Zuko laid in the bed with his stuff in the room as he was next to Kataras room. He laid on his side flicking little fire balls across the room as durk was running around trying to bite or catch them but the fire disappeared before he could.
"Hey stranger," katara walked in and sat on the bed with him as they smiled at each other.
"Master katara, What do I owe the honor?" Zuko sat up formally.
"Well Prince Zuko I was hoping to discuss important matters with you," katara played along acting seriously.
"Sounds serious," he chuckled leaning forward.
"It is, there's this powerful distraction," her eye brows knitting together.
"Please explain," he smirked looking into her eyes.
"Well it has this flirtatious smirk that everytime is in the same room just keeps catching my eye, and these memorizing golden orbs that is just one of a kind, ugh so annoying," katara groaned rolling her eyes as she tried to hide her smile.
"And just the temptation, it's just so dangerous, something must be done about it," she giggled covering her mouth and Zuko laughed at her.
"Durk I can't believe your so distracting for katara, just rude, I thought I raised you better," Zuko looked at the dragon on the ground with fake disappointment.
Katara burst out laughing at him as she laid on the bed.
"You know how weird what we have is?" Katara sighed looking at him as she was on her back and laid her feet across his lap.
"What do you mean?" Zuko cocked his head to the side.
"Well starting out with you attacking my village, chasing us around the world, you in ba sing si.... to us at the river village... to now... and everything between then and now, it's just funny to me," katara smiled sitting up.
"I guess..." Zuko pursed his lips.
"Hey," katara pulled his chin with her finger to look at her as her face was kind and soft with gentle eyes at him. "I mean what I said on day of black sun, im proud of you, proud of who you have become,"
"I'm glad you don't hate me," Zuko leaked over and kissed her forehead gently. It might've been the best thing katara lover of him, that it was a lustful thing he wanted, to just kiss her lips and her body, Zuko respected her and a kiss to the forehead was sweet and kind, as they meant usually that someone cared about her.
"Zuko..." she looked up at him with kind blue eyes.
"Yea?" He smiled gently.
"I..." katara trailed off a little but they heard someone in the hallway walking and the two broke apart as Zuko went to the ground to play with Durk as katara watched from the bed.
Aang walked in.
"Oh hey," katara sat up a little more as Aang looked at the two for a moment.
"Zuko could I talk to you for a moment?" Aang asked and he nodded as katara didn't move but understood that he meant alone.
"I'm going to see if sokka needs help with anything," katara got up and Zuko nodded at her as she blushed a little. Katara walked out the door with wide eyes as she sped up to turn the corner a few ways away from the boys. She inhaled deeply leaning against the wall.
"Oh my god, I almost told Zuko I love him..." she covered her mouth with wide eyes.
Zuko stood up from the ground as he watched Durk crawl up to his shoulder and sat there happily as Aang pursed his lips.
"Um how is your body healing up?" He started off as Zuko had his hands behind his back.
"Fine, just sore I guess on my ribs," Zuko said awkwardly and silence passed for a moment as it got even more awkward between the two.
"Did you need to talk to me about something?" Zuko asked breaking the silence making Aang jump a little remembering.
"Oh yea! Well it's just everyone basically trusts you here, even toph and katara and sokkas
dad... they didn't go through as much history as the four of us have," Aang walked in as he crossed his arms a little with a sigh.
"Four?"
"You, me, sokka and katara, But you and katara have more history it seems, a bond?" Aang raised an eyebrow kinda confused.
"A witch kinda cursed us, but it's a lot of trust, she's my best friend," Zuko smiled a little.
"I guess, doesn't seem like you have to many friends," Aang tried to joke but Zuko didn't give a reaction.
"No?" He didn't understand it.
"I can't loose katara again... she was my first friend, sokka didn't trust me at all when we first met, katara did, she's my first teacher to help me master water bending for being the avatar, you have to understand that," Aang sighed as he tried to explain and Zuko frowned a little.
"... okay... I'll leave," he closed his eyes.
"Wait what?" Aangs eyes widen.
"Aang I understand our differences, I'll leave tonight, I have to find my uncle anyways, just don't tell katara," Zuko nodded crossing his arms.
"Well-I-I... are you sure you want to? What about the curse? You can stay I guess," Aang was taken back by it.
"I believe that it was fate that brought us all together, to maybe be your friend or your teacher, but it doesn't help that I make you uncomfortable or you not trusting me, maybe its just one step closer to being with my uncle, he's my family," Zuko nodded a little.
But neither of them knew of toph listening from the otherside of the wall as she frowned at the conversation.
"Kataras not going to like this," she smiled evilly.
——
Zuko was eating some left over rice he had in his bag as he sat near the edge of the temple during lunch with Durk sitting in front of him while mono was suspicious of the reptile.
"You leaving?!" Someone screamed from the otherside of the temple making Zuko drop his bowl in surprise. He looked back seeing katara storming over.
"I'm so fucked," he whispered with a sigh as he got up.
"Your leaving? Leaving us because your scared of a twelve year old?" Katara snarled pushing zuko away from the chest.
"I'm not scared of a child," Zuko scoffed.
"Your not leaving!" Katara yelled.
"Katara just listen to me!" Zuko raised his voice.
"No you listen to me! For once you got something good and now you leave?! Why would you leave?!" Katara screamed as everyone watched with wide eyes.
"Your not going to understand!" Zuko yelled back.
"What's going on?" Aang whispered with wide eyes as he was almost scared of the screaming match of the two benders.
"Mom and dad are fighting," toph grabbed the bowl on the ground of zukos rice.
"I'm going! You can't control me woman!" Zuko screamed.
"No your staying here!" Katara screamed louder.
"Katara leave me be!" Zuko threw his hands in the air.
"You can't leave us!"
"Yes I can!"
"You can't leave me!" Katara shrieked with tears in her eyes.
Zuko looked at her with wide eyes as she was wiping tears running down her face out of frustration.
He sighed looking at Aang and shook his head frowning.
"Okay..." he walked to Katara as he held her shoulders gently as Zuko wipes away on her cheek as Katara cried a little into his touch.
"I won't go, I'm staying, Your right," he lowered himself a little be at her height and look at Katara in the eyes.
"I can leave them but I can't leave you," Zuko whispered as Kataras lip trembled. She took a step forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders as he held her gently.
"I just got you back, I'm tired of loosing everyone, not you too," Katara cried into his neck as Zuko closed his eyes.
"I know, I'm sorry, your right, I'm still here kat," Zuko kissed the side of her head as he felt his heart hurt physically. It's been so long since someone's cared for him as much as this girl has, someone to truly care about him.
"I can't leave you," he whispered closing his eyes as Katara was on her toes hanging onto him not daring to let go.