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zuko-always-lies · 3 years

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How does Iroh talk about Ozai vs How does Iroh talk about Azula

Iroh only discusses his brother and his niece a few times in the series, yet I believe we can detect patterns which reveal how he feels about them. Much more under the cut.

How Iroh talks about Ozai:

“Avatar Roku”:

Zuko: I have no choice, Uncle. Iroh (angrily): Have you completely forgotten that the Fire Lord banished you?!?!? (With a look of anguish and worry) What if you're caught? Zuko (turning around from the spy glass): I'm chasing the Avatar. My father will understand why I'm returning home. Iroh: You give him too much credit. My brother is not the understanding type.

“The Storm”:

Iroh: After Zuko's outburst in the meeting, the Fire Lord became very angry with him. He said that Prince Zuko's challenge of the general was an act of complete disrespect, and there was only one way to resolve this... Lieutenant Jee (horrified): Agni kai. A fire duel. Iroh: That's right. Zuko looked upon the old general he had insulted and declared that he was not afraid. But Zuko misunderstood. When he turned to face his opponent, he was surprised to see it was not the General. Zuko had spoken out against a general's plan, but by doing so in the Fire Lord's war room, it was the Fire Lord whom he had disrespected. Zuko would have to duel his own father.

later:

Iroh: I looked away. (The spectators are illuminated by flame, Zuko's scream of anguish is heard in the background, and the camera zooms to a close up of Iroh. The flashback ends, but Iroh's face in the present is in the same pose as it was when Zuko was scarred. It is clearly an unpleasant memory.) Lieutenant Jee (abashed): I always thought that Prince Zuko was in a training accident... Iroh: It was no accident. After the duel, the Fire Lord said that by refusing to fight, Zuko had shown shameful weakness. As punishment he was banished and sent to capture the Avatar. Only then could he return with his honor. Lieutenant Jee: So that's why he's so obsessed. Capturing the Avatar is the only chance he has of things returning to normal. Iroh: Things will never return to normal. But the important thing is, the Avatar gives Zuko hope.

It’s interesting to note that, given the story Iroh is telling here, his tone and wording is shockingly non-judgmental, mainly expressing sadness over what happened.

“The Avatar State”:

Zuko: (dejectedly) Three years ago today I was banished. I lost it all. (He looks up suddenly.) I want it back. I want the Avatar, I want my honor, I want my throne. I want my father not to think I'm worthless. Iroh: (with exaggerated optimism) I'm sure he doesn't! Why would he banish you if he didn't care? (Zuko gets up and walks away. Cut to Iroh's surprised face with the attendants in the background.) Iroh: (negatively to himself) Erg... that came out wrong, didn't it?

Later:

Zuko: (o.c., happily) We're going home. After three long years. It's unbelievable. (Zuko walks behind a thoughtful Iroh, carrying some folded clothing. He walks off to the right of the screen.) Iroh: (skeptically) It is unbelievable. I have never known my brother to regret anything. (Cut to a close-up of Zuko. At first he sounds surprised, and then forceful.) Zuko: Did you listen to Azula? Father's realized how important family is to him. He cares about me. Iroh: I care about you. And if Ozai wants you back... well, I think it may not be for the reasons you imagine. Zuko: (defensively, turning his back to Iroh) You don't know how my father feels about me. (He stiffens) You don't know anything. (Cut to the scarred portion of Zuko's face in the foreground with Iroh talking over his shoulder.) Iroh: (gently) Zuko, I only meant that in our family things are not always what they seem.”

Sozin’s Comet Part II:

Zuko: [Voice-over.] Uncle, you're the only person other than the Avatar who can [Side-view of Iroh with Zuko sat next to him. Toph sits to Zuko's right and Katara has her back to the camera opposite Toph.] possibly defeat the Father Lord. Toph: You mean the Fire Lord. Zuko: [Angrily.] That's what I just said! Iroh: Hmmm ... Zuko: We need you to come with us! Iroh: [Close-up.] No, Zuko, it won't turn out well. Zuko: [Aerial view of the group.] You can beat him! [Turns to the others.] And we'll be there to help. Iroh: Even if I did defeat Ozai, [Close-up.] and I don't know that I could, it would be the wrong way to end the war. [Aerial view of the group.] History would see it as just more senseless violence, a brother killing a brother to grab power. The only way for this war to end peacefully is for the Avatar to defeat the Fire Lord.

It’s hard for me to fully capture Iroh’s words, since his tone of voice tends to be a big part in this, but he seems remarkably non-judgmental when discussing his brother. His words seemed to colored by a great deal of sadness and regret.

How Iroh talks about Azula:

Bitter Work:

Zuko: So uncle, I've been thinking. It's only a matter of time before I run into Azula again. I'm going to need to know more advanced firebending if I want to stand a chance against her. I know what you're going to say: she's my sister and I should be trying to get along with her. Iroh: No, she's crazy and she needs to go down. (Zuko nods. Iroh grunts as he stands up.) It's time to resume your training.

This goes without much comment, other than to note that Azula is “crazy” for doing things that Iroh and/or Zuko did. The only interesting thing to note is that Zuko didn’t just passively “run into Azula” the previous episode; he actively sought her out to fight her, as he does, to one degree or another, in many episodes this series. I’m not sure if Iroh totally understands that, but, if he does, it says interesting and not flattering things about him.

Later:

Iroh: Lightning is a pure expression of firebending, without aggression. It is not fueled by rage or emotion the way other firebending is. Some call lightning the cold-blooded fire. (Iroh takes the tea kettle off the fire and pours it into another pot. He then begins to pour two cups.) It is precise and deadly, like Azula. To perform the technique requires peace of mind.

This is actually a pretty neutral comment. Interestingly, Iroh seems to almost be encouraging Zuko to at least partially adopt Azula’s mindset, or at least Azula’s mindset as Iroh understands it. Still, the way he talks about her seems almost dehumanizing.

Later:

Iroh: I have another idea. I will teach you a firebending move that even Azula doesn't know, because I made it up myself!

Iroh actually (likely inadvertently) encourages Zuko to stake his self-worth on how his firebending compares to Azula’s firebending prowess!

“The Crossroads of Destiny”:

Azula: I expected this kind of treachery from Uncle, but Zuko, Prince Zuko...you're a lot of things, but you're not a traitor, are you? Zuko: Release him immediately! Azula:It's not too late for you Zuko. You can still redeem yourself. Iroh:The kind of redemption she offers is not for you. Azula: Why don't you let him decide, Uncle? I need you Zuko. I've plotted every move of this day. This glorious day in Fire Nation history. And the only way we win is together. At the end of this day, you will have your honor back. You will have your father's love. You will have everything you want. Iroh: Zuko, I am begging you, look into your heart and see what it is that you truly want.

No real comment here, other than to note that Iroh doesn't bother addressing Azula directly in this scene.

“Sozin’s Comet, Part II”:

Iroh: Yes. [Close-up from over Zuko's shoulder.] Zuko, you must return to the Fire Nation, so that when the Fire Lord falls, you can assume the throne and restore peace and order. [Extreme close-up of Zuko.] But Azula will be there, waiting for you. Zuko: I can handle Azula. Iroh: Not alone! [Frontal view of Iroh from the side of Zuko.] You'll need help. Zuko: [Extreme close-up.] You're right. Katara, [Frontal view of Katara over Zuko's shoulder.] how would you like to help me put Azula in her place? Katara: It would be my pleasure.

Let’s just say the contrast with what Iroh moments earlier said about Ozai is quite palpable.

Overall, Iroh tends to be nonjudgmental, regretful, and sorrowful when he talks about Ozai, even after what Ozai did to Zuko. You get a sense that he still deeply loves his brother and wishes things had turned out differently.

By contrast, Iroh tends to be much more hostile when he talks about Azula, and even when he’s not, he seems to discuss her as an obstacle to overcome rather than a person. There is no hint of past affection in the way he discusses her.

#Iroh #anti-Iroh #Zuko #Ozai #Azula

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melzula · 4 years

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Come What May

third and final installment of the Fire Lilies series

pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader

warnings: fluff, angst, some mean Zuko, forbidden lovers au

notes: thank you all for the love & support you’ve given this series. although it’s over, if you still have any questions or are curious about what happens to Zuko and the Princess along the way feel free to ask me and I’ll be happy to elaborate! enjoy!

summary: you put your trust in Zuko and agree to run away with him. But have you made the right choice?

part one | part two

“I’ve been challenged to an Agni Kai.”

“I’m engaged.”

The two of you stare at each other stunned, eyes wide and stomachs immediately filling with dread.

“What?” Zuko breathes quietly. His voice is barley above a whisper and he refuses to make eye contact with you, but you don’t miss the way his body begins to tremble with emotion.

“With my father gone and my mother growing older I need someone to provide and take care of me,” you explain weakly with guilt present upon your features. “I’ve been given away to the son of my father’s most trusted advisor.”

Zuko’s eyes widen in horror as you carefully tug the collar of your coat away from your neck to reveal your betrothal necklace. The jewelry rests daintily against your skin, the carved stone almost shimmering underneath the light that reflects across the ice that surrounds you, and it takes every fiber of his being to restrain himself from ripping the thing right off of you. You were meant to be his fiancé, his wife, and yet here you were claiming to be the promised bride of a boy who wasn’t Zuko. A part of him felt sick, and though he knew it was beyond your control he couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

“Tell me you’re not going to marry him,” Zuko demands, his voice calm and unwavering despite his aggravated state.

“Zuko...”

“Tell me you’re not,” he urges you now as he grasps at your forearms and pulls you closer to him. If you didn’t know any better you’d assume he was furious by the way he was holding you, but in reality he was just desperate and afraid. “Y/n, tell me.”

“It’s not that easy,” you try to reason, “it wasn’t my choice.”

“Exactly, it wasn’t your choice! So don’t marry him!” Zuko insists firmly.

“If I don’t marry him I risk bringing dishonor to my family and to my people. I’m the Princess, Zu. Even if I tried to say no it wouldn’t matter. Becoming a wife to a member of our tribe is part of my duty as Princess. I’m so sorry.”

Your heart aches for Zuko as he slowly removes himself from you, and both of you choose to ignore the handprints that have been charred into the fabric of your coat from where he had once grabbed you. He was good at controlling his temper around you, but his temperature was a completely different story; it was a wonder that he hadn’t somehow burnt you yet.

“What about your Agni Kai?” You press gently, taking one of his hands in both of yours before bringing it close to your chest and over your heart. A small sigh accompanied by a breath of fire escapes Zuko at the action and warms your cool cheeks.

”One of the war generals at the council threatened your life,” Zuko explains dully. You squeeze his hand tightly in response. “I spoke out of turn in your defense, and now I’ll have to duel him. I know I can take him, but what I can’t take is someone who isn’t me being able to call themselves your husband.”

“I’ll always be yours, Zuko.” He says nothing as you wind your arms around his torso and nuzzle your face against his chest, but he can’t help himself from returning your embrace and holding you impossibly tight against him.

“Then run away with me,” he says. A small gasp escapes you as you pull away to look up at him with wide eyes.

“Run away?”

“Yes, run away. As soon as the Agni Kai is over and I win, I’ll come get you and we can leave. We’ll go wherever you’d like, it doesn’t matter as long as we’re together. Please, Princess.”

“I... I’ve heard Ba Sing Se is the place people go to get a fresh start,” you reply with an uneasy smile. Zuko rewards you with a gentle kiss to your forehead.

“We’ll leave in three days. Meet me by the docks at midnight and bring only what you need,” he instructs before gently cupping your face in his hands. “We’re going to be so happy together, y/n.”

You smile as he pulls you in for a passionate kiss, but you can’t help the uneasiness that stirs in the pit of your stomach. The thought of running away with Zuko is exhilarating, yet something in the back of your mind is begging you not to go, warning you that things will not be as you planned them to be. But your body succumbs to the sensation of Zuko’s lips against your own, and before you can stop it you find yourself sinking further and further into his warmth.

~~~

It’s not easy having to turn your back on your people and leave the only life you’ve ever known behind, but the journey that lies ahead of you is enough to convince you that leaving the Southern Water Tribe behind is for the best. You’d never be happy in a marriage with someone you didn’t love, and you’d forever resent your parents and your people from keeping you tied down to one place forever. You would be happy with Zuko, there’d be many new sights to see and so many new experiences to have. It was for the best.

You arrive at the docks by midnight per Zuko’s instructions, a backpack full of what little belongings you could bring along with you resting upon your shoulders. This is most likely the last time you’ll ever see the South Pole again and a sense of bitter sweetness washes over you as you take one final look at your home. When the sun rises your mother will find the note you’ve left behind and Princess y/n of the Southern Water Tribe will be no more.

A ship slowly emerges from the distance, the Fire Nation emblem displayed proudly for all to see, and nervous excitement tingles through your body as you prepare to leave your home once and for all.

The Zuko that descends from the ramp of the ship to greet you is not the same Zuko you had seen just a few days ago. The boy before you now has completely transformed both physically and emotionally. The long hair you loved to comb your hands through so much is gone with only a ponytail of hair remaining at the back of his head. You try not to stare at the patch tied securely around his head and over his left eye in fear of upsetting your boyfriend, but he doesn’t even bother to explain it.

When he approaches you it is with purpose, a seriousness and sense of formality that had never been there before- not when it came to you. There’s a coldness to him that frightens you, but you do your best not to show it. Something is wrong, you know this, your superstitions had warned you so, but until you find out what it is you will do your best to act as if everything is fine. You offer him a smile that doesn’t reach your eyes, and Zuko doesn’t meet your gaze.

You watch with bated breath as he reaches out and tugs your collar down to reveal the betrothal necklace around your neck.

“Why are you still wearing this?”

“I was in a rush and forgot to take it off,” you explain quickly. Zuko stares at you for only a moment before quickly emitting a heat from his palm so great it melts the carved stone of your necklace right off. The choker that held the stone falls limply from your neck and onto the snow below you. You’re bewildered by such a harsh action from the boy who had always treated you with the utmost care and respect. A part of you wanted to turn around and run back home to your mother, but you knew there had to be a reason for Zuko’s sudden change, and so you stay.

“Let’s go,” Zuko says gruffly, taking your bag from your shoulders in one hand and holding your hand in the other as he guides you up the ramp and onto the ship.

He stands beside you with an arm around your waist as the ship pulls away from the docks and out into the open sea. Your home grows smaller and smaller until you’re no longer able to see it, and then it is just you and Zuko together in silence.

“You’re going to be happy with me,” he says quietly, but the statement does nothing to ease your nerves. “It’s late, you need your rest. I’ll escort you to your quarters.”

You say nothing as he guides you to the ship’s deck below, only glancing once at the moon before you before the night sky is replaced with a steel roof over your head.

~~~

Zuko doesn’t tell you much about the Agni Kai; you’ve learned it’s best not to bring it up. But from the vague answers he’s given you along with the tiny details his Uncle has let slip out, you find out that Zuko had not won the challenge and was now an outsider of sorts to the Fire Nation. But that shouldn’t matter now considering you both had wanted to run away, right?

You have separate quarters on the ship, but you always find yourself winding up in Zuko’s bed. Homesickness hits you more often than you had presumed, and Zuko is the only warmth you find in your new life abroad. You hope that will change once you settle down in Ba Sing Se. The thought always bring a sense of comfort to you- the idea of starting over, settling in a new home, eventually getting married, and having children are images that keep you sane on the moving metal death trap.

When you wake you find that the spot beside you in bed is empty and cold, proof that Zuko has been gone for a long while now. With a sigh you force yourself up and ready yourself for the day ahead. If your calculations aren’t off and if you read the map correctly, you should be arriving in the east end of Earth Kingdom some time today.

However, when you ascend onto the top deck you find that you are nowhere near Earth Kingdom territory at all. The air is still frigid from the cold, and you’re regretting not bringing a coat up with you to wear.

It is Iroh who notices your trembling form first, immediately sitting you down at his tea table and calling for one of the crew members nearby to fetch you a blanket.

“Zuko, the poor Princess is freezing,” Iroh states whilst pouring you a nice, warm cup of tea. “Please forgive my nephew for his lack of hospitality.“

You only give the General a weak smile in response as you quietly sip your tea. A warm blanket wraps itself around your shoulders accompanied by a chaste kiss to your cheek.

“Why is it so cold?” You frown, glancing up at Zuko who stands before you. “I thought we’d be near the Earth Kingdom by now.”

Iroh guilty looks away from the two of you and quietly excuses himself in order to give you privacy. Zuko is silent for a long while.

“We’re not going to the Earth Kingdom,” he replies bluntly.

“But what about Ba Sing Se?”

“I have to tie up a few loose ends before we can settle down together. But don’t be sad, Princess. I’m sure you’ll like where we’re going instead.”

It’s then that you truly notice your surroundings, the familiar gray skies and calm ocean waters, the frigid temperatures. You’re going back home.

“The South Pole? But that can’t be!” You exclaim. “I just ran away and now you’re taking me back?”

“We’re not going there for you,” Zuko responds harshly. “They have something that I want.”

“I don’t understand...” you frown, rising from your seat at the table to meet Zuko’s fiery gaze.

“I wouldn’t expect you to,” he mutters, brushing past you in order to stand along the railing of the ship.

“Zuko, if we go back there’s a chance my people will try to take me away from you. They’ll blame you for my disappearance, returning would be nothing but trouble. What could the South Pole possibly have to make you go back?!”

You love Zuko with all of your heart, you really do. But if you had known the severity of the situation you’d find yourself in once you decided to run away with him, you would have listened to the voice at the back of your head that begged you not to go. But now, as the banished prince turns back to meet your eyes, you realize that it’s much too late.

“Your people are hiding the Avatar.”

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#zuko #zuko x reader #zuko imagine #prince zuko #prince zuko x reader #prince zuko imagine #atla x reader #atla #avatar the last airbender #secret tunnel #fire lilies #forbidden lovers au

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the-firebender-girl · 4 years

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Fire Lord For a Day (Zuko x Reader)

-> There’s a new Fire Lord in town because Zuko lost a bet.

A few years after Zuko was crowned as the Fire Lord and ushered in a new era of peace and harmony, all is finally well between the 4 nations.

The progress of building the war-torn world back up was hard, but not impossible. Under his rule the Fire Nation work to regain its honor and clean its name, doing whatever they can to help restore what they had destroyed. And having the Avatar on his side definitely doesn’t hurt his chances too.

Besides working on the nation, he has worked hard on bettering himself, becoming a better man, someone more deserving of his title. And I think it’s safe to say that he’s well on his way there, Zuko has always been the sane one in the family, the one with a moral compass although he did get somewhat confused in the past before he found who he’s meant to be. Changing for the better is his watchword now.

That thing with Mai didn’t work out too, for the best perhaps. Although they’re compatible and have known each other since they were little, perhaps it wasn’t meant to be anything more than a simple childhood crush, but it can’t really grow past that. They crave for different things in a relationship, Mai was too emotionless, too closed-off, too cold for his taste. After living a life full of loneliness and rejection, all he needs is warmth and acceptance, a pair of welcoming arms.

Perhaps that’s why he’s immediately hooked to her. Y/N. She’s like the sunshine of his life. Her presence brings him so much joy and unconditional love. It was a chance encounter between them. Zuko was walking around the capital in disguise, watching as the world unfold and ran its course around him, how his people are living their life when he bumped into her. Nearly knocking her onto the ground, thank Agni he didn’t.

She apologized profusely when the impact caused his hood to fall back, revealing his face. She wasn’t sure of this new Fire Lord, well he did promise to be different than his ancestors but she needs actions not words. When she won’t stop repeatedly bowing even though he was clearly the one who got in her way, he frowned, and stop her mid-bow.

“You can stop doing that now, i’m okay, there’s nothing to be worried about” He said softly, assuring the poor girl.

“I’m truly sorry Fire Lord, what can I do to make it up to you?” Face still latched with worries, eyebrows tightly knitted.

“Well I still have to think about that” He pretended to contemplate it in his head, one hand positioned under his chin, “In the meantime, how about we discuss it over tea?”

“O—of course Fire Lord Zuko, anything” He can’t help but grimaced, still was not used to the title.

“Zuko please, just call me Zuko”

“Zuko...” She said, testing the name out, how he loved the sound of it.

“And what can I call you, fair lady?”

“Y/N, just Y/N”

“Okay then just Y/N, should we go now?” Zuko said, offering one of his hands for her to hold, which she took gratefully.

“By all means, lead the way Zuko” Finally letting her worries melt away, giving a way in for a smile.

———————————————————————

That was a few years ago.

Turns out that Y/N’s family is the owner of Zen Dimsum & Tea House, the most famous restaurant in the capital. Even Uncle Iroh always squeeze a visit there everytime he comes home.

“Rival only second to Jasmine Dragon itself!” That’s what he claimed.

And now she is officially his girlfriend, him asking her out was anything but romantic. Spirits know how much he lacks in the wooing department. She doesn’t seem to mind it though and said yes in a heartbeat.

She has met the Gaang on several occasions and they all love her. Even the palace servants and guards adore her too. Zuko came to the conclusion that it’s just impossible not to took a liking to her.

That’s what brought us here today. You see about a week ago Zuko had lost a bet to Y/N, and the price she asked for? being a Fire Lord for a day.

Zuko was skeptical at first of course because everything could go downhill real quick, but she assured him that she wouldn’t do anything that could put a permanent damage to his reputation, not too much anyway.

They agreed on this day for his schedule was pretty much empty, no meetings, no strategizing, no council. It’s as perfect as it can be.

Even the Gaang are here too to witness this hilarious once-in-a-blue-moon occasion. Zuko’s never known for being one to let go of the reign. But this girl somehow manages to pulled it off, oh she’s going to be the death of him for sure.

“All hail Fire Lord Y/N” Sokka said in a booming voice, as he puts the Fire Lord headpiece into her top-knot, crowning her for the day.

“All hail Fire Lord Y/N” Aang, Katara, Toph, Suki, and Ty Lee repeated back solemnly while giving an exaggerated bow.

Zuko can’t help but facepalmed himself at the scene that he’s witnessing, Fire Lord Sozin would no doubt have his head if only he were to see this.

“Ahh it feels good to be king” Y/N said, mustering her voice to be as regal as can be, but her grin definitely ruins it.

Uncle Iroh who has somehow founds himself stumbling onto this scene can’t help but let out a loud laughter.

“Now what do we have here? I must say i’m disappointed to see your reign came to an end so soon dear nephew”

Zuko lets out an exasperated groan to which everyone in the room exploded into a series of laughter, this is just too good to be true.

———————————————————————

“What will be your first decree, Your Majesty?” Sokka asked her.

The Gaang, Ty Lee, and Uncle Iroh surrounded her like an entourage, not wanting to miss out on all the fun while a grumbling Zuko trailed not too far behind them.

“Hey Iroh? do you remember when you reigned as the temporary Fire Lord?” Y/N said.

“Of course dear one, it was short but sweet, what about it?”

“I think it’s about time that we bring back what matters most to the people, I hereby declared that National Tea Appreciation Day would be permanently etched into our calendar!”

The Gaang cheer while Uncle Iroh had almost cried on spot, he shrieked happily, hugging the girl tightly.

“You are a blessing to this nation Y/N”

She smiles back at him, “Anything for you, Iroh”

“National Tea Appreciation Day it is then! Toph, mind giving me a hand on drawing the illustration for the official announcement?” Sokka said asking his poster drawing partner, just like old times in Ba Sing Se.

“You got it, boss” Toph grins back at him, giving a thumbs up.

Looking back and forth between his positively glowing uncle and the happiest the Gaang has ever been for some time, Zuko can’t help but feel the tension leaves his body.

“Maybe this won’t be so bad after all”

———————————————————————

“NO! absolutely not! you can’t change our national color to pink and peach Y/N, what do you think we are?” Zuko nearly lose his shit at this madness.

“But I think it’s brilliant, Zuko! red is sooo last centuries” Ty Lee comes to Y/N defense, sticking her tongue out to her childhood friend.

“You guys are crazy” He’s shaking his head frantically, “This nation is doomed” He dramatically said while pulling at his hair, his top-knot has hair sticking out in all directions.

“Oh knock it off, drama king. It’s just for a day! the people deserve to let loose and have some fun. You know you can always revoke it later” Y/N said, pulling her puppy dog eyes at him, lips pouting slightly.

“Please don’t do that... you’re not playing fair Y/N, you know I can’t say no to that face” Zuko grumbles, he’s trying very hard, but she got him putty in her hands.

“You know what? do what you like, it can’t get any worse than this” He said in defeat.

Oh boy if only he knew how wrong he was.

Zuko cannot recognize what he is seeing in front of his eyes. The proud Fire Nation, his nation, is now a seas of pink and peaches.

To his surprise after the announcement of Y/N’s second decree, the people responded to it giddily. They began to dress up in all sorts of pink and peach, their normal red and black outfit long forgotten. Even the usually reserved and standoffish nobles are participating in this event. Excitement buzzing in the air of the capital.

The people are rejoicing, merrily welcoming the arrival of the new ‘Fire Lord’ amidst them with the sound of cheers and clapping. Petals of flowers are thrown to the air, creating a rain of blooms in a flurry of rainbow shades. It’s nice to see them this light-hearted after living under a tyrant for soo long, the constricting rules don’t help either.

For the first time Zuko sees the people of the Fire Nation becoming one, with no clear lines separating between the nobles and the commoners, together right here and now, they are just human who longs for freedom. Freedom that Y/N just gives them, to do as one’s heart content without having to fear for their status or images.

———————————————————————

“Can we have some music over here? real music not the usual propaganda ones, I wanna hear some beat!” Y/N screamed out into the crowd that has filled the Royal Plaza.

“This one really brings the party with her doesn’t she, Sparky?” Toph said to Zuko, as together their eyes sweep over the continously growing crowd.

“Yeah... that she does” Zuko smiles fondly at his girlfriend and the way she enchants the crowd, it’s like they are gravitating towards her.

“Oh no...” Toph said again with a teasing wicked grin, she pointed her finger at him.

“You are so whipped, Sparky”

“That I am Toph, that I am...”

———————————————————————

“WOHOOOO it’s like the secret cave rave all over again!!!” Aang screamed with happiness as he crowd surf. People of all ages dancing below him.

“Aang! you get down here this instant! you’re gonna fall” Katara freaks out watching the Avatar being passed on from hands to hands. Biting her lip so hard she nearly drew blood.

“Oh let him live, Katara! loosen up, it’s a party” Suki said as she elbows her side lightly.

“Why are we just standing here? COME ON” Ty Lee said as she dragged both girls right to the middle of the crowd.

Katara’s screams of “No no no” was the last thing that can be heard before it’s swallowed by the sound of thrumming beats and off-tune singing.

———————————————————————

As the day come to an end, the party died down and people are returning to their respective home. Worn out but as happy as ever.

The Gaang is beaming, their feet light as they make their way back to the palace. Even after all of the heroic things that they had accomplished, it felt nice just to be a bunch of teenagers again.

“I’m beat you guys, i’m probably gonna sleep for the next 2 days” Aang said, pausing mid sentence to let out a yawn.

“Yup good idea, i’m gonna copy you on that” Sokka replied, entertaining the idea of just passing out on the floor right here right now, it looks so tempting. That is before Suki offers him her shoulders to lean on, shaking her head at his antics.

“Goodnight everyone” Katara said, earning back a chorus of “Goodnight” from everyone in return.

“Thanks for the awesome day Y/N” Ty Lee said as she half hugged Y/N before she too makes her way to her room.

Uncle Iroh gave Zuko and Y/N a warm smile, “Go on and rest you two, you both earned it”

“Goodnight uncle”

“Sleep well, Iroh”

———————————————————————

Back in Zuko’s bedroom, they both have cleaned up and changed into their sleepwear but decided that this is a rare moment to just enjoy each other’s presence without the usual pressure of being chased by time constraint.

“Had fun?” Zuko asked as he approaches her who is currently standing in the balcony that looks over the town below.

He wraps his arms around her as she snuggles into him, enjoying the extra warmth that he provided. Zuko leans down to press a kiss atop the crown of her head.

“I’m kinda sad that this day is over but it’s good while it lasts, I had a good run” She said while chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness of the situation. Never in a million years had she imagined this happening to her.

“You certainly made quite an impression on the people, they all adore you, not that i’m surprised it’s about time they all see you the way that I see you”

Y/N tilted her head a bit so that she can see him better, he looks handsome under the moonlight and stars, some pieces of his hair falling down lazily covering one of his eyes.

He looks at her with an intense look in his eyes, suddenly getting all serious.

“If you like it that much, it doesn’t have to end tonight you know?”

This got her letting out a scoff, “What? you’re gonna resign your position to me now?” she asked incredulously.

Zuko rolls his eyes at her, “No, you silly girl”

“How does Fire Lady sounds to you?”

Y/N swears that her heart stopped beating for a milisecond after hearing the words that just came out of her lover’s mouth.

“Are you really proposing to me right now, Fire Lord Zuko?” She said, feigning out a scandalous gasp.

“Spirits you’re dramatic aren’t you”

“You’re one to talk, Zuko”

She pretends to think about it, eyes looking upward, eyebrows scrunching creating a line in her forehead.

Now Zuko is the one who’s starting to get cold feet, what if she rejected him? what if it’s too much? too soon? how brash of him to just throw around this responsibility so carelessly. Before he can start hyperventilating, she raises her hand to cup his cheek gently, rubbing a soothing finger in a left and right motion to calm down his strung nerve.

“That sounds perfect” Sincerity evident in her voice, “I’ll be honored Zuko, if you’ll have me”

“Oh thank the spirits”

He’s in a state of euphoria, pulling her in even closer, he gently takes her face into his hands and lean down to kiss her. A slow, passionate kiss where they pour as much love as they can muster into it.

As they broke apart, Zuko takes her hand and entertwine their fingers together. Leading her back into his room and walk to the front of the vanity.

He opens one of the drawers, taking out a beautiful box decorated with carvings of dragon and fire lillies. Inside it is a gleaming piece of gold in the shape of a flame, the Fire Lady headpiece.

“May I?” He asks her.

She can only nods, emotions threatening to make her burst.

Zuko takes the headpiece and carefully inserted it into her top-knot, it sits perfectly, right where it should be.

“My Fire Lady” Zuko said as he can’t help but smile as he stares at her reflection in the mirror, leaning down to give a kiss to her cheek.

———————————————————————

The national colors went back to the normal red and black but the smiles on his people’s faces remains. Especially after hearing the official engaged-to-be-married announcement of their Fire Lord to she who has brought happiness not only to him, but to the people as well.

That day as she stood beside him from the top stair of the palace, hands waving to the cheering crowd of people below, proudly adorning the Fire Lady headpiece in her hair, Zuko thought to himself.

Yeah Uncle Iroh is never wrong, she is a blessing to this nation.

“All hail Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Y/N” Uncle Iroh said, giving his salute to the new reigning monarch.

“All hail Fire Lord Zuko and Fire Lady Y/N”

———————————————————————

A/N : I’ve been very productive lately and there’s a lot more stories waiting to be finished in my draft😉 this is my second Zuko fic and as for me i’m very pleased with how it turns out but I really want to hear from you guys too soo feedbacks are definitely hoped for so that I can improve my writing♥️ anyways thank you so much for reading til the end and i’ll see you on another fic lovelies!

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visit-ba-sing-se · 4 years

Note

For another friendship we never really got: Iroh and Bumi

This is great and I mean even though we never see it in canon it definitely could be (since they are both members of the white lotus after all). Thank you (and the other anon who asked about this) for giving me a reason to shout into the void here about them:

First of all and looking back, Iroh was waging war against the earth kingdom and wanted to burn their capital to the ground (literally writes so in a letter to Ursa.) So, after he recognized his mistakes and became a member of the white lotus (because him being part of that organization during his siege on Ba Sing Se would just not make sense, and I do not think canon gives us any information on that) he probably did not know much about earth benders except for how to fight them. But he now wanted to reconcile and learn, and Bumi was there to share. Of course, he was a bit skeptical at first and used the chance to mess with Iroh (”Yes, it is costume to drink boiling mud water in the earth kingdom, I can’t believe you were so busy conquering that you did not even notice“). However, he grew more and more fond of him the he realized that Iroh was serious on wanting to learn and had an equally off sense of humor

What would then make them an amazing duo is that they are both such out of the box thinkers. One one hand, we have Bumi, whose tag line is to move and act like a mad genius. When it come to his bending, we see that the moves he uses partly seem to be Airbender inspired (like his spiral upward), and we see him using bone bending during the battle over Ba Sing Se, which is a completely new sub-style of earth bending (and I would say that it is safe to assume he also developed that himself)

On the other hand, we have Iroh, who always emphasizes how important it is to draw inspiration from many sources. The most prominent example of how he puts his own wisdom to use his learned how to redirect lightning from studying water benders.

Those two definitely would enjoy discovering new techniques together by learning form each other and studying each others styles (also yes, they went on a trip together to learn lava bending. Also yes, both of their beards got slightly burned but what a small piece to pay fro greatness. „I wanted to cut it anyway, nephew, did you not hear that this is now the latest fashion in Ba Sing Se?“ „Uncle, it is the lasted fashion in the earth kingdom because Bumi made his whole stuff water it like that after you to returned. And no, we will not be enforcing the same thing here“)

Also, they both have a thing for teaching even though their method might be a bit different. The whole point behind the challenges Bumi gave Aang was to teach him to thing creatively, and Iroh always put great effort into teaching Zuko basically anything. So they would love passing those techniques on

Beyond that, they would totally make use of the fact that they look like to respectable old men to fool with people and enjoy their surprised faces when they wreck absolut havoc (one of them pretend to be a fragile old king just to reveal being totally ripped and wanting to wrestle with the Avatar, the other dramatically took a sip of tea before taking out a bunch of day li with his breath of fire. Don’t tell me they do not have the same energy, and also do not tell me there is not a lot of potential)

Tbh I believe they actually would wreck havoc a lot. I know that is a common perception of Iroh that he is a very wise and thoughtful man, but as @nothing-more-than-hot-leaf-juice put in an amazing post, we really should not overestimate his impulse control. Keep in mind, this man used a poisonous plant to make tea just because it could have been delicious while being completely aware of the risk)

On the other hand, this of course does not mean that they can not come up with wise and serious solutions when needed. I believe they would each also value the other council a lot

Finally, the would always play pai sho together but of course try to cheat the other. (Bumi earth bends the pieces when Iroh looks ways for moment. Little does he know the reason Iroh looked away was to make sure that Toph, who he had promised to teach lava beding in exchange for a little support, is still at her spot)

#bumi #iroh #toph #avatar #zuko #atla #atla hc #anon love #i feel like i should get a tag for all those friendship posts #also this could be canon honestly #I am just filling the balnks #friendships that transcendent canon #<- tag for more friendships that should have been

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passable-talent · 4 years

Note

hi! may i request an alta scenario with zuko where the reader (female or non-binary, if that works) is an earth bender who was injured by the fire nation and is found by iroh and zuko in the woods, who helps them heal, and they begin to travel with iroh and zuko to ba sing se and zuko and the reader fall in love? i’m not being super specific so u can have creative freedom to do what u want, i can’t wait to see what you write :) thank you!

cute!!! their adventures through the earth kingdom always entertained me. esp Iroh and his need for tea

Zuko was growing more and more frustrated with his uncle’s complaisance. He just couldn’t understand it- they were royalty! Both he and Iroh had been raised as heirs to the throne of the Fire Lord, so if their current situation bothered Zuko, why didn’t it bother his uncle?

He took up the mask of the blue spirit once again to begin alleviating these troubles. They were getting food, they were regaining some of their luxury. Frequent firebending patrols, especially around villages, made things harder, but that had never stopped Zuko before. He left at night, when Iroh was fast asleep, and was usually back by midnight. Nothing could stop him- not firebending patrols, not walls, nothing.

Except when the ground moved under him and he lost his footing in the middle of the woods. That stopped him. He paused, and tried to get up, but felt the ground roll underneath him again. For a moment he resigned himself to the dirt, watching the dirt floor of the forest roll with the stones underneath as waves, radiating from one spot.

Through the trees, he caught a glimpse of a small, pointed rock structure. He narrowed his eyes and crawled backwards to put distance between himself and it, and went back to the camp he’d left his uncle in.

“Uncle,” he said the next morning, “I think there’s something I want you to see.” Iroh nodded and allowed Zuko to lead him back to the spot in the forest where he’d fallen last night, and as soon as their footsteps approached, the ground began tremoring again. Zuko pointed to the rock structure, which now it was clear to see had been made by an earth bender. It was a tent-like shape, with two diagonal roof pieces and triangular sides sealed up, all with stone.

There were scorch marks covering the rock, and all the grass around it was scarred with fire.

“What do you think it is?” Zuko asked, and Iroh studied the ground a bit more before leveling his gaze toward the stones.

“I think it’s a very scared earth bender.”

“Hello in there!” He called, and the tremors in the earth stopped. “My name is Mushi, I’m a refugee from the war heading to Ba Sing Se with my nephew. Do you need any help?” For a moment only silence answered him, until one of the triangular sides of the rock tent slid back into the earth.

Inside the tent you were buried up to your neck in dirt, using the cool soil to soothe your burns. You’d received some fierce ones on your shoulder and ribcage after you dared fight back against a firebending patrol, and when you tried to escape the battle, they’d cornered you. Your tent had been an effort to escape the skirmish by waiting it out, and it had worked, after a while. But for hours you merely sat inside your stone tent while they blasted it with flames, heating it up and nearly cooking you, if it hadnt been for the cool soil you submerged yourself in. At the very least, it made your burns much worse. At the worst, you scorched your leg when the flesh brushed too close to the heated rock.

“Are there any firebenders around?” You asked, voice quiet, and not quite timid. Zuko and Iroh shared a look for a brief moment.

“No,” Iroh answered. “Can I come closer?” You nodded and took your arm over your chest, trying to keep any of your body from touching the burns that were all too warm. You sat up slowly from the soil, revealing burnt and tattered clothes barely covering your three major burns. Iroh’s eyes widened and he stepped closer.

“You need help for those burns,” Iroh said, “we’ve got a camp we can take you back to, and help. Can you stand?”

“No,” you said, “it’ll hurt too much.” Iroh looked over his shoulder at Zuko, who was standing in shock, looking at you.

He’d been burnt, and it had left a scar. But at least it was only the one- you’d been treated so cruelly, and if all of your burns scarred, it would cover near a third of your body. He couldn’t stop the adrenaline coursing through him. It would’ve been so painful, and he couldn’t comprehend who would’ve been so cruel enough to do to you what had been done.

“Can you carry them?” Iroh asked Zuko, and he swallowed hard to break himself from his stare. He nodded slightly, hesitantly, and Iroh looked back to you.

“Just take down your shelter, and we’ll help you.” You lifted your right arm, the one whose shoulder hadn’t been burnt, and used it for a quick motion that sent the stone back into the ground. Zuko walked closer, and was about to kneel down, but paused.

If he picked you up on your left side, it would press your burnt shoulder and ribs into him. But if he did so on your left, it was your leg burn that would get too warm.

“Which side do you want me to lift you on?” He asked, and you took a moment to consider.

“Left,” you said, and he nodded. It was somber, as he lifted you up underneath your knees and shoulders. Upon Iroh’s instruction your threaded your fingers together behind Zuko’s neck, and tried to keep your leg extended so that it wouldn’t brush against Zuko’s clothes.

“As I said, I’m Mushi,” Iroh said, trying to make conversation through your light, subconscious whimpering. “My nephew is Lee. What’s your name?” You gave him a small smile, to show that you appreciated his kindness, even as it was tinged by your pain. You couldn’t help it- it had been days of boiling, sweltering flesh that you couldn’t get a reprieve from.

“Y/N,” you told him, and his bright smile answered you.

“What a lovely name.”

Iroh found a plant or two in the wilderness that helped with the burn, and slowly you began to heal. You were kept awake, though, sometimes, and watched as Lee left with nothing and came back with something. You knew something fishy was going on, but you didn’t push it, because you didn’t feel it was your place.

“Are you awake, Y/N?” Zuko asked one night when he returned. You grunted and affirmation and he sat down in front of where you were laying.

“I got this for you,” he said, and handed you a small tin. When you opened it, you found within it an artisan burn suave, made in the nearby earth kingdom village by one or two of the wives of soldiers.

“Thank you,” you said, giving him a smile in the dwindling firelight. He was a tough nut to crack, but you knew he cared for you- he showed his love through listening, and gifting. You noticed it first when he gave his uncle a teapot, and this gift to you only confirmed your suspicion.

Time went on, and they packed up camp to move closer to Ba Sing Se. You came with, holding tight to Zuko’s waist so that there was enough room for the three of you on the ostrich horse. You felt bad for the poor thing, carrying so much weight, but you were in pain and couldn’t walk for long periods of time. Even if you could, you likely wouldn’t have passed up and oppurtunity to hug Lee around the waist for hours while you travelled.

You knew that Mushi had figured you out- there was no way he hadn’t. You weren’t exactly very subtle as you tried to grab Lee’s attention with your laugh or a joke or an earthbending trick. He began doing his part to nudge Lee toward you, which you were appreciative of, especially since it worked.

Or so you thought.

Zuko had scooped you up one evening, when Iroh was already asleep. He hugged you tightly before setting you back down onto your feet, leaving you confused.

“What is it?” You asked, and he shook his head, brooding as always.

“Let me sleep beside you tonight?” He asked, and you were quick to accept, even if you were confused. You fell asleep that night with his arms wrapped around your waist and his nose pressed to the back of your head.

When you blinked your eyes open, you caught a glimpse of the ostrich horse riding away, Lee on its back.

“Mushi? What’s going on?” You asked, sitting up slowly.

“Lee’s got to find his own way. Come, help me pack. We’re going to move to the next village.”

Your alliance was to Mushi, but you did miss Lee. You wondered what he had been thinking that night, when he chose to lay with you before he left. The two of you had barely talked about romance or anything of the like, but he’d done this- how much had it meant to him?

“My nephew is a complicated man,” Mushi said, walking beside you. “Sometimes, his actions are quite peculiar. But he will find his destiny. And somehow, I believe it will lead him back to us.” You looked sideways at Mushi, and smiled.

“You think so?” He nod was all the affirmation you needed.

And he was right- Lee did come back. He came back to reveal himself as brother to the Fire Princess, which made him... the prince of the Fire Nation?

Now the whole ‘running from the fire nation at all costs’ thing made sense.

You didn’t really mind. You offered unconditional forgiveness to the prince, and showed the same medicinal care to Iroh’s wounds that he had once shown to yours.

Zuko was having a hard time, but you were fascinated in watching his training en route to Ba Sing Se. Just as Iroh wanted, the two of you learned from each other, and soon the style of earthbending you practiced looked similar in some aspects to firebending. He, through training with you, became more rooted, and his balance improved further.

But training aside, the two of you started talking. You sat under the stars and began to be honest with each other, now that he had nothing to hide. You shared what had happened to you in that forest for the first time, and he shared the story behind his scar.

Sleeping side by side became as common a practice as eating breakfast.

Iroh couldn’t have been happier, especially as you seemed to bring Zuko out of his shell. He smiled a slight bit more, and laughed a little easier. Even when the three of you made it to Ba Sing Se, Iroh could feel the difference in his nephew’s attitude.

You hated firebenders- they’d left you with course, scarred skin on the outside of your left calf, with dark scars under the skin of your shoulder and ribcage. You hated firebenders- all but two. One, who took you in, and the other, who you loved deeply.

Because someone who’d felt scar tissue for years wouldn’t hesitate to touch it when you wanted him to.

-🦌 Roe

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azucanela · 4 years

Text

HOME PT. 1 | ZUKO

HOME MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: In which Zuko has a chance to go home.

WORD COUNT: 2.9k

WARNINGS: blood, weapons, fights, death threats

A/N: we love zuko in this house, also send stuff into my ask box im bored and need ideas to write kashdkfkjasdhlf

When Zuko was banished, it seemed that Ozai was more upset that Y/N intended to go with him, than at the pain he had caused his son. She was a talented firebender, capable of defeating even Azula, his prodigal daughter, in an Agni Kai. Her tactics and strategies, despite her young age, proved effective time and time again. She had the makings of a great General for the Fire Nation Army, and Ozai saw it as a waste for her to search for someone who would likely never be found. Not when Y/N L/N had so much potential.

Y/N just saw it as proof that Ozai never truly cared for his son. His recognition of the impossible task he had bestowed upon his own child.

At the end of the day, her loyalty lied with the prince, so she set sail alongside him and his Uncle, in search of an avatar that had been gone for a century. They had known each other since they were children, when Ozai had taken interest in her natural talent for firebending. She had been raised alongside Zuko and Azula, training with them. But as most knew, Azula had an affinity for inflicting pain to those around her in her free time, so when the time came for a sparring match between Y/N and Azula, the results were deadly.

Ozai decided Y/N would stick around a little longer when she managed to beat Azula that day.

Zuko had never been competitive, not like Azula was. Though he’d asked her for tips on how to improve, and she’d graciously assisted him. And so, a friendship blossomed in the fire of their youth. She became his sparring partner, and as they grew older, his right hand.

She never regretted stepping onto the boat with Zuko the first day of his banishment. But she was beginning to regret ever speaking with him in the first place. He had no goal other than finding the Avatar, it was his sole purpose at this point, even after nearly three years of searching. But there were moments in which she found him rather… peaceful. He was almost the same boy who Y/N had played tag with as a child all those years ago. And in these moments, when she caught a glimpse of the real Zuko, she couldn’t help the warmth that blossomed in her chest each time they had an actual conversation.

One that wasn’t about his never ending quest to find the Avatar.

The conversations they had in the middle of the night, when sleep failed to reach them. The ones they never mentioned when the night was over. Because what happened in Zukos’ room at night, stayed there.

Y/N had only ever needed to knock once and Zuko was opening the door to his room on the ship. She gave him a tight lipped smile as she slipped inside, hoping no one noticed because they both knew what it would look like from an outside perspective. Not that she cared what others thought. What happened between her and Zuko was their business, though nothing ever really happened. He would try to make tea, they would dump the tea because of how bad it tasted, Y/N would remake the tea, and then they would talk.

Sometimes she wished it was more than that though.

It was a foolish dream to have, she recognized that as she took the teapot before he could even make an attempt to boil the water. “You couldn’t sleep either?” She asked as she began to heat the water with her firebending, holding the pot above her free hand.

Zuko scoffed, sitting back on the mat he referred to as a bed, “no, I just knew you’d be awake.”

Y/N frowned, “you should’ve gone to bed.” She places the tea leaves into the steaming pot, moving to sit with her legs crossed, across from him on the floor.

“And put the entire ship at risk?” Came his response, his brow raised.

Y/N laughed lightly, “what are you talking about?” Her head tilts as she looks at him in confusion, grabbing the two solitary teacups on his desk.

“Last time you were left unattended you nearly blew up our only means of transportation.” He deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes, looking to him as she spoke, “that was one time-”

Zuko was smiling now, “remember the time you nearly killed that man with a cabbage cart because he-”

“Okay! I get it, you can stop now.” Y/N exclaimed, cheeks warming as she recalled the event. She handed him his cup of tea, and for a moment she could even forget that the only reason that they were on the ship in the first place was to find the Avatar, for a moment she could forget that Zuko had changed

His hand grazed hers as he took the cup, mumbling a small, “thank you,” before he took a sip. Looking out the small window of the ship, he realized he would never forget his banishment. His home. He quickly brought his attention back to Y/N, only to realize she was already looking at him.

She brought herself closer to him on the floor, “what are you thinking about?” She recognized the look on his face, the nostalgia, the pain.

If he was honest, he was now thinking about the small amount of space between them since she’d moved to be seated beside him on the mat. Though he responded, “home.”

Y/N hummed in response, taking a sip of her tea, “you miss it?” She asked.

Zuko scoffed, “that’s a dumb question. Of course I miss it. Why wouldn’t I?” Y/N was tempted to tell him that he shouldn’t miss the home that cast him aside for thinking of the best interest of the people. The home that was ruled by the man who scarred him for life. The man he still seeked validation from.

Instead she shrugged, placing her tea onto the floor of his room, “well I don’t.”

His head snaps up, eyes meeting hers, he looks to her incredulously, “what do you mean you don’t? We’ve been away for so long!” He exclaims, his temper beginning to show. It was rare for him to explode at her like he tended to with other crew members, Iroh had pointed it out to him, and though Zuko shut him down quickly, nobody could deny the accuracy of the statement. But they had grown up there, together. All of his happy memories, all of his dreams, his past and hopefully his future, were all there. Had that all meant nothing to her?

“The Fire Nation was never my home, Prince Zuko.”

He almost flinches when she uses his title. And she quickly changes the subject, though she can feel it lingering in his mind as they have their tea.

She ended up falling asleep in his cabin after they talked for the rest of the night, awakening in the room she internally groaned, knowing what it would look like when she set foot outside of his room. Being on this ship for so long, she knew her fellow crewmates were looking for some gossip to spice up their lives a bit. Looking around, Y/N realized he wasn’t there. She brought a hand up to rub her temple she sighed when she sat up, deciding she’d go back to her room and get dressed before heading up to the deck.

They’d been coasting around Earth Kingdom waters that recently been put in Fire Nation control, and as she entered the deck of the ship, Y/N realized they had docked on one of the piers. The sea of people around the market made her wonder what the area could have to offer as she turned to look back on the deck, where Iroh had been seated with his Pai Sho board, along with several other crew members loitering in the area. “Good morning Iroh,” she said with a smile as she made her way towards him, “do you happen to know what we’ll be doing today?”

He smiled up at her, gesturing for her to take a seat as he responded, “well Prince Zuko was not very pleasant this morning, so perhaps something more violent.” He took the teapot on his side, “you should probably go look for him before my nephew does something unwise.” Iroh explained with a sigh, refilling his cup.

Y/N gave him a tight lipped smile, suddenly grateful she hadn’t gotten comfortable and taken a seat when he’d offered it, “of course. He likely intends to do something irrational and stupid.” She cracked her knuckles, aggressively securing her dagger at her side as annoyance bubbled up inside her, “I’ll see you later Iroh.”

She decided that if thugs hadn’t attacked him yet, she would, stepping off the ship and into the crowd. She slipped between the people with ease, making her way to some of the stands, shopkeepers yelling out deals as they tried to sell some of their products.

And then Y/N got distracted. It started out with a new dagger for her growing collection, then a new holster for said dagger which was now strapped to her leg along with the weapon. Would you look at that, with all this new stuff she was getting she’d definitely need a bag to carry it. Right? Right. Then it was some rare tea leaves for Iroh and new cookbook for the chef that lived on the ship, though it only served as a reminder that she was yet to eat.

Making her way towards the part of the market that specialized in foods, the aroma filled her nose. Holding the strap of the bag tighter as she maneuvered through the busy market as she’d spotted a stand with a variety of foods. Y/N inhaled deeply, taking in the sweet smell as she reached the stand before picking out what she wanted to purchase. In the corner of her eye she saw cabbages and couldn’t help the smile that found its way onto her face. Bringing out her small pouch of money, she went to hand the shopkeeper some coins, but the old woman shook her head.

“The young man over there paid for your things already Miss.” She explained, “scary guy. Just shoved this bag of money at me and told me to keep the change while you were on the other end of the stand shopping.” Though she ended up pointing in the direction of this elusive ‘young man,’ Y/N already knew who it was as she turned around and saw Zuko brooding against a wall in one of the emptier parts of the market.

She sighed, “thank you ma’am. Have a nice day.”

The old woman nodded, and Y/N put the foods into her bag as well, grateful for the variety of pockets within it as she made her way to where Zuko stood. “She had cabbages. I’m shocked you didn’t attack her.”

Y/N rolled her eyes, “where have you been all morning?” She pulled two of the bite-sized pastries she’d bought from the old woman, handing one to Zuko that he begrudgingly accepted as they began to walk down the empty street before taking a bite out of her pastry.

“Around.” Came Zuko’s response as he ate the small pastry. “I just wanted to browse the marketplace.” Y/N took another bite of her pastry as she listened, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

She scoffed, “Zuko, I swear.” They were entering a plaza, with a fountain in the center, “it’s my job to know where you are. I’m here to make sure you don’t die during your search for the Avatar, because I’m your right hand, remember?” She exclaimed, hoping he hadn’t noticed that she got side tracked in her search for him,

“You were my right hand. At home. Not that it was your home.” He corrected her pointedly. It was quickly becoming clear that her statement had bothered him, and he wasn’t going to let this go.

She looked at him incredulously, throwing what was left of her pastry at his chest, causing him to roll his eyes and throw what was left of his own at her face, though she dodged it. Y/N raised her brows, taken aback by this statement and action. He continued to walk as she stopped, dead in her tracks, “oh, is that what this is about? Because if you wanna talk about that we can-” A deep exhale escaped her, followed by silence.

Zuko’s brows furrowed, “what? Don’t wanna finish the sentence?” He asked as he turned around, only to find that she had a knife pressed to neck, and was surrounded by a group of men.

Of course it had been thugs.

One of them reached to the pouch on her side, yanking it from its place on her belt while the other looked up to Zuko, “you’re going to give us your money, or your little girlfriend is gonna die.” He threatened, pressing the knife harder onto her neck, drawing blood.

Inhaling sharply, Y/N managed to let a bitter laugh escape her despite the situation, “in case you didn’t notice, we had just been arguing. I doubt he has a problem with my death at this point.”

Zuko glared at her, “could you shut up for one minute?” He exclaimed.

“Oh, I think I’m about to be shut up permanently but okay Zuko.” She replied, a sarcastic smile on her face as he narrowed his eyes at her.

He quickly returned his attention to the thugs, who had exchanged looks due to the strangeness of the exchange they were witnessing. “Here’s what’s actually going to happen. You are going to let her go, and if you don’t, you’re going to die.”

The man with a knife against her throat laughed, “and how are you gonna manage that?” He asked, his four companions moving forward to form a circle around Zuko, weapons in hand. “We’ve got the upper hand.”

“Well, I’m not going to kill you. My little girlfriend will. And,” Zuko paused, eyeing the men surrounding him as he cracked his neck, “you don’t have the upper hand. Not while I have Y/N.”

The man was about to speak when a dagger suddenly pierced his leg, causing him to yelp in pain, dropping the knife he’d held into Y/N’s free hand. She threw the blade in Zuko’s direction and he caught it with ease as he dodged one of the men that lunged at him.

Y/N kicked her captor’s injured leg, causing him to fall to the ground and allowing her to slip her bag off of her shoulder, wrapping the strap around his neck as she rammed the hilt of the dagger onto his head, effectively knocking him unconscious. Turning around to assist Zuko, she had a deadly realization.

One of the men was missing.

Everything happened rather quickly after that, she extended her hand, preparing to begin firebending at the man that was attempting to sneak up behind Zuko, except no fire came out. Instead, a whip of water extended from the fountain, slamming him into a nearby building.

The other three men exchanged looks, stopping their movements momentarily, then taking a few steps back before breaking into a sprint in the opposite direction.

Y/N was still staring at her hand in shock, though her eyes soon rose to find Zuko staring at her as well, the look in his eyes unreadable. A shaky breath escaped her, “guess that conclude your search.” She swallowed nervously, squeezing her eyes shut as she continued, “you can go back home now.”

“We should get back to the ship.” Came his response. “You need medical attention.” Moving towards her, she took a step back.

“Zuko-”

“You aren’t the Avatar, Y/N.” He stated firmly.

“Really?” She exclaimed, disbelief clear in her voice, “because it sure does look like I am. No one else is capable of bending more than one element!” She pointed out.

Zuko shook his head, “the Avatar is an Airbender. You were born and raised in the Fire Nation.” He rationalized. “It’s not possible for you to be the Avatar, even if the Airbender is dead, the next Avatar would be from one of the Water Tribes.” Zuko opened his mouth to continue speaking but Y/N cut him off.

“Zuko.” Her voice came out as a whisper. “What are you doing?”

In that moment he is silent, and she wonders if he’s reconsidering his choice. In actuality, a million thoughts are running through his mind, maybe he could fake her death? Tell them that she died in this town, let her live out her life in peace while he continued a false search for the Avatar. Maybe this was a fluke, or there was a Waterbender hiding in the shadows that saved their lives. Or maybe he was in denial.

The only thing he was sure about was that Y/N wasn’t going back to the Fire Nation a prisoner.

“Protecting the only home I have left.”

Because sometimes home isn’t a place. It’s a person.

You can imagine their shock when they discovered the last Airbender.

a/n: are there two avatars? maybe. is the reader a dual bender? maybe. will we ever find out? idk

#zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #zuko #zuko atla #avatar the last airbender #atla #lok #legend of korra #prince zuko #prince zuko atla #atla x reader #avatar the last airbender x reader #iroh makes an appearance #zuko atla x reader

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muertawrites · 4 years

Text

Two Halves - Chapter One (Zuko x Reader)

Word Count: 3,700

Author’s Note: I decided to set this a few years after the war, when Zuko is Firelord. I didn’t want to stray too far from what was canon in the series - what with Katara being the only bender left in the Southern Tribe and also trying not to add extra family members because that always feels weird to me - so the reader in this story is a girl from the village who lost her parents to a raid and was essentially adopted into Sokka and Katara’s family; she stayed behind to watch after the tribe when they left to help Aang, and now, as the chief’s surrogate daughter, is arranged to marry the Firelord to help bring the two nations together. Chaos and sweet, tender romance ensues. This is also going to be a mini series! I have no real plot and no idea how long it’s going to be, but that just adds to the fun of it all. Stay tuned.

~ Muerta

“You can’t be serious.”

Sokka, seated beside you, instinctively offers you his hand, which you willingly, eagerly take, gripping it tightly in your lap. You can’t decide if you feel anger or fear; the two mix sourly in your stomach.

“I am,” Chief Hakoda says. His tone is even, and infuriatingly understanding. It makes you want to scream. “Your presence in the Fire Nation will be key to unite the nations in peace once again. They’ve been closed off from the rest of the world for too long - you’ll be an ambassador for our people.”

“Then make me an ambassador,” you snap. “Marrying me off to the Firelord is no better than letting him come here and colonize us.”

Hakoda glowers sternly at you. You shrink back, Sokka giving your hand an assuring squeeze.

“Firelord Zuko has made great strides to restore what his ancestors destroyed in the years since the war,” Hakoda scolds. “He’s an honorable, respectable man. I expect you to treat him as such.”

You look back up at him, letting out a heavy, defeated sigh.

“I don’t have a choice in this, do I?” you ask softly. Your voice quivers, revealing the terror behind your rage.

Hakoda’s expression softens as he stands. He helps you onto your feet, holding you gently at the elbows and looking apologetically into your eyes, one of his hands reaching to brush your hair behind your ear.

“Just because the war is over, it doesn’t mean the need for sacrifice is,” he tenderly says. “You’ll do great things as the queen of the Fire Nation. I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t trust Zuko to treat you well.”

In Hakoda’s eyes, you see the man you knew as a child, the man who brought you into his family when you lost your own to a Fire Nation raid. You love him as much as you loved your own father, and know he loves you as much as his flesh and blood children; you trust that he would never put you in harm’s way.

Hakoda leans forward and kisses your forehead, holding you close for a long moment before letting go, breaking contact with you completely. The pain on his face tears a gaping hole in your heart.

“You leave in three days,” he tells you. “You’ll be in good hands - I promise.”

Though you know it isn’t for the last time, leaving the Southern Water Tribe hurts so much you think it might kill you.

You cruise across a calm ocean in a Fire Navy ship; luckily Sokka was allowed to come with you as emotional support, as well as to represent the tribe at your wedding. The presence of Zuko’s uncle is also calming to you, despite how little you know him, and how not long ago you would have considered him an enemy. There’s just something about Iroh that makes you feel safe, and you only hope the same holds true when you meet your husband to be.

“Zuko sent me to ensure your safe passage,” Iroh told you when you first boarded the ship. “Think of me as your guardian spirit.”

You stand on the deck, basking in the newly warm weather and taking deep breaths of fresh ocean breeze. The peace of the moment helps you lose yourself, forgetting your fate entirely, if only for a moment.

“How ya feeling?”

Sokka sidles up next to you, placing an assuring hand on your shoulder. You reach up and curl your fingers around his, sighing.

“Awful, now that you’re here,” you tease.

Sokka chuckles.

“I could still make good on that promise I made when we were kids,” he offers, wrapping an arm around your waist and pulling you into the side of his sturdy, familiar body. “I don’t think Suki or Dad would be really happy about it, though.”

You let out a huff of laughter, remembering all the times you used to play together before the war brought you closer; you used to have intense crushes on each other, and Sokka always promised that he would marry you when you both got older - plans that changed when you effectively became siblings. You lean your head into his shoulder, finding comfort in his presence.

“I’m just scared,” you tell him. “I always planned for great adventure in my life, and to help people, but… this doesn’t seem like the right way. It feels like I’m being taken prisoner.”

“They say that having too many plans for one’s life keeps one from finding their true potential.”

You turn, meeting Iroh’s gaze as he crosses the deck to where you stand. You part with Sokka and bow respectfully, trying to hide the embarrassment that heats your skin.

“I apologize, General Iroh,” you greet him. “I didn’t mean any offense.”

Iroh tuts at you, placing a hand on your shoulder to gently straighten you up. He meets you with a kind gaze and a soft smile.

“Fear is to be expected, my dear,” he says. “You can’t have a great adventure without also facing a great fear.”

He turns and peers out across the water, inhaling and releasing a deep, contented sigh.

“The weather is lovely today,” he notes. “Why don’t we all enjoy it together, with a pot of tea?”

And so a tea set is brought, along with a table and cushions, and you and Sokka join Iroh as he demonstrates how to brew the perfect pot of jasmine green, generously serving each cup. He toasts to your being together, and you drink heartily, savoring the exquisite taste of his famous tea.

“I understand how you must feel,” Iroh addresses you once you’ve all settled. “Coming to a strange country, among people responsible for so much of the pain you’ve experienced; you’re exceptionally brave for doing what is best for your people.”

Iroh takes your hand, cradling it between both of his.

“I am sorry for how my nation - my family - has hurt you,” he says. “My nephew and I only want happiness for you with us, and we will do all we can to ensure it; I give you this vow among his.”

He squeezes your hand tightly, and you grip back, accepting his promise. You bow again, lowering yourself so that your face is almost level with the deck of the ship.

“Thank you, General Iroh,” you reply. “Your generosity means everything to me.”

When you sit up, Sokka places a hand at your back, giving you a comforting smile.

“Zuko’s a good guy,” he assures you. “I really think you’ll learn to like him.”

Your arrival in the Fire Nation, much to your surprise, is met with celebration. As your ship pulls into port, army and navy officers in full ceremonial regalia perform displays of their bending, a traditional band playing cheerful, joyous music to welcome you to shore. A procession of military vehicles escorts you through the streets of the capital to the palace, citizens emerging from their homes and businesses to catch a glimpse as your carriage rolls by. The people who manage to see you are elated, if not curious, staring at you with wide eyes and rapt attention; Iroh explains that many of them have never seen a foreigner, as travel to the nation is only just starting to become somewhat commonplace. You’re confronted by the beauty and grandeur of the city - the tall, elegant buildings with their ornate details are far from anything you’ve ever seen in person, even with the rapid development of the Southern Tribe.

In the palace, you’re immediately whisked away to your own wing, your quarters designated to a set of quaint buildings circling a scenic courtyard. Tradition dictates that, from the time of your engagement, you aren’t allowed to see the man you’re meant to marry until you’re both at the alter; the first few days of your time in the Fire Nation are spent in seclusion, resting off the fatigue of travel and acquainting yourself with the new culture you must now call your own. Though you have to keep your distance, you’re relieved when, on your first morning in the palace, you find a letter on your doorstep, scrawled in a refined, graceful hand and addressed from the Firelord himself.

Hello, it says, Zuko here.

I wish I could introduce myself in person, but unfortunately, this will have to do for now. Sokka has told me much about you in the years we’ve known each other, and he always speaks of you highly. My uncle is also already enamored with you, and tells me he already considers you family, so I hope this brings as much comfort to you as it does to me. I don’t think I could have chosen a better woman to rule at my side.

I have to admit that I’m nervous about getting married. I still feel like I’m too young, and still just figuring things out. But I guess if I can lead a country and make peace after a hundred years of war, I can have a wife and make her happy. I hope I do make you happy - I hope we can be close friends and lead the nation strongly together, for the better of both our homes.

Please write to me if you need anything. Sincerely yours, Firelord Zuko.

The candidity and awkwardness of his writing makes you smile, your mind at ease being able to put a voice to his name. You decide to write him back immediately.

Hello, Zuko, you write.

Your letter has already made me feel much better. Your uncle is a very sweet, very wise man, and I’m thankful that you sent him to watch over me - he makes me feel like I already have a little piece of a home and a family here. Meeting the man who raised you, I have faith that you’ll be a good husband to me.

I’m very scared because, unlike you, I’ve never led a country or had to negotiate peace - getting married is the biggest responsibility I’ve ever had. I want to help people, though, and if I can help people by leading them out of the darkness of war, I’m very happy to do it. It isn’t as terrifying knowing you’re also nervous; I’m glad we can be nervous together.

Please write to me as much as possible until the wedding. It would be nice to get to know my husband before I marry him. Sincerely yours, the bride.”

For the following days, you and Zuko exchange multiple letters; you have one waiting for you every morning, receive a reply by midday, and end each night wishing him pleasant dreams. You learn that he’s very intelligent and, though quite subdued, has a sense of humor much like your own. He has a passion for weaponry and the art of combat, as well as for storytelling and music (he tells you that dancing has recently been unbanned in the Fire Nation, and wonders if you’ll be able to teach him any Water Tribe dances; you promise to help as much as you can). The more you write to him, the less daunting the idea of your marriage seems, and you find yourself feeling excited by the idea of finally meeting him.

The day of your wedding starts early. You’re woken at dawn, fed a breakfast of tea and jook (both prepared by Iroh, and sent on a tray beside a polished wooden box - inside is a traditional hair comb and a note from the old man, explaining that the comb was given to his mother by his father on their wedding day; the gesture sends you to tears), then sent to the palace baths to be buffed and primed for your wedding attire.

You’re stripped down and steeped in multiple perfumed liquids, scrubbed with an array of soaps and exfoliants, and washed so thoroughly you think your handlers might have exposed an entirely new layer of skin. They wax every single hair from your body as well; you only attempt to draw the line when they reach your nether area.

“Please don’t,” you request, firm but not commanding. “I don’t think I’ll need it.”

The beautician scoffs at you, pushing you back onto the waxing table and forcefully spreading your legs apart.

“Foolish girl,” she huffs. “Of course you will. Royal marriages must always be consummated on the wedding night - the Firelord will want as many heirs as you can give him, as soon as possible.”

Her brute words make you sick to your stomach, and as she rips away the hair between your thighs, tears roll down your cheeks from both pain and horror. You want to believe the man who’s been writing to you for the past five days would never force himself onto you in the name of tradition, but it dawns on you once again that you don’t truly know him, and can’t anticipate his actions.

Once you’ve been wrung out from your time at the bath house, you’re sent back to your sleeping chambers, where you’re pleased to find not only lunch waiting for you, but visitors as well.

“Katara!” you cry, flying across the room and into her arms. She laughs, hugging you so tightly you can hardly breathe.

“Oh, I’ve missed you!” Katara cries, whirling you around a few times before setting you back onto your feet. “You already look so beautiful! How do you feel?”

“I’m terrified,” you tell her, “but so much happier now that you’re here.”

“Don’t forget me!”

Aang waves from behind Katara and you shout with glee, greeting him in the same manner you did her. He also crushes himself against you, and when you pull away, you cup his face between your hands.

“You look older!” you exclaim, squeezing his cheeks. “You grow every time I see you!”

Aang laughs, pushing your hands away with a pink blush creeping over his nose and ears.

“I’m a grown man, and the avatar,” he says, teasingly poking your shoulder. “You can’t keep treating me like I’m still twelve.”

“I can and I will,” you jest, lightly punching him in the stomach. He cackles and puts you in a (gentle) headlock, rubbing his knuckles into your skull to tangle your freshly washed hair.

“Hey, kids, that’s enough,” Sokka scolds playfully as he enters the room. “Let’s eat, otherwise I’ll be way too tempted by the spread at the reception tonight.”

Lunch with your siblings is the last moment of relative calm you have before the wedding and its reality truly start to set in. After the meal, Sokka and Aang leave to help Zuko with his own preparations, Katara staying to help you with yours. Your handlers navigate you into your dress, a traditional gown and robes made of many layers of fine silk and embroidered with dragons and native Fire Nation flowers; the train and sleeves fall so far behind you, you worry about tripping or scuffing the fabric. Once you’re dressed, your face is painted white, your features then outlined as if they were being drawn anew into your skin. You hardly recognize yourself once the handlers are finished with you, the anxiety you felt upon learning of your engagement returning with newfound ferocity.

Katara is the one to style your hair. Keeping with custom, she knots a portion of it atop your head in a tight bun, using the comb Iroh gave you to hold it in place. She then takes the remainder of your hair and braids it into two sections on each side of your face, the way it would be worn in the Water Tribe; she laces each braid with a string of beads from home, crystalline blue totems to ensure happiness and long life hanging at the end of each, contrasting beautifully with your gown. She cries when she steps back to look at you, carefully dabbing at her tears so as not to ruin her own makeup and dress.

“You’re so gorgeous,” she tells you. “I’m so glad Sokka never married you like he said he would, he would look awful at the alter next to you.”

You laugh, opening your arms and hugging her tightly, forcing your own tears back for the sake of the effort that’s been put into your costume.

For the last few minutes before the wedding, you’re alone; you stand outside the doors of the palace’s grand courtyard, flanked on both sides by guards, listening nervously as Iroh (who’s officiating, per his nephew’s request) praises you and recites a poem in your honor. His sentiments are exceedingly affectionate and should move you, but all you can think of is Zuko; what will he think of you? Will he like you as much in person as he did in writing? Was he just pretending to like you for the sake of your union? What if he didn’t think you were pretty? What if, like the beautician said, he forced you to sleep with him tonight, simply because it’s what’s meant to be done? You chew at your nails, biting them so hard that some of them start to bleed.

Music swells from inside the courtyard, and suddenly the doors before you swing open. You hold your head as high as you can, stepping forward with as much grace as you can manage and beginning to traverse the impossibly long aisle to the wedding altar. You breathe deeply, scanning the group of people standing before it - you see Katara first, and she nods encouragingly, looking like she’s about to cry all over again. Your eyes sweep over to Sokka, standing beside her, and he seems somewhat shocked by your appearance - not that you blame him, seeing as you look like a complete stranger, even to yourself. Iroh gazes at you from the center of the altar, wearing the expression of a proud father that makes you wish Hakoda were there. Aang stands beside Zuko, and you can tell from his face that he was bored by this whole display until you emerged from hiding; you stifle your laughter at his predictable, endearing disposition.

Finally, your eyes fall on the groom. The first thing you notice is his stare, cutting into you as he watches you approach; his chiseled, angular features have fallen into an awed expression, one that causes a giddy tickle in your chest. He’s tall, slim, with broad shoulders that carry his wedding robes proudly - his clothing matches yours, the only difference being the armored sheath across his chest that signals his status as ruler of the Fire Nation. You’re reminded that his father wore it before him, and a shudder runs through you as you recall all you suffered at his hands; you push it from your mind, climbing the altar steps to stand beside your betrothed. He gently takes your arm, a warm, timid smile breaking across his lips.

“Spirits,” Iroh addresses the crowd, “we gather before you to join this man, this woman, and our two great nations in a union of peace and prosperity. With your blessing and guidance, their souls will form two halves of a great whole, coming together to foster a new era of love and commitment not just for their people, but for each other. The bride and groom will now recite their vows.”

Iroh nods towards you, and you lower yourself onto your knees, bowing before the Firelord. You clear your throat, hoping that the entire country doesn’t hear the quiver in your voice.

“My lord,” you begin, “I give myself to you as completely as I give myself to my tribe. I swear, from this day forward, to walk confidently by your side in all your endeavors, to uphold the honor of our nations and families, and to be a guiding light into the future for every citizen of the Fire Nation. I will be your support, your comfort, and your ally in all aspects of our life together, and will serve you as loyally and dutifully as you serve me.”

You stand, taking one of the rings that sits upon the altar and slipping it onto Zuko’s finger; his skin is warm, his palms rough, and he shakes as violently as you do.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of our union, to represent the bond that holds us for all our days.”

Once you finish, thankful you didn’t stumble over your words or forget them completely, Zuko kneels, mirroring the way you bowed to him.

“My lady,” he recites, “by my word, I will serve you honorably and affectionately for all our time together. If you should ask for my compassion, I will give it; if you should seek after my heart, I will offer it willingly; and if I should stray from my path, I will follow you back onto it. I vow to you my devotion, and to bring you happiness and freedom. I trust in you the power to lead and govern my people as justly as I do.”

He stands and takes the other ring, delicately placing it as you did his.

“I give you this ring as a symbol of our union, to represent the bond that holds us for all our days.”

In most weddings, this would be the moment when the bride and groom embrace each other in a devoted, passionate kiss; instead, Zuko takes your arm and you face the court of respected leaders and diplomats from across the four nations, gripping each other tightly - you hold each other as if you’re the only support the other has to keep standing. Iroh’s typically soft, pleasant voice booms from behind you:

“I present the lord and lady of the great Fire Nation.”

Everyone in attendance folds onto their hands and knees, bowing as the band once again begins to play. You descend from the altar, your head feeling like it’s floating miles above your body, and exit through the doors you’d been shivering behind only minutes before - this time, with your husband beside you.

#muerta's works #two halves #zuko #zuko x reader #zuko x you #prince zuko x reader #prince zuko x you #prince zuko #prince zuko fanfic #zuko fanfic #zuko fanfiction #prince zuko fanfiction #atla fanfic

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reinerispretty · 4 years

Text

rotations. (zuko x f!reader) pt21

hello and welcome back! i hope you are having a very good day :)

pt1

pt20

pt22

It was a rainy day at the palace when Mai had interrupted (Y/N’s) meeting with the newer war generals. They were young, but had moved up in the Fire Nation army rather quickly and were more open to change than their older counterparts. (Y/N) paused her speech to stare at me. “Oh, hello,” She said.

“What happened?” Zuko demanded as they sat with the doctor. The poor man was wearing a nightcap and gown, but whatever the Fire Lord needed, he got. (Y/N) was very appreciative of the old man who was currently stitching up the cut on her arm and she gave him a smile before turning to Zuko and narrowing her eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘What happened?’ I couldn’t exactly ask the details while I was fighting for my life!” Zuko opened his mouth to speak, then shut it and turned his head away from her. (Y/N) sighed. “I’m sorry, I’m still on edge. They didn’t tell me who they were or what they wanted. They just said that they were sent to punish me for crimes against the Fire Nation.”

“What crimes?” Zuko asked. (Y/N) shrugged, wincing as the doctor stitched into her skin.

“None that I can think of, unless trying to right your country’s wrongs is considered a crime.”

“That has to be it. The people who are still loyal to my father...they must have sent someone after you.” Zuko turned to the guards standing watch at the door. “I want guards permanently placed outside of her rooms at all times. I want every inch of this palace watched.”

“Yes sir,” One of the guards said, bowing and then leaving to go inform the others.

“It’s not me they should be protecting,” (Y/N) said. “They’ll start coming for you next.”

And (Y/N) was right, as she tended to be. Over the course of the next year, as she and Zuko tried their hardest to bring peace back into the world and make up for the hundred years of war their nation had caused, five attempts on both of their lives had been made. (Y/N) tried her best to remain strong, but she feared going to sleep at night, not knowing if she would wake up the next morning.

Zuko’s seventeenth birthday came and went. Their friends could not pull away from their work of helping those who had been affected by the war and Uncle Iroh’s tea shop was taking off, leaving him little time to do much else. They all still sent Zuko gifts to show how much they cared, but she wasn’t sure if that was enough. (Y/N) had proposed the idea of a birthday dinner for Zuko, but he dismissed the idea with a wave of his hand. “We’re far too busy to worry about my birthday this year,” he had said as he signed scrolls at his desk. “I might just go to Mai’s house and have a small dinner with her.”

“If that’s what you want,” (Y/N) said with a smile, but it really felt like a punch to the gut. The last birthday she had spent with Zuko was his thirteenth. It was so many years ago that she was looking forward to doing something special with him. But she supposed she couldn’t blame him for wanting to spend his birthday with his girlfriend. (Y/N) was the one who distanced herself from him, after all. Still, she gave him the best birthday present she could come up with: a portrait of him and his mother. It had sat in the catacombs of the palace, untouched for years. Ozai had probably ordered it thrown out after Ursa’s banishment. She left it in front of his bedroom while he was out with Mai.

(Y/N) expected her sixteenth birthday to go somewhat similarly. She was pleasantly surprised to wake up that morning to find that her friends had sent her birthday gifts from areas they had traveled. Sokka sent her a whale-bone comb from the water tribe. Aang and Katara sent her a lovely portrait of her and her friends, complete with big smiles and goofy faces. Toph had sent a letter (with Katara’s help) stating that when they reunited, she’d buy her a birthday gift that (Y/N) picked out, since Toph was blind. (Y/N) giggled as she read that. From Iroh, she received dried tea leaves that made “the best tea in all of Ba Sing Se!” as his letter said.

Each of her gifts made her smile widely, but Zuko’s gifts had surprised her the most. A warm fruit tart was left outside of her door, along with a servant informing her that she had the day off to do what she liked and that all the costs would be covered by the Fire Lord. Then, she and Zuko would have a private dinner that night. (Y/N) thought it was a pretty sweet gift from the busiest person in the entire Fire Nation.

Her day had gone great. She bought all of the things she had had her eye on in the market for a while, and even bought the servants and guards who accompanied her a few things that she had noticed them looking at. The royal family was beyond beyond wealthy, so (Y/N) thought a few hundred gold pieces spent on the people who made their lives easier was a manageable expense.

When she returned to the palace, she readied herself for dinner and joined Zuko in the dining room. A feast had been prepared for the two of them, complete with all of their favorite things they used to eat as children. (Y/N) and Zuko dug into the meal, leaving little time for conversation, but they enjoyed each other’s company just the same. For the first time in a while, (Y/N) felt like she was just spending time with her old friend again.

That was, until a guard came in and whispered into Zuko’s ear. He looked at (Y/N) apologetically. “Fire Lord stuff, I have to go. I’m so sorry, (Y/N), it’s very urgent.”

“Oh,” She said, swallowing her noodles. “Do you need me to come?”

“No, no, I gave you the day off. Enjoy it.” He walked to her seat and bent down, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Happy birthday, (Y/N).”

“Thanks,” she mumbled, before watching him be led away by the guards. (Y/N) had known for her entire life that Zuko would become Fire Lord, yet there was nothing she could do to prepare herself for it. She ate the rest of her birthday dinner alone, and then retired to bed at an early hour.

---

The sixth assassination attempt was the final straw for Zuko. He kept the assassin prisoner and interrogated them for information. This interrogation led him out of the Fire Nation and to the Earth Kingdom colony of Yu Dao. All of his decisions were made in a split second, including the one where he left (Y/N) in charge of the entire Fire Nation.

“You can’t possibly be serious,” One of his other advisors said, “Leaving this girl in charge of your country while you are gone.”

“This girl helped save the entire world from destruction, so I suggest you start listening to her. Besides, as soon as I walk out these doors, she might choose to fire you, and I’d absolutely back her up, no questions asks.” Zuko raised his eyebrow at the advisor, who immediately kept his words to himself.

(Y/N) approached Zuko and tugged on his robes. “If I’m interim Fire Lord, do I get to wear the thing?”

“The thing?” Zuko asked. She put her hand behind her topknot and waved her fingers around like a flame. “You mean the Fire Lord crown?” Zuko laughed heartily for the first time in a while. “Yeah, you can wear the Fire Lord crown.”

“Yes!” (Y/N) said quietly to herself. It wasn’t so much that she wanted the power of being temporary Fire Lord, but she had always thought the crown looked really cool.

Zuko took the crown from his own topknot and placed it in hers. “There. Don’t go burning the city down.” (Y/N) scoffed.

“That runs in your family, not mine.” She walked away with her head held high, already giving her fellow advisors briefings about what decisions she and Zuko had come up with for the nation. Zuko watched as the old men begrudgingly listened to the young girl’s orders before departing to the Earth Kingdom.

Zuko made some very questionable decisions while he was away. He had sent a messenger hawk to (Y/N) informing her that the Fire Nation was now pulling out of the Harmony Restoration Movement. He had learned that some of the families within the colonies where blended mixtures of fire and earthbenders. He explained to her how he didn’t feel right separating families or making people leave their homes, so that was why he no longer wanted to back the movement. (Y/N) was nervous about this decision, because everyone else in the world was for the movement, but Zuko had essentially given an order. He was the Fire Lord and he was trying to do what was best for his nation. She had to remind that little voice in the back of her head that Zuko was not Ozai. He was not the person he was before. So, she informed the advisors of the order and planned for the repercussions accordingly.

“Could I speak to you for a moment?” Mai asked. (Y/N) nodded and left the table, promising that she would return shortly. She and Mai stepped outside the room.

“What’s up?” She asked.

“I’ve been worried about you and Zuko.”

“Me and Zuko? Why?”

“Because of all the assassination attempts?” (Y/N) nodded.

“Right, those. Forgot about those.”

“Listen, I asked Ty Lee if she and the Kyoshi Warriors would mind keeping an eye on the place, since the guards obviously aren’t doing great. I wanted to double check that it was okay with you.”

That honestly surprised (Y/N). She had never had anything against Mai, except that she had tried to kill her on multiple occasions (but at this point, very few of her friends hadn’t) and was dating the boy she loved. They had grown up together but she had never really considered themselves to be friends; moreso acquaintances who had a lot of mutual friends. So, the fact that Mai was asking for her permission to bring in the Kyoshi Warriors because she was worried about her meant a lot.

“That’s completely fine by me,” (Y/N) said with a smile. “Thanks for thinking of it.”

Mai shrugged. “Both you and Zuko are way too busy to have to worry about keeping yourselves alive.” She leaned in close to (Y/N). “By the way, I’m pretty sure all of those boys in there are completely in love with you.”

(Y/N) laughed. “Makes my job of getting them to do what I want easier.” Mai gave her a small, very Mai-like smile before walking away. (Y/N) wondered if maybe Mai was soft on the inside like she was.

---

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#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar #zuko x reader #sokka x reader #aang x reader #katara #toph #suki #aang #azula #iroh #sokka #momo #appa #writing #fanfiction

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miyanom · 3 years

Text

Sweet Tea in the Summer

MASTERLIST | REQUESTED BY: @goodandevil18

GENRE: fluff

PROMPT: “Did you seriously just climb through my window?”

NOTES: I’m so sorry for the long wait! But here is the Zuko oneshot that was requested, I’m hoping to be able to get the Sokka one out soon, but the words for this were just flowing out.

Zuko sat in front of the pond, though his back was turned to the turtle ducks that usually took up all his free time in the afternoon. Instead, his attention was entirely focused on the girl sitting across from Aang and Katara as they all drank tea together in the garden.

During the war, when he was training Aang, it was easier to ignore his blossoming feelings for his old friend as she spent most of her time with Katara or Sokka. But now that she was practically living at the palace with her father as one of his council members, it was harder to ignore that she existed.

Y/N threw her head back in laughter, but Zuko couldn't hear what Aang said. Not that it mattered much to him, not when Y/N looked like an absolute angel with the sun shining down on her like that.

"Zuko, why don't you come join us?" Katara called out, finally snapping the boy out of his thoughts. The Water Tribe girl - who had refused to call him by his official title ever since his coronation - stared at him with a knowing look in her eyes.

"I-" His voice came out fairly squeaky, causing him to quickly avert his gaze as a blush crept onto his cheeks. He cleared his throat with a quiet cough before attempting. "I can't. I have a meeting to get to."

"Oh, come on," Y/N rolled her eyes, a grin taking over her features. "You're Fire Lord Zuko. I believe that means you can stay for one cup of your uncle's new Tea, without your council getting too annoyed."

Zuko's eyes flickered to her for just a second, before he stood up and turned around to head inside. The simple phrase "I'm already late" leaving his lips as he left.

Y/N stared at Zuko's retreating figure with a frown. A sigh escaped her lips as she lifted her cup back up, taking a small sip of the sweet tea Uncle Iroh had prepared for them.

Katara crossed her arms. "I seriously don't know how you put up with him all the time," she grumbled. "I've only been here for two days and I already-"

"Sweetie," Aang spoke up sweetly, his soft smile immediately relaxing Katara.

Y/N's eyes flickered between the young couple, they had been dating for 2 years now. Ever since the war ended. Y/N found their relationship cute, even if Sokka had gotten to the point where hearing "sweetie" one more time would make him jump into Unagi infested waters.

"I don't understand how it was so easy for you two," Y/N muttered. "Going from friends to- to this!" She waved her hand in the direction of the couple who had just shared a kiss right in front of her. "I want it to be that easy for me and-"

Y/N suddenly cut herself off with a fake cough, looking down in embarrassment.

"For you and Zuko," Aang finished for her. "Is that what you wanted to say before you coughed?"

"Yeah, thanks, Aang," Y/N rested her forehead against the palm of her hand, not wanting to look at her friends.

"Oh, come on, Aang. Who else would she be talking about?" Katara giggled.

"I can't believe you two are making me wish that Sokka was here right now."

"What would he do that we can't?" Katara asked, sounding annoyed that her best friend would even suggest wanting her brother's company more than her own. "Sokka gives the worst relationship advice! Just ask Zuko!"

"Zuko asked Sokka for advice?" Y/N lifted her head. "Why? About who?"

"Sweetie!" Aang glanced at Katara, whose eyes widened as she realised what she had said. "No one, Y/N. It was a looong time ago. Right, Katara?"

"Right!" Katara squeaked, nodding her head a few times.

Y/N stared at the two with a raised brow, not believing them for even a second. "You two are the worst liars I have ever met. And I know Sokka!"

"We aren't supposed to say. I'm sorry, Y/N," Aang frowned. "He made us promise."

"Why though? Please, give me something to work off here," Y/N begged.

Realising this might be the only chance she had to convince Y/N to say something, Katara quickly spoke up. "You should tell him how you feel tonight! Before he gets advice from someone better than Sokka."

Y/N visibly deflated at that. "Why would I do that if he likes somebody else?" She let out a sigh as she stared down into her tea cup. "I guess it makes sense, he has been avoiding me recently, and just brushes me off when I do get the chance to speak to him."

Aang and Katara shared a look. Y/N wasn't just overthinking things here. Zuko had been brushing her off recently, but that was because of Sokka's stupid advice. It had nothing to do with Y/N.

"You have to try, Y/N," Katara told her. "You'll only be more heartbroken if you don't. And... and if it doesn't work out, then I guess you can come live with me in the South."

Y/N let out a quiet laugh. She had been pestering Katara about that for weeks now, saying that if her best friend in the Fire Nation had gotten sick of her then perhaps it was time to go visit Katara and Sokka's home for awhile. It didn't hurt that it was currently summer in the Fire Nation, and a refreshing break to the snow would be nice this time of year.

"Okay, but when he rejects me and tells me he never wants to see my face again, then I hope you know that I will never leave the South Pole."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," Katara smiled softly.

Zuko sat his desk, his head in his hands. He didn't even have any meetings today, he didn't know why he said that. Honestly, he would've loved nothing more than to join them for tea, to hear Y/N's laugh up close. But Sokka's squeaky voice had weaselled its way into his head, telling him to play hard to get.

So now here he was, wasting the evening away in his office in an attempt to avoid Y/N's judging eyes. Surely by now she would've realised he was lying about the meeting.

Maybe she was too busy with Aang and Katara to remember that she practically had his entire schedule memorised like the back of her hand - he had forgotten one meeting with one of the Fire Nation officials, so Y/N had taken it upon herself to make sure he would never do it again. When he had asked her about it, she told him that it was so he could have at least one stressful thing taken off his shoulders.

It meant more to him than he would ever admit.

Zuko's eyes widened as he lifted his head just in time to see Y/N halfway through the window, obviously having climbed inside.

When their eyes met, a sheepish smile appeared on the girl's face. "So... you come here often?" She asked awkwardly.

Though her stupid question wasn't what he was focused on. "Did you seriously just climb through my window?"

With her feet now touching the ground inside the office, she dusted off her pants. "Yes..." She noticed the dead-pan look her was giving her. "But you gave me no choice!"

"I gave you no choice?" His brows furrowed in confusion as he stood up and pointed at the door. "There's a door right there, Y/N!"

"If the guards announced me, you would've come up with a stupid excuse to leave," Y/N pointed out.

Zuko went silent at that, knowing she was probably right. "I-"

"No. Stop talking," she held her hand out in his direction, signalling for him to stop. "I need to talk. And then I'm gonna climb back out the window and we'll pretend this never happened-"

"Okay?"

"Zuko, what did I just say?" She whined. He couldn't help but smile, though instead of replying, he simply nodded. "Thank you. Now, anyways... Zuko, I think - at least, I hope - I'm not the only one who feels this way. But I really like you, okay? Wait, no... No, I mean I do but it feels like more than that! Maybe- I think I'm in love with you. Wow was that weird to say, how do Katara and Aang do it all the t-"

"You love me?" Zuko stared her in shock, only able to watch as Y/N stopped rambling and took a hesitant step back toward the window.

"Y- yeah, so... so I think I'm gonna climb back out now," she whispered. "Sorry."

Just as she was about to throw her leg over the side of the railing, he quickly rushed forward. Taking her hand into his own, he effortlessly pulled her away from the window until she stood facing him.

They both stared at each other for just a moment, before Zuko whispered. "I love you, too."

Without a second of hesitation, Y/N slowly pulled Zuko's face down closer to hers, their lips pressing together gently as they kissed.

Zuko was beginning to realise something else, he should have never listened to Sokka's advice. If he hadn't, then maybe he could've been kissing her for much longer.

As they pulled away, Zuko found himself saying the first thing that came to his mind. "Is that Uncle's new sweet tea?"

Y/N blinked, before letting out a laugh. "Yeah, I had more before I came. Surprisingly, it helped my nerves."

Zuko smiled softly. "Good. I'm glad you came and told me."

"Me too."

#zuko x reader #zuko oneshot #atla x reader #atla #zuko #atla zuko #zuko fluff #zuko fanfic #avatar: the last airbender

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just-jordie-things · 3 years

Note

Hi can you do 53 with Zuko?🥺 It could be after he joined the Gaang please? 🙏

prompt 53: against a wall kiss ___

Seeing him again was surreal.

That was one way to put it.

Other words that came to mind were frightening, exhilarating, calming, and insane.

Because you truly didn’t think you’d ever see him again.

After he’d made his choice in Ba Sing Se, to betray Iroh, you’d turned around and betrayed him. You’d stayed by his side for so long, even on that dreaded ship, even when you were waiters in a tea shop, even when it was difficult to be his friend, you never abandoned him. But that night in the catacombs, you’d made a choice of your own.

You’d chosen good. You’d chosen Aang. And you’d chosen to leave him.

He knew why, of course. He understood that you hated him, that he hurt you, that he’d chosen wrong, but you leaving is what had broken his heart.

And so for Zuko, seeing you again was surreal.

The Gaang had accepted him into the group, on the basis that Aang needed a firebending teacher, and he was just desperate enough to accept Zuko. But Aang had asked everyone first to make sure it was okay.

When the young boy looked at you, your eyes widened slightly, surprised that your opinion mattered to him, since you’d been with them for such a short time, and you had been a Fire Nation traitor.

“Yes, you,” Aang answered your silent question of surprise. “You’re one of us, your vote counts”

You open your mouth, but no words come out. You’re gaping at a fish, eyes wildly darting between Aang and Zuko.

“I... yeah,” You answer weakly. “If you think he’s supposed to be your teacher, then, yeah”

Zuko begins to thank you, but you turn and walk away before he can say much. You think you might burst into tears if you look at him for a second longer, and you need time to sort your feelings out before you say anything to him.

After Aang thanks Zuko for helping him master the last element, everyone leaves. And the firebender is left standing alone in the Western Air Temple. It stings a little, but his happiness in being accepted into the group outweighs the awkwardness.

Sokka shows him to his room, and he spends some time alone, thinking back on the crazy last couple of days that he’d gone through. A lot had happened, he’d made a pretty life changing decision almost on a whim, and he needed to make sure it wasn’t a mistake.

As a figure appears in his doorway, he knows it wasn't. In fact, he knows that following the Avatar to join his group was the exact right thing to do, for once.

“(y/n),” Zuko stands abruptly, and he’s staring at you with a look on his face you can’t quite decipher. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you”

He steps towards you, and you’re not sure if he’s going to try to hug you, but you step back slightly, and put a hand up to make sure he keeps his distance.

“Wait,” You say, your voice shaky as you stare at him with no emotion. “Don’t... just.. don’t,” You shake your head, and take a deep breath to collect yourself. “Zuko I... I don’t know what to do right now” You whisper.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know if I’m still angry at you,” You admit, thinking it was better to just be honest with him. “I mean, I want to be. I should be, but I...”

Your eyes meet his, and all reason flies out the window. All you can think about is how much you missed him. How terribly your heart had ached for him since you’ve been apart. He was never truly yours, but when he’d left, it felt like he was leaving you, and that you’d lost him.

Looking at him now, you knew deep down that you still loved him.

“I missed you” You confess, your voice cracking, and slowly, your hard exterior begins to crumble.

Zuko steps forward, hesitantly, and holds his arms out to you in silent question.

This time you don’t step away. Instead, you crash into him, your own arms flying around his neck as you embrace him tightly, and cry into his chest.

You’d longed for this moment since the minute you’d gotten on Appa’s saddle in Ba Sing Se.

“I’m so sorry, (y/n/n),” The ex-prince murmurs into your hair, his arms circling your waist and holding you tight against him so you could never break free. “I’m so sorry”

“I- I’m so mad that y-you l-left me,” You stammer out in between shaky breaths of air.

Zuko thinks he might start crying too.

“I- I thought I’d n-never s-s-see you a-again”

“Oh, my darling,”

He pulls back from you, just enough that he can cup your face in his warm and gentle hands, and wipe your tears away as he looks you in the eyes.

“No matter how much you may have resented me, I would have never let that happen,” He tells you with grave seriousness.

You sniffle as the pad of his thumb brushes underneath your eye.

“And I’ll never leave you again, darling”

“Promise?” You whisper, your breath fanning over his lips as you move in closer to him.

“I promise” He answers affirmatively.

You waste not a second more before leaning in the rest of the way, and softly capturing his lips in yours.

It’s not the first time you kissed. He did steal a kiss from you once in secret back in Ba Sing Se, after a late night of closing up his Uncle’s tea shop and goofing off with you. He’d just done it so quickly, so naturally before heading to bed. In fact, even though it was new and strange and opened up an infinite amount of questions regarding your relationship, it had felt natural to you, too.

Kissing Zuko now felt like it had back then.

Natural. And Right.

And as his hands dropped to your hips and he roughly brought you into his chest to deepen the kiss, it felt good.

You whimpered, a quiet little strangled sound dying in the back of your throat. Maybe because of the crying, maybe because of Zuko’s warm fingers grazing beneath the hem of your shirt and burning your skin, either way, ir prompted him to push you backwards. You stumbled on your feet, wanting to follow his command without breaking your lips from the heated kisses you were sharing.

Eventually, Zuko backed you against a wall, and he kept you firmly trapped between the stone and his chest. You let out a breath of air as you’d run into it, and in the slight pause you took, he raised one hand back to your face.

His fingers barely ghosted over your jaw, his thumb resting on your bottom lip. He watched in awe as he dragged the pink flesh downwards, before releasing it.

“I’m in love with you” He exhales, eyes meeting yours, and you smile coyly.

“I know,” You reply, knowing it’s not what he wanted to hear, before reaching up and kissing him again.

It’s passionate, and lively, as your hands fly towards his hair, tangling and pulling on the long raven strands just to get a rise out of him- and to hear th little noises he tried not to make.

But soon enough you were pulling apart to catch your breath again, your chest rising and falling as you panted, and Zuko thinks he’s never loved looking at you more than right now.

Your skin is flushed, your lips are swollen, and your pupils are blown wide and dilated, and the thought of you wanting him just makes him want you even more.

“I’m in love with you too” You finally tell him, breathlessly.

He grins at you, and his hands on your waist tighten as he hoists you up, bringing your legs around his hips before shoving you back against the wall and crashing your lips together again.

(Toph is somewhere in the temple begging to be carried because she just can’t stand her earth bending abilities right now) _

xoxo ~ jordie

#atla #zuko #zuko x reader #zuko scenario #zuko imagine

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melzula · 3 years

Text

Refined Taste

pairing: Zuko x Princess!reader

notes: an anon requested some more Iroh and Princess content so I delivered hehe

~ part of the fire lilies series ~

The soft whistle of the boiling tea pot is a welcomed sound that brings you a great sense of peace and comfort as you work in the kitchen of the Jasmine Dragon. Few customers occupy the shop as they sit and chat over cups of tea and mini cakes— a limited time only delicacy curtesy of the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe— and with a lull in the crowd after a very busy day at work, you’re happy to spend your free time chatting away with Iroh.

Today marked the fourth day of Zuko’s much needed slumber, so while you waited for him to wake you spent your time revisiting old friends and places in Ba Sing Se. You said hello to Miss Tai and bought three new dresses to help support her small business, you went out for a pleasant lunch date with Jin, and, something you were admittedly embarrassed about doing, you spent your evenings wistfully gazing out your window in hopes of spotting the Blue Spirit. It was odd being back in the place that held some of your happiest and some of your darkest memories, but you loved it all the same. During the day you made sure to check on Zuko as he slept, and when your presence was no longer needed you made yourself useful by helping Iroh run the Jasmine Dragon.

The events that had occurred in Yu Dao had almost been disastrous, but with the help of Katara and the residents of the colony Aang was finally able to see that Zuko had been right all along. You stayed on the sidelines just as you had told Zuko you would, it wasn’t your place to interfere, but now that things had settled and King Kue was willing to negotiate you would be attending the meeting as a representative for the South and to offer any aid you could. However, such a council could not take place until Zuko awoke, and so you found yourself in the company of Uncle Iroh.

“I don’t even want to imagine what my nephew’s life would be like without your courage and support,” Iroh says over the boiling water. “Thank you again for bringing him to me, y/n. Spirits know he wouldn’t have come on his own, he’s too stubborn.”

“Well, I did have some help from Aang,” you admit with a quiet laugh, “but you don’t need to thank me. I love Zuko, and I’ll always look out for his best interests.”

“So you’ve proven time and time again. He is lucky to have you, you know. Very lucky.”

“Thank you, Uncle,” you smile, gazing down bashfully at the sleeves of your dress. “But Zuko’s also lucky to have you.”

“He is lucky to have both of us. I mean, we are an excellent team,” Iroh says with a wink. Your shared laughter quiets at the sound of careful footsteps making their way into the room, and you feel your heart swell with love and adoration at the sight of a sleepy Zuko standing in the kitchen doorway.

“Well, look who finally decided to wake up!”

“Hi sleepyhead,” you say with a smile, rising from your seat to meet him halfway. Zuko is grateful for your touch as you rest a hand upon his cheek and press your lips against his own in a delicate kiss. You taste of honey and ginger, your intoxicating scent of fire lilies invading his senses, and though Zuko wishes he could kiss you with fervency, he settles for one last lingering kiss before finally parting from you; making out in front of his Uncle is something he’d rather not do, so he composes himself.

“How are you feeling?” Iroh asks, watching with an amused smile on his face as you and Zuko immediately cling to each other. Your arms wind around one another and hold each other close, and the love you share is enough to warm the old man’s heart. Yes, Zuko is in very good hands.

“Better,” Zuko notes faintly, “but tired.”

“I’ll make you a nice cup of green tea to wake you up a bit,” the man says as he immediately gets to work.

“Let’s go sit down,” you suggest, taking Zuko’s hand and guiding him towards one of the empty tables in the shop. He seats himself with a yawn and smiles gratefully as you take off your warm shawl and drape it over his shoulders before pressing a chaste kiss to his cheek. “Hungry? There’s still some mini cakes left over.”

“Are there any strawberry cakes?” He asks with a meek smile.

“But of course! What kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn’t make my boyfriend his favorite kind of mini cakes? I’ll be right back.”

“Thank you,” Zuko calls after your retreating form, hearts in his eyes as he watches you disappear behind the curtains. Would it be selfish of him to ask you to be his Fire Lady right now?

Iroh leaves the kitchen with a pot of tea just as you walk in to fetch Zuko his cake. You make sure to grab the one with the most strawberries and extra frosting, the way he likes it, and set it neatly onto a plate before returning to your beloved. Aang is now seated across from him, and so you say nothing as you place his food before him and sit down beside Zuko.

“—Since Roku’s my past life, in a way you’re my family, Zuko. And no matter how hard I’ve tried, I’ve never been able to detach myself from those sorts of bonds,” Aang laments. “It’s a flaw, I know, but it’s one I’ve decided to accept, for this life at least.”

“You’re not the one who’s flawed, Aang,” Zuko sighs. “Why can’t the struggle get easier for me? Even just a little? Sometimes I wonder how long I’ll last.”

He doesn’t meet your gaze when the confession leave his lips, but the way in which Zuko reaches over and tightly grabs hold of your hand is enough. Your heart breaks at his words and you desperately wish you could ease his pain and worries, but you know that being here by his side is enough for now. And you’ll be by his side whenever he needs you to be.

“You know, in that dream, a woman stood with us on that mountaintop watching from the shadows. I think she was my mother...”

“Sometimes, dreams are the way a person’s spirit reveals the answer to his own problems,” Iroh notes wisely. Then, with a humorous smile on his face, “but, then again, sometimes they are just the result of eating spicy food before going to bed.”

“Maybe finding my mother would connect me to a part of my heritage that isn’t so murky and confusing,” Zuko notes thoughtfully. “Maybe then I’d finally find peace. I’ve never told anyone this, but right after I became Fire Lord I sent out search party after search party looking for her. I even hired June and her shirshu. They all came back empty handed. What can I do now that I haven already tried?”

“It’s a new world, Zuko. You need to take some new risks,” Aang says wisely.

“We all do,” you agree, your mind already beginning to drift elsewhere as you calculate how long you can stay away from home without being missed too much.

“Speaking of risks,” Iroh cuts in with a smile as he presents three glass of odd looking to your trio, “why don’t you all try this brand-new beverage I invented?”

“What is it?” You ask curiously, taking the glass Zuko hands to you and swirling the odd looking balls at the bottom of it with your straw.

“Well first, I cook tapioca balls until they’re soft and tender. Then I put them in the tea, where they sit like little pearl-sized snacks at the bottom of each cup! Add a little milk and— ta-da!— a revolution in tea is born!”

Zuko and Aang share uneasy glances with each other before slowly taking sips from their glasses only to immediately cringe the moment the tapioca balls hit their their tongues.

“What is that trying to sneak into my mouth?!” Zuko exclaims after promptly spitting out the pearls.

“Wow,” Aang chuckles nervously, “I’ve never had tea that’s quite so... chewy.”

“It seems I am a man ahead of my time,” Iroh says sadly, his eyes casted downward to the floor. However, the noisy sound of a straw directs all attention towards the smiling Princess and interrupts his bout of sadness. Oblivious to the gazes of your friends set upon you, you happily suck the last of your tea from the glass until it’s completely empty. It’s only once your drink is gone do you finally notice the strange looks sent your way by Zuko and Aang.

“What?” You retort with furrowed brows. “It’s really good.”

“Finally, someone with taste!” Iroh exclaims happily at your praise. “It appears I am a revolutionary after all.”

“You actually like that stuff?” Zuko says flabbergasted.

“It’s just tea, but different,” you shrug, grinning when Zuko hands you his leftover drink to finish for him. “However, the only thing I would add is some ice. It tastes better cold.”

“Genius!” The tea maker compliments, watching in awe as you bend ice cubes of your own to plop into the glass. “Y/n, you must come to the Jasmine Dragon more often, I could use your refined taste.”

“‘Refined’ is a strong word,” Zuko murmurs only for you to elbow his side. “Ow! What did I say?”

“I’d be happy to, Uncle,” you say with a sweet smile.

“I think I know who the new favorite is,” Aang jokes only for Zuko to roll his eyes. However, he can’t help the smile that grows on his face as he watches you and his Uncle interact together. It was safe to say you hadn’t made a good impression on his sister or his father, but the only thing Zuko really cared about was his Uncle, and from what he could see the two of you were like peas in a pod. Faintly, Zuko wondered if you would be the same way with his mother.

“What are you thinking about?” You whisper to the Fire Lord, immediately taking notice of his far off look.

“About you,” Zuko admits to your surprise, “and how much I love you. And how I’m really glad you’re here.”

Heat spreads its way across your face and you smile bashfully at his profession, resting your head upon his shoulder as you converse with Aang. Though Zuko hates to keep you away from home longer than you need to be, he knows he’ll need your help with something else. But before he can ask you, there’s one person he still needs to see before he can begin his next journey.

He needs to talk to Azula.

| tags: @rainteslerrrr @simpinforsukka @sirkekselord @protect-remus @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak @thebluelcdy @royahllty @the-firebender-girl @coldlilheart @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @knaite-solo @draqondance @taeeemin @user12345321 @just--artemis--with--ghost @titaniafire @dekahg @emberislandplayers @kikaninchen-2 @lozzybowe @izzieserra @melacholy @music-geek19 @thia-aep @thyunnamed @haylaansmi @nataliahaslosthershit @idkdude776 @aangsupremacy @thirstyforsometea @ihaveaproblem98 @brown-eyed-thang @djskfkdkkf @xapham @yeetletzgetitjae @misnmatchedsox @chewymoustachio @that-bucket-hat-gal @chilifrylizard2 @kyomihann @kaylove12 @kiwihoee @freggietale @neighborhoodpansexualdisaster @noodlesfluffy @moon-spirit-yue @bubblegum-bee-otch

#avatar: the last airbender #zuko #prince zuko #zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #zuko imagine #prince zuko imagine #uncle iroh #iroh #aang #aang x reader #zuko and the princess #avatar the last airbender #atla #atla x reader #atla imagine #the promise #fire lilies

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the-firebender-girl · 4 years

Text

The Dragon’s Bride (Zuko x Reader)

A continuation to “The Dragon’s Mark”

-> Planning a wedding turned out to be way harder than ending a war.

A year has passed since Zuko formally courted Y/N. Ever since then the Fire Nation has been busy preparing for the wedding of a lifetime, after all the wedding of their Fire Lord is celebrated as one of the national holidays. It’s a grand occasion made for all, excitement buzzing in the air.

Wedding planning has been.... interesting, if you want to put it kindly. Y/N never knew that her wedding will be this elaborate. Iroh and Ty Lee has been drilling her non stop every single day on all the important details, especially when it comes to Fire Nation culture and customs. Long story short, she’s feeling more than slightly overwhelmed.

Today her parents will arrive in the capital, they had sailed all the way here from Agna Qel’a from about a month ago, it’s quite a long journey to make after all. This is definitely a break that she deserves and look forward to, although Zuko is all worked up about it, scared that they won’t like him. Not that she can blame him for feeling that way, after all he was there when the Siege of the North happened, and in some ways played a part in what follows.

But Y/N assured him time and time again that no matter what, she would do anything that she could to convince her parents to accept him as their son-in-law. She truly believes that despite his questionable past, Zuko has learned a lot and he has changed into a fine man. She only hopes that her parents could see him in that light too.

Zuko and Y/N stand side by side in the deck of the harbor, ready to welcome the visitors from up north. Specks of blue dot started to appear in the horizon, signaling the arrivals as the shape grew bigger and bigger. As the boats passed what remains of the Great Gates of Azulon, Y/N can see clearly the double-hulled vessels powered by waterbenders. Lips tugging up into a smile at the anticipation of meeting her parents again, how she misses them.

Y/N look to the side towards her betrothed just to find him swaying back and forth even though his feet is planted firmly. Hands fidgeting with the edge of his crimson robe. Biting his lower lips as his eyes is trained on the approaching ships. Even though the Water Tribe ships aren’t designed to be half as intimidating as how they make it in the Fire Nation, it still doesn’t help Zuko’s case.

Y/N chuckles and reached her hand towards Zuko’s, clasping their hands together. His head snapped towards her and he gave her a weak smile, a poor attempt on his part to cover just how anxious he is.

She extended her other hand to settle on his cheek, rubbing it soothingly. Feeling the texture of his freshly shaven skin, Iroh has been bugging Zuko to try and grow a beard or at least some stubble. But it seems like the idea hasn’t grown on him yet.

“You doing okay there, champ?” Y/N asked softly, cocking her head to the side.

“Honestly? I think i’m about to faint any moment now” Zuko replied, grimacing.

She trailed the both of her hands down slowly and finally settling on his waist, pulling him in closer into a hug. She leaned her face forward so that the tip of their noses and forehead are touching. Zuko sigh contentedly, enjoying all the ways that their bodies came into contact with each other. Relishing the feeling of her being soo close to him. Y/N once said that he might have a case of touch-starved, reluctant as he might on admitting it, he’s starting to see her point.

“Don’t let go” He mumbled out breathily and he earned another chuckle from his lover, a sound that always brings a smile to his lips.

“I see the appeal, love. But how are we supposed to greet them properly with the sickening amount of PDA that we’re displaying?” She teased him, to which Zuko just grunt in response, grudgingly putting some space between them.

They turned to look towards the ships, seeing that now it has dropped its anchors and the ramps are being lowered to the harbor.

One by one the passengers stepped out, the first few ones out is Chief Arnook and his wife, followed by the rest of the Council of Elders. Then two familiar figures made their way down, Tulok and Yuka, Y/N’s parents.

Y/N waved a hand excitedly towards them and they too gave a bright smile in return as they approach. When they all have stood in front of each other, Zuko and Y/N bow first to show their respect towards the elders, and they too follow suit after.

“It is my pleasure to welcome you here, Chief and Chieftess, I wish you a pleasant stay and the best of the Fire Nation can offer” Zuko said, addresing the leader of Northern Water Tribe.

“The pleasure is all mine, Fire Lord Zuko. After all this is a joyous momentum for both our people, the joining of Water Tribe and Fire Nation” Chief Arnook said solemnly, face showing his earnestness and support towards the union. “And it’s good to see you too, Ambassador Y/N” He said, looking towards Y/N.

“As do I, Chief Arnook. Thank you for coming all the way here for my wedding” She gave him a grateful smile.

The chief and chieftess then moved back to give space for Y/N’s parents. Y/N can hear Zuko’s breath starting to get heavy and she discretely put her hand on his lower back, rubbing soothing circles there.

Zuko and Y/N gave another bow, this time lower than the previous one. “Elder Tulok and Yuka, i’m humbled by your presence” Zuko said, still maintaining his bow.

“That is supposed to be my line, Fire Lord Zuko. Although formalities should be put aside if can, seeing that soon we’ll be family” Tulok said warmly, catching him by surprise.

Y/N’s mother also gave him a welcoming smile. “Thank you for taking care of our daughter, Fire Lord Zuko. And please just call us Yuka and Tulok, no need for the titles”

Zuko gave them a nod and smile back in return, “Of course, but only if you call me Zuko, after all i’ll be your son soon like you said”.

Y/N felt her chest swelling with happiness at the exchange between Zuko and her parents, they are off to a good start and that is more than she hoped for. Hopefully the rest of the week will be even better.

———————————————————————

That night, Y/N was preparing for bed, humming a tune under her breath when the door to her bedroom swung open.

It’s Zuko, standing in his sleeping robe, hair cascading freely down his shoulder. It’s getting quite long and she really likes how it looks on him, by Tui how is it even possible for someone to be that effortlessly good looking.

“Hello there, my soon-to-be husband. What brought you here?”

Zuko stood for a while, just leaning against the door, watching her. Wondering to himself how did he ever get soo lucky?

He took a few strides in and sat on the edge of her bed. “Uncle has taught you the complete procession of a traditional Fire Nation wedding, right?” He asked.

“Only about three times on every single day, him and Ty Lee both” She said, rolling her eyes. Even Zuko let out an amused snort. “What about it?”

“The tea ceremony... it’s been weighing on my mind a lot lately, more and more as our wedding draw closer”

Y/N’s expression turned into one of understanding as she knows for sure it’s not pity that he needs. The tea ceremony comes after the exchanging of vows, the both of them are supposed to serve tea to their elders, meaning their grandparents and parents. But Zuko only has Iroh, of course there is Ozai but it’s not exactly ideal isn’t it?

She moved towards where he’s currently sitting and let his head rest on her shoulder, fingers moving up to tangle itself between his silky locks.

“What do you want to do about it, Zuko?” She asked him softly.

“I know I owe him nothing... my father I mean. But it’s just that I’d like him to know that his son is getting married, not that I think that he would care. I was never his favorite child”

“Hey look at me” Y/N glides her fingers to cup his chin, moving it upwards so they see eye-to-eye. “There’s nothing wrong about what you’re feeling. I know that Ozai is a bad person and there’s nothing we could do about it, but he’s still your father”

“Yeah... I just feel so... helpless and pathetic. All he ever did was shun my existence and treat me like trash, but here I am still wanting to keep him on the loop as if it would matter” His eyes are closed, face contorting into one of pain. Y/N can’t even imagine the depth of his inner struggle when it comes to his family. She even felt bad because family is everything to her, and she’s lucky to be blessed with a great one.

“Look... the decision is all yours. If you decide to face him one more time then i’ll support you no matter what, get yourself the closure that you need, Zuko.... and find peace”

“Y/N?” He called for her, there’s a change in the tone of his voice, no longer somber.

“Yes, love?”

“You’re starting to sound more and more like Uncle Iroh these days, I think you’re spending too much time around him”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” She asked, scrunching her eyebrows together, slightly confused.

“Meh...” Zuko said, shrugging his shoulder. “ —I haven’t decided yet”

———————————————————————

After his defeat and stripped of his firebending abilities, Ozai was sentenced to a life in prison for several war crimes. The Capital City Prison where Iroh was once held captive, is now his new home. To spend the rest of his life behind bars and cold stone walls, with the ghost of his failure as the only companion.

But perhaps today fate and Agni decided to humor him as the door that leads to his cell swung open, revealing none other than the face of his son, the new Fire Lord.

Ozai hands involuntarily clenched at his side, face pulled into a sneer at the unexpected visitor. He watched as Zuko closed the door behind him, his other hand balancing a tray of teapot and 2 small cups.

“I was not aware that tea is a specialty of this particular prison” Although what Ozai said could passed as a banter, his cold tone indicates anything but that.

Zuko took his sweet time sitting down, folding his legs crossed style and placing the tray in front of him slowly. Keeping his nerves intact and delaying the inevitable as long as he can.

“It’s jasmine... care for some?” He finally spoke, looking straight back at Ozai’s amber eyes for the first time since he entered the room.

Their fondness for jasmine tea is the only thing that Zuko can confidently said shared between the two of them. Even the first time that he tried this kind of tea when he was little, was from the leftover of his father’s unfinished drink. He was curious and the tea was still hot anyway, so he took a sip. The deliciousness of the brew tickled his taste bud. That’s how he developed his love for jasmine tea until today.

Although Ozai made no answer nor any indication, Zuko still poured the hot liquid into one of the cups and slide it beneath the bars. The calming scent of jasmine filling the air, ridding it of the usual dampen smell.

He poured another cup for himself, all the while sparing one or two glances his father’s way. Watching the calculation that he could see clearly behind his eyes, although he’s never good at reading him, Zuko can definitely tell that right now he is bemused.

His hand toyed around with the cup, drumming his fingers on it. One two seconds later he finally grasped it and bring the cup under his nose, eyes closed, inhaling the scent deeply as he swirl the liquid around counter clockwise.

After he took one long sip, Ozai turned his attention to Zuko. Taking in his appearance, from the Fire Lord headpiece to the flowing ornate robe.

“To what do I owe the pleasure of being graced by His Highness’s company?”

The stony look plastered on his face combine with his disdainful voice nearly made Zuko freeze on spot, it certainly brings back a lot of bad memories.

“I’m getting married” He said, keeping his voice as even as possible, showing no sign of emotions, just as how he taught him.

But that statement piqued Ozai’s interest as he raised one of his eyebrows. “Indeed?”

“My betrothed... she’s Northern Water Tribe” He continued, trying to gauge out a reaction. It surprised him that his father still manages to keep his restraint.

“How....” Ozai stopped mid sentence, cocking his head to the side, eyes looking upward as if thinking hard. “—Intriguing” He finally said, finding the fitting word that he’s looking for.

“Intriguing? that’s it?” Zuko asked, now he’s surely the more confused one out of the two.

“Well at least she’s not Southern, what else do you expect me to say, Zuko?” Ozai retorted back, he is clearly enjoying this confrontation. “I don’t think any of your actions would astound me ever again, ever since you turned your back on me and chose to support the Avatar, I know better”

Zuko let out an aggravated yell, “I don’t know why I even bother”

Ozai had the nerve to laugh, “Believe me, son. I thought the same thing, if you think keeping me here is going to change anything well you misread it all, I raised you better than that. That is stupid even for you”

Zuko stood up quickly, tossing one last look at his father, “Bold of you to say you raised me when you were never there”

He turned around and reach for the door handle, turning it open.

“Goodbye, father”

Then he closed the door after him, along with a chapter of his life.

———————————————————————

Y/N is bringing her parents along to take a stroll through the palace. Showing them all the nooks and crannies that she herself has gotten familiar to. They had visited the gardens earlier and now is in the Royal Gallery, a hallway that displays large hanging portraits of previous Fire Lords.

“They executed the menacing look excellently, that’s for certain” Tulok said, head tilting upwards, eyeing the portrait of Fire Lord Sozin. He looked both amazed and terrified at the same time. Her father is quite the art enthusiast after all.

“I believe that’s exactly what they aimed for, dear. To strike terror into whoever is looking, fear is power to them” Yuka replied as she too stand in-between the portrait of Azulon and Ozai, admiring the details.

Meanwhile Y/N chose to stand a few feet back from them as she already had her fair share of looking at every single portrait there. But then Yuka turned around and direct her attention to her daughter, “Does Zuko not want a portrait of himself? I see that it stopped at Fire Lord Ozai” She asked curiosly.

“I don’t think so, mother. He said the style of the portraits doesn’t suit him, he doesn’t want people to view him like his predecessors”

“I see, that’s a relief” Her mother look satisfied with the answer, even letting out a smile. But her father doesn’t look appeased.

“Sweetheart?” Tulok said as he slowly approached her, taking the both of her hands in his. Her mother follow suit by placing one of her hands on her husband’s shoulder.

“Are you happy here? now don’t get me wrong, I know you are a smart woman and you’ll make all the right choices but as a parents we can’t help but worry anyway” Her father started out, her mother hummed in agreement, nodding her head. “Especially because your marriage is such a unique case, of course there are lots of people who have done this before you, marrying someone from other nation. But sweetheart, you are marrying the leader of a nation, your burden is way bigger than them”

Y/N gave her parents a reassuring smile and she placed her palm on top of her father’s hand. “I know you’re worried, but please father and mother, there is absolutely nothing for you to worry about”

“I am happy here, truly. And Zuko... he’s everything to me, I love him to the ends of this world. I always dreamt that one day I will find someone who will love me the way that you love mother, and I believe that I have” She said earnestly. Her words brought some sort of comfort to her parents.

“If you are happy, then that’s all that matter to us, sweetheart” Yuka said, giving a kiss to the crown of her head.

Y/N hugged both of her parents tightly, “Thank you... for everything”

And the three of them stayed inside the embrace, letting faith run its course.

———————————————————————

1 day before the wedding....

Y/N and Zuko sat side by side in the Royal Spa, with Tulok, Yuka, and Uncle Iroh as audience. A handmaiden stood behind them, holding a tray with 2 scissors and a red pouch on top of it. They are about to do one of the sacred traditions for bride and groom before their wedding takes place.

The handmaiden passed out the scissors to each of them and thus the ceremony begins. Y/N hold a lock of her hair and cut some of it off. Zuko doing the same thing beside her. Uncle Iroh then stepped forward and took both locks of hair and tied it together in a knot. The handmaiden present the pouch to him and he put it inside carefully before sealing it tight. The tying of knot signifies the bride and groom becoming one in flesh and blood to live happily ever after, or so they believed.

In no time at all, the ceremony is done and Uncle Iroh congratulated the both of them. Tulok then approached Zuko and said “May I have a moment?” to which Zuko nodded.

Both men then stepped out to the hallway outside to have some privacy.

“I know you are the Fire Lord and all but if you hurt my daughter in any way, I won’t hesitate to hunt you down myself” Tulok said, damn Zuko is even more scared now than he was at his first Agni Kai.

Zuko gulped and gave him a firm nod, “Understood, sir. I wouldn’t have it any other way and I promise you that that’s the farthest thing from my mind”

“I love your daughter with all my heart, by Agni I would die for her if I must”

Tulok’s cold manner melted, replaced with a knowing smile, “I know you do, I can see it in your eyes”

“Thank you for making her happy, Zuko” He said as he suddenly pulled Zuko into a hug.

A stunned Zuko hugged him back awkwardly, clearly taken by surprise but he accept it anyway. “Oh and Zuko?” Tulok said again, making him straightened his posture back so that he can look at him better.

“You can call me father... if you want to that is”

Zuko is overcome with bliss, not only did he earned Tulok’s blessing but now he is openly accepting him in the family. A wide grin made its way to his face, making him appeared like his younger self but less burdened.

“Father....” Zuko said, testing the word out to which Tulok gave him an encouraging nod.

“Father works for me” He said lastly, as both men gave each other a pat in the back before they walked back inside the spa.

———————————————————————

The Wedding....

Y/N took in a deep breath, admiring her surroundings as she stood in front of her now husband after exchanging their vows. Smiling at him brightly as she can’t contain her happiness that this day has finally come. Although wedding is usually presided over by a Fire Sage, Zuko and Y/N decided to have Aang to stand in instead. Which is the right decision since he made it a lot more fun and enjoyable. He might have even tripped over the words at some point, he’s not even the one getting married but his excitement is sky-rocketting.

The wedding ceremony is held in the Throne Room that has been transformed completely it’s even hard to recognize at first. Large-scale decoration in the form of red lampions and lanterns of flowers decorated every inch of the walls. The invitees cheered loudly as they sealed the vow with a kiss. Zuko even vaguely heard Sokka’s voice shouting “OoOhH get it, buddy!!!” over the crowd.

They decided to keep the kiss short but sweet to save some for later, when they’re finally away from prying eyes (and Sokka’s inappropriate comments). Zuko and Y/N moved to do the next procession which is Baitang. Firstly they bow to worship the heaven and the earth. The second they bow to Tulok, Yuka, and Iroh as a respect to their elders. For the last bow, Zuko and Y/N stood face to face and bow to each other as a respect to one another as husband and wife.

The last item that they must do is the tea ceremony. The very thing that Zuko was stressing over sometime ago, but now he feels nothing but relief. He had done his duty as a son by serving tea to Ozai, although it’s under a rather unconventional situation and doesn’t turned out the way he wants it to. But at least he had tried and that’s what counts most.

Zuko and Y/N both knelt in front of Tulok, Iroh and Yuka, as a handmaiden passed a boiling teapot to them. This time it contains ginseng tea, Iroh’s favorite, as per Zuko’s request. Zuko took delight in the way his uncle’s eyes lights up as he recognized the scent and throw a big smile his way. The both of them then poured the liquid carefully into separate cups and served it. The sound of striked gong reverberated around the room, signaling the end of the wedding ceremony. And Y/N and Zuko rise together, now officially the Fire Lord and Fire Lady of the Fire Nation.

Y/N watched as performers started to crowd the makeshift dance floor, Fire Nation performers stood to the right and Water Tribe performers to the left. With the steady beat of drum accompanying them, they started to perform both fire and waterbending. Awed gasps can be heard all over as all eyes are on the elegant harmony that the performers have successfully created out of the two opposing elements.

Y/N and Zuko sees it as a promise of what’s to come, of what the both of them can achieve despite their differences. They are fire and water and they are made for one another.

———————————————————————

A/N : Whew that’s definitely a long one! Personally I love this so much I think this may be my best piece yet but I would love to hear what you think about it 😄☺️ As always, feedbacks are appreciated and hoped for!! thank you for reading 💙❤️

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fanboyzuko · 3 years

Note

I don’t know if you’re still taking prompts, but if you are, what if Canon Zuko met Hui?

"Well, look at this." Azula said, backing away as they pushed her into a corner. "Enemies and traitors all working together."

A strange swirl of light appeared above her as she raised her hands over her head in surrender. Zuko knew he shouldn't take his eyes off his sister for a second. There was no way she didn't have a trick up her sleeve, but the circle of light continued growing larger at a rapid pace.

Everyone's attention was drawn to the anomaly, distracting even Azula as she glanced up. "What is-"

Three screaming figures came hurtling out of the light and landed directly on top of her.

"Owww, I think I broke something."

"Yeah! Me because you broke your fall on me!"

"Guys, I think we landed on someone-"

"AZULA?!"

The three Earth Kingdom teenagers that fell from the sky scrambled to their feet. As the smallest one checked on Azula, who had been knocked out from the force of three people falling on her, Zuko got a good look of the scar fanning out from his left eye, across his face.

Was this some sort of sick joke?

The boy looked up from Azula (how did he even know her?) and his unscarred eye bulged out of its socket. His companions shared similar shocked expressions, but they were staring right at Zuko while the boy's gaze locked on the Avatar.

"Are you an airbender?! Do you know the Avatar?"

"Well, I am-"

The Water Tribe boy shoved his hand over the Avatar's mouth, looking between Zuko and the scarred boy in a strange mix of disbelief and distrust. "How about before we figure out what in the world is going on, we take care of Zuko's terrifying sister before she wakes up."

"You're going no where near my sister!" Zuko snapped. He may have just been fighting against her, but no way was he going to surrender her to them!

The scarred boy glanced away from the Avatar, only for his eye to bulge even more "Un-" The girl with him covered his mouth with a forced laugh.

"Maybe let's make sure our landing cushion isn't too hurt and get through some..." She shared a look with the other Earth Kingdom boy, then, for some reason, Uncle and the Avatar's group. "-introductions..."

"I can take a look at her," the waterbender said in clear disgust while pooling her water around her hand.

"No!" Zuko shouted, almost overshadowed by the scarred boy's exclamation of, "Are you a waterbender? Do you know how to heal!?"

"Is anybody going to explain what the heck is going on?" The Avatar's newest companion huffed, waving her hand out at the scene before her. "Where did these new people come from?"

"TOPH?!"

She cocked her head toward the scarred boy with a confused scrunch of her nose. "Do I know you?"

"This is some very bad nightmare, I'd like to wake up now please," the Water Tribe boy groaned.

"We're just- Going to go over here for a moment!" The Earth Kingdom boy said in a nervous rush, dragging his companions away from the unconscious Azula.

Somehow between the strange trio scurrying away to have a hissed conversation, Uncle convincing Zuko to let the waterbender check on Azula, and a lengthy round of introductions that involved a lot of weird stares at Zuko and the Hui boy, Uncle started serving tea. And since Uncle set up tea, it meant everyone settled down to have some. And somehow that meant they were under a temporary truce as they figured out what spirit energy transported Hui, Bun Ma, and Ju Long into the middle of their standoff against Azula.

The whole situation was really starting to piss Zuko off. Hui was some sort of scholar researching the last Air Avatar and had some crazy ideas about her relationship to Zuko's ancestor Princess Akari. He had no stopped asking the Avatar questions about airbender culture and customs since they all settled for tea. Between his questions, Hui rambled nonstop about Avatar Yangchen and her companions. If that wasn't bad enough, he kept trying to include Zuko in his conversation as if Zuko should know anything about any of this, or even care about it!

"Nephew, isn't it fascinating to hear such detailed stories about Princess Akari?" Uncle asked quietly, so not to disrupt Hui's argument with the waterbender about Princess Akari's supposed spirit healing ability. "I remember you were quite enamored by her when you were younger."

Sure, he had been interested in her gentle flame technique and how she was close to dragons, but he wished he had never heard of his great-aunt before now that everyone get giving him looks as Hui shared his stupid stories! Worse were Hui's calculating looks between Zuko and the Avatar while he stressed the deep bond of the past Air Avatar and Fire Royal and how they worked together.

Zuko may have accepted this temporary truce—because clearly Hui's group had some sort of connection to him from how everyone was acting—but he was not the Avatar's friend! Once they got to the bottom of this strange day, Zuko would finally capture the Avatar like he was supposed to and go home. Stories of Princess Akari and Avatar Yangchen be damned.

A quiet groan between Uncle and Zuko made him jump. He looked down as Azula groggily opened her eyes and took in their ridiculous party gathered around Uncle's travel tea pot. She didn't even test her bindings before dropping her head with another groan.

"Please tell me I'm having a nightmare and I wasn't taken out by a second Zuko falling on top of me."

((Behind the scenes from everyone else's perspectives. Bun Ma and Ju Long immediately clock canon Zuko as Zuko and that somehow they're in the future or a different reality since Toph didn't recognize their Zuko. So they convince LTF!Zuko to keep being Hui, because he also quickly puts together that somehow he's faced with an older version of himself and they're probably not in their world.

(Since canon Zuko has Iroh and Azula to place him, while LTF!Zuko has Bun Ma and Ju Long who don't exist as Zuko's friend in canon so canon Zuko is able to fool himself into not recognizing himself. Which, to be fair, I think isn't so crazy a concept. I don't think Zuko examines himself often in the mirror and looking at his younger self in an Earth Kingdom getup, it'd be fairly easy to disregard similarities as a really strange coincidence.)

Meanwhile Sokka's reasoning is hold up! Don't admit to being the Avatar or else we'll get TWO Zuko's going after us! But then he and all the gang start doubting what they see before their eyes bc "Hui" is??? Nothing like the Zuko they know?? Aang and "Hui" are hella vibing fanboying over Yangchen together all the while.

And then Iroh is kinda just there. Stumped. And confused as to wtf is going on. But also hopeful that this wild whacky encounter will convince canon Zuko to rethink his path... But also he is dumbfounded as to what could have possibly led to "Hui" being the way he is.

And then Azula wakes up and addresses the elephant mouse in the room lmaooo I can't even begin to imagine the hijinks that ensue from this point 😂 ))

#lmaoooo oh my god this is such an indulgence #its so chaotic and ridiculous and i love it #i had so many possible choices for this set up but i naturally chose the most chaotic one #im going to get to the rest of your prompts eventually i swear but i was consumed with the drive to write this one today right now #and so i did #but also i couldnt resist the temptation to include the gaang and bun ma and ju long #like i said complete indulgence #happy 1 year anniversary ltf~~~~~#learning to fly #writing requests

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picassho-18 · 4 years

Text

Art of Fire (II)

Zuko x Reader; Part 2; 2k words

A/N: disclaimer! I have not read the comics set after the finale, but this is set a little after Zuko’s coronation

Summary: The recently crowned Fire Lord Zuko meets a new friend of his Uncle’s, a special fire bender that quickly grabs his interest over a cup of tea and the discussion of the arts.

ALL CURRENTLY POSTED PARTS: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Apprehensive, you began to walk up the steps leading to the Royal Palace doors. While you were confident, maybe borderline cocky, with your skills and artwork, the idea of seeing Zuko again made you nervous. And you most definitely did not want to make a fool of yourself.

Iroh had obviously encouraged you over a cup of tea. He had admitted to intentionally having you meet his nephew. He may also have accidentally let it slip that Zuko wasn’t socializing with anyone since things with him and his past girlfriend Mai had split up.

Iroh seemed to think that the pair of you would be good together. It was nice to hear, especially because of your rapidly developing crush on his nephew. Yet it did not give you enough confidence walking up those steps, a sketchpad and pencil in your arms.

A servant at the door saw the materials in your hands, “Hello, are you the fire-painter to see the Fire Lord?”

You swallowed, no chickening out now, “Yes, that's me!”

“Excellent, he has been hoping you would come. Follow me.” The servant turned, walking you down majestic hallways throughout the Royal Palace. At one point you walked past a courtyard, so extremely lovely with a pond that had turtleducks swimming gently through the clear water.

Not really thinking about your actions, you stopped following the servant, slipping silently into the courtyard while the servant continued to walk away, not aware that you stopped following. Checking to make sure no one was watching, you walked to the pond, the turtleducks quacking softly as you approached.

“Oh how adorable you are!” you exclaimed, sitting down at the edge as they all swam closer to you. “I wish I had something to feed you!” you said sadly, as they watched you intently, their adorable eyes following your movements.

One of the turtleducks got close enough that you were able to reach out, giving it’s head a little scratch. You let out a little awe as it swam closer, nuzzling against your fingers.

Suddenly a voice rang out, causing your hand to jerk away from the turtleduck, “So I see you’ve made a friend.” You looked up to see Zuko leaned against a column to the entrance of the courtyard gesturing to the turtleduck you had been petting, obvious that he had been watching you.

“Ah, I’m sorry Fire Lord” you stood up quickly, giving him a small bow, “I just couldn’t resist them, when I saw how adorable they were.”

He waved you off, a soft smile on his face, “It is of no concern. They are extremely cute creatures.” Zuko walked over to you, standing next to you, both of you still watching the turtleducks.

“So, um, what was that emergency that last time we spoke?” you asked him, your curiosity getting the better of you.

Zuko’s eyes darkened, the little bit of shine that they earlier vanished, “Politics” he stated simply. As if that cleared everything up. When he saw your confusion, he continued, “Ever since my coronation not everyone in the Fire Nation has agreed with my new ideologies. Lets just say the Palace has been attacked every so often by insurgents.”

“Ah” you responded, you didn’t know that there were insurgents, everyone you’ve encountered always seemed so supportive to the end of the 100 year war.

A silence overtook the pair of you, both looking at the sparkling pond in front of you, thinking about the world you lived in. While the end of the war seemed so full of hope, a sense of completion and promise of a better future, yet the struggles have not been lifted. With his eyes on the turtleducks, you took the opportunity to really look at him.

You could see the stress on the frame of Zuko’s body. Dark rings hung under his eyes, possible from the lack of sleep or constant stress. He was a walking image of exhaustion. His shoulders sagged slightly, as if the weight of the world was resting on them. In a way it actually was. The Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, along with his own Nation were all looking to him in this time of change.

He cleared his throat, pulling you from your thoughts, “So how about we plan out this piece of art?” he asked, sitting on the grass, you following suit, nodding. Zuko suggested, “How about a mural? I was thinking possibly for that wall?” pointing to a wall just outside the courtyard.

Instantly, your brain kicked into art mode, “Oh yes! That wall is big and empty, and it can be seen throughout the whole courtyard. Any ideas of what it would be of?”

He hesitated before answering, taking a deep breath as he stared at a nearby tree next to the pond. “I was thinking it could be a portrait of my mother.”

You looked between Zuko’s face, and the tree he was staring at. You saw the sorrow buried in his face, his eyes seemed distant, like he was not present, but instead inside a memory.

“Underneath that tree, my mother and I would watch the turtleducks. In her arms, she made me feel so safe, so loved. I think a portrait of her would be perfect.”

You nodded, understanding the pain he was feeling, “I think that would be lovely.”

“My only request would be that she's smiling.” His voice trailed off, his mind devoured by more memories, as he laid his head down on the grass, staring up at the sky.

“Of course” you said softly. At your voice his lips quirked upward in a slightly smile

Next to him, you began to sketch. You have seen Ursa’s portraits before, and sketching one with a smile would not be too hard. It remained silent, the pair sitting close together on the edge of the pond as your pencil worked rapidly on the paper, and Zuko’s eyes had begun to shut. His breath had slowed down, as if he was on the edge of sleep.

You had finished the sketch, but when you saw the Fire Lord asleep next to you, you had no clue on what to do. Silently, you place the sketchpad and pencil at your feet, trying not to move much. It looked like he needed all the sleep he could get. The fact that he could fall asleep that fast was an indicator of that. What you would have never guessed was how much Zuko found your own presence soothing.

Suddenly, a gust of wind hit the courtyard, the branches swaying slightly. A young boy appeared, sliding between the pillars; his orange wardrobe and blue tattoos obvious to who he was.

What you should have done was instantly stand up and bow to the Avatar, giving him your respect, yet when he began to open his mouth to speak, probably quite loudly from the stories you have heard about him, you instinctively shushed him, gesturing to the sleeping Zuko.

You froze, finger over your lips, as you realized you just shushed the Avatar. Thankfully, he appeared to not take it the wrong way, and snickered at the sleeping form beside you. He glided softly over the grass to sit down silently beside you.

In a quiet whisper, he spoke, leaning close to you so as not to wake Zuko, “Hello. My name is Aang.”

With a small grimace, you whispered back, “I’m so sorry I shushed you. I probably shouldn’t have because you are the Avatar, but it looked like Zuko needed his sleep”

Aang nodded, “That he does. The past few weeks have been hard on him.” You looked at the young boy, yet he appeared anything but. While he was small, and no taller than the average 12 year old, his face told a different story. That he has seen things. Experienced things that no person should. It was eerily similar to the face that you had been quickly associating with Zuko.

Aang continued, “So how do you know Zuko?” He was slightly confused at how someone appeared so close to a friend of his without knowing.

Still with a soft voice, you whispered, “Um. Well I am actually close friends with his Uncle. But I’ve actually only met Zuko twice. I’m sort of surprised that he has fallen asleep right here.”

With a wistful tone, one coming from experience and knowledge, Aang responded, “He must be very comfortable with you. Zuko is not one to let his guard down with others. He is typically very closed off to others.” While he said this, you looked at Zuko’s face. It was more serene, like the stress had vanished as soon as he fell asleep.

Zuko suddenly stirred, a quiet groan rumbling in his chest as he began to rub his eyes. He sat up, glaring slightly at the sun, before he noticed Aang and you beside him.

His voice deeper than usual, Zuko grumbled, “How long have I been asleep?”

“Um, probably around an hour. You looked like you needed it so I didn’t wake you.” you replied sheepishly.

“And it appears you’ve met Aang,” he replied, his eyebrow cocked up slightly, but a warm smile resting on his face.

Aang laughed, his boyish nature showing a little more,“We have met but not before she put me in my place, stopping me from waking you.” You shyly smiled at Zuko when his eyes widened as he realized what you did, blushing.

He stood up, clearing his throat, “Well um, thank you Y/N, but I uh, must continue my duties for the day.”

“Of course.” you stood as well, along with Aang, “I finished the portrait, but uh, will tomorrow be a good day for me to bring the supplies and start?”

“Yes, of course. Midday will be perfect.” Zuko responded, trying to ignore the looks that Aang was shooting at him. The air had grown awkward, like Zuko and Aang were having their own conversation with simple looks.

Confused at the sudden change in atmosphere, you said, “Alright, then I’ll be off!” Quickly left the pair behind as they said their goodbyes, leaving the courtyard.

Aang turned to Zuko, “Well, do you have something to tell me? Or am I supposed to ignore the way she spoke about you? Or the way you were looking at her?”

***

Read Part 3 HERE

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#zuko x reader #avatar the last airbender #firebender!reader #zuko fic #prince zuko #fire lord zuko

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