By Your Side (Zuko x Reader) (Sequel to Torn Heart)

Chapter 5

         I was jittery as I left the palace that afternoon. This was Zuko I was meeting—he was as far from a stranger as you could probably get—but somehow I was nervous. So absorbed with thinking about what I would wear (not that I had a plethora of options), that I almost missed Katara racing towards me as I stepped off the last step.
"What's the matter, Katara?" I grabbed her by the elbow as she tried to speed past me, missing me in her haste too, "I thought you were meeting with the generals."
"I did, but..." she trailed off, pity in her blue eyes, "Y/N, I'm sorry to dig up old feelings like this, but...Zuko's here. In Ba Sing Se."
Ice cold dread pooled in my stomach. Shit.      "Kat—"
"We can't go back and forth about this. There's too much at stake. I have to tell the king," she pulled free from my grasp and continued up the steps.
I stood frozen, watching her for a second, before deciding there was only one thing to do. "Wait, Katara!" I followed her up the steps.
"Y/N, I know you love him, but just try to understand—"
"Katara—"
"—as long as Zuko's in the city—"
"Katara, I know,"
"—we're all in dang—"
Losing my patience I grabbed her shoulders and forced her to face me, "Katara, I know. I. KNOW."
"You know?" she furrowed her brows at me for a half a second, before realization dawned and her expression turned to one of total repulsion, "You knew he was here? And you hid it from all of us?"
"Yes!"
"How long have you known? Why did you keep this from us?!"
"Almost a week now and I didn't think it was relevant,"
"Didn't think it was relevant?" she echoed, "Oh, no, of course, the guy that's threatened all of our lives countless times being within walking distance from us could never be relevant! You know, I wish I was surprised!"
"The hell does that mean?" I murmured, but Katara surged up the steps ahead of me.
"This whole secret boyfriend thing ends right now!"
"You know, Toph's right about you!" I screamed up at her, "You try to be our mother, but you're not!"
By the time I finished, she had vanished over the top step. My rage melted to panic and I followed.
I reached the throne room, Katara had reached Suki and was rambling to her, the other two Kyoshi warriors listening nearby.
"—He's here in Ba Sing Se,"
I surged forward, "Suki, she's—well, she's telling the truth. But Zuko's not a threat to anyone."
"Oh, I know he's not," Sukki purred and my blood ran cold. I didn't recognize the voice or the face under all that make-up, but the eyes were familiar. We'd never met, but I knew just who I talking to.
"Are you...Azula?"
She didn't answer. Instead, one of the other warriors leapt into the air, doing somersaults, until she landed in front of Katara. As they fought, I flung my bow from my shoulders, nocked, and aimed at Azula, "Where's—?"
Snap! My arrow split in half. I realized it was the third imposter as a second throwing knife sailed past my head. I ran for it (you know my history with throwing knives), but was pinned to a pillar by my sleeves. Katara had been dropped by the other girl.
Azula floated up to me, "Don't worry, dear. I'll handle my brother and uncle. In the meantime, I trust you two can keep each other company."
Katara and I were tossed in a cell—well, more like a cave. We rolled, screaming down the long earthen ramp. As soon as I was on my feet, I was spitting, "Look what you've done! This is all your fault!"
Tears stung my eyes. Zuko and Iroh were in danger now, and I wasn't warning anyone in here.
"My fault!" Katara was crying, "If you had told us about all this in the first place, we would've been able to deal with them some other way!"
"Deal with them?" I scoffed, "That's exactly why I didn't tell you. You still only see Zuko as your enemy. You don't even know him."
"I know him perfectly...It's you I'm starting to wonder about, Y/N."

           The stifling silence in the cave was broken by the door dragging open and a yell as someone plummeted down the ramp towards us. He landed in a heap between Katara and I. I jumped to my feet, "Zuko!"
           "Y/N?" he said as I helped him sit up, "What are you doing down here?"
           "Your sister," Katara answered for me and Zuko's head snapped in her direction.
            "I'm sorry, baby," I continued, ignoring how Katara rolled her eyes at the word, "Katara found out that you're here and she told Azula—on accident."
            "It's okay. I would have had to face her eventually," he gazed back up the ramp, bitterly, "Only I wasn't betting on her taking the easy way out."
             It stung to see him downcast again after witnessing his strange cheeriness just a couple hours ago. But still, part of him seemed abnormally calm. Maybe now I could find out what that was about.
       We had the time.
Zuko and I talked softly on one side of the cave, letting Katara simmer on her side.
"I see," I said, finally, deciding not to mention that it sounded like he just caught a bad cold from the musty cave. Instead, I winced, "I'm sorry, I lied to you about Aang being here."
"It's okay. I know why you did. It was for the best I think,"
"So you claim that he's not a danger, but you knew how he would react if he knew Aang was here," Katara chimed in from the other end of the cave, "You're ridiculous, Y/N."
"I'm sorry, we're having a private conversation—" I started, sassily.
"No, it's okay," Zuko cut in, turning to Katara, "You're both right. I was obsessed and I am sorry—"
"Oh, don't even try that. Why would I believe you for a second?"
"Um...maybe because he's stuck down here with us," I snapped.
"That doesn't make him innocent. Y/N, this is the same Zuko who tricked you a month ago. Don't forget, he's still Fire Nation. They've hurt us, killed my mother, almost killed you,"
"You're right, I'm not innocent. But the Fire Nation has hurt me too," and then Zuko admitted the last thing I expected, "I lost my mother to them too."