Charred //ZUTARA

Chapter 49 - ''You do love to be dramatic, don't you?''

Once they went back to the group, Katara grabbed Toph's hand and dragged her away immediately. Stumbling and cursing under her breath, the earthbender finally gave in, letting her friend choose a safe spot for them, far away from the curious glances of the rest. 

Deeming the nook between the trees appropriate, they halted to a stop. Toph stretched her legs, her brows raised high. ''Did you need anything?''

''Yes,'' Katara breathed out. The anticipation rose up in her gut but the waterbender ignored it. ''I started wondering about something a while ago. I thought you might have an answer for me.''

Toph straightened out, curiosity drawn across her face. She waited for a moment while her friend thought of an appropriate way to word the question. 

Growing impatient, the earthbender stomped her foot, small rocks around them shaking at her mighty power. She waved her hand. ''Well?''

The knot in her stomach tightened even more, a slight blush appearing across her cheeks. Playing with her fingers, Katara took a deep breath. ''I-um, I thought you might now something about the letters.''

Toph's throat bobbed, her body taut. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. ''What letters?''

The waterbender surveyed her as she began her explanation. ''After the war ended, I sent a few letters to Zuko'' the red reached her neck now, making her feel hot. ''It was nothing of the romantic nature. They mainly inquired about his well-being. I haven't asked him about them but... '' she paused briefly, noticing how Toph blinked at her. ''I have a feeling he has never seen them.''

The earthbender stared at her, balancing on her feet. 

Over the years, Katara sent multiple letters to the Fire Lord. All of which bore the official South Pole's seal, indicating the importance of them. 

She mostly asked about his new found life, his overload of work but one of them... Once she dared to ask him to come see her. 

It was a moment of weakness on her part. She grew lonely and she clearly remembered sending it few weeks before her father told her about her upcoming travel to the Fire Nation. Looking back at it, she poured all her desperation in it. 

She did miss him throughout the years, she's noticed. They haven't spent a lot of time together during the war but she fondly recalled all his friendly smiles, his sacrifices and determination. She would go as far to say she was deeply smitten by it at times, if not her developing feelings for Aang at the time. 

But once she reunited with Zuko, he hasn't once mentioned them to her, all the things she wrote to him about her boring practices, research and growing loneliness. 

She didn't think much of it at first but lately, she became aware that he had no idea about anything she'd done at the South Pole. The stories she's told him about just weeks ago at the Palace, he reacted to with stern and curious face that only increased her suspicions. 

''Yes, I-I do have an inkling of which letters you're talking about,'' Toph mumbled and Katara's eyes shot up to hers, sensing the hesitation in her voice. ''I'm not sure what exactly happened to them but I do know they were... directed elsewhere.''

Katara tilted her head to the side. So, her friend knew about her correspondence, and by extension, it meant the whole Team Avatar was aware of it. 

Her ears started ringing as the blood in her veins boiled at the revelation. ''How?'' she pushed through her teeth. ''And why?''

Toph ran a hand through her hair, exhaling unsteadily. ''I do not wish to lie to you but... I might not be the best person to tell you about them.''

The waterbender's chest tightened. ''I have every right to know.''