"So like when did you say Katara was going to be here?" Toph sat on the ground as they all waited at a play ground that was in front of a forest that had a hiking trail behind it. Aang and Sokka swung on the swings as Suki stood near Toph with her arms crossed looking at the boys. 

They saw a motorcycle pull up as it stopped with Katara on the back. 

"Oh you gotta be shitting me," Sokka stopped the swing seeing Zuko take off his helmet. 

"...you didn't..." Zuko looked at Katara almost with a pout. 

"I talked to Aang, it's fine," Katara patted his shoulder with a smile as she got off the bike. 

"I told you-" "Give him a chance Sokka," Katara walked over to her brother as Zuko laid his head back and groaned.

"Who's here?" Toph asked.

"Zuko," Sokka crossed his arms on the swing. 

"Hey Zuko," Toph waved in the opposite direction he was. 

"Hey blind girl," Zuko sighed getting up as he went to follow Katara.

"So you're dating now or something?" Suki asked and the two burned red with wide eyes. 

"No!" They both yelled. 

"Wow ouch," Toph snorted as she got to her feet. 

"Okay nice to see you again, bye now," Sokka waved him off but Aang and Katara looked at him. 

"You too, bye," Zuko waved back but before he could walk away Katara grabbed the back of his shirt to keep him close. 

"No, you're staying, if anyone has a problem they can talk to me," Katara told him and sent a narrowed look at her friends. 

"I-" "you don't get a say," she looked back at Zuko who shut his mouth quickly. He mumbled a small cuss under his breath as he crossed his arms as he stood next to Suki awkwardly. 

"You still hate me?" Zuko raised a brow looking at her. 

"So so," Suki shrugged with her arms crossed. 

"That's fair," he nodded agreeing. 

—

"I think we're almost there!" Aang ran ahead of everyone as they all walked through the forest, Sokka helped lead Toph through the trees as she held onto his arm. Zuko walked behind them a little anxious as Katara was chatting with Suki behind Sokka and Toph. 

"Where are we going?" Zuko whispered to Katara.

"Shh it's a surprise," Katara smiled back at him as Aang ran over to her and Zuko curiously. 

"So like how was prison?" Suki asked smirking at Zuko as Katara slapped her shoulder. 

"Time of my life, hope to go back," he rolled his eyes sarcastically.

"I thought you didn't go to prison?" Aang asked confused. 

"It was sarcasm," Zuko put his hand in his pocket and grabbed his cigarettes.

"No smoking in the forest," Katara scowled at him. 

"Gimme," Toph slowed down so she and Sokka were by Zuko. He lit the cigarette and let her take the first hit.

"God dammit not you too Toph," Katara groaned as she and Aang walked ahead as Toph held it up for Zuko to take back.

"Psst," Sokka opened his hand and Zuko let him have some as well. 

"Don't tell Katara," Sokka whispered to them as Suki snorted when he gave it back.

"I heard that!" 

"Don't worry she stays six feet away from me when I smoke," Zuko inhaled the smoke as he held it between his lips while they walked.

"At least you don't smoke on the bike," Katara stuck tongue out at him ahead of them with Aang making a face at the smell. 

"It's really hard," he told her smirking. 

They walked a bit further until Zuko saw that they found a small pond a mile from the trail as it had a tire swing on a long branch. 

"Seriously?" Zuko cocked his head to the side as Aang threw his shirt and shorts off before sprinting to the pond and diving in. 

"Wait for me!" Sokka handed Toph off to Zuko as he ran after him. 

"Did you bring a swim suit?" Toph asked Zuko as they stood together, he didn't care that she held onto him.

"No," Zuko said flatly.

"None of us did," Suki snorted as she wore a sports bra and already had spandex shorts on as she went to the water.

"Sorry I didn't think we'd go to the pond," Katara smiled awkwardly at him as there were three left. 

"It's fine, I'll hang here with Toph," Zuko told her as he sat on the grass with the blind girl who enjoyed not being alone now, she didn't like swimming. 

"You sure?" She asked concerned.

"I'm not big into swimming," Zuko nodded with a small reassuring smile.

"If you change your mind, don't be a stranger," Katara handed him the leather jacket as she had a tank top on under and grabbed a pair of spandex from sukis bag that she had extra. 

"So you have a thing with sugar queen?" Toph smirked playing with the grass sitting with Zuko.

"Wha- I already told you we're not like that," Zuko looked at her as his cheeks flushed brightly.

"Sooooo then do you just like her or like? What's the deal?" She laughed a little laying on her back now.

"We're just friends, I've only known her for a month," Zuko pulled his legs together as he sat cris crossed as he watched the others play in the pond. 

He saw Katara tackle Sokka from behind and pulled him into the water with a battle scream after hearing Sokka shriek. He smiled a little with light blush creeping on his cheeks while the soft wind blew his hair against his face. 

"Does she know about the attacks?" Toph asked after a moment. 

He froze. 

"How do you know about those?" He asked looking back at the younger blind girl.

"People seem to not know the difference between blind and deaf, I hear everything and it's easy to pick out what," Toph told him as her arms were folded behind her head. 

Zuko touched the middle of his chest and stomach a little, feeling where he was repeatedly kicked yesterday as he's been beat on multiple times a week. He stopped fighting back and protected his face at this point. It was just people getting their anger out on him and he deserved it for what he did to them. 

"Don't tell Kat, she already mothered me into having actual food for breakfast now," Zuko sighed a little. 

"She does that a lot, mothering people," Toph smirked a little as he looked back at Katara. 

"She just cares a lot, nothing wrong with that," Zuko smiled again but noticed his phone buzzed with a text. 

Unknown: come to my main building tomorrow after school, we're having a chat                                           - Ozai 

Zuko inhaled deeply as he held his phone tightly between his eyes and closed his eyes a little before going to a different contact. 

Z: I know your probably sleeping but call me please? 

Jin: read 6:07am

Zuko blinked surprised as he waited for her to reply. She must've been awake for a moment and probably went back to sleep. It was early over in Japan. She wouldn't just ignore him. 

Z: hope you have a good day

Jin: read 6:10am