your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

Finding Iroh

Y/N's POV
We had stopped on the outskirts of the Earth kingdom for a break and Zuko was growing more desperate to get back on track.

Once enough time had passed, he went storming off to find Iroh so we could move on, but he came back furious, "He's wasting all of our time soaking in some hot spring!"

I jogged over to his side as he continued to storm through the ship, "don't stress about it too much, we're closing in on Aang's trail, we aren't going to lose him."

He growled before ranting about how he was going to leave Iroh behind if he wasn't back in the next half an hour, I knew he was lying, he wouldn't leave Iroh behind, because despite what he said, Iroh meant the world to Zuko.

Hours later, the sun was beginning to set and Zuko was shouting about how his uncle had 'some nerve having not returned yet.'

As soon as night fell, Zuko left with a couple of soldiers to look for Iroh, but came back to the ship without him, and mounted a rhino, leaving the soldiers behind.

I was watching him leaving from the deck and grabbed my glider, flying right up to him and straddling the seat behind him, "so, where are we going?"

Zuko huffed before groaning,  "We're not going anywhere, I'm going to find my uncle. He's been captured by earth benders."

I paused for a moment before standing up on the back of the rhino's saddle and placing my hands on Zuko's shoulders, dangling my head upside down over his face, "wouldn't it be more beneficial if you had a pair of eyes in the sky if you're looking for someone?"

He fanned me out of his face and sighed, "okay, fine. Just, get out of my face."

I shrugged my shoulders and sat back down behind him as he continued down the path.

After a while, I leaned back onto my palms and sighed, "well, whenever you want just tell me and I'll start searching from the skies, I wasn't with you when you discovered he was missing so I don't know when you need me to start searching."

He nodded.

He had been awfully quiet the entire time we had been on the rhinos.

"So, Zuko... what's life like back in the palace? Any more family? Friends? Ooo... a lover, perhaps?"

I knew I couldn't see his face, but I could practically feel him rolling his eyes.

"I have a younger sister... Azula. I don't really have any friends, though."

I poked his back with my pointer finger singing, "you avoided the last question!"

He sighed, "if I have no friends, what makes you think I'd have a girlfriend?"

I chuckled and teased, "I dunno... you're a handsome fire nation prince, even if you don't know anyone I'm sure you go to formal royal events or maybe your sister has friends that-"

Then he suddenly snapped, "No. I don't have a girlfriend."

I didn't question him further, not wanting to stress him out even more. But after a while he mumbled, "what about you?"

I sat up, "huh?"

"You know, before... your family, friends... lover or whatever."

I suddenly became very fidgety, "oh... that. Well, I was raised by monks so I suppose you could say the entire nation were my family but I didn't really have many friends at the temples..."

"Did you travel then? You said you knew my grandfather."

"Right, Prince Azulon. Uh- well, you know that I was sent away from my temple, right?"