#azula imagines

[cantstoptheimagines]

Reunions (Azula | Avatar: The Last Airbender)

Summary — You’re the only one who still visits Azula.

Requested by tokufan400 — Avatar headcannon: Azula with an S/O who, even after everything, visits her while she's in prison.

Warnings & Other Tags ➳ Azula (obviously); mentions of prisons.

Notes ➳ Word Count is 219. ➳ Reader is gender neutral (they/them).

FAQ | Masterlist | Fandoms | Requests | Coming Soon | Schedule 

You nodded in thanks to the guard, who gave you a nervous expression in return as he opened a heavy door and allowed you to enter a dark corridor. He then passed a lantern into your hands, closing and locking the door behind you.

The lantern was your only source of light, aside from that of the moon through barred windows within an endless row of cells. Apart from the one you had come to visit, there weren’t any prisoners on that floor. Most had immediately called for permanent isolation when it came to her.

As you reached the end of the corridor, stopping in front of one particular cell, you could barely make out the figure inside. Her back was turned to you as she laid in a curled up position upon her cot.

“I told you that I will no longer eat that heinous food,” she muttered.

You sighed, “Azula.”

She quickly sat up at the sound of your voice. She turned, staring at you with her amber eyes, and muttered, “You came?”

You took a deep breath. She always seemed mildly surprised when you visited her. You couldn’t blame her. You were the only one who still came to see her when everyone else tried to pretend as though she didn’t exist. 

“I’ll always come, Azula.”

[bonksoundeffect]

Pov you've been judged and found wanting

Anyways, just felt like drawing older Zuko and Azula

+

[beeturtlle]

Maizula nation please where r u

[psychronia]

I've been rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender because why not and I'm losing my mind at Zuko's proper introduction. I don't know if it's hindsight, shifting characterizations, or just me not watching this in a long time, but this was amazing.

We start off showing he's an impatient and very angry kid. Reasonable, and the sort of flaw we might expect to see in a villain. Kinda funny that he expects to go up against an adult and fully 4-Element realized Avatar, but the kid is desperate and Iroh clearly expects his nephew to get the banishment-denial kicked out of him.

What's important here, though, is Zuko's introduction to the Southern Water Tribe.

Here, we have a very intimidating entrance where his entire ship just sails through the ice right up to the village's front door. It's quite ominous and this is our first proper introduction to how the Fire Nation interacts with a foreign people.

Sokka charges, I'm assuming fully prepared to die, and Zuko casually knocks him out of the way. Okay, so clearly the Water Tribe are entirely outgunned.

He asks "Where are you hiding him?" and the people of the Water Tribe go silent. I assume they're either just too scared to talk or actually protecting Aang.

Whatever the case, it's important to note that the Southern Water Tribe know the terror the Fire Nation can inflict. We have a whole episode dedicated to tracking down a division of raiders. Sokka was able to not only identify the ash-mixed snow as signs of an incoming attack, but estimate how many ships the amount of ash measures to. These are a people who have experience being terrorized and are probably expecting something terrible to happen.

And then, after they don't answer, Zuko grabs Gran-Gran. There was a horror sting to it, and everything the tribe knows about the Fire Nation suggests that Zuko is about to threaten or straight up hurt her to get answers. Classic "terrorize the elderly" bad guy stuff.

And then...

He goes "He's (the Avatar) be about this age and is a master of all four elements!?" and lets her go.

And all of a sudden, the tension that was built up is shattered as Zuko went "I know, I'll give them a reference for the person I'm looking for because clearly they're confused and I wasn't specific enough."

This went from a show of villainy to a show of Zuko being totally socially awkward and misreading the situation entirely. Not helping is that when he does try to menace them a moment later, his fire is slow and angled quite safely.

It still worked on the Water Tribe because they're understandably scared, but all I could think of is that this was the equivalent of a playground bully trying to make someone flinch with that fake-out lunge thing.

Because the fact-and something we'll come to learn-is that Zuko is TERRIBLE at being a Fire Nation oppressor. He's capable of doing morally dubious things and is a competent fighter. But he's lousy at terrorizing people and cruelty-that's kind of the point of his banishment.

And while we can see the story paint this picture of Zuko's true character as the story goes on with hints of good and conflicting loyalties, here we get to see just how bad he is at being "the bad guys".

[melzula]

All I Ever Wanted

pairing: zuko x reader

notes: this was originally requested by an anon but i also took inspiration from mitski’s song “your best american girl” while writing this. give it a listen during your read !

summary: as a peasant and servant girl for the palace, you should have known better than to fall for the Prince

The sun is warm against your skin and the grass is soft beneath you as you land on your back in a fit of giggles. Azula is unamused by your antics, but Zuko finds himself laughing right along with you. It’s a peaceful summer’s day in the palace gardens, and you spend it as you would any other day by playing with your friends.

“I caught you,” you tell him with a breathless laugh after turning your head to face him.

“No way, I was just going easy on you,” he argues with playful grin, his nose nearly brushing against your own due to your close proximity on the grass. Your heart beats fast in your rib cage as you try to ignore the rising heat on your face and play it off as a result of your exhaustion and not your nerves from lying with the Prince. You haven’t realized it yourself, but you have a crush on Zuko, a painfully obvious one that he hasn’t seemed to notice yet. What you also don’t realize is that he reciprocates the feeling, and he shares the thrill that comes with being your playmate.

“Are you two done yet?” Azula finally interrupts with a roll of her eyes as she offers you her hand and helps you up from the ground. “It’s my turn to hide this time.”

“I don’t think we can play anymore,” Zuko notes with a frown as his mother makes her way towards your group. You quickly bow in respect to the Fire Lady, but she waves you off with a smile.

“I’m sorry, y/n, but Zuko and Azula must attend their fire bending lessons now. I’m afraid playtime is over for today,” she informs you apologetically.

“Yes, Fire Lady Ursa,” you reply politely before turning to give both of your friends departing hugs. “Bye Zuko, bye Azula!”

“It’s too bad you’re not a fire bender,” Azula remarks after halfheartedly returning your embrace. “Maybe dad would let us play with you more if you were.”

Her words make your body hot with embarrassment and shame, and though you don’t voice your discomfort Ursa is instantly able to pick up on it. With a scolding glare, the Fire Lady quickly urges her daughter to apologize.

“Azula, that is not a nice thing to say to a friend.”

“But it’s true,” the girl mutters under her breath only to have her mother drag her away before she can get the chance to say anything else. Zuko hesitates then, giving you an apologetic look and promising to play with you tomorrow before rushing after Ursa and Azula.

You’ve never really cared about being a non-bender, but there’s something about Azula’s words that has you questioning your worth. As the daughter of a royal family servant with no title or money to her name, you knew you were lucky to be able to grow up in the palace and play with the Fire Lord’s children. However, you never once realized that you weren’t their equal. They were royalty, a Prince and a Princess destined to become powerful benders and ruthless leaders of the Fire Nation, and you were simply a girl who would one day grow up to live a life of servitude. You had no real future or purpose ahead of you, not like they did, and yet you were the only one unaware of your unfortunate fate.

Perhaps it’s because they never treated you in such a way, and your mother did her best to shield you from your true heritage. For now you could grow up blissfully unaware of the fact that your friends would one day outgrow you.

“Mom?” Zuko asks once they’re safe inside the palace. “Do you like y/n?”

“She’s a sweet girl,” Ursa notes with a faint smile, “and she makes you both happy. So yes, I like her.”

“Then why doesn’t Dad?”

The Fire Lady’s smile fades into a remorseful frown, and she simply ushers her son forward with a shake of her head. “Let’s not worry about that now. You’re going to be late for your lesson.”

Zuko isn’t satisfied with her answer, but he isn’t give a chance to discuss it further with her. For now, he remains content with the fact that he likes you, and his mother likes you.

That is enough for him.

~~~

The day is calm as you carefully hang the clothes to dry and enjoy the warmth of the sun basking on your skin. It’s rare that you get tasked with the outdoor chores, so you savor the opportunity for as long as you can. Doing the royal family’s laundry certainly beats scrubbing the floors of the palace, and you are grateful the spirits have taken mercy upon you today.

You’re freshly fifteen and the summer is just beginning. You’ve grown into a well-mannered young woman, and you’re old enough now to be able to take on some of the work that once fell to your mother. One day you will take her place and continue to serve the royal family until you’re no longer physically able. You’ll never get to leave, but you consider yourself grateful to live on the palace grounds. You will forever have a roof over your head, food on the table, and, most importantly, your friends.

You take great care to pin Azula’s dresses down without getting any creases or wrinkles in the fabric, and you’re so lost in thought that you don’t notice the figure carefully creeping up behind you. You’re too busy reciting the words to an old Fire Nation folk song your mother had taught you to pay any mind to your surroundings, and it gives Zuko the perfect opportunity to catch you by surprise.

“Y/n!” He exclaims with a grin as his hands land firmly upon your shoulders. You nearly jump out of your skin at the act, and your reaction has the Fire Prince laughing so hard his cheeks begin to hurt.

“Zuko!” You scold with an irritated scowl as you chuck a handful of clothespins at him in retaliation. “You need to stop doing that!”

“I’m sorry, you just make it so easy,” he teases with a light nudge to your side before taking it upon himself to pick up the pins you’d discarded.

“Shouldn’t you be getting ready to leave for Ember Island?” You ask him with a quizzical look as you resume your previous work of hanging the clothes.

“That’s actually what I was coming to talk to you about,” he admits with a sheepish smile. “I want you to come with us.”

“What? You’re not serious, are you?” You retort apprehensively, halting your movements to gauge his reaction for any hint of insincerity or humor.

“I am serious. You deserve to have fun once in a while too,” he notes with a careful smile. You’re too oblivious to notice the look of admiration on his face and definitely too concerned with finding a way to let him down gently to realize he’s inviting you because he likes you. Despite your own feelings for the Prince you’ve developed over the years, you’re much too self-depreciating to ever believe Zuko could possibly feel the same. If only you knew.

“I can’t just up and leave! There’s work to be done, a-and my mother would be so upset with me if I abandoned my chores and-“

“Azula will tell our father she wishes to bring you along as a personal servant so you can come with us, and someone else will be tasked with taking on your work while you’re away. There’s no way your mom could be upset with you for serving the Princess, could she?”

“Azula would really do that for me?” You question meekly, a hopeful glint in your eyes as you hang on to his every word. You’re trying your best not to get your hopes up, but you wish for nothing more than to leave the capital city to see the ocean for the first time and feel the sand beneath your feet. As the daughter of a servant and now a servant yourself, you know you’d never get a chance like this if not for the fact that the siblings had grown fond of you over your years of friendship together. You’re lucky, because you know without them you’d truly be nothing more than a floor scrubbing peasant.

“Of course she would, she wants you there just as much as I do,” Zuko assures you. Gently taking your hands in his own, he gives them a comforting squeeze and looks into your eyes with a loving smile. “We leave tomorrow morning. Bring enough clothes to last you three days and a bathing suit.”

“I don’t own one,” you admit with an embarrassed frown, but your friend doesn’t display any sign of judgement in the slightest towards your shortcomings.

“Then I’ll take you shopping myself when we get there.”

Your heart melts at his words, your gaze falling to the ground bashfully as you try not to dwell on the fact that he’s still holding your hands. You’re in love with the Prince, and the Prince is in love with you, and everyone but you has figured out just how much you mean to each other.

Even Fire Lord Ozai, who odiously watches the scene unfold before him from the top of the palace balcony.

~~~

The shores of Ember Island are beautiful.

The waves almost seem to sparkle underneath the moonlight as they crash peacefully against the shore, and down below the lively chatter of your friends carries through the air and fills your heart with contentment. You’ve had the most perfect time here at the beach, and it pains you to know that tonight will be your last night of freedom before you must return home and resume your life as a servant girl.

The wooden doors behind you carefully slide open and closed, and soon a familiar warmth joins you out on the balcony. For a while you say nothing, simply enjoying the closeness of him as you watch Azula, Ty Lee, and Mai practice tricks in the sand below. You don’t know how to thank the Prince for all he’s done for you, for always looking out for you since you were children, for never once treating you as less than for your heritage. You don’t know how to tell him that you love him with your entire being.

So he does it for you.

“I got you something,” Zuko says after a moment’s silence, waiting for you to turn your gaze to him so he may pull out a small clam from beneath his robes. You raise a curious eyebrow at his offering as he gestures for you to take it.

“A clam shell?” You note inquisitively as you turn the gift around in your palms, carefully feeling out its grooves and intricate ridges.

“Open it,” he directs you quietly, anxiously watching your movements with bated breath.

You smile curiously at your friend before delicately pulling the top half of the shell open to reveal the contents inside. Your eyes widen in surprise at the gift that greets you, and you immediately look up to Zuko to ensure this isn’t some kind of joke.

Inside the clam sits a beautiful gold necklace with a dainty sun pendant resting in the center that shimmers under the light of the moon. It’s beautiful, and it’s certainly worth more than your own life, which is why you immediately try to hand it back to him.

“I-I can’t accept this!” You hastily insist with a quick shake of your head as you struggle to return the clam to him. “It’s too nice!”

“You can accept this,” Zuko reassures you as he carefully pushes the gift back towards you. When his efforts fail due to your persistent attempts to give back the shell, he lets out a sigh and carefully removes the necklace from the clam. “Y/n, I want you to have it.”

“But why?” You demand apprehensively, almost flinching away when he moves towards you with the necklace. You’re completely overwhelmed by his gift and unsure of what it means or why you’d ever be deserving of such a thing. You don’t want to take advantage of his kindness or his status, and you feel like he’s done more than enough for you by bringing you along on this trip, so it just feels wrong of you to take it.

“Because you deserve nice things too,” Zuko explains, and after giving you a pointed look you finally allow him to carefully put the necklace on you. The sun rests daintily along your neck, and he thinks it suits you perfectly. “I brought you on this trip because I wanted you to have fun for once, but also because… well, because I love you, and I thought a romantic setting might make it easier to tell you that.”

“You love me?”

“You haven’t noticed?” He retorts with a meek smile. “I’m not the best at words, but I know that I’ve loved you since we were children feeding turtle ducks in the pond and playing tag in the gardens. You have the purest heart of anyone I know, the sweetest smile, you are everything to me. I hope that by accepting this gift, you’ll be accepting me as someone worthy enough to be your boyfriend.”

“Oh, Zuko…” you murmur softly, eyes full of tears as you throw yourself into his arms and hug him as tight as humanly possible. You’re still shocked by the fact that the boy you love will all your heart feels the same, but you try to remind yourself not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Zuko is right when he says that you deserve to enjoy what life has to offer just as much as he does, so maybe it’s time you finally start allowing yourself the chance to finally let your guard down. You can be more than just a servant girl from the palace.

You can be happy.

~~~

You sit quietly before the vanity mirror as your mother tediously brushes through your hair to ensure not a single strand is out of place. The wrinkles in her skin crease with her nerves as she carefully begins to pin your hair back into the perfect top knot. Immediately after your return home from Ember Island, you were informed that the Fire Lord wished to speak with you. You were expected to drop your chores for the day and make yourself decent before presenting yourself to him. His request to see you surprised you considering the fact you previously believed he didn’t even know of your existence, but it made you nervous all the same. If anything were to go wrong during your meeting, you’d be jeopardizing both yours and your mother’s jobs.

“Make sure to sit up straight and no slouching,” she reminds you quietly while stopping to admire her work. “Hold your tongue until he allows you to speak and thank him for all he has done for us. It is a great honor to speak to Fire Lord Ozai, so you must treat it as such.”

“Mother, what could the Fire Lord possibly want to talk to me about?”

She doesn’t meet your eyes at first, looking away as if contemplating carefully what her next words should be. With a sigh, she sets the brush down and looks at you through the reflection. “Word has spread quickly about you and Prince Zuko, and I think he knows.”

You swallow nervously at her admission, absently brushing your fingers against the sun that hangs around your neck. You never once considered what Zuko’s father would think about his son’s choice of a partner; Ursa had always treated you as one of her own, and Azula considered you to be a good friend, but what would Ozai say of the peasant girl who had stolen his son’s heart?

You don’t have much time to mull over it further as a guard arrives to escort you from your quarters to the throne room. All eyes seem to follow you as you walk through the palace, the gold and red hues overwhelming your senses as you do your best to remain calm. You have no idea what awaits you at the end of the hallway, but there’s no escape now as the grand doors open and you’re pushed inside.

Ozai sits on the throne with a wall of flames roaring behind him. His features are stoic but his gaze is menacing as his eyes watch your meager form approach. You immediately bow in respect to the man once you reach him and kneel before his seated figure. Just as your mother instructed, you say nothing until you are spoken to.

“So you’re the girl my son has chosen to be his partner?” He drawls with a raised brow, obviously not impressed by the person before him.

“Yes, sir. It is an honor to present myself to you, my Lord,” you profess as earnestly as possible while adding another bow for good measure. You need his approval not only to continue dating Zuko, but also to ensure you and your mother are both able to continue living behind the palace walls. Even if you are there as servants tucked away in the peasant quarters, it certainly is a better place to be than out in the streets.

“I know who you are, child,” Ozai scoffs callously as he peers down at you from his place on the throne. “You are the peasant girl who managed to worm her way into the lives of my children. You are a lowly servant with nothing to your name and nothing special about you, and yet you have managed to corrupt my only son."

“Fire Lord Ozai, I-I apologize if my actions have upset you,” you quickly try to interject, but he holds a hand up and signals you to halt your pathetic rambling. Ozai does not have the time nor care to hear your excuses or explanations. That’s not what this meeting is for.

“Do you know how poorly it would reflect on me to have Zuko galavanting around the palace with a servant? Do you know how poorly it reflects on him to be seen with you? It’s a disgrace, and it is something I will not tolerate.”

“I know,” you utter quietly, trying to make yourself appear as small as you feel on the inside. Despite what Zuko has told you, you know that his father is right. You are nothing compared to him. He is the sun, the Prince, the heir to the throne. His future ahead is bright, and there is much for him to accomplish. You have no future, no plans for your life, nothing as grand or important as him and Azula. You are not the sun or the moon or even the stars that hang in his sky, you are insignificant, and you will never be worthy enough to be his.

“A future Fire Lord cannot have a maid as a wife. You must break his heart so that he no longer wants anything to do with you, so that he can move on and find a girl more worthy of becoming the future Fire Lady. You must make it appear to be your own doing and not mine, otherwise it won’t work. Have I made myself clear, child?”

“Yes, Fire Lord Ozai,” you whisper softly, a single tear sliding down your cheek as you bow to the cruel man before you. “I understand.”

~~~

The clouds that hang overhead are gray as Zuko makes his way towards the servants’ quarters. It is unheard of for any royal to ever set foot on these grounds, and so all eyes watch the Prince curiously as he approaches your humble home and knocks gently on the door. Movement sounds from the other side, and after a moment he is met with the startled face of your mother. It’s clear that she hadn’t been expecting him, and he takes her by surprise when he bows to the woman in respect.

“I apologize for coming unannounced, but I was hoping I could speak to y/n,” he utters with a look of defeat on his face. His sullen features make his lack of sleep obvious, and his eyes are full of desperation. You’ve been avoiding him for weeks and he has no clue as to why, but he hopes to figure it out soon before he starts to spiral any further.

“She’s…” your mother begins to say, glancing unsurely behind her before looking back to him, “she’s not feeling well. You can come back another time.”

“But-“

“Please, Prince Zuko, we can’t risk you catching whatever it is she’s come down with. You must go.”

She gives him no time to argue before slamming the door in his face. Zuko is stunned, but his shock quickly turns to anger as he lets out a frustrated breath of flames from his mouth before stalking off to cool himself down.

His footsteps fade into the distance as he departs, and you can only sit by the window of your room and watch him walk away. There’s a tightness in your chest that makes you feel as if you can’t breathe, and once he finally disappears over the horizon you break down into an inconsolable mess.

You love Zuko with all of your heart, so it kills you to act as if he means nothing to you. You’re trying to do what Ozai has demanded of you, but it’s agonizing and difficult. You’re too much of a coward to face him and break it off for good, so you’ve resorted to avidly avoiding the Prince at all costs. You hope that by pushing him away he’ll take it upon himself to end the relationship; it would be much less painful that way, but he’s too stubborn for his own good, and he’s persisted despite your best efforts.

The days seem to blend together as you lock yourself in your room while your mother continues to turn Zuko away. You haven’t done any of your chores or worked in days, but Ozai has not faulted you for your incompletion of tasks. Breaking Zuko’s heart is your task, and so long as you keep your word he couldn’t care less what you did with yourself.

After another week has passed, suffocation finally catches up to you and you’re forced to leave your room in order to get some fresh air. You sneak out at nightfall when the palace is quiet and your mother is sleeping so that no one can detect your presence. You retreat to the well out in the back and stare contemplatively into the water below. Clutching the sun that hangs from the gold chain around your neck, you admire the moon’s reflection in the ripples and wish you could be anywhere else but here in the Fire Nation.

“I thought I’d find you here,” a voice utters quietly, causing you to jump in alarm at the intrusion. You turn to meet the solemn gaze of the Prince, and as your back hits the cool stones of the well you find that you are cornered. You can’t avoid him now, and it’s a fact both of you are aware of.

“Zuko, I… I was just leaving,” you stammer hurriedly as you try to push your way past him, but he catches you by the arm before you can get away.

“No, not until you talk to me!” He demands, his eyes full of desperation and despair. “You’re supposed to be my girlfriend, yet you keep avoiding me. Why? Was it something I did?”

“No, Zuko, you didn’t do anything,” you insist despite refusing to meet his gaze. You’re terrified that someone will see you both together and alert Ozai, and you wish he would just release you so you could go back to hiding away in your room.

“Then why won’t you even look at me?”

Slowly, you peek your head up to meet his exasperated face. It seems he’s not going to give up without a fight, so you’re going to have to resort to doing what you’ve been trying to avoid this entire time.

“I don’t love you.”

“W-What?” Zuko stammers in quiet surprise, his hold on your arm loosening slightly. He doesn’t believe what he’s hearing from you, and his mind is scrambling to process your words.

“I don’t love you. I want nothing to do with you,” you repeat firmly, your eyes hardening as you stare up at him and yank yourself free from his grasp.

“Y/n, you don’t mean that-“

“I do mean it! I feel nothing for you, Zuko. I never have. I just felt like I couldn’t say no to you because you’re the Prince, so I had no choice but to say yes to being your girlfriend.”

Hurt flashes across his features and you’re dying inside at having to be so cruel to him. The heart of your childhood best friend is in your hands and you crush it with every word despite how much it pains you. But it’s better for both of you this way, it must be. Ozai will never let you be happy together, but apart he still has a chance to capture the promised future ahead of him. You’re doing him a favor, and you hope one day he’ll be able to see it that way too.

“I don’t understand,” he murmurs weakly, tears beginning to well in his eyes. Then, with frustration clear in his tone, “This doesn’t make any sense!”

“Did you honestly think we could actually be together?” You retort in disbelief. “Azula always said you were a fool, but I didn’t think you were this naive. A servant and a Prince don’t belong together, and you’re the only one who can’t seem to get that!”

“Alright, fine,” Zuko mutters indignantly. His sadness has quickly morphed into anger, and you hate the way it makes you feel. “Can I just ask you one thing?”

You say nothing in response, and he takes your silence as a sign to continue.

“If you don’t love me, then why are you still wearing the necklace?”

Your eyes widen slightly as your hand immediately flies to your neck to clutch the pendant, and your heart slowly begins to sink to your stomach as you realize you’ve been caught in your lie. It’s your turn now to be at a loss for words, unsure what to say as you simply stare up at him with your mouth slight agape.

“You don’t mean what you’re saying,” Zuko says firmly as he moves closer to you. “Someone else is speaking for you, aren’t they?”

“I…”

“What’s going on, y/n?” He presses gently, carefully resting a hand upon your cheek. “Why are you acting this way?”

“I can’t tell you,” you argue weakly, your own eyes becoming full of tears as you allow yourself to melt into his touch. You’ve missed the feeling of his warmth and the comfort of his closeness, and despite your mind screaming at you to remove yourself from him your heart keeps you planted in place.

“That’s nonsense, of course you can. You’ve always been able to tell me anything, so why can’t you now?”

“Can’t you just believe me when I tell you it’s for your own good?” You plead emphatically despite the wavering of your voice.

“How can this possibly be for my own good?!” He retorts in exasperation. “I’ve been miserable without you. Life feels empty when you aren’t around, and I don’t know how to deal with the fact that the girl I’ve loved all my life can’t seem to stand me.”

“It’s not like that!” You cry defensively as the tears finally begin to fall.

“Then what is it?!” Zuko demands, and you can’t seem to take any more of this torture. The lies are killing you, and you can’t help but to finally crack under pressure.

“I’m not good enough for you!” You finally exclaim as you pull yourself away from his touch. You try to choke back your sobs but the ache in your chest makes the task difficult, and you can do nothing but let your words flow freely after keeping them bottled in for weeks. “I-I have nothing to offer you, nothing that makes me special, nothing ahead of me like you do. It’s an embarrassment to the Fire Lord for you to be with me, and it will be an embarrassment for you to have me as your Fire Lady.”

Stunned by your admission, it takes Zuko a moment to process your words. He steps towards you and you flinch, effectively breaking his heart in the process. It’s clear you’re frightened, but not of him. Your fear is geared toward someone else, and the culprit must be responsible for you now feeling this way.

“Who told you such nonsense?”

“Your father,” you admit quietly much to Zuko’s dismay. His eyes immediately harden and his chest is immediately tight with anger, but he does his best to keep his emotions at bay so as to not upset you further. “He spoke to me when we returned from Ember Island and told me we couldn’t be together. Ozai demanded I break your heart so that you can move on and find another girl more suited for this life than I could ever be. I didn’t want to, I still don’t want to, but I’m doing this so that you can have a better future. I’ll only hold you back, Zuko.”

After taking a moment to digest your words, Zuko carefully steps towards you again. You don’t reject his advances this time, so he allows himself the opportunity to carefully wipe away the steady tears that fall down your cool cheeks. Despite how much of a mess you assume you must look like, the Prince still sees you as the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid eyes on.

“I don’t care what my father says,” he assures you gently as he takes your hands in his own. “You’re not an embarrassment, and there’s no other girl that could ever compare to you. I love you, y/n, and I’m not going to let anyone ever get in the way of that.”

“You mean that?” You ask with a quiet sniffle, holding his hands tight as if he’ll leave if you let go.

“Every word. Let my father and anyone else who disapproves of our relationship say what they want to say. I want to be with you, and I hope you still want to be with me too.”

His looks to you with pleading eyes that seek your reassurance, and for a moment you hesitate. Being with Zuko is all you’ve ever wanted, and now he stands here before you professing his loyalty and his love to you. The boy from your childhood had stolen your heart, and you’d be lying if you said you wanted it back.

You know being with him won’t be easy, especially not with his father’s adamant disapproval of your relationship, but you trust Zuko, and so you have to trust that everything will turn out okay. You meet his desperate gaze and gift him a faint smile, and despite knowing you’ll regret this, you wordlessly lean in to meet his lips in a kiss.

You can worry about Ozai’s wrath later. But for now, you allow yourself to melt into his embrace by the moonlit well as you share your first kiss in weeks. It feels right being in his arms once more after spending so much time apart, and you hope you’ll never have to be without his touch ever again.

| zuko tags: @ilovespideyyy @yiyibetch @eridanuswave @lammello @a-monsters-love @taeeemin @livelaughlovekuni @lovialy @alexatiu

[harbingersecho]

"zuzu, you didn't tell your friends about me? i'm hurt."

[seetangus]

Oh how about: Reader loving Azula throughout her mental health crisis and still visiting her in the asylum. So, as she heals, she realizes how much she loves the Reader… and maybe through the story, you could see her reactions to certain things like if R talked about another girl like Ty Lee or something, Azula would feel jelly but doesn’t understand why or if R talks about Zuko she may think she’d like Zuko more like their mother…

idk but it’s sounds fun and I know you are awesome at writing so I bet it’ll be good!

Healing - Azula x reader

[Masterlist]

Azula x gn reader, no warnings

1.897 words, I hope you like it! :)

The metal door closed audibly, its movement making the torches close to it flicker. They barely spent enough light to make things visible in the cell. Now you two were alone.

Azula sat in front of you, tied to a metal chair in a straitjacket. It was a humiliating treatment for a princess, you thought. Still, your heart felt great relief from seeing her again after several months of waiting. It had been difficult to convince the new fire lord Zuko and his comrades to let you visit Azula, as you were considered dangerous due to your loyalty to princess Azula that you had maintained even during the last days of the war. But here you were, finally seeing her, the one your heart ached for, again.

“Hello Azula. I am happy to see you again.”, you said truthfully but very quietly. You did not dare asking her how she felt. Seeing Azula, who had always been so confident and strong in a weak and broken state like this intimidated you.

You could not make out what Azula was thinking. You had been told that she had for some time behaved like a raving maniac, screaming and trying to attack anyone who came close to her. But that phase seemed to be over now. It was obvious Azula was mentally still in a very precarious situation, but right now she was rather calm. At least it seemed like she was.

“What are you doing here, y/n.”, she asked. Your heart jumped at hearing her voice, even if it sounded differently than before. What she said did not sound like a question, but you still answered: “I wanted to see you.” Quieter, you added: “Maybe you need someone to talk to.”

A small silence followed. You could tell that Azula was, even if it had been months, still very stressed and angry about her defeat against Zuko. Still, with a heartwarming effort, Azula tried to initiate a peaceful conversation by asking you about the current situation of the fire nation and other wide-ranging topics. You happily answered all her questions. The conversation got more concrete when she asked about her old friends. Ty Lee, Mai, Iroh and even her brother Zuko. All the ones that had betrayed her. You told about their new positions and how they behaved. You also told her that, as you had remained in your position in the royal palace even after the changing of the fire lord, you were somehow reconnecting with some of them, even if it went slowly.

While listening to you, Azula increasingly looked lost. You would have expected her to be angry at the traitors taking her place in the hierarchy of the fire nation, but she seemed to worry about something entirely different. Nevertheless you talked with eachother until the visiting time was over and the guards ordered you to leave. You also realised your eyes hurt because of the dim light in the cell - it must be painful for Azula to stay here all day.

Having left her cell, a guard told you that they had feared for the worst and were surprised at how calm Azula had been with you. You couldn’t imagine why that was either.

< • ◇ • >

A few weeks passed until your next visit. In that time Azula had changed much; you were told she was still a bit unpredictable, but her violent outbursts had ended completely and she was overall more stable. That had led to the guards daring to attach extra torches to the walls of her cell, finally making the room brighter so your eyes didn’t hurt anymore. The whole atmosphere was different this visit, it was less depressing.

This time you greeted her a bit more confidently and with a smile. It would have been hard not to smile when seeing your loved one feel better. She also looked better than last time - her hair looked less messy and she did not have bags under her eyes. You were genuinely happy it went uphill with her, and you didn’t hide it:

“Hello Azula, you look beautiful today!”

Your warm greeting seemed to have catched Azula off guard; you could see she hesitated a bit before answering, and you even saw her blush a bit, but surely it was only the warm light of the torches combined with your own feelings that made you imagine it. Azula wouldn’t blush. Once Azula answered though, she did so with her old attitude: “Of course I look good, y/n. Did you expect me not to?”

That might not have been the most welcoming and thankful answer she could have given, but at least it proved she really felt better, more like back when she wasn’t here. Ah, you couldn’t wait for when she would boss you around and insult anyone else again like in the good ol’ days.

But enough of the dreaming, back to reality! Azula simply made you tell her anything that you thought might interest her. She said she TRUSTED you on choosing the right topics. That was obviously a very unusual thing for her to say but you took it as a compliment and started speaking, mostly about how things changed under the rule of her brother and how the people she knew behaved. Every time you spoke about Ty Lee or Mai you could see her eyebrows furrow and she did not comment again until you changed topics. When you mentioned that Mai and Zuko were a couple, her whole face lit up and she interrupted you, exclaiming: “Ha! That’s fantastic! Isn’t it great, y/n?” You agreed but Azula suddenly feeling happy for her brother genuinely confused you.

Anyhow, Azula soon seemed to become annoyed by the things you told her about the people she knew. After some time she simply cut you off and said: “Yes yes uncle Iroh’s new tea shop is interesting and I should care but I want you to tell me more about yourself.” At first, you were dumbfounded, but since she seemed to really be interested (and also since it was impossible not to fulfill any request of hers anyways), you talked about yourself for the rest of your visit.

Some time later, the guards opened the door and told you to leave. You had already said good-bye to Azula and turned to go away, but she suddenly made a harsh move with her head, loosening a few strands of her hair that now dangled down. “Oh y/n, before you leave, would you be so kind and fix this?”, she purred with unusual kindness, inevitably making you feel butterflies.

Hesitantly, you turned around and lifted your hand to her beautiful hair, gently brushing it back into place. She just smirked triumphantly and let you leave. You couldn’t put into words how heavenly you had felt that moment, despite the stares of the guards.

After you were gone, Azula thought about what had happened. Why had she done this. Making her hair messy on purpose to ask you to fix it. Not that it hadn’t felt good, feeling human touch after months of deprivation had actually felt awesome, she just genuinely did not know why she had suddenly felt the need to get your attention. And why did she feel so hurt when you talked about Ty Lee or Mai? She did not like not knowing the answer to something, so she was determined to get it the next time you visited.

< • ◇ • >

You did not let Azula wait for long. As quickly as the harsh regulations of the Asylum allowed, you returned. According to the guards, who prepared you for the visit, Azula had been behaving much better: there had been no angry outbursts or attempts to harm anyone at all since your last visit.

Luckily for Azula, her good behaviour had led to an even greater improvement in the furnishing of her cell: the torches had been replaced with lanterns who emitted a brightness that somewhat resembled daylight, making it much more bearable to stay in her cell.

“How do you feel, Azula?”

“I’m well, y/n. Actually, it is very relieving that you are here now, because I can finally ask you some very important questions.”

Naturally, Azula saying your name made you feel butterflies. She sounded almost like her old self again. “I’m happy to answer anything you ask me.”, you assured, excited about what questions she could have for you. You looked at her expectantly.

She also only looked at you instead of asking questions. Well, she did not just ‘look’, she seemed to have… found something on you that interested her very much. More than any question she could ask you.

“Your eyes look very happy, y/n.”, she suddenly said.

You had not been prepared for that. Your eyes widened, making Azula grin. It was not her usual grin, though. It seemed like this grin was not fueled by self-absorption and superiority as it had been until now, but rather Azula seemed to be genuinely happy, feeling real joy. You had never seen that on her before, so naturally you were very happy for her! And for yourself, for being able to witness such a beautiful moment and being part of it.

“Oh I wish the visits weren’t this short.”, Azula said, her gaze still venturing in the depth of your eyes. You were a bit confused. “Azula, the visit has just started - we have plenty of time. Also, I will come back soon! As soon as possible!”, you quickly assured.

Azula tried getting closer to you, but she was restrained by her chains. You had both almost forgotten about them. “Y/n, I do not only want to be with you during visits.”

You were speechless. All your blood was gathering in your head and your voice decided this would be a good moment to give up. “A-azula … I want to see you more often too…” you mustered up all the courage you had. “In fact”, you gulped, “I feel pained in every moment we are separated from eachother.”

Azula smirked and lifted her nose up, making her look as powerful as before; she was clearly enjoying you being flustered. But there was something different, something new in her eyes. Something that had not been there a few months ago, and that had grown each time you visited her.

“You like me, y/n, don’t you?”

Azula lowered her head, and it seemed like there even was a bit of worry or insecurity in her voice when she asked again: “You do, right?”

“Yes Azula, I do.”

You wanted to hug her, caress her and hold her close, but knowing that the guards would rush in and restrain you, it was better to remain sitting. You did not hold back expressing your affection verbally, though.

Azula was, like always, the first one to regain her composure, and you tried to do so as well, although it was not easy.

“Well, it’s settled then.", Azula said.

“... What’s settled?”, you asked, unsure of what she meant.

“When I get out of here,'' Azula answered, “I will arrange that we see eachother much more often than we currently do and that the royal family welcomes a new member. And now tell me again how much you love me, y/n.”

[tsireyasyawntu]

ahhhh azula x fem! reader who is a maid and azula’s secret gf and one day ty lee and mai are at the palace and while they are away azula calls reader into her room and they kinda make out and are all touchy because Azula hasn’t seen her all day, then reader has to go do her chores and when she opens the door mai & ty lee are there— reader bows; excusing herself and saying she was cleaning, but mai and ty lee notice the lipstick marks on her jawline and neck and are shockeddddd and it’s awkward around azula and idk maybe it gets out they are dating (js between the mai & ty lee tho) thank you!!

red lipstick stains

ᥫ᭡ gosh, i love this idea! azula forever! thank you for requesting for my atla/tlok event! hope you enjoy this as much as i enjoyed writing it!

princess azula x fem! servant! reader

ᥫ᭡ when the princesses friends come to visit, it leaves little time for her to bask herself in your presence. with their short absence, she replenishes herself with you— leading for something to leak from the cracks.

the boredness the princess felt was beyond horrific.

azula placed her head in her palm as she lazily held her eyes on ty lee, doing a contrast of many different athletic styles. Mai read a book beside the princess, and azula began to question why, exactly, it was that she was here.

Mai and Ty Lee had made a rather unexpected trip to the Palace, catching Azula off guard from their sudden visit and causing her to fall through with her secretive plans she held.

Today was supposed to be a rather calm day, her father was organizing a plan for something she frankly didn’t care for— which was one of the rarest occasions, but her attention was too occupied on you.

azula had planned on spending the day with you, alone in her room. but, her dreams were ultimately dashed with the presence of her sincerely unwanted friends.

the princess roll her eyes as she watched Ty lee do a handstand, walking around. her eyes trailed along the royal gardens— her heart pausing its pulse when the sight of you caught her eyes. She involuntarily and automatically straightened her back, removing her hands of its position in holding her head up. Her golden eyes glued to your body as you carried a tray of refreshments on your hands, keeping your eyes straight ahead of you as you approach Ty lee causiously.

Azula couldn’t quite make out your soft ofer to the circus member, but ty lee accepted your drink with a smile. Sweat embraces azula’s palms as you turned to her and Mai, approaching with your head down.

Azula felt silly— like.. a school girl, with a big, childish crush.

“refreshments?” you questioned with a low voice, clear like honey and soft like sugar. Mai declined, and azula saw you nod and bow, turning to her.

You always put on the perfect facade, acting like everything you two have done was for nothing.

“Princess?” your voice was different when you spoke to her, softer, kinder— more gentle, an offer for something more.

Azula forced down her smirk, nodding and accepting your offer by taking the drink from atop the tray. You didn’t dare make eye contact with her infront of her friends, only bowing and exiting the gardens.

azula watched you go from the corner of her eye, smirking into her cup as she took a sip from the fresh lychee juice you’d offered.

“Mm! This is delicious!” ty lee exclaimed, walking over normally to Azula and Mai, chugging her drink with no waste.

“yes, yes,” azula nodded, only replying to keep the girl at bay. Mai scoffed, “I hate lychee juice.”

Ty lee frown, putting her glass on small table by the chair azula sat on.

“But, it’s hot,” she expressed, waving her hand to cool herself down. “Aren’t you thirsty?”

“Not for lychee juice,” mai bit back, causing ty lee to huff. “Well, let’s get you a drink!” she grabbed mai’s arm, causing the girl to drop her book and loose her place. Azula sat up, fighting back excitement. “where are you two going?”

“To get mai some water,” said ty lee as mai fought her grip, groaning. Azula nodded, “very well.” she played casual, waving her hand to excuse them as she took another sip of the drink you’ve given her. Azula acted uninterested as the girls walked off, their bickering slowly fading away form her hearing as did their figures.

Azula stood from her chair, leaving her drink and set her destination to her room. She walked with quickened steps, hiding her smile with the facade of her furiously storming down the halls, keeping everyone else away from her. When she reached her dorms, she rang the servant bell— knowing you’d be the one she called for.

Azula crossed her arms when she closed her door, tapping her foot on the floor in impatience.

after waiting for what felt like hours, you finally arrived. As beautiful as always as you slowly entered azula’s room per her permission, only meeting her eyes when you realized she was alone.

Your mouth began to speak— but you were silenced by the slam of azula’s lips on yours. your voice muffled, fading out as you melted into her hungry kiss. Your hands instinctively wrapped around her neck, her own hands harshly gripping your waist.

Azula pushed you onto her bed, leaning over you as she bent down to continuously kiss you. Her chest met yours, her thick armor cold against your skin, feeling the roughness through the thin layer of your clothing.

You let azula devour your lips desperately, knowing how she becomes like this when you are away for long distances of time.

she pulled back only to allow you to catch your breath— thin, translucent trail of saliva the only remaining factor of your previous action, as azula waisted no time in training her kisses to your jawline.

You automatically shifted your head up, allowing easy access for her to retreat to the soft, bare skin of your neck. You caught your breath, your hands holding tightly to the bedsheets bellow you as azula moved down.

She kissed your jawline, trailing her way down to the skin of your neck, kissing a lightly sucking the sensitive area, basking in the sounds your mouth left for her to receive.

she began to unlace the band of your clothing— but was stopped by the guest bell that struck her door. She froze, and you instantly gasped— shooting up from underneath her and quickly re-tieing your maid-robes— fixing your messy hair.

Azula groaned, annoyed. “Why can’t mai and ty lee leave?” she asked aloud, causing you to lightly laugh. “They’re your friends, ‘zula. they want to spent time with you.” you replied, pulling few strands from your newly done bun, turning back to the princess, only to find her already looking at you.

“I don’t want to be with them,” she bit, reaching out to you. “i want you.” your cheeks heated up, preparing a response when the bell softly went off again. “I have to go,” you sigh, quickly bending down to leave a soft kiss on azula’s forehead, then her lips. You fixed your appearance one last time, with no mirror, and azula saw you smile at her before you left, closing the door behind you.

You turned a fast heal, hoping to not be seen leaving the princess room— alone.

Two approaching shadows halted your movements, your eyes flickering up timidly to see the two figures of azula’s friends. You bow, explaining the reasoning behind your actions all while missing the scan of their eyes and the pure shock embracing not only Ty lee’s features, but Mai’s.

The girls were only a few feet away from Azula’s room, hearing through the grape vine that once they’d left she’d “gotten bored” and made haste in her bedroom. But now they know why.

You stood before them, red lipstick stains trailing kiss marks from your jawline, to your neck and down to below your robes where they could not see, leaving their imagination to fill in the blanks.

You automatically took their shocked faces as one of disrespect for you looking at them without permission- so you bow, getting on your legs and allowing your head to touch the floor in respect and apology, getting up quickly to scramble from their way and rushing back to the maid’s quarters.

Mai and Ty Lee’s eyes trail after you, jaws dropped and eyes wide. They make eye connect, “what was that?!” ty lee squealed, in shock, covering her mouth at the remembrance of the event. Mai let out a bothered sigh, placing a hand to her forehead and massaging her aching head. “I don’t.. want to know,” she splutter out, the thought of her friend being intimate was purely a nasty thought. Ty lee seemed more interested than Mai, who was blatantly uninterested and, frankly, grossed out.

“Should we go see Azula? or…” Ty lee seemed to need guidance, brows furrowing in worry. Mai rolled her eyes, placing a hand to her hip. “Obviously. we can’t just leave.” she waved her fan, walking ahead of ty lee to the familiar door of Azula’s room.

For once, they knocked. Permission from the princess granted their entrance, and they avoided the usually piercing gaze of Azula, who seemed to notice their sudden.. lack of words.

The princess stood from the chair she sat in infront her Vanity, leaving Ty Lee wondering what exactly she was doing with her makeup out…

“Well?” she placed both hands to her hips, raising a brow. Mai knew they wouldn’t get away with the obvious tension the the room because of how painfully obvious Ty Lee was.

“what?” Mai asked, avoiding to sit on Azula’s bed as she covered her face with the fan in her hand. Ty lee stood beside her, itching the dry skin of her bare elbow.

Azula scoffed, moving her arms to cross over her chest. she decided it was best to ignore the company in her room, walking past them and out to the hall. Ty lee quickly chased after; hoping to leave the room. mai was close behind.

Azula led them back to the chairs they previous sat in, the trio walking rather fast.

Mai covered her mouth with her fan, leaning over to Ty lee. “Don’t mention it.” she demanded, earning a nervous squeak from the girl, causing azula to give them a strange side glance before they officially made it to their destination, azula placing herself under the shade of her umbrella, mai doing the same. Ty lee nervously began rubbing her hands together as she sat on the grass, under a tree.

The silence was so loud, louder than any sound. the air was thick with an intense kind of awkwardness, it was so horrendous even azula began to break a sweat under her many layers of armor.

Mai clearing her throat, which made azula shift her gaze to the black haired girl, who seemed to be shaking her head at the circus member. Azula squinted her eyes in suspicion, following Mai’s gaze to see ty lee, who was sweating and anxiously chewing down her nails.

azula made a face, “What?” she bit, catching both girls attention. “what is this? what are you two doing?” she questioned with demand, wanting an answer.

She caught once more the sly shake of mai’s head as she peer to ty lee; who shifted her gaze between the two girls.

Azula was now almost fuming, steam coming from her ears— as she was about to shout demand for an immediate answer— her prayers were answered.

“We saw the kiss marks!” Ty lee shouted out, sighing in temporary relief before instantly slamming her hands over her mouth with wide eyes. Mai growled under her breath, putting her hand over her face in disbelief.

Azula was confused, the expression she held was quite an obvious one on the always tense face of the princess, and mai noticed.

“She doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” she barked out, glaring a deep stare at ty lee before acting like nothing happened.

Azula wouldn’t accept that, as Ty lee was still chewing off her skin.

One fierce glance from azula’s now settled face caused a shiver from ty, “The maid… we saw her leave your room—”

Her words faided out, and suddenly the realization had slammed azula in the chest.

You.

You’d left her room with the lipstick trails she’d left on you, ones she’s so clumsily forgotten to mention to you. This was her fault.

Azula must have looked as bewildered as she felt, as ty lee covered her face. As quickly as azula lost her composure, she gained it back. Clearing her throat and waving her hand. “Must—” she cleared her throat again, a pitiful attempt at getting rid of any lingering chances the fact might really be true. “Must have been the wrong room.” she tried her best to play it off, which, usually, would have worked, but the pair already knew the truth.

Azula’s secret was out.

dread overcame her like a tsunami, and fear tickled her bones. what if her father found out? what would he do? what would happen to her?— what would happen to you? the love of her life? the thought horrified her beyond comprehension.

she felt her façade threaten to slip, and the gaping eyes of her friends had her sweating profusely, like a child being caught doing something naughty.

once more, the silence followed. It was, frankly, agonizing. By far the most painfully awkward and tedious moments of Azula’s life.

She switched her hard gaze from mai to ty lee multiple times, almost daring them to mention it again.

“are you guys.. you know..” Ty lee almost cried from the peircing eyes of the princess and mai, a whimper leaving her mouth.

Azula felt sick. not just from fear, but embarrassment as well. Of all people, mai and ty lee? really?

She didn’t want to admit it, but what better would lying do. She could see it in their eyes that they both already knew the truth of the princesses relationship with you, a maid.

Azula huffed a furiously agitated gruff and massaged her temple in irritation, covering up any signs of fear she would have.

Mai let out a kind sigh, removing her hands from her face.

“We won’t tell anyone, Azula.” somehow, the princess found her words oddly comforting. But she didn’t dare show it.

“I think it’s best you two... leave.” Her words didn’t have the ferocious bite that they usually do, but instead a warning, something to ‘let them off the hook.’ Mai nodded, and ty lee shot up, clearly the pair had overstayed their welcome, and azula watched with heavy eyes as they left the royal garden, obviously fighting around the subject of Princess Azula and Her Mistress.

Once out of sight, azula allowed herself to groan into the palms of her hand. How could she let this happen? how? what has she become? under your gaze, your touch— she was like a pie, hard on the inside but so soft once you come around. You’ve weakened her— but she can’t help herself from staying with you.

the princess stood up, making her way down the halls and to her room, now with the understanding why her friends were oh so stiff.

she sat on her bed, staring at the ceiling. she’d rang the maid bell, calling you.

with a gentle knock and a hushed whisper, you entered the door to the princesses chambers.

The look on your face made her realize that you’d realized the issue.

“Princess,” you whispered in a hushed tone, and she fully sat up.

she hates the tension when you fear to talk of certain subjects. she hates the look in your eyes when you think she is upset. she hates how much you care.

before you could speak again, two familiar hands wrapped around your waist, pulling you atop the princess on her bed. in a swift motion, she held you under her. Kissing you again.

Your were surprised, this was most definitely not what you were expecting.

“Azula!” you gasp when she bit you, ignoring the warm feeling of blood trickling down your neck.

you’d thought she’d want to talk about it, but you suppose not. either way, this was wonderful.

[xxoxobree]

… Modern Zuko Headcanons

Prince Zuko x Gn!Reader

Contents: Fluff

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who makes you sneak out the house to have late night car conversations with him.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who has all of the cute Polaroids of you two on his mirror.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko That lets you put his hair in any silly little style you can think of. 

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko That sneaks into your window to cuddle with you after he and his dad get into it.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko That gets jealous whenever you hang out with Azula without him.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who keeps a hand on you at all times because he’s touch starved and loves the feeling of your skin and warmth.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who practiced for hours on how to ask you to be his prom date.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who brings you two boba from his uncles tea shop after every shift.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko Who calls shows that you like stupid but get really invested in them.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ Modern!Zuko That got you a necklace with a dragon pendant for your first anniversary.

[darkprince1110]

Azula stand in her room staring at the shattered mirror Her mother’s words still echoing in her ear when y/n inters the room

Y/n; Azula are you all right?

Azula; you fear me, to don’t you

Y/n; what?

Azula; You’re the only one left everyone else has abandoned me and that’s because they’ve lost their fear of me but you’re still here so you must fear me that proves it

Y/n stares at her confused, not knowing how to answer

Azula; chuckles to herself this proves her wrong

Y/n: proves who wrong?

Azula; nothing

Y/n approaches Azula

Y/n; to answer your question no I don’t

Azula; what?

Y/n; I do not fear you I never have

Azula whips around her face, twisted and anger

Azula perhaps you should fire begins to rise from the palms of our hands how dare you lie to my face

Y/n steps closer and grabs Azula’s wrists 

Y/n looks Azula dead in her eyes

Y/n I don’t fear you I love you Azula.

Azula stairs back at y/n Her flames die down

the tears start to roll down her face

Y/n wraps their arms around her, and start to rub her back Tenderly scratching it

Y/n; I always will y/n kisses her forehead

[comradekatara]

i’ve always kind of assumed that lo and li are azulon’s younger twin sisters and that’s why they were foisted off on azula, because she’s also a younger sister to the crown prince. but the fact that we never actually see them firebend is strange, because it implies either that nonbenders are instructing one of the greatest firebenders in the world, or that they are firebenders who simply do not firebend. and i think that the latter is more interesting, because it reflects how their position as elderly women devalues any firepower they might provide to the empire, passive and subdued even as they train ozai’s favorite weapon.

they are the ones to most overtly illustrate azula’s precarious relationship to femininity, after all. for example, noting the position of her hair after she successfully lightningbends in “the avatar state,” or emphasizing azula’s beauty when they introduce her in “the awakening.” and it’s clear that azula doesn’t really like them, dismisses and avoids them whenever she gets the chance. she can’t even tell them apart. their very existence is almost a humiliation. a reminder to azula that this is who she is destined to become once she lives past her usefulness. not the imperious azulon, her namesake, raised above on a fiery dais, but his sisters, insignificant and functionally powerless.

so of course “almost isn’t good enough,” of course “one hair out of place” is a failure. the only way azula can prove her worth to the empire she has devoted her entire self to in a way that matters is, perhaps, by being perfect, by being better and stronger than the discarded women who came before her. but that, too, is a delusion, that any amount of excellence will reward her in a way that compensates for the erosion of her very humanity. and yet, it’s all she has to cling to. so she gives it her all to excel within a system that will never really care about her because she has deliberately been made incapable of imagining an alternative. of simply recognizing the system for the failure that it is, conceptualizing a world beyond the bars of her gilded cage, and leaving.

[yourhighness6]

I know the zutara fandom has basically accepted the idea that the crystal caves scene story was spread by the dai li, first to their families and close friends and then subsequently to the entirety of Ba Sing Se including the occupying FN forces, but please consider:

Dai Li agent #1: I really can't believe what happened with the fire prince and that waterbender girl

Dai Li agent #2: Yeah its insane, especially considering how they were on opposite sides of the war

Azula, listening in and realizing how embarrassing this could be for her brother: I'm sorry, what happened?

[multifandombullshitbabes]

have we ever thought abt the fact that zuko is literally azula's older brother. like she's his little sister. that's his little sister. throughout a big, big part of atla plot, he was actively running away, scared of his little sister killing him because he KNEW she would/could. can you imagine that? your little sibling, wanting more your father's approval than your companionship to the point of death? every time they fought, zuko was fighting his baby sister. azula was fighting her big brother. this is making me so sick. they were 16 and 14 years old.

[pinkanonwrites]

Hi! Hope you're doing fine and feel well! If you're okay with this, can I have headcanons with dorm lideres(but with Jamil instead of Kalim) reaction when their s/o comes to them with the news of Crowley finding a way to their world only to add that they refused it so they can stay with them and seeing more opportunities in twst world?

OHHHHHHHHH I loved this one. I dunno what else to say other than I just really enjoyed writing it, so I hope y’all enjoy reading it!

He was there with you when Crowley had broken the news, and frankly he had been so shocked himself at the Headmaster’s sudden show of competence that he hadn’t even registered the expression on your face. He’d forgotten, somewhere along the line, that your time together was finite. It always had been. You had a home, somewhere out there, and it wasn’t with him.

At least, that’s what he’d thought. He’d also thought that when you called him out that afternoon to speak alone, that you would be breaking up with him. Easier to sever the connection now rather than later. But as he faced you, awaiting your rejection, the last three words he’d ever expected you to stay fell from your lips.

“I’m staying here.”

Before it’s even sunk in what that actually means, for him, for the two of you, he’s already trying to argue it. What do you mean, you’re staying? Isn’t this what you had wanted? You’re being terribly hasty, giving up the world you had gushed to him over to stay in this unfamiliar one.

But as you begin to argue back with him, to explain yourself, the full force of the confession hits him like a train. Your world wasn’t your home anymore, he was. You’d give it all up just for the chance to stay here with him, see what your relationship had to offer. You’d seen the absolute worst of him, the temper tantrums and the break-downs and the obsession and compulsion... and you still wanted him.

He doesn’t realize he’s crying until you’re cupping his cheeks. You wipe away the fat, shimmery tears as they roll down his face but they just keep coming, pouring over your fingers as Riddle gasps out a shuddering breath before hugging you like he’s afraid you’re going to dissolve through his fingertips. Once he’s composed himself he’ll apologizing for losing face like that, but for now all he wants is to hold you.

Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid you’re so, incredibly stupid. That’s what he’ll keep murmuring as he holds you, but you can tell he doesn’t really mean it by the way his entire broad frame is practically shivering with relief. Stupid, dumb herbivore choosing the unwanted, the second son, the wannabe prince, over the world that was awaiting your return home.

Leona’s always been second place. Second to his brother, second to his own nephew, second to Malleus Draconia; He was fully prepared to be second to your home world too. Everything he’s ever desired in life he’s lost to someone just a half step ahead of him, regardless of his own skill. He’d long since given up on fighting for what he wanted.

But he didn’t even have to fight for you. You chose him, quickly, assuredly, like it would be foolish to even consider anything else. You would give up a literal world for the chance to stay by his side, and the only thing Leona has really ever wanted was to be the one somebody chose first. You gave that to him, without him even needing to ask.

The first thing he does is scoff, tell you not to offer him foolish placations if they aren’t even true, to chide you for attempting to pull one over on the most accomplished, silver-tongued businessman at Night Raven College. But the truth of the matter is that he genuinely cannot and will not believe that you would actually choose him over the opportunity to return home.

It takes some pushing for him to finally believe you, but once he does he’s completely stunned into silence. What is he even supposed to say? What does anyone say when they’re being told you’re giving up your chance to go home for... For him? For Azul Ashengrotto, the slowpoke, the poor, pudgy octopus, the scam artist?

His entire face burns red and his eyes sting with tears, bubbling over like waterfalls down his cheeks. You hug him and he hugs you back with crushing force, pressing his face into the crook of you neck and trying to focus on the sound of your breathing to quell his tears. He most likely won’t let you go for the remainder of the evening, but not leaving him behind is what you wanted in the first place, so you can hardly say you mind.

No matter how badly, how desperately he wants you to stay, Jamil’s first instinct is to try and convince you to reconsider. It’s hard to fault him for it, seeing as it’s what he’s been doing his entire life. He’s always had to put someone else ahead of him, make them look better, more appealing, regardless of his own wants and desires. Why would it be any different here?

But not only is he surprised when you begin to argue back, frankly insulted that he’d try to convince you to leave after you’d made up your mind to choose him, he’s also relieved. Of course he wanted you to stay, of course he’d fall to pieces if you’d left and he had to stay here without you. But Jamil spends every waking moment weighing what he wants against what would be the better thing to do, and his instincts kicked in in place of his shock.

He’ll interrupt you mid-rant with a kiss, cupping the back of your neck gently but with an intensity that says he’s never going to let you go again, so you’d better be ready to be stuck with him. Whatever life throws at you from now on, at least you’d have each other to help get through it.

His soft, almost knowing smile says "I always knew you’d choose me," on the outside. But on the inside you’ve quelled a raging storm of insecurity and concern down to a light, fluttering breeze with just three little words. Vil knows he isn’t the easiest person to be with, and he recognizes that his particularities and tastes have led to plenty of disagreements in the past, and will probably lead to more in the future.

But regardless of that possibility, you chose to stay. You dug in your heels and chose to stay anchored to him despite all the ways he knew he could drive you mad. But you did it because you loved him, and because you were terribly, terribly stubborn when you wanted to be. But that stubbornness is just what made Vil fall head over heels for you in the first place.

He doesn’t want to let you out of his sight until it’s fully sunken in that you staying is actually real. He’ll lend you some of his pajamas, dress you in wonderfully soft silk as he does your evening moisturizing routine for you and you can curl into bed together. He’ll cradle your cheek so gently with his hand, forgoing his own strict sleep routine so he can stay up and watch until you doze off in his arms.

Haha, real funny joke you’re making right now. Actually, no, it isn’t funny. Not even a little bit! How could you joke about something like that, try and get his hopes up for something he knows isn’t gonna happen? Idia is a raging pessimist, so it’ll take a while for you to even convince him that what you’re saying it the truth.

Once you finally do though? It takes everything he’s got not to completely shut down. He crumples into your arms like a fall leaf, shaking just as much, gripping you so tight as to almost be unbearable. You’re actually choosing... Him? You know this is endgame, right? You can’t reload your save after something like this, this is a decision you can’t take back.

Part of him wants to crawl under his bed and never come out, but another part of him is terrified that if he lets you go you might change your mind, so instead he just hangs off you like a barnacle as his brain refuses to fully process what  this means for the two of you. He curls around you like a second skin in bed, for once shoving all his anxieties to the corners of his brain and just fully immersing himself in your wonderful warmth.

Oh, his darling. His wonderful little Child of Man. Are you certain? The last thing Malleus ever wants is to lose you, but he wants this decision to be yours and yours alone, not swayed by his words or actions. But when he looks into your eyes he sees it. That determination, that finality. You’ve already made up your mind, and nothing he says right now will change that.

And oh, if he doesn’t fall in love with you all over again from that gaze alone. Malleus loves you, he loves you so deeply and so intensely that he’s certain he would have fallen to pieces the moment you’d stepped foot through whatever portal Crowley could conjure to send you home. How fascinating you are, how utterly brilliant that with only your kindness and your friendship you were able to bring the Prince of Fae to his knees before you.

Whatever you need of him, whatever you desire, Malleus will gladly do for you. He’d move the stars to make you smile, walk to the ends of the earth and back to hear your laughter. Whatever may come your way in the future, Malleus will spend every waking moment proving to you that you made the right decision.

[melzula]

Okay I have an request

So like we are azula and zuko sister and we adored by both but like in the catacombs we choose gaang over azula and zuko of this and please can y/n x sokka and now zuko now wants to join gaang and yeah I am not good with words I hope u understand what I said😁

Y/n can be a firebender or non bender its ur choice anyway

a/n: okay so there’s a lot to tackle in this request which is why i chose to do it as headcanons so i hope you don’t mind !

summary: being the middle child isn’t easy, especially when your siblings are Zuko and Azula

As the only non-bender and middle child of the royal family, you never felt like you mattered

You were the Black Swan of the palace, a disgrace to your father and his image

You kept to yourself, staying in the shadows and out of his way while your siblings took the spotlight

However, just because your father looked down upon you didn’t mean your siblings shared his sentiment

In fact, they adored you

Zuko was an attentive older brother. He let you follow him everywhere, defended you against anyone who dared speak badly about you, and was your shoulder to cry on whenever your father was feeling particularly cruel

He saw you for who you were, and who you were was an intelligent, kind, talented young woman meant to do great things in her lifetime

Azula, while being particularly mean to Zuko at times, never once treated you the way she saw her brother

Despite you being a nonbender, she surprisingly never speaks down to you or makes you feel less than

It could be because she doesn’t see you as competition as she does Zuko, or maybe she truly does just feel genuine sisterly love for you

Maybe it’s because whenever she felt your mother was unfairly favoring your brother over her, you were always there to assure her that she was a wonderful bender and just as important

Maybe it’s because sometimes she wished you could be her mother instead

Whatever her reasoning, Azula sees you as a comforting presence in her life. She seeks your validation constantly almost as much as your father’s, and she’d do anything to protect you and your honor

Things became worse for you when Ursa left. She could no longer intervene when your father felt like tormenting you, and your siblings knew better than to say anything in your defense. Shortly after her banishment, Ozai deems it best to send you away to the academy since he has no other use for you

Your departure is hard for both siblings. Zuko is gutted that he can no longer be there to protect you or look after you. Though she acts as if she couldn’t care less, Azula is devastated at your leaving. Her source of comfort is being ripped away from her, and she has no one to look out for her

At the academy you learn various forms of physical combat and weaponry wielding. You’re especially fond of using tanto swords in battle and they’ve become your weapon of choice when in a fight

Zuko and Azula send you letters during your stay at school behind your father’s back updating you about your home, their lives, and their annoyance of each other. You keep every single one they send, and it eases the ache of your home sickness

It’s also at the school that you learn of the Agni Kai and Zuko’s banishment. Your heart breaks for your older brother, and you’re devastated at the fact that you never got the chance to say goodbye and you may never see him again. He still sends letter for a time, but as the years pass they become less frequent and almost nonexistent. Azula’s letters follow the same path

Years pass and your father deems it time for you to come home. Now that you’ve made a decent fighter out of yourself he finds your worthy of being his daughter again

However, your stay is short lived. Azula recruits you to be part of her little team to capture the Avatar and your brother, and you don’t really have any other choice but to agree

You downplay how skilled you are in fighting so that she doesn’t expect much from you and force you to do too much of the work. You don’t want to go against her, but you also don’t want to have to fight your brother and your uncle

You also don’t exactly feel good about destroying the world’s last hope for peace

And that’s why, when the time comes, you choose the Avatar over your siblings

You’re tired of being pulled back and forth, of always being stuck between your siblings with no real purpose, of not being able to do anything for yourself

Zuko is astonished by your choice and conflicted. Just when he finally had found his way back into the family you chose to leave it. Why were you doing this? Why were you ruining everything?

Azula is furious. Your betrayal hurts worse than mother’s. You’d always taken her side, always comforted her and supported her, you’d always been there, and now you were leaving. How dare you leave her?

“You fool!” She’d cried, angrily sending a blast of blue flames your way knowing you wouldn’t be able to stop it. If not for Iroh, surely her strike would have ended you. The fact that your own sister was willing to hurt you for the cause was enough proof to know you were making the right decision

You help the Avatar escape and join his group, vowing to help them in any way you can to win the war. Your fighting skills and knowledge of the Fire Nation makes you a big help and they appreciate your assistance

It doesn’t take long for you to win their trust and acclimate into their group. You become fast friends with everyone, growing especially close to Sokka who may or may not have a huge crush on you

He definitely becomes your shoulder to lean on when things get tough, because he knows it can’t be easy for you to just leave all you’ve ever known behind. you struggle constantly over having to choose the Avatar over your siblings, but he constantly assures you that you’ve made the right choice

Least to say your departure makes Zuko’s return home even more conflicting and turmoil filled. How can he enjoy being back home when you’re not there to enjoy it with him? How could he be happy knowing his sister was out there risking her life to help the Avatar?

Your decision definitely inspires his own to leave the Fire Nation and aid Aang and his friends

Your abandonment of your siblings also fuels Azula’s descent into madness, fueling her fire to continue her mission to capture the Avatar

It’s a rough position you’ve found yourself in, but it’s not like your whole life hasn’t been you stuck in a terrible spot

Being the middle child is hard, especially when your siblings are Zuko and Azula

[homodotus]

‘your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing’

- crime and punishment, dostoevsky