First burn

Smooth

Katara and Zuko walked down to the beach seeing the girls again as ty Lee had her arms around Azula and Mai watched them annoyed or bored, or both. She held a bottle in her hand and took a drink of it to keep her buzz going.

Zuko walked past Mai as she watched him but he didn't bother sending a glance.

"Hey," Mai said softly.

Zuko pursed his lips and said nothing, he didn't stop. A spark in his chest as he could feel her eyes on him, her glare. Faking a 'kind' voice to talk to him.

He followed Katara instead as she sighed softly sitting on a flat rock and Azula got ty Lee to sit on the broken tree on the ground, Mai sat across from them on her own rock. Zuko hesitated but Katara scooted and patted next to her for him.

"Are You cold?" Zuko looked at Mai seeing she was pulling her shawl over her bare arms more. She glared at him and returned the ignoring.

"I'm freezing!" Ty Lee gasped as she was sobering up still.

"I'll make a fire," he offered and all the girls agreed.

"There's plenty of stuff to burn in there," he motioned to the house he was at. Katara was surprised a little but no one stopped him.

—

The fire crackled as Zuko threw some broken furniture in the small pit and set it on fire with his bending. He grabbed an old family portrait and tossed it in, watching the flames eat at it with each family member on it disappearing.

"What are you doing?" Ty Lee asked confused.

"Making a fire?" Zuko crossed his arms.

"But it's a painting of your family..." she said softly, he dropped another portrait in of Ozai and his mother.

"It's worthless," he shrugged a little. "I don't care, it doesn't matter anyways,"

"I think you do," she pursed her lips. Katara glanced at Azula knowing it was her family too, she watched calmly looking like it didn't matter to her either... it was odd seeing how broken the family was, her and Zuko seemed like strangers half the time but were raised together. Like the word family didn't mean much by other than related by blood, nothing more nothing less.

"It doesn't matter anyways, just because we had a few drinks doesn't mean we know each other," Zuko narrowed his eyes at her.

"Hey, knock that off," Katara sat up straighter seeing he was getting annoyed.

"Why? Cause I'm the first boy that's not going to suck up to her to get in her pants? My bad," he scoffed a little and ty Lee looked at him shocked.

"That's not- I don't.. it's not like that! I'm not asking boys to come to me! I'd be perfectly fine without them," ty Lee snapped back.

"Yea sure, just because your pretty and can walk on your hands you think your unique?" Zuko spat back.

"Circus freak," he glared.

Azula snorted and giggled next to her as Katara frowned at how fast his temper went up, she's always known he had a fiery temper so it wasn't surprised when he'd snap, but he was just fine until he and Mai were together at the fire again. She looked over concerned seeing how frustrated and hurt ty Lee looked.

"Ty-" "yes. I'm a circus freak, go ahead and laugh," ty Lee glared at them all with tears in her eyes. "You wanna know why I joined the circus?"

"Here we go," Mai rolled her eyes.

"Ty lee your still drunk, take it easy," Katara said softly but the other girl didn't listen.