Prince Zuko x Reader

Zuko looked at the icy water surrounding his ship. His Uncle Iroh sat at a table playing strategy games and drinking tea with one of the crew members on the ship. Y/N was said crew member who was losing terribly at whatever game they had been playing. Iroh may have been unsuspecting, but he was cunning and intelligent beyond compare.

Then Zuko saw it, the blinding light in the distance. Hellbent on regaining his honor and throne, he yelled to his uncle.

"Uncle, do you realize what this means?"

"I won't get to finish my game with Y/N." Iroh replied bluntly, not moving his gaze from the tiles before him.

Zuko's stare intensified as he yelled, "Helmsman head course for the light!"

Y/N stood up and bowed to Iroh, "Thank you for allowing me to play, General Iroh."

Iroh nodded and grinned, "Anytime, you are very skilled, Y/N."

Y/N smiled and scampered off to help fulfill Zuko's orders. This left Iroh and his nephew to discuss things by themselves.

"Who is that?" Zuko asked.

"Y/N L/N, she is part of the crew."

"You spend a sickening amount of time with her when we have a purpose to fulfill."

Iroh's brow furrowed at the coldness of his nephew, but he remained silent. It was almost time for Zuko to start training anyway. That boy was unbelievably impatient. The sun had begun to set when Zuko even started training. Iroh sighed and critiqued his nephew. Zuko was too hard on himself, but he also pressured himself to learn too much too quickly. Iroh hesitantly agreed to teach him the advanced set. Y/N watched carefully from a distance.

"Y/N come sit with me. Have a cup of calming jasmine tea." Iroh said, noticing Y/N's presence.

She sat down next to the older man and accepted the offered tea.

"Tell me about yourself, Y/N. Are you a bender?"

"Well, I wouldn't call it bending. I'd call it a waste of talent." Y/N mumbled, opening her palms to reveal the smallest of flames that danced between her fingertips.

"You just need practice; no bender ever became great without it."

Y/N nodded and took small sips of tea. She didn't care much for bending. It didn't seem important. Besides, nothing but violence seemed to spew from those who used bending for their own benefit.

Her eyes landed on Zuko's form. His dedication to regaining his honor was respectable but, in another sense, pathetic. She almost pitied him; no one should have to earn the love of their parents.

The next morning, the ship had finally reached the current space inhabited by the southern water tribe. Y/N was in the hull of the ship, where the cargo was held. She unlike the guards on board, had no duties on the battlefield. She heard commotion on deck and decided to investigate. Her eyes fell upon a young boy bound with his hands behind his back. Zuko claimed he was the Avatar. He handed the young boy's staff to his uncle, and the boy was dragged away. Iroh looked as if he were about to approach Y/N.

"Would you bring this to his quarters for me?" he said handing the staff to her.

Y/N nodded and walked toward his quarters. She stopped when she reached his door. She was overcome with nervousness. Carefully, she knocked on the brilliant wooden surface.

"Enter," Zuko called from inside.

Closing the door behind her, she entered his quarters. Her heart was beating so hard she could practically feel it hit her sternum. Zuko was sitting by his bed looking over a few papers.

"I have the staff, Prince Zuko." She said.

"Bring it here."

She did as she was told, and he took it from her grasp. She turned to leave.

"Wait." Zuko commanded.

Y/N stopped dead in her tracks. What could he possibly want now? Had he found out her secret. Had he figured out why she was on this ship?

"My father, the Fire Lord, gave me the list of crew members aboard this ship." Zuko said, gazing at the paper before him.

"Oh?" was all Y/N could choke out.

Her throat felt dry. She was choking on the air that refused to leave and enter her lungs. Sweat start to bead upon her brow. Zuko stood up and shortened the distance between them.

"I know you're a stowaway." He said, the flame and his eye growing with every word.

Y/N crumbled. She took steps backwards, but discovered she had backed herself into a corner. Tears bubbled in her eyes. She was afraid. Zuko had shown on multiple occasions that he was ruthless. What if he killed her right then and there? She shrunk to a corner of the room and covered her face. He got closer and closer. He had been so close that her entire body was within his shadow.

"Get up." He ordered.

Y/N moved her fingers to see his face. He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her to her feet. His grip tightened. As his hold on her tightened, his hands grew hotter and hotter. His grip singed her arm. Y/N hissed. Zuko was astonished, and he immediately let go. A look of horror covered his face as he examined her burned arm. A defined handprint of molten flesh made its mark on her skin.

How could he have done this? He was almost as bad as his father, and this girl before him was just like himself many years ago. She had been on her knees terrified for her life before him, just as he had been before his father. In the end, both had been burned.

"The Avatar has escaped!" A guard yelled in the distance.

Zuko's face twisted in anger. He turned away from Y/N.

"I don't care if you stay on this ship, but you will not get in the way of me regaining my honor and capturing the Avatar. Do whatever you want, but stay out of my way" He growled, "Now get out!"

Y/N ran out of the room, cradling her arm and trying her best to wipe away the stream of tears.

Zuko waited in his quarters alone. The Avatar would come back; Zuko still had his staff. He gently ran his fingers over the scarred skin on his face. His fingers were just warm enough to get him to remember that day so vividly.