𝓑𝓸𝓻𝓷 𝓽𝓸 𝓭𝓲𝓮

Hello my loves 🩷 Hobie Brown enthusiast 🩷 Hayden Christensen fangirl 🩷

[princessaddz]

Welcome everyone, I write sometimes.

About me: ♡ 18. ♡ College Student ♡ Rihanna & Lana Del Rey Stan ♡ HIM is my favorite band

✿Requests are open ✿Requests Rules and Info ✿Taglist Rules and Info ✿ Fanfic Masterlist

Please Note, this is a respectful space. I will not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism, xenophobia, or any form of hate speech or harassment.

Spam/Backup @addietheehottie

XOXO Princess Addz ♡

[princessaddz]

Equinox: Chapter Five

☆Fire Lord Zuko x Fem!reader x Avatar Aang ☆CW: Fluff and slight angst. ☆Word Count: 2.5k ☆Summary: Reader receives a vague note that might hint to her being in danger.

☆Prologue ☆Chapter One ☆Chapter Two ☆Chapter Three ☆Chapter Four

☆Masterlist ☆Equinox Masterlist

The festival ended hours ago and yet sleep refused to come. The city stretched beyond the apartment windows in a sea of distant lights while Zuko sat alone at his kitchen table awake.

A cold cup of tea sat untouched beside stacks of reports and investigation notes. He hadn't read a single word in the past hour because every time he closed his eyes he saw her. Not the version from his childhood, but the woman standing beside the canal. The smile on her face and the certainty in her eyes frightened him more than it should. She stared directly at him like she'd known exactly where he would be.

A soft knock echoed against the apartment door. Zuko froze for a few moments before opening the door.

"Aang," he said blankly at the man standing in his doorway. 

"You didn't answer."

"You should've taken that as a sign," Zuko replied dryly.

Aang stepped inside before taking the opposite chair. Zuko took his seat again with a heavy sigh.

"That was her," Aang said quietly. 

"Yes." The word felt heavy. Aang exhaled slowly, because somehow, despite seeing her with his own eyes, part of him had hoped he was wrong and that there was another explanation. Another suspect, anyone else but Azula. 

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The Monday morning rush at the school felt normal at this point and was almost insulting.

After everything that had happened at the festival, you'd expected the city to look different somehow. The children were still running through the hallways and teachers were still scrambling to finish lesson plans. Someone had already spilled tea in the faculty room before eight in the morning but life continued.

You dropped into the chair beside Kaya with a sigh. Kaya looked up from her stack of papers raising her brows as she caught her eyes on you.

"You look exhausted," she said.

"I am exhausted."

"You stayed out late?"

You hesitated, immediately regretted telling her anything. Kaya sat up like a detective smelling a lead.

"Oh no!" Kaya said excitedly. 

"What?" you ask dryly.

"You spent the festival with them, didn't you?"

"There is no 'them,” you groaned.

"There is absolutely a them," she teased softly.

"There isn't."

"The Avatar." Kaya pointed her pen at you. "The Fire Lord and you."

You buried your face in your hands in embarrassment but across from you, Kaya looked delighted.

The day went by antagonizingly slow. You were so relieved to finally get home after a long day of Kaya trying to ask about your love life between classes. The apartment building was unusually quiet when you finally made it home.

You fumbled with your keys while balancing a stack of graded papers beneath one arm, already thinking about dinner and the bath you desperately wanted to take. The lock clicked and you pushed the door open, and something white caught your eye.

A folded envelope lay on the floor just inside your apartment. For a moment, you simply stared at it. There was no address, just plain cream-colored paper.

"...Weird."

Carefully setting your papers on the nearby table, you bent down and picked it up. There was only a single sheet inside. Maybe a note from a neighbor or building management. You unfolded the paper to read the words that were written in neat black ink.The one sentence made your stomach drop.

«We saw you at the festival.»

The room suddenly felt colder. You read the sentence again and again as if the words might somehow change. There was no signature at the end.

Your pulse quickened and nervous laugh escaped you. "Okay..."

You looked around the apartment instinctively to find it empty. Nothing seemed out of place. The windows were still locked, the curtains were still drawn. Everything was exactly as you'd left it that morning but it feels like someone has been here. You folded the note quickly and set it on the counter, but unease lingered stubbornly in the pit of your stomach. Eventually, you forced yourself toward the kitchen for dinner. 

Outside, beyond the apartment walls, Republic City continued humming softly into the night.

Down the hall, Zuko barely looked up from the report spread across his kitchen table, Aang still in the apartment talking his ear off. His brow furrowed at the second hesitant knock on the door. Zuko crossed the apartment and opened the door to find you standing in the hallway clutching a folded piece of paper.

Your expression looked strange.

"What happened?" he asked.

Your eyebrows lifted. "Hello to you too."

"What happened?"

Something in his voice made your smile disappear but slowly, you held up the folded note.

"I wasn't sure if I was overreacting."

A knot formed in his stomach when Zuko took the paper from your hand,  He opened it and read the sentence. His face hardened when he recognized the handwriting.

"Zuko?" you ask 

He didn't answer and you shifted nervously in the doorway.

"Okay, now you're worrying me."

Zuko looked up, and for a moment he considered lying. But then he looked down at the note and realized that decision had already been made for him. Someone else had brought you into this.

"...Come inside."

You stepped into the apartment, the door shutting quietly behind you. Aang sat on  a cushion and waved as you entered the room. Zuko moved toward the kitchen table.

And you noticed it was covered in maps, reports and strings connecting locations.

You stopped short. "...What is all this?"

Zuko stood beside the table staring down at the papers, he looked tired.

When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet. "There is a group operating inside Republic City."

"What kind of group?" you ask.

"The kind that wants people like me gone."

You stared.

Zuko exhaled slowly and finally raised his head to meet your eyes.

"The Ash Circle."

You had never heard it before.

But the way he said it made it sound important.

"They're extremists," Zuko continued.

"Fire Nation loyalists, politicians, military officers, wealthy families. People who believe the world was stronger before the war ended."

"Why are you investigating them yourself?" You swallowed as a humorless smile appeared briefly.

"Because every investigator I've sent has either disappeared or been compromised."

Your gaze drifted toward the maps again. "Who are they working for?"

Zuko hesitated. "My sister."

"Sister?"

Zuko nodded. "Azula."

The name meant little to you, but the look on his face… Whatever existed between them ran far deeper than politics.

You took a slow breath trying to process everything at once.

"They know who I am."

Then Zuko looked directly at you. "That's why I'm telling you."

“I need some air,” you say as you step out of the room. You didn't realize how tense you'd become until you stepped out onto the balcony.

The cool evening air hit your face and you could breathe. Kind of. The city stretched before you in a sea of lanterns and distant lights. Streetcars rattled somewhere below while voices drifted upward from the sidewalks.

Everything looked so normal.

Your fingers tightened around the balcony railing. You still couldn't quite process it. The balcony door slid open quietly behind you.

"Zuko, I promise I'm okay," you  said without turning around.

A familiar voice answered instead. "That's definitely not Zuko."

You looked over your shoulder. Aang stepped onto the balcony carrying two steaming cups of tea. A small laugh escaped you despite yourself. The smile he offered was warm and comforting. Aang handed one of the cups to you before moving beside the railing.

For a while neither of you spoke and you appreciated that. Eventually Aang rested his elbows against the railing.

"You look scared."

You stared into your tea. "I think I am."

Aang nodded.

"They know who I am," you said quietly. "They know where I live."

Aang's expression softened. "I know."

You leaned against the railing beside him.

"I just..." You sighed. "A week ago my biggest concern was lesson plans."

Aang chuckled quietly. "Life changes fast."

"Apparently."

The smile faded from your face. "You don't seem surprised by any of this."

Aang looked away. “You get used to surprises.”

He sounded so emotionally tired.

"But what I've learned is that being afraid doesn't mean you're weak," he continued.

You stared at him and for a moment, everything felt a little lighter.

Aang's smile softened. "You don't have to carry this by yourself."

"You make that sound easy."

"It isn't," he said honestly. "But it's easier when people help."

The two of you stood there quietly for another moment, then Aang nudged your shoulder lightly with his own playfully.

"You know..."

"What?"

"If it helps, Zuko looked ready to personally fight the entire Ash Circle after reading that note."

A surprised laugh escaped you. "Really?"

"Oh, absolutely."

You smiled despite yourself. "And you?"

Aang's expression warmed. "I'd fight them too."

The answer was so simple.

So sincere.

That for a moment you couldn't speak.

Aang didn't seem embarrassed by it.

Didn't try to take it back.

He simply stood beside you beneath the city lights.

Steady as ever.

And somehow, for the first time since finding the letter, you felt safe.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

The city stretched endlessly beyond the balcony.

Lanterns glowed.

Streetcars rattled somewhere below.

Life continued.

And somehow that felt comforting.

You stared down into your tea. "I didn't think moving here would be like this."

Aang laughed softly. "To be fair, most people don't accidentally get involved in secret conspiracies."

"That's reassuring."

"It shouldn't be." Aang grinned.

"It really isn't." The sound of your laughter followed.

"You know," he said quietly, "you're handling this a lot better than you think."

You looked down.

"I don't feel like I am."

"That's because you're scared."

You laughed weakly and rubbed at your face. "Sorry."

"Don't apologize."

You shook your head. "No, it's stupid."

"It's not." Aang's voice remained calm.

And before you could stop yourself, you stepped forward and his arms wrapped around you. He felt warm, gentle and comforting. You buried your face briefly against his shoulder and exhaled. The tension you'd been carrying all evening seemed to drain away at his touch.

Aang rested his chin lightly against the top of your head. "You'll be okay."

For a few seconds, neither of you moved, then the balcony door slid open. You pulled back and Aang looked up and immediately regretted it. Zuko stood in the doorway with a blank expression on his face. For one horrible second, the entire situation looked significantly worse than it actually was.

"Oh," you managed. Excellent recovery.

Zuko's expression remained unreadable but he spoke softly. "I brought tea."

Aang looked at the cups, then back at Zuko, then looked away. Zuko crossed the balcony and handed one of the cups to you and one to Aang. His movements were calm and controlled. You knew him well enough now to recognize the warning signs. The tightness in his jaw and the stiffness in his shoulders. He wouldn't quite look directly at either of you. He was very irritated and trying desperately not to show it.

"Thanks," you said carefully.

"Of course."

Aang took a cautious sip of tea. Apparently he enjoyed Zuko’s suffering.

"You know, I was just telling her that you'd probably fight the entire Ash Circle yourself."

You closed your eyes hoping that it wouldn’t trigger Zuko. Zuko's stare shifted toward him slowly.

"Really."

"Mhm."

Aang smiled innocently and you could physically feel the tension building.

"I said you looked ready to declare war."

Zuko looked away and you smiled.

The fear that had shadowed your face all evening was finally gone and the realization eased some of the jealousy twisting unpleasantly in his chest. But, even as he stood beside you both beneath the city lights, he couldn't quite forget what he'd seen when he opened that door. He wanted to forget the way Aang had looked holding onto you and how much he'd wanted to be the one comforting you instead.

Aang clumsily excused himself and slid past Zuko. The balcony door slid shut behind Aang and you watched him disappear down the hallway, his footsteps fading into the rest of the apartment building.

"You should stay here," Zuko said softly.

Turning, you found Zuko leaning against the doorway.

"What?" you ask.

His arms were crossed tightly over his chest. "You should stay here. For a while."

You stared. "Zuko—"

"I'm serious," he said. His voice was firm.

You frowned. "Because of the letter?"

"Because someone knows where you are."

You opened your mouth but he cut you off before you could speak.

"Because somebody took the time to write a threat, find your address, and deliver it." His jaw tightened. "And because whoever did it clearly thinks they can get close enough to scare you."

The protective anger in his voice made your chest ache.

"Zuko, I don't think it's that serious."

His eyes narrowed at your stubbornness."That's exactly what people say before it becomes serious."

A sigh escaped you. "You're being dramatic."

"I'm being cautious," he countered seriously.

"You're being dramatic."

"I'm literally the Fire Lord."

You snorted and you swore you saw the corner of his mouth twitch for a second before he was serious again.

"I'm not joking," he stated plainly.

His gaze settled on yours. "If something happened to you."

The words stopped, and you saw the vulnerability flash across his face. 

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Maybe." He stepped closer. "But I'd rather know that than hope."

The evening breeze tugged at his hair. You became very aware of how close he was standing. He was close enough that you could see the gold flecks in his eyes.

"I have room," he said sincerely. 

You laughed. "What, in here?" you ask with a snort.

"Yes."

"You want me to move here?" you repeated your question. 

"For a little while."

"You realize how insane that sounds,"

"I don't." His expression remained completely serious.

A smile pulled at your lips. "Zuko."

"What?"

"You sound like somebody's worried husband," you spoke quietly before thinking. 

His entire body froze and your face heated up. 

"Oh my gosh." You buried your face in your hands. "I didn't mean—"

"No," he stated.

You looked up to find the tips of his ears had turned red.

"No, I know,” he said quietly. 

The two of you stood there in awkward silence, neither knowing where to look.

Eventually, Zuko cleared his throat. "Anyway." His voice cracked slightly.

You tried and failed not to smile.

"Anyway," he repeated. "You should stay here."

You laughed. "Is that it?" you asked amusingly.

"Is what it?"

"The reason you came out here."

His expression instantly grew defensive. "I came out here because of the letter."

"Mhm."

"And because you're terrible at taking threats seriously," he rambled. 

"Mhm."

"And because you shouldn't be alone," he stated.

Your smile faded and you noticed how exhausted he looked and how tense his shoulders were.

"Zuko."

His eyes met yours. You reached out to him, your fingers brushed his arm. Every muscle in his body went still. He cleared his throat, breaking the moment. 

"Think about it," he said.

But before you could answer, he turned and headed back inside. You were left standing on the balcony staring after him and trying very hard not to think about the fact that moving into Zuko's apartment suddenly sounded like a very great idea.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rights to any characters mentioned nor do I consent to plagiarism of any kind. Thankyou for reading loves (^.^) Tags: @potterjacksonsworld @uchihabbynic @mimiu3usoft @noname2246 @encorp  @primroseluna  @darkloverfox @annichka @bootycallnaruto @sweetmist4545 @cinnamongirlkisses @uglyr3ader @butterflygirlblogg @amethyst09  @skyavyel @atman9 @wsmlove @bbygirl77 @strangeprincessblog @sainz0fthetimes

[princessaddz]

Zuko had been trying to draw a map. A simple coastline, nothing complicated. Instead, his hand betrayed him. By the time he looked down, he'd drawn the curve of your jaw. He stared at it for a long time before he ripped the page out.

The second sketch happened the next night and the third happened a week later. After that, he stopped pretending it was accidental.

Months after the breakup, nobody knew about the notebook. Every page was you.

You laughing, asleep against his shoulder, sitting cross-legged on the palace balcony, reaching for his hand.

The sketches grew messier the farther he got. He was afraid he'd forget and was trying to preserve every version of you before time stole the details. Some pages only contained your eyes and others were covered in notes written in the margins. Tiny things  that nobody else would remember or care about.

The worst nights were when he couldn't remember your voice. He'd sit at his desk until dawn, sketchbook open, trying desperately to hear it. He’d try to remember the exact way you laughed and said his name. The way you'd whisper "Zuko" whenever you found him spiraling into one of his moods.

Some nights he could hear it perfectly but other nights it felt distant like a dream fading after waking up. Those nights terrified him because if he forgot your voice, what came next? Your smile?

Page 127.

A drawing he'd started earlier that evening of you sitting in a garden, head tilted back, smiling at something he couldn't remember. The smile wasn't finished and the eyes weren't right. He could feel the memory slipping. Little pieces disappearing every day and he hated himself for it.

Maybe if he had fought harder or said the right thing. If he'd been better, you might still be here.

A tear drop landed on the paper, making the pages wet. The dark spots of the ink began spreading across the drawing. He cried because forgetting was worse than losing you. 

Losing you once hadn't already destroyed him enough.

The next morning, a servant would find the Fire Lord asleep at his desk, head resting on an open sketchbook.The page beneath him unfinished with another portrait. A memory of a girl he couldn't stop loving.

☆Wrote this because I am in fact a yearner and I miss my ex. Lmao tags: @strangeprincessblog  @cinnamongirlkisses  @amethyst09  @skyavyel @butterflygirlblogg @rubyyworld @uchihabbynic @annichka 

[princessaddz]

Currently in another state with no laptop soooo I will post more requests next week. Okay byeee. Love you

[princessaddz]

I love your Zuko x Mermaid au! I play the duo songs Meeting Place/ The Time Has Come Again by The Last Shadow Puppets while reading your series 🙂‍↕️ Ty for writing!

I listened to these two songs and they were great!! I personally listened to LDR's honeymoon album and Sade's Love Deluxe album while writing both chapters. Glad you enjoyed it and thankyou for reading anon ♡♡

[princessaddz]

Hii!! I love your rooftop kisses fic a lot and I noticed the part where you said the rooftop is where Hobie asked reader to be his partner and where reader and Hobie had their first kiss. Can you PLEASEEE write a fic of that? But like can you do a time skip between both moments?

☆AN: Thankyou Anon! this was super cutee ☆Hobie ×Fem!Reader ☆Word count: 1.4k ☆CW: Fluff. Kissing. No use of Y/N.

Masterlist Hobie Brown Masterlist Based on this fic

Falling in Love

The last bell rang, and the whole school spilled out onto the sidewalks in loud, restless waves. You walked beside Hobie through the crowd, your backpack hanging off one shoulder while he held your bag in his other hand. Every now and then people would say hi to him, and he’d nod back without really slowing down.

“You actually survived today,” you said.

“Barely.” he replied. 

The autumn air was warm enough to keep your jacket unzipped, sunlight stretching gold across the streets as the two of you wandered away from school with nowhere specific to be. Well, nowhere specific until Hobie suddenly stopped in front of a tiny shaved ice stand tucked between two buildings.

You blinked in surprise. “Oh my god.”

“What?”

“You remembered.” you say.

“Course I did.” A week ago, you’d mentioned offhand that you used to get shaved ice all the time as a kid but hadn’t had it in years. You hadn’t even thought he was listening.

“Pick one,” he said, nodding toward the menu.

“You’re paying?” you say in disbelief.

He scoffed. “Don’t sound so shocked.”

“I am shocked.”

“Rude.”

A few minutes later, the two of you were walking again with paper cups of shaved ice in your hands. Your tongue was stained blue and Hobie kept stealing bites from yours even though he had his own.

“You literally got cherry,” you complained.

“And yours is better,” he countered.

“Because you picked a bad flavor.”

“Nah. Yours just tastes sweeter.”

You looked over at him suspiciously. “That was corny.”

“Yeah,” he admitted before taking another bite of your shaved ice. You shoved his shoulder with a chuckle as you kept walking. Eventually the familiar streets started fading into quieter ones. There were less people, older buildings and rusted fire escapes and faded graffiti covering brick walls.

You glanced at him. “Where are we going?”

“Nowhere,” he said mischievously.

“Hobie.”

He smirked a little. “You ask too many questions.”

“That’s because you’re weird,” you declare but kept following him anyway.

“True.” Finally, he stopped in front of an abandoned building squeezed between two taller ones. Most of the windows were broken, and the front gate hung crookedly open.

You stared at it in confusion. “Hobie.”

“What?” he asked.

“You’re definitely gonna get me murdered one day.”

“Nah,” he said, already stepping inside. “You trust me too much for that.”

Inside smelled faintly like dust and rain. The building was empty except for old paint cans, graffiti, and scattered junk left behind years ago. Sunlight poured through cracked windows in long golden strips.

“Okay,” you said slowly, following him up a staircase. “This is either incredibly romantic or the beginning of a horror movie.”

“You watch too many films,” he said critically. 

“You brought me to an abandoned building!”

“And you still came inside.”

You rolled your eyes, but you were smiling. By the time you reached the roof, you were slightly out of breath but the view made up for it instantly. The whole city stretched around you in glowing late-afternoon light, rooftops layered endlessly into the distance. Wind tugged softly at your clothes, carrying the sounds of traffic far below.

“Cool, innit?” Hobie said quietly.

You looked over at him. His eyes squinted softly in the sun, his tie loosened from school, sleeves rolled up messily to his elbows. He looked so comfortable up here. 

“Yeah,” you said softly. “Really cool.”

You ended up sitting near the edge, knees brushing together. At some point, your shaved ice cups got abandoned beside you, half melted. You talked about everything, school, music, what you wanted to do after graduation. Everything that scared you and what didn’t.

Talking to Hobie always felt easy and even when he went quiet, it never felt awkward.

“You know,” he said eventually, leaning back on his hands, “you’re different than I thought you’d be.”

“Oh? Is that good or bad?” you tilt your head to look at him curiously. 

“Good.”

You tried not to smile too hard. “What did you think I’d be like?”

“Dunno,” he admitted. “Thought you’d think I was annoying.”

“You are annoying.”

He laughed quietly at your response. The sound made your chest feel warm. The sun had started dipping lower by the time things got quieter between you. You looked out over the city while the wind curled around both of you and then you felt his hand brush yours almost hesitantly. You looked down at your hands for half a second before letting your fingers lace together.

Hobie glanced at you and your heart started beating harder.

“You alright?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah,” your voice came out smaller than usual.

His thumb brushed against your knuckles once before leaning in just slightly, enough for you to feel his breath before anything else. His eyes flicked down toward your lips briefly before back up to your eyes again, almost asking. When you leaned closer too, that was all the answer he needed.

The kiss was soft and careful, short enough to make your stomach flip the second he pulled away. For a split second, the both of you just stared at each other.

“You’re smiling,” he murmured.

“No I’m not.” You tried to hide it by ducking your head, laughing quietly, but he caught your chin gently before you could fully look away.

“You definitely are,” he said before he kissed you again, ensuring to make it last longer than last time. He wanted to cherish the moment. The city blurred around you, everything except him faded out completely.

You fell a little in love with him when he cupped your face to deepen the kiss. When Hobie finally pulled away, your foreheads rested together, breaths uneven, the wind curling softly around you both. You let out a tiny nervous laugh, and Hobie smiled a small and crooked and warm smile in a way you hadn’t seen before.

“What?” you mumbled.

“Nothin’.”

“You’re looking at me weird.”

“You just kissed me,” he said quietly, like you were the surprising thing here.

“You kissed me first.”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “Good decision, I think.”

You laughed softly again, cheeks warm. Without really thinking about it, you leaned into him, laying your head on him. Hobie shifted until his back rested against the low wall behind you, then gently tugged you closer by your hand. You settled against his chest, your legs stretched out beside his while his arms wrapped loosely around you.

The sunset had faded into early evening now, the sky painted in deep oranges and soft blues. Below you, the city buzzed on without caring that your whole world had just changed. You could hear his heartbeat if you focused hard enough. It was steady and strong.

Your fingers absentmindedly played with the rings on his hand while he rested his chin lightly against the top of your head. Neither of you talked for a while.

After a few quiet minutes, you felt him shift slightly.

“What’re you doing?” you asked lazily.

“Hang on.”

You lifted your head just enough to see him pulling at one of the bracelets around his wrist. It was worn-looking, black threads braided together with little metal charms tangled into it. Something he clearly wore all the time.

You frowned slightly. “Hobie—”

“Hold still.”

Before you could argue, he carefully took your wrist in his hand and tied the bracelet around it. His fingers brushed your skin as he tightened the knot gently.

“There you go,” he murmured. He shrugged like it was nothing, but you caught the slight nervousness in the way he avoided your eyes afterward. “Wanted you to have it.”

“But you wear this all the time.”

“Not anymore.”

“Why?” you asked softly.

“Cause I am yours.”

Your heart nearly stopped. You swallowed hard, fingers curling carefully around the bracelet now resting on your wrist.

“That’s…” you laughed quietly, “that’s ridiculously sweet.”

“Don’t make it weird.”

“You made it weird!”

“Nah,” he said, pulling you back against him again. “You’re making it weird.”

You rested your head back against his chest, staring out at the city lights beginning to flicker on one by one. Your thumb brushed over the bracelet carefully.

“You know I’m never taking this off now, right?”

“Good.”

You stayed tangled together on that rooftop until the stars started appearing overhead, your hand still resting over the bracelet on your wrist while Hobie absentmindedly traced shapes against your arm. And you were sure you loved him.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rights to any characters mentioned nor do I consent to plagiarism of any kind. Thankyou for reading loves ;)

Tags: @sophiabrown222  @b3rryb3t @strangeprincessblog  @cinnamongirlkisses  @amethyst09  @skyavyel @butterflygirlblogg 

[princessaddz]

Equinox: Chapter Four

☆Fire Lord Zuko x Fem!reader x Avatar Aang ☆CW: Fluff and slight angst. ☆Word Count: 3.2k ☆Summary: Aang and Zuko navigate shared unresolved feelings for reader while taking her to a festival. Zuko runs into someone from his past.

☆Prologue ☆Chapter One ☆Chapter Two ☆Chapter Three

☆Masterlist ☆Equinox Masterlist

The next evening, arrived far too late for Zuko’s liking mostly because he’d spent half the day replaying conversations he did not want to think about. Which was irritating, unproductive, and unfortunately impossible to stop. By the time sunlight filtered through the apartment windows, Zuko had already been sitting for hours pretending paperwork required his full attention.

It didn’t. The same report had been sitting open in front of him untouched for nearly twenty minutes. A soft knock sounded against the door but Zuko didn’t even look up.

“Go away,” he  grumbled.

The door opened anyway and Aang stepped inside with a small smile.

“You’re very welcoming in the evenings,” he said teasingly.

“I meant it affectionately,” Zuko mumbled over his papers irritatingly.

“You absolutely didn’t.”

Aang crossed the room anyway to the kitchen to make some tea. The smell alone told Zuko immediately it was jasmine. His favorite, how annoying. Aang hummed softly to himself before setting one of the cups beside Zuko’s papers.

“You’re hovering,” Zuko muttered.

“You’re avoiding me.”

“That implies you’re worth avoiding.”

Aang sat across from him completely unbothered. “You left pretty quickly last night.”

“I had work,” he replied defensively. 

“You always have work.”

“You only sound irritated,” Aang said observingly.

“I’m not irritated.”

Aang chuckled to himself softly. Zuko hated how easy Aang was to talk to sometimes, it made conversations like this harder. He already knew where this was going and apparently, so did Aang.

The room fell quieter for a moment before Aang spoke up.

“So,” Aang said carefully, “you know her too.”

Zuko reached for his tea mostly to buy himself time. “…Apparently,” he said softly.

Aang leaned back slightly in his chair. “How?”

“She’s my neighbor.” The words came clipped from Zuko’s lips.

Aang blinked in surprise. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“That’s…” He paused. “Actually kind of funny.”

Zuko looked unimpressed. “It’s really not.”

Aang studied him for a second longer. “You like her,” he said directly.

Zuko immediately looked away, suddenly finding the color of his drapes interesting. 

“No, I don’t,” he stuttered softly. 

Aang stared at him. “…Zuko.”

Zuko sighed, “What?” 

“You’re doing the thing,” Aang motioned vaguely with his hands. 

“What thing?”

“The lying thing.”

“I’m not lying,” Zuko said defensively.

“You literally won’t look at me.”

Zuko’s jaw tightened slightly because unfortunately Aang wasn’t wrong and that only made the irritation sitting in his chest worse. He exhaled slowly before leaning back in his chair.

“You barely know her either,” he said finally.

Aang tilted his head slightly. “You’re deflecting.” He sighed before continuing, “…look, I’m not trying to make this weird.”

Zuko almost laughed at that because despite everything, this wasn’t some random person, this was Aang. His best friend. The person who had stood beside him through the worst parts of his life and that made this feel stranger than it should have.

“I just…” Aang hesitated slightly now. “I wanted to know if this was going to become a problem.”

That got Zuko’s attention and his eyes lifted sharply. “A problem?”

“You know what I mean.”

No. Actually, Zuko didn’t. He hadn’t let himself think far enough ahead for it to become a problem yet. He’d only allowed himself the smaller things. The hallway conversations, the tea shop, the sound of your laugh and the warmth that kept settling unexpectedly into his chest whenever you looked at him too long. Small and manageable things. Not whatever uncomfortable feeling surfaced at the thought of Aang wanting you too.

“…It won’t,” Zuko answered finally.

Aang studied him carefully before continuing, “You sure?”

Zuko rubbed tiredly at his forehead. “This is stupid.”

Aang smiled faintly. “Probably.”

“We’re grown adults,” Zuko continued.

“Debatable,” Aang murmured under his breath.

Zuko ignored him. “She’s just…” He stopped himself abruptly.

“What?”

“…You should ask her out,” Zuko said suddenly.

Aang blinked again in surprise. “That sounded painful for you to say.”

“It was.”

Aang laughed softly before his expression shifted again into a more thoughtful one.

“…Do you want me to?” he asked.

The question caught Zuko completely off guard. His brows furrowed slightly. “What?”

“If it bothers you, I mean.”

“It doesn’t.” Another lie on his tongue. 

“You know,” he said carefully, “this would be easier if you actually talked about your feelings for once.”

Zuko looked genuinely offended. “I talk about my feelings.”

Aang stared at him blankly. “…You threatened a diplomat last week because you were stressed.”

“He was being irritating,” Zuko countered.

“He said good morning.”

“He said it condescendingly.”

Aang laughed outright this time and despite himself Zuko felt some of the tension ease slightly. But underneath it all, the problem still remained. You and the increasingly inconvenient fact that neither of them seemed capable of staying away from you.The silence in Zuko’s apartment had become increasingly unbearable over the last ten minutes.

Mostly because Aang was smiling in thought, not talking. Zuko finally looked up from his paperwork with visible irritation.

“…Why are you still here?”

Aang blinked innocently. “You invited me in.”

“You made tea, you drank the tea. Mission accomplished. Why are you here?” Zuko repeated.

“You’re very hostile for someone who voluntarily owns matching teacups.”

“They came with the apartment,” Zuko muttered annoyingly.

Aang smiled wider. “You’re deflecting again.”

Zuko immediately looked back down at the report in front of him. “I’m working.”

“No, you’re pretending to work.”

“I am literally reading documents,” Zuko pointed to the papers in front of him.

“You’ve been staring at the same page for like ten minutes.”

Zuko hated that he was right. The apartment fell quiet for another second before Aang leaned back slightly in his chair.

“…You know,” he said casually, “I am going to just ask her out.”

Zuko’s pen stopped moving and his eyes moved to meet Zuko’s as he tried to keep his expression neutral. “Then do it,” he said eventually.

Aang studied him. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you really don’t.”

Zuko set the pen down with deliberate calm. “Aang.”

“You got weirdly quiet last night,” Aang pointed out. “And then today you basically admitted you like her.”

“I did not.” Zuko exhaled sharply through his nose. Spirits, this conversation was exhausting.

Aang tilted his head slightly, watching him carefully. “…You really do like her.”

The statement was less teasing and Zuko hated it because he didn’t actually know what to do with that truth yet.

Did he enjoy being around you? Obviously.

Did he think about you too much? Unfortunately.

Did he look for excuses to remain near you longer than necessary? Probably.

But liking you felt dangerous and real in a way he wasn’t prepared to unpack. Especially now with Aang sitting directly across from him.

“You’re being dramatic about this,” Zuko muttered finally.

Aang looked deeply unconvinced.“Sokka told me that you intercepted a guy flirting with her.”

Zuko’s eyes narrowed, regretting telling Sokka about the interaction.  “He was annoying.”

Aang burst out laughing and despite himself, Zuko felt heat crawl embarrassingly up the back of his neck. Annoying.

“Oh my god,” Aang said between laughs. “You were jealous.”

“I was not jealous. I barely know her.”

“That’s never stopped anyone from being jealous before.” Aang pointed out.

Zuko looked away, which unfortunately seemed to answer the question for Aang more than words would have. Aang stood abruptly which made Zuko immediately narrowed his eyes further.

“…What are you doing?”

Aang stretched casually. “I think I’m gonna go visit her.”

Zuko’s stomach tightened at the thought. “You’re impossible.”

“And you’re avoiding your feelings.”

“That doesn’t mean you get to weaponize yours.”

Aang grinned in a way that was deeply concerning. “Oh, you’re definitely angry.”

“I’m not angry.”

“You sounded angrier that time.”

Zuko stared at him flatly. “Aang.”

“What?” Aang interrupted innocently. “Maybe I genuinely want to see her.”

Aang moved toward the door, visibly enjoying his teasing.Zuko could feel himself getting irritated. He could picture Aang at your door and you smiling when you opened it, inviting him inside and laughing with him the way you laughed with everyone you cared about.

Possessiveness twisted low in Zuko’s chest before he could stop it. Aang paused at the doorway before glancing back over his shoulder.

“…You could come too,” he said teasingly.

Zuko scoffed immediately. “Absolutely not.”

“Why not?”

“Because unlike you, I have responsibilities.”

Aang grinned brightly. “No you don’t.”

Before Zuko could argue further, Aang stepped out into the hallway and several seconds later, Zuko heard a knock echo faintly from somewhere down the corridor. Silence settled heavily through the room, Zuko stared at the closed door then very calmly set his paperwork aside.

“…Unbelievable.” Zuko told himself as he took a step into the hallway. The hallway outside the apartments was quieter than usual, washed gold by the dim lanterns mounted along the walls. Dowel the hall, you stood in your doorway wearing lounge clothes that made it painfully obvious you’d already settled in for the night.

And Aang was leaning casually against the wall beside your door smiling at you. Zuko immediately disliked the sight. You noticed him first, eyes widening slightly in surprise before something more complicated crossed your expression. Aang turned at the movement behind him, then grinned.

“Oh, hey Zuko,” Aang said tauntingly.  Zuko narrowed his eyes slightly as you looked between them, clearly trying to figure out the strange tension hanging awkwardly in the hallway.

“…Am I interrupting something?” you asked carefully.

“Yes,” Zuko answered.

“No,” Aang said at the exact same time.

Aang laughed softly while Zuko looked unimpressed.

“I was just asking if she wanted to go to the festival with me tomorrow,” Aang explained casually.

Your attention shifted back toward him, surprise flickering across your face.

“The festival?”

“Mhm.” Aang nodded. “The cultural celebration downtown.”

“I know what festival you mean,” you laughed lightly.

“Then you should come.”

Zuko hated how natural Aang made things look.

You look towards Zuko momentarily before hesitating slightly. Part of you was checking his reaction first.

“I…” You smiled faintly, an apologetic tone in your voice. “That sounds nice.”

Aang's smile brightened. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” As you responded, Zuko felt something unpleasant tighten sharply in his chest again. Your smile falters slightly when you turn to look at him. 

“…You okay?” you asked him softly.

Zuko crossed his arms loosely. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You look annoyed,” Aang states.

Zuko shot him a glare and you tried unsuccessfully to hide your laugh behind your hand. The three of you standing together in the quiet hallway felt natural despite the awkwardness simmering beneath it.

“You should come too,” Aang states.

“…What?” Zuko blinked in disbelief. 

“The festival,” Aang repeated. “You should come with us.”

You looked surprised too now. “Aang—”

“What?” he asked innocently. “We’re all friends.”

Zuko almost choked. “We are not all friends.”

“You walked her home,” Aang pointed out.

“That was situational.”

“You carried my papers,” you added quietly.

Zuko looked at you and the amusement on your face while Aang glanced between both of you with too much satisfaction.

“You should come,” he repeated again, softer this time. And annoyingly, you looked like you wanted him to say yes. Zuko could see it in the way your expression shifted hopefully for half a second before you tried smoothing it over.

Zuko exhaled slowly through his nose.

“…I’ll think about it.”

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

You changed outfits three times which was ridiculous. It was a festival, not a coronation, not a date. Definitely not a date. And yet somehow, you’d spent nearly an hour standing in front of your mirror pulling clothes on and off while internally debating things that absolutely did not matter. You groaned softly before dropping face-first onto the edge of your bed.

“This is insane.”

Why were you nervous? It wasn’t as if you were going alone with Aang, or alone with Zuko. You sat back up with a sigh before glancing toward the outfit currently laid across your bed again.

It was simple, and pretty. Not too formal. You finally changed into it before you could overthink yourself into another crisis. The soft fabric settled comfortably against your skin. 

Okay. This was fine. You were just attending a city festival with two incredibly attractive men who clearly had unresolved feelings and weird tension with each other.

A knock sounded against your apartment door making your stomach flip. You crossed the apartment quickly before pulling the door open and forgot how to speak for half a second. Zuko stood there already dressed for the evening in dark formal Fire Nation robes accented with deep red and gold detailing. Warm lantern light from the hallway caught against the scar along his face, softening the sharpness of his expression. And unfortunately he looked unfairly good. His gaze lifted fully to you. He stared long enough for heat to crawl up your neck.

“…Hi,” you said intelligently.

Zuko blinked once trying to remember how conversations worked. “…You’re ready.”

You looked down at yourself. “Hopefully?”

His eyes flicked away shyly.  “Yes,” he answered quietly. “You look…”

Your heartbeat quickened slightly. “I look what?”

Zuko looked genuinely annoyed with himself now. “…Nice.”

You stifled a chuckle. “Nice?”

“I’m trying to be respectful,” he rubbed the back of his neck as he said it.

“That’s disappointing.” A startled laugh escaped him at your response. 

“You look nice too,” you admitted.

“…Thank you.” He held out a hand slightly toward the staircase. “We should go before the streets get crowded.”

Your eyes flicked briefly toward the offered gesture before you stepped into the hallway beside him. Warmth brushed faintly against your arm as he fell into step beside you and you finally understood why you’d spent so long getting ready.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

The closer you and Zuko walked toward downtown, the brighter the streets became. Lanterns hung suspended overhead in glowing strands between buildings while music drifted through the evening air alongside laughter and conversation. Crowds filled the sidewalks dressed in colorful fabrics from every nation, children darted between market stalls, and performers lined the streets. Somewhere nearby, fireworks cracked softly in the distance. 

“It’s beautiful,” you murmured.

Zuko glanced toward you briefly. “It used to be smaller.”

“You sound old.”

“I am old,” he said softly

“You’re not old.”

“I’ve been dealing with politicians since I was sixteen,” he deadpanned. “That ages a person.”

You laughed softly as the two of you continued walking and people gradually began recognizing him more frequently.

“How do you deal with that?” you ask.

“With what?”

You gestured subtly toward the people around you. “The staring.”

Zuko’s gaze drifted briefly across the crowded street, then back at you. “You get used to it.”

The city noise blurred around you both as the two of you slowed slightly near one of the lantern-lined bridges crossing the canal. You smiled faintly at him.

“Well,” you said gently, “for what it’s worth, I think you’re handling it pretty well.”

“HEY!” Both of you turned instinctively toward the loud voice cutting through the crowd. Aang waved enthusiastically from farther down the bridge, already making his way toward you both through the lantern-lit streets. Aang reached the two of you quickly, with far too much energy for someone surrounded by this many people. “There you are,” he said brightly.

Then his attention shifted fully toward you and he looked awestruck.

“You look amazing.”

Heat rushed straight to your face at the compliment. “Oh—thank you.”

Beside you, Zuko looked away with visible restraint.

“You clean up nicely too,” you teased lightly, trying to recover.

Aang laughed softly, rubbing the back of his neck. The festival pulsed around you in warm gold light and music. Everywhere you looked, the city felt alive. Aang walked beside you easily, occasionally pointing out different performances or decorations while Zuko lingered on your other side, quieter but noticeably attentive. You drifted closer between them naturally.

“Okay,” Aang announced suddenly. “Important question.” He pointed dramatically toward a nearby food stall. “Festival dumplings. Yes or no?”

“Yes,” you answered immediately.

You laughed softly as Aang pulled both of you toward the food stalls enthusiastically. You ate while walking through the crowded streets, occasionally stopping to watch performers or browse market stands. At one point, Aang convinced you to try a game involving tossing rings onto glass bottles. 

You were beginning to notice how different they both felt beside you. Aang touched your arm when he spoke sometimes without thinking about it. Leaned closer naturally. Zuko was quieter and more intense because of it. Every word was carefully chosen and whenever the crowd pressed too tightly around you, protectively.

Aang suddenly pointed upward excitedly. “Oh! We should go to the upper bridge before the lantern release starts.”

The upper bridge overlooked nearly the entire festival. From this high above the streets, Republic City looked unreal beneath the lantern light. Thousands of glowing lights reflected across the canals below while music drifted upward through the warm night air in softened echoes. People crowded along the railing waiting for the lantern release to begin.

Aang leaned against the railing beside you pointing toward different sections of the city while you listened, laughing softly whenever his explanations became overly enthusiastic. Meanwhile, Zuko stood slightly behind you both, watching the crowd with careful awareness he never fully turned off. You assumed he was just being observant, but his posture stiffened slightly and his attention locked somewhere deep within the crowd below.

You frowned faintly. “Zuko?”

He didn’t answer, but his eyes were set on the movement between the lantern stalls near the lower canal was one of the men from the tea shop. The same narrow face and the same dark coat, Zuko was certain of it. Before he could move, another figure stepped from the crowd behind the man. 

The second Zuko saw her, the entire world seemed to stop. His stomach dropped violently. The woman moved beneath the lantern light with unsettling familiarity, sharp posture and controlled movements. Even from this distance, Zuko recognized the silhouette immediately.

“…Zuko?” Your voice sounded distant and muted in Zuko’s ears. The woman turned slightly while speaking to the men surrounding her, and lantern light caught against her face. 

Azula. Alive.

Zuko’s breath caught painfully in his throat. For one horrifying second, he was sixteen again. His hands clenched instinctively at his sides. Every report had insisted she disappeared somewhere beyond the Fire Nation islands with no confirmed sightings and no reliable information. Yet, there she was.

Her gaze lifted upward, directly toward him. Azula smiled with something like victory plastered on her face. She looked like she’d been waiting for this moment. Your stomach tightened immediately at the expression on Zuko’s face. You’d never seen him look like that before, so terrified.

Aang stepped closer instantly. “What’s wrong?”

Zuko finally spoke barely audibly. “…We need to leave.”

The seriousness in his tone made your pulse spike. “What happened?” you asked.

Zuko was already moving forward toward the stairs before stopping himself. He couldn’t chase her, not with you here and not without risking exposure. Azula knew that. That smile had told him everything. This wasn’t an accident, she wanted him to see her.

Aang moved beside him, voice lower. “Zuko.”

Zuko looked back toward the canal again, but Azula was already disappearing into the crowd below alongside the others. Your eyes moved carefully between both men, confused and concerned.

“…Who was that?”

Disclaimer: I don't own Rights to any characters mentioned nor do I consent to plagiarism of any kind. Thankyou for reading loves (^.^)

Tags: @potterjacksonsworld @uchihabbynic @mimiu3usoft @noname2246 @encorp  @primroseluna  @darkloverfox @annichka @bootycallnaruto @sweetmist4545 @cinnamongirlkisses @uglyr3ader @butterflygirlblogg @amethyst09  @skyavyel @wsmlove @bbygirl77 @strangeprincessblog @sainz0fthetimes

AN: sorry i didn't put this out yesterday I was busy!! But I like where this is going so yay!!

[princessaddz]

Zuko x Wife Reader Zuko asks for another baby

By the third hour of the meeting, scrolls were littered the long table and tea had gone cold hours ago. Ministers droned on about trade disputes and naval routes while the sunset bled orange through the palace windows and despite being the Fire Lord, Zuko had paid attention to almost none of it because his daughter was asleep on his chest.

She had started the meeting in your arms, warm and fussy after feeding, but the second Zuko held out his hands for her, she settled immediately. Now she rested against him in a tiny bundle of crimson silk, cheek squished against the dark fabric of his robes while her small fist clung weakly to his collar.

The sight alone had nearly killed you the first time you saw it months ago.

One hand supported her back while the other rested protectively over her tiny body, thumb absentmindedly stroking slow patterns whenever she stirred. The entire room stopped breathing when she made the faintest little whine in her sleep. Zuko gently bounced the baby once against his chest, his voice quiet and soft.

“It’s alright.” Once she settled again, he lifted his eyes back toward the minister.

“…Continue.”

You sat beside him quietly, watching him from the corner of your eye while pretending to listen to the meeting. Truthfully, you were exhausted. Motherhood has changed a lot. Your body still aches some days, sleep came in fragments now and you couldn’t remember the last time you’d eaten a meal without interruption.

But then moments where Zuko looked at your daughter like she hung the moon itself in the sky happened and it was all worth it. The meeting dragged on another hour before the final advisor finally bowed.

“That concludes today’s reports, Fire Lord.” Zuko nodded once dismissing them.

The room emptied out and you were met with silence finally. Zuko leaned back heavily in his chair with a long exhale.

“She survived her first council meeting,” he murmured quietly to the baby.

“I think she handled it better than some of the ministers.” You laughed softly, stretching your arms above your head as tension left your shoulders.

“Hm.” he looked down at her with ridiculous seriousness.

“She has better judgment.” You leaned toward him slowly, unable to stop smiling. The candlelight painted gold across his scarred face and his hair had come loose during the meeting, dark strands falling over tired amber eyes.

He looked exhausted but peaceful. You brushed your fingers lightly over the baby’s soft hair.

“She slept almost the entire time.” you cooed at her

“She likes being near me.” he responded

“She likes warmth.” you snorted.

At first, after she’d been born, he’d been terrified to hold her. You still remembered the way his hands shook the first time the midwives placed her in his arms.

“What if I hurt her?” he asked quietly.

You had almost cried hearing it.

Because he held her as if she was too precious to touch. And sometimes you caught him pacing the nursery in the middle of the night whispering little stories to her when he thought you were asleep. Your heart ached just thinking about it. He looks at you with a softened look in his eye. 

“What?” you asked carefully.

His thumb brushed across the baby’s back once.

“We should have another one.”

You stared at him in disbelief.

“…Another what?” 

“Baby.” 

“You are currently holding a baby.” you blinked slowly.

“Yes.” he nodded

“And you want another one.”

“Yes.”

“Zuko.”

“I’m serious.” His lips twitched slightly at your tone.

You laughed in disbelief, “I just carried this one for nine months.”

“And you did beautifully.”

“That is not the point.”

“You’re a wonderful mother.” 

Your face warmed. “That’s still not the point.”

“I didn’t know I could feel like this,” he admitted quietly.

You leaned your head against his shoulder gently, exhaustion melting into warmth, your daughter sleeping peacefully between you both. Zuko turned his head slightly, pressing a lingering kiss against your temple.

“One more,” he murmured again.

You groaned and rolled your eyes.

“Oh my spirits, you are unbelievable.”

“I think she needs a sibling.”

“She can barely hold her own head up.”

“She’ll learn,” he said, raising his brow. 

“That is not how this works.” you breathe out. 

Zuko’s shoulders shook slightly with quiet laughter before he looked at you again with a more serious expression

“You know,” he said softly, “seeing you hold her for the first time… I don’t think I’ve ever loved anyone the way I loved you at that moment.”

Your breath caught in your throat and your eyes burned with tears. 

“You cannot say things like that after asking me for another baby.” 

“Why not?” he asks while giving your daughter a kiss on the crown of her head.

“Because then I can’t argue properly.”

A grin tugged at his mouth. “Good."

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 @annichka Line Divider: @cursed-carmine

Masterlist Zuko Masterlist

[twistedcharismaaa]

@princessaddz

This was literally perfect. Omg. 🥺🫢💙

[princessaddz]

Tysmmm

[princessaddz]

Should I write Zuko x Sokka? Yes no maybe so? They are so cute I cant.

[addietheehottie]

Salvage moodboards. Zuko x mermaid reader

@princessaddz

[princessaddz]

Salvage : A Zuko x Mermaid Mini Series

Chapter One : The Song Chapter Two: The Shell Chapter Three: Coming Soon Chapter Four: Coming Soon Chapter Five: Coming Soon: Moodboard

Masterlist Zuko Masterlist

@uzmacchiato (line dividers)

[princessaddz]

☆WC: 3.1k ☆Fire Lord Zuko x Mermaid Fem!reader ☆CW: Fluff and Light angst

The Shell

Part One

The next morning, Zuko made a decision that surprised even himself.

“I’d like to extend our stay.”

Iroh paused halfway through pouring tea. “Oh?”

They sat on the eastern balcony overlooking the cove, breakfast laid between them while morning light spilled across the ocean below. Zuko kept his eyes on his tea.

“The estate is quiet,” he muttered. “And there’s… less interference here.”

Iroh’s brows lifted knowingly. “Mm.”

“Don’t start.” Zuko narrowed his eyes.

“I have not said anything,” Iroh stated knowingly.

“You’re doing the face.” 

“What face?”

“I have work to do.” Zuko sighed with the intent of ending the conversation.

“Of course you do.”

Strangely enough he actually did. Messages still needed answering, patrol reports required reviewing and supply requests from the ship waited untouched on his desk. So that afternoon, Zuko worked from his room overlooking the cove. Or he attempted to.

Sunlight streamed across maps and scrolls scattered over his desk while warm sea air drifted through the open balcony doors. Zuko finished one report, started another and read the same sentence four times. He found himself staring out the window again. The rocks below sat empty and the shoreline gleamed beneath the afternoon sun, waves rolling lazily into the cove. The sound of your voice was nowhere to be heard and he saw no sign of your tail in the water. 

Zuko frowned slightly and forced himself back toward his paperwork. Ten minutes later, he looked again to find the cove still empty. Ridiculous. What exactly had he expected? For you to simply appear every afternoon perched dramatically on the rocks?

He dragged a hand down his face and returned to writing as the silence stretched. A gull cried overhead and Zuko’s eyes drifted back toward the cove almost involuntarily.

Still nothing.

His quill stopped moving. Maybe you weren’t coming back. The thought settled unpleasantly in his chest. 

“Lord Zuko?”

Zuko nearly launched out of his chair.

A servant stood awkwardly in the doorway holding a stack of fresh correspondence.

“…Yes?”

“Your report, sir?” The servant asked stiffly. 

Zuko glanced down to realize that he had accidentally written half a sentence directly across the wrong scroll. Wonderful.

By late afternoon, his work remained only partially finished. The ocean outside glowed amber beneath the lowering sun. Zuko leaned back from his desk with a frustrated exhale and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. He shouldn’t care this much, especially because he barely knew you. Yet the cove felt strangely wrong without your voice threading through it.

He sighed as he let his hair out of the tight bun it was in that was causing him a headache as he made his way out of the room. The evening air was warm as he descended the stone path leading toward the beach. Sunset burned gold across the horizon, setting the water ablaze with orange and pink reflections. The cove was quiet and noticeably empty. Zuko slipped off his outer robes near the shore, rolling his sleeves absentmindedly before stepping into the ocean. Cold water climbed slowly around his ankles then his knees. He exhaled softly as he moved deeper.

The sea pulled gently around him as he submerged beneath the surface, letting cool water wash over tense muscles and restless thoughts alike. For a few moments, there was only silence before he saw the movement just beyond his peripheral vision. Zuko surfaced immediately, pushing wet hair from his face as his eyes scanned the rocks surrounding the cove.

“Hello?” he called cautiously toward the shoreline. A flash of shimmering scales vanished behind the farther rocks. Zuko’s heart betrayed him. You were there trying very badly not to be seen. Despite himself, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

“You know,” he called toward the rocks, voice softer now, “for someone who keeps telling me not to trust your kind…”

He treaded water calmly, glancing toward where you’d disappeared.

“…you’re not very good at hiding.”

The water remained still for several long seconds before two glowing eyes peeked over the edge of the rock watching him suspiciously. For a long moment, neither of you moved. You remained half-hidden behind the rocks, chin barely above the waterline while your bright eyes watched him carefully.

Zuko tried very hard to look normal. Which would have been easier if his heart wasn’t suddenly beating loud enough to drown out the ocean.

“You came back,” you said at last. There was something quieter about your voice now compared to the night before. Less fearful.

Zuko brushed wet hair back from his face. “You sound surprised.”

“A little.”

“Why?”

You hesitated before admitting softly, “I thought maybe you’d changed your mind about me.”

“No,” he answered immediately.

Your expression shifted faintly to a soft smile. The setting sun bathed the cove in molten gold now, warm light spilling across the water in shimmering waves. It caught against your scales beneath the surface, turning them almost unreal. Zuko stared before he could stop himself. Under the sunset, you looked less like a creature from sailor stories and more like something ancient pulled from the sea itself. Beautiful enough to make the ocean seem dull in comparison.

“You’re staring again,” you murmured.

Zuko blinked hard. “I—”

“You always stare when you’re thinking.” A small smile tugged at your lips.

“I do not,” he said defensively.

“You do.”

“I’m just—” He stopped himself, biting his lower lip. 

Your brows lifted slightly. “Just what?”

Zuko swallowed the honest answer that lodged itself in his throat. You waited patiently, drifting a little closer through the glowing water.

“…You look nice,” he muttered finally.

Your eyes widened slightly in surprise and Zuko looked like he wanted the ocean to swallow him whole.

“I mean— not that you don’t normally look—” He grimaced. “That sounded strange.”

A soft laugh escaped you.

“No,” you said gently. “It didn’t.”

Heat crawled up the back of his neck instantly.

You drifted closer still, curiosity brightening your expression.

“The sun reflects on your scales,” Zuko explained awkwardly, gesturing vaguely toward the water. “They look different.”

“How?”

“…Pretty.” He glanced at you again before quickly looking away.

“So do you.”

“What?” Zuko slowly lifted his eyes to meet your again. 

You tilted your head slightly.

“Humans don’t glow underwater the way sirens do,” you said thoughtfully. “But when the sunlight hits you…” Your gaze drifted across the water toward him. “You look warm. Like the sun does.”

His pulse stumbled violently against his chest. Nobody had ever spoken about him like that before.

“You’re staring now,” you teased softly.

Zuko opened his mouth to answer and steam abruptly hissed around his shoulders. He whipped around instantly to find faint wisps rising from the ocean around him.

“Oh no.”

The water surrounding his body had started heating and tiny curls of steam rose where his emotions spiked, warm enough now that the seawater around his chest shimmered.

You blinked at him in surprise before laughing. It was bright and startling and beautiful. Mortified, Zuko immediately dunked himself deeper into the water.

“This has never happened before.”

“That’s a lie,” you tease. 

“It is not,” he stated in self-defence. 

“You’re steaming.”

“I’m aware.”

“I didn’t know humans did that.” Your laughter only softened into helpless giggles as more steam curled around him.

“We don’t!”

“Well, you are.”

Zuko groaned and covered part of his face with one hand while you floated there trying and failing to stop smiling. Zuko refused to look directly at you for at least the next thirty seconds which only made your amusement worse.

“You’ve stopped steaming,” you observed innocently.

“I’m glad you find this entertaining.”

“I do, actually.”

Zuko muttered something under his breath while wiping seawater from his face. The sun had nearly dipped beneath the horizon now, painting the cove in deep gold and soft pinks. The water around you glowed warmly in the fading light. You drifted a little closer.

“Do all firebenders react like that?”

“No,” he grumbled

“So it was just you?” Your smile widened.

“Yes, thank you for clarifying.” Zuko tried not to stare at your smile but failed at the simple task.

The ocean rolled gently around them in comfortable silence for a moment before your gaze suddenly brightened with thought.

“Come with me.”

Zuko blinked. “What?”

You tilted your head toward the deeper end of the cove. “There are tide pools beyond the rocks.” Excitement slipped into your voice now. “When the water is calm, seashells collect there.”

“…Seashells.”

“Yes.”

Zuko opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.

“There are shells that look like moonstones here. And glass coral.” Your eyes flicked back toward him. “I could show you.”

“…Fine.” Zuko tried very hard to sound unimpressed. You disappeared beneath the water in one graceful motion and he stared after the shimmer of your tail before sighing softly and swimming forward to follow. The water deepened quickly around the rocks bordering the cove. Sunset light filtered beneath the surface in wavering gold ribbons while schools of tiny silver fish darted around him before you resurfaced several feet ahead.

“Hurry,” you called softly.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. “I am swimming.”

“Slowly.”

“I’m human.”

You vanished underwater again and he huffed and followed, pushing farther through the sea until jagged rocks opened into a hidden inlet tucked between the cliffs. His breath caught at the sight of the tide pools that shimmered beneath the fading sunlight like scattered mirrors. Smooth stones lined the shallow water while shells of every color rested beneath the surface. The entire place looked untouched like a well kept secret.

“Well?” you asked from nearby.

Zuko glanced toward you.

You floated lazily beside one of the rocks, sunlight catching against your scales in flashes of blue-green fire.

“It’s beautiful,” he admitted quietly.

“I knew you’d like it.”

Zuko crouched carefully near one of the tide pools, fingers brushing through cool water as he picked up a spiral shell streaked with gold. You moved beside him curiously.

“That one’s lucky.”

“You have lucky seashells?”

“We have many things.” Your shoulder brushed lightly against his arm beneath the water. Zuko looked toward you again. Far too close at the droplets that clung to your lashes and your glowing eyes that reflected the sunset. Your gaze flicked downward suddenly.

“You’re steaming again.”

Zuko nearly dropped the shell.

“You’re doing it on purpose now,” Zuko accused.

“Doing what?”

“Pointing it out.”

“I just think it’s interesting.” Your eyes flicked toward the faint steam curling around the water beside him. “You react very dramatically.”

“I do not react dramatically,” he said defensively.

“You heated the ocean because I called you pretty.”

Zuko stared at you in horrified silence before he looked away again. The sound of your laughter echoed softly through the hidden inlet. The sunset had begun slipping fully beneath the horizon now, deepening the tide pools into glowing shades of violet and gold. Tiny ripples of reflected light danced across the rocks surrounding you both.

You reached into the shallow water suddenly before pulling something free.

“A wishing shell,” you announced. The shell shimmered pearly white beneath the fading light, smooth and spiraled perfectly at the center.

“That’s a seashell.”

“It’s both.” You moved closer through the water until your shoulder brushed lightly against his again.

“In my pod,” you explained softly, “we carve wishes into shells and return them to the sea.”

“And the wish comes true?” Zuko turned the shell carefully between his fingers.

“Sometimes, you shrug.

“That sounds suspicious.”

“You’re suspicious.”

“I’m realistic.”

“You’re grumpy.” Your grin flashed briefly.

“I’m not grumpy.”

You laughed again before reaching toward one of the rocks and producing a small sharpened piece of coral. Zuko eyed it cautiously.

“You carry carving tools around with you?”

“It’s just a brush..”

“That feels unrelated.”

“It isn’t.”

You pressed the coral gently into his hand. “Carve something.”

Zuko hesitated but the shell sat warm from his body heat in his palm while waves lapped softly around your arms beneath the water.

“What do people usually carve?” he asked quietly.

“Names. Wishes. Promises.”

You leaned closer to watch him, slowly, carefully, Zuko carved the first letter of his name into the shell. A crooked little Z. Then you took the shell from his hands and carved your own initial beside it. The letters sat unevenly together against the pearly surface.

Zuko stared at them longer than he should have.

“What now?” he asked softly.

You held the shell carefully between both hands.

“Now we make a wish.”

The ocean breeze moved gently through your hair as you closed your eyes. Zuko hesitated before doing the same.

“What did you wish for?” he asked quietly after a moment.

Your eyes opened slowly.

“If I tell you,” you murmured, “it won’t come true.”

Zuko frowned slightly. “That’s convenient.”

“You asked.”

“…Fine.” He looked back toward the shell. “Then I’m not telling you mine either.”

“You already are.”

His brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“The ocean can hear heartbeats.” You smiled softly.

Zuko suddenly became very aware of his heavy heart palpitations. The tide pulled it from your fingers instantly, carrying it slowly toward the deeper sea and the both of you watched it drift away in silence as your hand lingered in his. The shell disappeared slowly into the darkening sea until neither of you could see it anymore. Neither of you spoke for a while and Zuko didn’t mind.

Your shoulder rested lightly against his as you both sat atop one of the smooth rocks jutting from the tide pool. Water shimmered around the stone below while tiny glowing fish darted lazily beneath the surface. Then your gaze shifted toward him thoughtfully.

“What?”

“Your hair looks different when it’s wet.” You tilted your head slightly. Before he could respond, you reached toward something resting beside the rocks and lifted a small comb carved from pale coral. 

“What is that?” Zuko eyed it cautiously.

“A comb.”

“I can see that.”

You hesitated then, suddenly looking oddly uncertain. “May I?”

Zuko stared at you before nodding quietly.

Carefully, you shifted closer beside him atop the rock until your tail, brushed against his side beneath the water. Zuko sat impossibly still as you moved behind him slightly, gentle fingers brushing against the damp strands at the back of his neck.

“You’re tense.”

“I’m not tense.”

“You absolutely are.”

The comb slid carefully through his hair in slow and gentle movements. Zuko nearly melted on the spot. No one had ever touched him like this before. Your fingers occasionally brushed against his skin as you worked small tangles free from his hair, humming softly under your breath all the while.

Zuko stared silently out across the ocean while moonlight reflected across the waves. The tension left his shoulders beneath your touch.

“There you are.”

Zuko swallowed hard and  before he could overthink it, he leaned back slightly against you. Your movements stilled for only a second before continuing again. One of your arms rested loosely against his shoulder while you combed through his damp hair, and the warmth spreading through his chest became almost unbearable.

He could have stayed there forever. Behind him, you shifted slightly closer.

“You’re warm even at night,” you murmured absently.

Zuko opened one eye.

“You keep sounding surprised by that.”

“You feel like sunlight.”

His chest tightened again.

“And you always smell like the ocean,” he replied quietly before he could stop himself.

Your hands paused briefly in his hair, then continued slower than before.

“I do?”

“Yes.”

Zuko leaned back slightly farther against you and didn’t pull away. He was so relaxed he was falling asleep.

“Do humans always fall asleep this easily around mermaids??” you whispered teasingly.

Zuko huffed softly, eyes still closed. “You haven’t drowned me yet.”

“Yet,” you repeated thoughtfully.

“You keep saying that like you’re considering it.”

A quiet laugh vibrated against him before a splash echoed somewhere beyond the rocks.

Your entire body went rigid and. Zuko straightened immediately as your gaze snapped toward the darker end of the inlet.

“What is it?”

Another figure was partially submerged farther beyond the rocks. Another mermaid was watching. Even from this distance, Zuko could feel the hostility radiating from them. Their glowing eyes flicked from you to him, then narrowed sharply.

“No…” you mumble.

The other mermaid disappeared beneath the water without a word. 

“They saw us.”

“Who?”

“One of my pod.”

The fear in your voice was unhideable.

“Is that bad?”

“Yes.” Your eyes flashed toward him. Before Zuko could ask anything else, a deep sound suddenly echoed across the ocean.

BWOOOOOOOM.

The low haunting call of a conch shell rolled through the cove like thunder beneath water. Zuko physically felt it vibrate through the rocks beneath his feet. Another call followed, closer this time.

BWOOOOOOOM.

Your expression shifted instantly into panic. “We have to go.”

“What is that?”

“A warning.”

The ocean around the inlet had changed now. Movement stirred beneath the surface in every direction. Shadows glided deep below the tide pools too quickly for Zuko to follow. More mermaids watching. The conch shell sounded again somewhere farther out at sea, urgent and calling. You backed away from him reluctantly, water swirling around your tail.

Zuko stepped forward immediately. “Wait.”

Your eyes met his and he saw genuine fear there. Fear for him.

“You shouldn’t come back tomorrow night,” you whispered.

Zuko frowned. “What?”

“My pod won’t allow this.”

“This?” he repeated.

Your gaze flicked briefly toward his hand, then back to his face.

“Us.” you say solemnly,“You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

Another conch call echoed through the sea and you flinched visibly this time.

“I have to go.”

Zuko stepped into the water after you. “Then let me explain—”

“You can’t explain humans to mermaids who’ve watched ships poison the sea.” There was a quiet bitterness in your voice that stunned him.

“And I can’t explain you to the Fire Nation.” Silence fell between you both.

“I liked tonight,” you admitted quietly.

Zuko’s chest ached. “Then don’t leave.”

For one horrible second, he thought you might actually stay. Your tail shifted uncertainly beneath the water and your expression wavered, but another distant conch call shattered the moment.

You closed your eyes briefly before whispering,

“Goodbye, Zuko.”

Before he could stop you, you surged backward into the ocean. Silver flashed beneath moonlight and water sprayed around the rocks. Then you disappeared beneath the waves entirely leaving only ripples behind. Zuko stood motionless in the tide pool long after the sea went still again. The coral comb remained forgotten beside the rocks.

And far out in the darkness, the warning conch echoed one final time.

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 @rubyyworld @maee67 @clockworkgraystairs @averypr3ttylady1 @uchihabbynic @annichka ☆Line divider: @uzmacchiato

Masterlist Zuko Masterlist

[3vangelinee]

zuko as the fallen angel ᨳଓ

[princessaddz]

This is so beautiful I have no words

[princessaddz]

Can u pls do a hobie brown x gn reader where he teaches them how to drive (they’re dating)

Hobie learnt to drive at 16 but reader didn’t feel ready yet. Now their in their 20s and reader wants to learn and is a bit scared but Hobie helps

☆Hobie × GN!Reader ☆CW: Learning to Drive!! ☆Authors note: I still don't know how to drive so if this is inaccurate... I'm sorry☺️

Masterlist Hobie Brown Masterlist

The car jolted forward with a violent jerk before dying completely. You groaned, dropping your forehead against the steering wheel. “Oh my god.”

Beside you, Hobie Brown leaned back in the passenger seat, one boot propped on the dashboard.

“Brilliant start,” he said casually. “Nearly took out that bin back there.”

You turned your head slowly. “You said this empty parking lot would be ‘stress free.’”

“It is stress free. No one important got hurt,” he murmured.

“Hobie.”

“I’m kidding, sweetheart.” His grin softened the sharpness of his teasing. That was the problem with him. He could say the most irritating thing imaginable and somehow still make you want to hold his hand afterward. You sighed and looked back at the wheel, fingers tightening nervously around it. The car suddenly felt too small and dangerous.

“I can’t do this,” you mumbled. 

“Yes, you can,” he assured you softly. 

“I literally stalled the car.”

“Everyone stalls the car.”

“You didn’t.”

“Oh, I absolutely did.” Hobie snorted. “First time I drove, I mounted a curb outside a Tesco and nearly cried.”

You blinked at him. “You cried?”

“Oi, don’t spread that around.”

A reluctant laugh escaped you.

“There we go,” he said quietly. “That’s better.”

You looked down at your lap. “I just feel stupid for learning this late.”

“No, you don’t.”

You shrugged helplessly. “Most people learn at sixteen.”

“And most people are terrifying behind the wheel.” He waved a hand dismissively. “You learn when you’re ready. That’s normal.”

“I just kept putting it off.”

“So what?” He shrugged.

“So now I’m scared.”

He tilted his head toward you slightly.  “Being scared of driving makes sense. You’re operating a massive metal death machine. Fear’s healthy. Means you’ll actually pay attention.”

You laughed again as Hobie reached over, tugging one of your hands off the steering wheel and squeezing it.

“You trust me, yeah?” he queries.

“Obviously.”

“Then trust me when I say you’re doing fine.” His thumb brushed slowly across your knuckles.

“You don’t gotta become some perfect driver today. We’re just driving around an empty car park listening to bad music and not dying.”

“The music is not bad,” you scoffed.

“The Clash are overrated,” he states with a shrug 

You gasped dramatically. “Get out.”

“Nah. My car.”

You rolled your eyes playfully. 

“Alright,” he said, sitting up straighter. “Try again. Slowly this time. Ease your foot off the clutch.”

“I am easing.” The car lurched again and the both of you bounced in your seats.

“Oh my god.” Hobie burst into laughter beside you, loud and unrestrained.

“You’re actually evil,” you muttered.

“You should’ve seen your face!” He snickered. 

“You’re supposed to encourage me!”

“I am encouraging you. You didn’t hit anything this time.”

You glared at him while he cackled. Then, because he was unfairly pretty when he laughed, your own smile betrayed you again.

“There you are,” he murmured.

The laughter faded from his face as he looked at you softly but you looked away first.

“Okay,” you mumbled. “Again.”

This time the car rolled forward smoother. Your eyes widened in surprise at yourself. 

“There you go,” Hobie said. “Keep going. Nice and easy.”

The car crept across the parking lot slowly. You were moving. Hobie looked over at you instead of the road proudly. 

“See?” he said softly. “Knew you could do it.”

A few minutes later, after several messy turns and one very questionable attempt at parking, you finally stopped the car and exhaled hard.

“I think my heart’s going to explode.”

“You did great,” he assured you. 

“I almost drove us into a shopping cart.”

“But you didn’t.”

You dropped your head back against the seat dramatically. “I need a cigarette after that.”

“You don’t even smoke,” he chuckled. 

“I need something.”

Hobie laughed softly before leaning over the center console and pressing a kiss to your forehead.

“You know,” he murmured, “you are adorable.”

“You’re annoying this whole time.”

“Yeah, but you love me.” Unfortunately, he sounded entirely too confident about it.

You huffed. “Maybe a little.”

“A little?” He placed a hand over his chest. “Cruel.”

Then he reached for your hand again, absentmindedly tracing his thumb over your skin. “Proud of you, though,” he said quietly.

“You were scared and did it anyway.” He squeezed your hand. “That’s proper courage, innit?”

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  @sophiabrown222  @b3rryb3t 

[princessaddz]

Okay, but The Wind??? Yeah, imma need more of that 😭😭😭 omg it's so good, she doesn't know where she comes from, doesn't understand it all that much, and Aang is losing his mind because he's not alone anymore. I know he doesn't want to be overbearing, doesn't want to scare her off, but she's apart of him in a way no one else has been in a long time. Ugh, I can imagine the tensionnnnnnnnn because he's in love with Katara, but that was before you. Before hope of bringing back what once was. I love a good love triangle, and even though I love Katara, this would be soooooo delicious😭 he's torn between his childhood love, the one who stood beside him through it all, and this new curiosity and hope that blooms in his chest when he sees you, one of his people, doing the thing he loves: airbending. There's a dance, a rhythm, a flow, an intimacy that comes with the breeze and the wind, something only you two can experience. And when he learns more about you, your family, your history, meets your father, who is also an Airbender, who teaches Aang more about his culture(because he was only 12 when he left). Ugh, Aang finding home with you and your family, while also being torn up about Katara and his found family, and those who have been by his side the entire time. He's so confused and conflicted, but you just feel so right to him. Not just because you're an Airbender, but even your personality just fits him so well, you both have so much in common, more than him and Katara. He'd never thought of anyone else but katara, never given himself the chance to explore what's out there, never had the time, always weighed down by the responsibilities of the Avatar. But now here you are, a breath of fresh air, a wind dancing around his heart. Ugh, I'm getting carried away. I just wanted to say I loved it and would like to read more if you intend on adding to it🥹

I feel like Aang would try to ignore how he feels about reader because the possibility of being with someone like him kind of scares him. (Other than the fact that he also has feelings for Katara) I actually don't know if I want to add to it just yet because I really have to think about to go around his feelings with Katara and if i want it to be angsty or not. (I dont want to hurt her cause shes my baby lol) But if I do decide on that I will write it!!!

[princessaddz]

Static pt 5

☆Hobie × Fem!Reader ☆Word count:1.2k ☆CW: Angst with a happy ending? Mentions of politics. ☆Authors note: I reread the rest of this series and I have decided that I hate it and I wanna rewrite it. Anyway here is the final part. Hope you enjoy ☺️

<Previous Part Masterlist Hobie Brown Masterlist

Home

Hobie tells himself the entire way to Mumbattan that you didn't actually want to kiss him and that he must have been misreading your interest. He lands beside a kid in a Spider-Man suit who talks too fast and looks at the world like it can still be saved.

“Name’s Miles,” the kid says during a brief pause in the chaos.

The mission stretches longer than expected.

One disaster folds into another and the Spot gets worse. The deeper Hobie gets pulled into Spider Society business, the more something starts feeling rotten underneath it all. Necessary tragedy and acceptable losses.

Still, he doesn’t contact you. At first, he tells himself it’s timing, then exhaustion, then bad signal between dimensions. Eventually he admits the truth to himself, he doesn’t know what to say after the kiss. Kissing you had cracked something open that Hobie had spent years surviving by keeping himself sealed shut.

The longer he’s gone, the more you sit in the back of his mind. Your hand brushing his wrist during arguments, the look on your face when he challenged you too hard and the memory of you kissing him back without hesitation because choosing him was easy.

Hobie watches Miguel hunt that kid down like a threat. That isn’t what this is supposed to be. So Hobie makes his choice quietly, like always, and helps Miles escape before making his own disappearance.

The first place he goes afterward is to you. Even exhausted and irritated and still trying not to think too hard about what you are to him. Somewhere during all this chaos, you became the person he looks for first. He rampantly searches through HQ for you.

“Where’s Y/N?” he asks the first person he recognizes.

They hesitate nervously. 

“What?” Hobie insisted.

“Uh…” The other Spider-Person shifts awkwardly. “You didn’t know?”

“Know what?”

Apparently, while Hobie was gone, you left too, just stopped showing up, turned in your transporter watch and walked away from the Society sometime after the Miles incident started escalating.

“She left?” he repeats slowly.

“Yeah.”

“When?”

“A day ago? Maybe two.”

You’d been gone two days and nobody told him. A sudden anger rises in his chest, but underneath that is understanding. He can’t stop wondering if that’s his fault. Maybe disappearing after kissing you taught you not to wait around for him. For the first time in days, panic starts creeping in under his skin at the terrifying possibility that he finally found something worth staying for and ran too long.

The city blurs around him as he swings. His brain replays every conversation you’ve had over the last few weeks. By the time he finds you, it’s late. You’re sitting on the fire escape outside your apartment, wearing headphones, your new guitar balanced awkwardly across your lap just holding it.

You look up at the sound of him landing and for a second, neither of you speaks.

“You left,” Hobie says finally.

A humorless little laugh escapes you. “That’s rich.”

“You didn’t tell me.”

“You disappeared for days.”

“I was dealing with—”

“With Spider Society stuff, yeah, I know.” Your expression hardens slightly. “Funny how you only came looking for me after you realized I was gone too.”

Silence stretched between you two for a moment before you speak up quietly. 

“I waited, you know.”

“What?”

“After you kissed me.” You stare down at the guitar strings instead of at him. “I thought maybe when you came back we’d actually talk about it.”

“But then everything happened with Miles and Miguel and…” You shrug faintly. “I realized I didn’t want to be part of something that asks people to sacrifice each other for the sake of ‘canon.’”

“You were right about some things,” you admit softly. “About the Society. About power.”

“I didn’t mean to leave you hanging like that.”

“You still did.”

“Yeah,” he says quietly. “I know.”

His shoulder brushes yours lightly as he sits beside you on the fire escape. He’s not sure he’s earned closeness yet but you don’t move away. The city hums below the fire escape. Somewhere far off, a siren wails and fades. Your guitar rests across your lap untouched, fingers loosely curled around the neck. Hobie sits beside you, elbows on his knees, staring out at nothing.

“You know what the worst part is?” you ask quietly.

He glances over.

“I understood why you left. I understood needing space. I understood being overwhelmed.” You swallow. “But I kept thinking… if things had gone differently, would you have come back at all?”

“Yeah,” he says eventually. “I would’ve.”

“You hesitated.”

“Because I’m trying not to lie to you.”

You laugh softly. 

“I’m not good at this,” he admits. “Needing people.”

Hobie rubs a hand over his face before continuing.

“I kept acting like the problem was politics. Like it was just ideological differences.” He shakes his head slightly. “Truth is, I think I used that as an excuse.”

Your brows knit together. “An excuse for what?”

“For being scared you’d eventually look at me and realize I’m exhausting.”

“Hobie—”

“You’ve got plans,” he says quietly. “Hope. You actually believe things can get better.” A faint shrug. “I didn’t know where I fit into that.”

You set the guitar carefully beside you before turning toward him fully.

“Do you know how frustrating you are?”

A surprised laugh escapes him. “Yeah, probably.”

“No, seriously.” Your eyes shine with sincerity. “You keep deciding things for me without asking what I want.”

“Hobie, I don’t need you to become me.” You hold his gaze steadily. “I don’t need us to agree on every strategy or every political belief. I just need you to stop treating love like it’s some kind of trap.”

“And for the record,” you continue, “you challenge me in ways I need.”

“You don’t let me get comfortable. You make me think harder. You care about people so deeply it comes out as anger because you can’t stand watching them get hurt.” A tiny smile tugs at your mouth. “That’s not a flaw, Hobs.”

“You were right too you know,” he says quietly.

Your brows lift.

“Burning everything down isn’t enough if there’s nothing better afterward.” He exhales slowly. “Guess I never really thought about what comes next. Just knew I hated what already existed.”

Hobie’s fingers tap absently against his knee before he glances at the guitar.

“You even played that thing yet?”

You smile faintly. “Hard to learn when my teacher vanishes into other dimensions.”

“Ouch.”

“You earned that.”

“Fair.”

For the first time in what feels like forever, the smile that spreads across his face is genuine. Small and crooked. God, you missed it.

“C’mere,” he says suddenly, reaching for the guitar.

You hand it over carefully as he adjusts it across his lap.

“Alright,” he murmurs. “First lesson.”

You shift closer so he can show you the chords. Your knees bump and his shoulder presses lightly against yours. Hobie guides your fingers onto the strings carefully, surprisingly patient.

“Your hands are cold,” he mutters.

“You disappeared for a week.”

“Still holding onto that, huh?”

“I’m considering making it your permanent punishment.”

He laughs softly under his breath. “Guess I can live with that… if it means you’re still here.”

“You know,” you murmur, “for someone who hates labels, you’re acting suspiciously like a boyfriend.”

Hobie groans. “Don’t ruin the moment.”

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  @sophiabrown222  @b3rryb3t 

[arctvros]

gettin’ handsy