KATARA VS ZUKO; I'LL HATE YOU FOREVER AFTER
CHAPTER 1: AROUND THE CAMPFIRE
Everybody sat around the campfire, chatting happily, Hakoda was trying to catch up with his son and daughter, and it had been a long time after all.
His eyes fell down on the young fire nation prince, he was the only one silent, and the youth just stared at the campfire as its red flames were reflected on his golden amber eyes.
"Kids, I would like to thank young Zuko for freeing me and several other prisoners from the boiling rock'' he said as he looked at Zuko, the look that said; I'm proud of you son.
The look Zuko never got, the look he dreamed to receive from his "loving'' father.
"I didn't do that much'' Zuko mumbled as he blushed.
"don't discredit yourself for this one Zuko, I mean you were awesome, punching, kicking, burning, jumping...''Sokka said as he looked at the scarred teen, repeating and acting some of the moves with his hands to make it more exiting .
"wow, never knew Sparky would go that far'' Toph said.
"you haven't seen anything yet, trust me Toph.'' Aang said as he reached and punched Zuko's shoulder in a manner of kidding.
"Most importantly you saved my father, thank you, Zuko''
"you're welcome, any time Sokka.''
Everyone was happy for what Zuko is doing, they are joking with him, and, well, they at least trust him, except for one, Katara did nothing but glare at Zuko and send him eye notifications that simply said; I have my eye on you, or: don't you dare do anything or I'll kill you, or: get lost this family time and you are not part of this family...
Zuko tried his best to ignore these death glares, but they sent shivers down his spine, and most of the time, no matter how hard he tries not to think about the "notifications'' he just looses and starts wondering if what Katara said was true.
For now, Katara is sending the scarred teen, a mix of all the options above that made him rethink this whole...
And then the gaang went on talking, about various subjects, Hakoda hugging both of his children every now and then, as they sat beside him.
Zuko tried to remember the last time his father did the same, the last time he hugged him, the last time he looked at him in the eye and squeezed his shoulder saying ;I'm proud of you son, or I love you Zuko.
Never, even before he was banished, his father never did that, when his mom was still around she'd say such things, but after she left he never heard it from anybody but his uncle, and how did he say thank you? By betraying him of course.
Why was he so stupid? So...
so..-
"Zuko, can you hear me'' Aang said as he waved his hands in front of the fire bender's golden eyes.
"sorry, j-just misplaced''
" no problem, I was asking you about your favourite childhood memory.'' Aang said cheerfully, as usual.
Zuko froze, he bit his lip. favourite childhood memory, like what? He didn't really have any. Seriously wasn't there another subject? Why the family subject? why it always has to be about the past,the memories.
"I don't have any''
"come on Sparky everyone's gotta have one''
"yeah Zuko''
"c'mon, every one does''
"even evil fire benders, and people like you do so' 'Katara teased.
"don't be shy''
Zuko stopped at katara's words, it was true but not with him, he was always so different from everyone, even the ruthless fire benders that he is now against, even Azula, even his father! The most cruel man on earth was better than him, zuko's blood boiled with rage.
"except me! What memories should I tell you about! WHAT ABOUT... OH I KNOW! The time... the time MY FATHER BURNED ME! THE TIME HE BANISHED ME!THE TIME HE SENT ME ON AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK JUST TO GET RID OF ME, OR THE TIME HE DROVE MY MOTHER, THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD BESIDE MY UNCLE WHO ACTULLY LOVED ME AND CARED FOR ME, AWAY! GO ON YOU TELL ME!" Zuko started to yell before he even knew it the words got out of his mouth, tears ran down his face, and the fire started to terribly grow, erupt, and increase in size that everyone had to get back or else they would be fried alive.
So what, who would've loved you. Katara thought but she said nothing because she was busy trying not to get burned.
Zuko noticed what effect he had on the campfire so he quickly turned it off got up and left with faint sobs escorting him.
"I didn't mean to...''
"Aang its okay, I'll go talk to him'' Sokka said, reassuring the young air bender.
"I'll go talk to sparky too''
"that sounds like a good idea kids, go'' Hakoda said.
"be careful!" Aang said they all stared at him.
"well, this is Zuko we're talking about.'' Aang explained as he held his arms in defence.
"You know, he's got a point'' Toph said.
"we'll be''
And so Sokka and Toph went on to search for their friend.
"Toph can you tell me where is he? Like feel him or whatever you do?''
"sure snoozels, he's on the second stories balcony''
"the one that is totally destroyed?''
"Mm-hmm''
"okay, what are we waiting for, let's go.''
"his heart is skipping a mile a minute, he surely isn't fine, we gotta hurry and be careful''
"okay let's hurry up''
Zuko was on the terrace of the second story, before a few minutes he moved around the temple not really caring where to go, he just wanted to go far away from his "friends'', Zuko didn't want them to see him this way, he still hated to look so week and pathetic, so sobbing in front of them wasn't an option for sure, he walked through the empty hallways and here he was.
Zuko buried his face in his knees sobbing silently.
Katara was about to lose her mind, what she wanted to do now was to perhaps freeze the fire bender and punch him to death, the last thing she needed right now was this.
" great, just what we needed, a psycho fire bender who's here to tell about his complicated damned past and fry us whenever we tried talking to him'' she said in a tune of disgust, anger and hate.
"Katara, what... what are you even talking about?''
"Your "fire bending teacher", he's here to fry us and complain about his past''
"but Katara...'' Aang tried to be civil but the water bender was way too far from being civil on the fire benders cases.
"Aang don't you see! we can't trust him' your back is what happens when you trust such a filthy-''
"KATARA! Enough of this! Zuko had terrible circum centres and yet he grew to be better than you!"Hakoda suddenly yelled at his daughter, as large tears started forming in her ocean blue eyes, without a word Katara turned away, and ran to her room.
"Zuko? Buddy? Are you here?'' Sokka's voice echoed through Zuko's ears, who crawled to the edge where Sokka can't see him?
Toph pulled Sokka to Zuko's edge, and sure enough the young fire bender was there.
When Toph said that Zuko's heart was skipping a mile a minute, Sokka never thought this is what she meant.
He thought that Zuko would be angry, punching things, burning things, but this...
This was...
Zuko was crawled in a ball, his face buried in his knees, and he was failing to hold sobs back, he was trying to cry silently, but he just couldn't.
Is this truly the man, no. the boy that was chasing them all around the world? The one they feared and hated? The one on the top of their enemy list? NO? Of course not.
Be careful, he remembered Aang say. From what?
Toph was also afraid for her friend; she was worried about him, honestly.
She could hear his heart beating a mile a minute, his faint sobs, and his body trembling violently.
Poor Zuko.
Zuko on the other hand was actually worse than what they truly expected; he was crying violently that he felt as if his throat would tear apart, he no longer cared if they saw him, he just wanted this to be over, he wanted to end this battle between himself, why does he have conflicts between himself? Why? Why is it always so hard being himself? He was trying to cry the pain of the past three years; he just needed a place to empty his feelings.
"Zuko...'' Sokka said in a voice filled with sympathy.
The words seemed to get lost in the way to Toph's mouth, but she could still move, she knelt down near the young fire bender, who won't raise his head up, she extended her trembling hands and caught Zuko's chin, he was still crying and shaking violently, finally he broke and started to cry violently, it was a good thing that Toph actually couldn't see because Zuko's state would make anyone cry.
His face was soaking wet from tears, his eyes had turned red, he was fighting to catch a breath, and his whole usually pale face was almost as red as blood.
Sokka was almost about to cry, unlike Toph he could see, he pitied his friend, was what he said true, how messed was his childhood if you could call the past hell years of his life a childhood.
Without thinking Toph hugged Zuko, Sokka sat beside his friend and put a comforting hand around him this was one of the situations that didn't need words.
Zuko did appreciate his friends, their shoulders was all what he needed.
"let it go buddy... I'm sorry... let it go...''
They stayed like they were for a few moments, until Zuko broke out of Toph's embrace, he wiped his tears with his sleeve, then he turned to his friends, which were both now sitting on each side of him with an arm of comfort.
"th-thanks'' he said between whimpers and sobs, he needed to stop he was still way too stubborn to continue crying like a small child.
"it's okay sparky any time'' Toph reassured her friend, as Sokka rubbed his back.
"you need to get back to camp, I mean your father and the others will worry about you'' Zuko said to his friends, he mostly wanted them gone before he broke and lost control again.
"never,''
" let's get you to bed''
Zuko tried to get up but he fell down, Toph stopped what would have been quite a painful crash, she moved some rocks and Zuko landed on them instead.
This time Sokka put Zuko's arm around his neck, while Toph was too short to reach Zuko so she just followed.
Zuko's eyes where flickering as he continued to caught and cough more violently.
Finally, they reached Zuko's bedroom and he surely was way too tired before the minute his head touched the pillow he was out like a light.
Toph and Sokka turned the light off, like parents getting their child to bed.
"poor Zuko'' they both muttered as they left.
"Katara, please open the door, pleaaaaaaaaaase''
Sokka had been trying to talk to his sister, but she won't open the door, he gave up and went to sleep.
Katara was in her room crying as hard as she could. Her pillow was already soaked.
Did her father say what he said?
No, n-no it can't be, that is impossible.
That... that... traitor was stealing her father he'll see she will revenge.
REVENGE.