(A/N) Please bear with me, this fanfic business is new to me (I normally DRAW, not write). This fic is merely a spot I can store my attempted rambles about the Avatar-verse. Unless specified, none of them are connected, so try and think of them as individual little ficlets instead of a long story in tiny bits. They won't be from any one perspective, so expect a lot of different characters. I should mention though, that my preferred pairings are Zutara, Taang and Sukka. So if you find any of those disgusting I'd suggest not reading any further.
standard disclaimer applies: I own nothing, alas. (except my demented mind)
Zuko was known to keep things to himself. It was not a particularly good habit of his, but it was well ingrained and rarely broken. Getting him to open up and reveal things about himself was harder than teaching Sokka table manners. It was a shame though, because so many things could have been different.
If he'd told his crew what happened, they might have respected him earlier.
If he'd explained why exactly he was chasing the avatar (instead of simply spouting about his honor) then maybe the avatar's group would have sat on him until he saw his mission for what it really was and Aang would have had a firebending teacher a lot earlier.
If he'd told Sokka the reason he attacked so fiercely to the left was because he'd gone blind in the bad eye he would have endured far less ridicule for 'letting his guard down'.
If he'd simply told Katara he loved her (but really, wasn't taking a lightning bolt for her enough?) it might have been him she kissed instead of the avatar.
But he didn't. So when they all left him to rule his broken country alone, he kept the pain to himself.
