Title: In your own company
Author: Moor (beyondthemoor on LJ)
Genre: Modern AU, high school
Length: Approx. 4400 words
Pairing: Zutara
Rating: T

Disclaimer: "Avatar: TLA" belongs to its copyrights holders.

AN: This is the 'thank-you' 'fic I wrote for AvatarAiris after she left me the 50th review on "Merits"! I hope you enjoy it! Just to be clear, this 'fic is separate from "Merits". I hope you like it, AvatarAiris!

This fic is based on how the group would interact in high school... but if events similar in nature had happened to them up to the season three episode, 'The Firebending Masters'.

AN: Thank you for reading!

(Late afternoon.)

"Uh... hi..." Zuko's voice was a bit hesitant as he opened the door and spied not one, but four individuals waiting on his doorstep that Tuesday afternoon.

"Hey Zuko! I hope I'm on time!"

"Yeah, come on in, Aang... everyone..." He took a staggered step back as the unexpected guests trouped into his spacious main hallway.

"Thanks, I'll just make myself at home," Toph made her way straight to the sound of a large-screen TV blaring at a worn leather couch.

"Mind if I take a peek in your kitchen?" asked Sokka, already following his nose Toucan Sam-style in a separate direction.

"Uh, that is, actually, I can–," it was a futile attempt, but the young tutor-turned-host held an arm up as if to call Sokka back. The dark-skinned younger man had already found the fridge, however, and was making giddy noises of contentment. "Ooh! You have my favourite pie in here..."

Zuko's attention was brought back to the entranceway at the next individual's deliberate words. They were sharp enough to nearly make him wince.

"Come on, Aang. Let's get this over with."

Last through the door came the one person in school who had yet to welcome him back after the accident and his stay in a private school. Everyone else had forgiven him for being a trouble-maker, especially after Aang had welcomed him into his group of personal friends (and really, no one went against Aang) – but Katara Kuruk.

The tutoree in question gave his senior an apologetic look as he passed by, leaving Zuko fumbling with the large door and watching everyone scatter like grains of rice on the floor.

"Should I just set up at the library desk, as usual?" asked Aang, putting his coat away neatly in the closet, and helping Katara next with hers.

"Yeah, that's great. I'll be right there."

"Ok!" Aang smiled and hopped off towards the rear room, leaving Katara to remove her shoes with Zuko in the entryway.

"Right, sure..."

Even though she was on his partially-blind side, he knew the fiercely protective young woman was at the same time keeping her back to him and still managing to keep an eye on him. While it stung, he couldn't blame her for it, either. They didn't speak to each other. Ever.

He left her and made a small wish that the afternoon not end in awkward hostility. Head high and refusing to let his spirits swing low, he followed Aang to the den where his laptop and school books were currently settled, ready and waiting to teach Aang the intricacies of higher-level calculus.

...with Katara chaperoning for the duration...

Sokka and Toph decided to veg on the couch instead of hawk-eyeing the study-buddies.

"So, nice place? What's his dad do?" asked Sokka from beside Toph on the clean leather. Instinctively, she smacked his hand away from the bowl of chips she held in her lap; her feet were propped up lazily on a stack of magazines on the coffee table.

"This isn't his family home," she replied, and munched noisily on the snacks. "Ooh, you added Crackerjacks, my fav. Thanks, Snoozles."

Sokka shrugged and leaned back, resting his head on his arms folded behind him on the plushy furniture.

"How do you know this isn't his family home? Is he renting a room here or something?" Inquisitive blue eyes glanced at the opulent surroundings. "Nice digs...seems like Zuko."

"The vibe. He's acting like a guest in this place, not like he's welcome friends to his home. Granted, we aren't his 'best buds' or anything, but it feels like he's on his best behaviour, and not just for us."

"Maybe he has some of his old buddies out in the garage, just waiting for us to get a false sense of security before they jump us," muttered Sokka, and couldn't help alluding to Zuko's dangerous past. The gang he had run with had been a terror on the city for months, until some big underground gangwar had broken out and Zuko had disappeared to a 'private school' for over a year. He'd returned just a few weeks ago, and already was gaining popularity for having turned his life around and trying to fit in. That didn't mean he was accepted – but it did mean he was being recognized for making the effort. Acceptance would take time, but being friends with Aang and his gang had improved his reputation by leaps and bounds already. He hadn't gone out of his way to curry favour with the intimate group, either – it had just sort of happened. Due to Katara's coldness, however, Zuko mainly stuck to the other members of the group in the hallways, and never joined them at their lunchtable in the cafeteria where she was usually present.

"No, this place is empty except for us. I think this house belongs to someone he respects, and he doesn't want to mess things up for that person."

"And you're helping him achieve this goal by muddying his great patron's collection of Time and People."

"Precisely."

Curiosity got the better of him, and Sokka glanced around more seriously than before.

"...So who's house are we in?"

"How should I know? I'm just here for the eats."

Meanwhile, things weren't going as smoothly in the den.

"Yeah, you've got it!" coached Zuko, praising Aang's quick retention of the material again. "I can't believe you asked me to be your tutor – you seem to catch most of this stuff within a few examples."

The young student beamed up at him with thanks. "It really helps when you have someone to go over it with one on one. They don't teach this at school since there isn't enough interest, so when I found out you'd taken it at your private school, I couldn't let the chance go by. You're a good teacher, too, 'Sifu'-Zuko."

For the first time in a long time, Zuko felt himself relax slightly. I'm good at something. I'm good at something that helps someone else. "Just doing what I can," he answered.

"Well," broke in a cold, sarcastic voice, "why don't you two keep doing what you can and finish this up. This is a week night and the rest of us have a curfew."

Any warmth he'd felt was doused. I'm never allowed to be right for long.

"Sure, thanks for ... I'll just go to the next example, which is right... uh..." stumbling over his notes, Zuko accidentally knocked his laptop off the desk. It was only his lightning-quick reflexes that kept it from smashing on the hardwood floor. He was breathing quickly, nervously, as he picked the expensive computer up and tried to settle it safely on the table edge again. "For the next example, just give me a minute here, I'll just put this back and pull out the next chapter, which is... uh... it's... I have it written down, it's about derivatives... uh..." Sweat broke out across his brow as his confidence shook and he lost his place entirely in the lesson. Having her glaring at him always did that to him.

"Oh for the love of..." Katara rolled her eyes and hmphed in derision.

"Katara."

Aang was looking at her in surprise... and disappointment.

"What?" she snapped.

"It'll just be a second, I've got everything right here." Finally getting his things in order, Zuko seized his lesson outline and notes from his old 'school' and tried to regain control of the situation. Aang and Katara's stare-down was not making him feel very comfortable; the hostility in the room was rising.

"That was rude."

Katara pretended to ignore her friend's chastising, and went back to her own homework.

"Katara. I mean it; apologise to Zuko. He's our host and he's my tutor. You're being impolite."

Zuko had rarely seen any discord within the group at all (other than Sokka and Toph ribbing each other good-naturedly, of course – and sometimes ruthlessly, but that seemed to be their relationship), and the firmness in Aang's voice as he addressed his long-time girl friend had taken him aback.

Going by Katara's dark eyes, it seemed to be taking her some getting used to, too. She still hadn't replied or given any indication she'd heard him, other than her shoulders tensing slightly and her brow drawing together.

"Katara," ordered Aang. She clenched her jaw.

"Look, it's ok, really – I'm ready to get back to work if you are, Aang." I don't want to see any more fighting. I don't care. Let's just get back to work...

"No, it's not ok," Aang's patient, reasonable face was marred slightly by the darkness in his own gray eyes as he looked at Zuko. "She doesn't act like this, and she should be nice to you. Katara, stop acting like a kid. You're insulting Zuko's hard work and help, and you're embarrassing me," he stood up, then, and faced her.

The room was quiet for a time, as Zuko watched the pair and their body language, and he couldn't help but feel guilty. Why do I always screw things up? Why can't I just do something right? I don't care if she apologises or not, it doesn't matter to me, she hates me! If I were her, I'd hate me, too!

The self-loathing internal monologue assaulted his confidence for a few more minutes, as Aang and Katara shifted and eventually faced each other.

Katara's eyes were hard. And red. She wasn't crying, she was angry.

"I hate you," she muttered viciously under her breath, and stuffed her things into her bag before stalking out of the otherwise orderly room and slamming the door behind her.

Curios and knick-knacks on the bookshelves tinkled and clinked together at the force of the shock. Aang's shoulders slumped and he sat down dejectedly with a sigh.

"Sorry..." he mumbled, and stared sightlessly at his notes. "She's normally not so..." Even he couldn't come up with a nice way to describe Katara's behaviour since Zuko had come back.

"S'ok," Zuko's forced his fingers to unclench from the notes he'd been holding.

Aang sighed again and considered his words carefully. After a moment or so, he continued.

"Her father's, well, her and Sokka's dad, since they're siblings... he's a cop."

Oh. Zuko felt a headache start at his temples, and sickness roil in his gut.

"So, when all that stuff went down before, with your gang, and you..."

"Yeah, I get it. I'm bad news." No wonder she hates me. I could have been one of the ones taking aim at her family. Shame, hot and filthy, burned his stomach and up to his throat. His past was never going away. No one was ever going to let him let it go...

"No! Her dad is a cop – but he's one of the ones in the Organized Crime Unit assigned to keeping the peace between the gangs... So he's the one the gangs call when they need help and don't want to involve innocent bystanders... They get a lot of late-night calls... Katara and Sokka don't see their dad much."

Aang continued in a rush. "Katara doesn't hate you, Zuko, she just doesn't trust you; she thinks... geez, right now, actually, even Idon't know what she's thinking. But she doesn't know if she can let you in past her own walls. She's normally really nice. I'm sorry, Zuko, I don't know what her problem is right now. But I don't think it is you, exactly. I think it is more what you used to represent."

He felt himself nod distantly, and sighed knowing it was going to be a long, long time before he got to make a true 'fresh' start somewhere.

"It's ok, Aang. I think I get it, now. But thanks," it had been so long since he'd used it, he felt like he'd forgotten how it worked; but the smile pulled just enough at the edges of his mouth to turn the corners up and make a clear distinction that it was indeed a smile and not a grimace. "Now, let's get back to work – we've got a lot to cover before you take off with your, uh, friends."

The skinny younger man grinned cheesily back at his tutor and slapped him on the back. "Hey, you're our friend, too! And you're right, let's hit these books..." He made a mock-punch at the text book -- and then winced when his hand hit it a bit harder than he meant to. "Ow..."

Zuko couldn't help but smirk in amusement at Aang's antics.

It was noonhour at school, and Aang and Katara had taken a walk away from their usual group of friends at their lunchtable to go for a walk. Bright sunshine, warm winds, and the occasional waft from the shore breeze had turned the day into a picturesque setting for an afternoon stroll.

"I just feel like getting outside for a bit, it's beautiful outside!" had been his invitation, and Katara had accepted hoping that they would tactfully ignore her poor behaviour from two days' prior. She was wrong.

"I know something's up, Katara. Why won't you talk to me?"

His sensitive voice made raised her hackles immediately and his warm gray eyes probed her blue ones with concern. The day that had seemed too beautiful for words a moment before chilled several degrees and she couldn't help but pull her blazer closer to her to fend off the tendrils of cool air that cloyed at her, searching for chinks in her armour.

"I'm fine, Aang. Really," she insisted.

He stopped and grasped her sleeve, gazing at her face thoughtfully.

"You're not 'fine'. I know you when you're fine. Your eyes laugh and you smile. You make jokes, and they're terrible, but you make smart-ass remarks about Sokka and Toph. Lately, since I started hanging out with Zuko and tutoring, you're... something's changed. What's wrong?"

His deep, storm-gray eyes held her sky-blue ones intently.

"I don't like Zuko Sozin," she said bluntly, not bothering to lie to him.

"Why?"

"Because he's a thug! A criminal!"

"No, he's not!"

"Aang, I know you like to give people second chances," she started, but he interrupted.

"And so do you, Katara. We all make mistakes. Zuko's doing his best to overcome his – and he's even helping me when he doesn't have to. I'm not paying him; I'm not even asking him, because I know he'd never accept it. He's trying really hard. And you're not letting him move on. You're judging him for what he did, not what he can do. It isn't just affecting you, either – it is making everyone around us awkward and uncomfortable."

"No it isn't," she protested; she hadn't noticed any change at all.

"Yes, it is!" his voice rose a bit with the insistence. "You need to grow up, Katara."

The blades of grass in the school soccer field where they had stopped rippled as the wind blew, and Katara stared at the patterns a moment before she replied.

"Fine. So what do you want me to do? Throw him a surprise party welcoming him to the 'good' life? Not happening, Aang. Ever."

"NO!" His frustration was so obvious it came out in his yell and drew the stares of a few students off in the nearby parking lot.

To her credit, Katara felt herself blush crimson when she realised how obtuse and stubborn... and admittedly immature she was being. She bit her lower lip but refused to back down. Her arms were crossed in front of her, and she looked once more at the green carpet below her before facing Aang again.

"No," the young man repeated more calmly. "What I want is for you to give him a chance. Talk to him. Be nice to him. You're my friend, Katara. My best friend. I want, no I need you to be a friend to Zuko, too. Not because of me; because you want to."

The young woman flipped her hair and looked away. "Yeah, I'll get right on that."

Her voice dripped with sarcasm. For a moment, a brief, almost non-existent split-second of time, Aang's face darkened and he seemed to grow older... Katara's eyes were riveted to his and the change in his features, fascinated, and also a bit afraid at what she'd inadvertently caused.

"Katara," he said slowly, "you really aren't who I thought you were."

With that, his grip on her sleeve loosened and he let it slide through his fingertips until he brushed her hand with his.

Then he let her go and walked away.

She rejoined the other members of their group for the rest of the lunchhour. Aang was nowhere to be seen.

"Yeah, so he did leave the gang. His uncle helped him out. He stays with him, it's his house," explained Toph to their friend Teo at the table.

"Aah, that explains why Zuko felt like a guest. He doesn't want to lose his posh crib," the unnecessary and exaggerated hand gestures Sokka made caused everyone to groan.

"No," corrected Toph again and elbowing Katara's brother in the gut. "They're close. You could tell the way they teased each other over dinner last night. Speaking of, his uncle's a great cook – Zuko's not bad, either! The apron was a nice touch."

"He was a good cook, wasn't he?" agreed Sokka, rubbing his tender belly.

"You guys stayed for supper?" asked Katara. The group fell artificially silent.

I really do make everyone uncomfortable now, she realised with astonishment. How long have I been doing this?

"Yeah. You left early, but we stayed. It was a lot of fun, actually. I think Iroh liked having us over."

Katara stared at her brother in confusion. "Iroh?"

"Zuko's uncle," explained Haru, who'd also been at the lunch table. "You know, Mr. Sozin. The VP?"

"He's a fun old guy; knows his kitchen," added Sokka with a respectful tone.

"Oh,..." Katara went back to listening to everyone else discuss the rowdy dinner and evening at their vice principal's house. She'd never known he and Zuko were related. She wondered why he didn't stay with his own family. Now that she thought about it, she realised he'd never actually mentioned his family, not that she'd paid all that much attention to what he was saying, but that was a bit odd.

"... shame about his family, though."

"Yeah, completely disowned him. His uncle was the only one who'd give him a chance."

The words and thoughts broke through her reverie and she glanced up at her friends again in surprise. After he got into trouble, they just abandoned him?

"Even his mother?" she asked aloud, jumping back into the conversation.

The group stared at her uncomfortably.

"Katara..." Haru looked at her meaningfully. He was trying to tell her something important with his green, sympathetic eyes... She stared hard at him, trying to decipher it. No luck. She didn't get it.

She looked next to her brother, Sokka; he was looking away, too. His face looked thoughtful, reflective. It was so foreign on him that she wondered if they were playing a joke on her.

She nearly laughed and called them on it – but something held her back.

Ok, there's gotta be someone here who knows what's going on...

Curiosity got the better of her. "Toph?"she asked, exasperated.

"His mom's dead."

The words were blunt, like a rock plopping into a still lake; the ripples reverberated through Katara. "Rumour has it it has something to do with his dad and his work. Rumour also states that the apple didn't fall far from the tree – until the apple rolled to his uncle and begged for a second chance to grow up an oak instead of an fruit-loop bush..." Toph shrugged as if she'd been commenting on the weather. "But rumours are rumours, right?"

His father killed his mother, he was kicked out of his family for following in his dad's footsteps, and his uncle was the only person who gave him a helping hand.

He's been doing everything to prove himself a good man... And I've been making a fool out of him and his efforts to actually have a normal life.

The guilt dug into her with the force of a tide, slow at first, but building with each wave. Aang was right. I've been a horrible person.

She didn't know what to say.

Without another word, Katara got up and left the lunch table.

When she was safely out of hearing, Toph picked up her cell phone and dialed.

"Yeah... We'll see. At least she knows now."

"Thanks, Toph," said Aang's disconnected voice.

"You owe me cheese doodles and Cobra Starship tickets. Preferably paid at the same date and time."

"Consider it done," he chuckled, and hung up.

(Late afternoon... again.)

Let's see, Aang's tutoring is Tuesdays and Thursdays...

She turned around the last corner of the long, winding driveway and stared at the large house. She'd told Aang that one of their teachers had called a last-minute student rep meeting to go over something important to do with the next night's dance. Being a student-council rep, Aang had been obligated to follow-up.

That left her with just enough time to see Zuko alone before the younger man showed up for the tutoring. She was sure that in that meager interval of privacy, she could bring herself to apologise to Zuko, dig a bottomless pit of a hole, and leap in to die of embarrassment with plenty of time before her former best friend's arrival. And hey, if I'm not done by then he'll probably kick me into that hole himself...

Shaking the cynical thoughts from her mind, she reached out and pushed the doorbell.

Zuko must have been waiting directly on the other side, as the door swung open eagerly – then increasingly hesitantly– within seconds of her releasing the intercom button.

"... Uh... hi, Katara," his gold eyes looked at her curiously, and then glanced behind her without meaning to be rude. "Are you with Aang?" His expression clearly indicated he hoped she was.

"No, not today. He's... he told me to tell you he's going to be late," she lied.

"Ah. He can call, next time. Just so you don't have to go out of your way again, I mean!" the words rushed out, and he raised a hand as if to try and calm her, to retract any insult she may have taken from his carelessness. "Yeah, I'll just go wait for him, then. Did he say how long?" The young male stood in the doorway in jeans and a t-shirt, obviously having changed from his school uniform when he arrived home. It was the first time she'd seen him in such casual clothing. It made him seem less threatening, in a way.

Katara's lips tightened slightly. He's trying to change; let him, she reminded herself.

"No, he didn't. Look, could I come in? Please?" she added, remembering her manners. "I want to talk to you."

Zuko immediately went on guard.

"Uh..." White knuckles gripped the edge of the doorframe and he looked like he was ready to panic and bolt the door from the inside.

Katara winced. Wow, I must be pretty terrifying if I can make a former gang-leader cringe like that...

However, Aang's tutor's hesitation was also a bit endearing to her, and made the corner of one side of her mouth quirk up in an awkward smile; offering a truce.

"I want to apologise, Zuko," she said. "If you'll forgive me."

The words hung between them in the gap, and neither reached out to grab or support them.

Gold eyes looked downwards as the troubled young man took a step back as if to return inside; she held her breath, and waited for the rejection to be official.

Lips thinning, however, he didn't ignore her.

"Come in," he replied softly, and opened the door wider.

Katara's eyes shone ocean blue with relief, and she took a step towards him.

I did it. Her breath came out in a quiet rush of happiness, and she relaxed and followed him inside.

(The next day at noonhour.)

Zuko's class had let out a bit early, and he carried his lunch to the cafeteria to look for a quieter corner to eat, away from the rest of the established cliques and groups since he still didn't feel quite comfortable joining them.

He passed a bustling group and heard Aang's excited voice call out to him.

"Hey Zuko! We're over here!"

As he glanced that way, half a dozen hands were waving at him to get his attention (Aang's most energetically, accompanied by his usual smile) from an already-crowded table.

Without realising it, Zuko's mouth tilted in a rare, warm smile. "You look full–," he began, but walked towards them anyway.

"Always room for one more," said Sokka, pulling up a chair from another table when Toph elbowed him in the gut.

The chair settled between himself and Katara, and awaited his attendance

Zuko felt a twinge of nervousness shimmy down his core.

Glancing at the beautiful young woman, his eyes held a silent question. Can I...?

In return, Katara's solemn face held his gaze – before she cracked a rueful smile back and said, "You're late."

Zuko nodded, still a little shocked, and murmured thanks. I'm forgiven.

As he accepted his new place within the group, Zuko Sozin finally felt he belonged. For the remainder of the lunch hour, the table of teenagers laughed and joked with him as if he'd always been among them.

"So Obi Wan KeNOOBie," Toph teased the newest inductee in their posse, "who're you taking to the dance tonight?"

Zuko's mouth fell a little open in surprise. Dance?

"Uh, I ... don't dance," he mumbled, and took a big bite of his lunch to cover up his embarrassment. All-male juvenile detention reform schools weren't exactly the best place to go about receiving dance training...

Toph smiled... like the Cheshire Cat who'd already known his secret.

"... We can fix that."

TBC

AN: I hope you enjoyed this random one-shot! AvatarAiris asked for 'Katara' 'Zuko', and 'hanging out after school'. I did what I could – AvatarAiris, I hope you liked it! (My apologies if it isn't quite what you had in mind...)
AN: This was originally posted within "Merits" as a thank-you fic around late February or early March 2008. Due to recent uncontrollable, rampant plot-bunnies, I'm separating it out of "Merits" and turning it into its own fic, and will be continuing it. (Next chapter's already in progress.) … I hope that's ok!

Any concrit, suggestions and feedback is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much for all your wonderful comments, I hope you have a great holiday this December 2008! -mm