She stepped closer, and Zuko could sense the fury surging through her eyes and crashing against him like ocean waves.

"You make one step backward, one slip-up, give me one reason to think you might hurt Aang, and you won't have to worry about your destiny anymore. Because I'll make sure your destiny ends… right then and there. Permanently."

Katara turned to walk away, slamming the door as she left the room. Zuko stood there alone, shaken. He knew he had not yet earned the group's trust — he had even been prepared to offer himself as their prisoner after they first rejected him — but Katara's distrust bothered him more than he wanted to admit. He had done so many awful things, but why would she hate him so much more than the others did?

Zuko sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. So long ago in the Crystal Catacombs, it seemed like she had really understood him, that she had seen past the person he used to be. He had let her touch his face. His scar. He could have been free of that sick reminder of his past had Katara used the spirit water before — before —

His decision. He had betrayed her. He had betrayed Uncle. And he had betrayed himself.

I deserve their hate.

Zuko looked back at the portrait of Iroh, which he had set on a table beside the bed. I promise, he thought, I swear I'll do whatever it takes to make up for what I did.

At lunch, Zuko sat in silence, fully aware of the curious stares he was getting from Teo, Haru, and The Duke. Aang had briefly introduced them and explained the whole thing, but Zuko got the feeling they were reserving judgement on him. Toph was the only one looking completely casual and nonchalant as she ate. Sokka was casting suspicious looks at Zuko every now and then, Katara was coldly avoiding everyone's gaze, and Aang looked like he was wondering whether he should say something. This last turned out to be a good guess on Zuko's part.

"So," Aang said, "Uhhh… I guess since you lived in the Fire Nation palace, it must be pretty weird, you know, sitting on the ground to eat and stuff."

"...Actually," Zuko started uncomfortably, "My uncle and I were fugitives from the Fire Nation for a while. We had to survive on our own and camp out until— until we made it to Ba Sing Se."

"Oh." More silence. Zuko nudged at his untouched food with his chopsticks. He felt very awkward. What do you say when you're having lunch with the people you've chased and fought for months?

He was spared having to start the conversation, as Aang began talking again. "Your hair was shorter then, right? When you were traveling with your uncle?"

"...Yeah, it was. Kind of short. For a while."

I am so bad at this.

There was a small 'tuh' sound to Zuko's right, and he turned to see Sokka leaning back against Appa with his arms crossed. "Better than the ponytail," Sokka muttered bitingly.

Zuko looked down at his plate. "Yeah… I didn't like it either."

Aang looked at him curiously. "Then why did you have it?" he asked.

Inside, Zuko froze. It was an innocent enough question, but something in him blanched at sharing the answer with these people he barely knew. He wasn't ready.

But you can't hide behind Lee-from-the-tea-shop around them, he told himself. And they'll never accept you if you don't tell them the whole truth.

So he spoke, quietly, before he could convince himself otherwise. "That haircut is a symbol of shame… for someone who's lost an Agni Kai. A fire duel."

Everyone (aside from Toph, of course) was staring at him. They didn't even try to hide it. Zuko wanted to leave, to go be alone before anyone could ask any more questions. Better yet, he wanted to talk to Uncle Iroh again. But who knew where he was? He had escaped prison and left Zuko half a step behind, sitting here with his former enemies silently begging them not to ask anything more.

The feared question came from Toph, before Aang could elbow her to stop.

"Who did you lose against?"

The answer was less than a whisper. "My father."

The words trembled in the air, and Zuko realized he had stopped breathing. One by one, the group's eyes dropped from his scar to their respective plates. Looking down at his, Zuko found Momo looking back up at him, his little arms full of food.

Zuko pushed the plate toward him. Just take it already.