Disclaimer: I already apologized for delays in updating eheh.

Also maybe i should put actual disclaimers about this all belonging to Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko and Nickelodeon. but you guys aren't stupid. :3

on a more serious note though, it's a bit upsetting seeing the lack of any form of review. do you not like anything i've written? is it so badly written that you can't even hate it? I could stop wasting time on this if no one likes it ._. but ya'll won't even tell me that would you hah... anyay

on to the story...

17-02 prompt: Wants II

Zuko rarely ever threw a tantrum but when he did, it was spectacularly eventful. He fumed and groused and whined whenever he felt the need to and his sudden volcanic outbursts weren't exactly special occasions... but a full scale temper tantrum was a precious occurrence. Toph absolutely loved them even though Sokka believed she was missing out on the most interesting feature of the whole scene, namely the mottled red hue the Prince would become whenever he began throwing a fit.

His golden eyes would narrow to slits and his fingers would trail fire menacingly as he rasped in a tangent about whatever he felt he was entitled to. When it wasn't honour the lack of honour, then it was about respect- but this time it was about his father.

"I should be the one to fight him!" he raged, scar rippling as his facial expressions grew tense and contorted.

He looked a growl away from actually stomping his feet.

"And we say no," Katara replied calmly.

Aang shifted uneasily beside her and attempted to reason with him for the nth time. "I know you want to battle the Firelord Zuko, but Katara is right."

Snort. "Peasant shrew."

"Even though you may be able to take him on, we need you elsewhere. Besides, I have got to fight Ozai myself. I'm the Avatar- it' my sacrifice to make. If you can take him on, which I don't doubt, it will be difficult to end on your own and I really really don't want to kill him," the Avatar continued as if he hadn't heard.

Zuko stared at him increduosly.

"You heard him," Katara added, smugly. "Aang and I are looking for a way to win this war by avoiding as much slaughter as we can. If we can somehow entrap the firebenders in some way- maybe stop their fire… make them lose it? Somehow-,"

"That's crazy! You are all officially soft in the head," Zuko grunted, eyes flashing in anger. "Let me kill him if you are too much of a coward."

"Killing isn't the answer to everything, Sifu Zuko," Aang illustrated humbly, looking elsewhere. "Slaughter will get us nowhere. Just like revenge. Anything fueled by anger will ravage us- we'd be no better than them." He sighed heavily. "We'll move on the with the plan and you'll have your part to play-"

"No I want Ozai; I want to fight my father," Zuko growled, fists curled in to his baggy pants. "You don't understand."

"Zuko," Aang tried.

"No, Avatar! Listen- you haven't lost something so intrinsic to you, so much a part of you... something you valued and now are lost without. It defined me- my nation, my people- and you don't know what it's like without it! They're my home nation... the people I should rightfully lead. The people I will rightfully lead. Soon. And the only way I can win back my honour is by defeating him, I just have to Avatar."

Katara chuckled dryly.

Zuko appraised her with a neat raised brow, still seething but content with having said his piece. He was sure they'd agree now. That was pretty emotional- or so he believed.

"That's ridiculous," Katara sang.

Absolute shrew. And a peasant.

"We've all lost people we love, people who defined us and made us and drove our very existences," she said with an edge to her otherwise neutral tone. "You talk about your people and that makes it quasi hysterical how easily you forget that Aang is the last of the airbenders- he's the only one of his kind, the only person who can bend the air. He has no nation. He has no people. He has no mentors to guide him and help him find himself and to help define his character. His childhood is gone, his friends are gone, his idols are gone and majority of his cultural heritages have been burned to a crisp or pillaged. Anything that's left only serves to remind what a great loss he's suffered- what a great loss the whole world suffered."

"He has us now!" Sokka squeaked to add, sensing the emotions stirring within his sister. "And we've come so far together- we're all family!"

They hadn't lost their tribe, but their familial unit was no longer functioning because of this damned war and he knew she stayed up at night thinking about their mother far more than he did.

"All I'm saying is," Katara acquiesced, nodding in acknowledgement. 'That you should be happy with what you have for once, Prince boy. Besides, you didn't even hear out your part in all this did you?"

Zuko growled at her, low in his chest.

"I figure that's a no," she smirked. "I definitely thought you'd be interested in a showdown with Azula, honestly. Aang totally thought you'd want to get her back. Spark that totally healthy sibling rivalry."

"That's not what I said!" Aang protested whole Zuko struggled to maintain a distasteful glare, saying; "You'll let me handle Azula? You.. trust me with that?"

Katara laughed lightly. "They trust you with me," she said with a triumphant grin at his immediate growl in response.

"Didn't think you'd go out solo did you?" she chortled merrily at his expense. "Just because you want to be ridiculous and face the strongest and most ruthless firebender on your own, doesn't mean you should. How will you rule all of your wonderful people from a grave, Zuko?"

She pursed her lips at his indignant scowl and nodded briefly to indicate that she knew she had won. "Think next time if it doesn't hurt you too much."

a/n: no one reads these lol