AN: At the risk of sounding egotistical I have to say that I like this one. It's still full of OCC moments and clichés and not enough meat but my really lame humour was allowed to shine through on this one and so I had a blast writing it. Hopefully somebody else will like it, too. And hopefully everybody else will overlook the speed at which everything happens.

I've started to pick up that I always seem to have these cheesy little over-dramatic ending lines. And most of them contain the prompt in them. This is annoying me. I really have to look into changing that. My writing does not need any more things counting against it. :/

Thanks a ton for all the reviews and faves and alerts and everything. You guys really have made my week.

Disclaimer: None of it is mine. Unfortunately. BUT that may change tomorrow… *fingers crossed*

Day Five: Awkward

It started with an awkward awakening.

The one-year anniversary of the end of the war had seen parties and celebrations flare up in every living corner of the world. Even the memorials of those who had fallen could not puncture the joyful mood that rushed in the very air that everybody breathed. And the relief was even more poignant than the joy in some cases such as the Firelord and the Avatar. Both young men could scarcely believe they'd been able to keep the peace for as long as a year.

And with the joy and the celebration came the drinking. Many people overlooked age limits on that day and many others ignored the rules set by their parents and drank anyway. Toph had been the one to supply the alcohol for their little party that consisted of the original eight gaang members – Appa and Momo were officially part of the family – and Iroh, as it was the Jasmine Dragon they were all staying in to get away from politics for a while. Toph and Iroh took to the wine and other assortment of drinks first. It turned out that the retired general was even better at singing a few drinks in than when he was sober.

Sokka followed next, his natural curiosity finally overpowering him. Suki followed his example when she tasted the drink on his lips and decided she liked it. It was discovered that the Kyoshi Warrior gained a personality similar to Ty Lee's when she was intoxicated. Sokka didn't seem to mind at all. Aang steadfastly refused the drink but Zuko and Katara gave in to their own curiosities as well as the peer pressure and took to the drink together.

After that the night became a blur of dancing, singing, over-exaggerated stories and declarations of affection to everything from a distraught-looking Momo to Iroh's prized teapot. The next time things became clear was when the morning light was finally so strong that she could no longer ignore it. Cracking open even one eyelid required a great amount of effort and rewarded her nothing but an increase in the headache that was pounding a symphony behind her temples. Deciding she would sleep for the rest of the century she made as if to pull the covers of the bed she found herself in over her head. The blankets were hindered by something. Grumbling she felt around to get rid of the object robbing her of her sleep.

Her searching fingers found a hand. And then an arm. Her sluggish mind took a few minutes to process her findings and then her eyes shot wide open and she sat bolt upright, ignoring her headache. She was momentarily distracted from her horrific findings by the next piece of horrid information; she was clad only in the new underwear she had acquired when she found out that Earth Kingdom dresses were not to be worn with thick Water Tribe wrappings. Dragging the covers over her chest with a mortified squeak she finally dared to see who was sleeping in the same bed as her.

She nearly died when she saw the pale skin and black hair of her enemy-turned-best-friend. Just when she was about to climb out of bed, find her clothes and get out Zuko began to wake up. She found she could do nothing but watch him in mortified horror, her entire face flaming with a red deeper than Zuko's robes. Which, incidentally, she could see lying by the door.

It took about a minute for Zuko to realize he was not alone. He jumped so badly he nearly fell out of the bed. The Firelord stared at her, his eye popping and his mouth working like a fish on dry ground. Slowly his ears, neck and unscarred cheek turned the same colour as hers as he seemed to stumble to the same conclusions as she had.

"What the heck happened?" he finally managed to croak out hoarsely.

Katara, eyes wide, shook her head. "I was hoping you could tell me."

"The last thing I remembered was Toph drowning Sokka in the punch bowl."

The silence that followed made both of them want to crawl in a hole and die. Katara was very sure she'd never been in a more awkward situation in her entire life and she'dbeen the one to give Sokka 'The Talk'. Zuko cleared his throat in a way that let her know he was as uncomfortable as she was, if not more. Both of them wanted to run out the room and forget about how they woke up but both weren't exactly properly dressed and neither wanted to be the one to broach that subject first.

"Did… Do you…" He cleared his throat again. "Do you think something… happened?"

It was impossible for Katara to blush any harder. "I don't know." Her voice was tiny. "Do you think something happened?"

"Great spirits I hope not." His voice was almost a whimper.

A new emotion cut through Katara's embarrassed haze: She was insulted. Zuko didn't have to sound so repulsed by the idea of her and him together. And with the insult came the hurt and feeling of rejection that made her want to crawl right under the blankets, cry and beat him to death simultaneously. Zuko must have seen the look on her face because his own expression became even more mortified than before.

"No! That's not what I… I… You… I mean…" He blinked rapidly and then blurted out, "Toph!"

"What?"

"I remember following Toph. Last night."

Comprehension dawned and a faint memory began to resurface. "Yeah… She told me that she knew where my room was. That Iroh had told her but he was too drunk to show me. Or something to that effect."

Zuko scowled. "She said exactly the same to me."

The two shared a murderous glare. And then, in unison, they growled, "I am going to kill her."

"So… Nothing happened?" Katara's question was shy and laced with the last remains of rejection and hurt that had so unexpectedly washed through her.

"No, I don't think so. I think I was asleep by the time Toph brought you here. Or I wasn't and you were. Or we were both semi-awake but not enough to realize the other was there."

"Yeah. I uh… Yeah. I think so too." She was finding it hard to squash the unbidden feelings still lingering in her.

Perhaps it was because of the lingering effects of the alcohol or perhaps it was because of the fact that he found himself almost naked in a bed with her. Whatever the reason, Zuko's next words were, "I'm glad nothing happened because I don't want to do anything when I'm too drunk to remember it."

A second later he wished somebody or some divine being would come in and kill him. Katara just stared at him with very wide eyes and mouth slightly agape. Then another blush tinged her cheeks and she looked away, picking at a flaw in the cover. The silence stretched on, heavy with embarrassment and insecurity. Finally Zuko could take it no longer and he told her he was going to get dressed – after setting his teeth and steeling his nerve, of course. He found and yanked on his clothes in double-quick time and then shut his eyes to allow Katara do the same.

Just when he thought he was home free he reached the door at the same time she did, bumping right into her. He blushed again and both tried to make the other leave first. Finally he grabbed Katara's shoulders and forced her towards the door. She paused in the doorway and looked back at him, hair falling prettily over her flushed face.

"Zuko?" He grunted his uncomfortable assurance that he was listening. "Maybe… Well… I… Uh…" She took a deep breath and tried again. "It wouldn't be too hard. Trying to make 'things happen' when we're sober."

Then, as though she'd said something ugly or devastating she shot out the doorway, leaving the Firelord in rumpled robes and shocked mortification.

It was fuelled by an awkward conversation.

Zuko had been training; minding his own business and focusing on nothing but the forms and the flames. He'd been utterly calm and utterly concentrated: lost in the sensation of Firebending just for the fun of it. Sokka had sauntered over and ruined his wonderful mood with one question.

"So what are your intentions regarding my little sister?"

It turned out that Sokka had heard via Toph – he was going to throttle her once he got his hands on her. He swore it – that Zuko and Katara were set to go on a date. The more Zuko tried to protest that it wasn't that big of a deal, that they'd both just agreed to it so they could try it out and that neither of them really knew what they felt for each other at all the more obstinate Sokka got. After ten minutes he seemed to get it into his head that Zuko wasn't serious about Katara and that he was just leading her on. Zuko's vehement denial of this then led the Water Tribe Warrior to believe Zuko was too interested and for all the wrong reasons.

What followed for the next half hour was a conversation Zuko was sure could be likened with having one's fingernails slowly pulled out one by one. Never in his entire life had he felt so mortified or utterly out of his depth talking to a member of the male species. Everything he said seemed to be turned against him in some way and the things Sokka wanted to warn him about… He had blushed almost continuously, wishing Toph would do him a favour for once and make the earth swallow him right then and there.

By the time Sokka left with a threat on his life if Zuko hurt his sister in any way Zuko was ready to never see the Waterbender again. If it meant being able to forget the conversation he'd had with her brother and get rid of any slight possibility of a similar conversation ever happening again he would happily abandon her forever. Well, almost. Well, okay. Not really. But for a second or two he felt like he would.

It turned out to be one of the most awkward situations of his entire life.

Zuko had been sure no engagement could ever top the atrocity that had been his and Jin's date. That conviction had held until about three seconds into his date with Katara. She looked beautiful in a simple Earth Kingdom dress and loose hair but his attempts at telling her that had just insulted her, somehow.

("That dress looks amazing, Katara. Really… uh… really pretty. It's… It's… uh… It's so much prettier than some other… Like the other day I saw this girl walking around in this blue thing and compared to that you look amazing." There had been a pregnant pause. "That girl was you, wasn't it?" "Yeah, it was." "The blue thing was your mother's?" "Yep.")

And so they made their way to the restaurant in stony silence. When he finally got her talking to him again she wanted to speak about the most random topics – topics that he really didn't know how to get into. The conversation was dry and halting. It was like he was speaking to a stranger.

It took him until half way through the meal to realized Katara was trying to be polite and proper. Excited by his revelation he launched into polite and proper conversation topics of his own and as a reward got an even more awkward and halting conversation. Especially after he, in his haste to put his new revelation to use, ended up spraying it instead of saying it. And then desert came.

He swore on his crown he would never, ever re-live what happened when the desert came. Not even in the slightest memory.

They left in almost miserable rage, gaining some looks because of the desert that clung to his clothes and her hair. He had planned for them to stroll around Ba Sing Se as twilight descended so they could talk without being rushed or overheard. The walking part happened. The talking part didn't. He stepped on the back of her shoe as they walked, nearly causing her to barrel into a brick wall. He was sure the nature of their company was the only thing that stopped her from gutting him with an icicle right then and there. After a while she tried again to make things go smoothly by pointing out a pretty bird to him. Her hand, in its motion to point, slapped him so cleanly through the face that he actually staggered back a few paces.

After that neither of them spoke and the air between them was heavy with misery, frustration and so much awkwardness they were sure it had to have a stronger, more menacing name. They finally reached the place she was staying and stared at each other – not quite in the eye – as they shifted from foot to foot.

"You have… In your hair…"

She reached for the bit of peach tangled in her locks but missed it. Zuko reached forward and gently pulled it out, showing it to her as if she had demanded proof. She took the piece of fruit, stared at it, and then burst out laughing. Zuko blinked at her.

"Zuko," she giggled. "What on earth are we doing?"

"I don't know." He sounded mournful and frustrated all at once.

"Oh spirits." She was still laughing, tears beginning to form. "You when you picked me up… And me trying to act all proper and talk about those stupid, ridiculous things…"

He was beginning to see the funny side too. Although it was grudgingly. "And both of us taking so long to order the waitress nearly threw us out."

"Oh Yue! And des-"

"Don't! Don't even say the word!"

She dissolved into peals of laughter again, obviously now thinking the situation was hilarious. Zuko felt his shoulders relaxing, a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

"And," Katara gasped. "Me slapping you through the face… I'm… so sorry…"

"And your shoe." He grimaced apologetically.

Her smile was wide and beautiful, causing her eyes to sparkle. "I guess that wasn't exactly perfect, was it?"

"It was a bloody disaster."

"I still had a good time, though." She suddenly turned shy, shifting into herself as though in defense.

He wanted to agree with her and tell her that even though it was the epitome of an awkward disaster he still didn't reallywant it to end. But no words would come and she was suddenly looking at him with eyes that were expectant in a way he'd only seen twice in his life before. Once – the first time – had been in that very city. And he hadn't picked up on the expectant desire and so she'd made the first move. He was determined to do it right this time. And so, plucking up his Badass Firebender courage he leant in and kissed her.

He just about missed her lips. He caught her instead halfway on the cheek, which – he tried to consol himself later – was still better than halfway on the chin. And the kiss created no fireworks; no utter and complete conviction that kissing her was the only reason for his existence. It didn't even last long enough for him to truly savour it. She broke away, face flaming almost as much as his. For a moment or so she lingered, both suddenly aware they had no idea what to do next.

"Well… Bye, then."

He leant in to hug her as she started to turn away. Seeing his advance she halted and leant in towards him as he leant away. Both of them hesitated and then leant in at the same time, their bodies swaying awkwardly as they tried to judge which side they had to go. She ended up being hugged with her arm squashed to his armpit while she squashed his face into her shoulder.

After the disaster of a hug ended she rushed away, face flaming and legs fueled by the desire to get away from the awkwardness as quickly as she possibly could. Her foot caught on the edge of the step and she was sent sprawling, only just managing to keep her footing.

"Are you-?"

"Fine! I'm fine!" She didn't even look behind her.

When the door closed behind her Zuko banged his head against the wall, cursing himself and the spirits and every feeling in him that had thought that a date with her was a good idea.

As he turned to leave the door opened again and Katara flew out. Her kiss was better aimed than his but still too hasty to be perfectly on target. And that second time he knew. As she flew back inside again – the whole moment lasting less than a minute – he understood why he'd endured it and would definitely endure it again.

Because if awkwardness was the price he had to pay for her he'd pay it gladly.