DISCLAIMER: I don't own ATLA or any of its characters!

I'm not gonna lie I was crying while writing the first part of this chapter.

Hope you take that as a good sign😐

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Sokka followed Suki out of the house and onto the back patio. It was cold, and the outdoor thermometer said it was below freezing, but it didn't look like it would snow. The chilly weather kept almost everyone inside, so it was just the two of them.

"We need to talk," Suki said quietly.

"Yes! Yes we should. Suki, I think I'm in love with you."

"You think you're in love with me Sokka," her voice was still quiet, but it was starting to shake, "You think you're in love with Yue, too, and two years ago you thought you were in love with Ty Lee," her voice rose. Suki had always been so calm and collected before and it was a little unnerving, "Sokka, I'm leaving in a week, and I will be gone for two months, and I just know that you're not going to think you like me after those two months."

"Wait, Suki-" Sokka had forgotten all about Suki leaving.

"Sokka, I really like you," she interrupted, "but I'm looking for a real relationship." She inhaled deeply, and looked him in the eyes, "You think you like me, but you don't know yet. If I get back in January, and you still think you're in love with me, then we can talk."

"Suki-" he started.

"No."

"Suki I'm sorry!" She paused for a moment. Then she gently kissed him on the cheek and headed back inside. It was a simple interaction, a short interaction, but Sokka felt as though something inside him had flickered out.

~~~

Katara and Aang were once again sitting on the loveseat in the corner of the room. They had played truth or dare for a while longer before deciding to do something else. Katara sighed.

"Are you alright?" Aang asked, "You've been sighing a lot."

"I just feel guilty about Sokka," Katara watched as Suki walked back inside, frowning. She plastered a fake smile on her face, and walked over to her friends, "It doesn't look like it went well."

"We all make mistakes," Aang stood up, "I saw some cheese puffs in the kitchen. Do you want to go get some? It'll get your mind off of things."

"Yeah. That sounds good."

"Katara?" It was Jet, "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Uhh, sure. I'll be there in a second, Aang." He nodded and headed into the kitchen.

"Katara, can I ask you a question?"

"yeah..."

"Will you go out with me," he asked loudly. Suddenly the room grew quiet, and Katara and Jet were right in the center of it. Heads turned towards them.

"Aww, you guys would make such a cute couple."

"She'd better say yes."

"I'm so jealous of her!"

Katara smiled nervously, then she looked Jet in the eye and her gaze hardened. He knew exactly what he was doing.

"Sorry Jet, but I barely know you, and I just don't feel the same way." Everyone in the room collectively groaned, and went back to what they were doing, but not before glaring at Katara. Jet frowned, but it was quickly replaced with a smirk.

"Do what you want, but I don't think the people at this party are going to be that fond of you." He walked away, just as Aang came back with a bag of cheese puffs. He noticed the hostile atmosphere.

"Ok, I was gone for 30 seconds, what happened?"

~~~

Zuko didn't know why or how he was having fun, but it was happening. Someone had brought an old school karaoke machine, and he found himself singing badly alongside people he didn't even know, all while wearing the blue spirit mask. He felt his phone vibrate in the pockets of his black sweatpants. It was Mai, texting him.

Zuko smiled and responded.

He put his phone away, and stiffened. Zuzu. The only person who called him that was Azula. She knew he was at the party. He took a deep breath and pulled his phone out of his pocket.

Zuko groaned. I'm not going to deal with Azula right now, he thought. Zuko adjusted his mask. He'd been wearing it for hours and it was becoming annoying, so he headed to the back patio to get some air. As he went outside, he quickly realized he wasn't alone, so he kept the mask on. A guy who looked a year younger than him with a ponytail stared forlornly off into the distance. Zuko recognized him as Sokka, and he recognized the look in his eyes as heartbreak.

"Did you get turned down?" he found himself sitting next to him.

"I guess. She said she doesn't trust me to be in a real relationship, that my feelings for her will come and go." Sokka sadly looked at the ground.

"That's rough buddy," Zuko sighed, "So, are your feelings just temporary?"

"That's the thing. I don't know, I guess I'll find out in the next two months." They were silent for a while.

~~~

"Sokka, It's time to go!" said Aang as he and Katara rushed outside.

"Why?" Sokka was sitting next to someone with a blue mask.

"I rejected Jet and now everyone hates me," Katara summarized, "Aang and I are gonna leave, but you can stay if you want."

"Nope," Sokka quickly thanked the guy in the mask, "I'm coming." They were in the living room when he cursed under his breath, "I forgot my jacket on the patio."

"I'll go get it!" Aang said, and quickly ran outside. He grabbed the jacket, and that's when he noticed a bright orange flame in the palm of the masked figure. His mask was off, and in the light of the flame Aang could clearly see Zuko's scar.

"Wait!" Zuko said urgently, "I'm not here to cause trouble, I promise." Maybe it was because his voice was so sincere, or because it looked like he had helped Sokka, but something caused Aang to pause for a moment before making up his mind.

"I understand," he said. Zuko nodded, relieved, and Aang zipped back inside.

~~~

"Sokka?" Sokka turned away from Katara (they were waiting for Aang to come back with the jacket) and saw Yue standing behind him.

"I wasn't able to thank you for inviting me to this party earlier," she said, "I only got here a couple hours ago, but it was really fun." she smiled shyly, "Um, so would you like to go hang out sometime, like, as a date."

"As a date." Sokka couldn't process the words. An hour ago he would've been overjoyed, but now...

"Just so you know, I'm not looking for a long term relationship since I'm moving away in December."

"Moving away..." he snapped back to reality and saw Suki leave the house, softly closing the door behind her, "Yeah, I'm not looking for a long term relationship either."

~~~

"So that... was a party," Aang said as he, Katara and Sokka shivered in the cold on their way home.

"Yeah," said Katara flatly, "I'm not too keen on doing that again."

"Me neither," they said in unison. When they parted ways, Aang couldn't help but think about Zuko. Why was he at the party if he wasn't there to cause trouble? Was he just misunderstood? Did he come to the party just to have fun? Whatever the reason, Aang knew that there was more to the firebender than meets the eye, and he pondered this all the way to his house.

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