#pregnancy whump

[acer-whumpstuff]

I’m gonna be honest I’ve never seen this before but as someone with tokophobia I really think we as a community could make some great pregnancy whump.

Whumpee giving birth alone after having just escaped Whumper?

Whumpee fearing for their baby’s safety every time whumper comes to hurt them?

Whumpee asking Caretaker to choose saving the baby over them, or them over the baby, even if Caretaker wants to save them both?

Theres potential here.

[whump-witch]

Pregnancy whump tropes, part 2! This one does contain prompts relating to violence against a pregnant person, so skip this post if you don't wanna see that.

The whumpee curling in on themselves, arms closing over their abdomen, trying to protect their baby.

The whumper putting a hand on the whumpee's belly. Is it a twisted expression of creepy affection or is it straightforwardly a threat?

The whumper injecting the whumpee or forcing the whumpee to swallow something, convincing them it's something that will endanger their baby but not giving them a choice. It turns out to be harmless. This time.

Laboring whumpee begging the whumper to get help or take them to a hospital. They swear they won't say anything and they'll come back without a fight and won't try to escape.

The whumpee being left to give birth alone in a cell/basement/closet/wherever they're trapped.

Pregnancy conceived through rape by the whumper.

Pregnancy conceived through rape by someone else who the whumper is trying to "protect" the whumpee from by any means necessary.

The whumper threatening to take the whumpee's baby away the second they're born.

The whumper going out of the way to hit the whumpee's abdomen while "disciplining" them.

[bunnyboy-whumpee]

Reasons why you should buy a pet of the same breed as Osheen:

They're super cute and obedient, perfect to have at home, they can follow complex instructions and perform all kinds of tasks.

They come in a variety of sizes and colors, you can ask for any specific features and there Will most likely be a pet that fits your preferences.

They are pocket sized! Most of them are 150 to 165 cm tall, unlike most humans, they stop growing pretty early in life.

They have a longer lifespan than the average house pet.

They reproduce really fast and can have litters of Up to 6 pups. They can also be breed with other pets and even with their owners so be careful.

Their youthful appearance and soft manerisms make them perfect to be used as nannies or to entetain guests. They can also be hidden at plain sight, given that they are humans bred only for the purpose of being pets.

[somnus-in-law]

[continued]

He knows he's been caught. Ranpo knew the moment he entered that clinic that the doctor who ran it wasn't as dumb as every other adult, not as smart as him of course but smart enough to uncover the truth behind his sudden pregnancy.

It took a long time to convince the President that he wanted their relationship, that he wanted him. He had to break him down with good behavior, sweet words, and if he could get away with it, chaste kisses to any part of the man within access.

Once Yukichi had given in, Ranpo only needed to bide his time.

He only did what he did because he was scared, he would reason with himself every night, this was the only way to make sure that the President would never leave him. Yukichi would take responsibility for what he did, what he turned Ranpo into.

"I have an idea of what you did but Fukuzawa-dono deserves to hear it from your lips."

"I.. I put a hole.."

"you..?," Yukichi stumbles, pulling the doctor with him.

Ranpo hunches further, face covered in shadows. Shame. He is the perfect picture of shame.

Mori sighs. He isn't a stranger to these types, humans that would do anything to chain someone else to them.

"Lay down on the cot, Ranpo-kun," the doctor directs the teen, "I'll return Fukuzawa-dono to you in just a moment."

The boy nods as the President is dragged by his arm out of the room, the man's face stuck in disbelief.

He only did what he had to do. This was the only way.

He repeats those broken words to himself in an attempt to drown out the two men's argument down the hall, the door doing its best to muffle their words.

it was the only way.

[mj-iza-writer]

Whumpee had just gotten through several hours of labor. They were so tired. Worn to the bone.

Their loving spouse was wiping a cold, damp cloth along their forehead.

"You did so good baby", their spouse smiled, "so good. Our baby is here."

"I should, uhm", Whumpee tiredly sat up, "there is a lot that needs to... get done Cameron."

"Baby, you did a lot already. Just rest, I got everything else for you", Cameron smiled, "you had a long, hard time delivering them. Let your body rest. That's what Caretaker would say."

"Aww Caretaker, I wish we could see him. He would love to see the baby", Whumpee smiled. They glanced up at the cradle where the baby slept, "I can't believe that's our baby."

"I know. I bet you he would go straight to you though. You are his baby after all", Cameron grinned, "he would come in right now and bump me out of the way and take over taking care of you."

"That's just how Caretaker is. He's always taken care of me. He only stopped when you took over", Whumpee smiled, "I miss him."

"I know you do. He's been with you through so much. More than I can even imagine", Cameron, smiled. I'm sure it feels weird not to have him here for this big moment."

Whumpee nodded. A small tear left their eye.

"I did call my parents to let them know", Cameron tried to change the subject, "will you be okay with them coming up when they're here?"

"Yes absolutely", Whumpee quickly smiled, "I'm so excited to see them and for them to see the baby."

"Why don't you take a little nap while we wait", Cameron pulled up the blanket, "everything feel alright?"

"Yes, thankyou. Thankyou for taking care of me", Whumpee smiled.

"Always", Cameron's eyes sparkled, "I love you... so much."

"Whumpee, my parents are pulling in", Cameron whispered as they stroked Whumpee's cheek gently, "can we go to the bathroom before they come up? That way, we can clean you up, and get a new diaper on you."

Whumpee smiled as they blinked awake, "sounds like something Caretaker would say. I can't believe I'm back in a diaper again."

"Giving birth does that to people", Cameron smiled, "alright, here we go, put all your weight on me."

Cameron was just adjusting pillows when their parents came in.

"Hey", they both excitedly came around to the bed, "oh you look fabulous."

Whumpee winced a little as they looked up, "thankyou, I wish I felt fabulous. Honey, could you ask the nurse if there is any medication I can have. My pelvis feels like it's being stabbed."

Whumpee watched as Cameron hurried out of the room.

The baby started to cry a little.

"Oh no", Whumpee whispered, "shh"

"Whumpee can we help?", their mother in law set her bag down.

"Yes please", Whumpee smiled through a moment of pain, "I would really appreciate it."

Whumpee happily watched as their mother in law lifted the baby out of the cradle. She sat down on a couch. Whumpee's father in law sat next to her. Both stared at the baby. Complete joy on their face.

Whumpee smiled in joy as well. This family... their family was such a blessing. They only wished that their family could be with them, too.

"Sweetie, you're crying. Are you okay?", their father in law asked worriedly.

"Yes, thankyou. I'm just missing someone", Whumpee sighed, "I'm okay though. I'm happy you both could come see our baby."

Cameron came in, followed by a nurse who was carrying some medicine.

"This will help you feel better", the nurse helped them sit up.

"Thankyou", Whumpee winced, "I really appreciate the help."

"I actually found someone in the hall", Cameron bounced up and down excitedly, "they were hoping to come in", Cameron watched the nurse leave, "could I let them in?"

"Oh uh, who is it? I'm not really in good shape to have strangers in here", Whumpee looked over the bed, "but if they really want to."

"Trust me, they've seen you at your worst", Cameron grinned and turned.

"Wait, what?", Whumpee frowned.

Someone hurried in after Cameron opened the door.

"Caretaker?", Whumpee gasped as bags were dropped near the bed. The person hurried to Whumpee's side.

"Hey Whumpee", Caretaker quickly wrapped them in a gentle hug, careful not to move them too much, "I've missed you so much."

Whumpee sobbed into his shoulder, "what are you doing here?", they squeezed tighter, "how?"

"Cameron has kept me updated the last few days. Then I got the text that it was go time. I've been in town for a little while", Caretaker rubbed Whumpee's back, "it's been a long wait for that baby to come so I could surprise you."

"Here let's lay back down", Caretaker gently moved, "don't want you to overexhert yourself. You just got medicine for pain after all."

Caretaker sat down next to the bed once Whumpee was situated.

Cameron grinned, "Caretaker you just helped me win a bet. You've not even looked at the baby yet. I told Whumpee that you would go straight for them."

Caretaker grinned, "well, they were in pain, Ive always ran for Whumpee first. I was worried about them. Your parents are enjoying their grandchild, I'll let them have that time. I'll hold the baby later."

Whumpee smiled as they reached for Caretaker's hand, "your grandchild as well."

Caretaker squeezed Whumpee's hand, "of course."

"The baby is so precious", the mother in law looked up at Caretaker, "Whumpee and Cameron did amazing."

Whumpee woke up later in the night.

Cameron slept on the couch nearby. Their in-laws had left to get into their hotel for the night. Everyone had planned to stay and help Whumpee and Cameron for a few weeks.

They looked around the dimly lit room until they saw Caretaker sitting by the window holding the baby.

Caretaker looked up worriedly when they heard Whumpee move.

"Hey sleepy head", Caretaker carried the baby to the bedside and sat down.

"Getting to know your grandchild?", Whumpee whispered.

Caretaker nodded, "they started to fuss. I didn't want them to wake the both of you up", Caretaker smiled, "though I think they're hungry, and I can't help with that."

Whumpee nodded as they reached for their baby, "it's about time for them to feed."

Caretaker looked down while Whumpee helped guide the baby to latch.

"How are you feeling?", Caretaker gently brushed some of Whumpee's sweaty hair away, "I'm so proud of you. I never imagined this. Everything you've been able to do in life. You're just full of surprises. I am so proud of you."

Whumpee smiled, "I honestly never thought this would happen either. Especially when you first started to take care of me. To be holding a baby. To have a loving spouse. I never thought this would happen. I..", Whumpee paused.

"What was that Whumpee", Caretaker frowned.

"I just wish you didn't live so far from me now. It was so hard to move away. Though I know we had to with their job", Whumpee looked over at Cameron, "they had worked so hard to get that position. To give up on it just for my happiness."

Caretaker nodded, "I know. It was hard on me as well. To not have my Whumpee close enough to take care of them. Something I had done for so long", Caretaker smiled.

Whumpee allowed a few tears to fall.

Caretaker reached up and wiped the tears away.

The next day.

Cameron wandered into the hospital cafeteria and saw Caretaker eating.

They made quick glances while they grabbed a snack from the vending machine.

Caretaker noticed the glances, and finally looked up.

"You can talk to me. I don't bite that much", Caretaker called across the empty room.

Cameron nodded and walked over to the empty seat.

"Glad to see you taking a break", Caretaker looked up from their phone.

"I took that advice to heart", Cameron nodded, "I'm glad you told me it was okay to take a break every once in a while."

"Caregivers need breaks, just like everyone else", Caretaker nodded, "what are you up to?"

"Their psychologist actually walked in. So I was letting them have some personal time to talk and see the baby. I didn't know they were coming", Cameron sighed, "I think Whumpee called them. I don't know if their depression was bad or something. I hope they're alright."

"I actually called them so they could do a psych check for Whumpee. They will be getting discharged soon. I wanted to know their mental health was okay before hand", Caretaker frowned, "I apologize if I over stepped."

"No, uh that's actually a really good idea. I didn't even think about that. I'm such an idiot", Cameron looked down sadly.

"You're not an idiot. You are stressed. I've been taking care of Whumpee for a much longer time than you. Those details are easy to forget if you're not used to making calls like that for someone", Caretaker looked around, "you are doing an amazing job. I'm proud of you."

"I am?", Cameron smiled at the reassurance.

"You are. I knew you would. That's why I let you marry my Whumpee. I knew you loved them almost as much as I loved them", Caretaker smiled, "I knew, even when you had to move away that they would be alright."

"They were doing alright too. Then they got pregnant", Cameron sighed, "I should say we got pregnant. Can I... can I speak to you about a concern I have?"

Caretaker leaned forward to give their undivided attention.

"If I had known they were pregnant, I would have turned down this position for work. It was my dream position, but Whumpee and my family are... they are so much more important than that", Cameron sighed, "now I'm stuck. My parents are staying for a few weeks to help out. Them doing that will help me focus on caring for Whumpee's needs. They don't fully understand Whumpee's needs. Unfortunately, I'm still learning myself. You make it look easy. There will be a time though when my parents have to go home, and I have to go back to work."

Cameron looked down.

"I'm afraid Whumpee is going to get so stressed while trying to take care of the baby. It may become dangerous. Their mental health will be pushed to a breaking point. I know they won't hurt the baby, but they will hurt themself", Cameron frowned as they looked back up, "I haven't been able to tell Whumpee this. They were so excited to have a baby and to start this part of our family. I wanted to keep them happy, but this has been on my mind since we found out."

"It's a fair worry. What are your thoughts as their caregiver and head of your family?", Caretaker frowned at Cameron's worry, "you shouldn't have held this in for so long. Stress isn't a good look on anyone. You could have talked to me about it. I would have understood."

"I know, I was just trying to play hero I guess. And, I have no idea, honestly. Everything I think of does not work right", Cameron's lip quivered, "what do I do? You've taken care of them longer. What would you do? I love Whumpee with all my heart, and I want this to work. What do I do, Caretaker?"

Caretaker sat back, "I suppose the first thing to do is set up a support team for your family. I've helped a little already with a therapist for you and Whumpee. Most medical is taken care of for the both of you as well. You now have a baby to care for, and you'll need them to have support as well. Even a therapist will help them with the struggles of having a parent with a past like what Whumpee has."

Cameron nodded.

"You'll want Whumpee to have support at home of course", Caretaker looked down at their food, "someone who would be able to fully understand Whumpee and the task at hand. They will need to allow Whumpee to take care of their baby, as is their right as the parent. Only to step in when Whumpee isn't able to or if Whumpee needs to be told to rest. They would have to mix that and caring for Whumpee ever so carefully."

Cameron nodded, "I wish you could do it. I know you passed off caring for Whumpee when I married them, and I don't want out of that responsibility. I just believe they would be happier with you. You know?"

Caretaker grinned, "the housing market wouldn't allow it. There is nothing close enough to the both of you."

"Yo-you looked already?", Cameron smiled stupidly.

"I've looked several times since finding out about your promotion. My job allows for remote work. I just need to be there once a month for meetings. I could easily move here. There is nothing available though", Caretaker sighed.

"You didn't trust me to take care of them after all?"

"If I didn't trust you. I wouldn't have allowed you to marry them", Caretaker frowned, "just precautionary. I could be close by if you and Whumpee truly needed me. As you said, there are still things you don't know about. I didn't technically pass off caring for Whumpee when they married you. Just some of the responsibilities fell off of my shoulders. I also became somewhat responsible for you. I will always take care of both of you. That's just how I am. That is what I've always done. They've been through so much. It's hard for one person to take on that responsibility."

"You did", Cameron pointed out.

"By choice, but it wasn't easy. I would have loved to have someone helping me at times. That's why I'm not going to leave it all up to you."

Cameron looked past Caretaker, "I feel like their psychiatrist will walk in here any minute with an answer with how they're doing."

Caretaker nodded.

"You know our house has three bedrooms", Cameron started, "we have one set up for the baby, then one for us. The third one is the master. It even has a full bathroom. We didn't use it because it wasn't close to the babies room. Whumpee wanted to be close to them."

"Many things happen in the night", Caretaker grinned, "something I've said dozens of times.... cleaning many messes... very late into the night. That's why my room was so close to Whumpee's."

"It's a big room, honestly like a small apartment. Would you be interested in moving into our home?", Cameron studied Caretaker.

"You would want me there? You are starting your family now. Why would you want me to move in?", Caretaker also studied Cameron.

"It didn't feel right driving away. Whumpee cried for a full hour before I could finally calm them enough. They sniffled the rest of the move here", Cameron remembered back, "they cuddled your picture for two days after. It's not like having my parents move in with us. You are more to Whumpee than a parent. You know what they need more than anything. I could also learn more from you if you stayed. There is their therapist."

"I'll think about this. We can talk a little later while they nap", Caretaker looked at their food, "I'll be up shortly. I need to talk with their therapist first."

Cameron watched as Caretaker came in.

"Where's Whumpee?", Caretaker looked at the bed worriedly.

"They went with the baby for a small checkup", Cameron smiled, "what did their therapist say?"

"Everything is alright. They seem happy as can be. No post partum depression, not yet thankfully. Just to keep an eye on them for any changes", Caretaker sighed, "so I thought of your proposal. Are you a hundred percent certain that you want me to move in with you."

"Yes, I absolutely would love to have you there. I know Whumpee would be ecstatic to have you close by", Cameron nodded, "they've joked several times about having you move in, but I know there was always some truth behind it. It would have been like that anyway....had I not moved them away from you. They would have been at your house constantly."

"If I do this, I will probably keep my house as well. We can use it as a vacation home when we want to get away", Caretaker smiled, "I'll need a few weeks to get some things together and moved here."

"Yes, I have a few weeks for maternity. My parents are staying for a while as well."

Caretaker grinned at Cameron, "we'll I guess that all works out then. Whumpee gets someone who understands them and will be able to help them. You don't have to worry so much anymore. I get to be closer to my Whumpee and help them and my new grandchild."

Cameron smiled, "it will definitely help me out to have you. I'll also be able to learn more from you."

A few weeks pass.

Whumpee cuddles their baby close as they tiptoe down the hall.

"You can come in Whumpee", Caretaker answers before Whumpee even has a chance to knock.

Whumpee opens the door and sheepishly grins at Caretaker.

Caretaker looks up from their desk.

"How can I help you?", Caretaker smiles back.

"I'm okay, I'm just happy to be able to have you so close again. I've missed being able to see you", Whumpee steps closer.

Their baby fusses a little as they sit down by Caretaker.

"Shhh baby, it's alright", Whumpee pats the baby gently.

"You are doing such a good job", Caretaker praises.

"Thankyou, I learned from the best", Whumpee gleams, "it's nerve-wracking being in charge of someone's well-being. I don't think I tell you and Cameron thankyou enough."

"You're welcome Whumpee", Caretaker stands up, "alright, hand them over. You need to shower and take a nap. I'll take care of this one."

Whumpee kisses their baby before handing them to Caretaker.

They yawn a little as they nod, "a shower would be nice."

"I can imagine. Go on now. I need to get grandpa time in with my grandchild", Caretaker cooed at the baby. "I never thought I would be a grandpa."

Whumpee started to walk away, but turned to watch Caretaker.

Caretaker cuddled the baby close and patted the baby lovingly.

Whumpee watched with tears in their eyes as their baby settled quickly in Caretaker's hands.

Caretaker looked up. Concern spread on their face when they saw Whumpee.

"Whumpee what's a matter?"

"Nothing, just memories. Being held like that... when everything around you feels wrong or is crashing down. I can speak firsthand at how comforting it is. Also, I'm so happy you are here with me again. I love Cameron so much... but there are some things I'm still so scared to tell them. I don't have to be scared to tell you. I don't have to hide it. Thankyou so much for coming here for me."

"You're welcome Whumpee, but Cameron still deserves to know what has happened. You don't have to drop everything all at once. You may give them a heart attack. I will help you though it all."

Whumpee nodded in understanding, "just not yet.... please. Can we enjoy the baby for a little while?"

"As you wish", Caretaker smiled, "now go get that shower. I have the little one."

Taglist. As always please let me know if you want to be added or taken off of the list. It's not a problem at all.

@villainsandheroes @the-beasts-have-arrived

@sacredwrath @porschethemermaid

@monarchthefirst @generic-whumperz

@bloodyandfrightened @freefallingup13

@notpeppermint @cyborg0109

@idontreallyexistyet @painfulplots

@whumpbump @everythingsscary

@skittles-the-whumpee @expressionless-fr

@theforeverdyingperson @legendarydelusiongoatee

@candleshopmenace @whumpanthems

@lavndvrr @ivymyers

@starfields08000 @a-living-canvas

@lumpofsand @watermeezer

@indigoviolet311 @whumpy-mountains

@3-2-whump @risk606

@electrons2006 @paperprinxe

@whumprince @kaz-of-crows

@mis-graves @decaffeinatedtimetraveler94

@sausages-things @castiels-favorite-hunter

@isikedmyself878 @daffyduckcommittedtaxfraud

@valravnthefrenchie @glennemerald

@jasperthecapser @does-directions

@deafeninglittlecrown @jumpywhumpywriter

@blackbirdsinatrenchcoat @mylifeisonthebookshelf

@thenormalestever @whatwhump

@galatic-worm @starmoon-constellation

@bacillusinfection @whumpsandbumps

[kana7o]

May Sketches!

[abhainnwhump]

My fanfic taste be like:

[sarahowritesostucky]

📖 "Medically Necessitated" Story Masterlist

Rated: Explicit Pairing: Bucky x Steve Tags: a/b/o, age gap, past rape, rape recovery, pregnancy, trauma recovery, medical trauma, hurt/comfort, mentions of CSA, religious fundamentalism, gender dysphoria Summary: After a medical emergency brings him into the ER, Bucky escapes the religious cult he's been raised in. It's up to Steve, nurse practitioner and omega sex & repro specialist, to see him through a medically supervised heat.

1. Jori 2. Jerrica 3. Bucky 4. Bucky - cont'd 5. Robert Wheeler 6. Fatimah 7. Bucky - cont'd 8. Connor 9. Rebecca 10. Bea

A.N. As per usual, I'm playing with age gap relationships and have thus made the in-universe age of majority 19 instead of 18, to avoid any antis getting their panties (ha! rhymes) in a twist and reporting me to the Tumblr police. Bucky is 18-19, Steve is 31.

Housekeeping:

Trigger Warning: This fic contains occasional mentions of Steve's patients, who deal with issues of csa, sa, abortion, ptsd, and other traumas. Bucky is in the immediate aftermath of a rape at the story's start.

[curiositysavesthecat]

Trigger warning: pregnancy, pregnancy-related issues and mention of rape

*This poll was submitted to us and we simply posted it so people could vote and discuss their opinions on the matter. If you’d like for us to ask the internet a question for you, feel free to drop the poll of your choice in our inbox and we’ll post them anonymously (for more info, please check our pinned post).

[witchy-shortcake]

The fact is i hate pregnancy as a "Happy ever after" trope or as a way to finish off a badass female character but i absolutely adore pregnancy when used as a whump or angst trope. Pregnancy is straight Up body horror, treat It as such.

[whump-witch]

I feel like the whumpy potential of pregnancy and childbirth is really overlooked, so I decided to make a list of pregnancy-related whump scenarios!

Note: this list is about things that naturally happen during pregnancy/birth, including medical complications, but does not contain anything relating to violence against a pregnant person (I...am making another post for that because I got inspired).

The whumpee's vision starts to blur as their blood pressure drops. Something feels off in their breathing. They can breathe, it's just not quite right. Their head starts to spin and suddenly they're falling until they wake up on the ground.

The very thought of a food the whumpee normally loves makes them feel sick to their stomach. So sick they feel like they might never eat again.

The whumpee sighing in relief as they finally sit down, lifting the extra weight and pressure off their knees and hips and back.

The whumpee tossing and turning all night because they just can't find a comfortable position. Their eyes aching with tiredness the following day, a dull headache forming as they get more and more desperate to crawl into bed and sleep.

The whumpee, in labor, delirious from blood loss and frantically asking what's wrong as they're rushed into an OR.

Emergency! field medicine! C-section!

[bunnyboy-whumpee]

Hi!! For Osheen!

"When If I kidnap you, what's the one thing you'd like me to let you keep?"

Osheen: Hmn... I really would prefer if you didn't do that to me, please... But, if we're talking hipo- hipotheticaly... I would like to keep my Teddy bear, my dad gave It to me, it helps me sleep....

[somnus-in-law]

Ranpo meets the man everyone thinks of as his father when he is fourteen. He bears that same man's child when he is fifteen.

Yukichi takes him to a back alley clinic. There he is introduced to a doctor named Mori Ougai.

"It's better for all of us if we just get rid of It," the doctor hisses, hand gripped on Yukichi's bicep. Even without Ultra Deduction, Ranpo can tell it will bruise.

"Ranpo-kun will decide what should be done with It."

It. Like it's some disease that Ranpo contracted. With the risks involved and the high probability of death, It might as well be.

"You'll let him decide. Yes, because that clearly turned out so well the first time."

There is a pregnant teenager in my clinic, you fool! He should have never had this choice in the first place!!!, Mori wants to shake and scream at the older man.

The other things he wants to do cannot be written here.

Yukichi stays silent like the coward he is.

"And what will you do when people ask. Someone always asks."

Yukichi's gaze lingers on Ranpo's hunched form, "..I had a short affair, nothing more."

"No one will believe you. The Lone Wolf who can't even have dinner with a client engaged in a casual fling? Please."

"You'll need something better."

His gaze turns from the teen to the doctor, eyes glazed over, pleading with him.

"..no. I won't do it, it's hard enough to run my clinic as I am. I can't let my secret get out."

Not when I'm so close.

"You, boy," Mori addresses Ranpo now, fed up with Yukichi's useless answers.

"You have two options: Get rid of the thing that is growing in your stomach, or carry it and hope neither of you die."

The doctor jabs his thumb at the bodyguard, "He is effectively useless when it comes to human needs. I'm sure his mind is equal parts silent and frantic."

"But I at least know he is not as stupid as I or others like to insinuate, so before you decide what your next step is: tell us what you did."

[secretwhumplair]

Ozriel

1,548 words | The black prince [WT] (sequel to Their Majesty)

Content | Guilt, aftermath of trauma, mute whumpee, power imbalance, mention of: pregnancy

Notes | 👀 Behind the scenes of the royal family 👀

Taglist | @echo-goes-aaa @whump-blog @scoundrelwithboba @whumpcreations

»Fin.« Ozriel’s courteous mask collapsed as soon as they were alone; they let their tears spill, and enclosed him in the warmest, tightest hug for Orafin to melt into. He was home. He was really home. Ozriel was here, and he was healed, and he would go home. He returned the hug as tight as he could.

»I’m so sorry,« Ozriel sobbed into his ear. »We thought you were dead, or we never would have stopped looking for you. I’m so sorry—«

Orafin shook his head as hard as he could, so close to them—close enough for them to feel it more than see it. It had been his own decision not to reveal his identity to be ransomed to cutthroat conditions he knew his family would be willing to give.

A stupidly heroic decision he had, despite himself, been bitterly regretting for months now, unable to revoke it for want of a tongue to speak with, but certainly not Ozriel’s fault.

He realized he was also crying into their shoulder. It felt good. It felt so good, and they stayed like this for a while, simply holding on to each other and crying out the worst of it.

»I’ll never let go of you again.«

Orafin dug his fingers into their back in response, and they chuckled wetly.

But they did, eventually, let go of one another, though Ozriel kept their arm wrapped around his shoulders, making it easy to lean against them.

»Are you…« They shook their head. »No, of course you’re not okay, are you?«

Orafin picked up his slate. I’m better now. What about you? You look like shit.

Ozriel smirked. »Language, your Highness.« It was a long-standing game between them; it wasn’t Ozriel’s job, at least not expressly, to teach him manners, and indeed Orafin had long since learned to be proper.

When he was with his siblings, though… that was a different matter.

Having attended to their play, Ozriel eyed him, their smile fading, and Orafin knew they had seen through his attempt at diversion.

Was he okay? No, probably not, Ozriel was right.

But he was going to be. He was going to be. And either way, he hadn’t the words to clothe his feelings, or the way they slipped and swirled and mixed.

He couldn’t speak them even if he had them. The thought hit him with force, although this had happened multiple times since his tongue had been cut. His magic was gone with it, but that didn’t bother him so much; he had never been very good at it and he was almost relieved to be freed from the need to live up to his siblings. His words though?

He felt tears welling up in his eyes and did his best to blink them back, but not good enough to stop Ozriel from noticing.

They squeezed his shoulders, helpless, he knew. They were Crown of the kingdom, and yet they couldn’t do anything to help him.

He whimpered, one of the few sounds left to him.

Ozriel gently shoved the slate at him, but words failed him.

»Okay. It’s okay, it’s… it’s going to be. We’ll figure it out.«

Orafin nodded, trying to pull himself together. He held up the slate, half-hiding behind it, to repeat his question.

They squeezed him again, then looked aside. »It’s… it’s been a rough few months. Not as rough as yours, of course,« they added quickly. »But… we thought you were dead…« Their voice cracked. »And then Mother… and I… I didn’t want it to happen like this.«

Of course not. Orafin didn’t even bother to write the words down, he just squeezed Ozriel’s shoulder in his turn.

Ozriel looked at him and attempted a weak smile. »It’s a lot. But I’ve been trained for this, it’ll be fine.« They didn’t sound like they quite believed it.

Orafin smiled, and nodded. Of course Ozriel’s rule would be fine. It would, in fact, be excellent.

His reaction drew another chuckle from them. »Yeah.«

Orafin wiped the slate clean to ask after his other siblings.

»They’re okay. Orina was with me at Akreh, she wanted to come see you at once, of course, but someone has to keep command, so I abused my authority.« They gave a wry smile. »I’ll send her to accompany you when you travel back. The others… they will be so happy to hear you’re alive. I’ve sent word out.«

And your family? My most favourite nibling? At least he hadn’t missed Zovri’s second birthday.

Ozriel’s expression softened. »Kaara’s at home with her. They’re safe,« they added, as if to themself. Then, after a moment’s hesitation, they added, »Actually—don’t spread it around, we haven’t announced it yet—,« they glanced at Elgar at the words, giving him a gentle smile as if to include him, although he clearly couldn’t follow their Ochurian conversation, »Zovri might soon have competition.«

Orafin’s eyes widened, and the squeal escaping his throat felt so appropriate he had no need for words. He lunged into another hug, shoving down the worry that this pregnancy wouldn't treat Ozriel any kinder than the last.

They laughed, holding him tight. »Can’t be all bad news, now can it?«

It was a relief indeed, finally having something so bright in the middle of all the pain and the ugly feelings lurking under the surface and Elgar’s terror.

Speaking of which…

They reached for the slate again. Tell Elgar you will protect him. On second thought, he wiped out the »you«. We.

* Elgar was still reeling from the black magic he’d just experienced. That, and the hairpin turn the Crown’s behaviour had made once they were alone.

As happy as he was for his companion to find the comfort of a loving family member, even now, it was clear Elgar didn’t matter enough to uphold appearances in front him.

And his blood still seemed to prickle in a way blood decidedly should not. Every fibre of his body had screamed danger at him at the enchantment, and the feeling was waning only slowly.

He barely cared that the royals spoke in Ochurian. He was too preoccupied with his fears to pay much attention to what was said, anyway.

»Elgar, is it?«

Elgar barely stopped himself from flinching when the crown addressed him, as unexpectedly as the first time. In Teeradian, too, again. Their dark eyes were fixed on him, and the prince was looking at him too.

Shit. Maybe he should have been paying attention.

»Yes, your Majesty.« He had whispered his name into the dark, months ago, in an attempt to appear friendlier to a poor wretch who, as they had both just been told, was worth less to their master than he, less deserving of mercy, cut out for more suffering. Free, even, for him to spit at further, as if he would ever want that.

Never had he ever imagined that act would land it in the mouth of the Crown of Ochuria.

»Do not be afraid,« they continued, their voice soft. »I meant what I said—we will all be eternally grateful to you for bringing my brother back. We will protect you.«

They looked him in the eyes with the same earnestness as before, outside. He couldn’t trust a royal—commoners were just tools to them, only fools thought otherwise; let alone slaves, tools to all free people.

»You can stay with us—with his Highness for as long as you like, and we will provide for you, anything you need. Or if you wish, I can have you escorted to the Teeradian border with a full purse and rations enough to travel to whichever town you want. I cannot protect you there, but I will do anything in my power to help. You saved my brother,« they repeated quietly, almost pleadingly. »I can never repay that favour, but I can make it so you’ll never suffer the way you have again.«

Immediately, Elgar wondered how much the prince had just told the crown about the ways he had suffered.

It didn’t matter, of course. They were royal and he was a thief and a slave, there wasn’t any dignity he could lose in their eyes. He knew that, he did.

»Thank you, your Majesty,« he managed. He pondered their offers, as if it was his place to accept any of them, wondering whether they had given any indication of what they really wanted him to do.

The prince softly squeezed his hand, and without thinking, Elgar squeezed back.

He didn’t have much to return to, if he was honest. Not safely, at any rate.

»I… I’ll stay with you, your Highness… if that’s okay.«

The prince beamed at him, and something inside him came loose. He had never seen this man smile in all the months they’d known each other, and now he was smiling at him like it was the easiest thing in the world. Like they were still companions who didn’t want to miss the other’s comfort.

He swallowed, feeling the rising tears in his throat. »You’ll protect me?« he whispered, and the prince nodded fiercely. Then he opened his arms in the most unambiguous way, and Elgar leant into the hug, believing, for the first time, that it might be true.

[goldenavenger02]

and i will try (to fix you)

"So, what are you asking, exactly?"

"You taught me everything I know about waterbending, not to mention you're the strongest waterbender I know," Aang explained, her cheeks filling with a flush as he reached over to tuck a stray hair behind her ear before asking, "so, will you teach me how to heal?"

OR: 5 times Aang tried to heal someone with waterbending and 1 time he did.

(This is so long only because I am neurodivergent and don't know when to stop yapping about random lore things, like water healing and yet I still get ages wrong in the fic. I'm not fixing it, Lin is now older then Tenzin and that just has to be okay with everybody because I am not changing it.

This is also my birthday fic to myself! My birthday isn't until Wednesday, but I will be starting my summer job then which will make me 90% offline and I will not have time to respond to comments like I usually do.

With that, I hope you all enjoy this very, VERY, long fic and now, on with the story!)

1. The Question

"Hey, you okay?" Katara asked softly, breaking Aang out of his thoughts as he sat on the balcony of the high-end inn that King Kuei insisted on putting the three of them in while they were in Ba Sing Se for the next week, his legs dangling in the air.

Aang didn't know how to answer that; the war had just ended a month ago but his gut was still tight with guilt even though he had ended things as peacefully as possible.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," he finally spoke, resulting in her taking a few steps forward and resting her hand on his shoulder; he couldn't deny how gorgeous she looked even in the dim light of the setting sun with the last rays shining in her ocean-blue eyes.

"You can ask me anything."

"Toph and Zuko want to continue teaching me earth and fire bending," he looked down at his hands and the intricate blue arrows marking the backs of them, "and I know that no matter how hard I try, even the most peaceful option can still ruin lives but if there's something I can do to make up for it-"

"Ozai needed to go down," Katara cut him off, moving her hand off of his shoulder and rubbing soft circles on his upper back, "you stopped him without killing him, which is a lot braver than what the rest of us would have done."

"I know, but… there are people in the Fire Nation, in the Earth Kingdom and the water tribes that have lost family and friends in this war because I wasn't here to stop them, and even after I got out of the ice, people still died."

He watched as her fingers trailed off to the pendant of her necklace for a few moments, like it always did when she was reminded of her mother, before her gaze returned to him.

"So, what are you asking, exactly?"

"You taught me everything I know about waterbending, not to mention you're the strongest waterbender I know," Aang explained, her cheeks filling with a flush as he reached over to tuck a stray hair behind her ear before asking, "so, will you teach me how to heal?"

"I didn't spend as much time with Yagoda as I should have to teach anyone and most of what I know is self-taught," Katara explained after a beat before raising her eyebrow, "you're sure that you want me to teach you?"

"You brought me back to life," Aang pointed out, trying not to think about the starburst of a scar on his back, "you also saved Zuko's life. I don't know about you, but that sounds at the very least like someone who can teach me the basics."

"Can I think about it? I just…" she let out a breath of air, finally taking her hand off of his back and folding her elbows over the balcony railing before resting her head on them, "it's not that I don't want to teach you, but I don't want anyone to start seeing me differently."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't want to just be seen as a healer, and I know that you would never see me that way, but…"

"You're worried about what others might think," Aang filled in the blank and watched as she nodded against her folded arms, "I understand. I don't want to pressure you, I just…it's stupid."

"No it's not," she reached one of her hands towards him and squeezed it in hers, the pressure reassuring him that the guilt tightening around his heart wasn't unfounded, "if you have to damage something, you want to be able to help fix it. That's not stupid, Aang."

"It's not?"

"No." She stood up straight for a moment, to press a kiss to his cheek, before resting again on her elbows with their hands firmly clasped around each other's until long after the sun went down and their eyes had the reflections of stars in them.

Despite all of the feelings swirling around Aang, the pure joy won out as Katara continued to squeeze his hand and the moon started to softly illuminate the balcony; at the end of the day, they had won the war, their closest friends were all alive and thriving in the beginnings of rebuilding.

And above it all, he had won Katara's heart and she had won his.

So when he felt the first of what would have evolved into many yawns if he continued to stand on the balcony build up, he maneuvered his hand out of hers, scooched over and planted his feet firmly on the ground, speaking as he turned toward the door.

"We should get some sleep."

"You're right, but Aang?"

"Yes?" He turned back around to see her grasping onto her upper arm as she spoke.

"I'll teach you, how to heal."

If it had been any other time of day, he would have thanked her over and over with uncontrollable excitement, but he was exhausted so he settled for pulling her into a hug, "thank you, Katara."

"You're welcome," she insisted, squeezing tightly for a moment before he pulled away to see a mischievous glint in her eyes, "and I know who you can practice on."

…

"Katara? You're sure about this?" Sokka's voice wavering hit Aang with a pang of doubt even as he overexplained his thought process, "not that I don't trust you or anything, of course I trust you, but my leg is almost back to a hundred percent and-"

"If it goes wrong, then I'll take over," Katara cut off his ramblings as she gathered her supplies from the other side of the room, "but unlike Zuko, you'll actually tell Aang and I if something feels off."

"Yeah, I guess I have him beat there," Sokka shrugged as he sat down in the wooden chair, propping his left leg on the ottoman, "have you heard anything about how he's doing?"

"As far as I know, he's back to usual activity."

"So he gets to go back to normal a month after getting his insides fried like fire flakes, but I still have to use a crutch when I'm nearly better?"

"Mai and the royal physician are keeping a very close eye on him and will alert me at the first sign of things going south, but he insisted on getting to work on repairing the Fire Nation," Katara elaborated, her hands expertly guiding the blade that was removing the old bandages around his leg, "also, he wasn't the one who refused to let me look at his injuries for five days."

That comment made Sokka go quiet, no longer a distraction to Aang's shaking hands as he knelt down beside Katara with full access to the injured limb decorated in the final stages of healing bruises.

"I'm not gonna hurt him if I do this wrong, right?"

"No," Katara insisted while bending the water out of her water-skin and holding it in between her palms, "the worst you could do is nothing, and like I said, Sokka will tell us if something feels wrong. Won't you, Sokka?"

"Yep."

"Okay."

"Are you ready?"

Aang nodded, and bent the small current out of her palms, holding it in between his own as he awaited her instructions.

"Healing wounds with water, it uses the water as a catalyst to redirect the energy paths in the body; by focusing more energy on the wounded area, it accelerates the healing process. That's why Sokka is actually able to put some of his weight on his leg instead of all on the crutch."

Aang nodded, absorbing her words as he bent the water over one of the yellowish-green bruises on Sokka's lower leg, his hands hovering over it as his tongue slipped out with concentration.

"Can you feel the energy in the bruises, how it's all tensed up under the skin?"

Aang shook his head, allowing Katara to gently guide his arms upwards toward Sokka's thigh, "what about now? The energy in his upper leg is loose and flowing because it was mostly uninjured, but…" she trailed off, guiding his palms back down towards the bruising, "because his leg was broken here, it's tighter and at a near stand-still."

Aang furrowed his brow; he had bent energy just last month when he had removed Ozai's bending, but all he could feel under his palms were the ends of the hair on Sokka's legs being pulled toward him in the water.

"I-I'm sorry, I can't feel anything." He finally stuttered as he slumped backwards and pulled his knees to his chest, allowing Katara to take the water from his palms and focus on the bruising.

"Yagoda said it can take months to learn how to feel the energy inside someone else's body, that it can be subtle if the wound isn't as severe."

"Seriously, Aang," Sokka spoke up, clearly trying his best to add to the reassurance that his sister was giving him, "my leg is almost completely healed. You'll get it with a fresher wound, I know it."

Aang still couldn't help but sigh, rest his head on his bent knees and wrap his arms around them while Katara worked miracles like it was the easiest thing in the world.

2. A Second Chance

The trip to Ba Sing Se ended up ending three days earlier than expected when a messenger hawk from the Fire Nation flew into Katara's window at the inn with a loud call that had Aang rubbing his eyes in confusion next door.

It took ten minutes for her to open his bedroom door, dressed for the day as she announced while adjusting her water-skin, "we need to get to the Fire Nation."

Katara had always been the one who kept Aang and Sokka on track throughout their travels and always remained serious when the situation required it, so he knew it was bad the moment her eyes met his and after pulling on his own clothes, went straight to Appa to get him ready for the trip.

By the time he had the saddle and reins tightened and his luggage in the saddle, Katara walked over with a determined stride, throwing her bag into the saddle with ease.

"Sokka is staying to finish the last of the discussions with King Kuei and Suki is on her way here to help out." Katara explained as she climbed into the saddle, her face set with a fixated worry that Aang knew all too well.

He didn't hesitate to lift himself onto Appa, flicking the reins with a "yip yip" and waiting until they had passed over the lower ring of Ba Sing Se before finding it in himself to ask, "it's Zuko, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it is," Katara's strained voice filled his gut with a nauseating worry, "you'll get to practice healing him after all."

That statement only filled Aang with even more dread as they streamlined towards Capitol City.

…

"Are you still having trouble breathing?"

"The royal physician really shouldn't have scared Tao and Mai like that, or you two-"

"Zuko, that is not what I asked," her snappy tone not only had Aang sitting straight up in the chair, but also stunned the newly crowned Fire Lord into silence, "you're lucky Tao sent for me and that I know how to redirect excess energy in the body."

"Wait, you do?" Aang spoke up, getting a quick smile from Katara as she continued to hold the water just above the scar tissue that matched his own to a T.

"It's part of healing; you can direct more energy to a injure to heal it, but an excess of tense, jumbled up energy can cause more harm than good so you may need to pull some away," she explained before making eye contact with Zuko who was raising a confused eyebrow, "I'm teaching him."

Aang stood up to get a closer look; they had arrived to a tense chaos that had resulted in Katara tell him to stay back while she took care of the pressing issue of Zuko struggling to breathe along with the muscle spasms, but now that the dust had settled, she silently took a step to the side so he could observe.

Despite happening a month ago and the healing that Katara had provided multiple times a day for the first week after it had happened, the lightning scar was still jagged and an angry red that started at the bottom of Zuko's chest, traveled up into his right shoulder before snaking around to his back.

It was all too reminiscent of blinking up at Katara before awakening weeks later with bandages covering a good chunk of his body and dark hair covering the top of his skull in a way that made his stomach churn.

"Alright, Aang," Katara's voice brought him back to reality, reminding him that he was not in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se, as she hovered a small stream of water in between her palms, "are you ready to give it a go?"

"Y-yeah," he stuttered before shaking his head and trying again, "yeah, I'm ready."

"Okay," she nodded, bending the water toward him slowly so he could take control, "Zuko, considering your internal organs are what we're working on, you really need to let us know if something doesn't feel right."

Aang could see Zuko fix his jaw and grip the edge of the blanket with a stiff nod that made him sweat, but he pulled in a long, deep breath and awaited instruction.

"Start at the shoulder and work your way down slowly. I worked out most of the energy in his chest, but there's still a lot at the entry point. It shouldn't overwhelm you if you don't rush."

Aang nodded, holding the small amount of water over the red markings on Zuko's shoulder; it wasn't like Sokka's leg, he could feel the energy Katara was talking about in the form of jumbled, irritated nerves under his fingers even if they felt impossible to get to.

He closed his eyes, trying to picture the energy twisting around itself that was causing his friend more pain than necessary and only starting to untwist it with his fingers once he was sure that he had a good hold on it.

"You're doing great, Aang," he heard her praise as he opened his eyes for a few minutes before her voice moved away from over his shoulder, "Zuko? Are you still with us?"

"Yes."

"Feel any different? Less tense?"

Zuko pulled in a breath that sounded a bit shaky, but when he nodded in agreement to Katara's question, Aang relaxed, closed his eyes again and continued to slowly move downward toward the base of the wound.

The twisting only grew under his fingertips as he moved downward as his forehead became sticky with exertion, but he pressed on.

"Aang?" Katara asked as he found himself biting the inside of his cheek while trying to untangle a particularly strong bunch of energy, "do you need a break?"

"N-no, I'm okay."

"Aang, I really think you need to take a break." She tried again, her voice still gentle but no longer asking, but Aang shook his head, using the water in his palms to pull at the twisting that was trying to knot itself inside of Zuko.

"I've almost got it, just let me-"

He rose in the air, eyes and arrows glowing in the reflection of the Dai Li armor, and focused his eyes for a brief moment on Katara as he continued to beam upwards.

Only for a shock to fill his entire body and send him falling to the ground as he lost consciousness.

Aang pulled away from the lightning wound with a large 'splash' as the water fell from his palms and onto Zuko, Katara and the bed but all he could focus on was the tightness in his throat and the pressure in his lungs.

"Aang-"

But before he could hear any of them out, he stood and ran out the doors even after hearing someone call out his name, trying desperately to catch his breath while it lodged in his throat.

"It's over," he tried to reassure himself as he slid down against the wall, pressing his eyes against his shaking hands, "y-you're not there any more. It's over."

He swallowed harshly to try and remove the lump in his throat and managed to pull his teary eyes from his hands before Katara walked into the room.

Even when she slid down beside him and told him "it's okay", he still found his chest rising and falling faster as he wiped tears off of his cheeks.

"You didn't hurt anyone, we're all okay," she insisted, gently pressing her palm against his upper back, "are you okay, Aang?"

"I s-should be past it now," Aang stuttered, leaning closer against her chest and taking in the sound of her calm, deep breaths to try and slow his own, "it was months ago."

"But you're not. Injuries like that, especially ones that are so fresh, can be really triggering. It happens to the best of us, okay?"

'You're not there. It's over.' His mental reassurances were doing nothing to calm the rapid 'thump' of his heartbeat as he finally managed to get himself to voice his concern to Katara.

"Can we take a break? From you teaching me about this?" He pleaded as he made eye contact with her, "I just…I think I need a bit longer to recover."

"Of course," Katara nodded instantly as she pressed a soft kiss to the back of one of his shaking hands, "we'll take as long as you need."

3. Beginning Again

It was supposed to be a simple trip to Omashu, for more discussions about rebuilding and bills and financial aid that would inevitably fall on Zuko's selfless shoulders.

But the uprising of Ozai supporters throughout the nations had only steadily grown in the two years after Zuko had taken the throne, so when it was revealed that all five of them needed to make the trip to Omashu, it didn't take long for them to settle on traveling together with the Kyoshi Warriors as part of the security force.

For the first couple of days, as they all crowded around a campfire while telling jokes and eating their dinners, Aang couldn't help but find himself longing for the days that they had all traveled as a group.

But it also reminded him that after they finished their business in Omashu, they would go back to being separated as they resumed their duties around the world; while Aang would be forever grateful for the financial support he had received from the other nations to preserve the Air Temples as historical landmarks, it also was a painful reminder that he was the last of his people.

On their third and final day of traveling towards Omashu, the skies opened up and poured relentlessly on himself, Katara, Sokka and Appa in the air and the Kyoshi Warriors walking alongside the caravan that held Zuko and Toph, which only continued to add to his growing sadness.

"I get why Zuko is in the caravan, he can barely breathe without someone trying to assassinate him," Sokka complained as he wiped what looked like a cup of water off of his head and onto Appa, who protested with a growl, "but Toph can stick it out with the rest of us."

"She does love the mud," Katara chuckled fondly, bending the rainwater out of her clothes to no avail, "but no matter how much she doesn't act like it, she's also got a target on her back due to her family."

"But Aang is still in the rain, and he's the Avatar!"

"I like the rain," Aang shrugged before reaching forward and scratching against Appa's wet head, "and Appa needs company."

He did not want to think about the storm that had transpired the night he left the Southern Air Temple, and he really didn't want to think about just how tightly he had held Appa's reins in his palms as they were pulled down by the relentless waves.

But before either of the siblings could add to his statement, the sound of an explosion rang out from under them, resulting in Aang gripping the reins so Appa would turn only to see the caravan turned over on its side while the perpetrators started to approach the smoke.

"Katara, Sokka, go get them out!" Aang shouted before grabbing his glider and joining the Kyoshi Warriors on the ground, sending a group of five to the ground with a blast of air before beginning to use his staff to propel them away.

They were severely outnumbered, no matter how many people were chi-blocked by the warriors, all while lightning seared the sky and the rumble of thunder overwhelmed their ears.

Aang hoped that he would be allowed to be involved in the interrogations of the attackers when all of this was over, because why anyone would go through with their plans as rain pounded on armor and had to be continuously wiped from their eyes was beyond him.

He winced at the smell of heavy smoke prevailing despite the downpour, because it meant that the caravan was more than likely rigged, that there was a double agent involved with the transport who could be taking down the Fire Nation from the inside.

But the most distressing part to Aang was that someone had seen the fourteen year old and the eighteen year old getting inside with smiles on their faces, with very long lives and long legacies ahead of them, and went through with an assassination anyway.

No one could see his tears through the rain as a part of him, maybe one of his past lives, demanded that he use the other elements and enter the Avatar state in order to end the ambush in that moment.

The slash of a sword ripping into his upper arm and coating his orange and yellow clothes in red would have been the turning point if a wave of fire hadn't erupted beside him and he was met with the bruised and soot-covered, but very alive, face that belonged to none other than Zuko.

Aang nearly cheered with relief until he saw the grave look on that same dirty face that he sent out another wave of fire.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He demanded, propelling the fire further with a blast of air.

"It's…it's Suki," Zuko stuttered while deflecting a swipe of a sword with his heavily armored wrist, "it's bad."

That's all it took for Aang to glide back into the sky and go to find the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors in the midst of the ambush; the aggressive rain drops did nothing to help him see in the crowd of green, gray, black and red as it dripped off of his skull and into his eyes.

But when he saw the green and yellow behind a rock wall and a flash of blue and white holding one of the warriors tightly in their arms, he knew he had found the right spot and descended inside of the wall.

"I'm gonna go find Katara." Toph insisted as soon as he landed and vaulted over the top of the rock wall, allowing Aang to crouch down beside Suki.

Zuko wasn't lying when he said it was bad; her armor across her stomach was badly slashed and along with it was a growing puddle of dark red that was starting to drip onto the muddy ground.

"I-I know you stopped learning, but is there anything you can do?" Sokka pleaded with a hand in her hair and the other clasped around her slack ones, the rain doing nothing to mask his tears.

It had been two years since he insisted that he needed a break, but his memory clasped tightly onto what he had learned in the month after defeating Ozai.

"I can try." Aang nodded and started to pull the rain out of the sky in order to form a small stream like the one Katara always kept by her side.

As he held it over the gaping wound, he could have sworn that he heard Sokka begging for Suki to "stay with him", the same way he imagined him saying it to Yue, but he did his best to block it out as he closed his eyes to focus.

The only way she was going to live was if he focused on the wound.

Not the fact that the first time he had done this, he had felt nothing. Not the fact that the second time he had done this, he had been left with a panic attack so intense that he had nearly given up on the practice.

'I cannot lose anyone else.'

And with that solemn thought, he pushed down and began to try his best to stabilize any of the veins and nerves that he could, pulling the tired energy away to bring in some that was more alert.

His forehead coated in a sheen coat of sweat when he heard two sets of footsteps run towards them, followed by the familiar shout of his girlfriend, "I'm here! I'm here!" before she settled in beside him.

When he heard the cork on the water-skin pop open, he expected to be pushed away.

"Aang, keep doing what you're doing." She demanded, which surprised Aang, but he did what he was told and kept his eyes closed as he continued to push and pull with the rain water in his palms.

"Her heartbeat is starting to steady."

"Stay with me…stay with me…"

"They…they got away…"

"I think she's almost stable."

That statement had Aang opening his eyes, bending with one palm and blowing into the bison whistle with the other before they started the precarious transport of Suki while her light, shallow breathing echoed against Sokka's chest.

…

Aang had stood on a similar balcony two years ago when he asked Katara to start teaching him how to heal, the two of them bathed in the final rays of the day.

As Aang stood in the first few rays of the morning, he wasn't surprised to be met by Katara looping her hand in his and standing by his side; he was starting to get taller than her, but she just had to reach across to grasp his hand.

"Suki's gonna be okay," she assured him, tucking her hand against his jaw so he was face to face with her ocean-blue eyes that were unable to mask the exhaustion from hours of healing, "you saved her life."

"I didn't save her," Aang pulled his gaze away, feeling Katara tense in her grip on his hand, "that was all you."

"You stabilized her before I got there. She…" Katara trailed off and never finished her sentence, but he knew what she meant.

In the heat of the ambush, Aang had been the only thing that stood between Suki and death's doorstep and in doing so, he had completed the goal that he wanted to accomplish when he first asked Katara to teach him.

"Thanks, Katara." Aang smiled, trying to ignore the throbbing in his upper arm from where the bandages hugged it too tightly.

She dropped his hand and turned towards the door, her gaze lingering on him for a few beats.

"Meet me inside, when you're done?"

"Yeah," Aang agreed, but he found it in himself to take a deep breath and ask, "Katara?"

"Yes?"

"If you're okay with it," Aang turned to meet her eyes, blinking with unfounded curiosity in a way that made his heart melt, "I want to get back to learning how to heal."

"You're sure?"

"I'm positive," he stopped to reach forward and grip her forearm gently before tacking on, "Sifu Katara."

Aang was nearly swept off of his feet when she pulled him forward against her lips; she tasted like the rainfall and the ocean, successfully taking his mind off of the angry pulse of his arm as the sun rays continued to dry out their clothes.

4. By Force

The diplomatic visit to Omashu continued with one of the other Kyoshi Warriors, who was named Reina, taking over Suki's duties.

Unfortunately for Aang, that meant having to try his best to stay awake while various dignitaries droned on and on about financial aid they still hadn't received from the Fire Nation, even though Zuko had made it abundantly clear that the money wasn't there due to Ozai tying their economy into their military, all while his arm throbbed painfully against his sleeve.

The long gash that had adored his clothes in red hadn't seemed important when he was faced with the gravity of Suki's wounds and Sokka's pleas, but two days past the ambush and the few futile attempts of using the river water to heal it had resulted in him looking at the world with tired, feverish eyes while the injury worsened.

The headache that was accompanying the pain wasn't helped as yet another person, he was pretty sure that he had been introduced as a general but Aang's mind was fuzzy, all but screamed at Zuko over some sort of funding that had been temporarily pushed back by a few months.

"-all these people are still suffering because you keep pushing us back to fund the Southern Water Tribe rebuilding efforts and the Air Temple restoration project!"

"I'm sure that you understand why their bills are getting priority, given their history with the Fire Nation despite you insisting that it's favoritism." Even in his feverish haze, Aang could hear the bite in Zuko's voice

"If the Earth Kingdom had lost all of our benders or if there was only one Earth Kingdom citizen left due to a hundred years of war that was caused by the Fire Nation, he would prioritize us higher," Toph added, her voice unusually calm, "and he has already given Omashu and Ba Sing Se hundreds of thousands to restore and rebuild."

He could have sworn that someone said his name, but he rubbed his eyes before looking up, only to see several sets of eyes on him.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was simply asking if you would be okay with the Fire Nation skipping a few months of financial help on the Air Temple Restoration project in order to even out the payments to the water tribes and the Earth Kingdom."

"I don't have a problem with that," Aang responded, his mouth growing dry with every word he spoke as his head started to spin, "I mean, all of the nations have been so generous with their donations that I can probably restore the entirety of the Southern and Northern Air Temples with the funds I have. The Eastern and Western ones suffered a significant amount of damage, but if I focus on the north after I finish the south, I shouldn't need more payments for at least the next six months."

"So, it's been decided by the Avatar himself," the general's smug face was enough to pull anger from Aang despite his hazy vision as it clicked that he had been used against Zuko, "the Fire Nation will pause their payments to the Air Temple Restoration project until after the Northern Air Temple has been preserved."

"Very well."

Aang winced as he was hit by a wave of nausea and rested his head against his hand, trying to will it away with closed eyes.

"Next order of business, I want to…is he okay?"

"Aang?"

"You okay, buddy?"

"Hey, I think he's going to…"

Aang could feel himself fall forward as his vision spotted into darkness and his hearing ceased.

…

When he finally blinked himself awake in the dim lighting, he wasn't surprised to see Katara's concerned face; he didn't know if it was the fever or the small shed of light in the room that made her eyes look like they were glittering.

"Hey, sweetie," she whispered, reaching over to the side before pressing something blissfully cool against his cheek, "welcome back."

"Did I…" he winced at the scratch in his throat that he tried to clear to zero avail, "did I go somewhere?"

It was only when Katara wiped her eyes on her forearm that he realized that the glitter was actually tears and that the tears were for him.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"That one guy was angry about funding and I felt really sick the whole time."

"You got injured in the ambush," she filled in, still gently pressing the cool cloth to his face, "were you taking care of the wound?"

"I tried to heal it, with the water in the river," Aang explained, only to get a soft shake of Katara's head as a response that made him flush with embarrassment, "not my wisest move."

"River and rain water can work in a pinch, like when you stabilized Suki," she started to explain as she pulled the cloth away before gently cutting through the clean, thick bandages around his bicep, "but for future reference, you really want to use clean water so it doesn't get infected."

He nodded, wincing at the bite of the sting that made its way through his left arm, before finding it in himself to fill the silence.

"I'm sorry for scaring you, Katara. I'm sorry for scaring everyone, but especially you."

"It got us out of "let's scream at Zuko for five hours", so I doubt they'll hold it against you," she explained with a quick smirk before her brow furrowed in concentration, "as for me, try not to scare me like that. Okay, sweetie? I like you too much."

"Understood, Sifu Katara," he insisted, eliciting a small laugh out of her, "do you need to go back?"

She shook her head with unwavering determination, "I'm not leaving you until I know you're better, and that's final."

Aang couldn't help but smile with relief as she leaned in for a quick peck on her lips before returning her attention to his inflamed wound.

5. Refusal

Republic City always felt like a breath of fresh air to Aang.

While places like Ba Sing Se, Capitol City and Wolf Cove felt so isolated in their own traditions and practices, The United Republic was the best of all the nations all in one place.

It was the closest thing he had to a place he belonged in a world without airbenders.

It had taken several long years to bring the small city called Cranefish Town into the largely populated Republic City, but with the support and financial aid left over from the Air Temple Restoration project, it became a reality.

It certainly helped Aang's case by having the Kyoshi Warriors, the Fire Lord, the newly elected Chairman of the United Republic, the chief of police and most importantly, Katara, on his side.

But today, he and his wife weren't in the city on political business; with Sokka and Suki insisting that they take Bumi and Kya off of their hands, they were finally taking some time to enjoy themselves for the first time since Kya was born a month ago.

"I've missed this, you know," Aang insisted, his fingers wrapped tightly around Katara's in the midst of the bustling crowd outside one of the new Fire Nation restaurants, "just us."

However, he was met with a soft sigh, "you have work, don't you?"

"I just need to get some crime reports from Toph so I can discuss it with Zuko and Sokka next week," he insisted with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder, "it should only take five, ten minutes," another sigh that had his hand lingering back down to hers, "after that, I am all yours. I swear."

"I know, I know…" she sighed, wiping her eyes on the back of her hand.

"Hey, Katara," he spoke gently, the same way he did when he got out of their bed to soothe their daughter so she could continue to rest, "what's wrong? What did I do?"

"It's nothing, you didn't do anything, it's just stupid hormones."

Aang had a feeling that it was more then the lingering effects of postpartum hormones, but he had learned after Bumi that it was Katara's signal that she did not want to talk about it, so he pulled her in by the shoulder and pressed a gentle kiss to the side of her head, "five minutes and then it's just us, okay? No work, no bending, no stopping bad guys, just me and you."

"Okay," she nodded, her ocean-blue eyes still shiny with tears even as she tried to change her demeanor with a fake smile, "let's go see Toph."

The police station wasn't far from where they had wandered to after putting Appa in the care of the farmers who watched over the traveling animals while their owners toured Republic City.

However, when he held the door open for Katara before following closely behind her, he expected Toph to look up from her desk in the middle of the room and sense their presence, or to be met by one of the officers telling them that she was out on a case.

Aang did not expect to see Toph sitting in a chair in the middle of the room with a towel held to her forehead as a trickle of blood dripped down the right side of her face.

"Toph!" Katara shouted in shock, making Toph wince as her unseeing glance was tilted up at the ceiling.

"Hi to you too, Sugar Queen, Twinkletoes," she greeted, her voice strangled from the pain, "give me a minute and I'll get those reports to you."

"Are you- you're hurt, Toph," Aang sputtered as he walked over and set his hand on her bent knee, only growing more alarmed when she didn't shove him off with her free hand, "what happened?"

"Oh, the usual, ran off after a group of vandals, missed the curb and-" she cut herself to smack her hands together, only to grimace from both the noise and taking the towel off of her forehead which she promptly returned to the jagged gash.

"Did you get checked for a concussion?"

"It's not a concussion, Sweetness. All I did was eat shit in front of new recruits," Toph waved her free hand with dismissal, "since then, the new guys don't want to take their eyes off me or let me do my job, but I'm thinking about asking my councilman buddy if he can make some legislation about officers being barefoot because I cannot see jackshit in these stupid shoes."

Aang took a glance down at her metal boots, built just like the rest of her armor, before looking back up at her; before he could respond, however, Katara's water-skin was all but shoved into his palms.

"Toph, where are the reports?"

"Second drawer of my desk, left side, at the top. Can't miss them."

"I'll go get them. Aang here is gonna take care of that gash." Katara insisted with a wink of encouragement before disappearing into Toph's office and leaving him in disbelief with the water-skin as the lingering recruits filed off into their own areas of the building.

"Do you know what the hell you're doing, twinkletoes? And don't think that I don't remember the ambush and the comet."

Aang wanted to retort that in the years since the ambush, he had become a pro at healing Bumi's skinned knees, but he knew that it would only raise Toph's doubt and result in some very clever retorts, so he just responded with a simple, "yes, I know what I'm doing."

"I'll just wait until Katara gets back, if that's okay. Besides, it's funny to get all these new recruits to squirm," despite the pain lines around her mouth and what looked like tears in her eyes, her grin was wide enough that Aang felt comfortable slinging his wife's water-skin around his shoulder, "Kaito told me two of them passed out once they saw the blood."

"Glad to see you're in good spirits, at least," Aang couldn't help but smile, but there was a flicker of doubt across Toph's face that left him asking, "unless there's something that you want to tell-"

"I'm pregnant."

"Oh, well, congratulat-"

"The father isn't staying," Toph rubbed her eyes with her free hand and if she hadn't been crying before, she definitely was now, "and I don't know if me falling hurt the baby, not to mention it wouldn't have even happened if I wasn't wearing these spirts-damned shoes-"

"Hey, hey, Toph," Aang cut her off, moving his hand off of her knee to her shoulder, "Katara and I are here for you, okay? We'll help you figure it out."

"Help her figure out what?" Katara questioned as she approached with the stack of papers in hand, "and I thought you were gonna heal her."

"I need to talk to you, in my office, alone," Toph explained as she stood before Aang could open his mouth, "don't worry, Twinkletoes, I'm not gonna arrest her."

Aang passed off the water-skin and took a seat outside of the office with the crime reports in hand.

He wasn't sure how long he sat in the near-silent police station and while he was glad that the crime rate was low, he was also growing antsy in dreading anticipation no matter how much he tried to fall back on his meditation lessons he had received as a young boy.

But with one creak of the door opening, he found himself on his feet as Katara walked out while still talking to Toph.

"-really need to take it easy, though. I'll talk to Sokka about the shoes when we pick up the kids."

"I'll be more careful, but I won't promise to take it easy. I do have an entire city to keep in check," Toph insisted with a small, red line marking the place where the jagged gash had once been, "but thank you, for everything."

"Of course," Katara insisted, pulling her into a hug that Aang watched from a few steps away until his wife grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the group hug with a "come on, sweetie."

In the warmth of the group hug, Aang couldn't help but feel twelve years old for a few peaceful but brief seconds.

6. Bittersweet

It had been a very long day in Republic City.

He no longer found himself getting involved with the police force unless he was dropping in to grab the reports for Sokka to look over at the monthly meeting between the two of them and Zuko.

Zuko hardly showed up to them any more, growing much more reserved like he had been as a tenager after the recent passing of Iroh, but they still left a spot for him that was more often than not taken by Mai in his place with yet another apology for his absence.

This time, however, the three of them had gone over the reports to find something chilling encased neatly in between the vandals that always seemed to rise every time Toph put the last ones away as well as the growing tensions between benders and non-benders.

The name "Yakone" had come up many times over the years; a man who had deep ties to the criminal underworld of Republic City, but Toph had never been able to get together a rock-solid case against him; Aang knew that no matter how desperate she got to put Yakone away, that what he was reading had to be reality and in that reality, his stomach clenched.

"At least a dozen witnesses to his bloodbending?" With the way Sokka's voice cracked like a teenager as he read it aloud and his face adopted a grayish tone, Aang knew that his thought process was similar to his own, "but it's been outlawed for years. The last known practicer died a long time ago."

"Aang, I hate to ask you this, but is there any way that-"

"No," Aang cut Mai off, unable to hide the snap in his tone despite her obvious reason for asking, "Katara would never be involved with something like this."

He did not mention the nights during the first few years of their marriage where he woke up to her lurching out of sleep in a cold sweat with blood dripping from her nose; neither of them needed to know how much her experience with Hama still haunted her.

Mai had nodded and moved on, but Aang still thought about it through the rest of the meeting and on the way home; he knew that Toph would be bringing a new charge and with it, a new arrest against Yakone, but he also knew that there was still a chance it wouldn't stick.

But he didn't have to think about that tonight.

The biggest thing he had to worry about on the safety of Air Temple Island was if Tenzin had gotten so caught up in toddling behind Kya that he had received yet another black eye from hitting it against the dining room table.

That only made him opening the door to Bumi cackling as he swung the sword that Sokka had gifted him a few months before on his birthday while Kya threw small but impressive snowballs at him that much more shocking.

"What?" He started, instantly gaining Kya's, who dropped a puddle of water around her feet, and Bumi's, who lowered the sword with a look of surprise and guilt in his eyes, attention, "is going on in here?"

It did not surprise him when the eleven and five year old instantly pointed at the other one with a simultaneous shout of "he/she started it!"

"Okay," Aang sighed, taking a deep breath as he pinched the bridge of his nose before redirecting his eyesight at his daughter first, "Kya, I want you to go get a couple of the towels and clean the water off of the floor," he waited until she walked to the laundry room before turning his attention on his eldest son, "Bumi, where are your mother and brother?"

"Mom's been really quiet since she got back from getting some groceries in the city, she's in her room and Tez is…he was just in here, I swear."

Aang took one look behind the large bookcase and was met with a bright set of gray eyes and two hands reaching up towards him in response.

"He's back here because swords and waterbending aren't exactly baby proof." He explained while reaching behind the bookcase to pull his youngest child out, who was thankfully unharmed in the latest show of sibling rivalry.

"Tenzin is nearly three, he's not a baby any more."

"Maybe not, but he was frightened enough to wedge himself between the wall and the bookcase."

"How do you know that he didn't do it because he was exploring?"

"Bumi, enough," Aang cut the back and forth before it grew out of hand, "you need to put that sword away in its case and when your mom is feeling up to it, all of us are going to have a long conversation about when to use our abilities, bending or not. Do you understand?"

"Yes, dad."

"Okay. Did you three get dinner?" He didn't know what kind of day Katara was having or what could have caused her sudden silence, but he could try and gauge it by if the kids had been fed before eight p.m.

"Mom made sea prune stew, but she let me help with the dumplings." Bumi's excitement, despite the trouble he was still very much in, was infectious and filled Aang with joy as he pictured the scene in his head, "did you want some, dad?"

"No, I'll find some food after I talk to your mom," Aang insisted, pressing a kiss to his head, "go get some sleep, okay?"

"Okay," Bumi agreed, hugging him with the sword free arm and he hugged back with the Tenzin free arm, "goodnight, dad."

"Goodnight, Bumi."

It didn't take long for Tenzin to get settled in the small bed next to Bumi's, eight was pushing it for his bedtime, and while Kya insisted that he read her two of her many, many books that covered her bedroom, she too was out like a light by the time he was halfway through the second one.

But now that all three of the kids were asleep, it left Aang with nothing to do but slowly make his way into their shared bedroom and get to the bottom of the tension that was filling the silence.

"Katara?" He whispered toward the lump in the bed with the blanket over their head, only getting a slight shift in response, "Katara, it's me."

"Aang?" No longer clouded by the shaking of sobs, but the crack in her voice made it clear that she had been in distress and he hadn't been here to hold her in his arms.

"Hey," he muttered, only seeing the reality of the situation when Katara lifted the blanket off of her head and met his gaze with red, puffy, watering eyes, "I'm so sorry, I should have been here-."

"It's not…" a shudder wracked her body as she sat up and pulled her knees to her chest which had Aang climbing on the bed and pulling her all too cold frame against his body, "it's not your fault."

"What happened?"

"Toph brought me in today."

"What?"

"She wanted to know how Yakone…Hama's been dead for years, so her next logical suspect was…but I swear, Aang, I didn't-"

"I know you didn't," Aang cut her off, pressing a kiss against the side of her head, "I know that you, who spent so many years getting it outlawed, would never do that."

"Thank you. For believing me."

"I would be a horrible husband if I didn't," Aang responded, getting a soft laugh as he interlaced his hand in Katara's, "I'm helping Toph bring him in tomorrow."

"Did she ask you to?"

"No, she doesn't even know I'm coming, but I need to make sure he ends up behind bars."

"You don't have to piss Toph off for me," Katara insisted, wiping her face on her wrist, "just knowing that she actually has enough evidence to get him put away is enough."

"Hey, I'm the Avatar, remember?" Aang questioned with a soft smile on his face, "I have to make the world safe and that includes my world." With that, he rested his hand on the back of her neck before gently pulling her in for a long, warm kiss.

At least, it would have been if he hadn't heard the small whimper of pain escape from her lips when his hand grazed her left shoulder so he could have a better hold on her.

"Your shoulder is hurting again?"

She had injured her left shoulder years ago while the two of them were in the Fire Nation to help with the birth of Zuko and Mai's daughter, Izumi, but she had ended up being one of the people holding off yet another assassin attempt that had resulted in her getting thrown against the wall.

Seeing her that injured had terrified Aang in a way that still haunted him even now, knowing that he could lose Katara to a few firebenders despite her own power and the very powerful people that she kept close.

Katara had delivered Izumi two days later and despite the joy filling the nations, the two of them didn't know that the injury to her left shoulder would result in a constant state of pain that varied in severity by the day.

"It's not that bad right now," she insisted, but Aang still got up and plucked her water-skin from the nightstand, "sweetie, we both know that doesn't work."

"It helps though," he pointed out, bending the water out of the water-skin and holding it over the permanently twisted nerves, feeling her slump in relief under his fingertips as he worked out the tension that would inevitably be back, "is that better?"

"Just…hold it there, for a bit longer."

"Whatever you say, Sifu Katara." That nickname always got her to smile, even on her bad days.

"I'm not sure you can still call me that," she said around her infectious grin, "you've been healing skinned knees for ten years now."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"I didn't say that."

Her shoulder was as relaxed as he could get it, so he bent the water away and back into the water-skin before climbing into their bed beside her, letting her rest her head against his arm.

"I'll call you whatever you want me to call you," Aang whispered, pressing a kiss to her forehead as her eyes fluttered shut contently, "goodnight, sweetie."

He listened to her soft breaths in the darkness for a very long time that night as guilt clawed at his heart for never being able to take away her pain permanently, that her physical pain had limited her from using the majority of the training she had fought so hard to be included in back in the North Pole and that her mental anguish from being forced to manipulate his blood was still impacting her so negatively all these years later.

Aang could only hope that making sure that the last blood bender would remain behind bars for the rest of his life would bring just as much relief as the water had brought her that night; more importantly, he desperately hoped that Yakone's imprisonment would bring Katara permanent relief from the anxiety that was seemingly always holding her tightly in its grasp.

[mothshrooms-7]

Sketch of my oc bluebell. chronic morning sickness is a bitch. I used the pose from one of @concretetrash ‘s amazing posts as a reference as I get back into art!!