your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

Metamorphosis

Y/N's POV
As we stepped into our apartment, Zuko was looking around in a daze, "I... don't feel right..."

Moments later, his body went crashing to the ground, but I got there first, dropping to my knees to catch him.

Iroh called out, "Zuko!" and rushed over to his side.

Once he was laid down in bed, Iroh brought a cloth and water, and the both of us stayed by his side until he began to stir.

"You're burning up. You have an intense fever, this will help cool you down."

Zuko groaned, "so thirsty..."

He tried to sit up but Iroh pushed him back down as I pulled the bucket of clean water over, "here, have some clean water."

Iroh took the ladle out and brought it to Zuko's lips; but after he had one sip, he finished the rest and pulled the entire bucket to his face, gulping it down as excess ran down his bare skin before he threw it across the room and tucked himself back into bed.

Zuko's POV
I sat on my throne, surrounded by my own flames, with two dragons circling around me, one crimson red, one azure blue.

The azure dragon spoke with my sister's voice, "It's getting late, are you planning to retire soon, my Lord?"

"I'm not tired."

"Relax, Fire Lord Zuko. Just let go. Give into it. Shut your eyes for a while."

My eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Maybe some sleep would do me well-

"No, Fire Lord Zuko!"

The crimson dragon interrupted my thoughts with my uncle's voice, "Do not listen to the blue dragon. You should get out of here right now. Go! Before it's too late!"

Then in my other ear the blue dragon whispered, "Sleep now, Fire Lord Zuko."

But before I could understand, everything around me crumbled, my throne, my soldiers, my palace.

Everything became dark.

Then a pair of amber eyes before me revealed the azure dragon, as it came charging at me me with it's jaw wide open, "Sleep! Just like mother!"

Then I saw her, I saw mother, she was crying out for me, "Zuko! Help me!"

Then I felt myself being swallowed by the darkness, only to wake up on the back of a glider, "hold on tight, Zuko! I've not practiced this one much!"

But before I could even respond, the glider went up in flames and Y/N was falling from the sky, reaching up to me, but I couldn't save her.

As I began to open my eyes, I heard uncle tell me, "you should know this is not a natural sickness, but that shouldn't stop you from enjoying tea."

Uncle pressed the cup to my lips and as I sipped I asked, "whats... what's happening!?"

"Your critical decision; what you did beneath that lake... it was in such conflict with your image of yourself that you are now at war within your own mind and body."

"What's that mean?"

I fell into a fit of coughs and laid back down, catching a glimpse of Y/N's worried expression as uncle continued, "you are going through a metamorphosis, my nephew, it will not be a pleasant experience, but when you come out of it, you will be the beautiful prince you were always meant to be."

I woke up again and dragged myself to the bathroom to splash my face; and as I looked up from the basin of water, "agh!"

My scar was gone, there was an arrow on my head and my hair was gone, I looked just like-

"AGH!"

I woke up gasping for breath as a startled Y/N leaned forwards, "hey, hey! You're okay, we're here."

I felt for my scar and breathed a sigh of relief as I felt that it was still there.

I'm still me.

—

I woke up to the sight of Y/N sleeping on the hard wooden floor beside me, and the pleasant smell of something being cooked wafting through my room.

As I sat up, she began to stir, "Zuko?"

"Good morning, Y/N! Did you sleep well?"

Her eyes shot open as she quickly sat up and looked around, narrowing her eyes at me, "are you okay?"

"Of course! In fact, I'm brilliant, I have so many things to be grateful for! For starters, being accompanied by you all this time; just knowing you're there motivates me because-"

She cut me off as she pressed the back of her hand against my forehead, "are you sure you're feeling alright?"

I smiled and slightly ruffled her hair, "come on, let's go and see what smells so good."

As I led her into the kitchen, I was greeted by the sight of uncle cooking something on the hob, "what's that smell?"

"It's jook. I'm sure you wouldn't like it."

I made my way over to the cooking pot and inhaled the aroma, "actually, it smells delicious, I'd love a bowl, uncle."

He raised an eyebrow at me as he poured me a bowl, "now that your fever is gone, you seem different somehow."

"It's a new day. We've got a new apartment, new furniture, and today's the grand opening of your new tea shop. Things are looking up, uncle."