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Flames (Bonus Chapter - 2)

Hot fire

Pairing: Zuko x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 3.2k

Flames - Main

Summary: With his new position of Fire Lord, Zuko is so stressed that not even you can calm him. After a big fight with him you both need to reconcile, what a perfect opportunity to finally take that step. (This is a bonus chapter for my three-chapters fic ‘Flames’, but you can also read it separatly)

Warnings: emotional sex, kinda bossy Zuko, 18+, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

‘I’ll kick his ass’ You kept thinking as your clenched fists were surrounded by flames, crankling your toes to get rid of the sand between them caused you to constantly lose balance, losing control over every technique you tried. Frustration and anger stiffened your arms, making your movements clumsy and unsuccessful.

This all started a little less than a week ago, when you and Zuko moved to Ember Island together with Katara and Aang, in order to have a quiet and calm place to discuss some matters about the four nations; Sokka and Suki caught up with you a day later, Toph shortly following. The first days were peaceful, you spent your mornings on the beach, writing down ideas you discussed over lunch and in the afternoon, while the evenings passed while sitting in front of a bonfire, telling each other about your lives now that you weren’t all together anymore.

But then the topics became heavier and more complicated. And Zuko started to freak out. Every word, every doubt you tried to bring into conversation was an excuse to get mad and lash out on you or the others; his role was difficult and his father left on his shoulder a big burden, but it couldn’t be an excuse to treat poorly the friends trying to help him. So, you decided to hang out more with Katara and Suki, train your bending on the beach and ask Sokka for help in hand-to-hand combat. But avoiding him seemed to make the situation worse, Zuko started sending you digs whenever he could, the little gestures he usually reserved for you, like pouring your tea first or intertwining your fingers under the table, were gone, replaced by huffs and clenched fists when you stood up to get away from a discussion.

«You know what? Tonight you stay alone», you once bust out during dinner after yet another contemptuous comment about your laziness. «I’m done with you for the next twelve hours» «Oh yeah? And where would you like to sleep?», the others were looking between you two without a word, their eyes scanning rapidly your expressions in turn. You were almost embarrassed to be fighting with your boyfriend in front of all your friends. Almost. «It’s not of your business. And you made clear that you don’t care about me. That wouldn’t be the first time either», you could see a glimpse of pain in his eyes and immediately regret saying those words. However, you didn’t had time to go back on what you said because Zuko quickly got up, sending you and icy glare. «Then I won’t care» He stormed out of the door without a second thought.

«So… are we still going to the theatre tomorrow?». Katara quickly summoned a wave from her cup, showering her brother’s head.

You tried to convince Toph to let you stay with her since she was the only one with a free spot in her room, but the little girl was strict about sleeping alone; after nearly an hour of prayers and promises, you found yourself forced to knock on the door of your and Zuko’s shared room. ‘Spirits, that girl is so bossy. Ugh.’ «I don’t want to talk Aang. Just leave me alo-» «It’s me».

You could sense him freezing just from the soft gasp he let out. You impatiently waited for him to open the door, dreading the thought of sleeping on the little couch in the living room. Just as you were preparing yourself to relight the fireplace, Zuko opened the door, leaning against the frame with a tired expression. You regretted your previous words even more: his hair was a tousled mess, the robe asymmetrically tied on his waist. «I…», you couldn’t look at him in the eyes «Toph wouldn’t let me stay…». Without a word he moved away, letting you in. You nodded in gratitude and quickly found yourself climbing into the bed next to him, facing the other side. At first both of you remained silent, listening to the waves shattering on the beach; then, you sensed him moving on the mattress, leaning closer to you «Y/N… Can we talk?», he brought his arm around your side, squeezing you lightly against him, but you moved away, standing up quickly to prevent him from trying again (also because you knew you would give in easily, especially when he was giving you the puppy eyes… Focus).

«I’m still mad, Zuko. You’ve been awful to me these days» «Excuse me??» He got up, harshly throwing the blankets away «I may have treated you badly, but you told me that I don’t give a damn about you. Even though you know how bad I feel about everything that happened!» «Don’t scream» «I know», he took long steps in your direction «And then it’s you who is… well…». «I what?» «You know it…» «No, I don’t», you said, crossing arms against your chest.

You could see his cheeks flush even with just the little light coming from outside «It’s not important» «Evidently it is!» «Don’t scream» «I know», you sighed «Tell me» «No» «Zuko» «You’re… You’re always clinging to Sokka» «It’s not… huh?»

You blinked, replaying his words in your mind two or three times more before you really understood what he was saying. And when you did you had to turn to all your self-control to not start laughing right there in front of him, Sokka came here with Suki, they were like glue and the water tribe boy always looked at her with heart-shaped eyes. You couldn’t believe what your boyfriend just said. «Oh Spirits… you’re jealous». Zuko felt even more ashamed hearing the amusement in your voice «I’m not jealous! It’s just… you’re mine», he muttered the last part, face twisted in a pouting frown.

«You just… always ran to him and… ask to practice together, on the beach. And that happen every single time I can’t stay with you because of the work or after a fight, a-and… maybe you think I’m not enough and-» The words died in his throat as you took his face in your head, delicately holding his gaze «Just calm down». His golden eyes stared into yours, the pupils were shaking in a whirlwind of self-doubt. When he saw the corners of your lips curl up, his ragged breath calmed. «I’m not going anywhere», thumbs traced gentle circles on his cheekbones «I know it’s hard for you, but don’t you ever think that you might not be enough. Okay?», Zuko nodded shyly, never making a move to distance himself from your grip. «Even if sometimes you piss me off a lot», you stifled your laughter as you saw his skin turning crimson, from neck to ears. «You’re so cute~», you teased him, giggling even louder when his eyes widened and he hurriedly hid his face sinking it into your neck, muttering a ‘Stop’ against your skin. The boy felt the vibrations of your laughter across his chest, making his heartbeat even faster; but along with that familiar feeling that came over him when he heard you laugh he felt something else, something heavier.

«I’m sorry», he whispered, and you closed your eyes as he wrapped his arms around your sides. «I’m really sorry for everything I said to you», his voice trembled and you could feel him seeking refuge in the warmth of your body, just like you had done with him years before, when your family abandoned you: «It’s ok», you reassured him «I’m sorry too, I know you care.». His hands moved from your hips to both your cheeks as he rested his forehead against yours with shaky breaths. He gave you a little peck and you couldn’t contain a soft smile, «I love you», he whispered before kissing you again, and again, and again until your lips were glued together; you could feel the passion Zuko was conveying in his kiss, the previous softness left space for something warmer. His hands moved from your cheeks down your neck, caressing you back until encircling your waist. His naked forearms were hot against the soft fabric of your nightgown.

Before you knew it you were pressed against a wall, Zuko’s finger kneading the skin of your hips, moving awfully close to your butt. You ran your nails through his hair, shivering at the sound the boy made when you scratched his nape. He muttered your name, being quickly silenced by your tongue on his. A leg found its way between yours and you let out a trembling moan, a warmth in the pit of your stomach, forcing you to clasp a hand on his shoulder. «Are you alright?», he slightly pulled away, just enough to leave your lips touching. Your mind took a bit to regain control over your body, the way his breath grazed your skin didn’t help. At all. «More than okay». Your hand traveled across his robe, moving the hem to expose his skin, the soft light from outside highlighted the muscles of the chest, tensing under your lingering touch. Zuko had to summon all his willpower to hold your gaze; he was sure he was red all the way to the tips of his ears but at least your cheeks looked flushed too (he just didn’t know it was because of his sudden exposure).

He was gathering his thoughts when you spoke, fingers timidly going their way through his hair. «You know all those times we… we kiss» «Yes» «And we kind of… kiss really…», you moved a hand between your two bodies, trying to push the concept out of you without words. But you just got a quizzical look from your boyfriend, making you let out an exasperated sigh «We kiss hard, Zuko» To this the Fire Lord’s face burst out in flames «O-Oh yes. Yes! We kiss h-hard», the way his stuttering was interrupted by an embarrassed cough was nearly enough to make you forget your own uneasiness. Nearly.

«We’ve never gone further than… your hands» «M-my…», he gulped «Hands» «On my body» «On your body» «Over the clothes» «Over your clothes» «I think I might want them under» «You think you might want th- what?! Oh Spirits». He tried to escape, turning his head toward the wall, the bed, the window, anywhere but you. At this point you wouldn’t be surprised if you saw smoke coming out of his ears; his lips moved hysterically, but you couldn’t really get what he was trying to say. With a small chuckle you cupped his face. 

«Is it because of Mai?», you asked, as gently as you could. Zuko opened the mouth to contradict you but was quickly silenced by your soft look, he just couldn’t lie to your sweet gaze. With a sigh he leaned forward, pecking your lips, and caressing your cheekbone he whispered «Yes. I know you’ve never done anything and I don’t want you to feel forced by the fact that Mai and I…» «I don’t feel forced», it was your turn to kiss him «I appreciate your caring and I love how thoughtful you are. But if I’m telling you this it’s because I want this». It was as his golden eyes lit up for a second, the warmth from his body completely overwhelming yours. «Are you sure?», he asked, lips grazing yours with every word. «Yes»

And the same heat from before was back in a second. It was back in his kisses, in his touches around your body, in the feeling of his tongue exploring your mouth. It was back in the way you two stumbled across the room, trying to find the bed without distancing from one another, as both of you pulled on your night clothes. When you finally felt the blankets under your back Zuko’s robe was completely off, the hem of your gown rose as the boy moved his leg between yours, straps sliding down your shoulders. Both your hands explored his body, drawing imaginary patterns on his exposed skin; the goosebumps raised with your touch made him shiver with a sigh, hot fingers tracing your sides, playing with the silky fabric, lifting it until you helped him taking the piece of clothing off. You always thought that on this occasion you would’ve been ashamed as hell, that you would’ve wanted to grab the sheets and hide from every gaze. But you were proved wrong. You didn’t feel the need to cover yourself, you let his eyes scan every inch of you that was uncovered.

«You are beautiful», Zuko wasted no time before kissing you again, taking your breath away before trailing his lips down your neck; a surprised moan left your lips as his teeth and tongue played with your skin and his hand kneaded your left breast. The lower part of both your bodies began to move in unison, making the desire of both of you evident, «Can you feel what you’re doing to me?», you heard the boy whisper and you couldn’t respond with anything other than another moan. You could feel how much he needed you against your thigh, his erection pressing to be freed from the boxers; your skin was on fire, you could feel the heat that spread from his hand as it traveled down the valley between your breasts, tracing the curve of your abdomen until he hooked two fingers inside the hem of your panties.

You could feel only the warm and pleasure he was giving to you, trying to let out only whimpers and soft moans, not willing to risk the others hearing you. «You’re so wet…», Zuko’s fingers traced your slit under the panties, his mouth glued to your neck. The others might not even hear you but certainly the marks the boy was intent on leaving on you would be very visible the next day. It would’ve been difficult to hide even those on your chest, considering the hunger with which the boy sucked the skin of your breasts. He inserted two fingers inside you and another moan, higher than the others, left your lips. «Zuko…», you whimpered, hips moving on their own to follow his pace «I need you» «I know». He shifted, propping himself up on one elbow and giggling breathlessly when he saw the look of frustration on your face when he pulled his fingers out.

You kicked off your underwear as he slipped off his boxers, stroking his shaft before aligning it to your entrance.

Zuko bent down to kiss your neck, moving up your cheek, towards your temple, the heated passion temporarily replaced by his usual sweetness as he intertwined the fingers of one hand with yours «It'll hurt a little… tell me if you want me to stop, okay?”, he whispered against your skin. You nodded, bringing a hand to stroke his hair, grazing the back of his neck with your nails «I trust you Zuko». He pulled away just enough to peer into your eyes, leaving his body on yours, careful not to weigh on you but close enough for you to feel all the comfort that the warmth of his body gave you. He smiled and immediately entered you, leaning in to kiss your temple as you let out a pained moan. He continued to enter, slowly, feeling your walls tighten around him with every inch.

«Zuko…!» you breathed out, clawing at his back almost in panic, torn between pleasure and pain. The boy squinted, cursing «Fuck, Y/N… you’re tight» The way his expression changed made your cheeks heat up. His mouth was half open, neck muscles tense and eyebrows furrowed in a pleasured expression, your whole body reacted to the idea of being the cause of what he felt and you immediately warmed up. The burning you felt between your legs began to ease and when Zuko narrowed his eyes to look at you, his breath caught in his throat. «You’re beautiful», he whispered. His lips assaulted your neck, leaving a trail of rosy hickeys up to the front. «Zuko…», you moaned, scratching his shoulders with your nails «Move». «Yes», he smirked before starting to rock into you.

It was like something exploded into your chest, the pain disappeared almost completely, just a small hint that made the pleasure stronger. You were overwhelmed by him, by Zuko. He was on top of you, inside you, all over you… His hands were grabbing the pillow next to your head, tightening at each thrust of his hips inside of you. He moaned against your ear, making the tightness you felt in the pit of your stomach even tighter; you felt the need to feel him deeper and before you knew it you had wrapped your legs around his waist, pushing him with your heels to go deeper. Zuko let out a surprised noise, immediately broken by a more pleasured one, his knuckles turning white as he bent down to take a nipple between his lips. «F-Fuck! You’re… mh… good», you murmured, causing a chuckle from him that vibrated against your skin. «Thanks, love», he whispered flicking his tongue and making your walls tighten around him.

His hands left the pillow to grip you thighs in a way that would surely leave visible bruises the next day, but you would worry tomorrow about which bathing suit to wear to cover them, what was occupying your mind at the moment was the way Zuko spread your legs, holding your pelvis up and starting to rock again leaving you to appreciate the new angle. His thrusts hand become erratic, his labored breaths sent shivers across your skin. He leant into your neck again, hiding in the crook of your shoulder. «I’m close» he whispered trembling against you, his tone was enough for your entire body to shake with a jolt of pleasure. «Me too», you panted «Please Zuko, I need you.. ah!» You were interrupted buy your own moan when he brought two fingers between your bodies, rubbing against your clit. The combination of his thrusts and fingers sent you over the edge, soon followed by Zuko, who moaned your name before pulling out and coming right away.

You fell into bed next to each other after cleaning yourself up, letting each other’s bodies warm you. You had a happy smile as you absentmindedly caressed Zuko’s chest, cheek resting on his collarbone. He had an arm embracing your waist, two fingers grazing your skin. «How was it?», he asked in a whisper and you felt yourself blush, instinctively snuggling into him. «Perfect. I didn’t think you had such a dominant side inside. You’re usually so shy…» This time it was his turn tu blush, you could tell simply by how he held his breath for just an instant, it wasn’t necessary for you to look at him. After a few more seconds of silence Zuko called your name, softly, his grip on your hip tightening almost imperceptibly. «What» «Let’s not fight anymore for these things»

You turned slowly, lifting your head to get a good look at him. The boy had a few strands stuck to his forehead and reddish cheeks. But you stopped with your gaze on his eyes, shiny and insecure. You immediately leaned towards him, kissing him slowly but deeply; he kissed you back, flicking his tongue against yours and stroking your cheek with his free hand. When you pulled away it was only a few inches. «Let’s not fight anymore for these things »

| The End |

Heyyy, so sorry for the late late late late so-much-late update but you know... things. Hope you liked this juicy bonus chapter! See you next fic!

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For your listening pleasure...

[simpywriter]

Today is actually the second year since I started to write this fic. It's also the first ever work I published with an actual end, so this is just a celebratory self-reblog I guess.

Not my captain

Part One

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 8.0k

Part II | Part III

Summary: Y/N and her brother, Lagner, live in the Underground, forced to thieve in order to survive. But when the Scout Regiment decides to investigate, she must make a choice.

Warnings: None

Y/N was walking along the streets that would bring her towards the little dirty house she lived in. Two small loaves of bread and a now cold boiled potato were placed under her brown coat, well hidden from other’s eyes; she knew that if anyone saw her walking with all that food in her hands, they would immediately attack her to guarantee themselves a meal. ‘Last day’s job paid incredibly well’ she thought ‘We haven’t eaten that much in a month’. When she finally arrived she let herself collapse against the closed door behind her with a sigh, she was exhausted, having walked from the sly man she bought the food from all the way to her and Lagner’s house; she could’ve easily saved her strength by using the ODM gear, but it was not a good idea to expose herself just to avoid a walk. «Lag!», she called, placing the food and her discarded coat on the table beside the door «It’s me». Waiting for him to come out of the bathroom she turned around the wooden chair and flopped down on it crossing her arms over the backrest. It was in that moment that she felt a presence behind her: someone was inside the house, hidden in the dark. She let her hand slip under the table, where a small knife was hidden, and in a swift motion she spun around in her seat and threw the weapon against the wall behind her; the intruder was startled by the sudden attack and barely dodged it. Y/N was quick, taking another knife from the other side of the table and launching herself towards the threat. She saw that it was a girl, with reddish brown hair tied in a high ponytail; she was wearing a dark green cape with the military uniform beneath it and the sight infuriated Y/N even more, as she assaulted the girl with the blade. «Hey, wait!», she screamed, in an attempt to defend herself, while dodging the attacks. «You fucking soldiers! What do you want from us?!», taking the knife still embedded in the wood, Y/N tried to hit the girl with more hate in her eyes, her mind consumed with worry for Lagner. «Sasha!», another voice, this time male, distracted the thief, which was grabbed from behind the shirt and quickly blocked to the ground by two pairs of hands. ‘How many of them are there?’ The window in front of her shattered when two men launched through it, followed by a woman with a pair of strange glasses and three younger boys, all of them wearing a military uniform under the same coloured coat. She struggled against the soldiers that kept her down, but to no avail. In a few seconds she was pinned face down, with her hands tied behind her back; turning her head she saw that the two that blocked her were a boy with nearly completely shaved hair and a raven-haired girl with a red scarf around her neck, with a serious look on her face. «Are you ok, Sasha?», asked one of the boy in front of me, with light ash-brown hair. «Yeah, she just surprised me». Y/N notices that her eyes were focused on the table she was sit at minutes ago. The girl threw herself on the bread, taking a big bite from it, while a blond guy pleaded for her to stop; Y/N was red with fury. «They are mine!», she tried to get up but was held down by the ravenhead. «What did you do to my brother?». She kept struggling, her body burning with rage and worry at the same time. ‘Please, please, don’t be…’. The older man kneeled in front of her, watching the angry expression painted on her face. His blue eyes scrutinized her for a bit before speaking: «I am Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps» «And I don’t give a shit», she spat out angrily, hiding her surprise at the mention of the Scouts, but to her all the soldiers were the same: egoistical pieces of scum. «Where is my brother?». «He’s ok», intervened the bespectacled woman, opening the door that led to the small bathroom and motioning her head inwards: the ash brown-haired guy and a green-eyed one entered the room and when they went out they could hardly hold down a robust boy. Seeing him, apparently unharmed and with only a gag besides the hand tied like hers, she let out a sign of relief. They placed him next to her, freeing him from

the gag, causing him to immediately burst out insulting the soldiers present and promising to kill them as soon as he freed himself; Y/N seemed calmer, but she still gritted her teeth the moment the Commander started talking again. «You are Y/N Heinle, and he is your younger brother Lagner Heinle, am I right? I heard about you two», without waiting for an answer he went on with his speech «The brothers from the Underground, able to rob anyone with their skill with the ODM gear. I heard about you two, the ‘Heinles’ are starting to become the subject of rumors up in towns. Some members of the Military Police Regiment are discussing getting rid of the problem you two are creating. So, I decided to investigate myself, it seems I was right» ‘Fuck’, Y/N thought ‘I knew we needed to be more cautious!’. She was quickly panicking at the thought of her and her brother being dragged to the surface to be tortured and killed. She let her head fall forward, defeated and unable to escape with so much soldiers around them «And you are here to arrest us, I guess. I see…». Y/N hated the idea of losing, especially against these bastards, but she couldn’t come up with a plan. The blond man in front of her didn’t change his stoic expression, «The devices, where did you get them?» «We don’t have one of that», Lagner blurted out nodding to the harness secured around the Commander’s waist «Only the soldiers can use that damn thing» «You have two ODM gears in the closet, in a hidden drawer. My squad found them before your sister came home» «Military Police», Y/N intervened, interrupting his brother who had opened his mouth to try to contradict the man. He watched his sister surprised, but didn’t dare to interfere, trusting her «Less than a year ago, two MP’s soldiers assaulted me in an alley with the excuse of having stolen food. Lagner heard me and knocked them out». It was the first time she stopped looking at Erwin and moved her eyes around the room, focusing mainly on the younger soldiers, who seemed to be watching her with sympathy. «We stole their money and the ODM gears, then started to train and here we are». Nobody spoke for a few seconds after her speech, Y/N assumed they just didn’t care what happened to her, but only about the information they needed. «My sister did nothing wrong!», Lagner attempted to get up, only to be pinned to the floor by the two soldiers that dragged him in the room «She just defended herself and now she’s trying to make us survive». Moving quickly his shoulder hit the green-eyed boy’s chin, that left out a grimace of pain but didn’t lose the grip. «Be careful, Eren!», scolded the first one «Shut up, Horseface!» «You two, stop bickering», the girl behind Y/N spoke in an annoyed yet firm tone. It was a nearly ridiculous scene in a situation like that, but it didn’t distract the older thief from the words of hatred that came from her lips, making the room fall into silence again: «You will never understand what it means to live down here, what it is necessary to do to survive. You are just assholes living in wealth on the surface and you pretend to taught us the difference between right and wrong. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about!». She spat out the words like venom, regaining that flaming look on her face. «Oi, “living in wealth on the surface”, you say?», the only man that didn’t utter a word until that moment had moved away from the wall he was previously leaning on with his arms folded. He was short, but had an intimidating aura as he kneeled in front of the girl, grabbing the hair on top of her head and bringing his face dangerously close to hers. «If there’s anyone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about it’s you, brat», he stated in a low tone.

Her expression didn’t change, not wanting to show her hesitation in front of the Corp. But looking in the eyes in front of her, she recognized the bored look he had as the same one that she herself wore as she moved through the streets of the underground city. ‘Who are you?’. She just stared at him before he released his grip and stood up «Listen, you have two options right now: the Military Police, that will drag you two to a prison to take revenge for all the problems you have caused. Or…». Her wrists started to feel sore after too much attempts to free them, the uncomfortable position of her shoulders was causing pain to her back and the muscles of her faces stinged for being contorted for so long; but the worst thing she could feel was the awful sensation in the pit of her stomach at the thought of her brother being fed to those soldiers. «Or you can come with us, being trained and join our Regiment», the woman with the glasses completed the sentence, placing a hand on her hip with a grin. «It’s quite obvious what will benefit you the most».

Y/N and Lagner were being transported with a wagon outside the Underground. The moment she accepted the deal the two brothers were escorted up the stairs, presented as prisoners to pass the gate; as soon as they reached the surface, Y/N was able to catch only a little of the sunlight she had always craved before being carried in a carriage. Once inside she and Lagner were freed from the handcuffs. The gazes of all the Scouts were on them, some suspicious, some bewildered, some calm and in one case bored. That was the one that annoyed her the most. «Why are you doing this for us?», sensing that his sister was about to lose her temper, Lagner spoke first, sincerely curious. «Not now», the short man answered, the black hair cascading on his eyes «We need to get to the headquarters first» «Come on, Levi. We can admit that they are good as fuck with the ODM gears!», the woman with the glasses interfered; Y/N remembered that Erwin called her ‘Hanji’ when they were pushing them into the wagon. «So you want us just because we are… good?», Lagner scratched the back of his neck with a confused expression. «Yeah it doesn’t make fucking sense», next to him, his sister was keeping her gaze fixed on the blond Commander sit in front of her. She crossed her legs with folded arms. «Do you mean you’d rather live down there than stay with us?», Sasha was staring at her with eyes wide open, incredulous, but was quickly shushed when the thief turned to her with eyes narrowed with anger. «Who the fuck said that?!», her voice was aggressive «And by the way why should I give you an explanation? You ate all the food I brought home. You’re egoistical, just like anyone of them, you don’t have the slightest idea of how many sacrifices we make every day to get something to eat». The redhead seemed embarrassed, with her cheeks fainly flushed. «I-I’m sorry…», she stuttered out. «You don’t have to get angry like that», this time the short blond spoke from his seat next to Eren «She always acts like that». «Yeah, Armin is right. She can’t restrain herself, that’s not her fault» «And you are…?» «Jean», said the tall guy that defended Sasha with a smirk «Jean Kirschtein». «Oh, Horseface Kirschtein», Y/N said, remembering the nickname Eren gave him earlier. Jean’s jaw dropped while Eren, Sasha, Hanji and the one with the shaved hair started to laugh loudly. The girl smirked at the reactions, feeling quite proud of herself. Even her brother giggled. «We’re almost there, brats. Now stop fooling around». Levi ignored Hanji’s complaints, who addressed the Scout in deliberately disrespectful tones, unlike the other soldiers, who seemed intimidated by the dark-haired man. ‘So this Levi must be their superior, while Hanji seems to have the same rank as him. Or at least something similar’.

The carriage stopped after long minutes, reaching its destination. The first to get out were Jean, Sasha, Armin and the serious girl, Eren and the shaved boy grabbed the two brothers’ arms, albeit without force, urging them to follow the others. Y/N pulled free, addressing the green-eyed boy with an impolite word before moving aside the tent that separated them from the outside. The sun was bright, nearly burning their skin not used to the natural light. The two brothers let out a gasp the moment they witnessed what it meant to spend the day on the surface, with the knowledge that above them there was not a ceiling but a sky; a blue sky, with clouds moving slightly to the soft wind. Y/N had to bring up a hand as a shield from the sun, because of the sting in her eyes, but she could’ve sworn he saw birds flying in the distance. When the three superiors joined the others, no one dared to distract the two brothers, only Jean moved towards them but was quickly stopped by his captain, who raised a hand in sign of stop. He wanted to give them the same thing he experienced years ago, something that the others wouldn’t understand. She smiled at the memory of the sensations that enveloped her when she used the ODM gear in the Underground, of the wind that creeping under clothes gave her the illusion of being free and weightless. The more she thought about it the more she felt impatient to find out how she would feel using it outdoors. «We’re here, Lag» «Yes, we are here»

Almost an hour later she found herself putting on a pair of brown leather boots, sitting on a comfy bed in her shared quarters. It felt strange to wear the light brown jacket with the Wings of Freedom painted on it, she never felt uncomfortable with the harness but this time it was like the military attire fit tight on her mind. When she first entered the room, she found a tray with some bread and water placed on the mattress; she didn’t waste a second and pounced on the food, finishing it in a few seconds. What surprised her the most was that the bread was soft and warm, not like the dry one of the Underground. It tasted so good. She threw one final look at the green cape hanged behind the door, the material was soft and it was so clean. Deciding it was time to return outside, where Erwin gave her and her brother instructions to be found after they settled down, she let the cloth down and opened the door, ready to face this new part of her life. Once outside she met Lagner exiting the male wing, he was wearing her same attire but it didn’t seem wrong on him. The big smile on his face confirmed her thoughts, «Hey, did you found the food?», he excitedly wrapped his arm around her shoulders «Yes» «It was very good, right?» «Mh mh», she murmured while walking with him towards the place indicated by Erwin, her hand on his back, she seriously couldn’t understand his enthusiasm. He sensed her annoyance and decide to change the subject, «What do you think they will make us do?» His sister sighed, closing her eyes «I don’t know Lag». They reached the outside of the castle, finding in front of the entrance Erwin and the girl with the red scarf that defeated her back in their house. «It’s good to see you», the Commander welcomed them «I hope you like your rooms» Lagner was smiling while Y/N just shrugged, living her brother’s side «From this moment on you’ll be part of the Scout Regiment. You will begin the training immediately». At his words Y/N arched an eyebrow in a confused expression, «Training? I thought we were ‘good as fuck’» «Robbing merchants and running away from the MP is a thing, but you are not prepared to kill the titans outside the Walls. Without the correct training you will end up devoured», the ravenhead intervened, she had the same bored expression of the short captain but Y/N could see something else in the gaze, something she couldn’t really understand. «I myself had to train for three years, and I was the first of the 104th Cadet Corps», she didn’t say it in an arrogant way, but rather to affirm the importance of her words. «Yes, but yours was a standard military training, you didn’t need to improve to survive» Erwin spoke again, stopping the young soldier from replying: «For this reason you will follow a special training. Mikasa will accompany you two to the camp» «Alright, alright», Y/N grumbled, being soon after lightly elbowed in the ribs by her brother. They followed the girl to the back of the castle, in a zone designed as a fighting area, not far away from a thick forest. They stopped in the middle of the camp and the brothers turned towards Mikasa, «So when do we start?» «I will take care of your training, cadets», the voice was coming from one of the table, where the parts of the ODM gears were placed to be cleaned; captain Levi was leaning against it with arms crossed and his usual bored expression, «You can go now, Ackerman». Just as Mikasa started to walk away, Y/N began giggling, trying to suppress the sound covering her mouth; «Y/N, what are you doing?», her brother was beyond confused «What’s so funny, brat?», the short man seemed irritated by her reaction. «I’m sorry», she calmed herself and stared at him with a smirk. «It’s just that you seem so confident playing the part of the good soldier. But you’re not fooling anyone, you are from the Underground. It’s so obvious». Lagner looked from his sister to the captain, suddenly noticing what she meant: Levi had the same look that he had seen countless times on a lot of children from the slums; they were hidden underneath his countenance but to

the two brothers his real feelings were evident. «So what?» «You will never be part of them», her smug expression faced his stoic one. He let out a snort before talking again, «Let’s get started right away. Hand-to-hand combat, fight against each other», he stated, without adding anything else, as if waiting. Y/N was confused and started walking in his direction, «Hand-to-hand? Shouldn’t we learn how to kill titans?» «The mere fact that you’re asking proves that you are not ready, yet». The two brothers looked at each other before nodding silently, they positioned themselves facing each other. Having no education whatsoever they had learned a very raw type of fighting, lacking of strategy or technique; after a series of scrambled kicks and punches, Lagner was straddling his sister with a confident smile, he patted her head «Hey, sis». «Pff, get off» «You two are hopeless», Levi intervened when Y/N was being picked up by the boy, pinching the bridge of his nose. «You don’t have the slightest technique, if this had been a real fight Lagner would have prevailed only thanks to his physical strength against someone like you. But if he had been faced with some soldier with a minimum of skill he would have been easily kicked in the ass». He pushed himself from the table, silencing the upcoming protests with a sway of his hand «You, big guy. Come here»; he unfolded the handkerchief tied on his neck, handing it to the younger brother «You stay here and try to stick something in that head of yours. You, on the other hand…». The short man looked down at Y/N, arranging the sleeves of the jacket to remain stable «You’re agile, but you tend to escape. You must learn to face your enemy». He positioned himself with his hands in front of his face, in a defensive position «You will fight me». Y/N didn’t seem fond of this plan, looking at the captain with a pestered expression.

Lagner left out a breathy laugh at the sight of his sister: «Don’t tell me you’re scared» «What?!», she screamed, offended «Of course I’m not!». She mirrored Levi’s position, keeping her eyes fixed on his; they stared at each other, moving in circles without attacking each other, just a few steps towards the other. But even if with less impulsiveness, Y/N tried to hit Levi’s face almost blindly. The dark-haired soldier dodged the punch with ease and pushed her with a pat on the neck, making her stumble a little forward. When she turned around, she was gritting her teeth at him, «You’re slow», he mocked «And you are short» «You are shorter», this time she could have sworn she saw a hint of amusement in the eyes of the man in front of her; she narrowed her eyes in his direction and curled her lips’ corners «Stop, Levi. You don’t want to piss me off and make me break your face, do you?». She didn’t see his attack coming, until she felt her legs being pushed from under her and her back hitting the hard ground. «It’s captain for you, cadet» «Nu-oh, it won’t happen», even if on the ground she kept her smirk «You are not my captain. You’re just someone who lived where I did». From her spot the girl lifted her leg and grazed his chin, she didn’t make any damage but used the momentum to stand up, before her arms were blocked behind her back and she was crushed against his chest, a foot anchored on her ankle ready to make her fall. «You are also predictable, brat». They went on for hours, until dinner time. Lagner was unable to fight against the captain just because his sister never wanted to give up and kept throwing herself at Levi. The last time Y/N found herself lying on the ground with the captain on top of her she was tempted to hit him in the nose with her head but held herself back, just staring at him out of breath; after getting up, she stared at him with clenched fists, all kinds of audacity disappeared from her face, replaced by a pissed expression. «We will resume tomorrow morning, now go» The girl groaned. «In your dreams», she spun around trying to hit his head with her left heel, but the dark-haired man blocked it with ease. «Useless», he insulted her for the umpteenth time, underestimating her pride. Under the torches light, Y/N’s face contorted in anger, her features hardening; with a frustrated shout she lifted herself off the ground by levering on the man’s shoulder, twirling in the air and hooking his neck with the other leg, managing to throw him on the ground. Levi found himself with his neck and shoulders trapped between her legs, unable to move, while the girl looked at him with a breathless grin «Was that good enough for you, Levi?». He blinked a few times, hiding his surprise at the attack that had him knocked down for the first time that day. «Better, but you’re not even mediocre yet». They got up, Lagner looked at them, shaking his head slightly with his eyes closed, with a small smile creasing his mouth, he knew his sister too well and he knew that when provoked she wouldn’t stop before proving herself. He quickly caught up with her as she began to walk back towards the castle «And it’s still captain, cadet» «And it’s still ‘No’, Levi»

The Mess Hall was full of soldiers, each sitting with their comrades and shoving the food in their mouth eagerly. Y/N and Lagner were sitting together at the only table empty, the girl moving the spoon around her plate with half-closed lids, while her brother observed her with amused eyes. «He really thrashed you, loser», he commented after she let out a whimper, her muscles felt sore at the minimum movement. «Just shut the fuck up, I beat him in the end» «If you ask, I think you enjoyed being pinned to the ground by him», she sent him a dark glare, he smiled resting his chin on top of his hands «You totally want him between your legs. Oh wait, you already-» his mockery was interrupted by the spoon flying towards his head, hitting him on the forehead «Ouch», his smirk never faltered as Y/N snorted looking away.

The next morning, after a quick breakfast, the two brothers returned to the field. This time they weren’t the only ones training, Y/n didn’t understand why but she felt immediately self-conscious at the thought of fighting Levi in front of everyone else. But the moment she saw the captain acting so confident in the middle of the camp, all the other cadets seemed intimidated by him, she forgot her insecurities. She quickly caught up with the dark-haired man, followed by her brother. He was barking at Hanji, as she was poking his head in a teasing manner, murmuring something Y/N couldn’t quite catch; «Get the fuck out, Shitty Glasses», he blurted. Another man with blond hair and a goatee was standing next to them, smiling slightly at their exchange, «Oh come on, Shorty. Admit it!» «Hanji, if you don’t stop…» «Captain», Lagner intervened, his sister looked at him, arching an eyebrow. The interaction between the two leaders stopped at the cadet’s voice, Hanji smiled at them as she scratched the back of her head «Sorry guys» «When do we start?», Y/N looked around the camp at all the other cadets, she spotted Sasha and the shaved one engaged in a dance fight. «Right away», Levi turned his gaze towards Lagner, then nodded at the blond man «He is Mike Zacharius, one of our Section Commanders. He will take care of your training full time». Y/N tensed up upon hearing his words, she wasn’t too fond of the idea, from the moment she accepted the deal with Erwin she had repeated to herself that she would’ve remained with her brother, not fully trusting the soldiers yet; «Wait, do you want to separate us?» «It will be more productive» The girl opened her mouth to respond, but Lagner put his arm in front of her and took a step forward «It’s alright. Come on, it won’t be so bad», he added after seeing the look his sister gave him, walking towards Mike with a smile, once beside the man he turned towards her «I’m just sorry I won’t see how you’ll get kicked» «Weren’t you leaving?!» Still smiling, Lagner began to walk away with Mike, who took a sniff of him making Y/N frown. «Don’t worry about that. He does it with everyone», Hanji put a hand on the girl’s shoulder after seeing her worried expression «He’ll be okay. Mike is our second strongest soldier» «And who would be the first? Erwin?», she asked, arching an eyebrow. «You actually put your thighs around his neck, yesterday». Y/N didn’t understand why but she blushed while trying to push Hanji away, throwing cussings in her direction; Levi left out a groan pinching the bridge of his nose with two fingers, «Get lost, Four Eyes!»

The girl who once was a thief from the Underground leaned against one of the field’s table out of breath, clutching her wrist to her chest with a groan of pain; Levi had not been indulgent with here, even in front of all the cadets he kept hitting her hard and knocking her to the ground. She had never felt so humiliated, the only thing that relieved her was the fact that in the others’ eyes no one was able to beat Humanity's Strongest. On the other hand, she was close to insulting the short man in front of the whole Regiment when he dismissed her with the sentence: «You’ll be in cleaning duty for the entire week, the kitchen needs a good scrub. Maybe next time you will show more respect to your captain» ‘This will never happen’ It was lunch time and she was waiting for her brother to eat. Lagner was a few meters from her, talking with Jean, Eren and a blond girl named Christa, Y/N had always seen her with a freckled girl, Ymir she seemed to remember. He already seemed to trust the others, perhaps too much; she didn’t understand how it was possible since everything they had suffered because of the soldiers. It was as if he was already letting his guard down, which his sister refused to do. «Uhm, hi», a shy voice interrupted her thoughts, and Y/N turn her head towards the redhead that who had reached her spot, she held one hand behind her back and looked at the former thief with her head bowed; «What do you want?», the girl snapped back at the sight of Sasha, she had in her mind the scene of the girl devouring her food. The cadet jumped at her harsh tone, but remained in place «I just wanted… to give you this», the girl stretched in her direction the hand that she was hiding behind her back, she was holding a loaf of bread «I’m sorry for the other day. You seem to be pretty upset about that and I know what it means to struggle for food, so…». Y/N felt the eyes of everyone on them, no one was talking and those who seemed closest to Sasha were staring wide-eyed and the girl understood that offering her food was something the redhead never did. She was looking between her and the bread with a surprised expression, taking the loaf slowly and gaping as Sasha began to walk back towards her speechless friends; «Wait», she softly called, her features softened when the girl turned around. With little effort Y/N split the bread in two, handing the other half to the reddish-haired girl. «Let’s share» Y/N saw as Sasha’s lips curled in a beaming smile, her once frightened eyes filled with joy. «Come sit with us, Y/N!». She screamed, grabbing the girl's wrists and dragging her to the others comrades’ table; gasping, Y/N saw her brother smiling heartily at her from his spot and soon she found herself squeezed between Mikasa and Sasha. She was watching the shaved cadet awkwardly, «Uhm, I’m sorry but I don’t know your name yet…». His reaction was as surprised as the one she herself had some minutes ago, «He’s Connie, but he’s too stupid to understand your questions on the first try», Jean was smirking in her direction, the side of his face leaning on the palm «Hey!» She let out a laugh at the bickering between the two, looking up at his brother, who was mouthing the words “See? What did I tell you?” «I’m sorry about what happened to you», Armin caught her attention, speaking with a soft smile from his seat across hers «The Military Police is really cruel…». His voice was caring and she felt relieved at the fact that someone was showing this attention to her, beside Lagner, «Yup, they are assholes», Connie was munching on his food «Uhm… yeah. It seems like you guys don’t get along with them either», all the cadets at the table giggled at the same time, «You don’t have any idea», Ymir took a sip of the water in front of her with a knowing look on her face, encircling Christa’s shoulders with her arm. After some minutes Y/N turned towards their superiors still in the field, talking between each other, seeing Levi with his usual attitude of superiority, she looked back to the group, «Levi assigned me the kitchen's cleaning for the whole

week», she scoffed, the others looked between each other before giving her a sympathetic look. «Welcome to our lives», commented Eren with a grossed expression. «So…», she moved the fingers across the wood of the table «Where does the “Horseface” thing come from?».

From that moment she began to bond more and more with the others, becoming friends with girls and the boys of the Regiment. She started to understand why Lagner felt immediately at ease, once she opened up to that strangely assorted group she realized how kind, caring and comprehensive they were towards her. Y/N found herself becoming good friends especially with Eren, Sasha and Jean, who constantly hit on her, it eventually became a joke between the two: she felt so bad for the poor guy when her brother stared at him with crossed arms and a stern look, after the umpteenth time he called her “pretty girl”, that she decided to give in and tease him the same way, startling him and confirming her doubts about the boy’s experience with girls. She and Lagner kept up with the training, fighting everyday with their respective partners. Y/N was actually getting better, acquiring tactics and strategy and learning to understand and promote her strengths, but she didn’t keep her behavior at bay, always gaining new duties to attend to. What she hated the most was bringing the tea to Levi’s office every night before curfew. Her snarky attitude didn’t change but she also let everyone get close to her and see what her real feelings were. She started to show admiration and respect for her superiors, for Erwin, Hanji, Mike and also Levi, the latter gave up the all “captain” story since it was clear she wasn’t going to call him that, but it eventually seemed like a normal thing for everyone in the Corp, as they shared a common past. «I’m surprised he hasn’t already kicked you in the face», Jean commented one day, stretching his back with his eyes closed and Y/N took advantage of that to hit him in the chest «Umpf!» «Shut up, Horseface» He trapped her against his chest by slamming his arm on her shoulders «Oh no you shut up». Lagner never saw his sister laugh so much like she did when around her best friends, even if she was acting as if the affection was annoying her. After another week of intense training, Levi communicated to them that they were going to learn how to ride horses from now on in the afternoon. Y/N eyes filled with enthusiasm after he conducted them to the stables; the brothers had always seen horses pulling the merchants’ carriages but they had never been able to get near them. «Do you mean we can touch them?», she asked with a big smile «Of course, idiot. How do you think you would-» «Oh my god!», she jumped, hugging her brother «Oh my god, Levi. Thanks!». The captain was surprised upon witnessing her strange behavior, but after seeing her run towards the animals, gently touching the muzzle of a black horse with the eyes of a baby he changed expression. Lagner, who seemed less excited than his sister, noticed his captain’s features soften and his eyes fill with a different light; «Everything alright, Captain?», he asked, tilting his head to the side. The short man turned his head in his direction, regaining his usual composure and holding back a smirk when he heard Y/N squealing as the horse nuzzled her cheek with its nose. «Yes. I just remembered something», he turned his attention to the enthusiastic girl «Brat! Come back here, I didn’t give you my permission to go!»

She loved riding horses. Every afternoon, in the moment she mounted her favorite one, she lost her grumpy attitude and became the most excited girl in all the Regiment. The first time she galloped across the field around the castle, her screams could be heard all the way to the Mess Hall; the other cadets knew how eager she was to try horse riding. She raised her eyes to the sky and saw the birds fly over her head as if they wanted to accompany her, the wind whizzing through her hair.

Hanji noticed the way Levi looked at her in these moments, remembering the little red-haired girl who used to address the ravenhead calling him “Big Brother”; she would have liked to tease him more often but she couldn’t help but hold back, not wanting to deprive him of those memories. The captain clearly grew a soft spot for the former thief. Once the man saw the girl let go of the reins and spread her arms with her eyes closed to feel the fresh air on every inch of her body, he seemed to forget to scold her, just riding beside her, Lagner on the other side with a relaxed expression on his face. When she was allowed to use the ODM gear was immediately struck by the need to prove herself to the tall Commander and the dark-haired captain. She didn’t wait another second, darting through the forest with a surprising speed.

Hanji looked ecstatic at the sight of the girl whizzing from one branch to another and twirling easily, the young girl was already perfectly capable of mastering the mobility gear. When the first wooden titan was lifted by one of the Scouts she didn’t show any hesitation, shooting the grapples and shifting the weight of her body to slalom under the figures, nearly gazing the floor with her feet before shooting upwards and slicing the foam on the nape of the fake enemy.

It didn’t take long before she was surrounded by the woody shapes. Resting on branch and studying the situation, almost as if she was really on the field, just for a few seconds before using the gas to launch herself at the nearest ‘titan’.

After hitting it she dropped to the floor cutting off what would have been the creature’s ankles, then proceeded to slit the back of his neck. And then she did something that made even the blue-eyed Commander’s eyes shot wide open: heading towards the farthest titan she used the auxiliary switches to detach the still usable blades, throwing the two weapons behind her in a rotating motion, which severed the back of the head of the titan apparently ignored by the girl, while she immediately changed blades and took down the last one titan. After doing a somersault in the air, she landed in front of her three superiors, with a pleased grin at the sight of their faces, even Levi seemed slightly surprised by the way he raised an eyebrow. Both cylinders were still nearly full, demonstrating her control of the momentum caused by the hooks and the ability to save gas, as essential in escapes from the military police as it would’ve been in battle. Replacing the blades in their holsters, Y/N crossed her arms proudly. «So, am I ready for my first mission?»

It wasn’t long before the first expedition outside, in which the Heinle brothers took part. It was a standard mission, to clear the field around the Walls from some titans who got too close to it, but Lagner and Y/N were concentrated as when they had to steal under the nose of the MP. They were not to blame, thinking about how their comrades had told them about their first encounter with the titans one evening, and how Levi and Mike had warned them about these expeditions, adding that each time someone did not return back. Both the brothers were put under Levi’s supervision, not being officially part of a squad yet. Y/N felt a shiver down her spine when she tied around her neck the green cape, she jumped on her horse fiercely, looking at all the soldiers in front of them and to her brother, to her side; they exchanged a nod of understanding and began to ride as soon Erwin gave the signal. Dozens of Wings of Freedom waved in front of the two brothers, the Scouts moved in harmony and followed orders diligently. The titans appeared after a long hour of riding, they were few but tall and agile. It was almost a shock for two former inhabitants of the Underground coming face-to-face with the monsters they had heard about from an early age; their idiotic expressions, gaping mouths and slouching limps left Y/N speechless. When she heard Levi yell the order to use the ODM gear and attack, she felt a switch flick inside her. She saw the captain draw out the blades as he rode his horse standing on the saddle.

‘What an exhibitionist’, the girl rolled her eyes; she freed her feet from the stirrups and imitated the man, albeit remaining crouched. «Go!», he shouted.

Y/N, Lagner, Levi and Mikasa were leading the horses back to the stables, returning from the expedition, which had proved successful despite two casualties and a half dozen injuries. Y/N was feeling proud of herself, having killed two titans alone and two others with Lagner’s help; she wouldn’t have denied her fear, but she thought she had handled her emotions well. She watched her brother talk to Mikasa about something she hadn’t been able to understand, and took advantage of it to annoy the man next to her. «You love to show-off, uh?» «What do you mean?», he kept his eyes straight in front of him. «That little stunt on the horse», she was smirking but didn’t look at him, just stroking the horse’s neck «It’s just easier to use the gear from that position», Levi glanced at her smiling form. He didn’t understand how their relationship had evolved, before they insulted each other and now, although she continued to challenge and provoke him, she seemed to show respect for him, in her own way. And besides, her behavior had gone from standoffish to sunny in a few weeks. It was clear that her true nature was kind and full of life, watching the way her eyes sparkled as she stroked the horse next to her was enough to understand that. Certainly, Levi admired her potential, the girl showed extraordinary talent and learning ability, and her determination was rare. Her attitude unnerved him but at the same time they understood each other, which Erwin and Hanji, however close to him, were able to do only to a certain point. «You must admit I have kicked a number of asses», she said as they reached the stables, waiting outside for the others to finish so that they didn’t clog the passage. «You are talented but you lack teamwork», the captain responded. «Your brother seems more prone to attack in a group. He was a good assist for Jean and Connie during the expedition». As if called, the young man went out of the stables with Mikasa, waving to his sister and gesturing to her that they would wait in the Mess Hall with the others. She nodded, «Yeah, I know. Lag was always good in trusting others. Maybe too much», she stared at him for a bit, a more serious look on her face, before they headed inside the structure. There was silence between the two as they freed the horses from their harnesses, «I want to name it Sky» «Why?» «So every time I mount it and feel the air against my face I will remember that I no longer have a ceiling over my head. I think it’s something familiar to you», she added in a whisper. From her position she couldn’t see his eyes going wide at her words, of course it was familiar to him; upon not hearing a response from the man she turned her attention back to him, her features returned to the previously bright ones. «Stop being so grumpy Levi and just admit I did a good job!», He sighed, closing the gate to his horse’s box, mirrored by the girl «You’ve been pretty great…» he muttered.

Partly because the mission had gone particularly well and partly because it had been the first for the two new members of the Survey Corps, Erwin decided to have crates of liquor brought to the castle and to allow the soldiers to enjoy themselves for a night. The dinner passed between laughs and festive screams as the alcohol affected the Scouts, the only ones to have left the Mess Hall before the celebrations started were Levi and the Commander himself. Y/N kept smiling as her friends started to lose their restraints. Less than an hour later every cadet was drunk or at least tipsy, trying to slur something out or making out in the corners of the room. Eren, Connie and Sasha were the first to go; the first one was standing on the table waving his fist in the air while trying to do an imitation of Jean, who in turn addressed him with curses, the two other cadets were staging a ninja-style fight, with a light drunk Armin cheering at them. Mikasa gulped down the liquor with an unimpressed expression, watching as Hanji and Mike, now joining the crowd of young soldiers, were leaning on each other, the woman screaming something about how it irritated her that the titans had no navel. «I am the most attractive male of the Regiment!», shouted Jean, now sitting next to Eren on the table, they were still insulting each other but with their arms around the other’s shoulder. «Hush, horseface. Only a virgin like you can say something stupid like this», the green-eyed boy slurred «I can be a virgin, but I still know how to make a woman sc-», the taller couldn’t finish the sentence as Y/N jumped on the table and took his chin between her fingers, forcing him to watch her «Maybe I can teach one or two things about satisfying a woman», she said before leaving a quick but heated kiss on his lips. His cheeks turned a dark shade of red in less than a second, while everyone around them laughed at his gaping mouth. After half an hour the situation had calmed down slightly, but it was clear that the fun would go on for a long time, Y/N watched as Lagner was drunkenly talking to Christa, leaning against a wall. To everyone, he could’ve seemed normal in his friendly gestures but to her his real intentions were clear; he laid eyes on the blond girl from when they first met and his now lightly fogged irises kept admiring her tipsy form, with a seductive smile on his face. Too bad for him that Ymir was going to understand his intentions in a matter of minutes. «My brother is going to be punched in the face» «Let him enjoy the moment, Y/N. You should do the same», she collapsed against Jean’s side, taking small sips from the bottle they were sharing, his left arm braced around her shoulders, the fingers of his hands softly caressing her arm’s skin left uncovered by the informal shirt she usually wore under the harness in those occasions. She was feeling daring and needy, all these weeks of training and her first mission outside the Walls filled her with adrenaline. She needed to blow off steam. The girl took another sip from the bottle of liquor in her hand, feeling the alcohol giving her courage.

Part IIThank you so much for reading! If you liked this chapter you can leave a like or a comment and if you have time you can check my Ao3. Hope you enjoyed!

[simpywriter]

Hey sorry to bother but I was just wondering if you were still writing for Tim Roth characters? I saw that you said you were working on something just wondering if you were still writing it?

Hi! No bother at all :) Yes I'm still writing for him, I'm writing a Cal Lightman x reader at the moment but I was on hiatus with that because going to the university I was completely overwhelmed with exams (still am). I will post everything I have in plan (like another chapter for the Zuko x reader and others Aot fics, maybe starting some JJK x reader), it's just that I need some more time ^^'. It was a pleasure to read your ask, have a nice day <3

[simpywriter]

Love her so much <3

Shoko 😎

[simpywriter]

Hi!!! I wanted to tell you that I created an edit-dedicated instagram account where I will post all my amv/mv in general (mostly amv sorry not sorry). If you like it would be really helpful for me if you'd follow and/or share it. I put really a LOT of love in my works ^^'

[simpywriter]

Another chance

Pairing: Kurusu Kazuki x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 3k

Summary: having to run away from the Organization, you find yourself asking for a place to stay to two assassins and a little child.

Warnings: Canon-like violence, angst

It all happened so fast. The atrocious pain piercing through your body. A hand clutching your abdomen while the other fought against the much bigger one closed around your throat.

It was four months ago that you almost found yourself in a dead-end situation. From when you could remember you worked for the Organization, fulfilling your job to kill people and don’t ask questions. Then why did you find a file that classified you as ‘expendable’? Why did you eavesdropped a conversation of your mentor with your partner, spilling out all your weaknesses and flaws? And, for God’s sake, why did the latter seem to be aiming at your head instead of the target’s? It was then that you ran away. You were able to deceive your partner, leaving him cornered, surrounded by the reinforcements that the boss you were ordered to kill called not long ago. You left him and started to run out of the building, stealing a car and driving under the rain until you reached the pub.

«Kyutaro!», you screamed once inside. Your breathing was unsteady and your cheeks red from running «I need- They are going to- I…». You would’ve passed out on the floor if Kyu hadn’t reached you on time, bracing you by the shoulder; his expression was clouded with worry and before you could say any more he had already carried you to one of the stands. «What happened?», he asked only after making you a fuming cup of tea and making sure you were actually drinking it. «They’re going to kill me. I heard them and then they… he was…», you breathed out, voice cracking with every word. Unbeknownst to you, Kyu had heard something about some ‘cleaning work’. But he never imagined they’d hit you as their target, out of all the people. «You must hide. I know someone».

You knocked on Rei and Kazuki’s apartment that same evening. Needless to say, the surprise on the dark-haired one’s face as he eyed you: a girl soaked from the rain, with red, swollen eyes and a holster tied around her hips. He moved aside only when you uttered Kyu’s name; but you could understand his caution, with a child sleeping in one of the rooms. That night none of you slept. Kazuki pushed for you to take a shower, leaving some clean clothes on the bathroom’s counter and a plate of curry rice on the kitchen table, which you devoured with relish before the two assassins sat down in front of you, arms folded and serious gaze. You told them what happened to you. They both waited for you to finish without saying a word; Rei’s eyes darkened more and more with every second, but he didn’t give the impression of directing his anger towards you. Rather in his eyes you could see a veil of compassion, of sadness and the way he clenched his fists on the table when you mentioned his father’s name, so much that his knuckles whitened, made you immediately understand that he would never leave you in those men’s hands.

And they didn’t. During the following months the two men let you stay at their home, hiding you and putting Suwa’s men on the wrong track, with Kyu’s help.  The morning after your first meeting you were introduced to Miri, who looked at you with he big curious eyes before asking who you were to her ‘papas’; you found the little one adorable and quickly came to the conclusion that the love was mutual. She was always running around your legs, tugging to your sleeve and demanding to play with her ‘auntie’. Living with this messy and atypical family was bringing you more happiness and hope than you had felt in the past ten years.

With Kazuki you immediately felt at ease. The two of you just… clicked. Not being able to leave the apartment you tried to do as much as you could, tiding up Rei’s mess or helping Miri with her homework. Every now and then you asked Kazuki to teach you to cook and you could see his eyes light up with joy, your heart skipped a beat every time (so much that you began to ask him to check on you even when you had learned), although due to his lack of patience you often ended up bickering. The man made a habit of buying you new clothes from time to time, and even if he nodded every time you told him you’d give him his money back, he always made up some excuse to not accept it.

«You already paid for the groceries last week» «I’m going to the casino today, better not risking them all» «My wallet got wet during the last mission, I wouldn’t know where to put them»

He was so kind with you, making you laugh and refusing to leave you alone if he ever found you in a moment of discomfort, holding your hand and letting you cry on his shoulder before falling asleep on the couch. One evening it was just the two of you at home, Rei picking up Miri at a friend’s house while you were preparing dinner. Kazuki was particularly sweet, little touches, fingers grazing yours and looks lasting longer than what was usual between friends. «The chicken is almost ready», you whispered closing the oven’s door and tossing the two holders on the chopping board. There was no answer as you got up, dusting off your hands. He probably was too busy with the rice to- Your breath itched in your throat when he placed a hand on the small of your back, his palm’s warmth spread through the thin fabric of your shirt, setting your skin on fire. «Kazuki what…?»

He quickly turned you around, words dying before reaching your lips as he gripped your hips, hoisting you on the counter and trapping your body against his. You yelled, gripping his shoulder out of instinct and feeling his muscles tense up under your touch. «What the… What are you doing?» Still no answer. His hair fell in front of his eyes, hiding them from your view; you could only see his parted lips as he inhaled slowly, every breath grazing your face. «You don’t have the slightest idea what you’re making me feel, do you?» Your eyes widened, one of his hands had moved, tracing circles with his fingers on your spine. Instinctively you brought your arms around his neck, a knot formed in your stomach hearing his voice: he wasn’t just talking to you, there was something in his voice, in the way his body trembled in your grip… he was so much more beneath the surface.

«Rei, Miri… you. You are my second chance», his voice was only a whisper, words exhaled into the thin space between you «I can’t let them hurt you, not again. I won’t allow it». «It won’t happen. I feel safe here. With you». He inhaled loudly, letting you pull him against you, almost completely nullifying the space between your two bodies. Your chest rose and fell quickly against his in anticipation. «Kazuki I…». You didn’t finish the sentence, he put a hand behind your neck pulling you towards him, towards his trembling lips.

«Kazu-papaaaaa» The two of you hastily parted with a gasp, leaving behind only the bitterness of the touch not happened, just in time for the enthusiastic child and her dad to turn the corner of the living room. «Miriii», Kazuki ran to greet the little girl right away, taking her in his arms and immediately stripping himself of that vulnerability that he was showing only to you. «How was your day, little one?» You felt Rei’s gaze on you. It was hard to made up an excuse to hide what was happening from him… and in any case, it was all so fresh in your mind that you wouldn’t even be able to invent something plausible. «Auntie, do you know you can’t sit there?»

That happened one day before Miri’s mother arrival. It ripped out your heart to see the little girl departing. Rei and Kazuki’s reaction were even more heartbreaking, soon followed by Rei’s return to his ‘home’. And then the hell broke out. Kyu called you one night you were home alone, yelling about Miri being in danger and Kazuki running to save her. You didn’t wait a second, rushing to the address the spy told you.

You lose the grip on the gun as soon as Ogino kicked you in the stomach. It was just a matter of moments, you couldn’t even take aim for his head that the killer was lifting your body from the floor by the neck, fingers almost sinking into the skin. Kazuki was struggling to get on his feet and reach him, but his body was giving up under the wounds of the fight, «I swear if you lay a hand on her I…» «R-Run…» you spit out, feeling Ogino’s grip getting even tighter, his empty faze hid the pleasure of feeling your breathing getting more and more labored «Take M-Miri and… run!» «No! I ca-!» The sounds of the police sirens interrupted you all. Your lip cracked upwards as you smugly eyed the clenched jaw of the hitman before you «Time’s up, ass-hole».

«I’ll claim your last words next time. For now, I’ll settle for hers». The man turned to look at Kazuki one last time before he shot you in the stomach, dropping your body that hit the ground with a thud, making you scream in pain. Your voice covered the blonde man yelling your name while behind him you took a glimpse of Ogino escaping through the window. Your head throbbed, the injured shoulder kept sending bolts of pain throughout your body and your vision was populated by black dots, sight blurred by the blow to the head from the fall. Someone was picking you up, you could feel the air around you moving faster as you tried with all your will to focus on the face in front of you.

«Listen to me!», Kazuki’s eyes were a mask of terror «It’s okay, we are going to take to somewhere safe» You could feel his hand frantically tamponing your wound, the warm blood slipping past his fingers; but he ignored the disgusting feeling, he ignored the pain from the gunshot, all that mattered to him was being able to save you. You just couldn’t die. «It’s okay, we… Kyu we need to-» «Kazuki» «The hospital, if you take her to the hospital right now…» «Kazuki…» «They’re going to patch you up. It’s just a scratch, nothing serio-» «Kazu!» He stopped right there, a hand still busy on your stomach, while the other absentmindedly caressed the back of your neck. You were pale, so damn pale.

«It’s alright. It should have been like this from the start», your voice was horribly feeble, completely different from the passionate tone he was used to. The calmness with which he spoke was like a knife slipping slowly between his ribs, piercing his heart just as slowly. «No…» «You need to take Miri somewhere safe. She’s more important» «You matter to me. You are… my second chance too». You wanted to wipe away the tears that were flowing down his cheeks, but your arms felt too heavy, fighting against your drooping eyelids was already too much.  All you could do was smile at him, fighting against yourself to hold on until the last moment. «You’re good», you whispered, strength leaving you quickly «You’ve been so good with me…» «Don’t-» «I’m sorry if I’ll make Miri cry…». You wanted to say something else, but the words kept dying in your throat «You won’t. Are you listening to me? You won-!», he stopped mid-sentence when he saw your eyes closed.

He called your name, softly, he just couldn’t bring himself to scream. He called a second time, a third, a fourth… the fifth time was a sob. You were in his arms, motionless, the bleeding hadn’t stopped and your clothes were soaked in red. It was not real, it couldn’t be. Not again, not again, not again!

«Kazuki, we need to go before the real police arrive», Kyu was delicately holding Miri’s sleeping body, anxiously waiting outside the apartment’s door. Kazuki was still bent over your body, refusing to let you on the ground, only for the police to find you in an unnamed flat. No, it wasn’t going to be like this. He blinked back the tears, lifting his head. This time was different. «I’m not letting this happen again». And with a groan of pain, he lifted you up in his arms.

When you woke up, you quickly recognized the room you slept in for months as a runaway, the feeling of the sheets’ fabric between your fingers fulfilling your heart with relief. You remember the shot, Kazuki tamponing your wound, but then it was totally dark. «You’re awake», you turned towards the voice. Kyu was closing the door behind him, holding a package of bandages and a clean cloth in his hands, which he placed on the bedside table next to a bottle of disinfectant. «What happened? I just remember that Ogino shot me and-» «You made it by miracle», very carefully the man helped you sit up, arranging the pillows behind your back «Do you think you can stay sit for a while? I need to change your bandages».

You nodded, taking off your shirt with Kyu’s help and letting him untie the knot behind your back. «How long did I sleep?» «Several days. We’ve been hiding for a while, Kazuki and Rei brought you home last night», you felt a pang at the names of the two assassins. «Where are they? How is Miri? Ogino ha- AH!», Kyu quickly grabbed your shoulders, preventing you from turning around too quickly. «Stay still. I’m not going to fix you if you fall out of the bed», you hissed when he started to clean the wound with the disinfectant-soaked cloth, gripping hard onto the blanket «Miri is fine. Rei and Kazuki went to the Organization» «They what?!», but the sudden jolt caused you another twinge of pain «Shit!» «I told you not to move». Even Kyu found it funny how you pouted when someone scolded you, and this was one of those moments. ‘Good’, he thought as he went back to wrapping the new bandages around your abdomen ‘That means she’s fine’. «They called me, everything went smoothly. They went to Miri’s recital», the man quickly added, feeling you trembling with concern next to him; you sighed, relieved, letting Kyu finish his work without saying anything else.

As you straightened your shirt you heard the front door close as Miri’s voice filled the apartment, «Shhh Miri, the auntie is sleeping» «We’re in the bedroom!», Kyu anticipated you, throwing the dirty bandages into the bin next to the bedside table. There was a rushing sound of three pair of feet throughout the corridor, that stopped only when they opened the door. It was almost comical, two assassins adults, dressed up as Santa Claus, and a four year old child standing on the edge of your bedroom, while you tried to hide your wound from the little girl. You immediately met Kazuki’s eyes, that shone with something you were pretty sure was more than relief; you saw him opening the mouth to talk but was quickly interrupted by Miri’s excited screams as she climbed in the bed to sit in front of you.

«Autie, you’re good! Rei-papa said you were sick! You sleeeeeeept so much. Was it because the boo?», she looked at you with her big curious hues and it was just a matter of luck if you were able to hold back the tears. «Yes, it was. But now I’m okay», you whispered, caressing the girl’s head and sweetly tousling her hair «I’m so, so sorry I couldn’t come to your recital». The happiness didn’t dissipate from her eyes, Kazuki placed a hand on her shoulder, looking at you with an understanding gaze, «I’m sure auntie will be really happy to hear your song» «Really???» «Of course I’ll be!», you interjected, giving Miri the biggest and most sincere smile. «Tomorrow you can sing for me and then tell me everything of this evening».

The child was ready to start her number right there, but as she staggered to stay on her little feet on the mattress Rei caught her, lifting her body from under the arms and holding her to his chest, eliciting a high-pitched giggle from her. «I’m sure she’s still a little tired. Let’s go see tonight’s photos» As the two walked out, Kyu following close behind, you heard Miri exclaim «Can we play Morio Kart??» «I didn’t charge the controllers» «EH????». The door closed behind them and you two were left alone.

«Nice costume», Kazuki chuckled, getting rid of the Santa Claus jacket and loosely hanging it on the chair’s back. He sat down on the bed, gaze lost in front of him, to everyone else he would’ve been appeared calm, but you immediately noticed the soft trembling of his shoulders, the way his head hung lightly forward, to shield his eyes with his falling locks, how his hand gripped tightly on the edge of the mattress. He was similar to how he looked that night in the kitchen.

«Kazuki» «I was terrified», he started «You were dead. Technically your heart was still beating when we arrived at Kyu’s house but… your body was like a corpse». You didn’t interrupt him, waiting for him to continue «It’s just… when he shot you I felt like I was reliving it all over again. I was going to lose someone I care for because of my work. Again, my fault» Uncertainly you brought your hand towards his, as soon as you grazed it the man rushed to take your palm in his, intertwining your fingers. You were really glad he wasn’t looking directly at you, because your face had turned red from neck to ears. ‘God, don’t let him feel my pulse’ «What I’m trying to tell you it’s…», his shoulders shook more evidently and you urged forward to place a hand on his shoulder. He turned around, glossy eyes fixed on your face, his look so intense that it made you feel almost naked under his gaze. «I’m not ready to lose you. I will never be».

«I can’t lose you too, Kazuki. I want you to be happy, you deserve to be happy». He gave you a sweet smile for the first time since the night you almost died. «Stay with me», he whispered, and although your heart was pounding right in your throat it was not difficult for you to breath a “yes” back. No one burst through the door this time, as Kazuki grabbed you by the back of your neck, making your lips meet in an almost desperate kiss. He was still trembling, you could feel it, but the way he kissed you was enough to make sure he was alright. After all, you were alive. Your tongue pierced through his lips, not bothering to ask for permission; Kazuki couldn’t be more than glad to feel you so much against him. His arm sneaked around your back, gently leading you to lie down on the mattress, soon followed by him.

He had practically set you on fire, but as you moved to grant him even more contact a shock of pain interrupted the heavenly feeling you were basking in. «Oh God, did I hurt you?», he panicked, quickly looking for signs of hurt on your face. «Don’t worry, I’m fine», you giggled, taking his face in your hands «But maybe we should wait a little longer for this. Especially until Miri isn’t home». Kazuki let out a breathy laugh «You’re right. Sadly». He laid down on his side, wrapping you in a needy hug, careful not to mess around with your wound again; you could see the softness behind his eyes as he smiled at you. «You’re cute», you whispered, amused by the blonde reaction when he tried to hide the blush on his cheeks burying his face into your neck and uttering a “Stooop” in a whiny tone.

Yes. He was really cute.

| The End |

Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this one-shot you can leave a like or a comment and if you have time you can check my Ao3. Hope you enjoyed!

[simpywriter]

Does any of you know Lie to me? Because I think this platform needs more Cal Lightman x reader. I need more Tim Roth's characters x reader in general, maybe some Emil Blonsky..... I don't know. Would you like to read any of them?

[simpywriter]

Flames (Bonus Chapter - 1)

Blue Fire

Pairing: Zuko x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 866

Flames - Main

Summary: you can't stand the way it ended with Zuko's sister. (This is a bonus chapter for my three-chapters fic 'Flames', but you can also read it separatly)

Warnings: angst, angst, angst, a lot of angst sorry

«Are you sure you want to do this?» «I am the Fire Lady, how would I look like to the people if I didn’t take care of unresolved issues?». Zuko smiled looking at you, his eyes drifted to the small crown adorning your combed hair, «It’s been a year and it’s still weird to see you dressed so formally» «Well it feels weird too, I certainly prefer my old uniform» He lifted the corner of his lips, looking at you from top to bottom «Or your ‘bed uniform’». His lewd comment earned him a soft punch to the chest, even if you doubted he could feel anything under the royal armor.

«Alright, for the last time. Are you sure you want to be alone?», he asked when his chuckles died down, thumb caressing your cheekbone «Yes, your presence would only make her more hostile» It was obvious that he didn’t like your idea, but he also knew how stubborn you could be when you got something into that hot head of yours, «I’ll be right here, if you need anything». He left a small kiss on your lips before letting you inside the room.

During the Agni Kai against the former Fire Prince, you noticed how battered Azula looked like; but seeing her in that condition, tied to a chair in a straitjacket, with dirt hair covering her hallucinated eyes while she angrily muttered under her breath, made you realize how fragile Zuko’s sister really was. «Look who’s back», she chirped before you could open your mouth, her voice almost consumed and piercing through your ears «The little whiny kid who decided to entirely destroy my life»

«You know it’s not like that». But the girl in front of you just burst in a hysterical laughter that made you jump, her shoulders were shaking before she stopped abruptly looking to her right and growling a “Shut up!”. «You’re just like those two fakes I used to call friends. You used me for power and then, when you realized that you would never be at my level because of your weakness and stupidity, you conspired to destroy me. And you’re the worst of all, with those big innocent eyes… now look at you wearing my crown» Her words dug a hole into your chest, raising an upsetting sensation of guilt inside of you «Why do you hate me so much?» «Because it’s all your fault!» she screamed, trying to jump from the chair and making the restrains struggle to keep her seated, the creaking of the wood and the fabric accompanying Azula’s screams «You convinced that stupid moron of my brother that he was a good person, a leader. So he went against my father and was banished. And I was left alone with him! No mother, no uncle, no friends! Ty Lee ran away right after and Mai didn’t come back to the palace anymore. I was here alone with my father and his rage! You think you’re good and that I’m evil but you’re a horrible person just like me!»

Spit ran from her lips and you found yourself trembling under her red-hot gaze «I-I always considered you as my friend, I didn’t have any idea that they…» Another dark chuckle, «Don’t make me laugh. I was you enemy from the start» You shook your head, trying to blink away your upcoming tears «Azula… I’m sorry…» «Don’t pity me! You hear me?? I was never your friend and I’ll never be!», locks fell from her messy bun, framing her face in a even more disastrous way «So cross that door and go back to my fake excuse of a brother and sleep in my bed in my palace» You just ran away from the room, letting the servants to close the door before collapsing against the wall with ragged breaths. «Hey hey, Y/N», Zuko, who was just a few feet away, reached your side in less than a second, immediately holding your shoulders. «Are you alright? What has she said to you? I swear I’m gon-» «I’m fine», you muttered. You found comfort in his caresses, his soft gaze and the little kisses he placed on your temple.

«She’s not okay Zuko», you said after a while, you hand searched his and you interlocked your fingers together, feeling your boyfriend breathing softly against your hair. He was tense, but at the same time he knew he could trust you with all his being, letting his guard down; «Just… don’t leave her alone» «I won’t». He kissed your neck softly, nothing mischievous behind it, just a reassuring little gesture.

«Do you want to feed the turtleducks?», you asked after a while. He moved away from your neck with a happy grin creasing his lips.

Spirits, he’s just So. Fucking. Cute. But before you could blush at your own thoughts he took a step behind keeping your hands locked together, «You lead, my Fire Lady» he said, and you could feel your heart skipping a beat as he pulled you to him, bringing his lips to your before you could even start to act upon his words. Yes. He’ll be a perfect Fire Lord, brother and partner.

| The End |

Hiiiii, so sorry for the angst ;) BUT I tried to make it up by adding a bit of fluff at the end. Aaaaaand.... Hype your avatar stand ass*s because the next bonus chapter is gonna be a full and juicy SMUT. Hope you liked this chapter! See you next fic!

[simpywriter]

Flames

Part Three

Pairing: Zuko x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 3.6k

Part I | Part II

Summary: What will happen when you meet Zuko after what happened in Ba Sing Se?

Warning: little little tiny bit of angst

‘Where is she?’ was the question that Zuko found himself to ask more often than he thought. And it was followed by images of her face, from where they were little to his exile; he always knew where she was. But these memories were now blended together with her expression when she saw him attacking Katara, protecting the same sister from whom Y/N herself saved him not long before. He remembered the tears in her eyes as he kept throwing fire balls in her direction and the way her shoulders drooped while she jumped on the Avatar’s sky bison.

‘Why didn’t you come back? We would have found a way to free you from your accusations’ He was looking at the city under the palace. He was prince, he finally regained his father’s respect but he still didn’t feel like part of the royal family at all. He couldn’t bring himself to see the city under his feet like his reign. Did Iroh feel like this? No, Iroh was just a stupid old man that refused to accept his place in the world. But… Was Y/N just a stupid little girl?

«Zuko?» Too distracted to pay attention to the surroundings he didn’t notice that Mai was now right behind him, a concerned look on her face. «Are you okay?», she asked placing a hand on his tense shoulder. His face quickly relaxed, even If his body just refused to do the same, and he gave a soft smile. «Yeah», he said encircling her waist with an arm, he placed a slow kiss on the girl's lips, savoring the warmth of a loving touch «Everything's alright»

«Hello, Zuko here» ‘Are you fucking kidding me?’

You couldn’t believe this. You just fled the Fire Nation and found a place to hide, slowly regaining your power after the solar eclipse. And there he was, Zuko, the one that betrayed you and nearly cause the Avatar’s death, asking to be part of your new family. A family that immediately threatened to attack him, even your fists sparkled with red flames. You were surprised when he just lifted his hands in surrender and ignored your team’s words, instead tried to explain himself; Appa even licked him and you saw doubt crossing Aang’s eyes.

But the others didn’t seem even slightly convinced by the flying bison’s display of affection, and even the young Avatar quickly changed his expression in a stern one. «There’s no way we can trust you after everything you’ve done», his words echoed in the temple, quickly gaining support in Katara and Sokka. The former fire prince tried to complain, his eyes set on you as for asking for help.

You weren’t looking at anyone, fingers trembling just as your breath as you vaguely heard Toph trying to intervene, interrupted by waterbender «I think the only one in charge of this decision is Y/N», she said, drawing all the attention on you. You could feel golden hues on every inch of your face, but your gaze remained fixated on the ground as you gulped down the knot stuck in your throat.

«No, you’re right. We can’t trust him». You finally looked up to see Zuko’s features twist in hurt «Please Y/N», he took a step forward and Katara was ready to attack him before you stopped her with a wave of the hand «Let me expla-». The arm raised acted almost, almost on its own accord, sending your palm to hit the boy’s cheek with maybe too much force even for him; it seemed to silence him and the entire team, with the corner of your eye you saw Sokka’s jaw almost touching the ground.

But all your attention was on the firebender in front of you, now touching his face with slight reddened cheeks. «Yeah I… kinda deserved it» «Oh you kinda deserved it??» «I totally deserved it», he punctuated «But if you’ll just let me explain…» «No! You left me in that cave! You betrayed me and broke my heart. You knew exactly what you were to me and you just threw my trust, my friendship and everything between us away to follow your insane sister! I’ve always been there for you! Even in your exile. I gave up on everything, I rejected my life to follow you and now you expect me to forget everything just because you realized that you are good now?». Your voice traveled from angry, to broken, to scornful before you were able to calm yourself, nobody uttered a word, even Toph was speechless.

«Please Zuko, you’re smarted than this. You know I can’t do it», and he heard no more from you, instead being definitively kicked out, without you seeing the pleading (and teary) looks he kept sending you. Katara was the first to approach you, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder «Are you okay» «No», you whispered, but Toph seemed too eager to speak «That was stupid, we need someone to teach Aang firebending as soon as possible and, no offense Y/N, but you’re not really doing a good job regarding the ‘speed’ part» You didn’t respond, head hanging low in shame as you were reminded how terrible you were in teaching (not that your state of mind was helping); but Katara quickly interceded «I don’t care, I don’t want Zuko here. He betrayed me, he betrayed Y/N. No matter what he says, he’s not good». You agreed.

You didn’t expect the attack of Combustion Man and even less you expected Zuko to be the one warning and saving you, risking his life in order to stop the assassin. You felt the blood in your veins completely froze when you saw him being pushed out the cliff, only to hang on a liane. It was obvious that Aang would’ve welcomed him into your group at that point, finding the agreement of all the others, and even you didn’t have to force yourself to nod when asked. The fire boy gave you a smile, but it disappeared when you didn’t return it, looking around embarrassed. But after seeing the way his expression dropped when Katara treated him with the minimum amount of respect you felt guilt creeping in your lungs. Yes, he hurt you but he also tried to make it up to all of the team; he deserved at least some words from you.

When you approached him it was evening, he was arranging his sleeping bag close enough to feel the warmth of the fire you had just lit but farther from the others; seeing him so isolated made you feel sorry, reminding you of the way he struggled to make friends in the absence of his mother when he was little. «Hey», you whispered, making his head whip around to see you standing just a few feet away from him, and the way his eyes widened sent your heart on a racing speed. «O-oh, good morni-evening, I-I mean hi, hey», his cheeks shifted from his usual pale color to a soft pink and, by the end of his awkward greeting, a bright red that made you grin in amusement. He was even shyer than five years ago. And so cute.

«Hi», you repeated, taking a step forward, as you kept fiddling with your fingers «Listen, I think you deserve a thank you, for you know… saving us». His smile was softer this time, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of warmth when you got close enough to take a seat next to him; even if his skin was burning in shame he couldn’t stop looking at you, speaking with timid tone «It’s okay. I was the one putting you in danger in the first place, it was the bare minimum from me-» «If you’re trying to make me admit you weren’t a jerk, then it’s not working» But you were grinning and he even let out a low chuckle. And you’ve gone on and on, talking to each other and joking and laughing and smiling. You two were so invested in each other that when Sokka screamed your names for dinner neither of you heard him.

«Are you done, lovebirds?», the boy asked again, this getting your attention and all the air from your lungs at the nickname «What?!» «D-Don’t call us that!», you both stuttered at the same time, with faces set aflame. Toph snickered from right next to Sokka, having heard the smell of fools-ready-to-be-humiliated from miles away, you instantly froze when you saw her smirking lips part to speak. «Yeah? Well, tell Zuko. His heart is giving me headache» The two benders were sure they had never seen two people take two different directions in such a rush.

 

‘Thanks to the spirits Y/N is not here. Who knows when the teasing would end…’, Zuko thought looking down at the Boiling Rock’s prisoner uniform he was wearing. But what the girl would have paid more attention to would surely have been the furious looking ex-girlfriend in front of the firebender. He just needed the right signal from Sokka and Suki. Just the right signal… «It’s for her, isn’t it?», Mai’s voice was lower, trying to hide the hint of hurt behind, but it didn’t go unnoticed by the boy «You left me like this for her…». «I… I don’t understand. Her?» «Y/N. You started getting weird as soon as Azula brought you back, without her. Just stop lying and tell me if you betrayed your nation for another traitor».

Zuko couldn’t restrain himself, getting up with fists tightened at his sides «She’s not a traitor. And you know exactly that my decision wasn’t just impulsive». He tried to not sound too aggressive, looking at the way Mai refused to meet his eyes during this discussion; he scratched the back of his neck, going back to were he sat while she scolded him just a few minutes ago.  «I’m not a stupid Mai. I really care about you, you know that», the girl couldn’t find a way to retort without feeling a pang of guilty «And you have to believe me if I say that I left because I thought that was the right thing»

«That’s not the only thing I was talking about, idiot», she muttered, rolling her eyes when she saw him open his mouth to answer back «I got it some time ago, you don’t need to make up excuses». Zuko looked at her with a frown, an expression too stupid to be of feigned confusion «Are you serious?», the girl asked raising her eyebrows after a few seconds of silence «You really don’t» «What are you talking about?» «Spirits, you’re so dumb…» «Hey! I’m not-» They were interrupted by a guard reaching for the door in a rush, voice laced with exhaustion «Ma’am, there’s a riot going on, I’m here to protect you!». ‘Here’s the right signal’

 

In the following days it was not uncommon for Zuko to rethink what Mai had said to him at the Boiling Rock; most of the times they were fleeting thoughts as he talked to the others or prepared some tea, but the others, the most difficult to shoo away, would pop out of nowhere during the most inopportune and embarrassing moments. Once, during training with Aang, you were getting ready to switch with him, tying your hair into a high ponytail while turning around, the movements let your crop top rise even more as the skirt fluttered around your thighs, making the arching of your back’s curve enough distracting to make Zuko freeze on the spot and get an accidental kick from Aang. Little did he know you were turned around just to spare yourself the pain of having to stare at his toned and very very very naked chest.

Another time the firebender was busy lighting the fire while Sokka and Toph were fighting over the last supply of dried meat. «Hey», you called him, struggling to keep balanced between your arms some branches «Need a recharge?» You talked to him with such a sweet tone that he almost forgot he wasn’t at the palace anymore, when you were no more than ten years ago; and he found himself contaminated by your kindness, looking down at you with the same soft gaze you always reserved for him. «Thank you», he whispered smiling, helping you to set down the branches. You didn’t know what happened, but your now free hand seemed to move on its own, and you caressed his hair the moment he knelt to stock the fire.

For Zuko, who was currently trying to hide his rosy cheeks from you and whose mind was occupied by the now omnipresent dialogue with Mai, it was the final blow. The feeling of your fingers combing his locks caused a short circuit in his head and his lips parted, letting out a low, but loud enough to be heard, sigh. You froze. He froze. Even the fire died with a puff. «I-I-I…» «Oh, well, uh-» «S-Sorry..» «No… I mean yes! I m-mean…» «It was just… You know…» «Yes of course! Just a…» «A nothing» «Yes nothing»

«Guys! We need more fooooood!» You closed your eyes in gratitude ‘Sokka my savior’ ‘Thanks the spirit for that dumb guy’, Zuko thought at the same time, hiding his expression even when you walked away, face leaning forward as he relighting the fight.

And then there was the last time. A night, right after everyone had gone to sleep, while Zuko fulfilled his guard shift you found yourself tossing and turning in bed, anguish for the upcoming fight and the stress of training prevented you from falling asleep. With a frustrated groan you pulled the covers off your body, stepping out of the tent careful not to wake Suki, gladly welcoming the cool air against your skin; you caught a glimpse of Zuko sitting on a log on your now extinguished fire. After the extremely embarrassing hair caressing session of the other day you couldn’t find the strength to be alone with him, too scared to say or do something really stupid; but you two have been separated for so long that you simply could not stop from automatically walking in his direction. The slightly damp grass creaked slightly under your feet, until it signaled your presence to the boy. If Toph had been awake she would’ve already taken the opportunity to make a few jokes about the increased rhythm of your heart as soon as you met golden eyes.

«Couldn’t sleep?», he asked, shifting a bit to the right to make space for you. ‘Spirits, he’s so damn cute’ «Yeah», you answered in a hushed tone after taking a seat next to him, scolding yourself for being victim of your own mind. «I’m just…» «Scared». You looked at him, he was playing with a small flame spiraling through his fingers, his expression serious and somewhat… sad? «I feel the same», the little flame was gone and his eyes met yours again, lips bended a sympathetic smile «I’ve never been this scared» «Zuko…» «Don’t»

Your chest tightened at the way he was clearly trying to avoid the subject, he was going to fight his sister, his father, his home. You had left these ideals behind you quite some time ago but him… he suffered more, he fought more, against others and against himself. And now he didn’t even have time to process the change that was immediately about to be thrown back into a struggle with his pat. How could you leave him like this, tormented and alone? «Maybe you should-» «Please Y/N», his tone was trembling and he gripped the log’s edge with a shaking hand «I can’t now, I can’t, I can-» «Hey, hey. Okay, it’s alright», you took his hand, squeezing it in both yours and trying to stop his quivering «We won’t talk about it now» You felt another pang in your heart when the boy murmured a faint “Thank you”, managing to respond only with a simple nod.

But neither of you could endure the silence for long, full with unspoken words. Zuko was the first to speak. «What about you? Ever been this scared?» Your grip on his hand wavered, until it slipped away from yours and the boy immediately missed your warmth, «Yes. When Azula found out about my bending», you quickly added, seeing the questioning look on his face. «That’s when you came to work at the palace…», he said, talking more with himself than to you «You were unhappy and I didn’t take care of you as I should have…» «Zuko. It’s thanks to you if I didn’t end up in the army» «It’s also thanks to me if you ended up working for my father» «Better than the army», you whispered. Your gaze remained on the ash that the breeze moved among the scorched branches.

«In that way I was with you, Iroh was also there sometimes and this will seem absurd but I never found the courage to fight back until I ended up under the eyes of the Fire Lord». His features creased in an amused smirk, eyes rolling to the side «Yeah… all that mysterious blindfolded girl stunt» «Hey! You had the Blue Spirit, I had-» «The Blindfolded-Hooded-Woman?» «Ah ah, very funny», you snorted, but his chuckle didn’t stop and you weren’t sure you wanted it to stop.

«However, while everybody knew you were the Blue Spirit no one recognized me until I came to save your ass from Azula. I also had to bandage my forearms after getting my tattoo and you seriously have no idea how uncomfortable it is to bend with gauze covering most of your arms», you two weren’t even trying to contain your burst of laughter «Maybe for noobs like you» «If you really want to, I’ll kick you and see how noob I am» «Dream as you want». Your chuckles continued for a few moments, toning down slightly only when neither of you could argue anymore.

You bit your lower lip when you met his gaze, the eyes of both did not seem willing to separate from each other; there was something that pulled you towards him, something that had really made you understand how much the child who hid behind his mother’s legs had really grown, in every sense. There had always been something, a little something, that kept you tied to him but never before had it been tangible.

But Zuko broke the contact, looking down at your forearm to steal a glance of your tattoo. You didn’t even noticed he had moved his hand in your direction until his fingertips had gently brushed against your skin, making you shiver under your breath. «I never asked you what it meant», he whispered, and luckily for you he didn’t look up, not seeing the way you blushed at the mixture of his touches and words.

But when you answered your voice was surprisingly calm, «It doesn’t have one», you said «It was just… out of rebellion. Against my father, against Ozai, against the nobles I had to protect…» Zuko knew he should’ve had listened to you, you were confiding in him after a long time and he was finally able to really understand what you were saying; but he could not help it, his conversation with Mai suddenly returned to cloud his mind. He watched you speak, smile, move, without really getting your words, but he didn’t need those.

«Y/N», he called for you, too softly for you to hear «Now that I think about it, it can also be against Azula since I finally managed to do something transgressive…» «Y/N» «And she also said that I-» «Y/N!» «What?» «I want to kiss you»

And he did. Before you could say or do something to make him regret and ask Toph to bury him alive. He did it because he didn’t miss the sparkle that passed over your surprised eyes; so he leaned forward and brought his lips on yours. Everything happened so quickly that you didn’t even had time to think about what he had just said that he was already doing it. And Spirits if you didn’t want him to stop.

His kiss was soft, a barely perceptible movement of his lips which you responded to. When he started to distance himself you immediately leaned forward, refusing to let him go already, chasing the contact. You felt him smile in the kiss as he cupped your cheek in his palm, his touch was slightly trembling from fear and excitement. It was a tender kiss, a tenderness that you knew had always been and would always be there only with him. When you parted there was no need to say anything, it came natural for both of you to just smile without a word as you leaned your head against his chest while Zuko gently stroked your shoulder. After his date with Jin it became rare for you to stop and think about what could have happened with the boy, when he chose Azula those thoughts became mere remains of anger and resentment that encouraged you to fight at Aang’s side; when he betrayed the Fire Nation instead you never really realized the turn that your relationship could finally take, as if everything had returned to the starting point between embarrassed looks and skipped heartbeats.

«You know…», you were the first to speak and he gently squeezed your shoulder, showing that he was listening «Right after the battle in the Crystal Catacombs I thought that I’ve lost you» He groaned «I’ve been such an idiot» «But you’re here now, you proved yourself what the extraordinary leader you can be. And I’m so proud of you Zuko». His smile grew and this time you leaned in at the same time. That night you slept in his tent and he didn’t linger indecisively with his hand over your hips, but he wrapped both his arms around them and held you tightly against his chest while you both drifted to sleep.

The next morning it would have been very embarrassing to explain the situation when Sokka came to wake up the firebender.

Thank you so much for reading this final part! This is the end of the story but I have some bonus chapters in mind (even little drabbles). Let me know if you would like to read them! :)

[simpywriter]

I love this

Still believe it’s the realest fucking TikTok about AoT

[simpywriter]

THE SECOND CHAPTER IS OUT!

You can find it here ;)

Zuko my beloved

UPDATE

The first chapter is out!

Okay, regarding my Zuko x reader. I'm going to split it in two, maybe three, parts. I already finished the first one so stay tuned, it will be out soon ;)

[simpywriter]

THE SECOND CHAPTER IS OUT!

You can find it here ;)

OKAY OKAY HEAR ME OUT

UPDATE

The first chapter is out!

HEAR ME OUUUUUT

What about..... a One shot x Reader with him:

YEAHHHH A ZUKO X READER (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Would you like it guys?

[simpywriter]

Flames

Part two

Pairing: Zuko x Reader Universe: Canon Words: 4.0k

Part I | Part III

Summary: After following the Prince in his exile you found yourself in an incessant conflict with Zuko. His obession to find the Avatar is turning him in someone you don't like.

A/N: I have to make a small clarification. I wanted to keep things simpler for me, in this version during the events of the first and second season both Zuko and the reader are 18 years old, imagine that 5 years have passed since he was exiled and not 3. Also. no beta reading this time so maybe there will be more typos :)

Warnings: angst (I'm sorry)

From the moment Zuko spotted the Avatar Aang he became more and more blunt, thinking about the poor boy’s capture and, most of all, about the regaining of his honor. «You need to talk to me!», you confronted him one night, the rest of the crew sleeping through your screams. «I’m your friend Zuko, you can trust me!» «If that’s the case, you’d help me capture the Avatar instead of trying to dissuade me». His voice was thick with fury, all those years of friendship and he never talked to you like this. «Zuko-» «That’s an order, Y/N». His demanding tone, mixed with the accusing glance he sent you, made your fingers tingle with anger, «Excuse me? Why should I treat you like my boss?» «Because my father will acknowledge me as the next Fire Lord»

«Stop treating me like I’m your sister!», the words came out thin, sharp, hard; the flash of hurt that crossed his eyes almost made you regret it, but you couldn’t give up. Zuko looked away, refusing to meet your gaze, «I don’t know what you’re talking about» «Yes, you do. Zuko I’m not Azula», your tone softened, trying to dig a breach right where the previous hard hit had weakened the wall between the two of you «I’m on your side, I would never compete with you». You had no idea how, nor did you understand why your body had decided to bring you in front of him, where his chin brushed your hair, your fingers brushing against his; you knew Zuko was taller than you, but up close and with the armor on he almost intimidated you, «I came here for you. And I’m not leaving you». He left out a relieved sigh and you could see his body relaxing even if your eyes never left his-

«Prince Zuko». Both of you jumped apart when a guard opened the door to Zuko’s cabin and called for the attention of the now blushing prince. You couldn’t see his expression under the helmet but you could swear that he was utterly confused by your reddening cheeks; his next words came out as if on tiptoes. However you felt the urge to kill him for that he said. «I’m sorry to interrupt but we spotted the Avatar and his team a while ago».

All the softness left his body, in a heartbeat his commanding attitude came back, with the angry expression and the harsh voice with which he began to bark orders a moment later. «Zu-» «Stop distracting me and get to work!», he shouted behind his back, rushing out of his quarters; the rage quickly erased the previous embarrassment and you followed him with fuming fingers. You had not even noticed the movement on the bridge as you were invested in your discussion, the entire crew now awake and their rushed steps echoed on the metal with quick thuds.

A soldier approached you ignoring the way your lower lip twitched in nervousness, «What are the ord-» «Shut up!», you shouted, stretching out your arm and producing a blast of fire from your hand that nearly invested the poor man, forcing him to abruptly stop his steps to dodge the hit. You were so disappointed; it wasn’t the first time you had a fight on that specific topic, but you never found yourself so close to him, not even before he was banished. The nearest thing you could think of was when he saw the tattoo on your arm for the first time. He looked at the intricate texture of curved lines with his golden eyes full of bewilderment; it was an impulsive decision, driven by the need to rebel against your father and the Fire Lord, even if the message would never reach the two men. And you totally loved it. «It’s beautiful», the prince had commented, his hand lifting to hold your arm right under the inked drawing and turning you in two thirteen-years-old suddenly aware of human contact and eager to put a good amount of distance between your bodies.

You sighed, ignoring the mess around the ship and trying to shut down Zuko’s shouted orders. The distance wasn’t only between your bodies now.

The way Azula came back with a peace proposal didn’t convince you at all. You hadn’t see her, needing to stay hidden behind as you were technically a fugitive; an enthusiastic Zuko and a much more suspicious Iroh reported all the details of the encounter to you, included her promise of a triumphant return in native land. «She also said that you can stay at the palace without consequences», the boy was glowing in glee. You understood his behavior, he waited for this opportunity to come for five years, and his sister knew how to play with the others’ desires. And of course she knew you were here. That made it even more concerning.

«I don’t think that’s a good idea», you finally said. Your heart ached as the light in Zuko’s eyes faded, evident confusion crossing his features. His lips started to form a disoriented question, but you quickly stopped him with a sigh «I’m not a hundred percent sure about you neither, but there’s no hope she’s telling the truth about me» The boy refused to hold your gaze, «What are you talking about?» «It doesn’t make any sense. How should I be forgiven and welcomed into the palace with open arms?» Zuko continued to keep his eyes everywhere but on you, but you knew him enough to know his expression was frowned. «But I- I don’t want to leave you alone», he was murmuring «You didn’t do it with me. I can’t abandon you» As he spoke his words became lighter and lighter, almost sighed from his parted lips. You were so touched by his moment of vulnerability that it was natural for you to grab his hands and squeeze them in yours.

«I don’t even want you to go, and you know that» «This time it’ll be fine» «Zuko-» «It will be fine», he repeated, punctuating the words clearly and finally looking at you in the eyes. After a few seconds of silence in which you interlocked your fingers together, he pulled you to him with a soft tug on your wrists, forcing you to take a step forward to not trip over, «Please». You softly shook your head «I’m sorry but I’m not a princess like you or your sister, I don’t have and important uncle who can persuade the council and your father to leave me alone. If I get on that ship… I might as well lock me up in cell myself», you concluded closing your eyes with a deep breath, you were sure that your voice had cracked towards the end.

You would have been far, too far. Would you see each other again? Would you meet this golden-eyed boy ever again?

Not knowing tore you apart, the uncertainty was agony and even if he wasn’t as obvious as you Zuko was suffering just as much. «Alright», he whispered «Then we part here». Your lips parted, even if you weren’t sure to say what, but the words quickly died in your throat when the boy leaned his forehead against your, eyes closed and shoulders stiff. You didn’t move, your breath was so soft that it almost seemed as he was the only one alive; the way his palms were connected to yours, tightly, tenderly, caringly, made you aware of your intimacy of the gesture. Just a few inches apart, you wanted to erase those inches, to be completely in his arms. But soon you felt that connection end, his hand left yours and traveled toward the back of your head, as he brought his lips to your forehead before hugging you. Despite the closeness, his way of holding you felt much more distant. «I need to pack», his voice was even softer than before, sentencing his choice. You didn’t even have the time to reply before he left the room without turning back.

You waved Zuko and Iroh goodbye before they went down to reach Azula’s ship; you promised to the man that you would’ve stayed away from the dock, given the risk that a soldier could spot you, but you followed them anyway, hidden in the bushes and behind the rocks. You had the common sense to disguise yourself, with your usual bandages and hood. Still, the danger was far from avoided. Zuko was smiling like he had never done in years and that made your eyes sting, tears threatening to spill. ‘Why is she making him happy? Why isn’t he angry?’ you kept repeating in your head ‘It can’t be just for the honor… I’m here, he won’t see me ever again’ You hands were shaking and you grasped the hem of your skirt in an attempt to stay calm. It wasn’t working. ‘I ran away for you and you didn’t even understand. Why are you so happy? Could it be… because he’s going to see Mai?’

The pang of hurt piercing through your art made you almost rip the skirt’s fabric and a sob nearly escaped your throat; you were able to hold it back only because you were too much scared of the possibility of being exposed. In a moment of panic you inspected the soldiers spread out in two lines, trying to find the smallest sign of suspect; your eyes traveled to Azula. Something was wrong. Her smile. Her… smirk. You had to get closer, you had to hear what she was saying to the boy and his uncle. It wasn’t so difficult to approach the ship, a small hut at the very start of the dock was the perfect hiding spot and with a bit of concentration you were able to make out the Princess’ words: «Set our course for home, captain», she ordered to a man, her smirk replaced with an innocent expression «You heard the Princess. Raise the anchors», the soldier answered with a direct order to his men «We’re taking the prisoners home».

Your breath got stuck in your throat. Azula’s eyes were widened in surprise, but just for an instant, just like when she found out about your bending, and in a second her face contorted in anger. The moment you saw Iroh attacking the soldiers you didn’t hesitate a second, you sprinted towards them, fire growing in intensity between your fingers. You raised a wall of flames in the center of the dock, before separating it in two, throwing a good amount of men into the sea. «You lied to me!», you heard Zuko screaming, voice thick with betrayal. You couldn’t hear what his sister responded to him because a soldier launched himself at you with a blast of fire. You dodged the attack by just a few inches, heat brushing your face and made your eyes sting.

You could hear Iroh and Zuko fighting around you, then a loud clash as you witnessed the elder generating a lighting that hit the mountain’s side, distracting the other presents and creating and opportunity for the three of you to run. You crouched sliding a leg behind the soldier in front of you, knocking him off his feet and making him fell under his armor’s weight. ‘Big and stupid’, you thought, getting up with a jump. Starting to run to reach the prince and his uncle, you created another wall of fire in order to slow down Azula’s army even more.

«I can’t believe that she lied to me like this!» Your head was pounding for the amount of run you had done, legs’ muscles burning and breath ragged, but most of all Zuko’s words were seriously getting on your nerves, «Oh, tell me about it» «She even named my father. My. Father!». The boy was pacing in front of you, arms moving around him erratically, gesticulating his discomfort. The two of you were alone by a small camp you set in the woods, Iroh left in search of something to eat, given that you will probably be fugitives for a long time. «I really don’t want to say ‘I told you so’. But I told you so!», you shouted He stopped in his tracks to look at you «Oh yeah. That’s really helping right now». Now his attitude was really getting on your nerves, you knew how much he must’ve been suffering and you certainly weren’t diminishing his situation, but the way he treated you recently was upsetting and painful. «Stop, Zuko», you didn’t even find the strength to shout anymore, the messy bandages, even if lowered from your lips, were making your breath ragged «Look, I’m exhausted, I’m scared. Azula has recognized me, I’m sure of it, and I don’t know what should I do now that I’m completely banned from my nation»

The prince didn’t interrupt your vent and even now he didn’t utter a word, just looking at you with sympathetic eyes. He couldn’t help the pang of guilt that gripped his chest, he wanted to make up to you but couldn’t think of what to say; you gave up everything for him, even before the banishment you were struggling to help him and every way you seemed capable of, especially after his mother’s disappearance. You even decided to stay under his father’s arrogance when he suggested to flee, just because you couldn’t accept the fact that he would’ve been alone. He ran a hand over his now completely shaved head. Spirits, he truly has been a jerk.

You took advantage of the silence to take off the bandages, but even the small gesture of bringing the fingers to your face seemed exhausting, you movements were slowed by the aching in your arms. «Let me do it», Zuko whispered, kneeling in front of you; he brought his hands to your left arm, starting to undo the knots with delicate gestures. You let out a sigh, finally allowing yourself to relax and welcoming the feeling of warmth that Zuko’s actions were sparking. You contemplated the way his hair were just a few haphazard tufts, remembering the way he cut of his ponytail after your last encounter with Azula. You hoped they would grow back just like before the banishment, you loved his natural hair even when you were young, they just seemed so soft and made him look much softer. Maybe if they got back to normal he would feel less insecure about his scar. You wanted him to feel himself again, but you couldn’t figure out how…

He continued to work quietly, your eyes closed on their own accord at some time and the only sound was the running of a near stream. As you felt his fingers starting to work on your other arm, he decided to break the silence «You were right», he breathed out, your eyes still closed «I should’ve listened to you» «Yes, you should have. But…» you quickly added, sensing his nervousness «I understand why you didn’t. When your family betrays you it feels like no one else would ever be on your side. It’s like being stab by… a poisoned knife» «A poisoned knife» he repeated, leaving no room for other words, you two overwhelmed by silence again. This time in a much more uncomfortable way.

«When do you think Iroh would be ba-», the words died in the back of your throat when you opened the eyes to find his face so close to yours that you could feel his breath on your nose. He leaned towards you to reach the back of your head and untie the last loose bandages, his fingers working right between your hair. He seemed so focused that you were grateful he didn’t notice your cheeks brightening with a crimson shade. «I-I-I- I think I can do it alone». «I’m almost done, it’s just… stuck», he frowned, coming even closer to you as if it helped his concentration. «Zuko. Seriously. I can-», you tried to stand up leaning on your hand, but your wrist bend in the wrong way and gave up, making you slide to the ground taking the boy with you, who, having his arms occupied behind your head, found himself with his upper body completely pressed against yours, face just a pair of inches away from you.

This time you were positive he noticed your flushed cheeks, because you surely witnessed how his ears became of a vivid red, soon followed by the rest of his face. Every last gauze was now resting softly against your neck, neither of you seemed willing to move, as if doing it would acknowledge the embarrassment of the position you were into. Unfortunately for you, someone else decided to take the honor of pointing out the awkward situation, «I see you two are finally getting along again». Iroh had a knowing smirk as he walked past your shaken forms, as you tried to scramble away from each other. «U-Uncle!» «I just fell!», you and Zuko said at the same time, causing a snicker from the man now busy lighting a bonfire.

You didn’t really keep track of time, moving from a campsite to another with Zuko and his uncle; you didn’t like to live like a fugitive but at the same time the idea of living peacefully, far from the Fire Nation and Azula, gave you a sense of serenity you have not enjoyed since you were a child, when your bending had not yet been discovered. But Zuko was tormented, it was obvious, especially when you were forced to ask for help. You couldn’t deny it, when he left alone, leaving you and Iroh behind, you were scared to death.

You saw him again during a fight against Azula, when you teamed up with the Avatar and his friends alongside Iroh. It was the first time you came across in a long time and he didn’t even deign to look at you, focused only on his sister, not even noticing that he was once again joining the opposite side to the Fire Nation. You tried to bury the ache in your chest deep down, feeling somehow happy that for the first time since long ago you felt on the right side. But then Iroh was wounded by the Fire Princess and you weren’t able to convince to Zuko that it wasn’t Aang’s fault. The rage he felt… was too much. The arguments between you two came back even stronger than the ones on his ship; he always felt weak, he provoked you during the spar time to make you attack more fiercely, he risked his own life to become stronger. You couldn’t even express how angry and scared you were when you saw him coming back from the mountain in the middle of a storm, your screams were even heard by Iroh who was resting in the tent. You practically cried in his face, pushing him with tears streaming down your face, quickly confused in the raindrops.

«What if you were hit by a lightning?! You could have died Zuko! Can’t you understand how much scared I was when you disappeared after today’s training?», he didn’t respond, making you even more angry «What would we have done if you never came back? You can’t do this to us, you just ca-» You were stopped by the boy when he wrapped his arms around you, bringing your head against his chest. «I won’t do it again», was the only thing he muttered and your sobs became even stronger, giving his chest some poor excuses of punches while being grateful of his string grip on you. «If you do it again, I’ll kill you with my hands». He nodded.

You were glad you arrived at Ba Sing Se without too much difficulties, Zuko also seemed calmer. You all found employment at a tea shop in the outer ring of the city and overcoming the initial skepticism you found yourself truly enjoying your new home; you even overtook the embarrassment of sleeping in the same bed as the boy due to the lack of alternatives.

Then Iroh convinced him to go on a date with that girl, Jin, who always came to the shop and stared at him trying to get his attention. «You could at least try to hang out some more. Unless…», the old man said, scrutinizing Zuko’s quizzical expression. You were distractingly serving a client, more focused on hearing what the two firebenders were saying. «Unless what?» «Unless you have other reasons to not go», you could hear the wiggle of his eyebrows just from his malicious tone, causing your cheeks to explode with a deep red color. «Is everything alright, miss?», the man you were serving asked, a concerned look on his face. «S-Sorry! I’m fi-» «There is nothing! I’ll go to the date!» Your response was interrupted by Zuko’s loud, maybe too much even for him, retort. Your expression fell. «Y-Yeah, I’m perfectly fine», you shakily said, before bringing the empty tray back to the kitchen, the wood lightly blackened in the spot where your grip had tightened.

When he came back that evening you were already in bed, trying to ignore the images of the two hanging out around the city in an attempt to fall asleep; you were almost succeeding when he slammed the door to your room shut, making you jump under the covers. In your vaguely awake state you could hear Zuko reopening slightly the door and muttering a «It was nice». You tried to hold back the tears as the boy got ready to sleep and settled in the bed next to you, you heard a sigh coming from him, did he… kiss her? Was he thinking about that kiss?

«Y/N», he whispered «Are you awake?». His voice was soft and uncertain, your heart skipped a beat just by his tenderness; but still you couldn’t find the strength to let him know that yes, you were awake, and you heard how much he enjoyed that date with a girl that wasn’t you, you couldn’t find the strength to turn your head around and smile, giving him the comfort you knew he was asking for. But if you had found the strength to turn around, maybe you would have noticed the way his hand lingered over your hair and then your hip, as if he was unsure whether to hug you or not. But in the end he rolled onto the other side, with his back turned to you and he felt asleep unaware of your finally flowing tears.

You arrived at the Crystal Catacombs shortly after Iroh, rushing through the tunnels in search of Zuko and meeting Aang and Katara on your way. None of you seemed on the verge of fighting, rather convinced about each other good intentions against the Fire Princess; but just when you were coming up with a plan to flee from Ba Sing Se with Zuko, Iroh and the other part of their team, Azula attacked you, right from where they had come.

«Oh, I was sure to find you here Y/N», she teased «Always near my brother’s leg. Just like a tiny, weak dog» You were busy with two Dai Li agents, juggling their attacks with blasts of fire, but your mind was completely focused on that girl, «Leave them alone, Azula!». You tried to sent a shot in her direction but she easily dodged it, responding with one of her blue attacks that nearly hit you in the face. It was too difficult, you were tired, in a disadvantageous position and you were quickly running out of energy.

Then you heard steps, echoing between the crystallized walls of the cave. Zuko was running in your direction, sleeves torn from his blouse, ready to fight, his hands were already burning in a bright color and quivering in anticipation, in the adrenaline of the battle. But you saw it in his eyes, before he even moved a single finger to launch a ball of fire in your direction. You saw it.

He chose Azula.

Part III

Thank you so much for reading! If you liked this chapter you can leave a like or a comment and if you have time you can check my Ao3. Hope you enjoyed!

[simpywriter]

hi I just wanted to say I Loved Flames and I can’t wait for part 2!!!!

Hiiiiiiii. You can't understand how HAPPY I am for your words! I'm working on part 2 and I hope to post it soon!

[simpywriter]

Just a little self reblog to announce that the first chapter is out!

Zuko my beloved

UPDATE

The first chapter is out!

Okay, regarding my Zuko x reader. I'm going to split it in two, maybe three, parts. I already finished the first one so stay tuned, it will be out soon ;)

[simpywriter]

Just a little self reblog to announce that the first chapter is out!

OKAY OKAY HEAR ME OUT

UPDATE

The first chapter is out!

HEAR ME OUUUUUT

What about..... a One shot x Reader with him:

YEAHHHH A ZUKO X READER (from Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Would you like it guys?