The Avatar and the Fire Prince

by biconickyoshi

In the year 96AG, a freshly banished 13-year-old Prince Zuko discovers a strange boy frozen in an iceberg. When Zhao interferes with Zuko's plans to deliver the Avatar to Ozai, Aang helps Zuko and Iroh escape. As he gets to know Aang, Zuko learns that everything he was taught was a lie, and begins to feel things he has never felt before. Originally posted on AO3.

42. The Tales of Ba Sing Se

THE TALE OF AANG

Aang sighed as he gazed out at the fields of colorful wildflowers that covered the rolling green hills below him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the warm spring air, a pleasant breeze caressing his face.

He felt so content here. So safe.

"It really is beautiful, isn't it?"

Aang turned to see Zuko sitting in the grass next to him, knees pulled to his chest. The Fire Prince's dark hair rippled gently in the breeze as he turned to smile at him. It was a sweet, incandescent smile that seemed to contain the warmth of a thousand suns.

"Yeah," Aang breathed, his heart fluttering in his chest. "It is."

He quickly tore his gaze away as he felt his cheeks grow warm, and leaned back to lay down on the grass.

"Aang? You okay?" he heard Zuko ask.

"Yep," Aang replied quickly, folding his hands over his stomach as he focused his gaze on the passing clouds. "I'm fine."

Suddenly, Zuko's face appeared above him.

Aang felt his breath catch as he stared up at the firebender, whose brow was furrowed as he leaned over him.

"Hey," Zuko said, tucking a piece of his hair behind his ear in a way that made Aang's stomach do a flip. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"

Aang wanted to look away again, but he found he couldn't take his eyes off Zuko's warm amber gaze.

I can't tell him,Aang thought to himself as he studied his best friend's friendship… It's too important.

But you'vewantedto tell him for so long,another voice echoed in the back of his mind. Haven't you waited long enough?

"Aang?" Zuko questioned as he waved his hand back and forth in front of his face. "Hello? Anyone home?"

Ihaveto tell him.

He took a deep breath.

"Zuko," he murmured. "…I have something important I need to tell you."

Zuko cocked his head to the side curiously. "What is it?"

Very slowly, Aang lifted his hand up to brush the back of his fingers against the firebender's scarred cheek, causing Zuko's eyes to widen in surprise.

"I–"

He was cut off when the ground below them abruptly began to shake.

"What's happening?" Zuko questioned as they both scrambled to their feet.

"I don't know!" Aang replied anxiously, shaking his head. "An earthquake?"

Suddenly, the rumbling stopped, and they were no longer standing on the grassy hill. Instead, they seemed to be standing atop the Outer Wall of Ba Sing Se.

When Aang turned to Zuko again, he saw that the Fire Prince was staring ahead of them, his expression now one of terror.

Aang gasped when he followed Zuko's line of sight and saw them.

Hundreds, possiblythousandsof Fire Nation soldiers, each lined up in battalions at the base of the mountain range in the distance. The sun, which was beginning to sink behind the mountains, seemed to color the landscape with a bloody orange glow.

"They're here to attack the city!" Aang exclaimed, turning to Zuko. "We have to go warn the Earth King!"

"But how are we gonna get there?" Zuko questioned. "You don't have your glider, and Appa's not—"

At that moment, there was a familiar roar in the distance.

"Appa?" Aang realized, his eyes lighting up as he spotted the flying bison, who was whipping his tail as he soared over the Fire Nation troops, speeding towards them.

Of course!he thought happily.I should have known you'd come to help us, buddy!

Without warning, the ground began to shake violently again, and the two boys clung to one another tightly.

"It feels like the wall is going to come down," Zuko said. "Weneedto get out of here."

"Appa's almost here," Aang replied, giving Zuko's arms a reassuring squeeze. "We can jump into his saddle and–"

His words were cut off when he looked back up to see a large net appear in the air behind the bison, looking as if it had been catapulted from below. The net landed on and covered Appa entirely, and his roars became panicked as its weights dragged him down.

"NO!" Aang shouted in panic, letting go of Zuko and running to the edge of the wall. "Appa!"

However, when he looked down, he did a double take. Not only was Appa nowhere to be seen, but the ground seemed to be covered in moltenlava.

"Aang!" Zuko shouted from behind him as the tremors below them grew more intense. "The wall, it's going to—"

Just as Aang turned back around, he felt himself lose his balance, and he looked down to see that the wall below their feet had begun to crack and crumble.

He and Zuko only had time to share one last terrified glance before they both fell.

"AANG!" Zuko shouted, his eyes frantic.

"ZUKO!" Aang shouted back as he tumbled down, a myriad of dust and rocks separating them from each others' sight.

He looked down again to see that he was now hurtling towards the lava below, and he screamed, squeezing his eyes closed as he braced himself for a plunge to a fiery death.

However, instead of feeling the pain of his skin searing from his flesh, he instead felt a rush of cold.

When he opened his eyes, he was underwater, and he was sinking. He tried to move his arms to swim upwards, but it was no use.

He heard a familiar, but muffled, roar.

Appa?

A shadow of the bison appeared somewhere ahead of him as lightning flashed above the water's surface. Aang opened his mouth to cry out, but no sound escaped; only bubbles.

He kept sinking.

Suddenly, he landed lightly on his feet, and somehow, he knew he could breathe again—he was no longer underwater. However, it now seemed that he was standing in a void of complete darkness.

"Where… am I?"

"You left."

Aang whipped his head around, searching for the source of Zuko's voice.

"Zuko?" Aang questioned frantically. "Are you okay? I–I didn't leave, I'm right here! Just follow the sound of my—"

"Youleftus in the desert,"Zuko's voice interjected; this time clearly laced with anger."Youabandonedus."

Aang's eyes widened in horror as a surge of painful memories flooded into his mind.

"No, no,no," he murmured, shaking his head slowly. "I didn'twant… Thatwasn'twhat I… Appa was indanger–"

"And how werewesupposed to know that?"

"I– I gave the sandbenders a letter to deliver to Misty Palms," Aang replied weakly.

"Aletter?"Zuko replied, his words dripping with disdain."Really? You couldn't have at leasttriedto come back to get us? Or did you just not care?"

Aang shook his head violently. "No! You're myfriends, of course I care about you!"

He inhaled sharply when the form of the Fire Prince materialized in front of him, his expression dark and tumultuous.

"I thought I was yourbestfriend," Zuko said quietly.

"Youare," Aang replied, feeling hot tears begin to run down his face. "Youaremy best friend, and so much more, Zuko… You havenoidea how much you mean to me."

He reached his hand out to try and touch the other boy's arm, but Zuko pulled away.

"If I meant so much to you,"Zuko replied coldly."Then why didn't you tell me the truth?"

A small flame burst forth above Zuko's open palm. As Aang's eyes adjusted to the dim light, his eyebrows rose when he recognized the large stone carving of two people kissing. They were back in the tomb in the Cave of Two Lovers.

"T–tell you the truth about… what?" Aang stuttered, feeling his heart begin to pound again.

"You knowexactlywhat."

Aang's head shot up to see that the Fire Prince was now glaring at him with more contempt than he had ever seen, even when they had first met and Zuko had considered him an enemy.

Seeing the boy he loved so much looking at him in such a way made him feel like his heart was being ripped to pieces.

Suddenly, Zuko disappeared.

"You run away when things get difficult,"the Fire Prince's voice whispered over his shoulder."You avoidanythingthat makes you uncomfortable. Youalwaystake the easy way out instead of facing your feelings."

Zuko appeared in front of him again, this time much closer than before. He was now close enough that if Aang wanted to, he could easily surge forward and kiss him.

And how Aangwantedto kiss him. Even after all the things the Fire Prince had just said.

Zuko's amber eyes moved down to Aang's lips for a moment, almost as if he'd read his thoughts. Then, to Aang's astonishment, the firebender lifted a hand to cup the side of his face.

For a moment, the only sound that filled the space was the sound of Aang's shaky breathing.

"...You couldn't even muster up the courage to tell your best friend that you're in love with him,"Zuko murmured, his eyes still on Aang's lips as his thumb gently brushed the corner of his mouth.

Aang could only stare in shock as Zuko stepped back from him again.

"And now,"Zuko said, giving him one last cold look."You'll never get the chance to."

The flame went out, and he was surrounded by darkness once again.

---

"Aang?"

Aang's eyes shot open upon hearing a knock at the bedroom door, Katara's voice sounding almost distant from the other side.

…It was just another nightmare,Aang thought, taking a deep breath to calm himself as he stubbornly wiped the tears from his cheeks.

But it had started off as such a lovely dream…

"Aang? Are you awake?"

He squeezed his closed again as he pulled his blanket tighter, shivering as he did so. He had only been awake for a few seconds, but he already could tell that he felt too exhausted to bother trying to regulate his breathing to warm up his body right now.

"Aang, are you feeling okay?" Katara asked again. "It's almost noon. Lunch will be here soon."

Aang remained quiet, hoping that if he didn't say anything, the waterbender would assume he was still asleep and leave him be. He wasn't particularly in the mood to converse with anyone right now.

To his annoyance, he heard the door slide open behind him.

"He's awake," Toph said.

Aang immediately sat up and glared at the earthbender, though he knew she couldn't see it.

"Aang," Katara said, entering the room with her arms folded. "Why didn't you answer me? I was worried you were sick or something."

"Maybe I just didn't feel like talking," Aang grumbled, laying back down and turning away from his friends.

He heard Katara sigh. "Fine. You don't wanna talk. But youhaveto at least get up and eat something."

"I'm not hungry," Aang replied, pulling his blanket over his head.

"Aang, you can't justnoteat."

"Yes I ca—"

Suddenly, Aang felt a cold rush of air over his body as his blanket was removed, and he scrambled around to see a smirking Toph slinging it over her shoulder.

"Give that back!" Aang snapped.

"No can do, Twinkle Toes," Toph replied. "Sugar Queen's right. Now get up."

---

Aang stared down at his soup as he stirred it with his spoon, picking up a piece of lotus root and dropping it back down into the bowl with aplop.

"Looks like your soup's getting cold, there, buddy," Sokka said gingerly from where he sat to his right. "You wanna… ya know… actually… put it in your mouth?"

Aang shot a glare at the other boy, who sat up straight, his eyes widening.

"...Sorry," he apologized, immediately feeling a twinge of guilt in his stomach for eliciting such a reaction. "It's just… I already told Katara and Toph earlier. I'm not hungry."

"I don'tcareif you're not hungry," Katara interjected, folding her arms. "You still need to eat. Do I have to force you?"

Toph chuckled. "Wow. Never knew you were soviolentdeep down, Sweetness."

Katara rolled her eyes. "This isserious, Toph." She turned back to Aang. "Aang, I know you've been feeling upset after what happened at the party a few weeks ago. But you still have to take care of yourself."

Aang squeezed his eyes closed and dropped his spoon into his soup.

"What's even the point?" he muttered.

"...What?" Katara questioned, sounding taken aback.

"What's thepointof everything we've been doing?" Aang said, looking up at all of his friends. "It's been over amonthsince we got here. No sign of Appa. Nothing about Iroh and Zuko. The king has no power, and the guy who'sactuallyrunning the cityhatesme, and will kick us out if I try to help the people who live here."

"Aang, you're doing it again," Katara said, brow furrowing as her frown deepened. "You're just focusing on the negative things, and—"

"Sowhatif I am?" Aang snapped. "What do you care?"

"I care because I'm yourfriend," Katara snapped back, returning his glare with a hard stare of her own.

There was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Aang muttered, pushing himself to his feet and striding over to the front door. He had a feeling he knew who was going to be standing on the other side.

When he slid the door open, however, he did a double take. Standing in front of him, dressed in fur-lined yellow robes, was Joo Dee.

This was not the "Joo Dee" that he had been expecting to see. Ever since the Earth King's party, the "Joo Dee" who had been attending to them had been another woman entirely. The woman who was standing in front of him now, however, was theoriginalJoo Dee.

"Hello, Aang," Joo Dee said, her smile prim and proper as she stepped into the doorway. "Hello Katara, and Sokka, and Toph."

"Joo Dee?" Katara exclaimed as she and the others stood up and walked over to the door.

"What happened to you?" Sokka asked. "Did the Dai Li throw you in jail?"

A look of mixed confusion and amusement appeared on the woman's face. "What?Jail?Of course not. The Dai Li are the protectors of our cultural heritage."

"But you disappeared at the Earth King's party," Toph said, folding her arms.

"Oh, I simply took a short vacation to Lake Laogai, out in the country. It was quite relaxing!"

"Short?" Sokka scoffed. "You were gone for threeweeks!"

"And they replaced you with some woman whoalsosaid her name was Joo Dee," Katara added concernedly.

The woman's smile fell as her eyes widened with further confusion. "I'mJoo Dee."

While Katara and Sokka shared an apprehensive glance, Aang sighed heavily, pinching his nose bridge.

"Why are you here?" Aang asked, giving the woman an annoyed look.

Joo Dee blinked for a moment before her polite smile returned.

"I am here to escort you for your daily outing into the city this afternoon to search for your bison," she replied. "I actually have some suggestions for new areas that may be worth investigating if you—"

"No thanks," Aang interrupted.

"No… thanks?" Joo Dee repeated, looking utterly perplexed.

"What?" Aang asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Am I 'forbidden' by the rules of the city to stay home for one day?"

"O–of course not," Joo Dee replied nervously. "But are youcertainyou do not wish to–"

"Nope," Aang said, turning around and folding his arms as he began to walk away from the door. "Like I said, you canleave now."

"…Forgive me," he suddenly heard the woman say from behind him. "This may be out of line, but… are you feeling alright?"

The quietness of her voice, devoid of its usual air of fakeness, made Aang stop in his tracks. His eyes narrowed with skepticism as he slowly turned around.

"You wanna know if I'malright?" Aang said, marching back over to her and causing her to back towards the doorway with a startled expression. "I'mnocloser to finding my bison. I havenoidea where my missing friends are. And yourbossisthreateningus. So, yeah. I wouldn't say I'm feeling particularlygreatright now."

With that, he slid the door open again and gestured for her to exit with a glare.

"Wait!" Joo Dee replied, holding up her hands. "I'm sorry. I– I know I can't do much to help, but…"

She trailed off, twiddling with her fingers as she glanced nervously at the waiting carriage parked on the road outside.

"What?" Aang asked, shaking his head expectantly.

"Perhaps, just for today…" she said quietly. "If you would like to spend time in the citywithoutan escort…"

Aang's eyes slowly widened, and he turned to look back at his friends, who looked surprised as well. He slowly slid the door closed, and once Joo Dee saw that she was presumably no longer being watched by the carriage workers, she reached into her sleeve to retrieve what looked to be a folded paper, which she held out to him.

"There are many activities to enjoy in the Middle and Upper Rings, if you would like to… take your mind off things," she said.

Aang narrowed his eyes as he looked down at the brochure, which listed various events, activities, shops, and restaurants.

"Day spa?" Katara said, taking the brochure, her eyes lighting up as she read over it. "I didn't know there was one so close! I've always wanted to try one!"

"Aspa?" Sokka replied, raising an eyebrow. "Seems a bitgirly."

Katara glared at her brother for a moment before his eyes widened with intrigue as he took the brochure from her.

"...The poetry club might be interesting, though," Sokka murmured, hand on his chin.

"Since when areyouinto poetry?" Toph questioned.

"Never, as long as I've known him," Katara replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm allowed to try new hobbies," Sokka replied defensively, folding his arms. "I just so happened to join in on a recent session of theirs the other night."

"And they justletyou in?" Katara questioned disbelievingly.

"...Not exactly," Sokka replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Anything on there that looks like it would be interesting tome?" Toph interjected.

"Let me see," Katara replied as she snatched the brochure back from Sokka. "Ooo! There's an art gallery in the Middle Ring!"

Toph raised an eyebrow. "Anartgallery?"

Katara's face immediately reddened with embarrassment. "Oh! ...Sorry," she apologized with an awkward chuckle, returning to looking at the brochure. "Wasn't thinking. Um… maybe we could go to a park? It's pretty cold out, though…"

"I was hoping for something more along the lines of a bending tournament," Toph sighed, shaking her head. "But whatever. I guess I'll just tag along with whatever you guys end up doing."

"Okay! Great!" Katara replied cheerily before turning to Aang. "What about you, Aang? See anything that looks fun?"

Aang frowned slightly as he leaned over her shoulder to look at the list again. Ordinarily, a good number of these activities and places would pique his interest. But right now, he didn't feel much of a desire to do anything.

"...You guys can go ahead without me," he replied.

"What? Why?" Katara questioned, a disappointed frown appearing on her face.

"I'm just not feeling up to it," Aang shrugged, folding his arms as he looked off to the side.

"If you are looking for a particularly engaging activity youallcan enjoy," Joo Dee chimed in. "Might I suggest the opera? There is a new production starting for the season. It has excellent reviews."

"Actually, that might not be terrible," Toph said. "At least it's something for me to listen to."

"What exactly is an 'opera'?" Sokka asked, squinting his eyes. "Sounds like some kind of disease."

"It's basically just a play where everyone is singing the whole time," Toph explained. "They can be pretty fun if the story is interesting and the music is decent."

"Ooo," Katara said, her eyes sparkling with interest. "That sounds fun! Doesn't it, Aang?"

Aang shrugged again. "I guess."

"Come on, buddy," Sokka said, putting his arm around Aang's shoulders and giving him a squeeze. "You've been cooped up in the house all morning. Don't you think it would be good to get out for a bit? Just for the afternoon?"

With both Water Tribe siblings looking at him expectantly, Aang suddenly felt as though he couldn't say no without feeling guilty.

"...Alright."

"Yeah!" Sokka said, pumping his fist.

"But wait," Katara said, her smile fading as she turned to Joo Dee. "If you're not coming with us, how are we going to do any of this? Everything looks expensive, and we really don't have that much money…"

"Ah," Joo Dee replied, digging into her sleeve again. After a moment, she produced a golden seal in the shape of a badgermole with an intricately woven green tassel attached.

"Present this to any of these places of establishment and you will be granted immediate access. It is the Earth King's official seal, indicating that you are personal guests of His Majesty."

Aang's eyes widened yet again as she dropped the seal into his palm.

"...You really don't have to do this," Aang murmured, at last realizing the true extent of the kindness Joo Dee was offering them. "I don't want you to get in trouble again."

Joo Dee gave him a small, tired smile. "As long as you do notcauseany trouble, I'm certain we willallbe free from getting into it. I will inform the Grand Secretariat that you have elected to stay home for the day."

At last, the woman turned to leave. But Aang knew that there was one last thing he needed to say.

"Wait."

Joo Dee stopped for a moment, looking back over her shoulder.

"Thank you."

She simply nodded in reply, and with that, she departed.

---

After a busy afternoon at the Fancy Lady Day Spa, attending a haiku reading at the Five-Seven-Five Society, and eating dinner at perhaps the fanciest restaurant in Ba Sing Se, Aang couldn't help but feel that his moodhadactually lightened somewhat.

At the very least, when Katara wasn't constantly asking him how he was feeling, he had to admit that getting out of the house and spending time with his friends had certainly been a good distraction from his guilt-ridden ruminations.

If he'd stayed home like he'd originally wanted, he'd likely have been miserable, sitting alone with his thoughts, forced to recall the events of his horrible nightmare…

"Aang!"

He shook his head rapidly and looked up to see that Katara, Sokka, and Toph were across the room from him, looking at him expectantly.

"Come on, Twinkle Toes!" Toph said. "The show's about to start!"

"Sorry!" Aang quickly replied, hurrying across the lobby.

Once he'd caught up with his friends, he saw that Katara and Sokka were craning their necks to survey the room around them.

"Wow," Katara breathed. "I've never been anywhere likethisbefore."

The auditorium of the Ba Sing Se opera house was grand and spacious, with high ceilings, multiple balconies with intricately carved gold-painted railings, and hundreds of seats. The panels on the walls were decorated with murals from what Aang assumed to be various famous operas—he spotted several badgermoles, spirits, and lavishly dressed people depicted in several of them—and a green crystal chandelier hanging above them colored the room with an atmospheric glow.

"So, Toph," Sokka said once they had sat down in their seats. "Can you explain to me again what exactly we're about to watch? A fancy play?"

"With singing," Toph replied, petting Momo's ears as he curled up in her lap.

"...I dunno how Ifeelabout that," Sokka murmured to himself skeptically, rubbing his chin. "Why do they have tosing?It seems a bit silly. Can't they just say the lines like a normal play?"

"Theycould," Toph said with a smirk. "But then it wouldn't be anopera."

"Come on, Sokka," Katara said, raising an eyebrow. "You ended up liking the spa when you thought you wouldn't, and you eventually got bored of that poetry reading when those girls wouldn't pay attention to you. Plus, you thought that fancy restaurant was overrated by the time we were done."

"Your point?" Sokka questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm just saying, there seems to be a pattern today of your expectations getting subverted," Katara replied with a shrug. "I think you're actually gonna enjoy this."

"...We'll see," Sokka replied, narrowing his eyes as he sat back in his chair with folded arms.

"So, have you seen this one before?" Aang asked, turning to Toph. "Like, did they do a production of it in Gaoling?"

"Nope," Toph replied. "I've never heard ofLove and Loyaltybefore. Hopefully it doesn't suck."

"The program does say it's a new production," Katara said, leaning over to show Aang. "'Love and Loyaltyis a new production from lyricist Mingyan Jiang and composer Jisoo Baek that follows the lifelong journey of a prince and his sworn brother and their quest to protect their kingdom from a powerful enemy. It is a story of friendship, loss, and love that is sure to touch the hearts of many.'"

"Hmm. I guess that sounds abitinteresting," Sokka said casually, though Aang could see the curiosity in his eyes.

"Ooo!" Katara whispered, bouncing up and down in her seat as the lights began to dim and the chattering of the room died down. "Shh! I think it's starting!"

The curtain on the stage in front of them lifted, revealing a man dressed in gold-trimmed robes who held a long, magnificent looking sword at his side. The bottom half of the man's long hair spilled over his shoulders, while the top half was fashioned into an Earth Kingdom-style topknot with a golden headpiece.

Is this the prince?Aang wondered.

As the man lifted his head and stood up, Aang's eyebrows rose as he noticed that his face was covered in stark white makeup, with red shading over his eyes and black-painted angled brows. Additionally, on his forehead, three red petals had been painted. While it was not exactly the same, it did bear a striking resemblance to the makeup worn by the Kyoshi Warriors.

"Hey, doesn't that guy kinda look like Suki?" Sokka whispered, leaning over.

"Shh," Katara replied with an annoyed look at her brother before turning her attention back to the stage, her eyes sparkling.

Surprisingly, when the man started singing, he was somehow able to project it as though he were standing right in front of him. Aang quickly found that the man's voice was quite lovely to listen to, and he watched and listened with interest as he sang of a victory he had just won over a dark spirit who was threatening his kingdom, declaring his love for his people and the lengths he would go to to protect them.

Soon, a new character appeared—another man, less opulently dressed than the prince, but still clearly high-ranking, whose face was also painted similarly to the first man's. This character quickly revealed that the first man was indeed the prince of the kingdom of Yunmeng—Chenglian—and that he himself was the prince's best friend and bodyguard—Minghi—whom the prince had known since childhood. The two shared a brief duet, during which Minghi congratulated the prince for his victory. The scene ended with the two friends sharing a warm embrace.

The next scene featured a montage of the passage of time over ten years, with the vocalists singing of the prosperity of the kingdom and their love for the prince. By the end of the scene, however, based on the tone of the music becoming darker, it seemed likely that this era of peace would soon be coming to an end.

Aang's hunch about the direction of the plot seemed to be correct: it was quickly revealed that skirmishes had begun to break out between Prince Chenglian's kingdom and the neighboring kingdom of Samui. Always seeking to protect his citizens and confident that he could put a stop to the conflict before it escalated into war, Chenglian made several attempts to negotiate peace. However, he was unsuccessful; it was clear that Samui was eager to conquer Yunmeng and gain control over its wealth and resources.

War did indeed break out between the kingdoms, and for an entire year, the prince struggled to lead his troops to victory, resulting in many casualties both within the prince's army and amongst the towns and villages that were often caught in the crossfire. Despite the hardships, Aang was pleased to see that Minghi remained at Prince Chenglian's side the entire time, serving as his right-hand man and general in many battles.

Soon, Aang found himself sitting at the edge of his seat during one particular scene: another duet between the prince and the bodyguard. However, this duet was much different in tone compared to the one at the start of the opera.

It began with the prince vocalizing his fears for his kingdom, revealing to Minghi that he had heard the whispers of the palace officials, who were beginning to doubt his leadership in the war. Chenglian seemed to grow more distraught the longer he sang, expressing that he had not asked for any of this, pacing back and forth on the stage.

Eventually, however, he was stopped by Minghi, who grabbed his hand and sang of their past adventures together, reminding him of all that they had accomplished together. At the song's end, he reassured Chenglian that no matter what happened, he would always remain by the prince's side. In the background, the music swelled as the two men stood smiling at one another, hand in hand.

Aang's brow furrowed as he watched the scene, studying the actors' body language and facial expressions closely. Could it be possible that these two characters felt more for each other than just friendship?

However, when he thought back to what he knew about Earth Kingdom culture in regards to romantic relationships, he became doubtful. According to Bumi, the majority of the Earth Kingdom was very "traditionalist", meaning that, in contrast to the Air Nomads, many people did not approve of same-gender relationships. In some more progressive regions, though, such as Omashu and some other southern provinces, these types of relationships were accepted, with some even allowing marriage between same-gender couples.

Unfortunately, with how extremely traditionalist Ba Sing Se had proven itself to be, Aang doubted that any of that was the case here.

Despite his doubts, he couldn't help but feel drawn to the characters onstage.

Maybe it was because he couldn't help but see himself and Zuko in Chenglian and Minghi.

"What do you guys think of the story so far?" Katara whispered as the curtain closed on the scene and the audience clapped, while the orchestra continued to play. "I think it's really good!"

"Eh," Toph shrugged. "It's noMadame Spiderfly, but I guess it's entertaining."

"The romance between the prince and his bodyguard is so compelling," Katara replied, eyes sparkling again. "I wonder if they'll confess their feelings for each other?"

Aang blinked at the waterbender with surprise, not having expected her to have caught onto the chemistry between the two leads.

"Romance?" Sokka whispered with a clear look of confusion. "They called each other 'sworn brothers'."

"Seriously?" Katara questioned with a frown. "They'reclearlyin love!"

Sokka narrowed his eyes. "...I don't see it."

"Ofcourseyou don't," Katara sighed, shaking her head. "You're a meathead."

Before anyone could speak further, the curtain rose again, this time revealing a scene of what looked to be an active battlefield. Prince Chenglian could be seen at the center of the stage, swinging his sword nimbly to block attacks from an enemy soldier, while Minghi fought alongside him. Once the enemies were defeated, the two men gathered their remaining soldiers and discussed what moves they should make next.

They were interrupted by a scout, who frantically informed them that a second army had infiltrated the capital city. Immediately fearful for his parents' lives, the prince struggled to determine the right move to make: stay with his men and continue fighting, or return to the palace to try to save his parents.

It was Minghi who eventually encouraged him to go, ensuring Chenglian that he would take care of their men. With a promise that they would see one another soon when the victory was one, the two parted ways.

Aang felt himself begin to grow tense with anxiety as the next few scenes played out. When the prince returned to the capitol, he was able to make it to the palace, where he found the king and queen still alive. However, it seemed the city itself was beyond saving; many guards and soldiers had died, and despite the prince's martial talent, there was no way he could hope to defeat the coming army on his own. Thus, he and his parents were forced to sneak out of the city, making their way back to the area where the prince had left his bodyguard and men.

When they arrived, however, they were greeted by a scene of carnage; all that laid before them were corpses. Frantically, the prince called out for Minghi, turning over body after body, until…

Aang felt tears begin to well up in his eyes as the prince at last found the man, limp and lifeless.

Chenglian cradled Minghi's body in his arms, singing softly about how he thought that he had promised to always be by his side, while the king and queen watched sadly from behind.

The prince's mourning was interrupted by the sound of shouts from offstage—more enemy soldiers were coming. Touching his forehead to his best friend's one last time, he gently laid his body back down, and the prince and his parents exited the stage.

This time, when the curtain closed, the lights of the auditorium brightened as the audience clapped.

"What the heck wasthat?" Sokka exclaimed, grabbing the sides of his head. "So Minghi isdead?"

Katara shook her head slowly, wiping away tears from her cheeks. "Hecan'tbe," she sniffed. "I don't want to believe it…"

"Calmdown, you guys," Toph said with a yawn, stretching her arms over her head. "There's a fifty-fifty chance that he either reallyisdead, or miraculously ends up being okay in the second act."

"He'dbetterbe okay!" Sokka replied, folding his arms. "Otherwise, what's Prince Chenglian gonna do if his best friend really is dead?"

Upon hearing this, Zuko's face flashed in Aang's mind. Then, he recalled the scene onstage of Chenglian hugging Minghi's body. Suddenly, unable to stop it, Aang's brain imagined Zuko in Minghi's place.

Now, the thoughts that were beginning to circulate unendingly in his brain were the following:

What if he's dead? What if he's dead? What if he's dead?

It'smyfault.

He could feel his breathing starting to grow shallower, and his chest became tight.

"Woah, Twinkle Toes," Toph said, suddenly turning to him with a concerned expression. "Your heart rate is off the charts—are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he interrupted quickly, bolting to his feet as he felt himself beginning to grow more panicked. "I– I just need some air."

"Hey," Katara said, her blue eyes wide with concern as she stood up as well and put a hand on his arm as he felt his chest begin to heave up and down. "Do you want to come to the lobby with me and get you some water?"

"No," Aang interrupted again, yanking his arm back and squeezing his eyes closed. "I mean… I'm sorry, I just… I need to be alone."

With that, he bolted away before any of his friends could protest, weaving through the crowd into the lobby and out the main doors.

---

Aang took a deep breath, letting the cold night air fill his lungs and wash over his body as he soared through the night sky. It seemed to have started snowing while he was in the opera house.

He scrunched his brow and bit his lip as he tried to focus on the falling snowflakes and the sensation of cold air battering his face instead of Zuko.

Unfortunately, however, it seemed nothing he did could pull his thoughts away from the Fire Prince.

As he flew over the massive city, he couldn't help but get a feeling of deja vu. Nearly a year ago, he had spent several days flying over the streets of Agna Qel'a, searching for any sign of his missing friends. Now, with Ba Sing Se covered in white snow and Zuko and Iroh missing once again, it really did almost feel as though he'd traveled back in time.

Eventually, after focusing on deepening his breath in order to regulate his body temperature, he was able to calm himself down from his initial state of panic. However, now, his underlying feelings of deep sadness and regret were beginning to surface again.

He continued flying, not certain of where he was going to land. Eventually, he spotted one of the many large monorail stations that overlooked the Lower Ring, and gently landed on the station's rooftop, sullenly gazing out at the warm glow of the maze-like city streets below him.

Are you out there somewhere?Aang wondered, slowly sitting down and pulling his knees to his can't I find you?

He thought back to the last time he had seen Zuko, in Misty Palms. That image of the firebender had been seared into his mind now. Would he ever get to see those golden eyes, that sweet smile, ever again?

"Just… stay safe and take care of Iroh, okay?"Aang had said.

"Aye-aye, Avatar,"Zuko had replied.

Those were the last words they had exchanged before Aang had left.

Would they end up being the last words they wouldeversay to one other?

He bit his lip as he felt the sting of tears begin to well up in his eyes.

Why?he questioned internally, curling in on himself and hugging his knees tighter as he choked back a didn't I justtellyou?

He hadn't allowed himself to experience his emotions this intensely since they had first gotten stranded in the desert all those weeks ago.

No matter what he did, he just couldn't banish that last image of his best friend's smiling face from his mind. But at the same time… he didn'twantto. Memories of Zuko were all he had right now, and he would cling to them with every fiber of his being.

Aang continued sobbing into the quiet night until he at last felt that he did not have the energy to do so any longer. Shakily, he stood back up, using his staff to help him keep steady. He knew he had to return to the opera house soon; his friends were likely very worried about him.

He took back off into the night.

---

"Thereyou are!" Katara exclaimed, jogging down the steps of the opera house to meet Aang as he landed on the sidewalk into a fresh patch of snow; Sokka was helping Toph traverse the steps behind her. "I've been worried sick!"

Her scolding expression shifted, however, when she got closer to him.

"Aang…" she murmured, her concerned blue eyes studying his features. "What happened?"

"I'm fine," Aang replied tiredly. "Like I said. I just needed some air. Can we go back to the guest house now?"

"Yeah, I second that," Sokka said as he and Toph at last made it to the bottom of the steps as well. "The opera was great, but I'm exhausted. Both physically, and emotionally."

To Aang's relief, their journey back to home was not a long one, as the opera house was only a few blocks away from their guest house. When they arrived, however, while Sokka and Toph approached the doorway, Aang watched Katara whisper something to them before turning back around.

"You wanna sit with me?" she asked as she plopped down on the edge of the patio—which was barren of snow thanks to the awning, patting the ground next to her.

Aang did not reply, but slowly made his way up the stairs and sat down next to her nonetheless.

"Where did you go tonight?" Katara asked quietly as they both stared out at the quiet street.

"…I just flew around the city."

"Looking for Appa?" Katara questioned. "Or for Iroh and Zuko?"

"I don't know," Aang replied, brow furrowing as he shook his head. "I wasn't really looking for anything. I just… Ineededto get away."

Katara nodded slowly. "Aang… I've been really worried about you these past couple of weeks, you know."

Of course Aang knew. She made that abundantly clear through her constant fussing and worrying over him.

"I know I've probably been annoying you lately," Katara sighed, almost as if she had read his thoughts. "But… I don't know what else todo. You seem to be getting worse every day. You've been sleeping well into the afternoon, you haven't been eating very much, you've lost so much of your usual energy…"

"I'm sorry," Aang managed to rasp, still looking forward.

"You don't need to apologize," Katara said. "You've been through so much these past couple of months. Andyears, really. More than anyone should ever have to go through."

Aang simply nodded, and there was a moment of silence.

"Did… something about the opera tonight make you feel worse?" Katara asked eventually. "You looked really spooked."

Aang's brow furrowed and he bit his lip, suddenly feeling self conscious.

"I…" he began, fidgeting with his thumbs. "Well… this is dumb, but… the end of that first act, when the bodyguard died…"

Katara nodded. Judging by her expression, she was taking him seriously, to his relief.

"It just… made me think about Zuko. How I left him and Iroh in the desert. How he might bedeadright now and I'll never know because Iabandonedhim—"

"Hey," Katara said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "First of all, it's not dumb that you got emotional about the opera. I was crying at the end of the first act, too. And second of all, you're getting stuck thinking about the worst case scenario again, and that's not—"

Aang shook his head. "Iknowit's not healthy. But I can't exactly help it…"

He turned away, squeezing his eyes closed.

"Ican'tget that image out of my head, Katara," he murmured quietly. "Of Chenglian finding Minghi on the battlefield…"

He opened his eyes to see that, surprisingly, Katara was smiling at him.

"Do you want to know how the story ended?" she asked. "You completely missed the second act."

Aang's brow furrowed with apprehension at first, but eventually, he gave a small nod.

"Minghi wasn't really dead," Katara explained. "He survived, and found Prince Chenglian and his parents. Then, together, they reunited their scattered army, took back the kingdom from the invaders, and both ended up being hailed as heroes."

"So… everything ended up being alright?" Aang questioned in disbelief.

Katara nodded. "Look. I know everything seems bleak right now. But just like inLove and Loyalty, there's always a chance that things will be okay in the end. Youhaveto remember that, and just keep holding on to—"

"Hope," Aang finished with a small smirk. "I know."

Katara chuckled with a look of slight embarrassment. "Sorry. I know I bring up that word a lot."

Aang laughed. "Youreallydo."

Katara shoved him lightheartedly, rolling her eyes.

It felt silly, but learning how the opera had actually ended seemed to have lessened Aang's sense of dread. There had been so many times already where he and Zuko had faced hardships, where they should have died, but they hadn't.

Perhaps, just like Chenglian and Minghi,theirstory would have a happy ending, too.

"…So," Katara said, looking at him now with a completely different expression. Her eyes were narrowed, but she seemed to sport a curious smile. "Chenglian and Minghi reminded you of you and Zuko, huh?"

Aang blinked at her.

"Uh… yeah," he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, theywerebest friends, so…"

Katara nodded slowly, her eyes still narrowed, before folding her arms and turning to look at the street.

"You know, they never confirmed anything in the end. But… I still think that what they felt for each other was more than just friendship."

Aang's entire body immediately tensed, and he whipped his head to stare at the waterbender with wide eyes. The implication was clear. Had she figured out his feelings for Zuko?

When Katara turned to look back over at him and presumably saw the distraught expression on his face, her eyes grew wide with concern.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Aang," she exclaimed apologetically. "I– I was just joking."

"...It's okay," Aang replied quietly with a sigh. "You don't need to apologize. The truth is, I…"

He pressed his lips into a thin line and squeezed his eyes closed. He had never spoken about his feelings for Zuko aloud toanyonebefore.

"I…" he murmured, his heart pounding wildly.

"...I'minlovewithZuko!"

Aang slowly opened one eye apprehensively. However, he was surprised to see that waterbender's eyes were shining as a wide grin slowly began to spread across her face.

"Iknewit!" she laughed, throwing her arms around him and squeezing him tightly, to his surprise.

"You… youdid?" Aang replied incredulously, returning her hug with a confused but relieved smile.

"Yes!" Katara replied, holding him by the shoulders as she pulled back, looking completely ecstatic. "Oh Aang, this is wonderful!"

Katara's energy was infectious, and he felt himself grin as well. "I'm, uh, glad you think so."

"How long has this been going on, exactly?" she asked, nudging him with her blinked several times. "Um… I'm not really sure, to be honest. It started a long time ago, but I think I really realized it back in Agna Qel'a."

"Agna Qel'a," Katara murmured, shaking her head slowly and looking absolutely giddy. "So are you planning on telling him how you feel?" she asked, suddenly scooting closer to him with her hands clasped in front of her chest.

Aang sat up straight, his smile disappearing. "What?"

"When you see him again," Katara said. "Are you gonna tell him?"

As always, the doubt began to creep in.

Aang shook his head. "I don't know, Katara…" he sighed, pressing a palm to his forehead.

"Do you not want to?" Katara questioned, cocking her head to the side.

"No," Aang replied quickly. "Idowant 's just that… He's mybest if he doesn't feel the same, and it ruinseverything?"

Katara blinked in surprise for a moment before bursting into laughter, to his confusion.

"Aang," she said amusedly. "I really don't think you haveanythingto worry about."

Aang's brows immediately furrowed with perplexion, though his heart leapt hopefully in his chest. "What do you mean?"

"Zukoadoresyou."

Aang immediately felt ears begin to burn. "He– he does?"

"Ofcoursehe does!" Katara said, smacking him lightly on the shoulder. "Neitherof you are very subtle, by the way. I'veseenthe way you look at each other. And don't even get mestartedon the flirting."

Aang stared at her incredulously.

Katara laughed again. "Youseriouslycouldn't tell that he likes you too?"

"I– I dunno!" Aang replied defensively. "I mean, for so long I'vehoped…but…"

"But what?" Katara questioned, folding her arms.

Aang sighed, pinching his nose bridge. "Katara… back when we were stuck in the Cave of Two Lovers, Zuko and I… we…kissed."

Katara's jaw dropped. "Youdid?!"

Aang nodded shyly.

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head. "If youkissed, then why haven't you…?"

"I don'tknow," Aang replied miserably. "Once we got out, all that stuff with Omashu and Bumi happened, and after that, well…"

"You just pretended like it didn't happen?" Katara asked.

Aang frowned, fidgeting with the material of his sleeves. "No. I just… didn't want to make him uncomfortable. So I thought I would lethimbring it up wheneverhewanted to. But… he never did, so I guess I just thought… I don't know, that maybe he regretted it."

"Ohspirits," Katara sighed heavily, smacking her forehead in a very similar fashion to her brother. "You two reallyarea couple of dingdongs,as Toph would say. Youreallydidn't talk about it because you wantedZukoto bring it up first?"

"I told you, I didn't want to make him uncomfortable!"

"Aang," Katara said, bringing her palms together and pressing her hands to her mouth. "Have you ever thought that maybenottalking about the kiss would makeZukothinkyouregretted it?"

Aang blinked several times. "…Oh."

"Whyare boyssooblivious?" Katara sighed again.

Aang stared down at the snowy ground in front of him for several moments, his mind now running wild.

"…I need to tell him," he stated abruptly, pushing himself to his feet. "If—whenI see him again, I'm going to tell Zuko how I really feel."

Katara bolted to her feet as well, grinning again. "Yes!That'sthe spirit!"

Aang smiled back at her. "Thank you, Katara," he said, wrapping her into a tight hug. "I feel a lot better."

Katara squeezed him back. "You don't need to keep all of these things bottled up," she said. "I can't speak for Toph and Sokka, but if you ever feel like you need to get something off your chest, you can talk to me."

"I know," Aang replied with a nod as he released her from the hug. "And… the same goes for you too, you know. Like, if you ever want to talk about Suki…"

Katara's eyes shot wide open.

"What?" she laughed, her cheeks turning visibly pink. "I–I don't know what you're talking about!"

Aang raised an eyebrow at her.

"...Okay," Katara sighed, slumping her shoulders. "Imightkind of sort of have atinycrush on her."

"Tiny?" Aang repeated, folding his arms. "I wouldn't call it tiny, from what I've seen."

Katara gave him a deadpan look. "Oh, sonowyou're an expert at telling when someone has a crush?" she said, folding her arms as well. "Youdidn't even know that Zuko liked you back until five minutes ago."

"Hey, chatter monkeys."

Both Aang and Katara turned towards the front door to see Toph leaning against the frame.

"You gonna stand out here in the cold yapping all night, or are you gonna come inside and eat some dessert with us?"

"Yeah!" Sokka called out from behind her, where Aang could see that he was sitting at the dining table, holding a half-eaten pastry. "If you guys don't hurry, Toph and I are gonna eat all of these!"

Katara smirked and looked back over at Aang. "Well? You hungry?"

Aang smiled. "You know what? I think I am."

---

THE TALE OF ZUKO

"One oolong tea, please."

Zuko turned around to see Jet leaning on the counter in front of him, grinning at him with a piece of wheat sticking out of his mouth.

"Oolong instead of jasmine this time?" Zuko asked with a smirk. "Switching it up, I see."

"You know me," Jet replied with a shrug. "I like to be adventurous sometimes."

"You wanna order something for Smellerbee and Longshot too?" Zuko asked.

"Nah. They're still working," Jet sighed. "I just got off work though, and I knew your shift ended soon, so I wanted to drop by on the way home to say hi."

"...And to have me serve you tea?" Zuko replied with an amused exhale through his nose.

"Hey," Jet replied, holding his hands up. "I'm ordering for the both of us. By the time it's done, you can clock out and we can enjoy it together. My treat."

Zuko rolled his eyes lightheartedly before turning around to call out over his shoulder. "One pot of oolong."

As he turned back towards Jet, the Freedom Fighter's eyes suddenly widened in surprise as his gaze moved to Zuko's right arm.

"You finally got your cast off?"

Zuko nodded. "Just yesterday. The doctor said it looked pretty much healed, and just told me to avoid getting into trouble from now on."

"Avoiding trouble might be difficult for you," Jet replied amusedly, his smile returning. "But I'm glad you're better. Does this mean Mushi will cool it with his constant fussing?"

Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line, sighing as he recalled the events of the past month.

When he and Jet had returned from the Earth King's party, Iroh had gone through several states of emotional distress upon finding out that Zuko had gotten injured. While Zuko had admitted that he'd gotten the injured arm from a Dai Li agent, he had decided not to tell Iroh that it had been from theheadof the Dai Li, mainly to avoid causing him further distress, though he wasn't sure it had made much of a difference. Looking back now, Zuko wasn't certain that he'deverseen his uncle so upset—save for during their conversation about Lu Ten's passing.

The next day, they'd immediately gone to the doctor, who had not only been able to assess that Zuko had fractured his humerus bone, but also the state of Iroh's burn, informing them that they no longer needed to apply Katara's ointment. Before they'd left, he'd gotten Zuko fitted with a proper cast and sling, and even given them some more medicinal pain-relieving herbs, which could be brewed into a tea.

Zuko had essentially been grounded for two weeks after that. While Iroh had insisted that it was to allow him time to rest and heal, Zuko knew that, deep down, he had likely been terrified that something would happen to Zuko if he had let him their room at the inn. Eventually, Iroh had allowed Zuko to return to work after Zuko had convinced him that he could keep an eye on him there and promised that he wouldn't do anything too strenuous.

Naturally, even now, Zuko couldn't help but feel guilty for causing his uncle so much distress.

"...Hopefully, yes," Zuko replied, folding his arms. "But I'm still not sure if he's completely over what happened."

Jet shrugged again. "Eh. He'll get over it eventually. You're fine, I'm fine, and we haven't even seen any members of the…you-know-whatsince that night," he said, though he paused to carefully look over both shoulders before leaning forward. "Nobodyknows it was us. There's really nothing to worry about."

Zuko shook his head. "Try telling my uncle that," he sighed.

"You know what? Maybe I will," Jet replied jokingly, his eyes scanning the tea shop as he stood up straighter. "Is he in the back?"

"Actually, he took the day off," Zuko replied. "He said he had some errands to run or something. Mr. Pao has been making all the tea himself today, and he's been a bit… overwhelmed having to keep up with all the customers and orders. Even though he's been following uncle's recipes, we've still gotten several complaints that the tea isn't as good as it usually is."

"Well, nobody can make tea like Mushi can," Jet said with a chuckle. "But it honestly sounds like he deserved a day off, especially since he's had his hands full worrying about you the past few weeks."

Zuko nodded in agreement, though his brow furrowed slightly as he recalled the last interaction he'd had with his uncle this morning before he had left for work. Iroh had asked if he would like to take the day off as well to run errands with him, but Zuko had refused—he wasn't certain they could afford for both of them to miss a shift, especially when he'd already missed so much work due to his injury.

Before Zuko could reply to Jet, a tired-looking Mr. Pao emerged from the back room, holding a tray with a teapot and a stack of cups.

"Oolong?" he asked, flashing a strained grin at both Zuko and Jet.

"That's me," Jet replied with a smile and a nod, pushing some coins forward as payment.

"Thank you for your business, young man," Pao said with a bow of thanks.

"I'm done for the day, Mr. Pao," Zuko said, removing his apron and handing it to him. "Will you be okay by yourself for the next couple of hours?"

Mr. Pao waved his hand back and forth. "I ran this shop all on my own before you and your uncle started working here, Lee. I can handle it."

He was quiet for a moment.

"...Mushiiscoming back tomorrow, though, right?"

"As far as I know, yes," Zuko replied.

Pao seemed to visibly relax upon hearing this. "Good. Good. Enjoy your afternoon, then."

With that, he disappeared back into the back room.

"So how's the new place been?" Jet asked as he picked up the tray and took it to one of the empty tables, Zuko following him. "Do you guys need help with anything else? Like moving new furniture, or whatever?"

"It's been fine," Zuko replied as he sat down. "And we should be all good on moving stuff. I don't think we could fit anything else in that apartment anyway."

"Oh. Okay," Jet replied, pouring a cup of tea for himself, then for Zuko. "Well, I hope it starts to feel like home soon."

Home?Zuko thought, frowning slightly as he looked down at his cup. He wasn't even certain what "home" was to him anymore.

"This city is a prison," Zuko muttered, taking a sip of his tea. "I don't think any placeherewill ever feel like home."

Jet blinked at him with a slightly surprised expression, and there was a somewhat awkward silence between the two of them for a moment before Jet spoke again.

"So… Any fun plans for the rest of the afternoon?" he asked as he blew on his tea to cool it off, changing the subject.

Zuko shrugged, leaning back and folding his arms as he continued staring down at his steaming teacup on the table. "Nope. Probably just gonna rest."

"...Are you okay?" Jet asked. "You seem a bit…"

"A bit what?" Zuko questioned with a frown as he looked up at the other boy.

"I dunno," Jet replied. "Not yourself."

Zuko narrowed his eyes at the Freedom Fighter for a moment before sighing.

"I'mfine, Jet," he replied. "Just tired from my shift."

"You seemed okay when I got here, though," Jet said. "Are you sure there's not something–"

"No," Zuko interrupted. "I said I'm fine."

"Excuse me."

Zuko's brow furrowed upon hearing this new voice. When he looked up to see a girl around his and Jet's age standing at the end of their table, looking directly at him, he flinched.

This girl was not a stranger to him; in fact, he had noticed that she had been coming into the tea shop almost every day that past week. He had also sworn he'd caught her watching him several times, though she had always seemed to look away when he had tried to catch her.

He gripped his tea cup tightly, suddenly feeling nervous. What if this girl was secretly a Dai Li spy, and she had found out that he and Jet were the intruders who had broken into the Grand Secretariat's office a month ago?

"Um… yes?" Zuko replied awkwardly.

"Hi there!" Jet interjected, flashing his handsome grin at the girl before she could reply. "Is there something we can–"

"Sorry to interrupt," the girl—ironically—interrupted. "I just wanted to talk to your friend here for a second."

Jet's smile deflated just slightly. "If you're wanting to order something, you'll have to go up to the counter and ring the bell—his shift just ended for the day."

"Oh," the girl replied. "That's not what I'm here for. But I promise I'll be quick, and then I'll let you get back to your conversation." She turned to Zuko again. "My name's Jin. What's yours?"

Zuko saw Jet's smile drop completely from across from him as the Freedom Fighter's eyes moved back and forth between him and the girl, looking suspicious.

Zuko blinked in confusion as the girl smiled at him with her hands behind her back. Now that he was looking at her directly, he saw that she was very pretty, with long, dark hair styled in two braids, bright green eyes, and a sweet smile.

He was very muchnotused to girls paying much attention to him at all. Jet was always the one who all of them seemed to flock to when they were out and about.

All the more reason to be suspicious,Zuko thought, narrowing his is she talking to me when Jet is right there?

"...My name's Lee," Zuko replied carefully.

The girl's smile widened. "It's nice to meet you, Lee."

"It's nice to meet you too," Zuko replied, now feeling even more confused.

"I'm Jet, by the way," Jet interjected, his grin having returned, though it definitely looked more strained.

"...Nice to meet you," Jin replied politely before turning back to Zuko as he took another sip of his tea. "So, Lee. I was wondering if you'd like to go out tonight, if you're free."

Zuko's eyes widened significantly, and he nearly began to choke on his tea.

His eyes immediately darted over to Jet, silently pleading for help as he coughed, as he had no idea how to respond. However, strangely, Jet already seemed to be staring at the girl with an expression of mixed shock and… Irritation? Annoyance?

Zuko shook his head. He would need to handle this on his own.

Obviously, he couldn't sayyes—firstly, because he was ninety-nine point nine percent certain that he was incapable of experiencing attraction to any women at all, and secondly, of course, because of Aang.

Zuko took a deep breath. However, as the girl continued to stare at him, hopeful and expectant, her pretty green eyes shining, he suddenly felt guilty.

"Um, listen, Jin," Zuko said, rubbing the back of his neck. "You seem really nice, but…"

He looked pointedly over at Jet for help again, hoping that he would catch on this time.

Thankfully, Jet was actually looking at him this time, and raised one eyebrow in confusion for just a moment before realizing that Zuko wanted him to intervene.

"I'm sure Lee wouldloveto accept, under normal circumstances," Jet said. "But the two of us actually already have plans for tonight."

"Yep," Zuko quickly added. "We have… that thing going on that we promised to go to. So… I can't. Sorry."

"...Oh," Jin replied with a look of mixed confusion and slight dejection for a moment as eyes moved back and forth between Zuko and Jet.

Before long, however, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Well, I hope you two have fun with… whatever it is you're doing tonight," she said. "Sorry again for bothering you. I guess I'll see you around, Lee."

"Yeah… See you around," Zuko replied, waving at her as she exited the tea house.

Once she was gone, he slouched in his chair and sighed heavily. "Thatwas unexpectedly stressful."

"You reallyweren'tinterested?" Jet asked confusedly.

Zuko squinted one of his eyes. "I mean, she seemed nice. But, no, I wasn't."

"Really?" Jet replied incredulously. "You're not interested in a girl who'sthatpretty?"

Zuko frowned slightly. "No. Just because she's pretty doesn't mean I want to go out with her."

Jet continued staring at him. "So… She's not your type, then?"

"Why do you keep asking me all these questions?" Zuko demanded with slight irritation. "Ifyouthink she's so pretty, why don't you go ask her out yourself?"

Jet's eyebrows immediately shot up in surprise.

"U–um, well," he stuttered. "I'm not interested in her either."

"If that's the case," Zuko said, leaning forward and looking Jet directly in the eye. "Then you interrogating me about her?"

"Well, uh…" Jet eventually said, clearing his throat in what looked to be a sudden and uncharacteristic display of nervousness as he looked up at Zuko almost shyly. "It just made me curious. What kind of personwouldyou want to go out with?"

This was certainly a question Zuko had not been expecting to be asked. Nonetheless, an image of Aang immediately appeared in his mind upon hearing it.

"Well…" Zuko replied awkwardly, looking off to the side. "Um. I've never been in a relationship before, so I don't really know."

Zuko may have become decent friends with the Freedom Fighter recently, but he wasn't about to spill his second most sensitive personal secret—right behind being the son of the Fire Lord—to him. He had no idea how he would react to Zuko having feelings for someone of the same gender.

Jet blinked several times. "Wait. You'veneverdatedanyonebefore?"

Zuko suddenly felt embarrassed. "Therewasthis one girl who I was friends with when I was a kid who I think had a crush on me… and I guess I had a crush on her too? She was pretty nice."

Jet raised an eyebrow. "First of all, beingfriendswith someone as achildis not the same thing as dating," he replied in a joking tone. "And second of all… What do you mean you 'guess' you had a crush on her? Did you, or didn't you?"

"I don't know," Zuko replied defensively, feeling his face grow hot as his embarrassment flared even more. "I was just a kid, okay?"

"Alright, alright," Jet replied, seeming slightly taken aback by Zuko's reaction. "Sorry. I guess I'm being a little nosy..."

Zuko sighed heavily. "It's fine," he murmured as he pushed himself to his feet. "Um… I should probably get home. It's been a long day."

Just as he began to walk away, however, he felt Jet grab his wrist.

"Wait!"

"...What is it?" Zuko asked, looking down at Jet apprehensively as the Freedom Fighter quickly pulled his hand back.

In another uncharacteristic display of nervousness, Jet rubbed the back of his neck before looking back up at him with a small, crooked smile.

"I know I was lying earlier when I told that girl we had plans," he said. "But I reallydothink you could use a night out to do something fun."

"I don't know, Jet," Zuko sighed, folding his arms. "I reallyamtired."

"So go home and rest for a couple hours," Jet said, getting up and putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll swing by just before sundown and we can head out from there. Sound good?"

Zuko bit his lip for a moment as he contemplated Jet's suggestion. Maybe itwouldbe good for him to hang out with his friends this evening. Maybe they could even start brainstorming to come up with some ideas on how to find more information about Aang.

"...Fine," Zuko sighed again, this time with a small smile and a nod. "I'll see you then."

Jet's smile widened significantly upon hearing this.

"Alright," the Freedom Fighter replied, practically beaming. "Yeah. I'll see you then."

---

Thankfully, after a change of clothes and a nap, Zuko found that he felt rather refreshed—at least, more so than he had been when he'd woken up that morning. Now that it was early winter, the weather had gotten extra chilly, and unfortunately, their new apartment was not the most well-insulated. Zuko had hoped that after leaving Agna Qel'a, he wouldn't have to use his breath of fire to warm himself for a good long while, but unfortunately, it seemed that was not the case.

While their apartment did have a stove, it was only located in the joint living room and kitchen area, meaning the bedroom often got very cold at night. Recently, he'd been struggling with charging up his fire breath just enough to warm himself and fall asleep, but would wake up occasionally feeling as though he was freezing, and have to do it all over again. This was why he'd elected to take his nap on the sofa in the living area with the stove running.

Despite Zuko having been home for at least two hours at this point, strangely, Iroh had not yet returned from his errand-running. He tapped his foot somewhat anxiously as he waited for the water in the teapot on the stove to warm up, wondering what his uncle could be doing that would take him all day.

I hope he didn't do something to get himself into trouble,he thought with a even if he did… He can take care of himself. Hopefully.

Seeing as it was already getting darker out, he went ahead and sparked a flame using his index finger and lit the lanterns around the room, casting it in a pleasant warm glow. After he was finished, he went over to the paper-covered sliding windows and slid one of them open just a crack, just to see how low the sun was. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell, as the skies were completely cloudy. The one thing he knew for certain was that it was still light enough to see the courtyard of their apartment complex.

Just as he closed the window, he heard a knock at the door.

He quickly made his way across the room to open it, and when he did, Jet was on the other side. However, Zuko almost didn't recognize him at first—instead of his usual messy mop of a hairstyle, Jet seemed to have styled his hair in a half ponytail. While some pieces were sticking out here and there, Zuko had to admit that the style looked good on him; somehow, seeing his entire face made Zuko cognizant of just how handsome the boy standing across from him really was.

Additionally, the Freedom Fighter seemed to be sporting a new, dark green and black fur-lined coat; it not only fit him well, but it looked very warm.

"Hey there," Jet said, leaning on the doorway and folding his arms. "You ready to go?"

The way that Jet was looking at him so confidently, practically oozing with charisma, suddenly made Zuko feel nervous as he stared back at the handsome boy for a moment, his ears burning slightly.

"Um. Yeah," Zuko said, gesturing for Jet to come in. "I, uh, just need to put on my coat and scarf."

"You know, this place is pretty cozy now that you've actually got furniture in it," Jet commented as he entered, surveying the room. "Is Mushi taking a nap?" he asked, lowering his voice as he used his thumb to point towards the closed bedroom door.

Zuko shook his head as he shrugged his coat over his shoulders. "He's not back from running his errands yet. He usually doesn't stay out this late…I hope he didn't get into trouble or something."

"I'm sure he'sfine," Jet said, his voice returning to its normal volume as he sauntered over to him. "Tonight is for having fun, so you shouldn't worry too much."

Zuko felt his ears burn again as he gave a small, somewhat shy smile and nod. "O–okay," he replied as he removed his scarf from the hook by the door and wrapped it around his neck. "So, are Longshot and Smellerbee gonna meet us somewhere?"

"Longshot and Smellerbee?" Jet repeated, looking slightly surprised. "They… uh… said they had other plans. So it'll just be me and you tonight, if that's alright."

Zuko's brow furrowed slightly, wondering why Jet was acting so strangely again.

"That's fine with me," Zuko replied with a shrug as he went back over to open the door, gesturing for Jet to walk through.

Jet visibly relaxed somewhat, and his smile—and seemingly, his confidence—returned.

"Alright!" the Freedom Fighter said, strolling through the doorway. "Get ready, Lee—this will be a night you won't forget!"

---

"See? What did I tell you?" Jet asked, leaning forward with his elbow resting on the table as Zuko set down his now empty soup bowl. "Best noodles you'veeverhad, right?"

"Honestly, you might be right," Zuko nodded approvingly. "The broth was pretty amazing. But I think it would have been even better if they had added a dash of fire—"

He quickly cut himself off, suddenly realizing that he'd been about to tell Jet that he thoughtfire flakeswould have been a tasty addition to his dish.

Jet's eyebrows furrowed as he smirked with bemusement. "Theydoboil it on a stove, so I'm sure fire was involved in some way," he joked.

"Yeah," Zuko replied quickly with an awkward chuckle. "What I meant was… It… uh… could have been hotter."

"Was yours not warm enough?" Jet questioned with a slight frown. "I had to wait quite a bit for mine to cool down before I started eating. Should we tell the waiter?"

"No, no," Zuko replied, shaking his head. "It's fine."

Coincidentally, just as he spoke, their waiter returned to the table.

"How was everything?" he asked with a smile.

"Great!" Zuko replied before Jet could possibly say anything about his soup not being hot enough.

"I'm glad to hear it," the waiter replied with a polite smile. "Now, will this be on one check, or–"

"Yep," Jet interjected. "I'll take care of it."

Zuko's eyes widened slightly, and he leaned closer across the table. "Hey, you don't have to do that. I can pay for my own—"

"I've got it," Jet said, placing his hand over Zuko's own with a warm smile.

Zuko blinked in surprise as he stared down at Jet's hand for a moment before the Freedom Fighter pulled it back, removing some money from his pockets and placing it on top of the bill.

However, when Zuko looked back up at the waiter, it seemed his expression had changed. He was no longer smiling; in fact, he seemed to be frowning at them, his eyes narrowing as they shifted back and forth between them.

"I put a little extra on there for some red bean buns," Jet said. "Could you bring us–"

Without saying a word, the waiter abruptly swiped the money and bill from the table and strode off.

"...What'shisproblem?" Zuko muttered with a frown.

He was surprised when his eyes returned to Jet, and he saw that the other boy seemed to be glaring towards the waiter's direction.

"...I don't know," Jet replied. "But I think we should get out of here."

"What about your change?" Zuko asked. "And the red bean buns?"

"He can keep it," Jet replied as he pushed himself to his feet and helped Zuko up as well. "And we can skip them."

Once they had exited the restaurant, Jet took a deep breath and sighed, his exhale appearing as fog in the cold night air.

"Are you okay?" Zuko questioned, putting a hand on the Freedom Fighter's back. "I'm sorry that waiter was suddenly so rude."

Upon looking at Zuko again, Jet's expression softened, and he shook his head. "It's fine. He was… probably just in a bad mood."

As he turned to look out into the street, his expression seemed to lighten even more.

"Hey!" Jet exclaimed with a laugh, pointing in the air. "It's snowing!"

Zuko felt himself smile as well as he noticed the gently falling flakes. "Huh. Looks like it must have really come down while we were in there," he said, surveying the streets, which were covered in a layer of white that had not been there when they'd arrived.

When he looked to his left, he was confused to see Jet grinning mischievously at him.

"...Why are you looking at me like that?" Zuko questioned, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Suddenly, to Zuko's further confusion, Jet darted into the street and crouched down in the snow.

"What are you doing?" Zuko called out as he ran after him, looking around nervously at the people passing by, who were beginning to stare at the Freedom Fighter with puzzled expressions as well.

"This," Jet replied, bolting upright and spinning around.

Before Zuko knew it, something freezing cold smacked him directly in the face.

Jet practically cackled as Zuko wiped the remnants of the snowball from his face and hair.

"Very funny," Zuko muttered, though he couldn't help but smirk at Jet's infectious joy.

"You didn't even see it coming!" Jet laughed. "You should have seen your face!"

Zuko rolled his eyes lightheartedly. Seeing that Jet's eyes were closed as he laughed, however, he suddenly realized he had a chance to take.

He quickly knelt down and packed some snow in his hands, and began to walk away.

"I'm going home now," he called out over his shoulder as he walked down the street.

Jet's laughs ceased as his eyes shot open and he began to jog after him. "Lee, wait! I'm sor—"

Zuko stopped in his tracks and spun around, hurling his snowball straight into Jet's chest.

Jet blinked at him in surprise for a moment before grinning mischievously again and gathering another snowball.

Their snowball fight continued for several more minutes until Zuko began to notice that the passersby were beginning to give them annoyed looks. Just as Jet was about to throw another snowball at him, he held up his hand, dropping his own snowball to the ground.

"I think that's enough," he said. "Looks like we're starting to annoy some people."

"Pfft," Jet replied, dropping his snowball with a pout. "Doesn't anyone in the Middle Ring know how to have fun?"

"Apparently not," Zuko shrugged with a sigh, putting his hands in his pockets and he kicked some snow at the ground.

"...What about you? Areyouhaving fun?"

Zuko exhaled through his nose with a small smile as he looked up at Jet again. "Well, I have to say, I—"

His words seemed to catch in his mouth. The Freedom Fighter was grinning at him as he always did, but there was something about his words and expression that felt familiar.

Suddenly, an image of Aang flashed in his mind, smiling at him with that crooked grin he loved so much.

"Hotman?"

Zuko could immediately felt a pang of longing deep within his chest, and he tore his gaze away.

"...I think I'm getting tired," he replied quietly.

"Hold on," Jet replied, his smile disappearing as his dark gray eyes grew concerned. "Is something wrong? I thought we were having a good time."

The look on Jet's face alone was enough to make him feel guilty for letting his thoughts about Aang affect his mood. He had gone to all this trouble tonight to cheer him up, after all.

Zuko sighed as he stared back at his friend with sympathy. "Where else do you want to go?"

Jet's grin returned. "I have somewhere special in mind."

"Being…?" Zuko questioned, squinting one eye.

"You'll see."

With that, Jet grabbed hold of his hand and began to pull him down the street.

---

"It should be right around this corner," Jet grinned over his shoulder as they ran.

"You're really not gonna tell me what…"

Zuko trailed off as they finally came to a stop, seeing that the other boy's smile had faded.

It seemed that they were now standing at the edge of a small square. At the center of it stood a large stone fountain, which seemed to be bubbling gently despite the frigid weather. In contrast to the warmly lit streets they had just run down, however, the square was rather dark, save for a few dim lanterns lit in front of the buildings surrounding it.

It was surprisingly quiet in this area of the city, and it seemed they were the only ones in this square. However, Zuko found he actually didn't mind the silence, especially after traversing many bustling streets to get there.

"Aw, man," Jet muttered, letting go of Zuko's hand as he slowly walked forward. "They aren't lit? They'realwayslit…"

Zuko realized Jet must have been referring to the circle of lanterns surrounding the fountain at the center of the square.

"What is this place?" he asked, following Jet towards the fountain.

"Firelight Fountain," Jet replied with a sigh. "Normally, the lanterns are lit, and there are lots of people around. I wanted you to see it."

"...Maybe they put them out at a certain time of night?" Zuko suggested. "Itispretty late."

"Yeah," Jet replied dejectedly. "Maybe."

Zuko stared at the other boy sympathetically, wishing there was something he could do or say to lighten his mood.

If Jet knew he was a firebender, then he could simply light the lanterns for him.

But he couldn't, because Jetdidn'tknow.

He shook his head, trying to push down the biting guilt that always resurfaced whenever he remembered just how much he was keeping from this boy who had quickly become a close friend.

Jet truly had done so much for him already in the short time they had met again. He had helped him ask around about Aang when they'd first arrived in the city, helped him sneak into the Earth King's palace to find information about Aang, and helped lighten his mood when he had been sullen about his lack of progress towards finding Aang.

Maybe Ishouldfinally tell him,Zuko wondered, biting his he won't have as bad of a reaction as he would have before. I kept this same secret from Katara and Sokka, and they were still my friends after they found out the truth.

Plus… He deserves to know.

"Jet…" Zuko said quietly, wringing his gloved hands together. "I, um, I have something that I need to tell you."

Suddenly, Jet turned around and looked back at him.

"You do?" he replied, staring at him with wide eyes again as though he couldn't quite believe what he was hearing. "I… have something to tell you, too."

"Oh," Zuko said, blinking in surprise as well. "Um. You can go first."

Surely whatever Jet had to say to him couldn't be worse than what Zuko was about to reveal.

Jet nodded, swallowing deeply as he looked back at the fountain for a moment.

"Lee," Jet murmured, looking back at him again. "Remember how I told you on the ferry that I've always felt like we've always had a special connection, even from the time we first met?"

Zuko nodded slowly. There was something about Jet's tone that was far more intimate than he'd been expecting.

"I still remember how you looked at me after what happened in Gaipan. For so long, I couldn't get it out of my head. I was fully convinced I'd never see you again, and I knew that it was all my fault. But when we met again on the ferry, it felt like asign. Like the spirits had given me another chance with you."

Another chance with me?Zuko repeated internally, still uncertain about where exactly Jet was going with this.

"These past few weeks have been some of the best I've ever experienced, Lee," Jet continued. "Spending all this time with you, getting to know you better every day… It has only made me fall for you more."

"Fall for…me?"Zuko repeated, aloud this time as the gears in his brain finally began turning.

Wait a minute,he suddenly thought, his heart beginning to pound in his a minute, wait a minute, wait a minute—

"Spirits, Lee," Jet laughed, stepping closer and grabbing hold of both his hands. "Ilikeyou. Not just as a friend."

Zuko's eyes widened, and he immediately felt his face begin to burn —charismatic, handsome Jet, whom girls practicallythrewthemselves at, hadromanticfeelings forhim?

An amused look appeared on Jet's face, and he laughed. "I'm guessing this means you didn't know that this was a date," he replied.

"This was adate?"

Jet laughed again as he looked at him affectionately. "You're still cute even when you're oblivious."

Zuko opened and closed his mouth several times in shock, not knowing what to say. He thought back to his interactions with Jet—the teasing, the looks. The strange difference in the way Jet had talked to and looked at him… he supposed it all made sense now.

"You didn't seem to pick up on my flirting," Jet continued with a chuckle, looking down at their joined hands. "So I thought that maybe you didn't like guys that way. But this afternoon, after that girl asked you out, and we talked about it… I finally got my confirmation."

Jet's emotion-filled dark gray eyes darted back up, and he stared at Zuko intensely for a moment.

Before Zuko had the chance to say anything, Jet abruptly moved forward.

Zuko immediately froze in shock. He was beingkissed.

One of Jet's hands moved up to the back of his neck, his fingers threading through his hair.

Zuko's eyes flutter closed at the pleasant sensation, his mind becoming hazy. Physically, Jet's closeness, his warmth, the feeling of his lips… It all feltnice.

Suddenly, he felt Jet's lips begin to move against his own.

Isthis how you're supposed to kiss?Zuko wondered.

Without thinking, he began to mimic Jet's lip movements.

Unexpectedly, he felt Jet grab onto his waist and pull him closer, and to Zuko's astonishment, he felt the other boy's tongue brush against his lips.

It was then that the haze in Zuko's mind finally lifted. It was all too much.

What am I doing?he questioned doesn't feel right…

"Jet," he gasped, pulling himself away and grabbing hold of Jet's forearms firmly. "Stop."

The Freedom Fighter's eyes, which had initially appeared glazed, suddenly became clearer. He shook his head rapidly, his expression shifting to one of confusion, then guilt.

"S–sorry," Jet stuttered. "I guess I got carried away."

Zuko shook his head, looking down at the snowy ground as he let go of Jet's arms. "It's alright," he murmured. "I did too."

"Hey," Jet replied worriedly, lifting a hand to the side of Zuko's face. "I reallyamsorry. I won't go that far again unless you want me to."

Zuko lifted his head again. Facing Jet directly, he could see that his eyes were filled with concern. He reallydidseem to genuinely care.

Which would make what Zuko needed to say to him that much harder.

"Jet," he said quietly, putting his hand over Jet's forearm and lowering it away from his face. "I'm sorry."

Jet's brow furrowed in confusion. "For what?"

"I… can't give you what you want."

"…What do you mean?" Jet asked, heartbreak already evident in his eyes.

"Idolike you, Jet," Zuko replied, already feeling horrible for causing his friend emotional distress. "You've been an amazing friend to me these past few weeks. Without you, I would have beensomuch more miserable with everything that's happened. But…"

"But… what?" Jet murmured quietly.

Zuko took a deep breath.

"I have feelings for someone else."

At first, Jet looked as though he had been punched in the gut. Then, a frown slowly appeared on his face as he looked down.

"…It'shim, isn't it?" Jet said quietly at last. "It's Aang."

He slowly looked back up, his eyes sullen, looking as though he was hopeful that Zuko would deny it.

Zuko nodded.

A pained look appeared on Jet's face, and he spun around.

"So, what? Are you two… like…togetheror something?" he muttered.

"No," Zuko replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I want to be with him."

Jet looked back at him over his shoulder with an irritated expression. "Do you even know if he feels the same way about you?"

Zuko bit his upper lip. That was still something he was not certain about.

He thought back to all the moments he and the Avatar had shared the past two years. The way Aang had always supported and encouraged him, even when he didn't deserve it. How they had grown closer with each passing month, laughing and crying together, sharing things with one another that they would never share with anyone else. All of the little glances and sweet touches. Their kiss in the Cave of Two Lovers.

Therehadto be something there.

Zuko shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jet. But I can't change how I feel. Aang is—"

"He'snothere," Jet interrupted, marching back over to him. "Because heleftyou and your uncle in the 'sthe type of guy you want to be with?"

Zuko immediately felt a rush of anger. "It was because Appa was in danger!" he snapped. "And hedidn'tabandon us in the desert! We were safe in Misty Palms!"

"But he could have come back for you," Jet replied darkly. "He could have come back, but hedidn't."

Zuko pressed his lips into a thin line. What Jet was saying right now were all things he had worried about after he and Iroh had first gotten separated from the others.

However, now, he knew better than to entertain thoughts like that. He wouldnotplace blame on Aang. He knew how important Appa was to the Avatar; the bison was not only practically his family, but the only piece of his old life and culture that he hadleft. Zuko couldn't even begin to fathom the pain Aang had experienced when he'd lost him.

On top of all of this, heknewhis best friend. Aang would never abandon anyone, and he hadnotabandoned them.

Just as Zuko wouldn't abandon him.

Suddenly, Jet reached over and grabbed his hands again.

"Iwon't leave you, Lee," Jet said softly, his eyes pleading. "I'll stay by your side, no matter what."

The Freedom Fighter's expression was disarming.

"Jet…" Zuko murmured, his brow furrowing as he slowly shook his head.

"Aang clearly doesn't care about you. Not likeIdo," Jet continued, squeezing his hands. "He doesn'tknowyou like I do."

It was these words that made Zuko's anger resurface, and he yanked his hands away.

"Aang knows me better thananyone," he replied with a glare. "And I would suggest that you stop talking about mybest friendlike that if youeverwant me to speak to you again."

Jet's eyes widened, and his mouth curled into a sneer, his eyebrows twitching with anger as he glared back at him.

"Fine," he spat. "Wait for your precious airboy, 's even still in the city, and hasn't left youagain."

Upon hearing this, Zuko felt his anger begin to teeter on the edge of rage. However, before he could say anything further, Jet spun on his heel and marched off down one of the alleyways.

Zuko stood there for a moment, fuming and glaring after the Freedom Fighter as he breathed heavily, his entire body now practically steaming. He removed his mittens so as to not accidentally singe them, and threw them to the ground before stomping over to the fountain. He sat down on its edge and pressed the heels of his hands over his eyes, which were now beginning to sting with tears.

He couldn't help but feel slightly sick to his stomach. All this time that Jet had been helping him and spending time with him… Had it all just been because he'd had romantic interest in him?

He angrily wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, squeezing his eyes closed.

I can't believe I actually kissed him back,he thought to himself ashamedly.I don't know what came over me.

In his entire life, he'd only ever wanted to kiss one person. Hestillonly wanted to kiss one person.

He couldn't help but feel as though he'd somehow betrayed Aang with his actions.

After taking a few deep breaths to calm himself, he sighed heavily as he looked back up at the dark, quiet square.

This probablyisa beautiful place when the lanterns are all lit,he thought.

He imagined bringing Aang here, hearing the sound of his laughter, seeing the warmth of his smile.

I wonder…

Looking back and forth over his shoulders to make sure that the streets around him were empty, he slowly stood back up and took a deep breath, bringing his hands to the center of his body.

With two fingers pointed on each hand, he whipped his arms in several different directions, shooting small flames into each of the lanterns that surrounded the fountain, then the lanterns on the fountain itself.

The change in atmosphere was immediate. With the lanterns lit, the cold square was immediately filled with warmth. It felt incredibly romantic.

Once again, he imagined Aang standing there with him, lit by the warm, inviting glow of the lanterns.

What would Zuko say to him if he were here right now?

Perhaps he would finally tell him that he loved him.

Suddenly, from above, he heard awhooshingsound.

His eyes widened abruptly, and his head immediately snapped upwards.

"Aang?" he murmured, his heart pounding as his eyes desperately searched the skies above him.

However, he saw nothing but the gently falling snow.

He lowered his head again slowly, feeling that ache in his chest again. The tears returned to his eyes, and he choked back a sob as he pressed his palms over them again.

When he heard the sound of crunching snow from in front of him, as though someone was jogging closer, his head shot back up, tears still fully staining his cheeks.

It was Jet.

"Lee… I'm sorry," he said, his expression apologetic. "I shouldn't have…"

His words trailed off, and he stopped in his tracks, looking at the lit square around him with confusion.

As he slowly turned his head to look at Zuko, who was the only one standing in the entire vicinity, his mittens on the ground in front of him, his eyes slowly widened.

Then, the expression on his face began to twist into what appeared to be a look of shock and utter betrayal.

Zuko stared back at the other boy as a mix of guilt and fear settled into his stomach.

He turned around and ran.

---

Zuko felt his tears fly off his cheeks, the frigid night air battering his face as he ran as fast as his legs could carry him.

He couldn'tbelievehe'd been so stupid.

Now that Jet knew he was a firebender, would he tell Smellerbee and Longshot too? They all knew where he and Iroh lived and worked. Would they go to the guards and get them arrested?

Or worse—tell theDai Li?

He hoped to the spirits that they wouldn't dothat.

When he finally arrived at his and Iroh's apartment, he took a deep breath, wiping away his tears again before he unlocked the door and slid it open.

As he entered the room, he was surprised to see his uncle sitting at the table next to the window, a cup of tea in his hands. When Iroh saw him, his eyes widened, and he dropped his cup, causing it to fall over and spill as he bolted to his feet and over to Zuko.

"Prince Zuko!" Iroh exclaimed, grabbing his upper arms firmly with a serious expression. "Where onearthhave you been?"

Zuko blinked back at him for a moment before looking off to the side. "I was… out with Jet," he replied.

Iroh shook his head, his brow furrowing with clear irritation. "Do you haveanyidea how late it is?" he demanded. "I had no idea where you were! You didn't even leave a note!"

Zuko frowned. "Well, that makes two of us," he snapped. "You've been gone all day! I had no idea when you were coming back!"

Iroh shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "You're not even going to tell me what you two were doing? Were you trying to get involved with the Dai Li again?"

"No, uncle," Zuko replied exasperatedly. "We just went to dinner!"

Iroh stared at him with uncertainty for a moment before closing his eyes and lowering his head with a sigh.

"…I'm sorry," he murmured. "I was just worried about you."

Zuko's anger dissipated as he watched his uncle's expression shift to one of sadness.

"...No," Zuko sighed. "You don't need to be sorry. I should have left you a note."

"It's alright, Zuko." Iroh replied with a weak smile as he went back over to the table to begin picking up the knocked-over teacup. "I–"

"I can take care of it," Zuko interjected, darting over to the table and taking the cup from Iroh's hands.

Iroh did not protest, watching as Zuko picked up the pot as well, placing both it and the teacup on the kitchen counter before retrieving a rag and wiping up the spilled tea on the table.

"Where exactly did you go today?" Zuko asked carefully as he set the rag back on the counter and returned to the table. "I left just before sunset, and you were still gone. Did you get into some sort of trouble?"

"No, no," Iroh replied reassuringly. "Nothing like that. I just ended up getting a bit sidetracked. Thankfully, I still got everything I needed."

"For what?" Zuko questioned.

Iroh reached over and opened up a basket that was sitting on the floor next to their table. He began to remove several items one by one, the first being what looked to be a simple table runner, which he carefully smoothed over the table. Then, he placed some candles, three apples, an incense holder with two sticks, and a small sack on top of it.

After he had placed the items, Zuko watched as Iroh got up and opened the door to the bedroom. While he was gone, Zuko curiously peeked into the small sack, wondering what was inside. His eyes widened when he saw its contents.

"Where did you findfire flakesin Ba Sing Se?"

Iroh emerged from the bedroom with a rolled up piece of parchment, and he chuckled at Zuko's astonished expression.

"I found a little hole in the wall store that sells Fire Nation goods," he replied, sitting back down. "You can't eat the ones on the table, but don't worry. I bought extra."

Zuko frowned in confusion as he looked back down at the items in front of him: food that he couldn't eat, candles, incense, and…

He watched as Iroh unfurled the piece of parchment and propped it up against the wall, revealing a familiar face.

Lu Ten.

He should have realized it sooner. This was an altar.

Zuko leaned closer to the picture and studied it closely, recognizing his cousin's writing on the upper lefthand corner, which read: "General Iroh, I will see you again when victory is obtained. Your loyal son, Lu Ten."

It had been over three years since he had last seen his cousin's face. The portrait was extremely detailed—whoever the artist had been, they had captured Lu Ten's likeness almost perfectly. He could see the kindness and hint of humor in his eyes and in his smile.

Zuko blinked back tears again as he turned back to Iroh, who also appeared teary-eyed as he stared at the portrait of his son.

"I didn't know you had this with you this whole time," Zuko said quietly. "It looks just like him."

Iroh smiled sadly and nodded. "It's my most treasured possession."

So uncle spent all day gathering things to create an altar for Lu Ten,Zuko thought I turned him down when he asked me to go with him. I never even gave him a chance to explain…

"Today is the anniversary of your cousin's passing," Iroh rasped, tears fully running down his cheeks now. "It's been three years."

Zuko immediately got up and moved to the other side of the table, wrapping his arms around his uncle's shoulders. Iroh gratefully accepted the hug.

"I'm really sorry, uncle," Zuko murmured. "I should have gone with you today."

"There's no need to apologize," Iroh sniffed, patting his back. "I wasn't exactly forthright with you about the nature of my errand-running. I figured I would just tell you when I got home this evening, and we could pay our respects together. But as I mentioned earlier, I ended up getting sidetracked."

"That does sound like you," Zuko replied amusedly, releasing his uncle from the hug. "What was it this time? Shiny trinkets? Rare teas?"

Iroh chuckled. "Neither, actually. I don't know what it was about today, but I seemed to run into a lot of people who needed help. Not with anything major, just little things."

"...And of course you had to help them," Zuko said with a smirk as he got up and returned to his side of the table, seeing that Iroh's mood seemed to have lifted.

Iroh shook his head with a small smile. "Helping the people of this city is the least I can do. Though I'm not sure anything will ever truly atone for the atrocities I committed here in my past…"

"Well…" Zuko said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sure all those people are really grateful for your help."

Iroh nodded, his smile growing warmer as he sighed and looked over at Lu Ten's portrait again.

"Do you remember when you were younger, and the three of us would sneak out into Harbor City to go to your cousin's favorite Komodo kabob restaurant?"

Zuko's smile widened as memories resurfaced in his mind. "That place wassogood," he replied. "It was always fun to dress up as commoners and walk around without anyone recognizing us. And Zoryu Park was one of my favorite places to explore."

"Lu Ten thought so too," Iroh replied. "You two really were close back then. It always made me happy to see."

Zuko smiled as he looked back at Lu Ten's portrait.

"Are you ready?" Iroh asked after a brief moment of silence.

Zuko nodded.

Iroh's smile faded slightly, but it did not appear any less genuine. He leaned over and pressed his thumb and forefinger to both ends of the incense sticks, lighting them. Then, he did the same with each of the wicks on the candles he had placed.

He and Zuko both placed their palms flat together in front of their chests as they turned to face Lu Ten's portrait, and bowed their heads. After a moment of silence, it was Iroh who spoke first.

"My son. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you," Iroh murmured, his voice shaky. "I love you, and I hope your soul is at peace, wherever you are."

As Iroh grew quiet again, Zuko felt as though he should say some words as well.

"...Uh, hi, Lu Ten," he said, trying not to feel awkward. "I hope you're doing alright. And, um… if you're worried about your dad at all, don't be. I'm doing my best to take care of him, even though I mess up sometimes. We both miss you a lot."

Iroh smiled at Zuko warmly before turning back to the portrait.

After a moment, he began to sing quietly.

"Leaves from the vine,

Falling so slow

Like fragile, tiny shells

Drifting in the foam.

Little soldier boy,

Come marching home.

Brave soldier boy,

Comes marching home."

Zuko closed his eyes as he listened to the familiar lullaby. It was bittersweet; calming, yet heartbreaking at the same time. He sniffed as he began to cry again, this time allowing himself to not hold his emotions back. Despite all of the emotional ups and downs Zuko had gone through that day, he couldn't help but feel glad that he was ending it like this with his uncle, honoring his cousin's life.

He might not know whether he would ever be friends with Jet again after tonight. He might not know whether the Dai Li would come for them soon. He might not know if he would ever actually reunite with his friends. And he might not know if he would ever get the chance to tell Aang he loved him.

But right now, he wouldn't worry about any of that.

Right now, he had someone by his side who truly cared about him. Someone he knew would support him and be there for him no matter what.

Zuko looked over at his uncle and smiled gratefully.