Author's Note: My apologies for not updating in a while. There is less than a month until final exams down here in Australia, so I hope you can all find it in your hearts to forgive me. Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter, I hope you continue to enjoy this one :)

Also: A quick shout-out to BrooklynSays who kindly asked that I help get a little attention over to their new, first A:TLA fanfic.

Chapter 9

The Intensive Care Unit was much different to the ward Aang had been in earlier. It was more impersonal and somewhat scarier with all of the machines and chords and needles and sounds. The patients seemed hopeless and lifeless in their beds, in their comas, in their crippled bodies. Aang's skin was paler than Katara had ever seen it, the dark circles beneath his eyes prominent and the ominous machine beside his bed the only thing keeping him alive. Katara ran a hand over her friend's face.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," she whispered. A tear escaped her eyes and she swiped it away angrily; crying wasn't going to help her friend. "I'm sorry."

She felt Suki place a hand on her shoulder. "Dr Pakku said I can go home." She looked at Aang, lost in unconsciousness. "Come on, before it gets too late. It's almost six o'clock." Katara nodded and followed the young nurse through the endless corridors of the hospital.

The streets of Ba Sing Se were crowded with people who had been deterred from coming out in the rain the night before, but Suki led them home along the same paths. Katara glanced across the road when they came to walk opposite The Jasmine Dragon and she felt herself smile sadly.

Zuko stepped out of the little café, well dressed and bearing a single pink flower. Jin approached him with a smile and greeted him. She accepted the flower and messed his hair, much to his disgruntlement. Before he could say much more, she took his arm and started leading him down the street. Zuko looked around helplessly for a way out, but only found Katara, standing across the road, a sad smile on her face. The girl looked away from him and continued walking along her own path and Zuko wished he hadn't looked around.

Dinner passed awkwardly with his date. "Where do you go to school? What subjects do you do?" He sighed inwardly at each question. "So, Zuko, do you have a girlfriend?"

"What? Oh, no, I don't."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

He shrugged. "Really."

She looked thoughtfully at her for a moment. A waiter approached them and bowed politely. "Excuse me, sir, would you and your girlfriend care for dessert?"

Zuko felt himself choke on a morsel of food and abruptly slammed his cutlery down, red-faced. "She is not my girlfriend!" The waiter put his hands up defensively and backed away. Zuko scowled down at his plate for a moment until he heard Jin clear her throat. Quickly, he tired to recompose himself and looked up, hoping that he hadn't upset her. "Sorry, I'm just a little flustered, I didn't mean to yell that out."

She laughed. "That's okay. Is this the first time you've ever been on a date?"

"Yeah…"

"Well, you're doing pretty well. You dressed nicely and gave me a flower. You were on time for meeting up. You're not very talkative, but I figured that much out before I introduced myself last night. I'm enjoying tonight so far anyway."

He smiled weakly. "Glad to hear it."

When they finished dinner, the city was lamp-lit and the crowded streets had mostly emptied. Jin held his arm tightly as they walked together and led him into a quiet little park.

"There's a really nice coffee stall set up here during the day," she said. "But it's not nearly as nice as your uncle's café."

Zuko chuckled. "Nothing beats Uncle."

In the middle of the park was a gently flowing water fountain. Candles and lanterns sat bobbing on the water, reflecting their light into the surrounding darkness. Zuko noticed a candle that had been put out and held it against another to light it again. He placed it gently in the water again before turning back to Jin. She was standing closer than he'd expected and he felt his cheeks flush.

"It's really beautiful here. I love it. It's my favourite place in the world." Jin stepped closer and he quietly wished he felt the urge to smile as much as she did. She seemed so happy, just living, being there, lifting a hand to touch his face. He didn't feel happy. She leaned her face towards him and Zuko closed his eyes. He felt the slightest shock rush through him as their lips met and he pulled back just an inch, hesitating. His eyes opened and he looked down to see the sadness his hesitation caused her. Swallowing his pride, Zuko lifted one hand to the side of her face and closed his eyes again. The kiss he gave her was soft and warm. He could feel her smiling into his lips. She felt nice. But it didn't feel the way it should have. Zuko pulled away. "What's wrong?"

He took a step back, eyes on the ground, stepping back again. "It's complicated," he blurted out. "I have to go." He left Jin by the fountain in the park and ran all the way back to The Jasmine Dragon. He came in through the back doors and slunk to the upstairs apartment where he and his uncle lived and shut himself in his room. He heard his uncle's footsteps hours later and pretended to be asleep.

"Zuko, I didn't hear you come in. How was your night?"

With a sigh, Zuko rolled over and opened his eyes. "It was nice." He didn't look at his uncle and the man understood that it was not to be spoken of again.

He saw Katara the next day and stared intently at the floor of the school corridor beneath his feet. "How was your date last night?"

"I was hoping you wouldn't ask," he murmured, looking back up at her.

"That bad, huh? Well, she looked pretty anyway."

He shrugged. "There's another girl I would rather have been with." He felt himself blushing as soon as he'd said it and quickly fumbled for something to add. "I mean, like, there are plenty of other girls out there who… Um…"

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm not sure whether to feel flattered or offended."

"The first one, please." She giggled and he shook his head at himself. "Well, how was your night then?"

Katara shrugged. "It was alright. I went to see Aang in the hospital and then I went home to make dinner for the family. Very exciting," she said sarcastically.

"How is Aang?"

She shook her head. "Just the same as yesterday. He hasn't woken up."

"I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be." There was a long pause in which Ms Joo Dee passed them by and gave them what would have been a stern look if it hadn't been for the Botox. Katara suppressed a sardonic laugh and smirked to herself.

"Can I see the picture?" Zuko suddenly asked.

She was slightly taken aback. "Which one?"

"The one you drew for Aang. The one of the sunrise in your home back south."

She nodded. "Right. I keep forgetting I told you about that."

Zuko smiled. "Well, can I see it?"

"It's at home." She thought for a moment. "What are you doing tonight? Do you have work?"

"No, and I am not going out to dinner with a girl."

"In that case, you can follow me home and I'll show you the picture."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "You sure you want the son of the Red Army leader to know where you live?"

Katara raised an eyebrow back at him. "I think you're man enough to hold your tongue and keep the information to yourself."

He smirked. "Okay then, I'll meet you after school."

Author's Note: Can you tell that I love messing around with characters, making them all jealous and and confused? Awwwh Zuko is so cute when he's awkward. And he's going to follow Katara home tonight, oh la la. Well, what did you all think of this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! :)