your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

Bounty Hunters

Y/N's POV
I flew above them as they rode the ostrich horse to the next town, Iroh began to groan and wince.

Zuko glanced back at him, "maybe we should make camp."

"No, please, don't stop just for me."

Zuko shrugged and continued onwards, until Iroh began to groan even louder. He huffed, stopping the ostrich horse and jumping down.

As I landed I held up my staff defensively, "wait, there's something coming."

Iroh sighed, "what now?"

Zuko held up his guard, and so did I; but Iroh stood up, smiling, "Colonel Mongke, what a pleasant surprise!"

I raised an eyebrow, looking at the five men mounted on rhinos who had surrounded us, "uh- really? Because this doesn't look very pleasant."

The man Iroh had just addressed replied, "if you're surprised we're here, then the Dragon of the West has lost a few steps."

Zuko asked, "you know these guys?"

"Sure, Colonel Mongke and the rough rhinos are legendary. Each one is a different kind of weapon specialist. They are also a very capable singing group."

"We're not here to give a concert! We're here to apprehend fugitives."

Iroh was unfazed, brushing his shoulders down, "would you like some tea first? I'd love some. How about you, Kaachi, I make you as a jasmine man, am I right?"

"Enough stalling! Round them up!"

As each of them attacked, Iroh, Zuko and I were on the defensive before the two of them jumped on the ostrich horse, "Y/N, let's go!"

I nodded, blasting one of the men backwards before opening my glider and following after them.

"It's nice to see old friends!"

Zuko scowled, "too bad you don't have any old friends that don't wanna attack you."

"Hmm... old friends that don't want to attack me..."

—

We ended up in a dusty tavern in the middle of nowhere, Zuko looked around before turning back to Iroh and myself, "no one here is gonna help us, these people just look like filthy wanderers."

I raised an eyebrow, "well, you're one to talk."

Iroh eyed someone on another table, "ah, this is interesting. I think I've found our friend."

Zuko and I followed his line of sight to an old man sitting in front of a pai sho set, Zuko's eyebrow furrowed, "you brought us here to gamble on pai sho?"

"I don't think this is a gamble."

There were a couple of men in the corner constantly watching us. As I followed Iroh over to the table, I pulled Zuko back by his shoulder and whispered, "don't look yet, but those two men in the corner have been watching us since we walked in."

"May I have this game?"

The man waiting by the pai sho gestured for Iroh to sit, "the guest has the first move- I see you favour the white lotus gambit. Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

"Those who do can always find a friend."

"Then let us play."

Zuko and I watched as the two of them placed the tiles in an odd formation around the board.

"Welcome brother, the white lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

Zuko glanced at me and I shrugged, so he turned back to them, "what are you old gasbags talking about!?"

"I always tried to tell you that pai sho is more than just a game."

"IT'S OVER! YOU FUGITIVES ARE COMING WITH ME!"

I snapped my head around to the men who were watching us so intently earlier, but the man who had just played with Iroh jumped up, "I KNEW IT! You two are wanted criminals with a giant bounty on your heads!"

Zuko turned to Iroh, "I thought you said he would help!"

"He is, just watch."

"You think you're going to capture them and collect all that gold?"

At that, eyes from all over the tavern were glued to us; I gripped my staff tighter, observing my surroundings.

Moments later, the entire tavern broke out in brawls over who was going to turn Zuko and Iroh in for the reward, but Iroh's new friend snuck us out in the chaos.

—

"It's an honour to welcome such a high ranking member of the order of the white lotus. Being a grand master, you must know so many secrets."

Zuko folded his arms, "now that you've played pai sho, are you gonna do some flower arranging, or is someone in this club gonna offer some real help!?"

I nudged Zuko, "chill out."

"You must forgive my nephew, he is not an initiate, and has little appreciation for the cryptic arts."

Iroh's new friend knocked on the door, and was asked, "who knocks at the garden gate?"

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted it's mysteries."

Zuko and I tried to follow him inside, but the door was shut in our faces, "I'm afraid it's members only, wait out here."

Zuko folded his arms and turned away, sighing as he slumped against the wall.

I leaned onto my staff, "why do you look so down? Things are finally looking up!"

He paused before replying, "why did you stay?"

I cocked my head to the side, "hm?"

"You should hate us. After what happened to your people... and you said yourself that you're the avatar's babysitter, so why did you stay? I don't understand."

I felt a pit in my stomach as I glanced away, "the avatar doesn't need me following him around- it was more so a punishment for me than anything else... as for why I'm still with you guys, I just- I don't really have anywhere else to go right now."

"A punishment?"

I sighed , "what a coincidence it is... after being banished, both of us were forced to follow the avatar around"

"But why? Why were you banished in the first place?"

Before I could decide if I'd reply, the door swung back open.

"Everything is taken care of. We're heading to Ba Sing Se."

Zuko's eyes widened, "Ba Sing Se!? Why would we go to the Earth Kingdom Capital?"

Iroh's friend replied, "the city is filled with refugees. No one will notice three more."

Iroh smiled, "we can hide in plain sight there. And it's the safest place in the world from the Fire Nation. Even I couldn't break through to the city."

The main door swung open to reveal a guy around the same age as Zuko and I, "I have the passports for our guests. But there are two men out on the street looking for them."

We ended up being smuggled in plant pots to the ferry, I turned and bowed to the young man who escorted us, "thank you for your kindness."

He bowed back, offering me a warm smile, "of course, you should visit next time you're in the area-"

Zuko grabbed my arm and huffed, "let's go."

I sighed, turning back to the guy who had helped us and waved, "goodbye!"