Torn Heart (Zuko x Reader)

Chapter 19

My POV:
I raced into town, Iroh on my heels. The village was speckled with red—the Fire Nation battalion that was traveling towards us. They were pouring into inns, sweeping shops of all their stocks and money. A few shops that put up more of a fight than they were worth were on fire, the smoke billowing above us. Ahead of us, Zuko was already engaged with a few. I'd lost sight of Iroh.
Without much thought, I nocked and fired at the closest guard to me, then the next closest, then the next. Just then I felt a pair of arms around me from behind. I forced him backwards into the wall of the closest shop, breaking his grip. Spinning on him, I grabbed an arrow and rammed it into his throat.
By now, most of the villagers had fled. I reached Zuko's side, alerting him of this fact. It was just the three of us, these men, and an empty town.
All hell broke loose. I stepped off to the side, watching Zuko disappear behind a blaze of flame. That's my man!
         The thought had barely formed in my mind when I felt something whistle past my ear. A few of these soldiers threw throwing knives!
         I just barely dodged a second, nocking and firing. As he dropped, his buddy threw another knife. As it left his hand, I heard, "Y/N!"
         With zero grace, Zuko lobbed a fiareball into the man's face. As he burned and screamed, the other soldiers were fleeing with the stocks they had collected. I wanted to stop them, but my legs and arms wouldn't obey me. Plus, Zuko was staring at me, a blanket of horror across his face.
          It was then, that the adrenaline wore off enough for cold, blinding pain, the feeling of something solid in my flesh, to hit me. I looked down to see that last dagger protruding from my side, just above my left hipbone. Mind numb with shock and pain, I reached down and dragged it out. Dropping it, I lifted my head to meet Zuko's eyes again, "Zuko?"
          Then I collapsed.
          Zuko lurched forward, "Y/N! No!"
          He caught me just in time, pulling me to his chest. Everything snapped back into place. We both frantically pressed down on the wound as it gushed blood, me cursing, Zuko murmuring, "No, no, no...please, no!"
I clamped both my hands over it, blood seeping through my fingers. Zuko turned his gaze to my face, holding my head in his blood-soaked hands. Tears were streaming from his eyes, "Y/N, stay with me! Keep your eyes open, okay?"
I nodded, weakly.
"Just hang on!" he lifted his head, "Help! Someone! Uncle Iroh!"
He turned back to me, "You're gonna be fine! Just stay with me."
Just then a thought hit me. An awful, terrible thought.
"Zuko, you have to close the wound,"
"What? How?"
Even through my pain, I managed an eye roll. My man is a dumbass, I'll admit that. "You know how. You have to cauterize it."
I winced as I lifted my hand and moved my shirt for him. Zuko went white as a sheet, "No, no, I can't."
I could taste metal on my tongue, "You have to. Please...I'm dying."
Trembling, Zuko laid me on the ground. His right eye was wide, but he had stopped crying. "I trust you," I murmured, before turning my eyes to the sky. I felt him lay a hand on the wound. A second later the cold, open pain was replaced by burning, crushing pain. I couldn't tell if I screamed as my ears were ringing.
The next second I lost consciousness.