A Second Flame: Zuko x Reader

Chapter 9

"I've checked all the shops on this pier not a lotus tile in the entire marketplace!" Iroh said disappointed.

"It's good to know this trip was a complete waste of time for everyone!" Zuko snapped back.

I stood next to Zuko chuckling. God he's a goof.

"Quite the contrary... I always say the only thing better then finding something you were looking for is finding something you weren't looking for at a great bargain!" Iroh smiled brightly as the fire nation soildiers carried piles upon piles of things Iroh bought back to the ship.

"You bought a sonki horn?" Zuko questioned.

"For music night on the ship! Now if we only had some woodwinds..."

We began to walk and Zuko turned to me

"Did you get anything (Y/N)?"

"Oh just this..." I held up a golden ring with a dark jade crystal on my hand "I thought it looked pretty..."

Zuko blushed slightly brushing back his ponytail
"It's ok...I guess"

Suddenly Iroh turned towards a large ship acting as a store
"Oh! This place looks promising!"

Zuko and I looked at eachother shugging before following Iroh into the shop. He almost immediately ran over to a small stone statue covered in red glinting gems of a monkey like creature.

"Oh that is handsome! Wouldn't this look magnificent in the gally?" Iroh beamed.

I quietly nodded and Zuko just continued to look annoyed.

Two pirates stood at the counter discussing something
"We lost the water tribe girl.. and the little bald monk she was traveling with" one of them said immediately grabbing Zuko's attention.

"This monk did he have an arrow on his head?" He sneered
Oh great here we go again...

We found ourselves teamed up with the pirates to search for the avatar together using their ship. Athough they weren't even aware this "monk" was the avatar... they just wanted some waterbending scroll back that the Avatar's crew had stolen. I stood looking out to the river glistening with a fresh daylight while Zuko talked with the ship's captain.
"Shouldn't we stop to search the woods?"

"We don't need to stop... they stole a waterbending scroll right?" Zuko replied.

"Mhm" the pirate confirmed.

"Then they'll be on the water..."

The day turned to night and we heard a voice that we recognized. It was the Avatar's waterbending friend who I think is named Katara. We all nodded at eachother and quietly took the ship to the side of the river. We disembarked and one of the pirates grabbed Katara

"Let go of me!" She argued hitting the pirate with a wave of water. Katara stumbled back as the pirate let go and she landed in Zuko's grasp.

"I'll save you from the pirates.." Zuko smirked then comanding the soldiers to tie her to a tree.

I stood guard, taking out a sword in case she tried to escape. In my back pocket lied the waterbending scroll Zuko gave to me for safekeeping.

"Tell me where he is and I won't hurt you or your brother..." Zuko ordered

"Go jump in the river!" Katara retorted.

I neared her knowing how much finding the avatar meant to Zuko... I better try to threaten her so I said,
"Do as he says water girl... I won't hesitate to make you wish you drowned in that river.."