Hey guys! This is a request by @ZanyZz! "Can you do an Azula x reader where you were her best friend as kids and now she's in a ward being treated for her mental illness and reader is her caretaker?"
I hope you enjoy it!
All characters are 18+. Minors DNI.
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The sound of laughter ran throughout the soft and luxuriant yard, tiny footsteps cascading down the gentle grass. You threw your head back and laughed loudly as Azula crashed into your side, tackling you to the ground.
"I have captured you, you weakling!" Azula screeched, making you gasp dramatically.
You screamed a little more, laughing as you felt Azula's fingertips mingling with your skin. "I will not give in to your treason!!"
"Then die a martyr!" Azula playfully took her fists and made a stabbing motion into your side, making the cut noise herself.
"Oh no! I have lost my fight! Bleh!" You laid there, closing your eyes with your tongue sticking out to give away that you were "dead". The performance was simply phenomenal. In fact, it was better than a Blockbuster performance, but back to reality.
Azula smirked, standing up with a hand on her hip. She threw you a hand, keeping her gaze on you. Something about it felt off, colder.
"You know, you really need to learn how to protect yourself, or else you're going to be blown to bits." You frowned, sighing with a nod. She always told you about how much you needed to protect yourself, how weak you were, but you still loved her nonetheless.
Azula grabbed hold of your arm, making you look at her.
"I mean it, I don't want you to perish like a weakling. I actually...care about you." Azula had a hard time expressing her feelings and you knew that, so you cut her some slack. If anything, you were happy she was expressing herself.
You sighed, nodding with a gentle smile, "Azula, I'll be alright. I'm still learning the basics of fire bending so it'll take me a little bit before I get better." You grabbed her hand, smiling wider. "Let's forget about that right now. Come on, let's go have some fun!"
You were among the few people that could make Azula crack a smile. Now, of course, her face always looked broken when it happened, but when it was with you, it was natural, gentle, soft. She was at ease with you, someone she could trust and be her true, genuine self with. She didn't have to worry about impressing you or seeking validation; she knew that as long as she had your validation, she was okay.
As cruel as she could be sometimes, Azula truly did cherish you. Even at such a young age, you could tell that there was favoritism between Azula and Zuko. You could clearly remember a time when Azula came over to your house, furious.
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The day was warm and in full bloom, little buds and flowers peeking their heads out of the ends of the tree branches. You were sitting in your courtyard, playing with a small flower, braiding it into the crown you were making. Right as you were about to pluck another flower, Azula's footsteps caused an earthquake, startling you.
You looked up in surprise, "Azula...? What...what are you doing here? Is everything-"
"I hate him!" She screamed, cutting you off.
"I hate him, I hate him, I hate him!" She screamed again whilst beginning to stomp the ground, killing all of the beautiful flowers that were siblings to the ones in your flower crown.
"Azula, stop!" You yelled, holding her by the shoulders.
As you did, she looked at you in shock, her eyes wider than the full moon. Suddenly, the formal and heartless girl began to shake, emotions flooding her eyes. Before she fell to the ground, you caught her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"Azula...what's going on? You're scaring me..." You mumbled into her ear, hearing her sobs flow out.
"Why doesn't she love me, (Y/N)? Why doesn't my mother love me?" Your heart broke hearing this. No child should ever have to ask that question.
You closed your eyes tightly, trying to stop your own emotions. "Oh, Azula...I'm so sorry..."
You began to rub her back, trying your best to comfort her in the best way.
"I don't understand (Y/N)...I do everything right, I fire bend better than any person in the nation, and I still can't get her to love me. My stupid brother always gets her love." She spat bitterly, her eyes flooding with more tears.
You rubbed her back, pulling away for a second. "Azula...even if your mother doesn't love you, someone always will." You smiled sadly at her, holding her hands.
Azula broke the grasp of one of your hands to wipe away her tears. "Who?" She asked warily.
This time, you smiled warmly, picking up your completed flower crown. You placed it on her head, fixing her hair a little.
"Me."
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From that moment on, Azula knew she loved you. You loved her and she loved you.
Of course, there were other moments where Azula made your heart race. You could remember the time where the two of you were at a formal Fire Nation party and Azula did the unthinkable.
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"Mom, I don't want to go to this party! I don't like being in fancy dresses and having makeup on!" You whined, earning a disapproving shake from your mother. "(Y/N), this is important! It's an annual ball, you know we attend every year!"
You huffed as she began to fix your hair, brushing it smooth. As you calmed down, you asked your mother a hopeful question, ".....Will Azula be there....?"
Your mother giggled warmly at your question, "Of course, sweetheart. It's being held by the royal family, anyways. Now, sit up straight. I need to fix your hair."
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At the party, you fidgeted uncomfortably in your dress until you found your best friend. You caught her eye, running up to her.
"Azula!!" You smiled, hugging her and then pulling away, holding her hands. The two of you smiled at each other, taking in each other's features for a moment.
Azula smirked, "Come on, let's go do something fun."
Throughout the course of the dance, Azula kept getting called to dance with other boys, leaving you alone on the sidelines. Eventually, you got bored and decided to go upstairs to get away from the sadness of the party for a bit. As you stared down at the couples dancing from the balcony above, Azula crept up on you, "What are you doing up here, (Y/N)? You're looking at everyone like a pathetic loser."
You gasped, putting a hand on your chest. "Azula! You scared me!"
She smirked mischievously, "Good. Now, what were you doing?"
You softened your gaze, frowning down. "I...I don't want to talk about it."
Azula rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Nonsense. We tell each other everything. Come on, you can tell me."
You took in a deep breath through your nose, meeting her gaze. "I'm just a little upset that none of the boys want to dance with me...it makes me feel...so...ugly." You breathed out, looking up at Azula, hoping to get her validation.
She scoffed again, making your heart race wildly with anxiousness. "That's so ridiculous. Any boy that wants to dance with you should be begging on their knees asking for it. You're too pretty for them, anyways."
Your heart began to race as Azula complimented you; she rarely did. Azula noticed that you still weren't so chipper, so she took your hands.
"Say, why don't we dance together?" Your eyeballs practically flew out of your head. It was unheard of for women to dance with one another at formal dances, especially royal ones.
"Azula, are you out of your mind?! If we get caught doing that, we're done for!"
Azula seemed to find this amusing, as she began to drag you downstairs, back towards the ball. When you got there, she took your hands, getting into the lead position. Azula always took the lead.
"That just makes it more fun. Come on, (Y/N). I demand you to dance with me."
So you did. That night, you both got scolded and reprimanded heavily, but you danced. You felt free.
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Thinking back to that very moment, Azula sighed gently, sitting in her cell. It was early, still dark and quiet early. Azula couldn't stop thinking about you, about where she had ended up, how she had damaged your friendship. It hurt being in a straightjacket, and you knew this all too well. However, you would never take it off, for it was too dangerous.
Now, Azula was reminded of the time she took it too far with you. It was her biggest regret.
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You were all on Ember Island, sitting around the campfire at night. Ty Lee had just begun to go on her home life, and Azula was not being understanding at all. You stood angrily, pointing an accusatory finger at Azula, "What is wrong with you? She's your friend! She has been since she was a kid! The least you could do was understand her and validate her!"
Azula scoffed, "Oh, relax, (Y/N). She's just having a pathetic pity party." Ty Lee grimaced, her face wounded with pain.
"You know what, Azula? You're not so great either! You don't even know what compassion is, let alone human decency. You can't even be there for a friend, which shows how pathetic and fake you are. All you do is scare and lie to try and get what you want."
Everyone was quiet. Azula felt your words pierce her, and the worst part was that she couldn't even deny that it was wrong.
She crossed her arms, looking up at you. "So? So what if it's true? Don't act like you don't have issues, either. You're not a prize. You're nothing but a whiny, pathetic loser who relies on others for everything. You can't even fend for yourself that well. Without us, you would be nothing."
You felt tears fall from your eyes as a pang of sadness washed over you. Ty Lee looked at you with sympathy, even Mai and Zuko. They were shocked that Azula would say something like that to you since you were her closest friend. You had really begun to love her, but now you knew how she truly felt. All those years, all that hope, down the drain. It was all hopeless.
You shook your head, taking in a breath. "No, Azula; you're wrong. With you, I have become nothing."
And with that, you left.
You knew that Azula was no longer the same person she once was. Instead, you joined Team Avatar and helped them to find out more insight on the Firelord.
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You had tried your best to stay by Azula's side all her life, but when she started to go crazy, you found it hard. You didn't like the person she had become. But, something always drew you back to her.
When Zuko had become the Firelord, he had wisely decided that Azula would be sent to the mental hospital. And you? Well, you practically begged to be her nurse. You knew that no one would understand her the way you did. You also knew that you would be the only one Azula wouldn't try to murder on spot.
Almost instantly, Zuko agreed.
It was a rather routine day: you entered the hospital at 7 AM, prepared Azula's breakfast, and headed up to her cell. When you entered her cell, though, she was crying. Azula never cried, even when she was going through episodes of schizophrenia.
Upon hearing the door open, Azula was sitting against the wall, just underneath the window. She looked out with a longing so strong you thought her heart would tear its fibers.
There was a long pause before Azula's tear-strained voice croaked, "(Y/N), do you remember that day when you put that stupid flower crown on my head and told me you loved me?"
It was her favorite memory that the two of you shared.
You felt a click in your mind. You nodded gently, warily even. "Yes...?"
Azula paused, swallowing before answering with an even drier voice, "Is that still true...?"
It even took you a minute to answer. On first instinct, you mentally responded, "Yes," but, on second thought, you didn't know if you could love someone who had hurt others so much.
You placed her breakfast tray down on her dresser, walking over to where she sat curled up on the floor. Her head piped up, following your movement. She had been crying, heavily, for what seemed to be hours. Her eyes were swollen and red, her cheeks flushed.
You crouched down to her level, facing the disheveled woman who was bound by the straightjacket.
"Azula, I have never stopped loving you. I don't think I ever will be able to, even if you hurt me."
Azula's eyes flooded with tears again as she leaned her head forward, looking down as she cried again. She clamped her eyes shut, whimpering. Just as you did when you were ten years old, you wrapped your arms around her tightly and held her as close as you could. Azula pushed her head into your shoulder, letting her sobs become muffled.
"I'll always love you, Azula. I'll always be here to take care of you." You mumbled into her ear, rubbing her upper back.
"I love you, too." Azula croaked quietly, so quiet that you weren't even sure you heard it.
As she laid her head on your shoulder, whimpering and hiccupping softly, you calmingly ran a hand over her hair.
"I'll always be here...I promise..." You whispered repeatedly, watching her slowly begin to calm down.
Before she fell asleep, she weakly looked up at you, "(Y/N)?"
"Hmm...?" You continued to stroke her head.
"I'm sorry...for everything." You could tell by the weakness in her voice that she was sincere. Azula was nothing now. She was raw.
You took in a deep breath, caressing her cheek. She looked up at you with broken, glassy eyes.
"I forgive you."
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Hey guys!! I'm really sorry that this took so long to get out! I wanted to really take time to understand Azula and her character more, so I was doing a lot of research.
Man, this one was definitely interesting to write. It was definitely a really sad one, but angst reigns supreme. (JK I LOVE FLUFF IT'S THE REAL SUPREME) It almost felt like a weird kind of Stockholm Syndrome, but nonetheless, it's always fun to do things out of my typical reach.
I hope you guys enjoyed it!!
Feel free to request in the comments section! I DO NOT DO SMUT.
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