12/21/14

A little late but this one was the hardest to write.

End of the storyline from "Daybreak", "Skin" and "Heat".

Hope

After Aang awoke, Zuko gave him a shirt to wear since the boy didn't need to hold a blanket around him anymore to stay warm. The shirt was far too big on Aang and Zuko forced himself to laugh rather than let his mind stray that it looked like Aang was wearing a "boyfriend shirt". When Aang blushed and lightly hit Zuko's arm for laughing, Zuko laughed for real in reaction to the action.

The thoughts could not be held back by laughter though. Zuko liked seeing Aang in his clothes, too big for him and looking, very accurately, that he had just crawled out of bed. It reminded Zuko yet again how cute Aang was and lead his mind to think of things not so cute, like taking his clothes off of Aang, especially when he remembered that Aang wasn't wearing anything under the pajamas that would simply fall off if Zuko untied the string.

Hope was something Zuko always tried to deny, tried to force out of his mind out of guilt of his feelings and disbelief anything would ever come from them. Yet hope kept fluttering up in him as he got to spend the whole day alone with Aang; starting with her blanketed embrace and continuing with each touch and smile and laugh that came from Aang.

Part of Zuko's mind was trying to lead him to believe that Aang was even flirting with him. How could he ignore Aang commenting on Zuko wanting to see Aang naked without a hint of disgust or calling him hotman? And even if he ignored those as being from Aang's thawing out state at the time, Aang continued to touch Zuko unnecessarily, joking about the apartment being their private love nest and winking at him in a way Zuko knew Aang was going to drive him mad.

Still this was just the way Aang was, wasn't it? So free spirited and accepting that he wouldn't think anything of their situation and joking about it without second thought or knowing how it affected Zuko.

But what if Aang knew how it was affecting Zuko? What if he knew exactly how Zuko felt about him and this was Aang's way of telling him it was okay? Or making a joke out of it to tell Zuko that he wasn't interested and trying not to hurt his feelings by making light of it?

No, Aang would never joke about someone's feelings like that. If anything it was letting Zuko know that Aang thought Zuko's feelings okay but even with talk of the apartment being their love nest Zuko couldn't be sure Aang returned those feelings or not. At least he couldn't without asking him and Zuko's hope for Aang's affection wasn't strong enough to give him that courage just yet.

When Aang stood to check on his clothes, Aang actually kissed Zuko's cheek. It was an actual kiss on the cheek; not the sound of a joke kiss or an air kiss but an actual kiss on Zuko's actual cheek. As Zuko questioned his place in the universe, Aang headed to the bathroom, so casual about the whole thing Zuko wondered if it was possible the kiss actually meant anything or if Aang was just that friendly after a certain point in his friendships. Then again Zuko couldn't imagine Sokka tolerating Aang doing that to him.

Thinking of Sokka, Zuko made a dash for the phone the moment Aang was out of sight and called Sokka's cell, the only number he actually had memorized because it was so simple. Sooner or later he was going to have to remember to program everyone's numbers into his cell phone or sneak it out of his locker at school during lunch to get them then.

"Zuko, you got to help me," Sokka said the moment he picked up, having must recognized Zuko's number from his caller ID. "Toph got snowed in at our house; I have nowhere to hide."

"That's right," Toph's voice bellowed loud enough for Zuko to hear. "Now bring me some more melon!"

"Come on Melon Lord, I'm on the phone with Zuko," Sokka sounded like Toph must have been treating him like a servant all morning.

"What does Fire Britches want?" Toph sounded closer to the phone now.

"My pants caught on fire one time," Zuko mumbled.

"One time is all it takes buddy," Sokka sounded sympathetic.

"So are you snowed in too," Toph asked.

"Yeah, only I got Aang at my place," Zuko smiled despite himself.

"Trade you," Sokka offered, followed by the sound of pain. Really Sokka ought to have known better.

"How is Twinkle Toes?" Toph asked.

"Well he's the reason I'm calling," Zuko started.

"Did something happen," Sokka interrupted, "Should I get Katara?"

"No, I mean yes, but nothing bad. I mean it could have been bad but it didn't get too bad because he came here and," Zuko stopped himself and took a deep breath. "Does Aang ever kiss you guys?"

There was silence; then Sokka slowly asked, "What?"

Not sure how much time he had left Zuko tried to quickly explain what happened and how Aang was acting toward him since he woke up and ended with the kiss. His heart pounded as silence was his answer again.

"Zuko, you have a problem," Sokka's voice sounded rather creepily serious. He didn't let Zuko panic too long though before he finished, "You're an idiot."

Now it was Zuko's turn to slowly go, "What?"

"Congratulations," Toph laughed, "You're Twinkle Toe's boyfriend."

Immediately Zuko felt his skin heat up and his heart pound again, his hope soaring but crashing against the memory his bad luck streak in life.

"You can't be serious," Zuko stammered as he tried to deny it. "Aang would never go for someone like me."

"Well I can't say I approve on Aang's tastes in men," Sokka sighed, "I always thought he's go for someone smarter."

"I'm not stupid, I'm realistic," Zuko snapped at them.

"Sokka look up 'denial' in the dictionary for me and tell me if Zuko's picture is there, would yeah," Zuko could practically hear Toph's smirk.

"You're no help," Zuko seethed and slammed the phone, glad he used Iroh's land line rather than his cell; ending a call on a cell would just never be as satisfying.

"Who is no help," Aang popped up behind Zuko, nearly making Zuko knock the phone back off the receiver.

"Sokka," Zuko said quickly, unable to look Aang in the eye.

Luckily Aang accepted this easily enough and luckily for Zuko, Aang's clothes were still damp for Aang remained in Zuko's oversized clothes. Zuko couldn't help but think of what Sokka and Toph said and wondered if he could use it as an excuse to return Aang's cheek kiss with one of his own; only on the lips.

Bringing him out of his thoughts Iroh called up the stairs for him, asking him to bring down a box of green tea. They must have had a rush if his uncle was going to dig into his private stash but cold weather did call for cold drinks.

"They're probably shorthanded, I should probably get dressed and help out a bit," Zuko lamented.

"I'll come down with you," Aang grinned.

"You're in pajamas," Zuko felt embarrassed for him, "My pajamas."

"Yeah so," Aang shrugged. "They're clean, in good shape-"

"Practically hanging off of you," Zuko interrupted, blushing. Really, he didn't want anyone else to see Aang like this.

"They're not going to fall off," Aang rolled his eyes. "Besides if you leave me up here, alone, I might get bored. I might start digging through your stuff and I'm sure I could find something embarrassing somewhere. Or I could just steal a pair of your underwear, who knows what crazy things I'll do if left unattended."

Zuko blushed and stared at him while Aang just grinned back. This was definitely a battle of wills and Zuko didn't know if he had the will to battle Aang.

"Fine," Zuko groaned. "Try to behave while I get dressed."

"I could go with you; it would only be fair since you saw me practically naked," Aang wiggled his eyebrows, smiling teasingly at him.

For a moment Zuko could not speak, just blush and stare at Aang and try to ignore Sokka and Toph's voices in his head. His default kicked in and he angrily told Aang to stay put as he stormed off to his room in order to blush more in private for a little bit.

Once Zuko was dressed he grabbed the green tea and headed downstairs with Aang. It was indeed a bit crowded but no one at the counter since most people were there in groups so it was free for Aang to sit there while he waited for Zuko to be finished. As Zuko went to help, he overheard Jet compliment Aang on his "boyfriend shirt" look and Aang chuckled in return and thanked him, making Zuko grateful he wasn't holding any hot tea yet to pour on himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming this.

By the time Zuko got to return to the counter, some time had passed and Aang suddenly had company there; a girl about Aang's age if not a little younger. She had long brown hair in two thick braids, watching Aang as he talked with such a smile on her face that Zuko couldn't decide if he wanted to throw her out or avoid the counter until she was gone.

Spotting him, Aang waved Zuko over, leaving him no choice but to join them.

"Hey Zuko," Aang smiled at him before suggesting to the girl beside him, "This is Meng, she works at the Fortune Teller's place that Katara likes to go to."

"You mean where Katara could earn frequent flyer miles," Meng joked making Aang laugh and Zuko's heart sink.

"Meng, this is Zuko, my boyfriend," Aang smiled; confused at the stares he was now getting from both of them.

"He's your boyfriend," Meng asked at the same Zuko asked, "I am?"

Aang looked at Meng, then turned to Zuko, "I thought," he hesitated, "I mean after," Aang looked at the ground, unable to continue.

Zuko barely glanced at Meng, whom was staring questioningly at him, before turning to shout to Iroh, "Uncle, I got to go," but Zuko barley heard Iroh thank him for helping out as he grabbed Aang's hand and pulled him back upstairs.

Part of him told him he should sit Aang down and they should talk about this calmly but that part of his brain wasn't on fire like the rest of his thoughts. As soon as the apartment door closed behind him, Zuko pressed Aang against the door and hovered over him with his own body so he couldn't get away. Even with the burning he couldn't help but enjoy the way Aang was not the one blushing.

"Why do you think we're dating?" Zuko asked softly, much softer then he thought he was able to, much different than the way he imagined bringing Aang up here to kiss him and take his place as Aang's boyfriend without giving him a chance to change his mind.

Aang squirmed a little, still blushing as he spoke, "You kissed me."

"I thought you were asleep," Zuko admitted.

"I woke up a little when you picked me up," Aang admitted in return. "I was just so warm and comfortable I didn't want to wake up the rest of the way so I tried to stay asleep."

"My kissing you doesn't mean we're dating," Zuko wished he would stop digging his own hole but he had to be sure. "That just means, well, it means I like you." Zuko knew he was blushing as well now but he had to continue. "Dating is sort of a two way thing."

Aang looked up at Zuko, then reached up and grabbed Zuko's face, pulling him down before Zuko could question it and kissed him.

The kiss was warm but brief and Zuko could feel Aang's breath against his lips as he spoke, "That means I like you, hotman."

"Don't call me that," Zuko murmured, leaning in to kiss Aang again.