Bad Choices (Zuko x Reader)

5: Protect

"It's more than that, Zuko." Iroh shook his head. "Go see her. She would not leave for no reason at all. You needed to focus on your mission. Then, to focus on becoming the Fire Lord; something you are still working on. In fact, I would hesitate to even encourage you to go see her right now if you are struggling to find your role right now. Focus on finding your own path."

"If I focus on my role, Uncle, then I cannot have YN in it. And you know that. The Fire Lord has a Fire Nation Queen." Zuko looked down, defeated. "And... and Mai has come back. She thinks she is still my girlfriend."

"And you turned her away and corrected her?" Iroh sipped his tea.

Zuko looked up at his Uncle with his brows furrowed.

"That was a bad choice, nephew." Iroh shook his head. "You may not even realize it yet. But each bad choice you make will compound. As the Fire Lord, you cannot make more and more mistakes at once. You may make one, correct it, learn from it and move one. Not many in a row. That is how you get rebellion."

"I told you!" Zuko breathed out fire. "I told you I wasn't cut out for it!"

"No!" Iroh breathed out even more fire in a display of dominance. "That is enough of that! You are the Fire Lord and you will act as such! Go see YN. Fix your mistakes as best you can. Try and stay alive. Word has already reached me of the attempt on your life. Do not bring her back here until you know that you can protect her."

"She can protect herself just fine..." Zuko stated.

"You're right." Iroh covered for himself quickly. "She can. Just drink your tea and we can talk about better things."

And you were indeed working on protecting yourself and a certain tiny thing in your body.

"I really wanna go get 'im, Daddy." You admitted as you stroked Slim's back lovingly. "I want y'all ta meet 'im."

"No, baby." Huu shook his head as he demonstrated proper form to you for water bending. "Ain't feel right."

"Pa's right, YN." Due added. "Feel it in the swamp. She ain't lettin' ya leave now. Gotta protect tha baby. You lookin' so big for just a month, ya know. Maybe you got two in ya!"

"Nah, just one." You confirmed as you laughed and held your stomach. "Just eatin' good."

"Ain't we all?" Huu laughed as patted his own stomach. "Alright, follow my lead."

You stood up and began following the motions of your father, adjusting them to your own style as best as you could. But your father was so stiff yet strong and your movements had to be much more jerking. So, things weren't working out quite well just yet. And then, there was the fact that you had to do the whole thing practically underwater to avoid feeling sick.

This just be to distract myself. You reassured yourself. 'Til Zu comes. He'll be here soon. I'm sure.