#turns out to be a toph skin and it just looks really bad on them . dear god

[immren]

idk.. i think i’m going to kill blizzard

> first venture skin since their release and it’s ugly as fuck

> reinhardt mythic .

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Imagine being Azula’s friend but secretly dating Zuko behind her back

One of the first things you and Azula bonded over was your annoying brothers. Azula told you how her brother had stolen one of her best friends away from her and you related to that. Your twin brother was none other than Sokka of the water tribe, who was also very popular with women. Most of the women you knew liked him, from Yue to Toph to Suki to Ty lee! It sometimes felt like you were the second attraction in a friendship and so you and Azula quickly became close over your shared frustrations.

Then....you betrayed her.

Well, betrayal is a bit dramatic but maybe not given how upset she'd been when Mai and Zuko started dating. You knew that had been hard for Azula to process.  How difficult it had been wondering if her friends really liked her or just wanted access to her brother. So when you started liking Zuko you didn’t plan on acting on it at all. Then Mai broke up with him. 

Zuko was around at yours quite often, whenever he visited the water tribe he stayed in your home and when you visited the fire nation he extended the same hospitality. So throughout the years, you just naturally got closer and closer until....it happened. You started hanging out just the two of you and these occasions felt very date-like until Zuko just outright asked you out. You liked him and told yourself one date was fine, what harm could a single date do? But then as you kept seeing each other and one date soon progressed into many many more you knew your time to do the right thing and tell Azula you were dating her brother was approaching. 

However the idea of doing that idea terrified you. You guessed Azula wouldn’t take it well and didn’t want to lose your friendship with her because of your relationship with Zuko. You wouldn’t break up with Zuko just to make her happy but you also didn’t want to lose Azula’s friendship, so when Katara’s birthday arose you were fairly nervous. There was going to be a large party and all of Katara’s friends were coming...which included Zuko and Azula. You hadn’t been together with everyone since you and Zuko started dating so you had no idea how it would feel. The whole time you and Zuko would have to convincingly act like you weren’t a couple and not make anyone at the party suspicious of the two of you. So when Zuko’s ship got in you fixed your eyes on Azula and tried not to stare at him any more than usual. You greeted him formally and didn’t admire him as you usually would. You fell in step with Azula and decided just to focus on her. It wasn’t hard, you were best friends and very close...however fate was not on your side. You got seated across from him at dinner which felt like some sick punishment and struggled not to get lulled into conversation with him. It didn’t help that Zuko was in a playful mood. He kept making comments about the things you’d done on your date and then sending you sly looks across the table. When you met his eye he smirked blatantly and you lightly kicked him under the table. That only made Zuko chuckled and look adorable so you sighed and decided to just keep your eyes down the whole time to survive dinner. 

However, Zuko had no intention of stopping his teasing. After dinner you set about preparing the party for Katara tomorrow and having sent Sokka, Aang, Suki, Azula and Toph on their assigned jobs turned to your job of decorating. You were hanging streamers in the living room when you felt a hand curl around your waist. “Need some help there?” Zuko asked moving closer and he leaned up over you to hang it. “I could have done that myself” you smiled turning to face him and Zuko shrugged “I know you could’ve, but then I wouldn’t have been able to do this”. Zuko gently kissed your neck trailing down to your collar bone making you sigh. “Zuko...stop” you said faint heartedly and Zuko sensed that smirking "I don’t want to and you don’t want me to either, I can tell by how softly you said my name" he smiled "it’s been so long since we’ve had any time together". Your skin erupted in goosebumps and a shiver went down your spine as Zuko pressed closer against you. But you knew how badly this could end if literally anyone walked in. So swiftly you grabbed Zuko’s hands and twisted your way out of them. You held them tightly in one hand so he couldn’t try and slink around you again and used the other to make him look at you "Zuko we can’t okay, not on this trip. God knows i want to, i’ve missed you too but there’s too much that could go wrong i’m sorry". Zuko sighed but nodded his head "don’t worry i understand". Zuko’s shoulders sagged and you knew your insistance on keeping this quiet was difficult for him. "Thank you for understanding" you said hugging him quickly "i know it can’t be easy for you and I appreciate the effort you're going to for me". Zuko smiled resting his head on top of yours "it’s fine, i’d do a lot more for you if you asked but promise me it won’t always be like this....we will tell everyone soon?". You gulped but nodded pulling away "i promise, i will tell Azula...soon!". Zuko nodded “I believe you” and let his hands drop away from you. Not a moment later Sokka and Aang appeared in the room making the two of you jump. “Zuko just the man we need! We were thinking of making an ice sculpture, fancy some fire bending?”. Zuko nodded “sure” and with a last glance to you left the room. 

Hours later the party preparations finished you returned to your room which you were sharing with Azula for her visit. “Sokka made me blow up balloons” she said angrily “something about fire benders being full of hot air”. You smirked at your brother’s nerve when Azula’s next sentence wiped it off your face.  "Also I think Zuko’s dating someone again" Azula said softly and you paused. "Ow really?" you asked and she nodded "he’s been spending a suspicious amount of time in the southern water tribe lately. Lots of visits which he claims are diplomatic but I can’t work out what he actually does here! He doesn’t know that many people and so it got me thinking, y/n do you think your brother and mine....". "No Sokka's still with Suki" you said shaking your head. Azula sighed “and it’s obviously not Katara, she and Aang are basically married, have you seen him hanging around anyone else? He doesn’t know many people so it should be easy to spot". You paused pretending to think but were really just trying to buy yourself time. "Honestly i don’t pay much attention to him when he visits" you said cleverly covering your back "but i will from now on and let you know". "Thank you y/n" Azula smiled. You smiled back relieved Azula didn’t suspect anything and let out a large breath you’d been holding for this entire conversation. You were now more than ready for sleep and got into bed hurriedly. You laid your head on your pillow and closed your eyes utterly exhausted. 

"Goodnight y/n" Azula called and you nodded. You were very sleepy and after a long yawn smiled "good night Zuko".

You realised the name you’d said seconds after it came out of your mouth. 

You froze

As did azula.

"Did you just call me Zuko...". You blinked "did i? I’m sure i said Azula". Azula was quiet for 2 seconds before she shot up "it’s you!" she cried "you're the one my brother’s dating!". "No Azula that’s crazy!!! We'd just been discussing Zuko, that’s why he was on my mind!". Azula shook her head "you're lying! I can tell by the tone of your voice! You’re the new girlfriend aren’t you?". You sighed "Azula i’m sorry i was going to tell you...". "I can’t believe you" Azula yelled and suddenly the door opened. "What’s wrong?" Sokka and Zuko asked bursting in “we heard yelling” and Azula glared. "You! Couldn't just have Mai huh? Had to take another one of my friends? How about when you’re done with y/n you try things with Ty lee?". "Ow she told you...." Zuko frowned awkwardly. "No i worked it out!” Azula spat “Y/n accidentally uttered your name because she’s so lovesick" Azula cried "you both make me sick" and she strode away slamming the front door hard as she exited the house.

After Azula left you all looked at one another unsure what to do or say next. "So...you two are a thing?" Sokka asked and Zuko paused "yes...is your reaction going to be as bad as Azula’s or can i go deal with her?". Sokka shook his head "go deal with her before she burns the village down”. Zuko went to move past Sokka when your brother put a hand to his chest "but come back and see me after, me and Katara will want to talk to you about dating our sister". Zuko surprisingly looked intimidated and nodded "I'll be right back". "Zuko wait i should come too" you called "this is as much my fault as yours". Zuko nodded "let’s go" and led you outside into the cold night after Azula.

You found Azula trekking in the snow and as she wasn’t in proper shoes you gained on her quickly. “Azula!” you called and she jumped. She looked around and glared “ow look the happy couple, how nice of you to grace me with your presence”. Zuko rolled his eyes “only you’d be so attention-seeking to make this about you”. “Attention seeking? Who’s the person who can’t form his own friendships or respect boundaries? No always have to date my friends, is it some weird way for you to gain power over me? A sad way to boost your ego?”. As Zuko and Azula went to square up to each other you stepped between them. “Alright enough the both of you! Zuko please go back to the house, i’ll handle this”. “But she...”. “Zuko please” you said sharply and he nodded “fine” and with a glare left. You watched him go before turning back to Azula. You’d been about to suggest you go home given that Azula was surely freezing out here in the middle of the night but Azula broke into a rant. "Everyone leaves me for him" she cried "Mai! My uncle! Mother! Even my father...after i was smarter, a better fire bender, more loyal and younger he still gave Zuko every little chance and only crowned me after Zuko literally ran away! When will i be good enough people don’t just choose him without a second thought for me?". "Azula i didn’t choose Zuko over you! Just because i like Zuko doesn’t mean i don’t like you still". "That may be true but this changes our friendship completely, it did with Mai! People always prioritise their partners over their friends so i’ll be second best once again". "Are you kidding?" you asked "Azula now i need you more than ever! Relationships aren’t when you ditch your friends, they’re when you need them the most! Who else are you going to go to for a break or a nice getaway? Who else is going to support and love you in only the platonic way a friend can? Who else can i complain about Zuko to when he annoys me or we fight?" you asked "they’re all things you need your friends for! Desperately and that’s going to be the same for me". "But when Mai dated him...". "But i’m not Mai" you smiled softly "Azula we are good friends, i won’t sideline you because of this. You mean just as much to me now as before i started dating Zuko". Azula huffed but you could see her melting. "So...how about we go inside, get some warm milk and talk a bit more about this huh?". You offered Azula your hand and she took it but she didn’t stop there. Azula threw her arms around you and hugged you tightly. "I’m partly doing this for the cold but thank you" she said softly "nobodies ever tried to make me feel supported when they've chosen Zuko, they just tell me to deal with it but you’re the first to try and reassure me and so i know you mean it, to still be my friend". "Of course" you smiled "you're my best friend!". Azula smiled and linked her arm through yours "i like that!”. 

Zuko stared in awe as you and Azula returned grinning. "How did it go is everything okay?". You nodded "your extremely cool sister is fine with it". "Yes i thought this would be a great way to have an inside scoop on you zuzu". "She’s kidding i won’t talk to her about you...a lot". Zuko blinked "okay if everything's okay then i should go speak to Sokka and Katara, they’re waiting for me in the kitchen". Azula smiled "that’s a good idea, when you come back zuzu find me, i have some threats about what will happen if you hurt my best friend". You smiled at Azula and stepped to Zuko "good luck but don’t worry Sokka’s all bite, Katara’s the one to look out for but she has a big heart, just tell her how good a time we’ve had and you’ll be fine". "Good tips, any for my sister?". You smiled "Azula is one i have not worked out yet" you grinned "but i’m sure you’ll manage, you are the firelord after all". Zuko smirked and you patted his shoulder "after your appointment with my brother and sister and then your sister....you could always come find me in your room?". Zuko smiled "is that my motivation for surviving this?". You shrugged "you can think of it as that" and stepped away from him. Zuko watched you before sighing "alright let’s get this over with” he said loudly and strode towards the kitchen.

You turned back to Azula who raised an eyebrow at Zuko’s sudden confidence and she frowned. "Do i even want to know?" Azula asked and you shook your head "no". “Ow and don’t worry if I’m not in our room tonight”. “Euch Y/n!” Azula cried and you shrugged “what? I didn’t say why”. “I know why” she sighed before she smiled “at least I can have your bigger bed”. “Be my guest” you smiled, you had a firelord to get reacquainted with. 

[army-of-mai-lovers]

in which I get progressively angrier at the various tropes of atla fandom misogyny

tbh I think it would serve all of us to have a larger conversation about the specific ways misogyny manifests in this fandom, because I’ve seen a lot of people who characterize themselves as feminists, many of whom are women themselves, discuss the female characters of atla/lok in misogynistic ways, and people don’t talk about it enough. 

disclaimer before I start: I’m not a woman, I’m an afab nonbinary person who is semi-closeted and thus often read as a woman. I’m speaking to things that I’ve seen that have made me uncomfy, but if any women (esp women existing along other axes of oppression, e.g. trans women, women of color, disabled women, etc) want to add onto this post, please do!

“This female character is a total badass but I’m not even a little bit interested in exploring her as a human being.” 

I’ve seen a lot of people say of various female characters in atla/lok, “I love her! She’s such a badass!” now, this statement on its own isn’t misogynistic, but it represents a pretty pervasive form of misogyny that I’ve seen leveled in large part toward the canon female love interests of one or both of the members of a popular gay ship (*cough* zukka *cough*) I’m going to use Suki as an example of this because I see it with her most often, but it can honestly be applied to nearly every female character in atla/lok. Basically, people will say that they stan Suki, but when it comes time to engage with her as an actual character, they refuse to do it. I’ve seen meta after meta about Zuko’s redemption arc, but I so rarely see people engage with Suki on any level beyond “look at this cool fight scene!” and yeah, I love a cool Suki fight scene as much as anybody else, but I’m also interested in meta and headcanons and fics about who she is as a person, when she isn’t an accessory to Sokka’s development or doing something cool. of course, the material for this kind of engagement with Suki is scant considering she doesn’t have a canon backstory (yet) (don’t let me down Faith Erin Hicks counting on you girl) but with the way I’ve seen people in this fandom expand upon canon to flesh out male characters, I know y’all have it in you to do more with Suki, and with all the female characters, than you currently do. frankly, the most engagement I’ve seen with Suki in mainstream fandom is justifying either zukki (which again, is characterizing her in relation to male characters, one of whom she barely interacts with in canon) or one of the Suki wlw pairings. which brings me to--

“I conveniently ship this female character whose canon love interest is one of the members of my favorite non-canon ship with another female character! gay rights!” 

now, I will admit, two of my favorite atla ships are yueki and mailee, and so I totally understand being interested in these characters’ dynamics, even if, as is the case with yueki, they’ve never interacted canonically. however, it becomes a problem for me when these ships are always in the background of a zukka fic. at some point, it becomes obvious that you like this ship because it gets either Zuko or Sokka’s female love interests out of the way, not because you actually think the characters would mesh well together. It’s bad form to dislike a female character because she gets in the way of your gay ship, so instead, you find another girl to pair her off with and call it a day. to be clear, I’m not saying that everybody who ships either mailee or yueki (or tysuki or maisuki or yumai or whatever other wlw rarepair involving Zuko or Sokka’s canon love interests) is nefariously trying to sideline a female character while acting publicly as if she’s is one of their faves--far from it--but it is noteworthy to me how difficult it is to find content that centers wlw ships, while it’s incredibly easy to find content that centers zukka in which mailee and/or yueki plays a background role. 

also, notice how little traction wlw Katara ships gain in this fandom. when’s the last time you saw yuetara on your dash? there’s no reason for wlw Katara ships to gain traction in a fandom that is so focused on Zuko and Sokka getting together, bc she doesn’t present an immediate obstacle to that goal (at least, not an obstacle that can be overcome by pairing her up with a woman). if you are primarily interested in Zuko and Sokka’s relationship, and your queer readings of other female characters are motivated by a desire to get them out of the way for zukka, then Katara’s canon m/f relationship isn’t a threat to you, and thus, there’s no reason to read her as potentially queer. Or even, really, to think about her at all. 

“Katara’s here but she’s not actually going to do anything, because deep down, I’m not interested in her as a person.” 

the show has an enormous amount of textual evidence to support the claim that Sokka and Katara are integral parts of each other’s lives. so, she typically makes some kind of appearance in zukka content. sometimes, her presence in the story is as an actual character with layers and nuance, someone whom Sokka cares about and who cares about Sokka in return, but also has her own life and goals outside of her brother (or other male characters, for that matter.) sometimes, however, she’s just there because halfway through writing the author remembered that Sokka actually has a sister who’s a huge part of the show they’re writing fanfiction for, and then they proceed to show her having a meetcute with Aang or helping Sokka through an emotional problem, without expressing wants or desires outside of those characters. I’m honestly really surprised that I haven’t seen more people calling out the fact that so much of Katara’s personality in fanon revolves around her connections to men? she’s Aang’s girlfriend, she’s Sokka’s sister, she’s Zuko’s bestie. never mind that in canon she spends an enormous amount of time fighting against (anachronistic, Westernized) sexism to establish herself as a person in her own right, outside of these connections. and that in canon she has such interesting complex relationships with other female characters (e.g. Toph, Kanna, Hama, Korra if you want to write lok content) or that there are a plethora of characters with whom she could have interesting relationships with in fanon (Mai, Suki, Ty Lee, Yue, Smellerbee, and if you want to write lok content, Kya II, Lin, Asami, Senna, etc). to me, the lack of fandom material exploring Katara’s relationships with other women or with herself speak to a profound indifference to Katara as a character. I’m not saying you have to like Katara or include her in everything you write, but I am asking you to consider why you don’t find her interesting outside of her relationships with men.

“I hate Katara because she talks about her mother dying too often.” 

this is something I’ve seen addressed by people far more qualified than I to address it, but I want to mention it here in part because when I asked people which fandom tropes they wanted me to talk about, this came up often, but also because I find it really disgusting that this is a thing that needs to be addressed at all. Y’all see a little girl who watched her mother be killed by the forces of an imperialist nation and say that she talks about it too much??? That is a formational, foundational event in a child’s life. Of course she’s going to talk about it. I’ve seen people say that she doesn’t talk about it that often, or that she only talks about it to connect with other victims of fn imperialism e.g. Jet and Haru, but frankly, she could speak about it every episode for no plot-significant reason whatsoever and I would still be angry to see people say she talks about it too much. And before you even bring up the Sokka comparison, people deal with grief in different ways. Sokka  repressed a lot of his grief/channeled it into being the “man” of his village because he knew that they would come for Katara next if he gave them the opportunity. he probably would talk about his mother more if a) he didn’t feel massive guilt at not being able to remember what she looked like, and b) he was allowed to be a child processing the loss of his mother instead of having to become a tiny adult when Hakoda had to leave to help fight the fn. And this gets into an intersection with fandom racism, in that white fans (esp white American fans) are incapable of relating to the structural trauma that both Sokka and Katara experience and thus can’t see the ways in which structural trauma colors every single aspect of both of their characters, leading them to flatten nuance and to have some really bad takes. And you know what, speaking of bad fandom takes--   

“Shitting on Mai because she gets in the way of my favorite Zuko ship is actually totally okay because she’s ~abusive~” 

y’all WHAT. 

ok listen, I get not liking maiko. I didn’t like it when I first got into fandom, and later I realized that while bryke cannot write romance to save their lives, fans who like maiko sure can, so I changed my tune. but if you still don’t like it, that’s fine. no skin off my back. 

what IS skin off my back is taking instances in which Mai had justified anger toward Zuko, and turning it into “Mai abused Zuko.” do you not realize how ridiculous you sound? this is another thing where I get so angry about it that I don’t know how useful my analysis is actually going to be, but I’ll do my best. numerous people have noted how analysis of Mai and Zuko’s breakup in “The Beach” or Mai being justifiably angry with him at Boiling Rock or her asking for FUCKING FRUIT in “Nightmares and Daydreams” that says that all of these events were her trying to gain control over him is....ahhh...lacking in reading comprehension, but I’d like to go a step further and talk about why y’all are so intent on taking down a girl who doesn’t show emotion in normative ways. obviously, there’s a “Zuko can do no wrong” aspect to Mai criticism (which is super weird considering how his whole arc is about how he can do lots of wrong and he has to atone for the wrong that he’s done--but that’s a separate post.) But I also see slandering Mai for not expressing her emotions normatively and not putting up with Zuko’s shit and slandering Katara for “talking about her mother too often” as two sides of the same coin. In both cases, a female character expresses emotions that make you, the viewer, uncomfortable, and so instead of attempting to understand where those emotions may have come from and why they might be manifesting the way they are, y’all just throw the whole character away. this is another instance of people in the fandom being fundamentally disinterested in engaging with the female characters of atla in a real way, except instead of shallowly “stanning” Mai, y’all hate her. so we get to this point where female characters are flattened into one of two things: perfect queens who can do no wrong, or bitches. and that’s not who they are. that’s not who anyone is. but while we as a fandom are pretty good at understanding b1 Zuko’s actions as layered and multifaceted even though he’s essentially an asshole then, few are willing to lend the same grace to any female character, least of all Mai. 

and what’s funny is sometimes this trope will intersect with “I conveniently ship this female character whose canon love interest is one of the members of my favorite non-canon ship with another female character! gay rights!”, so you’ll have someone actively calling Mai toxic/problematic/abusive, and at the same time ship her with Ty Lee? make it make sense! but then again, maybe that’s happening because y’all are fundamentally disinterested in Ty Lee as a character too. 

“I love Ty Lee so much that I’m going to treat her like an infantilized hypersexual airhead!” 

there are so many things happening in y’alls characterization of Ty Lee that I struggled to synthesize it into one quippy section header. on one hand, you have the hypersexualization, and on the other hand, you have the infantilization, which just makes the hypersexualization that much worse. 

(of course, sexualizing or hypersexualizing ANY atla character is really not the move, considering that these are child characters in a children’s show, but then again, that’s a separate post.) 

now, I understand how, from a very, very surface reading of the text, you could come to the conclusion that Ty Lee is an uncomplicated bimbo. if you grew up on Western media the way I did, you’ll know that Ty Lee has a lot of the character traits we associate with bimbos: the form-fitting pink crop top, the general conventional attractiveness, the ditzy dialogue. but if you think about it for more than three seconds, you’ll understand that Ty Lee has spent her whole life walking a tightrope, trying to please Azula and the rest of the royal family while also staying true to herself. Ty Lee and Azula’s relationship is a really complex and interesting topic that I don’t really have time to explore at the moment given how long this post is, but I’d argue that Ty Lee’s constant, vocal  adulation is at least partially a product of learning to survive at court at an early age. Like Mai, she has been forced to regulate her emotions as a member of fn nobility, but unlike Mai, she also has six sisters who look exactly like her, so she has a motivation to be more peppy and more affectionate to stand out. 

fandom does not do the work to understand Ty Lee. as is a theme with this post, fandom is actively disinterested in investigating female characters beyond a very surface level reading of them. Thus, fandom takes Ty Lee’s surface level qualities--her love of the color pink, her revealing standard outfit, and the fact that once she found a boy attractive and also once a lot of boys found her attractive--and they stretch this into “Ty Lee is basically Karen Smith from Mean Girls.” thus, Ty Lee is painted as a bimbo, or more specifically, as not smart, uncritically adoring of Azula (did y’all forget all the non-zukka bits of Boiling Rock?), and attractive to the point of hypersexualization. I saw somebody make a post that was like “I wish mailee was more popular but I’m also glad it isn’t because otherwise people would write it as Mai having to put up with her dumb gf” and honestly I have to agree!! this is one instance in which I’m glad that fandom doesn’t discuss one of my favorite characters that often because I hate the fanon interpretation of Ty Lee, I think it’s rooted in misogyny (particularly misogyny against East Asian women, which often takes the form of fetishizing them and viewing them only through a Western white male gaze)  

(side note: here at army-of-mai-lovers, we stan bimbos. bimbos are fucking awesome. I personally don’t read Ty Lee as a bimbo, but if that’s you, that’s fucking awesome. keep doing what you’re doing, queen <3 or king or monarch, it’s 2021, anyone can be a bimbo, bitches <3)

“Toph can and will destroy everyone here with her bare hands because she’s a meathead who likes to murder people and that’s it!”  

Toph is, and always has been, one of my favorite ATLA characters. My very first fic in fandom was about her, and she appears prominently in a lot of my other work as well. One thing that I am always struck by with Toph is how big a heart she has. She’s independent, yes, snarky, yes, but she cares about people--even the family that forced her to make herself smaller because they didn’t believe that their blind daughter could be powerful and strong. Her storyline is powerful and emotionally resonant, her bending is cool precisely because it’s based in a “wait and listen” approach instead of just smashing things indiscriminately, she’s great disabled rep, and overall one of the best characters in the show. 

And in fandom, she gets flattened into “snarky murder child.” 

So where does this come from? Well, as we all know, Toph was originally conceived of as a male character, and retained a lot of androgyny (or as the kids call it, Gender) when she was rewritten as a female character. There are a lot of cultural ideas about androgynous/butch women being violent, and people in fandom seem to connect that larger cultural narrative with some of Toph’s more violent moments in the show to create the meathead murder child trope, erasing her canon emotionality, softness, heart, and femininity in the process. 

This is not to say that you shouldn’t write or characterize Toph as being violent or snarky at all ever, because yeah, Toph definitely did do Earth Rumbles a lot before joining the gaang, and yeah, Toph is definitely a sarcastic person who makes fun of her friends a lot. What I am saying is that people take these traits, sans the emotional logic, marry them to their conception of androgynous/butch women as violent/unemotional/uncaring, and thus create a caricature of Toph that is not at all up to snuff. When I see Toph as a side character in a fic (because yeah, Toph never gets to be a main character, because why would a fandom obsessed with one male character in particular ever make Toph a protagonist in her own right?) she’s making fun of people, killing people, pranking people, etc, etc. She’s never talking to people about her emotions, or palling around with her found family, or showing that she cares about her friends. Everything about her relationship with her parents, her disability, her relationship to Gender, and her love of her friends is shoved aside to focus on a version of Toph that is mean and uncaring because people have gotten it into their heads that androgynous/butch women are mean and uncaring. 

again, we see a female character who does not emote normatively or in a way that makes you, the viewer, comfortable, and so you warp her character until she’s completely unrecognizable and flat. and for what? 

Azula

no, I didn’t come up with a snappy name for this section, mainly because fanon interpretations of Azula and my own feelings toward the character are...complicated. I know there were some people who wanted me to write about Azula and the intersection of misogyny and ableism in fanon interpretations of her character, but I don’t think I can deliver on that because I personally am in a period of transition with how I see Azula. that is to say, while I still like her and believe that she can be redeemed, there is a lot of merit to disliking her. the whole point of this post is that the female characters of ATLA are complex people whom the fandom flattens into stereotypes that don’t hold up to scrutiny, or dislike for reasons that don’t make sense. Azula, however, is a different case. the rise of Azula defenders and Azula stans has led to this sentiment that Azula is a 14 y/o abuse victim who shouldn’t be held accountable for her actions. it seems to me that people are reacting to a long, horrible legacy of male ATLA fans armchair diagnosing Azula with various personality disorders (and suggesting that people with those personality disorders are inherently monstrous and unlovable which ahhhh....yikes) and then saying that those personality disorders make her unlovable, which is quite obviously bad. and hey, I get loving a character that everyone else hates and maybe getting so swept up in that love that you forget that your fave is complicated and has made some unsavory choices. it sucks that fanon takes these well-written, complex villains/antiheroes and turns them into monsters with no critical thought whatsoever. but the attitude among Azula stans that her redemption shouldn’t be hard, that her being a child excuses all of the bad things that she’s done, that she is owed redemption....all of that rubs me the wrong way. I might make another post about this in the future that discusses this in more depth, but as it stands now: while I understand that there is a legacy of misogynistic, ableist, unnuanced takes on Azula, the backlash to that does not take into account the people she hurt or the fact that in ATLA she does not make the choice to pursue redemption. and yes, Zuko had help in making that choice that Azula didn’t, and yes, Azula is a victim of abuse, but in a show about children who have gone through untold horrors and still work to better the lives of the people around them, that is not enough for me to uncritically stan her. 

Conclusion    

misogyny in this fandom runs rampant. while there are some tropes of fandom misogyny that are well-documented and have been debunked numerous times, there are other, subtler forms of misogyny that as far as I know have gone completely unchecked. 

what I find so interesting about misogyny in atla fandom is that it’s clear that it’s perpetrated by people who are aware of fandom misogyny who are actively trying not to be misogynistic. when I first joined atla fandom last summer, memes about how zukka fandom was better than every other fandom because they didn’t hate the female characters who got in the way of their gay ship were extremely prevalent, and there was this sense that *this* fandom was going to model respectful, fun, feminist online fandom. not all of the topes I’ve outlined are exclusive to or even largely utilized in zukka fandom, but a lot of them are. I’ve been in and out of fandom since I was eleven years old, and most of the fandom spaces I’ve been in have been majority-female, and all of them have been incredibly misogynistic. and I always want to know why. why, in these communities created in large part by women, in large part for women, does misogyny run wild? what I realize now is that there’s never going to be a one-size fits all answer to that question. what’s true for 1D fandom on Wattpad in 2012 is absolutely not true for atla fandom on tumblr in 2021. the answers that I’ve cobbled together for previous fandoms don’t work here. 

so, why is atla fandom like this? why did the dream of a feminist fandom almost entirely focused on the romantic relationship between two male characters fall apart? honestly, I think the notion that zukka fandom ever was this way was horrifically ignorant to begin with. from my very first moment in the fandom, I was seeing racism, widespread sexualization of minors, and yes, misogyny. these aspects of the fandom weren’t talked about as much as the crocverse or other, much more fun aspects. further, atla (specifically zukka) fandom misogyny often doesn’t look like the fandom misogyny we’ve become familiar with from like, Sherlock fandom or what have you. for the most part, people don’t actively hate Suki, they just “stan” without actually caring about her. they hate Mai because they believe in treating male victims of abuse equally. they’re not characterizing Toph poorly, they’re writing her as a “strong woman.” in short, people are misogynistic, and then invoke a shallow, incomplete interpretation of feminist theory to shield themselves from accusations of misogyny. it’s not unlike the way some people will invoke a shallow, incomplete interpretation of critical race theory to shield themselves from accusations of racism, or how they’ll talk about “freedom of speech” and “the suppression of women’s sexuality” to justify sexualizing minors. the performance of feminism and antiracism is what’s important, not the actual practice. 

if you’ve made it this far, first off, hi, thanks so much for reading, I know this was a lot. second, I would seriously encourage you to be aware of these fandom tropes and to call them out when you see them. elevate the voices of fans who do the work of bringing the female characters of atla to life. invest in the wlw ships in this fandom. drop a kudos and a comment on a rangshi fic (please, drop a kudos and a comment on a rangshi fic). read some yuetara. let’s all be honest about where we are now, and try to do better in the future. I believe in us. 

[milf-harrington]

AU 12 trope 2 prompt 2

Babysitter!au, enemies to lovers, “fuck. fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit. Fuck.”

i don't think this is quite enemies to lovers but i tried

Izumi always got a little too excited whenever Zuko wouldn’t be home, because it meant he’d have to call her babysitter. And Izumi loved her babysitter.

Zuko didn’t.

(And it absolutely wasn’t because he was jealous that his daughter seemed to like this guy better than him, Mai, it wasn’t.

...Okay maybe a little, but come on, could you blame him? Whenever he had to part from his daughter she practically threw a party.)

But, he had a last minute work function that was apparently mandatory, and Sokka was basically his only choice whenever he had to be away because all of his friends worked with him.

And, as much as Zuko disliked Sokka, he still tried to be polite and always made sure the house was at least tidy when he was coming over. Unfortunately, when Zuko said the function was last minute he really meant last minute, as in i-was-going-to-watch-spiderman-with-my-kid-until-my-boss-called-to-tell-me-that-i-have-to-be-there-in-an-hour last minute. Izumi had even been upset when she’d heard, only managing a smile when he told her Sokka would watch spiderman with her instead.

So, Zuko was still trying to wash the dishes, get dressed, and put something on for dinner all at the same time when there was a knock at the door and he jumped in surprise, dropping the plate he’d been scrubbing back in the sink and splashing soapy water all over the shirt he’d just put on. And the bench. And the floor. Which of course he slipped on and barely managed to catch himself on the counter, where he promptly slammed his hip bone into it

“Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit. Fuck.” He cursed, pressing a still-wet hand to his hip and feeling warm water soak through the material of his jeans, his hair coming out of the bun he’d carefully tied it into and falling around his face. The ends were damp, small foamy bubbles hanging on and smearing against his cheek uncomfortably. He could hear the faint hiss of bubbles popping in his ear.

Agni Zuko hated his life.

Distantly he heard Izumi letting Sokka in, the 11 year old traitorously admitting that “dad’s kinda stressed right now” but he didn’t really register it as he stubbornly swallowed back his tears of frustration and pain, finding himself wishing (not for the first time) that he wasn’t an angry crier.

He dropped his head onto the counter, wincing when his hair instantly soaked up any surrounding water and heaved a deep sigh, suddenly exhausted.

“Hey- woah, Zuko, you okay?”

Zuko didn’t even bother looking up, his hand still pressed to his hip despite the pain having faded to a dull throb. “I hate everything.” He mumbled, not sure whether to smile or scowl at the answering laugh.

“Do you need a hand?”

In an absolutely mortifying turn of events, the simple question had Zuko bursting into tears.

Agni, when was the last time someone genuinely offered to help him? Azula only ever seemed to come over to snark at him and judge his organization system, and Mai and Ty Lee had been busy planning their wedding so he didn’t blame them for not visiting.

“Hey, hey it’s okay.” Sokka’s voice was suddenly closer, warm and gentle, softening a bit when he asked Izumi to grab a towel for him, and maybe a fancy shirt.

But Sokka- Sokka was always helping.

Sure, Zuko kind of paid him to. But he paid him to make sure his daughter didn’t die or get kidnapped- not for washing the dishes when Zuko forgot to, or for helping Izumi change the sheets on her bed when she spilled water on them, or even for helping her put together a school project.

It had infuriated Zuko at first, feeling like Sokka thought he wasn’t capable of doing it himself, like it was some kind of passive aggressive way of saying “you’re a bad dad”. But after stumbling home one night, exhausted and cranky and hungry, and finding a plate of food that Sokka had made for him sitting on the bench, still warm like he’d made it in time for Zuko to get home, he’d had to admit that maybe Sokka wasn’t awful.

And now he was there, gently pulling Zuko into his chest and wiping the counter down with his other hand, and then asking Izumi something when she passed him a shirt.

“Hey Zuko? You grab this and go put it on okay?”

Zuko, feeling mortified and stressed, just took the shirt and left, peeling the wet one off once he was in the safety of his bedroom. Beneath the rustling of fabric and whispered curse, he could hear the clinking of dishes, water sloshing and dripping followed by the bright laugh of his daughter.

By the time he made it back out, shirt tucked into his almost-dry pants and hair a lot neater, the dishes were washed and put away, and Izumi was sitting at the bench, kicking her legs and chattering away about her science class while Sokka grated cheese - likely for the pasta Zuko had left on the stove.

Once they saw he was okay, and Zuko had awkwardly explained he’d just been overwhelmed, the two of them had practically shoved him out the door with promises to leave him some pasta for when he got home.

Several hours of boring small talk (and snide comments shared between him, Mai and Toph), Zuko finally crept back through the front door, tired and hungry because none of the food served at the function had looked edible. Other than the tv, the only light was in the kitchen, greeting him with a warm glow as he gently placed his keys down on the bench.

Sokka was curled up on the couch still when Zuko got there, saying something about pasta in the microwave and laughing when Zuko cringed at how loud the buttons sounded in the post-midnight quiet.

They sat next to each other in companionable silence, spiderman: into the spiderverse still in the process of wrapping up when Sokka shuffled a little closer.

"How was the work thing?"

Zuko looked up in surprise, fork paused part way to his mouth. "Uh- boring, mostly. Other than when my friend Toph tripped this jerk out of the door and pulled the blind card to get out of trouble."

Sokka snorted, shooting Zuko an amused look before turning back to the screen, the colours reflecting in his eyes and over his skin. Zuko was struck with the sudden realisation that Sokka was actually kind of beautiful.

Carefully, he turned his gaze back to his pasta, swallowing down the sudden unexpected yearning that filled him. It was almost jarring to go from hating someone, to kind of tolerating them because they were kind, to realising that they were beautiful and smiled nice and were willing to hug you just because you were crying over spilled dish water.

"Hey, uh, Zuko?"

Zuko looked up, raising an eyebrow at Sokka who was for some reason avoiding eye contact. Which, actually, was fair because Zuko fucking hated eye contact anyway.

"If this is totally out of line you can tell me to piss off but, uh, I was wondering if you'd maybe want to get lunch with me? Whenever you're free next. You can bring Izumi, obviously." Sokka glanced at him for a second before looking away again, clearly nervous. Zuko's heart tripped, and he realised he was just sitting there without answering.

"I-" yknow what? Fuck it. "Yeah, sure. I'd like that."

[raewritez]

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.

[asciendo]

In too Deep

Your friends with benefits with Zuko was the best distraction from the upcoming battle with Ozai and Azula. 

But what happens when you slowly begin to catch feelings for Zuko but Sokka sets him up on a date?

It’s been six months since you and Zuko started your little fling. Both of you were the newest members of Team Avatar, Zuko being the redeeming Fire Prince and you being the daughter of a banished Fire Nation general who Zuko and Sokka rescued from the Boling Rock along with Sukki and Sokka’s dad. You’ve known Zuko since you were children but never interacted that much.

Both of you got on each other’s nerves at the start, both being stubborn on how to teach Aang how to fire bend. You knew deep down Zuko was meant to be Aang’s fire bending teacher but that didn’t mean your suggestions didn’t matter.

“I told you, you should teach him to learn how to flow with the energy, not just shoot fire out!” You rolled your eyes as Zuko huffed with a confused Aang stuck in a bending stance behind him.

“He has to learn how to hit his target, am I right?” Zuko marched towards you as you both continued to argue.

“Uhm, I feel like you both have good points, ha ha ha” Aang was always in the middle of your arguments and tried to defuse them, but he knew trying to control two hot heads was almost as difficult as defeating Fire Lord Ozai.

Your argument continued as Aang fell asleep, tired of waiting for his lessons to resume as you and Zuko were almost at each other’s throats, which resulted in Zuko shooting a fire ball on the tree where Sokka was sleeping. “HEY!”

“See! Look what you made me do!”

“What I made you do?! You threw that fireball all on your own!”

“If you hadn’t interrupted my training with Aang, we would be done by now!”

“If you just listened to someone else’s suggestions, Aang would be a better fire bender!” You and Zuko were literally in each other’s faces now, the only thing missing was smoke coming out of your ears as both of you were fuming at one another.

“If you weren’t such a know it all, I would never have gotten angry!”

“Well, you should learn to control your temper!” At your last outburst, both of you stormed off on your own.

“Am I ever gonna learn fire bending?” Aang sighed as he laid on the ground in defeat.

It seemed almost impossible for you two to start your fling, but one night you were practicing your bending on your own, then you suddenly heard footsteps behind you. Zuko.

“What do you want?” You rolled your eyes as Zuko approached you. “You have to let me teach Aang on my terms. I’m his teacher, not you.”

“I’m not trying to be his teacher, you’re just not teaching him everything.” you hated how he made you feel small and less capable, you knew you were a strong bender, almost beating Azula in a match once, and Zuko made you feel like your abilities weren’t good enough.

“I don’t need your help.” Zuko growled as he stepped closer to you. “What? Your ego can’t take a few suggestions, Prince Zuko?” His eyes narrowed at his title and he stepped closer to you till your back was against a tree. “Don’t call me that.” he said through gritted teeth.

“Why? What are you gonna do?” You teased and Zuko’s face turned into a scowl. Suddenly he was closer to you and your faces were almost touching. His exppression turned from anger to softness and you chucked nervously at how silent he became.

, “Zu—“ before you could finish Zuko’s lips were on yours.

You shot back in shock as you couldn’t believe what was happening. Your relationship with Zuko was more of a complicated one, filled with banter yet, deep understanding with your somewhat common past. Of course you found him attractive, with his shagy black hair, toned body and gold, piercing eyes, but you never thought anything like this would happen between the two of you. “Y/N..I-I’m so—“ this time, before he could finish, you crashed your lips on his. You didn’t know what it was but it just felt right, being with him in this way. His lips were chapped but still soft, although as the kiss went deeper you could feel the intensity in the way he grabbed your back and how you tangled your fingers in his hair.

That started your secret “fling” as you called it. Both of you didn’t want the others to know as they were just getting used to the idea of having two fire benders on Team Avatar. They didn’t suspect a thing as your bickering didn’t stop, but at night Zuko would secretly slip in your tent and you two would spend the night together. This happened every night ever since.

You noticed Zuko change a little bit towards you. He took your suggestions when he was teaching Aang seriously and on missions he’d always make sure he was near you.

There were moments when the both of you would sneak off while the gang was distracted, it was easy since you mostly camped out in the open.

You and Zuko would find an empty cave or under a tree far away and you’d get lost in each other.

Those nights when he’d have nightmares of his father, you’d be the one to comfort him. The same with you when you’d dream about your father, who you haven’t seen since you left the Fire Nation. It scared you how vulnerable the both of you were with one another.

One day, when you were bickering, Zuko went too far and made a snarky comment about your father. You looked at him with not just anger, but with fear, you were letting him in. You backed away and left the camp for a bit. He didn’t say anything that horrible, you were mean to him too. You questioned him about betraying Iroh and he replied by calling you out for not fighting hard enough to stay with your family.

It was true, you could have been in hiding with them, but you wanted to do something more for the world. You weren’t hurt by his words, but terrified how it was so easy for you to hurt each other, your fling was supposed to be something fun and to forget about the stress of trying to save the world.

You were in your tent, trying to sleep but failing. The sound of someone crawling into your tent startled you, but you already knew it was him.

“I’m sorry.” You didn’t move, you pressed your eyes shut and tried to pretend as if you didn’t hear him.

“I know you’re not asleep, Y/N.” He lowered down and was sitting next to you, “I said I was sorry alright?” his voice was low but husky and you could her traces of desperation.

“No.”

“What do you want me to say, I’ll say it!”

“Shhh! Are you crazy!” You sat up and attempted to cover his mouth but he dodged your hand. “I’m sorry, okay? I was a jerk, I didn’t mean it.” he looked into your eyes and you knew he was genuine. You weren’t being fair to him, you’re not hurt by his words but scared about what you were starting to feel for him. “You just...you just rile me up so much and my temper...you know how I get and I say things I don’t mean...I shouldn’t be that way towards you, I’ll tell Aang you can teach himsometimes..” you stared at him with such confusion, he was rambling. He only rambles when he’s nervous, and he was nervous with you.

“Are you gonna stop talking or are you going to get in here?” you chuckled and motioned to the space next to you. Zuko sighed then squeezed in next to you in the sleeping bag. “I’m sorry, too.”

Zuko sighed then looked down at you. You faced up towards him expecting to feel his lips on yours, but instead, you felt his lips on your temple. That night was the first time both of you just slept, entangled in one another, and in your heart you knew you were doomed.

6 months later...

“I saw you, you know...” Katara winked at you as you both were gathering water at the nearby lake. “What?”

“I saw you.” She followed you as you continued up the stream. “I see you too?”

“No...I saw you...and Zuko.” You stopped in your tracks. “Yeah, we travel together, Katara. We see everyone every day!” laughing awkwardly you began to gather more water.

“Uh-huh.” You could hear the eye roll in her voice as she walked in front of you with her hands on her hips.

“What exactly did you see?” sighing and giving up, you knew it was useless to lie. You were caught.

“Not much, thank god but...try picking a cave not so near the apple trees next time?” Katara chuckled.

You knew exactly what she was talking about. Zuko had a hard training day with Aang and he needed to blow off some steam, which was what you were there for.

It was your turn to feed Apa so you were gathering fruits for him until you felt strong arms around you.

“Zuko, bad timing, I need to feed Appa.” You smiled, but his grip tightened. “I need you, now.” He grumbled, but you weren’t budging.

“Y/N, please.” His breath was hot on your skin and your body tingled, but you liked to tease him so you broke off from his grip and walked away. You turned towards him and you could see the desire in his eyes, the desire for you. “If I feel like it.” you said as you lifted a tiny bit of your top, revealing your toned abdomen.

Zuko growled and walked towards you and pushed you up against a tree. “I need you.” He whispered and you smirked. “Then show me.” You stared at him with longing.

Zuko chuckled then lifted you up, then you straddled him. He spotted a cave near the tree you were picking apples from and carried you towards there. He placed you on one of the rock formations and you pulled him closer with your legs.

“Show me how much you need me.”

He smirked then crashed his lips on yours. Then the two of you were lost in each other once more.

You ended up telling Katara everything, she said was surprised but also not so much. “So you had a feeling?”

“A little, not really? I mean, you guys are always at each other’s throats but he has been a little bit more... I don’t know concerned about you?” She explained how she noticed that he let you give your input on Aang’s training more, and how when they have a new mission, he made sure he’d be paired with you and she even told you how he talked to Aang about how you shouldn’t be anywhere near the line of fire when the war starts. The time when you and Toph went on a mission to figure out where Boomie was, Katara told you Zuko was pacing back and forth and cursing at how he didn’t go with you, and how it should have been basically anyone but you that went on that mission. “I never knew why, but now everything makes sense.”

You sat there for a minute then opened up to Katara about how scared you were about your growing feelings. “I don’t think you have anything to worry about, seeing how he’s acting, he probably feels the same.”

The two of you made your way back to camp and found Zuko and Sokka laughing with each other. “What’s so funny?” Katara asked.

‘Zuko just scored a date!” Your heart dropped, but you tried to keep your exterior composure calm. “ What date?” Katara asked nervously as she just heard your story and encouraged you.

“We were in town and the girl at the hat store kept following Zuko, like NON-STOP! He didn’t believe she was into him but it was SO obvious! So I forced him to ask her out and he did!” Sokka punched Zuko on the arm playfully and Zuko laughed. “You should thank me, maybe having a girlfriend will make hot head over here less moody.” Sokka plopped down on the mat next to Toph and all you could think about was torching Sokka to no end. “So, when is this date?” Toph asked boredly next to Sokka. “Tonight?” Zuko laughed, “Well you better get ready lover boy.”

“I’m gonna give some water to Apa.” You announced and Katara followed you. “I’m SO sorry, I never would have encouraged you if—“

“Katara, it’s not your fault, you didn’t know, and besides...maybe this is a sign I should call the whole thing off?” you sighed and Katara nodded slowly.

“Oh sorry...am I interrupting?” behind you was a looming Zuko, grinning sheepishly as Katara stared daggers at him. “No, I was just leaving.” Katara huffed and left you two alone. “What’s her problem...”

You continued to separate the water for Apa as you heard him approaching you. “So...I’m seeing you tonight, right?” you stopped, tonight? Wasn’t his date tonight? Your heart suddenly felt lighter as you thought he cancelled with hat store girl.

“Isn’t your date tonight?”

“I mean...after?” your heart dropped. He was still going through with it. You felt your face turn red with anger, what were you to him? An object he can go to whenever he has his needs?! A simple plaything? It started off as that but you thought you somewhat meant more to him.

“What’s wrong with you?!” You stared at him with a hurt expression, his eyes widened and he stopped in his tracks. “What do you mean what’s wrong with me?”

You grunted and he shrugged in confusion.

“Zuko...we have to talk.”

“Uhm...okay, but I kind of have to get ready—“

“We should stop.” Zuko tilted his head as if questioning what you just said, but you knew deep down he understood what you were saying. “Stop what?”

“This! Whatever we’re doing!”

“Why? Is it because if this date? I just won’t go—“

“No, it was fun while it lasted but we’re just postponing the inevitable...you should go.” you turned away to continue with what you were doing. “Postponing the inevitable? What do you even mean by that?”

“We’re just holding each other back. We know this isn’t going anywhere and we’re just delaying it. Go, have fun. It’s time.”

“You wanted this too, you know! You said it was all fun and just a distraction! No commitments, no promises, nothing! You would remind me every night—“

“Exactly! We had our fun and now it’s over!” you turned towards him and his face was full of anger. “I can go on a date, we can do whatever we want! That was our agreement!”

“It was so why don’t you just go!” you tried to control your voice so no one would hear but it was so hard, you were so angry. “I am! I just told you I was going and you snapped and said you wanted to end it!”

“Because I’m not just some play thing you can get whenever you want! I’m not disposable.” You were inches in front of his face and you could feel the anger radiating from him. “What do you want from me...” he whispered and for a moment, it seemed like he was truly asking you what you wanted him to do, and for a second, you knew he’d do it if you asked. “Nothing.”

“You’re unbelievable!” Zuko, raised his arms in exasperation. “Me?! You’re the one going on a date.”

“You said you didn’t care.”

“I don’t.” You did. You did care, too much. This all started out for fun, but, you were in too deep with Zuko, and you couldn’t let yourself fall for him. “Then why are you ending it?! I don’t understand.”

“I just told you! I’m not just something you can just take when you feel like it!”

“Then tell me what you want!” He was up in your face again, you didn’t know what you wanted. You wanted Zuko, but you weren’t allowing yourself to want him. “I want this to end, and I want you to go on your date.” You said softly, and you saw a glimmer of pain in his eyes. “You want to end this so bad? Fine, it’s DONE. You just lost me.” He said with gritted teeth and began to walk away.

“No Zuko, I didn’t...because you can’t lose something you never had.” He turned around and stared at you with wide eyes that turned to sorrow. His expression quickly turned to anger that you thought you imagined seeing the sadness in his eyes.

“I’m leaving.”

“Go!” and he did. That was it. Your “relationship” with Zuko was over, and he was off with some other girl.

The next day you were on your way to Ember Island on Appa. Zuko had a hood on as people might recognize him when they arrived. Sokka kept asking Zuko how his date went but he would just shrug. “Well sorry for trying to get you some action!” Sokka rolled his eyes and Katara hit him, “Ow! What was that for!”

When you got to Ember Island, the whole gang hit the beach. Sokka and Suki were running around, Aang was making sand castles, you and Katara were in the ocean and Zuko was left sulking on the balcony in his ancestral home.

“I used to come here with his family, you know.” You told Katara as you played in the water. “You grew up together?”

“Not really, my father was a high ranking general so we’d be in the same vicinity, but no contact whatsoever.”

“I think you should talk to him...”

“Nah, I think it’s for the best, better to cut it off while it was still early.” It hurt, being around him, knowing your whole relationship was over. Even if it was nothing from the start, you started to get your hopes up and, it came crashing down.

“I don’t know...you both seem miserable now that you guys broke up—“

“We were never together.”

“Come on, Y/N! You both obviously like each other, you just don’t COMMUNICATE!” Katara rolled her eyes which made you laugh. “I think his date or whatever was a sign...it was getting too complicated, it’ll be for the best.” Before Katara could react, you both heard Sokka’s voice.

“Hey! Some dudes invited us to a party, let’s go!” Sokka yelled and the gang agreed to go, they needed a little fun before having to deal with the larger issue at hand, defeating the Fire Lord.

They were on the way to the house on foot with Aang dancing on the way there, Katara giggling, Sokka and Suki walking hand in hand while you and Zuko walked awkwardly next to each other.

As soon as you got to the house, a guy opened the door and invited you all in. The house was filled with fire nation teenagers and you all dispersed among yourselves. Sokka and Suki were dancing, Aang was showing fire bender girls some tricks, Katara was checking out the house and Zuko was sulking in the corner.

You decided to get some punch then someone tapped you on your shoulder. “Hey, I’m Han.” A tall, tanned and muscular guy was smiling at you. “Hey I’m...” you decided not to use your real name unless someone recognized you. “I’m Hania?” You mentally kicked yourself for choosing a name so close to his. “Hmm, interesting, so close to mine.” He winked and you blushed. He was cute, and from the horrible day you had, you needed some harmless flirting.

From across the room, Zuko stared at you two by the punch bowl. “Hey, lighten up! They are a bunch of hot girls here!...but don’t tell Suki I said that.” Sokka shrugged and nudged Zuko. “Zukoooo” Sokka tried waving a hand in front of Zuko’s face but Zuko kept his eyes on you and Han. “What are you looking at?” he looked where Zuko was gazing. “Oh, Y/N’s found a boyfriend ha ha.” Sokka chuckled and walked away and left Zuko there fuming.

“So, do you come here a lot? I haven’t seen you around Ember Island before.” Han asked you as he poured you a drink. “I used to when I was a kid, haven’t been back since.”

“Oh, why not?”

“Hmm, I don’t know, things change I guess?” you looked around for your friends just to make sure they were still there, then you locked eyes with Zuko. His eyes were intense and you could tell he was angry. But you didn’t care, you were nothing, you both made the decision to stop whatever you were doing with one another and you needed a little fun. “Do you wanna go look at the moon outside?” Han nodded and you both headed out to the balcony.

Zuko’s heart dropped as he saw you two leave.

“You’re an idiot, you know that right.” Katara rolled her eyes as she leaned next to him on the wall. “What?”

“I-D-I-O-T.”

“How am I an idiot?” Zuko shot up from leaning on the wall and Katara laughed. “You are so into her.”

“No I’m not!” Zuko crossed his arms and turned away from Katara. “I didn’t say her name, how do you know who I meant?” Katara kinked her eyebrow and Zuko rolled his eyes.

“You’re maybe the least happy person I know but when you were sneaking off with her, you were more tolerable for the rest of us.”

“Wa-wait what? Sneaking off—“

“Cut it out, I saw you guys.” Katara smirked and Zuko sighed in defeat. “Fine, we were fooling around. But that was it. I am NOT into her!” he started to walk away but he heard Katara giggle. “Then why have you been shooting daggers at the guy she was talking to all night?”

“B-because! He could be a spy of the Fire Nation! Her father was a recognized general you know! He could be targeting her and we’re all doomed! AND what if he’s working for Azula—“

“Uh-uh.”

“Stop looking at me like that! I’m not in love with her all right!” Katara’s face froze at Zuko’s last statement. “Love?!”

“What?”

“Are you in love with her?!” Katara started to smile as Zuko’s face turned bright red. “I said I’m NOT in love with her! Are you deaf?!”

“Zuko, I didn’t say anything about love in the first place...you said the word first.”

“So! I just said it to make a point, got it?” He leaned back on the wall and hung his head low. “Well, do you?” Katara asked him again.

Did he love her? All the times they were fooling around, he stared at her while she was asleep. He remembered feeling a sense of peace knowing she was next to him. He started to even look forward to their conversations in her tent rather than the physical stuff. He thought of how she’d throw her head back laughing whenever he told her about Uncle Iroh’s prankster antics when he was growing up. How her eyes shined in the moonlight when they’d take walks after dark. How when it was dusk and the sun would reach her eyes just the right amount and you could tell they were actually golden brown.

Zuko thought about the nights when she’d knowingly wrap her arms around his waist when he was having a nightmare about the Agni-Kai with his father. How her eyes lit up whenever she talked about her family. He thought about how he always wanted to protect her, if they had missions he wouldn’t be able to concentrate if she wasn’t near him, or how he couldn’t keep still when she was out on a mission with Toph or Katara, anxiously waiting for her to come back...to him.

“Shit” was all he said and slumped to the floor and buried his face in hands. “I thought so.” Katara smirked then sat next him. “What did I do? Agh! Why am I so bad at this stuff?” he grumbled and Katara just laughed. “You should tell her how you feel.”

“No! She’s off with that bonehead over there! It’s too late, maybe it’s for the best.”

“Ugh! You two are exactly the same!” She rolled her eyes and Zuko shot his head up. “What do you mean we’re exactly the same?”

“You both don’t simply TALK to each other! ‘Maybe it’s for the best’ my ass!”

“Huh?” Zuko looked at Katara with such confusion that Katara scoffed at him.

“You both said the same thing!”

“About what?” Zuko had no idea what she was talking about. “When you went on that date! She said “Maybe it’s for the best” that you guys break up.”

“She cared about that?” Katara stared at Zuko with astonishment; she didn’t think Zuko was this clueless.

“Zuko,,, I know you’re not stupid, but how do you think she felt when she found out you were going on a date?!”

“I didn’t think she cared...”

“Well she did.” Katara threw her hands up in defeat. How could boys be so stupid, she thought.

“Oh...” Zuko looked down and started remembering their conversation. He noticed the hurt in her voice when she accused him of treating her like an object he can just take whenever he wanted. He felt a pit in his stomach, he didn’t mean it to come off that way. “I-I didn’t even want to go it was Sokka!” Zuko tried to defend himself but Katara gave him a knowing look and he sighed.

“Fine..I was...starting to have...feelings for her...every night—“

“Aah! I don’t wanna hear what you guys do!” Katara began to cover her ears. “Calm down.” Zuko rolled his eyes.

“Every night...she’d always talk about how what we were doing was just a distraction...how this would eventually end...how we shouldn’t commit to one another...I mean we were sneaking around after all.” Zuko looked at Katara for her input but she motioned for him to continue.

“I agreed to it at first, obviously. But over time...I-I uhm...” Katara could see how hard it was for Zuko to express his feelings. Which made her feel bad about how much he holds in especially with how hard his past was. “You fell for her.” Zuko nodded.

“I went on that date because I was...scared. I was feeling too much for her and I knew she didn’t see it going anywhere, I wanted to prove to myself it was nothing. That my feelings for her weren’t real and I could just stop whenever I wanted. But when I went on that date...no matter how much the girl threw herself at me, I knew I could have had anything I wanted with her.” Katara rolled her eyes at that statement.

“I just...couldn’t. The whole time I was thinking about Y/N and what she said to me, how it was over and why it was over, I knew I fucked up the second I asked her out.” Zuko finished. “When did you fall for her?”

It was five months into your fling. You and Zuko were tangled up in each other in her tent. You were just talking about their old lives in the Fire Nation and if they’d even be like this with each other if they both have never left. He laughed at how he would still be trying to prove his honor to Ozai and how you would probably be part of Azula’s crew with Mai and Ty Lee. Both were slowly drifting to sleep until you popped your head up and looked at him. “Zuko?”

“Hmm.”

“Your mother would be proud of you...you know, with the choices you made.” You went back to sleep but had no idea Zuko lay awake all night thinking about you said.

“AW! That’s so cute!” Katara exclaimed, “Alright, alright!” Zuko rolled his eyes. “So, what do I do?”

“You have to figure that out for yourself, lover boy.” Zuko winced at that name as he watched Katara walk away.

The moon was beautiful that night. You and Han talked about your lives with you lying about some aspects of course, but it was nice to talk to someone who had no idea who you were and was genuinely interested in you.

“I’m really happy you came tonight, you should come to Ember Island more often.”

“I’m happy I came too.” You smiled. Han was looking down at you and he started to lean in closer. You knew he was going in for a kiss but you weren’t sure if you wanted to. Your huge fight with Zuko was just the day before and at the moment, you couldn’t imagine kissing anyone else. But before you could decide on what to do, you saw a fist fly to Han’s face and he fell to the floor. Zuko.

“ZUKO!” You shouted but Zuko ignored you. Han stood up and glared at him. “What the fuck man!”

“Stay away from her.” Zuko warned but Han didn’t back down, he threw a punch at Zuko but he ducked. Han grabbed on to Zuko’s shoulders then tossed him inside the party, which caused everyone to stare.

“Stop it!” You yelled as you followed them inside. Zuko got up then speared Han unto the table. He was about to hit him once more but you stood in between him and Han.

“Y/N move.” Zuko said through gritted teeth, but you stood your ground. “No.”

“H-hey, what’s going on?” Aang asked nervously as the rest of the gang stood behind him in shock. The other party goers didn’t know what to do as well. You looked around and noticed everyone staring at you. Zuko was still glaring at Han as he struggled to get up. “What’s wrong with you?” you stormed out the front door with every intention to head back. “Y/N, wait!” Zuko ran after you.

“What’s going on?” Toph asked the rest of the gang. “Beats me...”Aang took a bite from the apple he was eating. “No idea but, let’s go see!” Sokka began to follow you guys but Suki pulled him back. “HEY!”

You were trying to get home as fast as you could. This whole night was a disaster and you just wanted to be left alone. “Y/N!” a familiar voice called but you continued walking. “Hey!”

“Y/N will you please—“

“WHAT!” you shot around at him and he froze in his steps. “I just need to talk—“

“NO! what is the matter with you?! Starting a fight?! Really?!”

“W-well if you weren’t trying to make me jealous nothing wouldn’t have happened!” Zuko shouted as he walked closer to you. “Make you jealous? I wasn’t trying to make you jealous!”

“Then what were you doing with that bonehead?!”

“I was having a conversation. Not everything is about you, Prince Zuko.” You rolled your eyes then continued on your way. “But you were about to kiss him. I saw YOU!” he shouted and ran to catch up with your pace.

“Stop following me, Zuko.”

“No.”

You bended fire at his feet and he jumped. “Hey!” you continued walking but he was right behind you. “Zuko, leave me ALONE!”

“No.” you stopped and turned to him then he stopped as well.

“You had no right to hit him!”

“I don’t care.” You continued on your way home but he continued to follow you. “You can’t just hit people for no reason!”

“I had a reason.”

“And what was that?!” you rolled your eyes but refused to face him.

“You were about to kiss him.”

“So what if I was?!” you raised your hands in defeat, if you kissed him or not it shouldn’t even matter. He stayed silent but continued to watch you with those piercing eyes of his. “Whether I kissed him or not, it has nothing to do with you, Zuko.”

You tried to leave again but heard a loud noise. “AGH!” Zuko shot fire at a nearby tree, which caused you to stop.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU ZUKO!” You were in his face and he was breathing heavily with his eyes locked on yours. He paused then grabbed your face then crashed his lips onto yours. You gave in a little but then quickly pulled away.

“No, you can’t do that to me.” You backed away then ran back to house.

As soon as you arrived you ran to your shared room with Toph and Katara then slammed the door. You forgot to lock it but as you were about to, Zuko was standing at the doorway.

“Zuko, will you please leave me alone!”

“NO!”

“What do you want from me, Zuko?!” You yelled at him. You felt so many emotions in the last two days from anger, sadness, jealousy, defeat...and all because of him.

“You. I want you.” He said, and for the first time he wasn’t yelling and his voice was calm.

Before you could speak, Zuko continued.

“Look, I-I know it doesn’t seem like...I care...about anything really...but...” he paused and you stared at him. “I do care about some things..I-mean—“

“Zuko, you don’t have to—“

“No. You need to hear this.” His voice was suddenly serious and he was staring at you with so much intensity you couldn’t speak.

“I know we both started this thing as a distraction from what’s going on. Escaping from our pasts in the Fire Nation and what might come next with this war. But...along the way...I started...to feel things towards you that I know I shouldn’t and I thought I could control it while we were together I mean...not together like that but...yeah.” he started blushing and wasn’t looking at you anymore. He was nervous and knew it. You suddenly felt your heart warm up to him but you composed yourself once more.

“I thought I could control it, but the more time we spent together, it just got harder. Then that stupid date happened...I never should have asked her out. I know it’s not an excuse but...I just got scared. I mean, hearing you talk about how it’s never gonna work out, how this is just temporary really freaked me out, so I went out with her to try to prove myself that my feelings for you were nothing but...the whole time, I just thought about you...and I instantly regretted it. So I’m sorry for asking her out...I’m sorry—“

“You didn’t do anything wrong with that we aren’t—“

“I’m sorry for acting like I could just take you whenever I wanted. I’m sorry for disrespecting you.” He finished and you knew he meant it with the way he looked at you.”

“Zuko...it’s alright.” He sighed in relief and started to smile. “I think these things had to happen to show us that our time was up. We were going too far with each other and we were just going to get hurt, I mean look at us now, look what happened tonight. We’re not good for each other, and the team might suffer for it later on.” His face dropped when you finished. You could tell he expected another answer from you.

“How can you say that?”

“Zuko, all we do is fight! We argue about everything, we hurt each other and we’re hurting the team with our bickering and disagreements! What kept us going was the physical stuff...and if we don’t have that—“

“Look me in the eyes and tell me it was all physical for you.” He was staring deep into your eyes and you paused. Why couldn’t you just say it? A few words and this could all be over. No more fights, no more drama, nothing. You and Zuko would be nothing.

“Z-Zuko I—“

“You can’t say it because you don’t mean it.” he stated and you stepped back from him. “It’s more complicated than that, you know it!” You turned away from him. “How is it complicated? Yes we do fight, so what? That’s not an enough reason for me.”

“It is for me.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It doesn’t matter!” You tried to leave the room.

“NO! Tell me what’s so complicated!” Zuko was holding your arm so you couldn’t leave. You bit your lip trying to stop the tears from flowing down your cheeks. “We don’t know what’s going to happen after this war. If I...if you...if something happens, and you know there’s a possibility that one of us...or both of us...” you stopped, you’ve lost your family already, you had no idea where they were, they could be dead, you couldn’t lose someone close to you again. Zuko loosened his grip on your arm, understanding what you were saying. “I’ve lost my family—“

“You don’t know what.”

“I do...and if I lose another person close to me again...”

“I won’t let that happen.” He whispered and you turned to face him. “Zuko, it’s just...I already felt losing you once over this whole thing...I’m not going to do that again and not just because of what the future holds but...how are we sure of any decisions we’re making now? I mean look at us!” Zuko stepped back and just watched you.

“You left your life in the Fire Nation twice and made two different decisions after each time. I didn’t want to leave when my father was banished, then ended up following him to only leave a week later because I felt like I could do more than hide. We’re erratic and unsure of everything, we can hardly make decisions on our own, what more commit? And the fact that there wasn’t even an “us” to begin with?” you sighed but Zuko seemed unbothered by your statement.

“Y/N...I may be unsure about a lot of things. I always think about how...if I’m making the right decisions not only for me but for the Fire Nation. I’m unsure about if this is the path Uncle Iroh wanted for me, if I’m teaching Aang the right skills. I’m unsure about the future because if my father wins, would this all be for nothing. I’m unsure about a lot of things Y/N, but the one thing I’m sure about in this whole fucked up situation is that I love you.” Your eyes widened in shock and his did too. You stared at each other for a couple of seconds, both of you unable to move.

“You don’t need to say it back, I’ve told you everything. I just had to let you know.” He whispered and with that he was gone.

You stood there motionless in the room. Zuko just said he loved you. The same Zuko that drove you crazy, that made snarky comments about your bending, that tested you till you’ve reached your limits. But it was the same Zuko that would hold you at night when you had nightmares, who reassured you whenever you worried about your family’s safety, Who would make sure you were safe whenever you were on a mission, who would secretly hold your hand when you were flying on on Appa because only he knew that heights made you nervous, the same Zuko who just told you he loved you, and you let him walk away.

You broke out of your trance then rushed to his room. You barged in but he was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, you saw a figure on the terrace looking out at the ocean. You walked outside and saw Zuko facing out with his arms spread across the balcony. His muscles looked tense and his head hung low. Walking towards him, you could feel your heart beat outside of your chest. You’ve been around Zuko a hundred times but this felt different.

You slowly wrapped your arms around his waist has you felt his body jump at your touch then relax. Leaning your chin on his shoulder and pressing your face against his, “I love you, Zuko.” You whispered and you could feel the smile on his face. Zuko turned around to face you and wrapped his arms around your waist. He looked down at you and you knew he was going to kiss you.

“Wait, I’m not Han, just making sure—“

“Zuko!” you slapped his arm then he laughed. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding.” You rolled your eyes and it felt like old times again.

“I love you, and I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.” Zuko whispered and then he finally kissed you.

[tavern-aa]

hii !! i hope youre having a great day/night. 

can u do the prompts “Wow, i didn’t realize you were that…flexible.” and/or  “Do you think they can hear us through the tent?” “Yes we can.” for zuko atla ? maybe hes the firelord and they go on a trip to the woods with the rest of the gang ? male reader please.

A/N: Yo…Leviathan wrote this with the help of a friend. Teddy was gonna write this and then said, nah. Not my ZuZu so I was tasked with editing our friends draft and I…may have gone overboard and just like rewritten it even though I have a distaste for smut.

Word Count: 2.4k

Warnings: Smut, +18, voyeurism, tons of subtle fire puns sue me

x Male Reader

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Smut Prompt: 63

“Wow, I didn’t realize you were that…flexible”

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Smut Prompt: 110-111

“Do you think they can hear us through the tent?”

“Yes we can.”

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They had travelled for hours to make it to the Western Air Temple, their feet heavy and their heads warry, and yet as soon as they set their belongings down, Aang suggested a sparing match. For fun of course, to blow off steam, get everyone a little sleepy so that they could rest a little easier that night. Zuko agreed, partnering up with the air bender whilst Sokka turned to Y/N, the only other non-bender in their group.

Y/N let out a hefty sigh at the look of tired determination on his friends face, “don’t go easy on him, Y/N,” he heard Katara call from where she was setting up the fire to cook for the Gaang’s dinner. Toph walked over to the side and stomped her foot on the ground erecting a tent of rock just large enough for her to fit inside.

Sokka huffed before approaching Y/N for their fight, both landing blows with fist and weapon though the two seemed evenly matched as usual. That changed the moment Y/N’s gaze drifted towards the other men’s fight, his eyes watching as Zuko moved unaware of his stare. Sokka took the opportunity of Y/N’s distraction to land a particularly hard blow to his friends leg swiping it out from under him.

“Point to Sokka!” He exclaimed in excitement as he danced around Y/N’s prone being.

“Shut it, boomerang boy. I was distracted,” Y/N pouted not having noticed the other two had finished their sparring match. Aang laughed loudly at the nickname for Sokka causing him to blush a deep red.

“Stop laughing, Aang! And it was fair, doesn’t matter if you were distracted or not!”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

With that, Y/N used his leg to swipe Sokka’s feet out from under him before clambering over and holding the blade of his knife to the other man’s throat.

“How ‘bout that for fair?”

Sokka huffed before pushing the knife away with his finger, pushing Y/N off gently and getting up.

“Yeah yeah, your win again…I’m starving!”

Y/N watched Sokka run over to the camp fire and start bothering Katara before he too made his way closer to the others, grabbing his tent supplies to set up his and Zuko’s shared tent. The two were forced to share a tent due to lack of space; Sokka, Aang, and Katara were sharing the larger tent and Toph made her own so the other two males were left with the smaller tent.

The non-bender tried to set up the shelter as quick as possible, but we all know that tents are stupid and never want to be easy. His ear perked up as he heard the others laughing with eachother, but he paid no mind, instead keeping his focus on the task at hand.

A hand on his shoulder a moment later startled him out of his trance like state of trying to put the pole into the fabric.

“Sorry…I didn’t mean to startle you, it just looked like you needed help with the tent?”

Zuko.

Y/N’s heart hammered in his chest as his eyes turned to meet the other’s.

“Oh, uh…yeah, that would be great,” he muttered. It’s not like he was nervous around Zuko because he was a fire bender, no he was nervous for a much different reason. Zuko had been so kind to him ever since Y/N joined the Gaang, like sure he was close to everyone but Zuko was especially sweet to Y/N and the non-bender didn’t know why.

“Hey, are you feeling okay…by the way? I uh…I noticed you took a pretty hard fall earlier when sparring with Sokka,” Zuko questioned, raising his head momentarily to glance at the smaller male.

“Oh…ha, you saw that huh? Yeah I’m fine, a little sore, but I’m fine.”

“I could stretch you out if you want?”

Y/N’s face grew bright red, his grip on one of the poles turning white as his head snapped in Zuko’s direction.

“Huh?” He managed to squeak out in shock as Zuko looked up in confusion.

“What? Did I say somethi- oh…oh no that’s not- I-…” Zuko quickly cut himself off, his face also a deep crimson color from realization.

“No, no you’re fine, I’m sorry that was on me,” Y/N awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before standing up from the now pitched tent.

“But I do think I’ll take you up on that offer, I have some really bad kinks in my neck and back.”

Zuko’s face turned a deeper red as he heard Y/N’s words leave his mouth this time causing the smaller man to sputter and stumble over his words.

“Wait- I- no…I just…”

“This is so awkward to watch…” Sokka commented from the campfire, a spoon being held in front of his mouth. Y/N immediately flipped him off in response, his eyes cast downwards in embarrassment.

“Come on Y/N…let’s just get in the tent and stretch your muscles,” Zuko suggested, gently guiding Y/N into the tent before he zipped up the entrance, “So just uh…take off your shirt and lay on your stomach I guess.”

Y/N’s face stayed the crimson color as his hands reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head in a quick swipe. His hands shook as he tossed it to the side of the area before lowering himself onto one of the sleeping bags on the ground, shivering slightly as the cool material of the fabric.

After a few seconds of awkward silence, a pair of warm hands made contact with Y/N’s back.

“I’m gonna start now,” Zuko whispered as he slowly dug his fingers into the smaller males back. Y/N let out a soft gasp as he felt the man’s fingers press into the sore sports of his body.

“Tell me if it hurts okay?”

“Y-yeah, it feels nice so far.”

Zuko nodded in response though he realized a second later that Y/N could not see him and blushed in embarrassment. After working on his back for a few more minutes, he tapped on the boy’s side.

“Can you turn over, I’m gonna do your legs now.”

Y/N felt his face flush before he slowly nodded into the fabric of the sleeping bag rolling his body over to expose his bare chest to the older male. Zuko’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the pink nubs that stood erect on Y/N’s chest wanting nothing more than to reach out and grab them, play with them, and have them in his mouth, just to make the smaller boy squirm in pleasure.

He quickly shook the thought from his head as he let his gaze trail down towards the younger male’s legs, eyes pausing only momentarily to stare longingly at the bulge in Y/N’s pants.

“Can you uh…can you take your pants off too? So I can get to the skin! Not anything weird!”

Y/N let out a nervous giggle before sitting up slightly and tugging off his pants revealing his briefs.

“A-alright, thank you,” Zuko breathed, his eyes trailing along Y/N’s legs in awe of the color and how incredibly soft they looked. He gently placed his hand on one of the smaller boy’s legs, gently lifting it to get it into a position to stretch out the muscle. This particular stretch has Y/N’s leg up in the air with Zuko’s body directly pressed against it and situated between his legs. Zuko felt his heart start to hammer against his ribs as he began to push Y/N’s leg towards his torso causing a small whimper of pain to release from the smaller boy’s mouth.

“Was that too far?”

“N-no it felt good, keep going.”

Moving on, he continued to push Y/N’s leg all the way up to where the boy was almost doing the splits.

“Wow, I didn’t realize you were that…flexible,” Zuko gulped, his eyes staring directly into Y/N’s. Y/N blushed deeply as he raised his hands to hide his face from the other man.

“I was close friends with Ty Lee and her family growing up so…” the younger male stated, his body shaking in nervousness.

“You’re shaking,” Zuko observed, pulling back from the stretch but keeping the smaller boy’s leg propped over his shoulder, his finger’s slightly digging into the skin.

“A-am I? That-that’s strange, ahaha.” Y/N felt time stop as he watched the fire bender turn his head to look at the smaller boy’s leg before placing a gentle peck against the skin. Not to be cheesy, but the place where his lips touched felt like a flame had been placed and spread from there sending a heat to his stomach.

“Zuko?”

“Hm?” Zuko hummed in response, slowly leaving more burning kisses along the length of the smaller boy’s leg, “What is it, firefly?”

The was it, the straw that broke the camel’s back. Y/N was hard and obviously so especially since Zuko was still pressing his body against the non bender’s.

“Zuko…” Y/N breathed, an argument playing out within his head debating on whether or not to continue with the actions the two were about to partake in. There were so many possibilities that something could go wrong, but…he could be with Zuko finally. His head felt light as he weighed the options before he finally made up his mind.

Zuko watched slightly amused as Y/N dropped his hands from covering his crimson face and sat up so that their faces were centimeters apart.

“I want you.”

Zuko’s face flushed softly across his cheeks before he nodded slowly, using his free hand to cup the younger man’s face, bringing their lips together in a heated kiss. Y/N let his shaking hands slide into the silky hair of the Fire Lord. A grunt left Zuko’s throat as he adjusted his position, accidentally not so accidentally grinding his growing bulge into Y/N’s raging hard on.

Y/N’s lips parted in shock, a gasp escaping him before Zuko plunged his tongue into the younger man’s mouth. Their tongues seemed to wrestle for ages, but soon Zuko won out before he gently guided Y/n’s body back onto the sleeping bag.

They parted for a second to catch their breaths, Y/N’s entire being seemed disheveled, his hair was a mess, his clothes were missing, and his lips were glossy and swollen from their passionate kiss. All in all, Zuko was close to going feral over that sight alone.

Y/N’s hand reached out and gently stroked the scarred side of Zuko’s face before he pulled the older man back down to him to place a few soft kisses against the scar.

“You’re so handsome…” he whispered against Zuko’s skin causing the Fire Lord to shiver.

“I could say the same to you,” Zuko chuckled, his fingers gently tracing over the smaller mans face before he trailed his hand down towards Y/N’s exposed chest.

The non bender’s back arched into Zuko’s hand as soon as it made contact with the pink bud, a whimper leaving his lips, begging him to touch him properly. Zuko let a smirk cross his face as he took the bud between his fingers, gently tweaking it carefully and yet enough to make Y/N squirm, soft breathy moans escaping his lips.

“Zuko, take your clothes off too…” He whined, reaching up and tugging at the Fire Lord’s tunic. Zuko shook his head in amusement before he stopped his actions, letting Y/N’s leg fall beside him as he pulled his tunic over his head.

“You’re so cute, Firefly.”

Immediately, Zuko was back to attacking the smaller man’s nipples though this time he used his mouth, sucking and gently nipping at the hard buds. Small sounds of pleasure left Y/N’s mouth at the assault, his fingers gripping at Zuko’s hair. The taller man raised an eyebrow at the action, lifting his head slowly to gaze at his partner with a slight smirk.

“What is it now, hm Firefly?”

“I-I wanna touch you too…”

Zuko’s eyebrows raised higher in shock before his smirk grew exponentially.

“If you want to baby, I’m not gonna stop you,” he chuckled, sitting up slowly to allow the other man room to move if he so pleased. Y/N took the opportunity to sit up before switching up his position to be on his knees. He then crawled toward Zuko slowly before letting his hand rest just above the waistband of his pants.

Y/N looked up at the Fire Lord for any hesitation, seeing none, and then continuing to grab both the waistband of his pants and his boxers, slowly pulling them down to expose the older man’s length. The smaller boy felt his heart stop at the size. It wasn’t the longest he had seen but fuck, it was a girthy motherfucker. He swallowed harshly before taking it into his hands, slowly pumping the length of the shaft before leaning his head towards the tip.

His tongue slipped from between his lips, letting it kitten lick the very tip of Zuko’s cock before he slowly engulfed the head with his mouth. His head was spinning as he began to pump his head up and back down the shaft, though he couldn’t get very far seeing as his mouth was slightly small for the width of his cock. A few seconds into the endeavor, Y/N felt Zuko’s finger’s slide into his hair causing him to glance up at his partner.

Zuko’s eyes were glazed over in ecstasy as he stared down at the smaller man, his teeth harshly bit his lip as Y/N ran his tongue up the side of Zuko’s cock once more before traveling down to his balls. His mouth continued to roam the areas he knew were weak points, exploiting them and causing Zuko to groan a little too loudly.

Both males froze in sudden fear of their friends hearing them. They stayed frozen for a few seconds before Y/N looked up at Zuko with concern.

“Do you think they can hear us through the tent?

“Yes we can,” came Toph’s response causing both men’s faces to flush violently as they jumped away from each other.

“I-I’m so sorry!” Y/N squeaked out before sliding into his sleeping bag and hiding his face from Zuko. The taller male’s face was in no better shape than Y/N’s was but he let out a soft chuckle before crawling back over to Y/N.

“I didn’t get to finish,” he whispered in the smaller man’s ear causing him to tense, “What are you gonna do about it?”

~

The next morning, Zuko and Y/N woke to the bleary, dark circled eyes of their friends. 

“Good morning everyone,” Y/N chirped happily, his face seemed to be glowing after the previous night. The four people sat around the camp fire sent exasperated looked back at both him and Zuko who had just ducked out of the tent.

“Yeah, morning guys,” He stated before slinging his arm over Y/N’s shoulder nonchalantly.

“I hate you guys,” Sokka stated before turning back to his food.  

[blkgirl-writing]

"Unforgettable" Sokka x Woc!reader smut

Summary: Sokka can't get a dirty image of you out of his mind.

Warnings: sexualization of the female body, because we are queens. Male masterbation, cursing.

A/n: First Sokka Smut!!! It's not quite a full smut, but it's getting there. I'm proud of this one. As in nearing the end of my binge of Atla, I keep falling deeper in live with this boy. I set up a part 2, but we shall see if it gets one. Please leave some feedback if you want another one!

Sokka couldn't get you out of his mind. The memory of your body seeping into every single thought of his. Pure intentioned or not, you ended up in the front of his brain.

Water dripped down your glowing skin, the light shining down on you like a beam of pure beauty. Water around you glimmering like gems.

You stood in the cool water just above your knees. Your fingers were tangled deep in your hair, finally taking the time to detangle the locks, hair brushing your skin as you hummed a tune he didnt know.

Sokka stood there, balancing himself on a tree, about two seconds away from biting off his bottom lip.

"Oh! Sokka. Hey." You greeted, shooting him a soft, kind smile. Thing is, you didn't bother to cover up, to sink into the water, or use your arms to cover as much as you could. No. You just looked at him, and it took all of his might to not just melt right there.

"I was just taking a bath. Did you wanna come in?" Sokka blinked, keeping his eyes on yours, not daring to look back down. You were both adults, he shouldn't feel like a schoolboy, looking at a pair of boobs for the first time. but he does. He's staring at the curve of your breasts, the valley between them, the dips of your hips. You're fully enchanting him.

"I uh...just...I should get back to the camp. I just got a bit lost. I'm sorry. Keep uh, doing your thing. No hurry. Take your time-" and just like that, he was off, leaving you alone in the pond.

Fuck. He was rock hard. Shit.

Fucking dumbass. You had invited him in with you, clearly. But you were also his friend, and he didn't think you saw him like...that. sure, you were the adults of the group, and had always had something, but sokka couldn't fully accept the idea of the two of you. At least, until he saw you naked.

Everything shifted. The rest of the day, he kept to himself. Fingers seeming to always fiddle with his boomerang, or sharpen his blade. He couldn't keep still for the life of him, and it wasnt like it went unnoticed. Toph told him to fuck off, Katara asked him if he was okay. He needed to blow off some steam. And some fighting practice just wasnt gonna do it.

Sokka was the last one to go to his tent, waiting until the moon was well into the sky, and everyone was sound asleep.

He settled himself in hid tent, propping himself up slightly with a pillow. He could see the outline of his erection through his pants, practically begging for attention. It had almost gotten painful. Sokka eagerly pushed down the fabric to his thighs. His dick already leaking precum down the swollen tip.

His hand trailed down his stomach, slowly wrapping his fingers around his cock, gently taking himself in his hand, pumping himself just enough to release some of the pressure of the day.

Sokka didn't try to suppress the desire anymore, letting his imagination go wild, dreams that he never admitted to.

He imagined your fingers working at his dick rather than his own hand, your lips wrapped around the top, staring at him as you worked your way to deepthroating him. Cheeks hollowd around his cock, his hands weaving through your hair, grasping for his dear life.

Your body, burned into his mind. The fight practices you had together, when sweat dripped down your skin, hair messy and coming out of your braids. How your lips parted as you heaved in breaths. The way you licked your lips, bit them when concentrating.

"Y/n! Fuck, yes!" His voice came out far, far louder than intended. His free hand went to cover his mouth, but he didn't stop pumping. He was so, so close, he couldn't stop now. He would hear if someone came near. The vision of you in his mind started to blur, eyes nearly rolling back into his head from the pleasure.

"Hey, sokka-Oh"

you stood still at the opening of the tent, eyes wide, completely unable to look away from the scene in front of you. It had just...happened so fast. One second you hear a strangled moan and sokka shouting your name, the next you see him with his cock in his hand, cum dripping down his fingers, some splattered on his stomach. No, it was far too good to keep your eyes off of. His face was a but flushed, a thin veil of sweat on his skin. Splayed out like a god in a sculpture.

"I uh-" Sokka stuttered, looking around for something, anything, to cover his crotch with.

"I thought I heard my name and-" you blinked, lips parted, heavy, deep breathes being the only thing from keeping you from passing out. The air was thick, warm, sweaty, it smelled overwhelmingly of sex.

"Look, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt anything-you just keep, uh, having fun." It was a sorry excuse to leave, but you did. Quickly stepping back and turning around. Letting out a deep, long, haggled breath.

"Wait! One second, fuck-" Sokkas voice came through the canvas, sounds of him stumbling around clear in the otherwise calm, quiet night.

"I didn't mean to say your name, I swear, it just slipped out and it sounded quieter than I thought-"

"It's okay, really, I don't mind at all." It came out much, much more...needy, than you'd wanted. This wasn't exactly how you'd imagined telling sokka that you found him attractive (usually, they ended with some sort of rejection, even in dreams.) You were just...a bit stunned. Trying to convince yourself that it really was a mistake, acting like this had been the first time he had said it. But, the few times you had to share a bed, or slept in close quarters, you heard the same thing, and that wasn't something you could just brush away.

"Oh." Sokka sighed, like a weight was lifted from his shoulders. But, only one of many. His shoulders were still tense, jaw still clenched.

"Sokka, I really don't want you to feel bad for what you were doing." You reached for his hand, just brushing your own with his, making sure he knew you were there, and it was okay, more than okay.

"I'm a fucking perv, that's what I am." He muttered, eyes glued to the floor. You could almost hear his brain overheating.

"No! No, it's natural to get yourself off-"

"Fucking hell," sokka really, truly wanted to die. Right there and then. Life no longer worth living, at least not after this.

"It's not as bad as you think, sokka." Your voice was soft, trying to be as comforting as possible, for you and sokka. You were so glad sokka wasn't able to look at you, cause your pure lust and neediness was crystal clear on your face.

"How?" He wanted nothing more than to apologize and curl up into a ball.

"Because I liked hearing you say my name like that." He never understood how you could say the most intense things with such ease. The weight of the words crystal clear, yet almost hummed.

"Say that again," It was dumb, but, he wanted to hear you say it again. He needed you to.

"Because I thought you saying my name like that was a dream come true." You smiled, gaze settling to the stars above, just for a bit of release. To make confessing a bit easier. "I loved it when you moaned my name."

"Wh..."

"Sokka, use your words."

"I was using words!" Sokka shot back.

"Were you thinking of me when you were masterbating?" You almost choked on the words, feeling yourself cringe at how it came out. Almost desperate. Needing him to say yes. Pleading that the dream last a bit longer.

"Yeah," Sokka breathed in deep, exhaling a somewhat shakey breath. "you're just so hot and sexy and seeing you today made me crazy. I mean, youre just so out of my league, and I couldn't get you out of my head. You drive me crazy, y/n, everything about you. Your body, your voice...sorry, was that too far?"

"Sokka, I've wanted to fuck you since the day I met you." You laughed, resisting the string urge to roll your eyes at his pure ignorance. "We both know we've been dancing around our tension. I cant count the amount of times I went to bed all hot and bothered and dreamed about you."

"So...you find me fuckable, and you've had wet dreams about me?"

"Gods have mercy, Sokka, you're the most handsome man I've ever met, and you know it."

"Of course I do." His hands settled on his hips, a small, cocky grin on his lips. His brain was going again, but this time, on the autopilot you loved. When he was at his most confident.

"You're so fucking beautiful." Sokka turned to you, testing out the waters a bit, he placed his hand on your lower back, pulling you slightly closer to him.

"Sokka, if you don't kiss me right now-"

"Then what? What will you do?"

"I dunno... fuck you or something."

"Now I'm thinking otherwi-" you cut him off with your lips, pressing lightly on his soft ones, grasping at the back of his hair, anything to get him closer to you. His hand wandered down, grasping at your skin, pulling your hips towards his desperately.

"Wanna go into my tent?"

"I would be crazy if I said no."

[ur-jinji]

the fire ferret of fate

bolin x f!reader

summary: the story of a girl who manifested her soulmate as a child and a guy just looking for his ferret

prompt: the red strings of fate

a/n: this is for the second prompt of an avatar/tlok writing collaboration that @twilight-toph is doing! the masterlists for the collab can be found here :)

a/n again: also i totally didn’t get the idea off of practical magic aka the best witch movie ever to grace this world

When Y/N was eight years old, she dreamed of finding her prince charming.

She would have her parents read love stories to her every night. She remembered one myth that her mother once told her called the Red Strings of Fate, which entailed an invisible thread that connected one to their soulmate. She believed it to be true until she took the idea too literally, and was frustrated to find there was no red string attaching her parents together.

One night, Y/N had to the crazy idea to create her own soulmate. Her perfect match. She grabbed a glass jar and her mother’s herbs and spices. She collected everything and brought it into the dining room and stood on chair. She thought for a while, what her perfect match be like?

“His favorite color will be green,” Y/N manifested, picking up a random green leaf for her parents’ tea, dropping it into the jar. “And very handsome.” Another leaf went into the jar.

“Y/N? What are you doing in there?” Her father asked from the sitting area. He was listening to the radio, and she could faintly hear a Pro-Bending Tournament happening.

“Nothing!” She shouted to him as she picked up a random white powder from a bowl. “And he’ll be famous.”

She picked up a few red flakes from a tiny jar. “He’ll always have something red on him. Like the strings of fate.”

Y/N thought of what else he would like, scanning around the room. She noticed her cat owl, Mittens, looking up at her from under the table.

“He’ll have the cutest pet in the whole wide world,” The young girl manifested as she picked some sugar between her index finger and thumb, sprinkling it into the glass jar. “And he’ll love noodles!” She ran to the kitchen and grabbed a noodle from a large bowl that was meant for supper. She hurried back into the dining room and dropped the noodle into the jar.

“It’s perfect!” Y/N exclaimed. She closed the jar and shook up the ingredients. “Wait. I’m missing something.”

Y/N made her way back to the kitchen, leaving a mess on the table. She found a pitcher of water and opened the jar again. She catiously poured some of the liquid into the jar, trying not to drip it onto the floor, but failing. She set the pitcher down and closed the jar before shaking her love potion again.

“Mama, I made a magic potion!” She announced as her mother entered the kitchen, unaware that she was about to get in trouble for making a massive mess.

Ten years later, Y/N still remembered that night fondly. She kept the jar under her bed despite mold beginning to grow.

One chilly autumn day, she was dressed warmly. Her mother sent to the markets to grab a few things for dinner that night. She made her way through the streets of Republic City, smiling politely at the passing strangers. Eventually, Y/N found herself at the markets. She gently picked up a large, red tomato, inspecting it carefully. As she rotated it, she felt something on her leg, like tiny claws poking her through her pants. She looked down and saw a...rodent with red fur? She shrieked, nearly jumping out of her skin and accidentally dropping the tomato onto the pavement. The rodent flinched but continued to cling onto her clothes, and began climbing up her leg and into her coat pocket. Y/N froze, not knowing what to do. She saw it poke its head out, and look up at her curiously. The more she looked at it, it looked pretty cute. Actually, extremely cute.

“Hey! You’re gonna have to pay for that tomato!” The merchant suddenly yelled at her, pointing down to the tomato guts spread across the street.

“I’m so sorry, ma’am!” Y/N apologized, reaching into her pocket to where the thing was. She gently pulled it out, realizing it was fire ferret, before set it on her shoulder. It held one of her coins in its paws, which Y/N snatched and handed to the angry woman. The woman flared her nostrils at her and turned away. Y/N turned her head to look at the fire ferret.

“You’re in big trouble, sir,” She said sternly, but not being able to hold any seriousness. “You’re lucky you’re so cute.”

Y/N stepped away from the tomato stand and continued down the street.

“Do you have an owner, buddy?” She asked the ferret, who simply squeaked in response. “I’ll take that as a maybe.”

She made her to the next stand full of cabbages. She picked up two, paid for them, and the merchant for that stand thanked her before handing them back in a brown paper bag. The fire ferret chirped, sniffing down at the bag.

“No, mister, that’s not for you,” Y/N scolded quietly.

“Pabu!” A voice behind her shouted. The fire ferret on Y/N’s shoulder perked up before quickly climbing down her body, running in the direction behind her. She turned around and saw a guy who looks frantic and out of breath.

“Oh, is that little guy yours?” She asked as the man approached her. She instantly noticed his piercing green eyes.

“Yes! Thank you so much for finding him and taking care of him!” The guy said as the red fire ferret, she assumed who was named Pabu, jumped into his arms.

“He’s a mischievous little guy. He made me drop a tomato and then tried to rob me!” Y/N explained, breathing out a laugh.

“I don’t even know what got into him! We were reading today’s paper and he just took off! I spent, like, forever looking for him!” The guy said, giving really dramatic arm gestures. “And bad Pabu! We don’t steal from strangers!”

Pabu’s ears tucked back in response, seemingly ashamed of himself.

“I thought he was massive rat at first! He scared the hell out me,” She said, gaining a laugh from the guy.

“I’m Bolin, by the way,” He introduced himself. “You might’ve heard of me and my brother, Mako. We play for the Pro-Bending Fire Ferrets Team!”

“Oh, yeah! My father and I have listened to many of your matches!” Y/N said, smiling, and feeling a little starstruck. “And I’m Y/N.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Y/N,” Bolin replied while grinning, his emerald eyes sparkling. He held out his hand, which she took, and shook it firmly. “And you’ve already met Pabu.”

She smiled, reaching her hand out to pet Pabu’s red fur, who was planted firmly on Bolin’s shoulder.

“I have to repay you somehow! Would you like to accompany Pabu and I to Narook’s Seaweed Noodlery? They have the best seaweed noodles in Republic City!” He offered. Y/N felt her stomach grumble.

“Oh, wow. That sounds great actually,” She replied. “I just need to finish getting a couple things for my mother.”

“Of course, of course. We’ll tag along with you!” Bolin insisted. Y/N nodded eagerly, sending him a warm smile. He lifted his arm, offering it to her. She didn’t hesitate to wrap hers around it, and they began their walk down the pavement.

Pabu jumped over to Bolin’s other shoulder closest to Y/N’s and settled in between. As they made their to next food stand, her mind began to wander to the potion she made years ago.

[madsthewordclown]

Stay | Zuko x Reader

warnings: none, mostly fluff, a little bit of angst

summary: Y/N and the Gaang are visiting the Fire Nation a few months after Zuko’s coronation, and Y/N is disappointed when he doesn’t have much time to spend with them. 

It had been a tough week.

You felt like that was the understatement of the century. It had been terrible. You usually loved travel and getting out of the frigid South Pole where you’d been staying with Katara and Sokka was a welcome vacation. But so many things had gone wrong, and your stay in the Fire Nation capital wasn’t off to a great start, either.

To be honest, things hadn’t been going well since the war officially ended. For some reason, you had expected that everything would be perfect, although you had no idea what life looked like without the war. It turned out that it could be pretty damn lonely.

You looked around the empty royal garden. There weren’t even any turtleducks out on the pond. You sighed. Your head was pounding after yet another grueling meeting. You hadn’t expected the Fire Nation councilmembers to be so… disdainful. Even the brand-new, younger councilmen seemed distrustful of you and lacking respect, even though you were a close friend of the Fire Lord. Your headache only intensified thinking about Zuko.

You’d barely even had the chance to speak with him yet, and you’d arrived three days ago. He had been able to great you and your friends when you arrived, albeit late, before he was rushed away to go to a meeting. You hadn’t seen each other in months, not since his coronation, and it looked like you might not see him on your visit at all.

You looked out at the sun that was beginning to set over the palace walls. The sky was beginning to turn a bright orange. You heard someone walking towards you as you sat on the grass.

“Doing okay?” Katara asked, taking a seat beside you.

“Yeah,” you lied, running a hand through your hair. “These meetings are driving me crazy.”

“You, too?” Katara made a face. “Aang won’t stop complaining. He says that they’re too boring.” You laugh. “I don’t know what he expected.”

“How’s Appa?” You asked, looking at the Water Tribe girl. That had been just one of your setbacks on the journey to the Fire Nation—Appa had been sick.

“He’s good,” Katara answered, fiddling with one of her hair-loops. “He’s back to eating a shipload every day, so Aang has finally stopped worrying.” You hummed, having seen firsthand how much the Avatar worries about his bison.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Katara prodded. That girl was too observant for her own good, but she was an even better friend. You were grateful that the two of you had met.

“Yeah,” you replied, looking into her blue eyes, which were filled with concern, “I was just hoping to relax a bit more, you know?”

“And see Zuko?” Katara added knowingly, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut up,” you gave a light laugh. “Yeah, I was. It’s just that we haven’t all been together in so long.”

“Just go find him and talk to him, Y/N. I’m sure he wants to see you, he’s just got a lot on his plate, and sometimes he’s a little too focused. Besides, I think he’s having dinner with us tonight.”

“You’re probably right,” you agreed, giving Katara a smile. “Thanks, Katara.”

“You’re welcome,” Katara beamed back. “Now, let’s go get some food. I’m sure Sokka is starving.”

“I’m starving!” Sokka groaned as soon as you and Katara entered the royal dining hall. You both giggled.

“Me, too,” Aang agreed, slumping back in his chair for emphasis. Katara laughed as she took the seat next to him. You took up a chair to Sokka’s left, while Toph sat on his right. You assumed the large, ornate chair at the end of table was reserved for Zuko. You could hardly contain your excitement at the chance to finally get to speak with him.

“Dinner will be served shortly,” one of the servants stated flatly. “Unfortunately, the Fire Lord will be unable to accompany you this evening.” Oh. You felt yourself deflate, and Katara shot you a sympathetic glance from across the table.

“You know Sparky,” Toph drawled. “Too bad he’s missing out.” Toph shrugged. “Oh well, more for me!”

Dinner went on without that much excitement. Although your disappointment still weighed on you, you had to admit that having your friends around made you feel a lot better. Just spending time with everyone—well, nearly everyone—for once was incredible. You couldn’t remember the last time you had all gotten to sit around a table together.

Eventually, you all dispersed and headed off to your rooms. You had expected the palace’s accommodations to be fancy, but nothing could prepare you for how lavish they really were. You had your own en suite and the bed was about as big as your old room back in the Earth Kingdom. It was probably the most comfortable thing you’d ever been in, but you still struggled to fall asleep.

You felt restless, and your own mind kept betraying you. You couldn’t help but worry about what would happen once your stay at the palace was over, and what the future held for you and your tight-knit group of friends. Aang was always away Avatar-ing, and Zuko had a whole country to run. Katara would follow Aang anywhere, and be a valuable asset to him, and Sokka would soon become Chief of the Southern Tribe. You tried not to let it, but the thought came to you anyway; what if this was the last time you were all together?

You sighed and kicked your legs out from under the covers, then swung around to sit up and get out of bed. Maybe a walk would be helpful, and there was plenty of ground to cover in the palace itself. You didn’t bother to change out of your light sleeping clothes—you pulled one of the plush white guest robes out of the closet and wrapped it around yourself tightly before slipping out the door.

The halls of the palace were dark and empty. You didn’t really know where you were going, but you figured you would find your way back eventually. You wandered for quite some time, admiring the portraits and mosaics of previous Fire Lords and Fire Ladies. You noticed that there was a blank space on the wall and stopped in front of it, looking at the chips in the chunk of stone in the otherwise immaculate palace.

“Fire Lord Zuko.”

You nearly jumped out of your skin when you heard the voice from down the hall. You turned to see a bearded man in Fire Nation robes; his face illuminated by orange light.

“The ambassador from the colonies is requesting to meet with you right away,” the man continued.

“Can’t it wait?” Another voice replied. Zuko. You felt like you should leave, but you stayed frozen to your spot.

“Sir, the ambassador has had a long journey…”

“So have my guests.” You can sense the irritation in Zuko’s voice. “You had no problem making them wait.”

“But sir—”

“Tomorrow, Lao,” Zuko said with finally.

“Yes, my Lord.” The man looked down dejectedly before disappearing down the corridor.

You felt like you should leave. Zuko was obviously busy, and stressed, and didn’t need you to be bothering him. You turned to go, and barely made it two steps before you heard his voice again.

“Y/N?”

You turned around, and the sight of him immediately made your heart beat faster. He walked towards you, concern written across his face, a fire alight in his hand.

“What are you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” you replied simply as he neared you. “It’s a little weird being here.”

“I get it,” Zuko agreed. You knew he understood more than anybody about not belonging; you knew he felt out of place in his own palace. He looked over at the blank spot on the wall that you had been staring at, and the fire he held flickered. “My father’s portrait was there. I had it removed the week after my coronation.” Oh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s okay, Y/N,” he said, giving you a sympathetic look. You noticed that his dark hair was beginning to fall out of its knot. How long had he been working? With the help of the firelight, you could also see the dark circles forming under his eyes. He looked so, so tired. “Walk with me?”

“Sure,” you answered. You were tempted to reach out for his empty hand as he fell into step beside you. A beat. “Why isn’t your portrait up yet?” Zuko blushed. It was odd to see such a light, relaxed expression on his face.

“I don’t really have the time. Besides, I don’t really want one, I think they’re tacky.”

“They’re regal, Zuko,” you teased, trying to ignore the way your heart sped up when his shoulder bumped into yours. Zuko sighed, the calm expression leaving his face as you turned your head to look at him.

“I’m really sorry that I haven’t gotten to spend much time with you, Y/N. You or the others.” He sounded so genuinely upset that you started to feel guilty for your annoyance at him earlier.

“It’s alright,” you reassured him, “I know you’re busy.” He shot you a look.

“That’s not an excuse.” You started to open to your mouth to retort, but he held up a hand to stop you. “We haven’t seen each other in so long, and you traveled for days, and I’ve been a terrible host and a terrible friend.”

“It’s okay,” you said again. “We can handle ourselves for a few days.” Zuko managed a smile at that.

“I’m starving,” Zuko admitted suddenly. “Want to get a snack?”

“What kind of question is that, Sparky?” You laughed, and Zuko scowled.

“Please don’t start calling me that,” Zuko pleaded. “And I’ll take that as a yes.”

To your surprise, Zuko didn’t lead you to the kitchens or the dining hall. He stopped in front of a door blocked by two guards, who stepped out of the way as he approached.

“My Lord,” one of the guards greeted while the other opened the door.

“Could you send someone to fetch us some snacks, please?” Zuko requested politely, stepping through the open door and motioning for you to follow.

“Of course, my Lord,” the other guard replied as you follow Zuko inside. The guard closes the door behind you, and then you realized that Zuko has brought you to his room.

Or, rooms, you supposed you should say. And if you thought your room was fancy… Zuko’s was over-the-top with regality and garnishment. The area you had just stepped into had a giant fireplace on the left wall and a large sofa in front of it, as well as a full table setting with four chairs. There were two doors on the right wall, and large windows overlooking the courtyard directly in front of you. Everything was deep reds, maroons, and gold.

“I’ll be right back,” Zuko told you. “Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. He walked away and disappeared through one of the doors to your right.

Even though it felt very odd, you walked over and sat down awkwardly on the sofa and waited for Zuko to return. You blushed as you looked around, and you silently cursed yourself for your immaturity. You weren’t in his room. The knot in your stomach didn’t listen to you.

You turned when you heard the door Zuko had gone through open again. He reenters, and you feel like you have the breath knocked out of you, even though he really doesn’t look much different than before; you suppose he just does that to you. After months apart, seeing him feels like a shock to your system.

He’d changed out of his Fire Lord garb into long, black pants and a robe much like yours, except his was dark red with gold trim and a gold Fire Nation insignia embroidered on the breast. He stopped at the door to the hall just in time for you to hear a servant knock; Zuko opened the door, and the servant brought a huge platter covered in all kinds of snacks, barely managing to balance it as they set it on the table in front of the sofa. Your eyes widened at the enormous spread in front of you.

“Thank you.” Zuko dismissed the servant with a nod. They gave a quick bow and exited curtly. Zuko took a seat next to you and immediately dug into the pile of rolls on the platter.

“Hungry?” You laughed. Zuko looked at you sheepishly.

“I haven’t eaten dinner yet,” he admitted, mouth stuffed full of bread. So much for Fire Lord manners.

“Zuko!” You swatted at him, hitting him on the arm. “You have to take care of yourself.” You let him hear your concern—the combination of the dark circles and the lack of nutrition was plenty enough to worry you.

“I know, it’s just…” Zuko looked up at you, a stray hair from his topknot falling in front of his face. “I have so much work to do, Y/N.”

“You can’t expect to do it all in a year, Zuko,” you reasoned, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. “No one else is expecting it, either.”

“I know,” Zuko sighed. “But I need to fix my father’s mistakes and make things right. It’s my job to bring back honor to my nation.”

“The walls of Ba Sing Se weren’t built in a day, Zuko. But the world sees the good that you’re doing. I’ve seen it.” Zuko’s gaze softened as he looked at you.

“What about you?” You’re surprised by his question.

“What do you mean?” You looked away and snatched a roll off the platter.

“I mean,” Zuko continued, eyeing you, “what have you been up to?”

“Nothing, really,” you admitted. You can tell your voice has betrayed your feelings, because you could see concern growing in his golden eyes. “I’ve just been hanging out in the South Pole, I guess. Nothing very interesting.”

“What’s wrong?” Zuko pressed, leaning in towards you as you took your hand off his shoulder. “You can talk to me, Y/N.”

“After the war,” you began, “I thought everything would be great. I can’t really explain what I thought would happen. I guess I didn’t know, but… I feel like I don’t really have a place anymore.

“My whole journey started when I joined the others. I had a goal, and it was to help win the war. And now it’s over, and Aang is still the Avatar. Katara and Toph are still two of the world’s most powerful benders. Sokka is going to become Chief. I feel like…” you sighed, not sure of how to continue. “I feel like my journey’s over. I can’t go back to my village in the Earth Kingdom. I have no one there, and the South Pole doesn’t feel like a home, especially when Sokka and Katara are hardly around.”

“I’m sorry, Y/N,” Zuko looked at you with sympathy. You averted his gaze. “I should’ve written to you more, or visited, or something. I had no idea how you felt, and I should have. I’m supposed to…” Zuko trailed off, looking down at his hands.

“Supposed to what?”

“I’m supposed to take care of you,” Zuko said. You felt your heartbeat race. “You’re supposed to take care of people you care about, and I didn’t even make the time to talk to you until now.”

“It’s not your fault,” you replied, but Zuko wasn’t having it.

“I should’ve just pushed back my meetings when you and the others arrived. I’ve missed you all so much. I’ve missed you so much.”

“I missed you, too,” you said, looking into Zuko’s eyes. His hands were warm as he reached and grabbed onto yours.

“You know,” Zuko said, what looked like a light blush rising to his cheeks, “you could stay here, if you wanted to.”

“What?”

“You could stay and work here,” Zuko repeated, before quickly backtracking. “I mean, if you wanted to. And not like, as a servant or anything. You could be my adviser. If you wanted to.”

“What?” You repeated again, dumbfounded by his offer.

“I actually meant to ask you a while ago,” Zuko rambled, “along with this other conversation I’ve been meaning to have with you, but I held off because I don’t know if it’s something you want.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to?” You asked honestly, wondering what he possibly thinks would keep you away. Zuko shrugged. “But you don’t have to give me place here.” You didn’t understand why he’d be making this offer now. You weren’t exactly qualified.

“Umm…” Zuko shifted, pulling his hands away from yours. You missed their warmth immediately. “I…” Zuko took a deep breath, seeming to steel himself to say something. “I want you to stay even if you don’t want to be my adviser, because I’ve missed you, and… I really, really like you, Y/N.” You felt your heart and jaw hit the floor. Zuko paled immediately and was about to say something else before you abruptly moved forward. Before you could convince yourself not to, you pressed a soft kiss to his lips.  

Zuko didn’t move for a moment, and you felt your whole body go cold. But then he was kissing you back, and you felt his arms wrap around you, filling you will warmth as you melted into him. He pulled away from you entirely too soon, and you looked up at him, brushing another dark, stray hair out of his face. His eyes were full of admiration and a light blush had risen in his cheeks. He looked beautiful.

“Woah,” he said dumbly, staring at you. You giggled. “So—”

You cut him off. “I like you too, Zuko.” You pressed another quick kiss to his lips. “Can I stay?”

He looked at you in confusion. “I told you, you can stay here as long as you want.”

“I mean here,” you said again, looking at him and tapping on his chest with one of your hands that was trapped between you.

“Oh,” Zuko looked at you. “Oh. Yes, definitely.” You felt his arms tighten around you, and you smiled as you tilted your head up to kiss him again.

[melzula]

Beach Day

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader

notes: an anon asked for zuko and the princess being cute at the beach and I delivered

Sokka’s giddy laughter drifts through the air from the shore to the front steps of the beach house where Zuko sits waiting patiently for you to emerge, a small frown etched across his features as he watches his friends playing in the distance. The last beach day he’d had on Ember Island hadn’t exactly been a pleasant one, he had been a different person then and had surrounded himself with different people, but he hoped that being here with you and your friends— his friends now, too, though he sometimes forgets— would erase the bad memories and replace them with happier ones. You’re together again and after your talk last night you’re finally in the right place to begin your healing, so what better way to do that than a day at the beach?

Zuko is just about to get up and see what’s taking you so long, but the sound of your footsteps has him halting his movements and remaining on the steps as her turns to look at you. You stand there meek and a tad embarrassed, your shyness seeming to multiply as Zuko’s mouth drops open in surprise at the sight of you.

“Don’t laugh,” you immediately say, heat crawling up your neck as you fidget with the skirt of your swimsuit. You feel out of sorts in your Fire Nation outfit, still not used to wearing the color nor the style after spending nearly all of your life in water tribe clothing, and you’re sure your top knot is tied completely wrong and absolutely laughable to your Fire Nation born boyfriend.

“You look...”

“Ridiculous?”

“So beautiful,” Zuko murmurs in awe, rising from his seat on the steps and meeting you halfway. Heat blooms on your cheeks as you look away only for Zuko to carefully return your gaze to him. “You’re beautiful. I-I mean, you already were before but... red suits you.”

“Thank you,” you smile shyly, happily accepting the sweet kiss Zuko presses upon your lips in a show of his appreciation for you in his nation’s clothing. When he pulls away there’s a sense of bliss written across your features as you take one of his hands in your own and intertwine your fingers together. “I think we should head out before we keep them waiting any longer.”

The walk to the shore is peaceful, the breeze blowing cooly against your face and Zuko’s warm hand encompassing your own as you admire the plants and the scenery that surround you, and if you try hard enough you can almost forget that in just a few days you’ll be fighting the final battle of the war. Suki is the first to spot you, waving you over from her seat underneath the beach umbrella to join her.

“There you guys are! It’s about time you showed up,” she teases. “We were starting to think you’d bailed on us for some alone time.”

“Wish I would have thought of that,” Zuko mumbles only for you to lightly elbow his side. “Ow! What did I say??”

“It took me twenty minutes to get the top knot right,” you explain with a laugh. “How’s the war?”

“Perfect. I really suggest going for a swim.”

“You wanna come swimming with me?” You ask excitedly to a reluctant Zuko. He doesn’t usually swim that often, but how can he say no to your pretty face? With a sigh he removes his robe before allowing you to take his hand and drag him off to the water.

You seem to be right at home as you crash clumsily through the waves, sometimes using your bending to help you ride the tide or clear a path for you to pick up a pretty shell before it can be washed away by the tide. And there Zuko stands in the shallow end with the water lapping at his ankles and his arms crossed over his chest but also with a faint smile on his features as he watches the pure joy radiating off of you. He hasn’t seen you this happy since you were children, when the pressures of the crown and the threat of a war between your people hadn’t yet began to loom over your heads, and he was grateful to be able to see it firsthand.

When you return to shore with the biggest smile on your face and your whole body soaked down to the bone from your swim, Zuko is happy to wrap you up in his robe and pull you into his chest to keep you warm and dry as you babble on about how nice the water is.

“Are you happy?”

“The happiest,” you answer with a grateful smile, a satisfied hum leaving you as Zuko pushes back your wet hair to press a soft kiss to your forehead. “Maybe when this is all over we can come back one day?”

“I promise I’ll bring you back,” Zuko vows. “I’ll even have the beach house fixed and remodeled if you’d like.“

“I’d like that very much.”

After your swim you find yourself seated beside Suki and Katara as Toph and the boys scramble to create the perfect sandcastle— no bending allowed, much to the earth bender’s dismay. Though you are now dry, Zuko’s robe still remains wrapped around your figure as you stare out wistfully at the water.

“Zuko’s actually a pretty sweet boyfriend,” Suki says.

“Yeah, after all the times he’s tried to kill us I never expected him to be such a softie,” Katara giggles. “It’s so cute.”

“Hey, you came back to bed pretty late last night. Did you guys talk?”

“He told me about his ex-girlfriend,” you explain. “He wanted to make sure everything was out in the open so that we’d be able to move on without any more surprises.”

“And you weren’t mad?” Katara asks in surprise. You’re silent for a moment, mulling over your thoughts and your feelings before finally shaking your head.

“I’ve been angry with him for so long, and I don’t want to be anymore. Everything that happened is behind us now, and all that matters is the future.”

The three of you look over then to see your boyfriends doing their best to put together their castle, anxiously working under Toph’s command and doing their best not to upset the younger girl. Your eyes catch Zuko’s and he sends you an embarrassed smile in passing, one that has you giggling in return. You love being able to see him this way, happy and awkward and finally enjoying himself for once, and you’d give anything to be able to see him smile every single day.

You have no idea what the future holds or what will happen the day of Sozin’s Comet. You have no way of knowing if you’ll survive, if you’ll come out victorious, if things will finally be set right after the Fire Nation’s hundred years of torment over its surrounding people, but you do know one thing for sure. You’re going to do whatever it takes to win this fight so that when all is said and done, you can return to Ember Island with Zuko at your side and the future shining brightly ahead.

~~~

bonus:

With the sun beginning to set and the temperature beginning to drop, you find yourself shivering underneath Zuko’s robe. You hadn’t completely dried just yet and with the absence of the sun’s warmth you were beginning to feel the effects of the cold.

“Aren’t you used to the cold? You’re water tribe,” Toph points out, annoyed at the constant vibrations your shivering body sends her way.

“I’ve been away from home for too long,” you admit through chattering teeth. A pair of warm arms wrap themselves around your middle and pull you in close, prompting a content sigh to leave you as you immediately melt into Zuko. “Good thing I have a fire bender boyfriend.”

“I told you you’d be cold,” Zuko chides gently, situating you in between his legs and resting his chin on the top of your head. He wasn’t really all that used to being so close to you in front of others after having avoided public affection at all costs back during your time on his ship, but he wanted your attention more than he cared about what anyone else thought.

“Anyone else find it kind of weird how... soft Zuko is being,” Sokka questions only to earn a glare from Zuko and a nudge in the ribs from Katara.

“I think it’s nice,” Aang says with a smile. “Everyone’s happy and we had a nice day.”

“Okay, but really, cuddly Zuko? I’m impressed.”

“Shut it, Sokka,” the prince glowers, but his features immediately soften as he looks down to see you’ve dozed off. Carefully does he tie his robe closed around your figure to keep your exposed skin shielded form the cold, making sure to keep completely still so as to not wake you. Katara and Suki are swooning at the sight, but Sokka finds himself slowly leaning towards Toph and nudging her arm gently.

“Total oogies.”

“The oogiest,” she agrees.

And you continue to sleep even when Zuko carries you back to the house and tucks you into bed for the night.

| tags: @rainteslerrrr @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @coldlilheart @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @zukh03s @titaniafire @dekahg @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @lozzybowe @izzieserra @melacholy @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @djskfkdkkf @xapham @yeetletzgetitjae @misnmatchedsox @chewymoustachio |

[gladerwolfstarkimagines]

Tea Shop Part Four: Zuko x female reader imagine series

Zuko joins the group and everyone is soon sick to death with the two of you bickering. You finally manage to put your differences aside long enough to help Sokka sneak into a fire nation prison to look for his dad but once there the fighting starts again and gets you both in serious trouble...

Part one here

Part two here

Part three here

Your POV

After your argument you and Zuko weren’t speaking apart from petty comments or mutterings that turned into arguments, both of which happened a lot! You glared at each constantly making the atmosphere very tense and the gang were not appreciative.

"Anyone else get the feeling y/n and Zuko just need locking in a tent for the few hours?" Sokka asked one morning after you’d just made Zuko leave the room with a well timed quip. Toph smirked, Katara and Aang smiled but you frowned "what? Why? We'd end up killing each other". "Ow it’d get physical" Sokka agreed and you scoffed throwing a rock at him. Sokka was under the insane impression all this tension was because you and Zuko had left things unresolved in Ba Sing Sei and so he was trying to nudge you two together constantly but it wasn’t working. "Don’t you think you're being a bit harsh on Zuko?" Sokka tried again and you glared. "Want me to start on you too pretty boy? Don’t get on my bad side". Sokka just stared at you in reply "you think i’m pretty?" he asked and you rolled your eyes and walked away as the rest of the gang all laughed.

The next day

It annoyed you how the others all took to Zuko so easily, as if they’d forgot everything he’d done. You were determined not to be so easily won over and so kept a close eye on him. While you were having supper you noticed Zuko and Sokka whispering away from the campfire. You tried to assess what was going on but couldn’t make anything out. Sokka having secrets with Zuko worried you, what is Zuko hurt him? Zuko could NOT be trusted and so you decided to get involved. That night you kept watch outside the temple incase Zuko tried anything and sure enough you saw him appear in the dead of night. He crept towards Appa and you followed him. "I knew you were up to no good!" you cried before pausing "Sokka?". Zuko was there but he wasn’t the one who’s been sneaking around, that was all Sokka and they seemed to be going somewhere. "Hi y/n" Sokka smiled "erm so i don’t suppose you can forget you saw us?". You shook your head "nope, why are you sneaking around with the traitor prince?". Zuko glared and you just smiled. "Erm prison...". "Good turning Zuko in?". "Look i know you have a problem with me...” Zuko started. "Ow wow you're clever" you retorted and Zuko cried out in frustation. "You are so annoying" he glared and you laughed "Really? Okay lets weight that up so i’m annoying and you’re a traitor, which is worse?". Zuko went to argue and Sokka stepped inbetween you "enough you guys are so loud you’ll wake everyone up! I’m going without either of you". "No" you and Zuko said simultaneously before glaring at each other. "You can’t go on your own you don’t know where it is" Zuko called. "I don’t know where you’re going but there’s no way i’m letting you go alone" you added. Sokka glared "the two of you can’t both come, you’ll argue too much, you can’t work together". "Then just take me" Zuko shrugged. You went to argue and Sokka groaned "no i want both or neither! I am not getting involved in this". You frowned and let out a large sigh, you knew Sokka wouldn’t change his mind when he spoke in that tone. So you either sent Sokka into the firenation alone or swallowed your pride. You debated the Sokka alone plan and couldn’t see a way it happened without him dying so grudgingly huffed. "We won’t argue and give away our cover" you told Sokka "i promise to stop". Zuko looked up at you in shock while Sokka beamed "you will?". You nodded purposefully not looking at Zuko "i promise". Sokka turned to Zuko who frowned "i promise too". Sokka smiled "yay road trip!".

To keep your promise you just stayed away from Zuko. On the ship you stuck to opposite ends and when you got to prison you found the guard helmet covered his face making your anger lessened. The plan to break Hakoda out was on track...and then Zuko got caught impersonating a guard and got you dragged down with him. Needless to say you were furious. As soon as you were let out of your cell you spotted Zuko and stalked towards him. Zuko was expecting this and sighed “Y/n...”. “You just love annoying me don’t you, did you plan this the whole time?”. “Of course not!” Zuko cried “but maybe i should’ve...”. You glared and got ready to argue again when Sokka appeared. "Look i know this isn’t ideal" Sokka tried and you laughed "yeah no kidding". "What was i suposed to do? Let them catch Sokka?" Zuko asked. "No but leaving me out of it would’ve been nice". "Ow like i meant to implicate you" Zuko snapped. "Guys!" Sokka cried "you promised". You frowned seeing Sokka pout and nodded "sorry". "Sorry" Zuko mimicked you and you raised an eyebrow. "Okay so this changes things but i have a plan" Sokka cried and you focused on him and just blocked Zuko out.

The plan was Zuko would get supplies from the freezer but to get him there he had to cause a disturbance worthy of such a punishment. So Sokka proposed he start a fight and you watched Zuko provoke one. The fight went as Sokka planned and Zuko and the other inmate fought before guards intervened. Zuko’s fire bending caught their attention and he stopped to let then arrest him but they didn’t seem keen on taking him so willingly. You watched as one grabbed Zuko’s arms while another snook up behind him. The guard raised his baton against Zuko aiming right for the back of his head and Zuko couldn’t see him coming. "Stop" you cried using earth bending to trip the guard making him fall over into the other guard. Zuko jumped and turned avoiding the man and looked at you suprised. People laughed and the guards glared "you!" he said spotting you. "You were going to hurt him!" you shrugged "i was just trying to make you stop". One of the guards grabbed your arm and Zuko frowned "hey get off her" and yanked the man off you. The man tried grabbing you again and the other guard joined in too. With Zuko’s help you outmanouvered and tripped the two of them again. The guards fell over harshly and glared. The main guard looked furious and called for back up. Immediately more guards streamed into the room and spotted you and Zuko as the trouble makers. They seized you both and forced your hands behind your backs. "Benders" the man spat at the floor "they both need some manners, a night in the freezer". That made you stop struggling in shock, he couldn't put you, an earthbender, in the freezer too. "But i’m not a fire bender!" you cried "I'll die if you do that". "Not my problem" the guard smirked and you and Zuko were dragged away. You tried resisting and Zuko was determined to help you too. He broke out of his restraints and attacked your guards. Not managing to get them off you he clung onto you instead. Not sure what his plan was but not wanting to be seperated you grabbed onto him too and the guards couldn’t seperate you. You caused so much fuss they pushed you both into the same freezer just to get you in there and slammed the door shut. "Let me out!" you cried "i’m not a firebender let me out i’ll freeze" you yelled beating your fists against the door. "Y/n trust me they dont care" Zuko frowned. You ignored him and kept at it. Zuko left you to get your anger out for a while before sighing "y/n stop that". "I can’t i have to get out" you gasped feeling the smallness of the room closing in on you "i can’t stay in here". "Y/n stop" zuko said grabbing your shoulders "they aren’t coming, the only thing that’s doing is wasting your energy and annoying me, we’ll only survive this if we’re smart". You frowned "so what do we do?". "We have to conserve our enevery...we need to huddle" Zuko said and when you rolled your eyes he rushed to explain "my body temperature is warmer than yours! The only way you’ll survive is by sharing my body heat". "I bet you’d like that" you scoffed and Zuko blushed "it’s not like that". "Either way i’m not touching you" you retorted and Zuko frowned "fine then freeze!" and turned away. You went back to banging on the door and lost track of time when you suddenly and shockingly felt your energy ebb. You grabbed the wall and realised your hands were so cold you hadn’t even noticed they were bleeding. The red and blue contrast of your hands made you feel dizzy and you held onto the door tighter. "Zuko..." you said softly and immediately Zuko was there “Y/n?”.You turned showing him your hands and in response Zuko just tugged you into him. You were scared, your skin looked blue-ish to you and you felt numb. Zuko folded your arms into him and wrapped his own over you. "Put your hands against me" he told you "bury your head in my neck and try to think warm thoughts" he commanded. He rubbed your shoulders and arms alternatingly and it felt nice and warm...for a while. "It’s not working" you stuttered feeling the freeze and Zuko shook his head "no, no way i’m letting you die". He frowned and sat down tugging you with him. You were so cold you didn’t even object when he pulled you onto his lap. He tucked your feet under his legs and put your hands aginst his chest. "Keep rubbing your hand together" he told you and engulfed you in his warm bulk again. You fully rested your face in the crook of his neck and tried to tuck your limbs in as much a possible. Again Zuko rubbed your back and arms to keep you warm and even breathed fire surprising you. "I didn’t know you could do that" you stutted and Zuko looked at you "conserve your strength, don’t talk". You smirked at his tone but winced to feel the numbness spread. It was getting worse despite Zuko’s efforts, you didn’t want to give in but the cold was so inviting. You just had to do one thing before you went....you had to say goodbye. "Zuko if i don’t...i don’t think i’m going to...". "Don’t even say it" Zuko cried and he spat more fire warming the air slightly. "Take slow deep breaths and remain calm, you’re fine". "Zuko if i don’t...". "Y/n" he scolded you but you carried on "i’m sorry Zuko...for wasting time being angry at you, i was just hurt and i...". A tear fell down your cheek and then promptly froze. Zuko shook his head "y/n stop it" he frowned "you won’t make it if you don’t try". "I just want you to know i regret wasting that time with you...I wasn’t really angry at you, I was just hurt" you cried "i like you Zuko". Zuko breathed in sharply. “I have since Ba Sing Sei and I should’ve told you earlier but i was confused and i....but i wanted to tell you before i...". "You're not dying" Zuko replied shakily "i’ve seen you fight pleanty of my decisions before y/n don’t fight this one and i...I like you too so you just have to keep trying, you can make it". "Zuko i can’t..." you sighed growing tired and Zuko shook his head "y/n please". When your eyes started to close Zuko panicked "y/n!" he cried shaking your shoulders. Zuko yelled your name but got no response. Running of out of ideas Zuko held you face and yelled your name. He was shaking in frustration and fear but tried his last gambit. He yelled your name and then kissed you. He hoped, one it would warm you and two shock you into waking back up. It did both. Against your cold skin his lips were practically painful but you didn’t care. If you were going to die, kissing Zuko after telling him you liked him seemed like a good enough way to go. "Y/n please for me keep trying" Zuko whispered kissing your forehead. You blinked and breathed slowly but nodded "okay". Zuko smiled and tucked you back into his neck. Zuko chattered constantly to make sure you stayed awake and just spoke about random stuff. His uncle, turtle ducks, the palace gardens. Everything and anything and it was sweet and kept you awake. You even smiled as he explained the time a duck bit him and were feeling warmer when the door snapped open. "Aww how cute" one guard commented and the other snorted "wow she’s still alive, well lucky for her your presence has been requested, the both of you so get up".  Zuko helped you to stand and you practically clung onto him as the guards pushed and pulled you faster than your frozen legs could manage. They thrust you into a room and you almost fell but Zuko caught you. He helped you into one of the two chairs and knelt down beside you. "It’s warm you smiled and Zuko nodded rubbing your hands "still regulate your breathing though, you’re not in the clear yet". "I feel fine" you argued and Zuko raised an eyebrow "you’re still ice cold, your hairs frozen and your lips are blue". "Well that’s your fault for only focusing on my hands" you commented and Zuko shook his head but smiled. "Don't worry i’ll get round to it". You grinned as he rubbed your arms and smirked at the serious face he was making. "What?" he asked noticing you watching him and you smiled "nothing". Zuko blushed glancing at you and you grinned. The door opened suddenly and Zuko shot up towering over you. You used the chair to stand up too and noticed Zuko step closer to you as soon as he saw who it was. You frowned and peaked out from behind Zuko to see it was the dark haired fire nation girl. Zuko’s ex girlfriend if you’d read the signals right. From her glare you did. "I told you to bring him, not her too". The guard frowned "sorry we'll take her". "No" Zuko said shielding you protectively, he knew if they sent you back into the freezer without him you’d he dead in minutes. "You won’t touch her! If you send her away i won’t say a word, if you want to talk to me you’ll keep her right here". The girl glared and time seemed to drag on before she glanced at you and sighed "fine". The guard asked it she was sure and she nodded before they shut the door leaving the three of you alone.

To hear Zuko arguing with his ex after you’d just kissed and admitted your feeings to each other was awkward to say the least. His girlfriend was pissed he’d left and nothing Zuko said made it better. You kept your eyes down trying not to listen but couldn’t help it. You chair made a large squeak suddenly and you looked up. Mai fixed her eyes on you and tilted her head to one side "you’re the beach girl, the one Zuko stood up for, aren’t you?" she asked. "Well usually people call me y/n but beach girl works too". Mai raised an eyebrow in disgust "i bet you feel so special having him protect you, having him stand up for you...it won’t last, he’s good at betraying people". "Mai leave her alone" Zuko called but you weren’t intimidated. "Really you're trying to scare me off him? This bickering didn’t do it so i’d save my breath if i were you, i don’t care what happened between you. For all i know the problem was with you not him and based on what i’ve heard about you that’s a safe bet". The girl’s eyes twitched and her hand went to her sleeve. "Mai no!" Zuko called "you’re mad at me leave her alone! It’s between me and you not her". "If she doesn’t shut her mouth..." Mai glared. "She will" Zuko assured her and fixed you a look as you went to protest. You sighed but obeyed. "Atleast you have her trained" Mai commented. You glared but didn’t reply.

Zuko and Mai carried on talking, or well arguing, when a guard appeared informing Mai there was a riot. He offered to be her body guard and opened the door. Zuko met your eye as the door opened and you got his subtle hint. "I don’t need any protection" Mai explained and Zuko nodded "she doesn’t". Mai frowned and Zuko gestured to you. You stepped closer to him when he suddenly threw the guard into Mai and grabbed your hand. Zuko dragged you out of the room before slamming the door closed. Mai’s face appeared on the other side of the door and she looked pissed. "I’m sorry Mai" Zuko frowned "i really am but we have to go" and he turned to you. “How are your legs feeling? Can you walk on them?”. “I can do more than that and I think we’re going to need it” you replied and set off in a run for the meeting point you’d arrranged with Sokka.

You barely made it but thanks to Suki’s fighting skills and suprisingly Mai’s help you made it out of the fire nation prison successfully. You stood on the air ship watching the prison fall away in disbelief. You were trying to comprehend everything that had just happened when you jumped feeling something behind you. "Sorry" Zuko said when he saw you flinch "didn’t mean to scare you". "It’s fine" you smiled "you saved my life i don’t think i can be angry at you again". "I’m sure that’ll last a week at most" Zuko smirked and you shrugged but knew he was right. "Thank you" you said placing a hand on his arm making him look at you "if you hadn’t taken care of me....i’m still sure you enjoyed it somewhat...but either way thank you". Zuko blushed looking down "of course i didn’t enjoy it you were almost dying!". "So you didn’t like the close contact...the kiss at all?" you asked smirking. Zuko’s face went bright red "no, you were in pain, i was too worried about you to enjoy it much". "That’s a shame, it was pretty good from my perspective" you smiled. "I’m glad for you, that was my intent". You laughed "well next time i’ll make sure you enjoy it too". "Next time?" Zuko asked and you nodded "yeah if you meant what you said". "I did" Zuko nodded and you blushed "good so did i". Zuko smiled at you and your blush grew "you know next time could be sooner than..." you started when Zuko, already ahead of you, kissed you for the second time that day. "Now?" he asked and you nodded kissing him again. Zuko held you tightly against him, your hands were against his chest as he pressed closer to you and you didn’t mind the lack of space, you forgot you needed any so lost in it. "Zuko the ships..." Sokka’s voice suddenly cut in jolting you out of it. Sokka stopped his sentence seeing the two of you, his jaw hanging open as he stared. "Ow my god where did you find the time for this to even happen!" he cried. Zuko narrowed his eyes putting an arm around you protectively but you smirked turning to face Sokka "in the freezer". "I knew it!" Sokka cried "you guys are so obvious". "If you knew it then why did you disturb us?" Zuko asked, still pressed close to you. You smirked at his angry face and turned back to Sokka "what’s wrong with the ship Sokka?". "I don’t know i need you to work that out if you’re not too busy". Zuko raised an eyebrow but sighed “fine” and followed Sokka away still glaring.

When you reached camp and explained everything to the others Zuko caught Katara and brought her over to you. "Katara can you check over y/n, her hands are pretty bad and she was in the freezer for so long...she seems okay but i’d feel better knowing you made sure" Zuko said and you rolled your eyes. You let Katara heal and then wrap your hands in bandages carefully. You waited as she examined you for any signs of frostbite or muscle damage and shot Zuko a smirk when she announced you were fine. "Your body seems fine just tired, well done Zuko you managed to make sure no long term damage was done". "Pretty heroic" you smirked and Zuko blushed "i’m just glad your okay". You smiled up at Zuko, both of you obviously smitten and Katara froze "wait....are you two...?". You and Zuko looked at her and she grinned "i knew you liked him! This is amazing!! I should’ve been able to tell from how you’re not glaring at each other anymore! You’re still looking at each other a lot but it’s different now” she trailed off before realising she was embarassing you “i’m so pleased for you both" she cried and hugged you. "Thanks Katara but we kinda need to talk about it so mind giving us a sec?". "Of course" she nodded "sorry" and backed out of the room. "We need to talk?" Zuko asked worried and you shook your head "nope, i just said that to get rid of Katara, can anyone in that family read social cues?". Zuko smirked "you’re the best". "I know" you smiled "but you’re pretty good too". You frowned and looked at him "but while we’re here...Zuko i want to apologise for everything i’ve said to you over the past few days, i was just so angry but that’s no excuse for what i said to you". Zuko frowned "y/n its okay i said things too". "I know but you tried apologisng first and now i think of all i did to provoke you, you’re not a traitor Zuko, you’re not a bad person and i don’t hate you, i’m sorry for ever implying i did". Zuko smiled and took your bandaged hand "thank you for saying that but i knew you didn’t hate me, you don’t hate anyone you’re too kind...plus that kiss definitely was not hate". You blushed "in my defence i thought i was dying"."Hmm that explains why you were just as eager on the ship then?".  "Zuko" you whined and pushed him playfully. Zuko smiled and realised that was the first time you’d said his name, his real name, without sounding angry or upset. It was the first time you said it in a good way and he liked how it sounded. You realised he was staring at you adoringly and blushed. "Today was pretty awful but this is the best thing that’s happened to me in a while" Zuko said smiling at you. You were still blushing but nodded "me too, i’m just annoyed it took us this long". Zuko shrugged "we can make up the time now" and you smiled agreeing. “The sooner the better” you smirked and Zuko agreed leaning in to kiss you again. 

____

That’s it!! I skipped the whole taking over the capital because I liked that as the ending. Thanks for all the support :)

[stitch1830]

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION: KANTO

So this is a character description for the character Kanto that @precious-metal-girl and I created for AUs where he is in a loving and committed relationship with Toph Beifong. Part of this is to help me keep track of all of his features and personality traits, and if others are looking to write about Kanto but aren't sure about how to describe him, feel free to pick and choose characteristics that meet your AU needs! This will (hopefully) be a living document where characteristics are added and changed over time. If you are curious about our AUs or want to know about a particular trait/personality, feel free to ask us questions!

......

Born: ~88/89 AG (summer)

Residence: Republic City

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Green

Element: Earthbending/Metalbending

Occupation: Deputy for the Republic City Police Department, Metalbender Division

Nicknames: Hotshot, Dep (short for Deputy), Slick, Botany Boy, Pretty Boy, Metalbrain, Metalhead, Rockhead, K, My Rock

Relationship: Toph Beifong

Background:

Kanto grew up near one of the Fire Nation colonies close to what is Republic City today (part of the reason why his name has FN influence). His father took many different jobs and tried to avoid fighting in the war as long as possible so he could stay with his family, while his mother was a seamstress for the town. Often, he would help his mother sew clothes, and because of that he was pretty crafty and good with his hands. He lost his parents at age 7; old enough to remember them and his childhood, but all the memories are pretty blurry.

What he does remember is that his family was pretty poor, but they always had something to laugh about.

He loved learning new skills with his dad, and had his mom read the same two books they had every single night. And one thing he always remembers is eating together as a family.

His parents died either in an accident for rebelling against a FN rule (maybe the FN wanted to take Kanto away for being an earthbender), or from protecting Kanto in general.

Kanto was always pretty feisty as a boy, pushing people’s buttons and egging people on. It only got worse when his parents died because he pushed buttons out of anger now.

He also had a lot of friends, but after, he didn’t talk to anyone for a while because he ran away. Most of his fighting skills were learned while on the run, he never got any formal training until he went to the metalbending academy (maybe 17 or 18? Toph managed a different part of the academy so she didn’t know him. That or he went to a different academy branch entirely).

One thing he remembers is that he was happiest with his family, so he cherishes the idea of a happy family unit, and he constantly searched for something that made him feel close to that happiness.

Personality:

The first impression people get of Kanto is that he is a no-good, arrogant, bad boy. He acts as if he’s the coolest person in town and always has something sassy to say in response. More than half of the words that come out of Kanto’s mouth are flirtatious and sarcastic, a combination that initially drives Toph Beifong crazy.

But in reality, Kanto is an extremely loyal man who’s rather selfless, putting himself in harm’s way so no one else has to. His initial personality is a front to protect himself so that he doesn’t befriend anyone too much, because he knows what it’s like to love people and lose them. He hated how he felt when he was orphaned and never wanted to feel that way again.

When his facade finally cracks with Toph and she sees the real him, he’s actually… a dork.

He’s got a very goofy personality, he gets excited about little things, and his passions do not necessarily align with his looks and his first impression. When he loves people, he does so with his full heart, but again, he’s hesitant to do so with many… His family are essentially the only ones that see him this way.

Looks:

Kanto is most certainly a hunk. He’s got a similar skin complexion to Toph, thick and wavy (borderline curly) black hair (Toph loves playing with it), broad chest and shoulders (a fit and toned body overall), a mischievous, slightly crooked grin (left corner turns up higher than the right) that makes all the women of RC swoon, a crooked nose from being punched in the face one too many times, and classic earthbender green eyes. He’s also pretty tall, that’s where Lin gets her height from, well over a head taller than Toph And despite being an earthbender, his hands and fingers are actually rather long and nimble. Some popular fanart interpretations of Kanto can be found here and here and here and here and here.

Interests:

Kanto likes flowers, he often brings new ones home (especially when he’s with Toph) so he can teach her about its qualities and so they have a nice and natural floral scent in their home. He’s obsessed with pro bending like Toph, and often will attend matches with her. Astronomy and biology are also interests of his. Toph and Kanto also have a cool rock collection, both are trying to best each other to find the coolest one. Kanto reads science fiction novels to Toph in their downtime and he’ll play the guitar or pipa.

Fears:

Kanto is afraid of bugs, he doesn’t care for large fires that can get out of control, and big animals make him nervous at first contact. When Lin’s in the picture, he freaks out when there are too many sharp corners in one place. He’s always afraid she’s gonna fall and hit her head. Kanto also doesn’t like those rip tides or currents in oceans/large bodies of water.

Some of his deeper level fears include losing his family. He cannot stand the idea of losing Lin or Toph, especially if the reason they are missing or gone is because of him. He’s lost his family before, and he’ll be damned if he loses them again.

Flaws:

A lot of his flaws stem from his stubbornness and confidence. He’s arrogant, overconfident, prideful, and impatient. He knows he’s good at his job and he’s not afraid to talk about his skills and talents, and unless he’s working specifically with Toph, he assumes he’s the best for the job.

He’s flirty, sarcastic, reckless, and a bit of a slob (just his home, he keeps a clean appearance). Kanto’s constantly ragging on coworkers, has comments for days, and it’s rare for him to speak in a serious tone while on the job. Just doesn’t happen.

He’s protective, reckless, a troublemaker, skeptical, and vengeful. When he actually finds love and has a family, he is extremely protective, to the point where if criminals threaten his family, he’s not afraid to take the law into his own hands to eradicate the problem. One of these would be his fatal flaw, maybe vengeful? His vengeful tendency could be from a need to retaliate to protect his family from a threat, and that ultimately may take him down.

His flaws mainly seem to come from his overconfident front that he gives to the world. He doesn’t let too many in, or, he lets people in, but they don’t see the real him. Kanto doesn’t trust people right away, but it’s easy to get along with everyone if you just have this confident and charismatic face on. But his ‘face’ seeped into his actual personality, so there are times when he shouldn’t blurt out the first stupid comment in his head, but he does.

Gaang First Impressions:

Aang: He’s always extremely happy and excited to meet new partners, so he was thrilled to meet Kanto. They definitely don’t see eye-to-eye on a lot of things, but Aang is great at being friends with everyone despite the differences, so there’s no animosity.

Katara: She’s skeptical at first, because Kanto acts like a douche and has a bad boy persona. Katara just doesn’t want to see Toph get hurt, so she interrogates the man a bit (a lot), but even though the things he says concern her, he’s a gentleman to Toph, very attentive to her needs. So, maybe he’s not so bad… Later on, she knows the bad boy look was all a facade and that Kanto is a sweetheart, and she grows to really like Kanto.

Zuko: He gives Kanto a very cold shoulder at first. He’s very protective of Toph because he thinks of her as a little sister. So, he crosses his arms, glares a bit, and Kanto glares back because that’s what he does at first. But then, they start going on double dates, and Zuko and Kanto turn out to have a lot more in common than they realize. They’re buddies now!

Sokka: Sokka’s attitude really depends on ship preference with him, but in most HC’s, he’s Toph’s best friend, so he would also be distant with Kanto. He wouldn’t like how cocky he is, or that he’s super tall and talented at many things… he’s not a fan. However, Toph is always super happy around Kanto, he makes her laugh, and no one is allowed to insult Toph without an ass whooping from both Kanto and Toph, so, he warms up to the guy. He’s been seen buying Kanto a beer after a long day of work as a truce, and he often goes to Kanto if he needs police paper signed and expedited (Kanto does the same with Sokka, it evens out).

Suki: Suki is pretty chill about it all. She’s pretty perceptive about personalities and whatnot, and she can detect a bit of a bad boy mask. So, she treats the introduction casually and is super cordial with Kanto. They never become best friends or anything, but she was one of his first “allies” in the Gaang, and for that he is forever grateful.

Other Facts:

His mannerisms are that he walks with a slow swagger. Often the slowest of the group, he takes his time whenever he walks places. But don’t let that fool you—he can sprint really fast. He leans back in almost all of his chairs, sometimes he leans too far back. Kanto was a notorious manspreader when he would sit down, but since being with Toph, she put a stop to that instantly. When he’s restless, he bounces his leg a lot, and usually only stops if Toph reminds him (usually a hand to his leg to calm him down). Kanto also runs his hand through his hair a ton to either push it off his face, or just on instinct. He fidgets with his hands, too, Toph does as well. Usually, the two will hold hands or play with each other’s fingers to ‘remedy’ their nervous tick. In extremely stressful situations (like an AU where Lin is kidnapped), Kanto usually throws up and doesn’t sleep at all.

Kanto’s voice is a mix of a rural and city accent, once Republic City becomes prominent. He uses slang in his speech often and mainly uses city words (he picked up a lot of city lingo when interacting with criminals and undercover work back in the day). There are a few words and phrases from his childhood that he uses that scream ‘rural kid’ and that is mainly when the distinction in his accent and speech is picked up. His voice is smooth and deep when he casually talks. When he yells, it becomes a bit gravelly and husky sounding. Oddly enough, when he whispers, the same thing happens.

Kanto smells like the earth or something with a forestry scent (cedar comes to mind). He wears cologne, and the scents he usually goes for are ones that smell like earth, wood, or resin. Kanto likes wearing cologne, but he can’t put too much on, otherwise it bothers Toph’s nose, and he typically checks to see which ones Toph likes, and he’ll purchase that cologne again because he knows she likes the smell. He naturally smells a bit like metal and dirt and a bit of smoke (he was a casual smoker before he had Lin). All these scents are not prominent, but by the end of the day, these are the scents that can usually be detected.

Some of his pet peeves include fake apologies, when people kick or shake the chair he is sitting in, any slightly insulting remark toward Toph, close talkers, people that interrupt frequently, and those that correct his grammar.

Kanto canonically only has one daughter, Lin. In this AU, he’s a loving and committed father who emphasizes putting his family first and protecting them. He doted and hovered over Toph while she was pregnant, cried tears of joy when Lin was born, and is very attentive and caring toward Lin. He’s the one that soothes her when she cries out at night, he’ll get up in the morning with her so Toph can sleep in, and when he comes home from work, he smothers her in kisses and gives her raspberries on the belly (affectionate). Even as a baby, Lin was a Daddy’s girl and Kanto spoiled her as much as possible.

In the relatively canon compliant AU, Kanto dies when Lin is about 6 months old. He left for work, had a run-in with a bloodbender (or an accident on the job), and never returned home. On the day of his death, Kanto planned on proposing to Toph, but never got the chance.

Lin knew about her father growing up, but he wasn’t talked about often because it is a touchy subject for Toph (and for most that knew him well). On her 13th birthday, Lin receives the engagement ring on a necklace, along with a handwritten letter from Kanto.

There are many AUs and headcanons related to where he lives, but those are very fluid and change all the time!

[calmturquoise]

Lighten Up

My Squealing Santa fic for @artymiswritesfics! I love Sokka and Zuko and while I think this reads more gen, I think it could easily be pre-relationship. I hope you like it, and happy holidays! <3

ATLA, Sokka&Zuko. Words: 1,100

“This is ridiculous,” Zuko muttered, placing his palms flat on the floor behind him as he leaned back to look up at Sokka, who was examining the small slip of paper in his hand. “You can’t play charades with two people.”

“Sure you can!” Sokka insisted. “It’s fun, and you, Mr-New-Firelord, need to have more fun. Besides, Aang and Katara are busy, and when I asked Toph to play with us, she said no! Can you believe her?”

“Wow. Toph turned down the chance to play charades?” Zuko deadpanned. “If only we could think of another sight-based game to insult her with.”

“I- you- shut up,” Sokka retorted, flushing slightly. He crumpled up the paper in his hand and shoved it into his pocket, looking determined. “You’ll have ten seconds to guess this one.”

Zuko watched with amusement as Sokka scrunched up his nose and squinted, then held up his hands formed into claws, pawing at the air in front of him. “Badgermole?”

Sokka dropped the pose and beamed at him. “See, that wasn’t so bad! Now it’s your turn.” He flung himself down on the ground next to Zuko, pushing at his side until Zuko huffed and got to his feet, snatching a folded piece of paper from the pile on the floor. “Do me proud.”

Zuko rolled his eyes and unfolded the piece of paper. He frowned down at it for a moment before putting the paper aside, then placing his arms by his sides and beginning to flap them.

“Uh, giant fly! Ant fly! Bumble fly!” Sokka exclaimed. Seeing the scowl growing on Zuko’s face he guessed, “Dragonfly? Eagle hawk? Cat owl?” Zuko’s scowling intensified as he began to move his feet, shuffling around in an arc. “Dragon? Phoenix? Oh, I know, you’re a viper bat!”

“Dragons and phoenixes don’t move like that!” Zuko snapped, crossing his arms over his chest as he drew to a halt. “And that was at least ten seconds.”

“Well, what were you?” Sokka asked, flummoxed.

“An otter penguin!”

Sokka stared in dismay. “Have you ever seen an otter penguin?”

“… no.”

“Why didn’t you try- I don’t know- swimming!” Sokka exclaimed, waving his arms in the air in an effort to convey his frustration. “Waddling? Why did it look like you were flying? They’re flightless!”

“I was waving my flippers!”

“Otter penguins have four flippers!”

“WELL I ONLY HAVE TWO ARMS!”

Sokka blinked, staring at Zuko as his cheeks flushed in embarrassment. “You know what? We’ll call that round a trial,” Sokka said consolingly, gesturing for Zuko to sit as he grabbed another paper. “Let’s try again.”

“I guess it’d be too much to ask that we could stop playing?” Zuko muttered. Sokka graciously ignored him, studying the words on the paper before tossing it to the side.

“Alright, ten seconds to guess this one!” Sokka said. Zuko watched in bemusement as the other teen placed his hands together, forming a sort of cup shape and beginning to wiggle his fingers. Then he lunged forward, making Zuko jolt back in surprise as Sokka’s wriggling fingers closed around his elbow.

“What are you d-“ Zuko broke off with a squeak when Sokka’s fingers pinched at a particularly sensitive area. Jerking his elbow away he cleared his throat. “What are you doing?”

“What am I?” Sokka asked, a bright grin on his face as he shoved his handful of wiggling tentacle-like fingers in Zuko’s face. Zuko barely resisted swatting them away.

“An… elbow leech?”

“There, you got it!” Sokka congratulated him, clapping him on the back as he handed Zuko another paper. “At least you’re good at guessing. Okay, let’s see this next one. Just try your best!”

Zuko glowered at him, then turned his frown onto the paper in his hand. To Sokka’s barely-contained amusement, Zuko slowly lifted his hands and placed them behind his head, flipping his fingers down in the shape of floppy ears. Then he bent his knees, and did a single hop.

Unable to help himself, Sokka burst out laughing. Zuko’s scowl deepened as he watched his friend rolling around on the floor, howling with laughter. “Come on, that one was obvious!”

“You’re just- you’re so- so bad at this!” Sokka hiccupped, wiping at his eyes as he sat up. “Was that supposed to be a hopping llama?”

“Yes!”

“Okay, first of all, you should’ve hopped at least five or six times,” Sokka said as Zuko flung himself down on the floor beside the other teen, looking disgruntled. “Second of all, you need to lighten up, dude. How am I supposed to guess what you are when you’re scowling the whole time?”

“I don’t need to lighten up, and I’m not scowli-ah!” Zuko jumped as Sokka’s fingers skittered across his side. He shot Sokka a glare, which the other teen returned with an all-too-knowing grin.

“You’re not ticklish, are you? Mr tough, grumpy firebender?”

Zukko gaped at Sokka before beginning to splutter. “Of course I’m nahahahaha, stohohop that!”

“What, this?” Sokka asked, grasping the hem of Zuko’s shirt and sliding his hands underneath to tickle Zuko’s bare stomach. “Wow, you’re really ticklish, aren’t you?”

“Nohohohoho, I’m nohohohot!” Zuko protested, well aware of the futility of his denials. He squirmed, not quite ready to push Sokka away but unable to hold back the growing need to escape the torment Sokka was unleashing on his belly. “Thahahahat doesn’t t-tihihihickle at all!”

“You tell yourself that, buddy,” Sokka said, looking more and more amused as his wandering hands made their way futher up Zuko’s shirt. With a yelp, Zuko collapsed onto the floor and broke into hysterical laughter as Sokka’s fingers wiggled over his ribs.

“Fihihine, that tihihihickles!”

“I didn’t expect you to admit it so quickly,” Sokka mused. “I guess your ribs are really, really ticklish.” The speed of his fingers wriggling on top of Zuko’s skin slowed, allowing Zuko’s laughter to trail off into hiccupping giggles.

“Is that your worst spot, or do you have others?” Sokka asked. His hands slid to the sides of Zuko’s ribs, then inched up a bit more so he could poke at Zuko’s armpits. Zuko squeaked and jerked back, forcing Sokka to pull his hands free of Zuko’s shirt as Zuko curled up into a ball on the floor.

“That’s it, no more tickling,” Zuko said, his voice muffled from how he was covering his face, though Sokka still caught the blush that was spreading over Zuko’s cheeks.

“I guess I’ll save the rest for later, then.” Sokka said cheerfully, leaning back just in time to avoid the half-hearted punch that Zuko threw in his direction.

“Don’t you dare,” Zuko muttered. “I bet you’re ticklish too.”

“Maayybe,” Sokka sing-songed teasingly. “But I bet you can’t find out where.”

He jumped to his feet and darted towards the door as Zuko rolled into a standing position. “Yes I can!”

“Only if you catch me!” Sokka called over his shoulder as he sprinted down the hallway, the grin on his face widening as Zuko took off behind him. It was nice to see the guy having some fun for a change.

[raewritez]

silence | sokka

He watched the way your foot swung back and forth, figure illuminated by the glow of the fire from your place in the tree. Your hair was down, just the way Sokka liked it, and your face was free of worries as you all rested from your constant troublesome encounters. The rest of the Gaang sat huddled around the campfire, exchanging playful banter and raised laughter. You often opted for solidarity in the hours of the night, content with aloneness as the muted chatter of your friends floated to your ears. You loved them dearly, but sometimes you found your energy spent after the long days of fighting and adventures.

Sokka, who at night usually concocted scary stories or plans for the days ahead, found himself distracted by your absence. Not hearing your laughter or seeing your smile sent a pang through his heart, and he craved your presence. He excused himself from his place on Toph’s stone couch and carried himself over to you. He meandered closer, boots crunching against the ground, and made his way to the base of the tree upon which you rested. He glanced up, catching a glimpse of your face. Your eyes were cast out to the valley, reflecting the amber flames of the fire in their depths. You looked peaceful, basking in the silence and dusk’s reprieve, and Sokka almost felt bad for interrupting you. 

“See something, Sunshine?”

Your eyes snapped to his face, a grin plastered on his lips as he gazed at you from his spot on the ground. You smiled slightly, averting your eyes back to the vast expanse of grassland, shimmering with streaks of moonlight.

“Nothing special,” you replied, unable to stop your lips from quirking up at his presence. “Just keeping a look out, you know.”

“Of course,” he chuckled, his hands reaching up to grasp at the branches and pull himself closer to you.

He carefully made his way to your branch, the rough bark scratching against his palms. He plopped down next to you, back pressed against the trunk and shoulder leaning against yours. He turned to you with a smile, loving the way your face flushed at his close proximity and how your body subconsciously pressed closer to his. 

This was nothing new for the two of you, Sokka often attached himself to your side when you weren’t feeling up for conversation, not ever really letting you be alone. You didn’t mind though, you would rather be alone together. In these moments you were able to truly appreciate the glory that is Sokka, the gleam of his hair and the twinkle of his eyes, reveling in the warmth that always seemed to emanate from him. You knew he appreciated these moments too, allowing him a break from being the “manly-leader” that he always forced himself to be. With you he was free, able to exist without any expectations or pressure to act in the role that was thrust upon him in the coming of the war.

The two of you sat in comfortable silence, Sokka’s thumb rubbing the back of your hand and his not-so-subtle glances being thrown your way. You provided him rest from his ever-busy mind and meticulous planning, and he found himself adoring you for it. It seemed you were the only person capable of coaxing him down from his high of endless work, and he loved your quiet presence as much as he loved your laugh. 

He shifted to face you, cerulean irises tracing the outline of your face; your nose, your cheeks, your lips. He lingered a little too long on the last one. The night’s warm breeze carried away the voices coming from the campfire, your soft breathing, the occasional chirping of a bird. The moon seemed to take a home in your hair, the strands housing all the starlight in the universe as it floated softly around your face. Sokka’s breath hitched in his throat when your head found its place on his shoulder, the feeling of your cheek against him making his own red.

He rested his own on top of yours, his usual wolf-tail let loose and curtaining the both of you. His heart beat erratically, and he became more grateful that the solitude of these moments with you did not involve Toph’s seismic senses, or he was sure he would die from her teasing and ridicule. His fingers were nothing more than a brush against your skin, his legs unknowingly wrapped around yours. Even in the silence he felt he could understand you and be understood, could love and be loved without words or even actions.

Your heart bled into his, all the whispers of the universe and of your soul carried to him in your embrace. Your own heartbeat was a cause for annoyance; you were sure he could hear the rapid thumping from his place above you. In this moment, surrounded by the ever-imposing threat of enemy attacks and the horrifying confines of war, you rested in Sokka’s arms, just two kids ignoring the world for a while. You had an urge, the same one you had had ever since you realized that maybe this boy was special and that maybe you weren’t content with just being his best friend, to uncharacteristically break the silence and confess. But you didn’t. You decided to simply relish in his closeness, and that maybe when the sun rises on tomorrow, or when the war is finally won you would voice what your mind had kept locked away for so long. You leaned closer into him, your arms coming to wrap around his torso and play with the edges of his tunic.

He smiled softly, his own calloused hand coming to play with your hair, his thumb reaching to stroke your cheek. Soon, he promised himself. I’ll tell her soon. He wound his arms around you, his anxious mind calmed by your presence in his embrace, nuzzling his nose against your forehead. The steady pounding of his heart against his chest serves you comfort, every worry washed away by the whispers of his fingers. Here, it was just the two of you against the world, alone together in the silence, and that was enough. For now.

[aciid-eater]

“You poor thing” Zuko x Water tribe sibling! Reader

Summary: y/n convinces the Gaang to let a certain prince in.

Warnings: none

__________________________________________

Y/n could feel a low rumble under her bare feet. It wasn’t an earthquake, she knew that. Toph’s bending? It didn’t feel like that either, it was too constant. Yelling. That’s what she felt.

Finding the doors to her crumbling room, she descended the hard stairs of the slowly deteriorating air temple to find the kids she found herself traveling with in conflict.

“Woah woah woah, what’s with all the screaming?” She asked, calmly fluffing her hair. But as she rounded the corner, her blood ran cold for a moment. The fire nation prince stared back, eyes filled with distress. Y/n would have been ready to attack him, but he seemed different somehow.

“Hey.” She mumbled. He didn’t respond.

“Hey?? That’s all you have to say to him??” Sokka scoffed.

“Why’s he here?” Y/n asked, ignoring her brother and pointing her gaze to Aang.

“He wants to be my fire bending teacher.” The young boy stated.

“Oh cool.” Y/n mumbled, beginning to walk back upstairs.

“Y/n you can’t be serious.” Katara added. Y/n turned back around to peer at her sister, noticing the obviously irritated look on her face.

“Ohhh I see what’s happening here.” Y/n chuckled. Leaving back against the wall she pointed her gaze to Zuko.

“You gave my siblings a hard time somewhere along the line and they won’t let it go huh? You poor thing.” She asked with a smirk. Zuko blushed, looking away in shame.

“Way more than a hard time.” He mumbled.

“WAY more than a hard time.” Katara growled.

“I say let him stay.” Y/n voiced, catching Aang’s eye. The prince’s face perked up at the proposal.

“What?? Y/n you weren’t here to see everything he’s done to us!” Sokka yelled. Y/n only smiled, approaching the boy with the scar and placing her hand on the scared side of his face. Zuko was tensed as she seemingly peered into his soul, but his body relaxed as she began softly stroking the skin under his eye.

“If you’ve ever trusted me before, trust me now. I can see the pain in his eyes, the regret, the sorrow...” y/n never broke eye contact with the boy as she spoke. He could feel the heat creep up his cheeks as she smiled softly.

“He’s finding his way, just like I was. Can’t we be a stepping stone for just a bit as he does so? After all, when all of this is over, the fire nation is going to need a new fire lord.” Y/n directed her gaze down to the boy’s arms, they were littered with cuts a bruises.

“Can I help?” She asked, gesturing to his arm.

“Y/n this is not the time to act all motherly! He tried to kidnap Aang SEVERAL TIMES!” Sokka yelled to his older sister.

“He’s not bad, just misguided. There a difference. If it makes you feel better, I’ll watch over him. One wrong move and he’s gone, okay?” Y/n mumbled.

Y/n ignored the protest, reaching out at the boy’s arm and letting warm water heal his injuries.

“It’s your call Aang, we can do whatever you decide.” She hummed, not looking up from her work. Has her finger tips ghosted up his biceps, a warm calming feeling persisted on his skin. As she did so, Zuko kept his eyes trained on her face. She really was beautiful, kind eyes and smile.

“..... I want you to train me Zuko.” Aang stated. The prince’s head perked up in excitement.

“But only if it’s okay with my friends.” The avatar looked to Toph, studying her face for a moment.

“Toph?”

“You know I was already on board, it gives me an opportunity to get back at him for my feet” the blind girl smiled.

“Sokka?” The water tribe boy huffed before glaring to his older sister.

“He can stay, but get off of him!”

Y/n snickered, throwing her arms around the Fire Nation prince’s shoulders just to spite her little brother. Zuko stumbled a bit, startled and not sure what to do. His hands hovered over her hips, not sure if it was appropriate for him to touch her.

“Katara?”Katara just glared at the boy, glancing between his worried face and his hands, making Zuko immediately drop them to his side.

“I’ll be on my best behavior, I promise.” Zuko mumbled just as y/n pulled herself off of him.

“As if your word means anything. You’re very lucky my sister likes you.” Katara growled.

“Y/n?” Aang finally asked.

“You already know where I stand. Besides we could use someone in the group who’s closer to my age.” She stated.

“Zuko and I are the same age!” Sokka scoffed.

“Yeah well I’m 17 and Zuko is closer to 17 then you are.” Y/n teased. Then suddenly aang spoke up, ignoring the two’s banter.

“I guess that means you get to stay Zuko.”

“Thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.” The prince stated firmly.

“We better not.”