your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

The White Jade Bush

Y/N's POV
I was partially accustomed to life on the road, from the time I had spent running away from the monks, but Zuko was not taking it well.

I was hopping between the branches of the trees, trying to find any fruits or nuts growing there, when Zuko stumbled through a bush below me, "I didn't find anything to eat. I can't live like this! I wasn't meant to be a fugitive! This is impossible!"

I ignored Zuko's little tantrum until I heard his tone change to one of confusion, "Uncle... what are you doing?"

I turned to look over at Iroh who was crouched in front of a plant, "you're looking at the rare white dragon bush. It's leaves make a tea so delicious it's heartbreaking! That... or it's the white jade bush, which is poisonous."

Zuko quickly returned to his irritated state, "we need food, not tea! I'm going finishing."

"Hmm. Delectable tea... or deadly poison?"

I sighed and yelled down, "I'm gonna follow Zuko to see if I can find anything growing near the water, I think it's best not to use that plant, Iroh!"

I jumped down, using my bending to break my landing before jogging to catch up with Zuko, causally swinging my staff over my shoulder as I strolled beside him, "is his highness out of his comfort zone?"

He groaned, "why are you following me? Aren't you meant to be looking for something vegetarian or whatever?"

As he sped up, I skipped a little and smiled, "I'm having no luck in the trees, there might be something growing near the water- besides, I thought you could do with the company."

He huffed and continued to walk, not responding to me.

"So, how does it feel now that you're growing hair all over your head? You know, when I got my tattoos, I had to shave my head, too."

He took a few moments before glancing over at me and asking, "you've mentioned your tattoos once before... why do you have arrows all over your body?"

"They're my air bending master tattoos."

"I know that, I mean why are they arrows?"

"Oh, right. The arrows follow the direction that the chi flows in the body, and I think the design might have also been influenced by the flying bison, the original air benders."

I noticed a loose branch that was already quite thin and used my bending to slice it from the tree, before catching it and handing it to Zuko.

"Uh... thanks?"

I chuckled as I walked ahead of him and yelled back, "you're going fishing, aren't you? What do you think you're gonna do that with? Your bare hands?"

—

When we returned to Iroh, I had managed to find a couple of edible mushrooms and Zuko had impaled one tiny fish with the branch I had given him to fish with.

"Zuko, Y/N! Remember that plant I thought might be tea?"

Zuko's eyes widened, "You didn't!"

Zuko and I exchanged a worried glance as Iroh turned around, "I did. And it wasn't."

The two of us jumped back as Iroh turned to face us, his face was swollen and patchy.

"Iroh! I warned you not to use it! What were you thinking?"

He sighed, "when the rash spreads to my throat, I will stop breathing-" he was using a branch to itch his back and quickly pulled it in front of him to reveal some pinkish berries, "but look what I found! These are pakui berries, known to cure the poison of the white jade plant- that, or makaola berries that cause blindness."