#without triggering the other's fear/defensive instincts and causing unintentional harm on both sides

[spacecasehobbit]

Y'know what I've realized I'd like to see more often? Zuko befriending the Gaang while still dealing with the fact that his instinctive response to insecurity or fear is to get defensively angry and snappy. Less of Zuko being a quiet mouse who flinches away from any hint of aggression from the others, and more of Zuko who does his best to reign in his temper and then flinches away from his own defensively snappy remarks or the instinct to firebend out his frustrations. More of Zuko who has let go of the bulk of his anger and is doing his best to lean in to his mother's and his uncle's lessons on compassion and empathy, but who is also still in the process of unlearning his years of reliance on anger as his go-to method of covering up any insecurity or "weak" spot around other people.