Zutara Week Day 6: Alternate Universe

Zuko Kasanji sat at his lunch table waiting for the most boring period in school to end. He had just relaxed when a hand gripped his shoulder. He knew he should've gone to the library today. "What do you want, Azula?" he asked with a bored sigh.

"Oh come now, Zu-Zu, that's no way to talk to your darling little sister, is it?" Azula asked in an overly sweet way that meant she wanted something from him.

"I'm not in the mood," Zuko mumbled. He never liked his sister; she was just like his father, a man that had no tolerance for failure and hated Zuko with his entire being. "Just go away," he sighed and hoped they listened. Just this once. Then again, the universe was never on his side.

"What kind of a sister would I be if I did that?" Azula asked. "I just wanted to make sure my dearest big brother was feeling better after his little… accident…" she sneered.

Zuko glared at her but said nothing. He knew she didn't care about him so he said, "No you don't."

She laughed manically and said, "You know me so well, Zu-Zu. It's a shame you don't have Mai anymore, father was beginning to see you as his son aga-"

"No he wasn't… Go away, Azula, I don't care anymore," Zuko sighed. He didn't care about his father or his sister. He just wanted to have a normal life where people didn't hate him. The universe not hating him would be okay too. Yeah, he'd like the universe to stop being mean.

Azula looked surprised, no one interrupts her! "Fine. Have it your way, just remember that you're worthless now, dear brother. No one would want you now."

Zuko sighed and shook his head. 'At least she left,' he thought. He noticed the looks sent in his direction but didn't care, he was used to stares. He felt a presence in front of him and looked up. It was that waterbender, Katara Mouddasai he remembered. Then he blushed. He's not good with women. "Yes…?"

"You shouldn't let her talk to you like that!" Katara said somewhat outraged. "You don't deserve to be treated like that!"

Zuko blinked twice in a surprised manner with a faint blush on his cheeks. He really needed to be less awkward around women, it's difficult to function. "It doesn't matter," he mumbled, "I do deserve it…" The last part was said even lower than the first and not meant for her ears.

Katara glared, "What makes you say that?" She was practically growling.

Zuko gulped and blushed deeper, "N-nothing…"

A furious look crossed Katara's face before it turned soft with a sad smile. "Why do you deserve it?" she asked it in such a way that Zuko was fighting with himself trying not tell her his entire life's story.

"I-I," he stuttered, looking down and away from those irresistible, deep, blue, loving eyes, "I'm not… a very good person…" He sighed and waited for her to leave but instead felt a hand on his own.

"You don't seem like a bad person to me," her voice rang out in a whisper, but to Zuko it was as loud as if she had screamed. "You can't be bad if Azula hates you so much."

Zuko glanced at her again and noticed the smile on her face; it made him want to smile too. He blushed again. He hated how he was around girls. "She's my sister, isn't she supposed to hate me?" he asked in an unsure way.

Katara shook her head, "Not that much. What was that she said about your father?"

Zuko tried to hide the unconscious wince when she mentioned his father, but failed, "It's… a family thing…" He tried not to think about his father but the memory of his scar burned through his mind. He reached for his scar but stopped before he touched it trying not to show her what he meant. It was too late, he realized. She had seen his hand move toward it and reached for it herself.

"He did that to you?" she asked in surprise. Her hand hung in the air as if waiting for permission, so he closed his eyes and waited. He almost pulled away when he felt her hand on his scar, no one but him had ever touched it. Here he was letting a girl he barely knew do something no one ever did. "Why?" she asked in a whisper.

He clenched his eyes shut and pleaded, "Don't… I-I… Just don't…"

"Okay," she said quietly. "Would you like to eat lunch with me and my friends?" she asked changing the subject. When he looked unsure she smiled, and Zuko blushed again, "Come on, they won't mind." He nodded not knowing what else to say. She grabbed his hand and dragged him away before he could change his mind.

A few moments later Zuko decided that Katara's brother Sokka was the most annoying thing in the world, the small boy with the arrow on his hat was Aang and a close second and way to energetic, her brother's girlfriend Suki was very patient, and the small blind girl Toph was tolerable. He just wanted to know why she kept calling him Sparky. 'At least it's better than Zu-Zu,' he thought.

"So, Sparky, what'd you do to make Crazula to hate you so much?" Toph asked.

Zuko thought for a moment, "I was her big brother."

Sokka stopped shoveling his face for the moment, "You're related? I know little sisters are annoying but she really hates you! I don't get it man!" Katara glared at the blue clad boy with a look that could kill.

"I don't have a great family…" Zuko sighed.

"What do you mean was?" Suki asked. He really had hoped that no one would notice.

Zuko hesitated but Katara put a hand on his shoulder and everyone was looking at him, so he blushed. Again. "My father kicked me out," he said, wanting the get to know Zuko party to disperse.

"Why?" Aang asked. The kid was to damn curious for his own good.

"I… did something he didn't like, so I live with my uncle and mother now," Zuko shrugged.

Aang frowned, "What did you do?"

Zuko looked down and shook his head while clenching his fists under the table, "I don't wan'na talk about it. It's not important anyway." He hoped to Agni they would drop the subject. In hopes they didn't he suddenly asked, "So, are you guys benders?"

Aang immediately responded with a goofy smile that could somehow only work for the scrawny boy, "I'm an airbender, Katara's a waterbender, Toph's an earthbender, but Sokka and Suki aren't. Are you a bender?"

Zuko blinked at the force the news was delivered and the excitement that was put in to a simple question. "Yeah, I'm a firebender…" he said with a lot less enthusiasm than Aang. The only normal one of them seemed to be Katara but to him she was weird. He'd let he get away with murder if she asked him to and that seemed odd, to him at least.

When lunch ended Zuko was walking with Katara in a comfortable silence to his next class which was also hers. It was weird how he was comfortable with her after just meeting her. Zuko glanced at her and smiled a bit, she made people comfortable. His uncle would like her.

"Hey, Zuko, there's this tea shop called the Jasmine Dragon that the gAang goes to after school and I was wondering if you wanted to come with us," Katara asked with a smile.

"I uh… actually have to work right after school, so I can't," Zuko ran a hand through his sort hair that he was just starting to grow out. "That's where I work, though. So I guess I could walk there with you guys…"

"You work there?" Katara asked. "I love that place! It's my favorite tea shop in town!"

Zuko grinned sheepishly, "My uncle would be very happy to know that."

Katara grinned, "So, you're the nephew he talks about so much. How come we've never seen you before in the shop?"

"I've been in the hospital… He really talks about me?" Zuko asked. He hoped it wasn't anything embarrassing.

Katara gasped, "That's right! Iroh told us that a few weeks ago! What were you in there for? He never told us."

They arrived in class before he answered and said he'd tell her later. She sat next to him just as the bell rang and smiled a smile that made his stomach do flips. Zuko pulled out his note book planning on half listening to the teacher drone on about the history of the world or something similar and doodling. He zoned out half way through class and started sketching the view he had from the window: a few cars sitting on the street and a few people walking by. He was brought out of his trance by the bell and quickly packed his things. He waited for Katara to finish and they walked to their lockers since it was the end of the day, after all.

He was surprised when she asked, "Is it later?"

He sighed, "I was hit by a car…" at her horrified look he put his hands up in a surrendering gesture and blushed, "I'm okay! I mean, you know, now. There was this kid and he was in the street and this car wasn't stopping… His name's Lee… The kid is Lee not the car… But he's okay; I mean he wasn't hurt… or anything…" Zuko rubbed the back of his head nervously and cleared his throat.

"You jumped in front of a car to save a little kid?" she asked with wide eyes. "How can you think you're a bad person?"

Zuko blushed at her comment and shrugged sheepishly, "I… have my moments?"

Katara shook her head, grabbed his hand, and dragged him toward her friends. Zuko walked to the Jasmine Dragon listening to the rest of the group being obnoxious and laughing for no reason. Zuko found himself smiling at them as he was walking. When they arrived at the shop Zuko held the door open for them and said he'd be right back.

Sokka looked confused until he came back with menus and was wearing an apron. "You work here?" he asked, pointing at him accusingly.

Katara put her face into her hands, "I already told you this, Sokka. Why don't you listen?"

Sokka just blinked. "Oh…"

"Uncle, I'm here!" Zuko yelled into the back. Just as he finished his sentence he was hugged by a short balding man.

"Oh, nephew! I am so glad that you are alright; I didn't get to see you after you got out of the hospital and I was very worried!" Iroh said. "I have missed you, nephew!"

"You saw me everyday at the hospital, Uncle," Zuko sighed but hugged the old man anyway. He would never understand this man.

"Yes, but I worry about you, Zuko. You never think about yourself," Iroh said pulling back. "So, your ribs haven't been giving you any trouble, then?"

"No, Uncle," Zuko sighed.

"Good, good. Your mother's been worried sick about you all day! Go in the back and see her," Iroh said. He was looking at Katara's table and saw her watching Zuko in concern.

"Yes, Uncle," Zuko said.

"So, Miss Katara," Iroh said, "I see you are concerned for my nephew. Has he told you how he's feeling?"

Katara grinned and said, "Only that he was fine. You never told us he was so shy! Oh, and before I forget, how many times have I told you it's just Katara Mr. Iroh."

"As many times as I've asked you to call me Uncle, my dear," Iroh chuckled. "Now what can I get you today children?"

"Ginseng!" Sokka yelled excitedly.

"Oolong!" Aang yelled. Then added quickly, "Please!"

"Me too, "Suki said much more calm than her boyfriend.

"I'll have ginseng, too, Pops!" Toph said with a grin.

"I'll have some jasmine tea," Katara said. She rolled her eyes at her brother's reaction and said, "Sorry about Sokka, M- I mean, Uncle."

"That's quite alright, my dear, I must ask you, though… Isn't my nephew handsome?" Iroh grinned and sped away, leaving Katara to blush and think, 'He is, isn't he?'