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Aang had begun to worry about where Zuko was going every night. He knew Zuko wasn't in his bedroom sleeping. Toph had mentioned that she rarely felt Zuko's heartbeat there, but rather somewhere else.
Aang made Toph promise quickly not to tell Katara, because she might turn Zuko's nightly adventures against him. Aang wanted to figure out what was going on before alarming the others.
One night he decided to follow him. He wanted to know what his firebending teacher was up to. It's not that he didn't trust Zuko, quite the contrary actually. After going to the Sun Warrior temple the two had gotten really close. Aang had found that he had trouble equating this version of Zuko to the one who chased them around the world.
Aang was worried that Zuko might be scared of them. Toph had been teaching him how to sense heartbeats, and one time, he felt Zuko's beating way too fast. Aang's immediate thought was that Zuko was scared. But of what? He got his answer that same night when Katara yelled at him for dropping his food bowl because he tripped. Zuko was scared of them .
Aang feared that Zuko might be hiding from them, afraid they would hurt him. He didn't want Zuko to feel that way.
He tried to use seismic sense to find him, but it was quite challenging. He needed to close his eyes and stay still, the second he moved, his concentration wavered.
After stopping to sense Zuko's heartbeat, Aang determined the location and headed to find him. He realized he was heading towards Appa's stable and wondered if Zuko was with the bison.
As he approached the stable, he heard Zuko first and then saw him. "...they act different," Zuko said softly, and Appa rumbled in response.
Aang hid behind a pillar. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but he couldn't help but be curious about the conversation. He held his breath, straining to hear Zuko's voice over the night sounds.
"I know I don't deserve their trust," Zuko said quietly, his voice heavy with sadness. "I've done terrible things in the past, but I'm trying so hard to make up for it. I just... I feel like I'm always on the outside, no matter what I do."
Appa grumbled softly, and Aang imagined the bison nuzzling Zuko for comfort. It warmed his heart to see the bond between them.
Zuko continued, his voice cracking a little. "Sometimes, I can't shake the feeling that one wrong move, and I'll lose everything. I'm scared, Appa. Scared of messing up. Scared of losing the little bit of trust I've gained."
Aang felt a pang of guilt. He hadn't realized just how deeply Zuko's fears ran. He wanted to rush out and reassure him, but he knew he needed to tread carefully. Zuko's trust was fragile, and a sudden confrontation might only make things worse.
He peaked past the pillar and watched as Zuko lay down on Appa's fur. The bison grumbled and licked Zuko's cheek. Zuko smiled sadly. "At least you seem to trust me," he whispered and Aang felt horrible. Zuko didn't think they trusted him. Granted, Katara shouting at him nearly every hour of the day probably didn't help, but did he really think they wanted him gone? Aang felt horrible. Zuko, despite all four of them being reluctant about him joining, was part of the group. And Aang needed to convince Zuko of that.
After a moment of silence, he guessed that Zuko had gone to bed and he walked up to Appa. He saw Zuko lying down on one of the bison's legs and Aang smiled.
He stared at the boy for a moment and took notice of how he slept with his scarred side towards the ground. Aang wondered why Zuko chose to lay on that side. He doubted it was comfortable.
He walked closer to him and Appa grumbled. He nudged Aang away from Zuko and Aang gave his best friend a confused look. "What's wrong, buddy?" Aang asked as he scratched Appa. Appa huffed and looked towards Zuko. Aang smiled, sadly. "You've been keeping him safe. He comes here every night doesn't he?" Aang asked, even though he already knew the answer. Appa nodded and Aang sighed. "Good boy," Aang whispered, patting Appa gently. "Thank you for looking out for him."
He gazed up at the stars, his mind racing with thoughts about how to help his friend. Zuko had come a long way since their first encounter, but it was clear his past actions were still burdening him.
The night was quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves and the soft breathing of Appa and Zuko. Aang took a deep breath and settled himself next to Zuko, careful not to wake him.
But it seemed that his efforts were futile, because Zuko opened his eyes and jumped in Aang's direction, prepared to attack. "Zuko, it's just me!" Aang exclaimed, not wanting his friend to hurt him. Zuko blinked and his fighting stance dropped. "Aang?" The boy nodded and Zuko sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you guys, do not sneak up on a firebender while they're sleeping."
"Sorry, Zuko," Aang said sheepishly, holding up his hands in a placating gesture. "I didn't mean to startle you. I was just looking for you," Aang told him. He didn't want to reveal that he had been eavesdropping, that would probably make Zulo think that they trusted him even less.
Zuko huffed. "Well, you found me, you can go now," he said, voice clipped. Aang bit his lip. He honestly didn't want to leave Zuko. "Would you - would you mind if I sleep with you?" He asked him softly, not wanting to force him into doing anything.
Zuko stiffened at Aang's question, narrowing his eyes. "Why?" he asked suspiciously. Aang shrugged. "We're friends and having sleepovers is what friends do." The Avatar smiled at Zuko and waited for the bender to respond.
Aang could see Zuko's reluctant expression. He thought - hoped - that Zuko would be fine with this idea, but if he was truly against it he didn't mind leaving. He would just sleep with the others like he did every other night and not tell them about Zuko's sleeping arrangements.
After a moment, as Aang was preparing to tell Zuko he would leave, the teen sighed. "Alright." Aang beamed at Zuko, giving him one of his brightest smiles. Zuko lay down on Appa's leg and winced a bit when his scar came in contact with the leg. The fur made it slightly better as it was soft, but applying any type of pressure to his scar was always unpleasant.
Aang furrowed his eyebrows. "Why don't you sleep on the other side if your scar hurts," Zuko stiffed. "I, um, I - I can't really hear well from that side." he mumbled, before adding, "or see."
Aang's heart ached at Zuko's quiet admission. It was easy to forget about Zuko's injury. It was just something that was a part of him like Toph's blindness or his airbending tattoos. He never even considered that the scar might give Zuko some limitations. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice gentle and non-judgmental. "I'm sorry, Zuko. I didn't know."
Zuko shrugged, but Aang could see the tension in his shoulders. "It's fine. It's just something I have to deal with."
Aang lay down beside him, making sure to keep a respectful distance. "Well, if it helps, I can stay on this side and keep watch. That way you can sleep more comfortably."
Zuko glanced at him, surprise flickering in his eyes. "You'd do that?"
"Of course," Aang replied earnestly. "We're friends, and friends look out for each other. Besides, I don't mind. I like sleeping under the stars."
Zuko was silent for a moment, and Aang wondered if he'd overstepped. But then Zuko gave a small nod. "Thanks, Aang."
They lay there in a comfortable silence, the night sounds filling the air around them. Aang could hear the steady breathing of Appa and the occasional rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze. He felt a sense of peace, knowing that he was helping Zuko in some small way.
Aang watched as Zuko turned around and sighed as he nuzzled his good side into Appa's fur. He smiled, they were one step closer to getting Zuko to trust them, to trust they wouldn't hurt him or throw him out of the team.
Aang scooched closer and stretched a hand over Zuko. The boy stiffed again, he wasn't used to physical contact. "A-Aang?" he asked shakily and Aang felt his heart clench. "Goodnight Zuko." Was the only thing Aang said and after a couple of seconds, Zuko slightly relaxed and Aang smiled in triumph.
Aang decided then and there that he would talk to the others about trying to integrate Zuko into the team a bit more. He wouldn’t tell them about what Zuko did every night or what he overheard since that felt like something Zuko should share if he ever chose to. But he would make sure Zuko knew they wanted him there.
"And Zuko?" Aang asked the boy, unsure if he was still awake or not. Zuko hummed, letting him know he was listening. "I trust you."