Traitor - Zuko X Reader

Chapter 31

A/N Two chapters in one day! Think of it as a late Valentine's Day Gift because I was super excited to write this chapter. Anyway, just a disclaimer that (as I'm sure you guys already know) the timeline of this chapter does not follow that of the actual show. So just don't think too hard about the days I added and just enjoy yourself. Please, for all of our sanity don't think too hard about it! Love ya!

ZUKO POV
It had been a few days since I joined the group and everyone seemed to slowly be warming up to me. Sokka was comfortable enough to joke around with me. Aang was attentive when I discussed the origins of Firebending with him. Toph roughoused a lot, punching me in the arm when I would pass her (I assumed it was endearingly). Katara still shot glares at me everytime I sat down for dinner, but she no longer threatened me every chance she got.

(Y/N), however, was a different story. I barely saw her around and I knew she was avoiding me. It was for good reason too and completely my fault. I had hurt her badly, and played with her trust one too many times for us to go back to how we were in Ba Sing Se. I wanted to apologize, a real apology from the heart, but that wasn't going to be doable if she kept avoiding me. I knew I should give her space, but my heart ached every moment I thought of her and her cold gaze. Her gaze used to be warm, her (e/c) eyes always being something of comfort to me when we were kids. All that changed because of my stupid actions and desperate need to be accepted by my horrible father. Her avoidance of me hurt worse than if she had instead insisted on glaring at me like Katara. At least then I could see her, but it was like she wasn't even here.

When I did happen to see her, she would always make an excuse to leave the area I was in and retreat back to her room.

I groaned, unable to focus on the book in my hands as my thoughts of (Y/N) kept protruding my mind. I got up and decided to go sit by the fountain to try and clear my head. Everyone else had retired for the night after dinner, but I just couldn't seem to sit still. She hadn't been at dinner, even though I knew she was the one who cooked it (something Toph revealed to me, saying that (Y/N) just ate in her room).

I made my way outside and heard chatter and the crackling of a fire. I turned the corner and saw Sokka and (Y/N) leisurely conversing beside a small fire. (Y/N) laughed at something he said and I froze. That laugh was like music to my ears and I couldn't fight the small smile that grew on my face. I watched as she flicked Sokka's ponytail as she looked up at him and felt my heart drop to my stomach. I knew they were close, him most likely replacing me as her best friend, but I hadn't yet been able to tell if the two were together. For some reason, the thought of them being in a relationship made me want to hurl and I resumed my walk ahead to cut into their idle chit-chat. Once I walked up, (Y/N) looked up at me and instantly a scowl took over her lovely, fire-lit features.

She stood, exchanging her scowl for a neutral gaze as she looked at Sokka, "I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay," Sokka said, expression confused as he watched her walk away.

I shuffled my feet, "Um, do you mind if I join you?"

"Go ahead, man."

I sat down a few feet beside him and the awkward tension in the air started to make me sweat. I cleared my throat, "You two seem . . . Close."

"Yeah, (Y/N)'s great," he said nonchalantly, poking the fire with a stick.

A few moments of silence passed between us and I groaned and put my head in my hands, "Spirits, she really hates me. Doesn't she?"

"I mean do you blame her?" I met Sokka's gaze with a shocked expression and he shrugged before continuing, "She's always given you the benefit-of-the-doubt, saving you at the North Pole and then befriending you again in Ba Sing Se. That time she had been sneaking off to visit you, she was the happiest I'd ever seen her. But, that all went away after that day in the catacombs. It was bad, man. She wouldn't leave her room, wouldn't eat, and barely slept. It took a week for her to start returning to normal. But even then there was this dullness in her eyes that wasn't there before."