By Your Side (Zuko x Reader) (Sequel to Torn Heart)

Chapter 19

       The Western air temple was unbelievable. I'd never been to an air temple before, and Aang informed me that they are not all upside down. The gorgeous views and endless chambers to explore helped get our minds off the epic failure.
The invasion was a shitshow.
I stepped away from the small group of people that had made it out and stepped up to the edge, feeling the wind whip at my clothing. I couldn't get my thoughts to behave since I crashed into Zuko. What could he possibly have to run from anymore? Us? His father?
Stupidly, I was tempted to try to find him. I really haven't learned one bit.
"Aang, wait!" Katara's voice jolted me back to the present. I followed her gaze to Aang as he took off on his glider and shook my head.
"He's really fucked up this time," I commented, as I followed the others onto Appa.
"He's bounced back before," Katara insisted, taking the reins.
We followed Aang up into the sky. Once we caught up with him, Katara screamed, "Aang, can we talk about you learning fire bending now?!"
"What? I can't hear you with the wind!" he yelled back, which surprised me, because sitting just behind her, Katara was extremely loud.
"Come on, Aang! Let's have a chat on the ground!" I screamed, silently delighted that Katara winced, "You know Toph and I don't really like flying!"
"Ah, fine. Wimps!" he shot back, but as soon as he landed, he started to take off again, talking on and on about all the sights we had to see.
"I think that'll have to wait," Toph cut in, pointing behind us.
Before I even saw him I knew who it was. My skin went cold and my lungs ceased to function right. Behind us stood Zuko, with one hand lifted in the air.
"Hello, Zuko here,"

No ones POV:
            "I'm trying to explain I'm not that person anymore!" Zuko cried, getting frustrated. Through this whole exchange, Y/N hadn't spoken. She wouldn't even look at him.
            "Y/N, you tried to tell me how terrible my father was. I realize that now,"
            "Wow, you realized that the tyrannical dictator wasn't such a stand-up guy? Good for you," Katara said, brandishing water from her flask, "You really need to leave."
           Zuko swallowed the rest of his pride and, keeping his eyes on Y/N knelt down. She was part of the reason he could stand up against Ozai, and he wasn't leaving her side again, no matter what it took. He bowed his head and stuck out his wrists, "If you won't accept me as a friend, maybe you'll take me as a prisoner."
           But he was only toppled over by a crash of water. "No, we won't!" Katara screamed, "Get out of here and don't come back!"
           That was the rest of Zuko's dignity. He dragged himself to his feet, dripping wet, as the others turned away from him. When he lifted his head he met Y/N's E/C eyes. She looked as broken as he felt. They both opened their mouths to say something, but Zuko thought better of it—What could he say? And apparently she thought the same thing, because she bit down on her lower lip instead and turned away.

My POV:
            I followed the others deeper into the cavern, forcing myself not to look back to see if Zuko was still there.
            "I can't believe the nerve of him," Sokka was saying.
            "I know," Katara cried, adding under her breath, "Did you see the look on Y/N's face?"
            I squared my shoulders, Pride smarting, I spoke up, "Good thing we didn't fall for his bullshit."
            "I have a confession to make..." Aang started. He told us about the time he was captured and Zuko helped set him free. I wish I had felt surprised.
            "He probably just did that so he could capture you himself," I said, but my voice shook.
            "You're probably right," Aang's face fell and I felt even worse.
            Katara continued, "And what was all that BS about setting Appa free? What a liar!"
            "Actually, he wasn't lying," Toph blurted out and the group fell to silence. I was laser-focused on my best friend, as if clinging to her like a lifeline.
            "Oh, hooray! In a lifetime of evil, at least he didn't add animal cruelty to the list," Sokka was crooning, sarcastically.
            Toph gave an impatient huff, "I'm just saying that considering his messed-up family and how he was raised, he could have turned out a lot worse."
            I'd never felt such intense gratitude for my best friend then. Maybe...
           "Why are you defending him?" Katara demanded after they had badgered her more.
           I could feel Toph's patience waning and part of me enjoyed it, "You're all ignoring one crucial fact: Aang needs a fire bending teacher!"
          "Toph's got a point," I chimed in, unable to contain my excitement any longer. Toph flashed a grateful half-grin in my general direction, "We can't think of another soul who can do it, so—"
           "Not you too, Y/N!" Sokka cried.
           "Ugh, we should've known!" Katara snapped.
           "Katara, the last thing I want is to be near Zuko again, but facts are facts,"
           "You wanna talk about facts—" Sokka began, but Toph interrupted, the earth around us shaking with her words.
           "Zuko handed himself to us on a silver platter and you three won't even consider it?"
           "Aang?" I offered to the air bender who had stayed silent.
           He kept his gray eyes fixed on the floor, "I'm not having Zuko as my teacher."
           "Ugh, I can't believe you!" I cried, storming off.
           "Y/N, where are you going?" Katara demanded.
           "I'm going to find Zuko. Toph, you coming?"
           "Right behind you," she said, before spitting at the others, "I'm beginning to wonder who's really the blind ones around here."