your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

The Avatar's Bison

Y/N's POV
I was helping Zuko clear tables in the tea shop as Iroh stood speaking with some rich looking men.

"Did you hear that, you two?" Zuko and I glanced over at Iroh who was ecstatic, "this man wants to give us our own tea shop in the upper ring of the city!"

"That's right, kids. Your life is about to change for the better!"

Zuko glared at them and monotonously replied, "I'll try to contain my joy."

I huffed and turned to them, "don't mind him, he's always like that. Oh, and congratulations, Iroh! That's wonderful news!"

Zuko left to take a break outside on his own as I took care of the rest of the tables that needed clearing.

Later that day, I was sat with Iroh as he discussed his ideas for his new tea shop with me when Zuko finally walked through the door.

"So, I was talking to Y/N about names for my new tea shop. How about 'The Jasmine Dragon'? It's dramatic, poetic, has a nice ring to it."

Zuko ignored his uncle and held out a flyer, "the avatar is here in Ba Sing Se, and he's lost his bison."

I ripped the flyer out of Zuko's hands, "he WHAT!?"

Iroh sighed, "we have a chance for a new life here. If you start stirring up trouble, we could lose all the good things that are happening for us."

He turned back to Iroh and snapped, "good things that are happening for you. Have you ever thought that I want more from life than a nice apartment and a job serving tea!?"

"There's nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. I suggest you think about what it is that you want from your life, and why."

"I want my destiny."

"What that means us up to you... 'The Tea Weavil!'- no, that's stupid."

I stood up and announced, "I'm going out for a while, don't wait up for me."

Zuko looked over in my direction and opened his mouth to say something before looking back down at his feet.

—

While I was out, I had a lot to think about.

Zuko probably is gonna leave again, and this time, it might be for good.

I don't think I have the right to ask him not to, that would be selfish and inconsiderate.

Separately, Appa is missing, and he's somewhere in the city. What if they're trying to capture him to sell him like they were going to do with me?

I need to track him down.

And I have a feeling that Zuko's doing the same thing, which means, I need to do it first.

—

Hours later, as I stepped back into our apartment, Zuko was sat on the sofa, turning his head in my direction as I came through the door.

"You're still awake?"

He exhaled as he leaned back, staring at the ceiling, "people are willing to pay crazy amounts for you on the black market, you were gone for ages."

I slumped down next to him, "yep, I was."

He shoved a bunch of papers in my hands.

"What's this?"

He muttered, "this is all I could find on you."

In my hands were a bunch of different flyers and papers with drawings of me and information people had gathered on me.

'The female airbender', 'an exotic and rare type of woman', 'the last of her kind', 'young and frail'

"How did you manage to get your hands on all of this?"

He shrugged, "I just did. Stop being so nice to people... your safety comes before their feelings."

I felt myself smile as I nudged Zuko, "aw, you do care."

"Whatever."

—

It had been about a day when Zuko seemed to have figured out where Appa was, and it wasn't just me who ended up following him.

"Iroh?"

"I am not surprised to see that you're here, Y/N."

"I can't say the same... what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to try to talk some sense into him, so he doesn't end up making a big mistake all over again. And I am guessing you're here because of your attachment to the avatar's bison."

I paused, taking a moment to pull my thoughts together, "I... just want to make sure nothing bad happens to Appa."

I could hear Appa's growling and stomping as we approached the door that Zuko had disappeared behind.

My heart was racing when Iroh finally opened the door, and I stayed hidden on the other side as he went in.

"Uncle?"

"So, the blue spirit. I wonder who could be behind that mask."

I heard Zuko sigh, "what are you doing here?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. What do you plan to do now that you've found the avatar's bison? Keep it locked in our new apartment? Should I go put on a pot of tea for him?"

"First, I have to get it out of here."

"AND THEN WHAT!?" My heart stopped hearing Iroh shout, "YOU NEVER THINK THESE THINGS THROUGH! This is exactly what happened when you captured the avatar at the North Pole! You had him, and then you had nowhere to go!"

"I would've figured something out!"

"No! If Y/N and the avatar's friends hadn't found you, you would've frozen to death!"

"I know my own destiny, uncle!"

"Is it your own destiny, or is it a destiny someone else has tried to force on you!?"

"Stop it, uncle! I have to do this!"

"I'm begging you, Prince Zuko! It's time for you to look inward and start asking yourself the big questions! Who are you and what do you want?"

He turned around ready to yell as he dropped his dual swords to the floor but froze when his eyes landed on me, "Y/N... what are you doing here?"

I brought my staff in front of me and leaned on it, "I came for Appa."

Appa visually calmed down at the sound of my voice and I walked straight past Zuko and nuzzled his head, "hey, boy. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"I... didn't hurt the bison, you know."

I didn't turn to Zuko as I replied, "obviously you didn't, I wouldn't have let you."

"I wasn't going to, either."

"So, what were you planning to do with him?"

"I- I don't know yet! I was gonna figure it out!"

I looked back at him briefly, and his face was desperate as he tried to defend himself to me, but I quickly turned back to Appa, stroking his fur to reassure him that he was okay.

After a few moments I heard Zuko huff and pick his dual swords back up, his footsteps were coming straight towards us.

I snapped myself around, grabbing my staff, but to my utter surprise, Zuko slammed his blade down onto Appa's chains and released each of his legs one by one.

As he did the last one, he glanced over at me momentarily before grabbing his mask and muttering, "come on, let's go."

When we reached the surface, Zuko went ahead and pulled up Iroh, before reaching his hand down and pulling me up without a word.

"You did the right thing, nephew."

He ignored Iroh and pulled out his mask, Iroh told him, "leave it behind."

And without a word, Zuko released it into Lake Laogai, letting that part of his life disappear along with it.