atla oneshots

keep it together pt 3 [ zukaang ]

Aang looked as though he wanted to speak up after Zuko had snapped at him. Maybe he wanted to apologize, or maybe he wanted to throw every mistake he had ever committed back in his face to hurt him.

Zuko's amber eyes flickered down to the monk's wrist, the bracelet he had gifted to him years ago sat clasped around it still, as though it had never left since the time he received it. He didn't regret the gift, he had enjoyed seeing the joy that it brought to his face, to his eyes, he simply regretted what has transpired between them afterwards.

"Zuko..." Aang sighed, almost as if he were tired too. Maybe he was, maybe the firelord had been too harsh with him. Maybe this was a man who simply wanted his friend back, the person he'd fought side by side with on multiple different occasions.

Zuko didn't know if it could ever be that way again.

Unfortunately though, he wasn't able to find out and maybe, he never would. Screams could be heard from inside the house, and judging by the pitch of them, it was either Mai or Katara and something was seriously wrong. They shared a panicked look at one another before they took off towards the house, pulling the doors open only to be bombarded with smoke.

"Get out of here!" It wasn't Katara or Mai that was yelling, but the familiar voice of his son, Iroh. "When my dad finds you he's going to be really angry." Zuko lurched forwards, away from the cover that the darkness gave them, but a soft and cool hand in his own tugged him backwards.

"What are you doing?" He furrowed his eyebrows, though he doubted Aang could see the expression due to the darkness that shrouded them.

"Trust me." He squeezed the fire lord's hand, something that was meant to be reassuring and affectionate but he wasn't sure how to perceive it as. Perhaps it was simply Aang looking out for him, not that he wanted to but because he felt like he had to — the fire lord couldn't die, after all.

He scoffed but followed the Avatar's lead anyways, he couldn't sense anything himself and was only going by the sound of his son's voice.

"Hey, stop it!"

They slid into the parlour where in the center of the room, Iroh stood with the dual blades he had been gifted, pointed at a tall, lanky man that was wearing a dark cloak, almost making himself seem invisible. Zuko felt his chest rise and fall at an erratic rate, and felt himself struggle for air. Aang squeezed his hand once more.

"Too bad your dad won't be here to save you." The man before his son waved his hands, and his fingertips crackled. Within seconds he had created a whip out of fire, Zuko could feel it's heat from where he stood in the shadows. "I didn't want it to have to come to this. Sorry kid." He reeled his hand back as though he were going to strike.

Zuko felt his hand slip from Aang's, he felt his feet move towards his son. The Avatar's voice behind him sounded as though it were underwater, the only thing that was clear to him in this moment was his son, and protecting him, making sure he was safe. He reached out, hands wrapping around his son and pulling him into his chest, shielding him from the whip that would eventually slice through the back of Zuko's skin.

He screamed.

He screamed and the world faded to black.

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"Zuko," A familiar jolly voice filled his ears, dripping with surprise and happiness all at the same time. He knew this voice, he had known this voice from his life before. This voice, it had been with him for a long time, it was something he cherished and something he missed. The ache in the body told him so. "It's so nice of you to visit."