"Hey Katara I'm home!" Sokka closed the door behind him in the morning.

"I got donuts!" He called walking up the stairs.

"Also did you take my credit card again? I can't find it and I thought I saw you buy a new jacket and I know that's not your money," the older brother knocked and opened her door.

"Like a few star bucks I get but..." Sokka noticed Zuko sleeping in her bed as he was laying on his stomach and face buried in a pillow.

"What... the... fuck..." Sokka whispered mortified.

"Zuko get the fuck out of my sisters bed!" Sokka grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the back.

Zuko jumped off the bed to his feet with his fists up. He saw it was only Sokka and rubbed his face confused.

"What?" He yawned stretching his arms up.

"Where is Katara? Why are you sleeping in her bed?" Sokka raised the pillow.

"I-uh um I don't know where she is..? A-and she invited me over," Zuko gulped putting his hands up.

"Put the pillow down Sokka," he pointed wide eyes. Sokka jumped on the bed with a battle cry as Zuko screamed running out of the way before he was hit and raced out of the room.

"Get back here you rich pale bitch!" Sokka chased after him as Zuko ran down the stairs and jumped over the railing when he was close to the floor.

"I didn't do anything!" Zuko yelled back as he ran into the kitchen, they both stood around the island counter of the center. Sokka ran to one side and Zuko ran to the other side.

"You in my little sisters bed, there's a perfectly good couch jerk!" Sokka screamed as he tried to run around the side again but Zuko ran opposite.

"Katara help!" Zuko screamed back.

"You don't talk to her pervert!" Sokka pointed at him.

"Hey hey no stop why?! It's not even ten!" Katara ran down the stairs in a towel and soaking wet hair.

"What the fuck you two!?" She screaming bewildered.

"He hit me!" Zuko said quickly. Kataras eyes widen and she smacked her brothers head.

"He was sleeping in your bed?!" Sokka turned to her.

"Because I was showering! He's literally still in jeans and a shirt Sokka! Nothing happened!" She cried out and Zuko frantically motioned to his clothes as proof.

"No boy in bed!" Sokka whined.

"You literally just slept over at sukis cause your horny! I had a sleepover with my friend who happens to be make! Don't start with me," Katara jabbed her finger against his shoulder and stormed over to Zuko.

"Do not baby him he is older than you!" Sokka gasped as she pushed Zuko ahead of her as one hand held up her towel.

"I'll baby him all I want! You hit him!" Katara snapped back.

"With a pillow!" Sokka threw his hands in the air.

"I was sleeping," Zuko said flatly.

"Upstairs, you stay in my room, you stay in your room, I'm finishing my shower and we're talking after," Katara huffed as she looked at both her boys.

"Talk to each other when I'm in the shower I'm grounding you," she threatened and both of them were shocked.

"You can't ground me, I'm older," Sokka crossed his arms.

"You can't ground me either," Zuko looked at her confused.

"I can and I will so don't test me," she stormed up the stairs.

—

"Are you sleeping again?" Katara walked into her room with a hoodie and jeans on as she was scrunching and squeezing her hair with an old tee shirt.

"Yea," Zuko was sleeping on his stomach again with his head turned so his unscarred side of his face was against the soft pillow.

"You doing okay?" She smiled softly sitting next to him on the white bed.

"It smells nice..." he mumbled with his eyes closed.

"Good to know I don't stink," she laughed a little and there was a knock at the door. Zukos eyes snapped open and Katara turned a little.

"Are you ready to play nice?" Katara asked her brother. Sokka pouted but nodded.

"Fine," he whined.

"Zuko slept over last night," she explained softly as Zuko rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand sitting up.

"My dads making me live with him," Zuko said bluntly and Sokka snapped his head up at him.

"Why?" Sokka asked worried.

"Because of the job," he pursed his lips.

"I can go clean out the guest room, your not going back," Sokka got up but Katara grabbed his wrist.

"What, you knew? You know about that?" Katara asked baffled.

The boys looked at each other and Zuko sighed shaking his head.

"I got black out drunk and Sokka picked me up, it was when my dad first made the offer to me, i drank to much there and was stuck," Zuko mumbled looking down.

"What?!"

"Why didn't you call me stupid!?" She pushed at him and Zuko didn't bother to move.

"I-I did.. Sokka picked the phone up," he admitted rubbing his neck.

"Oh,"

"And both didn't say shit to me?" She crossed her arms upset.

"He said he wasn't going to involve you," Sokka scratched his neck awkwardly.

"I still won't," Zuko said quickly.

They were all silent as Zuko bounced his leg a little on the side and Katara thought for a minute.

"Dude your so bad at secrets, you caved quick," Sokka piped up.

"I'm bad at keeping my own secrets," Zuko pouted.

"Anything else I should know?" Katara asked flatly.

"Mmm probably," he nodded innocently.

"I'm going to shower now, the guest rooms open dude so no more sleeping in here," Sokka stood up and Zuko whined a little.

He pursed his lips and inhaled sharply. This felt like a burden, they didn't-they shouldn't have to be responsible for his stupidity, he was gaslit into being stuck with his father again, he be trapped. Katara was already at risk, she shouldn't have to do this for him. He was asking for to much, he should leave again, just let them live their lives with him not bothering them. He was always a bother, just causing problems-

"Hey," a sweet voice pulled Zuko out of his head.

"You with me?" Katara put her hand on the top of his head with a smile, he raised a brow looking up at her hand, he smiled a little grabbing her wrist and took her hand off his mop of hair.

That smile. Those eyes. The scent. Her voice.

She made him feel better, he's never had someone that made him feel like the fucked I'll world could be better, it melted away when he was with her. It felt different then with Jin, she made him happy but this was a different type of happy.

"Zuko, hey, look at me," Katara scooter closer getting worried.

"Sorry I haven't.. I haven't taken my medication in a while," he breathed looking at his lap.

Katara slid her hands up and cupped the sides of his face, touching the bottom of his ears as her thumbs traced his cheek bones, holding his cheeks. Her hand touched over his scar, he looked nervous. She smiled gently and reassuringly.

"You with me?" She asked again calmly.

"I'm fine," he took her hand off his scar. But didn't bother with the other.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to cross the line," Katara took her other hand back.

"Did... did you ever think my scars ugly?" Zuko gulped.

"No," Katara smiled with no hesitation.

"Never ugly, or scary, or anything, if anything I could tell it must've hurt a lot when you got it," she nodded and he pursed his lips. He gently grabbed her hand again and pulled it to his face to touch his scar once more.

"I think it's unique, I'd say beautiful but I feel like you'll yell at me," Katara giggled brushing his face with her thumb again. Feeling the texture of the damaged skin, it was soft.

"I hate it, I hate looking in mirrors," he whispered holding her hand against his face as he leaned against her palm.

"The voices in my head weren't very nice," he smiled a little. "Your the first person that's told me otherwise,"

"You deserve to be told otherwise, your not ugly, you deserve to feel love Zuko," she blushed gently as his thumb rubbed her hand gently.

He looked down and back at her but down again, like he was arguing in his head, having doubts, Katara touched his face with her other hand and turned his head up so he could look at her.

"You with me Zuko?" She asked again.

"Yea, I'm with you kat," Zuko gulped with a smile.

"Let go I feel like your brothers going to come in and karate chop me if he sees we're this close," he pulled her hands off as he leaned back with his face up. Blush burning his cheeks.