Find Me | Zuko x reader | Avatar the Last Airbender | Book 1

Chapter 30: Daze

          Getting on Appa and flying away was one of the hardest things Y/N had done in awhile.

          Despite her best interests, she couldn't help but lean on the side of the saddle and stare at the receding figure below her until he was out of sight. She could still feel his beautiful amber gaze, even when the ground disappeared below the thick layer of clouds

          "Y/N, we need to talk." Katara said softly, and Y/N turned around to face the group, leaning on the rail of the saddle. 

          "I couldn't see, but I'm pretty sure I know what happened." Toph snickered, surprisingly cutting off when Katara put a hand on her shoulder.

          "And I'm pretty sure I know what Katara is going to say, and I regrettably agree." Y/N sighed, crossing her arms and fidgeting with her sleeve. 

          "I'm sorry, Y/N, even though I have no idea what you see in him." Katara continued. "It's not good for either of you. Losing sight of priorities, which side you're on... both of you are going to get hurt, and the war- it just can't work out."

          "We can help you find an earthbending guy or something! All the waterbender guys at the North Pole were jerks." Sokka offered, and Y/N smiled widely at him. He wasn't the best at figuring out girls, or these kind of problems, but he really did care, so did Katara, and she loved them both.

          "Who said they had to be a bender?" Y/N let out a chuckle, barely audible through her tight throat, crawling over to her siblings and giving them both a hug.

          "Are you hoping to get over him just like that?" Toph asked, confused. "That's a really quick turnaround, don't you think?" She still stayed close to Y/N when she hugged her siblings, clinging to her arm.

          "Oh, Toph." Y/N pulled away from her siblings with another laugh. "I doubt I'll ever get over him. None of you have seen in him what I have, and that's okay, I get that none of you understand." She sat back, staring at the floor. "My hope is he will find a nice Fire Nation girl to take care of him, help him."

          "And you'd be okay with that?" Sokka asked, a concerned look on his face. Y/N shook her head, gripping the fabric of her pants tightly in her fists.

          "Of course not, I'll be devastated, but at least he'll be happy, and it might make it easier to move on, you know?" She linked her arm with Toph's so the earthbender girl wouldn't have to keep readjusting to stay in physical contact. "Plus, we have a lot of other things to worry about, like saving the world."

          "Keep talking to us, okay, Y/N?" Toph asked, her voice quiet for the first time since Y/N had met her.

                             —|➖◾️➖|—

          "STEADIER ON YOUR FEET, TWINKLETOES!" Sentimental and concerned Toph was gone extremely quickly. The next morning it was straight to earthbending. She was obviously enjoying yelling at the Avatar, and it was funny to watch, but also concerning, as Aang was having a lot of trouble with earthbending.

          Y/N and Katara originally planned to train together, but Katara soon ditched, trying to tell Toph to be more careful and not kill the Avatar. 

          Y/N practiced her throwing skills, and tricks to guide her icicles mid-air, as well as her octopus trick, which she hadn't quite perfected. 

          She tried incorporating some of Ty Lee's smooth and confusing dodging tactics, but soon decided it wasn't for her, sticking to blocking and staying proactive.