Unimagined Relationships Chapter 8: Headstrong, an avatar: last airbender fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender or the lyrics or music for Headstrong.

A/N: This is that song-verse chapter that I said I would be writing. It just came to me the other day, cause I had Headstrong stuck in my head while I was trying to write, and I started thinking, "These lyrics would be really good for a big fight. What if I…" and I got this. This won't be the whole song, maybe. I don't know yet.

Circling your, circling your, circling your head
Contemplating everything you ever said

Now I see the truth I got a doubt
A different motive in your eyes and now I'm out
I'll see you later

Zuko stalked through the trees, thinking about why he had even offered to help Aang in the first place. Now he knew, they all hated him, none of them actually cared, not even Katara. They were all just using him. So he had walked away.

I see your fantasy you want to make a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads yeah, well now that's over
I see your motives inside, decisions to hide

Katara had been using him, pretending that she loved him so he would stay. He knew what they were all about now. It was just too bad that his uncle couldn't see it.

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're headstrong

Katara raced through the trees after Zuko. All the things she had said, none of them were true. She had been saying them to Sokka to make him stop arguing and to make him leave her and Zuko alone. Then Zuko had gone and ruined it by running away. Why did he always have to think he was right?

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong

I can't give everything away
I won't give everything away

Zuko spun around as Katara caught up with him. "Why are you following me, peasant? I thought I told you to leave me alone," he yelled.

"Because I care about you Zuko! I just said all those things to Sokka to get him off my back! I didn't mean any of them. Please, come back," Katara pleaded.

"No. I don't belong with all of you. I belong in my rightful place on the throne," Zuko said, turning away again. "I already gave up my place once; I'm not doing it again."

Conclusions manifest
Your first impressions got to be your very best
I see you're full of shit and that's alright
That's how you play I guess you get through every night
Now that's over

"Zuko, you always think you know everything, don't you? I was kind to you even though you acted like the spoiled prince that you are when you first came to us. I guess that's just the way you are. Arrogant and self-centered," Katara said, catching up to him again.

I see your fantasy you want to make it a reality paved in gold
See inside, inside of our heads, yeah
Well now that's over
I see your motives inside and your decision to hide

"All you all want is to use me and my uncle. You don't care for either of us. You think that's going to work. Well, it's not. You're all hiding here when you could be fighting," he told her, continuing walking.

Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
Headstrong, we're headstrong
Back off, I'll take you on
Headstrong to take on anyone
I know that you are wrong
And this is not where you belong (where you belong)

I can't give everything away (This is not where you belong)
I won't give everything away

"Of course we care about you! Why do you think I stayed with you all those nights? I could have just walked away, but I didn't. I helped you, and you helped me. That place that you're going to, that's not where you belong. Here is," Katara argued. "If you keep going, they're just going to lock you up. You'll be giving all of the love you have here away."

I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about,
I know, I know all about, I know, I know all about,
your motives inside, and your decision to hide

Zuko stopped. "I know," he whispered. "But if I go there, I might have a chance to start anew. Here, I will always have to live with my past."

"No, you won't!" Katara kept going. "If you go there, they WILL lock you up, and you will never get your seat on the throne. If you come with us, you will be able to help defeat your father, and gain the throne that way, with people looking at you as a leader, not some kind of worm that inched its way into the crown with dirty, underhanded measures," she said boldly.

Zuko turned to her, and she hoped that she had not gone too far. "I know," he said quietly.

I can't give everything away (This is not where you belong)
I won't give everything away (This is not where you belong)
This is not where you belong

"You really weren't telling the truth, were you?" Zuko asked Katara.

"Of course not!" she said in desperation. "If I said that truthfully, I would be giving away everything that we worked for these past few weeks. I won't give that away. This is not where you belong. Back with us is."

"I know," Zuko whispered yet again. Katara came up and gingerly wrapped her arms around his still shaking form, although she realized that this time he was not shaking from anger, but from sadness, and shame at what he had almost done. They sat down on a rock, and he tried unsuccessfully to hold back tears.

Katara whispered, "Zuko, I will never, EVER lie to you, or leave you. I love you more than anything in the world. Please believe me when I say that I am truly, sincerely sorry, and that those things that I said to Sokka are not and never will be true."

Zuko did not answer her, only held her tighter. After a good hour, they were able to stand up and make their way back to the campsite, stopping by the river to clean up on the way. Sokka spent the night stuck to the tree, while the others all trained with the non-benders.