(A/N) I apologize for the delay. This chapter has been sitting around for a couple of weeks and I nearly decided to put it off. But I didn't! :D I was distracted by another plot lately in the past few days that I just had to type it first. I want to recommend it to you Zutarians and multi-shippers out there: Everything is Temporary. Please read it :D I know it's just the prologue, but it will progress!

Chapter 4: Unknown Reasons

Zuko's morning didn't really go exactly as planned.

And needless to say, he was almost disappointed.

Almost.

He didn't have a schedule or anything, just the usual routine: waking up before the sun was even peeping on the horizon, outdoor meditation to allow the rays of sunlight to bathe his face, the usual morning callisthenic exercises to keep him toned, and finally, a refreshing morning shower after the somewhat intense work-out.

It was a quarter to nine in the morning when he woke up that day: that's at least two and half hours past the usual time he rises from bed.

He groaned as he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He didn't realize how tired he was the other night until he finally collapsed on his bed. It was a peaceful, dreamless and uneventful evening…until morning came.

And admittedly, he was disappointed with himself for somehow 'sleeping in', but he was even more disappointed that morning had to come. He slept so peacefully that night that it's considerably one of the best sleeps he'd ever had, and he felt that he could just lie there forever.

But apparently, he had to wake up some time. Today was day one of his official period of temporary 'freedom' so there's no reason for him to blame himself for sleeping in. And there's no harm in breaking the traditional routine every once in a while, right?

Just when he could completely pull himself off the bed, someone knocked on the door.

"Zuko! Rise and shine, nephew," a rather weary voice said, muffled from the other side of the door.

Uncle Iroh entered the room with a warm smile on his face. He looked at the young man in mild amusement.

"You slept in, haven't you?" he asked with the usual mirth in his tone.

Zuko didn't say anything as he fixed his covers. His uncle walked casually towards the windows on the other side of the room to open the blinds. Sunlight poured in and lit up the entire room.

"Your friend Miss Bei Fong came in the café early this morning," Iroh said, with his back still turned from him.

"Really?" Zuko arched his lone eyebrow in disbelief. What was Toph doing there this early? "What did she want?"

He smiled. "Just a cup of some regular tea; she wasn't really there for anything else, actually. I thought for a moment that she was here for something important. It turned out that the young lady just wanted to visit an old friend." Iroh said, and Zuko noted that Iroh was referring to himself and not him.

He shrugged. "Well, that's a first for her. Why couldn't she wait 'til later?"

Iroh chuckled slightly. "She has her reasons." He walked over to the door he just came in and addressed the younger man over his shoulder. "Since you've risen late, I might as well extend your shift so Jin could have her break earlier than the usual. She told me that she has some important business to attend to. It would be nice for someone to cover for her, yes?"

Zuko groaned and Iroh smiled in an uncharacteristic manner that the young man never knew he was even capable of. "It wasn't in my intentions to."

"I know. But you have responsibilities to uphold." He turned to leave. "Get dressed and come down to the café quickly. The place is starting to swarm with customers."

Zuko was forced to skipped the rest of his morning routine (including the meditations and the regular exercise, much to his dismay) just to make it in time for the beginning of his shift. Uncle Iroh didn't do more than threaten him with an extra hour, but that alone could ruin his plans for the afternoon.

Trudging down the stairs, he made his way to the back of the kitchen to retrieve his green apron. Ever since his uncle opened up the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko was dragged into the scenery, despite himself. He has been his Uncle's assistant and employee for as long as he could remember. The first few days of the job two years ago had been awful. He wasn't so used to working for people, even if the owner of the establishment was his own uncle. But as the days go by, he allowed himself to adjust almost subconsciously. Uncle noted the boy's progress to him, and for the first time (and yet again, despite himself), Zuko actually felt really proud of his own being that he almost allowed himself to pat his own shoulder.

Although he wouldn't admit it out loud, but the longer he does it, the more certain he is about the work's appeal to him. It kept his mind off of all the many things that had always bothered him, and something in his character snapped as he progressed. That's when he actually allowed a metamorphosis to take place and a change to happen.

His uncle had been a father to him for all these years that he felt himself crumbling. It was hard for him to accept that his own father wouldn't do much as to give him a second glance.

Thinking of his own father, Zuko almost touched the scar on his face but he stopped himself midway. He frowned. What could Ozai possibly want from him just to deem himself worthy of a son again? The mere thought had always bothered him constantly. From all he knew, the man hadn't done anything but hurt him and his mother. Ozai's precious daughter was even given more respect than his own wife. And Zuko was the man's own son, for Agni's sake. From what he knew, the monster had killed his own wife and sent his only son away, cursing him that he could only come back when he finally redeemed himself and had restored his honor.

His expression darkened.

Honor.

The word itself almost tasted like honey.

Almost.

If only he wasn't cursed to it.

Tying his apron, he slowly made his way towards the kitchen and spotted Jin busying herself decorating the coffee placidly. She turned her head slightly when she caught a glimpse of her fellow co-worker enter.

"Hey, Lee," her pretty face brightened up.

Zuko nodded towards her as a greeting and sauntered over to the sink.

Jin's grin widened a little when she caught sight of the lightly disheveled hair on his head. "You slept in for the first time, uncle told me. That's a pretty big deal for you, huh?"

He merely ignored her as he picked up a plate and washed it.

She continued to smile, completely oblivious to the fact that her co-worker was not in the mood to talk. "I mean, I wonder what time you guys would normally rise on regular days. Four, five… six A.M.?" she giggled slightly. "I can't even imagine myself doing as early as five every single day."

Again, Zuko said nothing and pointedly continued to ignore her.

The girl made a face, turned back towards her work and sighed. She had wanted to ask if something was bothering him, but right now, she decided, might not be the best course of action. From what she knew (based on experience), Lee had always let his problems consume him for some undistinguished reason. Jin came to a conclusion that it probably won't be a smart idea to press him with her questions any further. But still, she can't work with all the negative energy building up in the room. She had to do something.

"Hey, you okay?" Jin asked over her shoulder. She made a smart move by keeping her feet rooted to where she was standing.

She heard him sigh in exasperation. "I'm fine." Then he muttered something inaudibly that she didn't quite catch.

"You know," she said as-a-matter-of-factly. "It's not a good idea to be working in a café if you're all about negative energy."

Zuko had the choice to ignore her again but he chose to say something for his sake. "Who says something about negativity? I'm not negative."

The corners of her mouth twitched slightly. "Sure you are, big guy," she said in mild sarcasm. This time, Jin made a move to amble towards him and touch his arm lightly. Zuko nearly flinched from the contact. "Hey, relax. I'm not gonna pester you about your problems if you don't want to talk about it. But if you're gonna continue to act like this then I'm not sure if I could work with you."

Zuko's eyebrow narrowed and he looked at her incredulously. "It's only what, your second day here and you're acting as if you could just tell me what to do?"

"I'm not," she said calmly. "I was just trying to help. It's your fault you're moping around for some reason, and I couldn't be of any help to you. Not now, maybe. I know you won't allow me to meddle with your issues." She turned to grab a towel and dried the plates her co-worker had washed. "Now stop with the dejection, Lee, and put on your smiley face. You're supposed to be happy today."

He looked at her again, skeptically this time. That was a joke, right? "Why does that always sound so mandatory?"

"That's because it is," she grinned. "And everyone else should. It's such a nice day and you're making it look in contrary."

Just as her employer had permitted, Jin's morning shift ended earlier today. She was only given an extended thirty minutes for her lunch break but the girl had already considered that enough time. When Iroh had asked her about her affair, Jin just giggled timidly and told him that it was quite personal. The old man simply smiled and nodded in understanding before sending her off.

Once the girl had left, Zuko was relieved to be finally alone in the kitchen for the time being. Sure, Jin was good company and she kept herself busy most of the time, trying her hardest not too aggravate him (and usually failing miserably), but he couldn't help but admit that sometimes that just her mere presence was enough to annoy him for another unspecified reason.

They didn't have a dark past together or anything. Not that there really was any. Sure, they went on a date once and admittedly, it was a great night. But then again, there was something just really annoying about that girl. Maybe it's because of that entire Ty Lee-ish aura she spurts at him. Zuko shuddered internally.

Okay, incidentally, there's really no denying the fact that something always bothers him for an unspecific reason. He never really got to grasp what it truly was. But when he does, it only happens when he's alert and paying attention, and it had never been something big from the start. It's not just with Jin; he has that problem with a lot of people; even with his friends in some occasions.

Having another fellow co-worker in the small café lessened the burden of the job but at the same time he had to force himself to adjust to the people working with him. Zuko was honest enough to admit that he is not a people-person (as his sister would call it). And usually, the employees his uncle hires are both hyper-enthusiastic and only planning on working part-time on the job. They only stayed for a temporary time being. No one has really lasted more than six months. And there's a big possibility that Jin is not an exception.

Zuko and Jin weren't exactly the only employees Iroh has working for him at the moment. There was Pao, a man who used to run the old teashop until Iroh bought the establishment. Now he works for Iroh as the assistant manager. But currently, he's out of town for a personal reason. He'd be back when Uncle Iroh leaves for his temporary exodus. With him gone, Iroh only has the duo left with him for the short time being.

An hour after his lunch break, Zuko was leaning against the counter, arms crossed on his chest, brooding in his thoughts distractedly while waiting for the coffee to brew. Jin had an extra thirty minutes on her schedule and he scowled in irritation. Uncle is such a softie for smiling faces like hers. It annoyed him to the depths of his being.

Not that it truly mattered. He had more important things to be internally pissed about.

And when that thought hit him, he swore he wished his mind will suddenly go blank. It reminded him of his problems all too clearly: since Ozai told him firmly that he never wanted to see his face, the boy assumed, for as long as the man lived, Zuko had nowhere else to stay but here. But who, besides his uncle, would willingly help him in his time of need? Surely uncle would want him to continue his service for the Jasmine Dragon, but with Pao in-charge, it would be a different story. And Uncle would be gone for more than six months! The date of his return is still unknown to them. Who knows when he'd come back?

It took a lot of debate with his ego, but he had finally decided (so much for his ego) that he needed to talk to his friends about the subject beforehand. Katara was the first person he'd want to consult. Knowing her, she'd understand and hopefully, she'd even find ways to help him. Never once in his life had Zuko felt the need to act desperate. Until now.

I'm so gonna regret this someday.

Then again, no matter how unmanly he'd deem himself at the moment, it could actually do him some good.

A few minutes later, Jin came back just in time: ten minutes before her extended lunch period ended. She looked quite pleased, smug and satisfied. Just by seeing that grin playing on her face, Zuko choked down on his questions. He didn't want to know what happened, so he kept his mouth shut.

"Hey, Lee! Did I miss anything, or did you miss me?"

And just as he told himself he wouldn't say anything, he kept his word with dignity. With a frown, he took an empty tray and towel with him as he left the kitchen, leaving the smug-looking Jin without another word.

For the next few minutes, Zuko kept himself busy as he cleaned the used tables and chairs. Work had always got him to forget the things he willed away. He was relieved that fewer patrons had come to enjoy tea and coffee in the afternoons. With only five people, including a couple, occupying the tables, the place was close to being empty.

The sun that had reached the center of the sky at noon slowly started making its decent. Light poured in the interior at an angle and it got his attention. Zuko ambled his way towards the table closest to the windows, holding an empty tray in his hands. He loves the feel of the sun at this time of the early afternoon. It was when the rays were at their moderate warmth. He glanced casually out of the transparent glass casement, watching the streets as the sun bathed it in a pleasant afternoon glow.

Suddenly something caught his attention: a blue bike pulled on the curb, its mocha-skinned and dark haired driver was someone he'd know anywhere.

It was Katara. He smiled. He'd recognize her even from behind. She was the exact person he wanted to see at the moment concerning all his troubles.

His gaze caught hers and she smiled. Zuko felt his face growing warm (and no he was sure it wasn't from the sun's heat) and he turned away rather shyly. With long strides, he quickly made his way back to the kitchen to set the empty tray in pile with all the others. He didn't know why she was here, but he'd use her presence as an advantage.

The moment Zuko disappeared from her view on the window; Katara chained her bike and headed towards the entrance of the Jasmine Dragon.

As soon as she entered the café, she scanned the area and took a seat in one of the empty tables. A few moments later, a waitress was standing beside her, offering a folded menu.

"Hello and welcome to the Jasmine Dragon," the girl bowed politely. "I'm Jin." She took out a small memo pad and pen. "What would it be?"

"Hi," Katara smiled at her. "I'll just have a glass of iced tea, please?" Jin nodded and scribbled down the order. "I just really need something cold, if that's okay."

"Will there be anything else?"

She shook her head. "Nope, I'm good."

And with that, Jin made her way back towards the kitchen.

Sighing, Katara let her gaze and thoughts drift elsewhere for a short few seconds until a voice to her left interrupted her train of thoughts.

"Um… hey."

The girl whirled her head towards the source of the voice and looked up to see who it belonged to. "Hey, Zuko," she felt herself smiling genuinely. He was still wearing the employee's green apron. She wondered for a short moment if he was busy. But judging by the fact that he didn't seem to be doing anything at all, she assumed that he was in for a short break.

"Hi." He made to take the empty seat directly in front of her, but suddenly stopped short and paused. "Um," he scratched the back of his head shyly. "Is there…anyone you're expecting?"

She shrugged, "Not that I know of."

He nodded and slid down to take the seat across hers and rested his arms on the table. Zuko kept his gaze locked on her face but Katara had focused her eyes on anything but him.

"So," she started a little awkwardly. "What's up? Don't you have any…'waitering' to do?"

"'Waitering'? Is that even a word?" He chuckled lightly, despite himself. "I think 'waiting' is more of the word you're looking for."

"Whatever. You know what I mean."

"Actually," he shrugged. "Yes. But Jin's got it covered. There aren't many people at this hour anyway."

She looked around her. "Yeah, I could see that."

Just then, Jin came out holding a tray of the lemon iced that Katara had ordered. She set it down in front of her patron. "Here's your drink, miss. Enjoy!" She smiled pleasantly and Zuko made a face.

At first the waitress had disregarded the boy sitting in front of Katara as some random costumer, but when Jin finally took notice of him (he didn't bother hiding himself), she smirked. "Aren't you supposed to be in the kitchen, Lee?"

"'Lee'?" Katara stifled a chuckle.

"Long story," he waved it off.

"Uncle Iroh will be very displeased to see you not doing your job," Jin said. "He may not be in the Dragon right now, but he'd know. I'd tell him."

He leaned dauntingly towards her. "Could you stop being a 'goody-goody' at the moment and cover for me? I did you a favor earlier. This is important."

At the word 'important', Katara frowned unnoticeably. What could be so important?

She could've been a nice girl and complied without any complaint, but Jin was stubborn. "Not until you say 'please'."

Zuko groaned. "Ugh! Fine. Please…"

Jin's smirk grew wider and she patted his shoulder. "Of course," she turned to leave, grinning mischievously all the way. "I wouldn't want to interfere with your…date." She said slyly over her shoulder.

A blush crept to their faces and Zuko was fast to react before she disappeared into the kitchen. "It's not a date!" He could've sworn he heard his fellow co-worker laughing her ass off at the back of the room.

A few heads turned their way, but Zuko was way too busy hiding his flushed face to notice them. Katara was equally embarrassed at what the waitress had said and she felt herself going stiff. This wasn't a date was it?

No, of course not! What the heck made you think it was?

Tentatively, she touched her friend's arm and she felt him flinch slightly. "Hey," she said, the embarrassment earlier slowly dissipating as she found an amused chuckle bubbling within her. "Don't take it seriously, Zuko. She was just joking."

He scoffed, "Yeah. Joking." His eyes narrowed and he spat. "Jokes were meant to be funny. That Jin. She just loves poking her nose in other people's business."

"Is she always like that?"

"I don't wanna know about the other side of her personality."

Katara giggled and she slowly removed her hand from his arm to let it rest on the table. Zuko felt the heat momentarily leave his face, but it resurfaced again when he felt the ghost of her hand still on his arm. She bit her lip and looked away slightly before meeting her blue eyes with his. "So… what is this oh-so important thing you want to talk about?"

He scratched his head. "Oh, that." He squared his shoulders before continuing. "I have… this big problem – "

"Zuko, you always have problems."

"– and I need your help this time," he said, completely ignoring what she had said before he got to finish his statement. He sighed and continued."I'm not planning on hiding it 'cause this time, I know that my self-pride needs to take a step back. No matter how big my ego can be."

She drew her eyebrows together. Zuko talking about his ego and needing it to take a step back is a rare thing. At least, she knew it was. Her brother wouldn't even dare admit something like this (just to keep his man-pride), for all she knew.

She took a slow sip on her drink and urged him to go on. And he did (with slight hesitation), telling her everything; from his uncle's leave in just a few days time, to the horrors he thought he would face living with his father and sister, to his father's rejection at the mere thought of him coming to their mansion and living with them, and lastly, to his current situation in dealing with the outcome. When he finished with his explanation, Katara felt her heart melt in sympathy.

"…and, that's why I needed to talk to you… about it," he finished dejectedly. He didn't want to do this (for the sake of his pride), but he had hoped that Katara may have a bit of advice for him, and he fully expected her to say something; anything, anything at all.

The girl nodded solemnly and took another sip from her drink. She didn't really know what to say to him, but she knew he expected her to at least voice something out. So she said the first thing she heard her mind say. "Look, I'm not sure if I'm the right person you should be talking to about this."

He frowned, not really expecting that. Then again, a small part of him was voicing out the reality. "Why not?"

"I…don't really know if I could help you, Zuko."

"What?"

"Look, its hard okay," she said. "I know it's stupid for those people in your uncle's special society to just tell you guys on such a short notice. I mean, did they even consider the people he could have left behind? By people, I mean you? How long will his trip be anyway?"

"About six months… maybe even more."

Katara massaged her temples. "Right. Six months… or more," she slowly looked up to meet his gaze. "That's a long time, Zuko."

The young man sighed. "Look, Katara," he started to say. "This is the reason why I debated on telling you. I didn't want to, but I really felt the need to. I can't hide this. I can't. It's not entirely about the pride of dealing with the problem all on my own – you taught me the right alternative. But," he hesitated. "It's more on the fact that I'm probably giving you the extra burden of my issues to shoulder, which originally, you have no business of doing anyway."

She watched at him carefully, her eyes never losing focus on his tawny orbs. Zuko stared at her with the same intensity, but his features were softer. "Did you talk to your uncle?"

"I did. Every time I get the chance."

"And what did he say?"

He sighed again, and momentarily snatched his gaze from hers. "He said he wanted to help but he hadn't done anything lately. Well, not anything I knew of. I didn't even know he's not here until Jin had mentioned it."

Katara gulped the rest of her drink before saying anything else. This is insane. She knows Zuko's uncle was trying, but a faint part of her was telling her that his efforts weren't quite enough.

"Are you sure he wasn't lying when he said that your dad didn't want you back?"

For a moment there, Zuko's body tensed almost unnoticeably but Katara caught him stiffen. "Yeah… I'm sure," he said, almost uncertainly. "Knowing my 'father', I'd rather have Uncle lying than telling me the truth of him wanting me back. Can you imagine? That would've been a miracle," he said mirthlessly, and her eyebrows furrowed. "Not that I think he was lying to me one bit, anyway." Katara already knew that the father and son still hadn't solved their disputes. She faintly wondered how did Zuko get his scar, but she was afraid to ask. He might snap at her if she wasn't careful. It was quite personal, and it was something she shouldn't poke her nose into.

"So you'd rather wish for him not wanting you than accepting you?"

"Well…if you put it that way," his expression hardened. "I'd rather live without a name in an alleyway for the rest of my existence than return to that house, knowing my father pretty much still hasn't changed. Azula's no different either. It'd be suicide to go back. I'd be walking into a slow and painful death."

Katara shook her head at what she just heard. "Zuko, that's – "

"Look, Katara, I'd rather not talk about this. Can we – "

"Zuko, please tell me more. I know it pains you to reminisce, but I need to know," she said pleadingly. "Maybe I could help…"

Katara reached for his hand again and he allowed her to touch him. Her hand was so warm on his. She exhaled a heavy breath before she continued. "Listen. I might not be able to relate to your problems regarding your family issues, but maybe if you'd tell me, I could think of a way to help you. I'd be willing. Please, this is important, Zuko." She squeezed his hand and he looked away.

"What could you possibly want to know? I told you everything."

She bit her lip before seeking his eyes again. "Not everything."

Zuko looked at her incredulously.

With all the courage she could muster, she took a deep breath before she asked him something that she had always wanted to know since the first day she saw him.

"Tell me how you got your scar."

To be continued…