Okay, so since I'm on an Avatar kick, I'm updating again! That and I got my first review from my massive update from this story… that being said!
Dedicated to animegeek123 for reviewing!
Set the night after the gAang got back together!
WARNING! CONTAINS A PAIRING THAT I HAVEN'T MENTIONED IN PREVIOUS CHAPTERS! ALSO CONTAINS SOME FAMILY FIGHTING!
DISCLAIMER: ugh, I hate not owning Zuko!
Amaiya stood uncomfortably under her father's eyes.
The normally loving gaze was iced over with anger, outrage and…
Disappointment.
She glanced hatefully over at her so called 'brother'.
Never in her entire life had the two looked so much alike at the same exact time.
"Amaiya, you haven't answered my question."
She winced at the sharpness in her father's tone.
She took a deep breath and looked bravely into her father's sharp blue eyes.
"Yes."
Amaiya saw a flicker of fire with her answer.
"Why?"
Amaiya felt her blood boil.
"Why? WHY? WHY do I need a reason, Dad? It's not like I can help it!"
"Don't speak to me in that tone, young lady," Hakoda snapped back.
Amaiya shrank back, biting her tongue.
"Answer my question."
Amaiya's hand balled up into a fist.
"Because he's the only man close to my age that isn't Sokka," she said through gritted teeth.
The fire was getting brighter.
"Dad, please, you have to understand-"
"No, Amaiya, I don't."
"YES you DO!"
Amaiya snapped. She couldn't take it anymore.
"Did YOUR parents have a problem when YOU fell in love with MOM? Did YOU have an issue when KATARA began dating HARU? NO!"
Amaiya looked defiantly into her father's eyes.
"So why is it so bad that I like ZUKO? Why is it that Sokka and Katara can like people but I can't?"
"What do you mean, why is it bad you like Zuko?" Sokka snapped, stepping forwards.
"There's plenty wrong with it!"
"Give me one good reason, Sokka! Give ONE good reason that it's so bad that you told Dad like the little kid you are!"
Sokka and Amaiya glared at each other.
Then something finally happened.
Tears began dripping down Amaiya's face.
Sokka's looked confused.
Amaiya shook her head.
"You just don't get it, do you..?"
She turned and began to walk away.
"Amaiya, don't you-"
"LEAVE ME ALONE! JUST LEAVE ME ALONE SOKKA!"
Sokka was shocked. She's never yelled at him like that before.
Come to think of it, she's never really yelled at him PERIOD.
He looked to his father. Hakoda seemed shocked and furious at the same time.
Amaiya sprinted away.
She was done.
She'd had enough.
'Why can't I sleep?'
That was the only thought going through Zuko's head. It was late, and it was starting to rain outside. He was lying in bed wondering why he couldn't sleep. He stared up at the ceiling. For some strange reason, his mind wasn't letting him go to sleep.
He sat up and looked outside. The dark night was grey and he could hear the rain steadily pour. It reminded him of 2 years back…
He shook the thought away.
He didn't want to remember that.
Zuko stood up and grabbed his robe.
Maybe a walk would help?
He didn't know. He just couldn't sleep.
The only real thing that was bothering him is that he didn't know why.
Zuko took his time, slowly walking through his home.
His memories were flooded with him as a child.
Back before Azula was mad, back before his mother was gone, back when his father cared.
Back when his family was an actual family.
A crack of lightning thundered through the dark palace.
Zuko frowned.
Did he see something?
He could've sworn that he saw a shadow…
He walked a little faster, around the corner, and…
"Amaiya?"
The water bender's head snapped up. Her blue eyes were drowning in tears and her dark skinned face was stained with old ones. Her dark hair hung loose around her face. Something in those eyes was broken and in pain.
"Zuko..? What are you doing up?" She asked in a whisper, wiping some water from her face.
"I couldn't sleep," he said softly back, kneeling down next to her. She looked away, fixing the shoulder of the loose robe she was wearing.
"I'm sorry."
Zuko gently touched her hand that was on her shoulder. She looked at it before timidly looking up at him. He looked worried.
"Amaiya, what's wrong?" He asked quietly. Amaiya felt another wave of tears. She shook her head, shutting her eyes.
"Amaiya, you can tell me anything, you know that! What's wrong?" Zuko took her shoulders gently. She looked up at his golden eyes again. Tears escaped down her face.
"Zuko, I can't..!" she buried her face into her hands, shaking a little.
"You can't what? You can't tell me?" She shook her head, letting out a sob.
"N-No..! I can't!"
"Why not?"
"Dad… a-and Sokka… and Mai…"
Zuko frowned. What did those three have to do with this?
"Did you… Did you get into a fight with your dad and Sokka..?" She nodded, avoiding eye contact.
"Th-they're trying to control me, Zuko… and I can't help it, and I'll just be causing problems with you and Mai, and… and…"
She cut off into sobs. Zuko had no idea what she was talking about. Honestly, the last time she'd been this upset around him was that one morning she was talking about her mother!
"Amaiya, I don't…"
"For La's sake, Zuko, do I have to spell it out for you?" She snapped, looking up at him. Her sapphire eyes had an icy edge to them now.
"I LIKE you, Zuko!"
Zuko felt his heart nearly stop.
What did she say?
No, he heard her wrong, he definitely heard her wrong.
"Amaiya, I like you too!"
"But not the way I like you!"
Okay, he had heard her right.
Amaiya roughly scrubbed at her eyes.
"I like you, Zuko. And Sokka knows. And now he thinks there's something going on between us when I know you're with Mai!"
Zuko's chest got tight at the mention of Mai.
Amaiya got up.
"I never told you because I was afraid of losing you… Zuko, you're the best friend I have, I couldn't ruin that!"
She turned away from him.
"I couldn't lose you, Zuko. Even if it killed me, I couldn't make you unhappy."
Zuko slowly stood.
"Amaiya… Mai and I…"
"I know, I know!"
"We're not together anymore."
Amaiya turned immediately around.
Zuko had a defeated look on his scarred face.
"She broke up with me… Because she didn't like being in the position of being the 'Fire Lord's' girlfriend…"
The rain got harder. It dumped outside, but no lighting erupted throughout the sky.
Amaiya finally looked Zuko in the eye.
She saw a mirror of the sadness she felt.
Amaiya didn't say anything.
She walked forwards and hugged him.
"I'm sorry, Zuko…"
The young Fire Lord hugged her back, holding her close.
They stood there for a long time.
It felt right.
Zuko held on tighter, like he didn't want her to leave.
Amaiya let him.
"Amaiya?"
She looked up into his gold eyes.
Zuko looked down at her with a bitter-sweet, thoughtful look.
"If… if I said that I liked you back, would you believe me?"
Amaiya barely nodded.
"If I told you that I'd like to maybe try something with you, would you believe me?
Zuko nodded once.
"If I told you that your dad would kill me, would you care?"
Amaiya shook her head slowly.
"If I told you that so would Sokka and Katara, would you care?"
Zuko shook his head with a sad smile.
"If I told you your brother can suck it up, would you agree?"
With that Amaiya laughed.
Zuko laughed, too.
Somewhere, off in the dark, Toph smiled.
She always knew those two had a thing.
And if Sokka tried to mess it up, he'd have her to deal with.
After all, those two were pretty cute together.
A little look into the mind of Toph! I know I'm going a little fast, but they're gonna keep it on the D.L. for a while, so we shouldn't have another family fight for a while…
That being said, I need help deciding who should be with Sokka! I'm trapped between Suki and Ty Lee… and Mai..? Idk about that…
I have a poll on my page! drop by and vote!
PLEASE R&R! be first and get a chapter dedicated to you!
~Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss me!~