The weather had cleared by the morning and Zuko paid to have Katara bumped up to first class. They talked very little about the night before - where they ordered too much food, bought a movie, and fell asleep with all of the lights on - and more went over the itinerary for the wedding. Zuko had been chosen as Sokka's best man for sentimental reasons, but as he peered at Katara's tablet and saw the chaos of her emails and calendar, he knew there were practical reasons involved as well.
When the engagement had been announced, Toph and Zuko had discreetly texted while the others celebrated. Toph claimed Suki and paid for the expected bridal contributions including extensive renovations at Kyoshi to host the venue. She also paid for much of the travel since Bei Fong Industries had many hands in many pots, including owning an airline.
An airline that Zuko never used, but that was another thing entirely.
Zuko had covered for Sokka, of course, though he had to dance around Hakoda to get it done. Through various means and with Iroh doing a lot of the actual interactions, Zuko paid for the supplies, the suits, the food, and all the numerous little things. As well as the bachelor party that consisted of patches that still eluded him and an external hard-drive that Sokka was keeping "just in case."
Katara had just started her medical internship when Sokka and Suki announced, and was currently midway through. He hadn't actually seen her in between then and now, and had not understood the depth of her education. As they talked about the timeline, Zuko saw three reminders pop-up on her screen, reminding her to check the statuses of various projects.
He had built a sprawling conglomerate that supported most of the world's internet, cell service, and cable. He owned three news channels, fourteen newspapers, three academic journal, and an independent publishing house. He was consistently in the "30 Under 30" lists for personal wealth, business records, and humanitarian efforts.
And Katara always made him feel like he was behind.
CHECK HIV TEST 97.23B scrolled across the top of her tablet in bold red letters. She swiped it away and zoomed in on a picture of the centerpieces.
"I don't think these match the designs Suki sent them. Should I call the florist?" She asked and looked up at him.
"Can you really ignore that?" He asked. Katara scoffed but swiped through her windows, pulling up a live feed of a lab.
"If I can't trust my labmates, I'm screwed." She said and they both watched for a moment as three other people moved silently around a lab.
"So seriously, these centerpieces." Katara repeated and brought the pictures back up.
Zuko texted Sokka when they landed, and by the time he and Katara were seated in the back of a car, she was on the phone with Suki. Zuko put both of his ear pieces in, drowning out Katara's call, while he took one from Toph.
"Centerpieces?" He asked when she picked up.
"Handled. Did I see you flew in on Kindred Air?" Toph replied.
"I own stock in KA. But I see Katara only uses Badgermole devices." Zuko said.
"Yeah except we still have to use Naka chips because SOMEONE won't release the designs." Toph quipped and they both laughed.
"How was the snow delay?" Toph asked.
"Fine, though I obviously had to shift my schedule around. Did my uncle arrive yet?"
"Sure. And half the royal court. I thought you said your dad wasn't coming?"
Zuko's throat dried and tightened.
"Pardon?"
"Melonlord is here and he is oh so not happy."
"Why would he even be there?"
"Probably because Iroh is. It's a frigging state function Zuko, get your head outta your ass."
"I didn't think-"
"You didn't think that your pops would do the exact thing that would make your life miserable? How am I the blind one, because I saw that coming a mile away."
"You could've warned me then."
"I've been busy." Toph said, lowering her voice in frustration. "Some space walnuts decided that they wanted to build a new city remember?"
"Yes." Zuko said with a sigh.
"And who has the largest construction company?"
"I get confused. Is that you and I have the largest network of smelts and forges?" Zuko shot back. "Because I seem to recall that metalwork is all the rage in construction right now."
"You taunt me, a Metalbender, with that bullshit again and I WILL END YOU ZUKO SO HELP ME." Toph blustered and Zuko laughed.
"Try not to murder my father and I'll see how I can handle him when I get there." He said.
"See you soon Hot Pants."
Zuko ended the call and replaced his earpieces in their charging case. He glanced over at Katara and found her staring at him.
"What?" He asked.
"You have the weirdest friendship with Toph." Katara remarked and went back to her tablet.
"Sometimes it's more comfortable being around her than anyone else. We both grew up pretty isolated and it makes affection, difficult."
"You seemed pretty affectionate last night." Katara quipped while flicking through various emails.
Zuko felt his face flush and he glanced up at the driver. The man had the cap pulled down on his face and he seemed to not be paying attention.
"Have you checked in with your brother?" Zuko asked, turning back to her.
Katara nodded. "Him and my dad yeah."
"My father is there." Zuko said soberly.
"So I heard." Katara clicked off her tablet and looked up at him. "Are you okay?"
"It's always complicated. I'm bound by politics but, my father thinks filial piety is more important." Zuko said.
"Didn't Ozai have your mother murder your grandfather?" Katara asked.
"He finds anything that benefits him to be more important than anything else." Zuko said.
"It'll be okay Zuko." Katara said and put a hand on his lap. "You'll be busy with wedding stuff."
They were, thankfully, all staying in the same bed and breakfast. The Fire Nation retinue was in a hotel twenty minutes outside of Kyoshi, and the much smaller Southern Water Tribe was staying in town. Toph and Katara were sharing a room, so Zuko gave her a small wave as she disappeared into her room. She smiled at him before Toph popped out into the hall.
"Hey Hot Pants. Drinks later? I have something I need to talk to you about." She said.
"Yeah, sure. Is it serious?" Zuko asked.
"Nope." She stated and then pulled Katara into the room, shutting the door firmly behind them. Zuko shook his head but opened the door to his own room.
Sokka was lying on the bed, drinking from a beer bottle on the nightstand through a network of connected straws.
"What's up buddy?" Zuko asked as he softly shut the door. Sokka swallowed before spitting the straw out of his mouth.
"I'm getting married in like, forty-eight hours." Sokka stated. He was lying prone, his arms outstretched across the width of the bed, and stared blankly up at the ceiling.
"Literally nothing will change Sokka." Zuko said and started unpacking his suitcase. "You guys have been living together for years."
"Well don't get sentimental on me." Sokka retorted and then sighed. "I don't know why I'm freaking out."
"You're putting a pinpoint in your life. You're marking this moment as the singular moment where you define a part of your life. You are trying to make meaning of one miniscule part of the infinite stretch of time, which inherently makes everything meaningless." Zuko went on as he hung up his dress shirts.
"Hashtag 'so deep.'" Sokka quipped and Zuko laughed.
"From how people go on about it, I feel like it's as daunting as bending for the first time. It's a very defining moment." He clarified. He turned as Sokka sat up in bed and began disassembling his straw system.
"You're happy though, right?" Zuko asked. Sokka turned to him, looking confused.
"Completely. Why?" He asked in reply.
"Just returning the favor man." Zuko said and then looked at the state of the bed. "Have you been sleeping in here?"
"Suki didn't want us to sleep together till after the wedding." Sokka said.
"The wedding isn't until the day after tomorrow." Zuko pointed out. Sokka leaned onto an arm with a broad smile, using his other hand to rub slow, awkward circles onto the rumpled blanket and sheets.
"I think this bed's big enough for the both of us." Sokka said and added an exaggerated wink. The two men laughed but Zuko's was abruptly halted as his watch buzzed. He tapped it and a message started to scroll across the otherwise blank face.
He frowned.
"What's up?" Sokka asked, rolling over to lay on his stomach.
"My father is requesting I join them for dinner." Zuko muttered and tapped the watch off.
"How in the blazing hell did he skip jail time again?" Sokka asked.
"Since Aang made it clear we weren't going to execute him, it would've been politically awkward." Zuko shook his head and walked over to the mirror hung on the wall. "But Kuei got Azula."
"So she's on house arrest in Ba Sing Se, justice served!" Sokka exclaimed sarcastically. Zuko eyed his outfit in the mirror and his frown deepened. He would need to go find a better suit somewhere.
"All part of the peace treaty Sokka." Zuko said and started unbuttoning his shirt.
"I still don't know why-" Sokka started but stopped as Zuko glanced at his reflection. Instead, Sokka sighed heavily and rolled himself out of the bed. As he passed behind Zuko, he paused and patted Zuko's shoulder.
"You deserved better, buddy."
"We all did."
"Nah, I think I'm getting my reward." Sokka said and the two smiled at each other in the mirror. Sokka broke away and started toward the door.
"Suki and I were going to check on the restaurant for the rehearsal dinner tomorrow. Did you want to come?" He asked.
"No, I'm going to grab a drink with Toph." Zuko replied and Sokka gave him a quick nod before exiting the room.
After Zuko put on a fresh outfit, he walked across the hall. He knocked on Toph's door and heard subdued voices before the heavy footfall that announced Toph.
"What's up Hot Pants?" Toph asked as she wrenched open the door.
"Want to grab that drink? My father is sending a car for me in a little and I will probably not be up for it after." Zuko said.
"Sure, let me grab my jacket." Toph replied and walked back into the room, leaving the door open. Zuko leaned in the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest and peered into the room. Katara had her jacket over her arm and smiled at him.
"Are you going with Sokka and Suki?" Zuko asked. Katara shook her head and walked over.
"No. I was thinking of joining you two, if that's okay." She replied and started to pull on her jacket.
"Sounds good to me." Toph stated and expelled them all out into the hall. "We'll take my car."
"I find it funny that you drive and Zuko doesn't." Katara remarked as they all started to head to the stairs.
"Really? Because I find it terrifying." Zuko replied.
"Zuko's just mad because he has the AI but not the car." Toph countered.
"Technically, you don't have the AI at all. You just have fancy, untested sensors." Zuko retorted.
As they stepped out of the bed and breakfast, Toph hesitated for a moment. Almost immediately, Zuko looked down and saw them all standing in the dirt; despite the cold, Toph was still barefoot. Zuko promptly stepped away from Katara and she looked at him, puzzled.
"Is it fully self driving yet?" Zuko asked, moving them along.
"Not yet. But it's just over here." Toph replied. Zuko and Katara followed behind her as Toph walked into the parking lot. When they approached her car, the sensors Toph wore interacted with the vehicle and it beeped as it unlocked. Zuko held open the passenger door for Katara and she brushed his hand with hers as she slid in. He warmed and shut the door, trying to calm himself before getting in behind her.
They drove out of Kyoshi, and actually headed into the city where the Fire Nation group was staying. Zuko glanced out of the window, marvelling at the new suspension bridge that connected Kyoshi Island to the mainland. Thanks to Toph's discovery of metalbending, the construction of massive structures like the Sun Bridge was no longer a pipedream. A group of Metal- and Waterbenders had thrown it together in a matter of months instead of the decade others had projected.
Toph sat in the driver's seat, keeping her hands on the steering wheel. The sensors in the car acted much like her earthbending and gave her haptic feedback to allow her to drive. More sensors in the road itself as well as various signs fed into the car's acceleration, brakes, and GPS so that it could effectively drive on its own. Most other blind drivers would let the car drive itself as they didn't have Toph's training in reading sensations. As it was, Toph was able to change lanes, which she did at alarming speeds.
They arrived at the bar in one piece and Zuko scrambled out onto solid ground. Katara exited laughing, and paused as Toph leaned over in her seat.
"I'll go park and meet you out front." Toph said.
"Sounds good." Katara replied and shut the door. As Toph pulled away, Katara and Zuko walked to the bar entrance. It was still early afternoon and the sun was still up, so there were very few patrons inside.
"So a second date already?" Katara teased as Zuko peered in through the front window.
"I guess we're marching down the checklist huh." He replied and turned back to her. Katara stepped closer to him and Zuko took in a sharp breath.
"Are we, Mr. Nakamura?" Katara asked, looking down and reaching out for the edges of his coat. "How do you think we're progressing?" She flicked her eyes up and gave him a coy smile, making him weak in the knees.
Katara ran her hands down the edges of his coat, all the while maintaining eye contact. Zuko swallowed, hard, and grabbed her hands.
"Quickly." He said and Katara curled her fingers into his coat, pulling on it. Zuko could almost grab a spark from the air between them, and he leaned down toward Katara's upturned face.
"Alright, alright, keep it in your pants you guys." Toph called out, making them both jump.
"How long have you two been banging?" Toph asked as she walked up to them. Katara laughed as she came around to stand next to Zuko, putting her arm through his.
"We haven't started yet." Katara replied as she hugged onto him.
"We ran into each other yesterday at the airport. It's all relatively new." Zuko added.
"So you haven't told Sokka?" Toph asked.
"No," Zuko started and looked over at Katara. "There's really not anything to tell him yet."
"We can see what happens after the wedding." Katara said. They shared a smile and Zuko kissed her quickly on the forehead.
"Cool, let's go inside before my feet freeze." Toph said and they all walked inside. Toph took a moment to grab a pair of flats from her purse and tossed them onto the floor, stepping into them quickly. She had metal tabs on the back and used her bending to make sure her shoes were on before they walked over to the bar.
They spent the next hour catching up. Toph had been in Kyoshi for two days and was going insane from the anxiety Sokka and Suki were generating. She discussed her current plans and how Republic City was progressing. That turned into a conversation on politics and they began to argue about the rise of the nation state. From there, they discussed the implications of shifting power from the North Pole to the Swamp Tribe, since neither the North or the South currently had a clear line of succession.
In the middle of Katara and Toph discussing the finer points of culture in power, Zuko got a message on his watch.
"My car is here." He said and stood up, reaching into his coat for his wallet.
"I got this round Hot Pants." Toph said.
"This was more than one round Toph." Zuko replied.
"I said, I got it." She insisted.
"Thanks Toph." Zuko said and turned to Katara. "I'll see you." He leaned in and kissed her cheek.
As Zuko reached the front door, he heard her call out to him. He paused and turned, seeing Katara pull on her coat as she trotted over.
"I'm going with you." She said.
"What?" Zuko balked.
"It'll be fine!" She insisted and grabbed his arm, yanking him out of the bar and into the cold evening air.
"Katara, this isn't-" He blustered and Katara put her hand over his mouth.
"I'm not letting you deal with your father alone." She said. Zuko grabbed her hand and put the other on the small of her back. As he pulled her to him, he kissed her and felt her body melt into his. As they parted, Zuko was pleased to see that Katara seemed slightly dazed.
"Awkward first dinner with family is skipping a few steps." He said.
"I think we're far beyond doing this correctly." She countered.
"Are we actually doing this?" Zuko asked.
"Yeah." Katara answered with a smile. As Zuko dipped down to kiss her again, another nondescript town car pulled up. They were composed as they walked over as the driver opened the door for them.
"We spend a lot of our time in the backseat of cars." Zuko remarked as the door shut on them.
"Or bars. And hotels." Katara added.
"I don't know what this says about us." Zuko adjusted his scarf as Katara chuckled.
"It implies we're getting more action than is actually occurring." She remarked. Zuko, oddly, felt offended at the statement.
"So, tell me more about your internship." Zuko said. Katara cozied up to him and put her head on his shoulder.
"How much do you know about bloodborne pathogens?" She asked.
The drive to the restaurant was not a long one, but somehow Katara had broken down what HIV was and how she was hoping to cure it as they pulled up to the front. Zuko was relieved to see that they were eating at a fairly normal - though still fairly expensive - homestyle restaurant. This meant that Iroh would be joining them and Katara would not look too out of place.
As he watched her toss her chunky scarf over her shoulder he knew she wouldn't care regardless. There wasn't much about his family that intimidated her.
When they entered, they were promptly ushered toward a back room. As they entered, Iroh rose from the table while Ozai stayed seated. Zuko did note that his father went rigid as Katara entered the room and warmly greeted Iroh.
"Oh, it's so good to see you again!" Katara said as she embraced Iroh. Not many people in the world could hug the Fire Lord.
"Katara, it is always a pleasure. But I am surprised to see you!" Iroh replied as they stepped apart. The hostess had taken Zuko's coat and moved around to take Katara's.
"Thank you." Katara murmured to the woman and then turned back to Iroh.
"Well, I thought it was important, all things considered." She said.
"What is so important that you felt inclined to invite yourself along to a family dinner?" Ozai asked from his seat. Katara faced him, smiling politely but in a way that implied an animalistic threat to tear out his throat.
"Well, Ozai, since we'll be family that means I get to come to family dinners." She replied.
"Pardon?" Ozai asked.
"We're engaged!" Katara said with a giggle and grabbed onto Zuko's arm. Fear and confusion made Zuko stand upright and move his stare from Katara to Ozai. Seeing his father's enraged face, Zuko had to fight the urge to laugh, though he did smile. Relaxing, he eased into Katara's hold.
Ozai rose sharply from his seat.
"What?" He exclaimed as Iroh coughed out a laugh.
"Well congratulations, nephew." He said.
"So it's not bad enough you've disgraced the family? You have to marry a Waterbender?" Ozai asked.
"I think you've forgotten. You disgraced the family when you had your father murdered, overthrew your brother, and then had nothing to show for it except ruin after the Avatar defeated you and took away your bending." Zuko shot back. "I am marrying the daughter of the chief of the Southern Water Tribe, who took part in bringing down your army, and is a martial waterbending master. If anything, I'm bringing a little respect back to our name."
"Also, he likes me because I'm smart and very pretty." Katara tacked on and Iroh laughed all the harder.
"Excellent, excellent. This makes everything easier. Everyone, sit down." Iroh said as he walked back to the table. Zuko was solicitous as he pulled out Katara's chair, sitting next to her as she shook out her napkin. Ozai sat back down, slowly, curling his lip in disgust but angled it down at his plate.
"Makes what easier?" Zuko asked.
"We received some good news from the international council a few months ago. As I am too old to have another child, they have recommended that we secure inheritance another way but still through the family. We took that to the ministers and they have come to an agreement." Iroh began.
"How? I'm still disinherited and Azula is locked up in Ba Sing Se." Zuko said.
"Having a Nakamura child would keep the line stable and allow for a smoother transition within our country." Iroh said.
"Your sister is getting married." Ozai interjected.
"What?" Zuko and Katara spoke at the same time.
"She has been betrothed to the new king of Omashu." Iroh clarified.
"How does that help the line?" Zuko asked.
"Both you and your sister are still forbidden from taking the throne, however, when one of you produces a Firebender, that child will be named as Iroh's heir." Ozai said. "Your uncle does not want the child of Azula's union to be that child." Iroh sighed but Katara snorted.
"Who would?" She retorted and Ozai glared at her. She shied away and grabbed Zuko's hand, suddenly gripping it tight.
"Wait, our child." She said.
"Our hypothetical child." Zuko continued. They shared a glance and Katara gave him a watery smile.
"Great." She said with forced enthusiasm.
Zuko had never seen a plan go awry so quickly and with such a potent blowback.