Chapter Text
Zuko, your not blocking me.
Zuko could hear his voice clear as a bright sunny day. No matter how hard he tried to block it.
I just hypnotized you, Zuko. We're all dead.
The firebender growled, concentrating, trying to force away the voice in his head.
If you can't block me out then you definitely can't block Kahn-zula.
Aang sat in front of him, Criss crossed with his hands in his lap, staring at the bender with determination.
Block me out, Zuko.
Zuko's teeth clenched as he growled in anger. Opening his eyes wide and yelling at the boy. "I can't!"
Aang looked at him saddened. This was bad, Zuko really needed to get this technique or they would all be in danger.
He didn't mean to start thinking about what would happen if Zuko didn't perfect the technique, but he did on accident.
The thought of Kahn-zula hypnotising Zuko to attack the rest of the group crossed Aang's mind, allong with a lick of fear at the thought.
Zuko's eyes widened at the image. He could feel the fear Aang felt even when the boy realized what he had done and glanced down at his fingers.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to think like that." He said out loud, this being the first time that he had spoken without using the link in about a half hour.
"It's okay," the elder looked down at his own hands, realising that it could end up a reality if he didn't learn to block out forign voices.
Aang pat his knee, it's not going to happen Zuko, you will learn to block it out and everyone here will be safe.
Zuko looked into the grey eyes that he was learning to love. The eyes of the one person who, even after everything, hasn't stopped believing in him. Hasn't stopped trusting him.
Zuko examined his face, from his giant silver eyes and his button nose to his soft pink lips. His features where nothing but beautiful. His whole face and body put together to make him look like the most beautiful creature he's ever seen.
His eyes were bright, and deep. Like two pools of powerful thunder storms, and Zuko was sucked in, hoping to whatever higher power out there that he was struck by lightning.
His soft lips looked so pink and kissable... So pretty.
Aang was watching him, realising for the first time what exactly Zuko wanted when he stared at him with that far off distant expression. He finally understood. And the thought had heat rising up to his cheeks as his heart fluttered and his pulse raced.
"Zuko?" He asked, gaining the benders attention though he didn't look away from his lips.
The elder hummed in acknowledgement, never looking away.
Aang slowly got up on his knees, inching closer on his hands, Zuko was only a foot away from him so it didn't take long for Aang to only be a couple inches from him, their knees lining up.
Zuko watched him as he approached, not daring to move even an inch, their eyes locked.
"You like me, right?" Aang asked him when he was only a few inches away from his face.
Zuko swallowed, "yes."
Aang breathed, getting a little closer. "That means you don't want anything to happen to me, right?" His voice was low, seductive.
Zuko had never been more tempted to attack Aang, he was too close and the firebender wanted him too much.
"Then that means you're going to protect me no matter what, right?" He was barley a couple centimeters away, Zuko could feel Aang's warm breath brush across his face.
"No matter what." He promised, unable to take his eyes off the warm grey ones right in front of him.
"Then Zuko." Their noses brushed each other. And the firebender was sure that if his heart was still beating, it would be pounding from how close his mate was.
You need to block me out.
Aang leaned up and kissed Zuko's forehead before pulling back to where he was sitting before. Leaving a very stunned, very shocked firebender sitting criss-crossed infront of him, wondering what had just happened.
Aang smiled innocently at the firebender.
Zuko blushed, he had been duped.
He gave Aang a half angry, half amused smile. The airbender had learned how to mess with him.
That was okay.
Zuko knew exactly how to mess with him too.
"Aang," he smiled sweetly, he knew that Aang could feel how much he had wanted him, and how serious he was when he said, "If you ever get that close to me again, don't expect me to hold back." He smirked, intentionally sending images of what it was he meant by that.
Aang blushed at the mental images, and the intense desire radiating off the fire bender.
His tease back fired, now he was the one staring at the bender with desire.
But something good came out of it.
Zuko did take what he said seriously, even though he had been messing with him the whole time. He knew that he did it that way to really make it sink into to Zuko what was at stake. Forced him to see how he felt about Aang all the while making him realise that, yes, he will do anything to protect him.
Block me out Zuko.
Absolutely anything.
Zuko you really need to do this.
No matter what.
Block me out Zuko!
He would protect him.
Silence.
Zuko opened his eyes, watching as Aang did the same. It was clear what Zuko had done when Aang smiled at him.
Zuko smiled back, feeling good.
"With more practice, blocking me will become like second nature. Just like talking to me is." Aang said out loud since Zuko was apparently still practicing, the Airbender currently couldn't feel anything coming from the firebender, his emotions were blocked, as if he had put up a stone wall between them.
It didn't feel right. Being blocked by Zuko, not being able to feel what he was feeling or hear what he was thinking. He was still there, he could still feel that he was close, he just couldn't hear him.
"Well done, Zuko." Aang smiled softly at him.
He was finally training.
...
"Aang, can I talk to you for a bit?" Toph asked him once they got back to the group.
Aang nodded, leaving Zuko and the rest of the group behind and fallowing the earthbender to an empty spot a little ways away from the group
Toph crossed her arms and leaned up against a statue, "so Aang." She started, "I may be blind, but that doesn't mean I can't see when someone is hiding something quite... Scandalous." She smirked.
Aang nervously scratched his head, did she see something?
"This morning I was just minding my own business, sipping my tea and I accidentally found myself interested in a water bender fallowing you into the woods." She smirked, "so I got curious and fallowed, and I did see, and hear, everything."
"Everything?" Aang asked, thinking back to how his body reacted to Zuko being so possesive.
Toph stood straight, arms crossed as she gave the monk a pointed look "everything."
Aang smiled nervously at her, not know what to do or say.
"How bout you tell me what's going on between you and, Zuzu, Twinkletoes?" She stepped up to him, posture straight, as if she was a parent staring down at a rebelious child. Ready to ground him if he gave her the wrong answer.
Aang studdered, "um... Well." He scratched the back of his head again. "You see, me and Zuko are um..." He couldn't say it.
"Are what, Aang?" Toph took another step closer.
Anxiety rose up in Aang's being, how would Toph react if he told her the truth right now? Would she freak out? Would she accept it? Would she be mad?
"Zuko and I are," he decided he would tell her the truth. He couldn't think of anything else to say that would explain what she saw and heard that morning.
And he just couldn't lie.
"We're together." He finally said.
Toph didn't look suprised, how could she? She probably knew already and was just looking for confirmation, which Aang just gave her.
"Together as in... Like... Together?" She crossed her fingers together, eye brows raising as she took the information in.
Aang chuckled nervously, she didn't seem to be angry, just surprised. "Yes."
"Oh." She blushed. "I'm actually not shocked." This made Aang a little irritated.
"What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"Well Aang, no offense but you are so feminine," she smirked at him evily, "and you and I both know that you could never do much for a lady."
Aang's jaw dropped as he blushed, eyes wide and petrified in embarrassment. He knew that Toph could see everything about a person but it never occurred to him that she could see literally everything about a person.
Toph burst out laughing. "Sorry Twinkletoes, but I knew the first time I saw you that you were bound to swing the other way at some point." She poked him in the nose, "boy was I right."
Aang was still shocked, and very much embarrassed, but he was happy that Toph was having such a positive reaction to him and Zuko. It gave him hope, that maybe his friends would learn to accept it.
"Do you think everyone else is going to accept it?" He asked out loud, concerned.
Tophs face suddenly got serious, "listen, Aang. All joking asside, love is love." She pat his shoulders. "Everyone in this temple knows you, none of them can try to tell you who you can or can't be with." She promised, "nobody has the right to tell you that. Not after everything you've suffered, been threw, or accomplished." Aang smiled back at her, taking her advise to heart. She was right.
"If anyone tries to tell you otherwise, I'll throw a rock at them." She punched him in the shoulder before putting her hands on her hips.
"Ow." He rubbed at the spot before smiling at her again. "Thanks Toph."
She crossed her arms, "hey no problem, Twinkletoes. Nobody has the right to judge you. Sure people will be shocked at first but two men loving each other isn't unheard of."
"Your right." He felt much more confident, and less anxious. But he still wanted to wait to tell the rest of the group, just for a couple more days till he got up the nerve.
"Do me a favor Toph, and just keep it a secret for now." Her eyebrows rose. "I'll tell them don't worry, I just wanna be prepared is all." He smiled.
Toph shrugged and turned away, going back to the rest of the group.
Aang swallowed and fallowed, knowing that Zuko had heard his thoughts threw out the whole conversation and knew what happened.
Zuko gave Toph a soft look, smiling at her in thanks. But she didn't do or say anything. Just sat by the fire as if nothing happened.
Katara was staring at the fire as if she was in deep thought, the light of the fire licking her skin, making it look darker than it was.
She looked upset, but she didn't say anything to anyone.
Aang felt bad, he knew why she was upset. He didn't like seeing her sad, but really what could he do? He didn't regret rejecting her.
He could feel anger bleeding into Zuko, and Aang saw that he was staring daggars at Katara's unsuspecting head.
Calm down, Zuko.
There was no response, but he knew that Zuko heard him. It was really strange yet amazing how one kiss could make someone such an enemy.
Katara had no idea what she just did to Zuko. Would have no clue why he was hostile to her after this.
Poor thing.
Zuko felt no pity for for her.
...
The rest if the day was quiet.
Nothing else happened for the rest if the day.
All was well, as peaceful as it could be in this hectic world where everything seemed to be going wrong for the group.
But the evil creature in the shadows of the night was plotting.
Watching.
Waiting.
It would all be over soon.