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gaybd1 · 1 year ago

Note

“ how long? ” [a confused pause] “ how longhave you two been in a relationship ? ” <- Katara finding out her brother is dating her ex. SO messy!!!

ahhahahahahaha how could you do this to me okay

From Secret Relationship Prompts || Send more!

"How long?"

Here's the thing.

The reason Sokka didn't want anyone to know yet about his relationship with Zuko was that he wanted to put off having this exact fucking conversation with Katara for as long as he could until he knew how to go about it.

Was it ideal that he was hooking up with his sister's ex-boyfriend? Of course not! But it was... complicated. And yet, every time he'd thought about telling Katara, it felt like Toph had opened up another hole underneath him and swallowed him up into the Earth.

So when Katara had walked in on Zuko in Sokka's bed (and Sokka knew that was a stupid move on his part, but seriously, was it too much for the girl to knock?) and Sokka and Katara had sent Zuko scrambling out of the room, there was definitely no putting off this conversation any longer.

But Sokka could employ his fallback strategy: playing dumb.

So he just said:

"Hm?"

Katara narrowed her eyes, hands on her hips, stepping threateningly from her position in the doorway to Sokka's sitting in the bed, blanket pulled up to hide his nakedness from his sister's unexpected visit.

"How long," she clarified, "Have you two been fucking?"

Sokka was really wishing for that hole to come along and swallow him up any minute now. He gulped when he saw the storm in Katara's eyes, praying to the spirits that the storm would stay inside her eyes and not find its way out. He did not want to get wet this early in the morning, but he had a feeling that's where this conversation was headed.

Not that he wouldn't deserve it.

"Katara," Sokka squeaked, pulling the covers up higher as she approached, "I really didn't want to hurt you-"

"It's too late for that!" She was standing at the foot of his bed, leaning down at him with arms crossed in the way they always were before Sokka was about to get into huge trouble. He swore he saw the koi pond outside his window starting to bubble out of the corner of his eye. "Answer the question!"

Sokka shrank back into the bed.

"I promise, we only started like several months after you guys had broken up. I didn't want to hurt you but we just-"

"So you've been secretly boning my ex for several months already now."

Water splattered Sokka's (luckily, closed) window as the koi pond exploded into oblivion. (Sorry, fish.)

"Yeah, but Katara, this is why I didn't want to-"

"Didn't want to what? Tell me the truth about how out of all the people in this palace, you decided to get together with the one person that it would hurt me the most for you to date?"

Katara grabbed the blankets off the bed and threw them to the ground, which was fair, because Sokka had been trying to cover his head with them. Thank all the spirits that he was wearing shorts underneath, but he doubted there would have been anything that could have embarrassed him more than he already felt in the present situation.

He hugged himself against the shame he felt and the sudden cold. He couldn't meet Katara's eye.

Because she was right.

As a brother, this was one of the worst, most painful things he could to to her. But how was he supposed to convince Katara that he was only with Zuko because it felt so right? That he had tried to stay away for Katara's sake, but they just kept... finding each other?

Sokka took some time to find the right words, but Katara waited. She seemed to calm the longer he took to speak, which was a good thing- Sokka thought it would be best to avoid any more landscaping-related incidents this morning.

He finally looked up and met Katara's eyes. She was still breathing heavily, but she looked slightly less angry now where hurt was taking over.

Okay, he could deal with this. They could talk this out like adults.

And if Katara didn't speak to him at all for a whole week afterwards? Understandable.

"Katara... I'm sorry. You're right. I didn't tell you because I was scared and embarrassed and I knew this wouldn't be fair to you. But it wasn't... on purpose. You know? I was with Suki and you were with Zuko and then we were all dealing with our own breakups, and then you got together with Aang..."

Katara sat stiffly at the foot of the bed, arms still crossed, but showing her willingness to hear Sokka out and let him finish.

"I tried to find someone else, I did... I wasn't even looking for a serious relationship, you know? Just... anyone to make me feel less lonely. But the thing is, when you've been through as much as we have, nobody else can understand. And then Zuko, well he just... was always around. And we really get each other, you know? Every time I see him or talk to him, I just feel... It sounds stupid, but I feel complete and I tried to stay away Katara, I really did, but eventually..." Sokka trailed off and sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about it, Katara. I know I was trying to save you the pain, but it was wrong."

Katara had looked away when Sokka had started talking about his feelings toward his relationship with Zuko. He knew it would probably pain her to hear it, but he wanted her to understand. And she was happy with Aang now, so...

Ugh. This was so complicated.

"Okay," Katara said.

Okay. Sokka could live with okay. It was better than "I'm gonna murder you in your sleep," at least.

His sister took a minute to process everything that had been said before meeting his eye again.

"...Do you love him?"

Sokka blinked. He'd only been together with Zuko for a few months, and it wasn't something he'd really thought about a lot.

Did he love Zuko?

He thought about what he'd had with Yue, and with Suki- and he had loved Suki- and about how he felt with Zuko, how it compared. And he realized... it didn't compare. It was so much different. Better.

"...Yeah," he breathed, no doubt in his mind.

Katara forced a smile, but there was just enough of it that seemed genuine.

"Okay. I'm still pissed, and I will be talking to Zuko. This is... going to take me some time to get used to. You really did hurt me Sokka. But... who am I to stop two idiots in love?"

Sokka's entire body relaxed upon hearing the words. Things weren't okay between them, but he knew now that they could be again.

He scrambled across the bed to launch himself at Katara for a hug, and she hugged back.

Yeah.

Things would be okay.

#quesTian #atla #drabble #zukka #text

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haroldtea · 1 year ago

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For the fic title ask game: leading threats

hmmmMMMmmMmMmm

ok first off, apologies for such a late response. i had a hard time coming up w something for this one! and then i got completely carried away. hope you enjoy!

it’s an au where the war ended early and everyone’s aged up a bit. sokka is the highest ranking representative of the SWT other than hakoda and he goes on a diplomatic mission w yue and arnook to the fire nation where they are to meet with fire lord iroh and work out something fairly innocuous like naval trade routes.

the reason they’re having a fancy in-person summit for something innocuous is because it’s been awhile since leaders of the water tribe met w that of the fire nation and it just looks better diplomatically to have personal meetings like this from time to time. although the war ended early and there is peace, the nations do not necessarily feel the warm n fuzzies about each other yet. they decide on the fire nation rather than one of the tribes because the dates they agreed upon coincide with a fire nation holiday the fire lord can’t miss - and the holiday gives the opportunity for a public appearance of the two nations’ leaders together.

sokka has never actually been to the fn before and it’s not like he’s heard the most amazing things about it back home, but he’s gonna be with yue, and katara and aang are going to meet up with them in time for the holiday after aang is finished with his pre-planned visit with the earth king. he’s there as a representative of the SWT, yes, but this visit is mainly business between the NWT and the fire nation (cuz of where the waters they’re discussing are, idk) so he’s essentially just here to keep up appearances, and to offer his input when needed, which is why hakoda felt it appropriate to send him in his stead. so… some political stuff, but this is mostly just going to be a vacation for him. (there probably already is some kind of au like this out there tbf)

they arrive and are welcomed by fire lord iroh and his family. son and crown prince lu ten, as well as iroh’s brother prince ozai and his wife and children. the overall first impressions are…colorful…but iroh receives them warmly and lu ten seems cool enough for a crown prince.

they’re not to start negotiations until the next day, so iroh tasks his nephew zuko with giving yue and sokka a tour of the palace. he thinks it’s a wonderful idea because zuko is around the same age as yue and sokka, but it becomes apparent very quickly that tour-guiding is not one of zuko’s strengths (although sokka wagers he’d still rather have him as the tour guide than his sister azula, who clearly did not have the warm and fuzzies for any of them). he tries to make jokes in such a dry tone that yue and sokka can’t tell that they’re jokes. he’s prickly when sokka offers his own sarcastic commentary and then when he realizes sokka was being just that, sarcastic, tries to make up for it by overcompensating with another terribly timed joke.

he relaxes a little when yue starts to ask light, but thoughtful questions that get thoughtful answers out of him. they have being royal children in common and find out they share a distaste for the same things that come with the title. by the end of the tour, he’s wearing an easy smile as he asks some palace staff to see yue and sokka to their rooms to rest before dinner.

sokka does not retain much from the tour (seriously, there’s only so many times one can say “and this room is the ___” with no other details as the 3 of you just stare into an empty room before moving on) other than being totally smitten with zuko.

yue clocks this immediately and sneakily arranges them to sit together at dinner. and by “arranges” i mean “pretends the cushion on her seat is too soft for her liking and asks sokka to switch seats with her loud enough that sokka can’t refuse without everyone noticing and thinking he’s being rude to the princess, which puts him right next to zuko.” the cushion is fine. what does “too soft” even mean? he grumbles as much to himself, which zuko overhears and lets out a surprised little laugh at, and that interests sokka much more than the cushion. “you know, i’m something of a prince myself back home…”

they continue to talk and laugh throughout dinner, zuko having relaxed that much more since the Tour That Shall Not Be Named, and later sokka feels eyes burning into the side of his head. he turns, expecting to catch yue being not subtle at all, but instead finds prince ozai, zuko’s dad, leering at him from down the other end of the table. sokka assumes that he’ll glance away once he knows he’s been caught, but ozai’s eyes just grow darker as he holds his stare.

unnerved, sokka turns his attention back towards zuko, who doesn’t seem to have noticed the interaction as he continues telling sokka about something called the ember island players while he pokes at his food. (i do think zuko is burned before this but i can’t think of a way to have that be true and have iroh be fire lord without ozai being dead or banished so… just let that be a plot hole in this fake fic. maybe it happened while azulon was still alive so iroh couldn’t do anything about it at the time. sure idk)

the negotiations begin the next day and sokka sits dutifully at yue’s side during the meetings, but zuko’s there too sitting next to lu ten and they quite literally can’t stop glancing at each other with furtive smiles, so much so that lu ten even elbows zuko to get him to pay attention. yue hides a laugh in her sleeve and disguises it as a cough.

they break for the day and zuko sidles up to sokka on their way out and asks if he’d like to see the palace gardens, which he didn’t get the chance to show him and yue yesterday. yue’s already gone off somewhere with arnook and iroh, and although sokka reallyyyyyy doesn’t want to relive any more of Zuko the Tour Guide, he won’t pass up the chance to spend time with zuko one on one. it ends up not exactly being one on one, and not really a tour either, as they end up at the turtleduck pond and find zuko’s mother already there. they spend some time with her, ursa teaching sokka how to get a turtleduck to come to him (a work in progress) and then lending him a scroll of old fire nation poems he might like. eventually zuko invites sokka back to his quarters for tea and they leave the pond.

finally alone, sokka thinks to himself when they reach zuko’s rooms. zuko brews them some tea, making small talk about how his uncle taught him the best way how, and pours some for sokka and then himself before sitting down at the table.

they sip their tea for a little while, chatting aimlessly, and sokka tries to act cool and collected while feeling anything but. eventually there’s a pause, and zuko gently places his teacup down and says, casually, “i actually don’t really like tea.”

sokka’s heart rate picks up as he places his own teacup down and says, “me neither.”

their eyes meet, another pause, and then the two of them scramble out of their seats to create their own meaning of diplomatic relations rather enthusiastically.

the week continues on like this, daytime political negotiations followed by a deeply satisfying rendezvous in whatever secret corner of the palace zuko brings him to next. or one of their rooms. beds are usually a good fallback. sokka is very much enjoying his first visit to the fire nation. he will absolutely be recommending it on trip advisor.

the vibes from ozai get increasingly whack, though, as the days pass. there’s a tension coming from his end of the table at dinner every night that only sokka seems to notice, although he does catch zuko minutely shrinking under his gaze once or twice. he’s not going to ask zuko about his dad issues, but something tells him there’s something bigger going on with ozai.

so in between his meetings of the political kind and his meetings of the… carnal kind, sokka snoops.

this is where the “leading threats” part comes in (finally, you’re thinking). sokka finds out in ways i do not feel like figuring out or describing that ozai is planning a coup to overthrow both iroh and lu ten so he can take over. he’s planning on using the visit from the water tribe officials as a cover — he plans to frame iroh and lu ten’s deaths as murders by the water tribe, then kill the water tribe officials themselves so they can’t clear their names. not only will this get ozai to the throne, it’ll give him a clear cut motive to restart the war that his brother ended.

sokka also discovers that ozai is not acting alone — he’s roped azula into masterminding much of the logistics of the coup, but also he’s coerced ursa into being involved with the actual murders (she poisoned azulon in canon right? or something? whatever it is, ozai is having her do that to iroh and lu ten) under threat of zuko’s death.

so yeah, sokka’s secret boyfriend does not have a chill family.

i think sokka would not immediately tell zuko (or anyone else) because 1) he doesn’t want to risk the consequences of being wrong and 2) he’s not sure if he 100% trusts that zuko isn’t also involved, even if it is coercion like ursa. not wanting to risk the consequences of being wrong is also why he doesn’t alert the rest of the water tribe or iroh & lu ten. this is a hugely serious accusation against ozai and by association, the fire nation, and if sokka’s wrong the diplomatic fallout would be catastrophic. beyond repair.

so he decides to try and usurp ozai himself and catch him red-handed. it does not go well. he’s quickly apprehended by azula and ends up becoming ozai’s hostage. ozai probably says some mean shit about zuko and their relationship. i think it’d be really evil if he told sokka that he’s gonna kill him and make it look like zuko did it. etc. (this would also confirm for sokka that zuko is definitely not involved)

not sure exactly how we get from point a to point b but i imagine sokka either finds a creative way to escape and alerts the others, and/or this is when aang and katara arrive and aang swoops in and takes care of business (this is, let’s say, the day before the holiday i mentioned), and/or ozai is intercepted by zuko, lu ten, and iroh because sokka is not as subtle as he thinks (the bar is low, okay? his best friend is yue) and zuko picked up on something being off. maybe it’s a big fight scene combining all of these things. let your imagination run wild!

“dude, your family is kinda…” sokka would shout to zuko while they’re fighting side by side (idk i imagine ozai has some other buff lackeys working for him too, guards he turned to his side, what have you).

“yeah, i know,” zuko would respond sheepishly.

“it’s okay, i still think you’re hot!” sokka would reassure him.

it ends with ozai being imprisoned. i think because this coup was a more short-term plan than ozai’s whole plot in canon, his claws aren’t sunk so deep into azula that she has the same mental break that she has in canon. i say she and ursa are sent to ember island for awhile on “house arrest” as like, diet banishment. not full banishment. azula is a child and ursa was clearly under extreme duress and truly believed ozai would kill zuko if she did not comply (he would have). azula and ursa can work on their shit while they’re away.

the next day is the fire nation holiday, and the royals & officials make a lovely public appearance as iroh formally begins the festivities. the trade negotiations are settled, so all there’s left to do is party. aang, katara, sokka, yue and zuko hang out around the festival, checking out performances and trying new foods.

eventually zuko pulls sokka away from the rest of the group and they hide behind a larger tent. “you know, i don’t actually care if people know. i just figured it wasn’t the best thing to advertise during the, y’know. diplomacy stuff,” sokka says, taking zuko’s hands.

“me too,” zuko replies. “but also, it’s kinda fun?”

“definitely,” sokka agrees and then pulls zuko into a kiss.

later (much later), sokka and zuko are meandering through the festival stalls, swinging their clasped hands between them, when zuko sees a stall selling messenger hawks. “do they receive mail in the southern water tribe?” he jokes, reaching up to stroke under the chin of the closest hawk.

“you know, i’ll have to get back to you on that one,” sokka says, rubbing his chin and pretending to look unsure. zuko elbows him. “you’d better write me. i know where you live, you know,” sokka adds.

“and you’d better write back. i don’t know where you live, but i’m told i’m pretty good at tracking.”

“tempting,” sokka hums. “that would be one way to get you down to the southern water tribe, i guess.”

“you know, my uncle has mentioned recently that i should probably do more traveling. get to know more about the other nations so i can help lu ten when he’s fire lord,” zuko says casually as they pass by another stall.

“he has, huh?” sokka tugs zuko into his side.

zuko smiles. “yep.”

“he has a point. international diplomacy is invaluable. just ask aang.”

“right,” zuko says, staring at sokka’s mouth. “international diplomacy.”

sokka thinks he says something like mhmm or uh huh in response but he quickly loses track of anything that isn’t zuko kissing him, so he lets it go.

the next day, zuko grabs a sheet of paper and goes to his desk with a fresh well of ink before sokka’s ship has even dipped from the horizon.

[if you can stand me writing more insanely long shit like this, weeks late, send me a title and i’ll tell you what kind of fic i’d write for it!]

#ask #boomkawaiiboom #zukka #yeah i would bet there’s gotta be an au like this already out there #i did not think much outside the box #but i love to have fun!

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hersterical · 1 year ago

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Alright, I literally cannot stop thinking about these friendships.

Right from the get go Miles and Sokka have similar “I’m super awkward so I try to be cool and emulate older male figures who I respect but then I’m actually so much cooler and more like those role models than anyone realized once I just start being myself” vibes. So many of the themes explored with these characters are so similar!!!! I love it. But also both of them being these huge science nerds. Put them in a room with The Mechanic! And Hakoda! And Peter B! Can you imagine all the wild crap they would come up with? All of the unintended consequences they forgot to consider because they were just too excited about the science! I think Miles and Hakoda (and maybe Peter as well but only due to experience) would be the voices of reason in that group and that is such a scary thought. Miles could teach Sokka the Shoulder Touch (he tries it on Suki and her reaction is anywhere from laughing to flipping him over on his back) (I also think that Suki and Gwen would really get along while we’re on the subject). A+

And Katara and Hobie!! Adagdhjsksjdk!!!!!!! They would feed off of each other in the scariest, most intense way imaginable. I do think Hobie would try to help Katara to take a step back and think through her plans, but if they have any time to get into a discussion I think Katara could get him up to her level of recklessness. He would have been her literal biggest supporter in her duel against Pakku. And these two just literally can’t stop adopting people into their found family. With these two feeding off of each other their army on The Day of Black Sun/at the end of AtSv would’ve been twice as big. Can you imagine a Katara who is taught by Hobie how to properly channel her anger? Hobie would’ve backed up every single one of Katara’s hope speeches in his own style. There’s also a 50/50 chance that Hobie could’ve convinced Katara in season 1 that Jet was bad news (don’t get me wrong, Hobie at Katara’s age probably would’ve been just as taken in by him as she was but he has experience with charismatic leaders who seemingly offer you everything you could want) (Katara would probably also briefly develop a crush on Hobie. Like the kind of crush you don’t actually expect or even necessarily want something to happen with but this is a person you feel safe with as you’re figuring out what what you do and don’t like). They also have legendary arguments. Their political opinions are in perfect alignment roughly 95% of the time but when they’re not the results are explosive (one time literally). More often their arguments are more about the execution of how to incite a rebellion/confronting one of the others for acting stupid (Hobie believes a little too strongly in letting people learn things the hard way than Katara is usually comfortable with). Katara would be able to see the weight of too much responsibility too soon resting on Hobie’s shoulders better than anyone else just because he’s way too good at hiding behind his cool guy image and yeah, she is the mom friend. She’s the mom friend in all of the best ways (and in some of the not the best ways as well) and seeing the struggles her friends are going through that the others don’t is what she does. It also helps that Hobie is also the mom friend and so that’s just another way they understand each other (political activists/revolutionaries+mom friend= Katara and Hobie). I also think Hobie thinks Katara is unintentionally hilarious. She’s mad about it at first but eventually grows to appreciate it. And let’s not forget that Katara has already dealt out some masked vigilante justice on her own in canon, imagine if she was friends with Spider-Man! If this happens while the gaang is in Ba Sing Se then they could run into The Blue Spirit while they’re out and team up without any of them realizing (it’d be funny if Jet and Zuko stayed together and were vigilante partners as well in this scenario. But Jet would be recognized immediately because even if Zuko convinces Jet to wear a mask it wouldn’t be a full mask and Jet would rather die than part with his hook swords). They would keep their vigilantism a secret from the others because Toph would draw too much attention, Aang can be sneaky but he can’t lie or keep a secret to save his life, and Sokka would be the one holding the brain cell in this situation and insist that they knock it off (if Miles is there he would definitely join them obviously). There are so many ways in which Katara and Hobie are similar, but what I think is the most significant way is that they both have a natural talent in recognizing when others are in need and offering up their own considerable wells of emotional and mental strength in order to nurture the strength within others.

current twitter trend is saying two characters from different universes that would be besties and i feel very strongly about these two

#this got way longer than I expected #atla #across the spiderverse #katara #sokka #hobie brown #miles morales #Sorry the Katara and Hobie part was so much longer than the Sokka and Miles part #that was just the friendship that I vibed with more

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gladerwolfstarkimagines · 3 years ago

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Imagine being Bumi’s daughter and growing up with Prince Iroh II who has a huge crush on you

You were born in the fire nation to Bumi, eldest child of Avatar Aang and water bending master Katara, and Aizose a high ranking fire nation admiral. Your parents were actually introduced by Firelord Izumi herself who was friends with both of them and she was thrilled when they hit it off and eventually got married. Your mother and Izumi fell pregnant at the same time and so you and Iroh were born only a month apart. Unsurprisingly the two of you became pretty much inseparable from birth. You were each other’s first playmates and not a week went by when you didn’t see one another. You basically grew up in the palace, staying over whenever your parents were away on voyages and coming with your dad each time he had to attend a meeting so you could play with Iroh.

You were one of the few children Iroh was exposed to and you quickly developed a strong bond. Iroh by nature was a shy cautious child taking after his mother. You were the complete opposite. Your personality mirrored your father’s so you were confident, loud and not afraid to be different. You balanced each other out well and your parents would watch amused as you’d be fiercely supportive of everything Iroh did while he would accompany you on all of your boisterous quests urging you to be more careful. When you both became old enough for education Iroh was sent to a school with you instead of the traditional private tutors being brought in. Iroh’s parents wanted him to have as normal a childhood as possible and thought you’d be a good stabilising influence for him so they sent you off together. Iroh was anxious being around so many people his own age but your bond helped him through school and you stayed best friends throughout it.

As Iroh got older and you both entered your teenage years he recognised his feelings for you weren’t just of a friendship anymore. You were always there when he needed you and you gave him support and love constantly. Iroh felt normal around you, more than he felt with anyone else in the fire nation. Even with his family he was the prince but with you he wasn’t. With you he didn’t have to feign confidence for his future role as Firelord or be constantly diplomatic. He was just Iroh and for you that was always good enough. Iroh recognised you were the most important person in the world to him but sometimes he worried you didn’t feel the same. While Iroh only felt comfortable with you, you got along with everyone. You enjoyed social events and usually only missed them as a compromise for Iroh’s sake, you’d skip events claiming you didn’t want to go when he could tell you did. Iroh felt utterly protected and loved by you but he also felt slightly inferior. You were so brave and naturally confident, you protected and helped him in ways he wasn’t able to do for you. Why on earth would you like him when he was just so ordinary? He’d tried hard to act like the cold Firelord or smart prince but he didn’t fit the royal standard and he needed his best friend beside him to get through royal balls even at the age of 16. Iroh always felt these emotions most when you were at school together, especially at social events he had to go to, like the end of year graduation ball. The ceremony used to be more formal but now it was just a glorified party. You and Iroh would always attend together and he’d get through them...but with each year they’d been getting harder and harder for the introverted Iroh to cope with.

So Iroh became more nervous as the event got closer but when the night came he obediently put on his best clothes and escorted you to the hall. You were excited of course, animatedly telling him about the gossip he’d missed. Iroh listened to you and let your chatter calm him. He told himself to just last 2 hours and then you’d have your annual afterparty sleepover which he loved. He just had to get through this...

You entered the hall together and Iroh stared, he was sure the occasion got bigger every year just to spite him. You pulled him into the room and stored your things in the cloakroom. Iroh watched as your classmates smiled widely at you and you grinned back exchanging pleasantries. Iroh wasn’t even sure what their names were or how you knew them, you just seemed to know everyone somehow. The two of you got some drinks and sat down at an empty table. Most of your classmates were dancing but you stuck by Iroh’s side, aware he got nervous in social situations. Iroh however knew you and he was sure if he wasn’t here you’d be on that floor in an instant and he felt guilty. As if he was holding you back from having a good time. So Iroh convinced you to go dance, promising he’d join you after he finished his drink which he could kick himself for saying. Iroh hated dancing. Mainly because at the ripe “old” age of 16 he still didn’t know how to dance. He’d been taught formal dance of course but not how to dance naturally like the other kids. Each year dancing became a larger and larger part of the occasion and each year Iroh would stand awkwardly by the side hoping everyone would stop soon. By now you were of course right in the middle with all your classmates and Iroh watched you throw yourself into the dance like you did with everything and grew worried. He felt like no matter how much he learnt there were still hundreds of things he was behind in...like dancing and social skills. How was he supposed to lead a country if he was too weak?

Iroh sighed looking down at his nearly empty drink when he heard a voice. He turned to see some boys that were supposedly his friends. They were from other high born houses and although Iroh didn’t like them they would likely always be in his life so he was encouraged to maintain some sort of relationship with them. Iroh had lots of these types of “friends” and he knew the only true friend he had was you. The boys all made a bee-line for the dance floor and Iroh hoped they’d not see him but of course they did. Dasak the ringleader spotted him and smiled “what are you doing out here Prince Iroh?” he asked, saying Iroh’s title in the mocking manner he did every time he said it. “Don’t feel like dancing?” another boy snickered and Iroh sat up tall as his mother had told him. “No” he said trying to act unbothered but he was rattled by the group surrounding him. “Why?” Dasak replied “everyone in our year is, you scared of girls or something?". Iroh paled as the boys began to laugh and he shook his head “no I just hate dancing”. Dasak smirked coming closer “hate dancing? Nobody hates dancing, it’d be like hating parties or fun. Do you hate fun Iroh” Dasak asked and his gang laughed louder.

Your POV

You spotted a group around Iroh and groaned as you saw they were his so-called “friends”. They were the richest kids in your year and also the worst. They were obnoxious and thought their title meant they were owed special treatment. You hated how Iroh was forced to interact with them and knew he didn’t like them but simply tolerated them. They were all cruel and bullied people mercilessly. They constantly tore everyone down to look better and berated anyone who dared to be different. Iroh clearly looked uncomfortable with them and more so than usual so you made your way over to help. You heard Iroh say he didn’t like dancing and the boys cruel reply. You marched over and rolled your eyes "don’t be so ignorant, not everyone likes dancing idiot" you said loudly. You’d learnt the best way to deal with bullies was to embarrass them in front of their gang and make them lose their confidence. Dasak’s friends smirked as you called him out but he soon recovered. "Well yeah but normal people like dancing. It’s fun, everyone else enjoys it apart from Iroh". “As usual you’re wrong. Iroh isn’t the only one who hates dancing I do too. Everyone’s all sweaty and close to each other...I think you’re the weird one for liking it now if you’ll grace us with your absence we’ll be on our way". You gestured to the door behind him and Dasak smirked “whatever, you can’t protect him forever you know” and he barged past you to go to the crowd of dancing teenagers. You glared after him before turning to Iroh with a smile “well that was as fun as ever, you wanna head home?”. It was Iroh’s turn to hold the sleepover this year and you were excited, the palace always had the best food, but Iroh didn’t seem as excited as you.

Iroh didn’t reply to your question, he just headed for the exit. "Hey wait I need to grab my stuff" you called but Iroh didn’t slow down. You caught him up jogging and pushed him "some friend you are, why are you in such a hurry?". "Maybe I want to be left alone for once" he replied “I’m not helpless you know. You don’t always have to come to my rescue”. You frowned “but I'm your friend, helping each other is what friends do. Why would I not help you? Don’t tell me your masculinity is so fragile that a girl helping you makes you feel inferior”. “No of course not, it’s something else. I..I'll tell you inside" he sighed as you reached the palace gates and the earshot of the guards. The two of you were let inside and Iroh couldn’t believe he’d snapped at you. Of course he wasn’t mad you took on Dasak. You could embarrass him better than Iroh ever could...it was more how Iroh knew he would never be that confident. How he always needed you in those situations to stick up for himself. He didn’t mind depending on you but he just wished the relationship wasn’t so one-sided. That he wasn’t such a burden. Iroh chanced a looked at you hoping he hadn’t done too much damage. You looked furious but you’d still come with him so you couldn’t be that angry hopefully.

"So care to explain how I'm so annoying?" you asked the minute Iroh’s door shut and he sighed. "You're not y/n, you’re my best friend and I love being around you it's just...sometimes I feel so useless! You're the only person who gets me, the only person I feel comfortable with and I feel like I rely on that too much. I only go to events if you're there, I need you right beside me to feel confident enough to approach other people, even on our first day of school I needed you just to come out from the corner! I just can’t help but wonder why you're friends with me. You have so many and they don’t need you to support them so much. It can’t be for the perks either, your families rich and high up, so it’s not like I bring parties you couldn’t get into or a rich lifestyle. What do I even offer you? I'm just a boring nuisance to you. Not a strong prince but a scared kid who wastes his friend’s time" Iroh sighed “I bring nothing to this friendship”. You were silent three seconds before you burst. "Iroh you're not a burden and you bring a thousand things to this friendship! You’re funny and kind and so clever. You always think of me and you’re the most sympathetic person I know. You never let who you are go to your head and you’re the best guy at the whole academy not because you’re the prince but because of your heart” you said forcefully. “And even if you weren’t all those things you’re not friends with people because of what they can do for you but how they make you feel and you make me happy Iroh, I’m happiest around you too” you smiled and Iroh blushed but luckily you were so swept up in your speech you didn’t notice. “I only come to your aid so much because I hate to see you upset! You're my best friend and the best person I know, I'd do anything to stop you from being sad that's why I come to you. I just want you to be happy because you deserve to be more than anyone I know". Iroh stared “so you don’t feel weighed down by me?”. You shook your head "no of course not! I know we’re very different but I love all your quirks and you’re feelings are always valid even if I don’t completely understand them. I’d never look down on you or be your friend if I didn’t want to. I’m here because I love and care about you so much and I always will”. You finally noticed Iroh’s blush and smiled softly “has that reassured you that i’m your friend and I value you?”. “Yes” Iroh nodded “thanks y/n I...I don’t know what I’d do without you”. You smiled and brought him into a crushing hug “you’re perfect the way you are so don’t ever doubt it...but if you do i’ll be sure to remind you” you grinned “now enough of this soppy stuff! Let's go play with the dragon hatchlings!”. Iroh smiled as you grabbed his hand and pulled him from the room.

2 years later

After that day Iroh never questioned your devotion to him and instead he tried to work on his own insecurities so he wouldn’t project them onto you. Iroh had gotten more confident and was happy with the person he was becoming. However with graduation looming he was soon acting like a scared child again for one main reason. Graduating meant you’d soon both be leaving the capital and Iroh wasn’t sure what he’d do without you. Since practically birth the two of you had been together. The longest you'd been apart was that month when you went to the water tribe and Iroh had to go to the earth kingdom. Apart from that you’d always seen each other or at least been in regular contact. After school however Iroh would be joining the military and you’d be leaving the capital to attend medical school. You’d not be near each other or be able to write frequently and Iroh was terrified of losing you. It wasn’t just that he was losing his best friend and the one person who he felt truly comfortable around but he was losing the woman he loved. Iroh did not doubt by now that he was in love with you and he’d tried numerous times to tell you but he’d chickened out every time. He didn’t want to lose you as a friend and ruin the one good friendship he had. He also feared the rejection, he speculated you weren’t attracted to him but to hear you say it...that was his worst nightmare. With the thought of you leaving heavily on his mind Iroh wondered more and more if he should tell you but he was never confident enough to go through with it and it was finally too late.

It was your last few days in the fire nation. You’d both graduated last week and tonight was the last graduation ball you’d both ever attend. Then Iroh would leave for the military and you for the water tribe where the best medical school was. Your airship was due to leave the following evening and as Iroh made his way to the party with you he vowed to make the most of his time left with you.

As you entered the hall, rather than sweeping the room anxiously, Iroh focused on you. He made you laugh and used that energy to brave the room. Thankfully everyone had grown out of their need to dance and so Iroh walked around the room with you nodding to his classmates and engaging in pleasant conversation. This was the last time he’d likely see most of them so who cared if he made a mistake? Iroh found the night, if not pleasant bearable and time soon trickled by. When you’d been there for over 2 hours you leant over to Iroh asking if he wanted to head off. He agreed gratefully and you smiled going to grab your stuff from the cloakroom.

Iroh stood with the others waiting for you but when that got awkward he decided to just come with you. Iroh turned down the corridor to the cloakroom and immediately heard your raised voice making his pause. From the tone Iroh could tell you were angry and he continued down the corridor anxious to find out why. He heard a boy laugh at whatever you’d said but knew you weren’t joking. Iroh rounded the corner to see Dasak beside you. Others had caught onto what an amazing girl you were including Dasak who’d been chasing you all year. However despite your rejections Dasak never took the hint. Neither of you saw Iroh enter and he surveyed the scene wondering what to do. "Ah come on y/n this is the last time we'll ever see each other, time to finally let our hair down and release all the pent up tension" Dasak grinned at you. "I agree but in my mind that in no way involves you" you replied coldly. "Why not? I know you like me, I see the way you look at me". You glared "I usually look at you exactly how i am right now Dasak. You're an entitled rich snob who will live off his daddy’s wealth and do everything he says exactly when he says it. You'll pass down your daddy issues to your own equally entitled son and end up in an unhappy marriage to a woman by age 21 because your parents told you to. You're not a man you’re a sexist bastard and if you've seen me staring at you so much it's because I can’t comprehend how someone so dim could be a fire bender". The boy did not like that comment but somehow was still undeterred. "Now I know you like me" he smirked and you glared. You went to walk away when he grabbed your arm "hey we’re not done". "Yes we are let go" you said stiffly but Dasak only smirked "make me" leaning down to you. You rapidly broke out of his grip and hit his shoulder hard sending him stumbling back. “When a girl says no she means it! You better learn that because I expect a lot of girls will reject you until your daddy finally throws enough money at one of them”. You turned away muttering "asshole" under your breath and Iroh saw Dasak’s face contort in rage and he made to follow you. Iroh reacted instinctively as he saw the boy reach for you and he rushed into the middle of the corridor. "Don’t even think about it Dasak" he said placing himself in front of you. "Ahh look it's your prince puppy dog" Dasak smirked "what do you want Iroh?". "I want you to leave y/n alone". "Why? Are you going to fight her battles for her? That’s a change considering you usually hide behind her". "I'm not volunteering to fight you in place of her, y/n would kick your ass all the Ba Sing Sei and back better than I could, but I think she’s too good for that so I suggest you leave now". "Or what? What will you do?" Dasak asked swaggering to Iroh. "Huh? What are you gonna do prince boy?" the boy said jabbing a finger at Iroh’s chest “you always were too weak to fight back”. Iroh seized the boy’s wrist and twisted. Not hard enough to break it but hard enough to do some damage. Dasak cried out and Iroh grabbed him by the shirt “If I ever see you near y/n or hear you've been harassing any other women I’ll be paying you a visit and it won’t end so nicely, got it?". "You're insane" Dasak cried “you just attacked me! I won’t let you get away with this”. In response Iroh just rolled his eyes "go cry to the Firelord ow wait...he’s my grandfather" and he let the boy slump to the floor. "Let's go" he said to you softly and you nodded leading the way.

Iroh led you in the direction of the palace and on the journey you kept staring at him in shock. Iroh had never stood up to his bullies and he’d never had the confidence to say no to them either. He usually just took it with a stoic sense of calm but tonight he hadn't and you found it incredibly impressive and even...attractive. Seeing Iroh hold Dasak accountable and flex his own power and titles stirred something in you that you didn’t know existed. You knew Iroh could be charming and confident, you’d seen him play prince before so that wasn’t it. It was seeing him assert himself and stop taking shit that appealed to you. Confidence looked good on the prince of the fire nation.

You made it back to Iroh’s room and were still deep in thought about what had just happened. "So...” Iroh said jolting you out of your daze “did I totally make a fool of myself there?". Iroh stared at you and you blinked "are you kidding?". When Iroh didn’t reply you laughed "Iroh you were amazing! I thought Dasak was going to wet his pants". "He did deserve it...but don’t you hate me for using my title like that? I know we both hate when people do that and just did it like a hypocrite!". Iroh sunk down upset and you shook your head at how considerate he was. You smiled and walked closer to him. "Iroh listen to yourself. This was the first time in 18 years you've ever used your influence and it was to stop one of the biggest bigots in our school from harassing people. I think that's more than warranted". Iroh sighed still unsure when you carried on halting his train of thought. "Plus being assertive looks very good on you" you added with a smile. "It does?" Iroh gasped turning to face you. You nodded "you always just take stuff from them even though you could retaliate and I get it taking the high road is better and two wrong don’t make a right blah blah blah but it is satisfying to see someone like you get one over someone like that. Seeing you so confident and dominant...it suits you very well". Iroh was sure he was blushing vividly so couldn’t look up and respond to you at the same time. "You really think so?" he asked holding his breath. You nodded "definitely". “I....that’s good I guess” Iroh finally replied and you laughed. “What have I done? Now you’re going to be showing off for all the girls at the military like that aren’t you? I’m sure it will be effective but as prince do you even really need an act?”. “I won’t do it again” Iroh assured you. “I was surprised I even managed it tonight but I guess it was because it was you”. “Aw Iroh” you said smiling “don’t tell me you got all protective for me?”. Iroh was blushing vividly but answered honestly "yes and no...I'd have helped anyone but I think seeing him touch you definitely made me more ruthless. It made me angry and so that's why I grabbed him and decided to threaten him. I'm not usually an overprotective person but with you everything’s different...I like you a lot, I’d threaten anyone if it meant keeping you safe and happy". You smiled before pausing at the look on Iroh’s face. He was blushing vividly and couldn’t look at you. It couldn’t be because he'd been so honest about his feelings, you and Iroh often spoke about how much you loved one another so what was different this time?

“Well I’m a lucky girl I guess” you said softly “I get a handsome prince who protects me and looks sexy while doing it”.

Iroh’s blush skyrocketed and an idea formed in your head. Was there more to this than friendship? Did Iroh like you?

Deciding to test the water you ventured the subject. “Iroh you blush every time I mention how attractive you looked... do you like that I enjoyed it?". Iroh nodded without hesitation "a lot". Iroh finally looked up at you and you saw he was staring at you in a way you’d always thought was friendship but that was no mistaking how longingly he was looking at you now. “I value your opinion the most and if there was one girl I’d want to impress it’d be you y/n” he said softly “I want you to see me as more than a friend because that’s how I see you”. You smiled blushing softly and looked at Iroh “well I think you’re in luck because I’ve never seen a hotter guy than you today. Not just because of you’re dashing good looks or amazing body” you said resting a hand on his cheek “but because you were confident. You stood up for yourself and what was right. Seeing you assert yourself and demand to be treated correctly...it was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen”. The second you leaned forward Iroh crashed into you needing little encouragement. Iroh kissed you passionately and you smiled wrapping your arms around his neck. Iroh pulled you further into the room and rested you against the wall as he carried on kissing you like his life depended on it. You could tell this was something Iroh had wanted to do for a while and were surprised how easily you took to it. How hadn’t you realised you had feelings for Iroh all this time? The way you reacted to his touch showed you had and for a while too. You’d been too blind to even notice but you were very aware now. As Iroh moved on to kiss your neck you breathed heavily. When you’d finally recovered your breath you asked him how long he’d liked you. "Far too long" he replied in between kisses his voice far deeper than usual. "You should have told me sooner" you breathed "it could have saved us so much time". "You mean you like me too?" Iroh asked halting his attack on your neck. You stroked his cheek gently and smiled "of course I do Iroh" and kissed him again.

Soon things naturally progressed and after checking with you Iroh led you to his bed. You resumed kissing and soon found yourself on top of the prince of the fire nation. Iroh quickly gave away dominance to you and you smiled at how he fell apart whenever you touched him. You chuckled softly at the expression on Iroh’s face and just watched him for a moment. “Do you like when I kiss you? Would you like me to keep going Prince Iroh?”. Iroh froze at the mention of his title and his face changed "don’t call me prince Iroh, especially not now please". You nodded and reassured him immediately "no of course not, you don’t need titles. You're Iroh and that's perfect. Those four letters are all you need. Iroh" you smiled and in response, Iroh made a happy noise. "Iroh" you grinned trailing his neck "my Iroh". Suddenly Iroh tensed and you worried he was uncomfortable with that too but he only pulled you closer. "I like that one" he said deeply and you smiled "my Iroh?". He nodded "I've always been yours so I like hearing you say it, the way it rolls of your lips...". "You've always been my Iroh and I'm yours" you smiled "my Iroh" and Iroh grabbed you tightly.

***

Afterwards all of Iroh’s confidence went away. He began to panic. He knew he loved you but you’d only admitted to having an attraction to him nothing more. Sure you cared for him but as a friend. What if this was all just on a spur of the moment?

"You still awake?" You asked and Iroh jumped "yeah" he murmured. "Then why are you so quiet?" you asked turning to face him "are you nervous about what just happened?". Iroh nodded, unsurprised you could tell what was wrong with just one look at him. "I just...wanted this for so long and now I'm worried what this means for us". "Well what do you want it to mean?" you asked and Iroh sighed "whatever you want it to mean". You rolled your eyes at his useless answer and smiled softly. "Well I like you, a lot. Romantically and as a friend so if you want to stay friends or if you want to peruse this...". "Yes!' Iroh said immediately "i mean...I love your friendship but I feel things for you I know I'm never going to feel for anyone else. You mean everything to me y/n". You blushed and smiled "you mean everything to me too Iroh" and hugged him tightly. Iroh smiled and wrapped his arms around you. "We do have the worst timing though" you commented "I'm heading off to the Southern Water Tribe tomorrow and you'll be joining the army, that's a lot of distance". Iroh nodded but now he knew you wanted him he didn’t care about the barriers, he’d over come them all for you. "We can work around it" Iroh promised "I won't be deployed until I finish training which could take up to 2 years so I can write to you almost constantly and fly to see you every weekend”. You nodded "true...and I can fly back whenever we get time off of school, I'd travel any distance for you". Iroh smiled looking at you against him "me too" and kissed you. “For now we can enjoy the time we have, I don’t have to leave until tomorrow evening so I’m all yours tomorrow if you want me”. Iroh blushed but nodded earnestly “every second” and pulled you to his chest. You smiled against him and closed your eyes.

The next morning you walked into breakfast together with Iroh’s family, hands together and they didn’t miss a beat before congratulating you. “I’m so pleased” Izumi cried seizing you in a hug “your parents and we always joked about this but we never in our wildest dreams imagined it would actually happen! Let me go find your father y/n he’s here in the palace!”. “Mom...” Iroh groaned but Izumi had already given the order to a servant. “Your sister will be thrilled” she said turning back around “you know how much she adores y/n”. “As we all do” Iroh’s father added and you blushed “thank you all so much...” when the door was thrown open. “What’s the emergency?” Bumi cried “the servant said to come as fast as I could so I left all the councillors and...y/n?” he asked spotting you. “Hi dad” you smiled and Izumi winced “perhaps I was a bit too vague. There’s no emergency more just a very happy occasion” she gestured to you and Iroh and your father just stared. “Our children...”. Izumi sighed “they’re dating Bumi”. Your dad thought for a few seconds before it hit him “they are?” he asked “that’s wonderful news!”. “It is?” you asked as your father squeezed you in a hug before moving onto Iroh. “Of course” Bumi smiled “your mother and I always approved of Iroh and we suspected he had a small crush on you all this time...so i’m very pleased to hear you finally told her” he said to Iroh who was bright red but managed to nod “me too”. “But you’ve picked the worst timing son” Iroh’s father winced “y/n aren’t you leaving for the water tribe now?”. You nodded “yes but we’re going to write every day and visit each other when we can”. Bumi frowned “I remember me and your mother having a similar routine being at sea so often...it’s difficult and tiresome”. You and Iroh hesitated but your father carried on. “So i’d like to ease it any way I can. Y/n me and your mother were going to wait until you’d started medical school but to hell with it! We’ve got you a boat”. Your eyes widened “what?”. Your father always loved surprises and he was revealing in this one. “A boat!” he cried again “nothing fancy mind you, just something that can run you to the water tribe and back. It has good mileage and is very energy efficient. Hopefully this should help the two of you stay connected”. You and Iroh spluttered “i’ll say! Thank you dad” and you hugged him. Izumi smiled watching the two of you “I agree with Bumi’s sentiment, Iroh if you ever need to use the airship to see y/n or bring her back here it’s your”. You and Iroh gaped again and rushed to hug Izumi too.

“You know...I thought they’d be happy but I never thought they’d be this excited” you commented to Iroh who nodded. He looked to where your parents all sat together excitedly discussing the two of you. “I knew they’d get together eventually” your father cried and you cringed. “It seems everyone knew we liked each other but us”. Iroh nodded “traitors! If they’d have told us then it would’ve been so much easier”. You laughed “my thoughts exactly”. Iroh smiled back before he went serious “y/n I know even with our parent's gifts the distance will be hard but I want you to know I’m completely dedicated to you. The second I finish training I’ll move to wherever you are and I’ll always put you before work”. You smiled “funny I was going to say the same thing to you. I know we’ve only been together since last night but it just fits so well. I’m going to do everything in my power to make the distance not matter and I know we can get through this”. “Without a doubt” Iroh agreed, pulling you against him in a hug. You smiled and relaxed against your boyfriend, closing your eyes. “We’ve got our whole lives together, we can do this”. Iroh nodded “before the future always made me nervous but now...I just feel excited. I can’t wait to experience our future with you right beside me”. You grinned “what are best friends for?”.

____

Disclaimer, i hate dancing and always hated that when you don’t like something popular you’re made to feel like a freak so now Iroh hates dancing too cus solidarity.

I also really want a boat so I added that in too.

Writing is great! You just live vicariously through your characters.

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neptuneh0rn · 3 years ago

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from the sidelines | sokka x reader

warnings: angst, yue's death, angry reader

summary: "If I have to look at your face for another second, I'm gonna lose it."

word count: 900 (it's very short, sorry :/)

A/N: I think this is gonna be a series??? or at least I'm gonna write a second part. I'm kinda excited about this one, so let me know what you think!!! also pls keep in mind that English is not my first language, so I apologize for any spelling or grammatical errors. feedback would be appreciated!!

You had known the Gaang since the Siege on the Northern Water Tribe. Being the closest person to Yue, it was no surprise you got to meet the Gaang. The truth is, you and Sokka didn't get along well when he first arrived. In your opinion, he was always so loud and so God-damn arrogant!

At first, you brushed off the feeling of dread in the pit of your stomach as pure annoyance towards the ponytail-haired boy. You later realized that it was out of jealousy towards his infatuation with Yue. You don't know how it happened. One day you were a normally functioning teenager, and the other, you would wake up and sleep to the thought of Sokka, not that you would tell anyone. Not when Yue was also captivated by the boy.

Yue was the princess of the Northern Water Tribe, the only daughter of Chief Arnook. So it made sense she always got everything handed to her on a silver platter. It wasn't like she intended to take the interest of everyone in every room she would be in. You couldn't blame her. Not with her confidingly soft blue eyes and her strikingly snow-like white hair. Yue brought a sense of calmness wherever she would be, a smile plastered on her face. She had the kindest soul, would never hurt anyone. It hurt you to hear that Yue would marry the young, egotistical warrior Hahn. You'd always ask her why she couldn't just call off the engagement. Yue would always reply with something along the lines of, "for the people," which you never understood. You never understood how someone would put the happiness of others before theirs, but you'd always keep quiet.

You never understood it until you had to put Yue's happiness before yours. As much as it hurt, you were happy she finally found love, even if it was with the same guy that clouded your thoughts more often than not. You were the first person she told about the walks together around the city and the kiss on the bridge. She came to you crying that night. She'd describe how much she loved him, but she had to do the right thing for her people. You'd take her in for a hug, patting her on the back and promising her how everything will be alright.

Oh, how wrong you were. Not even a few days later, Zhao's siege of the Northern Water Tribe would take place. Yue would lead you, Katara, and Aang into the Spirit Oasis. Zhao would fatally strike the Moon Spirit. Yue would sacrifice herself to give back the life the Moon had given her. She'd place her hand on the fish, close her eyes, and die in Sokka's lap, leaving you alone, full of dread for what's to come. Yue's spirit appeared before your eyes, swearing that she'd always be with Sokka before giving him a heart-drenching kiss, to you at least, and then she'd vanish completely, not telling you anything, her lifelong friend.

You got asked to join the Gaang, as you'd grown close to Katara and Aang since the beginning. You accepted. What good would you be if you stayed in the Northern Water Tribe, anyway? You were a non-bender. Not like you could help mend the injured. So you hopped on Appa.

You sat at the very end of Appa's saddle, your knees tucked to your chest and your head resting on them. silent tears streaming down your face, mourning the loss of your best friend. Katara had decided it would be best not to bother you. However, Sokka thought it would be better to comfort you. He situated himself next to you. You could feel his presence, though you decided not to bother with a look at him; not when you felt mad.

Mad at yourself, for not protecting Yue. Mad at the fire nation, for obvious reasons. Mad at Yue, for not bidding you a farewell, like she did Sokka. And most importantly, you were mad at Sokka. Mad at him for-

"Hey, I'm sorry you had to go through that."

You simply shrugged, still facing your surrounding.

"I know what you're feeling,-"

"No, you don't." The anger you were feeling had started to build up.

"I loved her, Y/N, and I know what your going through is not easy but-"

"For Agni's sake will you just shut up!" You finally turned your head towards him, not caring about the shocked expression on his face. "You have only known her for three days. Three days." You held up your fingers. "You don't get to tell me you know how I feel when I've known Yue-," your voice had started to crack, already hoarse from the lack of use, "I've known her my entire life, and she didn't even think to spare me a glance when she bid you her goodbyes. She chose you over me, her lifelong bestfriend. So no, you don't know how I feel. And quite frankly, it would be best if you leave me alone. Because if I have to look at your face for another second, I'm gonna lose it."

Sokka's lips were pressed in a tight line, he gave you a single nod and went back to his original place next to Katara. You went back to your original position, your head on your knees once more. You physically feel all your energy drain out, and slowly went into a slumber. Dreaming of the moon, a white-haired girl, and a certain ponytailed non-bender.

#sokka x reader #sokka x yue #sokka fanfic #sokka x you #sokka imagine

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zuko-always-lies · 3 years ago

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How does Iroh talk about Ozai vs How does Iroh talk about Azula

Iroh only discusses his brother and his niece a few times in the series, yet I believe we can detect patterns which reveal how he feels about them. Much more under the cut.

How Iroh talks about Ozai:

“Avatar Roku”:

Zuko: I have no choice, Uncle. Iroh (angrily): Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?!?!? (With a look of anguish and worry) What if you're caught? Zuko (turning around from the spy glass): I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home. Iroh: You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type.

“The Storm”:

Iroh: After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the general was an act of complete disrespect, and there was only one way to resolve this... Lieutenant Jee (horrified): Agni kai. A fire duel. Iroh: That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the General. Zuko had spoken out against a general's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father.

later:

Iroh: I looked away. (The spectators are illuminated by flame, Zuko's scream of anguish is heard in the background, and the camera zooms to a close up of Iroh. The flashback ends, but Iroh's face in the present is in the same pose as it was when Zuko was scarred. It is clearly an unpleasant memory.) Lieutenant Jee (abashed): I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident... Iroh: It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor. Lieutenant Jee: So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal. Iroh: Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope.

It’s interesting to note that, given the story Iroh is telling here, his tone and wording is shockingly non-judgmental, mainly expressing sadness over what happened.

“The Avatar State”:

Zuko: (dejectedly) Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all. (He looks up suddenly.) I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless. Iroh: (with exaggerated optimism) I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care? (Zuko gets up and walks away. Cut to Iroh's surprised face with the attendants in the background.) Iroh: (negatively to himself) Erg... that came out wrong, didn't it?

Later:

Zuko: (o.c., happily) We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable. (Zuko walks behind a thoughtful Iroh, carrying some folded clothing. He walks off to the right of the screen.) Iroh: (skeptically) It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything. (Cut to a close-up of Zuko. At first he sounds surprised, and then forceful.) Zuko: Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me. Iroh: I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine. Zuko: (defensively, turning his back to Iroh) You don't know how my father feels about me. (He stiffens) You don't know anything. (Cut to the scarred portion of Zuko's face in the foreground with Iroh talking over his shoulder.) Iroh: (gently) Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem.”

Sozin’s Comet Part II:

Zuko: [Voice-over.] Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can [Side-view of Iroh with Zuko sat next to him. Toph sits to Zuko's right and Katara has her back to the camera opposite Toph.] possibly defeat the Father Lord. Toph: You mean the Fire Lord. Zuko: [Angrily.] That's what I just said! Iroh: Hmmm ... Zuko: We need you to come with us! Iroh: [Close-up.] No, Zuko, it won't turn out well. Zuko: [Aerial view of the group.] You can beat him! [Turns to the others.] And we'll be there to help. Iroh: Even if I did defeat Ozai, [Close-up.] and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. [Aerial view of the group.] History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord.

It’s hard for me to fully capture Iroh’s words, since his tone of voice tends to be a big part in this, but he seems remarkably non-judgmental when discussing his brother. His words seemed to colored by a great deal of sadness and regret.

How Iroh talks about Azula:

Bitter Work:

Zuko: So uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her. Iroh: No, she's crazy and she needs to go down. (Zuko nods. Iroh grunts as he stands up.) It's time to resume your training.

This goes without much comment, other than to note that Azula is “crazy” for doing things that Iroh and/or Zuko did. The only interesting thing to note is that Zuko didn’t just passively “run into Azula” the previous episode; he actively sought her out to fight her, as he does, to one degree or another, in many episodes this series. I’m not sure if Iroh totally understands that, but, if he does, it says interesting and not flattering things about him.

Later:

Iroh: Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. (Iroh takes the tea kettle off the fire and pours it into another pot. He then begins to pour two cups.) It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind.

This is actually a pretty neutral comment. Interestingly, Iroh seems to almost be encouraging Zuko to at least partially adopt Azula’s mindset, or at least Azula’s mindset as Iroh understands it. Still, the way he talks about her seems almost dehumanizing.

Later:

Iroh: I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself!

Iroh actually (likely inadvertently) encourages Zuko to stake his self-worth on how his firebending compares to Azula’s firebending prowess!

“The Crossroads of Destiny”:

Azula: I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you? Zuko: Release him immediately! Azula:It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself. Iroh:The kind of redemption she offers is not for you. Azula: Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want. Iroh: Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want.

No real comment here, other than to note that Iroh doesn't bother addressing Azula directly in this scene.

“Sozin’s Comet, Part II”:

Iroh: Yes. [Close-up from over Zuko's shoulder.] Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. [Extreme close-up of Zuko.] But Azula will be there, waiting for you. Zuko: I can handle Azula. Iroh: Not alone! [Frontal view of Iroh from the side of Zuko.] You'll need help. Zuko: [Extreme close-up.] You're right. Katara, [Frontal view of Katara over Zuko's shoulder.] how would you like to help me put Azula in her place? Katara: It would be my pleasure.

Let’s just say the contrast with what Iroh moments earlier said about Ozai is quite palpable.

Overall, Iroh tends to be nonjudgmental, regretful, and sorrowful when he talks about Ozai, even after what Ozai did to Zuko. You get a sense that he still deeply loves his brother and wishes things had turned out differently.

By contrast, Iroh tends to be much more hostile when he talks about Azula, and even when he’s not, he seems to discuss her as an obstacle to overcome rather than a person. There is no hint of past affection in the way he discusses her.

#Iroh #anti-Iroh #Zuko #Ozai #Azula

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raewritez · 3 years ago

Text

Enough | Sokka

based on this request: You want requests? I have an idea/request if you don't mind and are still accepting them, if not I’m sorry. Maybe “friends to lovers/teammates to lovers” where Reader joins the team from Ba Sing Se and while they’re preparing for the invasion, or beyond, Sokka and Reader fall in love, or start to fall in love? I hope that makes sense. Thanks! Your writing is all wonderful! <3

word count: 3.6k

The last thing you'd expected was for the Avatar to break into your house.

You'd been upstairs in your room when you'd heard a ruckus from down below, drawing you to your feet with nervousness and light footsteps. Who was it, burglars? You made your way down the stairs, body pressed against the wall. You heard muffled whispering.

"We can't just break into random houses, Sokka!"

"Well, what else are we supposed to do?! Do you have any better ideas?"

Silence.

"That's what I thought, Aang. Just trust the process."

You peered over the corner, catching sight of the intruders. A boy, a bit shorter than you, stood awkwardly in the corner of your living room. He was dressed in yellow and orange robes, his head decorated with a blue arrow. Huh. Beside him, pulling the curtain back cautiously to scan outside, was a boy seemingly about your age. He was tall, tan skin and dark hair, dressed in a sleeveless blue tunic. You didn't peg these guys as particular threats, so you stepped down.

"Uh, hello?"

They spun around with a yelp, assuming defensive positions. The taller boy held something in his hand - a boomerang? He narrowed his eyes at you.

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

"Um, this is my house? Who are you?"

He lowered his arm, glancing around sheepishly. "Oh, uh, sorry. We needed to hide."

You raised an eyebrow. "Hide? Hide from who?"

The younger boy spoke up. "The Dai Li."

You furrowed your brows. "The Dai Li?" You questioned, confused. "Why would you need to hide from them? Did you, like, break the law?"

The older boy crossed his arms. "What? No!"

"Then why are you hiding?"

"Because they're after us!"

"Why would they be after you if you didn't break the law?"

"Because!" He was flailing his arms now, and you almost chuckled with amusement. "They - they're bad guys!"

You looked at him flatly. "That sounds like something a criminal would say."

He groaned. "Ugh, ok, ok. Once we know they're gone, we'll leave."

"Are you sure? I was gonna invite you for some tea and cookies," you teased. He glances back, as if seeing if you were serious, before turning back grumpily.

The younger boy scratches his head awkwardly. "Um, anyway, thanks for not kicking us out. I'm Aang."

You chuckle. "Yeah...no problem. I'm Y/n." You aren't quite sure why you're having a conversation with the guys who just broke into your house, but they seem nice enough. The older one's a little grouchy, but for some reason you feel safe.

Aang smiles brightly. "Nice to meet you. This is Sokka," he says, nudging his shoulder.

Sokka glances back at you. "Hey." You offer him a wave.

"So...why are you hiding in my house?"

Aang glances at Sokka, and it seems like a silent argument passes between them. Sokka shakes his head, Aang gives him an imploring look, and Sokka glares. Then he throws his hands up, mumbles a "Fine", and Aang turns back to you with a grin.

"Well, you see, I'm the Avatar," Your eyes grow wide. "And we're trying to get some important information to the Earth King. But the Dai Li don't want us to, so they're kinda chasing us."

"You're the Avatar?" You breathe. He nods cheerfully. "Wait - so, why are the Dai Li chasing you? Shouldn't they be helping?"

"Yeah, they should," Sokka says. "But they decided to, you know, not."

You're confused. The Dai Li are the highest level of protection for the people of Ba Sing Se. Why wouldn't they help the Avatar? You look around the room, spotting the closet near the door. An idea pops into your head.

"I can help." They both turn to you, looking skeptical. "I mean I can help you get out. Without being noticed."

They look at each other, hold their gaze, then turn to you and nod.

///

"I look ridiculous."

You stifle a laugh, taking in Sokka's appearance. "I think you look great. And it'll help you get by unnoticed, so that's what matters."

He's dressed in your father's trench coat, a heavy, brown beast of a thing that's so long it pools at his ankles. He's also sporting a dashing top-hat; the brim so wide it effectively shelters his face. He glares.

Aang comes bouncing in, dressed in a hooded cape that provides coverage for his tattoo. He stops short when he sees Sokka, doubling over in laughter. "Oh, you look great, Sokka."

Sokka groans, slumping over. "Let's just get out of here."

You lead them out the front door, scanning the road for any sign of threats. You step out, the boys following in tow, and walk as confidently as you can past the agents lining the street. Eventually, you successfully make it out of the middle ring. Sokka immediately sheds his disguise.

"Well, here you go," you say, looking around. Although only one ring above you, the Upper Ring is much nicer than you're used to. "Good luck with the Earth King."

Aang's eyes grow wide. "Wait! You should...you should come with us!"

You tilt your head. "Come with you where?"

"Back to our place! You could meet our friends!" He nudges Sokka, who appears disinterested. "Right, Sokka?"

Sokka's eyes snap to yours. "Oh, uh, sure. I guess."

You're about to politely decline, but Aang is staring at you so hopefully that you can't turn him down. You smile softly. "Sure, Aang."

"Awesome! Let's go."

You're led through the cobblestone pathways, eyes trailing after ornate carriages and towering buildings. Soon, you reach their house. The home of the Avatar. Sokka walks up and turns the knob, jumping back in surprise. In front of him stands a girl, not much younger than you, with her hands on her hips and her eyes bright with anger.

"Where have you been?!" She demands, dragging him inside by his collar. "We've been worried sick! I mean, you didn't even leave a note, didn't say anything-"

"We're sorry, Katara," Aang intervenes, hands raised in peaceful greeting. "We got caught up."

It's then that her eyes fall on you, gaze softening into uncertainty. She looks at Sokka expectantly.

"Oh!" He exclaims, stepping back and gesturing towards you. "This is Y/n. She helped us get away from the Dai Li."

The girl, Katara as she'd been called, offered you a slight smile of gratitude. "Thank you for helping my idiot brother."

You chuckled, grinning at the look of betrayal Sokka gave the girl. "It was no problem."

She nodded, extending her arm. "Do you want to come in?"

You glanced towards Aang, who was smiling excitedly. "Oh, yeah, sure."

You stepped inside, feeling a bit awkward. You didn't really understand why Aang wanted you to come so badly, but it was a kind gesture nonetheless. You scanned the interior; emerald walls adorned with gold plating that was probably more expensive than your whole apartment. You fidgeted your fingers, standing by while Katara and Sokka bickered about responsibility. A slam startled you out of your thoughts.

"Who's this?" A girl stepped out of the - hole? Yeah, hole, she'd just kicked a hole in the wall. Katara paused her lecture.

"Toph, this is Y/n. She helped Sokka and Aang with the Dai Li."

"Cool." She yawned, walking past you and plopping on the couch.

"We need to get to the Earth King," Sokka said, assuming a demeanor of focus and determination. "If the Dai Li aren't going to help us get to him, we'll have to do it ourselves." He briefly explained his plan, something about breaking into the fancy party that was happening later that night. They came up with roles, with guidelines for what each person should do, working together like a well-oiled machine. You felt out of place, you didn't know what your purpose was here. Aang turned to you, smiling softly.

"Y/n, you in?"

You stared. You couldn't comprehend the reason this boy had so much faith in you, the reason these kids were so willing to let you in on their scheme after just meeting you less than an hour ago. You didn't understand why you trusted them, either. You smiled.

"I'm in."

///

That was your first mistake.

When you'd agreed to break into an Earth Kingdom party with the Avatar, you didn't think you'd end up having to flee your home. You sat upon Appa's back, knees pulled to your chest as Ba Sing Se grew smaller. Sokka was steering, and the rest had their heads tucked into their hands. Except for Aang, who was lying unconscious next to Katara.

You'd remained in the city with Katara as the rest of the group separated, happy to spend some time with your newfound friend. It was then that things got messy; you found out the Fire Nation had infiltrated the government, the local tea-boy was actually a banished prince, and you found yourself in the crystal catacombs as a battle went on around you. You'd been there with Zuko and Katara, and you weren't sure exactly what'd gone down between them but it was obviously something serious, and you'd been there as he joined his sister - Azula. She was pretty scary.

You fought the best you could, your unpracticed earth-bending not doing much damage against the Dai Li agents, before Aang was struck by Azula's lightning. Now, you sat atop his sky-bison, mind racing and body numb from the shock of it all. You were in way over your head.

The five of you met up with Sokka and Katara's dad after dropping off the Earth King, because, you know, he was just casually there, too, boarding a Fire Nation ship as a means of disguise. Sokka introduced you to his father, Hakoda, who welcomed you with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Y/n. Sokka's told me a lot about you. You two must really get along well," he said when Sokka was out of ear reach, voice laced with mirth. You flushed when you registered what he was implying; the mischief gleaming in his eyes. You frantically tried to put a sentence together.

"Oh, we're not - he doesn't...I mean we do, but not like-" He cut you off with a chuckle and a friendly pat to your shoulder.

"I'm just teasing. Come on, let's join the others."

You sat with your friends and the Water Tribesmen aboard the steely deck, huddling with Toph and Sokka for warmth. Katara went downstairs to heal Aang, who had yet to wake. Your meals mainly consisted of rice as it was too risky to stop and buy more supplies. You were still dressed in your Earth Kingdom clothes; green-tinted pants and a tunic, feet clad in worn-down boots. Not ideal for posing as a Fire Nation soldier.

You were still in shock, you supposed, at how quickly things changed and how fiercely your life was ripped from you. I mean, just a few days ago you were a normal kid living in the middle ring of Ba Sing Se, where nothing remotely exciting ever happened. Then, the Avatar and his friend had broken into your house and now everything was different. You weren't upset, it was just a lot to process. You were worried for Aang and a bit overwhelmed at the reality that seemed to be your new friends' normal. So when everyone else returned to their rooms for sleep, you made your way to the overlook.

The moon beamed down over the sea - ivory light caressing the waves and kissing the surface. You breathed deeply, inhaling the cool night air that smelled of salt-water and a freedom you'd never experienced. You sat there, slightly chilly from the cold, when a warm presence took place by your side.

You glanced up, seeing Sokka's skin glowing under the starlight. Woah, had he always been this pretty? It was probably just the moon...that and your sleep deprivation. Yeah, that was it.

"What're you doing up?" He questioned, eyes cast out to the horizon. His hair was loose from its usual ponytail - wolf-tail, as he'd passionately pointed out to you days earlier - the dark locks flowing freely about his face. You tore your eyes away, following his stare.

"Just couldn't sleep," you glanced over. "You?"

He sighed, leaning against the metal. "Me neither. Just worried."

You turned to face him, face softening into concern. "About what?"

He ran a hand through his hair. "About Aang. About the Earth Kingdom...just...everything."

You moved closer, resting your forearms against the edge of the ship. He pressed his shoulder against yours.

"I get it. I am, too. Everything that's happening is just...crazy. There's no way I could've even imagined it."

Sokka tilted his head towards you, blue eyes glimmering with compassion and softness. "Yeah...how are you doing? I haven't really asked, I mean, this must be kinda shocking for you."

You snorted, nodding your head. "Well, yeah. But it's ok. I'm not the one who has it worst right now."

"Sure, but you can still talk about it. You can talk to me...if you want."

You smiled up at him, his face shadowed by the abyss of the night. "Thanks."

He offered you a grin before staring up at the sky. "You know, that's my first girlfriend," he said, pointing at the moon.

"The moon?" He nodded. "That's...rough."

///

It was finally here. The day of Black Sun.

You'd be lying if you said you felt totally prepared, but with some rigorous earth bending lessons from Toph and sparring with Sokka, you felt more confident in your abilities.

A finger poked your cheek. "Hey, are you listening?"

You glanced at Sokka's teasing grin, scratching the back of your neck sheepishly. "Uh...yes?"

"Really," he said, moving to stand in front of you. "What did I say?"

"Something about...food?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "It's ok, I'll tell you later." He looked behind him, taking in the sight of the preparing fighters and looming submarines. He took your hand in his. "Are you ready for this?"

You sigh, squeezing his fingers between your own. "Ready as I'll ever be."

He smiles down at you, and the look in his eyes is pure adoration. He reaches to tuck a stray piece of hair behind your ear. "You know, I'm glad I broke into your house."

You snort, swatting his hand away. "Yeah, yeah. Thanks a lot, nerd."

He chuckles. "Hey, I know you're glad, too. Otherwise, you never would've met me and would've been miserable and bored your whole life."

You laugh, but it's probably true. You and Sokka had grown much closer over the past weeks, days spent in playful conversation and evening strolls, in play-wrestling and heads rested on shoulders. You were the one he came to when his mind was troubled, when his energy was too spent to conjure any jokes. Yeah, you were glad, too.

You were called into the submarines - Sokka's invention, something you were unfathomably proud of - and off you went. Into the Fire Nation. Your arrival went mostly smoothly, disregarding the few punctures in the submarine walls, and you ran out of the carrier with the earth at your fingertips. Aang had flown off to fight the Fire Lord, and it was up to the rest of you to deal with everyone else. Your heart pumped loudly, blood rushing in your ears and adrenaline flowing in your veins. You raised your arms, summoning the ground upwards to knock out a few soldiers.

"Y/n!"

You turned around just in time to see Katara swoop down on Appa, Sokka and Hakoda climbing up with her. "Come on!" she yelled. "We're going to take out the soldier's battlements."

You nodded, running towards the bison and pulling yourself atop the saddle with help from Sokka. Appa lifts off, reaching between the battlements.

"Katara and I will take the one on the right," Hakoda said, his voice one of a true commander. "Sokka and Y/n, the left. Let's go."

You climb the battlement, hoisting yourself inside through the window before scanning the room. Pointed outwards is a sort of cannon, aimed perfectly towards the group of fire benders that were advancing towards your friends. You step forward, trying to figure out the mechanics while Sokka climbs in. "Oh-ho," he says, taking note of the projection of the cannon. "This thing is just begging to be fired."

You nodded, toying with the controls. Sokka stepped behind you. "Here, I'll show you."

He placed his palm over your hand, guiding it to where it needed to be. From his pocket he pulled a match - where did that come from, anyway? - and nudged it between your fingers. "Light it up, Sunshine."

You place the tip to the ignition, Sokka aiming the cannon. He pulls you back against him, arms wound tightly around your waist, and you cover your ears. The canon booms, sending out a flurry of smoke. You rush forward, fearful of the damage you might have just inflicted, breathing out when you see that it only landed between the soldiers and your friends. It didn't hit them, something you were a bit grateful for, but it allowed the fighters to evade the onslaught. Sokka chuckled in your ear.

"Not bad, not bad."

"You did all the work."

"That's not true! You were vital."

You shake your head, fighting off a grin. "Ok, we should probably get rid of this thing now."

"Agreed."

You climb back out the window, jumping onto the ground with a thud. Breathing deeply, you concentrated your mind on the earth that lay below the battlement, and with a flick of your wrist, it crumbled. From the cliffside it fell, effectively ridding you of one other thing to worry about.

Sokka let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

You turned to him, out of breath. He stepped closer, brows knitted in slight concern as he lifted your chin with his knuckles. "Hey, you ok?"

You nodded, swallowing and trying to rewatch your breath. "Yeah, still a little new to this."

His thumb stroked your cheek before he moved his arm, placing it over your shoulders. "Come on, just stay with me."

You did, gladly.

///

So...things didn't exactly go as planned.

It turned out that the Fire Lord knew all along about the invasion, and Aang never had the chance to fight him. You'd come face-to-face with Azula again, something that made your blood boil. You'd had to leave - leaving the adults behind while the kids climbed aboard Appa's saddle. You were all exhausted, slumped over and falling to your knees when you finally reached the Western Air Temple.

You tried to mull your sadness; that guilty feeling that it was you who should've been left behind instead. You knew everyone was hurting - some in ways you couldn't really fathom. Aang felt like he had failed - again - and he went to bed that night with a half-hearted side hug and tired eyes. Toph felt weak, something she hated more than anything in the world. And Sokka and Katara...they'd lost their dad again.

So when you saw Sokka on the mountainside, head held in hands, you felt that he was more important. You plopped down next to him, his eyes snapping up and softening when they laid on you. No words were spoken; they didn't need to be. Instead, he sighed, pressing his cheek against your shoulder. You ran your fingers through his hair, soothing him with your touch. You only halted when he laced your fingers with his own, pulling your hand to his lap and tracing patterns across your skin.

"It's not your fault, Sokka."

He nodded against you, but you heard his sniff. You straightened up, his head begrudgingly lifting from its place against you before you cupped his face with your palm. "It's not," you implored, desperate for him to stop feeling so down on himself. "None of us could've predicted that they knew. And with Azula...she knew what she was doing. None of this is because of you."

He glanced away, blue eyes brimming with the tears he'd fought so hard to keep at bay. He dipped his head in silent acceptance, nuzzling against the warmth of your palm. You smiled sadly.

"It's not over, Sokka. There's still hope, now more than ever. And I know we'll figure it out."

He raised his gaze, and it seemed like his soul was carried in his stare. Slowly, enough so that you thought you imagined it, his eyes drifted down to your lips. He leaned in slowly, bringing his calloused hand to brush back your hair. You were frozen, as if one wrong move would shatter you from this dream. His palm was warm against your cheek, and his nose bumped your own. Your eyes met his, close enough together that it was a bit funny to look at, and he offered you a silent question. You answered with your lips against his.

He breathed against you, fingers carding through your hair. His lips were warm and oh, so soft, and they moved against yours with ease. You wound your arms around his neck, bringing him closer. He was warm, and he was familiar, and he was safe. You pulled apart when your lungs ached for air, peeling your eyes open with effort. He was looking at you, and you were looking at him, and suddenly a grin broke out across his face. He laughed breathily, nudging his head into the crook of your neck. You laughed with him, holding him tight. You sat there together for who knows how long, melted in each other's embrace under the light of the moon. He pressed soft kisses against your neck and whispered thanks into your ears. You responded with a peck to his tanned cheeks. You were right, he knew. It wasn't over. There was time left, and there was hope. Wrapped in your arms, he was sure of that.

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ssreeder · 2 years ago

Note

In honor of the ask asking for your top 10 atla scenes.... I now want to know the 10 scenes you just absolutely hate, despise, would want to delete from the show altogether.

(if you don't got 10 it's fine, even only one really)

Haha this is funny,,,

So idk if I would say despise or hate any scene but I can share my least favorite?

1. Aang kissing katara after she told him she needed space. It came off forceful & it really put a creepy energy around aang which I didn’t appreciate. I enjoy aang and i felt it was very out of character for him to do that. i don’t think the writing there was very well thought out and I’ve seen people call him very unkind words because of it,

2. Iroh pretending to be paralyzed so he could lay on top of a paralyzed June. I saw it as a conflict of character because he’s supposed to be this wonderfully amazing so wise uncle and yet he was a fucking pervert here.

3. Ummm I would have made some adjustments to the Zuko comes into azulas room to confront her and she acts oddly sexual around him which idk was very…. Weird to me? I think maybe the writers and animators didn’t have the best communication or something because i understood the direction I THINK they were trying to go but the execution was a little too seductive for my taste.

I’m not sure if there are any more I would remove (I could be missing something but I’m done over thinking it) I WILL SAY … there are some things I would have added to make scenes/plot points I disliked a bit better?

1. katara going up to Sokka after she told him he didn’t love their mother as much as him and apologizing. Like Wtf that was super cruel & the writers should have held her accountable for what she said and made her apologize.

2. Some fucking Ozai iroh background or SOME kind of explainatipn why iroh pretty much REFUSED to have any involvement with Ozai. Even neglecting after three years to tell Zuko Ozai was cruel and a bad father iroh straight up just avoided it in my opinion & then did this whole speech of “brother vs brother is not a way to end the war”

BUTTTT….

Teenager brother & SISTER is totally acceptable go fuck your sister up Zuko bring me back a t shirt. (Or die idk she can shoot Lightning you can’t sucks for you have funnn looovvveeee youuuyu)

3. Ok idk what this counts as (yes it��s a children’s show so I do understand the children had to be the hero’s but like….) WHYYYYY DID every white lotus member stay in BSS??? I think each CHILD soldier group should have had a fucking chaperone or something. Come on iroh for fucks sake dude.

4. I also wish they would have let katara keep her hand scars. It would be a good message that accidents sometimes carry heavy consequences & even if you’re sorry it doesn’t magically fix the situation. I think katara would have been able to be even more relatable & badass if she had hand scars. (I mean spirit water still gave aang a scar so….. idk this is my more person preference haha.)

Ok sorry this went a weird direction but all together I love the show :) obviously. Haha.

Thanks for the ask.

#whatever they did a decent job #I’m not here to argue politics with people either #these are my personal opinions #& I’m not willing to die on this hill #you wanna argue that iroh is the best fucking uncle in the world and did everything write #HELL YEAH good for you I love that for you #I just don’t feel the same #& that is O K A Y #also Jet #like everything around Jet could have been done a bit more tastefully #he legit had a horrible fucking life and then died #& then his death was a punchline later one #another scene is the whole toph wants to bond with Zuko and he shrugs her off #or he belittles her trauma #idc if he has a ‘harder life than her’ fuck that #everyone is allowed to feel validated #& idk I didn’t like how toph trying to connect wtih Zuko and share things with him was made as a joke #anywayyyy sorry for the rant #almost everything in ATLA is amazing #I obviously ADORE the show #but ehhh some scenes I’m like oh shit that was very 2000s #or wow was to project through aang guys #of course me disliking a lot about iroh puts a damper on a lot of parts of the show that people love #that & the perfect dad Hakoda #like idk what show I was watching #but I missed that part #I see hakodas flaws from like a mile away #anywayyyyy ok I’m done for real #ask #avatar critical

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atlabeth · 4 years ago

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Well first off I just want to say congrats on your 200 followers!!!!! You deserve it. In your prompt list I want to do #32. Can you do a Sokka x fem reader where she is Toph’s older sister and they start dating. It can be apart of the ATLA timeline or modern it’s up to you 😊

come back safe - sokka x fem!beifong reader

summary: you and sokka have to part ways in ba sing se, but he’s not letting you go without saying his piece.

a/n: im just gonna assume that you meant 32 from the fluff list, if you meant angst or general then im sorry!! but thank you sm for requesting :-) and a personal thank you for always sending in asks, your support for transferred means the world!!!

also i did this surprisingly fast?? me getting a request done in a reasonable amount of time?? who am i ???

wc: 1.2k

warning(s): some sad sokka moments and some very intense dramatic irony lmao, but mostly fluff

32. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t plan on doing that.”

-----------------------

Parting from your friends was never easy. Ever since you had run away from home with your sister, Team Avatar had become a surrogate family, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. Toph was a whirlwind in her own way, but Aang, Katara, and Sokka all got her in ways that your parents never had, not to mention how you were finally able to be yourself away from the world of Earth Kingdom nobility. You couldn’t offer Aang any of the earthbending wisdom you sister had in spades, but your skill with blades made you a valuable asset nonetheless.

That connection made it so much harder to separate.

After leaving Gaoling, you had never been apart from the group for longer than a couple of days. But visiting your mother would take at least a week, not to mention everyone else was going off in their own directions — Aang to visit a guru to help control the Avatar State, Sokka to see his dad, Katara staying in the city to aid the Earth King. You would all be saying goodbye for an unprecedented amount of time.

To put it in simple terms? You were freaking out.

You and Toph had gone against direct orders from your parents to join the Avatar, and no sooner had you earned the support of the Earth King when you found out about the letter from your mother. It was.. strange, to say the least.

As Beifongs, you were held to impossible standards, and what the two of you did broke every single one of them. You were skeptical when you first read the letter to Toph, but she was so excited at the possibility of your parents finally coming to accept the two of you that you couldn’t say no.

After taking care of last minute affairs, you ended up back in your room to begin packing. You and your sister would be making the journey on foot, so you wanted to be prepared for anything that could happen — you might’ve just been going through the Upper Ring, but you had come to not discount anything in Ba Sing Se.

You finished folding the last of Toph’s clothes and closed the bag, and at that moment you heard a knock on the door. “It’s open!” you called as you moved onto your own pack. You glanced up to see your visitor, and the corner of your lips quirked up when you saw it was Sokka.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey yourself,” he said as he shut the door behind him. “Listen, do you have a moment to talk? Before you leave, I mean. I know you’re on a tight schedule and all.”

“I always have a moment for you.” You set another article of clothing in your bag and clapped your hands together softly as you turned to face him. “What’s up?”

“I’ve been thinking a lot about where you’re going. You know, you and Toph going to see your mom.”

“Oh, yeah. Exciting, isn’t it? It’ll be an interesting meeting.” You chuckled, a notion lacking in mirth. “Wonder what she’s going to say after we gave up our entire lives to help the Avatar without their permission.”

“Just.. whatever goes on, be safe, okay? If you get hurt out there, I don’t know what I’ll do.”

The sincerity in his voice shocked you a bit, but you gave him a light punch on the shoulder, choosing to shoot back in your usual joking manner. “Well, it’s a good thing I don’t plan on doing that.”

“I’m serious, Y/N.”

You smiled and shrugged as you folded another tunic and placed it into your bag. “Sokka, we’re just going to the edge of the upper ring. You have nothing to worry about!”

He sighed and shook his head. “Look. I don’t have the best track record with people that I’m close to. I couldn’t save my mom, and I couldn’t protect our tribe, and I couldn’t save Yue. It’s like the moment I start to care about anyone, something bad happens to them, and I can’t do anything to stop it. And now you’re going off to the city to see your mom, and even though it’s so close, I just can’t shake this feeling, and I— I don’t know what I’ll do with myself if something happens to you too.”

Your brows creased as the full weight of his words hit you. “Sokka.. are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

He stepped closer and took your hands in his, those ocean eyes holding a softness you had never seen before. “I care about you, Y/N, so much that it hurts. So I know it sounds ridiculous, but I need you to promise me that you’ll come home safe.”

There was only a moment’s hesitation before you tugged on his hands to bring him even closer, your eyes fluttering shut as your lips met his.

“I care about you too,” you responded quietly, a small smile gracing your features. “And I promise I’ll be safe. Just for you.”

“Good.” He smiled as well and gave you another soft kiss, one that quickly became more heated as you got lost in each other. You could feel the pure emotion, the sadness, that he poured into it, and that feeling made you want to give this boy everything in the world. You had almost tuned out the world completely until the door was pushed open and Aang’s voice rang through the air.

“Sokka, are you almost ready? I saw you come in h— oh, spirits, I’m so sorry!”

You and Sokka immediately separated, jumping apart from each other so quickly you nearly tripped over your own feet. You quickly gathered yourself and leaned against the table your bags were set on, giving Aang an easy-going smile in an attempt to cover up your breathlessness.

“Aang!” Your voice was unnaturally high as you used your hands to talk. “He was just… checkin’ in on me. Making sure that I was ready. Just.. nothing going on here. Just.. two friends.. bein’ friends. And.. gettin’ ready. As friends.”

You could hear Sokka snort behind you as he tried to keep his composure as well — Aang, meanwhile, was as red as a fire ferret as he began to back away.

“You know, I can just come back later! Or you can come to me, Sokka. Whenever you’re ready. I won’t tell anyone, I promise!” He gave you guys one last slightly panicked smile then darted off, causing the two of you to dissolve into laughter.

You glanced at Sokka with a shy smile as you felt your cheeks burning up, and that just made him laugh even harder. “Think he’ll keep that promise?”

You sighed happily and shrugged. “You know what? I don’t even care. And I think I’ll try extra hard to stay alive if it means there’s more kisses like that in the future.”

Sokka gave you a heart-melting smile and walked over to the door. “Just come home safe, and you’ll get all the kisses you want.”

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin

#atlabeth 200 #avatar the last airbender #atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar #atla fic #avatar fic #avatar the last airbender fic #avatar x reader #sokka #sokka avatar #sokka atla #sokka x reader #sokka x y/n #sokka x you #reader insert #sadie writes #tiffanyy-21

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beifongsss · 4 years ago

Text

nightmares [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader (hopefully the tags work this time)

Summary: Another request from an anon. “ your writing is so good aa!! what about having to share a bed w zuko (or sokka tbh i’m a simp for both) for a couple nights bc there weren’t enough beds for everyone and no one else wanted to “. First of all: thank you!! I’m glad you enjoy my writing :) <3. Second of all, the ideas I had for this fic just seemed to work best with Sokka so forgive me for not choosing Zuko.

Also, I apologize if I haven’t gotten to your request. Some of them really stump me and I have trouble with planning out a fic so some of them might be done in bullet format instead of a fic.

Note!! Suki and Sokka didn’t happen!! pls i’m sorry.

masterlist.

It had been Aang’s idea to go back to Ember Island to celebrate Zuko’s coronation. Zuko, although hesitant, eventually agreed. The royal family’s beach house stood empty and Zuko was finally ready to go back, finally being part of a happy family once more.

It was a larger group than originally anticipated. You had accidentally let it slip to Suki, who then let it slip to Ty Lee, who then informed Mai. The beach house seemed too crowded, not that anyone minded. The only issue was that there weren’t enough rooms to house everyone, even with Zuko and Mai sharing a room already.

The ones who were left didn’t want to share a room, claiming that it was supposed to be a relaxing getaway and that sharing a room with someone wouldn’t exactly be relaxing.

“Alright, alright,” Aang had finally said, his Avatar peacemaking skills coming out. “Look, there’s not enough rooms for everyone to have their own so two of us will need to double up.”

Grumbles spread throughout the group as Aang’s words settled in.

“Listen,” Zuko said. “Whoever chooses to double up can have the master bedroom. Trust me, that bed is big enough to share without ever touching each other.”

“C’mon everyone,” Katara said, picking up a hat. “Write your names on a piece of paper, put them in here, and then Zuko will choose.”

Everyone did as told, crossing their fingers and holding their breaths as Zuko moved his hand around, shuffling the papers before picking one out.

“Okay the first person is,” Zuko began, unfolding the paper. “(Y/N)!”

You huffed silently, crossing your arms and ignoring the relieved sighs of everyone else.

“Don’t celebrate yet, there’s still one person left to choose,” Zuko said, rummaging around the hat again. Everyone went silent once again, waiting with baited breath as the prince Fire Lord plucked another piece of paper out of the hat. A large smirk spread across his face as he silently read the name. Looking up, he made eye contact with the water tribe boy, aiming a teasing glance at him. “The second person is Sokka.”

The group went wild, but not in celebration. Everyone knew about the feelings that the water tribe boy had for you, and everyone knew that you liked him as well. Everyone, that is, except for the two of you. You both remained oblivious to the way the other felt, causing everyone else to feel frustration whenever the two of you interacted.

“Alright,” Katara said clapping her hands to get everybody’s attention. “Let’s go get settled in and meet at the beach in thirty minutes.”

Everyone made their way to their respective rooms and you found yourself following Sokka as he entered the master bedroom. You looked around the room, gazing at the decor and the large window. There was a balcony outside, giving a clear view of the beach. The bed was pushed against a wall, a fluffy loveseat off to the side and a dresser pushed up against another wall.

“I can uh, I can take the couch,” Sokka’s said, drawing your attention back to him. He was standing in the middle of the room, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck as he avoided your gaze.

You glanced at the bed. Zuko hadn’t been lying, it was ridiculously large. Breathing in, you turned back to Sokka. “N-No. It’s okay we can share the bed.”

Sokka’s eyes widened, causing you to backtrack. “Unless you don’t w-want to. That’s-”

“No!” Sokka yelled, a little too loud. He quickly cleared his throat. “No. We can share. I don’t mind.”

You nodded silently, face burning in embarrassment before grabbing your swimsuit and heading into the bathroom to change. Once you were gone, Sokka sat on the bed, burying his face in his hands as he wondered just how he was going to survive these next few days sleeping in the same bed as you.

The rest of the day passed normally. You had helped Aang and Toph build a sand Appa, gone surfing with Katara, and even learned a few tricks from Ty Lee.

It was nice to have everyone together, especially now that they didn’t have to worry about the war. Now they had the opportunity to be normal teenagers; well as normal as one could be when Zuko was the Fire Lord and Aang was the avatar. You had gone to a local restaurant for dinner, enjoying each other’s company as you teased and told jokes.

After dinner you had gone to see a play, much to Zuko’s dismay. The Ember Island Players hadn’t gotten any better since the last time you had seen them, causing you all to leave the play early, instead choosing to head to the bustling streets. There was a festival going on, music playing and fireworks blasting as you walked through the town.

A performer jumped out at you, causing you to yelp and grab the hand closest to you. An upward glance told you that it was Sokka who you had grabbed onto. You blushed furiously, smiling softly when you felt his hand tighten around yours. You spent the rest of the night hand in hand, pretending not to notice the teasing glances from Katara and the knowing smirks from Toph.

When you finally got back to the beach house, it was late. Everyone mumbled their good nights and went straight to bed, too exhausted to stay up any later. You collapsed into bed after taking a shower, snuggling into the pillows. You opened one eye when you heard the bathroom door open, humming as you saw Sokka standing at the foot of the bed awkwardly.

“Hurry up and put out the lights,” you mumble keeping your eyes closed as you buried yourself under the covers. Sokka fidgeted and put his hair down before crawling onto the bed, lying down stiffly and putting out the candles at the bedside. You snorted as you shifted, noticing that Sokka was anything but relaxed. “Just go to sleep Sokka. It’s not like I’m gonna bite.”

Sokka blushed at your words before turning onto his side, trying to ignore your body heat as he drifted off to sleep.

It was the middle of the night when you landed on the ground with a dull thud. Sitting up, you looked over to the best, glaring at the water tribe boy when you noticed him lying spread eagle on the bed. He had unintentionally kicked you off the bed as he slept. Shaking your head, you took one of the blankets and made your way over to the couch, silently thanking the royal family for choosing comfy furniture.

It was half past dawn when Sokka was woken up by you shuffling around the room. Groaning, he sat up, running a hand through his hair before halfheartedly shooting you a glare. “Why are you up so early?”

You jumped slightly when you heard his voice before whirling around, ready to give him hell for kicking you off the bed. Your angry words were cut short however, when you noticed Sokka’s hair was down. You felt a blush rise to your cheeks before turning back around. You had always thought that Sokka was attractive, but something about him with his hair down always got you extremely flustered.

“You kicked me off the bed last night,” you replied flatly, picking up your hairbrush before taking on a teasing tone. “If you didn’t wanna share a bed you should’ve just said so.”

“I-I, no that’s n-not it,” Sokka stuttered, jumping out of bed.

“I’m joking,” you said, turning back around and flashing him a small smile. “Just...try not to kick me tonight okay?”

Sokka silently nodded his head, a sheepish expression on his face as he began to get ready for the day.

The second night came quicker than you anticipated. Ty Lee had proposed a girl’s day and had planned out so many activities that all you wanted to do by the end of the day was sleep. Luckily, you had gotten back before Sokka allowing you to shower and get ready for bed with no distractions.

By the time Sokka had walked in, the candles had been blown out. He smiled softly as he noticed your sleeping figure before showering as well and settling into bed.

Sokka was in the state between being awake and asleep, lying blissfully as he relaxed, when he was woken up by soft whimpers. Looking over to you, he frowned as he noticed a distressed expression on your face, tears beginning to stream down your face. You were having a nightmare.

“(Y/N)?” he whispered softly, not wanting to wake you up harshly. You didn’t respond to his voice, instead flinching in your sleep. Sokka hesitantly reached out to you, laying a hand on your shoulder to try and gently shake you awake. At his touch, you stopped moving, leaning into him. Sokka held his breath as you rolled over, moving closer to him in your sleep. Sighing softly, you nestled your head onto his chest, your scared whimpers subsiding as you relaxed against him. Carefully, Sokka wrapped his arms around you, bringing you closer to him.

Your breathing evened out once more as you fell into a deep sleep, no longer being plagued by nightmares. Sokka couldn’t help but stare at you in his arms, wondering how someone could be so beautiful. His heart raced as he held you and he found himself pressing a kiss to your forehead before drifting off to sleep as well.

~ The next morning you woke up because of the sunlight coming in through the window and proceeded to snuggle deeper into your pillow to avoid it.

“Good morning,” you heard Sokka chuckle, causing your head to shoot up from what you now knew was his chest, not your pillow.

“S-Sokka!” you exclaimed, trying to pull away from him. “W-What?”

“You were having nightmares,” Sokka mumbled, still half asleep. “You rolled onto me and this seemed to calm you down so I went along with it. Now shush and let me go back to sleep. In case you forgot, you woke me up early yesterday.”

You swallowed as Sokka shifted, blocking the sun for you and still holding you close. His soft snores filled your ears as you thought back to the previous night, realizing he was right after remembering your nightmares. Trying to calm your racing heart, you took another look at him before snuggling into his chest and drifting back off to sleep.

When you woke up again, Sokka was gone. A part of you was glad, knowing that you weren’t fully ready to face him after the previous night. You stepped into the dining room, being greeted by everyone smiling at you. Greeting everyone back, you made your way over to the table, taking a seat next to Aang. Looking up, you made eye contact with Sokka, causing the two of you to look away from each other immediately, blushes on your face. You took a sip of tea.

“So anything interesting happen last night?” Zuko asked, causing you to choke on your tea. You received a few weird glances. You shook your head as others replied.

“What about you Sokka?” Zuko questioned once more, noticing that Sokka was abnormally silent. Sokka glanced at you, his face softening slightly before turning back to the Fire Lord.

“Nope. Nothing at all,” he replied.

“Then why is your heart racing?” Toph asked, an innocent look on her face. Sokka’s face heated up as he shot her a glare (not that she could see it) and kicked her underneath the table, causing her to release a low hiss before kicking back. Your face went even redder, causing Mai to speak up.

“Is it hot in here (Y/N)?” she questioned, exchanging a knowing glance with Zuko.

“N-No,” you replied, looking up at her. “Why?”

Mai picked up her cup of tea, taking a sip before putting it back down, a smirk on her face. “Oh no reason, you just seem a little flushed.”

The rest of your day proceeded normally, with the exception of a few comments made to either you or Sokka, which usually ended with the two of you looking like a bright red mess.

That night, both you and Sokka lied wide awake next to each other. Sleep had been evading the two of you, yet neither one of you had acknowledged it.

It wasn’t until Sokka turned onto his side, facing you, that the silence was broken.

“(Y/N)?” the blue-eyed boy questioned, causing you to turn and face him. You stared at him for a moment, noticing the way his hair fell over his eyes and how his eyes seemed to shine brightly even though it was dark. You didn’t say anything, merely humming in reply to tell him that you had heard him. “What was your nightmare about?”

You hesitated slightly before answering, something that Sokka noticed.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he whispered. “I’m sorry for asking.”

“No,” you replied immediately. “It’s okay. It’s just, it’s not really something I like to think about.”

Sokka nodded in understanding as you breathed in deeply.

“In my nightmare,” you began, looking away from him. “We’re aboard the Fire Nation’s airship fleet. Everything is going as planned until it’s not. Suddenly there we are, separated from Suki and Toph and you’re hanging on to the railing of the ship. I keep trying to get to you but there’s just so much fire and debris and I can’t reach you until all of a sudden I can. But when I reach you, you’re gone. You’re gone and Suki and Toph are crying and I’m crying because I wasn’t strong enough to save you.”

“Y-Your nightmares are about me?” Sokka asked, staring at you with a look that can only be described as a mix between sadness and astonishment. You nodded, still not meeting his eyes. “Why?”

“Because I’m afraid of losing you,” you whispered back, finally looking at him. “Because losing you was the only thing that was on my mind when we were taking down the airship fleet even though destroying the ships was supposed to be our priority.”

“But why?” Sokka asked, still not understanding what you were talking about. “Zuko was out there fighting his crazy sister! I think that’s a little more daunting than taking down a few airships.”

“But I don’t love Zuko,” you said, effectively shutting him up.

Sokka’s eyes went as wide as saucers as he took in your words. “You mean...you l-love me?”

You nodded your head, holding your breath as you realized that you had just confessed your feelings.

“I love you too,” came Sokka’s quiet reply, a blush overtaking his features as he smiled at you. Now it was your turn to look at him in shock. “I have ever since you told me off for being a hotheaded, sexist jerk.”

You chuckled as you remembered that argument. He had made a comment about you and Katara being girls and you had gotten upset, resulting in you insulting him. By the time you were done with him, he had been looking at you in a way you couldn’t really describe until right now. He had been lovestruck.

“I can’t believe it took you this long to confess,” you teased

“Can you blame me?” he retorted. “You’re pretty intimidating when you want to be!”

You chuckled before shifting closer to him. You grew quiet before speaking. “You know, last night was the first night that my nightmares didn’t keep me up all night.”

“If you wanted to cuddle with me you could’ve just asked,” Sokka replied, smiling smugly as he wrapped his arms around you. You rolled your eyes before tangling your legs with his. “I’ll keep you safe from your nightmares.”

You smiled softly before looking up at him, being taken by surprise when you noticed him already looking at you.

“C-Can I kiss you?” he asked quietly.

You nodded wordlessly, closing your eyes when you felt Sokka’s lips brush yours. You shuddered slightly before leaning up and fully pressing your lips to his. His arms tightened around you as he kissed you, and yours wrapped themselves around his neck. You pulled away, meeting Sokka’s eyes as he smiled down at you. Silently, he pressed another kiss to your forehead before resting his chin on your head.

The two of you drifted off into the most peaceful sleep either one of you had had since the end of the war.

Sokka woke up grumpily the next morning, reaching out for you when he realized you were no longer wrapped up in his arms. Letting out a low whine, he sat up, realizing that you were gone. He quickly changed into his day clothes, too lazy to tie his hair up before heading downstairs. He entered the dining room groggily, rubbing at his eyes before making his way over to you, leaning down and pressing a kiss to your lips.

You melted into the kiss, only pulling away when Katara dropped her fork.

“When did this happen?” she asked, eyes wide as she looked between you and her brother.

Finally wide awake, Sokka looked at everyone with an embarrassed expression. He looked at you in a panic before answering. “Last night.”

“You guys really just had to confess last night, didn’t you?” Toph groaned, pulling out a handful of coins and handing them to Zuko.

Everyone else grumbled as they handed Zuko their coins as well. You sat there gaping at them, before scoffing in exasperation. “I can’t believe you guys placed bets on us?”

“I can’t believe Zuko won,” Aang muttered, looking at the Fire Lord before looking back down on his plate.

“It wasn’t that hard. I said you’d confess in the bedroom,” Zuko said, a smirk on his face as he made eye contact with you. “The best part was pretending that the second name that came out of the hat was Sokka’s.”

The room exploded into chaos at Zuko’s words, with Toph shouting all kinds of insults at the Fire Lord as she realized that he had rigged the bet to work out in his favor.

You and Sokka sat silently as you watched everyone argue.

“Y’know what?” Sokka asked, putting his arm around you. “I can’t say I’m mad about what Zuko did.”

Looking up at Sokka, you smiled before pressing a kiss to his jaw. “Me neither.”

~ ahahahaa i hope this is good and i hope you like it and it turned out completely different than what i originally had planned and i hope the tags work this time.

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firelxdykatara · 3 years ago

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Katara x Aang :3c

are you trying to get me in trouble

-cough-

no but in all honesty, my genuine feelings about kataang boil down to three major points: 1. it's boring, and does not jive thematically with either of their character arcs, to the point of, 2. actively hampering character development on both sides, and 3. katara deserved better.

points expanded under the cut. (please, if you're a kataang shipper and you see this, just keep scrolling. i've tagged it appropriately and put the bulk under a cut and at this point that's literally all i can do lmfao.)

send me a ship and get my (brutally) honest opinion!

1. It's Boring: This is the most subjective point on the list (I mean, in fairness, it's all subjective, but I have evidence from the show and post-canonical materials to support my other points; this one is just preference), but there's just... nothing to kataang. It's cute (when it's not actively aggravating), and... that's about it. It's not even that I dislike friends-to-lovers as a shipping trope (though it's not my overall preference), because there are a lot of friends-to-lovers couples that I do ship (kanej comes to mind, also will/elizabeth from potc, karolsen from supergirl, romione and hinny from hp, among others), but one thing that I think all of those couples have that kataang doesn't is that both sides of the pairing are teens or adults when they get together, with teen/adult dynamics and issues and stories to deal with, rather than one half being a teenager and the other being literally prepubescent.

And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with age gap ships in general. And as far as atla goes, Katara, at 14, has the same age difference from Zuko (16) as Aang has from her, and it's never stopped me--because both Katara and Zuko are well into puberty when they meet and I have no problem picturing them being into one another and growing together as they enter adulthood. Aang, on the other hand, is a child. And he acts like it. Which wouldn't be a problem, if the show weren't expecting me to believe he is a) ready for a romantic relationship, and b) ready for one specifically with Katara, who is not only older and far more mature but is specifically cast as his caretaker in a very maternal role for the entire show's run.

This show asks me to believe that a teenage girl well into adolescence is going to be attracted to and develop romantic feelings for a pre-adolescent child--and it asks me to believe this while showing us otherwise that Katara's type is actually older boys with fabulous hair and angsty pasts in all of her other potential romantic dalliances--and then enter into a relationship with him, all while ignoring the elephant in the room that is the fact that she was basically acting like his mother for the entire series to that point. (Something that is heavily lampshaded earlier in the very same season.) That just stretches the bounds of credulity way too far for me, especially when there's no evidence that Katara herself would get anything out of their romantic relationship.

There's nothing there for me to sink my teeth into. No delicious development, no parallels where they help each other grow, no internal conflicts that they have to work through together, nothing. Certainly no reason for me to actually believe Katara feels (or would grow to feel) anything for him other than the platonic affection of a caretaker. I can easily believe she loves him dearly, as a friend and quasi-little-brother, but I just can't see that developing naturally into romantic love--not the way it's presented in the show.

And even if they did manage to at least make the development of Katara's feelings believable, unless they changed something fundamental about the nature of their relationship, it'd still be boring, so.

2. It Actively Hampers Their Character Development--On Both Sides: I've written before (extensively lol im so sorry) about how kataang is actively detrimental to Katara and to Aang. In short (because ye gods this post is already getting long enough), Katara is narratively harmed by being shoved into a relationship that completely ignores her stated feelings--a relationship that had been presented as a one-sided puppylove crush for the vast majority of the series--and it inhibits her growth as a character in ways that become far more obvious in the comics and lok, where the very same creative forces that lead to her beginning a relationship with Aang in the first place reduce her to 'the Avatar's girl' and very little else, all the way through to the end of LoK (where she is a Healer and the Avatar's wife and, again, very little else).

As for Aang:

As to how this relationship is detrimental to Aang (other than the comics and LoK nonsense)? Just take a look at book 2, when he’s trying to learn Earthbending from Toph. Katara constantly coddles him. Much of the time, she’s afraid to be anything other than gentle and understanding with Aang--partly because of her fear that if she pushes him too far, he’ll run away. (Which he does, several times.) But sometimes, what Aang needs to grow is a sharp kick in the slats, which Toph was more than willing to provide--and which worked. Katara was great for teaching Aang to waterbend, but he needed more than that to grow as a person. And he can’t get that while he’s in a relationship with someone who will apologize for getting upset when he was very explicitly neglecting her.

In addition, it is pointed out by Guru Pathik at the end of Book 2 that one of Aang's chakras is blocked by his attachment to Katara. Aang takes this to mean (incorrectly) that he has to stop loving her in order to become fully realized as an Avatar, but this is actually part of the problem--because the issue isn't that he is in love with Katara, it's that he's possessively attached to her. He believes himself entitled to her love in return, rather than selflessly loving someone regardless of whether or not they return that affection. (This is obvious come the EIP episode, where Aang demands to know why he and Katara aren't in a relationship already--because he kissed her without asking [or even checking to see if she'd be ok with kissing him], which he phrases as mutual even though it very much was not, and he gets angry and violates her boundaries when she says that she is confused and doesn't want to think about it right then.)

It is his attachment to Katara--the need for her to return his love, the belief that she will and it is only a matter of time before he gets what he wants--that he was supposed to let go of, not his feelings for her in general. Unfortunately, while he pays lipservice to doing this (far too late for it to be useful--if he'd stayed with the Guru for five more minutes and unlocked his chakra there, that battle would've gone very differently), he almost immediately backtracks on that development come book 3, and there isn't another single whisper of Aang maybe growing up and moving past his one-sided and possessive crush and realizing that even if Katara doesn't feel the same way, it doesn't mean she loves him less or that their friendship is less important.

What really needed to happen, for Aang to grow as a person and become fully realized as an Avatar, was for him to grow up. To realize that his feelings were not of paramount importance, and that even if he was in love with Katara, he was not entitled to her love in return. He should have been able to move past his need for her to love him back, in order to get past that stumbling block, unlock his chakras, and regain the Avatar State in time to face the Firelord. But he didn't. As a result, they had to find some other way to just give him the Avatar State (a well-placed rock) and the means to defeat Ozai without killing him (the deus ex lionturtle) and his entire character arc just fell apart in the third act rather than reaching a satisfying conclusion.

3. Katara Deserved Better: This really ties into how her romantic relationship with Aang hampered her own development, but I'm still bitter enough about it that it gets its own bullet-point. And the biggest single reason I could never ship kataang--the thing that would've turned me off even if there were substance and a halfway decent storyline for them--is the fact that Aang kisses her without her consent (for the second time) in Ember Island Players, Katara gets angry at him and storms off, and then..... she walks out onto the balcony to make out with him.

With nothing to bridge that gap.

It's bad enough that a show aimed at children had a scene where the child protagonist kissed the object of his affections without her consent when she didn't want him to (made explicit by her angry reaction)--and this is absolutely an issue when the show is aimed at children and it may well be the first experience they've had with consent issues portrayed in media--but this moment is never addressed again. Katara just decides--completely off-screen--that she does love him Really and walks out to make out with him in the epilogue. There's no conversation, no apology for violating her boundaries, no discussion of why that was wrong or any indication that Aang understands what he did and why it upset her. They don't have a single one-on-one interaction between that kiss and the epilogue, and the only other time they are on screen together, Aang yells at her and storms off.

So, even leaving the comics and lok aside, Katara deserved much better from her own romantic plotline. In fact, she deserved to have one, rather than simply being the oblivious object of Aang's affections, given a couple moments where she blushes but otherwise remains completely ignorant of his feelings (she looks shocked and upset when he kisses her prior to the invasion, and then she completely forgets that even happened because she's confused as to what Aang is even talking about during EIP until he brings it up; that's not the behavior of a fourteen-year-old girl who was kissed by someone she was developing romantic feelings for), before the epilogue where it becomes clear that she figured all of that out off-screen and had feelings for him after all.

She's a main character, not a side-character written in solely to give one of the mains a love interest. She deserved a romantic plotline of her own. (She could have had one with someone else, with very few changes made to what was actually on-screen prior to the epilogue, but that's another conversation entirely.) She deserved to have her feelings considered at all important by the person she was going to be paired with in the end, rather than having him just assume she felt the same way and then get mad at her for never giving any indication of it when he'd never asked about her feelings to begin with. She deseserved agency in her own romantic narrative, and she just didn't get that with Aang.

So yeah, at the end of the day, my biggest issue with kataang is that it involved doing Katara dirty, and she's my favorite character and she deserved so much better damnit.

#atla #katara #aang salt #kataang salt #anti kataang #atla meta #katara deserved better #salt for ts #ask meme #invincibleweasel #asked

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spark-09butghostfilesbitch · 3 years ago

Text

Truth or Dare

“I don’t want to,” Mai said as she straightened a bouquet.

“But everyone’s gonna be there, Mai!” Ty Lee implored. “It’s gonna be fun.”

“I don’t like fun.”

“What’s going on?”

The two girls turned and their eyes fell upon Tom Tom.

Ty Lee replied,"Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka are visiting. They want Mai to come too since they won't be staying very long."

Tom Tom looked at his sister, doing his 'polar bear puppy eyes' thing.

"Please, can we go, Mai? I want to see Aang's air marble trick again!"

Mai frowned at her brother. "I'm willing to drop you off but I'm not coming."

"It would be so much better if you came, though," Ty Lee interjected. "We'd love to have you there."

Mai sighed out of frustration. It wasn't that she didn't like going to the palace. No, she just didn't want to meet Zuko.

Ever since their 'make up', Mai was unclear on what to do. She was sure she liked him liked him in the I-don't-hate-you kind of way, but she was still hesitant to be in a relationship again. When she had told Zuko this, he had cupped her cheek and told her he'd wait as long as she'd wanted.

And Mai had been thinking about his words. She just wasn't ready to face him yet.

"Mai?"

Ty Lee's voice shook her out of her thoughts. The knife thrower looked at the chi blocker.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to," She said.

"No, no, I'll come," Mai said. She smiled at her oldest friend. "It'll be nice to reconnect with some old friends."

When Mai and Tom Tom arrived at the Royal Palace the next day, they found Ty Lee waiting for them. Tom Tom waved at her.

"You didn't have to wait," Mai said. Ty Lee looked up from where she had been doing a handstand, her legs arched and almost touching her head.

"I wanted to," She replied. She bent out of her handstand to survey her friends.

"You look tired, Mai. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine. Tom just woke me up early." Mai frowned at the seven year old, and he shot her a sheepish grin. Mai sighed and shook her head.

"Let's go," She said. Together, the trio walked inside.

Mai opened the door to the sitting room. Inside, she found Team Avatar and Kiyi. Suki sat on the carpet covered floor. Kiyi sat on an armchair which looked too big for her. Aang and Katara sat together on a fainting couch. Sokka sat on a settee. Toph was lying down on the settee and had her feet propped up on Sokka's lap. The Water Tribesman didn't seem to mind.

Zuko sat at the foot of Kiyi's armchair. When he saw Mai, he smiled at her. Mai returned her more subdued smile. Tom Tom managed to squeeze in the armchair with Kiyi. Mai and Ty Lee took seats on the floor.

"Okay, is everyone here?" Sokka asked. They all nodded.

"What will we be playing?" Tom Tom asked Sokka. Sokka grinned.

"Truth or Dare, kiddo," He said. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes that Mai didn't like.

"Okay, who'll go first?" Sokka asked enthusiastically.

"Ooh, me!" Said Ty Lee.

"Okay, truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Well," Sokka placed a hand on his chin. "Who's one person you can't live without?" He asked.

"I'd say...the Kyoshi Warriors, you guys and my family," Ty Lee finished. Sokka nodded. He turned to Toph.

"Toph, truth or dare?"

"Eh, truth," She said carelessly.

"Have you ever lost an Earth Rumble tournament?" Said Sokka.

"No. Other than the one with Twinkletoes I haven't lost to anybody else."

"Katara, truth or dare?"

"Dare," The waterbender answered.

"Okay," Toph said."I dare you to drink that bottle of extra spicy peanut sauce." Toph looked at her smugly. Katara spluttered.

"What - drink that?! Are you out of your mind?" Katara shrieked.

"Yeah, Sweetness, drink that bottle of extra spicy peanut sauce. You can have water after."

Katara looked like she was about to protest, but she defiantly walked across the room and grabbed the bottle of sauce. She stared at it for a few moments before opening it and taking a long sip.

As soon as the bottle was away from her lips, she gasped. Her face was flushed. Lips pressed together, she walked over to the table where the water was, grabbed a cup and took another long swig.

After draining the glass, Katara walked back to Aang and glared at Toph. The others laughed.

"One point to Katara," Suki said.

The game went on for another two hours. Suki was dared to kiss Sokka while holding a handstand, Aang was dared to walk around the palace and explain the rules of Pai Sho to random people. Mai was dared to throw a knife on an apple placed on Zuko's head while blindfolded. Thankfully, the tasks turned out well.

Finally, it was Zuko's turn. He'd been withdrawn for the most part and he agreed to a dare.

"Zuko," Sokka said. "I dare you to announce who the prettiest girl in the room is and kiss them."

There was silence at Sokka's words. Zuko's eyes widened and his cheeks flamed. The others put a hand to their mouths to hide their smiles. Zuko glared at Sokka.

"Couldn't you have given me anything else?" He exclaimed.

"You asked for a dare," Sokka said. "Here it is."

Sokka smiled at him innocently. Zuko bit his lip. Mai could almost see a plan to escape forming in his mind.

Finally, he announced in a strangely strangled voice, "Suki."

Everyone laughed. Toph had a cocky look on her face. "I can tell when people are lying, Hothead. And we all know it isn't Suki."

Zuko went even redder. Mai was sure that something in the room might be set on fire. But why was he so flustered? He just had to announce the prettiest person in the room and kiss them. It wasn't an uncommon thing to ask during Truth or Dare.

She felt like she was missing something, a vital piece of the puzzle. She felt like she should know who he was about to kiss. But she didn't.

His eyes kept flickering to her, his face turning redder. He ran a hand through his hair and kept glancing in her direction and.....oh.

Oh.

Mai understood. The others' smirks made sense. Zuko's fluster made sense.

She bit her lip and stared at her lap. She could feel everyone's gaze on her.

"Are you going to do it or not, Jerkbender?" Sokka asked teasingly. Zuko glared again.

"Fine," He said.

He cautiously approached her. Mai looked up a him. Zuko looked nervous, uncertain.

He stared at her furtively for a few seconds, before dipping his head down and kissed her. They broke apart within seconds and even though it was barely a brush of the lips, it left Mai's heart racing.

Zuko moved away from her. The others booed good naturedly. Mai could hear Tom Tom make retching noises.

"Oh, come on, that wasn't even a proper kiss!" Sokka protested. There were murmurs of agreement among the others.

Zuko shot him an icy glare but that didn't have an effect on them.

"You asked for us to kiss. We kissed. End of story." He said.

"It was barely a kiss and it still made your heart do somersaults," Toph said. "You've got it bad."

"Toph!" Zuko said angrily.

"What? I'm just stating facts."

Mai sighed. She knew their friends weren't going to leave them alone after this.

"We'll do it," She announced.

She walked over to him and knelt down. He looked at her, nervous and uncertain.

"Do you want to do this?" He whispered.

"Let's just get this over with."

His lips were soft. He kissed her gently, his hand cupped her cheek, while the other linked their fingers. Mai rested her hand on his forearm.

Mai had missed feeling like that. The feeling of his hand in hers. The feeling of his lips against hers. She felt warm, both inside and out. They broke apart and Mai glanced at Zuko.

His face was flushed. He stared right back at her, trying to control his breathing.

She heard someone wolf whistle and there was an outbreak of awkward giggling. Mai and Zuko disentangled themselves from each other and resolved to siting in their usual positions near Ty Lee and Suki.

Their friends slowly began to trickle out after that. Finally, when only Mai and Zuko were remaining, Zuko plopped down next to her. They sat in silence. It wasn't awkward but it wasn't comfortable either.

"I'm sorry," Zuko said.

Mai looked at him. "For what?" She asked, confused.

"For - well, I don't know what I'm apologizing for but I feel like I may have crossed a line," Zuko said.

"You didn't cross any lines. There isn't anything to apologize for," Mai said.

"There isn't? I didn't make you uncomfortable or anything?" Zuko asked.

Mai sighed. She knew they were going to have this conversation sooner or later. Might as well be sooner.

"I know I said I needed time," She began. "I think about your offer a lot, Zuko. To be honest, I didn't want to come today because it would mean meeting you but I'm glad I came. I felt like this gave me a push I needed."

Zuko smiled at her. "So, you're okay with us being a thing again?" He asked.

Mai returned his smile. "We'll practice opening up about our feelings and problems. If the Spirits are on our side, we could probably make it work."

Zuko took her hand. "We don't need the Spirits on our side. I already have you."

Mai blushed. "You're so cheesy."

But she was smiling too, and Zuko felt his heart soar.

He leaned his forehead against hers. Mai placed a hand on either side of his face. He knew what was coming and his eyes slid shut.

He smiled against her lips and could feel that she was smiling too.

They kissed slowly and then they broke apart. Mai's cheeks were dusted with a pink blush. His smile grew wider as Mai rested their foreheads together once more. He knew they ought to head back to their friends, but right now.....he was happy right where he was.

Story is also cross posted on Fanfiction.net and AO3.

#maiko #post comic maiko #kataang #sukka #ty lee #toph #kiyi atla #tom tom atla #mai atla #zuko #pro maiko #zumai #Val's writing #spark 09's writing #maiko fanfiction #atla fanfiction

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passable-talent · 5 years ago

Note

Hello! I am so sorry to request zuko, I know you've had a lot of him but could you do a fic where zuko and the reader meet in the tea shop when they get a job there and they grow really close and start to fall for eachother but the reader ends up joining team avatar just as zuko teams up with azula and the reader is angry and confused with him and doesn't know how to feel when zuko shows up to join the gaang after all they heard about him and Mai and him betraying them and iroh in ba sing se

ADGDVABAG DONT BE SORRY TO REQUEST HIM I LOVE HIM

also I really love the days of Lee just after Zuko’s illness, I wish we could’ve seen more of that side of him. When he was just happy and had so much of his heart to give, before Azula came back and ruined it :/

roe, about five hundred words down and not even halfway through the request: I guess I’m staying up late tonight

After hearing your friends raving of a new tea shop in the upper ring, you agreed to a trip there. You were so damn busy with your schooling, you were training to be in the Dai Li after all, but you could afford to take an afternoon off to sit with some old friends.

You were never much of one to take part in conversation, merely sitting back to listen. You had sat in the chair closest to the wall, leaning back with your feet propped up on someone else’s chair as you sipped tea and listened, eyes drifting all around the shop. The owner and waiter seemed very nice, and the tea was delicious, though the scar of the young waiter interested you. You knew very little about the fire nation, but you did know that an attack by a firebender on an earth kingdom citizen would not be tolerated. Even a fire nation citizen was not above the law of the Earth King!

After that evening, you decided to learn a bit more about the staff of the Jasmine Dragon. You became a regular customer, bringing your texts up to the shop, and sipping tea while you studied. You learned the name of the waiter, Lee, and that the owner was his uncle, called Mushi. They were kind, and soon enough Lee could recite your order before you could even ask it. Your friendship began slowly- from his small smile when you walked in the door, to inviting him to sit with you when he had a moment to rest.

One night, Mushi dropped a tea pot and made a noise of distress when it shattered. You left your textbooks on your table and went to help clean it up, feeling as though it was the right thing to do, especially since the shop was packed and Lee had other things he could be doing.

“I’ll fix it for you, if you like,” you told Mushi, “I’m an earth bender. But it won’t look the same, though.” Mushi gave you a bright smile, insisting that you didn’t need put the effort in, but you gathered your schoolbag and dumped the pieces into it anyway.

That night, you stayed up a bit too late with the candlelight and reassembled the pot. It was a slow process, and just as you expected, the cracks were still visible. The earthbending, you suspected, reshuffled the porcelain back into the clay it was original formed from, and so the pot didn’t look nearly as nice. But it did hold water, and stood up to heat, and Wushi thanked you profusely when you gave it back to him the next day.

A week or so passed, and Mushi invited you to stay past the hours of the shop to have tea with him and his nephew personally. You accepted, eager to talk with them, and learn more about them. Mushi spoke of Lee, and how proud he was of ‘the man Lee was becoming’, and was happy to listen to your discussion of your schoolwork. It seemed, though, that he had an ulterior motive, as before the night was up he offered you a job.

“I’ve got the money to pay you a small salary,” he said, “and Lee could use the help, since we’re getting so popular.” You accepted, gratefully, and started work after your morning lecture, helping with the lunch rush.

It happened so fast, that you could barely process it all.

You friendship with Lee grew until the two of you would flick water at each other while wiping down tables. You would take your breaks together, throw up your feet in a back room, and complain about one unruly customer or another. You’d tell him stories about your training, and he’d tell you stories about his travels with his uncle before coming to Ba Sing Se. Your favorite moments were when Mushi would shove Lee and you out the door, insisting that he could close up shop alone, and that the two of you should get some fresh air.

You shouldn’t say that you fell in love with him, but the spring months of 100 AG were lovely.

Everything changed one afternoon when you came into work and found it empty. You were worried, and dared to wander up and into Mushi’s apartment, finding it empty as well. Just as you were about to leave you ran into Mushi, who asked your help, explaining that he needed to hurry, and he’d give you information along the way. You agreed, and somehow, ended up at the house of the avatar.

The day went so fast, so ridiculously fast, as you bonded with Toph and Sokka, and grew more and more worried for the fate of Lee- or was it Zuko? This whole time, you’d been flicking water at the banished Fire Prince? You’d been taking dating advice from General Iroh, the Dragon of the West?

It was a lot to take in. Even more to take in was the treachery of the organization you were readying to join, and suddenly you couldn’t do it, you couldn’t stay in Ba Sing Se knowing everything that had been hidden from you. So you vowed, at first, to join Iroh and Zuko on their journies away from Ba Sing Se and the fire nation.

Then Zuko betrayed Iroh.

It was something you never could have predicted. This boy, who gently tended to a wound on your arm when you’d brushed against a scalding teapot, who’d held your hand on walks around the upper ring, who’d laughed with his uncle and smiled and had seemed so undeniably good-

This boy had betrayed Iroh and condemned him to prison.

You were angry and hurt, because not only had be betrayed Iroh, but he’d betrayed you. His masquerade, you could forgive, as he was a banished prince, after all. But he sided with the Dai Li, who’d lied to you, and attacked the avatar who’d come to rescue him, and nearly turned his bending on you upon the instruction of his sister.

You were so angry.

So you left with Katara. You helped her escape and reunite with the others, allowing you and Toph to navigate the five of you to safety.

You assisted them as best you could through the spring and summer. You learned stronger forms of earthbending from Toph alongside Aang, and offered your input on his training as well. You helped fight Combustion Man. You fought beside Hakoda on the Day of Black Sun- even facing down firebenders with heartfelt ferocity, remembering how it had felt the first time firebending was turned to you, back in the catacombs of Ba Sing Se. As months passed, more and more anger settled in the pit of your stomach, even as Aang told you to let it go, but he didn’t much help as he told you all the things that Zuko had done before you met him.

None of it made sense. Not to you. It felt like two different people- the boy who laughed with you, and the boy who turned against you.

It made even less sense when Zuko reappeared.

You’d like to say that when you saw him, all you felt was rage, but that wasn’t true. You were happy to see him again, because the lightness of his tone, forced as it may have been, reminded you of the Lee you’d known. But anger corrupted even those feelings as you stalked forward, interrupting his words, watching his expression as he recognized you.

“Y/N?” He asked, surprised.

“Yeah,” you said, and then you raised your hand. You wanted to smack him, but you realized you’d raised your right hand, and if you dealt the blow, you’d hit his scar.

And that felt cruel.

So you exhaled your anger and turned from him, letting your eyes slide to Katara, and then Aang.

“You guys decide this. I’ll have no part in it.”

And you left his sight.

have this meme because that was a really angsty ending

-🦌 Roe

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