Traitor - Zuko X Reader

Chapter 21

Whenever I got home last night, I had tried to fall asleep but the images of every moment Zuko and I had shared in the past year made me toss and turn trying to pinpoint the exact moment these feelings started. I don't know when I finally fell asleep, but even that didn't relieve me from images of Zuko as he was ever present in my weird dream. These new feelings were different from anything I had ever felt before. Never once while growing up I had ever had any romantic feelings for anyone, not even a small crush, so this was all new. I guess it explained my weird behavior towards him the past few weeks and the out-of-character reactions my body had when he would do simple things like laugh or serve me tea. Additionally, I wondered if there was any chance that Zuko could feel the same. I shook my head at the thought as I opened the fridge. No, there was absolutely no way. Zuko and I are just friends, nothing more, nothing less. Besides, even if he did there wasn't anyway we could actually be together. He's a prince and I'm just some girl who grew up in the castle. It would never work out.

I felt a chill on my arms and realized I had been standing in front of the fridge, lost in thought, for the past few minutes. I huffed and angrily closed the fridge door. Spirits, I need something to take my mind off of this. I decided to go wake up Sokka and hopefully he would be up for some sparring in the backyard. I knocked on this door and got no response. I knew he was a heavy sleeper so I slammed the door open to hopefully wake him up fast. Whenever I entered, I saw no sign of Sokka. I shrugged and decided to try Toph instead, but she wasn't in her room either. I then tried Katara's room then Aang's and neither were present as well. I checked all over the house, finding no sign of the GAang. I began to frantically look for a note explaining their whereabouts. Last I knew, they went out looking for Appa. What if they found him and got into a fight with Zuko while down there? What if they got captured by the Dai Li?

My mind began to conjure up the worst scenarios and was about to really start freaking out until I heard a familiar growl outside of the house. I put on my shoes and grabbed my sickles and dagger. I then rushed outside and was met by the sight of Appa with all four kids on his back. My heartbeat slowed and I laughed as I approached Appa. I rubbed his nose and scratched under his chin and he nuzzled my side. I guess Iroh was able to convince Zuko to set Appa free. I smiled at the thought and felt a blush form across my cheeks, mentally facepalming at my lovestruck behavior straight out of a bad romance novel. Sokka slid down from Appa's back and came up to me, his expression was worried and I immediately grew apprehensive.

"What's going on? Are you guys alright?"

Sokka grabbed my hand and began helping me onto Appa's back, "I'll explain on the way there. We're going to see the Earth King."

I didn't question anymore as Appa flew into the sky. I held on tight to his fur and struggled to keep my balance seeing as we were riding without a saddle. I listened as best I could as Sokka and Katara explained what happened to them last night. They told me how this guy, Jet, had been brainwashed into being a spy for the Dai Li and had nearly succeeded in convincing the GAang to leave Ba Sing Se. Jet was able to remember where he was brainwashed and led the GAang to a creepy place called Lake Laogai. As he described Lake Laogai, I realized that was where Iroh had taken me last night, but decided to keep that to myself. They explained how they had confronted Long Feng and got into a fight, ending in Jet being seriously hurt. Jet had told them to leave, claiming he'd be okay and Katara spoke solemnly as she shared how the wounds he had were most likely fatal. Sokka then tells me how they had found where Appa was supposedly being kept, how his chains were shattered and there was no sign of him there. I tried to fight the smile and ignored the flipping of my heart as I pictured Zuko heroically breaking Appa's chains. He finished the brief explanation by telling me how Appa had come to their rescue after they had been surrounded by Dai Li agents.