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#also i finally took off tophs shoes ...
scaredoflizards · 8 months
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Gonna braindump tophabe thoughts because i’m trying to figure them out… don’t mind me.
Some part of my brain wants to explore Topher crushing on Abe through having this very deep insecurity that Abe is too good for him because Abe is so genuine and sweet, then trying to over-compensate by pretending he’s so woke and well-liked to impress Abe so Abe will need him because Topher can’t fathom Abe just wanting to be friends with him, so tries to make himself useful and needed.
Then, when Topher felt that wasn’t enough, also began blackmailing Abe because he’s dysfunctional and doesn’t know how to be normal about wanting someone’s attention and asking them to hang out and was scared Abe wouldn’t need him if he had Joan. To Toph, the idea of someone liking him for being himself is unfathomable. There has to be something the other person can benefit from by keeping him around, or they have to be forced to still talk to him (like through blackmailing) or they won’t interact with him. These insecurities are directly based on past experiences he has had with the other teen clones, but then it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy where he pushes people away by treating them poorly in his attempt to keep them in his life.
Also I hc Topher secretly finding the fact that Abe has gotten called out for being problematic really hot because Topher is masking his own shit to fit in, so the fact that he isn’t much better than Abe (actually he’s worse) makes him feel a sense of solidarity, but seeing Abe face consequences for being himself speaks to that repressed side of Topher that also longs to be himself instead of making his entire identity an “ally” to fit in (and probably have an outlet for his anger because he can justify bullying people online for being problematic, let’s be real).
I think Topher is both aware he has a crush on Abe but also denying and repressing it at the same time because he doesn’t truly believe he has a chance with Abe and isn’t ready to accept parts of his own identity.
I think Abe on the other hand is as oblivious as usual to Topher’s crush, but unlike when Joan had a crush on Abe and would practically confess it over and over while Abe didn’t get it, Topher isn’t going to confess his feelings. He’ll just find excuses to talk to Abe or hang around him even if it’s to be unpleasant because he doesn’t feel he has a shot anyways but at least he can ride on Abe’s back even if Abe finds him annoying, he can use the fact that he is unlikeable to push boundaries to get any attention from Abe.
I think the reason Topher invited Abe to hangout was because he took an immediate interest in Abe when they first met and swapped shoes and Abe showed enthusiasm about learning about Topher’s clone father. It was probably the first time (at least in a long while) someone didn’t look at Topher with disgust and I really think he fell for Abe hard and fast then and there, but it took him a bit to realize that’s what he was feeling towards Abe.
I think Topher would eventually be the one to confess, and I imagine it in a scenario where he’d drive Abe to such a breaking point that Abe would finally try to cut him off for being “toxic” (influenced by Joan because she notices Abe’s lack of boundaries) and Topher would have an internal meltdown about losing Abe from his life so would panic. It’d be a messy confession where he maybe also spills a few fears and insecurities about Abe being this person who he felt was way out of his league.
Abe would be confused at why Topher treated him so bad because he already liked Topher before he started blackmailing him, etc.
I don’t think Abe would know what he feels towards Topher though. I think he does like Topher but never had to analyze his feelings beyond understanding he feels there is good in Topher because he was clearly drawn to him enough to keep hanging around him.
I think Abe’s inability to give an immediate answer would put Topher in a really anxious and fearful position while Abe figures things out. What he feels for Topher is very different than the superficial attraction he had to Cleo or his friendship with Joan. He needs time and space and Topher wouldn’t be good at giving those things now that his secret is out.
Maybe… i’m still tentatively feeling all of this out… i’ll stop there to think on it more. But now I am zzzz
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oakaiarts · 4 years
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in the backroom of the jasmine dragon
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leossmoonn · 3 years
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mind games [part fourteen]
masterlist | part thirteen | part fifteen
zuko x fem!reader fluff, angst smau (it has the social media elements, but not as much as the last series)
avatar: the last airbender
summary - being zuko’s best friend is the easiest thing in the world. until he gets a girlfriend and you realize you’re in love with him
warnings / includes -  (this counts for any/all chapters) - fighting, suggestive, language, crying, alcohol, cheating, talk about injuries, making out, alluding to sex, talks about sex. you are sokka and katara’s older sister. you, mai, and zuko are seniors in college, sokka and suki are juniors, katara, aang, and toph are sophomores
note - this is just a filler chapter for the next enjoy!
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“hmm,” mai hummed, turning around and wrapping her arms around jet’s middle. she opened her eyes lowly and looked up at him, a smile creeping up her face. 
jet sighed and looked down at her, giving her a quizzical look. “why do you look so happy?”
“i just…” mai sighed, “like having you here in the mornings.”
“oh, yeah? why?” jet smirked. “well one, you’re amazing at sex. two, you’re not a cuddle-hog like zuko,” she explained. 
jet chuckled, nodding and laying his head back down on the pillow. he looked up at mai’s ceiling, closing his eyes. he breathed in and out, beginning to think about all the things he had to do today. it was the first week of summer and everyone was enjoying themselves before they had to buckle down and get a real job, not just the JD and clothing stores. 
he knew he had to go and pick up food for appa and momo, do laundry, pick up your jeans from the dry cleaners. 
jet’s eyes flew open once you came into his mind. he took mai’s arm and threw. it off of him, quickly getting up to find his clothes. mai frowned at his hasty behaviour, getting up and wrapping her blanket around her. 
“where’re you going?” she asked. “i-i have to go and run some errands,” jet answered, jumping into his jeans. 
mai rolled her eyes as she knew that his errands all were pertained to you. “what kind of errands.”
“pick up appa and momo food, pick up y/n’s jeans from the dry cleaners, other. stuff,” he said. 
“y/n can pick up her own clothes. she’s an adult for spirit’s sake,” mai spat. she sauntered over to jet, taking his hand in her’s and pulling him close. “c’mon, stay for a while. we never hang out after ten.”
“and there’s a reason for that, mai,” he rolled his eyes. he yanked her hand away from his, putting his shirt back on. “i gotta go. i’ll call you later, yeah?”
mai frowned and followed him out of her room. “she knows you know.”
jet scoffed, “she doesn’t know shit.” “well, she’s gonna. better just milk it until she figures it out. i hate to say it, but she’s smart,” mai said. 
“yeah, and what about zuko, huh?” jet shot back. 
“he’s going to break up with me soon. him and y/n are in love with each other. better just let the cat out of the bag.”
“no. she’s not going to figure out and i’m not going to “milk it” or whatever because after this, we’re done.” 
mai laughed, “yeah, right. that’s what you said the last time.”
jet snapped his head to her, giving her a hard glare. “you and i have partners already. this, us, we are a mistake, and you know it.” he made his way down the stairs, getting his shoes and slipping them on. 
“so? you seem to forget that whenever you come over!” mai balled her hands into fists, still standing on the top of the stairs. 
“i still love her, okay!” jet yelled back, looking at mai. “i-i still love y/n. she’s the best thing that has ever happened to me. you? you’re the worst.”
“if you really loved her, then you wouldn’t be in my bed every weekend,” mai snapped. 
jet looked down at the floor, knowing that she was right. he didn’t say anything, though, instead going out the door and slamming it shut. 
while jet drove back to his place, you were at your sibling’s house, hanging out with zuko. 
“gonna do it tonight, huh?” you asked. “yep. is it bad if i say that i can’t wait?” zuko asked. 
“i don’t think so,” you shook your head. zuko smiled, “ugh, i can’t wait to be a free man!”
“well, hey, now you’re being a little mean,” you said. 
“well it’s true,” he shrugged. “cut mai some slack. i know you two fight a lot, but i can tell she cares about you,” you nudged him. 
“yeah, sure. well, i don’t care about or love her,” he said. 
you smirked and leaned against the counter. zuko furrowed his brows, “what?”
“i know you say that, but let’s be honest, you love her more than you think,” you explained.
zuko’s face fell and he looked down. honestly, he never really loved mai. sure, he’d said it to her, and he told his friends how great she was. he just didn’t love her like she should. his heart belonged to someone else, anyways.
you frowned and put a hand on his bicep, your heart fluttering as you felt over the muscle. you pushed away your budding feelings and focused on the task at hand.
“did i say something wrong?” you asked tentatively.
zuko shook his head, holding his head up. you were met with his shining, amber eyes. the ones you could get lost in if you let yourself.
“no, i just... i love her but, i don’t love her.”
you nodded, “yeah, that makes sense.”
zuko looked into your eyes, speaking before thinking. “do you love jet?”
your eyes widened at the question and your hand fell from his bicep. you were going to pull away, but zuko’s hand found yours and he intertwined your fingers with his. he never took his eyes off of you for a second.
“do you love jet?” he asked again. more for himself than for general curiosity.
“i-i do,” you nodded. as you spoke, your eyes couldn’t help but trail down to his lips. “i do,” you said more confidently, still looking at his lips.
zuko’s eyes also stared at your lips, both of your hearts pounding against your chests. you felt yourself scoot closer to where you could feel his breath on your lips.
“but do you love him, y/n?” he asked, putting more emphasis on the word. his arm snaked around your waist, his hand gently cradling the small of your back.
you started to breath heavily, your head spinning at the questions and how close you were to zuko. your eyes flickered up to his eyes, seeing his pupils blown wide. you were sure yours were the same. you went back to looking at his lips, leaning in to press your forehead against his.
“i... i think...” you trailed off. your mind was behind clouded with the idea of kissing him. how good it’d finally feel after all these years, how well your lips would fit together with his. you were sure zuko would kiss you better than jet. zuko was a passionate and sensitive guy, while jet was a passionate, but also tough guy. he kissed you rough, but you wanted a slow, fervent kiss. one you knew only zuko could only provide.
but as you were comparing how the two boys kissed, you got turned off on the idea. you closed your eyes and sighed, pulling away from his embrace. 
“yeah, i do love him like that,” you mumbled your final answer.
zuko’s heart broke at your words. he knew it was a long shot, but he just wanted you to see that you were with the wrong guy. like he was with the wrong girl.
“um, anyways,” you coughed. “i gotta go and see if jet has picked up my jeans and stuff. i’ll see you later, yeah?” 
zuko nodded, looking at you longingly. you gave him a small smile, going up to him and pressing a kiss to his cheek before leaving. once zuko heard the door, he pulled out his phone, giving mai a call.
“hey, babe. everything okay?” mai asked.
“uh, yeah,” zuko nodded. “just um, do you want to come over later? maybe watch a movie?”
mai went silent for a moment, thinking if she should say yes or not.
“mai?” zuko asked. “huh? o-oh yeah. movie sounds great. what time?” mai asked.
“um, 5?”
it gave him enough time to think about how he was going to break up with her.
“sounds good. are we going to be along?” she asked.
“yep,” he answered. “great! see you later!” mai exclaimed before hanging up.
zuko put his phone on the counter, running his hands through his hair in distress. all he wanted was you and he hoped that by dating mai he would be able to get you. how did he manage to screw things up?
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“heh, babe,” you smiled as you walked through the door.
jet looked up his phone, a smile spreading onto his face. “hey. where have you been?” he got up out of his chair and engulfed you in a hug.
you hugged him tentatively, not leaning in or kissing him like usual. “katara’s. you um, didn’t come home last night,” you chuckled nervously. you moved out of his embrace, going to the kitchen cabinets to get yourself something to eat.
“o-oh, yeah. sorry about that,” jet chuckled.
“you never answered my question,” you said.
“right! well, i was picking up an extra shift at work,” he answered.
you raised your brow while getting out yogurt. “oh, really? why?”
“so i can get some extra money to take you out,” jet explained with a smile.
“you don’t need to take me out. you can come home to me, though. i was lonely,” you frowned.
jet looked at you with regret and guilt. more because he had been sleeping with mai, but you didn’t know that.
“i’m sorry,” he sighed. “tonight i’ll be here. i promise.”
you looked at him, staring for a few seconds before giving in. you weren’t very sure he meant his sorry, or if he was telling the truth, but you had more pressing things to deal with.
“alright. did you pick up my coat?” you asked.
“u-uh, yeah,” jet nodded, confused as to why you still seemed distrusting.
“great, thanks,” you walked by him, not bothering to spare him a look.
jet frowned, going over to you. “hey, did i do something wrong?”
“no,” you stated flatly. “i think i did. is it something i said?” jet asked.
you sighed, “i just... don’t believe you.”
“w-why?” jet stuttered.
you frowned and looked at him as if it were obvious. “you’re not coming home at night anymore, you’re making excuses, y-you smell like perfume.” you voice cracked at the last sentence, thoughts of him cheating on you running through your mind.
jet look the collar of his shirt, taking a whiff only to curse at himself in his head. you watched him with wide, tear-filled eyes as the look of realization came onto his face.
“see? y-you’re hiding something!” you accused.
“i’m not!” jet’s eyes widened. he went to take your hands in his, but they were holding a bowl. so instead he put it hands on your shoulders. “i would never hide or lie to you.”
you glared at him. “you’re lying. just say you’re cheating on me.”
“i’m not!” he scoffed. “bullshit!” you exclaimed.
“why do you think i’m cheating on you?”
“because you’re doing exactly what shan did! what else am i supposed to think?”
“this is just how men act! i’m allowed to stay out at night and hang out with my friends whenever i want!”
“no, that’s how a boy acts. we’re supposed to be communicating, not fighting for each other’s trust!” you scolded.
he looked at you helplessly, knowing you were right. he opened his mouth to say apologize, but you stopped him.
“i’m going back to sokka’s,” you muttered. setting the bowl down harshly and stomping to the garage door.
“b-but you just came back,” jet frowned.
“and i’m leaving. until you can provide me when a better reason, i’m staying there,” you said, grabbing your coat and purse.
“and what if i can’t? what if nothing satisfies you?” jet asks.
you sighed and looked at him, tears rolling down your cheeks. “the truth will satisfy me. if you can’t provide that, then... then...” you trailed off, your mouth going dry. you tried to say the words, but it wouldn’t come out. it didn’t matter anyways, jet already knew what you were going to say.
you gave him one last hurtful look being leaving to your car. jet immediately grabbed the bowl, smashing it to the ground. he put his hands over his face and combed his fingers through his hair violently. tears streamed down his face as he knew he had just potentially lost you for good. how did he manage to screw things up?
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taglist is open, just lmk if you wanna be on it for this series by messaging me, commenting, and/or send me a message!
@theblueslytherin  @thatarthistorynerd  @coldlilheart  @akiris @serenitytomothings @zukoslosthishonor
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sukifans · 3 years
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May I request a Zuko x Reader with prompt number 2 from the 50 cliché prompts? I'm desperate for some fluff
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SWEATSHIRT // zuko
WC: 1.8k
PROMPT: “your shirt/jumper was in the laundry pile and i couldn’t help but steal it”
WARNINGS: none
A/N: if you want fluff you came to the right place—tooth rotting fluff is my specialty. the title may or may not be a jacob sartorius reference. yall remember when tik tok was music.ly?
⇦ 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘚𝘛
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Living with Sokka certainly had its ups and downs. On the one hand, he always kept things interesting—you never knew what you might come home to find, and he often made you laugh so hard you had tears streaming down your cheeks. He could also MacGyver just about anything that broke in your apartment (usually broken by him, however). You’d only had to call maintenance once, when you’d found him stuck under the kitchen sink, absolutely drenched, and shouting for help as water viciously sprayed from the pipes and the garbage disposal made some sort of ear-splitting shriek.
On the other hand, his mind moved a hundred miles a minute and he often forgot little things, like closing the kitchen cabinets or starting the dishwasher. One such thing he tended to forget was to finish his laundry. Often you’d find his still-wet clothes in the washer or his clean clothes in the dryer, having finished several hours ago. The two of you had worked out a deal: if Sokka did the dinner dishes and bought the snacks for Movie Fridays, you’d make sure the apartment ran smoothly despite his forgetfulness.
That’s how you found yourself dumping a load of his clothes onto his bed after finding them in the dryer while trying to do your own chores. You picked through the shirts and boxer briefs before settling on stealing a deep burgundy sweatshirt—an unspoken part of your deal was that if you found his clothes, you were allowed to steal a t-shirt or sweatshirt of your choosing because he knew you liked to wear the oversized tops on lazy days.
He came back later that night to find you standing in the kitchen, scrolling on your phone while you waited for your tea to steep. Your wet hair hung around your face and you wore the red hoodie with sleep shorts and thick, fuzzy socks.
“Hey,” he said, dropping his backpack on the ground by the door and kicking off his shoes.
“Hey.” You looked up at him as he bustled around the kitchen, tossing something into the microwave. “How was work?”
“Annoying,” he sighed in irritation, making you grin. He turned to you and frowned, reaching out to tug at the sleeve of your sweatshirt. “Where did you find that?”
“I stole it from your laundry, stupid. You left your stuff in the dryer again. I’ve never seen this one before, did you just get it?”
“Uh... yeah. Thanks for doing that for me.”
“Mhm.” You slipped your phone into the front pocket and cradled your mug. “Why do you ask? Do you want it back?”
“Nah, it’s okay. In fact, keep it. Red doesn’t suit me, I don’t know what I was thinking when I bought it.” He had a smirk on his face that made you very suspicious.
You raised an eyebrow while you slowly sipped your tea. “If you say so, Snoozles.” You flicked his arm as you passed him to retreat into your bedroom for the night. “Don’t forget to pick up your bag. And snacks for Friday night!”
“Yeah, yeah,” he responded through a mouthful of noodles.
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You and your friends were gathered in the living room like every other Friday, this week to watch Jurassic Park (yet another classic that neither Aang nor Zuko had seen, much to everybody’s disbelief). Katara and Aang sat together on the armchair, Zuko sat between you and Sokka on the couch, and Toph sat on the floor with her back against the sofa next to her service dog, Badger. You had your legs thrown across the guys’ laps and all eyes (except Toph’s) in the room were glued to the screen. Well, for the most part—Zuko kept looking over at you all night. You tried to keep your attention on the dinosaurs, but you could feel him staring at you. Eventually you caught his eye and raised your eyebrows expectantly. He simply flushed and looked away. You furrowed your brow and turned back to the movie, pulling your hands inside the sleeves of Sokka’s red sweatshirt and sticking them in the pocket.
“Did you guys know that Spielberg wanted the raptors to be taller for the movie and then a few months after they wrapped shooting, paleontologists found a new species of raptor that actually fit the movie portrayal really well? They almost named it after him,” Sokka said with his mouth full of popcorn.
“That’s nice, Sokka,” Katara responded absently, obviously not listening.
“Yeah, and they made the T. Rex sounds with an alligat—oof!” He wheezed when you jabbed your foot into his stomach. “Asshole!”
“Pack it up, IMDB,” you huffed.
“I just thought it was interes—ouch, Toph!” he yelped when Toph punched his shin.
“Stop talking, I can’t hear anything!”
“Just watch it!”
“I can’t!” Toph barked. Sokka crossed his arms and slumped down, grumbling to himself. You and Zuko glanced over at each other and broke out in grins, pursing your lips to hold back your laughter.
As the movie progressed, you noticed the tension in Zuko’s shoulders. He had his jaw clenched throughout the whole scene with the kids trapped in the car with the T. Rex attacking. You nudged him with your knee and he turned to look at you.
“You scared, Zu?” you teased in a low voice, leaning forward to squeeze his bicep. “You want me to protect you from the dinos?”
He rolled his eyes but still lifted his arm, inviting you sit up and tuck yourself into his side. As you leaned against him he seemed to loosen up, settling into his seat and resting his head against yours. Sokka noticed this and looked around Zuko to waggle his eyebrows suggestively and very conspicuously, making your face heat up in embarrassment. Unfortunately, the idiot had caught wind of your crush on his best friend and had been relentlessly tormenting you about it ever since. You glared at him until he sat back, looking disgustingly smug.
After the movie finished, everyone got up to stretch and refill their drinks before the next one started. While talking with Toph in the kitchen, you noticed Zuko standing outside on the balcony by himself. You excused yourself from the conversation and made your way out to him while all your friends hooted in the background. It seemed everyone knew about your attraction to the boy, except for the boy himself.
“Hey,” you said softly, stepping outside. He looked around at you and gave you a small smile that made your head spin. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” he sighed, “just getting some air. It’s getting hot in there with everyone in the room.”
You nodded and stood next to him to lean against the railing. After a few beats of silence, you could feel his stare on you again. You met his gaze curiously. “What’s up, Zu? You’ve been looking at me all night.”
“Nothing, it’s just—“ he narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to the side as if inspecting you “—is that my sweatshirt?”
You frowned. “No, I took it from Sokka.”
“Lying bastard.” His eyes widened at your offended look when you rounded on him. “Not you! I—um, it is mine. I gave it to Sokka the other day and when I asked for it he insisted he already gave it back to me. The fucker gaslit me over a sweatshirt.”
“Sounds about right,” you giggled. “I’m sorry. I’ll give it back before you leave.”
He pulled at one of the drawstrings. “You can keep it, if you want. It’s, uh—“ he cleared his throat “—it looks better on you.”
You stood facing each other now, barely a breath away from being chest-to-chest. “I can’t take your sweatshirt.”
“You take Sokka’s all the time.”
“Yeah, because he always forgets his laundry in the machine. He owes me.” Zuko laughed a little at that, still fiddling with the string. You could feel your heart racing at his proximity. He sucked in a breath and seemed to brace himself for his next words.
“I kind of like how you look in my clothes, though. Might have to start leaving my stuff around here so you stop wearing Sokka’s.” The confidence in his voice was betrayed by the rising blush on his face that surely rivaled your own as you stared up at him with wide eyes.
Your lips parted to speak, but no words came out. All you could squeak out was a soft, “Zuko,” when he raised his hand to brush a loose piece of hair back behind your ear. You felt frozen, rooted to the spot, when his fingertips grazed your cheekbone. His hand lingered there, palm radiating heat into your already flushed cheeks.
“I—“ he pulled his hand back and chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly “—sorry.”
“For what?” you asked.
“I don’t know.” You grinned at each other and in that moment it could’ve been just you and Zuko left on the planet and it wouldn’t’ve mattered; everything you wanted and needed was right there in front of you, if you were bold enough to take that final step toward it.
“Zuko—“
“Hey, we—oh!“ Both of you whipped your heads around when the door slid open to reveal Aang standing there. His whole face went red and he laughed in embarrassment. “Sorry! Just wanted to tell you guys we were gonna start the movie, but no rush! Take your time!” He started to back away and you felt yourself release from Zuko’s magnetic pull now that your small bubble had been invaded.
“It’s okay, Aang.” You smiled gently at your friend and started to make your way back inside. “We were about to head in anyways.”
Aang shot Zuko an apologetic look before nodding and hurrying away. Zuko couldn’t find it in himself to be bitter about the ruined moment when you reached out towards him and gazed up at him with those warm, bright eyes. “You coming, Zu?”
“Yeah, right behind you.” He took your outstretched hand and laced your fingers together, squeezing his palm against yours.
Maybe you weren’t the last people on Earth, and maybe you hadn’t taken that leap just yet, but something between you two shifted and finally clicked into place out there on that balcony. Everything would work out just fine—he knew it in the way you kept your fingers slotted perfectly between his as Jaws played on the television, and in the way you quickly rose onto your toes to press a kiss to his cheek in the hallway before he left. He couldn’t wipe the dreamy little smile off his face for the rest of the night, even as he laid awake in bed thinking about you.
Yeah; everything would be just fine.
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ATLA TAGS: @hotgirlazula @octophopi @simpinforsukka @protect-remus @akiris @sunflowerazula
ZUKO TAGS: @fiantomartell @avatarayeaye @hypercakeiii @sher-lockedmarvel @emeraldpotato @september-ctd
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fakeikemen · 4 years
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Katara's Grief
(This is my first attempt at a meta post and I know that this has probably been already done but I just needed to get it off my chest and go on a little rant and it kinda got long so bear with me.)
A lot of the hate on Katara stems from the fact that she keeps on mentioning her mother's death at every chance she gets and invalidates other people's pain to assert that her suffering is the worst of the lot.
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And even though everybody is entitled to their own opinions, I'm gonna point out why I think the aforesaid claims are not exactly correct.
First we'll take a look at; Katara's Backstory:
We know that Kya is killed in a fire nation raid and that Katara had been the last person to see her alive before she leaves the tent on her mother's insistence. Only to come back a few moments later and find her dead body. This, in itself is a traumatising event.
So yes, her mother died. Other people in the story go through far worse. You're not wrong when you say that.
But what is more important in Katara's story is the aftermath of her mother's death.
As Sokka says while talking to Toph in "The Runaway" in B3 Ep7:
Sokka: When our mom died, that was the hardest time in my life. Our family was a mess, but Katara? She had so much strength. She stepped up and took on so much responsibility. She helped fill the void that was left by our mom.
As an eight year old, she had to force herself to grow up to step into her mother's shoes and raise herself and her elder brother and simultaneously look after the entire village after her father left to fight in the war. She had to do all of it by herself.
In face of all her responsibilities, she never really had the chance to simply be a grieving child lamenting the loss of her mother. She habituated herself to caring more about others than herself (We see this trait in the entire series as she acts as the stand-in mom friend for the entire Gaang with an exception of Suki and Zuko). She ended up bottling her feelings of grief, resentment, guilt and rage deep within herself.
She had to give up an extensive part of her childhood where most children focus on figuring themselves out, to become a mature and responsible person who was working as the immovable pillar holding up the family and even the whole village not much later.
She put up a strong front to help others and pretended to be fine even though she was hurting inside the whole time.
She could never find any closure from the situation. She never got over it.
Moving on to the criticisms:
1. Katara keeps on mentioning her mother like a broken record:
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Here are the number of times Katara mentions her mother's death (not sure if that's all of it, lmk if there are any others):
1. In her first scene with Sokka
Katara: Ever since mom died, I've been doing all the work around camp while you've been off playing soldier!
2. A short while after she meets Aang
Katara: Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother, and they could have done the same to your people.
3. A short while after she meets Haru
Katara: I lost my mother in a Fire Nation raid. This necklace is all I have left of her.
4. A short while after she meets Jet
Katara: Sokka and I lost our mother to the Fire Nation.
5. In the swamp after she sees a vision of her mother
Katara: I thought I saw Mom.
6. In the Crystal Catacombs with Zuko
Katara: I don't? How dare you! You have no idea what this war has put me through! Me personally! The Fire Nation took my mother away from me.
7. A short while after she meets Hama
Katara: We completely understand. We lost our mother in a raid.
8. Repeated mentions in The Southern Raiders episode
(Most of the episode basically)
The first mention with Sokka is in the middle of a siblings' spat where she tells off Sokka for trying to act as if he were superior when it was obvious that in the face of the gaping hole that was left by Kya's sudden death, Katara had shouldered much more responsibility.
When she tells it to Aang, she uses it as a proof that the Fire Nation is capable of immense cruelty and destruction.
The Gaang travel all around the world and meet different people affected by the war in different ways. So when Haru, Jet and Hama narrate their own stories, Katara sympathises with them and talks about Kya's death in lieu of "I understand, the Fire Nation hurt me too."
After they got separated, Aang, Sokka and Katara each had their visions and after they get back together, they all mention their visions and so does Katara.
When left alone in catacombs with Zuko, whom she considered as the face of the Fire Nation— the same Fire Nation that had her mother killed and forced her father to leave to fight in the war, she has a meltdown where she rightfully accuses him of all the bad things he's done and then breaks down while talking about how the war has cost her i.e., by causing her mother's death.
The Southern Raiders is the episode where Katara hunts down the man responsible for her mother's death. If you think mentioning Kya repeatedly in this episode is uncalled for, then I don't know what to tell you.
In all the incidents mentioned above, Katara mentioning her mother's death is a very natural occurrence is the respective conversations. She mostly talks about Kya's death to either extend her sympathy or to use it as an example of the ruthlessness of the Fire Nation.
Another fact to be noted is that 70% of the Gaang's storyline is followed via Katara from a narrative point of view. Plus, being the mom-friend, she acts as the spokesperson. Considering that Kya's death is a major event that played a huge role in shaping Katara's life and is also the source of her severe, unresolved trauma, which acts as the driving force of her story, it is only natural that she brings up this topic whenever she is engaging in a deeper conversation.
It is us as the viewers who have seen her from the start and already know about her mother's death and we see her talking to multiple people about it. Which is why it might come across as repetitive to some people.
While, Kya's death is not necessary information that everyone needs to know, Katara talking about it never comes across as a forced or unnatural.
2. Katara invalidates others' pain because she thinks she has suffered the most:
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First of all, if anything, Katara is the most empathetic person of them all. As the mom-friend of the group, not only is she their constant moral support, she also helps them untangle and sort out their own feelings. She is also able to tap into issues that aren't said out loud.
Instances of Katara helping and supporting Aang, emotionally are uncountable.
She is the first one to notice Sokka's sour mood in B3 Ep4 "Sokka's Master". And even though his insecurities seem baseless, she validates him (by saying "I'm sorry you're feeling so down" instead of something like "That's a dumb thing to say") and knows exactly what to do to cheer him up.
In B3 Ep7 "The Runaway" she has the insight to understand that Toph's unruly behaviour is caused by the mixed feelings she has about her parents even though Toph's herself never talked about it.
She even reaches out to Zuko in B2 Ep19 "Crossroads of Destiny" even though she used to think of him as the face of the enemy.
But then there's The Southern Raiders.
Ah yes, that episode where Katara is extremely OOC and a total b*tch.
Agreed that she said some things that she definitely shouldn't have said. But like, she's just 14?? And has been hurting on the inside since she was 8?? And pretended to be fine just for the sake of other people?? Like, there's a limit to how much she can have her shit under control?? And she did a real good job of Sokka's upbringing and taking care of the village and taking care of Gaang on her own?? Some people out there are really willing to forget everything she has ever done just because she was mean for 5 minutes?? A traumatised 14 yo shouldn't be villianised and called toxic because she got mad and lashed out at people that one time??
But here's my take on the scene anyway:
When Aang gets to know that she's going to go face her mother's killer:
Aang: Um ... and what exactly do you think this will accomplish?
Katara: I knew you wouldn't understand. 
Aang is a non-confrontational person who prefers running away from difficult situations as opposed to Katara who firmly stands her ground and is never afraid of confrontations. Katara had approached Aang only hoping that he would understand. But going by his dismissal, he obviously doesn't understand the burning need that she has to confront the man who had single-handedly destroyed her childhood. (Most people infer that what Katara means is that she thinks that Aang doesn't understand the pain of losing people. And so does Aang, I guess)
But things start getting even more tricky when:
Aang: Katara, you sound like Jet.
In all honesty, this is probably the most insensitive thing that she could've heard from anyone right then, let alone one of her closest friends. Hearing herself being compared to a homicidal maniac just because she wants to avenge her mother's killer. (No, I'm not justifying murder but there's a clear difference between homicide and avenging someone's death. And Aang may not be my favourite character but I do love him but this wasn't really a good thing to say either. And he wasn't even mentally distressed in the very least to be completely lacking tact or a filter.)
And then the situation escalates:
Sokka: Katara, she was my mother, too, but I think Aang might be right.
Katara: Then you didn't love her the way I did!
After 6 long years of Katara bottling in her dark feelings and letting them fester inside herself, she is finally letting them out and the first things she faces in a span of few minutes are outright rejection, invalidation of her feelings, comparison to a homicidal maniac and nothing akin to the unconditional support that she has provided to everybody. Her own brother tells her that he is siding with the boy who just compared her to a homicidal maniac.
Yes, accusing your own brother of not loving your mother enough is a very cruel thing to do. But both Sokka and Katara know that she doesn't entirely mean it.
But also, there is one very important factor in here:
In B3 Ep7 "The Runaway", Sokka says to Toph:
Sokka: I'm gonna tell you something crazy. I never told anyone this before, but honestly? I'm not sure I can remember what my mother looked like. It really seems like my whole life, Katara's been the one looking out for me. She's always been the one that's there. And now, when I try to remember my mom, Katara's is the only face I can picture. 
Katara overhears this conversation just as Sokka had meant her to.
This dialogue lets us know that Sokka's coping mechanism has made him suppress all memories of Kya and replace them with memories of Katara in order to attain a semblance of normalcy.
Both Katara and Sokka had very different ways of coping with Kya's death. Katara pressed down her feelings and tried her best to pretend to ignore them while Sokka partially succeeded in forgetting her.
When Katara first hears these words she is shown to be crying. But if she were to remember these very words while she was justifying herself infront of her own brother and a close friend for wanting to avenge her mother, it would've had a negative impact on her.
In her rage, she would've thought: "Of course he doesn't want to avenge mom. Because he doesn't think it's worth it and that's because he doesn't even remember enough of her to be mad about her death."
And for someone who has spent each day of the last 6 years trying to fill in the shoes of her mother and experiencing her absence everyday, the idea of forgetting her mother is a ridiculous concept to her.
Her thoughts would have quickly derailed to: "He didn't love her enough to remember her."
In light of these thoughts, saying "Then you didn't love her the way I did" doesn't feel out of the blue.
No, I am definitely not justifying what she said, I'm just laying out a possible explanation to why she said what she said.
Yes, she should've apologized to Sokka for this and I think that they definitely should've had a long conversation about their mother's death and how it affected them. Between Katara supressing her feelings and Sokka supressing his memories, i don't think they ever had this conversation.
But sadly we are given neither of these scenes.
Tl;dr: Everytime Katara mentions her mother, it's with good reason and I don't think it's fair to call a character toxic when they lack a mind to mouth filter for 5 minutes and say some mean things. And considering all that Katara has done for everybody, it isn't fair at all.
Peace out!
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Text
Huan x female airbender Part Three (last part)
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Part one here
Part two here
Tagged: @feitansrisingsun​ @sirkekselord​ @sillytimetravelcomputer​ @linrailme​  I tagged people who asked for a part three :) 
----
You and Huan travel to the firelord’s palace for his appointment with firelord Izumi but another firelord decides to crash your appointment...following the meeting you and Huan get into an argument that ends the trip in a way you did not expect
You and Huan arrived in the firenation a week later and you grinned as Huan stared at everything like a tourist. Wanting to impress him you took the flashy route home to where your mother was waiting. It was the first time Huan had met her and you knew he was nervous given your dad’s attitude to him but he needn’t have been. Your mom had heard all your stories about Huan and greeted him with a large hug as if he was already family, sincerely congratulated him on his appointment with the firelord and enquired after his favourite meal so she could make it for him all within a minute of meeting him. Huan saw where you got your kindness from.
You were slightly worried your small fire nation home would seem quaint in comparison to Huan’s mansion but he seemed oddly entranced by it. You saw him examining everything curiosly, from the handprints on the wall from when you decided to paint the wall when you were 3 and your dad joined in to the bizarre overgrown flower maze your dad called a garden. As Huan was looking around the *kitchen* that was really more of a culinary laboratory for you mom to experiment with new recipes you worried compared to his efficient home this would all be odd to him. You watched his face for any sign of confusion or dislike but couldn’t read his expression. When Huan held up a cup you’d made out of clay when you were 8 you burst “so what do you think?”. “Honestly I think your clay modelling needs work” he joked and you smiled “no of my home...will it be okay for you? I know it’s not Zafou but...”. “Not Zafou? y/n your homes lovely!”. “But you don’t think it’s....” you hit your head on plans your father had hung from the ceiling and frowned “messy and disorganised?”. You knew Huan’s father kept all his research in his laboratory, not on the living room ceiling. Huan smirked and shook his head “no i like all this because it’s so you” he smiled “the warm colours! The personal touches crammed everywhere! The fancy artifacts used as vases” Huan smirked noticing the firenation vase your father had been given which your mom used to hold cooking utensils “it’s the exact embodiment of you I love it” Huan finished and you blushed. “Well that’s...not what I was expecting” you commented and Huan smiled “I can tell by how red you’ve gone, I like when I make you blush”. You blushed even deeper and Huan laughed making you roll your eyes. “Come on i’ll show you your room” you said attempting to distract him but Huan continued chuckling as he followed you upstairs.    
Given the fact the meeting was early tomorrow morning you ate and got an early night before setting out for the palace. You and Huan gave your names and were taken through so many coridoors you lost count before eventually being shown into a room with a desk and some sofas. "Wow this place is...". "I know, i thought you were rich" you smirked and Huan smiled but you could tell he was nervous. "Don’t worry it'll be fine, if Iroh recommended it i bet the firelord's all for it". "Have you ever met her before?" Huan asked and you shrugged "a few times at fire nation parties, my dad and her were friends as kids, then he mentored her son Iroh when he joined the army. Iroh was always around our home, he actually babysat me as a kid". Huan paused "the future firelord was your babysitter?". You paused before nodding "i guess, he was always just Iroh to us...his parents wanted him to live as much like a normal teenager as possible so he'd babysit me once a month, kind of hard to think of someone as a prince when they make you food and play doll houses with you". Huan smirked and you smiled "but i’ve met firelord Izumi quiet a few times, and firelord Zuko and Mai once or twice at really formal events". Huan nodded slightly reassured and you touched his arm "it'll be okay i promise". Huan wanted to point out how you had no way of knowing for sure but he didn’t, he just smiled and put a hand over your hand on his arm.
The door opened and you both tensed. You jumped up turned to the leader of the fire nation "Firelord izumi" you said bowing low and Huan followed your lead. "Thank you but there is no need for that" she called "you are my guests" she said showing you a warm smile. You smiled back and she stepped closer to you both "y/n it is so lovely to see you again, how are you parents?". "They are well thank you ma’m" you smiled. “Your father an airbender...I bet he’s making a unique mark on the air nation”. “He is” you laughed “my uncle Tenzin is not too pleased with him”. Izumi smiled fondly "That sounds just like your father” before she turned to Huan “and how are you Huan? We haven’t had the pleasure of meeting before but my son was very impressed with you, how is your mother?". "My mother?" Huan asked "you know her?". "Well i haven’t see Su since we were children but i am fond of her" she smiled "you know my parents and your grandparents were close friends don’t you". You and Huan nodded "of course". Izumi smiled "that is why when my son told me about you Huan I knew I had to meet you. I've been wanting to freshen up the place and who better than such close friends?". You and Huan were slightly speechless but Izumi smiled "so please sit and we will discuss what i have planned". You had just gotten into the plans and areas Izumi wanted art work for when the door opened. Deespite neither of you having been around him much you both recognised the former firelord on sight.  "Firelord Zuko" you and Huan gasped and you both rushed to stand and bow. "No no! You are my oldest friends children" he smiled "you do not bow to me". You and Huan blushed and smiled. "It is so nice to see you both here" he smiled coming to stand right in front of you. He searched your faces and smiled "y/n you look just like Aang but I see the hint of Sokka and Katara in you too and Huan....well you just eminate Toph energy" he grinned "it is so nice to see you both, it’s like having a mini Aang and Toph in the palace again..i am so pleased our bloodlines are still linked together". You and Huan smiled glancing at one another "it seems they always have a having of intertwining" you commented and Zuko laughed. "That they do! Now Izumi please continue" Zuko said taking a seat “pretend i’m not even here”. You and Huan smirked at the very idea and Izumi smiled fondly before turning back to your both “so the question isn’t if we want you but when can you start Huan?”.
---
You walked down the palace steps an hour later a buzz about what had just happened. Huan had been hired to comission the palace! The palace! Izumi had given him almost full artistic freedom and a mass amount of money and resources. She had set him no time limit, her only condition was she wanted to announce him as her royal artist and keep him in her books for future works. It was an amazing first job as an artist and more than many got in a lifetime. You were chatting away about how proud of Huan you were when he stopped walking and grabbed your hands. You looked at him confused as Huan grabbed you and kissed you. Huan never liked PDA or being overly affectionate but here he was kissing you infront of the whole fire nation. It wasn’t a quick kiss either, it was the longest kiss you’d ever had and Huan had initiated it. You finally seperated for breath and Huan looked at you "thank you" he smiled "for getting me here, for being my girlfriend, for coming into my life" he smiled stroking your cheek "i...you..". You smiled Huan’s energy running low and took his hand "i know". Huan smiled at you gratefully and pulled you into his chest hugging you. You wrapped your arms around him slotting into him and smiled. You looked up and noticed huan was bright red which was hard with his tanned skin but none the less adorable. "Come on" you smiled seperating from him and tugging his hand "my mom will want to hear the good news!".
Your mom was thrilled and said you should celebrate. You agreed and took Huan to one of the best resturants in the capital. You covered the bill, despite the fact Huan was filthy rich, and just enjoyed treating yourselves ordering everything and anything you wanted. You’d both dressed nicely and you were determined to make this a special occasion and it became one...but for reasons you weren’t expecting.
Huan loved when you dressed up but also couldn’t help but feel nervous or lesser beside you. He knew he was punching dating you but that was most apparent when you went places looking stunning and Huan wore all black or dark green floor length outfits. It was more noticable you were an odd match in moments like this and although you never seemed to notice Huan knew that couldn't be said for other people. Case in point, on your way home you were walking hand in hand back to your house and passed some men. Huan saw their eyes fall on you in that dress and sure enough their heads turned. They were so busy staring at you they didn’t even notice Huan’s glares for a few seconds. When they noticed him they did a double take at your joint hands, clearly thinking the two of you didn’t match. Huan glared at them his muscles tightening and you felt his arm contract. "Huan?" you asked glancing at where he was looking and saw he was staring at some men. "Huan?" You repeated "are you okay?". Huan nodded snapping his head back around "i’m fine". You frowned seeing Huan was angry but didn’t want to press it out in the open.
You got home and found your mom was out meaning you had the house to yourself. You and Huan settled in your room and you took off your jewellery and shoes while watching Huan worriedly. He hadn’t said a word since those men and was just sat staring into space as he expanded his metal bracelet and back again. You frowned and now in private decided to approach the topic. "Huan?" you asked laying a hand on his arm "are you okay?". Huan sighed but nodded "i’m fine". "Because you seem kinda...". "It’s nothing" he said but he’d raised his voice and you frowned "what did those men do?". Huan sighed "it’s not just them it’s everyone". You frowned "but those men must’ve done something to make...". "Yes they did but they’re not the only ones" Huan sighed "everyone does what those guys do when they see us together". You paused sensing this wouldn’t be good but still had to ask "and what’s that?". "They stare, mainly at you first and then they notice me there too and do a double take that you’re even with someone like me, i see them question it on their face, how is he with her?". You touched Huan’s arm again but he shook his head turning away from you "no i get it, i don’t need pity y/n i ask myself that too". “Huan but i...”. “Yeah you like me” Huan sighed “but that doesn’t change the fact you shouldn’t, we just don’t match! We’re complete opposites and it makes me wonder how long before you’ll find someone better and...”. “Huan!”. “No it’s okay honestly I’m just pleased we had this much time together”. "That’s enough" you snapped and Huan’s gaze shot back around confused to hear you raise your voice "what?". "I usually don't say anything because i know you’re just a realist but i won’t let you talk about yourself this way Huan!". Huan paused "but it’s true". "No you think it’s true because of what we’ve been taught but it’s not! Looks don’t count for shit Huan! Some people might think we look odd together but i don’t care, why would i care? I think you’re amazing, smart, funny, hot and care about me...why would i care what anyone else says or thinks? All i care about is what you think of us and I don't want you ever feeling like you have something to prove to me Huan, ever! In my eyes you’re amazing and i see you that way, i see how lucky i am to have you and when i look at you i just want to..." you trailed off and seeing the way Huan was looking at you just kissed him. Huan kissed you back but you could tell he was still hesitant. "You really don’t see how out of my league you are?". You shook your head not moving your face away from his "not at all, were equal you and i, i like you and you like me, what else matters?". "Nothing" Huan agreed and kissed you again. You smiled and kissed him again "you're incredible Huan, you need more confidence, if you could only see yourself how i see you" you sighed and Huan stared up at you "you're just perfection" and kissed him again. Usually you’d break away pretty early on but you didn’t want to this time and neither did Huan. Things progressed further than they ever had but Huan hesitated as you didn't show a sign of wanting to stop. "Y/n are you sure you want to...with me?' you paused but nodded blushing "yes but if you aren’t ready then that’s okay..." you started when Huan kissed you pushing you back down "no i just wanted to make sure you weren’t just doing this for...". You flipped Huan and pushed his shoulders down "i’m doing this because i want to, not because i want to make you feel better or because i feel bad, but because i find you incredibly attractive and i want this". Huan redenned but his eyes sparked “okay”.
***
"Do you believe me?" you asked Huan afterwards and he nodded "yes". You smiled against his chest as his arms tightenned around you. "Good" you smiled kissing his neck, the only part of him you could reach without having to move. "You’re brilliant Huan and i am completely infatuated with you". Huan nuzzled his head against yours and sighed happily “I am too”.
The next morning
You woke up with a jolt and Huan woke up too feeling you jump. "What’s wrong?" he asked and you smiled "nothing...i just wondered where we were". Huan smiled seeing how good you looked beside him and for once thought you fit. He kissed your forehead and smiled "we’re in heaven". You laughed and relaxed back against him "no but we did have an undistrubed night which is odd, my mother must’ve assumed you were in your room and luckily didn’t check". Haun nodded "lucky, very lucky". You grinned and pulled the covers over you two. "Are you cold?" Huan asked and you shook your head "no this way i can forget where we are, it’s just us". Huan smiled and nodded "that’s all i need".
When you finally couldn’t hide anymore you sauntered downstairs for breakfast while Huan went to shower. You mother was sat at the table and greeted you warmly. You ate together chatting happily before your mother smiled “ow i have news! Your father’s coming home tomorrow". You smiled pleased and went to ask when his ship was getting in when your mom continued. "So make sure Huan stays in the guest room tomorrow night". You almost chocked on your breakfast and swallowed with some effort "i’m sorry?". "I’m not stupid y/n" your mother said raising an eyebrow "i know Huan didn’t sleep in his own bed last night". You paled "we...we were...". "It’s okay, you’re both adults just be safe, i trust both of you". "You do?" you asked and your mother nodded "i’ve seen the way he is around you, he’s a sweet boy and i trust him with you, i like him for you". Huan walked into the room and saw the way you and your mother stopped as he entered. "What?" he asked startled and you smiled shaking your head "nothing" and just smiled up at him. You took a moment to just admire Huan in your kitchen, his long dark hair still damp moving as he talked. His goregous green eyes watching you as he pulled a signature frown at your behaviour. Huan was obviously very confused but ignored it and sat down next to you. You entwined your hands and Huan smiled "what’s gotten you so happy?". You sighed and shook your head "nothing in particular". Huan raised an eyebrow but smiled and held your hand tighter.
Epilogue
Huan stayed in the fire nation with you for many years to complete the palace renovation and afterwards decided to settle down in the fire nation permanently. He found the fire nation a perfect place for his modern art and was soon one of the biggests influences of your generation. You carried on your air bending, working as a representative of the air nation for the fire nation along side your father. You and Huan rented an excellently furnished and decorated apartment in the city and later when your duties reduced moved out to the colonies. Neither of you wanted children and instead invested in many cats and dogs, which you loved as dearly as children. Your home was constantly bustling with your and Huan’s family, your father was always popping, your cousins visiting whenever they got annoyed by one another and atleast one of Huan’s siblings was always around. You loved feeling like part of a big family but also love the quiet days where it was just you and Huan curled up infront of the fire. Huan never questioned your match again because he couldn’t. He knew something that felt this perfect had to be just that, perfect.
____
So this is my last part of this Huan series! Thanks for all your support, I never intended to do a part two let alone a whole series so thanks for encouraging me! I hope you like it :) 
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Changing Spirits (Zuko x Reader) [Everything Has Changed Part 3]
Title: Changing Spirits Summary: You settled in with the gang, but are confronted by a very real issue when Zuko reveals that he's 'lost' his fire bending ability. You also relive memories of the past Warnings: None really Request: Some of you wanted part 3 so here it is!!
A/N: Been recieving a lot of positivity and love on the last two parts so thank you for that! xx
PART 1: EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED PART 2: CHANGE IS GOOD PART 3: CHANGING SPIRITS PART 4: A HEART OF CHANGE
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Zuko~Changing Spirits
Waking up in a new environment was strange. It was colder than the fire nation, a gentle breeze could be felt through out the temple. It wasn't unwelcomed, however. You shifted in your bed, and glanced over at Zuko. He was still asleep, and for the first time in forever he looked relaxed. You gently rise and prop yourself up with one hand, and slowly take in the room.
     It felt weird to be in a place like this.
    The fire nation had always taught you growing up that it was the most glorious nation in existence: that it had the best architecture, the most clever scientists, the only worthy culture- and yet you find yourself almost in awe here. How different would've it have been had it not been for your people 100 years ago... You try not to think about it.
    Taking one last look at Zuko, you get out of bed. You decide to leave him sleeping. He looks so peaceful, it would be a shame to disturb him. And, besides, you know he needs the sleep. He hadn't slept well in the fire nation; he told you himself. He couldn't sleep, not with the guilt he felt. You wished you could sleep longer too; you know you need the rest. Hunger calls you, though, and so does curiosity. Although you feel nervous about how the gang will react to you, you know that they wouldn't deny you food. Or, at least, you hoped they wouldn't.
---
"Hi," you awkwardly say as you leave the temple, approaching the group of misfit teens in front of you, "Uh, I just wondered if I'd missed breakfast..."
    You feel stupid now after saying it out loud, and you want the ground to swallow you whole as there is no immediate reply from the gang. Your heart begins to sink, and you want to back away, but you lift your head as you hear Toph speak.
    "I thought you and moody were never going to get up," Toph teases with a smile on her face, "Breakfast is over there."
     "Thank you," you murmur, "Zuko is sleeping in- yesterday was quite a long day."
     You sit down next to Sokka, making sure to leave enough space between the two of you so that you don't offend him or make him uncomfortable. You grab a bowl of breakfast- it smells delicious. Doing your best to be quiet and let the others speak, you listen to their conversation. It's hard to imagine less than a year ago this is who you were hunting. So much has changed. You were deep in thought, only to be brought from it by Sokka's voice.
    "So what's the deal with you and the prince of darkness anyway? Are you dating or something?" Sokka asks and you are kind of taken aback. `      You look up, a blush on your face.
     "Ur, no... No, it's not like that," you insist.
     "Your heart rate says otherwise," Toph laughs.
     You shoot her a look that you're sure she can feel.
     "We're just friends. We've been friends since we were kids. His mum... She took me in when my parents died. My father- he lost his life in the war and my mother... She was very ill for a long time. I owe Zuko and his mother my life," you open up to them, "I'm sorry I overshared I didn't-"
     "-I'm sorry that happened to you," Aang says, "That can't have been easy to share."
    "I don't think I've told anyone else that. Showing emotion in the fire nation is weakness," you tell them, "I know it's no excuse but I was brain washed from a young age. I'm glad I'm out here, doing the right thing."
     "You're right it doesn't excuse the things you've done," Katara says, "And, it can never undo the things you've done."
     "Katara, I-"
    "-But, I'm glad you've joined us."
    "You are?"
    "I saw how hard you fought to save us from-"
    "-Combustion Man," Sokka interrupts.
    Katara glares at him before continuing, "Yes, Combustion Man, and I don't entirely trust you or Zuko yet because that comes with time but I'm glad you chose the right side."
    "I know I can never undo what I've done, but I have changed. I'm sorry for what the fire nation did to your village- to all of your homes, and all of your families... The fire nation did a lot more than attack other nations- first they started with their own. I don't want the fire nation to be seen like that anymore.
      My grandmother used to tell me stories of what the world was like before the war: all I want is to do my part in restoring that world. "
    You and Katara share a look, and for the first time since you joined the Avatar, you finally have a moment of understanding.
---
When Zuko wakes up, he is alone. Panic sets in and he thinks something is wrong. But, then he waits and listens; he calms down when he hears your voice. It sounds like you're talking to the gang. Zuko can't help but smile when he hears your laughter. He hesitates for a second, before getting out of bed, and following the sound of your voice down the halls.
---
You hear footsteps and your head turns. It's Zuko: you smile at him and gesture for him to come over. He follows your lead cautiously and sits beside you. You serve him a bowl of breakfast, and go back to listening to the group talk. From one side, you can feel Zuko looking at you. When you gaze towards him, he looks away.
    "How did you sleep?" you murmur to Zuko.
    "Good..." Zuko replies, "What about you? You weren't there when I woke up."
    "Oh, sorry," you say, putting your bowl of breakfast down, "I didn't want to wake you up. You looked like you needed a few more minutes."
     Zuko blushes, but doesn't say anything else.
     The day rolls on, and Zuko begins trying to teach Aang how to how to fire bend, which was proving more and more difficult by the hour. You decided not to watch them train. You'd sparred with Zuko on many occasions, and you thought your presence wouldn't make the situation any better. So, you decided to try and bond with the girls of the group.
     Meanwhile, Sokka was dedicated to annoying Zuko.
    "Come on Sifu Hotman," Sokka teased, "Where's your giant flames now?"
    "I'm trying Sokka," Zuko said through gritted teeth, "Maybe it's that I can't concentrate when the only thing I can hear is the sound of your voice!"
    "Maybe we should get your girlfriend to come and give you a pep talk," Sokka laughed.
    Aang suppressed a laugh under his hand.
    "Y/N isn't my girlfriend," Zuko yelled back.
    "I never mentioned anything about Y/N- but if the shoe fits..."
    "Go away!" Zuko fumed, resisting the urge to grab Zuko.
    "I think it's best if you leave, Sokka," Aang says trying to diffuse the situation.
    Sokka glanced at Aang and then gave a shrug. He made his way over to the rest of the gang, ignoring the glare he could feel in the back of his head- mostly likely from Zukko. ...Who was he kidding? It was definitely from Zuko. For some reason talking about you was a really good way to push Zuko's buttons. Sokka didn't mean anything malicious by it, but it was a small revenge to annoy him about you.
    The water tribe boy sat down beside his sister with a huff.
    "Got bored of watching the fire bending did we?" Katara asked.
    "No, mostly because there wasn't much fire bending going on," Sokka said, before looking at you, "And, by the way your boyfriend is being extra moody today."
    "He's not my- You know what, never mind," you stop yourself, "Wait, what do you mean by there wasn't much fire bending going on? Zuko's an excellent fire bender. You've all seen it- ah sorry Toph, I mean experienced it."
     "No sweat," Toph reassures.
     "I don't know," Sokka says, "All I know is that Sifu Hotman wasn't very hot."
     "...That's strange," you murmur.
---
When Zuko and Aang come back later, you can tell something is off. Zuko seems upset, and angry... And, disappointed. You paused for a moment before saying anything. Something big was off. You'd seen Zuko grumpy before, but this wasn't just some small irritation. This was something huge.
     "Listen everybody," Zuko announced, "I've got some pretty bad news. I've lost my stuff."
     He sighs and looks down. 'His what?' you thought.
     "Don't look at me," Toph exclaimed folding her arms, "I didn't touch your stuff."
     "I'm talking about my fire bending. It's gone," Zuko corrected.
     No, it couldn't be. That didn't make any sense. Zuko couldn't have lost his fire bending. He needed to teach Aang fire bending. Aang needed to master all four elements to defeat the Fire Lord. Oh, this was bad this was really bad. Part of you heard the others speak, but you weren't really listening. You were too busy panicking.
     You interrupt them, "There's got to be a way to get it back though right?"
     Zuko just kept his eyes to the ground.
     "He just needs to go back to the original source of fire bending," Toph says confidently, "I learned earth bending from the badger moles. They were the original earth benders."
     "The dragons," you murmur, "They were the original fire benders."
     "And, they're extinct," Zuko huffs.
     "How? What happened? Roku had a dragon," Aang says.
     "They just are extinct okay?" Zuko snaps, turning away from the group.
     Even though the dragons were extinct, the culture that worshipped them still had ruins. And, they weren't too far away. It was worth a shot. Anything was at this point. It was Zuko's destiny to teach Aang fire bending, you know it was- and, yet it was getting so difficult so early on. You sighed and put your head in your hands. No. No, it was too early for defeat. Zuko and Aang needed to visit the Sun Warrior's ruins. It was at least worth a shot.
     Zuko and Aang had packed basic supplies and set off for the Sun Warrior's ruins. You tried not to feel too worried for them, but it was hard not to when you barely knew anything about the Sun Warriors. ...But, they went extinct so nothing good could've happened to them.
     "Try not to miss me too much," you say to Zuko.
     Zuko gives a small smile.
     You hesitate then bring him in for a hug.
     "Stay safe, okay?" you murmur more seriously.
     You feel him hug back.
     "I'll do my best to come back in one piece."
     "You better."
---
You were thinking about Zuko all the rest of the day. They were gone too long for your liking.  Sleeping alone in the room without Zuko didn't feel right. You tossed and turned and settled on your back. Your eyes stared up at the ceiling before your forced yourself to close them. You think back to all the times you spent sleeping beside Zuko- from sleep overs as a child, to on his war ship, to the small room in Ba Sing Sei... It didn't feel right: being without him.
     You thought back to when you were children and you had snuck into his room.
~~~
    "Zuko!" you yelled out, "Help me up."
    The little prince ran to his window to see you clutching at his balcony. You'd scaled the side of the building, and had your hand wrapped around one of the rungs of the balcony. Zuko grabbed at your hand, and hauled you onto the balcony. You laughed as you fell into a lump onto Zuko.
    "What the hell are you doing?" Zuko whisper-yelled, "Are you trying to wake everyone up?"
    "No," you smiled, "I was trying to see you."
     Zuko rolled his eyes.
    "You could just use the door you know," he said, cracking a smile.
    "Where's the fun in that?" you beamed, "Besides it was a very important mission: I hadn't seen you all day. I had to sneak in to make sure no enemies caught me."
     "Yeah, sorry about that... I had 'royal stuff' to do with my father. I'd much rather spend time with you."
      You smiled and begin telling him about your day, and your plans for tomorrow. Soon, it got later and later. The sun had set and you were both getting tired. You told Zuko you were going to go back to your room, but Zuko insisted you stay in his. You know- in case any enemies caught you. You caved in and clambered into his bed with him. It was your first sleep over ever!
     And, it wouldn't be your last.
     Zuko's mother opened the door, to check on her son. She smiled softly as she saw you and Zuko tucked up into bed. She didn't want to disturb you both so she just whispered good night, and gently closed the door. She always knew you and Zuko shared a life long bond.
      If only she could see you now...
~~~
You hadn't mean to sleep in... It just sort of happened. It was probably a sign though; you needed the rest, and you had finally let the weight of everything sink in. The reality of your situation was finally settling in, and despite the conflict you had initially faced, you were here. Alive. And, for now well.
     You'd were finally drawn from your sleep from a commotion. Voices.
     Your ears practically pricked up at the sound of footsteps. Were Aang and Zuko finally back? Your question was answered when Zuko stepped into the door frame. You chucked your bed sheets off and ran to him. It was him this time that brought you in for a hug.
     "You were gone so long."
     "I know, I'm sorry," Zuko murmured.
     "I hope this means you found something there," you say, breaking contact with him, "And, that you're a fire bending master again?"
      "You could say that. Let's just say the dragons aren't as extinct as we thought."
      "Good, because I was getting worried I was going have to take up the role of the grumpy fire bender in the group," you teased.
      "Oh, so what role do you take?"
      "I'm obviously the fun fire bender," you smiled, "Who brings the life to the party."
      "Oh yeah, obviously."
      Little did you know, Zuko had been thinking of you all the time he had been gone. As he learned about the original source of fire bending, he couldn't help but think back to you. And, he took you into his heart. Once, he was driven by anger and the desire to catch the Avatar.
     That had changed: his motivations had changed. His very spirit had changed. He now wanted to save the world.
     And, protect you.
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cynical-mystic · 3 years
Text
ZKMonth 21 Day 1 - Momtara and Dadko
Katara and Izumi were in her room, Izumi sitting on the floor and Katara on the bed, running a comb through her stepdaughter’s hair. Kya and Bumi were helping Zuko decorate the ballroom for Izumi’s party, and Izumi had wanted Katara to do her hair in the Water Tribe style for her sixteenth birthday.
“Are you excited?” Katara asked as she set the comb aside and began to braid.
The dress Izumi had helped design was waiting on a mannequin for her to put on. The shoes Kya and Izumi had shopped for were waiting by the door, and the necklace Zuko had given her was on her desk.
“Yes,” Izumi said. “I’m looking forward to seeing Tenzin and our cousins.”
Katara nodded, smiling. Not long after she and Zuko had gotten married, Sokka and Suki had finally gotten pregnant. They’d had twins, a boy and a girl, and named them Hakoda and Kanna, after Sokka and Katara’s late father and grandmother. They were pretty young, but Izumi, Kya, Bumi, and Tenzin adored them. Neither of them had presented as a bender yet, but there was still time.
Aang and Toph had gotten together after he and Katara divorced, but it had taken a while. Toph already had her two girls, Lin and Suyin, with Lin being only a year younger than Tenzin and Suyin being a bit older than the twins. They were also coming, of course, as they had to bring Tenzin and the twins liked playing with Lin and Suyin because they were fascinated by earthbending.
It would just be a family thing. Izumi still hadn’t made any close friends at school, so she didn’t have anyone else to invite.
“I’m glad you’re excited,” Katara said as she pinned a braid in place. “It should be fun. Aang will probably come up with some games for you guys to play.”
“That would be nice,” Izumi said. “But I think I’d rather play pai sho. I miss Uncle.”
Katara smoothed out the fabric on Izumi’s shoulder, her own sadness over Uncle’s death blossoming in her chest. He had died not long after Zuko and Katara had gotten married and had taught Izumi how to play pai sho and make tea better than her father. Although, Katara had to admit, anyone made tea better than Zuko.
Except maybe Toph.
“I know you do,” Katara sighed. “I wish he could have seen you grow up into the beautiful woman you are.”
“So do I.”
~~~
While Katara and Izumi were having an intimate moment, Zuko was trying to control chaos.
Bumi had decided the streamers absolutely had to be hung from the ceiling, which was reasonable, except for the fact he’d used a ladder to get into the beams and had ceased using it, climbing through the beams like a playground, tying streamers relatively haphazardly.
Kya was being slightly more reasonable, but only slightly. She’d decided all of the vases needed to be filled at once and had done such with waterbending, but had forgotten to take the flowers out before filling the vases and was currently trying to get water off the surface of the flowers without taking water out of the flowers themselves.
The palace servants had already set the tables and prepared the food, which was laying out nicely on a buffet table, but Zuko had a sneaking suspicion that Sokka and Suki’s kids had arrived and were playing under the tablecloth. He was chasing around the table, following giggling, but couldn’t get a handle on them.
“Need some help, Zuko?”
Zuko straightened from where he was trying to peer under the table to see Tenzin, dressed in formal Air Nomad clothes and wearing a smile.
“If you have any ideas, Tenzin, I’ll welcome them,” Zuko said.
Tenzin nodded and went to the end of the table. He sprung into a bending stance, shooting a burst of air under the table, causing the tablecloth to fly up and the twins to be blown out, shrieking.
“Thank you,” Zuko said, grinning at the young airbender.
“No problem,” Tenzin said, joining Zuko in approaching the twins.
“How did you two get in here?” Zuko asked as he helped Hakoda to his feet and Tenzin helped Kanna. “Where are your parents?”
“Dad said he wanted to show Mom where their room was,” Kanna said, dusting off her Earth Kingdom dress. “Something about renovations he’d asked you to make?”
Zuko rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what Sokka was up to.
“When can we play?” Hakoda asked.
“We’ve got to wait for Izumi,” Zuko said, taking the twins by the hands and leading them over to a table. “Can you guys stay here for me?”
They nodded and set about playing air, water, earth, and fire, while Zuko turned to Tenzin.
“Think you could help Kya?” he asked. “She’s struggling with differentiating between the water she got on the flowers and the water in the flowers.”
“Sure,” Tenzin said.
Looking around the room, Zuko’s heart was full. He loved all of these children immensely and loved when all of them were able to get together.
When something outside the ballroom exploded, he sighed, knowing the calm couldn’t last.
Aang came into the ballroom looking sheepish.
“Lin may or may not have broken one of the fountains,” he explained.
Before Zuko could freak out, Aang raised his hands and said, “Toph is fixing it, don’t worry.”
Zuko shook his head and couldn’t keep from smiling.
“It’s good having you guys here,” he said, reaching out and putting his hand on Aang’s shoulder.
“We’re glad to be here!” Aang said, grinning. “Where’s Izumi?”
“Katara’s helping her get ready.”
~~~
“You ready?”
Izumi looked in the mirror, took a deep breath, and nodded.
“You look beautiful,” Katara said, putting her hand on Izumi’s shoulder.
“Thanks, Mom.”
Katara’s heart swelled. She’d never asked Izumi to call her mom, the girl had just started doing so even before Zuko and Katara had gotten married.
“Let’s go see the others,” Izumi said. “Bumi’s probably going to make fun of me.”
“If he does he’ll be scrubbing toilets for a week,” Katara promised.
Izumi laughed and Katara and her stepdaughter went to join the chaos of their family.
@zutaramonth
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welovediaaxx · 3 years
Text
ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏsᴛ ᴅɪᴀʀʏ / / azula x fem!reader
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 warnings : slight cursing
part four // part five // part six
a/n : you guys already know it takes me a month to write 1500 words but whatever!! enjoy this chapter the next one is gonna be jucier i promise
taglist : @888-rising​ @firelordazulaaaa​ @sighsam​ @theblueslytherin​ @halcyon-arts​ @the-paintedlady​ @sweetcici-123​
send me an ask or message me to be tagged 🤍☁️
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i wake up abruptly by my alarm, quickly snoozing it as i look around, taking in my surroundings. i rub my sleepy eyes as i glance at all the empty containers of the chinese food left on my poor coffee table from the night before. that’sfor sure gonna be a bitch to clean up later. speaking of last night, why am i on the couch? 
my question is quickly answered as i hear a small grunt coming from under the blanket across me. “what time is it?” azula asks as she stretches her arms. i stare at her in awe, how does she look so good mere seconds after waking up? “it’s only nine-thirty, we should go back to sleep” she grunts
my eyes widen at her statement. “nine-thirty? shit, i have class at 10.” now this is when i start panicking “zuko’s supposed to drive me today” 
i check my phone and there it was, 3 missed calls from zuko and approximately 
17 messages. and just on queue, he calls me again.
“hey zuzu, i’m sorry. i fell asleep, i’ll be down in a minute” i say as i start running around my apartment, grabbing along everything i need. i mutter a sorry to azula who just shrugs.
“uh-okay. why is azula’s car parked in front of your building?” he asks me. i can already hear his stupid smirk over the phone. 
“sorry, bad connection. gotta go!” i say as i hang up the phone, making my way over to my bedroom. i put on a pair of grey sweatpants and a matching sweatshirt. i put my laptop in my bookbag and run back to the living room.
“i’m so sorry i have to leave like this,” i say to azula who’s sitting on the couch. she looks up at me “i feel really bad. but i’ll make it up to you. i swear”
“don’t worry about it. i had fun last night” she smiles at me. 
“i had fun too. i’ll leave the keys on the kitchen counter. you can stay here as long as you’d like, just lock up when you leave” i return the smile “also, don’t open the door if mr chung knocks”
I simply had to ward her about mr chung. he’s a single gay man in his fifties who lives next door to me. he’s the main gossip provider of our building. now, don’t get me wrong, i love mr chung and all the hot gossip he offers. but i just wasn’t ready for all my neighbours to begin talking about ‘the new lady in my life’, as mr chung would probably put it
“uh okay, got it. i’ll just get my things and leave then.” azula says as she starts getting up from the couch.
“don’t worry about it” i bid her one last goodbye and grab my coat after i put on my shoes. i sprint down the 5 flights of stairs, deciding against going by elevator. i spot zuko’s car parked next to azulas and get in the passenger seat. i glance at my phone ‘nine-forty five’ 
“we can make it in fifteen minutes, right?” i ask as i glance at zuko
“it’s fine, we have mrs feng, she’s always late anyways,” zuko says as he starts backing out my driveway. “so…” zuko starts “azula’s car in your driveway? what’s that about?” he smirks
“it’s nothing you should worry about salami face,” i say as i return the smirk.
“i told you to stop calling me that! and don’t you even try to avoid the topic y/n” 
“what? are you jealous i chose your sister over you? i knew that you still weren’t over me!” i tease him as i remember our pathetic eight-month relationship our freshman year of college in which we both realised we definitely don’t prefer the opposite gender. it was awkward, to say the least. 
zuko rolls his eyes “no, believe it or not. i’m not jealous. so, she slept over?”
“yeah, we watched a movie and we fell asleep. that’s it.”
“hm… interesting,” he smirks and continues driving.
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zuko and i enthusiastically sprinted across campus in hopes of making it on time. since luck was apparently on our side, we arrived right on time. we took a few breaths before opening the classroom door.
i quickly thank god for making it on time, before huffing and making my way through the mob of students who were chatting together. i plop down on the seat next to suki who had her head on the desk, her hair covering her face.
“hey suki” i say, putting my things on the table
suki groans as she lifts her head “hey y/n, is she here yet?” 
“no, not yet.” i answer as i look around “where did zuko go?” i mutter to myself. of course the fucker escaped.
“here i am, i bought us some coffee,” zuko says as he sits on the chair by suki’s left.
“thanks zu. you’re and angel. i’ll need it too, i hate econ” suki says as she starts sipping on her coffee
“that’s exactly why literally everyone told you not to sign up for it,” zuko reminds her.
“yeah, i specifically remember us begging you not to do it. we knew you were gonna be miserable” i add.
“shut up, you know i needed the points,” suki says while grabbing her head.
“well, i know something that’s gonna cheer you up,” zuko tells her. suki immediately lifts her head, looking between us waiting for somebody to tell her what she missed. i groan and roll my eyes. of course, zuko can’t keep just one thing to himself.
“azula slept over at y/n’s house”
“you slept with azula?! i knew that the date went well, but not that good!” suki yells
“that’s not what he said!” i try to explain to her. just by my luck, mrs feng arrives just before i get a chance to explain myself. during the whole lesson, i could feel suki’s eyes piercing through my shoulder. despite that, i decided to be productive and pay attention. manly to keep my mind off of suki’s groaning and quiet complaining.
after our lesson, we all decided to go to the jasmine dragon and meet up with the rest of the group. suki, zuko and i all got into zuko’s car and drove there. the car ride was surprisingly quiet although i could feel suki’s tension radiating off of her, ready to bombard me with questions.
we made our way to our usual table, which was already occupied by sokka, aang, katara and toph. “hey guys” aang greets us as we all sit down. as soon as we sat down i could feel all eyes land on me. i knew immediately that zuko talked. 
“what?” i say, deciding on playing dumb
“you slept with azula!” toph yells, thank god the whole coffee shop can hear her.
“zuko!” i yell at him. of course he can’t keep his mouth shut at any circumstance.
“hey, don’t look at me! suki texted the group chat, i thought you saw it” zuko defends himself while he lifts his hands up, trying to prove his innocence. after that, muffled arguing took over at the table. everybody voicing their opinion at the same time
“guys!” katara stands up “why don’t we let y/n speak?” she suggests 
“finally!” i huff as everybody goes quiet. “i didn’t sleep with azula, she just slept over at my place” i exclaim to our table.
“yeah, right” toph snickers.
“hey!” i yell at her direction, fighting the smile coming onto my face. “you of all people should know i’m not like that”
“yeah, toph. we all know y/n’s the biggest prude here” sokka mocks
i roll my eyes “you guys are the worst friends ever.”  
we were all in the middle of a heated debate about whether cereal should be considered soup or not (that sokka started, change my mind) when i felt a tap on my shoulder. when i turn around, i notice azula, wearing her usual casual clothes with a bag in her hand. i quickly excuse my self from the table, getting a few winks as i sit up. 
“hey, what are you doing here?” i ask her.
“well, my uncle does own this place.” she raises her sharp eyebrows in amusment.
“right, of course. that was a stupid question” i say as i start playing with my hair. i can already feel my cheeks heating up as i look at the table behind azula for help, only getting a few thumbs up in reply.
“anyway, i brought you the clothes you borrowed me last night. i washed and dried them, don’t worry” she says as she gives me the bag.
“thank you, you didn’t have to go through all the trouble, though” 
“don’t worry about it, i’ll take up any excuse i can get to see you” se says while flashing me a smile
“well, in that case, i should lend you my clothes more often”  i giggled.
“maybe you should” she agreed “my friends are waiting for me, but i’ll see you around, y/n.” she said before turning around and walking back to two girls who were unfamiliar to me. 
“yeah, see you around” i quietly sigh, mentally preparing for the interrogation that will take place back at the table occupied by my friends.
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reinerispretty · 3 years
Text
beneath the moon. (sokka x reader) pt15
OH WOW okay so because i felt so bad about not updating this for...two weeks? this chapter is extra long. i’m talkin over 5,000 words long. it is also my apology for not updating in so long teehee!!! 
pt1
pt14
pt16
“Friends get excited to see each other,” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t know about you, Aang, but my friends don’t normally kiss me on the cheek when they see me.” Aang laughed as he steered Appa, but Sokka’s expression was less than exuberant. (Y/N) knocked her shoulder against his. “I’m just teasing,” She said lowly, so only Sokka would hear. “I think you guys-“
(Y/N) scrunched her nose in distaste. “This is Lake Laogai?” The place that Joo Dee had mentioned numerous times and Jet had said he had been taken to be brainwashed seemed rather…underwhelming. It was just a lake, albeit an expansive one, with blue green water and a beach surrounding it.  Sokka nudged her side with his elbow. Although she knew he was standing right beside her, the feeling of his touch startled her. She could feel her heartbeat thundering against her chest.
“Come on, Princess. Not everywhere can be a brilliant ice palace.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes.
“I get that, but if they’re going to say that a bunch of people go here for vacation all the time, the least they can do is make it look nice. Did they just think no one would come out here to visit?”
“I think it looks just fine,” Toph said as she strolled past the pair. (Y/N) and Sokka gave her a disapproving look that was completely lost on the young girl.
“All I’m saying is having a few beach chairs wouldn’t kill them. I mean, have you seen the Earth King’s palace! He could definitely spare a few coins.”
“I honestly doubt the Earth King knows this place exists,” Katara said.
“What a chump,” Toph said. She walked to the very edge of the lake and knelt down to the ground, her small hand hovering above the sand. “There’s a whole cave underneath the lake.” With one swift earthbending move, she exposed a platform with a large, round entryway at the end. She moved its cover to the side, and their large group hovered over it and stared into the dark cavern below. Jet went first, since he was leading the group, and Aang followed closely behind. The rest of the group followed one by one until eventually, they were all in the underground cave.
“There should be a cell large enough for Appa up ahead,” Jet whispered. “Follow me!” He led them down the hallway, but (Y/N) found herself breaking away from the group. She stopped in front of a room, peering inside to see countless women being brainwashed. It broke (Y/N’s) heart that she could not help them right now. To rescue those women would be to jeopardize their entire mission and risk captivity.
Katara appeared at her side then, grabbing her by the hand and squeezing her fingers. “We’ll help them,” She whispered, a reassuring Katara smile on her lips, and (Y/N) nodded in agreement. She just wished they didn’t have to pick and choose who they could save.
They reached the room where Appa would have been. (Y/N) could see large shackles on the ground in the dim light, where he probably once was, but then she heard the door being earthbended behind her. Instantly, she and her friends realized they were being surrounded. Dozens of Dai Lee agents dangled from the ceiling, and Long Feng stood at the center of the room with a look of harsh disapproval on his face. (Y/N) knew that the entire time she and her friends had been in Ba Sing Se, he had been trying to intimidate and manipulate them, but she still found herself unafraid of his presence. The agents hanging down from above certainly unsettled her, but Long Feng was like every other tribe elder that had told her what she had done throughout her entire life was wrong. If she had an opportunity, she’d like to toss an ice ball at his face.
“You’ve made yourselves enemies of the state,” Long Feng said, and just as (Y/N) slowly inched her fingers toward the cap of her water satchel on her hip, she was forced back, her wrists clamped against the wall by a Dai Lee agent’s rock glove. She cried out in pain, feeling an uncomfortable sensation in one of her wrists.
“(Y/N)!” She heard Sokka shout, just as Toph released her with one movement and knocked a Dai Lee agent into the wall with another. (Y/N) felt the anger rise within her and with a swift flick of her wrist she started to waterbend, but the crippling pain in her wrist nearly caused her to scream. “Are you okay?” Sokka asked, suddenly at her side. His boomerang was poised in his hands. He took her wrist in his hands, his long fingers wrapping around the already bruising skin. (Y/N) couldn’t find the words to answer him. He stared at her with furrowed brows and bounced on anxious feet, eager to join the fight but remaining with her for a reason (Y/N) couldn’t piece together.
She started to panic. She needed to help her friends, but fighting with waterbending was the sort of thing she had to do with two hands, and Katara didn’t have time to quickly heal her wrist. When she finally pulled her eyes away from Sokka’s, she caught a dark green figure running toward them. She pushed Sokka behind her with her good hand and swiftly lifted her leg up high into the air, her water following its direction, and kicked forward. The stream of water followed exactly what she had intended for it to do, hitting the Dai Lee agent harshly and sending him flying backward into the rock wall.
When (Y/N) turned back to Sokka, his eyes were wide. “That was amazing!” (Y/N) grinned at him. Sokka threw his boomerang at an agent coming from her blind spot and the two spent the remainder of the fight watching each other’s backs.  
The fight against the Dai Lee agents continued, but (Y/N) was quickly getting better at waterbending with her legs. It felt a bit unnatural. Waterbending was about moving the energy through your body, and this transference of energy usually took place within your arms and hands. Very little of the whole body was used in waterbending, but she was still able to help her friends with what she could do, and that was all that mattered to her.
Aang and Jet had followed Long Feng as he fled into another room. It took a while for the remainder of the group to subdue the Dai Lee agents, but by the time they had and reunited, they came upon a grave situation. Jet lay on the floor with Aang by his side. Katara rushed to him and immediately started the healing process, but (Y/N) recognized the scared look on her friend’s face that told her it wasn’t working. (Y/N) looked down at Jet, whose face was soft with acceptance, and felt a tug at her heart. This wasn’t fair. Nothing about this war was fair. Innocent people shouldn’t have to die simply because they want to make the world a better place.
She clenched her hands at her sides, feeling the pain in her wrist but ignoring it. Much to her surprise, Sokka placed his own hand over her fist. (Y/N) refused to look up at him, but she refused to pull away.
They resurfaced as their original group. Jet’s friends, Longshot and Smellerbee, had chosen to stay with him. Although she hadn’t known him long, (Y/N) still shed tears over the loss of Jet’s life. She and her friends had felt too much sorrow for a group of kids. It seemed like it would never end. And the Dai Lee agents standing on the beach nearly confirmed this fact.
“Do you think we can outrun them?” Sokka asked Aang as the agents surrounded them on all sides. There was nowhere for them to run to.
“I don’t think it’ll matter,” Aang said. As he finished his statement, Momo landed on his shoulder, chittering loudly in Aang’s ear. “What is it, Momo?” The lemur monkey soared back into the sky, where a large shadow blocked the light of the sun. Appa dropped to the beach, a hefty groan coming from his chest, as he began blowing the agents away with his own airbending. Toph and Aang used earthbending to send the other Dai Lee agents soaring through the air and into the lake.
“I’ll handle you myself,” Long Feng growled, but Appa was too quick for him. He took Long Feng in his mouth by the leg and flung him into Lake Laogai. (Y/N) and her friends cheered and rushed forward to hug the sky bison.
---
Their group had flown to a small piece of land within the lake to rest. (Y/N) sat on the ground with Katara kneeling beside her as she healed her wrist. Toph laid on the ground beside them, her arms tucked behind her head and her eyes closed, face tilted toward the warmth of the sun. Aang had stuck by Appa the entire time they had been there. (Y/N) figured she wouldn’t have wanted to let Appa out of her sight either, if she were in her shoes.
Katara smiled at (Y/N) as she finished healing her. “Should be good as new in an hour or so.” (Y/N) thanked her friend and rotated her wrist. It was sore more than anything now, but the pain had completely disappeared.
“Listen, Katara, I’m sorry about-“ The pained expression on Katara’s face cut her off. (Y/N) bit her bottom lip so hard until it bled. She was still learning how to comfort people who weren’t Yue.
“It’s okay,” Katara said quietly. “I’ll be okay.” (Y/N) smiled, because Katara was right, as she often tended to be. If there was anyone who could handle any challenge thrown at her, it was Katara.
A shadow stood in front of them, blocking the warmth of the sun from the girls. Toph groaned from her position on the ground. “You’re blocking my light!”
“Look, I think we need to head to the Earth King right away and tell him about our plan. We’re on a roll!” Sokka said.
“I hardly think one good hour is a roll,” Katara said.
“I’d say it was a good forty-five minutes,” (Y/N) added. Sokka rolled his eyes at that.
“Whatever it is, we can build on it. We need the Earth King’s support if we want to invade the Fire Nation in time for the eclipse.” Katara shook her head.
“Sokka, Long Feng controls the city. His conspiracy with the Dai Lee is too powerful. I say we fly away and never turn back.”
“I’m with Sweetness,” Toph said. “I’ve been wanting to get out of here as soon as we step foot in this place.”
(Y/N) frowned. As much as it pained her to agree with Sokka, she said, “But we can’t just let those people suffer at the hands of Long Feng. The quicker we expose him, the quicker this whole Dai Lee business can be over. Those women down there can go back to their normal lives.”
“And since we have Appa back,” Aang said, “There’s nothing holding us back from telling the Earth King about everything. The conspiracy and the war.”
“See!” Sokka said, a bright smile on his face. “Aang and (Y/N) are on my side!”
“I guess if the Earth King knew the truth, things would change…” Katara muttered.
“I don’t like new positive Sokka,” Toph grumbled. As they decided what steps to take next, Sokka noticed ships floating across the lake.
“That’s probably the Dai Lee searching for us.” He turned to Katara. “So?” She narrowed her eyes in determination.
“Let’s fly.”
It was a horrifying flight on the way back to Ba Sing Se. With no saddle, everyone had to hold on to Appa’s fur for dear life. (Y/N’s) wrist was still weak, so her grip kept coming loose as she held on. Sokka reached for her, clasping her hand in his so she had an easier time staying on. (Y/N) felt her face grow warm. This was the second time Sokka had held her hand in a day. She hated that she was reading too much into it despite herself. He’s just trying to be a good friend, she thought. “A good friend,” She repeated quietly, because sometimes hearing the words out loud made them seem more real.
“There it is!” Sokka shouted as they flew over the Inner Ring of Ba Sing Se. “That whole thing’s the palace! The Earth King’s chambers must be in the center!”
“We have to be careful,” Katara said. “Long Feng’s probably already warned the Earth King that we’re coming.”
“What makes you say that?” Sokka asked. “I bet from now on it’s gonna be smooth-“ His sentence was interrupted with a shout as a giant boulder flew past them, narrowly missing him.
“What was that?” Toph asked.
“Rocks!” (Y/N) shouted back.
“More incoming!” Sokka called. A boulder came directly at Aang, but he broke it with one swift move of his hand. He rushed forward and sliced through another boulder with his staff, landing on the ground and creating a harsh seismic wave to knock the rest of the soldiers off of their feet. Appa landed behind him and the rest of their team immediately jumped to the ground.
(Y/N’s) wrist was still sore, but she felt reinvigorated from the break she had with her friends and the success of getting Appa back. She and Katara both formed waterwhips with their hands to knock soldiers out of their way. “Sorry!” Katara called to the guards. “We just need to get through to see the Earth King!”
“Katara!” (Y/N) groaned. “They’re attacking us! You don’t have to apologize to them!”
“I just want them to know I’m not trying to hurt them!” As she said this, (Y/N’s) waterwhip wrapped itself around a soldier, lifting him into the air and slamming him down into the ground. The other guards that had surrounded him scattered in fear. “(Y/N)! They’re on the same side as us!”
“If they’re not holding back, why should I?”
They ran to the stairs of the palace, which Toph and Aang turned into a ramp, causing the remainder of the Earth Kingdom guards to slide down the steps. Aang and Toph then earthbended their group up the ramp to the main entryway of the palace. After a few mishaps, they finally found where they were supposed to go. “Through there!” Sokka shouted, and their group ran through the large, ornately decorated double doors that led into the Earth King’s throne room.
Convincing the Earth King that there was a war happening outside of the walls of his city was no easy task. The Dai Lee had destroyed their cave under Lake Laogai, disrupting their plan of showing King Kuei that evidence. It was only when they finally showed him the Fire Nation drill, still sticking halfway through the outermost wall, that he had started to believe they were telling the truth. He had Long Feng arrested for conspiracy and his office searched and agreed to give his troops to help fight the Fire Nation.
As their group was celebrating this massive victory for their cause, one of the generals entered the king’s quarters. “Your majesty,” said General How. “We searched Long Feng’s office and found something that would be of interest to everybody.” He set a box down on the king’s desk, opening it to reveal dozens of scrolls. “Secret records about everyone in the city, including you kids.” He handed Toph her scroll first, who passed it to Katara to read.
“It’s a letter from your mom! She’s in the city and wants to see you!” And Toph smiled the brightest smile that (Y/N) had ever seen.
“Long Feng intercepted letters from home? That’s just sad.” The General then passed Aang a letter that had been tied to Appa’s horn when he first came to the city. It was from a guru at the Eastern Air Temple who offered help on learning how to control the Avatar State.
“Is there anything for me?” (Y/N) asked, peering into the box. General How pulled out a thinly rolled scroll with her name written on it in small letters. She unrolled it, with all of her friends except Toph looking over her shoulder to see what it said. (Y/N) rolled her eyes as she finished reading it, tearing the letter to shreds.
“What was it?” Toph asked.
“A marriage proposal,” (Y/N) grumbled, crossing her arms. It was another proposal from Hahn, the very same person that had been engaged to her sister and who (Y/N) had punched in the face. It seemed he was bent on gaining access to the throne of the Northern Water Tribe and would do whatever was necessary to obtain it. Even if it was pestering her with another lousy proposal.
“Are you…Are you gonna accept it?” Aang asked, and (Y/N) scoffed.
“Of course not!”
“Is there anything for us?” Katara asked the General, who solemnly shook his head.
“But there is an intelligence report.” He passed it to Katara, who unrolled the scroll and read it with her head pressed against Sokka’s.
“A small fleet of Water Tribe ships,” Katara read aloud, “Protecting the mouth of Chameleon Bay…Led by Hakoda—It is dad!” The siblings hugged each other in their excitement.
It was decided then, after finding out about the different paths they could each go on, that it would be best if the group split up. Toph would reunite with her mother, Aang would travel to the Eastern Air Temple, Sokka and Katara could go see their dad, and (Y/N) supposed she would remain with the Earth King. Someone had to, after all, and it wasn’t like she had received any urgent letters from her own family. The rumors about the state of her tribe that Jet had told her settled in an uncomfortable pit in her stomach, but she didn’t want to ruin the chance of Sokka and Katara reuniting with their father.
“If I’m going to the Eastern Air Temple,” Aang said, “I can drop you off at Chameleon Bay to see your dad.”
“Someone has to stay here and help the Earth King plan the invasion,” Sokka said with a sigh. “I guess that’s me.”
“No, Sokka, I know how much you wanna see Dad. I’ll stay,” Katara offered.
“I could stay,” (Y/N) countered. “I didn’t get any urgent messages or have any family members to see.”
“But didn’t you say things weren’t going well back in your tribe?” Toph asked.  
“Well, yes, but-“
“We could use the military help from the Northern Tribe,” Sokka said, stroking his chin. “And if the Princess goes back there, we could convince them to help!”
“Then it’s settled!” Katara clasped her hands together. “Aang will drop off Sokka and (Y/N) at Chameleon Bay. There, they can take a ship back to the North and work on gathering more volunteers!”
“Katara, I can really stay, I don’t mind!” Part of (Y/N) was eager to go back home and deal with these throne challengers, but another part of her dreaded the idea of going back. It had been so long, and she had wanted to escape from the Northern Water Tribe for so long.
“No, it’s a great plan!” Katara smiled at her friend, who sighed and glanced at Sokka. His own eyes were cast her way and a soft smile rested on his lips.
A few hours later, they were preparing to say their goodbyes to one another. (Y/N) gripped onto Katara tightly as she hugged her, feeling stupid tears welling at the backs of her eyes. The trip to the Northern Water Tribe would take weeks, so it would probably be months before they saw each other again. Katara pulled away from the hug, her own eyes shiny. “Take good care of my idiot brother, okay?” (Y/N) laughed as she wiped away a stray tear with the heel of her hand.
“Your majesty!” An Earth Kingdom soldier approached their group. “A group of female warriors are here to see you. They’re from Kyoshi.”
(Y/N) heard a thud and then Sokka was on the ground, when just a moment ago he had been on top of Appa’s back. “That’s Suki!”
“You know these warriors?” The king asked.
“Oh yeah. The Kyoshi Warriors are a skilled group of fighters. Trustworthy, too. They’re good friends of ours.” As Sokka finished his sentence, (Y/N) couldn’t help but remember just how good of friends he had been with Suki, that night on the Serpent’s Pass. She inhaled a deep breath and forced a smile to her face. Despite her jealousy, she really liked Suki, and was disappointed that they wouldn’t get to see each other.
“Then we will treat them as honored guests.” The Earth King gave a final bow before marching back into the palace.
“I’m really gonna miss you guys,” Toph said, rubbing the bottoms of her feet against the bare rock. (Y/N) wrapped her in a hug.
“It’s not going to be for long!” She reassured her, and before she knew it, Katara had joined their hug, then Aang, until finally Sokka wrapped his arms around all of them. Then (Y/N), Aang, and Sokka climbed into Appa’s saddle and took off into the sky. Their journey to Chameleon Bay wouldn’t be that long; less than a day at most.
“It’s a bummer we couldn’t see Suki,” Aang said. “You’re probably super disappointed, huh Sokka?” Aang smiled up at Sokka innocently, but both he and (Y/N) knew exactly what he was insinuating. (Y/N) looked at Sokka, curious to see what his answer would be.
“Yeah, you guys were pretty close when we were on the Serpent’s Pass.” She knew she was pressing his buttons, but annoying Sokka distracted her from the annoying jealousy she felt. He rolled his eyes.
“Friends get excited to see each other,” He said with a shrug of his shoulders.
“I don’t know about you, Aang, but my friends don’t normally kiss me on the cheek when they see me.” Aang laughed as he steered Appa, but Sokka’s expression was less than exuberant. (Y/N) knocked her shoulder against his. “I’m just teasing,” She said lowly, so only Sokka would hear. “I think you guys-“
“Speaking of excited!” Aang cut her off, having not heard that she was talking. “You haven’t seen your dad in two years! You must be so excited!”
“I know I should be, but I just feel sick to my stomach,” Sokka said, pressing a hand to his stomach.
“I’m sure your dad will be excited enough for the both of you. What’s he like?” (Y/N) rested her chin on her kneecaps to listen to Sokka’s description of his father.
“Well he’s just like me, super intelligent and smart with ruggedly good looks-“
“Intelligent and smart are the same thing.”
“Stop interrupting! Anyway, he was chief back in the Southern Water Tribe, but he kind of passed that role onto Gran Gran when he had to fight the Fire Nation. The last time I saw him he could only stay home for a day, but he spent the whole day playing with Katara and I. He’s a great dad.”
“He sounds really nice.” Sokka smiled at her, resulting in her own smile.
They landed at Chameleon Bay under an hour later. Sokka and (Y/N) said their goodbyes to Aang before walking along the beach to where the men of the Southern Water Tribe were camped. (Y/N) couldn’t help her own nerves. Besides Sokka and Katara, she had never met anyone else from the Southern Water Tribe before. She worried that they would think less of her because she was from the North, where their practices were very backwards.
“Do you think they’ll help me?” She asked suddenly. Sokka raised an eyebrow. “Our two tribes haven’t exactly had the best communication over the years. Why should they help me if my tribe hasn’t helped you all? I mean, we’ve been completely complacent in this war besides what happened a few months ago.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Sokka said. “To convince your tribe that this is a cause worth fighting for! And by doing that, you’d singlehandedly be helping my tribe and the rest of the world.” (Y/N) gulped, not only from the circumstances but from the fact that Sokka had just laced his fingers through hers. “If you’re scared about them not liking you, that’s all you have to say.”
“I’m not scared of that!” (Y/N) snapped. “I don’t care what people think of me.” Sokka snorted.
“Whatever you say, Princess.” He tugged on her hand to lead her forward to camp, but was still holding it as they stepped foot inside.
“Sokka, good to see you,” one of the warriors said, and Sokka gave him a pleasant nod before heading to the war tent. (Y/N) pulled her hand from his as they approached the entrance.
“I’ll wait outside so you guys can have a proper reunion,” She stretched out her hand. Was it possible to still feel someone’s touch after they were done touching you? Sokka hesitated in front of the door flap and (Y/N) rolled her eyes, giving him a hard shove forward. “Go!”
She waited outside the tent for a few minutes, wringing her hands out of nervousness. So maybe Sokka had been just a bit right: she was scared of the people of this tribe not liking her. She was royalty of the Northern Water Tribe, after all. As far as (Y/N) knew, when Sokka and Katara’s tribe had been raided over the years, her tribe hadn’t offered any help. They had locked themselves behind their high ice walls and refused to come out. If (Y/N) ever returned to her tribe to lead it, she wouldn’t be that kind of chief. She had seen how much pain there was in the world and she wanted to do everything in her power to alleviate it.
Sokka left the tent first, with a tall, tanned man following closely behind him. (Y/N) could see the resemblance almost instantly. The man held the same striking blue eyes that Sokka and Katara had and his build was nearly identical to Sokka’s. He looked at her with a soft smile that reached his eyes. “You must be the friend Sokka was telling me about. I’m Hakoda.” (Y/N) bowed.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Sokka and Katara have told me so much about you.”
“(Y/N’s) from the Northern Water Tribe,” Sokka said, and she glared at him because she hadn’t exactly been ready to delve into that information just yet. He gave her a bright grin in return.
“Really! That must be a popular name up there, last I heard there was a princess in the North with the same name.”
“That, um, would be me.” (Y/N) smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. Hakoda’s eyes widened.
“Apologies, Princess (Y/N), my son neglected to tell me that you were royalty!” He let out a hefty laugh that all dads had in common.
“It’s really alright, I’m not much of a princess anymore.”
“Are you both hungry? Our camp was just about to eat lunch.” Sokka’s stomach grumbled, answering his father’s question. Hakoda led the both of them to the center of the camp, where logs surrounded the campfire. A pot of stew bubbled atop it as men stood in line to gather their bowls.
“I can get your stew for you,” Sokka said, taking (Y/N’s) bowl from her hands. “Can you find us a seat?” She took a seat at a log to the right of the campfire and placed her bag in the spot beside her to signify that someone would be sitting there. Sokka rejoined her just a few minutes later, speed-walking over to her as he wore a pained expression on his face. “These bowls get really hot!” He said with a hissing voice as he handed her one of the bowls. (Y/N) giggled.
Hakoda stood at the front of the beach, where all eyes could see him. “As many of you know, my son Sokka arrived at our camp today.” The men whooped and hollered for him and (Y/N) smiled at the light blush that dusted Sokka’s cheeks. “He brought along his friend and our sister from the Northern Water Tribe, Princess (Y/N).” There were more cheers, but also whispers and murmurs passing through the camp. Suddenly it felt like every eye was on her as Hakoda took his seat beside on the other side of Sokka. Was she supposed to say something? Yue was always the one that addressed the crowds at any gathering, since she was the oldest.
(Y/N) gave a panicked look to Sokka. He placed his hand on her shoulder and stood, his fingertips just barely grazing her and he spoke to the men of his tribe. “(Y/N) and I came here to not only reunite with you all, but to ask for your help. If we sail a few of your ships to the North, we think that (Y/N) can convince them to contribute members of their own military to the war effort.”
“Sokka,” Hakoda said, his voice low in warning. “The Northern tribe hasn’t fought in the war for almost as long as it’s been happening. Do you really think you kids can do this?”
(Y/N) took a deep breath and stood. As she stared at the crowd of men, she thought of how Yue would act in situations like these. “A few months ago, the Fire Nation attacked the Northern Water Tribe. We were able to fight them off, but only because my older sister sacrificed her life to save all of us. I didn’t have much of a say in anything before I left home. I’m sure you’ve heard of some of our more backwards traditions. But I’ve seen what the war is like, what it has done to people and to our world. It is mine and Sokka’s belief that if we go back and tell them, whether it be through your stories or through mine, we can get my father and his troops to back us in this war.” She paused for a moment, her hands tightening in the fabric of her dress. “My people haven’t been good to yours, but I’m devoted to changing that. If you’ll let me.” She sat back down and took her bowl into her hands only to realize that they were shaking. Sokka took his seat once more.
“You did great!” He cheered. “You sounded so…so…princess-y! How did you do that?”
“Well I’m kind of a princess, if you haven’t noticed.” Sokka rolled his eyes.
“You sounded like a leader.” Hakoda leaned behind his son to smile at (Y/N).
A warrior approached them just a few moments later. “Hakoda, our scouts have spotted Fire Nation ships nearby!” All three of them stood as Hakoda began calling out orders.
“Bato! Get those mines loaded up! The rest of you men, prepare for battle!”
“What should I do, Dad?” Hakoda smiled down at his son.
“Aren’t you listening? I said, ‘The rest of you men, prepare for battle.’” He ran off to gather his armor and weapons. Sokka turned back to (Y/N).
“If I asked you to stay here, would you?”
“Absolutely not! There’s got to be some armor around here that will fit me.” He guided her through the camp to where the men were gathering their armor and weapons. (Y/N) had no training in anything other than waterbending, so she avoided the sharp objects and settled for pulling on the pieces of armor that looked like they would fit. Sokka helped her tie the straps and adjust her waterbending pouch on her hip. The armor was heavier than she expected, but (Y/N) hopefully wouldn’t be doing any physical fighting.
Once everything had been properly placed, she turned to look at Sokka. “Do I look ridiculous?” She asked, a light laugh following her question. Sokka looked her up and down, another blush rising to his cheeks as he shook his head and put on his wolf helmet. He and (Y/N) walked side-by-side onto the war ship where his father was waiting.
“I’m fighting too,” Was all (Y/N) said to Hakoda. He smiled.
“Happy to have you.” As they prepared to cast off from shore, (Y/N) filled her waterbending pouch with seawater as Sokka talked to his father. Then she heard a familiar groan coming from the skies and looked up to see Appa close to landing on the beach.
“Sokka…” (Y/N) said. He looked back and gripped his boomerang tightly.
“That can’t be good.”
---
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missturtleduck · 3 years
Text
The Girls of Ba Sing Se - (Sokka x f!Reader) Pt. 3
Part Two│Part Four
“The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky.”
TW: Mentions of blood
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Dressing in some less formal attire, flowing pants and a comfortable top, Y/N was finally clean of Avatar soup. She shuddered, bundling her clothes into the wash basket at the end of her bed. The night sky was calmer than the evening meal had been, the serene blanket of starlight seemingly wrong compared to the chaos that had ensued. It was pleasant, at least, to be bathed in moonlight, looking up at a million tiny lights.
Serenity came crashing down as Kuai leapt up, front paws on the window. He barked with a vicious disposition, startling Y/N; Kuai was nothing but a dopey, kind dog. Following the menacing gaze of the dog outside of the slobbered-on window, she felt her eyes widen. Without slipping on her shoes, nor pinning her hair, Y/N stumbled out of her room, grasping her bō staff as she flew down the corridor, Kuai on her heels.
A half-asleep guard sat at the doorway of the house; she tapped him hard enough to startle him. “Alert the guards and Master Yu. Mistress Toph and the Avatar are in grave danger.”
Before he could respond, Y/N was already sprinting out of the doorway, the grass cold against her bare feet. Two metal cages, each containing one child, and a myriad of earthbending wrestlers stood in her way. She planted herself on the spot, rooted as unmoving as any earthbending master.
“How uncouth,” Y/N scoffed, raising her staff. “Kidnapping children? Over a money dispute? Utterly pitiful.”
“Y/N!” Toph exclaimed, grabbing at the metal bars on the cage to pull herself into view; she was okay.
Xin Fu, host of Earth Rumble V, opened his mouth to speak, but his goons beat him to it. The Hippo charged Y/N, with little consideration to the environment around them. Rather than immediately knocking her out with earthbending, he went for brute force. Interesting, she thought, as she countered his charge with swiftly placed jabs of her bō. He was massive, far bigger than her, so all she could do was counter and counter again, waiting for the right moment of weakness to strike. She furrowed her brows as he brought rocks to his mouth and began chewing, but when they began to spray like shrapnel she reacted, shielding herself with her staff.
A single rock deflected, knocking him on the head. The Hippo, despite his size and strength, looked like a child for a moment, eyes watering as he had been outsmarted. Y/N grinned, and then instantly regretted grinning; his entire face flushed a vengeful red and he charged her once more. A quick slide to the ground and she was behind him, leaping onto his back and pulling her staff tight over his throat. Face scrunched up with effort, Y/N needed only a few moments more to incapacitate him. But he was quicker.
Dirt did not taste great, Y/N realised, as the Hippo flipped her face first onto the grass, freeing himself from her hold. As he moved to finish her off, Kuai stepped over her, snarling at the earthbender. Spitting blood onto the ground, she gently pulled the dog towards her, not wanting to risk his life.
“Hippo!” Xin Fu looked more annoyed than mad, as if she had been a distraction. “You idiot! Get the cages and go!”
He looked between Y/N and his boss. Mouth full of blood and arms strained in effort of keeping Kuai back, she prayed to the spirits that he decided to do as he was told, despite that meaning Toph’s life for hers.
She didn’t know when they left, not really. Kuai whined for what seemed to be hours, curled up on her bare feet, preventing any chance of catching the cold in her lungs. Pinned into the grass under her bō staff was a scroll, likely left as a ransom note. Y/N kicked herself mentally. She knew how to beat them all, but she couldn’t expose herself like that. Resigned to a weapon and the strength of her body, she needed to learn – to adapt.
“Y/N!”
Y/N turned her head to be met with Poppy, knelt down in the grass, status be damned. Tenderly, she dabbed the blood off of her mouth with a handkerchief, and she didn’t even mind the coddling. With as much respect as she could muster, Y/N moved away from the matriarch, stumbling to her feet – and putting her hand out to prevent anyone from helping her. She bowed as low as she could before her ribs ached with the effort. Her eyes didn’t leave the ground.
“Sir, I have failed you, and your household,” Y/N said, her tone solemn as she addressed Lao. “I sincerely apologise, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“Get up, Y/N, or you’ll only hurt yourself more.”
It took more effort to stop her jaw going slack than it did rising from her bow. 
“Yes, sir.”
Lao looked at her, eyes sincere. “You did more for my daughter just now than any of my guards. You owe us nothing.”
Nodding, tears pricked her eyes. They were from the pain. That’s what she told herself.
“Whoever took Aang and Toph left this note,” The boy, Sokka, said, handing the scroll to Katara and the staff it was pinned under to Y/N.
“’If you want to see your daughter again, bring five hundred gold pieces to the arena.’ It’s signed by Xin Fu and The Boulder.”
“I can’t believe it,” Sokka muttered, taking the scroll back to examine in. “I have The Boulder’s autograph!”
Dumbfounded, Y/N stared at him, having taken Poppy’s handkerchief and nursing her split lip. He had sunk to his knees in dramatic fashion, clutching the scroll to his chest. “I really hope you’re kidding.”
He smiled, suddenly quite sheepish, but nevertheless pocketing the scroll. The comic relief, Y/N realised. There had to be one in a group, though she was wondering, bemused, whether the flying lemur was the true holder of that role. 
The healer of the group, Katara, approached her, bending water towards her in a tendril, almost an extension of her arm. “Keep still.”
Y/N did as she was told. There was something about Katara that let Y/N know that she wouldn’t get away with not doing as she was told. The girl, no matter how young, reminded her of her mother. Sure, the girl had skin darker than her mother’s and had blue eyes rather than the brown she also possessed, but it was her demeanour and kind face that seemed overly maternal. It was unlike Poppy, who was too much of a lady to also act as a mother to Toph, only having moments of motherly love, but something new that she hadn’t experienced since her mother sent her away to be with the Beifongs three years ago.
The water from the pouch hooked on the side of her hip was brought up to her mouth in a bubble. It was soothing, distracting from the bizarre sensation of her lip healing, the wound closing, scabbing over, and disappearing as if it had never happened. Pulling away, the water no longer glowed with the soft blue light, but was tinged with the coppery red of her blood. Regardless, Y/N felt better than ever, not only her lip healed but the dizziness and shock of being flipped dissipating.
“Thank you,” Y/N grinned, fingers brushing tenderly over her lips, as if searching for the imaginary scar that should’ve been there if not for Katara’s healing skills. “I hope we won’t need your healing skills anytime soon.”
Her lips quirked into a gracious smile, small but still there. “Well, you’ll have me and Sokka this time- “
“Yeah!” He interjected, putting his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. “I am the best warrior from my village after all.”
Lao cleared his throat. Breaking the conversation between the teenagers. “Myself and Master Yu will also be accompanying.”
“Sir, I don’t think- “
“She is my daughter, Y/N,” Lao said, cutting her off sharply. “You cannot stop me.”
With that, the five of them set off, Y/N leaving Kuai with Poppy as they left; she would not risk the life of their dog, rather risking herself over him. The adults followed the teens to where the tournaments were taking place, reliant on Master Yu to open up the arena for them. It struck Y/N how the night now seemed far less serene, but more menacing. The dark was all consuming, the moon vanishing behind the clouds, and Y/N wished someone would spark a flame and illuminate their path.
The arena was far dingier looking than Y/N had realised when she had first ventured in there. Maybe it was just her heart pounding in her chest, so hard she could hear it in her ears, that made her so much more susceptible to her surroundings. A laugh, however, bubbled to her throat as she heard Toph inside.
“Why don’t you come up here, so I can smack that grin off your face?”
Lao leaned forward, as if to run into the ring, only stopped by Y/N’s staff. “Toph!”
“Here’s your money,” Sokka called out to the kidnappers, chucking the bag of gold onto the ground. “Now let them go.”
Master Yu, frown on his face, pushed the bag across the ground, the tremors shifting it to the middle of the arena. Xin Fu gestured vaguely, picking up the bag and immediately surveying its contents. A great groan of metal filled the tense silence as Toph’s cage was lowered from its place suspended high into the air. As she stepped out the cage, Toph made her way to them, grasping onto Y/N’s arm.
“Thank you,” She whispered, not two words that were often heard out of her mouth. “I didn’t realise my etiquette teacher could kick butt.”
Y/N felt herself grow a little soft. “No, but your friend can.”
All of the wrestlers suddenly came to their boss’ side as Y/N realised something; they weren’t letting the Avatar go. She furrowed her brows, watching as Lao tugged his daughter away. They were so ready to leave him – Aang, supposed saviour of the world. The pleading of Katara filled her ears as she watched the Beifongs leave, Toph’s hand still out as if expecting her to come with them. Yes, she was loyal to the Beifongs – to her friend – but she couldn’t just leave the Avatar to be handed over to Ozai. It was wrong.
“Toph,” She said finally, silencing everyone in the arena. “Help them.”
Lao span on his heels. “Y/N, you are overstepping now. My daughter is helpless! She is delicate- “
“Toph, please. You can help them.”
“How dare you. How dare you insult my daughter in this way. You make a mockery of her blindness, her disability- “
“Toph, help a friend.”
“She cannot help you!”
The silence that permeated the air was thick, almost choking Y/N as she stood her ground; she was the helpless one, not Toph. They had stopped walking now, and she could see Toph considering, stood silently, clutching the hand of her seething father. A beaming grin came to her face as she watched the girl rip her hand away, her face steely.
“Yes, I can.”
Moving to the middle of the ring, she brushed Y/N’s arm as she passed – a friendly gesture. Even as they all moved to assist her, to beat the baddies, Toph stopped everyone with just a move of her hands and a few words. Finally, Y/N thought. Finally, her father would see the power she possessed. Toph Beifong was more than a doll, more than a lady of society. She was the most powerful earthbender they had ever seen.
In fluid motions, pillars of stone raised from the ground, sending her opponents flying. The ground bent to her will like clay; waves of rock flowed under her command, washing away the men as easily as a tide on the shore. One by one, they fell like cards, knocked over by a breeze.
“She is the greatest earthbender I have ever seen,” Master Yu gasped, echoing everyone’s thoughts.
As the arena quietened, Lao turned to Y/N. “You are no longer welcome in our home. You will have your belongings sent to your mother, but you are never to return to our home.”
Barking out an astonished laugh, Y/N stared at him. He was serious. Staff in hand, she bowed sarcastically. Not looking at him again, she walked to where Toph stood, her proud victory soured by her father. The hug the earthbender enveloped her in was so tight, almost knocking the air out of her lungs.
“Good for you,” Y/N whispered to no one but her, ruffling her hair out of its formal hairstyle.
The night sky. It all came back to that for Y/N it seemed. With only her staff and the clothes on her back, she began to walk the only way she could. The road to Ba Sing Se would be long, but at least she had the sky. From the clouds, the moon appeared in all its beauty. It seemed to bless her with its soft light, brightening the path ahead as if granting her luck on her journey. At least she had the sky and its beautiful moon.
As the winds picked up, it became more bitter. She was alone now, she reasoned with herself, as she pulled out her palm. Atop it glowed a single flame, a subdued orange illuminating her face. It granted her more warmth than her breath alone.
“Y/N!”
She extinguished the flame. Looking around, she saw no one.
“Up here!”
The moon was now blocked out by the sight of a flying bison. Astonished, Y/N’s eyes were transfixed on the sky. “Toph?”
She cackled, leaning over the side of the creature, the wind brushing her face in a way she had probably never experienced. “This is a kidnapping!”
Slowly, the creature lowered itself to the point she could leap on. Slipping backwards slightly, she nearly took a stumble, only to yanked forwards by two strong arms into an equally strong chest. Toph laughed again at the sound of the commotion, punching Y/N’s arm as she scooted backwards from Sokka.
Maybe the moon had indeed blessed her journey.
TAGLIST: @lunariasilver​
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sideb00000b · 4 years
Text
zuko x fem!reader
a/n: hi! i’ve never written smut before, so I apologize in advance. i tried my best to do my main man Zuko justice :) it gets a bit bumpy and also a bit steamy, so uhhhh enjoy!
word count: 3.9k (it’s a long one folks)
context: After the war had ended, you had returned to the fire nation and served as a loyal general to the newly crowned firelord. Naturally, the new position required that you spent a lot of time around Zuko, even more so than when you had both traveled the world with the gaang. The two of you became extremely close, best friends, confidants. The sexual and romantic tension was very obvious to everyone... except the two of you, you were both oblivious. However, your love for eachother reached a pivotal point, two days ago when you shared a romantic smooch under the stars. Each of you had avoided the other since then, scared that a romance would get in the way of civil responsibilities or obligations toward the fire nation citizens. Now, both of you were attending a fire nation royal ball, in celebration of something neither of you knew or cared about. The longer you spent apart, denying the tension, the more it grew.
(firebender!fem!reader pov)
 I didn't even know why I was here. The dancing lights, crowds of people, I could leave right now, firebend a hole in the wall and escape, and nobody would notice. On second thought, someone would notice. Zuko would. He hadn’t taken his eyes off of me the entire night, not once. I looked across the room, and there he was, in all of his glory, staring me down. I looked away quickly, hoping he hadn’t noticed. I suddenly became very aware of how tight my red dress was and how I was standing. I adjusted my stance, attempting to blend in with the group of people chatting beside me. He was no longer in my range of view, but I didn’t need to see him to know that those golden eyes of his were fixed on me.
 I tried desperately to distract myself by diving into conversation with some of the strangers around me. Their voices bored me, their topics bland. There was only one voice I wanted to hear, one person that I cared to discuss. That person was across the room. That person also happened to be the firelord, my boss and my best friend. I laughed at myself, who was I to have fallen head over heels for the most important person in the entire nation?
 Sure, the whole world now knew my name thanks to my adventures with the gaang, but I could never escape the fact that only months ago I had been a lowly fire nation deserter hiding in Ba Sing Se. I cringed at the memory. To this day, I still found it hard to believe that I had once been a fire nation soldier. I had run away because I was scared, because I knew what I was fighting for was wrong. After I deserted the rest of my troop, as well as my uniform, I had fled to Ba Sing Se, where I later met Zuko (although, I then knew him by the name Lee) in his uncles tea shop. We were fast friends from the very beginning, sharing late night talks by the water fountain and glances over the rims of tea cups. He had been the very first person I shared my true identity with, and he entrusted his true name to me as well. However, after the fight in the crystal caves below the city, I chose to leave with Aang, Katara, Toph and Sokka. I knew that my destiny was to help the avatar, to help defeat the Sozin,unfortunately that meant leaving the troubled Zuko behind.
 I fit in with the gaang perfectly, exchanging jokes with Sokka, wrestling with Toph, secretly treating Appa every chance I got. Often times, flying through the air on Appa, I found myself thinking of the mysterious Zuko I had met in Ba Sing Se, I missed him. I had briefly attempted to teach Aang firebending, however, it became painfully clear I was not a great teacher. Later, when Zuko showed up at the eastern air temple, I did not hesitate to run into his arms. From that point on, Zuko and I had been inseparable.
 As I finished reminiscing, I realized that the party-goers around me had been asking me questions, silently waiting for a reply. I ushered a quick apology and excused myself. I didn’t belong with them, it was clear to me now who I really belonged with. It had always been Zuko. From when I first saw him, I knew that my heart was already his. I can’t believe it had taken me this long to realize that he was the one. The one that would truly be there for me, the one that would hold me in is arms at the end of the day, the one that would love me for lifetimes.
 I stumbled through the crowds, shoving through the seemingly endless waves of people, ignoring the rude glances I was given. They didn’t matter, nothing did anymore, except for Zuko. I shoved through a particularly dense wall of people and found myself in a clearing. I desperately scanned the crowds for him, face to face, person to person. My eyes landed on a tall figure scrambling through the crowd. It was Zuko! We had apparently had the same idea, his golden eyes scanning the crowd, and I knew it was my face he was looking for. I watched him, transfixed on his every movement. After some struggle, he finally made his way into the clearing.
 He was positively stunning. He wore flattering red robes, traditional firelord attire, that hugged his figure in all of the right places. His hair was up, although he knew I always preferred it down. I scanned his body, my eyes connecting with his. He had been observing, memorizing every inch of me as well. I wanted to say so many things to him, to do so many things to him. I couldn’t stand another moment being apart, and I found myself running forward. I had no plan, I was just desperate for any part of him. He did the same, the two of us rushing toward eachother at an alarming speed. I knew people were staring, I didn’t care. The universe existed just for us. 
 We collided, our lips crashing into eachother. I wrapped my hands around his neck, his hands finding their way to my hips. Lights from the party danced on my eyelids, electricity flowed through my veins. Life should always be like this. What had taken us so long? Zuko’s tongue ran across my bottom lip, asking for entrance. I happily obliged. He began to explore every inch of my mouth and I pulled him closer. The taste of him was addictive, and I found myself never wanting this moment to end, but desperately needing air. I reluctantly pulled away from the kiss, the both of us gasping for breath. I glanced around us, the whole room was staring. I blushed profusely, what would they think of us? What would they think of the firelord dating a deserter-turned-general? I felt a hand grab ahold of my chin, my attention returning to the man standing in front of me. He turned my head so I was staring directly into his eyes. In those endless golden orbs, I could see sadness, guilt and other emotions from his complicated past. I also saw love. I knew it was for me. 
 His eyes left mine to slowly observe my body, staring at my lips for a particularly long time. I let out a giggle, this man had no shame. I also became very aware of the feeling growing between my legs... we needed to get out of here. I grabbed his wrist tightly. “Follow me”. I instructed as I began weaving through the crowd. The longer it took to leave the party, the more impatient I grew. If I didn’t get my hands on Zuko soon, I was going to explode. Zuko’s front stayed pressed to my back as I guided us through the groups of people. My brain became dysfunctional, blurred with arousal. There were so many things I wanted to do to him, I wondered briefly if Zuko was thinking the same thing. After what seemed like forever, the two of us broke through the last of the crowd, finding ourselves in an empty hallway. I had no idea where I was or where to go, so I decided to just pick a door. The first door I opened revealed an empty bedroom with a large bed. I silently gave myself a pat on the back.
I had barely made my way through the door before Zuko had me pressed against the nearest wall. He reached behind my back, smoothly locking the door. I was so turned on, I couldn’t think straight. I grabbed the front of Zuko’s robe, bringing his closer, our noses barely touching. I stared up at him, the firelord looking down at me, as if seeing eachother for the first time. With another tug to his robe, our lips met for the second time that night. This time, the kiss started slow, passionate. I relished every second, but I was becoming impatient. I deepened the kiss, Zuko matching my eager energy. Our teeth clattered, tongues danced. Continuing to press me against the wall, Zuko took off my dress while I kicked off my shoes. I then made a feeble attempt at taking off his robe, failing miserably. He broke our kiss, flung his robe to the floor and returned to my lips hungrily.
  Zuko began vigorously kissing my neck, no doubt leaving bruises. I needed more, rubbing my thighs together to get some relief. Zuko noticed my desperate actions, moving his hands towards my underwear. He roughly slid the palm of his hand along the thin fabric, flawlessly hitting my clit. I whimpered, temporarily collapsing into Zukos chest as my knees threatened to give out. I blushed, it was a little embarrassing knowing the effect this man had on me with a small movement of his hand. I looked up at Zuko, who was smirking at me like he had just won the Olympics. I wanted payback, I wanted to make him scream my name. I composed myself, using what strength I could to push myself off the wall, trading places with the firelord. I pinned his wrists above his head, moving my lips to the edge of his ear. “Hello, Zuko here”, I whispered, mocking the first words he had said to the gaang when he showed up at the air temple. I laughed at my own joke, leaving a bite to his earlobe as I returned to my place in front of him. Zuko began to protest against my teasing, put I firmly wrapped a hand around his throat, silencing him.
 Zuko looked at me, eyes wide and ablaze, trying to anticipate what my next move would be. My hand still around his neck, I took a moment to appreciate the sight in front of me. A thin layer of sweat covered his body, making his abs shine. His hands had found their way to my hips, his arm muscles on display. With each breath, the muscles in his torso moved, somehow making him impossibly more sexy. I was practically drooling. I tightened my grip around his neck, eliciting a whimper. I released his wrists from above his head, using my free hand to touch every piece of skin I had access to. I pressed a quick kiss to Zuko’s lips, biting his bottom lip. I removed my hand from his neck, now using both hands to feel my way down his torso, pressing kisses along the way, as I dropped to my knees. Zuko didn’t take his eyes off me once, and judging by the look in his eyes and the bulge in his underwear, he was enjoying this just as much as I was.
 I wasted no time in ripping off his underwear, releasing his huge dick. Honestly, did I really expect it to be anything big? I wondered briefly if I could even fit my mouth around him. Only one way to find out. I wrapped my lips around him, making my way to the base. Zuko let out an unholy moan steadying himself on my shoulders before entangling his fingers in my hair. His moans turned me on even more and I made it my mission to hear as many as I could. He pulled on my hair and I hummed around his dick in response. “Fuck”, Zuko groaned between gritted teeth. I pulled back, swirling my tongue around the tip and moving a hand to massage his balls. I pulled off completely, looking up at Zuko. He was a mess, eyes closed, cheeks bright red, breathing erotic. The most powerful man in the entire nation was putty in my hands. 
 He looked down at me desperately, no doubt wondering why I stopped. I looked at him through my eyelashes, nodding. I wanted him to face fuck me. Zuko understood, excitedly tightening his grip on my hair. I took him back in my mouth, Zuko beginning to guide my head, starting slow. I removed my hand from his balls, steadying myself with his thighs. His hips picked up speed, becoming more erratic. Tears threatened to roll down my cheeks, loud strings of moans coming from Zukos mouth. My mind blurred, reveling in the glory of being face fucked by the firelord. His thrusts became messy, my name and a multitude of different curses flowing from his lips like a mantra. I opened my throat, eager to swallow. Instead of cumming in my mouth, Zuko pulled my hair roughly, forcing me to my feet. 
 His eyes were dark, clouded with lust. My eyes widened, the confidence from earlier quickly disappearing. His hair had fallen out of his bun, now hanging around his face. I could see tear streaks down his cheeks, his chest heaving. I was breathless, nearing an orgasm at the mere sight of him. He wrapped his hand around my throat, like I had done to him earlier. His hands were by far my new favorite necklace, I made a mental note to tell him that later. He leaned in, lips touching mine, yet not kissing me. “Prepare for the fuck of your life, Y/N” he growled. Any thought I had of questioning his authority over me, fled my mind. I bit my lip, if he wasn’t inside me soon, I was going to throw a fit. Zuko seemed to sense my frustrations and removed his hand from my neck, it felt empty. His hands traveled down my back and to my thighs, preparing to lift me up. All too happily, I jumped into his arms, wrapping my arms around his neck. He walked the two of us over to the bed, never breaking eye contact once.
 He threw me onto the soft mattress, staring down at me hungrily. I became very aware of my body, but instead of shying away from the intimidating man in front of me, I let him look, I trusted him. The wild, erotic Zuko vanished for a few moments, a floppy grin lighting up his face. He grabbed my hips, pulling me to the edge of the bed. Zuko ripped my underwear, burning them to a crisp as he threw them to the floor. I bit my lip once again, he really was going to give me the fuck of my life. He pressed a few kisses to my inner thighs before disappearing between my legs. Before I could even process what I was in for, I felt two fingers inside me and a mouth sucking on my clit. I screamed. “HOLY SHIT, ZUKO!” I arched my back off the bed, pleasure taking over my senses. Zuko continued his movements, pumping his fingers in and out of me, swirling his tongue around my clit. My mind failed to function, Zuko’s name the only thing on my tongue. I tugged on his hair, desperate. He moaned around me in response, sending me into a frenzy. “Zuko! I’m gonna-” He hummed a second time and I cut myself off, moaning erotically.
 The knot in my stomach grew, my orgasm closing in. I tightened my grip on his hair, hanging on for dear life. Zuko curled his fingers, a whole new sensation taking me over the edge. I screamed his name as I came, my back arching impossibly further off the bed. My chest heaving, seeing stars, I realized that Zuko had not stopped, and showed no signs of slowing. His mouth continued to suck on my clit, his curled fingers pounding into me. Tears flowed down my cheeks, the pleasure overwhelming. “Zuko.... I can’t” I whimpered between moans. Zuko ceased his actions, looking up at me from between my legs. His lips were swollen, some of his hair matted to his face. “You want me to stop?” he asked innocently. I looked down at him desperately. He knew full well I didn’t actually want him too. He grinned at me, diving back in. He resumed his actions from before, only his curled fingers pounding into me harder, swirling his tongue around my clit faster. I screamed his name, my second orgasm fast approaching. Zuko’s free hand traveled up to my mouth, tapping on my lips, asking me to suck on two of his fingers. I happily obliged, my throat sore. I tried my best to concentrate on swirling my tongue between his digits, but the pleasure was too much, I couldn’t think. I wrapped my legs around Zuko’s head as my second orgasm hit me like a train. I bit down on his fingers, Zuko’s resulting moan sending vibrations to my core. My legs shook uncontrollably, trying to regain my breath.
 Zuko emerged from between my legs, removing his fingers from my mouth and wiping his lips with the back of his hand as he crawled up my torso. Even though my clit throbbed, I was still incredibly tuned on and I wanted more. I giggled breathlessly as Zuko loomed over me. This man really would be the death of me. I grabbed the back of his neck, quickly pulling him in for a passionate kiss. I could taste myself on his lips, the insatiable need for him growing. He broke from the kiss, cupping my face in his hands as he sat back on his heels. The heated moment morphed into a sweet delicate one as Zuko stared into my eyes. “Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked softly. My brain, in its current state of messy arousal, struggled to comprehend his words. I finally realized that he was asking for consent...of course he was. I couldn’t control the huge smile that spread across my face, how did I get so lucky?
 I propped myself onto my elbows so I could look into Zuko’s eyes properly. “Im sure”, I replied.”Now, I need you to fuck me, firelord Zuko.” He chuckled lightly, his eyes getting darker. His hands skillfully undid my bra, tossing it to the ground. I had forgotten about the piece of clothing, happy to be rid of it. Zuko attacked my lips once again, groaning slightly as my bare breasts touched his chest. I rolled my hips upwards, Zuko’s cock sliding through my slick folds. I threw my head back, Zuko sitting upright. He looked into my eyes one last time, looking for any signs of hesitation. Zuko growled, low and sexy. “Prepare for the fuck of your life, Y/N”. With that, he started pounding into me, each thrust deep and quick. Any coherent thoughts fled my mind, my back arching off the bed. I screamed his name, struggling to keep my eyes open. I moved my arms to Zuko’s shoulders, electricity shooting through my fingers. I dragged my hands down his back , no doubt leaving scratch marks. Zuko tossed his head back, moaning loudly, thrusting into me harder. At this point, if he became any more sexy, it would be a crime.
 Tears flowed down my cheeks again, my makeup from the party before no doubt a mess. In between my moans and screams, a part of me decided it was my turn to be in control again. I put my hands on his chest, pushing him off of me and to the side. He looked suprsied, while I rushed to crawl on top of him. Somehow, he was still inside of me, and I gave myself a second pat on the back. I smirked down at a wide eyed Zuko, happy with myself. I breifly thought of what it would be like to peg him, before reminding myself of the task at hand. I squeezed my walls around him, Zuko growling in return, his hands flying to my hips. I pulled out slowly, slamming back down. Zuko watched me intently, struggling to keep his eyes open. I realized my chest was fully exposed, no doubt giving him a show as I bounced up at down. I threw my head back in pure ecstasy, bringing my hand behind me to support myself on his knees. Zuko moaned my name, breathing hard. My thighs began to burn, and I questioned how long I could keep this up for. Zuko glanced at me quickly, feeling my pace falter. 
 He sat up, catching me in a heated kiss. I bit his lip, hard. “Hands and knees, now”, He ordered. I did as told, whimpering at Zukos authoritative, rough tone. I felt his hands dig into my hips, probably leaving bruises. I loved it. My breath quickened, waiting for Zuko to fuck me senseless again. I felt him enter me, however, his pace was agonizingly slow. Disappointed, I wiggled my hips, letting him know I wanted him to pick up the pace. Zuko ignored me, relishing in my suffering. He was teasing me. I huffed, about to voice my frustrations. Before I could get the words out, Zuko’s hand covered my mouth, silencing me. At the same time, he slammed into me, pounding into me faster than I could have ever hoped. My eyes rolled back, moaning into Zuko’s hand. My arms, which had been holding me up, gave out and my face was buried into the blankets. My new position deepened Zuko’s thrusts. I cried out, sobbing into his hand and the sheets. He removed his hand from my mouth, instead bringing it down to my clit, furiously rubbing circles. “FUCK, ZUKO!” I screamed. The pleasure was becoming too much, I knew I wouldn't last much longer. Zuko’s moans became louder, his thrusts sloppier. 
 He slammed into me impossibly faster, calling my name. I grabbed the sheets, hanging on for dear life. Pleasure took over every part of my body, all of my senses. I screamed his name one last time, seeing stars as I climaxed, moaning uncontrollably. Zuko came a few seconds afterwards, his cum filling me to the brim. He pulled out, crashing down next to me as I flipped onto my back. Our heavy breathing filled the room, my legs shaking uncontrollably. His hand moved down to rest on my thigh, bringing me back down to earth. We turned our heads to face eachother, breathless. I smiled. “Did we really just do that?” I asked, attempting to process the events that had taken place throughout the night. Zuko was silent beside me, watching me. 
 “I love you.” He told me. He said the phrase so simply, so honestly, I knew I wanted to marry him. I giggled, climbing on to his lap. “I love you too.” I replied breathlessly. I meant it with every part of my being. Love for him filled me up, making me forget about everything else besides the two of us. Whatever shit I had gone through, whatever shit the future was going to throw at me, I knew I would always find my way back to him. My Zuko. I leaned down to kiss him, knowing he understood. He pulled me closer, kissing me passionately. I suddenly pulled back, sitting up. I covered my mouth, realizing something. “What is it?” Zuko asked, concerned. My eyes widened. “I just fucked the firelord and made him my boyfriend”. I confessed to him in a playful tone. He laughed, glowing. Holy shit. This boy was going to be the death of me.
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faangirl101 · 4 years
Text
Burning Heart: Pt 2
Burning heart masterlist
Pairing: Zuko x reader, Zuko x y/n
Tags: Enemies to lovers, slow burn
Summary: Raised mostly by yourself, you made a living for your youth years as a maid in one of the richest families in Ba sing se, Beifongs. There Toph, a blind young rich girl, taught you earth bending and also became your new family. Not that you would admit that to her. Together you escape Ba sing se on the back of a flying bison with the Avatar, in a mission to take back the world from the fire nation. But on the journey you didn’t plan to team up with the Fire prince himself, and you definitely did not plan to get butterflies around him. But you couldn’t possibly catch feelings for a fire bender right? They ruined your life and took everything of value from you. But you couldn’t lie to your burning heart.
Warnings: swearing
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The Western Air temple
The forest was darker than I thought it be. At these hours I assumed that the sun would be swallowing the green moss but the trees prevented most streaks. I didn't even realize I was running until the trees got more scattered, allowing the sun to peek through. I had no real plan how to find him, I hadn't looked for footprints or broken branches. I was like an impulsive idiot. I just rushed into a forest alone. But I had to find him. I had to confront him. I had to kill him. He opposes a threat to the gang, to Toph. I had underestimated him before, I would not do it again. I gave myself a few seconds to take a breath. I had been running for a good while and was out of breath and covered in sweat. Stupid idiot. As I bent forward to allow air into my lungs I detected something. A sting of smoke sipped through my lungs and burned my throat. A fire. He was close. Now more collected and controlled I sneaked forward. With every step i took i made sure to bend the ground under me so moss swallowed any possible noise my shoe could make. The only thing hearable was the chirping of cardinal birds and the drilling of woodpeckers. The scent of burning wood got closer and closer and I quickened my steps in response. Finally it was so strong I suspected it must be in earth bending distance. I peeked behind the tree in front of me to find a camp. The bonfire was put out but still fervor and the ash was still warm. And Zuko.
He looked exactly the same as yesterday but it still made me halt in my steps. The streaks of suns fighting through the thick branches reached across his face glistening in sweat. His hair still had the morning ruff and his scar seemed even more red than yesterday. Every little killing method I imagined in my head on the way here was completely gone. Now when he stood in front of me, it was different. But I had to keep reminding myself of the image of Toph's scorched feet. “Zuko”, I growled and he turned abruptly. He was startled by my presence, but scared of the look in my eyes. In a second of boiling blood and red vision I bend the earth around him to drag him towards me so we’re face to face. This close the details of his sharp features were prettier. He was pretty this close. The two or three freckles across the bridge of his nose. The pink tint of his lip. The softness of his hair. I shook the thought away as I lifted my hand to grasp his throat. Not to stop him breathing, but to make him feel threatened. He didn't seem that threatened by his bored look but I could feel the lump he swallowed vibrate against my palm. “I didn't believe the shit they said about you until what you did to Toph”, I clicked my tongue in denial “burning a little blind girl? that's low, even for you Prince”. He strained against my grip with a scowl “Don't call me that”. I raised an eyebrow “What? Prince? Oh right! I forgot. Banished huh? Why do you think the Avatar would want you when even your own family doesn't”. That seemed to be a soft spot since he somehow with pure body strength broke himself free from the stone cuffs around his feet to push me backwards. I lost my footing but luckily didn't trip all too embarrassing.  But the shame made me furious as I attacked him. I was just about to bend the ground under him when he moved like a panther against me. I groaned loudly in pain when my back rasped against the rough bark of a tree. Both my wrists were locked in a hard grip by his much larger hands. His body heat radiated over to mine as he pushed up against me, preventing me from moving. “Calm down”, his voice was in my hair, forcing a shiver down my spine. I swallowed thickly, unsure what to do. “Look”, he leaned back to look into my eyes, which was somehow worse. Against my will I met his honey pool eyes. “It was an accident, she came in the middle of the night and startled me. It was self defense. I had no idea it was her”. I stayed quiet, trying my best to escape his grip. It was too much, his rough palms against my sensitive skin, his hot breath in my face. Just the knowledge that he was so close set my body on fire. If i stayed here any longer i would do something i would surely regret. “Get off me”, my voice came out chapped and raspy. Instead of it sounding like an order it came out like a plea. His thumb swiped across the side of my palm swiftly before letting go. It was a small motion, but I noticed. It made my heart pound furiously, I bet he could feel it. the rumpling deep in my chest. I licked my dry lips, finally taking a step away from his. It felt like the world lifted off my shoulder when I finally got out of his intoxicating aura. I was happy I didn't faint. I pointed at him “If you ever, and i mean ever, touch Toph again. I will hunt you down, Prince”. I spit the last part and happily noticed he scrunched up his face. Then I turned around and left with my heart still beating twice the normal pace. 
Returning to the Air temples i was relieved that no one noticed i left. It would be too embarrassing and shameful to explain. Explain how Zuko, The fire prince, pushed me up against a tree and gave me butterflies. Butterflies! Ridiculous. I spent the next hour pounding, trying to understand why Zuko even affected me in the way he did. I mean yes, he was obviously attractive, but… he was a fire bender! A person I've been taught to hate since the moment of my birth. The thought about my childhood made anxiety grow like a rock in the depths of my stomach so I decided to make myself busy. I couldn't keep puzzling about this. My thoughts got cut off by loud rumbling followed by ear crushing noises, so loud the ground vibrated. Someone shot something at the temple, and by the looks of it, it was aiming for the gang. On instinct I sprinted in their direction as I saw Aang and Sokka lifting up Toph from the fountain.”Stop!”,I froze at the familiar voice. 
I turned my head so fast it made my neck burn. Up on a cliff a bit away was a huge figure next to…. Zuko. “I don't want you hurting the Avatar anymore!”. Aang groaned as he tried his best to carry Toph away from the scene. “The mission is off. I'm ordering you to stop”, Zuko struck his hands in front of the man. He was crazy, the much larger man could snap him in half. the Combustion Man. The man couldn't care less as he with ease shoved zuko out of the way and charged his eye. Another explosion, now much closer, made the entire place threaten to fall apart. If it wasn't for the small stone wall I bent over my friends, we would have been crushed by stone. 
“If you keep attacking, I won't pay you!”,Zuko cupped his hands so fire was aiming against the large man. The combustion man was starting to get annoyed as he easily docked the fire and grabbed onto Zuko’s smaller body. “Okay i'll pay you double to stop!”.
I looked over at Aang “we should move”. He nodded in agreement, peaking over the stone wall. “Okay”, he looked back with frightened eyes. “Zuko seems to be keeping him busy, move now”. My legs almost gave up under me as I stood up with Toph's body over my shoulder. I gasped as I saw Zuko get thrown off the cliff. There were so many feelings in my body it confused me. There is no way he could survive a fall like that. Worry for his life was the feeling finally taking over as I swallowed down the lump rising. But in the last second it seemed, he grasped onto a vine hanging down the cliff. “Go”, Aang yelled and I nodded swiftly. I didn't look back but I could hear the familiar woosh of Aangs air bending behind me. Before I even had time to move Toph we got thrown by a sudden explosion behind us. Lucky us, I bent the ground under us so we didn't fall. “Stay here”, I mumbled to Toph as I placed her behind a wall. She crossed her arms annoyed and nodded to her brunt feet “it's not like I have much of a choice”. As I turned around I saw the rest of our gang run towards me. They had just enough time to jump next to us before the next explosion ruined the temple. “he’s going to blast this whole place right off the cliff side!”, Toph yelled, eyes blown wide exposing her grey glazed irises. Katara took a deep breath before peeking behind the wall only to see another incoming blast. She looked back at us with pursed lips “I can't step out to waterbend at him without being blown up and I can't get a good enough angle on him from down here”. At the world angle Sokka’s entire face brightened up. I swore I could see a lightbulb over his head. “I know how to get an angle on him!”, he shouted. I looked him up and down “really? well do tell”. Sokka fumbles with his belt before taking out his boomerang. After another blast, he sneaks his head out, but has to hide from yet another shot. With his tongue out, clearly in deep concentration, he projects  Combustion Man’s angle with his boomerang. He takes a deep breath “all right buddy, don't fail me now”. With a tensed arm he aims the boomerang and then uses his whole upper body strength to send it flying. In surprise the boomerang hits the assassin in the head where his third eye tattoo is, causing him to hit the ground. Sokka’s face is priceless as he catches the boomerang “yeah boomerang!”. But then the silence is broken by the assassin's heavy body getting up, clearly a bit shaken. Sokka's face fell “Awwww, boomerang…”. this is how we die huh? There was no way a few children could take on a trained assassin. But he seemed to take care of that job himself because his next aim is completely off. He misses, his next blast hits the ground around him. The ground shakes a few times under his feet before it gives up under him, causing him to fall.  As I help Toph up the best I can Zuko appears. Aang looks hesitant at him “i can't believe i'm saying this, but….thanks, zuko”. Sokka clearly took it personally as he turned to Aang “hey! What about me? I did the boomerang thing.” I rolled my eyes at his child's demeanor. 
Zuko looked down before meeting Aang's eyes “Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday, I've been through a lot in the last few years, and it's been hard. But I'm realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honor, and that somehow my father could return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honor. It's something you earn for yourself, by choosing to do what's right. All I want to do now is play my part in ending this war, and I know my destiny is to help you restore balance to the world”. 
No one was ready for his speech, especially not me. This was a needed side of him I hadn't seen. I recognized myself in his words and I had to turn my head to  clear my mind. 
Zuko turned to Toph with shame in his eyes. “ I'm sorry for what I did to you”, he bows in her direction “It was an accident. Fire can be dangerous and wild, so as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don't hurt people unintentionally”. I didn't know what to do with myself. Everything he said made sense, felt sincere. But it went against everything I had been taught. Every word, scolding, from my father. Everything he had told me. I rarely agreed with my father but when it came to the fire nation we used to be on the same page.  Aang opened his mouth to speak but closed it almost immediately. He looks in thought as if he tries to be careful with his words. He finally collected himself “I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara, and after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I'd like you to teach me”. He then slowly bent forward, bowing respectfully to Zuko. I could see how hard he tried to keep that smile back as he bowes back “Thank you. i'm so happy you've accepted me into your group”. Aang stopped him in his words “Not so fast. I still have to ask my friends if it's okay with them.”. He turns to Toph with kind eyes “Toph, you're the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?”. Toph shrugs her shoulders. “Go ahead and let him join”, She pounds her fist into her palm jokingly “it'll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet”. I meet zuko’s eyes and mumbles under my breath “that makes two of us”. Aang turns to Sokka. Sokka shrugs in response “Hey, all I want is to defeat the fire lord. If you think this is the way to do it, then, I'm all for it”. A part of me was excited to see what Katara would say. She clearly loved Aang and trusted him with her life, but she also hated Zuko with all her spirit.  Aang slowly approached Katara. She looked Zuko up and down. Her glare is so hot I could feel Zuko's nervousness. I swore I could see sweat climbing down his forehead.  Finally she drops her walls “ I'll go along with whatever you think is right”. Relieved Aang smiles at her. He gives me a look but I understand the question. All my feelings are conflicted, but this was not my place to speak “Fine”. I look up my eyelashes “On one condition?”. Zuko noods with stiff movement. I smirk sideways “If i can joke about your scar”. The expression on Zuko’s face was hard to read. Either he was extremely offended or thought it was amusing. He gave me a sideways nod which I took as a yes. 
The gang for some reason gave me the job to show him to his room. Probably because they thought I had the least history with him. Little do they know. The walk towards the room was awkward, both of us trying to keep our distance. “Um here we are”, I nodded towards the door and he walked into the room. I glanced toward him “Um, I think it's lunch soon. So, um unpack. um”. He looks up on me and gives me a weak smile. “And”, i weightened forwards and backwards on my feet “And well, keep an eye out. Either eye  works, but for you i guess the choice is pretty obvious”. He snorted “is that the best you can do?”. I was already down the hallway “trust me Prince pretty, i'm only getting started”.
Taglist: @eridanuswave , @Whalerus, @keiko0
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sukifans · 3 years
Note
Hii! Can you do maybe a sick female reader, and Sokka takes care of them? A short blurb is good, and pretty much the rest is up to you!!
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
- ✌ anon
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FEVER PITCH // sokka
WC: 1k
WARNINGS: illness ig
A/N: thanks for the request! just some short cute fluffy stuff for ya. i was sick for like all of october and had the flu for like ten days and i wish i had a sokka to bring me some soup
⇦ 𝘔𝘈𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘙𝘓𝘐𝘚𝘛
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TO: sokka <3, 7:31 PM
i think i’m sick i feel awful
TO: sokka <3, 7:31 PM
this sucks i have like 3 exams this week
TO: sokka <3, 7:56 PM
pls answer i am your gf i am ill i want attention
TO: sokka <3, 8:15 PM
sokkaaaaaaaaaaaa :’(
FROM: sokka <3, 8:17 PM
i’m here!! i’m sorry i was studying i had my phone turned off
FROM: sokka <3, 8:18 PM
my poor baby :(( how are you feeling?
TO: sokka <3, 8:18 PM
terrible!!
TO: sokka <3, 8:20 PM
i have a headache and i’m all hot but also freezing and i’m coughing and nauseous
FROM: sokka <3, 8:21 PM
that sounds miserable, do you want me to bring you soup or something? i can go to the jasmine dragon and get you some tea
TO: sokka <3, 8:21 PM
both pls 🥺
FROM: sokka <3, 8:23 PM
alrighty princess i’ll be over soon
TO: sokka <3, 8:24 PM
thank u i love u very much ur the best boyfriend ever <3333
FROM: sokka <3, 8:25 PM
i love you too!! 🥰☺️😍😊 and i know i am 😤
Even in your sick state, your heart still started racing when you heard your boyfriend turning his spare key to your apartment in your front door. You peeked out hopefully from your nest of blankets on your bed as he opened the door and came in, holding a grocery bag and two paper cups from the Jasmine Dragon. He sent you a grin as he kicked his shoes off.
“Sokka!” You gave him as bright a smile you could muster that was quickly overtaken by a cough following your cry of his name. You made a face as you swallowed back the mucous caught in your throat.
“You sound horrible, babe,” Sokka said, setting the bag down on your kitchen counter.
“I feel horrible,” you rasped, flopping back in bed against your stack of pillows.
“It’s okay now, though,” he cooed, approaching with your tea in hand. “Dr. Sokka’s here to get you feeling all better in no time!”
You quickly buried yourself under the blankets before he could reach you. “Don’t get any closer, I don’t wanna get you sick.”
“You asked me to come!” he laughed, pulling the fabric away after setting the tea down off to the side. “You can’t beg me for attention and then hide when I give it you.”
You pouted up at him. “Well, I do want the attention. But I also don’t want to give you anything in case it’s contagious.”
“Nah, I’ll be okay.” He puffed out his chest. “I have an incredibly strong immune system. My white blood cells are little tanks that decimate any foreign body!” He dropped into a fighting stance and mimicked a quick one-two punch in the air.
Your giggles at his dramatics made you start coughing again. “Don’t make me laugh,” you wheezed, “you’re gonna make me choke!”
“I can’t help being so funny, that’s like asking me to be a whole different person.”
“Well, then I’m gonna cough on you and I won’t feel bad about it anymore.”
“Go ahead, princess! Like I said, impenetrable immune system here.” He pounded dramatically on his chest and you rolled your eyes, trying not to laugh again.
“You’re a weirdo.”
“I’m your weirdo.”
“Yeah, yeah.” You desperately had to fight back your smile as you cradled your tea and took a long sip. You scrunched up your nose and glared at Sokka. “What is this? It’s disgusting. Zuko made it, didn’t he?”
“No, but he did call me a simp when I told him it was for you. I guess Toph finally taught him what it means.” He sat down on the edge of your bed and slid his hand over your thigh, absently rubbing circles into your skin with his thumb. “I tried to order your usual, but when Iroh overheard you were sick he insisted on making you something to help you feel better. So, I guess it’s medicine.”
“It’s gross.” You took another sip and winced at the bitter taste. He gave you a sympathetic look and reached up to brush your hair back from your forehead.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” you sighed. “Iroh’s always been a tricky one.”
“I did get you some soup, though. You want that?”
“Yes pwease.” You gave him your best begging eyes and jutted out your bottom lip. He shook his head, pinching your nose as he stood.
“Don’t do that stupid voice.”
“I don’ know what you’we tawking about.”
“I’m gonna eat your soup.”
“Don’t you dare, Sokka.” He laughed at your sudden shift in tone.
“Finish your tea. Knowing Iroh it’ll probably get you better faster than any prescription. I think that old man’s a witch.”
“You’re a witch,” you grumbled, sipping at the tea anyways at his request. You didn’t have the energy to fight him about it. He returned with the takeout bowl of egg drop soup and you immediately abandoned the medicinal tea in favor of the savory broth. “Thanks, babe.”
“Of course.” He leaned down to press a kiss to your forehead and crawled into bed next to you. You only ate a little bit before you started to feel queasy again, so you put the bowl to the side and snuggled up next to your boyfriend. “Is something wrong with the soup?” he asked as he tucked you under his arm.
“No,” you hummed, closing your eyes, “I just feel gross. I’ll finish it later.”
“I’ll put it in the fridge, then.” He moved to get up again but you swung your leg up over his body and wrapped your arm around his waist.
“Don’t get up,” you groaned. “I just wanna cuddle and get my germs all over you.”
He made a face but settled back down. “Ew. What happened to not wanting to get me sick?”
“Changed my mind,” you mumbled.
“Figures,” he snorted. He pulled you in tighter and gently kissed your temple and the top of your head. “You’re lucky I love you.”
“I know I am.”
“Say it back.”
“I’m lucky you love me.” You had to fight back your smile at his huff of indignation.
“(Y/N),” he whined, making you chuckle (and cough).
“Fine, I love you too.”
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ATLA TAGS: @hotgirlazula @octophopi @simpinforsukka @protect-remus @akiris @sunflowerazula
ZUKO/SOKKA TAGS: @fiantomartell @buckywiththagoodhair @hypercakeiii
184 notes · View notes
amberskywrites · 4 years
Text
Soulmarks and Surprises
First fic for this fandom! A bit iffy on how well it turned out- but! Hopefully as I write more for this fandom the more comfortable I can become with the characters and writing fics with them! Anywho- enjoy!
Masterpost
Pairing: Zukka
Fandom / Genre: Avatar the Last Airbender /  Fluff
Summary: Soulmarks and soulmates were something that was pushed to the back of people's minds once the fire nation attacked... Suddenly, it was no longer a priority to find the one you were supposedly destined to be with, all according to black images somewhere on your body. 
Well, Sokka at least doesn't have to look too far to find his soulmate.
-------------------
Sokka had noticed the mark a long time ago, when they were staying in Ozai's old house. He was watching Zuko teach Aang firebending one day, and couldn't help searching the prince's torso for that telling mark. He was curious if Zuko even had a soulmark.
He never usually thought much of soulmarks. They were common, but often overlooked at this point. It was difficult for most to find their soulmate after the fire nation started trying to take over the world, and suddenly soulmates weren't the most important thing in cultures anymore. But with the war hopefully ending soon… Sokka wondered if people would become more determined to find their soulmate.
Suki wasn't his, he knew that. The two had compared their marks late one night when they had become curious, and although they looked kind of similar, it was clear they weren't the same. Sokka's was a wave that crashed and turned into flames, and Suki's were flames being blown into a night sky by a fan.
Sokka had never seen Katara's soulmark, and Aang… Aang didn't seem to have one. Sokka assumed it was because he was the Avatar, so maybe he just wouldn't ever have a soulmate. And Sokka hadn't tried seeing Toph's.
But he was curious about Zuko's soulmark. And so, watching him train Sokka observed and searched until he spotted it. It was on the same side his scar was on, on his lower back, easy to hide if he wanted. And Sokka's heart stopped beating for a few moments as he stared at the mirror image of his own mark.
Sokka had trouble sleeping that night, but with the comet arriving soon, Sokka decided that he could bring up the soulmark another time.
-
The day before Sozin's comet, Sokka finally pulled Zuko aside. He couldn't stop thinking about the possibility of one of them dying and Zuko not at least knowing that they were soulmates. Sokka thought he had a right to know, so that if Sokka did die and Zuko lived Zuko could at least not spend years hoping to find his soulmate. 
Zuko tilted his head at Sokka, frowning slightly. "What's going on with you?" he asked. "You're more jittery than usual."
Sokka let go of Zuko's arm, instead folding his own arms over his chest. "I… I really need to talk with you about something, something that I've known for a bit now." Sokka didn't meet Zuko's eyes as he spoke, trying to gather his thoughts.
Zuko waited patiently, watching as his friend worried at his bottom lip. He'd never seen Sokka appear this nervous before, really. "It's about soulmarks, specifically yours."
Zuko stiffened slightly at that, frown deepening. He thought no one cared about those anymore… he certainly didn't like them, especially knowing he had one and that some poor soul was quite possibly destined to be with him. As a child, because of the water mixing with flames in his soulmark, Azula would tease him because his soulmate would probably be a waterbender, or from one of the water tribes at least, something not really sought after in his family.
"Yeah?"
Sokka nodded.
Zuko also really didn't like the idea that a stupid mark told him who he would end up loving, if they ever met at all-
"I um, I have the same one."
Zuko blinked at Sokka in confusion, his thoughts having come to a sudden halt. It took a moment for Zuko to process what Sokka had said, and he was shaking his head at the water tribe boy.
"No, you don't."
Spirits, Sokka had to be lying. Zuko couldn't think of why Sokka would lie about being his soulmate, but there was no way Sokka was Zuko's. Zuko knew Sokka was destined to be with someone much greater.
"I can show you if you don't believe me." Before Zuko could say anything, Sokka was moving his tunic aside and turned slightly, showing the back of his shoulder. Black swirled together in a pattern Zuko very easily recognized, and he felt his throat closed as he stared at the mark. Sokka took a deep breath as he shifted his clothes back in place. Zuko shook his head again, trying to catch up with his thoughts. "This was probably the worst time to tell you- I should have when I first found out but I couldn't cause I wasn't sure how to bring it up or how you would react or even feel about that, but you deserved to know, especially if things go south and something happens."
The silence was worse than any rejection Sokka could have imagined, it just felt so tense and Zuko looked blank, and Sokka needed just some sort of reaction.
"Zuko, say something, please," Sokka didn't speak loudly, taking a hesitant step towards Zuko. Zuko didn't move away from him, instead, he glanced towards where the others had all made camp. When he returned his gaze back to Sokka, something seemed to switch and he reached out for the young warrior and embraced him tightly.
Sokka was frozen for a moment before he returned the hug, feeling Zuko bury his face in the crook of Sokka's neck. "Don't you dare let things go south," Zuko mumbled, pressing closer. "I want to be able to properly talk about this when we aren't gonna go end this war in about a day."
Relief washed over Sokka for a moment, and his arms tightened around Zuko. "Will definitely try."
-
Things luckily worked out in the end. They talked in the infirmary of the palace and had agreed to try dating, see if they were actually a good match, but they also wanted to take it slow. Things were already moving so quickly in their lives, they didn't need another thing to pile on.
That was roughly three years ago, though. Zuko had been crowned Firelord, and after Sokka healed he returned to the southern water tribe to help rebuild and to also help improve his tribe's home. They exchanged letters for those two years, each letter growing sappier the longer they were apart.
Zuko was reading over a document, one he was planning on proposing to the school administrators soon to change curriculums. He was so focused he barely registered the loud knocking on his door. It was fairly late, he realized as he rose from his desk, back stiff and aching, and he wondered who would even be up at this hour besides some guards.
The knocking continued until he finally opened his door, sighing, about to scold whoever for possibly disrupting some visiting ambassador's sleep. Zuko snapped his mouth shut though at the grinning face in front of him, and the smile was infectious.
"I thought you weren't going to be able to make it for another week?"
Sokka shrugged. "I couldn't help myself from making a surprise visit," and he nodded towards Zuko's room, a silent question. Zuko moved out of the way, letting Sokka inside and Zuko thanked the guard who had escorted him before closing the door.
Sokka was already settled on Zuko's bed and he reached out, beckoning his boyfriend over. Zuko rolled his eyes as Sokka started making grabby hands instead, and he shrugged off his formal robes. He had started wearing more comfortable clothes underneath them so he could feel a bit more relaxed in meetings. Zuko put the robes in a hamper, knowing the servants would come and retrieve them by morning, and he accepted Sokka's embrace, practically melting into the water tribe boy's arms.
"You've been working too hard," Sokka muses as he kicks off his shoes before shifting them both under Zuko's blankets. He did it with ease, Zuko curled up on his lap basically made it easier for him to move and lie down. Zuko nestled into his chest, and felt Sokka remove his hair from the bun he always kept it in. The crown was also taken out, set on the nightstand near Zuko's bed.
"I've gotta if I want to keep improving the fire nation," Zuko says, listening to Sokka's steady heartbeat. Sokka hummed knowingly, fingers combing through Zuko's hair. Zuko sighed at the touch and relaxed further.
"Missed you," Sokka mumbled, and Zuko nodded slightly in agreement. "I can stay longer than I did last time, too."
Zuko glanced up at him, curious. "How long, exactly?" Last time, Sokka was able to stay for about a month. But that was last year. Sokka grins down at him, hand not in Zuko's hair moving down Zuko's back and slipping under Zuko's shirt, tracing the soulmark there.
"As long as I want, if you'll let me."
Zuko returned to his previous position, and he nodded slightly. "Of course, you could stay forever if you truly wanted."
Sokka laughs at that, and he presses a kiss to the top of Zuko's head. "I'll keep that in mind. You look tired though, so how about we sleep, and tomorrow over breakfast you can complain about the boring meetings like you do in your letters."
Zuko huffs, but doesn't object to sleeping and he falls asleep faster than Sokka thought he would. Sokka doesn't mention the pendant he made, that's something he could bring up after he caught up with his soulmate.
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theowriteswhatever · 4 years
Text
Zuko Story With No Title Part 6
Aang was still unconscious and supposedly had hair now. I wouldn’t know. I hardly left my room and if I did, I didn’t interact with many people. 
I stayed quiet and closed myself off. I didn’t want anyone to worry about taking care of me. I knew Katara could possibly heal my scars, but I didn’t want to bother her. She was already worried about Aang and when/if he would wake up. In fact, I didn’t want to talk about the scars at all. They were hideous, flaky, and worst of all, would be permanent soon enough. I also didn’t want to talk about starving for 3 days in the crystal catacombs, because the last thing I wanted right now was pity.  
But I guess the real reason I didn’t talk about the scars or the forgotten tunnels was because of Zuko. He was so sweet and cute and caring for so long, but he traded it all in a heartbeat. I wanted to forgive him, because he was just acting out of fear and a desire to be loved, but every time I thought about how he attacked me with no mercy or even a second thought, I knew it would be painfully hard. But even though I’d like to believe that I would be as cold as stone towards him, I know if he just gave me a hug and said he was a little sorry that all would be forgotten. I want to be harder on him, but after we’ve gone through so much together and even admitted we had feelings for each other, I knew I couldn’t be so cruel.
I was lying on my bed curled up into a ball under the covers. I didn’t want people to see my charred face if they burst into my room and I could just tell them I was sick. Although it wouldn’t be a lie. I had a constant headache that I could never get rid of, likely due to the stress and despair. But I knew I couldn’t stay under here for the rest of the day.
I flipped off the covers and hissed at the light like a bat-rabbit. I slowly stood up and my feet curled at the feeling of the stone cold ground. I wanted nothing more than to curl back up into bed and ignore my life, but instead I trudged over to my bathroom and climbed in the shower. 
I ran my hands through my extremely tangled and mangled (Y/H/C) hair until it came out (your hairstyle) again. Well, as (your hairstyle) at it could be considering that it never wanted to do what I told it to. I stepped out onto the same freezing cold wood ship floor and pulled on my southern water tribe outfit. I did a little makeup and considered myself decent. But just before I left, I took one last look in the mirror to make sure I looked ok. But I didn’t. My chin and cheek were fried and I realized I did not pull it off like Zuko did. I put my hand up to it to feel the rigid skin and cringed at the feeling. It started to bleed from the tampering so I quickly grabbed a washcloth and held it up to my face. At least my clothes could cover the burns that were all along my arm. Maybe I should start wearing an extra long turtleneck to cover my face too. I gave up trying to look any better and stepped outside of the bathroom.
When I went back into my room, Sokka was sitting on my bed looking down at his feet and twiddling his thumbs. “Sokka? Were you waiting for me to get out of the shower?” He went a little red and rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment before jumping into self defense.
“Hey! It wasn’t my idea! Katara just asked me to come talk to you since you wouldn’t talk to her. I didn’t know you would be in the shower.” He admitted quickly.
“And you didn’t leave when you realized?” I questioned without a response. He just kept looking down at his hands as they moved randomly to avoid the topic. I sighed and continued. “I don’t need to talk to anybody. I’m fine.”
“Clearly you’re not. We’ve hardly seen you in weeks.” Sokka said while still avoiding eye contact.
“I just want some time to myself. Is that so bad?” I lied blatantly. I knew he could see right through it and would be able to quickly fire something back at me.
“Did you even know that Aang was awake?” Sokka accused. He finally looked up at me and was a little taken aback. He had finally noticed the blood soaked rag on my face and now it was my turn to look away from him. I didn’t want to see the look of disgust on his face. I knew he was judging me for having to hold a cloth to my face and the fact that I had a scar at all was probably a good enough reason to think I’m hideous and weak. “Is that from your burn?”
I gulped and looked down at the floor. I could tell Sokka had gotten up to come closer to me. I could see his shoes come into sight and I started to back up. But eventually there was a wall and I knew I was cornered. He slowly reached his hand up and grabbed the hand that was holding the cloth. He gently pulled the cloth away and I could feel the blood start to roll from the top of my scar to the bottom of my chin and then drip onto the floor. I quickly moved my hand back to my face and turned my head so my scar was as far away from him as possible.
“Why didn’t you tell us it was so bad?” Sokka asked quietly. I had never heard him with so much care in his voice unless he was with Yue or Suki or he was being Katara’s protective older brother, but this was the first time he ever sounded worried about me.
“I didn’t want anyone to worry about me. Aang almost dying was bad enough.”
“Well ummm. . .maybe Katara has more magical healing water from the North Pole! I’ll go ask!” He quickly turned to go, but I knew it would be for nothing so I stopped him.
“She used it all on Aang.” I said before he could get out the door. He froze and turned around.
“Then we can use some regular water!” He concluded before turning back around and trying to leave again. But I knew that I had to stop him again.
“It won’t work. Regular water doesn’t work on burns like this.” He turned around again and looked at me with more pity than before. 
“I’m so sorry (Y/N). You-”
“Stop it Sokka. This is exactly what I didn’t want. I don’t want people to pity me or worry about me. There’s enough going on without all that.” I interrupted.
“But we already are worried about you. By ignoring and avoiding us, you just made us more worried.” He had a point. I know that sitting in my room concerns people, but I just don’t want to go out and talk to everyone. 
I want to just sit and be sad about Zuko, but I can’t tell anyone about feeling that way because they basically hate his guts right now. I can’t tell them I kissed the guy that has tried to kill us more times than Iroh has drunk tea, because then they would hate me too. 
I know I need to go out there, but I wouldn’t have a good explanation for hiding out in my room for so long. 
I looked back up and saw that Sokka was at the door about to leave. He had his hand on the doorknob, but decided to say one last thing. “I know you don’t like your scar and don’t want people to see it, but you can’t hide here forever. So at least consider coming out and being with us. . .please.” He opened the door and left and I was alone all over again. 
I wanted to say no and just climb back into bed, but I forced myself to move towards the door. I sighed before I turned the doorknob and opened my door for the first time in at least a week. I peeked my head out and saw no one out in the hallway so I stepped out and closed the door behind me. 
I made my way down the hallway and up the stairs to the deck. I saw Toph and Aang talking next to Appa and Katara and Sokka talking to their dad, supposedly about me. I stood there for a few seconds not knowing what to do or say, but Hakoda soon pointed me out. 
“(Y/N)!” Katara squealed. She gave me a huge hug and I wrapped my free arm around her. She stepped back and I realized that the entire group had gathered around. “Is that your scar that’s bleeding?” I nodded and she looked at me sadly.
“It’s fine, Katara. I’ll get used to it.” I looked at Sokka and he smiled at my hint of confidence and Katara did too. 
“So what have you been doing down in your room for 4 weeks, Aquagirl?” Toph asked with her arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.
“Leave her alone, Toph.” Katara advised before Toph rolled her pearly white eyes. 
“I like your hair, Aang.” I said quietly. Aang smiled and gave me a huge hug that I gladly returned.
Soon the whole group joined in around us and it was the most loved I felt in a while. I dropped the rag and finally used both of my arms to hug all of them. 
And instead of letting go at the sight of my scar, they just squeezed harder.
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