Citrus & Cyanide

Lime|| 20s || She/her || Requests Open|| I disappear every few months but I promise im writing

[citrusandcyanide]

Masterlist

Last updated Sep 25, 2025 --------

Lip Gallagher Fics + Drabbles:

The First Time (Complete)

Can’t Lost you (Complete), Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Cinnamon (On Going), Part 1,

Coquette! Reader

----------------------

Prince Zuko (ATLA):

Broken Glass (On Going), Part 1

[ashstfu]

the fact that 2026 is three months away and 2015 is going to be ten years ago…

[citrusandcyanide]

Cinnamon || L.G

Pairing: Lip Gallagher x f!Reader

A/N: Im on a very long t-break and really missing weed. This is as much of a love letter to smoking as it is to Lip. This will probably be a multiple part fluffy fic. (seperate from the angst I have written for him before) Let me know if you do want more parts. Heavily inspired by the song Cinnamon by Tamino, but it's not evident yet.

Words. 1K

Summary: Lip Gallagher has been your plug since high school. Now in College, you finally get the chance to get to know him as more than the boy you who sold you weed. 

Content warning: 18+ This fic centers around smoking (marijuana and cigarettes). If you are on a break or in recovery, please do not read if you find descriptions of characters smoking triggering for you. I do not intend to glorify smoking, but I’m writing this because I personally miss it, but am not in a place where I can rn. Evaluate your own risks. Otherwise just flirty fluff.

Inspo song: Cinnamon by Tamino

—————————————————————————

Lip Gallagher wasn’t anyone special, just the boy who sold you weed after classes. You had known Gallagher way before college, sure, but even in high school, that’s all you knew him by. Despite all the shared classes, living within a block of each other, and ending up in the same college, you only ever interacted when you were close to rolling your last joint. He wasn’t the only person to buy from, but the quality was always consistent, he gave good prices, and he was always kind. He never tried flirting with you like some of the other campus plugs. So when he showed up in a GenEd class at the start of Freshman year, you were happy to keep him as your favorite. 

A year later, you’re outside a party that your roommate dragged you to, smoking a cigarette when Lip asks if he can join you. You didn’t know what to say, so you nodded, offering up the box of cigarettes that sat in your pocket. He thanked you, taking one out of the box and placing it between his lips. You passed him your lighter after he patted his pockets, looking for his own. For a while you just stood in silence, paying an awkward amount of attention on how the ash on the cig burned. How do you start a conversation with your dealer after knowing eachother for four-plus years and never really speaking? Do you ask him how sales are going? His classes? No, every conversation starter you could think of seemed stupid. But clearly you both outside because there wasn’t anyone inside of the party better to talk to. Your roommate preferred dancing more than you did. The loud music and crowds weren’t your ideal friday night activities. Lip, however, who you assumed frequented these events, chose to come smoke outside with you. 

“You’re running low again,” Lip stated, half accusation, half observation. You turned your head towards him, noticing your cigarette box still in his hands. 

“Sorry?” you ask, confused by the question. He shakes the box again before pulling out a stick unlike the rest. You usually kept a few joints in the box, but the one he held was much shorter than you would have desired. He held it up to the porchlight inspecting it. He wore a small smirk, as if he couldnt tell whether to be amused or impressed with how little you were able to pack into the paper. It made your cheeks burn. 

“Is this mostly kief?” This time he laughed slightly, making you snatch the baby joint out from his fingers and hid it against your palm. This only made him laugh again, putting his hand up in defence. “How long ago since I last saw you? I thought you’d hold up at least a few weeks this time. Not a few days.” 

“Yeah, well, tough week,” You shrugged, now twisting it within your fingers. “And for your information, its a little bit of kief mixed with about two weeks worth of roaches.” 

“Oof,” Lip winced, making you chuckle slightly. “If I’d known I would see you tonight, I would have brought a few grams with me.”

“It’s fine, I wasn’t planning on smoking. Just carried it incase I got overwhelmed. Abby, my roommate, brought me. Kind of dragged me here. I don’t usually enjoy these things sober and alone.”

“I don’t think anyone does. That’s why alcohol exists. ” Lip replied, finishing off his cigarette before reaching for another. You did the same. He flicked on the lighter, lighting yours before lighting his own. “Where’s Abby now?” 

“Somewhere in there, having fun. Definitely not sober or alone,” You motioned towards the door to the house. “I almost envy her sometimes. She’s able to just find enjoyment with strangers. I don’t think she knows anyone here, but that doesn’t matter to her.” 

“Sounds like that’s a you problem,” Lip shrugged. You shot him a glare from the corner of your eye. Lifting the cigarette to your lips, you inhaled sharply, exhaling a scoff. “You’re the only one stopping yourself from enjoying yourself. Maybe dancing isn’t your definition of fun, but whatever is would probably be better than acting miserable on this porch.” 

“Chainsmoking actually happens to be my exact idea of fun,” You retorted, sarcastically. 

Lip rolled his eyes, “Seriously, what is?” 

You thought about it for a minute. He’s right. There were a lot of things you’d rather be doing right now. Things that you’d actually enjoy. You turned your body to face him fully. “I would love to be on a bench by the lake, with a big joint and watch the lights reflect off the water.”

Lip smiled. “Yeah?” he asked. You nodded and he hummed as if he was thinking. “I think we could make that happen.” 

“Too mad I only have the roach joint,” you sighed, dropping it back into the cigarette box, before shoving it back in your pocket. 

“You have so little faith in me, Y/N?” Lip shook his head, feigning offence. You furrowed your eyebrows at him. He took out a ziplock from his back pocket, with too sloppily rolled joints. “After five years, I would never think to disappoint my favorite customer.” 

“I thought you said you didn’t have anything.” 

“Well, your usual order, no. But I’d never leave without something incase you called,” Lip shrugged. He pushed off the pillar he was leaning on and extended his arm towards you. “So to the lake?” 

You grinned wide, hoping the blush on your face wasn’t painfully obvious. You tried to play it off by teasing him. “Am I gonna have to pay for these joints?” 

He chuckled, the stupid smirk on his face growing by the second. “How about this? Promise you’ll enjoy yourself, and it’s on me.” 

With that, you linked your arm with his and started walking away from the party, with full confidence that you’d enjoy his company much more. 

—————————————————————————

an. <3

[non-sims]

[sullengir1111]

NEED HIM BIBLICALLY🙏🏽🙏🏽

[citrusandcyanide]

In honor of chapter 10 of undead romance & seeing more people draw their imaginings of Y/N, I needed to draw my own. She’s a lil wonky cause I’m out of practice.

I wanted to give her a face/expression that I could imagine shifting between eras & periods, timely and timeless. But like she’s seen shit & is just over it all. While also keeping in mind Isaac’s description of her, that she haunts. If I had any of my oil paints with me rn, I’d try to recreate the painting, but alas, procreate has to do.

I haven’t been this invested in a fanfic in so long and I’m so excited about it. AND even more excited seeing all the support it’s getting. @vendetta0girl YOU’RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE.

[vendetta0girl]

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS! i’m so sorry i didn’t see it sooner i have been out the whole day in class and talking to a friend and was just finally combing through notifications properly.

i genuinely can not believe how many talented people are invested in my story. i LOVE your rendition of (Y/N) like genuinely see why Isaac is obsessed with her. the way you sketch lineart and color is genuinely so gorgeous i love the variety in it all it’s very lively but also weirdly gloomy which is perfect for the tim burton vibe

thank you so much for this fanart i genuinely love it sm!! you are just the best 🥹💕💕💕

[citrusandcyanide]

Thank youuu🥹🥰💕💕💕

[citrusandcyanide]

In honor of chapter 10 of undead romance & seeing more people draw their imaginings of Y/N, I needed to draw my own. She’s a lil wonky cause I’m out of practice.

I wanted to give her a face/expression that I could imagine shifting between eras & periods, timely and timeless. But like she’s seen shit & is just over it all. While also keeping in mind Isaac’s description of her, that she haunts. If I had any of my oil paints with me rn, I’d try to recreate the painting, but alas, procreate has to do.

I haven’t been this invested in a fanfic in so long and I’m so excited about it. AND even more excited seeing all the support it’s getting. @vendetta0girl YOU’RE DOING AMAZING SWEETIE.

[xstardrops]

Didn't knew mad scientist is my type, but i guess it is.

[walkingbandtee]

[xstardrops]

[redcreekheart]

Mechanic! Lip

[imheaveninhiding]

[l4long-winded]

🗣️🗣️ fwb college!lip realizing he’s catching feelings post-sex!!! the most stereotypical but delicious trope for our relationship-avoidant king

lip wakes in a dorm that’s not his. he rubs sleep from one eye while lazily blinking the other, eyeing your noisy roommate who gets up with a deep annoyance directed at the both of you. you, on the other hand, don’t move from your spot near the wall, shielded away by his body, knocked the fuck out after a long night together. he appreciates it. lately, you’ve been more stressed due to the piling school work and it’s nice to rely on lip and shut your brain off, or more so, he shuts it off for you.

he glides his hand up and down your back, memories of the night before floating by. his hand on your neck, your legs around his waist, the deep arch in your back when he moved you onto your hands and knees and you braced your hands against the wall because the angle felt better at a perpendicular position. he recalls kissing your shoulder, muttering his praises, wiping your mind blank and his own of the responsibilities of college and the ones waiting for you two at home.

“shh,” he warns your roommate. she gives him an eye roll.

“you don’t even li—”

“shut the fuck up,” he yell-whispers.

her jaw clenches. he can tell she wants to argue further with him, but she has an early morning class. she grabs her jacket and shoots him a final glare, daggers piercing, and then she leaves the dorm. lip relaxes once she’s gone, peering to your face to ensure you stay asleep. he’s grateful to see you’re still unperturbed.

you need this. you have a work study and you pulled an all nighter the other day to finish an essay he barely understood due to how different your fields are that you’re studying. all he could offer was a shoulder and head afterwards, perfectly sating you into relaxation much like last night when you kept on rambling and his head still hurt from his quizzes earlier in the day.

lip adjusts your pillow and your neck so you don’t wake with it aching. he plants a kiss onto your forehead as he does. he just wants you to be comfortable. you’re going through so much. he knows what that’s like, going through a tumultuous phase in his life himself. anytime he has a second to breathe, more shit goes wrong. it’s the same thing happening to you. life finds a way to be shittier and shittier, so if he can make it less so, he will.

you look so pretty as you sleep. so… at peace. he lingers to watch, smiling to himself as you adjust, as your nose twitches, as a soft snore escapes for a moment before returning to your deep breathing. he doesn’t tire of the sight. of your mumbled questions and your laugh. he looks forward to seeing you after thinking about you all through class. maybe you wouldn’t mind meeting his family, as fucking crazy as they are. he has a feeling you’d accept them and—

what the fuck is he doing?

it hits lip like a freight train. when exactly did this start up? he can’t remember when he just had sex with you and you two parted ways without much discussion or preamble, agreeing to do it again without having to say it through texts asking for availability. at some point that he didn’t notice, and he wonders if you haven’t, this changed. you started to actually talk and open up more. and soon, he did the same, sharing stories and circumstances before sex, having pillow talk after… kissing as you both recovered, sleeping together without it being sexual, asking about each other’s days, good morning texts, shared embraces, easy conversations, fucking outings where nothing happened, but his hand still held onto yours.

he scrambles out of the bed after carefully detangling himself from you. he picks up his pants from the floor as quietly as he can, pushing one leg through and then the other. he can’t keep doing this with you. you’re… it’s too much. all of this is. the last thing he needs is another person to care about when things always go sour and relationships don’t work with gallaghers. if he’s caring about you, what about school, himself, what about his family? he doesn’t have time for it. he’s a shit boyfriend anyway. mandy could tell you that. karen, bless her and screw her for several reasons, could say it even if they never were officially together. lip’s no fucking good. not for you.

his head jerks up after searching for his shirt on the floor to the image of you groaning and stretching your arms. you glance up at him sleepily.

“where you going?” you yawn.

“… uh… class,” he mumbles.

“i thought you didn’t have one until 10?” you prompt next.

yeah. of course you know that. he told you last night, an excuse to fuck you longer, hold you longer, spend more time with you–

“you’re right… uh, i don’t. forgot,” he lamely replies. he fidgets as you stare at him and it’s then he realizes he sees his shirt peeking from under the sheets, still in the bed.

“then come back to sleep,” you say with shutting eyes, snuggling the sheets and scooting to make room for him in the tiny frame.

he sighs as he looks at your tired features. he should go. he should turn around and ghost you, stop answering your texts, stop telling you good morning, decrease how much he comes to see you, flat out ignore when you ask him to. he should find someone else, some other broad that can help satisfy him, someone he doesn’t get tingles in his stomach and fingers from when he looks at them. he needs to forget about you before it’s too late, before he ruins you, before his life gets fucked again and he drowns you in shit that’s none of your business, that never should have been your business. these feelings are fucking bullshit.

but something in lip unbuttons his jeans. something in lip unconsciously undoes his buckle and zipper, drops his pants back to his ankles, carries himself with heavy footsteps back into your bed. something in him tells the doubts to shut the fuck up as he settles back against you much like he did your roommate, and something winds up silencing them as he breathes your scent. he holds you closer to him and fuck it all, he smiles as you kiss him. he smiles as he’s the one to kiss you back with more fervor, and oddly content with sharing more lazy kisses before dozing off for another nap.

something in him knows this won’t end well… but another something in lip just feels too good about this and… and he doesn’t want it to stop.

[gingerteafairy-deactivated20260]

reposting after "accidentally" deleting it

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞

just a little lip gallagher help and tea

tags n warnings: lip gallagher x reader, language, maybe robbery, platonic. word count: +700

“Hey!" Lip Gallagher shouted from the other sidewalk. You look at him, nervously switching your gaze between him and the wheelbarrow on the verge of tipping over with three gallon jugs of water. "the fuck you doin?”

“Water?” you ask, shrugging your shoulders, trying to sound confident despite the embarrassment of the situation.

“Yeah, I got that.” He says, slightly irritated, crossing the street with his hands in his pockets, taking them off to grab the wheelbarrow.

“No!” You swat his hand away, and he looks at you with an exaggeratedly offended expression, nudging you with his hip to take the wheelbarrow.

“Just accept the fucking help.” He grumbles, pushing it toward the entrance of his house, past the rusted iron fences.

“Thanks.” You mumble, looking down, hands shoved in the pockets of your hoodie.

“Did they cut off your water again?” He asks, leaving the wheelbarrow by the entrance steps.

“Yeah. Didn't pay the bill ‘cause I got fired. It's been driving me crazy. I don’t even know how I'm going to survive this month. It was either water or electricity.” You explain your miserable situation to Lip, probably the only person who’d understand.

“Eh, everyone can survive a few days without a shower.” He quips, making you laugh.

“Especially you, Lip.” You tease, and he opens his mouth with that classic, funny indignation you've come to know so well.

“Look, I don’t smell.” He defends himself, still laughing. “Not my fault if the water runs out before I do.”

“Okay, okay,” you sigh, heading toward the jugs to grab one, but he stops you again, gently nudging you aside. “What now?”

“I’ll carry it. You work like a fucking machine, you'll ruin your organs before graduate in college.” He says, and you know he’s right, and probably the only person who’d help you. 

He picks up the jugs one by one, carrying them to the kitchen, where you stay to make tea for both of you. He sighs, sitting down at the table.

“Too heavy?” You joke, placing the cup in front of him.

“No, just tiring.” He replies, taking a sip of the tea. “You’re weird. How do you have money for all this fancy tea, but not for the water bill?”

“Crazy, right?” You comment, and he laughs through his nose, softly groaning in pleasure from the sweet taste of the tea. “I think it's just some kind of thing to distract me from the misery of this crappy place.”

“Better than mine, for sure.” He adds, glancing around at your chaotic house, but somehow it feels more comforting to him than anywhere else. Your house felt like a home. “Can I move in?”

“Can you get water from Mrs. Callaway’s faucet every day?” You tease, raising an eyebrow.

“Deal. Cheap rent to live in my best friend’s house.” He says, grinning, finishing the last sip of tea. “What is this? It’s so good.”

“Ginger with cinnamon and cloves. I also added hibiscus. Brown sugar for that nice color.” You recite, and he looks at you in awe, shaking his head. “What?”

“I’ve seen stuff like this on TV. You’re amazing. Can I have more?” He asks, offering you his cup.

“Of course.” You smile, grabbing the cup and heading to the kitchen, hiding the goofy grin that spread across your face when he complimented you.

He follows you, eyeing the containers on the shelf, tracing each little label with his finger. Rosemary, lemon balm, coriander seeds, jasmine, tangerine, pineapple peel—some written in languages he couldn’t even name.

“What’s the one we’re drinking? I know you have an answer for every single one, you weirdo.” He jokes, watching you laugh with your whole body as you hand him another cup.

“Colds, warming up, aches. Lots of stuff.” You explain, and he nods, closing his eyes to savor it again.

“Hey, when I move in, you’re just gonna make me drink tea and forget about meals? Like, some evil witch?” 

“What were you expecting? That's so obvious.” You continue the joke, and he smiles, finishing his tea, that warm feeling settling in his chest.

“Yeah, I could stand to lose a few pounds.” He says with a funny tone, leaning back against the sink to look at you. That afternoon, Lip tried more teas than he ever imagined. He never knew chamomile could actually work this well, because he slept beside you like he never had before.

[etclouie]

day four — misunderstood moves

ᯓ ꨄ︎ — summary; trying to ask your best friend out on a date, but he thinks you’re trying to ask someone else (Lip Gallagher x fem!reader)

ᯓ ꨄ︎ — warnings; mutual pinning, they’re both kinda oblivious, they kiss at the end, possible ooc lip, that’s it tho i think?? 

ᯓ ꨄ︎ — word count; 1,096

ᯓ ꨄ︎ — a/n; special thank you to @carmenberzattosgf for being the motivation to write for lip and carmy, thank you olive🫶🫶

prev day | next day louie’s 14 days of love | main masterlist

you and Lip have been friends for as long as you can remember, doing everything together and being classes as joined at the hip due to your closeness.

this of course, led to speculation and rumours that you were dating.

you’d never understood it before, neither of you did, but now— now you harboured feelings for Lip that you hadn’t told anyone about.

tonight though, you planned to tell him.

you’d invited him over, on the premise of having to tell him something. this of course had piqued his interest, though everything about you intrigued him, because he felt the same exact way about you. 

tilting your head, you lay it on his shoulder. ignoring the plume of smoke as he exhaled and pulled the cigarette from his lips, offering it over to you before you shook your head. 

“hey Lip?”

you murmured softly, looking up at him with softened eyes. catching the way his lips curled up slightly before he hummed, looking away again as he took another drag of his cigarette. 

“if you liked someone, how would you.. you know, ask them out?”

the words came out quieter than expected, nervousness riddled through them. 

he choked on the drag he had taken, something he’d never done in all the time you’ve known him and he’d started smoking. 

Lip coughed, his face scrunching in surprise at the unexpected question. he quickly cleared his throat, trying to play it cool as he exhaled a cloud of smoke but his eyes flicked over to you with that familiar mix of curiosity and hesitation.

“dunno, i uh—you asking for a friend?”

he teased, though his surprise remained. his lips had curved into a half smirk, but his eyes avoided yours. 

with the way he failed to meet your eyes, his demeanour avoidant— it had you shifting anxiously next to him. 

“well.. yeah—i just, guess i’ve never known how to”

you mumbled, chewing anxiously on your bottom lip. after a beat, Lips eyes focused on you again, as if he was giving your words more weight than he usually would. 

“wouldn’t overthink it, you just.. ask”

he shrugged, lifting the cigarette to his lips again and taking another drag from it. you watched him as he did it, sighing slightly as your mind raced. 

it felt silly, being so worked up and worried over something you shouldn’t be, but Lips your best friend. 

and best friends don’t have crushes on each other.. right?

“who were you uh, trying to ask?”

he spoke up, glancing towards you and tilting his head ever so slightly. giving him a half smile before you sighed, mouth opening and closing as words failed to form proper sentences. 

each word died on the tip of your tongue, which made you sigh again. 

“just this guy”

you had managed to get out after a minute, glancing away as he quirked an eyebrow. something akin to a chuckle leaving him as he took the last draw of his cigarette, flicking it aside as he exhaled. 

“this guy?”

he questioned, and you could practically hear the smirk on his face. rolling your eyes before slapping at his shoulder, earning another chuckle from him. 

despite his chuckles and the smiles he was giving, he was fighting an inner turmoil and worry. 

he wanted that guy to be him, but you wouldn’t. you were best friends after all. 

“there’s this girl too”

that piqued your interest, though it also broke your heart a little. 

there was some girl that your best friend liked, while you liked him. if there was any chance with him, it was currently going out the window. 

“what girl?”

you asked quietly, almost embarrassed by your eagerness to know. he gave a chuckle as he shook his head, dropping his gaze to where you were basically curled into his side. 

both of you often sat like this, or even closer, but tonight it all felt different. 

“she’s cute”

he shrugged, but it didn’t answer your question. it only made your worries of losing him to another girl worse. 

in his head, he thought it was obvious he was talking about you. he thought you were the only girl in the world really, and he done his best to show it. 

now though, Lip had taken notice to the way you failed to meet his eyes and the deep sighs you let out. 

“what’s up?”

you met his eyes again at his question, giving another half smile before sighing again. 

“you like another girl”

he froze at your mumbled words, though his lips quickly curled into a smirk. he nudged your shoulder before wrapping his arm around you to pull you closer. 

your eyebrows knitted together as he stifled a laugh, trying to pull yourself from his arms to ask what was funny when he replied. 

“i don’t like another girl, i like you”

it was your turn to freeze now. 

he liked you? Lip Gallagher liked you?

god that felt like a dream, and you couldn’t help your lips curling into a smile at the fact that actually liked you back. 

“you like me?”

he chuckled again but nodded, letting you turn to face him as his arm fell away from around you. 

“yeah dummy”

you nudged at his shoulder at the name, but leaned into him again nonetheless. 

resting your head on his shoulder as you whispered to him. 

“i like you too”

you couldn’t see the look on his face but you knew it was something akin to smug, his lips still curled into a smirk. 

“thought it was obvious that i liked you”

he told while resting his head against yours, listening to you scoff slightly before shaking your head. 

meeting his eyes again, whispering out to him before his eyes fell to your lips. 

“clear as dirt”

he gave a half offended ‘hey’ while you laughed, Lip laughing too after a moment. 

generally, whenever the two of you were this close Lip always admired you, but now that he knew you liked him it made his admiration go further. 

“can i kiss you?”

he asked without thinking, and you nodded just as mindlessly. 

his lips pressed to your softer than either of you expected, quickly melting into his kiss while his hands cradled your face. 

after a minute you pulled apart, though keeping your faces inches apart as you whispered out to him. 

“kiss me forever please”

Lip stole another kiss, just as soft as his precious kiss. pulling back again he whispered against your lips. 

“whenever you want them”

reblogs are highly appreciated !

[eddiesblklvr]

white coded fics be like: “he runs his fingers through your long silky hair, massaging your scalp until you fall into a deep slumber”

my black ass, my head wrap, and my bonnet:

[citrusandcyanide]

Broken Glass [Zuko x OC!Sandbender] ~ Ch 1

Synopsis: The white lotus tasks a sand bender with guiding Prince Zuko and His uncle out of the desert  Pairing: Zuko x OC!Sandbender Word Count: 2.8k

Authors Note: The show didn’t really explore sand benders that much. We really only see them steal Appa and also how the towns are set up based on the Oasis. I tried to do as much research as I can for mentions of them outside of the series, but a lot of the stuff I’m winging it or basing off my knowledge of North African tribes. For actual character design, I imagine Soraya being similar in appearance to The Hammer from Avatar Legends, but I describe the clothes to be sand-colored, like the rest of the sand benders we see in the series. This is an x OC! I think it could be read as easily as an x reader.This fic starts in the flower shop scene where Iroh is talking to the white lotus. For the sake of time, I'm gonna assume everyone already knows and remembers the plot of the series, so I don’t have to rewrite everything. This is also aged up, both Zuko and Soraya are 18. 

—

“You must be Zuko.” 

Zuko’s head shoots up as an unknown figure closes the door behind them. The prince takes a defensive stance as he studies the stranger. She’s a woman, dressed in sand-colored tribal clothes, her face and hair covered by a scarf. All Zuko could see were her piercing green eyes lined with thick black eyeliner. He hadn’t been in the desert for long, but inferring she was a sandbender wasn't hard. She stopped walking toward him once he got into a fighting position. 

“Relax, Your Highness,” she addressed him again. Zuko had half the mind to scold her mocking tone, but he was more concerned about who this girl was and what business she had knowing who he was. He silently prayed his uncle would hurry up and exit the room so they could leave this town. He wasn’t growing any fonder of the desert heat or people residing in it. Zuko stayed silent, not budging from his stance and the girl rolled her eyes as she let out a sigh. “I have no interest in fighting. The meeting is still going on huh?” 

Zuko’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He dropped the fighting stance as the girl walked past him, located two cushions on the floor near the back door, and took a seat. “Who are you?” Zuko asked the girl. Her face was still covered, and although she didn’t look like she had any interest in fighting, Zuko wasn’t fond of how comfortable she was making herself. He also was confused about how she knew about the meeting. 

“A friend of a friend,” She replied as she rested her back against the wall. She taps the cushion beside her, motioning for him to sit. “It’ll be a while till your uncle is done talking. I suggest you rest your legs now. Don’t know the next chance you’ll have before your journey.” 

“I don’t have friends,” Zuko retorted, still not moving from his standing position. The girl shook her head again. She reached up to the corner of her eyes and pulled down the scarf to expose her face. Her skin was deeply tanned. Zuko assumed it was from exposure to the sun. Her eyes weren’t her only striking feature. He couldn’t help but notice how pretty the young woman was, but he quickly pushed the thought aside, reminding himself that she was still a stranger. She wore a soft smile as she looked at him, something he rarely saw from strangers during his travels.  

“I hope you stay open to making some. Call me Soraya,” the girl said, reaching her hand out to him. It took a moment for Zuko to shake her hand, but Soraya looked patient. Like she wasn’t going to put it down until he returned the gesture. Once he did, Soraya tapped the cushion next to her again. “Sit.” 

Zuko obliged begrudgingly. Soraya’s smile grew, content that he was relaxing slightly. He sat quietly with an annoyed look on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. Soraya studied him from the corner of her eye. This was her first time meeting a prince, let alone fire nation royalty. He wasn’t at all what she imagined. She didn’t know what she expected when she was told the banished prince of the Fire Nation was here. Maybe she had pictured something closer to the Fire Nation wanted posters that were plastered around the village. Soraya thought the buzz cut he wore now looked much better than the long ponytail that he wore in the portraits. She made note that the scar over his left eye, along with the sour expression he wore were the only things from the portrait that gave his identity away. She hoped he’d loosen up a bit, so she could see his face without the grimace. She couldn’t blame him for how defensive he acted. She had witnessed the fight that ensued in the tavern only a few hours before. If it wasn’t for the sudden announcement of their presence, she might not have realized who they were. 

As much as Zuko was uncomfortable sitting beside this stranger, he was becoming more uncomfortable with the silence. He had been in the shop for much longer than this girl, and his patience was wearing thin. Soraya, on the other hand, looked completely calm. From their previous conversation, Zuko assumed she knew much more about the meeting going on inside than he did. So he decided to ask about it. “What’s going on inside that room? and what does this have to do with a Pai Sho tile?” 

Zuko’s questions came out a lot more hurried than he intended. Soraya looked at him surprised to hear him speak up, but soon the smile she wore returned to her face. And why do you keep smiling at me like that? Zuko thought but didn’t dare speak it. 

“It’s a White Lotus meeting, named after the tile. You are not a member which is why I’m assuming you are sitting out here. That is as much as I can tell you, but I’m sure your uncle would be able to explain it to you more. They’re working on a plan to get you out of here safely,” Soraya responded, not sure the prince would be satisfied with the answer. 

“You’re sitting out here too. Does that mean you are also not a member?” Zuko retorted, obviously annoyed with the whole situation. Soraya shook her head. 

“I am, but Fung sent me out to get your passports,” She pulled out two passports from her pocket setting them on her lap. She took the opportunity to tease him, “Think he also told me to keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t burn the shop down.” 

“I don’t need to be babysat!” Zuko yelled before angrily throwing his head in his hands, but it came out sounding more like a whine. Soraya laughed quietly. 

“No one is babysitting you. I’m sure they’ll be done soon. Then you’ll be on your way.” Soraya heard Zuko let out a deep sigh at her response. 

It took hours until the meeting was done. Zuko had fallen asleep against the wall beside Soraya. She was glad she offered him a place to sit down. She was worried if she didn’t he would have stayed standing for the rest of the night. She could have joined the meeting at any point. No one had told her she needed to keep an eye on the prince, but he intrigued her. She didn’t mind being around him. Every once in a while, she’d turn her head to look towards Zuko. She couldn’t help but study his face. He was handsome, she supposed, especially when his face wasn’t scrunched up in a scowl. He looked tired from traveling for so long. Soraya normally enjoyed talking to travelers about their journeys outside of the desert, but she could tell he needed the sleep more. So she waited the remaining hours of the night until Fung exited the door with Iroh following close behind. She stood up and offered a bow to both of them. 

“It is an honor to share the presence with a Grand Lotus,” Soraya bowed deeper as she addressed Iroh. She was greeted with a big smile on the old man’s face. 

“Please, child. The pleasure is all mine.” 

“Soraya, have you secured the passports?” Fung asked her. She instantly brought them out of her pockets. She handed them to Fung. “I hope you have yours as well.” 

Soraya looked at him confused. She was only told to get two passports. Nothing was said about why she would need one. “I do have a valid passport, but sir, I wasn’t informed that I would need one.” 

The conversation seemed to have woken Zuko up. As soon as he saw Soraya talking to his uncle, he jumped up to stand alongside them. “What’s going on? Is the club meeting over?” 

“Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se,” Iroh responded to his nephew. Iroh and Fung Bowed to each other respectively. Iroh turned back to look at Soraya “And our new friend will be joining us.” 

Soraya’s eyes widened. This hadn’t been part of the plan. She regretted her decision to not join the meeting so she could have argued against it, but she wasn’t in a place where she could deny the request. She would lead the Grand Lotus and Fire Nation prince to Ba Sing Se safely and then she would return to the desert. Fung would often task her as a navigator. Soraya knew the desert better than the back of her hand, but he had never told her to go as far as this. It wasn’t like she had anything else do to for the next few weeks, still, she wished she had time to prepare. 

“Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom capital‌?” Zuko questioned, “And why are we bringing her?” 

The annoyance in his voice at the second question irritated the girl. Soraya did her best to keep her composure. She wasn’t about to lose her temper in front of her elders, especially not someone as important as a Grand Lotus. 

“The city is filled with refugees. No one will notice a few more,” Fung replied. “Soraya knows how to navigate the desert better than anyone. She is the best Sandbender I know. She’ll get you there safely.” 

“We can hide in plain site there. And it’s the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn’t break through the city,” Iroh continued with a shrug. At that moment. The bells on the front door signaled someone entering the shop. A young man approaches the group. Soraya recognizes him as another white lotus member. 

“There are two men out on the street looking for our guests. You need to leave now,” He said quickly. 

— 

Soraya exited the flower shop, pulling two big flowerpots on a wooden wagon, thus beginning their journey to Ba Sing Se. She was looking forward to being further away from the shop because she was quickly growing tired of pulling the wagon behind her. Zuko was also not enjoying hiding in an old flower pot. After what seemed like an hour, Zuko pushed his head outside of the pot and looked over at Soraya. He could only see her back. From their lack of surroundings, he assumed they were already far into the desert. 

“How much longer do we have to be in these stupid pots?” Zuko asked in an irritated tone that Soraya realized she was going to have to get used to. She turned back to look at him and stopped pulling the cart. Iroh popped his head out of his pot as well. 

“If you prefer to walk, be my guest. But we’re nowhere close to your destination,” Soraya replied to the prince. Zuko pulled himself out of the pot, turning around to help Iroh out next. He immediately started walking past Soraya. She sighed, quickly burying the wagon in the sand with her bending. “Where are you going?” 

Zuko didn’t turn back. “We don’t need your help anymore. We can make it there on our own.”

“You don’t know where you’re going. You won’t last a day without me,” She called out to him. 

“Prince Zuko, I think it is wise to listen to the young lady. She knows this land better than we do,” Iroh Chimed in. Iroh and Soraya followed after him. A few paces behind. “I’m sorry my nephew is so stubborn. We are lucky to have you with us. I hope he soon will see it too.” 

Soraya sighed as they watched Zuko walking ahead. His steps were hard as he charged forward, but the force served useless against the sand. He had to fight to keep his feet from burying themselves underneath him.. She offered a smile to Iroh. “I can’t say I understand, but I am thrilled to be of service to you, Master. My father has told me a lot about you. He was the one who taught me the ways of the White Lotus.” 

“There is no need for formalities, dear. Call me Iroh,” Iroh smiled back brightly. “Fung filled me in all about you and your father. I wish I had the chance to apologize directly for taking you away from him for this.” 

Soraya shook her head. “He is used to me disappearing for months. I am mostly nomadic these days. Father prefers to stay with the tribe. As long as I stay in communication with Fung, he doesn’t mind so much.” 

“I see,” Iroh replied. “It seems you are a wondering spirit like Zuko. You must have just as many travel adventures as we do. I am sure you two will get along great.” 

“Is he… always this moody?” She was hesitant to ask, but she felt like she needed to know fully what she was getting into. She didn’t see how Iroh could be so confident. Nothing about any of their interactions made Soraya confident that he’d warm up to her. “When I walked into the shop he looked ready to fight me.” 

“His position in life has not made it easy to trust those around him. He has been labeled a traitor to his whole nation and banished by his father. Patience is the most valuable thing we can give him,” Iroh sighed, watching Zuko as he walked ahead. His pace had slowed down. He no longer walked as angrily. Iroh expected the sand bender to ask more, but she showed no reaction to the mention of the Fire Nation. They had almost caught up to Zuko when Iroh brought it to question. “The White Lotus serves to transcend the boundaries between nations. We devote our lives to the study of all elements, but it is understandable to let violence influence our perceptions of each other. I am sure it is not easy for you to join us.”

Zuko now walked by his uncle’s side, Soraya walking on the opposite side of his uncle. He had only half been listening to their conversation. He didn’t know why he cared to hear what his uncle had been talking to her about. Zuko also didn’t see why she had joined them, but he was curious why she had agreed to help them. She was the first Earth Kingdom person they had come across who didn’t automatically hate them. Once a stranger realizes they were Fire Nation, all kindness shown to them would be thrown out the window. Zuko thought back to Lee, the young Earth Kingdom boy, and how quickly his feelings turned on him after learning his true identity. He expected the same from everyone. Soraya knew who he was all along. And yet, in that flower shop, she greeted him with a smile. He couldn’t figure out why. So he waited quietly for an answer to his uncle. 

“I realized it was pointless long ago to swear hatred of an entire element. Fire itself is not evil. Any element has the power to be used for harm in the hands of the wrong people. The White Lotus is where I find my comfort despite the war. It keeps me grounded,” Soraya replied after a long while of silence. Eventually she pulled down her scarf to reveal her face once more. She turned her head to face Iroh and noticed she had Zuko’s attention as well. “My mother was a firebender. She was murdered for being a traitor to her Nation. I can’t hate something that was such an important part of her, but I can despise what killed her. Any traitor of the Fire Nation is a friend of mine.” 

Soraya smiled as she locked eyes with Zuko, who was unable to hide the shock from his face. A month ago, he would have been offended by her last statement. Maybe even threaten to throw her in prison as soon as he returned home. Now, he didn’t think he cared. He after all was hiding from the nation he was destined to rule. He was a traitor afterall. Soraya knew that. Her words felt like both a threat and a vow of trust. He looked at Soraya as she smiled. It was the same kind smile she had shown to him in the flower shop. He couldn’t remember the last time someone looked at him so kindly. He decided it wasn’t a bad thing this time. Maybe it wasn’t a bad idea to make a friend of her after all. 

“Soraya,” Zuko addressed her, causing both his uncle and the girl to look at him surprised. Zuko stopped walking, turned to face them and bowed in her direction. “I’m sorry for being so rude. We are honored to have you with us on our journey.” 

The sandbender stopped and watched as the boy held his bow before her. Her smile grew, causing her to quickly lift the scarf over her face to conceal her grin. Soraya didn’t waste time before returning his bow. “Thank you. The honor is all mine.”

--

A.N. ch 1 was mostly set up but next chapter with have a lot more Zuko x Soraya interactions. This is my first time writing for Zuko so I'd love to hear your thoughts!!