zuko's goth gf

*Legend of Korra Masterlist

Zuko:

- Fire Lilies (series)

~ requests/headcanons ~

- Proposal

- Dancing in the Rain

- Peace Offering

- In Your Dreams

- Lee and Gya

- Captured 

- Second Choice

- Fall Into Place

- Being Zuko’s S/O hc’s

- Zuko with a Positive S/O hc’s

- Cuddle hc’s

- Secrets

- Sibling hc’s

- The Gang Finds Out About Your Relationship hc’s

- Jealousy

- Caught in the Act

- Zuko with an Affectionate Reader hc’s

- Scar Tissue

- Pai Sho

- Thunderstorm

- The Wingman

- Middle Child hc’s

- Reckless

- All I Ever Wanted

- Benevolent

- Drunken Confession

- The Fire Lord's Son

- Raising Izumi hc's

- First Kiss

- Apologies

Sokka:

- Deserve Better

~ requests/headcanons ~

- Beach Day (blurb)

- Fishing (blurb)

- Air Bending (blurb)

- Second Choice 

- Protective 

- Younger Sibling hc’s

- Sokka dating a Water Bender

- Don’t Let the Cave In Get You Down (hc’s)

- A Lifetime

- Arrows

Azula:

- Join Me

- Impress

- Unraveled

- Fire Bender hc’s

- Sibling hc’s

- Middle Child hc’s

Katara:

- The Forest Spirit

- Overprotective

- Younger Sibling hc’s

Toph:

- Best Out of Three (blurb)

- Sand Sculptures (blurb) 

Aang:

- Gliders

- Bracelet

- Night Watch

-Nightmare

- The Avatar’s Love

- Aang with an Earth Bender hc’s

Miscellaneous

Avatar Gaang:

- Team Avatar

Jet:

- Forbidden

- Goodbye

Suki:

- Sisters

Ty Lee:

- Nightmare

Yue:

It’s your first day back at the palace after returning from a trip to Ember Island to celebrate your anniversary, and already you find yourself engrossed in your duties as Chief. With your inability to run the water bending school from the Fire Nation and Katara’s absence from the South traveling with Aang, Sokka has sent you a list of applicants so you may pick new instructors to guide the next generation of benders. Such an important task requires your full attention, so you’d requested to be left undisturbed unless another urgent matter arose. Your handmaiden Ara and Druk serve as your only company in the garden.

You’re only halfway through the first application when a sharp wave of discomfort washes over you. The fire lilies that line the garden suddenly smell more pungent than sweet, the scent spurring an instantaneous headache as you swallow down the saliva welling in your mouth. It’s as if some switch has been flipped within you, and you suddenly can’t stand to be in your favorite place of refuge any longer. You set the scroll aside with a labored sigh, piquing Druk’s interest as the sleeping dragon opens his eyes to gaze upon your shaken features.

“My lady, are you feeling alright?” Your handmaiden frets with an anxious frown, attempting to approach you only for her path to be blocked by your companion. She stumbles back with a startled gasp at the sudden change in the dragon’s demeanor, his teeth pulled back into a snarl and his piercing stare effectively keeping her in place. She doesn’t dare take another step forward, but Druk maintains his protective stance around you. He’s never acted in such a way before, but his behavior goes unnoticed in your current state of mind.

“I’m fine,” you assure her with a passive wave of your hand, but the pallidness of your face contradicts your statement and only spurs her sense of urgency forward.

“I’ll get the Fire Lord,” she insists, already darting back into the palace and towards the throne room before you have time to protest.

“Monkey feathers,” you groan when your stomach churns abruptly as if to protest the presence of the flowers. Your face feels unbearably warm, and you reluctantly realize your handmaiden was right to be concerned. You feel awful.

With Druk’s help you manage to make it onto your feet, the dragon slithering behind you so you may brace yourself against him in order to keep your balance. Your hand hovers over your mouth to block the smell and to keep the rising bile from falling past your lips, and you force yourself to swallow it down just as Zuko comes running out of the palace towards you. Acknowledging his master’s presence, the dragon does not attempt to block his approach as he had with your hand maid.

“Y/n!” He calls worriedly, immediately taking your face into his hands to examine you once he reaches you. Your flushed features and trembling lips alert him immediately of your discomfort, and he’s quick to scoop you off of your feet and into his arms without a moment’s hesitation. “I’m taking you back inside.”

“The applicant scrolls,” you whine pathetically, feebly reaching behind him with the little energy you have left. “I have to pick my candidates and send them to Sokka…”

“He’ll understand,” Zuko promises with a comforting smile, though his eyes give away his underlying disquietude at your sudden turn of health. You’d been perfectly fine during your stay at the beach house, and he couldn’t think of anything responsible for putting you in such a state.

Zuko reaches your bedroom in record time, and you allow him to gently tuck you under the sheets with the upmost care. You suddenly feel exhausted, and you struggle to stay awake as you watch him open the balcony doors to fill the room with fresh air. Your eyes flutter shut just as the bed dips beside you and his knuckles tenderly brush alongside your cheek. You can’t see the worry clearly etched upon his features, and for that he’s grateful. He doesn’t want to make the situation worse by frightening you, and all he wants is for you to feel better.

“Get some rest, my love,” he utters quietly, leaning down to press a kiss to your forehead. “I’ll take care of everything.”

It isn’t long before you fall asleep, and after ensuring you’re as comfortable as you can be Zuko quietly rises from his place beside you in bed. He’s cleared his schedule for the remainder of the day to ensure you receive his full attention and support, and his only priority now is seeking the best care for your condition.

He tries to recall the events of your vacation to see if he can pinpoint the exact moment you’d caught whatever bug was plaguing you now. You’d arrived at the beach house for a romantic dinner, spent the next day lounging by the waves, attended a show put on by the Ember Island Players that poorly attempted to convey your love story, and enjoyed several romantic evenings in the privacy of your chambers. Nothing out of the ordinary seemed to stand out to him, but Zuko is determined to get to the bottom of it.

You wake hours later feeling excruciatingly hungry and nauseous all at once. The dry heave of your chest spurs you to sit up in bed with panic, and you don’t even register Zuko’s presence beside you until you feel a comforting hand resting upon your back while a bucket is placed upon your lap. He carefully pulls the hair from your face as you expel the contents of your stomach with a groan, and he does his best to mask his discomfort so as to not make you feel any worse.

“You’re alright,” Zuko soothes gently as you finish, taking the bucket from your grasp and replacing it with a cup of water. “A servant should be here any minute with ginger tea to settle your stomach, but the water will have to do for now.”

You take languid sips of the liquid as your eyes drift towards the balcony. The sun hangs lower in the sky, bathing the palace in vibrant gold hues that reflect off of Druk’s scales. You only now become aware of his presence, his body draped along the marble railing and his watchful gaze meeting your surprised face. A low rumble leaves his chest before he shifts to face the horizon, earning a soft chuckle from Zuko.

“He hasn’t left that spot all day,” he tells you fondly as you set your now empty cup aside. “I heard he gave Ara quite the scare earlier.”

“He was being protective,” you explain in the dragon’s defense. “I think he sensed something was wrong before I did.”

“I’ve been racking my brain all day trying to figure out the cause of this but I can’t seem to think of anything. Do you have any idea what might have brought this illness on?”

“Maybe the seal jerky I packed for the voyage home went bad. I’ve seen it happen to Sokka before,” you recall with a grimace, the mere thought of your favorite snack immediately prompting your stomach to churn with disgust. You feel nauseous all over again, but you manage to keep it down for Zuko’s sake and your own.

“Well, whatever the cause may be, I’ve asked the palace’s most trusted medicinal advisor to come see you.”

“Zuko,” you protest with a frown only for him to silence you with a doting kiss to your forehead.

“I know you like to handle things on your own, and I know you don’t want to fall behind on your work as Chief, but I just want to make sure you’re okay for my own peace of mind. Will you please humor your poor husband?”

It’s hard to maintain your displeasure when he looks upon you with a tender smile and loving warmth shining in his golden irises, the same look he always wears every time his eyes meet your own. You sigh, allowing your head to fall forward in defeat and land upon his firm chest. His arms find their way around your figure immediately, and you savor the comfort of his warm touch.

“Alright,” you finally relent, a faint smile pulling upon your lips when he nuzzles his nose along the crown of your head in a show of his appreciation. “Only for you, my husband.”

After giving you time to freshen up and relax with a cup of ginger tea, you allow Zuko to escort the medicine woman into your chambers to examine you. You would have preferred a healer, but no one from the South could come on such short notice and a messenger hawk wouldn’t have reached Katara fast enough for Zuko’s liking. He’s promised to request her presence to the Fire Nation first thing tomorrow, but for now this will have to do if you wish to alleviate his worries.

“You’ve given everyone in the palace quite the scare today,” the elderly woman scolds lightheartedly as she approaches your bedside. “What is it you feel?”

“Exhausted,” you profess with a sigh, stiffening when she abruptly places her weathered hands upon your face and begins to examine you for any signs of discomfort. You raise a brow at her abrupt demeanor, and from the corner of your eyes you can see Zuko struggling to withhold his protest against her methods.

She hums thoughtfully, releasing her hold on you after deeming your physical appearance displays nothing out of the ordinary. “I could understand why you’d feel that way; balancing two nations isn’t for the faint of heart, but I don’t believe such troubles to be the cause of your ailments.”

“She’s also been feeling nauseous,” Zuko mentions fretfully. “I gave her ginger tea to settle her stomach, but I worry the relief will only be temporary.”

“It must be food poisoning,” you deduce passively, clearly not sharing your husband’s worry. “We’ve just recently returned from a trip to Ember Island, and I ate dishes I normally tend to avoid.”

“Dishes you normally avoid?” The woman repeats with a raised brow.

“Y/n’s always hated smoked sea slug, but on this trip she couldn’t seem to get enough of it,” the Fire Lord notes with furrowed brows as he attempts to recall your unusual food pallet. “She didn’t even want the sea prune stew I had the chefs make for our anniversary dinner.”

“It didn’t taste right,” you argue with a frown, your nose scrunching with disdain at the mere memory of the dish. Your stomach twists with nausea once more, prompting you to quickly reach for the cup of tea beside you. The old woman watches on in curious silence as she mulls over the information provided by you both.

“Have you found yourself to be particularly sensitive to tastes and smells? Even those you’ve never minded before?”

“Well, yes, actually… The fire lilies in the garden were unbearably pungent today. I believe it’s what triggered the nausea.”

“Nausea, aversions to preferred foods, sensitivity to smells,” the medicinal advisor lists pensively, spurring Zuko into immediate panic.

“Well? What is it?!” He demands uneasily only for the woman to raise a hand and effectively silence his panicked outburst.

“Pardon my asking, but how often do you tend to each other’s more physical needs?”

You nearly choke on your tea at her invasive line of questioning, and Zuko doesn’t seem to fair any better judging by the red that spreads across his face in response. Awkwardly clearing his throat, the Fire Lord uncomfortably grasps the back of his neck and refuses to meet her gaze as he answers honestly, “Very often…”

“Zuko!” You gasp only for the woman to laugh at your clear mortification.

“Why, you have nothing to worry about. The Fire Lady isn’t sick at all.”

“She’s not?” He sighs with genuine relief, already beginning to feel the tension dissipate from his body at the news.

“Of course not,” she says with a pleased smile, “she’s simply with child.”

You blanch at her proclamation, your eyes widening with disbelief and mouth hanging open in utter shock. All the color has drained from Zuko’s face, and neither of you dare speak a word as the news hangs silently in the air. You feel like you might throw up again just from your nerves alone, and you worry your husband is mere seconds away from collapsing to the ground.

“I have just the right herbs to provide you some relief from your symptoms. I’ll give you both a moment while I prepare the mixture.”

The medicinal advisor takes her leave, and suddenly it’s just the two of you alone in your chambers once more. You watch apprehensively as Zuko wordlessly sinks onto the bed beside you, his eyes shining with an emotion you can’t quite decipher and his features frozen in shock. The silence begins to grow unbearable, so you take it upon yourself to speak first.

“I’m pregnant,” you breathe with finality as you come to terms with the truth.

“It’s why Druk was so protective,” he murmurs faintly, both of your gazes shifting towards the balcony where the dragon sleeps peacefully knowing you’re safe in Zuko’s care. “He knew.”

“We should have known. I mean, it’s not exactly a surprise considering how often we spend our evenings ‘tending to each other’s physical needs’,” you recount with a playful smile. A faint chuckle falls past his lips at your teasing, and you feel your heart skip a beat when he gently takes your hand in his own and intertwines your fingers together.

“We’re having a baby,” he states with quiet disbelief.

“Maybe even two if that fortunate teller in Ba Sing Se was telling the truth about us having twins all those years ago,” you point out with a reminiscent laugh. A moment passes before you carefully squeeze Zuko’s hand and shift in bed to meet his stare. Tone more serious now, you ask, “Are you okay with this?”

His brows furrow as if confused by your question before relaxing into a smile. Cradling your hand close to his chest, Zuko looks into your eyes with the upmost sincerity and care to ease your worries. “I’m more than okay. This is the best posible news I could have been given today.”

“You really mean that?”

“Of course I do,” he says with an elated laugh, eyes shining with blissful tears. “I’ll admit I wasn’t expecting this so soon into our marriage, but I couldn’t be more excited to begin raising a family with you, y/n.“

“I’m terrified,” you admit with a tearful laugh of your own as you throw your arms around him in a tight embrace, “but I can’t wait to begin this new journey together.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you comfortable and happy,” he avows in earnest before pressing a kiss to the crown of your head. “I love you, Princess, and I’m so glad to have you by my side after all these years. I can’t think of a more perfect mother for our child, and I vow to be the best father I can be.”

“I love you, Zuko,” you coo affectionately as he leans down to press his lips against your own. You know how much this means to him, and there isn’t a single bone in your body that doubts his capability to be a loving father for your baby. You’ve dreamt of this moment for years, and it’s just as perfect as you always imagined it would be.

You have no idea what’s to come these next few months, but with Zuko by your side you know you’ll be taken care of. There’s much to work to be done in terms of preparing for the birth and announcing the arrival of a new heir to your people, but for now you allow yourself to enjoy your peaceful moment alone with your husband as you soak in the joy of your pregnancy.

You’re going to make wonderful parents, and the twins will know nothing but the unconditional love and joy from the moment they’re born.

~~~

fire lilies tags: @a-dizzle77 @animelover100 @bibimysoul

“Why don’t I warm it up for you?” You offer with a pleasant smile only for your amicable facade to immediately fade as your sharpened gaze hones in on his plate. With a precise flick of your fingers a blast of fire strikes his dish, setting his food ablaze and effectively startling your husband in the process as he reels back from the flames.

Picking up the freshly charred piece of meat with a wince, Zuko takes a nervous swallow as he meets your gaze. “Alright, clearly you’re upset with me.”

“Really? What gave it away?” You ask with a sarcastic roll of your eyes. Sighing, your husband pushes his plate aside while lifting his remorseful gaze to meet your resentful stare. He hates bearing the responsibility for your anger, and he wants nothing more than to fix what is troubling you so you can both enjoy what is left of the evening together.

“I’m sorry I missed dinner. I know I promised to spend time with you, but there were urgent matters that needed my attention.”

“I need your attention, Zuko!” You remind him in exasperation. “It wasn’t just tonight’s dinner you’ve missed but every dinner this week! I know you have duties to fulfill as Fire Lord, but you promised me when we married that we’d be equals. Yet all I do is sit around the palace waiting for you to finish your council meetings in the hopes of receiveing a morsel of your time.“

“We are equals,” Zuko insists only to receive an indignant scoff from you in response.

“The most meaningful contribution I’ve made as Fire Lady so far is picking out a new china pattern for meals you can’t even bother to attend!”

You watch the guilt wash over Zuko’s face at your admittance, the room falling into a state of contemplative silence as neither of you speak. You know your actions may come off as childish or even selfish to some, but you don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect him to make time for you. Zuko has always adored you; he’d asked you to be his wife with the promise of cherishing you and spoiling you for the rest of your years, yet you found yourself becoming nothing but a pretty decoration in the palace. You wanted more than that, you deserved more than that, but it seemed the Fire Lord couldn’t keep his promises.

“I’m going to bed,” you announce sullenly, rising from your seat without meeting his silent stare. “I’ll ask the servants to fetch you another plate.”

You move to walk past him only for his hand to reach out and grab onto your arm. His hold is firm but gentle, effectively keeping you in place as you curiously peer over your shoulder at him. Zuko rises from his seat, still not daring to break the silence as he lifts a hand to carefully cup your cheek. Despite still feeling furious with him, you can’t resist melting into the heat of his palm. You’ve missed his touch after being apart nearly every day, so you don’t protest when he envelops you in his arms with a warm embrace.

“I’ve been careless, and I’ve foolishly allowed myself to forget your needs,” he confesses in earnest, tenderly rubbing the small of your back the way he knows you love. “I’m sorry for not being a good husband, but I’m going to make it up to you. I’ll cancel my meetings for the rest of the week and have the beach house prepared for a romantic getaway to Ember Island. No councils, no obligations— just the two of us together.”

“You really mean that?” You utter in surprise, eyes scanning his features for any signs of insincerity. Instead you’re met with his loving smile as his lips come to press a kiss to your forehead.

“Of course I do, my love. My obligations lie not only to our people but to you as well, and I’m sorry I allowed myself to lose sight of that. When we return from our trip I’ll make it so you can be present for every council meeting. As an intelligent strategist and master fire bender I know your input will help me continue to guide the Fire Nation into a new era of love and peace.”

“Thank you, Zuko,” you profess ardently, bestowing him with an impassioned kiss that has him pulling you closer against his frame.

A content sigh falls past his lips when you finally part, and it’s with great reluctance he finally lets you go. “I’ll let you pack your things while I make the arrangements for us to leave as soon as possible. I plan to spend the entire trip showing you just how sorry I am.”

Your stomach flutters with nervous excitement at his implications, the faint smirk on his lips clearly conveying his intentions for you once you’re both alone at the beach house. You don’t argue with him as you excuse yourself to begin preparing for the trip, already forgetting the fact that you’d initially been furious with him in the first place. You trust Zuko to keep his word to you, and you know that no matter how busy he gets your happiness will always be his first priority. You also trust he means it when he says he has plans to convey his remorse to you for the entirety of the trip in ways that are sure to earn your forgiveness.

You think you really should get into fights with your husband more often.

~~~

“That’s right,” Katara agrees thoughtfully to your dismay, “you didn’t even tell us about your relationship until the day of Zuko’s coronation.”

“I had no idea you two even liked each other,” Aang notes with a sheepish laugh.

“I did,” Toph says with a playfully punch to Zuko’s arm. “I used to hear them sneak around the beach house at night.”

“Thank you for that observation, Toph,” you grumble with a sigh, setting your cup down as you will your gaze to meet Zuko’s. “Do you want to tell them?”

“Well, it’s really not the most romantic story…”

You step into the red hued hallways of the theater in search of a food stand and a chance to get some fresh air. You’re not sure how Sokka had talked your entire group into coming to see the Ember Island Players, but you’re certainly starting to regret your choices. The second hand embarrassment you feel at witnessing yourself be portrayed as some big joke is suffocating, and you figure if you’re going to be forced to sit through this torture you might as well have something to snack on.

You find a merchant selling mochi and reach into your pocket in search of gold pieces only for someone else to place their own down on the counter. Your mouth parts in quiet shock as you look up to see Zuko offering you a meager smile, wordlessly gesturing for you to keep your money as he thanks the merchant for his service.

“It’s my treat,” he insists while handing you the box.

“Wow, thanks, Zuko!” You exclaim with a pleased smile. You carefully remove the lid from the tray and pull one out before offering it to the Prince. “You can have the first one.”

“I couldn’t-” he begins to protest only for you to shove the mochi past his lips as soon as he opens his mouth. He’s clearly startled by the act, eyes widening in surprise and words immediately dying in his throat. If it had been anyone else he would have lost his cool immediately, but he couldn’t find it in him to be irritable with you when he caught sight of the gleeful grin on your face.

“It’s okay to let people be nice to you, too,” you remind him delicately, the softness of your tone awakening an uncomfortable ache in his chest. Your kindhearted nature and fun loving spirit made it easy for those around you to love you, and he was no exception to this rule. You unknowingly hold his heart in your hands, and he’s desperate for a chance to earn your affections by any means necessary.

“Right,” he finally manages to reply, sheepishly grasping onto the back of his neck. “That’s something I need to work on, I guess…”

“Come on, we’re gonna miss the show,” you tell him after a beat, taking hold of his hand as you guide him back towards your seats. He’s grateful you can’t see the red in his cheeks from the sudden physical contact, but he doesn’t dare try to pull away from your touch.

“Would that really be the worst thing in the world?” He mumbles to himself, though he doesn’t protest as you return to your group and take your seats on the bench.

The space is cramped but you manage to squeeze yourself in between Zuko and Aang with minimal difficulty. The room feels suffocatingly hot with the feel of your body pressing against his side, and he concentrates all his efforts on remaining as stiff as possible so as to not disturb you. Thankfully, you take no notice of his odd behavior, your gaze glued to the scene before you as watch the play and enjoy your dessert.

“You’re the most handsome man to ever take me as prisoner!” The actress portraying you sighs dreamily as Zuko’s stage counterpart unties her hands. “I wish you would keep me as yours!”

You scrunch your nose in distaste as you realize the scene is meant to be a portrayal of your time as Zuko’s prisoner. You had stumbled upon him accidentally while exploring Ba Sing Se on your own, and he had temporarily held you hostage demanding the whereabouts of Aang. You feigned innocence by insisting you had abandoned the group to travel by yourself, and with Iroh’s guidance the banished Prince had released you. You told no one of the incident until Katara and Zuko had been taken by the Dai Li, and the rest was history.

“Why would I keep you?! You don’t know where the Avatar is so what could you give me?”

“This,” the actress purrs sultrily as she pulls him down by the collar to plant a loud kiss upon his lips. Your eyes nearly budge out of your sockets at the sight as you start to choke on your mochi, and Zuko melts into his seat with embarrassment and the hopes of the ground somehow opening up to swallow him whole.

“You guys kissed?!” Sokka exclaims in dismay only for Suki to shush him.

“No!” You insist defensively after managing to swallow your dessert without asphyxiating. “That’s not what happened! Zuko realized he was wrong and let me go.”

“After you kissed him?” Toph rebuffs with a mischievous grin.

“We didn’t kiss!” You and Zuko both cry at the same time.

“She’s telling the truth!” He maintains emphatically. His entire face feels like it’s on fire, and he can’t bring himself to meet your eyes as he begins to crack under the pressure of your friends’ dubious stares. “I would never kiss y/n!”

The entire group falls silent at his statement, and with the attention focused on him no one is able to see your face fall in response to his words. Your heart feels as if it’s dropped to your stomach, and you’re left with a quiet sense of shame as you return your disheartened gaze towards the play. His words have struck a nerve within you, for no one but you knows of the feelings you harbor for the Prince.

You may not have kissed him when he’d finally released you, but you’d be remiss to say you hadn’t grown fond of him in the short amount of time you’d spent together. That fateful day had stirred something within you, and your time spent together after he’d joined your group only seemed to stoke the flames of your affection for him. You’ve never expected him to return your feelings, and you have no plans to tell him about your little crush, but to see him acting as if a kiss with you is the worst offense he could ever commit wounds your spirit in a way that’s suffocatingly painful.

Intermission couldn’t have come any faster, and before anyone can stop you you’re rushing out of your seat and towards the nearest balcony to catch your breath. Your entire body trembles as you attempt to keep your tears at bay, willing the cool air to soothe the uncomfortable warmth that spreads across your face. You feel completely humiliated, and you want nothing more than to disappear back to the beach house and pretend this whole night never happened.

“What are you doing out here?” Zuko’s voice calls from the doorway. You bristle at his presence and remain silent, prompting him to come up beside you and rest a fretful hand upon your arm. “Is everything alright? You practically ran out of the theater.”

You wordlessly shy away from his touch, something he picks up on immediately as he hesitantly retracts himself away from you. Your gaze remains glued to the night sky, but your body is rigid and shoulders visibly tense. While Zuko may not be the best at reading social cues, even he can tell that something is troubling you.

“I’m fine,” you finally answer, though the sharpness of your tone suggests otherwise.

“Was it the mochi? I didn’t mean to overstep by paying, I just wanted to try and do a good thing— honest!”

“That’s what you think this is about?!” You retort incredulously, finally whirling around to face him. He shrinks under your fiery gaze and swallows nervously as he tries to choose his next words carefully.

“Well, I did, but… now I don’t…”

You groan with frustration, throwing your hands in the air as you demand, “What’s so terrible about kissing me?!”

“What?” Zuko gapes, clearly taken aback by your question. His flustered features only agitate you further, and with all your rational thinking out the door you continue your tirade against the Prince.

“You said you’d never kiss me like it’s some horrible offense! Am I so embarrassing to be with?”

“What?! No, of course not! I didn’t mean it like that!” He insists desperately, the distrusting look on your face only further spurring his panic to rectify his previous statement. “I just meant it would be weird to kiss you!”

“Excuse me?!”

“Ugh, that came out wrong! What I meant to say-”

“I think you’ve said enough,” you interrupt him firmly, shoving past him as you make your way back into the theater.

Left alone from your angry departure, Zuko lets out a frustrated groan as his palm raises to collide with his forehead. Leave it to his big mouth to ruin what had started as a perfectly good evening with you. The last thing he wanted was for you to think he held any reservations about being with you; he was only trying to preserve your image by insisting the kiss had never happened. Instead, the girl he’d grown to care so deeply for not only thought he found her repulsive but also now wanted nothing to do with him as a result.

When your group returns to the theater for the second act you make a point to switch seats with Aang in order to maintain your distance from Zuko. This doesn’t go unnoticed, and it only spurs the ugly guilt he feels in the pit of his stomach. He can hardly focus on the play in front of him when all he wants is to make things right with you again. Tonight was meant to be his chance to win your heart, but instead he’d effectively crushed it.

“Hey, do you think you could get me some of that mochi?” Sokka whispers as he leans over your shoulder to capture your attention.

“Anything to get me out of here,” you grumble irately. You take the money he hands you before once more leaving your seat to escape into the hallway, and though you do your best to make a swift exit Zuko is still able to match your pace as he follows after you.

“Go away, Zuko.”

“No, not until you let me explain myself!” He demands, quickly maneuvering in front of you to block your path. You come to an abrupt stop to keep from bumping into him and let out a frustrated sigh as you defensively cross your arms over your chest.

“Explain what? That I repulse you?”

“No, that’s not-”

“That you’re ashamed to be seen with me?”

“Spirits, no!”

“No? Then let me guess, next you’re going to say-”

The sarcastic remark you’d prepared to make immediately dies in your throat when he suddenly grabs hold of your shoulders and hastily pulls you forward as he slams his lips upon your own. You let out a muffled gasp, your heart nearly leaping out of your chest as your mind scrambles to process the fact that you’re actually sharing a kiss with Zuko. It’s an awkward uncoordinated kiss that would appear less than romantic to any onlooker, but to you it’s everything you’ve imagined it would be. His lips are intoxicatingly warm, and you find yourself faintly chasing after them when he finally pulls away.

You find yourself at a loss for words as your mouth hangs open in stunned silence. While initially emboldened by the kiss, Zuko now stands flustered with reddened cheeks and a crooked smile. Neither of you seems to know what to say, but he decides to take it upon himself to break the tension.

“I’m clearly not good with words,” he admits with a sheepish chuckle, “so I thought it would be better to show you how I feel.”

“You kissed me,” you state matter of factly, finally regaining your voice as the shock begins to dwindle. “Why?”

“I know my words came across poorly, but I didn’t say those things because I don’t want to kiss you. I mean, clearly I do! I just didn’t want to embarrass you in front of your friends, but I managed to do that anyway. I’m sorry.”

Your features soften as you comfortingly take his hands in your own and offer him a smile of reassurance. “I’ll admit, I was a little embarrassed, but it was only because of how the play depicted our first meeting. I saw humanity in you that day, Zuko, and I’ll never forget it. You’re a good person, and I’d never be embarrassed to be with someone like you.”

“Does that mean you like me too?” He asks with a hopeful gleam in his eyes, earning a giggle from you in return as you throw your arms around him in a tight hug.

“It does.”

“Wait a minute, is that why I never got my mochi that night?” Sokka interrupts dismayed only to receive an irritated look from you in response.

“That’s what you’re focusing on right now?” You point out in exasperation. “You asked to hear the story!”

“And I also asked you for mochi,” he reminds you pointedly only for Zuko to groan disapprovingly as his features contort into a grimace.

“I gotta say, it’s a miracle someone as awkward as you managed to get y/n to be your girlfriend,” Toph compliments with a nod of approval, her comment only serving to embarrass him further.

“I wasn’t that bad… was I?”

“‘Hello, Zuko here’ was pretty bad,” Katara reminds him teasingly only for him to deflate with shame, but you come to his rescue as you move to sit beside him and press a kiss to his cheek.

“I think it’s endearing,” you assure him sweetly, prompting a sheepish smile to form on his lips. “Maybe the story isn’t the most romantic, but what’s important is we’re together now.”

“You’re right,” he agrees with a blissful sigh, taking your hand in his own to press a kiss upon your knuckles. “I wouldn’t change a single thing about it.”

“I would,” Toph says unabashedly, the room filling with laughter at her unfiltered nature. Though it’s at your expense, you don’t mind the teasing. It feels just like old times, and you can’t think of anything better than to be here surrounded by friends as you reminisce on your past.

You truly wouldn’t change a thing.

~~~

He spoils her rotten, her bedroom filled with toys and her days filled with laughter

It’s a common occurrence for your family to be spotted taking strolls through the palace gardens or sat by the pond feeding the turtle ducks

Zuko is vastly protective over you both, and though you insist you can take care of yourselves, he feels better if a guard is with you at all times when he can’t be present

A portrait of you and Izumi hangs proudly in the throne room for him to look upon during times of stress, and a beautiful family painting resides in the grand hall for all to see

Zuko gifts both you and Izumi matching gold bracelets for her first birthday to honor your bond as mother and daughter, though her bracelet is much too big for her small arm— she’ll grow into it, he argues

When she’s old enough to walk you take your first family vacation to Ember Island. Zuko has the beach house refurbished to rid the home of old memories and make space for new ones

The three of you build sand castles, hunt for shells, and even allow her to touch the water for the first time. She loves to splash in the waves with you while Zuko watches on protectively, using his body to block any larger waves from knocking you or Izumi over

As you head inside to fix lunch Zuko falls asleep in the sand with Izumi nestled comfortably on his chest— her favorite place to nap

You’re not a fan of feeding her ice cream at such a young age, but Zuko can’t bring himself to say no when her chubby hands eagerly reach for his cone

Izumi absolutely adores her Grandfather Iroh; the two get along so well, and it warms Zuko’s heart to see her cared for the same way he had been as a child

As Izumi grows older Zuko and you both pour your efforts into her studies, ensuring she becomes a well educated young woman

Zuko never pressures her about becoming Fire Lord as you’ve both agreed it’s her decision to take the throne if she pleases, and he never wants her to feel the shame and inadequacy his father had instilled in him growing up

Izumi loves going for dragon rides with her father though you’re not as big of a fan as the activity; you can be just as overprotective as Zuko at times, but thankfully you find a way to balance one another out in order not to suffocate your daughter

She absolutely adores you both, and your beautiful family is beloved by the entire Fire Nation

She is also beloved by all of your dear friends! She always gets into mischief with her Aunt Toph and Uncles Sokka and Aang around the palace, and she enjoys having spa days with Suki and Katara followed by meditation to help her deal with the stresses of being Princess

When she’s deemed old enough Zuko teaches her to sword fight, and you teach her your martial arts skills to ensure she can defend herself in the event neither of you are there to protect her

She absolutely adores you both, and as the years pass your bond only grows closer

Izumi has a wonderful childhood full of love and joy, and you and Zuko couldn’t be more proud to see your Princess grow into the wonderful person she was meant to be

~~~

Ezi laughs as Zuko playfully pokes his stomach, and the sight is enough to ease your worries for you to leave the palace guilt free as you bid goodbye to your husband and son. The Fire Lord holds the child in one arm while the other grabs hold of the baby’s favorite turtle duck toy, and with everything in order the two are off to the meeting.

The councilmen are surprised to see the Fire Lord take his seat with the infant on his lap, but none dare try to argue against his decision. Zuko has created a reputation for himself as a doting father unwilling to part from Ezi unless absolutely necessary, and the last advisor to suggest otherwise had quickly been relieved of his duties. The baby happily babbles away as he’s given his turtle duck, and Zuko takes the distraction as his opportunity to begin the meeting.

“What is on the agenda today, chamberlain?”

“My Lord, there’s been an influx of new soldiers that our staff is inadequately prepared for. There’s more soldiers than there are commanders, and it will be impossible to train them all properly!”

Zuko offers a thoughtful nod, opening his mouth to respond only to falter at the feeling of Ezi’s fingers pulling at his hair. He looks upon his child with a smile and gently removes his hands as he asks, “Do you have an idea, son?”

The baby can only babble in response as he continues his attempts to grasp at Zuko’s hair. The Fire Lord chuckles before looking back to his dismayed chamberlain. “Ezi and I believe it would be in our best interest to train the soldiers in cohorts rather than all at once. Stagger the admission rates and allow no new applicants until everything is in order.”

“Then it shall be done,” his chamberlain relents. “However, if I may Fire Lord Zuko, perhaps it would be in your best interest to leave the duty of childcare to Fire Lady y/n. She is the Prince’s mother, after all.”

“And I am his father,” Zuko reiterates firmly, his eyes sharpening with his protective wrath. “Ezi will not be let out of my sight while my wife is away, and I will hear no more of this. Is that understood?”

“Yes, my Lord,” he quickly relents with a repentant bow of his head.

“Good,” he reaffirms with a single nod. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ll have to end our meeting early today. It’s time for Ezi’s nap.”

Zuko doesn’t bother to stay despite his chamberlain’s protests, instead choosing to exit the throne room and make his way back to your bedroom. He enjoys the quiet moments when it’s just the two of them together roaming the palace halls, Ezi happily cooing as he holds him securely against his chest. He adores his father, and Zuko’s chest swells with pride every time he makes his child smile; his son will never look upon him with fear or shame, and he’ll never know what it feels like to be unloved.

You return from your venture just as Ezi finally falls asleep, and you join your husband beside the crib as you admire your sleeping child together.

“Did he have a good day?” Your hushed voice asks as Zuko pulls you into his side.

“He made excellent suggestions at today’s council meeting,” he replies with a faint chuckle. “Our son is going to be a fine leader one day.

“With you as his father? He’ll be more than perfect,” you sigh sweetly.

Ezi loves his father, and Zuko will do everything in his power to ensure his son is happy and content for the rest of his days.

~~~