[ Zuko withdraws his hand at the roll of her shoulder, and after a moment's hesitation, doesn't give up at that. He stands and gets up off the bed, kneeling on the floor at the edge of the mattress, resting before her curled up where she is and looking up at her from below with an uncharacteristically pleading look, but doesn't dare touch her again. He doesn't like being touched when he doesn't want to be, even if he knows it makes other people feel better to touch when they want to. And he wants to. It's so much easier to show his affection that way. Instead, he fumbles like this. ]

I want us to be honest — Azula! We're not at square one, I'm just— confused! [ How's it he's always "confused" about something... ]

This is something from years in your past! But it's news for me! I'm trying to make sense of that, I'm trying to make it make sense— I'm giving us a chance to be happy, don't you see that... I want to talk...! I'm hearing you out! I just— I need time. You know how important Mother was to me...!