about me ☆ hi hi! my name's monica, pronouns are she/her, 8teen! i finally decided to make this blog of mine multi fandom yay
anime/manga & series ☆ my fav animes are ohshc [current fixation...again], the royal tutor, kamisama kiss, and recently atla [zukka is my life]! i also love love love the dcu particularly the batfam
my peak fandom activity lasted for ~3 years since 2021 and i've just recently gone back to nerding out again lol
sports ☆ i'm actively following f1 [gr63] but i also often tune in for tennis [sinner] & the nba [nyk]
hobbies ☆ i love collecting things! most of these happen in phases so i recently just concluded my trinket collection. i collected physical manga for a while but now i'm focused on buying books (didion, steinbeck, and other contemporary fiction authors)
music ☆ my fav artists consist of jeff buckley, fiona apple, portishead🎧
rules ☆
i. please be kind & respectful! i've only made this tumblr acc this year and i know most of my followers were from my jason todd n damian wayne days so feel free to unfollow if my posts are no longer relevant for you <3
ii. don't expect constant posting from me. life gets in the way most of the time as i'm still studying and i created this blog just to let out all my delusions! i think i'll lay off from writing full-fledged fics so most of what i'll be posting here will be my personal thoughts!
iii. feel free to let me know if i've done/said anything wrong! i'm vv open to feedback and holding myself accountable
iv. keep this is a safe space for everyone <3
pairing → zuko x gn!reader
a/n → rising from the dead because i watched a play and took photos with the main cast as they exited backstage. couldn't help but think of the gaang actor au but they're theater actors. in my experience, being nice is sooooo attractive. also i headcanon zuko having dynamic smile lines. this is my first time writing for him alone btw so please be nice. might be ooc, but cmon, zuko isn't always grumpy especially when he's with his fans Right...
proofread? → n. (heavy on this)
the entire month-long show was sold out but you were lucky enough to secure tickets with a friend.
as most people do, they linger in the halls after the show was over, hoping to secure some autographs and selfies with the cast.
after a good 20 minutes, the main leads began to take their leaves through the exit door.
katara was known to avoid public appearances right after the show so she left very discretely.
as for aang and sokka, they'd always exit together, eager to meet the fans and do their service.
toph liked to have all the attention to herself so she exits solo, ready for all the photos (fans know she's visually impaired so they don't often ask for autographs, pictures are enough. its also been a trend to get her to say random ass phrases like "michael cheese hairy" yk shit like that).
as for zuko, BOY. it would've been a big case of allegations to say you weren't enraptured him.
so cute. literally so endearing the entire play.
he tries his best to look like he's crashing out or frustrated but even with his head in his hands, he's adorable.
obviously he became an audience-favorite by the time it was curtain call, eliciting a slightly louder cheer from the girls.
he was still new to this whole acting thing but he's worked in the industry and was known as a writer for the most part.
after you snapped some photos with toph and said thank you's and congratulations, she immediately laughed.
"oh look, zuko's here now," knowingly to the group of girls surrounding her. she could practically feel them vibrating from the excitement of getting to meet their favorite actor of the night.
you were no different.
these things were like warfare. you had to assert yourselves otherwise you'd be lost in a sea of bags bumping into your shoulders and people stepping next to your target while you have to wait awkwardly for your turn.
safe to say, people got to him before you. they held their phones out while your embarrassment and shyness continued to gnaw at the bars of the cage you wrestled them into.
when the space around him was clear, you took the chance.
"could i take a photo with you please?" you politely asked, pointing to your phone because you never knew how to approach a person smoothly in these circumstances.
his smile was radiant. if it weren't for reality, you probably would've been blasted off with a big boom and into the far, opposite wall.
"of course," he Smiled. his hands were politely folded (and you were Respectfully looking at his veins) in front of him as he smiled at your phone.
the first take as a bit blurry and at an awkward angle so you tilted the camera upward for a better shot.
it was way too endearing--how polite he acted.
when you brought your phone down, you asked him to sign your ticket next.
you lent him your pen as you watched him scribble away. when he handed these two things back to you, he was still smiling.
if it weren't for reality, you would've been blinded by the light of the angel right in front of you.
you gave your share of thank you's and congratulations and when he said this gratitude back, he bowed slightly to your eye level.
he was still smiling but much closer to you now. faces only a few inches apart and his hands which were once folded at the front were now resting on the base of his spine.
was that deliberate?
you shook yourself out of that trance in a few milliseconds to give way for the next group. you couldn't help but let your gaze linger on him even when you had turned away already.
you spoke to your friend, "i think we zinged"
"like hotel transylvania zinged?"
"yeah"
"no flipping way"
“icl, you have a point. he was smiling. like crazy”
safe to say you immediately followed him and the REST OF THE CAST on instagram because he's/they're a Public Figure/s anyway and had amassed a decent following from theater industry icons to other important people in the circle.
amidst your stories of aesthetic photos from the night, you made an exception to post a story of your selfie with him and a short message about the show.
of course you tagged his account.
of course he replied to your story.
and the rest was history.
really sorry about the long ass a/n in the beginning! i really needed to get this off my mind otherwise i'd die with the delusions of a Minute crush i had on one of the actors i saw in a play very recently
golfing with kyoya would end with a hot makeout sesh in the service car of his family chauffeur.
he'd be hot and sweaty fosho and probably chugged down a liter of water in one break.
his grip on your hips as you climb onto his lap would falter ever so slightly because his hands were shaken up from gripping the clubs.
sometimes it'd be gentle because he'd get blisters everywhere no matter how many times he had played.
his glasses are easily discarded after they've been dirtied enough by natural elements and you'd clear his forehead of the strands of hair sticking on by sweat.
he'd look up at you, mouth agape, still slightly out of breath from the sport, cheeks tinted red from blood rushing up to his face due to a plethora of things.
he's not the sporty nor super active type, just occasional routines at the gym to maintain a decent amount of leanness.
even so, he likes to keep a decent roster of sports that he can play for networking purposes and golf is one of them.
both of you have your own private courses and ranges so the location only depended on whoever was inviting.
if you would play after classes, the driving range would suffice. if on weekends, the golf course it is.
he would definitely be hands-on whenever your form is a bit off and your swing needs adjustments.
kyoya would probably wear monochromatic outfits of either all black or all white.
when you would chip in and say dark blue would look good on him, he sincerely considers the suggestion.
being business rivals with kyoya even if neither of you have succeeded your fathers yet. just feeling competitive when it comes to bidding for projects or bagging big-time clients because even if your conglomerates expand in different industries, you're always somehow competing. it all ends when your families arrange a marriage so that they earn equal shares and lessen the competition in the market lol
having an on and off relationship with kyoya because neither of you can fully commit.
and it’s not like your families would despise the union.
you just wanted to give kyoya some space because believe it or not, he struggles to think that he's capable of being the partner you deserve.
deep down, he's concerning himself over whether or not he can be there for you when you're in need, bring you flowers because he's not quite the gifting type, or be the one you partner up with at a gala to introduce to your family.
he can only hope that you actually know what you're signing up for.
he's afraid that he can't comfort you when you need it or keep his promises well enough because he knows he's not much of an emotional person.
honey was probably the first to notice before telling mori. they continued to quietly observe the two of you whenever you would visit the host club and spend time with kyoya
sure, he finds the battle of being the 3rd ootori exciting but this was entirely different.
for the first time, kyoya found this kind of gap kinda nerve wracking.
for the first time, he felt inadequate.
if it ever got to a point where mori and honey couldn't sit still any longer, they'll tell the others in an effort to help.
they can only pray that kyoya doesn't catch onto their plans since nothing can pass by him unnoticed.
pairing → kyoya ootori x reader
summary → it takes you everything to hold back from tackling kyoya down the sofa after his purposely playful tone saying, "oh yeah?"
proofread? → n.
while waiting for your friend to wrap up her club activities so that you two could hang out in your house, you decided to kill some time in music room 3.
the host club had grown accustomed to your presence, particularly with your dynamics with their shadow king, kyoya ootori, so there was no need for formalities or extreme hospitality.
you sat beside him on one of the victorian-style replica sofas that were scattered throughout the room.
he was typing on his laptop, probably doing host club director duties, while you were busy updating him about the latest gossip within your year.
"and i'm like--if i was her close and personal friend i wouldn't have encouraged her to go after a guy like that, right? it's like matsuoka-san was gaslighting yasumitsu-san into thinking that her relationship with her douchebag of a boyfriend was completely normal! plus, he's a total red flag. i'd never date a guy who'd use me for his own benefit--for his own fame at that!"
the sounds of kyoya's laptop keyboard had ceased and his fingers hovered over the keys. he tilted his head to his left ever so slightly, a faint hint of a grin creeping up his face.
kyoya leaned closer to you, his lips near the shell of your ear and whispered, "oh yeah?" his head nodding alongside his words.
you immediately turned away to look in the opposite direction, your hand covering the bottom half of your face as you tried to mask the heat rising up your face.
"well--"
"before getting into a relationship, miss yasumitsu was a regular of mine. i guess the both of you have the same type."
fully succumbing to the blushing of your cheeks, you mumbled to yourself, "at least i bagged the better one,,,"
pairing → sokka x zuko (atla)
summary → zuko takes on the responsibility of ruling the fire nation one day at a time, and today is just one out of three hundred sixty five days in a year. he plays it as it lays with sokka beside him, who makes everything feel a little bit better. in short, spend a day with the southern water tribe ambassador and the Fire Lord.
a/n → cross posted on ao3! see the end for the link <3
proofread? → y.
wc → 4.4k
5:27 A.M.
The first break of morning twilight seeps through the gaps of the transparent silk screens of the Fire Lord’s private chambers. This is the hour when the Fire Nation awakens from its slumbers to rise with the sun, to begin a new day of redemption and recovery.
Zuko mumbles himself awake, feeling the energy of Agni reigniting all the meridians of chi in his body. This has always been the life force that has circulated amongst the people of his nation and he must now somehow sustain it within himself to get through another grueling work day.
He sits up, rubs his face to rid of the feeling of puffiness around his eyes. His long hair, black like a starless night, is almost a deluge against his pale torso as it cascades down to his lower back. The red silk textiles of his bed ripple as he moves against their current, swinging his legs to the edge of the bed.
He stands up, stretching his arms high into the air. A knock resounds through his bedroom.
“Come in, Nuan.”
He pulled a fine robe over himself, grabbing his favored hair pin, twisting a knot onto his head. A gift from a certain Southern Watertribe Ambassador.
The hair pin was of the highest quality jade, adorned with carvings of intricate dragon motifs. Scales around the body and a dragon twisting into a figure eight at the end.
Zuko kicked away the fabric of his sheets that had grasped his ankle as he left the platform where his bed was raised. He approached the thin sliding door that served as a separation between his bedroom and his antechamber.
“Good morning, Fire Lord Zuko.” Nuan bowed her head, knees hinting at a small curtsy before setting the small table of food onto the hardwood floors.
Zuko gets comfortable in a cross-sitting position on a red cushion. He looked up at Nuan, “Kindly bring in my schedule for today. Good morning to you too.”
She smiled gently as she bowed and left his chambers to fetch for the scroll written up by his secretary the previous day.
From the top of his head, he could remember that he was scheduled for two meetings today. One by lunch and the other by dinner. The rest of the time filled in between was meant for going over other documents and communicating with his chamberlains and other officials in the throne room.
He sighed as he picked through his steaming food, reaching across the small table for the porcelain jar of chilli oil to concoct his dipping sauce.
He does his usual tea ritual, one that his uncle had taught him since young, to calm his mind before it could race across a track to finish all the tasks for the day.
He needs to write everything down, he thinks to himself.
Setting aside the tea ritual tray, he heard another knock from the front door of his chambers. Nuan must be back with the scroll.
“Here are your tasks for the day, Fire Lord Zuko.” He eyed the scroll of red and gold in her two hands, a hold of politeness, as she handed it to him respectfully.
“I must also mention that I have run into one of your familiars on the way back from the library, Your Majesty.”
This caused Zuko to raise an eyebrow, tracing Nuan’s line of sight as she turned to her left.
“Hey Zuko! I wanted to catch you as soon as you woke up.” Sokka stepped into the door frame and waved his hand.
His brown skin with an olive undertone, kissed by the sunlight from the outside halls, gliding against the blue fabric of his undershirt. Under the light, Zuko could see the dust particles swaying around the fur of Sokka’s outer layers.
Sokka’s hair was illuminated into a chocolate brown as his warrior wolf knot bounced about. Zuko became entranced by the way his Water Tribe necklace swayed around the valleys of his collarbones.
Before he could vocalize a reply, he realized that Nuan had already departed, almost as if he silently dismissed from her morning duties of serving the Fire Lord.
Sokka removed his boots by the doorway before stepping into the conversation pit of the antechamber where Zuko was having his breakfast.
“You’re back…earlier than expected.” Zuko straightened his posture, almost habitually, in preparation to receive his morning kisses from Sokka.
“Mhm, Aang kindly flew me back on Appa.” Sokka’s palms framed the sides of Zuko’s face as he leaned in to give him three routine kisses. First on his temple, then on the tip of his nose, and a final one on his pink lips.
“Good morning to you too,” Zuko nuzzled his cheek into Sokka’s right hand. The latter would’ve already melted at the panorama in front of him if it were possible.
Zuko picked up his chopsticks and dipped a pork dumpling into his spicy sauce, raised it to Sokka’s mouth with a hand under it to catch it in case it fell.
“Oh don’t worry about me, I caught some breakfast by the port on the way here.” Sokka tenderly redirected Zuko’s hand to his own mouth.
“Fire cracker buns?” Zuko looked into his blue opal eyes before popping the dumpling into his mouth.
“I broke my record. Guess how many.”
“Three?”
“Wrong, I managed to eat five.”
Zuko’s mouth went slightly agape. He reached to pat Sokka’s belly, “Full?”
Sokka nodded, “Very, I think it’ll last me ‘til lunch.”
Zuko covered his mouth since he was still chewing as he began to speak, “I have a meeting during lunch. Check my schedule.” He pointed his chopsticks to the scroll set on the small table in front of them.
Sokka unraveled the short ribbon that tied the two ends of the scroll together and read Zuko’s schedule thoroughly. He shifted his weight to his side, leaning it all on Zuko who continued to eat his breakfast.
Sokka found comfort in the reverberations of Zuko’s movements as he laid against his shoulder, listening to the rustling of his robes with every twitch of his body’s muscles.
“Accompany me, will you? Unless you have more ambassador duties of your own.” Zuko looked down to the bridge of Sokka’s nose, waiting for him to tilt his head ever so slightly to make eye contact.
“Of course, dear. I managed to clear my schedule today by doing some of the documents on the way back here. Appa just had to fly a bit more carefully so the papers wouldn’t whoosh away.”
“I love you.” Zuko blurted out.
8:00 A.M.
Zuko made his rounds around the entire palace to greet all of its workers and guards. Sokka walked by his side while telling him about the adventures he’d been on with Aang in the past two weeks he’d been gone.
All the maids and servants greeted him with a bow, the guards honoring him with a salute, the officials and chamberlains regarding him with a nod of the head.
“Is it just me or did your chamberlains ignore me?” Sokka looked at him, dumbfounded.
8:32 A.M.
The two finished going around the entire Royal Palace and were headed to Zuko’s mother’s garden for some light sparring and meditation.
“Oh yeah, by the way, I passed Druk on the way up here. I don’t speak dragon but he told me he was leaving for a bit.” Sokka tells Zuko.
“Hm, he keeps sneaking out recently. I can’t help but feel overprotective.”
“Maybe he’s found a mate!”
“Chances may be low but never zero. Every time he leaves, I feel a tug on my heart.”
“Are you still talking about Druk or me?” Sokka chided before Zuko poked on the side of his abdomen, a sensitive part for the ambassador.
“Ow! What was that for?”
“‘Cause it’s both, idiot.” Zuko looked at him in a way that made Sokka want to bite his cheek, which he did and Zuko just rubbed the sting away.
9:44 A.M.
“I can’t believe you beat me again! You should’ve seen me in Republic City, I was fighting off a bunch of bad guys like it wasn’t even hard!” Sokka wiped his temple and the sides of his head with a towel that one of the servants had brought in along with some refreshments.
Zuko brought a small cup to his lips and lightly blew on it. He took a sip of the hot tea, “I beat you because I’m not a bad guy.”
Sokka scrunched his nose, “Should’ve seen yourself like, eleven years ago.”
“I’ve seen myself quite enough,” Zuko said.
Sokka could feel the slightest hint of sadness in Zuko’s words slipping away from his hands, realizing that he could have misspoken and that Zuko would then forbid him from participating in the rest of his tasks for the day. He spiralled into a tornado of overthinking.
Sokka threw himself on his knees, the white gravel that lined the outer edges of the wooden walkways of the garden crunching under his weight.
“What—”
“Forgive me, my dear. I’ve misspoken. Please don’t treat this as a grave mistake. I still want to accompany you for the rest of the day.” Sokka bowed his head, clutching the fabric of Zuko’s sparring pants out of desperation.
On the other hand, out of temptation, Zuko pulled away the rubber band that held up Sokka’s warrior wolf knot, letting his hair fall down the sides of his face. He watched as Sokka’s baby hair disappeared under the layers of his locks and how the longer strands clung to his sweat.
“Oh c’mon! That was a solid knot!”
“Get up, Sokka. You’ve been pardoned,” Zuko laughed.
“Thank you, my love.” Sokka kissed the knuckles of Zuko’s hands.
“I’ll tell one of the maids to clean up. It’s time for a bath. I can just imagine how you must be overheating in your skin.” Zuko slid a hand down from Sokka’s chest, relishing the contrast of their complexions, through the dew of his sweat, and down to the latter’s taught skin which etched the muscles of his abdomen.
Sokka let a smirk creep up his face.
10:22 A.M.
“Feel any cooler now?” Zuko asked as he rubbed Sokka’s head dry with a towel.
“Mhm, maybe we should add some ice to the water next.”
Zuko physically shivered at that despite having refined his skills in maintaining his own body heat thanks to his Uncle.
“No thanks. Just go back to the Water Tribe if you want some ice.”
“Or I could just bring Katara he—mmpgh!”
Zuko practically muffled Sokka’s mouth with the damp towel that he was using to dry Sokka’s hair, to which Sokka responded by hitting Zuko on the side of his thigh repeatedly.
10:30 A.M.
At this point, Zuko’s servants had already entered his chambers to assist him in getting ready for his meeting with a business man from Ba Sing Se.
“Contract signing ceremony, huh?” Sokka wondered as he was fixing his own hair.
“It should be quick, but since we’re the ones doing business with him, we will be having lunch together as well.” Zuko shrugs his shoulders as two servants lowered down the ornate armor which acted as the outermost layer to his royal attire.
Zuko raised a hand, signalling that the servants were dismissed. They carried away the stepping stool, trays, and racks which carried each clothing item out the door until it was just Zuko and Sokka left in the chambers.
Fortunately, Sokka was saved from doing the work of fixing Zuko’s topknot and only had to place the Fire Lord’s headpiece.
It was a golden flame, similar to the Fire Nation insignia, with prongs that resembled a crown.
Zuko sighed, “It never gets easier, does it? Bearing the weight of this crown and all.”
“Well, it's easier for me this time since all I have to do is just slot it in your hair.”
“You absolute buf—”
“Woah, woah woah, save the filthy talk for later, my love.” Sokka pecked the side of Zuko’s cheek, extinguishing any annoyance that he most definitely caused.
Zuko felt the pressure of the headpiece dig through the strands of his hair and tugged on Sokka’s sleeve.
“It never gets better, does it?”
“Well, what do you want me to say? It’s better than as it was. You know that.”
“I hated the world when it was as it was.”
“That’s why we get up every morning—you at the crackass of dawn—to change that, my love.” Sokka threaded his fingers through Zuko’s as he spoke.
Sokka continued, “You’ve been given a bad hand your entire childhood but you bluffed your way out of it. Just don’t let them bluff you back now ‘cause you hold all the aces.”
“Sounds something like my uncle would say.”
“Oh shut up, I like your uncle.”
11:00 A.M.
Zuko’s head chamberlain was beginning the opening remarks for the contract signing ceremony and he couldn’t help but think back to what Sokka told him earlier.
‘Cause you hold all the aces
In total reality, he literally held all the aces as the Fire Lord. Any command of his would be followed, one and done, without any further questions. The only exception was when he would have to be in cooperation with the ambassadors from the other nations. That was when his words could be attacked.
He knew that all of them wanted the best for their own nations, putting mutual benefits second in their hierarchy of importance. It was in those kinds of meetings that Zuko would ever so slightly fall into a pit of despair, thinking that this could all lead back to the breaking of unity. A union that he and his nation had worked so hard into restoring and maintaining.
Zuko expected that proving to the rest of the world that the Fire Nation was no longer a war-fueled country would take his entire lifetime. Nonetheless, Sokka helped Zuko see the light in his work, that if he kept wallowing in these dreadful thoughts, he’d end up having a bad time as a Fire Lord.
And that was the last thing he wanted.
Now, Zuko sat above a flight of stairs, on the rightful throne of the Fire Lord in his own throne room, whereas the business man from Ba Sing Se sat at the bottom of the steps but still in front of him.
Sokka sat next to the head chamberlain, working on a scroll with his brush and ink, attempting to capture the moment in another one of his drawings.
He conjured two pictures: the first where both men were in their respective seats, dignified in posture, and the second one where both men were standing, presenting their signed scroll copies to the rest of their witnesses in the throne room.
After the signing, both men gave their respective speeches, followed by the closing remarks by Zuko’s Chief of Finances, and the final final closing remarks by his head chamberlain once more.
11:58 A.M.
The contract signing went by without a hitch and everyone was soon ushered into the Royal Dining Hall for their formal meal.
Zuko was at the head of the table with Sokka on his right and the business man from Ba Sing Se on his left.
The following minutes were filled with chatter as officials conversed with chamberlains, Sokka with Zuko, Zuko with the business man, Sokka with the business man, Sokka and Zuko with everyone else.
Platters of food were passed around as Zuko himself offered generous portions to the business man and when too distracted with feeding his visitors and clients, Sokka would fill Zuko’s own plate with the dishes he knew he’d liked best.
12:56 P.M.
Sokka stretched his arms as he walked with Zuko to his study.
“Man, that guy’s handshake grip was so strong I thought my fingers were going to break.”
“It was a firm hold.”
They continued to walk in silence, most definitely because the meeting combined with the lunch had them both running out of words to speak and saliva to waste.
Zuko gently reached for Soka’s hand as they turned a corner.
1:45 P.M.
By this point, Zuko and Sokka had collected the necessary scrolls from Zuko’s study and were already settled in the throne room once more.
The scenery was back to the way it was in the morning, save for the business man’s seating. Tables with brush and ink, cushions and papers, and chamberlains and officials (again) lined both sides of the throne room.
Sokka sat by his own table at the bottom of the flight of stairs, with his own stack of scrolls and brush and ink. He was at Zuko’s right side, opposite the head chamberlain
The long, stretching red carpet was now vacant for those who sought an audience with the Fire Lord. A peaceful meeting was ongoing until a guard had burst into the throne room.
The head chamberlain exclaimed, “Have you forgotten the correct protocol to address His Majesty!? Perhaps I should dismiss you from your station!”
Zuko raised a hand, signalling the guard to speak judging by his heavy breathing. A clear evidence of urgency.
“There had been a robbery in the West Palace Warehouse, Your Majesty.”
2:31 P.M.
A report by witnesses of the scene had been sent as soon as possible to Zuko, but that only left him more furious. Whoever had made the report was entirely incompetent and lazy.
The throne room had been long abandoned as Zuko made his way to the West Palace Warehouse as soon as he could. This was the warehouse which stored the majority of the palace’s food and ingredients as it was the nearest to the Royal Kitchen.
After his thorough inspection, Zuko found the report utterly useless. He furiously made his way back to the throne room with Sokka’s feeble attempts at calming him down with some of his comedic relief.
Safe to say, Sokka kept his mouth shut for the rest of the way back. Otherwise, he and Zuko would’ve started firing some nasty words at each other.
“There were four sacks that were stolen from the dry goods! And they were sacks of nuts! Why does the report say three sacks of rice!?”
If a genie existed, Sokka would’ve wished for some cotton to plug his ears on the spot. The remainder of the discussion was an onslaught of shouting of orders from both Zuko and the head chamberlain, along with the chiefs and guards.
If only men could let go of their pride, they could find a plausible reason for the guards to have overlooked the security of this warehouse and for their incompetency with the checklist report. But alas, if these men could refuse to let go of anything, it would be their pride.
5:01 P.M.
Sokka had discreetly notified Nuan to request for some medicine from the Royal Doctor that could stabilize Zuko’s blood pressure amidst the chaos.
Sokka had learned to become very careful of Zuko being in stressful situations, especially after being struck by Azula’s lightning on the day of Sozin’s Comet.
Even though Zuko could still withstand a great amount of strenuous activity, Sokka still made sure to be mindful. Just in case.
When everyone was dismissed, Sokka ran up the flight of stairs to check up on Zuko. He kneeled in the space between Zuko and the large wooden table which was still a mess of materials.
“How are you feeling, my love?”
One kiss on his temple, another on the nose, and a final one on the mouth. Only this time, Sokka had slipped the pill into Zuko’s mouth himself.
Sokka turned around to pick up the small cup of tea on Zuko’s table. “Drink.”
Zuko obliged, returning the cup to the table and slumped his body onto Sokka’s. “Thank you.”
Zuko’s hands creeped up the expanse of Sokka’s back, rubbing them up and down. Zuko’s nose dug into the crook of the latter’s neck as he inhaled deeply.
He spoke after a while, breaking the temporary stillness, “I hope you got some work done.”
Sokka pulled away, putting both hands on Zuko’s shoulders, smiling widely, “Don’t worry about me, I made sure I did. That meeting was pretty nuts, huh?”
Zuko couldn’t help but let out a chuckle before pulling Sokka closer once more.
5:28 P.M.
“Wanna go to my room? It’s nearer.”
“Yes, please.”
5:34 P.M.
Sokka slid open the door to his own designated room in the Royal Palace. It was located nearer to the Throne Room, where both of them inevitably had to return for an evening meeting.
Zuko was instantly hit with a wave of the smell of salty sea. It smelled just like Sokka’s home. Like a season of rain was approaching the Fire Nation as the wind carried the ocean, its humidity and its smells.
Sokka slithered through the mess of blueprints and patents strewn across the floor of his antechamber, “Sorry, my love. I haven’t exactly cleaned my room up before I left with Aang.”
Zuko had just finished unfastening the buckles of his outer armor when Sokka voiced out his apology. He dropped it onto a pile of papers he knew Sokka would use as scratch.
The two of them made their way into the actual bedroom, leaving behind their boots on one of the carpets and flopped onto Sokka’s bed.
Zuko laced his arm through the bedsheets, wanting to feel its softness, as his body relaxed into the mattress. Sokka climbed on top of him, burying his face into the loose strands of Zuko’s hair as he let out a relieved hum.
The two of them closed their eyes and slept.
7:45 P.M.
Nuan had compiled enough information to deduce that the two were resting in Sokka’s chambers, so she woke them up in time for the last agenda of the day. A meeting with the Minister of Education.
She was careful with waking the two from their slumber, particularly in fear of the Water Tribe Ambassador’s sour moods.
Nuan almost regretted disrupting such a peaceful sight in front of her. Zuko and Sokka were entangled with each other on the bed, still in their formal attire, sleeping the day’s exhaustion away.
8:00 P.M.
It was just another discussion of the recent progress report that was written every seventeenth of the month, along with some adjustments in budget allocation to certain regions outside the Fire Nation capital.
Sokka had pretty much zoned out from the discussion, knowing that Zuko could handle everything else on his own. He didn’t have to be hyperaware of any tension in the room, didn’t have to fear any possible escalations that would need his interventions.
The nap they took earlier had done a great deal in recharging the two for the last meeting of the day.
Unlike the business man, who was a guest from Ba Sing Se and was fed a hearty lunch, there was no need for a formal meal with the Minister of Education. Zuko and Sokka could have dinner with themselves, in the comfort of their own space.
9:38 P.M.
Dinner was another quiet moment. There was nothing left unspoken between the two, for they knew that the next day was another opportunity to talk.
They ate their meals in silence, in full understanding of each other.
They needed rest.
10:12 P.M.
Zuko and Sokka had separated into their own rooms to work on a few more documents, to squeeze in a bit more work today in order to lessen tomorrow’s list of things to accomplish. They settled into the steady rhythm of the night.
For Zuko, he had Nuan bring in his abacus from his study to double check the amounts going in and out of the Royal Treasury in the last week, for Agni knows what.
For Sokka, going over the provisions for a trade treaty he was proposing on behalf of the Southern Water Tribe and writing a letter to Katara. That he made it back to the Fire Nation safely.
12:57 A.M.
Both of them eventually succumbed to their own exhaustions. Sokka walked his way back to Zuko’s chambers and when he was near enough, started to unravel the knots of his clothes.
Sokka stepped into Zuko’s antechamber already sliding out of his own robes, letting them fall onto the floor since it was going to be a problem for another day.
He pulled the rubber band from his hair and tucked it into the pocket of his pants, unwrapping the white strip of fabric that looped around his hands and forearms. Sokka undressed fairly quickly, wearing less layers compared to Zuko, who had been in the royal robes for the entire day.
Without saying anything, Sokka stepped behind Zuko who was still undressing. As Zuko was undoing the knot of his last layer of clothing, Sokka carefully unsheathed the Fire Lord headpiece from Zuko’s topknot, setting it down on one of the tables near the bed.
Sokka took Zuko’s hair out of the topknot, releasing it from the tension of today’s work.
The two noiselessly settled under the covers of the bed, turning around to face the other, if they weren’t already.
They let themselves become vulnerable, lowering their guards, falling apart slowly. They eased any tense muscles as their limbs relaxed softly when they were in each other’s arms.
There was nothing else to do for the night with the exception of one more thing.
In their closeness, there was nothing else that they could do or say, and this one thing was inescapable.
Zuko burrowed his face into the pillow where Sokka’s warmth had been radiating onto.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
Zuko took on the responsibility of ruling the Fire Nation, and he does so one day at a time. He plays it as it lays with Sokka beside him, who makes everything feel a lot better.
And today was just one out of the three hundred sixty five days in a year.
as promised, here's the ao3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/85138531
thanks for reading <3
i feel like you and kyoya would have seen each other a few times in a bunch of functions as your dads are business partners and college friends.
if the ootoris built their empire in medical care, your family business consisted of logistics (both land & sea) while also dabbling in other industries on a smaller scale.
you’d be in the same class as kyoya, 2-A, but never really talked to him since your first year in high school. quite literally existing in separate worlds.
you’ve always wanted to talk to him in said functions because finally there was someone your age in those events. but alas, he’s still too intimidating and both of you would always be busy making small talk with the adults.
one of your more outgoing friends suggested to pay a visit to the host club as your lectures ended earlier for the day.
full of curiosity, you decided to say yes. she’s had a crush on one of the hosts for a while so she’s obviously going in there with an objective.
you figured that, being familiar with kyoya already and vice versa, choosing him was the most logical choice. i mean, it’s not like you like him or whatever right?
he is certainly handsome though, but of course that’s objective !! maybe putting in a great effort to befriend him would prove beneficial for the both of you.
after all, you'd bring a decent amount of social and financial merit to his family
just the thought of doing extra curricular work alongside kyoya like ugh. doing your own thing while just silently sitting next to each other at the host club save for exchanges of glances and a few words.
of course he’ll serve you tea and honey will take care of the sweet treats. if you’re ever doing too much and burning yourself out, he’s defo gonna device a plan to take your mind off of school but would deny it and say that you’ve been whining too much about the workload. not good for the atmosphere of the host club he says.
++ occasionally talking about each other’s family businesses since your dads are important partners and learning about all the drama that goes on in the company whenever you actually avail him as a host
hi friends!! its been a while since i posted here again.
just a heads up—i decided that i’d turn this blog into a multifandom one so i’m very sorry if you followed me for dcu content esp for jay and dami (i switched hyperfixations too easily this summer).
recently, i’ve finally watched atla and have yet to finish the last szn of tlok! my zuko/zukka hyperfixation was crazy for a while
now i’m rereading ouran high school host club. the last time i read/watched this was like 3-4 years ago and i couldn’t help but think of kyoya ootori this month lol
so here we are,,,, just a psa if you will😂
i’ll get around to making a directory post for myself Soon…
pairing: damian al ghul-wayne x reader
summary: him realizing that he just left his first hickey on you
a/n: heavy on descriptions cuz i'm still figuring out how to do dialogue with these !! also lowkey fell asleep in the middle of writing this
proofread?: n.
wc: 685
it was another one of those nights where the air around everyone was hotter than usual. you switched out your usual baggy shirt pajama top for a tank with spaghetti straps.
you were over at the wayne's for a sleepover with damian for the weekend. so, there you were laid out on his bed, back resting against the headrest and laptop positioned snuggly on your thighs as you did some work.
damian had just finished a cold shower and was ruffling his hair dry with his bath towel. heading out of the bathroom about to cross the threshold to his main bedroom, his movements stilled and his pupils dilated ever so slightly.
his presence remained almost undetectable thanks to his training at the league and you failed to notice how still he'd become.
it took you a moment to realized that the sound of water running in the shower had already stopped for a while and you looked up from the laptop screen to see his ears and neck turn a slight shade of red.
"what happened, dames? you're turning so red you might be having a heat str—" you said, concerned, and already shifting out of his bed.
"no— you stay right there, habibti. uh..." he was speechless. brain short circuited.
there you were in bed, the color of your tank complimenting the radiant shade of your skin, spaghetti straps exposing the vast expanse of your collarbones.
they were carved like valleys that damian could get lost in when he wanted to hide and find tranquility, like it was a haven for him.
nestled in the soft arch of your shoulder that smoothened into the base of your neck was a faint spot of red that began to show shades of yellow and purples in its out edge.
wanting to figure out what caught damian's tongue, you traced his line of sight to the very area where he left a hickey the night before.
"oh this?" you looked at yourself "don't worry about it. it doesn't hurt, dames. c'mere"
you gestured for him to get in bed. he hung his towel on its rack inside the bathroom before exiting to officially to join you.
his knees dropped first, sinking into the soft cushions and sheets of the mattress and blankets, followed by the palms of his hands supporting his upper body weight as he moved towards you.
"i have no recollection of this mark, beloved" he looks up at you, chin resting on your chest as his emerald eyes searched for an answer in the brown dunes of yours.
"it's not too bad, don't you think?" you smiled, running your hand through his still-damp hair, massaging the sides of his temple because you knew that it was the only way he'd ease the cogs of his consciousness.
he closed his eyes in relaxation, shifting his face closer to you so that his nose would be tucked into the crook of your neck, his arms wrapping around your torso as he tucked his hands between your back and the sheets.
his lips rested on your sternum, refusing to leave unless he needed to move into a different position later on in the night.
"i must admit i do feel embarrassed" he mumbles into your chest.
"of what? the hickey?"
"yes, the...hickey"
"oh so mister damian wayne isn't so proper any more is he?" you teased, his hold around you tightening ever so slightly
"i find it hard to believe that i, myself, made that"
"and what of it?"
"it's...beautiful. it rests so nicely on your skin like a complementary color, like it belongs there"
"you don't want me to cover it up?"
"that is up to you, habit. i'd try my best not to flush too hard in public when you do"
you place a gentle kiss on his forehead, getting a whiff of the hair products he applied, filling your lungs with a sense of safety and home.
"d'you think it looks good, dames?"
"mm, looks perfect" his voice had gotten softer, drifting off into a state of sleep. "couldn't be prettier"
pairing: jason todd x reader
summary: other thoughts i've had about jay that popped up in my head
a/n: heavy on the dimples mmm with his back muscles
proofread?: n.
wc: 169
BACK DIMPLES. so heavy on this. even if he was adopted by bruce, they share the same traits i Think and they are just so appetizing to look at
he thinks that taking his bike is the better mode of transportation. < traffic and < time are his biggest arguments
he Will absolutely laugh so hard at you whenever he speeds up on the bike and your clutch around his torso tightens or you let out a small squeak because the gforce just sends you backwards without any warning
i think he loves being photographed by you. he’d feel warm and fuzzy inside when you take photos and videos of him at any point of the day/night
he still has some cursing habits from running his gang so every time someone hears the two of you talk, they become concerned because jay just spits out a string of variations of shits and fucks
one of his party tricks is that he can break an apple in half with his hands
