Chapter Text
Zuko feels the hand gripping his shoulder tightly. His father has never been gentle with his touch in the past and he's certainly not changing that now. Zuko doesn't wince at the grip, even though it really is starting to sting. He remembers too well the conversation he'd had with his father last night. He can't mess this up. This is his chance to give Azula a better life, a life away from the father she's worshipped her whole life. It doesn't matter that Zuko wants to go with her, he just needs to get her away before she finds out how Ozai gets when you disappoint him.
Azula stands on Ozai's other side, unaware of the things that'd been revealed recently. Zuko hadn't been supposed to be eavesdropping when he'd heard Ozai on the phone, but he's never been the best at doing what he's supposed to do. Besides, he'd been trying to figure any way to get away from Ozai with the custody battle between him and Uncle. And that's how he found out at the same time as his father that Azula wasn't Ozai's biologically.
Zuko's wished since then that the paternity test had also been negative for his relation to Ozai, but Azula had always been the lucky one. She won't think that way after what's about to happen today, not at first at least, but Zuko can't help but be jealous of her.
Until the paternity results had come to light, Ozai had been fighting tooth and nail to keep both Zuko and Azula. However, despite his favor for Azula over Zuko for all 11 years she's been alive, Ozai is disgusted by the thought of keeping a child who isn't related to him by blood. Zuko feels bad that no one has told Azula before today, but she doesn't ever listen to him.
When they sit down, Azula looks confused as Ozai goes to the farthest seat and gestures for Zuko to sit by him. Zuko tries to open his mouth to tell her what's going on, but Ozai gives him a cold look that immediately makes Zuko go silent. Zuko tries to move to hold Azula's hand, suddenly feeling the weight of losing his little sister in his life, but she rips her arm away from him and glares directly at him.
Zuko is never going to get to explain to her why he agreed to stay with Ozai. He's never going to be able to tell her that Ozai had considered keeping custody of Azula and hurting her to punish Zuko. He's never going to be able to tell her that he lied to Ozai, that he told him he didn't care about her so that Ozai would think it'd be useless to keep her.
So instead, before the judge begins to speak, Zuko shoves a turtle duck plushie into her hand and shakily says, “Don't… don't question me this time, okay? Please Lala.” She reluctantly takes it, looking a little confused at the use of his childhood nickname for her.
“What's going on?” Azula whispers to him, talking to him like a little sibling for the first time in a long time. “Zuzu, why are you acting like this is goodbye? We're both going home with father after this.”
Zuko opens his mouth to reply but he stiffens as he feels Ozai glare at him and chooses to stay silent as he sits straight in his seat and looks blankly forward as the judge begins to speak.
He doesn't cry when Azula is taken from his side as Ozai tells the judge he no longer wants custody over her since the reveal of him not being her father biologically. Not even when she starts crying herself and begging Ozai to reconsider.
Iro didn't care about biological connections and hadn't hesitated to try to comfort her as she's brought to his side. Azula is still herself though, so she composes herself and refuses any affection. She does keep looking over at Ozai though with clear betrayal in her eyes.
He doesn't cry when Iroh pleads with the judge to allow him at least partial custody over Zuko so the siblings could still see each other. Not even when the judge shakes her head and grants full custody of Zuko to his father and full custody of Azula to Iroh.
He doesn't cry when he tries to say goodbye to Azula after the hearing and she refuses to hug him. Not even when she screams at him and tells him she hates him. He can't bring himself to believe she really hates him while she's desperately holding onto the turtle duck.
He barely holds his tears back when Iroh hugs him and hands him a paper with his contact information. It's hard not to cry when he knows Ozai is planning on completely cutting off any form of contact between them. Iroh doesn't know that though and Zuko doesn't want to hurt him like that right now.
He knows neither Iroh or Azula know that Ozai threw Zuko's phone on the ground yesterday and broke it beyond repair. He knows neither Iroh or Azula know that Ozai is selling his house and moving him and Zuko out of the country as soon as he possibly can.
Zuko walks out feeling numb as his father steers him to the car, sparing a glance back at his little sister, knowing this very well might be the last time he ever sees her. It hurts when they make eye contact and she just glares at him. His shoulders sag as he turns back around. He and Azula hadn't had the best relationship the last few years, but she's still his little sister.
When he isn't looking at her anymore, he's back to feeling numb. He hopes he didn't make too much of a spectacle in Ozai's mind by talking to Azula today. He doesn't want to be hurt again.