A/N:

Probably need a prelude, but we're all familiar with how this goes...

It had only felt like a short while ago that the Ember Island sun began sinking from its peak overhead, yet the clouds building along the horizon were already signaling the day's shift into the space between afternoon and evening. With a heart as light as the sky only a few short hours ago, Katara decided to pointedly ignore the impending collision of the giant ball of fire and the mass of light reflecting water vapor in favor of relishing in the swearing of the two souls currently suffering through the company of her brother and the breakers.

"Isn't Zuko like third-wheeling?" Toph asked, lightly jabbing the beach with her foot to form a small tricycle in the yard of one of her many sand commercial real estate complexes (because, for reasons lost on Katara, paltry castles were simply too mainstream for Toph Beifong).

"I can see this one! It's Zuko!"

Toph, keen to avoid the ocean at practically any cost, had pounced on the chance to confine herself to the shore and work with Aang on his sandbending. What could once have been tentatively described as militant pictionary had devolved into shouting and guessing after Toph dishonorably discharged Aang from her real estate empire on three counts of cheating - and that's how many counts you get until you're out in an Earth Rumble.

In her infinite magnanimousness, Toph had permitted Katara the luxury of displaying her moral support for Aang within the gates of her utopian community – she'd even made Katara a bed to tan on.

"Figuratively, Twinkletoes. No points for guessing… or eavesdropping."

Punishments seemed to fall, arbitrarily, somewhere on the consequence compass of casual disappointment, general indifference, outright insult, and sand attack.

In an attempt to interrupt the next dart throw at the aforementioned rubric, Katara provided some exposition. "Sokka wanted to teach Zuko to surf while he had him stuck here on vacation. A lot of Sokka's early physical therapy for his leg was done in the water, and, before the Kyoshi Warriors became Zuko's full-time guards, Suki had wanted to spend time with him during it. They spent so much time on Ember Island that she picked up surfing. She tried to teach Sokka once he'd recovered, but I don't think he ever got very good at it. His teaching practices must have appalled her, because she just ran out there."

Aang raised an eyebrow, "She told me it was her responsibility as Zuko's personal guard to prevent an international incident."

There was a shout from the ocean as Sokka's feet went over his head, his board careening into the sky.

"Perhaps those reasons are not mutually exclusive."

Aang stood up, ever ready for an excuse to join the action and shirk his training, and began shuffling towards the surf. "Well, when in Ba Sing Se…"

"What're you talking about?"

"Good pun, Katara!" Toph decried.

"I didn't–"

"It's an Earth Kingdom expression!" Aang glanced at Toph. "It sort of means, 'wherever you are, do as the locals would do'... right?"

"You've been spending too much time with Uncle Iroh, Aang."

"Don't throw stones in a glass house, Sugar Queen. I know for a fact Uncle packed you a specialty leaf juice blend so you wouldn't get twitchy on the trip."

"I've never heard that expression either!"

"Good pun, Katara!" Toph decried again.

"Ok, I got the other one retroactively, but now you're just confusing me."

Aang's eyes narrowed as he pondered for a moment. "You have heard that expression before – Toph likes it. Remember back at the Western Air Temple when…"

Don't Throw Stones in a Glass House

It was a sunny morning, and the air was light with all the possibility of a new day. This was in stark contrast to the dour mood of the group, which was mainly attributable to their recent adoption of a less than desirable stray. Despite the saturating prickliness of the atmosphere, said stray was making an honest (or belligerent, depending on who you asked) attempt to get along with the various members. Today, the stray had chosen Sokka, who was currently occupied with a view unobstructed by his diametric opinions of this individual. In other words, he was taking in the view of the canyon, so Zuko needed to get his attention.

His first attempt was tentative.

"Hey."

His second attempt was tentative and awkward.

"Excuse me. It's Zu–uh… well I guess you probably know my voice by now, but..."

His third attempt was successful.

"You, uh… Snoozles?"

Sokka whirled around in surprise, his defensive walls flaring up with a screechy accompaniment. "Snoozles? You don't get to call me that!"

"Sorry. I won't in the future. Listen, I–"

"Wait… do you not know my name?" Sokka raised an expectant eyebrow.

Zuko stiffened. "Erm…"

"Do you know anyone's name?"

Zuko paled slightly, and rocked back onto his heels in trepidation. "I know Aang… and that's Appa."

Sokka raised his voice over Appa's distant grumble of approval. "Oh wonderful. I'm sure that served you well for tracking us. I don't think, 'Excuse me, sir? Did a Mr. L. Airbender happen to pass through this town?' would have gotten you very far!"

Zuko lowered his head, his bangs trying, in vain, to veil an expression somewhere between sheepishness and shame. "Asking about 'Aang' was never as effective as asking about 'The Avatar'..."

"In that case, I'm glad your insistence on treating Aang and our group as commodities rather than people helped you hunt us across the globe. I'll bet it also helped you disassociate from the consequences of your actions!"

"That's not what I said!"

Across the stone atrium, Katara leapt back from the suddenly roaring cooking fire with an eep of surprise. Her gaze turned furious as it passed over Aang, busy confirming the status of his eyebrows, before landing on the only possible culprit.

Said culprit, however, was too occupied with continuing his offensive to notice.

"I bet the only Fire Nation names you know are Ozai and Azula! Names aren't a prerequisite for humanizing things! You know the name of one of the most inhuman people alive!"

"So we're things now? Also, I know your Uncle's name! Toph told me–"

Here is where Katara knocked them both over; the temperature of the water an indicator she'd at least had the decency to pull from the nearby fountain and not the nearby simmering cooking vessel. Taking advantage of her unilaterally imposed argument moratorium, she stormed over and put herself between Sokka and Zuko.

Sokka, spluttering against his recently acquired dampness, attempted to scramble to be the first one on their feet. He did not succeed. "Katara!? What gives? Why'd you soak me too?"

"I know Katara's name."

"Oh, real mature, Sparky!"

Punishments for infringing upon her moratorium were meted, and Aang took that as his queue to begin moving in their direction. Likely with plans to diffuse the situation.

Katara loomed up at Zuko, her hands finding her hips to complete the stance of righteousness.

"We forbade you from firebending unless you were training Aang or meditating. That was one of the core rules! Not to mention you were doing it with the intent to hurt somebody. Aang has been lenient with you, but I won't be."

Zuko stared at her in contrite bemusement, "But I didn't?"

His attention shifted to the now much closer Aang, who was brushing his right eyebrow – or lack thereof – with a placating smile.

"I wasn't trying to! I wasn't going to hurt him!"

"I warned you earlier. Harming anyone in our group isn't allowed." She fell into a simple stance. "It has consequences!"

Katara thrust forward to strike, and the water, at her total command, rose above her. The ground, not at all at her command, rose up around her elbows and locked into place. Suddenly caught in a masterless daze, the water fell towards the floor – but not before first splashing on her head.

"And, scene. Break it up, kiddies. Sparky's heartbeat is giving Auntie a headache."

"Toph! Let me go! You saw what happened!"

"Yep. I saw it clear as day, Sugar Queen. Don't throw stones in a glass house. The rules apply to everyone. He wasn't trying, or going, to hurt either of them. Also, the stew is starting to reduce. Get over here and let the boys kiss and make up."

"How do you know that? Let me out! Toph!"

Alas, Toph cared not if Katara's curiosity lingered on the firebender's intentions or the stew's status. The molded stone was similarly stoic. It slid silently along the ground, dragging the unwilling waterbender back to the fireside and leaving the waterlogged pair to their devices.

Sokka's tone was defeated as he turned to Zuko. "What was it that you wanted?"

"I wanted to know if you'd like to spar. Space Sword's hilt has Piandao's crest, so I thought, maybe..."

Sokka perked up in surprise. "You know Master Piandao? … You know Space Sword?"

Ember Island

"That's not how I remember it. It wasn't a clear morning at all! It was so foggy you couldn't see the bottom of the canyon."

"Very funny, Toph."

"Good pun, Kat–"

"Yeah, enough of that." Aang interrupted. "Anyway. How was that? Does it make sense now?"

"I understood the expression, Aang. I just forgot I'd heard it before. I didn't need to relive how nasty I was to Zuko back then."

"Don't worry about it. If you spill the tea, you can just brew a new pot. Besides, you were entitled to your distrust. I deserved that kind of treatment until I'd proven myself."

Careful to avoid causing massive property damage, Katara stood and turned to the approaching members of the party. She did so to narrow her eyes at Zuko, who was rubbing his head in what must've been embarrassment. "I've told you before, Zuko, I won't entertain your constant self-sacrificing. I'll keep apologizing even though we're good now."

His other hand twitched towards his stomach, but he kept it at his side - he'd been working to get that nervous tick under control.

"At least let me have the trust issue part of it…" Zuko mumbled.

"Don't cry over spilled milk?"

All eyes turned to Toph.

"Huh?"

"It isn't whatever that tea nonsense was. The expression is 'don't cry over spilled milk'."

"That's what I've been trying to tell Zuko!" Sokka abruptly crashed into the conversation. "It was an accident!"

Zuko looked at him with his eyebrow cocked. "I'm not saying it wasn't, but I can still 'cry' over you doing something stupid!"

"You're not supposed to stand in front of a surfer while they're catching a wave!"

Zuko threw his hands up. "I wasn't standing in front of you. It isn't my fault you paddle like a drunken Shirshu! And 'catching'?"

As the bickering degraded, and the hand flailing intensified, Katara noticed the small red rivulets beginning to trail down Zuko's neck. They were diluted by seawater, but still obvious in their origin. Her questioning eyes went to Suki, who was finally making her lagging arrival.

"Prevented any international incidents lately?"

"Nope!" Suki replied and deflected with equal enthusiasm (lots), "How's the pun homework I assigned coming? Toph doesn't think you can handle it."

She grumbled as the final puzzle piece of the boys' argument fell into place for her. She latched onto the feeling of Toph's endless mocking. "I hate puns."

In no time, glowing water had been placed, the split skin had been closed, and Sokka and Zuko's argument resolved – all while Suki faked a heart attack.

Zuko rubbed his head with a sigh of relief. "If it had to come at all, it came at a good time. This late into the summer, heavy storms are a certainty in the evening." He jerked his thumb to the once ignored slew of gray towers constructing themselves atop the horizon. "I hope you're not too attached to those sandcastles… what even is this, Toph?"

"You're right. That weather looks nast–yy!." Toph's drawl rose to a shriek as Zuko lifted her onto his shoulders.

"Knew you'd say that."

Toph settled in quickly, patting his head with one hand and pointing randomly with the other. "Very well. Carry me back to the estate, Peasant."

"I suppose it is high time I pay off my peasant-calling debts." With that, he spun in place and strode forward without complaint. "Off we go, your highness."

Soft smiles grew on all faces, except for one.

"Lazy bastard left his board here!"

A/N:

- More to come

- Three blind jokes... I apologize to those that don't see the humor in them

- Doubt Zuko doesn't know the team's names, but I thought it would be fun

- And yea, Zuko is bad at jokes and now also expressions/proverbs/quotes/whatever I need guys I need the crutch

- Structure will follow accordingly: present time plotline mostly geared towards contextualizing the flashbacks, which are currently based on whatever expressions/proverbs/quotes/whatever I need guys I need the crutch