i love you archival work. i love you alphabetizing. i love you sorting. i love you reshelving. i love you document restoration. i love you shelf reading. i love you inventorying. i love you analysis. i love you archival work.
"we live in an uncaring universe." sorry the special planet full of beauty and animals and food literally growing out of the ground isnt good enough for you. i guess
᭝ ᨳଓ ՟ INCLUSIONS — 1.4k~ words · zuko x kyoshi warrior, airbender!reader · reader is characterized · reader’s’ backstory; being an airbender is heavily inspired by princess yue · start around book 2~ · bestfriend!suki · written series · lore, fluff, angst, found family etc. :’)
SUMMARY ˒ ꒰ঌ Born with an airbender’s soul in a world that no longer remembers them, you’ve spent most of your life searching for a place to belong. Luckily, fate always found a way into your life. Picked up by the Kyoshi Warriors during your travels, you find a place where you could be, with people where you could be.
Last year you’d encountered the Avatar and his group and ever since their departure you and your best friend, Suki, can’t help but get tangled in the whirlwind of their journey. This doesn’t happen without any distractions though. Your heart that has always wandered and wondered had a newfound muse that couldn’t leave your thoughts: Lee, the boy you met in Ba Sing Se.
✿ TALE 003 . .˳˳.⋅ॱ˙ ˙ॱ⋅. Something, Somehow, Someday
ZukoFocused POV 𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆
“You’d seriously abandon me if I was a turtle duck?”
“Well, what would you want me to do?” Zuko frowned.
"I don’t know, maybe tell me that if I were to be turned into a turtle duck you would still like me. Keep me healthy and take me outside or something, I don’t know!" You rolled your eyes, tracing air quotes as you rasped, doing your best impression of his permanent scowl: "Just not, 'I'd leave.'", It’s mean!"
“Alright, alright,” he grumbled “If you magically turned into a turtleduck, i’d still like you. I’ll keep you in a cage or something.”
“That’s so much worse, Lee!”
Zuko buried his face into your shoulder with a defeated, loud sigh.
As he did, you repositioned yourself better against his chest and grabbed his hands wrapped around you to continue playing with his fingers — though with a pout on your face considering his bad, bad answers.
ReaderFocused POV ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆
If someone had told you two months ago you’d be sitting beneath a tree with grumpy tea shop boy wrapped around you, you would’ve laughed and said they had to be mistaken.
Before Lee, you’d never really been with a guy before. Sure, you had crushes sometimes and boys had them on you too but, it never led anywhere.
Frustrated you’d gone to your mother one day, feeling confused on how, despite how open you were, nothing had ever happened romance wise.
She’d told you softly that you’d just feel it. Feel when it was right and when you’d feel comfortable enough to truly open up in that, vulnerable, way.
At the time you were skeptical but now, you understood.
Though things had moved quite fast, you finally understood what she meant.
You felt it with Lee.
After the first non-date date that his uncle set up forcefully so — you got home so giddy it almost scared you.
How did this gloomy guy have you acting like that?
During your third date (now actually considered, an official date) it hit you.
The two of you were roaming the streets during an early morning — sun still rising — both still sleepy and yawning from time to time.
Sleepiness always made people more honest.
For the first time Lee had properly told you something about himself.
“I used to walk these streets with my mom.” He’d casually muttered. For some reason you felt it mattered that he told you that.
“You did?” You responded gently.
He nodded, shoving his hand through his hair once to fix the messiness that sleep had given it as he continued, “She used to bring me and my sister to places all the time. I liked traveling with her.”
“I like that,” A soft smile played on your lips. “I’d love to hear more stories, you know, about your travels? It seems like you did it a lot.”
And he did. He always kept everything a little vague, that for sure, but it felt like a treasure from someone like him. Sincerity always drew you in and despite what one would think when first meeting him, his full demeanor was sincere.
As a girl who wore her heart on her sleeve herself, what more could you want!
In your day to day life the dates became part of your routine.
Moon Bay -> Ferry ride -> Ba Sing Se with the refugees -> Date with Lee -> Back to your house, debrief with Suki.
All the dates had something about them:
May 17th, 17:38
The sea was mesmerizing. The rhythmic sounds of the waves always grounded you.
"Are you cold?” The boy to your right asked.
“Hm.. not really!”
“Oh.”
Only a few seconds later did you realize why he had asked you.
His jacket was already half shrugged off.
Your gaze dropped to the fabric for a second.
Oh.
Before you could stop yourself, your fingers twitched beside your leg, making a cool breeze curl around you.
“Actually,” you admitted, rubbing your arms dramatically. “Maybe a little.”
“Here." He said, now fully shrugging of his dark colored jacket and draping it over your shoulder.
“Thanks.” You thanked softly while looking up at him. His expression brightened with his ears a little pink as he looked away, setting his jaw tight and trying to fight a smile.
May 23rd, 21:19
“You kissed?!” Suki gasped, pacing up and down your room.
“We did!" You squealed happily — the skin along your cheekbones turning an even deeper shade of pink.
ZukoFocused POV 𖤓 ⋆⁺₊⋆
He actually did it. He kissed you.
Since you guys had been going out he was so confused on what to do — should I kiss her now? does she even like me? do friends just do this? is she blushing because she’s warm or because of me?
He’d never admit it but, he was fairly new to all of this.
When you asked him to go to a new festival in town, he deemed it the perfect opportunity.
His uncle had overheard which meant he spent an half hour giving speeches on how to act and that everything’s be okay plus helping him with his hair.
Looking into the mirror he saw the new hairstyle uncle had given him: his hair parted in the middle, all the sides slicked back — it looked nothing like his usual messy look.
“You look handsome, prince Zuko,” His uncle commented proudly. “Go, have fun.”
He did. After meeting him at the town centre you immediately laughed at his hair, “It’s so cute!” you commented while ruffling it back to its original messiness.
“It took my uncle ten minutes to do that..” he grumbled under his breath.
During the festival you dragged him to about a million places: watching the lanterns, seeing the live band create their melodies and feeding the turtle ducks by the tiny pond.
You were still rambling an hour later, now about comparing the Moon Bay era to the city and that they should really spread out the prettiness evenly, because the Moon Bay looked ‘gray and dead and sad’ in your opinion.
Zuko should have been listening.
He tried to.
Really.
But every time he looked at you, something distracted him.
The lantern light kept catching in your eyes.
Your hands moved every time you spoke.
The smile you gave him made his chest tighten.
Somehow, it also made you the only person worth looking at.
Somehow you managed to look at everything around you like it was worth caring about.
He didn’t understand how you did that.
Should I do it now? Should I wait until she’s done talking? Will she ever stop talking?
Answering ‘no’ to the last question, he decided.
As you were still rambling on about the exterior of the city he pulled you closer by the waist and pressed a tentative kiss to your lips.
You were dazed, eyes wide open — “Hi?”
“Sorry.”
He tried to turn back but you grabbed him by his collar and kissed him back, harder. The moment his lips touched yours he didn’t know if it was real life anymore.
How did he get so lucky?
The kiss became less hesitant — now with his hands on your face, your hands in his hair messing it up even more and both smiling against each other.
Breathless the two of you parted, both not knowing what to say.
On May 25th he’d danced with you on a random street corner in the light of the moon with the music of a random cafe. After having to convince him for several minutes, grabbing his hands and playfully shaking him back and forth with a “Come on! For me?” He finally gave in. He shuffled awkwardly in place looking fairly miserable. You’d grabbed his hands and put them on your hips while you moved your arms around his neck. Instead you started swaying back and forth and he followed your rythm. He wouldn’t admit it but he liked it and he knew that you knew that. The dance wasn’t anything extravagant but, it was intimate nonetheless. Holding you while moving to the nice rythm.
May 30th was the first time you touched his scar, or that he let anyone properly touch his scar at that. You’d stayed over for dinner with him and uncle Iroh. Eventually the two of you ended up cuddled on the couch. Silence filled the room until your hand started moving. From his shoulders to his face, to his scar. His first instinct was to tense. But your touch never came with pity. Never disgust. Just you. He didn’t move. You gently brushed your delicate hand over the crimson that shaped the left side of his face, not saying anything. You felt it was right not to. If he wanted to say something he would.
Back in the present, you were already planning the next time to see each other.
⠀♥︎ . ⠀₊ RAMBLY BAMBI: based on the timeline can anyone guess what happens next 👀👀👀👀👀 angst tag winkwink 👀👀👀👀anyway YAYAYA a fluffy chapter!!! <3 i would really love some feedback wether it’s positive or (GENTLE.) criticism im just YEAH! :’)
You had always had a fascination with Wang's tattoos. You loved the arrows running up and down his body from his forehead to his back and the ones that twist and turn around his limbs and stop at his finger tips and toes. You loved how it looked when he would hug you or hold your hand and the arrow would point back to him like it was some type of sign that you were his and he was yours.
But what you loved most was sitting between his legs naked with him kissing along your neck mouthing sweet nothings in your ears and along your neck telling you how pretty you are and how good you look between his legs all while your eyes are trained on his fingers and hands toying with your nipples and breasts, tweaking them and twisting them to his liking. Just lovingly rubbing all over you but all you can think of is how hot his tattoos look as his hands trails down, down, down to in between your legs.
You whine the minute his finger touches your lips not only from how good it feels to have his fingers on you but it's heightened from the sight of his arrow tattoo pointing right on your clit. "Fuck~" it's so hot looking at his fingers working into you watching his middle and ring fingers curling into you and it just looks like a big arrow to your apex.
All this with his other tattooed hand tweaking your nipple and your mind just swirls from that.
But all this is not on the same level as having his head between your legs sucking and licking along your pussy and you're completely honed in on his head tattoo and again it pointing to the center of you. That added with his palm flat on your stomach or rubbing on your clit. Is all too much, you love rubbing your hand along his head, guiding him running his tongue and nose along your pussy. And maybe Aang knows how obsessed you're with him cos he looks up at your with his eyes glazed over chin glistening with a smirk on his face as his fingers keep tweaking on your clit. "You keep staring at my hand do you like my tattoos THAT much" and your eyes rolled into the back of your head and had a full body shudder.
So yea maybe you love your boyfriends tattoos a bit TOO much
Hi! Can I please request an angsty aang x reader fic
Where aang has 2 airbending kinda and 1 no bending kid and 1 earthbending kid who
And it’s just aang subconsciously giving his air bending kinds more attention and kinda neglecting his other kids
Like yes he would still help take care of them but he won’t be there as much and it’s hurting them cause they just want their dad’s attention.
And you their mom notices and it hurts seeing your kids feel that way so you confront aang
──۶ৎ──Absent ──۶ৎ──
☆Aang x Fem!reader. ☆Word Count: 1.K ☆CW: Angst. Aang being an absent father. An extra child that is unnamed as also happens to be an airbender ☆AN: I am SOOOO sorry this took long. I began writing this ages ago and forgot bcz Aang was pissing me off. (that's my fault but oh well)
Aang had just gotten back from taking Tenzin gliding over the cliffs surrounding the Air Temple and the little boy couldn't stop talking.
"Dad let me steer! He said next time he'll teach me how to catch the wind!" he said excitingly as he stepped inside. Aang laughed, ruffling Tenzin's hair. "You did great."
You smiled from the kitchen, stirring dinner. "Sounds like fun."
"It was!" Tenzin beamed before racing off.
Aang wrapped his arms around your waist from behind, resting his chin on your shoulder. "You should've seen him. He's getting so good."
You leaned into him. "I'm sure."
Your smile faltered as you looked across the room where Bumi sat quietly carving a little wooden bison. He hadn't looked up since his father came home.
Over the next week, Bumi worked hard on his carving before taking it to his father. "Dad?"
Aang looked away from the ancient Air Nomad scroll he was reading with Tenzin. Bumi stood awkwardly in the doorway. "I made something," he says shyly.
"Oh?" Aang perked up.
Bumi walked over, holding out the little carving he'd been working on for days. It wasn't perfect, one horn was shorter than the other and the tail was crooked but he'd spent every spare minute making it.
"For you," the boy says, holding it out.
Aang smiled. "That's really nice, buddy." He took it, looked at it for maybe three seconds then absentmindedly set it beside the scroll. "Can you put it on my desk? Tenzin and I are in the middle of something."
Bumi's smile disappeared; he nodded solemnly and walked away.
That night, you found the carving tucked into one of Bumi's drawers instead of on Aang’s desk. Bumi had hidden it after realizing his father hadn't cared enough to keep it. You picked it up carefully to inspect it. It was beautiful. Your eyes burned before you quickly placed it back inside the desk.
"Dad?" Kya poked her head into Aang's study. He was helping Tenzin translate old Air Nomad texts.
"What is it, sweetheart?" he hummed.
"Will you braid my hair?" the young girl asked quietly.
"Can it wait?"
She hesitated. "...Okay."
An hour later you found her sitting on her bed. Trying and failing to braid it herself, her tiny fingers kept getting tangled. You sat behind her and helped her with the plaits.
She leaned against you with a soft sigh. "I wanted Dad to do it."
It was the little things. Tenzin wanted to meditate and Aang canceled meetings. Your youngest, who was just a toddler, wanted to practice breathing techniques and he spent the afternoon with her. If Bumi asked if Aang wanted to go fishing, he’d put it off for another day that never seemed to come. Kya wanted help learning a new waterbending form and he always told her that you could help.
One evening, you finally said something once the children were asleep. Aang was happily organizing Air Nomad relics they'd found earlier that week.
You stood in the doorway before clearing your throat. "Aang."
He smiled. "Hey."
"You missed Bumi's presentation today," you say disappointingly.
His smile faded. "I know. I couldn't leave Tenzin's lesson halfway."
"You've missed the last four," you state.
"I'll make the next one." He sighed.
"Do you know Bumi's favorite food? When was the last time you asked Kya about her waterbending?"
Aang stayed silent because he couldn't remember. He sat on the floor, elbows resting on his knees.
Finally, he whispered, "I thought I was doing enough."
You sat beside him, your shoulder brushing his. "I know."
"I made sure they were fed and told them I loved them every night."
You reached over, gently covering one of his hands with yours."They worship you." Your voice cracked. "They wait by the windows when you're supposed to come home. They make you gifts and tell everyone how amazing their dad is. And every time you choose airbending over them and they think it's because they aren't enough."
"That's not true," Aang mumbles.
You move closer, taking his hands. "I know you love them so why does it keep happening?"
He couldn't answer but he knew that every time he looked at his airbending children, he saw the last pieces of a culture he'd lost. Somewhere along the way he forgot that Bumi and Kya weren't asking for the Avatar, they were just asking for their father.
"The Air Nomads..." he murmured. "Every day I wake up terrified that if I don't teach Tenzin everything... then they'll disappear forever. I kept telling myself I'd take Bumi fishing next week."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm taking Bumi fishing at sunrise."
"And if Tenzin wants to train?" you inquire.
"He'll understand," Aang says. “ And I’ll ask Kya to teach me one of her waterbending forms after breakfast."
You laughed softly. "She'd love that."
"And every week we’ll do something together," he looked back at you, guilt still lingering in his eyes. "I can't promise I'll never make another mistake, but our children will never have to wonder if they're worth my time again."
The next morning, before the sun had fully risen, there was a gentle knock on Bumi's bedroom door.
A sleepy voice mumbled, "Come in..."
The door creaked open and Bumi blinked blearily at the familiar orange-and-yellow robes.
"Dad?" he said softly.
Aang smiled, holding up two fishing poles. "I think someone promised me a fishing trip."
For a moment, Bumi stared at his father in disbelief before smiling softly.
"Dad, really? You mean it?" His voice is filled with excitement as he sits up.
Aang's smile wavered, guilt flickering across his face. "Really."
Bumi's grin spread slowly and he practically launched himself out of bed.
"Give me two minutes!" As Bumi scrambled to get dressed, Aang looked down the hallway and caught your eye. You were leaning quietly against the wall, watching. He gave you a small, grateful smile. At last, he was finally choosing to be there.
──۶ৎ── Masterlist Aang masterlist ──۶ৎ──
Disclaimer: I don't own Rights to any characters mentioned nor do I consent to plagiarism of any kind. Thankyou for reading loves ;)
☆Fire Lord Zuko x Reader. ☆WC:2.5K ☆Summary: Loosely based on the K-Dramas Crash landing on You and Bon Appetite Your Majesty. Reader owns a bakery and her friend insists that she takes a break from working so they go to the beach. In an unexplainable Jet ski accident, reader ends up in another world. One with a handsome Lord.
Even before your eyes opened, the faint aroma of sourdough starter, melted butter, and vanilla lingered in your apartment above the bakery. It had become your favorite way to wake up as it was a quiet reminder of the life that was waiting downstairs.
The sky was still dark when you tied your apron around your waist as you descended the narrow staircase slipped into the kitchen. You put on some music after switching on the warm pendant lights, bathing the little bakery in a golden glow.
Rows of empty display cases waited to be filled, the espresso machine hissed to life and you began preparing the dough for the day. By the time the first batch of croissants slid into the oven, two of your workers arrived to help you out.
At six thirty, you open the doors to the bakery and it quickly filled with the morning rush,
"Morning, Mrs. Alvarez," you greeted as your first customer stepped inside. The elderly woman smiled brightly. "Morning, sweetheart. Tell me you saved me one of those cinnamon rolls."
"I saved you two," you say with a soft smile already bagging it for her. She paid and picked up the bags.
"You spoil me." Mrs. Alvarez chuckled as she made her way to her usual table by the window.
Soon the bakery filled with conversation. There were many students rushing before class and office workers who claimed they only came for coffee but somehow always left with pastries too.
Your bakery had become more than a business. It’s place where people lingered because it felt like home. And that was exactly what you'd always wanted.
"Chef?" You turned to find your newest apprentice standing beside the flour bins, clutching a mixing bowl with obvious uncertainty.
"What's up, Mia?"
"I... think I ruined the brioche dough," she said disappointedly.
You peeked into the bowl. "It's overmixed."
Her shoulders immediately slumped. "I'm sorry."
"Hey." You smiled gently, “I’ve cried over dough once because I wasn’t getting it right. It’s okay to make mistakes."
The tension melted from her shoulders as you washed your hands and stepped beside her. For the next hour, you worked side by side, explaining every fold and small detail that transformed simple ingredients into something delicious. By closing time, the display cases were almost empty just the way you liked them.
The little sign on the front door flipped to close as the last customer waved goodbye just after six. You stayed after hours. The radio played softly while you pulled out a notebook stained with flour and dotted with handwritten measurements.
You scribbled ideas in the margins. You tested batch after batch until the clock crept past ten. Creating something new had always been your favorite part of the job. One day, you told yourself as you looked around the quiet little bakery, there'd be another shop.
You smiled to yourself. One bakery had started as a dream, who's to say another couldn't? You turned off the lights one by one and headed up to your apartment to get ready for bed.
After taking a shower, you sat on your bed writing down more ideas in your recipe book. The sound of your phone vibrating against the nightstand pulled you from the notebook balanced on your lap.
You glanced at the screen to see your best friend calling and a small smile found its way onto your face.
"Hey," you answered, tucking the phone between your ear and shoulder as you continued to write. "What's up?"
"Don't tell me you're working."
"...I'm not," you say softly "I just had an idea for a lemon and blackberry Danish." You lean your head against the backboard with a sigh. "So what do you want?"
"I already told you like three weeks ago that you need a day off."
"I have Sundays," you say defensively.
"Girl… Your biggest relationship is with sourdough starter. You need to get out more!"
You gasped. "His name is Bernard."
She burst into laughter. "I can't believe you named it!"
"You would too if you fed something every day for five years."
There was another brief silence before Maya spoke again in a softer tone. "I'm serious. You've worked every single day for months."
"I like working," you close your book and place it on the nightstand. "I know you do." She paused. "But I miss my best friend… I'm picking you up tomorrow at nine."
"What?" You start but she cuts you off before you could think of another excuse. "We're going to the beach."
"But I..."
"Nope. Tomorrow. Nine o'clock." The call ended before you could protest again. You stared at your phone in disbelief.
The following morning, true to her word, your best friend was outside your apartment at exactly nine. She leaned against her car wearing sunglasses and a grin on her face.
You rolled your eyes, unable to hide your smile. The drive was nice, with the windows down and music loud. Your best friend sang terribly to every song that came on, changing lyrics whenever she forgot them.
The salty breeze greeted you when you stepped onto the sand. Children chased one another along the shoreline. You closed your eyes for a moment, feeling the wind on your face. "I forgot how nice this is," you admitted.
"I know." Maya nudged your shoulder. "Ready for the fun part?"
You followed her gaze. Rows of brightly colored jet skis bobbed gently near the dock. Your confidence disappeared instantly. "...Absolutely not."
"Oh, absolutely yes," she said excitedly.
"I've never done that. It looks expensive."
She laughed. "You worry too much." Within half an hour, after a safety briefing and far more convincing than you cared to admit, you found yourself sitting atop a jet ski. Your hands gripped the handlebars and your shoulders were tense.
Your friend, who was a few feet away, flashed you an encouraging thumbs-up. The instructor signaled for everyone to head out. You swallowed hard before slowly and carefully easing the throttle forward. The jet ski glided across the water fast and the cool ocean spray splashed against your arms. And you were smiling at the feeling of the wind. You glanced toward your friend, who threw both hands into the air for a second before grabbing the handlebars again.
"You love it!" she shouted.
"I really do!" For the first time in months you weren't thinking about tomorrow's orders.
You didn't notice the clouds at first. The sky had been brilliantly blue all afternoon. The breeze had felt refreshing against your skin, and every burst of speed sent another laugh tumbling from your lips.
She raced ahead of you, then the wind shifted, making you slow your jet ski, glancing toward the horizon. Gray clouds stretched across the ocean far faster than they should have.
"...That's weird."
A low rumble echoed in the distance. The waves, once gentle swells beneath you, began rising higher. You looked for your friend who was farther away now still visible but only barely. A horn sounded from somewhere near the docks. You turned your jet ski toward shore before the fog rolled in with startling speed. One moment you could see the coastline and the next it disappeared behind a wall of white.
The water beneath you became uneven, tossing the jet ski from side to side. You tightened your grip on the handlebars. "It's okay," you whispered to yourself. "Just head straight."
But straight where? The shoreline was gone and the other riders had vanished into the fog and your heartbeat quickened in panic.
Another wave lifted the jet ski before slamming it back onto the water. Your teeth clicked together painfully. Every direction looked exactly the same, gray sky, gray water and white fog.
One second, the water beneath you dipped and something immense rose behind you. You turned just in time to catch a glimpse of dark water towering overhead. The wave crashed into you and your hands slipped from the handlebars. You were thrown backward, tumbling beneath the surface. Your lungs burned as you kicked instinctively, reaching for the surface.
The current pulled at your clothes, dragging you farther than you could tell. You opened your eyes to find only darkness. Your chest ached and you kicked harder. The pressure in your lungs became unbearable. Your movements slowed and the water no longer felt violent.
The last thing you saw was a strange flicker of light beneath the waves almost golden. It shimmered just beyond your reach then everything faded into darkness.
The sea was unusually calm. After several days of diplomatic meetings with the Earth Kingdom, Fire Lord Zuko's royal ship had begun its journey home. A steady breeze filled the crimson sails as the vessel cut cleanly through the open ocean.
Zuko stood near the bow, one hand resting against the polished railing. The negotiations had been successful and trade agreements had been signed. It should have been enough to ease the weight on his shoulders, but all he felt was tired.
Leading a nation, he'd discovered, could be just as exhausting as fighting for one.
"Fire Lord." He turned as the ship's captain approached. "We should reach the capital by tomorrow morning."
Zuko gave a small nod. "Good."
The captain bowed and turned to continue his duties. Before he could take more than a few steps, a voice shouted from high above. "Something in the water!" The entire deck froze. The lookout leaned dangerously over the edge of the crow's nest, pointing toward the starboard side. "There!" Sailors rushed to the railing. "What is it?"
"...a person!" Murmurs rippled through the crew.
"That's impossible," murmured Zuko
They were nowhere near a harbor. No merchant ships had crossed their path all morning. As the royal ship drew closer, the shape became clearer. You drifted silently with the tide, rising and falling with each passing wave. No wreckage floated nearby.
"What is she wearing?" A sailor asked.
Every pair of eyes settled on the unfamiliar clothing clinging to your body. The fabric was unlike anything anyone aboard had ever seen. Nothing resembled clothing from the Fire Nation... or any of the Four Nations. "Could she be from somewhere beyond the sea?" someone wondered aloud.
"There is nothing beyond the sea," another answered quietly. The captain looked at Zuko. "My lord?"
Zuko never looked away from you, your body floated unnaturally still. His jaw tightened. "Stop the ship."
The captain blinked in surprise."Fire Lord?"
"I said stop the ship." The vessel slowed as sailors hurried into motion.
One crewman grabbed a rope. "I'll prepare a rescue boat—"
A loud splash interrupted him and every head snapped toward the water. Without a moment's hesitation, Zuko had leapt overboard. The cold sea swallowed him before he resurfaced several yards from the ship, swimming toward you with determined strokes.
"My lord!" the captain shouted. "Wait for the rescue boat!"
Zuko ignored him. His eyes never left your motionless form. The waves pushed against him, tugging at the heavy fabric of his robes, but he fought through them until he finally reached you. Your skin was cold beneath his hand. He slipped one arm beneath your shoulders, carefully lifting your face above the surface.
The ship drew closer as ropes splashed into the water beside them. Hands reached down from above and together, the crew pulled you aboard before helping their Fire Lord climb back onto the deck. You lay motionless against the polished wood, seawater collecting beneath you. The sailors gathered in silence. No one recognized you and no one could explain how you'd ended up in the middle of the ocean. The strange clothes you wore only deepened the mystery. The captain looked uncertainly toward Zuko.
Zuko knelt beside you, brushing damp strands of hair away from your face. He felt a faint breath against the back of his fingers. Relief flickered across his face.
"She's alive."
The ship's physician hurried forward. "I'll examine her immediately."
Zuko nodded once. "Take her below deck."
The physician hesitated. "Fire Lord... we don't know who she is. She could be dangerous."
Zuko's golden eyes lifted to meet his. Until we know otherwise, she is under my protection." No one argued as the crew carefully lifted you into their arms and carried you below deck, Zuko remained where he was for a moment longer, watching the ocean behind the ship.
Your consciousness returned slowly. A thick blanket rested over your body, the gentle rocking beneath you made it feel as though you were still floating. Your brows furrowed. Above you stretched a polished wooden ceiling crossed with dark beams. Your breathing quickened.
"Easy." The voice was calm beside you. You turned toward it and a man sat a few feet away beside your bed. Long black hair was tied neatly back, a few loose strands framing his face. Rich crimson robes embroidered with gold draped over his shoulders, the fabric far finer than anything you'd ever seen. Then your eyes caught the scar that stretched across the left side of his face and his eyes were gold.
He closed the book resting in his lap and stood. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd wake up."
You pushed yourself upright and dizziness washed over you, and you grabbed the edge of the bed to steady yourself. "You should lie back down," he says.
"I'm okay."
He waited until you had caught your breath, watching you carefully with concern. Finally, he spoke. "Can you tell me your name?"
You quietly told him and he repeated it once under his breath, committing it to memory.
"I'm Zuko."
You gave a small nod, your attention already drifting around the room again. Everything looked handcrafted and elegant. Almost historical.
"...Where am I?"
"You're aboard the royal ship of the Fire Nation," Zuko answered.
"...I'm sorry," you said after a long pause. "The... what?"
"The Fire Nation."
A nervous laugh escaped you before you could stop it. "...What?"
"I found you unconscious in the ocean," he said quietly.
Your hand came up to your temple. "I was jet skiing."
His brow furrowed slightly. "Jet... skiing?"
"You know..." You gestured vaguely with your hands. "A jet ski? On the water?"
He shook his head. "I don't know what that is."
"Okay..." You rubbed your face, trying to make sense of everything. "This isn't funny." Your eyes searched his face, waiting for even the smallest sign that this was some elaborate joke but there wasn't one. "...Where is this?"
"The Fire Nation," he stated.
"No," you said, shaking your head. "I mean... what country?"
A flicker of confusion crossed his face. "Country?" You frowned. "Yeah... like... America? Japan? Australia?" you ask.
"I don't know those places," Zuko frowned, eyeing you in confusion.
The knot in your stomach tightened. You looked around the cabin once more before meeting his eyes again. "I will leave you so you can get more rest. Sounds like you need it,” he says before slipping out the room.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rights to any Characters mentioned nor do I consent to plagiarism of any kind. Thankyou ;) Tags: @strangeprincessblog @cinnamongirlkisses @amethyst09 @skyavyel @butterflygirlblogg @ayannasinterlude @uchihabbynic @yuukimii @xoxocelestial
──۶ৎ──Masterlist ──۶ৎ──Zuko Masterlist
The Hopeless Writer @eridanuswave - Tumblr Blog | Tumgag
baratheonpilled
snowghoul
theartofmadeline
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
origamiaround
