Zuko had missed Katara.
He realized it the moment her foot connected with his shin. The second time she kicked him though... He kind of felt like shooting a a tiny fireball at her clothes. But that would be considered crazy, so he decided to yell instead.
"Katara! What the hell!"
"Don't curse! And you deserve it."
"What for?!"
"You left twice, so you deserve two kicks."
Zuko had nothing to say to that, so he just glared at her. She glared back and folded her arms across her chest.
The two of them were the last left outside. Everyone else had ushered Hakoda and Sokka into the temple to eat. The two of them had stayed behind to finish unloading the war balloon.
He finally rolled his eyes and groaned before saying in a not so apologetic tone, "I'm sorry, Katara, it was rude to leave without giving a clear message about where we were going."
"You got that right." She said haughtily, trying to cover up how much his apology had softened her.
"Oh shut up and just accept my apology!" He stomped his foot with fists clenched.
She sighed and said, "Thank you, Zuko. I accept your apology."
His whole body relaxed. "Was that really so hard."
"You have no idea." She muttered.
"Come on, I know you don't hate me so much anymore."
"Clearly you know very little."
"Katara shut up!"
"Don't tell me to shut up!"
"Stop being so sarcastic!"
"You deserve it!"
"No, I don't. I apologized, I've been the meek, humble little fire prince for the past two weeks trying to prove to you that I've changed. But you still treat me like shit!"
"Don't curse!"
"I will curse if I want to, Katara! And don't avoid the subject. Everyone else has forgiven me, why can't you?"
"Because!"
"That's not a reason!"
"Because I trusted you, and forgave you way before everyone else did! And you betrayed that! You betrayed me! And now you make me feel all these things and I don't know how to handle any of it!"
Zuko stared at her for a minute. She had baffled him. "...What things?"
Oh crap, Katara thought.
"Just forget it, Zuko. I find it shocking that me, a pathetic, waterbending peasant, is insulting your precious royal pride." She turned around and practically ran the other direction. But he didn't let her. He grabbed her wrist and she whirled around in surprise.
"I won't forget it! Look, if you can't forgive me, just leave me alone. I don't need your cruelty." He stared into her eyes, daring her to cross him.
Katara frowned, looking almost hurt at his words. "Fine! It's not like I want you here anyway."
She jerked her arm out of his grasp and stalked away, not sure why she felt so torn up inside.
This time Zuko let her leave, feeling an absence inside of him grow with every step she took away from him.
He yelled and threw punches inflamed with fire towards a nearby boulder.
She was so frustrating! Why did she continue to treat him like that when he could sense something connected between them? He knew she felt it too. He saw it in her eyes when their gazes would connect across the fire. He thought they had built some camaradarie when they put together that table, when they had helped each other teach Aang a difficult move. But then she would turn right around and treat him like he was a dog. Or worse, an idiotic dog.
He knows that's not how she feels about him. He sees things in her eyes sometimes that make him wonder. And what she had just said about having feelings that she didn't know how to handle had really made him wonder. What feelings could she possibly be having? Surely not... romantic feelings? He hesitated to even consider that possibility. But maybe...
No. No, Katara couldn't feel that way about him and treat him like that. She hated him.
His throat closed up and his stomach tightened thinking of her cruel words.
Ugh why do I care so much of what stupid Katara thinks of me? She's just a peasant waterbender.
But in his heart he knew she was so much more than that.
He sighed heavily, and finally headed back into the temple. He could hear Sokka's voice excitedly telling the heroic tale of their rescue of Hakoda. Katara's father's laugh was booming though the halls. He passed by the campfire surrounded by the group of people he'd come to actually care about. He saw the back of Katara, her head lying on her father's shoulder. A twist of pain hit his stomach. He realized he was envious of her and Sokka. Their father loved them unconditionally. His love was free, they didn't have to prove themselves to him.
Zuko was suddenly very, very tired. He continued walking and left the campfire and group of happy chattering people behind him.
It's getting a little harder to write these. But I will persevere (:
Hope you enjoyed! (:
