Blazing: An Avatar AU

Chapter Five

"(Y/N), what the hell," Zuko looked around the room. 

Crap. 

How was I supposed to explain this? 

"I- uh. I- well," I felt tears building up in my eyes, blurring my vision. I ran to the door behind him and shut it. I made sure it was locked this time. A tear rolled off my cheek and onto the ground; I fell to Zuko's feet, "Zuko. You can't tell anyone. You don't understand you ca-"

"Get up, (Y/N)."

I sniffled and stood up to face him. My eyes met his. He didn't seem angry at all. But who knows? 

I took a deep breath and manipulated all the water around my room, and the water on my body, and forced it all down the drain in my bathroom. I turned around to meet Zuko's eyes again. He looked confused, but not mad. 

We stared at each other in silence. 

"How did- why- how is that even possible? You're a firebender." Zuko broke the silence. 

"...And a waterbender."

He laughed dryly, "well, clearly."

He ran his hands through his hair and sat down on my bed, motioning for me to follow, "there's a story, right? There's always a story."

"What story?"

"I don't know, (Y/N). Your life story? How you're a waterbender, obviously your father had to have known, and your mother? How did it go down, (Y/N)?"

"You really want to know?"

"Everything."

So I told him everything. I told him about my mother being watertribe, and my father marrying her for money. I told him about the night my mother died. I told him about how I'd been practicing waterbending on my own for as long as I had known. I told him about bloodbending. And I told him about my father. About how he hurt me. Physically. Emotionally. How I was forbidden to bend. How he hated that I could bend. How he hurt me if I even attempted at waterbending unless it was to heal the burns he inflicted on me. I told him about my father, and how he taught me firebending, and how he was never nice with it. How, no matter how much he was beloved, I never got the luxury to his 'good side'. How genetics didn't matter to him. How I was a blemish in his perfect record. How, no matter what I did, he hated me to no end. 

And Zuko listened. 

He soaked in every word I said, and let me vent. 

I ended the conversation, sobbing. I had never told anyone.... well anything. Not once have I spilled my feelings. I didn't have anyone. I didn't have friends, and I certainly didn't have a family. Zuko grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug. His body was warm. He shifted and let my head fall into his lap. He stroked my hair, "I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

"For what?"

"It must have been so hard. I- well I never really had anyone to talk to either, but you, you must have been screaming on the inside."

That's exactly how I felt. 

Zuko sighed, "I would never tell anyone about the waterbending. It's your secret, and I'll protect it with my life. I- well I'll protect you with my life."

I smiled. I never had someone to talk too. 

Zuko let out a breath and motioned to the TV, "let's watch a movie."

I nodded and sat up. Zuko turned on the TV. He crouched to the CD player and pressed the eject button, then he turned around, "do you have anything on DVD?"