Façades [A Zuko x OC Story]

12 - Confrontation

"Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform!" Three waterbenders stand across from our table. They pull three blobs of water out of three large basins. They move in perfect harmony around each other, bending the water as a group and on their lonesome. My mind drifts off as I remember when I would watch Zuko firebend on the deck of his ship, I smile at the thought, "What are you making that stupid face for?" Sokka pokes me in the cheek. I can feel my face heat up, "No reason!"

"Alright then, I'll believe you for now," Sokka points his two fingers at his eyes and then at me. Sokka can't question me any further though because I scoot over from my spot to allow Princess Yue to sit next to him. I shove another piece of meat in my mouth. I wonder what Zuko is doing right now?

We finish our dinner and start heading towards the place where we will be staying the night when I stop in the middle of the bridge we are walking across, "Why are you stopping?" Katara snaps from behind me.

"We need to talk," I gesture for the others to keep going. I lean on the railing of the bridge.

"What did you want to talk about?" She questions. I look at her with a raised brow, "You seriously are going to act like there's nothing wrong between the two of us?"

"What do you want me to say? That I hate you." She pushes closer to me.

"Is it because I'm from the Fire Nation? You can't judge a person based on their nationality. Not all firebenders are bad! I never even wanted to be a firebender!" I lean into her face.

"That's not why,"

"Then what is it? Tell me." I calm myself slightly, leaning my back against the railing.

"How can you trust him? You chose him over us." Katara has a flame in her eye.

"So this is about Zuko," I scoff, "Of course it is."

"You left me tied to that tree!"

"I actually didn't. I'm pretty sure I let you go,"

"Only when he wasn't looking. You cared more about how he felt towards you than Aang's safety. The pirates were going to take him and you wouldn't let me go!" Her voice raises.

I sigh deeply, "The reason I didn't let you go when he was watching was because I needed him to trust me. I had some very important things to tell him."

"Like what? Aang's location."

"No, Katara!" I snap in her face, "Why I left him all those years ago! Could you not assume the worst of me for one second!"

She nods silently and I continue talking, " Remember when I told you that Zuko and I were old friends,"

"Yeah..."

"Well, we go as far back as possible. I've known Zuko since I was born. My mother was good friends with Lady Ursa, Zuko's mother. Then, about three and a half years ago, I was banished to the temple, I never got to say goodbye to him. I know it may sound sad, but Zuko was my best friend and losing him hurt almost as much as losing my father."

"What does this have to do with trusting him now?"

"Imagine you got taken away tomorrow, captured, never getting to say goodbye to Aang or Sokka. Think about how that would feel. Think about how they would feel. That's all I thought about for three years. But now, imagine you met Aang and Sokka again after many years, it wouldn't matter what people they've become because you love them." I look into Katara's bright blue eyes, my rage calming.

"So, you love Zuko?"

"Not in a romantic way, but I do love him. Even if he's crazily chasing after the Avatar and has a very questionable haircut, I still love him because I know somewhere inside is the Zuko I used to know. So, I'm sorry if you felt that I was a traitor to you, but that's not how it is. I care about you three a lot too."