#its young iroh ii

[firelordsfirelady]

II. Banishment

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal

Word Count: 2119

Destined to be Yin and Yang

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story. 

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

See Y/N's inspiration here.

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

I had been fearful my first week or so aboard the ship to practice my waterbending. Since I now had no regular practice, I feared losing the knowledge of my element. As the full moon approached, the urge grew strong to waterbend, and I couldn’t stand to deny myself further. I devised a plan to sneak out on the night of the full moon to practice my waterbending.

The night of the full moon, I put my plan into action. Using small amounts of oil to grease the hinges of the door, I silently opened the door and peered into the hall. When silence greeted me for a satisfactory amount of time, I tip toed into the hallway and pressed my ear slightly against the door across from me. Once again, silence greeted me, and I crept away from the room containing the Fire Lord’s son. Sticking to the shadows, I crept through the corridor and peered through the little window of the door. None of the crew was on the deck, so I slipped out of the door.

The cool breeze of the open seas at night greeted me as I leaned against the wall as I faintly picked up the sounds of laughter and drunken shenanigans happening below deck. The crew had settled for the night to relax, and I felt some tension leave my shoulders. With light feet, I crept to the center of the deck and glanced up at the sky. The clouds parted to reveal the moon in all of its beautiful glory as I smiled at the display. Glancing around once more, I was satisfied to see no one else. 

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes as I let the pull to waterbend flow through me. Taking a small stream from the ocean, I water whipped the air over the railing on the other side of the boat. I slid my feet horizontally across the deck as I turned the stream to an ice sculpture before closing my fist to rupture the sculpture I just made. A genuine smile settled on my lips as relief flushed my system. Fighting back a small laugh, I danced with streams of water and ice as I embraced the power of the full moon. A sound from below brought my moment of joy to an end as I returned the water back to the ocean and quickly made my escape to my room. I slid into my bed with a smile on my face.

Closing my eyes, I made a promise to myself: I will be doing that every full moon.

The next morning, I was surprised to see Zuko present at the table for breakfast. I gave a polite nod to Iroh as I sat down at my usual spot and fixed a plate of some eggs then made a cup of tea. Zuko sat at the table quietly eating his own plate of breakfast, but he never looked at or acknowledged my presence. Iroh cleared his throat as he gave Zuko a certain look. The loud clatter of Zuko’s fork roughly hitting the ceramic plate as he let out an annoyed huff.

“Good morning, Princess.” Zuko practically growled as his face twisted in annoyance. My former title didn’t sound well coming from the former prince, so I gave him a soft smile.

“Y/N. You can just call me Y/N.” The young man across from me scuffed as he crossed his arms across his chest.

“Father cannot seriously expect me to marry someone as improper as you.” The soft smile on my lips wavered slightly at the prince’s harsh words, but I maintained my composure as I looked at Zuko’s scar. It looked fresh, but healing the best it could. Whatever caused the burn must’ve caused serious damage to his eye, and I speculated the wound had caused some problems for his sight; however, I kept my gaze only briefly on the scar as I shifted my gaze back to my eggs.

“Forgive me, Prince Zuko.” Iroh shook his head as I spoke, but the Prince did not look at me as I continued. “I was just trying to--”

“I told you that you won’t distract me from my mission.” Zuko let out in a burst of anger. “I don’t care about whatever you were trying to do. It won’t help me find the Avatar!” My heart sank to the bottom of my chest as I forced myself to take deep, calming breaths. I could feel tears threatening to gather in my eyes, but I excused myself from the table before retreating out of the room.

“Nephew--” I heard Iroh’s voice as I left the room.

“Do not nephew me! I am not wrong! She’s no use to me in finding the avatar.” Zuko’s angry words caused my eyes to burn more. I blinked away the tears in a desperate attempt to clear my blurry vision as I made haste to my bedroom. Once safe in the four walls I shared with no one, I collapsed on the bed and cried into the pillow. 

A series of soft knocks sounded on my door a few hours later. I sighed heavily as I granted permission to whomever was on the other side to enter. The door opened to reveal Iroh standing there holding a tray of hot tea.

“Would you care for some tea?” Iroh had a soft smile on his lips as he spoke in a gentle tone. I closed the book I had been reading as I gave the older man a soft smile.

“Only if it’s jasmine tea.” Iroh let out a belly laugh as he set the tray down on the small end table next to the bed.

“I am glad to have met someone else who has an appreciation for jasmine tea like myself.” His jovial tone immediately set my nerves at ease. “It is also Zuko’s favorite tea as well.” My heart clenched in hurt at the mention of the prince’s name, and Iroh’s eyes softened at me.

“I must apologize for my nephew’s comment earlier.” I looked at Iroh as he continued. “Not that it excuses his behavior, but would you like to know why Zuko was banished?” I raised an eyebrow at the older man with the long beard as he sipped on his cup of jasmine tea.

“Yes. No one on the ship seems to know why he is banished.” I admit quietly. “I’ve been curious since we boarded the boat.” I sipped on the warm liquid of my cup of jasmine tea, and sighed in content as the warmth spread within my chest and down to my stomach. The older man smiled as he took a seat on the small chair in front of the desk. 

“My brother has quite the reputation for military conquest. There is nothing and no one he wouldn’t sacrifice if it meant meeting his ultimate goal—to be the sole ruler of all the nations.” I nodded along as I listened to Iroh. “Zuko—being the next in-line for the throne—was present at this council meeting with Ozai and his generals. They were discussing a plan to invade and attack, but the crew was made of fresh recruits.” Iroh looked out of the window as he continued.

“When Zuko mentioned that the new recruits were not able to handle the task and would die in the battle, the general merely agreed while Ozai said that war comes with sacrifices.” A heavy sigh left the older man, and I felt I knew where this was going. “Zuko challenged the order, and his father said it would need to be settled with Agni Kai.”

I knew a little about the Agni Kai from the book I had just been reading. Even though Zuko was banished at this moment in time, I had wanted to learn more about the Fire Nation and their customs. Agni Kai were traditional firebender duels that occurred when one’s honor was challenged, and they only ended when one opponent burns the other. I felt the color drain from my face as the reality of how the burn got on Zuko’s face dawned on me.

“Zuko was prepared to fight the general, but when my brother stood across from Zuko at the Agni Kai….” Iroh’s voice trailed off as I closed my eyes. 

In my month aboard the ship, I had learned that Zuko was the same age as me. I couldn’t imagine how he felt when his own father challenged him in a battle of honor, nor could I imagine how he felt when his own father burned him. My heart ached for the young man, but I opened my eyes again to look at the older man who watched me with saddened eyes.

“Zuko hesitated one moment in the Agni Kai, and his father burned him for his weakness.” My thoughts briefly moved towards my own father, and how different mine and Zuko’s upbringing had been. My father would never have challenged me to such a fight, nor would he have caused physical harm to me. I couldn’t imagine what he endured as a child, nor the pain he must feel now. “His father exiled him and told him the only way to restore his honor is to return with the avatar.” Iroh and I exchanged knowing expressions. 

“What a cruel punishment.” I spoke without thought, which caused Iroh to chuckle. “Forgive me. I spoke without care.”

“Oh no.” Iroh smiled at me. “It is quite alright. I fear that I share similar thoughts.” His eyes softened at me. “Forgive me, my dear, for it appears that you too have been unfairly punished by this situation as well.” I shifted my gaze down to my hands as I fiddled with the empty cup.

“I had no clue what was happening the day I was told that I was to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son.” I started off in a low voice. “Mother and Father looked hesitant to tell me what terms the Fire Lord had accepted for peace.” 

“I barely had time that morning to say goodbye to everyone before I was rushed away to the ship and on my way to the Fire Nation.” My eyes blinked away tears as I recalled my parents’ somber expressions as I left, and I let out a humorless laugh. “I honestly had no idea what awaited me when the ship docked that day.”

“Part of me wondered—based on the stories they’ve told of the Fire Nation—if I was even going to be alive once I set foot on Fire Nation soil.” I played with a strand of my hair that dangled into my lap. “Lord Ozai said only to follow him, or I’d miss my boat.” Looking up at Iroh, I found more sadness in his eyes.

“I was so relieved to not be dead upon arrival, but I had a new fear that I wouldn’t survive three seconds on the boat.” I gave a small smile at the memory. “I am glad that my fears were just that—fears. I couldn’t imagine what Zuko must be feeling or what he’s thinking about.” 

“You are far wiser than most adults are:” Iroh said with a smile. “The Prince does not yet know how lucky he is.” My cheeks felt hot at the comment, but I shrugged away my embarrassment. 

“Mother and Father always told me to never judge someone before you get to know their story, and to always try your best to show kindness to strangers.” I shrugged as I looked out of the window in the room. “I was to be a ruler one day, and I wanted nothing more than to be a kind ruler like my father.” Shaking my head, I looked at Iroh. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

“You’re welcome.” Iroh nodded. “I know it doesn’t excuse Zuko’s behavior—“

“No, but it does help me understand this situation a bit more.” A sad smile found its place on my lips as Iroh gathered his tea tray. “Thank you for the tea and conversation. I really enjoyed it.” 

“If you ever need tea, I am always willing to make some.” He sent a small wink my way before he left, closing the door behind him. 

As I sat in the silence of my room, I felt a heavy feeling sink in my chest. The Fire Lord probably sought out the engagement as a source of embarrassment to place upon his son—as if he hadn’t been embarrassed enough. Instead of wallowing in self pity, a new idea slowly crept into my head, and I smiled at the thought.

I need to speak with the cooks.

Tag List @chevysstuffs @puttyly @hypnoticbeing

[hyunjin-amore]

Iroh II x Y/N: A Wholesome Love Story

Not that many people making stuff about him so here this one of my favorite character😁😁

Once upon a time, in the beautiful Fire Nation, there was a handsome and kind-hearted prince named Iroh II. He was known for his gentle nature and was beloved by all who knew him. The people admired him for his compassion and strong leadership, and he was destined to be the next Fire Lord.

One sunny day, Iroh II was taking a stroll in the royal gardens when he came across a lovely and intelligent young woman. She was the Y/N, a scholar, and an advisor to the royal family. The moment their eyes met, there was an instant connection between them.

As they spent more time together, Iroh II found himself falling for the Y/N’s quick wit and warm heart. He admired her for her dedication to her work and her unwavering loyalty to the Fire Nation. Y/N, in turn, was drawn to Iroh II's humility and genuine interest in her thoughts and ideas.

Their romance blossomed slowly, like the gentle flames of a hearth. They would sneak secret moments together in the palace gardens, sharing their dreams and aspirations. It was clear to everyone around them that they were meant to be together.

As their love grew, Iroh II and the Y/N stood by each other through thick and thin. They faced challenges and obstacles, but their love only grew stronger with each trial. Together, they worked to make the Fire Nation a better place for all its citizens, embracing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

In the end, Iroh II and the Y/N ruled the Fire Nation with wisdom and compassion, their love serving as a beacon of hope for their people. Their love story became a legendary tale, remembered for generations to come as a symbol of true love and devotion in the Fire Nation.

[zuko-always-lies]

What is Aang's opinion on destiny?

This ask has sat in my box for well over a year, so I figured I should actually answer it. We see people talk about Aang's destiny to him or Aang talk to others about it a few times. The brief version is that for Aang, his destiny ultimately comes to mean both his duties and responsibilities as Avatar, and also something that he must actively decide and shape, instead of something which is preordained. Aang is "destined to be Avatar" and must do his best to fulfill the duty of that role, but what that looks like and entitles is up to him. It is very different from how Iroh and Zuko view destiny.

"The Storm":

Gyatso: Aang needs to have freedom and fun. He needs to grow up as a normal boy. Tashi: You cannot keep protecting him from his destiny. Pasang: Gyatso, I know you mean well, but you are letting your affection for the boy cloud your judgment. Gyatso: All I want is what is best for him. Pasang: But what we need is what's best for the world. You and Aang must be separated! The Avatar will be sent away to the Eastern Air Temple to complete his training. Aang is shown looking through a hole in the ceiling, shocked at the news that he just heard.

Destiny here is "Aang's duties as Avatar"

"The Fortuneteller":

Wu: [Her and Aang shielding their faces in surprise.] Oh my! [Cuts to shot of the bone lying in the fire and back to Aunt Wu who is fascinated.] Your destiny! This is incredible. You will be involved in a great battle, an awesome conflict between the forces of good and evil. A battle whose outcome will determine the fate of the whole world! Aang: [Casually.] Yeah, yeah, I knew that already. But did it say anything about a girl?

Destiny here is whether Aang ends up with Katara, but that's the only time we ever see Aang treat it as such.

Aang: [Disappointed.] You didn't really see love in my fortune, did you? You just told me what I wanted to hear. Wu: I'll tell you a little secret, young airbender. [Gestures to the sky.] Just as you reshaped those clouds, [Cuts to shot of Aang, who smiles; off-camera.] you have the power to shape your own destiny.

Aunt Wu tells Aang he can shape his own path.

"The Firebending Master":

Aang: Master, I need to learn firebending. Jeong Jeong: Only a fool seeks his own destruction. Aang: [To Jeong Jeong.] I'm the Avatar, it's my destiny to— [Gets interrupted.] Jeong Jeong: Destiny? What would a boy know of destiny? If a fish lives its whole life in this river, does he know the river's destiny? No! Only that it runs on and on out of his control! He may follow where it flows, but he cannot see the end. He cannot imagine the ocean. Aang: Okay, but it's the Avatar's duty to master all of the bending disciplines.

Destiny is again Aang's duty as Avatar.

"Sozin's Comet, Part II":

Aang: I need to look deep inside myself. Close-up frontal view as Aang starts meditating. Side-view of Aang as the spirit of Avatar Kuruk, a male Avatar from the Northern Water Tribe, appears before him. Kuruk: [Close-up.] I am Avatar Kuruk. [Cut to flashback to a close-up view of a younger Avatar Kuruk. The camera zooms out to show him surfing.] When I was young, I was always a go-with-the-flow kind of Avatar. [The camera pans round to follow his movements on the wave before holding steady as he surfs away.] People seemed to work out their own problems, and there was peace and good times in the world. [Cut to shot of the sun and the camera pans down to Kuruk with Ummi and they kiss.] But then, [Fade to a side-view of Koh in the Spirit World. Koh moves in front of the camera to reveal the face of Ummi.] I lost the woman I loved to Koh, the Face Stealer. [Fade back to close-up side-view of present-day Kuruk.] It was my fault. If I had been more attentive and more active, [Close-up of Aang.] I could've saved her. Aang, [Close-up of Kuruk.] you must actively shape your own destiny and the destiny of the world.

Destiny is again something Aang must actively take control of, instead of preordained path.

[chiefbeifongcanrailme]

A Solemn Camper

Here’s my submission for day 1 of Lin Beifong’s Week. You can also find it on AO3.

Pairing: Lin Beifong x Iroh II

Rating: T

Find a surprise at the very end😉

This was not working. Nothing about this made sense. But spirits, if she wanted it to.

Tenzin made it look okay. He made it look decent, like love was the only thing that mattered. That souls were meant to be bound and—ugh, she groaned internally.

This was not working.

The rapid, whirring sound of a zipper separating broke Lin out of her thoughts. She quickly looked to the front. It was Iroh, looking pale as ever. She knew he had been feeling it too.

If it wasn't going to work in Republic City, it sure wasn't going to work in the middle of a forest.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hi," her reply was softer.

"If you want to sit by the fire, it's warm..."

Lin stood up. The tent wasn't lacking in any amenity. The royals knew how to camp but they were far from roughing it out. The only thing she really needed was some warmth and closure. In retrospect, she had decided that she wouldn't need her space heater since Iroh himself is one but seeing as things were going, she probably should've chosen differently.

His eyes followed her as she walked past the young prince. He had so much to say and not one word to express his thoughts.

"Lin, I want to apologize."

She sighed. She was merely but a step outside the confines of their tent.

"I'm sorry that you feel like this isn't working. I really wanted to do right by you and—"

"Iroh, it's not your fault we’re not compatible,” she said quickly.

He placed his hand on the small of her back, forcing her to turn around him and face him. When she did, he placed his other hand around her waist and took the vision of her in. She was beautiful. A spectacular woman and even better partner. He couldn't piece together what was amiss.

Lin stroked his cheek with her thumb slowly and he melted under her touch.

It all came spilling out right then. "Lin, I've loved you since I barely understood what love was." His words were choking. "I can't let you go."

"Why don’t we talk? We never talk," she whispered hollowly.

“We should talk.”

“By the fire, though." She smiled meekly. "I am freezing."

The crescent moon was enchanting, and the silver light shone with all its might over the mountains. The city lights always hid the beauty of the night sky but in Iroh's eyes, Lin was still the most ethereal being there. He thought about verbalizing this but quickly realized how desperate he'd sound like.

But as if she was reading his mind, she said, "You need to speak your thoughts out to me. I need to hear from you what you're thinking."

She rose the stoned ground and turned it into a makeshift bench in front of the fire. She took her seat and pulled the blanket over her. Iroh took the seat beside her and gave her a look she didn't know the meaning of.

"Really, speak," she almost begged. "I need to know why you think I'm unhappy."

Iroh exhaled. "I often feel like I'm not enough for you. That I'm not the mature but younger man you signed up to be with. It's like you see me as the child you used to babysit all those years ago."

Lin chuckled despite herself. Iroh was the only child she would ever agree to babysit. He was a good kid. Clean and easy to care for.

She cleared her throat before rubbing that smile off her face. "I don't see you that way at all. I feel the same exact way, like I'm too old for you and that you would very much like to be with a woman closer to your age."

Iroh scoffed at that. "In what world would I choose anyone over you?"

"A world where pretty thirty-something year olds are wooing the handsome prince of the fire nation?"

"Of course, I don't care about those phonies! I only talk to them because—"

"I'm not jealous!" Lin said quickly, waving her hands. "Believe me. I've come a long way from feeling like I have to compete with younger women. I love you too, Iroh. I don't know that you love me."

"What? You barely let me kiss you when we’re out and you never have time for me! I would follow you to the moon if you let me and—"

"That is insane! You know I don't care for public displays of affection and why do you think I keep bringing paperwork to bed? It's so can sit with you while I work. You're the one who never voices anything out!"

"I don't always know what to say or how to put words to my feelings!"

"How hard is it to just say what you're thinking?!" she retorted. "It's not like you're speaking a different language, Iroh."

Realization hit the firebender like a satotruck. "Of course, I am," he murmured, meeting her eyes with his. He extended his arm out and gestured for her to sit in his embrace.

"What?" she whispered, moving closer.

"We speak different languages. We're not not compatible. We are just speaking different languages. Different love languages."

Lin tilted her head upwards and gave him a confused look. So, he continued, "You try to spend your time with me even though you have none of it. You need to hear my affirmations for you, but I never say them. Like, I'd never say that I cannot decide if it's the gleam of the fire or the moonlight that's making you glow right now, but it's making me fall even more in love with you."

"So how do we speak the same language?"

"Like this," he whispered and kissed her lips gently. He felt a smile creep against his mouth and despite himself, he pulled away to look at it. He decided that she was radiant beyond the brilliance of the sun and the moon. "Your smile is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."

She gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled his mouth back onto hers. His arms tightened around her back and she felt him breathe in her mouth. It felt surreal.

"Do you feel loved right now?"

"I do," he whispered against her lips. "Do you?"

"I do."

This art is made by the fantastic JadeLotus. Her AO3 is linked here.

[simpywriter]

Flames

Part Three

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

Part I | Part II

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

Warning: little little tiny bit of angst

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[hi-love-evething-lok-and-atla]

[pencilscratchins]

ma'am do you have some spare iroh ii and grandpa sokka headcanons?

oh this made me soft as hell, you menace 

• i think iroh takes an interest in sailing really young- he just has natural sea legs, which means he constantly is begging his parents to let him spend time with his grandpas in the south pole (i think they move there more or less for good when zuko steps down) • • izumi, for all she does take after sokka, never took to sailing after her ice dodging (probably because she just made bumi run the ship whenever she needed to get anywhere) and izumi’s first born, kanna is an engineering prodigy but doesn’t know a stern from a bow-- so sokka is very excited to have a buddy. • • when iroh begs and begs to do his ice dodging, izumi is like “absolutely NOT” and sokkas like “we let you do it!” izumi: “that’s different” zuko: “you’re right. iroh’s not a nerd♥” • he’s obsessed with the stars, but particularly the water tribe’s names & stories attached to them. sokka used to tell him the stories to get to sleep at night, but he used to fight off sleep to head them all. when he astronavigates, he always uses water tribe terms and refers to the moon by her name. • iroh was a very pensive kid- he soaked up information like a sponge, so he basically hung off the edge of every word sokka said. Its very zuko & iroh 1 relationship • • it annoys the hell out of his UF crew because he’s constantly like “my grandpa always said...” • a lot like sokka, he struggles with public speaking at first, so sokka would sit up with him and let iroh practice his speeches as many times as he needed to. • sokka called him “lion seal” as a kid but when iroh grows out of that, it changes to “ro”, though sokka still secretly calls him lion seal to zuko. • when iroh has his first crush, he soon realizes that unfortunately, he took after his mother & zuko when it comes to flirting and is. awful. just... hatefully bad. • • sokkas like “hey, who better to train you out of that than me? the man who was able to look past that” and zuko is like “alright mr. let’s do an activity” • sokka was so proud when he joined the forces -- they would write to each other constantly. • he’s a terrible pia sho player and sokka has never taken it easy on him. • oomph im about to make an attempt at angst so im terribly sorry. • when sokka dies, iroh takes it really hard. his family’s not big on the emotional talk, and this wasn’t any different. zuko was clearly heartbroken, but he took it like his uncle had taken the passing of his wife, and went quiet. kanna was ever the optimistic and tried to look at the positive, only talked about good memories-- katara, who was tired of losing people she loved, did the same. his father was supportive, but didn’t understand. iroh felt like he was the only one who was feeling it. • • he wanted to spend the night of his funeral in sokka’s old study, going over his blueprints over and over, but when he got there; he found his mother, already wrapped in her dad’s journals. and he was a little surprised-- izumi was always very refined in her feelings. • • they just looked at each other for a bit, before she told him in a small voice “you always had his smile” and even though they both knew that wasn’t possible possible, they both knew it was true. •  •  • they didn’t speak much more that night, but they sat together and reminded each other they weren’t alone, and how similarly they both loved him. • ANYWAY feelings aside, iroh is ambidextrous and is convinced its because sokka trained him to be. kanna has told him 100 times thats not possible but he refuses to believe that.

[giveamadeuschohisownmovie]

Concept for an Avatar Studios series: “Avatar: The Legend of Minato”

General plot:

Years after the death of Avatar Korra, the world is in a strange place. The Air Nation has been taken over by a revolutionary group promising to militarize the nation in order to prevent any future genocide attempts by invaders. Inspired by the Air Nation Revolution and the Southern Water Tribe successfully achieving independence from the Northern Water Tribe, both the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom are dealing with radical political movements aimed at changing the current political system.

In the midst of all this political turmoil, rumors of the Dark Avatar and Vaatu returning are being spread from nation to nation. And to top it all off, the current United Republic of Nations administration has declared that it will stay out of the affairs of the other four nations, believing it is not their place to act as the world’s police. 

This is the world of Avatar Minato. 

Plot points:

1) The Air Nation has been changed into a militarized state similar to the Fire Nation, directly going against the pacifist ways of the original Air Nomad order. 

2) The Earth Kingdom is dealing with revolutionaries trying to replace the current monarchy with a system of democracy. A big point of the series is Avatar Minato being torn between which side to support since, even though the revolutionaries are waging war against the Earth Kingdom, he supports what they’re trying to achieve.

3) The Fire Nation is dealing with a civil war on multiple fronts. Instead of trying to achieve democracy, several nobles have declared themselves “Fire Lord” and are fighting each other for supremacy. For a comparison, the Fire Nation is having its own “War of the Five Kings” from Game of Thrones. 

4) The two Water Tribes are trying to stay neutral in the midst of all this chaos. However, they too are struggling since the conflicts in the other three nations are impacting trade, resulting in economic struggles for both nations. 

5) Korra died at age 45. A big part of the series is Minato and his Team Avatar trying to figure out why Korra died so young. In a later season, it’s revealed that Korra died while protecting an Air Nation city from a hurricane. She could’ve been saved but the Air Nation revolutionaries left her to die so that she wouldn’t interfere in their revolution (yes, this is supposed to be a direct parallel to what happened to Avatar Roku).

Main Cast: 

1) Daisuke Tsuji (Jin Sakai from “Ghost of Tsushima”) as Avatar Minato. In comparison to Aang and Korra, Minato is calm, level-headed, and down-to-earth. His backstory is that he was born into an Earth Kingdom crime family, resulting in him being an extremely unpopular Avatar. So a central component of his character arc is convincing the world that he is a worthy Avatar, despite his heritage.

2) Chloe Bennet (Daisy Johnson from “Agents of SHIELD”) as Mei, the deuteragonist of the series and member of Team Avatar. She is an Air Nation refugee who fled the country after the revolutionaries took over.

3) Dante Basco as Jeong-ho, the tritagonist of the series and member of Team Avatar. He is a Fire Nation refugee who fled his nation when civil war broke out. Side note, a major subplot with this character is that he’s later revealed to be Zuko’s illegitimate great-grandson (meaning that General Iroh II had an affair at some point).

4) Alexis Tipton (Kaguya Shinomiya from “Kaguya-Sama” - English dub) as Ai, the “Dark Avatar”. She is a member of Team Avatar, but only because Avatar Minato wants to keep an eye on her in case she becomes overwhelmed by Vaatu’s influence. A central component of Ai’s character arc is learning to control Vaatu in order to fight alongside Minato. 

[reinerispretty]

I love your bolin hcs - there’s not enough bolin content here! Would you consider doing dating hcs for iroh ii?

thank u very much!!! of course :D headcanons under the cut bc nsfw content hehe

sfw hc’s!!

i think you guys would meet training in the military when ur young, like eighteen !! you’d heard a lot about him bc duh, son of the fire lord, and everyone would be so impressed by him but you were just kinda ...meh

like you could admit that he was skilled but u didn’t think he was anything special. he was just like any other firebender

and that kinda made him a little annoyed?? bc his entire life ppl had praised him and told him how great he was and then all of a sudden you come around and you’re like, you’re ok, i guess

and even if he wasn’t consciously aware of it, he wanted to do everything he could to show u that he was worth all this praise

but in doing so he kind of created a rivalry between the two of u within ur regiment of the united forces

you guys constantly competed for top spot and you were both pretty evenly matched since u were also a firebender

and when u guys graduated the academy together u were transferred to like the same area or whatever (military terms ??) 

so u had to work at each other’s sides for a lot longer than u were anticipating and this was the real world so ur grades didn’t matter, what mattered is u guys proving u could do ur job 

and surprisingly u guys get along really well once the competition aspect has been removed

ur the other’s only familiar face so u take all of ur meals together and just enjoy the other’s company

so one day u get stuck in a sticky situation. like, captured by the enemy, gun pointed to ur head kind of sticky situation, and iroh is absolutely BESIDE himself

he’s not quite losing his cool but he’s definitely being snippier to his crew than usual 

eventually somehow u get out a signal that it’s only u there so there’s no use putting the rest of the crew in danger

and iroh is NOT having it

“we’re getting (y/l/n) out there as soon as possible” 

“but sir-” 

“you want to question my orders?” 

eventually he rescues u and u have to go to the infirmary right away so he can’t see you like he wants to 

but as soon as ur awake and all patched up he visits you in your room and he just goes HAm on you talking about how foolish u were to do this on your own and how you should’ve waited for his orders and all u can do is smile and say “did you miss me?” 

and he smiles too “so much” 

you date but keep it under wraps from the crew because it’s so much more fun to enjoy each other in private

but some days you’d have time off and he’d literally show you off as much as he could

when he visited the fire nation again he couldn’t stop talking to his family about you bc as we all know that family has big simp energy

and when they finally get to meet you zuko is so happy to see his grandson so happy and izumi looks super tough but iroh is like !!! that means she likes you

the people of the fire nation know you’re an item so naturally it gets back to the crew and you can’t hide it anymore

and protocol calls for u guys to be separated buuuuut the general will make an exception (bc you’re literally his beloved gf) 

nsfw hc’s!!

iroh is good at everything and u hate it

like eating you out? god shit. his strokes? unbelievable. and he’s so STRONG he can hold u up and fuck u against a wall for literal hours

you like to be as big of a tease as u can on that ship

because there’s not very much for you to do besides work and drive iroh crazy

so you occasionally flirt with other members of the crew. nothing serious, just small little things that no one notices except for iroh

bc of course he always has his eyes on you

and boy does he get JEALOUS

he tries to think it’s beneath him but he has such a temper

you two are walking down the hallway together and he knows the ship like the back of his hand so he knows when it’ll be empty and he just pushes you up against the wall and pushes his legs between your thighs

your hair falls out of its pristine bun from the impact

“why do you do this, huh? it’s like you want to be punished”

and of course it’s because you do

it has to be quick but he’s literally pounding up into you

and when you guys are done he just smacks ur ass and tells u to report to his quarters later

and thats where the REAL FUN STARTS

[aprettyweirgirl]

Linzumi hc cuz IF THERE'S NOT CONTENT OF THEM, I'LL MAKE IT

just to clarify: this is an AU and i know i said Izumi was 7 years older than Lin but here they have only 4 years

canon complaint

BISEXUAL DISASTERS

although, Izumi still being a lot more functional than Lin

their relationship starts a year after Tenzin and Lin break up and 3 after the fight with Su (when Lin is 25 and Izumi 29)

like she did after the fight with Su, Izumi took Lin to the Fire Nation after the break up and she stayed there for 3 months

they got together by the 3rd month

Lin was an important part of the firekids' life even before she started the relationship with Izumi

when she and Izumi started their relationship, the firekids were already (Iroh II) 8yo and (Ursa II) 10 months old

they love Lin so much

they don't tried to hide it but nobody knew of their relationship, until once the Fire Family went to Air Temple Island for a reunion and Iroh and Ursa saw Lin after a couple of months so Iroh went to her to hug her and Izumi passed Ursa to Lin's arms and everyone was like "emmm what its happening here...?" and Lin was like "oh yeah Izumi and i are dating and they're also my kids now"

Tenzin got pretty mad and jealous when he found out about Lin and Izumi's relationship but specially about Lin taking part of the responsibility for Izumi's kids but not accepting having his kids

at the beginning of their relationship, Azula tried to see if Lin was worthy of Izumi, by scaring her, but it didn't work so Azula thought Lin was awesome

Lin during her career in the RCPD, Lin doesn't move to the Fire Nation, but she does after her retirement

the both of them have reputations that they need to take care of, so PDA is not a thing for them (it also make them uncomfortable) so you'll not gonna hear them using pet names or anything like that, they not even hold hands

most of their affection is based in actions and some physical affection

Izumi wears a little golden collar with the Beifong simbol

they got married in secret so they didn't have to deal with the scandal

Zuko cried on Mai's shoulder during all the ceremony

Izumi is essentially a rich kid, so every time she's in RC Lin has always to cook because... Izumi can't

they sitting together under a tree feeding turtleducks? yes, yes, thank you very much

Izumi will pass by Lin's side and give her a quick little kiss on the cheek or nose (if they are in public, that will not happen)

they're absolute night owls

when Izumi was a little kid, Azula called her "Izuzu" so now, Lin might call her that, just to annoy her

Izumi is a huge nerd and Lin finds it incredibly adorable

they like to go for long walks for the palace late at night

Lin is a sucker for bitter chocolate, so every time they are together, Izumi makes sure to have some for her (the Fire Nation has the best chocolates in the world)

Mako found out about their marriage after Lin invited him for dinner when Izumi was in town. He almost died when he saw the Fire Lord sitting on the couch with a cup of tea on the table and with the news paper in her hands

Izumi finds the relationship between those two quite adorable and she thinks Mako is pretty much like Lin when she was young

then, she meets Bolin and Asami, Bolin has the same reaction he had with Zuko, Asami is less exited but she's still very surprised

Izumi likes teasing Lin saying that she didn't want to have any children but ended up with 6 of them anyway

Toph knows about their relationship (Lin isn't aware of that) but she wants to hear Lin telling her she's married. during a visit to the swamp with Su, Toph being tired of waiting to Lin to tell her, asks her "so, Lin, how's the wife?"

that's also when Su finds out about it

Lin is basically Izumi's cuddle bear

[jessiewritesthings]

Saudade - Epilogue

Prince Zuko x Reader

Here she is!! Saudade is my baby and i’m so happy and so grateful for everyone that has taken the time to read this, i love you all! thank you thank you thank you x

Part I - Part II - Part III

168 AG

Izumi smiled softly, flipping through the pages of the family album. Black and white photos dotted the pages, documenting the life you had shared with Zuko for more than seventy years. Images of you and Zuko at the helm of numerous Fire Lily Festivals, visiting Fire Nation Citizens, meeting with delegates from all over the Four Nations. The images Izumi liked the most were the ones with all your friends in them – as a child she had thought it was just the coolest thing that her parents were best friends with the Avatar.

She also particularly loved the photos you would take on your vacations to Ember Island – loved how proudly you held yourself, scar and all. Most people would take to hiding away, a scar so bad as yours was enough reason to, Izumi had figured. She knew her father struggled with it every day – no matter how many times you tried to comfort him, he always saw it as a sign of his weakness, a reminder of the cruelty that Azula and Ozai, and the rest of his predecessors had put the world through.

Your life with Zuko hadn’t always been easy, though it had definitely been worth it. Numerous assassination attempts on the both of you had plagued your first few years together, and the backlash from Zuko’s advisors as he proposed and promptly married you, crowning you his Fire Lady, hadn’t gone down particularly easy. Nonetheless, you were stronger together, and in time the Fire Nation grew to love you, just as they did Zuko.

Izumi sighed, a tear rolling down her cheek as she closed the album, placing it on the corner table before joining her father on the balcony.

“Izumi, my dear,” Zuko murmured, reaching for her hand as she placed it on his shoulder.

Izumi stood silently with her father, watching as their guest’s ships began to depart. If she squinted, she could see Katara with Tenzin and Pema, waving as Pema wrangled with Jinora and Ikki, young Meelo clinging to his father. Raising his hand to wave in return, Zuko thought about how desperately he wanted Aang, or his Uncle Iroh around – someone that could help him come to terms with the most devastating blow he’d been dealt yet.

It had been two weeks now, since Zuko had woken to find you cold, yet soft and peaceful in his arms. Your arms had still been pressed across his chest, the same groove you always found yourselves sleeping in, legs pushed together like you were two halves of a whole – which, in a way, you were. Zuko had swallowed down his fear, and his cry for help, as he looked at you, softly brushing your white hair from your face, his fingers delicately running the beads along the strands.

“Oh, my sweet y/n,” he had whispered, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead, his tears starting to fall over your face. He stayed there with you, unable and unwilling to move, as if he stayed still forever you might open your eyes and greet him. His eyes didn’t move from your form when his attendant, Mira, entered the room, a tray of hot breakfast and steaming tea in her arms.

The tray was quickly placed on the side table as Mira rushed to the bedside, gasping in shock.

“Lord Zuko,” she started, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“Mira, please.” He let go of you now, gently removing himself from your bed, as if trying not to rouse you.

Mira came to his side, placing an arm on Lord Zuko’s shoulder before he smiled softly at her and pulled her into a hug. Zuko continued to cry, comforted by Mira. You had been loved and admired by all of the palace staff, and many of them had requested to follow you and Zuko when you had moved to Ember Island following Zuko’s abdication as Fire Lord.

“The Lady y/n will be remembered fiercely, Lord Zuko. The Fire Nation’s most delicate flower.”

Zuko smiled, fondly remembering the first time he had introduced you to his dragon, Druk. Zuko had the utmost confidence in the dragon, and you had been positively terrified – not because he was a giant fire-breathing dragon – you’d proven yourself more than capable of handling fire by now – but he was just so big. Nonetheless, you had mounted Druk, and shrieked in surprise as Zuko leapt off the dragon, watching as you soared into the sky, your wild hair flowing as you clutched onto Druk’s scales. Zuko was positively enamoured – he’d already spent a lifetime loving you, but seeing you ride Druk with such tenacity and grit had sent him straight into the past, flying through all your history until you were both back in the Crystal Catacombs in Ba Sing Se. Zuko was enchanted by you, and he knew he would be until his heart stopped beating.

You were beaming as Druk had landed, your hair windswept and your blue robes loose, exhilarated. Leaping off the dragon, you ran to Zuko’s arms, flinging yourself to him as your arms found their natural home, your lips pressing to his scar.

“Zuko, that was incredible,” you’d exclaimed, astounded.

“Mmm, it certainly was.” Zuko smiled – watching you ride Druk was better than being in the reigns himself.

“My Dragon Queen,” he murmured, pressing soft kisses against your neck, the spot he knew you loved the most.

_____

Zuko sat with his daughter until the sun had entirely disappeared, and then they sat together for longer, watching the night as the stars began to dapple across the sky, the moon incandescent in its beauty as it graced the sky. They sat silently, hands clasped together, tucked into a patchwork quilt you had made for Izumi’s birth – a delicate, stunning piece of work that seamlessly incorporated both sides of you and Zuko, magical swirls of red and blue speckled with gems and beads.

Izumi twirled the blue beads adorning the quilt through her fingers, recalling the countless nights that she would rouse you both from sleep, claiming to be plagued by nightmares. You never complained, always opening your arms to pull her in, letting her nestle in-between you and Zuko where she would sleep freely. Sometimes, before sleep took her, Izumi would feel your fingers drifting through her hair, and she would fall asleep in such a tranquil, safe space.

Eventually Izumi heard stories about her grandfather Ozai – horrifying stories of what he’d done to the world, his nation, his family. She’d never asked her father about his scar – in-fact it never occurred to her as a child that it deviated from malicious intent, because her mother had one too. In Izumi’s young mind, she used to imagine that the two of you being scarred was just the spirits way of making sure you found each other, as if your scars acted as magnets that would bring you together wherever you were.

“I was so lucky to have her love me, Izumi,” Zuko hummed, voice raspy. “I always knew I would love her, after we first met. Your mother, she was magic. Ethereal. It has been the greatest honour of my life to love her, and that love brought me the greatest gift: you.”

Izumi smiled fondly at her father, leaning forward to press a kiss to his forehead.

“She was lucky to have your love, too.”

Lord Zuko turned to his daughter, a soft smile gracing his face. She was an excellent Fire Lord, and he recalled the time Ursa had told him that a Fire Lord producing a nonbending child was a disgrace in Ozai’s eyes. Of course, Ozai was wrong. Izumi was not a bender, but Zuko constantly found himself in awe of his daughter’s calm demeanour, and when he abdicated his throne, he had never been prouder of Izumi as she was crowned Fire Lord.

Izumi’s birth had not been easy for you – she was a stubborn babe, and you’d been in labour for hours – days actually, as you later found out. Katara was assisting you, and Aang had taken Zuko away to keep him distracted – it was awfully improper for a husband to be present at a birth of course. Naturally, that didn’t deter you, and you constantly pleaded with Katara and your handmaiden to please, please, please get Zuko. As Zuko and Aang returned to the palace, Fire Lord Zuko was informed that your child still had not been delivered. Anxiety consumed him, and to the horror of his advisors he’d dashed to your chambers, grasping your hand and whispering sweet nothings into your ear as you finally delivered a healthy, beautiful, precious baby girl.

Zuko was enamoured with Izumi immediately, and would often be found after a particularly highly-strung meeting with his advisors sitting on the balcony in Izumi’s nursery, holding his soft, sweet girl in his arms. Before Izumi was born, Zuko had confided in you that he wasn’t sure about his ability to be a father – he wanted to be a good father so much that it overwhelmed him, and he wasn’t able to comprehend it. He’d blurted it out in the middle of a game of Pai Sho, neither of you knowing that you were in-fact already carrying the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. You’d reached your arm across the board, hand gently caressing Zuko as you gave him a reassuring smile.

“You will be magnificent, my love. Any children we have will grow to see their father the same way I do – brave, intelligent, loving and kind.”

Zuko took your hands, pressing them to his lips as he watched you, shadows from the flames flickering across your face.

“Have I told you that I’m madly in love with you?” he replied, a cheeky grin forming. Forgetting the game of Pai Sho, you crept over to his side, wrapping your arms around his neck.

“Not nearly enough,” you answered, your lips pressing together as Zuko put his hands in your hair, pulling his fingers through.

“I’m madly in love with you, y/n. Every minute of every day.”

175 AG

Lord Zuko stirred softly in his sleep, out on the balcony as usual – you had spent most of your time here curled up together, after all. He was smiling softly, thinking of you as he always did. It had been an interesting few years without you, but nothing could fill the void that was left inside Zuko after you left. He would often wake from a restless sleep, desperately clutching the sheets as if you were there, only to be disappointed every time. He played many games of Pai Sho with Mira, and she would sit with him each evening, enjoying a cup of tea on the balcony as they kept each other company. Most often, Zuko would sit on the loveseat in the balcony, your favourite blanket draped across him for comfort instead of warmth. He’d sit there with his tea, usually forgetting it as he would drift into a deep sleep, visited by you and your memories together.

“Come, Zuko. Let’s go down to the beach,” you urged.

The sun was setting on Ember Island, and you were due to return to the palace tomorrow, Fire Lord duties to be resumed. Iroh had graciously stepped in in place of Zuko to allow the pair of you to have on ‘official’ honeymoon, something you were both incredibly grateful for.

Slipping your hand into his, you’d made your way down to the beach, both barefoot and revelling in the soothing nature of the sand. You’d let go of him now, running through the waves as they crashed on the shore. Zuko couldn’t do much more than stare at you – your hair shined in the fading sun, the red hues making you look delicious and warm. Your gown wrapped around your waist, unravelled slowly, revealing your scar. Zuko grimaced, a flash of pain echoing on his face. Seeing this, you ran to his side, placing your hands in his.

“I just…,” he started, swallowing. “I just wish I could take it away, for you.”

“Don’t, my love. It is as much a part of me as yours is you. I am proud to have this scar. Proud of what it represents for us, for all that we’ve been through. I don’t want you to feel this way every time you look at me.”  

Zuko smiled softly, pressing his lips to your forehead.  

“I look at you, and I am alive.”

Zuko placed his hands on your waist as you wrapped yours around his neck.

“Dance with me,” you whispered. Zuko blushed – forever the one with two left feet – and the two of you danced, softly, delicately, holding each other as if all the love in the world had been given to only you both in that moment. Water rushed over your feet as you moved across the sand. A laugh escaped you as Zuko caught his foot on yours, accidentally tripping you up as you both fell into the sand, water lapping at your feet. Sighing, you ran your fingers through his hair as you rested on top of him.

“I think I loved you the moment I saw you. Even if I didn’t know it then,” you’d whispered, gazing into his eyes. Zuko had raised his head slightly, watching you carefully, almost as if he didn’t believe you. “We will be remembered, Zuko. For the right reasons.”

Pulling himself off the sand, Zuko lent back, allowing you to shuffle into his arms. You sat silently together, watching as the stars began to dot across the night sky, peaceful and content like neither of you had ever felt before.

Zuko woke slowly, the first rays of the new day dawning. You stood before him, hazy and radiant and celestial in your beauty, before reaching one hand out to him.

“Come, Zuko. There’s still so much more to see.”

Zuko’s eyes closed, a long, deep breath escaping for one final time. He was in his dreams now – dreaming his dreams with you.

_____

“Lord Zuko,” Mira called, unsurprised to find the elderly Lord had once again slept on his balcony.

Mira approached him, a gasp of shock leaving her as she realised just how peaceful he looked. In his hands he held a small, silver hair clip, adorned with white and blue gems and beads.

Ah. Together again.

_____

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[princessizumi]

Headcanons on Izumi’s relationship with Iroh II and her daughter? :)

Definitely! Thanks for the ask!

Izumi has Iroh II pretty young (like 22-24 years old) but she’s a huge nerd so she reads everything she can about raising babies before he’s born. I think Izumi is bit of a perfectionist and tries to do everything the “right way”, but once Iroh is born that all goes out the window and she learns that not everything has to be perfect to be right.

Iroh II is super close to his momma, she brings him to meetings and stuff when he’s little but once he’s able to walk and talk she has no other choice but to leave him with his dad, grandpa, or nanny bc he can’t sit still for more than two seconds.

Iroh gets hurt a lot as a kid cause he’s always climbing on top of something or playing with something he shouldn’t be. Izumi is constantly running behind him but she learns to ease up since he always seems to bounce back quickly. 

Izumi is really supportive of Iroh’s career in the United Forces and shes super proud of him and how quickly he became a general. But she obviously worries a lot about how dangerous his job is and asks Bumi to watch out for him when he joins.

Though the Royal family is very serious in formal settings, when its just them they are very loving and jovial like any regular family

Izumi has her daughter when shes around 34-36 years old and she’s a lot more lenient with her (as most younger siblings get away with everything)

When Izumi’s daughter is little she has what I call ‘mamacitis’, where she’s attached to her mother 24/7. Izumi has to coax her to go with her nannies because she just wants to spend all day with her mom.

Her daughter and her are even closer than she was with Iroh, they do a lot of mother/daughter activities together when they’re not working. Though they do get into arguments way more often than she ever did with Iroh II.

[southslates]

Sorry I accidentally posted this as a note instead! I absolutely love your work! How about Zutara + “Betty” from folklore!

“I'm only seventeen I don't know anything”

i.

Katara stands in front of him. And then she blinks; and then she keeps staring. Zuko's features look utterly, completely, unreservedly terrified. He looks like he is about to fall apart, right then, as she takes him in.

He has tracked her and Aang across the entire world, and she does not know what he is doing here, but she feels, for some reason, guilty. Her heart beats against her chest wildly.

She should go tell the others about this. She lifts her foot up, and the prince looks like she has just started stomping on all of his hopes and dreams. She knows that gaze, marred as it is, all too well.

So she steps forward, feet pounding the pavement until she is truly right in front of him. Her voice wavers.

"I'd like some tea, please."

ii.

The girl keeps coming back to the teahouse. He wants her to leave. She is just a reminder of his past and she holds so much power over him. He doesn't like that. He wants her to leave.

On her fifth day she reaches a hand out and grabs his arm. She has been wearing this strange facade, acting absolutely nonchalant, and his fingers flex as his mind readies him for a fight. But her grasp is light and she lets go when he turns around.

"You owe me an explanation," she says.

"I'm not here to hurt you," he shudders out.

"I know." Her cool eyes are blue but they bear fiery holes into him. She gestures towards the kitchen, where Iroh is watching this strange conversation. "I still want to know."

iii.

He shudders when he's near her, and she finds that strange. But some part of her feels at peace when she flops up onto the kitchen table. He had moved away when she had come close to him -

She wonders, briefly, who has ever touched him; the ugly skin across his face looks like a hand mark.

"You're not trying to capture us."

It's a statement, and he doesn't respond. Iroh exits the door and slams it shut behind him until it is the two of them, just them, facing each other amongst roaring teapots.

"No."

"Why?"

"This - this is fine."

"That's not what I - why did you want to capture us, in the first place?"

His left eye is slanted and his lips curl down. She doesn't think she has ever seen him smile. "It doesn't matter. I'm fine now. You should leave."

"I don't want to."

"Look, waterbender -"

"My name is Katara," she lilts, so curious; he glares further.

"Look, Katara. Let me go. I don't want to cause any trouble."

She slides off the table and heads to the backdoor, pausing to give him one last long look. It seems searching. "It's my turn, Prince Zuko."

iv.

"Moonpeach bun today," she requests, and he doesn't say anything to that, just stands there with his brow tilted quizzically. She looks up a moment later. "What? I'm hungry."

She has never bought food here, before; something is changing, but the metal clamp over his heart almost releases itself.

"Okay," he says.

"Okay," she replies.

v.

One day she comes in and he is not here. She knows his schedule, the patterns; she walks up to the desk and asks the old man there what has happened. He seems to note her interest with a quirk of his lips.

"Lee is sick," he tells her. "He isn't here today."

She has seen this boy in both poles, has frozen him intimately. It's strange to think that the warrior who kept fighting with his eyes bruised and body aching would succumb to the ills of the flesh. "Where is he?"

"Should I trust you, Master Katara?"

"You know -"

"I know a lot of things. And I care for my nephew," he frowns, but she feels validated. "Come back."

vi.

"How did you manage to get an infection here?" a voice sounds from above him, and he winces in pain at its high note. That does not sound like Uncle.

"W--what?"

His right eye blearily opens and he wants to jump away when he's faced with that deep, startling blue. Katara does not seem angry over him. Now that he is alert his nerves are tingling, and he looks down to see her hands on his bare chest. Color rises to his cheek, but she seems unaffected.

"You seem to enjoy hurting yourself," she says almost teasingly, but she does not even know half the truth. Zuko is not good at taking care of himself, and he had left this wound to fester. He does not always mind being Lee, but sometimes he feels that this life will never be enough.

Now, he is slightly lucid. "Why are you here?"

Her hands glow, clinically, on his chest. "I'm healing you."

"Why?"

Her features, gorgeous in the night's light, dim. "That doesn't matter."

vii.

He is different, now. He is calmer at a surface level, but she sees a fire that lives within; his blood feels like it is boiling.

She's curious about what lies further; she knows she should not be.

viii.

"That girl knows we're firebenders," he whispers, and Uncle turns.

"Of course Master Katara knows the truth. What is the problem?"

"I wasn't talking about her -" But she's here, still, and she walks right up to him at the counter. It has been different, after the day she showed up to his apartment. It has been something tentative, something like friendship.

"Hi," she says breathlessly, and he can't help himself.

"Hi."

They stare at each other before Iroh's sharp whistle draws them out of this; a brown head turns and leaves the shop in the distance.

ix.

There is some sort of festival in the streets, and she avoids dancing performers to wander into an almost empty shop. Pao is not there, so she steps into the kitchen freely; neither men inside are surprised to see her there.

"What's going on?" she asks. Zuko reaches next to him and places a steaming cup of tea in her hands. He is not wearing his apron right now; he looks different. He looks less broad and more defined, and she likes looking at him. She does.

"The Celebration of the Lotus Sky," Iroh says cheerfully. "A nice parade, no? You should be out there, Master Katara." Something lies unspoken; where is the Avatar? Aang would love this, but he is busy with Toph. She frowns thinking about it and almost drops the cup. Zuko places his hand right in front of her, and she smiles at him.

A strange sort of hope is blooming in her chest. "It sounds fun."

Zuko looks like he is struggling with something for a moment. Iroh takes that time to leave. But then he looks at her, golden eyes looking strangely innocent, and speaks. "Yeah, it does."

x.

Something comes together under that sky; lanterns float by them, and she gets him to actually speak once they find a vendor selling Fire Nation cuisine.

She pays for him, and he does not know how to feel about that. He is distracted as they walk through the streets, as she seems young and jubilant. Here, she is just Katara. Not a master, not calculated; she is just here. She is not playing games with him.

It feels nice, because everyone plays games with him.

She pulls him to a fountain after they've exhausted the path, and his cheeks are hurting with laughter for the first time since . . . since his mother had died. She had tried to make him dance and accepted his shake of a head; she had laughed over noodles with him, had made funny faces in mirrors until his smile moved. She had tried, and that makes all the difference.

The sconces are unlit, and she looks at them wistfully. He wishes he could light them, but he cannot risk that, and that leaves him disappointed in himself.

And then Katara leans herself up against his shoulder, and he feels like he could burn down this entire city with the fire that rages within him.

He does not know if there is something here. He almost wishes that there was.

xi.

Nothing good ever lasts. She feels like she had something fragile, like she is about to break it here, sitting on the floor of the Crystal Catacombs.

"That's something we have in common," he says, and she cannot resist walking over to him. She places her hand on his scar, and he does not look scared when her thumb skims his lip. He does not look resigned. He looks peaceful.

Then something breaks and she turns away, and he sees the Avatar, and his heart stops beating.

xii.

She sees him look at her, at his sister. Isn't the choice obvious? She is right here. They have created something here, carved it out in the tea house. She is right here. But Aang is also right here, and she does not know how to verbalize her feelings like that.

That is her mistake. He asks her a question with his eyes, and she freezes.

xiii.

He wants her to tell him that this will not be worth it. He wants her to lay her head on his shoulder and stop him from doing this. Because he remembers the fish in the pond, and he thinks about good and evil, and he does not know.

He needs her to have faith in him.

She hesitates, and she looks at the Avatar, and all he can feel is rage.

xiv.

"I trusted you," she screams.

xv.

"Not enough," he doesn't say.

/

“The worst thing that I ever did Was what I did to you”  - Taylor Swift, Betty

(Indulgence & an S2 AU that got away from me. I’m not a hundred percent sure what you were looking for, but I hope this works aha. Thanks for requesting @colourtheworldwithrainbows​ & I’m so glad you like my writing & I hope you enjoyed this :) Even though I definitely bungled the prompt aha.

If anyone has a Zutara request/prompt you’d like to see written, leave it in my ask box and I’ll write it!)

[zuzuxtara]

Promises - II. Night

Chapter 2/ ? Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender word count: +2.6k Pairing: Zutara Characters: Katara, Zuko, steambabies :D

read on ao3 (with notes)/ ff.net or keep reading ♡

if you haven’t read Chapter I yet, read here: ao3 (with notes)/ ff.net or stay on tumblr 

Night

Katara listened to the soft snoring of her husband and daughter, who’d both come down with a light cold the moment their ship had left Fire Nation waters.  

The gentle waves that rocked their vessel usually lulled her to sleep easily, but tonight the moon stood full and high, inviting the Waterbender to come and play with the wide ocean around her. Katara tried to ignore the seductive pull of her element, though– it was late, and they would reach port early in the morning. 

Frustrated by her own restlessness, she turned– only to be greeted by huge blue eyes that were staring right back at her. It seemed she wasn’t the only one the moon called upon tonight. Smiling at her youngest, Katara raised her arm and the boy snuggled closer to his mother. She buried her nose in his dark curls. 

While Kya tended to smell of singed hair and mischievous adventure, little Iroh's sweet baby scent had just begun to fade.

After placing a kiss on his temple Katara whispered, “Can’t you sleep, little penguin?” 

“No, Mami,” he tried to whisper in return, but his high voice echoed through their cabin nonetheless. 

She glanced over her son’s head. Zuko shifted a little, but he and Kya were still sleeping as soundly as their stuffy noses permitted. 

Katara felt the boy looking up at her and brought a finger to her lips. 

If neither of them could sleep, they could as well enjoy the full moon night. Slowly, she pushed their blankets aside and, like thieves, they stole out of bed.

In half-darkness, they put on their matching parkas and went up on deck hand in hand. Illuminated by the moon, Katara took in the icy night air of her childhood home. In only a few hours they would be reunited with their friends and family, her very first home.

Iroh hadn’t yet been able to walk when they’d last visited the South together, and by now he was already old enough to play in the endless snow; just like she’d done with her brother so many years ago. 

Katara’s excitement grew. 

Where Kya’s face was a well-rounded mix of her parents, Iroh looked Southern Water Tribe through and through. 

She loved both her children unconditionally– to the moon and the sun; but being able to bring her little Water Tribe boy home to the people who’d raised her, filled Katara with pride.

Iroh tugged at her gloved hand. 

“Mami, look, the moon is sooo shiny!” 

“My, you’re right,” chuckling, she kneeled to fix his hood. “Is that why you couldn’t sleep, Iroh?” 

Katara had been observing him lately. With Kya, they’d known from the moment of her birth that she would be a bender. She’d been born with fire in her eyes; and over the years, she’d in fact proven to be as bright and unstoppable as the flames she could command. 

Little Iroh took his time, though. He’d already passed the age in which the first signs of bending– any bending at that– usually occurred. She and Zuko weren’t particularly worried about it; if he couldn’t bend at all, they would be more than fine with it. 

It was just that Katara had an impatient trust in the dream – or vision?– she’d had the night of Iroh’s birth. 

Zuko would never call her foolish– she knew that; but he definitely didn’t believe in superstition. She also didn’t want him to think that she was envious of him and Kya sharing an element– because it wasn’t true. Some things were just best kept between her and the spirits. 

So Katara had never told him. 

The day before Iroh’s birth had been sweltering hot and her first contractions had gotten her by surprise; at that time, she’d had yet another couple of weeks to go. Assuming a false alarm, Katara had heeded Zuko’s suggestion and had gone to rest in their bed. Sleep had claimed her instantly, as had the dream. 

She dreams of the moon. 

It is not the same one she has come to know in the short Fire Nation nights, but the seemingly never setting moon of her childhood. Since it is a dream, she recognises this serene moon to be Yue; although she doesn’t appear to her like on the day Katara has seen her body become spirit.

In her dream, Yue does not have any shape. Instead, she is the moonshine and the stars that mirror the endless ocean on which Katara finds herself floating. Yue is the water herself, and the sky; maybe Katara isn’t even floating on water but moonshine? A profound peace settles in her bones, and her tears mix with this magical place. There’s a heartbeat echoing her own inside of her; the waves she’s so magnificently drowning in pull her down in tune to the sweet melody. But breath comes easiest to Katara in the depths of the ocean. Her lungs and her heart expand and double, burst on the dark ocean floor. And then she– the last Waterbender born to the original Southern Water Tribe – knows she is no longer alone.

After Katara had been woken by Zuko, they had discovered that her water had broken. Only a few hours later, their little prince had been born– a little early, but completely healthy. 

To this day, he wore the shapes and colours of his mother’s childhood home and carried the name of the man his father cherished most. 

Instead of answering, Iroh looked up at the sky. 

Searching his face, Katara asked again, “Can’t you sleep because of the moon? Do you–”

“It’s it true that there is a woman on the moon, Mami?”

The question made her heart skip a beat. Could it be…?

Following his intense gaze, she could only whisper, “Why do you ask, Iroh?”

The silence felt endless, before he finally said, “Yaya said so.”

Suddenly feeling awfully silly, Katara gathered the boy into her arms.

Maybe she did pressure herself too much into having a waterbending child. 

Maybe she did have too much pride as a Master Waterbender herself.

Maybe she did give one pregnancy-induced fever dream way too much weight.

But it would have to stop– immediately. If Iroh came to any harm because of her own arrogant desires, she would never be able to forgive herself. Katara wouldn’t let it happen.   

She withdrew from the embrace and nodded solemnly, “Well, Kya is right. There is a girl on the moon.”

Iroh beamed at his mother, “I knew it!” 

Laughing at his excitement, Katara rose some water from the ocean and coated a fraction of the deck in ice. 

Iroh, knowing what would come next, tugged eagerly at her sleeve. Together, they stepped on the ice and began to turn in slow pirouettes under the bright moonlight. 

“Her name is Yue. She is very brave and beautiful,” she held Iroh by one hand, lest he would fall. “Did you know that your Uncle Sokka and Uncle Aang and I know her?”

The child’s eyes grew even bigger. “And Baba, too?” 

Katara nodded again. He didn’t yet need to know the circumstances…

“Of course! Grandpa Iroh does, too.” 

Giggling, he dared a small jump. “And Auntie Toph, Mami?”

Carefully stepping off the ice herself, Katara guided him along the deck.

 “You know that Auntie Toph knows everybody and everything...”

 There would be no proper sunrise, but time passed either way. The ship had increasingly come to life and it had been the captain herself, who’d brought them blankets to keep warm. 

As not to bother anyone’s work, they had snuggled up in some wind-sheltered corner on deck. Sitting on Katara’s lap, Iroh rested his head against her shoulder. He followed the movements of her hands with his own, awestruck by how easily the water listened to his mother. 

“Can I do that, too, Mami?”

“Maybe one day, penguin,” she kissed the top of his hooded head. 

After a moment, she let the water fall away and pulled her son closer to her chest. 

“You know Mami and Baba and Kya love you, even if you can’t bend, do you, Iroh?”

Katara knew he was too young to comprehend her worries, so it didn’t surprise her when he answered, “But I want to make ice, Mami. Just like you.” 

“We’ll see, penguin.”

He sighed like someone ten times his tender age, continuing his apparent monologue, “Maybe I could ask the girl on the moon to help me do that.”

Despite everything, this made her laugh. 

“What a clever idea, Iroh! But you have to ask nicely, promised?”

“Promised”, he nodded so hard, his hood came off. “Can I go now?” 

There was no use in telling him no, as he was already untangling himself from the blankets and his mother’s arms. Feeling oddly calm, Katara watched him take off. 

“Stay away from the railing and let the guards be, Iroh!”

He turned back smiling and waved at her. 

It wasn’t long before the rest of her little family joined her on deck. 

“Well, well. Look who’s rising with the sun now,” she teased when Zuko and Kya looked sleepily at her. 

After hugging them, she wrapped her blankets around her daughter. The girl was always freezing cold, since she couldn’t quite control her inner heat yet. Katara tucked Kya's braid into her parka and let her run off in search of her little brother. 

“There is no sun to rise with, Katara,” Zuko muttered, pulling her gently into his arms. He rested his chin on her head and tried to keep an eye on their children. 

The moon stood as high in the sky as it had for days; Zuko knew it was normal for his wife to be that strongly affected by its presence, but he worried either way. 

His voice was low against her ear, “Didn’t get much sleep, again?” 

Katara shook her head, telling him that Iroh had been awake all night, too. 

For a moment, she looked up at her husband and pressed a kiss against his jaw. Then, she rested her cheek against his warmed parka. “And the bed was too cramped, I’m afraid.” 

Although she couldn’t see it, she knew that a corner of his mouth rose in amusement. 

Zuko’s warm hand came to rest over her stomach. 

“To think that it will be even more crowded on our trip back...”

They chuckled softly. It was too early to see with all the layers she wore in the cold, but the reason for their trip to the South Pole was warmly hidden away inside her. 

“Oh, on the trip back, I’ll be tired for years, Zuko. I’ll be able to sleep anywhere.” 

It was probably true. Besides a growing family, they’d brought a lot of work with them. 

There were still post-war agreements to be upheld, healers to be trained and allies to be made. The world did not improve itself.

Knowing they had the same thought, they grimaced at each other.

“Let’s take it easy, yeah?” 

She was just about to agree when Kya’s shriek pierced through the air. 

“Ma, Ba! Look!” 

A small gathering awaited them at the harbour. Whenever Katara came home, it had grown by yet another dock or lighthouse. Wasn’t the one to the West the improved outcome of the rudimentary plans she and Sokka had made years ago?

New and old faces looked up at the family exiting the ship. Over time, Katara’s little village had become a small town– a welcoming home to whoever dared bracing the cold. 

Her eyes found her father next to Sokka in the crowd, but she looked away when she saw Hakoda’s face fall. Despite the biting cold, Katara hadn’t noticed new tears running down her cheeks.

“Grandpa,” Kya exclaimed the moment she saw him. “Look what Iroh can do!” 

Before she could drag her brother away, Zuko laid an arm around Kya and gently pressed her against his side. He knew how important this would be for his wife.

“Let your Ma and Iroh go first...”

They fell a few steps behind and watched as Katara and Iroh made their way to Hakoda. Katara bowed her head respectfully to her father. Zuko had seen her do it only once before– on their wedding day; without looking up, she presented Hakoda their son. 

Katara sunk to her knees to be at eye level with Iroh and asked him to show his grandfather what he could do. 

The boy nodded happily and moved his hands more or less the same way he’d seen his mother do only a couple of hours ago. 

Slowly, little drops of water rose from the ground and gathered around Iroh's gloved hands.

The shape was sloppy and burst after a few seconds– but he’d done it.

“He’s a Waterbender, Father.” 

It was not like there were no Waterbenders in the Southern Water Tribe, but most of them and their parents had immigrated from far up North. They were good people, but they had not suffered as the South had, knew not what prices had been paid in order to survive. 

To the South, a Waterbender was a blessing and Hakoda’s beloved daughter had brought them yet another one.

Hakoda stared down at Katara and his grandson.

It was Sokka who broke the heavy silence when he saw tears rise in his father's and sister's eyes. 

“Amazing, buddy! You look just like your mama when she did her magic water tricks for the first time.” 

Blinking rapidly himself, he picked his nephew up.

Even the people who’d gathered to welcome the Fire Nation ship turned and silently went away, paying their chief and his daughter some respect. They would have plenty of opportunities to greet Katara and her family later at the feast.

Iroh giggled when Sokka sat him on his shoulders since he was now as tall as his father, who’d come to stand next to them. 

“Long day, I guess?”

Zuko nodded. “You bet, Sokka.” 

He watched his brother-in-law look back at Katara and Hakoda, who stood a few feet away. Their heads were bowed as if they were in prayer. 

“She fine?”

“Yes. Just overwhelmed,” Zuko pulled Iroh’s hood back over his small head, “We could already see the port when our little penguin here bend for the first time.” 

It was Sokka’s turn to nod in serious acknowledgement; but when Kya told him that she’d seen Iroh do it first, his demeanour changed once again. 

“My, that can’t be my niece Kya, can it? Last time I saw her she was this small!”

He held his hand ridiculously close to the ground, which made Kya cry out in protest.

“Liar! You were on my birthday, Uncle Sokka!”

“And it has been what, princess? Three months?”

“I can make ice, Uncle Sokka!”

“Are you sure? You’ll have to show me that again, bud.”

Zuko laughed but only half-listened to Sokka and the children.. He stole a glance at his wife, who was now in a tight embrace with her father.

From where he stood, Zuko could see that Hakoda whispered something against Katara’s forehead before kissing it. 

The polar wind hadn’t carried all the words to Zuko– but it had sounded like they had been giving thanks to the spirits.  

“Last one to get to Auntie Suki and Gran Gran is a wet blanket!” 

He saw Katara smile up at her father then. Hakoda wiped away her tears and pointed at the ocean. Not wanting to intrude further, Zuko turned away. 

It was just before he followed the excited screams of his children, that Zuko bowed his head in his own gratitude towards the moon.

[heavensenthearty]

What do you imagine Zutara kids to be like as teens and adults?

Oh, interesting question!

Well, first I don’t really imagine Zuko and Katara having more than two children. Why? Because, being honest, we don’t really find out if any of the cast actually wanted children in the future (and I’m talking about the OG series, not counting the comics) and while Katara is motherly by nature, we already saw her temper reaching its peak point when she had to deal with three teen/children. Besides, the way it was put in TLOK, it was such a busy motherhood the one that stripped Katara of her ambition (which wasn’t a good message to send, but it is what we got) so lowering the number of children would make things easier for her in all aspects.

Meanwhile, Zuko has a gift with kids as he was shown with that Earth Kingdom boy, Lee; but with the trauma experienced at his father’s hands, it is understandable that he would be scared of parenthood enough for him to not envision himself with many children.

Now, how would those children be like?

I quite like the headcanon that Zuko and Katara had a daughter as their firstborn. From a writing point, it would be a good inclusion or a least the birth a possible feminist storyline, and from an emotional point, Katara would most likely be overjoyed to have a daughter first and Zuko would see this as his opportunity to fix what he could believe were his faults with Azula.

Physically, I envision ZK Kya to have Katara’s dark skin tone and facial features but with Zuko’s eye and hair color. Personality-wise, I deduce she would be fun-loving from her overexposure to Uncle Avatar and Uncle Sokka’s influence as a young kid, but she would also be adventurous and inherit Katara’s feminist views – and she would also ask Aunt Suki to teach her some hand-to-hand combat moves. At the same time, she would be hotheaded, temperamental and confrontational like Zuko, with tendency to emotional blow ups like Katara. She most certainly would be hard to tame.

I think she would be Katara’s polar opposite in their respective interests, so they would fight a lot – and Aunt Toph’s rebellious influence does not helps – but they would share the same values and viewpoints. But I also envision her to inherit some Azula-like aptitudes like quick-wit and a calculating mind when needed.

ZK Kya would be curious and interested in a lot of things due to being in such a multicultural familial environment, but a little volatile in the amount of time she’d spend learning about them. She’d be an enthusiastic student when it’s time to firebending lessons with Grandpa Iroh, tho!

You may ask why I am so sure that she would be a firebender, well, think about it: the “firebending gene” is a recessive one – since benders are seeing as such rare people in the Avatarverse – and non-bending is the dominant gene in the overall population, despite it all Ozai could have two firebender children despite his wife being a nonbender. It’s like the families that got blue eyes for various generations even when brown eyes are the dominant gene in the planet’s general population.

Moving on, Kya would be rebellious and somewhat of a troublemaker while growing up, but after many years of lectures by her beloved ones about leadership, equality and benevolence, she would be a focused and smart leader in her adulthood. Sharp and calculating, but caring and attentive of her people’s needs. She would be in favor of progress in the shape of healthcare, alimentary industry and architecture like her mother would approve.

Oh, and her relationship with her younger brother would get better over the years!

(The inverse sibling dynamic compared to the other sibling relationships in the show is a nice writing touch.)

Again, physically, I imagine ZK Iroh II to have lighter skin than both Kya and Katara but darker than Zuko’s. He would have Katara’s features, eye and hair color, but his eyes would be shaped like Zuko’s.

He would be stoic and not easy to impress like someone, but he would be responsible and willing to take care of others like another someone. *giggles*

He would be studious and interested in mechanics like his Uncle Sokka, with the well-technically-there’s-no-way-to-scientifically-prove-it mind and all. Iroh II would look down at his sister despite her being the older sibling because of her messy ways, and Kya would mock her brother for being nag in her fun. Iroh II would be homier like Katara and closer to his parents, unlike Kya who preferred to do things on her own, like Zuko in his past days, or with her aunts and uncles, and Iroh II would like to be inside working on his sketches – thankfully with better artistic gifts than Sokka, but equally creative as Kya for their big, loud and different found family.

Nevertheless, Iroh II would feel insecure outside of his area of expertise while Kya apparently knows what is there to know about everything, and being significantly less social than his sister, he would be kind of a loner. Yes, like his father used to be.

Despite it all, the NextGen Fire Siblings would be a mutual good influence for one another since Kya would push Iroh II out of his comfort zone more often than not, and Iroh II would (at least try) for Kya to get a calmer and more settled down attitude.

Comfortable with his sister taking on the spotlight, Iroh II would grow to be a great general and mechanic, with a love for travelling like both his mother and uncle. He would believe in progress in the form of technology advance. (Uncle Sokka approves.)

[attackfish]

I have this theory that Iroh II might not be legitimate. Hear me out on this. He isn’t ever referred to as Prince Iroh in LOK as far as I can remember. He is the General of United Forces and maybe if he wasnt born out of wedlock he’d be instead General in the FN army? And maybe the reason we didnt see his sister is because she’s preparing her role as the heiress to the throne? And Izumi seemed to have had him young. What do you think of this hc/theory? Any headcanons on Iroh II yourself?

There isn't any real evidence against Iroh the younger being illegitimate, but there also isn't any real evidence for it. I don't read too much into Iroh the younger never being referred to as Prince Iroh, since after all, Iroh the elder, who was not only a prince but Crown Prince, was also referred to exclusively as General Iroh or the Dragon of the West. This is almost certainly Fire Nation custom when referring to royalty who have attained military rank.

I also don't read much into Iroh being part of the United Republic military instead of the Fire Nation military. The United Republic isn't really an independent nation until part way through the Legend of Korra. Its governing counsel is made up of delegates selected and sent by the other nations. I get the feeling that it is treated kind of like the UN peacekeeping forces, made up of people from many different countries.

According to the Legend of Korra episode commentaries, Iroh is born thirty-four years after the end of the Hundred Year War. This means that if Zuko and Mai get together three years after Smoke and Shadow, as indicated by Gene Yang, Izumi could be as old as her mid-twenties when Iroh is born.

I do get the impression he is not the heir to the throne though. I figure he's the younger brother of the heir to the throne, Izumi's unnamed daughter whose age is also unknown.