The reasons why Zuko started to date Mai could be summed up in two sentences.
He was curious.
Mai seemed to like him.
Zuko needs to break up with Mai.
And he had been meaning to, he had! Except, Zuko wasn't sure how to go about it.
He may not be in love with Mai, but they had had fun and he wasn't too keen on hurting anyone's feelings. He did care enough about Mai to not want to hurt her, it seemed unfair. But then, he didn't really want to date her anymore, either. Their relationship had run its course.
So Zuko does the next best thing. He avoids her like the plague.
He had been doing fairly well too, except today she had practically cornered him and politely asked him to tea in front of his Uncle.
Zuko sighs. Uncle would be upset if he refused, especially since he didn't have anything else to do. So he agrees.
It's already awkward.
Mai never puts anything in her tea, but she waits until he's done dumping four spoonfuls of sugar and some cream into his before she starts to drink hers. Zuko takes a few sips before setting down his tea cup in silence. Then he stares at his napkin.
He hears the soft clinking of Mai's cup being set down as well and then, "I'm leaving."
He immediately looks up at her, slightly surprised. "Really?"
"Really." She blinks, placing her hands in her lap.
Zuko gulps, having no idea what to say.
She lets out a tiny little breath. "This is where we break up."
Zuko's eyes widen in utter shock. "Wha—"
"You've been avoiding me for a month. It's time."
"I…" he stumbles around, searching for the right words. "We had lunch that one time," he says in an attempt at self defense, but he can feel his cheeks turning red in humiliation.
"Also, you dog hates me. This was going to happen sooner or later."
Zuko is completely baffled.
She picks her tea cup back up. "The feeling is mutual, by the way."
"Wha—"
"I hate your dog too."
Zuko stares at her for a moment. "Wolf," he finally corrects feebly.
"That's nice."
She purses her lips and turns her head slightly, and Zuko realizes after a beat that she's trying not to laugh.
Not that Mai laughs much.
"My family and I leave for Ember Island tomorrow, and then we'll travel the Earth Kingdom." Her eyes flick up (an eye roll in Mai terms) and she lets out a forlorn sigh, as if the idea of traveling and seeing the world is such a chore.
Zuko goes back to staring at his napkin. "I'm sure you'll have fun." He catches a barely audible snort.
There's another long stretch of silence, and Zuko starts to wonder how much longer this will last.
"Next time you want to break up with a girl you should probably just do it instead of avoiding her and trying to be the Nice Guy."
This time Zuko looks back up at her, feeling guilty. Mai's expression is fairly blank until the corner of her mouth quirks forward—but just barely. "Silly."
Zuko sticks a spoon into his tea and starts to stir just to have something to do. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings."
Her right eyebrow quirks.
"Not that I'd be able to tell if your feelings were hurt…"
She gives him a tiny smirk.
That evening Zuko walks into his office in a light mood. It lightens even more when he sees the Water Tribe sealed letter sitting atop his desk.
He practically leaps across the room, grabbing the letter and ripping open the seal with gusto.
It's been a little while since he's heard from Katara, and he hopes she's doing okay—
Except it's from her brother instead.
Zuko's light mood deflates a little.
Zuko,
First off, thanks a ton for sending the Fire Flakes as I was in desperate need of Fire Nation junk food. If you want seal jerky let me know! Second, I'm going to need your help with something important in a few months when me and Katara come to visit for the summer. She's dating some douchebag named Jet. I know what you're thinking. What the hell kind of name is that? But this is seriously not—
Thirty seconds later Azula throws open the door, fireball in hand.
"What's wrong, what's going on? Why'd you shout?"
The letter is smoking in Zuko's hands. "Nothing," he grunts.
Azula strolls up to his desk and glares down at him. "Letter, please."
He hands it to her wordlessly.
Her eyes scan over it quickly. Then she snorts and starts laughing, handing the letter back to Zuko. As she walks out of his office she pauses and calls out over her shoulder, "You kind of deserved this."
Zuko sets the letter on fire.
When Lu Ten slams open the door to his office two hours later and struts in with a huge smile on his face, Zuko nearly throws his ink brush at him.
Instead he watches Lu Ten make a show out of pulling back a chair and sitting down. Then he pats Sang on the head, leans forward and grins.
Zuko glares a little. "What's with you?"
Lu Ten's smile grows, if that's even possible. "Guess what?"
Zuko rolls his eyes, not having any desire to play games. "What?"
Lu Ten is practically bouncing in his seat. "I'm getting married!" he finally shouts, as if he can no longer hold it in. Then he lets out another gleeful shout and falls back into the chair with a lovesick sigh.
Zuko isn't amused.
"Oh, okay."
Lu Ten is completely oblivious to Zuko's less than enthusiastic response. "I mean, it was about time I asked, I guess, and I thought she was going to say no. But then she didn't! And now we're getting married in two months in the summer time so all your little friends will be there!"
Zuko bites his lip at the prospect of seeing Katara all dressed up. The mental picture he was getting was nice—
"Wait," he says, shaking his head in order to clear his thoughts. "You are you marrying anyway?"
Lu Ten's grin turns a little sly. "An actress."
An actress as the future Fire Lady? Oh, the nobles would love that.
"Does Uncle approve?"
"Are you kidding me? He loves her. Every time he sees her performance in Fire of the Dawn he weeps. He'll be delighted."
Zuko's cousin spends the next ten minutes sighing and waxing poetic about his new fiancé.
People in love are weird, Zuko decides.
She's gotten prettier.
Zuko didn't think that was even possible.
Zuko has a lot to learn.
Her hair is longer, it's a bit past her shoulders now. The curls are very loose, in fact her hair is more wavy than anything, but nevertheless it's beautiful. The sunlight that's hitting it is making the normally dark brown color more of a chestnut. And it just looks so soft…
And then she's smiling and Zuko is temporarily distracted. Her lips are a lovely pinkish color. Great for kissing, Zuko suspects.
His gaze scans lower, past the graceful slope of her neck, past her chestnut hair colored shoulders. He bites his lip.
Agni damn it all, those had gotten nicer too!
She's walking closer now and there's a slight sway in her hips.
Zuko gulps.
Then she's right in front of him, and he can't look away from her eyes—
Then she's hugging him, and her head fits perfectly under his chin.
She pulls back a little bit can smiles up at him. "Hey, Zuko!"
He gives her a half smile in return. "Hi."
She's giggling, then pushing against his shoulder good naturedly and Zuko is practically delirious.
"I'm so excited for Lu Ten's wedding!" she exclaims before pulling out of the embrace and turning to greet Azula.
Zuko tries to take deep breaths in order to slow his heart rate. He wants her right back in his arms, he realizes. It feels right.
And then he hears the word Jet and understands he's fucked.
It's a week before the ceremony and he and Katara are sliding right back into the "friendship" they had had last summer.
Except now the roles have been reversed.
Although he's pretty sure Katara is a better girlfriend than he was a boyfriend. As in, he's pretty sure Katara won't almost kiss him now that she's dating someone else.
Zuko sighs from where he's sitting in the garden, hands stroking Sang's fur. He really had been a terrible boyfriend to Mai. Not to mention he had never even talked to Katara about what happened that day in the library. To this day he didn't understand how she wasn't furious with him for it.
Unless she had wanted to kiss him, of course.
But Zuko doesn't let that get his hopes up because now Katara has a boyfriend.
Jet and his Freedom Fighters were making a name for themselves, and not in a good way. They preached about freedom of the people and letting the people choose their leaders.
There had been talks of civil unrest in the Earth Kingdom, and a few of Uncle's advisors had mentioned that if things get really bad that the Earth Kingdom could break out in civil war.
Zuko definitely doesn't want to live through a war, even if it wouldn't directly involve his country.
And to think that the kid responsible for all of this turmoil was Katara's boyfriend.
Eventually Zuko was going to have to lecture her about him, but not today. Today he was going to sit in the garden and pet his wolf.
He broods for a bit, wondering if this horrible ache in his gut will ever go away when Katara suddenly sits down in front of him.
"Hey, you," she says, smiling.
"Katara," he greets, inclining his head.
"What're you doing out here?" she asks.
He shrugs, trying not to notice the way the sunlight is hitting her skin. "Just thinking." He ruffles Sang's ears and the wolf sighs in contentment.
Katara pulls a tin box out from behind her back and then pulls the lid off. "Look, I made these!"
Zuko leans forward and peeks inside the box. He sees a bunch of brown…lumps.
"Um… what are they?" he asks slowly, trying not to let the growing dread show in his voice.
"They're cinnamon clusters! Well, they're more like cookies, but anyway, it took me forever to figure out how to make them, and Sokka says they're terrible, but… I wanted your opinion."
Now Zuko is horrified. If Sokka thinks they're bad then there's no telling what the hell is in that tin box.
He grabs a "cluster" and tosses it into his mouth anyway.
And nearly chokes.
There's way too much cinnamon and the texture is doughy, as if Katara didn't cook them all the way through. Zuko chews quickly and swallows, trying to get it over with as fast as possible.
He immediately opens his mouth to agree with Sokka when he sees her hopeful expression.
Damn it.
Her eyes are wide and hopeful. "Do you like them?" When he doesn't answer right away her shoulders slump. "I'll just throw them out." She reaches out and tries to pull the box out of his hands.
He quickly leans back. "Uh, no. They're just so…delicious…that I was…rendered speechless by their deliciousness."
He is lying through his teeth and he knows that he sounds like a complete dork.
Her pretty blue eyes widen and she openly beams. "Really?"
"Uh huh."
She claps her hands together in excitement. "Oh, good! I was worried there for a second."
Zuko shakes his head. "Nope. They're super yummy."
Agni will smite him for this.
Grinning, she looks back and forth between him and the brown lumps expectantly.
Zuko slowly puts another one in his mouth. And chews. And swallows. Then repeats the process.
Fully satisfied that he's enjoying her snack Katara starts picking at blades of grass and telling him all about what's going on in the South Pole. He listens to her words, joining in occasionally.
It's a good way to distract him from vomiting.
She starts gesturing with her hands as she talks about meeting the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe. Zuko subtly offers a brown lump to Sang. The wolf sniffs it and then turns his head away.
Zuko could smack the canine for betraying him.
The conversation keeps flowing, and it feels so natural and so not like last summer that Zuko decides he'll eat ten more boxes of brown lumps if it means he'll get to talk to Katara and keep her for himself for the rest of the afternoon. Boyfriend be damned.
And then the last brown lump is gone and Zuko is setting the tin box to the side. He leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees, watching and listening to Katara with rapt attention.
"—was just like, 'I'm from the Southern Water Tribe,' like an idiot and you should have seen the look on Princess Yue's face. She was trying so hard not to laugh. We all were, actually. And poor Sokka. He is just not smooth around girls."
Zuko laughs in agreement before realizing that his and Katara's faces and knees have inched closer and closer together.
Katara trails off and her eyes widen. Her lips are parted just so and Zuko so desperately wants to lean forward and close the gap between them when she yanks herself backwards.
"Uh…" It looks like she's forcing herself not to look at him. "Wow! You ate all of my cinnamon clusters!" She snatches the tin from the ground. "I should go put this back in the kitchen."
She quickly stands up and nervously looks down at him.
Zuko isn't really surprised that she'd hurry away from the situation. He knew she'd be a better girlfriend than he was a boyfriend, after all.
He is surprised, however, when she quickly leans down and kisses his forehead. She pulls back, smiling slightly.
"Bye, Zuko! See you at dinner!"
She's already out of the garden when he remembers to wave, utterly flabbergasted.
Ten minutes later he's racing into his bathroom to be sick.
He thinks it's worth it, though.
They're eating dessert the next evening when she receives the letter.
A moment after unraveling it she's bouncing up and down in her seat and squealing adorably. "He's coming!"
"Hu if?" Sokka's cheeks are full of custard.
Katara's excited smile slips and she narrows her eyes slightly at her brother. "Swallow your food."
Sokka gulps. "Who is?"
She raises an eyebrow but then giggles. "Jet, of course."
Sokka rolls his eyes. "Oh, ew."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara crosses her arms over her chest and huffs, custard and scroll forgotten.
"Your boyfriend sucks, everybody knows it."
"You take that back!"
"No… I don't think I will."
Zuko thinks that steam might come out of Katara's ears. "You are the most overprotective, judgmental—"
Sokka's mouth falls open, clearly offended, and he immediately starts firing off his own insults in self defense.
Zuko is grateful that Uncle, Chief Hakoda and his mother retired for the evening to play Pai Sho or do whatever it is that adults do, because this is just embarrassing.
Katara and Sokka continue to sling names at each other. Azula watches the entire exchange wordlessly.
Zuko, however, stands up and leaves the dining room, ignoring the confused calls of his friends and sister.
He locks himself in his room and spends the rest of the evening wallowing in self pity.
Zuko decides he never wants to get married.
This is utter chaos.
Women and servants are running around frantically as they attempt to finish up the decorations. There have been rumors that the bride has already had two breakdowns this afternoon, and supposedly half the bride's family hasn't shown up.
Zuko, Lu Ten, and Sokka are standing outside of the formal room where the ceremony is to take place. They've been dressed and ready for two hours and have been quietly watching the growing bedlam unfolding around them.
Sokka bumps Lu Ten's shoulder. "You sure you want to go through with this? This whole day so far has been a little…much."
"The bride is an actress," Zuko reminds him.
Sokka shakes his head. "Still."
But Lu Ten has a dreamy, if not somewhat nervous look on his face. There will be no getting through to him.
Then Zuko hears her voice drifting down the hallway towards them. He turns his head and quietly watches her turn the corner with wide eyes.
He didn't remember the particulars of the dress. Zuko didn't care much for colors or style; he's always just worn whatever the servants put in his closet. But the way this dress fits Katara… he didn't think he'd ever be able to erase that image from his mind. The dress hugged her curves deliciously and left her long neck and shoulders bare. She didn't wear any jewelry at all save for a couple of bangles around her wrist. She had put some sort of makeup on; her lips were cherry colored and something she'd brushed over her eyes made them pop more so then usual.
Zuko gulps. Oh, he is in so much trouble.
She breaks out into a jog and a smile when she spots them, waving enthusiastically.
Then she stumbles a little on her heeled shoes. She recovers quickly, giggling, before making her way to stand in front of them.
Her eyes sweep over him and Zuko can swear that her cheeks turn a little redder.
"You ready for this?" she asks Lu Ten. Zuko's cousin nods with obvious enthusiasm. Katara smiles happily before starting to tilt to the side dangerously, still not used to her new shoes.
Zuko automatically reaches out and puts a hand on the small of her back in order to steady her. She turns her head and peeks up at him. It's almost shy. "Thank you," she says quietly.
"Mhmm." Zuko doesn't trust himself to speak.
Sokka is watching them both and shaking his head.
The minutes tick by and eventually Azula appears. Sokka instantly sweeps her into a conversation, and it seems to Zuko that he's almost being… flirtatious.
No…that can't be possible.
He notices that Katara is starting to fidget.
"What's wrong?" he asks softly. He hates seeing her frown. She should never frown.
"It's just… he's not here yet," she says anxiously, peeking around the corner hopefully.
Zuko bites the inside of his cheek in an effort not to say anything.
Oh.
"I'm sure he'll make it," he offers tonelessly.
She whips her head around and looks back up at him. "You think so?"
He shrugs one shoulder. "Sure."
"Thanks." If she's noticed his lack of enthusiasm she doesn't say anything. Instead she leans her head against his shoulder and sighs.
Oh fuck everything this is so unfair.
The ceremony comes and goes. His cousin is now a married man.
No sign of Jet.
Zuko is inwardly dancing.
He makes it his mission to "cheer her up". In reality he's just trying to stay as close to her as possible.
There's an astronomical amount of people at the reception. Twice as many people then the ceremony had, Zuko would gander.
And so far Katara only cares about talking to him.
Zuko is admittedly feeling smug.
He tries not to stare at her too much, because if he does his mind starts to drift to things that he and Katara could be doing in a dark, quiet place. It's a little inappropriate, especially since right now Katara is talking to him about puppies.
He'll just have to save those thoughts for later.
Then some random guy is creeping up behind her, and just when Zuko is about to step in between them and stare the other guy down for getting too close to his girl, the random guy is tapping Katara on the shoulder.
She turns around, surprised. Then she squeals in delight and throws her arms around his neck. "Jet! You made it!"
Zuko glances down at his small plate of hors d'oeuvres. He has the overwhelming desire to shove them in this guys face. And maybe break his nose.
And just like that the other guy has whisked Katara to the side room.
"That's him." Sokka appears at his side and is looking at his sister and her boyfriend disapprovingly.
"I noticed," Zuko says darkly.
"He's a scumbag."
"Asshole."
"Douchebag."
"Completely unworthy of your sister."
"I hate that guy," they both say in unison.
Sokka turns to him and grabs hold of his shoulder. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I'm really glad we share so many feelings."
Zuko has not been stalking them all night.
Okay, maybe a little.
Up until fifteen minutes ago Sokka was his wingman too.
Finally Jet leans down and kisses Katara on the cheek before moving away.
Zuko glares.
He's about to go over and steal Katara away when Sokka reappears.
"Your sister is acting weird."
Temporarily distracted Zuko turns and raises an eyebrow at Sokka. "Oh?"
"Some girl named Ty Lee said I was cute, so Azula had her escorted out."
Zuko blinked. "That is kind of strange."
Sokka nods in agreement. "Yep. Oh, where'd Jet go?"
"Who cares."
"Right on. I'm gonna go talk to my sister now that he's gone."
"But I was going to—"
Sokka is already moving away from him and is parting the crowd in order to reach Katara.
Zuko sighs, turning and making his way over to the long table where the beverages are.
He's debating over what drink to get when Jet walks up.
Zuko watches stupid Jet with his stupid haircut (which is the same as Zuko's who even cares) and his stupid brown eyes with his stupid pretty boy face pouring two cups of stupid pineapple juice for his girlfriend that shouldn't be his girlfriend—
"Katara would probably like the strawberry mango punch better." He blurts it out before he even realizes it.
Jet looks up, surprised, before his eyes widen. "Prince Zuko," he says, bowing his head in respect.
Zuko doesn't bother to incline his head in return. "Jet of Jet and the Freedom Fighters."
The other boy smiles. "So you've heard of me?"
"I have. You're well known around here."
"Oh. Well, thank you for recognizing me."
"It wasn't a compliment."
Jet stiffens before straightening up. "Katara said you can be a bit straightforward."
Jet has name dropped her. It's a challenge.
Zuko quirks an eyebrow. "Oh? What else does she say about me?"
The corner of Jet's mouth twitches. "Lots of things. Like, how you're stubborn in a good way, determined, soft hearted." He pitches his voice higher at the end in mockery. Whether Jet's mocking him or Katara Zuko isn't sure. "Very nice things."
Zuko growls. It's a low, soft sound emitting from his chest.
Jet breaks out into a full blown smile. "Katara puts you on a pedestal, though, so I can only assume that her high opinion of you is somewhat distorted. I adore her, but she's a bit naïve."
"You have no idea what you're talking about. You don't know her that well," Zuko snaps. He doesn't care if he's rising to the bait.
"Oh, I think I know her really well, actually. Better than you, I'd say."
Zuko snorts in disbelief. "I sincerely doubt it."
Jet is smirking, smugness radiating off of him. "Oh? So you know that if you kiss her right here—" he points to a spot on his throat "—that she makes this lovely little moaning sound—"
Suddenly there's sparks on Zuko's fingertips and Jet is taking a few steps back in self preservation.
Zuko can't get the images of Jet's hands covering Katara's body out of his mind. It makes him sick.
"I must say it is refreshing to see that even a prince can't get everything he wants." Then Jet quickly walks away and Zuko would like nothing more than to light his stupid head on fire.
He whirls around and quickly forces the crowd to part as he searches for Katara, intent on finding her before Jet does.
He spots her quickly. She's talking to some blind Earth Kingdom noblemen's daughter, famous for her metalbending. What was her name? Moth? Toph? Cough? Whatever.
"You need to breakup with your boyfriend," he says as soon as he reaches them.
"And that is my cue to leave," the earthbender says. "It was nice meeting you. We'll talk soon." Katara waves goodbye, clearly shocked at Zuko's outburst, before turning and glaring at him.
"What are you talking—"
He grabs her by her elbow and quickly leads her to the far side of the room and backs her against the wall.
"You need to break up with Jet, Katara. He's no good for you, you hear me? He's no good for—"
"Zuko, calm down. Take a deep breath." She reaches out and cups his good cheek in her hand. "What happened? Why are you shaking?"
He can't help but calm slightly under her touch. "Katara…" he shakes his head. "He's not a good guy—"
"Zuko," she interrupts, voice soothing, "you don't know that. I don't know what it is with you and Sokka tonight but—"
"Listen to me!" he reaches up and pulls her hand down and away from his face, but keeps her wrist in his grasp. "You've obviously suffering a long term lapse in judgment to even think that this Jet guy is okay—"
She recoils away from him as if he's slapped her. "Excuse me?"
Suddenly she's furious. She wrenches her wrist out of his grip. "You're the one who's running around and demanding that people break up with their boyfriends! You're the one who's making judgments about someone they've known for five minutes! You're the one who won't mind his own business! You're the one who's suffering a lapse in judgment! Not me!"
Then she's stomping away, head high and hands clenched into fists.
Sokka has gone missing.
Instead of trying to find him Zuko leaves the still crowded reception and makes his way into one of the secluded hallways wrapping around the area.
That's when he sees them.
He's got her pushed against the wall, mouth devouring hers, with one hand fisted in her hair and the other gripping her hip. He watches Katara kiss Jet back with unbridled passion and Zuko can't stand to watch anymore, or even think at all, really. He turns around, fully intent on heading back to his office and getting extremely drunk.
Then he hears it.
"Jet, wait—slow down, please—"
Zuko whips back around to see Jet's hand creeping up Katara's inner thigh. She's pushing against his chest, obviously uncomfortable.
"Jet, I'm not ready…please—"
Jet's not pulling back like he should be. His hand continues to move upward.
Zuko snaps. Jet can talk shit all he wants to, but he won't touch Katara like that and get away with it. Zuko starts to quickly move forward, seeing red, adrenaline soaring through his veins.
He doesn't really notice Jet pulling back. He doesn't really notice Jet mumbling a half hearted apology. He doesn't really notice Katara slapping him. He doesn't notice that Jet looks sorry.
He does, however, notice the expression of other bafflement of Jet's face when Zuko tackles him to the ground.
They've barely hit the floor when Zuko is punching him in the face.
Jet reacts viciously, keeping up with Zuko blow for blow, and for a moment Zuko thinks he may have jumped the gun on this one. But then he remembers Jet touching Katara and all the rage and anger and hurt comes spewing out as his fists pound any part of Jet he can reach.
Then both he and Jet find themselves frozen to the wall.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MINDS? I AM ASHAMED TO SAY I KNOW EITHER OF YOU."
Katara lets out a scream of fury before sprinting down the hall and out of sight.
Zuko watches her go with growing horror. He rises the temperature in his body until the ice around him cracks and splinters and then finally falls away. He slides back down onto the ground and immediately sets after her, not caring that his clothes are wet.
"Um… could you let me down?"
Zuko doesn't even bother to glance over his shoulder. Jet could freeze to death for all he cared.
He finds her in the next hallway over, leaning against the wall and crying.
"Katara…"
"Go away!"
"Listen, I'm really sorry—"
"I said go away!"
He moves until he's standing in front of her. "I know that I probably shouldn't have beaten him up but, he was—"
"I had everything under control!" She straightens up and glares at him fiercely, and he realizes that she's never been this livid with him before. "Unbeknownst to you and my brother I can actually hold my own when it comes to a fight. I didn't need your help!"
"I just snapped, okay! I couldn't stand to see him touch you." His voice quiets and for a moment he thinks she might understand what he's implying.
She does, but not in the way he wants her to.
Instead tears start to stream down her face and when Zuko reaches out to wipe them away she slaps his hand.
"You know what I couldn't stand, Zuko?"
He can hear the hurt in her voice and his stomach plummets.
"I couldn't stand the entirety of last summer! I had to watch you and Mai be together." She swallows. "And you know what? There were times where all I wanted to do was pummel Mai because I hated her so much. But you know why I didn't? I didn't because I respected you and I wanted you to be happy." Her shoulders start to shake because of her sobs and Zuko can do nothing but stand there and wish that this whole night hadn't gone so wrong.
She sniffs and turns her eyes, now rimmed with red, on him. Her face crumples. "Why'd you have to go and spoil everything?" Then she turns and runs off again.
This time Zuko doesn't follow her.
He's wandering around the gardens, completely miserable, when he hears it. Singing.
Thirty seconds later he finds Uncle Iroh and Avatar Aang singing folk songs and eating custard. Uncle is also drunk.
"Prince Zuko!" Iroh exclaims. "Come join us!" Then his Uncle is offering him a goblet of something that burns going down his throat.
Zuko sits down without a second thought.
"How did you evening go?" Avatar Aang asks kindly.
"Horrible," Zuko groans. "Just horrible."
Avatar Aang smiles knowingly. "Young ladies can certainly make life more complicated."
"You're telling me," Zuko grumbles, taking a large gulp of whatever his Uncle has given him.
Fifteen minutes later he's joining in (incredibly off key) on the Fire Nation folk songs and hiccupping.
"Zuko… Zuko."
"Go away," the Fire Prince moans, swatting at whatever is trying to wake him up.
"Zuko, you need to wake up."
"No I don't."
"Well, Katara's leaving."
At this Zuko sits bolts upright in his bed. "What?"
Sokka is frowning down at him. "She's decided to spend the rest of her summer in the Northern Water Tribe." He pauses, shaking his head. "What the hell did you do last night that's got her in such a tizzy?"
Zuko sighs. "I beat up Jet."
Sokka breaks out into a massive grin. "Dude. Right on. But yeah, my sister is leaving."
Zuko manages to throw clothes on and sprint to the docks in record time. He spots Katara climbing up the ramp and boarding the ship she's not supposed to get on for another couple of months.
Zuko knows that this is all his fault and that'll he'll have to do something to make it up to her. But for now he'll start with the basics.
"KATARA!" he shouts. "KATARA!"
She stops half way up the ramp and glares at him over her shoulder.
Zuko takes in a huge breath and screams, "I'M SORRY."
The majority of the citizens that had been moseying around the port stop to gape at him.
"I'M SORRY!" he screams again.
He knows he's not forgiven, but Katara's tiny little smile gives him hope for the future. She continues walking back up the ramp and vanishes from view.
Sokka practically slams into him, wheezing from trying to keep up.
"I need ink brush and parchment," Zuko says, already starting to think ahead.
Sokka is clutching at a stitch in his side. "Why?"
Zuko smiles. "So I can write her a long and heartfelt apology letter and have it waiting for her when she reaches the North Pole."
A/N:
Man, is this chapter filled with MELODRAMA. Teenagers are funny that way.
This chapter was a hoot and a half to write, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it!
Awkward lurkers! Thank you guys so much for coming out of Lurkerville and reviewing! I loved seeing what you had to say! I hope you guys will continue to review! :D
You guys let me know what you think!