Zuko x Reader: Love Burns [COMPLETED]

The Search

I groaned as a professor droned on about Yu Dao, or whatever the hell he was supposed to be talking about. 

"Tell me again, how exactly is boring lecture guy supposed to help us figure out what to do with Yu Dao?" Sokka said turning to Aang and I. 

"He makes me want to scratch my eyes, and ears out." I sighed. 

"He's an expert on ancient Earth Kingdom theories of government. The Earth King thinks we should draw on the wisdom of the past to build a society of the future." Aang said. 

"Even if the past bores me out of my skull?" Sokka laid down on his hands. 

I nodded, "the past makes me want to blood bend this guys mouth shut."

"Yeah, I agree. We need a new way of seeing the four nations, not-" Aang was cut off by Katara:

"Can you three keep it down, please? Some of us are trying to listen!" 

"Surprise, surprise. My boring sister likes boring lecture guy." Sokka rolled his eyes. 

Aang started to protest, but Katara water bent snow from her glass onto Sokka's face. I laughed loudly, causing the lecturer to look at me, and roll his eyes. 

Rude.

Zuko raised his hand, "Professor, can you repeat that last part?"

The professor sighed, "A teenager is a teenager, apparently, even if he's a head of a state. Even his own wife can't pay attention for the death of her-"

"I am not his wife,"

"Ye-" Zuko started to say, but I turned to him and smiled, "Yet."

"As I was explaining, Fire Lord Zuko, an ancient Earth Kingdom philosophy: Family is in essence a small nation, and the nation a large family.Do you understand? In treating his own family with dignity, a ruler learns to govern his nation with dignity." The professor said.

Zuko looked distraught. 

"Are you alright, love?" I asked him. 

"Have you been listening to him?" Zuko asked. 

"I wanna say yes, to make you feel better... but... uh... no." I shrugged, "but I don't think that's what's bothering you."

"I put my father in a prison and my sister in an institution. My mother's been banished for years. What does that mean for my nation?" Zuko asked. 

Sokka overheard and leaned in to speak to us, "This guy's a blowhard! Only people like Katara are taking him seriously." Katara overheard and water bent snow in his face... again. 

***

We went back to the Palace, and met Suki and Ty Lee at Ozai's cell. We peered into Ozai's cell to see Azula in a straight jacket, just staring at him. 

"The Yu Dao summit seems to have done you some good. You're more upbeat than-" Suki started to say. 

"-My usual, sour self?" Zuko asked. 

"Exactly!" I smiled, clapping my hands together. 

"I didn't say that. I'm- we're glad to have you back, Zuko." Suki said. 

"She didn't say it, but she meant it," I nudged my fiancé who just smiled. 

Then he turned to Suki and Ty Lee, "Aang wants Yu Dao to be the prototype for a new kind of city, one that unites the four nations."

"That sounds exciting!" Ty Lee said. She's always the upbeat one. 

"It sounds idealistic," he looked at Azula and Ozai in the cell,  "but maybe the world could use a little idealism." He turned to Suki, "Have they said anything to each other?"