The Tea Shop-(Zuko x Reader)

You're awake

Zuko Is in turmoil, He's in a constant battle with himself. The longer he spends with (Y/n), the more he forgets about his "destiny". He starts to imagine a calmer future. Having little dreams about settling down together, working at a little tea shop in Ba Sing Se. But that can never happen. He can run away all he wants, but he will forever be prince Zuko of the fire nation. He can never live a normal life with (Y/n).

                                                                               (Y/N)'s POV

I wake up at dawn like I do every day, thanks to my work schedule. Lee must have opened the curtains last night because the room is now fully illuminated by the rising apricot sun. It feels like I've been sleeping for weeks as I rub the rheum from my eyes. I stretch my arm to my bedside table and grab the cold glass of water that Lee neatly set out for me.

The pounding in my head has lightened up enough for me to think, but it still throbs, making me disoriented and tired. My skin is still boiling and covered in pools of sweat. My mouth feels sickly and dry, no matter how much water I drink. Despite my pain, my eyes find their way to Lee's serene sleeping face. He lets out soft, quiet snores like he's been up all night and has only recently fallen asleep.

His head is resting on the pillow to the left of me. His arms are tightly hugging my waist, pulling my body close to his. His soft, cool breath feathers my face, gently fanning the sweat and heat off of my forehead. He looks like a child, so happy and carefree, almost unrecognizable because of the scowl he constantly has. I giggle slightly and his eyes gently flutter open.

He gasps and quickly gets up, running to the kitchen and coming back with a sopping wet washcloth. He gently puts it on my forehead, his other hand feeling the boiling heat of my cheeks. He stays silent as he walks to the kitchen again, coming back with a little milk-colored honey pot full of medicine. I try to sit up and look at him with confusion.

"Where did you get that? I don't own medicine..." A nervous look comes across his face.

"(y/n), You've been sleeping for a few days...You've woken up a few times, but you'd only be awake for a few minutes, You didn't have enough strength to talk so I wasn't expecting you to talk today." I start to realize that I'm much sicker than I thought I was, "I bought you some medicine two days ago because you weren't getting much better, it seems like it's working."

Guilt hits me, he never signed up to be my babysitter, "I'm so sorry, You didn't stay here with me the whole time did you??" his expression turns defensive.

"Of course I did! Are you crazy, how could I leave you here in this condition." He feeds me the dark, molasses textured medicine, it leaves a disgusting bitter taste in my mouth and I gag. Lee looks at me for a moment and then smiles, "I used to take the same medicine when I was a kid, I probably made the same face."

I can't help but try to imagine what he was like as a child, I realize that I have no idea where he came from.

"Hey Lee," He looks at me, waiting for me to finish, "Where did you grow up?"

A cold expression suddenly flashes onto his face and he turns away from me, "I don't want to talk about it...It wasn't a good place"

He quickly walks to the kitchen and I get nervous, am I moving too fast? Should I not have asked him that? Did I make him uncomfortable? I don't know what to say, so I just wrap myself in my blanket, hoping he's not as upset as I think he is. I'm too busy worrying that I don't notice him laying in bed next to me, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his chest.

"I want to tell you everything (Y/n), and I will, just not yet...I'm not ready yet.."

Everything? What does he mean by that? Is there more to what he said about his parents... What else could have possibly happened...What do you need to tell me, Lee?

My very short introduction to season 2!! I hope you guys are ready for what I have in store...Cuz I'm not!