part 1: https://passable-talent.tumblr.com/post/618249620735361024/hello-i-am-so-sorry-to-request-zuko-i-know
part 2: https://passable-talent.tumblr.com/post/618430106549010432/omg-is-it-too-much-to-ask-for-a-continuation-of
this storyline might end up being long π so in order for me to get to other requests Iβm gonna not continue it until someone requests an extension again. thanks yβall ππ
edit: EIGHT MILLION PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR THIS TO BE CONTINUED IT WILL BE U ITS OKAY
edit: part 4: https://passable-talent.tumblr.com/post/618790810365935616/hey-please-continue-your-zuko-fic-as-soon-as
part 5: https://passable-talent.tumblr.com/post/619413419903303680/part-4-was-so-so-good-can-you-make-a-part-5
Rice seemed to be the morning meal. There was an abundance of it, and it was filling, and you wouldnβt complain, as you had food at all. What was weird, though, was standing beside Zuko as you waited for Katara to scoop you your serving.
As soon as you got your portion you left his side, making a beeline to Toph, sitting down beside her on the edge of the fountain.
βIβve been practicing my seismics,β you told her, and she didnβt much acknowledge you other than a quick nod. You werenβt wearing shoes, as you tended not to in the morning, and you pressed the flat of your foot into the floor.
βWatch this,β you said, and you closed your eyes as you put a scoop of rice to your mouth. At the same time, you dug your toe into the ground, sending a small stone up under Sokka.
He shot up from the floor and rubbed his behind, scowling. Toph, on the other hand, burst out laughing.
βToph!β Sokka shouted, a slight waiver in his voice with the cracking of his throat.
βIt wasnβt me!β She said back, still laughing. Sokka turned his gaze to you, almost glaring, and you gave him back a charming, innocent smile.
Despite yourself, your eyes flicked for a moment to Zuko, and you found him with a smile on his face.
You had missed that smile, and you hadnβt known it until now.
Aang and Zuko disappeared for a while to rediscover Zukoβs firebending, which you thought was hilarious. Of course he loses his firebending, right when you need him to be a firebender. You spend the few days they were gone practicing your earthbending and wrestling with your emotions, but you got no further than youβd gotten the night he came and talked to you.
You still cared for him. And that made you angry sometimes.
When he returned with Aang, once again capable of firebending, you were glad that Aang once again had his teacher. But you were also glad that Zuko was back. You, just like Katara, were slowly learning to laugh at him, or with him, depending on the day. You were letting your guard down, bit by bit, and allowing yourself to look at him more and more.
There was this... tension whenever the two of you were in the same room. It was like neither of you were quite willing to speak first, out of pride or awkwardness or something of the like. You couldnβt tell what he was feeling, but to you it felt like there was something just out of reach, blocking you from taking a step closer to forgiving him. It frustrated you, because you did miss the friendship you once had with him.
One night, while the rest of the group were sitting around a fire, you decided to take your anger out on some rocks. So you travelled up the cliff side, to where you could pitch stones around without worrying about destroying the temple. You began by practicing your forms, the strong stances that earthbending martial arts were known for, but with the adrenaline and anger you felt you soon moved to different techniques. Earthbendingβs kicks were very contact based- as though you would hit the body and stop. But your lean stature made it easier for you to practice other types of kicks, those that spun or involved jumps. It made the rocks move differently, but you knew that if you could master the style of earthbending that fit your frame, youβd be more unpredictable in battle.
That was the logic. Sometimes, you just needed to spin and jump and land with an impact. Sometimes you just needed to stomp and pretend it was the fire lordβs face underneath your foot, or Azula you launched that boulder into instead of a tree. You tried to picture one of your boulders knocking Zuko down a few pegs, but you couldnβt. He was being so kind- he made tea for the group and tried to make you all laugh. He helped Aang learn firebending, and offered to light a fire in your bedroom to keep you warm on a particularly cold day.
You couldnβt hold a grudge against him. Your grip on your anger was wearing away, and leaving behind what you realized was the root of it all, leaving behind that wall that had blocked you from stepping closer to him.
You were afraid of how close you had once been to him. You were afraid that it would be all too easy to fall into old habits, and youβd be left betrayed once again. You were afraid of how much he meant to you, all this time.
And fear made you lash out.
You spun and dug your knuckles into the ground to launch a few stones into the air, the thit as they impacted with a tree satisfying to your ears. The rumbling of the earth as you pulled itβs rock from the ground made you feel better, and the slight stinging pain in your joints reminded you of your power, because even if you couldnβt control Zuko and your emotions, you could control the earth.
βY/N?β Zukoβs voice startled you so deeply that a hunk of rock was punched in his direction before you even registered it was him, at which point you pulled your fist back and threw it to the ground, reversing the stone headed right for Zuko and burying it back in the dirt.
βSorry,β you said, breathing hard with eyes wide. Youβd almost smacked him. With a boulder. That wouldβve been bad. βYou scared me.β He laughed worriedly, reaching up to scratch the back of his head.
βWell you got me back,β he said, looking for a moment at the stone youβd put back into the ground after almost flattening him with it. He turned his gaze back to you. βCan I tell you something that you canβt tell anyone else?β You furrowed your eyebrows, but nodded.
βI have a feeling Sokka is going to do something very stupid tonight, and Iβm not going to let him go alone. So I donβt know how long weβll be gone, and I didnβt want to go without saying goodbye.β All sorts of emotions came rushing up your throat, and you frowned.
βWhatβs he trying to do that you donβt know how long itβs going to be?β You asked, before you could stop yourself. Knowing that he may not answer that question, you followed it up with a few more. βIs it dangerous? Do you think youβll be gone more than a day?β
βThereβs no way to know,β he said, and looked to the side. βIt might be a few days.β You swallowed οΏΌhard, one hand coming up to squeeze your other bicep. There was silence, for a moment, other than the croaking of the badger frogs in the forest.
βI, uh,β you let slip out, and you swallowed hard. βJust stay safe and come back, okay?β Your eyes caught his, and you found vulnerability swimming in them. You knew he mustβve seen the same.
βYeah,β he said, and turned to renter the temple. You watched him walk away for a moment, overwhelming worry and dread overtaking you and keeping you rooted to your spot.
βZuko?β You finally forced out, and he turned back to you. You broke from your stance and ran forward, wrapping his torso in a hug before you thought enough to stop yourself. You closed your eyes tightly, as though if you didnβt see him, you wouldnβt know how he reacted.
His arms came around your shoulders and he held you tightly, resting his nose down and onto your shoulder.
βThanks for telling me,β you said, and he nodded. You pulled away and let him go, your hand pressed to the dirt to sense him as he travelled back down to the temple.
He was gone the next morning, along with Sokka. You kept your mouth shut, knowing that it wasnβt a fishing trip at all, and waited, simmering with the knowledge heβd given you. Your curse was the worst of all, as you knew that they were doing something dangerous, but you didnβt know what. You could only hope that theyβd come back. And when they did, they brought with them Hakoda and Suki. It was a great surprise, and you hugged him when he returned.
You were relieved to see him alive.
He hugged you back, tightly, as though he was struggling with something, and you watched him when he pulled away.
βI need to talk to you,β he said, not meeting your eyes.
