Solution: make the Zuko and Katara interaction different. Duh. I just realized that a lot of what I've written from here on out looks like the set up for Zutara, which isn't what I meant to do. It's just supposed to be touching gen. Oops again.
~*~
“Zuko!” The landing knocked the wind out of Zuko’s lungs, his missing leg curled up under him, and by the time he scrambled to his knees, the Water Tribe girl’s expression had shifted from shock to scorn. “Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait. Let me guess. It’s a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches.” Her hands twisted into mocking claws, and Zuko refused to look at her. “You’re a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world’s last hope for peace! But what do you care? You’re the Fire Lord’s son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood.”
Zuko twisted around to face her, good leg drawing protectively around the stump of the other. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The Water Tribe girl drew herself up, lips tight with fury. “I don’t? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally!”
“Oh yeah?” That was it! He uncurled hands clenched, and slipped collapsing back down when he tried to shoot to his foot. “You think you’re the only one? You think nothing bad has ever happened to me?”
She gasped and stared at his stump. A snarl spread over his face as he fought to keep himself from cringing back. But she shook herself, rubbing her pendant with her thumb. “You lost your leg; I lost my mother!”
His glower softened, but he curled back in on himself. “So did I.”
She rose from where she had let herself fall, across the cave from him. There were tears threatening to fall from her eyes when he turned back to her. “What, do they send Fire Ladies to war too? I bet she died finding out some helpless little Earth Kingdom village wasn’t so helpless.” her satisfied smirk looked pasted on.
His teeth clenched. “No.”
She stopped, but she rallied, shifting unconsciously into a bending stance. Distantly, he felt flattered. “I can’t believe you were lying in wait for us in Ba Sing Se!” she spat. “Don’t you ever stop?”
“We were hiding, alright?” he roared. “It had nothing to do with you!”
“Oh.” She looked down, shamefaced.
“Just shut up and leave me alone.” His own shame gathered in his stomach. He had given up.
“I didn’t know,” she tried, but he just folded his arms and turned his back to her. “I’m sorry I insulted your mother.” He shot her a dark look.
The silence stretched between them until Zuko worried that when it broke, it would snap back and hit them both. “What’s your name, anyway?”
“Katara,” she answered crouching down next to him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.” She moved around him until she was facing him.
“My face.” Zuko put a hand to his scar. “I see.”
She grimaced, frustrated. “No, no, that’s not what I meant.”
“It’s okay. I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince and I’d never be allowed to forget it, but now,” he glanced at his leg. “I barely notice it.”
Katara followed his gaze. “I wish I could fix it, but I can’t heal something that isn’t there anymore.”
“You have healing abilities?” He looked at her, feeling a little sick.
“I told you I could help,” she smiled wanly. “What happened? I mean I saw her burn you, but...”
“It got infected,” Zuko spoke to the floor. “Uncle had to cut it off.”
“I’m sorr-”
The walls rumbled, and she fell onto him, knocking them both to the floor. Rocks and crystals flew away from the wall, and Zuko and Katara stared, frozen. When the dust settled, the Avatar stood amidst the rubble, Uncle close behind.
“Aang!” Katara levered herself to her feet and ran to the Avatar, pulling him into a tight embrace right before Uncle hauled Zuko to his foot and into a hug.
Zuko hurt his leg on the run and it won’t heal 5/7
~*~
“Zuko!” The landing knocked the wind out of Zuko’s lungs, his missing leg curled up under him, and by the time he scrambled to his knees, the Water Tribe girl’s expression had shifted from shock to scorn. “Why did they throw you in here? Oh wait. Let me guess. It’s a trap. So when Aang shows up to rescue me, you can finally have him in your little Fire Nation clutches.” Her hands twisted into mocking claws, and Zuko refused to look at her. “You’re a terrible person, you know that? Always following us, hunting the Avatar, trying to capture the world’s last hope for peace! But what do you care? You’re the Fire Lord’s son. Spreading war and violence and hatred is in your blood.”
Zuko twisted around to face her, good leg drawing protectively around the stump of the other. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The Water Tribe girl drew herself up, lips tight with fury. “I don’t? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through. Me personally!”
“Oh yeah?” That was it! He uncurled hands clenched, and slipped collapsing back down when he tried to shoot to his foot. “You think you’re the only one? You think nothing bad has ever happened to me?”
She gasped and stared at his stump. A snarl spread over his face as he fought to keep himself from cringing back. But she shook herself, rubbing her pendant with her thumb. “You lost your leg; I lost my mother!”
His glower softened, but he curled back in on himself. “So did I.”
She rose from where she had let herself fall, across the cave from him. There were tears threatening to fall from her eyes when he turned back to her. “What, do they send Fire Ladies to war too? I bet she died finding out some helpless little Earth Kingdom village wasn’t so helpless.” her satisfied smirk looked pasted on.
His teeth clenched. “No.”
She stopped, but she rallied, shifting unconsciously into a bending stance. Distantly, he felt flattered. “I can’t believe you were lying in wait for us in Ba Sing Se!” she spat. “Don’t you ever stop?”
“We were hiding, alright?” he roared. “It had nothing to do with you!”
“Oh.” She looked down, shamefaced.
“Just shut up and leave me alone.” His own shame gathered in his stomach. He had given up.
“I didn’t know,” she tried, but he just folded his arms and turned his back to her. “I’m sorry I insulted your mother.” He shot her a dark look.
The silence stretched between them until Zuko worried that when it broke, it would snap back and hit them both. “What’s your name, anyway?”
“Katara,” she answered crouching down next to him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It’s just that for so long now, whenever I would imagine the face of the enemy, it was your face.” She moved around him until she was facing him.
“My face.” Zuko put a hand to his scar. “I see.”
She grimaced, frustrated. “No, no, that’s not what I meant.”
“It’s okay. I used to think this scar marked me, the mark of the banished prince and I’d never be allowed to forget it, but now,” he glanced at his leg. “I barely notice it.”
Katara followed his gaze. “I wish I could fix it, but I can’t heal something that isn’t there anymore.”
“You have healing abilities?” He looked at her, feeling a little sick.
“I told you I could help,” she smiled wanly. “What happened? I mean I saw her burn you, but...”
“It got infected,” Zuko spoke to the floor. “Uncle had to cut it off.”
“I’m sorr-”
The walls rumbled, and she fell onto him, knocking them both to the floor. Rocks and crystals flew away from the wall, and Zuko and Katara stared, frozen. When the dust settled, the Avatar stood amidst the rubble, Uncle close behind.
“Aang!” Katara levered herself to her feet and ran to the Avatar, pulling him into a tight embrace right before Uncle hauled Zuko to his foot and into a hug.