your love is my oxygen - Zuko x reader

Prince Azulon

Y/N's POV
I was on my way to find Azula when I ran into Zuko in the corridors of the palace.

"Oh, Zuko, hi!"

"Hello, Y/N."

I changed directions and walked by his side, "so, where are you headed? I feel like I haven't spoken to you at all lately!"

"I'm going to Mai's house, we have things we need to talk about. Why are you dressed like that? Where are you going?"

He examined the clothes that Azula had provided for me, crimson red silk, with gold lining.

"Your sister got these for me, she had this whole thing about 'if I'm going to be staying in the palace, I should at least try to look the part', I was actually heading down to see her."

"I see. You and Azula are getting along pretty well."

I shrugged, "she's easy to get along with."

He mumbled, "that's debatable."

"So... how are things with you and Mai?"

He sighed, "I don't know. That's why I'm going to see her now, it's complicated."

As we arrived at the entrance to the palace, Zuko was met by an adoring crowd; moments later, a palace worker called after him, "Prince Zuko, is something wrong? You didn't take the palanquin."

"I'm just going to Mai's house. It's not far."

"It's not a prince's place to walk anywhere, sir."

He took a moment to consider it before sighing into a smile, I patted his shoulder, "well, have fun, your highness. Come and find me when you're back, we need to catch up!"

—

I accompanied Azula to the royal tailor for her scheduled fitting, and once she was done, she told him, "have some clothes made for her, too."

"Wait, what?"

"You wearing my discarded items isn't what I meant, you need clothes that actually fit you properly."

It was moments like this that I couldn't quite understand what Zuko and Iroh had meant when they spoke ill of Azula.

"Wow, thank you so much."

After leaving the tailor, I followed her around the palace as she ordered different servants around and spoke to some soldiers about an all day war meeting they had coming up.

"Azula, can I talk to you about something?"

She sighed, "if you must."

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

"Why does that matter?"

I stopped where we were and swung my legs over the fancy railing of a bridge in one of the royal gardens, "I've just been thinking a lot, I used to be a lot different than I am now, and I always thought I was justified in what I did, but now-"

She interrupted, "But now you're questioning the morality in your actions, trying to figure out the difference between right and wrong and where you fall on that scale."

It wasn't a question, it was a statement, she knew she was right- she read me like an open book.

"Uh... yep, that's kinda spot on."

She rolled her eyes, leaning onto the railing beside me, "you sound like my brother. You should let go of that mindset, it makes you weak."

I held tighter onto the railing as I leaned back and sighed, "believe me, I wish I could. But looking at the difference between Aang and I, then and now, seeing where I sit in the war and what I did back then... I can't help but wonder, you know?"