Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Summer in Ba Sing Se was already much warmer than any other summer Katara had spent. She had turned the AC up as far as it could go, but it didn’t do much to cut through the humidity that had built up in her junky little car. She’d been driving all day, most of it spent in traffic on the Serpent’s Pass bridge. Katara had thought she would save a little money by going that way instead of by ferry, but the three hours she’d spent moving at a snail’s pace and listening to people honk at each other had made her question several times if her frugality had been worth it.

It was evening now, and the denizens of Ba Sing Se were leaving work. The traffic in the city was almost as bad as it had been on the bridge. Katara could see why the recommendation for those who wanted to live there was to take public transportation - an above-ground subway train that ran on tracks elevated above the streets. And even though she was currently stuck in traffic for what felt like the hundredth time that day, Katara couldn’t help but feel excited.

This fall, she would be starting at Ba Sing Se University’s prestigious medical school. She’d spent the last four years working her ass off at University of Omashu, and when she’d gotten the acceptance letter to the program, she’d nearly burst into tears. And the best part was, she already knew someone who lived in Ba Sing Se.

Sokka had just graduated from BSSU with an engineering degree, and claimed to know the area well enough that he was practically a local. He had a well-established group of friends that he was more than happy to share, and the fact that he had very recently become in need of a fourth roommate was all that Katara needed to know in order to make her decision to move in with him. Originally, she’d wanted to find her own place, but apartments in the city were difficult to find, especially ones close to the school and the subway station.

Katara’s GPS indicated that she had reached her destination. Much to her relief, there was a spot on the curb that was very close to the door to the multi-story apartment. While she was certain that Sokka would help her unpack her things, the idea of carrying boxes up and down the street did not sound particularly appealing. After she parked and pulled out her phone to call her brother, Katara felt a sudden jolt of nervousness. While she loved her brother very much and had missed spending time with him, he had been somewhat vague on the qualities of the other two people living in the four-bedroom flat with him.

They were both men, that she knew for sure. While Katara had her reservations about rooming with a bunch of boys, she was desperate enough for housing that she could look past it. Also, Sokka had promised her that she’d have her own bedroom, something Katara had always insisted upon. Apparently, one of the men was the roommate Sokka had met at BSSU his freshman year, and had been best friends with ever since. Katara had never met this guy, but Sokka insisted that he was awesome and knew how to throw a great party. The other roommate, however…

When Katara had tried to ask more about him, Sokka had deflected the conversation to how great the location was, or how cool their neighbors were, or something else entirely. She’d managed to wheedle out the fact that he’d been the original resident of the apartment, and was the one who managed paying the rent and utilities. Apparently, he’d never told Sokka how much the actual full rent was, and instead just asked for a relatively low amount from each of them, and he’d deal exclusively with the landlord. But that was all the information that he’d given her, and until now she’d been okay with that. 

Katara shook her head and dialed her brother’s number. She was a big girl, and all the positives that came with this living situation would outweigh the possible downsides. So what if she didn’t know a lot about the other roommates? She’d get to know them soon enough.

“Kat!” Sokka’s cheerful greeting came after barely a ring. “Are you here?”

Katara smiled at the receiver. He sounded so excited. “Yeah! Come down here and help me out!”

“We’ll be down in a sec!” He hung up before she could ask about the ‘we’ part. Katara laughed and shook her head.

She began to unpack her car, pulling out boxes and bags and putting them on the curb. She’d sold most of her furniture in Omashu when she’d moved, as Sokka had promised that there was a bed and a closet in the room she’d be moving into. As she tugged an overpacked suitcase from where it had been wedged between her front and back seats, she heard the doors to the apartment building being slammed open. She turned to see if it was her brother, and was almost immediately swept off her feet by Sokka, who’d come at her with a running bear-hug.

“Katara!” he said, giving her a small spin, before placing her back on her feet. She’d barely had time to adjust to the hug, and had to wriggle out of the tight hold he had caught her in.

“Sokka, you’re crushing me!” she laughed. 

“Oh, sorry.” He let her go and stepped back, still smiling. “I’m just really happy you’re here. It’s been a while.” He was right, it had been a while. The last time she’d seen him in person had been the Winter Solstice, over six months before. They were old enough now that there wasn’t much change over that time. Sokka had really grown into himself since he’d been a gangly teenager, and looked more like their dad every day. He still had that stupid ponytail, though.

“Are you just happy to have someone to cook for you again?” Katara asked, teasing. Sokka grinned.

“Well, I can’t say I’m not looking forward to it…”

She was about to swat his arm, when she realized there was another person standing off to the side, politely giving them their space. Sokka seemed to remember him as well, and waved him closer. “Katara, this is Aang. He’s one of my - our - roommates.”

Aang stepped forward, smiling. He was tall and lean, and his face looked young despite the short, dark beard it sported. His complexion was tan, and his eyes were a soft gray. But the thing that immediately drew Katara’s attention was the fact that he was completely bald, with a bright blue arrow tattoo emblazoned on his forehead and arching back down his neck.

“You must be Katara,” he said. He reached out and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. Katara was taken aback by the sudden touch, but squeezed his hand back nonetheless. It wasn’t as if she was a stranger to friendly greetings - back home people would pull you in for hugs and kisses without much warning. “It’s great to finally meet you!”

“You too,” she said, smiling. Aang leaned over and picked up one of her larger boxes.

“I’ll help you carry your stuff up,” he offered, leaning around the box. “I hope we can make this place your home, Katara.” Without waiting for an answer, Aang spun on one foot and carried the box up the stairs to the building, moving like it weighed nothing at all.

Katara blinked. “He’s...very nice.” Sokka grinned, hefting one of Katara’s suitcases under his arm.

“I know right? I think if a random stranger asked Aang to be the best man at his wedding, he’d do it. That’s just the kind of guy he is.” Sokka picked up another bag of her stuff and began to walk up the steps. Katara closed her car door and followed him, holding a small box and towing her rolling luggage behind her. “When we met on move-in day at school, he’d already made friends with the entire floor. And planned a rager.”

“He seems kinda young,” Katara said. Sokka opened the door to the lobby for her, and she stepped inside. It was a pretty basic area, leading to an elevator and a stairwell as well as a hallway to the ground floor apartments. Sokka moved towards the elevator.

“He’s twenty-one,” he said, pushing the button with his elbow. The button lit up, and the whirring of the elevator coming downwards started. “So, yeah, I guess so. Sometimes it feels like he knows more than me.”

“I don’t think that’s very difficult,” Katara smirked. Sokka rolled his eyes.

“Har har.”

The elevator doors opened with a ding, and the two siblings stepped inside. In hindsight, Katara wasn’t too surprised about Aang’s age - Sokka had spent two years working on their father’s fishing boat before he decided to go to college. For a long time, he’d been dead set on following in their dad’s footsteps and eventually taking over the business from him, but Hakoda and Katara had convinced him otherwise. He seemed much happier now, even if he was older than his graduating class.

Sokka pressed the button for the fourth floor, which was the topmost floor of the building. “I really do think you’ll like it here,” he said, shooting her a smile. “It’s a great city. And the apartment is really cool. Also, we could probably use a little feminine touch.”

Katara rolled her eyes at the last half of the statement. “Maybe try that last part again.”

Sokka coughed a laugh. “Sorry, sorry. How about, we could use a little help from my very organized and mature sister who is the most amazing person in the world and definitely won’t judge me by what’s currently in the fridge?”

She wrinkled her nose. “Is there a single vegetable in the house?”

Sokka scoffed, adjusting her suitcase under his arm so he could gesture flippantly. “Uh, yeah? Aang’s a vegetarian.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “How long has it been since you touched a vegetable, Sokka?”

The elevator doors opened, revealing a long, neat hallway. Sokka stepped out into it, throwing a look at Katara over his shoulder. “You and I both know that I don’t recognize vegetables as food unless they are smothered in cheese.”

“Oh, spirits,” she laughed, following him down the hallway. They walked all the way down to the end, where a door was propped open. Katara glanced at the number as she crossed the threshold: 408. 

The apartment was nicer than Katara had expected. Maybe she had been a little scared of a place entirely taken care of by her brother, but it seemed that had mostly been avoided - likely by the presence of the other roommates. Immediately after walking in, a small hallway opened up into the main living space. To her left was a recently cleaned kitchen, complete with an island and four chairs lined up on the other side of it. The further part of the room had a couch, a loveseat, a coffee table, and a TV. Katara was pleasantly surprised to see a potted plant in the corner, as well as some art on the walls. On either side of the main room were hallways leading off to what she assumed were bedrooms. A weight she didn’t know was there lifted off her shoulders - part of her had been concerned she would be moving into some kind of frat house.

Aang appeared from the hallway to her right, popping his head around the corner to smile at them. “Your room is over here, Katara. I put the box in there already.”

“Thank you,” she said. Aang gave her a thumbs up.

Suddenly, from the hallway on the other side of the apartment, there was a loud, low bark. It made Katara jump and almost drop her box. A large, fluffy white dog padded into the room, tail wagging lazily from side to side.

“Hey, boy!” Aang said. He met the dog in the middle of the living room, coming down on his knees in front of it. The dog immediately began to lick his face, its tail wagging faster. Aang laughed. “Katara, this is my dog, Appa. He’s the goodest boy in the world.”

Appa finished licking his owner’s face and turned his large, dark eyes toward Katara. Katara hadn’t really had a lot of pets, but the large dog looked friendly. It wasn’t an unwelcome revelation to have about her new home. Appa trotted over to her, sniffing wetly at the hand she held out. Apparently deciding she had met whatever dog requirements he needed, Appa gave her hand a slimy kiss.

“Ew,” Katara said, laughing. She wiped her hand on the dog’s head as it panted happily. “He’s very sweet, Aang.”

“Thanks!” Aang said, wiping saliva off his face with his forearm. “I have a cat, too. His name is Momo. He’s probably around here somewhere.”

“Probably hiding in the cabinets waiting to scare me again,” Sokka grumbled. “C’mon, Kat. Let me show you your room.”

The small hallway that Aang had come out of ended abruptly into a partially closed door and branched into two other doors. The one on the left was open, revealing a small room with an unfurnished bed in the middle of it. The box Aang had carried up was sitting on the mattress. 

“Sorry it’s not enormous,” Sokka said, dropping her suitcase unceremoniously to the floor. “But at least it has a window!”

That was true. A large window sat facing out at their corner of the city. Katara pressed her face up against it. A little ways below, she could see where her car was parked. Aang was down there, grabbing another box off of the curb. It wasn’t much of a view, but she found that she was already charmed by the apartment and her little room.

“Where’s your room?” she asked, turning to face her brother. “Are you on the other side of the hall? Because if we’re sharing a bathroom again, I need to set some ground rules.”

Sokka ran a hand over the top of his head and down his ponytail, his blue eyes no longer meeting hers. “About that,” he started.

Katara groaned. It was a phrase she’d heard a thousand times before. Sokka would talk her into something and make it seem great, and then drop a bombshell on her. He had joked in the past that the best way to get her to agree to doing something she didn’t want to do was to liberally butter her up beforehand. Like a greased turkey. Katara did not like being a greased turkey. 

“Sokka, I swear -”

“It’s really not that bad,” he said, cutting her off. “It’s just our other roommate. He’s the one down there.” He pointed down the tiny hall to the very shut door. “You’re sharing the bathroom with him.”

Katara blinked. “Jeez, Sokka. You made it sound like it was going to be something terrible. Like the toilet didn’t work and I had to use the shower.”

Normally this would make her brother giggle. Instead he continued to avoid her gaze. “I just figured you should be warned. He’s a bit...grouchy.”

Katara let out a bark of laughter. “Like you when you haven’t had lunch yet? I can handle that.”

Sokka threw up his hands in defeat. “Hey, I said I was just warning you. Aang and I’ve been here two years and he still barely talks to us unless he wants to yell at us about something. And, I mean, I’m not saying he’s the reason our last roommate moved out, but he was probably a big factor.”

Katara rolled her eyes, turning away from her brother and the hallway. “Sokka, I appreciate your concern, but I can handle it. How bad could he possibly be?”

It occurred to her almost immediately that that phrase might come back to bite her, but by the time the thought came the words had already left her mouth and it was too late.

...

The three of them had finished bringing up all of Katara’s belongings by the time the sun started to set. When the last of the boxes was placed in her new room, Sokka wasted no time in letting everyone know how hungry he was. Aang suggested ordering pizza. Katara had all but forgotten about her mysterious third roommate by this point. He hadn’t so much as opened the door to greet her or do anything else. She wasn’t even entirely sure that he was home.

“He’s just not good at introducing himself to new people,” Aang reassured her when he caught her sneaking another glance at the closed door. “When Sokka and I first moved in, he didn’t say a word to us for, like, a week.”

“Sounds...delightful,” she said, feeling a pang of anxiety. She tried to instead focus on all of the upsides to her new living situation instead. “What’s the best pizza place around here?”

Sokka and Aang argued about pizza for about five minutes (Sokka wanted meat lover’s, Aang wanted vegetarian) until Katara made them compromise by getting two pizzas. “There needs to be more pizza anyway,” she said. “You’ve got me.”

It was like she immediately filled a niche in the household. Whenever Sokka and Aang would start to disagree about something, they turned to her to take the right side. Oftentimes, both of them were being stupid, and Katara was more than happy to set the record straight one way or another. They ate their pizzas on the couch, laughing and joking and enjoying each other’s company. For a little while, all of Katara’s moving worries went away, and she knew that she’d found her place.

Around nine’o’clock, both Sokka and Aang retired to their rooms for the night. Katara offered to finish up with the dishes. It was when she was almost done doing this that there was the sound of a door opening.

Katara froze in the middle of sponging dish soap onto a plate. It hadn’t come from Aang and Sokka’s side of the apartment - it had come from the room of the mystery man. She was normally not someone who got nervous when meeting new people. If anything, Katara leaned toward aggressively friendly. Maybe it was her brother’s warning that made her suddenly so anxious.

The sound of footsteps padding into the main area made her force herself to put down the half-washed dish and act like a normal person. This was her roommate. She needed to greet them and act polite and not like she had been warned about how awful he was. So, Katara turned around, readying her friendliest smile and greeting. The moment she saw him, the words dried up in her throat.

He was standing in the doorway to the hall, looking surprised and uncomfortable. He was tall and wiry, and stood ramrod straight with his arms stuck to his sides. He had shaggy black hair that fell around his face, almost covering his eyes, which were the color of molten gold. But what struck Katara the most was the scar. It was red and angry-looking, wrapping around his left eye and pulling it up into a squint. The scar continued across his forehead and ear, disappearing beneath his hair.

The man’s singular eyebrow came down over his good eye. He scowled. “If you take a picture, it’ll last longer.” His voice was deep and raspy. Katara blinked, suddenly realizing she’d been staring.

“No, I wasn’t - I’m sorry, I just -” She stopped, took a breath to compose herself, then put on her best smile. “I’m Katara. It’s nice to finally meet you…” She trailed off, hoping he’d offer his name.

He didn’t. Instead, he narrowed his eyes further. “You’re Sokka’s sister.” It sounded more like a statement than a question. “You live here now.”

Katara was certain she’d never had a more awkward encounter in her life. “Um, yes?”

The man was quiet for a moment. He was practically glaring at her. Part of her wanted to tell him to calm down, that he was overreacting and she had just been surprised. Another part of her wanted to just turn back around and never acknowledge him again.

“I take showers in the morning,” he stated. It took her a moment to realize that he was referring to their shared bathroom. “Don’t touch my things, and we won’t have a problem. And if you clog the drain with your hair, you’re going to have to fix it. I won’t clean up after you.”

Katara could feel her proverbial hackles rising. What was this guy’s problem ? “Excuse me?”

The man’s glare didn’t change. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stalked in her direction. For a moment, Katara thought he was going to get in her space, and she reached behind her to wrap her fingers around the handle of the pizza cutter in the sink. Just in case. But he stopped just short of her, opening a cabinet above the oven and reaching up to grab a coffee mug.

“I don’t like being disturbed,” he said, grabbing a piece of pizza from the almost empty box on the counter. “I usually work from home, so don’t bother me.” Katara was so shocked by how rude he was being that she almost didn’t notice he was holding an empty coffee pot out toward her. “Could you put some water in this, please?”

Moving slowly, as if in shock, Katara took the pot from him. She turned around and filled it in the sink. Normally she’d never be so quiet in a conversation, but she had no idea what to say. She didn’t want to snap at him, but everything he said rubbed her in the wrong direction. Katara handed the full coffee pot back to him.

“Thanks,” he said, pouring the water into the coffee maker’s reservoir. She watched him mess around with the coffee and filters for a moment.

An awkward silence settled over the kitchen, broken only by the burbling of the coffee maker. After a little bit, Katara finally found her tongue. “You know, my brother told me that the last roommate you guys had moved out because of you.”

The man stiffened. He turned slightly to face her, the unscarred half of his face in profile. “Really.” The word was terse. A small voice in her head told her to back off, but Katara had never been one to back down from a fight.

“Yeah. Apparently you were rude and insufferable.” Okay, so that was a little mean. But he needed to know that she was not going to be walked all over.

He swung around, his cheeks pinkened with anger. “Listen, Katara ,” he spat, pointing a thin finger at her. “Just because your brother invited you to live here - without my permission, I might add - that doesn’t mean I have to be nice.”

“I’m just saying, you could stand to be a little bit polite,” she snapped back, crossing her arms across her chest. “Here I was, trying to be friendly, and you come in here like someone peed in your cereal.”

The man shook his head in exasperation. He seemed to get easily riled up. “Trying to be friendly? I don’t know you. Who says I want to be friends with you?”

“It’s called being a mature adult,” she said. Distantly, she could tell her voice was rising. “Something you apparently never learned. You didn’t even tell me what your name was, just started attacking me!”

The man opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the sound of the coffee maker finishing its current brew. He spun around, yanking the pot from the maker and causing hot coffee to splash onto the counter. Katara felt all the anger leave her as she realized how stupid this argument was and how childish they were both being. If they kept yelling, they would inevitably attract the attention of Sokka or Aang, and they didn’t need to be involved in this. She returned to finishing washing the dishes, her face still hot.

Her roommate let out a long breath through his nose and he poured the black coffee into the mug he’d gotten earlier. She tried to ignore him. She listened to him start to walk back towards his room, when suddenly his footsteps stopped. Katara took a breath, readying herself for another onslaught of rudeness. She looked up at him and found him staring at her, looking slightly more calm with a mug of coffee in his hand.

“Zuko,” he said. 

She blinked. “What?”

“My name,” he clarified, a spark of annoyance in his tone. Then he turned back around and stomped into his room, shutting the door loudly behind him. 

Katara dried her hands on a dish towel, turning the name over in her mind. There was definitely one thing Zuko had been right about: they were certainly not going to be friends.

...

“And I just can’t believe he had the gall to immediately start spouting orders,” Katara said, gripping her disposable cup with almost enough ferocity to make it pop open. She was sitting at a table in a tea and coffee shop down the street from her new apartment, directly across from Sokka and Aang. Aang had a very sympathetic look on his face, while Sokka just kept nodding.

She was venting about her experience with Zuko the night before. She had gone to bed feeling shocked at his behavior, and had woken up angry about it. It didn’t help that he had turned the shower on at five-thirty , and the walls had proven to be thin.

“He can be a little...prickly,” Aang said. He looked almost embarrassed for his roommate. “Maybe he was in a bad mood.”

“If that’s the case, then he’s been in a bad mood for years,” Sokka said, taking a gulp of his overly sweet mocha. “I don’t know why you keep making excuses for him, Aang.”

Aang leaned back against the back of the booth, letting out a sigh. “He really does make it difficult, doesn’t he?”

Katara ran her fingers up and down the side of her disposable cup. “Has he seriously been like this to you guys for two years?”

Sokka opened his mouth to say something (probably rude, judging by the look on his face), but Aang beat him to it. “I think he’s had a pretty rough go,” he said, voice dropping almost conspiratorially. “Something really messed him up a while ago.”

Katara thought about the large scar on Zuko’s face. A sudden pang of pity squeezed her chest. 

“Okay, there’s that,” Sokka said, waving his hand as if to brush the somber mood away. “But is that really an excuse for being an ass twenty-four seven?”

“Have you ever tried talking to him?” Aang asked, crossing his arms.

Sokka scoffed. “Uh, duh? Just the other day when he was going to the store I asked him if he could get dinosaur chicken nuggets and he told me to grow up.”

Katara snorted. “Okay, I might be with Zuko on that one.”

“What? Dinosaur chicken nuggets are ageless!” Sokka pounded a fist on the table, making his mostly empty coffee cup wobble.

“I meant a serious conversation,” Aang said, refusing to change the subject. “I just think we should all try a little harder to make Zuko feel comfortable. He’s probably lonely.”

Sokka rolled his eyes. “He has that guy that comes over sometimes. That’s gotta count for something. Although I haven’t seen him in a long time…” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “He was much better than that girlfriend he had a year ago.”

Katara took a sip of her tea. “There’s people out there who tolerate him?”

“Barely. I think that guy was just a long-standing hookup. He’d only come over at night and we’d barely see him.” Sokka shrugged. “And Mai was...well…”

“She was just a lot like Zuko,” Aang said, still apparently trying to defend their absent roommate. “They were private people.”

“Their fights certainly weren’t private,” Sokka pointed out. “ Tui and La. I almost wish it was loud sex instead.”

Katara laughed and Aang winced. The bald man was blushing slightly. “Well, Appa seems to like Zuko, and that’s all that matters to me,” he said, desperate to regain control of the conversation.

“I think Appa likes everyone,” Sokka said. He threw back the last sip of his coffee, making a loud slurping sound as he did so. “The real test is Momo.”

They continued talking for several minutes, mostly about things that weren’t revolving around Zuko. Katara learned that Aang had double-majored in history and education, which Sokka immediately said was a small workload compared to engineering. The two had a group of friends they had met in college and still often hung out with. In fact, two of their good friends lived in the same building as them.

“We should invite them over to meet you!” Aang said excitedly. “It can be a welcoming party!”

“They’ll love you, Kat,” Sokka said. “They’re super cool.”

Katara felt excitement bubbling up inside her at the thought of meeting more people. She definitely liked Aang so far, and Sokka was generally a good judge of character. Plus, she really needed some friends in the area. “Okay! What are they like?”

“Their names are Toph and Suki,” Sokka said. His voice softened when he said ‘Suki’, and he seemed to melt a little bit. Katara raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Suki you say?” She gave him a cheeky grin. Her brother was incredibly easy to read when he liked someone. While he was a huge flirt, Sokka rarely fell for people. But when he did, he fell hard .

“Yeah,” he said, sighing dreamily and resting his chin on his hand. “She’s so cool.”

“Toph’s really cool, too,” Aang said, giving Sokka a gentle elbow to the side. “But Sokka’s been in love with Suki since day one.”

“I can’t help it. She’s the coolest person I’ve ever met.” Sokka still had that dreamy look on his face. Katara laughed.

“Wow, Sokka,” she said, raising her eyebrows. “You must really like this girl.”

“And yet, he won’t ask her out.” Aang shrugged. “For some reason.”

“I’m waiting for the right moment,” Sokka said petulantly.

They eventually came to the agreement that they’d ask Suki and Toph to come over for dinner to meet Katara. They walked back to the apartment, and Katara set to work on unpacking more of her stuff and setting it up in her room. She’d already unpacked the important stuff, like her sheets and toiletries, but her clothes were woefully spread across the room. So, she put on music and began to organize.

By the time the girls were supposed to come over, Katara had unpacked pretty much everything. Her bed was made, complete with a thick fur blanket from home. She had hung up pictures on the walls of home and Omashu, with enough space for new memories. Her clothes were hung up neatly in the closet, in which she had found a small, forgotten desk. The desk was now sitting next to her wall-mirror, adorned with candles and a few notebooks. She strung up lights around the perimeter of the room, giving the whole place a very soft atmosphere. Katara looked at her handiwork and smiled.

An extremely loud knock on the front door brought her out of her organizational haze. She turned and stepped out of the room, smoothing the flyaways back into her braid. While she didn’t think they would judge her for it, Katara had always liked to make good first impressions.

“I got it!” Sokka yelled, hopping up from where he had been sitting on the couch. Appa came lumbering after him, barking at the knocking. Katara heard greetings exchanged at the door, and tried to crane her neck to see them down the small hallway. Then, all four burst out into the main room.

Leading the way was a small woman with a large, messy bun of black hair. She was wearing an oversized t-shirt that said “world’s worst husband” and sweatpants. She had no shoes on. The woman was also carrying a white cane, which she held more like a monarch with a staff and less like a person with blindness. Her eyes were a pale, milky green, focused straight in front of her. To Katara’s surprise, the woman walked directly up to her.

“I’m Toph,” the woman said, extending the hand that wasn’t holding the cane. “And you must be Snoozles’s sister.”

Katara took the outstretched hand. The woman had an extremely strong grip. “Uh, Snoozles?”

“You know,” Toph said, gesturing over her shoulder vaguely. “Your brother.”

“I fell asleep in class one time …” Sokka muttered, exasperated.

“And yet, you’ll carry that with you forever.” The other woman who had come in stepped forward from where she’d been standing next to Sokka. She was almost Toph’s polar opposite. She was tall, and her chin-length auburn hair had been carefully pinned out of her face. She wore a flattering blouse and slacks. Her handshake, however, was just as strong. “Hi. I’m Suki.”

Katara could see how her brother had been so taken with the woman. Suki commanded presence and radiated confidence. Not to mention that she also happened to be very pretty. “Hi,” Katara said. She caught her brother’s eye and sent him the barest hint of a grin. “Sokka’s told me so much about you.” From behind Suki’s shoulder, Sokka gave her a look that could only be described as murderous.

The light tan of Suki’s cheeks turned a delicate pink. “Oh! Good things, I hope.”

“Literally when in your entire life have you done something bad?” Toph said, planting herself on the loveseat and spreading out. “Tell me, Suki.”

Suki rolled her hazel eyes. “I’ve done things, Toph. Things that would make you blush.”

Toph scoffed. “Somehow I doubt that.”

“How’s job hunting going, Suki?” Aang asked. He was currently at the stove, pouring a sauce onto the stir fry he was making.

Suki made a pained expression. “Could be better. The firm I interned at said they might hire me when one of the partners retires, but I think he’s planning on staying there forever. What about you?”

Aang shrugged. “Subbing for now. They’ll call me when they need me.” 

“Ugh, do we have to talk about jobs?” Toph said, letting her head fall over the side of the loveseat. “When will you guys just let me pay for everything?”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “What do you do, Toph?”

Toph shrugged. “Whatever I want. My parents have more money than anyone has any right to have.” She reached out a hand in the general direction of the kitchen. “Let me be your sugar momma!”

Suki laughed at her roommate. She looped her arm through Katara’s and pulled her to the couch. “So, Katara,” she said. “Tell me about yourself! Sokka said you’re going to be a doctor?”

“That’s the plan,” Katara said, settling into the cushions. “I moved here to go to the medical school at BSSU.”

“That’s awesome!” Suki squeezed her arm. Katara got the feeling that she was a touchy person, which wasn’t unwelcome. “I went to the law school. Where was your undergrad?”

They continued to talk while Aang finished dinner. Sokka came and joined them on the couch, laughing a little too loudly at Suki’s jokes. Toph interjected from her spot on the loveseat whenever she felt it was necessary, which was often. Katara already found herself comfortable around these people, and relaxed almost right away. Sometimes Suki was a bit strongly opinionated, and Toph was definitely crass and didn’t care much about being polite, but these weren’t traits that turned her off to their friendship. Not like…

Katara glanced at Zuko’s shut door. Now that time had passed and she’d cooled down from their fight, she was starting to feel bad about how their first meeting had gone. Sure, he’d been rude, but she’d stooped to his level almost right away. She should have deescalated the situation, instead of throwing gas on the flames. She hadn’t seen Zuko all day, and now she couldn’t stop thinking about what Aang had said earlier: He’s probably lonely .

She was distracted from her thoughts about her roommate by Aang announcing that dinner was ready. Everyone began to crowd the kitchen, happily taking the proffered bowls of tofu stir fry. The only one who wasn’t excited for the meal was Sokka, who pushed around a piece of tofu with a disgusted look on his face.

“We meet again, meat impersonator,” he grumbled. 

“You don’t have to eat it, Sokka,” Katara chided. “Get some leftover pizza out of the fridge.” Turning to Aang, she smiled. “I think it’s great, Aang.”

“Thanks!” the man said. He was sitting cross-legged on the counter, his bowl in his lap. “I’m much better at baking, though. I’ll make you a pie sometime.”

By the time they’d finished the meal, Sokka had already convinced everyone to have a round of beers. Towards the end of the second round, Katara was starting to feel fuzzy. She’d always been a lightweight. At one point, while Aang and Sokka were arguing over the best hypothetical way to survive a zombie apocalypse (a well-tread conversation, judging by the increasingly intricate points being made), Katara turned to Suki and Toph. The words were out of her mouth before she had time to consider them: “What do you think of Zuko?”

“Other roommate Zuko?” Suki asked, which prompted Toph to sarcastically mutter “Is there another Zuko?”

“Yeah,” Katara said, swirling her mostly empty beer bottle. “Have you met him?”

Suki pursed her lips. “A few times,” she conceded. “He doesn’t talk much. I think I said hi to him once and he completely ignored me.”

“I met him last night,” Katara said. Her gaze had traveled to that shut door again. “It didn’t go well.”

“Did you piss him off?” Toph asked. She’d finished her third drink, and barely seemed affected. “Please tell me you did. It’s so much fun.”

Katara frowned. “We both got a little rude,” she said. “I feel bad about it.”

Suki leaned forward and put a hand on Katara’s knee. “Honey, don’t. That guy has some serious issues. Did Sokka tell you about the time Zuko made him climb the fire escape because he lost his house key?”

“That was hilarious,” Toph said. “He’s the most unapologetic asshole I’ve ever met. I want to be his friend so bad .”

“His friend?” Suki knocked back the rest of her drink. “Good luck with that, Toph.”

“Maybe he needs some friends,” Katara murmured, mostly to herself. Apparently, those words were all the encouragement Toph needed, because the woman stood up, unfolded her cane, and began to make her way towards the closed door of the man in question.

Katara stood up quickly, wobbling a little as she did so. “Toph!” she said, an edge of panic in her tone. “What are you doing?!”

Toph confidently strode up to the door, stopping only when the end of her cane hit it. “What does it look like?” she said. “I’m making friends!”

Suki sighed and leaned back, apparently already resigned to the situation. By now, Sokka and Aang had become aware of what was going on, and watched warily as Toph began pounding on the door. “Hey, Zuko!” she called. “Why don’t you come out and join us?”

Silence. Katara took an anxious sip of her beer.

“Toph, I don’t think -”

“Hellooo?” The woman continued her assault on the door. “Anybody in there?”

Aang grimaced. “You’re gonna make him mad…”

But there was nothing from the closed off room. Katara would have expected at least some sort of angry response - Zuko didn’t exactly seem like the type to calmly ignore such an aggressive plea for his attention. Toph stopped knocking. “I don’t think he’s home.” Katara let out a breath of relief, which was immediately negated by Toph’s next words. “I’m gonna go in his room.”

“Toph!” Suki hissed. “Don’t you dare.”

Toph put a hand on her hip. “Don’t be such a killjoy, Cherry. Don’t you guys want to know what’s in here?”

“You’re invading his privacy,” Katara pointed out. But her heart wasn’t in it. She couldn’t help but be curious as to what was in his room.

“I won’t touch a thing,” Toph said, crossing her heart. “But...it would be helpful if someone could describe it to me. Otherwise, who knows what havoc I’ll cause…” She trailed off, tapping her cane on the ground.

Katara, Suki, Sokka, and Aang all shared a look. “I’m definitely not going in there,” Sokka said. “I don’t need another reason for him to hate me.”

“Me neither,” Aang supplied. “He already got mad at me this week for Appa’s hair getting in his laundry.”

“Don’t look at me,” Suki said, taking another swig of her beer. “I don’t want to know what’s in there.”

All eyes fell on Katara. She swallowed nervously. It wasn’t like it would hurt anyone, and maybe she’d be able to get some insight on her new roommate. “Okay. I’ll go with you.”

Sokka raised his eyebrows. “You’re kidding me. Do you want him to hate you more?”

Katara crossed her arms defiantly. “He’s not home, Sokka. He doesn’t have to know. And Toph’s going in no matter what.”

“That’s Toph’s problem!”

Toph cackled. “I’ve brought her over to the dark side, Snoozles! You can’t save her now!”

Before she could lose her nerve, Katara strode forward and grabbed the handle of the door. One last, desperate wish for the door to be locked crossed her mind. But it opened inward with barely a complaint. Toph smiled and led the way inside.

The room was surprisingly tidy. It was roughly the same size as her room, but without the window. A neatly-made bed was diagonal from the door, looking like the soft sheets had never been used. The door to his closet was slightly ajar, but it was too dark inside for her to be able to see anything. Directly next to the door was a rather large desk that showed the only signs of human habitation - a dirty coffee cup and several scattered pieces of paper with notes scribbled in sharp, clear characters. There were a few paintings on the walls, of places that looked warm and tropical. Above his bed were two framed swords, crossed over each other. The only light in the room was a lamp on the desk, which had apparently been left on when Zuko had left.

“So?” Toph asked, bringing Katara back to the current situation. “What’s the vibe? I’m imagining an evil lair.”

“It’s not an evil lair,” Katara said, walking further into the room. She crossed to a nightstand and ran her finger along the top of it. “It’s...clean.”

“Huh,” Toph said. “It smells like coffee in here.”

It did. There was something else too, like a faint hint of smoke and cinnamon. Katara wondered if he used tobacco. “There’s a coffee cup on his desk,” she said, only half paying attention. There were exactly two small, framed photos on the nightstand. One was of a younger Zuko getting a side-hug from an older, bearded gentleman. The man had a wide, sweet smile. Young Zuko was scowling. The other picture was of a woman with long, dark hair and delicate features. She was looking down and away from the camera, her hair falling over part of her face. Katara picked up the frame, a strange feeling coming over her as she scrutinized the image. The picture had the look of one that had been taken years ago, before cameras were digital. Without really thinking about it, Katara began to fiddle with the ring on her necklace.

“See anything interesting?” Toph asked, impatient. She was apparently already bored with the room. “Any incriminating objects?”

Katara put the frame back down on the nightstand. “Nope,” she said. “The sheets look really nice.”

Toph walked over and ran her hand over the made bed. “Oh, these are super nice. I bet they’d feel really good to sleep in.”

Katara narrowed her eyes. “Don’t you dare.”

“Don’t worry, Sweetness,” Toph said, grinning devilishly. “The only bed I’d ever want to sleep in is my own. You think he’s got money?”

Katara blinked. “Uh.” Now that Toph mentioned it, the furniture in the room did look on the higher end. And the computer on his desk was nothing to sniff at. “Maybe? But why would he live in an apartment with roommates?”

Toph laughed. “Probably the same reason as me: company.”

Katara hummed in vague agreement. There was a book on the nightstand as well, flipped upside down. It was well-worn, with the edges of the pages curling. Katara carefully turned it over, and raised her eyebrows when she saw the cover. “‘The Cave of Two Lovers’?” she said, half to herself.

Toph snorted. “Classic romance literature? Can’t say I was expecting that.” Katara thought it was sweet, but decided not to voice that. “I think I’ve had enough of this boring-ass room. Let’s convince the others to do some shots.”

Katara placed the book down exactly how it had been. “You want to do shots ?”

Toph gave her that feral grin again. “I bet I can outdrink you, Sugar Queen.”

...

Toph could definitely outdrink her.

In fact, Toph could outdrink all of them .

Katara tapped out around the fourth shot, on account of the fact that the room wasn’t staying still. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d gotten so drunk. She could vaguely remember watching Sokka challenge everyone around him to an arm wrestling contest, which both Suki and Toph beat him at. Aang went to his room and pulled out a deck of playing cards, which he then proceeded to mess up several magic tricks with. At the time, it had been absolutely hilarious. Towards the end of the night, Katara was falling asleep on the couch up against Appa’s fur. At some point, Suki and Toph had gone home, and she could only remember this because Suki had leaned down and kissed Katara on the forehead. Sokka was already snoring on the loveseat. The only reason why Katara woke up again at all was because Appa suddenly got off the couch, almost sending her onto the floor.

“Sorry!” Aang said, his blurry frame in the doorway of his room. “Bedtime!”

Ah, yes. Bedtime. That sounded wonderful.

Katara pushed herself off of the couch. The room was beating in time to her heartbeat, and moving her feet was difficult. She reached out and grabbed the wall of the hallway entrance, guiding herself toward the open door and the oh-so-cozy bed that awaited her. When she finally collapsed onto the soft mattress, she didn’t even bother pulling the blankets around her. As she drifted off to sleep, she thought about how strange it was that her sheets smelled like cinnamon.

An unknowable amount of time later, Katara was woken up by a hard shove. She sat up, still somewhat drunk, and for a second wondering if she was back in middle school and Sokka was waking her up because she was late. But when she opened her eyes, the sight that greeted her made her sober up significantly. As it turned out, she was not in her bed.

She was in Zuko’s.

The man in question was standing above her, his face a dangerous shade of red. He had obviously been out - he was still wearing a leather jacket, despite the warmth in the apartment. 

“Great, you’re awake,” he said, his teeth gritted. “Now, would you like to tell me what the fuck you’re doing in my bed ?”

How could she possibly explain? She scrambled into a sitting position, so embarrassed that she felt like she could combust at any moment. “Zuko, I didn’t - I mean, I wasn’t trying -” Her tongue was thick in her mouth, and forming any words, let alone something coherent, seemed close to impossible.

“Just get out!” he snapped, pointing stiffly to the door. “ Get the fuck out! ”

Katara nearly fell in her haste to get out of the bed. She was definitely still a little drunk, but managed to avoid any of the furniture as she stumbled across the room. When she reached the doorframe, she grabbed onto it like it was a life preserver in rough ocean waters. Zuko was standing with his back to her, still staring at the bed. His fists were clenched so tightly that the grasp he had on his keys looked painful.

“I’m sorry,” she finally got out. He didn’t answer, but his shoulders tensed to the point where they were almost up next to his ears. Katara turned away and went to her own room, trying to ignore the slam of Zuko’s door behind her.

She fell onto her bed, face down into the pillows. She’d never been so embarrassed in her entire life , and that included the time her freshman college roommate walked in on her half-naked with someone. There was no question that Zuko was furious, and why wouldn’t he be? He already wasn’t fond of her, and she’d crossed so many boundaries that she may have permanently landed on his shit list.

Katara groaned into the pillow. If she had ever wanted to try and have a civil relationship with her roommate, that chance was gone now. The bridge was thoroughly burned, there was no coming back. Zuko did not seem like the forgiving type.

At least his sheets had been soft.

Chapter Text

For the rest of the weekend, the energy in the apartment was...tense. Even though Katara spent a lot of time at home, mostly finishing moving in, she barely saw Zuko at all. He still took his five-thirty a.m. showers, but other than that there was little to no evidence that he even lived there at all. After the initial extreme embarrassment, Katara realized that she needed to be an adult and apologize to Zuko. There was no point in really explaining herself, and even if she told him that she rarely got sloppy drunk, he’d have no reason to believe her. Still, on Sunday evening, Katara sat for several hours in the main living area, waiting for Zuko to come out of his room.

Sokka came into the main area around hour two of Katara’s stakeout. He greeted her and then dove into the fridge, rifling around until he found a Tupperware container of leftovers. He turned back to Katara, kicking the fridge door shut behind him. When he saw her hands, he narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”

She was knitting. It was something she did when she was stressed and needed to have her hands busy. Sokka knew this very well. Katara tried to ignore her brother’s suspicious expression, instead focusing on the repetitive movements of her knitting needles. “Making a scarf.”

“I see that.” Sokka leaned against the kitchen counter. He cracked open the Tupperware container and began to eat the cold contents. “Everything okay?”

“Of course it is,” she snapped. She’d dropped a stitch, which didn’t help her mood. Sokka raised an eyebrow at her as he shoved another bite of food in his mouth.

“Kat…”

She sighed frustratedly, dropping the project into her lap. “I upset Zuko. A lot.”

Sokka shrugged. “That’s not unusual. What’d you do?”

She flushed. She’d avoided telling her other roommates about the ‘incident’ because it was so embarrassing, and she knew Sokka would hold it over her for the rest of their lives. But she couldn’t keep it to herself anymore; she’d probably end up knitting a million scarves otherwise. “Remember when we had that party with Toph and Suki the other night?”

“Of course I do, it was two nights ago.” Sokka was chasing the last few bites of his meal around the container, and wasn’t paying much attention to her. “I thought he wasn’t home.”

“He wasn’t.” Katara glanced at the shut bedroom door, and her stomach flipped. “He...uh, came home later.”

“How do you even remember?” Sokka said, shoving the last piece of food in his mouth and tossing the container in the sink. “I fell asleep in the living room on the loveseat. And I was so out that I didn’t even hear him come in. Had such a killer hangover the next day.”

Katara began pulling on the end of her braid. “Well, I sort of...forgot which room was mine. When I went to bed.”

Sokka looked at her blankly for a moment before the words finally clicked in his head. “You...were in his bed.”

The blush on her cheeks deepened. “Not on purpose!” she hissed. “I was drunk!”

Sokka clapped a hand over his mouth, obviously attempting to stifle giggles. Katara crossed her arms indignantly. “Stop laughing! It was so embarrassing.”

Her brother tried to cover his laughing with a cough, but it didn’t work out very well. “Wow,” he said, still grinning. “How mad was he?”

“Remember that time you were playing with your boomerang in the house and you broke Gran-Gran’s favorite vase?”

Sokka winced. “That mad?”

Katara nodded. “I want to apologize to him, but he’s avoiding me.”

Sokka ran a hand over his hair. “I dunno, Kat. Maybe he needs some more space. This whole thing gives me some context for an argument we had yesterday morning.”

“You argued with Zuko?” She must have been out of the apartment when that happened. Sokka wasn’t exactly the ‘quiet disagreement’ type, and it didn’t appear that Zuko was either.

“Yeah. I think you were out getting coffee,” Sokka confirmed. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the counter. “I was out in the kitchen getting water, and he came out of his room and started yelling at me about ‘responsible alcohol use’ and ‘having ragers without telling him first’.” He used air quotes around Zuko’s qualms, rolling his eyes as he did so. “I told him to relax. And then he threatened to pour all the alcohol down the drain.”

Katara raised her eyebrows. “Did he?”

“Nah.” Sokka turned to the sink and began to wash his dishes. “I figured he’d had a bad night or something so I just apologized. But now that I think about it, he was probably pissed that you’d gotten drunk enough to sleep in his room.”

Katara picked up her knitting again, feeling slightly ashamed that her brother had experienced the consequences of her actions. “Well, I won’t be making that mistake again.”

Another hour later, Zuko still hadn’t shown his face. Katara was beginning to wonder if he’d stored food in there so he didn’t have to come out to the kitchen. Her scarf was almost half-finished by the time Aang came through the front door, Appa on a leash and a skateboard in his hand.

“Hey, Katara!” he said, unhooking Appa’s collar from the leash. The large dog trotted over to her and licked her leg. She smiled and patted Appa on his fluffy head.

“Hi, Aang. How’s your day going?”

Aang put his skateboard away into the closet/laundry room next to the front door. “Great! Appa and I rode all the way to the outer wall. And take a look at this!” He reached into the pocket of his shorts and pulled out a folded flyer, which he handed to her. Katara unfolded it and read the bright, cheerful characters. 

“‘Farmer’s market’,” she read. “It’s tomorrow morning.”

Aang flopped onto the couch next to her, leaning an elbow on her shoulder. “We should go! I don’t know how the markets are these days in Omashu, but Ba Sing Se has some great agriculture. Last time I was there, I got the most delicious cabbage…”

He continued talking about the merits of Ba Sing Se’s farming community, but Katara stopped paying attention. Zuko’s door had opened, and the man in question had stepped out. He kept his head down, heading purposefully for the kitchen. Katara tried to swallow back her nerves as he opened the freezer. Now was her moment.

“Hold on, Aang,” she said, stopping her friend in the middle of his comparison of the various farmer’s markets he’d been to. She stood, leaving her knitting on the coffee table. “Hey, Zuko?”

He didn’t answer. He was looking intently through the freezer, pushing things aside and pulling others out. Maybe he hadn’t heard her. Katara cleared her throat and tried again. “Zuko? I just want to-”

“Aang,” Zuko said, cutting her off. He’d pulled out a gallon ice cream container, and was appraising its contents. “Did you finish the ice cream?”

“Uh.” Aang leaned around Katara to see the container Zuko was holding. “I don’t know?”

Zuko let out an exasperated sigh. “You don’t know?”

Aang scratched his beard. “I’m not really an ice cream guy. But the other night…”

Their roommate scoffed, then threw the apparently empty carton into the trash with more force than was strictly necessary. “Of course.” Zuko turned toward them, his golden glare fixed on Aang. “You need to get your fucking act together or I’m going to start labeling food with our names.”

Aang balked. “Sorry, Zuko. I didn’t know it was yours.”

“It’s not about that,” Zuko snapped. He slammed the freezer door shut. “It’s about respecting shared spaces.” Katara couldn’t help but wince at that. He hadn’t looked at her or even acknowledged her presence, but the words felt very pointed. “If you finish the ice cream, throw it out. Don’t just leave a spoonful in there and call it a day.”

Aang still looked confused at Zuko’s outburst. “Okay, man. My bad.”

Zuko turned back to the fridge, pulling out a mango. He stomped back toward his room, keeping his eyes averted from his two roommates. Katara let out a half-hearted “Zuko, wait -” but he didn’t even pause. Once more, his door slammed shut behind him.

“Yeesh,” Aang said, leaning back again on the couch. “He’s really got a bug up his butt today.”

Katara sat back down, feeling embarrassed and slightly defeated. Maybe Sokka was right - Zuko did need some more space. He was obviously still very pissed at her. But the fact that she hadn’t apologized was like a weight hanging over her head, creating a nasty cloud that had managed to invade the entire apartment and affect everyone in it. Katara shook her head. She needed to do something to get her mind off of it. She turned to Aang.

“What time did you say the farmer’s market was?”

...

Aang was right - the farmer’s market in Ba Sing Se was incredible. A full four blocks had been blocked off in order to hold all of the stands and booths. There were so many people that it reminded Katara of a festival. The air smelled sweet with fresh fruit, and all the goods on display looked delicious.

Aang had suggested that Toph tag along too, and although she didn’t appear to be much of a morning person, she agreed. “I’ve got nothing better to be doing,” she’d said, when they showed up at her door. 

They’d taken the subway down to the “Lower Ring”; the somewhat antiquated term for the more suburban outer portions of the city. It was no less crowded - in fact, the majority of Ba Sing Se’s population lived in this part of the city. The agrarian areas extended past the lower ring and out beyond the borders of the city. It was one of the most fertile areas of the world, according to her high school geography class. Looking around at the beautiful, bustling market, Katara was inclined to believe it.

“Look!” Aang said, pointing to a stand. “Moon peaches! I had some of these trees in my yard as a kid.” He made a beeline for the woman behind the booth, raising a hand in greeting. Katara and Toph followed more slowly. Toph had casually looped an arm in Katara’s, muttering something about being too lazy to use her cane.

“How much more fruit can he possibly buy?” Toph muttered. Today her shirt was bright green and read ‘Jingle Balls’ in glittery font. She still wasn’t wearing shoes, which made Katara cringe as they walked across the sun-baked street, but if Toph noticed she didn’t care. “Every time we pass another fruit stand he spends ten minutes at it and buys out their stock.”

“He’s having fun,” Katara said. She’d bought her own share of fresh produce, but not near as much as Aang had. It was like he was trying to blow through his rent money. “You haven’t bought anything yet, Toph.”

Toph grimaced. “I get my groceries delivered, Sweetness. I doubt they have anything here I’d want to buy.” A thought seemed to cross her mind, and she raised her eyebrows. “Unless...do you think they have weed?”

Katara snorted. “I’m gonna go with no.”

“Shame.”

After Aang had bought six moon peaches and had a fifteen minute discussion about traditional Air Nomad growing techniques, Katara and Toph were able to pull him away. They were getting close to the end of the four-block market, and Toph was beginning to complain about wanting lunch, talking over Aang whenever he suggested one of the numerous fruits and vegetables in his bags.

“Okay, fine,” Aang said. “We can go get noodles. But can we do one last stand? Please?”

“Sure,” Toph said. When Aang looked excitedly over at a large, fancy cabbage cart, Toph held up a hand. “But Katara chooses.”

Katara blinked. “Oh. But I don’t -”

“You. Choose.” Toph squeezed her arm almost painfully. “That’s my compromise.”

Aang shrugged. “That’s fine. Which one do you want to look at, Kat?”

Katara didn’t really care which one they went to, but appraised the stands around them nonetheless. “How about…” Her eyes caught on an unimpressive fold-out table in front of a large van with the back open. Several jars were spread out over the table’s surface, labeled by small, hand-made signs. The young man sitting behind the table was scrolling through his phone, looking bored. “That one.”

The three of them walked over to the table. As they got closer, Katara realized that the jars were filled with honey, and the signs noted a variety of flavors. The man glanced up when they approached, looking mildly surprised. He straightened up, smiling. 

“Hey!” he said. “How are you guys doing?”

“We’re doing great,” Katara said. She looked over the spread of products. A good portion of the jars were filled with regular honey, but several others appeared to have been infused with different flavors. She picked up a mason jar filled with honey and what looked like vanilla beans. “‘Vanilla honey’?” she said, reading the card next to the unlabeled jar. 

“Yeah!” the man said. He reached down next to the wheels of his chair and brought up a box filled with wooden stirring sticks. “Would you like to try some?” The three of them each tried a different honey. Katara hummed appreciatively at the sweet vanilla tang that married beautifully with syrupy honey.

“This is amazing!” Aang said, turning the jar of rose petal infused honey over in his hands. The man in charge of the stand smiled, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table. “Do you make it?”

“Of course,” the man said. “I keep bees - they’re the real stars here. I just add the flavors.” He gestured to the other jars on the table. “The plain stuff’s pretty fantastic too.”

“You keep bees?” Aang said, his eyes wide. “That’s so cool!”

The man blushed. “Thanks.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen your stand before,” Aang continued. “Honey’s one of my favorite natural sugars. I’ll definitely come back next week.” He grabbed an unflavored honey to go with the rose petal one he’d already picked up. “My name’s Aang, by the way.”

“Teo,” the man said, reaching out a hand. Aang took it, holding it for maybe a second longer than was necessary. Toph cleared her throat and both men let go, cheeks slightly pink.

“These are my friends,” Aang said, gesturing to the two women. “Katara and Toph.”

“Hey,” Toph said. “Do you get stung a lot?”

Teo shrugged one shoulder. “Not really. If you’re gentle with them, they don’t feel threatened. Sometimes I wear a veil, but I’m not afraid of them.”

“That’s awesome,” Aang said. “It’s so great when animal husbandry involves mutual respect.”

“Exactly!” Teo exclaimed. “When my dad and I lived up at the Northern Air Temple, we -”

“Hold on.” Aang held up both hands. His gray eyes were wide with excitement. “You lived at the Northern Air Temple? I’m from the Southern!”

“No kidding!” Teo was matching Aang’s intensity pretty well, something Katara didn’t even think was possible. “I was going to say something about the tattoos, but I didn’t want to make assumptions.”

Aang ran a hand over the top of his head, tracing the path of the blue arrow. “Oh, yeah. I was raised really traditionally. My dad thinks it’s super important to keep the old culture alive.”

“I never got to know that many traditionalists at the Northern Temple,” Teo said. “Would you be interested in telling me more about it sometime?”

Aang was practically vibrating with excitement. “Totally! You know, hardly anyone wants to hear me talk about the old culture…”

As the two exchanged numbers, Toph nudged Katara with an elbow and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Look at Twinkletoes. He’s totally makin’ some moves.”

Katara shushed her playfully. “Don’t ruin it!”

As they paid for their products, Katara casually asked Teo if he made anything else with his honey. Teo grinned and wheeled backwards to the open door of his van. He pulled a small cooler into his lap and opened it, revealing several small containers nestled in the ice. “I’m glad you asked,” he said, pulling out a pint-sized carton and handing it to her. The top was simply labeled ‘vanilla’. “I make ice cream with honey. It makes it super rich.”

Katara was immediately reminded of the ice cream situation the day before. Perhaps this was the perfect olive branch to extend to Zuko in order to voice her apology. It was unlikely he’d listen to her just trying to talk to him - maybe he’d accept a gift.

“I’ll take it.”

...

When they got back to the apartment, Katara put the ice cream in the freezer. She decided that she was going to wait until Zuko came out of his room to offer it to him, however long that ended up taking. The last thing she wanted was to be seen as invading his space again by knocking on his door.

Aang was unpacking his bags of fresh produce, humming to himself. He put his numerous moon peaches in a bowl on the counter. Almost as soon as they were presented, Momo, Aang’s siamese cat, came running out of his owner’s room. He jumped onto the counter and began smelling the peaches, the tip of his tail flicking with excitement. Aang ran a hand over the cat’s back, and it arched up into him with a trilling meow.

“He really likes peaches for some reason,” Aang said, smiling.

Katara hummed in agreement. She saddled herself on one of the chairs at the counter, watching Momo thrust his entire face into the bowl. “So,” she said, tapping one finger on the countertop. “Teo was pretty cute, huh?”

“Hm?” Aang was crouching in front of the fridge, pushing some of the older stuff out of the way to make room for the new food he’d bought. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”

“And you got his number…”

Aang was only partially listening to her. He was carefully arranging two cartons of strawberries. “Oh, yeah. I’ll text him eventually. He seemed to be really interested in being friends.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “Aang, I’m not sure he was really looking for a...friend.”

Aang paused, looking somewhat confused. “What do you mean? Why else would he want my -” When the realization hit him, he shot upwards so quickly that he nearly ran his head into the closed freezer door. “Oh. Oh .” His entire face was suddenly very red. “Did he ask me out?”

Katara tried to stifle the giggle that bubbled up in her throat, but didn’t mask it very successfully. “I’m pretty sure he did.”

Aang grabbed the sides of his ears and pulled. “Monkey feathers.” He leaned back against the kitchen counter and slid down onto the floor. He looked despondent. “I don’t think I can text him, Katara.”

Katara leaned over the counter to look down at her friend. “Why not? Are you not into guys?”

Aang waved a hand dismissively. “No, that part doesn’t matter.” He let out a long sigh, letting his head fall back against the cabinets. “I just...don’t have a great track record when it comes to relationships.”

“Relationships aren’t ever that easy,” Katara said, leaning her cheek on her palm. “But Teo seems really nice.”

“He does,” Aang conceded. “And he wants to know about my culture. And he likes animals.” A small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. 

“See?” Katara encouraged him. “You like him! You should get to know him more.”

“Maybe.” Aang began fiddling with his fingers, still looking pretty unsure. “But what if he gets to know me, and he changes his mind and thinks I’m a loser? What if we get in a big fight and he never wants to talk to me again? What if I get a job somewhere else and I have to leave him and he -”

“Aang.” Katara stopped him mid-ramble with a raised hand. “You are thinking way too far ahead. This is supposed to be about having fun.”

Aang sighed. “You’re right, you’re right.” Momo had jumped off the counter and crawled into Aang’s lap, purring loudly. “I’m just really bad at this. Every time I get with someone, I want to be with them forever. So I’m always worried it’s gonna end.”

“I think that’s part of the experience,” Katara said, softly. “You have to be vulnerable, Aang. It’s how you make genuine, meaningful relationships.”

Aang thought that over for a moment, chewing on his lip. Then he stood up, scooping a surprised Momo up onto his shoulders. He reached across the counter and grabbed onto Katara’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “You give pretty good advice, you know.”

Katara smiled, playfully flipping her braid over her shoulder. “I try.”

She spent a good chunk of the rest of the afternoon looking into her upcoming class workload and planning her schedule for fall. She’d practically taken over the coffee table with her laptop, planner, and a vast array of colored markers and highlighters. Katara wasn’t actively trying to stake out the living room again, but if Zuko happened to come out of his room, she was in a pretty good position to offer her olive branch.

It wasn’t until she was making dinner that Zuko made his appearance from his room. She was stirring her pasta when he opened his door, and she had to force herself not to jump on him right away. Zuko placed his coffee cup on the counter, making a point not to look at or acknowledge her as he opened the fridge.

Katara cleared her throat. Zuko didn’t react. He was pushing aside the pile of produce Aang had stacked in there, his face fixed in that seemingly permanent frown. She swallowed her nervousness and tried a more direct approach.

“Hey, Zuko.”

The man’s jaw clenched. He pushed a milk jug aside with a little more force than necessary, nearly causing it to tumble onto the ground. Katara sighed.

“You can’t ignore me forever, you know.”

She’d thought for sure he’d take that bait, but Zuko was significantly more stubborn than she’d given him credit for. He pulled a take-out container from the fridge and closed the door. Keeping his eyes fixed on a spot above her head, he walked past her to the microwave. Katara stifled an annoyed groan. She wasn’t about to let his bullheadedness deter her from her mission, but spirits he was annoying.

“Fine. Pretend I’m not here. I’m still gonna talk.” There was a slight tightening at the corner of Zuko’s mouth, which Katara internally treated like a small victory. “I want to apologize to you. I made a mistake, and it upset you. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Zuko let out a long breath through his nose. "You invaded my personal space.”

Katara tried not to look too happy at the fact that he had decided to acknowledge her existence again. “I know. And that wasn’t okay. I’m sorry.”

He still wasn’t looking at her. “You touched my things. After I specifically asked you not to.”

Now she was starting to get annoyed. How many times did she need to apologize? Did he want her to get down on her knees and beg for his forgiveness? Because she certainly wasn’t about to do that . Katara took a deep, calming breath. She needed to remain civil for this, if only to repair the energy in the apartment if nothing else. “Yes. And like I said, I’m very sorry about that. Do you think we can put it behind us and move forward?”

Zuko leveled her with a look that could burn holes in a wall. Katara swallowed. This wasn’t going as well as she’d intended. At least she had one more card to play. “I got you something.”

His angry look was very briefly replaced with one of surprise. Almost immediately, it was back to that nasty scowl. “I don’t want it.”

Katara bit back the retort that bubbled to her lips. Spirits give me strength to deal with this asshole . “Well, I already got it.” She padded over to the fridge and opened the freezer, pulling out the pint of ice cream she’d purchased earlier at Teo’s stand. “It’s vanilla. You can even put your name on it if you want.” The smile she gave him felt incredibly forced, and she hoped she wasn’t actually grimacing.

Zuko pursed his lips and took his takeout container out of the beeping microwave. When it became clear that he wasn’t going to say anything, Katara sighed and replaced the ice cream back in the freezer. While this hadn’t gone exactly like she’d planned, she’d at least done what she’d wanted to do. Hopefully with her apology he wouldn’t continue to take his frustration out on Sokka and Aang. 

He brushed past her as she poured her pasta into the strainer. Katara tried to keep her face as stoic as possible. She wasn’t about to let him think he’d gotten to her. But when she glanced over at him, he was looking at her.

“Thanks.” The word was barely a mutter, and sounded like it had been dragged out of him. Before she could say anything, he was walking away. When he closed his door, it wasn’t with a slam.

Katara returned her attention to her pasta, letting a small grin slip onto her face. There it was: the chink in the armor. She finally had her in.

...

A few hours later, Katara was sitting on her bed in her pajamas, reading. Her day had been pretty successful, all things considered. She’d gotten to hang out with her new friends, and help Aang gain some confidence in a potential relationship. And the guilty weight of the Zuko situation had at last been lifted from her head. She’d finally be able to move forward with her life, and hopefully Zuko would stop being so antagonistic. Hopefully.

She was still patting herself on the back for how maturely she’d handled the situation when there was a loud, almost frantic knock on her door. Katara put down her book and glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was almost ten p.m. Was it Aang, panicking about Teo again? Was it Sokka, in over his head on something and needing her to fix it? It wouldn’t be the first time.

“One sec,” Katara said, shrugging a robe over her tank top. She paced over to her door and started to open it. “You know, you can just text me when - oh, shit .”

Zuko stood at the threshold of her door, wearing a rumpled t-shirt and pajama pants. His normally pale skin was now a blotchy, mottled red. His face was swollen and puffy, making the frown he bore look almost comical.

Needless to say, he did not look pleased.

“‘Oh shit’ is right,” he growled. “Did you try to fucking poison me?”

“What?!” she said, struggling to keep her voice level. “That’s crazy! Why would I poison you?!”

“Because I ate your ice cream, and it turned me into a fucking balloon,” he snapped, scratching at a hive on his neck. “What was in it?”

Katara briefly wondered if she was stuck in some sort of crazy limbo where she continually pissed off her roommate in ridiculous accidents. “It’s vanilla ice cream!” she said, grasping at straws. “Are you allergic to vanilla?”

Zuko scoffed. “Of course not. Do you really think I’m that fucking stupid?”

Katara threw her hands in the air. “I don’t know, Zuko! I’m just asking!” She took a deep breath, trying to put on her Doctor Face. It was difficult when the patient in question was practically shaking with rage. “What about honey? He told me it was made with honey.”

“You gave me ice cream with honey ?” Zuko snarled. “Why didn’t you tell me it had honey in it?! I’m allergic!”

Any sort of idea about handling Zuko in a mature way had gone directly out the window. Katara felt like she was going to explode. “How the hell was I supposed to know?” she said, her voice a hair away from a shout. “It’s not like we’ve sat down and had a heart-to-heart!” Katara turned back into her room, grabbing a pair of boots from the foot of her bed and shoving them on. Now that she’d unintentionally created this problem, she needed to fix it. She wasn’t going to wait and give Zuko space this time. “Get some shoes on. I’m taking you to the emergency room to get a steroid injection.”

“If you think I’m getting in a vehicle with you, you’re insane.”

Katara shot him an expression that Sokka had lovingly deemed the ‘under-no-circumstances-should-you-fuck-with-me’ look. “It wasn’t an offer. Put some shoes on or I will drag you out in your socks.” After a brief stare-down, Zuko finally relented, muttering a curse under his breath and stomping into his room. Katara traded her robe for a sweatshirt and grabbed her car keys. 

The ride to the hospital was mostly done in a very tense silence. Zuko sat hunched in her passenger seat, staring pointedly out the window. Katara tried not to let it get to her, but by the time they parked her hands were cramping from having been clenched so tightly on the steering wheel.

The intake nurse came up to them right away, his face schooled into professional concern. “Hey, there. You having a reaction to something?”

“Yes,” Zuko gruffed. 

“He’s allergic to honey,” Katara supplied. Zuko shot her a glare, the effect of which was somewhat lost due to how swollen his face was.

“Any trouble breathing?” the nurse asked. Zuko shook his head. “Alright. It’s been a little slow tonight, so I can take you back now. What’s your name?”

“Zuko Ryu,” Zuko muttered. The nurse nodded.

“We can get the rest of your info in the room.” The nurse nodded towards Katara. “Do you want your girlfriend to come with you?”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” Zuko growled. At the same time, Katara snapped, “I’m not his girlfriend.”

The nurse’s eyebrows raised slightly at the hostility his words had elicited. “Sorry,” he offered, hands held up placatingly. “You can take a seat in the waiting room, miss. Shouldn’t be too long.”

Katara sat heavily on the plastic waiting room chair, letting her head thud onto the wall behind her. It felt like no matter what she did, she was destined to upset Zuko in some way. She hadn’t even known him for a full week and she’d already sent him to the emergency room. Even though she knew she hadn’t done it on purpose, her guilt had returned tenfold. She pulled out her phone to text Sokka. If anyone could see a bright side to this, it’d be him.

Katara: You’ll never guess where I am right now.

Sokka: ?

K: I’m in the emergency room with Zuko. He’s having an allergic reaction.

S: ???

K: I gave him ice cream as a peace offering. And he was allergic to it.

S: did u do that on purpose

K: No?????

S: Is he ok?

K: Yeah he’s going to be fine. They’re probably going to give him a steroid injection.

S: wow

S: I think u are Zuko’s reckoning for his assholery

S: an avenging angel

K: This isn’t a joke, Sokka. I feel really bad.

S: U shouldn’t. 

S: Did i ever tell u about the time he made me climb the fire escape

Katara sighed and put her phone away. Her brother was definitely not making her feel better. Sokka was two years beyond feeling any sort of sympathy for Zuko. But she didn’t want to be an ‘avenging angel’ for Zuko’s past transgressions. No one deserved that, even if they were a giant jerk.

Katara stared at the silent waiting room television until Zuko reappeared, already looking less swollen. She stood up as he approached her, looking more tired than angry. “We can go,” he muttered, avoiding her gaze.

She swallowed, suddenly feeling very awkward. He’d probably go right back to ignoring her forever as soon as they returned home, and part of her almost wanted it. Maybe it would be better for everyone if she and Zuko pretended like the other didn’t exist. “Okay.”

The car ride back to the apartment was almost worse than the one to the hospital. The anger that had clouded the car was replaced with a horrible, cloying awkwardness. Katara spent half of the drive trying to figure out what, if anything, to say. At a particularly long stoplight, she finally found the words.

“I want you to understand that I’m not trying to hurt you on purpose.”

“Really.” While his tone was sarcastic, it didn’t really have a lot of bite to it.

She sighed. “Yes, really. I’m not the type of person to...be mean to people.” She glanced over at Zuko. He was staring down at his lap, the scarred side of his face towards her. His arms were crossed over his chest, hands fisted tightly in the fabric of his jacket. “Especially when they haven’t done anything wrong.”

His lip pulled upwards in a slight sneer. “I would’ve thought you heard differently.” The light changed, and Katara looked away to drive forward. “I know Sokka and Aang aren’t exactly my biggest fans.”

“Well, you aren’t giving them a lot to work with,” she pointed out, keeping her tone as neutral as possible. "You’ve lived with them for two years. And they barely know you.”

He was quiet. Katara thought the conversation was over, until she heard a barely intelligible murmur: “Maybe that’s a good thing.”

“What did you say?”

Zuko tensed. “You know what? I don’t give a fuck what they think. Or what you think. None of you are my friends, and I’d really appreciate it if you stopped trying.”

Katara’s grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, and she had to take a steadying breath in order not to say who would want to be your friend anyway, you miserable shit. Instead, she said “Fine.”

For once, she and Zuko were in perfect agreement.

Chapter Text

In the week following the ice cream incident, Katara was very careful to avoid Zuko as much as possible. It helped that their schedules were almost entirely opposite - Zuko was mostly out and about in the early morning while Katara spent most of her evenings outside her room. Whenever they did cross paths (typically in the kitchen or living room), they would avert their eyes and say the absolute bare minimum to each other. It was like an unspoken agreement had been made; everything in the apartment would be better off if Katara and Zuko didn’t interact.

And it did improve things, at least for a little while. Zuko stopped projecting his anger onto Sokka and Aang, and Katara stopped stress-knitting. There were still little things every now and then - a coat left in the hallway, an unwashed plate in the sink, someone forgetting to transfer their laundry - but these were normal and expected problems when living with roommates. ‘No more trips to the emergency room’ was a low bar to make, but Katara was still satisfied with it.

“I mean, this is what the status quo has been for two years,” Sokka had pointed out during a trip to the supermarket. They were standing in the personal care products section, Sokka leaning heavily on their cart while Katara perused the lotions. “I feel like this is how it should be. We can just pretend Zuko isn’t there.”

Katara sighed. While it didn’t feel like the most mature way of doing things, her way had already been proven wrong twice. “Yeah. I guess.” She picked out a cheery pink bottle that said ‘peaches and cream shimmer’ and tossed it in the cart.

Sokka raised an eyebrow. “Are you seriously still hung up on this?”

“Of course not,” she said, only half-convincingly. Sokka saw straight through her, like always.

“Katara, you’re never going to get through to him. He’s fully committed to being a lonely asshole. Trying to level with him is only going to make you feel like crap.”

He was right, like always.

Back at the apartment, Katara took her bag of new toiletries to her bathroom to organize them. Interestingly enough, the shared bathroom had been the least problematic thing about living with Zuko. It was kept rather clean almost all the time - yet another unspoken agreement between them. Katara had been very careful about the state of her side of the sink and the shower so she wouldn’t incur Zuko’s wrath. Thankfully there were cabinets on either side of the mirror, so she didn’t have to worry about her things encroaching on her roommate’s.

She placed her new lotion on her side of the sink next to her toothbrush holder. The pink was a bright splash of color in the mostly black and white bathroom. A small, bitter part of her wondered if Zuko would be weird about it, but she quickly waved that thought away. He wasn’t that petty.

Katara pulled aside the black shower curtain to put her new shampoo and conditioner on her end of the tub. Zuko’s things - a few fancy hair products and expensive looking soap - were crowded in a corner on the other end. For a brief, strange moment, Katara was overcome with a very strong urge to see what they smelled like. Did they smell like cinnamon, like his sheets had?

She shook her head hard, like she could fling the thoughts out of her mind. It was inappropriate, as well as yet another breach of Zuko’s privacy. And spirits help her if he ever found out. Katara finished arranging her things and shut the shower curtain, nearly ripping it down with the force of her pull.

The next morning, she came into the bathroom to get ready for the day around ten-thirty. It wasn’t until she had taken her shower and combed out her hair that she realized something - her new lotion had been knocked off the counter and was currently lying on the floor. Katara picked it up and righted it. The thought from the day before about Zuko not liking the clash of color returned to her. Would he really be that annoying about it though? Sure, he was hostile and more than a little uptight, but knocking her things on the floor? There was supposed to be a truce. Or at least she thought there was. Katara decided to ignore it for now.

When she noticed the lotion on the floor again later that day, the spark of righteous anger that had been stewing in her belly became a full-blown flame. Happening once could have been written off as an accident, but twice ? Someone was fucking with her. And the only other person who used this bathroom was the apartment dick-bag.

Katara scowled as she put the lotion back in place. Should she say something to him? Knock on his door and demand to know what he had against peaches and cream shimmer? In any other rooming circumstance, she probably would have. But instead, she took a deep breath and decided she would ignore it. Rise above.

He couldn’t get to her if she didn’t care.

Later that night, Katara, Sokka, and Aang sat around the coffee table, eating vegetable soup that Aang had made from his leftover farmer’s market produce. Zuko had left the building while they were dishing out bowls in the kitchen, wearing his leather jacket and his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his jeans. Aang had tried to offer him some of the soup to-go, but Zuko had ignored him, grabbing his keys off the hook by the door and leaving without a word.

“I need to complain about something,” Katara said, leaving her mostly empty bowl on the coffee table and leaning back on the couch. “Something Zuko-related.”

“Oh, spirits ,” Sokka said, exasperated. “Just leave him alone, Kat!”

Katara bristled. “I am leaving him alone! Why do you think I’m meddling?”

“Because you’re always meddling,” Sokka said, thrusting his spoon in her direction. “You’re a meddler.”

“Am not!”

“Guys,” Aang said, placing his soup down on the table. “Relax. Katara, you can tell us what Zuko’s doing to bother you. Then Sokka can determine if you’re meddling or not.”

“I’m not,” Katara muttered darkly.

“We’ll see,” Sokka said, taking a loud slurp of his soup. 

Katara frowned at her brother, then turned towards Aang. “I think Zuko’s been touching my stuff.”

Aang raised an eyebrow. “Really? How do you know?”

“I bought a new lotion that I’ve been keeping by the sink,” she explained. “And the last few days it keeps getting knocked off the counter. I think Zuko’s doing it.”

Sokka frowned, putting his empty bowl on the table and twisting to face her on the couch. “Okay, I know Zuko is a bit of a legendary asshole, but knocking shit around just for fun? That doesn’t seem like his M.O.”

“What if he thinks I’m messing up the feng shui in his bathroom?” Katara pointed out. Momo had slunk out from under the couch and jumped into her lap. He’d been really interested in her attention recently, which she didn’t mind. Petting a cat made her feel a little more calm while she discussed the current bane of her existence. “Have you seen how organized it is? And everything’s colorless.”

“Now that I think of it, I’ve never actually been in there,” Aang said, fiddling with the tie of a bracelet on his wrist.

“The shower curtain is black! I mean, who has a black shower curtain?!”

“Ours has whales on it,” Sokka offered. “Aang and I compromised.”

“We compromised on all the decor in the bathroom,” Aang said, smiling. “I didn’t want pictures of dead fish on the walls.”

“How many times do I have to explain that ‘nautical theme’ involves fishing? It’s expected!”

Katara rolled her eyes. “ Anyway . I’m not really sure what to do. Should I ask him about it?”

Aang scratched his chin. “Do you think there’s a way you can do it without cornering him? Because I feel like he’s gonna be more snappy if he thinks he can’t get away from the conversation.”

“You make him sound like a nervous animal,” Sokka said with a snicker. “Maybe you should offer him some lunchmeat and see if you can gain his trust.”

Katara decided to ignore Sokka’s unhelpful comment. “It’s hard not to corner him. You’ve seen how difficult it is to get his attention.”

Aang shrugged. “Maybe you should let it go, then.”

Katara pursed her lips. As much as she wanted to, something told her that wasn’t going to be an option. “I’ll try.”

Sokka heaved himself off the couch, grabbing their empty bowls to take to the sink. “Katara letting something go? I’d love to see that .”

Katara threw a pillow at his legs, and they all laughed, the Zuko problem temporarily forgotten.

...

Aang’s suggestion continued to bounce around in her head over the course of the next few days. Her bottle of lotion kept getting knocked over, and now sometimes her other things were knocked off the counter as well. It was incredibly irritating, and put her in a terrible mood every time she entered the bathroom. At this point, there was no letting it go. It was only a question of how to confront him.

Katara had never considered herself passive-aggressive. She had always confronted her problems head-on, and sometimes with more anger than the situation required. But since Zuko was so volatile, the passive-aggressive route might be the only one that didn’t end in a screaming match.

So, she bought a set of window markers.

On the mirror, right above where her things resided on the counter, she wrote a note in careful blue characters: Please stop pushing my lotion on the floor. Thank you :) The smiley face may have been a step too far, but it felt right to have it there. Katara capped the marker and set it delicately next to her toothbrush holder.

For the rest of the day, Katara tried to forget about her bathroom problems with Zuko. She walked to the subway station and rode to the university, trying to get an idea of what her commute to school would be like. Ba Sing Se University had a very large campus, and she wandered around for a long time getting the hang of where things were. She found the buildings that housed the medical school, and explored that area very thoroughly. There weren’t very many people around - school wouldn’t be in session for another month and a half.

There was a small garden behind a lab building with a large amount of tall bamboo. A little stone path wove its way through the fronds. Katara followed it, and came upon a small stone table. She sat at it for a moment, imagining herself studying here when the weather was nice. The sound of the wind through the bamboo was relaxing - it would be the perfect spot to lose herself in her notes for hours.

Katara was in a good mood when she left to go home. She was focused on how excited she was to be attending the school of her dreams, and how she would soon be completely immersed in a learning environment again. She’d always loved school, much to Sokka’s confusion and disbelief. Her brother hated how lectures were structured, and preferred to sit at the back of the classroom figuring it out on his own. He’d been the bane of every teacher’s existence, even if he aced every test. Katara, on the other hand, sat at the front of every classroom and asked a thousand questions. Her notes had been legendary. Both of them had graduated close to the tops of their classes. The only reason Sokka hadn’t also been valedictorian was because he outright refused to participate in extracurriculars. Katara had been captain of the debate team, the swim team, and first-chair violin. She entered the apartment daydreaming about how she’d organize her planner, and what sort of friends she would make in her program. Maybe she could even make a study group!

As soon as she went into the bathroom, her good mood fled. It was like she had been riding on a balloon of happiness, and walking into the dreaded area had taken a needle and popped it. Her note on the mirror had been erased, and replaced with a new one. The script was the same sharp, even handwriting she’d seen on Zuko’s desk that night she’d gone into his room.

I’m not touching anything. 

And yet, there was her lotion. Knocked over on the floor. This time, her favorite ivory comb - handmade in her hometown! - had also been knocked off the counter, and this practically made her blood boil. That comb was fragile . He could have broken it! The words he had written felt like he was taunting her. Katara erased them with an angry swipe of her hand, and wrote a new note in slightly less neat scrawl.

Stop acting like a child and leave my things alone. It’s not that hard.

Katara capped the pen before she could tack an insult onto the end of her note and stomped out of the room. She desperately needed to vent to someone about the new developments in the situation before she exploded. 

Both Sokka and Aang’s doors were ajar, but Katara quickly determined that neither man was home. Appa and Momo were curled up on Aang’s bed, asleep. Momo raised his head when she peeked in the doorway, and greeted her with a loud meow. Still feeling a bit too riled up, Katara pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.

Katara: Hey, Suki! How are you?

Suki: Hi, Katara! I’m fine, kinda bored. Been sending emails to law firms all day - yuck.

K: That sounds gross.

S: It is. Wbu?

K: Just trying to distract myself from Zuko drama. Nothing new, lol

S: GIRL. Again??

K: Yeah :(

S: Wanna come over? I have wine…

K: YES PLEASE.

Suki and Toph’s apartment was on the third floor, at the opposite end of the building. Katara had been there once to pick up Toph for the farmer’s market, but had never actually been inside. Considering the two women's clashing personalities, Katara had no idea what the inside of the apartment would look like. 

Right after she knocked, she heard Suki’s distant voice saying “One sec!”. Not a minute later, the door opened, revealing the woman in question. She looked a little more casual today than she had when Katara had last seen her - she was wearing an athletic top and leggings. Katara could very clearly see the cherry blossom tree tattoo coming off of the back of her shoulder and down her arm. Her hair was pulled back into a half-pony that reminded Katara of Sokka’s usual look, and the thought made her smile.

“Come in!” Suki said, stepping back and holding the door open. “I was wondering when you’d come visit.”

The apartment was slightly smaller than the one she shared with Sokka, Aang, and Zuko, which made sense considering it was two rooms rather than four. The door opened immediately into the living room, which had a large couch and a very comfy looking armchair. All of the furniture was slightly mismatched, and some of it was downright ugly. There were two large shelves against the opposite wall; one held numerous books while the other appeared to be almost entirely taken up by several strange sculptures. The walls were adorned with art, a lot of which was significantly more abstract in expression. Across from the door was a small hallway, through which Katara could see a dining room table. Another hallway next to the bookshelves led to where she assumed the bedrooms were. The scent of recently burned incense tickled her nose.

Suki walked towards the dining room table, gesturing for Katara to follow her. “Wine’s in here. I think we both deserve a glass.”

The dining area had a small kitchen tacked onto it, as well as a large window that led out to a small balcony. The balcony had a punching bag and several weights on it. Katara took a seat at the dining table, which also had Suki’s open laptop and several scattered papers. Suki grabbed two wine glasses from a cabinet next to the fridge and brought them over to the table, along with a bottle of red wine.

“Where’s Toph?” Katara asked, nodding her thanks as Suki poured her a glass.

“In her room, I think.” Suki poured her own glass, then set the open bottle between them. “She’s been working on a project all day.”

“A project?”

Suki settled into the seat across from Katara, bringing the glass to her lips before answering. “Another sculpture. She’s been super particular about this one - won’t show me until it’s ‘perfect’.”

“I didn’t know Toph was an artist,” Katara said, taking a sip of her wine. It was bitter, but not unpleasantly so. Not like the cheap stuff she and Sokka used to sneak in high school.

“Don’t let her hear you call her that,” Suki said with a laugh. “Toph hates being called an artist. She says it comes with ‘certain connotations’, whatever that means.” She leaned forward, voice lowered conspiratorially. “She sculpts and paints all the time, though. I think that’s, by definition, an artist.”

“I heard that!” Toph’s voice rang out from behind a closed door in the hallway that led to the kitchen.

Suki rolled her eyes playfully. “Good! You need a wakeup call! Have you been in the bathroom this entire time?”

“Yeah, I’m in the bath. Is Katara here? I thought I heard her.”

“Hi, Toph!” Katara called in the general direction of the door. 

“Can one of you open the door so I can hear you gossip about me better?”

Suki stood up and swung open the door. The bathroom was incredibly dark inside, and the scent of incense increased significantly. The bath must have been at the very back of the room - all Katara could make out were shadows. “You just can’t help but show off your naked body any chance you get, can you?” Suki teased the darkness.

Toph snorted. “Why you guys care so much about nakedness never ceases to confuse me.”

“It’s okay, Toph, I can’t even see you,” Katara said, taking another sip of her wine. Already it was starting to take the edge off of her stress.

“Well that just won’t do. Suki, turn on the lights!”

Suki had already sat back down at the table. “Do it yourself, you exhibitionist.”

“Nah, I’m too toasty.”

“Anyway,” Suki said, turning to face Katara. “Tell me about your Zuko drama.” She reached across the table to brush her fingers over Katara’s. “It really is never-ending, huh?”

Katara took a deep breath. “It really is.” She began to explain the lotion debacle, and the passive-aggressive notes on the mirror. “Because Aang doesn’t think it’s a good idea to confront him directly,” she explained when Suki wrinkled her nose. “But if anything, I think the notes have made it worse. He almost broke my favorite comb!”

“Hold on,” Toph said. “You followed Twinkletoes’s advice on conflict resolution?” A loud, sharp laugh. “Mr. If-I-Avoid-it-Long-Enough-it-Will-Fix-Itself?”

“She has a point,” Suki said.

Katara put her head in her hands. “I thought he would know! He knows Zuko better than I do.”

“Actually, I think you’ve interacted with him a lot more in the last few weeks than Sokka and Aang have collectively.” Suki took another drink from her glass. “Certainly more than I ever have. And I’ve been around since they moved in together.”

“It doesn’t really give me any clues on how to deal with him!” Katara groaned. “I feel like every time I even look at him he’s already thinking of ways to get under my skin.” 

“Just start knocking some of his shit around,” Toph offered. There was the sound of a drain being pulled, and water dripping as she stepped out of her bath. “That’s what I’d do.”

“Speaking of that.” Suki’s face turned somewhat serious. “Are you sure that Zuko’s doing this? It doesn’t really seem like the sort of thing he’d do. Just based on his experiences with Sokka.”

Katara’s lips pursed. “Sokka said the same thing. But he’s never shared a bathroom with him. I think the only person who’d know how weird Zuko is about the cabinet or the color scheme would be their old roommate.”

“Good luck with that.” Toph had stepped out of the bathroom, a fluffy green towel wrapped around her middle. Her long black hair hung in a curtain around her face, just parting to reveal her nose and mouth. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he changed his name and fled the city.”

“I just think you should maybe get some evidence before you burn bridges,” Suki said gently. “I don’t think Zuko is evil. Honestly, I think he’s a really defensive person who also happens to have a short temper.”

“Not a great combo,” Toph snarked.

“Consider your experiences already,” Suki continued, ignoring her roommate’s jab. “Has Zuko ever actually started anything? Or is he just reacting?”

Katara thought about that for a moment. Suki had a point; Zuko had never actually gone out of his way to antagonize her before this. It’d always been something already done or said that had set him off, even with Sokka and Aang. Especially with Sokka and Aang. But could she have done something to him and not realized it? In either case, the damage was done. She couldn’t take back the note now. Katara winced when she remembered the more nasty tone of the latest one she’d left.

“I think I’ve dug myself a pretty deep hole, Suki,” Katara said, her cheeks burning. “He just...rubs me the wrong way. His miserable attitude is contagious, apparently.”

“Trust me, Katara, you aren’t that far gone.” Suki chuckled, leaning back to sip her glass. “And you can show him that you’re above that too, I think.”

Katara raised her eyebrows. “How?”

Suki leveled her with her calm, intelligent hazel gaze. “Apologize. And move on.”

“Ugh, boring!” Toph said, turning and walking toward the bedrooms. “Let me know if you decide to escalate it. I’d love to be there.”

Katara and Suki finished their glasses of wine, changing the topic of conversation towards BSSU and where all the good secret study spots were. While Suki had spent most of her time in the law school, which was across the campus from the medical school, she could describe several good spots in the library where you could study undisturbed for hours. When they were done, Katara thanked Suki for her advice.

“No problem,” Suki said, walking her to the door. “You can come by anytime, Kat. I want us to be good friends.”

“Is this because my brother has a huge crush on you?” Katara teased. Suki flushed slightly, but still laughed.

“Between you and me, I think you’re the cooler one.”

Katara walked back to the apartment, feeling a lot lighter than when she’d left. Part of it was the glass of wine she’d had, which left her with a soft, cloudy haze in her head and a smile on her face. She made her way to the bathroom right away, hoping it wasn’t too late to erase the less-than-polite note she’d left. Unfortunately, Zuko had already seen it and replied. His characters were all sharp, angry lines.

You’re fucking delusional. Just go use the other bathroom.

She could feel the stress returning to the back of her head. Katara closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to keep Suki’s words in her head. He was just being reactionary. She’s the one who’d started the whole thing. Interestingly, her lotion was still sitting on the sink counter, instead of knocked over onto the floor. She pumped some onto her hands before turning away from the angry message.

Katara paced across the living room to the other side of the flat. Sokka and Aang were still not home. Momo jumped off of Aang’s bed as Katara approached the boys’ bathroom, rubbing a few times against her legs before leaping away across the living room. While she didn’t really want to share a bathroom with them, maybe Zuko had a point. Maybe they would clash less if she let him have the bathroom all to himself.

She gently pushed open the door, and that idea became immediately less appealing. The bathroom was a disorganized mess. Various toiletries lay haphazard across the counter. Katara couldn’t tell where Sokka’s stuff ended and Aang’s stuff began - it just looked entirely random. The whale-themed shower curtain was crunched up to the side, revealing an equally messy tub, with numerous half-empty soap containers and a line of themed rubber ducks. Even if she did want to switch bathrooms, she doubted there was even room for her things.

A loud clatter startled her. Katara let Aang and Sokka’s bathroom door fall closed as she turned to investigate. It had come from her bathroom. Immediately, Katara became suspicious. While she hadn’t heard Zuko’s door open, he’d been known to move rather silently in the past. She tiptoed across the room, careful not to spook whoever was messing with things inside the bathroom. The door was barely ajar. Katara let her hand curl around the knob, readying herself to throw it open and catch the perpetrator red-handed.

“Gotcha!”

Momo startled from his crouched position over Katara’s knocked-over lotion, letting out a sudden hiss of surprise. When he realized it was just Katara (looking equally as shocked), Momo went back to rubbing his face on the lotion pump.

“Shit, Momo,” Katara said, letting her hands fall to her hips. “I forgot how much you liked peaches.”

Momo blinked his wide green eyes at her and meowed.

“You made me look like a crazy person.”

Another meow. Momo forgoed the fallen bottle and instead came over to rub against her legs. The whole situation was so silly that Katara couldn’t even be mad. She leaned down and scratched his ears. He arched up into her palm, purring. Katara laughed. “Is this why you’ve been so friendly lately?”

...

The lotion was rehomed inside her cabinet, much to Momo’s chagrin. Katara spent some time tidying the bathroom, knowing Zuko probably wouldn’t notice but wanting to make up for her accusations in some way. She carefully erased the last message on the mirror, and replaced it with a new one.

Guess what? It was Momo all along. I’m really sorry I blamed you.

Next to it, she drew a little picture of Momo’s face beside a peach, with a heart between them. It was a little silly looking, but it made her smile. She hoped he’d find some joy in it, too.

Katara told Aang and Sokka about the situation at dinner. Sokka immediately thought it was hilarious, and Aang apologized profusely for Momo’s behavior.

“I swear he isn’t usually like this,” Aang said, as if Momo had committed a crime instead of typical cat mischief. “He’s a good boy!”

“What are you talking about, Aang?” Sokka said, still snickering. “Momo is chaos personified! He did it on purpose!”

“Don’t listen, Momo!” Aang said, leaning out of his chair to call across the room to the cat curled up on the couch. “He’s just jealous!”

“Jealous of what?” Sokka sputtered. “The sheer level of bastard energy that cat embodies?”

Katara also texted Suki, mostly to tell her how right she’d been. Suki accepted the praise, and said something that would prove to stick in Katara’s head for a while:

Suki: Give Zuko a little credit. I don’t think he’s trying to be a bad guy.

When Katara had to get ready in the bathroom the next morning, she felt a little bit nervous. She had no idea whether Zuko would accept her apology or not. What if he decided to retaliate in some way? She didn’t have to worry for long, however. The first thing she noticed when she turned on the lights was that her drawing was still on the mirror, untouched. At first, Katara thought that Zuko hadn’t seen the note yet. But upon closer inspection, her handwriting had been replaced by his.

Apology accepted.

A wave of relief washed over Katara at the sight. It wasn’t much, but it was something. Another truce had been struck - hopefully this one would stay. She erased the words but kept the drawing. 

Later that afternoon, Katara sat in the living room, reading and sipping a cup of tea. Sokka was at work, and Aang was out with friends. Momo was curled up next to her thigh, asleep. She was so engrossed in her book that she almost didn’t register the sound of a door opening. When she glanced up, her eyes immediately met with Zuko’s.

He hesitated at the edge of the hallway, like a deer caught in the headlights. He didn’t look angry or upset - his expression was carefully neutral. He was holding on to a coffee mug. For a moment, Katara was certain Zuko would spin on his heel and retreat to his room. He obviously hadn’t expected her to be out there.

Instead, he gave her a small nod. Katara was so surprised by this that she just continued to stare at him. He cleared his throat and finally broke eye contact, marching over to the coffee maker. Katara tried to return her attention to her book, but found she couldn’t concentrate. The fact that Zuko was in the same room as her, and neither of them were being antagonistic, felt very weird.

Zuko didn’t speak as he made his coffee, but he also didn’t seem to be ignoring her either. He looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. Katara wasn’t actively trying to watch him, but kept finding her attention drifting over, staring at his back as he maneuvered around the kitchen. If his head moved her way, she’d force herself to stare back down at her book. She hoped he didn’t notice that she hadn’t turned the page since he’d walked in.

Katara expected him to return to his room once he’d finished brewing his coffee. But he continued to surprise her by pulling out a chair at the counter and sitting, resting his coffee on the tabletop. Zuko pulled out his phone and leaned back in the chair, crossing one long leg over the other.

Was he...hanging out with her?

She was afraid that if she moved at all it would scare him away. Katara read the same passage in her book three times, never retaining the information. Zuko’s presence in the room was all she could focus on. Was this normal behavior? Sokka and Aang had never mentioned him doing something like this. It wasn’t like he was trying to interact with her. Maybe he just wanted to get out of his room for a change.

After several minutes, Katara finally started to relax. She was still hyper aware of Zuko’s presence in the room, but was able to go back to her book and tea without fear of scaring him off. He didn’t seem to care that she was there in the slightest. His body posture was relaxed; the hand holding his phone resting on his knee while the other curled around his coffee cup. If he ever so much as glanced at her, she didn’t notice.

When he finished his coffee, he got up and washed the cup in the sink. Then he walked back to his room, closing the door softly behind him. Katara let out a breath. She supposed he had made her nervous, which was fair considering their past interactions. But another, smaller feeling was tugging at the corner of her mind.

She liked him there. And now that he was gone, she wished he’d come back.

Katara pushed the feeling away and went back to her book. They were just two mature adults living in the same space. Just because he sat in the kitchen while she sat in the living room doesn’t mean they’re friends.

All the same, Katara found herself glancing at his door again, wondering if he’d reappear.

Chapter Text

Living with Sokka and Aang was usually very easy. They were both friendly and reasonable, and if she asked them to do something, they’d do it without much fuss. However, some days Katara was reminded why living with her brother was never the perfect situation. Today was one of those days.

Katara had been woken by very loud, very energetic music blasting through the apartment. The walls did almost nothing to muffle it, and wrapping a pillow around her ears didn’t get her much farther. There was also the loud scraping noises of furniture being moved, which was never a good sign. She hauled herself out of bed to see what was going on, already annoyed. Blithely, she wondered if this was why Zuko yelled at them so often.

Sokka and Aang had moved the living room furniture to the walls of the apartment, leaving a large, open space in the middle. A speaker sat on the relocated coffee table, blasting EDM so loudly that it rattled the cups next to it. Sokka and Aang were facing each other, doing jumping jacks. When Sokka caught her eyes, he waved.

“Kat!” he yelled over the music, not pausing in his jumping jacks. “We just got started! Want to join?”

Her head was already pounding in time with the music. “What is going on ?”

Aang craned his neck to look over his shoulder. He had on a bright orange sweatband. “We’re working out! It’s so much more fun to do together. You can push each other!” Sokka nodded enthusiastically. 

Katara crossed her arms. “Can you go somewhere else? It’s incredibly loud.”

Sokka switched to jogging in place, and Aang followed suit. “Not really. They banned us from the gym. And maybe told the other gyms as well.”

“I climbed the wall and hung off the balcony,” Aang supplied. “It’s more fun to work out here anyways!”

Katara watched the boys for a moment, eventually deciding that this was not a battle she was going to win. “I think I’m going to go out, then. Get some quiet.”

“Alright, but you’ll be missing out on these massive gains!” Sokka said, giving her an exaggerated flex.

“Trust me, I think I’ll be just fine.” She rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. They were idiots, but they were her idiots. It was a nice day anyway - she could do with leaving the house.

Katara decided to bring her book and walk down to the coffee and tea shop down the street. She’d been there a few times already, and really liked the energy of the place. Plus, it was close enough to the apartment that the walk wasn’t overly strenuous. 

It was already warm outside, promising a hot day. It didn’t take more than fifteen minutes to get to the tea shop. The building that housed the shop was two-storied, but only the bottom was for customers. The whole structure was painted dark green, with traditional Earth Kingdom décor. A broad, gold-detailed sign gave the name of the shop: The Jasmine Dragon .

Katara opened the door, tinkling the tiny bell attached to it. The Jasmine Dragon wasn’t very busy - there were a few people at the tables and booths inside, but no line at the counter. She’d been in there before when it was bustling and difficult to find somewhere to sit; they must have been having a slow morning. There was a young woman at the register, having an animated conversation with an older man in an apron. When they saw Katara approaching, they both turned to her with a smile.

“Why don’t you take a break, Ako?” the older man said to the woman at the register. “You’ve been working hard all morning. I can take this customer.”

The woman raised her eyebrows, but didn’t argue. She thanked him, and disappeared behind a curtain that must lead to the staff-only area. The older man took her place behind the register and smiled at Katara. “Hello, miss. Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon.”

For some reason, the man looked very familiar. He was on the shorter side, and had long gray hair and a well-kept beard. His face was round and friendly, and his eyes were the color of honey. She couldn’t place why he struck her as someone she’d seen before, and wrote it off as seeing him working here some other day. 

“Hi,” Katara said, giving him a little wave. She glanced up at the menu behind him, eyes roving over the huge list of beverages offered. “What do you recommend? I usually just get green tea or a latte, but I like trying new things.”

“Hmm.” The man turned to look at the board, like he was seeing it for the first time. “We have many lovely teas. Our most popular is probably lychee tea. If you’re looking for an energy boost, the black tea is also quite good. Of course, my favorite is jasmine.” He chuckled. “I don’t know much about the coffee options, I’m afraid. It’s a newer addition to the menu. A lot of you young people seem to enjoy it, but I’ve always preferred tea.”

There was something slow and soothing about the way the man talked. It made Katara feel like she was talking to an old friend instead of a stranger. “I’ll try the jasmine, then.”

“Good choice!” The man rang her up. “Will you be enjoying it here today, or to-go?”

“Here, please,” Katara said, pulling out her money to pay for her drink.

The old man smiled. “I will bring it to your table.”

Katara found a table near the window, so she could bask in the sunlight and look out at the people walking down the street. She found she really liked living in the city. Having grown up in a small town, she wasn’t entirely used to having so many people around all the time, but that wasn’t a bad thing. Katara liked to see the people of Ba Sing Se going about their business, and often would wonder what each of their lives entailed. The two women pushing babies in strollers down the sidewalk, had they been friends their whole lives or had they just met? The cyclist pausing in front of the shop to fix an errant shoe lace, was he just out enjoying the day or was he going somewhere in particular? Katara rested her chin on her palm, wondering if they also found joy in the mundane parts of life.

“Your tea, miss!” 

Katara startled slightly. The old tea server was standing beside her table, holding her cup on a small saucer. He placed it in front of her, and she thanked him. He turned his gaze out toward the street, a soft, relaxed smile on his face.

  “Beautiful day, isn’t it?” he mused.

“It is.” Katara didn’t mind striking up a conversation with this man. She had nothing better to be doing, and his presence soothed her. “Looks like it’s going to be hot.”

The man nodded. “I do not mind the heat here. In Caldera City, the heat gets much more intense!” He chuckled. “Part of the reason why I moved here was to escape it.”

“You’re from Caldera City?” The yellow eyes should have been a dead give away - only people with Fire Nation blood have them. “That’s far away.”

The man blinked. “So it is.” He looked at her, an easy smile on his face. “Are you from Ba Sing Se?”

“No, I’m from the South Pole, actually.” She took a sip of her tea. It was delicious. “Imiq, specifically.”

The man’s eyes lit up. “The capital city!”

Katara shrugged. “If you want to call it that. It’s more like the only city in the South with a population over one-hundred.”

“Still, it’s a lovely place. I visited once, long ago.” His golden eyes drifted away, like he was lost in a memory.

“Would you like to sit?” Katara said, gesturing to the chair across from her. “That is, if you’re not too busy.”

The man smiled. “I always have time for a chat.” He sat heavily in the chair, then gave her a small, Fire Nation style bow. “My name is Iroh. What’s yours?”

“Katara,” she answered, returning the little bow. “How long have you lived in Ba Sing Se, Iroh?”

Iroh hummed thoughtfully, folding his hands over his round belly. “Quite a while now. Almost ten years. What about you?”

Katara smiled. “About two weeks.”

Iroh laughed. “Well, welcome! I’m very happy to see newcomers in my humble little shop.”

“Are you the owner?” She’d kind of expected this, given the way he carried himself. Iroh gave her a slight nod.

“The Jasmine Dragon has been a special project of mine,” he said. “I opened it when we first moved to Ba Sing Se. It took us a little bit, but we’ve managed to attract many more tea enthusiasts!” 

They talked for another ten minutes or so, mostly about the city. Katara told Iroh about how she was going to be attending the medical school, and Iroh congratulated her on the hard work that must have brought her there. Iroh asked her a lot about growing up in the South, which Katara was happy to answer. However, when she tried to ask more about his time in Caldera City, Iroh would give her vague answers and redirect the conversation again. She got the impression that he didn’t want to talk about his past, which was fine. He seemed to be capable of going on for hours about tea.

“It’s nice to meet a young person who enjoys tea so much,” Iroh said, gesturing to her mostly empty cup. “I have a nephew around your age. And you know what he told me?” 

“What?” Katara said, grinning. Iroh was already shaking his head in disbelief.

“He told me it was nothing but ‘hot leaf juice’!” Iroh threw his hands up, like it was the craziest thing anyone had ever suggested. “Can you believe that? He was the one who insisted I start selling coffee too. He says it’s what young people want these days.”

Katara giggled. “You should tell him that coffee is just ‘hot bean juice’.”

Iroh laughed at that, loud and full. “I love that, miss Katara! I’m going to tell him that when I see him next.” 

Iroh excused himself not long after, thanking her for the conversation and inviting her to come back anytime. Katara told him that she would, genuinely meaning it. Iroh was her first friend she’d made all on her own, and she could see herself coming back to have more chats over tea with him.

Katara decided to stay and read for a little bit. The shop remained relatively low-key, even when it had a few bursts of customers. At some point, a young man sat at the table next to hers, pulling a laptop and a notebook out of his bag. Katara kept finding herself glancing up at him from her book, watching him for a moment and looking away before he could catch her. He was tall and lanky, his handsome face all long planes and sharp angles. His dark hair was thick and edging towards ‘unkempt’, but the way it fell around his face made him look delightfully roguish. He kept chewing on the end of his pen, exposing teeth that looked very white against the deep tan of his skin.

At one point, Katara must have been staring for a tad too long, because the man looked up, and his dark eyes immediately latched onto hers. He took the pen out of his mouth and smiled at her in a lopsided way that made all the blood rush to her cheeks.

“Something on my face?” he asked. His voice was low and smooth. Katara had to take a moment to remember how to form words.

“N-no,” she said, cursing the nervousness in her voice. He was just so damn handsome . “Sorry. I was, um, staring into space.” 

Judging by the look on his face, he didn’t buy it. “What are you reading?” he asked, gesturing to the book laying half-forgotten on the table in front of her.

“Oh.” Katara lifted it so he could see the title.

“ A Cultural History of Ba Sing Se: The Walled City ,” he read. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Light reading.”

Katara blushed. “I like to learn about where I live.”

The man leaned forward slightly. He tapped the pen on the corner of his lip. “Are you new here?”

“I am actually,” Katara said. She smoothed a hand down her braid. “I moved here from Omashu. But I’m from the South Pole.”

The man nodded as she spoke, his dark eyes never leaving her face. “I’m not from here, either,” he said. “But I’ve lived here for about five years now. I know a lot of cool spots.” He smiled again, and the sight of it sent a shiver down Katara’s back. “Maybe I could show you sometime.”

Katara tried to school herself into something close to ‘calm and collected’. Which was difficult, considering this super attractive guy was asking her out. She leaned forward and fluttered her eyelashes, trying to look flirty without being too eager. “That sounds nice. What did you say your name was?”

The man tapped the pen on his lips a few more times, and Katara tried not to watch too closely. He had a very nice mouth. “Jet.”

“I’m Katara,” she offered. “It’s nice to meet you, Jet.”

“Likewise,” Jet said. His voice was a low purr. “How’re you liking the city so far?”

“It’s really nice,” Katara said. Jet’s leg was bouncing under the table. She tried not to get distracted by it. “I went to the farmer’s market a little bit ago, which was cool.”

Jet scoffed. “The farmer’s market? Oh, yeah, that’s peak excitement right there.” His voice sounded more playful than mean. Katara blushed again, pushing an errant curl behind her ear.

“I haven’t really gotten the chance to explore yet.”

“Well, what are you doing tonight?” Jet asked. “We can explore together.”

Katara must have looked taken aback by his boldness, because Jet leaned back slightly. “It’s totally okay if you’re busy,” he said, easily. “I just know about this cool bar in the older part of the city. Since you’re interested in cultural history.” He indicated her book with his pen.

She’d never been one to agree to a date on a whim. Katara had only had two boyfriends - one in high school during her exchange year in the North, and one in Omashu. She’d been friends with them first, and eventually accepted invitations from them after a long internal vetting process. But both of those relationships had ended up being rather boring. She needed a little more spice in her love life.

“Actually, that sounds really nice,” Katara said. “Let’s do it.”

Jet gave her a wolfish smile. “It’s a date then.”

They exchanged phone numbers, and Jet agreed to pick her up at seven-thirty. When she gave him her address, she thought she saw a strange expression cross his face. But it was gone before she could examine it.

“I’ll see you later,” Jet said. His hand brushed her shoulder when he said it. It was a casual motion, but it still sent a burst of heat through her. She watched him go, her eyes trailing his tall, lanky form as he sauntered out of the tea shop.

...

To say Katara was excited for her date was an understatement. She was practically bouncing when she got back to the apartment. Sokka and Aang were sitting on the floor, drinking water. The music had been turned off, thankfully. 

“Hey, Katara,” Aang said, waving at her. Despite the fact that his clothes were soaked in sweat, he still seemed pretty energetic. “You missed a great workout!”

“I feel like a cooked noodle,” Sokka said. He was flat on his back. At some point, he’d discarded his shirt.

“I went to the tea shop down the street,” Katara said, hanging up her keys and putting her bag on the counter. “The Jasmine Dragon.”

“That place is great!” Aang said, stretching his long arms over his head. “Did you get the lychee tea? I swear, it’s better than any I’ve ever tasted.”

“I got jasmine, actually.” Katara settled herself on one of the island chairs, turning around to face her friends. “I talked to the owner for a while. He’s super nice.”

“Do you think he’ll get us free drinks if you make friends with him?”

Katara shot her brother a disapproving glare. “No, because I don’t make friends for the sake of exploiting them.”

Sokka shrugged. “Suit yourself.”

“Also,” she said, leaning forward and gripping the chair, “I have a date tonight!”

Aang raised an eyebrow. “With the tea shop owner?”

“Spirits, no,” Katara laughed. “While I was reading, I met someone there.”

Sokka sat up, his face slightly pinched. While he’d never been one to stop Katara from going out with whoever she wanted, he was terribly picky about it. “Just some random person?” he asked, voice edging towards disapproval.

Katara rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Sokka, I just closed my eyes and pointed, and then asked out whoever my finger landed on.”

“Well, I don’t know!” Sokka said, exasperated. “Can I just say I’m not crazy about the idea of you going out with someone I’ve never met?”

“Tui and La, Sokka. You sound just like dad.” Sokka frowned at that, but Katara continued. “You never met Haru and I dated him for nine months.”

“Forgive me for feeling better about the nerdy physics major than the rando from the coffee shop.”

“Sokka, chill,” Aang said, giving his friend a playful nudge. “This is a good thing! Katara’s making friends!”

“He’s going to pick me up tonight, so you can meet him then,” Katara said. “As long as you promise to not be weird about it.”

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that, because I won’t be here tonight,” Sokka said, mildly disappointed. He turned to Aang. “Can you take notes for me?”

Aang patted Sokka on the shoulder. “I’ll try my best, man.”

Katara spent the rest of the day trying to be productive with her time, but she couldn’t help but think about her upcoming date with Jet. She’d always been a bit of a hopeless romantic, and it didn’t help that it’d been some time since she’d gone on a date with someone. Studying to get into medical school didn’t leave a lot of free time to cultivate a relationship. But in this brief recess from school life, she could be starting one today. She hoped so, at least.

Before Sokka left around five p.m, he came up to her door and made her promise to be smart, to which Katara replied, “Yes, dad.” 

“Text me if you get uncomfortable,” he said, giving her his ‘serious big brother look’. “I’ll come pick you up right away.”

“That’s very sweet of you, Sokka.” And she meant it. While her brother could sometimes be a bit overbearing, it was all because he loved her so much. And that warmed her heart. “Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.”

She picked out an outfit for the occasion - a floral blue and white sundress and brown sandals. She took her hair out of its usual braid and shook it out, letting the dark waves fall around her shoulders. Katara took the front two strands of her hair and braided them back, pinning them beneath her curls. As she looked at herself in the mirror, her hand instinctively went to the chain around her neck, where her mother’s wedding ring rested. While she was always wearing it, it looked a lot more obvious with the low neckline of her dress. It tended to lead to a bit of an awkward conversation - Oh, it’s not my ring, it’s my mother’s. She’s dead.

Hopefully Jet wouldn’t ask about it.

As the time of her date drew nearer and nearer, Katara took to pacing the living room, trying to get out some of the nervous energy. Aang had been sitting on the couch with Appa, playing a handheld video game, but had fallen asleep some time ago. His head was nestled against Appa’s stomach, and he was snoring softly. Katara stifled a giggle at the sight - so much for taking notes for Sokka.

It was almost seven-thirty when Zuko came out of his room. Katara stopped her pacing, instead grabbing onto the nearest chair and squeezing it. Ever since their mirror truce, Zuko had been coming out of his room more often, usually when it was quiet. Sometimes he stayed, sitting in silence for a while before retreating. He never said much to anyone, only gave the occasional nod. When he saw her, he paused. Katara gripped the chair harder.

“Are you going out or something?” he asked. His words were hesitant, like he didn’t exactly know how to put them together.

“Um. Yes.” The familiar discomfort that came from talking to Zuko was taking hold of her. She felt like she was walking on eggshells. It was hard to determine what was and what wasn’t crossing the line they’d made. Where did sharing vague personal information fall? “I have a date.”

“Oh.” He wasn’t looking at her anymore. Instead, he was staring very intently at the countertop. “You, uh, look nice.” 

Katara blinked, taken aback. Did he just...compliment her? “Um. Thanks.”

They both remained in place for a moment. It was almost unbearably awkward. It was like neither of them knew how to leave the conversation. Had they even had a talk that hadn’t ended in a fight? 

The knock on the door saved Katara from the unpleasant interaction with Zuko. It seemed to save him too, as he made a beeline for the kitchen without sparing her a second glance. Appa got up when he heard the sound, waking Aang as he did so. Katara was followed closely by the dog as she made her way to the door. Before she opened it, she fixed her hair one last time.

Jet leaned against the doorframe, that handsome grin already on his face. He was wearing a dark red flannel with the sleeves rolled up, showing off the toned muscles of his forearms. His thumbs were hooked through his belt loops, giving him that confidently casual look that made her nearly swoon. The pen from earlier was tucked behind his ear, nearly lost in his thick hair.

“Hey, Katara,” he said, his voice low and smooth. He glanced over her head. “Is it just you or -”

He was cut off by Appa, who pushed past Katara and planted himself firmly between them. The large dog didn’t look quite as friendly as he usually did, which was odd. Appa loved everyone. 

“Appa, c’mere,” Katara said, pulling on the dog’s collar. He didn’t budge. She let out an awkward laugh. “I’m sorry, he’s usually really friendly. I’ve never seen him like this.”

Jet had taken a step back, eyeing Appa warily. “Can you get around him or something?”

Katara tried to move around the dog, but he moved to block her way. It was like he was dead set on keeping the man as far away from her as possible. Katara let out a sigh of frustration, sending another apologetic look at Jet. Her brother would be stoked.

“Aang, can you come get Appa?” she called back into the apartment. “He’s not letting me out.”

“He’s not?” She could hear Aang approaching, grabbing Appa’s leash from where it hung on the wall. “That’s weird. He’s only really been like that with a few people before, and I don’t think -” Aang was finally at the (now very crowded) doorway, and when he saw Jet, his mouth snapped shut. “Oh. Um.”

“Could you move your dog, please?” Jet said. Katara couldn’t tell if he was impatient or nervous about Appa, but a slight edge had come into his voice. His fingers began to tap against his pockets.

Aang stared at Jet for a moment. His eyes flicked to Katara. Strangely, he looked over his shoulder as well. “Uh. Wow. Um.”

“Is something wrong, Aang?” Katara asked, starting to get a little concerned. She’d never seen Aang look so uncomfortable before. His brow was furrowed, and he kept looking between Jet and Katara.

“No,” he said after a long moment. “Uh, let me move Appa.” He hooked the leash up onto the dog’s collar, gently pulling on it. “C’mon, Appa. Let’s go, buddy.”

At first, Appa didn’t budge. Then he let out a gruff snort, and allowed Aang to slowly drag him away from Katara. It was obvious that the dog didn’t want to leave her side. 

Jet shook his head, like he was trying to get rid of the weird atmosphere that had collected around them. “Right. Can we go now, Katara? Before your dog changes his -”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”

Katara spun towards the source of the downright venomous words. It was Zuko, who had apparently come to the end of the hallway to see what the problem was. He was staring at Jet, lips pulled back in a near-snarl. He looked pissed . Aang, struggling to keep a hold on a pulling Appa, kept swiveling his head between the two men. He looked like he was a second away from jumping out of his skin. Next to Katara, Jet let out a quiet curse.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” Katara asked. She was starting to get annoyed at the fact that there was definitely something no one was telling her. The tension in the hallway was verging on extreme.

“What the fuck are you doing here, Jet?” Zuko spat, ignoring her entirely. 

To his credit, Jet was staying very calm. “I’m here to pick up my date.” He gestured to Katara. “I didn’t realize everyone would be home.”

“Wait. You know him?” Katara said, aiming the question at Zuko. When he didn’t break his glare towards Jet, she turned to Aang. “Do you know him too?”

Aang gave her a very guilty smile. “Sort of?”

Since apparently no one was planning on giving her a straight answer, Katara rounded on Jet. “Explain. Now.”

Jet frowned, like he wasn’t entirely keen on doing so. He took the pen from behind his ear and began to tap it on his lip. His eyes remained fixed on Zuko as he spoke. “Zuko and I have a history.”

“A...history?” It was like her worst nightmare was coming true before her eyes. What had been nervous butterflies in her stomach had turned into queasy horror. “What sort of history?”

Jet shrugged one shoulder, like it wasn’t that big of a deal. “We were seeing each other for a little while. It wasn’t that serious.”

“A little while ?” Zuko said, his voice raising dangerously. “We saw each other for six fucking months! You hit me up last weekend !”

“And you didn’t respond, so obviously you aren’t interested anymore,” Jet said, waving a hand dismissively. “We all have to move on at some point, Zuko.”

Zuko looked like he was going to explode. Katara stepped into Jet’s line of sight; less so to stave off the brewing fight and more to get her own points in. “And you thought it was appropriate to ‘move on’ with his roommate?”

Jet held up his hands defensively. “Hey, I didn’t know you guys lived together. This is a huge misunderstanding.”

“But I gave you my address!”

He opened his mouth like he was going to argue, but apparently thought better of it. He took a step back and shrugged, his calm and collected demeanor returning. “Okay, you got me there.”

Katara could feel her temper flaring. “And you didn’t think that telling me that my roommate is your ex would be a nice thing to do?”

Jet rolled his eyes. “I was trying to avoid drama.”

That was it. Katara made a move to step forward, preparing to unleash a tirade on this complete asshat of a man. She was stopped by a warm hand on her shoulder, holding her back. She expected it to be Aang, who was still trapped in the hallway with Appa. But when she turned to snap at the man that she could fight her own battles, she was surprised to find Zuko standing there, staring daggers at Jet.

“Leave it,” he said, his voice a low growl. “He’s not worth it.”

“Oh, come on, Z,” Jet said. His tone was soft and sweet again, but now it was much less sexy and much more infuriating. “I didn’t mean any harm.”

“What did you mean then, exactly?” Katara said, her voice like ice.

Jet gave her that lopsided smile again, but it looked like it was starting to crack at the corners. “I just want to get to know you. I think you’re beautiful. I asked you out before I knew you lived with Zuko, remember?”

“You did,” Katara allowed. “And then you tried to lie to me about it.”

Jet was losing ground, and he knew it. Still, he tried to make one last shot. “Hey, here’s an idea,” he said, tucking the pen back behind his ear. “Why don’t all three of us go out? It’ll be fun.”

Katara’s lip curled in disgust. Beside her, Zuko tensed.

“Fuck off, Jet.”

The man scoffed and pulled himself to his full height. He no longer looked friendly and easy-going. “Fine. Be like that. Just know you’re missing out.”

Katara decided that now was the perfect time to slam the front door in his face.

They stood for a moment, staring at the closed door, processing what had just occurred. Katara felt like she was on a rollercoaster of emotion, going from shock to anger to disgust to disappointment and back again. Zuko barely moved beside her, his teeth clenched so tightly that she could see the strain in his jaw muscles. Without speaking, they turned and walked into the living room.

Aang stood halfway into the kitchen, looking just as shell-shocked if not more so. He was still clutching Appa’s leash. The dog seemed to be the least affected - when he saw Katara and Zuko he started wagging his tail.

“So,” Aang said, breaking the uneasy silence. “That happened.”

“Yeah,” Katara said. Her fingers went to the ring on her necklace, and she fiddled with it. “It did.”

Zuko had crossed his arms over his chest and was looking down at the floor. His cheeks were still red. “I’m sorry you didn’t get to go on your date.” The words were flat, like he was just saying it to be polite. Katara couldn’t work up the energy to care.

“Thanks.”

“Trust me, you’re better off.”

Katara let out a breathy laugh. “Can you believe he tried to ask us both out at the end there? Like it was salvageable?”

Zuko glanced over at her, and Katara realized that she had just tried to joke with him. Was that allowed? Did the tenuous nature of their relationship include joking around with each other? She half expected Zuko to scowl at her. Instead, the corner of his lip twitched slightly.

“Coming from experience, that isn’t too surprising. He’s a mess.”

Katara found herself giggling at that. The high-strung atmosphere in the apartment was dissipating. “You know, Zuko, I think we have something in common,” she said, knowing she was about to push her luck and not caring very much about it. “We have the same terrible taste in men.”

To everyone’s shock, Zuko let out a low, rusty chuckle. An actual, real laugh, complete with a small smile. Katara and Aang stared at him, surprised.

As if realizing what he’d done, Zuko flushed and schooled his face back into a mask of passive indifference. “I’m going to bed,” he said, quickly. Without waiting for their reactions, he turned and walked stiffly into his room. 

After the door had closed, Aang transferred his shocked look onto Katara. “Holy cow,” he whispered. “Did you just make him laugh ?”

Katara blinked. “I think I did?”

Aang ran a hand over his bald head. “Dude. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen that happen. I didn’t know it was possible.”

Katara looked over at the closed door. “You know, I think we should be giving him more of a chance. If we gave him more opportunities to get to know us, who knows? Maybe he’ll be comfortable enough to laugh more.”

Appa had sat down in front of her, leaning his considerable bulk against her legs. Katara scratched his ears. Aang watched them, a thoughtful look on his face.

“You know, animals have a really good sense when people are good or bad,” he said. “I think Appa’s especially good. It’s like he knows when people don’t have the best intentions. Like with Jet.”

“Huh.” Katara thought about how Appa had stood between her and Jet, refusing to move. “I think you’re right.”

Aang looked over at Zuko’s door, like he was pondering something. “Appa likes Zuko. He likes him a lot.”

Katara continued to scratch the dog’s ears. She thought about Zuko’s laugh, about the tiny smile that had crossed his face.

“He does, doesn’t he?”

Chapter Text

“I’m not saying I’m bad at sports, I’m saying I don’t like team sports.”

Suki paused from where she was pulling her sock up over her shin-guard to look up at Sokka in a way that could only be described as ‘false sympathy’. “That’s what someone who’s bad at sports would say.”

Katara and Sokka were sitting on the couch in Suki and Toph’s apartment, hanging out with the two women before Suki went to soccer practice. Sokka had made a comment about how team sports weren’t fun, and Suki had decided to not let it go.

“I’m not bad at sports!” Sokka said, gesticulating dramatically. “I did sports! I do sports! Katara, tell her!”

Katara was leaning back against the couch cushions, watching Toph carefully arrange her sculpture shelf to make room for a new piece. “He was on the sailing team.”

“See?” Sokka said, triumphant. “Sports!”

“But you only did that for half a year before you got kicked off.”

He rounded on her. “Katara! You weren’t supposed to tell her that. What happened to sibling loyalty?”

Suki laughed, pulling on her second sock. “How did you get kicked off a sailing team?”

“He tried to cheat.”

“Did not!” Sokka crossed his arms, defiant. “I just felt like the boat could use a few alterations, that’s all. I totally could have made it go faster if they had just let me -”

“That’s literally the definition of cheating,” Toph cut in. She set her new sculpture in the spot she’d made between the others. “Not that I disapprove, mind you.”

“Whatever. You guys don’t understand my genius.” 

Suki stood, grabbing the backpack she had shoved her cleats and soccer ball into. “I think you’d like team sports, if you gave them a chance. Your strategy skills would be really useful.”

Sokka melted under her praise, all annoyance slipping away to be replaced by a goofy smile. “Thanks, Suki.”

“She might be right,” Katara said, nudging her brother’s shoulder with her own. “You’d have a lot of fun. Remember all those plans you used to come up with for tracking down bears in our yard?”

“Team sports require that I listen to someone else, though,” Sokka pointed out. “And I like being the only one in charge of me.”

“Maybe your ego could stand to be taken down a few pegs, then.” He stuck his tongue out at her when she said that, and she returned it.

Suki gave them both a fond look. She turned to slip on a pair of athletic slides. “You know, Sokka, there’s an open position on the Warriors. You could try out.”

Sokka’s eyes bugged slightly. “Are you talking about your team?”

She smirked at him. “Is there another Warriors?”

“But I can’t!” he said, his voice squeaking at the end like he was fifteen instead of twenty-five. “It’s all women!”

Suki cocked her head to the side, chewing on her lip. “Well, technically it’s coed. It’s just been a long time since we had a man on the team.”

“It’s because they’re all so terrified of you,” Toph snickered. “As well they should be.”

Sokka pulled on his ponytail, a nervous tell. “I’ve never played soccer in my life. I don’t know the rules.”

Suki rolled her eyes. “It’s really not that hard, Sokka. I’m not asking you to start in a game, I’m asking you to try out a practice. It’ll be fun!”

He was quickly running out of excuses. For some reason, Sokka turned to Katara, like she would be able to come up with something. “Don’t look at me,” she said. “I think you should do it.”

“If you really don’t want to, I won’t make you,” Suki said, soothingly. “But I heard that the captain likes you a lot. And wants to hang out with you more.”

Sokka blushed. Toph made a gagging sound.

“Can you guys flirt somewhere else? I’m trying to exist here.”

“Okay, I’ll go,” Sokka said. When Suki and Katara went to high-five each other, he held up a hand. “But when I inevitably fall on my face in the mud, you have to promise not to laugh at me.”

“Deal,” Suki said. She held out her hand and Sokka took it. When they smiled at each other, both of them seemed to soften. Katara was torn between thinking it was sweet and thinking it was gross.

“I don’t think I can make that promise,” Toph said, breaking the moment. “Sorry, Snoozles.”

“Me neither,” Katara agreed. Sokka gave her a playful push, and she laughed.

All four of them decided to attend the practice, even if Toph and Katara would just be watching. Suki let Sokka borrow one of her old soccer balls, and he carried it awkwardly under one arm. They took the subway train out to the larger parks, which were on the far edge of the city. Suki talked a lot about how excited she was for Sokka to try out, and how much the other girls would love him. Sokka took the praise with his usual cocky assuredness, but Katara could tell he was still nervous. He kept chewing on his nails when he thought no one was looking.

At the field, Katara could make out several women on the grass. Some were already running drills, while others talked and laughed. When they noticed Suki coming, they ran to meet her.

“Hey, Suki!” one of the women greeted. Her long black hair was pulled into a tight-looking high ponytail. “Who’d you bring?”

Every member of the team had the same well-muscled build as Suki, even if they varied in height. Katara felt slightly out of place in her blouse and flowy skirt. The team was intimidating, even if most of them looked very friendly. Sokka must have felt the same - Katara noticed him audibly swallow.

“These are my friends, Katara and Sokka,” Suki said, gesturing to the siblings. “You already know my roommate.”

“Sup,” Toph said.

“It’s been a while since we saw you at a game, Toph,” another woman piped up. “We missed you!”

“Thank you, Tani,” Toph said, her voice free of it’s usual bite. “I’d come more often, but it’s hard to tell which team scored a goal if no one else is with me.”

Another woman pushed to the front of the group. She was wearing a yellow mesh jersey, separate from everyone else’s green. She was frowning. “This is a closed practice, Suki,” she said, eyeing the rest of the group. “They aren’t supposed to be here.”

Suki rolled her eyes. “C’mon, Jie,” she said. “It’s just a local league. It’s not like we’re professionals.” Jie wasn’t terribly convinced. She particularly didn’t seem very happy about Sokka’s presence. “Besides, I have someone who wants to try out!”

The woman with the high pony sucked on her teeth. “Oh, you’ll need better clothes than that, honey,” she said, gesturing to Katara’s skirt. 

“Oh, no, not me,” Katara said with a nervous laugh. “I’m just here for support.”

Suki put her hand on Sokka’s shoulder and pushed him forward. “Actually, Sokka’s the one who’s trying out.”

Sokka gave the women an awkward wave. “Uh. Hi, ladies.”

Katara cringed. Toph snorted.

The Warriors looked at Sokka, a variety of expressions on their faces. Some of them looked intrigued. Others seemed confused. A couple looked upset. Jie was among them.

“There aren’t boys on the Warriors,” she stated, glaring at Sokka. She said the word ‘boys’ like it was a curse. Suki crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a coed team, Jie.”

Jie’s brown eyes narrowed. “Not for years.”

Suki faced down the woman, her face stern. “I guess it’s too bad you aren’t captain, then.”

Jie stared Suki down for another second before apparently giving in. “Fine.”

“I like it!” Tani said. “Some diversity for our team!”

This seemed to break up the tense mood, and a lot of the women laughed. Sokka, who had blanched at the standoff, looked more at ease. The women surrounded him, asking him questions about his soccer experience and how he knew Suki. When he made a joke about how little experience he had, most of them laughed good-naturedly and promised to go easy on him. Suki grabbed a practice jersey for him, and pulled him by the hand out onto the field. Sokka shot a panicked look over his shoulder at Katara. She shot him a thumbs up, and mouthed “You can do it!” He seemed to relax at that, giving her his own thumbs up.

Katara and Toph sat on the empty stands overlooking the field as the team warmed up. Katara tried her best to explain the drills to Toph, who seemed much more interested in whether Sokka had fallen down yet or not. To his credit, Sokka was keeping up pretty well, even if his ball skills weren’t remotely as graceful as the other players.

“They’re passing balls to each other,” Katara explained as another drill was set up. “Suki is going super easy on Sokka.”

While the other players were passing to each other quickly and powerfully, Suki was being much gentler. Sokka seemed determined to keep up though, and his kicks were getting more and more sure. His aim wasn’t perfect, but Suki was quick to regain control of the ball and send it directly back to him.

Eventually, they set up a one on one drill, with team members splitting into defense and offense. Jie set herself up in the goal, wearing large, thick white gloves. The drill had one person trying to score while the other tried to stop them. Katara watched the Warriors go through the exercise, working with quick, deadly precision and strength. Suki put Sokka in the offensive group. He stood at the back of the line, chewing at his nails.

“Sokka’s going to do one on one,” Katara said. Beside her, Toph rubbed her hands together.

“This is gonna be good.”

Sokka ended up having Tani as his defender, which relaxed Katara a little bit. Tani seemed to be one of the more receptive players to Sokka’s possible membership. She smiled across the field at Sokka, rolling the ball under her cleat.

“It’s okay, Sokka!” she said. “Just have fun!”

She kicked the ball over to him, and he stopped it. He set his shoulders in determination, and began to dribble the ball forward. He seemed a bit slow and unsure of himself, much different than the offenders that had gone before him. Tani’s defensive position remained rather relaxed. But Sokka picked up speed as he got closer to her. She met him, moving in to try and steal the ball. But Sokka did something unexpected - he faked right, and when she moved to block, he kicked the ball hard to the left. The ball made a straight shot toward the goal. Jie was caught off guard by the move, and reacted too slowly to catch the ball before it sailed into the corner of the goal.

Katara stood up with a cry of triumph, startling Toph as she did so. “Go, Sokka!” she yelled, clapping.

“Did he finally fall down?” Toph asked, rubbing her ear. 

“He scored a goal!”

“Seriously?”

The Warriors cheered and clapped for Sokka, rushing him on the field and congratulating him. Suki actually grabbed Sokka around the waist and picked him up. Katara could see his fiery blush from all the way in the stands. Even if it was just practice, and several other members of the team had scored goals before him, the Warriors proved themselves to be a group that liked to lift each other up. 

“Does this mean I’m part of the team?” Sokka said, giddy.

“Definitely!” Suki confirmed. “But you’ve got some practice to do before you’re off the bench.”

Sokka let out a relieved laugh. “That’s probably a good thing. I don’t know if I can ever recreate that.”

“Well, even if you aren’t playing, you still have to follow tradition,” Tani said, grinning mischievously. 

Sokka raised an eyebrow at her. “Uh, tradition?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Suki said, putting her arm around Sokka’s shoulders. “It’s just a little face paint.”

The woman with the high ponytail gave Sokka’s hair a gentle tug. “Don’t forget the bow!”

...

When they finished practice, the Warriors (complete with newly initiated Sokka) decided to go out and celebrate. Katara and Toph bid them farewell and boarded the train to get back to their apartment complex.

“I can’t believe Sokka actually made the team,” Toph commented. They were sitting at one end of the subway car, which was crowded with commuters coming home from work. “The Warriors are some of the baddest badasses I know.”

“I think Suki was always planning on giving him a spot,” Katara said. “But he did really well! He deserves his membership. Plus, this’ll be good for him.”

“He’s going to make a great cheerleader,” Toph chuckled.

Katara gave her friend a playful nudge. “He’ll find a way out onto the field eventually.”

“And be promptly destroyed.”

The train made a stop in a business-heavy district. Katara was half listening to Toph talking about her time doing wrestling in high school (“It almost made my parents lose their minds.”) when she noticed a familiar figure in the crowd of people entering the train. At first, she wasn’t entirely sure if she was mistaken, but when the man sat down at the far end of the car and pulled a phone out of the pocket of his leather jacket, Katara was certain: it was Zuko.

She grabbed Toph’s arm with an unnecessary amount of force, stopping the young woman mid-sentence. “Toph,” she hissed. “Zuko just got on the train.”

“ Spirits , Katara,” Toph said, wrenching her arm back. “I thought something bad was happening.”

“Sorry.” Zuko hadn’t noticed them. He seemed very focused on his phone screen, and had headphones in his ears. “I’ve never seen him outside of the apartment.”

“Me neither, but I’ve never seen him inside the apartment either.”

Katara continued staring at Zuko. “I wonder where he’s going,” she said, half to herself.

“Wanna follow him?”

She spun toward Toph. “Are you serious? Of course not! That would be an invasion of his privacy.” Katara didn’t want to admit that the exact same thought had crossed her own mind. “You already got me in trouble with him once.”

Toph shrugged one shoulder. “Suit yourself, Sweetness. Guess we’ll never know Zuko’s secret non-apartment life.”

Katara tried to resign herself to this fact. She attempted to distract herself with a game on her phone, or by getting Toph to tell her a long, ridiculous anecdote. But she kept finding herself looking over at Zuko, wondering what he was up to. He never noticed her, or if he did he was doing a great job of ignoring them. When the train made the stop just before the one they’d be getting off on for their apartment, Zuko stood up. Without pausing to think about what she was doing, Katara stood as well.

“What are you doing?” Toph asked, confused. “This isn’t our stop.”

“We’re following Zuko.” Katara grabbed Toph’s hand, pulling her up so they could leave before the doors closed. “Come on.”

Toph snickered. “I knew you’d give in, Sugar Queen.”

They trailed Zuko down the street, almost losing him a few times in the crowds. He walked quickly and purposefully, people parting around him as he went. Toph let herself be pulled through the crowd, only letting out the occasional complaint about being jerked around. When Zuko made a sudden turn into a building, Katara stopped in her tracks. Toph ran into her back.

“What the hell, Sugar Queen? Getting cold feet?”

Zuko had gone inside the Jasmine Dragon. Katara had no idea if that counted as ironic or not. She went over to the window and crouched there, pulling Toph down with her. A few passerby shot them confused looks, but Katara didn’t care. She was too busy watching the scene inside the tea shop unfold.

“What’s going on?” Toph said, her voice a stage whisper.

“He’s inside the tea shop,” Katara said. She recognized Iroh, who was bussing a table. Zuko walked right up to him, and when Iroh noticed him, he greeted Zuko with a wide smile and a hug. Much to Katara’s surprise, Zuko let him, giving him a small pat on the shoulder. “Oh. He’s friends with the owner too.”

“Zuko’s friends with someone?” Toph said, her eyebrows raising. “Didn’t see that one coming.”

Iroh let go of Zuko after a moment, holding him by the shoulders as he asked him something. Katara couldn’t see Zuko’s face from her position, but she saw him shrug one shoulder. He moved out of Iroh’s grasp and picked up the tray the older man had been using to bus the table. They walked to the employees only area together, Iroh keeping one hand on the back of Zuko’s shoulder.

“They seem really close,” Katara murmured. “He’s helping him bus the tables.”

“Maybe he used to work here,” Toph mused. “Can you imagine Zuko doing customer service?”

Katara couldn’t help but giggle at the mental image of Zuko at the counter, wearing an apron along with his usual scowl. The idea of Zuko working anywhere near customer service was almost absurd. “He’d lose it.”

“Well, he’s obviously not working here anymore, if he ever did.”

Iroh and Zuko reappeared from the back. Iroh held a teapot, and Zuko carried two empty cups. He actually looked quite relaxed as he listened to the old man talk animatedly. They chose a table and sat, with Iroh facing the window. Iroh poured them tea.

“They’re drinking tea,” Katara updated Toph.

“I thought he subsisted on coffee alone.”

“Apparently not.”

They watched Iroh and Zuko chat for a moment, before Katara’s curiosity ran out and was replaced with guilt. She was crouching at a window, spying on someone who was obviously just trying to live his life. Sure, it was an interesting coincidence that Zuko was also friends with Iroh, but Katara suspected that Iroh made friends with everyone he met. Still, they seemed much closer than just casual acquaintances.

“We should go,” Katara said. “Get back before he notices.”

“Yeah, I was starting to get bored anyway,” Toph said. She’d been sitting with her back against the building, picking at her nails.

And then, the moment Katara stood up, Iroh’s eyes met hers through the window.

“Shit,” she muttered.

“Uh oh,” Toph said, getting to her feet. “Are we made?”

Iroh gave her an excited smile and a wave. She waved back, somewhat uncertainly. And then Zuko turned to see who his friend was waving at, and her heart sank. As soon as he saw them, his face darkened.

“Oh, we’re definitely made.”

Iroh had gotten up from the table and was heading for the door. Zuko looked decidedly upset, but also trapped in place. Katara tried to shoot him an apologetic smile, but he turned away, shoulders tensed almost to his ears.

“Miss Katara!” Iroh said, leaning out the door. “How lovely to see you! Come in, come in!”

“Oh, it’s okay, Iroh!” Katara said, trying to wave the old man off. “I was just passing by.”

“I insist!” Iroh was apparently not going to take no for an answer. He held the door open for her and Toph.

“Would you and your friend like some tea?” Iroh asked, leading the two women to the table he’d been sitting at with Zuko. “I just made a fresh pot of jasmine.”

“It’s okay,” Katara said, trying not to sound as uncomfortable as she was. Iroh was so polite and friendly, and it was difficult to say no to him. “You’re obviously busy.”

“Zuko!” Iroh said, ignoring Katara’s words. “Come meet my friend!”

Zuko grimaced and stood up, shoving his hands into his pockets. Iroh was halfway through introducing them when Zuko interrupted.

“Did you two follow me here?”

“Zuko!” Iroh admonished, giving the younger man a look of disapproval. “That’s not a very kind thing to say.” 

Katara could feel herself blushing. She was about to admit to it, when Toph swooped in. “You know, I don’t think anyone’s introduced me yet. I’m Toph.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Toph,” Iroh said, shaking her outstretched hand with both of his. “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. I apologize for my nephew’s rudeness.”

Katara blinked. “Nephew?” A lot of things were falling into place - the way they acted around each other, the fact that they knew each other at all. Hell, they even looked similar, now that Katara thought about it.

“Yes, Zuko is my nephew!” Iroh said. He wrapped his arm around Zuko’s middle, pulling him into his side. Zuko’s annoyed expression deepened. “Something tells me you are already acquainted.”

Katara let out an awkward laugh. “Um, we live together, actually.”

Iroh’s bushy eyebrows raised. He turned to his nephew, surprised and delighted. “Zuko! Why didn’t you tell me these were your friends?”

Zuko’s face turned red, although whether it’s out of anger or embarrassment was anybody’s guess. He wiggled out of Iroh’s side-hug. “That’s because they’re not my friends.”

Iroh frowned. “Zuko, please -”

“I’m going upstairs. You can join me when you’re done.” With that, Zuko stomped away, ignoring his uncle’s disappointed look. He disappeared up a stairway at the far end of the shop. Iroh let out a weary sigh.

“You must excuse him,” he said, apologetically. “He is...slow to warm up to people.”

“You got that right, Gramps,” Toph said. She took a seat in Zuko’s vacated chair and pulled his half-drunk teacup to her lips. “Wow. This is really good. And I don’t even like tea that much.”

Iroh chuckled. “Thank you, Miss Toph.”

“I’m sorry we interrupted your time with your nephew,” Katara said. She felt extremely guilty for causing a problem between family members. Iroh simply shrugs. Knowing Zuko, he’s probably used to temper tantrums.

“No need to apologize,” he said. Iroh gestured to the table. “Would you like to sit and have some tea? I’m afraid it might go to waste otherwise.”

It was a classic old person guilt trip, but Katara didn’t mind it. It reminded her of her grandmother. “I’ll have a cup.”

The three of them settled at the table, Iroh grabbing another teacup for Katara. He offered to get a fresh one for Toph, but she declined. “I’m already neck-deep in Sparky’s germs,” she said, toasting the cup she’d been drinking from.

“Did Zuko move with you from Caldera City?” Katara asked once they had all settled. She didn’t want to seem like she was fishing for information, but the opportunity had presented itself and it was too tempting to turn away.

“He did,” Iroh said. He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “He even worked in the tea shop when it first opened.”

“I knew it!” Toph exclaimed. “He must have hated it.”

Iroh chuckled. “It was certainly not my nephew’s favorite profession. I was hoping it would build character.”

“Did it?” The words are out before Katara can stop them, and she’s already fumbling for an apology. But Iroh just laughed.

“I know my nephew is a little...rough around the edges.” Iroh took another long sip of his tea. “But he has been improving.”

“He used to be worse ?” Toph blurted. “Wow. I almost can’t imagine that.”

“ Toph .” Katara shot a warning at her friend before turning to Iroh. “She doesn’t mean that.”

“Yes I do.”

“It’s okay, Miss Katara,” Iroh said, placatingly. “I am well aware of how Zuko chooses to show himself to the world.” A small, sad smile crossed his face. “My nephew has walked a long, hard road. It has made him quite bitter, I’m afraid.” 

“What...happened?” Katara isn’t quite sure how to word what she wants to say. She knows that Iroh holds the secrets to why Zuko is the way that he is. Maybe, if she knew more, if she understood him better, she could reach out to him. But Iroh shakes his head.

“It is not my place to say.” His words carry a certain finality. While Katara is disappointed that Iroh isn’t planning on telling her more, she also realizes that it’s because Iroh respects Zuko and his boundaries. She probably wouldn’t want Sokka going around telling strangers about her childhood trauma. “But I do know that Zuko is a good man at heart. And I hope that someday he will be able to share that with others.” Iroh smiled, holding his hands out toward them. “Which is why I’m so happy to see he is making such nice friends!”

Toph snorted into her tea. Katara squirmed uncomfortably. “Well, I wouldn’t say that Zuko considers us friends, Iroh.”

Iroh waved a hand dismissively. “Not yet, maybe. But he will! Just give him some time.”

They finish their tea with Iroh. He asks Toph a lot of questions, which she answers almost too honestly. Katara chimes in when it feels appropriate, but otherwise she’s deep in thought. She’s thinking about Zuko, wondering what happened to make him the way that he is. She’s certain anyone raised by Iroh would turn out to be well-rounded, but Zuko is almost the exact opposite of the kind old man. And yet, Katara remembers the way Zuko helped Iroh clear the table, the way he allowed his uncle to hug him and touch him. 

I know that Zuko is a good man at heart .

When it was time to leave, Iroh gave each of them a long, warm hug. Toph starts squirming after the first five seconds, but Katara actually enjoys it. Iroh was soft and warm, and held her like she was family. It even makes her feel a little homesick, so she hugs him back just as tightly.

“Have a good night, Gramps,” Toph said as she walked out the door, cane leading the way. “Thanks for the tea!”

“Of course, Miss Toph! Come in any time!” Iroh turned to Katara, taking one of her hands in both of his. “And thank you for coming in again, Miss Katara. It’s always lovely to see you.”

“You too, Iroh.” She goes to pull her hand away, but Iroh holds her in place. His face has turned serious. 

“I know you do not know me very well,” he began, “but I would like to ask something of you, if you don’t mind.”

“What is it?” She’s a little hesitant, but something in her inherently trusts him. Iroh’s warm hands tighten around hers.

“Help me look after my nephew.” Iroh’s voice is low and tinged with sadness. “He has been very distant with me lately. I fear he is...quite alone.” 

Katara chewed on her lip. “I don’t know, Iroh. I don’t think he wants me to do that.”

Iroh sighed. “I understand. He is very slow to trust, and quick to push others away. But I love him like I would a son, and my greatest wish is for him to be happy.” His golden eyes search her face for a moment. “And there is something telling me that you will be the one to help him make those first steps.”

She doesn’t know what to say to that. Part of her wants to tell Iroh that she’s been trying, but it’s too hard. That she can barely stand in the same room as him, and has only recently been able to hold a civil conversation. But the hope in the old man’s eyes nearly breaks her heart. And she thinks, deep down, there’s something in her that wants to help Zuko, too.

“I’ll try, Iroh,” she promised. And he smiled and hugged her again.

Damn her soft heart.

Chapter Text

The next Saturday was proving to be a particularly lazy one. Katara had been in the apartment by herself for all of the morning and most of the afternoon. Sokka had gone to his first soccer game with the Warriors, after Suki had come over to apply red and white face paint to both of them. Sokka enjoyed this a lot more than Katara thought he would, but whether he was excited for the game or about Suki touching his face was still up for debate. He’d left with a dark green bow in his ponytail, which Suki promised was part of the official uniform. Aang had left after lunch to take Appa for a long walk, his skateboard tucked under one arm. 

Katara had seen Zuko leave in the early afternoon, and (unsurprisingly) he had not told her where he was going. When they’d made eye contact over the coffee table, he’d flushed and quickly looked away. Katara didn’t want to push him - he’d been somewhat flighty since she’d found out that he and Iroh were related, but at least not outright aggressive. When he seemed a little more comfortable, she’d try and start up a conversation. It was the least she could do for Iroh. Not to mention that she really wanted to go back to the Jasmine Dragon, and couldn’t bear to disappoint the old man. She’d made a promise, and Katara always kept her promises.

She’d nearly finished her book on the cultural history of the city, and had just started the last chapter when Aang came crashing through the door. It was startling, and Katara had almost thrown her heavy book in the direction of the noise when she realized what was going on. Appa was still on his leash, but had been let go. He trotted over to Katara, looking a lot happier than his owner, who was pale with panic.

“Spirits, Aang,” Katara said, letting her throwing arm fall to her side. “Is someone chasing you?” The last part was mostly sarcastic, but the look on Aang’s face suggested it might not be far from the truth. The bald man let his skateboard clatter to the floor of the closet before turning to her. 

“You’ve gotta help me fix this,” he said, coming over and sitting on the couch beside her. Aang grabbed her hand tightly in one of his. It was very sweaty. “It all happened so fast.”

“What happened?” Katara asked, becoming more worried. 

Aang reached into the pocket of his shorts with his free hand and pulled out his phone. He opened it to a text conversation and shoved it in her face. “I’m freaking out, Katara. Freaking out .”

Katara took the phone, scrutinizing the conversation. It was with Teo, the man from the farmer’s market. She laughed, the panic Aang had transferred to her dissipating like mist in the sun. 

“You’ve been texting Teo! That’s great!”

“Can you read the conversation, please?” Aang insisted, no less stressed. Katara obliged, but not without rolling her eyes good-naturedly at Aang’s dramatics. 

Teo: Hey! I figured out how to make honey with maple in it, like you suggested last week. It’s super good!

Aang: That sounds yummy! I’ll buy some when I see you at the next market!

T: Well, if you want, you could try it sooner. I could bring you some :)

A: That’s really nice of you. I’d really like that! You can even come over and hang out if you want.

T: At your house?

A: Yeah! If you’re not busy, you can come over tonight!

T: I’m not busy :)

T: Will it be just us?

The timestamp for Aang’s message was about five minutes further out, a far cry from the almost immediate responses he’d been sending.

A: Actually my roommates were planning on having a movie night! It’d be really fun if you joined!

T: Oh, ok. Sounds like fun!

Katara put the phone down and raised an eyebrow at her friend. “I didn’t know we were going to have a movie night,” she said. Aang let his face fall into his hands.

“I panicked,” he said into his palms. “It got so real so fast!”

“I don’t know why,” Katara said, scrolling through the messages again. “I mean, he obviously wants to hang out with you.”

“Do you really think so?” Aang lifted his head from his hands, his demeanor becoming slightly more hopeful. “I didn’t want him to think I was inviting him over to just...you know.” His cheeks flooded with crimson. Katara stifled a snort.

“Well, you’ve kind of dug yourself a bit of a hole,” she pointed out. “We gotta have a movie night now.”

“And you’re going to help me, right?” Aang leaned in to her, almost begging. “Because you’re such a great friend who would never leave me to flounder in my mistakes?”

Katara smiled. “You’re lucky I don’t have plans tonight.”

They got to work cleaning up the main area, picking up the various random items left laying around and rehoming them out of sight. Aang grabbed more blankets and pillows from his room, including a large yellow beanbag. Katara called her brother, who was still out, presumably with the Warriors.

“Hey, Kat!” Sokka greeted her. There was a lot of noise in the background. “The Warriors won!”

“That’s great Sokka -”

“I didn’t play, but it was so much fun to watch! There was one point where Suki stole the ball from this one guy, and then passed it to Tani, who -”

“Sokka, hold on a sec,” she interrupted. “You can tell me all about the game later. We have a friend-emergency.”

“Uh oh. Did Aang get stuck on the roof again? He should know by now that Momo can get down on his own. And if he blames me for leaving the window open, well, maybe he should burn less candles. Just a thought.”

Katara pinched the bridge of her nose. “None of that is happening. We have to throw an impromptu movie night. Aang invited Teo over, and -”

“Let me guess,” Sokka cut in, amused. “He panicked and made up a party so he didn’t have to be alone with him.”

“Yeah, that pretty much nails it.”

Sokka laughed. “This wouldn’t be the first time. Can Suki come?” There was a burst of talking on his end that Katara couldn’t quite make out, and then Sokka added, “Toph heard me say party so she’s coming no matter what.”

“The more the merrier,” Katara said, throwing Aang a look from across the room. He was standing on the kitchen counter, elbow deep in a cabinet. He was too focused on whatever he was looking for and wasn’t paying attention to her conversation with Sokka. “Can you guys pick up pizza on the way?”

“No problem. And I totally know what movie we should watch.”

“Yes!” Aang cried out. He leaned back out of the cabinet, brandishing a handful of microwave popcorn packets. “I knew we had some!”

“See you guys soon,” Katara said, then hung up. “Sokka is bringing Suki and Toph. And pizza.”

Aang seemed to have forgotten all about his previous worries. He hopped down from the counter, almost dropping his popcorn bags. “That’s awesome! This is going to be so much fun!”

Katara dropped a hand to her hip, giving Aang a suspicious look. “This wasn’t just to get us all to hang out together, was it?”

He let out a bark of laughter. “Ha! No, I’m definitely still freaking out a little.” Aang held up the popcorn. There were at least five bags. “Do you think this will be enough? Also, would it be weird to eat popcorn with honey?”

“I don’t think anyone will judge you too harshly, Aang,” Katara soothed. “Do you want to shower or something? I can finish setting up.”

Aang’s eyes widened. “Monkey feathers. You’re right, I probably stink.” He tossed the bags onto the kitchen counter and made a beeline for the bathroom. Katara chuckled to herself and finished tidying. Aang’s nervous energy was a lot, but she was still excited for him. Did it still count as a first date if you were hanging out with a group? 

Katara decided that it did.

Aang was still in the bathroom when Sokka, Suki, and Toph arrived, boxes of pizza in tow. Sokka and Suki were wearing their jerseys. Toph had matching red lipstick kisses on her cheeks.

“The party has arrived!” Sokka said. Suki giggled, bumping her shoulder into his as she threaded her arm under his elbow. Katara raised an eyebrow at this, but decided not to comment. Instead, she turned to Toph.

“Looks like you made some friends, Toph.”

“Oh, these?” Toph pointed to the matching kisses, a puckish smile on her face. “What can I say? Ladies love me.”

“You should totally come to the next game, Kat,” Sokka said. He looked over at Suki, whose arm was still linked with his. “Suki was amazing.”

The woman in question blushed, leaning her forehead into Sokka’s shoulder. “I wasn’t that great.”

“Yes, you were. I was watching you the whole time from the bench! You’re incredible .”

“Ugh, enough!” Toph said, pretending to gag. She rolled her eyes at Katara. “They’ve been like this for hours. I’ve threatened to pour cold water on them like, five times.”

Aang finally emerged from the bathroom, letting out a cloud of vaguely fruity smelling steam. He had a towel tied around his waist, but wasn’t wearing anything else. “Oh, hey guys! You’re here!”

“When is Teo getting here?” Katara asked. 

“Around seven.”

Suki looked at her watch. “It’s seven.”

“Are you planning on just wearing the towel or…?” Sokka gestured to Aang’s legs. The man paled.

“Definitely not. Give me a sec.” He ran into his room, whisking the door shut behind him.

“Damn. Could have been a real bold choice,” Toph mused. She made her way toward the couch, stopping when the tip of her cane hit the edge of the beanbag. “This is new.”

“It’s a beanbag from Aang’s room,” Katara supplied. Toph folded her cane and immediately collapsed into the seat, her small body sinking into the soft bag.

“I will not be moving for the rest of the night.” She held out an expectant hand. “Someone bring me pizza.”

“Be patient, your majesty,” Suki said with a laugh.

There was a knock at the door, which made Appa bark excitedly from within Aang’s room. Before anyone could move, Aang exploded out of his door, Appa following close behind. “I got it!” he yelled. He’d forgone his usual t-shirt for a button-up, which was a button off from correct. He was still wearing his customary athletic shorts. 

“Love the look, Aang!” Sokka called after him. If Aang noticed, he didn’t care. He threw the front door open, revealing a somewhat nervous looking Teo, holding a cardboard box on his lap.

“Teo!” Aang said. “Hi!” His anxiety was manifesting itself in loud bursts of energy. Teo smiled up at him. Appa put his paws up on Teo’s legs so he could lick his face.

“Hey,” he said, laughing. “Is this your dog?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry.” Aang grabbed Appa’s collar, gently tugging him off of Teo. “His name’s Appa. He’s really friendly.”

“I noticed,” Teo said. He must have realized that three people had their heads peeking around the corner of the hallway, because he craned his neck to look around Aang. “And you guys must be the roommates.”

“Hi, Teo!” Katara said, with a little wave. She was trying to maintain her excitement, but was doing a pretty terrible job. Sokka had a much more casual attitude.

“Welcome to our apartment, man!”

Aang and Teo came all the way into the room, Appa following with a wagging tail. Teo looked around at all of them, eventually pointing at Katara and Toph. “You guys were at the farmer’s market.”

“Guilty as charged,” Toph said from her position on the beanbag. 

“It’s really nice to see you again!” Katara added. “We’ve been waiting for Aang to invite you over.”

Teo raised an eyebrow at Aang. “Really now?” he said, teasing. 

Aang blushed. He pushed his other two friends forward. “And this is Sokka and Suki.”

“I tried some of your honey,” Sokka said as he shook the man’s hand. “It’s pretty fantastic.”

“Do all of you live here?” Teo asked. “I mean, I know rent is kinda high but…”

“Spirits, no,” Suki said. “Toph and I live in the building, but not in this apartment.”

“We spend enough time here, though,” Toph said. “Personally, I’m ready to stake a claim on this beanbag forever.”

Teo had brought a few jars of maple honey for them all to try. It was deliciously sweet, with hints of maple that weren’t overpowering.

“I want pancakes now,” Sokka said, after having licked his spoon clean. “Screw the pizzas.”

The group gathered around the kitchen island, eating pizza and asking Teo about his life. Toph remained on her beanbag, occasionally requesting another slice of pizza or asking Teo random questions. They learned that he lived on land in the agrarian outskirts of the city with his father, who was an inventor. He’d spent the majority of his childhood living at the Northern Air Temple, where he’d cultivated a passion for sustainable animal husbandry. Aang watched him while he spoke about this, his expression one of undisguised adoration. At one point, Katara bumped him gently.

“Hm?” He was paying a lot more attention to the spirited discussion Sokka was having with Teo about engineering.

“You like him,” she teased quietly.

Aang’s cheeks turned a soft pink. “How can I not?”

When they had finished eating pizza, Sokka declared he would set up the movie, and went into his room to hunt for his laptop. Almost immediately after this, there was the sound of keys in a lock, and the door opened. All heads turned to the unexpected noise. Zuko stood in the entryway, holding a bag of groceries in one hand. He looked more than a little surprised at the large group. For a moment, everyone was frozen, unsure what to do.

Teo did not hold the same reservations.

“Oh, hey!” he said, turning his chair around so he could face Zuko. “Are you another one of Aang’s roommates?”

Zuko’s golden eyes flicked up to Aang, who gave him a somewhat helpless shrug from behind their guest. Zuko swallowed. “Uh. Yeah.”

“I’m Teo.” He rolled forward and extended a hand to Zuko. Zuko stared uncertainly at it for a moment, then took it.

“Zuko.”

“I’m sorry we ate without you,” Teo said. He didn’t seem to notice the tension gathering amongst the rest of the group. Considering everyone so far had been very friendly and welcoming to him, it wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume Zuko would be the same. Katara was holding her breath - if he said something rude to Teo, she’d rip him another one. Promise be damned.

“That’s okay,” Zuko said, haltingly.

“Okay guys, are you ready for -” Sokka came back in, holding his open laptop. His excitement faded slightly when he saw the newcomer. “Oh.”

The awkwardness of the situation was finally getting strong enough for Teo to notice. He looked back at Aang, an open question on his face. This in turn made Aang glance at Katara, and the unspoken words felt painfully clear: Help me fix this .

And Katara did something she hadn’t been expecting to do.

“Do you want to join us for the movie, Zuko?”

Zuko’s gaze met hers. For a brief moment, Katara was certain he was about to rebuff her and make the situation significantly more uncomfortable. She could see the muscles in his jaw working, like he was grinding his teeth. Finally, he took a breath.

“Sure.”

The quiet that followed the statement was almost worse than the one that had preceded it. Then, Aang smiled.

“Great! I think we have just enough seating!”

Zuko put his groceries away while everyone settled themselves. Sokka hooked his laptop up to the television and began messing with it, pulling up the movie he had downloaded. Katara waited patiently for everyone to arrange themselves. She didn’t want to accidentally put herself in the way of Aang and Teo, or Sokka and Suki for that matter. Teo parked his chair on one end of the couch, leaning slightly onto the arm. Aang sat down on the couch next to him, until he apparently couldn’t sit still anymore and popped up, saying something about needing to make popcorn. Suki sat at the other end of the couch, leaving an open space in the middle that was presumably for Sokka. Toph was huddled comfortably in the beanbag. This left one last area for seating: the loveseat.

As soon as Katara realized this, her stomach flipped. While it could fit two people, the loveseat was definitely...cozy. And the only person who wasn’t already sitting somewhere was -

“Hey, Toph,” Katara said, stepping over to the beanbag. “You wanna sit on the loveseat with me? I’ve got this really soft blanket -”

Toph held up a hand, stopping her mid-sentence. “What part of ‘I will not be moving for the rest of the night’ did you not get?” She wiggled, settling herself deeper into the beanbag. “I’ll still take that blanket, if you’re offering.”

Katara wished Toph could see the look she was trying to give her. The one that said, If you make me cuddle with Zuko I’m going to tear that beanbag open with my teeth. Instead, she said: “Blanket privileges are only for people sitting with me.”

Toph shrugged. “Yeah, I’m not too torn up about it, Sweetness.”

Katara perched on the loveseat, berating herself for opening her mouth in the first place. Aang had brought over a huge bowl of popcorn, which he placed on the coffee table. Sokka finished preparing the movie, and paused it so he could sit on the couch. He grabbed a handful of popcorn and shoved it in his mouth, completely missing Katara’s pointed look. She was trying to telepathically convince him to switch with her, but it didn’t appear to be working. Even if it was, the fact that he was sitting by Suki meant that he probably wasn’t going to be willing to take one for the team anyway. Katara sighed.

Zuko had finished putting his groceries away and was standing just outside the kitchen, staring at them and looking distinctly uncomfortable. He must have come to the same conclusion Katara had, and seemed just as excited about it as she was. Katara wondered if he would just choose to sit on the floor, and was honestly hoping that was the decision he’d make. Unfortunately, Teo noticed Zuko standing awkwardly at the edge of the group, and continued his trend of not reading the room at all.

“There’s a spot by Katara, Zuko!”

Great. Now it’d be weird if he decided to sit on the ground. Katara scooted over slightly, giving Zuko a smile that she hoped didn’t look too forced. Zuko’s lip twisted in a way that made it seem like he’d rather jump out a window. Instead, he picked his way over and settled next to her on the loveseat.

Katara could barely hear the excited chattering of her other friends. She was very aware of Zuko, who was sitting in such a way that no part of him was touching her. Still, it was the closest she’d ever been to him. If either of them relaxed even a little bit, they’d be touching. 

The movie Sokka had chosen was a horror movie called The Puppetmaster , which sounded terribly cheesy. Sokka promised them that he’d heard good things about it, but Katara knew exactly why he’d chosen it - so he could hold Suki’s hand when she got scared. It made her want to roll her eyes. At least Toph seemed excited.

“There’s usually a lot of tension building music,” she said. She’d made her t-shirt (blue tie-dye with a howling wolf on it) into a makeshift bowl, and had piled several handfuls of popcorn on top of herself. “And it’s so fun to listen to you guys scream at the jump scares.”

“I’m not a big fan of horror movies,” Aang said, chewing on his lip.

From beside him, Teo smiled. “Me neither.” In one smooth motion, he moved his hand on top of Aang’s, threading their fingers together. Aang blushed. Katara tried to restrain her excitement for her friend.

Sokka, not to be outdone, turned to Suki. “If you get scared, you can squeeze my arm. I don’t mind.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. Katara stifled a laugh at Suki’s unamused expression.

“Whatever you say, Sokka.”

The movie started out with a group of friends on a road trip. In predictable horror movie fashion, they decided to dismiss the warnings given by the locals and elected to take a risky shortcut through supposedly deserted woods, despite the fact that several of the townsfolk had disappeared in them.

“Rookie mistake,” Toph said, through a mouthful of popcorn. “Sure hope they don’t run out of gas.”

Of course, they ran out of gas, and were alone in the creepy forest. At this point in the movie, Aang and Teo were decidedly unsettled, leaning into each other with eyes fixed on the screen. Sokka still had his bravado act going, and kept leaning over and whispering to Suki, who shushed him.

Zuko had relaxed slightly now that the movie had started. His shoulder and thigh were now gently touching hers. Katara was trying not to think about it too much, but it didn’t help that Zuko proved to be the equivalent of a space heater. He practically radiated warmth. She kept sneaking glances out of the corner of her eye. He seemed very focused on the movie; his expression neutral. If their closeness bothered him, Zuko wasn’t showing it.

The doomed protagonists came across an abandoned looking cabin. It almost made Katara roll her eyes at the predictableness of it all. When the cabin was revealed to be (surprise!) not actually abandoned in a jump scare where a creepy old woman emerged from the shadows, Aang, Teo, and Sokka all flinched. Sokka actually grabbed Suki’s arm. She caught Katara’s gaze and rolled her eyes, before patting Sokka’s hand soothingly. 

Katara liked to think of herself as rather unaffected by horror movies, especially ones that were a bit predictable. But the movie took an interesting turn, and she found herself paying more attention. The old woman turned out to be rather kind, and told the group of characters that they were lucky to have found her, because there was a monster that roamed the woods during the full moon.

“Why is this movie called The Puppetmaster if it’s about werewolves?” Toph asked. “I haven’t seen a single puppet.” She was promptly shushed.

One of the movie protagonists was a young woman, who had so far mostly functioned as the voice of reason (“She’s totally the final girl.” “Stop talking, Toph!”). The old woman took a liking to her, and eventually told her that the townspeople actually created the beast, and banished it to the woods when they could no longer control it. When the other characters pointed out inconsistencies, the young woman explained them away.

At the highest point of tension in the movie, Katara had completely forgotten about her discomfort with sitting beside Zuko. She was leaning forward, chewing on her nails, eyes glued to the screen. The protagonists were looking for their mysteriously missing friends, and chose to go down into the dark basement, against the wishes of the old woman (who has also conveniently gone to bed). The basement was lit only by the candle carried by the main character. There was almost no music at all, just the soft breathing of the actors.

Suddenly, something jumped out and grabbed one of them, its horrible, skeletal face suddenly visible in the light of the candle. This made Sokka let out a sudden, high-pitched yelp. Katara jumped as well, her hand automatically shooting out and clutching the nearest object.

Unfortunately, this happened to be Zuko’s hand.

She didn’t even realize what happened at first as she came down from the initial scare; just that she was squeezing something very tightly. Both Aang and Teo had covered each other’s eyes, and Sokka was holding on to Suki’s arm for dear life. It was only after she realized how warm the thing she was grabbing was that she actually made the connection in her brain. She froze. 

Oh, shit .

Zuko had tensed beside her. His hand had been resting casually on his knee before she’d taken it, her fingers nearly crushing his knuckles. He was staring at their hands, and Katara thought he looked like he’d just noticed a rather large, hairy spider on his knee instead. His hand was very warm, and softer than she expected. His fingers twitched.

Katara finally regained her senses, and quickly pulled her hand back. “Sorry,” she mumbled. She was glad it was mostly dark in the apartment - her cheeks were on fire. 

Zuko’s hand curled into a fist on his knee. He said nothing.

Katara could barely pay attention to the rest of the movie. She was certain she was going to die from embarrassment. At least Zuko was waiting until the movie was over to say something nasty about it.

In a twist that Toph claimed she saw coming from a mile away, the old woman was the ‘beast’ of the woods. She’d been enacting revenge on the townsfolk (who’d driven her out for being a witch) by killing them and controlling their reanimated corpses. She’d even killed the main character’s friends, and used them to attack her in the climax of the film. Katara could barely pay attention to the final battle - she kept looking over at Zuko, trying to read his expression. He didn’t seem particularly upset like she’d seen him in the past, but he didn’t seem entirely at ease either. He wasn’t touching her anymore, but that may have been because she was actively leaning away from him. His fingers tapped anxiously on his dark jeans.

The movie ended with the main character escaping the cabin, leaving her dropped candle to catch the old wood on fire. The old woman’s screams echoed in the night, about how she’ll regret ever coming here, that the curse would never die. Toph muttered something about final girls again. Just before the credits began, the protagonist stopped to fall to her knees in a clearing. The dead leaves swirled around her, and the camera panned up to the full moon.

“Well, that was dumb,” Toph said. She was sprawled on the beanbag, her shirt covered in popcorn residue.

“No, it wasn’t!” Sokka argued. He was still clutching Suki’s elbow. “Did you not get it? It’s about the deeper horrors of -”

“You were scared by the wood witch. Just admit it.”

Suki reached over and turned the lamp on. “It’s okay, Sokka,” she said, squeezing his fingers. “Some of those jump scares were pretty scary.”

While the rest of them argued about whether the movie was actually frightening (Aang, Teo, and Sokka thought it was, Suki and Toph did not), Katara glanced over at Zuko. He was watching the credits roll on the television, but when he realized she was looking at him, his head tipped slightly towards her. His scarred side was facing her, and his hair had fallen down to shadow his eyes. He swallowed, and Katara watched the line of his throat bob.

“So, uh, it scared you?”

She felt herself blush again. She let out an uncomfortable laugh, grabbing the end of her braid and pulling on it. “Oh, um. Yeah. Sorry about that.” She flicked a hand toward his knee, to indicate the incident without outright saying it.

Zuko’s fingers curled ever-so-slightly. “It’s alright. I, uh, don’t mind that much.”

Katara blinked. Since when had he not minded that she intruded on his space? It went against everything she’d experienced with him so far. She briefly entertained the thought that Zuko had been taken over by something that specialized in tolerating others.

He seemed to catch on to her surprise, because he crossed his arms and sat back into the cushions. The relaxed position made his knee brush up against hers again. She made a concentrated effort to not pull away. “I’m not that rude, you know,” he said, voice edging into a grumble.

An unexpected laugh rose to her lips. “Well, drawing from past experiences…”

Zuko rolled his eyes, but the edge of his lip had twisted upwards in a suppressed grin. It made Katara feel a lot more at ease. “I’m working on it.”

There was something about the way he looked at her that made Katara’s heart skip a beat. Maybe it was because there wasn’t a single trace of anger or stress on his face, and it softened him in a way she hadn’t seen before. He was actually kind of...nice to look at.

As soon as the thought entered her brain, Katara looked away. Okay, so she hadn’t had the best luck with romance lately, but that was just asking for trouble. She banished the weird feeling as quickly as possible and tried not to think about the sharp curve of his jaw or the brilliant gold of his eyes.

Ugh. As if.

“Thank you, by the way.”

She allowed herself a peek in his direction. He wasn’t looking at her anymore, instead focusing on the clasped hands in his lap. “For what?”

Red was creeping up his neck. He cleared his throat. “Inviting me.”

“Oh.” She was definitely not about to point out that she wouldn’t have said anything at all if Teo hadn’t practically forced her. “No problem.”

“I know my uncle put you up to it.”

“What? No!” Katara was a pretty bad liar, and Zuko raised an eyebrow at her. But he didn’t seem upset - instead he huffed a laugh.

“It’s okay,” he said. “I know he means well.”

Katara still felt a little guilty. “He really wants us to be friends.”

Zuko looked up at her, his expression unreadable. Katara thought he might refute that statement, like he had every single time before. Then he smiled, and Katara felt her heart skip a beat again.

“Maybe he’s onto something.”

Chapter Text

The college bar three subway stops from the apartment was just as fun and energetic as Sokka had described. It was almost exclusively populated with young people, and the drinks were strong and cheap. The music playing was familiar and upbeat, and you could only just hear it over the laughter and chatter of the bar. It was a great atmosphere there, and everyone was having a good time.

Well, almost everyone.

Katara sat on a bar stool, scowling into her mostly empty drink. She pulled out her phone to check the time, and her expression darkened further when she noted it. For what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour, she cast her gaze around the bar denizens. Once again, no one was recognizable. 

She opened up her phone again and hovered her thumb over the cursed app that had led her to this moment. Toph had been the one to recommend it to her, and why Katara ever thought taking that advice was a good idea was officially beyond her. 

The other day, Katara had been complaining about how long it’d been since she’d gotten laid to Suki and Toph, who were only too happy to commiserate. “I think it may have been over a year,” she said, grimacing at her wine glass.

Suki tipped her own glass towards her. “Tell me about it. I’ve been living in sexual limbo for at least six months now.”

“Can’t relate,” Toph said. “Sounds like you guys aren’t trying hard enough.”

Both Katara and Suki glared at her. Even if Toph could see them, she probably wouldn’t care much.

“You guys keep waiting for your ‘one true love’ or whatever,” she said, putting air quotes around the words. “It’s modern times, ladies. Time to fuck some strangers.”

Katara wrinkled her nose at Toph’s wording, but couldn’t help but see her point. The physical want to be intimate with someone was beginning to outweigh the emotional desire for romantic affection. She’d never admit it to anyone, but she’d started having strange dreams about the feeling of hot hands on her skin.

It was disturbing, and more than a little embarrassing.

“But I don’t want to fuck a stranger,” Suki whined. “I want to fuck -” She glanced at Katara, blushed, and cleared her throat. “Not a stranger.”

Katara put a hand on her friend’s shoulder. “It’s okay, Suki. As much as the thought of my brother’s possible sex life makes me want to vomit, I can get over it for you.”

“Good luck with that one, Cherry,” Toph said, toasting her glass. “Whatever block Snoozles has in his brain holding him back from jumping you is a strong one. Even I know you’re hot as fuck, and I’m blind .”

Suki gave Katara a somewhat helpless look. “Maybe you could -”

“Definitely not ,” Katara said, laughing. “You guys have to figure that out on your own. But I do have some insider’s knowledge, if you want.”

Suki leaned forward, grabbing one of Katara’s hands. “Yes. Please.”

“He’s overthinking everything to a level no normal person can. Just make it simple for him.”

“See, this is why I just use dating apps,” Toph said. “Relationships make people get all stupid. Hookups are the easiest thing ever.”

And then Katara made the mistake of asking about the app Toph had used. She was only too happy to explain.

“Trust me, it’s the easiest way to meet people,” she said, pulling out her phone to show Katara. “I like to swipe on the funniest profiles because, well, I have no damn clue what they look like. Nor do I care.”

“You’ll get a lot of attention,” Suki added. “You’re kind of a snack, Kat.”

“Call that girl a Kit-Kat, because she’s so sweet ,” Toph laughed.

They spent the rest of the evening crafting the perfect profile for Katara. Suki had a tipsy photography session with her, putting her in some of her own clothes and positioning her in various semi-seductive ways around the apartment. Katara wasn’t taking it very seriously, so when Suki said “Pull your shirt down a little more!” she obliged. Then Toph dictated a profile for her, which was a delightful mix of innuendo and stupid puns. Then the three of them started going through the app, choosing potential suitors based off of seemingly random reasons.

“Swipe right on her,” Suki said, leaning over Katara’s shoulder to look at her screen. “It says she’s a creative writing major. Maybe she’ll write you poetry.”

“Did you say he’s holding a fish?” Toph asked, pouring the rest of the wine bottle into her empty glass. “Hell no. Swipe left.”

“Gym selfie? I don’t think so.”

“I think a self-deprecating joke in the bio is always a good sign.”

Katara made a few matches that night, and actually ended up talking to some of them. She found right away that a lot of people went for the sexual side of things almost right away, which was a slight turn-off for her. Yes, the whole point of it was to hook-up with someone, but Katara wanted to be seen as a human as well. 

There was one person she found herself still talking to the next day, when she was sober. It was a woman named Haya, who was also a student at Ba Sing Se University. She was a biology major in her last year of undergrad, with a plan to go to vet school. Her pictures showed a petite woman with short, dark brown hair and pale green eyes behind round glasses. Their conversation was nice, so when Haya asked Katara if she wanted to meet for drinks, Katara was only too happy to oblige.

They were supposed to meet at the bar at eight-thirty. It was now edging towards ten.

Katara fiddled with her necklace as she frowned into her empty drink. She was mad, although she wasn’t sure at what. At first, she was upset with Haya, who had apparently changed her mind about the date she’d asked Katara to go on. This slowly morphed into an anger at herself for thinking this was ever a good idea. She’d even worn her fancy underwear, which would now just go to waste because she’d be the only person seeing it today.

“Do you want another one?” the bartender asked, indicating her empty gin and tonic glass.

Katara briefly considered saying yes, and finishing her disappointing evening by getting drunk alone in a bar. But getting home would be a chore, and she didn’t want to think about the thorough talking to Sokka would give her for making a potentially dangerous choice. So she shook her head. “I’ll just pay my tab, thanks.”

It wasn’t the first time she’d been stood up for a date, but that didn’t make it any less annoying. Katara spent the subway train ride home with a black cloud of anger hanging above her head. All the other nighttime commuters gave her a wide berth, which suited her just fine. The alcohol she’d already consumed was chipping away at her impulse control, so she turned off her phone and shoved it deep in her purse to stop herself from messaging an insult to Haya. It was her loss, in the end. 

When she got back to the apartment, it was dark and quiet. If anyone was home, they were in their rooms, asleep. For some reason, this was almost relieving. While part of her wanted to vent to someone about how stupid her night had been, and how she was apparently cursed by the romance spirits to be alone forever, the other part was frankly embarrassed that she was coming home alone and smelling like gin.

Katara dropped her bag on the counter and turned on the light above the kitchen sink. It wasn’t very bright, but gave her enough light to see where she was going. Maybe getting drunk at the bar was a bad idea, but getting drunk at home was an excellent one. She could put on a movie and try to forget about her terrible dating luck. 

If she only knew where the alcohol was.

Katara started opening and closing every cabinet in the kitchen. She wasn’t usually a casual drinker of hard liquor, but it was a special occasion. And she knew for a fact there was a bottle of vodka around here somewhere - she just had to locate it.

She was trying to be quiet and respectful of her roommates, but with one gin and tonic on board, it was somewhat hard to remember that cabinets can sound pretty loud when they’re slammed closed. It didn’t help that she was getting frustrated. What was the point of hiding the alcohol in a mystery location? It’s not like they were living in a fucking dorm . Katara was thirty seconds from calling her brother and interrogating him when a quiet question interrupted her thoughts.

“What are you doing?”

Katara spun around, clutching her chest. Zuko was standing at the edge of the kitchen, watching her with a bemused expression. He was wearing dark gray jogging pants and a worn-out t-shirt that was maybe a size too small. The whole thing was a little too much for her intoxicated brain, so she forced herself to turn her stare to the cabinets again.

“Did I wake you up?” It was a quarter ‘til eleven. While that wasn’t very late by her standards, she also knew that Zuko got up before five. Also, the hair at the back of his head was sticking up.

“You’re being really fucking loud.”

Katara turned to look at him, expecting an angry expression. If he wanted a fight, she was more than ready to give him one. Really, she could use a good argument - it’d help her get her mind off of her disastrous dating app experience. But he wasn’t upset. In fact, he seemed almost...concerned? It was hard to tell. Katara wasn’t sure if Zuko knew how to talk to people in ways that weren’t hostile. 

She swallowed her pride and asked, “Do you know where the alcohol is?”

Zuko’s single eyebrow raised a barely perceptible amount. His eyes flicked up and down her form, probably taking in her somewhat revealing date night outfit. She’d borrowed a crop top from Suki for the occasion, which turned out to be a little small across her chest. For the purposes of a hookup, it was great. Standing in the kitchen at eleven at night asking your awkward roommate about booze made it a little less great. She pushed some of her loose hair over her shoulder and tried not to think about it.

Zuko apparently decided not to comment, because he moved past her to a bottom cabinet in the corner that she hadn’t looked in. He kneeled in front of it and opened the door, revealing a selection of liquor that was surprising in its variety. He glanced back up at her over his shoulder, flicking his fringe out of his eyes in a way that made Katara’s throat close up momentarily. Fucking gin.

“What did you want?”

“Um.” She hadn’t really thought this far ahead. She had never really made drinks for herself (or anyone, for that matter). She pointed to a random bottle of dark liquid. “That one.”

Zuko scoffed. “You want whiskey ?”

“What’s so wrong with that?” Katara said, bristling. She wasn’t about to admit that she’d never drank whiskey in her life. 

“Just doesn’t really seem like something you’d drink,” Zuko said with a shrug. Katara was about to ask just exactly what seemed like something she’d drink, but decided against it. He handed her the bottle.

Katara appraised it for a second, unsure what to do with it. She placed it on the counter, then got a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with ice. Zuko was still watching her for some reason, making her oddly self conscious. She took the cap off of the bottle of alcohol and started pouring it over the ice. She’d filled about half the glass when Zuko stepped forward and took the bottle from her.

“Hey!” she said, half-heartedly making a swipe to get the whiskey back. Zuko held it over his head.

“You obviously don’t know what you’re doing.” He picked up her half-filled glass and shook it. “Where are you going with this?”

“I don’t know, okay?” Katara snapped hotly. “I just want this night to be a little less shitty.”

Zuko stared at her for a moment. His face remained as difficult to read as ever. She waited for him to either argue back or leave. But Zuko had been surprising her lately, and tonight was no exception.

“How about I make you something instead?”

Katara stared at him. The gin must be making her brain slow, because if she wasn’t mistaken, Zuko was being nice to her again.

“Because this much whiskey,” he held up the glass, “will put you in a coma.”

Oops. “I guess that’s a lot, huh?”

Zuko snorted a laugh, the corner of his lip arching upwards. He took the glass over to the sink and started to carefully pour its contents back into the whiskey bottle. “Not if you’re trying to poison yourself.” 

Katara sighed and leaned back on the counter. “I don’t think I’ve reached that level of despair yet.”

Zuko didn’t comment on that. He opened a drawer and pulled out a jigger. “Do you like cola?” he asked, measuring and pouring two shots of whiskey. When she nodded, he grabbed a bottle out of the fridge and poured it over the alcohol. He did all of this with the quick, graceful certainty of someone who’d done it many times before. A thought popped into Katara’s head, and she found herself talking before she could lock it down.

“Do you drink a lot?” She almost slapped a hand over her mouth. Way to make the situation even more awkward, she scolded herself. Who just casually asks someone they barely know if they’re an alcoholic?

He handed her the finished drink. To her relief, he didn’t look offended. “No. But I used to bartend.” A wry smile crossed his face. “You know this is maybe the easiest drink in the world to make, right?”

Katara accepted the drink and sipped it. The strong taste of the alcohol was pretty well covered by the cola, which was a relief. “Thanks. And I wouldn’t know. Sokka always used to make drinks for me. And they were terrible every time.”

Zuko snorted. “That doesn’t surprise me.”

Katara continued to sip her drink, suddenly realizing just how weird the situation she was currently in was. She was talking to Zuko. Learning things about him. Joking with him. It should feel awkward and unnatural. Maybe it was the alcohol, but for some reason, it was starting to feel easy . 

Which was concerning.

“So what’s the occasion?”

Katara glanced up at him, almost losing the question in her train of thought. She’d been so focused on the strange turn of her evening that she’d almost entirely forgotten why she wanted to drink in the first place. 

“I had a date tonight,” she said, surprising herself with her honesty. “I got stood up.”

“Oh.” Zuko’s face had taken on that familiar expression of discomfort. “That’s unfortunate.”

“It is.” Katara knocked back a large swallow of her drink, shivering at the burn of the whiskey down her throat. She no longer cared that it was Zuko she was talking to; the incoming rant just needed an audience. “I can’t believe I let Toph talk me into that shitty dating app. What’s the point of putting yourself out there to a bunch of random strangers who probably only swiped right because they wanted to see your tits? And even if you wanted to show them your tits, they change their mind for no discernable reason and embarrass you in public. I mean, she could have at least told me she changed her mind, but no . I got all dressed up, and for what?” She threw her arms out, almost causing her drink to spill. “Alone again, drinking in the kitchen with my roommate. No offense.”

Zuko blinked. He looked a bit shell-shocked by her unexpected tirade. The part regarding her boobs probably didn’t help. “Uh. None taken?”

“Anyway,” she said, taking another sip. She could feel the effect of the alcohol getting stronger, and her concerns about what Zuko should and should not know about her were quickly disappearing. “I’m deleting that dumb app. And maybe deleting dating from my life. Who needs love, right?”

Zuko cleared his throat. He turned around and started making a second drink, presumably for himself. Katara noticed a small amount of red creeping up past the neckline of his shirt. She allowed herself a small, hidden smile. It was kinda fun to push his buttons when he didn’t get irrationally angry at her for it. “Have you ever used one?”

“One what?” He finished pouring the cola over the whiskey and turned to face her, leaning against the opposite counter. 

“A dating app.”

The flush that had been present on his neck rushed up his face. He took a large gulp of his drink, as if to cover his embarrassment. “Uh. No.”

“Really?” For some reason, she couldn’t imagine Zuko asking people out in person. When he wasn’t being aggressive and unapproachable, he was tense and awkward. Katara privately thought that the only reason she was having this conversation at all was because she was drunk enough to not care as much if she made him uncomfortable. And since he was being so agreeable, she decided to push her luck a little. “Why not?”

A familiar scowl came over his face. “Why do you think?”

Katara couldn’t come up with a response for that. 

“I’m not like you,” he continued, defensive. “I’m not exactly the sort of person people see a picture of and want to meet. You get attention on those sorts of apps by looking good, and I’m -” He stopped suddenly, like he’d said too much. He tipped his glass back and took a long swallow. 

Zuko must have been referring to his scar. It was obviously something he was self-conscious about, and that made her feel sad. She wanted to make him feel better. Unfortunately, she was drunk, so the words her brain produced were a lot less tactful than sober Katara would have wanted.

“You do know you’re hot, right?”

Zuko choked on his drink. 

“C’mon, you have to know this,” she said, watching him cough into his cup. “I mean, just look at you! I can see your pecs through your shirt, Zuko. You have the physique of a dancer.” She squinted at him. “Are you a dancer?”

“Martial arts,” Zuko rasped. He was looking at her like she was speaking in tongues. Katara wondered when the last time anyone had complimented him was. 

“There’s a lot about you that’s super attractive,” she continued, “And when you aren’t scowling at me, I think your face is really beautiful.” 

Zuko was staring at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. Katara suddenly realized how her words might be taken, and she backpedaled furiously.

“In an aesthetic way!” she said, trying to cover her embarrassment with a laugh. “You know, like art. I’m, uh, not trying to come onto you or anything.” Spirits. Way to put your foot in your mouth, Katara .

Zuko closed his mouth. He was looking at her somewhat suspiciously. “Are you fucking with me or something?”

“Spirits, Zuko, no.” The fact that he thought she could be that mean was almost offensive. It made Katara wonder what sort of people he’d had in his life to be so distrustful of nice words. “I’m serious. You’d do numbers on a dating app.” She wrinkled her nose. “Even if they’re stupid and I hate them.”

He watched her a moment longer, like he was trying to determine if she was telling the truth. Katara kept her gaze steady. She must have passed whatever mental test he’d devised, because he broke the stare and took another gulp of his drink.

“Thanks,” he said, almost too quiet for her to hear. 

They drank in silence for a little while. Katara was thinking about how she was going to tell her friends that she’d told Zuko he was hot to his face. They’d probably think she was insane. But she doubted they’d ever tried to get to know Zuko - not that he’d ever given him the chance. Which brought the question to her mind -

“Why are you being nice to me now?”

Zuko’s initial blush had faded, but her words made it come blooming back. He couldn’t meet her eyes, instead choosing to focus on the half-melted ice in his cup. “I don’t know what you mean,” he muttered. 

Zuko was a terrible fucking liar.

“Yes, you do,” Katara pressed. “Just the other week you said we weren’t friends. In fact, I distinctly remember you telling me that I should stop trying to be nice to you at all. And now we’re having conversations! We’re hanging out!” She held her drink up, to drive home the point. “What changed?”

He shifted his weight, uncomfortable. “I already told you. My uncle wants us to be friends.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “So? Your uncle is amazing and all, but you’re an adult. You can do what you want, make your own choices.” Zuko chewed on the edge of his lip. She pushed again. “I thought you hated me.”

“I don’t hate you,” Zuko said, quickly. He crossed his free arm over his chest. “I just...I don’t really know, Katara.” He looked up at her finally, and her heart did that weird skip again. “For some reason, I like you.”

Katara snorted and rolled her eyes. “Wow. Thanks, Zuko. A real vote of confidence.”

“That came out wrong,” he said, grimacing. “It’s hard to explain. I’m not...great at making friends.” He winced. “I never really have been. So I don’t try. But you…” Zuko let out a long sigh. The words were obviously very difficult for him to say, even with the alcohol to help things along. But Katara waited patiently, because he was finally opening up to her about something, and that was an enormous step. “You make me want to try. Does that make sense?”

His golden eyes were so painfully earnest that Katara thought she might start crying. She really, desperately wanted to hug him, but that would probably be a step too far. Instead, she held her glass out to him. “Well, I’m really glad you’re trying.”

He smiled at her then, and it nearly made her melt. “Me too.” He clinked his drink to hers.

Katara finished her drink, the whiskey leaving a pleasant warmth in her stomach and lending a soft haze to her vision. This evening had definitely not been what she’d expected, but at least it was ending nicely. “Are you going to hang out with me more?”

Zuko shrugged one shoulder. “Uh. If you want.” He still didn’t seem entirely comfortable with the idea, but they could work on that. 

“What about Sokka and Aang? Do you want to hang out with them, too?”

Zuko frowned. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

“What do you mean?” she said, somewhat defensively. “They’re really not that bad. Sokka might take a little bit to warm up to you, but -”

“Remember when I said that I’m not great at making friends?” Zuko said, a little sharply. “We don’t get along.”

Katara decided not to push the point. She was too drunk to go down that rabbit hole right now. “Maybe we can work our way up to that, someday.”

Zuko relaxed slightly. “Maybe,” he agreed.

Katara was starting to feel sleepy, but she didn’t want to go to bed just yet. This whole situation felt like it was happening in a dream, and if she walked away now part of her thought Zuko might just never talk to her again. And she really, really didn’t want that to happen. It no longer mattered that Zuko was prickly and difficult and socially maladjusted - he was taking a chance on her, going past his comfort zone to give her his trust. She had to help him now. That’s just who she was. There was also something in the way that Zuko described how it was different with her. Deep down, she felt it too. And she was just as confused as to why. But there was an undeniable pull between them; a force that kept bringing them together even when they tried to push away. 

“Are you going to tell your uncle about this?” she asked, giving him a teasing smile.

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. “I have to. He asks about you way too often. I think he’s your biggest fan.”

Katara laughed. “He’s wonderful. If you tell him we’re friends, do you think he’ll leave you alone about it?”

Zuko finished his drink, then turned and poured the rest of the ice into the sink. “If I do that, he’s going to get worse. He’ll start asking you to come over for family dinners.”

Privately, she thought that sounded nice. But Zuko was apparently not a fan of the idea, so she didn’t push it. “I’ll start visiting the Jasmine Dragon more often. Maybe that will tide him over.”

He gave her a small grin. “I doubt it.”

It was almost midnight now. Katara’s eyes felt very heavy, and the thought of her bed was becoming more and more appealing. She pushed herself off of the counter and stretched. “I think I’m gonna go to sleep,” she said. “Thanks for making me a drink. And for the talk. It really made me feel better.”

Zuko looked away, his cheeks turning slightly pink. “Yeah, well, you were going to poison yourself, otherwise.”

“You know what I mean.” She began to walk toward her room, leaving him standing under the kitchen light. “You’re not such a bad guy, Zuko. I hope you know that too, someday.”

He stared fixedly at the ground, but Katara could make out a tiny smile on his face.

Chapter Text

The change in dynamic in the apartment was subtle, but did not go unnoticed for very long. 

The morning after her (maybe a little too honest) conversation with Zuko, Katara decided she was going to make as little a deal of it as possible. Her new friend would probably appreciate some discretion, and she wasn’t sure that she was ready to explain the whole situation to the others anyway. The plan was to act casual, and hope she could slip under the radar while still making an effort with Zuko.

She walked out of her room in her pajamas, not as hungover as she’d expected to be. Her head still felt like it had been vigorously shaken while she was sleeping, but she’d managed to dodge the nausea. Which was great, because Katara didn’t really want Zuko to see her wreaking havoc on their shared bathroom and saying, “You know what? Never mind the friend thing.”

The man in question was standing in the kitchen, pouring himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t look at all like someone who had gotten less than five hours of sleep; he looked well put-together and clean. Sokka, who was lounging on the couch sipping from an energy drink, looked a lot more like he had just rolled out of bed. Katara knew she looked similar, and was briefly jealous of Zuko for being a morning person.

She approached him in the kitchen, and when he noticed her presence, he gave her a half-smile.

“Coffee?” he asked, holding up the pot he’d been pouring from. 

“Yes, please,” she said, pulling out one of the island chairs and flopping into it. She watched Zuko pull a mug out of the cabinet and fill it generously with the steaming liquid. He passed it to her across the counter, and she thanked him.

“You sleep well?” he asked after she’d taken a sip. The heat of the coffee going down her throat reminded her a little of the whiskey they’d shared, and she smiled.

“Like a rock. What about you?”

He shrugged. “Not that bad. Better than usual, actually.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you get up at five?”

Zuko took a long drink of his coffee. “I actually get up at four-thirty.”

She had to stop herself from physically recoiling. How anyone could choose to do that was beyond her. “How the hell are you awake right now?”

He smirked at her and held up the mug. “This is my third cup.”

“I feel sorry for your kidneys.”

Zuko snorted. “Don’t worry, they’re used to it.” He pushed himself off of the counter, but suddenly seemed unsure about how to end the conversation. “I gotta go back to work. I’ll, uh, talk to you later.” He made an awkward toasting gesture with his coffee mug, then turned and walked back to his room without waiting for her response. Katara shook her head and smiled. He was trying, and that was all that mattered.

“ Ahem .”

She swiveled in her chair to face Sokka, coffee mug at her lips. He was looking at her like he’d just seen her talking to a ghost. His energy drink can sat forgotten on the coffee table. He leaned forward, his voice a barely controlled whisper. “What the fuck just happened?”

“What do you mean?” Katara said. She knew perfectly well what he was talking about. So much for slipping under the radar.

Sokka’s baffled expression changed to one of suspicion. “Either I am hallucinating,” he began, slowly, “or I just watched you be friends with Zuko .” The last part came out as a strangled hiss, with a dramatic gesture to Zuko’s door. “And honestly? I’m kind of hoping it’s the former.”

Katara narrowed her eyes. “It’s not that big of a deal, Sokka.”

Her brother threw his hands up in the air, his blue eyes nearly popping out of his head. “ Not a big deal?! ”

She sipped her coffee and stared him down. “You are being so melodramatic right now.”

“I am not!” he whisper-shouted. “Since when are you and Zuko being buddy-buddy? I thought we all agreed that he sucked!”

“We did not,” Katara said sharply. “You’re being so judgmental, Sokka. You barely know him!”

“What are you talking about?” Sokka argued. “I’ve known him for two years . He’s never once talked to me like that!”

Katara smirked over the rim of her mug. “Oh, I see. You’re jealous.”

Sokka’s face turned that special color of maroon that meant she’d pushed the perfect combination of buttons. Being intentionally misunderstood was one of her brother’s biggest pet peeves. It didn’t help that he refused to let petty disagreements die. “I am not jealous!”

“It’s not my fault that I’m just more likable than you,” Katara teased. Sokka crossed his arms and leaned back into the couch cushions, a stormy look on his face.

“Leave it to you to make friends with the human embodiment of biting into a lemon.”

Katara fixed Sokka with her most disapproving look. “That wasn’t very nice.”

Sokka threw his arms out to the side, nearly knocking over his drink can. “Are you serious? Katara, the guy is an asshole! I can’t even count the amount of times he’s nearly bitten my hand off for something no normal person would get mad at. Did I ever tell you about the time I lost my keys and he made -”

“Made you climb the fire escape. Yeah, I know.” Katara was trying hard to keep her voice level. The last thing she wanted was for Zuko to hear this conversation. “I know he’s difficult. Trust me, he’s given me a lot of grief. But have you ever considered giving him a chance?”

Sokka leveled her with a stubborn glare. “No.”

Katara let out a long sigh through her nose. “Sorry, I guess I was under the impression that you’d mentally aged past sixteen.”

“A mistake you’ve been making for almost ten years,” Sokka said. He grabbed his drink off the table and knocked it back. “Just don’t come crying to me when he gets mad at you for not doing the dishes or something.”

“As long as you don’t come crying to me when your teeth rot out of your mouth from all the energy drinks before ten a.m.,” Katara shot back. 

“I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night.” Sokka shook the can, as if to make sure he’d gotten every last drop from it. “How is this any different from drinking coffee?”

“Maybe the forty grams of sugar?”

Sokka snorted. “Oh, come on. There’s only-” He squinted at the side of the can. “Twenty-nine grams of sugar!”

Katara wrinkled her nose. “Because that’s so much better.” Sokka shrugged. “Why didn’t you get much sleep?”

He ran a hand through his loose hair. It was almost long enough to reach his chin. Katara bit down on the comment about how her brother looked more like a middle-aged man every day. “Well,” he drawled, “if you must know, I was at Suki’s place.”

Katara raised her eyebrows. “Grossness aside, wow. Does that mean you’re dating now?”

“What? No,” Sokka said, blushing. “We just talked. Get your head out of the gutter.”

“Oh, come on, Sokka.” Katara took another long sip of her coffee. “This is getting ridiculous. How long are you going to make her wait?”

Her brother stood up and stretched. “You’re too involved, Kat. I never should have introduced you to Suki.”

“I’m just saying that I wouldn’t mind having her as a sister-in-law.”

Sokka let out a laugh that was maybe a little too loud. “Spirits, Katara, you are thinking way too far ahead.” A thought occurred to him, and his face quickly became nervous. “Unless...she mentioned it?” 

Katara laughed. “I thought you said I was too involved.”

“What information do you hide in that fuzzy little head?” Sokka said, rubbing his scruffy chin. “Girl secrets that you wouldn’t mind sharing with your favorite brother?”

She gave him a fond smile. “You’re my only brother.”

“My point still stands.”

Katara got out of her chair, bringing her empty mug to the sink. “Sorry, Sokka. What happens during girl talk stays between the girls.”

He followed her into the kitchen, bringing along his used can. “Oh, come on! Just give me a hint. Does she want me to kiss her or not?”

She gave him a look that she hoped screamed ‘ you’ve got to be kidding me right now ’. “If you really need me to answer that for you, then I think you should consider asking Toph if you can borrow her cane.”

Sokka groaned. “You don’t get it. Suki, she’s…” He made several confusing gestures with his hands, like he couldn’t quite come up with the right word. “She’s special,” he finally got out. “I can’t just use my fantastic looks and pick-up lines. It needs to be perfect.” 

He really did seem agonized over it, which made Katara’s heart hurt. She wanted to shake his shoulders and scream ‘ She’s in love with you too, you walnut ’ but also knew that it wasn’t her place to force things. If it was meant to be, they’d figure it out. “That’s actually really sweet, Sokka.”

“I know,” he huffed, throwing his can in the recycling. “Bet you never thought I’d want to settle down with someone, huh?”

Katara privately thought that Sokka was maybe the biggest hopeless romantic she’d ever met, and knew he’d had his own wedding planned since he was nine years old. She patted his shoulder and smiled. “You’re ridiculous.”

He pulled his hair back into its usual ponytail, tying it into place with an elastic he’d had on his wrist. “Does that mean you’ll tell me Girl Secrets?”

“Not a chance.”

...

Later that day, Katara went out for lunch with Suki and Toph in an older part of the city. Afterwards, they walked down the street, dipping into the odd little shops and chatting. Much to Toph’s annoyance, the conversation inevitably turned to the ongoing saga of Suki and Sokka’s will-they-won’t-they situation.

“Sokka told me you guys hung out last night,” Katara said, poking Suki’s bicep. 

She sighed. “Spirits. I know he’s your brother, but Katara, he might be simultaneously the dumbest and smartest person I know.”

“I think that’s the general consensus, actually.”

“I tried to take your advice,” Suki said, exasperated. “I invited him over for dinner, and we talked for three hours afterwards. And he didn’t make a move once . I gave him so many openings! I might as well have been holding up a sign that said, ‘Please kiss me’!”

“Even then, it might not be enough,” Toph said, shaking her head. “I can’t believe I left you the apartment for the night and you didn’t even bang.”

“Trust me, I tried.” Suki was pinching the bridge of her nose. “I actually even invited him into my room. I told him about my fan collection, thinking he’d ask to see it, and you know what happened?”

Katara grimaced. “Did he tell you about his boomerang collection?”

“Yes, he fucking told me about his boomerang collection.”

Toph let out a loud laugh. “Hey, it’s not his fault you’re both enormous nerds.”

“Sokka’s a bit of a disaster.” Katara gave Suki an apologetic smile. “I talked to him this morning. He made the whole situation a lot more complicated than it needs to be.”

“I don’t see why,” Suki grumbled. “How hard is it to read the room?”

“Unfortunately, he’s a perfectionist.”

“Just make the first move,” Toph said. “Seriously, Cherry, I can’t believe you haven’t done it yet. What are you waiting for?”

“That might actually solve a lot of your problems,” Katara agreed.

Suki laughed. “I’ll make that my next plan of action.” She gave Katara a gentle bump with her shoulder. “Speaking of romance, how’d your date go last night? Did she like the crop top?”

So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours that Katara had almost forgotten about her failed romantic liaison. “Oh. I got stood up.”

“What?” Toph said, stopping in her tracks and causing the other two women to stumble over their feet. “After all that hard work, they stood you up? What a fucking flake.”

“I’m sorry, Kat,” Suki said, brushing her hand down Katara’s arm. “That really sucks.”
Katara shrugged. Any anger she’d had at the situation had dissipated the night before. “It’s not really that big a deal. Actually, I ended up having a pretty good evening.”

“Did you meet someone else?” 

“Not exactly.” Katara chewed on her lip, trying to figure out a way to casually describe what she’d done the other night. She eventually landed on just coming right out with it. If she acted like it wasn’t a big deal, her friends would think so too, right? “I, um, got drunk with Zuko.”

A loaded silence descended over the group. Suki was staring at her like she’d just admitted to robbing a bank. Toph appeared to be trying to determine whether or not Katara was joking. Katara cleared her throat. I guess I’m definitely not telling them I called him hot to his face...

“You got drunk. With Zuko.” Suki repeated the words, like they would make more sense the second time around. “Zuko...your roommate?”

“Holy shit,” Toph said. “Please tell me you’re serious.”

“Why is that so crazy?” Katara said, trying to not be flustered. “We live together!”

“Did you tie him to a chair?” Toph asked. Katara gave her a light swat on the shoulder.

“Of course not. Actually, he was the one who approached me. ”

“Interesting.” Suki rubbed her chin thoughtfully. Her hazel eyes flicked over to Katara. “Is there something you aren’t telling us?”

Toph let out a bark of laughter. “Plot twist: sitting next to each other during that movie we watched was actually the beginning of a beautiful romance.”

“That’s not it at all ,” Katara said. She could feel herself blushing, and prayed Suki wouldn’t notice it. “We’re just trying out a friendship. He’s really not that bad, once you give him a chance.”

“I’m actually kinda jealous that you broke through first,” Toph said, scratching a spot behind her ear. “Do you think you could convince him to talk to me? I want to pick his brain.”

“Absolutely not.”

“While I think this is a really big step for Zuko,” Suki said, “I think you should still be a little careful, Katara. It isn’t your job to fix people.”

Katara felt like she could reasonably argue that point, but decided not to. “I’m not trying to fix him. I’m trying to help him.” 

“And that’s very noble,” Suki soothed. “But just a few weeks ago, you were convinced he was waging psychological warfare on you.”

“I was wrong about that. And if I remember correctly, you were the one who wanted me to give him the benefit of the doubt.” 

Suki smiled at her. “That’s true. Just make sure you’re looking out for yourself, sweetie.”

As much as Katara didn’t want to admit it, she saw the point to Suki’s concern. Even if they had connected the night before, Zuko was still practically a stranger to her. He had some sort of baggage carried within him, one that made him bitter and mean and untrusting. Katara wasn’t stupid. If Zuko didn’t want to open up to her, she wouldn’t force it. She could protect herself. But Zuko deserved to have the opportunity to have someone listen, and understand, and care. Katara wasn’t going to walk away from someone who needed help because of a possibility that might not even occur.

Suki and Toph had begun a discussion about whether they should get a pet for their apartment (Toph wanted a snake, Suki definitely did not want a snake), but Katara wasn’t listening. They were passing a used musical instrument shop, and sitting in the center of the window display was a beautiful violin. She stopped walking to look more closely at it. After realizing their friend wasn’t following them, Suki grabbed Toph’s wrist to stop her.

“-and we’d only have to feed it every few weeks, so it’s not that big a deal.” Toph finished her thought before asking, “Why are we stopping?”

“Katara’s looking at a store display,” Suki explained.

“This looks just like the one I had in high school,” Katara said, looking longingly at the instrument. “It’s been so long since I played…”

“You should buy it!”

“What should she buy?” Toph said. “Can we keep the blind girl in the loop, please?”

“It’s a violin.” Katara took a step closer to the window. The instrument was in pretty good condition. She wondered how expensive it was.

“Why doesn’t it surprise me that you were a band geek?” Toph said cheekily. 

“That’s orchestra geek, to you,” Katara shot back, grinning. “I used to play all the time when I was younger. I practiced every single day.” Her fingers went instinctively to the necklace resting under the neckline of her shirt. “My mom loved it.”

Suki walked over and looped her arm through Katara’s, pulling her into the shop. “Okay, now you have to buy it.”

...

The second Katara walked through the door of their apartment carrying the distinctly shaped instrument case, Sokka’s mood took a sharp turn for the worse.

“Please tell me that’s not what I think it is.” He was sitting at the coffee table with Aang, scribbling in a notebook. Aang lounged on the couch with his handheld console, Momo curled on his belly.

Katara gave her brother a withering glare. “It’s exactly what you think it is. Jerk.”

Aang propped himself up on his elbows so he could get a closer look at what she was carrying. “Is that a violin? I didn’t know you played!”

“I do,” Katara said. “And my brother hates it.”

“Well, when you grow up in a house as small as ours and share a room until you’re fourteen, you don’t exactly appreciate the sound of screeching horror every single day.” He gestured with his pen to the case. “That thing is the bane of my existence.”

“You know very well that I don’t sound like a beginner anymore,” Katara said, crossing her arms defensively. “I played solos at every recital senior year!”

Sokka flipped his hand dismissively. “Let’s just say that first year will live in my mind forever.”

“ I was six !”

Aang gave Sokka a disapproving look. “Sokka, you aren’t being very supportive.”

“It’s not a problem with Katara,” Sokka said, refusing to back down. “My beef is with the violin. That thing invaded my dreams , man.”

“Well, you won’t have to listen to it,” Katara snapped. “I’m taking it to my room.” She turned on her heel and stomped away. Before she closed her door, she heard Aang say, “C’mon, dude. That wasn’t nice.” She didn’t wait to hear Sokka’s response.

For being used, the violin was in pretty good condition. The pegs were a little sticky, and it was dreadfully out of tune, but both of those things could be fixed. She spent some time carefully wiping down the instrument and tuning it. Even though it had been some time since she’d last played, the muscle memory easily returned. She tightened the bow and applied the rosin, then tucked the violin into its familiar position under her chin.

It was rough at first. It took her a moment to remember her scales, and her unsure movements led to a few unfortunate noises that made her wince. But as she continued to play, she fell into a familiar rhythm. The motion was ingrained in her bones, from years and years of diligent practice.

It was her mother who first suggested the instrument to her. Their family wasn’t very musical, but Katara wanted a challenge. She wasn’t as interested in the workings of the fishing boats like Sokka was, and was starting to get bored after school when her brother went with their father to the docks. Kya happened to be friends with a musician, who agreed to give Katara lessons. Katara wasn’t immediately great at the violin, which frustrated her. But her mother never let her give up.

“Not a lot of things come easily, Katara,” Kya had said once, when her daughter had nearly cried out of frustration. “But if you put in the work and effort, the results will be so much more rewarding.”

Her mother had been her biggest supporter of her musical abilities. While her father had cheered the loudest during her swim meets, her mother cried at every violin recital. Even when Sokka said she sounded like a dying bird. After her mother died, Katara made it a point to keep playing as long as she could. She practiced every day, because part of her felt like Kya was listening. 

Once she was sufficiently warmed up, Katara began to play through some pieces of songs she remembered. She’d have to find some sheet music online at some point, but for now she would just play from memory. She could still remember a good portion of her solo from her last performance in high school, which was pleasantly surprising.

Katara was shocked out of her soft, meditative playing by a knock on her door. She sighed and laid the violin gently down on her bed. She didn’t think she was playing that loudly, but the walls were thin. Sokka had probably come over to complain. She stood up and crossed over to the door, readying herself for an argument.

“Sokka, why don’t you just put on some headphones and -” The words caught in her throat. The now open door did not reveal her brother. Rather, Zuko stood there, his fist half-raised to knock again. “Oh.”

“Uh.” Zuko coughed awkwardly, drawing his hand back and shoving it into his pocket. “Sorry to bother you.”

“It’s fine.” He looked really nervous for some reason. It was putting Katara on edge. Was he upset about the sound too? “Do you need something?”

Zuko swallowed. His gold eyes focused on a point over her shoulder. When she turned to follow his gaze, she realized he was staring at her violin. “I heard you playing.”

Katara cringed. “Sorry about that. I’m a little rusty. Sokka hates it.” She pulled her braid over her shoulder and began to mess with the ends of her hair. “I probably should have waited to play until no one’s home. I know it’s annoying -”

“Can I listen?”

Katara was so surprised by the request that all she could do was stare at him. Zuko was having trouble meeting her eyes. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his forehead. “If you don’t want me to, that’s okay, I just -”

“No, it’s totally fine!” Katara said, regaining her bearings. “I, um, haven’t had that request in a while.” She moved aside, giving Zuko access to her room. “Come in.”

He hesitated briefly at the threshold before walking inside. Katara closed the door behind her and tried not to dwell on the fact that Zuko was in her bedroom. Even if they were being friendly with each other now, there was a level of intimacy that came from inviting someone into your private space. Zuko obviously felt it too - he was staying in the middle of the floor, standing very straight, like he was afraid to touch anything.

“Do you want to sit?” Katara asked, gesturing to the edge of her bed. It felt weird to invite him to sit on her mattress, but there wasn’t really another choice. Her desk was tucked away in the opposite corner. Zuko sat gingerly on the very edge of her blanket, folding his hands in his lap. He looked so out of place that it was almost funny.

Katara wasn’t sure what else to say, so she just picked up her violin and tucked it back into place. If she closed her eyes and focused on the music, she could pretend she was alone again. She’d never had performance anxiety before, and she wasn’t about to start today. But for some unnamable reason, she wanted to impress him. She started from the top of her memorized solo and let the music flow through her.

Zuko was silent throughout the entirety of her playing. A few times, Katara peeked open an eye to see what he was doing. He was staring at his hands in his lap, brow crinkled in concentration. Katara had never seen someone listen so intensely to her music, and briefly wondered if he was judging her.

When she finished the song, Zuko said nothing. He didn’t clap, nor did he criticize. Instead, he continued to stare at his hands, held open with his palms up. When he finally looked up at her, his face was soft and sad.

“My mother used to play the violin.”

Katara held her breath. She didn’t want to say anything that would break the moment. Zuko stood up slowly and walked over to her, his gaze fixed on the instrument in her hand. “She played for the Ember Island Symphony. She was good. Really good.” He reached out, tracing a finger down the body of the violin. “Music was her life. Some of my favorite childhood memories are from listening to her play.”

“Did she...teach you?” Katara asked, quietly. 

Zuko let out a soft breath of laughter. “Not violin. But she did teach me piano. I played for eight years.”

“Why did you stop?”

Zuko’s face darkened slightly, and he pulled away from her, shoving his hands back into his pockets. “My father didn’t approve of it. He said music was a hobby for children and idiots.” The words were quick and emotionless. The sudden sting of them almost made Katara wince.

“What did your mother say to that? I thought music was her life.” She was gently trying to coax Zuko into opening up further, but could tell she was toeing a line. Zuko was very tense now. The words that came out next were spat through clenched teeth.

“Well, she was dead by then, so it didn’t really matter.”

Katara almost dropped her violin. A rush of mixed emotions came over her, and she wasn’t sure what to say. She was suddenly very aware of her mother’s wedding ring resting against her wildly beating heart.

Zuko was obviously regretting saying anything at all. He refused to look at her, and instead stared angrily at her wall. He looked like he might bolt at any second, but she was standing in the way of the door.

Katara finally regained control of her tongue. “Your mom is dead?” Zuko squeezed his eyes tightly shut and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“Fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “This was a bad idea. Just forget I said anything.” He made a move to walk past her, but she stopped him with a firm hand on his chest.

“Zuko, wait.”

He listened. Katara could feel his heart pounding under her palm. She quickly removed her hand. It felt like she was walking a tightrope, and any move could be a misstep. She placed her violin down on her bed and turned to give Zuko her full attention. “I lost my mother, too.”

His eyes searched her face, like he wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not. The space between them felt charged, like the air before a storm. Katara decided that the best way for Zuko to understand that he was safe with her was to be a little vulnerable herself.

“She wasn’t a musician, but she loved to listen to me play,” Katara said. She reached up and wrapped her fingers around her necklace. “She never let me give up, even when I got frustrated. I still think about her every time I practice.” Some of the tenseness had left Zuko’s shoulders, which Katara took as a good sign. “She died fifteen years ago.”

Zuko made a humming sound at the back of his throat. “So did mine.”

It was an interesting coincidence. Katara pushed a little further. “Do you want to talk about it?” He immediately became closed off again, lips tightening into a thin line. Katara backed off, putting her hands up in a placating gesture. “We don’t have to. That’s fine.” Zuko relaxed at that, but still appeared wary.

“Thank you for letting me listen to you play,” he said, softly. “It...means a lot.”

He gave her that look again, the one that was so deeply earnest that it pulled on her heart in a way she couldn’t quite explain. This time, she didn’t resist the urge to hug him. She surged forward and wrapped her arms around him, pressing the side of her cheek against his collarbone.

Zuko was so stiff that it felt like she was hugging a tree. He had even stopped breathing. Katara could tell that he was actively arching away from her, arms held high in an attempt to touch her as little as possible. When Katara pulled back, he looked more like he had been slapped than hugged. She considered apologizing, and then decided that if Zuko wanted to be friends with her, he was going to have to endure a few hugs. She was a hugger, after all.

“You can listen to me any time,” she said. “It’d be nice to have an audience every once in a while. It’ll encourage me to practice more.”

Zuko blinked, apparently still reeling from the unexpected touch. “Uh, yeah. Sure.” He went to open her door, but paused again, his hand still on the knob. “I’m sorry. About your mom.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I’m sorry about yours too. But I’m glad you told me about her. She sounded lovely.”

He stared at her for a long time. Then he nodded, and opened the door.

The words were out before she could stop them. “I’d love to hear you play piano someday.”

Zuko’s lip twitched, and Katara suddenly worried she’d upset him again. But he just sighed and straightened his shoulders. “Someday.” Then he took three long strides down the hallway and disappeared into his room. 

Katara stared at his door, her mind brimming with unanswered questions.

Chapter Text

On a morning where none of them had any prior engagements, Katara, Sokka, and Aang decided to make breakfast together. The sun came through the windows in just the right way, and all of them were in good moods. Aang was making pancakes, Katara was preparing fruit, and Sokka was frying eggs and bacon. The energy of the kitchen was light and joyful, with all of them laughing and joking about one another’s cooking habits. Even Appa and Momo were enjoying the morning - Appa was spread out happily in the sunbeam from their main window and Momo was weaving between Sokka’s feet, begging for scraps.

“Can I just say that I’m grateful that you’re sticking to one pork product this morning?” Aang teased Sokka. His friend gave him a playful elbow to the side.

“I can’t help it if pigs are the single greatest breakfast animal,” Sokka said. He sighed wistfully. “Now I wish we had sausage…”

“We’re already making enough food to feed way more than three people,” Katara pointed out. She was slicing her way through a pile of freshly washed strawberries. “Have you seen the stack of pancakes Aang made?”

The plate next to the oven that Aang had been putting cooked pancakes on was becoming tall enough to be in danger of falling over. Aang casually placed another pancake on top of it, and poured more batter into his pan. “The box of pancake mix makes a lot of pancakes,” he said, nonchalantly.

Sokka looked over at Aang, one eyebrow raised. “Wait, did you make the entire box?”

“Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do?”

“No??”

Katara giggled. “Looks like we’ll be having pancakes for lunch too. And dinner. And maybe for the rest of the week.”

Sokka shook his head. “This is why we should’ve gotten sausage.”

By the time they finished cooking, the kitchen was a certifiable disaster. The stovetop was splattered with half-cooked pancake batter and bacon grease, and several unwashed dishes sat in the sink and all around the countertops. Little flour pawprints dotted the ground from where Momo had managed to get into the pancake mix residue. None of them were too concerned about this - they’d clean up as a group after finishing breakfast.

The three of them were sitting at the counter eating when Zuko came out of his room. Katara, who was closest to that side of the apartment, turned to greet him. The morning was already so great, and it would be made even better if she was able to get Zuko to spend some time with them. Maybe he could even warm up a little to Sokka and Aang. 

However, as soon as her eyes fell on her other roommate, she quickly became aware that Zuko did not share the general good mood of the apartment. He was hunched into himself, and his face was pinched. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his hair looked lank and unkempt, like he hadn’t showered. Katara hadn’t seen this look on Zuko in a long time, and it immediately put her on edge.

“Hey, Zuko,” she said slowly. Sokka and Aang stopped talking, their attention turning to the stormy presence that had just entered the room. “We just made breakfast. Do you want some?” She’d meant for it to come out light and friendly, but her nervousness made the words hesitant and awkward. There was something about the way Zuko was standing - like he was a string held taught, ready to snap at a moment’s notice.

He ignored her question, instead taking in the state of the kitchen. “Of course,” he growled, lips pulling back over his teeth. “Leave it to you three to make a huge fucking mess.”

Beside Katara, Sokka tensed. “Dude, relax. We’re going to clean it up after we eat.”

“I certainly hope so.” Zuko was staring at the filled sink with contempt. “Did anyone ever teach you people common courtesy, or was your education just that lacking?”

Sokka stood up suddenly, the chair he was sitting in screeching against the floor. Her brother rarely got truly angry, but this particular comment was enough to make him furious. “Look here, you pompous dickwad -”

“Sokka,” Katara warned, putting a hand on her brother’s forearm. He shook her off and jutted a finger at Zuko, who was puffing up in turn.

“You can’t just come in here and shit all over everything just because you don’t understand how normal people operate,” Sokka snapped. “You think my education was lacking? Well I think yours made you into the most insufferable tightass to ever walk the fucking earth.”

“Sokka, stop.” Aang tugged weakly at Sokka’s shoulder, but he was too riled up to notice. Zuko looked dangerously angry now - his face was flushed a deep, dark red, and his fists were clenched so hard that they were shaking.

“Say that again.” Zuko’s voice was a low hiss. “I fucking dare you.” Sokka opened his mouth, ready to double down, when Katara finally stood up.

“That’s enough .” She glared at both men, who were still ready to jump over the counter and attack each other. “You’re acting like children over nothing. Calm down .”

Sokka heeded her first, taking a deep, steadying breath before sitting back down. He was still staring angrily at his roommate. “He started it,” he muttered. Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“And you encouraged it.” She turned to Zuko, who was still breathing hard enough to make his nostrils flare. “Zuko, what you said was rude and uncalled for. I don’t know what’s going on, but you -”

“Shut up.” His angry gaze was transferred to her now. “Stop trying to fucking analyze me and just leave me alone already.” Katara felt her mouth go dry. The words had stung like a slap, and she was sure that reflected on her face.

Sokka immediately flew to her defense. “Don’t you dare talk to her like that, you ungrateful little -” He made a lunge toward Zuko, but was stopped by Aang, who had wrapped his long arms around his torso. 

Zuko stared at Katara for a moment longer, barely registering Sokka’s struggle against Aang’s hold. Before he turned away to stomp back into his room, Katara was almost sure she saw him grimace, like he regretted what he’d said. But by the time she’d processed it, he was gone, the door slamming hard enough to rattle the pictures on the walls.

Sokka wrenched himself from Aang’s now loosened grasp, nearly pushing his half-finished plate onto the floor. “You should’ve let me hit him,” he grumbled, still riled. “He was asking for it.”

Katara was in a state of shock. It was like everything they’d been through hadn’t even happened, and they were right back at square one. She could feel tears pricking at her eyes. She thought of their time shared together, how she was certain that she was connecting to him. Had that all been a lie? Was Zuko really the horrible person everyone thought he was? 

It didn’t make any sense.

“He ruined my appetite,” Sokka muttered. He’d begun to calm down again, but his cheeks were still darkened with anger. His blue eyes fell on Katara, mouth pressed into a thin line. “I told you he was a fucking dick.”

She didn’t know what to say. It was hard to defend someone who was being so blatantly awful. She swallowed, and looked away. “I don’t understand,” she said, half to herself. 

“I think I might.”

Sokka and Katara turned to Aang, matching looks of surprise on their faces. Their other roommate looked terribly uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his head and avoiding their questioning looks. “I, uh, may have done something I shouldn’t have,” he said slowly. Twin points of pink blossomed on his cheeks.

Sokka’s eyebrows came down in confusion. “What did you do?”

Aang cleared his throat, ashamed. “I snooped.”

Katara blinked. “You ‘snooped’?” 

Aang pressed his palms into his eyes. He looked incredibly guilty. “I promise I didn’t mean too. But he left it out, and it made him so upset, and I couldn’t not look -”

“Aang.” Sokka grabbed his friend’s shoulders. “What did you find?”

“He was upset?” Katara said at almost the same time. Was that why he was lashing out at them? 

Aang let everything out in a rush, like he’d been holding in a secret for too long. “It was a letter. I saw him open it yesterday night. It really rattled him - he kinda just crinkled it up and threw it in the trash and then went into his room. I was going to ignore it, but I just had to know.” 

“What was in the letter?” Katara asked. Part of her felt guilty for intruding on something so obviously private, but if it could help her make sense of the way Zuko had acted, she didn’t care.

Aang stood. “I think it would make more sense if I showed you.”

They followed Aang into his room, too intrigued to question why he had kept it at all. He pulled a book off of his shelf ( One Hundred Vegetarian Recipes That Will Make You Forget Meat Ever Existed! ) and flipped it open to the middle. Sitting in the crease of the pages was a beat-up envelope. Aang pulled it out and handed it to Katara.

The envelope contained two things: one was a piece of stiff, crisp parchment folded neatly into thirds. The other was a small slip of paper that bore the neatest handwriting Katara had ever seen. She pulled it out and scrutinized it, Sokka peering at it over her shoulder.

Zuzu,

Father neglected to put you on the guest list. You’re lucky I happened to notice - I know you wouldn’t want to miss such an important event. Feel free to bring a plus-one; I’m sure uncle is dying to get out of his silly little shop. I think it’s time you both remembered exactly what you left behind.

Your favorite little sister,

Azula Ryu

“Zuko has a sister?” Sokka said, scratching his chin. “Huh. I definitely would have pegged him as an only child.”

Aang’s brow came down. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Katara could feel her heart racing in her chest. What they left behind . This was more information about Zuko’s past. She tucked the note back into the envelope and pulled out the folded paper. It was an invitation, and a nice one at that. There was a gold filigree design on the parchment, and the typeface was a delicate calligraphy. It described an event that would be held the upcoming weekend in Ba Sing Se, at the palace grounds. Katara raised her eyebrows at that - only the most fancy of parties were held at the old Earth Kingdom palace, and the people in attendance had more money than Katara could even dream of. There weren’t that many details as to why the party was happening, just that it was important and very, very formal. 

“Holy shit,” Sokka said, leaning further past Katara’s shoulder. “I thought only famous people went to parties at the palace. Why does Zuko have an invitation?”

“That’s what I was wondering,” Aang mused. “Maybe his sister is famous?”

At the bottom of the invitation was a familiar logo - a red “S” made to look like the twisting body of a dragon. It was the brand of the Sozin Corporation; one of the largest fossil fuel distributors in the world. And just underneath it was another signature: Ozai Ryu, CEO .

Katara pointed to this. “That’s Zuko’s last name.”

A stunned silence fell over the group as they took in what this meant. Aang was the first to break it, his voice hesitant.

“You don’t think…”

“There’s no fucking way,” Sokka said, shaking his head. “No. That just doesn’t make sense.”

“Why else would he be getting this invitation?” Katara pointed out, shaking the paper for emphasis. “And his sister’s note…”

“Why didn’t he tell us?” Aang said. He looked almost hurt. This made Sokka scoff.

“Dude. He just tried to attack us over some fucking dishes.” Her brother leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. “Actually, now that I think about it, this does kind of add up.”

“How?”

Sokka shrugged. “He acts like a rich kid. Hell, he even dresses like a rich kid. How did we not see this sooner?”

Katara had to admit that Sokka had a point. Zuko held himself with a certain air that came with people that had grown up privileged. She’d seen it similarly with some of the people she’d met during her semester at the North Pole. It also explained Zuko’s oddly expensive taste. But there were still a lot of things that didn’t line up.

“Okay, but that doesn’t explain why he’s here instead of, I don’t know, living in a mansion?” Katara refolded the invitation and placed it carefully in the envelope. She didn’t know why she was being so gentle with it - it’d already been crumpled up and thrown in the garbage once. “This isn’t just casual richness. This is crazy richness.”

“And why would he have roommates?” Aang added. “I mean, it doesn’t really seem like he wants us here.”

“Who cares?” Sokka said. “He obviously has some sort of weird complex about it. He did throw this invitation into the garbage.”

“Maybe we should just give him space for a while,” Aang said. He was fidgeting with a bracelet on his wrist. “At least until this weekend is over. Then maybe he’ll be a little less upset?”

Sokka seemed content with that. Katara, however, was not so sure. She wanted more information, and she had an idea of how to get it. “Can I take this?” she asked Aang, holding up the letter.

“It was never really mine,” Aang said, rubbing a hand over his arrow tattoo. “But sure. What are you going to do with it?”

Katara was already halfway out of the room, the envelope shoved in the back pocket of her jeans. “I’m going to get some answers.”

...

The Jasmine Dragon was experiencing an early afternoon rush when Katara stepped inside. She picked a table and sat, tapping her fingers as she waited for the rush to die down. The envelope felt like it was burning a hole in her pocket, for more than one reason. On one hand, it felt like she had just been handed the key to understanding Zuko’s past. On the other hand, Katara felt like she was intruding into something deeply personal. She tried not to think about that part.

Iroh noticed her almost as soon as the crowd thinned out. His face brightened, and he gave her an excited wave. Katara waved back, and hoped her nervous energy wasn’t as obvious as it felt. Iroh said something to the workers behind the counter, then made his way over to her.

“Miss Katara!” he said. “What a nice surprise! Would you like for me to get you some tea? We just got in a lovely hibiscus blend -”

“Actually Iroh, I wanted to talk to you about something,” Katara interrupted. The older man’s eyebrows raised ever-so-slightly, but he lowered himself into the opposite chair without question, folding his hands across his wide belly.

“Of course, my dear,” he said. “How can I help?”

Katara shifted in her seat. “It’s about Zuko.”

Iroh chuckled. “I hope he’s being polite. I did speak to him about his conduct, especially with potential friends.”

“He’s been really great, actually,” Katara said. She pulled her braid over her shoulder and began to mess with the ends of it. “Well, up until today.”

Iroh sighed. “Allow me to apologize on his behalf.”  He looked disappointed. “He has spoken fondly of you, Katara. I promise his temper is not who he is.”

“I know.” Katara felt a blossom of warmth from the fact that Zuko had spoken fondly of her. “Which is why I need you to tell me why this upset him so much.” She pulled out the envelope and set it in front of her on the table. Iroh looked at it for a moment, his fuzzy eyebrows coming together in confusion. He picked it up and pulled out its contents. As soon as he opened up the invitation, he frowned.

“Ah.” He didn’t elaborate on that. Iroh glanced at the slip of paper from Azula, and his expression darkened further. “I see.” When he looked back up at Katara, his face was more serious than she’d ever seen. “Did Zuko show you this?”

Katara felt herself flush with embarrassment. It felt like she was admitting wrongdoing to a teacher, one she looked up to. “He didn’t. It was, uh, in the garbage.”

Iroh was quiet. He read over the invitation again. “How much has Zuko told you about our family?”

Katara pushed her trembling hands between her knees. It felt like she was looking over the edge of a chasm, seconds from falling in. “Not very much. He, um, told me about his mother.”

“Ursa.” Iroh’s voice was sad. “A truly lovely woman.” His pale yellow gaze came back up to focus on Katara’s face. “Anything else?”

“Not really.” 

Iroh’s expression turned guarded. “Miss Katara, I implore you to talk to Zuko about this. It’s not my place -”

“Please, Iroh,” Katara begged. “He won’t talk to me. I don’t want to intrude on his personal business, but I want to understand. I want to be there for him, but I can’t do that if I don’t know what’s going on.”

Iroh was quiet again, and for a moment she thought he was going to rebuff her. Instead, he let out a long, weary sigh. “I will tell you.” Katara brightened at this, and Iroh held up a finger. “But there are some things that only Zuko can share. It is not my place to explain those details.”

“Of course,” Katara said, hushed. Iroh sat back in his chair, casting his gaze out the window. When he spoke, his voice was low and serious.

“As I’m sure you’ve gathered, our family is in charge of the Sozin Corporation. It was founded by my great-grandfather, Sozin Ryu. He was a shrewd businessman, and a very intelligent investor. He was among the first to realize that oil was much more valuable than coal. He took his modest family fortune and began his business. Since then, ownership of this company has been passed down through the family. The current CEO is my younger brother and Zuko’s father, Ozai.” Iroh’s face pinched as soon as the name left his mouth, like he’d bitten into a sour fruit. “I am sure you are aware of the...controversial aspects of the company.”

Katara thought about the oil drilling that had been going on in the South since her father was a child. How it polluted the land and drove out the fish, and made everyone want to leave. It was common knowledge that the land being drilled was owned by the Sozin Corp., and it was safe to say that anyone who lived in the South viewed the company with nothing less than absolute disgust. They took advantage of the lax regulations in the rural South Pole, and rarely faced consequences for their actions. 

“I am.”

Iroh’s frown deepened. “I would be remiss to tell you that I did not have a hand in the family business.” He looked deeply troubled by this statement, and couldn’t look Katara in the face. “In fact, I was actually supposed to take over for my father as CEO.”

Katara felt a shiver at that. “And why didn’t you?”

Iroh gave her a very sad smile. “I would like to tell you it was because I didn’t agree with the company’s policies, or because I saw how we hurt others for the sake of money and power. But it was because of my son, Lu Ten.” Iroh paused, and swallowed. “He worked for the company too, of course. I was certain that one day, I would pass it on to him, once my tenure was over. But...there was an accident.” Iroh’s golden eyes shimmered with tears. “It was a routine inspection of one of the offshore rigs. Certain safety precautions had been ignored for much too long. There was an explosion. And he died.”

Katara could feel her heart break for the old man. “Iroh, I’m so sorry.”

Iroh took a deep breath, collecting himself. He turned to Katara with a sad smile. “It was a long time ago, Miss Katara. But I appreciate your kindness.”

“Is that why Ozai took over instead of you?”

Iroh nodded. “I stepped down from my position indefinitely. Ozai was only too happy to take my place. Unfortunately, this led to some...changes in my brother’s demeanor.”

Katara remembered how Zuko had described the rude way with which his father had addressed his passion for music. She let Iroh continue uninterrupted.

“Ozai was always an impatient, jealous man,” Iroh said, bitterness creeping into his tone. “He was fifteen years my junior, and was often ignored by our father. Azulon was very dedicated to the business - one would not be wrong to assume it was the only thing he ever loved. I knew Ozai had always been interested in having more power in the company, but it was unlikely to happen naturally. Our father had chosen me as heir. I don’t think he was pleased when I stepped down, but I cannot be sure. He passed away soon after, and Ozai became CEO of the Sozin Corporation.” Iroh put his folded hands together on the table and stared at them, frowning. “Zuko was ten years old.”

Katara  swallowed. It was a lot of information to take in, finding out that the kindly old man who ran the teashop down the street had once nearly been the figurehead of a multimillion dollar corporation. She almost couldn’t believe it. But she still didn’t understand how Zuko fit into everything. “Is...is that when his mother died?”

Iroh’s eyes met hers. He looked very old, and very tired. “Yes,” he said, almost in a whisper. “Not long after Ozai became CEO, she killed herself.”

Katara’s breath caught in her chest. “She killed herself?” she repeated, voice barely audible. Iroh nodded, closing his eyes.

“It was truly terrible. Zuko was never the same afterwards. He was quite close with his mother, much closer than he ever was with his father. It is a very strong regret of mine that I couldn’t be more supportive of him during that time, but I was still dealing with my own grief.”

“Do you...know why she did it?” Katara asked. Iroh shook his head, but his jaw tightened.

“I do not. She did not leave a note. But I have my suspicions.” His jaw clenched further, and for the first time, Katara saw the family resemblance between him and Zuko. “Ozai is not a kind man. The power he holds as CEO has only made him worse. It is part of the reason Zuko and I left.”

“Have you not had communication with your family at all since then?” Katara asked. She was suddenly extremely grateful that her family was so close and loving, even with the tragedy that had struck them. She couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for Zuko and Iroh to strike out on their own, especially when what they left behind was almost impossible to escape.

“No,” Iroh answered. “I haven’t, anyway. I encouraged Zuko to leave it behind as well, but it was very...difficult for him.” Iroh readjusted himself in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “Zuko idolized his father, even after…” He cleared his throat. “Even after he was treated so poorly. Before we left, Ozai had started to groom Zuko for taking over the company leadership someday. For a long time, Zuko had it in his mind that this was still the case.” Iroh grimaced. “I don’t think he came to the realization that it would never happen until a few years ago. Since then, it has been a very sore subject.”

Katara’s eyebrows came together. “Did Zuko want to be CEO?” For some reason, this didn’t click with what she already knew about him. He didn’t seem like a person that wanted that kind of power or money.

Iroh stroked his beard thoughtfully. “I don’t think so. Even as a child, it never really interested him. He was always more inclined to his mother’s lifestyle. But I do think he thought it was expected of him as the eldest son, and it was very important to Zuko that he please his father.” Iroh tapped a finger on the invitation, which had been laying forgotten on the table. “I think I know what this is for, and I can see why it upset him so greatly.”

Katara leaned forward expectantly. Iroh pulled out the invitation again and scrutinized it. “Ozai is going to announce Azula as heir to the company.”

“Azula is Zuko’s sister, right?”

“Yes.” Iroh folded the invitation again. His face was grim. “It’s not terribly unexpected. Azula inherited her father’s hunger for power, and I’m afraid the circumstances of her childhood have made her cruel. She is much better suited for the position, as much as I hate to say it. This isn’t the first time she has taunted her brother with their father’s favoritism. I can see how Zuko would take this announcement...poorly.”

Katara was once again very grateful that she was so close with Sokka. She could never imagine them doing anything to hurt each other on purpose. Even on their worst days, they still loved each other very much. 

“We left Caldera City to get away from this,” Iroh said, pushing the envelope back across the table to Katara. “But it is very difficult to completely escape from the past.”

Katara took the envelope off the table, folding it up again to place it back inside her pocket. “Thank you,” she said. “For telling me.”

“Thank you for listening,” Iroh replied. He stood up from the chair, groaning as he did so. “I trust you to use this information with care.” Iroh fixed her with his golden gaze, and for a moment Katara could see how this man had once been close to being one of the most powerful in the world. “As far as I am concerned, Miss Katara, Zuko is my only family.”

She swallowed and nodded. “Of course, Iroh.”

He smiled at her. “Will you talk to him, as well?”

The idea of approaching Zuko with the information she now had was daunting, but Katara pushed down her fear and held her head high. “Yes, I will.”

Iroh nodded. “Good. I suspect he needs all the support he can get.”

That was putting it mildly. Still, Katara steeled herself. She was going to help Zuko, no matter what it took. Because she was his friend, and that’s what friends did.

...

Katara almost chickened out several times before she finally gathered the courage to knock on Zuko’s door. She knew he wasn’t going to be happy, but if they never addressed this then nothing would ever change. And Katara didn’t want Zuko to keep thinking that he was alone.

When he opened the door, he looked just as disheveled as he had that morning, if not more so. His eyes narrowed when he saw her, but he didn’t immediately slam the door. Katara took this as a good sign.

“I’m not going to apologize.”

Never mind.

“We need to talk,” Katara said. She wasn’t about to take no for an answer, staring Zuko down until he finally relented and stepped aside, wordlessly allowing her into his room. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart, before walking inside. Zuko closed the door behind her.

The room was significantly messier than it had been the first time she’d been inside, all those weeks ago. His bed was unmade, and several papers had been shoved off of his desk and onto the floor. Katara stepped around these, planting herself firmly in the middle of the rug. Zuko looked at her expectantly, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

“I know why you’re upset.”

Zuko’s expression immediately darkened, and he opened his mouth, probably to refute the statement. Before he could say anything, Katara pulled the envelope out of her pocket and held it out to him. He recognized it right away, and snatched it roughly out of her hands.

“Where did you get this?” he hissed.

Katara decided it would be a bad idea to involve Aang, so she left out that detail. “You left it in the trash.”

“And what made you think it was okay to read it?” Zuko spat. “I thought we had an understanding about boundaries . You have no right -”

“I know,” she said, cutting him off. “And I’m sorry. But I needed to know why it upset you so much, because I want to help.”

Zuko’s face was red with anger. “I didn’t ask for your fucking help.”

“Too bad.” Katara’s words were hard and final. She wasn’t about to be driven away by his temper. “You’re getting it, because that’s what friends do. They help each other.”

“You couldn’t possibly understand.” She could tell his resolve to be angry was waning. He was looking away from her now, down at the floor.

“Try me.”

The silence that stretched between them was immensely heavy. Katara waited for Zuko to respond, not allowing her stare to waver. He had deflated as the initial anger of her snooping left him, and now he just looked tired and sad. He still refused to look at her directly. When he finally spoke, it was like the words were being dragged from him.

“My sister is trying to get under my skin.”

Katara decided not to point out that she had definitely succeeded in that endeavor. “I assume you aren’t very close, then.”

Zuko let out a humorless bark of laughter. “That’s one way of putting it. I haven’t spoken to her in four years.”

“I’m sorry.” And she meant it - she couldn’t even imagine going that long without speaking to Sokka. Even if Zuko’s relationship with his sister was poor, they were still siblings.

“The only reason why she’s speaking to me now is to rub this in my face.” He held up the letter, which was getting crinkled again in his clenched fingers. “Our father picked a winner. And it’s her.”

It sounded like this was a very old wound. “Did you want it to be you?” she asked, softly.

Zuko’s grip on the envelope tightened further. His jaw clenched, and a range of conflicted emotions crossed his face. Finally, he settled on a quiet “I don’t know.”

Katara waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. He looked like he was seconds away from either lashing out at her or bursting into tears, and Katara didn’t want either of those things to happen. She took a tentative step closer. “What do you want, Zuko?”

At the sound of his name, he looked up at her. The pain in his expression was palpable. Katara wished more than anything that she could take it away. He searched her face for a moment, like he was debating whether or not to answer truthfully. Katara had a feeling that this was a question he had struggled with for a long time, long before she’d ever come into his life.

“I want to move on.”

Katara was trying very hard not to cry. She had a decent idea as to how Zuko was feeling - she’d experienced something similar in the years after her mother’s death. It was difficult to find peace when you were still haunted by the ghosts of your past. “Then you need to let go.”

Zuko considered that for a moment. His grip had let up on the invitation, and now he was smoothing it with his fingers. “I have to go.”

Katara closed her eyes and tried not to let the frustration take over. “Zuko, you need to talk about this with someone. You can’t keep -”

“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I mean I have to go to this event.” He held up the invitation to emphasize his point. Katara stared at him, confused.

“Is that really a good idea? Didn’t you just say that you wanted to move on?”

Zuko took a deep breath. “I...I think I need to see this first. I need to see them - see him - one more time.” He seemed more sure of himself as he spoke, the stress starting to leave his shoulders.

“Okay.” Katara didn’t want to argue the point. If this is what Zuko needed for closure, then she’d support him in any way she could. “Maybe Iroh could go with you. Azula did give you a plus-one.”

Zuko was already shaking his head. “No, I can’t ask him to do that for me. He’s moved on. He’s happy now.” 

Katara chewed on her lip. “You shouldn’t go alone.” It was like Zuko was choosing to go into the lion’s den, and the idea of leaving him there by himself made her feel queasy. No one deserved that.

“I know.” When he met her gaze again, it was with a lot more nervousness than she was expecting. “You said friends help each other, right?”

Uh oh.

“I did.”

Zuko let out a long, shaky breath. “I know it’s a lot to ask. You hardly know me. And my family…” He swallowed, and Katara was suddenly aware that Zuko was absolutely terrified. She thought about how Iroh said that there were some things only Zuko could tell her, and wondered just how deep a trauma she’d stumbled into. In any case, it was too late now.

“I’ll go with you.”

The relief on his face was immediate, which only strengthened Katara’s resolve. “Are you sure?” he said. 

“Absolutely.” 

If Zuko was going into the lion’s den, she was going too. She’d promised to help him, no matter what. Because that’s what friends do. And if there was anything Zuko needed right now, it was a friend. Someone to be strong and unafraid when he couldn’t be.

She just hoped it wouldn’t end in disaster.

Chapter Text

In the days leading up to the event, Katara went back and forth over her decision at least ten times. There were a lot of factors to worry about, and she managed to cover every single one, usually while laying wide awake in her bed. These ranged from her not having a fancy enough dress to the entire place packed full of comic book villains. In the end, she knew she’d hold firm, for Zuko if nothing else. 

The day before the party, Katara spent at least an hour searching every name in the Ryu family on the internet. This yielded some interesting results. There were numerous business articles commending the success of Sozin Corp., as well as its various CEOs. There were also several columns criticizing its practices and its environmental impact. Among some of the most common in her search results leaned more towards celebrity gossip. These made Katara a bit uncomfortable to read, so she mostly skimmed them. She doubted they held much truth anyway. 

She came across a lot of pictures, and tried to commit the names and faces to memory so she wouldn’t be caught off guard at the event. Iroh looked young and strange in his pictures, his hair still dark and his expression serious. The photos of Azulon showed a very old man with deep frown lines, his hands folded over an ornate cane. Katara found herself glad that the man was dead - his image alone was enough to leave a cold feeling in her stomach. She even found a few photos of Lu Ten, although most of them were tied to his accident. He always seemed to have a trace of a smile on his young face, and that made her heart clench. 

A good deal of the newer articles focused on Azula, Zuko’s sister. They commended her for being on track to be the youngest multi-millionaire CEO in history, praising her good business sense and commanding presence. The pictures did a lot to drive this home; showing a beautiful young woman with not even a hair out of place. Her yellow eyes stared directly into the lens of the camera, challenging the viewer to think of her as anything less than perfect. It was intimidating; Katara half-hoped it was just a particularly good photographer. 

The pictures of Ozai, Zuko’s father and the current CEO, were just as intimidating, if not more. They showed a tall man in a perfectly tailored suit, his long, sleek hair pulled back to reveal a sharp, marble-like countenance. He always looked at the camera with something akin to disdain, the edges of his lips angled down ever-so-slightly. He was handsome, but not in a way that was charming or inviting. Instead, he looked inhuman. 

Also, much to Katara’s discomfort, Zuko looked almost exactly like his father.

There were differences, of course. Zuko’s face was a little more soft, and even at his angriest he had never inspired the disquiet that Katara felt when she looked at Ozai. But the sharp, regal cheekbones, the straight line of his nose, the molten gold of his eyes - all of these were traits shared very clearly by father and son.

It was surprisingly difficult to find any evidence of Ursa. Katara managed to find a few tabloids with pictures of the young violinist and headlines reading “Wife of Millionaire CEO Disappears without a Trace - STUNNING COVERUP!!”. She was quite beautiful, even in the paparazzi pictures that highlighted the dark circles under her eyes. For a moment, Katara was confused that she recognized her, and then remembered the photograph she’d seen in Zuko’s room. She wrapped her hand around her necklace and rode out the wave of sorrow that crashed over her at the thought. Any other record of Ursa’s presence seemed to have been scrubbed from the internet - not a single webpage mentioned her suicide. Katara wondered if the family had paid to have it kept hidden; one could hardly call it good press for a brand new CEO.

It felt weird to search Zuko’s name, but she did it anyway. He was even harder to find than Ursa. Katara managed to locate a few articles from over fifteen years ago that mentioned Ozai having two children, but anything written after that only mentioned Azula. She found exactly one family photo from a seventeen year-old article written about the success of the Sozin Corporation as a family business. At its center, sitting in an ornate chair and holding his signature cane in front of him, was Azulon. On either side of the chair, each with a hand on its back, were Ozai and Iroh. Lu Ten stood beside his father, the only one in the entire picture who had something like a smile on his face. Ursa stood just behind Ozai’s shoulder, her hand resting on the arm of a very young girl who barely came to her father’s hip. Azula looked much too serious for her age, her chin at the same prideful tilt as her father. And there, next to Ursa, was Zuko. There was no scar on his face.

The picture was both eerie and fascinating. Katara spent a long time looking at it, simultaneously wishing she could know both more and less. Did Zuko look back at this time in his life fondly, or was it already poisoned by the pain that would haunt him for years to come? She wondered, not for the first time, how Zuko got his scar.

Katara never brought up any of her research to Zuko, for fear it would make him upset. He was a little less on edge than he’d been before she confronted him about the invitation, but he mostly avoided everyone in the apartment, only coming out of his room to refill his coffee cup. Katara wasn’t even sure she ever saw him eat, which was concerning. He didn’t say a single word to her until the morning of the event, when he caught her in the hallway between their rooms. He looked very frazzled, and his skin looked pale enough to be considered sickly.

“Are you sure you want to go?” he asked her, his voice raspy with disuse. 

Katara took in his overall appearance and chewed her lip. “Are you sure?”

Zuko gave her a somewhat hesitant nod, and their fates were sealed.

Katara had exactly one formal dress. It was deep, dark blue and satin, with a slit up the floor-length skirt that ran almost all the way to her hip. The neckline was a plunging vee that went down to the bottom of her sternum, and the thin straps connected over her shoulders to a similarly deep opening that showed the entirety of her upper back. It was the dress she’d gotten for her senior prom, and it was a blessing it still fit. Part of her worried that it wouldn’t be up to par with the rest of the people attending the event, who probably had dresses tailored just for that night and definitely didn’t buy one on sale off the rack several years ago. But she didn’t really have a choice, so it was removed from its closet corner and laid out on her bed.

The event was scheduled to start at eight. Katara was a little too nervous to eat, so she took a shower instead. Afterwards, she dried and styled her hair, keeping its loose curls intact while managing to control the majority of the frizz. She went through several updos before eventually deciding to just keep it down, pinning back the front so it stayed out of her face. Donning the dress proved to be a chore, and she almost had to find someone to zip her into it before she was miraculously able to get a hold of the zipper. Katara then spent a painstaking amount of time applying her makeup. It’d never been something she was particularly good at, but the image of Azula’s perfect eyeliner wings kept popping into her head, so she tried again and again until they were as good as she could make them. Finally, she pulled on her least favorite shoes in the world (a pair of black stilettos that never failed to make her ankles ache) and tried to mentally prepare herself for what was quickly becoming the most stressful event she’d ever attended.

When she walked out of her room, Zuko was ready to go. He was pacing the living room, hands shoved deep in the pockets of his suit pants. When he saw her, he stopped and stared. Katara was a little struck herself by how well he’d cleaned himself up. Zuko looked nicer than she’d ever seen him. He was wearing a well-tailored black suit with delicate gold details on the lapels and the ends of his sleeves. His tie was a matching gold that looked very straight and very tight. The majority of his hair had been tied back into a small topknot, and what didn’t make it was carefully slicked back. It made the edges of his scar stick out in sharp contrast with his skin. His throat bobbed as he swallowed.

“You look very nice,” he said. His voice was quiet and strained. Katara’s fingers tightened on her clutch.

“So do you.”

There was a very awkward silence after that, where neither of them looked directly at each other. Finally, Zuko cleared his throat. 

“Are you ready to go?”

Katara took a deep breath and hoped she didn’t look as nervous as she was. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

They took Zuko’s car to the venue. The car he drove was on the nicer end, definitely something the average person couldn’t afford. It was clean and smelled unused, and for some reason Zuko seemed embarrassed of it.

“I don’t drive it very often,” he mumbled, after opening the passenger door for her.

“It’s really nice,” she commented, thinking of her own shitty beater. 

The drive was made almost entirely in silence. In a way, it reminded Katara of the only other car ride they’d taken together, where she’d driven him to the ER and they were seething with anger both ways. There was no anger this time, but the energy inside the vehicle was just as uncomfortable. Zuko’s hands kept squeezing the steering wheel, over and over until Katara couldn’t bear to look at them anymore.

Katara had yet to visit the Ba Sing Se palace, as it was generally considered a bit of a tourist trap. It could easily be considered one of the largest, most extravagant buildings in the world. Nowadays, it was part museum, part government building. ‘Earth Kingdom’ was a bit of an antiquated term - the country hadn’t been a monarchy for well over one-hundred years. Still, its capital held an opulence that was almost unmatchable. Which only made this party more intimidating.

They drove up to the outer gates, coming to a slow moving line of limousines and cars nice enough to be in movies. A tuxedoed valet opened their doors for them and took Zuko’s keys, leaving them to follow the crowd of well-dressed, straight-backed people up to the gates. Katara was openly staring at the party-goers around her, and was struck by how out-of-place she was. These were people who had never known a life where money meant anything other than a status symbol, and it showed. Katara wrapped her hand around her necklace, hanging a little too openly against her chest.

She didn’t notice that Zuko was holding his elbow out to her until he pointedly cleared his throat. She turned to him, trying to shake the starstruck look from her face but probably failing. She stared for a moment at his proffered arm before realizing what he wanted with a soft, “Oh! Sorry.” Katara tucked her hand into the crook of Zuko’s elbow, and he pulled her close to his side. She could feel how tense his muscles were, but his face was stoic enough that one wouldn’t be able to tell how nervous he was at a glance. Katara gently squeezed his arm. His jaw twitched.

The bouncer at the gate was holding a clipboard. His face was carefully neutral as he appraised them, then asked for their invitation. Zuko reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper. It had obviously been smoothed out some, but it still bore the crinkles that betrayed what it had been through. The bouncer’s eyebrow raised slightly at it.

“Your names?” he asked.

“Zuko Ryu and Katara Tanuyak,” Zuko answered, not missing a beat. The bouncer scrutinized them for a half-second longer before recognition dawned on his face. 

“My apologies, Mr. Ryu,” he said, quickly. He motioned for the gate. “Go on in.”

The event was being held in the courtyard of the palace. Everything was lit with what seemed to be hundreds of lanterns. Towards the stairs that led up to the palace was a stage, currently occupied by a chamber orchestra. Numerous tables bedecked with black and red tablecloths were set up in front of it. The rest of the courtyard was open for mingling, with servers holding trays of drinks or hors d'oeuvres threading between the throngs of elegantly dressed guests.

Zuko and Katara remained at the edge of the group. Zuko in particular seemed almost frozen in place. The only part of him that moved was his eyes, which raked over the crowd of people with something like panic. Not for the first time, Katara wondered if this was a good idea.

“Are you okay?” she asked, delicately.

Zuko swallowed. He didn’t look at her. “No.”

“Do you want to leave?”

She really, really wanted him to say yes. His anxiety was a bit contagious, and Katara felt particularly awkward just standing at the edge of everything like some sort of interloper. Which she was, but still.

Zuko shook his head. 

A server stopped in front of them, holding a tray of slim champagne flutes. Katara accepted one with a soft “thank you.” Zuko took one as well, but said nothing. The server dipped her head to them and flitted away, on to the next group of people. Katara sipped at the champagne and hoped its bubbly sourness would stave off some of her nerves.

About ten minutes into their excellent wallflower act, Zuko’s eyes locked on something in the crowd and he cursed under his breath. Katara was halfway through her champagne glass, and while that had calmed her somewhat, Zuko’s sudden alertness reversed that almost immediately.

“What?” she asked, trying to follow his gaze.

“Azula,” Zuko stated. Katara’s heart nearly stopped in her chest.

“Did she see you?” She tried to keep her voice steady, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the intimidating pictures of the woman she’d committed to memory. 

“No,” Zuko said. Before Katara could let out a sigh of relief, he followed that with “But Mai did.”

It took a moment for the name to click in Katara’s mind. “Mai...your ex?”

Zuko grimaced. “Yes.”

“Does she know Azula?”

Zuko finally tore his gaze away from the crowd to look at Katara. “They’re best friends.”

Katara blinked. “That’s...really unfortunate.”

“Tell me about it.” He looked back out at the crowd. Katara felt his arm muscle jump. “Fuck. They’re coming over.”

Katara swallowed a rather large drink of the champagne, ignoring the bitter sting of the carbonation in her throat. She could now make out the group of three women coming their way. Leading the charge was Azula, and she looked just as terrifying as Katara expected her to. People parted around her as she walked, staring and whispering as they did. Her eyes were focused on Zuko with the cold precision of a predator, her red-painted lips twisted into a slight smirk. Behind her, two women walked with just as much confidence and bravado. One of them was tall and slim, with what might possibly be the worst case of resting bitch face Katara had ever seen. The other looked like she might be that woman’s exact opposite - she was smiling and glittery from head to toe. As they approached, she actually waved at them. Idly, Katara wondered which one Mai was. She’d find out soon enough.

“Zuko,” Azula greeted as soon as she was within speaking distance. “You got my invitation.”

“I did,” Zuko mumbled. Azula’s smile widened a fraction.

“I was almost sure you would skip the event,” she said. “I doubt I would have seen you at all if not for Mai.” She tipped her head in the direction of the taller woman. “I honestly don’t know why I’m surprised that you’re hiding in the corner. I’d be embarrassed too if I were wearing such an out-of-style suit.” She flicked her well-manicured hand at Zuko’s outfit, her eyes glittering.

Zuko did not react to the dig. Katara was ready to get offended on his behalf, but bit her cheek instead. It probably wouldn’t be smart to start an argument when none of the women had so much as spared her a second glance.

“It’s been a while, Azula,” Zuko said, coolly. He turned his attention to the two women at Azula’s back. “Hello Mai, Ty Lee.”

“It’s been so long, Zuko!” the glittery woman, Ty Lee, said. She bounced on her feet slightly. “When’s the last time you visited Caldera City? I feel like it’s been years!”

“It has,” Mai said. Her voice was deadpan, and she was examining her nails, like the whole event was the most boring thing she’d ever experienced.

“And how is your desk job?” Azula asked. To anyone else, the question was innocent. But Katara could hear the contempt that edged her voice. Azula obviously wielded her words like weapons, and was very good at doing so. “I imagine it’s quite boring.”

“It’s fine,” Zuko said shortly.

“Are you still living in that little apartment?” she continued. “Mai tells me you have roommates .” She said the last part in the same way someone might describe a rat infestation. Katara’s teeth clenched.

“I do.” Zuko looked at Mai. “I didn’t realize that was so interesting.” 

Mai shrugged one narrow shoulder. “It’s really not.”

“Zuko, are you going to tell us who this is?”

Katara was surprised to find that Ty Lee was looking directly at her, her light brown eyes wide with curiosity. Suddenly, everyone’s attention was on her. Katara straightened up, meeting them all with the most confidence that she could.

“This is Katara,” Zuko said after a beat. “She’s my…” He cleared his throat. “My friend.”

“Pleased to meet you,” Katara said. One of Mai’s thin eyebrows raised, the only change in her otherwise static expression.

“Is this your girlfriend?” she asked.

“No,” Zuko said at the same time Katara said “We’re just friends.”

“Are you from the North?” Azula asked. Her stare was intense and most definitely judging her. But this wasn’t anything new, so Katara faced her with her chin held high.

“I’m from the South, actually,” she said. Azula’s expression tightened.

“I didn’t know people still lived there.” Her voice was thick with distaste. Katara could feel her proverbial hackles rise.

“Really? That’s odd. There’s usually hundreds of us at the protests against your oil drilling.”

Zuko’s arm tightened again. The three women regarded Katara with various levels of shock. Katara wondered if anyone had ever been brave enough to talk back to Azula like that, and distantly realized she may have just made a mistake. Fuck it. She wasn’t going to be talked down to, especially not about where she came from. Katara met Azula’s stare with a challenge.

Ty Lee was the first to break the uncomfortable silence. “Well!” she said, with a little too much cheer in her voice. “It’s been ages since I’ve been to Ba Sing Se. I forgot how pretty it is! Don’t you think it’s pretty, Azula?”

Azula was still staring at Katara. After a moment, she slowly turned her gaze to her friend. “It’s pretty enough,” she said. “Certainly much less hot.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find more things to like about it after you’ve moved,” Ty Lee said. Almost immediately, she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Oops! Was I supposed to tell?”

“You’re moving here?” Zuko asked. His words came out a little too quickly, betraying his sudden burst of panic. Katara tried to give him a reassuring squeeze, but if he noticed then it had no effect.

Azula’s red lips curled once again into that smug smile. “Cat’s out of the bag,” she drawled. “I’m taking over operations at the Ba Sing Se company headquarters. Looks like we’re going to be neighbors, Zuzu!” She let out a humorless laugh. “But not really, of course. I’d die before I lived in one of those dingy middle-ring apartments.”

“It’s not dingy,” Katara found herself saying. 

“I’m sure it’s very fancy compared to what you’re used to,” Azula quipped.

Katara narrowed her eyes. “ Excuse me?”

“It’s probably the first time you’ve had your own room, isn’t it?” Azula was honing in on her now, stepping forward and using her greater height to look down her nose at Katara. “I imagine it’s a pleasure to be somewhere that doesn’t smell like fish.”

Katara had been digging her nails into Zuko’s arm, but at that comment she let go. If Azula wanted a fight, she’d give her one. Fuck the party. “ Listen here, you little -”

Quick as a flash, Zuko tightly grabbed Katara’s hand and pulled her back into him, squeezing it warningly. “Oh, it looks like they’re about to start. We’d better get to our seats. Nice to see you, girls.” Without waiting, he walked quickly past the three women, tugging Katara along with him.

“Spirits, how can you stand her?” Katara spat, still fuming. “I’ve never met a more rude person in my entire life.”

“You can’t let her get to you like that,” Zuko said. He was focused on getting to a table on the opposite side of the venue from where they’d been. “She’s great at finding weaknesses, and she’ll prod at them until you lose your cool.” 

“Maybe a good punch in the nose would teach her a lesson,” Katara muttered. They reached the table, and Zuko finally let go of her hand. He’d been holding it tightly enough that it was throbbing.

“Okay, but then you’d be the person who attacked the heir to Sozin Corp.,” Zuko pointed out. He was a little more relaxed now that they were far away from Azula, but still sat in the chair that faced that end of the venue, like he was keeping watch. “As satisfying as it might be, you’d still be kicked out, and then sued for everything you own.” 

Katara plopped down into the chair next to him, frustrated. “I guess.”

“Azula always wins,” Zuko mumbled, half to himself. “The best way to deal with her is to act like nothing she says affects you. Took me ten years to learn that, and I still forget sometimes.”

“I can’t imagine living with her.” Katara drained the end of her champagne flute, then placed it on the table in front of her. Zuko had barely touched his. “I’m sorry you had to deal with that.”

Zuko tapped his fingers on the table. He was staring at the stage, where a few stagehands were moving the seats that had held the chamber orchestra and setting up a microphone at the front. “She wasn’t always that way.”

Katara remembered the little girl in the family portrait, taking cues from the man she stood next to. It made her shiver. She was about to ask Zuko more about his childhood with Azula, but the emcee was tapping the mic. She vowed to remember her question for later.

“Welcome, everyone!” the man said, once the crowd had quieted. “I hope you’re having a wonderful night.” He went on to talk at length about the successes of the business so far this year, and what the upcoming plans were for the rest of it. There were several places where the crowd clapped, usually after some sort of positive business jargon. Katara wondered if anyone in the courtyard knew what the emcee was saying, or if they just applauded every time the man ended his sentence with an excited inflection.

“As you all know, this year Sozin expanded its corporate offices to include a location right here in Ba Sing Se. We are very excited to announce that our very own Azula Ryu will be heading operations at this office!” There was another round of applause after this. Katara withheld. “And now, to describe what that will look like going forward, Miss Ryu herself.”

Azula was gliding up the stairs at one end of the stage, looking all too pleased as the crowd cheered. Her red gown shone in the spotlight, and she looked just as perfect as she had up close. She stopped in front of the microphone, but only after it had been adjusted to her height by the emcee. “Thank you, everyone,” she said, her voice like silk. “It is such a wonderful opportunity to be taking over company operations in the Earth Kingdom. There is so much to be expanded upon here, and I look forward to heading the charge.” She paused, and the audience applauded again. Katara rolled her eyes. “But there is someone I must thank first, for without him, we would not be where we are today.” She gestured to a table towards the front of the stage. “My father and CEO of Sozin Corporation, Ozai Ryu.”

A shape stood up from the table as everyone clapped. Katara arched her neck to try and get a closer look, but realized she wouldn’t have to when the shape began to move to the stage. Azula stepped back from the mic, but not before adjusting it to be a lot taller. And then Ozai stepped onto the stage, and the entire crowd fell into a hush.

He looked remarkably young for a man of at least fifty. He matched the photos Katara had looked at almost exactly, except for the silver streaks at each of his temples. The rest of his hair was inky black and perfectly smooth. His black and red suit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. When he looked out at the crowd, he did not smile.

“Thank you, Azula,” he said. His voice commanded attention, and if the entire venue hadn’t been silent before, it certainly was now. “I too, am very pleased with the direction my company has taken. I am confident that my daughter will be an excellent head of operations in the Earth Kingdom. She has been an impeccable pupil, and grown into exactly what the Ryu family stands for. I could not have asked for a more ideal child. Some day, when she is CEO of this company, I know it will be in almost perfect hands.” 

At this point, Katara noticed that her champagne flute was rattling. She looked at it, confused, before realizing that the whole tabletop was shaking. Beside her, Zuko had gripped the table with both hands, and was trembling hard enough to vibrate the entire thing. He was staring fixedly at the man on stage, his jaw tensed hard enough that the muscles were standing out in his neck. His skin was ghostly pale, and he looked like he was seconds from being sick.

“Zuko,” Katara whispered, putting her hand on his wrist. His skin was burning. “What’s wrong?”

Everyone around them was clapping at something else Ozai had said. Zuko slowly turned his attention to her, like he’d entirely forgotten she was present. He stared at her for a moment before he finally spoke.

“I think this was a bad idea.”

Katara took that as invitation enough, and quickly stood, ignoring the annoyed looks she got from people at the tables around them. “C’mon, let’s go.” She didn’t leave room for argument. Zuko rose slowly out of his chair, and as soon as he was standing up all the way, Katara took his hand and walked him out of the venue.

The workers at the gate weren’t expecting people, so they were leaning up against the bars, talking amongst each other or on their phones. When they saw Zuko and Katara approaching, they all scrambled to attention. One of them approached them right away, looking somewhat confused but remaining professional.

“Can I help you, mi-”

“We need a valet to bring our car back,” Katara said. “Please.”

The man seemed taken aback by her urgency, but followed orders nonetheless. “Of course.”

While the valets worked on that, Katara turned to Zuko. He still looked like he might be sick, but the concern was less immediate. He’d transferred his grip from the table to her hand. While it was painful, at least he wasn’t shaking anymore. That had been the most worrying - she’d never seen anyone react so strongly to just someone’s presence .

The valet drove Zuko’s car up to them, and Katara took the proffered keys. There was no way she was letting him drive in the state he was in. If Zuko cared about this he didn’t show it, allowing her to push him into the passenger side. She even buckled his seatbelt. He stared straight out the windshield.

Katara had never driven such a nice car before, and was a little surprised by how quickly it responded to her foot on the gas pedal. They lurched out of the driveway, heading away from the palace at a speed one might consider dangerous. She didn’t know where she was going, only that she wanted to get as far away from the venue as she could.

Once the palace was out of sight behind them, Katara slowed down a little. She continued to drive, glancing over at Zuko occasionally to assess how he was doing. He seemed to have come down slightly from the panic that had been gripping him. His hands were no longer grasping his knees, and his breathing had become a lot more even. 

At some point, Katara pulled to a stop on a quiet street in the Lower Ring. She turned off the ignition and looked over at Zuko.

“I’m sorry.”

He swallowed. He was looking down at his lap. A piece of his hair had come out of his topknot, and was laying against his forehead. “Why?”

She didn’t really know why. She just knew that she never wanted to see him like that again. Silence fell over the car. Outside the window, the bright neon of an ‘open’ sign caught Katara’s attention.

“What do you think about noodles?”

He finally looked over at her, brow furrowing. “What?”

She pointed to the restaurant they had unintentionally parked in front of. It was a small hole-in-the-wall sort of place, with almost nobody inside. The sign on the door read: Chushe’s Noodle Bar .

“Okay,” Zuko said.

The bell on the door rang cheerfully as they came inside. A woman walked through the curtain leading to the back of the restaurant, coming up to stand at the counter. She took in their formal outfits without comment. “Welcome to Chushe’s,” she said, her voice tired. “Our special tonight is beef pan-fried noodles.”

“We’ll take two bowls of that.” It sounded warm and filling, and that was all that mattered. Also, the only thing Katara had in her stomach was a glass of champagne, which wasn’t sitting well with her.

They sat down at a table in the corner while they waited for their food. Zuko fixed his attention on the wood grain pattern of the wall. Katara tried not to think about how uncomfortable her shoes were and instead tried to decide how best to broach the elephant in the room.

“So,” she said, twisting her fingers through the ends of her hair. “That sure was...something.”

Zuko didn’t say anything.

“Must be weird seeing your family after so long.”

Still nothing. Katara sighed.

“Okay, we don’t have to talk about it.”

The corner of Zuko’s mouth twitched, but he kept his focus on the wall. Katara leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes, not caring if she smudged her makeup. If he wanted to talk, he’d talk. Pushing him usually only ended in disaster.

The woman brought the noodle bowls to their table. They were hot enough to still be steaming, and the smell alone was enough to make her mouth water. Katara thanked the server and dug in right away. Zuko finally tore his eyes from the wall to look down at the food. He didn’t seem all that interested in eating it. Katara watched him move it around the bowl with his chopsticks.

“It’s really good,” she said, between bites. “Try some.”

He picked up some of the noodles before letting them fall back down again. Katara sighed.

“Zuko…”

“Do you want to know how I got my scar?”

The words caught her off guard, and she sat up so suddenly that her chair almost tipped back. Zuko was still looking down at his food, his expression unreadable. Katara set her chopsticks down.

“Do you want to tell me?” she asked, carefully. Her heart was racing.

Zuko leaned back from his bowl, but didn’t move his eyes off of it. He began pulling at the knot of his tie, loosening it until it came undone. “You’ve seen enough,” he muttered. “You might as well know.”

Katara held her breath. Zuko shoved the tie into his pocket and undid the top button of his shirt. He was looking much more relaxed now, but it was leaning a little too closely to ‘dead inside’ for Katara’s comfort. 

“You know my mother died when I was ten,” he began, his voice low and devoid of emotion. “And that was when my father began to pay more attention to me. He’d had a passing interest in me before that, but wasn’t very keen on the idea of raising young children. Every time I tried to spend time with him, he’d tell me he was too busy. All I knew was that he didn’t approve of my piano playing.” Zuko shifted in his seat, some of the tenseness returning to his shoulders. “When I was eleven, he started having me sit in on board meetings. He said I had to start learning how the company worked now, so I would be prepared to work for him later. I was...excited. He was finally paying attention to me. Treating me like I wasn’t the disappointment I’d so far shown him to be.”

Katara wanted to reach across the table and take his hand, to show him some sort of support. But he was leaning far away, arms crossed protectively over his chest.

“For two years, I tried to learn everything I could from him. I watched as many meetings as I could, and even did some of my own research. Nothing was ever good enough. He often criticized me, telling me I wasn’t getting it, that I had my mother’s soft head and I’d lead the business to ruin if I continued the way I was.”

“You were a child ,” Katara said. “How could he expect so much from you at such a young age?”

Zuko let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “My father put us under pressure to be perfect from the moment we could speak . Azula handled it better than I did. My mother always used to defend me, but after she was gone…” He swallowed. “Anyway. The last meeting I ever went to was when I was thirteen. It was about a drilling site overseas, one that wasn’t performing very well. One of the men at the meeting suggested closing it immediately, laying off all the workers with no warning. Everyone was agreeing with him, like it was just a smart business decision and these weren’t people with livelihoods .” A trace of old anger crossed his face, bringing his brow down over his eyes. “I didn’t think. I just spoke up.”

Katara felt a swell of pride at that. She would have done the same thing. Zuko, however, did not look proud of himself. He looked sick.

“Father cut me off pretty quickly,” he said. “Told me to leave the meeting, that he’d speak with me later. I thought I’d just get a stern reprimand. Nothing that hadn’t happened before. I went home. He came home a few hours later.” A slight tremble came into his voice. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I was practicing the piano when he came in. I...didn’t notice him at first.” Another swallow. One of his hands reached up to trace the edge of his scar. “He said my name, and I stopped playing to look at him. And then he threw a kettle of boiling water onto my face.”

Katara felt her heart freeze in her chest. The horror of the story made her feel almost dizzy. Whatever she had thought caused Zuko’s scar, she’d never expected this . 

“I don’t remember a lot after that,” Zuko continued, still running his fingers up and down his marred skin. “He said something to me, I think. About learning my lesson. Couldn’t really hear him over the screaming. I passed out. When I woke up, I was in the hospital with Iroh. He’d told them it was an accident.”

“He what ?” The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them, a surge of anger pushing them free. “Ozai did that to you and he got away with it? What the fuck ?”

Zuko finally looked up at her. “You don’t understand. A scandal like that, so soon after my mother’s death? It would have tanked the entire company.”

“So what?” Katara spat. “That piece of shit deserves to rot in prison.”

“And that would have led to the ruin of hundreds of lives,” Zuko said, firmly. “It was for the best, Katara.”

“I will never believe that something that horrible was for the best,” Katara said. She was crying, although whether it was out of rage for the injustice or sorrow for Zuko was still to be determined.

Zuko shrugged. He looked very, very tired. “Not much we can do to change it,” he said quietly. Katara wiped at her face, trying and failing to stem the flow of tears. “After that, Uncle took care of me. I was really lucky to keep my eye. When I recovered enough to move, we went to Ba Sing Se. I hadn’t seen my father since then. I reached out to him several times, but he never responded.”

Katara could not for the life of her fathom why Zuko wanted to be in touch with such a monster. She kept this thought to herself - the last thing she wanted was for Zuko to think she was judging him. They all handled their trauma differently. She knew she certainly did.

Zuko let out a long sigh, and then all the tension in his body was gone. It was like a weight had been lifted off of him. “I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that story,” he mused. Then he picked up his chopsticks and started to eat his long since cooled meal.

Katara watched him, unsure what to say. What she really wanted to do was to drive all the way back to that stupid party with all its uptight attendees and punch Ozai as hard as she possibly could. Azula too, maybe, but now that she knew Zuko’s past she couldn’t help but think his sister probably suffered as well. 

Two punches for Ozai, in that case.

Zuko seemed to notice that she was stewing, because he paused his meal and gave her a worried look. “I...hope I’m not burdening you with this.”

“No!” she said quickly. “Zuko, you aren’t burdening me at all. I’m really glad you told me.” He seemed relieved at that. “But I don’t think I can ever meet your family again, because I’ll probably do something really illegal.”

He laughed.

After they paid, they went back out to the car. There was a semi-awkward moment where Katara forgot she had his keys, and then another one when both of them realized they had no idea where they were. Katara ended up using her phone’s GPS to get them back to the apartment. The air between them felt a lot lighter, and Katara even made a few jokes about how much fancier Zuko’s car was than hers. It felt nice to hear him laugh again, after such a long period of him being so stressed.

It was late when they got back to the apartment, and all the lights were off. Katara had taken her heels off in the car, and Zuko had pulled the tie out of his hair. The leftover hair gel made it stick up at odd angles (which she privately thought was very cute, and made her want to smooth it down with her fingers). They paused at the hallway junction between their rooms.

“Thanks for coming with me,” Zuko said. He had a small, soft smile on his face. “Even if it was a bit of a disaster. The noodles were nice.”

“Yeah.” Katara cleared her throat, and tried not to make her next words sound too awkward. “And thank you. For telling me. I can’t imagine how hard that was for you.”

Zuko looked at her for a moment. When he spoke, his voice was quiet. “You make it easier, Katara.”

She felt a rush of affection at that, and before she could think, she closed the distance between them and hugged him.

At first, it seemed like Zuko might react like he did with their first hug. But after a moment he relaxed against her, and Katara felt his arms tentatively wrap themselves around her waist. She squeezed him tighter as he rested his head on top of hers, his cheek pressed to her temple. As she let herself melt into the warmth of his embrace, Katara wondered if she’d stumbled a little deeper into something than she’d initially thought.

It was too late to go back now.

Chapter Text

They had weekly group dinners, where location and who would be cooking operated on a rotating schedule. This week, it’d be at the four-person apartment, and Sokka was going to cook. Katara spent more time than she’d like to admit trying to convince Zuko to make an appearance.

“It’s not a good idea, Katara,” he’d said, focusing more on his coffee than her face. They were sitting in the Jasmine Dragon the day before the group dinner. There was a bit of an evening rush, so Iroh was busy. 

“Why not?” Katara said, tapping her fingers on the side of her teacup. “They’re not going to eat you.”

Zuko scoffed. “Last time I spoke to your brother, he was considering giving me a second scar.”

“That’s because you were being especially nasty.”

Zuko leaned back in his chair and ran a hand over his hair, briefly pulling it out of his face before letting it go again. She could tell that he felt more nervous than anything, and if she didn’t gently nudge him in the direction of her friends he’d happily avoid them for the rest of their lives. But Katara knew that if they just got to know him a little more, they’d like him just as much as she did.

“I still don’t know why this matters so much to you,” Zuko sighed. 

Katara leaned forward on her elbows, resting her chin on her folded hands. “Because they’re my friends. And you’re my friend. Also, you live in the same apartment, and it’s a little embarrassing that you’ve never had a real conversation with any of them.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow at her. “Embarrassing for me, or for you?”

“I’m gonna go with both, with a heavier emphasis on ‘for you’.” He pouted at that. Katara reached forward and brushed his wrist with her fingers. It was a very quick movement, barely enough time to register the touch. She didn’t want to overwhelm him. Still, his attention immediately turned to the place her fingers had been. “Will you at least come and say hi? Then you can go right back to your room, I promise.”

His face pinched slightly, and at first she thought he would give her a firm denial. Instead, he said, “I’ll think about it.”

Somehow, her new friendship with Zuko had managed to go mostly unnoticed by her friends. She’d gotten no comments from Aang, or lectures from Sokka. If Toph or Suki knew anything about it, they’d decided not to mention it, which was a lot more unbelievable than them not knowing at all. Katara wasn’t super keen to tell them, especially considering their most recent interaction with Zuko. She’d thought about telling Sokka several times, but the timing had never been right. He’d also been very distracted for the past week or so.

“So, you’ve been busy lately,” Suki said, looking at her expectantly. They were sitting on the couch, with Toph relaxing on the loveseat beside them. Aang and Sokka were messing around in the kitchen, probably arguing about the vegetarian option Sokka had oh-so-conveniently forgotten about.

Katara took a quick, nervous swallow of her beer. “Have I?” 

“Every time I’ve stopped by in the past week, you’ve been out.” A devious smile crossed her face. “Do you have a new lover you haven’t told us about?”

She let out a laugh that was maybe a tad too loud. “Oh, no, definitely not.” Briefly, Katara considered telling them about Zuko. Then she chickened out. “Just a new friend.”

“Bored of us already, Sugar Queen?” Toph asked sarcastically.

“People are allowed to have other friends, you know,” Suki teased, poking her roommate’s shoulder. 

“Just bring them into our group. We need another cook in rotation, anyway. Sokka’s terrible.”

“I heard that!” Sokka called from the kitchen. “And I resent it!”

“Burning the hell out of a piece of meat does not constitute seasoning!” Toph yelled back.

“It’s called ‘char’!”

Katara laughed. “Can you see why I was the cook in the family?” 

“I can certainly taste it,” Toph said.

“Back to your new friend.” Suki was not about to let the mystery go. “Tell us about them! How’d you meet? Do we know them already?”

Katara struggled for a moment over whether she should tell them. Why should she feel ashamed? It wasn’t like she was going out of her way to hide her friendship with Zuko from anyone. And didn’t she want Zuko to eventually join the group anyway? 

“Actually, it’s -”

“Dinner’s ready!” Aang called. “I made a salad!”

She felt both relieved and disappointed that her perfect chance had just escaped her, but followed her friends to the kitchen anyway. Sokka was untying his apron (a ridiculous thrift store find that said “Daddio of the Patio”). He gestured proudly at the dish he’d made: blackened salmon and pasta, with emphasis on the ‘blackened’.

“You guys are going to literally eat your words,” he said. “I added a very special ingredient.”

When Suki and Katara shared a concerned look, Aang said, “It’s lemon.”

“Aang! That was a secret!”

“I don’t know, man, that’s a pretty standard ingredient to add to salmon and pasta.”

It actually wasn’t too bad, as far as Sokka’s cooking went. There wasn’t a need to order emergency pizza, which had happened the last time he’d been in charge of dinner. Suki had apparently forgotten her need to know about Katara’s new friend, and instead lamented about how bored she would be this weekend, since the Warriors game had been canceled.

“Maybe we can all do something together!” she suggested brightly.

“I’m gonna be busy,” Sokka said, somewhat quickly. Suki’s face fell slightly at that, which made Katara give her brother a suspicious look.

“Doing what?” she asked.

Sokka opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Aang, who almost fell off the counter in his excitement to answer the question.

“We’re going camping!”

“Aang!” Sokka snapped, spinning around to glare at his friend. “You weren’t supposed to tell them!”

“Oops.” Aang smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. “Sorry, Sokka. I forgot.”

“A secret camping trip?” Toph asked, a mischievous smile crossing her face. “Why can’t we come?”

“It’s a manly fishing trip,” Sokka said. “For men.”

“Teo’s coming too!” Aang supplied.

Suki crossed her arms, thoroughly unimpressed. “What’s so manly about a fishing trip? Are you going to use your dicks to catch fish?” Toph snorted at this, almost spitting out her food.

Sokka was starting to realize the mistake he’d made, but had apparently made the decision to dig in his heels. “You guys wouldn’t like it. It’s outside stuff.”

“What in the world are you talking about?” Katara said. “We’ve only ever gone camping together. Dad taught me everything too. Also, why do you want to be a third wheel with Aang and Teo so badly?”

“She has a point,” Aang said, swallowing a mouthful of pasta. 

Sokka threw his hands up in the air. “Okay, fine! You can come. Geez.” He stabbed at his salmon, looking more upset that he’d lost the argument than anything else. “I hope you guys like gutting fish.”

Aang turned to Sokka, alarmed. “Wait, we’re going to kill them?”

“What did you think we were going to do with them?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never been fishing.”

Katara laughed. “Okay, now we’re definitely coming.”

They began to discuss logistics of the trip. Sokka eventually stopped pouting and accepted the fact that his ‘manly’ trip was going to be half women. They were discussing what sort of camping gear everyone had when they were interrupted by a soft throat clearing. The talking died down as they all turned their attention to the source: a very uncomfortable looking Zuko.

“Hi,” he said.

The group continued to stare, various levels of confusion on their faces. Katara stood up from her chair somewhat suddenly, causing it to almost tip over in her haste.

“Zuko!” she said. She tried to control her burst of excitement, but wasn’t doing a very good job. “Do you want some food?”

All of the confused stares turned to her. Sokka in particular seemed to want to catch her attention. He was shaking his head ever-so-slightly. Katara pointedly ignored him, instead giving Zuko her most welcoming and beaming smile.

It was all a little too much for Zuko, who’d turned red with the attention. “No thanks,” he said, quickly. As if remembering his manners, he looked at the offered food and said, “It looks, uh, really good, though.”

Sokka narrowed his eyes. “Really?” he said, suspiciously.

Zuko swallowed and avoided his gaze. “Yup. Anyway.” He coughed. “I’m gonna go now.” He turned stiffly, ready to run back into his room.

“Zuko,” Katara said. He stopped, turning slightly so he could look at her. She wanted to somehow convey how grateful she was that he’d made an effort, without making it obvious that she’d asked him to do this. “If you change your mind, we’ll be out here.”

There was a brief, tiny smile. Then he said, “Thanks, Katara.” He was back in his room with the door closed before she could say anything else.

An awkward silence came over the group. They were all either looking at Zuko’s door or at each other. It was finally broken when Toph blurted, “Okay, that was weird.”

Suki let out a breath. “I didn’t want to say anything, but yeah. What just happened?”

Sokka was looking at Katara, examining her like she was a particularly difficult equation. “What I’d like to know,” he said, slowly, “is why Katara wants Zuko to hang out so badly.”

All eyes were on her again. Katara tried to act very casual about it, but was probably doing a pretty poor job. “I’m being friendly,” she said, making a flippant gesture. “And he’s trying to be friendly, too.”

“How do you know?” Suki said. Now she was also scrutinizing Katara, her brow furrowed. “I thought he was back to being aggressive again.”

“He’s actually been a lot more chill the last week,” Aang said. He hopped off the counter, bringing his empty plate over to the sink. “I was late getting my laundry out of the dryer, and he just asked me if I could move it. No yelling or anything!” He paused in his plate scrubbing, briefly lost in thought. “You know, I think he even said please.”

“Holy shit,” Toph said, her milky eyes wide. “Zuko’s been replaced by an alien.”

“You guys are being dramatic,” Katara said, taking a swig of her beer. “He’s not that bad. In fact, I bet if you took the time to get to know him, you’d find out that he’s a pretty decent person.”

Sokka looked at her like she’d just declared that the earth was actually flat. “Kat, what the hell are you talking about?”

“I mean, I’m down,” Aang said, placing his dish in the drying rack. “Remember when he hung out with us that one time? That wasn’t bad at all!”

“You mean when he watched a movie with us and didn’t say a single word, just sat there like he was glued to the seat?” Toph scoffed. “Not that I’m anti-Sparky, mind you. But even I can see that he doesn’t want to be friends with us.”

“Actually, he did talk a lot that night,” Suki said. “But only to Katara.” 

“She has been on the Zuko Defense Squad a lot lately,” Sokka added. “Is there something you’re keeping from us, sis?”

Katara was getting a little tired of the judgement she was receiving from her friends. “I just know you guys would like him. He’s a little difficult to talk to at first, but he’s also funny, and kind, and sometimes has decent advice, so you -”

“Hold up,” Sokka stopped her ramble. “I knew you guys had some weird sort of truce going on, but this feels a lot more in depth than that.”

Suki gasped suddenly, like she’d just figured out the answer to a riddle. “Is Zuko the new friend you’ve been spending so much time with?”

Well, she certainly couldn’t deny it now. “Yes, but it’s not that big of-”

“Shit, I totally forgot you’d cracked the code!” Toph said, laughing. “No wonder he came out here. You told him to, didn’t you?”

Katara blushed. “I didn’t force him -”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Sokka interrupted, hurt. “How long were you going to keep it a secret?”

“It’s not a secret,” Katara insisted. “Also, I don’t need your permission to hang out with someone.”

Sokka frowned. “You do when it’s the worst person we know.”

“ He’s not -”

“Guys,” Aang said, coming up to the end of the kitchen island to put himself between them. “Relax. Katara’s right, we haven’t given Zuko very much of a chance. Sure, he’s been kind of grumpy -”

“That’s one way of putting it,” Sokka grumbled.

“- but we all have bad days. I’m happy to give him another chance.” Aang finished his little speech with a smile. Sokka didn’t look impressed.

“I’m also down,” Toph added. “Our group needs a little more spice.”

Suki looked thoughtful. “I trust Katara’s judgement. And I think if Zuko wants to make an effort, then we shouldn’t ice him out. It’s never easy to break into an established group.”

“Thank you,” Katara said. Suki smiled at her.

“Did everyone collectively forget the last two years?” Sokka said. “Katara I can understand. She just got here. But the rest of you know how shitty Zuko has been to us. He’s never treated us with anything but contempt. Everything we do is like a personal affront to him. I don’t know what his angle is now, but I don’t like it.”

Katara clenched her teeth. “There isn’t an angle , Sokka.”

Sokka leaned forward over the counter, planting his hands. “Oh yeah? Prove it.”

She wasn’t about to share Zuko’s personal secrets with everyone, so instead she reached for the next best thing. “Let me invite him on the camping trip. Then you’ll see that he’s not the evil villain you’re making him out to be.”

Her brother looked like he was about to vehemently deny her request, but Aang stepped in before he could. “I think that’s a great idea! Being out in nature makes everyone feel relaxed - it’s the perfect environment for getting to know someone!”

Toph was nodding. “It’ll make it so much less boring. Also, I kinda want Sokka and Zuko to fight it out.”

“They will not be fighting it out,” Katara said firmly. Toph raised her eyebrows.

“Whatever you say, party-pooper.”

Sokka looked pleadingly at Suki, who still hadn’t commented on the idea. It was already three-to-one, but he had a much better shot at making an argument if he had her on his side. “C’mon, Suki, you think it’s a bad idea too, right?”

She gave him an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, Sokka. I think we should give him a chance.”

“Hah!” Katara crowed, looking triumphantly at her brother. “I win! We’re inviting Zuko, and you’re going to deal with it.”

Sokka gave her a dark look. “Fine. But you can’t blame me when the whole trip gets ruined because Rich Boy has never touched dirt before.”

...

Convincing Zuko to actually come on the trip turned out to be a different beast entirely. She brought it up to him as casually as she could over coffee the next morning. He’d laughed at her at first, thinking it was a joke. When she made it clear that it was a serious offer, he balked.

“We’re going from saying hi to spending uninterrupted time in the wilderness with them?” he asked, slightly panicked. “Aren’t there more steps in between?”

“It’ll be fine,” she soothed. “They all want you to come.” It was a small lie, but Zuko didn’t need to know about Sokka’s thoughts on the situation.

Zuko shook his head. “I’ve never gone camping in my life.”

“It’s not that hard,” Katara said. “You might even like it. Being out in nature is fun!”

He frowned. “I don’t have any camping gear.”

She smiled. “We can buy you a sleeping bag! And we can share the rest.”

Zuko seemed to be running out of arguments to make. He sipped his coffee, his free hand tapping nervously on the countertop.

“I’m not going to force you to go,” Katara murmured. “I just think this is a really good opportunity to get to know them more. It’s a bunch of people I care about all in the same place. And I really want you to be there.”

He smiled into his coffee mug, which made Katara feel a burst of warmth in her chest. “You promise your brother isn’t going to kill me?” 

“I promise.” She gave him a gentle poke on the shoulder. “So long as you promise to not give him reason to.”

He gave her a raspy laugh. “Noted.”

By the time the weekend was upon them, Katara had dug out all of her camping gear and had coordinated with the rest of the group to make sure they had everything they needed. Sokka had several fishing rods he was going to share, and Aang and Suki collectively had enough camping chairs for everyone. Both Sokka and Katara had tents, and Teo said his van was big enough to comfortably sleep in. Suki, Katara, and Aang made a trip to the supermarket. Sokka was set on living off fish and beer (“As nature intended!”), but quickly changed his mind when he was reminded that chips weren’t a natural occurrence in the woods.

On Saturday morning, Teo pulled up in his van. They all worked together to pack the back with their gear and coolers of supplies. Sokka was entirely decked out in his fishing clothes and pointedly ignoring all the teasing words made at his expense. 

“You think my boots are ugly now, but just wait until we get to the lake,” Sokka said after Suki commented on the rubber monstrosities adorning his feet. “I’m gonna be the only one with dry socks.”

“Me too,” Teo added. “But does it count if your feet never touch the ground?” He rolled back and forth in his chair for emphasis. His chair was slightly different than his usual one - the wheels were sturdier. He called it his ‘All-Terrain’ model.

“Put me in the club too, because if you think I’m fishing you’re out of your mind.” Toph had unfolded a camping chair and was sitting on the curb, letting everyone else pack the van without her. “Also I won’t be wearing socks. Or shoes.” She wiggled her bare toes.

“Why are you coming if you don’t want to fish?” Sokka asked. He was shoving a sleeping bag into an open spot at the top of the pile. 

“You do realize that you’re the only one who wants to fish, right?”

Sokka put his hands on his hips. “Not true! Aang wants to fish, right Aang?”

Aang was standing next to Teo, holding Appa’s leash and scratching the dog between the ears. He looked up at that, a guilty expression on his face. “I don’t know, Sokka. It sounds kinda mean.”

Sokka smacked a hand over his eyes. “Never mind. Suki, do you want to fish?”

Suki shrugged one shoulder. “I’ve never actually done it, but you can teach me if you want.”

“I’ll fish with you too, Sokka,” Katara said. “I even brought my old pole. Just for you.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Sokka muttered. She’d always complained whenever she went on trips with her father and brother. She was decent enough at it, but it was so boring . Oftentimes she’d lose her patience and jump in the water, much to the annoyance of her more tolerant family members.

Zuko was standing at the edge of the group, unsure what to do with himself. He had his backpack slung over one shoulder, and had his brand new sleeping bag tucked under one arm. He never tried to enter any conversations, and the fact that Sokka was actively going out of his way to ignore him certainly didn’t help. Katara had already pulled her brother aside and hissed “ be nice ”, to which Sokka had said “ him first ”.

“Do you want to try fishing, Zuko?” Katara said, turning to include him in the conversation. 

“Uh.” His hand tightened on the strap of his backpack. “I don’t know how to.”

“That’s alright.” Katara looked at her brother. “Sokka’s really good. He can teach you.” 

Sokka glared at her. “You flatter me,” he deadpanned.

“No, he’s really good,” Katara doubled down. “And he’s already gonna teach Suki, so what’s one more student?”

“I don’t mind sharing!” Suki said brightly, sensing the tension between the siblings. “It’s nice to learn as a group anyways.”

Once they finished packing the van, it was time to figure out seating arrangements for the hour and a half drive to the campsite. Teo was driving, so Aang took the passenger seat. Toph called the seat furthest to the back, tugging Appa in there with her. 

“I’m gonna take a nap,” she stated, leaning back against Appa’s fur. “Wake me up when we get there. Or don’t. This is pretty cozy.”

Sokka hopped in the middle seat and patted the spot next to him. “Here, Suki, you can sit by me.”

Suki settled back on her hip, a playful grin on her face. “I don’t know...maybe I want to sit by Katara.”

Sokka’s gaze flicked briefly to Zuko, and then he patted the seat a little more firmly. “But I have a really good idea for an offensive play for the Warriors. You want to hear it, trust me.”

Katara nudged her friend’s shoulder. While she appreciated her attempt at forcing Zuko and Sokka to endure each other, she imagined that the only thing it would accomplish would be a very awkward drive. “Go ahead, Suki. I think he just wants to smell your perfume a little better.”

“Do not!” Sokka said, flushing. “It’s for shop talk!”

“Whatever you say, Sokka,” Suki teased, settling in next to him.

Zuko seemed mildly relieved to not be forced to sit next to Sokka. He gestured for Katara to get in first, then quietly followed her into the van.

The drive ended up going by relatively quickly. Teo had a decent selection of music, and Aang knew a surprising amount of road trip games. It was pretty fun, and even Zuko was starting to relax. He still didn’t go out of his way to include himself, but he participated in Aang’s games, which Katara took as a good sign.

Katara had never been to Lake Laogai, but had heard good things about it. According to her book on the city’s cultural history, the lake had been a popular vacation spot for a very long time. There were also rumors about classified government operations going on there. Toph said that she’d heard that there was a whole facility under the lake with a secret entrance hidden somewhere in the woods. 

“Bullshit,” Sokka said. “There’s no such thing as a secret facility under the lake. You need to smoke less weed, Toph.”

“I heard they’re working on a method for total mind control,” Suki said. Toph snickered.

“Okay, you both need to smoke less weed.”

Secret government facility or not, the lake was huge . When she caught glimpses of it between the trees, Katara couldn’t see the other side.  She could only distantly make out the mountains that proved the lake wasn’t actually an ocean. It was beautiful, and the summer sun made the gentle waves sparkle.

Their campsite was on the west side of the lake, only a five minute walk from the shore. The only thing that indicated that they weren’t just stopping off the side of a dirt road in the woods was the metal fire pit and bench table sitting squarely in the middle of the clearing. They all unpacked the van and began to set up camp.

Katara had been under the impression that she’d be sharing her tent with Suki and Toph. It made sense to separate the men and women, since the only people who were dating were Aang and Teo, and they were planning to sleep in the van. She had a feeling that Sokka would complain about sharing a tent with Zuko, but he could get over it.

When she’d finished putting in her last tent stake, Suki pulled her aside. “I need to ask you a really big favor,” she said. 

“What is it?” They’d walked a little away from the rest of the group. Aang, Teo, and Zuko were setting up things next to the fire pit. Sokka was helping Toph put up a hammock between two sturdy pines while Appa watched, wagging his tail. Suki pulled her just out of earshot, tugging nervously at the edge of her t-shirt.

“I need you to share your tent with Zuko,” she said, her words coming out in a rush. 

Katara balked. “What? Why? Look, I know I said we were friends, but it’s not that kind of relationship.” It wasn’t like her tent was cramped, but it wasn’t exactly spacious, either.

“I know, I know,” Suki said. She was blushing. “It’s because...I want to share a tent with Sokka.”

“Oh. Oh .” Katara blinked. That made a lot more sense. It was the loveseat debacle all over again.

Suki laughed nervously. “I’ve been kind of waiting to make my move. And this might be a perfect chance. If it’s okay with you?”

While Katara didn’t want to cockblock her friend, she still felt a little awkward about sharing a tent with Zuko. “Yeah, it’s fine. I’m happy for you. And Toph will be with me, so it won’t be as awkward.”

Suki grimaced. “She’s definitely planning on sleeping in that hammock. Sorry.”

Katara tried to stay positive about the situation. Zuko had gotten pretty comfortable around her, so a shared night in a tent shouldn’t be that big of a deal. Friends shared tents all the time. Totally nothing weird about it at all.

...

After they’d eaten lunch, Sokka suggested they start fishing. Aang, Teo, and Toph all elected to stay at the campground, perfectly happy to sit and talk and drink beer. Sokka promptly informed them that they were all missing out, and took the rest of the group down the path that led to the lake.

Zuko trailed slightly behind them as they walked, carrying the small cooler Sokka had shoved into his hands. Katara paused and waited for him, letting Suki and Sokka go ahead of her. He caught up to her, giving her a brief, tight smile before returning to his original pinched expression.

“What do you think so far?” she asked. “A lot quieter than the city, huh?”

He nodded. “It is.”

They walked in silence for a moment. Ahead of them, Suki and Sokka were having an animated discussion about the different fishing cultures of their respective hometowns. This reminded Katara of the awkward discussion she had yet to break the news to Zuko about. Better now than later, she supposed.

“So, uh, there’s a bit of an update about the tent situation,” she began, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Zuko sniffed.

“Let me guess: Sokka is refusing to share the tent with me,” he said, flatly. 

“No, that’s not it at all.” Katara chewed on her lip. She wasn’t exactly sure how to explain the Suki and Sokka situation, or even if Zuko wanted to know. “But, um, arrangements have changed for other reasons.” He raised an eyebrow at that.

“Where am I sleeping?”

“With me.” As soon as the words left her mouth, she blushed fiercely. “In my tent, obviously. Not, like, with me.” Way to go, Katara. Super smooth .

To her surprise, Zuko didn’t seem all that bothered. His cheeks were pink, but that was probably because of her awkward phrasing. “Honestly, that’s probably the least uncomfortable option for me.” He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “As long as it’s not weird for you.”

“It’s not,” she affirmed. Even if it was, a little bit. She could get over it.

They set up at the edge of the lake. Sokka immediately went to work bossing everyone around. Fishing class was in full session. Katara sat on a rock and worked on setting up her own fishing pole, carefully baiting her hook and trying not to laugh at Sokka’s overly intense fishing safety talk.

Suki took up fishing quickly. She really only needed Sokka to explain once, and then got the hang of it after about ten minutes of practicing. Zuko, on the other hand, was hopeless. He didn’t seem to understand half of what Sokka explained to him, and kept moving his hands so he was holding the pole incorrectly, even when Sokka physically put his hands in place. Katara tried to interject a few times, but it didn’t do much to help. Both men were getting incredibly frustrated.

“You are making this way more complicated than it needs to be,” Zuko complained, after Sokka explained for the third time why he couldn’t just throw the line in the water and not worry about the other parts of the pole. “You don’t even need this button.”

“You do, actually, if you want to reel in any fish,” Sokka said, teeth gritted. “Anyway, you’re not even holding it properly. You’re going to take someone’s eye out.”

“This is ridiculous. It’s just a stick.”

“It’s not just a stick -”

“I think I have a fish!” Suki interrupted, excitedly. “What do I do now?”

“Hold on one second,” Sokka said. He turned to Zuko. “Do you think you can manage casting?”

“Yeah, you told me how to do it fifty fucking times,” Zuko muttered. Katara shot him a warning glance. Sokka just rolled his eyes and went to join Suki, already talking her through reeling in a fish.

Zuko adjusted his stance and thrust his arms back, bringing the rod with him. He was holding it a little to the side, and gearing up like a baseball player at bat. It made Katara cringe a little, and she was about to gently correct him when Zuko swung the rod forward. Unfortunately, it wasn’t with very much speed or precision, and the end of the line was way too low. It did not make it into the water. Instead, Zuko let out a very loud curse and dropped the rod entirely, clutching his hand.

“What happened?” Katara said, letting go of her own pole to run over to Zuko. There was blood running between his fingers, and when she noticed it her heart rate skyrocketed. “Are you hurt?”

“The fucking -” Zuko was talking through gritted teeth, staring angrily at his bloody hands. “It’s stuck.”

Katara pried Zuko’s hands apart, revealing the fish hook firmly embedded in the palm of his right hand. She let out a sympathetic hiss of pain at the sight. “Ouch. How did you manage to do this?”

“It’s not my fault that your hobbies involve sharp objects,” Zuko snapped.

“Did Zuko hurt himself?” Sokka called over. He was still helping Suki reel in her fish, and did not seem all that surprised at the accident.

“He got himself with the fish hook,” Katara said. She was still examining the wound, trying to determine if it needed to be seen by a professional or not. Having grown up in a community densely populated by fishermen, she was no stranger to fish hook injuries. In the clinic she had shadowed at, it was the most popular form of walk-in. It didn’t appear to be in too deep. 

“Should have listened to my safety talk.”

“I did listen!” Zuko said, annoyed. “It was an accident!”

“I’m going to take him back to camp.” Katara pulled her multitool out of her pocket and cut the fishing line above the hook. “I had a feeling the first aid kit would come in handy.”

Suki and Sokka paid them no mind. They were too busy celebrating the fish Suki had managed to catch. Katara smiled and shook her head, taking Zuko’s elbow and leading him back toward camp. 

Zuko was mostly quiet, holding his injured hand high and looking rather sour. Katara decided not to make a comment on the situation just yet. When they got back to camp, Katara told Zuko to sit down on a rock at the edge of the trees and went to get the first aid kit from the van.

“Hey, Katara,” Aang said. He was sitting in a camping chair next to Teo, a field guide to local bird species open on his lap. Appa was curled at his feet, asleep. “Did you catch any fish?”

“Suki did,” Katara answered. She opened up the cooler that had drinks in it and pulled out a handful of ice, depositing it in a plastic bag. “Zuko had a bit of a fish hook accident.”

“Is he okay?” Teo asked. 

“He’s fine. I’m gonna fix his hand right up.” She hefted the first aid kit up, smiling. “So if you hear screaming, don’t be too worried.”

The two men shared a look. “I never thought I’d hear that sentence,” Aang said. Teo laughed.

“Good luck, Katara!”

She returned to Zuko with her items, including a small towel from her own bag. He was sitting with his hand out in front of him, blood slowly dripping off the end of his fingers. Katara kneeled in front of him and gently pulled his hand toward her. She began to wipe the blood away with the towel.

“I can’t believe I did that,” Zuko muttered. He was watching her work, scowling. “Your brother must think I’m a complete idiot.”

Katara took her bag of ice and pressed it over the embedded hook. Zuko hissed, but didn’t try to move his hand away. “You’re not an idiot,” she said, giving him a soft smile. “Do you want to know how many times Sokka got a fish hook stuck in him?”

The edge of Zuko’s lip twitched. “How many?”

“Four. Three of them were from grabbing the hook with his bare hands.”

Zuko huffed a short laugh. “No wonder he has a ten minute safety talk.”

“Exactly.” Katara took the ice off of the wound. It had mostly stopped bleeding. “Does it still hurt?”

“A little,” Zuko said. Katara replaced the ice.

“I’ll hold it here until it’s numb. Pulling it out is gonna suck otherwise.”

Zuko grimaced. “You’re going to pull it out?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Would you rather I leave it in?”

“No.” He chewed his lip. “You’ve done this before, right?”

Katara patted his knee with her free hand. “Don’t worry, Zuko. This is probably the most common injury that came into the clinic in Imiq. I’ve done this at least thirty times. Although, usually we use lidocaine.”

“I keep forgetting that you’re going to be a doctor,” Zuko said. 

“I still have a ways to go.” Katara took the ice off of the wound again. “Numb?”

He considered the injury for a second, and then nodded. “Numb.” Katara took a small piece of fishing line from the pocket of her jacket, and tied one end of it around the middle of the hook. With her other hand, she pushed down the end of the embedded metal. Zuko watched her warily, but didn’t flinch away.

“Don’t move,” she said. “I’m going to pull it out now.”

“Can you warn me before -” While he was still talking, Katara gave the string a quick, hard yank. The hook came free from Zuko’s hand, bringing a gush of fresh blood with it. “Fuck!”

“Oh, hush,” Katara said, placing the bloody hook aside and pressing the towel over the fresh bleed. “You said it was numb.”

“Still!” Zuko’s other hand was gripping his thigh. There was blood all over his pants. “A little preparation would have been nice.”

“Then you’d be expecting it, and you would have winced.” The bleeding was already stopping with the applied pressure. She lifted the towel, revealing a small hole where the fish hook had been. “I don’t think you want me practicing my stitching on you,” she teased.

“I guess not,” Zuko said. “What now?”

Katara pulled a package of alcohol wipes out of the first aid kit. “We clean it.”

Zuko mostly kept his mouth shut as Katara cleaned the injury, small twitches the only indicator that it was painful. When the wound was clean, Katara took out a roll of gauze and began to wrap his hand. She could feel Zuko’s gaze on her, but remained focused on bandaging. The last thing she wanted to do was cut off circulation to his fingers.

When she was done, she sat back on her heels, letting go of Zuko’s hand. “There.” He appraised the bandage, turning his hand over and slowly wiggling his fingers.

“Thanks,” he said. “I don’t think I’m going to try fishing again any time soon. I’m sure your brother will be relieved.”

Katara sighed. “He’s been a bit of an ass. I’m sorry.”

Zuko shrugged. “Don’t be. I know I need to earn his respect.” He gave her a slight smile. “Not everyone is as forgiving as you are.”

She blushed, although she wasn’t sure why. “You should get changed,” she said, changing the topic. “You looked like you killed someone.”

Zuko looked down at his blood spattered clothes. “Good call.”

...

While Sokka and Suki continued fishing, Zuko, Katara, Aang, and Teo went on a leisurely hike. Aang really wanted to look for some local bird species, and Teo had brought along a pair of binoculars to search. Toph had elected to stay at the camp - she’d brought a joint and was more than happy to enjoy it from the comfort of her hammock. By the time they all got back to the campground, the sun was setting.

“You guys will never believe how good of a fisherman Suki is,” Sokka said, setting down the cooler of their freshly cleaned catch. “With a little more practice, she’d probably be better than me!”

“Oh, stop,” Suki said, nudging him with her shoulder. “I only got so far because you’re such a good teacher.”

“You guys are being so gross,” Toph said. She had flopped into a camping chair, burying her fingers into Appa’s thick fur. “Who the hell bonds over ripping guts out of fish?”

Aang shuddered. He was sitting next to Teo, a blanket draped across both their shoulders. “Do we need to talk about gutting fish right now?”

“It is what’s for dinner,” Katara pointed out. “Although not for you, I suppose.” She and Zuko had been in charge of setting up the campfire. For all of Zuko’s outdoor faults, he’d been pretty decent at starting a fire. It crackled lively in front of them. She placed the cooking grate over the top of it, as well as a pan they’d brought.

“We’ll be enjoying our delicious peanut-butter and jellies,” Teo said, smiling. He laced his fingers into Aang’s. “I brought some honey, too.”

Zuko wrinkled his nose. “Just keep it away from me.”

Katara snorted. Everyone else gave them confused looks.

“What’s wrong with the honey?” Aang said, defensive.

Zuko’s eyes widened slightly. “There’s nothing wrong with it,” he said. “I’m just allergic to it. Did Katara not tell you guys about our trip to the ER?”

Sokka let out a loud laugh. “Spirits, I totally forgot about that!” He and Suki were setting up a breading station to dip the fish into before frying them. 

“Well, no honey for you then, Zuko,” Teo said.

They fried fish over the campfire and passed around beers and stories. Teo had a lot to tell about his dad’s odd inventions, which Sokka had many questions about. Suki and Toph brought up the apartment pet idea again, and everyone agreed that a snake was a bad idea, much to Toph’s displeasure.

“This is so much fun,” Aang said, once they had all finished their dinners. The moon was fully in the sky at this point, but the air held the nighttime balminess of summer. The fire cast all of their faces in a soft orange glow. “I’m really glad we all came out here.”

“Yeah, Sokka,” Suki said, tipping her head back at the man cleaning the dishes. “Aren’t you glad we talked you out of your ‘manly fishing trip’?”

Sokka rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face. “Okay, okay. Even if it ended up only being two of us, it was still better than just me.”

“Hey, we tried!” Katara said, laughing. “We were stopped by unforeseen fish hook circumstances.”

Beside her, Zuko chuckled. “What can I say? I don’t think I’ve ever touched a fishing rod in my entire life before today.”

There was a slight moment of tension. It was the first time Zuko had spoken up that night, and even he seemed surprised that the words had left his mouth. Everyone slowly turned to look at Sokka, to see what his reaction would be. 

He laughed.

“Uh, duh, Zuko,” he said, grinning. “You cast so badly that your hook didn’t even touch the water. My gran-gran could out-fish you, and she’s in her eighties.”

Katara snorted at that, which caused beer to fly out of her nose. This in turn made Toph nearly fall out of her chair with laughter. Zuko flushed, but was smiling. He caught Katara’s eye, and the relief was almost stark on his face. She felt it too - it was like a barrier had been lifted, and she could finally let herself relax. 

They were accepting him.

As the night wore on, they each retired to bed. Toph went first, standing and stretching and saying her hammock was calling her name. Then Aang and Teo went back to the van, bringing Appa and all the extra s’mores they could carry. Katara noticed Suki and Sokka had been getting closer and closer over the course of the evening, and were practically in each other’s laps by the time they said goodnight. She could hear them giggling as they ran off to their shared tent, hand in hand.

Katara and Zuko sat by the fire for a little longer, mostly taking in the nighttime sounds of the forest. Katara was still nursing a beer, staring into the now-dwindling flames. She could tell that Zuko kept looking at her and then looking away again, like he was trying to say something but not quite able to conjure the words. It probably had to do with the looming awkwardness that was the night ahead of them. 

When the fire had burned down to smoldering embers, Zuko finally cleared his throat. Katara set down her empty bottle and looked over at him. He was brushing his fingers over his bandage, and not quite looking at her. “It’s getting late,” he said.

“Yeah.” She stood and stretched. They finished cleaning up any bottles or trash remnants, and made sure the fire was fully out. Katara turned on her flashlight, and led them both to the tent. Zuko paused at the entrance.

“Do you, uh, want to change or anything?” he asked. 

“Oh, um, I was just going to sleep in my long underwear.” She lifted the edge of her shirt, revealing the layer underneath. “So I just have to take the outer clothes off.”

It was hard to tell in just the light of the flashlight, but Zuko seemed to be blushing. “Do you…want privacy for that?”

She let out an awkward laugh. “It’s fine, Zuko. Do you need privacy?”

He let out a breath. “Sorry. I’m making it weird.”

Katara put a hand on his shoulder. “We’re both making it weird. Let’s just get inside.” She unzipped the tent flap and stepped in, kicking off her boots as she went. Zuko followed suit, zipping the flap shut behind them. Katara turned on the lamp she’d set up between their sleeping bags. Now that both of them were inside, the tent suddenly felt a lot smaller than she’d remembered.

They faced away from each other as they arranged themselves for bed. Katara peeled off her flannel and her cargo pants, and took her hair out of its braid. She didn’t turn around until she heard Zuko zip himself into his sleeping bag, just in case. She doubted he was any less decent than she was, but still. When she got in her own sleeping bag and turned toward him, he was already looking at her. For some reason, this made her nervous. Katara turned her gaze toward the ceiling of the tent.

“So,” she said. “What do you think?”

“About what?” His voice had a slight rasp to it, like he was already sleepy. 

“The trip.” She folded her hands over the top of her sleeping bag. “Are you having a good time?”

He was quiet for a moment. When she looked over at him, he was on his side, his hand nestled between his cheek and his pillow. His bandaged hand was resting in the space between them, inches from her elbow. His lip twitched into a smile. “You mean, other than the maiming of my hand?”

“I think I took care of that pretty well,” she teased. “Without me you’d probably still have that hook in you.”

“Without you I wouldn’t be here at all.”

Her heart skipped at that. She had no idea why. “Well, duh. You were dead set on being a lonely hermit. Someone had to pull you out of your room.”

He let out a soft laugh at that. “Fair enough.”

A moment of quiet fell over them. Katara could hear the chirping of crickets, and more distantly the croaking of frogs. She could also hear Zuko’s breathing; calm and steady and sure. It was nice.

“I’m really glad you decided to come,” she said, softly. “And…I’m really happy that we’re friends.”

He let out a small, contented sigh. “Yeah. Me too.”

Katara reached over and switched off the lamp, turning onto her side as she did so. As she settled herself into her bag, her hand naturally fell into place in front of her. It was mostly an accident when it landed on top of Zuko’s. She was about to pull it away, but felt his fingers curl ever so slightly into hers. She didn’t want to say anything that would break the moment, so instead she gave them a gentle squeeze. He squeezed back.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “For everything.”

They fell asleep to the sound of the crickets and the frogs, their fingers gently entwined.

Chapter Text

Katara stood in front of her bathroom mirror, pulling a comb through her still-wet hair. Getting clean after spending a few days outside was always a pleasant experience, but she wasn’t focusing on that at the moment. Her mind was playing a scene over and over, making her feel stranger and stranger with each repeat.

It had happened after she’d spent the night in the tent with Zuko. She’d slept pretty heavily through the night. The tent remained warm, probably due to their shared body heat. She hadn’t intended to fall asleep holding his hand, which was sweet. It was easy to explain that situation away as friendly. It was less easy to say that about how she had woken up.

Katara knew she moved around in her sleep. She’d been insufferable at childhood sleepovers, and anytime she shared a bed with someone they always joked that she had no sense of personal space. She slept pretty heavily, and if no one moved her she would often wake up diagonal across the bed. Sokka had refused to share a bed with her for this reason for as long as she could remember. She’d thought that the two feet of space between her and Zuko was enough. 

When she first began to come out of sleep, Katara was mostly aware of how warm she was. She was on her side, one hand tucked up under her pillow case (a pretty usual sleeping habit, her hands got cold easily). As the vestiges of sleep faded, however, she realized that her pillow was a lot harder than she was used to. And warmer.

And it was breathing.

A wave of horror overcame her as the pieces fell into place. She slowly opened her eyes, and almost immediately shut them again. Her head was resting on Zuko’s chest. And her hand was under his shirt . Katara was frozen in place, her heart hammering against her ribcage.

“Shit,” she whispered. 

The steady rise and fall of Zuko’s chest stuttered. She squeezed her eyes tighter and wished she could magically disappear and reappear miles away, where she could scream her embarrassment to the sky. Unfortunately, this wasn’t possible. Against all odds, she prayed Zuko was asleep.

The gentle clearing of his throat assured her that he was not.

“How long have you been awake?” she squeaked. She was still frozen. Zuko was so stiff that he felt more like a board than a pillow.

“A few hours.”

Fuck . “And how long have I…?” Her face was so hot she felt like she might combust. 

“Uh. A few hours.” He let out an awkward cough. This seemed to break the spell on her, and she scrambled away from him, pulling her hand back so fast that it flipped up the corner of his shirt. 

“Why didn’t you wake me up?” Katara said, somewhat frantically. She’d put as much space as she could between them, which wasn’t very much. Zuko, predictably, could not meet her gaze. He pushed himself up onto his elbows, his face just as flushed as hers probably was.

“You were sleeping pretty heavily,” he said, fixing the edge of his shirt so it no longer showed his stomach. “I, uh, didn’t want to be rude.”

Katara covered her face with her hands and cursed Suki for putting her in this situation. “ Spirits , Zuko. I’m so sorry. That was incredibly inappropriate of me.”

“It’s okay. You were asleep.”

“I know you really don’t like people getting in your personal space.” Katara knew she was babbling, but couldn’t stop herself. The awkwardness was almost too much to bear. “And I just -”

“Katara.” Zuko held up a hand to stop her. He was finally looking at her now, his face still red but otherwise calm. “Relax. Do I look upset to you?”

“No, but -” 

“Then it’s fine,” he said, cutting her off. He let his hand fall forward, comfortably landing on top of hers. “Right?”

She chewed her lip, looking down at where his large hand covered her own. It was the bandaged one. “I guess,” she said. “It was just…really weird.”

Zuko withdrew his hand suddenly. His face immediately became closed. “Weird?”

“Yeah,” Katara said, with an uncomfortable laugh. “I mean, friends don’t cuddle like that. I don’t want you to think I was trying to come onto you. It was definitely, one-hundred-percent accidental.”

Zuko shifted back, crossing his arms over his body. He was looking down at the space between their sleeping bags, an almost imperceptible tenseness to his shoulders. “Sure,” he said, his voice clipped. “I’ll give you some privacy to dress.”

He was offended by something, but Katara had no idea what. “Zuko, wait -”

But he was already gone, zipping the tent shut behind him.

Ever since then, the energy between them had been strange. They weren’t necessarily avoiding each other, but the easy companionship they’d cultivated since the night of the party seemed to have disappeared. This was extremely frustrating to Katara, because she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what she’d done or said to upset him. Had he decided that he really did take offense to the physical intimacy she had inadvertently forced on him? Had she accidentally made him think that touching him was aversive to her? Katara didn’t want to tackle the situation until she understood it more, so she ignored it for now. Getting a little space from Zuko was probably a good thing anyway.

She finished brushing her hair and placed her comb on the counter. It was one of her favorite personal items. Made of ivory, it had been hand carved by a craftsman in her hometown. It was entirely unique, and had been given to her as a gift from her father when she’d graduated high school. To remind you where you came from , he’d said. And it always did, making it a source of comfort when she was stressed.

As she was braiding her hair, she heard Zuko’s door open. Katara held her breath as he walked past the open bathroom door, but he didn’t say anything. He walked wordlessly toward the kitchen, not even sparing her a second glance. She felt a flood of annoyance at this. What was his deal ? He hadn’t even bothered to try and work out his issue with her. While this wasn’t all that surprising, Katara had thought that they’d moved past this. They were supposed to be friends now, dammit.

She was so focused on her frustration that she didn’t notice Momo come into the bathroom until he jumped up onto the counter. When the cat suddenly appeared beside her, she jumped, startled. Her hand instinctively flew out to get purchase on the counter, and in the process she knocked into her comb. It hit the floor with a shattering crash, and Katara felt her stomach fly into her throat. Momo fled the bathroom at the breakneck speed of a cat encountering a sudden, loud noise. Please don’t be broken, please don’t be broken…

But it was. The comb lay in several pieces on the floor. Most of the delicate tines had broken off, and the handle was in three pieces. Katara cursed. She knelt on the floor and began to pick up the pieces, unable to stop the tears from gathering in her eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Katara looked up to see Zuko standing in the bathroom doorway, a newly-filled coffee mug in his hands. His brow was drawn down in concern. Katara sniffled and looked down, not wanting him to see how upset she was over a stupid accident.

“I broke my comb.”

“Oh.” Zuko blinked. “I thought you’d fallen.”

“No,” she said, thickly. She went back to picking up the pieces, hoping Zuko would get the hint and leave her alone. He didn’t.

“Why are you crying? It’s just a comb.”

As soon as she heard that comment, all the tension Katara had been holding on to since the morning in the tent exploded out of her. “It’s not just a comb!” she yelled. “It’s special! You have no right to tell me how to feel about my things!”

Zuko stepped back, obviously taken aback by her outburst. “I was just asking,” he said, a trace of anger entering his voice. “Fuck. Calm down.”

Katara stood up, a burst of anger lighting a fire in her chest. “Calm down? Calm down? No, Zuko, I will not calm down. This comb was one-of-a-kind. It’s irreplaceable. It’s made by one woman on the other side of the world . It probably took my father months to save up for it, and I just destroyed it for good.” Deep down, Katara knew she was taking out her frustrations on Zuko in an unfair way, but she was too angry to care. “You can’t possibly know what that’s like.”

Zuko stood his ground while she yelled at him, his face set in a tense frown. The knuckles of the hand holding his mug were nearly white with strain. When she finished, he didn’t break the intense stare he had on her. She expected him to start screaming back at her - in fact, she almost wanted him to. Instead, he said three words in a quiet, measured tone.

“I guess not.”

He left Katara to pick up the pieces of her broken comb, leaving her with a sick feeling in her stomach.

…

If they weren’t ignoring each other before, they certainly were now. The apartment became tense again, filled with uncomfortable silences and doors closed a little too loudly. Two days after the incident, Sokka came home from work to find Katara knitting on the couch, and was immediately suspicious.

“So,” he said, sitting against the other arm of the couch and laying his work bag down on the floor. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Katara said, tersely. Her scarf was almost two feet long.

Sokka sucked his teeth. “You can’t lie to me, Kat. What’s going on?”

She let out a frustrated sigh and lay her knitting down in her lap. He was right - she couldn’t lie to him. “I broke my comb.”

Sokka looked confused for a second, before realization dawned on him. “The one Sotoya made? Ah, that sucks.”

“Yeah,” she said. Her fingers itched to continue knitting.

“But that’s not all, right?”

Her lips pursed. Of course Sokka would be able to tell. “No. I got into a fight with Zuko.”

Sokka nodded, like he’d just figured out the answer to an obvious riddle. “There we go. What’d he do? Do I need to kick his ass?”

Katara crossed her arms. She knew how stupid she was about to sound, but it was the only way that she could succinctly explain why she and Zuko had fought without bringing up the awkward moment in the tent. “He said the comb breaking wasn’t a big deal.”

Sokka blinked. “That’s all?”

“It was callous!” Katara said, defensive. “You know how much that comb meant to me.”

Her brother raised his eyebrows. “Okay, I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but Zuko didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Are you seriously taking Zuko’s side?” Katara hissed. “You hate him!”

Sokka snorted. “I’m not taking anyone’s side, Kat. Also, just last week you were attached at the hip to him. You can’t tell me that him saying one thing about something you and I both know isn’t really that important was the straw to break the camel’s back.”

He was right, like always. Didn’t change how annoying it was. “It’s the principle of it,” she argued, weakly.

Her brother shook his head and stood, picking up his bag as he did so. “Look, I don’t know what’s really going on here, and I don’t think you do either. When you figure that out, you should probably apologize to Zuko.” He let out a small laugh. “Wow. Never thought I’d say that .”

Katara picked back up her knitting, frowning. “Me neither,” she muttered.

Sokka leaned forward and ruffled her hair like she was ten instead of twenty-three. “Hey, I might be still on the fence about the guy, but we both know you’re not. He’s your friend, Kat. Make it right.”

Katara spent a long time thinking about what Sokka had said. Her pride continued to tell her that she was in the right, and had no reason to apologize. Zuko was the one who started the weirdness, after all. He was the one who had been upset with her for a mystery reason that he refused to confront her about. She’d thought she’d finally broken through his barriers, and here he was, erecting a new one. Still, she had blown up at him over something small, which wasn’t fair. Maybe they were both to blame.

When the situation became too confusing to deal with on her own, Katara left the apartment and made her way over to Suki and Toph’s. She needed to talk to someone who could look at the situation without bias. It felt like the only way to detangle the mess that was her thoughts.

Toph opened the door, wearing nothing but a fuzzy green bathrobe. “Hey, Sweetness,” she said. “Need something?”

Katara decided not to ask how Toph knew it was her. “I just wanted to talk,” she said. “Is Suki home?”

“She’s not,” Toph said. “Will I suffice or should I have you leave a message?” Her voice was playfully sarcastic, but Katara winced all the same. 

“I didn’t think you’d want to hear my complaining,” Katara explained. 

Toph snorted. “Sugar Queen, you should know by now that I live for drama. Come in.”

The sliding door to the balcony was open, letting a nice crossbreeze into the stuffy apartment. A speaker was playing hard rock at a volume not conducive to keeping one’s hearing past the age of thirty-five. A tarp was laid out on the floor of the living room, and a large, paint-splattered canvas rested at its center. 

“You caught me at the end of my naked painting session,” Toph said, turning off the speaker. “Good timing for you.”

Katara sat on the couch, appraising the painting. It was filled with splashes of yellow, pink, and bright red. There were some discernible shapes, but it was mostly random. “How do you pick the colors?” she asked. 

Toph plopped down on the armchair, sitting in a way that almost made her robe expose herself. “Suki picks them,” she said, as if it was the obvious answer. “I tell her to pick ones that describe how she feels.”

Katara tilted her head at the bright canvas. “It looks…happy.”

Toph grinned lecherously. “I’d be happy too if I was finally getting dicked down after waiting so long.”

“Wait, really?” Katara didn’t realize Suki’s tent maneuver had worked so well.

“What did you think was happening in that tent?” Toph asked, bemused. “Because it wasn’t just kissing, that’s for sure.”

Katara wrinkled her nose. “You do realize we’re also talking about my brother, right?”

“Can’t relate,” Toph said. “I’m surprised you didn’t immediately catch on to it. Did you hear them at breakfast? They were feeding each other.”

“I guess I was distracted.” Which was true. She’d been reeling from the situation with Zuko and had eaten her oatmeal while only half-listening to Teo describe a certain wild bee species that was supposed to be active this time of year. She hadn’t even noticed Suki and Sokka, nor really thought about them for that matter. Katara felt a twinge of guilt at that - she’d been so wrapped up in her own issues that she hadn’t been a very attentive friend.

“You have been acting weird,” Toph mused, adjusting herself so she could lean her head backward over the arm of the chair. “Zuko too.” Her blind eyes widened suddenly. “Hold on. Did you fuck?”

Katara stood suddenly at that, her face immediately burning. “ Spirits , Toph! No! Absolutely not!”

Toph snickered. “Wow. Lotta denial there, Sweetness.”

“Nothing happened!” Katara said, beginning to pace. “Well, nothing on purpose.”

Toph’s brow crinkled. “How do you accidentally fuck?”

“We didn’t fuck!” Katara said, her voice becoming slightly shrill. “We’re just friends. That’s it. Nothing else at all.”

“So what happened?” Toph was picking at a piece of dried red paint on her arm, apparently unaffected by Katara’s frantic pacing. “Something’s bothering you. Spill.”

Katara was pulling on the end of her braid. She felt full of nervous, jumpy energy, making her words tumble out of her mouth as she spoke. “Okay, so we were sharing a tent, right? And I move around in my sleep. I don’t mean to, I just do. And at some point during the night, I moved on top of him.”

“Sexy,” Toph commented. Katara paused her pacing to glare uselessly at her.

“ Not sexy,” she corrected. “I woke up with my head on his chest and my hand under his shirt. It was so, so awkward.”

“Does he have abs? I feel like he’s the type of guy to have abs.”

“That’s not the point, Toph.” Katara started pacing again. “Anyway, he’s not the type of person who likes his personal space invaded. That’s been the crux of almost every argument we’ve ever had. So I apologized, but he didn’t seem mad about it, which was already weird. But then he started acting like I’d offended him or something, and I have no idea what went wrong.”

Toph closed her eyes and ran a hand through her bangs. “And you guys have been avoiding it ever since, I take it?”

“Kind of. And then a couple days ago, I broke my favorite comb. And he was just…really flippant about it. And I might have yelled at him a little.” She felt a twinge of guilt at that. “So now we aren’t speaking. Sokka thinks I was wrong to get mad at him.”

“Wait.” Toph sat up. “You yelled at him about a comb?”

She felt herself flush. “It wasn’t just a comb. It was special.”

Toph shook her head. “Okay, I think I know what’s going on.”

“You do?” Katara stopped to face her friend, pulling her hands from her braid to clasp them in front of her.

“Yes.” Toph turned to face Katara, her sightless eyes meeting hers. “You’re catching feelings.”

Katara let out a groan of frustration. “No, that’s not at all what’s going on. Weren’t you listening?”

“Yeah, I was.” Toph crossed her arms. “You’re the one in denial.”

“No, I’m -”

Toph stopped her with one finger. “Let me lay it out for you, Sweetness. Because I think I’ve figured this out. You’ve been getting really close with Sparky, closer than a lot of friends usually get. But you’re so focused on how hard you’ve had to fight to actually become his friend that the idea of your relationship moving beyond that isn’t something you’re ready to confront. The fact that you woke up cuddling him and your first thought was that he would be upset about it makes me think that you’re still walking on eggshells around him, which means you care way too much about what he thinks of you. As to why he got upset, was there anything else you said that may have triggered it?”

Katara thought back to the conversation in the tent, to the moment Zuko withdrew his hand and closed himself off. “I said it was weird. That friends don’t cuddle like that. I told him I didn’t want him to think I was hitting on him.”

Toph scratched a spot behind her ear. “Okay. Yeah. I see why he got upset.”

“You do?” Katara still wasn’t sure how much she wanted to actually listen to Toph’s analysis, but she seemed relatively confident about it. “Can you tell me?”

She snorted, and shook her head. “Nope.”

“Why not?”

“Because you need to figure that out.” Toph adjusted the ties of her bathrobe. “Back to your emotional constipation. Since you feel so conflicted about your feelings for Sparky, it’s making you feel uncomfortable around him. That’s probably why you snapped at him.”

“What if you’re wrong?” Katara said. “What if Zuko is just grossed out by me invading his space?”

Toph leaned her chin on her fist. “If you think that’s what’s going on, you’re blinder than I am.”

…

Katara ended up spending another two days to consider what Toph had said to her. The rational part of her brain wanted to vehemently deny the very notion that her feelings for Zuko were anything more than platonic. They were friends. Sure, she acted a little differently around Zuko than she did with pretty much anyone else, but that was because they’d gone through so much. She was his first friend in a long time if Iroh was to be believed, as well as the first person he’d opened up to about his trauma. Of course their relationship wasn’t going to be normal.

But now that it was there, Katara couldn’t get the idea out of her head. Sure, Zuko was attractive, but that was just common sense. Anyone could see that. She’d never entertained the idea of kissing him, right? 

Well, now she was, but that was only because Toph put the thought in her head.

Even if she did have a teeny, tiny crush on Zuko, there was no way he felt the same about her. He’d never once tried to flirt with her, or expressed any interest in being more than what they were. He probably just tolerated her touching him - it wasn’t like he initiated it at any point. And he always seemed so uncomfortable when she was close to him. 

Katara eventually came to the conclusion that Zuko was sensing her crossing a line, and felt too awkward to bring up that he didn’t want it. And while that stung a little bit, she hadn’t known that she’d been overstepping, let alone that she even had those sort of thoughts about Zuko. She just had to apologize, and promise that she would dial it back. Although what exactly she had to dial back, she wasn’t sure.

She still had to have the horribly awkward conversation, though.

Katara set herself up on the kitchen island with a book and a cup of tea. It was getting close to the time that Zuko would come out to refill his coffee, and she was hoping to catch him before he holed up again.

She only had to wait half an hour for Zuko to come out of his room. When he saw her at the island, he paused.

“Hey,” she said, giving him a small, apologetic smile.

He swallowed. “Hey.”

“Can we talk for a second?”

His lips were pressed into a thin line, but he didn’t look angry. If anything, he looked nervous. “Uh, sure.” Zuko walked over to the coffee maker and started a fresh pot. “What do you want to talk about?”

“I, um, wanted to apologize, actually,” Katara said. Her tea was cold by now, but she kept her fingers firmly wrapped around the mug. “I overreacted. About my comb. I was upset, and -”

“Could you hold that thought?” Zuko interrupted. Katara blinked, thrown off of her internal script.

“Okay?”

Zuko walked into his room, leaving his coffee mug on the counter. She could hear him moving things around, and when he reappeared, he was holding a small, brown parcel. He put it in front of her and stepped back. “This is for you.”

Katara was so confused by the situation that she could only stare at the box like it was a bomb. “What is this?”

Zuko shifted his weight. “It came yesterday. I got expedited shipping for it.”

She picked up the small box. It was rather light, but definitely contained something. She pried open one end and carefully extricated a bubble-wrapped item. When she pulled back the packaging to reveal it, her breath caught in her chest.

It was an ivory comb. 

“Did you…” Her voice trailed off. She picked up the comb, turning it over and over in her hands. It wasn’t the same as the one she’d broken, but the craftsmanship was incredibly familiar. It even had the little wave symbol at the base of its handle. “Is this from Imiq?”

“Yeah,” Zuko said. He was standing a ways away from her, hands shoved deep in his pockets. “I, uh, contacted the maker. She hasn’t made any in years, but said she still had a couple from the last time she sold them. I know it can’t replace your old one, but -”

“Zuko,” she said, her voice soft. “Did you buy this for me?”

His cheeks pinkened. “You seemed really sad when your other one broke. I hope this one is okay.”

Katara could feel tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. This whole time, she’d been stewing about her own issues while Zuko had gone through so much trouble to fix what had upset her. She set the comb gently down in the bubble wrap and stood up. She walked over to him and hugged him, pressing her face into his chest. After a moment, he wrapped his own arms around her.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled by his shirt. “You don’t know how much that means to me.”

Zuko didn’t say anything, just let out a long sigh against her hair. She felt him relax into her embrace, his arms tightening slightly around her.

Katara adjusted her cheek so she could breathe a little easier. With her ear pressed to his chest, she could hear his heartbeat. It was loud, and fast. “I’m sorry,” she said, quietly. “For yelling at you.”

Zuko chuckled, which sounded more like a rumble from her position. “That’s okay. You’ve had to endure me yelling at you more than once. It’s only fair.”

“Still.” She pulled back so she could look into his face, keeping her hands on his shoulders. “Friends don’t do that to each other.”

“Yeah,” he said. His voice was soft. “Friends.”

They stared at each other for a moment, caught in a strange sort of stasis. Her arms remained on his shoulders, and his hands had fallen to her waist. Katara was dimly aware of how warm they were. His golden eyes were flicking across her face, and his lips were slightly parted, like he was about to say something. Katara could hear her heartbeat thundering in her ears.

“Well,” she said, clearing her throat and stepping back. It broke the moment. Zuko withdrew his hands and closed his mouth, red creeping up the hem of his neckline. “Have you eaten dinner? I can make us something.”

“I haven’t yet,” Zuko said. His voice was slightly husky. “I, uh, can help you.”

“Great!” she spun away from him, trying to ignore the dizzy feeling that had come over her. “How does spaghetti sound?”

She spent the rest of the evening trying to distract herself from the butterflies that had taken up residence in her stomach. They were only there because Toph willed them into existence, she reasoned. It was definitely not because she actually had feelings for Zuko.

Not at all.

Chapter Text

“I have a request to ask of you.”

Zuko looked up from tying his shoe. “What is it?”

Katara slid her keys into her purse, trying to remain as casual as possible. If she acted like it wasn’t a big deal, Zuko was more likely to say yes. Currently, they were getting ready to go down to the Jasmine Dragon, which had become a weekly ritual for them. “Would it be okay if I asked Suki to meet us there in a little bit? She wants to get to know you more.” Her exact words had been ‘ you don’t get to call dibs on our new friend ’ but this version felt a little less aggressive.

His brow creased. “Why does she want that?”

Katara snorted, and then she realized Zuko was serious. “Zuko, she wants to be your friend.”

He considered this for a moment, and then shrugged. “Sure, I guess.”

She stepped over and poked his shoulder, a teasing grin on her face. “Look at you, mister socialite! So excited to be making friends.”

Zuko chuckled. “Two friends? My uncle is going to be psyched.”

“Wait until he hears about everyone else.”

Mid-August was easily the hottest time of year in Ba Sing Se. As soon as the pair stepped out of the air-conditioned apartment building, they were hit with a blast of heat. It wasn’t terribly humid, which was nice, but it wasn’t even noon and it was hot enough to be uncomfortable. Katara knew it got hotter elsewhere in the world, but summers in Imiq rarely got warmer than fifty degrees (a cause for spending the day in the ocean cooling off). The sweat seemed to pop up on her skin immediately, and she thought about how nice it would feel to jump off the dock into the cold sea.

Zuko, on the other hand, didn’t look bothered whatsoever. He was wearing a t-shirt, sure, but he was also wearing his usual dark jeans and leather boots. Katara wondered if he even owned a pair of shorts.

“Aren’t you hot?” she said, when they stopped at a crosswalk. She could feel her loose baby hairs sticking to the nape of her neck. “I feel like I’m melting.”

Zuko tipped his head to the side, like he was considering the temperature. “Not really. It’s only eighty degrees.”

Katara almost stumbled over her feet when the crosswalk gave them the green light. “ Only eighty degrees ? Do you hear yourself?”

He smirked at her. “You know Caldera City regularly reaches over one-hundred degrees, right?”

She shuddered. “That sounds horrendous. I think I’d actually burst into flames if I experienced that.”

“Well, it’s usually accompanied by monsoons, so you’d be in luck.” Zuko looked over at her, his eyebrow raised slightly. “I read that Imiq spends most of the year below freezing. Is that true?”

Katara was surprised that Zuko had been looking into Imiq. It wasn’t often that people cared enough to learn more about her little hometown. “Yeah. The snow never really melts.”

Zuko grimaced. “I can’t even imagine that. I don’t like when it snows here , and that’s only for a few weeks.”

“It’s not that bad,” Katara said, patting his shoulder. “You just wear a lot of layers. You won’t find better crafted jackets anywhere else in the world.”

“What about the North?”

She snorted. “No way. They think they’re cool and modern, so all their clothes are made with fake fur now.” She made a flippant gesture. “It’s nowhere near as warm as the real deal.”

“I’ll have to take your word on that,” Zuko said.

“When you come down to the South, we’ll get you a coat that’ll be so warm you forget it’s freezing,” Katara said. After a second, she realized what she’d implied. “I mean, if you want. To ever come to the South.” Why was she so flustered? It was perfectly normal to encourage your friends to visit your hometown. She’d definitely worded it like it was a guarantee that Zuko would go to Imiq someday, though.

They’d made it to the Jasmine Dragon. Zuko held open the door for her, an easy smile on his face. He didn’t seem at all weirded out by her comment. “Sounds nice,” he said, following her inside. “I’m in need of a good coat.”

As per usual, Iroh was very excited to see them. He came out from behind the counter, arms held wide. “Nephew! Miss Katara! Welcome!” He managed to squeeze them both into a hug at the same time, pressing their shoulders together for one long, claustrophobic second. “How lovely it is to see you.”

“Uncle, you saw me last night,” Zuko said, gently extricating himself from Iroh’s grip.

“I know,” Iroh said, still smiling. “But you should know by now that every meeting with you is one that brings me joy.” He picked up Katara’s hand in both of his, giving it a squeeze. “And seeing Miss Katara with you makes me even happier. When will you start joining us for dinner, my dear? Although, Zuko spends so much time talking about you that I don’t feel like I am missing much.”

“Uncle!” Zuko said, his face swiftly turning red.

Iroh let go of Katara’s hands, but not without giving her a surreptitious wink. “Just an observation, nephew.” Katara giggled as Zuko’s blush deepened.

“Don’t you have a teashop to run?” he said pointedly. 

Iroh chuckled. “I’ll leave you be. Would you like some tea?”

“A pot of jasmine would be nice, Iroh,” Katara said. “We’re going to have another friend join us soon.”

Iroh’s gold eyes lit up. “Another friend? Have I had the pleasure of their acquaintance yet?”

“No,” Zuko said. “She’s a, uh, new friend. To me, at least.”

“We’re working on merging our friends,” Katara explained. Iroh looked delighted about this.

“How wonderful! I’ll be sure to bring you extra cups.” With one last enthusiastic clap on his nephew’s shoulder, Iroh retreated to the staff-only area.

Katara and Zuko sat at their usual table. It was a four-top, so there would be enough space for Suki. Katara had texted her earlier to let her know that the plan was a go, and she would be showing up shortly. They chatted idly while Iroh brought them their tea. Zuko didn’t seem too nervous, but he also couldn’t stop his fingers from drumming on the tabletop.

“Relax,” Katara soothed, laying her hand over the top of his. As soon as she did so, his fidgeting ceased. He gave her a small smile, and for some reason it made her stomach explode with butterflies. Katara withdrew her hand and busied herself with a sip of her tea, hoping that would be enough to force them into submission. Those moments were happening a lot more often than she’d care to admit. Fucking Toph .

When Suki came into the teashop, she spotted them almost immediately. She greeted them with an excited wave, which Katara returned. Suki pulled out a chair on the side of the table between Katara and Zuko, throwing her bag over its back. 

“Hey guys,” she said, smiling. “Thanks for letting me crash your party.”

“We’re happy to have you,” Katara said. She poured her a cup of tea and passed it over. “Hope you like jasmine.”

Suki breathed in the steam coming off of the tea. “This smells so good.” She turned to Zuko. “Your uncle owns this place?”

“Uh, yeah.” Zuko cleared his throat. “He also comes up with a lot of the tea blends.”

Suki took a sip. She made a pleased humming sound. “Wow. This is really nice. Why don’t I drink tea more often?”

“It’s because you never slow down,” Katara joked. “Tea is for relaxing.”

“You’re right, I don’t have time for that,” Suki laughed. She raised an eyebrow at Zuko. “Don’t you usually drink coffee?”

“I do.” Zuko was tracing his finger around the rim of his cup. “I like it better.”

“I bet that scandalizes your uncle.”

He huffed a laugh. “It really does.”

They talked comfortably for a while. Suki was being careful to not put Zuko on the spot, but was still actively including him in the conversation and asking him questions. He was slowly becoming more forthcoming with his answers, and even asked Suki a few of his own. The whole thing made Katara feel warm inside - she loved seeing people she was close to become friends with each other.

“You got your degree at BSSU, right?” Suki asked, pouring herself a second cup of tea.

Zuko nodded. “Yeah. Did you?”

“I did my undergrad at University of Gaoling,” Suki said. “It’s actually how I ended up meeting Toph. When she graduated high school, we moved to Ba Sing Se together. I was going to law school, and she just wanted an excuse to leave town.”

“That sounds about right,” Katara laughed.

“I haven’t been to Gaoling,” Zuko said. “I hear it’s high end.”

“It’s ridiculously fancy,” Suki said, rolling her eyes. “The city is half rich people, half college students. And they both hate each other.”

“Omashu was half college students, half weird mountain people,” Katara said. “With the world’s most chaotic mailing system.”

Iroh came over to their table, carrying a small plate of pastries. He set them down between the three of them, a wide smile on his face. “On the house,” he explained. “For my nephew and his friends.”

Suki stood. “You must be Iroh,” she said, giving him a small informal bow. “I’m Suki. Your tea is amazing!”

Iroh beamed. “Why thank you, Miss Suki.”

“You didn’t need to do this, Uncle,” Zuko said, clearly embarrassed. Iroh waved him off.

“Nonsense. I needed an excuse to come over and make a new friend!”

“It’s great to meet you,” Suki said. “I’ll definitely be coming back. I didn’t think I was a tea person, but you may have converted me!”

Iroh winked. “That’s the plan, my dear.” He turned his attention to Zuko. “Nephew, would you be able to help me get something from the top shelf in the back? I’m afraid these old bones aren’t as stretchy as they once were.”

Zuko stood, brushing off his pants. “Sure, Uncle.”

As they began to walk toward the back of the teashop, Katara overheard Zuko say, “I thought I bought you a stepladder.”

“I must have misplaced it,” Iroh said, easily. “I don’t need one if I have such a tall nephew, now do I?”

“So,” Suki said, drawing Katara’s attention back. “I can’t help but notice you haven’t said anything.”

Katara wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about, and was a little nervous as to what sort of rumors Toph had been spreading. “About…?”

Suki sipped her tea and grinned. “Me and Sokka?”

“Oh!” A brief rush of relief came over her. “Yes! Tell me everything!” She paused, wrinkling her nose. “Actually, maybe an abridged version.”

Suki giggled. “I’ll keep it PG-13. But I do need to thank you for switching tents with me. It really made the difference.”

“Good,” Katara said. She decided she was going to keep her own awkward tent experience to herself. “So, what went down? I saw how flirty you guys were getting at the campfire.”

“Yeah,” Suki said. “We talked in the tent for a little while. I tried to make my intentions as clear as possible, but I doubt he would have done anything if I hadn’t kissed him first.” She smiled into her tea, cheeks slightly pink. “And you know what he said afterwards?”

“Something cheesy,” Katara guessed.

She shook her head. “He said, ‘Wait, do you like me, too?’”

Both women burst into laughter at that. Yep, that certainly sounded like Sokka.

“I swear he isn’t usually that dumb,” Katara said between her giggles. “I’m assuming you set the record straight?”

“Oh yes,” Suki relaxed into her chair, looking pleased with herself. “Twice, actually.”

Katara grimaced. “Okay, yuck .”

“Sorry, I couldn’t pass up that perfect opportunity.” Suki winked at her. Katara rolled her eyes.

“You guys are ridiculous. Are you dating now?”

Suki chewed on her lip. “Well…”

Katara sighed. “You haven’t had the conversation yet.”

“Not really.” Suki tapped the edge of her cup with her fingertips. “It’s been so easy. And I know he’s going to start overthinking it soon. But for now, I don’t want to complicate it.”

“Do you want to be in a relationship with him?”

“I think I do?” Suki shook her head. “My last relationship didn’t end very well, so I guess you could say I’m a bit gun-shy. And I know Sokka has never been a relationship sort of guy.”

“I think he’s in a similar boat,” Katara said. “His last relationship was a bit rough on him. I’m sure he’s told you about her.”

Suki nodded, her face turning solemn. “Yue. Yeah.”

“But he really likes you,” Katara said reassuringly. “The way he talks about you is so much different than anyone else he’s gotten involved with. You’re special to him.”

Suki blushed. “That’s nice to hear,” she said. “He’s special to me, too.”

“See? You guys just need to communicate a little more,” Katara said. “Once you’re on the same page, you’ll both realize how crazy you are about each other.”

Suki nodded, taking another sip of her tea. “Speaking of communication,” she said. “Toph told me something interesting the other day.”

Katara felt her stomach drop. “Oh?” she said, trying to act as casual as possible.

“Yeah,” Suki said. “She said you and Zuko got in a fight.”

Katara waited for the rest of the story to follow, but it didn’t. “That’s…all she told you?”

Suki raised an eyebrow. “Is there more to it?”

Katara sent a brief thanks to Toph for choosing to keep her mouth shut about her theories. “No. Just that.”

Suki still looked suspicious, but apparently decided not to pursue it. “Well, I guess you guys made up. Since you’re hanging out again.”

“Oh, yeah,” Katara said, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. “It was my fault. I apologized.”

“Good for you.” Suki smiled at her. “It’s nice to see what good friends you guys are. I really think you’re making a difference for him. This is the first time I’ve had an extended conversation with him. He’s being very nice.”

“He’s a good guy,” Katara said. “He just needs time to get comfortable around people.”

“Well, I’m glad he has you.”

Zuko finally reappeared from the back, looking somewhat flustered. He pulled out his chair and sat down, his eyes firmly focused on his tea.

“Welcome back,” Suki said. “Was Iroh having you take down every single thing from the top shelf?”

“Something like that,” Zuko muttered. “He also wanted to talk my ear off.”

“Aw,” Katara said. “He loves you.”

Zuko took a long drink from his tea. “Sometimes a little too much.”

…

Later that afternoon, Katara got a message from her father. This was already a bit unusual - Hakoda was a notoriously bad texter and communicated almost exclusively through phone calls.

Dad: Hey, sweetheart. Would love to video call with you and your brother. Are you available this evening? Love, Dad

Katara: Sokka should be back from work around six. Is something wrong? 

D: Nothing’s wrong. Just want to catch up with my kiddos. Love, Dad

K: You don’t need to sign your texts, dad.

D: How else would you know it’s me? Love, Dad.

The only time their father requested to video chat with them was when he wanted to tell them something important. Naturally, Katara was suspicious. But if it were bad news, he wouldn’t be hiding it, right? She screenshotted the conversation and sent it to her brother.

Sokka: hes hiding something

Katara: What could he possibly have to hide?

S: I guess we’ll find out later

S:...

S: what if hes going bald

K:...why would he need to video call us for that?

S: to show me my depressing future

As expected, by the time Sokka got home he was very stressed. He threw his work bag down on the kitchen island and turned to Katara. “What if he’s putting Gran-Gran in a home?”

Katara raised an eyebrow at him. “There isn’t even a retirement home in Imiq. Or the entire South Pole.”
Sokka pulled on the end of his ponytail. “That doesn’t mean he can’t move her out of the country.”

“Sokka, do you seriously think dad would do that? Abandon our eighty-nine year-old grandmother in another country?”

Sokka sighed and plopped down on the couch beside her. “No,” he said. “Sorry. I’m just nervous. What could he possibly have to tell us? It’s not like anything exciting happens back home.”

Katara pulled out her phone and opened her father’s contact. “It’s not going to be anything bad. He would have called us already otherwise.”

Sokka chewed on a fingernail. “What if he has a new girlfriend?”

Katara laughed. “I highly doubt that.” While it had never been outwardly mentioned or shown, she knew her father was already involved. His best friend, Bato, had been living in the house ever since the children moved out. And while Hakoda had never declared his relationship with the man, he’d never denounced it either. Katara saw the way they acted with each other - it was obvious.

She started the video call, positioning her phone on the table so it showed both her and Sokka. Her brother was still nervously chewing his nails. Katara nudged him to get him to stop. He shot her a glare.

When Hakoda answered the call, the screen showed a blurry close-up of his nose. “Hey, kiddos!” he said. The familiar timbre of his voice made Katara feel like a kid again. “How are you?”

“Dad, pull the camera back,” Sokka said. “I can see all the way up your nose.”

“Ah, sorry.” He adjusted the camera so it was a little farther from his face. “I don’t video call too often.” Hakoda looked the same as Katara remembered, except for the significant increase of silver specks in his beard. His dark hair was still full and thick, much to Sokka’s relief.

“We’re doing great, dad,” Katara said. “We miss you. And Gran-Gran.”

“We miss you, too,” Hakoda said. “Hold on, you can say hi.” He moved through the hallways of their small house. Katara could tell he was going from the kitchen to the front room. “Ma, the kids are on the phone.”

“They are?” Their grandmother’s distant voice barely reached the speakers. “Say hello for me. Ask them when they’re coming to visit.”

“Dad, can you turn the camera?” Sokka asked. “So we can actually see her?”

“Oh, sure.” Hakoda fumbled with the phone for a second, and then eventually just turned the whole thing around to face Kanna. The old woman was sitting in a chair by the fire, a quilt on her lap and a book in her hands. She was squinting at the phone.

“What are you showing me?” she asked.

“It’s the kids.”

“Bring them closer, Koda. You know my eyes aren’t what they used to be.”

Their father obliged, eventually handing the phone to their grandmother. When she finally saw Sokka and Katara, she smiled. “Hello, my loves.”

“Hi, Gran-Gran,” they chimed in unison.

“It’s nice to see you both in the same place. Are you taking care of each other?”

“Of course, Gran-Gran,” Katara said. “How have you been?”

Kanna’s face soured slightly. “I’d be much better if that damned Pakku Koneak would stop calling on me.”

“Ma!” Hakoda said. “He’s just being nice.”

Kanna frowned. “He’s been ‘nice’ ever since he tried to court me in Taqqiq, up north. Why he thinks things have changed after sixty years, I’ll never know.”

“Is Mr. Koneak still teaching?” Katara asked, ignoring the gross idea of her grandmother dating. Pakku Koneak had been her A.P. biology teacher, as well as her orchestra instructor. He’d also facilitated the exchange trip to the North that happened every four years. It was safe to say that Katara had spent a lot of time around him. He’d never been her favorite teacher, and they’d butted heads numerous times. Even so, he’d written her the most glowing letter of recommendation she’d ever gotten.

“No,” Kanna said. “He retired a few years ago. Giving him more time to bother me.”

“Alright, that’s enough about Pakku.” Hakoda retrieved the phone from his mother. “Say bye to the kids, Ma.”

“Goodbye, my loves,” Kanna said, giving the phone a little wave. “I hope to see you soon.”

After Sokka and Katara said goodbye to their grandmother, Hakoda took them back into the kitchen. “I’m sure you’re wondering why I wanted to video call,” he said. 

“Yes,” Sokka said, leaning forward. “It’s been driving me crazy.”

Hakoda smiled fondly at the camera. “I promise it’s nothing bad, Sokka.”

“He was worried you might be balding,” Katara said.

“Katara!” Sokka hissed.

Hakoda chuckled, running a hand through his thick, chin-length hair. “I certainly hope I’m not.”

“You’re not,” Katara reassured.

“Hold on one second.” Hakoda sat the phone on the table, showing them a view of the wooden ceiling. “Bato! C’mere!”

They heard footsteps come into the room, followed by the familiar voice of their dad’s best friend. “You need something?”

Hakoda picked up the phone again, leaning it against something so it faced him. He was sitting at the kitchen table. Bato was standing in the doorway, his head cocked slightly to the side. Their dad indicated the chair next to him. “I’m on the phone with the kids.”

Bato’s eyebrows raised slightly. “Oh. Are we gonna…?”

“Yes.”

Bato pulled out the chair and sat down. He glanced over at Hakoda before addressing the phone. “Hey Sokka, Katara. How’re you guys?”

“We’re great, Bato,” Katara said. “It’s nice to see you.”

“Hi, Bato!” Sokka said, waving at the camera. He’d always liked Bato, ever since he was a kid. He tended to let them get away with a lot more than Hakoda ever did, and encouraged all of Sokka’s plans, no matter how wild.

“Should we get right to it?” Hakoda asked, addressing Bato. The other man smiled, and gave him a slight nod. Their father turned back to the phone. “We’ve decided to get married.”

There was a beat of silence, and then both Katara and Sokka started talking at the same time.

“Dad, that’s so great! I’m so happy for you guys! Are you going to have a ceremony?”

“Wait, wait, hold on, since when have you guys been together? How did I miss this?”

Hakoda and Bato shared a look. “Let’s tackle Sokka’s first,” Bato suggested.

“It’s not that I’m not happy,” Sokka clarified. “I’m just confused. How long has this been a thing?”

“Almost six years?” Hakoda said, glancing over at Bato, who nodded. “I thought you knew already.”

“ I knew,” Katara said. “Sokka, they share a room. Our Solstice and birthday cards are signed by both of them. What did you think was going on?”

Sokka scratched his chin. “Okay, a lot of things are starting to make more sense.”

“Are you going to have a ceremony?” Katara repeated.  “When are you going to do it? Are we invited?”

“We weren’t planning on doing anything crazy,” Hakoda said. “Just going to City Hall and getting a certificate.”

“At this point, it’s more for tax reasons than anything,” Bato joked.

“Oh, c’mon,” Katara said. “That’s no fun. Could you at least have a party?”

“If you’re taking pictures, your suits need to be complementary,” Sokka added. “ Not matching. That’s cheesy.”

“Well,” Hakoda said. “It’d be a lot easier to plan if you two were here…”

“Is that an invitation?” Katara said, practically bouncing in her seat.

Bato laughed. “It certainly would make your grandmother a lot more happy to have you here.”

“It’s a little last minute,” Sokka said. “But I think I can swing it. I just finished a pretty big project, so they probably don’t need me in person.”

They discussed the logistics of their impromptu trip south. Katara was able to find plane tickets for both of them (not a lot of people wanted to fly to Imiq, anyway). They’d spend a good portion of the next week down south, and fly back before Sokka missed too much work. By the time they were wrapping up the phone call, all of them were excited about the upcoming wedding.

“I still can’t believe it,” Sokka said, after they’d hung up. “Did you ever think dad would get remarried?”

“Honestly, no.” Katara wrapped her fingers around the ring laying against her chest. “But I’m glad it’s Bato.”

Sokka nodded. “Remember Malina? She was really into dad.”

“Ugh, don’t remind me.” Katara stood and stretched. “Do you really think you can get work off?”

“I have some vacation time saved up,” Sokka said. “It’s definitely short notice, but my boss likes me. And like I said, I just finished the project I was working on.”

“It’ll be nice to go back home,” Katara said. “I was just telling Zuko today that I missed the cold.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow at her. “So all is well again? Did you apologize?”

“Yes, I apologized. And also -” She jogged over to her bathroom, and came back with the new comb. “Look at what Zuko got for me.”

Sokka took the proffered comb. He ran his fingers over the ivory, pausing over the wave emblem. “Dude. Is this from Imiq?”

“It is,” Katara said. “Can you believe he went through all that trouble?”

Sokka made a low humming noise in his throat. He handed it back to her. “That’s…really nice of him.”

“I know,” Katara said, holding the comb close to her body. Sokka was still looking at her, eyes narrowed slightly. He seemed to be thinking about something. “What?”

“Nothing,” Sokka said after a moment. “Just thinking.”

Katara laughed. “I can hear the rusty gears turning.”

“They’re not that rusty!”

Katara rolled her eyes. “Whatever you say, Sokka.”

Chapter Text

When they left the apartment to drive to the airport, it was cloudy. Katara wasn’t thinking about this, though - she was thinking about how excited she was to be visiting home. She could already taste her grandmother’s home cooked food, hear her father’s booming laugh. Sokka was equally as excited; he’d managed to get away with his short notice time-off as long as he answered his email and stayed in communication with his team.

Aang offered to drive them, but since he didn’t own a car (“Why would I need one? I have a bicycle!”) they took Katara’s. Sokka didn’t trust Aang not to park his car somewhere inconvenient, which apparently he’d done several times before.

“What do you have against walking?” Aang said, picking up Sokka’s suitcase.

“You say that like it’s not three blocks,” Sokka said. “That’s way too far to park from your house.”

“I don’t like to parallel park,” Aang argued.

“See, this is why you aren’t allowed to drive my car anymore.”

Katara rolled her own suitcase out of her room, setting it by the door. “I don’t mind where you park mine, Aang. I need to drive less anyway.”

“Are you almost ready?” Sokka said, adjusting his backpack on his shoulders. “I want to get to the airport two hours before our flight.”

“I have no idea why you need to be there so early.” Katara went back into her room. Her backpack was open on the bed, surrounded by several random items. She was a bit of a last minute packer, much to Sokka’s frustration. He’d been packed for two days.

“It eliminates any chance of being late for the flight. Also, you know how much I hate peeing on planes, and I’m halfway through a thirty-two ounce energy drink.” He came into the doorway of her room, an enormous can held aloft. When he saw the mess on her bed, his eyes almost bugged out of his skull. “ Katara. Please tell me you aren’t still packing.”

Katara shoved her laptop into her backpack, and followed it with a thick book about traditional Water Tribe medical practices. “It’ll just take me a minute, Sokka. Go put your stuff in the car.” She grabbed her keys off of her nightstand and tossed them to her brother, who almost dropped his drink as he caught them.

“You have ten minutes, and then I’m leaving without you.”

Katara waved a hand dismissively. “Heard that one before.”

After the front door closed and quiet returned to the apartment, Katara continued to try and fit all of the things she wanted to bring into her backpack. She’d only paid for one checked bag, and that was full. She’d need a hat and scarf on her carry-on; the current temperature in Imiq was in the low forties. Her dad was probably wearing a t-shirt, but she’d spent too much time away from home to still be used to the cold.

“Are you guys going to the airport?”

Katara turned to find Zuko in the doorway, leaning a shoulder on the frame. He was wearing a sweater today, which made Katara snort.

“Yeah. Are you cold?” While it was overcast outside, the temperature was still around seventy degrees. 

Zuko looked down at himself, like he’d forgotten he was wearing the clothing item. “Oh. A little. It's not very sunny today.”

Katara zipped up her backpack. “You’re kind of ridiculous.”

He shrugged. “Are you excited to go home?”

She shouldered the bag and smiled at him. “I am! I haven’t been home since winter. It’ll be nice to see my family.”

“I’ll bet.” He was holding himself somewhat awkwardly, looking anywhere but at her. “Uh. Well. I guess I’ll be -”

“Do you want to drive to the airport with us?” The words were out before she had much time to think of them. She didn’t want to say goodbye to Zuko, not yet anyway. 

He blinked, taken aback. “Do you want me to?”

Katara laughed. “Zuko, I just asked you.” She brushed past him in the doorway. “You can help carry my suitcase down.”

He obliged without a word.

Aang and Sokka only seemed mildly surprised to see Zuko trailing after her, luggage in tow. The trunk was open, and Sokka and Aang were leaning against the side of the car. Sokka looked impatient. Aang was playing with Katara’s keys.

“I don’t think they’ll accept Zuko as a carry-on,” Sokka said.

“He’s just coming to the airport with us,” Katara said. She took her suitcase from Zuko and tossed it in her trunk, closing the door after it. 

“Nice!” Aang said. “Now my drive back won’t be as boring!”

Zuko’s eyes flicked to Katara before they went back to Aang. “I’m not sure how much fun I’ll be.”

“Nonsense.” Aang patted his shoulder. “There’s so much we still don’t know about each other! We can play get-to-know-you games!”

“Can we just get a move on, please?” Sokka said, staring at his watch. “By the time we get there, we’ll only be an hour and forty-five minutes early.”

Aang got in the driver’s seat and Zuko got in the back. Katara and Sokka looked at each other.

“It’s your car,” Sokka said. “You want shotgun?”

“You can take it,” Katara said. “Unless you want to sit by Zuko.”

“I think I’m good.”

There was the usual city traffic, which only got worse the closer they got. The Ba Sing Se airport was one of the biggest in the world, which made it a nightmare to deal with. Whenever Sokka started to fret about how late to being early they were, Katara would try and distract him by talking about home. 

“Do you think Gran-Gran will make us stew? I’ve missed her cooking a lot.”

“What sort of stew does she usually make?” Aang asked. 

“You wouldn’t like it, Aang,” Sokka said, staring out the window. “It’s got three kinds of meat in it.”

Katara glared at the back of her brother’s seat. “Sorry about him, Aang. Air travel really brings out his sourpuss.”

“I know,” Aang said, giving her a smile in the rearview. “This is still better than Holiday Travel Sokka.”

“I resent that.”

“Do you have any plans while we’re gone, Zuko?” Katara asked, turning to her seatmate. “Gonna take advantage of the quiet apartment?”

Zuko huffed a laugh. “Just working. I don’t have anything else to do.”

“You can hang out with me!” Aang offered. “I have a new lesson plan I wanted to try out. What are your thoughts on paper mache?”

“Uh, neutral, I guess?”

Katara giggled. “Please send me pictures of that.”

By the time they pulled up to the airport, they were still an hour and a half early for their flight. Sokka was still anxious to get going, but wasn’t rushing. Zuko got out to help them get their luggage out of the back. Aang yelled goodbye to them from the front seat of the car, and promised to come pick them up later that week.

“Have fun in the snow,” Zuko said, handing Katara her suitcase. 

“Thanks,” she said, smiling. Then a realization hit her. They were getting on a plane to go somewhere cold, and she’d forgotten to bring a coat in her carry-on. “Shit. I forgot my jacket.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sokka groaned. “This is what you get for last minute packing, Kat.”

Katara bit her lip, looking down at her suitcase. “I have my big coat in my bag, but it’s all the way at the bottom.”

“You’re just going to have to deal,” Sokka said. “We’re already cutting it way too close.”

Katara was wondering just how expensive the sweatshirts at the airport were when she realized Zuko was taking off his sweater. Before she could stop him, he was holding the rumpled fabric out to her.

“Take mine,” he said. “I don’t need it right now, anyway.”

Katara stared at the sweater, suddenly entirely unsure what to do. “I-”

“You’re taking it,” Sokka said. He took the sweater from Zuko’s hand and shoved it into Katara’s chest. “Now c’mon.”

The sweater was still warm. Katara clutched it close to herself, trying to ignore the heat flooding her cheeks. “Thanks,” she said, quietly.

Zuko smiled at her, and the expression only made her feel warmer. “Don’t want you to be cold,” he murmured.

She was pulled away by Sokka before she could say much else. She looked back before they went inside. Zuko was still standing by the car, watching them go. He raised a hand in a wave.

She waved back, clutching the sweater tighter.

…

By the time they’d boarded the plane, Katara still hadn’t put on the sweater. She currently had it resting in her lap, absently kneading the maroon material. Sokka glanced over at her, then moved his headphones so they rested around his neck.

“Are you going to wear that or not?”

Katara was caught off guard by the question. “What?”

“I’m just saying, it was a nice gesture,” Sokka said. “But you’re acting like it’s a weird thing for him to do.” He poked the sweater. “Does it smell bad or something?”

“Of course not,” Katara said, pulling the clothing out of Sokka’s reach. 

“Then what’s wrong with it?”
“Nothing.” She brought the fabric close to her again, rubbing her thumbs over its softness. “I just…I don’t know. Do you think he meant anything by it?”

“You’re overthinking this.” Sokka pulled the magazine from the seat pocket in front of him, flipping idly through the pages. “It was the easiest solution to the problem at hand. He had a sweater, you didn’t. You needed something warm, he didn’t.” He paused suddenly, and turned to give her a suspicious look. “Unless there’s something else going on here?”

Katara shook her head. “I think you were right with the first part.” Trying not to think about it too much, she pulled the sweater over her head. It was a bit large on her, but not baggy. It was obviously one Zuko used often, since it was more stretched in some places than in others. She resisted the urge to breathe in the sweater’s scent, but putting it on immediately reminded her of Zuko. Warm and spicy, like cinnamon and candle smoke.

“At least he has nice taste,” Sokka commented.

Even if the trip was six hours long, flying out of Ba Sing Se had its perks. They had no layovers. Their plane was small (two seats on either side of the aisle), so they didn’t have to worry about sitting next to a stranger for a long period of time. It probably wouldn’t have been a problem anyway - the flight was nowhere near full. Not a lot of people had reason to go to the South Pole. The only airport was in Imiq, and it only had two gates. Katara spent most of the trip reading or napping, and getting up for Sokka, who had to pee no less than three times. 

“This is what you get for drinking that huge can.”

“I thought I could avoid this by peeing at the airport,” Sokka complained, scooting past her yet again.

“Caffeine is a diuretic, Sokka.”

When they landed in Imiq, it was still light outside. The sun would have set in Ba Sing Se, but polar summers had long days. The air was cold and crisp despite the cloudless sky. The airport tarmac was free of snow, but dirty piles of it were pushed up against the edges. Sokka made a noise of discomfort as soon as they left the warm body of the plane.

“I forgot how fucking cold it is in August ,” he complained. 

Katara hummed in agreement, running her hands up and down the sleeves of her borrowed sweater.

Their family was waiting at the gate, all warm smiles and excitement. Hakoda immediately scooped Katara into a bear hug, and Gran-Gran descended on Sokka with a flurry of kisses and expressions about how tall he was. They switched places, and Kanna placed both her hands on Katara’s cheeks.

“You are more beautiful every time I see you,” she said, and placed a warm, firm kiss on her forehead.

“Why didn’t you say that to me?” Sokka said. Bato immediately put him in a playful headlock.

“You only get one - tall or beautiful,” he teased. Sokka laughed, squirming his way out of the hold.

“I’m not getting tall anytime soon,” Katara said. Their father reached over and patted her head. 

“Sorry, sweetheart. Height doesn’t exactly run in our family.”

“It does if we count Bato!” Sokka tugged on a strand of Bato’s hair, pulling the tall man down slightly. “Finally! Someone in our family over six feet tall! The top shelf will never know what hit it.”

They all piled into Hakoda’s truck, luggage thrown in the bed. Sokka and Katara squeezed in the back with their grandmother between them, and she quizzed them relentlessly about their lives in Ba Sing Se.

“Have you started school yet?” she asked, addressing Katara.

“No Gran-Gran, not until September.”

“Can’t emphasize how happy I am that I’m not in school anymore,” Sokka said.

“But you have your job,” Gran-Gran pointed out. “Building things!”

“It’s more like designing buildings,” Sokka corrected. “And less like construction.”

“I did construction for a summer,” Bato said. “Didn’t like it nearly as much as fishing.”

The drive to their house was as familiar as the back of her hand. They passed the high school, and the gas station with all the good snacks. Katara knew that if they made a left turn instead of a right at a certain fork, they’d arrive at the fishing docks. She could point out her old friends’ houses, and wondered briefly if they still lived there. They probably did. Not a lot changed in Imiq, and not many people left. It helped make everything feel incredibly nostalgic every time she came back.

They parked in the gravel drive in front of their house. Katara helped her grandmother out of the truck while the men brought the luggage inside. The house looked as warm and inviting as it always did, half-melted snow still present on the roof. One of the nice things about it being summer was that there wasn’t any ice on the stairs leading up to the front door. There had been plenty of times as a child where Katara would just use the back door to avoid the hazard. 

When the front door was open, the siblings were immediately greeted by the strong smell of their Gran-Gran’s signature dish. Katara’s mouth immediately watered.

“Did you make sea prune stew?” she asked. Her grandmother had let go of her arm and was making her way to the kitchen. She smiled at Katara over her shoulder.

“You still like it, don’t you?”

“Are you kidding?” Sokka said, sliding off his jacket and hanging it up by the door. “I’ve been dreaming about that stew. For months.”

“It must have taken you all afternoon, Gran-Gran,” Katara said. She was very familiar with the time it took to make the dish - as soon as she was able to walk her grandmother had insisted she learn how to cook it. It took hours .

“It’s no problem, dear,” Kanna said from within the kitchen. “It gave me something to do while waiting for you to come home.”

“She wouldn’t let me help,” Bato said, plopping himself into an armchair. 

Kanna appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, wooden spoon in hand. “That’s because you can’t help but sneak tastes. I don’t consider that helping.”

“Can’t blame you for trying,” Hakoda said, coming up behind Bato and putting his hands on his shoulders.

“I’m gonna put my stuff in my room,” Sokka said. “But after that, I want to eat as soon as possible.”

“Ditto.” Katara picked up her own bag. Her bedroom was at the back of the house, right next to her grandmother’s room. Her father’s room was just down the hall. Sokka had moved into the attic when he turned fourteen, claiming he’d rather live amongst the spiders than share a room with his sister any longer. Katara didn’t mind this - she much preferred having her own room. 

Her room was almost entirely untouched. It reminded her of high school, what with her twin bed and desk piled high with old, dusty textbooks. She’d taken most of her favorite things with her to college, but her walls were still plastered with posters and photographs. Katara put her luggage on her bed and opened the closet. Her heavy-duty winter clothes greeted her first, but just behind them was a familiar shape. She pulled out her old violin case, a smile on her face.

“It’s been a long time since I heard you play.”

She turned to look at her father, standing in the open doorway of her bedroom. “You know what’s funny? I bought one in Ba Sing Se and started playing again.” She opened the case. The violin was just as she remembered, down to the tiny chip at the bottom from when she’d dropped it when she was thirteen.

“That’s wonderful.” Hakoda pulled out her desk chair and sat on it. “Your mother loved your music.”

Katara’s hand drifted to touch her necklace. It was almost entirely hidden beneath Zuko’s sweater, but she pressed her fingers into it all the same. “Yeah.”

Hakoda cleared his throat, like he always did when he was about to talk about something serious. Katara looked over to find him focused on his hands, clasped between his knees. 

“I wanted to touch base with you,” he said. “About how you feel about this.”

“About what?” she said, closing the instrument case.

Hakoda’s blue eyes met hers. “Me remarrying.”

Katara leaned back against her bed. “I feel fine,” she said, simply. “You deserve to be happy, dad. It’s been fifteen years.” 

Hakoda smiled sadly at her. “Sometimes I forget how long it’s been. I think about her every day.”

Katara pushed herself off of her mattress and hugged her dad around the shoulders, pressing her cheek to his. “Me too.” He brought a hand up to squeeze hers. “She’d want you to be happy.”

“She would.” 

“And you could have done a lot worse than Bato.”

Her father laughed.

Dinner was as chaotic as it usually was when her family was all in one place. Everyone was talking over each other and reaching across the table, often nearly knocking things over in the process. Her Gran-Gran’s sea prune stew was just as delicious as it always was, especially with the added elk sausage. It was deemed a special enough occasion to have wine, so Bato pulled out the glasses and poured some for everyone.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve had a wedding in the family,” Kanna said, breaking off a piece of bread to dip in her stew. “I’ve forgotten all the customs.”

“That’s fine, mom,” Hakoda said. “I’ve already told you, there isn’t going to be a wedding.”

“We’re going traditional,” Bato said, with a wink.

“If it were truly traditional, it would be arranged,” Kanna pointed out. “Thank the Spirits that’s no longer the case.”

“I think they’re still doing it up North,” Sokka said. “In an under the table sort of way.”

Kanna wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Which is exactly why I left.”

“Don’t you have to hunt for us?” Katara pointed her spoon at Bato. “To prove you can provide for dad? Isn’t that a thing?”

“Or does dad hunt for Bato?” Sokka scratched his chin. “There’s a bit of a gender role implication. Maybe both of you should hunt.”

Hakoda and Bato shared a look.

“That’d be way too much meat.”

“I’m taking back traditional,” Bato said. “We’ll go with modern. Isn’t this what the kids are doing, nowadays? Getting a license and calling it good?”

“Don’t look at me,” Katara said. “I’m not getting married any time soon.”

Kanna shook her head. “A shame. I’d like to see one of my grandchildren get married before I die.”

“Don’t talk about dying, Gran-Gran,” Sokka said. “Besides, you can come to my wedding.” The table suddenly became very quiet as everyone turned to stare at Sokka. It took the man a second to realize what he’d said, and then he immediately tried to backtrack. “Wait, hold on-”

“What wedding? Are you getting married?”

“Spirits, Sokka, please tell me no one is pregnant.”

“Who’s the lucky person, Sokka?”

Katara sat back and laughed as her family bombarded her brother with questions. He looked like he was thoroughly regretting speaking.

“There is no wedding!” he said, throwing his hands up to ward them off. “No one is pregnant. Forget I said anything!”

“Wow, Sokka,” Katara said, leaning her chin into her hand. “I had no idea you liked Suki so much.”

This immediately set her family off again, just as she’d planned. Sokka glared at her from across the table. She stuck her tongue out at him.

“Who’s Suki? How long have you known them?”

“Are you dating?”

“When are you bringing them home to meet us?”

“If everyone promises to calm down a little, I will tell you about Suki,” Sokka said. “And then you each get one question.” When everyone quieted down, Sokka continued. “Suki’s my…friend. Who means a lot to me. She lives in Ba Sing Se and graduated from the law school.”

“Is she a special friend?” Bato asked, grinning.

“I don’t like the way you said that,” Sokka said, shoving a piece of bread in his mouth. “But yes.”

“How did you meet her?” Hakoda asked.

“Her roommate and I had a class together.”

“What class did you have with Toph?” Katara knew their mutual friend had taken a few classes at the college for fun, but wasn’t sure which ones. It probably wasn’t upper level engineering, but that didn’t mean it was off the table.

“Landscape painting,” Sokka answered. “I picked colors for her and tried to describe what we were supposed to be looking at. She didn’t listen to me.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Do you plan on marrying this girl?” Gran-Gran asked, staring intently at Sokka.

“Who, Toph? I don’t think I’m her type.”

“No, Suki,” Kanna clarified. “You made it sound like you wanted a wedding. Is it with her?”

Sokka’s cheeks turned pink. “Uh, I think there’s a few steps between now and marriage .”

“But you like her.” Kanna smiled. “I can tell.”

“He definitely does,” Katara added. “You should see the way he acts around her. He’s totally head-over-heels.”

“I don’t think it’s that obvious,” Sokka grumbled, pushing his stew around with his spoon.

“It definitely is.”

Hakoda clapped his son on the shoulder, causing him to drop his spoon into his bowl. “Good for you, Sokka! Honestly, I would have thought it’d be Katara first, but I won’t complain.”

“Dad, I’m only twenty-three,” Katara whined. “Isn’t medical school enough for now?”

Bato laughed, placing his hand on top of Hakoda’s free one. “I guess we just like the idea of grandchildren.”

“Great-grandchildren for me!” Kanna said. “Keleh Nutaraq already has two, and they’re absolutely adorable.”

“There will be no babies any time soon,” Sokka said firmly. “So stop getting all your hopes up.”

After dinner, Katara helped her grandmother do dishes in the kitchen. The men put the leftover food away and cleared the table, leaving the dishes next to the sink for the women to wash and dry. Kanna washed the dishes and handed them to Katara, who dried them and put them away. While they worked, they talked about Katara’s new life in Ba Sing Se, as well as Kanna’s ongoing feud with Pakku. Towards the end of their chore, they lapsed into a comfortable silence.

“I can’t help but notice that you’re wearing a man’s sweater.”

Katara paused her meditative dish toweling. She’d forgotten all about Zuko’s sweater. At some point, she’d rolled the long sleeves up. “I am,” she said, carefully. She put the dry plate away in the cabinet. Of course her grandmother would notice. She noticed everything.

“It’s not Sokka’s sweater.”

“How could you possibly know that?” She glanced over at her grandmother, but Kanna was focusing on the dishes in the sink. There was a slight smile on her face.

“It’s not his style.”

It was definitely more taken care of than anything Sokka would wear. Katara wondered if Zuko got his clothes dry cleaned. “It isn’t.”

“Whose is it then?” While Kanna’s voice was casual, there was a question there.

“A friend’s.” Katara was somewhat hoping her grandmother would take the hint and drop the conversation. She didn’t.

“A friend like Sokka’s friend?”

“No, Gran-Gran,” Katara said, blushing. “Just a regular friend.”

“Tell me about him,” Kanna said, ignoring Katara’s embarrassment. “You must be close.”

She’d never been able to deny her grandmother. “His name is Zuko.”

Kanna hummed. “A Fire Nation name.” She handed Katara a freshly cleaned bowl. She took it and started to dry it.

“He’s Sokka and I’s roommate.”

“I thought he was an Air Nomad.”

“No, Gran-Gran, that’s Aang.” Katara finished drying the bowl and put it away in the cabinet. “Zuko’s the fourth roommate.” 

Kanna nodded slowly, and handed Katara another dish. “I met Aang on a video call once. I don’t remember meeting another boy.”

“You probably didn’t.” Katara wondered how best to breach the topic of Zuko’s complicated history with Sokka. “He’s…not very social.”

“He must be social now, if he’s giving you his clothes,” Kanna commented. “You know, when I was younger, that was something someone did when they intended to court you.”

It was like her grandmother was purposefully trying to make her uncomfortable. “He’s not trying to court me, Gran-Gran. I forgot to bring my coat on the plane so he lent me his.”

“I see.” Her grandmother handed her the last dish, then pulled the plug from the sink drain. “So why have you been wearing it all night?”

“I…” She struggled to come up with an answer for that. She wanted to say it was because she was cold, but the house was kept well-heated, so her grandmother would see right through that lie. Why was she wearing it all night? “I’m not sure.”

Kanna chuckled, taking the dish towel from Katara’s stilled hands to dry her own. “You must like this boy a lot, to be wearing his clothes like a badge of honor.”

“He means a lot to me,” Katara said, trying to sort through her thoughts. “Our friendship is important. I’ve gotten closer to him faster than I ever have with anyone. I…I can’t throw that away for a crush.”

Her grandmother smiled. She took Katara’s hands in both of her own, running her calloused thumbs over her knuckles. “Sweet girl,” she said, softly. “The strongest love finds its foundation in friendships. Your mother and father were friends before they fell in love. And your father and Bato. You have time to work through your feelings for yourself, Katara, but don’t pull away from something because you’re afraid it can’t turn into something else.”

It felt like something she needed to hear. Katara squeezed her grandmother’s hands. “I’m just…confused.”

Kanna leaned forward to press her forehead to Katara’s. “You’ll figure it out, my dear.”

After her grandmother went to bed, Katara sat at the kitchen table for a long time. She could hear her father, brother, and Bato talking in the living room, but didn’t want to join them just yet. She was thinking about what her grandmother said.

She ran her fingers along the collar of the sweater, thinking about how earlier it had rested against Zuko’s skin. Without really thinking about it, she pulled the fabric up and over the bottom half of her face. If she closed her eyes and inhaled, she could practically see Zuko in front of her. She thought about hugging him, about his warm hands and the gentle scrape of his chin on her forehead. She thought about waking up on his chest, her hand resting on the smooth skin of his stomach. She thought about how he looked at her, and how his expression softened like it did for no one else.

Katara’s eyes shot open. She let the sweater fall from her fingers.

Oh. Oh no .

“Shit,” she whispered. “Toph was right.”

Chapter Text

The week in Imiq passed in a blur as Sokka and Katara worked to throw together an impromptu celebration for their father and Bato. The two men had shot down a lot of their more grandiose ideas, but had decided to allow a small party following their ‘ceremony’ (still firmly set as going to City Hall and signing a paper). Sokka and Katara spent a good portion of one day going around town to see if any old friends wanted to attend the get-together, and managed to wrangle Hakoda’s entire fishing crew into coming. They then worked on getting party supplies.

The whole day ended up being pretty fun - it’d been a long time since she and her brother had hung out with just the two of them. Katara took several pictures of Imiq and sent them to their group chat, including numerous photos of Sokka making dumb poses next to town landmarks and hastily erected snowmen. Aang was incredibly jealous of the snow, but claimed he was having fun nonetheless. He sent a selfie of him in the living room of their apartment, smiling and throwing up a peace sign. Also in the shot was Zuko, who was hunched over a paper mache globe. He looked a little embarrassed, but there was a slight smile on his face.

Katara stared at this photo for longer than necessary, her cheeks warming at the sight of Zuko. Now that she’d admitted to herself that she was developing less than platonic feelings for him, he’d been very difficult to get off of her mind. Even this picture of him made her heart beat a little faster in her chest. The fact that he’d chosen to spend time with Aang without her prodding him also made her incredibly happy to see. 

“Earth to Katara,” Sokka said, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up from her phone, blushing. Her brother was standing in front of a clothing shop, arms crossed with impatience. “How long are you going to stare at that text for?”

Katara shoved her phone into her pocket. “Sorry,” she said. She walked the rest of the way to the clothing shop, hoping Sokka didn’t notice the redness of her cheeks. She wanted to keep her realization to herself for as long as possible. She also knew that a good portion of her friends were unable to keep a secret - including her brother.

“You’ve been acting a little weird the last few days,” Sokka said, holding the door open for her. Katara stepped inside, stomping the mud off of her boots before she did so. 

“Weird?” she said, nonchalantly. “I’m not being weird at all.” She was definitely being weird. Like changing the topic whenever it started veering into dangerous territory. “Do you think dad has a suit in decent condition?”

“We don’t have time to get a suit tailored, so yes.” Sokka eyed her skeptically. “And you totally are. You’re acting weird right now.”

She really wanted to tell him. Katara told Sokka everything, even when it would have been better to keep it to herself. But this particular situation needed to be kept tightly under wraps until Katara decided exactly what she wanted to do with it. Outside opinions, no matter how well-meaning, would only muddle her thoughts. Also, something told her that Sokka wouldn’t exactly be stoked about her change of heart towards Zuko.

“It’s just been a while since I’ve been home,” she said. There was a very small formal section in the store, and she made her way towards that. “Brings back memories, you know?”

Sokka nodded, mollified by that answer. “I get that.” He pulled a few ties off of the counter, comparing them. “Would you ever see yourself moving back here someday?”

The question caught her off-guard. It’d been a long time since she’d thought about her future after medical school. “I don’t know. I love it here, and I love being with the family. But it feels so…”

“Small?”

“Yeah,” she said. “But they definitely need doctors here.”

“Imagine if they had a hospital here,” Sokka mused. He held up a dark blue tie. “What do you think of this one?”

“I like it. And having a hospital here would be much more ideal than transferring people to Ahimsa.” It was an hour-long helicopter ride to the southern Air Temple’s largest city, where the nearest hospital was.

“It’d be pretty cool to design that,” Sokka said. “Or at least be part of designing it.”

“Do you want to move back here?” Katara asked. She held up a green bowtie. Her brother took it and held it next to his blue tie. 

“Dunno,” he said. “Will it look stupid if one of them is wearing a tie and one of them is wearing a bowtie?”

“This is our dad we’re talking about,” Katara said. “He was going to get married in jeans.”

“Good point.” 

“Wasn’t your plan always going to be to come back here eventually?”

Sokka shrugged one shoulder. “Circumstances have changed.”

“Do you think Suki would like it here?”

Her brother blushed. “Katara…”

“Oh, come on,” Katara said, laughing. “She’s different, Sokka. You told me yourself. Don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it.”

“Yeah, I’ve thought about it,” he relented. “I think about a lot of things. That doesn’t mean I talk about them to the girl I’m only just now dating!”

Katara gave him a teasing grin and poked his shoulder. “So you are dating.”

“I swear, you’re going to make me insane.” He rolled his eyes, cheeks still red. “Do we need anything else here or can I buy these and go?”

She was about to say no when a thought struck her. “I gotta get a coat.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow. “You already have two.”

“Not for me,” she said. “For Zuko.” Too late, she realized how odd that sounded. Sokka’s expression turned suspicious. 

“Why does Zuko need a coat?”

“It has to do with a conversation we had before I left,” she explained, pulling her brother over to the small selection of fur-lined parkas. “I told him that coats made here are the warmest in the world. Plus, I sort of owe him for the comb.”

Sokka seemed to accept this explanation. She could tell that he wanted to ask when Zuko would need such a coat, which wasn’t exactly a question she felt like she could answer. Sokka didn’t need to know how much she’d been thinking about Zuko being in the South with her. As she picked out a coat that was roughly his size, she forced herself not to imagine him wearing it, standing in the falling snow and smiling at her. 

It didn’t work very well.

…

The civil ceremony was sweet, even if it was the most casual “wedding” Katara had ever been to. Their father and Bato had agreed to wear the ties their children had gotten them, but had refused the suits. They both wore button-up shirts and jeans, ignoring Sokka and Katara’s vocal displeasure.

“I think we look handsome,” Bato said, fixing Hakoda’s tie.

Hakoda brushed Bato’s hair behind his ear, grinning. “ You look handsome. This shirt is starting to show my age, I think.”

“You both look like hicks,” Sokka muttered. Katara elbowed him.

All three of them wanted to sign the witness portion of the marriage certificate. While Sokka and Katara played rock-paper-scissors, Kanna swooped in and signed it. She laughed at their annoyance.

“I’m pulling the elder card,” she said. 

The officiant, a tired looking older man, pulled the paper away before the siblings could try and sign it again.

The party afterwards was significantly more fun. Hakoda’s crew and their families poured into the house, bringing with them lots of food and several small gifts. Soon, their small house was filled with people laughing and drinking. Every possible kitchen surface was covered in plates and trays of homemade food. 

A lot of people were just as interested in talking to Sokka and Katara as they were in celebrating the new marriage. Sokka got pulled aside by several fishermen, wondering what Sokka thought about college and whether he was ever planning on coming back. There was a lot of friendly ribbing about his brain being too big for the boats. They also wanted to know about Katara becoming a doctor, but were less pushy about her coming back. Katara had never really connected with the community like her brother and father had - she’d always had her mind set on bigger things, and people around her could tell.

At one point, a woman she’d vaguely known in high school sat down next to her on the couch. It took Katara a moment to remember her name, which was embarrassing since she seemed to know her right away.

“Katara! It’s been so long since I saw you last.”

“It has!” Katara searched her mind for a name to go with the face in front of her, and was immediately relieved when one came. “How have you been, Nesa?”

Nesa smiled. She’d been on the swim team, Katara knew that for sure. But they’d never been particularly close. “I’ve been great! I hear you moved to Ba Sing Se?”

“Yeah, I’m going to medical school there.”

“Wow.” Nesa probably knew that already. But she was polite nonetheless. “That sounds like a lot of work.”

“It will be, but I’m looking forward to it.” Katara took a sip of her wine. This was her second glass, and she was starting to feel it. “What have you been up to?”

Nesa gave Katara a wide smile and thrust her hand forward. It took Katara a moment to realize that there was a ring on her finger. “Tolram and I got married!”

She barely remembered who Tolram was. Her mind was eventually able to conjure a man a year younger than Sokka. He worked at the docks. He and Nesa had been together in high school. “Congratulations!” Katara tried not to look too surprised. People in Imiq tended to get married young. 

“And,” Nesa continued, looking even more excited, “our firstborn is due in February.”

Katara blinked. It felt strange to hear that, considering she and Nesa were the same age. She couldn’t fathom having a husband at this point in her life, let alone a baby . “That’s incredible, Nesa. I’m so happy for you.”

The rest of the night passed in a blur of warm food, loud laughter, and seemingly endless wine. A few people had brought instruments, and an impromptu dance party started. Katara danced with her father, Sokka, and Bato. It made her feel carefree and happy, and the warmth of the bodies in the house allowed her to take her coat off and just dance in her dress. By the time the party was starting to wind down, she’d had enough wine to move past tipsy and into drunk. This probably wouldn’t bode well for her plane flight the next morning, but Katara couldn’t bring herself to care.

She decided to take a break from the noise of her house and sit outside. While it was getting close to nine-thirty, the sun was still above the horizon. Still, it was chilly, so she grabbed Zuko’s sweater. She was trying to wear it as little as possible, but none of her own sweaters seemed to compare to its warmth and softness. As she sat on the back stoop and sipped from her half-full cup, she let her brain trail off into dangerous territory.

Katara had been holding back from considering whether her feelings for Zuko were reciprocated. For one thing, she still hadn’t really thought about how deep her own feelings went. Was it something superficial, an attraction that wouldn’t go away until it was satiated? Or was it deeper? Did she want Zuko to be her boyfriend?

That was normally the case for her, but she didn’t want to start having those expectations without knowing anything about what Zuko wanted. What if he didn’t want a relationship? What if he didn’t even see her that way, and she was projecting her own feelings on him?

Katara was barely aware of what she was doing as she pulled out her phone and scrolled through her contacts. She found what she was looking for and started the phone call. It picked up after three rings, and as soon as she heard the familiar raspy voice, Katara’s heart jumped into her throat.

“Hello?”

“Zuko,” Katara said, embarrassingly breathless. “Hi.”

She heard a soft huff into the receiver, like a short laugh. “Hi, Katara.”

She ran her free hand along the sleeve of his sweater and tried to force herself to be casual. “What are you up to?”

“Getting ready for bed.” She immediately imagined him in that t-shirt that was a size too tight, and had to suppress the shiver that ran down her body.

“I guess it’s nighttime, huh?” Almost right away, she smacked herself on the forehead. Could she have said anything more dumb?

“It is.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “Have you been drinking?”

“Drinking? Me? What makes you say that?” Her cheeks flooded with heat. 

“I can hear it in your voice.”

She laughed, playing with the end of her braid. “Okay. Busted.”

Zuko chuckled. “Every time you get drunk you come and find me. I should expect it.”

“I do, don’t I?” She thought about that night right after she’d moved in, where she’d slept in his bed. That didn’t have as nice of an ending as the second time, where they’d connected in the kitchen over whiskey. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you drunk.”

“I don’t really get drunk.”

“We’ll have to change that.”

“If you want.” There was a brief moment of silence, and then Zuko cleared his throat. “Did you need something from me?”

Katara felt confused. “Need something?”

“I mean, it’s not that I don’t mind,” Zuko said. “But I was wondering why you called.”

Why had she called him? That had been the wine’s doing. Did she want to ask him something? She couldn’t rightly remember. She gave him the most truthful answer she could come up with and hoped it wouldn’t be too weird. “I guess I just like talking to you. It’s been a while since I’ve heard your voice.”

Zuko was quiet. Panic descended on Katara, and she tried to sort through the wine haze to come up with clarification. “Fuck. Was that weird? That was super weird. Just forget I said anything.”

“No, it’s…” Zuko trailed off. “It’s nice. I like hearing your voice too.”

She blushed. The next words that came out of her mouth tumbled forward without thought. “I miss you.”

There was a slight intake of breath at the other end of the line, and Katara once more cursed alcohol for taking away her filter.

“Well,” Zuko said, “you’re coming home tomorrow, right?”

She swallowed her disappointment. “I am.”

“We can see each other then.”

Her stomach felt like it was tying itself in knots. She wanted so badly to ask him how he felt, if his emotions were in any way aligned with hers. Had he been thinking about her as much as she’d been thinking about him? Did he have dreams about holding her close, of pressing lips against skin? 

Katara shoved these feelings down. Now was not the time. “Yeah. We will.”

They said goodbye not long after that, with Zuko telling her to go to bed soon. She told him she would. Then she watched the sun dip below the trees, and tried not to think about how she wished he were there to watch it with her.

…

The flight to Ba Sing Se from Imiq wasn’t quite as rushed as their first one, but just as tiring. Both Sokka and Katara were hungover from the party the night before, which made them tired and more than a little irritable. At least Sokka had been a little more relaxed about his airport rules, considering Imiq’s airport was so small. They said goodbye to their family at the gate, promising to see them again for the Winter Solstice.

They both slept for the majority of the plane ride. Katara had to shove Sokka a few times to keep him from snoring too loudly - some of the other passengers were giving them annoyed looks. She was wearing her own sweater this time, and had tucked Zuko’s freshly washed and folded one at the top of her backpack. She intended to give it back to him as soon as possible, as well as the new coat.

The idea of seeing Zuko again filled her with nervous excitement. When they landed in Ba Sing Se, she was nearly vibrating with it. Sokka kept giving her confused looks, but she deflected his oncoming questions with comments about how nice it had been to see their friends in the South, or how fun the wedding party had been. 

They waited with their bags at the entrance to their terminal, watching the long line of cars drive past. Aang had texted them to let them know he was on his way in Katara’s car, and was bringing friends. When they finally pulled up to the curb and opened the doors to greet them, Katara tried not to show her disappointment. Aang, Suki, and Toph had all showed up to bring them home, but there was no sign of Zuko.

Suki ran up to hug Sokka first. He dropped his bag and scooped her up from around the waist. She laughed and planted a kiss on his cheek, which he returned eagerly. When he set her back on her feet, Suki turned and embraced Katara as well.

“Welcome home!” she said. “How was the flight?”

“It was fine.” Sokka was already opening the trunk and throwing his bags inside. Katara followed with her own.

“It would have been better if someone wasn’t snoring the entire way,” she snarked.

“Hey, at least I slept. Otherwise I’d be a real mess right now.”

“How was the wedding?” Aang asked once the three of them squeezed into the backseat. Toph was sitting shotgun, her bare feet up on the dashboard.

“Kinda boring,” Sokka answered. He was sitting in the middle, and swung his arm behind Suki’s shoulders. “But the afterparty was awesome.”

“Isn’t that usually the case?” Toph quipped. “Who gets excited over the stupid ceremony part?”

“I think that part is sweet,” Suki said. “I always cry at weddings.”

“You’re a hopeless romantic, Cherry.”

“What’d you guys do while we were gone?” Katara asked.

“Not much,” Suki said. “I interviewed at another firm.”

“I had a pretty good time,” Aang said. “Zuko let me use him as a guinea pig for my lesson plan about geography.”

Katara couldn’t help it. She had to ask. “Where is Zuko, anyway?”

Toph snorted. Suki gave her a confused look. “Were you expecting Zuko?”

“No,” she lied. “Just wondering. Since everyone’s here.”

“I think he was working when we left,” Aang said. “Haven’t seen him since this morning.”

“Ah.” She tried not to sound disappointed. Then her brother launched into a story about how he’d played a drinking game with some of the fishermen, and the shenanigans that had followed. Katara tuned him out and watched the city go by out the window as they drove home. 

Zuko was not out of his room when they got back to the apartment. Katara tried to focus on staying patient. She’d never had an issue with Zuko’s anti-social qualities before, but now she was a little too aware of it. She knew he’d come out eventually, she just had to wait. And maybe not immediately jump on him when he came out of his room.

She sat on the couch in the living room, only half paying attention to the conversation her friends were having. She kept checking Zuko’s door, willing him to appear. About thirty minutes in, Katara felt like she might explode from her nervous energy. 

While Suki talked about a soccer tournament the Warriors might join, Katara tapped her fingers on her knees, barely listening. At one point, she felt a hand grab her own, stilling her anxious tapping. It was Toph, who looked thoroughly annoyed.

“You’re driving me crazy, Sugar Queen,” she said. “What’s going on?”

The others were focused on their soccer conversation, and didn’t appear to notice Toph and Katara’s aside. Katara took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. If she didn’t talk to someone soon, she was going to implode. “Can we talk in my room?”

“Sure,” Toph said. She stood, and followed her to her bedroom. When the others asked where they were going, Toph said, “To have a conversation that isn’t about sports. We’ll be back.”

Once the door was closed, words were already flying from Katara’s mouth in a frantic tumble. “You were right.”

Toph sat heavily on Katara’s bed, falling back onto the comforter. “Of course I was.” She paused. “Remind me about what, though.”

Katara began to pace her room. “About Zuko. About me having feelings for Zuko.”

“Ah.” Toph chuckled to herself. “Finally.”

“But I still feel so confused,” she continued, ignoring the smug look on her friend’s face. “How am I supposed to know what sort of feelings these are?”

“What do you mean?” Toph asked. “Feelings are feelings.” Katara stopped pacing and collapsed on her bed, face-down. Beside her, Toph patted her leg. “You’re overthinking this.”

“You’re not getting it,” Katara said into her comforter. “How do I know if these are I-want-to-date-you feelings or I-want-to-fuck-you feelings?”

Toph let out a sharp laugh, and Katara gave her a shove. “Sorry, sorry. I love that you are so concerned about this distinction.”

“Why shouldn’t I be?” Katara flipped herself over to stare at her ceiling. “What if I’m just physically attracted to him? We’re roommates . We can’t just have sex and then never talk about it again.”

“I don’t know, it might clear some things up.”

Katara elbowed her again. Toph elbowed her back. They both started giggling at that. 

“Katara, I can’t tell you how to feel,” she said, her voice becoming serious. “You’ve got to figure that out on your own.”

She sighed. “It’s so stressful,” she said. “I don’t want to ruin our friendship. And he’s…Zuko.”

Toph nodded. “Yup. Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you.” She sat up and stood, then offered her hand to Katara. She took it, and Toph pulled her off of the bed with enough strength to make her stumble. “If I were you, I’d spend some time with Zuko and see how that makes you feel. Maybe you’ll have an epiphany.”

“You’re not very helpful, you know,” Katara said, only half joking.

Toph grinned at her. “You’ll thank me eventually, Sugar Queen.”

They returned to their friends after that. Katara felt a little less like she was going to explode now that she’d told somebody her secret, even if Toph couldn’t give her any magical answers. She tried to forget about the fact that Zuko was still in his room and focused on her friends.

All of that went out the window when Zuko’s door opened ten minutes later.

Katara shot to her feet almost immediately, her nervous energy returning tenfold. She held herself in place as Zuko came out of his room. He looked tired, his face drawn into a tight frown. When he looked up and saw the group, his expression softened a tinge. 

“Welcome back,” he said.

Katara swallowed, suddenly forgetting how to talk to him. Had he always been so attractive? Just looking at him was making her heart hammer against her ribcage. “Thanks,” she said, voice strained. 

Everything suddenly felt extremely awkward. Katara had no idea how to conduct herself. Should she hug him? Would that be too much? Zuko was standing stiffly, hands in his pockets. He was waiting for her to do something. Katara willed her mouth to move, for words to form, but her tongue felt like it was made of clay.

“I’m getting hungry,” Toph said suddenly. “Someone should make dinner.”

Aang ran his hand over his bald head. “I don’t think we have anything in the fridge. I haven’t been to the store in days.”

“That’s fine,” Toph said. “We’ll send someone to the store.” She turned her head toward Katara, a devious smile on her face. “How about you, Sweetness?”

Katara wasn’t sure she liked what her friend was up to. “Sure, I can go.”

“You’ll need someone to help you,” Toph mused. “What about you, Zuko?”

Zuko grimaced. “I just got off work -”

“I can go,” Aang said, standing up. “It’s no prob-” Toph grabbed his arm and forcefully pulled him back down.

“No, you have to stay,” she said. “I’m thinking about getting a cat, and I need your input.”

“It’s fine,” Zuko said. He was rubbing his temples. “Me and Katara will go.”

As she and Zuko walked out the door, Katara heard Suki say, “Since when were you thinking of getting a cat?”

The car ride to the store was quiet. Katara tried to relax, but it was difficult. She kept thinking about how close he was to her, how easy it would be to reach out and touch him. Zuko was leaning with his elbow against the car door, head resting on his hand. 

“So,” Katara said, trying very hard not to act like a highschooler with her first crush. This was ridiculous. She was a grown-ass adult, and she knew how to carry a conversation with someone - even if she was attracted to them. “Long work day?”

Zuko sighed. “Yes.” He didn’t elaborate. Katara could tell he was stressed.

“I’m sorry Toph forced you to come to the store with me,” she said. “I, um, don’t know why she did that.” She blushed, and hoped the car was dark enough that Zuko wouldn’t notice.

“It’s fine,” Zuko said. He sat up, smoothing his hair down with one hand. Katara tried to focus on the road, but found her eyes trailing his fingers. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of what it would feel like to run her own hands through his hair, and her blush deepened. “You wanted to talk didn’t you?”

Katara felt a jolt of fear. “Talk?” she asked. She didn’t remember requesting a conversation with him. Could he just tell there was something on her mind?

“Yeah,” he said. “You, uh, said you missed me. I thought you wanted to hang out.”

Relief washed over her. She let out a short laugh. “I did. I do.”

She could feel his eyes on her. She clutched the steering wheel a little harder. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine!” She could already tell that she spoke with way too much cheeriness. “Glad to be back. School starts in a couple weeks, you know. Gotta get that in order.”

“Sure,” Zuko said slowly. Katara got the impression that he wasn’t exactly convinced by her explanation.

When they got to the store, Katara tried very hard to focus on the task at hand and not on her newly realized attraction to Zuko. This turned out to be a much harder undertaking than anticipated.

 At one point, she reached for a can on a top shelf. When it became clear that she was too short to grasp it, Zuko said, “Let me get that.” She stepped out of the way and he took her place, stretching one long arm up to grab the can. As he did so, the edge of his shirt lifted, revealing a sliver of pale skin. Katara found herself staring at the spot where the edge of his jeans met his stomach, and wondering what it would feel like to run her fingers along the inside of his waistband. Then she started wondering what sort of underwear he wore.

Zuko dropped the can into her basket, his shirt falling back into place. Katara shook her head, trying to clear it of the undeniably horny thoughts. Get a hold of yourself , she internally scolded. This is a supermarket, for crying out loud! What’s so sexy about shopping?!

Unfortunately, the answer turned out to be ‘a lot of things’.

For one thing, he kept brushing his stupid hair out of his face. Had he always done that? She’d never noticed before. Maybe it was because his hair was getting a little long. Katara wondered how soft it was. Then she nearly ran into a display. After that, she kept her eyes firmly forward and tried to think of the least sexy things possible. The idea of a shirtless Pakku seemed to do the trick.

Zuko didn’t put very much effort into making conversation with her. He tried asking a couple times about Imiq and her family, but she ended up giving him short and awkward answers because apparently even looking at him was too much. 

By the time they left, Katara had thought of shirtless Pakku way too many times, and Zuko was thoroughly annoyed. He’d already started the night off in a bad mood, but now she could tell he was leaning towards pissed. They didn’t speak to each other as they loaded groceries into the car, and this continued for the entire drive home.

Katara wanted to bang her head against the steering wheel. She was fucking this up more than she thought was even possible. Why couldn’t she behave normally ? She was doing exactly what she feared she would do: drive Zuko away.

They got back to the apartment and started unloading the groceries from the car. Katara took the last bag, but it was a little heavy. Zuko said a quiet “Here, let me.” and tried to take the bag from her hand. In the process, the back of his hand ran up against hers. The sensation of his skin sent a jolt up her arm, and she quickly pulled her hand away. Unfortunately, this also caused her to drop the bag. Its contents spilled out over the pavement.

The two of them looked down at the fallen grocery bag. Katara’s cheeks were flaming. Wordlessly, she knelt down and began to recollect the items, setting her other bags on the curb. After a moment, Zuko joined her. His lips were pressed into a thin line.

“That was silly,” she said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Zuko’s jaw tightened.

“Guess I’m just a little cl-”

“What did I do?”

The words were sharp and sudden, and Katara almost dropped the can she was holding. When she looked over at him, he was staring angrily at the curb, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

“Zuko, I don’t -”

“Have you changed your mind?” he snapped, whipping his head up to face her. His golden eyes were burning. “Decided you don’t want to be friends anymore?”

She blinked, shocked. “What are you talking about?”

“There must be something,” Zuko said. “Something I did wrong. Because you aren’t even looking at me.”

Katara closed her eyes and cursed herself. Great. Now they were going to have a fight because she couldn’t figure out her own emotions. “You didn’t do anything.”

“Really?” His tone was sharp, and Katara was reminded of a Zuko she hadn’t seen for several weeks. “Because I just touched you and you reacted like I have a fucking disease.”

“No, that’s not -”

“Did Sokka say something to you? Did he finally convince you that you’re wasting your time on me?” They were both standing now, groceries forgotten on the curb.

“Why would he ever do that?” Katara was starting to get a little riled up herself. “Why would you think I would do that?”

“Because that’s what everyone does!” Zuko’s voice was rising now. “Every fucking time I think someone can finally stand me, they change their mind.”

“It would help a little if you didn’t immediately accuse them of hating you!” Katara snapped. “Do you seriously think that I would just decide one day that I didn’t want to deal with you anymore?”

“I don’t know, Katara.” Zuko looked more upset than he had in a long time. “You’re the one who can’t stand to look at me.”

Katara let out a frustrated groan, pulling on the ends of her hair. “Can you just take a second and listen to me?”

This seemed to get through to him. He pulled back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine.”

Katara took a deep breath, trying to bring herself back to some level of calmness. “This is the dumbest argument we have ever had.” Zuko opened his mouth to refute that, but she held up a finger. “No. It’s your turn to listen. You can talk when I’m done.” His jaw clenched at that, but he didn’t argue. “I’ve been acting weird all night, and I apologize for that. I’ve had something on my mind that’s distracting me.” She paused, debating on whether or not she should just tell him what was bothering her. She landed on a firm no . The middle of an argument was not the time to tell someone you’ve been wondering what it’s like to bang them. “Okay, now it’s your turn.”

Zuko looked less upset, but still guarded. “Was it my fault?”

It was, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. “No. It’s mine. I need to work something out with myself. You’re fine, Zuko. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

The last of the anger seemed to leave him after she said those words. His shoulders relaxed, and he unclenched his teeth. Now he just looked very, very tired. “Okay. Okay.” Zuko took a breath, held it, and then let it out again. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have attacked you like that. I just…” He looked at her, and for the first time Katara noticed how close to tears he was. “I thought you didn’t want to be around me anymore.”

“Oh, Zuko.” She stepped towards him, then reached out and took his hands. They were very warm. She pulled them close to her chest, squeezing them tightly as she did so. “Of course I want to be around you. I told you I missed you, didn’t I?”

He lip twitched up at the corner, a ghost of a smile. “You did.”

“So don’t go around accusing me of quitting. I’m in this for the long haul.” Maybe a little too in this, but that was beside the point. 

Zuko stared at her, mouth slightly open like he was about to speak. Then, without warning, he pulled her into a crushing hug. It took her by surprise, the sudden warmth and pressure all around her. He was holding her tightly, like he was afraid she would slip from his grasp. She gently hugged him back, trying to ignore all the fireworks going off in her brain by the press of his body against her own. He’d buried his face into her hair. When he spoke, his voice was barely a whisper. 

“I missed you, too.”

Katara closed her eyes and hoped Zuko couldn’t feel her racing heart.

Chapter Text

One day, after Katara and Zuko came back from the Jasmine Dragon, they opened the door to the apartment to find Sokka, Aang, Teo, and Toph sitting around the coffee table. Sokka glanced up when they came in, a somewhat serious look on his face.

“Good,” he said. “You’re here.”

Zuko and Katara shared a look. For a brief, terrifying second, Katara was certain this was some kind of intervention. She didn’t know what would warrant an intervention, but a small, paranoid part of her thought Toph had spilled the beans with regards to her feelings for Zuko. Toph, however, didn’t seem too particularly solemn. She was leaning with her head draped over the side of the couch, and Aang was braiding her hair. Now that she thought about it, Sokka was the only one with a no-nonsense expression. 

“Hi, guys!” Teo said, waving.

“What’s going on?” Katara asked, still a little anxious. “Where’s Suki?”

“She had an interview with another firm,” Toph said. “Sokka called a meeting.”

“A meeting about what?” Zuko asked. He remained standing by the edge of the coffee table, apprehensive. Katara sat on the loveseat, leaving enough room in case Zuko decided to sit. 

“Did you know,” Sokka said, leaning forward, “that Saturday is Suki’s birthday?”

Katara knew Suki’s birthday was somewhere near the end of the month, but had never been told the exact date. “I didn’t.”

“She’s turning twenty-six.”

“Such an adult-sounding age,” Toph commented. “Like she should get a mortgage or something.”

“Twenty-six isn’t old,” Sokka said, giving the young woman a glare. Toph shrugged.

“You’re just saying that because you’re going to turn twenty-six and you don’t have a mortgage.”

“Why would I want a mortgage?”

“To be an official adult.”

“Says the person who doesn’t even have a job -”

“Okay,” Katara said, interrupting their back-and-forth. “Sokka, is there a reason you wanted a meeting?”

“Yes.” Her brother opened the notebook in front of him on the coffee table. The words ‘Suki’s Awesome Birthday’ were written across the top in his familiar messy scrawl. “I want to throw a surprise party for Suki. And you’re all going to help me.”

Everyone erupted into excited chatter at that. They were all talking over each other, blurting out ideas ranging from practical to fantastic. Sokka held up a hand, silencing everyone.

“We only have two days,” he said. “So we can’t do anything crazy.” He leveled a gaze at Aang. “Which means no hot air balloon rental.”

Aang deflated slightly. “You never let me do hot air balloons.”

“Where the hell would we put it, Aang? We live in a highly populated city.”

“I don’t think Suki would want a huge event, anyway,” Toph said. “Once I had a party with fifty strangers at the apartment and she got so mad at me that she didn’t talk to me for two days.”

“It’s just going to be us,” Sokka said. “She told me she didn’t want to do a lot.”

“Wait, does she know there’s going to be a party?” Teo asked. “Because that would be the worst surprise ever.”

Toph nodded. “He makes a great point.”

“No, she doesn’t know about the party,” Sokka clarified. “She just thinks me and her are going to hang out after the Warriors game.”

“So what’s the real plan, then?” Katara asked. Sokka pulled a pen out of his pocket, and wrote three columns on his paper: food, decorations, and entertainment.

“We’ll have the party here,” he explained. “You guys will get it all set up while I distract Suki.” He tapped his pen on the paper in front of him. “I think if we all work on different categories, we can organize it faster and more efficiently.”

Katara resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her brother loved to plan and organize, but tended to get a little overzealous with the coordination of everyone else.

“What are the categories?” Toph asked.

“Food, decorations, and entertainment.”

“I volunteer myself for entertainment,” she said. “That just means I have to come up with games and shit, right?”

Sokka hesitated, his pen hovering over the column. “I guess, if you want to simplify it -”

“Perfect,” Toph interrupted. “I’ve got it covered, Snoozles.” Sokka didn’t look terribly convinced, but wrote her name under the column anyway.

“Me and Teo can do decorations,” Aang said. He was leaning against the side of Teo’s chair, Momo curled up asleep in his lap. He tilted his head back to address his friend, a soft smile on his face. “If that’s okay with you.”

“Whatever you want,” Teo said. He leaned over and kissed Aang’s forehead, making him blush.

“As long as your definition of decor doesn’t include live animals, that’s fine,” Sokka said, writing their names down.

“I guess that means Zuko and I are doing food,” Katara said. That wouldn’t be difficult at all - Suki was pretty vocal about what foods and drinks she did and did not like. She’d somewhat unintentionally included Zuko as a teammate, but no one questioned it. Sokka wrote them down without even looking in their direction.

“Great,” Sokka said. “Now, I think we should all brainstorm together. In case anyone gets any…bright ideas.” He side-eyed Toph, who gave no indication that she knew he was referring to her.

“Personally, I think we should all just show up and whatever happens, happens,” Toph said. 

Sokka scowled. “And that is exactly why we’re having a planning session.”

…

Katara ended up taking the lead on her assigned party-planning job, which mostly meant she made the food decisions and Zuko helped her with the work. He seemed happy to fall into the ‘assistant’ position, and deferred to her knowledge of Suki over his own. After their argument when she’d come home from Imiq, Katara had shelved her feelings for Zuko until she was more prepared to deal with them. She still had moments where Zuko would do something unintentionally provocative and she’d have to forcefully divert her thoughts, but she was gaining more control of the situation as time went on. This didn’t stop her from lying in her bed at night and thinking about him, but it at least made her act less awkward. Zuko seemed relieved by their return to their normal habits, and if he ever noticed her choking on her words when he looked at her a certain way, he never mentioned it.

On the day of the party, Katara put in an order at Suki’s favorite sushi restaurant. While it was being prepared, she and Zuko went to the store. They were both in pretty good moods, which made the visit a lot less stressful than the last time they’d gone together. They picked out the usual party fare - mostly alcohol and chips.

“Does this even make sense with sushi?” Zuko asked as Katara pulled a bag of chips off the shelf and threw it in the cart.

“You can’t have a party without snacks,” Katara pointed out. “Also, with the amount of alcohol we’re getting, I don’t think anyone’s going to be complaining about the food going together.”

Zuko glanced down at the four bottles of liquor in their cart and shrugged. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

The only time they truly disagreed on something was in the baking aisle. Katara was putting cake ingredients in their cart. She hadn’t really discussed what she planned on doing with Zuko; she’d just assumed that he would let her do whatever she wanted. Suki was her friend first, after all. But when she went to put a canister of cocoa powder in the cart, Zuko stopped her.

“What’s that for?” he said.

“The cake,” Katara stated, like it was obvious.

Zuko blinked. “The cake?”

“Yeah. Birthday parties require it.”

He made a face. “I know that. I just thought we were going to buy a premade one.”

Katara put a hand on her hip. “Seriously? Buy a cake?”

“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “That’s what everyone does.”

“It means more if you bake it yourself.”

Zuko let out an incredulous laugh, which made Katara frown. “No it doesn’t. It just means it’s going to taste worse and look terrible.”

Okay, now she was offended. “Are you seriously doubting my cake baking abilities?”

“I’m sure you can bake a cake,” he said, unfazed by her annoyed tone. “But it’s not going to be as good as one from the bakery.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

He raised an eyebrow. “It’s their job?”

She couldn’t argue with that logic. Still, now that she’d started the disagreement, she couldn’t let him win. “I just think Suki would like it better if we made her a cake from scratch.”

Zuko wasn’t convinced. “I just think she’d want a cake. And we can get her a pretty decent cake from the bakery.”

“You’re just saying that so you won’t have to help me bake a cake,” she said, teasing. 

Zuko snorted. “You got me.”

“Have you ever baked a cake?”

He leaned forward onto the cart. “No. You can pay someone to do that for you and make it much better.”

Katara laughed, rolling her eyes. “Spirits, Zuko. Your privilege is showing.”

“There’s a greater than zero chance we will fuck that cake up. If we buy one, we eliminate that chance.”

Katara sighed, and put the cocoa powder back on the shelf. “You sound like a less confident Sokka.”

“I have…no idea how to take that.” Zuko laughed, pushing his hair back from his face. Katara felt her heart skip, and looked away before he noticed her blush. “Does this mean you’ll let me buy a cake?”

“No, it means we’re compromising.” Katara grabbed a chocolate cake box mix off the shelf, holding it up to show Zuko. “It’s not completely from scratch, but it does show that we put a little effort in.”

Zuko regarded her with a slight smirk. “It’s still not going to be as good.”

“Will you at least help me bake it?”

“Of course. Someone’s gotta share responsibility.”

Their playful argument left her feeling oddly elated, and Katara had to bite down on the rush of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. It was so easy to talk to him. They seemed to know each other’s limits intrinsically, and while they pushed each other, it was never far enough to verge into an actual fight. They’d come such a long way since they’d met.

After picking up their sushi order, they went back to the apartment. Aang, Teo, and Toph were in the living room, organizing and putting up decorations. Well, Aang and Teo were putting up decorations. Toph was sprawled out on Aang’s beanbag, nearly covered by Appa, who was receiving belly rubs. 

“Success?” Aang asked. He was standing on one arm of the couch, tacking up what looked like a homemade banner that said ‘Happy Birthday Suki!’ in glittery paint. 

Katara dropped their heavy grocery bags on the counter, while Zuko put the sushi in the fridge. “Yes,” she answered. “Now Zuko and I are going to bake a cake.”

“Really?” Teo said. He was surrounded by balloons. A pile of uninflated ones lay in his lap. “Why didn’t you buy one?”

“I asked the same question,” Zuko said. 

“It’s more authentic!” Katara insisted, most pointedly towards Zuko. “And baking a cake is fun.”

“I agree with Katara,” Aang said, jumping down from his perch on the couch. “What sort of cake are you going to bake?”

Katara reached into a grocery bag and pulled out the box of cake mix. “Chocolate!”

“Good choice,” Toph said.

Aang’s smile wavered slightly when he saw the box. “You’re doing a box mix?”

“Is there something wrong with box mixes?”

“No.” His tone wasn’t very convincing. “They just make me cringe a little. As a baker.”

“You’re all gonna eat your words when I make the best box cake ever,” Katara said. “It’s going to be amazing. People will be asking for my secret for years to come.”

“No idea why it’s such a big deal,” Toph said. “Cake is cake.”

The directions on the back were pretty straightforward. Katara cleared a space on the counter and began instructing Zuko on what ingredients he needed to get out. Aang was apparently unable to keep himself from helping them, and insisted they use a few different ingredients than those suggested on the box. Katara eventually shooed him out of the kitchen, and Teo distracted him with taping balloons to the walls.

Katara quickly discovered that Zuko only had a vague idea of what was going on in the kitchen. He seemed intimidated by the tools and ingredients in front of them.

“Have you ever baked before?” Katara asked.

“Do I look like someone who bakes?” Zuko deadpanned. She had to agree that he didn’t. 

“Roll your sleeves up and wash your hands,” she ordered. “We’re taking your cake virginity today.”

Toph overheard that and cackled.

Taking Aang’s advice, they mixed the wet ingredients first. Katara took on the task of measuring things out and cracking the eggs, passing everything to Zuko to put in their mixing bowl. She then passed him a whisk and instructed him to stir. He did this in a slow, careful way that did nothing to adequately combine the ingredients.

“Here,” she said. “Let me show you.” Without really thinking about it, she inserted herself into the space between Zuko and the counter and took the whisk from his hand. She began whisking the mixture in a quicker, more forceful manner. Almost immediately, she became aware of the fact that Zuko had barely moved. He was hovering at her shoulder, close enough that she could feel his body heat. When he exhaled, his breath tickled the loose hairs at the side of her neck. Katara’s whisking stuttered slightly as her heart began to speed up.

“You’ve got to do it faster,” she said, hoping Zuko didn’t notice the tremble in her voice. He was close, so much so that if he leaned forward a little bit, he’d be pressed up against her. Katara desperately reached for the mental image of shirtless Pakku to keep her brain from short circuiting. She glanced behind her to look at Zuko, which turned out to be the worst decision she could have made. He was looking at her, a softened expression on his face. She was struck again with how undeniably handsome he was. 

“Sure,” Zuko said, his voice a low rasp. “Faster.”

Katara swallowed thickly. How could he not realize that talking to someone like that gave him a one-way ticket to their pants? The way he was looking at her made her want to drop everything and kiss him. 

Instead, she took a step back, putting space once more between them. She was certain that her cheeks were flushed. If she wasn’t mistaken, she could see spots of red on Zuko’s face as well. “Yup,” she said, trying to focus on anything but the heat pooled in her stomach. “Otherwise it will never get mixed.”

Katara tried not to repeat the situation while they continued baking the cake. She didn’t want to get too distracted, especially considering that Zuko didn’t really know what he was doing. They managed to successfully combine everything into a recognizable batter, and soon had the cake pans in the oven. 

When Sokka gave them the half-hour warning, Zuko and Katara were working on frosting the cake. It had come out pretty well, all things considered. They’d been a little impatient when it came to waiting for the layers to cool, so the frosting was on the melty side. Aang, who had finished decorating and could no longer be distracted by Teo, leaned across the counter and tried to gently coach them on putting the cake together.

“Maybe put a little more frosting between the layers.”

“If you cut off the top of the cake, it’ll look less lopsided.”

“Teo,” Katara said, a little exasperated. “Can you tell him to stop backseat baking?”

Teo rolled over so he was beside Aang, reaching up to put a hand on his arm. “Aang, sweetie. Your too-much gene is showing.”

“Okay, but it would look a lot better if -”

“Trust me, they know,” Teo said, giving Aang a soft smile. “C’mon. Let’s set up a bar.”

This left Zuko and Katara to their own devices again. Both of them were slathering frosting on opposite sides of the cake, making it look a little uneven but otherwise well-covered. It was proving to be a messy endeavor. Frosting was getting all over their hands. Katara thought this might bother Zuko, but he didn’t seem to mind. In fact, it looked like he might even be having fun. 

After finishing the cake, they took turns washing their hands in the sink. Katara used her wrist to push a strand of hair out of her face before leaning over to rinse the chocolate from her hands. Zuko, who was drying his hands on a dish towel beside her, let out a low laugh.

“What?” Katara said, looking over at him. He was smiling at her, which made her heart jump. 

“You just smudged frosting on your face,” he said.

Katara blushed. “Did I really?” Great. She must look ridiculous. She desperately hoped she hadn’t gotten it in her hair. “Hold on, my hands are still wet -”

Then Zuko did something unexpected. He reached over and ran his thumb along the top of her cheek, where the frosting must have been. Katara was so shocked by the action that she froze. “There,” he said, wiping his thumb on the towel he’d been holding. “Got it.”

“Thanks,” she said, her voice coming out in a squeak. She wondered if Zuko could tell how much his touch had affected her. Probably not. 

Sokka sent them the text to let them know that he and Suki were headed to the apartment. They turned off the lights and waited in the dark, half crouched in order to spring up for the surprise. There was the sound of Sokka’s keys in the lock, followed by Suki’s voice.

“Is no one home?” she asked. “It’s super dark in here.”

“Hold on,” Sokka answered. Katara could hear the barely contained excitement in his voice. “Let me grab the lights.”

As soon as the lights came on, everyone leaped to their feet and yelled “Surprise!”

Suki’s hands flew to her mouth, hazel eyes wide. Everyone converged on her, smiling and laughing and saying ‘happy birthday’. 

“Spirits,” Suki said, pulling her hands away to reveal a broad smile. “You guys threw me a party?”

“Of course we did!” Toph said, punching her roommate on the arm. “Did you seriously think we’d let this pass by?”

“You can thank Sokka,” Katara said, pulling her brother forward. He’d hung back from the group, letting Suki be the center of attention. “This was all his idea.”

Suki looked at Sokka with shining eyes. “Really?”

Sokka ran a hand over his hair, embarrassed. “Well, I had a lot of help. I know you didn’t want anything crazy -”

She nearly bowled him over with a hug. “Thank you, Sokka.”

“Can we get this party started, now?” Toph asked. “Someone make me a drink.”

The first part of the party was much like their usual hangouts. They ate sushi and talked, keeping Suki the center of attention. Katara was a little afraid that Zuko would hang back and be uncomfortable and awkward, but he was holding his own. He still stuck close to her, but was making an effort to talk with the others. It helped that everyone had started drinking.

After they had mostly finished off the sushi, Toph stood up. “It’s time for our first game,” she announced. “You know it, I know it, we all know it. It’s beer pong.”

They moved some of the furniture out of the way and set up a table. They agreed to play in teams, with Zuko, Katara, and Toph on one team and Suki, Sokka, Aang, and Teo on the other.

“This doesn’t seem very balanced,” Zuko pointed out. Toph passed a ping pong ball between her hands, looking fully unfazed.

“It just means one of us will take an extra turn,” she said.

“You’re the ones with the advantage,” Suki said from the opposite end of the table. “Beer pong is Toph’s super power.”

“One of many,” Toph said, grinning. As if to emphasize her point, she tossed the ball into the air. It landed squarely in one of the cups, causing droplets of beer to fly upwards. Zuko let out a low whistle. Suki fished the ball out of the cup and passed it to Katara, who gave it to Toph. She knocked it back in one swallow. “I may have memorized some throwing angles.”

“How many times have you played this?” Katara asked.

“Many times, Sugar Queen. Many times.”

The game very quickly became competitive. Sokka and Suki had apparently come up with some sort of strategy, which Teo picked up but Aang did not. Zuko proved to be surprisingly adept at the game, his hand-eye coordination almost as good as Toph’s natural talent. Between the two of them, they put their team strongly in the lead. It helped that both Toph and Zuko weren’t lightweights, while Aang and Teo definitely were. They won with a finishing shot from Katara, who was somewhat surprised her ball even made it in. She was starting to feel the telltale dizziness that came with alcohol. She could tell her teammates felt it too - they cheered loudly in her ears as she knocked back the drink.

“I demand a rematch!” Sokka said, pounding a fist on the table. “It’s not fair that you have the two best players on one team.”

“To be fair, we didn’t know Zuko was good,” Suki pointed out.

“Let’s do boys versus girls!” Aang said.

The second round felt a little more evenly matched. Everyone was starting to get tipsy. Aang was overthrowing almost every shot, which made Sokka threaten to bench him. Suki and Toph were carrying the team, which Katara didn’t mind. It felt like the night was just beginning, and she didn’t want to get too drunk too quickly. They still hadn’t had cake, after all.

It came down to each team having only one cup left. Sokka pushed Zuko forward, hanging off his shoulder. “You’ve got this, man,” he said. 

“You’re getting way too into this,” Suki teased. “You cheered when I missed.”

“Don’t take it personally, Su,” Sokka said, still focused on Zuko. “It’s become a matter of personal pride.”

Zuko caught Katara’s eye across the table. She shrugged at him, smiling. He smiled back. Then he tossed the ball in their last cup, winning the game.

“Yes!” Sokka cried. He threw his arms around Zuko. “We won!” Aang, not wanting to be left out, hugged Zuko’s other side, effectively trapping him. Zuko looked very surprised, but accepted the group hug without much fuss. It made Katara’s heart warm to see them all look so happy.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Toph said. “We held back in order to preserve your masculinity.”

They took a break for cake and gifts. Katara proudly presented the cake she and Zuko had made, complete with candles. “We made it ourselves!”

“It’s perfect,” Suki said. “Thank you.”

Katara had gotten Suki a new makeup palette she’d been talking about. It wasn’t as good as Sokka’s gift, which was two tickets to a professional soccer game with the Ba Sing Se Badgers. That earned him a kiss on the face, which left him with a dopey grin and a lot of well-meaning ribbing.

When they had a brief moment of downtime, Katara turned to Zuko. “How’re you doing?” He didn’t look outwardly overwhelmed, but the party was a lot more social activity than he was probably used to. 

“I’m doing good,” he said, giving her a small smile. “Your friends are a lot of fun.”

“They’re your friends, too,” she said, nudging him with her shoulder.

His smile widened a fraction. “Yeah,” he said. “I guess you’re right.”

Toph decided that none of them were drunk enough, and demanded a round of shots be poured. She then suggested they play ‘Never Have I Ever’. Predictably, this helped achieve Toph’s goal rather quickly. There were several pointed questions to make specific people drink, like Katara saying “Never have I ever kissed a friend’s sibling.” to intentionally target Suki. The game led to them learning a lot (maybe too much) about each other. Katara was especially surprised by Zuko, who drank a lot more often than she expected. He was definitely getting more intoxicated than she’d ever seen him - he was smiling more readily, and laughing a little bit louder. There was a relaxed lean to his posture. Katara found herself bumping his shoulder more and more, at first unintentionally and then maybe a little more purposefully.

“I haven’t played a drinking game in…” Zuko paused, as if he were trying to quantify the time. “A while.” 

Toph thumped him on the back, almost spilling his drink as she did so. “You’re doing great , Sparky,” she said.

 “I didn’t know you had a tattoo,” Katara said. She was referring to one of the questions that had been asked. It had surprised a lot of them when Zuko took a shot alongside Sokka, Aang, and Suki. 

Zuko blushed. “I don’t exactly have my shirt off all the time.”

“I think I should get a tattoo,” Toph said. “Something really shocking.”

“You say that every time we get drunk,” Suki giggled. She was leaning into Sokka’s side, one hand resting on his thigh. “Last time you said you were going to get the words ‘my eyes are down here’ on your chest, with an arrow pointing to your tits.”

“I still stand by that,” Toph said. 

“You just like the idea of making everyone around you uncomfortable.”

“Exactly.” She took a long sip of her drink. “Which reminds me. I think we’re all plastered enough for our birthday tradition.”

“Birthday tradition?” Katara asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, it’s not so much a birthday tradition as it is a ‘getting way too fucked up tradition’,” Sokka explained. “And that just happens to fall on a lot of birthdays.”

“Don’t leave us newbies hanging,” Teo said, grinning. “What is it?”

“The rules are simple.” Toph had an almost devious grin on her face. “Two people get locked in the closet. In order to leave, you have to kiss. If you chicken out, you have to wear the Cone of Shame for the rest of the night.”

Aang hopped up and ran into his room. He came back with a large, beaten up cone collar. “It’s from when Appa got neutered!”

“You don’t have to participate,” Suki said. “But I wouldn’t hesitate to call it a rite of passage to throw your name in the ring.”

“And how are people supposed to know you’ve kissed?” Katara asked.

“Just send us a picture,” Sokka said, making a flippant gesture. “Duh.”

Katara knew that if she were sober, she probably wouldn’t participate. But she was decidedly not sober. So, along with everyone else, she wrote her name on a scrap of paper and threw it into a cup. To her surprise, Zuko added his name as well. When he saw the look she was giving him, he shrugged.

“She said it was a rite of passage.”

Katara snorted. “Who are you and what have you done with Zuko?”

Once everyone had put their names in the cup, Suki picked it up and shook it. Then, she pulled out a piece of paper, opening it with a dramatic flourish.

“Katara!”

It took her a moment to realize that they’d said her name. Then she immediately began to regret participating. She couldn’t back out now. It was just one kiss, right? Simple enough.

Suki opened the second paper, and immediately let out a loud laugh. “And Zuko!”

Fuck .

This had immediately become a lot less simple.

Zuko sat straight up at the mention of his name, looking a lot more panicked than he had seconds before. “Wait. Me?”

“You heard her,” Toph said. She stood up and grabbed both of them by their arms, hauling them to their feet. “To the closet with you!”

Their drunk friends jeered at them as they were marched to the closet. “Don’t be afraid to get a little tongue in there!” “Katara, find out what that tattoo is!” “Cone of Shame is waiting for you if you chicken out!”

Then they were unceremoniously shoved into the darkened closet, and the door was shut behind them. Katara fumbled along the wall for the light switch. When she hit it, the light revealed a very bewildered looking Zuko, steadying himself against the washing machine.

“What just happened?” he asked.

The whole situation was beginning to catch up to Katara, and she belatedly realized that this was maybe the worst possible outcome to this stupid birthday tradition. She took in a deep breath and tried to keep the walls from spinning. “We’re locked in a closet.”

“So we are.” Zuko was probably very good at hiding his level of intoxication from the general public. He was standing straight, and didn’t have that dazed, sleepy look that often marked drunks. But Katara could see it in how delayed his reactions were. For example, it had taken him until now to realize what had to happen in order to end the game. He was also having a much more difficult time hiding his emotions, since his eyes were widening with barely concealed panic.

“Let’s not make a big deal out of it,” Katara said, trying to lighten the mood. This could go several ways, none of which she was keen on discovering. “It’s just my mouth touching your mouth. Right?”

This did nothing to ease Zuko’s discomfort. He put both hands in his hair and pulled on it. “That is the worst possible way you could have said that.”

“I think you’re freaking out.”

“I am not freaking out.”

Katara wondered why she had to be the calm one when she was the one with the crush. Maybe it was because she actually wanted to kiss him. But Zuko obviously didn’t feel the same way, if his grip on the edge of the washer was anything to go by.

“Look, if you want to chicken out, I won’t judge -”

“No,” he said, suddenly pushing himself off the washer to stand in front of her. “I can do it.” His panicked expression had been overridden by something ridiculously determined, and it made Katara giggle. Zuko was a lot more expressive with alcohol on board.

“Okay,” she said. “Let’s do it then.”

They both stared at each other, and the tiny closet became oppressively awkward. Zuko put both hands squarely on her shoulders, like he was about to headbutt her instead of kiss her. Katara made a face at this, which prompted him to say, “Is there a problem?”

“Yeah.” Katara poked his elbow, which was locked in position and literally keeping her an arm’s length away. “Do you seriously kiss people like this?”

He scowled and pulled his hands back. “What am I supposed to do?”

“Well, maybe you could…” She put her own hands on his shoulders and tried to tug him down a little and bring him to her height. He didn’t budge. Katara let out an exasperated sigh. “You’re not helping.”

“I don’t exactly want to crouch .”

“I’m a head shorter than you!”

“So find a step stool!”

Katara turned away from him at that, pacing to the other end of the small room. This was ridiculous. She just wanted to get this stupid game over with. And maybe rethink this whole ‘feelings for Zuko’ thing. If she were sober, she’d come up with an excuse and find some sort of loophole. But she wasn’t sober, so she instead said exactly what was bothering her. “Do you have a problem with kissing me or something?”

Zuko balked. “I, uh -”

“Because it seems like you are trying really hard to keep from kissing me.”

That look of panic flashed across his face again. “No! No, it’s just…it’s…”

She crossed her arms and gave him what she hoped was an intimidating glare. “It’s what, Zuko?”

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m too drunk for this.”

“That makes two of us.” She strode over to him, trying to glean some confidence from her alcohol bravery. “Let’s just do it. Try not to think about it.” Katara stopped short about six inches away from him. “Kiss me.”

Zuko took in a sharp breath. His eyes searched her face as he struggled to put together words. “Katara…”

“Just do it, Zuko,” she said, a little more insistently.

“But I -”

“Kiss me!”

“I can’t!” The words burst out of him, like whatever blockage was holding them back had broken. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this.”

Katara blinked. “What?”

Zuko’s brain had caught up with his mouth, and his face flushed an impressive shade of scarlet. “Uh. I mean. It’s just-” He smacked himself. “Fuck.”

She was still trying to piece together exactly what he’d meant when there was a pounding knock on the door.

“Been a long time, guys!” Toph’s voice pierced through the awkward atmosphere of the closet. Zuko spun towards the door like it was a lifeline.

“Please let me out,” he said, a note of desperation in his voice.

“Did you kiss?”

Katara stepped up to the door next to Zuko. She wanted to get out almost as bad as he did. “I’ll take the Cone of Shame.” 

Toph opened the door, obvious disappointment on her face. “Alright, weenies. Come on out.”

They were met with mixed reception, with some of their friends jeering at them and others applauding them for trying. Aang stuck the cone on Katara’s head, and Suki snapped a picture of it before she could stop her. 

Zuko quickly excused himself and went to bed, saying it was getting late. It was a flimsy excuse, but no one questioned it. The party was winding down anyways. Katara tried to distract herself in conversation with her friends, but her mind kept bringing her back to the words Zuko had said in the closet.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this .

What exactly had he meant by that?

She repeated the words over and over in her mind until they meant nothing at all.

Chapter Text

In the end, Katara decided to wait. It would give her more time to gather information on what exactly she wanted to do, and make her interactions with Zuko less awkward in the meantime. The morning after the party, she forced herself to get out of bed at a reasonable hour (sitting through the waves of nausea until she was certain she wouldn’t vomit) and wandered into the kitchen. It was in desperate need of cleaning, but that was a future problem. She started the coffee maker and filled a tea kettle to place on the stove. Then she sat at the kitchen island, leaning her head onto her arms.

The whistle of the teakettle was enough to make her regret putting it on the heat at all. She got up as quickly as she could, removing it from the stove and stopping the infernal screaming. Katara was pouring water over a teabag when Zuko came out of his room.

Her heart immediately leaped into her throat. She forced it back down and glanced over her shoulder, trying to keep her face and voice as neutral as possible. “Morning, Zuko.”

Zuko looked like he’d been hit by a train. Half of his hair was stuck to his face, and the other half was standing straight up. His shirt was on inside-out, like he’d just put it on before leaving his room. This made Katara imagine him sleeping shirtless, and had to turn back to her tea before she started making weird faces.

“It is still morning, right?” Zuko asked. His voice was even more raspy than usual.

“It’s a little late for you, huh?” Katara said. She turned to face him, her mug of steeping tea in her hand. “I started the coffee maker. I figured you’d want some.”

“You’re right,” he said. He took a mug out of the cabinet and filled it with the freshly brewed coffee. In almost the same movement, he brought it to his lips and drank.

Katara raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that super hot?”

“I don’t notice anymore.” He turned to look at her, a wry smile on his face. “I guess there’s an upside to surviving third-degree burns on your face?”

Katara winced. Zuko grimaced. “Not a very funny joke, huh?”

“You might want to workshop it.”

She knew that they were both dancing around the elephant in the room: how they had almost kissed the night before but couldn’t. Katara wanted so badly to ask him again what he meant by “not like this”. Had he just disliked the game as a whole, and his wording came out awkward because he was drunk? Had he been turned off by the idea of kissing his friend? Or had he been thinking about kissing her, too? 

Katara very much wanted it to be the last one, but didn’t want to get her hopes up. 

They’d been quiet for too long. Zuko cleared his throat. He was looking down at the ground. The telltale redness was creeping up past the collar of his t-shirt. “Um. About last night -”

“Such a fun party,” Katara said, cutting him off. “Went a bit off the rails, huh?”

Zuko blinked. “Yeah,” he said, slowly. “Been a while since I drank that much.”

“I can tell, considering you’re up at ten a.m. as opposed to four.”

He laughed. “I’m just really glad I don’t have to work today.”

Katara’s heartbeat went back down to a normal rate, now that the threat of directly facing the situation was gone. She was happy to live in her safe friendship bubble for now, and save the terrifying next possible evolution of their relationship for another day. 

That was Future Katara’s problem.

…

“I don’t know, it doesn’t really feel like me.”

Katara and Sokka were sitting on a bench outside of a dressing room, watching Aang appraise himself in the floor-length mirror. He was currently wearing jeans and a plain button-up shirt, as well as a frown.

“You said you were going somewhere on the fancy side,” Sokka said. “You can’t wear a t-shirt to a fancy place.”

Aang pulled at the collar of the shirt, like it was strangling him with its starched fabric. “Are you sure?”

“You do look kinda weird in jeans,” Katara commented, twirling the end of her braid. “I’m so used to seeing your legs.”

Sokka shot her a look. “This isn’t exactly a shorts occasion, Katara.”

The occasion in question was a date. Aang was taking Teo to a nice restaurant, and wanted to look the part. He’d wrangled Sokka and Katara into coming with him to a clothing store. So far, they hadn’t had very much luck.

Aang disappeared into the dressing room again. “I just wish there was a happy medium.”

“They’re called capris,” Sokka said. “And I will let you wear shorts before I let you wear those .”

“No, I mean a happy medium between looking serious and looking like me .”

Katara chewed on her lip. “Aang, you’re going on a date with Teo . He knows you. Why are you trying to look different?”

Sokka threw another pair of jeans over the dressing room door. “Try these.”

“I’m not trying to look different,” Aang clarified. “I just want to look…I dunno. Like I mean business.”

Sokka snorted. “Is this a job interview?” Katara couldn’t help but giggle at that. Aang remained quiet. When he came out of the dressing room in his new, equally as monotone outfit, his face was the picture of stress.

“I’m going to ask Teo to be my boyfriend,” he blurted.

Katara jumped up, clapping her hands together in excitement. “Aang! That’s so great!”

“I thought you were already boyfriends,” Sokka said, confused. 

Aang pulled on the cuff of one of his sleeves. “No, we’re not. Yet.” He didn’t look very excited about the plan. If anything, he was grimacing.

“In that case, you’re going to need a better shirt,” Sokka said, standing. “Something that accentuates your shoulders more.” With that, he dove back into the racks of the store. Aang looked down at the shirt he was wearing and sighed.

“You don’t seem all that excited,” Katara said, carefully. 

Her friend turned to the mirror. He ran a hand over his shaved head. “I’m worried.”

“What are you worried about?” She came over to stand beside him, fixing a wrinkle in his shirt. “Things between you and Teo are going so well. You have so much in common.”

“Teo’s amazing.” Aang sighed and turned away from the mirror. “I’m worried about me .”

Katara’s brow crinkled. “What do you mean?”

“Well, for one thing, I’ve never been the best boyfriend,” he said. “I like to make friends with people. I like attention. The last person I was with broke up with me because I didn’t pay enough attention to her.” He gave Katara a helpless look. “It wasn’t like I meant to. I didn’t even realize anything was wrong until she told me she felt more like a prize than a person.”

“How long ago was this?”

“Four years ago.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “So you were seventeen.”

He shrugged one shoulder. “I was selfish.”

“You do realize that literally everyone is selfish at seventeen, right?”

Aang stepped away from her, back towards the dressing room. “It’s not an excuse for treating people poorly.”

Sokka returned from the racks, a pile of clothes on one arm. “Okay, so a few of these might be a size too small, but that can be kinda hot, so -” He paused, taking in Aang’s distressed look. “You alright, man?”

“Sokka, Aang’s changed since he was seventeen, right?” Katara said.

“Uh, yeah?” He looked between his friends. “Something going on?”

“He’s worried he’s not boyfriend material,” Katara explained. “He thinks he’s too selfish.”

Sokka’s brow furrowed. “I mean, if you think you’re being selfish, doesn’t that make you not selfish? By definition?”

“Sokka, you remember Meng, right?”

“Your ex? The girl you dated for three months? Yeah, I recall.” Sokka began hanging some of his chosen shirts on the door of the dressing room. “Weren’t you just dating her because she liked you?”

Aang made a face. “I was not .”

“Yeah, you were.” Sokka turned to his roommate, folding his arms across his chest. “You liked the idea of being with her more than you liked her as a person.”

Aang buried his face in his hands. “That makes it worse .”

“Once again, you were seventeen ,” Katara reiterated. “Also, this is nothing like your relationship with Teo. You obviously like him a lot. And he likes you.”

“You guys already spend so much time together,” Sokka pointed out. “All that’s left is to put a label on it.”

Katara leveled her brother with a pointed look. “That sounds awfully familiar.” He glared at her.

Aang was still wringing his hands. “What if he doesn’t think I’m serious enough for a relationship? Or what if he likes what we have now, and he doesn’t want to change it?”

Katara tried to ignore the familiar flutter in her stomach at the second question. It hit a little too close to home for her liking. 

Sokka sat down heavily on the bench. “Alright, Aang. What’s the worst case scenario?”

Aang’s eyes widened slightly at that. Katara frowned at her brother. “Is this helpful, Sokka?”

He ignored her. “What is it, Aang?”

Aang swallowed. “He rejects me. And tells me he never wants to see me again.”

Katara felt her chest tighten at the heartbreak in his voice. She wanted to reassure Aang, to convince him that such a thing would never happen. But Sokka seemed very sure of himself, so she let him continue.

“How much do you like Teo?”

“A lot,” Aang said, almost immediately. “He’s amazing. I can talk to him forever. He makes me so happy when I’m around him. I think about him all the time.”

Sokka nodded. “And do you trust him?”

Aang blinked. “Of course.”

“Then trust that he’ll choose you,” Sokka said. “You can’t live in limbo forever, man. I know it’s scary. But these sort of things are worth it.”

Both Aang and Katara stared at Sokka. Katara could practically feel her heart in her throat. Of all the things she didn’t know she needed to hear…

“Wow,” Aang said. “I think you’re right.”

“Of course I am,” Sokka said. “With age comes wisdom.”

Katara rolled her eyes. “You had to ruin it, didn’t you?”

“Hang on.” Aang disappeared into the store, still wearing the outfit he’d been trying on. 

“He better not be leaving to do some grand romantic gesture,” Sokka muttered. “Those clothes aren’t right.”

Katara raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just tell him to not be afraid to be himself with the guy he loves?”

“Yeah, but he should still look nice.”

To Sokka’s relief, Aang returned. He had a bundle of cloth in his hands. He disappeared into the dressing room, an excited smile on his face.

“Whatcha got there?”

“You’ll see!” Aang said. Sokka pouted.

“I picked out so many perfectly good shirts…”

Katara elbowed him. “Give him a chance. He’s finally getting excited.”

When Aang reappeared, he was wearing a button-up tee that exploded with a bright, colorful pattern. He looked at himself in the mirror and smiled, turning so he could see the back of the shirt. “What do you guys think?” he asked. 

Sokka wrinkled his nose. “I think it looks like bowling alley carpet.”

Katara elbowed him again, a little harder this time. But Aang didn’t seem to care. If anything, his smile got bigger. 

“I know right?” he said. “It’s so cool.”

“It looks a lot more like you,” Katara encouraged. 

“Exactly!” Aang did a quick little twirl, the edges of the shirt flying out as he did so. “You’re right, Sokka. I need to trust Teo. There isn’t any point in pretending to be something I’m not. He likes me for me.” He smoothed his hands over the neon pattern on the shirt. “And this is me.”

They left the store not long after that, with Aang a lot more confident about his plans for the evening. He was practically dancing up the street on their walk to the subway station, waving to strangers and jumping over cracks in the sidewalk. 

“He looks so happy,” Katara commented, watching Aang balance on the curb like a tightrope walker.

“Why wouldn’t he be?” Sokka said, smiling. “He’s in love.”

Katara spent the rest of the walk home turning Sokka’s words over in her head. Maybe he was right. Maybe she just needed to trust in herself and take the leap.

Maybe Zuko needed to know how she felt.

…

After Aang left for his date, Sokka began to pace the floor of the apartment. Katara sat on the couch, watching him make his rounds until it started to make her dizzy.

“Sokka, what are you doing?”

He didn’t pause when he responded. “I think I’m about to make a really rash decision.”

“You never make rash decisions.”

“I know.” He finally stopped pacing, only to start chewing his nails. “But if I don’t follow this impulse, I never will.”

“What exactly is the impulse?” Katara asked, mildly apprehensive. Sokka never liked to make split-second choices. He was a chronic planner, to the point of hindrance. The only impulses he ever acted on were shopping impulses. 

“Talking to Aang today really got me thinking,” he said, “about my relationship with Suki.”

Katara felt the smile begin to creep onto her face, and forced herself to try and remain neutral. “Did it?”

“Yeah.” Sokka began to pace again, folding his hands behind his back. “It made me realize that I’ve been struggling with the same sort of roadblocks in my mind.”

She’d been telling him that for months, but decided not to mention it. It was good that he felt like he was making his own progress. “About trusting her to love you for you?”

Sokka blushed. “I don’t know about love. But at least accepting that if I don’t take a risk, I’ll never know what I could have.”

It was getting harder to keep herself from smiling. “Which is?”

He stopped pacing. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “Her.” He gave Katara a half-smile, his nervousness edging through. “I invited her over. I’m going to ask her to be my girlfriend.”

Katara’s heart soared with pride and happiness. She stood up and threw her arms around her brother. “You’re going to be great,” she assured. “I’m so proud of you.”

Sokka squeezed her, hard. “Thanks, Kat.” He pulled back, rubbing his hands down her arms. “Sorry. My palms are really sweaty.”

“Ew, Sokka!” She laughed, pushing his hands off of her. “You do realize this means that you and Aang will have the same anniversary, right?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve already conceded myself to a standing double-date.” His face became somewhat serious again. “Do you think she’ll mind that it isn’t a big event? Should I have bought flowers or something?”

“This is Suki we’re talking about,” Katara said. “She made a move on you in a tent .”

Sokka nodded, more sure of himself. “Good point.”

It wasn’t too much later that there was a knock on their door. Sokka shot straight up from where he’d been sitting. He smoothed a hand over his hair and adjusted his shirt slightly. 

“You look fine,” Katara said, answering his unasked question. 

Sokka’s gaze locked on hers. It’d been a long time since she’d seen him that nervous. “Is this a good idea?” he said, his voice coming out in a rushed whisper. “Maybe I should wait -”

“You aren’t waiting.” Katara stood up and grabbed Sokka’s shoulders, maneuvering him so he faced the door. “You can do this. Trust her, Sokka.”

Sokka took a deep breath, then set his face in determination. “Yes. Okay. I can do that. I trust her.” With that, he strode up to the front door and opened it. 

As soon as Suki saw him, her face lit up. “Hey!” she said, giving him a hug. “How are you?”

“I’m great,” Sokka said. There was only the slightest crack in his voice at the end, but Suki didn’t seem to notice. “Come in.”

“Hey, Katara,” Suki said, giving her friend a wave. “Have you started pre-studying yet?”

“Just got my textbook lists,” she said. “A little late in the game, since class starts in two weeks, but I’ve got time.”

“You’re insane,” Sokka said. “When I was in school I didn’t get my textbooks until the day of my classes.”

“Well, unlike you, I intend to apply myself.”

“I’m kinda with Sokka on this one,” Suki said. “How do you know what’s suggested material and what’s required until the professor tells you?”

“I plan on reading the suggested material anyway.” She shot her brother a teasing look. “ Some of us have to study the material in order to get good grades.”

He smirked. “I guess I was just born with natural talent.”

“You guys are ridiculous,” Suki giggled. “And you’re both eggheads. If this were high school I’d shove both of you in lockers.”

“Good luck with Sokka’s fat head,” Katara laughed. Sokka rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his face.

“Speaking of,” he said, flicking his gaze to Suki before returning it to Katara. “Didn’t you say to remind you to organize your planner?”

She caught the message loud and clear. “You did! I totally almost forgot.” Her cadence was probably a bit too bright, but she’d never been good at lying. “I’ll go do that. See you guys later!” Katara turned and walked into her room, throwing a surreptitious wink at Sokka as she did so. He did not appear to appreciate it.

Katara closed her door. She turned on music to try and make it clear that she would not be eavesdropping on their conversation. She then sat on her bed for two minutes, unsure what to do with herself.

“A good friend gives others privacy,” she said. But her curiosity was gnawing at her. So, after another agonizing minute of tapping her fingers on her knees, Katara gave in to the devil on her shoulder and cracked open her door. 

Her music was still playing loud enough that Sokka and Suki didn’t notice her tiptoe outside of her room and stand at the edge of the hallway, just behind the wall. She briefly peeked around the corner. Her two friends were sitting on the couch, facing away from her. Their heads were angled together. Sokka had one of Suki’s hands in his lap, idly playing with her fingers.

“What’s on your mind?” Suki was asking, her voice gentle. “You’re being kind of quiet today.”

“Am I?” Sokka’s voice was a little squeaky. Katara tried to telepathically boost his confidence. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Suki soothed. “You look like you’re thinking about something. You’ve got Serious Sokka face on.”

Sokka laughed, squeezing Suki’s hand. “I talked about something with Aang and Katara today. And it kind of clarified some stuff for me.”

“What were you talking about?” Suki asked.

“Well, we were at a clothing store -”

“What are you doing?”

Katara nearly jumped out of her skin at the low voice from just over her shoulder. She turned, coming face-to-face with Zuko. He was giving her a suspicious look. “Are you eavesdropping?”

“No!” she whispered. Zuko didn’t buy it. Katara let out a huff. “Okay, maybe. Why did you sneak up on me? You scared the crap out of me.”

“I didn’t sneak up on you,” Zuko stated, a little defensively. “I came out of the bathroom and saw you peeking around the corner like a spy.”

Katara couldn’t really defend herself against that. It was exactly what she was doing. “Sokka is going to ask Suki to be his girlfriend,” she explained. 

Zuko only looked mildly surprised at this information. His gaze flicked to the living room, and then back to her. “Oh.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I hope they don’t take too long. I haven’t eaten yet.”

“You are not interrupting them.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.” He leaned against the wall next to her, close enough that their shoulders almost touched. “Is it weird to be watching this?”

She shushed him, and went back to her spying position. She tried to push Zuko’s closeness to the back of her mind. That wasn’t what she needed to focus on right now.

“-and he chose the world’s ugliest shirt, but it was okay, because that’s who he is. And it made him happy.” Sokka was finishing his story. Neither of them seemed to notice Katara and Zuko whispering in the hallway, which was a relief. Sokka would probably lose his mind if she interrupted him now.

“So you convinced him that being himself and trusting in his partner was the right choice to make,” Suki summed up. “That’s wonderful advice, Sokka. You’re a great friend.”

“Thanks,” he said. “It, uh, kind of ended up being advice for me too.”

There was a small intake of breath from Suki. Katara suspected she was beginning to put the pieces together. “It did?”

“Yeah.” Sokka’s hands closed around Suki’s. He took a deep breath. “Suki, you know I’ve liked you for a while right?”

“Yes,” she said, with a nervous laugh. “You’re not very good at hiding it.”

“I know.” Katara could see the edge of his smile. “And I’ve spent a lot of that time convincing myself that I could never be enough to deserve you.”

“Sokka, don’t -”

“Hold on, I’m not finished.” His voice was gaining more confidence as he went. Katara felt a swell of pride for him. “That’s why I waited so long to do anything. You’re special, Suki. I want everything to be perfect for you. But I know now that if I wait for perfection, it’ll never come.” He paused. “I’m not perfect, but I trust you, Suki. And I want to be with you. Do you want to be with me?”

There was a brief moment of silence. Then Suki laughed, loud and joyful. “Of course I want to be with you, you dummy!” Then she surged forward, capturing Sokka’s face in her hands and kissing him. He practically melted into it, the joy in his face undeniable.

Katara pulled back from her spying position, a giddy smile on her face. She turned to Zuko. “Aren’t they adorable?” she whispered.

He had an odd look on his face, like he was distracted. “Yeah,” he said after a moment. “Good for them.”

“C’mon,” she said, giving him a push toward her door. “Let’s give them a minute before you barge in.”

“I don’t barge ,” Zuko muttered. Still, he let her maneuver him into her room without much fuss. She shut the door behind her.

“I can’t believe it took him so long,” she said, walking past Zuko to sit on the edge of her bed. He leaned against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets. No matter how much time they spent together, he never seemed very comfortable in her room for some reason. “I mean, she obviously likes him. But he kept dragging his feet.”

“Maybe he just wanted to be sure,” Zuko said. He was looking down at his shoes. “They’re good friends. He was probably afraid of fucking that up.”

“Yeah,” Katara conceded. She could certainly relate to that. “Still. It was probably good that he didn’t wait forever. I mean, did you see how happy she was? That he finally said something?”

Zuko stared at her for a long time. Katara wondered if he thought she was being a hopeless romantic about the whole situation, and felt a little embarrassed. She looked away as Zuko cleared his throat. “Um, Katara -”

“Oh, I almost forgot!” She shot to her feet, suddenly feeling desperate to change the subject. “Since you’re here, I should give you your gift.”

Zuko looked confused. “My what?”

“Your gift!” She opened her closet and pulled out her suitcase. “I got it for you in Imiq. I just keep forgetting to actually give it to you.” She pulled out the coat. It was wrapped in leftover wrapping paper from the wedding. She blushed at the implications of this. “Sorry about the paper. It’s all I had at the time.”

Zuko took the bundle from her. “You didn’t need to get me anything.”

“Just open it, Zuko.”

He obliged, carefully pulling back the edges of the paper like he intended on preserving it. Katara resisted the urge to convince him to go a bit faster. She loved giving gifts to people. It made her feel like she was showing that she knew about them, cared about them. 

Zuko finally revealed the parka. He held it up, taking in the unique quality of what most considered to be the warmest coats in the world. “Wow,” he said, rubbing his fingers on the fur lining. “It’s really soft.”

“Do you like it?” Katara asked, practically bouncing with excitement.

He smiled at her, and Katara felt like she might melt. “I love it. Thank you.”

“Everyone’s going to be so jealous of you when winter hits,” she said, grinning. “You won’t even notice the cold.”

“Probably not,” he said. He gently folded the coat and draped it over his arm. “Um. You’re a very nice person.”

It was a very awkward compliment, but it still made her heart rate double. “I think you’re a nice person, too.”

He scoffed. “You’d be the first.”

A rush of emotion came over her, and she smiled. “Guess I’m lucky.”

The air around them felt charged, like something was about to happen. Katara had no idea what it was. All she knew was that she really, really wished she could kiss him.

“You should probably get dinner soon,” she said, forcing herself to focus. “Before it gets too late.”

He looked at her for a little bit longer, that strange expression on his face. Finally, he turned away, clearing his throat. “Yeah,” he said. “I should, huh?”

Later that night, as Katara lay in her bed, she thought about her friends. They’d made big strides in their relationships, even though they’d been afraid to do so. She wasn’t stupid - she knew that Sokka’s advice applied to her just as much as it applied to him and Aang. But there was so much more uncertainty when it came to Zuko. It wasn’t as obvious as it was with Teo or Suki. She ran the questions over in her head, pretending that they were directed at her this time.

What’s the worst case scenario?  

He could laugh in her face. Or be disgusted. Or never want to talk to her again.

How much do you like Zuko?

She sighed. A lot. Maybe too much. He seemed to be a permanent fixture in her thoughts. 

Do you trust him?

She paused at that. A while ago, she’d been unsure if that was possible. Zuko was difficult, and a bit of a mess. He had more baggage than anyone she’d ever met. All of her friends had told her to be cautious with him. And yet, he’d shown her so many times now that he was capable of change. He’d opened up to her, told her about his past. He’d supported her, laughed with her, listened to her. He’d made an effort to be a better person, for her sake.

Yes , she thought. I trust him .

And then she promised herself that tomorrow, she’d tell him what she felt.

Chapter Text

Telling someone that you had feelings for them turned out to be a much more difficult endeavor than it seemed. Katara had made a grand plan in her head, where she’d walk up to Zuko and say, “I like you more than a friend. Would you like to go on a date?” and it would all be very easy and straightforward.

It immediately became clear that nothing about this was going to be straightforward.

For one thing, Suki had stayed over, and she and Sokka were making breakfast in the kitchen in the most lovesick couple-y way imaginable. They were feeding each other pieces of food, and kept stopping to kiss for uncomfortable lengths of time. Katara considered going into her room and staying there until they were done, but had been in the living room first and was too stubborn to leave. 

Zuko came out of his room to fill his coffee cup, and upon seeing the PDA-fest, nearly turned back around without his drink. But Katara was able to catch his eye, so he came over to her instead.

“I take back what I said about them being adorable,” Katara muttered.

Zuko sat on the other end of the couch, angling his body so he was facing away from the kitchen. “They, um, certainly don’t mind being public.”

Katara made a face. Sokka and Suki were leaning over each other by the stove, laughing with their faces close together. “No, they really don’t. At least they’re happy.”

Zuko glanced over his shoulder. A second later he turned back, his face flushed. “Too happy for the kitchen, don’t you think?”

“You can say that again.” She sipped her tea and tried not to think about the nervous flutter in her stomach that had started when Zuko came in the room and had been steadily getting worse. “Do you have work today?”

“I’m pretty caught up actually,” he said. “Do you want to -”

“Go somewhere else?” she supplied. “Yes please.”

He smiled. “Let me get a travel mug.”

It was proving to be a beautiful day in the city. The high heat of the summer had begun to die down as the seasons transitioned, and a breeze ruffled the leaves on the trees. Katara and Zuko set out without discussing a destination. It just felt nice to be outside.

There was a strange air between them. Katara was a little worried that it was her causing it, that her growing nervousness was leaking through and would eventually transfer to Zuko. But Zuko seemed like he had something of his own on his mind. He kept his gaze fixed in front of him for the most part, and didn’t seem particularly engrossed in their conversation. 

They’d walked all the way to a small park, which consisted of a grass lot with a fountain at the center. Three benches faced the fountain. On one was an old woman, happily feeding a flock of birds. From another, a couple watched their small child walk along the edge of the fountain. Katara and Zuko took the last bench, a polite gap between them.

“But they all end before six p.m., so that’s nice.” Katara had been rambling about her upcoming classes, trying to fill any gaps in the silence that continued to drift into their conversation. “I’m not exactly stoked about the eight a.m. class, but it’s the only way I could fit it in my schedule.”

“You’ll get used to it,” Zuko said. He was watching the child tottering on the fountain edge. She couldn’t have been more than three or four. She kneeled to stare into the water, little fingers gripping the edge.

Katara wasn’t sure what made her say it. Maybe it was the softened expression on Zuko’s face. Maybe it was a weird rush of hormones. But when she opened her mouth, the words that came out were, “Do you like kids?”

Zuko finally turned fully to look at her, caught off-guard by her question. “I don’t have a lot of opportunities to be around children,” he answered, after taking a moment to consider.

“But as a general rule,” Katara said. “Could you see yourself having kids someday?”

Zuko pressed his lips together. He looked away from her again, back to the child at the fountain. “I don’t know.”

Katara swallowed back the twinge of disappointment. It had always been part of her life plan to someday have children. She loved kids and babies. Obviously, that was far off in the future. Why she was thinking so far ahead with Zuko, who she wasn’t even dating , was anybody’s guess. Still, she liked to enter into relationships with her eyes wide open. “You have a lot of time to decide.”

Zuko leaned back against the bench. A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’d be worried about fucking them up. I didn’t exactly have the best examples to work with.”

Katara felt a stab of guilt. She hadn’t even thought about that. Of course it’d be a sore subject. “I mean, the fact that you’ve considered that already makes you a better parent. Hypothetically.”

“Still have a long way to go,” Zuko said, sipping his coffee. “Much to my Uncle’s displeasure. Do you know how often he casually drops the word ‘grandchildren’ into conversation?”

Katara giggled. “Probably as much as my grandmother does.”

The little girl had become distracted by a butterfly, and was following it across the grass with her small hands outstretched. It happened to lead her in Zuko and Katara’s direction. When she realized she was straying toward strangers, the little girl paused. Her eyes locked on Zuko, and her mouth dropped open slightly. Zuko was very clearly uncomfortable with this, and kept casting his gaze over to Katara.

“Hello,” the child said.

“Hi,” Katara said, smiling. Zuko said nothing, just remained very still and very tense.

The girl pointed to Zuko’s face. Katara tried not to outwardly wince. Was she about to ask about his scar? It probably wasn’t something she’d ever seen before, and it wasn’t like she knew any better, but -

“Yellow is my favorite color,” she chirped. She couldn’t quite pronounce the L’s, and had replaced them with adorable W’s.

Both Zuko and Katara reacted in surprise. Zuko looked over at her, the confusion evident on his face. Then it struck Katara, what the girl had been talking about.

“Your eyes,” she said.

Zuko blinked. “Oh.” He turned to the little girl. “Um. Thank you.”

The girl’s parents had been watching the exchange, and now the father came over. He scooped the child up in his arms, causing her to let out a loud, joyful laugh. “Sorry, I hope she wasn’t bothering you too much,” he said. “We’re very good at making friends.” The implicit message was that she hadn’t learned to not talk to strangers yet. 

“It’s fine,” Katara said. Truthfully, she loved the little girl’s innocence. “She’s very sweet.”

The father smiled, settling his child on his hip. “She is, isn’t she?”

They watched the two return to their bench, where the mother greeted them with a wide, loving smile. Katara bumped Zuko with her shoulder. “Wasn’t that cute?”

“It was.” Now that the strangers were gone, Zuko’s shoulders had relaxed again. “I was worried I scared her.”

“Nah, she was too distracted by your beautiful eyes,” Katara teased.

Zuko let out a soft laugh. “I’m surprised she didn’t comment on yours, then.”

Katara felt her heart freeze at that. It was like her mind had been wiped blank - she could not for the life of her come up with a comment on that. Her lack of reaction seemed to throw Zuko off, and he began to backtrack.

“Because they’re unique,” he said, stumbling over his words. “You don’t see blue eyes around here that often. I mean, definitely less than yellow eyes. Not that they aren’t pretty. Your eyes. Er, blue eyes.” He was blushing. When Katara still didn’t say anything, he buried his face in his hands. “Just ignore me.”

Katara finally regained use of her tongue. “Should I say thank you?”

“I don’t know anymore,” Zuko mumbled into his palms.

She gave him a soft pat on the shoulder. “Thank you.”

Katara wondered if now was a good time to tell him. They were alone, and it was a beautiful day, and he’d just complimented her (even if he’d done it in a terribly awkward way). Her stomach felt like it was writhing with butterflies. This would be romantic, right? “Hey, Zuko.”

Zuko raised his head from his hands. He still looked rather embarrassed. “Yeah?”

With him looking right at her, any sense of courage she’d had was replaced by a very strong wave of doubt. What if he said no? They still had to walk home. And she wasn’t sure either of them would survive that experience, least of all her. Maybe she should wait, and do it in a place where she knew she could safely lick her wounds in case of rejection. “Are you ready to go home?”

He nodded and stood, offering his hand to help her off the bench. “Hopefully Sokka and Suki are done with breakfast.” Katara took his hand as she pulled herself to her feet. They stood for a second, hands gently clasped, before Zuko cleared his throat and pulled his away, putting it firmly in his pocket.

Katara thought about the lingering warmth on her fingers, almost forgetting to say something. “Yeah, hopefully.” 

…

When they got back to the apartment, Katara decided the mood still wasn’t right. Deep down, she knew she was making excuses for herself, but this was an important conversation. One that was going to change the course of her relationship with Zuko, probably for good.

“I’m going to do some studying,” she said. “Wanna hang out later?”

Zuko smiled. “Sure. I’ll be here.”

Katara tried very hard to focus on studying. Her classes were starting soon, and she wanted to get a head start on what she knew was going to be a heavy workload. But her mind kept returning to Zuko. It had to happen today - she’d promised herself that. She wasn’t about to chicken out. She wanted this, and it wasn’t fair to herself to keep her feelings bottled up inside. Still, she was beginning to get bogged down in the details.

When Katara finally realized that she was getting nowhere with her studying, she decided to organize her closet. She told herself that this was definitely not stalling, and her clothes desperately needed to be organized. She hadn’t even unpacked all the way from her trip.

She pulled out her backpack and began to remove the items that remained inside. It was a lot of books she’d forgotten about, plus a few hats and a scarf. When her hand touched something soft at the bottom of the bag, she at first thought it was another scarf. She pulled it out, and her breath caught.

It was Zuko’s sweater. She’d entirely forgotten that she still had it. 

At first she was ashamed that she’d unintentionally kept it so long. Zuko must have noticed that she’d never given it back, but hadn’t confronted her about keeping it. She should definitely return it now, with an apology for holding on to it. Then an idea struck her.

This was the perfect opening for her confession.

Hadn’t it been the sweater that had made her realize her feelings weren’t so platonic? It would be poetic to have it be the catalyst for her telling him what she felt. 

Filled with a renewed confidence, Katara stood, clutching the sweater in her hands. The time was now. She was going to march out to the living room, give Zuko back the sweater, and tell him what had been on her mind for so long.

This wave of confidence took her all the way out the door of her room and into the living room. Zuko was sitting at the kitchen island, reading and eating an apple. He looked up when Katara came over, taking in her determined expression and the bundle of fabric in her hands.

“Hey,” he said. “You done studying?”

Katara stopped in front of him. “Zuko.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Katara?”

Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. Her heart was racing in her chest, and every carefully crafted word that she was planning on saying had entirely left her mind. Trying to salvage the situation, she thrust the sweater forward. To her horror, the sleeve had caught on the edge of the chair, and her sudden movement tore a large hole in the knitting.

Katara’s panic increased tenfold. “Oh no. Oh no, no, no. Shit.” She pulled the sweater back into her arms, examining the hole. “Shit.”

Zuko, sensing her distress, got down off the chair and stepped toward her. “Hey, it’s okay -”

The stress of the situation got to her. This was supposed to be perfect, and romantic, and sweet, and she’d single-handedly fucked it up. Katara felt like she was going to throw up. “I’m sorry,” she said, quickly. “I need to go.”

“Katara, wait -”

She didn’t think. She just walked to the nearest open door and closed herself inside, ignoring the brush of Zuko’s hand on her shoulder as he tried to pause her escape. In her haste to remove herself from the situation, she hadn’t realized where she ended up. She was in Aang’s room, bracing her body against the door while a rather surprised Aang appraised her from his position on his bed.

“Oh, hey,” he said, sitting up. He’d been reading through a magazine. Appa was sprawled out beside him, taking up the majority of the bed and snoring. Momo blinked at her sleepily from the top of a cat tower. “I would say come in, but you kind of already did that.”

“Sorry,” Katara said. The world still felt like it was spinning on a sideways axis. She slid down the door and onto the ground, landing with a sigh. 

“Are you okay?” Aang swung his legs off the bed and came over to kneel in front of her. “You look sick.”

Katara pressed her palms into her eyes, not caring if it smudged her mascara. “I just fucked something up so bad , Aang.”

“I’m sure it’s something we can fix,” Aang soothed. His hand cupped her shoulder, rubbing his thumb in calming circles. “What happened?”

She wasn’t sure how much she wanted to share with him. Out of all of her friends, Aang was probably the worst at keeping a secret. But he was also the best at comforting people. “It’s…a lot of things.”

“Well, I’ve got some time, if you want to talk about it.”

Katara pulled her hands from her eyes. Aang gave her a gentle, encouraging smile. She sighed, resting her head against the back of his door. Already, her panic was subsiding. “How do you tell someone you have romantic feelings for them?”

Aang’s eyebrows shot up. “You have romantic feelings for someone? That’s awesome!”

“No, it’s not awesome,” Katara said. “It’s stressful.”

Aang sat back on his haunches, resting his chin on his knuckles. “It’s stressful if you make it stressful.”

“How can I not make it stressful?” Katara said, frustration creeping into her voice. “This could change how they view me forever. What if I ruin what we already have? What if it turns out this is a bad idea to even open the door?”

“Hold on.” Aang held up a slender finger. “Isn’t this the conversation we had yesterday? When I was freaking out about Teo?”

Katara sighed. “I guess. I just…I don’t know. The situation feels different.”

“Who is it? If you don’t mind me asking.”

She looked at Aang for a long time, debating whether or not she should tell him. She eventually decided that the person in question was very relevant to whatever advice Aang had. “It’s Zuko.”

Katara wasn’t sure what reaction she was anticipating. She half expected Aang to be confused, or shocked. It’s how Sokka would have reacted. Instead, he said, “Of course it is.”

She frowned. “Is it that obvious?”

He laughed. “No, no, that’s not what I meant. You’re the only person I’ve ever known who’s gotten through to him. I don’t know what you did, but it was special enough to get him to trust you. I’ve been trying to be friends with him for two years, and you did it in two months . If that’s not destiny, I don’t know what is.”

Katara blushed. “You act like it’s some sort of grand romance. I don’t even know if he likes me that way.”

Aang tapped his chin thoughtfully. “You know, I once got some really good advice from my friend. She said you have to be vulnerable in order to have genuine, meaningful relationships.”

She couldn’t help but roll her eyes at her familiar words. “She sounds naïve.”

Aang shrugged. “It worked for me.”

Katara sighed again. She still had the sweater in her lap. She pulled it up, looking at the hole she’d created in the sleeve. “I was going to tell him after I gave him back his sweater. But I ripped it. And then I freaked out and ruined the whole thing.”

She handed the sweater to Aang, who ran his hand over the hole. “You freaked out about this ?”

“There were a lot of things compounding at once, Aang.”

“I’m just saying, this is totally fixable.” He closed the hole with his fingers, as if to emphasize his point. “Were you worried he’d get mad at you?”

“No,” she said, taking back the sweater. “I don’t know. It just felt like a bad omen or something.”

Aang tipped his head to the side. “Katara, do you know how many times I changed my mind about asking Teo to be my boyfriend?”

She played with the edge of the sweater’s sleeve. “How many?”

“Like, at least fifty times. Every time he said something I would flip between yes and no. I barely touched my salad because I was so nervous.”

Katara met his soft gray gaze. “But you did ask him?”

“I did,” Aang affirmed. He smiled. “And it was so, so worth it.”

“How did you make yourself do it?”

“I wouldn’t say I made myself,” he said. “I was looking at him and I realized that he meant so much to me that I could tell him anything. And the words just kinda…” He made a graceful gesture with his hand. “Fell out of my mouth.”

The way he said it made it sound like the easiest thing in the world. “I don’t know if I can do that.”

“I didn’t think I could either.”

Katara was quiet for a moment. She stared down at the sweater in her hands, bunching her fingers into the soft fabric. “I guess I should go back out there, huh?”

Aang nodded. “He’s probably worried. You looked really freaked out when you came in.” He helped her to her feet, giving her hands a squeeze. “I’m rooting for you.”

“Thanks, Aang.” She turned to open the door, but stopped with her hand on the knob. “Can you keep this to yourself for a little while? I don’t think I want anyone knowing about this until it’s more certain.”

His expression became somewhat pained. “I can’t tell anyone ?”

“No,” she said, firmly.

“Even Sokka?”

“Especially not Sokka.”

Aang sighed. “Okay. I’ll do my best.”

“Thank you,” she said. “And thank you for letting me barge in.”

He smiled. “Door’s always open.”

When Katara stepped back out into the main room, she found Zuko sitting on the couch, wringing his hands. When he saw her come out, he jumped up, but remained standing in place, as if unsure what to do with himself. His eyes searched her face.

“Are you okay?”

Her heart was starting to pick up speed again. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Don’t be afraid. You can do it . “Yes,” she said, forcing conviction into her voice. “I want to talk about something.”

Zuko was standing very straight. His hands clenched and unclenched. She could see the familiar tension starting in his jaw. “Okay.” 

She unballed the sweater. “I was going to give this back to you.”

“Oh.” He was looking at the clothing like it was a foreign object.

“But…” She turned over the sweater so he could see the hole in the sleeve. “I ripped it.”

“Oh,” Zuko said again.

“I’m really sorry about that. I can probably fix it.” Katara handed him the sweater. Zuko took it, turning it over slowly in his hands. “I promise I don’t usually treat other people’s things so poorly.”

“I know,” Zuko said. Then he pulled the sweater over his head. Katara watched, confused, as he held up the sleeve with the hole in it. It exposed a pale slice of his forearm. “I don’t think it’s that noticeable.”

It took her a moment to realize he was joking with her. She laughed, somewhat breathlessly. Zuko gave her a crooked smile, visibly relaxing. 

“You can start a new line: Zuko’s hole-y clothing.”

He snorted. “I think some people may take that the wrong way.”

Her nervousness began to ebb as the conversation lightened. Above all things, Zuko and her were friends. And that made everything a little easier.

“Is that what you wanted to talk to me about?” Zuko asked. “I hope you didn’t think I’d be mad.” A shadow of shame crossed his face. “I’m trying not to be that guy anymore.”

“I know, Zuko,” she said, softly. “And I really appreciate that.” The look of relief on his face made her chest tighten. It was obvious that he deeply cared about what she thought of him. The rush of feeling that came over her was almost enough to propel her into his arms. She was beginning to understand what Aang meant about words falling out of her mouth. “I did want to talk to you about something else.”

A little bit of anxiety creeped back into Zuko’s expression. “What is it?”

“It’s nothing bad,” she said. “But it is something I’ve been thinking about for a while.” She took a deep breath. “Zuko, I really, really appreciate our friendship. I never thought I’d get as close to you as I am now. I didn’t think it was even possible.” She let out a short laugh at that. Zuko was looking at her very intently. She tried not to let his burning gaze push her off of her intended path. This was happening . It was now or never, and Katara was very firmly choosing now. “But now that I’ve gotten to know you, I think you’re one of my favorite things about Ba Sing Se. And I argued with myself for weeks about whether or not I should try and change things. I don’t want to lose you.” She let herself meet his gaze, and it felt like her entire body was on fire. “You mean so much to me, Zuko. So, what I’m trying to say is -”

“Will you go out with me?”

She stared at him, mouth half-open, frozen in disbelief. Zuko seemed just as surprised, if not more so, by his own outburst. He blinked once, twice, and then smacked himself very hard in the face.

“Fuck. I didn’t - that wasn’t -” His entire face was flushed crimson behind his hand. He added a second one to it, but Katara could still see the bright red going all the way to the tips of his ears. “I can’t believe I just did that,” he said, words muffled.

Katara was still reeling from the whole situation. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry or just sit down and call it a day. “Did you…just ask me out?”

Zuko ran his hands up into his hair, making it stand at wild angles between his fingers. He looked very distressed. “I’m sorry. You had such a nice speech and I just-” He closed his eyes and let out a long breath through his nose. “I’m a fucking dumbass.”

The realization of what was occurring finally dawned on Katara, and the burst of happiness that rushed through her was almost enough to make her cry out with joy. Her feelings were reciprocated, and it felt almost unreal. She was nearly overcome with the urge to kiss him, but held back. One step at a time. 

“You aren’t a dumbass,” she said, gently pulling his hands down from his hair. He let her, his face relaxing a little at her touch. 

“I didn’t mean to interrupt you,” he said, guiltily. Katara had let her hands linger on his, and her heart skipped when he entwined his fingers with hers. “I’ve just…been wanting to ask for a while.”

She was smiling so much that her cheeks were starting to hurt. “Really?”

“Yeah.” He huffed a laugh. “I, uh, like you. A lot.”

Her face warmed. “I like you too.”

Zuko finally smiled, and he looked happier than Katara had ever seen him before. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen him smile with his entire face. It only made him more handsome. “So will you? Go out with me?”

How could she answer anything other than yes?

Chapter Text

It became clear right away that dating one’s roommate was a bit more complicated than the usual dating experience. For one thing, sharing spaces casually was somewhat difficult when the person you had romantic feelings for was the one you were sharing them with. Neither Zuko or Katara wanted to be the first to cross a boundary, so they both were being very respectful to each other. Almost too respectful - at one point Aang pulled Katara aside and gently asked her if she’d been rejected.

“What?” she said. “Why would you think that?” She and Aang were sitting in the kitchen, eating breakfast. Zuko had walked in, given both of them a polite ‘good morning’, poured himself a coffee, and went back to his room without another word. 

“You’re barely speaking!” Aang whispered, eyes briefly flicking to Zuko’s door and back to her. “Shouldn’t you be all sweet and lovey?”

Katara blushed, and tried to cover it with a sip of tea. “We’re taking things slow.” 

And they certainly were. While they’d finally admitted to each other that they were interested, they had yet to set up an actual, concrete date. Zuko had told her he’d take care of it. Katara didn’t want to push him, but it’d been two days. She was starting to worry that he was having second thoughts. 

Later that day, she decided to go to the gym and work off some of the nervous tension she’d been cultivating. After changing into gym clothes, she opened the door to her room and almost ran headfirst into Zuko. 

“Oh!” she said, taking a step backwards, out of his personal space. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he said. One hand had been raised to knock. He shoved it deep into his pocket. He looked rather nervous, the tense line of his shoulders giving away his stressed state. “Are you free tonight?”

Her heart leaped in her chest. “I am.”

“Good.” Redness creeped up his neckline. “I, uh, made us reservations. At a restaurant.”

Katara tried not to appear too excited for this, but could tell she was failing by the pitch of her voice. “Oh! That’s great! What time?”

Zuko shuffled his feet. “Is seven-thirty okay?”

“Seven-thirty is perfect.” 

They stood, awkwardly staring at each other, for another minute. Katara had no idea what to do with herself. Do they shake hands? Hug? This conversation usually happened over text or phone call. Something told her that nothing about this relationship was going to be usual.

“I’ll see you then,” Zuko said. The flush that had started on his neck had made its way to his face. He turned on his heel and went back into his room, closing the door.

He’s just nervous , Katara told herself. First dates make everyone nervous. Still, she felt a seed of doubt. Zuko didn’t seem particularly excited by their date. If anything, his demeanor reminded her of the night before his family’s party. Katara tried to push this out of her mind, thinking instead about how much she’d been wanting this.

On her way out of the building, she ran into Toph, who’d been waiting for the elevator on her floor.