tired

Zuko sat in his room as he only had a few hours left before his father calls him again. The offer he had for him...

He rolled on his side with a side but looked over seeing durk sitting on the ground innocently watching him. 

"Hey creep," he reached down and rubbed behind his cats ear.

He picked him up and durk settled laying next to zukos side and purred. Zuko gulped as his throat burned, it hurt as he kept his emotions buried deeper and deeper. He checked his phone seeing jin hasn't texted or called him back, he tried calling her twice and was left on voice mail. He could take a hint.

Knock knock

Katara peaked in before he said anything.

"Hello!" She sang closing the door behind her as she wore a skirt and sweater. 

"Oh hey," he looked at her calmly.

"Wow no yelling at me? I knew you were sick," Katara handed him a cup of tea from downstairs that iroh gave her and sat at the foot of his bed.

"Your uncle said you haven't left you room, you missed school, are you okay?" Katara asked seeing he didn't move as he laid in bed.

"I'm fine," he closed his eyes laying on his side.

"Obvious lie," she rolled her eyes.

"I'll handle it myself," he tried again.

"What are you handling?" Katara raised a brow and he shook his head.

"I just have to make a big decision, I don't know what to do," he gulped as he hugged durk to his chest and the cat nuzzled against his neck.

"Can you talk to Jim about it since you won't talk to me?" Katara smiled kindly hoping he'd look at her again.

"She won't pick up," zuko got quieter.

Kataras heart sank, she was the other thing that got Zuko to open up and smile about, he adored her and missed his only friend that knows him... why wouldn't jin answer?

"What would you do if you had to choose between a lot of money but there was a cost that you didn't know the consequences of... or stay clean but be stuck in this town and risk everything you worked for?" Zuko sat up and looked at her sadly.

"There's not a lot of detail I can go off of Zuko," Katara sat in front of him.

"That's the easiest way I can explain it," he gripped his jeans a little.

"Are both options bad?" She asked not understanding. He nodded.

"Which one would less people get hurt?" She asked again.

"The first one," his voice broke.

"Is that something you care about a lot?" Katara touched his hand and he nodded again.

"Okay then..." she whispered as she held onto the top his hand hoping to comfort him.

"Is there a third option that you don't have to do anything?" Katara tried to joke but he shook his head.

Suddenly zukos phone rang and he picked it up without looking at the name in hope it was jin returning his calls.

"Someone's eager," Ozai answered.

"Do you have an answer for me?" He asked and Zuko clenched his jaw to try stopping it from shaking.

"Yes..." he whispered.

"I'll do it, I'll take the job," Zuko couldn't look Katara in the eyes but could feel her grip tighten on his hand.

"Good to hear boy, come back on Friday, we'll discuss what's on and off limits for you, being a minor and all," ozai chuckled.

"Don't worry, I'll call off my pals that were on their way to burn your little shop down, have a nice week son," Ozai told him before hanging up.

"So your interview went well then, that's awesome," Katara smiled hopeful as she sat on her knees.

"Yea, guess I'll be able to go to the colleges I want to apply too," Zuko sighed setting his phone down, it was still open and he saw jin posting on social media.

"Might as well take the job, what do I have to loose?" He gulped turning his phone off and Katara nodded.

"Hey you should come over to my place tonight, we're having everyone over and probably going to watch movies and get pizza," Katara told him sweetly seeing how down Zuko seemed lately.

"Your brother-" "my brother can deal with me if he has an issue, if he can have his friends over I can have mine," Katara cut him off as Zukos face didn't change.

"Please? I don't want to leave you sulking in here alone," she cocked her head to the side trying to get Zuko to look at her again.

"Can I take a nap before?" He sighed.

"Yep and we can go to the gas station before," she scooted so her legs were off the side of the bed and Zuko laid back down with a sigh.

"Hey Zuko," she poked his shoulder a little as his back was to her and he faced the wall.

"Mm?"

"We're friends right?" She pursed her lips a little.

"Yea, why?" He yawned tiredly as his eyes were closed.

"So you'd tell me if something was going on right?" Katara got to her feet and saw him nod.

She smiled a little and picked up durk to leave the room and closed the door behind her.

It didn't feel fake anymore, she wanted this friendship to be real, she wanted to trust Zuko and have him trust her like actual friends. She didn't want to hurt him, break his trust, she didn't believe anything that she did a month ago. He wasn't some out of control raging monster that everyone treats him as.

She didn't want Zuko to know the reason she became friends with him. She wished she could take it back or just have jet... he was the only one that knew the truth, if he just didn't say anything and was reliable to be trustworthy then it would be fine. But it was Jet. He wanted something from her and hed do everything to get it. Especially if he was driven by hate.

Katara sighed holding durk to her chest as she stood in the living room, glancing over at the picture of Iroh and two young boys.

"That's my son lu ten,"

Katara jumped a little and held the cat tighter in fear but looked behind her seeing iroh in the kitchen.

"Oh sorry, zukos sleeping," Katara pursed her lips as iroh came up to her and she handed him the cat.

"Your welcome to stay as long as you'd like," iroh smiled at her as he opened zukos door a little and let durk in.

"Durk always sleeps with Zuko, my nephew found him on the streets, but I think that cat saved Zuko more than Zuko saved him," he sighed leaving the door cracked.

"He's a good cat," Katara smiled gently and iroh nodded.

He looked pained at a thought as Katara watched the old man, pain and fear flashed across his face and swallowed a lump in his throat.

"I can't thank you enough my dear," he rasped a little walking back to the living room, he offered her to sit and he joined her on the other couch.

"For what?" Katara asked as she smiled at him.

"For going out of your way to be there for my boy, he struggles so much to find his own company, you really have to kick down his wall to get to see him smile," iroh chuckled gently and she agreed.

"His journey isn't over, he's still finding himself, but I will happily watch him grow, I just want the best for him, I don't think this family could stand to take another tragedy," he sighed clasping his hands together.

"What do you mean?" She frowned.

"The year Zuko lost his mother was the same year I lost my only son and my father, I don't know what I would do if I lost Zuko too, our family hasn't had luck in living a peaceful and kind life... but it's all I could hope for our futures," he inhaled a shaky breath as Katara was surprised a little.

"I'm so sorry for your lost," she whispered.

"My father wasn't a kind man, but my son and my sister in law both knew the rights and the wrongs this family business did not, and the mentality it put my nephew and my niece... it's truly corrupting for a child,"

"Is... is it true zukos father use to hit him?" Katara asked carefully not knowing if it was crossing the line or not.

"It's true," iroh frowned.

"My brother is much like our father, he.. he neglected Zuko when his mother was around but once Ursa passed, it got worst," he pursed his lips.

"It's not my place to give you details but since you already knew..." he sighed a little standing up.

"I'm going to finish opening up the shop, your welcome to anything in the kitchen," iroh smiled brightly at her.

"I could help you downstairs if you'd like, I have nothing else to do," Katara got up as well.

"I can't ask you of that, I have no way to pay you," iroh waved her off.

"I'll take a cookie and we'll call it even, please, I insist," Katara followed him down and iroh smiled agreeing to the girl.

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