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atlabeth · 3 years

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right where you left me - zuko x fem!reader

summary: after his betrayal in the crystal caves, zuko returns to the fire nation a hero, leaving a fallen ba sing se behind him. but what happens to the girl he left behind, a girl who only knew him as lee?

a/n: this piece is less about him leaving her for someone else and more about. him literally leaving her and because of how many secrets he has she literally has no fucking idea what happened to him #just zuko things

but anyways this song has been stuck in my head for like, the past 2 weeks so i had to write something about it even though it strays from the meaning a bit

ALSO (god i never shut up do i) this became a lot different than it started out?? but i kinda had fun with it lol everyone pray for this mc that she doesnt get murked by the dai li 🙏🙏🙏

wc: 2.7k

warning(s): fluff followed by angst, no happy ending but it's not THAAT BAD you'll be fine

She wasn’t exactly sure when everything fell apart.

It was like everything was normal, until— until it just wasn’t. Not very eloquent, but… it was the truth.

And before it all went wrong, she was fighting a losing battle against her lovestruck heart.

Y/N couldn’t pinpoint the moment she began to notice the cute server boy that worked at the tea shop. Maybe it was the first time she stepped into the shop with her friends, who would whisper about him the whole time, stealing glances at him whenever they could. She remembered scolding them, insisting that they leave the ‘poor tea boy alone and let him do his job’.

She was sure that he had overheard her, and she couldn’t make eye contact with the boy for the entire rest of the visit.

(He had. It was the first genuine smile that had graced his features in weeks.)

Or maybe it was the first time she went there alone — Y/N wasn’t particularly a fan of tea, but something had drawn her back through the entrance of the Jasmine Dragon.

It certainly wasn’t convenience. Y/N lived in the Lower Ring, only able to travel through to the other levels through her work passport — if she ever fancied anything other than delivering silks and marking down orders, she was forced to rely on pure luck or old fashioned City Block trickery. It was a miracle she had avoided capture by the Dai Li for so long. Every time she stepped foot into the tea shop was testing fate as it was in the Upper Ring, but she couldn’t help herself.

It wasn’t for the company. Y/N had made quite a few friends outside of her social standing simply because of her work — girls from the Middle Ring still required jobs, and making and delivering fabrics was far from the worst. During long nights spent sewing and stitching and early mornings delivering, she had managed to forge friendships with a couple of the more tolerant girls, and that was how she ended up at the Jasmine Dragon that day — but every other time she entered the shop she went alone. She sometimes saw customers that likely forgot her face the second she left their doorstep, but other than that she knew no one there.

No, as much as she tried to deny it, the scarred teenager who worked in the tea shop had caught her interest, as well as her affections.

She figured he was a refugee like herself because of his scar, though it seemed he fared far better than her in every other aspect — steady job at the best tea shop in the city, clothes that weren’t threadbare, and an Upper Ring apartment. Truly, she had no idea how he had done it.

One day, while she sat at her usual table in the corner merely pretending to read through the menu, the boy began to approach her little corner of solace. She immediately averted her eyes, already able to feel her cheeks heating up — spirits above, she was in far too deep — when he did the last thing she expected.

He sat down in the chair across from her along with the tray he had been holding, containing two cups and a teapot, and offered her a small, though slightly strained, smile.

“Hi,” he began. I’m uh, Lee. I work here.” His eyes wandered around as if looking for an escape, and he suddenly thrust the ceramic cup towards her. “Tea?”

Y/N set down the menu and nodded as she took it, her blatant surprise shown in her wide eyes. She was afraid of completely embarrassing herself if she opened her mouth, so she chose not to.

He scratched the side of his head uncomfortably and continued to glance around — she noticed his leg bouncing as he tapped his foot against the floor; it seemed he couldn’t keep still — until he finally spoke up again. “Do you come here often?”

“Yeah!” Calm down, you are coming off way too eager. “I mean, yeah.. sometimes. I don’t actually like tea that much.”

His brows knit in confusion. “I see you here every day. Why would you be here all the time if you don’t like tea?”

Because I’m hopelessly attracted to you. “Well.. why’d you ask if I come here often when you already know I do?”

His cheeks burned bright red and he averted eye contact once more. “I’m, uh— not that good at conversations.”

She covered up her smile with a sip of tea, tickled pink to know the object of her affections was nowhere as suave as she had imagined him to be. It made talking to him much easier. “I don’t mind. I’m not the best either.”

“My Uncle told me that I had to say something to you instead of just staring at you all the time,” he muttered. Y/N nearly choked on her tea but managed to cover it up with a well-placed cough.

“You stare at me all the time?” she asked innocently.

If it was possible, Lee turned an even brighter shade of red as he attempted to sputter out an excuse. “No! I mean— I— sometimes, but— I promise, it’s just—”

Y/N laughed, the tension in their interaction steadily melting away. “It’s alright. I come here to stare at you all the time, so I’d say we’re even.”

The conversation only flowed from there, coming to a reluctant end when Y/N admitted she had to get back to work. Zuko had to as well, but he was sure that his uncle would’ve let him talk the night away without doing a smidge of work if it meant spending time with the girl he had been crushing on since the moment she walked in.

Y/N returned the next day, and the next, and the next after that. She showed up to the tea shop every day for two weeks straight, each time during her shift — and even though she was berated endlessly by her superior, it was worth it for Lee — and each time they talked for at least an hour.

The boy seemed to come out of his shell more and more each day and it pleased Y/N to no end that she had been able to help him. They talked about everything from work to life in Ba Sing Se (he was very impressed at the lengths she put into traveling through all the rings without getting caught) to types of tea; truly everything and anything at all — they never got too personal though. Y/N had her secrets, Lee had his, and they respected each other’s privacy.

At the end of one day, after having talked away Lee’s whole shift, he popped the question that had been nagging him since their first conversation:

“Will you go out with me?”

Y/N gave the most enthusiastic yes, and after a few minutes of planning, they parted ways once again — though not without a kiss on the cheek from Y/N.

(Zuko’s face was red for twenty minutes after, and he was so dazed that he nearly dropped every order he carried during that time.)

As for Y/N, she bounded home with a little skip in her step, and for the first time in a long, long while, she was looking forward to the future.

It was mid-day when the message came in, marking around six hours until the anticipated date. Zuko couldn’t manage to keep himself still due to a healthy mix of nerves and excitement, which led him to taking a broom to every corner of the tea shop for the hundredth time. When it was revealed that they had been invited to serve tea to the Earth King, his uncle couldn't have been more ecstatic, insisting they leave then and there.

“Wait!” Zuko took a piece of paper from the counter and tore off a smaller piece, then scrawled out a message.

“Y/N,

We were called to the palace to serve tea to the Earth King. If you come by while we’re gone, don’t worry. I can’t wait to see you tonight and tell you all about it.”

-Lee”

“In case she comes by while we’re gone,” he explained, much to his uncle’s pleasure. Iroh grinned, a hint of admiration laced in.

“You really do have feelings for her, don’t you?”

“I do,” he admitted with a soft smile.

Iroh gave him a firm pat on the shoulder. “Then I suppose we should serve some tea worthy of her affections.”

“Not even you can ruin this, Uncle,” he joked as he pinned the letter to the outside of the door. Zuko then lifted the tea tray and the pair began to make their way to the palace.

Zuko heard a noise behind him and instinctively turned, eyes darting around searching for the source, but ultimately passed it off as paranoia as he takes a few quick steps to catch up with his uncle. After all, one doesn’t spend months on the run without developing some.

If he had been looking more carefully though, he would’ve seen his note missing from the door of the tea shop along with flashes of green darting away from the scene.

Y/N had managed to scrounge up a few extra silver pieces — quite literally, as she ended up digging through her cushions — and rewarded herself with a dress to call her own. It was nowhere near as fine as the outfits of the women she saw every day in the Upper Ring, but it was far better than the threadbare tunics and work uniform she usually sported.

In the scheme of things, it was a stupid, stupid purchase, but she felt like she deserved something special after months of thankless work. She was a teenage girl, and she deserved to act like one for just a night.

They had agreed to meet around the front of the Jasmine Dragon, which meant even more careful maneuvering to get through all the measures taken to keep the rings separated. Y/N hated her job, but she couldn’t deny the usefulness of the work passport — she simply had to look like she was working to fool the guards at the wall. She didn’t necessarily want to bring a basket of silks to a first date, but she was sure he would understand.

Y/N found herself in the Upper Ring before she knew it and took her time on the way to the Jasmine Dragon. The soft night breeze was cool on her skin, a welcome change from the usual humidity of the day. The tea shop was closed by this time so she knew there would be a wait — after all, he had told her to look her best, so she expected the same from Lee.

Only the wait turned out to be much longer than she had thought. It had been thirty minutes, and there was still no sign of the boy with the scar. Y/N decided to give him the benefit of the doubt — they were busy people, maybe something came up that they had to take care of immediately. He wouldn’t stand her up — Lee wasn’t that kind of person, and she was certain his uncle wouldn’t let him stand a girl up.

Forty five minutes.

An hour.

An hour and a half.

Nothing.

Y/N felt like an idiot. She had let herself get excited — the thought of this date was the only thing that got her through the workday. She had gone against her better judgement and splurged on a dress, a thought that only embarrassed her now, just to get stood up by the first boy she had opened herself up to in years.

As she wandered home, she was reminded that there was a reason she never got her hopes up.

After the night she had, Y/N had no desire to go back to work, but there were a plethora of other girls that would gladly take her job if she quit. So she hauled herself out of the slab of wood she called a bed, fixed a bland breakfast, dressed in her usual uniform (first thing tomorrow, she was returning that damned dress), and set off for another glorious day.

The streets of the Lower Ring were never less than completely crowded, but when Y/N stepped out of her apartment she was met by a peculiar sight — the middle of the street was completely empty whereas the sides were filled with bunches of anxious, whispering citizens.

She had seen stranger things in her time in the city, so she brushed it off as mass hysteria and continued on her way — that is, until she felt a sudden hand encircle her wrist and pull her towards the side.

A yelp escaped her and she initially tried to free herself when she caught sight of the perpetrator. She recognized him, and though she couldn’t place his name, she figured she was safe.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

“Saving you from that,” he shot back, pointing a finger down the street. She turned to see what that was, only to see her worst fear marching down the street. The Fire Nation had invaded.

Y/N gasped, the sharp intake of breath like a dagger through her heart. The army of komodo rhinos seemed never-ending, and images of the invasion of her home years ago flashed before her eyes.

“The Dai Li took down the walls,” he murmured. “Let the Fire Nation right in. They’ve been marching through all morning, marking their territory.” The man’s face screwed up in disgust and he shook his head. “I’ll tell ya what they are— damn traitors, that’s what!”

But Y/N wasn’t paying attention to his tirade. She was dimly aware of the crowd on either side of her, the same fear struck into their hearts by the brigade, and she began to back away.

“I— I have to go,” she said suddenly, eyes shooting around wildly once again to find the best path while remaining undercover. Once she had a solid plan, Y/N darted into the shadows and began to run.

The Dai Li had taken down the outer wall, but they hadn’t bothered with the one separating the Lower Ring from the rest of the city — figures. Luckily, she had the element of surprise on her side from the invasion and was able to make her way to the Upper Ring with some careful maneuvering and a little bit of luck.

She skidded to a stop in front of the Jasmine Dragon and felt her heart sink at the sight of closed doors. She peered through the window and was met with nothing but a dark, empty room. Y/N whirled around and flagged down a nearby shopkeep, but he reported that it had been dark all day, no one coming in or out.

Y/N thanked him for his information and began her cautious trek home, only dimly aware of her surroundings, the newfound knowledge weighing heavy on her mind.

The Jasmine Dragon reopened the next day. Though there were questions about the sudden disappearance of the best tea maker in the city and his nephew, they quickly faded into the background. Though the tea declines in quality, it isn’t noticeable enough for anyone to care — they have bigger issues to worry about these days.

Sometimes it feels like Y/N is the only one who remembers Lee and Mushi, the timid, scarred boy with a hidden heart of gold and his amiable uncle who somehow knew more about yourself than you did. She looks back on her memories with the boy fondly, continuing to hold onto the mundane hope that he’s alright and will, one day, come back for her. After all, he still owes her a date.

But she isn’t aware of his true identity as Zuko, Prince of the Fire Nation. She isn’t aware of the role he played in the fall of Ba Sing Se.

Most of all, she remains unaware of the Dai Li agents tracking her every movement. Her name had been found on the note outside of the tea shop, and it didn't take long for them to track her down. Whoever she was, she had some kind of connection to the prince, and by order of Princess Azula they were to look into anything of the sort.

Yangchen protect her lest she make a wrong move.

how do you even explain this. "oh yah sorry.,.,. didnt stand you up, just got captured by the dai li and my sister and then helped her kill the avatar. also sorry that i fucked you over and got the dai li on your ass as well lol wanna reschedule?"

perm tag list: @dv0412 @siriuslyslyslytherin

atla: @marianne1806

#zuko x reader #zuko x you #zuko #avatar the last airbender fic #avatar #avatar x reader #avatar the last airbender #atla fic #zuko fic #avatar fic #sadie writes

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rachel1987 · 4 years

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Feather in My Cap

Inspiration struck today and I wrote this...

SYNOPSIS: An unexpected visitor joins Hatter and Hare for their tea party. And Hare wants them gone.

Rated T for language.

xposted on AO3 and FF.net!

Hare walked up the path to Hatter's house with a spring in his step. He was having a rather good day. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, there was a cool breeze running through the trees, his garden was in full bloom! The only thing that could make the day better was a nice tea party with his best friend! And that's exactly what the plan was!

He strode up the little walkway humming to himself, stopping to do a little jig and a spin, when he stopped and faced the little gate with the address 1602 Teapot Terrace assigned to it.

"Someone is in a good mood today!" came a familiar voice from the tea table.

"Gwahuhuh…" Hare chortled, hopping the fence gleefully, beaming. "Hello Hatter!"

"You look like you found an extra chocolate pudding cup in the back of your fridge again," the tall man laughed from his seat on the table. "What's got you in such a good mood?"

Hare did another little happy spin, stopping dead in his tracks as his eyes focused on the Hatter. He was surrounded by mountains of mail and he was sorting them by envelope color, all address side down, sipping from a purple teacup. And, curiously, he had a green parrot sitting upon his head.

Hare's mouth gaped a little, not quite sure what to say. It was a strange sight. "Hatter, what is that perched on your head?"

"My top hat, silly!" he replied with a laugh, shoulders bouncing. "I think you've seen it before!"

"No, not thaat!" Hare waved his hands, pointing at the bird with a yellow finger. "The parrot!"

"Oh, that!" Hatter sat upright, reaching his hands up and removing his hat, the parrot not shifting from its spot. He paused, as if to drop some big news on his best friend, before shrugging. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know? Where'd it come from?" Hare rushed around the table, quite intrigued, taking a seat at his usual spot to Hatter's left.

"I went to get my mail and it landed upon my noggin while I was on my way there…" Hatter mused, reaching a gloved finger out and petting the parrot sweetly. It closed his eyes and fluffed out, nuzzling the digit lovingly. "I tried to chase it off, but it kept following me. So I brought it back here. I've named it Fedora."

Hare reached his hand out and the bird seemed completely uninterested and, if it were a human, would have sneered at him. It continued to love on Hatter's attention, nibbling at the seam at his glove.

"I think it's a blue-crowned conure," Hare said matter-of-factly, adjusting his glasses on his nose. Hatter's brow dropped and he glanced at his friend quizzically, blinking a few times. "I know stuff…" Hare added.

"Well, anyhow, this bird must belong to someone. I've never seen one in Wonderland before."

"I wonder who it belongs to…" Hare leaned his elbows on the table, watching the bird hop off of the top hat and roam its way around. It walked all the way down to Dormouse's teapot, knocked on it with its beak and squawked.

The lid of the teapot flipped open and a brown head popped out, looking around. "Someone knock?" He blinked and he focused on the bird, gave a loud shriek and dove back into the depths of his house, slamming the lid behind him.

The parrot chuckled to itself, bobbing its little head, eyes slitted as he made its way back to Hatter.

"I like it…" Hatter announced, placing his hat back upon his head.

"What should we do with it?" Hare asked, reaching his hand out again to see if the bird would accept him. He was completely ignored, Fedora going the long way around various teacups and food trays so it wouldn't have to even look at him.

"I don't know…" Hatter muttered, who was quite taken with the bird. Usually he wasn't one for pets (Hare had been asking for one for years) but this little parrot had charmed him in the hours since they had met.

"Do you think it talks?" Hare asked. "Some conures can speak, you know."

"Hmm…" Hatter considered this, a finger to his lips as Fedora climbed up his other arm. "Fedora, can you say 'top hat'?"

Fedora looked at him, blinked, cocked its head to the side and said "Top hat!"

Hatter and Hare gasped, looking at each other with excited expressions on their faces.

"Can you say 'crumpet'?" Hare asked.

Fedora looked at him with angry eyes and turned its head away, causing his shoulders to droop in disappointment.

"Come on, Fedora! Say 'crumpet'!" Hatter said the word slowly, like how you'd say it to a child who was learning to speak.

With its eyes still slitted, it peeked over at the Hatter and whispered "Crumpet."

Hatter laughed joyously but the Hare was getting the feeling that the bird didn't like him very much. Maybe he just had to warm up to him. After all, the Hatter had been with him for a couple hours. Perhaps it just took time for him to get used to you.

They spent the next few hours building the parrot's vocabulary, eventually learning that he could repeat entire sentences too. As the day turned into night, they moved the party inside, settling on the sofa in front of the television watching Hatter Knows Best reruns. They were sipping tea and eating cookies when the Hatter had an idea.

"How about this…" Hatter said aloud. "Fedora, repeat after me: A pirate, history relates, Was scuffling with some of his mates, When he slipped on a cutlass, Which rendered him nutless, And practically useless on dates."

Hare snorted and choked on his tea, eyes filling with tears as he laughed. "Hatter!" he bellowed, shaking his head. "That's terrible! Where did you hear that?"

"It's in my dirty joke book…" Hatter shrugged, pulling it out from between the cushions of the couch and handing it to the hare. "What do you say, little guy? A pirate, history relates…"

Fedora, who was sitting upon Hatter's knee, fluttered its wings and shouted at the top of its lungs "Nutless!"

Hatter's mouth fell open and he slowly gazed at the Hare, making eye contact with him.

"Hatter, do you know what this means?"

Hatter beamed like the 12 year old he is and nodded.

"We can teach it dirty words!" they shouted together, laughing joyously. Hare completely forgot that the bird had been throwing him major shade all night, getting wrapped up in this realization.

They spent the rest of the evening and into the early morning hours teaching Fedora all sorts of dirty words, giggling like little boys the entire time. No words were off limits, they went through every dirty word in the Wonderland dictionary. They knew because they opened it and went page by page to find them all.

It was nearly two in the morning when the Hare yawned, having a headache from all their laughing. "It's getting late, Hatter. Maybe I should go home."

Hatter was sitting on the sofa, Hare leaned against him, Fedora puttering around the table still full of energy. He was tired and didn't feel like going to bed alone tonight.

"Why don't you stay the night?" Hatter offered.

Hare yawned again and nodded, not needing much encouragement. "Sure," he said with a smile, patting Hatter on the knee as he got to his feet, making his way to the bathroom. Hatter watched him leave before returning his attention to Fedora.

"Okay, little guy, it's time for beddy-bye." Hatter scooped the bird up and placed him in a birdcage they had set it up in the kitchen while they made dinner earlier that night. They discovered it in the attic and it didn't have a front door, but it would serve its purpose well enough. Fedora walked himself in, sat on the little swing inside, tucked his head under his wing and fell asleep almost immediately.

Hatter made his way to his bedroom, removing his bow tie and putting his top hat on its home, before getting ready for bed.

"HATTTEEEERRRRRR!" came a loud scream from the darkness of the house.

Hatter's eyes shot open from a dead sleep and he ran through the house, tripping over all manner of items that blocked his way in the darkness. He reached the kitchen, shirtless, heart pounding and out of breath, to find Hare on top of the fridge, Fedora stomping around on the floor, laughing his ass off, screaming all the dirty words they had taught it earlier that night.

"Hatter, that -thing- chased me up here! It's going to kill me!"

"Oh, Hare!" Hatter wheezed, putting his hand to his chest as his bare feet walked over the linoleum, bending down to pick up the parrot. "I thought this was serious. Fedora isn't going to kill you."

"Yes it is!" Hare protested, holding his hand up defensively, as if the bird would attack at any moment. "I swear to god, Hatter! We have to get rid of that thing!"

"Oh, pfffft!" Hatter waved Hare's fears away, placing the bird on his shoulder to let it nuzzle against his neck.

"I'm serious!" Hare climbed off the top of the fridge and was standing on the countertop, keeping a six foot distance from the bird at all times. "It doesn't like me! I just came out here to get a glass of water and it chased me! It kept screaming 'fuck you' at me!"

"Did you do that, Fedora?" Hatter asked the bird, who laughed like an asshole and muttered the words 'mutha fucka'.

"See!" Hare pointed at it with his finger. "It hates me!"

"Alright, alright!" Hatter bobbed his head around. "Fine! Tomorrow we'll make posters and put them up around Wonderland. Try to find his home."

Hare sighed gratefully, still standing on the countertop. "Thank you…" he breathed. He bent down and went to put his foot on the linoleum when Fedora flapped its wings and squawked, causing Hare to leap back onto the fridge again.

The rest of the night was a wash. They had to put Fedora in the attic because he kept knocking on the bedroom door like a parent who was making sure no hanky-panky was going on. Hare was so nervous that the bird was going to learn to open doors, that he spent most of the night watching infomercials on television, eyes darting to the gap below the door to make sure little feet weren't there.

At around noon the three set out to the Wonderland Mall. They were going to get a photo taken of Fedora at the Smear's Photo Center and then go to Copy/Paste/Print and get posters made so they could put them around to try to find Fedora's original owner.

They had to hide the parrot under Hatter's top hat in order to get on the bus, the driver had a strict 'no pets' policy in place it seemed. Hatter kept fidgeting because the bird was trying to nest in his blond locks, causing him to look like a toddler who had to go to the bathroom.

When they finally got to the mall, Hatter had to comb his hair out in the men's bathroom because his pride just wouldn't let him be seen with an unruly mop, even if it was underneath his cap.

"You ready?" Hare asked, clearly already done with the Hatter's shit today. He hadn't slept at all and the bird kept making lunges at him.

"Yes…" Hatter beamed, Fedora perched on his shoulder as they entered the mall, beelining for the Smear's Photo Center.

They would meet with disappointment though. Smear's, it seems, only took photographs of people. Pets were strictly prohibited.

"Guess we'll have to go to WonderPetsmart…" Hare groaned. He hated going into that store, it made him uncomfortable.

"How was I to know that Smear's wouldn't take photos of your pet unless they're a service animal!" Hatter shouted, clearly in an outrage. "And could you believe they didn't believe me when I said he -was- my service animal!"

"Yes… it's a wonder how they didn't believe that was your Visual Description parrot because you're visually impaired…" Hare rolled his eyes, hearing the parrot shout "fuck you" at the top of its voice.

They made their way across the mall, passing all sorts of fun shops that on any other day they would have meandered through to browse. Hare really wanted to stop at the bath shop to smell candles and maybe get another bath toy, but of course the damn parrot was messing up his plans.

They got to WonderPetsmart and stopped outside, seeing a large sign posted in the window for their photo services.

"Look, Hare! A 2-for-1 deal!" Hatter read, pointing out the sign. "Maybe we should have brought the Dormouse along! We could have gotten his portrait done for his graduation announcement cards."

"Yes, such a shame…" Hare rolled his eyes, his skin crawling as he looked into the shop. He liked pet sores on a good day, but some of them frankly weirded him out.

They made their way inside and straight to the photo counter, where they took a number and waited to be called. It seemed they were busy and they would have to wait a little. They browsed around, looking at the puppies in the window and all the pet collars and water dishes, when Hatter started shouting from a couple aisles over.

"Hare! Hare, come look at this!"

Hare made his way and stopped at the head of the aisle when he saw the Hatter, holding Fedora, who was wearing a little peter pan collar and an attached bow tie.

"I think this is the perfect look for his portrait!" Hatter beamed, standing among a dozen or more pet accessories that were thrown around the floor.

"You're… dressing up the parrot? That you're going to give away?" Hare arched an eyebrow, hands on his hips.

"Well…" he shrugged, adjusting the little bow tie on the proud parrot's chest. "He should look his best when he gets his picture taken. Wouldn't want the photo to not come out right."

Hare sighed and put a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes under his glasses as he heard a voice from the counter call their number.

"Oh, goody!" Hatter shouted, scrambling to get to the counter.

Thirty minutes later, they left WonderPetsmart, photos in hand.

"Did you really have to get your photo taken with the bird?" Hare asked, flipping through the prints they purchased. None of them were of just Fedora, all of them featured the Hatter as well. There was one of the parrot on his hat, one on his shoulder, one of Fedora whispering something in Hatters ear (who had a surprised look on his face), one of them pointing at each other and laughing…

"Come on, Hare! It didn't cost any extra!" Hatter shrugged, nabbing the photographs out of his friend's hands and looking at them himself. "I think they came out swell!"

Hare rolled his eyes and they made their way to Copy/Paste/Print. Another half an hour passed and they left the shop with 200 paper flyers printed.

"You still want to go to Movie Land Videos and pick up a tape for movie night?" Hatter asked, holding Hare's hand as they walked. They had made up a little while they were in the copy store, but that was probably because Fedora had to hide under Hatter's top hat again in order to get inside.

"Sure, that sounds like fun," Hare agreed. "Maybe we'll grab dinner from the Carpenter's Pizzeria. I think they have that Wednesday night special on large pizzas."

"Indeedy do!" Hatter smiled, swinging their arms as they made their way to the video store. They browsed for a while, Hare in the Romance section and Hatter in the Adventure section, before they both met up in Comedy.

"I think 'Three Amigos'..." Hatter nodded, feeling the bird shift under his hat as his head bobbed.

"More like three's a crowd…" Hare muttered under his breath, hearing a soft 'mama's boy' come from under Hatter's dome. He scrunched his face up and shot daggers at that top hat, wishing he could rip it off his head and strangle the things neck.

"Hmm…" Hatter put a finger to his chin and continued to scan the titles that were available. "You sure you don't just want to watch Casablanca?"

"Hatter, I've already told you, that film is too long. I don't think you have the attention span for it."

Hatter harrumphed and continued to scan. Why was it always so hard to pick a movie to rent? It's like there were too many options!

They eventually settled on 'Spaceballs' because it featured a good looking human, a goofy looking animal sidekick and some potty humor. Hare also grabbed 'The Philadelphia Story' because he just had to watch it one more time.

Leaving with their selections, they dropped by the Carpenter's Pizzeria and grabbed a large double pepperoni pizza (remembering to tape a flyer to their window) and made their way to the bus stop to go home.

"We might want to reheat this…" Hare said as they walked through the front door. "It's looking a little cold."

"Nothing to worry about," Hatter waved, placing Fedora in his cage as he spoke. "We can just nuke it."

Hare glared at the bird, who glared back at him, before dishing out the pizza and setting them in the microwave.

Hatter got the vcr set up in the living room and Hare brought in the food and snacks. He'd also managed to brew some tea while getting everything together.

"We all set?" Hare asked, setting down a bowl of popcorn and the plates of pizza.

"I think so…" Hatter muttered, squatted down in front of the television, slamming the side of it with his palm to get the screen to work.

"You should really get a new one," Hare said, taking a seat on the sofa. "That one is probably fifteen years old."

"It's never not worked before…" Hatter scrunched up his face and gave it one last good thump, before the screen flickered into life. "Eureka!"

"My what?" Hare asked, mouth full of pepperoni.

"Here we are…" Hatter did a little dance and shuffled his way beside Hare, letting him cuddle into him as they relaxed together. They didn't make it very far into the film when an unwanted visitor made its presence known.

"Asshole! Asshole!" Fedora squawked as he flew onto the coffee table, landing in the bowl of popcorn. "Mutha fukka!"

Hare cringed and Hatter looked at it with an amused look on his face.

"Maybe we should have taught it better language…" Hare groaned, watching it root around on the table, flipping over paper plates and shoving things onto the floor.

"It would have learned it from somewhere. Better from us than from a stranger."

Hare thought about this and nodded. "How true that is," he said, before cuddling into Hatter's side, pulling the blanket up around them a little closer. Hare rested his head on Hatter's shoulder and watched the screen, chuckling at the space antics, when he felt something peck his head hard.

"Hey!" he shouted, hand going to his thick head of hair, turning to see Fedora where his head had been. He looked down at his fingers, glad to not see any blood, but furious all the same.

"What's the problem?" Hatter asked, clueless as ever.

"That -thing- bit me!"

Hatter gasped. "Fedora! Did you bite Hare?"

"Cocksucker!" he announced, flapping his wings and then making a noise that could only be described as sounding like a car alarm. Hare covered his ears and scooted away a little, a panicked look on his face.

Hatter didn't move an inch. He just smacked his lips and waited for the noise to end before speaking. "Guess he did."

"Hatter, can we put him in the attic?"

"That would be awfully rude, Hare," Hatter protested. "He'll miss the rest of the film." Fedora nuzzled up against the Hatter's neck, hiding in his blonde curls, making little happy chirping sounds.

Hare pulled his lips to one side and pouted, crossing his arms over his chest. For the rest of the night, every time Hare got too close to the Hatter, Fedora would make his car alarm sound until they were at least three feet apart. At the close of the evening, when they shared a goodnight kiss at the door, Fedora got so outraged that he swooped down and attacked Hare's head with his feet. He ran all the way home, sure that the bird from hell was following him.

"What are you doing, Mr Hare?" Alice asked, peeking around the tree to see Hare pinning a flyer to it.

It was the next morning and the Hare had already made good headway in putting up flyers. He had dropped by the Palace and the Tweedles and left a flyer with all of them, and had started littering the forest with them. It seemed like every tree had a flyer pinned to it.

"Oh, hi Alice," Hare smiled weakly. "I'm putting up flyers. Hatter found a parrot and we're trying to find its owner so we can give it back." Alice was offered a paper and took it, her green eyes scanning the black and white photo xeroxed onto it. The image was of the top of Hatter's head, eyes looking up at a medium sized parrot in a bow tie.

"What a cute parrot!" the girl smiled. "Looks like Hatter really likes him."

"Well, I hate it," Hare said uncharacteristically bluntly. "And it hates me."

"Oh, Mr Hare, I'm sure he doesn't hate you…" she tried to console him. "Nobody could hate you."

Hare looked at her with a pursed mouth and pulled his glove off, showing her his hand that was covered in bandages from beak bites.

"Oh…" Alice put a hand to her mouth, biting her lip a little. "Well, maybe if he just got to know you he'd like you."

"It called me a co-… not nice thing, Alice…" Hare stated. "It doesn't want to get to know me."

Alice grimaced and took the stack of flyers from the Hare, helping him put them up on trees and telephone poles as they walked.

After wandering around the Wonderland forest for half an hour, they arrived at the Hat house just in time for the afternoon tea party. Hare's bad mood had lightened up in the girl's company and he seemed more like his old jovial self. He was sure that the flyers were going to work! The parrot would soon be gone and his future was looking bright again!

"Hello, Mr Hatter!" Alice greeted him as Hare held the gate open for her.

Hatter was sitting crossed legged on the table, an eye patch covering his left eye and a large pirate hat on his head. Fedora was sitting on his shoulder in a miniature version of the same hat.

"Hello, Alice," he said as if nothing was amiss.

"That's… quite an interesting look you have going on there, Hatter…" Hare gaped.

"Was this a costume tea party?" Alice asked.

"No…" Hatter shook his head, again, like nothing was out of the ordinary. The large purple feather that stuck out of his hat swished at the movement. Fedora shouted "asshole!" at the Hare.

Alice and the Hare gasped as he covered her ears and the Hatter frowned at Fedora. "Fedora! There's a child present!"

Fedora cocked its head to the side and blinked, sneering at the Hare and saying "Buttface" at him.

The parrot seemed to like Alice enough. It allowed her to pet him and even sat on her shoulder for a little while.

"He seems nice to me…" she said with a smile, scratching it with her finger. The Hare sat at the far end of the table, arms crossed over his chest, with a flyswatter at the ready. "What do you think of him, Mr Hatter?"

"Oh, I think he's darrrrrrrling…" he said, slurring his 'r' in an attempt to sound like a pirate. Alice laughed and Hare looked at him blankly, still miffed. "You know what they say, Alice. A parrot is a pirate's best friend."

Getting up from his seat, the Hatter strode through the IN door of the Hat house and immediately through the OUT door, in a full pirate getup. The Rabbit would have thought the hat was gaudy, but the rest of his outfit would have been outright garish. It was as if Liberace and Elvis got together and decided to combine their forces to make the most outrageous pirate outfit ever. It had buckles and sparkles and fur and boots that went up just above Hatter's knees.

Hare's jaw dropped to the table. He wondered why he had never seen that outfit before and why he hadn't been allowed to try it on.

Hatter held his hand out and Fedora flew to him, landing with a proud squawk.

Shanty music started and Hatter strode to the table, strutting his stuff around like he had treasure spilling from his pockets, singing about the life of a pirate and how lonely it was. How his only friend was his parrot by his side! There were so many pirate puns it would have made the average Wonderlandian heave. But he worked it, Fedora adding in his own touches to the song every so often, shouting words like "Me bucko" and "Yo ho ho". This went on for about a minute before the Hatter walked back through the IN door and out the OUT door, returning in his regular purple suit with the mutton sleeves. He still had the hat and eye patch on. He walked calmly to his seat and sat down demurely, looking at Alice with a smile before saying

"I guess I like him okay."

After the initial shock of that music number, Hare shook his head and looked away from the Hatter, still pouting.

"Poo Poo head!" Fedora shouted.

The tea party continued and eventually Alice made her way home. The sun was going down when the candlestick phone started to ring from the center of the tea table. Hatter sauntered over to it, Fedora on his shoulder, and picked up the earpiece and the receiver.

"Hatter's hat making services: We've got a bonnet for your noggin, a chapeau for your nut and a helmet for your crown. This is the Mad Hatter speaking."

He was silent for a while, nodding and 'uh-huh'ing, Fedora pacing his shoulder. Hare watched the bird with contempt, sipping his tea angrily.

"Okay, well, thanks for calling…" Hatter said, nodding. "Y… Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow. Uh-huh. Okay... Bye Bye now."

He hung the phone up and took a seat on the table, grabbing another finger sandwich and nibbling on it.

Hare remained silent for a while, before the curiosity got to him. "Who was it?"

"It was Fedora's owner…" he said. "Or, rather, Sir Stenson's owner. They're coming to pick him up in the morning."

Hare spat his tea all down the front of him, not sure he was believing his ears. "W-what?"

Hatter looked up at him with a blank face. "Yup… looks like your flyer idea worked. Little guy is going home tomorrow."

Hare felt like the heavens opened up and light shone down upon him. He didn't think he'd be more happy if he had walked into a bedroom to see Hatter naked on a bed, covered in chocolate and strawberries.

"Really? You aren't shitting me?" Hare got so excited, he got to his feet and rushed over to Hatter, reaching out to him only for Fedora (or Sir Stenson) to car alarm.

"Nope," Hatter said coolly. "He's going back in the morning. You excited, little guy?"

Fedora fluffed up his chest and flapped his wings, as if that meant something. With slitted eyes, he glared at Hare, and muttered "Asshole."

The next morning couldn't come soon enough. The moment the sun was above the horizon, Hare was out of his bed, showered and on his way to the Hat house. The spring in his step that had vanished a couple days before was back! Nothing could bring him down!

He hummed to himself as he walked the pathways, thinking about all the snuggling and movie watching and smooching they'd be able to do once that damn parrot was out of their lives.

Doing a little jig, and a spin, he opened the gate and walked up to the tea table. Hatter was nowhere to be seen, so he must have still been asleep. Hare knocked, then waited… then used his key to get in.

He puttered around for a while in the house, noting that Hatter was still asleep and that damn parrot was in the bedroom with him. He made breakfast and cleaned the house a little as he waited for his friend to get up. He turned on the television and had a rerun of Oprah playing when the Hatter graced him with his presence. He was in his pajamas with a robe wrapped around himself and his top hat was on his head.

"This is a nice surprise…" Hatter said happily, taking a fresh cup of tea when it was offered. "You been waiting long?"

"No, not really," Hare shrugged, looking over the tall man's shoulder to see if it was safe to touch him. As if on cue, the bird swooped down and landed on his hat. Hare pouted.

"You've come to see Fedora off then?" Hatter asked, taking a seat and offering the parrot a crumpet.

"I thought you'd like the company," he replied, taking a seat as close as he dared to the him. "Do you know what time they're coming to get him?" He didn't want to seem too eager to see the bird gone… but he was ready for the thing to be gone.

"I think they said 10?" Hatter thought to himself. "I'm not really sure. I don't remember."

"Of course not…" Hare thought to himself, picking up a piece of toast and eating it.

There came a knock on the door and the pair sat up to attention. Hare got to his feet and answered it, seeing a man with round eyes, a little pencil mustache and a top hat on. "Hi, yes, I'm here for the parrot."

Hare turned and looked at the Hatter, who had gotten up from his seat, briskly walked into his bedroom and immediately back out again, looking like he had showered and taken great effort to dress himself. With long legs, he strode to the entryway, a welcoming smile on his face as he exited through the OUT door.

"Hi, welcome welcome! Would you like some tea?"

The man looked up at the Hatter (who was a foot taller than him) and gulped. "No… I want my parrot."

Hatter's happy demeanor faltered a little and his arms dropped to his sides. "Ah…" he muttered. "Well, here he is."

Lifting his top hat, the parrot was revealed, in his peter pan collared, bow tied glory.

"Sir Stenson!" the man exclaimed, clapping his hands. "Oh, thank you for taking good care of him!"

"Mutha Fucka!" Fedora shouted.

There was a crash as Hare dropped a full tray of tea and cups at the door and the man's face fell.

"Oh my…" the man muttered, putting a hand to his mouth.

"He, heh… might have learned a few things…" Hatter said with a nervous laugh. Why hadn't he thought this through?

The man gawked at the pair, put Sir Stenson in the cage he had under his arm, and scurried away without another word.

And, like that, the parrot was gone.

Hatter watched the man walk away, a little sad, wishing he'd had one more chance to say goodbye.

Hare's ears dropped, seeing that the Hatter was upset about losing Fedora. Sure, he didn't like him very much (at all really) but Hatter had grown attached. And he felt badly for him. Putting a hand out, he patted the tall man's shoulder. "It's okay, Hatter. We can get another pet."

Hatter scrunched up his face and sighed, remaining silent for a while. "Naw… that bird left feathers and shit all over my house."

He then strode away and into the Hat house to get some more crumpets, already almost completely forgetting about Fedora, the dirty talking parrot.

#fanfiction #aiw #adventures in wonderland #hatter and hare #mad hatter #march hare #dormouse #alice #feather in my cap

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sexyshakespeare · 5 years

Text

Sasuke comes home - Part 5: What happiness feels like

I was taking a walk by the training field today, reminiscing. I have spent so many hours here.. throwing shuriken.. I love the smell of the grass here, there really is nothing like it. I sat myself down under a big tree and watched the genin practicing in the distance. They were arguing about their formation. It made me smile. I found myself wondering how it is that I got here. I was smiling at the little things. The feeling was sublime. Niisan’s eyes were on me just now, I could feel it. I felt happy enough to get up, run towards those kids and shoot some shuriken. Let’s take things slow shall we Sasuke-kun? I tend to call myself Sasuke-kun now in my head. Isn’t that really sad.. I say it sarcastically of course, unlike Sakura who says it lovingly. That’s a bit presumptious of you. She says it in a friendly way. You’re such a cocky bastard thinking she still has feelings for you. Sakura is a very friendly, nice person, that is all. She had a stupid crush on you back when you were genins. You really think that means she’s hot for you now- really living up to the Uchiha name of snobbery aren’t you champ? “S-sasuke-san?” I blinked at the little girl standing in front of me, her little face shaking me back to reality.

“Yes?” “I hope I’m not bothering you..”, the girl said, looking embarrassed. “No- uh- did you want something?” She looked even more embarrassed and stood there awkwardly. A couple of boys were snickering at her from a little ways away. I looked back at her, trying to understand. I looked at her pants, scruffy and dirty.

“Were you practicing with your 3-man cell?”, I asked her. She turned towards me and answered quickly, “No sir- I was on my own. My team mates are out of town and sick. But I wanted to work on my shuriken.” I smiled at her slightly, encouraging her to speak. “It’s just- I kept falling in the mud because I was nervous... and..”

I eyed the boys as they laughed at her from behind the stump. Her face was very red now. “I’m sorry for bothering you- you’re my hero. I want to be just like you when I grow up Sasuke san!”, she blubbered. I blinked at her confused as she walked away. The genin boys were having a riot, laughing at the girl as she limped past them. It was pissing me off. She’s limping and yet she came all the way here to tell me I’m her hero? There was something off about this.. I stood up and walked towards her, which to my slight pleasure immediately sent those shitty kids scrambling. “Ano- what’s your name?”, I called out at the girl. She stopped walking and turned around looking scared. “A-A-Ayumi, sir-” “Ayumi.. you’re hurt really bad aren’t you- can I have a look at that leg?” She looked a little less scared now, and lifted her pant leg gingerly to reveal an ugly bruise on her shin. I squatted in front of her and gave her the kindest look I could manage, given my generally ominous face. She looked at me, embarrassed. “Who are those boys over there?”, I asked while pointing in their direction purposefully. She looked over at the frightened kids and looked back at me, fumbling, “Oh-they’re just the other genins-” “Did you all graduate from the academy together?”, I asked her. She nodded quickly. “They refused to carry you to the hospital didn’t they?”, I said loud enough so they could hear me. Ayumi shook her head frantically. “No-No it’s not like that Sasuke-san. They just- they wouldn’t be able to carry me on their own and-”, she looked at her feet, angry and embarrassed at the same time. I interrupted her and declared as loud as I could, “Well- you know something- I’m a genin too. Unlike certain other genins, I don’t shirk my responsibilities to my friends-” I stood up. “I’ll carry you to the hospital- come on”, I gestured to my arm. “No- Sasuke-san it’s fine, I’ll walk- or they’ll take me if you ask them-” “No. I’ll take you”, I said with finality. Ayumi reluctantly let me lift her, her legs dangled on the side of my arm. She looked very red in the face. I walked with the little girl in my arms, past those dumbfounded idiots. As I passed them, I flashed them my sharingan and said, “At least do something useful. Go back to work-” The boys ran away from their hiding place, and began to aggressively do their jutsus and throw kunais. I carried Ayumi till the village gate without either of us saying a word. As we walked in the streets, people began to look and comment in whispers. “Sasuke-san, it’s really okay- I’m really sorry for being a bother-”, Ayumi looked like she was about to cry. I smiled down at her warmly. She seemed to look a little less upset, her eyes sparkling. She began to blush a little and looked away. I stifled a chuckle. In fact, we both might have been beaming as we went through the village that day. Ayumi, because she was being carried by her apparent ninja idol, and I, because I was apparently some young girl’s idol! Me?! She called me her fucking hero- As we approached the hospital, I awkwardly said out loud, “Ayumi-chan..” It was the first time I had ever called anyone by -chan, and I was regretting it. She looked at me, blushing again. I continued, “Why.. why is it that you look up to me- there’s better ninja in Konoha..”. I put her down on the seat inside the waiting room, my eyes cast downwards. I didn’t think this girl knew the whole truth about my involvement in the war. She beamed at me then and started. “Because! You’re so brave Sasuke-san! It must have hurt you to leave Konoha but you had to go to become strong with that creepy Snake guy- You must have been so scared- but you fought anyway- you fought your best friends- but then you had the guts to come back and make everything right Sasuke-san! You’re amazing! You don’t even need your sharingan to be amazing but you have that too! AND-AND your shuriken skills are LEGENDARY- you-” I was staring at her feeling a mixture of horror and incredulity, maybe even a hint of happiness. I suddenly put my hand on her shoulder to make her stop, “Okay! That’s- thank you Ayumi- that’s very kind-”, I looked around to find that the entire room full of people was now paying attention to us. “..Oh.. I’m so sorry..”, Ayumi chan looked downcast. I bent lower to look her in the eyes. “I’ll go find someone to take care of your leg okay? You sit tight-” She nodded gleefully at me. I stood up, feeling pretty damn gleeful myself at the moment. I nodded at the receptionist and asked her if a certain pink haired kunoichi was available. “She’s very busy but- for you Sasuke-san..”, she smiled in a strange knowing way. I frowned at her, unsure of what that little comment was supposed to mean, and watched her make a call. A few minutes later, Sakura walked out into the waiting room. “Sasuke-kun! It’s so nice to see you!”, she had her hair tied up in a long pony tail today. Her eyes glinted at me, making me feel warm. I gestured towards Ayumi. “Some stupid genins refused to take her to the infirmary so I brought her here- think she’s broken it-”, I said. Ayumi shook her head, still trying to defend her classmates. Sakura knelt down to take a look. “Oh- it does look a little bad sweetie..”, she said to Ayumi. “But don’t worry okay- we have some great healers who can fix this right up- I’ll take you inside now to them okay?”, Sakura said with a smile on her face. Ayumi looked very excited all of a sudden. As she was being wheeled away to another room she addressed Sakura, “Sakura-san! Aren’t you Sasuke-san’s girlfriend yet! Everyone wasn’t sure about Sasuke-san before he came back- but now he’s back and he’s still awesome! Why aren’t you his girlfriend yet?” Sakura put her hand on Ayumi’s shoulder much like I had before, “OKAY! You need to rest up and take care of that leg now! Thaat’s enough!”. Sakura’s voice was very shrill though she tried to remain chirpy.

I just blinked at the girl waving goodbye to us as she disappeared into the next room. Sakura stood next to me, looking mortified. Every other individual in the room looked embarrassed for us. I spied the clock showing 5:30 pm. Sakura seemed to notice too and hurriedly left her medical apron at the receptionist’s desk to leave. We walked out of the hospital doors, heaving a sigh of relief. She side eyed me then, and burst out laughing. I did too. I couldn’t help it. We both laughed so hard that day, it was incredible. We just kept walking, and laughing. “What was with that girl??”, she said loudly. “Talk about- enthusiasm!” I laughed at the expression on her face, not being able to catch my breath. As we both gasped for air, I took her hand and led her into a snack parlour. We ordered juice and onigiri and continued to laugh. “You know she told me I was her hero- at the field- I couldn’t believe it! So weird!”, I started to laugh at my joke, but Sakura wasn’t joining in. She caught her breath and looked me in the eye. “You know she must’ve meant that..” I looked back at her, sipping my ice tea. “Oh- I know but! Damn, she- she didn’t think I was a traitor at all- she thought I was.. brave..”. Sakura was still looking at me straight. I glanced at her. her eyes shone at me. She didn’t say anything else, but her hand reached out and squeezed mine just then. Then she let go and went back to her sandwich. My heart began to thump. I sipped again. I just looked at Sakura looking the way she did after 12 hours of work, it thumped, and I sipped again. Thump. Sip. Thump. Sip. Then she blushed and looked away. Thump. Thump. Thump. Sip

#sasusaku #fanfic #sakura #sasu #narutofandom #fanfiction #lovey #lovefic #writing #romancefic

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