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Zuko has always tried to be useful.
His grandfather always taught him that the most important thing to be is useful, so that you may survive in a world where your usefulness determines your value. When he was a child, it was significantly harder. Next to Azula, his uses seemed to equate to a punching bag, something for his father to compare her to. He was worthless.
On the ship, his usefulness was much more apparent. If he couldn't fulfill his role as captain, his entire crew would suffer the consequences. If he couldn't avoid storms, find ports and food and water and limes, his crew would suffer along with him…so his uses were many. And he could prove to his father as well that he could be useful to the Fire Nation's regime, by finding and capturing the avatar.
But this usefulness proved to be temporary. And now, no longer alone on the run, he must prove his worth to the very people he once called his enemies. A task as daunting as capturing the Avatar once seemed.
If he can serve as nothing but a dummy for Katara to glare at, he is proud to be that dummy.
As it is, he still strives to do more; however most of his attempts have gone sour
Cleaning up after Appa had taken away bonding time between Aang and the animal, so he'd quit that quickly.
Trying to clean the camp, he'd messed up Sokka's system of items.
And finally, while trying to cook for the group, he'd added too many fire nation spices. It had them all gagging - and he'd gotten a stern yelling at from Katara for wasting that night's food supplies.
He'd tucked himself away in the temple after that - he couldn't face the people he'd deprived of food. Maybe he'll return in the morning, but…well maybe not.
Zuko sighs, leaning against the cool stone wall. It really is a pretty temple.
It feels too sacred for him.
Startling him out of his reverie, he hears a muffled grunt from the room over.
He peeks through the archway, fingertips warming where they rest at his sides.
It's one of the kids from the avatar's group. The one with the moving chair. Zuko's had a few conversations with him. He's smarter than Zuko is, and kinder, and Zuko, embarrassingly, doesn't remember his name.
And even Zuko can admit that he's too prideful to ask.
But the chair kid is obviously struggling with something.
Zuko steps forward slightly, and his foot collides with a pebble. In the cavernous stone hall, it sounds a lot louder than it should've. The kid looks up, and Zuko rushes to clasp his hands behind his back. He's found he looks less threatening that way.
"Geez," the kid mutters, shaking his head exasperatedly. "You scared me!" Despite the words, there's a slight smile on his face. Zuko tries to smile back, but it feels too foreign, so he drops that facade quickly.
Stepping fully into view, Zuko begins his excuses. "I'm sorry, I was just walking over there and I heard something. I thought it might've been…" He doesn't finish the sentence. Doesn't want to.
The kid huffs, a facsimile of a laugh. "Just me."
Zuko appraises the scene.
He's lowered from his chair, which is stationed close by behind him. The cloth that normally wraps around the kids legs is undone. Half of it has been loosely wrapped around his ankles and calves, but the other half is gripped tightly in his hands.
"Do you need help with that?" Zuko asks. It feels natural, despite everything. He's helped soldiers dress wounds before; has dressed his own. And he's not sure what kind of wound this is, but it hasn't been bleeding so Zuko's sure he won't harm the boy.
"Um…"
"I don't mind. Actually I-" Zuko takes a breath, feeling suddenly a lot like his Uncle. Always an outsider. "I mean if you want me to get someone else to help, I can. I get it if you don't want a firebender to touch you.
The boy shakes his head. "No that's not it! Uh…would you help?"
Zuko just nods, making his way over to the boy.
He starts at the feet, undoing the loose wrappings and redoing it a lot tighter.
"I'm Teo. I don't know if we ever actually met."
"Um. Zuko."
"Pff, I know."
Zuko's cheeks redden slightly, until he glances up to see a smile.
"Thanks for this. I hadn't changed them in a while, it was pretty gross, man! But if I have them off for too long my legs start to ache, so. You know."
Zuko nods. He sort of knows.
The temple is too silent when no one is talking.
"There are no scars," Zuko mutters.
"Hm?"
"Your legs." He says louder. He winces. His voice echoes in the empty halls. "There are no scars."
Teo shrugs. "Nope. I was a baby, got caught in a flood. I don't even remember it."
Zuko nods slowly.
Teo tilts his head. "Can I ask about your eye?"
Zuko pauses. "No," he settles on.
"That's okay. I get it." Teo pauses, sighs. "So why'd you offer to help?"
Zuko furrows his brows, a silent urge to continue.
"I mean, you're a prince so I can't imagine you're enjoying this. You don't pity me, do you? I could've done it myself."
"I know," Zuko hurries to say. "It's just. I was here, and I need to be useful somehow."
Teo scoffs. "You're pretty useful already if you ask me."
By this point, Zuko has reached Teo's knees. "Prop yourself up on your chair."
Teo does as he's told, only rolling his eyes a little. He continues his former train of thought. "You teach Aang firebending. None of us can do that."
"Toph teaches his earthbending. Katara teaches him waterbending."
Teo chuckles. "Is that supposed to be an argument? Those are just facts."
The room falls silent once more. Zuko can only imagine that Teo is staring at the top of his head as he ties off the cloth behind his thighs.
Teo lowers himself down, and suddenly, looking into his face instead of at his legs, Zuko feels like maybe he's backed himself into a corner.
"Y'know, my village was destroyed by that flood. And before my father found us a place to stay, a lot of the villagers wanted him to kill me."
Zuko's eyes widen. Teo continues.
"With my legs paralyzed, they thought I'd be more of a burden than a blessing. Just another mouth to feed. I proved them wrong but, even if I hadn't…would you have killed little baby me? Would you kill…now me?"
Zuko shakes his head adamantly.
Teo nods. "See. So my life isn't determined by my worth. I had to learn that the hard way, and it looks like you're learning it too." The earth kingdom boy smiles. "So maybe we have more in common than it seems."
Zuko can only stare. Stare at the Earth Kingdom boy who he's only spoken to briefly before, who has just told his life story, who has incinerated one of the tethers holding Zuko to his past life.
Who is smiling at Zuko like he isn't useless.
"Uh, um - do you need help getting up on your chair?"
Teo laughs. "Nah. I'm good." As if to prove his point, he backs himself into his seat effortlessly.
Zuko nods, turning to leave.
"Hey," Teo calls after him, following Zuko out into the hallway. "Do you play Pai Sho?"
Zuko smiles.