Fire and water: Sokka x reader x Zuko

Tea time

(Y/n)s pov:

My head throbbed, a small light shone through my eyelids worsening the pain in my head. My body seared in agony as I sat up, my waist in particular felt like I had been smacked with a hammer.

"Your awake" Iroh's soft aged voice reverberated from beside me, I rubbed my eyes with a groan.

"What happened?" I asked with a horse voice, looking down at my clothes in confusion. I wasn't in my green earth kingdom skirt and shirt but in a pale tunic that was far too big for me.

"You were hit by a merchant cart, you need rest" Iroh answered with a small nod, passing me a tea cup filled with a steaming liquid that smelled like jasmine tea.

"How long have I been out?" I asked with a furrow of my brows, taking a sip of the tea with a small sigh of content, my scratchy throat being soothed by the warm tea.

"You've been out for about a week, your body is recovering, I'm not going to pry into business that isn't meant for me-" Iroh replied with a small sigh, almost pondering his next words. "But I think you should talk to Zuko, he's- I think he's missed you dearly" he added with a nod, taking a sip of his own tea.

"I'm not supposed to be here, Sokka-" I cut myself off before I said too much, I kicked off the blanket and attempted to stand up. "I need to find my friends" I stated with a grunt, leaning against the wall as the bruising on my waist throbbed in pain.

"Please (y/n), you cannot find your friends while injured" Iroh declared with a sigh, helping me back onto the bed as I clutched my torso in pain.

"Uncle, I heard noise- oh your up" Zuko's voice called out from the door way, his voice dropping almost like he was afraid that raising his voice would break me further. I kept my eyes down at the sheets on the bed, I had no choice. "Uncle the boss needs you in the shop" Zuko stated with a small tut, I could feel his gaze boring into me.

Iroh chortled and muttered something about good tea and left the room, patting Zuko on the shoulder as he wondered his way back. We sat in uncomfortable silence, neither of us knew whether to speak or not.

"Your in Ba Sing Se" Zuko murmured, closing the sliding door as he took a step in. I inhaled sharply, my knuckles turned white as I clenched my fist.

"So are you" I replied with a shrug, letting my eyes slowly trail up to his face. His face scrunched in an emotion that I couldn't quite pin point. Anger? Sadness? Anxiety?

"Uncle and I... we're refugees now, complete traitors to the fire nation" he stated with gritted teeth, glaring at the wooden floors like they were Azula herself.

"I'm- my place wasn't in the fire nation, I had to leave" I stated barely above a whisper, I didn't trust the thickness of these walls anymore than my ability to run out of here at the moment.

"You had a choice! You weren't banished" he retorted with a snarl, glaring at me before pointing his gaze to the floor again.

"I had no one in the fire nation, who was I supposed to rely on? Find comfort in? Azula?" I asked rhetorically with a laugh of disbelief, it didn't matter if 3 years had passed Zuko hadn't changed.

"You had a comfortable life with no one to impress! No one to compete with" he replied with a growl, finally keeping his voice down.

"I would've been trapped in a job I hated, probably having random lords and ladies trying to marry me off to their sons, does that sound comfortable to you Zuko?!?" I hissed with a glare, clutching my waist as I used too much of the air in my lungs to retort.

Zuko's face scrunched up in anger, he grumbled and cursed to himself. Turning tail and slamming open the door, stomping out. I sighed, laying back on the bed and squeezing my eyes shut.

Time skip

I wondered into the kitchen of the small apartment that sat atop the small tea shop Iroh and Zuko were working in. The two fire nation men turned their heads as I walked in, Zuko scrunched up his face and glared out the window. Iroh smiled at me and passed me a bowl of what looked like rice porridge.

"You must be very hungry, you haven't eaten at all since waking up" Iroh stated with a small chuckle, the porridge smelt nice, sweet but not overly so.

"Thank you, I- I need to leave" I stated with a sigh, looking down at the porridge with a sigh.

"Running away how typical, gonna fake your death again?" Zuko spat with a tut, turning his whole body around to glare out the window.

"Zuko enough!" Iroh warned with a stern glance in his direction, I could feel shame sweep over my body settling itself in the deepest parts of my body. "As soon as your well enough to travel on your own, I will not allow you walk out of here when you can barely walk without clutching your side" Iroh added with a small sigh, looking at me with sympathy.

I agreed silently, sitting down at the small wooden table in the kitchen. Eating my porridge as the guilt and shame ate away my mind.

"Mushi, we're opening soon, oh hello miss" a skinny earth kingdom man called out from the bottom of the staircase I assumed led to the tea shop below.

"Ah of course I'll be down in a moment, Lee I'll call you down when we get our first customers in" Iroh stated with a wide smile, grabbing a wide apron, tying it around his waist. I looked between the two of them in confusion, I suppose that was their 'refugee' names.

"Mushi, do you think I'd be able to wait some tables, I'd like to work for my keep" I stated with a small smile, keeping down any signs of weakness or distress in front of the owner of the shop.

"Who is this fine lady? I'd be happy to have her serve in the shop" the owner of the tea shop stated with a small smile as Iroh made his way down the stairs.

"Oh ah this is my nephews girlfriend Ming" Iroh stated with a nervous laugh, looking between Zuko and I almost in a threat to go along.

"Ming Faah, I'd be honoured to work here" I greeted with a wide nervous smile, nodding profusely. The owner looked between Zuko and I before shrugging, I held my breath watching the two elderly men walk down the stairs.

"Zuko, I'm sorry, it wasn't meant to end up like this" I stated with a sigh, staring down into my food. I could hear Zuko let out his own sigh as he turned away from the window.

"I don't want to talk about this right now, I- I didn't mean- I have to go work" he replied with a wavering voice, walking towards the staircase.