Chapter 24: Clearing the Air

Dear diary…I'm not quite sure what exactly to say here.

So much has just happened that even I can't get my head around it.

Zuko he just…just…kissed me…

He full on kissed me. Like on the mouth full on kiss. And I have absolutely no idea why!

He said that I was right about us not being friends. But then again if you were to look at us from the start you'd also think that there wasn't any real friendship between us.

Come to think about it, I'd never have guessed that there'd even be anything between us. We always bickered so much and whenever we fought badly I felt like we would take more than ten steps backwards. But apparently Zuko thought otherwise…and I've been as blind as a viper-bat to it.

Oh spirits diary, what do I do?

Seriously diary I have no idea what to do. I can't just tell my father or my brother because, prince or not, they'd probably flay Zuko alive. I can't tell the crew because they'd just blab about it to everyone else, and I can't go to Lord Iroh because he's Zuko's uncle and the last thing I want is for him to tell Zuko what I'm feeling before I do.

But what exactly am I feeling diary? I mean I've served prince Zuko for nearly two and a half years now but I've only ever truly gotten to know him over the past couple of months. Not nearly enough time to fully fall head over heels…and yet…I guess I do like him somewhat.

Yes he's a bit stubborn and a bit of a prissy, grumpy jerk when he's pissed, but I'm no ray of sunshine when I'm mad so I can't exactly talk. But when we talk normally he's actually quite shy, withdrawn and surprisingly sweet…in his own gruff and rough way.

Just like when we kissed. I will admit it was quite frightening at first. The first time we kissed I was half asleep and not fully aware of what was going on, and this time we were both conscious and we both wanted it –I-I mean he wanted it I just…I just…

Ok so it did feel kinda good but-oh I don't know! I don't kno-

Tap-tap!

"Jade? Helloo?"

"GAH! SHEN!" Jade groaned loudly as black ink splattered all over her hands.

Her brother Shen however only sniggered as he poked his head around her room door.

"Oh whoops. So sorry, was I interrupting anything?"

"Damn straight you were" Jade growled as she gingerly held her hands out gingerly in front of her.

It was a good thing she'd been sitting on the floor and writing and not on her bed because she had black splattered all over her front.

"Geeze, get me a towel would you?"

"sure, sure" Shen snorted as he tossed her one of her spare cleaning cloths she kept in a pile behind the door. It hit her in the face, something that would've amused him had his attention not been on the still open and somehow miraculously clean diary laying open at her feet.

"huh? What's the prince's name doing in here?" he muttered as he reached down.

"Hey-give that back!" but too late, Shen had already scooped the book up and was looking at it carefully.

Jade felt her heart sink straight through the ground and down to the bottom of the ocean as her brother scanned the page.

Once he hit the last unfinished word he looked up at her, brown eyes wide and bulging.

"Y-you and the p-prince? K-k-k-k-KIS-MPH!"

His yell was swallowed by a small hand clamping tight over his mouth.

"SHH! Be quiet!" Jade hissed angrily, green eyes flashing. "Do you want to wake up the whole ship?"

"But Jade-you and the prince-" Shen tried struggling only to wince as he was promptly punched in the ribs.

"Did nothing as far as you are concerned" Jade snapped fists clenching tight by her side "And it will continue to be nothing until Zuko and I have sorted out a few things. Kapeesh?"

Shen nodded dumbly, not that he could've said anything what with the way his throat had suddenly constricted on itself.

By the time he found his voice again, his sister had already cleaned up the mess of ink on the floor and was giving the metal an extra polish.

"So…does this mean father-" but he gulped as Jade gave him a very pointed dirty glare "ok…so no telling father. right gotcha! It'll be our little secret"

He gave a sheepish smile, only to get a dirty ink stained towel thrown in his face.

Idiot

Jade rolled her eyes to herself.

Her amused thoughts were interrupted by a small knock at her door.

"Miss Jade" A deep voice called softly. "There's a message from the kitchens."

Jade froze as did Shen, though his was more from confusion than dread as he made to open the door.

"Just second Kira" he smiled as Kira poked his head through the door a small sheepish smile (or at least that's what Jade thought it was) playing on his masked face.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. But Mr Dango was wondering if you would be able to take Prince Zuko's meal up to him in his room while he serves downstairs. Apparently his royal highness is in a foul mood."

"Oh that's nothing my little sister can't handle" Shen chuckled with a small sly smirk in said little sister's direction. "Isn't that right Jade"

The glare she gave him was nothing short of murderous, though it was quick to disappear behind a very sweet smile as Kira looked in her way.

"I'll be down soon Kira. Why don't you go down to the dining hall and get the good grub before it all vanishes?"

"Haha! Good plan" Kira chuckled before disappearing out of the door. He was so quiet, Jade had to strain her ears to hear even one of his footsteps as he walked away.

"Jade?"

"Huh?" Jade blinked only to see her brother looking back on her with a quirked brow.

"You ok? You look pale?"

"It's nothing" Jade shrugged him off quickly as she jumped to her feet and examined the black inky damage to her robes. "now get lost, I need to change. Can't go about looking like this"

"translation. You want to look pretty for your royal boyfriend-gah!" Shen cried out as another sharp punch with a small fist hit his side.

Serves you right idiot.

Jade smirked though in her heart she could not help but feel a small flutter even as she made to look at her reflection in a small mirror by her bed.

Idiot though he was…did her brother have a point?

"Argh! Shut up stomach, shut up!" Prince Zuko growled down to his gut as it gurgled for the loudly into the silence of his dimly lit room. Barely a day had passed but still he had not the courage to leave his room.

Damn that girl!

He cursed himself for the umpteenth time as he sat in lotus position before his four meditating candles, only to fail as he shut his eyes and felt his lips tingle with warmth.

He couldn't help it. His mind had been a whir since yesterday and it was driving him mad.

Why did I do it? why did I have to kiss her? I should've just yelled at her and left it at that. We'd be arguing but at least I wouldn't be feeling so confusing and-

He jumped as he heard a soft tapping at his door.

"WHAT?!" he snapped, the four candles flaring up before him in a blaze, only to die down to a simmer in an instant as a small voice answered.

"I-It's me…may I come in?"

No! make her go away. Or no, don't answer. No hide in the bathroom! No-no that won't work, pretend to be asleep.

This is what his mind was telling him.

His mouth on the other hand did not seem to be paying his commands any attention whatsoever.

"S-Sure"

NO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

He all but screeched internally as the door opened to reveal Jade, dressed in her short red tunic and pants with a dark red sash. Her hair was loose as it fell about her shoulders and down her back, the brown seeming to be darker in half-light so that it made her pale skin seem even more creamier than usual and the pink blush on her cheeks all the more apparent.

He almost could've roared in defeated anger as her vivid green eyes met his for the smallest moment, before glancing down to the floor bashfully as she mumbled.

"Dango said you wanted dinner"

"Yeah" Zuko muttered, his eyes looking into his lap instead, though not in time to miss the way Jade's face fell a little as she made to set the food by the door.

"I'll just leave it here then"

She turned to leave.

"Wait"

Jade turned just as Zuko stood up to his feet, his gaze anxious but determined as he strode towards her.

Once he was just within reach he stopped and gulped.

"Jade…about yesterday. What I did…what I mean to say is that, I'm-I'm…sorry…" he trailed off, turning his face to the ground in an attempt to hide his very warm very red cheeks. "what I did was-was-"

"Was fine" Jade blurted out, much to Zuko's and her own surprise.

If the prince thought her cheeks had been pink before, it was nothing compared to the magnificent shade of magenta they'd reached now as she fumbled to explain herself:

"the ki-i-I mean what happened between us…It was fine"

"You mean even the kis-"

"Yes!" she steamrolled over the top of him, biting her lip so hard she was sure it was going to bleed. "yes…even that…it was alright…just a heat of the moment kind of thing I guess…"

Zuko's eyes narrowed.

"thing?" he spat "That was all you can say about what had happened between us. It was just a thing? A heat of the moment thing?"

"Well what else do you expect me to say?" Jade squeaked in surprise, but stood her ground as Zuko stepped closer to her.

"Oh I don't know, maybe call it what it is. A kiss"

"Yeah, one kiss-" Jade began only to be steamrolled over.

"One kiss you just admitted to liking"

"I-I-I said I didn't mind it-" She spluttered trying and failing to not meet his fiery glare as he made to stand toe to toe with her.

"You liked it Jade." He hissed down into her face. "I know you did. I saw you. I felt you"

Jade stared up into the scarred face, eyes wide as he leaned down to murmur.

"Why don't you just admit it?"

"I-I can't" Jade shut her eyes and shook her head, as if that would make him disappear. "I-I can't Zuko."

"Why not?" Zuko growled, his hands both reaching up to cup her jaw, his thumbs tracing her chin as she whispered.

"Because I just can't. You're a prince and I'm just…just…me…" She trailed off biting down hard on her mouth as her lips quivered ever so slightly.

Zuko's grip slackened a little on her chin, but he was quick to recover.

"I don't care"

Jade had barely looked back up when all of a sudden he swooped in.

It was nothing like the last kiss. That had been all heat and anger with a splash of almost ferocious hunger added to the mess.

This kiss however was almost the exact opposite. It was soft, careful, pleading, but still firm enough so that when they broke apart Jade suddenly realised that she had somehow ended up back against a wall again.

"You looked a little faint" Zuko puffed a small smug smirk flickering over his features as he watched her eyes narrow dangerously at him as she hissed.

"Don't get too cocky princess"

But far from anger the prince at all, his smirk just grew wider as he leaned in to whisper into her ear.

"Now, will you admit it?"

"Admit what?"

"That you want this?"

"Zuko…I…I don't know" she mumbled her voice small and uncertain in his scarred ear.

"I think you do know" his voice was soft and measured "But you're stopping yourself. Why?"

He craned his head back to watch as she stared up at him, her face paler than ever.

When she spoke, her voice was almost just a tiny breath, so small that even with his good hearing he had trouble deciphering it.

"because…because I've never done this kind of thing before…and I don't know what to do…"

Zuko blinked, surprise just making him freeze in his place. Even though he had known that she was just as new to all of this as he was, he always imagined her to be the more down to earth, less confused one out of the two of them.

But she wasn't. She was just as frightened, if not more so than he was. He could feel it in her heartbeat as they stood, chests pressed up against one another's as he pushed her back into the wall. It was like listening to the drumroll of thunder in a storm, such was the pounding in his ears as he pressed forwards, stopping only when their noses brushed against one another's.

Jade felt her heart almost flip out of her ribcage as the golden amber eyes flickered piercingly to hers, the commanding order echoing in their depths, though none came from his voice.

With a very timid gulp she leaned up, and grazed her lips gently over his cheek. It was barely more than a peck, just under the burnt skin of his scar, but it was enough to spark the hot fire in Zuko's gut as she pulled away.

"That's it?" he grumbled with a pout, and in spite of herself Jade giggled even as she made to duck out from his hold.

"that's all I get-"

"yes…for now" she smirked as the prince's cheeks turned red again, though he was quick to hide it behind a small scowl as his stomach rumbled.

"I need to get back" she mumbled her eyes flickering to the food tray that was still on the floor. "They'll be wondering why I'm taking so long. And you need to eat."

"Yeah" Zuko nodded quietly his eyes still fixed on the flushing cheeks as she made her way to the door. He had to admit the colour suited her well.

"Jade" he muttered as she had just pulled the door open. "About what happened at Pohuai…thanks"

Jade stopped to look at him, a small smile gracing her lips as she mumbled.

"Any time Princess"

"Would you stop calling me that" Zuko hissed though the effect was ruined by the small satisfied smirk that played on his lips as he watched her leave the room.

But even as she walked away, neither of them noticed the shadow watching them from the other end of the corridor.

So…that's how she has stayed safe…

The mysterious figure's eyes narrowed into slits as it watched the young girl all but bounce excitedly away from the prince's quarters.

Gotta hand it to her, she knows how to play them all-hmm? What's that?

The figure stepped back into a dark corner just as someone else came bustling down the corridor.

It was Lord Iroh, and he was looking anxious as he made to call out.

"Prince Zuko! Prince-Ah there you are my dear nephew"

The old lord sighed with relief as Zuko made to peer around his door with a frown that did not quite reach his eyes.

"Uncle? What are you doing?"

"Oh it's nothing, nothing my boy." The old man puffed to his nephew. "We've just stopped at port and Dango was wondering where Jade was? He said he sent her up here to see you"

"She just left" Zuko tried his best to scowl, even though it was proving to be very difficult. Indeed even his uncle was looking suspiciously up at him with concern.

"You two didn't argue again did you? Some of the crew thought they heard raised voices earlier?"

"Yeah well the crew are wrong" now Zuko did glare for real as he folded his arms "Jade and I just talked, nothing more, nothing less. You can ask her and she'll tell you the exact same thing"

I hope

He added in his head, as his uncle made to put his hands up in a surrender gesture.

"I wasn't meaning any offence Prince Zuko. It's just that you two have both been on edge since yesterday morning, and we have been quite concerned-"

"well we aren't any more" Zuko clipped with a pout "We've just sorted a few things out…that's all"

"Oh. Well that's good. Now we can focus on more important matters. Like the Avatar"

"Have we caught up with him yet?" Zuko's head shot up as his uncle shook his head.

"No but we've heard rumours from the port that he may have been there just a day or so ago for supplies."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get a move on" Zuko cried out and almost balked from the door, only for his uncle's hand on his shoulder to stop him.

"perhaps we should try again tomorrow. Besides our crew is tired, and most of the people in the town will be asleep."

Zuko opened his mouth to argue, but the quirked eyebrow his uncle gave him was more than enough to quell his excitement.

"Fine" he huffed grumpily "but as soon as the sun is up tomorrow we start looking"

"Of course Prince Zuko, of course. Oh, by the way, you should wash up. I think Jade left you a little something" Lord Iroh winked, smirking with amusement as his nephew reached up to touch the small red lip shaped mark on his cheek.

Zuko groaned softly to himself.

Of all the things his uncle had to notice, it had to be that didn't it!

MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA! yes they kissed again. but still not quite sure about how it's going to go. I personally don't think it's full on Love at this point in time but also there's still a lot of things both Jade and Zuko have to get through before the end. Zuko obviously knows what he wants now but Jade...i'm not quite sure myself what she's about (which is weird because she's my oc and i made her:P) Oh well I guess only time, (and a more chapters) will tell.

And on that note, hope you all enjoyed and keep R&Ring for more, because it will (hopefully) get more interesting from here on out ;)