't ask if he'd see him tomorrow. At the moment, he didn't really care whether he did or not. Aang rubbed the hickey, looking a little uncomfortable.

"I…guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?" Aang pressed his hand against the glass. Zuko ignored it and stared at the wall, refusing to answer. "Fine. Act like a spoiled child when someone's being nice." Aang spun on his heel and stalked away, back stiff with anger, before Zuko could say anything. He felt guilty now. He'd behaved like a child, and as a result Aang was upset with him.

"Hey, Sparky. How are you feeling?" It had been three days since his and Aang's fight. Aang had come to see him every day, but things between them had been…strained.

"Hi, Toph."

"All right, Sparky. What's wrong?"

"Who's Aang's boyfriend?"

"He doesn't have one. If you're talking about the guy who apparently gave him a massive hickey, you'll have to ask Sokka. Now answer my questions."

"I feel fine, illness wise. I upset Aang pretty badly, which is what's wrong."

"How did you upset Aang?" Sokka and Katara joined Toph at the window.

"Snoozles! Sparky was asking about Dracula. Tell him about him." Dracula? He'd read the book, and seen several of the movie adaptations. He didn't need Sokka to tell him about Dracula. Sokka rolled his eyes.

"Dracula is what she calls a new kid named Ruon-Jian. He talked Aang into going on a date with him. Aang called me about an hour into the date and asked me to come pick him up. That bastard had bitten him hard enough that Aang was actually bleeding when I got there. It ended up looking ridiculously like a hickey once the Urgent Care was done with him. Aang doesn't like talking about it and prefers to pretend that the whole thing never happened. I think the bastard tried to rape him. Aang won't confirm that, he just changes the subject whenever it comes up. Completely ignores him at school, too. He's going to have to get tested for HIV/AIDS in a few weeks." Zuko felt about two inches tall now. How the hell was he going to make it up to Aang?

"Oh."

"Did you think Twinkles got a boyfriend and didn't tell you about it, Sparky? You know, most friends aren't so possessive that they have a cow and alienate their friends because they start dating somebody without permission." For someone who was completely blind, Toph could certainly see situations clearer than most people could.

"That's not what happened, Toph." 'I had a cow because I thought he was lying to me about getting a boyfriend when I had just started to come to terms with my feelings for him.' Zuko thought irritably. There wasn't enough money in the world to make him confess that in front of Sokka and Katara. Especially Sokka, who would tease him mercilessly about it. Katara would probably try to match make, which might be just as bad. Toph would tease him, but she gave almost as good advice as his uncle did. Since Toph never visited him without one or both of the Wang siblings, he would just have to wait until his uncle visited him the next day.

A/N: I know 'Dracula' is not the best Toph nickname, but I feel that it's a lot better than 'Jerk-Face' which is what I originally had down.