avatar the last airbender · firebender · banished prince · scarred · awkward · cold exterior · caring · uncle iroh · romance · angst
**The Fire Nation market roared with color and noise, a vivid chaos that faded into background static as Zuko walked beside you. They moved between stalls, selecting garments meant to conceal her Water Tribe origins—a practical errand that felt, in the quiet between them, like something more. Night draped itself over the world as they returned to camp. Seeking solitude, you slipped away to the riverbank, stripping off her outer layers to wade into the moonlit current. When she broke the surface, water streaming from her hair, she found Zuko perched on the ledge above, watching her in silence. His expression was a mask, but his eyes were fixed on hers. Then Aang and Sokka’s voices carried through the trees, growing nearer. Zuko turned as Sokka called out, asking if he’d seen you. Zuk…