i'm fifteen, you jerk! (a:tla, reader insert)

CHAPTER ONE

"You're pregnant, Princess Y/N." the doctor looked into your eyes, smiling gently. No, no. You couldn't be pregnant. You and Zhao had only done it once. "Are you sure?" your voice was hesitant. "Yes." instead of jumping for joy, though, you had to hold back tears. "Okay. Thank you. How much will this visit be?" she waved her hand around.

"On the house. Think of it as a congratulatory gift to the happy couple." oh, but you weren't happy. I'm fifteen, for fuck's sake. I shouldn't be married! I shouldn't be pregnant! You grumbled in your mind, walking to your shared home with Zhao.

You clutched your stomach. I can't raise you, baby. You- wait. Fuck. oh my god. The baby would probably have E/C eyes or Zhao's eyes, but it sure as hell wouldn't have gold eyes! It would raise suspicion about your existence, and- oh god. Both you and the baby would be killed! Shit. Now I really need to get out. You started to think, not letting your panic overcome you.

Zhao's out for the Avatar. So that means I can escape! But how? Wait. He has maps! You darted to his desk, going through the files of everything. I'm out. Thank god, I'm out. We can live a happy life, little one. You found a map, one of a ship that was heading towards the Water Tribe. Wait, no. It was just passing the main island of the Water Tribe.

Okay. It leaves tomorrow. I need to pack. But what? Food! Food, you're so stupid! It leaves tomorrow. Food. Bread. Meat. No. You couldn't travel with a large bag. You would have to take money and buy something at the market.

I have to leave. Now. You grabbed the largest sack of coins that was on Zhao's desk, tucking it into the waistband of your clothes. He should know. You found a piece of paper and a pen, beginning to scrawl down your reason for escape.

Dear Zhao,

I refuse to let my child live that life that I have. Being married off to a man three times her age. Or to be sent off to war before he's even a man. So by the time you're seeing this: I'll be long gone. Goodbye, Zhao. I hope to never see you again.

And so you ran. You ran out of your shared house with Zhao, running down the streets. Your bag of coins rattling the entire way.

"Hey, you! Have any interests in the freshest fish in all of the Fire Nation?" you turned to the voice. You headed to the vendor's stall, seeing tons of tons of sea life. "How long does it last? After you cook it, I mean." the old lady raised her eyebrow, pointing a knobby finger at how. "Why do you need to know?" she croaked. "Because I have a ship voyage soon. It takes about two weeks, and I need fish that will last that long."

She chuckled, her entire body vibrating from the force of her laughter. "Well, you're in luck. If you need the fish cooked now," she sent a hungry look to your bag of coins. "I'll be happy to assist." you let yourself relax. "I need enough for two weeks. Cook it, too, please." the woman nodded, holding out her knobby hand.

"Three gold coins. You look distressed, I cut the price in half." you plopped them into her hand, and she smiled, looking down at your stomach. "You're with child. Come, I'll take you to the back where I cook the fish." she led you behind the stall, and into a kitchen.

"Wha- how? I'm not showing!" you protested, wrapping your arms around your non-existent bump. "I can tell. I was a midwife once, before I turned to fishing." your jaw dropped. "How do you know? Seriously?"

"Intuition. You're not going on a voyage for fun, are you?" you hung your head, looking away guiltily. "Tell me, child. How old are you? Why are you running away? Who's your husband? What's your name?" she sent a flurry of questions your way, and you got whiplash from her attitude change.

"I'm Y/N. I'm fifteen, and I was forced into a marriage with a high ranking general. I don't want my child to live a life similar to mine. If it's a girl, I'll be damned if she has to marry a man three times her age. And if I have a son? I'm not letting him be sent off to war." she brought out pounds and pounds of fish, starting to cook it.

"You're fifteen? My, that's young. You're not a noble, are you?"

"I'm the first princess of the Fire Nation." she looked surprised, before going back to her fish. "I should've known. You have their yellow eyes, and black hair. Tell me, child, who's your husband?"

"General Zhao. He's out on a mission to find the Avatar, so I took this as my chance to escape."

"Ah. But that's not the full reason, is it? You might not want to be chained down, but I can tell you're smart. You know that staying is the best for you. So what's the dealbreaker?" damn, this lady was smart. "I don't have gold eyes. Long story short. And every member of the direct royal family has gold eyes, and I realized that my child wouldn't have them. It would raise suspicion, and there would be a chance of death, for me and my child."

She chuckled again, finishing the first fish. "What time do you have to be on the ship?"

"In a couple hours. I hope to be on the ship, and be headed for the Water Tribe before anyone notices that I'm gone." she nodded, starting to cook the fish faster. "Why do you wish to go to the Water Tribe?"

"It's not the Water Tribe I want specifically. I'll take any place that'll offer me refuge. I'm a princess on the run. It'll be easy to find me, and if somewhere could hide me, then I'll take it." the old lady finished about half of the fish. "What do you plan to name your child?"

"Zuko if it's a boy, and Azula if it's a girl. They're my siblings' names." she nodded. "Oh. You don't want to leave, do you?" tears started to escape from your eyes, the yellow water slipping down your cheeks. "I don't, but I have to."

haha catch me NOT being pregnant. i literally looked up pregnancy terms. i live life on the edge ooh

also the writing's really stiff i rewrote this like seven times with different ideas lol