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guiltysecretpasttime · 3 years

Note

Consider the idea of Lin /Bumi badly timed proposals"? (just a humble linumi shipper loving your fanfics)

Note: Here's my belated response to this prompt. It ran away from me again until I struggled to close the story out. Hope you like it!

One-shot Post-canon AU Lin x Bumi II

Also on AO3.

---

Outside of the military, Bumi was known to be the spontaneous one. The Avatar’s child who was the most likely to get into trouble. Or get into an adventure, as his grinning father would correct. He was the kid who took quickly to throwing fruit pies to the air acolytes. He was the teen who travelled to the next city because there was a Pro-bending competition happening there. As an adult, he was also the one who tried (and succeeded in) applying for the United Forces on a whim.

It was not often that Bumi would plan for anything linked to his personal life.

This was why, on the weeks leading up to that Night (with a capital N), he felt out of his depth. He did what he did best and tried to plan as he would regarding a military campaign.

This was why he thought he was assured of success.

What he did not count on was the extraneous factors, which was their extended family and social circle.

That – and the weather.

---

“Booms -I’m sorry, it’s not going to work out.” Iroh’s voice crackled over the telephone. “That downpour wouldn’t make anything stick long enough to be legible.”

Bumi sighed as he peered at the window of Tenzin’s study. The waves did crash unpleasantly against the edge of Air Temple Island as the rain fell. “Well, we can still move it tomorrow, right? You and the boys are still free?”

“Of course, provided that the weather is better. As for our availability - ,” Whatever Iroh said was lost as the line crackled again as it was wont to do when the weather was poor. Bumi clicked his tongue. Tenzin really needed to have some repairs made in this temple. “- So after that, we can definitely pick it up for you.”

“Great!” Bumi could care less if they need to adjust the timing a bit – as long as it pushesthrough.

He did not need the details.

---

Or maybe, he should have probed for more details.

The retired commander saw that now as he watched visitors mill around Air Temple Island.

Various air acolytes and airbenders from the different temples now crowd the usually empty courtyard.

How was he to know that it was time for the anniversary of the return of the airbenders? He did not even know there was an identified datefor that.

Or maybe, he would have known had he listened to Tenzin’s lectures.

He scratched his chin, pensively, wondering if this might change anything when something cold and wet lashed at his behind.

“Hello, Bumi.” His sister walked over, a water whip formed at her side, grinning as she usually did.

“Mother said you shouldn’t hit people.”

“Mother said a lot of things that you didn’t follow.” Kya crossed her arms mockingly. She nodded to the entrance of the residential building where their mother stood, surrounded by her youngest grandchildren.

He understood. They never could begrudge their mother anything, especially now with her waning health.

A sea of green passed in the periphery.

“I see Suyin and her brood are here.” Bumi contemplated briefly if it would have any impact to his plans.

Kya commented. “Did they really have to be always in green?”

“Did you always have to be in blue?”

“Touche.” Kya shrugged. “Though, I needed to be blue to occasionally camouflage in the South Pole if I needed to be stealthy.”

“For what?”

From afar, they see Katara beckoning Kya forward from where she and Pema stood by the stoop of the house. “I’ll go get settled now.”

Bumi excused himself, citing some reason to check on something, which, technically he needed to do.

“Tenzin said nothing formal; nothing big. Just a small gathering.” The loud voice of the Avatar grumbled.

The clinking of metal was heard next before Bumi rounded the corner. “And yet, everyone is here.”

“Chief Beifong!”

“Avatar.” Lin inclined her head in greeting, with blank politeness on her face.

Bumi knew better though – the slight tightening of her jaw and the grip she had on her belt: oh, Lin was irritated.

“What’s up?” Korra toyed with the sleeves of her formal wear, obviously uncomfortable.

“How are your travels?” Bumi interjected, popping beside Lin before she manages any acerbic remark.

“We are travelling in style! I think I could get used to it.”

“I think you already are.” Asami looked on with amusement.

“You’re lucky,” Bumi pointed towards where Oogi and the younger bison were flying around. “Dad had to travel on a sky bison.”

“Mom said it wasn’t pleasant.” Lin wrinkled her nose.

“There! You! Are!” Bolin ran and huffed as he arrived before them, doubling over in the effort. “Wing and Wei just found where the food was being prepared, we can sneak off to get some before the– oh hello Chief Beifong!”

“I did not hear anything.” Lin looked skyward and waved her hand at them.

“Beifong!” Bumi quickly caught up with Lin, who strode off quickly when the teenagers started talking about food. “Are you on duty?”

“Yes.” Lin sighed, putting her hand on her hips then stomping, doing a seismic perimeter check. “I know, but I have to.”

“I’ll look for you later.”

“Alright. We’re a bit stretched – Tenzin did not give us the correct numbers of attendees, as usual.” Her forehead crinkled as she concentrated on the perimeter check. “Good thing the Fire Lord sent General Iroh and some of his men to represent their nation.”

“Oh, that’s what he meant.” Bumi murmured to himself.

Lin glanced at him in askance.

“Iroh.” Bumi did not want to expound further. Lin had a way of ferreting out the truth from him without seismic sense anyway.

Bumi accompanied her like a silent sentinel as Chief Beifong went about doing check to her team and on the island.

They have finally arrived at the main courtyard where the usually unflappable master airbender was fluttering about like a bright orange butterfly, holding several sheets of paper, which no doubt was the program for the day.

Lin groaned when Tenzin noticed them.

“Lin!”

“I better go ahead.” With one final eye-rolling, Lin left Bumi’s side before he could even ask where she will be stationed at the end of the program.

“Trouble in paradise?”

Bumi jumped a bit, startled by Kya once again. “Of course not, my meddling gossipy sister.”

She offered him a drink, which he rightly declined. “What’s Tenzin up to?”

The man was now talking rapidly to the chief of police. They were far enough not to hear them but near enough to see what was going on.

“He’s quite excitable.” The retired military man shrugged. “Thank the spirits for Pema, that woman is a saint.”

“You mean, thank the spirits for Lin,” Kya nodded towards the pair as she took a sip of her drink. “Pema was just about ready to rip her hair off these past days. She was looking quite frazzled earlier and after a drink or two, bam! Out tumbled everything - Tenzin was anxious and has been driving her nuts with all the prep for today’s celebration.” She raised a glass to the earthbender and airbender on the main event area. “But look over there – just a few words from our dear Chief of Police and the man calms down.”

Bumi could not help but tense up as he observed Lin and Tenzin on the platform.

As Lin continued to converse with his younger brother, Tenzin began to slowly deflate. A smile started to form on the earlier stressed airbender’s face and the corner of Lin’s lips upturned, a ghost of a smile.

“I swear – those two, I wonder how it would have turned out for them had they known this was going to happen anyway…” Kya trails off, as though suddenly realizing who she was talking to. “I mean – hey, they’re both in happy relationships and it’s perfect and -.”

Bumi swallowed drily, drowning out his sister’s voice.

He had thought about that occasionally, really. There was nothing to go on and Lin had been upfront about, well, everything so he knew where her heart is.

But, looking at the pair now, at the anniversary of the return of the airbenders, supposedly the pinnacle of all their arguments…

“Booms – don’t do anything stupid.”

Now that snapped him from his maudlin thoughts. “Why is it that everyone thinks I’m gonna do something stupid when I keep quiet? It’s a bit offensive, you know.”

“Bumi, I didn’t mean -.”

No matter, Bumi was adamant that his Plan pushes through.

---

“POP! POP! BOOOM! BOOOM POP! Whiiiizzz! BOOM!”

Everyone on Air Temple Island (and even those at the edge of Republic City) looked up to see fireworks littering the night sky.

“BEIFONG… WILL…YOU… ohmy sweet - is that a ring??? .. ME.” Suyin squealed as she read what the fireworks were spelling out.

There was a cacophony from the courtyard of Air Temple Island as everyone sought to find which Beifong was being proposed to.

From their perches around the island, Iroh and the UF men whooped in success of their mission tonight – deploying the firework proposal.

“OH-MY-BOLIIIIN!”

All eyes were on Opal who was clutching at a wide-eyed earthbender.

“What?!”

Various voices added to the din, shouting different things.

“Bolin did you really?!” Mako pointed up to the sky.

“What – no I did not. I’m not marrying – I mean,” Bolin swiftly turned to Opal. “I would like to marry you.” Then he shouted at Su and Baatar Senior’s direction. “But not now. One day but not now – I mean, I need to talk to Su and Baat – oh shit Su’s gonna kill me.”

Attention turned to Baatar and Suyin.

“Um no,” Baatar shrugged casually, an arm around his wife. “It’s not our anniversary anytime soon.”

Suyin was still being antsy. “Wing! Wei! Did any of you -?” She saw her twins wave up their arms in surrender, wildly shaking their heads as they each held a plate of food. “If that’s not you…”

“Kuvira and Junior –.” Wei.

“That is unlikely.” Wing.

“Huan?” Both Wing and Wei asked, everyone’s heads swiveled to the artistic Beifong.

“Excuse me.” Huan looked very offended, as though it was an insult that someone would be proposing to him in public.

Bumi’s face fell as the Beifongs present began arguing as to who the firework proposal was for and the actual Beifong who the proposal was meant for was nowhere to be seen.

Just then a soft squeal and a sniffle came from Kya’s side.

Pema was holding to her arm. “No-no-no – it’s for Lin, don’t you see? That’s why – Tenzin is leaving me.” Every other word was punctuated with a sniffle. “That’s why they’ve been talking over plans and that’s why – I saw them talk to Jinora the other day. Oh-airbenders-Tenzin is -leaaving me.”

“Ahem, I have an announcement!”

Now, everyone turned to stare back at the platform where Tenzin stood. Behind him, stood two more people - Lin Beifong stood in his shadows, arms crossed, a guard observing the proceedings, while Jinora stood to the side with a nervous smile, hands at her back.

“Ooohhhh!” Pema let out a wail.

“Shh, Pema!”

Bumi froze. There have been still some lingering insecurities that were in relation to his brother that would take a long time to tamp down. With the man’s whimpering wife at the side and his own significant other beside said man, it did not take much to wear Bumi down to his insecurities.

“This has been a long time coming and before anything else,” Tenzin paused at this to throw a significant look at his back. “I would like to say that this is no split second decision, we’ve talked about it and well –.”

No way he was going to let Tenzin take over his plan tonight.

“I will be stepping down soon with Jinora as my successor.”

“LinBeifong, will you marry me?”

Two voices rang into the night, clearly silencing any other words that might have been going on.

Bumi did not care for or did not mind what the reactions of the people around them were. He only had eyes for the earthbender who was gaping at him then looking back at the sky then back at him.

He worried the longer it took for Lin to react.

From his side, Pema sagged in relief against her sister-in-law while Jinora and Tenzin stood at the platform, greeting well-wishers.

Lin, meanwhile, was yet to do anything other than stand still.

“OH – we forgot the most eligible Beifong of today!” Bolin stated the obvious, pointing to the sky and back at Chief Beifong on the stage.

“What are you doing, go get her.” Kya nudged him from the back.

Bumi ran to the stage, almost tripping on his formal robes. “Lin – I’m so sorry – I didn’t think it would be this public – I -.” Lin hated public displays. “I ain’t doing this to pressure, I -.”

Lin gripped his arm to stop him from speaking.

The crowd went silent as Suyin could be heard shushing everyone (“Quiet! We need to hear what her answer is!”).

Bumi’s heart sank as Lin pulled away from him.

This is it. The Rejection.

He could only look to the ground, unwilling to face family, friends and even his former colleagues in the UF.

Suddenly there was a rumble on the ground as Lin extended a leg in front of her and she raised her arms slowly with a grunt.

“YES – BUMI – I – WILL – dear Agni – Liiiin is marrying Bumi!” Su’s shrill voice read out the words etched on the courtyard.

Tenzin groaned, mumbling about the destruction of his courtyard.

“Shut it, airhead. That courtyard has seen worse when you broke up with -.”

Nope, he did not want to hear about their break-up and so Bumi took Lin in his arms and planted a nice long kiss to seal the deal.

He pulled back and was met with a large grin on Lin’s face.

It might not have worked as he expected or planned it to be but at least, he could honestly say that it was -

Mission accomplished.

#linumi #linumi fanfic #lin x bumi ii #lin beifong #bumi ii

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carlyraejcpsen · 3 years

Note

#20 for kyalin pls?

this took me so long to get to, i’m sorry !!

20. with you i am myself

It had been so easy to convince herself that she was happy with Tenzin. Well not easy, perhaps, but she had been comfortable enough in the delusion to make things work. They fit so well together and, if it weren’t for the one point of contention that constantly threatened to end their relationship, Lin truly believed that they would have been just fine. Tenzin’s desire for children was the inevitable end of what they had, but they had never been particularly good at communicating with each other and seemed content to simply ignore the problem as if it might miraculously fix itself.

The second she saw Kya again, however, the fluttering doubt reappeared in the pit of her stomach. She’d tried to ignore her feelings towards the waterbender for so long, only to have them resurface again every time Kya reappeared in Republic City. It was endlessly frustrating, but she couldn’t bring herself to put a stop to it. Kya waltzed back into her life whenever she pleased and Lin simply allowed her to.

She didn’t think that Kya was actually aware of the effect she had on her, otherwise she was sure their relationship dynamic would change completely. Lin had never known her to be cruel and was sure that she would never knowingly toy with her emotions, but that did nothing to soothe the ache in Lin’s chest whenever she had to watch her leave. Perhaps it was masochism that caused her to never properly distance herself from the healer, or perhaps it was some deeply repressed childish hope that she could somehow have the best of both worlds; the stability of Tenzin and the dizzying temptation of Kya.

Trying to avoid Kya was never really an option, Lin had been quick to find out. If she didn’t appear on the island for dinner, Kya would happily just turn up at her doorstep. Selfishly, Lin did this on purpose so that their time together remained their own, a fragile and private thing that no one else could tarnish or destroy before she had a chance to inevitably do it herself. This time however, after a particularly brutal fight with Tenzin, Lin hadn’t expected to see his sister at all. She was likely to take his side, surely, considering that he was her brother. But there she was, sitting on Lin’s couch, wrapped in one of Lin’s blankets, listening to her rant and complain about her doomed relationship.

It was never her intention — to reveal so much of herself to Kya. But the healer had a way of cracking her open and making her feel safe all at the same time, and Lin was helpless to defend herself from the startling vulnerability that she found herself facing every time they were alone together. It felt right, in a way that she had never experienced with anyone else. A tiny, terrified voice in the back of her mind told her that she probably never would.

“You don’t seem like yourself when you’re with him. I hate the idea of you compromising anything about yourself to fit into the box he’s trying to make for you.” Kya uttered as she stared a hole into the very fabric of Lin’s soul. The metalbender sighed deeply, averting her eyes before she became overwhelmed,

“I don’t know what to do, Kya.” It was alarmingly honest, something Lin honestly hadn’t even known she was capable of. “You’re right, I don’t feel like myself anymore. Except for when-” Lin cut herself off as she suddenly realised she was terrifyingly close to the edge of a cliff, about to tumble over the edge without any hope of climbing back up.

“When what?” Kya asked, her eyes searching for answers in the depth of Lin’s. The earthbender couldn’t breathe for a moment, before her breath came all at once in a single shaky exhale and she allowed herself to fall, for once,

“Except when I’m with you. I’m myself when I’m with you.”

Kya continued to stare at her, absorbing the heavy meaning of the confession. The air between them was suddenly charged, thick with promise and something that Kya naïvely might have named hope.

She couldn’t have said who moved first, only that Lin’s mouth was suddenly crashing against hers; hot and urgent and needy. Kya couldn’t help but breathe her in, pulling her flush against her body as she gave in to the frantic heart that thumped against her ribcage and was definitely, at least a little bit, hopelessly in love with her brother’s girlfriend.

Both of them knew it was a horrible idea, that they should stop, they had to stop, they needed to stop — but they also knew that they wouldn’t. Because for the first time in what felt like an eternity, it felt right.

adoration prompts

#kyalin #lok #legend of korra #lin beifong #kya ii #mine: writing #ask: prompt #s: kyalin #funkyj4eva #answered #hopefully worth the wait omg

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wesokkasimp · 3 years

Text

impulsive (part one)

TW!! mild swearing, mentions of death, bad makeout scene

word count: 8766

You woke up to a splitting headache. For a few minutes you couldn’t concentrate on, much less remember, anything. All you could do was focus on the pounding in your head while you pitied yourself.

Then, it all started to come back, bit by bit. Azula had split off from you, Mai, and Ty Lee to find the Avatar, tasking the three of you with finding his friends. You had found and fought them pretty easily, but things took a turn for the worse when the sky bison flung your comrades into the water. You were spared from the lake, but had been knocked unconscious by the male Water Tribe peasants toy. That was probably where your headache had come from. But that didn’t answer the question of where you were. Suddenly, your thoughts were cut off by a shout.

“Guys, something’s moving in the tent. I think she’s awake!”

Okay, that was definitely not Mai, Ty Lee, or Azula. Something wasn’t right.

You tried to sit up and stretch, but found that your hands had been bound. You realized that your ankles were bound, too. An uneasy feeling began to settle in your stomach. It couldn’t be…

The tent flaps began to shuffle. As an unfamiliar figure entered the vicinity, you caught bits and pieces of conversation. Spirits of the islands, now was not the time for a migraine.

“Are you sure she’s awake?”

“She doesn’t look conscious…”

“Is she falling back asleep?”

“Hey! Whoever you are! Don't…”

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

You woke up again, this time with a milder headache and a clearer mind. Unlike the last time you woke up, you were not alone in the tent. The waterbender you had fought with Mai and Ty Lee was sitting by your feet. As if on cue, she noticed that you were no longer passed out.

“Hey, you’re awake again! How are you feeling?” the girl spoke, genuine concern lacing her voice.

“Who are you? Where did Mai and Ty Lee go?” you mumbled.

“My name’s Katara. You and your... group fought me and my brother yesterday. Sok- er, my brother hit you with his boomerang and you were knocked unconscious. Appa knocked your friends into the lake, and they were taking a while to get out of the water. We didn’t just want to leave you there, but we had to get going to see if Aang was alright. So we, um… Took you with us.” the evidently uncomfortable girl explained.

“What’s an Appa? Who’s Aang? And most importantly, who gave you the right to kidnap me!?” you barked at the now annoyed peasant.

“H-hey! We may have just saved your life, so I would be a little more grateful if I were you. My brother hit you pretty hard, I had to heal some of your head injuries after we set up camp. Appa’s our sky bison, and Aang is the Avatar. Y’know, the person you’re trying to kidnap?” the Water Tribe girl snarked.

Suddenly, a boy entered the tent. You recognized him from your fight at the lake the other day, and he looked similar to Katara. He must be her brother.

“Did she finally wake up? I heard shouting.” the boy asked his sister.

“Yeah, she did. Now, if you could kindly untie my hands I can leave and we can pretend this never happened,” you huffed, not wanting to waste another second with these low-life peasants.

“We can’t just let you go! You’ll probably try to kidnap Aang, and even if you don’t, you’ll definitely tell your little girl gang where we are! We need to stay here for a while so that Aang can learn earthbending, Toph said that he’d pick it up quicker if he learned all the basics in the same spot,” the boy sneered.

“Who are you? And who’s Toph?” you asked, seemingly innocent. In reality, you were gathering possibly useful information to give to Azula when you were finally released.

They would release you, right?

“I’m Sokka, the guy that hit you in the head with a boomerang,” he stated smugly, pride washing over him as he watched you scowl. “Toph is… Well, I’ll just get her in here.”

After a few uncomfortable beats of silence with the waterbender, the boy entered the tent again, this time with a small girl following him.

“This is Toph. She’s teaching Aang earthbending,” Sokka sighed. He was clearly already exasperated.

You took in the girl standing above you. She was quite small and delicate looking. As your eyes traveled to her face, you noticed her eyes were glazed over. Realizing she was blind, you let out a hearty cackle.

“What’s so funny?” the girl demanded. It seemed she also had a bad temper.

“Oh, nothing,” you sighed. “I just think it’s a little funny that the best earthbending teacher the Avatar could find is a tiny blind girl.”

A chunk of earth shot up from the ground and smacked you square in the forehead the second you finished that sentence.

“Hey! H-how can you see where I am?” you squeaked. Perhaps you had underestimated this girl.

“I see everything with my feet, dunderhead. Ever heard of seismic sense? You’re lucky that’s all I did, because trust me, Princess, I’m capable of a lot more,” Toph chuckled.

Okay, this girl was definitely a force to be reckoned with. Your gut was telling you, and your gut never lied. You made a mental note to report all of this to Azula.

“Well, it’s been fun, but I really need to get going. I know you guys don’t trust me, you’d be fools if you did, but what are you going to do with me? I’m a world class combat expert, I’ve been in worse situations, so unless you're planning to keep an eye on me 24/7 and putting better restraints on me I’ll probably escape by dawn,” you drawled.

“She has a point, y’know. Azula is the princess of the Fire Nation- it would only make sense for her to have the best team of warriors money can buy,” Toph stated.

“Azula isn’t paying me,” you scoffed. “I’d never accept pay. Serving beside someone in the royal family so closely is the one of the highest honors someone could get- that’s payment enough.”

“You think hunting down and kidnapping the world's last hope for peace is honorable?” Katara said, shooting you the deadliest glare you’d ever received.

“The Avatar isn’t the world's last hope for peace. If the other nations would just cooperate with the Fire Nation-”

“How could you expect us to cooperate with conquest?” Katara screeched, cutting you off in the process.

“Look, now is not the time to get into this argument. Right now, we need to figure out what we’re gonna do with…?” Sokka sent you a questioning look as he realized you hadn’t shared your name yet.

“Y/N.” you sighed.

This may be harder than you initially thought.

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

The group had come up with a temporary plan. They replaced your rope restraints with earth ones Toph made. They already had a night watch system in place, so they decided that whoever was doing night watch would simultaneously watch you.

You didn’t get a wink of sleep that night, so lucky you got to stay up through all four shifts. Katara had the first shift. Her shift was uneventful, it seemed she didn’t have the best social skills. She reminded you of Azula in that way. A lot of ways, actually. They were both 14, powerful benders, and overshadowed their older brothers. You couldn’t be positive about anything, but you were pretty good at reading people, and from the small amount of time you’d spent with these four misfits you had picked up a bit of jealousy on Sokka's end. Probably because his sister was a bender and he wasn’t. It was understandable- you’d probably be jealous of your own older brother if he possessed bending and you didn’t, even if it was a weak element like water. Lucky for you, you had firebending, the most superior element. Although you supposed it would be nice to be an earthbender right now. You had been thinking for hours about a way to escape with your firebending, but so far it had been in vain.

The next person on the night watch was Sokka. Unlike Katara, he attempted to make small talk with you.

“So, how long have you known Azula?” the watertribe peasant questioned. You thought about the question, and after deciding there wasn’t a way your answer could be used against you later, you answered,

“About two months. She knew Ty Lee and Mai from The Royal Fire Nation Academy for Girls. I went there too, but we didn’t know each other. When her father asked her to hunt down her brother, she saw my name on the top of a list of elite soldiers. She asked me to join her team, and I accepted.”

“You were in the military?” Sokka asked. His eyes widened, probably wondering why someone as young as you was in the military. After all, you were only 16.

“Yup. My family was pretty poor, until some soldiers came to our house one day and saw my brother and I were firebending prodigies. We got moved to a fancy housing unit near the Fire Nation Royal Academies. After I graduated three years ago, I was enrolled into the military,” you answered. You didn’t know why you were telling him all this, but Sokka was surprisingly easy to talk to.

“Wow. I can’t imagine joining the military that young. In the Southern Water Tribe the minimum age for joining is 17,” Sokka replied. “I actually tried to join when I was 13, but my father made me stay.”

“That was a mistake on your tribe's part. You’re a strong, able, young man. You could’ve been trained in a few months and then your tribe would’ve had another set of hands,” you stated cooly.

The boy only hummed in response. He knew it was pointless to try and get you to understand why sending a child into battle was wrong. He knew how the Fire Nation carefully bred its children to be cold-hearted, logical, and violent. Yet he couldn’t help but feel that there was something different about you. On the surface, you seemed like every other Fire Nation noble he’d come across: arrogant, cocky, and ruthless. But underneath, he saw more. Remorse? Guilt? Like you knew in your gut that what you were doing was wrong, but the Fire Nation had trained you to trust them and only them? He couldn’t quite put his finger on it, but he had seen something similar in Zuko. It was more apparent in you, though.

The rest of Sokka's shift went without a word. The third shift belonged to the Avatar himself. This was the first time you really got a good look at the boy. He was shorter than you expected, but besides his height everything about him radiated maturity. You thought about what he had gone through to get that maturity- learning about the genocide of his people a century after it happened, the Northern Water Tribe fiasco, and being hunted down by two of the worlds most powerful firebenders. All in a few months, on top of the normal stresses of being the Avatar. You felt a pang of sympathy for the boy. Even if your loyalties belonged to the Fire Nation, you had never thought the genocide of the Air Nomads was anything less than barbaric, even if you would never dare say that out loud. But the Fire Nation had evolved for the better. Things were different now.

Right?

“You must hate me,” you chuckled darkly. Your voice was humorless.

Aang looked confused as he asked “Why would I hate you?”

“I’ve been hired by someone to kidnap you, and wholeheartedly agree with what they're doing. Don’t worry. I’d hate me too,” you replied.

“I don’t hate anybody. I could only hate someone that truly had no good in them, but there’s good in everyone. Even you,” the monk said. He smiled up at you.

You were surprised at his words. You shouldn’t have been. He was a pacifist monk, after all. Not many people had ever tried to see good in you. Why would they? You were a soldier that served your nation loyally. Nothing more, nothing less. There didn’t need to be good in you. In fact, it was better if there wasn’t any good or bad in you. As long as you stayed loyal and obeyed the Fire Nation, everyone seemed perfectly content with leaving you be.

The rest of Aang's shift went by without another word between the two of you until the very end. Aang started to stand, eager to get back to sleep, when you started to speak,

“Hey! I just wanted to, um, apologize.”

Aang's eyes widened in surprise. Was it possible? Has his ~inspirational~ words touched your heart this quickly? Reversed the years of brainwashing and abuse the Fire Nation had exposed you to? Maybe you would even willingly join their team! Maybe-

He was cut off by your explanation, “What happened to your people, I mean. Not, uh, trying to kidnap you.”

“Oh,” the young Avatar replied. “It’s alright. It’s not like it was your fault.”

Okay, not exactly what he was looking for. But hey, at least there was some good in you. Not wanting a race of people to be brutally murdered or wishing an entire culture to be wiped out was… a start.

Finally, the fourth shift started. Toph. You didn’t have much respect for any of these kids, but Toph was definitely the one who had garnered most of your respect. Despite her lack of sight, Toph was the most powerful earthbender you had ever seen. In a way, her blindness enhanced her abilities by heightening her other senses. She didn’t take shit from anyone, which was something you were insecure about. Being in the Fire Nation militia, you had to take shit from your superiors, unless you wanted to be discharged. Or worse.

It seemed that Toph was not a morning person, so about 25 minutes after her shift started, Toph dozed off.

For a second, you couldn’t believe your eyes. What luck after such a pitiful few hours! But there was still the problem of your restraints. You hadn’t really taken in the campsite, as you had thought you wouldn’t have the chance to escape. While you were looking around, a sharp rock caught your eye. Perfect.

After scooting over to the rock, which took more time than you would like to admit, you raised your arms and brought them down hard upon the rock. The restraints broke instantly. After doing the same with your ankles, you surveyed the land. You figured you only had about an hour until somebody woke up, so you had to get moving quickly. You had a pretty good sense of direction, and that sense was telling you to go west of the campsite. You began spriniting in that direction. You knew you wouldn’t be able to sprint like this for long, but you had to get a head start. Once “Team Avatar” realized you had left, they might go looking for you on their giant flying bison.

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

You had been traveling for two days now. You weren’t anxious about a Team Avatar member hunting you down anymore. That was a worry of the past. Now you were more concerned with getting something to eat. You had found some hope when you came across a town, only to be disappointed after finding it was abandoned. Even though you were hungry and thirsty, you were also absolutely exhausted, and this town could provide shelter. You walked into the first building you saw, ready to pass out as soon as you hit the floor. In fact, you were so completely out of it that you didn’t notice the building was already occupied. You simply entered, found a nice corner, and hit the deck.

While you may not have noticed the other occupants of the decrepit building, they noticed you. Well, one of them. A certain banished prince, to be exact.

He watched as you slept, not even sparing him a glance before you fell asleep. It was a bit shocking, to say the least. Any normal traveler would walk in, realize the building was occupied, apologize, and find another place to rest. This behaviour was suspicious. Too suspicious to not give you a quick once over.

Zuko walked over to you as quietly as possible, even though he didn’t need to worry about his volume. You were an impressively heavy sleeper, especially when you were exhausted like this. He crouched over you, taking in your features. His face softened for a moment as he saw the pure exhaustion gracing your eyes, hardening again soon after. What did he care if you were well rested or not? You were just some random traveler. He looked around in your corner and saw that there was no weapon. You didn’t even have a small travel bag.

Assured you were no threat, Zuko walked back over to his sleeping uncle and decided to turn in after a long day of training.

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

You woke up feeling more refreshed than you had in days. That was the best sleep you’d had in, what, seven weeks? You began stretching your limbs, feeling ready to continue your search for Azula. Then the hunger pains hit.

You doubled over, letting out a small moan of pain. That small moan, however, was all it took to awake the Dragon of the West.

As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, he looked around to make sure his nephew was okay. The prince was sleeping peacefully beside him. As you let out another hiss of pain, Iroh whipped his head around to see you, a young girl, clutching your obnoxiously loud stomach. He had conquered enough small Earth Kingdom villages to know what starving looked like, and that’s exactly what he was seeing.

“Excuse me, miss,” he all but whispered. You whipped your head around, suddenly on high alert.

“I apologize, I did not mean to startle you. But I noticed that you seem quite hungry,” your stomach growled in response as Iroh spoke. “My nephew and I have a little extra food to spare, as well as some exquisite tea. Would you like to join us for breakfast?”

Under normal circumstances, you would have been way more skeptic of an old man you’d just met offering you food. But you hadn’t had anything to eat or drink since the night before you got kidnapped, and this weirdo was your only option.

“I suppose,” you sighed.

“Wonderful! I will get started on breakfast. Would you like ginseng, green, or jasmine tea?”

“Jasmine,” you responded.

“Good choice. Jasmine is my nephews favorite,” the old man replied, a fond look painting his face.

As Iroh started breakfast, you couldn’t help but feel as if he looked familiar. Perhaps he had been on the news? Or possibly one of your textbooks? You shook off the feeling immediately; no. It wasn’t possible some filthy traveler had made it into a textbook. You laughed internally at the thought.

About 45 minutes had passed since Iroh began preparing breakfast, and he had finally finished cooking the meal. You walked over to the corner of the room the old man and his nephew had been staying in as Iroh beckoned you over. When you got close enough to the younger man to get a good look at him, you got that same familiarity ebbing at your insides. It wasn’t an unsettling familiarity, just… strange. But you supposed everything about this situation was strange.

Just as you began to sit, you were interrupted.

“I’m sorry, young lady. But could you wake up my nephew? As you can see by the bandages, I got hurt quite badly recently and cannot move around very well,” the old man said sheepishly.

“Sure,” you replied. This old man seemed nice enough, and he was making you, a complete stranger to him, breakfast. So you didn’t mind waking up his nephew. It was an easy task.

Or so you thought.

As you walked over to the sleeping boy and crouched over him, your breath hitched in your throat. Oh wow. This boy was quite the looker. His scar made him look all the more badass. You shook off these thoughts as quickly as he came. No. You didn’t have the time to pursue relationships with boys you didn’t even know.

You put your hand to the sleeping boy's arm gently, shaking him just enough to wake up. Waking him up wasn’t the hard part. The hard part came after he woke up.

You know, the part where he proceeded to attack you.

You let out a squeak of surprise as he leapt onto you, pinning you to the floor in the process. All your normal reflexes and strength had gone with your full stomach. On top of that, you didn’t want to hurt this guy, spirits forbid his uncle reclaim your breakfast invite. His arms were by the sides of your head to keep from crushing you. He leaned down to your face.

“Who are you, and what are you doing?” the boy growled into your ear, his voice extra raspy considering he had just woken up. He sent you a glare that rivaled the one Katara had sent you the other day.

“Lee! This is not how we treat our guests. I invited this young lady to sit with us for breakfast and asked her to wake you up,” Iroh scolded.

“Uncle, you can’t just go around inviting random people to sit with us at meals!” Zuko protested. “It isn’t safe.”

“Hush, nephew. She’s joining us and that’s final,” Iroh retorted.

Zuko sent you a final glare before getting off of you.

The meal was pretty silent at first, not that you minded. You were pretty focused on stuffing your face. After a few minutes of comfortable silence passed, Iroh started some small talk.

“So, young lady. I don’t believe you told me your name. What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” Iroh inquired.

“Y/N,” you responded. “I don’t think I caught your name either.”

“Mushi,” the man responded. “And this is my nephew, Lee.” he gestured to the boy sitting next to him. Said boy sent you another glare. You sent him your snarkiest stare back.

“So,” you began, “Mushi. Where are you from?”

“I come from a small village in the Earth Kingdom, you’ve most likely never heard of it. My nephew and I left a few years ago in search of a better life,” Iroh answered as his gaze traveled to the small travel kettle. “Oh! The tea is ready.”

Mushi took the kettle off of the fire. Huh. Fire. That wasn’t there when the old man had first invited you to breakfast, and you hadn’t heard him trying to make a fire. Unless he was a firebender, which was impossible considering he was from the Earth Kingdom, how did he start a fire so easily?

You brushed it off. He probably just had a lot of experience or something, right? Yeah, yeah. Sure. Instead, you turned your attention back to ‘Mushi’ (you suspected that wasn’t his real name), who was pouring some jasmine tea for his nephew. The smallest fond smile graced the boy's face as his uncle poured his tea. His smile was a nice change of pace from his usual scowl. You wished you could see him smile more.

Wait, no. What were these thoughts? You couldn’t go around ogling at boys like a school-girl! It was simply out of the question. You had one purpose in life: Serve. The. Fire Nation. Maybe someday your parents would arrange a marriage for you or something of the like, but you had no intention of falling in love.Wishing someone happiness and a crush were two very different things. Besides, you could never fall in love with someone just because of their looks. You weren’t that shallow.

Once you had finished breakfast, you walked back over to the corner you claimed to pack up. After noting that there was nothing to pack up, anxiety started to settle in. Realizing you didn’t even have a weapon to defend yourself with, you started to feel full on panic. You had been so preoccupied with escaping Team Avatar and staying alive that your lack of, well, anything had slipped your conscious.

This was not good. You were in the middle of nowhere with nothing but the clothes on your back.

Mushi must have taken in your state of dismay, because he walked over to you and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder.

“You seem a little lost, Y/N. Is there any way I could help you?” he asked.

“I’m not sure. But I think I’m going to have to stay in this town another night until I can figure something out,” you sighed. Every moment you became more and more anxious about how Azula would react if- no, when you returned. Would she be angry about it? Or did she view you as a disposable tool? You hoped for the latter. If that was how she saw you, maybe she would be pleasantly surprised when you returned. While “disposable tool” might not have been the exact way you described yourself, it certainly was close to that. Serving your country was a noble thing, and if you died doing it, it would be an honorable death.

“I think you are making a wise choice. It would be foolish to go out traveling with no resources. However, because you are staying, I do have to tell you something. I have not been completely honest,” the man muttered, looking at you sheepishly.

“What are you talking about?” you asked, incredulousness gracing your features. How could he have lied? He’d barely spoken to you, for spirits sake!

“My name’s not Mushi, and my nephew is not Lee. We’re not from the Earth Kingdom. Our names are Iroh and Zuko, and we hail from the Fire Nation,” Iroh explained.

“Oh,” you said, relieved it hadn’t been something worse. “That’s fine. I’m from the Fire Nation too. But why didn’t you just tell me in the first place?”

“I was not sure if you were from the Earth Kingdom or the Fire Nation. Most people are not comfortable revealing that information to strangers. People from the Earth Kingdom do not always react kindly to Fire Nation citizens,” the old man replied.

“Damn right,” you scoffed. “Personally, I think they need a little lesson in respect.”

Iroh hummed in response, not showing any other sign of agreement or disagreement. He didn’t want to scare you off or fight you, but he also didn’t want to show any agreement with what you’d just said.

“Are you a firebender? I’ve been teaching my nephew, so if you’d like to train with us, you’re more than welcome,” Iroh inquired.

You thought about the offer. You hadn’t trained in a week. You had decided not to bend at all while you were traveling to conserve energy, so your bending was probably a little rusty.

“Sure, I suppose it couldn’t hurt,” you responded.

“Great! My nephew and I are currently working on a special technique that we started yesterday. We’re redirecting lightning. I actually made it myself,” Iroh replied eagerly.

“Wait, you can redirect lightning? Does that mean you’re a lightning bender?” you asked, dumbfounded. Lightning bending was one of, if not the most, powerful forms of bending. Because it was so powerful, the only people who got to learn it were members of the Fire Nation royal family.

“Yes, I can conjure lightning. But I don’t do it often,” Iroh chuckled.

Then it all began clicking into place for you- of course! Prince Zuko and former heir to the throne General Iroh! It hadn’t clicked sooner because of Prince Zuko’s banishment. You hadn’t heard his name in a few years, and he had just kind of left your consciousness.

“So you’re General Iroh? The Dragon of the West? The only man to ever conquer Ba Sing Se?” you squealed. General Iroh was a hero of yours. He was a strong asset to the Fire Nation and an even stronger bender. His loss of Ba Sing Se had been disappointing, and you personally thought he should have stayed. Still, losing a son must be hard. The loss of Lu Ten, whom you had thought was going to be the Fire Lord one day, was devastating for the entire Fire Nation. On top of all that, he was stripped of his heir status. The details on that had always been shady, as Fire Lord Azulon never mentioned anything about his wishes for Ozai to become the Fire Lord while he was still alive. Not to mention Fire Princess Ursa disappearing right before Ozai’s coronation. Still, reading into it too much was a waste of time. Fire Lord Ozai was a strong leader, and that was what the Fire Nation needed.

“Uh, yes. I did conquer Ba Sing Se for some time,” Iroh replied, trying his hardest to hide the discomfort that had now taken over his face. “But let's not focus on that. We should get to training.” he urged.

You walked outside with Iroh towards a cliff, where Zuko was waiting. As he spotted you, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. Surprise quickly turned to annoyance as he said,

“Uncle! Was inviting her to breakfast not enough? Why is she out here?”

Iroh looked impatient while saying, “Zuko! Where are your manners today? Y/N here is a bit stranded, so for the time being, she will train with us.”

Realizing his uncle had called him by his real name, Zuko sent Iroh a glare, but he didn’t say anything about it. Zuko didn’t want to give himself away completely.

“I just remembered- you need to be in a calm state of mind for today's exercise. I need to go make some ginseng tea!” Iroh said, hurrying back to the decaying building to start the drink.

You groaned internally. You had grown quite fond of the old man already, but you couldn’t say the same for his nephew.

An uncomfortable silence took over as he just stood there awkwardly.

“So, how long does it take for your uncle to make tea?” you asked, hoping to quell the silence and get an estimate of when you could begin training.

“Half an hour for ginseng. He likes to get it just right,” Zuko answered. He was clearly annoyed by your presence, as he has hoped to work on the lightning technique his uncle created. But alas, he couldn’t give away that he was from the Fire Nation. I mean, really? Why had his uncle agreed to letting you train them? A free meal was courteous enough, no? Now a whole day of training would be wasted on teaching some random girl the basics of hand to hand combat.

“Is he coming back while the tea steeps to get us started?” you sighed.

“No, he usually stays by the tea. He doesn’t want anything to happen to it,�� Zuko explained.

“Well, in that case, do you want to get started without him? Just to warm up?” you asked.

“Sure, why not?” Zuko mumbled sarcastically. Was a moment alone with his uncle too much to ask for?

As Zuko got into a standard position for hand to hand combat, you crossed your arms and shot him a confused look.

“Spirits, don’t tell me you don’t even know basic fighting stances,” Zuko groaned.

“Of course I know basic fighting stances!” you countered. “But why are you in a hand to hand combat stance? I thought this was a firebending session.”

Zuko froze. “You know I’m a firebender?” “Uh, yeah! I also know who you are, princey, in case you haven’t picked up on that either. Now are we starting or not?” you cried.

Zuko stayed frozen. “How do you know who I am?” he demanded.

“Your uncle told me, idiot. You were also the heir to the throne of the country I live in for a hot minute. It took me a while, but you’re not unrecognizable,” you replied.

“Oh.”

“Yep.”

After another few minutes of awkward silence, you spoke again.

“So hottie, are we sparring or not?” you asked, now impatient.

Zuko started to nod before he realized the nickname you had just given him.

“What did you just call me?” He tried his best to sound intimidating, but it was challenging considering his voice had gone up an octave.

You smirked. “Hottie. Y’know, short for hothead?”

“Oh,” Zuko sighed. He didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed.

“You’re also, like, totally hot,” you said nonchalantly. You knew you shouldn’t have been flirting. That’s what you had been telling yourself all day. But he was just too easy! His cheeks flared up immediately after you called him hot. And you never got to flirt! You were always too busy training, or on a mission. Besides, it’s not like this will go anywhere. You’ll have your fun for an hour or two, and by the end of the day you will have figured something out and leave.

While you were trying to justify your flirting, Zuko was busy having an existential crisis. He was, for lack of a better word, bamboozled. Just… what? How could anyone, much less a pretty girl like you, find him attractive when he had a giant fucking scar covering a third of his face? He had barely even spoken to you, and his words had been cold at best. Why did you still find him attractive? Though he supposed he was thinking the same about you. Sure, he found you annoying and maybe even a little arrogant, but he recognized your attractiveness.

“O-okay. We can get started now,” Zuko stammered, his blush quickly spreading.

“Alright,” you giggled. “But be warned, I’m a little rusty.”

You and Zuko got into position swiftly. After stretching, Zuko got into an intermediate bending stance.

“Ready?” he asked.

“Yeah.”

As the first plumes of fire left your hands, you felt feelings you only ever felt while firebending. Grace. Comfort. Complete and total warmth. Firebending had always been a form of escapism for you, and it had killed you to temporarily stop. But now, as you focused on the flames erupting from your hands, you felt a sense of peace.

Zuko was surprised by your skill. He outmatched you, but not by nearly as much as he thought he would. It was clear you were naturally gifted at firebending; your elegant movements said that much. Zuko had the best private teachers money could buy at his disposal growing up, so he being better than you was a given. He assumed you went to one of the many Fire Nation public schools growing up, but after seeing your bending, he realized you must have gone to a pretty good private school.

After the quick warmup, Iroh came out with the tea.

“Sorry I took so long. Ginseng is always fussy,” the retired general sighed.

“Nephew, since I already told you all this yesterday, how about you take your tea and meditate for a few minutes while I catch Y/N up to speed?” Iroh asked.

“That works,” Zuko said. Oddly, after the brief spar with you, Zuko found all his annoyance at you disappearing.

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

It had been a grueling day of training. You were a fast learner, but it appeared that you were not going to master this technique any time soon Zuko tried to help you, but so far it had been to no avail. Iroh left to rest about half an hour ago, after raising his eyebrows suggestively at Zuko, who rolled his eyes at the gesture.

“You’re not getting you chi low enough,” Zuko groaned. This was the fourth time he was explaining this to you. “You need to let it travel through your stomach.”

“What the hell does that even mean?” you cried, growing frustrated.

“Just- I’ll help you,” Zuko mumbled, trudging over to where you were standing. He positioned himself behind you, putting his hands on your arms.

“It’s like this,” he explained. He guided your right arm a bit higher, and put your left arm at a much lower angle. His arms dropped from your arms to your waist.

“You have to guide the chi lower,” he repeated.

You did the motion again, making sure your arms were in the position Zuko had put them in. The places he had touched were still tingling from his warm, rough hands.

“Good job,” Zuko muttered. His hands were still placed firmly on your waist.

“Well, you’re a pretty good teacher,” you giggled. Y/N, you thought. You were trying to have as much fun with this boy as you possibly could.

“Is that so?” Zuko murmured, suddenly feeling confident. He didn’t get to have much fun either. And his uncle was always teasing him about not being good with girls. Maybe with you, he could kill two birds with one stone. Have some fun and get some practice around girls. He’d need it someday, to court his future Fire Lady. “Maybe I could teach you other things. Like firebending.”

“I know how to firebend, Zuko,” you said, rolling your eyes.

“You don’t know anything too advanced, though,” Zuko retorted.

“True, true. I guess I could take you up on that offer. But with all the things you’re teaching me, I’m going to have to teach you a few things in return.” “Like what?”

You smirked, tilting your head back until it was under Zuko's chin. “Oh, you’ll see. But for now, teach me some firebending.”

Zuko's heart inexplicably started racing at your mysteriousness. Was he simply nervous that he didn’t know what you were going to be teaching him? Or was it the way your voice went a little lower? The new close proximity of your faces? The knowing smirk on your face?

Still nervous, Zuko took his hands from your waist. “Okay, in that case, I’ll teach you something I invented. I call it fire daggers.”

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

“You’re doing pretty well. You just need to push a little more chi to your wrists,” Zuko explained. He had been teaching you how to create fire daggers for about 45 minutes, and you had almost mastered it.

“Okay,” you replied. You took a deep breath, and tried your hardest to focus all your chi to your hands. You felt the warmth become more concentrated around your palms, and finally, you let out two, very concentrated fire daggers.

“Finally!” you exclaimed. “Wow, you invented this?”

“Yeah, but it took a while to perfect,” Zuko admitted. “So, what are you planning to teach me?”

“Oh, can we do it after we eat? I’m starving,” you said, careful not to tell him what you had in mind.

“I’m actually not very hungry. But you go eat with my uncle. I’ll train until you can come back.” “Sounds good.” You headed to the shabby building, leaving Zuko to train. As you were walking, you began thinking of what you would teach Zuko. You hadn’t planned that far ahead. Spirits, what about this boy made you so impulsive? Oh well, you’d think of something.

“Hello, Miss Y/N!” Iroh greeted.

“Hey, Iroh,” you responded. “What’s cooking? It smells good.”

“Some jook,” Iroh replied. “Where is my nephew?” “He’s still outside. He’s not hungry so he’s training some more.”

“Classic Zuko,” Iroh sighed.

He served you a bowl of jook, which you happily began to eat. As you were eating, your mind wandered to other places. Team Avatar, to be exact. You thought about how they treated you. Sure, they put cuffs on you, but that was expected. They weren’t complete fools. You thought more about the way they had tried to make you comfortable. They offered you water, like, every fifteen minutes. And food, which you had refused. That wasn’t a good idea in hindsight. Sokka had even tried to make you more comfortable by making small talk, and Aang had been polite when you initiated conversation. If it had been the Fire Nation who captured them, there would be no such hospitality. Why had the enemy been so kind to you? Maybe- no. How could you think such a traitorous thought? Still, now that it was on your mind, you had to let it out.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” you asked, fidgeting with your spoon.

“Of course. What is on your mind?” Iroh questioned.

“Do you think this war is… right?” you sighed, not meeting Iroh’s eyes.

“What do you mean?” “Just… I was captured a few days ago, by the Avatar and his group. And some of the things they did and said got me thinking. Is it possible that the Fire Nation is in the wrong? We refuse to see good in anything but ourselves. I was taught from a young age to never show mercy; that mercy is weakness. But the Avatar and his friends were nothing but hospitable to me. I mean, what is the reason for this war? Conquest? Why are we trying to conquer the world? My school books say the Air Nomads were planning to invade us, but the more I think about that, the more absurd it sounds. They were pacifists, for spirits sake!” You hadn’t planned on saying all that, but once you started talking, you couldn’t stop. You felt confused, and now angry. Had the Fire Nation really been lying to you this whole time? Was everything you knew a lie? You felt like you were suffocating, shocked by the things that had come out of your own mouth. If you weren’t a faithful servant to the Fire Nation, who were you?

Iroh stared at his bowl of jook for a few seconds, contemplating what you had just said. Then, he spoke.

“Morals are something you must develop for yourself. Take a look at the facts and your own life experiences, and form a code of ethics to follow. I know how difficult it can be to question what you were taught, but we must always be bettering ourselves. Don’t take the easy way out, and always remember to trust your gut.”

You understood what Iroh meant. It’s easy to just follow someone blindly, especially if they’re manipulating you. Developing your own moral code, while harder, would be more fulfilling and worthwhile in the end.

“Thanks, Iroh. I have a lot to think about,” you breathed at a barely audible voice.

“Of course, take your time.”

You slinked off to your corner, figuring you had about twenty minutes until you had to go to Zuko. You hadn’t eaten much jook. You thought about your brother, who had always been the perfect Fire Nation citizen. He never questioned the Fire Nations wishes, not for one minute. You had always looked up to him, and longed for his praise so badly, so you didn’t question the Fire Nation either. And look where that got the both of you. You were here, stranded in an abandoned Earth Kingdom village, and he was, well, dead. Killed in battle at the ripe age of 17, just as you were about to graduate from the Fire Nation Royal Academy for Girls.

It was in that moment that you finally understood what Katara had meant. Why would the remaining two nations comply with the Fire Nation when the Fire Nation was trying to overthrow them? Complying wouldn’t result in peace. It would result in chaos.

Well, fuck. Now what were you going to do? You couldn’t go back to Azula, and your gut was telling you not to stay with Iroh and Zuko. You had to get going by tomorrow morning.

“Iroh, I have a favor to ask,” you said.

“Anything, my dear,” he answered.

You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. “Do you have, like, an extra canteen of water I could take? Or a little bit of extra food? I really need to get going tomorrow morning, and-”

Iroh cut you off. “Of course, Y/N. I’ll get a few things packed up for you, but in the meantime, I think my nephew is waiting for you.” “Thanks, Iroh,” you said, smiling. Iroh nodded in your direction as you jogged out the door.

Feeling much more optimistic and more sure of yourself than you had ever been, you sauntered over to Zuko, who was doing a few cooldown stretches.

“Oh, hi Y/N. I was just finishing up. Are you ready to repay me yet?” he chuckled.

“Not quite yet. Follow me,” you said in a teasing tone. Zuko got up and followed you despite the confused look on his face. Oh, how naive, you thought.

You led Zuko to a crumbling wall you had spotted earlier during training. When you stopped, Zuko began speaking.

“What are we doing over here? What are you even teaching me?”

You could tell he was getting impatient with you. Oh well, just give the boy what he wants.

“Never knew you were the eager type,” you giggled.

Zuko’s witty comeback died in his throat as you yanked him by the arm towards you and effectively pinned him against the wall.

“Wh- what are you-”

“Quiet, hottie,” you murmured. “Class is in session. Would you consider yourself a hands on learner?” “I guess so,” he whispered. The almighty Fire Prince was melting into a puddle right before your eyes, at your hand nonetheless. He really was too cute for his own good at this moment. His eyes wide instead of the default glare they were set in, his entire face red.

“Good,” you responded. You took his hands, which were hanging limply at his sides, and stationed them on your waist. You then placed your hands firmly onto his shoulders. Zuko shuddered under your touch.

“Ready for the demonstration?” you asked, serious tone not at all fitting for what you were about to do to this boy.

“U-um, well, I… ah-�� Zuko sputtered. Was it only this morning he was glaring at you for joining his meal?

You rolled your eyes. “Lesson one: Talk. Less.” you stated.

You leaned in until your lips were just barely brushing Zuko’s. You could hear his breath hitch in his throat. But you weren’t done having fun with him yet.

At the last minute, you turned away from his lips, instead opting to place a feather light kiss on Zuko’s cheek teasingly.

You pulled away from Zuko slightly with a sly smile, just enough so you could see his face. His expression was shocked, confused, and longing.

Perfect.

“You don’t have to be so stiff, you know,” you giggled. “Move a little. It-”

Zuko cut you off with his lips, grasping at your waist like his life depended on it. You gasped into his mouth before hurriedly kissing back. Sure, you’d kissed a guy or two in your life, but none of them felt like Zuko. He tasted like jasmine and woodsmoke. His lips moved against yours with passion and vigor as he let out little sighs into your mouth. Your hands left Zuko’s shoulders, going to his chest instead as you grabbed fistfuls of his shirt.

You pulled away from the kiss, smiling as he chased after your lips.

“Why… did you do that?” he whispered.

“I had to teach you something, didn’t I? Did you learn anything?” you asked.

“Talk less,” Zuko said, his eyes hazy.

You chuckled. “Yeah. Remember that one.”

You walked off, leaving Zuko to contemplate what just happened.

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

You left that same night. Iroh had gone to the nearby forest to forage for some plants, and Zuko was still standing at the wall, dumbfounded. That left the building you had stayed in empty. There was a small bag sitting in the corner you had slept in, packed by Iroh. You found a compass in Iroh’s bag, found which way west was, and started off in the direction, taking the compass with you. It didn’t matter; Zuko had one in his bag. You checked.

You weren’t quite sure where you were going. Going back to Azula was obviously not an option, but the Fire Nation wasn’t a good choice either. There would be too many things to explain to your family, and you could be sent to jail for abandoning Azula. Or worse. It would be better for the time being if you were presumed dead, not that anyone besides your parents and perhaps a few of your friends would care.

That left a few options. You could become a nomad of sorts, jumping around from town to town, never staying long. You weren’t built for that sort of life, though. The few weeks traveling with Azula had been enough to last you a lifetime. Omashu, now New Ozai, had become occupied by the Fire Nation. The Northern Water Tribe was secluded and virtually untouched by the war, as the recent invasion attempt had failed. Unfortunately for you, it was nearly impossible to get to, even by high-tech warship. That left settling down at one of the abandoned Air Temples or Ba Sing Se. The latter seemed less lonely and more attainable, so off to Ba Sing Se it was.

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

“Fine, but you’re closing tomorrow!”

“Okay okay. Thanks, Xia!”

You washed the flour caked on your hands from hours of work, left the keys in the small tray by the back door, and began your walk back to the small apartment you lived in, apron in hand.

You had been living in Ba Sing Se for two months now. After forging some papers and departing the ferry that took you to the city, you landed a job at a small, but lively bakery that locals of the outer ring loved. Your weekly salary was enough to pay for rent, food, and a few recreational activities too. Overall, you lived a comfortable life, and you would have been happy to spend the rest of your days in the life you’d built for yourself, even if you had to pretend there was no war.

You had been hearing about a tea shop from some of your neighbors. It wasn’t new, but there was a new employee that really knew his way around the drink. You hadn’t had a cup of tea since the ginseng shared with Zuko and Iroh, and you certainly had the money for it. Deciding to treat yourself, you walked into the store and ordered a cup of jasmine tea. After paying, you sat down at a table by the window and waited for your tea to be served. Drumming your fingers on the table, you thought about how much your life had changed in just a few short months. You had gone from a loyal servant to the Fire Nation, ready to sacrifice anything and everything for a facist tyrant, to a normal young adult working in a bakery. You couldn’t help but feel grateful you had fallen into this timeline. What if Sokka’s aim had just been a bit off and you hadn’t been knocked out? You’d probably still be out there with Azula, hunting down the world's last hope for balance. Crazy how one little action can have such a huge impact.

As you thought about Azula, your mind wandered to her older brother. You smiled at the thought of Zuko. Your time together had been brief, but you looked back on it fondly. Sure, he could be very aggressive and intimidating, but he could also be quite shy and bashful, if you got him in the right situation.

Looking back on the kiss the two of you had shared, you blushed. You felt giddy and slightly embarrassed at the same time. You had been so impulsive in that moment, but you couldn’t help it. He was just so cute, stuttering under your soft gaze!

“Order up,” a raspy voice stated behind you.

Ah, your tea. You turned around to accept the steaming cup, tip in hand, but something stopped you from reaching out to take the drink from the rusted tray.

That something was the wide-eyed stare of a certain Fire Nation royal family member.

“Oh,” you choked. “Hi again.”

a/n okay i know i said literally yesterday that this would be out in december but you never know when motivation will hit ig. this isn’t the full thing but i think that’s understandable since this bitch is loooong. the second part will probably be shorter. the other zuko h/cs will still be out before thanksgiving! requests are still open as well, but i want to finish this so it may take a little for me to get to them. thank you to @ladyamaya (sorry it’s not letting me tag you :() for requesting this. sorry it took so long. also, sorry if this sucks :)

#Zuko #ba sing se #zuko x you #zuko x reader #zuko x y/n #sokka #katara #aang #toph #iroh #zuko angst #zuko fluff #bad makeout scene sorry

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imagines-dreams · 4 years

Note

Hiya could you do a dating zuko and being really shy headcanon please X?

Ok, I wrote so mannnnyyy headcanons, starting from Book 2 to frickin marriage, so feel free to read part of it of a lot, wouldn’t blame you if you stopped reading cuz holy shit this was long and i just didn’t edit it well, so... Hopefully, some people enjoy it though! So, happy reading!

Ok, look, any relationship with Zuko will need a lot of build up. He’s only been in one relationship, and that was with a girl he’s known since he was a kid. Other than her, the only person he truly trusted was his uncle.

And who could blame him? His father abused him, so becoming his friend, let alone someone he’d love, would be a long process.

So, any relationship will be a major slowburn. With someone very shy? It would be that slowburn that everyone would dream of in fiction.

First meet in Ba Sing Se when he was still going by Lee. He was very closed off, but his uncle wasn’t. Uncle would be thinking something along the lines of “A nice, quiet girl?! Who just wants to lay low and would probably make a great niece-in-law?! Perfect for my nephew who keeps getting into trouble!”

Still, neither you nor “Lee” could really deny him.

Uncle “Mushi” had learned from trying to set Lee up with Jin. No real date. Just friends first.

There were a lot of dinners with Lee and his uncle among other friends the two had made in Ba Sing Se. Uncle Mushi usually told funny stories, and he commanded the room. Lee was just quiet. He smiled sometimes, you could count how many times you saw him smile during dinner on your hands.

Still, you two talked sometimes, mostly laughing and sharing confused looks at his uncle’s outrageous stories.

You also would be able to see him every so often when you were shopping or just going about your day.

You also knew they were firebenders. Or at least Fire Nation. Fire Nation refugees weren’t too common, but they weren’t rare either. After seeing Zuko write firelily once, it confirmed your suspicions.

You didn’t say anything though. If they wanted to tell you, they’d tell you.

One night, you saw a crowd of people. They were gathered around Lee, and Lee had a sword?! “Lee!”

The boy fighting your friend glanced at you and scoffed. “Is that even your name? Or do you lie to your girlfriend, too?”

Too distracted by your fear for Lee to even process what the other boy said, you bended the earth around his opponent. One wall to block him from Lee. Another three to keep him boxed in.

Your legs ached. Bending took way too much energy, especially since you hadn’t used it in years. You heaved and fell to your knees.

Someone said your name.

Lee bent down and held out his hand.

You gladly took it and let him help you up. “Sorry,” you managed to say as you fell into him. You were so weak.

Lee pulled your arm over his shoulder so he could properly support you. He was talking to someone, and from your peripheral vision, you could see the uniform of the Dai Lee.

Scared, you leaned more into Lee.

One of the Dai Lee came to you. “Why were you earthbending?” he asked.

“Uncle.” Lee shoved you behind him and right into his uncle’s arms. “She was defending me.”

“She shouldn’t have been earthbending regardless, especially in such a violent matter.”

“Violent?” Lee’s grip on the sword tightened. “The only one who was violent was him.” He pointed at the other boy. “Accusing my uncle and me for being firebenders.”

You reached out, regaining your energy as each second passed, and placed it on his shoulder. “Lee.”

He looked back at you and sighed. Thankfully, he let go of his sword.

“We are refugees,” Lee’s uncle explained.

A few other people from the crowd rallied for them. They knew Lee and his uncle in for the delicious tea they served.

All while the boy Lee was fighting was screaming at everyone, how stupid they all were when Lee and his uncle were obviously firebenders. He was taken away with the Dai Lee.

You admitted that you knew they were firebenders that night. And it didn’t go badly! Their jaws dropped, and it was comical to see Lee’s face contort into more expressions you had never seen before.

After that, the friendship only grew stronger. You picked up a few other things about Lee as well. A father he wanted to impress. An absent mother. A weird knowledge about ships and the war. There were more glances and subtle touches, him adjusting your collar, handing him tea so your fingers brushed ever so slightly, bumping elbows at the table. You even got into the schoolgirl habit of writing Lee’s name and yours and staring at him from across the room.

Then… they disappeared.

It wasn’t uncommon for refugees to disappear, but usually they’d tell someone where they were going, if they were in trouble.

You expected them to reappear, but nothing happened. Of course you were sad they were gone, but that’s how life went in Ba Sing Se, and you didn’t know enough about them to go searching, nor the time.

Especially since shortly after Lee and his uncle disappeared, Ba Sing Se was conquered. Everything changed. Benders were being rounded up. More people were disappearing. The walls were all coming down. Money was scarce. Soldiers patrolled the entire area.

During this time, you wanted to lay low, but people were getting hurt. You could only stand by for so long.

You started to train, every night, hoping your earthbending would get better.

So, when Ba Sing Se went up in flames, you joined in to fight for the city you felt safe in. You found Uncle Mushi there, fighting with some organization called the White Lotus. You also found out that his name was Iroh, not Mushi.

After fighting off Fire Nation supremacists, you were invited to the Jade Dragon.

“Hey. Zuko, or, um, I guess Lee, here.”

You had laughed and hugged him tight. “I was so scared for you,” you admitted. “I’m glad you’re ok.”

It wasn’t until one of his friends cleared their throat that you realized this hug was the first hug you’ve given him. On top of that, you were holding onto each other for quite some time.

So, the two of you split up.

However, throughout the get together, you stayed close with L- Zuko. You didn’t really talk much to his friends. Just the introductions and listening to their stories. They seemed really happy to tell you about how they defeated the Fire Nation and ended the war.

Who wouldn’t be?

“You’re the Fire Lord?” you asked Zuko, away from the others.

“Oh, yeah, I am now.”

You gazed up at him. “That’s incredible.” You laughed. “Should I have bowed? I feel like I should’ve done something.”

“No. No, it’s fine.”

“Oh, then, I can still call you Zuko?”

He laughed a little. “Just not Lee.”

Just like that, you had new friends. As the year went on, you developed relationships with everyone. Sokka loved to creatively use your earthbending. (He said Toph would never let them make toys with earthbending.) Aang loved making you laugh, so he loved to tell you jokes and play games with you. Toph loved, well, trying to train you. She wasn’t the best teacher for you, too demanding and very rude, but you did learn the basics of metalbending after a few months.

Katara was the kindest out of all of them, and you both loved telling each other stories about your lives before the end of the war. Suki insisted on training you. Even though there was no more war to fight, you had to admit, she was the perfect teacher for you. Kind but stern.

You started to travel with everyone, giving every long-winded plan and daring choice a logical backing. Making sure the risks they were taking weren’t too great.

You visited the Zuko the most. It even got to the point that Zuko had a room made for you, with your own closet and Earth Kingdom decor.

There were still the longing gazes and fleeting touches. You always took the opportunity to help him with his formal attire. After all, you didn’t want him to stress himself too much with that scar on his chest.

But nothing ever happened. Even though Zuko trusted you and you trusted him, neither of you were brave enough to make the first move.

The gaang was very fed up with it, honestly. Sokka and Toph came up with the most obvious ways to literally shove you two towards each other. Once at a diplomatic gathering in the Northern Water Tribe, Sokka pulled you towards the middle of the dance floor while Toph shoved Zuko in your direction until the two of you bumped into each other.

Aang was in on it, too. He requested music.

Zuko and you danced, blushing and awkwardly trying to sway without being awkward.

“I hate my friends,” he mumbled.

You laughed, the awkwardness immediately gone. “They are kinda horrible, aren’t they?”

Still no confession, but you still had a great time dancing with your best friend.

(The gaang wanted to pull their hair out. Seriously, you two were so obvious!)

As the years passed, Zuko and you acted more and more like a couple. Where there were brushes of skin against skin slowly became holding each other’s hand during boring meetings. Where there were short-lived gazes unseen by the other became smiles and knowing looks after an easy fight. Where there were hugs before leaving became long embraces followed by kisses on the cheek.

There were some more intense moments, like when Ozai’s supporters attacked the palace and you ran out of safety and to Zuko. While you weren’t as great as a fighter, you could still do a solid defense, and when it came to Zuko, you defended him with your life.

“What are you doing here?!”

You grunted as you put up a wall between the two of you and the Ozai sympathizers. “Stopping you from burning the palace down apparently!”

Even after all those years, he had a tendency to be reckless.

Or the time some Water Tribe assassins tried attacking you and him and he shoved you behind him to defend you. “Stay back!”

“Let me help!”

Everyone just assumed you were a couple, and really, nobody could blame them.

The confession came quietly.

You and Zuko had just finished a shift at the Jasmine Dragon. It was a day of serving the people of the Ba Sing Se, of smiles and laughter, and of shared inside jokes between you, Zuko, and Uncle Iroh.

And when it came time to go to sleep, Uncle Iroh was distraught. “I can’t believe this happened!” He dug through the cabinets, throwing various things around the small apartment. “I knew you were coming, my dear, and I forgot to get a new bed for you!”

You laughed. “Uncle, it’s ok. You’ve been busy.”

Zuko just crossed his arms. “We’ve been preparing for her visit for weeks.”

“Which is why I can’t believe I forgot to make a bed!” Uncle iroh lamented. He stroked his beard. “Hm, I would share my bed, but I tend to snore and move quite a bit. Zuko! Why don’t you share your bed?”

While your cheeks burned in embarrassment, Zuko only glared at his uncle. “Fine.”

To be fair, Zuko and you have slept in the same bed before. Sometimes work went on for too long and you two happened to fall asleep in the same bed. But all those times before were by accident on a bed meant for two. Not on a bed meant for one and not on purpose.

After the awkward tiptoeing around and offerings to sleep on the floor, finally, the two of you agreed to sleep on the bed. Zuko held you close, your back to his chest. Both of you purposely chose that position so that no one could see the other blush.

As the years, actually minutes, passed by, the both of you relaxed into it, and it was almost natural.

“You know,” you said softly, “that I love you, right?”

Zuko was quiet, and you hoped to the spirits he was sleeping. After a while with no answer, you took a deep breath and tried to go to sleep.

That is, until Zuko admitted, “I’m not good at these things.”

“Neither am I.”

The arm around your waist tightened, and you couldn’t help but snuggle closer into his embrace.

“I love you, too,” he said.

That was enough for the two of you, at least for one night. You two loved each other and that was enough.

The next morning was busy. The schedule was just to serve at the Jasmine Dragon and you had an appointment with some historians who wanted to know more about Zuko’s first time in Ba Sing Se. Zuko and Iroh, however, had a meeting at the palace.

Zuko was rushing around, trying to find all the pieces of his popper attire before leaving, while Uncle Iroh was trying to get him to eat breakfast. You were just smiling at all of it, pouring some cups of tea.

Zuko glanced at the window. “Uncle, we’re going to be late! Do you even have your clothes?”

“Of course, I have. But did you have food yet? At least some tea.”

“Yes, tea!” You lifted up a fresh cup of jasmine. “Zuko, you should have something before you leave.”

“I don’t need-”

His eyes meant yours, and you only handed him the cup of jasmine tea. “You’re welcome. Also, you have some dim sum in your bag.”

He shook his head, downed the entire hot cup, and called again, “Uncle!” He smiled at you. “Thanks, bye.” He kissed you and was out the door.

It took a few seconds, and he had left you speechless. And judging by the way he didn’t say anything before he ran out the door with Uncle Iroh behind him, he didn’t notice.

It took you a while to realize what exactly happened.

Zuko downed some tea you gave him.

He turned around, called his uncle, then just kissed you.

He just leaned over, pressed his lips against yours for a second, maybe less.

Then, he left.

You loved him, and he loved you. The two of you admitted that you loved each other, but the topic was too heavy and scary to clarify it further. Was that kiss a sign? Were you two together? Was that kiss some sort of rite of passage?

The rest of your day went by in a fog.

You served tea. You smiled and had polite conversations. You listened to historians and corrected a fact here or there.

And when Zuko finally came home, you were preparing the food you had bought, and you were frozen for a second.

“Uncle’s gone out for dinner.” He let his hair down and ran his fingers through it.

(He had been growing it out. You had learned that hair was really important in Fire Nation culture, and apparently, before he and Uncle left for Ba Sing Se, they cut their hair, some sort of symbol that they weren’t working for the Fire Nation anymore)

You just hummed and started to prepare a serving for Uncle’s late night snack. But then! Zuko was behind you and looking at the food you had gotten.

And you were silently screaming on the inside! Because if you just turned around, and if he just leaned down, you two would be kissing. And he already kissed you! But he didn’t seem to remember that! He was just! Casually talking to you!

“What did you get?” he asked. Such an innocent question from a man who wasn’t innocent because he had kissed you

You barely managed to stutter, “O-oh, some, uh, pho.” You smiled and handed him his share. “Here!” Immediately, you turned back around to avoid him

And Zuko, baffled, just stood there, unsure as to why you were acting so strangely. You weren’t mad. Whenever you had some sort of problem with him, you would retreat into yourself, unintentionally give him the silent treatment, almost as if he was a stranger to you.

But this, the awkward glances and the too-quick movements, that was new territory.

At first, Zuko thought it was about what had happened the night before, but just as he was about to ask again, he remembered what had happened in the morning.

The kiss

He groaned. “I’m sorry. I told you I was bad at this!” He didn’t throw the bowl of pho on the floor, but the bowl did make a loud sound and soup did spill when he let it fall onto the table.

You turned to see him covering his face with his hands and shaking his head. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” When he uncovered his face, he didn’t meet your eyes.

Zuko looked so sad.

And you couldn’t have that. You loved him too much to let him be sad.

Before you could even comprehend what you were doing, you were cradling his cheeks and looking up into his amber eyes. Under his intense gaze, you were a little nervous, but the want to comfort him was stronger. “I’m bad at this, too.”

And then, you were kissing him

And it was everything. Kissing the man you loved, it was the best feeling, because you were trying to take care of him, he was trying to take care of you. Holding you close and rubbing circles into the small of your back, all to comfort you.

And when he pulled away, Zuko told you, “You’re not bad at that.”

You laughed and nuzzled your nose against his. “Neither are you.”

Safe to say that when Iroh came home to find you and his nephew snuggled up together in the bed he forced the two of you to share, he smiled and wrote letters to the rest of the gang immediately.

There were pros and cons to Uncle finding out before you told him. Pro, you didn’t have to tell him. Con, you two woke up to Uncle Iroh cooking a large meal fit for an army and a hug for you while he shouted, “Good morning, my new niece-in-law!”

You were embarrassed, to say the least, but you felt better when Zuko tugged you closer to him and told his uncle, “You can’t possibly believe that we could eat all of this.”

“No, you can’t.” Iroh beamed. “But I can! I’m celebrating! A niece! I have a niece!”

In two weeks, Uncle, Zuko, and you were back in the Fire Nation.

There was a party when you arrived. Not for the Fire Lord’s return. No, it was your friends celebrating that you and Zuko were finally together.

“Double date!” Sokka was hanging off of you and pointed at his girlfriend, “We need couple friends.”

“Hey!” Aang said, “Don’t Katara and I count?”

“No, my sister and her boyfriend can’t be mine and Suki’s couple friends.” He grimaced. “I already see you guys kiss enough.”

Katara rolled her eyes and kissed her boyfriend’s cheek.

“Eugh!” Sokka hid behind you. “Save me! I’m being tortured.”

Zuko shook his head and asked Suki, “We’re leaving him home on our double dates, right?”

“Oh yeah.” She laughed and dragged her boyfriend from behind you. “Come on.”

Zuko and you were apprehensive to be seen in public, but you two have known each other for years, loved each other for almost as much time.

“My mother was forced into marriage,” Zuko said one night, almost a year after the two of you had kissed. “My father was told by a sage that he must marry my mother to ensure the family bloodline. They were right, but in the wrong way, i guess.”

You looked up from your scroll and asked out of curiosity, “Are all Fire Nation marriages arranged?”

“No, mostly for those of an upper class. I was arranged to have a marriage with Mai.”

“How is Mai?”

“Good. I received a letter from her and Ty Lee a few days ago.”

You smiled. “Do you think they’ll get engaged soon?”

“Definitely before we do.”

Before the two of you? Even though marriage was stressful and a huge step forward, you couldn’t help the little bubble of happiness that formed in your gut and transformed into a dreamy sigh of “We?”

Just like that, the Fire Lord went red in the cheeks. “I mean, because they’ve been together longer, so I would assume if we were to get married, well-” He cut himself off by groaning, which only got you to giggle. He stared at the ceiling. “Almost a year, and I’m still bad at this.”

You smiled and took his hand in yours. “You’re not bad at this.”

He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” You shrugged, and your voice softened when you said, “I can see us getting married, too.”

He smiled at you. “How do they do it in the Earth Kingdom?”

You hummed. “In Ba Sing Se, if two people were getting married, they just decided they would and move in together.” You bit your lip as you tried to think back on the times before Ba Sing Se. “I’ve heard of a tradition where people hold a party to announce their love and the ceremony ends when the couple leave for their house.”

“I see.” Zuko played with your fingers as he explained, “Here, one partner gives the other a ring, to symbolize- Wait.” He tilted his head. “In Ba Sing Se, would we be considered engaged already?”

You laughed, as heat settled in your cheeks. You and Zuko were a well-known couple in the Earth Kingdom, and since you did move into the palace, to some, you would be. “I guess we would!”

He nodded. “You ok with that?”

There was more to that question that meets the eye. The Fire Nation loved you, sure, but some parts didn’t. There was a group trying to rebel against the peace and prosperity Zuko and all of your friends have fought so hard to gain, a group that wanted Ozai or Azula back on the throne. They have made a few attempts on Zuko, none near successful. But, if you were to get engaged, they’d come after you, too.

Being engaged to Zuko put a bigger target on your back.

“I’m ok with that.”

But, how could you be afraid of them when you had Zuko by your side?

“Good.”

You nodded. “Good.”

Zuko and you had two weddings. One in private on Ember Island with the gaang and a few close friends. It ended with you exchanging an Earth Kingdom bracelet for a Fire Nation crown.

There was an afterparty, with dancing and a large feast. There were also speeches.

“You know, if anyone was going to marry the Firlord, I thought it was gonna be me-”

“Sokka!” Suki laughed.

“-or maybe my sister-”

Katara only rolled her eyes with a smile.

“-but if it couldn’t be either of us, I’m glad it’s you!”

“I couldn’t think of a better couple than you two,” Suki started.

“Hey!” Sokka did not like that statement.

“Honestly, you two are already attractive by yourselves, but together?” Suki was smiling so innocently the entire time. “Hey, (Y/n), you sure you don’t wanna reconsider. I can show around Kyoshi Island sometime.”

“Ok that’s enough!” Sokka couldn’t drag his girlfriend out of the spotlight or stop her from saying how great Zuko and you were, but he did glare at both of you throughout the speech. “I’m watching you.”

“I’m sure you are, Sokka,” you told him.

Your husband laughed. “I mean, if anyone was to take her away, I wouldn’t mind it being Suki.”

“Don’t test me, Sparky!”

It was funny how even though all of you were well into your 20’s, Sokka’s voice could still crack.

Toph wasn’t one for speeches. She showed her love by keeping Sokka away from you two and pushing Suki towards you. She really loved the laugh.

(You apologized to Sokka later with the gift of leftovers.)

Mai actually had a memorable speech.

“Ty Lee wouldn’t let me put my name on her gift, which sucks.” She glared at her wife, who only smiled. “So, this is my gift for you. Not you, Zuko, but for your wife.” She smirked. “When Zuko was five he thought he could eat all the spicy food in the kitchen-”

“Mai!”

“-it didn’t end well.”

Toph also occupied Zuko while Mai rambled on about Zuko in his childhood. It was very fun.

Uncle Iroh also spoke. “I didn’t know this was supposed to be about embarrassing my nephew.”

“It wasn’t!”

“And that’s ok, because I have something on our dear bride.”

You paled. “Oh no.”

“If you aren’t aware, I knew (Y/n) during our time as fugitives, and she loved to stare at my nephew during his shifts.”

Your husband looked at you. “Did you?”

“Not that much!”

Uncle continued, “I also caught her doodling Lee’s name-”

“Uncle-”

“Please, Uncle, continue!”

Aang shave advice to the two of you. “Please talk to each other,” he said with a laugh. He recounted the times Katara and he didn’t communicate early in their relationship resulting in an unhealthy on and off relationship for a year before the two of them sat down and just talked.

Katara gushed over how happy she was for the two of you. “Zuko was always grumpy, and I’m glad there’s someone he can be less grumpy with!”

Azula dropped in. She had escaped rehabilitation, and Zuko had let her go. It was near the end of the ceremony, and Zuko and you had snuck out to take a breather.

He held you close as the two of you swayed to muted music.

“I do hate to intrude.”

You yelped and the earth beneath Azula’s feet nearly threw her into the air. While her mind was still recovering, it seemed like her agility wasn’t affected. “To be fair, I did expect that reaction.”

“Azula?” Your husband kept his hand in your as he moved closer to his sister. “I-”

“Save it. I’m here to drop something off.” She held out a pouch for him to take.

“Azula-”

“Zuko, I am not here to talk to you.”

You gulped. “Then what about me?” You smiled. “You can come home, Azula.”

If Azula was affected by your words, she didn’t let it show.

Zuko took the pouch and by the time the two of you looked up, she was gone.

Inside were two rings.

Zuko laughed. “She probably stole these.”

“She could be living an honest life, too, you know?”

“Possibly. We don’t have to use these.”

You took the rings in your hands. They were beautifully crafted, and while gold was the main color, hints of red and green were there too. “If I can’t have Azula as a bridesmaid, then we might use her gifts.”

The public ceremony took place a few months later, and it was grand and very, very public. You were not comfortable.

You could only change so much of it, though.

Zuko and you would pull each other to the sidelines when it all got too much. Your friends gladly made excuses when you were absent.

By the end, you were stuffed full with food and exhausted.

“Please tell me marriage won’t be like this all the time.”

You laughed and sluggish cuddled up into his arms. “I can’t tell you. Never been married before.”

“The first few months were nice.”

“When no one knew.”

He laughed. “No big ceremonies or dumb speeches.”

“Or embassadors or loud music.�� You sighed. “Kinda terrified, to be honest.”

You could feel Zuko stiffen under you, and immediately, you added, “I’m glad you and I get to go through it together, though.”

He nodded. “I do hate life less.”

As Fire Lady, you were kind and gentle, and while you did need breathers in meetings and galas and public events, you enjoyed helping people with policy changes and additions.

Zuko encouraged you to take risks, and when you were too tired to voice your opinions, Zuko voiced them for you.

You also were the only one who could calm down Zuko. While his temper wasn’t too much of a problem, sometimes he was so stressed that even the training room couldn’t hold in his anger.

You’d lead him to your bedroom and just hold him, and if he wanted to talk, you listened.

The two of you were the definition of quiet strength, and even though assassins and Ozai sympathizers tried to take you two down, you and your family never faltered, especially you and Zuko

#zuko x reader #atla x reader #zuko imagine #zuko headcanons #zuko #atla imagine #atla headcanons #reader insert #atla

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cottage-babe · 4 years

Text

Bolin x pro-bender!Reader

Masterlist

here... take this bolin headcannon... just take it

i feel like there’s not nearly enough bolin stuff and since i’m almost finished w LOK, i guess ill aid this deficiency :)

also, i just started Book 3, so if theres some things that aren’t right or something, ignore it

___

Bolin HC (during Book 1/Book 2)

so you guys met at (you guessed it) a pro-bending match

you were an Earthbender for the Ba Sing Se Badgermoles, a widely known team because you guys represented such a big city and you guys were actually kinda good

the Badgermoles were constantly interviewed, put on the covers of magazines, and bombarded by fans. The people loved you and your team

and so the day came where the Badgermoles were put up against the Fire Ferrets

you had heard about this team a lot; how they lost a member of the team, then the Avatar, actual master of the elements, filled in that empty space

it honestly took you so long to process

anyways, your team didn’t get the chance to meet the Fire Ferrets before the match; you just threw on all of your gear and made your way to the play area

you saw the Ferrets and instantly saw Avatar Korra, the only girl on the team

honestly, you couldnt see her well, but she was so pretty

anyways

the battle started and the Badgermoles got the advantage pretty quick

you took out their firebender and was working on the earthbender while the rest of team handled the Avatar

the earthbender put up a huge fight, it was so impressive

he even knocked you back a zone, but you recovered and, with a streak of luck, knocked him straight out of the field

you guys won that round

the next round didn’t go so well

the fire ferrets managed to knock all three of you guys off the platform, resulting in a win and a knock out

this meant that the entire match went to the Fire Ferrets

the other members on your team were annoyed and angry, but you weren’t phased too much

after all, Ba Sing Se treated you all extremely nicely, whether you win or not

so after the game, your team found themselves walking through the Fire Ferret’s locker room so you could leave

after your team mates walked past, you stayed behind and talked to one of the Ferrets, the Earthbender

“Hey, you were really good out there.”

you took off your helmet, just like in the movies, and he swore time slowed

he just stood there, completely frozen with his mouth agape

you raised an eyebrow at his antics and it wasn’t until Avatar Korra slapped him on the back that he came back to

“You- good- were good, uh im- im Bolin.”

you just laughed at Bolin and smiled

“My names Y/n”

you walked up close to him, noses inches apart

“And next time, we won’t lose.”

he just gulped and nodded him head

you turned and walked out, laughing quietly to yourself

the interaction boosted your mood up exponentially

anyways timeskip to when their looking for the airbenders

you were just chilling in Ba Sing Se in the upper ring

you and your team were given super nice houses since you were the city’s pride and joys

then suddenly, you see Bolin and his brother walking around calling for someone

“Bolin? is that you?”

that boy turned around so fast

he blushed so brightly when he saw you and kinda looked at his brother for help

“well, well, what are the Fire Ferrets doing in my city? you know.. i’ve been dying for a rematch!”

you were only joking of course

you knew that their team had broken up after the year you met Bolin

not that you were keeping tabs on their team

of course

“yeah not right now, we’re looking for someone” his brother said

“oh? need some help?”

it took some time to convince Mako, the brother, but eventually you annoyed him enough to let you join

you were all walking through the upper ring looking for some kid named Kai, but you weren’t really paying attention

you maybe, kinda, might only be there so you could hang out with Bolin

from what you had heard (once again, you definitely weren’t searching for info), Bolin was an outgoing, loud guy

now he was quieter than a mouse

“So, i heard you were making movers now. What, getting tired of being a Pro-Bender?”

“Huh? No. I still play! I’m just doing this until the season starts...”

you were visibly happier after hearing that

you had thought that acting was going to be his permanent thing from now on

but still one thing plagued your mind

“And whats that princess girlfriend of yours gonna think about it? Ginger, I think her name was.”

Spirits you had done wayyyy too much research on this man

to be fair, you didn’t think you’d see him ever again

he blushed and stuttered out something about how they weren’t really dating, how it was a publicity stunt, blah blah

you weren’t really paying attention because after hearing his availability, you decided that today was the day you were gonna make a move on him

if it fails, then you don’t really have much to worry about; he lives in an entirely different city and you would only have to see him once a year

but if it succeeds; ohohohoh you’d finally get to live out your crush

the pros really outweighed the cons right now

so you guys searched for Kai for a while more

you decided that you were going to make some subtle hints toward Bolin

you let your hand brush against his a couple times, but never really looked up to see his reaction

then, you guys found Kai

he was stealing some old guy’s money by... airbending? why does this day just keep getting weirder?

so you guys chase him down an the streets and eventually follow him onto a train

unfortunately, he tricks you and sends you guys all the way to the lower ring

you used to live here when you were younger, before you became a Pro-Bender, and it wasn’t a nice place

only now, it seemed to have gotten worse

all of you tried to find a way to get on a train back to the upper ring, but none of you had your passports or any money

if only you hadn’t left your house in such a hurry

you even tried to pull the “im a Pro-Bender!” card, but it didnt work

so you guys stayed on the streets for the day

Bolin was really trying to lighten the situation up, but it wasn’t really working

“C’mon guys! Korra will realize that we’re gone and then come rescue us! I know it!”

she did not come

eventually, they had to find a place to sleep and no where was letting the stay for free

so they found a place in an alley and slept on the floor

yup, the dirty floor

you were not used to this

you almost wanted to stay up for the whole night to avoid sleeping on the ground, but Bolin assured her that it wasn’t as bad as it seemed

it was

“mmm here! you can use my jacket.”

he took off his jacket and laied it out on the floor neatly before gesturing for you to lay there

you hesitated for a second before sitting, not really putting up much of a fight because of how tired you were

Mako was already asleep somewhere across the alley and Bolin began gathering up some papers to use as blanket

then he found a spot somewhere away from you and started to settle down

“hey Bolin? do you maybe wanna share the jacket?”

he looked up so quickly and even the soft light from the lamp post caught his blush

“uhh sure”

and so he came over and laid halfway on the jacket so that you could take up most of it

he even offered you some of his picked up trash to use as a blanket, but you grimaced at the grossness and shook your head

you turned away from him, not wanting to be too overwhelmed by his proximity, so you didn’t notice that Bolin was staring at you

before you could completely fall asleep, a cool breeze burst threw the alley way and you began to shiver

maybe you should’ve accepted his paper

“hey Y/n you awake?”

since you were currently bouncing between consciousness, you decided not to answer

you feel him scoot closer

“okay please dont be mad at me when you wake up”

then you felt his arm cover your cold skin and warm you instantly

Spirits, he should be a firebender with how warm he was

you scooted back to meet his chest and let him envelope you

you fell asleep so quick

both of you woke up to Mako above you speaking loudly

“hey lovebirds, wake up”

since you already know of the position you were in, you didn’t really jump back with the surprise that Bolin had

“S-Sorry Y/n! You just looked so cold last night that I-”

“its fine Bolin” you smiled at him “and thank you”

spirits he was so cute

and so you guys went on with the day, thinking about stealing food, then meeting their long lost family

it was such a nice reunion

they talked a bit about their family history, but since you felt out of place, you settled for playing with the babies on the floor

you bended little toys out of rocks and watched as some tried the same

it was so cute

meanwhile, Bolin was having a little dilemma

he and Mako had just finished having a heartfelt conversation with his Grandma and now he walks out here to see you playing with little babies and laughing with them

you were just so cute

“you know she likes you too right?”

“huh?! what- staring? im not staring.”

Mako just sighed because wow his baby brother is so dumb

“just talk to her before we leave Ba Sing Se”

and so they got their passports and left to the Upper Ring

you were so excited to go back home and sleep in a real bed

but you had one more thing to do before all of that

“So uh Bolin”

“So uh Y/n”

you guys spoke at the same time

“Oh! you can go first”

once again at the same time

“listen Y/n, I think you’re really pretty and super strong, like you could beat me up if you wanted to and i think thats really cool.” *cue your confused stare* “um anyways what I meant to say was, I think I’m about to fight the queen of Ba Sing Se and if I make it out alive, do you think we could hang out? like just us two?”

you decided to ignore some parts of what he said because umm you can only handle so many things at once

you settled for kissing his cheek and confessing too

you went back home so excited

even tho your crush was about to commit treason <3

aww the two of you are so cute I can’t

#bolin x reader #lok #bolin #legend of korra

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krastbannert · 3 years

Note

Smellershot for the Ultimate Ship Meme?

MAH BABIES! Seriously, I love these two. I will forever be upset that we haven’t gotten a Freedom Fighters centric story that gave us more content for the group, especially Longshot, Smellerbee, and Jet.

For reference, all of these will be completed using the following headcanons:

1. Longshot is a firebender from the FN Colonies (this has absolutely no basis in canon, I just literally can’t unthink it).

2. Jet lives. Because he should have.

(and I’m still sleep deprived so these might be a little insane/weird)

General:

Rate the Ship -

How long will they last? - Till death do they part, and then a tad bit longer.

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - It took them a couple years. They’re children in the middle of a brutal war with an even jankier support system than the Gaang had. They’ve got a lot to deal with already. Plus, Bee has to process the fact that sweet fucking spirits he’s a flaming ashmaker what the hell when did that happen?!?

How was their first kiss? - When I wrote that scene in Ashmaker, it was very sudden and rather frustrated, and right after Bee literally slapped some sense into him (or tried to, anyways). It would definitely be either that, or it just...happens. Just a lazy thing, something that happens as they’re waking up, and neither of them realize it for a few moments. But in both cases, Bee is the one to initiate it.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Longshot. It was a simple proposal - it just slipped out one day as they were walking together in the same woods they met in, just outside Gaipan. Marry me, he says, quietly at first, then louder when she asks what he said. Bee, of course, says yes.

Who is the best man/men? - Jet. Absolutely, 100% Jet. (Bonus: if he dies like in canon, Jet is still the best man - The Duke stands in his place, carrying a picture of Jet, forever sixteen. Instead of a Best Man’s speech, they have two minutes of silence. Longshot has to leave his own reception because the loss of his best friend is still that painful.)

Who is the braid’s maid(s)? - We don’t see Bee get many, if any female friends in the show. If they become friends at some point, though, it would absolutely be Toph. I have a feeling the earthbender-gremlin and the knife-gremlin would get along very well. Otherwise, it’s probably someone Bee meets in Ba Sing Se, or in Republic City post-war.

Who did the most planning? - Their wedding really didn’t have any planning. They just sorta threw it together one afternoon. Longshot let Bee make most of the decisions because it’s her day, and he just wants her to be happy.

Who stressed the most? - Honestly, neither. They just...knew they were meant for each other. In the moment they were each a little nervous, but they’ve been together so long at this point, that they know: they have nothing to worry about.

How fancy was the ceremony? -

Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - There...really wasn’t anyone they specifically didn’t invite, to be honest. After the war, after the dust has settled, after they’ve traveled and grown and matured, they’re more than ready to leave past hurts behind and start a new future.

Sex: Opting out of doing this section

Who is on top? -

Who is the one to instigate things? -

How healthy is their sex life? -

Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

How kinky are they? -

Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

How long do they normally last? -

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? -

How rough are they in bed? -

Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? -

No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - If they had any at all, probably just 1.

How many children will they adopt? - They’d be the ones to start an impromptu orphanage and take in every kid they can support because no one is going to go through the hardships they did if they can help it.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Bee, because Longshot is dead asleep by 8:00 PM and he sleeps like the dead until he wakes up with the sun.

Who is the stricter parent? - Probably Longshot. He’s pretty chill with most things - he is married to a knife-gremlin, after all - but he’s still stricter than Bee, who doesn’t particularly care if the kid(s) aren’t dead, dying, or out committing felonies.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Both, but only if it’s too dangerous. It’s not like they have any room to talk, considering they literally lived in trees and swung around branches and used jury-rigged ziplines (made by kids) for several years.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Longshot is already up, so he does it. Bee, however, is the one to make the food (more below).

Who is the more loved parent? - Smellerbee. She gets in as much trouble as the kids do; hell, she’s the one who gives the kids half their ideas in the first place.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Longshot.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Longshot.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Longshot, because Smellerbee is probably in jail with the kids (she got in another fight with someone who mistook her for a boy).

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - After one too many incidents involving burned soup, near forest-fires, and Jet lacking eyebrows for a month, Longshot was banned from cooking, and the ban is maintained by Bee and the other Freedom Fighters throughout their lives.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Longshot grew up in the FN colonies. The boy needs spicy food. Craves it, actually.

Who does the grocery shopping? - They do it together.

How often do they bake desserts? - All the time. After so long living on hunted, stolen, and scavenged food, they both have a sweet tooth that will not be denied.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Meat, mainly because that’s what they’re used to. Salad is just weird.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Longshot always remembers things like that, but he doesn’t cook, so when he does get together a full dinner spread, it’s a big day.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - They only go out when they don’t have a lot of food in the house, or when a friend wants to meet them someplace.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidently while cooking? - Longshot. Absolutely Longshot (see above). Smellerbee might not be the best cook but she can manage to make food without getting rid of eyebrows or forests.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Both.

Who is really against chores? - Neither, really. They’re just so used to doing them that it’s automatic.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Whoever is their at the time.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Considering how long it took him to admit to being a firebender and that he had a crush, it would probably be Longshot.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - They really don’t have guests. Just their really close friends, and they’re pretty much the Freedom Fighters and sometimes the Gaang, who went through the same shit they did.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Longshot did, but he gave it to Bee.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Bee. She hates being cold, so she stays in the warmth as long as she possibly can.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They let the dog roam free most of the time. He walks himself.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - They’re not big on decorating. They only do the big ones - Lunar New Year and Winter Solstice.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Honestly? They don’t really have any. They spent so much of their lives just trying to survive, one day to the next, and all they really want is time to relax.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Smellerbee.

Who plays the most pranks? - Smellerbee.

#krast answers asks #@ljf613 #i'll be honest i don't think i've thought this hard about a ship in a long time #but it was a lot fun so thank you #smellerbee #longshot #smellershot

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the-turtleduck-pond · 4 years

Text

You know, considering the main characters that we’ve seen that have mixed bending parents, there’s plenty of problems that are cause by it. (Not huge ones always and this is also based on my own opinions.) (Ever so slight spoilers for Rise of Kyoshi.)

Kyoshi - Kyoshi was born of an Earth Kingdom, earthbending man and a rogue, Air Nomad woman from the Eastern Temple.

Kyoshi is shown to have problems bending earth. Her native element. My thought is that this can be blamed on her airbending mother. Air and earth are opposite elements, so who knows what all affects it had on her. She can only move extremely large things at first.

It should also be noted that the test that usually has no problem finding the Earth Kingdom Avatar, can’t locate Kyoshi. No matter how hard they try. This might be because while she was with her parents they moved around a lot (daofei). Though it should be noted that the Air Nomad test did work, but Kyoshi ran after selecting only one of the many toys.

Bumi - Bumi shows no sign of bending at an early age like most children. He wasn’t able to bend until the Spirit World was opened up. This is strange considering that not only did he have two bending parents (which isn’t impossible), but one of them is an airbender. Air Nomads have a 100% bender rate. There is no such thing as a non-bender in their people.

So I have to wonder what happened to make Bumi be a non-bender.

Kya and Tenzin - Kya and Tenzin as far as I know don’t have any obvious strangeness to being from a mixed bending family.

Mako - Mako comes from a mixed family, with an Earth Kingdom father and a Fire Nation mother.

Mako shows a remarkable amount of control and calm. A good example of this is lightningbending. He’s shown to lightningbend not only quickly, but with a considerable amount of power quickly.

Lightningbending requires emotional control. Something that I’d amount more to earthbenders than firebenders.

Bolin - Bolin has the same parents as his elder brother Mako.

He’s shown to be completely unable to metalbend, something that - while hard - is not impossible for any other known earthbender. (As far as I know.) He can however, lavabend. Which before him I can’t remember any other earthbender doing. (Outside of being an actual Avatar.)

So the question is, what is going on when there’s a mixed family, because clearly it doesn’t always go smoothly.

#atla #avatar the last airbender #avatar: the last airbender #kyoshi #bumi #kya #tenzin #mako #bolin #legend of korra #lok

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tehfabbooty · 4 years

Text

Jealous Part 2

The next morning came quickly. You started the day by sneaking to houses on the outskirts of the city to find clothes to disguise yourselves in. While dressing your self in some green and black clothing, gou watched Katara helping Toph with disguising here intrigued by the waterbender's makeup skills.

"....And there. Not too much that you'll stick out to people, but enough to make it more difficult to recognize you,"Katara said as she applied the last touches.

"Thanks, Katara. I would've done it myself, but ya know...,"the blind girl said, grinning.

She was stunning with her hair down like that, you thought in jealousy. Her long black hair went down to her butt, her bangs pinned away to show more of her face. Katara somehow had adjusted Toph's everyday clothes to look a little different and a little more feminine and it made you jealous with how great she looked while you, a waterbender, looked awkward as hell in your earthbender clothing.

Zuko noticed your jealous looks at Toph, so gaining courage, he walked by as if in passing and muttered to you, "You look amazing, Y/N. Like a real earthbender."

You blushed, just now noticing him in his disguise. "T-thank you, Zuko. So do you."

Zuko was dressed in a pretty similar outfit to what he wore in Ba Sing Se, it was just missing the hat he wore to cover his scar. But his hair made up for it, being long enough for partially cover the scar.

His face reddened as well. "Thanks."

You two stood there for a few seconds, awkwardly waiting for the other to say something, but Sokka started talking to the group again.

"All right, everyone dressed and ready? Great. Oh wow, you look great, Toph!"he said, making the earthbender blush, which you have never seen her do before.

"Okay, anyways, we are going to split up in twos. Katara and Y/N, you girls do the shopping for anything useful to us since you're girls, you love shopping -"

Katara punched him in the arm.

"- You didn't let me finish!"Sokka whined, rubbing his arm. "And you're the most responsible and smart with money."

"Aww, thanks Sokka." You walked up and kissed his cheek.

The green-eyed monster flared its head again inside Zuko. It took a little bit of control, but Zuko managed to not huff and glare at Sokka. He just thinned his lips into a thin line.

"Toph, you come with me. We do well with food shopping. Aang and Zuko, you guys search the other areas looking for anything useful to us also, like weapons and other resources. Or information we could use. Also keep a lookout for any Fire Nation soldiers,"Sokka added. "You guys are our best defense. Anyways, we meet back here by evening or sooner. Got it?"

Everyone agreed, then set off for the city of Kuidaore.

......

Around midday, you stopped at a stand to get a drink while Katara scoped a jewelry store out.

"Hey, Y/N, come look at this!"

You paid for your drink before following the water bender inside the store.

"What is it?"you asked before freezing inside the door.

All around the store before you were jewelry pieces from all four nations. You have never seen a store so diverse that it included all nations, especially the Fire Nation. Your jaw dropped as you walked around, amazed.

"Whoa,"you whispered to Katara as you both gaped at Earth Nation jewelry before Katara and you set your eyes on the water bending pieces.

"Oh my God. It's so beautiful,"you said in awe as you stared at a neck choker. It had an opal gemstone, your birth gemstone in the center of the choker necklace. All along the rest of the piece were smaller Opal stones varying in shades of blue along the clear material of the fabric of the choker, making it appear as if only Opals adorned your neck.

"Ooh, that is beautiful,"Katara agreed in a hushed tone.

"May I help you ladies with something?"a strong male voice said behind you.

Gasping in surprise, you and Katara spun around to face a man no older than nineteen staring down at you with a smile on his kind, handsome face.

"Oh, I apologize for scaring you. My name is Lin Chang, and I own this fine establishment,"he boasted, puffing his chest out a little.

You and Katara exchanged glances before giggling a little. "Well, aren't you successful then,"you told the man. "You have gorgeous jewelry, Mr. Chang."

He beamed at you. "Please, call me Lin."

You smiled wider. "Okay, Lin."

He turned his attention back to Katara. "I see you ladies have an eye for our Water Tribe pieces. Would you like to try some on?"

Katara's eyes widened in excitement. "Ooh, yes please! Can I try that one on?"

As Katara tried on a bracelet, you smiled kindly at Lin. "I won't be trying on anything today, Lin. But thank you."

You made your way around the store, checking out the other nation's cultural pieces.

Stopping at the Fire Nation's area, you eyed the beautiful gold and red ornate pieces in wonder. Red had always been your favorite color for some reason.

Finally, you stopped at something that made your heart soar.

There, in a glass case by itself, was a gorgeous Fire Lily hair piece, a piece that looked similar to what the royals would wear in their hair, except it looked exactly like a Fire Lily. Orange, red and gold. You couldn't tear your eyes away from it.

Heart thudding in your chest, you suddenly remembered a conversation you once had with Zuko. How his favorite flower had always been Fire Lily's. Since orange was his favorite color.

Swallowing hard, you looked at the price tag and your eyes widened in shock before your face fell in disappointment. It was way too expensive for you to just drop that kind of money on. But it was so beautiful...

"Hey, Y/N. Find anything interesting?" Katara had suddenly appeared next to you, scaring you.

"Oh, uh. Nothing." You blushed furiously.

"Wait, why are you looking at Fire Nation jewelry? Don't you want to -" She stopped talking before a grin spread across her face. "Wait, are you shopping for your lover boy?"

You gasped in embarrassment. "Katara! He is not my lover boy!"you hissed, face so red it matched the Fire Nation pieces.

She giggled. "Whatever you say."

"He's not! I just like .. The uh, style. I like the jewelry they make. And, I love red." Your eyes darted away from Katara's, looking for an escape.

She giggled again. "Mmm, okay, Y/N." Her eyes landed on the hair piece you were just admiring. "Oh! That is so gorgeous!" She got closer to it, her eyes scanning the details of it. "This would look amazing on you!"

Your eyes widened, shocked. "It would?"

"Of course!"Katara replied. "You should get it!"

"But it's so expensive, Katara. I don't want to spend TOO much money...,"you said worriedly.

She scoffed. "Oh, please. Treat yourself this one time. I think it'll be worth it. And besides...." She got close to your ear. "I doubt he'd be able to resist you with this thing on."

"Katara!"

You both giggled to yourselves, unaware of Lin's eyes watching you.

.....

"Ugh this so boring! Why do girls like this?" Zuko complained as Aang just HAD to scope out every shop and stand.

It was already midday and they barely had seen a quarter of the area they were supposed to scope out, due to Aang wanting to read and learn and gawk at every little thing he found interesting.

"Calm down, Hot man. This is the last item here. Then we can move to the next shop, I swear!"

Aang had stopped to look at an air bending toy, amazed by how the air would keep it spinning without anyone physically touching it.

Zuko sighed. This was going to be a long day. Especially without seeing you. Is it sad Zuko was already missing you and it's only been a couple of hours?

By the time it reached late afternoon, Aang finally stopped checking out every detail, complaining about being tired and hungry and needing a rest. Relieved, Zuko led him to a nice little restaurant.

"So what looks good to you, Zuko? I can't decide!"Aang exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, uh. I'm not really hungry. I think I'll take a walk while you eat,"he told the young avatar.

"Okay! Don't go too far."

Zuko grunted in response before leaving the small cafe and heading down the street.

Finally, some time to myself, Zuko thought.

As he strolled through the city, giving soft smiles to little kids and nodding at other citizens walking past, he suddenly noticed something intriguing.

Fire Nation colors through one of the windows of a store caught his eye, so he decided to check it out.

Upon entering the store, he realized it was just a jewelry shop.

"Meh,"he said to himself, turning to leave, but he noticed something.

He approached the counter cautiously, his eyes roaming over the beautiful piece of jewelry.

Remembering that you had told him your birthday was in October, his eyes stopped on a gorgeous neck choker covered in small opals around the clear fabric, before his eyes stopped on the Opal in the center.

He pursed his lips, considering.

A few minutes later, he exited the shop, accidentally running into Aang outside.

"Hey! There you are. I told you not to go too far,"Aang said.

"I didn't." Zuko leaned towards Aang's ear and in a low voice said, "But I need your advice again."

.......

Evening was slowly beginning to roll in, and you knew you needed to head back to the rendezvous point, but you and Katara were having too much fun enjoyingthe city, finally living like you weren't fugitives.

Stopping at a small cafe, you two decided to get a cup of tea before heading back to camp.

You told Katara your order before finding a nice table near the wall and the front door so as to keep an eye on anyone passing.

You sat down before closing your eyes and smiling to yourself. It was such an amazing day. Sokka was a genius, you thought to yourself.

Suddenly, a voice started speaking to you that you recognized. It was Lin from his jewelry shop!

"Hey, Y/N, is it? Funny seeing you again!"the boy exclaimed, stopping by your table.

"Oh. Hi, Lin! Nice seeing you too!"you replied with a small smile.

Suddenly Katara appeared. "They gave us to-go culs since they're closing,"Katara told you. "We should head back."

She turned to Lin, realizing his presence. "Oh, hey, Lin!"

"Hello. Would you ladies like me to accompany you back?"he asked politely, his eyes darting between you and Katara, but mainly staying glued to you.

"Oh, uh. That isn't necessary, but thank you!"Katara answered sweetly.

Standing up, you two headed out of the shop.

But Lin followed. He jogged to catch up with you.

"Then I can just walk you to the edge of the city. I figured you girls must be camping nearby. I've never seen you ladies before,"Lin said, smiling.

"Oh, uh, thank you. We appreciate it,"you told him, getting a tad creeped out now.

Meanwhile Zuko and Aang were also just starting to leave to head back to camp.

"Man, today was so fun. I miss days like these!"Aang said sadly.

"Don't worry. You'll get plenty more of these once we end the war,"Zuko assured him.

Aang decided to change subjects, so he started rambling on about something else, but Zuko wasn't listening now. His eyes picked up something. Something he didn't fucking like. At all.

Ahead of them were you and Katara. He was relieved to know you were safe. But there was a man next you. One he didn't recognize. One who was getting too friendly with you.

And you seemed to be enjoying it.

The green-eyed monster inside Zuko reared its head back again, furious. It threatened to break out. Zuko had to clench his fists and bite his lip to keep from blasting that asshole into smithereens.

Aang, who finally drifted off into silence noticing Zuko wasn't listening, finally seen what his firebending friend was glaring at.

"Uh, Zuko -"

"I'm not going to hurt him, Aang. I promise,"he muttered quietly to him.

Finally they reached the outskirts of the city, where Mr. Asshole finally parted ways with you, but not before touching your shoulder and smiling down at you.

Zuko could feel his blood boiling.

This was it. This was where Zuko was going to lose his shit.

Suddenly, a hand touched Zuko's overheated arm. He glared daggers down at Aang for a moment before stopping to take a breath.

"Good. You have controlled your anger. Now that's something Azula definitely can't do,"Aang complimented him.

Zuko chuckled lightly, but he was still furious. How dare this strange man touch HIS girl? The fuck. How dare she LET him touch her.

Ah, well. At least we'll never see that bastard again, Zuko thought to himself smugly.

Back at camp, everyone marveled about their finds. But Zuko couldn't concentrate or join in. His eyes burned into your face. He so badly wanted to just claim you now, in front of everyone. But he knew he had to wait.

But patience was something Zuko of the Fire Nation just did not have.

Standing up, he marched over to you, grabbed your arm and said, "Can we talk?"

You looked up, startled. You've never seen Zuko so mad before. Sure, you've witnessed his rage, but never seen such a wild fire burning in his golden eyes like this. It worried you. Did you do something wrong?

Before you could answer, he led you away anyways.

It was a good ten minutes later, and you wanted to ask where he was taking you, but you didn't dare. You kept quiet.

Finally, he stopped. His grip on your arm didn't loosen.

You stared at the back of his head. "Uh, Zuko, can you let go -"

He spun around to face you, anger and jealousy all over his face. This was kind of hot, you weren't gonna lie.

"Who was he?!"he demanded.

"Uh, who, Zuko?"

"Don't play dumb! That man you were flirting with!"he snapped.

Your eyes widened. "What? Flirting? I wasn't flirting with anyone!"

"Bullshit! I saw the way you looked at him!"

"I wasn't looking at him in any sort of way! Damn, Zuko, what has gotten into you -"

Suddenly he backed you into a tree, both hands slamming to either side of your head, trapping you between the tree and his body.

"Bull. Shit,"he said through gritted teeth.

You rolled your eyes. "He was just a shop owner. We went into his shop earlier to check out his jewelry -"

Zuko's eyes widened a little. Jewelry shop?! Must be that one he went into earlier. . .

Eyes not narrowing, he leaned in a little and whispered, "Yeah? So why was he walking you outside?"

Your face flushed. "Why does it matter?"

"Cause it just does!"

A smile started to appear on your lips. "Are. Are you jealous?"

Zuko stared at you in shock. "N-no! I just ... I just don't trust him! And you shouldn't either!"

"I was safe. I was with Katara, Zuko,"you explained calmly. Though you were not calm.you had goosebumps all up and down your skin, your heart was pounding in your chest at his proximity, and a blush was forming on your cheeks.

"Yeah, well. He could've killed both of you. Or followed you back to us!"he blubbered.

"We could've handled him even if he did!"you shot back.

"How would you know? Two water benders against - what - an earth bender? Or maybe a fire bender!"

You groaned. "I can take care of myself. Even if I somehow died, you still got Katara. Nobody actually needs me -"

His eyes bulged out of his head. "Nobody needs you?? I need you! I've always needed you! I'll ALWAYS need you!"

Before you could reply, he slammed his lips into yours, finally claiming what was his.

Letting the shock subside, you wrapped your arms around his neck, moulding your lips with his.

He shoved his whole body onto you, crushing you against the tree as his tongue invaded your mouth. You moaned at the feeling of his weight on you, and you felt him smile against your lips.

After a few, he pulled away, staring lovingly at your swollen lips. "You are mine. All mine. Nobody else's."

Before you could respond, he pulled you towards him and laid you down on the ground.

"And I'm gonna show you!"he exclaimed.

Suddenly you felt your pants disappear. Seeing that you have gone commando, Zuko groaned in delight before burying his face into your pussy, using his arms to pin your legs and body in place as he ate you like the queen he thought you to be.

"Ahh, fuck! Zuko!" you moaned loudly.

You felt him chuckle against you. "Keep moaning, baby. I want the world to know who is mine and who I belong to,"he told you in a sultry voice.

You groaned. Him talking dirty was SO sexy.

He laughed a small laugh into your crotch. "You like that, don'tcha?"

You watched as his eyes flickered up to meets yours as his tongue darted in and out and played with your clit, making you a moaning, sweaty mess. He loved watching you fall apart for him, and especially the fact HE was the one making you fall apart. Not that douche bag shop owner.

"Mm mm mm, Zuko. Please." You had a strong grip on his hair, guiding him in your pussy and keeping him there.

He glanced up at you again. "Mm what baby?"he murmured before tongue fucking your pussy again.

It was getting too much. After everything, the jealous, his dominance, now this. . . . You needed him inside you. Right. Now.

Suddenly he stopped. He pulled his head back to look at you more clearly.

You groaned in protest.

"Tell me what you want,"Zuko said.

"Zuuuukooo,"you cried. "Please."

"Please what? Tell me what you need."

"I need you inside me! Fuck me Zuko!"you rasped.

You barely got the words out before he was stripping himself, his cock bouncing free. He lifted your legs up before positioning himself and pushing in. No hesitation, no wait for you to stretch. He was taking what was his.

"Ughhhh!"you winced in pain.

"Shut your whore mouth. You were a bad girl, flirting with another man, when all along you knew you only belonged to one man!"Zuko bellowed. "Me!"he shouted as he bottomed himself out.

You cried in pain and pleasure as his cock filled you so good.

It was only a second before he was pounding you into the dirt, his chest crushing yours as he placed his lips by your ear.

"Tell me. Who's girl are you?"

You moaned loudly.

He lifted your ass up so he could spank it. "Say it!"

"Y-y-yours Zuko!"you gasped.

"Damn fucking right. About time you learned that too." He turned his head and started attacking your neck with kisses. Sucking and swirling his tongue all around. He took your ear lobe into his mouth before letting it out with a loud pop, then went back to leaving hickeys everywhere on you.

It was too delicious. You were so close and he was making it so much worse.

His lips found their way back to your ear. "Cum for me, princess. Let me hear you moan my name while I feel your body shake."

Oh fuck. There it goes.

You cummed so hard it finally got to him too. He pulled out right as his cum spilled all over the grass next to you.

After a few minutes of panting and calming down, you both sat up. Finally, he grabbed the back of your head and forced your lips to his for a loving kiss that said everything.

After pulling away, he smiled at you. "I love you so fucking much, Y/N. You don't even know."

"I love you more,"you panted, grinning.

"Oh I don't think so. I got proof."

"What?" You looked at him in confusion as he stood up and pulled his clothes back on. You did the same, waiting for him to answer.

"Close your eyes."

You did as you were told, facing the bright full moon that hung right above both of your heads.

Suddenly you felt something on your neck and before you could say anything, he told you to turn around and open your eyes.

You did, and then gasped.

Zuko was on one knee smiling shyly at you. You looked down to see that he had bought you the opal neck choker from the shop.

"So uh . . . I heard that when you want to, uh. Um," he stuttered, blushing profusely.

Aww, you thought. He's so cute when he turns back into the shy awkward boy even though he just got done being so dominant and jealous with you.

"Will you - Ugh. Fuck it. Fuck what Aang said. Will you marry me??!"he demanded. He stared into your eyes, his full of hope and nervousness and love for you.

Your cheeks felt like they were on fire.

"Yes!!!"you shouted.

You tackled him to the ground, kissing him hard on the lips before standing up and grinning at each other.

"I got a gift for you too. But it's not for you to wear,"you admitted, blushing.

"Oh?"

"Close your eyes."

You pulled the hair piece out before fixing your hair up into a high ponytail before securing it into place at the base of the ponytail, making sure the Fire Lily faced front and center.

"Okay, you can look."

His eyes opened. He looked at you confused for a moment before his eyes caught the hair piece. His mouth dropped open and his face blushed once again.

"I guess this could signify who I belong to -"

You didn't finish as he grabbed your face and kissed you again. Then he peppered your face in kisses before pulling back and staring at it in awe.

"Yes it does signify that you belong to me. But so do these." He tapped a finger on the side of your neck, making your face redden even more.

"To be honest, I think everyone knew already."

"Yeah,"he chuckled. Then his face darkened. "But not that shop owner."

Grinning, you pulled him back into another kiss.

You definitely have to make him jealous more often.

#jealous zuko #zuko x reader #atla zuko #zuko x oc #zuko #atla

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missturtleduck · 3 years

Note

Hi, could I request a sokka x reader fic? Where the reader has really bad vision/with glasses and is super insecure about the way she looks (along with her body, not just her face) and she always jokes about her appearence. But one day sokka realizes its not a joke and he tells her he likes her for who she is, not how she looks? And its just super fluffy and sweet? Thank u! :)

So, I began writing this Xmas morning, and finished it sometime the day after? It’s short and sweet, and I hope you like it <3

Soft

Sokka x insecure!Reader

TW: Themes of insecurity/body image

Out of all her siblings, Y/N felt as though she was always a little different.

Being in the middle, she had looked up to her elder sister, who was beautiful and kind for no reason. Y/N had looked on in silent awe as her sister evaded conflict and quietly defied the Fire Nation troops who has invaded their village. Then, she had watched her younger brother grow up from some chubby baby with dumpling sized fists and rosy cheeks to the blueprint for a warrior. By the age of fourteen, he had grown adept in his earthbending – an ability he fought hard to keep from the soldiers outside their door. Even his parents, both non-benders, were remarkable in her eyes.

When she looked at herself, however, it was a different story.

After she turned three, her father fashioned her some glasses out of copper wire and sea glass until they could afford to buy some proper ones when she stopped growing so fast. She saw the world through green tinted lenses for many years. It was only many years later that she was given a proper pair of them and they became the most precious thing she owned.

When she didn’t have them on, Y/N was practically blind. This was extreme enough that her mother had trained a goat dog to be her animal guide if she ever lost or broke her glasses. Yes, they were precious, and Y/N loved seeing the world, but there were certain things she didn’t like.

Impressed by her astute observations and quick manipulation of some Fire Nation soldiers, the Avatar – yes, that Avatar – invited her away from her small village to come and help save the world.

“I don’t know why yet,” The young monk said with an honest smile, “But I feel like you have an important destiny and it intersects with mine.”

Whatever that meant.

Being away from home was marvellous. Of course, Y/N missed her family, but she felt like suddenly she could carve her own path, separate herself from the unit that was her family. No longer did she feel compared to her patient, stunning sister or her talented, muscular brother. She could breathe knowing she could just be her, and that was okay.

And then she looked a little closer.

There was the natural bender envy that came with travelling with the Avatar – who could live up to him anyway? But then Katara comes along, younger than her and completely beautiful, and masters so much so quickly. Toph was even worse. Y/N loved Toph; she was quick, funny, and they could relate on quite a few things, but she was powerful, and never had to worry about how she looked. Even Sokka, sarcastic and reliable, was good-looking and extremely useful on the battlefield.

She watched, absorbed, and learnt what she thought was best. How does Toph come across as so tough? Ironically, she was very ‘earthbender’ in that approach; she deflected. And Sokka? Well, he was the funniest person Y/N had ever met.

It was good, for a start. If she could joke about how she was feeling, she could be more self-aware, become more empathetic.

“Hey, Sokka,” Toph grinned, for once enjoying riding on Appa’s back. “You know what’s great about being blind?”

He sighed, a smile toying on his lips. “No, do go on and tell me, oh Blind Bandit.”

“Firstly, I don’t have to see you in a morning, or ever!” She said, that joking malice seeping into her voice, much to Sokka’s chagrin. “Also, I don’t ever have to worry about my appearance! I don’t even know what green looks like, and apparently it’s all I wear.”

Y/N snorted. “You’re lucky you don’t have to see me in a morning, Toph. I look like a floundering tiger seal. Sometimes I take my glasses off just so I don’t have to look in the mirror!”

The two girls cackled between each other, dissolving into conspiratorial snickers. Truly, Toph was Y/N’s best friend, as much as she loved everyone else. Even Noodle, her beloved goat dog, seemed inclined to love the earthbender too. Seeing if he was also in on their joke, Y/N looked at Sokka with a grin. He wasn’t. In fact, his face was scrunched up into a frown.

“You good, Sokka?” She asked, her smile slowly seeping away the longer she looked at him.

“Yeah,” He said, still frowning. “I’m good, don’t worry about it.”

When someone said don’t worry about it, Y/N usually understood that to mean she should worry about it, but that was just her experience. How, in laughing with Toph, had she could she have offended Sokka?

Trying to ignore the festering feeling in her stomach, Y/N continued to joke with Toph about a number of things in the same vein. Somehow that one look from Sokka made all of her jibes feel poisonous. It wasn’t exactly his fault, but she felt sick with every self-deprecating joke, her laughter dwindling until she settled into an uncomfortable silence, cheek rested against Toph’s shoulder.

As they came to the ground somewhere in the Fire Nation, Y/N hopped off Appa’s back with haste, that ache in her stomach increasing to a swell of nausea. She hadn’t felt this way in months. If she could, she’d step out of her skin. A word floated through her mind, swirling and deepening into her psyche: inadequate.

Breathing a bit heavier, she moved away from her friends, taking solace by a river. Distorted in the ripples, she saw her reflection. All the negative feelings pent up in her chest were flooding back. In a fit of rage, marred with far more complex emotions, Y/N ripped her glasses off her face and threw them to the ground. Her mind felt loud, clouded and thundering. The thoughts were sharp bursts of flurrying intensity.

“Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa.”

Y/N whipped her head around. She didn’t have to see to know Sokka’s voice; he must have followed her, she thought, rubbing the heels of her palms into her tear-filled eyes.

“Hey, you dropped your glasses,” Sokka said, gently prying one of her balled fists open and placing them there. “Are you okay?”

She sniffed, fiddling with her glasses. “Are you upset with me?”

“No!” He said, sounding taken aback by her question.

“It’s just,” She sighed, “You seemed mad at me when I was joking about with Toph.”

Sokka, too, sighed, grasping her shoulder. “Y/N, I was worried.”

His hand was warm, and Y/N slipped her glasses back on her face. He wasn’t frowning; a smile soft enough to make her melt was playing on his lips. Concern was painted across his face, delicate and understanding. Sokka wasn’t mad at her.

“Can– “ Sokka began, hand falling, voice stammering.

“Yes?” Y/N prompted, looking up at him, shy beneath her lashes.

“Can I tell you something?” He asked, fiddling with his thumbs.

Y/N nodded, looking at him with patient curiosity. A small smile was blooming on her face as she watched him trip over incoherent words, until he quietened. Sokka inhaled sharply. In a moment, his hands were cupping her face, his lips on her, ghosting softer than a feathers touch. Soft.

“Oh,” She gasped as he pulled back, hands staying close to her, thumb brushing over her cheek.

“You’re beautiful,” Sokka said, face honest as he looked at her with unbridled affection.

Guilt settled in her stomach as she looked down. “I don’t feel beautiful, Sokka.”

“That’s okay,” He smiled, pecking her cheek with a kiss; he seemed to punctuate each of his words with a kiss on her cheeks, lips, head, and anywhere else he could reach. “We can change that, yeah?”

Taking a deep breath, Y/N let his words wash over her, drowning out her spiralling thoughts. She rested her head on his chest and welcomed the arms he wrapped around her. “We can try.”

“Try is good enough for me.”

Y/N could hear the grin in his voice as held her tighter. He was meticulous with his kisses, whispering sweet nothings that felt like everything to her. Yes, she wasn’t like her siblings, nor the benders that surrounded her, but Sokka sure seemed glad that she was her.

#atla #atla fic #fic request #sokka x reader #sokka x insecure!reader #oc #f!reader #toph #soft #angst #fluffy #happy ending #im-just-star-dust #missturtleduck

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light-miracles · 4 years

Note

Do you have headcanons about the Beifong family?

Like, right now? Because I have a lot and they can be messy so...

Lin is Kanto's and Suyin is Satoru's. Kanto was just a hookup with a miscalculation. But Toph and Satoru actually fell in love (again after dating for a while when they were teens) and married and had Suyin.

Toph is ridiculously happy. Like, so happy that part of her is convinced something will go wrong eventually. (She thinks there's a chance Satoru will walk away like Kanto. Satoru keeps saying he loves her and won't do it but Toph being Toph she just can't get rid of the feeling)

She eventually lets herself 100% think everything will be alright when Suyin is one year old and Satoru builds all her baby toys.

It takes Lin a while to get used to Satoru tbh. She's jealous because until then her mommy was just hers and she didn't have to share her with anyone else.

One day Lin asks her if Toph will stop loving her because now she had a husband and a new baby with a daddy.

Toph doesn't cry but almost does.

She assures Lin that's bullshit and she'll always be her badgermole.

Moving on, she's 36 and has been in good terms with her parents for years, but it's always been formal and a little awkward.

That changes with Lin and Suyin in the picture because Lao and Poppy a d o r e their granddaughters. They see them as their second chance of not sucking with a child.

Baby Suyin just takes a look at her grandma and decides that yeah, that'll be her favorite person ever.

Lao has always been paranoic but with Lin? He decides Lin WON'T hate him like Toph did when she was a child. So he makes more or less 10 long terms plans to make sure he'll be the perfect grandfather and make Lin like him. Lin wants a pony? Lin gets a pony. Lin wants a candy? The man buys the store. Lin wants a ball? Lao buys her 20. Lin wants to practice earthbending inside of the house? Of course, no problem Lin, we're rich, we can afford to rebuild the walls. But most of the time Lin just wants to play in the garden and that's also fine for him.

Toph is confused, baffled, and a little jealous but she won't admit it

But for the first time she feels that everything is fine.

And I'm stopping here because I don't want to get full Aangst Time so I'll end this on a happy note :)

#Satoru dies after that #Yeah i hate it too #Atla #Satoph #avatar the last airbender #Bei fong family #Beifong family #Toph bei fong #Toph beifong #Lin bei fong #Lin beifong #Suyin bei fong #Suyin beifong #Lao bei fong #Lao beifong #Poppy bei fong #Poppy beifong #Satoru

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guiltysecretpasttime · 3 years

Text

Adversity - 13-B

Labelling this as ‘chapter 13-B’ in tumblr .

Edit: Ended up as part of chapter 13 in A03.

---

Adversity details

Multi-chapter, work in progress, AU, pre-LoK,

Latest status: up to Chapter 12 uploaded in A03

Blurb: Lin and Tenzin are both at the height of their respective careers – she with the Metalbending Police and he with the Air Nation. Questions about their future begin to arise and things come to a head when Lin responded to an emergency call. Would her job take them from each other forever? Eventual happy ending. Alternatively: The one where Lin and Tenzin had to go through adversity like Lin’s dangerous job, a near-death experience, temporary separation and memory loss, unplanned pregnancy and Tenzin’s responsibilities before they end up with a family.

Tumblr chapters 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | go to AO3 for chapters in between | 13

Ao3 link | Ff.net link

---

Adversity – 13-B

There were muffled voices outside of the room and before they could even react, the door was shoved open.

"Chief!"

"Aunt!"

Tenzin usually felt that Toph Beifong was larger than life; never mind her blindness or stature. Today was no exception.

“I received this note at the Jasmine Dragon and I thought - this I have to ‘see’ for myself.” The earthbender entered the room unceremoniously, fingers forming air-quotations to explain her presence. "And lo and behold, you're in bed with Airhead Junior already, so I guess you're doing just fine."

“I’m not in bed – she’s – we’re not -!” Tenzin sputtered, leaning back hurriedly to disguise the fact that half of his body was actually on the bed.

Lin rolled her eyes. “I don’t care that you’re the chief but don’t you ever knock?”

“Were the chief. That’s the past.” Toph perched herself at the end of Lin’s bed. “I’m here as your mother.” She tilted her head. “Surely that’s gotta hold some weight to you?”

“Not a lot, but sure.” Lin tossed, unaffected.

Well-versed in how Beifongs conduct themselves, the airbender knew that both were affected by this meeting under the veneer of snark and nonchalance.

Tenzin sought to make himself scarce. “I -uh – I can leave the two of you alone for now. I think I’ll check if the others have returned from their tour.” He gently extricated his hand from Lin’s grip, squeezing it once and receiving a squeeze back.

He pretended not to see the tears fall from their eyes as the two Beifong women hugged each other when he closed the door behind him.

“Hey Badge.”

“Mom.”

This was private for them.

He breathed.

She’ll be okay.

---

It was a trigger, they confirmed.

Katara explained from Lin’s medical files that Lin was likely submerged in water for quite some time before she was rescued. The sudden sea spray and saltwater must have triggered the memory.

While Lin’s blood pressure was recommended to be monitored closely, the vitals of both mother and child are strong, to everyone’s relief (especially Tenzin’s).

Upon arriving from their tour, Katara immediately went straight to Lin’s room upon hearing of the panic attack. After the routine check-up, the waterbender left the Beifongs alone. There remained to be a strain between Toph and the rest. The last time they had all been together was during Lin’s memorial months back – after she had accused everyone of not trying their best in locating Lin.

***

Toph has been with her daughter for hours now. Su had joined them at some point as well (even if it was with a lot of hesitation).

Everyone was pleased with this development. It was evident in the lightness that was not there before; a lightness that will be there at least until the three Beifongs would rejoin them.

Lin, Su and Toph talking for hours hints of a reconciliation among them. Su had confided in Kya a few nights ago that she had been worrying about her tentative reconnection with her sister. It may seem well and good now but what if Lin regains her memories and decides to retain to original stance regarding Su?

If Tenzin were to be honest with himself, he had been toying with the same fear as well. The spirits know that they definitely had not parted well before The Accident. He had been about to try to salvage their relationship but as far as Lin knew, he was a selfish jerk who was about to discard her for an air acolyte.

“You besotted sap, what are you frowning about now?”

Tenzin turned to his side, where Bumi seated himself on the steps, a teasing smile on his face. He had been absent-mindedly playing with Junior and Huan as they build things in the sand. He was instructed by the boys to throw around the occasional airball to test the strength of their structures or to flatten the sand so they can play more.

At the moment, the boys were attempting to replicate what Zaofu looked like on the sand and so were ignoring him until he needed to do some clean up.

Tenzin’s own brother then nudged his shoulder. “Anything I can do for ya?”

He shook his head no, still lost in thought.

The airbender is happy for Lin, truly. He could not imagine how she might have been feeling the past months – alone, injured, pregnant and with lost memories to boot. He should not and cannot even find it in himself to even be remotely selfish.

And yet…

He wanted Lin.

The laughter of the two Beifong boys drew his attention.

Rather, a family with Lin, he amended to himself. Tenzin sighed.

---

“That was one deep breath.” Bumi continued to observe, patient and knowing his brother well enough that he will speak when ready.

After a few more minutes, Huan managed to use earthbending to create a crevice in the middle of sand Zaofu. Both of them cheered the kids on.

“Uncle, where is Mommy?” Junior spoke up, green eyes darting around. “Can you call her? I think she would like to see what Huan was able to do.” The boy was proud of his brother despite not being able to bend himself.

Bumi grinned, the kid kind of reminded himself of well…himself. Back when Tenzin managed to make his first air wheel.

“Well, kid, I’m sure your mommy would be proud of both of you.” He pointed to the fairly complicated and detailed sand city on the ground. “But I think Su is busy right now.”

“She’s with your Aunt Lin and Grandma.” Tenzin added.

“Grandma’s here?!”

Both kids quickly rushed towards Tenzin and Bumi, grasping Tenzin’s robes in their hands, asking to be led inside to greet their grandmother.

“Is this a good idea?” Bumi whispered to Tenzin, leaning to his side so as to not to be overheard by the excited children, who were running ahead to the rest house.

The airbender simply shrugged. There was obviously something bothering him.

“They’ve been in the room for how long now?” Bumi tried to make light of the situation. “Are you sure they aren’t throwing hands or something?”

“We’ll probably feel the earth rumble if that were the case.”

That was true. Their childhood has been literally punctuated by mini earthquakes whenever the Beifong sisters squabbled.

Bumi played with his beard. “What if the new baby Beifong turns out to be another earthbender? Imagine the chaos.”

Huan and Baatar Junior were shifting their weight from one leg to the other, practically bouncing with excitement as they arrived at Lin’s door ahead of the adults.

Bumi snorted. Figures that Suyin’s spawn were behaved enough to not burst into rooms but could be quite tactless with their words.

Tenzin stiffened as they reach the door to Lin’s room.

Bumi nodded. “Arn’t you going to go in?” At the airbender’s head shake, he took the initiative to open the door. “Knock-knock! Good afternoon, Beifongs!” He was surprised to see Su and Toph flanking Lin from both sides of the bed.

Before he could even remark or tease Lin about it, twin squeals shattered his eardrums and in went Junior and Huan.

“Boys! Don’t jump on your aunt!”

Cute. With the surfeit of Beifongs in the room, Bumi waved at them and exited quietly. He will catch up with Toph later instead.

Still grinning, Bumi turned to Tenzin and noticed he was still awkwardly standing at the corridor. His smile softened, placing an arm around Tenzin’s shoulder. “Do you want to talk about it now?”

---

Before long Tenzin’s worries, fears, and insecurities tumbled out and into his older brother’s ear.

It was quite cathartic, to be truthful.

It was different opening up to his father (the Avatar) or even his mother (who was bound to be as protective as she was judgmental – less so compared to her younger years but still).

Bumi heard him and was not bound to judge him.

Neither did he invalidate his feelings nor did he downplay the airbender’s perceived consequences of the situation.

It certainly also helped that Bumi had been away from Republic City and was able to listen with fresh perspective.

---

“Don’t cancel your dinner. You’ve prepared a lot for it.”

“No…” His voice trailed off. “I’d rather not intrude in their family time.”

“Aren’t you her family, Ten?”

---

“Ah there you are Junior!”

…

“What on earth are you doing in the kitchen? Last I heard this was Lin’s domain.”

“Uh – tonight’s dinner for Lin – I was -.”

“Don’t you dare say you’re postponing it?” It really was discomfiting when Toph Beifong is able to stare at you in the eye. “She had been talking about it, and was particularly excited too.”

“Oh.”

“Oh – indeed.” A beat. “Don’t disappoint her, Junior.” She passed by him to exit the room. And in a lowered voice muttered. “I’m still rooting for you, despite everything.”

----

---

Note: We are getting there~ thanks for the patience and for still reading this.

Been through some tough times the past few days (ironically, after I had thought I could probably write a little bit more). Not quite good yet but better than the past days. Hopefully. Anyhow - let me know what you think :)

#linzin #linzin fanfic #toccatina's fanfics #toccatina wip #toccatina adversity #lin beifong #tenzin #legend of korra fanfic

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itscalledbisexualcrisis · 3 years

Text

Scrap Metal - Chapter 7

Happy Holidays everyone! Here’s an update for my Kuvira fic! I’m working on requests right now so please send more my way!

CRASH

“Kuvira! Again? Are you kidding me?” “It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!”

Yes it looked bad that her little feet were next to the shards of pottery. She was the obvious suspect to blame, but that didn’t mean she was the one to break the vase of flowers. “Oh really? Then who knocked it over?” She shook her head frantically letting her braid whip around.

“I promise, daddy it wasn’t me!” She clutched her toy doll to her chest. “I was playing with my doll, I didn’t touch it!” Her father rubbed an exhausted hand across his face, not bothering to look at her anymore. Her stomach filled with guilt.

“Kuvira, we’ve talked about this. You’re an earthbender, which means you have to control yourself more than other people,” he exasperated.

“I don’t know what that means!” she cried out, feeling the tears welling in her eyes. As far as she knows, she can control earth and move it sometimes. But she doesn’t know what being an earthbender means or how these things just happen sometimes without her control. Kuvira didn’t understand why things around their home were suddenly falling or getting thrown into other rooms.

“What are going to do with her?” her mother asked her father, looking down at her with disappointment. She brought out a dustpan to start clearing away the shards, carefully from around Kuvira.

“Mama, I’m sorry,” she muttered under her breath. She genuinely was, but there was still a hint of bitterness laced in her little voice. She was always getting blamed for things she didn’t do, or at least didn’t mean to.

“We can’t keep doing this.” Her father’s solid voice brought her attention and she looked up at him in surprise. It was different than all the other times she messed up. “We aren’t benders, we can’t teach her to control this.”

Her mother finished sweeping up the broken glass and looked up at Kuvira’s little face. She regarded the seven year old with tenderness, but also fear. Kuvira was a very powerful bender ever since she was an infant, and as she grew older, she knew that her daughter would only get stronger. If she was this strong of a bender without meaning to, who knows what she could do...or become. And it scared both of them to find out.

---

Kuvira jerked awake, her body sore and aching. Her neck slightly hurt from falling asleep in such an awkward position and she could feel a headache coming on. Her eyes adjusted to the dim light of the cave, realizing she had slept through the morning and judging by the way the light was shining in, it was probably afternoon now. Their cave was actually quite bright, as sunlight reflected off of the rocks and she had to squint to adjust to the glaring light.

She was sat up leaning against the craggily wall of the cave. Her back ached when she tried moving around and cracking the joints and bones. She realized the weight on her lap was Hiro’s head resting on it, her entire body jerking in her sleep as she fought off a nightmare.

Her heart began beating faster and she felt the flush come up her cheeks. Suddenly she didn’t know what to do with her hands. Before she woke up, her hands were tangled on top of Hiro’s messy hair, but that seemed too inappropriate now that she was awake. Was she allowed to touch her? Does she even want to?

For a moment, Kuvira slips away back to a time this sight was familiar to her. Hiro used to live in a small apartment in Zaofu. There were plentiful cold winter mornings cuddling on the couch together, Hiro’s tea is usually abandoned and left cold while Kuvira sipped on her coffee. Her other hand would slip down and pet her head tenderly as it rested on her lap. She’d let it travel down Hiro’s body, adjusting the blanket to cover her shoulders and rubbing soothing strokes across her back.

Kuvira’s breath hitches and her body tenses up. No. She wasn’t that person anymore who got to lounge around winter mornings. The weight of the world was literally on her shoulders now.

It was as if Hiro could feel her unease and she startled jostling more in her sleep. It was clear by the furrowed brow and scrunched scowl that she was having a nightmare. She was practically whimpering in her sleep and Kuvira grew anxious. Hiro’s body curled in a ball off of Kuvira’s lap.

Kuvira backed away, unsure of what to do. It was awful really. She was sure of everything she did, but with Hiro she didn’t know the first thing to do. Every decision she made seemed wrong or out of place. And it pissed her off to no end.

She clenched her jaw tightly before shaking the other girl awake, calling out her name.

---

“Hiro! Wake up! Hiro!”

It was Kuvira’s urgent calling that brought Hiro out of her nightmare. Her body was huddled in a small pile on the floor of their cave. Kuvira kneeled over her as she tried catching her breath, her hands pressed into the ground for some type of stability. Hiro squeezed her eyes shut tightly, feeling the cold sweat trickle down her neck. She was very aware of Kuvira’s eyes on her and she felt the shame well up inside her.

Kuvira’s voice got very quiet as she soothed her. “Breathe.”

Hiro shakily exhaled, the tears were free flowing and her body was stiff as a board. Kuvira’s face frowned with worry. Her hand warily lifted from her lap and she gently touched Hiro’s back, barely grazing the fabric of the uniform.

Carefully, she begins moving her hand in tentative patterns along Hiro’s back.

“Slower.” Kuvira’s face twitched, startled by Hiro’s voice and familiarity of it all. She stoned her face and nodded once even though Hiro couldn’t see her.

It was purely a move based on instinct as Kuvira silently traced circles along Hiro’s back. She was apprehensive, only letting the pads of her fingers gently graze across the fabric. But she thought she could feel every breath and shake withering through Hiro’s body.

Finally Hiro sat up, wiping her face from her leftover dried tears. When she looked up, Kuvira had quickly scooted farther back and was regarding her very seriously. She looked so diplomatic like that, with her back held upright and her chin tilted slightly forward to show off her cheekbones, and hands firmly on her lap. If they weren’t the only ones in the cave, Hiro might’ve thought it was someone else’s silky touch that was soothing her.

Kuvira was at a loss at what to do next. She knew how to comfort people, she’d done so plenty of times. When people were starving, give them rations; when people doubted her plans, show them her strength; when people were anxious, give them security; and when people were desperate? Give them hope. That’s how she won over so many of her military and Earth Empire citizens. She gave them a future away from anarchy and replaced it with a commitment to stay strong and prosperous. The Fire Nation people had their honor. The people of the Water Tribes are heavily spiritual. And the Earth Kingdom was unyielding through even the most desperate of times. Giving hope to the Earth citizens was comparable to precious jewels.

But when was the last time Kuvira opened herself up to comfort others? When was the last time she let the sturdy walls fall to empathize with another? She doesn’t know why she was feeling this way. The twinge of anxiety and unsteadiness built up like bile in her throat. Realizing that the faint feeling of doubt creeping up her throat was approaching, her walls hardened. Her eyes shut tightly and so did those weak feelings. Kuvira wasn’t weak. And she won’t let stupid feelings make her weak.

She abruptly stood up and walked outside of the cave and on to the ledge, radio in hand, demanding an update on her team’s rescue mission.

For a while Hiro only focuses on getting her breathing to steady. The anxious feeling inside her won’t go away, but at least she can try to minimize it.

She finally looks over, seeing Kuvira pacing outside their cave and talking frantically to Anjij. She’s giving orders, her movements stiff and with purpose like a general. As much as she tried to fight it, Hiro needed Kuvira right now. It was like her body was instinctively drawn to the woman. Maybe it was the lingering anxiety and the need for some comfort, or the fact that she realized how cold the cave has become, but Hiro took a chance. Any apprehension about approaching Kuvira was gone, replaced with a search for security.

She made her move when Kuvira sat down on the edge cross legged. Her back was hunched over the radio as she gave last orders to Anjij before the line died. Hiro sat down a few feet away from her with her knees tucked under her chin.

“Anjij and the others are on their way. They should be here soon,” Kuvira reports. “When we are rescued, you will return to Zaofu. I’m sending you to work with Baatar on his latest invention. Commander Anjij and I are continuing our goals onward to Omashu.” Hiro squeezes her eyes briefly, pushing out the haunting tone in Kuvira’s voice. She doesn’t want to know what Kuvira had in mind for Omashu, she didn’t want to know what consequences the people would face. “We must move forward and deliver what rations survived the attack. There, I will ensure a smooth transition to Anjij’s command, following-”

“Please, Kuvira,” Hiro cut off. She knew it wasn’t wise to interrupt her and Kuvira was rambling on more for herself than for Hiro’s sake. The way Kuvira wore the cloak of a commander with ease was something that she was familiar with, but right now Hiro didn’t need a military leader rolling off reports and duties. Hiro needed a different kind of reassurance. “I just don’t want to talk about this.”

Kuvira pressed her lips together, albeit a little ticked off for being cut short. “We do not have to speak then.”

“I mean, we can talk...just please, not military stuff.” The statement clearly caught Kuvira off guard and she raised a curious eyebrow towards Hiro’s direction, finally turning to look at her. Hiro looked considerably smaller curled up on the edge of their cliff against the backdrop of thinning white fog. It was getting lighter out now, and they could see more of the mountains that surrounded them instead of the thick fog. What should’ve been eerily quiet, actually put Hiro at ease. It felt like they were the only two people in the world, the moment forever suspended in time. Maybe this would be the only time they’d ever be truly alone together, and oddly enough, Hiro liked that privacy it gave them.

“What do you want to talk about then?” Kuvira asked apprehensively. Hiro gnaws on her lip, eyes darting around Kuvira’s face, searching. It felt stupid to ask her something as trivial as ‘how’ve you been?’ or another banal topic. She could make a joke about the weather, but really probably isn’t the time for jokes or light heartedness. And Hiro knew she definitely didn’t want to discuss her recent nightmare. So instead she chose to ask about something that had subtly been poking the back of her mind.

“When did you cut your hair?”

Kuvira paused. It was ridiculous enough that Kuvira almost burst out laughing at how random Hiro’s question was. Hiro swore she saw a faint shadow of a smile grace her otherwise pursed lips.

“Not long after you left.”

“So I was right then?” Hiro retorted with a hint of amusement lacing her voice. Kuvira’s long hair had always been a favorite feature of the former guard. It’s not even that short now. Sometime after the fall from the train, Kuvira’s hair had come loose and had been in messy wisps resting on her shoulders ever since. It still lay well-past her collar-bones, but Hiro remembers how beautiful it looked cascading down her back.

Now Kuvira had to let a ghost shadow appear.

“I suppose. I didn’t have time to braid it anymore.” The maintenance for her hair was something Kuvira quickly grew out of the older she got.

“Between you and me, I still think the bob would look nice,” Hiro commented, her voice a lot softer than when she first woke up. Her head rested on her knees as she studied Kuvira’s hair more, imagining how the bob would look on Kuvira’s shoulders and how it’d frame her already angular face.

Unbeknownst to her, Kuvira was giving her a look between soft and uncomfortable. She wasn’t used to being studied like this, that is as not a political leader. Not even by her fans when she visits villages. The way Hiro was studying her, made her feel admired like a painting in a museum.

“Why did you cut your hair?” she burst out, trying to get the attention off of herself. Hiro’s eyes shifted to meet Kuvira’s briefly before they fell down to the ground, clearly having hit a nerve.

“Not long after I left.”

The air turned slightly tense and Kuvira drew in her eyebrows, curious at how the topic had made Hiro’s demeanor change entirely.

“It suits you.”

“Thank you,” Hiro let a sigh escape her lips and running a hand through her short locks. “Sorry, it’s just…. I got it cut after I saw my family.”

Kuvira hummed, letting the newfound information sink in , “I had a feeling you would return home.”

“I didn’t, go, go home.” Hiro chuckled bitterly to herself before explaining further. “My grandmother didn’t even let me inside.”

“How come?” Kuvira gently pushed after a moment of silence. The topic of family was always tense for both of them.

“You remember when I sent them the letter about our engagement?” Kuvira nodded, anxiously listening to Hiro’s words. “Let’s just say, my grandmother wasn’t happy when she found out I was marrying a woman.”

“That’s why they stopped writing back?” Hiro nodded solemnly. She remembered the glare from her grandmother standing in the doorway of the small home. Her brother looked on with disdain from his place behind the old woman, shutting the door firmly on her. She wasn’t even allowed up the steps. She was shut out in the rain, forced to trudge through her old town and sleep in an alley that night. The chill blowing through the cliff reflected how cold and empty she felt that night. “It was either I leave you and go home, or I lose them. I picked you.”

“You shouldn’t have done that.” Especially looking at how everything turned out. Kuvira wasn’t worth all this trouble. She wasn’t something to lose family over. As someone who was abandoned by her own family, the thought of someone leaving theirs for her sake annoyed her. Hiro shrugged, looking outside their cave as the wind picked up again. She debated returning back to the cover under the cave, but right now the cold numbed her body and relaxed her nerves.

“I can’t change what I chose, and I wouldn’t change it, now.”

“Why?” To Kuvira it seemed stupid for Hiro to decide to stay with her when this would eventually be their outcome, potentially dying on a cliff together.

“It was years ago, but I remember, I couldn’t picture my future without you in it. I would’ve given up anything to have been with you,” Hiro reminisced carefully.

Kuvira paused before asking again, “Why?”

“Because you were my person. And I cared so much about you,” Hiro sighed. She was looking at Kuvira’s eyes now, completely open and unabashed. “Maybe it was a naive dream, but at the time all I wanted was to get married to you and live in Zaofu for the rest of our lives. Looking back, I don’t know if marriage was something I truly understood then, but I know for sure how I felt about you.”

Kuvira closed her eyes and turned away from Hiro, making her sigh. She sounded so fucking stupid. Why was she being so vulnerable to Kuvira? She was too hopeful and naive. Clearly the only thing she’d done was make things awkward.

The radio crackled back to life and Anjij’s voice rang through the air, making both women jump. Kuvira scrambled to grab on to the radio, nearly knocking it out of her own hands.

“We think we’re getting close!” At that moment, they felt the mountain above them rumbling. Kuvira could clearly sense strong distinct movements coming from above them.

“We can feel you,” Kuvira responded urgently. It was only a matter of time now before they were rescued. Hiro let out a breath of relief. The sun was nearly completely gone and their cave had chilled exponentially. “Keep going down, you should be reaching us soon.”

“Confirmed!”

With that the line died once more, but the rumbling didn’t stop. It was clear Anjij was getting very close now, and freedom was within their grasp. Hiro fell on to her back, and sucked in breaths to calm the joy radiating in her chest.

“For what it’s worth,” Kuvira spoke up. Hiro turned her head to look at her. Kuvira was standing now, tall on the ledge with her back facing Hiro. She was preparing to greet her Commander and fellow soldiers when they arrived, gathering her hair in a somewhat presentable state. “I may have done some regrettable things in our relationship, but the way I felt about you was always true.”

Hiro let her eyes close one more time, feeling the heat growing in her chest responding to Kuvira’s unusually gentle words. It gave her a tingling feeling down to her numb toes, and at the same time make some of the anxiety return. In her mind, the Pai Sho game continued, but who was winning was becoming less clear.

#kuvira #kuvira x oc #kuvira fic #tlok #tlok fanfic

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