Tales of the Sun

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sadly enough.

Warnings: AU-ish, General Spoilers

AN: For AtLA Land's gift-giving challenge.

Ursa/Hakoda

Zuko's mouth opened. Then, it closed. Opened. Closed. Once. Twice. Innumerable times.

"You…"

But his voice trailed off like he'd forgotten how to speak.

Ursa primly sipped at her tea. Her cup hid her smirk.

"He's a very nice man, I assure you, dear."

Zuko stared at her.

"He is," she insisted and put her cup down, so mild despite her son's antics. "Nothing like… my past suitors."

Zuko kept staring.

She sighed.

"He's kind. A true gentleman. A good leader. A great man." Her gaze turned distant, and the corners of her mouth twitched. "Great at other things, too."

Zuko's face went from white to pink instantly.

Ursa pretended not to notice.

"He's never raised a hand to me. Never so much as raised his voice."

Her son sat up even straighter at that, but his blush lingered.

Ursa merely tilted her chin. And really, for such a pleasant face, she resembled a tiger-wolf right now. Prowling around for the perfect time to pounce.

"He loves his children. And his mother. All of his people. Deeply. Completely. Equally."

Each word was a poised strike to her son's resistance, and Ursa knew it.

"He-"

Zuko couldn't contain himself anymore.

"He's Sokka's father! And Katara's! He'll be Aang's father-in-law!"

His words went from loud to faint then, and realization set in. His eyes were impossibly wide with something a lot like wonder.

"Agni…" he breathed, "I'm going to be their brother."

Ursa didn't bother to hide behind her cup this time.

-O.o.O-

Toph and Zuko (and Lin)

Zuko looks at Toph. Toph isn't looking at much of anything.

"So…" he begins, watching her. Studying the shadows on her face and the fact that her cheeks are thinner than he remembers. Than they should be.

"So… what?" Toph counters.

Her mouth is a smirk, but something of her movement betrays her. Maybe it's the slight tightening to her eyes. Perhaps it's the stiffness to her shoulders. Maybe it's the way she hasn't even touched her tea yet.

Or maybe… Just maybe, it's the almost rounded abdomen that practically screams at his eyes to take a good look.

A hard knot forms in his chest even as he does. Zuko knows Toph. He knows what she's like. How she is. Can guess exactly why she's here and not sending out announcements and invitations for everyone and sundry.

He swallows, but his throat is still too dry.

"So… a baby," Zuko finally ventures.

Toph tries to play it cool, but her teeth worry at her lip before she can stop herself. She isn't a girl anymore; she isn't. But she looks it in that moment. Looks it more than she ever had at twelve. Looks young and uncertain. And maybe a little bit afraid.

"Yep," she acknowledges after a few heartbeats.

He doesn't ask how this happened. Since really, he's a father himself. He knows exactly how this happens. Besides, he knows Toph would probably never admit the truth anyway. Even if it's not nearly as horrible as his overactive imagination is demanding to make it.

Instead, Zuko just nods.

"Congratulations," he offers, and he sees the wince even as she smiles.

It's a nice smile though. Warm and genuine. Soft at the edges. A good sign then. She truly does want this baby.

Zuko breathes out, and it's relief. He offers his own grin.

But in the back of his head, he's already making plans. Already deciding how the usual room Toph stays in will have to be changed. How to best add a nursery. Or they could move her to the one they'd used for their own children. He could have the servants bring everything out of storage, and it'd put Toph just three doors down from his shared room with Mai.

"Thanks," Toph states then, and he can tell that she means it.

And not just for what he says. More like what he doesn't.

Zuko makes a sound in his throat and pours more tea.

He still doesn't ask after the father. And really, it doesn't matter in the end. This is Toph's baby. Her child.

That's all Zuko needs to know.

-O.o.O-

Anything that you're willing to give me

Sokka tapped his finger on his chin.

"I do like it," he said and turned his head this way and that. Squinted some. Leaned forward and then back. Tilted his head left and right and left again.

Suki watched him with an amused air.

"Good," she informed him. "Your daughter spent hours on it."

"Well… It's nice." He even dared to point a finger at her. "Super nice. It's wonderful. Just what I wanted."

She gave him a look. One composed of a lifted eyebrow, a head tilt, and a hand on her hip.

"You have no idea what this is, do you?" Suki asked, but it really wasn't a question.

Sokka immediately had a sheepish and guilty look. He scratched his lip. Shuffled his feet. Rolled his shoulders.

"Not really," he admitted and turned back to the… thing. "She does get her artistic ability from me after all."

Suki sniggered.

-O.o.O-

Zuko/Suki

She didn't cry. He didn't either. Her mouth tasted like ash, and his breath was bitter as he brushed hair from her eyes.

Victory wasn't winning at all. Ozai was dead. Azula was defanged. The world was saved.

Everyone else was gone. Lost. Dead.

They were dead.

Aang hadn't survived Ozai. He'd hesitated at the end, and that had been his undoing. But it'd been just long enough for Toph. Just long enough for her to strike the fatal blow even as Ozai killed her back.

Katara and Sokka were buried at sea in the traditions of their people. Both of them were honored beyond imaging; they were heroes. They'd saved hundreds, thousands.

Chief Hakoda hadn't spoken since.

Mai had never made it out of prison. Zuko had laid her to rest himself. Had lit the pyre and scattered her ashes beneath the trees they'd played under as kids.

They had no idea what had happened to Ty Lee.

Now, it was just the two of them. The only ones left.

Fire and fan.

Laying together amidst the finery and feeling like it was little more than rubble. Twining in a bed and with a person that doesn't belong to either of them. Sleeping next to ghosts and memories. Hearing their screams. Watching them die. Over and over and over again.

If this was victory, Zuko couldn't imagine failure.

Ever Hopeful,

Azar