Author's Notes: This was originally for the Zukaang Week theme 'secret admirer'.
Hatamimi
The Flower Festival was actually a very old Fire Nation custom, even though it had not been celebrated all over the nation like this in fifty years. It was a spring celebration, originally held in order to ask the spirits to grant a productive year for farming. Because of this the custom had fallen out of the lives of city people, only to be brought back to life with the ending of the century-long war.
The group was currently in a farming village, Zuko insisting that he'd truly enjoyed the festivities there when he had been brought there by his mother as a child.
Aang had never gotten around to attending the Flower Festival before, despite having wanted to. His friend Kuzon had never thought much about the celebration; he had told Aang it was supposedly the most romantic event in Fire Nation and certainly not meant for kids like them. Now Aang had a much more willing friend to show him the festivities, not to mention he was hardly a little kid anymore in the age of fifteen. Even though both Sokka and Zuko made jokes every time he insisted on his adulthood. But at least he was taller than the other two; he would now always have that advantage.
"So you didn't see or hear anything when it was brought?" Sokka rotated a flower, a crimson dai, in his hands.
"No, I already told you I was in the bathtub. I was practically blind." Toph huffed as she threw her shoulder-length black hair over her shoulder. "Well, blinder."
"Toph has a secret admirer!" Suki was grinning widely, greatly enjoying the idea. "And it's not like it'll be a difficult riddle to solve; the only ones who know we're here are the rest of our group."
"But that also means it could be any one of us." Aang leaned over the table to get a closer look at the flower. Yep, it really was a crimson dai. "We're all staying in the same inn."
"But why a flower like this?" Sokka asked as he turned said blossom over to look at it from a different angle. "It's not particularly pretty or anything."
"It does have a lovely scent, though." Suki smiled at the flower, in the position to catch a whiff of the flower's unique scent from beside Sokka. "It's not like Toph could see it anyway."
"In the flower symbolism used in Fire Nation, the crimson dai stands for admiration and devotion for a significant other." Aang frowned at the flower, wondering who else could know that fact to pick the flower in question. "Kuzon's mom was really fond of flower symbolism so I know a few things."
"So it's a love confession?" Suki's smile widened into a grin. "That's so sweet."
"It's a flower, of course it's a love confession." Sokka scoffed and gave the flower back to Toph, who held it in silence.
"What's with the serious faces?" Everyone sitting turned at once to the direction of the voice to see Katara walking up to them.
"Toph received a love confession." Suki beamed at Katara, who paused in her walk with a strange expression coming across her face.
"Really? From who?"
"We don't know." Sokka scooted over on the bench to make room for Katara. "There was just a flower in her room, nothing else."
Aang huffed in displeasure, glaring at the table's surface. "Where, there's only so many people here who know Toph and Fire Nation flower tongue."
"What if they picked the flower for some other reason?" Katara suggested as she slid into her seat.
"It's too big of a coincidence that the flower in question means 'devotion'." Aang had real difficulties with reeling in his sour mood and it must have been noticeable, since the whole group gave him strange looks at his comment.
"Excuse me." Katara stood up from her seat, face an expressionless mask. "I just remembered that there's something I have to do." Then the girl was gone.
"What's up with her?" Sokka frowned after her, but no one answered the question when they were distracted by the arrival of Teo. All these people present had been curious to know about the festival that held such importance to Zuko, and yet only one of them fit the profile Aang had thought up. There was only one option.
Zuko was Toph's 'secret admirer'.
It was near the end of breakfast that Katara came back, with their trip 'guide' in tow. Zuko looked like he was really amused with something, that something most likely having something to do with Katara with the waterbender looked as angry as she did.
Zuko had explained the Flower Festival to the best of his ability on the trip to the village. There were several different shows and games put together by the townsfolk. It was much like any other Fire Nation festival. The flower theme was mostly only present in the decorations. The whole town seemed to be covered in flowers of different colors. And it was also customary for festival participants to carry a specific flower on their person. For the latter purpose there had been set up several stands in the town for people to buy their flowers still fresh and lively. Zuko had promised to make sure they didn't pick anything that would get them laughed at by the locals.
"So, Toph, I heard that you got a flower from a secret admirer?" Zuko prompted while leading the way for the group. "One with a deeper meaning even?"
"Yeah." Toph nodded her head, not saying anything else on the subject.
"I wonder who it could have been from." Aang bumped his shoulder into Zuko's side, causing the firebender to almost lose his balance. The older male gave Aang a confused and somewhat hurt look at the cold tone and treatment and Aang felt his cheeks redden with shame.
"Could we maybe not talk about it?" Katara's face was a deep scarlet and Aang wondered what had brought that on.
"What's the matter, Katara? Jealous you didn't get anything?" Sokka grinned teasingly at his sister and Katara glared at him.
"I just don't particularly care for this topic."
"I think it was a quite fitting choice, whoever it was that gave the flower." Zuko's tone was strangely gleeful. There was an undertone of mischief that made Aang wonder if perhaps he had guessed wrong, if perhaps Zuko knew who the real admirer was.
"You rat!" Katara actually leaped at Zuko, who quickly dodged the fist swung in his direction. "You're worse than Sokka! I said one that smells good!" Katara swung again and this time she did land a blow on Zuko's shoulder.
"Ow! How was I supposed to know that they knew the meaning?" Zuko rubbed the injured appendage with a sour look. "And it's true. The crimson dai has a widely appreciated scent."
"Wait!" Toph was suddenly gripping both Katara and Zuko by the arm, her expression thunderous. "Which one of you was it? Which of you got me that flower!?" She grit her teeth and, judging from Katara's and Zuko's pained expressions, also squeezed the arms in her vice grip.
"It was from Katara!" Zuko blurted and Katara shot him a glare. "I just picked for her."
"Oh, is that it?" Toph sounded relieved as she released her hold on the pair. "Haa, I'm so glad."
"What?" The word came from two mouths at once.
"I was so worried it was from Firecracker." Toph laughed as she brushed her hair from her face. "Now I won't have to reject you."
"Don't flatter yourself." Zuko glared at his arm, one that was already starting to bruise. "You're definitely not my type."
"And…" Katara kicked the dirt. "What about me?"
"You." Toph brought her hands to her hips in a show of authority. "You're going to be my date for the Flower Festival tonight."
"Great!" Sokka clapped his hands, clearly wanting to change the subject, judging from his pale face. "Now how about you get us ready for tonight now, Zuko?"
The firebender got the message and hurried to the front of the group again. "Okay, everyone follow me. I'll match you guys with the perfect flowers."
Aang wondered what was taking Zuko so long to get prepared for the celebration; the only other one missing was Katara. Even Toph was already in the entry hall of the inn and her white dress had probably five different layers. The one spot of color among the pure white was the deep red crimson dai she had received from Katara, placed to the front of the outermost layer.
Sokka had decided to not dress up, even though he did have the green monkey blossom stuck into his belt. It was a small, modest flower, but it stood for 'warrior'. Sokka had been overjoyed at such a flower and had loudly declared it his favourite flower ever.
Aang's flower was a yellow one, one to match his outfit that was mostly yellow, if you did not include the countless streams of orange wooden beads he had ganging all over and liked to rattle. He had picked to wear a hat in order to remain inconspicuous during the celebrations and he had stuck multiple flowers in to surround the entirety of the crown of the hat. The flower was one Aang knew beforehand; it was the summer peach blossom that was believed to bring good fortune. Kuzon's mother had occasionally called him 'Summer Peach', saying he was a bundle of good fortune. Because of this Aang had been very amused when Zuko had suggested it.
Teo's outfit was not one to draw too much attention, as it was a simple red one. The boy had insisted that he wanted to try wearing red for once. His flower was white, the snow star that symbolised new beginnings. Aang had fully agreed with the choice, and had been touched that Zuko remembered when he had once told the Fire Lord about how he believed that people like Teo were very likely to be the airbenders of this age.
Suki was wearing a dark green dress, but one that was much simpler and shorter than Toph's. She had not wanted Zuko to pick her a flower of her own and had insisted on also having monkey blossoms like Sokka. She wore a chain of them around her neck as a necklace.
"Now they're coming." Toph laughed shortly. "About time."
Aang nodded his head in agreement, about to voice the notion as well, but paused when the missing two members of their group appeared.
Katara's dress was a deep purple one, and her hair had been plaited into two braids that went over her shoulders and down her chest. Her flower was a deeper shade of purple, placed behind her ear. It was one Toph had helped Zuko choose, insisting on one that somehow indicated beauty. The flower Zuko had picked was the new bride, a flower often used in weddings. Only, that latter bit was something neither Aang nor Zuko wanted to tell the girls.
Zuko's appearance was completely unexpected. The firebender was dressed in black robes with golden trimmings, and his hair had been done up so that it flowed down the back of his neck like a curtain. There was an actual curtain of hair over the left side of his face, quite possibly for the same reason Aang had chosen to wear a hat. The unevenness on the firebender's head was actually a row of black flowers, ones Aang realized were such when he noticed the yellow centers. It was also the kind of flower Aang had not seen before.
"Sorry we're late." Katara smiled apologetically. "A hairstyle like this isn't created in a moment. And after that I had to do Zuko's hair." The girl gave a proud look to said handiwork.
"It does look great." Aang's cheeks burned as he walked up to Zuko. "What's that flower?"
"Ah, it's a bred species, a rather valuable one." Zuko reached up and plucked one of the flowers out of his hair. "It's called hatamimi." The older male started to walk after the group that was milling out of the inn, and Aang followed beside him.
"That's a strange name." Aang frowned, curious about the use of such a blossom. "Does it have a specific meaning too?"
"Don't all flowers?" Zuko chuckled as he placed the flower to the lapel of Aang's outer robe. Aang let him do as he wished and the firebender smiled tenderly. "You know, when you first called me 'Hotman', I thought you said 'Hatamimi'. That's the reason I was so embarrassed."
"Why is that so embarrassing?" Aang looked down at the flower, feeling warm inside at the thought that it was something given to him by Zuko.
"Because, 'Hatamimi' is an endearment used by married couples." Zuko smirked and Aang blushed scarlet. Was the other flirting with him?
"Would you like that?" Aang swallowed nervously. "Would you like it if I called you 'Hatamimi'?" He might as well get clean. His jealousy had been more than obvious and Katara had taken a chance with Toph and come out the winner.
"I wouldn't know." Zuko's expression was teasing, but still infinitely fond. "You haven't called me that yet."
"I'll try it sometime, then." Aang grinned and Zuko turned his face away, looking at the group walking ahead, Aang following his gaze.
"The 'hatamimi' is a flower used as a gesture when given to someone." Aang glanced over at the other's voice and Zuko brought his hands behind his back. "It's a proposal."
Aang paused and Zuko took a couple of steps past him before stopping and turning to give him a curious look.
"You're joking." As far as Aang knew, it was just like Zuko to make a completely unfunny joke like that.
"No." And neither was the firebender lying; Zuko was a terrible liar. Aang brought a hand up to the flower and Zuko smiled before turning back around. "Quit lagging behind."
"Ah, right!" Aang leaped forward to get beside Zuko. He waited until they had started walking again. "I accept."
"W-what?" Zuko faltered, and Aang took the chance to secure one of the firebender's hands in his own. He winked playfully at the other and started pulling the older male along.
"I think I see a stand for fire flakes over that way! Come on!" He yanked on their interlaced hands and Zuko wobbled to follow while he cried: "But you hate fire flakes!"
"They're for you!" Aang turned his head to grin at Zuko, and the other blushed a deep scarlet. Aang decided it was a much better color than the foreboding black, not matter how elegant it made the firebender look.
There were many kinds of beauty when it came to anything in life, be they people, flowers or even relationships, and Aang was determined to make his with Zuko the most beautiful it could be.