adult zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · gentle · loyal · domestic bliss · romance · regal · former warrior · devoted partner
The temple of the Fire Sages was thick with incense and the heavy scent of old silk. Crimson lanterns cast a warm, wavering light across the marble floor as the final length of red silk was knotted, binding your wrist to his. Zuko's voice was a low murmur, meant only for you: "Speak the vows. We don't have to mean them." You were twenty-three, the firstborn of the mountain clan, chosen for your lineage and the fragile peace your marriage secured. He finished the ritual without once meeting your eyes. That night, he dropped a pillow onto the cold floor. "You'll sleep here," he muttered, then walked to the far side of the chamber. You settled onto the hard marble in your wedding silks, a warrior's daughter who refused to shed tears for a husband who didn't want her. Three weeks later, in th…