Another Zuko x FemReader fic :o
So I’ve been away for a bit and saw quite a few likes on my past Zuko fics so ok yeah, Another Zuko fic for y’all. Found this one was kinda longer but one of my better ones :)
This one kinda plays off a previous plot of one of my past ones but just hang in there. This one will for sure tickle your feels, especially for the protective grump boy and innocent sweet girl trope we all love.
Here we go: 1500+ word count, Zuko is 19, girl is like 17, feel like they would be aged up in this scenario, not really following plot, stanning the long Zuko hair.
TW: Nothing really, kinda weird gross men sexually talking and broken bone and burns but thats about it.
OK HERE WE GO, IMAGINE THIS.....
So Zuko and Iroh are out at sea in the lower quarters mapping out their next route. Zuko is over the map and Iroh is sitting comfortably drinking his tea. They hear scrambling and shouts on the main deck of the boat. Zuko shoots up and a guard swings open the door, panting, he alerts them of a ship wreck. Zuko and Iroh move to the upper deck and look out into the water, where there was a demolished sinking ship a few yards away. Out of nowhere, crew members collectively called out and pointed to a person clinging to a broken piece of board. Zuko commanded to bring the survivor aboard. The crew lowered a paddle boat down to the water and hauled aboard the lone figure, they hardly moved. While this happened, upon the main deck, Zuko and Iroh discussed what could’ve happened to the ship and concluded pirates. They turn around and head towards the paddle boat being hoisted up, the crew members empty out and carry the individual on board and onto the ground. Zuko approached and knelt down, it was a girl, soaking wet, her clothing was tattered, ripped, her breathing was ragged and shallow. He ordered a crew member to take her below deck, leave her in his chamber for the night and to bring her water, a robe and a blanket. Zuko spoke with Iroh, staying above deck that night and agreed it would be good to get some information. He could take on whatever came his way but being prepared never hurt anyone.
Zuko made his way below deck the next morning and ordered the guards to leave as he entered his chamber with some tea and rice for the girl. He opened the door and saw her with a blanket around her shoulders. She was in a red robe, holding her empty water cup standing in front of a mural on the wall. Her head spun quickly towards him and he motioned his hands upward carefully and told her he meant no harm. She kept her eyes trained on him and he walked over, sat down at the table and asked her to join him. She wearily took a seat as he handed her the tea and rice, then asked her about what happened. She was very quiet and quick to the point but confirmed his suspicions about pirates. She seemed quite rattled, he could imagine what she had seen and endured, but he could respect someone who knows how to keep their wits afterwards too. She didn’t tell Zuko much about herself when he’d asked, staying very silent, shy, almost, innocent. He told her he would let her go at the closest town, he explained they shouldn't carry passengers on this boat, only prisoners, so they had to find something fast. Quickly cutting off their conversation, the boat came to a halt that stumbles both of them. Zuko tells the girl to stay down in the chamber while he goes and checks what caused the sudden stop.
Zuko emerges from the lower quarters onto the main deck to see a Fire Nation ship boarding his own. As he walks over to his uncle, General Zhao comes into view. Zuko grits his teeth and asks what's the meaning of the hold up, Zhao smugly informs him that all passing ships need inspection and that this boat was no exception. Iroh plays neutral and excuses Zuko's mannerism, inviting him for some tea, hoping to get him talking and forgetting about this “routine” check. The men sit and talk for some time. A while ago Zhao had asked for something stronger than tea, so out came an old ginger liqueur. The three men drank away, Zhao going to town, Iroh only having a couple drinks, while Zuko had none, all thrown over his shoulder. With the bottle almost gone and the conversation dying, Zuko was ready to get this man off his ship.
They all get up and prepare to escort General Zhao off the ship, with many thanks and happy gestures leading them towards the other ship, the man laughs and says, not so fast, and insists on continuing his inspection. Zuko clenched his fists, tries to keep cool. but that's out the window as he watches him make his way down the stairs to the lower deck. He follows down hastily and catches him poking at crates in the hallway, Iroh is quickly behind him.
Zuko catches up with Zhao and impatiently insists he is wasting everyone's time. Zhao turns a lazy head to Zuko, heavy eyelids and slurred speech explaining he’s almost done, turns his eyes towards Zuko's quarters, and only takes one step before Zuko is in front of him, chest to chest blocking his way. Stone cold face, he says there’s nothing for him to inspect, that is his private quarter where nobody is to enter. General Zhao stops for a second and laughs. But Zuko doesn’t laugh. The laugh turns into a chuckle and dies quickly, Zhao asks if Zuko is hiding anything, but there is no response. His face was flat, no emotion. General Zhao lights up and accuses him of hiding something, or someone. Zuko stared at him as a warning. Zhao took a small step back, looking down the hall at his shut door, asking if it was a girl. Maybe someone he picked up to play with or to keep entertained from a local city. Zhao groaned in a repulsive manner, Zuko felt his rage turning over inside him.
Meanwhile, down the hallway on the other side of the door, the girl sat on the floor, tea in hand, alone, scared, huddled in the blanket, awaiting word from the boy who had spoken to her earlier, who gave her a bit of ease.
General Zhao pushed at Zuko, Asking if she was just hiding back there to keep his bed warm. Zuko's eyes could set towns on fire with the amount of burning hatred for this man. Zhao told him if he ain’t leaving her with some bruises or tears then he ain’t doing it right. Zuko stared at him wide eyed, like a dragon ready to rip apart its next prey, when Zhao put a hand on Zuko's shoulder, then leaned in close and asked zuko to give him a share of the girl back there, that he’d be quick with her. He snapped, and Iroh saw it, but before he could do anything Zuko was quick and grabbed General Zhao around the wrist and elbow and began to burn the spots he held, Zhao screamed and Iroh yelled for Zuko to stop, but everything was just a blurb of sound until the crack of General Zhao forearm snapping over Zuko's knee brought him back. Stunned silence fell for only a second. Zuko released the man and he fell to the ground with a loud wail, his arm broken, flopping about covered in blood and burns. Guards began running and flooding down the steps.
The girl shot up, hearing the screaming coming from close outside the door and running above head, she began to panic. She couldn’t do another sinking ship, but this ship wasn’t sinking, it wasn’t hit. She was told to stay put but was torn, risking seeing what was going on or staying hidden.
Few of General Zhao’s men came down as well as Zukos, Zuko said he was much too intoxicated and had fallen, commanding them to take the waist of a man off his ship. As they did, Iroh stood by his side, eyes closed, not one word. Zuko was quiet, but said it was nothing a basic water tribe healer couldn’t fix. flexing his hands and calming his breath, they heard the creek of the door open behind them, Iroh and Zuko carefully turned around, the girl stood half in the doorway. She looked so vulnerable, so small and defenceless. Zuko's heart fell a bit, he couldn’t stop the thought of if Zhao's ship had found her first, he balled his fist at the thought, the things he was saying to him mere minutes before, spirits, his face contorted for a second with anger, wanting to break his other arm. The girl said nothing, Zuko slowly walked towards the girl and motioned Iroh to go on the main deck and man for a while.
The girl and Zuko went back into his quarters, keeping the door open, he explained to her what the plan was, he tried to make it so clear that it was safer for her below deck but she was free to do as she pleased, so she may roam the main deck for a short time if she wished. He told her he would bring her some food and water whenever she wanted, and he had offered to be her personal escort into the first nearby town to buy her some clothes. Zuko wasn’t going to tell her what had happened in the hallway or what things were said. But, he did offer for her to remain on his ship if she pleases, he had made a promise to keep her safe, and that was exactly what he was going to do.
