your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

The Siege of the North: Part 1

Y/N's POV
It felt weird being on a ship and being unable to sit on the roof and look out at the horizon.

I peered from the edge of the ship as the sun began to set over the North Pole; balls of flames were being sent straight at their brilliant icy walls.

The guilt dug a pit in my stomach as I watched the black snow fall over their city.

—

When the anchors dropped and the attacks came to a halt, Zuko and I met in a small side room.

We had both changed out of our armour, and I finally had my staff back in my hand.

We hadn't said a word to each other as I stood leaning against the wall, watching him prepare a dinghy.

"You should get out of here whilst you still can."

I quickly stood up straight, shaking my head in confusion, "huh?"

"After what happened with your people, you're not gonna wanna see this."

I took a step towards him, "but, Zuko, I told you before... you're all I have, I'm not just going to leave you. I'm here to help."

I heard him exhale and watched as his palms relaxed as he slowly turned around to face me, "listen, Y/N, I'm going home after tonight, I'm going back to my life... and you just aren't a part of that. I'm sorry, I- well, it's not like I don't care about you- I do, really, but this is just how the world works-"

"Zuko, I-"

"You should head towards the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se would be best, even my uncle couldn't get through their walls, you'll be safe there."

I tried to respond, but words refused to leave my lips, tears threatened my eyes but I blinked them back.

No.

I'm not going to cry.

Instead, I clenched my fists and felt my volume raise, "so, this whole time, you were just going to leave me as soon as you got your hands on Aang?"

He broke our eye contact and muttered, "we were both looking for him, remember? I thought that once you had sorted out whatever your problems were, you'd leave anyway, I didn't know you wanted to stay."

"Why can't I come back to the Fire Nation, too? Are we not- aren't we friends?"

I watched him grit his teeth and furrow his eyebrows, "Y/N, I-"

But we were interrupted by the door swinging open, "if you're fishing for an octopus, my nephew, you need a tightly woven net or he will squeeze through the tiniest hole and escape."

I stepped back to allow Iroh to speak with Zuko.

"I don't need your wisdom right now, uncle."

"I'm sorry, I just nag you because... well, ever since I lost my son..."

"Uncle, you don't have to say it."

The way Iroh's voice cracked when he began to explain completely shattered my heart.

"I think of you as my own."

Zuko turned back to face Iroh again, his face soft and reassuring, "I know, uncle. We'll meet again-"

Iroh threw his arms around Zuko, pulling him into an embrace, but Zuko didn't return the gesture.

"-after I have the avatar."

He turned to me and bowed, "thank you for all you've done, Y/N."

Holding my breath, still trying to stop the tears from spilling down my face, I stepped forwards and bowed back, "it's been an honour, Prince Zuko."

Zuko climbed into his dinghy and started to lower himself down when Iroh called after him, "remember your breath of fire, it could save your life out there!"

"I will."

"And put your hood up, keep your ears warm!"

"I'll be fine!"

I watched Zuko paddle away before turning back to see Iroh's dejected face.

I rubbed his shoulder before assuring him, "don't worry, nothing bad will happen to your nephew, Iroh."

He glanced over at me, pausing before asking, "you're going to follow him?"

I nodded, opening my glider, "I don't really have much left in this world, there's you guys, Aang and Appa; Aang hates me, he caused the destruction of everything I ever knew and trapped me in an iceberg for a hundred years. And Appa isn't mine, he's Aang's companion; so that leaves you guys, and I'm not going to lose anyone else."

Iroh nodded to me and I continued, "it's been a pleasure knowing you, Iroh, and I thank you for the kindness you've shown me, it's been something I've not experienced in a long time. I promise you that I'll return your nephew to you in one piece, and perhaps by some miracle, we'll meet again in the future."

He smiled before pulling me in for a hug, "you know, Y/N, you may have been born in a different lifetime, but I'm glad that I was able to meet you. And for your own peace of mind, my nephew cares about you more than you can imagine. Be safe out there, and one day, when we meet again, you'll have to teach me the traditional jokes of the air nomads, I've always wanted to hear them."

I felt myself smile as I wrapped my arms around him before pulling away and bowing.

I turned to face the night and sighed, opening up my glider and soaring down, barely skimming the water, trying to stay hidden.

I was only wearing the fire nation clothes that Zuko had given me before, but I was able to regulate the heat in my body using the correct breathing technique.

I followed Zuko's trail to a hole in the ice that turtle-seals were diving into.

He can't be serious.

I didn't know how I was expected to regulate my body temperature in an area that I was unable to breathe.

I pulled my staff onto my back and took a deep breath before jumping straight in.

Don't die before I arrive, Zuko.