Hey!

Morningleaf here!

I am obsessed with big brother Zuko!

This is gonna be a multi-chapter fic. I will try and upload regularly

Stay safe and stay home people!

The western air temple was large and fascinating. Zuko had been here before and his then thirteen year old self could not resist exploring the vast hallways and arched rooms. (I am looking for the avatar uncle! We must leave no room unchecked!) He would have been exploring (without the passionate, exhausting drive that fueled his earlier visit) the temple leisurely if it was not for the fact that he was playing Appa for a blind earthbender.

"Take me to the water fountain!", and she pointed in a random direction.

Zuko groaned. "Toph, Katara healed your feet almost instantly, you can get there on your own." She smacks the top of his head. Zuko yelped.

"What did I say about Appas talking?"

Zuko let out a long suffering groan and stumbled towards the fountain. Toph snickered, "That sounds more like Appa."

The fountain was in the middle of a large clearing and right next to the campsite where everyone slept. (not Zuko of course, but everyone else). Katara sent him a suspicious look and went back to stirring the congee that was everyone's dinner; Sokka and Teo were coming up with another crazy invention and were gesturing wildly; the Duke and Haru were nowhere to be seen and Aang was feeding Appa.

Zuko shifted Toph so she could be put down, smiled sharply, and changed direction and dunked her into the water. She shrieked and wrenched herself free of his grip and stood in the knee deep water.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that Sparky!" she said with a wicked grin and stomped her foot (splashing water into her face, Zuko laughed), and rock from the fountain floor covered his feet, holding him in place while Toph splashed him with water, cackling gleefully. Bending down was a bit harder with the rock covering his feet but he managed and retaliated. His husky chuckles and Toph's loud laughter rang through the empty temple caverns.

(He can't remember the last time he laughed with Azula. All of their laughter seemed to be directed at each other rather than with each other. He watches Katara and Sokka and their easy affection and thinks of how Azula might have been if she had not been twisted by their father. He looks at Toph and thinks that's it.)

His train of thought was interrupted when the rock around his feet suddenly disappeared only for a large wave of water sweeps him off his feet depositing him at the edge of the fountain. He pushes his wet hair off his face to see Aang with a sheepish and smug grin on his face. Zuko grins like a moose-lion baring its teeth and Aang gulps.

"Oh, you are going to pay for that." He lifts his hands to retaliate when the water suddenly freezes, trapping the three of them where they stand.

"What is going on here?" Katara demanded, standing angrily, with her hands on her hips.

"Um Katara we-" Aang began stuttering when Zuko cut him off.

"You were trying to get Toph to bathe weren't you?" He gestured to the earthbender in question, "Well, she is clean."

Katara startled and the ice around their feet liquefied and the three of them began to clamber out.

"Oh I wish I could see your face now Sugar Queen! Your heart is beating like a rabbitmouse!"

Katara glared at all of them, him in particular.

"Now you are going to catch a cold."

Zuko sighed and manipulated the heat around Toph and dried her, causing her hair to frizz up. He chuckled and automatically started patting her hair down. Toph scowled, "Quit it!", but it lacked any real heat.

Aang bounced forward, "That was so cool! Can you teach me to do that?"

Zuko frowned, "It's just simple heat manipulation. It's not that hard."

Aang's eyes were shining and he looked so happy so Zuko huffed out a warm breath and sat down and started explaining the basics to him. Toph, grumbling that she lost Zuko's attention, shoved herself underneath his arm and promptly fell asleep. Zuko automatically shifted to prevent her from falling off.

Katara watched the scene dumbfounded.

Please R&R!