LET IT GO? what a silly husband you are..
"stubborn as a mule" is what they described you growing up. how could he forget that the day he made you his, this stubborn wife of his will never let down his one silly mistake in life! NOTES: SECOND PART he highkey looks like jinshi so guess where some inspo came from.. enemies to lovers, misunderstanding, funny (kinda LMAO), you both have a kid, it's quite sweet i think probably. hes cutiepie!, i cant remember which comic it was that showed what happened after the war ended but theres mentions of events from there!
PAIRING: FIRELORD!ZUKO X EARTH BENDER!READER WORD COUNT: 4K
Your early days with your gang were rocky to say the least. Not just because of your bending, but your personality as well. To be clear, you had the best relationship with everyone! They adapted to your stubbornness, but that wasn't just what you had going for you; you were confident and always stood your ground. The only time you "crumbled" was when Zuko finally joined. At first, you didn't like him, no one really did honestly.
But when he finally proved his worth and showed kindness in his own ways, that's when it started. That's when your eyes always lingered towards him, even when you didn't want them to. Why? because you never ever wanted him to notice whatever feelings you had for him. For some reason, within the group, he was the one person who hung out with you the least.
You were closer in age to Katara, so being the only other female in the group with similarities is what made your bond so strong. Being the same bender as Toph, not to mention a slight similarity in personality, you both stood strong together. Sokka, well its Sokka.. But with his very charming personality, in his own way, he always placed a smile on your face. Aang, is Aang! Everyone always got along with him because of his carefree personality.
And Zuko? Well, he, for some reason, always avoided you. It wasn't like you did anything to him. You thought maybe because he noticed how different you acted with him, maybe your soft side took a toll on him, even though you barely showed it to him. You just wanted reasons to use to explain why he never looked in your direction.
You were never a jealous person, either. As time passed, he grew closer to the others, and you stood in the awkward light. The one time he went out with Katara, you knew it was important for both of them, not only to build their relationship but to learn about each other's pasts, but for the first time, you felt a weird feeling in your chest. You didn't hold any negative feelings for either of them, and to be honest, when they came back, you ran straight to Katara, a smile on your face as she mirrored it.
And as you turned to Zuko, he briefly looked at you before turning to Katara, then the others as they came up. Your smile then dropped. You watched as he interacted with the others, but not with you. Later that night, you decided to confront him. You made it into his tent, obviously scaring him.
You didn't "crumble" in front of him; in fact, you stood as the big boulder blocking him from leaving his tent, all with this stern expression on your face. Your eyes pierced through his slightly troubled own, as if he was finally caught in the lights.
"Is there anything you need?" He slightly muttered, looking up at you.
You, on the other hand, didn't waste any time; in fact, you headed straight to the point.
"Do you hate me?"
"What?" He blurted out.
Your arms folded, your eyebrows creased as you didn't accept his answer.
"Answer me."
.
.
He looked around for a bit, shutting his eyes and inhaling deep before exhaling. He opened his eyes and looked at you, dead in your eyes, and finally answered.
"Yes, I do."
Your expression didn't change, you didn't "crumble," but everything inside you did. Maybe that's why you didn't catch on that he didn't look at you with anger or disgust. But what your ears heard, it heard that instead.
When Zuko stared back at you, he didn't see anything change, which he wasn't hoping for. He has his own hidden feelings he wished to not shine light on, but he felt that after this night, there will be no light or feelings anymore.
After that night, you decided to never ever speak to him, look in his direction, or do anything with him. But what if the other asked as to why?
"Because he said he didn't like me."
As the years passed by, obviously, you all grew and finally ended the war. As celebrations began, you were called into an empty room. Your eyes lingered on this person with the audacity and saw none other than Zuko himself. Your relationship with him was already beyond repair, because you'll never let him get past you. Not after blatantly telling you off without a reason. So why now? You wanted him to start it, explain what he wanted to say so that you can go back with everyone, and forget this ever happened.
But his reasoning reminded you of why you even had this crush on him. He sat you down, yet avoided eye contact. He felt soft, in a way, compared to your demeanor. A sigh left his lips as he finally let his feelings out.
He explained that he didn't hate you; he never did. In fact, it was very much the opposite. He developed small feelings for you, but your strong-headed personality scared him a bit. It didn't fear him to the point of always avoiding you; it was one of the reasons why you pulled him in. It was the fact that he knew he had something going on with another back at home. He was scared that if you found out, your anger might grow, and not only would you hate him, but something more.
The night you cornered him, he didn't know what to say, how to explain anything, and the stern look you gave him caused him to blurt out the only thought in his head.
As you listened to his story, you understood everything he said, maybe felt the need to falter a bit, because you numbed the feeling you had towards him, but didn't get rid of it. You still liked him. But he has to work for it. Like he did with everyone else.
Fortunately, as he had to repair the fire nation, he wanted your help as there were colonies from the Earth Kingdom. So you decided to help, decided to stay with him for a bit, and that was his moment to finally build what he wanted with you. When everyone left, to help everyone from the aftermath of the war, no one knew you decided to join Zuko. No one knew that you both even had that chat to begin with.
You both came to an agreement that you will stay with him for a while, helping him rebuild his nation. You both had very different views: you wanted to help him genuinely, then go back to your kingdom, and Zuko wanted to fix your relationship. But he didn't know how much workload he would receive from fixing a kingdom.
Days passed by, and the morning sun rested on your bed as you stood by the window. You were getting ready for the day until some guards knocked on the door. Your neck turned in the direction, softly allowing them to enter.
"Good morning, ma'am, the Lord is calling you for a matter he needs assistance with." They stated.
A sigh left your lips as you nodded, walking out of the room with the guards guiding you. With Zuko in charge now, the people were left with mixed reactions; some were happy, some were not, which was understandable. But you've noticed that those who mostly favor Ozai the most as their Lord were slowly crossing that barrier of respect towards Zuko.
Your heels echoed through the halls, but halted when the giant doors of his office came into view.
"You can leave now, thank you." You ordered as you pushed open the door, leaving the guards behind.
Your eyes landed on the man seated behind the table, head in hand, but perked up at the sound of the door opening. His eyes softened a bit when it landed on you, but he quickly looked away as your strong gaze held long, going through him.
"You summoned me." You stated, walking up towards the table.
"I did, here, the plan I had before, I don't know what to do. Aang and I almost fought over it." He muttered, handing over some papers.
"Is it about the colonies?" You asked, as your eyes scanned the paper in your hand.
Your ears caught the squeak of his chair as he rose to take a short walk around.
"It is, they have been here for over a hundred years, some even have families here, but there are some that are mixed with the people here. It doesn't feel right to just remove them and separate their families." He explained, his voice sounding upset and lost.
You looked up, eyes following his every movement.
"You visited one of the colonies, yes?"
"I did."
"And what did you think of it?"
He stopped walking, turning to face you.
"At first, I was surprised. But as I saw more, I thought that if I tried to rip them apart, it would create more chaos than calm."
As the words left his lips, for this one time, your eyes soften.
"And I think that's right. You should tell Aang that, and come up with a new plan." You told him, placing the papers back onto his table.
"If that's all, I shall see myself out." And with that, your heel turned to leave, but his voice stopped you.
"I can see you out, actually, do you want to go.." Slowly, his words got softer, and you didn't hear the last part.
"Go where." It was meant to be a question, but your voice sounded too demanding, catching you off guard a bit.
The tone of voice caused a troubled "um" to leave his lips, but he still stood his ground.
"For a walk, we can go for a walk."
He changed his question to a statement. You would've called it a bold move if he didn't look like he was going to crumble under your presence.
You took a while to answer him, on purpose, of course, staring at him straight into his eyes, watching as he failed to maintain eye contact, but in the end, you agreed, waiting at the door for him to take the lead.
The walk was quiet; you both made it out of the palace, eyes now following your every move. You paid him a favor of starting a conversation; he's already going through so much.
"Have any plans for the colonies as yet?" You started, facing him as you both walked side by side.
"Huh? Oh. I think those who have been here for a while and have families shouldn't have to go."
"I agree."
"What about you?"
"Me what?" You asked.
"Are you going back as well?"
"Probably."
"..."
When you noticed you didn't get back a response, your eyes lingered on him for a bit before facing forward.
"I said probably, that isn't a yes or a no."
"You're right." He muttered.
His down demeanor made a small smile grow on your face. Teasing him became your new. The tension was broken by a random civilian who began to shout, pointing fingers at Zuko.
Another follower of Ozai, upset with the change Zuko's making. The nearby guards got into action, ready to take care of the man, but this was your first time witnessing it in person. You felt the need to put your word into this.
"Is there a reason why you were so moved by the previous Lord Ozai's ways? Please tell. Because from what I could tell, your little whining here clearly shows that you had little to no understanding of what would've happened if Ozai got his way. For once, people like you wouldn't have such a carefree life right now; rather, you would've been working until you dropped from exhaustion or be banished from doing something as little as watching him the wrong way. So I suggest you enjoy the sun that's beating on your back, or do you want to join him down in the dark cells?"
You knew your words had an effect on everyone around; they all looked around, mainly staring at you. But the civilian was lost for words. He wanted to bite back, but couldn't. In the end, you bid Zuko goodbye, told him to finish up the problem, and you went back.
What you didn't notice was his eyes lingering longer as you disappeared into the distance.
After that incident, you haven't really seen Zuko that much, but one thing that has changed is the looks you get either from the guards or random civilians passing by. It didn't bother you that much. What bothered you is that after Zuko cleared the colonies problems, you have yet to see or hear of him.
As of right now, you were seated by your vanity, brushing your hair for the night. It was late, and you had guards outside of your room, but they didn't bother you when you decided to go on with your plan. The thought of leaving your chambers in your nightwear didn't cross your mind; the guards had no say either when their eyes followed your every move.
You could only go so long without seeing him. As stern as you may be, you were confident in your feelings. You will stand tall and confidently express your feelings if you must. But here you are, inside his office, finding him fast asleep, head resting on the papers. Seeing him in this state, you finally noticed all the aspects you hadn't before. Of course, you both grew, but it was the first time you noticed how much longer his hair got. He seemed a lot bigger than before. Your hands hovered over his face, fingers gently moving his hair out of his eyes.
As much as you felt confident in your feelings, the soft side in you doesn't really want to show the affection you wanted to. So under the moonlight, as his eyes rested, you left the room to get your spare blanket, made it back into the office, and draped it over his back. You moved his hair out of his face, finger lingering a bit more on his cheek. A sigh left your lips as your eyes traveled to the stacks of papers he still had to get through. You confirmed the thought in your head to return in the morning to offer some help, but right now, you softly placed a kiss on his forehead, caressing it one last time before making your way out.
You heard a slight shuffle, turning in his direction. A small smirk formed.
"Sleep well, Firelord."
.
.
.
You made it back into your chambers, ready for bed, when the sounds of knocking stopped your tracks. Your eyes darted to the door, allowing entry. It caught you off guard when you saw none other than the man you left to rest.
"Did you come to tell me to sleep well?" You joked a bit, sitting on your bed.
Zuko stared back at you, pulling the blanket off his back, and walked up towards you. You didn't break eye contact, not once, but he didn't as well. This was a first. He came to a stop, looking down at you as you looked up. For a bit, it was like that, that is, until he stooped to your level, knees on the floor as he placed the blanket across your back instead. He rested on his knee, getting lower, and held your hand in his. He looked up at you, sweetness lingering in his eyes.
This, for once, was new to you. He wasn't this bold before. His stare held; he didn't break it, not once. So yours soften, intertwining your fingers with his.
"Do you have something to say?" You muttered softly.
"Did I earn you?"
"Hm?" Your eyebrows rose.
"I had to work for us, prove that I really want us. Did I do it?"
Your lips were slightly opened. It closed as you slightly nodded.
"You did, for a long while."
"Hm." He softly smiled. His eyes made it down to your lips, head tilted a bit as he leaned in, his eyes locked back with yours. Soon, your lips touched, and his hands roamed your frame, resting on your waist. Yours found his cheek, thumb caressing the soft skin. You won't say it, you never will. But it was indeed your stubbornness that held all this back, keeping all the pent-up affection. He broke for air, yet still close enough that you felt his breath brushing against your face.
You tilted his face up, finger pushing his chin. It traced along his face, playing in his hair. His face rested in your palm, looking up at you in adoration and love. Slowly, you removed your hand, forcing him to move his head. Instead, your hand found his from around your frame, standing as he followed behind. A small smirk formed on your face as you fell back onto the bed, a surprised sound leaving his lips as he fell on top of you.
His hands came in contact with the bed first, preventing you both from hitting your heads. But as his eyes linger, his head finally caught up with the position you place them in, he rushed to remove himself, but your hands locked him in place first.
"Wait!-"
"Do you want me to let go?"
Your question rang in his ear, repeating over and over in his head, and with a final sigh, he rested his head in your chest.
"No.. Not really.." He muttered before looking up at you, letting his hands roam your frame as you both felt the air shift. It got heavier, warmer, and everything fell into a blur.
In the morning, your cheek rested against his chest. The warmth of his bare chest is enough to keep you asleep, but the knocking on your door broke the trance. You rose from his chest, to find out that Zuko was already up, and his fingers were raking through your hair.
You felt his hand drop as he too rose.
Your eyes studied his frame, shoulder-length hair falling around him, as his muscles moved when he stretched.
"What is it?" He asked out loud to the guards outside.
"Oh, you're in there, my Lord. I'm sorry to bother."
That's when it hit him, mid-stretch, he stopped. His eyes landed on your frame, and then his cheeks got warmer.
"I think that knock was for me." You muttered, pulling the blanket around you.
"Yeah, I think it was.." He muttered, avoiding eye contact.
"I'd never think that they would ever get together.." Sokka muttered as a little girl pulled on his ponytail, small "ow's" leaving his lips as he battled her for his own hair.
Katara smiled at the scene before standing up to get the 2-year-old off her brother. She placed her on top of Appa as giggling escaped the toddler's lips. She found joy in his fur, dragging her hands all over his head.
"I hope she grows up like her momma." Toph joked, hinting at how you were back in the days.
"Zuko would have a rough time if she does," Aang muttered, watching her as she played in Appa's fur.
The sound of the door opening caught their attention as the girl looked up, and her smile grew.
"Papa!" She exclaimed, sliding off Appa, with Aang catching her, then letting her run up to her father. She crashed into his legs, looking up at him with glee.
Before Zuko could respond, the tug of his hair caused a yelp to escape his lips.
"What about mama dear?" You softly asked, stooping to her level.
A giggle escaped her lips as she ran towards you, right into your arms. They all stared at the family, some still baffled at the idea.
"I still couldn't believe it when I saw the letter, "You are invited to our wedding!" I DON'T RECALL ANY MENTIONS OF DATING?!"
"We are right here. I'm blind, not deaf."
Sokka glared at her as her eyes stared off into the unknown distance.
"Yeah, but that means they worked out whatever tension they had," Aang said, patting Zuko's shoulder.
"In bed.." A laugh left your lips as you heard what Toph muttered. Zuko sighed, hair falling over his face as his hands found it.
"Okay, guys, they're getting married soon, let's just celebrate, please.." Katara explained, as Toph sighed. The others agreed, and they all made it into the palace.
Your daughter decided to follow behind Zuko, no care in her head that he has work to do. She'll just help him.
You, on the other hand, lead the others to their room.
"So, in the end, you didn't go back home?" Aang asked.
You shook your head.
"I don't think I ever was planning to after he invited me to stay for a while." You explained.
"And when was this invitation?" Sokka asked, sticking his nose at you.
"At the celebration. Tea shop."
"Huh? WHAT?"
You glared at him for being so loud. A sigh left your soft lips as you let them roam the palace, slowly leaving the group as you venture for your family.
You made it into the throne room, seeing the old chamberlain leaving the room, a sour look still on his face. Your eyes followed his frame before falling onto the guards as they all bowed in your direction.
Your ears caught the sound of your very loud daughter "ordering" the men around. She sat on Zuko's lap while his eyebrows creased in concern, yet his face held a smile. When her eyes landed on you, the loudest "Mama!" echoed throughout the room.
You walked up to the duo, giving Zuko a small peck before patting your daughter's head.
"Are you done here?" You asked.
"Thanks to her, we ended early," Zuko muttered, looking down at the child.
A small "hm" left your lips as you told her, "good job". Zuko's eyebrow rose as he heard it, and he let your hand pull his as he held onto their daughter and rose from his chair.
You dragged them into your shared room, Zuko placing their daughter down as she roamed around. He, on the other hand, already made his way towards the vanity, staring at himself in the mirror as you came up behind. Your fingers dragged through his long hair, slightly pulling it down, forcing him to look up at you.
Your free hand rested on his cheek, fingers roaming, and your thumb rested on his bottom lip. Your hand that raked through his hair left the locs to get the brush, but less brushing was going to happen when you leaned down to connect lips.
You felt his smile form as he moved his head up more, his hands making it onto your face as he deepened the kiss more.
Unfortunately, you both have an unruly daughter who "thinks" she can bend by calling out the element and:
"Oof-"
A gasp left your lips as your eyes landed on the book that now rested on the floor, but for sure made contact with Zuko's head.
"Air bending!" She exclaimed with a pose.
"I think not." You stated, glaring at her, about to make your way towards her, until Zuko's hand rested on yours.
"It's okay.. I'm fine." He muttered, holding his face.
"Dear, you'll get a scar on the other side if she continues."
"Let's not overreact." He joked, looking up at you.
"Huh? I'm not. What if one day she does bend and it's fire, and then-"
"OKAY. Okay.." He muttered, looking away.
He then looked at his daughter as she ran up to him, giving him a sloppy kiss, where the book landed before picking up the same book.
"Sorry papa..!" She exclaimed, before running out of the room and off to who knows where. You both sighed as you shared a look.
"She said sorry." He softly said, shrugging his shoulder.
You stared down at him, with that one look he knew and loved. A troubled look made it onto his face as he looked away. That was when the smirk made it onto yours, as your fingers made it into his long locs, to tug at it.
"Hey-"