turtleducks? turtleducks

hi I write bad fanfic for atla || my main is @merrychristmooose || masterlist

[zukoszukhoes]

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Zuko

- Don’t Speak

part 1

part 2

part 3

NEW! part 4

-Beautiful Day to Save Lives- Lifeguard SMAU

part 1

part 2

part 3

part 4

part 5

part 6

part 7

part 8

part 9

part 10

part 11

- The Last Time

- Daises

- Walking on Air

prologue

Sokka

- Dating Sokka Would Include

Mai Lee

- Things Unsaid

[zukoszukhoes]

Don’t Speak- Part 4

// summary: In the Fire Nation, when you turn 16, the first words your soulmate will say to you appear on your wrist. Just after y/n’s 17th birthday, they don’t think they’ll ever find their soulmate. Until a certain prince, back from his banishment, comes to stay at their family’s estate on holiday. Suddenly, y/n is faced with a complicated problem; after all, what do you do when your soulmate is the crown prince of the nation you hate?

// warnings: none

// read part 3

~~~

author's note please read: wow! hello everyone! so, I realize this is literally five years too late, but with the avatar movie coming out, I wanted to get back in the atla fandom and found my draft for part 4 of don't speak!! to be honest I did not edit or rewrite any of this upon finding it. my fanfic days are sadly over (unless... hehehe). so what you're getting here is pure 17 year old me. better late than never...? (right?) anyways, thank you to everyone who supported me and this series. it meant so much to my teenage self to see all of your comments and likes, and be able to share my stupid, dramatic stories. I love u all, and hope you enjoy this blast from the past <3

~~~

Zuko stood over your body, his own limbs feeling numb. He could almost imagine you were asleep, if he didn’t think too hard about it. But the doctor’s words reverberated through his head over and over- drilling the phrase “she’s in a coma” so far into his brain that he was sure he could never forget it.

Outside, shouts echoed through the palace halls. The Day of Black Sun had arrived, and the palace was being attacked by none other than the avatar.

Zuko wasn’t sure what was the tipping point that made him decide to leave; maybe it was learning about his family’s history, maybe it was confronting his own feelings on Ember Island, maybe it was watching you crumple to the ground and thinking you were dead- whatever it was, when the moon covered the sun, Zuko knew in his heart that he had to go.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, eyes glued to your serene face. “I wish I could take you with me. But I can’t take care of you, where I’m going.”

He didn’t expect you to respond, but somehow, when you didn’t, it sent daggers through his chest.

Looking out the window, Zuko tried to put you out of his mind. The eclipse wouldn’t last forever, and he still had things to do. He turned back to you and brushed his hand over your forehead, taking one last look at your face. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to your forehead.

“I’ll come back for you. I promise,” he whispered.

He turned from the room, pulling his hood over his head. Looking at the seemingly endless hallway before him, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was about to come.

~~~

Aang rushed through the palace towards the bay, his failure weighing heavy on his shoulders. And, if he didn’t make it back to the bay before the Firelord’s guards discovered he was in the palace, he’d be risking the lives of all his friends.

“If we cut through those back hallways, we can sneak out the servants’ quarters!” Sokka helped, pointing down an adjacent hallway.

“Let’s go!” Aang called back with a determined nod. He, Toph, and Sokka raced down the hallway, ignoring the sounds of explosions outside. He skid around a corner, seeing an open door leading to a worn dirt path. He ran towards it, knowing freedom was almost there-

Sokka and Toph stumbled to a halt. “Aang, what are you doing? We need to get out of here!” Sokka cried.

“There’s someone here,” Aang said. And there was; he could feel a strange presence in one of the rooms calling to him. “It feels like... Zuko... but not at the same time.”

“If it’s Zuko, all the more reason to leave!” Sokka retorted, grabbing Aang’s arm. “We need to leave!”

Aang shook Sokka’s hand off of his arm, turning to the door to his right. He pushed it open and walked in, ignoring Sokka’s protests. He frowned, not finding Zuko, but finding a person lying asleep on a bed. The feeling got more intense, tugging his chest towards the person. He approached the bed, looking at the person quizzically.

“Aang, you’re going to wake them up!” Toph hisssed.

Aang picked up the person’s wrist and let it fall, watching it hit the duvet with a thud. “They’re not asleep- they’re unconscious.”

“Are they dead?” Sokka asked, approaching the person cautiously.

Aang watched the person’s chest subtly rise and fall. “No,” he replied. He looked at the person’s face, again being reminded of Zuko. “This is so weird. I feel like Zuko is here- but I know he isn’t.”

“Is this some sort of spirit-world Avatar thing?” Sokka rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know...” Aang murmured, gaze fixated on the person’s face.

“Aang!” Toph exclaimed suddenly. “Check their wrist!”

“What?” Aang frowned. “Why?”

“In the Fire Nation, the first words each person’s soulmate will say to them appears on their wrist on their 16th birthday. Apparently, the spirits give them their words. Since you’re the Avatar, you can probably sense those connections! I bet this person is Zuko’s soulmate!” Toph explained.

“What? That’s ridiculous!” Sokka scoffed.

Aang looked back at the person, noticing how his chest twinged again. “I think Toph is right,” he said. He picked up the person’s wrists one by one- sure enough, both were blank, indicating they had already met their soulmate.

Sokka’s eyes lit up. “Zuko’s soulmate... this is good! Aang, grab their arms!”

“Why?” Aang questioned.

“We can take them as our prisoner! That way, if Zuko or his crazy sister attack us again, we’ll have some leverage!” Sokka exclaimed.

Aang hesitated. “I don’t know... I don’t think I’m comfortable with kidnapping.”

“Nonsense!” Sokka replied. “It’s not like we’re going to hurt them. In fact, Katara can probably heal them! This is a good thing! We get a little protection from the Fire Nation, the person gets healed, everyone is happy!”

“I guess...” Aang scratched the back of his neck. Suddenly, a large explosion booked outside of the window, shaking the whole room.

“Quickly! We’ve got to get out of here!” Sokka shouted, hoisting the person over his shoulder.

Although Aang still felt uneasy about kidnapping someone, he didn’t have a choice. He followed Toph and Sokka out of the palace. And, although the invasion ended up failing, he had to admit it felt nice to have at least a slight advantage over the Fire Prince.

~~~

You brushed your hair through Zuko’s soft raven hair, turned golden by the sun’s rays hitting it through the open window. He smiled at you, eyes full of love, and wrapped his arms around you. Bringing you close, he brought his lips to your ear and whispered, “I love you.”

Your eyes shot open with a gasp and you lurched up, hacking and wheezing.

“Careful!” A girl’s voice said, a hand supporting your back as you coughed. She had dark skin and large blue eyes that shone with concern. Gently, she pushed you back down into something soft. “You just woke up- you don’t want to overextend yourself.”

“Where- where am I?” You rasped, your voice coming out hoarse and thin. “Who are you?!”

“My name is Katara. I’m a healer. You’re at the Western Air Temple.” The girl replied.

“The Western Air Temple?” You echoed, eyes widening. “That’s impossible. I was just in the Fire Nation-“ a memory flashed in your mind: a masked man’s narrowed eyes, the flash of a blade, a sharp pain in your stomach, and two golden eyes staring down at you with despair. You looked up at Katara, feeling panic flood your veins. “What happened to me?”

The girl- Katara- put her hand on your shoulder. “You’ve been in a coma. We don’t know how long. My friends and I found you in the palace during the- well, it’s not important when. We decided to take you with us to the Western Air Temple so I could heal you.”

“I don’t understand- there are healers at the palace-“

“You know what, let’s get you something to eat. You must be starving. Can you stand?” Katara cut you off.

“I- I think so-“ you pushed yourself upwards with a groan, clutching your hand to your side. Katara propped you up and handed you a crutch.

“These should help. Here, come with me. My brother’s making soup- although, now that I think about it, you probably don’t want to eat anything he makes.”

You smiled, remembering how used to banter with your brother similarly to Katara. With the help of Katara, you lifted yourself off of the bed and leaned against the crutch.

“Thank you. I don’t know why you took me here, but I’m grateful for your help.” You smiled at Katara.

Katara smiled back, but there was an uneasiness in it that hinted she wasn’t telling you the whole story. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to everyone.”

Slowly and painfully you hobbled through the hallways of the Western Air Temples with Katara, following the smell of cooking food. Whenever you winced or groaned Katara urged you to return to your room and rest, but you waved her off. You weren’t one to be weak.

Finally, you left the hallways to find yourself in a large, open pavilion opposite an open cliff face. Sitting in a small circle around a campfire sat a small girl in Earth Kingdom clothes, a boy with a ponytail in Water Tribe garb- presumably, Katara’s brother- and a bald boy wrapped in yellow and orange robes.

You studied the bald boy for a moment, not recognizing his peculiar clothing or the strange blue tattoos on his skin. You hobbled forward until the boy noticed you. He looked up at you with large grey eyes, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

“Can I... help you?” He asked innocently.

You caught sight of the blue arrow on his forehead and gasped. “You’re the avatar!”

“That’s me...” the boy replied. “Hey... you’re that person we took from the palace!”

The water tribe boy whipped around at the avatar’s words, eyes widened. He brandished a dripping soup ladle at you. “Aang! Toph! Get back! They’re the enemy!” He growled. “Katara, I told you to keep them tied up!”

Katara crossed her arms, sending a glare at her brother. “They were hungry. I’m just letting them get something to eat.”

The water tribe boy slid in between you and the avatar, eyes narrowed. He shoved the soup ladle in your face accusingly. “They’re a prisoner, Katara! You don’t let prisoners walk freely!”

A spike of panic shot through your heart. “Wait, prisoner?” You looked to Katara, eyes wide.

Katara grinned sheepishly, rubbing her opposite arms. “I may have failed to mention that we kind of... kidnapped you.”

“What?!” You exclaimed. The water tribe boy poked you with the soup ladle and you glared so deeply at him you thought he might die on the spot. “Tell me what’s going on. Now.”

The water tribe boy opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the avatar stood up and gently pushed him to the side. “It’s alright, Sokka,” he said, his voice soft yet commanding. “They deserve an explanation. Here, sit down.” He motioned to a log rolled against a column.

You eyed the avatar warily, distrusting him and his group, but hobbled to the log nonetheless. Though you had done your best to disguise your pain, the walk to the campfire had made your chest throb and your legs ache.

Katara handed you a bowl of rice, urging you to eat. You would have refused it, but your stomach was begging for food. You scarfed it down while the avatar introduced himself and his group and told his story. He explained how he had been frozen in ice for a hundred years only to be found by Katara and her brother, Sokka. He told you of how he had traveled all over the world mastering the elements, all the while outrunning Prince Zuko and his sister Azula. At the mention of Zuko, your heart leapt, but you tried to keep your face as neutral as possible. Then, Aang told you of how he and his friends invaded the Fire Nation on the Day of Black Sun to fight the Firelord, only to fail in their mission. 

“We found you when we were escaping the palace. Something drew me to your room. I don’t know why, but you remind me of Zuko,” Aang finished. You stuffed rice into your mouth, averting your eyes from the avatar. You didn’t really know what the avatar wanted with you, and although he seemed nice, you figured it was safer not to tell him that you were the soulmate of the boy who had chased him across the globe.

“I told you, it’s because they’re Zuko’s soulmate!” The Earth Kingdom girl, Toph, exclaimed from her place on the ground. You cringed. So much for secrecy.

Katara looked at you sheepishly. “Look, we know it’s a long shot, but since Aang can sense spiritual connections and you reminded him so strongly of Zuko, we thought you might be his soulmate. We took you- we took you just in case he decided to attack us again. I know it wasn’t right, but we wanted a little insurance just in case.”

“You’re right,” you sighed, looking at the ground. “I am Zuko’s soulmate.”

“I knew it!” Top exclaimed, lurching to her feet. She blinked, realizing no one else was cheering with her. “What?”

“I’m sorry we kidnapped you. If you want to go back to the Fire Nation, we’ll take you,” Aang said solemnly.

“What? No! This is what we wanted! Now we have the perfect leverage to use against the Fir Nation!” Sokka exclaimed.

“No,” Aang responded sharply. “I knew what we were doing was wrong when we took (y/n), but I didn’t say anything. I’m not going to keep anybody here against their will.” He turned to you and bowed. “Please forgive us.”

You shook your head. “It’s alright- really. I don’t blame you for taking me. In fact, I’m actually kind of glad. I hate the Fire Nation- I always have. It’s time someone took them down.”

Sokka gaped at you. “You know, for being Zuko’s soulmate, you’re surprisingly cool.”

You cracked a grin. “Not all of us are sadistic monsters.” You gasped suddenly, a sharp pain digging into your side.

Katara put a hand on your shoulder. “Maybe you should go lie down again. You’re still healing.”

You nodded, gritting your teeth to block out the pain. With the help of Katara, you pushed yourself off of the log and back onto the crutch. You were about to leave when Toph got to her feet, face solemn.

“Guys?” She said. “We have a problem.” She pointed just past your head, and you turned, too preoccupied with the thought of sleep to care.

But when you saw what she was pointing at, you were wide awake. Because, standing at the edge of the Western Air Temple, was Zuko.

“Hello,” he grinned sheepishly, waving his hand. “Zuko here.”

~~~

Taglist

@the-resident-demon @undiadeestos @svgakookie @bucky-blogs@394pitterpatterpotter394 @sifucuteness @riespage @lovelylahey@petcrpqrker @blue-and-yellow-jjk-pjm @starstrucknature@mayalovesyou @callums-keith @emogril @tomhollandsthirdwife @la-lay @bubblebars @celamoon @imamom-makingadifference@justab-eautifulmess @thyunnamed @revemixer @snickerdoodleeee@thatpeachybandgirl @witch-of-space-jams @seducethis72@coldlilheart @aamcqueeny @cosmicqueenieb @i-am-not-a-thot@icareabouteverythxng @saaaasib @velveteencurls @whalerus@euphoricmads @count-thotticus @minninugget @creepytoes88@dwkwardnesshabitat @fuckofflife69 @ask-veronica-sawyer-heathers @thenutellabreadsticks @coalsmind​ @yungisseesaw​ @littleladdty​ @youtxbemusic​

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

“How do you write so much so quickly” I don’t edit. Welcome to the First Draft Trash Show. If I skimmed the chapter for typos before uploading then I put in 10x the effort I usually do.

[zukoszukhoes]

I have returned to don’t speak two years later. only to find that I fucking lost the draft of chapter 4.

[zukoszukhoes]

this is a tumblr hug, pass it on to your ten favorite followers and mutuals <33

AW WHAT THIS IS SO SWEET THANK U 🥺

[newathens]

baby i’ve got half finished wips you couldn’t even imagine

[newathens]

[zukoszukhoes]

me with don’t speak and my lifeguard au

[zukoszukhoes]

I am a writer

[zukoszukhoes]

I JUST REALIZED ALL OF MY BLOGS HAVE THE SAME COLOR BLUE AS A THEME

I DIDNT PLAN THIS I SWEAR

[zukoszukhoes]

time to put myself in my feels to finish this one shot

[cassandrapentayaaaaas]

Fic tag: slow burn

Me, cracking my knuckles: not if you read it fast enough

[agentsunshine]

rules: make a fantasy version of yourself using this picrew

thank u for da tags @admdmrtn @masonsfangs !

this was so fun lol

tagging @echohauville @adamdumorpain and anyone else who wants to do it!

[rampa9e]

Tagging my favs @me-her-and-la-neige @dissosciating @richhdesire @biaether @pokemonandcatsmostly @senseishin @zelos-wilders @unmellowyellow and anyone else who wants to do it! :3❤️

[dissosciating]

Thank you for the tag babeyyyy @rampa9e

I couldn't choose between demon or orc so I did both

Tagging: @book-boys-are-my-guilty-pleasure @cherrygirl666 @choicesarehard @enby-ernhardt @gayarsonist @ineedskyecrandall @imaridraws @kokhuri @lucigucci @mountain-man-cumeth @xviii-moon @yewfandoms @hayaty26

[lucigucci]

thank you for tagging me! if i lived in a fantasy world i would be a ruthless catboy pirate who robs the rich and makes a ton of treasure maps that say where i buried the gold but in reality i’m just fuckin dumping all my money into the ocean

if anybody wants to do this, do it. realize your impossible rpg dreams

[zukoszukhoes]

Nobody asked me but I really wanted to do this lol

[zukoszukhoes]

I sprained my ankle playing just dance and now I have to use crutches

I don’t know whether to be disappointed or impressed

[visit-ba-sing-se]

me, deleting a post with zero notes: you‘re banished for embarrassing me and my blog. come back when you have found the avatar.

[merrychristmooose]

what is your comfort show and why is it new girl

[moosekleenex]

[thisisartbylexie]

Thank you to my fellow artists and writers.

[devinellekurtz]

The start of a life-long friendship Instagram | Twitter

[zukoszukhoes]

hi all- I have once again found a game to hyperfixate on (unsurprisingly) called the arcana and I am absolutely obsessed so if anyone is interested in discussing the game with me head over to @ilyeahdevorak . I have a couple fics in the works too. I know I am neglecting this blog a LOT (my don’t speak fic is glaring at me so hard rn) but i don’t make the rules folks. my brain says we only have room for one hyperfixation at a time.

anyways, come check out my arcana blog!!! thx pls don't hate me for basically abandoning this blog lol