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slythergirlimagines · 3 years ago

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Don’t Call Me Princess Part 3

Summary: Reader and Zuko can’t stand each other, so when they are forced to share a room, chaos ensues. Lots of angst and fluff! (GIF Not mine!! Please someone tag me in some Zuko gifs I’m struggling to find them) masterlist

Part 1, Part 2

Don’t Call Me Princess Part 3

You’re hot. That’s the first thing you notice when you wake up. It takes you a second to realize that it’s because strong arms are wrapped around you, pulling you into an equally strong chest. Zuko.

The first waves of panic roll through you. How could you have been so stupid to move the pillow barrier? It was your idea to put it there, for this exact reason. You didn’t want to touch him, and you certainly didn’t want to wake up to his embrace! Did you? You were out of your mind last night. That’s why you did it.There was no other explanation. Regardless, Zuko would never let you live this one down when he woke up.

The memories of last night hit you at once. You can’t help but remember the soft way he had looked at you, and how safe you felt when he held you. After your nightmare, you had actually slept through the remainder of the night. You had never had such a peaceful sleep. Even so, you weren’t sure that last night hadn’t been a fluke. What if old Zuko was the one you were waking up to, instead of the soft Zuko from last night? You couldn’t take the waiting any longer.

“Zuko!” You whisper yell. You feel him tense for a second, and then he nuzzles you closer to him. If your arms weren’t pinned you would shake him.

“Zuko!” You try again louder this time. Suddenly, his amber eyes shoot open to meet your gaze. He looks confused, and blinks sleepily at you.

“Y/n?” He frowns, his normal gravelly voice has dropped even lower with sleep. It’s not doing kind things to you, but you refuse to acknowledge it. Instead you deflect.

“Who knew the future Fire Lord was such a cuddler?” You tease, but the comment lacks the normal bite. In fact, you almost sound breathless. Probably because he is squeezing the life out of you and you are suffocating. Nothing to do with his attractively rumpled hair or dangerously low voice. Nope. Just the heat.

Zuko snaps to attention, pulling back to assess the situation.

“What happened to the pillows?!” He exclaims, eyes wide.

You can’t help but laugh at his expression. You shrug innocently, not willing to admit that you had any part in this situation. Zuko narrows his eyes at you, but he doesn’t let you out of his embrace. Heat pools into your stomach, and if he holds you even a second longer you may just combust.

“Can you please let go?” You ask, wiggling for effect. “I’m suffocating, and I don’t think anyone is going to believe you if you say my death was an accident.”

Zuko scoffs, and removes himself from the bed completely. Though he tries to hide it you can see the pink dusting his cheeks. He quickly makes his way to the bathroom, and slams the door.

You laugh quietly to yourself, relieved that he was at least as embarrassed as you. He definitely couldn’t make fun of you now without incriminating himself. Victory.

With Zuko gone, the memory of last night is impossible to suppress. You had never been so vulnerable with someone before, much less your arch nemesis. He had been so sweet last night, too sweet almost. It had been so unlike the Zuko you knew. Your heart beats faster as the fear creeps in.

He now knew your deepest trauma, your most guarded secret. What if he threw it back in your face? You should have never said anything at all. You knew this was only going to hurt you in the end. Zuko despised you, regardless of the kind things he had said last night. It wouldn’t last. Good things never did.

You’re still lying on the bed when Zuko emerges from the bathroom, steam billowing in his wake. He had the decency to put on a shirt this time, but part of you regrets not experiencing shirtless Zuko again.

“Are you ok?” He quirks a brow at you. You must look like a lunatic, with your wild hair and sleep wrinkled clothes.

“Just recovering from my sauna experience last night.” You quip.

“Are you calling me hot?” Zuko waggles his eyebrows at you, in the same stupid Sokka-esque way and smirks. You roll your eyes and scoff, ignoring the butterflies erupting in your stomach. Hunger pains, you corrected yourself. You needed breakfast stat.

“You know what I mean.” You grouch, at his smirk. You stomp over to your bag and gather your things as you make your way to the shower. If you happen to turn the water to cold, then that’s your business.

____________________________________________________________

The Gaang has decided to spend the day sight seeing. Katara is adamant that you should hit up every touristy site you can.

“Come on guys, this could be our only chance to see everything and really appreciate it!” She had said. None of you could turn her down, so a day of tourism it would be.

To your relief, there are a lot of touristy things to do in Hépíng. At least if you were being forced to spend uninterrupted time with Zuko, it was filled with distractions. Katara led you through several shops and market places. The city was alive and thriving. People flooded the streets, making it hard to keep up with the group. You found yourself walking next to Zuko a majority of the time. Every now and then when the crowd would get particularly thick, he’d place a careful hand on your lower back or your elbow. Your heart fluttered each time.

You weren’t sure why you were feeling these strange things about him, but it renewed your determination to win this bet. You didn’t feel this way before spending time with Zuko, and you wouldn’t feel this way again if you could get some distance again. You only had to stick it out for another day. Just one more and then you wouldn’t have to deal with these feelings anymore. Every thing would go back to normal.

Some part of you was waiting for Zuko to bring up what happened last night. So far, he had said nothing about it, but you were still on edge. It was making it hard for you to enjoy sightseeing. Every second you were either listening for Zuko or watching him, sizing him up. Or you were thinking about him. You felt obsessed. It was the most you had ever paid attention to him. You only hoped no one noticed.

“Earth to y/n.” Sokka waved his hand in front of your face, breaking you from your trance. At some point, the Gaang had stopped in front of a large fountain to regroup. You hadn't even noticed, but they must have been having a conversation. So much for no one noticing.

“Huh?” You said, shaking your head to clear it.

Sokka rolled his eyes and put a hand on his hip.

“I asked what you were in the mood to eat. You’ve been out of it all morning!” He said exasperatedly. He threw his hands up in the hair.

“Sorry, just taking in the sights.” You lie as best you can. “I’m up for whatever you guys want.”

Sokka furrows his brow at you and looks like he’s going to say something, but he thankfully lets it go and turns to the others.

“The seafood place it is!” Sokka announces. You vaguely register Toph’s noise of disgust, as you follow them in the direction of the restaurant.

“Why can’t you have taste, Snoozles?” Toph groans. “Do you even know where it is?”

“Uh duh? It’s right back there.” Sokka sasses. You don’t have to see anyone’s face to know that they are all rolling their eyes at him.

“Your instincts tell you that?” Katara asks. She and Aang both laugh as Sokka sputters.

“I’ll have you know..” Sokka starts. He takes the lead and starts walking in what you hope is the correct direction.

The bickering is comforting and familiar. You’ve almost allowed yourself to relax when a warm hand lands on your shoulder, stopping you.

You jump and quickly whirl around. Zuko stands before you with both hands up. Your heart beat slows.

“Don’t do that!” You snap at him, but you quickly calm yourself. You are not about to lose this bet with Sokka when you’re so close.

“Sorry.” He apologizes. He rubs the back of his neck sheepishly with the offending hand. “I just wanted to make sure you were alright. You know, considering everything.”

To say you’re shocked would be an understatement, but you try to school your expression into something more neutral. Was he trying to pull one over on you?

“I’m fine.” You say. It’s not entirely true, but it’s also not entirely a lie. You will be fine, as soon as this stupid vacation ends and you can firmly reinstate the walls that you specifically structured to keep Zuko out. He’s messing with your head way too much.

Zuko doesn’t look convinced as he swipes at the fringe hanging in his eyes. His eyes are boring into yours. You’ve never seen him look at you, or anything, so intensely before. For a brief moment, you wonder if he can water bend as well, because all of the moisture has left your mouth.

“Are you sure, Princess?” He asks, stepping closer. It’s the first time he’s called you Princess today. You should hate it. Your instincts should not be screaming at you to reach out and touch him. To lean up and press your lips against his. You sway closer to him, just a centimeter more would do it…

“Guys?!” Sokka breaks through the crowd to find you, his blue eyes take in your close proximity. “Are you all arguing?” He asks excitedly. Its strange to hear him root for your fights instead of discouraging them. Then his expression changes into something more annoying.

“Or are you all finishing what I walked in on yesterday?” He asks smugly. You wonder if punching him would feel as good as you think it would.

“Not at all.” You say, stepping back from Zuko. “I was just having a nice talk with my friend here. Lead the way, Chief.” You instruct Sokka. Punching him would probably only hurt you, but you allow yourself to imagine it and it makes you feel instantly better. You do your best to ignore Zuko’s heat behind you as you follow Sokka. You vaguely wonder if he’s figured out this new way to torture you. Your heart pounds for the rest of the afternoon.

_________________________________________________________________

Unluckily for you it begins to storm during your meal, ending any plans, aka distractions, for the remainder of the day. You all hurry back to the inn, agreeing to stay put for the rest of the evening.

“Vacation involves rest too, guys.” Katara reminds mostly Sokka and Aang, who are already tired of being cooped up in the inn. It is apparent that Aang doesn’t do well with staying in one place, and Sokka is nearly as stir crazy. Even Toph seems more snippy than usual. While it was nice to have some peace, you all had grown used to being on the go. To constantly having some place to save or something to fix. You didn’t really know what to do when it was just you and your thoughts. Well, you, your thoughts, and Zuko.

Zuko had not pressed you about your well-being since lunch. When you had arrived, he had promptly made his way to the bed, and fell asleep. You had arranged yourself on one of the chairs, turning it to face the window. It was obvious you couldn’t be trusted to share a bed with him.

You watch the rain as it runs down the glass. You hated being left to your own devices. You hadn’t really realized that until now. Usually you had other things to focus on, a whole group of people to pay attention to, or an annoying fire bender to antagonize. Being alone reminded you of things you’d rather forget. Like your father’s smiling face, or your mother’s voice as she sang you to sleep. Their blood and their screams. You didn’t realize you were crying until you heard Zuko.

“Princess?” He asks. You must’ve woken him up at some point with your sniffling. Quickly you try to erase the evidence, to put your walls back up. But he looks at you with so much concern it’s hard. This was the Zuko that was the hardest to be around. Angry Zuko you could handle with biting remarks and sarcasm. This Zuko had some magic ability that made you want to tell him everything.

“I’m fine. Sorry for waking you. Go back to sleep.” You command, turning back to the window. You can’t let him see you like this.

You hear the rustling of sheets and some shuffling behind you, and then Zuko is there, crouching in front of you.

“Is it your parents?” He asks, softly.

You’re speaking before you realize it. He’s breaking you, this boy, and you’re hardly putting up a fight.

“I just feel lonely sometimes.” You whisper. You look away, ashamed at admitting it.

“Me too.” He says.

You snap your head to look at him, completely surprised. From everything you’ve witnessed, Zuko fits in well with the group. You are the only one who has been uncivil to him. Everyone else has been kind and welcoming, and he had seemed to enjoy being with them.

“You do?” You can’t help but ask. You want to know, no, you need to know why he feels this way.

Zuko nods, and his fringe falls in front his eyes again. You reach out and smooth it out of his face before you can stop yourself. Your fingers linger at the edges of his scar. It might be your imagination, but you swear he leans slightly into your touch. You pull your hand back quickly before it roams further.

“I do.” He confirms, clearing his throat. “You all have been together much longer than I’ve been with you. I’m the outsider. And I have a past. I was your enemy. We’re fighting my people, my father.” He sighs. “Sometimes I wonder if I even belong here.”

The quiet admission startles you. How could he think that?

“Of course you do!” You exclaim. It’s passionate. A lot more passionate than you had intended. You’re not so sure you understand why there is so much feeling behind the statement, but it’s there all the same.

Zuko looks surprised too. His eyes are much darker in the dim light. Your stomach flips.

“We need you Zuko. We rely on you. Not just for your bending, or for your ability to keep us all out of trouble. But you. Your friendship. You contribute so much to this team. We’d never be able to do half the things we do without you. You made such a difficult choice. A harder choice than any one of us has yet to make. It takes courage and honor to do what you did.” You take a deep breath, and meet his eyes.

“We- they,” you correct yourself, “know how much you care about them. You’re wanted here.” You intentionally leave yourself out. You and Zuko had never been fond of each other. You’re under no impression he feels the same about you that he does the rest of the Gaang, even if your feelings regarding him are starting to change.

Zuko looks at you like you’re impossible to figure out. But his eyes shine, like your words have touched him.

“I care about you too, you know, Princess.” He says, his amber eyes bore into yours like he’s willing you to believe him. His hand finds yours and squeezes.

“I care about you too.” You say. You find it isn’t so hard to admit with him looking at you like that. The moment is quickly getting intense. More intense than anything you’ve ever felt before. Even more intense than earlier. You can’t help but feel pulled to Zuko, as if he’s magnetic. Are you insane, or is he leaning in? Are you?

A knock on the door jarrs you back to reality.

“Are you guys awake? It’s Katara!” Katara’s cheery voice carries through the door. “I’m going across the street to grab something for dinner, would you like me to get you all anything?”

“They’re definitely not asleep.” You hear Toph snark. She must be able to sense your heartbeat. How embarrassing.

You and Zuko quickly drop hands, and you hope your cheeks aren’t as red as they feel. You watch Zuko as he heads to the door to let Katara in. You miss his warmth already, miss his hand in yours and his soft eyes. If Katara hadn’t interrupted….. Oh boy. You swallow hard.

Toph turns her head in your direction as she walks in.

“What’s wrong with you?” She questions, cocking her head. You know she can sense your panic.

“Nothing!” You try to say as cheerfully as possible. “You just startled me is all.”

Toph stares at you with unseeing eyes, and you know she knows that you’re lying.

“Right.” Is all she says, but it’s accusatory enough.

“I’ll go with you, Katara. You’ll need some extra hands.” You volunteer. Maybe the rain will bring you some clarity and wash these feelings away. You were just confused. That’s all. There was nothing more to it. Once you won the bet, this would all fade away.

A/N: Wow, so it’s been a while huh? I wasn't sure if anyone still cared about this story, but I just remembered it and inspiration struck. I have a few more parts left if anyone wants me to continue. I did my best to tag everyone from the last part, but I have undoubtedly missed some people. I’m really sorry if I missed you! Let me know what you think and if you’d like to be added to the taglist:)

Taglist: @galacticamidala @highliteryello @taeeemin @realimbo @arzachel @g4yw3nch @shortmexicangirl @wingeddemonclub @mangoberry34 @marvel-ing-at-it-all @theblueslytherin @ilovespideyyy @akiris @emobensgf @cosmicqueenieb @eridanuswave @cece-lives-here @livi-asdfghjkl @pointlesscoconut @lil-lex1 @all0of0the0usernames @royahllty @zukoatethat @tiffy119 @fi-chanwrites @akaashyy @friday-dsv @stickystrawberrysyrup @tovvaf @wesokkasimp @someoneovertherainboww @xapham @orpheuseus @whiskeywinter89 @viva-la-jessie @saccmaass @kaylove12

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