A/N- So I wrote this three part/chaptered story a long time ago and came across it now. It's mostly two-thirds of the way done and might be completed quickly.
If everyone is wondering about Only A Glance, it's complicated right now. I've misplaced the outline and half-written chapter somewhere and I need them to continue. Meanwhile, I give you a different Korroh story as an apology.
This was inspired by a picture I saw on Deviant Art of Iroh saying to Korra "I'll save you from the Equalists." and a picture of a trolling old Zuko. Nothing more is needed to be said.
Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own A:tLA or LoK. Now please stop bringing me out of denial.
Warning: Grammar mistakes and maybe an ooc!Zuko.
Not The Right One For You
Summary –Post Season 1 Finale. Mako and Korra are together with Asami left out in the cold. Luckily, Zuko happens to be visiting his grandson and decides to pair up Asami with one of the young men he knows beginning with Iroh II. The result? Zuko realizing Korra is perfect for Iroh and gets Katara onboard to help ignite the sparks. Unfortunately, Zuko has an idea involving pirates that Katara can't convince him to let go of. Fortunately, Asami is willing to help the two get together to give Mako a taste of his own medicine. What comes around goes around bastard.
Sunset!Zutara- Korroh-Asami/OC
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Upon finding out that his beloved (only) grandson had been hurt and forced into permanent bedrest by Katara, Zuko immediately began to travel to the Southern Water Tribe to see Iroh II. Well, not really right away since he had to smooth over the diplomatic meeting with the Earth Kingdom merchants. Luckily, the majority had family and understood where Zuko was coming from. That and he was former Fire Lord Zuko, friend of Avatar Aang, influential even in his current old age.
Zuko knew that Katara probably forced Iroh II into bedrest for other things and not his injury because the three of them had done this routine since Iroh II was little and Katara often visited the Fire Nation or vice versa.
Katara would see Iroh II having bags under his eyes, limping, or pushing himself past his limits and order him to bed on the behalf of the Fire Lord. His grandson would loll about the bed, groaning about his workload/duties until Zuko came by and convince Katara to let him go. By then, Iroh would be well rested and the three would have dinner.
Along the way, he heard rumors about what had happened at Republic City, between the Avatar and the Equalist leader Amon, and how the United Forces had been attacked before even docking in the harbor, sinking the entire fleet. Zuko grimaced about his grandson being gravely injured...and sped up his traveling to reach Katara's house. He knew the quickest routes to get there.
Zuko, Dowager Fire Lord and one of Avatar Aang's best friends, had aged gracefully. Though slightly stooped, he nonetheless stood tall like his Uncle Iroh. He kept his beard short (being short kept it from being a nuisance when he was about to be "robbed"). His most distinguishing feature wasn't the bright golden eyes all Fire Nation royalty had but the burnt scar on the left side of his face. Ironically, he had come to meddle in other people's business (preferably his grandson's) like his Uncle used to do. Had Zuko been told years before that he would turn out to be like his Uncle, that person would've been immediately thrown out of the ship in the most painful way possible. Now, Zuko figured he could've turned out worst. After a few days of hard traveling, Zuko arrived at the South Water Tribe.
He had been about to enter Katara's territory when a young beautiful woman came running and passed him.
Or well, she would have, had he not placed himself in her path and tumbled to the snow with her.
0o0o0
Asami Sato was beautiful but she was not, despite what some people believed, an airhead. What she had been was being in denial. Just like clues about who her father really danced in front of her eyes, clues about where Mako's true feelings laid slapped her in the face.
The final blow came when Mako rushed after Korra and after a long time passed, came with his arms around her, sharing a secret look with one another. The truth about her father. Losing her comfortable lifestyle. Her father's betrayal. Mako's betrayal. It was simply too much.
With a composure and elegance many envied, Asami excused herself from the group. As soon as she knew no one would be watching, Asami Sato began to run. She didn't stop until she ran into someone and tumbled to the snow-covered ground.
Strangely it seemed like bittersweet déjà vu. Tears began to blur her vision.
0o0o0
Zuko peered down at the crumpled form of a beautiful young woman besides him and shook her gently.
"Are you all right, my dear?" he asked.
"No, I'm not. Not now." She said as tears leaked down the corners of her enticing eyes.
"Ah, but you will be…in the future. Dry your tears and give an old man the comfortable presence of a beautiful woman to a friend's house." Zuko said smoothly, handing her a handkerchief. He had heard his Uncle say that exact last sentence to a crying woman upon the celebration of Zuko's coronation.
It should also work for Zuko, shouldn't it?
Asami got up and nodded, taking the handkerchief from him and composed herself.
"Thank you sir." She said, giving him a quick smile which faded when she caught sight of the old man's left side of his face. Her face turned horrified.
Asami Sato knew just whose company she ran into.
"Fire Lord Zuko!" she exclaimed and made to bow when he placed a hand on the crook of her elbow, stopping her from doing such a thing.
"Former Fire Lord. My daughter rules as Fire Lady now." he said, waving a hand in dismissal as he began to escort her to Katara's house.
It clicked in Asami's mind just who the dowager Fire Lord came to visit as she saw the familiar house of Katara and she quickly dried any evidence of her crying. This didn't escape Zuko's notice but he let it go once he saw Katara was waiting at the doorway, smiling at him.
Somehow, Katara always knew when he was going to visit.
0o0o0
"How is my favorite grandson? The reason I live for?" asked Zuko as he dramatically parted the curtains to see Iroh laying down on the bed. He was clearly bored, judging by how he immediately brightened by seeing Zuko.
"Grandfather, I'm your only grandson and I thought Mother was the reason you live for." responded Iroh as he sat up in bed.
"Well, one of the reasons I live for then. How are you?" said Zuko as he sat by the bedside and discreetly analyzed Iroh.
"Better than ever, Grandfather but Nana..." Iroh trailed off, making a face and Zuko laughed.
"This is nothing! You should have seen Katara after I was hit by lightning! She tied me to the bed so I wouldn't be able to leave."
"But Iroh is so stubborn like his grandfather that I almost did." Katara said as she entered the room, carrying a tray of food,"Now young man, eat all of this and you can leave."
Zuko and Iroh sweatdropped upon seeing the variety of food on the tray.
"Well, good luck, Iroh." Zuko said as he patted his grandson on the shoulder comfortably before following Katara out to eat dinner with the rest.
Dinner had been interesting and a quick conversation with Bolin revealed the reason Asami had refused dinner and why the Avatar looked so happy. Bored already, Zuko decided to pass his time matching Asami with one of the young men he knows.
Katara shot him a knowing look of disapproval and he mentally snorted. She was worse than him on matchmaking.
0o0o0
"So is Asami Sato the future granddaughter in law #568?" teased Katara as she pointed her chin subtly at General Iroh and Asami chatting by the fireplace. It was after dinner and they had moved to the sitting room to drink some tea and relax. Bolin, Mako, and Korra were laughing at something Pabu was doing. Taking a sip of tea, Zuko concentrated on the pairing.
His stubborn but easy to please grandson with the fragile headstrong Asami?
He mentally checked the good of the pairing –both were strikingly good-looking, came from almost the same social circles, and had the same sort of personality. All in all, they seemed to fit together but…
The bad of the pairing was there seemed to be no passion between them, it had the aura of a perfect arranged marriage. To pair the two would forever remind Asami of Mako. No, Asami needed someone that was the complete opposite of Mako and who wouldn't have so much obligations like Iroh that he will put her aside. Zuko knows his grandson, Iroh would easily forget the pretty Asami in favor of his obligations to the United Forces and later, to the Fire Nation.
Iroh needed someone brash, equally stubborn. Someone who would barge into his office and drag him away from his duties if needed. Zuko shook his head.
"Unfortunately, she is not a potential future granddaughter in law." Here he brightened, "But she could be your future granddaughter in law, Tara. If I remember correctly, doesn't Kya have a son only a year younger than my Iroh?" he asked.
Katara laughed.
"Don't let Kya hear you're trying to set her son up!"
0o0o0
With Kya's son unfortunately out of the running despite his potential, Zuko decided to discreetly observe Mako in order to find what had attracted Asami to match her perfectly. He ended up analyzing Mako and Korra instead when he came upon them training the next morning.
Despite having no training with a proper master, Mako was a good firebender. Korra however, had to dim her firebending techniques to be equally matched to Mako.
Not good at all. There was no challenge for Korra and instead of becoming better, she was in fact losing the flawless and perfect execution she had displayed the last time he watched her firebending.
Zuko also realized that Mako and Korra were like Iroh and Asami. Perfectly matched but with too much wilfulness between them. It would end in a disaster to rival the breakup of Lin and Tenzin.
0o0o0
After a few days of observing, during a private dinner with Katara, he announced, "That Mako fellow…isn't a good man for Korra."
"Really, and what do you require for a man to be good enough for Korra?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and setting that familiar stubbornness on her face. Zuko is suddenly reminded of a young Katara looking at him like that, her hands on her hips as he announced to have betrayed his father.
"Well, Korra has fire inside her despite being Water Tribe, she needs someone calm, who can calm her down with words, not raising his temper like Mako does. She needs someone refined to help her with social events, someone who she can rely on. Someone like –."
His tirade is interrupted by Katara who said drily, "Someone like your grandson?"
Zuko paused, his mind automatically going over the pros and cons of the possible pairing of Korra and Iroh.
He nods. "Yes! Iroh would be perfect for Korra! Now help me come up with a way to get the sparks going."
"I doubt there are even sparks between them."
"Then, we'll ignite the sparks for them."
Having enough, Katara set her bowl down forcefully and leveled her gaze with Zuko to give him the Look. It was the Look that kept her children in line, that had made Avatar Aang quickly back down from any argument.
"Enough Zuko. Times have progressed. We don't live in an era where you can match people up against their wills anymore."
The Look was rivaled by the Royal Look of Zuko. It was one he used as a prince and later on as Fire Lord and as a father.
"Katara, it's not as if I'm going to fake a marriage contract between Aang and I, engaging my future grandchild to his reincarnation for a political alliance." He said, crossing his arms and pouting slightly.
"But you've thought about it." she said, raising an eyebrow.
Zuko waved that away as he said,"Look Tara, let me prove to you that they make the perfect couple. Join me tomorrow to observe their practice. and then I'll get Iroh to practice with Korra. I'll prove it to you then."
Her lips pursed in thought but Zuko knew he won her over. She was always a sucker for matchmaking and it had been she who matched his daughter up with her husband. She took a sip of jasmine tea before turning to Zuko.
"Just proving okay? No matchmaking yet!"
He nodded and smiled mischievously.
Katara groaned.
0o0o0
Mako and Korra were training in a mock fight again at the usual time. This time, Katara sat next to Zuko and like him, had analyzed the fighting stances and strength of firebending of her former student Korra.
"You're right about Korra's fighting." admitted Tara and Zuko smiled. Of course he was right.
"But we'll see about the rest." she warned.
He was about to respond when from the corner of his eye, Zuko saw his grandson turning around the corner and quickly ambushed-er-walked towards him. When he reached him, Iroh was subtly massaging the healed part of his arm.
"Ah! My pride and joy!" he cried…and inwardly cursed his Uncle's influence on him while he was growing up. Was it any wonder he became like his Uncle when that was his role model about the old?
Immediately, Iroh was guarded.
"Yes, honored grandfather?" he said, warily. This wasn't the first time Iroh had to deal with random ambushes from his grandfather and-was that the look of matchmaking on his face? He still haven't recovered from the 24 girls in 7 days dating challenge Zuko set up when Iroh reached the adult age.
"Come and train with the Avatar. I want to see if the injury affected your fighting in any way."
Well, it seemed like an innocent request. Iroh had planned on asking the new couple to fight him to test out his healed arm anyway.
And so, Iroh agreed but looked like he still made a deal with the devil. Delighted, Zuko gently dragged his grandson to where the soon-to-be-broken-up couple had stopped, taking a quick break by drinking the refreshing tea Katara had brought with her.
"Korra, will you fight with Iroh to make sure there aren't any hidden injuries that Tara might have missed?" he asked, giving Korra the royal Look to make sure she agrees.
She does.
"This is exactly what Korra needs." He muttered under his breath as he watched Korra and Iroh bow to each other before moving into their fighting stances. Katara shot him an amused look.
"Your grandson is exactly what she needs?" she asked under her breath too since Mako sat next to them to watch the mock fight.
He nodded, his eyes critically analyzing the fight. Korra wasn't holding back anymore and as Iroh attacked and defended using the traditional Fire Nation techniques, her techniques subtly changed. With each passing minute, she shifted to the traditional as well, showing everyone just how she mastered firebending.
Luckily, Iroh II was a firebending prodigy and master as well. Despite the dominance of fire, Katara was greatly reminded of Tui and La, of the ocean tide, and she could see what Zuko was talking about.
'Yes, Korra is my future granddaughter in law.' Zuko thought smugly. A quick sly glance over to Katara showed that she had been won over to his reasoning with the evidence he presented to her. Mako stared in awe at the fighting pair.
"I never seen Korra fight like that! Not even at our pro-bending matches." confessed Mako as he watched Iroh try to fire sweep Korra's feet from under her only for her to jump and almost round-kicked him successfully. Zuko threw a look over at Katara that read See? Even Mako was unconciously acknowledging the pair.
Now if only Zuko could get Iroh and Korra to notice each other as more than a friend.
A plan began to form.
A/N - I hoped you enjoyed the first part! Please review and tell me what you think.