"Excellent work on all your presentations, students. I'll input your grades in the next couple of days. Enjoy your winter break, everyone!"

As the students of the engineering class filed out of the room, one pair stayed just outside of the door.

"I think we did really well, Sokka! I mean, it was mostly you really. I don't know the first thing about hoverboards," Zuko exclaimed, running his hands through his hair self-consciously.

That was really hot, Sokka noted, before he shook himself out of his daze. He could not afford to lose his cool now, not when he's just realized how he feels about Zuko. Just play it cool, act how you normally do.

He shrugged. "It's a gift. You're the one who tested it out, though, and that takes guts, considering my less than comforting encouragement."

Zuko laughed in response, which Sokka couldn't help but blush at. "Yeah, that's what we're trying to figure out doesn't exactly inspire confidence."

"Yeah..." he chuckled to himself, feeling embarrassed. It wasn't one of his best moments, which just about summed up his first few months with Zuko.

Suddenly Zuko started fiddling frantically with his leather messenger bag. He searched through it, then groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"I knew I forgot something. My science textbook is still in there. Just go ahead without me, I'll meet you up at the dorms." Zuko waved Sokka off, and he happily obliged. He didn't want to embarrass himself today.

As he walked across campus in a haze, his mind wandered to the other night. After his embarrassing epiphany in the bathroom, he attempted to play it cool and act like his heart wasn't pounding out of his chest every time he looked over at Zuko. After his friends left, and Zuko went to the library to study, Sokka decided to tell Suki.

He was pretty sure that Suki's immediate squeal could be heard around for miles. "Oh. My. God! This is the cutest thing I've ever heard in my entire life! Are you going to tell him? Oh my gosh, I have to tell Katara!"

"No, no, no! Don't tell my sister! Look, I wanted to confide in only you about this, alright?" Sokka demanded quickly.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry about that. I just got really excited." Suki shot him a teasing look. "So...when are you going to tell him?"

"I...I don't know. Maybe never, I mean, I don't even know if he likes me back at all. I kind of doubt it," Sokka mumbled, staring at his hands.

Suki promptly slapped him upside the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Because you were being an idiot. I'm just going to say that the probability that he likes you back is very high. Besides, even if he doesn't, what of it? You can't act like a sissy. You just need to put yourself out there."

Sokka's eyes gleamed as she spoke, and he channeled his inner warrior. "Yeah, you're right! I just need to be my usual charming self, and everything will work out fine. Well, maybe not for you, if we ever start dating."

Suki looked perplexed. "Why?" Then it dawned on her like a crash of lightning. " Oh, Kyoshi, I'll be the third wheel, won't I?"

He had the decency to look apologetic. "Would you be okay with that?"

She folded her arms, but still grumbled, "Yeah, sure, I'm cool with it, if it means you dorks can stop acting so oblivious."

Sokka still wondered about whether not telling Suki had been a good idea, but it was too late now. The worst thing she could do was tell Zuko, and he had made her swear on her life not to. Hopefully she wouldn't be too weird about it.

He threw open the door to his dorm, and unsurprisingly, he found Suki lying on the couch, texting. She had been chilling in their dorm ever since Zuko gave her a spare key for emergencies, so now she was just here every day because Zuko was a neat freak and always made it clean for her.

"Hey, Suki."

"Hey, Romeo. Did you survive the entire day without kissing him?" She grinned, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

He didn't take the bait. "Just barely, to be honest with you. For Tui's sake, why is it so much harder to function once you realize you like someone? Shouldn't it get easier?"

"No, I don't think so. You don't really pay attention to how you're feeling before you realize it, but then when you do, you're constantly worried you're going to give yourself away. Don't worry about it, it's normal."

Sokka shook his head. "I wish it wasn't normal. Who are you texting, by the way?" He shoved a bagel into his mouth.

Suki didn't meet his eyes. "No one."

"Why are you being so weird? C'mon, you can tell me!" he pressed, looking over her shoulder to try and see who it was.

"It's none of your business, I don't need to tell you!" she insisted, hiding her phone.

"Actually, you do need to tell me. I told you my big secret, so you have to tell me yours. So...who are you texting?"

She sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'm texting Yue, are you happy now?"

He frowned and sat down next to her on the couch. "Not really. Why couldn't you have just told me that?"

"No reason, okay?"

"Wait..." Sokka snatched the phone out Suki's hand, ignoring her protests. "Did you just send her a heart eyes emoji? What's going on he-" he abruptly cut off as the reality hit him.

Sokka stared at her, and as he did so, her face got redder and redder. "You like Yue...don't you?"

She held his gaze for a moment, then gave up. "Yeah. Yeah, I do. I know, it's stupid, she already has a boyfriend, but I really like her, and I can't stop thinking about her all the ti-"

"I think you should go for it."

She paused in her ramblings. "...really?"

"Yeah! I mean, sure, she has a boyfriend, but let's be honest here. Does she even really like him?"

Suki snickered. "The real question is, does anyone like him?"

He laughed in response. "Truer words have never been said. Alright, here's the deal-if I put myself out there with Zuko, then you have to make an effort with Yue. Do we have deal?" He extended his hand out for her to shake.

She paused, thinking about it. Then she shook his hand vigorously. "I'll take you up on that! You still have to hold up your end, mind."

Sokka waved her off. "Don't worry about it. It'll be as easy as stewed sea prunes!"

...

Zuko hated forgetting things, and he seemed to be doing it more and more lately. This was the second time this week that he had forgotten one of his textbooks, something he never did in high school. He supposed Sokka was simply rubbing off on him.

He turned the corner, heading back into the engineering classroom. Mr. Piandao was still sitting at his desk, and when he saw Zuko, he smiled gently. "I ws wondering when you'd be back. Your textbook's over there, Mr. Meiyo."

Zuko nodded, slightly embarrassed, and he retrieved his textbook from his seat. Mr. Piandao was easily his favorite teacher, and one of only two reasons he could sit through engineering. "Thanks, Mr. Piandao."

"Any time."

He hurried off outside, eager to relax after stressing about his and Sokka's presentation all day, when he ran smack into the last person he wanted to see.

Jet barely evaded falling onto the ground, thanks to his shorter counterpart. She had short, messy brown hair and pointed charcoal eyes, which were lined with red eyeshadow. She wore a gray graphic tee, black cuffs at her wrists, dark jeans, and a pair of baby blue high tops.

Zuko tried to hurry past him before he could recognize him, but it was too late. He had already seen his scar. "Hey you, I need to talk to you!"

There was no getting out of this one. He sighed and backpedaled back, meeting Jet's steely gaze. "Can I help you?"

"You can, actually. You can apologize for breaking my nose!" He pointed angrily at his bandaged nose.

Zuko's expression remained neutral. "Why?"

Jet fumed with anger. "What do you mean, why? I just told you."

"I know, but why should I apologize for something you deserved? If anything, you should be apologizing to me."

He looked just about ready to murder Zuko,but the girl punched Jet in the arm. "Ow! What was that for, Bee?"

"For being a jerk." The girl, apparently named Bee, turned to Zuko. "Why did you break his nose?"

He didn't stutter. "Because he cheated on my friend's sister and then came up to us and acted like it was her fault they broke up."

Bee's fists clenched so hard her knuckles turned white.

Jet kept shaking his head repeatedly, trying to snap Bee out of her fury. "He's lying, Bee, that's not true, none of it, I would never-"

She punched him in the face so hard his nose started bleeding again.

"Augh! Bee, why?!"

"For not only being a jerk, but a liar as well. Come on, Longshot's waiting for us, he can patch you up." She turned to Zuko again and shot him a thumbs-up. "Thanks for telling me. Sorry about him-half the time he doesn't know what comes out of his mouth and the other half he doesn't know what on earth he's doing. See you later."

"I can hear you, you know!"

"What made you think I didn't know that?"

"Ugh, whatever. I'll be up there in a minute, okay?" Jet grumbled, plugging up his nose.

"Don't take too long. You know Longshot, he'll freak if you don't show up on time," Bee hollered, hurrying up the stairs.

As soon as Bee was out of range, Jet glared at him with such ferocity that he looked like he might spontaneously combust. "Listen, I don't think you quite understand what you're dealing with here. You and that imbecile of a roommate of yours might not like me, but there's at least a hundred people who do, which is more than I think either of you can say. Watch your back, scarface."

He had a sudden burst of courage. "I find it hard to believe that even a dozen people like you, much less a hundred."

Before Zuko could react, Jet was already moving, and he landed a solid kick straight to his stomach. Zuko almost let go of his lunch because of it. "Let that be a reminder to you if you ever embarrass me like that again." It seemed like rage had taken a hold on Jet. " It's a wonder you have any friends at all! If I was you, I probably dug myself a hole and stayed there so I wouldn't embarrass myself! I don't care if I have to drag you to the ends of the earth, but if you even think about crossing me, I'll make sure you'll never want to be seen in public again!" He regained his composure for a moment. "Although, of course, I'm sure you feel that way already."

He turned on his heel and left.

It took Zuko a second to realize that he hadn't been breathing the entire Jet had been screaming. He let out a gasp, and stood there for a minute.

I have to get back.

Sokka and Suki are probably worried about me.

I'm fine.

I'm fine.

He made his way back up to the dorm, oblivious to anything outside of his own thoughts. It's not true, what Jet said. Your scar shows what you have overcome. You have people who care about you.

"Hey! Earth to Zuko!"

Zuko blinked.

He looked around, taking in surroundings for the first time in the last few minutes. He hadn't realized he'd already reached his dorm.

"Oh, good. You kind of spaced out, are you okay?" Sokka asked, his eyes brimming with concern.

Zuko ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm okay. Don't worry about it," he replied, smiling. The smile was harder to manage than he thought it would be.