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slythergirlimagines · 4 years

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Life Changing Adventures with Zuko

Summary: Zuko and the Reader get into some trouble when they meet a witch who switches their bodies. The Gaang tries to help them switch back. Pretty much fluff, not much angst! (GIF is not mine, but I absolutely love it!) Words: 5,659 Request: Yes Masterlist

****Also, would you guys be interested in me making a masterlist of all my fics? Let me know!

Life Changing Adventures with Zuko

You should have never come here. That’s what you’re thinking as you and Zuko climb up the incredibly tall, dangerous mountain to see what’s in the mysterious cave.

“I don’t like this.” You say, crossing your arms in an effort to preserve some sort of body heat. Of course, Zuko didn’t have to worry about the cold and he seemed no more bothered with this excursion than he would be anything else.

Zuko glances back at you, black fringe hanging in his amber eyes.

“Just calm down, we’re nearly there.” He says, and continues his climb up the winding, steep path.

You roll your eyes, but hurry to match his pace. You definitely don’t want to fall behind in this place, but Zuko’s long legs are growing increasingly hard to keep up with.

You can feel it in the air that something’s not quite right. There’s an undercurrent of something undefinable. Like magic. It hums all around you, and gives you goosebumps.

Up ahead, the wind whips through Zuko’s raven hair. It also blows his tunic tight against his body, and you can just make out the contours of his muscles.

Mentally, you slap yourself. Why do you care about Zuko’s muscles? He had chased you and your friends for months, and he had been responsible for a myriad of bad things that had happened to you. You had forgiven him, but you guys fought all the time. Your bickering often drove your friends crazy, and had been nonstop since he arrived.

“Life changing adventures with Zuko.” Toph had once called the personal journeys your friends had taken with him. You and Toph were the only people who hadn’t had one, and you certainly hoped today wasn’t your day.

Zuko stops and cocks his head, listening. You slowly approach him, taking care to keep silent. If Zuko was concerned then you should definitely be concerned as well. Your eyes dart around, but you don’t see or hear anything out of the ordinary.

The sun is starting to set, and it’s making this damn mountain even colder than before. The trees cast long shadows over the path, and it all feels foreboding. Subconsciously, you gravitate closer to Zuko.

“Remind me what we’re doing here, again?” You ask. You’re trying your hardest not to show any fear, but everything in your body is telling you to leave.

Zuko squints and stares in the direction of the cave.

“Aang asked us to check it out.” He says in his low rasp. This however is partially untrue.

Aang had asked you to go check it out, not Zuko. Aang claimed that something felt wrong up here, but he was currently trying to the closest village from being occupied by Fire Nation troops and didn’t have time to check. You weren’t a bender, but you were a capable warrior, and Aang trusted your abilities.

Zuko, on the other hand, had volunteered the moment you agreed to go. He claimed that it was because he couldn’t have Fire Nation soldiers recognize him, but his hastiness made you suspicious. He was always doing that, hovering around you during missions and tasks. It got on your nerves how little he trusted in your ability to defend yourself.

“I don’t think we should be here.” You reiterate. “It just feels....”

“I know. I feel it too.” Zuko says. He turns to you and offers a large hand. Sighing, you take it and allow him to lead you closer to the cave.

Zuko stops behind a tall tree, and peeks his head around to observe. The tree is hardly wide enough to conceal his broad shoulders, but at least you are in the shadows. You notice that you are still holding his hand, and drop it before he can read too much into it.

In an effort to look busy, you squint into the dark, trying to make out any sort of object that could be important. Without Aang here it is virtually impossible to know what you need to find.

Zuko seems to be following the same train of thought as you, and scans the area with his eyes. The light is almost dark enough to conceal his scar. Your fingers twitch with some foreign urge to trace over it. You ball your hands into fists. Maybe you just want to punch him in the face.

“I don’t see anything.” Zuko mumbles, still watchful.

“Me neither. I say we go back to camp and tell Aang that there’s nothing up here.” The wind has picked up since you got here, and you’re teeth are chattering.

Zuko notices your shivering for the first time, and rolls his eyes. He flexes his fingers, and you can tell what he’s about to do from the look on his face. You can’t have him firebend here.

“Don’t.” You say harsher than necessary.

“You can’t give that away, especially if someone’s here.” You hastily add. You don’t know why you’re suddenly so concerned about sparing his feelings.

“Yeah...you’re right.” Zuko says, but there’s a strange look in his eyes that you don’t quite understand.

Suddenly, the cave bursts into life and a bright light pours through it. The hairs on your arms prickle as the hum around you intensifies. You can practically taste whatever it is in the air.

“We need to get closer, see what’s going on.” Zuko says, “Maybe this is what Aang meant.”

You swallow loudly, but nod your consent. Hesitantly, you trail behind him, nearing the cave. The light illuminates the wideness of its mouth, and its seemingly never ending depth. Anything could be in there, but what could be of any importance to you?

However bad you think the idea is, you know you have to go inside. Something is waiting for you in this cave, and you have to face it.

You look to Zuko to see if he’s come to a similar conclusion, and you find the same grim expression on his face. Locking eyes, you nod at each other, and start the trek inside.

Zuko lights his fists on fire, and the flames dance around his knuckles in beautiful patterns. Even though you wish he wouldn’t bend, it’s Zuko’s flames that you focus on to keep yourself from becoming panicked. For the first time, you’re truly glad he’s there with you.

So focused are you on Zuko’s flame, that you don’t notice that someone is sneaking up on you. You hear the sound of their footsteps too late, and then everything goes dark.

————————————————

You wake up to a pounding in your head. Groaning, you move to lift a hand to your injury, but find that they are bound to something. That something just so happens to be a warm, angry firebender.

“Y/n?” He asks, and you can’t help but notice that his usually crabby voice is laced with concern.

“Ugh.” You groan in response. The back of your head is exploding with pain.

“Are you alright?” He questions lowly.

“Head hurts.” You mumble.

You feel Zuko moving behind you, and assume he’s nodding.

“You got hit pretty hard.” He whispers. You’re appreciative of the fact that he has lowered his voice. “Good thing your head is so hard.”

And there it is. You decide to be the bigger person and ignore him.

“Hit with what?” You ask.

“Magic, dear.” Says a wheezing voice. All of a sudden, light fills up the cave again, and you squeeze your eyes shut against it.

Your head pounds viciously in response to the brightness, and you groan again.

“Sorry about that.” The voice says again, and this time you can tell that it belongs to a woman. An old one by the sound of it.

You hear shuffling near you, and then something is pressed to your lips.

“Drink this, it’ll make you feel better.” She says.

You shake your head, but she pressed the vial through your lips anyways, and forces your head back.

“Leave her alone!” Zuko snaps.

“Don’t worry firebender, I haven’t forgotten you.” The old woman says.

The sweet liquid slides down your throat, and instantly your pain fades. You open your eyes to a wizened woman with a shock of bright white hair. Her eyes are crazed, and instantly you have a bad feeling about her. She winks at you and then moves away, one of her legs dragging behind her.

You briefly take stock of you surroundings. The room is made of stone, so clearly you haven’t left the cave. That at least would make it easier if you escaped. The room is cluttered with vials, plants, and random torn pages. On one of the make shift tables you see a large cauldron and a mortar and pestle.

“You’re a witch.” Your voice is flat.

The old woman let’s out a shrieking cackle.

“If that’s what you want to call it! Now I think it’s time you answer a few of my questions.” She says, crossing her arms.

“We don’t owe you anything!” Zuko says through clenched teeth. You can feel his anger heating his body from where your backs touch.

“No?” She says coyly. “You came to my cave to attack me!” She squeals, one eye twitching.

“We didn’t come to attack you.” You say, trying to maintain the peace. Maybe she could be reasoned with. You feel Zuko tense behind you, and you know he’s preparing for a fight.

“Then why were you sneaking into my cave, with this one on fire?” She says nodding in Zuko’s direction.

This is the tricky part, figuring out how much to tell her. She clearly isn’t a fan of the Fire Nation, due to her reaction with Zuko, but maybe that isn’t true. Maybe she knows who Zuko is, and is a Fire Nation sympathizer.

“Well?” She questions.

“We’re traveling with the Avatar, and he sent us up here to check this place out while he went to help the nearby village.” You blurt. It comes out of nowhere, and it was definitely not what you meant to say at all.

Horrified, you gasp. Zuko tenses begins you.

“What did you do to her?” He demands.

“Just a little truth potion.” She hums. “Can’t hurt to know the people around you are honest.”

You clamp your mouth, biting into your lip hard enough to draw blood.

“We’re not your enemy.” Zuko says. “You don’t need to restrain us. Or trick us into telling the truth.”

You watch as the old woman paces back and forth.

“I am Kara.” She says finally. “Years ago, I made a deal with Fire Nation to protect my people. I would provide them with some magical assistance, if they would spare my village.”

“You’re helping them?” You cry out.

“Don’t judge me too harshly girl.” The woman snaps. “I did what I could for my people, just as you try to do.”

“The Avatar will free you’re village.” Zuko says. “You will be able to prosper without Fire Nation soldiers breathing down your neck. Let us go, and we will be able to help him.”

Something in his voice makes your heart stutter. Maybe it’s the sincerity in his voice, or the hard edge of determination. You have got to stop thinking about Zuko that way.

Kara laughs and shakes her head.

“No one will be able to defeat them. Not even the Avatar.” She shakes her head, sadly.

“We have! Many times before.” You say. You don’t like Kara talking badly about Aang. He has almost mastered all of the elements, and you know he has what it takes to defeat Ozai. You all have done so much good for people already.

Kara just shakes her head again, and resumes pacing.

“I’m sorry.” She says finally. “I wish your friend well, but I can’t let you leave without knowing you aren’t a threat to the Fire Nation. If they know that I didn’t do anything I could to help them, they will hurt the people I love.”

Kara begins muttering under her breath, and you tense up. You hate being completely vulnerable and open to an attack. Zuko must be on the same page, for you can feel him struggling against the bonds.

“Heat them up.” You whisper as quietly as you can. “Burn them.”

Kara starts going around and picking out various objects from her jars.

“I can’t. Your hands are too close, I’ll burn you.” He says.

“You’ll have to. It’s the only way we’re getting out of here!” You snap.

“No.” He says, hotly.

“Zuko!”

“I’m not going to hurt you, y/n!” He growls.

To your dismay, your arguing has caught the attention of Kara. She has a bright gleam in her eyes as she’s watching you two.

“I see.” She says. Then she starts laughing hysterically, wiping tears from her eyes.

“I know just what to do! But first, young lady, just how much does this boy mean to you?”

The truth spills from your lips again without your control.

“A lot.” You say, and then you’re whole face turns red. You’re mortified, but at least Zuko can’t see your face.

Kara giggle with glee and then nods to herself

“Oh yes, just the thing.” She comes over to you both, and plucks hairs from your heads.

“Hey!” You and Zuko both protest.

She sets the hairs in a bowl, and then starts talking to herself again, this time loudly enough for you to hear. She’s speaking in a foreign language of some sort, and hastily you begin to tug on your bonds again.

“Zuko, just do it!” You say.

In a surprisingly fast move, Zuko manages to wrench his wrists away from yours and singe the ropes without burning you. He is up and shooting flames at Kara in an instant.

The bowl catches on fire, but it’s a pink fire, something magical and not from Zuko.

“You’re too late!” She cackles gleefully. Then she disappears in a plume of smoke, and you and Zuko are left alone in the cave.

——————————————

You are both on high alert as you make your way back to camp. Every noise makes you jumpy, as you wait for Kara’s spell to start working. You make it out of the woods without so much as a scratch. Though it looks like you’ve avoided her wrath, something feels off.

“You’re too late.” She had said. Chills race up and down your spine.

Zuko keeps lighting and extinguishing his fists. You think maybe he’s trying to make sure he can still bend. Possible scenarios play over and over in your head. There were thousands of things she could do to sabotage you and Zuko. She could take away his bending, paralyze you, or turn you into bugs. The possibilities are endless, and yet nothing has happened.

The Gaang is waiting up for you when you finally arrive back at camp. You tell them about the witch and her curse. Sokka rolls his eyes and seems unconcerned.

“She’s just a crackpot you guys. Obviously nothing will happen.”

Toph seconds his notion, but Aang and Katara look wary. Katara makes you and Zuko repeat the story until you’re blue in the face, but she can’t figure it out any more than you can.

You are too embarrassed from your admission to talk to Zuko, or even bicker with him like you normally would. You quickly excuse yourself to go to sleep, and spend the rest of the evening hiding in your tent.

You fall into a restless sleep that night. You dream of the horrible things you considered happening to you. In one dream you’re a frog, in the other you’re pinned to the ground unable to move.

You’re utterly exhausted when you’re woken up by you’re own screaming.

————————————————-

You sit up in your tent immediately. You knew you heard yourself scream, but it hadn’t come from your mouth. Seconds later, you burst into your tent.

Your clone stops and look at you, with wide eyes.

“Y/n?” Your voice asks you.

“Yes?” You say, but it isn’t your voice that comes out when you speak. Instead, it’s Zuko’s rasp that forms the words.

All of a sudden the pieces of the puzzle start clicking together.

“Oh no.” You say horrified, and look down at your body.

You have muscles now, and you feel stronger, bigger. You reach a hand up and grab a handful of short, ebony locks. Your other hand traces your features, and you feel the rough scar under the pads of your fingers.

“This can’t be real.” You say in Zuko’s voice. “This can’t be happening.”

“It’s happening.” Zuko says.

It’s weird to see yourself objectively like this. You have this horrible out of body feeling, and it’s making your head spin. Anxiety hits you, and you start breathing heavy. You’re going to pass out.

“Calm down!” Zuko says, rushing over to you. He wraps his arms around you, himself? Ugh it’s too confusing.

“If you don’t calm down, you’re going to burn this tent down and hurt yourself!” He says. He awkwardly starts rubbing your back. “Breathe with me.” He instructs.

Slowly, you start to calm down. Zuko lets his, your?, hands linger for a moment longer, before he pulls away and puts some distance between you.

“What are we going to do?” You ask. Zuko makes a face at how weak his voice sounds.

“I don’t know.” He says. His mannerisms look so weird on your body. You can tell that it’s him, just by the way he holds himself. You wonder if he’s experiencing the same thing watching you in his body.

“We need to go back to the cave, demand that Kara gives us our bodies back.” You say.

Zuko rolls your eyes.

“I’m sure that will go over well.” He says.

“Don’t make me sound all crabby.” You snap at him.

“Don’t make me sound all girly and pathetic!” He retorts.

“Pathetic?!”

“Oh Zuko,” he mocks “what are we going to do? Save me Zuko, I care a lot about you!”

“You’re so annoying!” You shout, embarrassed that he remembered your confession.

“Can we not fight this early in the morning!” Sokka says, throwing open your tent.

“Oh.” He says, looking between the two of you.

You realize in embarrassment that you and Zuko are awfully close together, and you are in Zuko’s body in your sleeping bag. It has to look like Zuko slept in your tent.

“Sokka, we can explain.” You say.

Sokka hurriedly shakes his head, raising his hands.

“No, no. Please don’t.” He says.

“Sokka listen, the witch really did curse us.” Zuko says. “She made us switch bodies.”

Sokka looks between the two of you and then bursts into laughter.

“Ok well I have to say that’s the first time I’ve hear that excuse.” He says, wiping tears from the corners of his blue eyes.

“We’re serious!” You snap at him.

Sokka sobers up, looking between you two again.

“You really did perfect your impressions of one another.” Sokka says, suddenly sounding a bit more unsure.

“Ugh!” You snap, and push out of the tent in a huff. You need to find Toph. She could prove you weren’t lying.

It’s cold outside your tent, and to your horror you find that you’re not wearing a shirt.

“Zuko!” You screech. “Why the hell aren’t you wearing a shirt!”

“I’m a firebender, y/n. I get hot!” He defends.

“Get me a shirt!” You snap. Zuko rolls his eyes at your dramatics, but leads you to his tent and throws a tunic at you.

It smells like him when you pull it over your head. You try not to obviously inhale, but it’s the first time you’ve really noticed how Zuko smells. It’s not the first time you’ve noticed his muscles, but now you have a first hand look. His abs are hard and defined, and you blush quickly finishing dressing.

“Are you done starting at me?” Zuko asks.

“I’m sorry, it’s just weird!” You tell him.

Sokka’s jaw is nearly touching the ground as he watches your exchange.

“No way.” He says, finally believing you.

“Yeah, Sokka.” You say.

——————————————————

Toph confirms your story, and everyone sits in dumbfounded silence. Even you and Zuko don’t have much more to say.

“Well you have to go talk to Kara.” Katara says helpfully. “We’ll have to make her change you back.”

“Wow that’s helpful. Thank you Katara, why didn’t we think of that.” Zuko says.

“Y/n!” Katara says, hurt.

“Zuko.” You and Zuko both correct her.

“Whatever.” She mutters, angrily.

“Katara’s right.” Says Aang. “We’ll all go. Maybe if I can convince her that I can help, she’ll change you back.”

There seems to be no better plan than this. Sokka and Toph stay behind at the campsite, while the rest of you start the hike up the mountain.

The breeze isn’t so bad now that you’re in Zuko’s body. He’s right when he says that he doesn’t get cold. He, on the other hand, is openly shivering in your body. You almost feel a little bad, but you remember him telling you it wasn’t that bad last night, and think better of it.

“How do you survive like this?” He moans when you come to a stop. “It’s so cold all the time.”

You smirk at his dramatics.

“That’s what you get.”

“For what!” He questions, and you can feel the fight brewing.

“Oh I don’t know, maybe ‘You’re so dramatic y/n.’” You mock. “’It’s not that cold, y/n. Calm down, y/n’”

“I wasn’t telling you to calm down because you were cold.” He snaps. “I was trying to tell you to stop panicking!” He throws his hands up and stomps ahead.

It’s a little embarrassing, and you think back to every tantrum you’ve thrown. Maybe this is a somewhat positive experience. You’re definitely learning about the annoying things you do.

You and Zuko bicker all the way up the mountain. Though it’s not unusual for you all, but you can tell it’s driving Aang and Katara crazy.

“Can you all please knock it off!” Katara yells, eventually. All three of you jump, and she crosses her arms. “I am sick and tired of hearing you all argue. That’s all you do every day! Can’t you all come to some sort of truce?”

You and Zuko both narrow your eyes at each other.

“No!” You say at the same time.

“Ugh!”

—————————————————-

You make it up the mountain alive, but barely. Everyone’s tempers are running high by the time you break through the trees.

“Alright,” Zuko says. “We need to be careful. She knocked y/n out with one blow. She’ll do it again if we aren’t careful.”

You’re about to protest the way he makes your ambush sound, but Aang mediates before your get riled up.

“Just let it go.” He tells you.

You all enter the cave quietly, heads constantly scanning the area as Zuko leads you down to the belly of the cave. You recognize the room when you get to it. The evidence of Kara is everywhere, still littered around the floor.

“She isn’t here?” Zuko says.

“Great observation.” You retort.

“Guys, guys!” Aang snaps. “Enough. Let’s look through the books around here. There’s got to be something that tells us how to fix this.”

The four of you spend what feels like hours combing through the books and pages around the room.

“There’s nothing here!” Zuko cries, slamming a book onto the table.

“That’s because it’s a spell of my own invention.” Kara’s wheezy voice says.

You all jump into defensive stances, ready to attack. Kara holds up a wrinkled hand, but otherwise looks unbothered.

“Please.” She says passively. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Change back my friends!” Aang demands. “It’s me you have a problem with.”

“Ah the Avatar.” Kara smiles. “You really are here.”

“Yes. And I promise I will free your village. But first you must free my friends.” He says.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” She says, eyes glittering again.

“Why not?” Katara challenges.

“I can’t change them back, because they must do it themselves.” She smiles.

“What do you mean?” You ask, broad furrowing. There’s a light protesting from Zuko’s scar at the movement.

“Save my village and I’ll tell you.” She says. “And you better do it fast, because in three days this will become permanent.”

————————————————-

Freeing the village from Fire Nation troops is going to be a bigger struggle than you anticipated, you realize as you and Zuko stroll down the streets. You currently have a hood pulled way over your head to hide your identity. There seemed to be hundred of them, and there were only six of you.

“We’re never going to be able to pull this off.” You mutter under your breath. “I’m going to be you forever.”

“How do you think I feel?” Zuko laments. “I’m losing my bending, my honor, everything.”

“Well we wouldn’t be in this mess if I had just gone up there alone.” You snap as you approach the center of the village.

“Right, if you had gone alone you would’ve been killed!” He snaps back.

“Why do you assume I’m so incapable of taking care of myself?!” You’re infuriated now. “I took care of myself for years before I ever met you!”

“Don’t see how!” He growls. “All you ever do is get yourself in trouble, and someone always has to be there to help!”

“Excuse me?!” You roar. “How dare you?!”

The Fire Nation soldiers are slowly starting to gather around you, curious about the fight.

“How dare I?” Zuko ramps up the volume. “How dare you?” He points a finger at your chest.

So far, your distraction seems to be working. Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph are all getting into position. You just have to keep up the fighting a little longer.

“You’re always babying me, and acting like I need a keeper! I’m not a child, and you don’t have to take it upon yourself to be my caretaker! I’m just fine on my own!” You yell, channeling his body’s natural penchant for rage.

“Somebody has to!” Zuko snaps back, and over exaggerates putting his hand on his hip. “You never do it yourself. You’re always doing reckless things for other people, and your not as equipped to throw yourself in danger like everyone else!”

Suddenly this fight feels a bit too real, and you find yourself getting actually offended. How dare he insinuate that your lack of bending meant you weren’t a good fighter!

“What so I’m not allowed to care about my friends and do things to protect them?” You screech. “I’m sorry I don’t have all your talents, my lord. Next time I’ll make sure I get your permission first before I try and help somebody out!”

“You always take everything I say out of context!” He snaps.

“Hey guys?” Aang says, garnering the attention of the crowd. “I think that’s good enough, thanks.”

Then all chaos breaks loose. Katara, Aang, and Toph start the fight with their bending. The Fire Nation soldiers, though caught unaware, do not take long to start fighting back. You wish that you knew how to utilize Zuko’s firebending, but you settle on using his physical strength instead.

Most of the defense moves you know are geared towards you being smaller than your opponent. Not all of them work now that you’re Zuko’s size, and you find yourself struggling more than usual in your fights.

Zuko seems to be having a similar issue learning how to fight in your body. You notice he has a habit of getting into bending stances out of pure habit. You notice that he’s getting cornered, when you go to help him.

Together, you fight pretty well, instructing each other on moves as you go. Sokka’s boomerang flies about, knocking out opponents left and right. Your benders are doing well too, and soon enough, you’ve defeated the Fire Nation soldiers.

You’re sore, body aching from exertion, but the happy villagers make it feel worth it.

“Thank you, Avatar!” Someone yells after Aang explains who you all are.

Your eyes find Kara’s in the crowd. It was time you got your body back.

“Hey!” You yell as she walks away.

“Y/n?” You hear Zuko call behind you as you take off, pushing through the crowd.

“Hey! Stop!” You yell at Kara. “You owe us an explanation!”

Zuko catches up to you, and you both chase after her. Finally, Kara stops in the woods, away from all the people.

“I thought you’d want some privacy!” She cackles. “I saw your little distraction out there. Seemed pretty real.” You and Zuko shuffle and avoid eye contact, as the rest of the Gaang catches up with you.

“We saved your village!” Aang says, “Now tell us how to fix this.” He waves a hand at you and Zuko.

Kara’s eyes sparkle as she looks at all of you.

“As I said, I can’t change you back. You have to do it yourselves.” She sings.

“How?” Zuko grounds out through his, your, clenched jaw.

“All you have to do is kiss!” She says gleefully clapping her hands together.

Everyone is silent as you all take in this information.

“There has to be another way.” Zuko says. There’s a desperate edge to his voice that hurts your feelings. Is the thought of kissing you so awful that he wouldn’t do it even to get his body back?

Rolling your eyes, you stroll over and kiss Zuko’s, your, cheek. It’s a weird experience for sure, knowing that you’re kissing both Zuko and yourself.

“Not that kind of kiss.” Kara says, smiling like a maniac. “A real one!”

The color drains from Zuko’s face, and the rest of your friends remain silent. You can feel their eyes watching your every move.

Zuko’s disgust is plain, and even though it hurts, you just want your body back and to forget this every happened.

“Zuko, I know you’re absolutely disgusted, but I’d like my body back before I’m you forever.” You say annoyed. “You can wash out your mouth and vomit when you have your own body back.”

You can hear the muted hurt in your own voice, and it’s kind of embarrassing that you know everyone else can hear it too.

“I’m afraid it’s the only way.” Kara adds.

“If it helps just think about the fact that you’re kissing yourself, not me.” You say. More than ever you want this experience to be over, so you can go mourn your hurt feelings somewhere in private.

Zuko sighs, and then approaches you.

“Fine.” He says.

Awkwardly, you both fidget, unsure how to initiate the kiss. It doesn’t help that literally everyone, including Momo and Appa, are looking at you.

“Some privacy?” You ask them.

“Oh yeah sure.” They all mumble, whistling and looking away. The second you turn back to Zuko you can feel their eyes on you. Some friends.

“Let’s just get it over-” you get cut off by Zuko pressing his lips to yours.

Instantly, you feel the switch happening. You feel yourself being pulled and re-anchored into your own body. Your limbs feel normal again, and then you really start to feel the kiss.

Zuko pulls you closer to his warm, muscular body. Everything is exploding around you, and all you want to do is be even closer to him. You bring your arms up and settle them on his broad shoulders. Your hands wind themselves around his neck, and you play with the ends of his hair.

Zuko’s large hands are also doing their fair share of exploring. One rests on your hips while the other tangles itself in your hair, and both pull you closer. His tongue opens your lips and you let him in, a moan escaping from you. It feels right, kissing Zuko like this. Like it is something that was always meant to happen.

Somebody clears their throat and breaks up your moment. Slowly, you and Zuko part. You’re thrilled to realize it’s his swollen lips and amber eyes that you see when you pull away.

“Well that was something!” Kara squeals in delight.

Heat pools into your cheeks, as you asses your friends’ expressions. Aang looks embarrassed, Katara has heart eyes, and Toph and Sokka both look disgusted.

“It worked.” You say breathlessly. Already you have the intense desire to kiss Zuko again, but suddenly you’re insecure. What if he hated it? He had seemed so disgusted before.

“Yeah it did.” Zuko says, and then he smiles at you, eyes crinkling at the corners. “Some privacy?” He asks everyone, tightening his grip on you. Butterflies explode in your stomach as he does, and you’ve never felt so fluttery before.

Your friends make themselves scarce, telling you they’ll be at camp. Kara scrambles off too, cackling all the while, and then you are alone.

Your heart is pounding, and you’re really unsure how to tell Zuko how you feel. What if he doesn’t feel the same?

Suddenly, Zuko presses his lips to yours again, and it feels like he’s devouring you. He’s passionate and fiery, and every press of his tongue against yours makes you feel like you’re on fire. Your body is buzzing when he finally pulls away to catch his breath.

“I didn’t mean what I said during our fight.” He says, leaning his forehead against yours and wrapping his arms around your waist. “I don’t think you’re incapable or less than because you aren’t a bender. I think you’re one of the most talented people I know, and I also know that you can take care of yourself.” He says taking a deep breath.

Zuko takes a step back, and removed an arm to put a finger under your chin. He lift your chin so you’re looking into his eyes.

“I worry about you. All the time.” He says. “I’m so scared that you’ll get hurt and I won’t be there to protect you. My number one instinct is to protect you. That’s why I always ‘hover’ and volunteer to go on missions with you. If something happened to you....”

“I feel the same way about you, you know.” You say smiling. “I couldn’t stand the thought of you getting hurt either. And I don’t necessarily hate it when you’re around.” You tease him. “Or when you kiss me.”

Zuko laughs, a deep happy laugh. It’s one of the first times you’ve ever seen him look so buoyant. You take the opportunity to kiss him this time, and he sighs happily into your mouth.

“What are we going to do now?” You ask him.

“Probably get back to our friends.” He says, grabbing your hand in his as you start making your way to your camp site.

“You know, Zuko, Toph’s right.” You say. “You really do take people on life changing adventures!”

A/n: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this! I’ve been working on my requests so hopefully I’ll have a few more stories out for you guys over the weekend. I’m going to be adding some things to my ‘Fanfic prompts’ post, so be sure to check it out if you want to request something! (also I’m fine with people requesting things that aren’t on that list if you have something specific for me to write!) Have a good weekend, and you can find all my other writing under the tag slythergirlimagines. I think I tagged everyone who asked to be tagged in my atla stuff, but if I missed you please let me know and I’ll correct it!!

Taglist: @galacticamidala @a-random-queer-kid @taeeemin @realimbo @samsmultifandomblogs

@fire1ordzuzu @shortmexicangirl

#slythergirlimagines #atla #zuko x reader #prince zuko x reader #zuko x you #prince zuko x you #zuko x y/n #prince zuko #aang #katara #toph #sokka #appa #momo #atla fanfic #avatar the last airbender #avatar #avatar the last airbender fanfic #fanfic

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reinerispretty · 4 years

Text

rotations. (zuko x f!reader) pt17

there’s a lil easter egg in here :) wonder who can find it first!! thanks so much for reading i lov u

pt1

pt16

pt18

“What if he doesn’t want to see me?” Zuko asked. His amber eyes were transfixed on the tent before him.

“I think you know that isn’t true.” (Y/N) took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “I’ll be with the others if you need me.”

When the group awoke the next morning, Aang was gone. Each member searched high and low for the young Avatar, but to no avail. “I don’t really think this is the time for him to go on one of his special Avatar journeys,” Toph grumbled, to which (Y/N) hummed in agreement. As the group reunited after their searches, Zuko proposed the idea of utilizing the bounty hunter June and her shirshu Nyla in finding Aang.

“Isn’t she the one who paralyzed me?” (Y/N) asked bitterly.

“And me?” Sokka chimed in.

“And me?” Katara added. Zuko shrugged.

“Her shirshu can track someone down from across a continent. If anyone can find Aang, it’s her.” (Y/N) was not interested in the idea of procuring a bounty hunter to find Aang, but it was their only hope.

And that hope was quickly squandered. When they found June and convinced her to help them, her shirshu couldn’t locate Aang.

“Is he dead?” (Y/N) asked. June shook her head.

“Nyla would be able to smell his body. Your friend isn’t in this world anymore.” What that meant exactly, the group had no idea. Even when Aang traveled to the Spirit World, his physical body remained in the physical one. How could he have just disappeared?

“Try this, then,” Zuko said, holding up a piece of clothing to Nyla’s nose. The shirshu sniffed and immediately turned in the opposite direction, ready to dart off into the woods.

“Whose is that?” Katara asked.

“It’s my uncle’s. If anyone will be able to tell us what to do, it’s him.”

Nyla led the friends to the outer wall of Ba Sing Se, where they were met by King Bumi, Master Pakku, and the other great masters they had met over their travels.

“How do you all know each other?” Sokka asked.

“We are all part of the Order of the White Lotus,” Piandao explained. “An organization that transcends loyalty to our nations and instead comes together to fight for the common good.”

“Does that mean my uncle is here?” Zuko asked. Piandao nodded. The six friends were led into the main camps, where many tents had been set up to house other members of the Order. As (Y/N) passed, she recognized a few of the members as people she had known during her time traveling the three nations. Citizens of the Fire Nation that were also part of the Order seemed to be few and far between, but (Y/N) supposed their numbers deteriorated after nearly a hundred years of pro Fire Nation propaganda.

The biggest tent of them all belonged to the Grand Lotus: Iroh. The rest of the group dispersed to discuss battle plans, leaving (Y/N) and Zuko paused just paces away from the entrance of the tent.

“What if he doesn’t want to see me?” Zuko asked. His amber eyes were transfixed on the tent before him.

“I think you know that isn’t true.” (Y/N) took his hand in hers and squeezed it. “I’ll be with the others if you need me.” Her fingers slid from his and Zuko turned to watch her walk away before taking a deep breath and entering his uncle’s tent.

(Y/N) sat between Sokka and Katara as they listened to Master Pakku describe the Order’s plans to liberate Ba Sing Se. He paused as she joined their group.

“Ah, (Y/N). Glad to see you’re back in the clothes of your home nation.” It was a joke of course, a nod to the last time they had seen each other.

When the Fire Nation was attacking the Northern Water Tribe, (Y/N) had felt defenseless while fighting off the Fire Nation soldiers, so she had unleashed her firebending on them. Soldiers from the Water Tribe had captured her as a spy and it had taken a lot of convincing from Katara that she really was trying to fight against the Fire Nation. It was an embarrassing misunderstanding that led to (Y/N) to choose hand-to-hand combat over her own firebending if she could help it.

“Evening, Master Pakku,” (Y/N) said with a smile.

“Do you really think Iroh and the other firebenders will be powerful enough to take back the city?” Sokka questioned. Both Pakku and (Y/N) nodded.

“His power as a firebender is unparalleled,” Pakku explained.

“He might look like a sweet old man, but he is one of the best firebenders in the entire nation,” (Y/N) added. “I learned some of my best techniques from studying how he fought. Plus the comet will only make firebenders even more powerful.”

“Yeah, but you’re fighting against Fire Nation soldiers,” was Sokka’s rebuttal. “Won’t they be more powerful too?”

(Y/N) nodded. “I don’t mean to sound like a snob, but people like Iroh and I spent a lot more time training than those lousy soldiers. It’ll be a long fight, but not a hard one for Iroh.”

Almost as if he had been summoned, Iroh exited his tent with Zuko as his side. (Y/N) recognized the glistening trails of tears on Zuko’s face, but also saw the happiness in his eyes.

“(Y/N)!” Iroh cheered. She smiled widely and stood to run over and give him a hug. “It is very good to see you again.”

“And you the same,” she said, giving him a bow. “It feels like just yesterday that we broke out of the Fire Nation prison.”

“This is who broke you out?” Katara asked. Iroh chuckled.

“You think I would let the only other sane person in the Fire Nation stay in jail?” They returned to the campfire to further discuss their plans for the comet. Iroh poured them all cups of tea as Zuko and (Y/N) sat next to each other. Katara was the only one who caught the look of surprise on his face and she returned it with a smile as she accepted her cup of tea.

“Katara,” Zuko said. “How would you like to come to the Fire Nation to help (Y/N) and I take down Azula?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Katara said with a grin. The situation still gave (Y/N) a heavy feeling in her stomach, but sometimes the right thing was the hardest thing to do.

Eventually, (Y/N’s) friends and the other members of the Order dispersed from the campfire to retire for the night. Only (Y/N) and Iroh remained, finishing off the pot of tea.

“I see you and Zuko reconciled,” Iroh hummed as he sipped his tea.”

“For the most part, yes.” Iroh was the easiest person to talk to, (Y/N) found. When she was younger and had not even her own parents to turn to, if Iroh was visiting, he would lend her an ear. “I think I’ve forgiven him. Part of me still gets mad thinking about the things he’s done to me and my friends.”

“That is only natural. The heart cannot forget the wounds that it has endured, but it can heal from them.” (Y/N) nodded.

“I’m trying to.”

“I always thought you and Zuko were the most interesting pair.”

“How so?” Iroh sat in silence for a moment as he pieced his thoughts together.

“You are strong in your beliefs. You are not afraid to be defiant if it means doing what is right. I remember when you were younger, I heard you arguing with your mother about why you should continue your firebending training. You told her that you did not care what she wanted you to do, because you knew becoming a better bender would make you stronger.” Iroh chuckled.

“Zuko had told me to say that, so I could stay in training with him. She gave me the punishment of a lifetime after I said it.”

“I am sure. But Zuko was not granted the same strength as you. He is loyal to the people he cares about, which is why it was so hard for him to choose what was right and wrong. He loved you and I but loved his father and Azula as well.”

(Y/N) furrowed her brows. She wasn’t quite sure where Iroh was going with this, but then again, was anything he said ever straightforward?”

“You pushed Zuko to make the right choices and he pushed you to stand up for yourself. As I watched you grow up, I noticed how you rotated around each other. Like the moon and tides, you and Zuko were always the driving force behind the other.”

“Until he was banished.”

“Zuko fought so hard to capture the Avatar because he wanted to restore his honor and return home to you. He will never admit it, but that is all he wanted.”

“And I guess here I was, fighting against my home for doing horrible things and taking someone I cared about away from me.”

“We are all connected, but no matter how hard you or Zuko tried to cut the thread that tied the two of you together, it is indestructible.” Iroh finished the last of his tea and stood. “You must rest. We all have a big day ahead of us.”

(Y/N) watched as Iroh returned to his tent. She squashed out the dying fire. and made her way back to the tens she and her friends had been given. Katara and Toph slept in the first one, Suki and Sokka in the next, and Zuko lay fast asleep in the last one.

(Y/N) crawled into the spot beside him, feeling the exhaustion of the day weighing heavily on her body. She lay on her back and instantly fell asleep.

Katara woke the next morning and decided to rouse (Y/N) and Zuko first, since they would be traveling to the Fire Nation together. She pulled open the door to the tent to see (Y/N) snoring on Zuko’s chest, with Zuko’s arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

Katara dropped the tent door and walked away. She could give them a few more minutes.

---

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

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beifongsss · 4 years

Text

playing with fire pt. 6 [sokka]

Pairing: Sokka x reader

Summary: You’re a Fire Nation citizen who saves Sokka and Katara from some angry villagers. Aang “convinces” you to come along with them, finding your knowledge of the nation useful. Not everything is smooth sailing though as both Water Tribe siblings have their doubts about you.

this will be a series :D this is a filler tbh

w.c.~2.9k

prologue. one. two. three. four. five.

.masterlist.

They reacted instantaneously.

In unison, Aang and Katara gasped, their jaws hanging as they stared at you. Sokka’s eyes widened as he took multiple steps back, trying to put as much distance as possible between the two of you. Your heart dropped slightly at their reactions, noticing the distrust that was beginning to creep into their eyes.

Toph was the only one who didn’t react.

“You mean you dunderheads didn’t know?” she cried out, a disbelieving expression on her face. You all turned to her, curious expressions on your face. Even though she couldn’t see you, she knew you were all staring at her confusedly.

“You did?” Aang asked, looking at Toph suspiciously.

“Yes! Why else would my parents get all weird and proper around her?” Toph replied. “Besides, the name (Y/N) isn’t exactly the most common. I knew she had to be the Princess. Why do you think I’ve been calling her ��Princess’?! Haven’t you ever seen a portrait of the royal family?”

Silence ensued as the Gaang realized that they had, in fact, never seen a picture of the Fire Nation royal family. In Aang’s defense, he had been gone for an exceptionally long time and there were no pictures of the family down in the South Pole. They all shifted their gazes back to you, now a little more curious than distrustful.

“So you’re a princess?” Aang asked, trying to wrap his head around the news. You nodded silently. “Then why are you here with us?”

“It’s a long story,” you whispered, looking back down at the ground.

“Well we have time so start talking,” Katara said brusquely. You sighed softly, motioning for everyone to sit with you. Katara looked at you weirdly, crossing her arms stubbornly before gaping as Aang and Sokka took seats near you.

“Aw loosen up, Sugar Queen,” Toph said, smirking as she took a seat next to you. “If she tries anything it's four against one. Let’s hear her out first.”

Begrudgingly, Katara sat down, making sure she was right in front of you just in case. Her eyes narrowed before she tilted her head, silently telling you to start talking. “I was born in 83 AG to Fire Lord Ozai and Princess Ursa. My mom used to tell me it was a blessed day because she was gifted with not one but two angels. Me and Zuko.”

Sokka let out a choked gasp at your words, looking at you in disbelief. “Y-You mean you and Zuko are t-twins?”

You nodded softly. “I was born twenty minutes before him, making me the crown princess. Two years later, Azula was born and our family was complete. For the first few years of my life, we were a happy family. And then we got our firebending.”

Aang’s eyebrows furrowed at your words. “You got your firebending?”

“Yes,” you replied, nodding again. “I was the first one to show the signs of being able to firebend. My first display of fire terrified everyone. Fire Lord Azulon declared me a prodigy and I immediately began training with both my fire and a sword. When Zuko showed signs of firebending, he joined me but it was clear that he wasn’t a prodigy and so Ozai separated us, claiming that he’d only be a distraction for me. Zuko and I had always been very close but that definitely messed us up.”

“Fire Lord Azulon?” Toph asked, snorting lightly. “Why don’t you just call him ‘grandfather’?”

You shook your head, forgetting that she couldn’t see it. “That man wasn’t my grandfather; at least he never acted like it. The only reason he liked me is because I was talented. He didn’t even like Ozai. He always preferred Uncle Iroh.”

“Iroh?” Aang asked. “What do you mean?”

“I’m not supposed to be crown princess. Iroh was the original crown prince, not Ozai,” you explained. “When I was young, we received a letter from Uncle Iroh. Back then, he was still a general and his goal was to take over the city of Ba Sing Se. He told us about how his son, my cousin, Lu Ten was killed in battle. Overcome with grief, Uncle Iroh ceased his 600 day siege and left. He traveled around, not ready to come back to the Fire Nation or return to battle. It was during this time that Ozai requested an audience with Fire Lord Azulon to make an impossible request.”

Katara looked at you, a little concerned at the expression that had made its way onto your face.

“It started off normally. He had Azula and I show off how far we had gone with our bending. Fire Lord Azulon eventually dismissed us all except for Ozai,” you took a soft breath before continuing. “Azula and I hid behind the curtains, curious about what Ozai wanted to say. He- He asked Fire Lord Azulon for the throne, claiming that since Uncle Iroh had lost his only son, he needed someone with an heir in charge. Azulon was furious and told Ozai that he would never betray his first born who in turn had just lost his first born. He told Ozai that he needed to feel Uncle Iroh’s pain and commanded him to kill his first born.”

Shocked gasps rang from the group. Even Toph couldn’t hold back her surprise.

“He ordered your father to kill you?” Katara asked, sadness creeping into her eyes. You nodded.

“Azula and I ran out of there and she immediately began to terrorize Zuko, knowing that there was no way that Ozai would kill me,” you continued. “I was his pride and joy, a ruthless firebender. Unfortunately, Zuko wasn’t. He was soft and sweet and so, so pure. In Ozai’s eyes, he was weak. It wasn’t until a few years later that I learned that Ozai thought about a ‘loophole’, asking Fire Lord Azulon if it mattered which of his first borns met their end. Azulon waved him off, stating that he didn’t care for either of us. The next night, Fire Lord Azulon died in his sleep and our mother disappeared.”

The silence was almost unbearable and you looked up to meet Aang and Katara’s pity-filled eyes. Toph was abnormally serious and Sokka wasn’t meeting your eyes. You continued to speak, wanting to fill the silence.

“Ozai took the throne, claiming that Fire Lord Azulon’s last wish was for Iroh to be stripped of his title. That’s how I became crown princess.” You paused for a bit, sighing heavily. It felt good to finally tell someone about everything. “To this day, we still don’t know what happened to our mother. Zuko took it the hardest, of course. He spent the most time with her. Azula, well she was a different story. She was convinced that our mother never loved her. I tried my best to be there for both of them but we all changed. Azula and I threw ourselves into our firebending lessons and Zuko took it upon himself to start learning about our military forces. By thirteen, I was already working on bending lightning. I was one of the youngest firebenders to ever do that but losing my mother had made me more reckless and aggressive and firebending was the perfect outlet. I was the perfect weapon and Ozai knew it.”

You paused for a few seconds, wondering if you should continue. Sighing yet again, you continued to speak. “When Zuko and I were thirteen, everything just got worse. By this point, I rarely saw him. Azula was getting more and more aggressive as time went on and honestly, so was I. I had mastered almost all aspects of firebending, except for lightning, and I had mastered sword fighting. And then Zuko got challenged to an Agni Kai.”

Everyone except for Aang seemed confused, prompting you to explain.

“An Agni Kai is a firebending duel. It stops once someone gets burned,” you said somberly. “It turns out that in one of the war meetings, a general proposed a plan to take over an Earth Kingdom town that would result in the deaths of an untrained Fire Nation battalion. Zuko said that leading them to death was wrong. The very own nation that they loved would be leading them straight to the slaughter. He called the general out on his tactics and accepted the Agni Kai when the general challenged him.”

“Zuko did that?” Sokka asked skeptically. “He tried to save the soldiers?”

“He wasn’t always mean,” you replied, chuckling humorlessly. “During the Agni Kai, I was sitting between Azula and Uncle Iroh. We were all watching anxiously as Zuko approached his opponent. You can only imagine the shock we felt when his opponent was revealed to be Ozai, not the general.”

“No!” Katara gasped, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. You didn’t meet her gaze.

“When he noticed it was...our father, Zuko threw himself to the ground, begging for mercy and forgiveness and stating that he would not fight Ozai.” You shook your head, trying to blink back the tears that had welled up. “Ozai said he had to learn respect. He said that by speaking out of turn, he had insulted him as a parent. When Zuko refused, he said he was dishonorable and that he was going to teach him a lesson. That’s how he got his scar. He was immediately banished, sent on a quest to find the Avatar and capture him. Only then could he regain his honor and reclaim his title as prince.”

“But the Avatar had been missing for nearly one hundred years!” Katara said, looking at you in confusion.

“I know,” you replied. “He wasn’t supposed to find Aang. Ever. Zuko left and Uncle Iroh joined him in his banishment. I didn’t do anything.”

“What do you mean?” Aang asked.

“I mean I didn’t do anything!” you shouted, a tear spilling out of your eye. “I’m his older sister. I’m supposed to protect him! And I didn’t do anything. Spirits, you should’ve seen Azula’s face during the Agni Kai. She had the biggest smile on her face. Uncle Iroh looked away but I… I just couldn’t. I couldn’t move. I froze. And I couldn’t save him.”

“Ozai would’ve burned you too,” Aang said softly, his eyes wide. “You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”

You sniffled, wiping your nose with your sleeve and ignoring Aang’s words. “After his banishment, I lost my bending.”

“How does one just lose their bending?” Toph asked loudly, earning an elbow to the stomach from Katara.

“I don’t know,” you replied quietly, hugging your knees to your chest. “Seeing Zuko getting hurt was rough for me. It didn’t matter that we were separated from a young age. We would always sneak out to the kitchens together to steal snacks and stay up late just playing around. He was my best friend. I just woke up the next morning and my spark was gone. I haven’t been able to bend in three years.”

Aang looked at you sadly. You were his friend and your sadness was so overwhelming that he couldn’t help but feel sad as well.

“Ozai was furious when he found out,” you whispered, rolling up your pant leg to show an ugly scar on your calf. “He did this and then he made me focus on my fighting, giving everyone some bullshit excuse about how I wanted to prove that I was just as capable at fighting without my fire. Azula never found out.”

You raised your head slightly, ignoring everyone’s horror-filled glances as you met Sokka’s bright blue eyes. “Not everything I told you was a lie. When Ozai thought I was old enough, he sent me into battle. He didn’t care if I lived or died. To him it was a win-win situation. Without my bending, he didn’t really see any use for me but if I survived, he still had an heir. I was sent to a small Earth Kingdom battle, led by the same general who had challenged Zuko to an Agni Kai. I took the chance to escape during battle.”

Sokka looked away from you, his jaw clenched and his expression hard.

“I ran when I was fourteen. I searched for my brother, always getting their trail but never being able to catch up to them. Eventually I just stopped.” You stretched your legs, looking back down at the ground. “I settled into a small Fire Nation colony, doing little errands for the old ladies who lived there. When I gained their trust, they vouched for me and I was able to live there peacefully. No one argued with them because they respected them too much. After a few months, you guys came crashing in and the rest is history.

The Gaang exchanged unreadable looks before Katara turned back to face you. “How do we know we can truly trust you?”

You pondered on her question for a few seconds, opening your mouth to speak before you were beaten to the punch by Aang.

“I trust her.”

The group went completely silent at the Air Nomad’s words. Sokka kept his gaze down as Katara gave Aang an incredulous look.

“But she’s Fire Nation!” Katara cried out. “She’s Fire Nation royalty and she’s been hiding that from us. For all we know she’s trying to capture you to help her brother!”

“She already had so many chances to do that, Katara,” Aang said patiently, shooting you a soft smile. “She’s proven time and time again that she’s on our side. She even fought both Zuko and Azula! She’s saved your life multiple times as well! So yes, she has my complete trust.”

Tears welled up in your eyes at Aang’s words and you smiled through the tears when Aang got up and gave you a hug.

“I want her to stay with us,” Aang said. “Besides, you’re right. She’s from the Fire Nation which means that she has insider knowledge.”

You chuckled at his words, nodding along as you glanced at Katara. The Water Tribe girl bit her lip before speaking, knowing that Aang was right. “Alright, Aang. I trust you. But if she does anything that I find weird, I won’t hesitate to bring her down.”

Aang frowned at her words before looking at you. You nodded in agreement, silently assuring the Air Nomad that Katara’s words were reasonable. The tense atmosphere was broken when Toph yawned loudly, stretching before speaking. “Okay now that we all know about Princess over here, can we please get some sleep?”

The rest of the group nodded in agreement and you helped set up the tent and sleeping bags, smiling lightly when you noticed Toph and Katara settle in next to each other. You noticed that Sokka was still sitting a little bit aways and you walked over to him slowly, trying to ignore the curious glances from Aang and Katara.

“Hey,” you said softly, standing next to him. Sokka didn’t reply. “We have the tent all s-”

“Were you ever gonna tell me?” Sokka asked roughly, standing up quickly. His sudden movement took you by surprise, causing you to stumble back a bit.

“S-Sokka, I-”

“Or was I just supposed to be happy with the lies you were telling me?” he snapped, cutting your words off. “Because it seems to me like you weren’t planning on telling us the truth anytime soon.”

You stood silently as Sokka spoke, your mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Aang looked away from the two of you as Katara swallowed nervously. Sokka was being a little too rough with you.

“We were perfectly fine before you came alone, Your Highness,” Sokka sneered, giving you a steely gaze. “We didn’t need you.”

You reached out, softly placing your hand on Sokka’s arm. “I’m sorry, Sokka. I really am, but you have to understand that-”

“Understand what?” Sokka yelled, pushing your hand off of his arm. He underestimated his strength, pushing you harder than he meant to and knocking you down. You could hear a soft gasp from Aang. “Just leave us alone.”

“Sokka, stop!” Katara cried out, rushing over to help you up. Sokka’s gaze softened for a fraction of a second as he noticed your distraught face.

“No, it’s okay,” you whispered, gently brushing off Katara’s help and standing on your own. The silence was almost overwhelming as everyone watched you walk over to the large pile of rocks. You climbed to the top, sitting before turning to address Aang. “You all go to sleep. I’ll take the first watch.”

Aang opened his mouth to argue and state that you all needed the rest before noticing the way Katara shook her head. There was a new kind of tension in the air, namely between you and Sokka. Katara was the first to fall asleep, closely followed by Toph and Sokka. Aang laid on the hard ground as quietly as he could, trying to ignore the sniffles that were coming from your direction because he knew you just wanted to be left alone.

And just like that, the blooming romance between you and Sokka had been crushed before it ever began.

taglist!

atla: @musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby, @aangsupremacy, @iguessthefloorislava, @dekahg, @boxofteenageideas, @bottledcostcowater, @butterflycore, @coldlilheart, @the-firebender-girl, @ajediherowitchrunner, @lammello, @a----rag, @astroninaaa, @samsmultifandomblogs, @sadskater25, @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak, @eternallyvenus, @emberislandplayers, @sunflowerazula, @moonnei, @stilllivindue2spite, @knaite-solo, @riespage, @wastelandbbyg, @edgy-hufflepuff-bro

pwf: @ilovespideyyy, @binaryssunsets, @existing-but-nonexistent, @milk-n-cheese, @itsthatsadbitch, @nin-tendou, @honey-ruel, @reclusive-chicken-nugget, @teenbiology, @davnwillcome, @fandomarchiveilyd, @minninugget, @sukifans, @nugget-barnes, @vintageroses1014516, @donteatmycookiesplease, @fanficdepot, @birdlovinghyena, @cipheress-to-k-pop, @my–shitty–art, @woohoney, @castalette, @lozzybowe, @spacelesbianfanclub, @macymafia, @deadsunflower01, @olsenholic, @thia-aep, @loganrwebb, @porkbumh, @awkwardnesshabitat, @romanticraccoon, @jackbamexpress, @marievanleeuw, @lunariasilver, @francesciak, @alive-ahahah-fuk, @reillykwatson, @naanlianid, @on-jah-bruh

#sokka x reader #atla sokka x reader #sokka #atla sokka #aang #katara #toph #toph beifong #avatar #avatar: tla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar x reader #atla #atla x reader #zuko #prince zuko #fire lord zuko #sokka imagine #atla sokka imagine

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thebakingqueen5 · 3 years

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KW 2021: Tease

Day 6 for Kataang Week 2021 hosted by @kataang-week with the prompt Tease!

I might have stuffed up the use of this word and its definition in context but shhhh it’s fine and this is cute.

Links: FF.net | AO3

Summary: Another year, another summer, another week of prompts celebrating our favorite couple. Kataang Week 2021 Day 6. Tease (verb): gently pull or comb (tangled wool, hair, etc.) into separate strands. Aka the take on the “tease” prompt that no one (not even me) expected.

Word Count: 1.8K

It had been a tiring, tension-filled day.

The war ended five, maybe six months prior, and the four nations were still partaking in the grueling process of learning to work together after a century’s worth of fighting. Considering that a group of teenagers were the reason there was any hope of amity in the first place, it came as little surprise that most of the pressure to arrange and facilitate treaties and peace talks fell on the Gaang, much to their chagrin.

And so here they were, utterly exhausted after a long day of trying to convince the Earth King and Zuko that violence was, in fact, bad, and stressed out of their minds, aching for a distraction.

It certainly didn’t help that tonight, of all nights, Katara’s long, dark hair was refusing to cooperate despite her having just stepped out of the shower a mere 10 minutes past. No matter how many times she ran the whalebone comb through her thick locks, nothing seemed to help, and her patience was quickly dissipating.

“Spirits, Zuko and Kuei are going to drive me absolutely crazy, sweetie.” Aang ranted as he entered her room, closing the door shut behind him as he made wild gestures with his hands.

“They’re both so… stubborn! And self-righteous and it’s getting us nowhere!” he huffed in frustration. “I wish they could just- oh.”

The airbender immediately faltered, finally noticing the appearance, or rather the clothing, of his girlfriend seated in front of a square mirror, nightgown riding quite high up her thigh.

“Sorry,” he blushed, eyes darting around the room to look anywhere, absolutely anywhere except at her to keep what little modesty they had left between them. “I didn’t know you had already showered and changed- I really should have knocked.”

Katara rolled her eyes, a slight pink tint rising to her cheeks as she returned to the task at hand: attempting to tame the lion’s mane she called her hair resting atop her head at that very moment.

“It’s fine, Aang,” she laughed, pushing a strand of hair out of her face. “No need to be embarrassed, really. Besides, it’s nothing you haven’t already seen.”

The waterbender snuck a quick glance at her boyfriend, and, quite frankly, she wasn’t sure he could get any redder if he tried. A tomato would have been jealous of the vibrant hue of Aang’s face, and he couldn’t stop staring at the floor, gaze entirely focused on the wooden boards beneath him.

The boy remained silent, and guilt began to fill Katara’s stomach.

“I’m sorry, sweetie,” she frowned, standing up. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I can go change if you want-”

Aang instantly looked up from the ground, quick to clarify his thoughts. “No, sweetie. It’s not that! It’s just- you look absolutely beautiful, and I don’t want me subconsciously staring at you to make you feel uncomfortable or uneasy around me.”

Katara’s eyebrows raised in pleasant surprise, and she patted a spot on the edge of the mattress, beckoning for him to come sit near her before turning back and glaring at herself in the mirror.

“Believe me, sweetie, there is very little you can do to make me feel uncomfortable around you. Honestly, it’s a bit of a compliment knowing that’s how I seem in your eyes,” she said shyly.

The airbender grinned and walked up to her. Feeling a little emboldened, he tenderly wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed a kiss to her cheek, chin barely reaching an inch above her shoulder.

“You could be wearing a potato sack and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me,” he murmured as his stormy eyes met her cerulean ones through the mirror.

“Really?” she raised an eyebrow and gestured to the mess on her head. “Even with this bird’s nest?”

“Always,” Aang smiled earnestly. “Speaking of, though, do you need some help with that?”

“I appreciate the offer, Aang, but I’ve been trying for the last half hour now and you aren’t exactly the most experienced with hair.”

“Well, maybe a new perspective is just what you need.”

He gently pulled her back towards the mattress a few feet away from the dresser with the mirror and sat her down in front of him. Rolling her eyes, the waterbender handed him her comb, but he simply cast it aside, instead using his nimble fingers to work through the knots and tangles in her hair.

Katara was right- he did have minimal experience with hair, not having much of his own, but he often played with hers when they spent time together. He knew what relaxed her and what didn't, which gave him the perfect means to seize this opportunity and prove her wrong, while also, of course, helping the two unwind and spend some time with one another.

The waterbender had already been quite frustrated when she had started working through her hair, and her movements had reflected that. She was stressed and antsy, and she combed harshly and roughly, only compressing the knotted hair to the end of the strand and making it harder to get out. Between that and the day she had, she had been close to tears and Aang’s gentle touch was just what she needed.

Much of Aang’s stress had been alleviated when he had entered the room earlier in simply being able to see and embrace his girlfriend. Because of this, he was able to take his time and the change of pace was nice for the both of them.

He worked slowly and methodically, fingers lightly massaging the top of her scalp before moving down to dampen and separate her wavy tresses into individual strips of hair with the help of some waterbending. He took care to not tug too hard on any one strand, having heard many a horror story from Katara in the past with her unable to tolerate anyone else handling her sensitive locks. The airbender was determined to make it a pleasant experience for the both of them, and it was.

In fact, Katara had been mildly shocked by the sheer love and effort she felt Aang direct into detangling her hair. It was sweet seeing him put so much energy towards trying something new just to help her, and the tension in her mind that had been knotted up began to unravel as well.

“Halfway,” Aang whispered, breaking her out of her thoughts. His gaze was still intense and focused on her unruly strands as she sighed softly and leaned ever so slightly back into him.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” she murmured back. She closed her eyes as Aang’s rhythmic yet feathery touches to her scalp soothed her and then gave herself a quick look in the mirror through her peripheral vision- her hair was already looking a lot better and far more tame than it had been 15 minutes ago.

“That’s alright, just have a little more faith in your amazing boyfriend next time, yeah?” he winked with a smile, hands moving the hair he had untangled to the front as he directed his concentration to the last section.

This section was by far going to be the hardest- most of the strands were embedded into a few large and messy knots creating quite a complex network. Nevertheless, Aang was up to the challenge. He began humming an old Air Nomad folk tune, one of the many they’d perform at Yangchen’s Festival, causing Katara to hum along with him as he spread apart the last few unruly waves of hair.

After finishing, he steadily ran his fingers through her hair like a comb, taking extra care to caress the nape of her neck and back of her head as she sighed happily, and gave it one last sweep with the whale-bone comb.

“All done,” he said, tucking a lock behind her ear when she turned around to face him.

The waterbender beamed before lightly pushing him down on the bed as they both sank into the mattress.

“I take it you enjoyed it?” Aang laughed, looking up at her.

“Very much so,” Katara responded. She then carefully angled herself so that she was lying pressed up against Aang’s side, head resting in the crook of his neck.

“It was pretty relaxing for me too,” Aang blushed. “You know I love playing with your hair and this just kinda took it to another level. I’d be happy to do it for you in the future if you ever find yourself fighting with that comb again, that is.”

“I’d like that, Aang. A lot,” she smiled shyly. “It was great to just… unwind. Have you there with me and just relax. I was basically about to cry when you came in and you just melted all my worries away with those magical hands of yours.”

The airbender chuckled, snaking his arm around her shoulders and leaning his head against hers. “Glad to hear it, sweetie. It’s getting late though, and we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Time for some rest?”

Katara wordlessly nodded, sighing and closing her eyes as Aang did the same and blew out the candles lighting up the room.

“Thank you for this, sweetie. I love you.”

“I love you too, Tara. Good night.”

The two were taken away into the dream realm, but an unspoken custom was crafted that night. It became a ritual, a way for both of them to calm down and escape the high stress levels of their everyday lives.

When Katara found her dad kissing Malina and it felt like her whole world was crumbling down around her, Aang had snuck into her room that night and combed and plaited her hair until they drifted off into each other’s arms.

When Aang had confided in the waterbender about feeling anxious and insecure about becoming a new father after she had informed him of her pregnancy, Katara had shown up to the stables with a comb and some apples for Appa in tow. The two ended up assuaging each other’s concerns while leaning back against the fluffy bison, much to their attention-seeking flying lemur’s annoyance.

Whether they were stressing over not being able to find an old book from the Southern Water Tribe after moving to Air Temple Island or had just come home after a near-death experience with the most dangerous bloodbender in the world, one of the two would always sit the stressed one down and grab a comb.

It never became a chore or something they dreaded; it was almost a secret love language for the couple. It was a way of reminding each other that no matter what was going on in their lives, they would always find time for each other and help one another. It pulled Aang and Katara out of some of their lowest, darkest moments, and it only accentuated their highs.

Such a simple, pure act born out of nothing but love and a desire to help- it should’ve been insignificant, a one-time thing, but it became so much more. To Katara and Aang, it meant the world.

#kataang week #kataang week 2021 #kataangtag #kw 2021 #kataang #aang x katara #atla fanfiction #aang #katara #fluff #romance

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waterbearwaltz · 4 years

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Assassins AU wip

So I've been thinking a lot about Southern Raiders Katara, and what her character would be like if she'd been raised to indulge that darkness. And then the thought "Kataang AU but they're assassins" made me laugh out loud in a meeting, and now here we are. But I've written like 10k words and am somehow still at the beginning? How do people write long things? What and how is plot? Ugh. Whatever. Have a chapter.

Aang’s eyes skimmed the crowd of Fire Nation nobles moving like a single organism under the ostentatious chandelier. Ozai’s parties were always tense affairs, an enjoyable night as likely as a gruesome public execution, but this one was especially anxious. The guard was double what Aang had seen on previous evenings. They weren’t just stationed at the doors but milling about the crowd, weapons on their hips, daring anyone to step out of line. Another bomb had gone off near parliament that week, and according to Aang’s sources Ozai’s paranoia was calling the shots even more than usual. This function was an expression of that more than anything else, a flimsy excuse to gather the most wealthy and powerful of his citizens and flex his muscles. Remind them of the closeness of his watch, the price of treason.

Aang’s eyes skated over the dance floor and paused. The dancing at these was without fail the most stilted he’d ever seen. He understood that in the Fire Nation, dancing was mostly ceremonial, a way to show respect for their host, an expression of patriotism made at gunpoint. It was the most stiff and joyless part of these stiff and joyless evenings. But this time Aang’s eyes caught on something new.

She was swaying in a sheer, dark red dress that he could just see the outlines of her body through. Thick dark hair swept up into a fashionable loose pile on her head, a few tendrils brushing her dark shoulders. No one thing about her was particularly out of place, other than being of obvious water tribe descent, a relative rarity in the capitol. But everything together caught him. It was the sway of her hips, he decided. The way she moved as if a part of the music, rather than shifting awkwardly alongside it like the other dancers. A fighter, certainly, from the lean definition of her bare back and shoulders. Aang wondered if she was one of the guards Ozai had hidden amongst the crowd. That would be odd, he thought he had files on all of them. And a woman from such far flung colonies would be a highly unusual choice for a palace assassin.

Tsungi horns blared, announcing the entrance of the ruling family, and Aang snapped his attention to the door, frowning at the unusual lapse in focus. The musicians fell silent and an abrupt stillness settled over the crowd. Attendants entered first, followed by yet another unit of guards. Aang wondered dryly if Ozai had ever considered the difference between displaying strength and paranoid weakness. A little shiver went through him as Ozai’s children entered. In studying this family he’d encountered all manner of atrocities, but something about the princess in particular unsettled him. He’d had the chance to observe her in person a handful of times now. Ozai’s heir was haughty and beautiful as always, but as her eyes swept too near to him and he had to concentrate on not tensing visibly. The monks had taught him that every life contains the same precious spark of humanity, and he’d never had cause to doubt this before seeing Azula up close for the first time, looking into her eyes, and seeing absolutely nothing staring back at him.

Ozai finally entered with a few military leaders and Aang’s body ticked into higher alert. He took a deep, stabilizing breath. He was as prepared for this as he’d ever be. Tonight was the result of years of carefully maneuvering himself into the capital’s moneyed elite. Everything was in place, every edge case planned for. If there was ever a chance to remove the dictator for good, it was tonight. He was ready.

Katara’s eyes tracked the commanders up the steps to the dias. She felt the familiar heat under her skin as she finally sized up her target in person, taking advantage of the whole room’s focus on him to take a first and only long look.

Ozai was older than he appeared in the propaganda plastered across every city, every textbook, every yuan. Their Glorious Leader. Her lip curled in disgust but she smoothed it into a tepid smile. He had a spray of gray across his temples, a sharp jaw, and deep set eyes hung with dark circles. His posture was slightly askew, probably a shoulder injury. She thought he favored his left leg, but wasn’t close enough to be sure. His expression was tense and he muttered sporadically to the man on his left. He was wearing a military style jacket in a deep red, plush looking material. She could tell from the way it sat against him that he had body armor underneath.

It was strange to finally see him in person, the man she’d spent her whole life training to kill. The corner of her mouth quirked up. She’d never been so ready for anything in her life.

Her dance partner slipped an arm around her waist as the music started back up. “A drink?” he asked. She smiled up at him and nodded, letting him guide her to the bar. It had been embarrassingly easy to get invited to this. After a ten minute conversation with Kazin at the university library she had her in. She’d had several backup plans of course, every piece of intel said getting here would be the hardest part. She rolled her eyes. White Lotus leadership had always had a penchant for dramatics.

Katara leaned against the bar and smiled at Kazin, half listening to him dribbling on about his father’s mining operation and half scanning the room over his shoulder. If security was this insane in the rest of the palace she’d have to rework some of her plans. Idiot militants. What the hell was blowing up a building half a block from a dummy parliament supposed to accomplish? If she ever saw Jet again she’d wring his stupid neck.

“Kazin, my darling, I didn’t know you were back in the city!” An older woman pressed a kiss to her date’s cheek and shot her a curious look. Katara automatically slid her face into a blank and amiable mask.

“Yes, school started last week. Auntie Azina, this is Zaia, from the northern colonies. She’s studying medicine at the university.”

“The northern colonies, how...exotic” the woman finished, narrowing her eyes slightly. “I didn’t know they were admitting colonials now. How times have changed.” Katara let the blankness seep deeper into her, enveloping herself in it the way Master Iroh had taught her. A lie cannot be detected if you make it your truth. Sweet, simple Zaia smiled wider and grasped the woman’s hand a touch too enthusiastically.

“Oh, it’s a dream come true, getting to study in the capital! I’m just so lucky to have been chosen.”

“Don’t be modest. Zaia was the top student at her university.” Kazin puffed up magnanimously. “Why wouldn’t we want the best minds of the colonies enriching our great civilization?”

“Hmm,” Azina had already lost interest in Katara and was scanning the room. “Ah! Ulan!”

A man in his 50s approached their group, kissing Azina lightly on the cheek. “This is my nephew, Zura’s son. Ulan was a dear friend of your father’s. Runs our shipping in the greater kingdom.” Kazin and Ulan exchanged pleasantries, Katara blissfully forgotten. Her attention caught on the quiet young man beside Ulan. She kept her eyes on the conversation, sizing up the newcomer in her periphery.

He was tall and lean, with dark hair shorn close to his scalp, sharp, elegant bone structure, and overly kind eyes that got her hackles up. She knew how to make her eyes kind too, and what sort of situations she did so in. A little too young and a little too handsome to sit right with her as a foreign shipping mogul. Maybe a rich kid working a cushy job for daddy’s company? There were certainly plenty of those in this city. He kept his eyes on the conversation as well, but something about his stance made her uneasy. The way he held himself felt...practiced. Maybe undercover security detail? No, that wasn’t right either. He wasn’t native Fire Nation, he couldn’t possibly work in the palace.

“Ah, how rude of me! This is my emissary from New Ozai City, Azan” Ulan said, gesturing to the young man. Cushy job with daddy after all. Kazin shook his hand as his Aunt flicked her eyes to the ceiling and pressed her lips into a thin line. Guess she didn’t like former colonials any more than current ones. A guard pressed close as he walked past the bar and Karara took a casual sip from her drink, slipping her arm through Kazin’s and angling her body slightly to keep him in view as he passed.

“And who is this lovely thing you have here.” Ulan drew closer than necessary and grinned down at her. He smelled like stale rice wine and the spicy fermented onions sitting in little bowls along the bar. Katara had a strong stomach, but it got a run for its money when he leaned in to kiss her cheek. When Kazin spoke up to introduce her she smiled and ducked her head as if overwhelmed by the attention rather than the smell.

“Charmed,” came a soft, deep voice on her left. Cushy Job Boy gave her a small bow and met her eyes directly, holding her gaze intently until she looked away. She really didn’t like that. She returned the bow with a warm smile and turned her attention back to her date.

“Another dance, Kazin?”

“If you insist, darling” he answered indulgently, as though speaking to a child. He steered her back to the dance floor, launching into a lecture on different types of mineral extractants as she noted the guards rotating their shifts around her.

When she saw the first stirrings of the next shift change, she excused herself to the restroom. Kazin barely acknowledged her, deep in conversation with an old general about iron ore. She couldn’t have dreamed up a better mark if she tried.

She’d spent weeks memorizing the palace layout and slipped quickly up a flight of stairs, down a hall, down two more flights, and into a servant’s wetroom near the back of the building. She swung herself up to a vent near the corner of the ceiling, bracing a foot against one wall and her shoulder against the other, and got to work on the screws holding the grate in place. Her ears pricked for the sound of footsteps, her hands made quick work of it with a tool from the small leather satchel that had been pressed between her breasts all night. When the last screw was loose, she dropped back to the floor, pulled her dress over her head, bundled it tightly around her waist, and swung herself smoothly into the air duct, pulling it shut behind her.

The vent was slightly smaller than she’d expected, and it was slow work making her way through. That was fine, she’d left herself plenty of time. The party hadn’t even begun to break up yet.

Much of the journey was directly up, and she inched one foot, then the other, then her back up the metal plates of the ventilation system. It wasn’t particularly taxing; she was in excellent shape and had practiced this a thousand times over the last few months. It would have been boring if not for the thrill of being so close to her target. She’d hunted men before, but it had always felt like preparation for this. None of them were half as thrilling, though she’d thought Yon Rha would have been. It should have been sweet to end the life of the man who had, in every way that counted, ended hers. But for some reason it wasn’t. Maybe he ruined it by begging. She’d been hoping for a good fight.

When she reached the top floor, she pulled herself into a smaller, auxiliary vent and made her way to Ozai’s chamber. It was even more important to be utterly silent now, as she could clearly hear the movements and conversations of the servants below her. Perspiration beaded on her skin as she moved, creeping like a crab in her thin pants and cropped undershirt. Finally, she peered through one of the grates and saw the interior of Ozai’s private chambers. She stretched out carefully so that her limbs wouldn’t fall asleep and settled in to wait.

Aang watched Ozai get drunker than usual before retiring from the ballroom. That might make his job easier. When the first waves of people began heading for the exits, he carefully lost Ulan and headed to meet his contact in a half-hidden alcove in the inner hall. Ishran was already there, a slight man with a sheen of sweat on his balding head and a great deal of tension in his shoulders. This was no trained agent. Not for the first time, Aang wondered what had made this man decide to risk so much. It wasn’t the sort of thing one asked.

Ishran gave Aang a curt nod and pressed his fingers into the wall behind him. A servant’s door swung open and they disappeared through it.

“There will be a three minute gap between guard shifts outside his quarters. I hope that is enough, it’s all I could manage.” Despite his shaky appearance, Ishran’s voice was sharp and even as they climbed the windowless staircase. Aang was impressed he’d been able to pull that off. He was assuming he’d have to operate in complete silence.

“That’s more than enough. You’ve outdone yourself.”

A soft hmph was his only response. After several minutes they came to a stop.

“I’ll make sure he’s asleep, then wave you through.” Aang nodded, Ishran was the only one of them who could possibly excuse his appearance if Ozai was awake.

Ishran squinted at Aang for a moment, before turning to the large, stone door.

When Ozai finally shuffled in, sweating and stinking of liquor. Katara wrinkled her nose. A drunk target was usually too easy to be fun, but for him she’d make an exception. She spent the first half hour Ozai was asleep going over the layout. A large, canopied bed dominated the majority of the chamber. Gold and red tapestries adorned the walls, embroidered with dragon-dense battle scenes, and an ornate desk sat between the bed and the balcony.

When Ozai had been still for half an hour or so, Katara lowered herself out feet first, dangling for a moment before dropping to the floor without so much as a whisper of fabric to give her away. She felt the adrenaline rise in her. She let it make her stronger, clearer.

Katara crept to the bed. Ozai was already on his stomach. How helpful. She slipped the garrote from her shirt and in a swift, clean motion, had him pinned. Her hands tightened the cord around his throat at the same moment her legs clamped his arms to his body and her ankles locked around his chest. He jerked in her grasp and opened his mouth, but nothing came out. She’d placed the thin, woven wire with surgical precision, blocking not just air and blood, but preventing his throat from sliding into a position that could produce sound. He reared back against her and her back slammed into the wall with more force than she expected, his strength apparently untempered by age or alcohol. The wind was knocked from her, but her hold on him stayed true. He stumbled forward and slammed back again, this time catching her against the edge of the desk. A sharp snap like a whip being cracked split through the silent chamber. She gritted her teeth, pouring all her focus into her hold on him. The second time she hit the desk the snap was more of a wet crunch, and even through the haze of adrenaline she felt pain shattering down her side. He reared forward and thrashed again, but the movements were disorganized now, and she could tell he was losing consciousness. He fell to his knees and was just tipping forward as a soft creak snapped her head to a tapestry hanging on the far wall.

She was on him as soon as his hand slipped out to draw the fabric back from the hidden door. She took hold of the wrist and with a smooth pivot, pulled the intruder forward and swung around to slam her elbow into his windpipe. The last thing she needed was him calling for help. Still holding the wrist, she gave it a sharp twist, snapping it and getting a sharp rasp out of the man’s crushed throat as he doubled over in pain. A knee to the face and he was down. She was just turning back to Ozai’s prone form when a voice hissed from the darkness behind the tapestry..

Aang’s eyes darted from Ishran crumpled on the floor to the water tribe girl above him to Ozai’s empty bed. He was moving before he’d finished taking in the scene, not wanting to get pinned down in the narrow staircase.

“You,” she snarled as he lunged forward, putting his body between her and the servant on the floor. She dropped into a low stance and he swung down, hoping to sweep her legs out from under her. She was much smaller than him, he might be able to end this quickly. The chamber’s doors were shut, but she must have a way to signal the other guards.

She leapt easily over his attack and struck out with her heel as she fell. He caught it-- barely-- and shoved her hard. She flew back a few feet and hit the wall behind her, but was on him again by the time he regained his footing. Some remote part of him was impressed with her speed, but the majority of his mind was occupied dodging a flurry of strikes aimed at his head, neck, and chest. He jumped, twisted and lunged, always missing her hands and feet by millimeters. A sense of deja vu came over him and his mind flicked to the hours he’d spent in the training gates at the temple. The lesson was to be as a leaf, pivoting at every resistance, to pass through the storm. And she was very like a storm. When the flurry of blows began he hoped to tire her out before striking, but she wasn’t getting slower, wasn’t getting sloppy.

There was a subtle shift in her weight and saw her next strike coming. He sent a kick out to the side that would be left open by her attack. But she turned on a dime, ducking under his leg and catching his knee, sending him careening face-first towards the floor. He turned it into a roll and sprung up, but before his feet touched the floor he felt a bright shock of pain as she brought her elbow down on his solar plexus. He hit the ground hard, trying not to fight the muscle spasm, which would only prolong the seizing. She slipped a garrotte out of her shirt.

This guy was infuriating. She flew at him with everything she had and met only air. She didn’t recognize his form at all, but it certainly wasn’t Fire Nation. Their style was centered around brute force and bold, decisive strikes. It was a style she preferred in her opponents, especially larger ones. She could hurt them more by redirecting their strength than she could with her own. But this guy...this guy fought like it was a goddamn game of keep away. And she was running out of time.

Finally he struck out with his foot, and she used the energy of it to fling him down. While he recovered she managed to land a clean blow to his chest and he grunted and crumpled. She slid the garrote out, wishing for a quicker weapon, but the security at the palace was so tight this was all she’d been sure she could sneak in.

But he somehow recovered instantaneously. He flipped to his feet and circled away, putting himself between her and the door. They were on the far side of the bed now and his eyes fell on Ozai’s prone body. He froze and his eyes grew wide. Ever so slightly, his stance slipped.

“Is he dead?”

“He’s next in line after you,” she spat as she launched herself at him. He was distracted, unable to right his form in time. She feigned a direct hit then twisted in the air, vaulting off the wall and landing on his back.

“Wait” he rasped out, and she realized he’d managed to get a finger between her wire and his neck. Oh for fuck’s sake, would this guy just die already? She was debating just going with the slower, louder process of killing him like this when several things happened at once.

Ozai began to stir on the floor, coughing weakly and pushing himself up on his forearms. The main door to the chamber opened and a hesitant voice called out “Sir?” As she was taking all this in, the fake earth kingdom emissary grabbed her forearm and twisted roughly, ripping her off his back and over his head. The wall rushed up to meet her, enveloping her in a blinding flash of white.

The woman’s body slumped against the door she’d collided with. He hadn’t meant to throw her so hard, just needed time to reason with her, to explain. But now the guard was pushing the door back open and Ozai was stirring and before Aang knew what he was doing he’d scooped her unconscious body over his shoulder and slipped through the open window.

#kataang #kataang au #work in progress #avatar #avatar aang #katara #i dont want to post to ao3 till there's an end in sight #fanfic #atla fanfic

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raikangaru · 4 years

Text

Take My Leave /3 - Zuko x Reader

Warnings: none

requested one shot

part one part two

“(your name), there’s more flowers again and a letter for you,”Katara yells from the front door, I sigh as I continue to chop the meat for the ramen, this has been going ever since we talked to each other, he’s been sending me flowers every morning. “He’s really showing you his commitment now,”Katara places the bouquet and the letter on the counter top infront of me, I smell the flowers, he hasn’t forgotten them, my favourites, (favourite flower). I quickly wash my hands and drying them before picking up the envelope. I trace over the neatly printed name before ripping it open and pulling out the fancy paper.

My dearest (your name),

I hope you enjoyed the flowers I have been sending you, I know these are your favourites, I could never forget them. It was our first proper date where I had brought them for you and your eyes just lit up with so much happiness that it made my heart go crazy. (Favourite flower), they truly are so beautiful but not compared to you. I know I’ve been stepping out of line in our acquaintanceship but I just want to give you everything and anything to make up for what I’ve done but I know nothing will ever will. Anyways I know you don’t care and should just get to the point but I’ll be throwing a celebration for the partial success of the peace in all nations, you’re invited and so are the others. Please come, you’re a big part of this celebration, you’re the one pushed me to do it, I hope you consider it.

love you always,

Zuko

You make it so hard to move on. I return the letter in it’s envelope and continue on with the lunch,”so what does it say?”Katara eyes the closed letter with curiousity,”hes invited us to a celebrate about an achievement,”I shrug my shoulders as I finish the toppings of the ramen,”also can you call the rest, lunch is ready,”I shoo her away before she can ask more. I set the table and the rest pile in the dining room,”yay (your name)’s ramen,”Aang cheers before digging in right away which earns his a scolding from Katara,”Ahh yes, you make the best ramen,”he liked it too, I politely smiled before eating at my own meal. ,”uh so are you gonna attend the celebration?”the air becomes uncomfortable, it’s still not an easy subject to speak about Zuko, though weeks have passed I have not fully moved on yet, my heart was still shattered, how can you unlove a man who had taken all your firsts. It still hurts to think of him but I needed to refocus my life and to learn to be okay when seeing him or even speaking about him, it’s part of moving forward. “I might,”I muttered silently but was loud enough for them to hear me, they all seemed surprised but tried to hide it, I need this for healing.

***

The large form of Appa lands on the nicely tailored garden of the Fire Nation Palace, a feeling of dread overtakes me and I start regretting my decision on coming here. The familiar grounds remind of so much sweet memories of Zuko and I but also held so much pain, it was bittersweet to be here. Down below, several guards are stationed and the Firelord stands awaiting for us to get down, he was as handsome as ever, he seemed tired and his face lingered of the sadness. I let the rest of the gaang get down before I followed suit, “(your name) you came,”the ember-eyed man doesn’t even try to hide his surprise as pink dusted his cheeks, “uh yeah,”I awkwardly wave. “The maids will escort you to your rooms, I have a meeting so I’ll join all you at the party,”he glances one last time at me before walking inside the palace I once called home.

“Lady (your name), welcome back it’s so good to see you! The palace staff have missed you,”my heart aches as I stare at the maid who took care of me,”I shall escort you to your rooms,”she motions us to follow her, we gather our belongings and enter the palace, passing through the familiar hallways. We pass the door to Zuko’s office and a wave of nausea hits me as I recall the last memory I had, I grit my teeth as I feel tears burn my eyes. A hand grips my forearm and it brings me out of my trance,”are you alright?”Sokka turns me to him in worry, ”yeah, I’m good. Just some dust in my eyes from flying,”I smiled before wiping the tears away and following the maid up ahead. The room that I had entered was not as large as the Firelord and Firelady suite but that’s understandable, a beautiful (colour) coloured robe catches my attention, it was hung on the wardrobe, it had been stitched with entricate designs. “The Firelord had it custom made to fit you, he requests you wear it for tonight’s party,”the maid notices my confusion and explains it for. “Oh, thank you,”I politely say and dismiss the maid, I huff in annoyance, what are you doing Zuko.

I sit on the bed, laying lazily as I stared up the ceiling. I can’t take you back, I’m trying to move on from you but you make it so hard. He’s been showering me with gifts and love letters, he makes this so complicated, I grip my hair pulling on them, I hate how I feel this way. I close my eyes and try to sleep off my confusion but I suddenly jolt up as Mai infects my thoughts, I frown at the thought, where is that dumb bitch she. I haven’t seen her lurking in the palace, now I’m annoyed, does she still stay here as he tries to win me back? I hope fucking not. A soft knock interrupts my thoughts,”come in,”I yell out and the maid peeks her head through,”I can here to prepare you for the celebration my lady,”the all too familiar says as he prepares the bath and get my vanity ready. “Oh no, it’s alright. I can do it myself,”I laugh and wave her off but she insists to help and stay.

“I’m sorry my lady but the Firelord had asked me to assist you,”

“How about the rest?”she shakes her head no, why the special treatment Zuko, I sigh in defeat as I let the maid do her thing. I can’t discern what I’m feeling, it’s giving me a headache, I will just ignore it for now and deal with it when the time comes.

“You are all done, my lady. It was so nice to assist you again,”the maid smiles as she hairsprays my hair for the last time, I glance at myself in the mirror and Iooked really good, I smile at her and she bows before leaving. Another knock sounds in the room and this time it’s Sokka, who cleaned up well, “finally you’re ready. Come on get your ass out here,”he playfully scolds me, I walk over and take his outstretched arm,”but you look really beautiful (your name),”his eyes shining and I can’t help but flush in pink, “jeez don’t be like,”I slap his arm and we both laugh heading to the ballroom. It was no surprise that Fire Nation could throw a party, the ballroom was decorated lavishly with mountains upon mountains of food, reminds me of the days where I used to help in organising event like these. “May I have this dance, pretty lady,”Sokka bows jokingly and I play along accepting his hand as he guides us in a funny dance, embarrassing himself. I scan the room and it’s full of diplomats from other nations and the nobles of the Fire Nation, but no Mair or Zuko.

A hand taps my shoulder,”Can I take the lady for a dance,”his deep voice sends shivers down me, I turn to look at the man and he was as handsome as ever,”I don’t know, can you?”Sokka almost sneers at the Firelord but I squeeze his hand to calm him down,”it’s okay, Sokka. We’re friends now,”I smile but I don’t know if I meant it, Sokka let’s go and Zuko takes my hand. I awakwardly look around,”you look really beautiful tonight, I didn’t expect you to wear it,”he whispers in my ear and my face burns bright red,”uh I didn’t want it to go to waste, since you had it made,”I stammer, feeling flustered at his closeness, I step back a little but he pulls me closer to his body,”Zuko, we’re just friends,”I tell him as I attempt to move away again but he keeps his hand firm on me,”I know but just let me have this, I’ve missed being close to you,”my chest clenches and I grit my teeth I’ve missed it too,”but this is over stepping the line,”I tell him and he hesitantly lets me go, I stare at his eyes and they hold genuine sadness but I had to hold my ground.

“Can I take you for a walk outside?”I nod my head and he leads me out to the gardens, a place that was special to us,”where’s Mai?”I couldn’t help myself but ask, I needed to know for my sanity,”I’ve kicked her out, she’s ruined it all. you mean everything to me,”he looks out ahead of us, I almost felt sorry for him,”no, you’ve ruined it. It was decision at the end of the day,”I say truthfully and flinches, as much as it hurts this was the facts, he can’t fault anyone for what he chose to do. “I guess, I just can’t accept it. I couldn’t grasp that I’ve lost you l,”he sighs in defeat, he stops and turns to me. “Have you thought about us?”his voice shaky, grasping me arms for support,”I do,”I was honest, we needed this, we needed to settle.

“But, I don’t see us going back to each other,”it hurt me to say it but I continue,”a little part of me wants us to get back together Zuko, I just can’t do it. You’ve broken my trust and our relationship’s trust. It’ll take a lot of fixing,”tears fall from my eyes,”I know it will. I’m so sorry but I’m going to try my hardest to earn back your trust and love. Will you ever consider me again?,”he voice broken, I still love you. “No. Maybe in another lifetime,”I shake my head and his face falls but his eyes hold a new fire of determination. “It’s not a never, I won’t stop until my last breath,”he vows to me and I just stare at him, there’s no stopping Zuko if he’s set his heart in something,”we’ll just have to see,”I face the stars again, feeling slightly lighter and a little less sad, Zuko’s face holds a genuine happy and relieved facial expression.

“I’m going to work hard to earn your love and trust back. I will never again take my leave, I love you”

m a s t e r l i s t

heyya! wow, i didn’t think i would do a part three, thank you for all the support and comments you’ve given me for this mini series. thank you to @itz-leaf-juice for requesting a third part, i hope you enjoyed it. this would most likely be the last or maybe i can whip up an epilogue but i’m not too sure yet. anyways if you enjoyed it leave a like and if you have any suggestions hmu in my dms, have a great day!

all the love xx

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the-last-cuddlebender · 4 years

Text

Dip in the Bed

When Aang was away, Katara didn’t touch his side of the bed.

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

A/N: Just a lil feels-y reminder that the F in Friday stands for ✨ Fluff ✨ , that the sweeties must always sweet, and that Aang is a ~little shit~

Words: 1,197

Rating: G (H for Hugs)

ArchiveOfOurOwn

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

When Aang was away, Katara didn’t touch his side of the bed.

She left it just as it was the last morning he was there—the two pillows squished up against the headboard, the dip in the sheets where he splayed his arm, the curl of blankets like a small nest from where he wrapped his other arm under her shoulders and tugged her closer to him during the night. His heat lingered like the warmth of whitening ashes. His scent lingered like a season just passing and refusing to go.

The first morning alone was the hardest. Aang’s laugh was stale in the air. The small pool of tea at the bottom of his favorite mug was cold. Katara turned every corner and was slammed into a wall when he wasn't there to greet her or jump around to scare her.

After a normal day, they waited up for each other. Aang usually paced in figure-eights with steps so light and fast that he glided over the ground. He always waited outside for her—out in the open air like his bright robes might lure her from across the city and into his arms. Katara always waited inside for him—to make herself the first thing he saw so he knew when he was home.

The first night alone was the hardest. Katara stayed up for a bit, just out of habit. She made herself some tea—not too strong as to fill the temple with its scent and wash away the trail he left behind—and sat in the kitchen. Aang’s favorite mug kept her company. She stayed until her heart stopped waiting for him to come around the corner, and she left when it found closure in the buzzy silence of being alone.

Ever since she first met him, they had always been sleeping together. Their family dogpiled with Appa during the war. They kept the tradition even after. They made sure to stay at least in twos since the nightmares were unbearable if they slept alone without someone who shared them.

Katara kept the window open. She folded her favorite robe of his—it was hers, and she would fight him for it...it smelled the most like him—and placed it by the fire. The fabric was warm under her fingers and bloomed heat into her chest like a puff of poison. The sheets barely moved when she slid into bed. The moon was bright and kept her company. Aang’s robe was warm and familiar against her chest.

She held it tighter and hid her face in the thick weave.

It smelled like him.

It didn't have a heartbeat.

Katara curled up like a dying flower. She didn't try to sleep. Sleep required peace.

Katara hugged herself. The moon didn’t speak softly to her or tell her she wasn’t alone.

The warmth from his robe sapped into her and grew cold like a fading last hope.

Katara didn’t cry. Not anymore.

She didn’t feel sad. She didn’t...She didn’t feel.

The space in her heart was empty.

Just like the dip in the bed.

…

The world was warm and smelled like all things fresh and free when Katara woke up on the fourth day. The wind from the open window was lazy currents from an even lazier ocean just beyond. Rain and ozone told of a storm. Katara buried her face in Aang’s robe—her robe—and tried to ignore it. She tried to focus on the warmth instead.

The warmth.

Katara recognized the dip of weight in the mattress, urging her toward him like she was rolling down an incline, before his laugh woke her up to a dream.

Aang’s smile was as bright as his eyes were gentle. They were half-lidded, too. His whole posture was a broken coil pretending to still be a spring, but that didn’t stop him from trying. He laid on his side and rested his face on one fist, eclipsing her in his shadow. He studied her like she was a painting he was seeing for the first time—like he was just now finding every hidden meaning buried behind each brushstroke.

“Good morning, gorgeous,” Aang said, like he always did. His voice was warmer than his robe had been when it came off the fire.

Katara stared for longer than she liked. Every part of her wanted to move. She couldn’t. Maybe all of this was a dream. Aang said he would be gone for a week at the least. It had been only a few days. He had to fly all the—

Aang touched her cheek and hummed their song. And though only his thumb brushed under her eye, the whole of her felt like it was hugged.

He was home early.

That bastard.

The armor Katara layered around her heart was slow to peel off. She was expecting a week—he told her a week so she prepared for a week—

“Before you ask, no, you’re not dreaming.” Aang’s kiss was a laugh, and his even bigger smile was an invitation to dance. “Though I’m sure I’m in your dreams just as much as not.”

Katara glared at him for all she was worth. She glared at him even as she hugged his robe tighter and fought to keep her eyes dry and her lip from shaking. She glared at him even as he slipped his arm into the untouched curl of blankets and under her shoulders to tug her closer to him like she was his wayward teddybear.

Katara hesitated—Spirits, she hesitated—before releasing his sorry excuse for a replacement and fisting handfuls of his robes.

She shook. He had a heartbeat.

Aang spoke softly and rubbed her back until all of her hurts were covered in a salve of promises he would never break and ‘I love you’s that he would repeat until time was lost and ran out.

“You’re home,” she said.

Aang kissed her hair. “You’re home.”

He said it like a beautiful truth.

The first day together was the best. Katara kept his mug full, even if he just sipped it, so that it never grew cold. Aang stuck to her like a second shadow—gently brushing his shoulder to hers like he was sneaking glances across a meeting table. He kept doing it until she stopped checking behind her whenever she turned a corner to make sure he was still there.

By that point, Aang was holding Katara’s hand in one of his and the dip of her waist in the other, and the buzz of silence became the muted patting of feet in figure-eights. The dance he led her in was so light and fast that Katara’s feet glided over the ground. Their laughs revived the air. Their kisses were smiles. The little space Aang allowed between them radiated his warmth like Katara was standing just close enough to the fire.

The first night together was the best. They slept outside under the moonpeach trees and dogpiled with Appa like they did in the war.

The nightmares were a memory, and they grew fainter and fainter, like wrinkles smoothed out of the bed.

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

That’s one more WIP off the list lmao

(This was almost a sad fic (if you couldn’t tell from the first half with Katara) but it’s not Tearbending Tuesday and the F in Friday stands for fluff. Plus, I haven’t written littleshit!Aang in a while and needed an excuse:D)

#kataang #aang #katara #avatar the last airbender #Aang is a ~little shit~#hurt/comfort/fluff #kataangtag #Im starting to notice my 'type' when i write lmao #Dip in the Bed #myfanfictiontag #post

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pinkykitten · 5 years

Text

i am shy

Avatar The Last Airbender

Sokka x shy! female reader

Warning: shynessssssssssss

Specifics: fluff, comedy, romance, one-shot, race neutral reader

People: sokka, katara, aang, toph

Words: 1,271

Requested: By anon Hello! At first: You have the most talented writing Style i've ever read! Really the way you describe the feelings of the Persons are so unique - I'm in Love ♡~♡ When I look at your Story's, looks mine like a Kindergarten Child has write it's first Story lol😂 You've said you want Request, so here am I: How about a ATLA Sokka x Shy Reader ? ( I miss your ATLA One Shots) Thank's for reading Dear♡

Authors Note: first off thank you again dear for your lovely comment it means the world to me when you guys say such sweet things about me or my writing. but remember fam to practice, i still practice cuz ur girl still needs to improve. if you practice read a lot u will become successful and have faith in urself, dont belittle ur work and dont give up. also if u guys would like to send me some of ur work through the submit button or wherever else i would love to read them and see where i could help out what i love that type of stuff advice. also with this story i didnt rlly know how to end it so im sorry.

As you walked around town you enjoyed all the different things. The food, items, the people, but most importantly you liked the clothes. Unfortunately, you were too shy to converse with anyone, just watching from afar the way humans interacted. Whenever you felt you had to speak to a stranger your heart started to pound furiously.

You were willing to leave the busy atmosphere when the rest of your friends arrived.

“Hey y/n,” Aang said, putting his hands behind his head, clearly relaxed and having a break day.

You only waved as the rest said their hellos. Growing up you wondered if you were always liked this. Life just changes a person and to your knowledge it changed you for the worse.

Sokka could point out when you were about to curl up and shy away but when you were with Sokka things were different. You felt free to be yourself, to express yourself wholeheartedly. Sometimes you would catch yourself leaning further and further away from shyness and just having a fun time.

“H-h-hi Sokka,” you said almost as a whisper. Sokka smiled knowing you were trying your hardest. He motioned over to you and placed an arm around your back. You almost had a heart attack! Sokka knew about your shyness yet he chose to do that, in public! Your eyes shot wide open as you walked awkwardly in that position.

You all scanned the area, hitting all the stores. Eating whatever, doing whatever until your group ended at the store you really wanted to go in.

“I hate dressing up,” Toph complained and Sokka glared at her as he turned his head.

“Really? I love all the outfits and dresses, like look at that one,” Katara pointed to a pink dress with beautiful beading. Aang looked at the attire and then at Katara and nearly almost fainted at the image he processed in his head.

“Man down!” Sokka shouted as he caught Aang.

“Y/n do you want to go here?” Katara asked as she hooked her arm with yours. You looked again to the ground and shrugged. You hated when you did that. Katara was your friend, she actually cared for you and she was one of the few people who were there for you during tough times.

“You know you can always tell me.”

You bit your lip, “you’re ri-right, I can tell you. If you want to go here I am fine with that. Its up to you.”

Katara didn’t know if to take your answer as a yes or no. Sokka saw though your face, the way you smiled and the way your eyes lit up when you saw the store in view. He knew that you wanted to go.

“C’mon y/n, why don’t me and you go together.”

Katara snorted a laugh, covering her face.

“What? You don’t think I can last in a clothing shop?” Whined Sokka as he flailed his arms around.

“I’m sorry Sokka its just, I would never think you were the one to want to go into a store badly.”

Sokka looked at you and could see you were giggling but covering your smile with your hand. “Well if y/n wants to go, which I know she does, then I will sacrifice my man hood and go.”

Toph scoffed and muttered, “you mean your boy hood?”

“C’mon,” Sokka grabbed onto your hand and guided you in.

“Have fun you two,” Aang shouted.

Sokka stood in the middle of the store, pathetically. He didn’t think this far through. Sweat was practically dripping down his face and back.

“Why am I so sweaty?” He thought as he wiped his forehead. Was it because he was with you? AND YOU BOTH WERE STILL HOLDING HANDS!

Sokka let his hand unlace with yours so quick you thought there was a bug or something. “Sorry, I forgot to-”

Without a word you took his hand and laced it with yours again. Sokka knew this was tough for you and yet you did it. He almost died as you did that. “Oh...okay.”

“Le-lets look over here,” you took him to the dresses and picked out a few that you absolutely adored. Sokka stared at you lovingly the whole time and even offered to hold your outfits. “I am going to try them on now.”

“Sure!” Sokka followed you and sat on the chair in front of the changing room. The other women gave him a look of disgust as he was sitting where girls change, but oh well anything for you.

The first dress you tried on was orange. You looked at your reflection as you twirled.

“What do you think? Can I see?”

“...I hate it,” you gave a gloom face in the mirror.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah but I want to see it...still,” Sokka persisted.

You froze up and tried to find a way out. You were too shy, but shy for what? To show him the outfit? You had no clue.

“Y/n I’ll still think you look beautiful even if you wore a dumpling sack.”

He left the decision open for you, if you wanted to show him you knew how. Time passed by and Sokka thought you changed your mind but you quickly opened the door. In his eyes you looked like a goddess.

“Y-y/n you look-”

“Terrible...I hate this color on me. Onto the next.” You closed the door softly as Sokka waited again.

Next you tried on a dark green dress, you liked the color but not the style of the dress. “This one makes me look like a-”

“Yes?”

You swallowed and prepared for the shyness, “a...booger.”

You could hear Sokka laughing outside and you giggled yourself. You loved to make not just anyone laugh but Sokka. You opened the door and awkwardly posed for him.

“A booger, hah! You are the most prettiest booger if you ask me! Now if Katara wore that, she would definitely look like a disgusting, moldy booger.”

You shook your head and chuckled, “your poor sister. I’m going to try on this last one.”

You poured a silky dark blue dress onto your body. It fit perfectly, snug but not too much. The color was captivating, there were some beading on the top only but the rest fell down like a waterfall. It reminded you of where Sokka was from. Feeling less shy you opened the door swiftly. “What do you think about this one Sokka?”

Sokka almost chocked in seeing you like that. “Y/n, you look-” He was captivated by your beauty. You looked almost unreal to him. What made the dress more special it reminded him of a dress his mother used to wear. “Y/n,” he stood up and leaned against the door frame, only a few inches away from you. “Y/n, you look so beautiful.”

You almost exploded! He was so close and his ice blue eyes were closing and he was leaning closer. You wanted to so badly kiss him back, kiss him until your lips fell off but you were too shy. You backed away but Sokka held onto you and crashed his lips onto yours. You shrieked but then you placed your hands on his hair, deepening the kiss. Sokka kissed you like his life depended on it, that he needed your kisses for air.

You two separated and he breathed harshly with you. He realized that you were again shy and profusely started apologizing.

You placed a finger against his lips and for once said a sentence without a whisper, “its okay Sokka. That was the best moment in my life. I’ve always wanted to kiss you.”

Tag list: @harrington-lover, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @hyehoney, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag), @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @andreaoreas, @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @fromfoolishpeopletodeadpeople, @collectiveyou, @wtfisalltherandoms, @fangirl-4-life415, @dirbel, @eastcoasthaven

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#avatar the last airbender #atla #sokka #sokka x reader #x reader #fanfiction #sokka imagine #race neutral reader #sokka x shy! reader #requested #imagine #avatar the last airbender imagine #atla imagine #i am shy

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grimmjowkurosakidrake · 5 years

Text

Beyond

Summary: When I look at the northern lights ... I see our ancestors dancing around a sacred fire, lighting the way for us when it's time for us to cross over from this physical world and join them. MOLLY LARKIN

Rating: K

Relationships: Katara/Zuko

For the Zutara month day Twenty-one: Aurora Borealis

Warnings: Character death

Zuko has lived for a really a long time, he’s survived foe and friend alike, outlived his family members; his deranged sister, tyrannical father, beloved uncle, his long lost mother and even one son, who died way before his time.

His death, along with his lover’s death were the ones who hurt him the most.

Katara was the love of his life; A brave and beautiful girl who fought him even when they became allies and never allowed him a moment of rest. She would challenge him at every turn and scream at him right on the face if she needed to make a point.

But she was sweet too, Katara was a kid just like him when they finally met, not as enemies but as allies on the same side of a war, but she would willingly take the role of the mother of their group if needed be.

She would comfort Aang about his insecurities, indulge Sokka and Suki in their blossoming relationship and play along with Toph’s eccentricities.

In his eyes there was little that Katara couldn’t do, and even when she couldn’t, the water bender would always try her damn hardest. She was one of the most amazing women he’s ever met and as the time passed, Zuko realised that he couldn’t keep trying to hide his feelings for her.

Zuko confessed a few years after the war, just after Mei left him and Katara eventually left Aang to find her own purpose and destiny, he invited her to take part of his council, gifted her with her own rooms and servants.

The Fire Lord made sure that she had everything she needed and wanted, he was a fool in love and everyone knew it except for the object of his affections.

But one night, as Katara invited him to tea on the royal’s gardens to talk about her ideas for a public educational system for non-benders and lower class subjects, he just couldn’t help himself.

“You’re beautiful,” he smiled longingly gazing at her face, admiring the way the light of the moon shone on her dark skin and reflected her clear eyes. She looked surprised by his words but didn’t say anything, too shocked for words.

Indulgently, Zuko removed some of the hair that fell onto her face and tucked it behind her ears. “Just perfect.”

They kissed under the moonlight that night and she never left the palace.

Not until her death.

She became incredibly sick some decades later, as an old woman it was a normal thing, but Katara, as in tune with nature and life as she was, knew that her time had come.

“I have already buried one son,” she said one night as Zuko weakly tried to give her the medicine their healer had recommended, “I loved you and married you, we had four beautiful children and a peaceful country under our rule and theirs, my time has come, beloved.” She smiled “Please take me to the south pole, I want to die there, in the place my mother, and my grandmother died.”

Zuko took her to the south pole, only the two of them for company in the ever growing tribe. Home of the next avatar according to the spirits and the writings of destiny.

She died on the first night in the South Pole, as if she were waiting for the sweet release of death.

Zuko stayed in the South Pole after her death, unable to leave his dear wife even in death.

He could have done the same thing she did, awaiting his own demise in the place he was born, but for him home was always about love, and he never could love anyone more than he loved Katara.

He stayed for years, hearing about the death of the avatar, Sokka’s death in Kiyoshi island and sharing amusing correspondence with Toph who apparently still was healthy as a rock, ironically.

He never fell ill, not like Katara, but one night, just as he was sitting at the outskirts of the tribe, while marveling at the beautiful dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis, Zuko could easily see his cousin, young as the day he died, playfully dancing with his uncle Iroh, both happier that he could ever imagine.

He could see Sokka and Aang, playing in the background, both young and joyful, as their ancestors danced and singed alongside the best music he’s ever heard.

Then he saw her, smiling at him with an outreached hand, waiting for him, “Come here, beloved.” She smiled, her beautiful face, just as the day he met her, gazing lovingly at him “Your time has come.”

Zuko didn’t hesitate. He lived a good life.

Taking the hand of his wife, he walked over the lights moving on the sky and joined his wife in the eternal dance the spirits promised.

#Zutara #zutara month #zutara month 2020 #zutara fic #fic #fanfic #fanfiction #ATLA #avatar: the legend of aang

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mystic-kitten-writer · 5 years

Text

Limerence [M] ︳12

Pairing: Zuko x OC

Genre: Romance, mainly fluff with future smut, and if you squint hard enough - you’ll find some angst.

Rating: SFW (just a sprinkle of suggestive themes).

Words: 5100+

Notes: Enjoy loves <3

Masterlist ︳11 ︳ 13

❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤

Limerence: (English/n.) the state of being infatuated with another person.

The moment their eyes locked they knew - the flames within him twisted while the water within her turned. It was a connection, a connection that would lead to love, adventure, and drama.

Illecebrous

(English/adj.) Alluring, attractive, enticing.

~ Fire Lord Zuko ~

Firebending; a form of bending that is arguably the most aggressive, and with that, also came with the misinformed perspective of being destructive. ‘It's a balance’ Uncle Iroh often said when we practiced, wise words that seemed only to click now.

With much reluctance, Aang once again tried his best to maintain his posture, despite his laboured breathing. His arms and hands were carefully moving in a circular motion in front of himself as he tried to control the temperature and span of the flames that arose from his hands. I huffed and found myself guiding his hands, “Tense up. This isn’t Waterbending – if you loosen up your muscles, you can easily lose control of the flames.” I criticized. Aang sighed heavily, the muscles in his arms tensing in consideration to my statement, as he tried harder to focus on the span of his flames.

It didn’t come to a surprise that Aang still wasn’t comfortable with Firebending. That wasn’t to say he hadn’t mastered it, but a trained eye could tell he struggled. To be fair, Airbending and Waterbending shared more similarities in favour of Earth or Fire. I could still vaguely remember hearing Toph complain about Aang’s struggle to learn Earthbending. ‘Stand your ground!’ Toph would often shout, till this day, towards Aang. It made sense, Airbending and Waterbending catered to distance, often staying on the defensive side. Firebending, on the other hand, was pure offensive, up-close and personal, intense and purposeful jabs of chi – the very opposite of what Aang stood for.

“Better,” I said with a grin as I noticed the flames were tighter to each other and the heat that radiated from them seemed to intensify. Aang gave me a cheeky smile as beads of sweat dripped from his face before his flames finally died out to nothing but a small puff of black smoke. Aang swiftly began stretching his fingers and jumping around to get his blood pumping, while I observed Aang movements.

“Aang, I really think you should try out some strength exercises.”

Aang looked up at me surprised as he cracked his fingers, “What do you mean? Not buff enough?” Aang said with a taunt as he chinned at my naked torso. I laughed and shook my head, “Not because of that you idiot, for your Firebending. Your flexibility is great for Airbending and Water, but not so much for Fire. You need strength.” I started. It was true. Aang was lean, and quick on his feet. But it also bit him in the ass since he lacked the strength to hold his ground.

“Come on; I’ll let you train with me tomorrow. It’s not like Katara won’t mind an extra muscle or two.” I said teasingly as Aang flushed and scratched his beard. It was funny how different Aang and Sokka were. Aang was shy, a true gentleman, while Sokka, on the other hand, had no filter regarding such matters, often telling me too much information.

“Was that your trick to getting Yue? Showing off your body?” Aang said with a laugh. I grinned sheepishly, remembering that Ying Yue did see my body after just meeting me. The way her face flushed and she tried pathetically to look anywhere but me. It was adorable - her shyness, and I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself. “Ying Yue? The poor girl couldn’t think straight.” I started, only for Aang to look at me bug-eyed.

“Y-you mean, you guys l-like…did it?” Aang said baffled. It was my turn to burst out laughing at Aang’s horror as I shook my head, “No! She saw me after training. You know I hate training with shirts or anything tight.” I said quickly, only for Aang to let out a breath of relief.

“Sokka would kill you if you kissed her, let alone do that,” Aang said with a heave. I awkwardly scratched my head, “Well too bad, since I did already kiss her.” Aang quickly threw his hands up in the air in defeat, “Nice knowing you Zuko. You were a great man; pleasure working with you.” I looked at Aang with wide eyes, as he said his final goodbyes to me. “Oh come on! She’s my girlfriend; I was going to kiss her eventually.” And to be honest, I would have done more if I had my way.

There was something addictive about Ying Yue.

A sweet forbidden fruit.

I always tried my hardest to be sweet, not rough or controlling like our very first kiss, but it was starting to become harder and harder as every kiss went by. Maybe because the more comfortable we got together, the bolder she became as well. The way she would wrap her arms around my neck, press herself against me, she had no clue how much of a tease she was. Especially when she tried to fight back, be bold and seductive. It was rare for her to fight back, often succumbing to my teases, but whenever she did, it made me work harder. The need to make sure she knew she was all mine was stupid, but I couldn’t help it. I just wanted her; absolutely every single part of her.

“Girlfriend? Damn, you barely referred to Mai as that. You're serious about Yue.” Aang teased as I crossed my arms, “Of course she’s my girlfriend - I gave her the seal, did I not?” Aang raised a brow before shaking his head, “Does Yue know you’re her boyfriend?” I let out a long breath, “What does that mean?”

“And I'm the idiot! Have you ever asked her out properly?” Aang asked. I opened my mouth to answer but realized he had a point. I never did formally ask her out - did I? But I gave her the seal, I brought her here, and I referred to her as my partner to my family, do I really need to ask her out…formally?

Aang seemed to take my silence for an answer because he slapped his forehead in disbelief, “You really are dense when it comes to relationships.” I frowned.

“Well, no shit. If I knew what the hell I was doing, I wouldn’t have my ex and girlfriend living under the same roof and making sure they don’t kill each other – more so the ‘ex’ killing Ying Yue.” Aang laughed before he finally flopped onto the ground, giving up on the ‘warming up’ portion of training.

“Well first off, you already screwed up because we both know that Yue is a lover. Some way or another, she is going to make Mai like her. And second of all – you need to stop doing and start talking about your feelings. Just because you do something doesn’t make your intentions clear.” Following Aang’s cue, I also lounged on the ground, listening to Aang’s ‘words of wisdom.’

He had a point. I wasn’t exactly all touchy-touchy. Sure I did nice things for Ying Yue, I always would – she was always on my mind, never leaving no matter how hard I tried. But Ying Yue, on the other hand, had no issue with just flat out saying what she feels. Hell, she told my Uncle what she loved the most about me, not even I had the guts to do that. The more I thought about it; I realized that the only times I really told her how I felt was when she hinted at it first.

“So…you’re telling me that not only is my ex and her going to be ‘besties’ but I technically still have to ask her out formally?” I said exhausted.

“You don’t have to do anything, but we both know she would be a sucker for that. And we also know you’re a sucker for making her happy.” I groaned loudly before standing up and getting into an offensive fighting stance. “Get up!” I said exasperatingly. I watched Aang stand up and looked at me puzzled.

“Wh-what are you doing?” he asked, but began getting into a defensive position.

“Training. I'm going to kick your ass.” I said annoyed. Aang raised a brow, “Why kick my ass? I just helped you out!”

“Well, the help would’ve been welcomed a long time ago. Now I have to ask her out soon, or else I'm going to feel like a piece of shit for the rest of the week!” I said frustrated. Aang chuckled, “Don’t take it out on me! I'm just trying to help you out.”

“And I'm trying to help you out with Firebending – so pay attention, or else you’re going to learn how it feels having one eyebrow.”

~ Ying Yue Jiang ~

I huffed as I glanced upon the small notebook upon my lap, what else could I do? “Sokka! Give me some ideas, things I can do or try out.” I asked. When I didn’t get any response and looked upwards, I saw Sokka lounging on the grass, under the shadow of the large cherry blossom tree, all the while stuffing his face with grapes. I pouted in annoyance, gosh – all this guy does is eat!

“Momo~! Come, look-” I whispered harshly. Momo’s ears perked up as he looked at me and the giant bowl Sokka had. I grinned mischievously, and began pointing at the bowl, “Go on, grab it!” And without another word, Momo dashed to the bowl. Momo didn’t need to be told twice when it came to food. I couldn’t help but let out a giggle when Momo snatched the bowl from Sokka within seconds and ran up the tree.

Sokka sat up straight, his mouth dropped in real disappointment, “Wh-what the hell Momo! Those are mine!” Sokka huffed. I poked Sokka’s shoulder, “Sokka, give me some ideas. What are some things I can try out in the Fire Nation?” I asked again. Sokka grumbled under his breath, “I don’t know, did you write eating in the city?”

I glanced back down to my notebook, ‘eat out in the city’ was written 13 times, now 14. “Is food all you think of?” I asked in defeat. Sokka grinned before flopping back down on the grass. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Sokka~! Come on, can you please try?” I whined.

“Why are you making a list anyways? You live here now!” Sokka said as he threw his arms up in the air. I frowned. He was right – but he didn’t get the point. I knew it was stupid to think this way, but while I lived here, Aang, Sokka, and the gang didn’t. Once the Earth King visited next week, who knows how long Aang and Sokka would be here for. And all I wanted to do was spend as much time with them before they left. I already missed them, and they didn’t even leave yet…

“Yue…what’s wrong?” Sokka said quietly. My eyes widen in surprise as I noticed Sokka sat up straight now. I pouted and shook my head, closing my notebook. “Nothing…it’s stupid.” I grumbled. Sokka rolled his eyes before he flicked my forehead, “I already know you’re stupid. Now talk.”

“H-hey!” I said taken aback. Sokka laughed before he wrapped his arm tightly around my shoulders, pulling me into a tight hug. I sighed happily, hugging him back, letting my head rest on his shoulder, “I'm going to miss you…” He grumbled, and I smiled – he already knew what was going through my mind. “I'm going to miss you too…” I said sadly. How did Sokka and Suki do it? The distance…it was painful.

“Come on; I know something that will cheer you up,” Sokka said suddenly, standing up and dusting off the grass on his pants. I smiled and grabbed Sokka’s outstretched hand, pulling me upwards. It was scorching outside today, the sun beaming high in the sky, and for the first time in years, I was wearing nothing more than a light summer dress. It felt nice wearing something so airy – a plain baby pink chiffon dress, cinched at the waist and a dainty off the shoulder sleeves.

“Where to?” I asked as Sokka pulled me along and I hugged the notebook tightly to my chest. “To see your man and Aang. They're supposed to be training or something, they invited me, but it's too hot for that. Plus their Firebending? Hell no.” I laughed, mainly because Sokka had a point. Sure, I knew it was going to be hot at the Fire Nation, but today seemed to defy even Fire Nation standards of hot.

“They're practicing outside?” I asked. Sokka nodded his head, “Yeah, so enjoy the sight of a sweaty Zuko.” Sokka said with a laugh. I blushed and slapped Sokka’s arm, “Ow! Gosh, I said look not touch!”

“That’s even worse!” I shouted in annoyance, and Sokka snickered, “Well that’s the most you two will ever do. Hand holding at most. I swear if he tries any funny busine-.”

“SOKKA! I'm a grown woman, fully able to consent to whatever I want!” I said loud, louder than I attended since a few bystanders looked at me a bit flustered. I blushed more, and Sokka flicked my head once again, “You can be 100 for all I care, you’re my little sister!”

“Oh, but Katara can go have fun?”

Sokka gave me a look, “Are you kidding me? It took them years to do anything because I was living under the same roof. But now I won’t be here to watch over you and be the giant cock-block.” I laughed, did Sokka just willingly state that he wanted to be a cock-block? Before more could be said great flashes of light caught my attention.

Sokka stopped, and I looked in front of me, my mouth dropped. Firebending – it really was an underappreciated bending. It was beautiful, the way the flames danced and clashed against each other. Aang and Zuko fought against each other, their bodies tense as they shoot jabs of fire. But my eyes wandered towards Zuko. I’ve never seen him Firebend, and it was one hell of a sight.

His flames were like an extension of himself. Gosh, the way his muscles flexed under the sun and the sweat, I found myself blushing. Sokka poked my cheek, “I swear Yue, don’t get any ideas or else I'll have to castrate Zuko.”

I pouted, how could I not fantasize about Zuko seeing him like that. He was just so- hot, sexy, desirable. I bite my lip, an unknown desire suddenly bubbling out. But that was also a lie. Zuko was gentle, careful, and I could tell he was always holding back. As much as I loved that side of him, I found myself craving more; the roughness and possessiveness of our first kiss. It was also the first and only time he referred to me as babe and Yue.

“Looks like we have an audience,” Aang said suddenly, as he seemed to notice us. Only then Zuko finally stopped, turning around in surprise. I waved shyly, seeing the way Zuko rolled his shoulders back as he relaxed his muscles. He gave me a large cocky smile as he seemed to notice my flushed cheeks. Gosh, I didn’t even watch them fight, I just stared at Zuko as if my life depended on it. “Aang, Zuko totally had you beat,” Sokka said entertained as Aang cheekily rubbed the back of his neck. “I know, Zuko’s flames are no joke.”

Zuko laughed and slapped Aang’s back, “You just need to get more confident. Let’s call it a day?” Aang nodded, walking over to the benches were Aang had his sweat rag hanging. Zuko turned his attention to me as he slowly walked over, “You need to shower.” I said with a light laugh as he fixed the loose bun on his head. He let his hair fall, and I actually fought back a groan, does he want Sokka to kill him? “I feel gross,” Zuko grumbled as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. If this is him feeling gross, what’s him feeling sexy? Oh my gosh, stop acting like Suki!

“Did you eat lunch yet?” Zuko asked. I shook my head, trying to push away the creeping thoughts of desire, “I’m starving because someone here ate all of my snacks.” I muttered. Sokka scoffed, as he furiously denied doing such a thing, what a bum.

“Perfect, let’s grab lunch together. Down in the city? I haven’t gotten a chance to show you around.” My eyes must have lit up because Zuko chuckled. Zuko and me, together, alone, on a date? I was curious to visit the city on my own, but it proved difficult with my redundant status. “Come with me; I'm going to take a quick shower. Just wait in my room; I’ll be quick.”

“Oh - but Zuko, you have my new robes in your room!” Aang butted in.

“Grab them after you wash up, Yue can give them to you if I'm still in the shower.” Aang nodded and soon began to walk off with Sokka, chatting away. “Follow me, I would link arms with you but-” And Zuko quickly pointed at the beads of sweat that fell down his chest to his abs. I blushed once again; he has to be doing this on purpose!

I walked alongside him, and I couldn’t help but notice the curious side looks we got from the servants. It was funny. The servants would often make up excuses to talk to me, asking if I wanted tea or snacks. It came to the point that Lia angrily shooed them all away, ‘if she needs anything she has me to boss around!’ Was the idea of Zuko liking someone that weird? But that also got me thinking of other matters, like the ever-growing hatred Mai has for me.

It was crazy how much I tried to avoid her, like the plague. I did try to befriend her, going up to say hi and talk, only for her to literally scoff at my presence and turn on her heel. Since then, all I have received from her were hateful glares; and we were only on day two. As long as she didn’t try any funny business with me, I could manage with the looks. But something told me that by the end of this week we were going to have at least one fight…although I really hope not.

I knew we entered the palace because the air was suddenly a lot cooler against my skin and I could hear Zuko sigh in relief. Four guards stood at a large door, and in unison moved aside when we got closer, “Avatar Aang and Sokka will be arriving shortly, let them in.” Zuko said, and they nodded. Zuko outstretched his arms and pushed the doors open; then it hit me; I’m in Zuko’s room!

It was silly; it was just a bedroom. But in my head, the bedroom was something personal. It was where one could go to escape, have some time to themselves, get their energy back. It was crazy how much you could learn about a person from their bedroom. “You okay?”

My eyes widen, and I looked up at Zuko with a silly smile, “Uh, yeah. It’s just that, I'm, uh, in your room.” I said rushed. Zuko laughed as he observed how flustered I had become. “You know, if you wanted to be here so bad, you could’ve asked. I would gladly have you here, any day or time.” Zuko said playfully. I blushed and slapped his arm, “Just go shower, will you!” I said embarrassed. Gosh, Zuko probably thinks I'm an idiot. Zuko laughed before pointing at the bed, “You can sit down, I'll be quick, I promise.” He said with a quick wink before he dashed off to another door.

With him gone I could finally observe my surroundings; damn, and I thought my bedroom was huge. The bed alone was the size of my old room; I wonder how big his bathroom was… I quietly walked around, not trying to make it evident that I'm snooping around, but come on, it’s not like Zuko didn’t already know I was a curious spirit. Large windows lined one side of the room, letting the beautiful sunlight dance in the room, and made the place seem more significant.

The room was well-decorated with red, of course, but I also noticed the random relics he had placed on his dresser. Zuko didn’t seem like someone to keep souvenirs; I guess he is a bit more of a softy then he lets on as my hand gently fell upon a few items. I even noticed a vase of fresh flowers on his bedside table,

‘To Zuzu, because you're the best big brother.’

I smiled largely. I knew Zuko and Kiyi were close, but the way Zuko cared for Kiyi was as if she was his daughter. I wondered if Zuko wanted kids, did he even want to get married? I knew he had to, but did he want to?

I looked up and saw that on the other side of the wall he had a bunch of dual swords. That was right…I knew he enjoyed his dual swords, Sokka always grumbled about how well of a fighter Zuko was. But the ones that decorated his room didn’t seem used at all. They were striking, adorned with gems and gold, hell - if Zuko even tried to fight with these I would probably kill him! They were too beautiful to be used in battle.

Gentle fingers trailing down my back caused me to jump slightly and gasp. “Told you I would see it eventually.” A hushed voice whispered behind me. I was tempted to turn around, but a solid arm wrapped around my waist kept me in place, his fingers gently caressing the base of my neck to the middle of my back with ease. The dress I wore was sleeveless, and with my hair up, my tattoo was almost visible.

“Zuko…” I said softly, taken aback from his gentle touches, did that much time already pass? I didn’t even hear the water…

“A cherry blossom tree…with two – no, three cranes flying about…” Zuko said delicately as he continued trailing his fingers down my back until the material of my dress stopped him. I could feel my breath hitch feeling his fingertips begin trailing upwards once again. I had to see him, and with a quick and unexpected twist, I found myself pressed again the wall, happy that I managed to squeeze between an empty spot between his swords.

I could feel my cheeks getting rosy seeing Zuko. He had a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, his wet hair leaving droplets all over his dried off torso and onto me. His arm was still tightly wrapped around my waist, but this time, he let his other arm raise above my head as he leaned close to me. We were close, painfully close, our noses just barely touching each other as my blood felt like it was boiling. The overwhelming sense of desire just filling the room.

“Yue…” Zuko said with a heavy breath.

Yue. He finally called me that - Yue. Something he never referred to me besides that one time. But being this close to him made me thirsty; needy. It was the first kiss all over again, but this time, we both wanted more than just a simple, innocent kiss. Like reality hit Zuko, and he realized what he was doing he began to pull away, but I didn’t want that.

No. I was sick and tired of having Zuko dance around me with fear, trying to act all cool and gentleman-like. I didn’t want that; I didn’t fall for Zuko because of that. I fell for him because of the teasing, his confidence, and his overwhelming presence that managed to consume every fiber in my body. Zuko wasn’t going to do anything unless I made a move first, that much was evident with the kiss and fuck. If that’s how he wanted to play, so be it. I'm going to make Suki and Toph proud.

And made them proud, that I did.

I wrapped my arms around Zuko’s neck and pulled him close, pushing him back on top of me and crashing my lips against his out of desperation. My fingers ran through his hair, and Zuko grunted as I tugged. Our hands feverishly danced amongst our bodies, trying to seek something, anything to satisfy the burning desire that wanted to explode. My body felt like it was on fire, a foreign feeling that I could feel in my stomach.

Zuko pulled away, and I whined, my eyes still closed as I frantically tried to pull him back, “Fuck, Yue – babe, you’re going to be the death of me.” Zuko growled as I giggled mischievously, enjoying seeing Zuko come undone. Zuko glared harshly at me, not happy seeing me enjoy the mess I put him in before he pushed me up against the wall once again. I gasped, taken aback, but that all changed when he pushed my head to the side, placing rough kisses down my neck.

My eyes fluttered closed, pleasant sighs escaping my lips as I repeated Zuko’s name like a mantra. “Fuck. Do you know how beautiful you sound? I could listen to you all day.” Zuko groaned as he continued placing sloppy and pulling kisses against my skin. I knew they were going to leave marks, but that’s what he wanted. “Just say the word, and I’ll stop,” Zuko muttered as the kisses he placed slowly started going from my neck to my collar bone and lower. But that’s the thing – I didn’t want him to stop. Not ever. I arched my back, the pleasure just growing more and more –

“YOU KNOW WHAT, I CAN GRAB MY ROBES ANOTHER TIME.”

My eyes widen in shock, and within seconds I could feel Zuko stand in front of me, pulling me close to his chest. Aang’s cheeks were red as he struggled to leave the room, trying desperately to look anywhere but us. But to both of our horror Sokka busted in, annoyed, “Dude, what’s taking you so lon-”

Sokka’s eyes widen, and his mouth dropped. He looked back and forth between Zuko and me. It was obvious what we were doing. My bun was no longer a bun, my dress was barely covering my chest, and Zuko’s towel hung on a thread around his waist. But what terrified me more was that Sokka was silent. I could see the wheels turning in his head, trying to make sense of everything.

“Oh for fucks sakes, get out!” Zuko yelled out annoyed as he tried to lift the top half of my dress. I blushed as I tried to hide behind Zuko’s large frame – oh my gosh. Sokka is going to kill me. I'm dead. I'm dead. I'm dead…

Sokka sighed heavily before he grabbed a flabbergasted Aang, “I swear Zuko, if I become an Uncle anytime soon-” Zuko rolled his eyes, and quickly started adjusting his towel, “If you don’t leave I'll show the parts that I'll use to make those nephews and nieces of yours!” The door shut behind them and I stood there, stunned.

Zuko finally turned to me, a very confident smirk on his face. He let a finger gently gaze my cheek before falling on top of my parting lips, “You babe, are tempting. Too good for your own good. And if you wanted me that bad, you should have told me. It would have saved us some embarrassment.” He spoke, coolness oozing from every word. He stepped back, and I finally took a breath.

“I'm going to change now so we can go. Sokka is going to yell my ear off.”

“Ah- uh, y-you know. I think I'm going to wait outside.” I said timidly as I tried desperately to control the heat growing within me. Zuko chuckled and nodded, before he pushed some of my hair forward, covering one side of my neck, oh my gosh I have hickies!

“I think that’s a smart idea; self-control is something you don’t have around me,” Zuko said with a teasing laugh. I blushed harder, as I pushed all of my hair to the side, and brushed my fingers through. “See you outside!” I squealed before I pushed through the door and found myself outside.

To my surprise, Aang nor Sokka was there in the hallway. But that was also a good thing; I need to change out of this dress, I can’t keep my hair in front of my chest all day. I walked a little farther away, away from the guards that stood at Zuko’s door as I tried to regain my bearings. As mortifying as it was to get caught, that didn’t change the fact that Zuko was terrific. The kisses, his touches, he was right – I really did lack self-control. Since when did I become so- but my thought process came to a stop when my eyes fall upon a lady at the end of the hallway.

Her eyes met mine, and it was a strange connection – as if I should know who she was. They were familiar, her eyes reminding me of Zuko’s, down to the golden shimmer. Her long raven hair was pin-straight and pushed behind her shoulders, and she held such a lethal smile; almost forced. All giddiness left, and I felt scared, genuinely scared.

“Yue, love?”

I gasped as I turned to face Zuko, who was looking over me with a look of concern. “Are you okay?’ He said as he studied my shock. I smiled feebly and shook my head, “I-I think I saw someone…” I muttered. Zuko frowned as he looked over my shoulder, but she was gone. But she-she was just there…

“Yue…if you want I can tighten security around the palace if you're not feeling safe-”

“N-No!” I said, trying to sound calm but I couldn’t shake the uneasiness. “I-I-I think I'm just a bit overwhelmed. Being in a new place and so many things happening.” I said. But I realized I was trying to convince myself more than him. What has gotten over me? She was probably just a maid! Zuko looked over me begrudgingly, not believing for a second what I was saying, but thankfully he dropped it.

“Come here, let’s get going. Get you some fresh air and food before Sokka kills us…” Zuko spoke gently as he pulled me close and kissed my forehead. I smiled softly. I'm safe…right?

Disclaimer: I do not own any Avatar characters portrayed in this story besides Ying Yue Jiang, Lia, Kima, and any future creations.

❤ Buy me a coffee? ❤

#zuko #zuko x reader #zuko x oc #love story #avatar the last airbender #Fire Lord Zuko #prince zuko #series #fluff #future smut #romance #atla #atla zuko #please enjoy #thanks for reading

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zukofenty · 5 years

Text

Sugar

➜ Summary: The one where there’s a former skateboarding photographer turned teenaged masked vigilante running around protecting the city from crime. Yet, Katara always knew she wasn’t meant to just sit a good fight out.

“Did you just fucking slap me?” Zuko is incredulous, clutching his reddening man tit.

“Yeah, what are you going to do about it? Be mad?” Katara bites back.

➜ Genre: Spiderman!AU, Modern!AU, humor

➜ Words: 3.8k

➜ Warnings: I love Zuko😩

AO3, My Zutara Month Playlist

@zutaramonth hi!!! this my late day 1 hehe

“Self care 2020 is officially over. We’re doing drugs again.”

Suki stares at Katara quizzically. “No, I don’t think that’s how it goes.”

“Are you sure?” Katara asks, puzzled. Suki just rolls her eyes, picking at her chipping manicure as Katara focuses on her biology homework.

“It’s only been like two weeks into the New Year. Yeah, I’m sure,” Suki deadpans. “What makes you think that doing drugs again is remotely going to-” Her rant is abruptly cut off at the sound of commotion coming from the courtyard. “Fuck, not Jet again.”

Katara jumps to her feet. Not this bitch again . Before she has to do more damage control than Camila Cabello’s publicist every time she opens her mouth and something stupid (and/or racist) for the 1000th time, Katara surveyed the scene before her. Freshman Aang, still prepubescent and so, so tiny was spared from having his face shoved in a moldy grilled cheese sandwich the cafeteria gave to kids who couldn’t afford lunch (yay public school!). He’s not facing Jet’s usual wrath inflicted on any short king 5’9” and under. Instead, a figure was gasping for air in an oversized black hoodie, hands clawing at Jet’s angular face.

“Hey Jet!” Katara yelps, pulling the tall boy up by his belt loops. He pauses in pummeling Zuko’s oh so pretty face, and grins unabashedly at Katara. The smile she knows is only reserved for her.

“Yes, Katara?” He smirks when he could almost hear pussies clench. He knows his power.

She smiles back at him, making it almost reach her eyes. “I did a little research, and guess what?”

“What?”��

She pushes her bangs from her eyes, looking so sweet and innocent in her blazer and her signature knee length boots. “You’re a whore. A dumb whore.” He can’t help but let anger paint his face. “Leave these damn kids alone ! Don’t you have another class to ditch? A military program to join? A car to mod? Find a hobby. Go to therapy. Stupid.”

Her hair flows whips around as quickly as she does, flowing and bouncing effortlessly as she heads to AP Chemistry.

Zuko smiles, despite the pain in his chest from where Jet shoved his converse into. He thinks he loves her. Or what anti social kids like him thought love was because he doesn’t think she knows who he is. So polished and passionate about everything she does. Captain of the debate team, president of the Student Advocate’s club, and head intern at Phoenix Corporations in working on projects to mass clean polluted waters. She managed to do everything and still have kindness in her soul. The kind of love that you could almost feel surrounding a person.

He decides he likes staring at her, even if it’s the back of her head during chemistry. It was too easy to fall in love, when she was yelling at him to photograph the debate club’s photos in a certain light so they could post it on their Facebook for student recruitment season. He manages to always trip on his laces every time he’s around her, or stumble on his skateboard when she sends a small smile his way as they pass each other in the hallway of Ba Sing Se Academy. It’s always worth the detention Principal Pakku serves his way, if it meant he could get her attention.

In high school, guys like him and girls like her weren’t meant to be together. He’s impossibly clumsy, according to Uncle Iroh, and dangerously emo, according to everyone else. Katara, well she’s meant for bigger and better things, she’s meant to be out in the world and changing it.

She startles him, the way she turns so fast her ponytail narrowly misses his bruised face. “It was great what you did. It was kind of fucking stupid. But great.”

“Thank you?”

Katara beams impossibly wide. “You’re welcome. What’s your name?”

Zuko’s giving her a lopsided smile. “You don’t know my name?”

“Am I supposed to? You know I only keep up with Black Chyna and the lord.” Her wide eyes squint in a smile. His heart thunders, and he somehow feels as though Katara could sense it, with how much bigger her smile gets.

“Welcome to the company single handedly transforming the genetic and biological industry. The future lies within!” The monitor’s voice announces repeatedly, Phoenix Corporation’s recognizable slogan.

Zuko’s in awe. He wasn’t meant for a world like this, with fancy lab coats and holographic presentations and people with glasses spewing larger than life terms. Hell, the revolving doors got him fucked up! That shit was too advanced for his liking. Science was his thing , but this was entirely out of his league. He donned glasses as an homage to a father he had never known, abandoning him when he was a baby on his Uncle Iroh’s doorstep. A labcoat was handed his way after the intern program directors approved with the badge of some guy named “Lee.” Zuko desperately tries to ignore the pleas of the real Lee coming from the lobby of the building.

“I swear I have a badge, I swear I’m an intern here!”

A guard shoves him out the door. “Can it, zit bitch!”

“I don’t think security guards are supposed to pick at people’s insecurities,” Lee whimpers.

He’s avoiding eye contact as Katara prattles away, taking the sweaty interns every which way through the company’s headquarters. “And here is Dr. Ozai, who will be discussing his cross elemental genetics project.”

He’s a formidable man. Tall, broad shoulders. He looks intensely polished, the type of man that always gets his way. The type of man who refuses anything less than what he wants. Zuko can’t help but stare. He looks different from the pictures Zuko found in Iroh’s basement. Meaner . Is this what he will look like in the future? He tries not to think about it too hard. “Does anyone know the history of the firebenders are?” Zuko sees Ozai relishing in the confused faces of the teens, oily foreheads seemingly glistening in the fluorescent lighting.

“They were-”

Zuko promptly interrupts him. “They were born with the ability to will fire any way they wanted. Legend has it that benders were born with abilities to manipulate all the elements: water, earth, fire, air. These people were invincible.”

Ozai smirks. A first for him, a student who understood his work. “Yes, all true. But the truly powerful ones were the ones who could firebend. This element is the most destructive, yet can bring beauty all at once.” He pauses to bring a holographic video to the attention of the students. “My goal is to recreate this ability that once came so easily to our ancestors. To bring humankind to be this powerful again. Where nothing will ever get in our way, no illness, no fear. Just us and the elements, joined together once more.”

As the fellow interns become increasingly enraptured by the presentation detailing his work, Ozai turns to Katara reviewing notes for the rest of the office tour. “Who was that kid?” She couldn’t help but feel pride in her soul. As she turns to introduce him to her mentor, her brows furrow in confusion. He’s nowhere to be found.

He hadn’t meant to sneak into the top secret chamber of research, he swears. One minute he’s looking for a bathroom because he downed one too many Fiji waters because they were fancy and he wanted to feel fancy. And then of course he’s distracted by pretty buttons, and of course the rebel in him is able to remember the passcode scientists used to enter this top secret chamber. (The password was “thrussy.”)

He certainly hadn’t meant to get burned. He hastily climbed into the empty tube to hide himself as security guards routinely checked the room. While trying to unlock the door, of course he just had to trip on his laces, and of course he just had to press some button. Next thing he knew, he was surrounded by rainbow colored flames, engulfing his body. He remembers the last thing he searched on his computer was “what are furries festival” and prays that the police spares that from the report when they investigate his death.

But, he’s fine. He’s more than fine. He’s fucking fantastic . He’s strong, he has the reflexes of a fucking ninja, and he can conjure fucking flames from his hands. From his hands!

He practices every night, after the day at Phoenix Corp. He singed his towels, accidentally broke open his medicine cabinet when he reached for his anti depressants, and exploded his Aveeno bedside lotion. There’s an abandoned building near his apartment, and he climbs to the rooftop every night to control his newfound powers. He’s not clumsy, and swears he can rival Tony Hawk with his skateboarding abilities.

But the best part is how agile he’s become. He’s strong, noodle arms now muscular. His baggy shirts like a conscious fashion choice, and not just because they were the cheapest in the Walmart clearance rack. The kids that ignored him and continued to make out in front of his locker without any consequence? Pushed to the ground. The bully targeting petite kings? Basketball shoved firmly into his head.

“I’m trying my hardest to stop being mean. It’s really not my fault everyone is so fucking stupid.” Zuko petulantly stares at the suspension slip Pakku had written as he waits for Iroh to finish speaking to the principal. Apparently justice has consequences.

“Zuko!” Katara serious tone is heavily contrasted with laughter.

“Fine, you caught me. I’ve been ditching therapy to hotbox in the Denny’s parking lot.”

Katara huffs. “Denny’s? Really, bitch? You couldn’t have chosen, I don’t know, Target at least. Here I thought you were classy.”

Their collective laughter was interrupted by Iroh’s appearance, anger maring his usually gentle face. “We’ll talk about this later. Zuko, you know better than this. Why did you have to humiliate that boy?”

“He deserved it!”

“Enough! I’m have to pick up some later shifts at the tea shop today. Show up for yours today, too.” Zuko senses his uncle has more to say, more to berate him for. He just looks exhausted . Defeated. It’s all his damn fault. Iroh swerves to Katara. “He has you on his computer by the way! I’m his parole officer, nice to meet you.” Zuko’s mouth falls open, trying to explain to Katara who is barely holding herself together with how loudly she’s guffawing.

“I love you,” Iroh says, moving to exit out the school.

“I know.” Zuko starts to move away, before he pauses. “I love you, too.”

He thought, you get the girl, you get the firebending skills and you get hot and everything is ok. Everything is perfect. The universe has so many ways to fuck up your life, because serenity is just too easy.

Zuko’s heart clenches, staring at his Uncle’s body. There are tears that promise to slip, but never embark on their journey. A monitor nearby is noisily beeping, a tired nurse pats Zuko gently on the back. He’s becoming a recognizable figure, after all he does visit his Uncle Iroh two times a day.

It’s his fault .

It’s a thought that becomes permanent in his mind. It’s his fault that he lost track of training himself, and didn’t show up for his shift. It’s his fault that Iroh was running around the whole damn city looking for him. It’s his fucking fault his uncle was beat nearly half to death by robbers.

He grabs his uncle’s limp hands gently between his own calloused ones. “I’m going to make this right. I’m going to make you proud.” He slips away before he can feel his heart threatens to simply stop, unable to process the infinite pain he feels.

He glances at his watch nervous for multiple reasons. One, that he was going to miss his shift at the tea shop and get lectured again by June, his neighbor who has graciously taken over running the shop and housing Zuko until Iroh wakes from his coma. Two, that if he stares at the sea prunes any longer without actually eating them, Katara’s grandma would start laughing at him. Three, if Katara’s father kept glaring at him he would combust with how fucking nervous he was. It didn’t help he snuck in through Katara’s window and Hakoda had discovered him watching Tik Toks on her bed.

The dinner was a bust. Halfway through and he’s already gotten in an argument with the police chief over a certain masked figure.

“I think his name is The Blue Spirit.” Zuko admits, fighting to hide a smile.

Hakoda stares down at the boy. “More like Blue Dipshit. He’s destroying the city!” Katara quickly steps in as the argument grows heated, taking Zuko out to her building’s rooftop.

“Oh my god, you should be glad he didn’t shoot your ass up.” Katara clutches the railing, staring out to the city lights.

The same city lights he lives by, swears by. He remembers trying to seek out his uncle’s attacker. A man named Zhao notorious for his violent temper and attacks on the city’s elderly. He was able to run into his gaggle of minions on his nights long quest. While they had successfully nearly beat him to a pulp, he swears he’s set a few jackets on fire and managed to outrun them. Even if it meant he had fallen through an unbuilt building, tumbling down six stories before landing in the pits of a former fight club. He saw it then, the Blue Spirit legend. An ancient swordsman who dominated the underground scene.

He decided he was going to be the best damn superhero the world had seen. Even if it meant wearing an all black leotard every night. He designed it to best complement his firebending, resistant to the heat. The mask he slipped on every night, built to protect both him and his identity. The swords at his back that he’s been training with hours on end.

“Are you a cop?” he remembers his uncle’s attacker questioning, his new target blocked by Zuko’s presence.

“Really? You think a cop is going to be wearing a blue face mask and black spandex?” He doesn’t remember much of that night, anger too palpable and blinding his senses. All he will admit to is leaving him in some police car. Not the bruises littering the bandit’s body. Or his missing pants.

“I have to tell you something.” He joins Katara at the railing.

She gasps. “I knew it! You listen to Post Malone unironically.”

“No, god no. I haven’t hit rock bottom yet to start doing that.” He’s proud of himself for making her laugh.

“What’s up?” She asks. He can’t back out now. Not when she’s looking at him like he’s the whole world, not when she’s become his whole world.

“I-I can’t” He stutters, breaking their eye contact.

She nods in quiet understanding, turning away from him to walk back to her apartment. Zuko sighs, rubbing a hand at his forehead. “ Fuck.”

He conjures up a storm of flames to surround Katara. The force was enough to whirl her around and towards him, waiting to catch her in his arms.

“What the fuck was that?” Katara yelps, before being cut off with the feeling of Zuko’s lips pressed against hers.

“I just wanted to let you know. I Am. A. God.” He swears, the flames growing steadily from his palms.

“I’m kind of scared of you right now. Not because of the firebending or anything, just because the amount of testosterone is making me nervous.” She initiates the kiss this time. Her lip gloss tastes sweet, and he keeps kissing her until her lips become chapped. His hands can’t help but roam her body, her hands teasing and finding contact with his toned stomach beneath his hoodie.

“Are you kidding me!” Sokka calls from the rooftop’s entrance, hands covering his eyes. “I swear to Spirits above Zuko I am not afraid to castrate you right here right now. Katara, get the fuck inside!”

Zuko blushes.

“Katara, you’re so incredibly mature for your age.” Hama insists.

Katara is beaming. “Thanks, it’s the childhood trauma!”

The chemistry teacher freezes, looking at the still smiling girl peculiarly. “Um, well. My point is, it’s not worth it. I-I know it’s none of my business. I just see so much of myself in you. Including the mistakes I know you’re going to make. Honey, it’s not worth mixing yourself up with a guy that’s only more trouble than anything else. You’re going to go to the best college in the nation, I just know it. You just can’t afford to lose your focus now. Been there, done that. It’s not worth it.”

She smiled seemingly understandingly, struggling to keep her mouth shut. If only she knew.

The Blue Spirit couldn’t fight all the crime in the city alone. As much as Zuko was convinced he was the shit, he really wasn’t. The Blue Spirit couldn’t dare match up to The Painted Lady.

“You’re The Painted Lady?” Zuko questions, eyes closed in confusion while trying to process all the information. To be fair, he’s only gotten two hours of sleep a night ever since his life as The Blue Spirit began. He’s convinced the police really only sit around and eat donuts. If this was Law and Order: SVU , he just knew Olivia Benson wouldn’t need a masked teenager saving people. He opens his eyes when he begins to feel pulsating water near his wounds, Katara controlling its every movement as it works its way through his wounds.

After reuniting with his father and become an official intern at Phoenix Corp, he soon realized his father was not as occupied with cross elemental theories. No, he was much more focused on how to resurrect the dragons of the world. The true firebenders, he noted. Zuko had found hidden notes his mother had written before leaving his father. Partners in crime, they were working on their research together. Before his mother had left with the solution, before his father could understand the consequences of his work. Before his father had made himself a subject and injected their concoction into himself, become a half scaled half human hybrid roaming the sewers of the city.

He had found his father, bitter to no end as he continues producing the serum that was supposed to make the most powerful being on the planet. Zuko was left with gashes in his chest that made him wanted to vomit with how much blood was pouring out. He was left to die in dirty sewage water, his father cackling as he disappeared. Until she showed up.

The Painted Lady.

The city’s emblem, etched on coins and dollar bills. He’s heard rumors about her cleaning up the city’s rivers, healing patients doctors long gave up on. Her grandmother had told her their family comes from a long line of waterbenders, the last one born 400 years ago. She had her swear never to reveal her talents, never talk about it, never do anything about it. It was dangerous, the government would want to talk to her. She would disappear, the whole family would be in danger But Katara was never one to listen to directions very well.

“Did you just fucking slap me?” Zuko is incredulous, clutching his reddening man tit. She’s nearly healed all the cuts on his body at the hands of his father’s claws. The burn from a dragon is more painful than any other, and Katara’s upset. She can’t heal his eye, no matter how hard she tries.

“Yeah, what are you going to do about it? Be mad?” Katara bites back. She pauses the water disappearing from her hands and back onto the mug on her night stand. “I can’t believe you’re so fucking stupid.” She’s in his lap, clad in only a t shirt. Her hair falls in her eyes as she returns to heal his wounds, and he gingerly brushes the strand out from blocking her.

“I know.” Zuko couldn’t help but press a kiss to her cheek.

“Don’t return the sweatpants,” Katara throws out.

Zuko raises his eyebrow. “Why, doesn’t Sokka want these back?”

“He says, ‘I don’t want emo butt juice on them,’” Katara shrugs.

He blows a stray hair from his scarred eye out of frustration. “I consider myself chic punk more than anything else.”

She pauses again. “What if there’s more of us out there?” Katara uneasily peers up at his questioning stare. “More benders?”

Even with all the tests and insistence Ozai had for recreating this power, Zuko had been the only successful case. The only person to fully exhibit the power of his ancestors. “I don’t know. Wouldn’t they need to go through some sort of freak accident like I did?”

“What if your power was suppressed this whole time?”

He contemplates the idea, hands rubbing up and down her waist.

“I think my grandma used to say something like ‘One queef and this whole building could tumble down.’”

He is glaring at her quizzically. “No I don’t think that’s right. What does that even mean?”

“It means, life as we know it will change forever. If we find other benders to defeat your father. If we expose what bending is. Hell, the city still thinks you use jetpacks to propel yourself around the city.”

He pecks chastely at her lips. She hates how easily she’s able to relax when he kisses away her worries. “You know, I used to think if I had a boyfriend I would simply go beat pedophiles to death with him as a hobby. I don’t know whether or not to be delighted this has come true.”

“As long as The Blue Spirit always has The Painted Lady. Everything will be alright.”

“You promise?”

“You rise with moon. He does, too.” Zuko’s staring at the mask in his hand. His other hand firmly around Katara’s.

#zutara #zutara fanfiction #Zuko #Katara #zuko x katara #zutara fanfic #atla #zutara month #day 1 zutara month #day 1 #blue spirit and painted lady

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tarisilmarwen · 6 years

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Tari’s Top Twenty OTPs - #6

OTP: Zuko/Mai

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Zuko: Firstborn son of Fire Lord Ozai and prince of the Fire Nation, Zuko was cast out and banished from his home after speaking out in a war meeting in defense of Fire Nation soldiers going to be callously sacrificed on the front lines, his father challenging him to a duel and then burning off half his face in punishment. Ozai charged the young prince with an impossible task–find the Avatar and bring him back in chains–as the only way to regain his honor and his place on the throne. Zuko is relentless in pursuing his goal, his desperation and need for his father’s approval driving him to determinedly chase Aang across the world. Over time, however, through his experiences and the good influence of his uncle Iroh, Zuko comes to the realization that everything he’s ever known is a lie, starts to overcome the abuse his father put on him, grow humbler and wiser, still retaining his noble core. Zuko breaks out of the roles set for him in order to define and shape his own destiny, and joins the Avatar to help bring peace and stability to a world at war.

Mai: Zuko’s friend and childhood sweetheart, Mai is a stoic, cynical girl who hides her emotions beneath a veneer of indifference. Years of emotional neglect and abuse from her own parents have left her without the ability to express herself or stand up for what she wants, and she passively follows along with Azula on their journey to capture Iroh and Zuko. Through her adventures, however, and especially after her reunion with Zuko, Mai starts to come alive, starts to express her feelings and break free from the walls and false shells she’d put up for herself. She becomes happier and more assertive, and eventually also rejects the propaganda of the Fire Nation to side with Zuko and help him escape.

Together: Despite or maybe even because of the emotional abuse both of them have suffered, Zuko and Mai are pretty much the only things that make each other genuinely happy. They were sweet on each other for a long time, and it doesn’t take long for them to reconnect when Zuko chooses to side with Azula in Ba Sing Se and come home to the Fire Nation. They can be prickly and fumbling with each other at times, but also help each other grow and influence each other in positive ways. Zuko helps Mai let her guard down, helps her learn to express herself and be open with her feelings. Mai becomes a trusted confidant for Zuko, encouraging and comforting him when he’s down, and being happy for him when things go well for him. They are immensely comfortable with each other, and can often be found snuggling together in absolute contentment.

How I Got Into The Fandom: See Aang/Katara’s entry.

When I Started Shipping Them: I sort of multishipped Zuko for a bit following Season Two with pretty much all the girls he’d had significant interaction with. (Minus Katara lol.) Zuko/Mai I’d always thought was pretty cute, because of their little kid crushes on each other, and then when Season Three came out and Mai and Zuko were an established couple, I was absolutely giddy. That, plus a helping dose of spite due to the hate they were getting from a certain unnamed group of fanon shippers, quickly made me into something of a Maiko stan, and I just rooted for them harder and harder the more of them being a couple we got to see.

Why I Love Them: You’d think with Zuko being an overdramatic angry angst machine and Mai being so emotionally stunted she doesn’t even recognize her abuse as abuse the two would be a complete disaster together, and they aren’t always perfect in how they relate to each other at first, but it is still an absolute joy to watch them figure out how to have a happy, healthy, wholesome relationship in spite of their issues. They mutually care about each other so, so much. Mai tries so hard to be a comfort to him. She’s the only thing Zuko regrets leaving when he defects. They trust each other enough to respect each other’s decisions, even when they seemingly don’t make sense. Mai is very “Starfire”ish in how she relates to him, bolstering him up and combating his intense self-hate with words of encouragement. And I’ve always kind of had a thing for childhood crushes growing up and getting together. I’m a sap, what can I say.

Three Favorite Moments:

1. Finale reunion.

The world is saved. Things are at peace. Zuko struggles alone by himself in his room, trying to get his robes on. From the door, a familiar sultry voice pipes up. The surprise and then joy and relief on Zuko’s face is adorable as he turns to see a smiling happy Mai leaning up against the wall. She comes over and–in a very domestic, married-like way–helps him put on his clothes, while making coy remarks about Zuko’s new royal station. Zuko, still very much regretting having broken her heart and left her when he defected, posits for reassurance that she doesn’t hate him. Mai gets an adorable blush and says, “I actually kind of like you.”

Which of course is the understated Mai-way of telling him she loves him and forgives him.

The two kiss, passionately, deeply, then break apart with adoring looks. Mai jabs a finger in his chest and warns him, “But don’t ever break up with me again!”, to which he gives a sheepish smile before they relax again and embrace, a moment of pure contentment and bliss as the morning breaks and a new age dawns.

2. “I love Zuko more than I fear you.”

Azula has always prided herself on being a “people person”, on being able to manipulate and predict people’s actions. Which makes it immeasurably satisfying when she’s caught completely off guard by Mai’s betrayal.

Mai is supposed to be the passive one. The one who keeps her head down and goes along with orders quietly. The one who doesn’t make waves. And oh boy does she make them at the Boiling Rock. Even though she’s angry and hurt by Zuko’s leaving her, even though he left her, deserted her, dishonored her, even though she doesn’t completely understand his actions or why he would betray the Fire Nation, she still loves him enough and trusts him enough to stand up for him and save him. And finds herself brave enough to confront one of her long-time abusers and tell her completely off.

Zuko inspires her to make her own Heel Face Turn, and it starts a chain reaction of events that lead directly to Azula’s breakdown and downfall. Epic with a capital ‘E’.

3. Couch snuggles.

“Nightmare and Daydreams” was an absolute gift of an episode I tell you. Aside from the adorable Aang/Katara interactions in the main portion, the episode featured a cute little B-plot (which would later turn out to be absolutely crucial to the plot and Zuko’s character development), with Zuko choosing to spend the whole day and well into the night canoodling with Mai. At her house. Alone. And for a good portion unsupervised. XD

They snuggle on the couch together, Mai leaning into him comfortably and Zuko gleefully throwing around his royal authority to spoil her. When Mai mentions there’s a war meeting coming, to which Zuko has apparently not been invited, the mood sours, however, and the rest of the night and most of the following two days become about Mai trying her hardest to lift Zuko out of his funk. She does her best, but Zuko refuses to be comforted and just sort of sulks around at her house being moody, still not leaving her presence even if she can’t do anything to help him.

He only snaps out of it when he’s sent for and invited to the meeting, upon which both he and Mai brighten, because she’s happy when he’s happy and down when he’s down, and she loves him so much and wants the best for him always.

#maiko #Zuko #Mai #avatar: the last airbender #shipping #talking bout ships #meta rambling #tari's top twenty otps

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reinerispretty · 4 years

Text

rotations. (zuko x f!reader) ch. 11

hello hello hello!! thank you all so much for reading my fic, it really means the world to me! i never thought i’d see this many people enjoy something i wrote, so i want you guys to know that i appreciate each and every one of you and i see every single one of your comments and they make me smile so big!!! i hope you’re all having a great day :)

pt 1

pt 10

pt 12

The door to her cell opened and she had to squint against the bright light of civilization. It took her eyes a few moments to adjust to the change before she recognized the shadowy figures that stood in front of her. “Mom?” She asked. “Dad?”

The cement walls of the cells were covered in years of dirt and dust. The little light that filtered through the window at the very top of the wall illuminated the room just enough so that one could see their hand in front of their face. The floor of her cell was dirt, which she supposed was a benefit, as she didn’t have a bed.

(Y/N) spent most of her days in solitude. Occasionally, a guard would come in and toss her meals on the floor. They had no problem being unkind to her. They reminded her that she was a traitor to her people, a worthless and groveling little girl that used others for her own advantages. They called her names, threw food at her, and reminded her that she would be spending the rest of her life in this wretched place.

After Katara fled with Aang, she and Iroh had been captured in Ba Sing Se. Their hands and feet were placed in shackles to prevent them from bending. Azula herself had thrown her into her cell on the ship that they would use to travel back to the Fire Nation. The girl spit at her from outside the cell bars before shutting the door behind her. That was the last time (Y/N) had seen anyone she recognized.

She wasn’t sure how many days she had been in prison. They all melted together when she tried to think about it. The only thing she knew was that the guards woke her up when it was time to wake up.

It was a long time before she received her first visitors. She was sat at the back of the cell against the wall, replaying all the good times that she had had with her friends in her mind. Pushing Aang into the river on accident, teaching Toph how to do a cartwheel, and hunting and making dinner with Sokka and Katara were just a few of the things that popped into her mind.

Her parents looked down at her. She scrambled to her feet to come closer to the bars. She reached her hands out to touch them, but neither of them reached out to her. Her father’s face was one of anger and disgust. Her mother, surprisingly, just looked sad.

“When I found out that you had betrayed us--betrayed your nation, I was in disbelief. You had always been such an obedient young girl. And then I find out that my daughter had released prisoners and run away with the Avatar.” Her father turned his nose up at her. “You deserve every single thing that has come to you. You’re lucky Fire Lord Ozai hasn’t imprisoned us all for your treachery.”

(Y/N)’s fingers curled around the bars of her cell. “You’re in far too deep to ever understand,” she said.

“What I understand is that my own daughter is a traitor and that I have no choice but to disown her from our family.”

She stared at him in disbelief. “You would put the Fire Nation before me?”

“I will always put the Fire Nation before you.” For the first time since she arrived at the prison, (Y/N) felt an emotion besides sadness overcome her: anger.

“That is what’s wrong with you! Throughout my entire life, you’ve chosen everything but your wife and daughter. You think it’s for the good of the Fire Nation, but it’s not! The Fire Nation isn’t good. What they’re doing isn’t good! I’ve seen the destruction we’ve caused with my own two hands. I’ve watched it happen. You’re just a puppet who blindly follows the orders of a tyrannical monster. So fine, disown me! I haven’t wanted to be part of this family since Zuko’s Agni Kai.”

Her father chuckled. “I had a feeling that’s where you had gone wrong. Your affection for the boy made you weak. You didn’t understand that that’s what needed to be done.”

“And my father needed to make me watch it, right? My father needed to hold my head to make sure that I didn’t turn away while I watched my closest friend--a child--be scarred by his father?” She shook her head. “You’re just as sick as the rest of them.”

She moved away from the bars and sat down with her back against the wall. “You know, Dad, I actually feel sorry for you. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be so poisoned on the inside.”

Her father had had enough. He was a man who hated pity and she knew this. Her words had dug deep. He turned and stormed out of the room. Her mother remained.

“Are you going to disown me too?” She asked.

Her mother stared at her for a long time. (Y/N) was surprised to see that as she moved closer, her mother was crying. She couldn’t remember her mother expressing any sort of emotion before.

“My sweet girl,” her mother said, grabbing her hand through the cell bars. “I love you. I wish there was something I could do, but-”

“It’s okay,” (Y/N) said softly. “I can keep myself safe. You do the same, okay?” Her mother nodded and kissed her hand before leaving the room.

The encounter with her parents, although horrible, gave her hope. She would make it out of this prison if it was the last thing she did. And if Aang hadn’t survived, she would get rid of Ozai herself.

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

(Y/N) had been sleeping when she heard something fall to the floor.

She sat up immediately, looking in every direction to see the source of the noise. The moon was high, but provided very little light into the cell. After feeling around for a few minutes, her hands finally scraped against a brick. She walked over to where it had fallen from and peered inside.

“Can you hear me?” The voice almost made her scream in surprise. She covered her mouth before leaning close to the hole. She could see another cell on the other side, but she couldn’t see the person.

“Who’s there?” She whispered back.

“It’s me,” said the voice, a bit louder this time. She instantly recognized it.

“Iroh!” She sighed happily. “You can’t understand how happy I am to hear you. How’d you know I was over here?”

“There’s a nice guard lady who told me about you when I asked. She said you were doing well.”

“As well as I can be, given...y’know.” Iroh hummed.

“Listen. I have a plan.” (Y/N) felt her heart begin to race. “The Day of the Black Sun is in two days time. It only last for eight minutes, but we are going to break out.”

“How are we going to do that?”

“Follow my lead. And trust me.”

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The evening before the Day of the Black Sun, (Y/N) received another visitor. The door shut just as quickly as it opened, so she wasn’t even sure if there was anyone inside with her. Normally the guards left the door open if there were visitors.

“Hello?” She called out.

“(Y/N),” Zuko said.

“Get out.” She didn’t hesitate to say it. “Get out right now or I’ll blast you to pieces.”

“I know your bending doesn’t work in here.”

“Fine. Then I’ll tear you to pieces. Leave. Now. I don’t want to talk to you.”

“Would you just listen to me for a second?”

“No! You don’t deserve my time. I thought you had changed.”

“I have changed--”

“Obviously not, Zuko, because one of us is in this cell and one of us isn’t.” She sat up the actually face him. He sat in front of the cell bars. He was wearing an imperial cloak. “I see you’ve been living fancy in the royal palace.”

“If you would just shut your mouth for two seconds--”

“Why? So you can tell me how awful I am? How horrendous it was of me to betray Azula to protect my friends? You want to tell me how good it is now that your Father doesn’t absolutely despise you anymore?”

“I didn’t come here to say any of that.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“I...Remember when you came to the tea shop in Ba Sing Se? And we talked and you told me all of those things about how despite everything I’d done, you still missed me?”

“I take it all back,” she said decidedly. “That was back when I thought you were different. But you’re the same boy who’s let me down time and time again.” She turned away from him. “I trusted you, Zuko. I let myself believe you could really be different. And you know how I hate being wrong.”

Zuko stood and walked out of her cell, slamming the door shut behind him. (Y/N) held in her tears. She would not let herself cry over Zuko anymore.

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(Y/N) tried her hardest to wait during the Day of the Black Sun, but she was too excited. She tried her hardest to see out the window of her cell so that she could tell where the sun was, but it was impossible. Instead, she just paced along the dirt floor.

She wondered where her friends were, at this very moment. How would she get back to them? She hoped they weren’t far.

Suddenly, her cell went dark. She heard a commotion happening to her left and then the door to her cell was kicked in. A very buff-looking Iroh entered and bent her cell bars apart just enough so that she could slip through. “I see you haven’t been wasting your time here,” she commented, before the two of them darted down the halls of the prison. They encountered a few Fire Nation soldiers, but without their bending, they were absolutely useless against hand-to-hand combat. (Y/N) and Iroh quickly overpowered them and made their way outside.

“Don’t look up!” Iroh shouted at her. He grabbed her hand and they ran as far away from the prison as they could. (Y/N) looked around and saw that the royal city had been completely emptied, no doubt to the bunker that extended underneath it.

She and Iroh climbed over a hill and finally stopped to catch their breath. The clanging of swords against armor caught her attention and (Y/N) looked down to see Earth Kingdom and Water Tribe warriors fighting below them. She figured out instantly that this was the invasion and that meant that her friends must not be far away.

“Come with me!” (Y/N) called to Iroh as she made her way down the slope. She turned to find him still standing at the top of the hill.

“I must go another way. I will be alright. Go, reunite with your friends.” He gave her a big smile before disappearing on the other side of the hill. She didn’t hesitate. She ran down the hill, nearly breaking her ankles multiple times in the process, and ran up to the crowd surrounding the big hunk of armor that was undoubtedly Appa.

“Hey!” She called out, waving her arms wildly. “Guys, it’s me!”

Aang was the first one to notice her. He squinted his eyes to see who was running towards them. Once he realized, his face broke out into a big smile. “It’s (Y/N)!” He shouted.

“(Y/N)?” Sokka exclaimed. He ran toward her and their bodies collided into a tight embrace.

“You almost knocked me over,” (Y/N) laughed. Sokka pulled away and kissed her quickly.

“I’m never, ever letting go again.” (Y/N) felt her face get hot but she had no time to hide it as she started getting bombarded by her friends.

“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” Katara sobbed into (Y/N). She held her friend tight, her own eyes pooling with tears.

“Katara, it’s okay. I don’t blame you one bit. I’m the one who told you to go.” She turned to Aang and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “If I hadn’t, we wouldn’t have this guy around!”

“You’re all squishing me!” Toph exclaimed. Somehow, the small girl had gotten herself in the middle of the group hug. (Y/N) grinned, pulling Toph close.

“Toph! I thought I’d never be able to smell your stinky feet again!” Toph smiled and wrapped her arms around her midsection.

“Don’t go getting imprisoned ever again,” Toph said. “You hear me?”

(Y/N)’s cheeks hurt from how big she was smiling. “Alright Toph, but only since you asked.”

---

I KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. JUST KEEP TRUSTING ME.

Tag List!

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

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