hi hi yes we are!! we’re both in university rn so that is taking priority rn our classes are beating us (especially organic chemistry omg) up rn but we are working on the next chapters slowly and it’ll be up 🥺
hiiii thanks to everyone that’s been reading :))) pt 6 is coming soon!
ao3 link
masterlist // chapter 1 // chapter 4 //
Y/n spread her muted green towel out next to Zuko’s bright red one on the beach. She smiled to herself. She couldn’t help but notice how well their towels reflected their homes and personalities.
Zuko shoved the umbrella she had brought into the sand and flopped down onto his towel. He shoved his still wet hair out of his eyes and brushed some sand off of his legs. Y/n sat carefully on her own towel, trying to avoid sitting too close to Zuko. She had let him come back to the beach with her as a way of accepting his apology for earlier, but now that they were here she wasn’t sure what to do. They’d been alone together before but it was always in an official setting. Sitting alone with the Fire Lord on vacation hadn’t been covered in her training.
Absentmindedly, she started to play with the sand. Y/n liked to have something to do with her hands, often busying herself with her sword or fans when on duty. It helped her stay focused and kept her mind from wandering. Currently, she busied herself with making shapes out of the sand.
As the minutes passed she relaxed more in Zuko’s company. They sat in a comfortable silence, the Fire Lord content to watch the waves crashing on the beach while she continued to build with the sand. They were silent for so long, that Zuko’s voice breaking the peace caused Y/n to jump.
“What are you building?”
In her surprise, Y/n squashed one of the little buildings with her hand. She swore under her breath and looked up at Zuko. He was sitting cross legged on his towel, leaning forward slightly to get a better look at her creation. There was genuine curiosity on his face.
Y/n looked down at her tiny sand village.
“Oh. It’s my hometown. I wasn’t paying attention to what I was making, I must’ve just done it unconsciously,” she replied.
Zuko frowned a bit, “That doesn’t look like Kyoshi Island?”
“I’m surprised you remember what it looked like. Last time you were there, you seemed preoccupied burning it down.”
“What’s with everyone taking shots at me today!”
Y/n grinned at him, “I’m kidding! It doesn’t look like Kyoshi Island because it isn’t.”
Zuko furrowed his brow and tilted his head a bit, confused. Y/n sighed out of her nose lightly, steeling herself for what she was about to tell him.
“I was born in a small Earth Kingdom village, further into the mainland by the Si Wong desert. It’s name isn’t that important. It’s not there anymore,”
“What happened to it?” Zuko asked hesitantly. She had a feeling he already knew what she was about to say.
“When I was around 10 we were raided by a Fire Nation platoon. The village wasn’t prepared for it at all, we were so out of the way and insignificant that no Earth Kingdom soldiers had even considered defending us. Most of our capable earth benders had already left the village to join the military, so only non-benders and untrained benders were left,” Y/n said. “My parents did what they could to defend our home but they didn’t survive the attack. The platoon took our food and supplies, then torched our homes.”
Zuko stared at the sand village, sadness darkening features. “I’m sorry that happened to your home. I doubt I’ll ever manage to apologize for all that the Fire Nation has done to the world.”
“You’re trying. I think that’s all I can ask of you,” she replied. “After the platoon left, the survivors of my village were stuck as some of the many refugees in the Earth Kingdom. We decided to head to Kyoshi Island, since it was one of the few places left untouched by the war. I was newly orphaned and I felt so lost. But the Kyoshi Warriors took me in, they trained me. They became my family.”
Zuko looked up at Y/n. Their eyes connected and she saw something new in them.
Understanding.
“I know how it feels to be so lost. After I was banished, it felt like my life was over. All I could focus on was finding the Avatar and returning to the Fire Nation. I was so desperate to hold onto my home and I made some pretty stupid decisions because of that,” he said. “If it wasn’t for my Uncle and Aang, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. They saved me.”
Zuko reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. He squeezed gently, trying to convey the things he didn’t know how to put into words.
“If you ever need anything, or to… talk. You can come to me. I might be able to understand more than you’d think,” Zuko said softly.
“Thank you,” Y/n whispered. She was worried that if she spoke any louder, her emotions would get the better of her. Zuko was one of the few people who now knew what happened to her. She’d only told the Kyoshi Warrior that first took her in and then later on, Suki. Her past was so personal to her and despite it being almost 9 years later, she still found it difficult to talk about her parents.
“I don’t know how much you were told or what rumours spread, but I’m sure you know that I didn’t exactly have an ideal childhood. My mother was banished when I was young and my father…” Zuko paused. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “It was a lot to deal with. Azula was a nightmare when we were kids, but she’s been through as much as I have. I was only able to reunite with my mother recently, and I even have a new younger sister now. I’m so incredibly happy that I’ve been able to rebuild my family. But it hasn’t been an easy journey. I still have nightmares about my childhood.”
“I think about my parents a lot. If they’d be proud of me now. I love the Kyoshi Warriors but I can’t help but think about what my life would be like if nothing had ever happened,” Y/n told him. She didn’t know why she was suddenly confessing this to him. Even Suki didn’t know this about her. Why did she think the Fire Lord would care about her past? Despite these thoughts, her deepest secrets continued to spill out.
“Neither of my parents were benders, I’m not either, so it’s not like we were able to do much outside of our village. Yet, they never seemed upset by their simple life. If they could see me now…” she laughed lightly. “I know I never imagined I’d end up as the Fire Lord’s personal bodyguard.”
Zuko smiled at her, “I know that it isn’t the easiest job. I can be difficult as Suki likes to put it. I hope I haven’t been too much of a burden for you.”
Y/n chuckled, “It hasn’t been terrible.”
Zuko’s hand still rested on hers. She glanced down at their hands, thought about how if she twisted her hand slightly she’d be able to lace her fingers through his. It sent a shock down her spine. Why was she thinking about holding hands with the Fire Lord? She looked out to the ocean, but didn’t move her hand.
Y/n thought she might’ve misjudged Zuko a little. She hadn’t known about his mother being banished or his reunion with her. In all honesty, she knew little about the intimate details of the Fire Nation royal family. She’d fought Azula and her friends with the Kyoshi Warriors, watched Zuko become Fire Lord, had tea at Iroh’s shop in Ba Sing Se. But she’d never really thought about their family and what it must’ve been like to be raised by someone like Ozai. Y/n had a newfound sympathy for him.
Y/n’s thoughts were interrupted by shouting coming from the water. She looked up to see Suki trying to help Sokka out of the water. She was dragging him more than anything.
Suki looked over to Zuko and Y/n. She began to say something, but cut herself off as she took in their closeness and hands. Y/n blushed furiously and roughly pulled her hand away from Zuko. Suki had a knowing smirk on her face as she pulled a spluttering Sokka towards them.
Desperate to avoid Suki’s inevitable teasing, Y/n quickly asked, “What happened to him?”
“Sokka got a little too excited trying to show off his water sword techniques,” Suki replied.
“Ah.”
“Hey, I would’ve been fine if you let me do that one spinny move!” Sokka protested from his spot draped over Suki.
“You can show me again when there isn’t the immediate threat of you drowning,” Suki told him.
They sat down on the sand next to Y/n, unknowingly destroying her sand village. A tiny piece of her heart broke watching her home disappearing in front of her again. Something brushed against her pinky. She glanced down to see Zuko’s hand subtly reaching to rest next to hers. Y/n let him.
---
They spent a few more hours on the beach, playing some beach ball and having sand castle building competitions. Azula and Ty Lee didn’t return until the sun had already begun to set. Zuko raised his eyebrows at them and Azula made a rude gesture that had Ty Lee scolding her for at least 5 minutes. They returned to the house as a group and ate a dinner that had been prepared by a chef that Y/n never saw.
She felt quite exhausted by the time they retired to the living room. This day had been draining physically and emotionally for her. A big part of Y/n wanted to escape and go to bed, but the soldier part of her brain forced her to stay.
She was sitting next to Suki on a couch as Azula pulled a bunch of expensive looking art supplies out of a bag.
Sokka looked over at the stack of canvases and paints, “I didn’t take you for an artist, Azula.”
She scoffed at him, “I’m not one. I paint to channel my emotions in a way that isn’t destructive, as the royal therapists like to describe it.”
Ty Lee beamed at Azula, “Ever since she started painting her aura has been way brighter! We even paint together sometimes. I packed enough supplies for all of us, I thought we could have a group painting night!”
“That sounds fun! I’m in. Toss me a canvas,” Suki said. The rest of the group chipped in with their agreement and Ty Lee began to pass out the supplies.
Y/n wasn’t too familiar with making art, preferring to channel her emotions through exercise and training. She didn’t count her warrior makeup as painting, though that did take practice to get right.
Sokka was already enthusiastically splattering paint onto his canvas. Zuko kept glancing at Sokka’s canvas, as if he was trying to figure out where to start on his own. Azula had also begun her piece, Ty Lee electing to lean on her shoulder and watch instead of doing her own painting. Suki was sketching out what looked like a scenic view of the mountains near Kyoshi Island.
Y/n looked at her canvas, unsure of what to do. Her life revolved around the Kyoshi Warriors and her job. She definitely had other interests though, right?
Ok maybe not.
She carefully used the paint brush to pick up paint in her palette. First the various shades of green and finally the fiery red tones. With that her first attempt at painting was started. Y/n wanted to paint someone that meant a lot to her.
Zuko craned his head towards her canvas trying to catch a peak at what Y/n was painting. She fluffed up his hair in response.
“Y/n!” he whined trying desperately to fix his hair.
“That’s what you get for being nosy,” she stuck her tongue at him, feeling comfortable around him for once. Their conversation from earlier had done more to their bond than she initially realized.
“I just wanted to see the painting you did of us.”
“Us?” she raised a brow.
Zuko took her canvas and held it up to get a better look.
“Isn’t the green person supposed to be you and the red one me? Don’t get me wrong, I like it a lot.”
Before Y/n could correct him, Ty Lee took notice of their conversation.
“Awh! You painted each other holding hands. That’s so sweet Y/n!”
“Those are supposed to be people?” Azula questioned, pointing to the blobs on Y/n’s canvas.
Y/n quickly grabbed her canvas back, again feeling her cheeks flush.
“It’s obviously a painting of Avatar Kyoshi and General Rangi!”
“Wow, way to jump to conclusions Zuko. Didn’t know holding hands with Y/n was something that’s on your mind often,” Azula teased.
“I think about other things!” he grumbled.
“Like what?” Azula smirked, “Now that I have everyone's attention, look at my painting.”
Azula held up what was both the most beautifully done painting and the most horrifying thing Y/n had ever seen. The devil was in the small intricate bloody details she included. Something about her painting managed to shock almost everyone in the room. Even Ty Lee looked sick. The only person who did not react in shock was Zuko.
“Nice job Azula! Is this supposed to be your twelfth birthday?”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this Zuko but you’re actually right. Just this once though.”
Thoroughly disturbed, they all slowly started packing for the night. Sokka and Suki went to their room first. Azula brewed a cup of ginger tea for Ty Lee, who still felt a bit sick. There was only one room left in the house they were staying at, so Y/n started to set up her bed on one of the living room couches.
Zuko began to walk to his room, but then paused and gestured at Y/n to follow him. Confused, she got up and followed him. Before she knew it, they were alone. In his room.
“Did you need something or…” Y/n trailed off, fumbling with her hands. Not hearing her, Zuko began to change into his night clothes. Y/n frantically tried to avoid looking.
Zuko noticed her embarrassment and said, “I just thought you shouldn’t have to sleep in the living room. I was the one who invited you here in the first place.”
Oh. He was just getting ready for bed. In front of her. Kinda weird but that’s fine?
“Don’t worry about it Fire Lord. I’ve slept in worse places. I’ll be fine on the couch,” she said in an attempt to sound as professional as possible.
“Zuko,” he corrected her inching closer to her. Y/n’s cheeks flushed in response.
“I insist. Really, this bed is big enough for the both of us,” he sheepishly ran his fingers through his hair. “If it makes you feel any better, we can put pillows in the middle of the bed.”
“Alright,” Y/n shyly said, picking up pillows to pile in the middle of the bed. She layed on her side of the pillow pile, feeling Zuko’s warmth radiate from the other side.
“Goodnight, Y/n,” he whispered, blowing out the lights.
“Goodnight, Zuko.”
It wasn’t until she started to drift off into sleep that she noticed that was the first time she had ever addressed him by his name out loud.
Rays of sunlight fanned out behind her. If Y/n thought the capital city was boiling, Ember Island was even worse. The midday sun made her itch her to rip off her heavy combat robes.
“So you’ve packed the entire palace armoury. But you forgot a swimsuit?” Ty Lee said brushing her hand against Y/n’s long sleeve.
“This isn’t exactly supposed to be a vacation for me,” she responded, looking at the bag she held packed to the brim with stuff. Y/n knew she had a habit of being overly prepared. Suki and the others always joked that maybe she was a little bit too paranoid. But after everything that’s happened in her life, she couldn’t help it. If there was anything she could do to keep those around her safe, she would do it. Even if it meant looking crazy.
Her beach bag, also known as the Fire Lord Zuko emergency kit, swayed on her arm. It was filled with anything you could possibly think of. Y/n grew more concerned for the Fire Lord every day. It was her job after all. And nothing more than that. She was simply a bodyguard who cared about the person she protected. Maybe she stayed up countless nights worrying about him too. Wasn’t that normal? She thought to herself.
“Ok, so the pink swimsuit or the white one?” Ty Lee said holding up the swimsuits to her face. Y/n hadn’t taken the time to notice Ty Lee digging through her countless swimsuits on the bedroom floor of the house they were staying in. Ty Lee always had the most impeccable fashion taste. Y/n pointed at the pink swimsuit with little frills on the ends. This was sort of exciting for her. She never really had the opportunity to wear something so cute on a regular basis.
Y/n quickly changed into it and it met with the others in the living room. She walked over to where Zuko stood.
“Oh. You look…different,” he said, his face started to get flushed. It was strange they had barely been outside and he was burning already.
“Thanks?” Y/n was not sure how to respond to him. She was technically on official duty. Was she allowed to accept a compliment from the Fire Lord? She wasn’t sure if that even counted as a compliment.
“Wow, Y/n you look so cute!” Suki said. The colour of Y/n’s cheeks was beginning to match her swimsuit.
“Says you! You always look really nice Suki,” Y/n said, fumbling her words and desperately hoping that Suki did not notice how awkward she was.
“You’re darn right Y/n,” Sokka wrapped his arm around Suki and grinned.
“Wait, can someone tell me why Sokka is here again?”
“There’s a very simple reason---”
While he was explaining the purpose of his trip here, a loud boat blared it’s horn in the distance blocking out anything Sokka was saying.
“And that’s why I’m on Ember Island,” Sokka said, acting like everyone had heard him talk for the last 30 seconds. Y/n simply nodded and everyone followed.
--
“What’s in the giant bag Y/n? Little apple slices and extra towels for Zuzu?” Azula said while laying down a beach towel for Ty Lee.
“Actually yes. I brought snacks, sunscreen and swords. Just in case,” Y/n stated now slightly embarrassed. Was it too much? she thought to herself.
Next to Azula sat Zuko attempting to put sunscreen on his back. Azula really was right. Maybe she was more his babysitter than a bodyguard.
“I sorta need help applying it on my back,” Zuko said.
“Sure--,” she responded. But before she could fully answer him Sokka interrupted.
“Why didn’t you say so earlier, buddy! Sokka’s got you covered.” Y/n exhaled in relief that Sokka had volunteered. Would everyone get the wrong idea by her volunteering? She was just doing her job in protecting the Fire Lord.
While Sokka sat down behind Zuko, Azula said, “Why, isn’t that a forward way of asking Y/n to rub your back.”
“Azula, stop teasing them. You promised me we would sightsee!” Ty Lee grabbed Azula and took her away. Y/n was incredibly grateful for that.
“Later losers,” she winked and with that, they were gone.
Her attention was drawn back to Zuko, who had just shouted in shock as Sokka slapped the sunscreen onto his back.
“You don’t need to slap it! You’re getting it everywhere!”
“We’re in the sand! And this way it spreads faster! I put lotion on this way, don’t worry about it,” Sokka shouted back at him, aggressively rubbing the sunscreen onto Zuko’s back.
Suki appeared next to Y/n, laughing, “Yeah, and Katara keeps telling you to stop doing it that way. You got it in her eye last time.”
“She doesn’t understand efficiency,” Sokka said, standing up. He nodded proudly at Zuko’s now protected skin, satisfied that his friend wouldn’t burn.
“Wanna check him out Y/n? Bodyguard’s seal of approval!”
Y/n blushed a little at Sokka’s phrasing. She glanced quickly at Zuko, whose face was also slightly red.
“Um, he looks fine to me,” she muttered. “If he does burn though, I’m holding you responsible.”
Sokka gasped in mock offence, “I’d never allow that! I know how sensitive our precious Fire Lord’s skin is. Plus, I know not to mess with a Kyoshi Warrior.”
Y/n smiled at his comment. She could see Suki rolling her eyes at him out of the corner of her eye, but she was smiling as well.
Getting up from his spot on the beach, Zuko said, “Alright, are you done making fun of me? You know I can have you all banished. Who knows when I’ll snap.”
Sokka slapped his shoulder again, “I will never be done making fun of you. You owe me for all that time you spent trying to kill me!”
“That was years ago!”
“And it still hurt!”
Y/n leaned over to whisper to Suki, “Are they always like this?”
“Always,” Suki sighed. She let them bicker for a few moments longer before cutting Sokka off. “Okay! What do you both want to do on the beach? Sitting alone in the shade is off the table, so don’t even think about that.”
Zuko frowned, “That felt directed at me.”
Ignoring Zuko, Sokka flung his arms up in glee, “We should play chicken!”
“Chicken?” Y/n questioned.
“Yeah! That game where you sit on someone’s shoulders and try to push another person off of someone else’s shoulders! Trust me, it’ll be fun!” Sokka replied.
Y/n glanced at Zuko, who looked just as hesitant as she felt. He shifted nervously in the sand. Zuko being anxious about the game flipped a switch in Y/n, and she looked back to Sokka.
“Okay I'm in,” she said.
“Really?” Suki questioned. “I’m surprised you’re willingly relaxing. I thought you didn’t know how to.”
Y/n rolled her eyes at Suki, “Please, I know how to relax. Going along with Sokka just seems to be the most painless option.”
Zuko chuckled at her comment. Y/n started to smile at him, before realizing what had exactly happened. He had laughed. That was the first time she’d ever heard him do that and it had been at something she’d said. Up until this moment, he’d only ever lightly smiled at her. Y/n wasn’t sure how to feel about this development.
Oblivious to her crisis, Sokka was trying to decide the teams.
“Obviously it should be you with me, Suki! We’re a great team! Romantically and tactically!”
“I understand that! But isn’t it a little unfair for Y/n and Zuko then?”
Sokka made a face like he was thinking deeply and stroked his chin, “Fair enough, fair enough. Zuko and I do make a killer team too! Or should I pair with Y/n and challenge myself with an unknown teammate?”
Sensing the danger of Sokka trying to decide his teammate, Suki grabbed Y/n’s arm, “I’ll pair with Y/n. Kyoshi Warriors vs…”
“The Boys! No wait, The Swordsmen! Wait, Fire and Water!” Sokka shouted.
“I like the second one,” Zuko said.
“Is a team name that important?” Y/n asked.
“Just let him have this,” Suki whispered to her.
Y/n shrugged and the group walked towards the crashing waves. She’d never played this game before and was a little worried. She was also hesitant to go too deep into the water. Despite living on Kyoshi Island for most of her life, she wasn’t exactly an experienced swimmer. Before her panic could settle in, water was splashing just above her elbows.
“This seems deep enough! Alright Zuko, let’s go!” Sokka said, already starting to climb onto Zuko’s shoulders.
“Sokka, wait! Give me a warning next time!”
Y/n turned to Suki, “Would you do me the honour of climbing on my shoulders and knocking your boyfriend into the ocean?”
Suki dramatically put her hand over her heart, “I would love nothing more.”
Suki climbed onto Y/n shoulders much more gracefully than Sokka. Making sure she was balanced, Y/n got ready for the game to begin. She watched Sokka balancing himself on Zuko’s shoulders, allowing herself a smile as Zuko tried to blink out the water that kept dripping into his eyes. Their eyes suddenly connected and her smile turned into a challenging grin. Zuko smiled back at her, silently accepting her challenge.
“Alright, get ready… Go!” Sokka said.
He and Suki began pushing at each other’s shoulders. Y/n quickly realized how hard it was to keep her balance in the water and her feet slipping in the sand. She could see Zuko coming to a similar realization, his own inexperience showing. Despite that, Zuko held her challenging gaze. Y/n felt her competitiveness flare and she tightened her grip on Suki. No way was she about to lose to the Fire Lord.
Their game only lasted a few moments longer, ending with Suki landing a particularly hard shove against Sokka’s collarbone. He toppled back off of Zuko, causing water to soak the back of Zuko’s head. Suki let herself slip off of Y/n’s shoulders while laughing in victory. They exchanged a high five and Y/n looked back at the stunned Fire Lord in front of her. Caught up in her victory, she offered her hand to him.
“Good game, Fire Lord,” she smirked at him.
Zuko stared at her offered hand for a few seconds, before grasping it with his own and smirking back. His hand was warm despite the cool water and his grip firm. Before Y/n could release his hand, a wave hit her back, pushing her into Zuko. The water went up to her neck and a sharp panic shot through her. She’d forgotten her inability to swim amidst the excitement. Her panic clouded her mind and she reached out blindly in an attempt to ground herself. She only realized what was happening when she felt a warm hand on her back.
Y/n blinked, her eyes focusing. In her panic, she’d grabbed for the closest solid object. That had just so happened to be Zuko. They were standing in a poor imitation of a hug, her hands gripping his shoulders and his hands on her shoulder and back. He looked down at her, concern evident on his face.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
His voice quickly cleared Y/n’s mind. She pulled her hands back from him as if she had been burned. Her reaction caused Zuko to drop his hands from her as well.
Floating back and face burning, Y/n hugged herself, “I’m fine. I’m just not used to waves and swimming.”
Zuko furrowed his brow, “You can’t swim?”
“No. I’ve never needed to learn. It’s not like there’s deep water at the palace. You don’t need to worry about me not being able to save you like this.” she replied curtly.
“I didn’t mean-”
Y/n turned away, cutting him off. She knew that was incredibly rude but she couldn’t handle talking to Zuko anymore. Her face was still flushed with embarrassment and anger now. She’d never been that close to him before. She didn’t know why it bothered her so much, she was his bodyguard. It was expected that she’d get that close to him. Y/n ignored the fact that it was supposed to be to save his life, not to hug him out of fear.
“Suki!” she shouted. Suki’s head popped out from underwater, followed by Sokka’s. “I’m going back to the beach. You keep swimming.”
Suki looked mildly concerned but gave her a thumbs up. Y/n began trudging through the water towards the beach, but Zuko caught her by the elbow. She whipped her head around, anger in her eyes.
“Wait,” he said. “I’ll come with you.”
“You don’t need to-”
“Yes, I do.” he paused, thinking. “I want to keep you company after that. You seem pretty shaken up.”
She frowned at him. He gave her a shaky smile.
“Besides, you’re supposed to be protecting me, right? It’d be irresponsible to leave me alone out here.”
“You’re with the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors and a close friend of the Avatar. Not to mention you’re literally the Fire Lord,” Y/n deadpanned.
“You think that you’re not capable of protecting me then?”
Y/n narrowed her eyes at him. She recognized his challenge as an attempt to apologize without embarrassing her further. She sighed.
“Fine, come sit with me. I’ve heard how much you like to sit in the shade and brood.”
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