Word Count: :D words
EXTRA. 第一
Notes: Contains mentions of canon comics Smokes and Shadows and North and South. Enjoy!
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Natsuko fell in love three times in the span of ten thousand years.
Her first love was what others would call infatuation and though that was just non-existent and the forced feeling of romance. But she knew it was the gratitude for the person, spending her life with him for more than years.
When he told her that he felt something for her, she thought she was being rude if she did not reciprocate those feelings at all, so she had forced herself to return the favor.
By the end, the man realized and decided to act against her forced feelings by telling her it wasn't real, all of them lying to one another half is forbidden.
The second love was the first royalty to ever walk the face of the mortal realm.
Two things occurred and she that their love wasn't meant to be—the betrothed of her other half and the only princess of the Water Tribe.
If she was only born from the Air Temples, that would lessen their problems just one to a lot.
She didn't stop looking over the monarchy of the Water Tribe since then and helped it continue, not knowing that many years from then, the same lineage would be the people to stop her reign as the spirit of the Avatar.
Her third love; albeit not really professed but very very obvious; was the burnt prince of the Fire Nation, once exiled and was now serving his time as the Fire Lord. Whose palace she was sulking in while her body laid itself drastically on the sofa and her hands supporting her head on the edge.
To stay that it (should've) ended wonderful wasn't the right term in the very least. It was rather miraculous. And absolutely foolish.
First Problems
To think that the world was fair to someone like her or to anyone else, spirits dealt with unfairness and pitiful mortal beings enough to constantly remind them of it. And the thought had subsided just right after life constantly shitting on her day after day after day.
Sometimes, turtle ducks would find someone to give them bread crumbs and they'll search for them for their daily bread but it didn't mean that the turtle duck will think of marrying that someone. People aren't like turtle ducks so it's pitiful when the same person keeps on coming back for the duck in hopes of keeping it forever.
Probably that analogy wasn't right but it still hurts.
As the days go by, she slowly contemplated on what life should've been to her eyes after finally realizing and opening her mind to the truth or what looks real to her. That turtle ducks were meant to be adored in the far distance before the other turtle ducks will hurt her before she can even go near.
"Are you okay?" Suki asked Natsuko while the purple eyes stare to the horizon of the large overseeing balcony, "Should I call Zuko?"
"No!" somehow his name was what kept her anchored to the ground from her head reaching the clouds, "No, but thank you, Suki."
Whatever she felt, she hadn't felt it in a long time. And her thoughts followed each step out the door. She wanted to leave, at least she wanted to believe that she did, maybe she actually wanted to. Overseeing Aang with Appa as they spend the night before leaving the next day to the South Pole.
She convinced herself that she wanted to see the Southern Water Tribe and leave with Aang. Especially with the turn of events during the Kemurikage attacks or rather Azula and whoever she brought along.
First Afterthoughts, Smokes and Shadows
"You know, you can't keep it to yourself forever." Suki spoke out once more out of the blue. A series of retorts flooded Natsuko's mind, waiting for her mouth to open up and spill the contents of the long list of excuses she could come up with. And yet, no matter what she thought of, she already knew that Suki was right.
The said Kyoshi Warrior placed a hand on top of Natsuko's, "I'm your friend, Natsuko. You can talk to me about anything if you want to."
"I know Zuko would want to too."
It would be fine to let go for the meantime. But no matter how many times she told that to herself, no one, not even herself, was fooled by the see through lie. And maybe after the turn of events with Mai, significance was playing with her once again and was maybe looking for a new significance.
So she told Suki from the beginning, unlike Sokka, from the day of the coronation to where she was stuck now, as well as slipping out a piece of the tens of plans she was already preparing to do. At this point, Suki was giving her mixed emotion while looking from her to the door which meant the worst. She sat down properly from the sofa and turned her head.
And as if fate decided, the Fire Lord was standing in the opening of the one way door. Suki took it as a sign to give the two some space, which Natsuko was against. This might be probably the last time she would let go (No, it's not).
What is it with people suddenly stopping their tracks then begin eavesdropping? Okay, maybe mentioning his name is a good point but judging by Suki's reassuring smile from the outside of the room then leaving them in their own privacy and Zuko's walking to her with this commanding stance and stern look at her had her tripping. He wasn't supposed to hear anything.
"How much have you heard?"
Zuko sighed, "Just after the mention of my name."
Which was all before she spilled the contents of her heart and mind blatantly falling from her lips as if a waterfall had emerged from within.
"Can we talk?"
She bit her tongue before any other snarky remark could come out. For a fact, talking was the best thing someone could come up with right now even if she was scared shitless of what could happen afterwards. Worst case scenario is that if she can't stop rambling in her own head, another slip up might occur.
"You know what's great with talking? Some tea." And just as planned, another slip up. Might as well go with it, "I'll go make some."
When did she become the awkward mess in their relationship?
Relationship? Now she was just assuming things.
"Actually, I want y-"
She attempted to get out of the room but with his larger frame and her small leg span to side step fast enough it was hard to do so. So she had to keep on smiling, hoping it was bright enough to blind him just like how it did Mai.
All those attempts were for naught when his hand wrapped gently but tightly at her wrist, "Can you at least listen to me?"
A silent lull arrived by their feet, as hers was all ready to step out the door or step near him. But she still remained silent, nodding, sighing deeply and limps her hand from his grasp, "I didn't know you felt trapped inside. We can get out, have a vacation."
"It's not like that."
"Then what is?" he asked her with a hint of frustration, "I can't keep on guessing anything you want and it's unfair when you keep on telling me that I can tell you anything when you can't even look at me or talk to me."
It was over whether or not she'd tell him the truth or not, so might as well go all out.
She swallowed her fear and covered his eyes before whispering in a panic tone, "I have this awkward feeling because I know that I like you and I know that you might still like Mai and I didn't want you to feel guilty for doing anything else for me but I was wrong so I'm sorry and I know that saying sorry might not be enough so I wan-"
For the second time in a year, he took her hand away from his face but his brows were scrunched together in confusion, "That's it?"
Natsuko scoffed and threw all the pent up awkwardness and guilt and whatever else she felt, "I was being considerate."
"I just assumed you and I were together when you decided to come with me and-"
"Well, I thought you just needed my support because I told you that I'll be there whenever you need me."
"I thought you meant that you like me—which you do-"
"I do."
"Well, I like you too."
"That's not fair! I-"
Aang and Suki, actually everyone could probably hear them bicker as the curtains were not soundproof in the slightest. The two were by the door, smirking at how the two idiots finally found the same ground after 2 years of watching them pine over each other.
Finally, things returned to normal.
First Affirmation
It took a long time for Natsuko to calm down from all of this. Not used to being someone's girlfriend. Even the thought of it felt weird, not that she didn't like it she very much did, but definitely weird.
Ever since, the two promised no secrets, as if they didn't promise each other that before. Aang was long gone and Iroh back in Ba Sing Se so it meant that National Tea Appreciation Day was over. Then Zuko has been showering her with a lot of attention and with him trailing her like a stray crococat whenever he wasn't busy, the same thing Kiyi was doing to Zuko since she arrived in the capitol.
All this meant that Kiyi was also trailing Natsuko all this time, "Are you a firebender too?"
Natsuko looked behind her to see the same kid running on her mind also running to her with Ty Lee running with them as well and watching where Kiyi was going after the Azula attack, "I was but it's a long story."
The older girl slowed down her pace so the girl can walk beside her, as well as the fully armored Kyoshi Warrior, "How long?"
"For about 70 years." she hummed in thought, "If I start from the beginning, it would take 10,000 years."
Kiyi pouted, "Are you joking?"
Natsuko only laughed in response, seemingly wasn't sure on how to explain it to the kid so she passed it on as one. Ty Lee just watched them interact, followed by her eyes widening at the sight of a horror a woman can achieve.
"Oh no!" Ty Lee dramatically placed her hands on her mouth to suppress a more dramatic gasp then placed each hand on Natsuko's cheek, squishing it together, "You need to take good care of yourself more, Natsuko, you already have wrinkles."
Ty Lee expected any girl to elicit some sort of panic through somewhere and with the way Natsuko was prancing around to see reflection was what she expected. But the thing was, "I finally have wrinkles! I thought I'd never grow old."
She looked oddly at Natsuko who took this the other way from the general direction. Especially surrounded by Mai and Azula then her sisters. The said girl turned to her again, asking, "How many?"
"Just one."
Natsuko took both of Ty Lee's hands before jumping up and down, "I have a wrinkle!"
Purple eyes scanned the area and found another person to tell about her own growth process, seeing the Fire Lord who had just finished practicing and was heading back to his daily things to do. With a call to his name, he immediately snapped his attention towards the familiar voice and call, catching Natsuko as he leaped towards him in time.
He was in a confused panicked state, "What happened?"
She smiled right back at him, "I have a wrinkle!"
Her eyes shifted from his to a Kyoshi Warrior walking somewhere very far than what most eyes could see, assuming it was Suki she bolted to that direction. Zuko just watched her. Ty Lee walked over to Zuko and watched her as well, before letting out a mutter, "I was wrong, it was just a dimple."
First Mark
His mind went on to thinking about thoughts, finally leading to a mystery no one knew the answer to. Zuko's hand found its way to his chin the deeper he gets in even trying to answer. Even with everyone else's knowledge and what Suki learned from Sokka's detective persona, it still remains unsolved.
It didn't stop him, however, from marking the day after a before/after celebration of sorts.
For when Natsuko woke up the next day feeling refreshed from whatever she did yesterday out of boredom, readying herself for a crowd of people invading her room for the usual morning routine. But when she stood up and wrapped herself around the robe to see that there was no one in the room with her, she smiled brightly and continued her way out and grab her garments for the day.
Something she immediately regretted when she realized that her ladies in waiting were doing the exact thing behind the curtains to the outside world, what more is that they seemed to double in number. They paraded her with many offers for a massage and a bath and a more extravagant clothing than what her usual wear was.
She was dressed in a long red gown, just like what Ursa wears, and her hair neatly combed to a knot up top, just like Ursa's hair, with a Fire Nation headpiece. Her hair comb was attached to the side and a bunch of other coats were given for her to wear. And with the atmosphere of the place, she sweating wooden buckets inside.
She watched as a woman gave her a bowl of cherries which she took one from and delightfully munched on but stopped so suddenly at the crunch of her teeth to a cherry pit. Natsuko takes it out of her hand and shyly asks for a bowl to put it on but the lady looked frightened for some reason.
The girl lets go of the bowl and lets it collide with the ground, bowing down on her knees and her forehead laid flat on the floor, "I did not mean any harm to you, your highness. Especially for a special day such as this."
"It's fine, it's just a pit." Natsuko reassured the girl and gave her a smile, all the while asking herself what was the special day a dawning meant and why for her.
A Fire Nation guard went inside and bowed, a signal for all the servants to finish pampering the lady and lead her to the dining hall, a long ass table laid at its center and saw only not even a quarters of that table with food on it. And Zuko in incomplete Fire Lord attire holding bowls of brown looking rice porridge and his awkward smile.
"Happy birthday?"
Happy birthday? That was her special day? She walked to Zuko and saw the bowl for two he was holding and squinted her eyes to it in disbelief. Much more it wasn't really her birthday or maybe it was, who knew?
"You made me do all this..." she moved her hand from her top to her feet, "For burnt jook?"
"Hey! It's the only thing I can cook." he looked at her in disbelief the added silently, "And I tried my best."
Natsuko smiled at him and shook her head, "I was kidding."
"You didn't have to do all this." she sat down beside his seat on the end of the table and waited for him to sit down as well, "How did you know I liked my jook burnt, Zuko? You really do care."
He narrowed his eyes to her, lifting his spoon up and tasted the jook which was unsurprisingly horrible. But Natsuko was stomaching it the whole time, anything enough to spend time with Zuko as she listened to him rambling on and about how things were going for him.
"You know what you ought to do next?" Natsuko asked suddenly right after they were given food by the cooks, "Fire noodles, easier to mess up but easier to eat even then."
For a while, the day she was found by Wan was just a passing day she called her birthday. Watching people celebrate their own with too much grandeur was what she called basic human responses. Spirits didn't have birthdays but it wasn't like she was a spirit anymore, much more a full one even before, so she guessed that she had a lot to learn.
And maybe it wasn't the day she was given a new life to live all those years ago, but even without knowing when she was born or without having a clue of who her family really was, she didn't care one bit as long as Zuko gets to make her all-time favorite burnt jook on her new dated birthday.
First Birthday Celebration
It's been a while ever since the team got together, seeing even Suki join them which meant there was a lot of free time hanging around for them to pick.
Sokka was very adamant in bringing them back to the beach, his flanky arms pointing at the beach in front of them and The Duke began pulling her to come with them. The two went down a flight of stairs as they saw bent sand to landscape the whole place where people from the Air Temple gathered to drink from the sea before The Duke pointed to the sky and Natsuko saw the flying people.
With a notice of something red moving down below her chin, she followed the direction and saw a pentapox moving, which was molded; and she assumed; blood. And if her suspicions were correct, she saw Hama's hand moving and puppeteering it.
Father Glowworm appeared behind Hama before dragging everyone in the beach to the Spirit World. Natsuko was pinned to the ground and watched as they were swallowed whole by the sand. The tower left from Wan Shi Tong's library was the last thing she saw sinking as she sank along with them.
The second later she had open her eyes, she was falling to Spirit World. Zhao readying his firebending with his fists in the air, pointing directly at Natsuko as she continued falling.
Her eyes widen from sleep as she felt the free fall coming to an end, jolting from her bed. There was no scream emitted from her but her heart kept pounding heavily as she struggled to breathe normally.
It was hard getting used to not being able to sleep just fast enough or stop thinking about who to talk to or even not see her then other half of hers. Sure, Avatar's could show to her through dreams but they were taking their sweet time in doing so.
And in this very comfortable bed, she kept on thinking what possible things she should be able to do after. The last time Aang had a nightmare, it was an absolute pain as she drained off her energy trying to keep him energized in his wake. This time, she tried to do the exact same thing.
First Night Terror
Walking eased her nerves and the moon gave her company as she walked across the dozens of pillar. Even when she was in this place for a month, she still wasn't familiar with the same looking hallways and her only checkpoint were the guards sternly standing at every door.
Now, she was convinced she had strayed further once more from where she should be. How could she not be when every guard had the same big ass helmet enough to hide their faces and with the moons light the only source, she didn't advance at all.
Finally, a large curtained room was at the end of the hall she was in, which was either the main function room or the Fire Lord's room. Judging by the floor she was in, it was easily the latter part.
And with sleep hypnotizing her to join him to dreamland, she needed to find a soft place to land soon.
There were two guards in each side, one was already hard to knock out then the other one would cause a commotion which was which could wake Zuko up and make her seem like the fool; undoubtedly, she already was.
Which leads to another possibility, just marching right into his room and let her in without a form of decency for the Fire Lord just because he likes her the way she likes him. Red covered her from head to neck, feeling the much more indecent act of surprising him when she was already with him and thinking that they might find her rude for abusing her relationship with their ruler.
They would understand that she had no bad intentions, right? Right. Just keep smiling until she reached the curtains then formally bow to the guards before smiling and barging in would do trick like before.
And it did.
Zuko was fast on his senses at the sound of Natsuko trying to sneak in his room, thinking that it was another attack. Narrowing his eyes to the figure in front of him before his brows accented his worried expression and somehow relief, "Oh, it's you."
She cursed herself internally, forgetting the whole ordeal about the Yu Dao incident even if it was all good. In a red handed moment, she moved her arms around and all over.
"I'm sorry." she scratched that idea "I just" her mouth pressed together to a line "I'll just go."
She was about to turn around, walk around more and definitely not get lost or sleep in the gardens or something. Zuko's flinging the sheets from his body and muttering along the lines of "Wait!", "Its fine", and "Stay" meant otherwise of what is in her mind.
He fumbled his fingers on the long and large sheets before he could even attempt to stand from the edge of the bed he was sitting on when she stood in front of him instead. Looking up, he saw her eyes darkened but so was the shadows on her face that made her beautiful even then.
"I couldn't sleep." she admitted sheepishly, "Then I got lost."
"And I had a nightmare."
It was her first time talking to him about a nightmare, knowing her dreams consisted of the same Avatar's he knew all the sudden, understanding how new all this felt to her, "You want to talk about it?"
"I don't."
He nodded, "Let's go back to sleep then."
In one fluid motion, he took her hand in his and led her to bed. At this point, Natsuko expressed surprise at his sudden advances, not that it would be the first time sleeping together but sleeping together alone and without the rest of Team Avatar. He notices her panic and lets his brows furrow together in concern, "Too much?"
She shook her head. Not that she minded being with him but what would the guards think if she had done something to Zuko in his sleep if she didn't get out any time soon. But sleep was telling her it would be fine and Zuko's body would still be beside her when she wakes up.
Although her mind was saying no, the skin that contacted with Zuko's warm hand and the soft bed repeated yes multiple times. She slipped beneath the covers before looking straight to amber eyes, too sleepy to even register the awkward anymore.
He lets out a small smile, her small attempt to reciprocate it much later whilst battling the urge to not scoot closer than she already is.
"May I?" and when it was Zuko who got the courage to ask her, she lets out a hum. His arm wrapped around the small of her back to pull her closer, her arm and head immediately finding home in his chest, his heartbeat lulling her to sleep.
If Zuko was still alive the following day, and if he'd like to, she might think of sleeping with him from then on.
First Time Changes
Going out with Zuko didn't seem that life changing to Natsuko, mostly because she didn't repeat it in her head over and over again. But when she remembered that night she had her sights set to leaving with Aang and visit the South Pole and the other thing that happened, she can't help but repeat it over and over again.
The public wasn't intrigued when learning about what their new Fire Lord is doing in a daily basis to clear their names, they also didn't care about what the Fire Nation was really doing during the reign of the self-proclaimed Phoenix King Ozai. His fan base doubled its members over the past year and didn't believe anything that goes over their heads.
So when Fire Lord Zuko was to leave the Fire Nation to travel to the Southern Water Tribe with a weird eyed lady, they immediately thought of Mai with her eyes weird enough to send shivers down their whole body.
And when they learned that Mai was still tending to the flower shop days after his departure, chaos ensued.
First Time Out in Public
Natsuko smiled at the sight of the South Pole, first time arriving to the sister tribe and seeing how industrialized it was like the previous nations she's been, she basically scoured the whole world at this point. It was smaller than she imagined but it probably changed a lot ever since she heard the stories of Sokka and Katara. And it has definitely evolved since Zuko's last visit to this place.
The meal they had was what she needed mostly, sitting beside Toph after not seeing her for so long; not to rub cheekiness to Toph's blindness in any way; and continuously swatting away Sokka's hand when he tried to get the food from the earthbenders plate.
The atmosphere was the same as the end of each adventure in a day that seemed like it happened many years ago. Adding the years when she left them in this world, she can't even remember how it felt to be with them like this. It wasn't ordinary, never was, but its home. She was home.
She turned to Zuko, smiling as he was having a really trying time with Bosco, in a state of being between relaxed and unnerved whenever the bear looks at him if that was even possible. All the while, the rest were very delighted with the line-up of delicacies laid in front of them.
It was a fun time and of course, with every fun time was an impending awkward one.
"The fire noodles live up to their extra spiciness, Fire Lord Zuko." King Kuei complimented the person beside Natsuko, a small smile erupting to both their faces.
Zuko thanked him and mentioned the girl beside him, "It was Natsuko's guidance that helped me."
"Ah, yes, Natsuko has guided me well during their stay in Ba Sing Se as well." the King looked at Natsuko and remembering a small thing she had forgotten from long ago, "I have to say, it's a shame that you didn't accept my proposal."
Team Avatar was particularly curious about the word proposal directed to Natsuko while the other adults in the place were minding their own business—albeit, eavesdropping once or 10 times. The purple orbed girl, however, tried her best to shift the conversation to another but to no avail, the Kings obliviousness kept him on going.
He retraced the moments of that day quite too accurately for Natsuko's liking, "I had asked her to accept my hand on marriage. But of course, she refused."
They were all surprised at the sudden revelation. Zuko turned to her and she immediately retorted, "You heard him! I refused."
"I remember that! You were supposed to take us in and tell the King about the invasion but you decided to leave us outside for the Dai Li to fight. Then you disappeared and returned the day after." Sokka swallowed his turtle duck meat before continuing, "How could I forget when the Dai Li kept chasing us and Aang left me on the ground running with rocks on my feet?"
Katara looked at Sokka surprisingly, then at Natsuko with a small smirk, "Where did you go that night? Visit Zuko?"
She looked at Zuko, whose cheeks flushed at the sound of his name. Defeated, she admitted, "I did."
Toph asked her with a hint of sarcasm and feigned surprise, "You knew all this time and you didn't tell us? Now, why would that happen?"
"Seems like it doesn't add up." Sokka took on his detective persona then wiggled his eyebrows in a suggestive way to the two already awkward and red as Fire Nation clothing, "Were you two already together before or during Ba Sing Se? I promise I won't get mad."
Aang disagreed and pitched his own opinion with proof after finishing his piece of tofu, "They can't be! They just told each other about liking one another recently."
"You did?" Katara's surprise was genuine as she was giddily asking of it, "Who told who first? I think its Zuko."
"I bet its Natsuko." Toph added her opinion nonchalantly, "I always knew she liked Zuko."
Katara shook her head, "Well, it's pretty obvious that Zuko liked her first. I mean, he kidnapped her in the Crescent Shaped Island."
First Time Out with Friends
As the day ended, so did the conversation of the two Fire Nation clad couple's obvious pining to others and oblivious to them. The Earth King left after the meal while the Fire Lord stayed behind for one more day before travelling back and resuming his duty for his people.
The structure of the building they've been graciously sleeping in was different from the palace, something she was still trying to conquer at this point. She went out to meet the moon just like she usually does, looking over the balcony where every outside of every room meets in a long hallway.
Zuko's room was beside hers, then Toph, Sokka, Katara, and Aang's. It was weird to be sleeping on the same floor as Team Avatar but not sleeping together like they always did. But Natsuko took the time to talk to Yue, keep her company even when her other half was doing it for her.
"Can't sleep?" she turned around to see Sokka, surprised enough when it wasn't Zuko who approached her. She then realized he was also about to moon gaze, shaking her head at his question and continued looking at the moon with him beside her, "You seem uncomfortable since we talked about you and Zuko."
She lets out a small chuckle, "This thing is foreign to me."
Sokka raised a brow at her, "Falling in love?"
"Falling for the right person." Natsuko smile faltered, "And a lot more things."
She turned around to see that Zuko was eavesdropping, not that it would be the first time he did after hearing his name. Sokka noticed his friend by his door and chuckled, "Good night to you two, then."
Zuko watched as his buddy went inside his room before turning to Natsuko, opening his mouth but she cuts him off, "Can we talk?"
No one can explain the feeling of happiness the surged through the Fire Lord when she asked him, even if his face didn't show his true emotions. Meanwhile, the girl was about to turn red, "Stop gawking before I tell you to forget it."
"Let's talk." he lets out with a smile, his mouth turning upwards more when she returned the gesture. He stands beside the girl with all his attention laid out for her while she decided to look out to the stars, waiting for her just like how she waited for him.
"You know what the worst part of living as the spirit of the Avatar was?" she asked out of topic, "It was always seeing through the eyes of their mother as they hold you close, seeing them grow and lose their connection with you, and see them die before you do. And it remains the same over and over again."
"But now that I'm not, its like I have no idea how to function, especially this." she pointed at herself then him, "I don't know how to do this... this relationship thing. I can't seem to explain myself like I could or think right when I can. I keep thinking about if what I did wasn't supposed to happen and I forced you into doing this."
Zuko didn't follow her last words, "Force me into doing what?"
"For staying with me." Natsuko had built up the stress coursing through her seemingly growing hot headache, "What if you weren't supposed to stay here, with me out of all people? What if you being here with me is wrong and I'm being selfish?"
Even after finally finding common ground between their emotions, there was still a barrier placed between them, surrounding her, trapping her. Even after shifting her attention to different forms of distraction, she can't bear on living the day and being remembered of her last moments that happened in the distant future.
"What happened, when you came back to us before Aang defeated my father." he can't remember the exact details of when she told them about how the world didn't function the way it was today, but he knew that she didn't want to tell anyone of it so he didn't try to pry, "Whatever happened then, you don't need to go through it alone."
"And I'll be here, to stay. Not because I was forced to stay or because it's wrong." he gulped inwardly, hanging on to the pieces of thread he was able to grasp in hoping what his mind says is right, "But because it's my choice."
"I want to be selfish too, Natsuko."
The Fire Lord looked at her, his eyes widen at the sight of a young woman whose eyes were shifting around the place. She hasn't aged a bit, or did she while he did too? It was hard to keep track whenever he spent his days looking at her first thing in his mornings. And yet her years could be seen through her eyes the same way it glistened against his amber eyes.
She was beautiful, anyone else's opinion didn't really matter. If she had gotten a wrinkle or if her face begins to turn red from embarrassment or anger.
The former spirit felt the agonizing pain in the depths of her heart to have someone else to confide to now that she was left feeling empty by the spirit of light, given the chance to fill her gaping emptiness within with new memories to make with cherished people. Before surrounding her life around the Avatar but the opportunity Aang had unknowingly gave her was more than what she could ask for.
And she can't keep asking for more, ever since.
Natsuko haven't felt better her entire life as she felt Zuko's hand wrap gently around her wrist, pulling her close and then wrapped his arms around him. The feeling of his warmth that she felt every night in their sleep much more prominent against the cold nights of the South Pole and her shaking hands. She pulled a bit to look at him, moving her hand to touch his face before hesitating when she realized it'd be the third time.
The second time he'd remember and hopefully this won't be the last she'll see him up close.
"Its okay." after his confirmation, she softly glides her hands to his face, caressing the roughness of his scar through her thumbs. Letting herself caress his visage carefully after the feeling of loss and coming back to him, she can't help but feel as if he would be gone after she had finally done it one last time.
She just nods through her prickly sweat coming from her eyes, feeling pathetic to cry over something so pitiful, not even realizing the years of pent up frustration and finally letting all her feelings flow to someone who was willing to listen to her incessant rambling just as he did hers.
And probably her problems were just questions she shouldn't ask to begin with or give herself enough credit for staying strong for all these years. Maybe that was the advantage she had, didn't have to care about a family until she had one with them. Then, this awkward, misunderstood, wonderful human standing in front of her showed up and suddenly, leaving them became a lot harder than ever.
With one hand on her waist, the other wiping the tears from her eyes, the first time he saw her cry for the first time. He solemnly pledged, even if he may not be the first to ask her hand or her love, he'll still remain true to his own words when he'd tell her, "I love you."
Her heart dropped at the sound of his confession. Out of all the possible conversations that she had a plan for attack, this phrase wasn't one of them. Instead, she placed her hands on his face once more and gave him a smile as lavender meets honeycomb and her lips meet his.
"Shut up."
Second Confession
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Hello, my friends. Tis is I, who should be writing a narrative report but look at what I'm doing now? Magic.
Alright, cringy ending. I decided to finish the ending quickly so I could get on with the thing/ssss I'm supposed to be doing for school but being the procrastinator I am, I will give both this and that school works crappy endings (jk with the school work, a much lesser crappy ending at least).
Don't worry, OC says those three words back after she told him to shut up. You're not worried? Well, so am I.
I was supposed to put first confession in the second snippet but it felt wrong so I wrote affirmation then wrote second confession instead.
This is basically one shots of fanfiction with Zuko and OC compiled together. And the news is (because I have no idea whether its in the category of good or bad news) this is not the end of it.
Also, can you imagine being friends with Appa? Like, sure, he's convenient with fighting large animals and he can fly and stuff. And he might shed every once in a while, you can make loads of things with the shedding fur too.
But have you considered the cuddles he would give you?
And Bosco? Did you even ponder on the thoughts of being encased in a big bear hug? Like Corporal Wojtek is cute and Bosco is too.
And Zuko? The cuddles he would give you while sleeping in the North or South Poles where its always snowing and his natural body heat helps you sleep better. The best part is he's just your size and he would wrap his arms around you and what a softie.
Anyways, that's it. See you next time! Stay safe!