Disclaimer: I have no knowledge of owning Avatar: the Last Airbender.

When I awoke, I smelled food. Tantalizing, scrumptious, wholesome food. The familiar sight of my suite-like bedroom surrounded me as I gently awoke, yet I felt as if I'd been hit in the head with something. A phantom pain, I mused gingerly. I knew I should be feeling something, but it was just up and gone. All the better, I supposed languidly.

Tangled slightly in the cotton sheets, I lay there for a moment. I needed heavy duty coffee—pronto. The need for a routine caffeine boost was probably not a good addiction for a twenty four year old woman, but it was what got me through.

Jaw slacking, I breathed in again. Rubbing my eyes, I brushed my unruly hair out of my face. Falling in a tumble, it tickled my elbows.

I didn't know how it was possible, but someone other than me was cooking. Was that the wonderful smell of breakfast?

Or had I been hit in the head that hard?

There was no recollection of being hit in the head, but either way, I no longer had a migraine. That was what mattered most. It was the first migraine of mine that had passed this quickly. And for that, I was thankful.

My stomach drew me out of the bed, and for a minute, I was lazily content on waking up. Still groggy, I yawned, exhausted. What time was it? And more importantly, how long did I have before I needed to drive my happy butt to work?

Thank God it was an easy summer this go round. Though I only taught three days a week, that didn't mean I didn't have reason to show up on campus on other workdays. I was also a tutor for both college kids, and high school kids. On the days I didn't teach, I reported there not just to teach, but to prepare these kids how to learn for themselves before sending them on their merry ways.

Standing, I stretched. I looked out the window, surprised that the heavy curtains had been drawn open. For a moment, I was unfocused, wondering of when that could have happened. Had I done that? I didn't think so, but who else could it have been? I'd made my way to my bed, so I must have. Because I knew Zuko couldn't have done it without waking me—

Zuko!

Holy crap.

I'd forgotten about Zuko.

Oh, man, I could only guess how pissed the hungry two hundred pound wolf was. He was probably contemplating how to get me back, if I knew the workings of his mind well enough. My normally nonchalant housemate was probably starving right now.

My stomach growled. Oh, okay. I needed nourishment, too. If I felt like eating a horse, I surely couldn't imagine what a two hundred pound wolf would find appetizing right now. Great. Looks like I'd be running up the grocery bill when I went there to replace what the two of us were going to feast on.

But…

Hold on. Then why did my house smell like French toast and scrumptious omelets?

My brows dipped, furrowing as I repeatedly blinked away tiredness. Unsuccessfully, of course.

I continued to stare outside. By the way the shadows fell across the land, shaping and layering the way the light concentrated on the ground, I knew it was still early. Not too early, but not too late—just mid morning time when the birds were starting to relax and their chitterling and whatever other vocals they sung had hushed a bit. It didn't appear to be noon, yet, so I took the time to appreciate the natural beauty of the world outside.

From this view, I couldn't see any of yesterday's hard work. I knew without being able to see that part of land, that it would be perfect, groomed, but with a natural, untouched beauty. But saying the same about what I could see, the view was still gorgeous. Grass that never seemed to grow any longer than even the most immaculate yard was a lush healthy green, a thick carpet covering the ground. The ancient dancing trees seemed to sway, their thousands and thousands of leaves brushing one another to produce a soft raspy rustle as limbs shifted in graceful movement. Standing against a sky of pure blue, the seemingly endless amount of land stretch before me, only ending right before an equally endless boundary of thick wooden fencing.

I spotted Haru's cattle in the not so far away distance, grazing together, moving only when they wanted more appetizing greenery. They were on the other side of the fencing, all clumped together. There were spotted ones, and full bodied colors. There were also Calves mixed in the rounded, content heifers and bulls. Whether playing, dozing, or staying close to their mothers, long ears flicked as they shook off an unseen fly.

Haru would probably be inspecting the fencing and gates today. It was Monday. Even though we didn't see each other normally, I could always count to see him in the distance as he made sure his fencing was alright for another week, hoping for no needed repairs.

Resting my hand against the warmed window, the glass was smooth to the touch, clean and very clear. About an inch of transparent glass stood in my way of the warm summer's day. Outside, I knew it would be unnervingly humid, but where I was standing in the shelter of my air conditioned home, the temperature was pre-set for the day, and wouldn't change until the cooler months unless the air conditioner decided to give its last sputtered sound.

With the money I'd paid for it, it'd better not break now, though. If it did, then it was going to be rest assured I was getting a working one, free of charge. And if I had to go in flirtatious mode to get the repair man to recuperate, then I'd do it while internally gagging. It was a good thing I had a good poker face, or else I made have not been able to control the shiver of disgust that ran through me.

My stomach rumbled, displeased. I needed something, or the cramps would be the end of me. A huge glass of water would suffice too. Both, in the best.

Dressed in my tank top and pajama pants, I went to investigate the alluring smell drawing me towards the kitchen.

Low and behold, when I silently crept towards my kitchen, I had imagined that an intruder had come in, and decided to raid my pantry. Or rather, raid the entre kitchen, and assemble enough breakfast for two.

After the bewilderment had initially passed, I could have sworn I string of curses left my mouth. I didn't know, though. No sound had come past my lips.

It was only proper etiquette now, when you intrude in someone's home, dear sister. I could almost hear my brother's voice as my imagination conjured a remarkable likeness.

I missed him, truth be told. I missed seeing him and his goofy self. And I missed Suki. Along with Sokka, she'd been one of the only friends I'd had growing up. Back when we were little, nothing could intrude our playtime. We'd romp around in the park, all the while laughing with childish joy.

Too bad they had to ruin our trio by becoming an item. Hmph. Oh, well. I'd gotten used to the idea by now. It didn't mean I couldn't miss them any less.

Yet….it wasn't a question as to where the smell was going from. It was more like…what and who was causing it? I knew Zuko was only a two hundred pound wolf, but….

It was either that or Aang—yet, I knew I hadn't given anyone else the keys. My ferocious housemate would have scarfed them down before they even realized that they'd disturbed his beauty rest from atop the couch. Or worse—they'd interpret one of his television shows. Oh, god. I could actually see that horrible fate inside my head, and I shook my head. Bad, Katara, bad! I told myself. Never wish unto others as you'd have it wished upon yourself.

Sad things, was that I'd gotten away with interrupting him and Scrubs before. And Clean House, and Iron Chef, and Dirty Jobs, and….Well, a lot more than I could think of.

How in the world had I escaped from that?

Oh, geez. Was I stupid. I paused, frowning. How was it that I had the courage to stand up to a magnificent beast, give him a piece of my mind, and stare him in the eye when I was too scared to even wave hello to my handsome neighbor when I drove by?

Pots—or pans—clanked rather nosily. My ears rang, and uncomfortably tones of sounds washed in my head, familiar yet foreign. Tensing, the notion finally hit me full force. Holy crap! There was another person inside my home! And Zuko was being utterly silent. That terrified me. Because that meant he had—

The radio went on. I jumped, my heart beating a tattoo inside my rib cage.

Why had Zuko let someone else in? The idiot was going to be mauled! Or stupefied… or something. There was no way the two hundred pound wolf would ever be this loud. Even when he watched the television, Zuko had never made this loud of a racket. At least, not while I was home.

And since when had my air conditioner made that keening whine? Hm. I'd have to get that check out— I paid too much money for it to be producing that annoying buzz.

Tiptoeing down the hallway, I pressed myself close to the wall, inching close to the corner of the hallway. It was a good thing that I knew exactly where I could stand, or else, I would have been seen. There was a single angle that one could see both the kitchen and the dining room in this hallway—by looking at the large rectangular mirror positioned high on the wall. It had been for decorating purposes, but to my luck and misfortune…

Suddenly catching a glimpse of a figure from the very corner of the reflection, I flinched, stepping backwards. I picked up the heaviest thing around me—my shoes—already mapping out where the next projectile was the exact second the sneakers were flung into the air.

I could only see the man's back, but from what I could see, I immediately knew a few things about the intruder. He was tall—the tip of my head probably would barely reach his jaw line. His dark hair was unusually different than modern day styles. Or in the very least, he had it tied back in at the nape of his neck, gathered loosely. His broad shoulders were defiantly real, and the strong arms attached to them couldn't and shouldn't be taken lightly in a fight.

Oh, great. The intruder wasn't just any man. His back was any woman's half dressed fantasy. And if this was what I thought from seeing him from behind, then I really hoped I didn't get distracted enough to forget to throw my dusty shoes at his head. Because if I was going to fling my favorite pair of shoes at anyone, I'd really hate for it to be a really good looking man.

I silently crept along, proud of my finesse at stealth. I couldn't even hear my slow paced breathes. If the situation wasn't so serious, I may have smiled at my momentary lack of klutziness.

I stepped away from the wall, raising my hand, my knuckles white from gripping the shoe so hard. Somehow, I crossed the distance without disturbing him from my recipe books.

Huh? What the…

I'd been… right? Now would you look at that. I paused. Dumbfounded, I stared, wondering. I'd just snuck up on the intruder... successfully? Not that was just not normal. It was a feeling of victory and skittishness that played inside me. I'd never been able to sneak up on anyone in my life before. Shouldn't this be the time when a person is not able to do so?

He was just a foot away, facing the counter. Now that I was close, I couldn't say that my eyes were playing tricks on me. The back of my intruder was a sight to behold. And if I wasn't so wary, I may have just thought I was hallucinating. In a semi-good way, though.

Because if I was still dreaming, then Mr. Intruder wouldn't just do breakfast—he'd eagerly do the laundry too before I kicked him out.

About half a minute had passed since I'd raised my arm. It was so tense that it started cramping, but I forced it to stay raised as an abrupt thought interrupted my focus. Why hadn't Zuko made quick work of this yummy looking specimen standing in my kitchen? Hold up. Where was Zuko, to begin with?

No matter. Other issue at the moment.

Who? Intruder. Doing what? Intruding. When? Now.

My mind was on hyper-speed obviously. Adrenaline rush, I twitched. Smells distracted me. I was hungry, but that could come later.

The normal reaction would be stupid, so I blinked it into nonexistence It would go along the lines of: AH! There's a robber in the house! Call the police, someone call the police! Oh, my God! Help, anyone, help!

Honestly, what retarded person would do that after they'd succeeded to getting within range to knock the man out?

Because of how I'd come to live and adjust to life living with the abnormal, A.K.A. Zuko, my thoughts mused along the lines of: Great. Zuko's nowhere to be seen. Good for nothing wolf-hybrid. And for God's sake! The intruder makes breakfast, of all things?! He could have at least set out the silver ware!

There was food on the table, tantalizing to my hungry belly and mouthwatering. Whoa. I'd been toying around with the thought, but it was true! I had an intruder break into my house that had freaking made enough breakfast for three people! What the heck was wrong with this picture?!

Mr. Intruder seemed to be oblivious to my presence and my humorous thoughts. He shifted on his feet, and the sound of pages turning was the answer to my earlier question. By the looks of it, he really was the reason there was food on the table. And loads of it, too.

At least the counters were cleaned. And the mess was gone. And the food was ready to be eaten. And the—

Thoughts frozen in midsentence, I felt shame. I'm so stupid. I really am. It's just not normal for a person to behave this way, is it?

A full minute had past. I should've brought the shoe down on the man's head a long time ago, but I was standing here while my thoughts raced all over the place.

I glanced back, nervous. Idiot hadn't noticed my attempt at sneaking up. Was this a joke? If it was, it sure was a terrible way to rub it in my face that this would be the one and only time I snuck up on anyone.

Just as I was about to bring down my shoes on his head, he turned around, stopping me. A strong grasp cut off my attack, and I swore at the contact. In a matter of seconds, he'd plucked the shoes from my grasp, and he was grasping my shoulders.

I expected to be hurt after this, but it never came.

Instead, a noisy sigh was all that I heard.

"I'm not sure what side of the bed you woke up on," the man retorted, "but if you've any sense, don't take it out of me. I made breakfast. Would you hurt the chef? I thought you were smarter than that!"

He was…Wow.

Had the situation been different, I'm sure I would have let out a giddy sigh or melted into a puddle like some boneless heap.

Who was he? I'd never seen him before in my life, but I did know another fact to add the collection I'd already gathered.

I didn't even begin to imagine what had caused that kind of scar. A burn, if I was right. Like his flesh had been seared for only seconds, yet the reminding mark would last for a life time.

Despite that, he was still handsome. To me, he was beautiful—breath taking, even. My poor hormone balance was on the over drive, and I found him the most desirable man alive. His sinewy muscles rippled as he shifted on his feet. I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. He was absolutely the most stunning man I'd ever looked at, boasting strong broad shoulders that tapered down into a lean rippling waist. His black hair was long, tied at the nape of his neck with a hair tie. Had he taken that from my bathroom? My eyes fell to his muscular chest. The unusual amulet hung around his neck was a large dark stone, smooth and circular in shape, strung on a simple black leather cord.

Something about the amulet distracted me. It was just as captivating as the wearer.

Defined features, a dark mane of raven's wing locks, full lips, vividly searching golden eyes… Everything about this man was evenly proportioned, from his lean, toned frame and handsome features, to smaller details such as the startling power of his gaze, and the angry red scar.

We stared at one another, though I didn't understand the reason I was light headed until my lungs had resembled shriveled air sacks. Much needed air rushed through my partially open mouth, and I shook my head as a dusting of little spots danced before my eyes.

Something flashed in his eyes, and I registered that look as one of recognition. Did he know me? But how? I would remember a man like him—my deprived female hormones would never allow such a specimen to go unremembered.

The fallen angel let me go, and I stumbled backward, catching my balance my grabbing a counter. Approaching me, his head cocked, looking at me expectantly. I put a few feet between us, yet something was weird.

Other the fact that a random stranger was standing in my kitchen, there was still something off. He was half naked, gorgeous, and….

He blinked, nostrils flaring. Eyebrow raised, he stared expecting at me. For a moment, he waited. When nothing happened, he looked confused. It was the look a person gave someone when they were disappointed. As if I'd done something wrong and—

Enough! I had done nothing wrong! Why was he looking at me like that? I opened my mouth, yet nothing came out. Speak already! I internally shouted to myself.

The stranger jumped. Startled, he winced. He rubbed his temple, resembling a man with splitting headache. "Agni! I never did that to you! Oh, I may have been assertive, but that was just uncalled for."

Huh?

Seconds ticked by, and in frustration, I tried over and over to speak. My throat started aching after so much strain, yet not even the cough that had become trapped would be heard.

I couldn't speak—it was physically impossible. Was I scared? Yes. Was I angry? Yes. Was I confused? Yes!

"Katara?"

I glared. How the heck did he know my name?

"I'm talking." He sounded dumbfounded, and his expression was priceless. Whatever had ailed him, he had recovered from quickly. He straightened up, yet was relaxed as he leaned against the counter.

And I'm not, genius. I bristled. Since it was clear the man wasn't going to hurt ne, I glanced around, searching for a certain AWOL predator. Holy mother, where was the telepathic enigma when I needed him?

"Right here." The stranger started slowly.

Excuse me?

"I'm right here," He repeated. This time, he seemed disgustingly clam. Fingers wrapping around a ceramic handle, he chose one of my chipped mugs, pouring coffee in it. Gently placing the karef back in its cradle, he twisted around.

He smiled.

And my thoughts came to a screeching halt. It was only a hint of a smile, but the effects were just as dazzling.

Forget being the most exquisite man alive—I think my prayers were answered! There was an attractive half naked man in my kitchen. He had made breakfast, a simple meal that looked appetizing enough to drool over.

Would it be too much to wish he do laundry, too?

"Coffee?" He peered down at the steaming liquid inside. "Hmmm, I could have sworn I made it stronger than that. No matter. You have to deal with that. It's not as strong as you normally fix it, but it'll suffice for the moment."

It hit me. Zuko's voice was coming from the stranger's mouth. Those were Zuko's eyes I was looking into, and the man's hair was the same color as Zuko's pelt.

No wonder I had been confused.

There was no stranger in my house. I wasn't going to have to worry about Zuko eating anyone because he was no longer a wolf. In this matter, cannibalism was illegal. A human man had no need to consume another person. Which, Zuko obviously knew—there was enough food on the table to explain that bit to me.

Zuko had become a man. A beautiful one, abet, but still a human man. It was a new notion to me, but I could handle it.

Like all other strange things I learned to understand, I did the same with this situation. I accepted it.

I nodded, taking the mug. Surprisingly, a genuine smile stretched over my lips.

As far as I was concerned, this morning was going to become another first occurrence in my life.

"So why the sneakers?" He asked me. "Your heels would have done more damage, you know. Or is my theory of your thoughts being disjointed before your daily vat of coffee correct? Hmmm?"

I stand corrected. New problem!

Bad news was that I was living with a living breathing man. I've been living with him for a while, but the difference now was that my attraction to him was crazy off the charts. I wasn't sure what was and wasn't available to him now, but I was sure new things were possible. Nothing good could come of this, and I knew it.

Worse, this man was also a former wolf hybrid bound by some curse after he'd pissed off a witch. I didn't know how I knew this, but if it was magic that had turned him into a predator, then that was the only explanation as to why he was standing on two legs now.

I had a healthy dose of wariness of this magic. Why, though? I wondered. I had never seen it in action, so why…? Was it because I know knew how powerful it was? If it could turn Zuko back and forth between forms, then I had a feeling it could do so much more than I could imagine.

Yet there was one thing even more significant that that. I was going to have to cohabitate with him. Zuko. Meaning I was going to have to live with someone I couldn't ignore. There was no way not to. And as for all the other details that were going to be here now….

"Well, I guess my theory is right." He huffed with a shake of his head. "Hurry up and drink. By the way you're acting right now, you'll be doing good if the caffeine kicks in before noon."

So much for his attitude changing as well. Darn. And I was just about to get my hopes up.

Notes: If you are frowning from the last chapter, with your eye brows maneuvered in ways I can't hope to imitate, then read this before you go on.Katara, not Zuko, screwed up. Zuko hadn't shut down their bond—it's impossible in this story. What happened was this—Zuko gets frustrated, started thinking inappropriate words, and makes it to where his foul mouth goes unheard by Katara; Katara misinterprets Zuko's attempt to shield her from his colorful language, messes with the unseen bonds of the magic that intertwines them, and severs partial connection and her short term memory of Zuko in human form and Zuko's memory of turning human. Here's the new twist. They're still bound, but Katara doesn't recognize Zuko's appearance at first glance. Now Zuko's still bound to her, and her to him, but now they'll be facing some new problems.

Neither of them remember their bond, the curse, or the requirements. They're still bound, but they have no idea. The calendar is set, but neither of them remember a thing of it. With the way things are, all the two of them understand is that Zuko...er....transformed over night.

Stupid Katara. They're still bound, but she's made their lives even more complicated.