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raewritez · 4 years ago

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Airbenders

let’s all take a moment to appreciate our windy boy🙌

based on this request: Can you do Aang x airbender reader? When Aang and Katara found out that she hid from them that she could bend ? Please!

warnings: aangsty

It hurts.

Aang’s body felt like it was on fire, and he supposed it was. It seemed like electricity was still flowing through his veins, consuming him with needle points and flame. With Katara’s healing he was slowly gaining back his memory - visions of white glow, of the royal siblings, of waves, and of falling. There was something else, too, it was-

“Ow!”

Katara grimaced, removing her hands from his back. “Sorry, Aang. There’s a lot of energy built up in here.”

He winced, curling in on himself. “It’s ok.”

She stares at him worriedly, heart aching for her friend. He felt so awful, so consumed by guilt and failure, and she found herself having trouble coaxing him out of his thoughts. There was one person that could, but they were nowhere to be found. Aang noticed.

“Where’s Y/n?”

Katara breathed shakily, pulling at the edge of her tunic. “Aang…what exactly do you remember from Ba Sing Se?”

He tilted his head, furrowing his brows. "I remember Azula, and I remember I went down. You saved me."

She nodded. "Is that all?"

He leaned into the bed, running a hand through his hair (hair? how long has that been there?). "There's something else."

Katara looked nervous, as if preparing for him to do something awful. It made him confused. He searched his mind, digging through flashes of memory until he found what he was looking for. He inhaled sharply. Oh. Right.

They were outnumbered, Dai Lee agents advancing on them from all directions. Katara's water whips were no use, broken and splashed across the ground by shields of rock and crystal. Aang fought tirelessly, earth and water spinning around him in a flurry of movement. The earth benders only moved forward - creeping slowly upon the Avatar until they were thrown back by some powerful force. Wind. Aang looked down at his hands, he hadn't done that, right? The agents rose to their feet but their eyes weren't on him, rather on something that lurked behind. Turning, his gaze fell upon what had drawn their attention.

You.

Your arms were outstretched, an uncertain expression on your face. You glanced down at your palms in surprise - you certainly hadn't expected that to work so well. His mouth fell open, mind swarmed with confusion. His grey eyes widened, and your gaze met his. You couldn't tell if that look in his eyes was one of betrayal or pure shock, but you felt the guilt you'd been harboring over keeping this secret hit you full-force. Your own eyes were surprised, and they softened as they fell upon him. In them he could see the swimming emotions, and an apology. You raised your arms again.

"They're...they're an Airbender."

Katara looked at the floor, silently affirming his words. He stared at her, then he stood. His body ached and his legs wobbled, but he didn't care. He grabbed his staff, and leaning on it, began to make his way towards the door.

"Wait, Aang," Katara exclaimed, attempting to calm him. The look on his face was foreign; eyes glinting with sadness and something she couldn't quite decipher. And anger. It was a rare emotion to see displayed by the boy, but it was there now, although faint. She was nervous for you, her own anger since passed and replaced with a sort of resigned understanding. Sure, she was upset, hurt that you didn't trust her with this secret, but she guessed she understood. At least she tried to.

"Aang, your injuries are still healing. You can't-"

"I'm fine, Katara," he spoke, and she felt a chill run through her bones at the sternness. "Let me go."

He pushed past her, holding in his groans at the effort. He walked as quickly as he could down the hall, mind pulsing with adrenaline and determination. He didn't have to ask where your room was, he knew where it would be: at the end of the hall by the windows, so you could see the ocean. He limped his way down, the silk robe threatening to fall off his shoulders. In front of your door, he stopped. He breathed, and then he entered.

You were seated on your bed, staring blankly at the wall. You glanced tiredly at the intrusion, eyes widening when you saw it was him. You stood abruptly, almost tripping over yourself and if the circumstances were different he would've laughed. You missed his laugh. Instead he gazed at you, expression neutral. You felt nervous, unfamiliarly awkward under the Avatar's stare.

"Hi, Aang."

He kept his eyes trained on you, eyebrows furrowed. He was silent.

"Um...h-how are you feeling?"

"You didn't come to see me."

Your eyes widened. "W-what?"

His gaze never faltered. "You didn't come to check on me."

"Oh," You breathed, casting your eyes to the floor. "I didn't...I didn't know if you'd want me to."

He didn't speak, and you could feel him scrutinizing you. As if he didn't know what to make of you, as if he wasn't sure what to think. And in all honesty he probably didn't. You didn't know what to think of yourself, either.

"You're an Airbender." It wasn't a question, just a statement. An observation.

You breathed. "Yeah."

He stood a little taller, and you could finally make out an emotion. Anger. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than him acting as if you were Koh the freaking Face-Stealer. His voice was low. "Why didn't you tell me?"

You swallowed nervously, fingers coming to play with the fishing-line bracelet he'd made for you that rested upon your wrist. "I don't know."

He scoffed, beginning to pace around the room. Well, as well as he could considering his condition. "That's not an answer. How could you keep that from me?!" There was a desperation to his tone, and his eyes were glassy. You looked away, unable to deal with the shame.

"Aang, please, I-" You didn't know what to say. You truly didn't quite understand why you'd hidden it, the secrecy just fading into habit. "I was...I was scared. I didn't know what to say or- I'd never told anyone before! And then you came and I..."

"And you didn't tell me."

His face was darkened, so different from that sunshiney demeanor that you'd grown so goddam fond of. But behind his anger was a certain brokenness - a disbelief. And that hurt more than the rage.

He didn't give you time for an explanation, and you weren't sure you had one to offer anyway. He simply walked away, sparing you one more hurtful glance. Then, he left, taking the light and hope with him. You felt tears sting your eyes, but you forced them away. You didn't deserve to cry. You were the one who'd hurt him, who'd betrayed his trust. And now you weren't sure if your best friend would ever trust you again, ever allow you a second chance. So, instead of crying, you simply laid in the dark warmness of your bed, rocked to sleep by the swaying of the ocean with an ache in your chest.

///

A week.

That's how long it'd been since the two of you talked, since Aang had so much as glanced in the direction of his best friend. You were in the Firenation now, having assumed the role of undercover criminals. It was kind of exhilarating, and you knew you and Aang would be milking the drama of it for all its worth. But instead you sat alone, sidled in the corner of the cave as your friends danced.

Aang had somehow managed to enroll himself in a Fire Nation school, and had invited his classmates to your hideout for a dance party. You wished you had enough energy to participate - to twirl around with Katara or do the limbo with Sokka, but you were drained. Just like you'd been for days. Your hope was waning; you were becoming less and less sure that Aang would find a way to forgive you - that he would return to his best friend with that lopsided smile and endless generosity, the way he came to you all those times before. Now, he was dancing, shoulders brushing against that Fire Nation girl's - On ji? Something like that - while the rest of the kids laughed and cheered. It send an ache to your heart. He seemed happy with her - happier than he's been with you. He was sporting that contagious grin, that boisterous laughter, that-

"Wow, you really are mopey."

You were snapped out of your thoughts by Toph. "I'm not mopey," you grumbled.

She snorted. "Uh, yeah you are. I can practically feel the pitifulness radiating off you."

"Gee, thanks a lot."

You were silent for a moment, and she seemed to soften. "You know, he's not mad at you anymore."

You glanced over, a scoff escaping your lips. "Yes he is, Toph. He hates me."

Her eye-roll was about the biggest you'd ever seen. "Don't be stupid, Sap. That kid loves you. It's so obvious it's gross."

You sighed, shaking your head. You pulled your knees to your chest. "Not anymore. I lied to him."

She nodded, seeming thoughtful. "Well, yeah, that kind of sucked. And obviously he would be kinda mad about that. But he's not anymore, trust me. I can feel it."

"You can feel it?"

"Mhm. He's mopey, too. He misses you."

You looked over to the center of the cave, where Aang was demonstrating some bizarre dance movement. You smiled fondly.

"Seriously, Y/n. You should talk to him."

You nodded, breathing in your resolve. "I will soon."

Toph groaned loudly. "Well, I guess that's as good as we're gonna get."

///

Spirits, you were exhausted. A day of cleaning out a river will do that to you.

It'd been a few days since the dance party, and your time had been occupied with Appa's "sickness" while you stopped at a local fishing village. It was pretty gross, but with your friend's help and Katara's fancy costume, you were able to leave it better than it was when you arrived.

Now, you found yourselves at yet another designated campsite - a patch of ground near the cliffside, overlooking the valley. You were tired, and so much as walking around felt like a chore.

Your eyes fell on a silhouetted figure perched on the edge of the cliff. Momo sat on his shoulder. You breathed, body growing alight with nervousness. You made your way over, Momo launching onto you when you got closer.

You chuckled, petting his furry head. "Hey, Momo," you said softly. You eyes flickered upwards, latching onto Aang's. He turned away. You sighed, setting Momo down and moving to sit next to him. You inhaled deeply, bracing yourself for impending rejection. You fidgeted with the edge of your shirt - a movement that his eyes quickly locked onto.

"Um, I know you probably don't want to talk to me, and that's ok, but I need to...I need to explain myself."

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him nod slowly.

"My whole life I had to keep my bending a secret, and nobody's ever known except my parents. And when I met you...I don't know. I guess I was just scared. I thought I was going to be the last one for the rest of my life. I'd been hiding and denying that I was an Airbender for so long, and I guess I just...felt safer to keep doing that."

He was silent, staring at you intently with concentration and an emotion you couldn't decipher. You continued.

"The point is, I should've told you. And I'm so, so sorry that I didn't. I don't know if you could ever forgive me, but I-"

You were cut off by the press of his lips against your own. Your eyes widened, and you sat rigidly still. He chuckled breathily at your shock, moving his hand to gently caress your cheek. You relaxed, leaning into his palm and letting your eyes fall shut. After a moment, he pulled away.

"I'm not mad at you, Y/n."

You were still frozen with pleasant surprise. "Oh...ok."

He laughed, reaching to brush a strand of hair behind your ear. He smiled adoringly.

"But wait - how aren't you mad? I kept this a secret from you, and I-"

"Well, I was mad," he cut you off. "But I'm not anymore. If there's anything that we can take away from this, it's that you're not the last Airbender. And neither am I."

You smiled at that. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

He pulled you into his side, keeping one arm around you while he performed random tricks; like making a whirlpool or air or sending a small tornado Sokka's way. You leaned into each other to muffle your giggles when he fell. You felt happier than you had since Ba Sing Se - filled with the happiness that only Aang could provide you. You had his trust, and his guidance, and you weren't alone. Neither of you were.

#avatar the last airbender #prince zuko #atla #fire lord zuko #aang x reader #legend of korra #sokka x reader #zuko x reader #avatar #avatar: tla #aang #avatar aang #avatar x reader #avatar imagine #team avatar #the gaang

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cablesscutie · 4 years ago

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Inspired by @hayleynfoster’s comic and some hilarious headcannons about the littlest steambaby with Hayley and @favlie

Read it on AO3

The day Avatar Aang comes to meet his second niece, Fire Lord Zuko refuses to let his youngest child out of sight. Katara rolls her eyes, and reminds her husband that neither of their children had ended up psychologically disturbed because of their flights. “Not,” she adds, pointing at Aang, “that I am allowing a repeat, but I think just holding her while firmly on the ground will be fine.”

“Mmmm,” Zuko hesitates, curling Kallik closer to his chest. Her big eyes blink up at the adults guileless from her blanket. “No.”

“You let Azula hold her!” Aang argues.

“She doesn’t do anything with the babies!” Zuko shoots back. It’s not strictly true, he knows, but his sister’s ritual with newborns is unsettling in a much different way. She simply stares deep into each child’s eyes upon being handed them, until some kind of understanding passes between her and the baby. Results have varied, but the most important part is that there was no threat to life and limb.

Katara’s raised eyebrow says that she also doesn’t believe Zuko’s words, but she doesn’t say anything. They are, after all, a united front - to the children, to politicians, to their friends. In the privacy of their chambers, however, he knows he will be hearing about this.

Katara and Zuko take the kids to spend Kallik’s first birthday at the South Pole. It’s a tradition they’ve observed with all three, and Zuko always looks forward to going to visit her family. The house is loud and chaotic, full to bursting with people, the exact opposite of his own lonely childhood. There is no posturing, and everyone loves and squabbles openly. On this particular visit, they have overlapped with Aang’s stay with Sokka and Suki, so Gran-Gran’s house is in even more of an uproar than usual by the time Zuko and Katara arrive.

Kya immediately dashes off to coo over her little cousins as they toddle around behind Pakku, pretending to be otter penguins. Satoshi runs to the kitchen to be showered in kisses and cookies from Gran-Gran. Hakoda finds them barely out of their parkas and already thoroughly abandoned.

“I could’ve sworn you had at least one other child,” he tells Katara, scratching his head as he pretends to search for his missing grandchildren. She laughs and hugs her father tight. Neither of them let go for long moments, and Zuko’s throat feels tight when he notices his father-in-law’s misty eyes. He looks down at Kallik, thinks of his other two children, and wonders for the thousandth time how Hakoda could ever forgive him for keeping Katara so far away. It’s why he hands his daughter over easily when her grandfather waggles his fingers expectantly and says, “Alright, give her here.”

Hakoda settles Kallik on his hip with practiced ease, and pulls Zuko into a brief hug with his free arm. “Good to see you, son.”

Zuko clears his throat. “You too,” he says, and Katara laughs softly at his awkward shuffling, amused by how he doesn’t know what to do with his hands without a baby in his arms. She answers his question by lacing their fingers together as she leads him deeper into the house to find her brother and their friends seated around the hearth fire watching the kids run around.

Hugs are exchanged all around, and Zuko settles into their familiar company. Hakoda joins them after taking Kallik to say hello to Gran-Gran and Pakku, and bounces the baby on his knee to make her laugh. Aang makes silly faces at her that have her letting out piercing giggles and reaching out to try and grab at the wooden beads of his necklace.

“Well clearly she’s bored of me,” Hakoda says, making to hand her off to her uncle. “Here you go -” Zuko leans over and intercepts.

“Oh no. No baby catapult,” he says, shaking his head.

Aang gives him a pout to rival Momo. “Come on, we’re indoors!” Katara clears her throat, and when Zuko glances over, her eyes are narrowed at him. With a sigh, he holds Kallik out to Aang.

“Fine. But I’m watching you.”

Extended family vacations to Ember Island always sound like a good idea to Katara. At first. When her husband is burnt out and aching, and the kids are climbing the walls, and she just wants to lie in the sun with a book, it seems like the cure for everything.

And then they arrive. Somehow, much like she forgets the excruciating pain of childbirth, she never recalls the onslaught of chaos and catastrophe that comes every vacation. Like the time Sokka got stung by a jelly-ray. Or the time Suki and Zuko got in a fight about disciplining each other’s kids. Or the time every single one of the kids managed to get sunburnt and couldn’t sleep. Every year, it’s always something, and somehow, it usually ends up being at least partially her problem to solve.

This year, though, is somehow turning out alright. They reach day three without major incident, and almost entirely without tears - a near miracle for a vacation involving five children under the age of ten.

“I’m almost done with my first book already,” she tells Zuko as they rock slowly in a hammock on the deck, whispering in hopes of keeping any listening spirits from knowing that she’s gotten her hopes up.

“Good, you deserve the break,” Zuko says. He looks on the verge of sleep despite the fact that the sun is still climbing in the sky. The dark circles beneath his eyes are already faded almost to nothing. She sighs happily and grabs her book, but before she can actually crack it open, she hears Toph cackling and her Mom Senses light up. Zuko calls after her in surprise as she leaves the hammock swaying wildly behind her, but she doesn’t look back on her way to the beach.

When she arrives, it is just in time to see Toph pick up Kallik, a wicked smile on her face. Sokka and Suki’s twins are further down the beach standing beside Aang, both of them jumping up and down with excitement, waiting for something.

“Go long, Twinkle Toes!” Katara’s eyes go wide, and faster than should be possible, she reaches them, yanking Kallik out of Toph’s hands. “Hey!”

“Absolutely not!” Katara says, scowling.

“I was gonna catch her!” Aang shouts. Katara shakes her head.

“This is not happening. No way.” Then, silently lamenting the loss of quiet time with her husband, Katara looks at the twins and asks, “Who wants to go get some ice cream?

At Zuko’s request, his birthday is not a big deal with his family. It’s a combination of the fact that the entire Fire Nation loses its mind about the day anyway, so he is all but forced to spend a day attending a festival in his honor, and the fact that he is used to his birthday being a marker of all the disappointments he has been in the past year. It is a long-standing compromise with his wife that she is allowed to throw him a small, family-only party, to be kept within the bounds of the garden. He enjoys the excuse to get everyone together without a barrage of meetings involved, and the rest of their family is so boisterous in comparison to him, he can almost forget that the day has anything to do with him at all.

For his thirtieth birthday, he makes the further concession of allowing Uncle to set up his new phonograph so there could be dancing. Zuko is manning the crank, watching Katara and Kya swing each other around while Aang sits next to him, flipping through the records looking for the right song.

“Do you have a request too?” Zuko hears him ask, and turns to see Kallik has toddled away from Uncle Iroh and approached the Avatar. She puts her hands on his knees and starts bouncing, flashing him a smile that shows all of her new teeth. “You want upsies?” Aang coos, and reaches to scoop her up by the armpits. Zuko clears his throat loudly, shooting Aang his best murder eyes, and the Avatar shrinks back into the collar of his robes a little. “What about dance party?” He lets Kallik grab onto his fingers and starts hopping around with her to the beat, hunched over and both of them giggling.

“Oh Uncle Aaaaang!” Kya sings, striding out into the garden where Appa has just landed. She has Kallik on her hip, and Satoshi follows along at her heels, excited to see Appa and Momo again. His pockets are already full of lychee nuts for his fuzzy friends.

“Hey guys!” Uncle Aang calls, his gangly arms waving excitedly. “Are you the welcoming committee now?” He lands in front of them on a gentle breeze, setting down his bag and grinning broadly.

“Mom and Dad are in a meeting,” Kya informs him. “But somebody wanted to go for a little flight.” She hitches the toddler higher and winks conspiratorially. “If you catch my drift.” Uncle Aang’s eyes go wide, and he looks between the kids with unease. Satoshi feels terror grip his throat. He knew his big sister was crazy, but would she really…?

“Oh I dunno, your Dad was pretty...adamant...that you all are grounded until further notice.” Satoshi lets out a sigh of relief.

“Dad’s in a meeting,” Kya reiterates, as though being in a meeting involves entering another dimension. She should know better, her brother thinks to himself. Mom and Dad always find out when they’re up to no good, and as the sibling who’s usually leading the charge into trouble, Kya should definitely have that figured out by now. Uncle Aang should absolutely know that by now, but with horor, Satoshi realizes that the Avatar is looking a little bit convinced. “And we’re not gonna tell on you,” she wheedles. Speak for yourself, Satoshi thinks, glancing around to see if there are any guards within earshot if he calls for their parents. Sadly, it seems nobody has realized that the Avatar requires careful supervision.

“Well…” Uncle Aang considers, then comes to his decision, smiling once again. “Alright, I guess one can’t hurt. Who’s going?”

Kya moves to offer Kallik to him, her tiny hands reaching out and making grabby motions. Satoshi’s world goes into slow-motion. There’s a roaring in his ears, and as if from outside his body, he hears his own voice say,

“I am.” Kya and Uncle Aang blink at him, stunned. Their uncle is the first to recover, and asks,

“Are you sure, kiddo? I mean, you weren’t the biggest fan when you were a baby…”

“I want to try again,” he makes himself say, despite his sweating palms. Uncle Aang grins and ruffles his hair.

“That’s the spirit! You get that from your dad.”

As his uncle’s hands grab him under the armpits, Satoshi hears Kya mutter, “It’s the self-sacrificing idiot gene,” and then he is gone. As he soars through the air, he wonders if maybe his body hasn’t even left the ground yet. He can’t feel anything. Maybe he just died of panic and this is just his soul taking off for the spirit world.

Then he reaches the height of his arc and starts plummeting back to Earth, and the sensation of all his internal organs rattling around asserts the fact that he is very much still alive and experiencing this. He closes his eyes before he gets anywhere close to the ground, so it comes as a surprise when he comes to a sudden stop, cradled briefly by robes smelling of hay and bison fur, before being deposited back on his feet.

“How’s the weather up there?” Uncle Aang asks him, patting him on the back. Satoshi doesn’t know what the weather was like. He doesn’t know anything except that solid ground beneath his feet may have replaced his mother’s hugs as his favorite feeling in the world. He meets Kya’s eyes, and sees from her horrified expression that he must look like as much of a husk of a child as he feels.

A quiet, affectless “Thank you,” is all that he can manage to say, and then he is wandering back into the palace, where he shoves his head into the nearest antique vase and screams.

“Psst.” A small sound behind him has Aang on alert. The Fire Nation Royal Palace hasn’t been a place of danger for years now, but with Toph and Sokka around, the probability of sneak attacks has risen a hundred fold. He doesn’t see anything though, and goes to turn back around, only to be caught by a surprisingly firm grip on his cape. About two feet below where he’d expected to find his assailant, Aang comes face to face with his youngest niece, Kallik. Her expression is the same determined furrow of the brow that Katara and Zuko have shared for so long it is impossible to tell which parent bestowed the trait on her. It has the eerie effect of summoning the terrifying force that is their combined will. Aang already knows that whatever she wants from him, he’s going to cave, and it will probably get him in trouble. “I hear you’re in the business of yeeting kids. I want in.”

Aang sighs. Zuko has been trying to prevent this day since the moment Aang met Kallik, and Kallik has been trying to evade her father’s overprotective tendencies since the moment of her existence. It is a battle Katara has elected not to fight, likely remembering her own impossible stubbornness and the futility of trying to stand against it. So it is with all of that knowledge that he says, “Okay.”

“Flameo!” Kallik cheers, punching at the air.

“Well ‘flameo’ was actually more of a greeting -”

“Let’s save the fun facts. I wanna fly.” With a creeping sense of dread, Aang follows the child pulling him along by the cape until they reach a courtyard. Kallik turns to face him, plants her feet, and rubs her palms together. “Alright,” she says, spreading her arms wide. “I’m ready.”

“Here we go...I guess,” Aang says, glancing over his shoulder as he reaches out to scoop her up by the armpits. The coast is clear, so he swings her around in circles a couple of times to get ready. As his niece starts to giggle, the garden blurs, and wind ruffles his robes, Aang feels the giddy anticipation of liftoff.

He hoists Kallik, up, up, up.

And then her momentum carries her out of his hands, and the wind that has built up around them propels her even higher. Her already small body shrinks until she looks more like the shadow of a bird in the night sky, clearing the palace roofs. A happy shriek pierces the air. Aang smiles, feeling her wonder as if it is his own. This is always the best part of someone’s first flight - witnessing them discover the wind anew - and while taking Air Acolytes to glide at the Northern Air Temple is fun, nothing compares to sharing this part of his culture with his nieces and nephews.

Kallik tumbles back into his arms, eyes wide with wonder, ecstatic grin plastered across her face. “Again!” she cries, the moment breath rushes back to her.

Aang laughs and holds her on his hip. As he always does, he asks, “How’s the weather up there?”

“The moon is huge! And I could see the whole city! And the ocean!” Kallik’s pudgy hands move in broad, sweeping gestures so similar to her mother’s bending as she speaks. He still remembers Katara’s delighted gasp the first time she flew, Toph’s bruising grip, Zuko’s shocked laugh. This moment, too, will be another piece of the Air Nomad legacy living on.

As Aang tosses Kallik yet again, Katara finds Zuko leaning against a pillar at the edge of the courtyard, watching. She approaches her husband, curious to find that he isn’t having a coronary at the sight of their daughter in freefall, and takes hold of his arm.

“You gonna yell at him?” she asks, feigning nonchalance. He doesn’t look away from them, but he is smiling, serene.

“Eh, she seems fine.”

#zutara #steambabies #zk fic #my writing

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imnotusedtobeingloved · 4 years ago

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WATCH OUT

(PLEASE DON’T REBLOG!)

Warnings: heartbreak, betrayal.

Pairing: Zuko x f!Reader

Characters: Zuko, Aang, Katara, Toph, Sokka.

Requested: Yes!

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

Summary: Part three of “destiny is a funny thing”

find part two here!

A/N: Hullo! i’m back to blow your minds again, lol. The request for this came within, like, five minutes of posting the last part. So thanks to @zvkonation. I’m glad you guys seem to enjoy it. I hope this part will be to your liking. Altough i think it’s a bit of a mess haha.

“Hello, Zuko here!”

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” you muttered upon the sight of him. Team Avatar formed a half-circle, ready to fight.

You hadn’t seen him since the battle in the Crystal Catacombs, and you’d wanted it to stay that way. After his betrayal it took some time to look ahead. To stop dwelling on it and accept that it was over. Of course you had to tell the others what had happened at some point. And you did. From the fight with Jet, to their false identities, and about the tea shop. Everything but the fact that you harbored feelings for their worst enemy.

“I heard you guys flying around down there, so... I just thought i’d wait for you here,” No one responded. No one but Appa, whose gigantic tongue greeted the prince one second later. Zuko groaned at the caress, but he didn’t reject it. “I know you must be surprised to see me here,”

“Not really, since you followed us all over the world,” Sokka answered defensively, already reaching for his weapon.

“Right... Well uh... Anyway. What i wanted to tell you about is that i’ve changed, and i’m good now. And, well, i think i should join your group. Oh! and i can teach firebending to the Avatar,” He continued.

Changed. There it was again. The gaang remained silent, not giving up their fighting stances. Now the Air Temple could become a war zone at any second.

“You wanna, what now?” Toph was the first one to recover. Her face was scrunched up, black strands dangling in front of her forehead. "We all know what happened the last time you 'changed'," You sneered, raising your hands. "(Y/N), please-," This time he was the one pleading, but you wouldn't have it. You didn't want to waste any more time with him. "Save your explanation for someone who cares!" Flames appeared in your palms, burning from within.

“You can’t possibly think that any of us would trust you, can you? I mean how stupid do you think we are?” Katara wasn’t acting any calmer than in their last encounter. And rightfully so. You’d witnessed the conflict firsthand and empathised with her pain. Both of you had fallen for his trap at the same time.

“Yeah, all you’ve ever done is try to hunt us down and capture Aang,” Sokka threw in. “And besides, (Y/N) is a fire bender. She can teach him,” You pursed your lips, but remained silent. He was right. You could teach Aang. But would that truly be enough? You doubted it. All your techniques were mainly made up from watching other fire benders in your childhood. You’d never had a real teacher. If you were honest to yourself, Zuko was probably the better choice. But the risk of him killing your student made up for it.

“I’ve done some good things! I helped (Y/N) after she got attacked by Jet! Right?” The prince argued, gesturing wildly. He caught your gaze, hoping for some kind of support. But he was met with indifference. "You didn't even know that I was with the Avatar back then," You argued, growing more impatient by the second. Zuko quickly came up with another story. “I could’ve stolen your bison in Ba Sing Se, but i set him free! That's something,” The animal proceeded to lick him again, growling fondly.

“Appa does seem to like him,” The earth-bender said, relaxing her stance slightly. Her features softened. “He probably just covered himself in honey or something, so that Appa would lick him. I’m not buying it!” Sokka declined, making a cutting motion through the air, to underline his statement.

“I can understand why you wouldn’t trust me. And i know i’ve made some mistakes in the past,” Zuko acknowledged, lowering his gaze. The slight breeze tugged at his garments. For the first time since you’d known him, he wore Fire Nation clothing. The ruby red, mixed with gold and black, revealed his true heritage. His was a simple robe, instead of the royal attire you would’ve expected. Just like yours.

“Like when you attacked our village?” Your friend asked, sarcastically. “Or when you stole my mother’s necklace and used it to track us down and capture us?” His sister balled her fists, barely able to hold back. “Or when you betrayed us in the Catacombs?” You hissed.

Seeing him again was unbearable. Unbelievable. It was like the past came back to haunt you all over again. Every time you looked at him, it reminded you of the horror you'd faced. Of Aang dying in your arms. And he just wouldn’t stop trying. “Look, i admit i’ve done some awful things. I was wrong to try to capture you and to betray you. I’m sorry that i attacked the water tribe. And i never should’ve send that Fire Nation Assassin after you. I’m going to try to stop-,”

“Wait! You sent Combustion-Man after us?” One sibling interrupted, his voice getting a few octaves higher. Your eyes widened. The others seemed no less shocked, than you. Just when you’d thought it couldn’t get any worse... It did. “Well, that’s not his name, but-” Zuko tried to explain, but clearly focused on the wrong point. “Oh, sorry, i didn’t mean to insult your friend,” Sokka scoffed, holding up his boomerang. Now there was one more reason not to trust him. How many more would he add? You weren’t eager to find out. “He’s not my friend!” The fire bender exclaimed, bewildered. “That guy locked me and Katara in jail and tried to blow us all up!” Toph pointed an accusatory finger at him. He lowered his eyes, closing them briefly.

You said nothing, only staring at him, until he looked up. “(Y/N)...” He tried, his eyes softening, but you shook your head. He looked terribly lost. So lost that you almost believed him. But where love once was now resided resentment and anger. His lies were revolting. You wouldn’t make the same mistake twice.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” He redirected his attention to Aang. “You once said you thought we could be friends. You know i have good in me,” Out of the corner of your eye you saw Sokka shake his head at him.

“There’s no way we can trust you after everything you’ve done. We’ll never let you join us,” The Avatar decided. “You need to get out of here. Now!” The water bender ordered, her locks framing her face like a thundercloud. “I’m trying to explain that i’m not that person anymore!” His desperate tone made your heart clench. You had to look away.

“Either you leave, or we attack!” Sokka stepped forward, boomerang gripped tightly.

Zuko sunk to his knees. "If you won’t accept me as a friend, then maybe you’ll take me as a prisoner,”

“No. We won’t!” Katara unleashed a splash of water, knocking him back. “Get out of here and don’t come back. And if we ever see you again... Well, we better not see you again!”

The air was tense as he walked off. Your fear didn’t subside.

How long would it take for his next strike to hit you?

And how many more could you take?

“Why would he try to fool us like that?” Katara questioned a while later. “Obviously he wants to lead us in some kind of trap,” Her brother stated, following her deeper into the temple. Aang and you trailed after them silently. “This is just like when we were in prison together in Ba Sing Se. He starts talking about his mother and making it seem like he’s an actual human being with feelings,” Her words hurt. But you had to admit that she spoke the truth. The tender moments you’d had with him would stay until the end of time, pointing out your failure. Your naivety. When you thought about him, you felt nothing but rage and pain making your stomach twist.

“He want’s you to trust him and feel sorry for him. Then you let your guard down and he strikes!” Sokka said gesturing furiously. His short ponytail wiggled along with his movements. “The thing is, it worked,” Katara put her sleeping bag down, kneeling to roll it out. “I did feel sorry for him. I felt like he was really confused and hurt. But, obviously, when the time came he made his choice. And we payed the price. We can’t trust him,” You nodded, hugging your own bag to your chest. “I believed everything he told me, when i lived with them. He was nice. And then he turned around and stabbed me in the back,” His amber eyes had seemed so genuine at the time... So loving. But it was all a game. A pastime as long as you were around, only to throw you away later. He’d made his choice. And you hadn’t been enough to be choosen. The memories left a burning feeling in your chest.

“I kind of have a confession to make,” the Avatar cut in. “Remember when you got sick and i got captured by Zhao?” You all ignored Sokka’s rant about Aang making him suck on frozen frogs. His poor sister had taken a look at his throat multiple times before. And to be honest, you all had. Involuntarily.

“Anyway. When Zhao had me chained up, it was Zuko who came in and got me out. He risked his life to save me,” You furrowed your brows. This was the last thing you wanted to hear about. What even was the point? Listing the few good deeds he seemed to have done, wouldn’t undo the mistakes. “No way! I’m sure he only did it so he could capture you himself,” Katara dismissed his idea. “Yeah! Face it Aang, You’re nothing but a big price to him,” Her brother agreed. “And what was all that crazy stuff about setting Appa free? What a liar,” The siblings had choosen a clear position in this debate. It didn’t really surprise you that they had each others backs. And so did you.

“Actually, he wasn’t lying,” Toph chimed in, leaning against a pillar connected to the ceiling. “Oh, hurray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn’t add animal cruelty to the list,” She paid no mind to Sokka’s antics and remained calm. “I’m just saying that, considering his messed up family and how he was raised, he could’ve turned out a lot worse,” You didn’t know why she would vouch for him, but you wouldn’t put her down. The sooner this discussion was over, the better. “You’re right, Toph. Let’s go find him and give him a medal! The ‘Not as much of a jerk as you could’ve been’ Award!” Katara mocked, spreading her arms in frustration. The earth bender crossed her arms, relying on her factual point of view. “All i know is, that while he was talking to us, he was sincere. Maybe you’re all just letting your hurt feelings keep you from thinking clearly,”

The group continued to bicker back and forth. “Why would you even try to defend him?” Toph pushed herself off the column, walking up to them. “Because, Katara, you’re all ignoring one crucial fact. Aang needs a fire bending teacher. It’s true, we have (Y/N), but she was never trained herself. And she never denied that she doesn’t have much knowledge about most techniques. And then another one shows up on a silver platter and you won’t even consider it?” She stomped. The rest of them turned to look at you, but you only shrugged. She was right. You’d been open with them from the beginning. “I admit that i don’t have as much... deep understanding for it as others may have. But i’m willing to give my best,”

Your reasoning seemed to be enough for the Avatar to pass. “I’m not having Zuko as my teacher,” he said. “You’re damn right, you’re not, buddy.” Sokka crossed his arms. “Well, i guess that’s settled,” You agreed. Toph grunted in frustration. “I’m beginning to wonder who’s really the blind one around here,”

The girl ranted as she walked away, only to return one day later, with burned soles.

“Toph! What happened?” She’d crawled in on her stomach, feet in the air. The front of her clothes was completely stained with dirt. Or as she liked to call it, a ‘healthy coating of earth’. ‘“My feet got burned,” Katara immediatly looked at the outcome. The skin was red and tender. Too sensitive to be touched. “Oh no! What happened?” You had no idea where she’d been all day, but considering the argument about a certain fire bender, a suspicion formed in your head. “I just told you, my feet got burned,” The brunette furrowed her brows. “I meant, how?” She hesitated, but answered while Katara used her healing powers to save whatever she could. “Well, i kind of went to see Zuko last night,” Your hunch got confirmed. The gaang was shocked to say the least. “See? You trusted Zuko and you got burned. Literally!” Sokka scolded, as he and Aang proceeded to carry Toph to the little fountain where she could stick her feet into the water. “Now i know how the rest of you feel. Not being able to see with your feet stinks,” You chuckled at her words, moving to stand behind her and putting your hands on her shoulders. She was like a little sister to you. And there was no doubt that you would make Zuko pay for what he'd done to her, should you ever see him again.

To your own dismay, that happened sooner than you’d expected.

A few seconds later to be exact.

“Watch out!” You yelled, spotting the assassin, as an explosion shook the temple. The man stood on a platform above, shooting at you. Or, to be precise, at Aang.

“Stop!” You weren’t that surprised to see Zuko next to him. The shock came more with the words he was saying. “I don’t want you hunting the Avatar anymore!” He commanded, but it was of no use. The boys grabbed Toph, making sure she was safe between them, as you all hid behind what was left of the fountain. “The mission is off! I’m ordering you to stop!” But no matter what he said, he was only cast aside. “I won’t pay you, if you keep attacking!” The prince kept trying to get to him. Not even his flames seemed to impress the man. “I’ll pay you double to stop!”

The assassin didn’t stop. Instead he aimed at Zuko himself. Your heart stopped for a second when he conjured flames around him to escape the attack. Then he was gone. Peaking over the stones you hid behind, you could faintly spot a silhouette clinging to the braches below.

You used the opening, screamed as you ran forward, throwing fireballs at the assassin with all your might. You couldn’t let him kill the prince. That task was already reserved for you, personally. The Avatar soon joined you, producing a cyclone. But neither that, nor Katara’s ice spikes could stop him. Everything you threw at him, he shrugged off. And he continued to destroy the temple in the process. “He’s going to blast this whole place right off the cliffside!” Toph shouted over the noise. “I can’t get out to water bend at him without getting blown up,” Katara stated, when you all covered behind a wall. You dared to poke your head out for a second, but you couldn’t see anything before he took another shot. “I can’t get an angle on him from down here,”

The Team was at a loss, until Sokka seemed to have an idea. “I know how to get an angle on him!” He followed the line of fire with his eyes, and took the chance, flinging his boomerang. And he hit. The assassin stumbled on his feet, trying to shoot once more, only to go down in the process.

The platform under him exploded, erasing what remained of him.

Raising your head you could see Zuko managing to get back up.

He’d made it.

“I can’t believe i’m saying this, but thanks, Zuko,” Aang stood in between all of you, being the first to greet him. “Hey, what about me? i did the boomerang thing,” Sokka said, striking a pose. You raised a brow at him, but gave him a pat on the shoulder, which seemed to raise his spirits.

“Listen, i know i didn’t explain myself very well yesterday. I’ve been through a lot in the past three years. It’s been hard. But i’m realizing that i had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought i had lost my honor and that somehow my father was the only one who could return it to me. But i know now that no one can give you your honor. It’s something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what’s right. All i want now is to play my part in ending this war. And i know my destiny is to help you restore balance in the world,” He turned and bowed to Toph. A traditional sign of respect in the Fire Nation. “And i’m sorry for what i did to you. It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild. So as a firebender i need to be more careful and control my bending, so i don’t hurt people unintentionally,”

You clenched your hands at your sides. He didn’t even need his bending to hurt people. And to your horror, Aang seemed to be considering it.

“I think you are supposed to be my fire bending teacher. When i first tried to learn fire bending, i hurt Katara. And after that, i never wanted to fire bend again. (Y/N) helped me overcome my innitial fear. And yet destiny keeps bringing us together. Now that i know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love, i can’t ignore that any longer,” He gifted Zuko with a bow of his own. “I’d like you to teach me,” The prince immitated his gesture. “Thank you. I’m so happy you’ve accepted me into your group,”

“Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it’s ok with them,” He turned back to face you. “Toph, you’re the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?” She sat on a rock next to you, shrugging. “Go ahead and let him join. It’ll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet,” Her motion clearly indicated that she would beat him up later. Thoroughly.

“Sokka?” The boy remained silent for a second, but eventually came around. “Hey, all i want is to defeat the Fire Lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then i’m all for it,” The Avatar smiled upon hearing his answer and nodded, hoping to gain more approval from the rest of you.

“Katara?” She wasn’t thrilled about the idea. She didn’t even bother to hide it. But she agreed for Aang’s sake. “I’ll go along with whatever you think is right,” The prince was ecstatic, a smile spreading on his face. “I won’t let you down, i promise!”

Everyone seemed to agree.

“And (Y/N)?” Aang looked at you with curious eyes, ready to hear your opinion. You could see Zuko breaking a sweat behind him, as you glared at his face. “I’m sorry Aang, but i can’t be a part of the group. Not if he is,” You said, flames coming to life around your fists. “But i do want to stay by your side. So i’ll prove to you that i am the better choice,” Passing the Avatar you walked up to the prince, until his face was only centimeters apart from yours.

“Prince Zuko,” Your tone was sharper than a knife. “I challenge you to an Agni Kai,”

on to part four!

tags: @zvkonation @viva-la-millennia @randomness501 @drheinzd @kaylove12 @duh-dobrik @yeetscreetiwannaeat @ashnkamfeun @hailkyoshi @shortmexicangirl

(if you want to be added/removed from any taglist, please tell me in the comments)

#zuko x reader #zuko imagine #avatar zuko #prince zuko

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thinkingisadangerouspastime · 4 years ago

Text

love

Written for Day 7 of @aangweek! Read here on AO3.

~*~

7. love - don’t got nowhere to go / so we’ll go with the flow / yeah, we’re living the life / sippin’ on sunshine

“I can help clean,” Aang offered as Iroh began clearing their group’s cups and plates from the circular wooden table.

Iroh chuckled, shaking his head. “There’s no need -”

“I insist,” Aang interrupted, standing and collecting his own dishes. “It’s the least I can do to thank you for closing the shop early so we could be together without politicians and paparazzi peering over our shoulders.”

“There’s no use arguing with him,” Toph commented before Iroh could protest further. “Once Twinkle Toes decides to help someone, nothing will change his mind. Accept your fate, Iroh.”

Katara laughed along with the rest of their friends, and Aang gave them a guilty grin.

“Hey, I learned from my wife-to-be,” he teased, pressing a kiss to Katara’s forehead. “Never turn my back on people who need me!”

Katara rolled her eyes at his comment, but she couldn’t stop herself from smiling. Aang and Iroh gathered the last of the group’s dishes before disappearing into the kitchen.

Zuko hummed in contentment, draping an arm around Mai’s shoulders. “I wish we could meet up like this more often. Be together without all the chaos.”

Today had involved an annual meeting of important representatives from all four nations, this year hosted by the Earth King. In other words, Katara knew, it was a very rare opportunity for their friend group to reunite in full. Only after the day’s politics had ended, of course.

Sokka snorted. “I agree, but you’ve gotta admit it’s pretty much impossible for this to be a regular event.”

“Ember Island is always open for an impromptu vacation,” Mai reminded them, earning more laughter from the group.

“I might take you up on that soon,” Suki mused, pulling her hair out of its ponytail and shaking her head. “A vacation is sounding more and more attractive with every second.”

Katara allowed herself a breathy sigh. “Spirits, if I could get Aang to take a vacation…” She snorted. “That would be the day.” Her fiancé was notoriously stubborn about working until he dropped. In fact, there was only one other person whose work ethic could compare.

Mai chuckled. “Zuko is exactly the same. Always working himself into the ground.”

Ah, yes. There it was.

Toph snickered. “Sounds like a match made in the Spirit World. Are you guys sure Zuko and Aang shouldn’t be the ones getting married next month?”

Zuko flushed a shade of scarlet as bright as his fire. “I’m sitting right here, you know.”

Katara bit her tongue to hold back a snicker as Toph grinned at him. “Yes, I’m very aware.” Her grin narrowed into a sly smirk. “You’re sitting right here, and yet you deny nothing.”

Sokka burst out laughing, lightly elbowing Zuko in the ribs. “She’s got you there, hotman.”

Mai snorted at the nickname before giving Katara a play-sympathetic look. “Master Katara, how do you cope with the fact that my husband and yours-to-be are in love with each other?”

Katara sighed, leaning back in her chair and pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. “Oh, it was incredibly difficult for me to come to terms with.” She wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. “After I learned they’d kissed, I thought I’d never -”

“Oh, Agni,” Zuko groaned, burying his face in his hands at the same time Toph exclaimed, “Sparky and Twinkle Toes have kissed?!”

Katara couldn’t feign her melodrama any longer, letting herself succumb to a fit of intense laughter that made her entire upper body shake.

“Yes, they have,” Mai confirmed with a smirk. “It was hilarious, and I will never let Zuko hear the end of it.”

Zuko stared dead into the distance, his empty expression screaming that he’d rather be anywhere but there. “You’re going to tell them the story, aren’t you.”

The melancholic certainty with which he spoke was enough to make Katara snicker once more as she gave Mai a knowing glance, but before the Fire Lady could respond, Sokka spoke.

“Of course they’re going to tell us the story,” he scoffed. “The Avatar and the Fire Lord kissing? That’s the kind of thing you pass on forever to future generations!”

Suki laughed. “You sound way too invested for someone who has also kissed the Avatar,” she teased, smirking at her boyfriend.

Katara raised an eyebrow in amusement. Now that was news to her. “You did what, Sokka?”

Blood rushed to her brother’s face. “Not on the lips!” he squawked, crossing his arms over his chest. “I am just very comfortable in my feminine side around Aang.” He tapped his cheek. “So yes, we have technically kissed, but not like that.”

“To be fair, I’m pretty sure we’ve all been on the receiving end of Aang’s affection in some way or another,” Suki conceded. “That’s just his way of expressing love.”

A smile flitted onto Katara’s lips at her friend’s words. She knew most of all, perhaps, how Aang inclined towards physical affection. He was especially fond of kissing the tip of her nose.

“Really?” Sokka said, bewildered. “What, does he have a ‘thing’ with each one of us?”

Suki shrugged. “I mean, I guess so?” She smirked at their group. “Aang and I have a special, top-secret handshake. That’s our thing.”

Katara laughed. “I remember when Aang was just beginning to figure out the motions he wanted to include in your handshake.” She held her own hands up in joking surrender. “I was never privy to the final product, of course. Only experimental aspects.”

Sokka pouted. “First of all, I am hurt that I was never told this handshake existed. And second” - wounded, he placed a hand over his heart - “how come I don’t have a handshake with him?”

Suki rolled her eyes. “Babe, you said yourself that your thing with Aang is cheek kisses.”

Sokka appeared unconvinced. “Yeah, but I’m not the only one who gets cheek kisses from him.” He jutted his thumb towards his sister. “Katara gets them all the time!”

“Katara is also going to marry him, Snoozles,” Toph said with a snort. “I don’t think it’s totally off-base to consider she might have a few additional privileges compared to the rest of us.”

“Katara might be the one who snagged the Avatar,” Mai drawled, a smirk tugging at the corners of her lips, “but I think it’s safe to assume that everyone in here had a crush on Aang at some point in their life.”

Katara burst out laughing both at Mai’s declaration and the different forms of denial that followed. She’d long since accepted the reality that Aang’s charm meant many people would fall for him. And if anything, it made her feel even luckier that she was the one preparing for a wedding.

Mai appeared to thrive on the chaos she’d incited. The Fire Lady had clearly been spending more - maybe too much - time with Aang. “I don’t know why you’re all so up in arms about this,” she commented, studying her nails. “When I saw him dressed up for Zuko and I’s wedding, I wondered if I was marrying the right man after all.”

Zuko choked at her words, and Mai laughed as she patted him on the back. “Kidding. But I did think Aang was the best-looking man at the reception.”

Everyone’s gaze turned to Zuko, who sighed, shoulders slumping. “No, I agree with her.” He flushed, his eyes dropping to the table. “Aang was definitely the most attractive person there.”

Katara remembered that outfit of her fiancé’s fondly. Saffron robes that danced the line between classy and casual, as fitting for an Air Nomad Avatar. And perhaps she recalled the attire begrudgingly, too, as it had attracted both wanted and unwanted attention towards her then-boyfriend at the reception.

“I’ll admit my heart fluttered the first time Aang returned to Kyoshi Island after the war,” Suki mused. “I hadn’t expected him to get so tall.”

Sokka gave his girlfriend an affronted look. “Wait a minute. Wasn’t I there -”

Suki silenced him with a finger over his lips. “Sokka. We both spent that weekend discussing how hot Aang had gotten. Don’t deny it.”

Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother. “You were planning to make some moves on Aang?”

Sokka’s face reddened. “You know what?” he finally said. “Maybe in another life. I’ll leave it at that.”

“You’ve been awfully quiet, Toph,” Mai commented, giving the earthbender a small smirk. “When did you realize you had a crush on ‘Twinkle Toes’?”

Toph crossed her arms over her chest, which Katara noted with amusement did nothing to hide the rosy blush coloring her friend’s cheeks. “Never. Because unlike all of you, I’m blind and therefore cannot be affected by Aang’s so-called ‘good looks.’”

“Aw, but Aang is so much more than his looks,” Katara teased, unable to remain out of the chaos Mai had incited any longer. “What got you, Toph? His voice? His jokes? His incessant kindness towards anyone and anything?”

Toph opened her mouth before slamming it shut. “Fine,” she grumbled. “I’ll tell you. On one condition.” She pointed at Zuko. “I still want to know how Sparky and Aang locked lips.”

Mai snickered at her husband’s misfortune, and Katara herself couldn’t help but laugh as Zuko muttered a variety of curses under his breath.

“An easy deal,” Katara agreed. “Now tell us - what got you?”

Toph exhaled a resigned sigh. “His voice,” she grumbled, and the table burst into another round of laughter and cheers. Really, they were lucky that Iroh or even Aang himself hadn’t returned to investigate all the noise.

“Honestly, no one can blame you there,” Sokka remarked, shaking his head. “Who could have predicted Aang would grow up the way he did?”

Katara raised an eyebrow at her brother, though she doubted the expression was as intimidating as she intended it to be. “Really?”

“Okay, well, except for you -”

“Enough chatter!” Toph interrupted, slamming a fist on the table. A smirk pulled at her lips. “Sparky? Storytime?”

Zuko groaned. “Remember how I said I wished we could all meet up more often?” He shook his head. “I take it back.”

Suki laughed. “Stop whining and get on with the story, Zuko.”

“Or else I’ll tell it for you,” Mai added, slipping her hand into her husband’s. Katara couldn’t deny the story would be funnier if Mai told it, as she’d already heard it a dozen times from her friend.

Zuko sighed. “It’s not even an exciting story.” He rolled his eyes. “I was going over some paperwork with Aang and Mai. At one point, Aang was called away for - for Avatar business, or something.” He huffed. “Aang went to give me a ‘goodbye kiss’” - Zuko pointed to his forehead - “because that’s his ‘thing’ with me, I guess. But I didn’t realize what he was doing, so I looked up to ask him a question, and we -”

“- and you accidentally kissed?” Sokka finished flatly. “Aw, man! That is boring.” He shook his head in disappointment. “Such a letdown.”

“What Zuko conveniently forgets to mention every time he tells this story,” Mai said, amused, “is that he leaned into the kiss.”

Toph burst out laughing as Zuko adamantly protested that no, he had not, no matter what his wife said. “So,” the earthbender said amidst her snickers, “what I’m hearing is that Zuko never really got over his crush on Aang?”

“No, he did not,” Mai mused. “But it’s not like I can hold that against him. Having a crush on Aang is perfectly understandable.”

“If it’s any consolation, Zuko,” Katara said, resting her elbows on the table and placing her chin atop her hands as she gave the firebender a devilish grin, “Aang thinks you’re a pretty good kisser.”

Her comment set their group off for the umpteenth time, and Katara snickered at the rollercoaster of emotions roaring over Zuko’s face. There was nothing better than sparking a little chaos every now and then, was there?

Huh. Aang had rubbed off on her, too. She supposed being engaged to him would do that.

“Uh… I feel like I missed something here?”

Katara bit the inside of her cheek to contain her laughter as Aang dropped into his seat beside her. “Oh, no. You didn’t miss anything.”

Aang stared with a mixture of amusement and bewilderment at their friends, who were yet to collect themselves. “Are you sure? What did you guys talk about without me?”

Katara hummed noncommittally, shrugging. “Nothing special.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. “Just how much we love you.”

~*~

more of aang being adored by his friends in fanworks 2k21, please and thank you. i hope you enjoyed my collection of ficlets for the week, and as always - thank you for reading!

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somethingwritey · 4 years ago

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commission: “kids in love” - a zukka fic

hi all! i was commissioned to write a zuko/sokka fic by @kurisu-80. it features a 5+1 style, some hurt/comfort, and lots of zuko pining. we brainstormed the premise of the fic before i began, and it’s here just in time for valentine’s day!

💖 commission me! visit this post for more commission details!

---

Zuko didn’t know how to feel.

The hardest part was over, presumably, and yet the brand new emotion coursing through his body - no doubt unlocked by the Avatar’s reluctant trust - unsettled him. He wanted a name for it.

After thinking it over, he settled on relief.

For so long, he’d been consumed by nothing but white-hot anger - and beneath that, searing pain - that relief was hard to recognize. It wasn’t hot. Instead, it ran down his back and legs and arms like water. But… he had to admit, he rather liked it.

“Unpack,” came a voice behind him. Zuko jumped a little; he’d almost forgotten that Sokka was still there in the doorway. “Lunch soon. Uh… welcome aboard?”

Welcome.

Zuko hadn’t felt welcome in a long time.

He looked up at Sokka to thank him, but paused - suddenly struck by his eyes.

Blue. Water. Cool. Healing. Wonderful.

Zuko suddenly felt the need to study Sokka’s eyes forever, to never tear his gaze away. Sokka let him for a moment, like he understood Zuko’s need. And then the moment passed, with Sokka shaking off whatever had come over him and exiting the room.

Zuko didn’t move, though, staring after him for a while longer. A new heat had begun somewhere in his body, but it wasn’t anger. It was… contained. Almost hungry. He wished he knew what it meant.

Two new emotions in one day had to be some kind of record.

///

Sokka looked… younger when he slept, somehow. Like one of the tired kids they all were instead of a general orchestrating a covert rescue mission into the depths of the Fire Nation’s most heavily guarded prison.

Zuko watched him for a few moments before training his eyes back on the landscape around them.

Don’t be creepy, he scolded himself. Sokka wasn’t his to look at like that.

Instead, he thought back to what Sokka had said before they left.

“I have to regain my honor.”

Zuko shivered a little at the memory, so similar to his own favored mantra and yet, somehow so different. Zuko’s had been selfish. He’d wanted to save himself; Sokka just wanted to save his father. And Zuko was fairly certain Sokka wouldn’t mind staying behind in the prison forever if it meant ensuring his father’s freedom.

The Water Tribe boy didn’t need to regain any honor; he had more in every bone of his body than Zuko ever would.

Maybe that’s why Zuko was so drawn to him.

///

Oddly enough, the version of Sokka dominating Zuko’s mind that night wasn’t the one splayed out with a rose in his mouth.

Although he was thinking about it. Maybe a little too much.

But the Sokka that he’d been shown after had wrapped a hand around his heart and squeezed until Zuko thought it might burst.

Vulnerability. Sokka had shown him vulnerability.

He thought about the way Sokka’s voice changed when he talked about his mother’s murder. Beneath the jokes and the sarcasm, Sokka was quietly patching over the part of himself that he’d lost - same as Zuko.

Zuko wished suddenly that he’d told him about losing his mother, too. Maybe the other boy would’ve confided in him further. Maybe it would’ve been Zuko that Sokka would set up candles for by moonlight and looked forward to -

Stop!

That feeling was back. Zuko shook his head and limbs, trying to scare it away. He had to stop this obsession. It was eating away at him, leaving him exposed.

After the war is over, this will end, he told himself. You’re just bored. Nervous. It won’t be like this forever.

By the end of the night, watching Suki sneak away from Sokka’s tent in the early morning light, he’d almost convinced himself that was true.

///

Fire Lord Zuko.

The title still sounded so foreign and unwieldy. Like it didn’t quite belong to him.

“Congratulations, Your Zukoness,” came a voice.

Zuko turned around, raising an eyebrow. “Sokka, how did you get in here? I thought -”

“Eh, Toph is distracting the guards.” Sokka shook his head. “You really should get some better security, I mean. A couple of rocks and -”

“Sokka!”

Sokka smiled, resting his weight on the crutch he was using. Zuko was instinctively aware of the bandages wrapped around his own torso beneath the heavy new robes.

They all bore scars of the recent battle; peace had come at a cost.

“I came to wish you luck in person,” Sokka continued, less joking and more genuine now. “You’ve come a long way.”

“Aren’t you coming to have some tea with Uncle tonight?” Zuko furrowed his brow. Was Sokka leaving? Was this goodbye?

“Yeah, yeah.” Sokka waved his hand. “But everyone is gonna be there. I wanted to tell you in private, I guess.”

In private.

Zuko hoped his cheeks didn’t look as hot as they felt. Even after Sokka left to join his father and Katara outside at the reception, he found himself smiling… just a little.

Sokka had that effect on people.

///

Time was a finicky thing, Zuko was realizing.

One moment, they were children, and the next, they… weren’t. Or maybe they’d never been children at all, too burdened with adult worries and fears their whole lives. Most of them had lost people at a young age, forced to grow up far too quickly.

Aang had lost his entire culture.

Zuko had lost his mother.

Katara and Sokka had lost their mother, too. And now their father.

Chief Hakoda had passed peacefully in his sleep, Zuko had been told. Even after the tenuous usurpation attempt by Gilak, Hakoda’s time at the helm of the Southern Water Tribe could hardly be called blemished. His strength and rationality had brought them to new levels of international recognition and power.

He had been one of the most influential chiefs in Water Tribe history.

Zuko hadn’t been able to make it to Hakoda’s memorial - unable to get out of several Fire Nation industrialization meetings - but he had managed to make it to the South to see Sokka become the next Chief.

“You made it,” Sokka said after the short ceremony. “I wasn’t sure you would.” His voice was heavy - lacking its usual bravado.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Zuko laid a hand on Sokka’s shoulder, walking with him across the frozen landscape - away from everyone else. “I’m so sorry about your father.”

Sokka’s eyes turned glassy, and he looked away - unable to speak.

“He was a good man,” Zuko continued. “And he would be proud of you. I know it.”

Without warning, Sokka threw his arms around Zuko, burying his head in his shoulder. Surprised, Zuko stayed frozen, wishing he could do more to comfort the strongest man he knew.

“You’re going to make a great chief,” he said quietly.

When Sokka lifted his head, his face was inches away from Zuko’s - closer than the two of them had been in a long time. Zuko almost leaned forward, almost cut through the last bit of space between them, but before he could, Sokka was moving away.

“Thanks, Zuko.” He straightened his furs. “I should get back to Katara and our people now. You’re welcome to stay the night.”

And then he was gone.

////

Zuko hadn’t stopped pacing all morning.

He’d sent the letter after an agonizing few days of rewriting, second-guessing and re-thinking.

But he’d finally done it. Finally watched the messenger hawk lift into the sky. And now, all that was left to do was wait.

“Fire Lord Zuko?” a guard said, at last, bowing low as he entered the room. “The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe is here to see you.”

Zuko took a deep breath, straightening his topknot. “Send him in.”

Sokka burst through the doors, trailed by a couple Water Tribesmen. “I got your message,” he called before he’d even reached Zuko’s side of the room. “What’s the big emergency? Where’s the threat?”

Sokka looked strong - a powerful and more confident version of himself. Being the leader of the Southern Water Tribe had been good for him.

Zuko glanced at the entourage Sokka had brought and winced. He needed to speak with him privately.

“Give me a moment alone with your Chief,” he said to the others. Glancing at his own attendants, he waved for them to be dismissed, too. He wanted the throne room to be perfectly and totally empty.

“What’s this about?” Sokka looked around, seemingly unnerved. “What’s wrong?”

“I wanted…” Zuko cleared his throat. “I want to talk to you. About a partnership between the Southern Water Tribe and the Fire Nation.”

Sokka raised an eyebrow. “What kind of a partnership?”

Zuko swallowed hard. “The kind where their Chief and Fire Lord are… together.”

“Okay, okay.” The true meaning of Zuko’s words clearly hadn’t registered with Sokka, who began to tap his chin. “We team up, you’re saying? Form a political alliance? Hold on, hold on - don’t we already kind of have one? Isn’t that what my Dad was trying to -” And then he broke off, eyes narrowing. “Wait, together? Like… as a couple?”

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, when you say it like that -”

“I didn’t say it! You did!”

Sensing Sokka’s imminent rejection, Zuko tried to save the situation. “I didn’t - look, it’s not like that, I just meant -”

“You made this whole emergency up, didn’t you?” Sokka shook his head. “Just to get me here! That’s -”

Zuko cringed, waiting.

“Kinda genius,” Sokka finished, nodding. “Somewhat evil. But genius.”

“I’ve liked you for a long time,” Zuko sighed. “I think. It’s confusing. But I just couldn’t wait any longer to tell you. I had -” His eyes widened for a moment as Sokka’s lips landed on his before they fluttered shut.

When they broke apart, Sokka seemed surprised at his own actions. “Is randomly kissing the Fire Lord grounds for arrest here?”

The idea made Zuko laugh. “Not if the Fire Lord wanted it to happen.”

Sokka grinned, and then paused. “You - you did want it to happen, right?”

“Yeah.” Zuko leaned forward to kiss him again. “For longer than you could possibly imagine.”

Finally, Zuko thought, letting himself get caught up in the moment. He understood what that feeling was now, the one he’d been so confused about that day at the temple and every day after that.

Love.

He loved Sokka, so full of honor and eyes bluer than water.

And he probably always would.

----

💖 keep an eye out for more commission pieces coming soon!

💖 message me about writing for you! send a private message or find me on twitter @/catrameows!

#zukka #zuko x sokka #zuko #sokka #atla #zukka angst #fire lord zuko #zukka fic #writing commissions #my writing #commission me #avatar the last airbender #angst with a happy ending #valentines day #mlm #writeres on tumblr

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112aang · 4 years ago

Text

Kataang Week 2021: Day 6- Family

Hey, everyone! I can’t believe Kataang Week is almost over. Anyway, here is day 6, Family.

Words: 1,335

You can find my ff.net account here, where the entirety of my Kataang Week submissions will be, as well as my other stories.

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

As Aang watched them from his place on Appa’s neck, he couldn’t help but smile thankfully.

He and Katara had been married for almost 13 years and had three beautiful children. The eldest, Bumi, was a nonbender and had just turned twelve. The second, Kya, was a waterbender like her mother, with blue eyes to match. Their youngest son, and only airbending child was Tenzin.

Kya had just celebrated her seventh birthday and had requested to take a family trip to Kyoshi Island, where her Uncle Sokka and Aunt Suki lived. Katara had been slightly nervous for a family trip, especially that far from Republic City, mainly because Tenzin had only just turned three. But with some gentle nudges from Aang, she eventually gave in to her daughter’s request.

The family of five had been in the air for less than a day, and Kya’s energy had not gone down one bit. The young waterbender was the most spirited out of the Avatar’s children, even surpassing her older brother at times. She had discovered her bending abilities at the young age of three, and she was a complete natural.

Her mother had been working with her on simple forms and moves, but her father had been sneaking in some of his own teachings when Katara wasn’t looking. Kya loved learning from her mother, but often went to Aang when she just wanted to have fun with her bending.

Tenzin had only just demonstrated his bending abilities two weeks prior to their trip, when he accidentally sneezed and flew ten feet in the air. Aang and Katara were elated, and they were both glad to finally have the world leaders off their backs.

Bumi had been learning different nonbending fighting styles from both Sokka and Suki, as well as Ty Lee from time to time. He had placed a large responsibility on himself to be the best fighter he could be, without being a bender. But despite how he felt about himself, his parents couldn’t have been prouder of him, and loved him no matter what.

Aang and Katara had talked about having more children, but after a heartbreaking miscarriage a year and a half ago, they had decided that three was enough. After all, they loved their children, and were content with their family as it was. Despite the pressure from the world leaders, Aang had no desire to keep popping out babies just to rebuild an entire nation- even if it was his civilization that needed restoration. He and Katara had children together because they wanted to, and for no other reason; Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin were their cloudbabies, and they wouldn’t have traded them for the world.

Aang felt a light tap on his shoulder and turned his head, seeing Tenzin at the edge of the saddle behind him. He had the biggest lopsided smile on his face, just like his father.

“Hey, buddy,” Aang said, returning his son’s smile. “Do you want to sit with me up here?”

The young airbender nodded enthusiastically and his father helped him step over the edge of the saddle. Aang spread his legs and sat his son comfortably between them, letting him hold the reigns.

Tenzin giggled and Aang raised a brow, “what are you laughing about, mister?”

His son turned his head slightly to look at him, before shrugging his small shoulders and facing the sky once again.

“Nothing, daddy.”

Aang smiled deviously and bent his neck down so that his face was right by Tenzin’s ear. He slowly snaked his hands around to his son’s tummy and held them still.

“Mhm…” he said, lowly. “We’ll see about that!”

He started tickling Tenzin lightly and the young airbender couldn’t keep from laughing boisterously. He wiggled and squirmed in Aang’s grip, but his father held him tight.

“Daddy… Please… Stop…” he managed to get out, between laughs.

Aang laughed along with him as he slowed down his ministrations. Tenzin was breathing hard from laughter and his father smiled.

From the saddle behind them, he heard his daughter crawl to the front and tap his shoulder.

“Daddy?” He turned his head to look at her, “are we getting close to Kyoshi Island?”

Aang looked back in front of them and shook his head lightly before turning to face his daughter again.

“Nope, we still have another day’s worth of flying. What’s up?”

Kya sighed dramatically and leaned over the side of the saddle, much like her Aunt Toph had done when she was a kid.

“I didn’t know it was going to take this long. I’m getting bored.”

Aang raised a brow at the young girl, “bored, huh?” She nodded.

He shifted his gaze behind Kya and his eyes met Katara’s, both parents smiling cleverly at one another.

“Kya, you won’t be bored for very much longer,” her mother said from behind her, trying to hold back a laugh.

Bumi, who was laying in the saddle sharpening his boomerang sat up and gave his own small chuckle. He looked at his sister, who had turned back around and was facing him with her arms crossed, and shook his head with a grin.

Kya raised an eyebrow curiously at her brother, but before she could ask what was happening, Appa began to fly towards the ground at a fast pace.

Aang had seen a small spot of land on the horizon and decided that his daughter needed be less “bored,” so he steered his bison in the direction of the land. From in between his legs, Tenzin was holding tight onto the reigns, unable to hold back his giggling as they flew though the air.

Kya screamed and Bumi laughed, knowing what was going on. Katara caught her daughter’s gaze and shook her head lightly, smiling and giggling herself while holding onto Momo.

After finally making it to the small spot of land, Appa landed with a grunt and Kya was shaking, still scared from the immediate change of course. Katara stood in the saddle and walked over to her, passing Momo off in the process. Her daughter rolled her eyes slightly and smiled, taking the lemur from her mother.

Bumi slid down Appa’s tail, Kya following suit. Katara carefully jumped off the side, watching as Aang held Tenzin and airbended them off safely and set him on the ground.

“So,” Aang started, walking over to his daughter. “Are you ‘bored’ now?”

She rolled her eyes, but quickly giggled. She couldn’t hold a straight face, especially when her father was being silly.

“No, not anymore,” she said with a smile.

Bumi walked towards the water and turned to face his father, “can we go for a swim before we start flying again?”

Aang and Katara shared a look and smiled before he responded, “I don’t see why not.”

Their eldest son pulled his top robes off until only his trousers remained, and he helped Tenzin to the same before leading his brother to the water.

“Be careful,” Katara called. “And keep an eye on Tenzin!”

Bumi waved a hand at his mother and kept walking.

Kya let go of Momo and he flew back into Appa’s saddle with a few noises. Aang had already gotten his own top robes off and made it into the water himself, leaving his wife and daughter on the sand.

“Are you going to go swimming too, Kya?”

The young waterbender looked up at her mother and smiled, “yeah, but can you practice waterbending with me?”

Katara returned her smile and kneeled to her height, placing her hand on her daughter’s back.

“Of course, honey.”

The two of them took off their robes, leaving only their bindings and walked, hand in hand to where the boys were already playing. Katara stood back and watched as Kya made her way into the water before getting scooped up by Aang.

She smiled adoringly, relishing in this time she had with her family, thankful that she had agreed to her daughter’s request for a trip together.

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

Only one more day!

#kataang fanfic #kataang week #aang and katara #cloudbabies #kya bumi and tenzin #kataang kids #avatar aang #fanfiction

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time-to-cause-chaos · 4 years ago

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i protect you from myself

Zuko is Sokka's enemy, but he still knows he'd never hurt him. He'd never want to anyway.

(For @zukkaweek day 2, Soulmates)

AO3 link WC:1,532

Zuko wasn’t trying to actually hurt anyone. The kicks and punches of fire were all set to just graze them and surprise them enough to leave an opening for an attack. The water tribe girl had improved a lot in her waterbending since they had last seen each other, she was holding her own against 3 of his people pretty easily.

Zuko looked around and realized the avatar was gone. He groaned, this area was surrounded by woods and they could be anywhere by now.

Running into the thick exfoliation, he chops at the vines and leaves in his path.

The kid’s an airbender, he probably just flew over all of this. That also meant there would probably be no broken branches or misplaced plants to show where he went, how fun.

Zuko stumbles into a clearing and spins around, hearing a snap in the bushes. Pulling out a sword he glances at the rustling plants and stalks forward.

He’d underestimated the avatar before but he wouldn’t do it again. Kid or not, he was the chosen one and Zuko needed to take him in, then all the killing could stop and everything could become normal again.

He’d go home and would be welcomed into the palace gates with open arms and cheers from the crowd, he’d be respected. He’d gain his honor again as prince of the Fire Nation.

Zuko was surprised as a blue shadow jumped out of the bushes at him, wielding a thick tree branch and swinging it at his head.

Jumping back he sticks his sword up and the tree branch, however thick it was, is sliced clean through.

The shadow isn’t the avatar. It’s his other Water Tribe friend, the waterbender’s brother. But that didn’t matter, the only thing that mattered was that he could tell Zuko where the child is.

Zuko easily apprehends him and takes his wrists in a tight grip, holding them behind his back. Growling, he asks, “Where is the avatar?”

For some reason, his grip keeps slacking and Zuko’s struggling to get a proper hold of them. It felt like they were dipped in oil, but the boy’s wrists had cloth hand wraps on them.

The boy-Sokka, his brain prompts, pulling it up from overheard conversations- slips out of Zuko’s grip and manages to take his sword, using Zuko’s surprise to his advantage.

Sokka holds the blade to his chest and Zuko raises his hands.

“Why do you want to get Aang so bad?”

Zuko snarled and jumped, kicking at Sokka’s chest and sending the blade spinning. The weird thing was that the kick barely landed.

Pursing his lips, Zuko punched at his head this time. Same effect. The hits were landing but there was nothing else happening.

It clicked too late.

The look on Sokka’s face shows he already figured it out too.

It wasn’t that Zuko didn’t believe in soulmates, he’d just never thought about what he’d do if he had one. The topic seemed foreign to him, he’d never actually know anyone who found their soulmate and with the little he’d heard about it, a myth seemed like a good explanation for them.

Zuko knew they were real, soulmates had always been a topic he’d push to the back of his head though.

There were at least 3 ways you could physically know who your soulmate is, not being able to harm them was probably the most common one. You could never hurt them.

Zuko gulped but Sokka didn’t look appalled, just surprised. That was weird, they were on opposite sides.

With wide eyes the blue-eyed boy takes one of Zuko’s wrist between his fingers, holding it with a feathery and calloused touch.

Zuko’s too shocked at what’s going on to stop him.

The admittedly gentle hold could be interpreted as hostile if you wanted, the boy could easily bend his arm back and flip him.

...but at the same time, the touch was pleasant and cool. It was his soulmate that was touching him. His soulmate who was on the opposite side of the war. It was the water tribe boy the whole time.

Zuko’s first thought was something along the lines of, ‘Wow”, because he hadn’t realized it before but Sokka’s eyes, they captured his own and held them, staring with wonder and curiosity and other things Zuko for the life of him couldn’t place. The sharp blue was piercing into him and he had never felt so open to anyone before, like his life was on display for anyone who walked by to see.

Zuko realizes his head is spinning. The only thing he can see is Sokka right now.

Sokka shakes his wrist and Zuko realizes he asked him something.

“Why are you doing this?”, the other boy’s voice is soft now, much softer than before. Unbearably calm and smooth.

With a gulp, Zuko takes in the question and with a raspy voice asks, “Doing what?”

A small frown forms between Sokka’s eyebrows, “Everything, hurting people, trying to get Aang”, Zuko considers it, “He never did anything to you, what’ll you get from capturing him?”

If it was anyone else, Zuko would’ve already attacked them, but he’s frustrated. It’s his soulmate, it’s destiny, right?

“I can go back home if I do”, and it’s true, that’s why he wants the avatar; to go home, to not be constantly moving and searching for the avatar’s whereabouts, and to go back to the Fire Nation where everyone will be proud of him, “To get my honor back”

Zuko’s chest is floating and he feels like he’s in a dream.

“Why don’t you have honor?”, Sokka asks. The question makes him falter.

“I talked back, I was disrespectful”

“That’s stupid, I’ve mouthed off before too” the fingers around his wrist tighten, “I knew it was a mistake and I apologized”

Sokka spoke again, “That’s something you get extra chores for, not banishment”

No, that’s where he was wrong. He had to be. Zuko wanted to throw up as dots clicked together in his head, showing a bigger picture.

Zuko doesn’t know how to answer so Sokka asks another question, whispering in a hushed and soft voice this time, “Do you want to be doing this?”

Want.

Zuko doesn’t know.

“Whenever you decide, our group is open for you to join. You can’t let other people decide what you want, that’s all your choice”

“Ok”

“I promised them both I’d get back to them soon and it would be a huge help if you could stop attacking us” Sokka grimaces a smile.

“You’re going?”

Sokka looks conflicted, “Come with me, you can help us and we can help you”

As tempting as it is, Zuko doesn’t think he can.

“I won’t hurt you”, the words seem right, but Zuko doesn’t know where they came from, they weren’t relevant at all. It was true though, Zuko couldn’t hurt him, he wouldn’t and he knows that.

Sokka rests his other hand on his cheek and Zuko tenses at the touch. It was so gentle, he doesn’t remember the last time he’d felt like this.

“I know you won’t”

Zuko nods, “I’ll see you when I see you then” than as an afterthought, “Bye”

Sokka’s breath tickles his cheek as he pulls Zuko into a hug. His first instinct is to pull away but he melts into the touch after a second. Sokka’s shorter than him by an inch but his arms wrap around Zuko’s neck pulling him in, they cling to him and Sokka warmth presses against him like a wave of euphoria. His arms wrap around Sokka hesitantly and the hug gets even tighter.

Brilliant blue eyes are imprinted into his eyes long after they both part ways.

Pulling at the long sleeves of the red robe, Zuko looks at Sokka to find him snickering.

He’d insisted he could get the large wraps of cloth around him by himself and Sokka had watched him from the bed, laughing the entire time.

“They shouldn't make these so complicated” Zuko huffs.

“It’s your coronation, Zuzu” Sokka doesn’t hide his laughs, “They want you to remember it, and I’m sure this is definitely going to be very memorable”

Zuko rolls his eyes and Sokka gets up, ignoring another round of Zuko’s protests insisting he can do it himself, and grabs a length of the thick fabric, wrapping it around Zuko’s torso over his robe.

Zuko pokes him and Sokka falls to the floor in his dramatics, “You’ve wounded me” he moans, rolling.

Zuko drops next to him, getting even more tangled up in his coronation robe, “I thought I can’t hurt you,’ he laughs.

Sokka looks out from under his arms. “But you did” he whines.

Zuko responds with another laugh, “We should probably get going”

Sokka moves onto his side so that they’re both face to face and kisses him gently.

“You’re going to be a great Fire Lord”

“What if I mess up?”

“You will, but I’ll help you fix it, we all will. Even Toph, probably.”

Resting their foreheads together Zuko stares into Sokka’s eyes again. They’re clear and bright and blue, Zuko loves them.

Zuko loves him.

#zukka week 2021 #zukka #moira writes #my fics #sokka #zuko #atla #atla fanfic #avatar #avatar fanfiction #ao3 #soulmate au #soulmates #sokka/zuko #zukka week #zukka fanfiction

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katsukikitten · 5 years ago

Text

Lol here have this I have no idea what I'm doing with this. Hope yall can't tell.

You clenched your teeth, watching as the Avatar waltz through to the sitting room on his own accord. No servant attendant as he stared Zuko down.

The Avatar looked...different from what you remembered or what had been described to you. He had filled out some, broad muscles swept in golden colors with a heavily beaded wooden necklace with the air symbol carved into it. As if the world needed a reminder that he was the last air bender. You fight to roll your eyes as the roam over his bald head, blue tattoo vibrant in the cast of the afternoon son while his beard was as dark as rich upturned Earth.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of having the honored Avatar as my guest?" Zuko's voice comes out gruff, golden eyes narrowed onto the bald man.

The Avatar returns the glare, his brown eyes reminding you of frozen Earth in the darkest winter.

The tension between the two is tangiable enough that you can taste it. The fresh breeze being summoned and the wood starting to char beneath Zuko's feet. The Firelord begins to shift his weight for an offensive attack putting you on edge.

The Avatar mirrors the action and both set off a powerful blast of Fire and Air. Just as you're about to move to counter attack the two men burst into a fit of laughter.

"It's been too long, Zuko!" They step into a tight hug separating in time for tea.

"Way too long Aang." Zuko sits on one of the many cushions that lie around the room, broad hand gesturing for the Avatar to follow suit. The young servant sets the tea on the low table between them, Zuko observes the set up with a harsh glare.

"Why are there only three cups?" A tone above a bite causing your stomach to twist. Your teeth sink into your tongue to keep your temper in check, agitated that the man never seems satisfied.

"Uh, your Highness forgive me. I am still new and I assumed you'd serve yourself and your two guests." Her voice trembles as she presses her forehead to the ground, hard enough you were sure the wooden grains would dimple her forehead. On the verge of snapping you step towards the tea more than ready to douse his arrogant flames. Nostrils flaring as you watch him berate her but then your heart catches in your chest when you hear him speak.

"Daiyu..." His voice is soft as he touches her forearm, "You must always remember your own cup, tea was made to be enjoyed in company."

The girl looks up, bewildered.

"Y...your fierceness I…" She clutches at the green silk ribbon that adorns her wrist. Crackling and smoothing the fabric as she tries to refute without really refusing. It's obvious she's a fresh servant from the Earth kingdom. You had noticed that majority of Zuko's helping hands were a modge podge of former refugees from all across the lands.

"It is fine. You may have my cup." He pours her tea first, earning a blush as he presents it to her.

And with a smile no less.

Your heart summersolts in your chest, thumping with questions and anger, all unnoticed to the small party.

It is true you had observed the Firelord over the last six months, most of it arguments and fights between the two of you. You thought you had him pegged as a bitter Prince with daddy issues and an absentee mother.

But you were starting to question if you had observed closely enough. When she does not take the tea his molten eyes flash an emotion you've never see before.

"You may take it with you back to the kitchen if you think it is against etiquette." He leaves the nature of their relationship unspoken and finally she bows deeply before reaching for the tea.

"Thank you Firelord Zuko." She bows again with tea in hand before exiting the room, softly shutting the sliding door behind her.

Aang chuckles as deft hands pour the other two cups. The Avatar holds onto his tea with a smile, looking after where the young woman stood.

"They still aren't used to a kind Firelord are they?" He takes a small sip as Zuko offers you your tea. You glare at the light green liquid, staring down your own reflection before he half growls in frustration.

"At least sit." He gestures to a pillow beside him to which you plop down on ungracefully after a moment or two. Brown eyes watch you with undying curiosity while golden ones bore holes into your skin.

"I want them to feel more like employees than servants." He address Aang's previous question, "How is Katara?"

A dip in his tone that has your brows furrowed as Aang's voice carries throughout the room.

"Happy and busy as ever especially with two kids." He smiles hard enough he is forced to close his eyes, "And you and Mai?"

A small silence before Zuko chooses to speak the truth.

"We...have chosen separate paths."

"Ah I'm…." A heated hand stops the avatar from speaking. It is clear that Zuko does not want his old friend's pity but it is left unspoken. Instead he shifts their focus back on Aang.

"What of Sokka and Suki? And my best friend Toph?" The scowl is quickly replaced with a gentle smile that spreads across his lips, leaving you bewildered. You had figured he was all angst and rigid but you figured even coins had two sides.

"They are well. We should camp. For old times sake."

"Maybe I'll chase you around for an hour or two." They share another hearty laugh before a flip is switched and Zuko returns to all of adjectives you're familiar with.

Stern.

Serious.

Calculating.

Not...not smiles

And surely not kindness.

A grin washes over your features as you realize his softness can last only so long, you bring the green tea to your lips. Refreshing satisfaction washes over your tongue.

"What really brings you here Aang?" His stature no longer vulnerable, his spine straight and those broad shoulders snapped back. Aang sighs, having wanted more of his friend than his ally today.

"It is your sister. Azula." The tea cup in your hand threatens to snap from that name alone. Rage seeps into every fiber of your being, into your bones as you grit your teeth to keep from speaking.

You needed to hear what was next.

"She's finally been spotted." Steam escapes Zuko's nose for a long moment. When he opens his eyes again it is as if the brewing storm calmed. Head level and clear as he speaks.

"It's time she came home."

But you see the fresh steam billowing from the spout of the tea pot. A defiant smile forms on your lips as you watch the hairline crack in the ceramic form before your eyes.

It's time you tested how well he could keep his temper under control with a guest.

"Bring her home?" You ask, golden eyes snap to you. Your infernal voice one of the few things left on his Earth that got under his skin.

"Surly you don't mean here." You set your tea down, heat radiates from his toned body all the way through his thick robes dancing along your exposed skin. A shiver runs down your spine from the hint of a fight.

"I think you mean a rehabilitation center. If you missed being called Zuzu so much. I would be more than happy to oblige." A purr leaves your plump lips as his eyebrow tics in tandem with his sharp jawline.

Aang is left to watch the scene unfold with inquisitive eyes, not yet having the pleasure of meeting your acquaintance.

"Uh Zuko who is this exactly?" You glare at the Avatar as the Firelord's heat slowly dies down.

"My name is too difficult for your tongue. I hail from a much different land." You roll your eyes as you sink into the silky pillow. Another glare sent your way as his eyes seem to scream murder.

"My uncle called her Lost Dragon. She answers to that or Jasmine. He tried to name her after his favorite tea." Amber pools soften at the the thought until he remembers who it's about, "Mostly I say you."

"In that irritated tone too?" Aang chuckles and Zuko nods.

"Well I must confess. This is very much…..you." He looks you over before holding eye contact with Zuko, "You may have found your FireLady."

You snap up from your lying position ready to throw daggers his way but the tea pot explodes instead. Aang guides the boiling tea into his empty cup laughing as he's clearly struck a nerve.

"I would never." His voice dips so low and so dark it almost stops Aang from relishing in his now rare moment of igniting Zuko's ire.

The tone does not sit well with you causing you to send an icy glare his way.

"Whatever you say hotman." Fire erupts from Zuko's shoulders.

"Don't call me that!" An infectious laugh rings out before Aang retorts.

"Whatever you say hotman." He covers his mouth before he takes another sip of tea, "In all seriousness those sightings of your sister are rumors for now. But I wanted to tell you in person first."

Aang sets down his cup and stands, looking Zuko in his eyes. He offers a smile that the firelord returns.

"Another day?" Aang asks.

"Hopefully sooner rather than later. And for pleasure instead for business."

They bow to one another fist in hand before the Avatar slips out of the door.

Zuko turns to you stepping almost too quickly as he breathes life into a powerful blast that you dismiss with your own fire.

You both stare one another down for countless minutes before Daiyu slides open the door The hairs on the nape of her neck stand straight up as she feels the exuding power seeping from the two bodies in the room. She is not quick enough to slide it back shut like she wishes. Neither breaks eye contact even as she struggles to get her message out.

"F..Firelord Zuko, your bath is ready." Another moment passes before he sighs heavily. Steam filling the room until neither can see the other.

"Thank you Daiyu. I shall retire for now." A threat lingers in his voice as you hear him exit the room.

You grit your teeth as your body carries you back out to the large tree in the garden where you've been sleeping. Refusing to sleep in the house of your enemy. You slam your knife into the bark of the tree above your head before you adjust your weight in the branch. Wondering why in the hell the man you respected so much, the man who understood the pain you went through, who apologized for his actions, sent you to watch over some arrogant over grown brat.

"Destiny is a funny thing." His voice echos in your head as you drift to sleep dreaming of the deep golden color of oolong tea.

#avatar the last airbender #zuko x reader #fire lord zuko #zuko imagine #atla au #zuko fanfic #firelord! zuko #zuko x you #zuko atla

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markedmage · 5 years ago

Text

Ten Truths

Title: Ten Truths

Pairing: Zuko/Katara, Minor Sokka/Suki

Summary: Something pushes at the edges of Zuko’s consciousness. He remembers all those moments with Katara, the moments of shared silence where she waited, patiently, until he was ready to talk. He remembers how she pulled each little truth from his lips with just her gentle gaze and her willingness to listen without judgment. He remembers how they learned to trust again, in the simple breaths where truth became reality, where he talked and she listened. He looks at her again, sees the gentleness in her eyes, and knows it is time. He’s ready.

Rating: T

Notes: They say Rome wasn't built in a day, but you can bet your ass that this fic was. Partially because I am insane, and don't like to eat, drink or do anything else once the Zutara fix takes hold, but also partially because Zutara are also crazy and I love them and they were begging to be written. That being said, if the flow of this fic is weird, don't blame me. Blame Zutara and the lack of everything nutritious I gave up in order to write this. TBH, I don't even remember most of it, I think my hands and brain just took over and threw a bunch of word vomit onto a document.

I wrote this for the last day of ZutaraMonth, Day 29: Flowers. Uh, not sure how well this follows the prompt exactly. I DID have an idea in mind, but as I said above, this kinda got away from me. But I wanted to participate, and this was the last day, so here ya go.I'm planning on participating in ZutaraWeek as well. I'm so excited- I hope you guys are too. I already have a fic in mind (yes it's already being written) and I plan on incorporating the week's themes once they come out. I hope you guys will read and enjoy my ZutaraWeek submission, as much as you've loved my other stories as well. Thank you guys for all the support.

Posted on AO3 as well. Read it here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24449281

The walls Katara had so meticulously built up around herself slowly crumble. The anger and hatred that she had so callously thrown at Zuko to keep him away from her turn into something else- definitely not trust, not yet, Zuko knows he has a long way before he can reach that pivotal moment with her- but she no longer pierces him with a frozen stare every time they catch each other’s eye, she no longer crushes him with a biting malice every time he offers her his help with the chores. The dynamic between them has changed.

I'll never forgive him. But I am ready to forgive you.

They settle into an easy companionship in the days before the comet. Zuko rises with the sun and settles into his morning meditation. He brews the tea, leaving a small flame under the pot to keep it warm until Katara rises, a little later. She joins him sometimes, sitting in amicable silence, but more often sets about with the day, making breakfast and folding the laundry. By the time Zuko has finished his meditation, Katara has woken the rest of the gang (kids, Zuko thinks, We’ve adopted a family of kids), and has set out a bowl of jook for him. Then Zuko takes Aang for his firebending lessons, followed by lunch, Toph, and Katara later in the day. Zuko spars with Sokka, keeping his dao blades sharp, and trains with Suki in hand-to-hand combat.

Sometimes, late at night, he sits at the overlook beyond his house, staring out over the calm ocean. He thinks about the last time he’d been here, back when his heart was still troubled and his soul was still split between doing what was right and what he thought he wanted. Sometimes Katara joins him, and it’s so different from the last time they spent a night under the moon (Maybe you can bring my mother back!). She sits with him, close enough he can almost taste the questions on her lips, but she never asks. He knows she’s desperate to speak, curiosity burning in those deep blue eyes of hers, but the thing he loves the most about Katara is that she always seems to know when he’s ready to talk, and so she waits until she knows.

It’s something he’s always loved about her- the easy way she simply waits until he’s ready, unlike Sokka and Toph and Aang, who talk and talk and ask and badger him with questions until he feels like he may explode. He loves the gang, he really does- the loyalty, the love, the friendship- but so much exploration into his personal life can be too much for him to bear sometimes.

But with Katara it’s different. Silence- which once held so much pain and fear in Zuko’s heart- becomes the thing he relishes the most with her. He finds peace in the calmness of quiet, tranquility settling in his soul in the heartbeat of Katara’s breaths. In the soothing serenity of Katara’s presence, Zuko feels his heart stitching itself back together, and every day that passes he feels himself falling a little bit back into the person he wants to be. He thinks he’s ready.

Ready to let someone in.

________________________________________________________________

Zuko feels his peaceful world, the one he so desperately created around him, the one built on friendship and companionship, crumble around him at the weight of Aang’s words. “About Sozin's Comet... I was actually going to wait to fight the Fire Lord until after it came. I'm not ready.”

It’s his worst nightmare really. Of course Aang needs more time to practice firebending, and he agrees with Toph- his earthbending really needs some work as well. But he remembers with dreadful clarity what his father planned before the invasion, the cruelty of the plan and the morbid fear in his heart of what was to come.

“Things can’t get any worse,” Katara says, and the pain in Zuko’s heart weighs heavier on his chest.

“You’re wrong,” Zuko says, and even his voice sounds hollow with despair. “It's about to get worse than you can even imagine.”

He tells them about Ozai’s plan. The plan to crush the Earth Kingdom’s hope, to bury it’s very foundation under an inferno of ash and destruction. He watches the hope die in their eyes, replaced by a growing seed of fear. Sokka looks devastated, Suki looks terrified. Toph’s, for once, speechless, Aang looks hopeless, and Katara looks stricken, looking at him with eyes filled with terror and concern. She reaches out a hand, but one look from Zuko has her dropping it, stepping back with lowered eyes.

Zuko knows how much this hurts everyone, how much it hurts him. But as he looks at them, the brave Water tribe soldier, the Kyoshi Warrior, the Beifong Heiress, the Avatar, and the greatest Waterbender he’s ever met, he knows he’ll do anything to protect them. And right now, that’s making sure they defeat his father, no matter the cost. “I know you're scared,” He says, placing a hand on Aang’s shoulder. The boy looks up at him with scared eyes, and Zuko remembers when he looked at his father the same way. Only this time, Zuko is not his father, and he won’t hurt a young boy just for speaking his mind. He smiles encouragingly at Aang. “And I know that you're not ready to save the World. But if you don't defeat the Fire Lord before the comet comes, there won't be a World to save anymore.”

That seems to be the right thing to say, and he sees the fire once again burn in Aang’s eyes. Sokka once again shines with the energy of his people, and he raises a fist in the air. “Team Avatar is back!”

Zuko smiles, and lowers his head as Sokka continues to crow with excitement. But a little part of him can’t help but be afraid, be afraid for the people he’s come to love and cherish as his own family. And when he raises his eyes once more, he finds himself being stared down by Katara’s watchful gaze, and knows she feels it too.

________________________________________________________________

She finds him later that night, sitting under a sky full of stars. He makes no inclination that he’s heard her, but she comes over to him anyway, sitting down next to him. He blinks, then pulls his gaze from the heavens to look at her. She’s staring out over the water, hands folded neatly in her lap. Even under the pale moonlight, he can see the reds and golds of her silk robe standing out against the rich caramel of her skin, and he finds himself thinking that the rich colors of his nation suit her well.

(Red symbolizes passion and power, represents the Fire Nation. But Zuko wishes to tell the world that red symbolizes Katara, symbolizes the strength in her limbs and the power in her heart, the desire and will to do what is right and to never give up on people who need her. Katara may be of the Water Tribe, but her heart burns with the fire of a thousand suns.)

He turns his eyes back to the sky, and sees her do the same. They sit in silence for a moment, and Zuko finds himself unable to bear the silence (a silence that he’s always craved from her). “When I was younger, my mother used to tell me stories of the stars,” he begins, and raises a hand to trace out a constellation. Katara’s eyes trace his fingers, and he maps out the Azure Dragon of the Fire Nation. “The Azure Dragon is the guardian of all the stars,” he recites. “The dragon was created by Agni so that he could rest during the night. Under the watchful gaze of Tui and the Azure Dragon, Agni sleeps, and the dragon circles the night sky, ever watchful for danger against his master.”

Zuko looks back at Katara, then chuckles awkwardly and scratches the back of his head awkwardly. Katara’s gaze is too bright, too warm, too knowing, and he feels like she is taking him apart bit by bit. “Of course, that’s just a story my mother used to tell me.”

Her eyes soften, and she rests a gentle hand on his shoulder. “You must have loved your mother very much,” she says, and his shoulders sag.

“Yes,” he says, raising a hand to his face, touching the scar that mars the side of his face. “I loved her more than anything in the world.” Katara’s gaze follows his hand, landing on his scar. She raises her other hand and cups his cheek, resting her palm over his fingers. “Your father gave that to you, did he?” she breathes.

Zuko’s heart stutters to a stop in his chest, and gasps, long and low in his throat. He meets Katara’s gaze, half expecting disgust, anger, hatred, to be swimming in the blue depths of her eyes, but he’s only met with compassion. She smiles at him, and he knows that she won’t press him if he doesn’t want to, that she’ll give him space if he needs it, but Zuko knows this is a story he has to tell. She deserves to know.

“Truth,” he says, and meets her kind eyes. He tells her the story of a young boy, a young prince, who stood up for the soldiers who didn’t have a voice, how he expected to face the general he dishonored in the Agni Kai- how it was his own father who maimed him. Suffering shall be your teacher.

By the time he’s finished there are tears pooling in Katara’s sky blue gaze. “Oh, Zuko,” she whispers, and leans over, pulling her into his arms. She buries her head in his neck and holds him tight, her shoulders shaking. “You should have never had to go through that.”

He buries his face in her hair, inhales the sweet scent of wind and rain, and Katara. She didn’t say I’m sorry, but she didn’t need to. Zuko has had enough pity in his life, and once again, Katara knows exactly the right thing to say to put him at ease. So he holds onto her, he clings to her, and relishes in this moment- this one fragment of time where everything feels right, where he is home and the person he cherishes the most is here with him, under the watchful gaze of Tui and the Azure Dragon.

________________________________________________________________

They share another moment after June has led them to the outskirts of Ba Sing Se. They make camp for the night, and longer after Sokka and the others have turned in for the night, Zuko joins Katara to sit by the fire. He pokes at the embers and convinces the flames back to life, and Katara smiles at him, and places her hands closer for the warmth. They sit in the companionable silence Zuko knows all too well, until Toph appears in an explosion of earth, screaming, “Someone’s coming!”

It’s chaos, and suddenly their tiny camp is surrounded in a ring of flames. But just as quickly as the flames come roaring to life, they die down, and Zuko recognizes Jeong-Jeong, and Master Piandao, and suddenly they're surrounded by the order of the White Lotus. And his uncle is in the Lotus camp, waiting for him.

He finds himself standing outside the tent of the Grand Lotus. It makes sense that his uncle holds the title- he’s the most righteous individual the Fire Nation ever produced, and balance between the four nations was one of the things he stressed the most in life (that and tea). He sits in front of the tent, and he doesn’t know how to bring himself to enter. The last time he saw his uncle, he was sitting in a jail cell, left to rot. The last time he met his uncle’s gaze was at the crossroads of his destiny, of the avatar’s, of Katara’s, in the old city of Ba Sing Se. Shame courses his veins, shame from all those months ago, in the same place, rises up and threatens to overwhelm him.

A hand on his shoulder brings him back to reality, and he blinks while Katara sits next to him. She’s dressed in the blues of her nation, but her eyes still burn with that fire that threatens to set the world alight.

“Are you okay?” she asks quietly, the hand resting on his shoulder providing a quiet comfort that Zuko leans into. He turns his head away and sighs, eyes fixed on the lotus symbol painted across his uncle’s tent.

“No,” he says finally. “My Uncle hates me, I know it. He loved me and supported me in every way he could and I still turned against him. How can I even face him?

Katara sighs, and Zuko can feel her heartbeat pounding to the rhythm of his own. “You’re sorry for what happened?” she says, looking at him with her clear gaze. “In the catacombs?”

He’s more sorry than he’s ever been in his life. Of all the people in the world, uncle Iroh was the only one who saw him for who he was, who supported him no matter the cost, and followed him to the end of the world and back. He betrayed the only person who loved him, mistakes and all. Sorry can’t even begin to describe how Zuko feels.

(Shame, anger, frustration, disgust, guilt. Sorrow)

He looks at Katara. Another person who was willing to love him through the scars. Another person he’s hurt. Another person he’s betrayed. “More sorry than I've been about anything in my entire life.”

Another truth, about his uncle, about the Avatar, about her. Judging from the look in her eyes, she knows. She understands, knows how truthful he’s being (not just about his uncle). Katara smiles, and leans over, kissing him on the cheek, over his scar. He jolts, but she pulls back, and the fond look in her eyes is enough for Zuko (he thinks he can conquer the world on the sole basis of that look).

“Then he'll forgive you. He will.”

The strength she offers- the quiet, enduring support and kindness- is enough to send Zuko through the flaps in the tent. And later, when his uncle wakes and pulls him into a high, her strength is what brings him to tears, with how can you forgive me so easily? I thought you would be furious with me falling easily from his lips. Partially for his uncle, and partially for her.

________________________________________________________________

Katara’s not the person who shows weakness easily. If it’s anyone, Zuko thinks it’s Sokka. He’s a strong, brave soul, but he’s still a teenager, and the idea of taking on the Fire Lord without the possibility of Aang there frightens him-Zuko can see it in his soul. But Katara’s always been such a solid, reassuring presence to the gang, and Zuko doesn’t really know what to do when he finds her overlooking the city, and she looks so utterly broken.

“Wherever he is, I’m sure he’ll be alright,” Zuko says, placing a hand on her shoulder. She looks up at him and smiles at him, though her eyes are watery and she looks so small.

“I know,” she says, sniffling and wiping her eyes. “I’m just so scared though. The whole world is relying on us, and I just don’t know what I’d do if any of you got hurt. Especially you.”

He blinks, and she laughs at his expression. “Yes, even you. That’s the truth,” she says. “I know what facing Azula means to you, what it means to me, but I can’t help but feel terrified.” She leans in and rests her forehead against Zuko’s chest, taking a deep, shuddering breath. “I can’t lose you. Not again.”

Ba Sing Se.

He closes his eyes and pulls her tight, wrapping his arms around the small of her back and holding her close. “You won’t lose me,” he breathes, stroking her hair. “I know you’re scared, and I’ve never been more terrified in my life. I have to face Azula.”

She nods into his chest, and Zuko pulls away, but holds her by the shoulders and meets her gaze, gold boring into blue. “But this I know is true,” he says. “There is no one else I trust with my life than you, Katara. And you’re the one I want by my side when I bring my treacherous sister to her knees.”

_______________________________________________________________

Later, when they’re flying over the Fire Nation, Zuko turns to Katara with fear in his heart. He doesn’t know how to tell her that he wants her safe, that no matter what he’ll protect her, that he’ll die to make sure she survives, but he doesn’t know how. Katara makes eye contact with him and misreads his fear, saying, “Zuko, don’t worry, we can take Azula.”

He blinks, and shoves away the feelings simmering under his skin, looking up at the sky, Sozin’s Comet painting it bloodred. “I’m not worried about her,” he says, truthfully, after a moment. “I’m worried about Aang. What if he doesn’t have the guts to take out my father? What if he loses?” Katara looks away. “Aang won’t lose,” she says quietly. “He’s coming back. He has to.” She turns her fierce gaze back on him, and smiles grimly. “And so will you.”

He almost doesn’t believe her, especially when he’s lying on the ground at the palace, his tunic in tatters and his skin painted red with blood. Lightning courses through his veins, and he laments in the fact that he broke his promise to Katara, that there’s no way he can possible come back, that she’s going to lose him too, again, just like last time-

And she saves him, glowing water gloved on her hands and tears of joy and love in her eyes. He whispers, “Thank you, Katara,” and when she says “I think I’m the one who should be thanking you,” he thinks he’s fallen in love for the first time.

When they stand over Azula, the broken princess, he almost doesn’t recognize her. He turns away, his heart turning to ash when he realizes that Ozai broke her as much as he broke him, Katara follows him. “I was so worried about you,” she breathes, cupping his face. “When you fell, I was so scared. I’ve never felt more scared for you in my life.”

He looks at her. “Me too,” he says, and takes her hand in his. “I was so scared for you. Katara, it wasn’t my life that I was worried about, but yours. I couldn’t let Azula hurt you.”

Her eyes fall to the burn scored across his chest. “You didn’t have to take lightning for me, Zuko.”

He breathes, and takes their hands, placing their entwined fingers on his burn. “I’d take the heat of a thousand suns for you, Katara,” he whispers, the truth of his words burning deep into his skin, deeper than his scars. “You must know that.”

Her eyes lower, and he leans forward, pressing his forehead into hers. “But you brought me back. You didn’t have to. Why?”

She smiles, tears pouring out of her eyes, and leans forward. “You know why,” she breathes, and kisses him.

(With sudden clarity he knows she’s telling the truth.)

________________________________________________________________

And suddenly, just like that, peace is the new normal. Aang comes back, bringing Ozai in his custody, and tells everyone how a giant lion-turtle taught him how to spiritbend (“Only you,” Toph says, and punches him).

Zuko is crowned Firelord. On the eve of his coronation, he finds Katara in his mother’s garden, feeding bits of bread to the turtleducks (he’s hit with such a wave of nostalgia that he stumbles under the weight of his mother’s love, of the memories of a young boy sitting with his mother feeding the turtleducks).

Katara looks over to him and smiles, beckoning him to join her. He sits by the water’s edge, taking the bread she offers and tossing it into the water. Lulled by the quacking of the turtleducks and the peace of Katara’s presence, Zuko feels his shoulders lift from under the burden of ruling a broken kingdom. There’s so much he needs to do, to restore the Fire Nation to its former glory.

Katara nudges him, making him meet her gaze. “What’s up?” she asks, piercing him with her blue eyes. “You look troubled.

(He wants to tell her he loves her. He wants to tell her that she is his Azure Dragon, that she’s the one person in the world he wants by his side.)

But what comes out of his mouth is: “I don’t love Mai.”

She blinks. “What?” she says, after a moment.

He sighs. “It’s the truth,” he whispers. “Mai, earlier, she came to me, right before the coronation. She told me she loved me, and wanted to be with me.” Katara’s eyes are on him, but they’re not judging him, and he finds solace in the gentleness of her gaze. She rests her hand on his arm, and he wordlessly takes her hand, lacing his fingers through hers and marveling at the contrast of their skin color overlapping, brown and white. She smiles, encouragingly.

“It’s just, Mai was in love with someone who I used to be,” he confesses. “Someone I once was, back when I let anger and hatred fuel me. She was in love with a boy who was scared of his sister and weak against his father, who turned on his friends and the family who actually loved him. I’m not that person, not anymore. I can’t be with her- I don’t love her anymore. Not that way.”

Katara’s eyes soften. “I think that was very brave of you,” she whispers. He turns and blinks at her, and she smiles, looking back down at the pond. “Think of it this way. When you disturb the water-” she dips a hand in the pond and ripples spread out from where her fingers danced across the tranquil surface “-it creates chaos, and imbalances the real support that lies under the surface. But once the ripples fade, then the pond can go back to being what it always has been, peaceful, still, and sure.” She waves a hand and the water stills, turning back into a clear, shimmering pond that reflects the moon, Katara, and Zuko. She smiles and leans forward, pointing at Zuko’s mirror image reflected on the water. “This is who you are, Zuko.” She says. “This is what you’ve always been.”

He stares at the quiet reflection of himself. “You wouldn’t have been happy with her,” Katara continues. “And that doesn’t mean you don’t love her, because you do. But there’s a difference between loving someone for what they were and loving someone for who they are. And you’re not the person you used to be, Zuko. I know that to be true.”

He turns and pulls her close, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Oh, Katara,” he breathes. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

It’s not what he wants to say, but he doesn’t know how to tell her his true feelings, at least not yet. And luckily, she is Katara, and he knows she’ll wait until he’s ready. Just like she always has been.

She smiles. “For the record,” she says, squeezing his hand. “I’m glad you’re not in love with her either.”

That pulls a laugh from him, and he pulls her close, feeling his soul stitch together under her healing gaze.

________________________________________________________________

They’re walking through the marketplace when Aang spots a flower vendor. He drags Katara over, and Zuko and Sokka, followed by Toph, creep over as well. Zuko stands passively while Sokka oogles over the variety, finally settling on a bouquet of sun roses to bring to Suki. Toph sulks next to him, and when the vendor tries to woo her over with some flowers, she silences him with an “I’m blind,” and a smack in the face with a pebble. He shuts up quickly after that, and Zuko stifles a chuckle (the last time he didn’t, he too got wacked with a rock, and he’s not rushing to repeat that again).

He ends up hovering near where Aang is gushing over the panda lily display. “Look, Katara,” he says. “They’re beautiful, just like you!”

Zuko bristles, because Katara isn’t Aang’s, she doesn’t belong to him, she can’t. But Katara is her own person, and she looks at the lilies with distaste. “They’re fine, Aang,” she says in her most dismissive tone (and Zuko cannot be any more prouder). She turns away from Aang, not seeing his shoulders slump, and continues to browse the flowers.

On a whim, Zuko turns to the display and picks out his favorite, a small fire lily, the rich ruby a reminder of Katara’s fierce passion. He drops the vendor a few coins and turns, walking over to where Katara stands. She looks up, eyes widening up Zuko’s arrival. “Here,” he says, reaching forward and placing it in her hair, right behind her ear. “This suits you.”

Her eyes widen, and she reaches up, touching the flower reverently. “Zuko,” she breathes, leaning up and hugging him. “I love it.” She leans in. “These are my favorite.”

He smiles, and nuzzles her hair softly, before stepping back. He catches a glimpse of Aang’s sad eyes in his periphery, but then Katara’s smooth hand slips into his, and the Avatar is forgotten.

________________________________________________________________

The moment Katara comes to him, tears falling from her eyes, Zuko is ready to drown whoever hurt her in an inferno of his rage. He’s in his mother’s garden (hiding from his advisors- they would never bother him here), when she comes storming in like a tsunami and throws herself into him, tears cascading down her rich brown cheeks like a waterfall. Zuko drops what he’s doing immediately- composing a letter to King Kuei, that can wait- and wraps his arms around her, rubbing her back while she lets out choking sobs.

He lets her cry, holding her close while she buries herself in his chest and releases her misery to the world. He’s got half a mind to find whoever hurt her and have them tried for war crimes, but then she pulls away, and he finds that he can’t rip himself away from her sad gaze. There’s a fire lily in her hair and the words they’re my favorite float around in his mind, but he focuses on the tears falling from her eyes and tries to figure out who in their right mind would do this to her-

“Aang,” she whispers, and in choking, heaving breaths, she tells him that Aang kissed her, that he told her he loved her, and wanted her to travel the world with him. Zuko grows cold, feels his heart come stuttering to a halt, and thinks his world is about to be destroyed.

She can’t go with him, he thinks, heart tearing into pieces. Agni, she can’t go with him.

“Katara-”

“I can’t go with him,” she wails, interrupting Zuko. “I can’t go with him and I’ve hurt him and it hurts so much, and I don’t know what to do!”

He cups her cheek and holds her close. “You don’t have to go with him,” he whispers (he begs). “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

“But I broke his heart! I told him I didn’t love him!”

A part of Zuko rejoices at that, but he pushes that wave down and concentrates on soothing Katara. “Katara,” he says firmly, and she hiccups, looking at him with wide eyes. “You don’t have to do anything that you don’t want to do,” he repeats slowly. “It’s your life, your love to give out. Never let anyone take it from you. Only you have the power to give it. Even Aang, as young as he is, does not have the right to take your love. He’s twelve years old, Katara, he doesn’t even really know what love is. He’ll be fine.”

Katara’s eyes lower, and a single tear runs down her cheek. “I wanted to love him,” she confesses. “I wanted to be his, I really did. But I just...don’t.” Zuko runs his finger over her cheek. “And that’s okay,” he whispers. “But it’s okay to know exactly what you want, and if you know you don’t want to be with him, then don’t. You’re your own person, Katara. Aang will respect that.” She shudders, and closes her eyes. “I don’t love him,” she whispers, and the truth of it seems to sink in. She opens her eyes, and although there’s still sadness, Zuko also sees resolution and tact in her gaze. “I don’t love him.”

Something pushes at the edges of Zuko’s consciousness. He remembers all those moments with Katara, the moments of shared silence where she waited, patiently, until he was ready to talk. He remembers how she pulled each little truth from his lips with just her gentle gaze and her willingness to listen without judgment. He remembers how they learned to trust again, in the simple breaths where truth became reality, where he talked and she listened. He looks at her again, sees the gentleness in her eyes, and knows it is time. He’s ready.

“I don’t want you to be with him,” he blurts out, and her eyes widen. He takes her by the hand and pulls her close, drowning in the blue depths of her eyes-eyes which had never held him in contempt (once sadness and anger, but never contempt)- and has never felt more sure in his entire life. “I don’t want you to be with him, Katara, because I want you to be with me.”

Her mouth opens. “Are you serious?” she breathes, and Zuko nods, clarity in his heart and serenity in his soul.

“I’ve never been more sure in my entire life,” he says. “Katara, there is no one else I want by my side. Please, say you’ll stay with me. Please.”

She looks at him, really looks at him. She’s quiet for a moment. “I don’t love Aang,” she says. She rests a hand on Zuko’s cheek, caressing his scar lovingly. “Because I love you. I’ve always loved you, Zuko,” she whispers, and it feels like coming home.

It's always been you.

________________________________________________________________

There are fire lilies at the ceremony. They adorn the throne room, sit in bouquets in Suki’s, Toph’s, and Ty Lee’s laps, fill the vases at the dinner tables. Sokka has a fire lily pinned to his tunic, and Aang has a necklace of them ringing his neck. Zuko has one pinned to his robes, and there are fire lilies in her hair.

They are joined as one under the eyes of Agni, and Zuko pins the crown of the Firelady to her topknot. She’s wearing the reds of his-their-people, but the blue of her homeland hugs her throat. She kisses him, hands clasped tightly to his, and the nation cheers at their joining.

During the celebration ball, he spins her around in the courtroom, her dress billowing out around her, her joyful laugh tinkling like bells. Zuko is the happiest he’s ever been, surrounded by family and friends, in the arms of a woman who loves him.

And later, when they’re out by the turtleduck pond and he’s tucking a loose fire lily behind her ear, she looks up at him, love burning in her blue eyes. This is all he's ever wanted- peace in the world and love in his arms. This is what he needs, his beautiful Azure Dragon, and nothing else. She leans close and cups his cheek.

“You love me,” she whispers.

He leans in, kisses her softly, tasting their future on her tongue.

“Truth.”

Notes: Ok, so I know Zuko was lowkey cheesy throughout this fic, but lets be honest. Boy literally used his firebending to light up a fountain to impress a girl- this kid's cheesy as heck and you cannot change my mind.

I tried to keep the truths mostly to Zuko, but Katara is my girl and she couldn't help but bleed through in a couple places.Anyway, thank you so much for reading, please let me know what you thought. Also, please don't hesitate to talk to me so that we may revel in the beauty that is Zutara.

See you for ZutaraWeek (UNLESS I find inspiration for another story, which, let's be honest, I most likely will).

#zutara #zuko #katara #zutara month #wolfspirit44 on ff.net #my fav ship #zukoxkatara #zutara month 2020 #zutara fanfiction

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zutaradreams · 5 years ago

Text

Day 2: Momtara and Dadko

AO3

After a bitter end to her relationship with Aang, Katara comes to stay in the Fire Nation with Zuko and his daughter Izumi.

She’s watching the fireworks from his private balcony, hiding far away from everyone. She’s the only one with access to these rooms up here. He took her up once and she loved the view so much he invited her to it anytime she wished, so when she disappears from the party in the ballroom, he knows where to find her immediately.

Her back is to him. One hand grips the railing of his balcony. The other wraps tightly around the glass of her rice wine. He doesn’t have to see her face to know tears run down her cheeks.

“You’re not the one who should be hiding,” he tells her. His presence doesn’t even startle her.

She brings the glass up to her lips. “I used to love his way with people. He was so good at making everyone love him,” she laughs bitterly. “Now I hate it.”

“No one’s forgotten what he did to you.”

“It certainly seems like it.”

“If you think Toph doesn't advocate for you, or your brother doesn’t want to strangle him every time he shows up, or I don’t take every measure to avoid him, you’re mistaken.”

“How dare he!” She shouts, but who can hear her save him over the fireworks. Down below, it’s a celebration of peace, a tribute to the Avatar’s defeat of his father, a celebration of his reign. She should be celebrating down there. She should be praised for her part in all of it, but as great as Aang’s contributions to the people, he saved all his selfishness for Katara, so now she hides away up here with him.

“Did you see her?”

“Yeah, I saw her.”

She swallows the rest of her drink. He offers to take the glass from her, but she refuses. “Don’t look at me like that,” she tells him. “All pitifully, like I’m some sad, pathetic, pining-“

“I don’t think that at all, Katara. I’m angry with him too. My uncle told me the spirits will punish him. It is the greatest dishonor to them when a man shames his wife.”

“He seems to be doing just fine.” As an afterthought, she adds, “Besides I’m not his wife anymore. I’m a divorced woman. A divorced woman who needs another drink.”

He doesn’t stop her. In fact, he offers to share one with her. He has a bottle of fire whiskey hidden away in his personal bedroom, so he ushers them inside and takes the bottle out of its chest.

“Don’t you hate how the words follow you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Once you’re marked with one, that’s all they see you as - banished, divorced,” he throws in another one of his own, “widower.”

She pours her empty glass to the brim with whiskey and takes a long sip, grimacing as it goes down. “You were so handsome on your wedding day. So unbelievably handsome,” she says in response, giggling as she says it.

It is so different from the usual awkwardness that occurs when he mentions his late wife that he laughs in relief. “Thanks, I guess.”

“You’re so tall.”

“Am I?”

“Yes. And handsome.” Another firework shoots off in the distance, and she drinks some more. “And your daughter,” she pauses heavily, and Zuko suddenly remembers how hard it is for her to see Izumi and Lin and Sokka’s brood of children; yet, she loves them all more than anything. “Your daughter is so beautiful.”

“She gets that from Mai.”

“She gets that from both of you.” Another sip. Another tear on her cheek. She wipes it away hastily. He should tell her to take it easy with the whiskey, but the warning dies on his lips. Healing a nation is easier than healing a heart; he knows this personally.

“I propose a toast,” she says, “to Aang and his new whatever-she-is. Spirits help her if she has his child.”

"Katara-"

“I’m going to bed,” she decides. “I’m getting tired.”

“I’ll call a guard to escort you.”

“No, the people talk enough as it is. I don’t want anyone seeing the divorced woman leaving the widower's bedroom.”

He wants to hold her, or at least offer some of his uncle’s wise advice, but it’s all useless.

“Goodnight, Katara.”

“Goodnight, Zuko.” She turns to leave, but pauses just before she reaches his grand double doors. “Or…”

“Or?” He prompts.

“Or I could...stay.” Her hands reach for her robes. She loosens the sash but holds the beautiful pink silk tightly closed around her body.

He swallows hard. “You could.”

“Should I?”

“You should.”

“When do the servants come?”

“Sunrise.”

She lets the robes fall open, baring the sheerest layer of white silk that drives him absolutely wild. She doesn’t remove the robe from her shoulders. She saunters towards him. In one movement, he tugs it to the floor.

“I’ll be gone by then.”

And she is.

xxx

Usually, Zuko tucks Izumi into bed. With the party, and the whiskey, and Katara, one of her nursemaids tucked her in last night. Tonight, the honor is all his.

“Can we have a party like that all the time?”

He smiles and hands her the stuffed dolls she’s slept with since infancy. “I don’t think we can afford it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Izumi, I had two meetings today about the budget. I’m sure.”

She turns on her side and tucks her hands underneath her face, pouting at his answer. “Who was that lady with Uncle Aang last night, Daddy?” she asks innocently.

He sighs. “She’s Uncle Aang’s new girlfriend. Remember when Aunt Katara first came to stay with us here?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“She came to stay with us because she isn’t married to Uncle Aang anymore.”

“Why not?”

“Well, Uncle Aang is the last airbender in the world, and he wants very badly to have kids because he hopes they’ll be airbenders like him. But your uncle doesn’t think Aunt Katara can have kids, so he asked her if they could break up, and she said yes.”

That’s the kid-friendly version, he supposes. The reality of it has him calling Aang a self-serving asshole several times. In the real-life version, Aang doesn’t want a divorce. He wants a hiatus, where he spends a year knocking up random girls to have his airbending children, and stays married to Katara because Aang just 'loves her so much'. In the real-life version, Katara throws her arms around his waist and begs him to let her stay since she’s too humiliated to go anywhere else.

But Izumi’s too young for that mess.

“Okay.”

“Did that answer your question?”

“Yeah. Is it story time now?”

He tickles the underneath of her chin. “Yeah. It’s story time. Which one do you want? Do you want Love Amongst the Dragons?”

She shakes her head. “I want Aunt Katara.”

“You don’t want Daddy’s stories?” He holds his hand theatrically to his heart, feigning heartbreak. “You don’t want Daddy?”

Izumi giggles and nestles her head more comfortably against her pillow. She might not make it through a whole story; her eyes are already heavy. “Aunt Katara tells the best stories.”

“Well, Aunt Katara isn’t here right now. You’re stuck with me, so it’s Love Amongst the Dragons or nothing. The choice is yours.”

“Can you get Aunt Katara?”

On a normal night, sure. The night after the night he fucked her three times in his bed and didn’t speak to her since she snuck out of his room before sunrise, less sure. A lot less sure.

“Another night, sweetheart. It might take a while to find Aunt Katara, and it’s already late.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow. She’ll tuck you in tomorrow.”

“I still want you to tuck me in. I just want her to tell me the story,” she clarifies.

“Oh, I’m sorry. My mistake. Now it’s time for your favorite story. Once upon a time, there lived a dragon emperor who was cursed by the dark water spirit…”

Izumi falls asleep before the emperor falls in love.

xxx

The kids all love to play together when they’re reunited. Sokka’s eldest is eight, and his youngest two are fourteen-month-old twins, and everyone else’s kids fall somewhere in the range. Katara loves to play with them. She has Toph’s two-year-old daughter, Lin, in her lap while Izumi and Kya spin around the garden, pretending to be water fairies.

“Careful with her. She’s going through a killer hair-pulling phase right now,” Toph comments.

“She’s fine.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. She’s brutal, aren’t you, Lin? Just brutal. She bites too.”

Katara looks down at the seemingly innocent toddler in her lap. “No, not my Linny.” She kisses the top of the girl’s head.

“Soak it up, sweetness. Lin and I are leaving tomorrow.”

“So soon?”

“Yep. My metalbending students need me. They’re basically opposed to letting me have a vacation.”

“More like you’re opposed to taking one. You’ve been nonstop work since you were twelve.” She looks down at Lin. “Well, with a little bit of time for play.”

Toph laughs. “Believe me, that’s not play. She’s a piece of work, and her father was a piece of work.”

Katara smiles sadly. What she wouldn’t give to have her own piece of work.

“I can feel your self-pity radiating off you.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. And it’s okay if you can’t have kids. What’s not okay is Aang calling a quits if you can’t. You should do what he’s doing. Find some tail of your own and see if you're really the problem. It could be him. 100 years in an iceberg - maybe it had some effect.”

She sends Lin from her lap towards Izumi and Kya. She doesn’t want Lin to overhear any of this conversation, even if she doesn’t quite understand it. “Can I tell you a secret?”

Toph’s eyebrows quirk in amusement. “Please.”

“You can’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t.”

It’s on the tip of her tongue. She wants so badly to say it. I slept with Zuko. Part of her still wonders if it even happened. If she tells someone, it makes it more real. But what if he doesn’t want anyone to know? What if he’s ashamed? He hasn’t even spoken to her since it happened.

“Come on, spit it out.”

I slept with Zuko. I slept with Zuko. I slept with Zuko.

“I’ll tell you some other time.”

“Oh, my god, you did not just do that to me! You fucking tease!”

“I know. I’m sorry!”

“Ugh, just when I thought I was going to get something juicy. Wait, where are you going? You can’t leave me alone. Only one of these kids is mine. I don’t take care of other people’s kids. I’m not crazy like you.”

Katara’s already walking out of earshot while Toph grumbles. She laughs. Toph can handle it. It’s just Izumi, Kya, and Lin. Sokka’s twins are napping, and Ahanu, the eldest, is with Sokka anyways. She’s watched all six by herself before. Usually, she loves it.

Now, she only wants to find Zuko.

xxx

There’s a knock on the door of his study. It instantly irritates him. Servants and cabinet members know not to disturb him in his study. He must be hearing things. Then he hears the knock again. He darts up from the chair at his desk and practically rips the door open. He’s ready to yell at whoever finds it upon themselves to interrupt his work when he realizes whoever is Katara.

“Is this a bad time?” she asks.

“Um, no.”

“You looked like you wanted to kill me for a second,” she says lightheartedly.

“You’re probably misreading me.”

“Probably. You’re not one to lose control of your emotions.” Then she crosses the floor and perches herself on the edge of his desk. She crosses one leg over the other and smirks at him.

“You don’t usually pay me visits in the middle of the day,” he remarks. “Must be important.”

“It’s not. Just killing time.”

“Oh yeah? Nothing on your mind at all?” She’s been all he can think about nonstop.

She’s quiet for a second and looks down at the floor, all of her enchanting bravado gone and replaced with quiet vulnerability. “Did you, um, have fun the other night?” she asks him.

He clears his throat. “Yeah, I did. I thought I made that clear.”

“Well, you did...then. And then yesterday I didn’t see you at all and I thought, maybe, that’s how you wanted it to be now.”

“That’s not how I want it to be at all.”

“Okay, great, I was just confused about it.”

“I’m sorry about that. I was avoiding you yesterday in case you wanted space. I know you’ve been going through a lot lately, and I didn’t want to add to it.”

“You don’t add to it, Zuko. You take it away.”

He smiles. He understands what she means. Since the other night, he’s felt lighter in a way he hasn’t been since he lost Mai. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”

“You will,” she pauses, and his heart beats excitedly. “Izumi asked me to help you tuck her in tonight, so you’ll see me then.” His face must show his disappointment because she fucking laughs at him. “Did you think I meant it another way?” she teases.

“Nope. I’ll see you tonight. Izumi’s bedroom, right after bathtime. Make sure you have a good story ready to go. She’s very critical these days.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” She jumps off his desk. “Well, I won’t keep you. Good talk.” And then before he knows what’s happening her lips are on his in a bruising kiss that sends his head reeling back to the other night when there were far less clothes between them, and before he can react and pull her closer, she’s gone, walking to the door. “See you tonight, Zuko.”

xxx

Along with being a self-serving asshole, Zuko realizes Aang is also a plain idiot.

Katara arches above him, bathed in candlelight. Her hands grip his shoulders as an anchor. Her knees rub against his silk sheets. Her moans are the most enchanting sound he’s ever heard. She’s so vocal in her pleasure, so open with how much she wants him. Every chance he gets, he presses open-mouthed kisses to her flushed skin. He sucks at the pointed peaks of her breasts and digs his own fingers into her alluring hips, guiding her, meeting her at a point of pure pleasure for the both of them.

She falls against him after she reaches her peak, and he holds her even tighter as he finds his own within her a few thrusts later. She hums contentedly against his neck and threads her fingers through his hair playfully.

Aang had this. He had this beautiful, hypnotizing, sensual woman as his wife, and he chose to walk away from her.

He catches her hand in his hair and holds it with his own. She’ll be gone before sunrise, like she always is, but he’ll make the most of his time with her. Only an idiot wouldn’t.

xxx

“That was a very good story. Best one all week.”

Katara laughs. “Well, it didn’t do its job. You should be asleep.”

Adds Zuko, “Yes, you should.”

“Can you tell me another one?”

“Izumi, it’s already late.”

“Daddy, please.”

Katara taps the little girl on the nose and smiles. “I know just the perfect one. Stop me if you’ve heard it before. It’s called Love Amongst the Dragons .”

“Good one,” Zuko whispers to her before they both kiss Izumi goodnight.

They hold hands as they sneak through the corridors to his private balcony. He kisses her senseless against the railing while she briefly realizes she hasn’t been sad in days.

xxx

As a personal friend of the Fire Lord, Katara has special privileges within the palace. One of them is the ability to take Izumi into the city, as long as they’re escorted by a couple of palace guards, of course.

Katara decides she and Izumi deserve a trip to Katara’s favorite shop near the harbor for some sweetened milk and tea cakes. Izumi reaches for Katara’s hand as they walk down the street. It’s something she’s started doing recently, even in the palace. She’s been a lot more affectionate with Katara recently. She’ll rest her head on Katara’s shoulder in the gardens, and she wants Katara at storytime every night now. Katara doesn’t mind. She hangs on to all of it. She’ll be seven years old soon, this light in her life. She squeezes her hand as they enter the shop.

Izumi picks the table, and the guards camp out at the table behind them. They wait for their tea cakes and sweetened milk. When the glasses arrive, they clink theirs together. She takes a sip, which turns into a gulp. Zuko doesn’t allow her to have many sweets.

“Is it good?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

Katara laughs. “Good.” When Izumi doesn’t stop drinking, she says, “Hey, save some to wash down the cake.”

“Can I have two?”

She clicks her tongue. “I don’t know. Your father wouldn’t like it.”

“Please, Aunt Katara.”

“I love you, sweetie, but I don’t want to be on the Fire Lord’s bad side.”

“Please, please, please.”

“Fine, you can have one more glass of the darn milk, as long as you promise not to tell on me. Deal?”

Izumi nods and finishes all of her first glass. “Aunt Katara?”

“Yeah, sweetie?”

“Can you be my mom?”

She forgets how to breathe. “What?”

“I don’t have a mom,” Izumi states.

“Yes, you do. She just isn’t with us anymore. She would have loved you so much. Your mom was such a wonderful woman.” But Izumi doesn’t know that, Katara realizes. As much as Katara holds onto the image of her mother, as much as Katara commits to memory the sound of her voice, Izumi never met Mai. Izumi never got the chance to know her.

“I want a real mom, and Daddy told me you wanted a baby.”

Katara remembers missing her mom, longing for the love and comfort specially given by the woman who brought her into the world. Zuko is an amazing father, but Izumi deserves the chance to have the unconditional love of more than one person.

They make a perfect pair, a motherless child and a childless woman. It doesn’t hurt that Katara loves her so much, ever since the first time she came to stay when Mai died and Zuko was a clueless wreck who fumbled when placing Izumi in her arms, repeating again and again that he didn’t know what to do. She and Zuko are always there for each other. The two of them make another perfect pair.

“I love you so much. I would be honored to be your mom. You don’t have to call me your mom, but I’ll be here for you always.”

"I want to call you mommy."

She’d left the first time she stayed, once Zuko got a handle on things. She and Aang had only recently been married, and he was so insistent on her return. He needed her help rebuilding the air temples. They needed to be ready for the return of the airbenders. Yeah, right.

"Then you can call me mommy."

The next glass of sweet milk arrives for Izumi, and the young girl takes Katara’s advice. She eats the tea cake first, and then she washes it down with the milk. Katara hands her a napkin to wipe the milk from her top lip.

They stop at a few shops on the way back. Katara learns they both like to window shop. At one of the outdoor booths, Izumi spies a dark water spirit mask sold alongside others.

“Daddy would love that!”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Love Amongst the Dragons is the only story he knows. It’s his favorite.”

Katara tugs her to the booth giddily. “Then we have to get it for him.” She pays a few coins to the vendor and gives it to Izumi to keep safe for Daddy. Keeping it safe to Izumi is wearing it herself.

There’s nothing pulling her away anymore, like there was when Izumi was born. Now this golden-eyed girl is an anchor.

And so is her father.

xxx

“I don’t want to go back to my room.”

“It’s almost sunrise.”

She pouts at him, as if he controls the sun. He wishes he did. He’d never let it rise. “I don’t want you to go either.”

Her hand is on the knob of the door, but she’s still facing him. She always waits for a minute before she leaves him, like she’s waiting for him to call her back. As much as he wants to, he can’t. A Fire Lord isn’t expected to be celibate, but if the servants ever see him with the Avatar’s ex-wife, the whole nation would know the gossip in a week.

Already, there are rumors. They aren’t exactly discrete. They take every meal together. They tuck Izumi in together. She’s the only one allowed in his private study. They just make sure no one catches them touching. As long as they aren’t touching, the rumors stay rumors.

“I’ll see you at breakfast,” she says.

“It’s not that far away.”

He tries to be optimistic. But she leaves, and it’s hard. Breakfast is very far away.

xxx

“You’re not wearing your mask.”

“Izumi, I can’t wear it to official meetings as Fire Lord. There’s a protocol.”

But his six-year-old crosses her arms in front of her. “I’m telling Mommy.”

Did he just hear her right? “You’re telling who?” he asks.

“Mommy. Aunt Katara’s my mommy now,” she answers plainly as if delivering old news.

“Does she know?”

“Yeah, I asked her if she could be my mom, and she said yes.”

This is definitely not old news to him. “When did this happen?”

Izumi shrugs. “Forever ago.”

xxx

Katara,

You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, or how deeply I regret my behavior. I was so, so stupid. No one compares to you. No one connects with me like you do. We were perfect together, and I will always be angry with myself for ruining that. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I want our life together back, the way it was always supposed to be.

Love always,

Aang

She burns the letter.

xxx

“I’ve never felt like this before,” she mentions to him one night in the afterglow, caressing the scar on his face.

“I know what you mean.”

She’s never felt such a pull to someone. She’s never felt as understood or appreciated or cherished. Aang never stopped saying he loved her; Zuko never stops proving it.

“When Mai died, I couldn’t imagine sharing what I shared with her with someone else. But that’s not what this is. It’s not the same. I’m different now. You’re different. Our relationship is different.”

He’s taken a step forward by confessing this. She’s bold enough to take another. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

She pulls away from him, but he holds her tighter. “Zuko, I’ve got to go. It’s almost sunrise.”

“Stay,” he mutters sleepily against her ear.

“Zuko, it’s hard enough to leave you as it is.”

“Stay. Stay forever. If I need to write up some official announcement, or bribe some servants, I’ll do it, but I don’t want to spend another morning without you.” He kisses the shell of her ear, and her resolve shatters completely.

They fall back asleep. The servants wake them. Funny enough, the sky doesn’t fall. The day goes on as normal, and surely the gossip is raging behind her back, but she doesn’t care like she thought she would. She doesn’t care about it the way she cared when they talked about her and Aang.

She sees the sunrise with Zuko that morning. She sees the colors break through the sky in the most glorious shades of pink and blue, while Zuko’s hair is pulled into his topknot and his ceremonial armor is secured. Zuko, Izumi, and her life with them - that’s all she cares about.

#zutara month 2020 #zutara fic #zutara month #zutaradreams

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vanxcks · 4 years ago

Text

the jasmine dragon, mark ii

“After I reconquer Ba Sing Se,” Uncle Iroh says, smiling, “I’m going to reconquer my tea shop, and I’m going to play Pai Sho every day.”

Zuko nods and tries to imagine the world of tomorrow. Will Uncle get his shop? Will Ba Sing Se be saved? Will it be peaceful, happy, everything Zuko has never known? Or will they be corpses, ashes still smoking somewhere in his father’s fire nation?

It’s a week later. And, miraculously, everything is new.

OR, It's the re-opening day of the Jasmine Dragon.

Words: 3408

AO3 link in notes

“So if I’m going to be Firelord after the war is over, what are you going to do?” Zuko asks. He’s sitting on Appa, hands gripping the reins, and the fur under his legs is a stark contrast to the cold metal of his old ship. It’s strange, now, to remember that it’s only been a year. Twelve months ago, Zuko’s only goal was to catch the Avatar. A life under his father in the Fire Nation was all he thought he wanted. That searing, long-simmering rage was a constant for him.

Now he’s on the side of his former enemy, and they’re preparing to ride into a battle he’s not sure he’ll come out of. The world has turned upside down.

Zuko is pretty sure that’s not a bad thing.

“After I reconquer Ba Sing Se,” Uncle Iroh says, smiling, “I’m going to reconquer my tea shop, and I’m going to play Pai Sho every day.”

“Goodbye, General Iroh,” Suki says.

“Goodbye, everyone. Today, destiny is our friend. I know it.” There’s something in his voice, something warm and angry and hopeful.

The wind is gentle, and there’s a blue sky ahead of them. Sun falls over the soldiers as they stand facing the kids. The world is still, hesitant, waiting.

Zuko clenches his fists on the reins, takes a breath, and they set off.

It’s a week later. And, miraculously, everything is new.

Ba Sing Se is unrecognizable, a joyful clamor of green. Storefronts have been unshuttered and there are children running about. There’s a stall where Katara and a couple villagers have been handing out food and clothing to those who lost their homes to Ozai. There are volunteers cleaning the streets, sweeping up the crumbled earth. It should be a sad scene, a broken scene, but somehow it’s not. Instead, It’s kind, hopeful. In the ashes of the hundred year war, people are preparing for their new life.

When Zuko steps out of the palace, the palanquin bearers come rushing over, but Zuko holds up a hand. “These people are already going to be distrustful of me. I don’t want to look like my father.”

“But the teashop is a long way—”

“It’s okay,” he says, “I can walk.” He’s relieved when they step back without protesting again.

Zuko doesn’t wear his grand robes today, or even tie his hair back. Instead, he’s wearing a modest outfit, and he lets his hair down, although he pushes it out of his eyes every so often so people can see his face. He won’t hide his scar any longer. When some see him, they smile, rush forward. Thank you, Firelord Zuko. or, We are forever indebted to you. Some of them talk about the family that have come back from war unscathed, some just want to thank him for returning their homes to him. He smiles and bows to them, even giving a stiff hug to a little girl. Some, though, are not so friendly. They cast him sideways glares, whisper to their friends as he passes. They turn their backs and close their windows. Zuko looks away, bows his head. He’s not sure he would trust himself either. But that’s okay. His family has done terrible damage to the world in the last century, but he’s going to try and repair at least some of it.

Separate from the people, Zuko enjoys being able to just walk through the city. A week ago was his coronation, and the days since had so much official business to tend to at the palace that he didn’t once step foot outside. Taking care of refugees, repaying damage, and the like. This is a relief. And it’s nice to see the actual citizens of Ba Sing Se for the first time since the end of the war.

There are pieces of paper stuck up on walls, too, denser the closer he gets to the tea shop. Visit the Jasmine Dragon Today! they say, above a mangled scribble of a drawing and an address. Zuko frowns. It doesn’t seem like Uncle to do something like that. He stares at them for a moment and then keeps going.

He reaches the Jasmine Dragon soon enough. It looks good from the outside—the sign is intact, as is the rest of the entryway, outside of a few stains and cracks. This is good. Zuko walks up the steps and knocks on the door twice, proper. It opens wide and Uncle is on the other side, a grin lighting up his face. He throws his arms around Zuko, holding him tightly. Zuko, in turn, melts into the hug, smiling too.

“Firelord Zuko, at my doorstep?” Uncle Iroh asks, stepping away. “Why, this is an honor.”

“Well, I’d finished with my plans, and I wanted to be here today. I know it’s important.”

“Important for me as well as for the citizens of Ba Sing Se. I had forgotten how bad their tea can be. Bitter and flat. I don’t know how they stand it.” He claps a hand on Zuko’s shoulder and leads him into the shop. “But anyway, we have a lot of work to do if we’re going to open tonight! The people are waiting.”

“I’m sure they’ve missed you.”

“They definitely have. Don’t tell him I told you this, but Jiang’s tea shop next door? The worst of the bunch. Remember the tea you made me in the forest?”

Zuko frowns. “I do.”

“Like that, but much worse. Completely flavorless.”

“Ah. Like leaf juice.”

Uncle Iroh chuckles. “Very much like leaf juice. Now, let’s get to work.”

The tea house is in better shape than they might have expected. While Ozai was in charge of the city, there were strict rules about Earth Nation citizens’s businesses. Most local-owned shops were either taken over by fire nation people and rebuilt according to code, and Zuko had been afraid the same would happen to the Jasmine Dragon. Luckily, the place was well-kept enough that the soldiers merely gave it a new coat of paint, and it sat otherwise nearly untouched from the day of the coup. In the past days, Uncle and some of the kids (Katara and Aang, mostly) helped clean up the surfaces and straighten furniture. The place looks nearly as good as new.

“What can I do?”

“You can start by buying some porcelain tea sets for me. We originally had twenty, but some of them were damaged in the last few months,” Uncle says. “Toph helped to draw the dirt off of the fifteen that were still intact.” He gestures to the pots, lined up on the counter behind him and gleaming like they were a day old.

“She’s good,” Zuko says.

“The best of our time,” Uncle says, and his voice carries the warmth it does whenever he talks about Zuko or his friends. “Now, hurry along. I have to set the tables.”

Zuko takes the money that Uncle holds out, smiling, and turns. He’s several steps out of the shop before he doubles back. “Where can I buy the teapots?”

Uncle Iroh chuckles. “I was beginning to wonder if you would remember to ask. It’s to the left, across the park.”

Zuko nods and leaves again.

The park isn’t far, and he’s halfway there when he hears someone behind him, calling his name.

“Zuko! Zuko, back here!” It’s Aang, in new green robes, shoes too big for his feet and a ridiculous hat. He’s waving both arms above his head while he runs, and trips and only just stops himself from falling. “Hey, Zuko!”

“Hi,” Zuko says. “You bought new clothes.”

“Yeah,” Aang cries, falling into step beside Zuko. “Sokka and I went shopping this morning. He got a new bag, and a belt. We got to try the food, too. Have you ever tried an ma po do fu?”

“Yeah. My family took a lot of trips here when I was little. They made us try all the delicacies.”

“Aren’t they great? I thought after the months we spent here I would have had everything, but there’s still a lot more to go. I love the Earth Nation. Have you tried the unfried dough? Not their best.”

“I haven’t, but it sounds terrible.”

“Did you know I inspired that? An Earth Nation village planned to have me fried in oil, but they decided not to when they realised I was the only one who could save them from the Rough Rhinos. I’m starting to wish I didn’t,” he says, fishing a wet lump out of his bag. He takes a small bite from it and makes a face. “You want some?”

“No, thanks.”

They walk in silence for a moment, before Zuko says, “By the way, I wanted to thank you for helping Uncle clean up the tea shop. I’m sure it made him happy.”

“It was fun! And that reminds me. We’ve been spreading the word about the tea shop’s opening so lots of people will show up!”

Zuko smiles. “Thank you for that too.”

“Yeah! We’ve been putting up posters. See, Sokka made them!” Aang holds up a poster like the one Zuko had seen earlier.

“Yeah...are you sure those aren’t the Appa posters you showed me with different writing?”

Aang frowns and squints at the drawing. “No, it’s definitely a teapot. At least, Sokka said it was supposed to be a teapot.”

“Maybe Sokka shouldn’t be doing the art.”

Aang shrugs. “Well, he was enthusiastic.”

“I guess that counts for something. Is that Katara?” There’s a blue figure across the square, and Zuko can recognize her from behind.

“Yeah, I think so! Let’s go talk to her!”

“You go ahead. I need to buy some stuff for Uncle.”

“Okay, see you later!” Aang says, and dashes off. Smiling, Zuko turns into to the porcelainware shop.

The opening is scheduled for five o’clock. When the clock strikes, Zuko looks around. It’s not yet quite the state it was months before—the walls are slightly stained and cracked, and a couple of the teacups he bought had chips in them. But they’ve repainted the outside so that it looks and reads the way it did before, and the egg drop soup that Uncle Iroh has been cooking smells delicious. There’s even a pai sho table in the corner for visitors to play. All in all, they’ve done a decent job. It’s not perfect, but Uncle wanted to open as soon as possible. “We can sort out the details later. As long as the tea is good, people will be happy.”

Zuko stands behind the counter with his hands around a kettle, heating it with a gentle flame. Once it boils, he keeps it the right temperature: hot enough for a slow bubble, but not so hot that it boils over. It took a little bit of practice to get the balance right the first time he’d tried, but now it’s easy. Later, Uncle will keep the water hot, and Zuko will be waiter. After today, of course, he’ll have to be firelord. But today, until Uncle gets paid help, he’s more than willing to pitch in.

Uncle is ready next to him. The tea leaves are loose, kept in tins lined up behind the teapots. He prepares everything on order, so all there really is to do now is wait for people to start pouring in.

The first customer comes soon after five. It’s a little man, a little bewildered-looking, in tiny, thick-lensed spectacles. He sits down at the table closest to the window and pulls out a book, leafing through it and murmuring to himself.

“How can I help you, sir?” Zuko asks.

The man looks up as if he hadn’t realised he was in a restaurant at all. “Could I...well, I guess I’ll have a green tea.”

“And will that be for one person?”

The man cocks his head like he’s trying to understand the question, and then says, “just me, yes.”

“Okay, sir, coming right up,” Zuko says, and rushes back over to Uncle. “Green tea for one, Uncle.”

“A classic,” Uncle Iroh says, spooning the leaves into a pot and filling it with water. When the tea has steeped, he places it on a tray for Zuko, who hurries it over to the customer.

“Your tea.”

“Thank you,” the man says, and then goes back to his reading.

And then fifteen minutes pass, and still the only person in the shop is the spectacled man.

“Do you think he likes it?” Zuko asks, leaning over to Uncle.

“I think so. He smiled when he took his first sip.”

“I think that was a grimace from burning his tongue,” Zuko says, and Iroh casts a dirty look. “I’m sure he liked it.”

Uncle fiddles with the tins of tea leaves, rearranging them by color instead of size. Zuko taps his fingers on the counter.

“Maybe your friends had a hard time spreading the word,” Uncle says.

“Maybe people just don’t feel like tea today,” Zuko says, frowning.

“I know what it is,” Uncle says with a smile, “it still looks like we’re closed. Let me go open the door.”

He does, and then joins Zuko back at the counter. It’s quiet outside, and darkening quickly. Zuko pulls his hair back, considering tying it, and then lets it hang in his face instead. Uncle hums a tune.

They hear footsteps outside and both brighten up. “Hey, maybe that’s someone,” Zuko says.

But it’s just Aang and Katara. “Hi!” Aang cries, and then wilts a little as he looks around at the near-empty shop. “Oh.”

“What’s going on?” Katara asks, brow furrowed. “I thought people loved your tea.”

Zuko looks down.

“I think we’re just having an off day,” Uncle Iroh says.

Katara nods. “I’m sure something’s wrong. I saw your tea shop before, and it was full. I didn’t have time to try the tea, but it smelled amazing.”

“Hey,” Aang says, “I have an idea. What if I got Sokka and Toph and we tried to spread the word?”

“You did that two hours ago,” Zuko says.

Aang shrugs. “Just an idea. Besides, second time’s the charm, right?”

“That’s...not the saying.”

Iroh speaks up. “We would be grateful for your help, Aang.”

Aang breaks into a face-splitting grin. “Thank you, Uncle Iroh!” He grabs Katara’s hand and runs outside and to the right, already yelling about the Jasmine Dragon.

Zuko grimaces. “Why did you tell him that was a good idea?”

“Because it would make him happy to help. And because we need it. It’s never a bad thing to accept help, Zuko, even when you don’t yet believe that help is right for you.”

Zuko looks out the windows at Aang, now doubling back to the left, and hms. Then, there’s nothing to do but wait.

And shockingly, it works. The second customer comes in just five minutes later, with a little boy in tow. Zuko delivers his order to Uncle, who starts heating up the water again. After that, it never goes cold. Another family—this one three kids and two mothers, comes and sits at the table closest to the counter. They order soup to go with their tea. From there, the customers just keep coming. Couples, families, groups of friends. It’s inexplicable, and Uncle and Zuko can barely keep up.

“How are you liking your tea? Is there anything I can do?” he asks one of the mothers.

“It’s just wonderful,” she says.

“Thank you,” Zuko says, bowing his head.

“We just loved this tea house when you first opened, months ago,” the other woman says. “We were so happy to see that it was reopening. Of course, the address on the posters confused us.”

“What do you mean, the address on the poster?”

“It said it was on Mei Hua street instead of Mei Li street. It must have been a mistake.”

Zuko is speechless for a moment, and then he says, “It was. Thank you for coming in spite of it.”

“Of course!” she says, smiling sweetly.

Zuko hurries up to Uncle. “Uncle, good news about—”

He hears another group coming through the door and turns. He opens his mouth to ask how many seats they’ll need, but it’s just Katara, Toph, Sokka, and Suki.

“Hi, Zuko. Uncle,” Katara says, waving and smiling. “We were wondering if there was anything more we could do to help.”

“We,” Sokka says, arms crossed, “were actually on a date. But we’ve decided to grace you with our presence.”

Katara casts him a sideways glare. “By the way, we figured out why business was so bad. Sokka—”

“Wrote the wrong address,” Zuko interrupts. “We know.”

“Actually,” Sokka says, “I asked Toph for the address. Which is where we ran into a bit of an issue.” He glares at Toph.

“I don’t see what the big deal is!” Toph cries, throwing her hands up. “I can’t read signs, remember? I just heard someone say it. It’s not my fault Sokka always forgets I’m blind.”

Sokka pouts. “That’s why you don’t ask the blind girl for help.”

“Yes!” Toph yells.

“People are here now, and that’s what matters,” Uncle Iroh says. “Thank you for the help.”

Katara steps forward. “Aang is outside spreading the word and fixing the posters. Is there anything else you need?”

“You, Toph, and Suki could help me wait tables,” Zuko says. “And Sokka could help make tea.” Uncle Iroh elbows him, and Zuko corrects himself. “Sokka could help heat water. Uncle can make the tea.”

Sokka gasps. “I’m great at making tea!” They ignore him.

They all go to their jobs, and things start to smooth out. The tea house is the warm, bustling hub it was months ago, and Zuko feels ridiculously happy. Aang and Toph come in to help, and Suki and Katara are doing well, and the flow of customers doesn’t ebb.

When he can, Zuko finds a moment to go talk to Uncle Iroh, but before he says what he was planning to say, he notices something and his brow furrows. “What’s Katara doing?” She’s been standing at a table at the other end of the room for several minutes.

“She’s entertaining the children. She’s been doing it for some time now. See?”

Now that he’s paying attention, Zuko does see. She’s bending the tea from the cups and making it spin, dance in front of the childrens’ eyes. They laugh and grab at it, delighted.

Zuko glances around the room. Aang is talking earnestly to an old woman by the window. Toph repairs a dropped teacup for a customer, and Sokka and Suki are in the corner flirting. Sokka tries to tuck Suki’s hair behind her face, but she moves and he hits her eye instead. She laughs and says something, then kisses him quickly. They glance around to make sure no one saw, and Zuko looks away.

He thinks, for a moment, back to his time in the fire nation. His tense hours with Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula. The snide comments, the backhanded compliments. At one point Azula had mentioned his banishment, called him weak, and he’d bitten the inside of his cheek so hard he drew blood. She said she was joking, but he knew she wasn’t. Nothing Azula said was a joke.

“It’s so easy,” Zuko says, almost to himself.

“What do you mean?” Uncle asks, although Zuko gets the feeling that Uncle knows.

“Never mind.” Zuko shakes his head. Then, “Congratulations, Uncle.”

“Thank you,” Uncle Iroh says, looking up at Zuko as he spoons tea leaves into a pot. “When we were ambushed in the palace, I thought my dream of spending my life serving tea was lost. I’m only thankful that we managed to win it back, and I’m more thankful that we won it back together.”

“I’m happy I got to be here today.”

“So am I..”

Uncle Iroh stills his hands, and they look at the scene together, for a moment.

“You have good taste in friends, Firelord Zuko” Uncle says.

Zuko nods, and he lets himself smile before he goes back out to join them.

#fluff #atla #atla fic #zuko #gen fic #friendship #aang #katara #sokka #suki #iroh #yes i only wrote this because iw anted to see more tea shop scenes #happy iroh and zuko makes me cry on the daily #my writing #avatar

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raewritez · 4 years ago

Text

Enough | Sokka

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

word count: 3.6k

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

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

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

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

Silence.

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

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

"Uh, hello?"

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

"What are you doing here?" He demanded.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Then why are you hiding?"

"Because they're after us!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

///

"I look ridiculous."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Awesome! Let's go."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Y/n, you in?"

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

"I'm in."

///

That was your first mistake.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

///

It was finally here. The day of Black Sun.

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

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

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

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

"Something about...food?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Y/n!"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Not bad, not bad."

"You did all the work."

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

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

"Agreed."

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

Sokka let out a low whistle. "Impressive."

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

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

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

You did, gladly.

///

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

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

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

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

"It's not your fault, Sokka."

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

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

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

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

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

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supernutellastuff · 4 years ago

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Endings, Beginnings - a short and fluffy Zutara fix-it

Something different from my usual style. Wrote this for my friend because neither of us could deal with our broken shipper hearts after ATLA ended. Feedback is appreciated! Read it on ao3 here :)

xxx

The streets of the Fire Nation capital are awash in the soft golden light of dawn as the new Fire Lord stands at his balcony, struggling with his red ceremonial robes. The bandages covering his chest are stiff and awkward but the only thing preventing him from ripping them off is the prospect of incurring his uncle’s displeasure. Though that doesn’t stop him from cursing out loud while trying to stuff his arms into the robes.

“Need help with that?”

Zuko turns. There she is, leaning casually against the open doorway, a teasing smile playing on her lips. She looks fresh, considering the ordeal she’s been through.

“Katara.”

“You sound surprised.”

“I thought you’d be with Aang.”

“Aang…has Avatar duties. I came to check up on you.”

“First day as the Fire Lord and I’m already failing.” He gestures ruefully at his half-open robes.

Katara rolls her eyes and walks over to him. With practiced movements, she gets his arms through the holes but pauses before tying up the front of his clothes. Her eyes linger on his chest. “Does it hurt?”

“Sometimes.”

“I still don’t know how to thank you.” She backs away, maintaining a more respectable distance.

“Then don’t,” he snaps. He still has nightmares about being a split-second too late and watching the lightning strike Katara. It hadn’t even crossed his mind to redirect it when he’d realised what Azula was going to do. Bending lightning required mastery over emotions, something which Zuko had long recognised was impossible when it came to Katara.

“You saved my life.” Her eyes are fierce.

“And you saved mine, so we’re even.”

“What about when you saved me from being crushed by rocks at the Western Air Temple?”

“Oh, we’re acknowledging that now, are we?”

“And when you helped find my mother’s killer and bring me closure?”

“It was the least I could do for betraying you in the crystal catacombs.” He’d given her every reason to hate him and yet she hadn’t hesitated in offering to heal him. He still remembers the way she’d traced his scar with her fingertips. Even Mai had never touched his scar. He thinks of Mai, now on a ship headed far far away from the Fire Nation. As soon she’d been released from prison, they had sat down and talked and this time it was she who had ended things for good. Zuko hadn’t even pretended to feel anything but relief.

She crosses her arms. “What, are you saying you’re the one in my debt?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm…” Zuko is nonplussed to see that she’s smiling. “You’ll have to put up with me a little longer then, until I figure out a way to collect on my debt.”

“I do have a way,” he blurts out before he can think twice. “Become the Southern Water Tribe ambassador to the Fire Nation. Help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation. Help in resuming trade and peace relations between the nations.” She looks taken aback so he blunders on, suddenly uncertain of the offer. “It’s a lot of boring politics and it’ll keep you away from your friends and family, so I understand why you may not—actually forget I ever said anything.”

“Sokka and Suki are thinking of travelling on their own, Toph is planning to open a metalbending academy, Aang wants to resettle the Air Nomad colonies. It’s not like I had anything else planned…” she trails off.

“You’re not going with Aang?” He toys with a stray thread, voice deliberately casual. While it was obvious the way the kid mooned over Katara, it had been a little more ambiguous on her side. But things might have changed now: who wouldn’t choose the Avatar, the hero who ended the war?

Katara’s face clouds over. “Aang needs to realise that I don’t fit into all his plans. That I don’t want to.” She tugs on her hair loops, anxious. “So it’s not about Aang or the rest. I just…I don’t know if I deserve the position,” she whispers.

Zuko snorts. “Who’s more deserving than the master waterbender who took down Azula at the height of her powers?”

Her smile grows. “In that case, I accept.”

“Good.” Their eyes meet, hold, and the moment stretches. He breaks away with difficulty; he has nations to address and he needs to look the part.

The rest of the royal raiment has been laid out on the bed. It was somehow important to him that he do this by himself so he’d dismissed his attendants. Katara, perhaps sensing this, refrains from extending a helping hand. He puts on his gold-threaded robes, gathers his hair into a topknot, slides on the ornamental headpiece and adjusts it until it stops scraping painfully against his skull. All the while, he can sense her gaze on him. It does not make him feel flustered. Not at all.

“Would you like some tea?” he asks after the fifth time accidentally catching her eye in the mirror. If one thing Iroh has taught him, it’s this: never let your guests leave without a cup of tea. Luckily he has a pot ready in his room.

Katara nods. He crosses to the little table in front of the still-burning fireplace and picks up the pot, stays the lid with one hand, and pours into a porcelain cup. The tea’s gone cold, so Zuko takes a deep breath, reaches into his chi, and exhales. The inside of his hands glow with warmth. He places his palms around the cup until steam rises gently from the surface.

She takes the cup from him and their hands brush, her fingers cool against his burning skin. An expression of delight spreads across her face at the first sip. “This is lovely!”

Zuko grins. “Uncle’s special blend—white dragon bush. ‘So delicious, it’s heart-breaking’” he quotes, fondly.

They chat about nothing and everything while he finishes his transformation into the Fire Lord and Katara her tea. She’s already bursting with ideas about her new role.

When he’s finally ready, he extinguishes the fireplace with a deft flick of his wrist, and turns to leave. And that's when the skies choose to burst open. Groaning, he cranes his head out the balcony and catches a few stray drops of water on his face. The rain comes down in waves, lashing the marbled courtyard. The walkway from his quarters to the palace where the official ceremony will be held is fully uncovered. It would’ve been easier to stay in one of the palace rooms but Zuko wasn’t fully comfortable with that idea. Living in the guest quarters had seemed like a suitable temporary solution until the weather had gone and ruined that as well.

Zuko hurries down to the gate and stops at the threshold, deeply annoyed. Water seeps through, almost soaking his feet. “Great. Just great.”

“What are you waiting for?” says Katara, coming up from behind.

He waves a listless hand at the rain and then over his ceremonial clothes and careful updo.

“Good thing you have a waterbender by your side.” Katara places a hand between his shoulders, just like the time when they’d been standing over a chained Azula, half-crazed with anger and spitting fire, and the only thing keeping him upright had been the unyielding support of Katara’s palm on his back.

She nudges him to move and they fall into step together. Her other hand cuts through the air in graceful arcs, bending away the rain directly above their heads. They shuffle slowly across the courtyard, enclosed in a bubble of dry air amidst the heavy shower. It’s like he is behind thick-plated glass; all he can hear is the sound of her breathing, all he can see are the sinuous shadows of the rain on her face.

When they’re finally safe beneath the shade on the palace steps, she releases him. “I should go find Sokka and my father,” she says. “Aang should be waiting for you inside.”

He nods, suddenly nervous.

“You’ll be fine, Zuko.” He doesn’t know what she means—the speech, ruling as the Fire Lord, climbing up the steps without tripping himself—but a spark of hope ignites in his chest.

The rain stops as abruptly as it had begun. He watches Katara walk away, stepping nimbly over puddles, her ocean blue tunic swishing around her legs. And long after she is gone, he feels the warmth of her hand on his back.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #zutara #zutara fanfiction #my writing #zuko #katara #atla fanfiction #zuko x katara #zutara fanfic

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amixiifish · 4 years ago

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Heat- Chapter 9: The Painted Lady

Zuko walked into the town with the rest of them this time, finally accepting it wasn’t his fault these people were suffering. As they walked by the stalls, they were shocked to see people actually laughing, many were healed, and some even had food and clean water. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Katara slightly puff up with pride at the development. The corner of his lips quirks up. He knew she was going to do something like this. She knew she could’ve helped these people, and she followed through with it.

“Hey Dock, is Shoe around?” Sokka asks, referring to his supposed “brother.” Dock walks around the back of his shop and comes back wearing a different hat.

“Hey there. Back again, aren’t ya?” he asks. Sokka goes to say something, but Toph pushes him out of the way.

“We need more food. Our friend is sick and we can’t leave until he gets better,” she says, slamming some money onto the table. After bantering with the shopkeeper, the gang takes their food and walks to the town center.

“Can you believe how much a village can be affected by just one lady?” Katara says, “I mean, spirit?” The townspeople are putting up a statue in honor of the Painted Lady, and Zuko watches with awe.

Sokka scoffs. “Well, I hope she returns every night,” Zuko glances at Katara to gauge her reaction; her expression gets angrier every second he speaks. “Otherwise, this place would go right back to the way it was.”

Katara whips around to face him, a scowl etched into her face. Zuko flinches back, and Katara glances over at him with an expression of motherly concern before facing her brother again.“Why would you say that? Look at how much better off these people are.” Her face brightens slowly but surely as she talks.

“Yeah, now, but without her, they wouldn’t be able to fend for themselves.” Katara folds her arms over her chest. “If she really wanted to help, she would use her spirit magic to blow up the factory.” He imitates an explosion, and Aang, being the child he is, joins in. Katara, though, looks thoughtful and looks over to Zuko, almost as if asking for his permission. He shrugs.

Later, when Katara’s about to sneak out, Zuko grabs her hand as she gets up.

“Can I come with you?” An expression of surprise flits across her face, but she nods.

He stuffs both of their sleeping bags with Appa’s shed fur, and silently watches Katara do her makeup. She’s going to impersonate the painted lady, Zuko realizes. They get up to leave, and Katara realizes they have a problem- how was Zuko going to cross the water? She hesitates before deftly scooping him up in her arms. He yelps quietly but slowly settles as she crosses. Zuko tensed in her arms when he hears Momo chittering behind them, then sees Aang following them. He presses himself into Katara’s robes, trying to hide, and Katara holds him in such a way that he’s completely hidden by her robes. Aang doesn’t relent and continues chasing them, even at the great speed that Katara was going at.

“I know Hei Bai, we’re close personal friends!” He calls after them, using his water-bending skills to chase them. Katara goes faster. They reach the land in record time yet Aang still trails them.

Katara and Zuko stop behind a ledge, and Katara glances over to see if they’ve lost him. They’re safe- ah, nope, surprise, bitch.

“My name’s Aang,” he says from above them. Katara startles. “I’m the Avatar.” He pulls his headband down, revealing his arrow. Zuko rolls his eyes. We know that, genius. You really don’t recognize your friend?

“Why, hello, Avatar. I wish I could talk, but I am very busy.” Katara modulates her voice so that it sounds different and older. Zuko stifles a laugh, and she pinches him under her robe.

Aang casts his eyes down to the ground. “ Yeah, me too. I hate that.” Zuko assumes he’s talking about Sokka’s master plan.

“Hey, you’re really pretty for a spirit,” Aang says earnestly to Katara. Zuko actually does laugh then, quietly. She pinches him again. Aang, thankfully, doesn’t notice.

“I don’t get to meet too many spirits, but the ones I do… not very attractive.” He tells her. Zuko bookmarks this conversation in his head to tease Katara within the near future.

“Thank you, but…” She trails off.

“You seem familiar, too.” He tries to peek into her veil, and Katara shifts uncomfortably.

“A lot of people say that,” she tries.

“No, you really seem familiar.” Aang creases his eyebrows.

“Look, I really should get going,” Katara turns away and starts to walk away before Aang hits her with a blast of air. Her hat and veil fly up, exposing her face.

“Katara?” He asks.

“Hi, Aang,” she sighs. Zuko takes this as his cue to get out.

“Hey, Aang,” he greets. Aang’s jaw drops.

“Zuko?!” He all but screeches. Both Zuko and Katara shush him. “You were in there? How?!”

Zuko shrugs. “How are you the painted lady?” He asks, pointing to Katara.

“She put on makeup and helped people. Not that hard,” Zuko snarked.

Katara hits him on the back of his head. “I need to help these people, Aang. I can’t just sit and watch them suffer.”

Aang sighs, then brightens. “You’re like a secret hero! Can I help too?”

“If you want to help, there’s one more thing we have to do.”

They go down to the factory. Muck flows out of the vents, and Katara waterbends it so the three of them can crawl through. Katara starts looking around to assess the weakest points of the structure.

“You want to destroy this factory?” Aang asks incredulously.

“Yes. Sokka was just kidding, but he was right,” she explains.

“For once in his life,” Zuko mutters. Katara hits him again, and he rubs the back of his head.

“Getting rid of this factory is the only way to help these people permanently.”

Katara, Aang, and Zuko make quick work of the factory between the three of them and their bending. Katara slices the chains of the molten metal holders, and Zuko and Aang tip them, along with generally wreaking havoc upon the factory. Katara calls on a huge wave of water from the river just outside and floods the whole place, which results in some things breaking and exploding. They run out of it and make it back to camp just as the sun is starting to come up. On their walk back, Zuko watches amusedly as Aang recounts what the explosion looked like.

“Shh, Aang! We don’t want to wake Sokka or Jet up!” Katara chides quietly.

They turn the corner to their campsite, only to see Sokka, Jet, and Toph standing in a line, their arms crossed.

“Hi… Sokka.”

Katara sighs and Aang flinches. “I think it’s a bit too late,” he mumbles.

“No, really?” Katara whispers back, deadpan.

“You! You’re the Painted Lady! You’ve been helping those people! You faked Appa’s sickness! You put our mission in jeopardy, Katara!” Sokka fumes. Toph sticks her tongue out to show her purple tongue and holds up the bag of berries.

“Guys,” Zuko says looking with alarm at the water.

“No!” Katara shoots back. “I will never turn my back on people in need that I can help! If you don’t want to, then fuck you!”

“Guys!” Toph yells. “The fire nation army is going to the town!”

“They must think the townspeople destroyed the factory,” Aang said, horror etched on his face.

“You destroyed the factory!” Jet exclaims, surprised.

“Sokka said to!” Katara counters.

“I also said use ghost noises! No one listens to me! Especially not you!” Sokka shrieks.

“Guys, shut up and focus. Katara, go turn into the painted lady and help! Aang, you’re going to help, but secretly.” Zuko directs. “Fine, but I’m helping,” Sokka says. “Let’s do this,” Jet says with a grin.Toph cracks her knuckles. A smirk was found on Katara’s usually kind face.“Let’s show them what we can do.”After destroying the army, Katara revealed herself to the townspeople. They were affronted, at first, but realized slowly that they needed the help. They cleared the water, slowly but surely, and a freshwater lake was formed all around the quaint little town. They said their goodbyes and Katara’s content smile made the trip all the worthwhile.Later, if the Gaang learns that Katara and Zuko were visited by the original Painted Lady while washing clothes, they decide to withhold comments.

#our fic #atla #omegaverse #zuko #sokka #zukka #jetokko #jet #katara #toph #aang #jetko #heat (amixiifish)

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firenationember · 4 years ago

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Destruction, Everywhere (OC Fic)

9/?

Authors Note: I had to mention the ICONIC Ember Island Players rendition of the Gaang’s adventures, and even referenced my favorite part (you’ll know). I really love this chapter! It’s so soft and cute!!

Previous Chapters

The next morning, we set off for Ember Island, leaving no sign of our campsite behind. The flying bison ride wasn’t long, all of us bouncing jokes off of each other to make the ride go faster. When we got close enough to see the house, it was clear Zuko wasn’t kidding when he said nobody came out here anymore. There were patches of moss growing all over the roof, and once we landed, we saw that the moss extended to the inside.

Zuko insisted on doing some firebending training to make up for all the lost time as soon as we could, so now. Katara and Toph sat off to the side of the courtyard, relaxing as we trained. Once we were finally done, Zuko sat on the edge of the fountain that adorned the middle of the courtyard while I took a seat next to Katara, when Sokka and Suki walked in. Sokka was basically buzzing with excitement, holding a piece of paper in his hands. Apparently, there was a play written about our adventures, which Katara wasn’t sure was a good idea to go see. We all agreed that it could be fun, eventually convincing her. It had been awhile since we did something spontaneously fun.

Later that night, at the theater, we walked onto the balcony where our seats were. Toph and Katara sat down in the front row, Suki and Sokka in the row behind them. I sat down next to Katara, and as Aang was going to say something, Zuko sat next to me. Aang sat behind me and poked at the back of my head.

“Pst… Draya… PST!” I snapped my head back as he poked with a little too much pressure.

“What!?” I hissed, trying not to make a scene.

“Can… we maybe… can I sit…” Aang was motioning with his fingers, clearly wanting to sit next to Katara. Before I could say anything, the lights dimmed. I shrugged, mouthing the word “sorry” as I pointed up to the lights and turned around to face the stage. I heard Aang sigh and made a mental note to let him sit here at intermission. The play started when Katara and Sokka discovered Aang, and the last thing we saw before the break was when Aang helped save the Northern Water Tribe.

We all sat outside on some stairs, the others ranting about how much they hated the way they were portrayed. I just sat there, listening to their complaints, not knowing what to do or say. I wasn’t up their yet, they hadn’t met me. I wasn’t even sure I’d be in the play at all considering how late I joined the team. When we got back to the balcony for the next section of the show, I slid into the second row which made Zuko look at me with an eyebrow raised. I shrugged, lightly patting the spot next to me. He slid in as Aang walked onto the balcony, and he smiled when he saw where I was sitting. I gave him a small shrug as the lights went down for the next part of the play, Aang taking his seat next to Katara.

The second part started when the group met Toph, who was played by a huge burly man (which Toph loved). Her character “explained” how she sees, letting out a “sonic wave” towards on stage Team Avatar, and I laughed so hard that Zuko had to wrap his arms around me while saying “shhh don’t draw too much attention”. I swatted at his arms, telling him to let me enjoy the play. The second part ended when Azula thought she took Aang down, and we all made our way out to a hallway. Katara went to look for Aang, who had disappeared before the second part was over, while Sokka and Suki decided to try to get backstage to give Stage Sokka some Real Sokka jokes. Zuko, Toph and I sat against a wall, Toph saying how everyone was being dramatic about the show. I listened as Toph told Zuko about the time she met Iroh and seeing how Zuko’s face lit up when he heard how highly his uncle thought of him, when he thought his uncle would be disappointed in him, made my heart jump. I reached out and squeezed his hand. It dropped when he reached over to rub the part of his arm that Toph had hit, claiming it was her way of showing affection.

“You’re not officially part of the group until you get an affectionate bruise from Toph, you’re truly one of us now!” I say with a smile, earning a snicker from Toph. She stood up, yawning as she said she was going to go back into the theater and wait for the show there. Zuko and I sat in silence for a bit before he spoke.

“I’m sorry you have to see all of my past decisions like this. It’s not who I am anymore, really.” I could hear the sincerity in his voice, and I laughed lightly, shaking my head. He looked over with confusion. I turned my body towards him and gingerly grabbed his hands.

“As someone wise once told me, your past doesn’t define you. I know you’ve changed Zuko, you have nothing to apologize for. Besides that wasn’t you, not really. That was somebody you were trying to be, when you were trying to get something you thought you needed from other people. The Zuko I know now isn’t the same as the Zuko you were a year ago; the Zuko I know is kind, admirable, and when he cares, he cares deeply. That Zuko on stage doesn’t even have the scar on the right side!” He laughed, shaking his head at the comment a child dressed up as Aang had made earlier. He looked over at me, our faces closer than I realized, when we heard a throat clear. Our necks snapped over to see Sokka and Suki standing there, a smug look on Sokka’s face. I stood up and, without missing a beat, said “Not a word, Sokka.”. I walked onto the balcony and slipped onto the bench, Zuko sliding in next to me with a smile still on his face. When Sokka and Suki sat down, Sokka slowly leaned forward and stared at me.

“Boyyyyyfrieeeeend…” Sokka’s voice teased, causing me to cross my arms and sink in my seat to help hide the fact that I was blushing. Thank the spirits that the lights went down for the rest of the play to start. The play picked up at the invasion, and still I wasn’t in the play. Not that it bothered me, I've always tried to blend into the shadows anyway. Sokka was ready to get up and leave once the play caught up to the present, until Suki reminded him that the play wasn’t over. I realized that my hand had found its way into Zuko’s as we watched Stage Azula defeat Zuko, our gradually tightening grip bringing it to my attention. The play ended with Firelord Ozai defeating Aang and we all stared at the stage in horror, not knowing how to take what we just saw. Zuko was still holding onto my hand, the both of us looking down at them until the lights started to turn back on, making us scoot away from each other and drop our hands to our sides. As we walked back to Zuko’s house, we all unanimously agreed that the play was terrible.

We dispersed for the night once we got home, everyone tired from the day of training and watching awful theater. After taking my hair out of its daily bun and brushing it out in the bathroom, I walked to the room I was staying in. The sight of Zuko leaning against the wall next to the door of my temporary room came into sight as I got closer, illuminated by the dim lights that still somehow worked, and I smiled. He looked up at the sound of my footsteps, returning the smile as he pushed himself off the wall and walked towards me.

“Draya, hey… I had no idea your hair was so long; I don’t think I’ve ever seen it down.” He said, his eyes roaming the long, wavy black frizz that cascaded to my lower back. I chuckled, nervously tucking some hair behind my ear before I starting to pull it back up into a bun when Zuko lightly touched my arm, causing the grip I had on my hair to loosen. “You should wear it down more often, it looks nice.” I let my hair fall again, slightly shaking my head and looking down with a small laugh, not wanting to look at him for the fear that he’d see the blush covering my cheeks.

“I’m assuming you weren’t waiting there to talk to me about my hair. Is everything alright?” I asked, trying to stray the subject away from my appearance.

“I was going to ask if you’d like to go on a walk with me. The clouds may be covering the stars, but it’s still a nice night.” His once confident demeanor fizzled as he spoke, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. I motioned to the hall in front of us.

“Lead the way.” Zuko gave a soft nod, a small smile on his face once more, as we walked outside. He led me down a path to the beach that was near his house and we walked along the shore for a while, the only sound being the waves crashing onto the sand. Even though neither of us spoke for a long time, it was comfortable; being around Zuko just felt easy. We eventually found a flat rock to sit on, and almost as suddenly as we sat down, Zuko shot back up to his feet. He ran over to some bushes behind the rock we sat at, walking back with a hand behind him. He sat next to me again, turning to face me, before holding out a wildflower; it had the most peculiar petals that hung in sections, the white of the petals vibrant from the little bits of moonlight that shone through the clouds. I took it, staring at it hesitantly before looking up at Zuko, and he chuckled slightly at the confusion that was clear on my face.

“Back when we would come here as a family, my uncle showed me where to find these flowers on the island. It’s an iris. Uncle said there used to be an abundance of them on the island, but now they’re sparce. I always thought they were the prettiest flower when I was young so when I saw the glimpse of white, I knew I had to pick it for you.” My confusion melted into a feeling I couldn’t describe. I felt in spread from my stomach to my chest, its warmth radiating to my face until I was sure I was as red as the robes he wore.

“Zuko… thank you. That’s incredibly sweet of you.” I finally looked at him, only to see his brilliant eyes already looking at me, his smile melting into them. I put the flower down carefully behind to us before extending my arms, wrapping them around his neck. Zuko instantly wrapped his arms around my torso and buried his face into my neck, my hair making it impossible for our skin to touch.

“I’m so glad to hear you like it. I know it’s just a flower but…” I leaned away from the hug, letting my hands linger on his shoulders.

“Zuko you could give me a pebble you thought looked like Appa and I’d treasure it forever.” He let out breathy laugh, turning his head a little as he did. “It’s not the gift, but the thought.” We looked into each other’s eyes, wanting to savor every bit of this moment, and as soon as I realized how close we were, Zuko spoke.

“Draya… what are we doing? What’s this between us?” His choice of words prompted me to scoot back a bit more, dropping my hands to my lap. His arms dropped next to him as we shifted awkwardly at my sudden movement.

“I- I don’t know how to answer that.” I say, my voice flat. Even I winced at my unintentional cold tone. I was only being honest; I couldn’t answer that because even I don’t know what we were doing. There’s a war going on and I’m sitting here giggling with Zuko and admiring flowers and thinking about kissing his dumb, angry mouth… wait. Zuko let out a deep sigh which brought my attention back to him, and I looked up to see him running a hand through his hair, holding his neck. He let his hand drop into his lap and turned to me. I looked down at my lap, nervous for what he might say.

“I can’t do this anymore, whatever it is. I want to be with you, Draya. I know we haven’t known each other long; I know there’s a lot going on right now. I just… can’t stop thinking about you, even when you’re nowhere near. Even before I joined the group and we officially met, something about you always stuck with me. Something about you always seemed so familiar to me, even when we were just strangers passing each other by. We can help rebuild the Fire Nation together. With you by my side, anything would be possible.” One of his hands hesitantly reached out to grab one mine, and when I finally looked up at him, I saw with the most adoring expression I’ve ever seen on someone’s face. His hand left mine to cup my cheek lightly, the warmth of his hand comforting. Before I had time to think, I closed the distance between our mouths, moving as softly I could. The kiss was short, welcoming, sweet. There was an explosion in my stomach, and I swear it felt like a twinge of lightening sparked on our lips. I bit my bottom lip nervously, not sure how Zuko felt about the kiss, as I leaned away and looked at him. He opened his eyes slowly, smiling as he rubbed his thumb softly over my pink face.

“There are a lot of things going on right now, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that there will always be a lot of things going on. Zuko…” I sigh, never letting my gaze leave his. I lift my free hand to cradle the back of his neck, giving him a small sad smile. Before I could continue, Zuko cut me off.

“I want to be with someone who likes me for me and not someone I was pretending to be, someone who reminds me that I’m not that same person when I get lost in my guilty thoughts. Someone who feels like home, a feeling I forgot about years ago. It’s how I imagined I’d feel returning to the palace after being banished and instead, it’s how I feel with you, wherever ‘here’ is in that moment. An abandoned air temple, a makeshift cliff campsite, even in a place I never thought I’d want to visit again. I’ve never had a weakness for someone quite like I have one for you.” His last sentence made me hold my breath, shocked at the fact that Prince Zuko felt this way about me. I looked away, letting my hand drop from his neck to my lap. Zuko dropped his hand from my cheek to grab one of my hands, intertwining our fingers.

“I would never fit in at the palace, Zuko. We both know that. I’m nothing but an orphaned runaway, a wannabe soldier, who’s been living in the shadows for years now.” I stared at our hands as I spoke, fully realizing what it would mean to be with someone in the royal family. If Aang defeats Firelord Ozai, who did I think would take over for him? If not Azula, then who? Zuko laughed a little, bringing my attention back to him.

“Draya, you are so much more than that. You’re a warrior, a fighter, and a caring friend. Besides, who said anything about the palace? I’m sure my uncle will want to assume the position of Firelord, considering it was his birth right. We could live here! In this house, we could fix it up…” I raised my eyebrows in shock, causing Zuko to stop. “I mean… if you want to.” I dropped his hands and turned my body, so I was facing the ocean again. I looked out at the waves before grabbing the radiating white wildflower that still sat behind me, holding the thick stem with both hands. I focused on the petals that swayed in the wind, trying to find the right words.

“Zuko, you were my first crush. None of the boys in my village made my heart flutter the same way you did that day we ran into each other. We keep meeting at very strange times in my life… I never forgot about you, just how you made me feel.”

“And how do I make you feel now?” He asked, his voice was soft and quiet; I almost didn’t hear his words over the crashing current.

“You make me feel calm, comfortable. You make me feel like I’m not just a monster, not just someone who destroys everything in her path. Just like you said, you make me feel like I’m home. And that’s a feeling I never thought I’d know.” I finally tore my eyes away from the flower and looked over at him. He was also looking at the flower, a smile decorating his lips. “I want to be with you Zuko, just… not right now. With Sozin’s comet almost here, we have bigger things to focus on. Especially if we want a future to share.” His gaze finally met mine and his smile faded slightly as he nodded.

“But Draya, what if… what if my father wins?” I scoffed, bringing a hand up to Zuko’s cheek.

“We better make sure that doesn’t happen. And if it does, then at least we have tonight.” This made him smile, before he leaned in. His lips met mine, with intensity, this kiss lasting much longer than the first. His mouth was soft and warm, causing me to melt into his touch. My hand moved from his cheek to the back of his head, letting it get lost in his soft hair. His hand found my cheek, cradling it as he deepened the kiss. We shifted so our bodies were pressed against each other, I could feel his heart beating quickly in his chest. His free hand found the small of my back, mine finding his shoulder. When we finally broke apart, we were trying to catch our breaths while we laughed quietly. Zuko placed a small kiss on my forehead before embracing me.

“At least we have tonight.” He echoed my early statement as we sat there in each other’s arms, wishing this night would never end.

#avatar #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #avatar: tla #a:tla #atla #atla fanfic #original character fic #zuko x oc #angst #slowburn

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