"You decided to come?" Ozai watched Zuko walk into his office and took a seat.

"You didn't come home the other day Zuko," he raised a brow and Zuko leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

"For the pass two weeks You chastised and indoctrinated me into agreeing with living with you, why would you even want me back?" Zuko asked getting straight to the point.

"Because you're my son," he smirked a little.

"No... that's not it," the boy pursed his lips disappointed.

"Who do you think you are to come into my office and disrespect me?" Ozai narrowed his eyes.

"For two weeks I didn't see the problem, I lost everything that I worked for mentally and physically, I built myself up and you broke it down so easily," Zuko explained calmly.

"You don't care about me ozai, I'm not your son to you, I don't care, but how I couldn't feel a damn thing, my body felt numb when I was in that house with you, that is exactly why I tried to kill myself," Zuko hissed leaning forward as he braced himself on his knees.

"I have one question, answer it honestly for once..."

He waited to see his fathers reaction as they both sat in silence.

"Do you blame yourself?"

"What?"

"After everything, mom, uncle, azula... me... do you blame yourself for others misery?" He asked looking emotionless as Ozai seemed... taken back.

"No," he sneered.

"Do you feel any kind of remorse when you look at your children? Do you blame yourself for our misery? Azula looks like mom, but you neglect her love," Zuko continued as he already crossed the line.

"Do you blame yourself when you look at me? The scar on my face caused by you, our shared features, the way I don't even look human with you, I look dead, I feel dead,"

"No, that's your own fault," Ozai clenched his fists.

"Is it?" He tilted his head to the side.

"Do you feel anything?" Zuko whispered. "Or is everyone right about the monster you are? Because everyone believes we're just the monsters your created,"

"Get out," Ozai stood up quickly.

"I should've known you wouldn't listen," Zuko smirked a little.

"You should," he nodded a little.

"You should blame yourself, you should hate yourself, you lived a great life, you were wealthy and provided everything, and yet your so full of hate you can't even look at yourself like the fucking coward you are," his voice got colder and colder. Zuko watched his father walk around the desk and slapped him across the face.

"You will never speak to me like that boy," Ozai grabbed his shirt but there was no fear in zukos eyes. There was nothing. They looked almost glossed over with no emotions.

"I don't want to work for you anymore," Zuko whispered looking away. "I should've never agreed,"

Another slap across the face.

"After today You already lost the deal! No money! No education! You fucking filthy bastard child!" Ozai threw him to the ground and kicked him across the face.

"Azula told me about your little girlfriend or whatever, maybe I should punish you last time with her blood on our hands," Ozai grabbed his hair to make Zuko look up at him. That made something flicker in those gold eyes b

"Katara... right?" He grinned and Zuko struggled to get out of his grip. Ozai smiled more seeing a reaction and slammed zukos face into the carpet.

"It was fun watching your life crumble, the things your uncle said were unjustifiable, called you ungrateful, a bitch, you know nothing that wasn't true, maybe throw your stupid cat on the streets by now," Ozai kept his face pressed into the ground as Zuko felt blood running down his nose. He growled hitting the ground to tap out but Ozai forced himself further against the floor.

"Sure, your out, out of this business, you can have that pathetic victory," Ozai smirked and finally let go.

"But no one gets out without a little something, maybe it'll be the good old American school shooting, or maybe I'll burn your home to the ground? Or how about I'll send zhao again to find your pretty little play thing? Do you want to choose or should we just leave it as a surprise?" He went back to his desk as Zuko had fear in his eyes again. It satisfied the man.

"Ah, we'll leave it as a surprise, who doesn't love that?" He chuckled.

"Wait there has to be something that i can do that no one has to get hurt in," Zuko grunted getting on his knees feeling more blood drip down his chin.

"Sorry, can't think of anything, maybe you could even finish your job and let those pills do theirs, you worthless piece of shit," Ozai looked him up and down.

"Now get out, or do you have more things to tell me?" Ozai purred rocking in his chair.

Zukos jaw trembled as he walked out of the office, he went to the elevator with his eyes down, he didn't know where to even go. He couldn't think straight trying to process the encounter. Maybe that was just cause of his pounding headache.

—

Zuko knocked on the door as he felt panicked when no one answered.

"Kat?" He whispered as he knocked again. He jiggled the handle but it was unlocked. He stopped breathing.

"Katara?" Zuko walked into the house frightened at how quiet it was, the door was unlocked. His father couldn't have walked that fast..

Zuko ran up the stairs as he could imagine how Katara looked if his father already one. Her body could be on her own bed with blood staining her white comforter and blue pillows, tears welded up in his eyes thinking about it.

He couldn't breathe properly as his shaky hand opened her door and he didn't smell blood like he expected. He peaked in worried but she was sleeping under the blankets peacefully as she hugged her penguin stuff animal.

Zuko closed the door quickly and covered his face immediately relieved. He didn't know what he would do if she was gone...

Tears fell down zukos face as he went down the stairs again, he locked the door and sat on the couch.

He sat with his hands over his face and hiccuped a small sob, he never felt fear like that in so long, that there was a chance he was unlucky and could've seen his best friends corpse. Would he even tell someone or let her brother find her in the morning.

He covered his mouth trying to silent his small hiccup as he couldn't breathe still.

Zuko couldn't live with himself if she was killed because of him. He loved her to much.

Zuko wiped his face but looked at his hands seeing tears and blood mixed.

Wait. Loved?

He stared at his hand and clenched his fist, he didn't even deny that feeling, he knew he couldn't live without her at this point. She meant everything to him.

Yea, he loves her... everything about her.

This was the first time he's felt like this for someone, a sickening feeling as he broke down again. He might lose the first person he's fallen in love with, and there could be nothing he could do to save her.

He laughed a little through the tears. He wasn't surprised. That's the kind of sick game life loves to play with him, of course he fell for Katara, she was the first person who's been kind to him, to comfort him, to show him how to keep being happy. And of course she was the one that might be in danger.

"Fuck me... I'm so stupid," Zuko sniffled as his eyes hurt.

He didn't mean to lay down as his feet hung off the side and he was exhausted and in pain, his head hurt, his face hurt, his heart hurt. He just wanted to sleep.

He hoped Sokka didn't bash his head in the morning.