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bellatrixobsessed1 · 2 years

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Fading Falsehoods (Part 3)

Day to day activities are becoming abundantly frustrating. She no longer likes walking, her gait is awkward to a humiliating degree. And people like to observe doubly so since it has been three years since anyone has seen her. She is a thing to marvel at, she thinks that they might be placing bets on how long it will take her to snap and get herself locked away again. There isn’t a damn place, save for her bedroom that offers her privacy even without the guards monitoring her every move.

And they no longer do.

Zuzu, ever dull of mind, has only just decided that there is no need for the guards. It had only taken him several days of watching her shamble about to realize that she is remotely useless. And he is lamenting it more than even she.

Rather, he had been lamenting it more than she.

That was before she had tried to firebend.

She supposes that she had known all along that it would be, at best, tricky. She had prepared for it to be downright impossible. Preparations be damned, now that she has confirmation, she feels broken and useless. Somehow she hadn’t been able to prepare herself for just how far she has deteriorated. Maybe it is because she had no concept for being a dreadful firebender. Maybe it is because she couldn’t fathom being anything but the best at it. Not when she’d spent her whole life training and mastering it to prestige.

She stands breathlessly at the center of the palace sparring room, her stamina is dizzyingly shot. Only halfway through her second kata, a very basic, beginner’s form and she is on the verge of collapse, her muscles are searing and her joints are shrinking. Her head pounds. Her entire body is begging for mercy.

And, Agni, what she did get through was pathetic to a degree that she can’t even call it firebending. Her coordination is abysmal, leaving her with something that looks more like senseless and lopsided flailing than anything with structure and form.

She drops to her knees, grits her teeth, and bunches her hands tightly around the fabric of her pants. In spite of her efforts a small gasping half sob escapes her lips. Everything she had worked for, years of progress and ruthless training all for naught. All just to go to waste.

She doesn’t think that she has anyone to blame but herself. Had she not been so weak, had she not let her mind slip from her she might not be in such poor shape. She slaps the heels of her hands over her eye sockets, fingernails digging into her scalp.

Sometimes she wants to hurt herself.

Sometimes she wants to make herself pay for such a perfect failure.

She lowers her hands.

She is already paying for her utter incompetence.

.oOo.

Suki doesn’t like watching her. Doesn’t like even those little passing glimpses. Somehow her quiet cries and her unshed tears are able to break through some of the pent up resentment and hostility.

The princess is pushing herself. Doing too much too soon. No wonder her progress is so slow. Suki is inclined to think that she is only making herself sicker.

This is the third time now that she has passed the sparring room to find Azula laying on the floor. This time she can’t tell if the princess has simply tried herself out or is beginning another episode of prolonged, unseeing staring. It might be that one has led to the other.

Suki clears her throat, “do you need help up.”

“I know how to stand.” Her voice is hoarse with stress and hatred.

“But can you do it?” Suki holds her hand out only for the princess to slap it away. She finds herself torn between fury and relief.

“I can take care of myself.” She scoffs. Her voice is missing a note of confidence. Confidence that seems to waiver further when sitting herself up right isn’t as simple as engaging her core. She has to rely on her arms as well. And when she finally is sitting she hunches over herself, breathing heavily with what Suki imagines is discomfort.

“Have you tried stretching before…”

“Of course I have. I always stretch beforehand.”

“Well maybe you need to start with stretches and light workouts before you go back to fire…”

“Maybe you need to mind your own business.” She slowly gets to her feet.

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“I’m already--”

“You’re going to make it worse, is that what you want?”

Azula rolls her eyes. “Spare me. You only want me in good health so you can send me off to fight your battles.” And ever so quietly, just when she thinks that she is out of earshot, she mumbles, “just like everyone else does.”

.oOo.

Zuko reads the letter over and over again. He doesn’t know how Aang had been able to make only four words sound so accusatory. ‘How did that happen?’

Or maybe it is just projection.

Maybe he is the angry one, maybe Aang really is just curious.

“How did that happen?” He mumbles out loud.

“How did what happen?” Mai leans in the doorframe.

He hastily folds the parchment back up and tucks it into his pocket. “Nothing! Nevermind. How is your aunt doing?”

“Better now that I helped her fix her flower shop up.” Mai shrugs. “How are you? Did you bring her home yet?”

Zuko nods. “Yeah, Azula’s home.”

“Then what are you still doing here?”

“Waiting for her to recover.” He sighs. “We can’t move forward without her and she’s…” useless is on the tip of his tongue and he cringes at his own thought. He wants to call it an intrusive one but how many times can a thought intrude before it becomes a welcomed but uncomfortable guest?

If you want to be like father, do it right.

“Zuko?” Mai snaps. “She’s what?”

“She’s not doing well.”

“Well what did you expect in just plucking her out of that institution after three years?” Mai shrugs. “You don’t exactly think things through.”

“I’m sorry, Mai, next time I’ll consider that there might be a spirit outbreak and pull her out a year in advance!”

Mai rolls her eyes, “you know what I meant, Zuko.”

“No I don’t! I never know what you mean and you don’t make it easy to tell.”

“I say it how it is, plain and simple, I don’t know what’s so hard to understand.” She shrugs. “You and Azula both overcomplicate things.”

Zuko pinches the bridge of his nose. “Look, I’ve got a lot on my plate, I’m stressed, and now I have to worry about Azula again.” His stomach churns but he can’t place why. If you want to be like father...he shakes his head.

“So what are you going to do with her?”

“I don’t know. Let her get better so we can get on with things.”

“And what if she doesn’t corporate? To be perfectly honest, I certainly wouldn’t if I were locked up tight for three whole years.” Mai quirks a brow. “I mean I guess that I wouldn’t care, I could use a nice vacation away from people but Azula doesn’t like to sit still and stay in one place.”

“If she doesn’t corporate then Katara and I will put her in her place just like the first time. ...do it right.

Mai inhales and in the same breath as her exhale replies, “well good luck.”

.oOo.

Azula rubs her hands over her hollowed face. She thinks that her skin is looking pale. Her body throbs, each and every muscle, every inch. She is a little shy of five feet of pain. She drops onto her mattress and curls herself up, feeling somehow stiffer than before.

She squeezes her eyes shut; walking around and moving her arms is supposed to be helping her. She is supposed to be feeling better.

She certainly doesn’t fancy helping Zuzu and the Avatar but the notion of being powerful enough to do so is compelling enough to drive her to try. She flexes her fingers, staring at the little candle flame she has created in her palm. It shifts and sways. It flickers and falters.

She hasn’t the strength to keep it going and it dissipates into a thin trail of smoke.

Spirits, they might as well lock her up again; she isn’t good for anything anyways. She knows what father would have done to her…

“Here you go, princess.”

Azula sits up and the soft-spoken serving girl places a tray on her lap.

“Miso soup and a bowl of cherries.”

“I can see that.” Azula grumbles.

The serving girl bows. “Have a nice night, princess.”

At least someone still treats her well.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Suki #Azuki #Fanfiction

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chaoticallysapphic · 4 years

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Oh my heart part three

-Summary: Lin never expected to have a soulmate, in a world where your mark appears whenever your soulmate is born she grew up completely blank. So when she’s thirty and it finally etches itself around her arm, she vows to never be with the one meant only for her.

A/N: soooo I’ve never written a kiss before, please give me constructive criticism on it so I can better my writing. This is the last part and I’m really happy with the ending, please let me know which part of this whole series was your favorite!

Word count: 6k

When Lin wakes up, all she feels is the mind splitting pain from her blow, flashes of what happen play in her mind, the last thing she remembers is hearing you scream her name. You, Lin, forces her eyes open which is a task an of itself, and tries to sit up, her muscles spasm and give out, causing her to fall back down onto where she is laying, wherever she is its moving; Tenzin comes into her eyesight, he leans over her as he checks her pupils and her pulse. “Thank spirits you're all right, I was worried for a minu-”

“You just left my sister?!” Lin hears Korra scream from somewhere nearby. No, no she can’t have heard her correctly, Lin tries to sit up once more but Tenzin tries to push her back down.

“Get off of me” she growls out, sitting up so she can finally see the group in front of her. It’s Korra with her fists clenched and her face all pinched and red, she looks like she may very well kill everyone on board, yes, Lin realizes now that they are on the police force blimp. “We couldn’t find her and tanks were shooting at us, we didn’t ha-”

“Where’s y/n?” Lin asks, all heads turn to Lin and Korra points at Bolin and Mako, spitting out “ask them, they just left her behind! Amon probably has her now!” Korra storms off, hitting the wall with her firebending on the way out.

Mako rubs the back of his neck, he does look sorry and Bolin looks like he’s on the verge of tears. Asami is the one who speaks up “When we got down there they were loading your officers into some trucks, they must have already put y/n on there because she wasn’t with you three.” Lin’s heart stops, your gone and the last words she may have ever said to you was “don’t be a nuisance,” fuck. Lin’s head falls into her hands as she tries to keep her breathing even, she pushed you away like everyone else, and like everyone else you left even if it was against your will. All those silly daydreams that she had scolded herself for having, all those desires, she never even got to say how your laugh makes every little worry on her mind vanish.

Tenzin places a hand on her shoulder and gives it a comforting squeeze “we’ll find your officers Lin.” Oh right, fuck, not only did she let y/n down but also her officers. How is she going to tell all their families? How will she face the citizens of republic city after failing to protect them like she swore she would? Tenzin tries to push Lin back into laying down and this time she relents, her mind is swirling with the possibilities of what's happening to you right now but none of them are good, even if you do come out alive your bending will be taken away.

“From the looks of it she put up a fight, there was water everywhere…” Asami murmurs out somewhere behind her, Lin squeezes her eyes shut, maybe if she tries hard enough you’ll magically appear, maybe if she promises the spirits she’ll be nicer to everyone, especially you, they’ll give you back to her.

Back, Lin never had you in the first place, she shut you out and squashed any chance there may have been, at the time it seemed smart but now she lays here wishing she had kissed you at least once. On the tram she almost did, when you stepped closer to her Lin's thoughts were engulfed in you, her senses were filled with you, the scent of your perfume, your voice, and even your touch. She’d wanted to pull you into a never-ending kiss right there in front of everyone, wanted to throw all caution to the wind and finally let herself be yours.

Instead, she’d snapped at you with some vicious reply that she doesn’t even remember all too well, just that she called you a nuisance and the devastating look on your face at her response. She had to turn away from you, she couldn’t look into your eyes or else she knew she’d have caved. She would have held your face in her hands and given a million sincere apologies in hopes of erasing that look from your face.

Lin uses the last of her strength to turn her back on the bickering group of teens and falls back to sleep, except this time all she dreams about is finding you dead in some ditch.

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Lin spent her time on bed rest with you and her officers on her mind. She was deeply ashamed of her failure, she even had nightmares about if she did find you. In them you were either dead or close to it, in one you even declined her help to get medical attention and told her you’d rather die than live your life with her as a soulmate. That one had truly shattered her. There's a radio beside her bed, for the most part, it played nonsensical talk shows with mind-numbing segments, the only reason she had it on was that sometimes a police report was given.

“We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this special report. Late last night equalists attacked city hall subduing councilman Tarlock and capturing avatar Korra details are still coming in but-” Lin turns it off and forces herself out of bed, pain erupts in her right arm and she has to stop for a second to hold it and let the pain subdue, it doesn’t completely disappear but it’s enough to get her out of bed.

She lets out a pained groan and heads over to the closet that has her clothes inside, her uniform stares at her mockingly, reminding her that she’s no longer chief of police but right now isn’t time for a pity party, so she gets out of her pajamas and into her usual white tank top and pants then metal bends the armor on. Lin looks down at her breastplate and stares at her pin that marks as such and rips it off, tossing it onto her nightstand. She has to find Korra, you’d want her to find Korra.

Lin leaves the hospital with a coat over her armor to not so subtly hide what she's wearing underneath and storms off to retrieve Asami from her cell. She metal bends the door off and soon the two are off, Asami is walking next to her, trying to keep up with the pace “we’re gonna find them, I know we will” Asami says, Lin sighs and squeezes her eyes shut for a moment. She hope’s so.

She busts Bolin and Mako out next, reluctantly but she knows her best bet at finding everyone in time is with them by her side. Her next destination is Tenzin's office, once inside she finds him sitting at his desk on the telephone, he eyes them, a surprised look appearing on his face which causes Lin to roll her eyes. Did he expect her to pout until someone else fixed this mess?

“I… have to go,” he says to whoever is on the other end of the line. “Call me back the minute you hear anything-” he immediately ends the call, going to stand from his seat with his hands up in the air. “- Lin what... What are… what are you” he sputters out before his shoulders sag and he gives her an exasperated look. “You should be in the hospital! And you three-” he begins, pointing his fingers at the younger three of the group, “- should be in prison!”

“I figured you could use our help finding Korra” she replies, she wants to say find you, but she knows her best bet at finding you is through your sister, and if Lin found you first, you’d be enraged to find your little sister missing. They all theorize on how to start the search, Asami, Bolin, and Mako run off after Mako says he might know where to go. Lin looks up at Tenzin, letting out a deep sigh “wherever Amon is keeping Korra, I bet that's where y/n and my officers are too.”

Tenzin looks into Lin’s eyes and says with the utmost confidence “let's bring them all home Lin.” Everyone eventually boards Oogi and Mako directs Tenzin where to go. Besides his directions it's utterly quiet on the back of the sky bison, everyone is tense and buzzing with the hope that his hunch is correct. Eventually, they land in a city square and upon climbing down Mako immediately runs over to one of the streets “the truck that took Bolin went this way” he states, pointing at the winding road.

They walk down the street for at least two blocks before coming to an intersection, everyone slowly comes to a halt as Asami breaks the silence “which way?” Bolin strokes his chin as he steps closer to the street in front of them and replies “this way seems familiar.”

Lin, not wanting to go out on a hunch, especially one made by him, bends one of her shoes off and slams her foot down, she closes her eyes as she tries to see what's beneath the surface. A tunnel! It's to the left instead of straight and Lin bends her shoe back on, pointing left “there's a tunnel nearby!”

They break off into a sprint once more and come upon an unused storm drain that has a massive tunnel covered by a metal grate. Motorcycle tracks are leading into the tunnel, confirming their growing suspicions. “Korra has to be in there… somewhere,” Mako says as Lin bends the gate upwards with a bang.

They walk for at least fifteen minutes before they come to a grinding halt, in front of them are five separate tunnels splitting off into different directions. Mako is bending some fire in his hand to help illuminate their path. He doesn’t stop though, he points to a tunnel and tells them he thinks it's this way. With no other option, they all follow after him and continue their descent into the unknown. Soon they hear the revving of motorcycles behind them, Lin orders them all to hide and they all press themselves into a hidden nook. A secret door opens up for the cyclists and they speed inside without a single idea of what they’ve just done.

That pesky feeling of hope blooms in Lin’s chest once more, she runs over to the secret door that has since been shut and feels around before bending it open. It slams open and without a second to lose they race down this secret tunnel with abandon. There's a large room before them with equalists working inside, there are multiple vehicles inside and a tram system leading down three tunnels straight ahead.

One of the trams arrives and an equalist with a feminine voice walks up to the one holding a clipboard and says “everything was delivered to the prison, sir.” Both are fools, far too comfortable with the area because they walk away leaving the contraption unattended. “That’s where they must be keeping Korra” Tenzin whispers. And y/n, Lin thinks, she squeezes her eyes shut for a moment, forcing herself to focus and says “we need to get down that tunnel.”

She waves at them, signaling them to follow her as she sneaks towards the tram. Once onboard, Asami drives it for them, going as fast as she can while Tenzin and Lin stand upfront, on guard for anything that may be lurking in the shadows. Once they see a light ahead seeping into the otherwise dark tunnel Lin orders them off and everyone presses their backs against the wall as the tram continues speeding down to the landing.

“It’s empty,” one idiotic officer says, and another reply in a snarky tone “yeah, I can see that.” Before either can investigate further, Lin shoots out her metal wires and yanks them into the darkness with them. She knocks them out, perhaps a bit too harshly but she’s beyond caring and ties them up so they can’t run off to warn anyone else. Using her aseismic senses, she’s able to locate her men… but not y/n.

“What about Korra?” Mako questions, his tone borderline irritable. Lin keeps a calm composure and replies “I don’t see her yet.” Mako and Tenzin follow Lin as she leads the way through the prison, all of the cells they pass are empty, strange. When they turn a corner two guards are waiting, as they ready themselves for a fight, Tenzin uses his bending to knock them out against the walls. Too easy.

When Lin finally finds their cell, all of them are sitting on their bunks with their heads down. Lin bends the bars apart but none of them seem to care as they stare up at her. “Chief Beifong?” officer Song asks, his voice is weak and Lin immediately knows that she’s failed her men.

“I’m too late, aren’t I? That monster already took your bending, didn’t he?” Song nods, his face solemn and Lin clenches her fists, having to look away from him or else she might just crack. “I’m so sorry... Come on, let's get you out of here” Lin turns her back on them and hears them follow after her, that means yours is gone too, wherever you are.

When Lin rounds the corner, she finds Mako holding one of the guards against the wall, one of his fists alight with fire. “I scanned the entire prison, Korra and y/n aren’t here.”

“Why would Tarlock make up a story about getting attacked?” Mako drops the guy and the guard falls to the floor, there's liquid on the floor beneath him that wasn’t there before, that wimp pissed himself. “Because he has Korra” she replies, Lin pushes past Mako and squats down to be eye level with the shaking guard, she wraps her hand around his neck but doesn’t put any pressure on him, it’s a threat and his eyes widen in fear as he realizes it. “W-We don’t have the avatar! I… I swea-”

“Where is y/n, she most likely came in on the same truck as my officers” Lin demands. The color drains from his face at her question, he begins stuttering out some kind of incoherent reply about how he doesn’t know but she can tell he’s lying through his teeth. Lin applies pressure and asks again. “Where. Is. She?”

“Sh-she killed her guards, they took her to a special place!” the guard has spit falling out of the side of his mouth, tears racing down his cheeks, she loosens her hold just a bit. Did you kill someone? It must have been before they took your bending away. “Where?!”

“It’s done below, you have to take an eleva-”

“Show me” she growls out, she yanks him up to his feet and pushes him away from the wall, he stumbles a bit but Tenzin catches his forearm, she can tell he’s not too pleased with her but she doesn’t care. Mako leads Lin's men back to the tram while Tenzin stays with her, keeping his hold on the blubbering guard. He leads them back down where the officers were held but keeps moving forward. There’s a locked door made of solid platinum, the guard pulls a switch out of his pocket and flicks it, causing the door to harshly slide open with a bang. He keeps leading them, his shoulders shaking.

They go down a twisting staircase and stop at an elevator stationed at the halfway point. He opens the metal sliding doors up and the three climb inside. There are a million buttons on the panel in front of them, if Lin came alone she’d have no clue where to start, but thankfully this wimp knows exactly what button to press.

“Oh man, Amons gonna kill me” he sobs out, snot drips into his mouth as he throws his head into his hands. Tenzin gives Lin a look of discomfort, neither are good at comforting people, both can’t be around someone whos crying without becoming incredibly uncomfortable. Tenzin lets out a sigh when he realizes Lin won’t give in.

“We’ll take you with us, so he can’t,” he says softly, the guards head flies up to look at Tenzin, the air bender takes a step back as snot and spit going flying, Lin scrunches her nose up in disgust. “Really?” he whispers, Tenzin nods and before he can even stop it, the guard flings his arms around him and squeezes him tight. Lin feels a chuckle bubbling up her throat at the sight of Tenzin's horrified gaze, he mouths ‘help me’ but Lin just turns her head to look at the door. The elevator dings and the doors creak open to reveal a dark hallway ahead of them. The guard pulls away from Tenzin and pats his shoulder, offering him a smile full of gratitude.

He leads them down the hall before they stop at another door, also made of platinum. Once again he pulls out his controller full of switches and flicks one, making the door slam open. Its pitch black inside, Lin takes a hesitant step inside. The sound of something scraping against the floor echoed through the room and Lin steps out of the way just seconds before you appear, holding up a metal chair, you swing it where she once was.

“Y/n,” Lin says, she sees your arms shaking as you drop the chair, you fall to your knees from exerting to much energy, “Lin?” your voice is hoarse, and when you lift your head to glance up at her, something inside of her cracks. Your hair is matted with dry blood, the side of your face is caked in it and there are bags under your eyes, your skin is so pale and despite only being locked up for a week you look so weak, your cheeks are hollowed out.

Lin finally knocks herself out of her thoughts when she hears you whimper and she scrambles down onto her knees to cup your face, she inspects you for any open wounds, or signs of illness, you bring one of your hands up to loosely grip her wrist and Lin gasps at the sight of your bloodied fingers.

“She… uh she was scratching a lot when we first put her in here,” he says hesitantly. Lin’s head swings over to him, suddenly the promise Tenzin made seems impossible, she wants to kill him and anyone else involved in your suffering.

“Why?” Lin spits out before he can answer her you reply softly “it was so dark.” Lin pulls you into her arms, burrowing her head into the crook of your neck, you fall into her arms, letting go of any tension within you as you become pliant to her will.

Someone clears their throat and Lin lifts her head to see Tenzin staring at her in confusion. “We should hurry,” he says, Lin nods and goes to stand but you grip onto her shoulders, she looks down and sees you try to stand, but your legs shake and you almost fall back down. She catches you and picks you up bridal style, you rest your head on her shoulder and close your eyes when you come out into the light. You hiss due to the pain and burrow your face into the fabric of her coat.

Something warm lights up her heart at the action but she smothers it, now's not the time. On the way back to the others Tenzin continues to stare at Lin oddly as the guard continues to lead them out.

You're sure this is a dream, you screamed for anyone down below, begged the spirits for a savior, and sobbed for mercy. But you gave up hope after a few days inside, it seemed you’d been left to rot, every few days someone would stop by with a small bowl of what can only be described as kitchen scraps and a sip of water. They were prolonging what felt like the inevitable, you felt so close to death, with your bending gone you had become weakened and you didn’t have any water to help strengthen you.

Halfway back to the others an ear-splitting siren went off as the lights in the prison repeatedly flashed red. Everyone broke into a sprint and ran down the stairs that reunited them with the others.

“Let's go, people!” Bolin calls out as everyone boards the tram, once inside Asami speeds off, behind them a set of headlights flashes as another tram picks up speed, Lin sees Bolin bend the tunnel into collapsing right on top of the second tram and if not for the situation she might have given him a pat on the back. Lin gives you to Tenzin who carefully holds you close as she shouts out “We got more company, hang on!” she shouts as she bends a metal vent to act as a ramp for them. Due to the speed of the tram, it keeps its momentum, she then bends away from the earth in front of them to allow them to enter another tunnel above.

The tram screeches as it's off its tracks and now on the stone before abruptly coming to a halt, everyone groans, the impact has caused them to either fly from their seats or in poor Asami’s case, bang her head into the metal wall in front of her. Tenzin had used his air bending to keep both of you seated, adding enough pressure that when everyone went flying, you both just experienced a jolt.

Lin opens up a hole above, letting the sun shed light on the otherwise dim tunnel. Tenzin gets everyone out with his air bending, including the officer that Lin is most definitely arresting and sentencing to life if she can have anything to do with it. Once up above, Lin goes to take you from his arms but Tenzin pulls back and stares her down.

“What was that about down there?” he questions. In another world Tenzin would have been the one fretting over you, he’d taken you both in and sworn to your parents that he’d protect you. Whilst Korra was a bit rough and hard to handle, you’d play with his children, you kept Jinora company when she felt left out, and helped feed the sky bison whenever you could.

You’d already talked to Pema about how you’d help with the delivery of their next child you’d briefly trained at a healing school in the southern tribe before you decided to follow Korra here and had helped many women deliver healthy babies into the world. You were like a daughter to him, so Lin's unusual display of affection almost unnerved him.

Before Lin can come up with some kind of retort, you turn your head, your eyes squinted as you try to adjust to the light. “Lin?” you say, you reach out for her and without thinking of Tenzin she steps closer and grabs your hand. “I need to take her to the hospital Tenzin and you need to deal with Tarlock.”

Tenzin scowls before carefully handing you to Lin, almost immediately you clutch her coat and snuggle in as close as you can. His brows knit together as the pieces of the puzzle finally snap into place. “But…” he begins, Lin stops him before he can bombard her with questions. “I need to get her to a doctor as soon as possible.” She knows later down the line she’ll have to have a long talk with him, explaining herself and… this thing between the two of you. She rushes off in the direction of the hospital, it’s four blocks away which isn’t too far but she’s filled with fear that somehow you’ll die in her arms if she doesn’t hurry. Once inside the waiting room, Lin calls out for help and two nurses rush forward with a wheelchair once they see you in her arms.

They whisk you away, or try to, one of the nurses tries to convince Lin to stay behind but she won’t be separated from you, not until she knows you're completely safe. “She’s my soulmate and I’ll arrest anyone who tries to keep me away from her right now.” That shuts her up. Lin’s never pulled that kind of card before, and honestly, she wouldn’t arrest someone unless they’d done something illegal but you're getting farther away and her heart is beating faster. The nurse blanches and Lin takes that as her queue to run after you.

The same doctor who looked after Lin, which he repeatedly tries to convince her to go back to her room and rest, to which she declines, looks you over for any injuries. The back of your head is healing, very slowly though and it doesn’t look like it’s been properly cleaned so he has one of the nurses do that as he checks the rest of your body.

“Does it hurt anywhere besides your head and your hands?” he asks, to which you can’t offer a proper reply. Everywhere hurts, you're sore and weak and you feel like if you close your eyes you may never open them again. The doctor sighs, “we need some bone broth and -” he starts listing off medicines to the nurses who scurry off and he orders two others to clean your fingers which elicits a pained groan out of you.

Lin kneels and stays there the whole time, once the nurse arrives with a warm bowl of broth Lin takes it from her and helps you sip it. She nudges her arm underneath your neck to prop your head up and gently brings the bowl up to your lips before tilting it slowly to allow only a little at a time. You happily drink it but can only get about halfway before you claim your too full to continue.

She frowns but relents, not wanting to push you. Eventually, the nurses move you to a proper bed, one like Lin’s, after they clean you up and tuck you underneath the blankets. You’ve long since fallen asleep and the sun is beginning to set, casting a warm orange glow throughout the room. You already look a bit better, one of the nurses gave Lin a warm, wet cloth when asked so she could gently wipe your face clean of all the dried up blood. It’s been roughly two hours since Lin entered the hospital and she already wants out, but not without you. This is a public place and therefore means it's easier to attack, if she lets her guard down Amon may very well try to steal you away once more.

Tenzin and the others, sans Korra, enters the hospital room as Lin finishes wiping up the dirt above your brow and when she hears them, she immediately sets the cloth onto the table, embarrassment floods through her at being caught and she knows she shouldn’t care but she does.

“Tarlock is a blood bender,” Bolin says, raising his hands in the air “and he has Korra!” Mako jabs Bolin in the stomach as everyone shushes him, you stir, letting out a groan before stilling once more, thankfully he didn’t wake you, or Lin definitely would have knocked some sense into him.

“We should all go to air temple island, we’ll be safer together-” Lin goes to speak up, she won’t leave you behind “- y/n will too. I spoke with a nurse outside who says she doesn’t have any serious injuries, just malnourished and therefore very weak. Food and rest will help.” He clears his throat and looks Lin in the eyes “I’d like to speak outside for a moment.”

She stands up, knowing that she needs to get this talk over with. Asami takes Lin's seat beside you as she walks out of the room and down the hall just enough so that they are out of earshot. “She’s my soulmate” Lin starts, her hand once more grazes the burnt mark that now fills her with so much regret. Tenzin looks away before letting out a deep sigh.

“How?” he questions. She lied to him for so long, he’s seen her body bare and knows that she doesn’t have a mark, anymore. His eyes follow her hand and a look of shock takes over his features “It wasn’t a work-related accident, was it?” His jaw clenches as he stares her down. She burnt it right before they went out for the first time, he’d claimed he would find the man responsible for her scar but she’d always shrugged it off. It makes sense.

“No… I was ashamed” she grits her teeth as she remembers sobbing over the burn, telling herself to get over it and that it was for the better. That she’d be happy with Tenzin and wouldn’t need some infantile immature young adult in her life. But you aren’t immature, you're so strong and courageous, she’s seen how you care for those around you and honestly, she doesn’t get how your friends with Bolin and Mako since they are both downright annoying whilst you are anything but.

“And now?” he questions, she knows he probably has a million little judgments he wants to spew out, most likely scold her for something that she can’t control and she’s grateful for him reigning it and trying to remain calm. She doesn’t think she can handle anything else that requires even an ounce of effort after how today has gone.

“I tried to push her away, I told her it wouldn’t work but…” Lin tries to find her next words but there's a lump forming in her throat and she will not cry, not in public, and definitely not in front of Tenzin.

“But she was captured” he finishes for her and she sharply nods, staring at some water stain on the wall up above his right shoulder. “I want you to be happy Lin, even if this does seem strange to me, if you both make each other happy then I’ll get over my preconceived judgments and support you both.”

Lin simply nods, tears are threatening to fall from her eyes so she mutters a “thank you” and heads to the bathroom to compose herself. Tenzin understands, he heads back to your hospital room as Lin barges into the thankfully empty bathroom and begins to cry. You're fine, you're safe and relatively healthy and you will be fine. All she can hope is that once you’ve recovered you’ll forgive her, Lin never apologizes or admits she's wrong but for you, she’ll do so in an instant. She’ll get on her knees for you, beg you even. She’ll be humiliated but it will have been worth it if you give her another shot, one that she’ll make sure she doesn’t screw up.

Tenzin’s approval means so much to her, he probably doesn’t realize it either. She might never be close to him again after what happened but she still sees him as her family, if he’d have shamed her Lin wouldn’t have been able to go on, which she’ll never let him know.

Lin wipes the tears out of her eyes and waits until the redness and puffiness die down before leaving the bathroom and heading back into your room. You're sitting up and are listening to Tenzin with a tired smile on your face as he talks to you about who knows what. Your hair is still caked in dried up blood with bags under your eyes but still, you take Lins breath away.

Tenzin ushers everyone out of the room to give the two of you privacy, Bolin puts up a bit of a fight but relents when Lin fixes him with a glare that has him racing on out of the room before anyone else. Tenzin places his hand on Lin’s shoulder, giving it an encouraging squeeze before shutting the door behind him on the way out.

“Lin” you begin and in an instant, she’s rushing over to your side, she stops herself just as she’s about to take your hand, worried about your reaction. You slowly reach your hand up and interlock your fingers, there’s this look on your face like you're waiting for Lin to pull away in disgust. Instead, Lin gives your hand a gentle squeeze and slowly sits on the stool beside her bed like before.

“I’m sorry,” she says earnestly before you can say whatever was on the tip of your tongue. Your eyes widen but you don’t respond, you're waiting for her to continue, to elaborate so you don’t end up getting hurt again.

“I..” Lin gulps, “I thought I’d be a burden to you, I’m old, practically married to my job, I definitely won’t be winning any awards for my personality-” you crack a smile at that, it warms her heart “-and I don’t want kids. I thought maybe you’d want someone like Bolin or Mako because they could give you those kinds of things I can’t, I like to be in bed by nine and I’ve never even set foot in a dance club before. I’m… I’m not young like you.”

“Are you done?” you ask, Lin furrows her brows but otherwise nods, your other hand, the one not holding Lin's hand comes up to rest on her scarred cheek. “Did you ever think that maybe I want everything you can give me? No matter how much or how little it may be. I don’t want kids, sure they're nice but they are messy and time-consuming, it’s a job for life with no weekends.” Lin laughs at that, spirits, she doesn’t know if she believes you, it seems too good to be true.

“I can’t take someone else leaving me” she states, a pained look settling on her features. Your eyes soften and you pull Lin closer to you, she’s leaning against the bed now, your noses almost touching. You rub your thumb soothingly across her cheek, you're trying to find the right words to say. You can’t mess this up.

“I can’t promise I’ll never get mad at you or I'll never irritate you. We’ll probably have a string of fights throughout our years together but… I’ll never leave you, Lin, you’re all I want out of this life.” Lin’s eyes widen as unshed tears brim at the corners of her eyes. She’s never been told something so heartfelt, so romantic before.

She leans up further until your lips are inches apart and waits for a breath, waits to see if you’ll pull away, and claim that this is all a joke. But instead, you close the gap and let go of her hand just so you can cup both sides of her face. Your lips are so soft and delicate as you pull her closer until your chest to chest like back on the tram. Lin deepens the kiss, her hands resting on your waist, she’s too scared of gripping you in fear of hurting you in your fragile state. You lick the bottom of her lip and she opens her mouth all too eagerly, her knee is now resting on the edge of the bed so she can wrap her arms around you, pulling you flush against her.

Too soon you pull away from her, panting against her mouth and when Lin opens her eyes she has to fight the urge to pull you back into another passionate kiss. Your pupils are blown, cheeks flushed a deep red with swollen lips. She tries to capture it within her mind for safekeeping

“I think I love you” you whisper, your voice is hoarse and you thread your fingers through her hair, lightly gripping it. Lin has to keep herself from moaning at said action. That cynical side of her brain shouts within her skull that you're lying but Lin ignores it, she pecks you on the lips which you eagerly try to deepen but she pulls away just a few inches so she can talk.

“I think I love you too,” Lin whispers, too scared of breaking this moment that almost feels sacred. A smile spreads across your lips as you pull her into a kiss once more. Lin happily kisses you, her heart blooms with a million budding roses, all for you as she finally lets go of all her fears, all her insecurities, and enjoys the feel of you against her. Finally, she thinks

#lin beifong #lin beifong x reader #lin beifong/reader #lin/reader #lin beifong fanfiction #fanfiction #fanfic #lok #legend of korra #korra #tenzin #bolin #mako #asami sato #sato #mega gay

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sylverstorms · 3 years

Text

Azula x Mai

The moonlight was too bright.

Mai felt bombarded by its glow as it reflected off the marble steps of the beach house to shoot directly into her brain. A curse was hissed under her breath. Ty Lee, a few ways ahead of her, giggled. It was a wonder how she could skip up the stairs so easily considering how much she’d drank, probably the amount Zuko, Azula and Mai had consumed combined.

To be fair, she was more used to drinking than the rest of them. Or rather, she was the only one accustomed.

Zuko was nearly out after the first quarter of his gin bottle, a fact that Azula –of course— had to point out in that typical, demeaning way of hers. It quickly led to an all-out war between the two siblings about who would drink who under the table. For the record, Mai did point out how bad of an idea it was, though she knew them better than to expect either to back down.

Ty Lee put her money on Azula winning. Mai had to be a good girlfriend and support Zuko. It was no surprise to anyone when, thirty minutes down the line, he collapsed face-first into the sand. The princess erupted into a fit of laughter about how pathetic he was.

Mai had moved to help him, but Zuko, red-faced from both alcohol, anger and the shame of loss, brushed her off and stomped his way up to the beach house. Azula, knowing she wasn’t as unaffected as she pretended to be, made up an excuse about not missing her beauty sleep and bid them goodnight. Mai’s sharp eyes didn’t miss the uncharacteristically ungraceful way she climbed the steps, nearly tripping twice.

That left her alone with Ty Lee over their own bottles. Apologies were said and accepted for the hurtful things spoken earlier that night, around that same fire. Mai didn’t intend to stay out so late, yet her friend’s stories swept her along. By the time she suggested they get to bed, as well, she couldn’t really walk in a straight line.

It was a small miracle she made it to Li and Lo’s house on her own. Mai would add it to her small list of achievements, if she could also locate her shared room with Zuko.

One hand glued onto the corridor’s wall for support, she managed to get to a familiar point. Two adjacent doors glared at her. Past muddled thoughts, Mai could recollect Azula picking the left one that morning. She turned the handle to her right and stumbled inside.

Zuko, bathed in shadows, had his back turned to her.

Mai sluggishly shrugged off her top and stepped out of her sandals. She tried –tried being the key word— to slide as softly into bed as possible. The body beside her stirred under the cocoon of covers but didn’t wake. If she were any soberer, she would surely start to stress about sharing a bed with the prince for the first time, or what the proper distance to keep was. Right then, however, she was drunk and growing colder by the minute.

There was no logical explanation as to why it was that chilly in the heart of summer, in Ember Island.

Mai bit the corner of her lip and decided— screw it.

She slid closer, to the part of the large bed that was wonderfully warm. Then she got greedy and pressed herself fully against the firebender. And— oh, he was warm as a furnace. Mai didn’t remember Zuko ever being that hot, before, but it was wonderful.

His hair felt longer, too, under her cheek, yet all she could focus on was the sensation of holding flames in her arms. Other things, little things, registered scarcely in the back of her brain. He didn’t smell like usual, of smoke and fresh spices. Instead, a mix of sandalwood and fire lilies tickled Mai’s nose. She couldn’t help but nuzzle deeper into the source and inhale.

Was Zuko’s skin always this soft to the touch?

Mai didn’t know how she’d never noticed that or taken advantage of it. Kisses were one thing and she greatly appreciated the hardness of his muscles, in the few times things between them had gotten more heated than that. But this? This was just perfect.

Or perhaps the drink was doing more to her than just making her dizzy.

The theory was proven correct when her company shifted against her until she gave them room to roll onto their back. The brush of silky hair against her neck ignited something in her. The fingers that came to rest on the bare skin of her side felt like a brand.

Inhibitions lowered, Mai didn’t hesitate to crash their lips together.

The kiss was as burning as the rest of her lover. Lips too soft that tasted like cotton candy and gin parted all too easily for her. Mai wove her hand into raven hair and tugged. A low groan escaped Zuko that didn’t much sound like him. The nails that dug possessively into her flesh and the tongue that slipped into her mouth were unlike him, too.

If anything, they reminded Mai of Azula.

That was a thought she didn’t want to take into bed with her boyfriend… but it made her grow more aroused regardless. Right and wrong –or wrong and so very wrong— didn’t seem to matter to her body. She’d always been attracted to edges, blades, deadly things. She didn’t know of any deadlier than Azula.

Mai grew frustrated into the kiss. It was too good and that made it not enough and she wasn’t in any state to control her urges. She pressed her thighs together to relieve the ache building there, but that only made it worse. Her head was a mess. Her body was a mess.

Agni, I need—

She was wet, wetter than she’d ever imagined she could be, and she needed Zuko to make it go away so she wouldn’t go back to thinking about Azula again. Anything but that.

Just a little, she told herself as she slid a leg over her lover’s and pressed herself down on their thigh. ‘Just a little’, but it was too satisfying when that little spot was hit just right, when strong hands gripped at her hips and urged her to continue at her leisure.

Mai bit her lower lip to mute the moans threatening to spill from her lips into little gasps. It was like having sex with fire. Flames were everywhere, in her mind, under her parted legs, licking across her skin, driving her insane.

It wasn’t long before they consumed her.

Mai stilled and shook. The body beneath her followed suit. A moment suspended in time, until she collapsed into the firebender’s neck, exhausted and limp.

She drifted to sleep surrounded by the scent of fire lilies.

…

Noise. Too much noise.

Thankfully, it was muffled outside her door. Mai held tighter onto the lulling warmth against her. Ty Lee’s voice echoed in her ears. Then, Zuko’s. Something in that sound started to spring the gears of her mind into motion. Zuko’s…?

“Agni, shut up…” Azula’s voice grumbled, hoarse from the previous night’s drinking.

Only, it shouldn’t be Azula’s voice coming by Mai’s ear.

“What—” she began to ask.

Never got around to finishing that sentence. The princess’ eyes snapped open and zeroed in on her, while Mai sprang up. The flare of pain across her head at the sudden movement was nothing compared to the sheer shock of the realization…

Last night I—

What did I do…?

She remembered fire. She remembered moving in the dark against someone. Worst of all, she remembered loving it.

Mai brought a shaky hand up to her mouth, while Zuko’s complaining from outside intensified. Azula was an expressionless statue, not moving, not blinking, not even breathing. She was the first to break the standstill when she abruptly stood and went to gather fresh clothes from her bag.

Like nothing was out of the ordinary.

“Azula—” Mai usually prided herself for being the level-headed one. Not this time. This time, she was panicking.

“Hm?” A non-committal noise.

“Last night…” she couldn’t even bring herself to ask. And what could she say, really? ‘Did I really cheat on your brother with you’? ‘Did I dry-hump you like a sl—

“Did something happen?” Azula turned to her with the world’s most impassive face.

Mai wanted to yell at her. To slap her across her gorgeous fucking face. The asshole did not get to do that with her, act like nothing happened, like they could go back to their lives as they were before.

“Not the first time we had a sleepover, Mai.” she said as she opened a drawer to take a bathtowel in hand. Her knuckles were white around the fabric.

The elder noble opened her mouth to speak.

Zuko’s voice cut her off.

“And where the hell is my girlfriend?!”

Azula disappeared into the shower. Mai dropped her face into her hands and wished for all of it to be a bad dream.

…

But it wasn’t a dream. It was a real-life nightmare.

Mai couldn’t even look at Zuko in the eyes. Ever since he was a child, Azula had tainted everything for him. She took and took from him. To think that she would even ruin his relationship, that she would even take her away…

The thought was unbearable.

It was too easy to be angry at Azula. For being in what was supposed to be Zuko’s fucking room, for not stopping her, for taking it all so in stride. But. It wasn’t her fault, was it? She’d drank more than Mai and she wasn’t the one to press up to her and initiate their kisses. If it had been another trick to humiliate him, Azula would have gloated already.

In a sense, Mai would have accepted that easier than her utter silence.

“Can you just tell me what’s wrong already?” Zuko asked, coming closer to her. “Did I do something last night when I wasn’t in my right mind?” His eyes were wide. He sounded desperate.

It wasn’t him who should be torn up. “…Nothing’s wrong, Zuko.” she lied in her dismissive monotone.

“How can you say that?! You flinch every time I touch you!” he snapped. His hand wrapped around her wrist to make the point.

Mai hated how lukewarm he felt compared to her flame.

She hated her.

How could Azula ruin this for her?

It took Mai years off her childhood to convince herself her crush was on Zuko and not his mean little sister. She didn’t like anything about the fire princess other than her stupid good looks. She was the devil incarnate. Selfish, arrogant, inconsiderate, powerful, deadly, gorgeous— Mai was glad to leave for Omashu, to leave her behind. She thought the years would reduce those feelings to an awful memory. And they had.

But they hadn’t wiped them completely. And one taste of the forbidden fruit was all it took—

Mai pulled away from Zuko, something in her chest cracking at the hurt in those amber eyes. “I’m sorry. I just need some time to myself.”

She left without looking back.

Azula was in her room, packing her things, when Mai barged in.

“Ever heard of knocking?” A slender eyebrow raised. The princess had her hair down again and it shouldn’t look so damn attractive on her.

Mai walked over to her, her darkest glare on. “We need to talk.”

“What about?” Such composure. She so badly wanted to mess it up with a knife to her pale throat.

“Oh, I don’t know. How about the thing after you and Zuko left the bonfire, yesterday?” Mai deliberately raised her voice.

Azula flashed into her personal space in an instant, eyes yellow like a dragon’s and ten times as dangerous. “Keep your voice down.” she ordered in a low hiss.

Ty Lee was still in the house. Not to mention Lo and Li.

“So, let’s talk about yesterday, Mai.” Azula said. “I beat my idiot brother –again. He dashed back here before he could embarrass himself further. But, of course, he couldn’t tell left from right, let alone which room was his.” she explained. “I opened the door to see him sprawled out in what I’d declared was my bed, so I grabbed my things and came here.”

Mai was dreading the next part.

“Ty Lee took the couch she’d wanted since we arrived. You took the right turn –bravo— albeit with the wrong company. We slept. That’s it. Time to go home now and focus on the actually important things.”

Lying. Always lying about everything. Are you seriously going to lie about this, too?

A part of Mai cracked. Her face didn’t show it, but she knew Azula could tell, just like she could tell the dark things the princess hid behind her mask of perfection.

“And to think I believed you when you promised to never lie to me.” A parting promise made at the docks before a years’ long separation.

Azula’s jaw clenched. “Just. Forget it.” There was a flash on emotion in her yellow eyes, like a shooting star.

“I wish I could.”

“Why, was I that good or is Zuzu just that bad?” Her tone. That smirk.

Mai’s hand moved before she knew what she was doing.

Azula’s head snapped to the side from the force of the slap.

Mai gulped the bile down. Boiling anger was instantly replaced by guilt. The princess’ jaw was already turning red, stark against the paleness of her skin, where she struck her. She deserved it. But…

But.

“I-I’m sorry, Az—”

Azula grabbed her hand before Mai could trace her thumb over the mark. Nails bit into her skin and the temperature rose to near-blistering levels. She half expected the princess to burn her for daring to hit her. She half feared it. But Azula kept the flame contained in her own body, there only as a warning.

“This time, for the sake of the help you’ve provided me, you get a free pass. Next time you try anything like this, I will burn you alive.” And who she saw in her eyes then, Mai did not recognise as her friend, nor her past crush. “Never speak of yesterday again.”

Her hand was released, the skin uncomfortably hot but not burnt.

She made it easy, at least.

She made it easy for Mai to forget any past attraction to her.

To despise the new her.

Ko-Fi

#Avatar The Last Airbender #azula x mai #maizula #Azula #princess azula #Mai #prince zuko #ty lee #fanfiction #fanfic #comission I wrote for someone who'd rather stay anonymous #thank you for the prompt #hope you enjoyed

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missturtleduck · 3 years

Text

The Girls of Ba Sing Se - (Sokka x f!Reader) Pt. 13

Part Twelve│Part Fourteen

“We’re both warriors in our own right, and too good to be surrounded by stupid boys all the time.“

Crossing back over the Serpent’s Pass was easy. The heavy weight on her chest that pummelled her out of nowhere was infinitely hard.

Across the deep-water chasm, Y/N carried Suki, ignoring the strain on her calves and arms. Without the serpent or the extra people holding them back, the girls made their way over the Pass before night fell. The biting cold was not a problem either as Y/N kept a flame lit in her hand as the sun began to lower in the grey sky, enveloped by a cluster of clouds.

“I sent a message ahead of us,” Suki told her idly, adjusting her headband as they walked.

“Oh?”

The Warrior nodded. “The other Kyoshi Warriors will meet us back past the docks and into the wooded area westward.”

Nodding, Y/N focused on the ground beneath her feet. It was unchanging, dusty and sharp, as they began to exit the steepest climbs of the Pass, watching it plateau with little interest. If she could analyse the rocky path they were on, it would distract from the rocky terrain she and Sokka had metaphorically stumbled onto.

“Why did you invite me to come along with you, Suki?” Y/N said, her voice too loud in her ears after hours of endless silence.

Suki smiled at her. “Call it a hunch, but I think we’re like-minded people.”

“Because we’ve both had crushes on Sokka?”

“What?” She snorted, a massive grin now on her face. “No! What I had was a fleeting moment of ‘oh he’s cute’ and that was the end of that.”

“Oh,” Y/N said, flushing with embarrassment. “Well now I feel like an idiot.”

With a gentle nudge, Suki shook her head. “Don’t. We’re both warriors in our own right, and too good to be surrounded by stupid boys all the time.”

The joke summoned a low chuckle in Y/N’s throat, suddenly washing away the bashful feeling settling in her gut. Suki was easy to talk to, it seemed, but that ease with soon disappear. At the end of the journey, the she saw the other Kyoshi Warriors. They were in full garb, waiting.

She felt more out of place than ever. Frowning, Y/N smothered the fire with her shame. A furious grey stretched over the atmosphere, the colour of smoke. Inhaling a deep, controlled breath, she tried in desperation to replace the pressure in her chest with warmth, and for a moment she succeeded. The blossoming fire lily of energy spread, easing the tension in her muscles, her intense scowl softening.

“Warriors.” Suki announced their presence with all the nobility of a Fire Nation general. “This is Y/N. She will be travelling with us for a while.”

A murmur rippled through the group as easy and detrimental as an ocean tide. Y/N had no real experience with other girls her age. Sure, when she had been to visit her father in the Fire Nation Palace, Azula had been welcoming, so to speak. By welcoming, she meant more that the princess seemed to want to add her to a collection. She seemed to keep friends like butterflies, pinned to a board by their wings. This would also be ignoring the age gap between them; the same could even be said for Toph and Katara.

This was going to be strange.

“Yes, she is a firebender, but I would trust her if I had to put my life in her hands,” Suki said, voice turning sterner, more sincere, overcoming the collective whisper of doubt. “You didn’t see her risk her life for the sake of others. Y/N is fierce, and she will fit in with us for as long as she needs.”

With that, Suki had finished. Quelling the uncertainty with swift decisiveness, Y/N couldn’t help but admire the leadership she was displaying.

Tents set up and food gathered, all that was left to do was set up a campfire. Rather than letting one of the Warriors ache over sparking flame with rock, the firebender ignited her forefinger, pointing it at the pile of dry wood collected and arranged with the neat discipline of a trained fighter. Y/N ignored the yelps of the girls around her as the fire hit the wood with fierce accuracy. Under the intense heat, the wood began to crack, splintering and cracking as loud as thunder. As it settled, no longer spitting like a vicious pygmy puma, the girls wasted no time lifting a cooking pot over the campfire.

“No meat in the soup tonight.” A gruff voice said, startling Y/N. “Is that okay with you, firebender?”

She looked at the owner of such a low voice; a tall, leggy girl was stirring different nuts into a broth, stoking the flames every now and then to keep it boiling. Other than a single braid that was slung over her shoulder, her head was completely shaved.

“I don’t mind,” Y/N smiled, swallowing her nerves. “When you travel with a monk, you get used to a vegetarian lifestyle.”

The Warrior looked at her with some curiosity as she continued crushing the shells off of the main ingredients for their meal. “Huh. The Avatar, I’m guessing. What’s he like?”

“Sweet,” Was the first word that blurted out of her mouth. “Young. Fiercely devoted.”

“Glad to know our saviour is sweet.”

“Hey, I also said devoted!”

The two girls stared at each other before bursting out with laughter. They sat there for a few silent moments. Y/N tamed the flames down to a simmering heat as her acquaintance stirred in some green herbs. It smelled divine, summoning images of pine, hiking in the rain, and home. Home was the strongest memory dredged up by the broth.

“I heard,” The girl said, a teasing smile playing on her pretty lips, “That you’re really here because you got into an argument with a boy.”

Perhaps if any of the other girls there had teased like that, Y/N would’ve lost her temper, but this one seemed kind. “You could say that we had a conflict of interests.”

“Those interests being fire and water?” She continued to joke, nudging Y/N’s shoulder. “I’m glad to know I’ll never have these problems with boys.”

Y/N furrowed her brows. “What do you mean?”

“I don’t like boys,” The girl shrugged with an easy grin. “Girls, however...”

“Wait, that’s an option?”

Now looking as confused as each other, they were interrupted by another Kyoshi Warrior. This girl had her face bare of paint, her entire body beaming with pure light. Wrapping her arms around the girl at the pot, she planted a kiss on her cheek before looking up to see Y/N, who sat shocked.

“Li, are you already bullying this poor girl?” The cheery one frowned – as much as she could looking like sunshine personified.

“Of course not, Yu,” Li said, clasping her free hand over Yu’s. “I’m just enlightening her to the many possibilities that being in the Kyoshi Warriors has granted me.”

This was a revelation to Y/N. It was her great grandfather who had spearheaded the criminalisation of ‘abnormal’ relationships, so she had never witnessed such explicit affection between two girls. It made sense though, why she never recognised her admiration of fellow women as anything more than friendship after a certain age. In fact, watching Li and Yu be so tender together reminded Y/N of an array of people she had considered close friends, those she would stare at a few seconds too long.

There had been a guard in Ozai’s palace with whom Y/N often walked the gardens when she would visit many years ago. Yes, she had been very young, but she remembered this woman with such intensity; she had these glittering gold eyes, as if someone had caught the sun in manacles and poured its blessing into her. She remembered, Princess Y/N, besotted with this woman and announcing to her that one day she would marry her. She startled at how panicked she had turned, and became sad when she never saw her again.

Even after her, there had been others she had admired; Jin who lived near her mother, Suki to some extent, and she was now realising how she had completely melted in front of Li.

But then there was Jìngyi and Sokka. Where did they fit?

“Sweetness,” Yu whispered to Li, “I think you broke the poor thing.”

“Hey, firebender,” Li said, brushing her companion off, “First bowl of soup fresh just for you.”

Numb, she took the bowl with a nod. “You can call me Y/N.”

That scent was back again as the pleasant nutty broth exuded heat. Swirling up in tendrils of steam, Y/N caught those glimpses of home again, but they were even stronger now – perhaps more melancholy and informed. But who was it she was seeing? Where was home?

Sipping a spoonful, her entire body warmed up in a way that could only be comforting. It was like the embrace of a fireplace after being caught in the rain. Spirits, it was good. It was definitely better than anything her and Katara had managed to cook up from the wilds. Watching her new acquaintances, Y/N realised their bond was forged in something other than affection; it seemed that Li was the cook and Yu the forager. Love, it seemed, could flourish somewhere that no one would ever expect it.

“This is lovely, thank you,” Y/N said with the utmost sincerity, bowing her head lowly.

Usually, she was all about etiquette, but the flavour and the sad pit in her stomach made her desperate to wolf the meal down. So many words to describe one bowl - splendid, delicious, homely – but Y/N could find none to describe how she was feeling.

“Tomorrow,” Li cut in past Y/N’s thoughts, “Yu and I, that being my Yu, will help you get ready for the journey ahead.”

Y/N allowed a small giggle to pass her lips at Li’s bad joke. “What do you mean?”

“If you’re travelling with the Kyoshi Warriors, you have to look like one!” Yu laughed, tapping her foot against Y/N’s knee as she took a seat opposite her.

“What, with the–” YN gestured to her face, mimicking the swipe of a brush over her eyes and lips.

“Yes!” Yu said, excited, “And with you uniform as well.”

“Is that okay?”

All three of the girls looked up behind Y/N’s shoulder to see a now bare faced Suki. Her red hair was tied back haphazardly in a pony tail, wisps of hair falling either side of her face. Out of any uniform whatsoever and in some comfy looking sleep clothes, she looked more relaxed.

Suki wasn’t looking at the other girls though. Suki was looking at Y/N.

“Oh!” Y/N flushed, sheepish. “Yeah, that would be great! Thank you for allowing me to travel with you.”

“Not at all,” She brushed off, taking a seat next to her on the ground, sandwiching her between her and Li. “Soup is going down a treat, girls. I’m sure we’ll all be sleeping warm in our sleeping bags tonight.”

A sleeping bag.

Oh no.

“Where am I sleeping, Suki?” Y/N asked, placing an empty bowl down on the ground – though it was refilled pretty quickly. “I mean, I don’t have problems with staying warm usually, so it’s fine if I don’t have a sleeping bag, but– “

“Y/N,” Suki interrupted, “You can have my sleeping mat and just lie between two of us just in case the winds pick up.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Crisis averted, Y/N thought as she dug through another bowl of soup. But what kind of crisis, she had to wonder. Crisis or not, she had no trouble getting to sleep under an ocean of stars, laid between Suki and Li. She felt comfortable – content, even – which was new. Perhaps she wouldn’t have too much trouble travelling with the Kyoshi Warriors after all.

And she’d hardly thought about Sokka all evening.

TAGLIST: @lunariasilver @maragreene @bestyearsof5sos @korra-rail-me @moistpotatobear @sporadicalalmondcookie @jaayypasta @animeboysimppp

#atla #sokka x reader #suki #kyoshi warriors #sokka #aang #katara #toph #angst #bi!reader #f!reader #the girls of ba sing se #missturtleduck

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passable-talent · 4 years

Note

would you mind writing some trans! zuko HCs with a male reader?

okay Mai? probably not involved in this. also? not a gif. however? perfect image for the ask.

that said- BIND SAFELY MY YOUNG MEN, DO NOT USE ACE BANDAGES

art cred to viria bc ALWAYS CRED ARTISTS

-it was a good thing that the royal family was so secretive about their heirs during the first few years. ozai especially.

-because it made it easier for Zuko, who figured it out before he turned six, to present only ever as a prince to the nation.

-he had his mother’s whole hearted support, and his father grumbled that it would make it easier to have a male heir, and the nation was none the wiser

-ozai, however, of course harbored less than pleasant opinions

-he didn’t think that Zuko would turn out to be a strong firebender, heir, or even man.

-Zuko was determined to prove him wrong. to prove that he was the son ozai had wanted.

-the banishment was just an excuse, iroh suspected, to get Zuko out of line for the throne. it seemed that ozai would rather pass it the throne to his cis daughter instead of his trans son.

-so for years, Zuko attempted to find the avatar.

-instead, he found you.

-you were a nomad living in the western air temple, so he ran into you quickly. you weren’t a bender, but you studied the air bender lifestyle.

-at first he thought you might be able to help him find the avatar, so he took you as prisoner. but, as you weren’t too bothered by your new home on his ship, and you didn’t have much information, you ended up just enjoying the ride beside Iroh.

-he had lots of wisdom to share, and you got on with him well, which earned you Zuko’s good side, too.

-you only ever knew him as male, for the first year of your travels with the young prince.

-he came out to you after you caught a glimpse of some bandages and noticed the occasional shortness of breath, making you worry for him. he came out so that you wouldn’t worry so much.

-you would never out him, but still managed to offer help in discrete ways. you became a confidant, and source of advice, whenever he had an odd question that would help him pass even better than he already did.

-after he turned sixteen, and one very intense make out session, you began to slowly learn his body.

-it wasn’t intensional, not like you’d sat him down and asked to look at his chest (because... wow, rude). it was more like, you weren’t shy in your affection toward him, and when he wasn’t wearing his armor, it was easy to trace where muscle turned to softness.

-he worked out much more than even the soldiers of the ship were aware of. In order to keep the muscle definition that a cis male naturally has, he had to wake up with crunches and do push ups before bed. he was in constant watch of his abs, too many times skipping little parts of meals to keep the definition that he had.

-something that worried you, but you weren’t sure it was your place to tell him what he should and shouldn’t do. especially if it made him feel more comfortable.

-soon enough you would help him bind in the morning, after you’d expressed that you were worried he did it too tightly. after only a week you had found a technique that made him more comfortable, hopefully without crushing his ribs.

-“breathing is important for firebending,” you’d told him, “you’ve got to be able to breathe deeply.”

-when he did find the avatar, you had to say goodbye to Zuko. as much as you liked him, your loyalty would have to be with the last airbender.

-you’d pulled him close, and kissed him, and made him promise not to bind too tightly. he didn’t know why until you were gone the next morning.

-for months you didnt see him, though you heard that he returned to the fire nation after Ba Sing Se. you hoped that he’d go home to a more accepting nation.

-he finally had the courage to let his hair grow, more than just a top knot.

-on the day of black sun, when Zuko betrayed ozai, ozai revealed his true feelings about his son. absolute transphobia, and the revelation that he had never considered Zuko a son, wasn’t surprising, but was sad nonetheless.

-you were so happy to see him again when he appeared in the place you first met, this time to join Aang.

-he admitted to you that he planned on taking back the fire nation, and when he did, he would enact laws that would ensure that other people like him would be accepted and taken care of.

-until then, you would accept and take care of him.

-🦌 Roe

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my-pal-noku · 3 years

Text

Zuko x Reader (Fluff) ((Gender Neutral))

Y/n woke up to the feeling of the bed shift beside them. They rubbed their eyes and turned, looking at the man with whom they shared the bed with every night. He was panting, curling into himself, trying to calm down from a nightmare. Y/n was already used to this, as it happened quite often. “Zuko?”, they said, “Are you alright?” The young man turned to them, breathing a little slower now. “I’m..sorry. I know I keep waking you up. I’m sorry. Please go back to bed.” he said, seemingly calmer now, letting his head fall back down. “Do you wanna talk about it? Or do you want a distraction?” They sat up, rubbing their boyfriend’s back. “It was just dad again. Distraction, please.” he said, leaning back into the touch, letting his muscles relax under his partner’s hand. “Can i draw your eyebrow back on?” He looked over at them, confused. “My..eyebrow?” They laughed a little, sleep still heavy in their voice. “Yeah, your eyebrow. The missing one? From your scar? Can I draw it?” Zuko rolled his eyes at them, fighting back a smile. “No. You absolutely may not.” They fell back on the bed, sighing loudly. “Why nooooooot??” Zuko allowed a small smile. “Because it’s my face. My skin. My missing eyebrow. My rules. No.” They didn’t listen, instead rolling out of bed, in a pair of their boxers and one of Zuko’s hoodies. They walked over to the dresser, grabbing their makeup bag, turning and walking back to their boyfriend. The love of their life. He may have some trauma, but they were working through it together. He was so thoughtful, always checking up on y/n’s mental health, making sure they were okay, and vice versa. They crawled back onto the bed, makeup in hand, and moved over to Zuko’s lap. “Well, I’m gonna do it anyways. May I sit here?” Zuko nodded, a soft smile on his face. After everything he’d been through, with his mom leaving, his father disowning him, his sister tormenting him for years, his continued failures and losses, and his breakup with Mai, he still managed to get back up and try again. He was determined to have a nice life. To fall in love, have kids even. Settle down. He could see that life with y/n. They stumbled into his life at just the right time. It took him three years of being their best friend before he worked up the courage to ask them out on a date. They’ve been together a year now, and he’s never been happier. He nodded, signalling y/n to sit. His hands rested on their hips, in their pretty little hip dips. He absolutely loved them, and helped y/n to love them too. His hands were cold against their exposed skin, despite being a firebender. They smiled softly at him, giving him a small kiss. “I love you. Now hold still bubba, okay?” they said, leaning forward with an eyebrow pencil to get to work. Zuko tried hard not to move. As much as he liked to give them a hard time, he really enjoyed when they did stuff like this. It felt intimate, moreso than sex in a way. When they were done, they pulled back, smiling. “Look!” they said, holding up a small hand mirror. Zuko laughed at the sight. “It’s very well done, but that’s the wrong color, bug!” They both started laughing, leaning into each other. He held them closer, inhaling their scent. Well, his scent really. Y/n had a habit of wearing his cologne. Zuko loved it, loved the way it made them feel like his. Loved how familiar it was. He kissed their cheek, moving down their face, jaw, throat, and chest. In between each kiss was a quiet “I love you”, making y/n’s face turn red and their breath quicken. Their hand wrapped themselves in zuko’s hair, not tugging or gripping, just holding. He stopped leaving kisses on them, instead laying his head on their shoulder. Y/n’s hands travelled gently through his hair, and both of their breathing slowed. Everything was calm and loving. There was no place either of them would rather be than in each other’s arms. They were soulmates, and nothing could break their bond. They were meant for each other. hello!! it’s been several years since i’ve written, and even longer since i’ve written fanfiction. i can never find any gender neutral fanfics, so i decided to try my hand at writing again. zuko is one of my comfort characters, so i hope this makes you as happy as it makes me. enjoy!

#zuko x you #zuko x reader #atla #atla fanfic #fanfic #fluff #atla fluff

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middleofnowhere92 · 3 years

Text

Sokkla for my ATLA Valentine’s day oneshots @disgruntled-welshgirl @wealthysimmer @sokkla-wack-a-pow

Stress & Misunderstandings

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Azula/Sokka (Avatar), Azula & Sokka (Avatar)

Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Post-Canon, Brief Mention of Mental Health Issues

Summary: Republic City ambassadors Sokka and Azula spend the day of Two Lovers' together.

Read on ao3 or below the cut

Sokka stood in the door of Azula’s office, “Ambassador Azula.” She didn’t look up from the stack of papers in front of her, “Can I help you, Peasant?” He let out a warm laugh and strolled further into her office, though he hadn’t been invited in.

His large brown fingers tapped on her desk, “It’s the feast day of Oma and Shu.” Her brows were pinched together as she studied the paper in front of her. She spun her quill in her fingers, “So?”

“So…you, me, couples massage.” She finally looked up at him, her brows still pinched together in annoyance. But then she really looked at him. He was taller than her, his muscles well defined and his brown skin was practically glowing in the evening sun. He tapped her desk again, “Come on, you’ve been a walking ball of stress the whole week and it’s been stressing me out.”

She had every right to be stressed. Her brother had trusted her to be the Fire Nation’s ambassador to Republic City and he had finally picked this week to check up on her. As if she was someone who needed to be checked in on. But Zuko’s visit had set Sokka on edge too. Zuko had put a lot of work into the new Republic City. Neither of them wanted to let him down.

It further complicated matters as Azula and Sokka decided to be fuck buddies. Well, at least, that’s what she thought they were. They had never really agreed to anything, but every few nights they went back to one of their apartments and fucked away the stress of trying to create something that had never been done before.

Except this last week, Azula had curled in on herself. She avoided Sokka at all costs. She couldn’t have Zuko know she was being anything but professional. She imagined it night after night in different forms- Zuko accusing her of not having changed, of manipulating Sokka. Azula couldn’t go back to the asylum. She was different, she had changed.

She had managed to stay away from Sokka the entire week and her brother seemed pleased at the work the council had accomplished. She waved goodbye to her brother earlier that afternoon on the docks, relieved that she was not on a boat back to the asylum.

She was brought back to the present by Sokka gently rubbing her hand, “Princess?” Her brows snapped back together in annoyance, “I’m not the Princess anymore.” Sokka’s bright blue eyes rolled, “Alright, former Firelord, we gotta go, we’re gonna be late.” Her golden eyes were still hard as she studied him. He walked around her desk and pulled her chair out, “Look, I don’t have a palanquin, but if I have to haul you over my shoulder-”

She shoved out of her chair and strode confidently out of her office. His large lazy strides kept pace with her. She flounced down the stairs, “We are going to a massage?” “Yep, Fire Nation and Watertribe ambassadors participating in Earth Kingdom traditions on an Earth Kingdom holiday.” She rolled her eyes, “It’s an asinine holiday.”

They pushed out of the doors and onto the busy street. He put his hands in his pockets, “Oh come on, be a good sport. We’re also going out to eat after.” She stopped walking and turned on him, “You made all these little schemes without conferring with me?” His eyes were soft as he looked down at her, “First of all, they are plans not schemes. Second of all, you’ve avoided me like a plague of pentapox all week. When was I supposed to tell you?”

She was going to have a permanent wrinkle in her eyebrows from glaring at him, “Pentapox isn’t a real disease, it’s something you conjured up dum-dum.” “Your Fire Nation army bought it, so they’re the real dum-dums.” Azula had changed, but she still didn’t like to be reminded of her failings. She venomously hissed at him, “4c.” He brushed it off and replied, “Oh, 7d.”

He started walking and she followed along, determined to get the last word. They had many arguments since the war ended, so they started short handing their debates with listed points. For example, 3f was “If you’re such a good strategist why did you fuck up on the day of the black sun?” and 42h was “If you’re such a good firebender, why is your fire the wrong color?”

Azula was pulled out of their argument as Sokka pushed open a shop door and bells tinkled to warn the owner of their arrival. It was a bit darker, with peaceful music low in the background and a few candles around. It smelled earthy, like they were in a hut in the swamp.

An Earth Kingdom gentleman bowed to them, “Ambassadors welcome, I am pleased that you are celebrating the feast day. Come right this way.” They followed him further into the shop into a smaller room with two cots. The man said, “I will leave you to undress to your comfort level. The masseuses will be in shortly.”

The door clicked shut behind him. Azula plopped onto a cot, fully clothed. Sokka started twisting off his tunic and snorted, “You’re supposed to undress.” Azula sniffed haughtily, “He said to my comfort level.” Sokka snapped his tunic off and kicked his boots into a corner of the room, “This will help you relax, I promise.” And no one had ever looked at Azula and promised that something good would happen to her, so she turned away from him and shrugged out of her tunic and pants.

They both got underneath the sheet of each cot. She laid on her stomach and rested her head on her folded forearms. She looked over at Sokka and he gave her a small smile. There was a sharp rap at the door and then two Earth Kingdom women walked in. Both of them cooed over Sokka and greeted him and it was very obviously not his first time here.

They asked happily, “What areas should we focus on today?” Sokka pointed at Azula, “Her shoulders and back. I just want my usual.” They nodded and then Azula felt one of the woman’s hands on her neck and Agni, did it hurt. She winced at the pain and heard the crackle of electricity in her finger tips.

She didn’t like being touched. She didn’t like not knowing what was going to happen next. How many people had laid on this cot? When was the last time these sheets had been washed?

Sokka’s voice sounded relaxed, “Doin’ okay over there, Princess?” “Fine,” she ground out, as the horrible wench prodded a particularly painful tissue in the side of her neck. The woman softly encouraged, “It may help you relax if you hold hands with your loved one.” Sokka reached in her direction, “Come on, loved one. ” “Do you ever shut up?” She snapped as she put her smaller hand in his.

He moved his hand up and held her wrist, avoiding the heat that was pumping in her finger tips. She took a deep breath to center herself. The massage was doing something with her chi. She took another deep breath. The candles in the room rose and fell with her breath.

She bit her lip as the woman’s hand dug into her shoulder blade. She kept conscious of her breathing and Sokka lazily rubbed her wrist. It put her slightly more at ease.

An hour later they strolled out of the shop. Azula had a bounce in her step, “I feel so relaxed.” Sokka looked down at her, “Oh, I’m glad one of us does. I could practically feel the lightning about to come out of you.” She rolled her eyes, “Oh don’t be so dramatic.” “Right, I’m the dramatic one,” he scoffed.

They walked a ways. Sokka quickly ducked into a shop and picked up a bag of food. As the sun finally set, he led them down to the docks. They sat quietly as Sokka unpacked the containers of food and handed her chopsticks. She spotted the container of mochi and immediately grabbed for it.

The lights of the ships illuminated their meal. Sokka broke the quiet by asking, “Did I ever tell you I went to the cave of two lovers? It was easily one of the most annoying days of my life.” She arched an eyebrow, “More annoying than today?” The grin he gave her was her favorite, lopsided and goofy, “Today doesn’t even come close.”

She cleared her throat, “Why didn’t you spend today with someone you actually like?” His face immediately morphed into confusion, “What?” “It’s the feast day of Oma and Shu- the day of two lovers. Why not spend it with someone you’re romantically interested in?” He face palmed and groaned, “For fuck’s sake.” He took a deep breath and asked, “Azula, what do you think has been going on with us the last few months?”

She answered, “You were nice to me and we became fuck buddies.” “Fuck buddies?” He asked incredulously. “Azula, I’ve brought you flowers, taken you out after council meetings.” He shook his head and started to stand up, “You know what, it’s fine. I’ll see you next week. Actually I might take a week or five off.”

She sprung up and had to sprint after him. She cursed him and his longer legs, “Sokka, wait.” She caught up to him and grabbed his hand, “Just wait. I- I didn’t realize.” He bit his lip and shook his head in disappointment. She gripped his hand tightly. She didn’t know what to say, but she had to try, “Sokka, please. I like you.”

The old Azula would have been disgusted as the tears threatened to spill, but she was no longer above begging.

He brushed a stray hair out of her face and rested his forehead against hers, “I like you too. There’s no one I’d rather spend today with.”

#tw: mental health issues #sokkla #mids atla rarepair oneshots #for the sokkla gang

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clumsydarknut · 4 years

Text

Having just rewatched The Legend of Korra and The Last Airbender in that order...

I just gotta say, the Gaang is so incredibly powerful that it's shocking to me that anyone argues Korra is the more powerful Avatar. Let me break this down:

Sokka

Though he isn't especially good at combat in the beginning of the series, his intellect repeatedly comes to the rescue at just age 16. It's Sokka who develops the lid for the Fire Nation War Balloons. He also thinks up the fake firebending they use in the Fire Sanctuary. His tactical knowledge is equally impressive - it's him who figures out the Solar Eclipse, how to bring down the drill threatening Ba Sing Se, and who discovers Jet isn't as righteous as he claims. Despite being the butt of all the jokes that episode, Sokka's instincts are, in fact, incredible. Then on top of that he trains in the way of the sword with one of the greatest blade masters in the history of the world, and progresses at an incredible speed. The man is an unstoppable force of intellect and dedication, even compared to many of the tacticians and leaders in both ATLA and LoK.

Katara

In only season one, before reaching the Northern Water Tribe and at only age 14, Katara teaches herself most of the basics of waterbending, including freezing things at will, improvised control, and basic forms from the scrolls she stole from the pirates. But that's just what we see on-screen. When they do reach the Northern Water Tribe, she not only unflinchingly challenges a master waterbender in at least his 60s, she holds her own against him, using advanced techniques we don't see used anywhere in LoK (even by Kya, her own daughter) that she is largely improvising on the spot. She then learns everything Master Paku has to offer her in the span of a few weeks and is deemed a master waterbender, at only 14. Katara, with no training, was able to take on Fire Nation climbing tanks single handedly, and with training was capable of halting the rain in at least a 40-foot radius. Katara bends more water at one time than any other waterbender in either ATLA or LoK with the exception of the Moon and Ocean spirits.

Toph

In addition to being blind, being the creator of metal bending, and being the first to learn the badgermole's seismic sense, Toph had raw power that few other benders ever knew. The most notable instance I can think of off the top of my head is when she, on her own, in the middle of a sea of sand where she could hardly see, halted the descent of Wan Shi Tong's Library, which was being dragged back to the Spirit World via his spirit powers. She single handedly stopped a hugely powerful spirit in his tracks with only brute force. This 12-year-old tiny blind girl had enough power to keep a massive stone library tethered to the physical realm. I'd argue this is on par with Avatar Kyoshi separating Kyoshi Island from the mainland in terms of raw strength.

Zuko

Though he is always shown to be a weaker firebender than other members of his family, it's important to realize he is still far more powerful than your average firebender. In the beginning of the series he's still learning the basics, but he hits a major turning point when he asks his uncle to teach him how to use lightning. He isn't successful with that, of course, but in the process of learning to redirect it, we see a change in him. He gets the hang of that technique more or less, but the real difference shows in how he absorbs his uncle's ideology on the balance of the world. From that moment on, Zuko's bending improves at rapid and even frightening pace. His bending becomes fluid, adaptive, and creative. Rather than the short bursts of flame we see in season one, where he's focusing on the muscle and not the breath, we see his abilities change to more full and sweeping attacks - where he focuses on the breath, and how it extends past his body.

In all honesty, though, it's his sword and stealth skills that are truly incredible. I'm fairly certain we can all agree that his work as The Blue Spirit far outdoes any other nonbending warrior (and most other bending warriors) in either series. It's actually when he combines his swordplay and his bending that he is the most proficient. Then, on the day of Sozin's Comet, he is able to fight with heightened power without losing control of the flames - I'd bet that some of that comes from his swordplay. Neither Ozai nor Azula show the same level of precision or restraint.

Aang

This kid is 12 and he's already an airbending master, complete with tattoos. People may complain that he relies far more on airbending than the other elements compared to Korra, but realize this - Aang's avatar experience began the day he was told. He didn't even attempt bending other elements until he met his teachers. In terms of time covered in the show, Aang had access to these other elements for a considerably shorter amount of time, and we didn't see much after the defeat of the Firelord. By my estimate, he likely was just as proficient in the other elements as Korra by the time he reached 16. I don't think using his most comfortable element more frequently while still learning the others (all of which he's been studying for less than 6 months) indicates a difference in power or skill - especially when you look at how much raw strength he has in all four.

Without the Avatar State, Aang was able to: destroy dozens of Fire Nation Naval Warships singlehandedly; create a whirlpool powerful enough to wrench a massive sea serpent into the side of a cliff; generate a shockwave of earth large enough to take down the entirety of the Earth Palace Royal Guard (different from the Dai Li); create a rolling wave of earth to ride while wrecking Dai Li agents; build a massive zoo in a matter of minutes; redirect lightning from a comet-enhanced Ozai; and, though not necessarily powerful, he invented the air scooter.

The most amazing thing, though, is that Aang could easily take any one of his companions in a fight. Without the Avatar State. And while still bearing the burdens of his entire culture being destroyed. It's shown that he defeats Zuko multiple times, and based on the little bit we see of him fighting with Toph, the makings for a quick victory in an actual fight are all there - though that's probably more due to him being able to fly, making him immune to her seismic sense. Against Katara in a water-only match, he'd probably lose. But give him his other elements, and we're in for a show. And again, his companions are nuts. Some of the strongest benders and smartest warriors in history. That should tell you something about just how amazing Aang is, and all without the Avatar State.

As a fan of epic battle scenes, despite how beautiful LoK's animation was, ATLA is always gonna take the cake.

#atla #avatar #aang #toph #zuko #katara #sokka #the gaang

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jaxsteamblog · 4 years

Text

Aurora

Click here to read the full fic on AO3

And it was over.

Zuko took time to help her move during the week and on Saturday, Sokka closed up the Ice Blossom and drove the big truck to move the pieces she couldn’t break down. In the evening, as she washed away their sore muscles, they all sat at Katara’s kitchen table and shared the various cartons of take out.

They ate by candlelight as the electric company had not switched over her account like she asked.

It was awkward for more than that, as they all knew what the next day was.

Katara’s summer was over, though there was still a week left before her classes began. All of them were about to head up to the North Pole for the Avatar’s debut and, even worse, the Fire Lord was coming along.

They slept over and in the morning, they went together to the airport. Despite the impending three day ordeal, their luggage was light. All of their fancy attire would already be there and waiting for them.

Flying to the North Pole was a lot easier for Katara, mostly due to the fact that they boarded a private plane. Iroh met them at the airport, coordinating with Zuko about when they would be meeting up with Azula and the Fire Lord.

The thought that she would soon be face to face with the man behind her mother’s death was, for the lack of a better word, odd. The degrees of separation between the Fire Lord’s order and Kya’s death passed through so many people, it was difficult for Katara to connect the two. Still, having to meet him made her feel queasy.

Everything was moving so fast, and Katara took her first breath of the day on the plane. It was as if the past few weeks had swept by her in a gust of wind. Her head spinning, Katara gripped her armrests and tried to focus on the small porthole window.

Hopefully the next five days would pass quickly and without incident.

Multiple cars were parked on the tarmac and their plane taxied slowly over to them. A stairway was wheeled over and as the door to the plane opened, the cars similarly opened. Most of them were guards, but Hakoda stepped out of one, smoothing down the sleeves of his parka.

“Hey, there they are!” Hakoda greeted as Sokka and Suki emerged from the plane. “Let me see my soon to be daughter-in-law!”

Katara followed after them and watched as Suki hugged her father. She hesitated before walking over and was distracted by a loud calling. Looking around, Katara finally peered upward, shielding her eyes from the sun still clinging to the horizon.

A Sky Bison banked and landed in a turn, facing the rest of them and stomping some of its tree trunk legs.

“Hi Katara!” Rohan’s voice bellowed from over the Sky Bison’s head. There was a flurry of orange as multiple people jumped down using their airbending.

Still breathing, Katara smiled. It didn’t seem likely that the time would pass slowly now.

It was dark when Zuko found her.

A dinner was being held for just the guests of honor, and drinks were being served. The Avatar was in conversation with Arnook and Tenzin, while the Fire Lord was standing with her father, Iroh, and Azula. It was too much and, with dinner still yet to be called, she had to escape.

It was the end of summer, so the North Pole was heading quickly into the dark season. The sun was only up for a few hours and lingered at the horizons, but evening fell quickly. So it wasn’t surprising that Katara stood in twinkling darkness before suppertime.

“I am not used to it being this dark but not feeling tired.” Zuko said as he walked up to her. Most of the building was made of wood and stone, but the balcony was pure ice. Zuko looked uneasy as he stepped on it, despite the grit the architect had added.

“It’s worse when the sun doesn’t go down at all. My bending is all out of wack then.” Katara replied.

“Sounds like Firebender perfection.”

“Don’t like the moon?”

“I prefer the ocean.”

Katara rolled her eyes and turned, crossing her arms on the railing just as Zuko stood next to her. He, like every other Firebender that came to the Poles, was dressed lightly. It was a mark of weakness if they needed arctic clothing, and while Katara understood that their inner fire kept them warm, it also greatly annoyed her.

It was as if they were saying they were better suited to living in her home than she was.

“So the Avatar seems nice?” Zuko offered. Katara glanced back briefly and nodded.

“She is. She definitely seems interested in being your friend.” She said.

“It surprised me too. I wasn’t prepared for her to get political so quickly.” Zuko replied. “But she wants Azula to teach her firebending.”

“You’re kidding!” Katara scoffed and Zuko smiled.

“It makes sense. If she cozies up to me, it gives me a leg-up on the global stage. But by having Azula be her teacher, she doesn’t risk ticking off my father too much.” He explained.

“About him…”

“What?”

“Does he always look like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like he has a rod jammed up his backside but instead of taking it out, he just gets offended that you haven’t impaled yourself?”

A laugh burst from Zuko and he quickly covered his mouth.

“That is definitely one way to put it.” He said.

“I can find other ways.” Katara offered and Zuko chuckled.

“I’d rather you not.” He said.

They stood in silence, looking out over the snowy courtyard. Everywhere she looked was snow and ice. With no humidity, the lampposts and streetlights didn’t glow, but stood like beacons of crisp white brilliance. The snow and ice itself glowed, coloring the light blue.

When it got truly dark, people would begin to carry around lanterns that were as old as their tribe.

“I hate being here.” Katara said suddenly and Zuko faced her.

“As in tonight or just in general?” He asked.

“In general.” She shook her head and tucked some of her hair behind an ear. “It reminds me of horrible things, yet I spend all of my time needing to go to the Oasis.”

“Then let’s go.” Zuko said.

“And be late to dinner?” Katara asked.

“Let’s cause a scandal. I don’t really want to eat with my father.” He replied. Smiling, Katara took his hand.

“We can be quick.” She said and pulled up a massive ice ramp from the snow on the ground.

Katara raced them both around the palace and to the high walls that guarded the Oasis. Out of respect, Zuko insisted they use the door and the guards let them pass. It was going to be hard to deny Katara entry when she harbored a link with one of the spirits being guarded.

Zuko seemed in awe of the place and Katara watched peacefully as he walked around. She went to the pond and sat down, not looking at the fish beside her but neither was she ignoring them.

After marvelling at the plantlife, Zuko walked to her and sat next to her.

“How do you feel?” He asked.

“Calm.” Katara said with a smile. She then grinned and leaned toward him.

“Want to see something weird?” She asked. Zuko only nodded and Katara sat back, putting her hand into the pond.

She couldn’t see it, but the look on Zuko’s face told her what was happening.

“Whenever my link to La is active, my hair turns black.” She said.

“But at the beach-” Zuko started, still staring at her hair.

“My hair was wet, you wouldn’t have noticed it.” She said and then turned to look at the fish. As they swam by, Katara put out her hand and let them pass under. Their scales felt like silk.

It was while she looked down that she saw the reflection of the sky.

“Zuko.” She said with a gasp and looked up, pointing as she did.

Green light spilled over the dark sky like trickles of water. The lines themselves also bled upward, illuminating a three dimensional space that made the vast sky a maw of darkness. The lights shimmered and Katara turned, lying on her back to watch them. Zuko joined her on the grass, his hands under his head.

“Now that is cool.” He said.

“Everything is so beautiful here, I wish I was happier.” Katara murmured.

“Are you not happy?” Zuko asked.

“I am, right now.” She said and turned her face. She was looking at Zuko’s scar and felt impelled to reach out. His eye fluttered, but he didn’t move away and Katara lightly touched the burn. At her touch, he closed his eyes and Katara rolled onto her side.

“I think here, of all places, I could heal you.” She whispered.

Zuko smiled.

“No. Right now, I’m happy too.” He said.

Katara took back her hand and leaned over as he opened his eyes. Zuko reached up with one hand, putting on the back of her head as she dipped in to kiss him. As her lips met his, she turned herself, and he sat up, holding her. They curled around each other as Katara ended up with her arms around his neck; his wrapped around her middle.

As they broke apart, Katara felt her arms pull against him and he pushed her up.

“We should probably go to dinner.” He murmured.

Sighing, Katara rested her forehead against his.

“Fine.” She put down an arm and pushed herself up, allowing Zuko to stand.

“May I escort you, your Highness?” He asked, offering his arm.

Katara only stuck out her tongue before linking her arm with his.

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#zutara #fanfiction #jax writes #modern au #zutara month 2020 #the fic that prompts built

46 notes · View notes

nebulous-library · 4 years

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Like a Moth to the Flame

Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender Pairing: Zuko x Reader Genre/Content: Not Safe For Worms - Stress relief sex, fuckbuddies, temperature play/inappropriate use of firebending, vaginal fingering, vaginal sex, no pronouns really but Reader-chan has AFAB equipment Word count: 4610

Summary: You are with the Gaang at Zuko's family's abandoned vacation home on Ember Island. Sozin's Comet is due to return in three days' time. The entire squad is stressed, especially Zuko. You approach him that evening in an attempt to help him alleviate some of his tension.

A/N: So uh, I’ve been in kind of a slump as of late, and the pandemic shit didn’t help, even though it granted me all this free time. Thank you ATLA for rekindling my old flame for Zuzu though uwu it’s a 15 year long crush, and hooo boy I’m glad I did this. I’ll be interested to see what y’all think ;;; I hope you enjoy. Read on my AO3, or continue reading below.

Zuko had stormed off after dinner, and you were worried about him. You knew his fuse was short to begin with, but lately it seemed that being on a time crunch had him, and everyone, a little on edge. With the revelation of Zuko’s father’s plan for the day of the comet’s return, it was more crucial than ever that Aang would be prepared to take out the Fire Lord. There had been heated discussion that night, which ended with the suggestion that everyone just needed a good night’s rest and you’d all circle back in the morning with clearer, more level heads.

You found Zuko pacing in his room, mumbling to himself.

“Someone seems tense,” you said, leaning against the doorframe of Zuko’s room.

He exhaled and dropped his shoulders as he turned to you.

“I – yeah,” he trailed off, as if he had more to say. And you knew that he did. You could see it in his eyes. He had a million things swirling in his mind, and you didn’t expect him to be able to fully articulate them, but that didn’t mean you wouldn’t still do everything in your power to be there for him.

“Talk to me, Zuko,” you probed, taking a small step forward and keeping a hand on the door. When he sat down on the bed, beckoning you through the exhaustion in his eyes, you took the hint and shut the door behind you.

Taking your seat beside him, you splayed your palm on his back. You felt him let out the breath he’d been holding when you began rubbing circular patterns against the tensed muscles.

“I don’t know, it’s just…a lot of things.”

“Zuko, how do you eat an armadillo bear?”

“What?”

“How do you eat an armadillo bear?” you repeated.

“What does that have to do with anything?” he furrowed his brow.

“One bite at a time.” You poked him between the eyebrows, gently telling him to relax his scowl. “You can’t eat it all in one go. You have to take it piece by piece. Start with a leg, move on to the next. Break each thing down bit by bit, rather than taking it head-on.”

“And you’re sure you’ve never met Uncle?”

You nudged him playfully. “Come on now, tell me one of the things that’s on your mind, and we’ll go from there.”

“Well…” he began, taking a deep breath. “I guess that’s one thing right there. I feel so horrible for what I did to my uncle back in Ba Sing Se. I don’t know where he is, or if I’ll ever see him again. Or…if I’ll ever be able to tell him how sorry I am.”

“Zuko, wherever he is, I have no doubt in my mind that he still loves you, and so much more than you can probably imagine he does right now.”

“How can you say that so certainly?” he asked, resting his head on your shoulder.

You carded your fingers through his messy, dark locks and chuckled. “From what you’ve told me about him, and from what Toph’s said on her experience with him? He doesn’t seem like the type to hold a grudge. I think he cares about you very dearly, and that there isn’t anything that could hurt that bond.”

“Maybe you’re right,” he sighed. “I still hope I get the chance to apologize to him.”

“I hope so, too.” You could feel his breathing becoming steadier as he leaned into your gentle caressing more. “Okay, next leg. What else is on your mind?”

“The comet. My father. Aang. Impending doom?”

“That sounds like more than one bite at a time,” you said. But you understood. In a matter of three short days, Sozin’s Comet would return, and Zuko’s father, Fire Lord Ozai, would set out to burn the world to the ground and begin it anew, with himself as the self-proclaimed Phoenix King. And it was Aang’s destiny as the avatar to stop him. But Aang hadn’t seemed so certain about dealing the finishing blow when it had been discussed earlier. You were sure he’d find a way when it came down to the wire, but Aang’s initial apprehension was a bit…concerning, to say the least.

Right now, the world just felt like it was moving so fast and yet so slow all at once. All any of you could do in the meantime was brace yourselves for what was to come.

“Are you scared?” Zuko asked, sitting up and meeting your gaze.

“Yes.” You couldn’t lie to him. “I mean, I think we all are. And I don’t think any of us feel it out of doubt. I think this is just such a monumental ordeal that it kind of feels like it’s…looming over us?”

He nodded.

“Yeah, I think that’s how it’s hitting me too. Just a lot of what ifs. I mean, none of us have ever faced anything like this before.”

He looked like he was going to start panicking again, so you picked up the back rubs again. He let out a soft groan as you dug your thumb into a knotted muscle.

“I just...I don’t know how he plans to take down the father lord and not take his life.”

You paused.

“You mean the fire lord.”

“...That’s what I said.”.

You quirked a brow at him but shook it off. Better to let him keep his dignity.

“All we can do is trust in Aang. He’ll do the right thing.”

“Trust in Aang…” he repeated. “You’re right. It’s ultimately his fight, and we’re here to support him however he needs us.”

You smiled. “That’s the spirit.”

“…I guess that means all we can do for now is get some rest, huh?”

You’d never seen someone look exhausted by the idea of trying to sleep.

“Doesn’t that mean you have to relax enough to fall asleep first?” you teased, now digging your thumb into a knot below his shoulder blade. He groaned at the pressure, and you eased up a bit, attempting to work out the muscle in gentler circles.

“Yeah, good point.”

“I think I saw a kettle and some tea leaves downstairs. Will a warm beverage help?”

You shifted yourself so you could lean against his shoulder.

He shook his head.

“Not right now, but…thank you.”

Your fingers now trailed up and down his arms, tracing the divots and peaks of his leanly toned biceps. He was always so warm (no surprises there), but in a way that drew you in. Rather than a suffocating heat, he was cozy and safe – your shelter and solace these last couple of months.

It wasn’t as though you hadn’t wondered before, whether or not this actually meant anything — whatever this was. You’d been one of the few to welcome him into the group. You yourself had been fairly new and not nearly as chummy and bonded as the rest of “Team Avatar” was. But on his first few nights with the others, you couldn’t help noticing him keeping his distance. You hadn’t known — and still didn’t know — the full details of the history he had with them that led to such tension, but when you’d seen him standing away from the others as they cooked over the open fire, laughing and having a good time, it was you who’d initiated the breaking of his barriers. From the moment your fingers had first swept across his arm and you’d said the food was ready and asked if he was hungry, the two of you had clicked.

Gradually, you’d begun spending more of your limited free time together. When Zuko wasn’t training with Aang one on one, or on some kind of life-changing field trip with the others, he was by your side. He’d spar with you, despite your lack of bending ability. He insisted you didn’t need bending to fight, or to let your energy flow like a bender’s — all you needed was to be in tune with your body. He’d demonstrate the motions with his double broadswords before slipping them into your hands and guiding your movements. You remembered how warm you’d been that first time you felt his body in such close proximity to yours, how your breath had shaken as he told you that the key was to think of them as extensions of your own body. They were not two individual weapons, after all, but two halves of a whole. It was during that training session that you’d shared your first kiss together in secrecy.

After that, you’d found yourselves wandering off together more and more. You’d explore the Air Temple you’d stayed at briefly, or he’d show you around here on Ember Island. He’d open up to you, something you got the feeling he didn’t do often. Zuko would tell you about his uncle, who was more like a father to him than Ozai, or about his mother and how he wondered what happened to her, or about his sister and her insane friends.

He’d spoken quite fondly of one of them, though, a girl named Mai. He mentioned that they’d been briefly involved, but things had ended before he’d left the Fire Nation to search for Aang to teach him firebending. He insisted that things were better this way, and that while things with Mai might have seemed too good to be true for bits and pieces of their relationship, there were moments when he felt frustrated, like neither of them truly understood each other. He said it was for the best.

Part of your heart didn’t believe him. But it didn’t stop you from developing some kind of fondness for him.

And then the physical nature of your relationship had come into play. It was, admittedly, a great way for the both of you to get some weight off your shoulders. But it did leave you in this complicated gray area.

You shook yourself from your thoughts, trying not to get caught up in such things. What mattered was here and now, and that you had each other’s company tonight.

“We could always…help each other relax? Like last time…?” you suggested, cocking a brow at him.

A mischievous smile crept across his face. Gently he reached for you, cupping your jaw and brushing his thumb across your cheek. “Like last time,” Zuko said lowly as he closed the distance between your lips and his. He lingered before moving slowly, teasingly nipping at your bottom lip. You sighed, your hands finding purchase on his bare chest. He pulled back, but pressed his forehead against yours. “And like the time before that?” he smirked.

“And even the time before that,” you said, your fingers creeping their way up his neck and tangling in his hair with a firm grip.

“Sounds like we’re on the same page, then.”

He pecked your lips once more before scooting back on the mattress, allowing you room to straddle him. One arm against your back, he cradled your body close to his, while the other wandered to the neckline of the gauzy nightgown you’d found in one of the closets. His fingers danced across the lightweight material, but you saw him hesitate.

Wordlessly, you smiled, dragging the hem down with your delicate fingers, revealing to him the remnants of “last time”. Marks that were deep violet and indigo just a few days ago littered your décolletage, now beginning to fade in softer hues. Zuko looked in awe, marveling at his own handiwork. As he grazed your skin with featherlight strokes, he wondered how it was that either of you had managed to keep your escapades secret from the others. He tried to be careful, but getting carried away seemed to be in his nature. How your little rendezvous had not been made known to the more perceptive of the group, especially Katara, was beyond him. He recalled an instance a few weeks ago when everyone was down at the beach, and Katara had asked how you’d gotten such strange bruises on your back. In your panic, you’d told her that you’d been training on your own and that one of your moves had backfired, sending you flying back against a tree which had a cluster of notches that must have bruised you. Neither of you were sure she’d bought it, but it didn’t matter now. All that mattered was that you were there now, in his arms.

His gaze was fixed on one particular mark that sat just at your collarbone. You noticed the flash in his amber eyes before he dove in, latching himself to the fading bruise and renewing its color. You sighed, pressing yourself into him more as he suckled on your sensitive skin, bringing new life to older bitemarks, as well as adding new ones. He gained courage as he worked his way down, untying the sash on your robe and exposing more of your chest. He looked at you with a foxlike stare and a smirk that said it all – he needn’t say a word for you to know that he was silently teasing your for your lack of undergarments. Your cheeks grew warm and you tried to look away, when he caught your chin and smothered your lips in a kiss deeper than before.

Carefully, Zuko slid the garment off your shoulders, leaving you completely bare in his lap. You could feel his cock beginning to harden beneath you, and your own wetness coating the front of his trousers. He continued to kiss you, each movement bolder and more confident than the last. His hands explored your body, each tender caress lingering as if he were memorizing you. His hands stilled on your hips and he pulled back from your kiss.

There you sat in all your glory, under his scrutiny. He exhaled, staring at you with a hungry look in his eyes. You found yourself flustered mildly flustered, fighting the urge to cross your arms and cover yourself, when finally he spoke.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?”

Sap, you thought.

It was then that he cupped the undersides of your tits, giving a teasing squeeze before he once again began trailing kisses down your chest, leaving not an inch untouched. He took one nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and giving a gentle tug with his teeth, making e you squeal. There was no mistaking his wolfish grin as he glanced up at you. He repeated the motion, this time executing it with a firm pinch to your other nipple that had you whining and keening toward him.

The more he toyed with you this way, the more you became aware of the way your body was beginning to ache for him. You ground your hips against him in search of any amount of friction that might bring you some relief. He moaned against your chest, and you felt its reverberation sending shivers down your spine. You continued rocking your hips into him. You could tell he was starting to feel uncomfortable still restricted by his pants, especially with the way he now had a firm grip on your thighs and guided your movements.

“Zuko…” you whined, hoping he would take the hint and touch you already.

In a swift motion, he flipped you onto your back on the middle of the bed. Your chest heaved with anticipation as you watched him undress. He hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his trousers, and slid them down practically in slow motion. You bit your lip as you admired his neat happy trail and defined hip bones, all leading up to the moment his cock sprang free of its confines. It curved ever so slightly toward his stomach, thicker in the middle with a perfect pink head just peeking out from beneath his foreskin. The thought of how well he fit inside you, the memory of how blissfully he could reach all the right spots had you reeling already.

He’d never be bold enough to admit it, but he loved the dazed look on your face when you ogled him like this. How you looked at him like you wanted nothing in this world more. Your eyes were fixed on him as he drew nearer. He tilted your chin up to meet his gaze as he climbed above you, caging you in his smoldering embrace. He managed to take both your wrists in his other hand, pinning them above your head as he planted his lips on yours and stole your breath. His kisses were never too rough, but always sure and steady. You let him take the lead, following his movements. You were writing beneath him before his tongue had even slipped its way into your mouth, intertwining with yours. He shifted his weight onto his knee, pressing you back down onto the bed.

Zuko’s fingers trailed down your body, brushing just over your hips. He gave your thighs a gentle squeeze, pulling your leg to the side, and leaving your glistening core exposed before him.

He pulled away from your lip lock with a sloppy smack and brought his middle and index finger to your lips.

“Open,” he ordered, and as if by reflex, you did. You took care to coat them thoroughly in your saliva as he pressed them deeper into your mouth. He pressed them down against your tongue, sliding back further until you gagged on them.

A look of fear crossed his face as he pulled back immediately and released his hold on your wrists.

“Sorry! Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” he asked with genuine concern.

“Zuko, it’s fine. I’m fine,” you reassured him, grabbing his wrist, guiding him back toward your mouth. “It’s just a reflex, and actually –,” you curled your tongue around his digits once more and giving them a suck for good measure, you released them from your mouth with a pop. His face was flushed and he swallowed hard. “– it felt great.”

“I-if you’re sure,” he stammered. “So, we should…keep going, then?”

You cupped his cheek, thumbing over the soft flesh. You’d never get over how gentle he was. It was charming.

“Absolutely.”

He resumed his position above you, and you encouraged him with a leg hooked over his hip as he finally began to stroke your folds. His fingers would just barely catch at your entrance and you would whine for him, digging your nails into his upper arms and canting your hips toward him, when finally he quit his teasing and took the plunge with a squelch. He started slowly, dragging his digits out only to swiftly dive back in, building to a steady, rhythmic speed. You gasped as he started scissoring his fingers inside you, stretching your walls in preparation for what was to come.

He peppered kissed along your jaw as he worked, stroking along your walls in search of your sweet spot. You let out a moan when he found it, and he continued to focus his attention right there, curling his fingers and rolling his thumb in smooth circular patterns over your clit. The room was filled with wet noises and moans you tried to stifle by biting the back of your hand. But as you drew closer to your release, it was no use.

You writhed beneath him as your orgasm washed over you, and Zuko kept massaging that spongy spot as you rode out every wave on his fingers.

Your chest heaved as you made the attempt to catch your breath.

“Are you okay? Did that feel good? Do you need – “

You shut him up by yanking him down for a kiss.

“You ask way too many questions,” you said through heavy breaths as you released your hold on him, shakily pushing yourself upright. He knelt before you with that stupid, cute, doe-eyed look on his face. It was an amusing sight, given that he’d just made a mess of you. You took his face in your hands and kissed him. “Now it’s my turn.”

You lightly pushed back on his chest and he leaned against the headboard, relinquishing the control you’d granted him before.

“Good boy, Zuko,” you purred as you crawled into his lap. You straddled his thighs, sitting high so he was face to face with your chest. You tilted his face up toward you, and you stared at him with a half-lidded gaze, chewing on your lower lip. He swallowed hard and reached for your waist, when you swatted his hands away. “Ah, ah. No touching until I say so, got it?”

He nodded.

Sloppily, you licked your palm and took his dick in your hand, coating him evenly in the mixture of your saliva and his precum. You pumped slowly, taking care to pull back his foreskin on the downstroke, and giving it a good squeeze on the upstroke. You could tell he was fighting the urge to buck into your hand, but he behaved and stayed still for you. As you picked up the pace, the more he came unraveled, though. His head lolled back and you could see the strain in his neck with each bob of his Adam’s apple.

“P-please…” he murmured, gripping the sheets hard.

“Hm? What was that,? Come on, use your big boy words. Tell me what you want,” you said.

“Please, I need you to – shit – I need you to ride me!” he cried out, hopefully not loud enough for any of the others to hear.

You smiled sweetly at him, positioning yourself above him. You smacked his cock against your still-slick lips, teasing him one last time for good measure. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

You sank down on him slowly, your thighs still slightly shaky from before. Your sensitive walls fluttered at the intrusion, as he filled the space previously occupied by his fingers. When he was fully seated inside you, you put your arms around him to steady yourself and firmly gripped the hair at the base of his head.

“You can use your hands now, Zuko,” you told him, and immediately his hands came around to grope your ass. He urged you forward and you rolled your hips, eliciting a moan from him. He did it again, this time guiding you a little more firmly in your movements, but still not quite rough enough for your liking.

You recalled a time before when he’d gotten a little carried away and left a scorch mark or two on your thighs, something for which he’d apologized profusely and probably was the root of his cautious nature now, but stars, how you wished he’d do it again.

“Harder than that,” you growled, placing one of your hands over his and showing him how you wanted him to dig his fingers into you. He complied, or so he thought, until you again demanded, “Harder!”

This time he gripped tighter and timed a powerful thrust with your movements, that did, admittedly, feel incredible. You went along with it, hoping that with the next thrust would be accompanied by a smack to your ass, or something, but he never delivered.

“Damn it, Zuko, burn me again!” you cried out as you twisted your fingers in his shaggy hair.

“What?” he asked as if he couldn’t believe his ears.

“You heard me. I want you to leave marks on me again. Please, Zuko,” you begged him, rutting needily.

“I-if you’re sure this is what you want.”

He warmed his hands slowly, and you savored the feeling for a moment before ordering him to spank you. He was timid, but with your sure and assertive stare, he swallowed his inhibitions and struck you on the rear, the smack descending into a quiet sizzle.

You cried out in pain and pleasure, begging for him to do it again. And so he did, this time with more gusto. He was getting the hang of it, finally giving you what you needed.

As his confidence grew, slowly but surely, he took over the majority of the work. His swing would come down, and he’d grip you tight and guide your rocking hips as he continued to buck up into you. By now, your ass was flushed a bright, sore pink and your thighs felt like they’d give out under you. You clung to Zuko, burying your face in the crook of his neck and biting down to stifle your moans. You attempted to snake one of your hands down to massage your aching clit, but Zuko caught you by the wrist and mimicked your earlier words.

“Ah, ah, ah. No touching,” he said with a smirk. He pressed against your back, so your chest was flush against his as he continued to use your body to chase his release. He was a merciful lover, however, and now more comfortable with this new style of firebending, he reached between your bodies and drew warm circles around your clit. The heat was magnificent – not enough to burn, but just enough to amplify the sensation. The combination of that and his dick reaching all the right places set something off in you. Soon enough you felt that tightness coiling in your belly again, and you tried to control your muscles that were beginning to spasm.

“Zuko,” you whined, forehead pressed against him and tendrils of your hair sticking to your face. You couldn’t hold out any longer, and neither could he.

“Do it,” he ordered you. “Come for me, baby.”

Your whole body shook as another orgasm tore through you, this one more intense than the last. Your ears rang and your vision went splotchy. All you could do was hang onto him as the walls of your cunt spasmed around him and waves of pleasure wracked your body. He clutched you tightly as he drilled into you with fury, giving your ass one more fiery smack before his hands stilled, fingers digging into your tender flesh. His cock pulsed, spilling rope after rope of his seed into you.

The pair of you sat there for a few moments, too dizzy to move, when finally Zuko broke the silence.

“Thank you,” he said, still catching his breath as he brushed your hair back behind your ear and pecked you on the cheek.

A part of you knew that he meant it in more than the one way. You’d been a comfort to him in the short amount of time you’d spent together, and though the time was short, neither of you could deny the connection you had. You contemplated expressing this to him, but you supposed it could wait until after the world was saved.

You wobbled as you peeled yourself off of him, your breath catching as he pulled out of your sensitive cunt, and you collapsed beside him. He smiled at you softly, lithely climbing over you, donning the robe you’d shed earlier, and whispering that he’d be right back.

He returned with a damp cloth and a cup of water for you. He peeled your thighs apart one last time for the night and saw to it that you were properly cleaned up and hydrated before he climbed into bed beside you, gathering you in his arms.

“Feeling better?” you asked, nuzzling into him as he snuffed out the lantern across the room with a flick of his wrist. The room instead filled with pale moonlight, delicately illuminating his features.

“Mhm. And you?”

You closed your eyes, buried your face against him, taking a deep whiff of his spicy, woodsy aroma and smiling to yourself.

“Everything is always better with you around.”

#atla #zuko x reader #prince zuko #prince zuko x reader #avatar the last airbender

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 3 years

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From Chin To Yon Rah (Part 23)

When Hao-Bai had mentioned that they were nearing the end of the grassland, Azula hadn’t thought that, that would mean entering a forest that seemed just as endless. It is such a stark contrast to the still quietness of the plains. Here in the forest there is movement all around and a noise for every nook and cranny.

It leaves her with a potent sense of yearning. Yearning for another afternoon spent on the bridge with Hajime chucking chunks of bread at turtle-ducks. He always had to remind her to either take smaller chunks or throw them less forcefully. “They are light and I have to make sure that I throw them hard enough to reach the turtle-ducks.”

Hajime would roll his eyes and mutter, “you and Atsu are horrible.”

There is no pond in this forest as far as she can see and there are no turtle-ducks. There are, however, scampering toad-squirrels and lop-eared rabbits. A lively abundance of them. It is rather comforting.

“How much better are you feeling?” Hao-Bai asks.

“Significantly. Why?”

“Min-Ta and I could use some help with something if you are able.”

Azula nods, whatever it is, she supposes it is the least she can do given that they have saved, cared for, cleaned, and fed her. “What do you need help with?”

Hao-Bai brings the ostrich-horses to a halt, slips off of it, and retrieves an axe. He gestures to the second, empty cart. “I’m a lumberjack by trade, an extra hand would be very helpful, if you’re able.”

She takes the axe. “I used to harvest turnips…”

He offers her a gentle smile. “Long as you’ve got some arm strength and pick the right trees, it isn’t so hard.”

Azula shifts the axe in her arm and gives the forest a skeptical scan. None of the tree trunks looks particularly small. This isn’t exactly a beginner friendly forest. “This is going to take hours?”

Hao-Bai chuckles. “My wife and I can down trees in fourteen to fifteen minutes.”

“You’ve been doing this for a long time.” Azula counters. “I did gardening.” Gardening and firebending better than the best of people. Once upon a time she could scale buildings and take down foes twice her height and weight. But, Agni, it has been so long and that vast plain has drained her so thoroughly. She isn’t sure that she still has her shine. She hasn’t exactly retained her toned build.

“You said that your name is Azula, right?” Min-Ta asks.

She nods.

“As in Princess Azula?”

She nods again.

“Then I’m sure that you can handle this.” The woman smiles. “It’s all about knowing when blunt force is required and when it’s time to start sawing.”

Again she tests the weight of the axe in her hands.

“Follow me, I can show you.” Hao-Bai motions. The man has her standing before a massive pine. “A lot of people seem to think that it’s all about the axe. Really the axes is used to give you a start. Give it a good hit, a sixty degree angle ought to do it.” He pauses, presumably to make sure that she is still following. She confirms with a nod and he returns it before continuing. “You are going to make a decent notch at the base of the tree, put the axe down, and start sawing. Your tree will fall in the direction of the notch.” He pauses once more. “I think it’s common sense, but, in case they don’t teach that in your nobility schools, after you make that last strike you run in the opposite direction of the fall. But don’t go straight back, in case the tree decides to fall the wrong way. You go off to the side a bit.”

He creates his first notch, “I anticipate the tree falling that way.” He points. “So when I make the final chop, I wanna be right here.” He comes to stand several feet back and well off to the side.

“I could have figured that out.”

He shakes, “had a young man who couldn’t, I don’t take that chance now.” He holds up the saw and brings it to the trunk. “Watch me first, then you and my wife can get to work.”

She finds herself a spot to sit and observes the man as he sinks his axe into the tree one final time. With a notch created to his liking. He takes to it with a saw. Within minutes there comes a great crack. And with the great crack comes a great toppling. Somehow, she finds it sad to watch such a proud and majestic thing drop. To see it’s vivid green branches meet the ground. She wonder if this is what it was like to watch her fall.

She gets to her feet and makes her way over to the smallest tree that she can find. Mimicking the arc of Hao-Bai’s arms to the best of her ability. And when axe meets three, the force of it vibrates down her arm and to her chest.

Her strike doesn’t deal as much damage as Hao-Bai’s had. She recalls that she has never really been one for powerful hits and jabs but rather subtle and effective ones. She is quick and nimble, she isn’t a tank like Hao-Bai.

Her work isn’t so quick and it takes several blows to create a worthy knotch. She is breathless by the time she begins to make use of the saw. And she breathes heavier still by the time she cuts it all the way through. When it falls it kicks up a satisfying aroma of damp bark and sap.

Every now and then Hao-Bai pauses his work to steal a glance at her. The burly man doesn’t seem to mind that she is only able to fell one tree for every three that he and his wife take down.

Azula find that even when she is through with her work she can hear it in her ears, a steady and rhythmic knocking. Her hands are well and calloused again and her muscles throb. She has to finish one last tree. Just one more.

By the time, Hao-Bai is satisfied with their haul, the crickets are waking and the night chill has begun to set in. She is covered in sap and smells lightly of sweat and heavily of resin. She hasn’t felt so sore since the last time she’d run through the hardest of her katas.

She huffs and has herself a seat on one of their newly chopped stumps. She fans herself with her hand.

“Here you go.” Min-Ta holds out a steaming bowl.

Azula takes it and cradles it in her palms, savoring the way it warms them.

“Thank you for your help. Means a lot.” Hao-Bai pats her shoulder. “Ya did good work.”

Azula nods. She stirs her soup and brings the spoon to her lips. She likes to think that she catches onto things quickly. She furrows her brows into her soup, strangely quickly. She wonders if she is better suited to be a peasant than a princess. Wonders if she had gotten it wrong all along, that she hadn’t been born with the divine right to rule, but rather the divine right to do literally anything but.

“I always heard that the Fire Nation did things differently,” Min-Ta remarks as though reading her mind, “I didn’t realize that royalty was trained to labor.”

“I’m self taught.” Azula shrugs. Though the labors of war must count as well.

“All the better.” Hao-Bai chuckles.

Azula hands her empty bowl back and wanders her way over to the caravan. The lumberjack begins tuning his guitar as she retires for the night. She unbinds her hair and curls herself up.

“You really wore her out.” Ta-Min laughs.

“The woman is a hard worker.” He notes.

She supposes that it is kind to fall asleep to compliments. It has been a while since she has. She falls asleep to a now familiar singing and the delicate strings of a pipa. Atsu and Caihong would have loved the melody. That day she learns to appreciate a day of hard work.

.oOo.

TyLee hands her a glass of water, “how are your crops?”

Azula gestures to them and frowns, “the strawberries have begun growing in the turnip garden.”

She isn’t sure how that could have come to be until she catches Sokka grimacing. “I might have mixed up the seeds, maybe.”

“How?” Azula grumbles. “Turnip seeds are a blackish red and strawberry seeds are more of a yellow-brown.”

“Does it really matter, they’re growing just fine?”

“They are supposed to be growing just fine in neat and separate crops.” Azula folds her arms over her chest.

“Or, they can grow happily together.” He wraps his arms around her torso and rests his chin on her shoulder.

“You can get as cuddly as you want, Sokka, that won’t change that you are a dreadful gardener.”

He kisses her neck. “I don’t need to be a good gardener as long as I am a helpful and supportive one.”

TyLee clasps her hands together, “you guys are so-o cute.” She turns to Mai, “they’re cute, aren’t they.”

Mai shrugs. “Sure.”

Azula wiggles her way out of his grasp, picks up a spade, and closes Sokka’s finger around it. “You are going to help me dig these up and plant them where they belong, with the other strawberries.”

“Is that even possible?”

Azula nods, “I’ve seen Seukhyun do it. As long as you don’t damage the roots…” She pauses. “Actually, I’ll worry about the strawberries, you dig me a few holes to put them in. They should be spaced approximately eighteen inches apart for ample growing room. Use a measuring tape if you must.”

He rubs the back of his head. “Geeze, you’re taking this gardening thing seriously.”

“Sokka, do you know what you get when you don’t take this gardening thing seriously?”

“What?”

“A dead strawberry field and complaining townsfolk.”

“There are no complaining townsfolk in this scenario.”

“I’m the complaining townsfolk, Sokka.”

The man sighs and she gives him a faux-innocent smile, a bat of her lashes. “Alright fine, eighteen inches apart.” He hooks her around the middle again and gives her a gentle shake before taking the shovel. “You better appreciate my hard work.”

“Do a good job and I will.” Azula shrugs.

For a good while she simply observes his work. Only when she is satisfied that he is doing it to her liking does she begin carefully digging the strawberries out of their current places. “We’re going to need more turnip seeds to fill in the spaces left by the strawberries.”

“Then let’s go into town and buy some seeds.”

“We’ll finish here first.” Azula carefully plucks the first strawberry from its place and tucks it into the hole that Sokka has just dug. It is tedious and methodical work, but eventually she has the transplant done.

She stands up and dusts the dirt off of her knees and palms. Regardless she is going to need a bath. “Ready?”

“You’re not going to get all washed up first?”

Azula shrugs. “We’re going to the marketplace, not a prestigious theater.” She brushes a sweep of hair out of her face. The look on Sokka’s tells her that he is still unused to some of her more lax mannerisms. Though she is certain that it relaxes him.

.oOo.

Somehow he still has to get used to seeing her like this. Free and relatively untroubled. Confused and still hurt but able to smile. In one hand she holds her small burlap pouch of seeds, in the other is his hand.

Her touch is warm and somewhat calloused but soft all the same. Her personality seems to have a very similar texture.

He think that she enjoys being out and about, wandering the streets of Caldera city with a breeze in her hair. Especially now that she has grown accustomed to people gawking every now and again. He is under the impression that they like to stare simply because she has only just begun making more intimate public appearances. It might also be that she is holding hands with a waterbender with a light dusting of dirt on her robes.

He listens to her has she explains her exact vision for their garden and how they should approach it, nodding and commending her perfect attention to detail. It is nice to see her being so enthusiastic about something.

Truth be told, he rather hated gardening. He never had to worry about it in the tribes and it always came hard to him. But he finds that he doesn’t have to pretend to be interested, her own delight is rather easy to cling to.

“We could also try planting bananas.” She muses. Though he isn’t sure if she is actually speaking to him anymore or if she is talking to herself. “But I heard that those are more challenging and I would like to--” She stops short and brings her walk to a halt.

“Why are we--”

She seems to study the crowd very intensely and his stomach squirms. Until now it has slipped his mind that there might still be people who harbor resentment towards her. But when she locks eyes, it is with a child. A small girl with ruddy cheeks, long hair, and vivid green, Earth Kingdom eyes.

“Rikka!” She shouts.

Azula’s face pales. Her hand goes stiff in his.

#Avatar The Last Airbender #Azula #Sokka #Sokkla

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justcallmehermione · 4 years

Text

Sad chapter update: Please don’t hate me

Title: Small Bump Rating: M for some delicious smut Pairings: Linzin, Tokka (implied), and Kataang

FF.net

AO3

***Just a reminder that this fic is based off the song "Small Bump" by Ed Sheeran, and if you listen closely to the last couple lines, you'll know where this chapter is headed. Please be advised that this chapter contains a birth scene, including some details people may not like to talk/think about. There is also some violence in this chapter. Viewer discretion is advised.

Chapter 13: When Reality Slaps You in the Face

The couple arrived in the Fire Nation after an easy journey on Oogi’s back. When they arrived, Izumi was looking very pregnant and confided in them that she was ready for her pregnancy to be over.

“I can barely walk. I feel like I go to the bathroom every 5 minutes. And my back is constantly sore,” she complained one evening. “I'm just ready to meet this little guy or girl. I think it has been long enough at this point.” Tenzin and Lin laughed, but still tried to console her.

“I'm sure the baby will be here before you know it and you'll have a whole new set of things to complain about,” Lin chuckled.

“That, or you will be really distracted with figuring out this whole parenthood thing,” Tenzin offered.

“Wow thanks guys. You sure know how to cheer up a pregnant lady,” Izumi deadpanned.

A few days later, Izumi’s labor had started. Lin, being a steadfast and loyal friend, did not leave her side while she labored and helped in any way she could. The labor had been going on since the night before and Tenzin tried to keep himself occupied but did not stray too far from the delivery room in case his wife needed him for anything. He spent most of the time with Zuko and Izumi’s husband, Daichi. They played some Pai Sho, drank tea, and read books while they waited to hear the news that the baby had arrived. Tenzin was about to leave to go meditate near the turtleduck pond when he saw Lin exit the delivery room.

“Lin!” Tenzin called out to his wife. She did not stop or turn in his direction. He noticed a worried look on her face and that she was clutching her abdomen protectively. He wondered if she felt sick and was going to vomit, so he immediately ran down the hall to catch up with her.

“Lin, please wait for me!” he begged, reaching out to grab her and stop her. He spun her to face him and he studied her face. She was definitely worried.

“Is everything okay? Is Izumi all right?” he questioned.

Lin nodded and said in a quiet, shaky voice, “Yes, she and the baby are safe. I just need a minute to myself is all.”

Tenzin sighed in relief and said, “If you’re sure. Let me know if I can do anything for you.” He let his wife go with a peck on the cheek. He waited in the same spot and watched her retreating form disappear from view.

Lin wandered around for a while not really taking in her surroundings. She was very shaken up after watching her friend give birth to her firstborn son. It had been a very long, painful labor and there were times when she was scared for her friend. Izumi had felt defeated on a few occasions and wanted to give up during the process. Lin had overheard one of the midwives quietly commenting to another that if the labor had continued for much longer it was possible they would have to go in and pull the baby out, putting both mother and baby in grave danger. When Lin let her mind picture that scenario she blanched and almost excused herself from the room. She assured herself it wouldn’t come to that though. She would do everything she could to lend her strength to Izumi and help her deliver the baby safely.

When the Royal Physician announced it was time to deliver the baby, Lin grabbed Izumi’s hand tightly and whispered, “You got this,” to her lifelong friend.

Izumi smiled weakly back and said, “Thank you. Now, let’s get this over with.” Lin watched as her friend mustered every last ounce of strength to bear down and push the baby out without any assistance from any tools.

“It’s a boy!” the doctor exclaimed once the baby was out. He handed him over to one of the midwives to clean and dress before giving the baby to its mother.

“Congratulations! You did it!” Lin cheered her friend on. Izumi squeezed her hand with only a fraction of the force she had used during the delivery. Shortly after the baby arrived, blood started pooling around her friend’s legs, staining the white linens on the bed. Lin looked over at her friend and noticed she was rather pale and very sweaty. She looked over at the doctor who looked a little concerned, which alarmed her.

“We’re not out of the woods just yet,” the doctor announced, beckoning for one of the midwives to come and help. The midwife who was wiping the baby stopped what she was doing and rushed over. She saw the blood and immediately got to work. The midwife started to massage Izumi’s stomach while the doctor tried to absorb some of the blood. Lin stepped back and watched in horror as a very large, bulbous object slid out of Izumi. The doctor caught the sac in a bowl and handed it to the midwife to examine.

After looking at it and flipping it over, the midwife declared, “This isn’t all of it. We have to help her.” Lin watched as the doctor got up and took over rubbing Izumi’s stomach. The midwife rolled up her sleeve, grabbed some oil from a table, and covered her forearm in it.

“This is going to feel uncomfortable, but try to keep relaxed, Your Highness,” the midwife declared. Lin continued to watch from her corner of the room as the midwife slid her arm up inside of Izumi, a look of concentration on her face. Izumi gasped when the woman entered her and scrunched her face up in pain.

“Breathe slowly, it will help,” the doctor ordered. After what felt like an eternity, the midwife pulled out of Izumi, another dark red blob in her hand.

“That should be it,” the midwife told the doctor, “I think we’re clear.” The doctor nodded and patted Izumi on the shoulder. Lin looked at her friend, tears were welling up in both their eyes. A sob escaped Lin’s throat and she bolted from the room, not wanting to make Izumi feel any worse than she already did.

Lost in the memories of what just took place, Lin blinked away tears that had started welling up again. She looked around as her vision cleared and noticed she was no longer on palace grounds. The gate must have been open, and she had walked right through it because she now found herself in the middle of the high street of the Fire Nation capital. The street was still fairly busy, despite the late hour of the day. Lin guessed they were mostly people returning home from a long day’s work. She saw a sign for a nearby park and decided to go visit it, hoping it would be a little quieter so she could collect herself better before returning to the palace and celebrating with everyone.

She finally came across the park as someone was lighting the lanterns that lined the pathway. It was winter time, but since she was in the Fire Nation, the air was not freezing, but there was still a chill. Lin wrapped her arms around herself as she walked through the park. She wished she had brought a shawl to wrap around herself to keep out the chill. The park was quiet, the only other person she noticed was the firebender who was finishing up lighting all the lanterns. It was quiet and peaceful, the perfect atmosphere for clearing her head after the jarring events from earlier.

Lin never really thought about giving birth. She hadn’t really been close with or known other women who were pregnant. Sure, she remembered her mom having Su, but she was only 6 when that happened. She wasn’t there to witness all the pain and blood involved with bringing new life into the world. And if she thought about it, she realized that no one ever really talked about it either. Well, if they did talk about it, they certainly didn’t talk about all the gory details. Lin battled with the positives and negatives of this situation and was engrossed thinking about what her own impending delivery might be like now that she had seen one up close and personal.

Lin was so lost in her head that she hadn’t heard the figure approach her from behind. He struck so fast that she didn’t even have a chance to defend herself. A series of quick jabs to her pressure points paralyzed her and blocked her bending. Chi blocking she thought immediately, remembering the stories of Ty Lee and the Kyoshi Warriors. Her eyes widened and a scream got stuck in her throat as her body crumpled to the ground. Luckily, she fell on her side and not directly on her stomach.

“How dare you try to undo what Fire Lord Sozin worked so hard for?” a deep, male voice spat at her. Lin raised her eyes as far as she could and saw a dark figure standing in front of her. The person was wearing a cloak with the hood drawn to cover their head and face thanks to the shadows cast by the lanterns. “He eradicated the airbenders for a reason and the only way the Fire Nation can return to its glory is for them to stay gone,” the figure continued as he began to draw lightning from out of nowhere. Lin’s eyes widened realizing what was about to happen. She felt so useless because she couldn’t move to defend herself, defend her baby. All she could do was lay on the ground and wait for the pain. Tears were streaming down her face as she felt the electricity course through her body, the majority of the pain in her abdomen since that’s where the man had directed the lightning.

It felt like an eternity, but really the man had only been in front of her for a few minutes. He disappeared in the bushes just as quickly as he had appeared, leaving Lin on the ground in an excruciating amount of pain. Lin writhed on the ground as electricity still coursed through her body, causing her muscles to spasm all over. The last thing she remembered before the world going dark was feeling a warm, wet sensation between her legs.

Tenzin had been pacing in the royal palace for the last several minutes. Once they had realized Lin was missing, he felt frantic, worrying for her, as well as the baby. Zuko had convinced him to stay at the palace in case she returned while he and a search party went out looking for her. Despite the years of meditation, Tenzin had never felt more impatient than he did now. He could be on his glider, using the aerial view to his advantage to find Lin faster, but instead he was told to wait here.

“Master Tenzin!” a servant shouted, running towards him. Tenzin raced over to the servant, eager to hear the news.

“Come quickly,” the servant managed to say between breaths, “They found her.” Tenzin’s eyes lit up at the great news. They had found Lin and brought her back to the palace. He followed the servant to the room they had been staying in while visiting the Fire Nation. Tenzin had a huge smile on his face when the doors were flung open, excited to see Lin again. The smile quickly disappeared when he saw her laying on the bed, unconscious while the Royal Physician and a midwife he recognized from Izumi’s birth earlier were fluttering around her.

“Lin?” Tenzin called out to them, “What’s going on?”

“Master Tenzin, I think it would be best if you waited outside for a few minutes more,” the doctor ordered.

“But,” Tenzin tried interrupting.

“Leave, now,” the doctor ordered again, glancing at the servant who brought him here, imploring him to shoo Tenzin out. The servant read the expression and pulled Tenzin out of the room, shutting the doors behind them.

“What’s going on? Why was the midwife there?” Tenzin interrogated the servant.

The servant shook his head and responded, “I’m not quite sure. The Fire Lord should be here momentarily to explain.”

Just then, Zuko appeared in the hallway and called out, “Tenzin!”

Tenzin looked over to the aged firebender and saw the grief in his face. Panic had set in then. Zuko was usually a stoic man, rarely showing any emotions unless they were strong ones. He knew something was wrong when he could read the Fire Lord’s expression.

Tenzin gulped, “What happened?”

Zuko drew in a deep breath then explained, “Some of my guards were questioning people on the high street if they had seen Lin. Some woman said that she saw someone who looked like Lin heading towards Lu Ten Park which is tucked away off one of the side streets. When we heard that, the woman’s friend mentioned that the lantern lighter of the park lived on the way there. We checked with the lantern lighter and he confirmed that he saw Lin, walking alone in the park as he was doing his job that evening. He said the park was empty other than her. My guards and I continued to the park, expecting to find Lin wandering the park or sitting on a bench, but when we got there… Tenzin, you may want to sit for this next part…” Zuko hesitated before continuing his story, noticing the horror stricken look on Tenzin’s face.

Tenzin slid to the floor, nodding for the Fire Lord to continue. Zuko slid down to sit next to him and continued, “We found her on the ground along one of the paths, unconscious with blood pooling around her. There were no wounds that we noticed upon immediate inspection, which made us act fast. I grabbed Lin and ran her back to the palace while some of my guards searched the area for anyone suspicious. One of the guards noticed a set of footprints in front of Lin that looked like they belonged to someone fleeing the scene of a crime. I’m so sorry this happened, Tenzin. I promise you that I will do everything in my power to find who did this and serve justice.”

Tenzin didn’t respond. He rubbed his hands over his head, trying to imagine what could have happened to Lin and figure out why there was blood around Lin if she wasn’t wounded. Something clicked in his head and Tenzin gasped, “No!”

“Tenzin?” Zuko asked.

“It’s the baby, isn’t it?” Tenzin looked in Zuko’s eyes, his vision blurring as tears began to pool there.

“I think it might be,” Zuko whispered dejectedly, looking down at the ground not wanting to watch Tenzin cry.

“That’s why there was all that blood. We lost the baby,” Tenzin said the words out loud, making the pain feel more real.

Just then, the doors to the room opened and the Royal Physician appeared, clearing his throat, he approached the two men who were still seated on the floor. “Fire Lord Zuko, Master Tenzin,” he bowed to the two men and then crouched to their level, “I’m afraid I have terrible news.”

Tenzin met the doctor’s eyes and asked, “We lost the baby, didn’t we?”

The doctor nodded dejectedly. “Yes, I’m afraid so,” he confirmed.

“And Lin… is she…?” Tenzin couldn’t bear the thought of asking what he was about to.

“She is stable for now,” the doctor explained, “After closer inspection, it seems like she may have been attacked with lightning. She has some severe burns on her abdomen. I’m afraid all the electricity caused her muscles to spasm, which in turn caused trauma to the uterus, causing the unborn child to become detached, and no longer able to get what it needed to survive.” At this point, Tenzin let out a soft cry as he openly sobbed. Zuko reached over to put an arm around his shoulders in comfort.

Zuko nodded at the doctor, “Thank you. I think that’s enough information for now. May we go see Lin?”

The doctor got up and bowed to the men again, “Yes, you may go in. Things should be cleaned up there. Lin is only resting now. She is going to be very sore all over for a while, so I gave her some calming tea to help keep her relaxed as her body recovers. I’ll be back to check on her in a few hours.” The man backed away, leaving the two men in the hallway.

“I know you might have a lot of questions, but they’ll get answered in time. Go and be there for your wife,” Zuko urged Tenzin.

Tenzin, still crying openly, managed to stand up on his own two feet and head into the bedroom. He crossed to the bed and gently sat on the edge. The tears were making it difficult to see, but he was able to find Lin’s hand and grab it, grazing his thumb over it.

Lin’s eyes opened slowly and squinted over at him. “Tez,” she managed to whisper before a sob escaped her throat.

“Shhh,” he hushed, “Don’t talk right now. I’m here, just relax. Everything is okay now.” He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her temple, squeezing his eyes tighter as another sob rippled through his body.

“Hold me,” she whispered, half asking, half demanding. Tenzin silently acquiesced and molded his body around hers, holding her close. The couple cried together in bed until the tears and sadness felt so heavy, they could do nothing but fall asleep, hoping the morning did not come too quickly.

A/N: So, the lyrics I was referring to in my first note were: " 'Cause you were just a small bump unborn for four months then torn from life Maybe you were needed up there but we're still unaware as why." -Small Bump by Ed SheeranNow that you read this difficult chapter, I hope you don't hate me and will continue to leave comments/kudos and finish the fic! There are only 3 more chapters and I should be posting them sooner rather than later!

#linzin #sad chapter #fanfic #tw: miscarriage #atla #tlok #ed sheeran #my writing #justcallmehermione

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