#because he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else (read: KATARA) getting hurt

[paintedlady-bluespirit]

Iroh (to Toph): “You sound like my nephew, always thinking you need to do things on your own without anyone’s support. There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you help you.”

—

Zuko: “I can handle Azula.”

Iroh: “Not alone, you’ll need help.”

Zuko (zero hesitation): “You’re right. Katara, how would you like to help me put Azula in her place?”

Katara: “It would be my pleasure.”

#zutara #it’s canon #zuko #katara #but then of course they get there and he decides to take azula on by himself anyway #because he couldn’t stand the thought of anyone else (read: KATARA) getting hurt #what a dumbass (affectionate) #by doing so he shows his hand and azula then knows what his weakness is 👀 #so she strikes him where she knows it would hurt most #his heart 🥺 #atla #avatar: the last airbender

[asciendo]

I Have Something to Tell You

Zuko has just started his reign as the new Fire Lord and everything seems to be falling into place. 

That is until Y/N finds out she’s expecting and doesn’t know how to tell Zuko, afraid she’ll ruin the perfect bubble they’ve been living in. 

It’s been five months since the end of the war and since Zuko became Fire Lord. Life was good, the four nations were in harmony under the protection of Aang and you and Zuko were stronger than ever.

Your family was welcomed back in to the Fire Nation so you had your home back, but you spent most of your time with Zuko at the palace.

There were so many close calls during your time with Team Avatar, which made you, and Zuko appreciate and value your relationship even more. Zuko would include you in his important meetings and valued your opinion, you were there for him when he’d question his capabilities to run the Fire Nation, he’d constantly visit your family and you’d wake up to each other every morning.

Everything was going smoothly until the day you found out you were expecting. You weren’t certain at first, you were late and felt sick in the mornings. Zuko was concerned, thinking it was something you ate so sent a doctor to your bed the third consecutive day you were throwing up. When the doctor told you that you were pregnant, you couldn’t talk or move for a good hour. When Zuko came back and saw your shocked state, he rushed to your side immediately. You told him it was food poisoning and had to be kept in bed the rest of the week. He placed a kiss on your forehead then went back to work.

After your week of “food poisoning” was over, you started to think of how to tell Zuko that he was going to be a father. You weren’t sure how he was going to react, as you knew he was still getting used to ruling over a whole nation. You hated keeping secrets from him but you wanted to wait till you were even used to the idea of being a mother. The situation made you distant from Zuko and he was starting to get frustrated with your cold demeanor.

“Hey, do you want to go for a walk after the state dinner tonight?” Zuko asked hopefully one afternoon. It was week two of your cold demeanor towards him and everyday was more stressful than the one before. “No.” you stated as you read by the window in Zuko’s bedroom.

“Figures.” He rolled his eyes as he turned away from you. “What?!” you snapped back, you didn’t know what it was, the hormones maybe, but other than distancing yourself from Zuko, you also found yourself snapping at him more often.

“Nothing.” He said through gritted teeth as he began to leave the room. “No, Zuko, say it!” you slammed your book shut and sat up from your lounging position.

“Nothing! I’m just not surprised with your attitude anymore!” he turned to face you and you could see the frustration in his face.

“Attitude?! Just because I don’t wanna go on walk doesn’t mean I have an attiude, Zuko!”

“It’s not that! You’ve been so—so—“

“So what?” you raised an eyebrow waiting for him to finish his sentence. “CRANKY!”

“Well if I’m so cranky then why would we even go on a walk together, then?” you were standing up now with your hands on your hips.

“Forget it!” Zuko huffed and left the room.

“Agh!” you collapsed on the couch. You hated yourself for acting this way towards him. He didn’t do anything and he certainly did not deserve your attitude. The whole thing was so confusing for you and the truth was, you were scared. You and Zuko were only seventeen and you just won the war. Bringing a baby into the mix now is a whole different ball game that you weren’t sure that either of you were ready for.

That evening at the state dinner, you sulked on a couch in the corner of the courtyard.

“Hi.” Zuko sighed as he sat next to you. “Hi.” You said back but didn’t look at him.

“How are you?”

“I’m bored.” You laid your head on the wall. “I know. Me too.”

“I’m hungry.” You sighed and looked up at him and he huffed then stood up to get you some food.

You were getting impatient until you heard a voice coming from the crowd. “Move! I have to bring food to my cranky girlfriend!”

“Really, Zuko?” you rolled your eyes as he handed you the plate of food. “What’s wrong now?”

“Telling everyone I’m your cranky girlfriend isn’t exactly chivalrous.” You snapped.

“I can’t do anything right with you anymore!” he was whispering so no one else would hear but there was strain in his voice. “I’m gonna go.” you didn’t want to look at him then made your way out to the balcony.

You were so angry with yourself for being this way. This wasn’t you and it made you think about what kind of mother you would be if you couldn’t even comprehend the thought of having a child. Of course you wanted a family with Zuko, but you never expected it would be this soon.

Suddenly, you felt a hand on your shoulder and you turned to see Katara. “Hey, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just needed some air.�� You smiled but you could tell she didn’t believe you. “How are you and Zuko?” she asked.

“Uhm, we’re okay? Why do you ask?” you nervously stared at your feet as she looked at you with a concerned expression.

“Y/N, come on it’s me. You can tell me, I won’t judge I promise.”

“I’m fine! Really, me and Zuko are okay.” She rolled her eyes as you continued to lie. “I heard him talking to Aang, alright?”

“What did he say?”

“He thinks you’re going to leave him.” Your eyes shot wide open, “WHAT?!”

“Yes! That’s why I wanted to ask you first!” Katara raised her arms in relief, as she knew you were finally going to open up to her.

“Oh no, this is all my fault.” Burying your face in your hands, Katara placed her arm around you.

“I’m so awful to him! He’s been nothing but amazing towards me and I was the biggest jerk!” your face was still buried in your hands as Katara watched you with concern.

“What’s going on?”

“Katara...it’s just...” there were tears forming in your eyes as Katara pulled you in for a hug. “It’s okay, I’m sure whatever it is—“

“Katara I’m pregnant.” She froze as soon as the words came out of your mouth. Katara stood there frozen and just staring at your face, then at your stomach. “I know, that’s how I reacted too.” You turned to face the open air as she continued to stare at you with her mouth wide open.

“OH MY GOD CONGRATULATIONS!” She suddenly pulled you into a tight hug.

“Katara it’s not that simple!” there were so many factors that would make having a baby complicated, how young you both were, Zuko just started his reign, and you not knowing the first thing about being a mother.

“Y/N, this is a good thing!” she squeezed your shoulders. “How? I mean...I don’t know how to feel about it yet...” you looked down.

“We’re only seventeen! Zuko just started his reign! I-I don’t know the first thing about being a mother!” you paced back and forth as Katara giggled.

“Why are you laughing?!”

“It’s just...Y/N you’re looking at all the bad things. Yes, we’re all still young but you both won’t have to do it alone. You have all of us! Can you imagine how loved your baby will be?” she smiled and you stopped pacing and looked at her. “Aang is going to flip! Sokka would spend every single day here if he could, and I know I would make the best godmother.” She winked and you laughed.

“But Zuko’s been so worried about how he is as the new Fire Lord...he has a so much on his mind and I’m so scared the baby will just add more stress for him...” you sighed and plopped down on one of the benches.

“He’s going to be happy no matter what. Zuko is going to be a great father and you’re going to be a great mother.” Katara sat next to you and put her arm around your shoulders. “I was so awful to him Katara...”

“It’s completely understandable, you were scared. Heck, I would probably be the same too! But you have to talk to him.”

“I know...thank you. It feels so good to finally tell someone!” you laughed in relief. You’ve been keeping this secret for so long it felt good to tell someone.

“Of course, I’ll always be here for you! But now you have to let Zuko be there for you too.” She smiled sweetly and you knew she was right. The both of you made your way back to the party laughing at the thought of Zuko changing diapers.

As soon as you entered, you spotted him in the middle of conversation with his generals. Your eyes locked on his and he quickly averted his gaze back to his own conversation.

“Good luck.” Katara smiled and left you with your thoughts.

The state dinner was over and you were making your way to Zuko’s bedroom. As you entered you leant by doorway and watched Zuko try to remove his ceremonial robes.

“Let me help you with that.” his body stiffened at the sound of your voice. “I’m fine.” He grumbled but continued to struggle. You sighed then walked over and helped him. “Zuko...I need to tell you something...” you fumbled with your fingers as you sat in front of him. Zuko stopped then sat down in front of you but he was avoiding looking in your direction. There was sadness in his eyes, which confused you at first, but then you remembered what Katara told you about how Zuko thought you were going to break up with him. “Zuko...I’m sorry.” You began and he didn’t react. “I’m sorry for being such a jerk to you these past few days...or weeks.” You rubbed the back of your head sheepishly. “Zuko can you please look at me?”

“Why should I? If you’re going to break up with me just do it.” he said bitterly. “Zuko, I’m not breaking up with you!” You grabbed his face with your palms and he was finally looking at you. His eyes were staring at you intently waiting for you to speak. “It’s just...” tears started to form in your eyes as you began to speak. “Are you okay? Did anyone hurt you?” Zuko suddenly looked at you with so much concern that your heart melted knowing that no matter how awful you were to him, he was still the sweetest to you.

“No, no, it’s not that it’s...” you stood up and started pacing back and forth and Zuko watched you in confusion. “The reason why I’ve been such a jerk to you is because....I didn’t know how to tell you and I also didn’t fully, I still don’t actually...uhm...the information hasn’t really sunk in for me either, so whenever I thought about telling you, I still didn’t believe it myself so I didn’t tell you!” the whole thing was making you nervous so you started to ramble. Zuko stared at you with his eyebrow up and head tilted so you knew he was confused.

“W-wait I don’t get it. The reason why you were a jerk to me is because you did something I wouldn’t like?” he asked looking at you with a little bit of fear in his expression. “I didn’t do anything...well I kind of did by not telling you when I should have but I didn’t tell you because I still don’t sort of believe it myself?” Zuko’s expression was still a confused one you didn’t blame him. “So you’re hiding something from me?” you nodded and he huffed. “Is there someone else?” he looked down to the floor. “NO! God no, Zuko there is no one out there for me but you.” you quickly grabbed his face again.

“Then what is it?”

You sighed and turned to face him directly. “Okay, I’m going to tell you what it is now.” You said slowly as if convincing yourself that you were actually going to do it. Zuko stared at you with big eyes in anticipation of what you were going to say. When you still didn’t say it Zuko shot up from his seat and started making his way out the door.

“Zuko!”

“Y/N if you’re just going to keep me guessing the whole night you might as well not tell me!” he stopped by the door but was refusing to face you.

“Zuko...please!”

“If you don’t trust me—“

“ZUKO I’M PREGNANT!” the words finally came out of your mouth as you waited for Zuko to react. He stopped in his steps and slowly turned to look at you. His eyes were huge in shock and his mouth open.

The both of you stared at each other without saying anything until you finally broke the silence. “I know I should have told you! I was just so scared...I mean I don’t know how to be a mother. I’m so sorry for taking out my worries on you by being a jerk and I know how stressed you’ve been being the new Fire Lord and I didn’t want to worry you even more. I’m so so—“ before you could finish, Zuko’s lips were on yours and you fell into each other.

“Y-you’re not mad?” you looked up at him. “I’m mad because you didn’t tell me.” He looked at you with a serious expression and you looked away. “But not about our baby.” He pulled your face to kiss you once more. “Why would I be mad about the start of our family?” he looked deep into your eyes. “I-I don’t know, I guess I thought you’d be scared about it but I guess it was just me.” You buried your face in his chest again.

“I’m so sorry you had to deal with this on your own. That must have been terrifying.” He whispered in your hair. “No, it’s my fault, I should have let you be there for me.” You smiled and he kissed you on the forehead. “We’re going to be a great family.” He said and at that moment, you couldn’t be happier.

The next day, the both of you decided to have the gang over for lunch to tell them the news. You told Zuko that Katara knew, he was a little upset at first that he wasn’t the first to know and you understood. You promised he’d be the first to know if anything ever happened with you again and he forgave you.

Zuko sat at the head of the table and you to his left. Uncle Iroh was seated to his right but you haven’t told him yet as well. Katara and Aang arrived first and Katara gave the both of you a knowing look. Sokka and Sukoi came next with Sokka telling everyone he had big news to share. Toph was last as usual saying she was busy throwing melons at strangers.

“Uhm, guys we have something to tell you.” Zuko smiled looking at you while squeezing your hand.

“Wait wait!” Sokka stood up and everyone stared at him. “I think we should start with the most important news first. Don’t we all agree? And I have an announcement!” Sokka started to prance around the table. You started to chuckle and Katara was glaring at him. “Yes, let Zuko talk!” she said with annoyance.

“But I don’t think whatever hot head over there is going to say is more exciting than mine!” Sokka glared back at his sister. “Sokka—“

“No it’s fine, go ahead.” Zuko smirked and you punched him in the shoulder playfully. “What’s your announcement, Sokka?”

“Glad you asked Y/N!” Katara rolled her eyes and slumped to her seat as Sokka grinned from ear to ear.

“I have been declared BOOMERANG MASTER!” Sokka declared while everyone stared at him with amusement. His proud expression quickly dropped and you started to giggle. “WHAT! I am!”

“Who even declared that, Sokka?” Toph teased. “THE BOOMERANG CLUB!” Sokka’s face turned red and the rest of the gang laughed. “There’s a boomerang club?” Aang asked and Sokka sat back down and Suki rubbed his back but she was laughing as well.

“Okay, if that doesn’t excite everyone then I DON’T KNOW WHAT WILL!” Sokka fumed which made everyone laugh harder.

“I’m pregnant.” You announced and Zuko was staring at everyone with a huge grin on his face. Katara was smiling as she already knew, Aang stopped mid drink, Toph yelped, Suki’s eyes were large with excitement and Sokka’s jaw dropped to the table.

“Y-you’re what?” Aang jumped up in excitement as Katara hugged you. “She’s pregnant. I’m going to be a father.” Zuko announced proudly. Aang rushed to hug the both of you while talking about how he’s going to teach your child how to go penguin sledding. Katara started asking you about baby names. Toph was already planning on making a crib for your baby. Sokka was still in shock while Suki whispered to him that she was excited about his boomerang master status.

“OH MY GOD!” Sokka burst out then rushed to hug the both of you telling you guys he’s going to give all the boomerangs he could find to your future baby. You were all so happy to tell the rest of the group and to see their excited reactions. You were looking for Zuko but then saw him hugging Uncle Iroh tightly and you saw tears in his eyes. That moment, you knew you were so lucky to have a child with the best father there could be.

#atla #avatar #avatar the last airbender #aang #zuko #zuko imagines #zuko x reader #zuko x you #fire lord zuko #daddy zuko #katara #sokka #suki #iroh #momo #appa #azula #tai lee #mai #imagine #zuko fluff #last airbender

[scarletemeterio-thesecond]

Hello! Could i request a Sokka imagine where the reader is Tophs older sister who tries to leave her home when Toph join the Gaang? The MC is an outcast in her family, even by Toph. Toph doesnt want her to join because she claims she cant bend so shed be useless, this makes Sokka defend her and she joins along. The real reason shes an outcast in her family tho, is because shes a fire bender, and she has to hide her secret, only reavling the truth by accident after protecting Sokka in battle.

i absolutely loved this concept and i finally managed to finish this fic, i am so sorry for the long ass wait, but i'm starting to catch up on some old requests. hope you like it!

•••

Secrets (Sokka x Fem!Reader)

Warnings: none i think

Genre: Fluff i guess

Fandom: Avatar The Last Airbender

Summary: See request

Word Count: 1938

Reader uses she/her pronouns

•••

Being home was too much for (Y/N). She felt like she was invisible in her own family. The Beifongs had taken her in when she was little, but when they found out that she was a firebender, things changed completely.

When Toph was little, they were quite close, but then her parents managed to break them apart. They'd tell Toph that she was dangerous but also that she was useless because she couldn't bend.

So during the last few years, she felt like an outcast. She would go to the ring most of the time and analyze the movements of the fighters, trying to train herself. She eventually managed to improve her firebending, which had an unique style based on earthbending, but she still had a lot to learn.

She stopped going to the ring once she realized that Toph was the Blind Bandit, she didn't want to run into her outside of the house, but kept practicing on her own.

But suddenly one day the Avatar came to her home. He was looking for an earthbender teacher and she immediately knew that the person he was interested in was Toph. Dinner was a little awkward, but once everyone was ready for bed, things seemed much calmer.

(Y/N) was outside the house, enjoying the fresh air of the night when suddenly, she heard her sister talking.

''Even though I was born blind, I've never had a problem seeing. I see with earthbending. It's kind of like seeing with my feet, '' she said. ''I feel the vibrations in the earth, and I can see where everything is-- you, that tree, even those ants. And also my sister around here somewhere,'' she chuckled at her words. Even though they didn't have the best relationship, it was nice hearing Toph call her her sister. It made her feel a bit normal, even if back at the house she was still an outcast.

She stopped paying attention to the two kids and lost herself in her thoughts, but she got out of her trance when she heard an unfamiliar voice. (Y/N) went running back to the house and desperately called her parents.

''What's the meaning of this?'' Asked her father, clearly annoyed at the noise.

''Toph and the Avatar! Someone took them!''

Everyone went outside, following her, and they realized that the captors had left a note.

''If you want to see your daughter again, bring 500 gold pieces to the arena,'' read the girl from the Water Tribe. ''And it's signed 'Xin Fu and The Boulder.'''

''Master Yu, I need you to help me get my daughter back.''

''We're going with you,'' said the waterbender.

''I wanna go, too,'' said (Y/N). She was looking at her father as the words left her mouth.

''No, you can't come, (Y/N), you-.''

''I don't care. I know you've broken the relationship between me and Toph, but she's still my sister and I want to go.''

''You're not a bender, (Y/N), it would only be for the worse.''

''You know I can help,'' she muttered, knowing that her father knew what she meant.

There was a small pause while they shared a look. ''Fine, you can come, but don't try to do anything you might regret.'' He walked away from her and soon they all headed towards the arena.

Once Toph was free, her father finally saw what she was capable of. The way back to the house was awkward, to say the least.

After the conversation that Toph had with her father, there was a bigger tension in the house than usual.

A few moments later, (Y/N) heard some noise close to her room, and when she opened the door a little, she realized that her sister was escaping. She considered the idea of staying home, of being the only Beifong daughter and she couldn't think of something worse.

So as fast as she could, she changed her clothes to something more comfortable and ran quietly outside.

"Wait, guys! Please!" Said (Y/N) while running towards the group. "I wanna come too," she told them. "Please?"

She could see how Aang, Katara and Sokka all started nodding with smiles on their faces, but whem she looked at Toph, her expression was completely different.

"You can't," said the girl.

"What? Why not?"

"Yeah, Toph, what's the problem?" Asked Katara.

"Look, (Y/N), I don't mean to offend you but why would you even come with us?"

"Because I don't belong here, and you know it."

"You're not a bender, you would only be a liability to us."

"Hey! Don't be like that, Toph!" Exclaimed Sokka.

(Y/N) already had some tears on her eyes but quickly got rid of them. She didn't want the others to see her cry.

Sokka got down from Appa and stood next to (Y/N). "(Y/N) is coming with us, okay? Now let's go, we don't want to waste any time." He grabbed the girl by the arm and helped her get on top of Appa.

During their whole journey away from the Beifongs' house, Sokka and (Y/N) talked a lot.

He liked having someone like him around, it made him feel like he wasn't so alone; and she liked feeling like someone cared a little bit about her.

-

The days went by and (Y/N) could finally tell that she'd found her new family. Even her relationship with her sister had improved significantly since they'd both left home.

Still, no one knew that she was actually a firebender. She hated lying to everyone but she also didn't know how to tell them; in her head, she thought that they wouldn't want her to be with them anymore, she was afraid.

"Hey, (Y/N)," she heard someone say. She looked up and saw Sokka standing next to her. He took a seat by her side. "What are you thinking about?"

"Hi, Sokka. It's nothing, really," she tried to sound convincing but knew that she'd failed. Out of everyone in the group, Sokka was the one she was closest to. She even had a little crush on him, and the fact that she was lying to him was destroying her.

"You always say that but I never believe you."

"I already told you, Sokka, I can't talk about it." She looked at him and he gave her a sympathetic look.

"You can tell me anything, (Y/N). And I promise I won't tell your secret to anyone else."

"No, I can't. You'd hate me if I told you, trust me."

"What? I could never hate you!" He exclaimed and she smiled a little. (Y/N) knew he believed what he was saying, but would it still be true even if he found out what she really was?

Sokka took one of the maps he'd taken from the library, trying to decipher it while still enjoying (Y/N)'s company.

"Waterbending bomb!" Katara yelled from afar, and then everyone saw her get into the water, splashing everyone.

"Sure, 5.000-year-old maps from the spirit library. Just splash some water on 'em," complained Sokka.

(Y/N) couldn't help but giggle a bit at his reaction.

They had to figure out a way to finally get to Ba Sing Se, and The Serpent's Pass seemed to be the only way, but that was until they met a couple that told them about the ferries.

However, the plan was a total failure, so the only option they had left was the dangerous Serpent's Pass.

It wasn't easy, but they eventually made it to the great city of Ba Sing Se. But there was something waiting for them there: a drill with the Fire Nation insignia on it.

It was obvious who was behind that, the Fire Nation princess herself, along with her two friends. Luckily, Sokka came up with a plan, they were going to take the drill down from the inside.

"Okay, we're gonna go with Toph and then we'll get inside of it, okay?" Sokka said.

They all nodded and got ready to go, but the earthbender suddenly stopped for a second.

"(Y/N), I think that you should stay here."

"What?" She was confused. They had been getting along a lot better lately, but that comment took her by surprise.

"You could get hurt, it's not safe. Plus, well, you can't bend and you know that."

"Toph, I can take care of myself, okay? I told you a million times before!"

"I know, but-."

"She's coming with us," interrupted Sokka. "She is one of us and we won't leave anyone behind, okay? And she's not helpless, Toph."

The little girl tried to say something, but the young boy didn't let her.

When they finally reached the drill, Toph stayed outside, and the rest of them went inside.

"I need a plan of this machine. Some schematics that show what the inside looks like. Then we can find its weak points."

"Where are we gonna get something like that?" Asked Aang.

"Maybe we should break something, then some engineer would have to come to fix it," suggested (Y/N).

"Good idea," said Sokka, and he got on with it.

Once they had the map, they knew what they'd have to do, but it wasn't going to be easy.

Aang and Katara had to cut through the braces of the structure, but they turned out to be a lot thicker than they thought. They luckily realized they didn't have to cut all the way through them, instead it was enough with just cutting a little to weaken them.

All of them were focused on the braces, so the only one that noticed the three Fire Nation girls was (Y/N). She realized Azula was about to blast some fire towards Sokka, and she quickly pushed him away and instinctively threw some fire at her, too.

Everyone was shocked, even the three girls that were trying to fight them, but there was no time for explanations.

Katara, Sokka and (Y/N) escaped through the pipeline and even though the battle wasn't over, as soon as they were out of the drill Sokka started interrogating (Y/N).

"You were a firebender this whole time? Why didn't you say anything? And why doesn't Toph know? I mean, she's your sister and- Wait," he made a pause, suddenly realising something. "That was your secret, right?"

She nodded slightly, and looked away to try and hide her blushing face.

"(Y/N), how could you think we would ever hate you for that? That I would hate you?" She could see the hurt in his face, and she hated herself for it.

"The Fire Nation is the enemy, so I guess I figured you wouldn't want me in your team anymore if you found out where I'm really from."

"(Y/N), you can't change where you come from, and we would never hate you for that," said Katara in a sweet voice, still using her bending against Ty Lee.

Sokka wrapped his arms against (Y/N), which took her by surprise, but she quickly wrapped hers around his waist. "Thank you for protecting me back there. And once again, I could never hate you, okay?" They pulled away just a little to look at each other and then he kissed her forehead.

They knew they were still in the middle of a battle and that Katara was just a few meters away from them, but right there in that moment, it didn't matter. It was only (Y/N) and Sokka, wrapped around eachothers' arms, finally starting to realize their feelings for one another.

•••

TAGLIST

@talas-starlight @just-a-belgian-girl @sorrythatspussynal @siriuslyslyslytherin

#sokka #sokka x reader #sokka imagine #sokka fanfic #sokka fic #sokka atla #sokka avatar #atla x reader #atla imagine #atla fanfic #atla #atla sokka #avatar x reader #avatar imagine #avatar fanfic

[thinkingisadangerouspastime]

love

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

~*~

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ah, yes. There it was.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Okay, well, except for you -”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

~*~

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

#aang #aang week #aanglove #atla #avatar the last airbender #katara #sokka #toph beifong #zuko #suki #mai #the gaang #every aang ship gets dropped in this kdsjkdasks #kataang #sokkaang #taang #zukaang #sukaang #maiaang #atla fanfic #atla fanfiction #amy writes

[theclockworkmonk]

Title: Intermission

Summary: During the intermission of "The Boy in the Iceberg," Zuko and Toph are fed up with Aang and Katara's drama.

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Read on AO3

Read on FF.net

For Throwback Thursday, thought I'd post the first fanfic I ever wrote, back in August of 2013 (so excuse how...not good it is). The way Katara goes from rejecting Aang to kissing him with zero conversations in between always bothered me, so I wrote this scene that could have been a deleted scene in the episode, and to this day the type of fanfic I'm most drawn to is "missing" scenes that would have improved an aspect of the story. So awkward writing is what sucked me down this rabbit hole.

******

"Ow! What was that for?" Zuko rubbed his arm, suspecting a bruise would probably form.

Toph just smiled innocently. "That's how I show affection," she said as if she had just baked him a cake instead of physically assaulted him.

Zuko was glad Toph hadn't been with Aang, Katara, and Sokka back when he was chasing them on their way to the North Pole. They had given him enough bruises, lacerations, and concussions on their own. If Toph had been there, he'd probably still be eating through a straw.

"So, anyway, do you know where Aang is? I'm starting to worry. I told Sokka that this play wasn't worth the risk."

Toph just frowned, "Why are you asking me? In case you haven't noticed, this whole place is made out of the evil substance known as wood."

"I thought maybe you would know because he told you. Ya know, that's how the rest of us keep track of where people are."

"That sounds like a hassle," Toph said casually with a finger digging in her ear, "Anyway, Twinkle Toes is probably in the same place as Sugar Queen."

Zuko groaned for what seemed like the 12th time tonight. "Good. Maybe with them alone together they'll finally clear the air and allow the rest of us to move on with our lives."

"Hey, at least you just got here. Meathead and I have had to endure this drama for months."

"I honestly don't understand what their thinking is," Zuko sighed with his head in his hands, "At least you have the excuse that Sokka has a girlfriend."

Zuko saw Toph scowl a scowl that would even put Azula to shame. "I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, and unless you want a more symmetrical face, you don't either."

Zuko rolled his eyes, "Whatever. I was surprised to find out they weren't official yet by the time I got here. Especially after Katara straight up threatened to kill me if I looked at him wrong."

"Wait, what now? You serious?"

"Yeah, it was the first night I spent at the Air Temple."

"Nah, she was bluffing."

"Toph, I grew up with Azula. I got pretty good at spotting lies. Katara meant every word she said. And it got even worse when I would try to train Aang. He would always make up some excuse about how he needed to practice more waterbending, even though he's been working on that almost a year."

Toph grunted in agreement, "You don't need to tell me. Just as I was about to break through his earthbending block, Her Sweetness comes in all 'Oh, don't worry, it's okay, we can practice waterbending. Come on, let's go splash around in our underwear.'"

"Yeah, I've been thinking that if they just got it out in the open then he could concentrate again. That's why I've been getting closer to Katara. I thought maybe if I piss him off enough he would man up and push me out of the way."

Toph smirked in her very self-satisfied way, "I knew it! Though, you might want to tell Snoozles about that plan. He's been worried that you really were interested in her. I guess that explains the seating arrangements this evening?"

Zuko rubbed the back of his head and smiled guiltily. "Yeah, I made double sure to sit next to Katara, and for a second he actually seemed like he was going to grow a backbone. I was thinking 'Come on, this is driving you crazy, isn't it? Call me out, why don't you want me sitting here?' but he hog-chickened out again. And I've been doing this for a while. After I saved Katara from being crushed at the temple, I made sure to stay on top of her just a little longer than necessary, but that just made her mad at me rather than him."

"And your little field trip?"

"Well, no, that really was just me trying to help her. But me decidedly not inviting anyone else, not even Sokka, to come help find Yon Rha had something to do with my meddling."

"And plus, it certainly seems like the play is helping you," Toph laughed.

Now it was Zuko's turn to scowl. "I actually think I got more than I bargained for with that. I'm just certain that if he finally told her he liked her, they could move forward and not be stuck in this limbo."

Toph looked confused, "Oh, she knows that he likes her. Did no one tell you that? He kissed her on the day of the invasion. Twinkle Toes waited until everyone else was gone, but he apparently forgot that they were standing on a giant metal submarine. He's kind of stupid like that."

Zuko just sat back, re-thinking his efforts, that he apparently had been wasting, "Well….huh. I guess I was wrong. Maybe she doesn't like him that way."

Toph sniggered in the way she always did when people failed to hide things from her, "Oh, she likes him, Sparky. You don't enjoy a kiss that much unless you do."

"You can tell?" Zuko asked in an alarmed voice. Toph's semi-mind-reading abilities still creeped him out.

"Oh yeah, her heartbeat went through the roof and she apparently forgot how to breathe until Meathead reminded her that we had a nation to invade."

Now Zuko was downright angry now. "Well then why the hell are they still dragging this out!?" He asked, probably too loudly.

Toph smirked and raised one eyebrow. "I think the better question is why you care so much. I mean, I find the drama annoying, sure, but you're really going above and beyond." She nudged him in the side and winked, "could it be that our own resident Angsty McEmopants is secretly a hopeless romantic?"

Zuko elbowed her back, "I'll have you know that I care as his firebending teacher. Firebending is fueled by raw emotion and passion," he nervously tried to figure out a euphemism, "and I just, um, thought that if he had a particular something that invokes certain….urges, then it would give him a little boost."

Toph grinned again. "So you're hoping that Sugar Queen makes him hot in more ways than one?"

Zuko groaned. "Well, if you must put it that way, yeah. You've been hanging out with Sokka too much." He stood up, "I'm going to go find them to see if they do something stupid."

And, sure enough…

***************

Katara was a split second away from kissing Aang back when her eyes shot open

NO!

She pushed him away, trying to muster up some anger. "I just said I was confused!"

Aang simply looked down. He had the same look on his face as when she pulled him out of the Avatar state at the Southern Air Temple, and he had no choice but to accept that he was the last airbender.

"I'm going back inside." She had intended to calmly walk back into the theater, but she had to run to keep Aang from seeing her eyes watering. She burst through the doors and stopped a few steps in to try to get ahold of herself. That was when she heard the voice behind her.

"Katara, who exactly do you think you're fooling?"

She whirled around and saw Zuko standing behind the door, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. Had he been listening?

"Yes, Katara, I was listening. So I'll ask you again, who do you think you're fooling?"

She turned around with a scowl on her face, determined not to get roped into this conversation. If she couldn't talk about Aang with Aang, how could she with Zuko? "Mind your own business, Zuko."

"Katara, you're a very gentle soul. You're peaceful, compassionate, understanding, slow to violence. To the point of stubbornness, in fact, which is one reason you two deserve each other. Hell, you didn't even kill the man who murdered your mother in cold blood. And yet even now, I don't doubt that you would have one second's hesitation to end me if you thought I might hurt Aang."

"Don't paint me in that light Zuko," She couldn't help but smirk, "I would totally give you one second's hesitation. Probably."

"So why are you putting up this 'confused' act?"

She put her hands on her hips and scowled, "You don't know how I feel, Zuko! Of course I'm overprotective of Aang, he's my best friend, not to mention that whole only-hope-for-the-world thing."

Zuko raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Your friend, huh? That's funny, because it's not Toph you were homicidally protective of, nor your own brother, who would be a lot easier for me to hurt, need I remind you. And don't think that I didn't notice you getting angry when those actors had you saying that you think of Aang as a brother. That wasn't a look of concern about Aang getting his feelings hurt, that was you pissed because they got something wrong about you."

"Well aren't you just the mind-reader?" she asked with enough sarcasm to upstage her brother.

"No, I'm not. I don't have to be. Newsflash Katara, the entire group knows. Sokka, Suki, Toph, even Duke, Haru, and Teo knew about it. Hell, all it takes is watching a single one of your 'waterbending sessions.'" He said the last two words with air-quotes.

Katara looked away nervously and blushed, "What do you mean by that?"

"Well, to be fair, I'm not a waterbender, but none of my training sessions involved my teachers pressing up against me from behind to correct my stance."

"So, I was making doubly sure he had the proper form, what's your point?"

"My point Katara, that I had the waterbending scroll in my hand as you were doing it, and he was already doing it right. There was no 'correcting' to be done."

"Alright, FINE!" She almost shouted, "Maybe I have some feelings for Aang, but…he can't afford any distractions or confusions right now."

"Katara, don't think that I'm stupid enough to believe that you're stupid enough to believe that. In what way would knowing that the person he loves loves him back and is there for him be a distraction? What is a distraction, however, is this game you're playing. Why do you think I'm here? I don't care about your love life, but this uncertainty is keeping me from doing my job as his teacher. Even after we trained with the dragons, Aang has been too timid, too hesitant. Firebending requires lowered inhibitions and absolute confidence in oneself. Now I know why he's been like that. Because the one time he was completely open and bold in his emotions about the thing most important to him, you left it hanging there untouched for weeks. And now that you've full-on thrown it back in his face, he might get even worse."

Katara couldn't keep her eyes from watering anymore, "Well then he should get over it! Get over me! What's the point, Zuko? It's not like my love for him will protect him! What, is your dad going to be so moved by our love for each other that he decides not to try to kill him?" She slumped against the wall and sat down, hugging her knees as tears streamed down her face, "He died in my arms once already in Ba Sing Se. I can't lose him all over again."

Zuko came over, sat down and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Before I left to join you, I had a girlfriend back home. Her name's Mai. You've already….become acquainted with her."

"I'm better acquainted with her knives, but whatever."

"When I left, I left a note for her saying that we weren't together anymore. I thought ending our relationship would make her lose her feelings for me, so that if anything happened to me, she wouldn't be hurt. Sokka and I are still alive because I was wrong. Even though we weren't technically together anymore, she still loved me enough to go against Azula and save my life, and I still love her enough for that knowledge that she's rotting in prison eat me alive every single day. Hiding behind words and technicalities about where you stand can't change how you feel. It just adds the weight of things not said if something does go wrong."

He stood up. "I'm going back to the seats. Think about it."

Toph was the only one already back when he got back to the balcony. "Have you seen Suki and Meathead yet?" he asked.

Toph answered with a punch to his gut, "Only I get to call him Meathead. But no. Honestly, Sokka has probably gotten them both thrown out of the theatre for harassing actor-Sokka. Twinkle Toes or Sugar Queen do something stupid?"

"Both did, actually. I think I might have managed to get to through to Katara."

People started shuffling in to retake their seats. "I will say this though, this intermission has definitely been the most dramatic part of the play so far."

#kataang #aang x katara #aang #avatar aang #katara and aang #katara #zuko #toph #the ember island players #avatar: tla #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla fanfic #team avatar #missing scene #one shot

[the-badger-mole]

TBT: When You See Me

This is the first fic of a series that I call Out of Yesterday's Ashes. This was a gift fic for an exchange that I was a part of in 2019 (wow! That feels like a decade ago!). This was originally going to be a one shot, but the inspiration bug kept biting me until it turned into a series of canon divergent one shots. I probably could have posted them as one continuous story. I don't really remember why I didn't, but whatever. Es lo que es.

If I recall correctly, this was one of the first scenes that I imagined when I began this fic. I wanted to have some interaction between the Painted Lady and the Blue Spirit. At this point, Katara knows that the Blue Spirit is a human, but Zuko thinks that the Painted Lady is an actual spirit. I really liked the idea of having royalty bow to Katara- even if he doesn't know who she is- because there's just not enough people bowing to Katara in general, IMO.

Katara’s eyes widened when the Blue Spirit- it couldn’t be anyone else she decided- knelt  before her. Her. As if she were true royalty and not just the chief's daughter  of a crippled tribe. She thought she would have to fight him when she found him standing at the door, but then he set down the box of food and Katara realized that he was on the same mission as her. This, though…

The point of wearing the mantle of the Painted Lady was to act anonymously and maybe scare off anyone who happened to get too close. She expected people to flee at the sight of her, not genuflect. Straightening her shoulders to hide her awkwardness, Katara reached down and touched the Blue Spirit’s shoulder, noticing for the first time the dao swords Aang had told them about. He flinched slightly at her touch- did he think she would hurt him?- and looked up slowly. Katara angled her hat and veil down to keep her face in shadow, and motioned for him to stand. He was taller than her by some inches, but Katara drew herself to her full height and turned back towards the infirmary. Behind her she heard the shuffling as he grabbed the crate and followed her inside.

Read the rest here

#atla #zutara #tbt #re-runs #behind the scenes #want to know more of my thoughts on this piece? #drop me an ask!

[zukos-tsungi-horn]

Rating: G

Summary:  Zuko doesn't want to look like Ozai. After he botches his own haircut, Katara has a unique solution.  Soft Zutara hurt/comfort/fluff oneshot, set 4 years post-canon

Word Count: 3499

XXX

His fingers tremble against the hilt of his dagger.  His other hand is braced against the sink, where long black strands stand out starkly against the white marble.  He should turn the faucet, wash them down the drain, like he wishes he could wash away this impulsive, rash, stupid decision.

At least Uncle is away, visiting the Southern Water Tribe on the Fire Nation’s behalf.  If he were here, he would know exactly why Zuko had taken the knife to his long hair.  Of course, it won’t grow back fast enough to hide.  Agni, it won’t grow back fast enough for him to wear his crown.  How is he supposed to attend the council meeting tomorrow?  What will his advisors think when they see his hair chopped short and uneven?

He knows what they’ll think.  He looks like—he looks like Azula, in those moments before their last Agni Kai.

He looks mad.

A mirthless laugh escapes his lips as he looks up to meet his reflection.

“Better mad than…”

He watches his face break, and looks away from his own weakness.

Better mad than a copy of my father.

His reflection is his own.  The resemblance to Ozai can never quite be erased—it’s chiseled into his nose, his chin, the flecks of brown in his gold eyes.  But with his hair cropped above his shoulders again, it’s less overwhelming.

He peels his fingers from the sink to brush his scar.  That should have been enough of a mark to separate himself from his father.  

But when Azula’s wide eyes looked at him...

“This was stupid.  I’m not… I’m not Ozai,” he whispers.  

He knows this.  He’s been running the Fire Nation for four years now.  His people respect him.  The world respects him.

But he can’t forget the look in his sister’s eyes yesterday, when she took her first steps outside the rehabilitation center.  When she saw him in his full Fire Lord regalia for the first time, his crown secured tightly in his topknot.

When she broke for just a moment, and thought he was her father.

Water drips from his eyes into the sink, trailing down to wet the clumps of cut hair clogging the drain.  He’s being stupid.  For all he knows, Azula said that just to get under his skin.  She’s said worse things when he’s visited her in the center.  But he really thought she was ready.  The doctors said she wasn’t seeing things anymore…

But even if her moment of weakness was a hallucination, the reflected glimpses Zuko caught from his right eye weren’t.  At least, he’s fairly sure.

He’ll know if he keeps seeing them now, he supposes.

He’s still trying to gather the strength to clean the sink—and the floor; he had more hair than he’d realized—when a knock at the bedroom door startles him.  An undignified, strangled sound escapes his throat.

“Go away!”  He shouts at whoever it is.  He’d specifically asked his attendants not to disturb him when he turned in early for the night.  An early rest was supposed to calm his irrational thoughts.  

Instead, he’d caught his reflection in the bathroom mirror, and the dagger had been in his hand faster than he could think.

And now he’s here, hunched over the sink, shame and weakness etched into the sharp curve of his shoulders.  Some of his cut hair clings to the fabric of his nightrobe, settles in his hood.  No one should see the Fire Lord like this.

“Hey, I didn’t come all the way from the South Pole just to get yelled at,” an unmistakable voice filters through the thick wooden door.  His eyes widen, snapping up to meet his reflection.  

Maybe he really is going crazy.  There’s no way.

More to confirm his sanity than anything else, he rushes out of the bathroom, crosses the bedroom in a few long strides.  Flings open the door before he can talk himself out of it, before he can imagine what she’ll think if she really is there.

And there she is.  Katara, standing taller than he remembers in a newer incarnation of her old blue tunic. Her long hair is braided down her back, and her lips are pursed in a narrow frown that softens at the sight of him.

“Zuko?”  She speaks first, because he’s still too busy staring.  Two years of letters are nothing compared to actually seeing her face.  She’s always been beautiful, but now—

He winces.  Now he remembers exactly how pathetic he looks.

“Are you… are you alright?”  Her brows curve upwards in concern.

He’s not sure any amount of lying will convince her.  If she can read his worries between this lines in his letters, she’s sure to see it in his disheveled appearance.

“What are you doing here?”  He gasps out.

“Surprising my best friend, I thought,” she retorts before shaking her head.  “Sorry.  Uncle Iroh told me you’d want to see me, but if you don’t—”

“That’s not what I meant.”  He shakes his head quickly, sending loose strands of hair fluttering to the ground.  He’ll need to brush the chopped ends out if he doesn’t want to shed like Appa for the next few days.  “I just… you didn’t tell me you were coming.”

She smirks in a way that’s very unfair to someone who’s already questioning his lucidity.  

“That’s what makes it a surprise, silly.”

“Right.”  He rubs the back of his neck.  Sheds some more.  He knows she’s seen him worse—Agni, she’s seen him in his old half-bald phoenix plume—but still he wishes he’d had time to prepare for her.  Maybe it would have strengthened him long enough to weather that brief moment of weakness.

“You never answered my question, either,” she says quietly.  Her hand reaches for his shoulder, brushing black strands from his sleeping robes, and he flushes at the contact.  It’s been too long since he’s seen his friends if a simple touch like that feels foreign.  

(Foreign, and wonderful, and if she’s a hallucination, she sure is a detailed one.)

“I… what?”  He blinks.

She sighs heavily.  Whatever she was asking, that was apparently the wrong answer.

“I asked if you were alright, but I’m going to take that as a no.  You’ve been holding out on me.”

Oh.  He must have missed that while she she was brushing him off.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he says anyway.  He just might have lost all coherent thought when he met with Azula earlier today, or right before he took the dagger to his hair, or when he first saw Katara.  Regardless, he doesn’t want her to worry.

She looks him up and down, an appraising expression on her face.  It’s too late to stop her from worrying, then.

“I didn’t just wake you up, did I?  Your hair is still damp.”

“I’ve been awake,” he grumbles, but feels grateful she only points out that his hair is damp, not that it’s… frankly, a complete wreck.

“Well, if you’re not going to bed now… would it be alright if I come in?”

He isn’t used to the amount of hesitance in her voice.  

“Of course.”  They’ve just been standing in his doorway, where anyone passing by could see.  Not that many people would be passing by this time of night, in this wing of the palace.  The only other visitor he would expect would be Uncle, and apparently he’s sent Katara in his place.  Odd, but Zuko supposes he can hear about his trip over morning tea.  

(And he won’t complain about delaying his explanations for his hair a little longer.)

There’s nowhere to sit except on his bed.  Maybe he should have thought that through, but thinking things through is clearly impossible today.  He perches on the edge of the mattress, nodding his head for her to do the same.  She leaves a small gap between them.  He knows that shouldn’t disappoint him, but it does all the same.

“I’m sorry,” he begins, running a hand through his too-short-just-right hair.  “I’m really glad you’re here.  Honest.  I just haven’t been… it’s been a rough day,” he admits quietly.  There’d never been much point in lying to her.  “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”

“Zuko,” she says quietly.  Her hand rests on the soft duvet, fingers inching closer to his, but not touching.  “It’s times like this when I need to see you.”

“What?  So you can heal me if I hurt myself?”  He asks dryly.  Come to think of it, the back of his neck stings.  Maybe he did nick the skin there.

“No—I mean, I would, of course, but—spirits, I’m your friend.  Do you really think I wouldn’t want to be here for you?”

She has a point.  It would be an insult to her compassion to push her away now.

And he doesn’t want to.  

“Sorry,” he mumbles.  “I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Of course you didn’t.”  She lets out a breath, a half-laugh, and slips her pinkie over his.  The touch is so light it might be an accident, but it still grounds him.

She’s here.  She’s real.

“Azula thought I was Ozai,” he blurts out.  His gaze tears away from their brushing fingers, to the fist clenched in his lap.  “She was supposed to be released from the rehabilitation center today, and I swear she’s lucid now, and… it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.”  Her hand finally squeezes his.  It’s like that one action draws out his tension, siphons it away.  “You’re worried she’s right.  That you look like your father.”

He flinches at hearing her say it out loud.  She’s always been able to see right through him, but it’s still better than having to explain it himself.

“I don’t want to be anything like him.  I don’t want to keep looking over my shoulder every time I pass a mirror, thinking he’s—thinking he’s there.”  He winces.  

Stupid.  Pathetic.  All the ways Ozai used to make him feel… apparently still does make him feel. 

She just nods, though, as if that’s the most reasonable thing in the world.

“The haircut will help.  It suits you better, anyway.”

He turns to stone when her fingers comb through the jagged ends.  She must realize it, because she pulls away.

“Sorry.  I just—saw some bits still stuck in there.”  She blushes.

“I don’t mind,” he croaks out, throat suddenly dry.  He clears it with a cough.  “Actually, would you… would you mind fixing it up for me?  I couldn’t see the back very well.”  Not that he’d been really looking when he hacked it off.  

“I’d love to.” 

He feels like a little kid again, sitting cross-legged at the foot of his bed after providing Katara with the necessary supplies.  Her bare feet swing down on either side of him, bracketing his shoulders.

“Hold still,” she says when he squirms, “or you’ll be getting a taste of stinky waterbender feet.”  She wiggles her toes next to his face, and he laughs.

“Better than stinky earthbender feet.”  

He’ll never forget waking up with Toph’s feet in his face, demanding that he carry her on his back.  It was what he deserved after burning her soles that one time, but she still reeked.  He was half convinced she smeared them with mud beforehand just to mess with him.

Katara goes silent.  Was he joke that bad?  Or maybe she’s just realizing how much of a lost cause his hair is.  

“Katara?”  He asks.

“Sorry.”  She starts brushing out his hair.  Each stroke sweeps away some of the worries crowding his mind.  “I was just thinking… it’s been a while since I heard you laugh.”

It’s been a while since he has laughed.  Katara and his friends always brought out the best in him.

His eyes slide shut as she combs away the snipped remnants.  He shouldn’t get used to this.  She’s just doing him a favor, that’s all.

(Even if she did want to touch his hair more often, she can’t.  She won’t be staying in the Fire Nation long.)

(She never does.)

Scissors snip in his blind spot, right next to his bad ear.  He suppresses a flinch.  The one nice thing about keeping long hair was that he didn’t need anything sharp near the scarred half of his face.

“Your hair is so soft,” Katara says enviously.  “Is there some kind of secret washing regimen for Fire Lords?”

“I just use whatever my attendants set out for me.”  That probably sounds spoiled, doesn’t it?  It’s not like the palace servants will allow him to go out with his hair unwashed.

Agni, even they are going to kill him if Katara can’t get his hair under control.

“Well I’m stealing it.”

He grins at that, though he should be intimidated.  It’s hard enough to resist touching Katara’s hair as it is.  Any softer, and it’ll practically be a magnet pulling him towards her.

Bits of hair fall on his shoulders, litter the red towel spread beneath him.  He’s surprised she’s found that much to cut.  He doesn’t have a mirror right now, so he can’t check to see how it looks.  He’ll just have to trust her.

Luckily, he’s still used to that.

“Thank you, Katara.”

“Don’t thank me just yet.  I might still give you a warrior’s wolftail by accident.”

He smiles, picturing it.  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.  The looks on the council’s faces would be priceless.”

She laughs.  “You could start a new trend.  Bring Water Tribe fashion to the big city.”

He’d like to bring more of the Water Tribe here than just that.  But he knows he can’t ask Katara to stay.  He’d said it right all those years ago: she rises with the moon, and he rises with the sun.  They share the sky for just long enough to catch glimpses of her, before she disappears back to the bottom of the world.

He’s spent too long in the theater scrolls again, if he’s waxing this poetic.  Better turn his thoughts to more practical matters.

“Would a wolftail be able to hold up my crown?”

“Theoretically,” she says between snips.  He doesn’t flinch at them anymore.  “But, I mean… were you being serious?”

He blushes, suddenly unsure.  After all, he’s not a Water Tribe warrior.

“If I’m allowed to,” he admits quietly.  “I don’t know what the rules are, if it’s like a phoenix plume, or if I have to be judged worthy to—”

A loud snip, and a chunk of his hair falls to the ground.  She curses under her breath; it almost makes him laugh.  She’d never been one to curse when they’d traveled together.

“I don’t think I have much of a choice.  I cut this part too short; I’m not sure anything else will work now.  I’m so sorry.”

He risks a glance over his shoulder.  She’s biting her lip, glaring down at her scissors like they should glue his hair back together.

“I’m sure it’ll be fine, Katara.  You really couldn’t make it any worse.”

“I could’ve made you bald.”

This time he does laugh.  “Well, you didn’t.  But even if you did, I wouldn’t be upset.  No one could say I look like Ozai anymore.”

Her brow creases in pity.  It’s not what he wanted—he’d been trying to reassure her.  

She reaches down to brush his remaining bangs away from his face.  The touch shocks through his system like ice.

“You’re nothing like him,” she says softly.  “I wish I could make you see that.”

His lips won’t move to speak.  Some incoherent noise might have passed through them, but Katara doesn’t point it out.  She just combs his hair back, and removes the tail of her own braid to bind his hair at the back of his skull.

“Almost done.”

He has to face her for this last part, where she shears away the hair along the sides of his head, above his ears. It’s difficult to look anywhere besides her blue eyes.  He tries to, though; he doesn’t want her to feel him staring.

“Is this weird?”  She asks, her hands steady as she sends bits of hair fluttering down to his shoulders.

He almost shrugs before realizing it might mess her up.  “Yujin—one of my attendants—usually cuts my hair for me.  She’s great, but… I like this too,” he admits.  “You’re very talented.”

“Thank you, but that’s not what I meant.”  She smirks.

“Then—what did you mean?”  His brow furrows.

“You’re kneeling.”  Her eyes flicker down to his legs, which are tucked beneath him.  “I just meant, since you’re the Fire Lord, you probably don’t do this much.”

“How else were you supposed to reach my head?”

She pulls the shears back and laughs.  When her eyes open again, they’re soft as water.

“You haven’t changed.  I didn’t think you had, from your letters, but it’s still good to see.”

“Thank you?”

“That is a compliment, I promise.”  She smiles, coming her fingers through the ends of his new wolftail.  It feels thicker and stubbier than a phoenix plume, and a little itchy on the sides, where his hair is much shorter now.

Hasn’t he changed?  He never felt like he was going this crazy before.  But strangely… after sitting here with her, he finds some of his worries aren’t as loud.  Maybe it’s that he can’t see long strands of black hanging in the corners of his vision.  Maybe it’s some kind of waterbending healing she worked in while his eyes were shut.  Regardless, a new energy fills him as he accepts her hand and rises to his feet.

“Come on.  Let’s make sure you like the Water Tribe look.  If not, we can always do you up like an Air Nomad.”

He winces.  “I don’t think I could pull off a shaved head as well as Aang.”

“I’m pretty sure you could pull off anything,” she mutters.

“What was that?”

Her eyes widen, and he has to hide a smirk, even if he knows it’s not true.  He sure didn’t pull off the shaved phoenix plume.  But it’s still flattering that she thinks he could.

“Let’s just get you to a mirror.”

She drags him to the corner of his room, where a gold-rimmed standing mirror reflects their forms.  Even trusting that she did a fine job, he finds himself afraid to look at his face.  It took him years to be okay with seeing his reflection at all, to not flinch at the wrinkled red skin on his left side.  Lately, it’s the unmarred side that causes more problems.

But he does look up.  And he looks… nothing like he expected.

A wolftail lies closer to the back of the head, unlike how a phoenix plume would sprout from the middle.  And this wolftail in particular is barely long enough to stay in Katara’s hair tie.  His black hair sprouts up like a tiny circle of grass.  The ridiculousness of it almost makes him laugh.

“You like it?”  She asks when she catches him smiling.

“I love it.”  His hair might look a little silly, but he’s not lying.

Now, instead of thinking of Ozai when he sees his reflection, he’ll think of her.

“Thank you so much, Katara.”

He folds her in a hug.  By the time he worries about it being too much, she’s already squeezing him back, burying her face into the crook of his neck.  The scent of her hair wafts up to him, salty and sweet.  Why did she ever want to borrow his hair products?  Hers feels soft as a turtleduck against his cheek.

“I’m always here for you, you know.  Next time, ask me before you go swinging your knife around, alright?”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” he says carefully, “but you’re not always here.  And I don’t expect you to be.  You have family, and friends, and obligations…”

“Zuko.”  She tugs on the collar of his robe until he looks down at her.  “You’re one of my friends.  So for now, get used to it.”

He blinks.  His heart picks up a stuttering rhythm, one he hasn’t felt since the day he lay in the palace courtyard, pulsing with lightning.

“You—you’re staying?”

“I’ve already talked it over with Uncle.  He said there are some rivers that have dried up, and I might be able to help divert water to towns that need it.  Besides, the South Pole has so many waterbenders now, I was starting to feel redundant.”

She’s staying.  At least for a little while, she’s staying.

He hugs her again.  He couldn’t have stopped himself if he tried.

“Looks like I was missed after all,” she laughs.

He smiles against the top of her head.

“Always.” 

XXX

The next morning, he arrives at the council meeting with a crown in his wolftail, and a waterbender’s palm in his hand.

#zutara #zuko #katara #atla #atla fic #fic tag #tali writes #yeah its been 84 years #found this half-written in my google docs and decided to finish it lol

[ihopuhopwehop]

I like to see your take on one of this: we need more of this prompt

🔥Zutara 🌊

The Ember Island Players doing a play for the Fire Nation's Most Beloved Relationship, Firelord Zuko of the Fire Nation and Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, but the craze doubled when they didn't get together, or did they???

Basically, the whole Fire Nation and selected people from both the Earth Kingdom and Water Tribes creating a system that could get them access to other fan works of the two.

Sokka started it. He lives for a good dose of chaos.

Hello! Thank you so much for being so patient with me as I finish finals! I took my last one yesterday and submitted a ten-page essay :D I am now done!! And as such, I just finished this! I hope you enjoy it!!

I present...

ZUTARA: A MUSICAL

THIS WEEKEND ONLY, FREE ADMISSION TO THE EMBER ISLAND PLAYERS RENDITION OF THE MOST THRILLING TALE OF ROYALTY AND ROMANCE, ZUTARA: THE MUSICAL. DOORS OPEN AT 7:30 PM. COMPLEMENTARY FIRE FLAKES WILL BE SERVED UPON ADMISSION.

Sokka had done a good thing today. Or rather an entertaining thing. He sold his sister out. That’s right, her and Firelord Zuko want to have a secret relationship behind his back while he’s out training warriors in the South Pole, then they’re gonna get what’s coming.

Really, if they had just told him themselves he would have been fine with it…eventually, but having them trust him enough to tell him would have helped him get over it a lot quicker BUT NO instead he found out through Uncle Iroh making an offhanded comment about their children being called steambabies and Sokka being understandably confused and Uncle Iroh nonchalantly mentioning that they were a couple now.

Sokka, at the time, had been so surprised that he spit out his bite of fried armadillo bear meat, which was unfortunate really because Fire Nation cuisine had so many new and delectable flavors. Uncle Iroh had looked alarmed when he realized Sokka had not been told yet, but Sokka really wasn’t paying attention to Iroh’s supposed to-be soothing parables as he figured that must have been why Katara had decided to stay in the Fire Nation this time around instead of coming back home with him. It must also be why Aang had been in a particularly foul mood the last few weeks.

Sokka was brought back to the present as the man at the booth handed him a plump bag of coins.

“Thanks for the tip kid, this play is sure to be a hit. So many people shipped them together already.”

Sokka inwardly blanched at that, knowing that must mean Katara and Zuko were out in public together a lot, but he pushed that thought aside to continue the conversation.

“No problem. Let me know how it goes. Oh and if you could send a script over to King Bumi of the Earth Kingdom, that’d be great. He’s always looking for romance novels to read.”

The greasy man looked at him like he was crazy to suggest sending a king this type of play but nodded his head none-the-less.

“Will do. —” The man paused, “Say, aren’t you Master Katara’s brother?”

Sokka smirked, “That I am. That I am, kind sir.” Sokka then realized he couldn’t let his sister know it was him who released the play, so he held up his boomerang and pointed it at the man’s head, “But you can’t tell her anything! She’d kill me if she knew I told.”

The man’s eyebrows raised in surprise, “So it’s true? Firelord Zuko and Master Katara of the Southern WaterTribe are dating?”

Sokka reeled at that, “No, no! Er, no, I mean, maybe? Who knows, only time will tell, bye now!”

And with that he turned on his heel, proud of his recovery of that conversation.

Katara stormed into Zuko’s meeting room the minute the last fire sage ambled out.

“What the spirits is this?” She asked as she slammed a flyer for ZUTARA:THE MUSICAL down on the large marble table.

Zuko raised an eyebrow as his eyes swept over the page. He was about to respond to her inquiry when she continued in her rage, “Did you tell someone?!?”

Zuko stepped back a space to put a little more distance between her anger and himself, “No of course not! Did you?”

She ran a hand through her dark curls, narrowly avoiding getting them caught in her braids, “Would I be this mad if I told? Of course, I didn’t tell! I haven’t even told Sokka yet!”

That was when Zuko remembered something that he knew would cause a problem from them. He sighed loudly and drug a hand down his face, “We need Uncle in here.” He turned to his assistant standing a few paces behind him in the corner, “Could you please tell my Uncle his presence is requested in the Peace Meeting Room?” As the assistant nodded and turned to leave, Zuko offered a kind ‘thank you’ and turned back to Katara.

“I think Iroh knows.”

Katara looked shocked but then composed herself, realizing it would have only been a matter of time before he knew since they were always working in close quarters anyway.

“What makes you think he knows?” She asked as she moved to sit down in a previously vacated seat.

Zuko didn’t answer for a minute and Katara realized he looked a little embarrassed. “What Zuko? Why would he know?”  

“I believe he was having tea in the garden when we were watching the turtleducks last week. I hadn’t noticed he was there until he mentioned during our weekly tea time that sleeping by the pond may not be the safest thing to do, but he was glad I had a waterbender by my side to do it.”

Katara groaned, “Of course Iroh knows! He’s too smart not too!” Katara then paused as she remembered the day by the pond. Her and Zuko had gone to watch the turtleducks and fell asleep in each other’s arms. Then when they had woken up, her and Zuko chased each other around the pond, which ended up in her pushing him into the pond with his full Firelord Regala on. It was hilarious watching the turtleducks swim up to him as he pouted in the water.

She giggled a little as she thought of his face and noticed Zuko’s features soften in real time.

“We’ll figure it out Kat. Plus, he was bound to know sometime right? As long as he didn’t tell anyone else…”

“But who told! Do you think it was one of the guards? Or your assistant?”

“They’ve been instructed not to, I highly doubt they would disobey my orders on something like this.”

She raised an eyebrow, “’something like this’?” She questioned.

Zuko grimaced knowing he had said the wrong words, “Something that isn’t relevant to war, peace, or the outcome of humanity. Us dating isn’t a big deal unless we get engaged or the public finds out too soon.”

Katara pursed her lips, “Maybe not a big deal to you, but I had to turn down the Avatar. That’s bound to have some repercussions if people find out.”

Zuko shook his head, “You turned down Aang, our friend.”

Katara was starting to get angry, “Yeah, our friend, The Avatar, who thought it was his destiny to marry me! You don’t think Aang would have told just to get back at us do you? I don’t think he would but if he was hurt enough…” Katara trailed off worriedly.

“I highly doubt he had time to tell anyone. He went with Toph to the Western Air Temple to restore the architecture, he would have had his hands full with that.”

Katara nodded slightly thinking over who could have told, but the only people that had appeared to know were the palace workers, Iroh, and Aang.

Zuko sat down beside her, putting a hand over the one she had resting on the table. “We’ll figure it out Kat. For now let’s talk to Uncle and see if he knows anything.” Just as he leaned forward to give her a kiss, he noticed his Uncle shuffle through the large, oval doors. He pulled back and tried not to smirk at Katara’s disappointed face.

His Uncle chuckled, “Don’t stop on my account Nephew. I got an eyeful last week.”

Zuko scowled at him, “Uncle, tell me you didn’t tell anyone?”

His Uncle took on a guilty face causing Katara to bang her head on the table and Zuko to groan.

“Uncle!”

“It was an accident! I was having lunch with Master Katara’s brother upon his arrival yesterday, and he pulled it out of me! He is a master of persuasion that one.”

Katara chuckled, but then stopped as she realized this meant that Sokka knows. “Sokka knows? As in, he knows?!”

She stood up abruptly, “What did you tell him?!”

Uncle Iroh looked sheepish, “Er. That your children would be called steambabies.”

Katara gaped while Zuko flushed in embarrassment, “Uncle! You didn’t!”

“Ah. But I did. So sorry Zuko, but a friend of mine from the Northern Water Tribe sent me a scroll that a student of his had written about you and Lady Katara that mentioned the clever name. Apparently, many people are speculating on your relationship. Some even encourage it by writing.”

Zuko furrowed his brow, “What do you mean “encourage it by writing?”

His Uncle smiled, “I mean romance scrolls, nephew.”

Zuko banged his head on the table while Katara gasped slightly. “You mean people are writing stories about us! What kind of stories! How did they even know? I hope my dad hasn’t heard about this yet.”

“Ah, the soul of the world is always searching for new love. Especially when a good story, such as two royals come about. Adds dramatic effect.”

At this Zuko grabbed the previously forgotten flyer and slid it harshly towards his Uncle, “Did you have anything to do with this Uncle?”

His Uncle beamed, “No, but I wish I had. A musical! How creative!”

Katara and Zuko both groaned.

After a short pause of her and Zuko thinking, and Iroh requesting a pot of Jasmine tea, Katara spoke again, “We need to speak to Sokka.”

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

Sokka strolled happily back up the steps of his sister’s boyfriend’s palace and was met with a guard and a servant.

“Master Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, your presence is requested in Lady Katara’s living quarters.”

Sokka smirked, knowing he was about to tease his sister beyond belief. That, or freak out, depending on what she was doing with Zuko when he got there.

“Alright, is she, alone, by chance?”

The servant hesitated before answering, “I believe she is with Firelord Zuko and Royal Advisor and Dragon of the West, Iroh Sozin.”

Sokka furrowed his brows in confusion over Iroh being there but didn’t think much of it as he ascended the steps towards her bedroom.

He slammed both doors open as he strutted through the door, “Hello Princess Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, daughter of Chief Hakoda, sister of the handsome Master Sokka, friend of the Avatar, and girlfriend to—”

Katara interrupted his speech unfortunately, with Uncle Iroh watching in pleased amusement. “Alright we get it, you know. But did you tell anyone Sokka, because if you did, so help me…”

Before she could roll out any threat Sokka interrupted her, “Excuse me! If you had just told me yourself this wouldn’t have happened!”

Katara’s eyes narrowed as Zuko raised his brow in surprise, “What wouldn’t have happened Sokka?”

He stuttered, “Er- uh, I wouldn’t have choked on my armadillo bear meat?”

Iroh nodded sagely, remembering the night before.  

“Sokka,” she said in warning, drawing out the last syllable of his name.

“Ok, alright fine! I implied you were dating but I didn’t confirm it! I left it up to the viewers discretion!”

Katara and Zuko both looked surprised and then turned to anger.

“Sokka! —” Zuko started.

“You did this?!” Katara finished punctuating her sentence with thrusting a paper at him.

He looked down at the paper to see a flyer for the musical, “Man, word travels fast here.” He mumbled under his breath.

“Yeah word does travel fast here, and because of you people know that their nation’s leader is dating the daughter of the Southern Water Tribe! Do you know what this could do?! Other nations could be mad that they found out so callously, think that the Water Tribe will get more resources because of our relationship, or Agni, even be mad she’s not dating the Avatar! Why would you do this?!” Zuko asked raising his voice.

“Hey! If you guys had just told me from the beginning that you were dating, no one else would have had to know! Instead I find out because you are having steambabies!”

“I was planning to tell you when you got here, but Iroh beat me to it! And besides, we just wanted some privacy before everyone else found out! Is that so bad?” Katara asked, feeling guilty for not telling her family yet, but knowing she wouldn’t take back the last few weeks for anything.

“How long has this been going on?” Sokka asked angrily when he noticed Zuko reach out to touch Katara’s elbow. His eyes flashed between the two of them.

Katara hesitated while Zuko answered quietly, “about a month and a half.”

Sokka blanched, “Before I even left! What, you couldn’t even write me a letter Katara or or—explain why you didn’t come back with me?! I had to explain to the tribe that their princess was staying with the Firelord for some unknown reason! And not to mention Aang stopped by and was moody all week leaving everyone to believe something happened between you two, and I still had no idea why my sister wasn’t there with me.”

Sokka realized he wasn’t hurt because they wanted privacy, he was hurt that Katara had chosen not to tell him why she was abandoning their trip back home.

Sokka was pulled out of his head when Katara placed a hand on his shoulder, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you the reason I wasn’t going back yet. I just wanted some time alone to sort things out with Zuko and figure out the best way to tell you and the tribe I was dating the Firelord. Can you forgive me?”

Sokka thought about it for a second before nodding petulantly.

Katara quirked a smile, “Good. Because I need you to meet my boyfriend.” Katara was now smirking and Zuko was beaming at her.

Sokka gagged, “Gross! Don’t go all googly-eyed in front of me Sparky!”

Katara laughed, “Then you’re really not going to like this!” Katara let go of his shoulder and crossed the room to kiss Zuko passionately with Sokka gaping and Uncle Iroh chuckling.

“Eww! Oogies! Stop, stop! You just told me, ease me into the affection won’t you!” Sokka covered his eyes and only looked up when he heard Katara laughing and Zuko turning red from embarrassment.

“Like you and Suki don’t kiss all the time!” Katara waggled her eyebrows as Iroh stood up.

“Ah, young love. Lovely to be but hard to see.” He said as he ambled out the door with a short wave to them all.

They all burst out laughing at his odd parable and then continued chatting into the night, including Katara explaining what happened between her and Aang and Sokka giving Zuko a warning not to hurt his sister.

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

A servant walked up to the throne of Earth King Bumi and bowed as he bestowed a scroll to him.

Bumi quirked an eyebrow at the unexpected mail and snatched it out of his friends’ hand.

His eyes widened in joy as he read the title of ZUTARA: A MUSICAL. His hooting laugh and a few snorts echoed throughout the room as he continued reading the dialogue between Master Katara and Firelord Zuko.

“Zu Li, send a copy of this dialogue to Piandao of the Fire Nation, Pakku of the Northern and Southern Water Tribe, and…Toph Beifong of the Beifong Family. They will be sure to enjoy this script.” He continued snorting as the servant made to take and copy the scroll.

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

Master Piandao was not surprised to learn that his former pupil and current Firelord, Zuko, was dating Master Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Before the final battle of the war, they had seemed very close to each other. He was only surprised it took them this long to figure everything out. None-the-less, he thought it a good idea to stop by the play, especially since Ember Island was not far from his vacation home. He could use a good vacation and a play to lighten his spirits.

He packed up his carry-on, including a sword gifted to him by Sokka, created by his metal bending friend, and boarded a faery across the way.

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

Mater Pakku of the Northern and Southern Water Tribe scanned the scroll King Bumi had sent him, wondering why on earth the crazy king would choose to send a play about his granddaughter dating the Firelord to him. Was this a hint? He thought. Did King Bumi know something he didn’t?

There was only one way to find out.

Attend the Musical that would be played in two days’ time. Hopefully the fire nation will be able to clear a few things up for him. He packed up his things, kissed Kanna goodbye, saying he had business to attend to in the Fire Nation, and readied the ship that would take him to Ember Island. He decided not to tell Kanna about her granddaughter’s happenings unless something was actually happening.

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

Aang brought a scroll that had been delivered to the Western Air Temple for Toph, over to her handmade earth house and walked in without knocking.

“Toph! You have a letter!” He called as he moved into the house and rummaged through her cabinets for some fresh fruit.

“Twinkle Toes, we’ve been over this, I’m blind! You’re going to have to read it to me.” Toph said as she moved into the kitchen to sit at the table across from where Aang had sat to eat her food.

Aang sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, “Right. Sorry. Um, okay…” He went to unroll the scroll and promptly frowned at what he saw. ZUATARA: THE MUSICAL? Had Katara and Zuko already announced they were dating? He knew they were but they had said they would give him a warning before they told everyone so that he would be prepared for the questions about his and Katara’s own failed relationship.

“What is it?” Toph asked curiously as she noticed Aang heartbeat pick up.

“Um.” He had yet to tell Toph that Katara and Zuko were dating and he wasn’t sure it was his place to do so. But if they can publish a play about it, surely he could tell Toph.

“King Bumi sent a script of a play. Um, a musical to be exact.”

Toph’s face brightened, “Really! What is it this time!? He sent me a few leaflets a few weeks ago, I’ve been waiting for more!”  [pretend that braille is a thing back then and that king bumi normally sends her stories made with earth that has braille on it :)]

Aang scratched the back of his head again, “Zutara.” He mumbled quietly. He was surprised when Toph’s smile got even wider.

“No way! Did they finally get their crap together? Or is it just another romance scroll that ships them?”

Aang spluttered, “another romance scroll? You mean there’s more of Zuko and Katara?”

Toph schooled her features, “No. There is none of Zuko and Katara. Speaking of which, how are you and Katara doing, by the way?”

She noticed his heartbeat pick up again and wondered if that was a good or bad thing.

“We uh—well we broke up I guess? We were never really official, but I had assumed we would be together, but she rejected me several weeks ago because she said her and Zuko were dating…” He trailed off at Toph’s excited, “Alright!!”

He stared at her for a moment until she continued, “I mean. I’m sorry you and Sugar Queen didn’t work out Twinkle Toes, but really it’s for the best. No offence. Zuko and Katara have been dancing around their feelings for each other for ages and then when he took that bolt of lightening for her, I just knew they would be together! But anyways, how are you handling this?”

“I mean, I’m okay now. It was hard at first because it was so unexpected but then they said they would wait to tell everyone so I could have some time to get myself together. Guess that only meant a few weeks though if they are okay with a musical being made about them.”

“No way, this has Snoozles written all over it. I bet he found out and wanted to mess with them.”

Aang hadn’t considered that Sokka did not know yet, but if he had found out, he was sure Sokka would do something to cause drama. There was a lull in the conversation as Toph and Aang both thought about what the musical meant.

“There’s only one way to find out if they’re telling people.”

Aang sighed, “We have to go, don’t we?”

Toph let out a decidedly more girly grunt then Aang had ever heard her make and she jumped up from the table, “Let’s go see a musical!!”

Aang smirked, “You’re blind Sifu Toph, you can’t see a musical.”

“Spirits, Aang, you can see, can’t you? So my point still stands! Maybe we’ll even get a seat on the ground floor so I can see!”

Aang shook his head while Toph ran back towards her room to begin packing. He was excited to be getting a short break but seeing a musical about how his forever girl chose someone else was not what he had in mind. Oh well, Toph would need someone to steer Appa.

 ----------------------------------

Uncle Iroh had bought 2 extra tickets for the musical. He had received letters from Piandao and Pakku stating they would be coming this weekend to catch the musical. He wrote back saying he secured a seat for them both, while ignoring Pakku’s questions about his nephew and Pakku’s granddaughter’s relationship. Pakku would find out soon enough.

He also secured enough bags of fireflakes to enjoy throughout the play, along with some ginseng tea for himself. Dinner and a show were Iroh’s cup of tea.

He noticed that Sokka had also secured two extra tickets, though Iroh was not sure whether it was for Toph and Aang or perhaps Suki and someone else. But he would find out soon enough.

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

Katara’s POV:

Zuko and Katara had debated on whether or not they should go. If they went, they could play off the musical as a joke, but if they didn’t there would be no news to confirm it either. In the end, Sokka had convinced them to go so he could brag about his playwriting skills, even if Katara thought it was weird that her brother wrote a romance play about her.

Sokka had also warned her that Aang and Toph would be coming, which worried Katara, at least for Aang’s sake, but also upped their credibility if they decided to play it off as a funny musical with no truth to it.

None-the-less she was excited to have almost the whole gang together again, even if for something as stupid as a musical. Though, Katara thought it was a better reason to be together than because of a raging war.

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

It was now the first showing of ZUTARA: A MUSICAL and Sokka was thriving.

He was an hour early to his written show and already half the auditorium was filled. He had also gone backstage to see how the Ember Island Players created costumes and such, and they had done spectacular, though Zuko’s scar was still on the wrong side. Sokka thought that added comedic effect so he left it be.

Just then someone punched him in the arm, making his spill his bag of fireflakes.

“Ow! Watch it— oh, its you.” He said to Toph petulantly.

Toph grinned, “Hello Snoozles. How’s the play coming?”

Sokka grinned, “It’s great the costumes are amazing! They left Zuko’s scar on the wrong side like before.”

Toph chuckled, “Classic. Now where’s Sugar Queen and Sparky?”

“Zuko’s coming with Iroh later and Katara went to the bathroom. She thought it’d be better for them to come separately.”

Toph raised her eyebrows, “Wait so they aren’t dating?”

“Shh!!” Sokka whispered, though no one was around their families seat since Zuko let them sit in a Royal Suite. He then leaned closer to Toph to continue their conversation, “They are dating but they don’t want to announce it yet. And anyways, where’s Aang? I thought he was coming?”

“He went to get some more fireflakes.”

Sokka pouted, “I wish I had fireflakes, but somebody just had to punch them out of my hand!”

Toph snickered, “Stop whining. You’re a guest to the FireLord, just order someone to get some more for you.”

Sokka looked aghast, “I’m not going to order them to do it, I’ll just ask Aang for some of his. We can share like old times.”

Toph smiled lightly, “Hopefully this play will end better than the other one.”

“If they kept my ending the same, it should.” Sokka assured.

Just then Katara, Aang, and Pakku walked in. Sokka was surprised to see his step-grandfather in the fire nation.

“Pakku?! What are you doing here?”

Sokka stood to greet him and noticed him eyeballing Katara and Aang chatting amicably in the doorway.

Pakku smiled slightly, “I came to see if the rumor about my granddaughter was true, though judging by her and Aang, I’d say they are not.”

Sokka replied after he hugged Pakku, “Oh no. They are, the people just don’t know it yet, so if you could keep it on the down low that’d be great.”

Pakku looked at Sokka like he was 400-foot-tall purple platypus-bear with pink horns and silver wings.

“What do you mean they’re true!?! Katara is dating Zuko, the FIRELORD!?” Pakku’s outrage was met with four people shushing him before Katara came over to explain.

“Pakku, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner, but we wanted to work everything out first and then tell the tribe. No body else knows besides those in this booth, so please don’t tell anyone else, not even Gran-Gran.”

Pakku opened his mouth to argue until Aang came up and hugged him. “Long time no see Master Pakku. How are things in the Poles?”

That was enough to distract Pakku for the moment, which Katara was thankful for.

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

Zuko had on his casual FireLord Tunic, instead of the entire ensemble. Uncle Iroh had said casual wear would be fine for the night since it was not a peace meeting or something like it. It was just a night on the town.

Even so, Zuko kept fidgeting with the edge of his sleeves. He was so nervous. He didn’t want to make a mistake and accidently kiss Katara in front of everyone and he also didn’t know how the play would turn out. It was nerve-wracking, especially knowing Pakku and Piandao were also here to see the play about a rumored romance regarding himself.

He thought it really weird.

As he walked beside Uncle and Piandao into the Ember Island auditorium and up the steps to the royal suite, he couldn’t help but get more nervous as camera’s shuttered around them. [I don’t know if cameras were a thing back then but if LOK can have everything they did, surely some type of camera would have been invented, even if it’s a crappy one]

He made sure to stand tall and not look directly at them so he could avoid any unwanted questioning and when he made it into the suite, he sat in between Sokka and Uncle so that no one would suspect anything of his and Katara.

But it was so hard.

He really wanted to hold her hand or something, but with Pakku behind him and the possibility of someone seeing him, he didn’t risk it.

And it seemed Sokka was enjoying his torture because he kept throwing slick glances his way and then failing to suppress a smirk.

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

Katara chewed on her lip as the lights finally went down. She was worried about Pakku threatening Zuko, about the play, and about what the public would say. She hoped they would accept them being together, but she knew it wouldn’t be that easy. Especially because she was a waterbender from the South Pole.

Either way, she pushed these thoughts aside to focus on what Sokka called his “creative genius”.

 His creative genius disappointed her as her character’s first song was about hope. She threw Sokka a hard glare as she noticed both him and Zuko trying to suppress their laughter. They weren’t very good at it, and when Toph starting laughing loudly, they too burst into uncontrollable laughter. She smacked both of them on the back of the head and then faced forward with her arms crossed. She thought she even heard Aang giggling and that just made it all worse.

 ----------------------------------

Several scenes later and now Katara was the one smirking. The play had Zuko’s character singing about teen angst and turtle ducks, which she found hilarious because only Zuko’s friends would know that the angsty Firelord truly adored turtle ducks.

Her, Sokka, and Aang all shared a look before glancing at Zuko and when his face shifted into a scowl, they couldn’t help but burst into raucous laughter, with Uncle Iroh, Piandao, and Toph joining in.

Zuko scowled even further.

  ----------------------------------

It seemed Sokka had based a lot of the story from real life events that were dramatized.

Instead of Aunt Wu predicting she’d marry a “powerful bender”, he changed it to a “powerful firebender” but then ended that scene with Aunt Wu being wrong about everything so Katara wasn’t sure why Sokka would even change it if he was just going to discredit Aunt Wu anyways.

 He had Zuko save Katara from falling rocks, but instead of her real reply of “Okay, you can get off me now!” Sokka changed it to, “Oh Zuko! You have given me rock hard hope!” Causing everyone to groan and Katara to flick Sokka on the harm.

 Instead of Zuko saying “I’m never happy”, Sokka changed it to “I’m only happy with Katara.” The actor for Zuko had added a dramatic hair flip after he said the line, which had Katara giggling.

 At one point, Sokka had written Zuko singing a song with the phrase, “That’s rough buddy” after each character of Team Avatar revealed something that had happened before Zuko joined the group. Both Zuko and Sokka had shared a glance and a laugh when that happened, though Katara wasn’t sure what the significance was.

 Really, the play was overly dramatic and ridiculous, but it was quite funny, especially if you knew what actually happened and knew Sokka changed it to be lighter than it actually was at the time. It helped Katara think back on those hard days without as much sadness as she normally had when she thought about them.

Nearing the end, Katara was thankful that Sokka had not included Zuko being struck with lightening from his own sister…Katara didn’t know if any of them could handle that, but especially not the members of the Fire Nation Royal Family.

 The closing scene was very ambiguous, which Katara was grateful for. It would make playing it off as a joke much easier.

It ended much how the end of the war had, with Zuko and Aang speaking to the crowd and Suki, Sokka, Toph, and herself holding hands behind them while they finished their song about peace.

The final note ended and the entire theatre blew up in applause and whistles. Eventually, the audience stood up and continued their praise, with Sokka bowing theatrically even though no one knew he had written the play.

Katara politely clapped while she caught Zuko’s eye. He nodded his head at her and she smiled back at him.

As the group descended the stairs from the Royal Booth, they were surrounded by a large crowd of people asking questions. The main one being if Katara and Zuko were a couple. One person even asked if Toph and Aang were a couple, which had both of the young teens blushing furiously.

Zuko’s only comment was that the musical was very well written and he hoped that whoever the playwright was, they had more in store for the Ember Island players.

Katara said the play was dramatic and that the humor was a lot like her brother’s.

The group thought they were in the clear and headed towards the main doors…

until Uncle Iroh stopped Katara in front of the ostrich horses they rode on and very publicly asked her if she would be joining his nephew for dinner tonight, leaving everyone to groan and the reporters to swarm again.

 THE END :)

also, thank you to @clarensjoy for teaching me how to do the “keep reading” thing lol  it helped a lot. 

#zutara #not canon compliant #ember island players #uncle iroh bc i love mr. tea man #make tea not war #atla #gaang #hehe #:) #thanks for the prompt

[living-on-kyoshi]

scars and swords: chapter 2

Y/N had been a Freedom Fighter her whole life alongside Jet, her first love and closest friend. They had been together through thick and thin, no matter the circumstance. When they decide to leave the vigilante life behind and move to Ba Sing Sei, they’re reunited with the Gaang and things take an unexpected twist.

ch. 1 

pairings: jet x f!reader, sokka x f!reader

warnings: angst

a/n: thank you all so so much for the love on chapter 1! i was kind of anxious to put this out there since i’ve never really written before but i’ve had so much positive feedback so it makes me feel so much better knowing everyone enjoyed it! i hope you all enjoy reading chapter 2, this chapter gets things rolling pretty fast, but it’s all because the first 3 chapters are all still part of the “jet” episode. i don’t have much else to say but yeah haha enjoy!

When night fell, the lanterns all throughout the treehouse beautifully lit up the whole hideout. The group was gathered around the table. Y/N sat next to Jet, taking a bite out of the recently acquired food from the Fire Nation soldiers. As much as she hated the Fire Nation, they always had some good food. Y/N sat across from Sokka and smiled at him. He pressed his lips together at her and looked down at his lap. Her shoulders fell and she frowned. They only knew each other for a day, had he already caught feelings for her? Her thoughts were interrupted by Jet standing up to make a toast.

“Today, we struck another blow, against the Fire Nation swine.” He said as he held his cup up. Everyone cheered. Aang and Katara smiled, while Sokka sat with his arms crossed. Jet continued his toast as Y/N finished her food, noticing how Sokka remained unimpressed with Jet’s speech. On the other hand, Katara and Aang were amazed by him. Y/N had to admit, Jet was incredibly charming. She couldn’t entirely blame Katara for swooning over him. As Jet concluded his speech, he walked over to sit next to Katara. Y/N rolled her eyes and ignored him. She grabbed an apple and decided to head up to her tent early. 

------

As Y/N headed out of her tent early that morning, she saw Sokka. She smiled and headed towards him. “You’re up early.” She said as she walked next to him.

“Yeah, last night Jet asked me to join you guys on a mission today,” Sokka said as they both headed across the bridge.

“That’s great! I know you don’t really like Jet but when you get to know him, he’s great. He’s always standing up for what’s right and you seem like you’d do the same.” Y/N continued. Sokka shrugged his shoulders. 

“I don’t think that he and I see things the same way.” He said as he grabbed a rope to head down the treehouse.

“Y/N, wait up.” Jet said as he headed towards the two of them. He came and stood close to Y/N and put his arm around her to face Sokka. Sokka ignored him and headed down the treehouse. Y/N released herself from Jet’s touch. 

“What was that for?” she asked curiously. Jet shrugged as he grabbed a rope.

“Nothing. Just wanted to make sure he knows you’re my girl.” He said, pulling Y/N close to her to head down the treehouse. Y/N held onto him tightly the whole time, trying not to make eye contact with him. He looked at her the whole time. Once they reached the ground, Y/N left his embrace and started walking towards the trail. Jet followed close behind her, signaling the group to head in that direction.

Once they arrived where they wanted to be, Jet instructed the group to head up the trees. As Y/N began climbing, Jet came to her side.

“Let me help you,” He said, putting his hands out getting ready to boost her up. She squinted her eyes at him.

“Do I look like I need help?” She said as she began scaling the tree. Jet smiled at her as he began to head up. Once they reached a branch, Y/N noticed Sokka on a branch just above her. She climbed up to him and stood next to him. He moved an inch away from her. Y/N observed him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him. Before he could speak, Jet called to them from the branch below them.

“Be on the lookout guys,” He said. He did his bird call to the rest of the group who were spread out across the forest. Sokka shoved his machete into the tree.

“What are you doing?” Jet whispered to him. Sokka got close to the end of the machete.

“Shh, it amplifies vibrations.” He replied. Y/N nodded to him in amazement. 

“Good trick,” Jet said smiling. Sokka listened for the vibrations for a moment.

“Nothing yet,” He said at first, “Wait, yes! Someone’s approaching.” Sokka continued.

“How many?” Y/N asked as she hopped down to the branch Jet was on.

“I think they’re just one,” Sokka stated. Jet signaled the rest of the group with the bird call. He turned back up to Sokka.

“Good work, Sokka. Ready your weapon.” Jet said. Sokka pulled his blade out from the tree, noticing the person approaching.

“Wait! False alarm. He’s just an old man.” Sokka said. Not noticing what Sokka said, Jet drew his swords and jumped down from the tree, landing in front of the passerby. Y/N looked back to Sokka, nodding to him to head down the tree. Sokka shook his head to her as the rest of the group began attacking the man. 

“No Y/N, you know it’s not right. He’s a harmless old man.” Sokka said to her, jumping down to the branch she was on.

“We don’t know that. Besides, he’s Fire Nation. That’s more than enough reason.” Y/N said, lying to herself and Sokka. Sokka gave her a look, reading through her lie. Deep down, she knew that harming an innocent man was wrong. But she didn’t want to admit it, she was still so angry about what happened to her and Jet when they were kids. As Jet began to attack the old man, Sokka jumped in, blocking Jet’s attack with his club. Y/N jumped down from the tree right after Sokka and ran towards Jet. 

“Jet, he’s just an old man!” Sokka said to him as Jet fought out of Sokka’s block. He turned to Jet and stood over him. 

“He’s Fire Nation. Search him!” Jet shouted, glaring at Sokka.

“But he’s not hurting anyone,” Sokka yelled back at Jet. Smellerbee, Pipsqueak, and Y/N searched the old man as Jet and Sokka continued to argue.

“Have you forgotten that the Fire Nation killed your mother? Remember why you fight!” Jet said to Sokka. Smellerbee held up the old man’s bag.

“We got his stuff, Jet.” She said to him. Jet and Sokka continued their argument.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Sokka said, looking to Y/N for approval. She looked down, breaking eye contact with him. Jet looked back at Y/N and then back to Sokka.

“It’s what has to be done. Now let’s get out of here.” Jet said, pushing Sokka out of the way. The rest of the group followed Jet, while Sokka and Y/N stayed back for a bit. Y/N tapped Sokka’s arm.

“C’mon Sokka, let’s go.” She said as he looked at the old man with sadness and conflict. He sighed and followed Y/N back to the hideout. 

------

Y/N sat in the tent with Jet and Smellerbee as they looked through the old man’s bag. Smellerbee pulled out a knife that held poison in it. 

“I knew it.” Jet said as he took the knife from her hand. He observed it for a minute before placing it next to his bed. Smellerbee took the bag and headed out of the tent, leaving Y/N and Jet alone. 

“Do you not trust me?” He asked looking down at the floor beneath them. Y/N shot her head up and looked at Jet.

“Jet, what are you talking about? I trust you with my life.” She said as she held his hand in hers. He turned to look at her.

“It’s just,” He paused for a moment. “When Sokka was defending the old man, he looked at you like you believed what he said. So I just thought you don’t trust my judgment.” He turned his gaze from her. She squeezed his hand.

“Of course I trust your judgment. It’s like what you said, remember why you fight.” She said to him softly. He turned to her and smiled. He tucked her hair behind her ear and held her face in his hand. Jet pulled her in and kissed her forehead.

“I do it all for you, I don’t want you getting hurt by the Fire Nation ever again.” Jet said to her quietly. Their faces were so close. She looked into his eyes. She felt bad lying to him. She knew he meant well, but she did feel bad for harming innocent Fire Nation citizens. But at least she knew this time, the man wasn’t innocent. But with Jet’s upcoming plan, she still felt conflicted. She didn’t agree with his plan and didn’t have the heart to tell him. 

Their moment was interrupted by Katara, Aang, and Sokka. Y/N and Jet pulled away from each other before the others could see them. The three kids walked in, questioning Jet about the attack today.

“Sokka, you told them what happened, but you didn’t mention that the guy was Fire Nation?” Jet asked while Sokka stood with his arms crossed. Katara turned back to her older brother.

“No, he conveniently left that part out.” She said, glaring at him. Sokka began to walk up to the rest of them.

“Fine, but even if he was Fire Nation, he was a harmless civilian,” Sokka said, throwing his arms in the air. Sokka looked to Y/N for approval, but Y/N winced at his claim.

“He was an assassin, Sokka.” Y/N said as she looked to Jet, nodding to him to show the knife. Jet shoved the knife into a small tree stump. The group looked in shock at the knife, even Sokka. 

“See? There’s a compartment for poison in the knife.” Y/N said as Jet began opening the slot, revealing the poison.

“He was sent to eliminate me.” Jet said, looking up to Sokka. “You helped save my life, Sokka.” Katara and Aang smiled, while Sokka still remained skeptical.

“I didn’t see any knife,” Sokka said, defending himself.

“That’s because he was concealing it.” Y/N said to the Water Tribe boy. Katara looked to Sokka, reassuring him.

“See, Sokka? I’m sure you just didn’t notice the knife.” She said to him. He turned to her in frustration.

“There was no knife!” Sokka insisted. “I’m going back to the hut and packing my things.” He said as he turned and left the tent. Y/N’s eyes widened as she looked to Jet. He quickly stood up.

“Tell me you guys aren’t leaving yet. We really need your help.” He said to Katara and Aang. Y/N stood up next to him.

“What can we do?” Aang asked them.

“The Fire Nation is planning on burning down our forest.” Y/N began. “If you both use waterbending to fill the reservoir, we could fight the fires.” Y/N said hopefully.

“But if you leave now, they’ll destroy the whole valley.” Jet continued. Katara and Aang looked at each and agreed to help, leaving the tent. Jet smiled at Y/N, satisfied with their half-truth. Y/N gave him a weak smile and embraced him.

------

The next day, Y/N had decided to take Katara and Aang where they needed to water bend, while Jet and the rest of the group prepared for the rest of the plan. The three of them headed down the edge of the forest.

“I’m sorry about how Sokka’s been acting to you and Jet,” Katara said to Y/N.

“No worries Katara. Guys are like that sometimes, you know? Weirdly competitive on their ideas.” Y/N said. Y/N looked back at Aang. “No offense Aang.” Y/N said to the young Avatar. He smiled back at her.

“None taken!” He said cheerily. Y/N smiled at him and looked forward. 

“Besides, I think he and Jet made up. Jet told me he went on a scouting mission with him, Pipsqueak, and Smellerbee. That’s why I’m here with you two.” Y/N continued. Katara and Aang stopped in their tracks and shared a surprised look. Y/N laughed at their look. “Let me guess, he’s not much of the sorry kind.”

“Yeah, he can be pretty stubborn at times,” Katara said. Y/N smiled.

“That’s something Jet and Sokka have in common.” Y/N said as they kept walking. Katara caught up to Y/N walking next to her.

“I just wanted to say that, I didn’t mean to intrude or anything on whatever is going on between you and Jet. I know when I first met you guys I was pretty flustered by him.” Katara said to Y/N quietly, slightly blushing. Y/N shook her head at Katara.

“Katara, don’t worry about it.” Y/N sighed as they kept walking. “Jet and I are a bit complicated. It’s weird. But it isn’t your fault or anything. I promise.” Y/N said with reassurance. Y/N had never had a girlfriend that she could talk about relationship stuff about. Smellerbee was the only other girl in the group, but she was part of the group so it was different. Y/N felt it was difficult to talk to anyone in the group about her feelings towards Jet. Her thoughts were interrupted by Aang being pushed up into the air by a vent in the ground.

“We’re here.” Y/N said. She explained what the two waterbenders had to do to fill the reservoir. Y/N had felt bad about telling them the half-truth about what they were doing, but she knew she couldn’t do anything about it. The last thing she wanted was to hurt Jet’s feelings and make him feel like she doesn’t care about anything he does for her. She watched as they began bending the water. Y/N was fascinated by their water bending. Since she had never seen any other form of bending other than fire, she was absolutely astounded. 

“Amazing! You guys keep working on this, I’m gonna head to the reservoir to make sure everything’s good over there. Jet said when you guys are done to meet him at the hideout.” Y/N said as the water benders nodded at her. She headed back to the reservoir sighing. She’d always been good at lying, but this time her guilt began to sink in.

------

“What do you mean Sokka found out?! He’s going to tell Katara and Aang and I’ve already gained their trust!” Y/N said shouting at Jet. When she reached the reservoir, Jet had filled her in on what had happened while she was asleep the night before. When Jet and the other Freedom Fighters were discussing the plan and bringing supplies to the reservoir, Sokka had overheard and got caught. Jet sent him off with Longshot and Smellerbee so Katara and Aang wouldn’t find out. 

“I took care of it, Y/N it’s fine!” Jet shouted back at her. She raised her eyebrows at him.

“I don’t think you should be underestimating Sokka, he’s smarter than he looks.” Y/N said to him. Jet threw his arms in the air and looked down at her.

“Oh, now you’re on his side?!” Jet said to her. Y/N gave him a shocked look.

“What makes you think I’m on his side?! I’m trying to prevent all of this from blowing over.” She said to him as she crossed her arms.

“You’re saying he’s smarter than he looks, you think he can outsmart me?” Jet said pointing at himself. Y/N threw her arms up and scoffed at him.

“You’re being so dramatic, Jet. Stop trying to change the subject this isn’t about who’s smarter than who it’s about your stupid plan getting messed up.” She said, clenching her jaw. 

“I know you like him, Y/N. You’ve been defending him nonstop. Why don’t you just leave and join Sokka? I bet he can protect you better than me, right?” He said, crossing his arms at her. He turned to look at the edge of the cliff. Y/N felt tears filling up in her eyes. She never thought Jet would tell her to leave.

“You know what, maybe I will leave. At least Sokka will be honest to me about his feelings towards me and he won’t constantly lead me on only to crush my heart.” Y/N felt her voice breaking. “At least he won’t take innocent lives in my name. Saying that he’s protecting me by attacking and killing innocent people knowing it’s wrong. And besides, I don’t need any protection. Especially not yours.” She said. Hot tears rolled down her face as she realized what she’d said to him. Jet didn’t turn to look at her, but she knew what look he had. Realization. She watched his shoulders drop as he looked down. They both stood there in silence for what felt like the longest minute before Jet looked up at the town below them.

“If that’s how you feel, then you can leave with them. You still have their trust.” Jet said quietly to Y/N. Tears kept rolling down Y/N’s face as she realized that Jet didn’t love her the way she loved him. If he did, he wouldn’t have told her to leave. She wiped her face and left him alone at the reservoir. As she left, she noticed Katara and Aang standing nearby behind a bush. Y/N realized that they discovered the truth about everything.

thank you for reading! here’s ch. 3!

#atla #avatar the last airbender #scars and swords fic #jet #sokka #jet atla #jet x reader #jet x y/n #sokka x reader #sokka x y/n #atla fic

[airiustide]

forever young. forever you.

chapter 2/day 2: counterpart

A/N: sorry for posting on tumblr late, work kept me. but here it is, chapter 2. Thank you all for the lovely comments and @zutara-was-robbed for her amazing idea vomiting that helped make this fic possible and her ability to make me laugh.

Summary: After reunion comes joy- at least Katara had hoped. When she finally has the opportunity to confront the stranger, she learns a devastating secret that weights heavy on her heart and soul.

also posted on: AO3

“Speak what we feel, and not what we ought to say. Well, I’m forever young, and you're forever you.” -We are Life by Emarosa

She wasn’t crazy. She hoped.

Katara wants to confront the man in black out in the open, only that would prove to be futile if it really happened to be who she thought it was. No doubt, he would run upon seeing her again like her first day here. She had no evidence it was Zuko but he looked at her, and when he did it was clear that he recognized her.

It took about a week before he crossed her, unnoticed to him. He was taller, much taller. His clothes did not hide his muscle definition and she can tell he was intensively active. Much different from the seventeen-year-old buy she knew but there was no mistaking those eyes.

Once she picked up on his routine, Katara was quick to follow, utilizing every chance between meeting Lotus members and rest to make it just an inch closer to Zuko. She stopped every so feet each time, afraid he might pick up on her stalking- other than the off chance of her being wrong weighing in her mind. No point in turning back now , Katara thought, I am officially labeled a creeper .

It was the same every night. He came out just as the sky turned night, stealthy moving in the dark, through alleyways and barely traveled streets. She remains anonymous as well, choosing clothes colored in dark blue and tying her hair in a low ponytail. He appears from behind an abandoned building again, silently prowling through the streets. This time, he’s not making his usual destination. Katara curses when he stops abruptly a quarter mile from his usual path and turns his head slowly over his shoulder.

Katara stills, biting her lip to hold back anticipated breathing and willing her pounding heart to cease beating in her ears. He’s hesitant for only a moment, facing forward again and slipping into the alley. Katara, darts after him, stopping at the corner. Shock flushed her face. He’s gone!

Cement trickles from above and she barely misses the figure swinging onto the rooftop. Blue eyes widen, shocked to find the stranger peering down at her. In the dark his golden gaze seemed to mock her. Come get me, if you dare, they read. Katara always enjoyed a good challenge. 

*** He’s running ahead of her, hoping from rooftop to rooftop. It felt like they were in sync, the way they ran through the night, his movements as flawless as a languid waterbender. The moon was on her side tonight, providing her the much needed energy to keep up with him. The excitement of it all sang in her blood, heightening her adrenaline.

Katara wanted to laugh with childish delight. Lift a hand out to the sky and feel the wind wisp between her fingers. Never mind that she was chasing after a unknown man but something told her he wasn’t intent on harming her.

She halts gracefully in her tracks when he jumps from one of the rooftops, sliding across a tarp and swinging on the structure holding it up just before he lands on his feet. Katara makes a disappointed groan, knowing this was the end of their game. Instead, she stays on his tracks via rooftop, afraid that if she took the time to crawl down, she might lose him.

She crouches low, cursing herself more than ever. How had she not realized she had wondered into enemy territory. Ozai Society members occupied this area, having scouted  here the week before with the White Lotus under guise.

The man made two raps on the door across the street from where Katara hid, a sharp one thrice, then another two. The door cracks open and Katara can’t make out their voices. The man in black removes his glove and lifts the sleeve of his right arm to reveal a symbol tattooed right below his palm.

She wanted to kick herself. This wasn’t Zuko after all, and she had exposed herself to the enemy. Regardless, she was already here and decided to scope out what was taking place, at least, settling on leaving before the stranger or anyone else decided to come out of the house.

An hour went by, and no one’s left or entered. She’ll have to return home and let the White Lotus know her findings, on top of admitting that she followed an enemy without their knowledge. La, she was in for a scolding. Katara kicks the dust under her feet, preparing for a running start.

“Leaving so soon.” A raspy voice brought her to an abrupt stop.

Katara narrows her eyes, examining the figure carefully approaching her in the dark, contemplating whether to take off or use the opportunity to question the man; though it might turn into a physical confrontation, she was ready for both. “Are you going to make it worth my while if I decided to stay?” She inquires, crossing her arms over her chest.

Amusement flickered in those gold eyes, but he doesn’t reply to her question. “Not very smart coming here.” He tells her.

Katara smiles behind the cloth covering her nose and mouth. That voice, so distinct and so much like him. “ Yet, here you are.” She retorts.

“This isn’t a joke.” He dismisses her playful attitude. “You need to return home.”

“I’m not going back to the inn.” Katara argued, hurt that he was pushing her away without an explanation off the bat. “At least...at least tell me you’re doing okay.”

He shakes his head. “Not the inn. Go home, Katara.”

“No!” She yells, closing the fists at her side. Zuko was stubborn but Katara was even more so. She had him here, she couldn’t stand the idea of him disappearing again.,Her voice carried in the dark, and both of them heard chatter below. A group flooded the street, muttering suspicions. Humiliation and worry colored Katara’s face.

“Damn.” Zuko groaned, snatching Katara by the elbow. “We gotta leave.”

***

So this is where he’s been hiding? The apartment wasn’t exactly rundown but it certainly wasn’t spacious either. It was decent as decent could get. A single bed, a small table and a washroom fit for one. A bed was posted at the far side of the wall, opposite the door, right next to a large window. You could see the town far out in the woods beyond it.

Katara wasn’t ready to remove her disguise, watching Zuko intently as he quietly closed the door behind them and had yet to reveal himself. The air between them thickeded, from the tiny room or their awkwardness, Katara couldn’t tell which. Four years had gone by since the last time they’d seen each other.

Zuko only stares. From behind his shaggy hair, he looks mysterious, ominous, dangerous. For all she knew, he could have very well become those things, four years can change a person.

“You working for the White Lotus?”

He blinks, taking what feels like forever to reply. He shakes his head.

“You’re doing this alone.” Katara guessed, more of a statement than a question, rather.

“Yes.” He tells her.

Katara licks her lips, nervous now that she truly knew it was her missing friend. “Are you the one who’s been anonymously sending tips to the White Lotus.”

“Yes.”

“And you’ve spent all four years infiltrating the Ozai Society? Because you knew your Uncle and Koji were their new target?”

“Yes.”

“...Your Uncle misses you.”

“Don’t.” He says sternly, eyes darting sharply at Katara. “I should’ve taken you to the inn.”

Katara doesn’t know why but that hurt more than she thought. Zuko was known to push people away but he was flat out trying to get rid of her. If she hadn’t lured those members out, he might have left her without a second thought.

Changing the subject, Zuko announces he’ll make them tea, finally removing the mask from his face and revealing paler than normal skin. Being away from the Fire Nation must have made it so.

Feeling more relaxed in his presence, Katara takes a seat on the bed, studying the place, though there wasn’t much. Zuko kept it simple, probably in case there was risk of his true identity being revealed. Or he cared little for anything other than necessities.

She was anxious to know the reason behind him leaving, a million questions hanging on the tip of her tongue. Katara knows if she blurted out a single inquiry, he’ll shut her out immediately. Zuko comes back with their tea in two wooden cups, sitting beside her and taking a quiet sip of his cup.

Katara does the same before proclaiming. “I’ve missed you too.” Hoping it wouldn’t make him retreat.

A furious blush colors Zuko cheeks, his hard features softening. He looks away, clearing his throat and Katara notices his Adam's apple bob. She blushes too, aware just how much he had grown.

“I-I missed you. All of you; Aang, Sokka, Toph. It’s been hard…” He admits.

Progress? She only hoped. “Really?” Katara soothes, hesitantly reaching out to enclose his hand with hers. Zuko doesn’t shake her away.

“Come back.” Katara whispers softly. “After this, come back with me. If not to the Fire Nation, there’s always a place for you in Republic City. Aang can-”

He slips from her grasp, standing on his feet and trudging across the room. Zuko slumps against the wall, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “There’s no place for me. Go, Katara. Back to Republic City, back to Aang.”

“And what will happen if I leave, after you and the White Lotus take down the Ozai Society?” She wasn’t going to leave, of course.

Zuki shrugs. “Why do you care?”

“Because you have family who are worried about you. Iroh is going out of his mind, concerned about what happened to you, he’s not the same.” And because I want you back , she wanted to say, burrowing down her confession.

“I’m doing this for my Uncle.” Zuko clarified.

“No, you're being selfish and doing things on your own again. Keeping everyone who loves you at arm's length, telling yourself you’re protecting them, when in fact you’re only hurting them-

“Stop!”

“You stop!” She promised herself she’d keep her cool, she promised herself she would give Zuko the much needed time to come around. That flew out the window real fast. “When will you grow the hell up! I swear, I thought you matured after joining Aang but silly me for thinking that you’ve evolved from the childish, egocentric, spoiled prince-” She was on her feet, flying at him. Katara couldn’t contain the outrage, the audacity at how he lacked any consideration.

“I said, stop .” Zuko seethed, cuffing her wrists and pressing them to her chest.

“Not until you fix this! Not until you make things right by everyone who has been worried sick about you!”

“It’s none of your damn business!” He shouted, releasing her wrists and reeling back.

Katara’s left speechless. It doesn’t hit her that a single tear escapes down her cheek until her vision is blurred and a ball forms in her throat. She swallows, the ache failing to subside, and she turns away from Zuko in a daze.

Inhaling sharply, Katara regains her composure, wiping the stray tear with the palm of her hand. “I’m worried about you.”

There’s a moment of dead silence, beating darkly in the room. The weight came down heavy on Katara’s limbs like chains. She can hear Zuko’s feet shuffle on the wooden floor, a slow creak like that of a desperate cry. Then he sighs, footsteps retreating to the front door.

“Don’t be.” 

***

She didn’t know when he returned. Dreary, swollen eyes fluttered open to the aura of his presence right next to the bed she borrowed. The inn was across town and the thought of leaving didn’t sit right with her, aside from the exhaustion of their discourse last night.

She sits up quietly, looking over his slumped figure; a mere shadow in a darkened room. Zuko’s hands were clasped together, elbows to knees and his forehead pressed to his fists. He seems to be asleep, until...

“I thought I had a purpose.” Zuko broke the silence. “I had so much to offer at the time, now that I had found my way. You, uncle, aang, everyone...you all gave me a reason to push forward. And though it took me so long to change, to finally realize the man I needed- no, wanted to be, in the end the universe decided I still wasn’t worthy enough.” He paused, Zuko’s breath shook with every attempt to gather himself. “I was so happy. I didn’t deserve it but I was so happy to have met you all. My only regret was that I didn’t make you part of my life sooner, that I didn’t make things right with my Uncle sooner, that I didn’t take the opportunity to truly examine my bad behavior early on in life and make better decisions- because then I’d have more of those precious moments to hold onto.”

Katara doesn’t like this. He’s pouring his heart out but she doesn’t like where this is going. A black hole formed in the pit of her stomach, noting the way Zuko clung roughly to the front of his tunic, at the very center where the evidence of his sacrifice lied. She doesn’t want to meet his eyes when he finally turns his gaze to her. She doesn’t want the memory of those amber eyes glossed with fear and sadness staring back at her with utter defeat.

Please, Yue . Katara prays.

“Katara,” He says softly. Any other time she would have loved to hear him call her name so softly- like a flutter kissing her cheek- but not like this, never like this. “I’m dying.”

#zutara #day 2 #counterpart #zutara week #zutara week 2020 #fanfiction #zutara fanfiction

[gloves94]

Sunburn [Prince Zuko] 39

Warnings: Cursing Rating: PG-13  Pairings: Zuko/OC  

Sunburn Chapter M A S T E R L I S T My fan fiction M A S T E R L I S T

It had been three days since the end of the One Hundred Year War.

Parts of the Fire Nation Capital had been burnt to ash during the sibling’s conflict for the Nation’s crown. Traditional red roofs had been turned into charcoal black and were missing walls and tiles.

Regardless of it all it was a beautiful morning and the Fire Nation people seemed eager to welcome their new Fire Lord and for the war in which they gained yet lost so much to be over.

Tsai stood on the Capital’s entry docks, her arms crossed over her chest. Wind swaying her hair lightly. She held her arms lightly embracing the comfort of her recovered hidden blade gauntlets. Who would’ve thought Azula had kept them as some type of sick trophy all this time?

The warship approached and she stood with her back straight ready to welcome her guests into the nation. The ship docked and after several moments two figures emerged from behind a several escorts.

“Welcome to the Mainland- the Capital- I mean- the Fire Nation? I still can’t get used to these terms.” She said nervously holding the back of her neck awkwardly.

“Home will do,” one of the emerging figures said dully.

“How do you jail birds feel?” She laughed nervously unsure of how to interact with Mai and Ty Lee.

She was taken aback when she was engulfed in a tight hug. She looked down at Ty Lee uncomfortably.

“Tsai, your aura is golden! Oh! It just makes me want to hug you!” The brunette cried out dramatically. “Yeah,” the other dead panned. “It’s because I’m the sun.” She explained awkwardly slowly leeching her hands from around her.

“Is it true?” Mai asked, her pose mirroring Tsai’s proper one. “About Azula?”

“Yeah…” She trailed off. “Physicians said she had some type of schizophrenic meltdown. She was also badly burnt. Most of the right side of her body suffered second to third degree burns.” She paused for a brief moment and a shiver went up her spine as she remembered Azula’s horrifying screeches. “She’s been committed to a mental health ward where hopefully she’ll get the help she needs.” She offered the princess’ ex-friends a small sad smile.

“And Fire Lord Ozai?” Ty Lee asked bringing a hand to her chin in a pensive pose.

“He’s alive as well. Imprisoned. The Avatar succeeded and took his bending away, so he won’t be able to hurt anyone any time soon.” Her smiled widened slightly.

“That is not going to go well. I can assure you my father is not happy about that. I’m assuming yours won’t be either.” Mai sighed sounding irritated. “I wouldn’t count on the Fire Lord to sit pretty and still on his cell…” She trailed of.

“Yeah,” her tone lowered enough to match Mai’s. From what she had heard Ba Sing Se had been taken back by the Earth Kingdom with the help of the White Lotus. The Fire Lord had been defeated by the Avatar and Yu Dao had been taken by her brother who was rumored to sit as the new Vice Royal Governor of the colony. “I’m still waiting to hear back from my brother. It sounds like things went… well as well as they could go.”

It was then that a lightbulb went off in her head as she remembered something she had been pending.

“Speaking of-,” She said reaching for a scroll she kept tucked in the back of her sash. “My brother asked me to give this to you Mai. I’d more than understand if you want nothing to do with it, or him.” She rolled her eyes lightly and handed the girl the scroll just as she had promised.

Mai starred at the scroll with a dead expression that was first natured to her. She had no reaction to this. Man, she really was hard to read. Ty Lee on the other hand bounced eagerly and snatched the scroll from her best friend’s hand excitedly opening it, breaking the seal.

“Mai! Is that the dreamy rugged boy with the body scars and the green eyes you were telling me about? Wait- he’s your brother?” She gaped for a moment. Tsai’s sighed lightly irritated. “’Mai, I just wanted to say-’” Ty Lee began reading and slowly her face grew from pink to red to marron.  

“Woah,” She fanned her face. She turned to Mai with a sheepish expression. The other girl simply took the scroll with a stoic expression and hid it inside her sleeves without much enthusiasm. “You colonials are something else,” Ty Lee giggled.

“We all know the stereotype,” she shrugged with a lazy smile. “Also, we’re going to the Earth Kingdom tomorrow. To Ba Sing Se for King Kuei’s coronation and to regroup with Uncle Iroh, my brother and everybody else. You two should come. You’re more than invited.”

“Really?” Ty Lee clapped her hands together, eyes shinning in excitement. Mai quirked an arched eyebrow as if testing her.

“Of course,” she responded timidly. “You’re both Zuko’s oldest friends. I know he’d want you both to be there.” She paused and looked at the onyx haired girl. “And Mai you’ve been a friend to me too, so I want you to come as well. I also never thanked you for saving my brother and my friends at the Boiling Rock. It must’ve been a hard decision to make. Considering your dad’s political post and your uncle’s... So, because of that I thank you. She stretched out her hands and reached for the other girls which she gave a light squeeze.

Mai simply nodded averting her eyes away from the girl. Maybe she didn’t smile back but the gesture might as well have been the same.

Regardless, it was an accepting one.

Xxx

The former banished prince stood on a parlor room. The massive balcony windows allowed him to the city. His city. The nation that he was now responsible for, his empire. Ha gazed at it lost in thought as he attempted to dress in his ceremonial robes.

The room was traditional with a red carpet that sprawled out across from one wall to the other. Giant lanterns hung at the top from the ceiling. The entrance doors were carved with golden arches. Four story, red, velvet curtains adorned the large windows.

He let out a low hiss when he picked up his robe and attempted to slip it on. He grimaced slightly at the slight pain he felt on his chest. Struggling he managed to get one arm through one sleeve. The other proving to be more challenging.

“Need a hand?”

He turned excited a rare smile on his features. The smile stretched as he drank up her ceremonial appearance. She wore a golden ochre long-sleeved traditional dress with a golden trim. Both of her hands were hidden inside of her sleeves just like she wore when they first met. Her hair was clean and parted to the side, worn half up. She wore a small diadem composed of thin golden rods which resembled a sun’s halo.

“You look… nice,” he struggled to find his words.

She approached him and walked around him helping him put his robe over his arm and tied his robe. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. “Better than nice,” he added gawkily.

“You look…” He said tenderly really struggling to find the perfect word.

She accepted the unsaid compliment and interrupted him by placing a deep kiss on his lips, both smiling through it. “Thanks.” She knew he meant well.

“How do you feel? Your Lordness,” She joked resting her hands on the neck of his robe lightly stroking the fabric.

“I still can’t believe it. A year ago, my whole purpose in life was to hunt Aang down and now it’s like I’m in a completely different place.”

“We both are.” She agreed. “A year ago, my purpose was to unite the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom. My grandfather was still alive…” She sighed. “But now that I think about it, we probably wouldn’t have met if it weren’t for the funeral.” His uninjured arm snaked around her shoulders bringing her close. “Do you remember? The same funeral in which you were extremely rude to my family?” She poked.

He rolled his eyes slightly. She was never going to let that go was she?

“You didn’t even say anything when I introduced myself to you! You just walked away!”

“I didn’t say anything because I was nervous,” he admitted sheepishly. “You’re an awful liar.” She laughed pushing away. Who did he think he was fooling? He had been simply and plainly terribly rude.

“So, what are we going to do now?” He asked her as she walked back to him holding a different part of his Fire Lord armor. “You could… move here?” He suggested brashly. “You could have your own room. Your own everything,” he added apprehensively, swallowing a nervous knot that had formed in his throat.

“About that… I actually wanted to talk to you and Aang.

Xxx

Aang was sitting against one of the walls outside of a Royal Balcony, the one which lead to the Royal Plaza just where Zuko and Azula had had their face down Agni Kai a couple of days ago. He sat with his legs crossed underneath, a solemn expression on his face as he meditated on the events that had transpired the last couple of days. Despite the time he felt as if his trek from Ember Island to this moment had been one very, very long day.

He heard light laughing from the distance and looked up to see Zuko dressed in his new Fire Lord armor. His hair was combed and pulled back in a traditional Fire Nation topknot and he seemed genuinely happy as he made his way down the hall that lead to the coronation temple. His girlfriend walked next to him laughing at some comment he had just said. He wondered just what he could’ve said to make her laugh like that. Let’s be real, Zuko was known for a lot of things and being funny wasn’t one of them. Both looked regal as they walked down the hall together standing tall in their elegant robes.

Aang felt a pang of jealousy hit him. If the war was over then why- why couldn’t him and Katara be like them? ‘Ugh…’ He thought irritated.

The couple stopped walking and stood before Aang. Zuko smiled faintly at him and paused before the curtain that lead to the balcony.

“We were just talking about where we were a year ago. I still can’t believe a year ago my purpose in life was hunting you down." Zuko commented with small shake of his head, "And now..."

Aang opened his eyes and looked over at his friend with a smile, "And now we're friends."

"Yeah." The Fire Nation prince agreed with his own smile, still kind of amazed at all the growth and development they had accomplished. "We are friends."

"Well," Aang pushed himself to his feet and stood in front of the couple. He shrugged and smirked slightly, "I can't believe a year ago I was still frozen in a block of ice. The world's so different now."

Zuko walked towards Aang and put his hand on his shoulder, "And it's gonna be even more different. We'll rebuild it together."

Aang smiled and hugged his friend warmly, Zuko easily returning the embrace before they separated.

“That’s actually something I wanted to talk to you two about…” Tsai stood at a close distance both hands hidden inside of her sleeves. “But it’ll have to be some other time.” She smiled at the two.

“Good luck Aang.” She turned and gave Aang a hug. “Good luck handsome,” she kissed her boyfriend’s face.  

She walked away, making her way to meet the others on the Royal Plaza. Aang noted the lovesick expression the Fire Lord wore on his face. Toph was right those two, they were just way too much sometimes… ‘Fire Nationers.’ He shrugged to himself.

“Uh, shall we go?” Aang interrupted Zuko’s lost train of thought.

“Y-Yeah!” He said his cheeks turning slightly pink in embarrassment of being caught distracted.

The Fire Lord cleared his throat composing himself and brushed the curtains aside stepping through them, Aang following in a moment later.

Xxx

Tsai made her way outside, wavering through the heavy crowds sticking her head up trying to find any familiar face in the crowd.

“You’re that girl,” a burly man in the crowd suddenly said looking down at her. She looked at him oddly. “The Blue Spirit, the one that freed the Avatar and took down the Pohuai Stronghold.” He stated his expression blank. She was about to respond when his expression shifted into an angry one. “You’re the one that costs us the siege of the North!” He accused pointing a finger at her. “My brother died because of you!”

She gave a small step back feeling unsafe wanting to create as much distance possible between her and the threatening man.

“Tsai! There you are!” She turned just in time to see Suki reaching out to her from the crowds. She exchanged a look with the man who made a vulgar gesture to her with his hand before spitting at the floor. Without another word she parted with an uneasy feeling taking Suki’s hand.

“Hey!” She greeted with a cheesy grin. “Everyone ready?” She asked excitedly.

Everybody was there: Sokka, Katara, their father, Toph, Suki, Ty Lee, the Kyoshi Warriors, Mai, some of the people that had been with them during the in the Western Air Temple and even some swamp people and others she had never seen before.

Just in time.

All eyes turned towards the Royal Balcony when a Fire Sage stepped forward and struck a gong three times. She smiled proudly as she watched Zuko cross to the front of the stairs. The crowd loudly cheering and applauding to their new Fire Lord. The only person that was missing was Iroh. She still couldn’t believe he was missing his nephew’s coronation.

“Please,” Zuko spoke to his people raising an arm. The noise diminished as the people quieted hoping to hear their Lord speak. “The real hero is the Avatar.” He said stepping to the side. Aang stepped from behind him wearing a pair of elegant robes which were shaded in the traditional colors of Air Nomad fashion.

"Today, this war is finally over." Zuko declared. Again, the crowd went wild in cheer and applause. The people in the plaza raising up their arms in pomp. "I promised my uncle that I would restore the honor of the Fire Nation, and I will," He continued with a serious expression. "The road ahead of us is challenging. A hundred years of fighting has left the world scarred and divided." Zuko looked over at Aang who was looking back at him. "But with the Avatar's help, we can get it back on the right back, and begin a new era of love and peace."

The crowds cheered in applause once again and Zuko inclined his head bowing to his people and others. Aang stepped to the side. A Fire Sage stepped forward holding up the Fire Lord’s headpiece crowning artefact in his hands.

He lowered his body coming down on one knee. The crowds held their breaths waiting for the coronation. Tsai watched with her eyes peeled holding onto Suki’s arm tightly with emotion. She hid her proud smile behind a half-closed hand she had brought to her lips.  

"All hail, Fire Lord Zuko!" The Fire Sage said loudly, his voice carrying across the entire Royal Plaza. He lowered the headpiece officially crowning the banished prince.

The crowd went wild. The Fire Nation specially. It was obvious that his own people loved him. The girl from the colonies cheered loudly raising both hands up in the air proudly. Suki grimaced and lightly clapped, just happy to feel the circulation in her arm once again.

The Fire Lord rose to his step and walked towards the stairs that lead down to the Royal Plaza. He paused for a moment and looked over at his friend, the Avatar, motioning him forward to join by his side. Aang returned the smile and came to a stop behind him also marveling at the cheering crowd.

“So, how does it feel to have your boyfriend he the new Fire Lord?” Sokka teased a certain red head in the crowd nudging her side. “Ha!” She said to him giving him a flat look. “You should ask him what it’s like having me as a girlfriend.” She said with an arrogant chuckle.

Xxx

Sometime after the coronation ceremony, Zuko somehow managed to slip away from his friends and girlfriend and snuck out of the palace grounds. He took a path that was much too familiar to him, the one that lead to the Fire Nation’s Prison Tower. He walked alone; his brow twisted as he was determined to get answers to questions he had had for years.

Guards opened the metal doors of the cells and he walked inside the narrow, humid hallway, coming to a halt before bars at the end of the room in the secluded isolation corridor.

All of his life Zuko had been tormented by the sight of his father, but now. Looking at him down and disheveled with his hair loose, oily and tangled around his face, he looked like a completely different person. He looked like a slimy, small man. Not the terrifying man he had once feared.

His father’s golden eyes narrowed as they flickered towards him. "I should count myself lucky. The new Fire Lord has graced me with his presence in my lonely prison cell." Ozai grimaced.

"You should count yourself lucky that the Avatar spared your life." Zuko replied coolly, standing his ground. He ignored his father's scornful sarcasm.

"Hmp." His father scoffed looking away from him.

"Banishing me was the best think you could have done for my life." Zuko admitted after a moment. "It put me on the right path. Perhaps your time in here can do the same for you."

Perhaps there was some redemption in his father’s future. Ozai glanced over at his son in disinterested and asked in an almost weary voice. "Why are you really here?"

His scarred son certainly hadn’t come to grace him with his lordy presence on the day of his coronation.

"Because you're going to tell me something." Zuko said and leaned closer to the cell bars continuing in a low, unforgiving tone.

"Where. Is. My. Mother?"

Ozai remained silent. He simply glowered at his son. The man had nothing else to lose. Why would he surrender the last clutch of power he had over his son?

“Ran your tongue out?” Zuko pressed.

An evil smirked graced Ozai’s gaunt features. “Tell me Fire Lord, do you still keep that filthy half-blood around for entertainment?”

“That’s none of your business.” Zuko snapped defensively. He never wanted to hear mentioning of her or her name coming from his father’s tongue. It unnerved him and made him feel ill. As if it was something was his and only his, something private. His father let out a low malicious chuckle as if holding back a cruel inside joke with himself. His laughter mocking, almost haunting.

“What’s so damn funny?” The young Fire Lord snapped.

“Your forefathers are probably rolling in their tombstones. As if you couldn’t bring enough shame and dishonor to the crown. To your name. The one thing you could’ve done to redeem yourself and this nation... You don’t. A colonial…” He scoffed. “Let alone a mudblood with tainted Earth Kingdom blood sitting on the throne! This… Her… You… It’s the worst thing that could’ve happened to our nation.”

“Worse things have happened.” Again, he responded cooly in his best attempt to maintain his cold composure.

Again, the man began to cackle.

“Enjoy it while you can…” He threatened his words ominous.

“What are you going to do about it? Nothing-bend at her? You better watch yourself or she’ll break your nose again.”

His smirked edged further to the sides of his face. It was vile, evil, threating and heavily filled with menace.

“I wouldn’t be so careless if I were you or your blushing moll Fire Lord Zuko.”

Struck, he faltered his emotions betraying him. “Guards!” He called. “Take him to the dungeons! Where he’ll be placed in isolation. I don’t want this man to see the light of day every again!”

Zuko excited the prison his mind racing with violent thoughts as he made his way back to the palace. His mind now corrupted flooded with concern at his father’s empty threat. He told himself it was most likely a mind game the man was playing, that there was nothing he could do to bring any actual harm to him or his – what had he called her again? Moll. Whatever the fuck that was it didn’t sound complimentary. But- today was not the day for that. He forced himself to push those thoughts to the back of his head.

After all, today was a day of celebration.

The war was over.

Xxx

Team Avatar found themselves enjoying lunch in the Royal Dinning room. The friends laughed and shared roast duck, apple tarts and pork dumplings toasting with cranberry juice and others with some fine wine.

They had been here for a while and the Fire Lord himself was nowhere to be found.

Tsai was currently sitting in between Sokka and Toph. The three currently bickering if a duck’s quack actually had an echo or not.

“Lady Tsai!” A courier suddenly stormed in making quite a dramatic entrance. Everybody froze, stopping in their celebrating, looking up to see the panting man holding his rising chest with one hand, on the other he held a sealed scroll.

“Urgent message, from the colonies,” he said breathlessly. “News from my brother!” She clapped her hands before excusing herself from the room with a poker face. ‘Finally, a word from the man…’

Once outside the room she took the scroll from the courier’s hands and as if it were on fire, she ripped the Vice Royal Colonial wax seal open and read her brother’s messy handwriting.

‘Tsai,

Word of Zuko’s and the Avatar’s triumphs over the Fire Lord and the Nation have reached Yu Dao. And I have to tell you. It has not been well received. The colonies, not just Yu Dao, are in turmoil. People are protesting in the streets revolting in uprisings.  The news of Ozai’s fall has not been well received by most and people are scared of the uncertainties the future brings.

Our people, some don’t know if to embrace a Fire Nation identity, others want the territory to be reclaimed by the Earth Kingdom. I know mom does... Mom is well, I’m with her. She wants you to come home as soon as possible. She’s not even mad anymore, she just wants you home. Dad on the other hand well… It’s best if I explain in person.

I wish I knew what to do, but you’re the diplomatic genius. I am simply the muscle. I feel so lost. I know I told you to go back to the Mainland, but I need you here. Your city needs you. Now more than ever.

Be well and travel safe, things are about to get very ugly.

I’ll see you on the other side of the pond. - Mecha’

You knew it was serious when he didn’t even mention Mai or the scroll, he had asked her to give to her. She guessed going to King Kuei’s coronation was out of the question too…

She took in a deep breath and rolled the note up tightly, squeezing it, hugging it against her chest still holding that deep breath.

Of course, it wasn’t over.

“Lady?” She blinked back the tears that had welled in her eyes and looked at the courier with a frightful look. “Oh, um...” She fished out a coin from her back pocket and thanked him quietly dismissing him.

She would take care of this tomorrow. Today was not the day for this. She forced herself to push all thoughts of fear and concern to the back of her head.

After all, today was a day of celebration.

The war was over.

Xxx

The celebrations continued well into the night.

Presently the Fire Nation’s people gathered outside in the streets of the capital toasting, cheering and celebrating the end of the war and the coronation of their new monarch.

Fire Nation Dragon costumes composed of rows of people underneath filled the streets in celebration. Children ran around laughing loudly holding sparklers. Fireworks set off continuously dazzling the skies with sparkles of red and gold. From all the celebration you’d think the Fire Nation had won the war…

The group was currently gathered in the Royal Plaza. Paper lanterns were about to be released into the night skies. A celebratory tradition in which people wrote and burned notes with their good wishes and hopes that were supposed to elevate the paper lanterns into the skies. Tsai looked around concerned. She hadn’t seen Zuko since the crowning ceremony at noon. She guessed he was busy with his new Fire Lord duties, but she was beginning to grow concerned. She looked at Aang, Toph and Katara who were getting ready to light their own lantern. Then at Sokka and Suki who were also nearby.

‘Where on Earth was he?’ She shook her head lightly and ascended to the top of the stairs that lead to the temple above the plaza where the crowning ceremony had taken place earlier. She hoped she’d be able to gain a better look at the mingling crowds and spot him somewhere in between.

“Sorry I’m late,” she heard a mumble next to her. She turned to see Zuko descending from the steps. “There you are.” She let out a worried breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. The stress from the news she had received earlier getting the best of her.

“Do you have your wish?” He placed a hand on her waist, and they stepped forward standing directly under the skies as the fireworks ceased once again painting the skies black, ready for the lanterns to float. “Yeah,” She smiled slightly holding the folded note up between her fingers.

“What did you wish for?” She nudged nosily.

“You can’t say what you wished for. Then your wish won’t come true.” He shot back defensively. “I’ll tell you what I wished for if you tell me,” She again nudged his side a sly look on her features. “No,” he responded irately.

“Well, I wished for-“He removed his hand from her and covered his ears. “Don’t say it Tsai.”

“I know, I love you too,” she reached for his arm affectionately lowering it slightly. She couldn’t help but laugh a little at their inside joke about not saying certain things. “I wished for times of peace to come and here we are. So, in a way it already came true, right?”

He couldn’t help but look back at her with a dumbfound expression. “That’s what you wished for? World peace?” The irritated expression becoming more pronounced, almost laughable.

“Yeah?” She raised a brow. “Now, are you going to tell me what you’re wishing for?”

He remained silent for a second and turned away from her hiding his folded paper in a hand behind his back. “No,” he said self-consciously. “Fine,” She rolled her eyes lightly with a small smile caving in, accepting he wasn’t sharing and that it was okay. She walked towards the closest balcony railing placing the paper lantern on it as she got ready to light it.

He looked at her and then at the small paper he was holding his hand and sighed in defeat. He approached her and without saying another word held it up in front of her between his index and middle fingers.

He looked away from her sheepishly. He would never admit it to her, but he had spent hours pondering on what to write and then actually writing it. It was one of those things he felt he just had to do right. She took the note from him and a moment later upon hearing weak sniffling turned to see her struck expression. Her eyes were wide and pooling with a cocktail of emotions.

“Y-You can’t burn this,” she managed weakly starring at the seven words that were written on the small paper with large, watery eyes.

“Are you… crying?” He asked confused. How had he royally managed to fuck this up now? He knew that words weren’t his forte, but he wasn’t expecting her to react in such a way. She wiped away a handful of fat tears and shook her head lightly. “I’m keeping this,” she said holding it against her chest.

“No. You have to burn it,” he insisted.

“This isn’t even a wish!” She exclaimed her voice cracking with emotion.

“It-It’s not the words. It’s the intent behind them,” he argued back.

She opened the note again and quickly glanced at the words that had shook her to her core savoring the sentiment in them.

‘Tsai, My heart burns for you. Always.’

Again, for somebody that was terrible at communication and overall painfully awkward Zuko still managed to surprise her.

“I’m keeping it.” She said in defiance turning away from him. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever given me.” She said tucking the paper inside one of her sleeves for it to be hidden away forever.

He was about to protest but was interrupted as she turned back just as quickly. “I have an idea.” She said a wide smile stretching across her features. She reached into her pockets and pulled out a small charcoal twine. What else did she keep hidden under those sleeves? She unwrapped her paper and leaned on the railing to write.

“Why don’t we share our wish?” She smiled at him brightly. He couldn’t help but smile back. They were late. Everybody else had already let go of their paper lanterns which currently hovered in the air illuminating the night sky and their surroundings with hundreds of warm lights.

“Together, we wish for a new era of prosperity, peace and love.” She read out loud holding the wish in her hands.

“It’s perfect,” he said taking her hands in his. Both holding on to their wish. He firebended a small flame and both held it, together, in their hands. The flame was small and beat like two heartbeats as one as it slowly consumed the parchment paper.

They placed it inside the paper lantern making it lightly glow with a heartening warm light. Together the two released it.

He wrapped his arms around her, and she leaned into his body resting the back of her head on his shoulder. She held onto his arm tenderly. Both looked up content enjoying the moment, enjoying each other as their hopes, dreams and wishes elevated into illuminated sky of the night.

The End?

xxx

Here’s the link to the short Sequel: Kingdom of the Sun MASTERLIST

Xxx

Sunburn Chapter

M A S T E R L I S T

PREV https://gloves94.tumblr.com/post/623698183927758848/sunburn-prince-zuko-38

AN: AHHHH!!!! I am so emotional. I can’t believe we have reached our ending. I know what some of you are thinking. WHAT is this the end----?

Yes. It is the end of Sunburn. However, the people have spoken, and I read what you guys wanted to see/read so here’s what’s going to happen. I felt like I couldn’t make a lot of things happen because let’s be real they’ve known each other for less than a year and they are both 16 (17, at the most.)

Soooooooo I’m making a short sequel 10-15 chapters at the most called Kingdom of the Sun.

In the sequel both of these dorks will be in their 20’s. And we will have: - A very awkward proposal - A Who-dun-it type of murder of a main character - And a Zutsai mission field trip (yay) - A revolution - Plenty of NSFW activities *clears throat*

I’m really excited for what’s to come and thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed.

Love,

-       G

#prince zuko #zukoxreader #Zuko x oc #Zuko x you #zuko #zuko imagine #zuko fluff #atla #atla fanfic #avatar #avatar the last airbender #avatar fanfic #avatar x oc #avatar fanfiction #oc #fire lord zuko #zutsai #fanfiction #ao3 #wattpad #fanfic

[pxnk-velvet]

The Dancing Warrior: Water, Chapter 11

(Sokka x OC Reader)

A/N: I’m so sorry but this is a REALLY long chapter, possibly the longest I’ve written so far...but oh well. If anyone knows how to edit a post so it has the “keep reading” link PLS let me know I’m begging 😭

It had taken them quite a while to finally arrive at the North Pole. There were chunks of ice floating in the water and the air was bitter to Navani. She had been shivering profusely for that past couple of days. She had never been to either of the poles before so she had no reason for owning a thick coat like Katara and Sokka. Katara had given Navani her spare tunic, which was a bit small, but a lot warmer than her own. The only thing she had were her robes, a clear indication that she was Fire Nation. Something they had all agreed to keep secret. Navani vowed to solely bend water for as long at they were there. And she knew she had to keep that promise or else they would all be in jeopardy.

Navani sat at the edge of Appa’s saddle, shivering as she tucked herself as far as she could into her tunic. Her knees were snug to her chest with her arms wrapped tightly around them. How could someone live in the cold like this?

She had been so consumed in her own thoughts that she hadn’t been paying any attention to the conversation going on between everyone else. But then she was brought back when Appa’s smooth sailing suddenly jerked and everyone screamed. He tried to keep his balance but some ice threw him off, causing him to tilt. Everyone one held on with strong grips....well almost everyone. As Appa crash landed in the freezing waters, Navani was thrown over with a scream.

They all gasped as the girl fell into the water, “Navani!”

Her body felt numb as she broke the surface, gasping for air. Her teeth chattered as dozens of boats emerged from behind small glaciers. She moved a fast as she could, which honestly wasn’t all that fast, and hurled her stiff body back onto Appa. They all had rushed to her side, but at the moment were too occupied with Northerners approaching.

===

Everything there was beautiful. There was so much to marvel at. From the beautiful architecture to the people and culture. Navani wished she could’ve enjoyed it more but at the moment she was soaking wet in the freezing cold. Her and Katara had done their best to bend the water out of her cloths and one of the men from the boats had lended her some blankets. Which she was currently tightly wrapped in.

As they rounded a corner, there were people along the sides of the canals and buildings waving down at them. Navani couldn’t help but smile and wave back despite her condition. At least she could enjoy that. Or so she thought.

The warm feeling grew a little as a small canoe drifted passed them, catching both Navani and Sokka’s attention. There on the canoe sat a boy and a girl, side by side, no older then them. Navani watched intently, curious. They were dressed like they were important with their hair decorated with different pieces and jewelry. The girl’s was a stark white while the boy’s was pitch black. They contrasted perfectly. Not to mention they were both extremely good looking.

That definitely didn’t go unnoticed by Sokka. Who sighed and leaned against Navani as a deep blush rose to his cheeks, his eyes glued to the girl as the canoe drifted by.

“Could you make it anymore obvious?” Navani scoffed, removing her support from under him. Laughing as he fell to the ground with a thud.

===

“Tonight, we celebrate the arrival of our brother and sisters from the Southern tribe. And they have brought with them someone very special. Someone who many of us believe disappeared from the world until now, the Avatar!” Chief Arnook declared, from his seat at the middle of the table, “We also celebrate my daughter and son’s 16th birthday. Princess Yue and Prince Hai are now of marrying age!”

Navani nearly spit out her drink, turning to look but catching a view of the back of Sokka’s head instead. She scoffed, leaning back to see.

“Thank you, father.” Both twins bowed, Yue continued, “May the great ocean and moon spirits watch over us during these troubled times.”

The Prince turned and glanced her way, a blush so hot on her cheeks she thought her face would melt off.

“Now, Master Pakku and his students will perform.”

That was all Navani needed to hear to have her undivided attention. With an excited gasp, her head whipped around to look at the raised platform.

She watched with wide eyes as the three man manipulated the giant barrels of water to create giant streams moving in almost every direction. They moved in a manner she had never seen before, very different to her usual style. She was mesmerized. So much so that she hadn’t noticed someone standing next to her.

“Is this seat taken?” Hai asked politely, gesturing to the spot next to her.

With her attention still glued to the performance, she responded, “No, you can sit if you’d like.”

He chuckled, taking a seat, “I can tell you’re enjoying the performance.”

“Huh, oh.” Navani blushed hard, finally drawing her attention away, “Yeah, they’re really good.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” Hai gave her a warm smile that made butterflies erupt in her gut.

“I, uh- I’m Navani...” She introduced, bowing her head.

“No need, Navani. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” His smile never leaving his face. She giggled, breaking their gaze to save herself from anymore embarrassment. As she did she caught sight of Sokka and the Princess next to her.

“I’m thinking, maybe, we could do any activity together?” Sokka asked, attempting to woo the Princess. Navani couldn’t help it but feel angered by this. She knew exactly what he was doing....

Navani turned back to Hai, “So you’re a Prince?” She tried, hoping it wasn’t such a sucker of an attempt to make conversation.

“Yeah...” He chuckled, “I’m a Prince.”

“And...you have a sister?...Who’s your twin?” She wanted to face palm so badly but she resisted, “You two don’t really look alike.”

“Yue was born first and there was something wrong. So my father called upon the moon spirit for help. And it did, that’s why she has white hair. Hence our names as well. They mean moon and ocean.” He answered with not much enthusiasm. Like Navani had pushed a little too much.

“Oh, I’m assuming she gets all the attention?” She glanced over at his twin.

“Mhm,” He hummed with an eye roll, “She’s older, only by a few minutes so whoever she marries automatically becomes chief. Which isn’t fair. It really should be me because I’m the chief’s first son. Plus I’m a water bender!”

Navani perked, an idea popping into her head, “Me too! I’m not that good, though. I could definitely use some practice...” She batted her eyelashes, resting her elbow on the table and leaning on it. And just like that she was in....or so she thought.

“Well, I’m sure healing isn’t that hard.” He said smugly, waving it off.

Navani faltered a bit, pressing, “Healing? What about real water bending? Like actual fighting moves? Or dancing even?”

Hai gave a hearty chuckle, “Well...I guess I could show you a little something but no one can know, alright?”

Her eyebrows knotted in confusion but she brushed it off, nodding and smiling.

“We could meet sometime tomorrow?” He offered, taking hold of her hand and placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

She turned away, blush furious on her cheeks. And for a moment she forgot about why she was doing this.

===

She had been out for a walk that morning when she caught sight of a canoe in the canal ahead. Inside was just the person she was looking for.

“Prince Hai!” She called from the walk way, speeding up a little to catch up to him. Both him and Princess Yue were sitting in the small boat as it drifted down the canal.

Just as Navani cleared the corner, she ran right into someone, sending them both into water below. Both the Prince and Princess giggled at the sight.

“Ahhh, Navani!” Sokka yelped, pulling himself out of the water.

She could care less about what Sokka was yelling at her, as she shook her hair out of her face.

Prince Hai had gotten up from his seat and moved to lean over the edge, “Meet me on the palace steps tonight!” He called out as the boat continued to drift, without missing a beat.

Navani swooned as she bobbed in the water, a light blush gracing her cheeks. Soon after she pulled herself out of the water, coming to face Sokka as he watched much to his amusement. He had noticed the way the Prince looked at Navani, like he was head over heels. He knew that feeling, or knows to be exact. Sure he was flirting with Princess Yue but he couldn’t deny that he did feel a pang in his heart every time he thought of Hai and Navani together. He had her first, well, almost had her. Until he screwed it up for himself big time. Maybe Aunt Wu was right...but no. He just needed a distraction for a little bit then he’d deal with that, right?

Navani felt somewhat guilty as she stood in front of Sokka, soaking wet. Like she shouldn’t have made it known that she was going to visit Prince Hai later tonight.

So instead she grounded herself, placing both her hands on her hips, “Yes?” She questioned Sokka’s trained gaze.

He crossed his arms giving her a suspicious glare, “Nothing.”

She exhaled bluntly, giving a huff from her nose, “I’m going back to the igloo. Feel free not to follow me.” She turned sharply, taking off back the way she came.

“I bet you don’t even remember how to get back.” The water tribe boy laughed, watching as she groaned, stomping away. He followed her, doing exactly the opposite of what she said, just to mess with her. He walked a few paces behind her, throwing words of mockery every time she made a wrong turn or went in the wrong direction. Either way, they had ended up in front of the igloo they were staying in.

“Well, would you look at that?” Sokka amused, “We both got what we wanted. You were able to get home and I was able to annoy the heck out of you while doing so.”

“I suggest you shut up before I physically hurt you.” Navani threatened, not even batting an eye his way as she made her way inside.

He laughed, following suit, “You really think you can hurt me? I bet you can’t even pin me to the ground.”

They walked further into the igloo, stopping at the center. Navani shed her big coat, tossing it to the side before wordlessly getting into a fighting stance. Her gaze set sternly on his as he just stood there.

“Come on, tough guy. Since you think you’ve got what it takes, let’s put it to the test.” She stated, dipping low, kicking low and knocking Sokka’s legs out from under him. He landed hard on the floor, letting out a loud groan.

She stepped so she was over him, leaning to look down with her hands on her hips, “What happened? I thought you said you were a warrior?” She taunted, “Get up, I’ll give you another shot. You get the first strike.”

Sokka starred up at her in complete shock. As to why he was shocked, he didn’t know exactly. Of course she could beat him in a fight any day, he was just messing with her after all, right?

Soon after he stood, both of them taking fighting stances. Navani stood with a relaxed, yet steady posture, ready for anything like she had been trained to do. Sokka on the other hand, could fall over with the slightest nudge.

Sokka gave his all with his first strike, deflating a little when Navani dodged it with ease. Almost like it was nothing. He swung a couple more times, watching her move with ease every step of the way, like she had been doing this for dozens of life times.

Sokka tried and tried. He kicked, punched, grabbed, pulled, and shoved. Still nothing. Navani stood strong, barely even breaking a sweat. She giggled at his exhaustion, shoving his shoulder lightly, watching him lose balance and fall only from that little push.

She strutted over to him, placing her foot on his chest, “I didn’t even have to use my bending on you.” She leaned down, towering over him triumphantly. Watching as a smirk curl onto his lips and an idea pop into his head.

“Who’s the warrior now-“ Suddenly her leg was being pulled out from under her, Sokka being able to roll out from under her and pin her down as she made contact with the floor. He sat square on her stomach, using a hand to pin both of her wrists to the floor.

“What the-“ Navani barked from under him. She struggled under his weight, which was almost surprising because he was a little slimmer compared to her trained build.

“Looks who’s on top now! Literally!” He mocked with a big grin on his face.

She hadn’t realized how close they were until then. It all settled in. His weight on her, the way his breath fanned over her face when he talked, his hand holding down her wrists above her head. The butterflies in her stomach matched the intensity of her beating heart. Not to mention she was almost as red as her shirt. Both of their gazes locked on each other, trained so intensely. All those things she had felt for him before over powered the hurt he had caused her. Maybe she had been a bit too harsh, a little too stubborn?...

It had felt like they had been sitting there forever until Katara came bounding into the room.

“Sokka! You’ll never believe it! Gran-Ahh!” She screamed. Both Sokka and Navani yelling along with her as Navani basically launched Sokka across the room. Kicking him off from on top of her.

Katara turned away with her hands over her eyes, “Oh my gosh! Can’t you guys find somewhere a little more private to do that!” She took off.

“Katara!” Navani called, getting up off the floor to run after her, “It’s not what you think at all! I swear!”

They both ran to the door but gave up on chasing after her. They stopped in the doorway, standing close to each other. When they realized it, neither of them jerked away like they normally would’ve. Navani felt....comfortable with their proximity. Something that shocked her, scared her almost.

“I- uhhhh,” Sokka stuttered, trying to ease the tension, “That was fun wasn’t it?”

Navani playfully rolled her eyes, giggling.

===

Later that day Navani was the first to rush out for her...date? Training? She didn’t even know what to call it, with Prince Hai.

For the last hour or two she had spent her time with Prince Hai as he taught her some water bending moves. She was surprised because she already knew a thing or two but his way was so much different from the way she had been taught by her mother. So she was grateful that she was actually able to learn something.

Now they sitting on the palace steps, just enjoying their time together.

“Thank you for teaching me.” She said, leaning back with her palms against the icy step under her, “I really appreciate it.”

He turned to her smiling, “You’re welcome. Thank you for letting me teach you. It’s not everyday a beautiful girl such as yourself gets to spend time with a prince.” He joked.

“I’m sure there are a ton of other girls who would be jealous of me right now.” Navani chuckled, noticing the space between them decrease slowly. Her laughed died off awkwardly as he got closer.

“Yeah, well it doesn’t matter anyways. There would be no gain in a girl marrying me with my current situation.” He sighed, the atmosphere around them shifting.

“Now don’t say that.” Navani comforted, “Any girl would be lucky to marry you.”

He looked into her eyes and Navani saw how bright they seemed to glow under the moonlight, “You really think so?”

Navani smiled, glancing down at his lips and seeing how close they were, “I know so.” She spoke, attempting to keep their distance.

But much to her dismay, he kissed her. She gasped at the sudden contact, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. She felt confused and just odd. It didn’t feel....right to her. It caught her completely off guard. At this, the Prince pulled away quickly with a worried look on his face.

“Oh spirits! I shouldn’t have done that.” He got up hurriedly, leaving Navani on the steps.

She got up after him, “Wait! Prince Hai!”

He stopped at the top of the steps, Navani catching up to him and taking a gentle hold on his wrist.

“I’m sorry,” She began, look up at him, “I’m sorry if it made it seem like we were anything more than friends. And I didn’t mean to hurt you in anyway. But I just think we aren’t destined to have a relationship in those sorts.”

He gave a sad smile, “I understand....you like someone else instead.”

Navani’s eyebrows knotted in confusion, “What?”

“Sokka, is it? I see the way he looks at you and the way you look at him. I was foolish for even thinking that we could’ve had something.”

Navani stood silently for a moment. Maybe he was right. Maybe she did look at Sokka a little too fondly sometimes. And maybe she still got butterflies in her stomach whenever she thought of him in such a way.

Navani took a step closer to him, “No you’re not, you were just doing what your heart was telling you to do.”

Hai smiled again, taking hold of her shoulders, “Go. Go do what you heart is telling you to do and find him.” And so she did. Of course she didn’t leave without giving her thanks and appreciation.

Navani walked back to the igloo in hopes of finding Sokka before he went off to do his activity with the Princess. She tried walking without being too loud. Or else her foot steps would echo off the ice walls. She trotted down a couple walk ways, crosses some bridges until she finally turned up at the igloo. With every step her heart grew with anticipation. She felt as though she could do anything. She rushed through the doorway, a smile as bright as the moon on her face.

“Where is he?” Navani exclaimed, out of breath.

Katara and Aang jumped, startled at her sudden appearance, “Who? Sokka?” Katara questioned.

Navani nodded eagerly, almost squealing with excitement. She was finally coming to terms with her feelings.

“He’s mentioned something about a bridge and seeing the Prin-“ Katara wasn’t able to finish her sentence before Navani rushed back out with a thanks.

At this point she didn’t care if she was loud and her stomping foot steps could be heard. She figured she start with the bridge where she sent Sokka and heralded flying into the water. She slowed as she approached the corner. Hunched over, she caught her breathe. She couldn’t help but over hear the conversation going on.

“Hi, Princess Yue. I made you something.” Navani over heard Sokka greet the Princess. She peaked her head around the corner, leaning as far up against the ice wall as she could. It hurt a little to see them together like so.

She watched as Sokka held out his hand to show Princess Yue what was supposed to be a fish carving. When did he have time to make that? Maybe he really wasn’t doing this just to mess around with her...

”I’m sorry. I’ve made a mistake.” The Princess cried, turning away, “I shouldn’t have asked you to come here.” She ran off as Navani stepped out from around the corner.

When she did something hard hit her in the head, “Ow!” She whined, rubbing the sore spot in her forehead.

Sokka stormed off without noticing Navani. She cursed herself for not making it known that she was there sooner. However she did make an effort to rush back to the igloo to make it seem like she hadn’t been spying on him this whole time. She ran through the doorway, startling Aang and Katara once again.

She tore her coat off in a hurry, along with her boots, plopping down on the ground next to Katara.

Not even a second later Sokka stomps right in, clearly upset. He kicked his sleeping bag and slumped down over it.

“How’s warrior training?” Navani asks carefully, making sure her pace was steady.

Aang looks at Navani with confusion. Navani gave him a desperate look and the boy quickly caught on, “That bad?” He played off.

Sokka groaned, “It’s Princess Yue! One minute she wants to go out with me and then the next she’s telling me to get lost!”

It saddened Navani to see him in such a sour mood over what had just went down. At that point she tuned out of the conversation and focused on relaxing. She laid down on her sleeping bag, arms behind her head and legs crossed. She hadn’t noticed Katara and Aang had left until a little while later. Leaving Navani and Sokka alone.

===

The events that occurred the night before greatly contrasted what was happening right now.

That morning Katara had challenged Master Pakku to a fight, which she still lost despite her skill. And now she was taking a walk with Prince Hai.

“You really like him don’t you?” The Prince questioned with a sly smile.

“What?” Navani blushed, trying to play it off, “I wouldn’t say really like him but-“

“Just admit and stop making it harder for yourself.” He laughed as they approached a bridge.

There stood the Princess and Sokka engaged in a kiss. Navani froze. Her whole body going numb. Her heart began to ache in her chest, under all the layers of cloths she had on. A lump grew in her throat, getting bigger by the second.

Prince Hai had done a service by leading her away from the scene as she wept. She knew she shouldn’t be crying. Because if Sokka had seen her and Hai kiss yesterday, would he have reacted the same?

Hai brought her close in a snug embrace, “Navani, don’t cry. It’ll be alright. She can’t even be with him. She’s engaged!” He explained, taking her face in his hands.

But her expression stayed the same as more tears fell upon her cheeks. Her breathing was choppy and all she could do was sob. She didn’t know why she was in the first place. It’s not like her and Sokka were...dating...in the first place. But she knew deep down that she wanted him. Yet she couldn’t have him.

[][][]

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#avatar the last airbender #sokka x oc #atla fic #atla x reader #atla #atla fanfic #aang #katara #toph #navani #sokka #original character #sokka imagine #sokka fic #atla sokka #sokka of the southern water tribe #sokka x reader #angie writes #oc fic

[zi-i-think]

17 | Let's Refrain from Throwing Anything at Anyone, Please

Pairing: Zuko x Ama (OC)

Rating: SFW

Word Count: 6200+

Masterlist

.☽☼☾.

~ Ama ☾ ~

         The only source of light were the two candles in my room, on my bed stand. And let me tell you, the dusky setting did not help the overly cautious and alert war veterans that were Zuko and I. I sat up in the bed, slowly slipping my legs over the side to prepare for an attack while Zuko was at the door. I had no clue who was on the other side. At this hour especially, it was a bit frightening.

         Was it Suh? Was she here to finish me off? My mind jumped to a terrifying conclusion. My heartbeat picked up and my jaw clenched. I held a tight breath as Zuko carefully twisted the doorknob and opened the door enough to just see who it was.

         “What are you doing here?” The all too familiar voice of my brother asked Zuko. I let out my breath and almost wanted to laugh loudly at myself for getting so worked up. “Ama!” Sokka noticed me awake and sitting up. He excitedly sprinted over at full speed with the biggest grin. I barely had time to react and could only hold my arms out defensively when he practically jumped on me, pulling me into a tight hug.

         Aching pain shot through my body at both the sudden movement and his strong arms crushing. “Ow. Sokka. That hurts.” I grumbled through my teeth. In the back of my mind, I scolded myself. Didn’t seem to mind the pain a few moments ago.

         My brother immediately pulled away, and yet again, his jolting movements to push himself off me only hurt me more and I groaned lightly. “Sorry.” He apologized with an apprehensive side smile. He kept his hands on my shoulders, his eyes studying me like I was some sort of extraordinary creature. “You’re an idiot, you know that?” Even though he used his humorous expression, I still saw a tear forming in his eye.

         “Me? An idiot?” I faked a bewildered tone and dramatically placed a fanned hand over my chest. “I believe a proper description would be an unimaginably attractive and remarkable nincompoop.”

         Sokka scoffed and shook his head at me. “She’s making jokes. Of course, she is.” He mumbled to himself, etched with disbelief, amusement, and a tinge of disappointment. “You had us all worried. Katara and Aang even postponed their honeymoon.”

         “What?” My shoulder slumped and I frowned. “They were so excited for Ember Island. They didn’t have to do that.”

         “Oh, okay. So the next time someone almost permanently departs from the living, everyone else should just go out and enjoy themselves.” My brother crossed his arms over his chest and gave me a chiding look.

         My brother was naturally a grumpy, glass-half-empty kinda guy. I was used to his little taunts and nonsense scoldings, but there was always some humor laced in everything he’d say. But right now, there was none of that. He showed nothing but deep concern. It was starting to anchor me to the gravity of my situation. How I quite literally almost died.

         My face softened but the rest of my body tensed up. I inhaled deeply, internally hoping that the subject changed quickly.

         Luckily, Zuko was still in the room. With his arms crossed and a perplexed frown, he approached the bed but stood beside us while my brother and I were still seated on the side. “Sokka, what are you doing up?” He redirected the conversation. I wasn’t sure if it was because he saw my dejected look or because he was just curious as to why Sokka was here.

         “Couldn’t sleep.” Sokka shrugged. “Spent most of the night tossing and turning. Then I heard some talking in here, thought my big sister had finally woken up.” He ruffled my hair. I just rolled my eyes at him and raked my fingers through my smooth hair. Katara must have made sure I was cleaned and well taken care of. “What about you, mister Fire Lord? What are you doing up? Specifically in my sister’s room.”

         Zuko and I glanced at each other. His face flushed nervously and he opened his mouth unsurely. “Uh… just talking,” Zuko answered stiffly. I wanted to slap my own forehead at him. This gorgeous buffoon.

         “How convincing.” Sokka mumbled, glancing away from Zuko and I in disgust. His mind probably just went to the worst possible thought.

         “Not like that. What I mean to say is that we were just discussing things and then you came in-” Zuko rubbed the back of his neck as he talked quickly.

         “I don’t need to know.” Sokka interrupted him, his hand out in between him and Zuko. I chuckled lightly at the interaction. “Anyways, I should go get Katara and the others! They’ll be so happy to know that you’re awake.” My brother excitedly jumped up from the bed.

         My hand immediately grabbed his wrist, stopping him from walking away. “Sokka, no.” My firm tone made him look at me with confusion. “Let them sleep, I’ll see them tomorrow and can get the rundown of everything.”

         “Don’t be ridiculous, they won’t mind.” He shrugged and tried to leave again. But my grip only got tighter. Sokka wasn’t fighting against my hold, afraid that he’d hurt me.

         “Please, Sokka. Just don’t tell anyone I’m awake till tomorrow.” I didn’t want to, but my voice was small and begging. I hated it. And I hated the pitiful look my brother was giving me.

         He nodded quietly and when my grip softened he slipped his hand away. “Fine. But if Katara complains, you’re to blame.”

         “I can handle that.” I forced a small smile on my lips. I’d rather deal with her scolding than to have to deal with so many people in my room at the moment.

         Tapping Zuko’s bicep, Sokka cocked his head towards the door and asked “You coming?”

         “In a minute,” Zuko replied. His focus was on me while I placed with my fingernails. Sokka looked like he wanted to say something but instead decided against it. Looked between Zuko and me skeptically while he backed away towards the door without another word. Once the door was shut, Zuko sat down next to me, placing his rough hand over mine, effectively making me stop fidgeting. “What is it?” He asked softly, rubbing small circles on the top of my hand.

         “What do you mean?” I asked back, pretending to be absolutely clueless.

         “I saw the way you tensed up. How you’re refusing to see anyone. You can talk to me, you know?” His other hand came up to cup my cheek. I nodded gently, fluttered my eyes closed, and leaned into his hand affectionately, adoring the warmth that radiated from his fingertips.

         It was a gift and a curse really. How he was able to read me like that. On one hand, it could push me to seek help or to talk it out. But that’s also why it was a curse. I wasn’t ready to talk about what I was feeling. I wasn’t even sure what it was myself.

         “I know. Honestly, I just need a moment to myself. If you don’t mind.” I sighed, opening my eyes to directly see Zuko stiffen slightly.

         He nodded rapidly. “Yeah, whatever you need.” He stood up, smoothening out his red tunic from earlier wrinkles. I smiled, gazing at him as he nervously did that. No matter how suave he got, there was still a tiny bit of that awkward part of him that I fell in love with all those years ago. Leaning down with a soft smirk he pressed a delicate kiss on my forehead. “Please don’t hesitate to come to talk to me when you need it.” Hid lips grazed over my skin delicately while he spoke, barely hovering over my forehead.

         I bit my bottom lip. My heart fluttered at his touch and his vocal expression to be there for me. It was ironic how a few years ago the roles were reversed. “Alright,” I whispered. His tender touch left me entirely, suddenly making me feel so cold. He walked away backward half the way out, keeping a warm gaze on me the entire time before he was out the door.

         I was left completely alone. In a dimly lit room. With just my thoughts. A shaky breath escaped me. It’s been itching to come out since I woke up. I shut my eyes tightly and took a deep, quivering breath in.

         I… died. But how was I still here? I wanted to ask, but that would mean having to talk about it. Call me selfish, but I’d prefer not to talk about how I died and then was revived only minutes after waking up. Not if I was only just grasping the fact.

         My inhales and exhales went on for a while. Until I realized I needed to get out of this bed. Swinging my legs over the side, I stood up. But, I wasn’t prepared to put so much weight on my legs, and stumbled back on to the mattress. I moaned in discomfort. My sore muscles ached everywhere. Like they were being pulled and tugged in every direction. Once the pain subsided, I stood back up, more slowly than last time, and carefully made my way to my bathroom.

         A hot bath was just what I needed. I was only in my nightgown. Making it simple to painlessly slipped it over my head and discard it on the floor. Standing there, completely bare and in front of a large mirror, I felt vulnerable.

         Even with my clothing on, a person could tell that I was toned. I wasn’t overly muscular, but not scrawny. Overall I looked healthy. But once the layers of clothing were removed, my scars were revealed. The unhealed scabs from when I was a kid, the training mishaps, the acne scars on my back. And now, two new ones decorated my skin. On my upper abdomen, a light pink and sharp oval scar painted my skin. And the second was on the opposite side of my body, on my back.

         I had no problem with scars. I liked to think that they told stories about people, whether good or bad. And sometimes they showcased just how beautiful a person was. Zuko’s scar was a prime example. What once made him feel disgraced and like a failure now meant more. It showed how he was able to change into a better man and to lead the world into a new era. He took his father’s horrific mutilation and turned it into a symbol of who he was. It was beautiful in my eyes.

         But the new one in the mirror… It made my stomach drop. My fingers hesitantly tracing over the soft skin. The memory of the sword sticking through my body flashed in the mirror. The feeling of blood sticking my clothing to my skin. The knowledge that I was dying and didn’t want to. Trying so desperately to stay alive.

         A wave of lightheadedness flooded me. I sank backwards, gripping the side of the bathtub to steady myself. The sound of running water got louder and louder as the truth settled in.

         I died.

.☽☼☾.

         Just as expected, my room was crowded the very next morning. Extra chairs had to be moved in to provide seating for everyone who was deemed useful to help tell the story of the other night and to discuss the situation at hand. I was almost completely clueless. I still didn’t know how I was alive. I didn’t know what happened to Suh or Azula. There were so many questions and even more sub questions to them. But, I supposed they would all be answered in a minute.

         I sat in my bed, leaning my back against multiple pillows while I was anxiously waiting for everyone to get here. Currently, the only people missing were Zuko and Aang. The others made small talk, their voices low like how one would speak at a hospital.

         “Are you comfortable?” Katara asked me quietly, placing a soft hand over mine.

         I nodded at her with a small smile. “Yes, Kat. I’m comfortable. But we really didn’t have to host a meeting in my room.” I raised a half-amused brow at her.

         My sister shrugged her shoulders and avoided eye contact with me. “Just being precautionary.” She mumbled, pulling away from me to stand comfortably, with her arms crossed and leaning on one leg.

         A quiet and short knock at the door resonated through the room, Letting us know that either Aang or Zuko was here. Without waiting for a response to come in, the door opened and they both entered. Aang went straight to Katara while Zuko strolled behind him, but instead was trying to get to me. Flashing me a handsome smile and carrying a cup of tea.

         Stopping next to Katara, he handed me the ceramic, blue accented cup. “Uncle Iroh made it for you.” He told me. Smiling widely, I gladly took the drink. The heat of it almost instantaneously warmed my hands and the herbal aroma of it gave me instant comfort.

         A pleasant sigh left my lips. “He didn’t have to, but I’m not complaining,” I commented as the cup came up to my lips for a sip.

         “Alright, now that we’re all here,” Aang got right down to business, clasping his hands together. “We should probably address… everything.” Zuko backed up to the last seat available. It was further from me than I’d like, but it was probably best for Katara to be directly next to me, anyways.

         “Yes. I need to know everything that happened.” I enthusiastically agreed. Pushing away the growing feeling of anxiety. It felt like a thick bubble was growing in my chest, making it difficult to pace my breathing. But I managed to play off like nothing was wrong. Keeping a curious expression and keeping an eye on Aang, letting him know that I was listening.

         “Okay, so I guess I’ll start with when you threw Azula out of the venue.” Aang’s voice was etched with wariness. Like he was walking on eggshells.

         “Honestly, if anything good came out of that night, it was watching Azula get thrown out of the window.” Sokka chuckled. Breaking some of the uneasy tension of the room.

         “Other than your sister getting married?” Katara refuted. Her eyes narrowed at our brother and crossed her arms over her chest like she was challenging him.

         “Ohhh.” My voice progressively got higher while I brought my tea up to drink again.

         “Okay, let me backtrack. It was one of the good things that came out of that night.” Katara huffed at her brother’s poor attempt to save his ass. But she didn’t push it any further.

         Aang cleared his throat, getting the attention back. “Moving on. After you went after Azula, the rest of us were left with the others working with Azula. We were able to get most of them outside so that the guests wouldn’t be in as much danger.”

         “Were there a lot of them?” I interrupted. Remembering that I didn’t get a good look at exactly how many people Azula recruited. My focus was solely on her. Seeing nothing but red at the time.

         Aang shrugged. “We couldn’t get an accurate count. Maybe 30 or so.”

         “We have 26 of them in custody, but we’re almost positive that some of them were able to escape,” Sokka added, his humorous personality was put aside to join in on the seriousness of the situation.

         The room got silent; perhaps one of the oddest things for this particular group of friends. They were dancing around anything that was related to my death. Like I’d crack at any moment. I realized that I’d need to push them a bit in order to have my questions answered rather than just get them told to me naturally. “Okay, so what about Suh? Was she apprehended?”

         “Suh escaped,” Zuko answered me regrettably while no one else wanted to. He hunched over in his seat, leaning his elbows on his thighs and intertwining his fingers.

         I held my breath for a moment. On the exterior, I nodded understandably and looked composed. But on the interior, I was stiffening. Fear engulfed me at this new knowledge. The woman that I simply thought was just a weasel snake and posed no real threat, was now someone who’s name made me quiver.

         “Cool cool cool,” I responded while softly nodding my head. “Any leads on where she might be?”

         A loud and irritated huff came from Toph as the woman lounged in her chair like she had no care in the world. “Nope. The wench disappeared in the snow like the coward she is.”

         “She could be on a boat to the Fire Nation or maybe even the Earth Kingdom for all we know,” Sokka added in exasperation. His jaw clenched slightly and his hand ran through his loose hair. Suki took notice in his annoyance, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

         My eyebrows furrowed as another question came up. “Why didn’t anyone go after her?” I tried to hide the bothered, hurt tone in my voice, but it still spilled ever so slightly.

         “We were kind of preoccupied. Ya know with you dying and 300 plus guests to protect.” Katara looked at me with her eyes narrowed and a frown in a baffled expression.

         “Alright, so what are we doing to find her then?” I stressed. My shoulders hardened and my face twisted in frustration.

         “We have guards placed all around the South Pole on the lookout for her and we’ve sent out messages to the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom that she is to be brought into custody,” Sokka answered.

         My first instinct to shout at them, tell them that’s not enough. But reason kept me from doing that. Sokka was good at planning and organizing things like these. I trust that he knows what he’s doing. “And Azula?” I moved on. The room was quiet again. “Oh, for the love of Tui and La, can you all please stop dancing around each subject and just tell me everything,” I grumbled a bit too angrily.

         “Ama…” My sister softly started, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Do you need a minute, we can discuss this later-”

         “No! I don’t want to discuss this later.” I exclaimed in exasperation. “I died! Okay! Moving on. Give me the rundown, we figure out the next steps and move on with our lives. The sooner this conversation happens, the sooner that can happen.”

         “Are you sure? You seem a little… emotional.” Commented Aang in a nervous matter, noting my paler than usual complexion.

         “For once, I agree with Twinkle Toes. Ama, you’re acting differently and it’s actually kind of concerning.” Toph repositioned herself in her seat, sitting up more intensively.

         I composed myself quickly, burying the boiling anxiety deep inside. “Yes, I’m sure,” I answered calmly, with a light smile. Doing my best to act like I normally would.

         Everyone in the room looked a little hesitant, sneaking quick and confused glances at each other. “Alright.” Aang sighed. “Well, Azula’s currently locked up. She’s been interrogated and everything. There’s just one thing we don’t know.”

         “What did you say to her?” Zuko finished. His brow curving upwards slightly, matched with a curious but hopeful glint in his eye.

         “What do you mean?” My face twisted and my head tilted in confusion.

         “Ama, Azula was the one who saved your life,” Katara informed me smoothly, also giving me an inquisitive look.

         My jaw fell and my eyes widened. “Azula saved me?” I repeated in a whisper; more to myself than to anyone else. “How?”

         Katara sat next to me on the bed, placing her hand over mine. “I was able to heal your wound after you died, but Azula was somehow able to use electricity to restart your heart. Bringing you back to life.”

         "I always knew there was a soft side to her." Ty lee commented quietly. She was gazing at the floor in deep thought. Her ever so chipper smile was absent from her expression and instead looked glum and distressed.

         "But that doesn't excuse everything she's done," Mai added, louder than Ty Lee, and with more anger and hurt. Her lips were pursed and her eyes narrowed. "Ama, you’re the last person who needs to place your vote in what to do with her. Because someone," she glared at Zuko. "Still hasn't made any definite decisions on whether to do the reasonable thing and put her in an isolated prison or some other absurd idea.”

         “I don’t want to do anything drastic just yet,” Zuko spoke with a grumble like he’s explained that a thousand times before. Straightening up in his seat in defense.

         “Killing her would be drastic, not throwing her in jail. But then again, it’s not like she doesn’t deserve it.” Toph commented in a mumble.

         “How is making Azula pay for her crimes drastic?” Sokka embitterly and loudly wondered. “Not only did she have people murdered, but she also committed crimes against the Fire Nation. Against you, Zuko.”

         “Azula didn’t have anyone killed.” I corrected him. Everyone looked at me with worry. To they’re knowledge, Azula ordered for her henchmen to murder my friends and Mulan. And while it was her associate, Suh, who tried to kill me. I was almost positive that Azula didn’t really want anyone dead. “I need to talk to Azula,” I said suddenly, throwing my legs over the side of the bed to get up and leave.

         Katara immediately stood up as well, placing her hands on my shoulders to keep me on the bed. “Ama, you need to rest!” She forcefully told me.

         “I slept for like 2 days, I don’t need rest.” I countered matter of factly, swiping her hands off my shoulders. I would only admit to myself that my arms ached at the movement. But my stubbornness kept me going and I tried to stand up.

         Yet again, my sister forced me to sit down again. “Yes, you do. Your wound might be healed, but we really don’t know how your body is. After all, you were… dead,” She hesitated to say the word. “For a good few minutes.”

         “You weren’t like this when Aang woke up after he died.” I pointed out, motioning my hand to her husband and looked over at him. The poor man looked so terrified in his current position. Aang was great at solving problems, being the Avatar and all, but he seemed to have no clue how to help solve this particular debacle between his wife and her headstrong sister. “Sorry to use you as an example, Aang. But your the only other person I know who’s died and came back to life so-”

         “Will you stop treating this like dying and coming back to life is something normal.” Katara tensely sucked in a breath and shook her head at me. She may have just exploded right then and there based on how her body shook in frustration and the vein that almost popped out of her forehead.

         “Well, it has happened twice in Team Avatar,” I commented, bouncing my brows and shrugging nonchalantly.

         Everyone in the room collectively sighed. They were all so in sync I might have thought it was planned. Katara pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes tightly, her other hand resting on her hip. “Snowcone, you need to learn to keep your mouth shut.” I heard Toph sigh deeply. I kept my eyes on my sister, already knowing she had something to say.

         "First.” She started, now crossing her arms and giving me a stern look. “Aang was in a coma for weeks in comparison to you waking up after two days. Second. We had Spirit Water. It works and we knew it. We don’t know anything about how the lightning worked or how your body is reacting. You can’t just jump up, go on runs, or in general just use your body like you normally would.”

         My jaw dropped and my eyes widened. “I can’t train?” I worried. My breathing was already starting to get irregular and heavy. Beating the absolute shit out of training dummies was my favorite and reliable way to relieve stress. It kept me active and alert. Without it, I was left with what? I didn’t even know.

         “Give your body time.” My sister’s voice was comforting and her hands came up to rub the sides of my arms. The simultaneous up and down motion and the small circles she made with her thumb was enough to calm me down before I started to get too emotional. “For now just go on walks, rest more often. Don’t push yourself physically.”

         “Fine.” I let out an exasperated sigh and gave my sister a heavy expression. “But, I still need to talk to Azula, though.”

         “Why?” Mai wondered dully, but behind her dank tone and her languid face, there was a deep dislike for Azula. Maybe even hatred. I understood why. It was Azula who had manipulated her father to have her brother and many other kids kidnapped. In their childhood, it was Azula who’d tormented her friends.

         I definitely still held hatred for the malicious woman. But the other night I saw something else too. A lost woman who had no one to turn to. Guilt was consuming her. So much so that she planned an elaborate suicide attempt. I needed to know more. Especially since she saved my life. “She said something the other night. I just need to know what she meant.” I told them the bare minimum. Because Azula said a lot of things. There were some things she said that were more concerning than others. But overall, her entire plot was loosely lined up. There were gaps that needed to be filled and actions that needed justifications. “After all, if it weren’t for her I wouldn’t even be here right now.”

         Toph giggled loudly, shaking her head and resting her forehead on her hand. “If you think Azula is capable of some sort of redemption, you're even more blind than I am.”

         Furrowing my brows and crossing my arms over my chest. “I never said that!” And with a light shrug and my eyes softening, I avoided making eye contact with anyone as I focused my gaze at the still-hot tea while I grabbed it off the bedside table. “But perhaps there may some a smidge of hope that-”

         “Ama!” Katara interrupted, her eyes staring down at me with concern and her tone a tad bit high-pitched like she was offended by my words. “After everything she’s done in the war, crashing my wedding, she had Mulan killed! She’s also responsible for you dying!”

         “She had my brother kidnapped!” Mai added. This time she wasn’t expressionless when she looked at me. Her lips curved down and slightly parted in disgust, her brows curved up like she was puzzled. This may have been one of the few times I’ve seen her express multiple emotions at once.

         “Suh attempted murder, not Azula. And it was Azula who saved my life!” I defended the woman who I never thought I’d advocate for. “As for everything she’s done years ago, she was still a teenager. At her age, Zuko was still a bratty and spoiled prince. She just didn’t have the guidance he did with Iroh.” I scanned the room. Each person had their own expression. Whether it be contemplative, like Aang, or irritated, like Mai.

         There was only one person who I couldn’t read. Zuko.

         The Fire Lord sat at the edge of his seat, back into his hunched over position. His elbows rested on his knees and his chin rested on his intertwined hands. His eyes were kept on me and when I looked over, our eyes met. He didn’t look expressionless or dull. Maybe calm. Maybe hiding disgust. Maybe something else.

         My sister's long, tired sigh broke the silence. My eyes tore from Zuko’s to give Katara my attention. “Well, I suppose if you need to talk to Azula, I’m okay with it.” She caved. “But not now. This morning has been draining enough and you need to rest.” I rolled my eyes and huffed at that. But if I argued against her, I don’t know if she’d still clear me to even leave the room. “If everyone else is okay with it, you can go after lunch.”

         I looked towards the group with begging, hopeful eyes. “I think it’s a good idea to talk to her.” Aang nodded, giving me a kind smile.

         “Fine.” Sokka irritatedly answered, crossing his arms and leaning back into his seat. “I’ll be ready to say ‘I told you so’ when the time comes.”

         “Mai?” I shrugged my shoulders curiously at her.

         The reserved woman let out a long sigh and her long, black nails tapped the armrest while she rolled her eyes. “Whatever. As long as you’re just talking and not pardoning her for all the crimes she’s committed.”

         “Of course not, Mai,” I assured her. I may have been able to give Azula a chance at redemption, but no way was I about to forget everything she’s done. From tracking down Aang and the rest of the team to ruining Katara’s special day, Azula was guilty. Yet despite all of that, I wanted — no — needed an explanation from her. To hear Azula express her intentions in full detail.

         Ty Lee jolted out of her seat, her chair made a painfully cringing screech as it rubbed against the floor. “Excuse me for a moment.” She said meekly, avoiding all eye contact while she walked towards the door. Just before stepping out, she looked over her shoulder. “And I think talking to Azula is a great place to start.” She quietly made her input and left the room.

         Everyone stared at the closed door in surprise. Ty Lee was a small person with a big personality. To see her act so shy was completely out of character. Something was bothering her. And it had to do with Azula. But what? That was the question. Ty Lee adored the firebender since they were kids. She valued her relationships with others wholeheartedly. But Azula betrayed that friendship long ago. I wondered what Ty Lee was feeling. Seeing her old friend again. It must have taken a toll on her just like on everyone else.

         Mai worryingly stood up moments after Ty Lee left. “I’ll go see if she's okay.” She mumbled hastily, walking the steps Ty Lee took out the door.

         “Well that was weird.” Toph commented, bouncing her eyebrows and then slouched in her seat. “I suppose you need my blessing now. Sure, go talk to the crazy lady. Tell her ‘Toph sends her regards’ and throw a rock at her for me, would ya?”

         I couldn’t help laughing at the thought of chucking a rock at Azula. “Tempting, but I think she’d be less inclined to talk to me if I threw a rock at her.” I replied while my laughter died down.

         “Do it after.” Toph shrugged, completely unbothered.

         Suki giggled slightly and Sokka snorted a laugh, looking at the ceiling dreamily. “That would be a sight.”

         “Let’s refrain from throwing anything at anyone, please.” Katara sighed and rolled her eyes. “Zuko, Suki. We’ve still yet to hear from you guys.”

         “You guys know me.” Suki shrugged her shoulders, giving us all a thin smile. “If taking to Azula is the best course of action for the time being, I’m okay with it.”

         All eyes were now on Zuko. He kept his eyes on me, rather than paying anyone else any attention. A small smile played on his lips. “Azula is my sister. I know that what she’s done is inexcusable, but I’d like a more in depth explanation from her. So yeah. I think you should go.” His eyes flickered to his hands and then back at me. He wanted to say something else, I knew it. Maybe it was the fact that there were still so many of us in one room or maybe he was still mulling it over. Either way, he held back. And left his words at that.

         “Alright then. I guess, it’s settled. Ama talks to Azula later today and a definite decision on what happens to her will come short after.” Katara concluded the conversation. “Did we miss anything? Is there anything else we need to know?” She pondered glancing at everyone.

         My lips parted slightly. Do I mention that I bloodbended the other night? Without the full moon? Yes, it was important information, but it still felt so surreal to me. And no one really needed to know about it, right? It’s not like I’d use it ever again. But then again. The rush I felt when I had full control over someone else. It was exhilarating. Made me feel powerful. But I shouldn’t feel that way. It was a horrid thing to do. The other person went through excruciating pain. But I still revealed the feeling I got. Would the others judge me for it? No one would hate me for bloodbending, I knew that much. But for enjoying it…

         “Nothing? Okay, good.” Katara spoke before I even had the chance to speak. I let out a relieved sigh. I didn’t have to come clean about anything just yet. “Alright everyone, out. Ama needs to rest.” I rolled my eyes in a playful tone at her overcautious procedures. But I appreciated it deeply.

         Zuko took the few steps to the side of the bed, beside me, with a gentle smile. I beamed at him as the tall man leaned down, pressing a short and simple kiss on my lips. “I’ll come by for lunch.” He told me, pulling away from me.

         “Would you? I hate eating alone.” My fingers intertwined together and went under my chin as I looked up at him with begging eyes.

         He chuckled lightly at me, never letting his eyes leave mine. “Can’t think of anything else I’d rather do. I’ll see you soon.” I could hardly contain my smile at the promise. Walking around the bed, Zuko headed to the door, where everyone else had been watching with wide eyes, smirks, or grins.

         Katara’s jaw was dropped, her eyes flickering between Zuko and I as a light blush found my cheeks and the Fire Lord grinned. “Haha! I knew it!” Suki triumphantly punched her fist in the air.

         “Next time wait until we leave the room.” I heard Toph grumbled, following Suki out.

         Katara’s surprise face morphed, and she now looked at us with amusement. “Maybe a warning next time you guys get back together.” My sister giggled. “Was not expecting that.”

         Zuko just shrugged at her and then looked over his shoulder to wink at me before he walked out the door. Aang also chuckled at the scene, but right before he stepped out with everyone else be pause. “Actually.” He mumbled and then looked over at me with his brows slightly furrowed. “Ama, may I talk with you for a minute. Won’t last long.”

         “Yeah, of course.” I smiled at him positively. The door closed behind him as he walked over to the stop that Katara spent most of the meeting.

         His grey eyes and smile were soft as he looked down at my sitting figure. “I just want to say how much I admire your ability to try and give Azula a chance to change. I know it’s hard given everything she’s done. But it shows a lot of growth on your part.”

         “Thank you, Aang.” I nodded appreciatively. “Means a lot coming from you.”

         “As the Avatar, I know.” He grinned proudly.

         I huffed a laugh and shook my head, “As a part of the family.”

         Aang’s face turned crimson. “I’m family?” He goggled, his smile only getting wider.

         “Aang.” I chuckled, lightly punching his arm to avoid hurting myself. “You’ve been family for years.”

         “Yeah, but now it just means more.” He rugged the back of his neck, still as red as a tomato. “Anyways, I’ll let you get some more rest. And just let me know if you need anyone to talk to. Like you said before, I’m the only one who’s died and come back to life before.”

         I bounced my eyebrows at the reminder, giving him a forced, flat smile. “I’ll keep it in mind, Aang.” I told him.

         Flashing me one more smile, the Avatar left the room. Leaving me alone. At least, until noon. Biting my bottom lip, I felt my face heat up at the thought of Zuko coming in later for lunch. Our friends just found out we’re back together and we’ve made it pretty clear that our old feelings are back. And while Suh was still out there, she was no longer a part of the equation. There’s nothing stopping us from being together.

.☽☼☾.

Here she is! College is kind of a pain. I really tried to post last week but I got a lot of wok and given that I haven't done schoolwork in months, it's been rough. Let me know what you guys think! I love feedback and constructive criticism. Please don't be shy!

Hang loose, amigos 🤙🏼

#zuko x oc #fire lord zuko #zuko fanfic #her sun his moon #zuko x ama #water tribe #waterbender #waterbender oc #zuko x waterbender oc #zuko story #aang #katara #toph #sokka #suki #mai #azula #tylee #zuko x reader #zuko imagine

[bollywood-and-phoenix-feather]

manic hours opened yesterday and @just-another-trans-twink and I went on a 24-hour zukka lockdown. this was the result!

essentially: more sokka and azula content is absolutely necessary in this fandom, so here are five times sokka and azula collaborated for the better, and one time it was definitely for the worse

Read on AO3 above!

1. the gaang threatens murder

Sokka hadn’t felt this anxious in nearly six years – since the end of the war. Well, not counting the numerous attempts on his boyfriend’s life; those set him on edge for weeks afterwards. Today was different, though. It wasn’t just he and Zuko and the guards who were unusually tense and hyper-alert. The whole palace felt like it was holding its breath, terse silence stifling in the late summer air.

Sokka checked his timepiece. Thirty minutes until Azula arrived to move into the palace, hopefully (or unfortunately?) for good.

Zuko had been back in contact with his sister for years now. He’d been to visit her in the hospital many times, and she’d even visited the palace occasionally. The fact that she and Zuko could now hold a conversation without setting each other on fire was testament to how she’d changed. Even the doctors said she was better, more stable.

But Sokka still didn’t trust her - couldn’t trust her, after everything she’d done to Katara, Suki, his dad, Zuko… they were his family, and he had to be ready to protect them. Sokka wasn’t the only one that felt that way. Zuko might have started to trust her again, but everyone else was skeptical.

Katara was pissed; Sokka didn’t need Toph’s seismic sense to know that. She, Aang, Toph, Suki, and a few other Kyoshi warriors had arrived a few days ago for extra security. Zuko had stubbornly maintained that it was unnecessary, but he’d finally conceded it was probably a good idea after Sokka had asked them to come anyway.

Zuko, in his earnest quest to be a good brother, wanted to give Azula a proper welcome to the palace, with a small celebratory dinner with their closest friends - which were Zuko’s closest friends, since Azula didn’t really have those anymore. Ty Lee and Mai declined to come, and he was pretty sure everyone else had only agreed to come to provide moral support and physical protection for Zuko. Sokka was just hoping a fight wouldn’t break out.

-

Dinner was, well. Tense.

Katara did little but pick at her food and glare icy daggers at Azula, who pretended not to notice, acting coolly unperturbed by the tension around her. Suki looked relaxed, but Sokka knew better. Her fans sat on either side of her plate, ready for a fight, and she never quite shifted her weight to the back of her seat. Toph might have been the only one actually having a good time, irreverently picking her nails and drinking more sake than a person her size should have been able to.

Aang was desperately trying to ease the mood, chattering on far too cheerfully about new trade routes between the Earth Kingdom and Southern Water Tribe, while Zuko passively nodded along, glancing over at his sister occasionally like he wanted to talk to her.

“... so then, shipments will move primarily between Akahime, Kyoshi Island, and the Southern Water Tribe, like they did when I was a kid! Or was a kid for the first time, I guess! Huh. Anyway! This is gonna be great because it’s a relatively short and easy trade route but the quality of goods -”

“Aang,” Sokka snapped, physically unable to listen any longer. “I love you like a brother, but that does mean that if I have to listen to you recite the trade proposal that I helped write for any longer, I will shave your eyebrows off while you sleep. And Katara -” Sokka whirled on her - “I know you’re upset, but can you please return my water to a liquid state? And everyone else’s, for that matter? Otherwise someone’s gonna have to deal with a hungover Toph tomorrow, and it sure as hell isn’t gonna be me!”

Sokka glared at his sister across the table. Her face was stony, her eyes slightly narrowed. Was this going to end well for Sokka? No. Did that mean he was going to back down? Absolutely not.

“Fine,” Katara muttered through gritted teeth. With a twitch of her fingers, the ice filling everyone’s cups of water melted back to liquid - all except Sokka’s.

“Real fucking mature, Katara - ” he began, and then she flicked her fingers out towards him, melting the water in his cup and sending it right at his face.

“You little shit!” Sokka shrieked in what he was sure was a very, very manly tone. As he rose to confront his sister, Zuko and Suki turned to exchange a fond look, both of them struggling to hide their laughter. Sokka took a breath, feigning sincerity. “You know what? I take it back. You’re ALL a bunch of assholes.” He yanked the tablecloth towards him, sending food and drink flying, before attempting to make a hasty escape.

Chaos erupted. Katara bent the water off herself and onto Zuko, apparently declaring him guilty by association. Toph began shooting grape-oranges at people with alarming precision, while Suki deflected them just as easily. Sokka didn’t get more than a few steps away from the table before his feet were earthbent into the floor.

“You’re not going anywhere, Snoozles!” Toph bellowed, now pelting him with various fruits. He tried to dodge without falling on his face, and was only saved by Zuko grabbing both his arms to keep him balanced. Sokka looked up to see Zuko with a wide grin on his face, and Sokka, hopelessly-in-love bisexual that he was, had barely started his usual inner monologue about how beautiful Zuko’s smile was when Zuko leaned in to smear egg custard on his face.

Just as Sokka opened his mouth to voice his betrayal, another shrill scream split the room: “Are you fucking kidding me?!” Everyone turned to see Azula standing in the corner of the room, irate, steaming the water off her shirt and picking a few stray noodles out of her hair. “I lost to you?! You?”

Tense silence returned, dragging on as everyone tried to anticipate Azula’s next move.

Toph, who had remained unscathed by using the metal plates as shields, and who was somehow still sipping from a full, intact glass of sake, broke the silence. “Yep,” she said, popping the “p”.

Azula stared at Toph for a few moments before sitting down, a look of resignation on her face. Hm. That was new. So was the “Whatever,” Sokka thought he heard her mutter under her breath.

Slowly, everyone returned to the table to pick at what was left of their food and exchange uneasy glances with one another.

Aang cleared his throat. “Did anyone try the chicken? I thought the chicken was lovely.”

-

“I’m going to bed. Are you coming?” Zuko’s hands rested lightly on Sokka’s shoulders, and Sokka sleepily tipped his head back, away from the scroll he was reading, for a kiss. Zuko smirked, a few strands of hair that had escaped his topknot softly framing his face, and obliged.

“I’ll be there soon, okay? I just have a couple more things to take care of,” Sokka murmured in response. As usual, they were up late working in their study. (Technically, it was Zuko’s study, but Sokka almost always worked in here and was steadily covering any available flat surface with his scrolls, reference books, and blueprints. Not that Zuko was complaining.)

Zuko hummed, “Okay, love you,” against Sokka’s lips, before striding out of the room. Sokka waited until his footsteps had faded down the hall before rising, hoping he remembered the way to Azula’s room. He really didn’t want to ask for directions.

A few minutes and wrong turns later, he found Azula. She yanked open her door before he had really finished knocking, snapping an acidic “What?” in his face.

Sokka shouldered his way inside, closing the door behind him and choosing to ignore the fact that she could fry him like a pig-chicken in an instant if she decided it was worth it. He couldn’t think about that right now; he had to do this.

“Listen,” he growled, not bothering to hide the years of hurt and anger behind his voice. “I don’t know if you’re actually better or if this is part of some elaborate scheme of yours, and you know what? Right now, I don’t really care. You’ve hurt too many of the people I love. But you have Zuko convinced, and I guess -” His voice cracked, and he took a breath, trying not to wince visibly. “I guess that’s all that matters right now. He cares about you. A lot. So if you hurt him again, know this: consequences be damned, ending you will be my sole mission. Understand?”

Azula, level and unflinching, arms crossed over her chest, held his gaze for a long moment before huffing and breaking eye contact to inspect her nails. “Bold of you to assume I can be killed, Water Tribe.”

Sokka could only continue to stare, gritting his teeth to prevent his mouth from drifting open in astonishment. The fuck kind of response was that? What did that even mean?

Apparently satisfied with her nails, she turned her face back up to look at Sokka, a new, hard glint in her eyes. “Don’t worry about me. The threat is mutual. Guards!” A royal guard stepped through the door, standing at attention. “Please escort Ambassador Sokka out. I need my beauty sleep.”

And before Sokka could even begin to form a response, the door was closing behind him, and his feet were guiding him to Zuko’s chambers.

2. the gaang goes crafting

Sokka placed two thumbs on his temples, rubbing vigorously before giving up his headache for a lost cause with a sigh. This was the second Four-Nation (well, three-nation plus Aang) diplomatic council meeting he had attended, and as both the Southern Water Tribe representative and a young man who had seen far too much over the past few years, he was deeply frustrated.

When he'd been younger, he'd sat through enough war meetings to know how they usually went: chaos and argument, with Hakoda listening carefully before picking out the bits and pieces that mattered. It was a lot like hunting: waiting and watching for the correct moment to strike. Sokka had learned long ago how to listen, and listen well.

Unfortunately, it seemed like he might be the only one. The Earth Kingdom generals had not taken kindly to being placed in a small room with their Fire Nation counterparts, and every word out of their mouths demonstrated all too clearly that the war, for them, was not yet over. Zuko's position was still precarious - twice-banished and once-crowned - and so he could only do so much. The Earth King's travels had clearly done him some good, but the bar for improvement was unbelievably low. And Sokka did not yet have his dad's ability to command the room.

So this wasn't, at all, like hunting. It might actually be more like the moment after the hunting was over, when the offal was thrown to the polar bear dogs and they went wild, howling and yelling and stomping down the snow.

"I know that face," came a snide voice to his left.

Sokka jumped and drew his sword, mostly on instinct. Azula met his eyes over its point, and then pushed it away, lazily. Sokka let her.

"You're thinking," she said. "If you were my brother, I would say it was a rare feat. But you're not him, are you?"

Like everything Azula said, this question was a test, or a game, or both. Sokka rolled his eyes and chose not to play. "What do you want?"

"I want what you want," said Azula. "And I can help you get it."

Spirits. Even when she was trying to help you, she sounded like she was planning world domination. "Tell me how to get General Wu to shut up for more than five minutes, and then we can talk."

Azula examined her nails. They were much shorter, now, than they had been at the start of the war, so the effect was less like a predator picking its claws, and more girlish; it made her look her age, for once. Sokka wasn't sure if Azula knew, and if not, he certainly wasn't going to tell her.

"General Wu's daughter is studying at the Royal Fire Nation Academy, in her third summer. That means she's currently memorizing the fifty-eight rhetorical principles, and she's probably been practicing them so much that he can recite them by rote. If you bring up the one about the value of being concise - "

"He will finish it, embarrass himself, and then keep quiet for at least the next five minutes so that I can shut down his stupid air-balloon outreach plan." Sokka blinked, surprised at the words coming out of his own mouth. "Did I just agree with you?"

"Of course you did," said Azula, smiling. Her palm was sparking a little, in the way it did before she said something about collective power for utter domination, etc., so Sokka took the opportunity to head her off early.

"Come back to the library with me," he said. "We still have nine generals to go."

Azula looked at him. Sokka looked right back. He had the upper hand here, and he knew it - Azula must have been bored out of her mind after months nothing interesting to do but watch the path of the odd frog-fly. As far as Sokka knew, she wasn't even allowed out of this wing of the palace unattended, let alone permitted to read anything more recent than her great-grandfather’s time.

"Fine," said Azula, finally, feigning boredom. Sokka smiled.

-

Zuko stared. "What is this?"

"What does it look like?" said two voices at once. Sokka and Azula looked at each other in brief, honest shock, before turning back to him as one. Zuko swallowed nervously and resisted the urge to draw his swords.

"Um. It looks like the librarian is gonna be mad at you for defacing the general's royal portraits," said Zuko.

"What did I tell you?" said Azula, scornful. "I knew he wouldn't understand."

"We just have to give him a minute," said Sokka, patiently. Zuko stared. We? he mouthed.

"Oh, well, let him be," said Azula. "Zuzu - " she began, sweetly, and Zuko didn't even flinch this time - "you take all the time you need. If you have questions, we will be in my chambers."

"In your chambers," agreed Zuko, haplessly. "Why?"

"We're finishing the border agreement," Sokka threw over his shoulder. Azula was already halfway down the hall.

"The border agreement. The one that - they've been working on that for months! What do you mean you're finishing it?"

"Oh, you know, teamwork and whatever. It wasn't that hard." Sokka grinned brightly at Zuko, giving him a large thumbs up, and then skipped after Azula.

3. the gaang does science

As much as Zuko was unnerved by the...alliance? working relationship? collaboration? between Sokka and Azula, he had to admit that they were making great progress. They had resolved the border agreement, a messy affair Zuko was sure would take the rest of the year and possibly also Aang’s moderation to conclude, in less than a week.

That had been months ago, and since, they had gotten everything from education reform bills to reparations proposals approved by the council and various world leaders. Sometimes Zuko wondered who was really running the country right now. He didn’t mind, though. It was fun to watch the dusty old men on his advisory council squirm in meetings when Azula sat in the corner, staring them down and taking meticulous notes.

Plus, he got more sleep this way.

Zuko rose and stretched after signing off the Power Duo’s latest proposal for terracing the mountainside of a nearby village to grow rice. Dismissing his constant internal struggle over whether their partnership should make him thankful or fearful for his safety, he went to find Sokka. He got more time to eat in places that weren’t his study now, too. He’d thought a surprise picnic by the turtleduck pond might be nice; it’d been so long since he and Sokka had been able to go on an actual date.

He’d already asked for a blanket and a basket of food to be sent over to the pond, so all he had to do was find Sokka, who…wasn’t in his office. Zuko frowned; he must be outside.

Zuko headed towards the courtyard behind the building instead, lost in thought about their last date - Sokka had talked him into seeing The Ember Island Players’ most recent atrocity, which had lived up to Zuko’s rock-bottom expectations, but they’d gone swimming afterwards, and then -

Zuko’s train of thought (and the accompanying flush in his cheeks) was cut off abruptly by the truly alarming sight greeting him in the courtyard.

Azula was elaborately strapped and tied to Sokka’s back like a baby hog monkey, her arms falling in front of his shoulders to tighten a couple last straps. Both were wearing large, ridiculous, leather-framed goggles that fit snugly around their eyes. As Azula worked with the straps, Sokka unfurled two triangular pieces of cloth that bore suspicious similarity to the wings of Aang’s glider. The bottom part of the cloth appeared to be attached to his boots, the top edge to his arms.

Before Zuko could even say, What the fuck, Sokka? , Sokka grinned over his shoulder at Azula and said with far too much vigor, “Ready?”

Azula, clearly still focused on the straps, snapped, “I’m always ready. Are you sure this will work?”

“No, but there’s only one way to find out! That’s science! Sokka-POW!” And with that, Azula lit a massive flame under her feet, sending them both flying above the roof of the palace. Immediately, despite Sokka’s best efforts with the cloth flaps, they careened wildly out of control before plummeting directly into the roof of the residential hall on the opposite side of the courtyard.

As he sprinted towards them, calling for his guards to send a healer, he could think only two thoughts: (1) spirits, please let them be okay, and (2) if they’re not dead, I’m going to kill them.

Crashing through the door of the building, he found Sokka and Azula on the (very charred) floor, a few small fires surrounding them, which he snuffed out with a wave of his hand. The two were still mostly strapped together, Sokka rolling around on the floor in an attempt to dislodge Azula, while she tried to undo the straps at Sokka’s front with mixed success.

Zuko unsheathed one of the daggers at his waist and willed himself not to breathe fire as he launched into a tirade that bald-ponytail, sixteen-year-old Zuko would have been proud of. “What the fuck were you two thinking! Are you stupid? Don’t answer that, smartass,” He glared pointedly at Sokka while he sliced his way through their bindings. “What would I have done if something happened to either of you? There’d be a fucking diplomatic crisis, I’d have a dead ambassador and a dead sister and a very, very angry Southern Water Tribe -”

“In my defense,” Sokka muttered hoarsely, head lolling back onto the floor, “my dad would definitely believe you if you told him that I did something like this.”

“Do you even hear yourself?” He sheathed his dagger and whirled on his sister. “Azula,” he pleaded, “why?”

She shrugged, and offered only, “Science.” A smirk spread over her face, splitting streaks of soot. “Maybe if you’d let me read a book published in the last two hundred years, then I’d know it was a bad idea.”

Zuko’s imminent death threat was cut off by Sokka’s chuckling from the floor. “Nice one, ‘Zula. Up top.” He raised his hand weakly for Azula to give him a high five.

I can’t believe I’m in love with this concussed idiot, Zuko thought (not for the first time). Healers rushed in to save the two from Zuko’s remaining wrath. “I’m telling Katara,” Zuko muttered.

“Nooooo, babyyy, please don’t tell Katara, she’ll -”

“I’m telling Katara, mostly because you deserve to be yelled at by someone else, but also because she and Aang get here in a week, and I don’t know how else I’m going to explain why it looks like a comet crashed into the palace. And, you know what? Royal decree - you two are not allowed to hang out unsupervised any more.”

Azula glared at him - less her old I’m-going-to-mount-your-head-on-the-palace-gates glare and more the usual your-existence-tires-me glare that he saw pass between Sokka and Katara so often. That was better, though, and Zuko decided that he would take it. Sokka just pouted, jutting out his bottom lip and batting his eyelashes. Zuko found this look cuter than he should, and Sokka knew it.

Zuko steeled his resolve. “I’m telling Katara, and I’m not going to stop giving you shit about this until we’re approximately eighty, okay? But you can read whatever you want in the library. Happy?”

The Power Duo cheered, and Zuko couldn’t hold back a soft smile.

4. the gaang hoards the brain cells

Maybe it was a lifetime of being the oldest sibling and also the responsible sibling, or maybe it was just because he had grown up around Katara, but despite all appearances to the contrary (see: the as-yet unrepaired roof of the residential hall) Sokka was actually a great influence on Azula.

Part of this was definitely due to the fact that Azula, like, listened to him. Sokka wasn't sure that he'd ever been around someone who did what he said without question. Zuko supported him, but in a boyfriend kind of way; sometimes Sokka would jump in with a plan fully formed, and then Zuko would make him explain it back and work out the kinks; other times - and especially in fights - by the time Sokka had come up with a workable plan, Zuko was already in the middle of it, flaming-feet first, and Sokka had to improvise (brilliantly, but desperately) to keep up.

Katara, conversely, never actually listened to him. She just did what she wanted. If what she wanted happened to line up with Sokka's exact plan, she would never admit it. It was her right, really, as a younger sibling; Sokka knew this, and he loved her.

But Azula understood his plans almost before he said them out loud -  most of the time because she was thinking the same thing. And somehow, out of everyone - she respected him the most; sometimes Sokka felt like she was trying to earn his approval, like she knew that if Sokka trusted her, so would Katara, and even Zuko. If she was a sail, Sokka was just a rudder, steering her: they didn't have to be pointing the same direction, but their boat would never crash.

Sokka frowned, trying to imagine himself as a boat. Would his wolf-tail be the rudder? Or would his whole body just be triangle-shaped?

It didn't matter. (It did. He would figure it out later.) Right now, he needed to talk to her about some of the villages at the southern border; heavy rains had induced mudslides, wiping out shrines and causing the spirits to run amok. Sokka thought that maybe, this village might be a kind of Heroism Starter Pack for Azula, that they could - what was that noise?

Sokka looked down. The castle floor should not be splashing his feet, and yet it was; he was standing in a giant puddle. He looked up, suddenly focused; there was a trail of muddy water making its way down the hall.

Sokka followed it. The water grew muddier and deeper as he went, and Sokka despaired for whoever would have to clean it up. Finally, he caught up to the source: his very bedraggled sister, and his equally soaked boyfriend, trudging toward the baths.

"Um," said Sokka. "What's happening, here?"

Katara turned around. "Well, someone had to do it." Her hands were on her hips, her nose upturned.

"Yeah," agreed Zuko, smiling. "We took care of it. It was fun."

Don't get him wrong - Sokka was all for Zuko's little smiles, and Zuko having fun, but - "Take care of what? What did you do?"

Zuko and Katara scowled, eerily identical. "What we did," Katara said, edging from 'self-satisfied' to 'fiercely righteous', "was settle the spirits and save the villagers, since obviously the Earth kingdom civil forces don't have the bending knowledge to do it yet!"

"Yeah, like I said," said Zuko. He was frowning like a kicked puppy, which was unfair to Sokka specifically. "We took care of it."

"Oh," said Sokka, relaxing. "That's great! So you guys talked to the villagers?"

"Um," said Zuko. "About what?"

"...the mudslides. And, like, preventing them? The tiered rock formations?"

Zuko stared at him, a little furrow forming between his eyebrows which meant he was totally lost. Katara avoided his gaze, shifting from foot to foot.

"Katara," said Sokka, using his absolute best big brother voice, "remember my designs? Which I told you about last week?"

"Look, Sokka," said Katara, gently. Sokka frowned and crossed his arms; Katara had not been able to fool him with that voice since she was about ten years old, and she knew it. "We solved the problem. The spirits are settled and everything is okay now! Your designs were great, but we just...didn't need them?"

Sokka stared her down; Katara stared back.

"If you're going to -" "Well, what exactly was your - " they began, at the same time, and Zuko sighed; before they could really get into it, a rush of heat interrupted them, shrinking the puddles on the floor to sad little piles of dirt, and blowing Katara's hair dramatically into her face. Sokka stifled a laugh.

"I think the real question is, what did you actually do?" Azula asked, appearing from the shadows. She was holding Zuko's Blue Spirit mask, which was dripping with mud.

"Dramatic entrance high-five," said Sokka, because she deserved it, and because she was going to be on his side. Azula obliged, and then raised an eyebrow to Katara and Zuko, who reminded Sokka a bit of blow-dried cat-herons.

"We're not dumb," said Katara, smoothing down her robes. "We entered the village in disguise, and then cleared the mud and repaired the shrines. The spirits calmed down pretty quickly after everything was fixed."

"Right," said Azula. "Until the next time it rains. You know, what might have worked better would be to educate the villagers about flood barriers, or perhaps even offer them assistance in moving their shrines."

She sounded about as scornful and sarcastic as usual, but Sokka knew better; her ideas were legitimate and compassionate. He was so proud. Their murder baby was all grown up and trying to save people.

Katara did not pick up on the fact that Sokka was swelling like a pig-chicken about to crow. "You don't know that - "

"What we do know," interrupted Sokka bossily, "is that at some point it's going to rain again, and then the villagers are going to sit and pray to the Blue Spirit and the Painted Lady instead of building these custom-designed flood barriers on the mountain."

Zuko shuffled his feet. "I didn't really think about that."

"Zuko, I love you," said Sokka. "but in my humble opinion? No, you did not."

"I don't agree," began Katara, but Azula cut her off. "I do. I feel the same way Sokka does."

Zuko stared at her, like he was desperately trying not to ask: about what? But Azula was biting her lip and kind of looked like she was about to break into hives, so Sokka let her have this one.

"Here," he said, thrusting his plans into Katara's arms. "I support the fact that you guys got to do your dramatic spirit thing, but now please go back and give them my plans."

Azula brought two fingers up to her nose, showily. "And do take a bath, please. I doubt the villagers will appreciate your particular stench.”

5. the gaang plans a proposal

“...and that’s why you can’t trust General Yin, but you can use him to gain influence with Ambassador Xi and her supporters,” Azula finished, emphatically pointing at a few points on the elaborate web of papers tacked up on the wall of Sokka’s quarters. It’s not like he’s slept in there in years, anyway.

Zuko’s bed is much nicer. Because it has Zuko in it.

Sokka jotted down a few notes from Azula’s monologue, absentmindedly passing her their (stolen) bowl of noodles. He dropped his pen and rubbed his eyes. On to more important work. “So,” he said. “I’m proposing to Zuko. Wanna help?”

Azula met his eyes and stared him down. Sokka waggled his eyebrows, smile as big as his face.

“You’re serious,” she realized.

“Of course I am! It’s the biggest tactical challenge of the century, because Zuko is the most suspicious guy we know and he absolutely cannot suspect.” Sokka tossed her a scroll. It was long - and detailed. “What do you say?”

“With my help, this will be the best proposal ever made. Together, you and I are unbeatable!”

“Cool beans,” said Sokka. “Plan over breakfast tomorrow?”

-

Zuko stared at Katara. Katara stared at Zuko.

“Okay, so. I love your brother.”

“Obviously.”

Zuko shifted in his seat; his tea was untouched. “No, I mean. I really love your brother. He’s - the love of my life.”

Katara narrowly resisted the urge to say: if you love him so much, why don’t you marry him? Then, abruptly, she got the point.

“Are you asking for my blessing?”

“No,” said Zuko, and in response to Katara’s murderous glare, backtracked immediately. “Yes? I mean. I already asked Chief Hakoda.”

“Oh,” said Katara. Then, more gently, and possibly because she was worried Zuko might pass out, she asked, “What do you need my help with?”

“Planning,” he said, letting out a breath. “I want to propose and do it right, but Sokka’s the plan guy. Everyone knows that. And I thought, that since you know him, you could - “ He cuts himself off. “Forget it. It was a dumb idea anyway.”

Katara wills him to meet her eyes, because she is completely certain that they are actually sparkling. “Zuko,” she says, hand to her heart. “I would be honored.”

-

“Hello, Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Your boyfriend, Zuko, here. Well, you probably know me because of...all the time we spend together. You know, dates and other things. Like meetings - “

Sokka’s hand was suddenly on his forehead. “Zuko, babe, are you feeling all right?”

In short succession, Sokka examined his eyes, ears, and tongue, and took his pulse (ripping his robes open to do so). Zuko flushed, which just seemed to make Sokka more concerned.

“Sokka!” he growled. “I’m fine. Everything is fine. And also normal. Fine and normal.”

“Of course!” said Sokka, laughing a little maniacally. Maybe he was spending too much time with Azula. “Fine and normal. Why wouldn’t it be?” He laughed again.

“Uh, guys,” said Toph. “Are you two okay?”

Zuko blinked, and came back to himself. In front of him were ten to fifteen very important diplomats, and all of his best friends. He was in public, at dinner. And his robes were ripped wide open.

Sokka was suddenly jerked back in his chair, presumably by Azula. His eye twitched. “Nothing to see here, Toph! Look! I’ve finished my dinner!”

Toph frowned. “You haven’t, and I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Fine, I’m not hungry!” Sokka declared. “What are you, a cop?” His eye twitched again. “I have to go now, for unrelated reasons. To, uh, review some paperwork. Bye!”

He was gone so fast Zuko was pretty sure he left a little dust cloud behind. Toph looked nonplussed. “But,” she said, “I am a cop.”

Katara reached over to help Zuko straighten his robes, giving him a sympathetic look. He felt Suki’s glare from across the room. When he and Sokka had started dating she’d threatened to - quote - remove his entire spine from his body by way of his mouth if Zuko broke Sokka’s heart, and with the way Zuko was acting right now…he couldn’t blame her for being suspicious.

Katara followed his gaze. “Hey, Zuko,” she said, brightly. “Didn’t you have that - thing?”

“What thing?” said Zuko. Oh, god. He had forgotten something, hadn’t he? He -

Katara pinched his arm, hard. “You know. That thing. That you had to do in your chambers?”

He couldn’t lose face any more than he already had. “Of course, Katara,” he said. “I will go now to do that thing.” Zuko stood up and retreated with dignity, praying that whatever it was, he would remember when he got there.

The table was quiet in their absence. The diplomats - who seemed to be inured to this sort of thing - soon began chatting peacefully, or placating Aang, who had helpfully pulled out his usual marble trick.

Azula watched Katara steadily over the table; Katara refused to meet her eye. “What,” Katara said, finally. “Is there something on my face?”

Azula leaned forward, bangs shadowing her face. “Tell me everything you know.”

“About what?”

“You know what!” Azula snapped. “Is my brother planning to propose?”

Katara shifted in her seat. “Unlike you,” she began, haughtily, “I know when to retreat. So, fine. I will tell you some of the things I know.”

“Where,” Azula demanded, “and when?”

“Princess, Sparky,” Toph said, irritated. “Don’t you get it? It doesn’t matter whether you know, because those two dumbasses haven’t figured it out!”

This brought the table to a halt. Even Aang stopped his marble, because it was true: Sokka and Zuko might together be the force that had liberated Boiling Rock, but when it came to each other? That famed intellect went sailing out the window.

Katara deflated, laying her head on the table. “We’ve got our work cut out for us, don’t we?”

Azula reached out and, wonder of wonders, patted her arm with something close to sympathy. “Might as well get started.”

-

Zuko paced his chambers restlessly. What had he forgotten? Oh god, was it something related to the proposal? His hands flew to a fold in his robes, finding the necklace he’d engraved for Sokka - a smooth, deep blue leather band with a perfect moonstone pendant, which Zuko had engraved with a dragon and a wolf, nested together in a loving embrace. He sighed in relief.

Spirits, Zuko was so in love with him. He was desperately trying not to fuck up this proposal, but it seemed he was fucking up the not fucking up and -

He needed to take a walk and clear his head. He could almost hear his uncle sagely murmuring, “You rarely find answers in a crowded mind, Nephew.” Or something like that. Zuko made his way from his and Sokka’s room to the turtleduck pond. It seemed he was usually able to find answers there; it reminded him of his mom.

Approaching the pond, he saw a familiar figure sitting at the base of the cherry tree, already starting to bloom. Sokka seemed lost in thought, staring down at something in his lap, but jerked to attention once he heard the rustle of Zuko’s boots against the grass.

Zuko sat down next to his partner, nerves momentarily overshadowed by the sweet, peaceful movement of wind through the branches of the cherry tree and his abundant love for the man sitting next to him. Zuko reached up to brush a stray blossom from Sokka’s wolf tail, cradled his face to run a thumb over his cheekbone. “Hi,” Zuko murmured, gently pressing their foreheads together. “I’m sorry.”

Sokka pulled back slightly, face contorted in confusion. “For what? I’m the one that should be apologizing. Zuko, I -”

“Apologize? For what? I’m the one who acted like an absolute ass. Ugh, spirits, ‘Zuko here,’ what was I thinking,” He dropped Sokka’s gaze, his hands drifting towards his lap, getting painfully frustrated once again. “And then I just - I couldn’t - fuck!” Zuko was interrupted by Sokka’s hands grabbing his hips and pulling him onto Sokka’s lap, and by Sokka’s lips meeting his.

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” Sokka murmured in between tender kisses, and his lips were soft and warm and everything Zuko wanted right now and for the rest of his life, and if he had to keep this a secret anymore, Zuko thought he might literally die.

Zuko pulled away, just enough to look Sokka in the eyes. “Marry me,” Zuko breathed. “Please, Sokka. I love you so much, and I don’t know where I’d be without you, and I - I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” Zuko only realized he was crying when Sokka ran his thumb under Zuko’s good eye, brushing away tears while Zuko fumbled in his robe for the necklace.

At the sight of the necklace, tears began to spill from Sokka’s eyes, too. “Zuko… it’s beautiful, I - yes. Zuko, yes.” Zuko released a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding, and they were kissing again, and then all of a sudden, they weren’t, because Sokka, the absolute fucker, was laughing uncontrollably.

Zuko immediately began imagining worst-case scenarios. What if he didn’t mean it? What if the past five years with him have been some extremely elaborate prank, and -

Sokka, noticing his now-fiance’s abrupt silence, attempted to quash his laughter and held Zuko’s hands - still clutching the engagement necklace - in his own. “Zuko, love, hey, look at me. I’m not laughing at you. I’m laughing because, well…” He pulled a small pouch from one of his pockets and opened it to reveal two delicately engraved golden bracelets, traditional Fire Nation engagement gifts. One held the image of a dragon; the other, a beautiful motif of waves crashing against a shore. They glinted warmly in the moonlight alongside the pendant of the engagement necklace. “I’m laughing because I had the same idea, I guess. I love you so much, and I want a life with you. Will you help me put this on?”

Zuko first let Sokka slide the bracelets over each of his wrists, then lifted his hands, shaking slightly, but steadied by Sokka’s warm touch, to clasp the necklace behind his neck. The tension bled out of Zuko, and he melted into Sokka, pushing him to the ground and kissing him senseless, from his mouth to the stone now resting at the base of his throat.

Sokka started laughing again, and Zuko joined in, overjoyed at the beauty and the absurdity of it all, at how lucky and in love he was.

6. the gaang commits arson

Librarian Hirai had been working at the royal palace since before Firelord Zuko had been crowned, going on forty years, now. His vast experience hadn’t prepared him for everything, certainly; the time with five Kyoshi warriors and a badgermole had been unprecedented, and he wasn’t sure he was going to lift the ban on platypus-bears in the palace anytime soon.

Hirai’s experience, however, had prepared him for this: the Fire Nation’s most formidable duo, Ambassador Sokka and Her Highness Azula, together, with access to children.

Hirai did not know the children’s names. He classified them solely on their capacity to irritate him; the only name he knew was that of the youngest, Tenzin, because the sweet child had never caused him any trouble. Naturally, Tenzin was to be found nowhere near this unholy gathering: instead, Hirai saw the bouncy one (liable to cause things to fall over), the Princess (insolent, with her fathers shamelessly wrapped around her finger), and the Teenager (arms always crossed, eyes forever rolling).

Her Highness Azula’s hand was alight with blue fire. To the courtyard and everyone within earshot, she was saying: “If you want to burn it, just go ahead. Everything important, your uncle or I have memorized.”

Hirai stopped listening, in an effort to avoid a coronary and possibly death. There was a protocol. Everything would be fine.

He moved methodically, double checking fire suppressant stations and tightening the seal on the vacuum chambers holding the oldest scrolls. He closed every entrance except the main one, and he stood guard outside of it.

This was not a long process; their royal Highnesses were still gathered like a storm cloud in the courtyard. A particularly loud storm cloud. Hirai had weathered storms before.

The ground rumbled, slightly. Republic City Chief of Police, Toph Beifong, emerged from it, and dusted herself off.

“You know,” she said conversationally, “arson is illegal. I can have you arrested for that.”

Hirai relaxed, infinitesimally. Beifong was known to be tough and fair; perhaps, after so many years, the spirits had thought to grant him an ally.

“So,” said Toph, rubbing her palms together. “Today, I’m going to teach you how not to get caught.”

It was interesting: Hirai had never before actually lent weight to the expression that one’s life could flash before their eyes. In that moment, swaying slightly where he stood, he was forced to concede that there might have been some truth to it after all.

He turned around, very calmly, and made his way to his desk. He groped vaguely for some parchment and ink, and in precise lettering dictated his resignation from the palace staff, effective immediately.

Somewhere out in the courtyard, their Highnesses’ Uncle Sokka and Aunt Azula high-fived.

#fic #my fic #zukka #atla

[jaxsteamblog]

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Click here to read the full fic on AO3

Katara stood in the garden watching as Thuy paced back and forth, a large boulder floating beside her. As she walked, Thuy chewed on her thumbnail and mumbled under her breath.

“I don’t understand the problem.” Katara said.

“I have aphantasia Katara!” Thuy cried and flung her arms out. The boulder went flying, thankfully crashing into the outer garden wall and not the palace.

“And that means?”

“It means I have no inner eye. I can’t plan anything out.” Thuy replied, her voice thin as she whined.

“No I get that. I just don’t understand why we’re terraforming.” Katara said.

“Because it has to be perfect.” Thuy froze patches on the pond to walk across, heading toward the boulder. Katara held the stepping stones of ice as she followed.

“You can just ask him.” Katara stepped onto the grass and watched as Thuy pried the boulder loose. As it popped free, she then attempted to smooth away the dent in the rock wall.

“He’s the Fire Lord. It’s a little bit different than asking people who are expecting it.” Thuy muttered.

“I just don’t think you need to go through all this trouble. Zuko would be happy to do it.”

“You haven’t seen him since he became Fire Lord. He’s all grumpy and stressed out now.”

Katara flinched at Thuy’s words. “I have seen him!”

“I meant in person.” Thuy turned and trotted back across the pond. It took a minute before Katara followed.

It was true, she hadn’t seen Zuko in the months since his coronation. She was still technically being trained, and Zuko now officially had his kingdom to run. Plus, with Ozai and Azula in prison, he was under a lot of emotional stress.

They had talked it out over their video chats, but time was scarce for both of them. Katara was only here in the Fire Nation because it was Thuy’s birthday; she had missed his birthday a few weeks prior. What felt like her attempt to make up for it, the ever romantic Thuy wasn’t kidding about what she had said in the Avatar State. She was clearly showering Zuko with her favor, and now Katara wondered how much of it was an unnecessary bribe.

A lot of people were reading into Thuy’s birthday party plans. The televised Agni Kai had in fact almost caused an international incident. The Fire Lord had openly attacked the Avatar, which was generally frowned upon. And while Zuko had triumphed, Ozai’s betrayal left a sour taste in every leader’s mouth; they had been dealing with Fire Nation turmoil for a hundred years after all.

Since the fight, Thuy was attached to Zuko. She frequently commented on their shared ancestry; his through blood and hers through reincarnation. Whenever Toph would let her off for a break, Thuy would travel to the Fire Nation to see a show or visit a beach. It had gotten to a point where rumors were flying that Zuko was set to become her official master.

Such a practice had been abolished after what happened to Kyoshi.

It was wildly unusual - the Avatar’s master was always a Bender of their birth element - and this perceived power shift made people nervous. And if Zuko was a different person, Katara could understand the fear. But as he wasn’t a sinister person, the favoritism ended up saving him since he had no interest in political machinations.

Tonight was going to upend those rumors at her birthday party. She was planning on asking Zuko to become her firebending instructor and her official residence was going to be on the literal middle ground: Avatar Island in the United Republic.

Now, Thuy was upset that the garden where her party was being held wasn’t perfect.

Katara spent hours helping her adjust the landscape as much as she could. Toph wandered out for a moment and stood on the ground, watching them in the strange way she did. Finally, after a few frustrated minutes, Toph finally walked out and started doing the heavy lifting.

The Earthbender was terse, but funny. As Thuy kept pointing out things, Toph kept reminding her that she was blind. Thuy responded by stamping her feet and yelling “YOU KNOW WHAT I MEANT.”

“Do it yourself then Wet Wipe.” Toph would retort and Katara couldn’t help but laugh.

By the time the landscaping was how Thuy wanted it and she went inside to get dressed, Katara was exhausted. She and Toph sat on the deck; Katara watched the palace staff bring out tables and chairs while Toph chewed on a piece of dried grass.

“She’s a good kid.” Toph said suddenly, flicking the grass onto the ground and rubbing it into the dirt with her heel.

“She really is.” Katara agreed.

“You gotta stop babying her if you’re going to be her master though.” Toph went on.

“Me? I’m not her master.” Katara said, looking at her in confusion.

“You sure? Who else is supposed to teach her to behave all upstanding and everything?”

“That’s usually someone who knew the previous Avatar. So, probably Tenzin.” Katara shook her head. “But Avatars don’t take a master any more.”

“I think Thuy’s gonna need it. Her parents were really smart, but the world’s changing. Borders are getting weird, loyalties are shifting.” Toph stood and kicked up a small mound of dirt. “I don’t think anyone in the swamp is going to understand it.”

“And I do?”

“I think you know a lot about shifting boundaries and making unusual loyalties.” Toph remarked and turned her head. Zuko exited the palace from further down, directing people with ladders.

Putting her foot down, Toph flattened the mound without touching it.

“The girl needs a master.” She added and walked back inside.

Letting her head loll back, Katara watched the clouds pass overhead. It was still light out, even as the day stretched on. It was almost summer again.

It was a very long time ago that she worked in Sokka’s flower shop.

“What are you thinking about?” Zuko asked as his face came into view. Katara smiled and raised her arms. Zuko moved himself so that she could put her arms around his neck. He lowered his head towards hers and she kissed him.

“Do you remember the first day you saw me in the flower shop?” She asked and released him. Zuko sat down beside her and looked up at the sky himself.

“Sure. You gawked at my scar.” He said and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She sucked her teeth as he smirked.

“You gave me a snowmelt flower.” She said.

“Did I?”

“It’s my favorite flower.”

“Is it?”

“So how long have you known about me?” Katara questioned.

Zuko sat up and looked at her. Silent, he took her hands and held them in his lap.

“Sokka is really proud of you.” Zuko started, staring down at her hands. “And he would talk about you a lot. It almost felt like…”

He drifted with a light laugh before looking into her eyes. “Did you ever watch that stupid drama about a king in the Earth Kingdom and how he was tricked into marrying this lady?”

“You are going to have to smooth this over really fast Zuko.” Katara replied dryly. Zuko chuckled and lifted her hands up, kissing her knuckles.

“There’s a noble family that has gone bankrupt so they try to get their daughter married to the king. Her cousin works at the palace and talks her up to the king every day. He ends up falling in love with this hyped up mystery woman and proposes before ever meeting her.” Zuko explained.

“So Sokka talked about me so much, he tricked you into falling in love with me?” Katara asked.

“Well, not exactly. I did have a girlfriend at the time.” He said. “I just really started to like you as a person. You were a fighter, a survivor, and then you were accepted into medical school. All I ever did was sabotage my own country and serve tea.”

“Zuko, you are the strongest person I have ever met because when life kept handing you crap, you thought you deserved so you just took it.”

“You literally carry the bond of a spirit.”

“You survived what should have been a lethal burn to the face because of how connected you are to your bending.”

“You fought through three different countries trying to save your parents.”

“You fought your father and sister, who were trying to kill you, and didn’t want to hurt them.”

“I want to tell you you’re beautiful because of how much you love the rest of the world but I still get caught up in your eyes.”

“Well I can’t think about how much you love me because I’m terrified to admit I love you that much in return.”

They both stared at each other and, as if in a staring contest, Katara clenched her mouth shut. Still feeling the blood rise in her cheeks, she nonetheless saw Zuko’s face flush first.

He turned away, covering his face with his hands, and he was steaming. Katara laughed and put her hand on his back.

“Come on hun, we’ve got to get ready for the party.” She said. Zuko nodded and then rubbed his face vigorously. As he stood, he pulled Katara up.

“You are the worst.” He said. Katara patted his chest and smirked.

“Get used to it.”

~

The party went very well. The Earth King, having basically been a shut-in, related oddly well to the equally sheltered Avatar. Tenzin and the other head monks circulated through the crowd with varying degrees of success. Rohan had shaved their head for some reason, Jinora was there with her baby, and Ikki flitted about with her new husband. Meelo was sitting at a table looking forlorn, lamenting the imprisoned Azula.

Iroh had dragged the White Lotus members out and found some Fire Nation natives that were allies to sit as the Fire Nation contingent. But Katara could tell that Zuko felt alone, standing in his uncomfortable red robes and seeing so little reflected back.

There was a lot of blue. The majority of the party was actually split between green and blue; the people from Kyoshi Island jumping sides with the blue while the Swamp Tribe balanced things out in green.

All of Thuy’s planning, with Katara’s envisioning ability, turned the small garden into a meandering spot. Small hills forced people around and turned them as if they were walking through a labyrinth. It helped people talk for longer as the short distance around took more steps than first assumed.

Toph had also raised a small waterfall in the pond, using metalbending to create a vacuum system that would keep it going. Katara didn’t comment on the bending, unsure if she was supposed to know already or not. Internally, she panicked.

The effect, with the string fairy lights in the trees and softly tinkling water, was a softer place that glowed with ambient light. Around the tables stood the large torches to keep the cool spring nights at bay, but around the pond it was certainly twilight.

After the meal and with drinks being served - with Thuy trying, unsuccessfully, to get her hands on one - Zuko took Katara by the hand. They strolled around the grassy hillocks arm in arm and Katara was surprised by how quickly the noise dissipated.

“What are the customs for birthdays in your tribe?” Zuko asked suddenly. Katara turned away from the party and regarded the pond.

“There’s not a lot of ceremony that surrounds just us as humans. It’s more about celebrations of the world around us, or the spirits.” Katara replied, staring out over the water. “Things like birthdays and weddings aren’t usually very big.”

“There are rules to birthdays here.” Zuko blanched and Katara smiled to herself.

“It must be nice though, to have things like this.” She replied.

“The necklace is a North Pole custom, right? For engagements?” Zuko asked. Katara touched her neck and shrugged.

“So I’m told. But I don’t ever see me getting rid of it.” She replied.

“Modern conventions can sometimes be more fun than custom.” Zuko said.

“What does that mean?” Katara turned as she asked and found Zuko on a knee. “What.”

“We did talk about this.” He said, holding the box out.

“In theory!” Katara whispered sharply. Her throat tightened and tears stung her eyes, but she almost started to laugh. Zuko grinned up at her.

“I love you Katara. I thought up a lot of fancy words to say but right now I am so nervous and your face is so pretty.” He said as tears fell down his smiling face. Katara did laugh then, the choking laugh that comes with tears.

“I love you Zuko.” She murmured and put her fingers over her mouth.

“Will you marry me?” He asked.

Her throat sealed shut, Katara could only nod. As Zuko gasped and stood, she could see his hands shaking and she laughed again.

“Yes, of course.” She finally managed.

Zuko slid the ring on her finger and Katara jumped on him, kissing him deeply.

“WOO!” Thuy yelled and Katara laughed. They both had to wipe their faces as they walked back to the tables; everyone stood and clapped for them. Feeling the blood rush to her face, Katara put her face into Zuko’s shoulder.

“Congratulations, nephew.” Iroh said as he walked up.

“Thank you uncle.” Zuko replied.

“Let. Me. See. THE RING.” Sokka demanded and darted around Iroh. Katara still didn’t show her face but held out her hand.

“Moonstone? Spirits Zuko, you are so cheesy.” Sokka said.

“It’s what she wanted!” Zuko snapped defensively.

“Hey Katara.” Thuy said as she slid behind Zuko.

“I thought you were going to ask Zuko to be your instructor.” Katara hissed.

“Oh I did that last week. Tonight, I just announced that you’re going to be my master!” Thuy said.

“WHAT.” Katara squawked and jolted upright. All the blood drained too quickly from her face and as everything went dark, she fainted.

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#zutara #fanfiction #jax writes #modern au #zutara month 2020 #the fic that prompts built

[sacredlittlespace]

Love Language

A little high school AU where Aang is having trouble asking Katara to the homecoming dance. There’s a side plot of Sokka asking Suki to the dance, too! Hope ya like it.

Aang looked across the courtyard with intent. Katara was laughing currently, her head tipped back slightly and her smile wide. The sound came from her gut, and even though it wasn’t a cutesy laugh like some other girls had, it was still Aang’s favorite sound in the world. 

“You’re staring again.” Zuko’s even tone annoyed Aang for a reason he couldn’t place. He looked back at Zuko, who had a juice box hanging out of the side of his mouth, and frowned. 

“I can’t do this,” Aang said in frustration. 

“Of course you can! It’s just my dumb sister, it’s not like you have to ask out the toughest, smartest, most beautiful girl in the school,” Sokka added. 

Aang saw that Sokka’s gaze was set on where Suki was sat next to Katara a few tables away from their own. He knew that Sokka was also nervous to ask Suki to the dance, but to Aang, Katara was all of those things, and it terrified him. Especially since they’d been friends for years and nothing ever happened between them. Sure they shared a few moments that made Aang question if Katara did feel the same, like in middle school when they were playing spin the bottle at Suki’s birthday party and the bottle landed between Aang and Jet, Katara had chosen to kiss Aang even though technically the bottle was more pointing at Jet. But what if they were just really good friends? Aang could never tell. 

“Look, Katara is popular enough that if you don’t ask her soon someone else will. So you’d better make a move or forget about it,” Zuko said. He leaned back and tossed his empty juice box into a nearby trash can as if he was throwing a basketball into a hoop.

“Easy for you to say,” Aang grumbled. “You and Mai have been together since you were like twelve.”

“She still made me prompose, or whatever you call it for homecoming,” Zuko said, his even tone changing into one of concealed annoyance. 

“And the dance number was great, buddy,” Sokka said, leaning across the table to pat Zuko’s shoulder. “Now I have to top that with what I’m going to do for Suki.”

Aang could barely hear the conversation continue with Zuko asking Sokka what he had in mind. Instead, Aang was back to looking at Katara. She was so beautiful, sitting on the top of one of the outdoor tables, the sun hitting her at a perfect angle to make her hair shine but not make her face scrunch up from the brightness. Even though that would also be cute. Every time a guy stood up or walked near her table Aang’s heart would pound. He kept feeling like any second he’d lose his chance to ask her out. 

“...and that’s where the smoke bombs come in…” Sokka was saying, animatedly leaning towards Aang and Zuko, who looked beyond bored by whatever he was hearing. 

“I’ll be back,” Aang said, not even waiting to hear the rest before standing up. He adjusted his headband and ruffled up the hair that he was still getting used to. Nervous habits. Just start walking, he told himself, and he did. Like a robot he somehow made it to Katara’s table. When he did, the entire group of girls quieted down, and Aang noticed several of the girls smirking. Suddenly his mouth went dry and his palms turned into oceans. 

“Hey Aang,” Katara said softly. She looked at him with her head tilted in a way that made her gaze look like a mix between shy and sultry, and Aang felt his heart beat harder. “What’s up?”

“Hey - Katara,” Aang said, stammering on the words. The girls around them giggled and started whispering to each other before Suki shushed them. Aang’s hands started to shake. “Um, I was just wondering, um…” What are words?? Aang thought in a panic. How do sentences work again?? Oh God, I’ve been quiet for too long, I’m being weird, I have to say something -!

“Yeah?” Katara prompted, leaning closer to him. Her cheeks were turning a light pink, and Aang found himself unable to stop fixating on that detail. 

I’ve got to do this! Now is my only chance, Aang thought, clenching his fists and squaring his shoulders. “I...was wondering...do -”

The lunch bell rang. Suddenly all of the girls were standing up around Aang, pushing him slightly this way and that as they walked around him. Suki grabbed Katara’s arm, and quickly started leading her away. Aang stood still, his mouth still open with the rest of his words in his throat, ready to escape into an empty room.

Katara looked back at him after a few steps with an apologetic look. “Sorry Aang, let’s talk on our way home from school!”

“S-sure,” Aang said, even though he knew Katara was too far to hear. His face fell with disappointment. There were still four more periods left in the school day. There was no way Katara wouldn’t be asked out by then. 

A buzzing in his pocket made Aang focus on something other than the heavy pit in his stomach. When he pulled his phone out of his pocket, he saw that he’d gotten a text from Zuko in their group chat. “That’s rough buddy” was all it said, and then Sokka quickly sent a bunch of laughing emojis in response. 

Groaning, Aang shoved his phone back into his pocket and quickly walked back to his table to get his stuff. 

                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aang didn’t walk home with Katara and Sokka like he usually did. Sokka was off somewhere with Toph getting something ready for his homecoming promposal for Suki, and apparently it was Katara’s job to keep Suki occupied so she wouldn’t catch wind of any of this. So, Aang walked home alone. 

When Aang got to their house, he went straight to the kitchen. There was only one thing on his mind: comfort food. He grabbed a bag of his favorite spicy chips and sat down on the sofa like a bum. Spending the rest of the school day nursing his disappointment had made him somewhat numb. He was still snacking and mindlessly watching TV when Katara walked in a half hour later. 

“Hey, I’m home,” she said brightly. Aang just grunted a response, which made Katara’s face fall. “What’s with you?”

“Nothing. How was distracting Suki?” Aang asked instead, still not looking at Katara and focusing instead on the TV in front of him and the pain in his mouth from eating too many spicy chips. He kept eating anyway. 

Katara huffed and threw herself onto the sofa next to Aang. She was just slightly closer to him than what would be considered normal, and Aang glanced at her out of the corner of his eye in response. “Exhausting! I’m sick of constantly keeping Suki away from Sokka. She already likes him, and she knows he likes her so it’s not like she DOESN’T know he’s going to ask her to the dance. He’s just being ridiculous and now I’m stuck in the middle of it.”

Aang nodded sympathetically. He knew Sokka was going overboard and was asking Katara for too much help. He was happy Sokka hadn’t asked him for anything - yet. “Did anyone prompose to you yet? Or do you know who’s going to?” Aang asked, his tone still even, concealing his hurt feelings. Seeing Katara with someone else...it would wound him like nothing else could. But what could he do?

Katara shook her head. “No one has promposed, thankfully. I would be so uncomfortable if anyone did. A couple guys have asked me to the dance through DMs, but I left them on read.”

Katara quickly looked away after speaking, her cheeks quickly turning dark pink. That piqued Aang’s interest. “How come?”

“Well…” Katara trailed off and paused before continuing. “I’m waiting to see if someone else asks me.”

“Who?” Aang asked, sitting up a little. Now he was curious. He wanted to know who would be the cause of the greatest hurt he would ever feel. 

“A...guy. He’s a friend, actually. A really good friend. But, I don’t know, I guess without realizing it I started to like him as more than that. Sometimes I think that he does, too, but then other times he seems like just a goofy kid who isn’t even interested in girls like that.” Katara sighed. “I guess I’ll just wait and see. If he doesn’t ask me, I don’t mind going alone.”

Aang wanted to offer to be a backup date, but decided that was super lame. Instead he asked, “So if he does ask you, how would you want him to? Since you don’t want a huge promposal.”

Katara’s eyes lit up with an emotion Aang didn’t recognize. Her face softened around a small smile and she dropped her gaze to the sofa cushion, busying herself with picking at some tiny balls of lint. “Well, it’s a school dance so it’s totally not important. But, if I could choose, I would want something small, private, and meaningful. Something that only the two of us could share.”

Katara looked up at Aang as she said the last sentence, and his breath caught audibly, making him slightly embarrassed after the shock of the moment wore off. He looked away, and decided not to think anything of it. It was just a coincidence. He couldn’t find it in him to form an actual response, so he just nodded, eyes focused on the TV.

                                         ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Aang couldn’t sleep. He kept replaying those moments with Katara in his mind, and fantasizing about the possibility of her actually talking about him when she said all of those things. Aang didn’t want to let himself hope too much, but he did have a nagging feeling in his chest that wouldn’t go away. He felt it physically pull him out of bed, and before he knew it he was sitting at his desk, fiddling with a necklace he’d made Katara but never gave to her. Without thinking, he pulled out a blank sheet of paper and started writing. 

Dear Katara,

Remember that time you, me, and Sokka went fishing, but I stole the string off his fishing rod and he got so mad that he accidentally fell off the dock and into the lake? Haha, that was such a good time. It’s still funny. Anyway, Sokka was super upset because he thought I just took it to weave a random knot pattern, but it was more than that. Around that time, you’d lost your mother’s necklace, so I actually wove you one to hold its place until you found it again. But, that night your dad came home with the necklace, and I never gave you this one. But, I still want you to have it. The thing is, I always think about you, everything reminds me of you in some way or another. Like that string on the fishing rod, it made me think of you immediately and I took it without thinking. Honestly, I would do anything for you without a second thought. I’d even give my life. Maybe that’s weird, I don’t know. I guess what I’m trying to say is, I like you. I know you’re hoping some guy asks you to the dance, and he probably will because he’d be a special kind of stupid if he didn’t. But if he does turn out to be a special kind of stupid, I hope you’d accept my offer and go to the dance with me instead. I hope this isn’t super lame. I kind of feel super lame after writing this. Anyway, I hope you like the necklace. 

Aang

A sigh escaped his lips as he read over the letter. It was super lame, but since he already wrote it, he decided to give it to Katara anyway. Before he folded the paper, he remembered something, and started looking through his books until he found what he needed. A pressed flower. 

It was in the early days, shortly after Aang’s adopted family was killed and Katara’s father took him in. Aang would get sad often, but thought he did a good job of hiding it. Apparently not, though. Katara had found him on one of his lonely walks and fell into step next to him, not saying a word. There was a tree at the edge of their backyard, and Katara stopped under it, making Aang stop too. She told him that she thought it was fate that she found him unconscious in an alley next to his old home, and that he belonged with her, and her family. Then she looked up at the flowers blooming from the tree above them, and in the wind, one fell down and caressed her face before falling onto the ground in front of Aang. He’d picked it up, intending to keep the flower as a reminder of where his new home was: with Katara.

In the present moment, he moved the flower carefully from the book it was pressed into to the letter he’d just written, and folded the paper over it, keeping the flower safe. Then he quietly left his room and walked down the hall to Katara’s room. He stopped outside the closed door and took a deep, silent breath before bending down and carefully leaving the letter and necklace on the floor beside her door. As he walked back to his room, Aang could only wonder how tomorrow would go. 

                                            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Aang woke up the next morning, he was filled with regret. Why would he write her a letter? Who does that anymore? I’m so stupid, he thought to himself, jumping out of bed to grab the letter before Katara found it, but he was too late. The letter was gone. 

Panic. Aang didn’t know what to do now, frozen in the hallway just staring at the empty space where his pathetic letter used to be. It was five thirty, so an hour before anyone else would be awake. Aang decided to get ready and leave before everyone else. It would be easy to avoid Katara in school, not so much when they were in the same house together. 

After a quick shower and blindly getting dressed, Aang all but ran out of the house. In fact, once he was outside, he broke out into an all out sprint. The doors to the school building didn’t open to students before seven thirty, but Aang knew a place that was always open to him. 

“Aang, nice to see you so early,” Roku said, smiling. He opened his front door wider, allowing Aang to come in. Even though Roku was Zuko’s great grandfather, he’d always had a special bond with Aang. It’s like the two could always talk about anything and always understand each other on a deeper level. 

Roku placed a cup of hot tea in front of Aang. They sat in silence at Roku’s kitchen table for a long moment. Finally, Aang broke the silence. 

“Roku, I did something really stupid,” he said, his face pulling into an anguished frown. 

“Illegal stupid, or normal stupid? I can only help you with one. Kyoshi could probably help you with the other. She killed a man once.”

“Ugh,” Aang groaned in frustration. “Enough about that. Just normal stupid. I wrote a letter to Katara confessing my feelings for her but now I regret it and it’s too late. What do I do??”

“Ah.” Roku looked away from Aang and took a long sip from his tea. “Did I ever tell you how I managed to get my wife?”

“Yeah,” Aang nodded. “You were a total loser but she liked you anyway.”

Roku laughed. “Something like that. Love gets easier as you grow older. You learn what’s important and what isn’t. When you’re young, the surface, the appearance of it matters so much. You say things and think, ‘oh, why am I so stupid! Why did I say that and not this??’ When you get older, you learn that with the right person, there’s never a wrong way to say how you feel. They speak your love language fluently, and accept your awkwardness and vulnerability.”

“But how do I know she’s the right person? What if she doesn’t speak my...language of love,” Aang said, forgetting exactly how Roku had phrased it and making up the closest thing he could on the spot. His brows were pulled together so tightly that his forehead actually started hurting. 

“You will know when you find the right person,” Roku said. He watched Aang while he sipped his tea. “Listen Aang. There is no shame in expressing how you feel. We feel things for the exact reason to express them. Your feelings will guide you to the right path; when something fills you with anxiety, you know that’s your spirit telling you that path isn’t for you. When something brings you happiness, you know that’s your spirit telling you that whatever it is that makes you happy is bringing you closer to your authentic self. And when you feel peace, that’s your spirit finding its home. If you don’t accept and express your feelings, you will only become lost. You like this girl, you told her; her response will lead you to your correct path.”

“What if she rejects me?” Aang asked softly. 

Roku put his tea down, and looked Aang straight in the eye. “Then you’ll get closer to who you need to be with.”

                                               ~~~~~~~~~~

While at school it was easy to avoid Katara. She was a year above him in school, so they had no classes together. And usually they didn’t sit anywhere near each other at lunch; that was Katara’s girl time. That started when Suki wanted to talk to Katara about Sokka alone, and then it just stayed that way. Aang skipped lunch today just to be safe. 

Roku’s words kept going around and around in his mind the whole day. The right person. Who you need to be with. Whenever he thought about those things, all he saw was Katara. If she rejected him, he’d be totally lost. 

Maybe she would reject him quietly. Or maybe she would pretend the letter never happened and spare him. Aang was hoping for the latter when he got home, knowing he couldn’t avoid Katara forever. 

“Aang?”

He’d barely entered the home before Katara called his name. “Yeah,” he called back, busying himself with taking off his shoes before entering the house. His voice had cracked slightly with nerves, and Aang cleared his throat, hoping she didn’t notice. 

“Can we talk?”

When Aang turned around to walk into the living room, the first thing he noticed was the woven necklace around Katara’s neck. His heart started pounding immediately, but then he looked up and saw Katara’s upset face and his entire body went cold. 

“Where were you today? You left early, I didn’t see you at school, and then you weren’t around after school either.”

Aang looked to the side and started playing with his hair nervously. “Sorry, I couldn’t sleep last night, and then Roku asked me to come by this afternoon and help him with some housework. I guess I should have told you and Sokka I would be home later.”

Katara’s face softened. “I couldn’t sleep last night either,” she said, delicately touching the necklace she was wearing. Aang swallowed so hard he swore Katara could hear it. Her face fell back into a frown, and then she said, “Why doesn’t Zuko help him, he’s actually related to him.”

Aang laughed nervously and shrugged. “They have a complicated history. Plus I enjoy spending time with Roku.”

Katara hummed softly in response, and looked away. Her cheeks were turning pink again, and she started nervously playing with her necklace. Aang remembered what Roku had told him, and tucked his fear away for now. Either way, he would come out of this closer to where and who he needed to be. 

“I see you’re wearing the necklace I made you, I hope that means you like it,” Aang said. He figured he’d step up and approach the situation head on. He was the one who wrote the letter, he had to be ready for a response. 

“I love it, it’s beautiful,” Katara said, smiling at the ground. “And that flower...it was from that day…”

Aang scrunched up his mouth with nerves and started playing with his hair again. “Yeah...you’d said if someone asked you to the dance you’d want it to be meaningful and something only the two of you could share. I figured that was a good choice. I know I’m only a backup date, but I still wanted to do that for you.”

Instantly Aang regretted saying that. He didn’t want to be the backup date, he wanted to be her first choice and he should have fought for it. He worked up the courage to look back at Katara and found that she was already looking at him. 

“You know, you really are a special kind of stupid,” she said, smirking. 

Aang’s face twisted. “Huh?”

Katara took two steps towards him and smiled. “You’re the one I wanted to ask me to the dance. Suki and I were actually planning a way for me to ask you. I’m glad it happened this way, though.”

“Uh, what,” Aang said, blinking. He felt like Katara was speaking another language. Like he could hear sounds coming out of her mouth, but not words. 

Rolling her eyes, Katara closed the distance between the two of them and wrapped her arms around Aang’s shoulders, letting her hands cradle the back of his head. “I like you, too, Aang. Everything you said in the letter, I feel the same. It’s more than the dance, too. I,” she said, ducking her head a little, her cheeks bright pink, “I want to be with you, Aang.”

He didn’t know how to respond. The best possible outcome just happened, and he felt his soul leave his body anime style. He felt like fainting, but instead he leaned forward and kissed Katara. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her even closer to him, something he’d always wanted to do, and they stayed that way for a long moment. 

Suddenly the front door burst open, and Sokka walked in, lower lip trembling, eyes filled with tears. Katara and Aang jumped away from each other, not sure if they wanted Sokka to know just yet. 

“Sokka?” Katara asked, clearly concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“It was a disaster,” he wailed. Sokka started ticking things off his fingers as he spoke. “The hot air balloon canceled, the acapella group ended up just being one guy who weirdly smelled like pickles and couldn’t even sing - he did have an impressive range of armpit fart sounds, but that’s besides the point! All of the letters I wrote her to be delivered before each class ended up getting sent to some girl named Zuki instead?? And the scavenger hunt clues didn’t match where Zuko actually hid anything. And we didn’t even get to the second part of the promposal yet! The smoke bombs were duds - or so I thought until they went off five minutes later and basically suffocated me -”

“Sokka, stop! We get it, this super over the top, way too many ideas mashed into one promposal didn’t work. Now skip to the part where Suki reacted; what did she say??” Katara asked, and Aang leaned forward too, just as interested to hear. 

“I don’t know!” Sokka said, throwing his hands up. He groaned and scrubbed his face with his hands. “I was so humiliated I just ran home. Suki will never want to see me again, I’m a failure!” Sokka was just about sobbing now, but then the doorbell rang, interrupting him. He paused and frowned, turning towards the door. “If this is that weird acapella guy, I’m not paying him.” Sokka angrily swung the door open, and his face instantly lit up. “Suki!”

Aang moved a little so that he could see Suki, who was standing in the doorway with roses in her arms, amongst several bags. She was beaming right back at Sokka. 

“Hey Sokka. Zuki gave me all of your letters, and the roses, and Zuko gave me all of the gifts you got me. Someone from a hot air balloon company gave me a free ride coupon, too. Oh, and some guy who smelled like pickles performed the Ave Maria with armpit fart sounds?” Sokka’s face fell and he dropped his face into his hand. Suki just laughed. “But I also saw the dance performance you came up with, or at least the backup dancers. They said it wasn’t the same without you, and the lyrics you wrote for me, but they ended up giving me the lyric sheet and I loved it. I don’t know what else you had planned, but it was all amazing Sokka.”

“Wait. Wait here. There’s one more thing.”

Suki’s face fell a little, and she tried to stop him. “No, Sokka, I -”

“No, seriously, I’ll be right back.” Sokka’s sincere voice convinced Suki, who just smiled adoringly at him and nodded. 

Aang looked at Katara after Sokka ran up the steps, but she just shrugged. Aang guessed Katara didn’t know this last part of the plan either. Only a moment later, Sokka was running back down the steps. He approached Suki with a teddy bear in his hands. It was wearing a shirt with a picture of Sokka and Suki printed on it, and tucked into little straps on its hands was a little case. 

Sokka rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, looking at Suki with a blush on his cheeks. “This was how I was going to originally ask you. There’s a flash drive inside the case of songs I picked out for you. The lyrics of the songs spelled out a message you were supposed to decode, asking you to the dance, and...to be my girlfriend. 

“But once I saw Zuko’s promposal to Mai - who’s already his girlfriend - I panicked. Especially since it’s you. I thought this wouldn’t be enough. But now I see I kind of went way too hard on the promposal. I’m sorry.”

Suki dropped everything in her arms and jumped towards Sokka, grabbing his face in her hands and kissing him. Aang looked away, feeling embarrassed for some reason, and saw Katara do the same. They shared a look and giggled, both happy that Sokka hadn’t seen their kiss moment. 

“Sokka, everything you did was so romantic. I love how passionate you are about things that matter to you, and I love that I’m one of the things that matters to you. I would want nothing less than to go to the dance with you as your girlfriend.” Suki’s smile was wider than Aang had ever seen it, and the only thing that distracted him from it was Sokka’s knees buckling and him fainting to the ground. 

                                        ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Aang looked across the hall with intent. There Katara was at their table, laughing and talking with Suki and Mai. Aang smiled at her, even though he didn’t know what was making her smile, he just loved to see it. 

“You’re staring again,” Zuko teased. He filled up a plate of desserts for both him and Mai, and on the other side of him Sokka was doing the same. 

“Yeah, at my girlfriend,” Aang said, and couldn’t help the little laugh that followed. The words still made butterflies erupt into flight in his stomach. His girlfriend. How would life ever get better than this?

“I still can’t believe Suki said yes to being my girlfriend,” Sokka said, turning around to gaze at the table of girls. 

“I still can’t believe you fainted when she did,” Zuko said, his voice back to its even tone. 

Sokka frowned. “I had low blood sugar! I hadn’t eaten all day because I was working to get everything ready and -”

“Yeah yeah,” Zuko said, waving a hand towards Sokka. It was nothing they all hadn’t heard before. “Let’s just get back before Mai turns into a dragon and bites my head off for taking too long to get desserts.”

Aang quickly finished filling his plate with fruits, but grabbed a few pastries last minute in case Katara wanted those too. When they got back to their table, Katara immediately started eating the fruit off of Aang’s plate. 

“Thanks for getting me fruit,” she whispered to him. “I’ve been dying for them all night, but forgot to tell you to grab some when you got up. You just read my mind.”

“I do what I can,” Aang smiled, watching Katara fit so many pieces of pineapple into her mouth that she looked like a chipmunk. Then he brushed her long wavy hair off of her shoulder toward her back, letting his fingers brush the necklace he’d made Katara that she still hadn’t taken off. “I can make you a better one,” he said, looking at the cheap string it was made out of. It was all he had at the time, but she deserved better.

“I already love this one,” she said, shaking her head. 

“I love you,” Aang said automatically. Once he realized what he’d said, his smile dropped and his eyes widened. He’d said it without even thinking, and now he was afraid he’d scared Katara off for good. 

For a moment Katara’s eyes widened too, but then her face softened into a dreamy smile, and she leaned forward, pressing a kiss onto Aang’s lips. She tasted like pineapples, but that wasn’t the reason Aang had a hard time pulling away.

“I love you, too.”

#kataang #kataang fanfic #katara and aang #katara x aang #aang x katara #sokka and suki #sokki #sokka x suki #suki x sokka