AN: I managed to actually write this once instead of the usual three times before I was pleased enough with the result. Thank you for the continued love to everyone reading and to Kmsitterely who left a very flattering review that I will admit spurred me to write a bit faster. Hope everyone continues to enjoy it and the character that I brought back along with the one making their first appearance.
Curious eyes searched and careful hands reached out cautiously for the miniature fan. Gently moving the objects around the fan proved to be hard since she was trying quite hard not to make a sound and that happened to be the objective of the bracelets she was currently moving. Her tongue stuck out of the side of her mouth slightly as she focused on moving each bracelet separately and gently placing them to the side.
"Kira, what are you doing?"
She froze as quickly as if her mother had literally frozen her to her spot. Not a finger twitched as she remained in her position and she had to remind herself to stop holding her breath and actually breathe. This technique might work for Uncle Sokka when he was half asleep but it unfortunately didn't work as well with her mother.
"Kira."
Oh, she knew that tone. Her mother might love giving speeches, most of which Kira had to painfully sit through, but she was also quite adept at saying a lot with a few words. Right now what she was actually saying was 'Kira you better turn around right now and explain yourself or there will be consequences and you will not like them'. It could be funny when she used that tone on her father or uncle, and it could be pleasing at times when it was used on one of her younger siblings, but it was not something one wished to experience firsthand. Slowly removing her hands from the box she just as slowly spun around in her seat and turned to face her mother with a smile.
"Hi mommy."
Katara watched her eldest child curiously. She might just be seven but she was already an accomplished Firebender, read above her age group, and held herself with the grace and poise befitting her title of Crown Princess, when she had to. She was also the ringleader amongst Katara's four children, could sweet talk herself out of trouble when she did get caught, and was one of Toph's favorite nieces' for a reason. The sweet smile Kira was giving her wasn't about to fool her.
The Firebender finally caved under her mother's eye and let her shoulders droop slightly in defeat.
"Aunt Suki told me that all fans have different symbols on them and that they can tell a story, I just wanted to see if I could read the one she gave you."
The explanation was slightly rushed but it appeared to be acceptable to Katara since she nodded slightly. Kira had been complaining recently about the lack of new stories and even her mother finally agreeing to allow her to start training with swords, wooden ones till she was at least a teenager, hadn't distracted her from the fact. Truthfully Zuko and Katara had been too busy overseeing her training, breaking up fights between Kira and her brother who was now also demanding his own training, along with running a nation and taking care of twin three year olds to worry about expanding their daughter's library.
"As long as you're careful and make sure to ask next time then it's fine."
Katara's approval earned her a bright smile that wasn't simply a ploy to lessen an upcoming punishment. Spinning back around in her seat Kira happily turned her attention back to the fan that had been her target. Reaching back into the jewellery box her hand clamped firmly over the fan till a yell snatched her attention away and made her turn towards the source of it out of reflex.
A clatter soon followed as the box was knocked off of the vanity and onto the marble floor. Kira's attention quickly went from three year old Lyra who was trying to escape from the tired nanny, to the box and its contents on the ground, to her mother. At least the fan was still safely in her hand.
"I'm so sorry mommy."
Kira quickly apologized before gently placing the fan safely on the vanity; she had lost her urge to read it for the moment. Katara seemed to practically glide as she approached the fallen box and tried to keep her face neutral for Kira's benefit.
"It's ok sweetheart, it was an accident and you were just surprised. Why don't you go and play with Ryuu?"
She might have been forgiven but Kira still felt quite horrible for what she had accidentally done and was quick to take her mother's suggestion. She didn't even bother to make a face at the thought of her annoying little brother and simply raced out of the room and down the hall.
Now that she was alone Katara allowed herself to sigh deeply before she knelt down and started to look for whatever damage might have been acquired. The box was carefully turned right side up and when she didn't spot any scratches or even a knick on it she mentally thanked the Fire Nation craftsman that had created the box so long ago. Lifting the lid again to start replacing all of the items her eyes narrowed in on an edge at the bottom that seemed to be sticking out. Bringing the box closer to her she ran her fingers lightly over the base and instead of pushing it back into place she cautiously tugged on the corner. The base easily came out but what surprised her even more was that there was something underneath what turned out to be the false bottom of the jewellery box.
It was old, that much was obvious due to the way it had yellowed and the mere fact that she had had the box since her sixteenth birthday. She was cautious as she pulled the folded paper out of its hiding place, the jewellery box had after all belonged to Ursa previously and this note could belong to her as well. Biting her lip in thought she finally gave in and delicately unfolded the aged paper, it wasn't that old after all and if it appeared as if it had been addressed to or written by Ursa she would simply stop reading and pass it along to Zuko. When she recognized the writing right away however she knew that this had been meant for her to see.
Happy Birthday Katara,
I'm sorry for either babbling, stammering, or finding another creative way to make myself look like a fool in front of you yet again. I honestly can't say that that will ever stop happening so please bear with it. I know I'm taking the coward's way out but right now this is the only way I'll be able to say, or write, what I need to say. I'm quite sure that I love you. I can't say for sure since I've never been in love but Uncle's words about the subject do seem to make more sense now. I'm not as bothered by your odd palate, including your love of sea prunes even though I will never be able to eat them without feeling sick, I have a higher tolerance towards your stubborn ways and no longer seem to lose my temper as much when you don't listen to reason, and I no longer stop listening when you talk about a romance scroll or some romantic action you saw. I think I'm in love with you, I know I'm acting like a fool and a coward, and I hope that if you do read this one day you don't consider me an even larger fool or feel uncomfortable because of this.
The Foolish Fire Lord,
Zuko
Still kneeling on the ground with the contents of the jewellery box around her she shook her head. Trust Zuko to be sweet, confusing, and slightly insulting at the same time. Another yell caught her attention but this time it was followed by a giggle and Zuko showed up in the doorway with Lyra being held upside down like a lemur monkey and giggling.
"Zalia needed a break from chasing after this lemur monkey. Is everything ok?"
He motioned towards the loudest of their four children and even swung her slightly which earned even more giggles before he nodded at the mess surrounding Katara.
"Daddy! I'm not a lemur monkey, I'm a tiger bear! RAWR!"
Lyra of course could not accept being quiet for too long, which in her world seemed to be about five seconds, and she simply had to make sure she was heard by everyone in the wing. She had been screaming since the day she had been born and she wasn't about to stop now.
"You're a tiger bear are you?"
Zuko asked as he continued to hold her upside down with one arm and tickled her with his free hand. She squirmed and giggled but never once asked her father to put her right side up again even though her blood was starting to rush to her face and flush her caramel skin.
"A waterbending tiger bear huh?"
He asked again and only earned an even louder yell before he finally placed her gently down on her own two feet. The flush remained on her face as she craned her head back to look at her father.
"Yup! I'm a waterbending tiger bear and you can't catch me!"
Lyra ran off after issuing her challenge but Zuko turned his attention back to Katara who had simply watched the entire interaction without saying a word. Stepping into their room he recognized the contents splayed around her and frowned slightly.
"What happened?"
His question brought her back to the note she had just read and the author behind those words. Instead of explaining about the small accident that had happened she simply held out the paper and watched his reaction. Confusion, surprise, and disbelief all crossed through his face before he settled on looking like a puffer fish out of water.
"Where did you find that?"
He asked warily after finally coming back to his senses.
"It was in the fake bottom of the jewellery box you gave me for my sixteenth birthday. Any clue as to how it got there?"
She teased him but instead of earning a blush and a confession his mouth dropped open again before he composed himself and his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Toph."
She had not been expecting him to say that.
"Toph?"
Her blind earthbending friend had apparently snuck a love letter, albeit an awkward one, from Zuko into her birthday present. It was sneaky, which was very much a Toph quality, but was missing the blunt aspect that was practically her signature.
"I did write the note, and several like it, and I was going to put it in the box but I chickened out the night before. I guess she grabbed one of the letters and carried out my original plan. I hope she at least picked one of the better ones."
He was rubbing the back of his neck now, clearly embarrassed and slightly unsure as to what he was supposed to be most embarrassed about. Experience had however taught him to keep a safe distance between himself and Katara is case she deemed something he had done wrong. He had after all admitted to confessing only because Toph had had a hand in it, and depending on which one of the letters the Earthbender had stuck in the box he might be apologizing for a while.
She beckoned him closer and taking his chances he moved closer and crouched down beside her. The Fire Lord and War Hero was worried about what his wife would do over an old, and characteristically awkward, love letter meant for her. Perhaps this didn't happen to others and it might even be considered odd to different couples, this wasn't that unique to them however. He was however pleasantly surprised when instead of being told off for whatever ridiculous thing he had written, and he was sure it had been quite ridiculous, she pulled him forward and rewarded him with a kiss. He might thank Toph later on for sneaking the letter in.
"So sea prunes make you sick, I'm too stubborn to listen to reason, and apparently when I'm talking about something you don't like you just tune me out."
She raised an eyebrow as he wisely started to put some distance between himself and his wife, at least it hadn't been his worst letter. Backing away slowly he stood up and straightened his robes while avoiding direct eye contact with his blue eyed bender.
"I have to go catch Lyra before she starts yelling about something else, um, yeah. I love you."
The last part seemed to be added just for safety reasons later on; he had learned early on to cover his bases as much as possible. He left before he could see her shake her head or hear her laugh lightly at his actions. Apparently she had been holding more important items in her jewellery box and for longer than even she had thought. Lyra's yell showed that Zuko had caught her and another game of chase had most likely started up again. Carefully folding the letter back up she placed it on the false bottom before placing the rest of her treasured items back in their proper places. It was flawed, awkward, and made Katara wish slightly that he had been drinking when he had written it if he thought at all that it had been romantic, but it was so perfectly him and so perfectly them that she wouldn't change a single word.
