Fire & Rain: Book 1

Promise me

Zuko's POV
I woke up on the raft in the middle of the ocean, uncle was sailing and Y/N was still dangling her bare feet over the edge, staring at the horizon.

I walked over to her and sat with my legs crossed to the right of her, I stayed silent for a while before finally sighing and asking,

"How did you find me?"

She turned to me, puzzled,

"What?"

"When you came to help me against the Water Tribe girl, Katara... how did you find me?"

"Oh... I followed you..."

"But I checked behind me, you weren't there."

She shrugged her shoulders,

"I followed your trail, and when I was underwater, I guess I just got lucky... I saw you once I was within the walls and followed you to the oasis, then when you grabbed the avatar, I left."

So she didn't see how badly I failed, or watch me run straight into a blizzard.

"Why?"

"I just... I was worried..."

"I can take care of myself, Y/N"

She exhaled, sighing before resting her head on my shoulder and muttering,

"I know you can, but you mean too much to me... I won't let you down again..."

Thump. Thump. Thump.

I felt heat rush to my cheeks before clearing my throat,

"Well, you need to stop putting yourself in dangerous situations... you could've died."

"But I didn't."

"I told you to leave, Y/N."

She pulled her head up from my shoulder and stared at me, dead-seriously,

"I know, and I apologise that I haven't left yet. Don't worry though, as soon as I see a Fire Nation ship, I'll get out of your way."

She stood up and called out to my uncle,

"Hey, Iroh. I'll sail, you should rest."

I felt a strange pain in my chest... it was indescribable.

She was leaving us at the next chance she was given... I should have been glad, it's what I wanted, I had told her that I didn't want her with me, I had told her that I didn't need her. Strangely, it hurt a little knowing that I wouldn't see her smile every morning, or have her by my side on every mission.

Y/N is amazing, she's also terrifying... a lot more threatening than me, she's more skilled, more violent, more intimidating... and she doesn't even use her bending to do it. Every time I fail to interrogate someone, Y/N steps in, and she doesn't try to make me look weaker or less capable, she builds on what I started, she's always at my right hand whenever I need her.

Y/N's POV
So, Zuko really wanted me gone... I planned on staying but he brought it up again, I had hoped that maybe he said it in the heat of the moment but it was clear now that he actually meant it.

I just couldn't let him down again...

Back when his father banished him, I could've healed him, I could've taken away the pain, I could've gone with him; but I was a coward, the only reason he asked me not to heal him was to keep my secret, but I shouldn't have been so selfish... So, what if I'm a water bender? Maybe I'd have been banished, or maybe I'd have been used as a training dummy to help the Fire Nation finally take control of the Water Tribes, but now Zuko has to walk around with a constant reminder on his face that his Dad doesn't love him, that he was cast out of his own country, the country that should be his to rule one day.