Blazing: An Avatar AU

Chapter Fourteen

Every day was the same. It had been months, and I still haven't spoken to Zuko. 

I would talk to Iroh. If I was being honest, Iroh was the first father figure I had ever had. 

I laid down in my bed and stared at the ceiling. I sighed and sat up, turning on the TV.

The news was on. I was about to switch the channel when my face flashed on the screen. 

"(Y/N), the only child of the late General Seizo, god bless his soul, is currently on a mission with the Prince to capture the Avatar."

Mission? This is banishment. Everyone knows capturing the Avatar is a fool's errand. Well, everyone except Zuko.

"If you haven't heard (Y/N) is an anomaly. Something we have never seen before," it cut to a clip of me firebending and then waterbending at the tournament, "as you can see here, she can bend both fire and water. Are you rooting for our bibending pro-"

I turned off the TV.

It's been months. Get over it.

I heard a knock on my door, "Come in."

Zuko walked into my room. 

"Just kidding, get out."

"(Y/N)- can we please just talk?"

"You're talking right now."

"Please," he looked me straight in the eye. His eyes pleading.

I sighed, "what do you want?"

He sat down on my bed next to me, "I- I just," his voice broke, "I'm so sorry, (Y/N)."

I felt tears welling in my eyes. I didn't say anything. 

"What I said to you- I didn't mean it- I couldn't have meant it, y-you," he took a breath to compose himself, "I'd do anything for you."

With that sentence, memories of a better time came rushing back.

"I promise no one is going to hurt you."

"There's nothing I wouldn't do for you, (Y/N)."

I love him.

I wiped tears off my face and turned to face Zuko, smiling, "Zuko, I-"

He cut me off with a hug. I cried into his shoulders.

"I'm sorry I hurt you, (Y/N)."

"I-I'm sorry too."

And just like that, I felt just a fraction of the old Zuko.

A fraction isn't enough.

3 years later...

Three years on the same ship is enough to make any normal person go insane. I'm going insane. Three whole years?

It had been over three years since I exposed myself.

They were calling me tons of different things on the news. 

The one that stuck was:

The Bibender. 

I mean ok.

I think I would have preferred the Dual Bender. Maybe in another life. Or an alternate universe.

You know, the best thing about being outed is the fact that I have grown so much as a waterbender. Like master level grown. We are on a ship. I am surrounded by water. I don't have to hide anything. It's great.