#sokka x chit sang

[drowthelynes]

in a complete 180 from my prev fic link, HAVE SOME RAREPAIR SOKKA / CHIT SANG HORN KNEE (yes that is my alt to separate the pwobwematic stuff. this one is relatively tame tho....still, read the tags obviously MWAH <33)

yeah i know. i singlehandedly created the sokka/chit sang tag. my pussy is huge etcetc,

[imagines--galore]

||The Thread of Fate|| Part Thirty-Four

Summary: Soulmate AU. They say the Thread of Fate connects you to your one true love. It may tangle. It may stretch. But it will never break. Wrapped around your little finger it tightens when it feels your soulmate is close and loosens when they are far. And becomes visible with the colors of your soulmate’s Nation when you finally fall in love with them.

Pairing: Zuko x OroraOC (ATLA)

Rating || Genres || Warnings: T+ Romance. Adventure.

Previous Chapters - Masterlist

A/N: We are so close to the Ember Islands and I am SO EXCITED!!!! Cuz that means a lot of downtime for the Gaang and I cannot wait for all of them to just be teenagers and not be at odds with each other and just pure Gaang fun. With of course lots of romance. :3

"Where's Suki?"

The question, or rather judging by the tone of voice, the demand, was followed by a disgruntled sound as the owner of the voice, Sokka, nearly tripped over the still sleeping Chit Sang. Grumbling under his breath, the Water Tribe boy righted himself before approaching his sister and Toph who were getting breakfast ready for the day.

Or rather Katara was getting breakfast ready while Toph lounged about.

"Relax Sokka." She called out, playing with a couple of rocks by throwing them in the air before catching them. "Your girlfriend woke up early and wanted to go explore, so Orora volunteered to show her around."

The boy frowned, though the effect of it was ruined by the pout that accompanied said frown. "But I was supposed to take her for a tour." He moaned, dropping onto the floor next to Toph with his arms crossed over his chest, pout still present.

"Now don't go hogging your girlfriend Sokka. She has to have her own friends." Hakoda called from where he was just returning after a brief walk. He too had wanted to go explore, but ever since he hurt his leg during the Invasion, and the lack of medical attention he had received afterwards, he didn't trust himself to walk around too much. Plus their escape yesterday and all the running around they'd done had really taken it out of him.

Katara smiled at the sight of her Father. "Morning Dad!" She said as the man hugged her tightly. Sniffing the air, he grinned. "Smells good Katara. Hopefully some breakfast will help improve your brother's mood." He joked, playfully nudging his daughter who giggled. She couldn't help it. Truthfully, her heart was bursting with joy at having her father around once more.

Toph, sensing Sokka's still less then happy mood, decided to play with him a little. "You know Suki sure is lucky. I mean she had her best friend bust her out of jail." Sokka's frowned deepened, if that was even possible. "I busted her out!" He yelled, causing Chit Sang to let out a sleepy sound of annoyance.

"I'm talking about Orora, Feathers for Brains." The Earthbender clarified. "Geez, its like you're annoyed at the both of them reuniting."

Silence followed the blind girl's words. And though she couldn't see the expressions Sokka and Katara shared, Toph did sense something was up.

"What?" She asked, her head swiveling from one heartbeat to the next. Katara frowned. "Toph, Suki and Orora have never met before."

The news rendered the younger girl speechless for a few seconds. "What?" She repeated, though this time word was laced with disbelief as Sokka nodded. "Yeah. We've all met Suki before, but Orora only met her at the Boiling Rock." He added, a little confused as to why Toph would think they'd met before.

"So you're telling me, those two." She pointed in the general direction of a hallway. "Have never met before!" As she spoke, voices began to echo down the corridor. Obviously it was Suki and Orora.

Every seeing eyes turned in the direction of the two approaching girls, who were chatting and laughing as if they had known one another for ages.

"And that concludes our tour for the day." Orora was saying, as she walked beside the Kiyoshi Warrior. "Hope it was enlightening." She added with a flourish, that had Suki laughing to herself

"For sure. I never realized Air Nomads lived in such amazing places. I mean I just thought they traveled around cuz, well, they're Nomads." Anyone could see that freedom agreed with Suki. It hadn't even been a day and already the girl looked happier and more vibrant then she had been in the Prison.

Orora winced, though the playful smile was still on her face. "I know what you mean. I mentioned it to Aang and he kind of sat me down and chewed me out on that." She confessed, prompting the other girl to grin. "Really? Aang? He doesn't seem like the kid to lecture." The Waterbender rolled her eyes.

"Oh trust me. Its a hidden talent of his."

Their chatter continued, both of them completely oblivious to the stares they were getting. Though as they neared the rest of the group, Suki broke the conversation. "Breakfast! About time! I'm starved!" She exclaimed, quickly walking over to where Katara was holding a bowl, ready to pour in the stew she had made. As she passed Sokka, the girl dropped a quick kiss to his cheek along with a greeting.

Though Sokka was a little too stunned to respond.

As Suki chattered with Katara, and Hakoda moved to ask Orora about her arm, which was still in a sling as a precaution, Toph turned to Sokka with a grin.

"It doesn't matter if they've met before or not, cuz Sokka? You've got competition." She cackled, delighted at the turn of events, and the obvious disgruntled expression the boy was sure to be wearing.

                                            ————————-

Breakfast that morning was a lively affair.

With so many of them, everyone was chatting and catching up with what had happened since the Invasion. Chit Sang, still a little awkward about his place in the group, would comment every now and then, but he was mostly sitting silently and enjoying his food, which was far better then the slop they served at Prison. Katara had smiled proudly at that.

Until Toph pointed out that she doubted there was any competition since......well.....Chit Sang was comparing the stew to prison food.

The entire circle of twelve, minus Katara, had a good laugh out of it.

However, even Katara couldn't stay mad for long. Not when her Father was back and everyone was safe.

For the time being.

Aang, who had been up early training with Zuko, and getting chewed out for not practicing his forms more diligently by the irritated Firebender, was gobbling down his stew like a man starved. And truthfully, he was. Zuko was a much stricter teacher then he would've thought. Which is why he was sitting next to Orora, hoping to talk to her into getting Zuko to lay off him a little bit.

Not because he couldn't raise the point himself. He could. It was just Orora was better at making Zuko see reason behind stuff he would deem unreasonable.

Not much of an explanation, but Aang was just too tired to think more on it.

"Hey Orora?" He asked, his voice low amidst the chatter from the rest of the group. The girl in question paused from where she had been smiling at Toph and The Duke being awkwardly adorable around one another. The Duke was trying to convince Toph to go for a walk with him, but so far could only mumble out what he wanted to say. It didn't help that Toph was focusing on the boy's heartbeat and thinking there was danger around.

I mean what else could cause someone's heart to go so fast, she reasoned.

"Whats up Aang?" She asked, turning slightly so she could give the younger boy her undivided attention. It took only a moment before Aang burst with what he had wanted to say. Out of all the people, other then Katara, he always found it easy to speak to Orora about, well, anything. She was always there to lend an ear or a shoulder if anyone needed it.

And honestly, with so much weighing down on him at times, and his nature to not burden others with his problems, it was nice to have someone he could trust and who wouldn't think of his worries as a burden.

"So, you think you can ask Zuko to just go a little easy on me? I mean, I know I have a lot of things to learn, but I'm sure I have plenty of time." He added. "Plus with Toph battering me with Earthbending practice almost everyday, I'm starting to get a little sloppy." A look of guilt flashed across his face, which had Orora nodding.

"I'll talk to him." She said, watching how the younger boy brightened instantly, though her next words had him wincing. "But why can't you talk to Zuko about it yourself? I mean you've always been able to address your problems on your own before."

Letting out a nervous laugh, a hand rising to rub the back of his head, Aang glanced in Zuko's direction, who was sitting just across from them, parallel to Orora and speaking to Chit Sang about the living conditions inside the Boiling Rock.

"Well........" He trailed off, a pitiful expression on his face as Orora frowned at him. Suddenly, something clicked. Her eyes widened. "Wait! Does he scare you? As a teacher?"

The boy reached out, clamping a hand over Orora's mouth, muffling whatever words she was about to say. "Not so loud." He hissed, his grey eyes darting about nervously before he slowly removed his hands from her mouth. "And I wouldn't say he scares me." The Airbender admitted, looking a little annoyed. The boy's next words had the older girl suppressing a smile. "He just makes me nervous. Besides if I say something like that to him, he'll just work me even harder, I know it."

Alright, she could agree with him on that front.

Though her insides were bursting with laughter, Orora reached out to pat the boy on the shoulder. "Its alright Aang. I get it! I used to have a teacher who terrified me too." She reassured him. "Then again, I was only six at the time and she was the stuff of nightmares." She continued, a smile pulling at her lips. "You have to admit, its funny how when you were enemies you weren't scared of him, but now that he's your teacher you are." She couldn't help the giggle that burst out of her, prompting Aang to scowl at her.

"So will you talk to him or not?" He asked, his voice sounding every bit annoyed and irritated as he looked.

Pursing her lips, Orora nodded. "I promise." She squeaked out. For her response, the girl received a gust of wind to the face from a slightly embarrassed, yet relieved Airbender.

                                            ————————–

"How's your arm?"

The question had Orora glancing up from where she'd been carefully bending the water along the surface of the bowl to clean it. Bending one handed did have it's limitation, but it was just another learning opportunity.

Besides, she could see how Sokka, who had been on wash up duty that night, was eager to hang out with his Dad. So, she'd pushed him away, telling him to go before she changed her mind. The girl was surprised by the quick hug Sokka had given her, before running off.

Zuko stood beside her, holding the pot that the food had been cooked in. Smiling, Orora paused in her bending and used her uninjured hand to push away a few flyaway hairs from her face. "Its alright. It'll take a couple more Healing Sessions before its completely healed." She raised her arm away from where it was resting just against her abdomen. "Katara already gave me a little Healing Session this morning before I went off with Suki, so that helped."

Raising an eyebrow as he set the pot down, Zuko gave her a slightly nervous look. "And how did that go?" He asked, knowing he was the reason for the discord between the two sisters. He didn't like how Katara still didn't trust him, despite playing a big part in getting her father back with Sokka.

What more could he do to prove to her that he had changed?

Orora pursed her lips, before lifting one shoulder in a delicate shrug. "It was alright." She said softly, her mind drifting to the conversation the older girl had shared with the younger waterbender.

                                            ————————–

Removing the bandage from around her shoulder, Orora frowned. The bruising was obvious, she just hadn't expected it to be this bad. Poking at the skin, and wincing at the thrall of pain that originated from there, she moved to bend water from the pot in front of her. Holding her arm at a rather awkward angle, she turned her head, trying to see what area was more bruised.

Of course she wouldn't be able to do that without twisting her neck in a more awkward angle then it already was.

"Need some help with that?" Katara's voice cut through her concentration. The other girl stood not a few paces away from her. Pursing her lips, Orora nodded, holding the water out that she was about to use. Katara bended the water from Orora's hands, and almost immediately the water began to glow. Her touch was gentle as she laid her palm against Orora's injured shoulder. The older girl winced slightly before relaxing as the soothing sensation of water enveloped her.

"Thanks, I never would've healed it properly myself." She admitted, dropping her head to once side so that her shoulder was fully exposed to Katara's healing. No sooner had she finished speaking when Katara burst out with the two words Orora didn't even think she would say to her.

"Thank you."

Ice blue eyes blinked in surprise. And though she wanted to do nothing more then to glance back and question Katara face to face, she simply settled with a quite. "What for?"

Behind her, she heard Katara exhale, her hand still moving as she worked on her shoulder. "For helping Sokka get our Dad out. I know you helped a lot." It was strange just how difficult it was to get just these few words out. There was a time when the both of them would talk and chatter non-stop.

Now though?

Since Orora had decided to accept Zuko, a former enemy, as her Soulmate, a fact Katara still couldn't seem to wrap her head around, they'd barely spoke to one another.

This would be the first proper conversation they'd had since their fight.

Or rather this was the first time they were saying more then a few words to one another.

"It was a team effort Katara." Orora said, hoping to get Zuko in her good graces. "Everyone helped out to the best of their abilities." She wasn't about to say anyone's name. Mostly because she didn't want to be too direct.

But also because, she knew Katara was smart enough to pick up on who she was trying to refer to.

And Katara did.

Though her only response was to give a small hum of agreement.

And that was the end of that conversation.

                                            ————————–

Zuko waited for her to continue, but Orora returned her attention to the dirty dishes once more. He scowled. "That's it? That's all she said?" He asked, the disbelief in his tone obvious as he stared at Orora. The girl sighed before nodding, setting aside the new clean bowl and picking up the next one.

"More like what she didn't say." Another sigh, followed by the splashing of water as her fingers guided the small stream to wipe away the residue stew. "I'm so tired of her treating me like I did something wrong when I didn't." She declared, a scowl creasing her forehead as she did. The water responded to her bending by splashing out a little. "I mean, after everything that happened, don't I deserve to be happy?" She continued, though she was staring straight ahead, her blue eyes unseeing as she vented.

"And you?" Zuko started in surprise, since he hadn't been expecting to be included in.......whatever tirade Orora was so deep in that she barely noticed when he wrapped an around around her shoulders and pulled her to his side.

"You are just as much a victim in this war as anyone else, and yet Katara treats you like you are the root of it all. I mean sure you did some bad things, but who hasn't?! You've more then made up for it! But does she see it that way? No! Of course not! And now! Just because both of us want to try and repair our bond, she has to go and be angry about it because..........because she doesn't like you!"

"Not liking is pretty tame." Zuko added his piece when Orora paused for breath. "I would say she hates me."

Orora pursed her lip in a thin angry line. "Maybe I should talk to Aang about this? Or even Hakoda? Between the two of them she might see that you have changed." She suggested, turning her head slightly to look up at him. Zuko shook his head. "No. I want Katara to forgive me and let go of her anger in my own way." He said.

"I think if someone else speaks on my behalf it won't end well, and there will always be this mistrust between me and her, and I don't want that." Orora blinked, looking up at her Soulmate with a slightly bewildered expression on her face.

Sensing her stare, and noting her silence, he turned his head in her direction. "What?" He voiced, trying not to notice just how pretty her lips looked as they curved up into a smile.

Though seeing her face light up as it did just then did have his heart doing strange flips inside his chest.

"Nothing." She said. "Its just still a little strange for me seeing your more level-headed side rather then your hot-tempered-quick-to-anger-and-make-rash-decisions side." A teasing glint in her eyes, Orora shrugged.

"I kinda miss it." She admitted, stepping out of his embrace, if only to annoy him on purpose, and turning her attention back to the dirty dishes. Zuko crossed his arms over his chest. "So, you would rather me make stupid decisions based on my anger." As he spoke, he moved to stand in front of her, the only thing separating them the big pot of water from which Orora was using the water to clean. "Rather then make decisions with a clear head."

Standing straight, Orora nodded. "Yeah! Cuz now I don't get to tell you off and make fun of you when your plans explode in your face." She sighed in a mournful way. "I miss gloating."

No sooner had she finished saying that when she found her face being splashed by the soapy water. Laughing, the girl held up her uninjured hand to try and shield herself from Zuko's watery attack.

                                            ————————–

Hakoda looked away from where he had been listening to Sokka explain some engineering marvel the Air Nomads had created long ago. His eyes found the source of the laughter and he couldn't help but observe the sight.

A Water Tribe girl and a Fire Nation boy, laughing and smiling together.

It was strange, to say the least.

And yet he couldn't help but feel his heart soften at the innocent game they were playing. It always hurt him to see, how much the war had effected the children and stripped them of their childhoods. Sokka and Katara had experience it first hand. As had Aang. And Toph as well.

And whenever he would catch a glimpse of children just being children, he couldn't help but bask in the innocence of it.

Hakoda smiled, watching the girl his two children had adopted as a sister, empty the entire water pot on the head of the Prince of the Fire Nation. He watched as the water began to steam on the boy's shoulders.

"You needed to cool off!" Orora reasoned, already backing away.

Shaking some of the water from his hair, Zuko leaped over the pot just as the girl took off running.

"You're dead Orora!"

The Water Tribe Chief continued to watch as the two of them raced away, the sounds of Orora's laughter, and Zuko's threats echoing against the bare walls of the Temple.

                                            ————————–

He chased her halfway through the Temple until he finally caught her.

She was fast, he had to give her that. But he was faster. And more agile, if he were to admit. Probably because Firebending required a lot of footwork and movement, while Waterbending was focused on the movement of the arms.

Though, Zuko had to admit, Orora was working hard on using her legs and feet to bend as well, which was only one of the many things he admired about her.

He leaped over a fallen pillar, using the momentum to propel himself forward and wrapping his arms around the girl's waist. She struggled, laughing as she tried to get away from him.

"Zuko! Let go!" She cried, hardly able to speak the words with how hard she was laughing. Twisting her body, Orora tried to wrench herself from his hold, but Zuko held on fast. "No chance." He said. "I'm getting my revenge for that."

Before she could even think of what he could possibly mean by that, Orora felt his fingers dig into the side of her stomach. The shriek of laughter she let out was a sound Zuko had never heard her make.

And yet, he found himself wanting to hear that sound again.

"Did you really think you could outrun me?" He spoke loudly over her laughter, grinning as he felt her try to squirm away from him. But he only held her fast.

"Ha...Zu-hehe-Zuko! Haha.....S-hahaha-top!" Finally wrestling her good arm out of his hold, Orora pushed his hands away. Panting, the girl distanced herself from her Soulmate. Her hair was in disarray, and her clothes were rumpled. She was still smiling though, and her eyes were laughing as she took in his still slightly dripping appearance.

"Well I tried didn't I?" The Waterbender responded. "That should count for something?" An elegant motion of her arm, and she had bended the water off him and flicked it away. He shook his head, running a hand through his now dry hair. "It doesn't really." The tone of voice he used had Orora rolling her eyes at him.

She straightened her collar and shirt. "Will you just let me have my moment?" The girl grumbled, though there was no annoyance behind her tone. Rather exasperation. Trust Zuko to want to take away her win. "What moment?" He grinned, knowing fully well that he was annoying her right then. "I caught you!"

The glare he received was enough to make him hold his hands up in a placating manner as he slowly approached her. "Alright fine. You win." He added, earning a smug grin from her before she reached out to ruffle his hair, making it messier then it already was. However the movement had her jostling her still injured arm, making her wince slightly. In an instant, Zuko's entire demeanor changed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you did I?" He asked, reaching out to gently cradle the arm that was within it's sling. Orora smiled reassuringly and shook her head. "I'm alright. One more Session, and I'll be as good as new." Not liking the frown of concern on his forehead, the girl quickly leaned up to place a loving peck on his cheek. The frown disappeared, and instead a smile over took his features, prompting her to mirror the smile.

Leaning down, Zuko pressed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and breathed deeply, almost as if he were trying to memorize the scent of her. "You know, I don't think they'll miss us if we don't go back just yet." She spoke in a low voice, almost as if she were afraid of breaking the moment as she raised her eyes to look at the peaceful expression on his face.

A rare occurrence, one she only saw on his face either when he was asleep, or when he was with her. The last thought had a wave of happiness coursing through her body.

She was the reason that had him feeling so at peace and calm, just as he was her anchor for when things would begin to get turbulent.

Strange how not even two weeks ago she had made peace with the fact that they could never be together.

And now here they both were.

Simply standing there in the presence of the other, and drawing comfort from it. Glancing down, she intertwined their fingers in an embrace that was just as intimate as the look he gave her when he opened his eyes. Zuko didn't move away from where he was resting his forehead against her own.

Rather he began to follow her as she began to walk backwards, until the back of her thighs hit against the cool stone of one of the many benches that lined the walls of the temple, overlooking the yawning abyss beyond. Settling onto the flat surface with her back against the wall, Orora gestured for him to sit beside her. No sooner had he done so, when she leaned against him.

Her head came to rest on his shoulder, while he shifted to tuck her head under his chin. Her soft hair tickled against his skin as Orora took one of his arms and wound it around her waist, effectively trapping herself in his embrace. Zuko wrapped the other arm around her as well, pulling her against his chest, their legs tangled where they hung off the side of the bench.

"With so many people around, its hard to find a moment's peace." He spoke softly, shifting his head so his cheek would rest against the top of her hair. A hum vibrated against him as she nodded in agreement. "You'd think in such a big abandoned temple a person would be able to be alone by themselves, or with someone." She playfully nudged him with her injured arm, making him let out a small laugh.

Orora sighed. "You know, its still so strange hearing you laugh so openly." She confessed, prompting him to glance down at her in surprise. "You were so guarded with your emotions that, now, just to see you express them so freely is.............." She paused, looking for a word.

"An enigma?" Zuko offered with a teasing tone in his voice. One that had Orora rolling her eyes at him. The word came to her, and she smiled, tilting her head back so she could look at him when she said.

"Priceless."

She felt him stiffen against her, and for a moment she did believe that he had gone into shock. But then he shook his head, a small smile pulling at the corner of his lips, despite the sadness in his amber gold eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, probably to tell her how wrong she was. So, Orora simply placed a finger over his lips, pushing herself up so that they were both face to face. "You say anything about me getting sentimental, and I'll give Toph ammunition to make your life unlivable."

A viable threat, since Orora had a lot of stories she could tell the Earthbender. Stories that were fodder for the younger girl since she loved nothing more then to come up with ways to tease other people.

Especially Sokka, Katara, and now, Zuko, as the blind girl had told Orora.

He rolled his eyes, though she felt him smile against her finger. Nodding in satisfaction, the girl resumed her previous position, settling against him with a sound of content. The both of them lapsed into silence, with Zuko dozing of slightly.

The sun had begun to set long ago, and was now well on its way to disappearing. Already the sky was beginning to loose the tinge of remaining yellow and turning darker and darker. He'd been up since dawn, making him tired for obvious reasons.

Thinking this was a good chance as any, Orora slowly sat up so she could turn and face him. "I need to talk to you about something." Her legs rested under her as she did, with Zuko looking at her in question. "Its about Aang." She said, earning herself a look of confusion. "I know I haven't seen any of the firebending you've been teaching him, but I know he's working hard. Maybe you're working him a little too hard."

Zuko pursed his lips. "Did he ask you to talk to me about this?" He asked, to which Orora nodded, feeling a little guilty going behind Zuko's back and ambushing him like she was. "Its just, he didn't say anything, but I think he finds you scary, as a teacher at least."

Raising an eyebrow, the boy couldn't help but speak in a slightly disbelieving tone. "This coming from a boy who faced down against an active volcano?" He muttered, recalling the stories he had heard from Sokka a few days ago. "How am I scary? I can't be anymore scarier then you when you're angry about something. Or Katara for that matter. Sokka's told me how scary she can be when she's mad too."

Was it strange that she found his words a little prideful? Having people be scared of her when she was angry. Now that was an accomplishment. "Well whatever the reason, he just asked me if you'd take it easy on him, so will you? I mean come on, he's just a kid. Besides he's learned waterbending and earthbending within a year. He's talented enough to pick up firebending quickly." She watched as he pursed his lips, before shaking his head. "Its different with firebending. He needs to learn the forms while also learning to control his flames, and that's difficult to learn."

Orora shrugged. "Whats the big deal if he goes a little slow?" A flicker of annoyance lit within him. "He can't afford to go slow. The Comet is only a couple months away. How's he gonna face my Father when he hasn't learned more then half of the firebending forms he's supposed to know?"

His reaction had Orora's inner apprehension raising it's head and sniffing the air. Something was wrong. There was something that was making him be this way. Rolling his eyes skywards, Zuko sighed. The fate of the world rested on said boy's shoulders, which was why Zuko was being so hard on him.

His mind flashed to that fateful War Meeting. One that had him changing his mind completely about the Fire Nation. The War Meeting he had told no one about. "Zuko?" Her voice came, soft and questioning. He looked at her, meeting her blue gaze. Exhaling deeply, the boy reached up, pushing away a few escaped strands of hair and cupping her face. "Orora." He paused, hesitating. "There's something I haven't told you."

He told her everything.

And he watched, as her eyes grew wider, and a look of absolute horror overcame her lovely features. She didn't pull away from him throughout the conversation. Instead she'd reached out and took his hand in her own, almost as if she knew he would need to draw on her strength to reveal what he had kept inside for so long. And he was all the more grateful for her caring nature.

"That's...that's horrible." She managed to choke out once she'd stopped staring at him in sheer trepidation. "Does he not see that all that will be left to rule is smoke and ash? Nothing more?" She retrieved her hand from his to make a fist, slamming it against the hard stone of the bench they were occupying. Her blue eyes gleamed with hatred. "How can anyone be so evil for no reason?" She growled, every fiber of her being exuding her disgust at the monster so intent on destroying the world.

Unable to meet her gaze, and ashamed that he came from such a family, Zuko turned away, drawing into himself. "I don't know why I kept quiet about it." He admitted, thinking that perhaps he should clarify his reason for not speaking lest he loose the trust and the place in the group he had acquired after he had worked so hard to gain both. "I guess I was so focused on getting all of you to trust me that telling you something so horrible about what my Father was planning would've set you against me."

His words acted as the trigger that drew Orora out of her ocean of negative feelings. A scowl marred her forehead. "You're not your Father Zuko." She stated, her tone holding a sense of finality as well as determination to it that had Zuko's heart fluttering in his chest. Did she really have that much faith in him? After all that he had done?

Still, he was skeptical by nature, so of course he wasn't about to let himself feel that way for long. "Would the others have believed that?" Orora opened her mouth to negate what he had said, but then stopped. A look of guilt flashed in her eyes and across her face. Which was enough to make Zuko nod. "Exactly." He gave her a sad smile, before slowly standing up. "It doesn't matter now." He said, though the words sounded unconvincing even to his ears. "Now that I've told you, maybe I should tell the others too."

The Prince made to walk away, probably to return to the camp, but then he felt Orora reach out and grasp his wrist. "No!" He glanced back at her, surprised to see her looking concerned. "No! No, Zuko don't." His Soulmate insisted, to which Zuko frowned in confusion.

"Why not? Maybe if I tell Aang he'll work twice as hard." He suggested, already liking his idea. However his suggestion was completely dismissed by Orora who stood up and shook her head. "No, we can't tell Aang. It'll make him even more paranoid then he already was."

He frowned. "Paranoid? What do you mean?" Pursing her lips for a moment, the girl gathered her thoughts before explaining what she meant. She told him how obsessive Aang's behavior had gotten just a few days before the Invasion. How he would train every waking hour, never stopping to rest and barely stopping to eat. Not to mention the nightmares had had, the hallucinations, the sleepless nights.

And just how scared he had been.

"If you tell him, he's going to revert back to that and trust me Zuko it isn't pretty. Not to mention extremely unhealthy." Her heart clenched in her chest for her little brother. "I don't want him to go through that again." She said, her voice breaking when she spoke the next four words. "He's just a kid." Zuko watched as she swallowed the lump in her throat, inhaling deeply to try and get a hold of her emotions. Wanting to lend her the same strength she did him, the boy reached out to take her hand in his and give it a squeeze.

But that wasn't enough.

A sound of surprise escaped Orora when she felt herself being yanked forward. Zuko wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Without even a moment of hesitation, Orora had brought up her own uninjured arm to wound around him as best as she could. Her head resting on his chest she let out a sigh. "We can't seem to catch a break." She said, the irony of it all obvious in her tone.

"I wish I could've stopped him." Zuko admitted, the shame he felt finally boiling over into words as he looked beyond Orora's head and into nothingness. "I wanted so much to say something against his plan. But I stayed silent."

Orora pulled back enough so she could raise her head and look at him. Though he refused to meet her eyes. "Its a good thing you stayed quiet." She said softly, her eyes dropping to his scar. Unwinding her arm from around him, she reached up to press her fingers against the marred skin, just under his eyes. The touch seemed to bring him back from wherever his tormented thoughts had led him. His body visibly relaxed and he finally met her gaze. "The last time you spoke against your Father, you still have the scars to show for it." And she didn't mean just the one that everyone could see.

He sighed. "I felt like such a coward just sitting there and doing nothing." The Prince admitted, looking just as bit as the sixteen year old he was. Orora shook her head at him.

"But you are doing something Zuko." She reminded him. "You left your entire Nation, your people, your home, to come and help us." His hand came up to cover her own as he smiled softly at her, glad that he had someone to pull him back from the dark thoughts that would forever plague him. "You're helping train Aang to defeat the Fire Lord. Those aren't exactly the acts of a coward." He sighed, leaning into her touch as she moved her hand to cup the side of his face.

"I suppose I was letting some of my own frustrations out on Aang by being too hard on him during training." He admitted, feeling a little guilty and deciding to cut the boy some slack during their future training sessions. Orora smiled in agreement. "Just lay off a little bit. Remember he's still a kid." She shrugged. "We all are really. Not our fault we don't have the luxury to act like kids and be selfish about things."

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know, I did have a selfish motive when I decided to leave the Fire Nation." He admitted, smiling at his Motive, who only blinked at him in surprise. "Oh? And what was that?" She asked.

"I mean sure I wanted to stop my Father from carrying out his plan and help Aang." He clarified. "But at the back of my mind, I couldn't help but be happy for what I was doing because....." He trailed off, unable to help the slight blush he felt coming on. Finding Orora's blue eyes a little too penetrating, he cleared his throat and dropped his gaze to the floor. "It meant I was coming back to you." He finally admitted.

A moment of silence.

And then a breathless laugh, followed by the words:

"You're making it really really hard for me to not want to kiss you."

Immediately his gaze snapped up to see her smiling at him. She was closer now, or rather her face was much closer to his then it had been before, their noses just barely brushing. She could feel the exhale of his warm breath, while he allowed the scent of her to take of his senses completely.

"Sorry." He whispered, his eyes never once wavering from her own. Bringing up the hand that wasn't holding hers, Zuko gently ran his fingers down the side of her face. She closed her eyes, savoring the contact as if she had been starved for it. Which, to be honest, she always was.

"But maybe," She spoke softly, her own fingers moving to trace his scar with delicate strokes. "I can do something about it."

Zuko frowned in a slightly dazed manner, unable to think properly with her touch to distract him, her presence to rob him of sense, and her scent clouding his mind.

In a practiced move, the girl had pulled off her sling and allowed her arm to hang at her side. It was a little stiff, but there was no pain. Smiling in satisfaction, she turned her attention back to her Soulmate, who was frowning in confusion.

"What're you-?" He was cut off by Orora placing the thin cloth she had been using as a sling against his mouth. It only came up to cover half his nose. Then again, breathing was the last thing on Zuko's mind.

Since Orora was now kissing him through the thin piece of cloth.

His eyes widened to a comical size, and while he tried to gather his senses about him, Orora enjoyed the strange embrace she had initiated.

She felt the warmth of his lips against her own through the cloth. She felt them move, as if he were attempting to say something. She felt his body against her own, and couldn't help but smile at his utterly unresponsiveness.

For once, Orora had been the one to take him by surprise, and she would enjoy every moment of it.

But then, he did begin to respond. She felt his lips slant, as if trying to get a better angle. Since her hands were aloft, holding up the cloth, his came up to grasp her shoulders, pulling her even closer. Chest to chest, no space between them. He could feel her smile against his lips, and couldn't help but bask in the feeling that came with the knowledge that he was the reason behind that smile.

But then the kiss was over just as suddenly as it had began. Reluctantly, Orora pulled back. She lowered the cloth, revealing his still parted lips as he stared at her in utter surprise. Her tongue ran along her lips, savoring the tingling warmth his lips had left behind. His eyes dropped to catch that little act. "That was..........innovative." He said, his voice low and a little hoarse, his dark gold gaze never once moving away from her mouth. Her heart was beating a mile a minute in her chest, despite the fact that their kiss had barely been a kiss. "We can share a real kiss once you take me out on a proper date." The girl promised, as he slowly took her hand.

He was still looking at her in that way, intense and heated. She could barely look him in the eye. Blushing, but smiling, Orora trained her gaze forward as she began to lead the way back to their campsite.

"Wonder when that will be."

"With our luck, it'll probably be months."

                                            ————————–

Whatever semblance of peace they had made during their stay at the Temple was broken the very next morning before they'd even had the chance to wake up.

A loud explosion was what roused Orora from where she had been sleeping next to Zuko. Beside her, Zuko shot up, ready to attack and defend if needed. Everyone was up and staring in horror as several Fire Nation airships filled the space just beyond the fountain. Aang already had his staff out, ready to go on the defensive. With a an air wave, he blocked out the bombs by closing the giant metal shutters that had been installed years before. The entire ground shook as another explosion wrecked the Temple. Followed by another.

Far above, the ceiling began to break away, large chunks of rocks dropping down towards the group. The sound was enough to grab everyone's attention before they ran for cover. "Watch out!" And for Zuko to leap into action and race towards Katara, pushing her out of the way of the falling debris.

They both rolled out of the way, the rocks falling to the ground in a cloud of dust. Orora coughed, her eyes watering as she tried to see where Zuko and Katara had landed.

"What are you doing?" She heard Katara's angry voice as she finally spotted their prone figures on the ground. "Keeping rocks from crushing you." Zuko responded, as calm as could be. "Okay, I'm not crushed. You can get off me now!" With that Katara shoving him off and walked away, pushing past Orora as she approached the pair of them.

"I'll take that as a thank you." Zuko called after her, his hand already out for Orora to take so she could help him up. Haru and Toph quickly created a tunnel using their Earthbending, a safe route for them to escape from.

"Come on!" The girl called as more rocks fell from the ceiling and the metal doors Aang had closed for their protection began to crack. "We can get out through here!"

Even as everyone began to race towards the tunnel, Zuko stopped. Orora, who had been gripping his hand came to a halt as well. "What're you doing? Lets go!" She cried, trying to pull him to safety. Aang, who was struggling to get Appa into the tunnel paused as well. "What're you doing?" He repeated Orora's question, watching as Zuko stood facing the nearly decimated shutters.

The next few words had Orora's heart plummeting in her chest.

"Go ahead! I'll hold them off. I think this is a family visit."

He glanced at Orora once, quickly mouthing the words he knew she would chew him out for later. If he came back.

"I'm sorry."

With that he was racing towards the slowly breaking shutters.

"Zuko! No!" Aang called out in alarm. But his shout of worry was nothing compared to Orora's scream of his name. She made as if to run after him, but strong arms held her back. The girl struggled trying her best to get away, still calling out for Zuko, begging him to come back.

"Zuko! Come back! No! Zuko! Please! Zuko we have to get out! Come back! Zuko!"

Vaguely she heard someone say they had to get out as well, but that only had her struggling harder. "No! Not without Zuko!" She screamed, finally wrenching herself away from Sokka, who had been the one holding her back from following after Zuko.

"Zuko!"

                                            ————————–

Debris continued to fall, but Zuko was sure-footed and nimble as he dodged each and every piece with a precision that would make his Uncle proud.

He could hear Orora call out for him. Screaming for him to come back. But he couldn't. Not yet. Not when he could do something stop who was attacking them.

And he knew exactly who it was.

He was done running away. He was done being unable to protect his Soulmate. And he was going to protect his new friends however he could.

Running towards the airships, he was barely able to dodge a bomb as it dropped several feet from him and detonated. Thick gray plumes of smoke rose to the skies, and after a brief pause, where he shook his head of the dust and small rocks that had landed on him, Zuko emerged from the smoke cover unharmed.

Firebending a large blast as he leapt in the air, he hit his mark as the airship he was aiming for took the hit. He stood at the edge of the temple, watching as another airship rose up.

Only to reveal Azula standing atop a podium life devise with a less then welcoming grin on her face.

"What're you doing here?" Zuko called, anger rising within him as he watched his sister smile almost maniacally.

"You mean it's not obvious yet?" She called, laughing as if she had said the funniest thing in the world. "I am about to celebrate becoming an only child!"

Without missing a beat, Azula kicked a large blast of blue flame at her brother. Zuko dodged the huge ammunition to the best of his abilities and tried to run back to the temple for some cover. He stumbled over a rock, rolling several feet before coming to a halt. The temple structure on which he was began to crumble under him.

Thinking quickly, the boy ran towards the airship, using the shifting and falling rocks as stepping stones. Concentrating with all his might, Zuko blasted several fireblasts at Azula as he jumped towards the airship atop which she was standing.

He slammed against the airship, but the smooth surface provided him with no footholds.

And he fell into the misty, yawning cavern below.

                                            ————————–

Toph, in an effort to keep the rocks from crushing them, and to prevent Orora from going after Zuko had created a cocoon of rocks around the group. Still, dust and smaller rocks rained down around them as Aang, Sokka and Katara struggled to get Appa into the tunnel. Orora was being held back by Suki, who was now holding her friend close, trying to reassure her to the best of her abilities.

"I can't get him to go in there!" Aang called. "Appa hates tunnels!" Shaking her head, Katara looked around at everyone waiting to make their escape. "Aang, there's no way we can fly out of here." She said, only for Aang to cut her off. "We'll have to find a way!" He said, the determination clear in his voice as he looked at Sokka for confirmation.

The boy nodded in agreement. "We need to split up." He announced, quickly running to where everyone was waiting. "Take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship." He said, looking at each person who was to take the tunnel.

And that included Chit Sang, Haru, Teo, The Duke, and his Father.

"No!" Katara suddenly shouted, anger burning in her blue eyes as she stepped towards her father. "The Fire Nation can't separate our family again!"

Hakoda rested a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It'll be okay. It's not forever." He told her, his voice soft. The young girl hesitated, before hugging the man and running back to Aang. Sokka hugged Hakoda as well, before grabbing Suki's hand as well as Orora's and leading them towards Appa. Toph hung back, turning to The Duke who smiled at her in a reassuring manner.

"I'll see you when I'll see you. Don't worry." He said, reaching out to quickly linking the fingers that had their string tied around. Unable to help herself, Toph pulled The Duke into a brief yet meaningful hug. "Take care out there." She said, before pulling back and stepping away. She stayed there until they ran deep into the tunnel, before quickly making her way towards the front of the rock formation she had created, and pressed a hand against it.

"I can clear that away and we can fly out through there!" She called out before quickly launching herself onto Appa's back.

Suki, who had been making sure Orora was settled in the saddle, gave a nervous look. "Um, there's an awful lot of fire in that general direction." She pointed out, though her observation had Orora breaking out of her sudden stupor and gripping the edge of the saddle. "But that's where Zuko is." She stated, her eyes glancing at her string which was glowing strongly and pulling her finger insistently, reassuring her that her Soulmate was close.

"We'll get through." Aang said with a determined nod. "Let's go."

With a flick of the reins, Appa was flying through the temple and out into the open air. Toph kept his front shielded with a rock formation. Recognizing Azula's figure standing atop the airship, Orora began to look around, her eyes frantic as she searched for Zuko. "Where is he?" She called out, even as Azula tried to shoot down Appa. The shield integrated as it took the brunt of Azula's attack.

Another airship rose behind Azula, atop which Zuko stood unharmed.

"He's there! Aang! We have to turn back!" Orora called as she stood. The sight of her Soulmate seemed to fill the young girl with a new strength. One that had her standing beside Katara who was deflecting firebender attacks from the several other airships surrounding them. With several icicles nestled between her fingers, Orora threw them in the air, the sharp projectile flying fast and true.

And hitting every target where it would incapacitate them.

Seeing the opening, Aang quickly turned Appa around.

Just in time to see Azula and Zuko be blasted over the sides of the airship after a particularly large fire explosion.

Everything seemed to happen so slowly and yet in the blink of an eye, Zuko was in the saddle, pulled out of the air by both Katara and Orora, and they were making their escape.

While watching Azula still falling to her death.

"She's ... not gonna make it." Said Zuko, a strange tone in his words as he watched his sister. But then she firebended, propelling herself towards the cliff wall and stopped her fall somehow. They were too far away to see how she did that. Sighing in resignation, Zuko turned away. "Of course she did."

No sooner had he turned his attention away from his sister, when he found himself being punched and hit within an inch of his life. "Ow! Ow! Orora! What in Agni! Orora! Stop that!" He called in between the hits, having caught a familiar face looming over him.

"You son of a hog-monkey! You idiot! Of all the stupid things to do! Do you have any idea how worried I was?!" She screamed, continuing to hit him wherever her hands or fists would land. "I swear to Tui, La and Agni Zuko! If you ever pull a stunt like that I will kill you myself!"

The rest of the group, as soon as Orora had started to hit Zuko, retreated to their respective corners of the saddle. And tried very hard not to appear as if they were listening intentionally.

Which they were.

Even Katara.

Albeit reluctantly.

Finally, Zuko was able to catch her wrists and pause her attack on him. He raised his head, only to find Orora glaring at him. Though the slight wobble in her lower lip, and the film of unshed tears that shimmered in her blue eyes, had him feeling guilty, for making her worry like that.

He opened his mouth to apologize, to say something, anything that would have her not look at him like that. But she shook her head, before she slowly slumped forward and leaned against him, closing her eyes.

"Don't ever do that again." She whispered, the plea in her voice as obvious as the sky around them. Wrapping his arms around her in a close embrace, Zuko held her to him for the remainder of their flight.

Though he made no promise.

                                            ————————–

Appa flew for more then half the day. The sun had nearly disappearance by the time they found a safe place to set up camp.

Throughout the entire ride, Orora had not left Zuko's side, then again he hadn't let go of her either. But now, as they disembarked and Appa slumped to the grassy floor with a tired groan, she grabbed Zuko's hand and led him away from the rest of their group.

"Ooooooo Zuko's in trouble." Sokka called out, taking one of the several tents they always kept in Appa's saddle. Suki frowned at him in disapproval. "Leave them alone Sokka." She scolded him, before moving to help Aang set up the tents.

Katara stood there, watching as Orora and Zuko disappeared into the dark, an angry scowl on her face.

                                            ————————–

Once they reached a small grove of trees, providing them with a shield from prying eyes, Orora dropped Zuko's hand and turned to him, her arms crossed over her chest.

"Start talking." She said, giving Zuko the chance to explain his reckless behavior. The Prince sighed, already knowing what was coming, but then there was nothing he could do about it.

It had been his fault to run off like he had.

"Look, I had a suspicion who it was, and I just wanted to give you guys time to get away." He began, and knew it was the wrong thing to say, since she narrowed her eyes at him. "I thought I could distract them." He added, starting to get nervous as your gaze turned all the more icy. "I didn't want to have someone be hurt by my Nation."

Every excuse was feeble, and he knew Orora would never take them. She knew him, much better then he knew himself. And these weren't reasons enough.

Sighing in defeat, the boy dropped his head in his hand. "Look." He said, running a hand down his face as he looked up to meet her gaze. "My whole life I've stood by and done nothing to protect the people I care about. I've only ever caused them pain and hurt. And I'm just tired of doing nothing."

She was still silent, watching him. "When Azula attacked, I don't know. I couldn't find it in me to stand by. Not when I knew I could help. Not when I knew I could protect everyone." Reaching out, the boy took her hand from where she'd been gripping her forearm where it had been resting atop of.

"Explain this to me Zuko." She finally spoke. "If you're so busy protecting the people you care about, who will protect you?" She raised an eyebrow at him, stepping forward to poke him in the chest with a finger. "In our group, we protect each other. And that means no running off to sacrifice yourself. We do everything together."

Zuko nodded in agreement. "Alright, I won't do that again." He promised, and once he had given his word, Orora heaved a sigh of relief, the tension in her body leaving as her gaze turned soft. "Sorry if I hit you too hard, but you did deserve it."

The boy smiled. "I kind of did."

A slight rustle in one of the bushes behind them, had both teenagers standing on alert. Only to relax when Katara emerged from the brush, gathering firewood. She paused, catching sight of the both of them standing there, obviously having some intimate conversation. The anger that raged within the girl was obvious in her eyes as well as her scowl. She turned on her feet and walked away just as abruptly as she had appeared.

Watching her leave, Orora couldn't help but sigh. "We both really need to take care of this weird hatred between the both of us and Katara." She said. "I miss my sister." The girl admitted, watching the spot where she had disappeared to.

Zuko glanced at Orora, that all too familiar feeling of guilt settling in his stomach once again.

                                            ————————–

They returned to a camp that was already set up, with the fire going and everyone getting ready to sit down for dinner. Orora caught Suki's eye as she passed by, and simply nodded. The other girl smiled, knowing that she was alright. Sitting down next to Toph, Orora reached out to pat the younger girl's hand. "How're you holding up? I know it can't be easy, leaving The Duke." She said in a low voice, hoping to ease Toph's worries. The girl would never admit to them out loud, so coming to her directly, and speaking to her about it, was the best thing.

"I'm alright." The Earthbender admitted. "A little sad though." She wiggled her finger which had her string tied around it. "I miss him already." Her admittance came with a sad smile, that had Orora reaching out and giving the girl a quick hug. "You'll see him again. I'm sure." She said, as Toph nodded with a determined look about her face.

"Oh I know. He still owes me." Orora raised an eyebrow. "You had some sort of bet going on with him?" She asked, not at all surprised at the knowledge. Toph shrugged. "What? Its how we communicate."

How in the world that worked, Orora had no desire to understand.

Everyone began to sit down around the fire for dinner, with Suki and Aang passing the bowls around, along with cups of water.

"Wow, camping." Aang said as he gazed up at the open night sky. "It really seems like old times again, doesn't it?"

Breaking apart a small piece of the bread he was sharing with Orora, Zuko spoke with a sarcastic lilt in his tone. "If you really want it to feel like old times, I could, uh.......chase you around a while and try to capture you." He offered with a small smile. The rest of the group laughed, with Orora rolling her eyes at her Soulmate.

Well almost all of them laughed.

"Ha, ha." Katara said to herself, the angry scowl still on her face.

Holding up his cup, Sokka grinned. "To Zuko!" He toasted. "Who knew after all those times he tried to snuff us out, today he'd be our hero?"

The toast had Orora wincing a little, though there was a smile on her lips as she watched everyone agree with Sokka. Everyone except Katara that is.

Aang nudged Zuko lightly, while Toph gave him a light punch. The boys smiled. "I'm touched." He said softly, before shrugging. "I don't deserve this." A false observation that had Orora opening her mouth to negate Zuko.

But Katara beat her to it. "Yeah, no kidding." The girl hissed, before standing up and walking away.

Sokka, oblivious as ever to the emotions of those around him asked rather tactlessly. "What's with her?" Sighing in slight frustration, Zuko shrugged. "I wish I knew." Glancing at Orora, who gave him a small encouraging nod, he too stood and followed after the girl.

"What's with him?"

                                            ————————–

The events of the entire day really took it out of her. And as soon as she dropped on her bedroll, Orora was out like a candle. She woke late the next morning, unaware that Zuko and Katara were already making plans.

Emerging from her tent, the girl spotted Aang feeding Appa, while Sokka sat on the ground beside him, fiddling with what looked like a flower necklace. She opened her mouth to greet her brothers, but was cut off by Katara's arrival, with Zuko trailing after her.

"I need to borrow Appa." The girl stated bluntly. Orora glanced in Zuko's direction, silently asking him about what was going on. But the boy only shook his head at her.

Aang grinned. "Why? Is it your turn to take a little field trip with Zuko?" He said jokingly, as he fed Appa some more hay.

"Yes, it is." Again with the cold bluntness. Now Orora was starting to grow concerned for her friend.

Aang too looked surprised as he turned to look at Katara and Zuko. "Oh. What's going on?" He asked, straightening up.

"We're going to find the man who took my mother from me."

Sokka paused where he was fiddling with the necklace, while Orora's entire body stiffened and she blinked in surprise. They shared a look between one another before moving to stand besides Aang.

"Sokka told me the story of what happened." Zuko explained. "I know who did it and I know how to find him."

"Um..." Aang floundered, his gaze darting to Orora and Sokka in turn, before he looked back at Katara. "And what exactly do you think this will accomplish?"

Katara let out a mirthless laugh as she shook her head. "I knew you wouldn't understand." She said, as she began to walk away.

"Wait! Stop!" Aang called out after her, desperate to make her understand that what she was thinking of doing was wrong. "I do understand. You're feeling unbelievable pain and rage. How do think I felt about the sandbenders when they stole Appa? How do you think I felt about the Fire Nation when I found out what happened to my people?"

Zuko was the one to speak up on Katara's behalf. "She needs this, Aang." He explained. "This is about getting closure and justice."

The Airbender shook his head. "I don't think so." He stated firmly. "I think it's about getting revenge."

Unable to keep her anger in check any longer, Katara finally burst out. "Fine, maybe it is! Maybe that's what I need! Maybe that's what he deserves!"

"Katara." Aang's voice was full of cocern as he watched her. "You sound like Jet."

The girl shook her head. "It's not the same! Jet attacked the innocent. This man, he's a monster."

"Katara, she was my mother too," Sokka finally spoke up, not wanting his sister to make a big mistake. "But I think Aang might be right."

His sister snapped. "Then you didn't love her the way I did!" She yelled at her brother, prompting him to whisper her name, hurt and pain clear on his face.

Orora scowled. "Katara, I know you're hurting. But that's no way to speak to your brother. He's only trying to help." Speaking directly to Katara proved to be a big mistake, since the girl turned her anger on Orora.

"What would you know? You're not even a part of our family."

The older girl took a step back, as if Katara's words had physically hurt her.

Aang, hoping to avoid any more hurtful words, tried to calm the situation. "The monks used to say that revenge is like a two-headed rat viper. While you watch your enemy go down, you're being poisoned yourself."

Blocking out the rest of the conversation, Orora turned her attention to Sokka, who stood beside her, looking just as hurt as she felt as he looked at his little sister.

They both watched as she walked away, with Zuko following after her. "She's not gonna give up." Orora said, reaching out to give Sokka's shoulder a squeeze of comfort. He covered her hand with his, returning the squeeze, comforting her in return.

"Then we'll be ready to see them off." Aang said, knowing they had only delayed Katara.

She wouldn't stop until she had her revenge.

                                            ————————–

Sure enough, once everyone had seemingly turned in for the night, Katara and Zuko emerged from their tents. Dressed in complete black the both of them approached Appa, with Zuko carrying the sack of food and other essentials they might need.

Peaking out from behind a rock, Aang, Sokka and Orora jumped out from their hiding place. "So you were just gonna take Appa anyway?" Aang demanded to know, to which Katara replied with a simple. "Yes."

Sighing, the young Avatar gave a small nod. "It's okay." He said in a sage voice. "Because I forgive you." A brief pause. "That give you any ideas?" He asked, hoping he'd gotten through to Katara somehow.

"Don't try to stop us." Katara simply stated, as Orora bypassed her to stand beside Zuko.

"I wasn't planning to." Said Aang, shaking his head. "This is a journey you need to take. You need to face this man." Katara gave him a look of gratitude, before climbing atop Appa's head. "But when you do," Aang continued. "Please don't choose revenge. Let your anger out, and then let it go. Forgive him."

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Okay, we'll be sure to do that, guru goody-goody." A well aimed punch to his arm acted as punishment for his quip. Orora glared at him briefly, before glancing at Katara, who sat rigid and firm on top of Appa. "Take care of her, and watch her back." She whispered, knowing a reckless Katara, was a dangerous Katara.

Nodding in confirmation, Zuko looped their pinky fingers together, their strings glowing, before he climbed onto Appa as well.

As Sokka randomly asked Aang if he could borrow Momo, Orora couldn't help but glance in the direction of the moon.

It was a full moon.

"Please keep them safe Yue." She prayed, hoping she would be heard.

                                            ————————–

Zuko returned with Appa three days later.

The sight of the empty saddle had Aang and Orora nearly pouncing on Zuko, demanding to know where Katara was. He held up a placating hand. "She's safe." He told Sokka, who looked every bit as the concerned brother he was. "She just needed some time alone, so I left her at a safe location."

He looked around. "Pack up the camp. We're gonna go stay at my family's summer home." Toph frowned. "Won't it be a little obvious if we go there? They might check for us there." She added, to which Zuko shook his head. "Trust me, no one will think of looking for us there." He reassured the girl.

Between the six of them, they had the camp packed up and were ready to leave within an hour. Zuko took the reins, guiding Appa where they needed to go.

"So what happened?" Suki asked, knowing Sokka wanted to ask Zuko the very same question but was too nervous to do so. Mostly because he was afraid of what the answer might be.

"We found the man." Zuko said, prompting them all to stiffen in anticipation. "But she didn't do it. In the end, she was too strong to give in to her anger."

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sokka shared a quick hug with Orora, who felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

"So where exactly is your family home?" Toph asked, still curious to know where they were headed.

"We're going to the Ember Islands."

                                            ————————–

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[atla-confessions]

on the atla kids having blogs:

yes, but also YOUTUBE CHANNELS!!!

aang posts flipping / parkour videos. sokka films. toph joins in to throw rocks. he also does meditation & deep convos with appa & momo (like those triplets that chat in the car, yk?)

katara has a diy / lifestyle / how to channel. one video it’s how to change a tire, the next it’s how to get yourself arrested using only a rock, a lemur, and an air vent. chit sang features in her ‘how to start a prison riot’ special (she expands on different prisons.)

sokka has a talk show a la fondue for two. she often collabs with iroh’s tea time channel. he also does shopping hauls & vlogs & ratings and reviews. king of epic outros. he does all the gang’s editing. when aang masters the avatar state, he gets previous avatars on his show. wan’s a big fan.

toph’s is just her blind bandit escapades + running scams + does it bend??. everybody thinks her videos are staged. she does collabs with bumi.

iroh made one for zuko back in his ponytail era, and it’s beautiful. zuko’s new channel has his apology video & ‘breaking my silence’ video. he doesn’t really post much, but he’s usually in iroh’s tea time videos & sokka’s talk show & aang’s parkour.

suki has her martial arts channel, sokka makes great montages & velocity edits of her. one of her videos is called “beating up the firelord (not clickbait!!)”. her side gig is rambling on about avatar kyoshi. she also has a mini series of provoking the avatar state just to get hot tips from her idol.

X

[watchathon]

Book 3, Chapter 15: The Boiling Rock, Part 2

In case you’re finding this post just by browsing the tags I’ve used for this post, this is the Watchathon, a blog where I’m hoping to watch an episode of a TV show every weekday, with a short blog post where I write down my thoughts as I watch. Each new thought starts with a hyphen and a bolded first word.

- Like so. Now that the introductions are over with, here’s my thoughts on The Boiling Rock, Part 2:

- Even when it seems like Hakoda is obeying, clearly he’s not giving up on rebellion, with how he trips the warden.

- You’d think Sokka would remember to take off his helmet after what happened with Suki.

- It’s so nice to see Sokka and Hakoda teaming up again, to escape from the Boiling Rock.

- Between this and last episode, it seems like the go-to cover story/distraction on the Boiling Rock is violence.

- I gotta be honest, I wasn’t really expecting Mai to come back.

- Nor did I expect Chit Sang to actually tell the warden who the mastermind was. Et tu, Chit Sang?

- I like seeing Sokka and Suki talk about the plan. It feels like it’s all coming together.

- Maybe Chit Sang’s not such a heartless traitor.

- Boy, this is an episode of surprises, isn’t it? Now Azula’s getting involved.

- Sokka really knew how to get to that guard.

- I like how Hakoda just confidently goes to start a prison riot, but it just ends up awkward because he chose the one pacifist prisoner. The joke works, I think, because Hakoda doesn’t really tend to get moments like this, so it’s unexpected.

- Meanwhile Chit Sang’s been there for a while. He knows how this stuff works.

- This scene of Zuko locking Mai in the cell is so sad, especially because Zuko doesn’t really have a choice unless he changes his mind and goes back to the Fire Nation.

- Ohmigosh, Suki is just so awesome. Rest of the team’s dumbfounded as to how they could take the warden hostage, Suki’s just off doing it all on her own.

- And I like how Sokka is so appreciative of Suki’s awesomeness. He loves Suki for who she is: an amazing Kyoshi Warrior who’s at least as good as any member of the Gaang. Plus, Hakoda clearly approves of the relationship so that’s a bonus.

- Dear lord, Azula has jetpacks for limbs!

- I always like seeing fights between Team Avatar and Team Azula. Granted, not all of each team is present, but it’s still fun to watch.

- I may have used up my “dear lord” too soon, because the warden would literally rather die than let prisoners escape. I thought it was just hyperbole last episode!

- I’ve never been a fan of the Zuko/Mai romance, but I do like how Mai is willing to save Zuko even after the heartbreak.

- And Mai’s standing up to Azula while she’s at it. Followed shortly by Ty Lee.

- It’s so sweet to see Katara get surprised by the return of her and Sokka’s father.

[unfriedough]

'Lee' - Zuko x fem!reader

Masterlist <3

An: GOOD DAY FRIENDS. Today I present to you: Zuko one shot! But uhhh there’s some backstory - I haven’t written, though maybe in the future I'll write it lol, but for now, here’s a shortened version.

Backstory:

Yn met Zuko during his stay in ba sing se. She knows him as Lee, but she also knows that he’s struggled with doing good, because eventually he trusted to tell her his problems, and she wanted him to do good so yeah. I’m not entirely sure if this made sense and yeah, author OUT!

Summary:

After Zuko joins the gang, he notices they have an extra tent. Curiosity gets the best of him, and things happen.

Warnings: LOTS OF FLUFF UWU.

Word count: 1579 words.

The night he joined them, he noticed that he was the only one situated in a room, all the others had set up tents surrounding the blazing campfire. They sat around said campfire eating, and, for obvious reasons, he joined them. As he ate this “one-of-a-kind” meal, he tuned out their conversations, which were something about Sokka’s boomerang? He utilised this time to scan his surroundings, Zuko often found himself doing this, although he wasn’t sure why. He surveyed each and every detail of the environment, going as far as to count objects.

“6 tents?” he pondered, “Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka, Suki, and-”

“EARTH TO ZUKO!” Sokka yelled.

Zuko immediately jolted back to reality and shrunk under what felt like a thousand eyes burning into him.

“You okay man?”

“Y-yeah I-I just,” he stuttered, before shaking his head, “nevermind.”

Sokka just shrugged and went back to animatedly storytelling to the group.

--

The moon was now at its peak in the seemingly endless skies. Zuko had caught himself - on multiple occasions - thinking about that tent. “Who could it be for? Momo? No, that wasn’t even an option. Maybe one of the newer people: Chit Sang? Teo? The duke?” Zuko racked his brain for a logical explanation, but alas, it was to no avail. He had refrained from asking, in fear of confrontation - however he needed answers. He looked around to see Sokka’s tent still lit up, and made his way towards it, practically dragging himself every step of the way.

The blue tent had a golden light’s hue emitting off of it. He knocked on a stone near the front of the tent, silently praying that Sokka would be asleep. Sokka poked his head out abruptly, causing Zuko to flinch slightly. The watertribe boy tilted his head, quietly questioning Zuko's appearance here.

“I need to ask you something.” Zuko said bluntly.

Sokka cocked a brow and signaled for Zuko to enter the small confinement. Zuko hesitated but ended up going inside anyway.

After the teens had settled in the tent, the room had been radio silenced, until of course, the firebender spoke.

“So um Sokka,” He cleared his throat, looking everywhere but at the figure opposite him, he tended to avoid eye contact when nervous.

“Yeah?” Sokka replied with an encouraging smile.

“I noticed there were 6 tents and well 5 people that sleep in tents, and uh Katara going into the sixth tent quite often,” He rambled.

“There are in fact 6 tents,” Sokka nodded. He knew what Zuko meant, but he thought it was funny watching Zuko ramble.

“Is there another person in the group?” Zuko blurted out.

Sokka pondered for a minute, a frown settling on his tan skin.

“Uh yeah, It’s another girl, Yn, but she’s kind of hurt right now so Katara’s healing her.” He gave a forced smile.

Zuko decided not to push it.

“Ok thanks, have a good night.”

“You too!”

Resting in his room, Zuko questioned the familiarity of that name.

(TIME SKIP TO A FEW DAYS LATER :)

The sunlight elegantly flowed into Zuko’s fairly empty room, the thought of socialising already draining the awkward prince. Although he didn’t wanna leave the comfort of his bed, he needed to train Aang - that much was obvious. Begrudgingly, he got up and lightly fixed his hair, and by ‘fixed it’ I mean ran his fingers through it a few times, simple - but it worked. The door gilded open at Zuko’s pull and he walked out - slightly blinded by the harsh lighting. He made his way over to the group, who were enjoying breakfast with a side of playful bickering. Zuko smiled to himself, although he wasn’t really close with them, their relationship with each other was just too wholesome.

“Just in time Zuko!” Aang exclaimed, his grin extending from ear to ear.

Zuko gave a light smile and couldn’t help but wonder, how can someone be so optimistic when the weight of the world lies on their shoulders? The prince was handed a bowl of (unappetising) food, which he took gratefully, mustering out a ‘thank you’.

After a long and painful breakfast, the firebending duo wasted no time. Aang and Zuko were training tirelessly at the temple, moving in sync to their newly learned dance, and using the surge of power provided from the sun.

“What do you think they’re doing over there?” Aang whined pointing to the rest of the group whilst attempting to catch his breath.

Zuko shrugged. To be completely honest, he wanted to know, but he wouldn’t let his childish curiosity get the best of him.

“They look like they’re having fun.” The avatar sighed, he wanted to have fun too!

It was true, his friends were giggling non stop and being extremely loud. Aang tried to convince the firebender to allow him to go, and after a lot of convincing, he was allowed to go. The air nomad practically sprinted, meanwhile an annoyed Zuko trudged behind him.

Upon arriving, Aang joined the group’s joy. Zuko gulped as realisation hit him at the speed of light. His eyes widened as someone approached him, someone he recognised. Yn.

Zuko’s heart sank, and it sank deep. When they locked eyes, it seemed as if the rest of the world faded into nothing but a blur, and it was just them. The cheers of the crowd faded into background noise as Zuko bit back tears.

Katara’s POV: (Yes ik this seems random bUT bear with me)

I felt the tension rise between Zuko and Yn, maybe unresolved drama? I pushed that thought, and decided to move the group away, to give them some space to talk. Although, I wasn’t too keen on leaving her alone with him. I nudged the group over to the fountain, and we sat at the edge of it. I wanted to keep a close eye on them, but Aang convinced me to let the thought out of my head. I hope nothing goes wrong.

Back to your regularly scheduled program ;)

“Hey, Lee,” She smirked.

He couldn’t help but stare. She had grown so much since he had last seen her. Her arms were coated with sleeves of bandages. Zuko’s body was washed over with guilt.

“I should’ve been there, I should’ve helped, none of this would’ve happened if I hadn’t been so dense - so dumb, so-”

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a giggle, a laugh so sweet and innocent sounding - he could listen to it for all of eternity. His gaze fell upon her as she smiled at him. A smile that caused him to melt, a smile that shone so bright it made the sun jealous, a smile that could convince him to realign the stars for her, a smile that made his stomach form a tight knot, her smile.

“Sorry, you just looked so cute when you were deep in thought,” she apologised.

Zuko’s smile was replaced by a slight frown, he had been brought back to reality, and he knew what needed to be done.

“Yn, I am so sor-” His voice cracked, he couldn’t stop the tears anymore, they threatened to fall, stinging his Amber eyes.

Immediately he noticed her face become more serious, and he braced for impact - whether that be physical or emotional. He shut his eyes tight and hung his head low, he deserved what was coming for him.

He felt two gentle hands rest on his shoulders, and someone’s chest against his. The firebender’s eyes fluttered open and he saw her there, holding him. He let himself enjoy the hug, before she pulled away slightly, wiping away stray tears from his face.

“There’s nothing to be sorry for,”

“B-but,”

“What matters is that you’re here now, doing good,”

And his heart felt full, nothing could have made this moment better -

“Can I kiss you?” Zuko said before he could process the thought.

“I ruined the moment,” Zuko mentaly beat himself up.

“Sorry, I DidNt -” His words came out jumbled, and before he could dig himself a deeper grave, a pair of soft lips landed onto his. It took him a second to understand the gesture, but he eagerly returned the kiss, deepening it. The pair stood there, losing themselves in a sweet kiss.

Eventually, they parted, both in desperate need of air. As they panted heavily, Zuko stared at Yn, she was just so pretty. She looked back at him, and caught him staring. He tried to play it off, but this teenager’s pink tinted face gave him away. She giggled at the sight, before giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She whispered into his ear:

“Let’s keep this a secret for now,”.

A shiver was sent down Zuko’s spine, and a smile appeared on the boy’s face as he nodded excitedly.

She turned around and walked back to the group, hoping they didn’t have to witness what had just happened. Little did Yn know, Zuko’s eyes never left her. He was just so amazed by everything she did, that he forgot to move. His face followed her with admiration, before she turned around and cocked a brow.

“You coming?” She yelled.

He scrambled to collect himself before going back to the group, a dopey smile adorning his face for the rest of the day.

An: Hope you enjoyed this story, See ya!

[sokkascroptop]

traitor. (sokka x f!reader) pt 25

part 1 | part 24 

A/N: she’s HERE!!! anyways, post and dip BYE

Y/N bit her bottom lip as she shook the dice around the wooden cup she was holding. She was losing–badly. Sho, a game that Aang had taught them a few days ago when Zuko had let up on their firebending training, was an Air Nomad game that the monks would play. Aang was a little confused on the rules, so they’d filled in the blanks where they needed to with their own. 

And Sokka was good at it, way better than any of the rest of them. Which is probably why he’s suggested they’d start betting money.

“Just roll them!” Zuko growled from next to Y/N where he was laying on his stomach, head propped in his hands. Y/N gave him a sharp look and let the two dice fall from the cup onto the ground. Snake eyes. She’d only be able to move her pieces two spaces. Y/N let her head fall into her free hand with a resounding smack. She could hear the disappointed sighs from the rest of the gang around her. Sokka had already leeched them of their money, Y/N was their only hope, and now she was going to lose too. 

Of course the money that they all had was shared amongst themselves, but it was purely the principle of the fact. 

Sokka snatched the cup cleanly from Y/N’s left hand, dropping the dice into it before shaking it. Surely he couldn’t roll exactly a seven, there was no way– “Are you kidding me?!” Y/N shouted as Sokka laughed and grabbed what meager money Y/N had thrown into the pot and shoved into his now full pouch. “How did you roll a seven? How?!”

Sokka’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “I’ll never tell my secrets.”

Y/N pouted. “I feel like I was just swindled.” Well, at least she knew how those people in the Fire Nation felt when Toph stole all their money. 

Sokka scooted closer to Y/N and threw an arm around her shoulder. She automatically leaned in. “Oh don’t be such a sore loser, I’ll buy you something nice in the next town we stop in.” He winked at her.  

Butterflies fluttered in Y/N’s stomach in response. She rolled her eyes, fought off a smile and sent him a withering glare back which didn’t phase Sokka in the slightest. In fact, he looked more pleased with himself. 

“Shut up, Sokka,” Toph said what everyone was thinking and Y/N felt herself giggle along with the rest of them.

“Aw, Toph we’re buds, you don’t really–”

“No, seriously! Everyone–shut up. I hear something off in the distance.” Toph stood up and turned her head so one of her ears was pointed in the direction of the canyon.

Y/N quickly pulled out of Sokka’s reach and scrambled to her bag where her sword lay, sheathed and untouched since she got back from Boiling Rock. There was a near imperceptible shake in her hands as she pulled the sheath off and dropped it to the side, adrenaline already coursing through her body. Everyone else was frozen, either staring at Toph or Y/N. Despite her asking for silence, Toph turned to Y/N. “Do you hear it too?”

Suki was standing too now. Something about the way Toph and Y/N acted had set her off too. “No,” she answered for both of them. “I don’t hear anything. Not even the birds.”

Truthfully, Y/N hadn’t even thought of that. The cave dwelling birds that lived in and around the temple were always chirping. It had become the background noise to their lives, but now it was silent. 

Y/N let out a shaky breath. It was true, the stillness of the air was unnerving. It reminded her of the fights that happened in the yard at Boiling Rock. The ones where you could hear a pin drop before the brawl began, or the solitary click of boots down the halls in the middle of the night before some prisoner was pulled from their room with a piercing scream. It was the moonlight shining through the leaves in the forest that night before Kaito and his friend attacked. Too quiet was too quiet and it made her stomach roll with fear.

The first explosion rocked the very ground Y/N stood on. It felt like an earthquake, but Y/N knew better. 

Three Fire Nation airships seemed to rise from the canyon itself. Over her shoulder, Y/N could hear bits of the Air Temple crumbling in on itself where the first bomb hit. In the 100 years since the Fire Nation was last here, their technology and weaponry had only gotten more advanced. The temple was old and unkept, it wouldn’t last long enough to protect them. 

Aang broke away from the group and ran to his glider. With a powerful swing he was able to airbend yet another fireball heading for the roof, back in the direction it came from. It exploded next to the far left airship, sending it careening sideways, but it wasn’t enough to take it down. Another one smashed into the fountain sending stones and dust flying through the air. It stung her eyes and choked her throat. Y/N coughed and stumbled backwards, running right into someone. Hands gripped her arms, keeping her steady.

“We have to head to the back of the temple!” Sokka shouted into Y/N’s ear. It was a good thing too, another section of the roof came crashing down, much too close for comfort. She caught sight of Zuko and Katara diving to the side to avoid being crushed by the falling rocks. 

Y/N nodded and the two of them ran towards the back of the temple to where Haru and Toph were bending a hole in the ground large enough to fit Appa. Suki was currently trying to help Aang wrangle Appa, who was having nothing with the thought of being pulled underground. 

“Come on Appa, it’s okay!” Aang tried to reassure as he tugged on Appa’s reins. The sky bison bellowed loudly in response and dug his heels in. 

Everyone else had started to make their way into the tunnel first, Chit Sang was helping Teo navigate his wheelchair over the bumpy rocks, The Duke close behind. All they had to do was get Appa to go too and they’d be safe. Well, safer than where they were now. 

Sokka, Y/N and Katara joined Aang and Suki in trying to coax Appa into the tunnel. Y/N promised belly rubs and as many moonpeaches as Appa could eat if he just took a few more steps forward but he wasn’t budging. 

They were really pushing it close now, with each explosion more of the temple fell away; half of the courtyard was already gone. 

Y/N looked back to the ships, which looked larger than she’d ever seen before. Standing at the head of the middle ship, like it was her own personal army–which it probably was–was Azula. 

And Zuko had caught sight of her too. 

Y/N already knew what was going through his mind before he probably did. “Zuko! Get back here now!” she shouted. 

“What are you doing?!” Aang chimed in, making a move towards stopping him. 

Zuko barely even glanced back and through a pause in the explosions, Y/N could hear his voice loud and clear. “I’ll hold them off. I think this is a family visit.”

“Zuko!” Y/N and Aang both yelled simultaneously. Appa’s reins fell from Y/N’s hands and she reached back for her sword, ready to follow Zuko into battle. 

But her hand paused, just as she touched the leather grip.

What was she supposed to do? Y/N had always, always been tailing after those two. Always soothing both sides after their fights, promising a better tomorrow if–

“–if you just please get along, for me.”

Y/N growled before grabbing Appa’s reins once again. She couldn’t be that person anymore. She couldn’t keep pretending that she was their nurse-maid, there to apologize for when one was mad at the other. This wasn’t about elementary school games in the palace gardens, this was a war; life and death. And as much as it hurt her to admit, Y/N might not be able to save them both. 

Besides, she was sure that her presence would only cause more trouble, it always did.

“This isn’t working.” Sokka pushed his hair out of his face with frustration. “We’ve got to get out of here now.”

Aang shook his head. “Appa isn’t going to go into that tunnel!” 

Appa seconded this statement with a roar. 

“Aang, we can’t fly out of here!” Katara gestured wildly in front of them to the airships that were mostly blocking their only way out besides the tunnel. 

A large shot of orange flames caught their attention. Even in the daylight it was blinding. Azula and Zuko were battling one another, but the airships hadn’t slowed their onslaught on the Air Temple. 

“We’ll have to try.” Y/N could hear the determination in Aang’s voice but she kept her eyes on the ships, on the blue and orange flames that were dancing across the top of the centermost one. 

Y/N turned her head over her shoulder. “They might not be expecting that. It’ll take a while to change their trajectory and we could slip away. If we’re fast enough.”

She locked eyes with Aang and an understanding passed between them. 

“So we can’t take everyone...” 

“No.”

Katara reached behind her absently in the direction of her father. “What do you mean we can’t take everyone?! We aren’t being separated again!” 

“Appa can’t carry us all. We need to move fast if we have any chance of getting out of here.” 

Sokka nodded in agreement. “We have to split up. They can still get away, Katara.” Sokka looked away from his sister to his father. “You can take the tunnel and get to the stolen airship.” 

“No…” Katara’s voice broke and Y/N busied herself with climbing into Appa’s saddle. 

“It won’t be forever,” Hakoda promised before pulling his two kids into his chest. 

Y/N waved down to him sadly, as Suki and Toph piled in next to her. She sent up a silent message to whichever god or spirit that was listening to keep her new friends safe in their own escape. 

“Which way?” Aang asked as he looked out to the canyon. 

Y/N couched near Appa’s head and pointed directly at the airships. “Wait until there’s a break between the firebender’s hitting the temple, then go up as high as you can.” 

Riding on Appa’s back on a good day made Y/N feel like she was floating; where her stomach was in her chest and her heart was in her throat and every gust of wind made her gasp. 

So when Appa dove and rocked side to side avoiding the explosions aimed at him, it was safe to say Y/N was left queasy. The higher they climbed, the less fire reached them. 

In a moment of clarity, where they drifted above the airships in the cloudline, Y/N was able to think about how much she hated where she was; about who she was. 

As she peered over the edge of the saddle, trying to get her eyes on Azula and Zuko, she wished so badly that she would just wake up from this awful nightmare, back in her bed on Ember Island, ten years old and nothing to worry about. Before she met Azula; before her life became this. 

And then she saw them. On top of the center airship, fighting one another like they were true enemies. And for once, it looked like Azula was evenly matched. The siblings simultaneously threw fire-packed punches at each other, and where they met in the middle blew up into an inferno of blue and orange flames, blowing both Azula and Zuko over the edges of the airship, plummeting to the bottom of the canyon. 

Aang saw it first, diving Appa down before Y/N could even register what just happened. 

“Oh my spirits. Aang?!” Y/N hung halfway out of the saddle as they dropped quickly through the smoke in the direction they last saw Zuko. Fear spiked through her body like a white hot knife. “Does anyone see them?”

Y/N was met with silence, just the wind whistling past her to fill her ears. She wasn’t sure if someone spoke up she’d be able to hear them anyways. Her nails dug into the soft leather under her hands, so deep half-moons were sure to be left behind long after she let go. Y/N stared into the clouds, dizzy and hyperventilating. 

One breath in– 

“There!” Sokka hollered, jumping to the edge next to her. 

–and out.

It was by some divine force that Y/N was able to reach Zuko as he was falling. Even with Aang steering Appa in his direction, Y/N almost missed. It’s like she was moving in slow motion, their fingers dug into one another’s arms and the sudden weight of him pulling on her almost had Y/N tipping out of the saddle, shocking her back to reality. 

The only thing that caught her was someone’s hands fisted in the back of her shirt. That was a good idea. Y/N reached around and grabbed the back collar of Zuko’s shirt, dragging him in roughly. 

His hands were scorching hot from the recent firebending but he didn’t let go of her, instead his fingers tightened around her arm as the two of them stared back towards the cliffs. Their eyes were locked on the sight in front of them. 

Like Zuko, Azula was falling too. But she didn’t have anyone to catch her. 

Y/N hated the way she took a shaky breath in automatically. “She’s not going to make it.” 

Y/N made a move towards the back edge of the saddle, as if somehow being closer meant that she could lean out and help. She wanted to look away; she didn’t want to see her best friend plummet to her death but she couldn’t turn away, she couldn’t break her eyes from the sight in front of her. 

But in true Azula fashion, she persevered through all–she was just too stubborn to die yet. She firebent herself closer to the cliff face and caught herself on the rocks with her hair pin. 

“She did make it.” Zuko’s voice was surprisingly full of relief. 

Even from the distance, Y/N could feel the anger Azula emitted. But that wasn’t Y/N’s problem anymore, as much as she wanted it to be. 

She sat down, facing away from the cliffs–away from Azula–and pulled her knees to her chest. Zuko sank down next to her, doing the same. 

Momo, sensing some shift in her emotions, crawled into Y/N’s lap. She scratched absentmindedly behind his ears. She looked across her friends in wonder, all crammed together in the Appa’s saddle, in various states of shock. She wished they’d all met under better circumstances, but she was glad to have met them nonetheless. She would never be the person she was today without them. This was the life she was meant to have, even with how messed up it was. 

They flew for as long as Appa could fly and then some more, needing to get the most distance between them and the Fire Nation airships as possible. They only landed, all fully exhausted, when Appa could go no farther and the sun was low in the sky. 

----

Zuko and Y/N tasked themselves with setting up the tents while everyone else split off from the group and began to set up camp in a familiar daze; no words necessary. 

“I get it now.” Zuko shook one of the tent canvas’ out over the grass, clearing off dust from the journey, doing everything in his power to avoid Y/N’s eyes. 

She yawned as she pulled out the tent stakes and tossed them on the ground near his feet. “Get what?”

“I get, well–you now. It’s something Azula said when we were fighting.” Zuko mumbled. He began to thread the wooden supports through loops in the canvas without another word. 

Y/N blinked wondering if she heard him correctly. “What did she say?” 

Zuko seemed even more hesitant to speak now. Azula was a sore subject around camp before she’d just attacked them. The last thing they needed was someone to hear them talking about her. “Something about how she had to do it. The way she talked, I don’t even want to hear the garbage Father is filling her head with.”

Y/N cringed and with a pang of worry, she wondered how Ozai would take the loss of Aang once again. “You don’t think she’s too far gone, after what she did?” 

Zuko chewed on his lip for a second. “She’s making it very hard to sympathize with her.”

“But?”

“No, I don’t.”

A sudden rush of hope filled Y/N. She wasn’t going to be alone in this quest for saving Azula. She and Zuko had just become allies in yet another way, and while it was never going to be easy, she would at least have a companion. 

And it helped that it made Y/N feel a little less crazy about the whole thing. It was true; since her confession to the others Y/N couldn’t help but think that she might have been wrong all along. She’d rolled that thought around her brain until it became all she could think about when she was alone. With Zuko’s own admission, Y/N felt like the goal was much more attainable. 

Y/N couldn’t help the grin that grew on her face. “That’s–”

“Zuko.”

Y/N’s lips zipped shut and she turned to look at Katara. She looked between the two of them with a sour expression on her face. “Sokka needs help carrying firewood. We need a lot of it, it’s going to be cold tonight.”

Y/N knew that tone of voice. It wasn’t a question of whether he wanted to go help, it was an order for Zuko to get up and leave Y/N alone.

“Uh, yeah. Okay.” Zuko handed Y/N the tent stakes and jogged off in the direction they’d seen Sokka go when they’d landed. 

Y/N barely caught Katara leaving, walking away just quickly as she had come. Leaving it up to Y/N to get the rest of the tent set up before dinner. 

Y/N really did try and give Katara the benefit of the doubt. She’d been through a lot, and Y/N felt like she had dragged her through more by admitting that she wanted to help Azula. But it was hard to ignore some of the outright hostility she showed Zuko–and Y/N too–if she was around him.

While at one time, she had encouraged Y/N to become friends with Zuko once again, now it seemed like that was the last thing Katara wanted anymore. The flip-flopping left Y/N confused and worried. Was her newly rekindled friendship with Zuko the same thing that was dousing the friendship between her and Katara? 

----

Y/N didn’t know what was making her more queasy. What had happened at dinner with Katara, or the fact that she and Sokka were currently spreading out blankets in his tent, for both of them to sleep on. It was so...private. 

“What do you think was going on with Katara at dinner? She was all–I don’t know–pouty. And then Zuko? Running after her?”

Y/N sat down and crossed her legs, fixing a corner of one of the blankets until it was perfectly straight, just hoping to give her hands something to do before giving a noncommittal shrug. “I’m not sure.” 

Zuko had shared a look with Y/N before he got up to follow Katara to the coastline, like they were in on something together. However, she was completely in the dark. Mostly. Well, Y/N was smart enough to make a guess. 

Sokka cocked his head to the side and sat down across from her. “I think you know more than you’re letting on.”

Y/N furrowed her brows. “Maybe. I’m just guessing.”

“Then what’s your guess?”

“Katara is mad about something.”

“Well yeah, obviously,” Sokka scoffed.

“But Zuko hasn’t done anything recently for her to be mad at. So it’s either a long held grudge from Zuko’s ‘hunting the Avatar’ days, or something new is making her mad.” 

“Like what?”

Y/N looked away. “I think she’s mad at me.”

“You? For what?”

Y/N leaned back on her hands, fisting them in the blankets before letting them go. “Come on, you know what.”

“I thought we all were past that?”

“Maybe she’s not.”

Suddenly the opening of the tent was pushed aside and someone came barreling in, stepping on Y/N’s left hand in the process.

“Ow!”

“Sokka, I need to–” Zuko stopped and looked down. “Sorry, Y/N…?” 

His voice trailed off as his eyes bounced from Y/N to Sokka to the blankets spread neatly across the spanse of the tent, all illuminated by one single lantern on the floor. 

Zuko’s cheeks grew pink. “Sorry, I didn’t know... I didn’t mean to interrupt, I–”

Y/N felt her own cheeks heat up as she realized what Zuko was implying, the flush spreading all the way down her neck. “No! You weren’t interrupting anything!!”

“It’s just the way the blankets are all–”

Sokka let out a strangled noise. “Nothing was gonna happen!!”

“Okay!” Zuko crossed his arms across his chest tightly. 

“Okay,” Y/N repeated. She folded her hands in her lap and stared at her thumbnails, unable to meet either boys’ eyes. All three of them were quiet, still cringing over the embarrassment that had just happened. 

Sokka cleared his throat, breaking the silence. “So, Zuko, you needed something?”

“Uh, yeah.” He sat down next to Y/N. “It’s about your mom.”

Y/N’s head snapped up. What she knew about Sokka and Katara’s mom was little to none. She knew that she had been killed in a Fire Nation raid when both of them were younger, but that was the extent of Y/N’s knowledge. Neither sibling liked to talk about her in detail, and Y/N didn’t pry.

“Do you want me to…?” Y/N nodded her head towards the tent flaps, unsure whether this was a private conversation. She looked between the boys, waiting for an answer. 

Sokka shook his head. “No, it’s okay.” Already his brows furrowed deeply. He chewed absently on his lip before saying, “What do you want to know?”

“Tell me about the day she died.”

Y/N glowered at Zuko, wanting to reach out and punch him in the arm for asking about something so sensitive. 

“I don’t like to think about it,” Sokka’s eyes had a far away look in them, like he wasn’t seeing Y/N and Zuko in front of him, but was imagining the way the tundra looked on the day his mother died all those years ago. “I was nine, Katara was eight. We were out playing in the snow with Mom and Dad when the ash began to fall…”

----

Sokka’s story had lasted long into the night, and overall left Y/N with more questions than answers. Of course they were questions that no one could answer for her. No one could explain what was going through that man’s head when he decided that Kya’s life was worth less than his. No one could explain the greater complexities that were behind the Fire Nation’s decimation of other cultures, not in a satisfying way that would help Y/N ever understand. Because that was that; she would never understand–the fear factor, the sense of power that came from knocking one culture aside to make way for your own. (Why would you destroy when you could cultivate and grow and learn from each other? She had learned so much about that in the past few months.)

And all of those thoughts made it hard to sleep. There were too many things going through Y/N’s head as she watched Sokka’s chest move up and down with each rhythmic breath. Furthermore, she knew that Zuko wouldn’t have asked for the story if he didn’t already have plans made for what he was going to do about it, and that did not sit well with Y/N.

----

And she was proven right, the next morning after a few hours of sleep when Katara marched up to her, Aang and Sokka asking to borrow Appa. 

“Why do you need to borrow Appa?” Aang asked with a smile. It slowly faded into a frown as he looked between Katara and Zuko. “What’s going on guys?”

Katara squared her shoulders, steeling herself like she was about to get into a fight. “Zuko knows who killed my mother.”

At that moment, Y/N’s ears started ringing. She frowned at Zuko, who just shook his head and frowned back at her. She should have known that any question he asked last night had an ulterior motive. This was his brilliant plan to make Katara like him??

Without warning, Katara stole Y/N’s attention back. 

“Y/N, you’ll come with me won’t you?”

The older girl looked over and caught Katara’s gaze. “Huh?”

Katara looked down at Y/N hopefully. “I don’t care if Zuko comes, but I want you to. I need you.”

Y/N blinked at her. There were a lot of things that she wanted to say but the words just seemed to tangle around her mouth. She’d open her mouth to say one thing but snap it shut immediately for something else. Finally with a quick shake of her head she blurted out, “No.”

“What?”

“I’m not going to watch you hunt someone down and kill them.” The words left a bad taste in Y/N’s mouth. They were all too familiar to her. And the mere thought of doing that…

“I need this. I can’t just forget about him now that I know he’s still out there. I can’t just let it go!”

“I wouldn’t expect you to forget it,” Y/N replied slowly as she stared at Katara’s shaking hands. 

“So help me.”

“No. And if you want me to be real honest, I don’t think that either of you should be going!” Y/N sent a very pointed look to Zuko. What is this really about? She wanted to ask him. “Revenge is not going to fix how you feel, Katara.”

“How would you know?”

“I just do.”

“Well you’re wrong. This man is a monster. He deserves it.” 

“But you don’t need to be the one doing it.”

“Katara,” Y/N doesn’t have to look at Aang to know he’s sad. It comes through in his voice, clear like bells. “I understand how you–”

“Stop.” Katara’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “If you’re going to tell me not to go then you don’t understand either.” 

“I do understand! How do you think I felt when the sandbenders took Appa, or when I woke up and found out what happened to my people?! Doing this out of revenge is not right and you know it.” Aang was standing now, a divot punctuating between his eyebrows as he frowned at Katara. 

“You’re both wrong,” Zuko murmured. He was so quiet during the whole exchange, Y/N nearly forgot he was there. “This is about closure and justice.”

“Katara, please,” Sokka spoke up from behind Y/N. He too had stayed quiet for most of the conversation. Y/N wondered if he had an idea that this was going to happen after Zuko came to talk to him too. “She was my mother too, but this isn’t right.”

“Then you didn’t love her like I did.” It felt like a bucket of ice cold water had been splashed over Y/N’s body. She jerked at Katara’s words, even though they weren't aimed at her. In one foul swoop Y/N wanted to scream at Katara for saying something so hurtful to her brother and simultaneously pledge to do everything in her power to make the man who killed their mother pay for his crimes. However, Y/N didn’t have time to do either, because while she was still thinking of which was the better option, Katara spun around on her heel and stomped away, not unlike a child having a tantrum.

----

Y/N huddled between Sokka and Aang behind one of the large rocks surrounding their camp, watching as Katara and Zuko, dressed in black, loaded Appa with supplies. Her mind drifted to how cozy Toph and Suki probably were as they slept peacefully around the campfire. The wind bit through her clothes and Y/N shivered involuntarily. She knew that the point of staying up, waiting for Katara and Zuko to sneak away, was to once again try and convince Katara that this wasn’t the right thing to do. Aang thought that confronting them again would somehow bring Katara to her senses, except–this was Katara acting with her senses. As angry as she could get, she never forgot to plan, she wasn’t acting on a whim anymore.

Y/N didn’t know if she could say anything to convince Katara to stay that Aang and Sokka hadn’t already tried; Katara had shown her hand already and her mind was hard to change once it was set on something. 

The three of them stepped out, just as Zuko and Katara were leaving. Y/N made a beeline to Katara. 

 “Please, Katara, listen to me.” Y/N kept her voice low, quiet enough that it was just for the two of them, and tugged on the girl’s sleeve childishly. 

“No.” Katara didn’t have the same idea, her voice was strong and clear and it rang out loudly. Despite this, she still stopped and let Y/N reach to grip her wrist. She could feel Katara’s rapid pulse through her sweater. 

Y/N shivered and crossed her arms across her chest, as if it would hide the gaping wound in between her ribs. The hurt that came from watching her friend choose the wrong path. It was a familiar pain.  

“You told me once that you can’t just wish feelings away. You think by killing him it’s going to make things right. It won’t. You’ll feel better for a moment; a fraction of a second while his life is in your hands and then you’re going to regret it. The moment will pass and you’ll see what you’ve done. You’re strong but that’s not the kind of person you are, nor the kind of person you’ll ever be. 

“Maybe that’s just you.” 

The words stung. It wasn’t even meant to be a particularly hateful comment but Y/N couldn’t help but feel hurt over it. 

She felt numb as she watched Katara climb onto Appa and fly away into the dark. 

----

Something about the dark of camp and the unsettling feeling of having their group suddenly minus three made it hard for Y/N to find sleep. And when she did, it wasn’t peaceful. It had been a long time since Y/N had had a nightmare so realistic. She could still feel blood on her hands–

She sat straight up out of her sleep, kicking at the blankets that were tangled in a sweaty mess around her legs. 

Her eyes took a moment to adjust as she looked around. Sokka’s tent was much darker than it was when they slept outside, the canvas blocking out the natural light from the moon and stars and a dying campfire–and it was warmer too–under all those blankets. 

Then, Y/N realized a majority of the heat was radiating from Sokka next to her. His arm was still around her, knocked from her waist to the tops of her thighs when she sat up. 

He was sleeping on his stomach, his face buried in his pillow–with one half open eye staring at her. “Lay down, is’okay.” He patted her leg with his hand and rolled to his side, both of his eyes closed now. 

Y/N did lay down, even though her heart was pounding and everything within her told her she needed to run, to do something instead of staying here like a sitting duck. 

She clutched her hands in fists, focusing on her breathing, which was still shaky. She stayed rigid, flat on her back–the easiest position to get up and defend from. 

Despite this, Sokka snuggled closer, pressing his nose into her shoulder and wrapping his arm back to where it was across her waist, his hand splaying out across Y/N’s stomach comfortingly. Her shirt had shifted in the night, and his pinky brushed bare skin, leaving Y/N the feeling of butterflies, though she didn’t really mind. 

She was falling asleep now, her tiredness overwhelming her sense of danger, and through that haze she could feel Sokka’s hand move, pulling her shirt further down and covering the bare skin he was once touching. And back was the warmth of his hand, resting protectively over her abdomen. 

----

It had been Sokka’s idea to go out and have a picnic. Only after days of moping between the two of them did he come up with the thought. Though, it might have been spurred by the constant bickering between Y/N and Toph, usually only stopped by Katara’s sharp tongue. What usually started out by harmless banter ended with Y/N half-covered in mud and Toph dangerously close to what Y/N called an “impromptu haircut”.  

It would have been a nice time for relaxation for both of them had they not been so worried for Zuko and Katara who were off Agni knows where, doing Agni knows what. Neither of them meant to, but their minds were in different places instead of here with one another. It had already been a few days since they had left, and their absence was being felt by everyone at camp. 

Y/N dragged her hand through the cool grass and watched Sokka for a minute; wanting to lengthen their time out here, away from the chaos of their lives. She followed his gaze down to the town–their perch on the highest hill around had been strategic, but it provided a nice view too. Y/N noticed that Sokka wasn’t really looking at the houses and stores below, more like looking through them. He was off in his own world, worrying at the inside of his cheek with his teeth. 

She didn’t always get the chance to stare so candidly at him while he was distracted. His hair had gotten longer on the sides but he never made any notion to shave it back down. Y/N kind of liked the scruffy look. Her gaze followed down his cheekbone to his eyes–which were still trained straight ahead. As he blinked, Y/N wrinkled her nose in jealousy; there was no need for him to have eyelashes so long and thick. 

He could have been thinking about anything, a new invention, the slightly muggy air, the sour fruit—but if the pout on his lip was indication, Y/N knew what was on his mind. 

She popped a quartered persimmon in her mouth before speaking. “Maybe we should try this again another day.” 

Sokka grunted and didn’t look back. Y/N chuckled and pulled up a piece of grass, tickling Sokka’s cheek with it. “Did you hear me?”

He jumped and looked back at her guiltily. “Sorry, what?”

“We should try to have a picnic again on a different day,” Y/N smiled softly.

“That sounds like a good plan.” 

On their way back to camp, they walked close, bumping shoulders every time their steps unsynced. They hadn’t strayed too far; their camp was just half a mile down the hill and to the coastline, but it was far enough so that they could be alone. 

Y/N was happy to see that Sokka’s mood had changed for the better since moving off the hill. She reached down and linked her pinky with his. It was much too hot to be holding sweaty hands. 

“Tell me–” Sokka started.

“Hmm?”

“–what happened back there at the temple? If you want...” Sokka quickly added, holding his free hand up to show he meant no harm.

Y/N had to think back, even though it was only a few days beforehand it seemed so distant in her memory. Maybe even a little hazy, like she wasn’t really present when she had done it. That might have been more than just an explanation, she barely remembered jumping up from the ground, just one minute she was sitting next to Sokka and the next she was holding her sword ready to fight. Y/N couldn’t recreate the exact feelings she was having either, but it made her fists clench involuntarily, like she was trying to push away whatever it would bring. 

Finally after a moment of silence, she spoke, but it didn’t offer much of an answer to what Sokka was asking. “I don’t know. I just had a really bad feeling, is all. I heard Toph say that and I just acted.” Y/N chewed on her lip and shivered despite the sweltering heat. She felt worn out like her body had just had a massive adrenaline rush and she was fading now. 

Sokka noticed this. “You didn’t have to tell me if thinking about it bothers you.”

Y/N looked at him and then snorted through her nose. “You asked me to be more open with my feelings.”

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled slightly. “Yeah, but not if it distresses you. I just wanted you to know I’d be there for you.”

“It doesn’t distress me...that much.” she added when Sokka gave her a very pointed look. He didn’t say anything but he clearly didn’t believe her. 

“So I’m a little bit on edge, that’s not a bad thing!” Y/N rolled her eyes. 

“It is when you aren’t getting sleep.” 

“I am getting just enough sleep to keep me going.”

“I’m not saying we need to be enjoying our life on the run, but you could act like you aren’t waiting for imminent danger every second of every day.”

“If I didn’t, then who would?” Y/N grumbled. 

“We all protect one another.” 

“Yeah..”

Sokka hummed and cocked his head, a wistful smile flitting across his face. “Sounds like you don’t really believe me.” 

“I just… anytime we have time to breathe is when something bad happens. I am just anticipating it before it comes so it doesn’t catch me off guard. I’m doing that for all of us.” 

“That is no way to live.” 

“This—” Y/N gestured around herself wildly. “—is no way to live.” 

“I know.” 

“And Katara, don’t even get me started on that mess. I can’t protect her when she leaves.” 

Sokka shook his head. “Katara doesn’t need protection.” 

“Well obviously I know that. Neither do you or Zuko or anyone else, but it still makes me feel better if I was standing next to you if someone came after us.”

“You don’t...have to be self-sacrificing.” 

Y/N bit her tongue to keep herself from replying. What would she say to him anyways? Maybe Y/N’s actions were more see-through than she thought. 

It was disappointing to hear, probably just as much as it was for Sokka to say it. She didn’t think of herself like that, but that’s how she felt wasn’t it? Like her life meant a little bit less than everyone else’s because of her past crimes? That if she had it her way she’d do everything and anything in her power to make sure that no one else suffered, even at her own expense? 

Protection. It felt like that was all she was good for. She wasn’t a planner, or a bender, or a leader, but she was tough and Y/N liked to think she was more than capable. A fighter was what she had to be, because there were no other slots that needed to be filled; she would just have to make her own. 

Y/N was tired. And it was more than just physically. Sokka had been correct in saying that she hadn’t been getting enough sleep but it wasn’t like she could force herself to sleep when her brain never stopped screaming, Danger!

It was a relief to see a familiar shaggy beast at camp. It drew the conversation away from things she really didn’t feel like discussing.

“Look, they’re back.” Y/N nodded her head at Appa, who was munching on hay and receiving loving chin scratches from Aang. 

Appa gave a lowly bellow when he saw Y/N and Sokka approaching, which called Aang’s attention to them. 

Y/N was surprised to see a happy grin on his face. “Hey guys!” 

“Hey, buddy,” Sokka murmured as he patted Appa’s snout. 

Aang walked around Sokka and nudged Y/N’s elbow. “Katara is down by the water. You should go see her!”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “Sure.” She passed over the basket full of fruit and pastries that she and Sokka didn’t finish. “Go ahead and pass them out to everyone, yeah?”

As she passed by Sokka he gave her arm a reassuring squeeze, which she returned with a grateful smile.

----

Y/N found Katara sitting at the end of the boat dock, swinging her feet just inches above the water line. The wooden slats below her creaked with each step she took. She stood behind Katara, waiting for the other girl to acknowledge her presence.

“I didn’t realize that I was mad at you until you didn’t want to come with me.” Katara turned around and smiled sheepishly at Y/N. 

“Can I sit next to you?”

Katara patted the wood next to her and stared back out to the water. 

“I’m sorry for treating you so badly.”

Y/N nodded numbly. “It’s okay.”

“It wasn’t.”

“We’ve all said mean things to one another,” Y/N said with a shrug. “While you were gone I told Toph I’d cut off her feet if she tried to stick them in my lap again.”

Katara chuckled. “Seems like I missed a lot.”

Their talk faded into silence as they listened to the waves lap against the shoreline. 

“I was worried you’d leave again.” 

Y/N blinked at Katara. What did she just say?

Katara seemed to sense Y/N’s confusion and continued. “Whenever I saw you with Zuko, always whispering to yourselves like you were keeping secrets, I thought you two were going to leave us.” 

“We would never do that,” Y/N said, incredulously.

“I know that now,” Katara looked away with a shy smile. “I might have interrogated Zuko about it to find that out though. I didn’t want you to become lost again.” 

“Lost?”

Katara paused, weighing her words. “We’re the same. You let your heart rule your head. All logical reason leaves you when you want something done. So I know when you need someone to watch out for you.”

And for the first time ever, Y/N felt fire in her chest. This is how Firebenders must feel all the time, Y/N thought.

That fierce loyalty and protectiveness that Katara waved in the face of adversity, that was for Y/N too. Not that it was ever doubted, but now Y/N could see it; feel it. What Sokka said was true, they all looked after each other. 

But Katara wasn’t even looking at the tears shining in Y/N’s eyes. “That’s all you were doing for me too. 

Besides, it wasn’t all I blamed him for either. He was just the easiest target. And forgiving him; it was easier than I thought it would be. Once I realized that I was blaming him, and maybe you, for something you didn’t do.”

“Well,” Y/N kicked her legs. “I did do something. And you have every right to be mad over it.”

“But now I know why.”

Y/N gave her a quizzical look. 

Katara picked at her wrist wraps, unwinding and winding them back as she thought of the right words to say. “My journey taught me some things along the way. Before.. I didn’t know what it was like to love someone so much that all reason leaves you. I can never understand why you did it, that’s between you and Azula. But I can empathize with you now.”

Y/N didn’t have the vocabulary to respond to that. She realized that’s all she needed from her friends. She didn’t need unconditional acceptance for her past mistakes, she just needed to know that they could still love her despite them. She couldn’t expect them to understand what Y/N couldn’t even understand. 

“I didn’t do anything, so you know,” Katara muttered.

Y/N nodded, she could have guessed as much but she knew it was important for Katara to tell her that. 

“I wanted to, so badly.” Katara’s cheeks flushed with what Y/N knew was embarrassment. “It would have been so easy, but... I couldn’t. You were right, I would have regretted it and resented myself for it. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

Y/N didn’t respond to that last part. She’d always suspected that Katara knew more than she’d led Y/N to believe. They probably all did. 

“So many things happened while you were gone. You’ll have to tell me about them,” Y/N squared herself around to look Katara in the eyes. “When you’re ready.”

Katara held her gaze, “You can too.”

“I might take you up on that.” And Y/N was sure she would. Some day. 

----

A/N: you guys should like,,, come in my ask box and tell me what you like about this because i’m feeling very self-conscious about my writing since it’s been so long.

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[reinerispretty]

rotations. (zuko x f!reader) pt13

hello and thank you so so much for reading!! i appreciate each and every one of you so very much :) i love writing this story and it makes my heart so happy that you guys love it too!!

pt1

pt12

pt14

“KATARA!” Toph shouted. “(Y/N) needs you!” The older girl smacked a hand to her forehead.

“I would’ve really liked to keep this just between us, Toph!”

“Oh, you should’ve said something before I called Katara over.”

Something had changed between (Y/N) and Sokka and it began after Zuko arrived. She didn’t know why, but slowly their kisses fell few and far in between. Even intimate touches, which had been so normal for them in private, had become scarce. She worried about bringing it up to Sokka, because what if he hadn’t noticed? Maybe they were becoming distant because of the battle that loomed ahead. Maybe she had been imagining it. 

At night, after everyone had gone to bed, (Y/N) liked to sit in front of the fire and enjoy some quality time to herself. She enjoyed being with her friends, but she found that if she didn’t take a moment to herself every once in a while, her thoughts would be even more all over the place than they were to begin with. So she sat, staring at the fire, until eventually she felt drowsy enough to go to sleep. 

Sokka came and sat beside her that night. She was surprised to see him, to say the least, since he normally fell asleep fast and hard. He was dead to the world once he was asleep. She gave him a smile. “What’re you doing up so late?” 

“I think we should talk.” His voice was kind, but those words still struck a chord of fear in her heart. “Things have been different between us lately, and I think you know why.” She sighed, turning to face him. 

“I’ve noticed it too. I didn’t want to say anything, just in case I was being crazy, but I think all of the Fire Nation stuff is really starting to get to me. I mean, everything we’ve been preparing for is actually starting to happen, y’know?” 

“I don’t think that’s why. I mean, it might be part of it, but I think there’s a bigger reason.” He paused to look her straight in the eyes. She furrowed her brows, not understanding. “He’s here now.” 

“I’ll admit, being around him has been super difficult for me, but I don’t think--” 

“(Y/N), you love him.” She shook her head. 

“I don’t!” 

“I’ve seen the way you look at him, (Y/N). Yue used to look at me the exact same way.” 

“You’re wrong, Sokka. I’ll acknowledge that things haven’t been the same between us, but it’s not because of Zuko. At all.” Sokka gave her a smug smile. “Stop looking at me like that or I’ll knock that smirk right off your face!” 

Sokka paled. “Hey, hey, okay! If you say it’s not because of Zuko, then fine. I don’t believe you, but fine.” He smiled as she frowned. “But I do think that you and I are better off as--” 

“Friends?” She guessed. Sokka shook his head. 

“No, we’re more than that. We’re family. You’re like the sister I never wanted.” She cracked a smile. 

“I thought that was Katara.” 

“It’s the both of you.” He patted her shoulder before he stood. “You should get some sleep.” She looked up at him with a small smile. 

“You’re not my boyfriend, don’t tell me what to do.” Sokka laughed as he walked back to his room. 

The next day, she had woken to found that Sokka and Zuko had set off on a fishing trip. (Y/N) become increasingly nervous. She could only imagine the kind of conversations they were having. Would they talk about her? She hoped not, they both had way too many embarrassing stories about her to ever be allowed to go anywhere alone together. 

“Why’re you so nervous?” Toph asked, making (Y/N) jump as she stared at the letter the boys had left for them. 

“Toph, how many times have I told you not to sneak up on me?” 

“Too many for me to care,” the young girl said with a grin. (Y/N) rolled her eyes. “Seriously, what’re you so nervous for?”

She sighed, rolling up the letter and stuffing it in her pocket. “Sokka and I broke up last night.” 

Toph’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, um, I don’t really know what to say...” 

“It’s okay, it’s really for--” 

“KATARA!” Toph shouted. “(Y/N) needs you!” The older girl smacked a hand to her forehead. 

“I would’ve really liked to keep this just between us, Toph!” 

“Oh, you should’ve said something before I called Katara over.” 

“What’s wrong?” Katara asked, her face contorted in worry. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yes!” (Y/N) said at the exact same time Toph said “No!” 

“(Y/N) and Sokka broke up.” Katara’s mouth dropped open in surprise. 

“Are you okay? Did he break up with you? Did you break up with him? I want you to know that I love you regardless of who broke up with who, okay?” 

“Thank you, Katara, but I--” 

“You and Sokka broke up?” Aang interrupted her. Even Momo leapt onto (Y/N)’s shoulders and rubbed his face against her cheek as if he were comforting her. 

“Guys, it’s really fine!” She exclaimed, picking Momo up off of her shoulders and holding him in her arms. “It was really...nice?” 

“Oh, no,” Toph said. “She’s in denial.” 

“I don’t even have parents, but it kind of feels like mine just separated. Is that normal?” Aang asked. (Y/N) groaned. 

“You guys are actually ridiculous. It’s fine, I’m fine, the conversation went really well and we’re all still gonna be one big happy family.” She paused. “Plus Zuko.” 

“Why did you guys break up?” Katara questioned, and all three of her friends looked at her with expectant faces. Even Momo looked like he was hanging on the edge of his seat. 

“Things started to be different and he said it’s because Zuko’s here.” She shrugged. “No big deal.” 

“Things started to be different because you love Zuko,” Toph said quietly. 

“Shut up Toph!” She shouted. She pushed past her friends and stalked toward her room, mumbling the whole way about how annoying her friends were. 

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

Sokka and Zuko were gone for a few days, leaving (Y/N) plenty of time to come to terms with the breakup. She had been a little sad about it at first, but after some long talks with Momo, she knew that everything would be okay in the end. It might take a bit, but she and Sokka would get back on their best friend wavelength eventually. 

What he said had been wrong. She didn’t love Zuko. After everything he had done to her, there was no way that she could. The tightness in her chest every time she saw him was just because she wasn’t used to having him around. The reason she thought about him so often was because she was so mad at him. Sokka had been way off. She would admit that some small part of her cared about Zuko, but she certainly didn’t love him. 

When Zuko and Sokka returned, they came in an airship accompanied by Hakoda, Suki, and an inmate from Boiling Rock named Chit Sang. (Y/N) couldn’t contain her squeal when Suki stepped off the airship. They had first met when Suki accompanied them through the Serpent’s Pass. They had become very close throughout that walk, close enough where (Y/N) felt comfortable telling Suki that she was actually a firebender. While the Kyoshi Warrior had been surprised, she passed no judgment onto (Y/N). They had continued their journey sharing stories and making jokes about Sokka. 

The two girls embraced each other tightly, their smiles wide as they hugged. Once they had pulled apart, (Y/N) punched Sokka. “I can’t believe you went to Boiling Rock! Are you insane?” 

“Ow! Hey, I had to take a risk! Luckily I had Zuko around to help me out.” (Y/N) cut her eyes to Zuko, who gave her a smile. She rolled her eyes and turned back to Suki. 

“I see that situation hasn’t changed,” Suki whispered to (Y/N). She shook her head. 

“Absolutely not. Want me to show you to your room?” 

“I can do it!” Sokka offered, grabbing Suki by the hand to lead her down the hallway. In an instant, (Y/N) realized what had happened while they were at Boiling Rock. While it stung her heart a bit to have Sokka move on from her so quickly, she cared about both him and Suki far too much to be upset about it. 

Zuko instantly noticed the change in (Y/N)’s demeanor as she watched Sokka and Suki walk away. He walked over to stand at her side. “He, um, told me that you broke up.” 

She whirled on him, her (color) eyes glaring at him. “What did he tell you?” She demanded. Zuko gulped. She had become much more intimidating over the past few years. 

“He said that you guys decided you were better off as friends.” She pursed her lips, still staring at him. “If you want to talk--” 

“I don’t want to talk about it and I certainly don’t want to talk about it with you.” She snapped. She turned on her heel and walked over to Katara. She whispered something in her ear and then the Water Tribe girl turned to glare at Zuko. He gave her a small wave. 

Gaining (Y/N’s) trust was a long and almost torturous process, but he knew that she was worth it. 

---

@mdgrdians , @soft4kei , @bubblebars , @pleasantfankingdom , @vintageroses1014516 , @celamoon , @fangirlanotherjust , @gliderbudgie , @haylaansmi , @jada-cleo , @boxofteenageideas , @disgruntled-gay , @lie-ana , @jasmine-the-amazing , @svsoftie , @buckysfeet , @anime-simp , @imcravingyou , @rosetheshapeshifter , @alrightberries , @izzieserra , @hstott , @random-stupid-stuffs , @jackbamexpress , @jainaixo , @thefoxskinwalker , @kryptidkova , @bigbuckyenergy , @omgwhattheeven , @ohmigooosh , @snapchatisoverrated , @inlove-maze , @harapirena , @sooske , @sweeetteaa , @selenvx , @ilovespideyyy , @saaaasib , @mochminnie , @agentsofblinks , @happyariesbabey , @slytherky , @uglipotata72829 , @og-disaster-bi , @animeluver23

[imnotusedtobeingloved]

THE COOLER

(PLEASE DON’T REPOST/REBLOG)

Warnings: heartbreak, betrayal.

Pairing: Zuko x Reader

Characters: Zuko, Sokka, Suki, Hakoda, Chit Sang.

Requested: I guess?

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, nor the gif. Credit to the owners.

Summary: Part eight of “destiny is a funny thing”.

previous part

A/N: Hey guys! It’s part eight already! Please tell me your opinion in the comments.

“I need backup over here!” The voices were muffled by the thick metal door of your cell. The walls were covered in ice, as was the floor and the ceiling. You had no idea how much time exactly passed, since you’d been thrown in here. A day? Maybe two? No idea. The only apparent thing was that it seemed to get colder by the second. The temperature was picking and biting at your skin, leaving goosebumps in it’s wake. Protected by your inner fire and a mere pair of linen clothes, there wasn’t much you could do to escape. Only hope was left, praying that either Zuko or Sokka would find you.

“No firebending! Into the cooler!” You heard from the halls. The guards had managed it once again. Riling an inmate up to the point where they were forced to use fire, only for the pleasure to stuff them into a cooler seconds later. It was sick. “But... but there are no free coolers left!” You breathed deeply, rearranging your naked feet on the hard ice. “Just stick them together in a cell!” The man from outside barked, before the door of your cooler was opened and a familiar figure was thrown in, before it got closed again.

“Zu... Zuko?” You stuttered, worn out from hours of fighting the cold. His eyes widened as he took you in, limbs barely held warm by your inner flame. “Y/N...,” He grabbed your arm. “There you are. You’re getting cold,” You gave him a short nod, almost whining as he took his warm hand away. “I tried to keep warm as long as possible, but I’m so exhausted,” You rambled, until he softly shushed you. “Come here,” He moved to put an arm around you, but you pushed back slightly. “What are you doing?”

“Warming you up. What’s it look like?” You were still reluctant to let him close, but to be honest, you’d been shivering for forever and it was better to take a little warmth than to freeze. So the next time he tried to draw you in, you didn’t resist. Your body burned where it touched his, as if Zuko’s hands left hot fingerprints on your skin.

“Sokka has a plan to get us out of here,” By now you were halfway on his lap, not willing to let go of the newfound source of heat. It was strange to be so close to him again. But the good kind of strange. “What did he come up with?” Your body relaxed in his grasp, while he explained the plan the group had agreed on, as well as who would be taking part. You were glad to hear that Suki had showed up, knowing how much Sokka had missed her. He’d told you about her countless times. Once you were warmed up enough to move your limbs again, the both of you worked together to loosen the cooler from it’s frame, getting back into sitting position once you’d removed all bolts and screws.

Silence followed the quest, but to your surprise, it didn’t feel uncomfortable. “How did you even end up in here?” Your skin tingled where your arms and tighs touched as you sat next to each other. “That’s a long story,” You answered, as you leaned your head against his shoulder. Your mind was running with different thoughts, fighting a battle on it’s own and contemplating if what you were doing right now really was a good idea.

But Zuko put his arm around you once more. Lost in your own head before, you hadn’t even realized how close you were. “Y/N?” You hummed, nose almost touching his as you stared into his amber eyes. “You know that i love you, right?” His voice had dropped to a soft murmur, almost sounding hoarse. Your breath got caught in your throat, as you could see your own reflection in his orbs. They were burning into your own, hot with affection and full of emotions. There was no denying that Zuko had a raw, natural beauty to him, that could not be undone. Not even by the scar, framing his eye. “I know...” You whispered, sight briefly dropping to his lips, mere inches from your own, before shooting up again. His mouth parted slightly, as he leaned closer. So close that you could already feel his hot breath on your own, eager to taste his lips on yours again.

And then the door of the cooler opened, leading the two of you to drift apart in a flash. Tough Sokka didn’t seem to sense the tension in the atmosphere when he stepped in. “I can take the two of you back to your cell if you’ve learned your lesson,” He said, winking at you, relieved that Zuko and you had landed in the same cell. Zuko shot you a look that you avoided with ease, before he caught himself, releasing a firey breath and revealing all the bolts and screws. “Yes, I have ... completely.” He answered with a smirk. The prince came off completely unbothered by what had almost happened just seconds before. Unlike you. But luckily the non-bender was far too occupied by the escape plan to notice. He lifted his visor, whispering quitely. “I got Suki and Chit Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They’ll be waiting for us at the shore,”

Suddenly you sensed a sound from the hall, reacting quickly and pulling Sokka inside. “Someone’s coming!” You explained, closing the door behind him. The voices remained a mumble, until they turned into your passage. “Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn,” A male tone reached your ears first, before a female one followed. “Anybody interesting?” She asked. “Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, a couple traitors, some war prisoners, though I did hear there might be a pirate,” You could see Sokka’s worried glance out of the corner of your eye, as you conrinued to listen in on the conversation. “No fooling!” The female guard exclaimed, before their voices faded into nothing once more. “War prisoners. It could be your father,”

“I know,” Sokka said, trailing off. “Well, what should we do? Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?” The prince asked the right question, but the Water Tribe boy was clearly in over his head at this point. “I don’t know! Is it right for me to risk Suki’s freedom, all of our freedom on the slim chance that my dad is gonna show up?” You and Zuko shared a brief look. “It’s your call, Sokka,” You inclined softly.

And by night the descision was made. Suki and Chit Sang were already waiting outside the prison, as you, Zuko and Sokka rolled the detached cooler down the hill. The both of them moved to help, before the man spoke up. “Took you guys long enough. This here’s my girl and my best buddy, they’re coming too,” You sighed as he pointed to a male sitting on a rock, as well as a waving woman. Now there were even more people you had to transport, which meant there was an even higher risk to get caught. “Fine. Everybody in the cooler. Let’s go,” Sokka decided. The group proceeded to move the cooler into the water, as he lifted a rock to hide his Water Tribe outfit.

“Are you sure you wanna go? You’re the one who said you wanted to redeem yourself. Redeem your honor. Rescuing your dad is your chance,” Zuko questioned, leaving the boy a last chance to go back. “Your dad” Suki asked, approaching the three of you. You tried to explain the situation to her, while Sokka and Zuko had another discussion about the possibility of his father coming in. “Hey, if you four are done cuddling, can we get a move on” Chit Sang eventually interrupted, earning a glare from you. You could understand how difficult this descision was for your friend. His failure layed heavy on his shoulders, and it was something that had come up multiple times. You remembered all the quiet moments at night when he couldn’t sleep, needing to be reassured again and again.

“No. I’m staying. You guys go,” His gaze wandered to Suki. “You’ve been here long enough,” But the girl shook her head. “I’m not leaving without you, Sokka,” Zuko agreed. “I’m staying, too,” And so did you. “So am i,”

“Not me, I’m out. Let’s roll, baby,” Chit Sang exclaimed, pushing the cooler into the lake and jumping in. You could see Sokka’s hope weavering as he watched them leave. “We gave up our only chance of escaping. I hope we haven’t just made a huge mistake,” You put a hand on his shoulder, squeezing softly. “Come on, Sokka. Let’s go back,” Morning was arriving by now and the four of you begann climbing back up at the outside of the prison wall as the screams of the guards alerted everyone.

“The plan failed! They’re caught!” Sokka said, eyes widening. “This is a lockdown! We have new prisoners arriving! Everything must be completely secure!” You heard from above, watching the disaster unfold. A male guard fired a large ballista bolt, catching hold of the cooler and dragging it back towardsthe shore. “The gondola’s moving,” Sokka pointed towards the approaching gondola. “This is it. If my dad’s not there, we’ve risked everything for nothing,” You’d made it to the yard when it arrived, staring for it’s door to open. “We had to,” Suki assured him, holding his hand. “Come on, come on ...,” You could feel Zuko moving closer to you, as he watched the people coming out. “Is that him?” He asked, as a large man with a tattoo and a nose ring stepped forward. “My dad doesn’t have a nose ring. Where is he?” A ton of men left the gondola, but the right one didn’t seem to be there. “That’s it? That can’t be it,”

“I’m sorry, Sokka,” Suki spoke softly, trying to give him some comfort. “Oh, no,” Sokka mumbled, afraid he’d made the wrong choice once more. “Hey, you! Get off the gondola!” But then, Hakoda stepped out. “Dad...,” You heard Sokka whisper in front of you and a smile spread out on your face. He’d made the right call after all.

tags:  @zvkonation​ @viva-la-millennia​ @randomness501​ @drheinzd​ @kaylove12​ @duh-dobrik​ @yeetscreetiwannaeat​ @ashnkamfeun    @hailkyoshi​ @shortmexicangirl​ @animexholic​ @sorrythatspussynal​  @mochminnie​ @ninadewitt​

[chitsangenthusiast]

I remember a while back I saw something mentioning Chitkoda and Chit Sang/King Bumi. I’m curious to hear more if you like to tell 👀

OH BOY WOULD I!!!!! first step: blame @babydotcom bc it was their birthday that i had written a chitkoda oneshot for, which really kickstarted it for me lol i also have a chitbakoda prompt from tay in my askbox so, you know, it never ends <33

chitkoda it's really just hot beefy revolutionary x hot headstrong chief = antics. like if you took two different versions of street smarts and smushed them together, you'd create one Extremely Capable couple but also one that leaves everyone just a little on edge constantly bc they're a little too carefree in jumping into any adventures if they know the payoff will be good

(which is extremely fun for them and they both deserve this kind of lightness and spontaneity in their life but also sokka is going to have a heart attack)

but mostly: chit sang tall. and hakoda needing to lift his chin to look up at him all the time? perfect.

chit sang/king bumi oh.....hot. hot hOT HOT. MEGA HOT. you can pry this fact out of my cold dead hands let king bumi think he's getting a sugar baby and let chit sang think he's ending up with a sugar daddy—

but then night one, bumi takes off his robes. okay, hot.

then later he shows off how he's a mf beast of an earthbender who can surpass chit sang's own strength. hot.

and then chit sang finds out he's great at effective communication. and knows how to set boundaries. and loves a good food festival and can make some really great puns, all while also being someone who takes genuine joy in wreaking havoc everywhere he can, and well: HOT.

they play one (1) game on who can collect the juiciest recon from other patrons during some fancy party, and when they end up tied at the end of the night and fully impressed by the findings—whoops! this is feeling a little too close to love here!

it'd be the funniest mf reality for them to catch feelings, i think they'd both be a little shocked/bummed (bumi was only trying to check sugar daddying off his bucket list smh) but also strangely...excited (?) bc. huh. they weren't expecting they'd find happiness like this, and it's....really wonderful, actually

(aang thinks its adorable, toph thinks it's awesome, but the rest of the gaang have no idea how they feel about it lol esp zuko, who's the first to see them together at some later event. he's been fire lord for long enough that he knows the proper pleasantries/ etc but as soon as he tries to greet chit sang he's just like ".....what title do i even use for you...." and chit sang is just frozen bc he has no damn clue either lmaoo)

[gaangadventures]

Hi! I’ve just found your blog and will you marry me?!? AANG CONTENT?!?? ! I saw the requests open and if you’re still open for them could I request a Zuko x reader? Zukos been awed by readers sheer power over and over cus he’s a sucker for strong women. And when he joins the gaang he is soo smitten with the reader and every one sees it but the oblivious reader. And he enventually asks for everyone’s help but during the ember island play she finds out cause they over dramatize his big crush?

Awww! We should probably meet before getting married lol  Sorry for taking so long with the request, life has been kicking my butt. Here you go! c: 

As a former citizen of a small village in the Earth Kingdom, you always longed for adventure and there weren’t many ways to leave your family farm. Or at least not without having to take something from them, and you had refused to. You knew they had little enough already.

But it was different one day, after meeting the avatar himself and his friends. As an earthbender, you weren’t sure where you could go but you wanted to go everywhere. And if you could beat up some Fire Nation soldiers, then you would be having the time of your life.

You had gone into the market for some feed for the lone ostrich horse, and a few of the Fire Nation soldiers had caught wind of the avatar. You were sure that he could actually take them down himself, but you weren’t exactly going to test that theory, and you trapped them in pillars of earth before helping the group out of the market and towards your family farm.

That was how you had met them anyway, and you had asked to join them that day. You hadn’t exactly expected them to say yes either, but they had, and you were overjoyed. So were they, but you assumed that Katara was more or less just glad to not be the only girl there.

Shortly after you joined however, the adventure you always wanted seemed to be a bit much at times.

First, there was the general that actively tried to get Aang into the avatar state and had put all of you in danger for it. Then there were the nomads that you had wanted to leave in the tunnels, you couldn’t believe how carefree they could be in the middle of a war. Even after all that your group had done to get into Omashu, you all found out that the Fire Nation had overtaken it and that Aang had to find an earthbending teacher himself. You offered, but you still had much to learn for it yourself.

And your least favorite place happened to be the swamp. Everyone there had visions of some person they already met and lost or in Aang’s case, were going to meet. You however, had a vision of your family. You had left them, and who knows if you would see them again, but you kept reminding yourself that it was okay, and they understood why you did.

The next place was some odd avatar-hating village, and Aang got arrested. But it was okay, because the day had ended with him out of prison, you beating up some soldiers, and some weird dough-like thing that you immediately spat out after tasting.

 In another Earth Kingdom town, your group had gone to an underground earthbending tournament which you had a blast watching. You had wanted to participate as well, but ended up following the rest of them as they looked for the Blind Bandit. The day went well, considering Aang had managed to get an earthbending teacher and so had you, despite her parents originally saying no. You had assumed that her parents never changed her mind like she said, having done the same thing with your own.

After Toph had joined, there was a strange metal contraption constantly following them by way of Appa’s fur trail. It had turned out to be the Fire Nation princess herself, and her two nonbending but still dangerous friends. You had helped Sokka and Katara with the other two that you had yet to learn the names of, while Aang was dealing with the last one. There was a fight because of course there was, you were starting to wonder just how many more fights you would have to go through in this. That was not to say you didn’t like to fight. You excelled at it.

That had also been the first time you had actually met the Prince Zuko that had literally followed them around the nations, and the first thing you wanted to know was where his ponytail had gone. Sokka had made sure to tell you all about it, but had left out the fact that he could actually be considered attractive, not that you would say that part out loud, and especially not when he was your enemy as well.

You had definitely been thrown for a loop when Azula had shot Iroh with lightning, only for Zuko to refuse help from any of you, even though Katara would have been the only one able to actually help.

Your second least favorite place was the desert, even though you thought the library had been amazing, apart from Wan Shi Tong getting upset that you guys had actually only come to learn how to defeat the Fire Nation. But Appa had gone missing, and you were absolutely convinced none of that was Toph’s fault. Another part of the desert that you didn’t like much were the buzzard wasps, but at least you had begun learning how to bend sand, which was definitely odd.

On your way to Ba Sing Se, they ended up meeting a few old friends of theirs, the Kyoshi Warriors and you had been quick to introduce yourself as well. Mostly since you had grown up hearing about them, and how amazing they would be, you really aspired to be more like them. 

Of course, the ticket lady wouldn’t let any of you get onto the ferry without passports, and Toph had managed to get all of you, only for the group to go the other route to Ba Sing Se when a pregnant lady and her husband had mentioned that their things were stolen. The Serpent’s Pass, you thought was aptly named when going through it. The serpent was terrifying, and you severely hoped that you wouldn’t have to go that way again. 

But at least you had made it through before Ying had her baby, which you thought was surprising considering she was quite far along. She asked you if you wanted to hold her, and you declined, having held more babies in your life than you probably would have liked, not to mention you hadn’t particularly wanted to hold any more. At least for now.

The new family had separated from you and your own group when you finally reached Ba Sing Se, only to find out that the Fire Nation trio was back again and they were trying to take down the wall with another metal thing. You had been helping Toph and Katara bend the awful rock and water combination and successfully kept a few of them back that way.

Ba Sing Se was a horrible city in your opinion, the Dai Li only being a part of it, but you were having a big issue with how the poor had less opportunities and the like.

You were partially glad when you left with the group, but heavily concerned for the avatar you’d come to think of as a younger brother. He had been shot with lightning and actually died, it was a miracle when Katara had healed him.

The weeks passing seemed to grow longer and longer, and nobody said it but everyone could tell that there was a lot of concern and worry for Aang when he hadn’t woke up. You spent your days learning how to bend metal like Toph, and it had taken you a while to even start.

Once he was awake however, you had to leave the boats you’d grown somewhat accustomed to and wait for the solar eclipse to grow nearer.

Unfortunately where you had to wait happened to be in the Fire Nation itself, and you hadn’t exactly wanted for more red in your wardrobe but it couldn’t be helped.

The next month or so, you weren’t sure how long it actually had been and couldn’t be bothered to remember, Katara had helped a coast village with its sick by posing as a river spirit and had even blown up a Fire Nation factory with Aang and finally scared the soldiers away from the town by continuing the ruse. Sokka had acquired a master of his own and made his own sword out of a piece of rock that fell from the sky. Toph had been scamming people in town, occasionally with your help but you ended up stopping when you thought that it would be too obvious. Katara had ended up finding another Southern Water Tribe bender, but unfortunately due to decades of being in prison had gone mad and had been kidnapping innocent people and trapping them under a mountain.

Hama had actually terrified you more than anything else had, but you couldn’t help but pity her at first. Your empathy had been shut off when you saw how Katara had to bloodbend her that night, and how upset she was.

The day of the invasion had been off to a good start, but it had been cut short when everyone learned that the Fire Nation already knew of the solar eclipse and had planned for it.

All of you had regrouped, apart from the adults that had gotten arrested for being a part of the invasion, and had gone to the Western Air Temple. Having never gone to any of the air temples yourself, you had quite a bit of fun exploring this one.

When the prince himself appeared and offered to be Aang’s firebending teacher, you wanted to throw a rock in his face and probably would’ve, had anyone else started a fight. It had been his choice to join his sister in Ba Sing Se, and now he wanted to join the group that he’d been chasing this entire time? Needless to say, you held a grudge against him, and you wouldn’t hesitate to earthbend him to the edge of the cliff if he tried anything.

The next day however, Toph returned with burned feet and Zuko had come back yet again. After his apologies, Aang had accepted him as his firebending teacher shortly after that.

It seemed like everyone but the ones that could earthbend had gone on a field trip with him, oddly enough, when Aang and Zuko had gone to learn real firebending, then it was Sokka and Zuko apparently breaking Hakoda and Suki out of prison but they also brought back a prisoner named Chit Sang too. Then it was Katara’s turn, and she went with him to confront the man who killed her mother. Thankfully, she hadn’t killed him.

Instead of camping out, Zuko had offered up a new place to sleep at, and it was a house that apparently no one goes anymore. You were a little weirded out at the thought of it, and Katara thought so too.

“Doesn’t it seem weird that we’re living in the Fire Lord’s own house?

“I told you, my father hasn’t come here since our family was actually happy. And that was a long time ago. It’s the last place anyone would think to look for us.”

“True, but still weird.” You piped up, doing your own stretches as the two firebenders had finished with their training.

“You guys are not gonna believe this. There’s a play about us.” Sokka said, walking out onto the courtyard with Suki, holding a rolled up poster, looking awfully smug.

“We were just in town, and we found this poster.” Suki continued, while Sokka rolled out the poster and held it up so all of you could see it.

“What? How is that possible?”

“Listen to this.” Sokka started, before beginning to read off the poster itself. “The boy in the iceberg is a new production from acclaimed playwright Puan Tin who scoured the globe, gathering information on the avatar from the icy South Pole to the heart of Ba Sing Se. His sources include singing nomads, pirates, prisoners of war, and a surprisingly knowledgeable merchant of cabbage.”

“Brought to you by the critically acclaimed Ember Island players.” Suki finished, before Zuko began to groan.

“Ugh. My mother used to take us to see them. They butchered “Love Amongst the Dragons” every year.”

“Sokka, do you really think it’s a good idea for us to attend a play about ourselves?”

“Come on, a day at the theater? This is the kind of wacky, time-wasting nonsense I;ve been missing.” And with that answer, you all headed out to the theater to see whatever play this would end up being.

Upon arriving, you all settled down into the seats, Katara sitting next to Toph and you sitting next to her, much to Aang’s disappointment, you were sure. You expected Aang to just sit down next to you, but no, Zuko had.

“Why are we sitting in the nosebleed section? My feet can’t see a thing from up here.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell your feet what’s happening.” Katara answered to Toph, while your gaze was awaiting on the curtains.

They opened to show what was supposed to Katara and Sokka on a boat in the sea, back in the South Pole you assumed. You almost laughed at Sokka’s excitement to notice the two when he grabbed his sister’s shoulder and pointed from each other back and forth.

“Sokka, my only brother.” The fake Katara let out a sigh, dramatically gesturing to the painted “ice glaciers” on her side. “We constantly roam these icy south pole seas, and yet, never do we find anything fulfilling.”

“All I want is a full feeling in my stomach. I’m starving.” ‘Sokka’ responded, making the real Katara and Sokka give each other a look as the audience burst into laughter.

“Is food the only thing that’s on your mind?”

“Well, I’m trying to get it out of my mind and in my mouth. I’m starving.”

“Is that all that guy says?” You grimaced, starting to dread when your character showed up.

“This is pathetic. My jokes are way funnier than this.” Sokka exclaimed, while Toph laughed at him.

“I think he’s got you pegged.” With that, the rest of you turned back to the play.

“Every day, the world awaits a beacon to guide us, yet none appears. Still, we cannot give up hope, for hope is all we have and we must never relinquish it, even. . . Even to our dying breath.” Fake Katara began to sob, and you drew in a breath through your teeth when Katara crossed her arms.

“Well, that’s just silly. I don’t sound like that.”

“You have your moments.” You admitted, but even you would agree that this was an exaggeration for sure.

“Oh man, this writer’s a genius.” At least Toph was having fun.

“It appears to be someone frozen in ice, perhaps for 100 years.” ‘Katara’ said, when a light shone down onto a floating iceberg.

“But who? Who is the boy in the iceberg?” Fake Sokka asked, the two climbing up the iceberg.

“Waterbend, hi-ya!” Fake Katara cried out, drawing her hand down as if to actually crack the ‘iceberg’ herself, only for it to break and reveal fake Aang, whose actor was a girl apparently.

“Who are you, frozen boy?

“I’m the avatar, silly, here to spread joy and fun.” ‘Aang’ giggled, and you looked to the avatar himself, only to see him frowning deeply.

“Wait, is that a woman playing me?” He asked, right as a fake Appa showed up and went around the iceberg in a circle while fake Katara gasped.

“An airbender. My heart is so full of hope that it’s making me tear-bend.” She began to fake sob, falling to her knees and grabbing onto fake Aang’s leg. 

“My stomach is so empty that it’s making me tear-bend.” Fake Sokka cried out, falling to his knees as well and grabbing onto ‘Aang’s’ other leg. “I need meat.” With that, you really couldn’t help but laugh, even when both Katara and Sokka were beginning to glare at you.

“But wait! Is that a platter of meaty dumplings?” The actress for Aang mentioned, pointing up at nothing in particular.

“Ooh, where, where?” ‘Sokka’ quickly asked, only for ‘Aang’ to start laughing.

“Did I mention that I’m an incurable prankster?”

“I don’t do that. That’s not what i’m like. And I’m not a woman.”

“Oh they nailed you, Twinkletoes.” Toph joked, laughing at the play as she basically had been this entire time.

A new boat showed up on the stage, this time carrying Zuko and his uncle.

“Prince Zuko, you must try this cake.” ‘Iroh’ offered, while fake Zuko was looking out at sea with a telescope.

“I don’t have time to stuff my face. I must capture the avatar to regain my honor.”

“Well, while you do that, maybe I’ll capture another slice.” Fake Iroh said, before literally shoving the cake into his face and eating.

“You sicken me.” ‘Zuko’ said, with a disgusted look on his face, and you let out a laugh.

“They make me look totally stiff and humorless.”

“Actually, I think that actor’s pretty spot-on.” Katara joked, and Zuko had been quick to turn to her.

“How could you say that?

“Let’s forget about the avatar and get massages.” 

“How could you say that?” Fake Zuko cried out at Iroh’s suggestion, only for you to laugh when you saw the look on Zuko’s face.

The scene panned out to show Aang the actress at the Southern Air Temple, with a tail sticking out of the fake bushes.

“Hey, look! I think I found something.” Fake Aang kept digging into the bushes, only to come back out with a fake puppet of Momo on his shoulder and a fake arm hanging from his side. “A flying rabbit-monkey! I think I’ll name him Momo.” He laughed, before moving the puppet so it would look like it was talking.

“Hi, everybody. I love you.” At the sight of it, both you and Aang let out a low groan. Momo did not deserve this slander.

With another scene, it showed a Kyoshi Warrior, which you assumed was supposed to be Suki before ‘Sokka’ came out, dressed in the same Kyoshi Warrior ensemble.

“Does this dress make my butt look fat?” He said, making the real Suki laugh, as you turned to look at the couple.

“So nobody told me you were a Kyoshi Warrior? I do have a question though. Did you look as good as Suki does?” You couldn’t help but tease him, although this was definitely bringing up some topics that you had missed out on.

The scene changed yet again, but this time was showing what was supposed to be King Bumi. Was he really that buff?

“Riddles and challenges must you face if you are ever to leave this place.” It showed fake Aang pushing a boulder, fake Sokka running from a gorilla rabbit, and fake Katara groaning as she was trapped in crystals.

It cut to a different part of the play, showing a pirate boat and pirates began to surround the trio. The pirates continued to fight each other as the trio actually got out quite safely.

“Why did you have to steal that waterbending scroll?” Fake Sokka asked as they crept away from the pirates.

“It just gave me so much hope.” Fake Katara answered, sobbing yet again.

“I really hope my character isn’t as bad.” You added, wearing a grimace, since you knew Katara didn’t cry nearly as many times as this one made her out to be like.

“The avatar is mine!” Fake Zuko cried out, while fake Aang was chained to a wall with soldiers surrounding him. “Wait, who’s coming?” He pointed to a different part of the stage where a person with a large blue demon-like mask held dao swords.

“I am the blue spirit, the scourge of the Fire Nation, here to save the avatar.” He exclaimed, before the soldiers began to drop to the ground dramatically and he somehow defeated fake Zuko as well as simultaneously untying fake Aang.

“My hero.” ‘Aang’ said, before leaving the stage with the blue spirit.

The scene changed, and it showed a sobbing ‘Katara’ with a fake Jet, hanging from a rope.

“Don’t cry, baby. Jet will wipe out that nasty town for you.” 

“Oh, Jet. You’re so bad.” Toph laughed, while Katara tried to hide her face, and you just lightly patted her shoulder with a slight look of pity.

“Look! It’s the Great Divide. The biggest canyon in the Earth Kingdom.” Aang mentioned, standing atop fake Appa.

“Eh, let’s keep flying.” Fake Sokka shrugged, while you only leaned back into your seat.

“Don’t go, Yue. You’re the only woman who’s ever taken my mind off of food.” The two actors dramatically kiss, before fake Sokka turns away with a gag. “Wait, did you have pickled fish for dinner?”

“Goodbye, Sokka. I have important moon duties to take care of. And yes, I did have pickled fish.” Fake Yue said, going up into the sky with the moon.

“You never told me you made out with the moon spirit.” Suki chuckled, and you glanced at the couple to see tears in Sokka’s eyes as he shushed her.

“Shh, I’m trying to watch.” Turning back to look at the stage, you saw the actress for Aang in a fish spirit costume, crushing fake fire Nation ships.

“The avatar is back to save the day! Yay!” He said, kicking and stomping on the rest of the fake ships before falling onto the floor as the curtains closed.

“So far, this intermission is the best part of the play.” Zuko mentioned when all of you sat on the steps outside of the theater.

“Apparently, the playwright thinks I’m an idiot who tells bad jokes about meat all the time.” Sokka angrily shoved jerky into his mouth, as Suki teased him.

“Yeah, you tell bad jokes about plenty of other topics.”

“I know!”

“At least the Sokka actor kind of looks like you. That woman playing the avatar doesn’t resemble at all.” Aang lamented, putting his hands over his head, as Toph shrugged.

“I don’t know. You are more in touch with your feminine side than most guys.” With that, Aang groaned and Katara interrupted when he stood up.

“Relax, Aang. They’re not accurate portrayals. It’s not like I’m a preachy crybaby who can’t resist giving over-emotional speeches about hope all the time.” Everyone had clearly been looking at her but nobody said a word, until she asked. “What?”

“Yeah, that’s not you at all.” Aang backed her up, sitting back down and rubbing the back of his neck.

“Listen, friends. It’s obvious that the playwright did his research. I know it must hurt, but what you’re seeing up there on that stage is the truth.” Toph offered, and you tilted your head.

“Not quite I don’t think, this is definitely exaggerated.”

As the group went back into the theater, the scene was apparently when you had met the group, seeing as it looked like your hometown.

“Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom.” 

“I’d better have a look around to see if I can find an earthbending teacher.”

“Hey, is that the avatar? Get him!” A Fire Nation soldier exclaimed, pointing at fake Aang, when fake you appeared on the stage.

“No, don’t take him! I need to leave this town and abandon my family forever!” ‘You’ cried out, fake earthbending the soldiers out before running with the group. “I don’t want to live on this farm anymore! I want to beat up people!”

You grimaced at their portrayal of you, but at least the actress looked somewhat like you, even if the personality was quite a bit off.

“That’s not. . Quite true.” You added, seeing fake you leave with the rest of them. 

The scene was changed into another Earth Kingdom town, and you assumed this was where Toph showed up.

“Well, here we are in the Earth Kingdom again. So we can find an actual earthbending teacher.” Fake Katara repeated, the four of them standing next to a suspiciously large rock.

“This must be where I come in.” Toph whispered as fake Aang ‘flew’ around the audience with a rope.

“I flew all over town, but I couldn’t find a single earthbending master.”

“Here it comes.” Toph said, leaning forward in her seat.

“You can’t find an earthbending master in the sky. You have to look underground.” Fake Toph was apparently a very large and buff man, throwing the fake rock off stage. Which only caused everyone but Toph to start laughing, yourself included.

“Who are you?” Fake Aang asked, as fake Toph spat away from him, before proudly pointing to himself before beginning to flex his arms.

“My name’s Toph, because it sounds like tough, and that’s just what I am.”

“Wait a minute. I sound like a guy. A really buff guy.” Toph said, already starting to smile when Katara turned to her.

“Well Toph, what you hear up there is the truth. It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t have cast it any other way. At least it’s not a flying bald lady.” Toph answered, making Aang frown as you bit back a snicker.

“So you’re blind?” ‘Aang’ asked, waving his hand in front of ‘Toph’.

“I can see you doing that. I see everything that you see, except I don’t see like you do. I release a sonic wave from my mouth.” Fake Toph explained before beginning to scream, causing everyone in the audience to flinch, apart from the actual Toph of course, who only grinned. “There. I got a pretty good look at you.”

The scene changed to show Iroh and Zuko who apparently had long hair now.

“Zuko, it’s time we had a talk about your hair. It’s gone too far.”

“Maybe it’s best if we split up.” Fake Zuko dramatically flipped his long hair as the two actors walked off the stage, only for everyone to come back with fake Azula as well.

“Azula, my sister, what are you doing here?”

“You caught me. Wait, what’s that? I think it’s your honor.” She said, pointing up and everyone in the cast looked away from her as she slipped away.

“Where?”

“She escaped. But how?” Fake Katara asked, and it switched to show Azula and Aang at the wall of Ba Sing Se with the drill.

“If she continues drilling, this wall will come down for sure.” Fake Aang said, throwing a fake rock at her.

“Yes, continue drilling. The city of Ba Sing Se can hide no longer.” Fake Azula said as ‘Aang’ continued throwing rocks, but it never showed how it ended as the scene changed to show a mind-controlled Jet.

“No, Jet, what did they do to you? Fake Aang cried out, dodging as fake Jet swung out with his hooks.

“Must serve Earth King. Must destroy!” He exclaimed as a fake rock fell onto him, before curling up underneath it so his body wouldn’t be showing.

“Did Jet just die?” Zuko asked, as Sokka answered, gesturing with his hands.

“You know, it was really unclear.” 

“I have to admit, Prince Zuko, I really find you attractive.” Fake Katara said, now seemingly in the crystal caves of Ba Sing Se as fake you was looking for a way out, hardly paying any attention to the two.

“You don’t have to make fun of me.” The actor said, turning away and then turning back when fake Katara sat down onto the same rock as him.

“But I mean it. I’ve had eyes for you since the day you first captured me.” With that, you noticed the real Zuko and Katara briefly glance at each other with mildly disgusted looks as Aang frowned at the stage.

“Wait. I thought you were the avatar’s girl. And besides I’m in love with someone else.” Fake Zuko then said, beginning to walk away and very obviously looked towards fake you. ‘Katara’ laughed, before starting to say.

“The avatar? Why, he’s like a little brother to me. I certainly don’t think of him in a romantic way. Besides, how could he ever find out about this?” She hugged him, and you looked at the stage in confusion.

“There’s no way you two would do that.” You said, knowing for a fact that Katara was crushing on Aang, and she had already divulged that he kissed her the day of the invasion. “But what I don’t get is why the actor looks at me when he says he’s in love with someone else. What’s up with that?” You questioned, only to get radio silence from everyone there. You shrugged, figuring that you would weasel the answer out of someone later.

“Oh, you’re getting up? Can you get me some fire flakes?” Sokka asked Aang when he walked out of the theater after that debacle. “Oh, and fire gummies.”

“Well, my brother, what’s it going to be? Your nation or a life of treachery?” Fake Azula said, only for fake Zuko to contemplate things.

“Choose treachery. It’s more fun.” Fake Iroh said, drinking some tea as ‘Zuko’ walked over to him and paused.

“No way!” ‘Azula’ yelled before he pushed ‘Iroh’ over onto the ground and headed towards his sister’s side.

“I hate you, Uncle. You smell, and I hate you for all time!” As he left the stage with ‘Azula’, the Earth Kingdom flag fell onto the actor for Iroh.

“You didn’t really say that, did you?” Katara asked, and you frowned when Zuko answered.

“I might as well have.”

The next scene was Ty Lee and Mai taking over Ba Sing Se, only for Aang to appear out from behind the throne.

“Avatar state, yip-yip!” Fake Aang proceeded to be brought up from the stage by a rope as fake Azula appeared.

“Not if my lightning can help it.” A ribbon was thrown at the fake avatar who pretended to be electrocuted and fell to the floor. “The avatar is no more.” At that, the whole audience seemed to cheer, apart from your group.

You stretched during the intermission, thankful to be out of the seat.

“It seems like every time there’s a big battle, you guys barely make it out alive. I mean, you guys lose a lot.” Suki mentioned, only for her boyfriend to quickly respond.

“You’re one to talk, Suki, didn’t Azula take you captive? That’s right, she did.”

“Are you trying to get on my bad side?”

“I’m just saying.”

“Does anyone know where Aang is?” Katara interrupted the couple, and you hoped that the two might finally talk about how they feel.

“He left to get me fire gummies like ten minutes ago, and I’m still waiting.” Sokka complained, only for his sister to turn away from him.

“I’m gonna check outside.” She said, walking out of the theater, as a child dressed up as Aang pretended to fly around.

“Suki, what are the chances you can get me backstage? I got some jokes I want to give to the actor me.”

“I’m an elite warrior who’s trained for many years in the art of stealth. I think I could get you backstage.” And the two walk off, leaving you with Zuko and Toph.

“Well, I think I’m going to go check out how bad Sokka’s jokes are. Maybe you can tell her now.” Toph suggested, before following Suki and Sokka.

“Wait-” But you had cut Zuko off before he could continue.

“Tell me what?” Would someone finally tell you about why fake Zuko looked at you when he said he was in love with someone else?

“I-uh.. The actor wasn’t entirely wrong.” He partially confessed, only leaving you with more questions.

“Wrong about which part?” You simply couldn’t understand any bit of it.

“I’ve kind of been in love with you for a while.” He quickly answered, glancing at you to see your reaction before looking away.

“Wait what-” You said, only momentarily confused before shaking your head. You didn’t exactly understand why, and that’s exactly what you said. “Why? I don’t get it. There’s nothing special or anything about me.”

“You are far from ordinary, Y/N. You’re so strong and-”

“So what you’re telling me, you’re attracted to strong women?” You teased, oddly satisfied upon seeing the light pink of his cheeks as he groaned before letting out a sigh.

“Yeah.” He admitted, before continuing. “I even asked everyone for help with this.”

“Wait, is that why you had told me I was pretty the other day? And why I found flowers in front of my door the next morning?”

“Yeah.” 

“Well, I thought you were hot when we first met, so we’re even.” You shrugged, looking at him from the corner of your eye.

“Do you still think that?”

“What do you think?” You answered his question with a question, leaning closer to him until your faces were merely inches apart. “Y’know, I started training to get my mind off you.”

Just as your lips were almost touching, you had closed your eyes only to quickly open them and pull away when you heard a wolf-whistle.

“It’s about time!”

[seekingseven]

some extremely underrated ATLA ships

Whether you’re a Zutara fan or a Kataang fan or a Zukka fan or a Tokka fan, I want us to put our differences aside to acknowledge some truly superior ATLA ships. 

I present to you: 

- Suki X Foaming at the mouth guy 

- Momo X cactus juice 

- Appa X a nap 

- Katara X The Cabbage Merchant’s son (assuming that he has one)

- Chit Sang X Sparky Sparky Boom Man

- Lu Ten X being alive 

- Zuko X therapy and a spa day

- Aang X Gyatso’s fruit pies 

- Sokka X no hair tie 

Enjoy. 

[raikangaru]

Cuddles - Zuko x Reader

Warnings: none

one shot

It had been a long day for all of us, mainly Sokka, Zuko and I. We had just gotten back from the Boiling Rock saving Katara and Sokka’s father, a prison where no one has ever escaped. Not anymore.

We had not anticipated the arrival of Azula, which made it harder for us to escape, she was such a pain in the ass but if it wasn’t for Zuko’s former lover betraying Azula I’m pretty sure we weren’t gonna get out of there alive, but it was pretty awkward not gonna lie.

Currently we were all gathered at the campfire, Katara and Sokka still chatting away with their father and Chit Sang, Suki, Aang and Toph were in their own little conversations. Zuko and I were sat together, knees brushing against each other and my head on his left shoulder. We both watched as the groups conversed and caught up with each other, “hmm I’m happy for Katara and Sokka”,I spoke quietly so only Zuko heard me, he grunts in response and a yawn follows after. I sit up and face him,”shall we head to bed? Today’s been exhausting”,I suggest, he nods in response as we both get up.

“I think we’re gonna call it a night”,I spoke a little bit loudly to catch everyone’s attention, “oh alright, good night you guys!”,Katara shoots us a gentle smile,”just don’t rock the temple!”,Sokka jokes, I sent a glare his way and bending some water to whip his ass.

“Owww!”

“That’s what you get”,the whole group erupts in laughter before all wishing us good night. Zuko and I head into our section of the temple. It had been assigned as “our room”, it wasn’t much just the bedrolls and a tiny torch as our source of light. Zuko lights up the tiny torch before taking off his shirt, even after seeing him so many times he’s still so damn attractive. He turns around catching me eye him. “Bugs will fly in your mouth if it stays hanging open like”,he chuckles, his voice very deep and sexy. “Oi nah!”,I turn away cheeks heated up, I quickly changed up and joined Zuko in bed.

Settling myself into his arms, I turn to face him and circle my arms around his neck, he feels so warm that I snuggle closer into his neck feeling his hot breath fan over my head. “Zuko, do you like me?”,I sigh waves of insecurity drown my thoughts, seeing his ex-girlfriend today really made me insecure about myself, she was pretty and belonged to a noble family. “Where is this coming from?”,he strokes my hair, I move my head so that I’m looking at him, his brows are furrowed, genuinely confused. “Hmm, I was just curious”,I shrug nuzzling even closer to him, I was too shy to admit I was feeling insecure. “Of course I like you, more than you know”,his ember eyes darken, he bumps my nose with his, slowly leaning in for a kiss and I meet him halfway.

Our lips connect, he leans closer to deepen the kiss, my fingers find themselves in his hair slightly tugging earning a sweet groan from the black haired male. We break off each other, both our cheeks are flushed a smile plays on my lips. “But what will happen after all this?”,my smile falters.

”to us?”

“Well if Aang ends my father, we can restore the peace throughout all the nations”,he answers,”and for us, whatever happens we’ll work it out”,he kisses my forehead, reassuring me. “I think I love you”,I whispered to him, not sure if he heard me,”I think I love you too”,he wraps his arms around me drawing me closer to his body heat. “Go to sleep, you’re very tired”,as if on cue a yawn breaks from me, I hum in response. Getting myself comfy in his arms, I lay on his left arm as his right is draped over my waist. I got my back against him and his snuggles his face in my neck.

“Hmm I love cuddles, it’s cause you’re so warm”

//

m a s t e r l i s t

first one shot for this page! wooo, hope you guys like it. leave a note and dm me what yah think! have a great day!

all the love xx

[babydotcom]

for the ask game is it cheating to request sokka and chitkoda??? 🤔

lucky for u i talked about sokka here so you get to feast on both!!

when i started shipping them: like. two weeks ago. and it's literally your fault.

my thoughts: i started shipping chitkoda as a joke! 0_0 i don't think it's a joke anymore

what makes me happy abt them: hot upstanding chief and war hero x hot convicted criminal who's taller than him. that's it. it's so funny.

what makes me sad: it's kind of unrealistic and chit sang probably slips away to go back to his life pre-boiling rock before hakoda gets a chance to confess :'(

annoying things in fic: bitch where??

things i look for in fic: again bitch where but chit sang sharing the burden of looking after these kids when he doesn't any reason to give a shit about them and just being there for hakoda after he's lost track of his kids, again, is nice.

alt ships: bakoda and king bumi x chit sang. :)

happily ever after: chit sang goes back to the swt with hakoda and is welcomed there with open arms and he becomes as much a part of the tribe as hakoda and they grow old together :) kanna makes him soup!!

big spoon/little spoon: hakoda is little spoon in every scenario and he likes having his big firebender to keep him warm!!!!

favorite non-sexual activity: spending time with hakoda's kids! it takes a long time for katara to warm up to chit sang and sokka still thinks it's fucking weird but eventually they grow to love him too and they try to have as much family time as humanly possible!

ask game here!

[watchathon]

Book 3, Chapter 14: The Boiling Rock, Part 1

In case you’re finding this post just by browsing the tags I’ve used for this post, this is the Watchathon, a blog where I’m hoping to watch an episode of a TV show every weekday, with a short blog post where I write down my thoughts as I watch. Each new thought starts with a hyphen and a bolded first word.

- Like so. Now that the introductions are over with, here’s my thoughts on The Boiling Rock, Part 1:

- It’s nice to see Zuko just having fun with the other kids in their downtime.

- I was expecting a punchline where Zuko’s tea would be awful as it was when he and Iroh reunited in Book 2, but I guess Iroh’s teamaking skills rubbed off on him a little. Which, I would hope so, considering he and Iroh were going to run a tea shop together.

- Just occurred to me that both Sokka’s girlfriend and his father were taken by the Fire Nation. Boy, that’s rough... buddy.

- Feels kinda weird to hear someone other than Zuko talk about regaining his honor.

- I like that Zuko gave Aang Firebending homework. It’s a funny gag, and also it means Aang practices his Firebending even as Zuko’s off with Sokka making a prison break.

- If you were to look up the definition of “small talk”, you would see... “polite conversation about unimportant or uncontroversial matters, especially as engaged in on social occasions.” But that’s perfectly exemplified by this scene!

- It’s always nice to see Zuko really appreciate Iroh for the father figure he was. It’s not uncommon anymore, but still much appreciated every time, especially since this appreciation was infinitely rarer before Zuko changed sides.

- I’d say these disguises work, considering it took Zuko speaking for me to realize it was them.

- Well, that’s a dang dirty trick from whoever this warden(?) guy is.

- I’m assuming the Boiling Rock’s version of solitary is the cooler. If I had to guess, it is literally a dangerously cold room, Hell for anyone but especially a Firebender. Or maybe I’m totally off the mark, and it’s just their term for solitary.

- Oh, I was right about the cooler.

- I like how Zuko just passes off as the new guy on the job. I mean, he really can’t take off his helmet since he’d be immediately recognizable as former prince Zuko, so it’s good luck for him that the guards just think he needs to loosen up.

- On the other hand, I was wrong about that guy being the warden.

- Maybe I’m alone in this, but I think Zuko’s proverbs when he impersonates Iroh do make sense. They’re, uh, kinda clumsy. But I could get the gist of it.

- I like how the thing which convinces Sokka this trip wasn’t a total waste is the appearance of Suki. I know I’m happy to see the return of the best canon couple in this series.

- This scene of Sokka and Suki reuniting is so sweet. And the best part is that Azula wasn’t lying about how Suki hoped Sokka would rescue her. But she was dead wrong about how Suki gave up.

- Zuko just gets so awkward when his time on the bad guys side is brought up, doesn’t he?

- I like that Chit Sang is joining in on the mission. Mostly because I don’t remember him at all, so where his story ends up is just gonna be a total surprise to me.

- “I think you mean whom I’m fighting!” Chit Sang’s apparently not much better at the whole “pretending to have a fight” thing (I forget the actual term) than Katara and Sokka were in Book 1.

- I like that Suki and Zuko are both totally on board with helping Sokka to save his father, on the off chance that Hakoda’s one of the war prisoners coming in.

- I love Sokka’s face, and the background music too, once he knows that he didn’t risk it all for nothing, that he actually does have a chance to free his father.

[ao3feed-zukka]

And They Were Sparring Partners (oh my god, they were sparring partners)

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3662A0I

by amazinghorse101

Zuko's not exactly subtle about his feelings towards Sokka; even Toph could see the pining a mile away. And now that you've started to care about this brooding, emo idiot despite your previous hang-ups about the Fire Nation, you're going to help him find happiness wherever you can.

Words: 1294, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M, M/M

Characters: Zuko (Avatar), Sokka (Avatar), Katara (Avatar), Aang (Avatar), Toph Beifong, Suki (Avatar), Reader, Hakoda (Avatar), Chit Sang, Teo (Avatar), Haru (Avatar), The Duke (Avatar)

Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar), Past Mai/Zuko - Relationship, Sokka (Avatar) & Reader, Zuko (Avatar) & Reader, Aang/Katara (Avatar), The Gaang (Avatar) & Reader, The Gaang (Avatar) & Original Female Character(s), Bato/Hakoda (Mentioned)

Additional Tags: Other characters mentioned - Freeform, starting as a one-shot, suddenly got sick of writing "x reader" fics so I'm diving into the platonic realm, Internalized Homophobia, Sexuality Crisis, Bisexual Everyone, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, started as a oneshot dunno if I'll do more

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3662A0I

[avatarsymbolism]

Character Parallel Tags: C

Parallel Tags Search | Misc. Parallels Search

Aa - Am | An - Az  | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | Ka - Kn Km - Kz | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Note: This list is a constant work in progress and will be updated every few months. Furthermore, names in the header lead to parallels that involve that character only (assuming I have a parallel up for them), and empty tags underneath the character headings (denoting a parallel between two characters) means that I have a post that involves that parallel in the queue.

Cabbage Merchant and...

Unknown, Zuko

Chey and...

Chong

Chin the Conqueror and...

Kuvira, Ozai

Chit Sang and...

Iroh

Chong and...

Chey, Iroh, Prince Wu, Sokka

Chou and…

Aye Aye Spirit, Kuvira, Ozai, Raava

Colonel Shinu and...

Iroh, Korra

Combustion Man and…

Jet, P’Li, Unknown, Zuko