A/N This is my first fanfiction. I hope you like it. I wrote it because Zuko is one of my favorite characters, and I really don't appreciate how Katara treats him—though she does have a point. He did change for the worse during the "Crossroads of Destiny". This is probably because I am biased—Zuzu rules! Of course, I like everyone else, even Ozai. If it wasn't for him, there would be no Avatar. Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender. They belong to Mike and Bryan.
Revelations and Reconciliations— Chapter One: The Pariah
Zuko sighed, sitting next to the Avatar (he wasn't used to calling him Aang). This dinner was going to be awkward, he could feel it. As the group sat around the glowing fire, the Duke provided some entertainment.
"Wooo, go the Duke!" shouted Toph. Haru, Teo, Aang, and Sokka pumped their fists in the air, cheering for the boy.
"Be careful!" cried Katara. She observed the Duke, then gave a big smile, joining the others in their cheering.
He was stuck in the bowl of his helmet, but was clearly enjoying himself, spinning around while everyone laughed. That is, everyone except for Zuko.
He shifted around uncomfortably on the worn floor of the Western Air Temple. It didn't seem right for him to join in on the laughter, although he was part of the group now. He wanted to be more than the Avatar's firebending teacher. He wished he was a real part of this family, though he hated to admit it to himself. Zuko drummed his fingers on the ground. He tried to focus the awkwardness elsewhere, and his eyes soon rested upon the fire. Zuko watched, transfixed by the golden dance of flickering flames. The dragons were right—fire was alive, breathing with every sigh he took.
"More soup, Zuzu?" asked Katara, malice in her eyes and contempt in her words. Zuko glanced up, broken from his hypnosis of the flames.
"Sure," he replied, not in the mood for her "hurt" reply if he rejected it.
She raised her hands, and with a graceful arc, bended the soup into his bowl. Zuko felt a hot wetness trickling down his face, as "somehow" some soup splattered from the bowl. He wiped it away. Katara looked down onto the floor, giving a little smile. The group stopped laughing, and the air was eerily quiet. Then Sokka laughed, grabbing onto his sides, and toppled over. The group resumed their laughter, jeering at Sokka, who continued to rile on the floor. Katara looked up, only to meet Zuko's face. She glowered.
Zuko stood up, said good night, and headed over towards the main temple, for the solitude of his room. Aang glanced at him as he walked past, while Toph's ears perked up. She recognized the sound of his defeated footsteps walking away from them.