"…To heal with hugs"
Zuko was never one for open displays of affection. His desire for such things disappeared long ago when his mother had vanished. He stayed to himself, purposely separating himself from the tight knit group and any bond that they might be willing to form with him.
He had too much baggage as it was, and refused to add anything else to the load that he already carried. After all, it seemed that everything he loved was stripped away from him. His mother, the one person who could soothe away his hurts with the touch of a hand, had disappeared. His father had scarred him. And he was banished from the country he loved more than any other.
However, the blasted waterbender refused to leave him alone in his misery. Although he glared at her whenever she drew near, and remained silent whenever she spoke to him, she kept returning. She always managed to sneak him some extra rice at dinner; always found an excuse to talk to him when he stalked off to be on his own. And somehow, the warmth in her blue eyes always managed to find a way to lift his troubled spirit.
Gradually, he began to smile back at her; to trust her rather than rebuff her. And eventually, he told her all that had happened. He'd started when a slim pair of copper arms twined their way about him in a fierce, compassionate embrace.
Zuko didn't realize until then just how much a hug could heal.