You & I

The Southern Water Tribe: Part 3

Iroh's POV
It had been three days since we had arrived in the South Pole and Y/N still hadn't woken up.

It had been eight days since we pulled her out of the ocean, I was losing my mind seeing her laying unconscious every day.

Katara promised that she'd keep on trying, but there's not much she could really do.

My grandfather entered the hut where I was sat watching Katara work on Y/N.

"Iroh, we need to talk."

I nodded to him before he continued,

"If she hasn't woken up by the end of today, you need to have another plan, because she isn't going to survive much longer like that."

I felt a pain in my chest as he said that,

"But Grandfather, I don't know what else I can do! Katara doesn't even think the special water in the North Pole will help, so what if I take her there and it wastes all the time she has left for something that won't work!? What am I supposed to do!?"

He sighed,

"I'm sorry Iroh... I just don't-"

"You don't know. That's what everyone's saying."

I paused for a moment before mumbling,

"I'm sorry, Grandfather, that was rude of me."

He shook his head and replied,

"It's okay, you're under a lot of stress right now."

I sighed and turned back to Y/N, she was still laying there, unconscious in the pool of glowing water.

Hours later, Kya joined Katara and I in the hut and began to assist her healing.

As the day ended, Katara and Kya left and I placed Y/N back on the bed in the corner of the hut and sat beside her.

I held onto her hand and felt a tear roll down my cheek and whispered,

"I can't lose you, Y/N. But I don't know what else I can do. Please, just come back to me. I'll never let you down again. I promise."

Obviously, she didn't respond. I lifted her up slightly and shuffled onto the bed so I could hold her in my arms.

"You know, Y/N, I never thought I needed love. I didn't really want it- but then I met you, and you changed everything. You gave me a new reason to live, a new reason to smile. You're everything to me. And now, I can't imagine my life without you. So don't you dare leave me."

I felt my face grow wet with tears as I looked down at the love of my life as I held her in my arms.

I miss her smile.

I miss the way she'd nuzzle into my chest.

I miss the way she'd say my name.

I miss her soft kisses against my lips.

I miss her laugh.

I miss the way she'd get angry.

I miss waking up to her messy hair and tired voice.

I miss her.

I miss her more than anything.

I stroked her hair as the tears silently rolled down my face.

I didn't know what to do, I'd done everything I could possibly think of and she still wasn't waking up.

I gently lifted her off of me and placed her on the bed before picking up my cold bowl of untouched food from the other side of the room.

I sat on a chair beside her and slowly ate my food- as of recently its become harder and harder to swallow food, I'd lost my appetite and will to take care of myself, because all the mattered was her.

As I finished my food, I placed the bowl on the ground and held onto Y/N's hand, stroking her thumb.

I love you, Y/N.

I'm sorry I didn't get to you in time.

I'm sorry that I failed you.

Please, come back to me.

Eventually, I must've drifted off to sleep because when I woke up, my head was against the side of her bed and the sun was starting to rise.

It was still pretty early, I gently caressed her cheek and laid my head beside her.

She did this to herself trying to save me.

She was trying to save me.

She might die, and it'll be my fault.

It's my fault.

Eventually, my thoughts blurred and I fell back asleep beside her, my sleeps have been quite shallow recently, I can't relax anymore- not when I have no idea what's going to happen to her.

I hadn't dreamt in over a week.

Nothing is right when I don't have her.

So when I was asleep, all I could see was nothing.

And that's exactly how my world looked without her in it. 

I was woken up by a tight squeeze on my hand and a loud gasp.

I immediately snapped my head up and in front of me, Y/N was sat up with her eyes wide open, gasping for breath.