ꮼ firelord!zuko is a lovesick man when it comes to you
ᦸ sweetheart boyfriend!zuko is a hardcore yearner ⸝⸝ not proofread.
boyfriend!zuko is a very sympathetic man; he hates to see you in any amount of pain—trying to help any way he can, from making you tea to heating a bag of rice with his flames so he can rub it over your aches in an attempt to soothe.
He'll expertly rub the tense muscles on your back or carefully hold the hot bag over cramps, just happy to make things easier for you.
boyfriend!zuko has a glow whenever he sees you, a softness only you get to know. He's still kind to the others and to his friends and puts on a brave face to the nation—strong & honorable—but you see when he collapses into you after a grueling day.
Vulnerability has never come easy for him, but it's never as hard when it comes to being vulnerable and 'weak' in front of you; it's comforting, actually.
boyfriend!zuko loves when you're cuddled up in bed & lie on top of him, claiming him as your 'special heated blanket.' He finds it oddly endearing when you tug his arms around him and burrow into his skin.
Having you pressed up against him, so content and comfortable, is always so grounding after a hard day.
boyfriend!zuko lets you play with his hair in private, twirling it in your fingertips, scratching his scalp, or just running your fingers through it whenever he's lying on your chest.
Your fingers tangled in the long strands always make it easier to sleep—he's typically out within five minutes flat whenever you start youing with it.
boyfriend!zuko doesn't hide how much he cares for you; he's had countless moments in front of his men where they've caught him holding, kissing, or just touching you for reassurance, & his only reaction is to be annoyed they didn't knock first.
He's not afraid to be honest; he's in love. There's no point in being with someone if you're not in love & not at least sometimes affectionate.
boyfriend!zuko loves whenever you start yapping. He's a rather quiet person, so he adores it whenever you start going on and on about something. It could be the most mundane, uninteresting thing, & as long as you look happy talking to him, he's listening.
It's so sweet to see the way he looks at you once you start your ramblings—the soft spot is very visible with the smile on his lips.
boyfriend!zuko likes to kiss your shoulder a lot. Waking up in a tangled mess of limbs? Expect a kiss on your cheek. Getting ready together in the bathroom? Expect his arms wrapped around you and kisses on your shoulder. A moment alone? You get it. Expect a kiss on the shoulder.
It feels more intimate than a plain kiss on the cheek, and he likes the variety of reasons he can come up with for kissing your shoulder.
boyfriend!zuko is surprisingly gentle; obviously, he'd never be mean to you, but everything between you has this soft, loving undertone.
From the tone of voice he uses, how he speaks to you, & how calm he is around you, everything is serene. He does his best to never be anything like his father. Its so sweet how he treats you.
you were zuko’s entire world, and it was no doubt that he loved you more than anything, but even you had to admit that he had a very lustful side. at times, especially during particularly cold and quiet evenings, he just couldn’t keep his hands off his wife.
laying in bed next to the firelord, his arms wrapped around your waist as he embraced you from behind. it was a long day for him, spending coutless hours meeting with his advisors and countless discussions on issues with the fire nation colonies. you couldn’t help but soothe your poor husband minutes earlier when he had first entered your bedroom after spending the entire day away from his firelady.
it was, no, seemed innocent at first, aleast until his hands undid your robe and started slowly inching higher and higher up your chest as he caressed the supple skin. you could almost feel the smirk on his face when his palms met your breasts, feeling him poke your ass from underneath the covers.
your nipples peaked embarassingly quickly as you tried to reprimand him.
“zuko.” you scolded him, having to bite back a moan when he pinched both peaks.
his mouth found the side of your neck as he sucked on the skin, only humming a “hmm?” in response.
“please get some rest, you have to leave for a meeting with the earth king first thing tomorrow. it’s already late.” you insisted. “they won’t be pleased if you show up late aga- haah… fuck…”
you moaned as his fingers met your clit through your damp undergarments, your head throwing back as he rubbed circles around the nub.
“what was that, my love?” he sneered, grinding his hips onto yours as he continued to leave marks on your neck.
“z-zuko…” you whimpered, subconciously grinding onto his hand.
“mhm?”
you opened your mouth to tell him to stop only to cut yourself off with a moan when two of his fingers slipped into your cunt, pumping in and out at a brutal pace.
“that’s what i thought.”
as if the sensation of his long digits bullying your pussy wasn’t enough, his other hand rolled your nipple, leaving you at a loss for words. you let out loud needy moans, your hand immediately darting to your mouth to save yourself from the self-induced embarassment.
“shy already? mmm you’re so desperate, huh?” zuko smugly muttered, picking up the pace on his fingers as he grinded harder from behind you.
as you felt your climax approaching, you decided to give up all resistance for the sake of your own pleasure.
“clenching around my fingers so tightly, fuck… now, what was that about my meeting with the earth king, honey?” he grinned.
“i… aahhh… d-don’t know what you’re talking about…”
Synopsis: You and Sokka married, both of you stubborn, devoted, and entirely too in love. Same year you had your first child and while you were overjoyed, something in Sokka shifted. He didn’t just want a family. He wanted a legacy. (art from Pinterest)
Pt2 Missing Your Touch
Sokka had always been an enthusiastic person. As a child, he threw himself into everything. Training, hunting, leading, even his terrible ideas. So when he married you at twenty-two, he made a promise to give you everything he had.
And Sokka, unfortunately, had a lot to give.
You had your first child that same year, a beautiful baby girl with your features and Sokka’s entire personality packed into a tiny, chubby, unstoppable body.
“Look at her!” Sokka beamed one afternoon, crouched low as your daughter toddled across the floor, clutching a poorly carved toy boomerang. “Baby, she’s perfect. She’s already a warrior.”
“She just tried to eat snow like five minutes ago,” you replied, leaning against the doorway.
“She’s innovative,” he corrected proudly.
You scoffed into a laugh, leaning down to press a kiss to his cheek. He turned his head just enough to steal one from you instead. That should’ve been your first warning, because something in Sokka clicked that day. And from that moment on…he wanted more.
More laughter, more chaos, more chubby grabby hands, more little feet running across the ice floors.
More you.
And unfortunately you Sokka didn’t believe in doing anything halfway.
•••
You should’ve known something was up the second Gran Gran looked at you like that.
You were sitting beside her, helping sew tiny fur-lined coats for the expecting mothers in the village. The needle moved steadily in your hands, but Gran Gran’s gaze lingered on you, sharp and knowingly.
“What?” you asked, squinting at her suspiciously. She smiled slowly, eyes soft but entirely too perceptive.
“I think,” she said, patting your knee, “we should make one more… for you.”
You blinked for a second registering her words, “Gran Gran no.”
She hummed nodding. You just laughed it off shaking your head, she’s ridiculous.
Two months later, you were staring at your round reflection in complete disbelief.
Seven months after that—twins…twin boys!
Sokka nearly lost his mind.
“Two?!” he shouted, pacing the room while you held one baby in each arm. “We made TWO?!” The babies blabbed blowing raspberries with their spit having no idea what was going on.
“You helped,” you said dryly.
He dropped to his knees in front of you, eyes shining like stars in the midnight sky. “This is incredible. This is— this is strategy. This is expansion. This is—”
“This is you not sleeping for the next year,” you cut in. He didn’t even hear a word you said. By the next week, he had already built some ridiculous contraption to carry all three children at once. It had straps, hooks and something that looked suspiciously like a modified fishing net.
“It’s efficient!” he insisted as you stared at it.
You stood with a hand on your hip with your head tilted, “It’s a safety hazard.”
“It’s innovative.” He had his arms open in awe.
“Just like the snow eating, huh?”
He wore a big bright grin “…Exactly like the snow eating.”
The third time truly was NOT your fault. New Year’s Festival, Gran Gran offered to see the kids. The entire village was celebrating, fireworks, alcohol, music, and dance.
And your husband? Your very affectionate, very determined husband decided that the storage tent behind the main hall was “private enough.” Nine months later, you had another daughter…
Gran Gran didn’t even act surprised anymore she just welcomed her with open arms.
Ten years passed in what felt like a blur of laughter, exhaustion, sleepless nights and tiny voices calling for you at all hours of the day.
Six children.
Four girls. Two boys. A home that was never quiet, and a husband who still looked at you like you were the best decision he had ever made.
The village noticed, of course they did.
At first, it was small comments. The little jokes. Nothing malicious just amused, fond observations whispered between mothers while hanging laundry or gathering water.
“I heard Chief Sokka might single-handedly repopulate the Southern Water Tribe.” Giggles followed.
“Oh, please. At this rate, they’ll need a second house.”
“I give it two more years before they run out of names.”
You didn’t hear any of it. Not until your best friend Leila told you.
Leila leaned casually against your open doorway, watching as you expertly balanced a toddler wrapped to your chest while braiding your eldest daughter’s hair.
“You know,” she said, biting back a grin, “people are starting to talk.”
You didn’t even bother to look up. “If this is about the twins putting fish in someone’s boots again, I already handled it. They're cleaning them as we speak.”
“No, no,” she waved you off. “It’s not bad gossip. It’s just—” she paused, trying not to laugh. “They joke about you and Sokka repopulating the entire tribe.”
You stilled. Slowly, you turned your head. You didn’t know how to feel about hearing that.
“…What?”
Leila lost it sitting down her basket and coming inside to take a seat, “I’m serious! Six kids in ten years? People are impressed— a little concerned and afraid but overall impressed.”
You blinked. Then glanced around your home at the scattered toys, the half-finished chores, the sheer number of small humans moving around you.
“Oh…Okay,” you admitted slowly. “That’s…kind of fair.”
•••
You thought about what Leila said all day and decided to bring it up later, casually though.
The house was loud as usual children scattered across the floor, toys half-finished, one of the boys arguing loudly with his sister over something completely nonsensical. Sokka sat beside you, one child asleep across his lap as you folded laundry nearby.
“So,” you started, “The village thinks we’re trying to repopulate the Southern Water Tribe…”
Sokka snorted. “What? That’s just ridiculous.”
You hummed. “I mean… six kids, Sokka. That’s quite a few.”
He paused, seemingly in thought. You narrowed your eyes waiting for a response, “…Sokka?”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Well…” he said carefully. “When you put it like that…”
“Sokka.” Your stern tone hinting for him to spit it out. “I just—” he shrugged, trying (and failing) to look innocent. “I kinda thought we’d have more ya know?.”
Silence fell over the room. You stared at him as you felt your eye began to twitch and fist tighten around the clothes you held.
Sokka being Sokka smiled trying to make it better. Big mistake.
You set the laundry down slowly. “More?” you asked making sure you heard your husband correctly. The room went quiet just the crackle of the fire and Sokka’s very audible gulp.
“Just a few,” he said quickly. “You know round it out.” You stood, he immediately knew he screwed up.
“Sokka have. you lost your damn mind?! A few more— ROUND IT OUT?! Look at me, are I not round enough? I have spit out six children and you want more—“
“Wait—”
“You know what I’m never letting you touch me again.”
“WHAT— hey, that was a joke!” he scrambled to his feet laying his once sleeping baby on his lap on the nearest softest surface. He ran after you calling your name but you paid him no mind.
“You have six children, Sokka. SIX!”
He continued to follow you around your home like a lost otter penguin, “And they’re amazing!”
“You are done.”
“I’m not done—”
“You’re done!”
He continued to follow after you, actual panic setting in. “Baby, be reasonable—”
“Go be a father!” you snapped, gesturing to the chaos of your home.
“Wha- I am a father!”
“Well be more of one!”
“I can do both!” He pleaded.
You stopped, turned, and gave him a look so sharp it could’ve cut an ice berg down. He froze in his tracks, even as the Chief of The Southern Water Tribe his wife is the sole person who can strike fear in him (besides Gran Gran).
“…I’m joking,” he said weakly.
You stared at him a second longer before turning and walking off toward your children playing with the other kids you invited over earlier. Sokka stood there, watching you walk then glanced around at his six kids, then looked back at you.
“I could handle one more...” he muttered.
Across the room, Gran Gran— who had definitely heard everything sighed deeply.
“You,” she called, pointing at Sokka without even looking at him, “are going to be the death of that poor girl.” The other village mothers nodded in agreement.
Sokka frowned into a scowl. “Oh, go home already!” The women paid him no mind.
mentions: fluuuuuuuff, firelord zuko = adult zuko fyi, zuko helps you warm up, thats it
(i was super cold in the middle of the night AND im on my period so this was lowkey a bit self indulgent SORRY GUYS also ik its normally hot in the fire nation but pls idc)
—————————————————————————
the word ‘cold’ didn’t really exist in the fire nation. in fact, it was rare for even a breeze of cold air to come through the nights due to the warm, tropical climate that surrounded the nation thanks to being home to firebenders
but tonight, you surprisingly felt cold. even under the warm, silk blankets that you were under, even when the windows were closed, even when large, muscular arms were around you and belonging to your own personal heater— aka your husband. yet surprisingly, zuko’s body warmth wasn’t enough for tonight
you slowly turn your body to face zuko, eyes still half lidded from sleep. the sudden shift of your movement made zuko let out a small sigh before moving to place his chin on top of your head
“zuko” you whispered
no answer
“zuko”
that made a sleepy hum leave his lips as his arms tightened around your waist on instinct, pulling you closer and already preparing to go back to sleep. even though he pulled you closer and tighter, you still couldn’t ignore the chill
you pressed closer, burying your face against his bare chest time with hopes that the slight shivers would fade— but it didn’t
“…im cold” you admitted quietly in the silent night. and your words made zuko still for just a second before pulling back to look at you. even in the dim light, you could feel the shift in him with the way sleep fell away from him almost instantly, despite his tired eyes
“cold?” he repeated, matching your tone. you just nodded faintly, looking up from his chest as a way not to let go from his warmth. that was all zuko needed to see
a concentrated frown formed on zuko’s lips and you couldn’t help but notice how even in the middle of the night with his hair a mess and his face tired, he still looked so beautiful. without another word, his hand slid along your back, settling there as his breathing slowed and deepened
and just like that, a familiar warmth began to build— not overwhelming or scorching, but controlled. careful
the heat seeped into you gradually, spreading from where his palm was against your spine. it wasn’t just zuko’s hand that was warming up, it was also his chest and his entire body in general, thanks to his breathing technique
“tell me if its too much” he murmured, voice still low and rough with sleep but more grounded. you just nodded, feeling your body relaxing now that you couldn’t feel the cold anymore
then, after a while, zuko spoke quietly. “better?” his voice was lower but more awake. you let out a small breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. “yeah” you responded, eyes closing and body already preparing to go back to sleep
you felt his arm tighten again, but deliberately like he was making a point of keeping you there, that he was here whenever you needed him
after a moment, zuko shifted just enough to press a sleepy kiss to your temple before settling back in, his head once again resting on top of yours. “get some sleep” he murmured softly, eyes already closed and soon surrendering himself to the slumber once again. you didn’t respond with anything but a faint nod, already half-asleep.
and the warmth he held? it didn’t fade for the rest of the night
—————————————————————————
masterlist!
(a/n: first time writing zuko! also took all four of my wisdom teeth out at one shot and i already miss eating something solid)
࿐ synopsis ⦂ you could wear the crown and speak the right words and smile at all the right moments; and still find yourself alone in a garden, wondering if loving the fire lord was ever supposed to feel this much like disappearing.
꒰꒰ involving contents ⦂ soft angst with a pure fluff ending, fire lady responsibilities, a random oc, hidden feelings and a confrontation.
they dressed you in red and gold the way they'd dress a weapon before it's presented, with a manner that had nothing to do with what you want.
you stood very still while the handmaidens work. the robes were heavy, though the pins for your hair were even heavier. a headpiece was placed at your crown, while you admired the making of you becoming someone you didn't quite recognize, in the bronze mirror.
...fire lady... the title rested in your chest, bright enough with status, but never truly feeling like it belonged to you.
ZUKO appeared in the threshold behind your reflection. he was already dressed for this kind of life... the attire of statecraft suited him differently than it once did. you can see it in the way he carried the weight of the crown with admirably acceptable that this was where he was meant to be.
his eye found yours in the mirror. "are you done here?"
for a second, you thought of honesty... of the hundred courtiers waiting beyond the doors... the ministers with their assessments in their eyes... the way every room in this palace seemed to judge you. but amongst all that worry, you still thought about how much you love him, and how that love taught you to give in to the life that was offered with him...
"yes!"
the banquet was a perfection of performance.
you smiled when you were meant to. zuko sat to your left and managed the table of highborns like he had made peace with being looked at. you watched him from the corner of your eye... he was so good at this. how was he so good at this.
you weren't any good at it...
that you knew, the moment LADY SHAN, wife to one of zuko's senior generals, asked you what you make of the proposed trade with the earth kingdom... an easy question to anybody. you opened your mouth, and the only honest answer in your tired mind, was... I haven't been spoken to, on it properly and I'm afraid of saying the wrong thing... but, you decided to let it go with carefully dragged out words that probably meant nothing to her. you held your breath as she gave a polite smile and kept on.
when the final course arrived, you were so far behind your own eyes that the candlelights were speaking to you. you smiled for the last time, waiting for it to be over.
you were trying to even out your breathing when you heard his footsteps. zuko found you perched on the garden's bench, overgrown compared to the formal ones near the audience chambers... no one has been here in years.
"you left..." he brought up, attention shared between your abandoned headpiece beside you, your unheld up hair... and finally, the way you were sitting, shoulders down, face tilted up to the midnight sky.
"I needed air."
"I know." he came to sit by your side, close in silent comfort. "I saw your face during the shan conversation."
your eyes flutter shut for a second too long. "was it obvious?"
"to me." he spoke in hushed tones. "not to her."
you glanced down at the folded hands in your lap, still wrapped in red silk. "I don't know what I'm doing in there, zuko. I know how to be... I know who I am. I know that. but I don't know how to be that in there, in that room, with all of them watching me decide what words to say before I say them." you exhaled. "I don't know how to be your fire lady in a room that already has an opinion about what your fire lady should look like."
zuko stayed quiet for long enough, that you just had to face him. his profile, in the dim light, was serious for you mattered to him and he, now had to work out what to say without destroying your bond.
"...when I became fire lord," he began, "I sat in that throne room for an entire day of petitions and I understood maybe a third of what was being asked of me. and I had trained for it. I was certain everyone in the room knew how out of place I looked."
"that's different. you're... "
"I'm what?"
... you sighed, swallowing it back... you're zuko.
"I didn't marry you because you were born for this," he said. "no one is born for this. I barely survived learning it, and I had years of it before my exile as preparation." he twisted to look you in the eyes, now. "I married you because you are... you're honest in a way that people in that room have forgotten how to be. you're kind without overthinking it. you see things." he paused. "those aren't weaknesses in a fire lady. those are exactly what the fire nation has been missing."
"I couldn't answer a question about trade policy," you deflected.
"I'll have someone fill you in on that. properly, this time .. I should have done that already. that's on me." his jaw tightened slightly at his mistake of being so caught up on having you a wife and your time, that he forgot, the both of you weren't the only two to exist in his world of duties. "I keep forgetting that I can't just throw you in and expect you to swim because I know you can. that's not how this works. you needed scaffolding and I didn't build you any and I'm sorry."
"I'm not fragile," you started. "I'm not asking you to protect me from it."
"I know you're not." zuko picked up the headpiece from beside you, tumbled it over in his hands, studying detail. "I'm asking myself to be better at the parts of this that are mine to carry. preparing you. telling you when something's going to be hard instead of assuming you'll figure it out." he set it down, gently. "we're a team in this. that means the failures are mine too."
he stared you down, waiting on you... though you weren't sure what he was waiting for... permission, correction, or simply for you to say something true .. the truth is what you chose.
"I was scared tonight," you confessed. "not all the time. there were moments I was fine. but the scared parts were very scared."
"that's allowed." his eyes, in this light, were very gold. "I was scared tonight too, for the record."
a half laugh left you. "you looked so calm."
"I've had more practice looking calm than being calm." the corner of his mouth lifted heavenward. "It's a different skill."
you spilled laughter again, properly this time, and something in your chest set free the tension that had been building since the handmaidens first pinned your hair.
zuko reached over, in search of your hand. his fingers were always fired up. "...next time," he said, "come find me before you disappear into the garden. we can leave together for a few minutes. I need the air too."
"people will notice."
"let them." his thumb swiped your knuckles, once. "I am the fire lord. If I decide my wife and I need five minutes of quiet, I think I can make that decision."
it was quietly radical in his words of my wife... you were never something as little as a title, or a trophy draped in gold to be presented to crowded rooms.
you flipped your hand over and held his the right way. "alright" you agreed. "next time."
he nodded, but neither of you moved for a while. the lantern light from the main hall was lost to the moonlight. you can hear the faint drift of a late musician still playing in the palace... you sat in the garden until the song ended. soon, Zuko fetched your headpiece, standing, and offered you his hand... it was time to return... together.
atla masterlist . . . . . ↷
all atla and zuko works ࿔ ✎ wanna be tagged in future works? click here.
you were sitting on the edge of the fountain in the private gardens, watching the sun dip below the palace walls, when you heard the heavy, familiar sound of boots against the stone path. zuko was walking toward you, looking more like the boy you’d fallen in love with back when you guys were teenagers than the fire lord who sat on a throne all day. he had ditched his heavy ceremonial robes for a simple, sleeveless tunic in deep crimson and gold, his hair pulled back into a topknot that a few stray strands had already escaped from.
"there you are," he murmured, his voice sounding low and raspy from a long day of meetings.
you stood up as he reached you, and he didn't hesitate to pull you into a hug. as his arms wrapped around you, the first thing you noticed was the sheer heat radiating off him—and then, the solid weight of his arms. without the layers of silk covering him, you could feel every inch of his biceps pressing against your shoulders. they felt like warm marble, thick and incredibly firm. you leaned into him, your hands sliding up his arms instinctively. your fingers brushed over the smooth, bunched muscle of his upper arms, and you couldn't help but let out a tiny, impressed hum.
"zuko," you whispered into his chest, your palms flat against his biceps now. "when did you even have time to train today? you feel... different."
he pulled back just enough to look down at you, a small, tired smirk playing on his lips. "i spent two hours with my uncle this morning before the sun was even up. why? is something wrong?"
"no, definitely not wrong," you said, squeezing the muscle under your hand. it didn't give an inch. "it’s just that this shirt really shows off how much work you've been putting in. your arms are huge."
zuko’s face flushed a light pink, his golden eyes flickering with a mix of bashfulness and pride. he shifted his weight, crossing his arms over his chest—an action that only made the muscles swell and pop even more against the fabric of his vest. the definition was ridiculous; you could see the way his biceps peaked and how the veins traced slight paths down to his forearms.
"it's just from basic forms," he muttered, though he didn't move your hands away.
"come on, let me see," you teased, giving him a playful nudge. "actually flex for me. i want to see if they're as solid as they feel."
he let out a soft huff of a laugh, shaking his head. "you're ridiculous. i'm the fire lord, i shouldn't be standing in the garden flexing like a show-off."
"please? just for your wife? no one is looking," you pleaded, looking up at him with wide eyes.
zuko sighed, but the corners of his mouth were twitching. he uncrossed his arms and took a half-step back. he took a breath, and then, with a bit of a dramatic flair he’d probably learned from uncle iroh, he brought his arm up and flexed. his bicep surged upward, the muscle becoming a hard, rounded knot that looked powerful enough to snap a spear in half. the skin was tight over the peak, and the sheer size of it made your jaw drop slightly.
you reached out, poking the center of the muscle with one finger. it was rock hard. "okay, you’re definitely not just doing basic forms."
zuko laughed, the tension of the day finally bleeding out of his shoulders as he relaxed the pose and pulled you back into his space. "are you satisfied now, or am i going to have to do the other arm too?"
"hmm, i would definitely like that," you whispered, your voice trailing off as your hands slid from his waist back up to his shoulders. you couldn't help yourself; the way the sunlight hit the definition of his arms was too distracting to ignore.
zuko let out a low, vibrant chuckle that you could feel vibrating against your own chest. he seemed to enjoy the attention more than he was willing to admit. "you're obsessed," he teased, though his eyes were warm and full of affection.
to satisfy your curiosity, he shifted his stance and grazed the other arm, tightening the muscle just enough for you to see the way his triceps flared and the skin pulled taut over his shoulder. he looked incredibly powerful standing there in the garden light, the dark fabric of his sleeveless vest contrasting against his skin.
he didn't let you stare for too long, though. before you could make another comment about his training routine, he reached out and cupped your face with his hand, his thumb catching your chin to tilt your head up. his expression softened instantly, all the lingering stress from his meetings finally vanishing.
he leaned down, his breath warm against your skin, and pressed a deep, lingering kiss to your lips. it was sweet and slow, tasting like the tea he'd had earlier and feeling like home. as he pulled you closer, his arms wrapped around you again, and you could feel the immense strength in his frame holding you steady against him.
"i think we should stay right here for a little longer," he murmured against your lips, his voice dropping into a low, private register that sent a shiver down your spine.
he pulled you in even tighter, his large hands splaying across your back and pressing you firmly against the heat of his chest. you could feel the rhythmic thrum of his heart beating against yours, steady and strong. he leaned in again, trailing his nose along the side of yours before burying his face in the crook of your neck, taking a deep breath as if your scent was the only thing keeping him grounded after a long day.
hi! can you write a story where wife reader and zuko have an argument over him being too risky going on dangerous adventures with the gaang when he has a wife and newborn at home and they go to bed mad at each other maybe even the fire lord sleeps in a guest room and it causes rooms to circulate around the palace and it’s him dealing with her silent treatment for a week and apologizes? like man is wrecked without his wife and baby and barely does his duties bc he misses them so much
silent treatment
summary : zuko frequently leaves to adventure with the gaang, but when you have your first child your concern for his safety grows and so does your feelings of neglect. another letter from aang leads to a fight, and a long week of silence for zuko.
pairing : zuko x fem! reader
cw : sfw! arguing, fluff.
divider by @cursed-carmine
zuko’s spot in the gaang had been secured long ago. he knew that, you knew that, everyone with eyes to see knew that. they were like his family, being of more importance than his nation, but never you. almost.
and yet, despite being the fire lord, responsible for an entire nation, he still felt the need to leave on wild adventures with aang and his friends to agni knows where.
this was fine and well when he first became the fire lord, when you were both young, when it was just the two of you.
however, the moment you fell pregnant you began to see the many issues surrounding his crusades. while he was gone you would walk through the castle, dreading any letter that arrived in fear it would be news he would not return.
any messenger who arrived from afar was turned away, in case they brought with them the announcement of his death.
you were beginning to picture the worst every time he stepped foot out of the borders of the fire nation.
it’s not like this fear was completely unwarranted either as he often returned injured or otherwise, unable to attend court for days.
then the baby came. you expected him to slow down with his adventures, make them every few years instead of every few months. but when a letter came, addressed to ‘flameo hotman’ himself, he was rearing to go.
you took it upon yourself to remind him that you JUST popped out his baby, to which he failed to see the issue. thankfully what he lacked in brains he made up for with his care, being there for much of your recovery. so you acquiesced, allowing him to go with a kiss and a long string of prayers for his safety.
one more. one last big crusade, then he can stay home to help you. that was his promise. he never went back on his promises. at least that’s what you thought.
and then another letter arrived, and he saw the fire nation through you like he never hoped to, red, hot, fiery anger blazing in every piece of you as you chastise him in the confines of your bedchambers. despite your anger, you know better than to disrespect him in the public eye of his court, especially as his ‘lowly’ wife.
“you’ve been back for 3 months at the least, do you have no desire to be with your wife and child?” the letter crumples under your tight grip, and zuko’s displeased wince has you squeezing it harder.
“what? of course i do, how could you even say that?” his eyes are full of concern and hurt.
“how could i say that? here, allow me to enlighten you. three months ago you promised me, you swore, zuko, that this would be the last one for a “long” while.” you feel immense relief that your baby is with your ladies in waiting, unwilling to allow her to ever see this side of you. even if she’s unlikely to remember it.
“and i thought that would be the case! i want to stay with you, i do!”
“so turn him down! you have every capability to reject his invitation. or is this your subtle way of saying that you would rather be free from your responsibilities? from us?”
“my love, c’mon you know that’s not what this is.”
“you’ve done nothing to show me that's the truth.” you toss the letter towards his feet, daring him to reach for it. he is smarter than you give him credit for, you’ll admit, as he steps over the crinkled paper.
“where is this coming from?” he reaches out for your dress, and you swiftly swat his hand away, in no mood to entertain his puppy eyes and delicate hands. in no way ready to accept an indirect apology through gentle touches and soft whispers, as he cares for you like a porcelain vase. you remind yourself that this discussion is for the wellbeing of you and your daughter and you will not be swayed by mediocrity, you want acknowledgement and reflection.
“do you have any idea what i went through during my whole pregnancy while you were gone on your little adventures? do you? i couldn’t be sure if you would back unharmed, let alone alive. i had to worry about not only the health of our baby, but also my husband who would rather risk his life for his friends that live in safety with his family.”
your eyes burn with tears you didn’t notice brewing. you’re not sad, you’re brimming with a rage that has been building for months and months.
he is silent and unmoving. the only indication of his attention is the furrow of his brow and the way his chews on his lip in frustration. even if he wanted to speak, you don’t allow him the opportunity.
“let me ask you this, lord zuko, is your fun worth more than your life? worth more than coming home to your wife, or your daughter having a father?”
“you know it’s not! you two are worth more than the entire world to me.”
“then you know how you will answer aang’s letter.”
“my love..”
“i’d like to be alone now. in fact, i’d like to be alone until you know for certain where your priorities lie.” you approach, gaze pointed as you brush past him, leaving him alone in your shared chambers.
that is the last words you speak before, what he will always remember as, the long week of silence. the first time a fight has left the room with you and carried itself alongside you like a protective shield, preventing him from getting in close. you won’t even let him near the baby, which may be a tad unfair, but you’re angry and not thinking straight.
you continue to perform your duties as the fire lady, diligent as you are, but you’re mean about it. he’s not ‘zuko’ anymore, not your love, he is lord zuko. fire lord zuko. you’ve shrunk him to not so much as a colleague in your mind.
it’s the only way you continue in your position as the fire lady, playing the role of dutiful wife for his court then leaving right after the dismissal of said court with a curt bow.
the tension between you two is felt throughout the castle by all. the court notices the subtle distance between you but doesn't verbalize this observation.
you sleep in the nursery with your daughter. your back is stiff, and your neck is crimped, from sleeping on the tiny futon within. you are kept awake all night long by the light of decorative fire ornaments, night lights for your baby. you don’t rest well.
neither does zuko.
he lays in the empty space of your previously shared bed, staring at the ceiling. his mind races with how to win your favor back. how to speak to you. he misses you. misses his daughter. he reminisces on your touch like it’s been years of your absence, when really it’s only been a few days.
he’s already rejected aang’s invitation and you know that, so why have you not returned to him?
when the end of the week approaches he begins to feel ill. distracted. and of course, you notice, but you are stubborn and strong willed.
you miss him too, but the hurt from feeling second to his ‘freedom’, an idea concocted completely on your own, overwhelms you too much to give in just cause he appears to be losing sleep. you want him to feel your absence a little longer, the way you felt his for nights on end. at least, you reason, he knows you and your daughter are alive and well.
the grand chamberlain drones on and on in the confines of zuko’s royal office, to which he casts a spiritless gaze. his thoughts are not on the affairs of his court, rather they are anywhere but.
he only thinks of you, of your baby. have the two of you eaten? what are you doing now? are you in the gardens? in the capital? in your bedroom.. alone.. without him..? should he go to you?
have you forgiven him?
“my wife...”
“what?”
“hm? oh.. um, what i said was, my life. as in.. i would give my life for this court, of course, chamberlain.”
“i believe you spoke of the honorable fire lady, lord zuko.” he stares at zuko with a silent contempt, then relinquishes his harsh gaze upon fully taking in the shell of the fire lord in front of him.
“i suppose.. my mind may have drifted.” zuko sighs, head falling back against his chair’s backrest. a pause, a moment of understanding and quiet contemplation between them, before the chamberlain speaks again.
“forgive my asking, lord zuko, but have you done something to upset the honorable lady?”
“why? did she speak to you? what did she say?” he straightens, like an arrow, gaze pinned to the chamberlain whose head shakes in dismissal.
“i assure you, lord zuko, that is not the case. in fact, it is quite the opposite, as the honorable lady speaks to none but your own child.” zuko frowns, another wave of guilt flooding his already weak stomach.
“she has not spoken to anyone?”
“not in the last week. perhaps she has taken a vow of silence to honour the beginnings of your child’s life?” it’s more than a stretch to suggest this, considering your daughter has been in the world for over three months now, but the chamberlain suggests it despite this. zuko releases a weak huff of laughter.
“yes.. i suppose, it may be that. thank you, advisor, that shall be all..” zuko waves him off with a gentle flick of his hand, the opposite palm sliding down his weary face. finally, he decides, this silence has gone on long enough.
he leaves his office with a start, tripping over his feet as they try to match his fervor. he searches high and low for you, every nook and cranny where you could be hiding from him. until it dawns on him, you’d barely left the nursery since you took shelter there.
he approaches the nursery quietly, cautiously. his palm, slick with a thin layer of nervous sweat, reaches for the door knob and hesitantly pushes it open.
you sit on the rocking chair in the corner, baby in hand, cooing at your daughter until the door creaks and makes his presence known. your eyes meet his for less than a second before they are stubbornly focused on your daughters chubby cheeks.
one glance at you is enough to have him feeling better, not whole, but no longer ill with worry. he walks to you, steps slow, like he doesn’t rule the nation but rather like that of a hesitant child. he points to the foot stool, unused, muttering a small ‘may i?’
“you’re the fire lord, you don’t need my permission to do anything. you’ve made that fairly clear..”
“i’m asking you if i may join you..” you nod, but still your eyes avoid his. he sits.
“are you well?” you nod once more. “and the baby?”
“she is fine as well.”
“good.. that is good,” he clasps his hands together, contemplative as he searches for his next words, “i rejected aang’s invitation.”
“so i’ve heard.”
“but you didn’t come back..”
“i wasn’t ready to.”
“and now?”
“you tell me.”
he sighs, slipping off the stool to kneel in front of you.
“please, don’t dirty yourself on my behalf, lord zuko”
“enough.” his tone is not unkind, but firm. your brow raises and his nods in apology, you listen despite this, eyes finally on him.
“i understand what you're doing.. and why. and i’m sorry,” he reaches for your hand and you can tell he expects to be swatting away again, a visual that makes your heart hurt, “i’m sorry for everything.”
you hold your daughter, who is drifting in between sleep and wakefulness, close to your body. zuko’s thumb rubs across the back of your hand, searching for forgiveness before he continues.
“i will never know how you felt back then, when i was gone, but i know now the power of absence. you have been gone from our bed mere days and i cannot sleep, i cannot eat, i can think of nothing but you. and i know that my safety is questionable on aang’s crusades. so.. i understand why you do not want me to go as often, if at all. i do enjoy a break from being the fire lord but i.. i never want you to think that i value my freedom more than you. i did not know the meaning of the word until you, until .. her.” his eyes drift towards your daughter, soft and longing.
“i know..” you admit quietly, freeing your hand from his grip to cup his cheek.
your thumb swipes across his scar, his eyes close like a dog being pet. your eyes sting with the threat of tears, but the closeness of him after days of distance overwhelms that part of you, a strange happiness patching any sadness lingering within. you tuck his hair behind his ear, his handsome face on display.
“you do?”
“of course i do, i married you for a reason, i know you value this family.. i was just hurt.”
“i know, baby, i’m sorry.. i’m gonna do anything and everything to make up for that.”
“this is enough for now.. i missed you.”
“yeah?” he smiles weakly, like he’s unsure if that's allowed. when you smile back, it grows more sure. he falls forward, arms wrapping around your waist and face resting against your stomach, “i missed you. so much. both of you.”
“i.. don’t mind if you go with aang every once and a while, but we need you here. safe.” your hand rests on his head, which he raises to look at you once more.
“i know. i’m gonna be better. i’ll be around so much you’ll both get sick of me.”
he stands, offering his hand for you to do the same, which you do. you calmly offer him your daughter, his face lights up. his back straightens, like weight upon weight are being rolled over his shoulders one by one. he takes your daughter in his arms, kissing your temple.
“our chambers have been so quiet without you, you’ll come back right?” you nod. “right now?” you smile at his eagerness, hand resting on his arm.
“sure, lord zuko, let’s go, i am dying for a nap on an actual bed. you’ll watch her right?” he leads you out of the room, and down the hall, baby in his arms as he wears the widest grin you’ve ever seen on his face. It’s infectious, bleeding onto you and making your lips curl upwards.
“yeah, i’ll watch her,” he looks at you with a sincerity you’ve never seen, “we’ll be right where you left us when you wake up, promise i’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”
