It was a surprise to me to discover that these films are dubbed in other languages and that there are fandoms for them in another countries because they are very "local" (idk how to say it)
Fandom : Avatar the Last Airbender (ATLA)
Pairing : Zuko x Fem. OC
Tags : Romance, 10 years after war, Emotional Anchor, Angst, Fluff, Eventual Smut, Fire Nation Politics, Team Avatar conflicts
Worthwhile Masterlist
AO3 : Worthwhile by Allhaillordzuko
Status : WIP/ On goingㅣRating : General/Mature
**Summary : The journey beyond the Fire Nation grows longer, the enemy more elusive, and the distance from home more difficult to bear. But not every battle is won on the battlefield, and not every homecoming comes without a price.
While life within the Fire Nation slowly settled into a new routine under Iris's careful stewardship, the journey beyond its borders had become anything but routine. Weeks had passed since Team Avatar first departed for another mission, yet the investigation surrounding the mysterious attacks on Republic City's construction showed no signs of reaching its conclusion. What initially appeared to be a series of isolated incidents gradually revealed itself to be part of something far more extensive than any of them had anticipated. Every hideout they uncovered pointed toward another hidden camp. Every captured mercenary possessed only enough information to lead them toward another shipment of stolen explosives, another group of hired soldiers, or another attack waiting to happen somewhere else across the Four Nations. No sooner had they dismantled one operation than another messenger hawk arrived with reports of fresh sabotage in an entirely different province.
The journey became a relentless cycle of traveling, investigating, and fighting. Days blended together beneath endless stretches of open sky, while unfamiliar villages replaced one another with such frequency that even Sokka occasionally admitted he had lost track of where they were. They spent more nights sleeping beneath the stars than beneath proper roofs, and proper meals had gradually become whatever they could manage between destinations before Appa carried them toward the next crisis. Even Appa, despite his remarkable endurance, seemed noticeably more exhausted than usual. For Zuko, however, the physical exhaustion was the easiest burden to bear.
Whenever the day's responsibilities finally settled into a rare moment of quiet, his thoughts inevitably wandered back toward the Capital. He found himself wondering whether Iris had remembered to take breaks between council meetings or whether she had once again become so absorbed in her work that she skipped lunch without realizing it. He wondered whether she still visited the royal greenhouse every morning before attending to palace affairs, whether the gardeners continued treating her more like a friend than their Fire Lady, and whether she still slept on her side of the bed despite there being no one occupying the other half.
He had written to her whenever circumstances allowed, although the opportunities had become increasingly rare. More often than not, the messenger hawks arrived carrying reports from military outposts rather than empty parchment for personal correspondence, leaving him with little more than enough time to reassure her that he was safe before duty demanded his attention once again. Every letter ended exactly the same way.
I miss you.
A quiet snort from somewhere behind him interrupted his thoughts. "You've got that look again."
Zuko glanced over his shoulder to find Sokka balancing carelessly near Appa's saddle, an unmistakably smug grin already spreading across his face. "What look?"
"The one where you completely disappear for about five minutes without moving."
"I was thinking."
"Exactly." Sokka folded his arms triumphantly before looking toward the others. "I told you."
Katara looked up from the waterskin she had been refilling before smiling knowingly. "You were thinking about Iris again."
"I was thinking about home."
Sokka's grin only widened. "Which just happens to include your wife."
"It also includes an entire nation."
"And yet," Sokka replied with exaggerated seriousness, "I somehow doubt you were sitting there wondering whether the eastern tax records have been properly organized."
Aang chuckled quietly while scratching Appa behind one ear. "I have to agree with Sokka on this one."
Zuko sighed, already recognizing there was little point denying it. "I was wondering how she's doing."
The teasing softened almost immediately.
Katara rested her hands upon her knees before offering him a reassuring smile. "She's probably keeping the entire palace running better than any of us expected."
"I know." His voice carried a quiet confidence rather than uncertainty. "That's never been what worried me."
Suki tilted her head curiously. "Then what does?"
Zuko remained silent for a moment, his gaze drifting toward the clouds stretching endlessly across the horizon. "I know she can handle everything I left behind." He smiled faintly before lowering his eyes toward his hands. "I just wish she didn't have to."
No one answered immediately. There was very little any of them could say. They all understood why Zuko continued traveling beside the Avatar instead of returning to the Fire Nation. Every village they saved revealed another community waiting for help. Every prisoner they questioned uncovered another threat that had to be stopped before innocent people paid the price for their failure. None of them had chosen this endless journey, yet none of them possessed the luxury of walking away from it either.
The silence lingered comfortably between them until the familiar cry of a messenger hawk echoed overhead. The bird descended through the clouds before landing neatly upon Aang's outstretched forearm. He untied the small scroll secured to its leg and began reading, his expression growing noticeably more serious with every passing line.
Sokka was the first to recognize the look. "...Please tell me that's our ticket home."
Aang slowly lowered the message before meeting everyone's eyes. "I'm afraid not."
Zuko already knew the answer before the Avatar spoke again. "Another attack?"
Aang nodded. "There have been reports of another shipment moving through the northern mountain pass. If the information is accurate, they're transporting enough blasting jelly to destroy several sections of the railway before it reaches Republic City."
A heavy silence settled over the group. Zuko closed his eyes for only a brief moment before exhaling quietly through his nose. Somewhere within his travel bag rested Iris's most recent letter, folded so many times that the edges had already begun to soften from repeated handling. He resisted the familiar urge to take it out again, knowing there would be time for that later.
Instead, he adjusted the swords resting across his back before looking toward Aang. "Then we'd better move."
The valley erupted into chaos. The masked archers unleashed another volley of arrows from the cliffs above while the men gathered around the railway instinctively reached for their weapons, unsure whether they had just become allies or expendable pawns. The hesitation that had briefly settled over the valley vanished beneath the deafening clash of steel, bending, and exploding stone.
"Protect the explosives!" one of the masked figures shouted.
"They're trying to collapse the pass!" Sokka warned as another arrow struck one of the wooden crates.
Aang launched himself into the air upon a powerful current of wind, redirecting the tumbling barrel before it could strike the railway workers scrambling desperately for cover, yet even before his feet touched the ground once more, both of his arms swept outward in one fluid motion that drew a wall of earth upward across the railway, intercepting another volley of arrows before they could reach the workers huddled behind the unfinished tracks. With scarcely a pause between movements, he twisted sharply upon one heel, guiding a ribbon of water from the mountain stream Katara had already uncovered into the burning grass where several flaming arrows had landed, extinguishing the growing fire before it could spread toward the stacked blasting jelly.
Toph slammed both palms against the ground. The mountain answered. Great slabs of stone erupted beneath the feet of the attackers, throwing several from the cliffs before they could lose another arrow. At the same time, Suki and Sokka charged through the confusion with practiced precision as they deflected blades while their shields formed a moving wall between the workers and the explosives.
"Left flank!" Suki called.
Zuko was already moving. Twin broadswords flashed through the evening light as he forced three masked men away from the detonators positioned beside the tracks. Jets of fire burst from his feet, carrying him across the battlefield before he landed between another attacker and a terrified railway worker who had stumbled to the ground.
"Run!" Zuko ordered.
The young man hesitated only long enough to nod before disappearing toward the far end of the valley.
"They're trying to light the fuses!" Katara shouted.
"I see them!" Sokka answered, hurling his boomerang toward one of the torches. It struck straight, sending the burning brand spinning harmlessly across the gravel before Suki swept the remaining torch aside with her fan.
For several minutes the battle swung steadily in Team Avatar's favor. One by one, the masked attackers were disarmed or driven back toward the cliffs, while those who had originally been hired to transport the explosives gradually lowered their weapons altogether. Several even began helping frightened workers escape the railway instead of continuing the fight. Aang landed lightly upon one of the unfinished railway beams before driving both palms toward the ground. The earth answered immediately. Thick stone pillars erupted beneath several masked attackers, separating them from the workers they had been pursuing, while a sweeping kick carried another current of air across the valley, hurling a cluster of discarded shields high into the sky before sending them crashing harmlessly between the opposing forces. As another firebender attempted to ignite one of the fuses, Katara thrust one hand forward, drawing a narrow stream from the nearby river that wrapped around the burning torch before extinguishing it instantly, leaving only drifting steam where flames had existed a heartbeat earlier.
"We're pushing them back!" Aang called.
One of the masked figures glanced frantically across the battlefield. Fallen comrades littered the valley floor, while those still standing were steadily being forced away from the railway. His gaze settled upon the stacked crates of blasting jelly beside the unfinished tracks.
"Forget the retreat!" he shouted.
Several of the remaining attackers immediately abandoned the fight, breaking away from their companions and sprinting toward the explosives instead.
"What are they doing?" Sokka called, knocking another attacker aside with his shield.
"I don't know," Katara answered, her eyes following them. "But stop them!"
Then everything changed. One of the masked figures, realizing defeat had become inevitable, abandoned his sword altogether and reached instead for a concealed firework rocket strapped across his back.
Suki's head snapped toward him. "Zuko!" She barely had time to shout.
The rocket streaked across the battlefield, not toward Team Avatar, but toward the stacked crates of blasting jelly lining the railway. Without thinking, Zuko lunged forward. A wall of fire burst from both hands, striking the projectile before it reached the explosives. The rocket exploded prematurely in midair, but the force of the blast sent burning splinters and shattered stone raining across the valley. One jagged fragment, propelled by the explosion with terrifying speed, tore through the smoke before slamming into Zuko's side. The impact threw him several feet across the railway. The premature explosion scattered burning fragments across the valley, igniting patches of dry brush on both sides of the railway. Aang swept one arm outward, drawing the flames together with practiced firebending before guiding the blazing current harmlessly into a barren stretch of stone where it quickly exhausted itself, denying the attackers the smoke and confusion they had hoped to create.
"Zuko!" Katara screamed.
Before anyone could reach him, part of the cliff weakened by the explosion gave way. Massive boulders thundered down the mountainside, forcing everyone to scatter as dust swallowed the battlefield. Aang reacted almost instinctively, a tremendous surge of air slowing the first avalanche just enough for frightened workers to escape its path before he drove both hands downward with all the force he could summon. Great walls of earth erupted from the valley floor, intercepting the largest boulders before they could crush the railway beneath them, while streams of water torn from the nearby river rushed across the shattered stone to smother the fires spreading dangerously toward the crates of blasting jelly. Beside him, Toph seized the trembling mountainside itself, forcing the fractured earth back into place with every ounce of strength she possessed until the violent shaking finally subsided.
As the last of the masked attackers disappeared into the surrounding forest, the valley gradually fell silent. Those who had surrendered quietly laid down their weapons beneath the watchful eyes of the railway workers they had nearly killed, while the remaining laborers emerged cautiously from behind shattered stone barricades to inspect the damage. Smoke drifted lazily across the mountain pass where fractured cliffs still shed loose rocks in scattered echoes, and the sharp scent of blasting jelly lingered stubbornly in the evening air despite the fires having finally been extinguished. The railway had survived. So had the people who had nearly lost everything protecting it. Yet no one celebrated.
Suki reached Zuko first. She dropped to one knee beside him, quickly pulling him away from another shower of falling rocks before pressing one hand firmly against the wound spreading crimson beneath his armor. “Katara!”
"I'm here!" Katara slid beside them almost immediately, her hands already glowing with healing water as she carefully pushed aside the torn armor. Her expression immediately changed. "...This is bad."
Zuko remained barely conscious. "I've had worse."
"You always say that," Katara muttered. "And you're always wrong."
Sokka finally reached them, breathing heavily after helping the remaining workers escape. He looked down at the blood soaking through Zuko's uniform before grimacing. "Well..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "...Iris is going to kill you."
Despite the pain, Zuko managed to let out a weak snort. "That's... reassuring."
"I'm serious." Sokka folded his arms. "She spent weeks keeping your kingdom together, and you're planning to come home looking like you fought a mountain."
"I did fight a mountain," Zuko answered faintly.
"The mountain won."
Even Suki smiled despite herself. "It certainly landed a good hit."
Sokka looked back toward the shattered railway, where blackened fragments of the crates still smoldered among the rubble. "I still don't get it."
Katara glanced up from the glowing water around her hands. "What?"
"They spent the entire battle protecting those explosives." He frowned. "Then, the moment they realized they were losing, they tried to blow them up themselves."
"They didn't want us to recover them," Suki said quietly.
Toph folded her arms. "Or they figured if they couldn't have them, nobody could."
Aang's gaze lingered on the ruined crates and the scorched stretch of railway beyond them. "Either way... they were willing to destroy everything they'd stolen just to keep it out of our hands." Aang looked completely devastated, his head resting in his hands. "I thought things were getting better. I really thought we were making progress."
"They are getting better, Aang," Katara answered quietly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "But healing takes time."
Sokka leaned back against a brick chimney, staring up at the stars. "A horrifying amount of time."
Toph crossed her arms, her face grim. "People don't just stop being angry because some bald monk tells them peace is nice."
"...Thanks, Toph," Aang muttered into his knees.
"You're welcome," Toph grinned. "My point is, Twinkletoes, people don't trust speeches." She gestured toward the workers now helping one another. "They trust what they can actually see."
Aang turned to the direction she pointed. After a long moment, he smiled quietly. "...Maybe that's enough."
Katara was already pulling the water out of her flask, the liquid glowing with a soft, radiant blue light as she prepared her healing arts. "You need to stop getting injured."
"That advice feels unrealistic for our current lifestyle," Zuko muttered, wincing slightly as the cool water made contact with the angry, burned flesh of his shoulder.
Aang came over and sat beside him quietly, looking out over the dark water of the bay. "You should go home for a few days, Zuko."
"There's still cleanup here," Zuko argued, his stubborn nature flaring up.
"There's always cleanup," Katara answered softly, her voice carrying a mix of exhaustion and gentle reprimand.
Sokka nodded dramatically, crossing his arms. "Besides, your terrifyingly pretty wife is probably preparing revenge herbs already. I wouldn't cross her if I were you."
Toph smirked lazily from her spot on the ground, leaning her head back. "Yeah. She heals like she's punishing you personally."
"And the mission—" Zuko muttered again between uneven breaths.
"Will continue," Suki interrupted firmly. "The rest of us can handle it."
Sokka nodded in agreement. "You've done your part. And," he added with another crooked grin, "if we don't send you home now, Iris might decide to finish what that mountain started."
For the first time since the battle ended, genuine laughter spread quietly through the group. Even Zuko couldn't entirely disagree. No one argued after that. Even Zuko understood what the others had already decided for him. The journey back to the Fire Nation was quieter than usual. Katara remained beside him throughout the flight, renewing the healing water whenever the pain threatened to overwhelm him, while Aang guided Appa steadily through the evening sky. Sokka, perhaps sensing that no amount of teasing could truly distract Zuko from his frustration, spent most of the trip unusually silent. Even Toph eventually stopped making jokes.
By the time the familiar coastline of the Fire Nation came into view, the sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon. Appa landed heavily within the Royal Palace courtyard, sending a gust of wind sweeping across the stone pathways. Palace guards immediately hurried forward, followed closely by servants and royal physicians who had already been alerted by the watchtowers.
Aang climbed down first before helping Katara steady Zuko as he carefully descended from Appa.
"I still don't like leaving you like this," Katara admitted quietly.
"You aren't leaving me," Zuko replied. "You're finishing the mission."
Suki nodded. "Someone has to keep following their trail before they disappear again."
"We've already lost valuable time bringing you home," Aang added. "If we wait until you're recovered, we'll lose them."
"I know." His answer came without hesitation.
There had never really been another choice.
Sokka rested both hands upon his hips before looking Zuko up and down with exaggerated concern. "You know, I was planning on telling Iris we kept you perfectly safe." He glanced toward the bandages wrapped around Zuko's torso. "That plan has fallen apart."
"I noticed." Zuko muttered.
"She's going to ask what happened."
"I'll tell her the truth."
Sokka winced. "Bold strategy."
Toph smirked. "I give him five seconds before she starts yelling."
"She won't yell," Zuko answered automatically.
Five pairs of eyes turned toward him. "...Much."
That earned the first genuine laugh anyone had managed since leaving the mountain pass.
Aang stepped forward, placing a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Take the time to recover."
"I don't intend to stay long."
"I know you don't," Aang replied. "That's exactly why I'm telling you."
For a brief moment, none of them spoke. The silence felt strangely familiar, reminding Zuko of the countless mornings they had spent breaking camp together during the war before setting off toward whatever impossible task awaited them next. It felt like saying goodbye all over again.
Suki stepped forward first, embracing him carefully enough to avoid his injuries. "We'll keep each other alive until you catch up."
"You'd better."
Katara followed, squeezing his shoulder gently. "Try listening to your healer this time."
Toph folded her arms. "Don't get soft while you're home, Sparky."
Aang smiled. "We'll send word as soon as we learn anything."
"I'll be waiting."
The towering palace doors slowly opened before the attendants waiting inside had the opportunity to announce the Fire Lord's return. Iris stepped outside the grand palace wearing the same robes she had worn during the afternoon council meeting, her hair still carefully arranged from a day spent presiding over ministers and provincial governors. Judging from the unopened scroll still resting beneath one arm, someone had likely interrupted her before she had even finished reading the latest reports. The moment her eyes found Zuko, however, the scroll ceased to matter altogether.
Her gaze moved over him with practiced precision, lingering only briefly upon his face before settling on the blood that had seeped through the bandages wrapped tightly around his side. She took in the stiffness in his posture, the way Katara remained close enough to steady him should his balance fail, and the unmistakable exhaustion written across every movement he made.
"What happened?"
The question came quietly, yet every member of Team Avatar recognized the dangerous calm beneath it.
Zuko offered the faint, apologetic smile that rarely worked whenever he found himself injured. “Apparently mountains take offense to explosions.”
Without missing a beat, Sokka folded his arms and nodded. "To be fair, the mountain started it."
"It most certainly did not," Toph replied dryly. "The mountain was sitting there minding its own business until Sparky decided explosions sounded like a wonderful idea."
"I didn't cause the explosion."
"No," Suki agreed. "You just threw yourself directly in front of it."
Aang rubbed the back of his neck with an embarrassed smile. "It... happened very quickly."
Katara let out a quiet sigh before looking at Iris. "The wound looks worse than it is. I managed to stop the bleeding, but he'll need proper treatment as soon as possible."
Iris nodded once, never taking her eyes off Zuko. "Thank you." She stepped beside him, carefully slipping one arm around his uninjured side with the same natural familiarity she had shown countless times before. The gesture appeared almost effortless, yet Zuko immediately realized she had already adjusted her grip to avoid putting pressure anywhere near the injury. "Can you walk?"
"I can."
She looked at him for another brief moment, as though deciding whether she believed him. "...We'll find out."
That earned a quiet laugh from Suki. "I told them you would handle this better than any physician."
"I've had plenty of practice," Iris answered, though there was little humor in her voice.
For a moment, silence settled over the courtyard as the reality of the situation quietly returned. Appa stood patiently behind Team Avatar, already saddled for another journey, while several palace guards discreetly began loading fresh supplies that had been prepared for them even before their arrival. The mission had not ended simply because the Fire Lord had been forced to withdraw from it.
Aang finally broke the silence. "I wish we could stay longer, but we already lost nearly two days bringing Zuko back to the Capital. If we don't continue tonight, whoever organized these attacks may disappear before we find them again."
"I understand," Iris replied. "You don't need to explain."
Katara hesitated before speaking again. "I feel terrible leaving him like this."
"You aren't leaving him," Iris answered gently. "You're doing exactly what he would have wanted all of you to do."
Sokka sighed dramatically. "See? This is why she's the reasonable one."
"I heard that," Zuko muttered.
Suki smiled before stepping forward and placing a reassuring hand against Zuko's shoulder. "We'll keep following the trail until you recover."
"No," Katara corrected immediately. "You'll return when Iris says you can."
Toph smirked. "Now that's a rule even the Fire Lord can't argue with."
"I probably could," Zuko muttered.
"You'll lose." Toph snapped back.
“…I know,” Zuko answered, smiling unapologetically at Iris.
One by one, they climbed back onto Appa. Before taking his place upon the saddle, Aang looked toward Iris one final time and inclined his head. "Take care of him."
She met his eyes with a small, grateful smile. "I always do."
With a powerful sweep of his tail, Appa launched himself into the evening sky, carrying Team Avatar back toward a mission that remained far from over. Iris stood beside Zuko until the familiar silhouette disappeared beyond the clouds, only then turning her attention fully toward the husband she had not seen in weeks.
She looked once more at the blood staining his uniform before quietly tightening her grip around his arm. "Come with me."
*I tagged all who followed my blog and who often react to my posts. Message to remove or add tag
A/N :
First of all, thank you so much to everyone who's been reading Worthwhile here on Tumblr. 💕
I know many of you also read it on AO3, but for those who only follow it here, I really appreciate you sticking with the story.
I have to admit, though... sometimes Tumblr feels a little quiet. 😅 Since I post the same story on both platforms (just split into smaller chapters here), I don't always know what everyone's thinking. A like or a reblog already means a lot, but if you ever have a thought—even if it's just "I liked this scene" or "this made me laugh"—I'd absolutely love to hear it.
Your comments genuinely motivate me more than you probably realize. 🫶
turnnoffyourmind
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