I still do not own the Avatar…
Zuko and Sokka were flying in peaceful companionship on the way back from the Boiling Rock with a very tired Suki snuggled into Sokka's side. She was sleeping peacefully, exhausted from the great escape. After being at the Boiling Rock for four days, a narrow escape involving Azula and some unlikely allies, they were relieved to be returning to the Air Temple. Sokka was hoping that his father would have been imprisoned at the Boiling Rock, but they were unable to find him. Just when they were about to give up all hope, they found Suki.
"Zuko?" Sokka started, sounding unsure about what his purpose in addressing the other youth would be. Zuko looked up from his meditation and nodded, waiting for Sokka to continue. He and the other boy had bonded over the past few days, but he was still apprehensive of what Sokka could be thinking.
"Why did you marry my sister?" Sokka suddenly asked, feeling brave. He stared at the Fire Prince, imploring for an answer. Zuko took two very deep, debating breaths. They were so slow that Sokka thought that Zuko was going to refuse to answer.
"That is really none of your concern. It is between your sister and myself. Can't you just accept our union and the life I will give her?" Zuko asked meekly, trying to deflect the question. He was not sure how honest he should be with Sokka. He knew that the tribal boy would be less than pleased when and if he ever learned the truth.
"No, that is not good enough; especially when the life you give her is a life of uncertainty and treason." Sokka stated as sternly as he could managed. This caused Zuko to sigh angrily.
"If that is the case, how is that life any different from the life you are giving her?" Zuko said, pointing to Suki. Suki was beginning to stir, but Zuko was relatively sure she would fall right back to sleep. The poor girl had been tortured for days, barely resembling the young healthy girl he had fought before.
"It is different. If we don't win this war, you will be a banished and treasonous prince of the Fire Nation. No one will accept you. I will just be a boy, anonymous. No one will try to turn me into the Fire Lord for a price." Sokka's words were cold and heartless. Zuko nodded, recognizing the truth in his words. It was a gamble he was taking with the lives of his wife and children. It was one thing to be hunted alone, but to bring their fate in the mist of his own troubles was irresponsible.
"I have been attracted to your sister since the day I met her. It just felt right. There was no thought involved on either side. I think I can speak for both Katara and myself when I say that this was not planned and we were both in denial of it at first." Zuko felt that that admittance was enough to cover the moonlight encounter and even the marriage.
"You have condemned my sister to a life of shame." Sokka spat at Zuko, suddenly all fraternal respect they had for each other was gone from his voice.
"What is done, is done. What would you have me do?" Zuko asked, desperately. His hands falling open at his sides. He appeared weak, tired, and vulnerable.
"I don't know. Why did you do it in the first place?" Sokka tried again, as if knowing the reasons would change the facts. Zuko stared at the boy, shaking his head slowly.
"I don't know." He answered the question softly, turning away from Sokka and closing his eyes to meditate. Appa was flying quickly and they would be back by midday. Zuko dreaded the remaining few hours of the journey and he was anxious to see the state of his wife. He did not want to leave her. After all, just days before Sokka forced him to go on this expedition; Katara was up all night fighting between cold and hot.
He began musing on their developing relationship. She most certainly was not the helpless little girl he had originally thought she was. She was not the same desperate girl that he had captured from the pirates. She was not the same angry girl he had fought in the North Pole. She had developed into a fascinatingly complex woman with a generous heart and a sharp mind. If she had been educated properly, Zuko was sure she would be brilliant. She would make a worthy consort to the Fire Lord when the time came.
"Do you miss her?" A softer, more feminine voice rang out. Zuko opened his eyes to see Suki's grey blue eyes staring at him. Sokka was staring down at the girl snuggled into his side with disbelief.
"Katara?" Zuko asked dumbly. Suki nodded her head, to which Zuko smiled softly. "Yes, I do miss her. I was just thinking about her." Subconsciously, his eyes grew softer and his body visibly relaxed.
"How much of that conversation did you hear? What do you know?" Sokka asked, looking slightly sick. It was as if he was afraid of her opinion. She looked up at him with a grin.
"I heard all of it. I know he loves her." Her grin was wicked, but not unkind. Sokka rolled his eyes before giving up. "What were you thinking about?"
"A lot of things, actually. When we first met. Goals. I don't know, stuff." Zuko shrugged. He was thinking about her and all that encompassed.
"You're married?" Suki pressed, curious.
"In a Traditional Earth Kingdom Ceremony." Zuko nodded, smirking at Suki's surprised face. Before she could ask any further questions he continued, "It was custom, before the war, for the marriage of the Fire Lord to his lady to be blessed by each of the Nations. I plan to fulfill that."
"Really? How?" Suki's voice was beginning to sound hoarse, but her eyes twinkled with genuine curiosity. Although not obviously showing it, Zuko could tell that Sokka was equally as interested in what Zuko had to say.
"When I defeat my sire, I will have the fire sages perform the marriage rituals for the Fire Nation. I am hoping the Avatar can remember or find the Air Rituals. As for Water, at the moment I am just hoping they don't kill me." Zuko smirked before adding, "Because apparently, my wife is a princess in more than one way."
Suki nodded, snuggling deeper into Sokka's side while yawning. She answered Zuko softly, "They will learn to accept the union. Katara should be free to make her own choices as I am free to make mine."
"Thank you, Suki. I think you should try to sleep now." Zuko said gently. She nodded again, closing her eyes.
"She's right, you know." Zuko ventured when he was sure that Suki was asleep. Sokka tensed up immediately, before taking a deep breath and calming before Zuko's eyes.
"Yes, I know." Sokka's voice had a strange quality to it.
They sat in relative silence for the remainder of the flight. Around midday, as Zuko predicted, Appa began to slowly descend from the clouds. Zuko felt his anticipation build as he saw the peak of the temple and his friends below. The young avatar spotted the incoming party and began to call out to Katara and the earthbender. Toph simply nodded, continuing to practice forms, but Katara threw down her things and started to walk toward where she thought Appa would land.
Zuko noted that Katara was wearing one of his black tunics tied with a crimson sash. He wondered if it was because she missed him or if she had just neglected to do her laundry. He was hoping for the first, but figured it was probably from the latter. Her hair was flowing loosely in the wind and he noted that she was radiating with a joyful smile as she began to run toward the landing bison. Her color was a beautiful mocha which caramelized in the midday sun.
As soon as Appa landed, Zuko slipped off the bison and prepared to catch his wife's embrace. It didn't come. She had been running straight for him, but in the instant he thought he would be catching her in his arms, Zuko heard the squeals of his wife mixed with those of the Kyoshi Warrior.
"Suki! It is so great to see you!" Katara giggled, pulling her brother into the embrace between herself and the other girl.
"You have no idea how good it is to see you, Katara! I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Sokka and Zuko at the prison. I thought all hope was lost until they told me we were going to escape." Suki spoke so quickly that it took Katara a moment to comprehend what she had said.
She looked up at her brother. "You found Suki, but not dad?" Her question was really more of a statement. Sokka nodded.
"It's okay, sis. We'll find dad." Sokka said, hugging his sister again. Zuko stood awkwardly to the side as the Avatar joined in the reunion. There were a few more pleasantries and impulsive hugs until Katara seemed to realize that she had not yet greeted Zuko. She turned toward him, flushed with embarrassment and wide eyed.
Meekly she fell before Zuko on her knees and bowed deeply, in the traditional Fire Nation way. He stared at her in disbelief, dropping to his knees also to pull up her chin. "Why do you bow to me?" His voice was soft.
"Honorable husband, I neglected to greet you. Forgive my insolence." She sounded sincere, but Zuko wanted to know where the formality came from. He shook his head lightly, pulling her up to her feet gently by the hand.
He noticed that the little group had stopped talking and were unashamedly staring at the couple. Wanting privacy, he gripped her hand slightly tighter and smiled down at her, "Come, princess, we have much to discuss."
He led her away a little ways before turning and pulling her into a tight embrace. "I missed you." They were out of the sight of the other group, in an alcove of trees. They were relatively protected from spying eyes on all sides.
"You were gone so long. I was afraid you might never come back." Katara sounded like she was crying and Zuko could feel some dampness seeping through his shirt. She pulled tighter, trying to get closer to him.
In her enthusiasm, she lost balance. She began to fall, pulling Zuko with her. Not wanting to hurt her, he quickly maneuvered himself so that he landed on his back with her on top of him.
"I take it that you missed me as well." He chuckled as she nodded slightly. He sat up, righting himself and her. He smiled down at her before his face became confused, "Why did you bow to me?"
"Because it is the traditional way to greet your husband in the Fire Nation." She shrugged before adding, "I want to try to be a good wife. I have accepted my fate."
"I will not require any bowing nonsense from you. Not unless I am Fire Lord and the situation calls for it." He amended quickly realizing that there may be times that she would have to show humility. He had thought of how to be a good husband to her the entire expedition. He had decided that he didn't want frustrations and harsh words to be the only elements of their relationship. He wondered if her thoughts were the same.
"Good, because it was weird to do." Katara made a face. "Why were you gone so long?" Katara asked softly, her eyes staring up at him with concern. They sat opposite of each other, side by side. Their hands were intertwined and their foreheads just breaths away.
Zuko didn't answer. Instead he stroked her cheek with the back of his hand and smiled. "You're a beautiful sight, my water nymph." She blushed, inhaling his breath as he leaned closer. "May I kiss you?" He asked, pressing his forehead against hers.
"Yes." She breathed before lightly pressing her lips to his in a sweet and chaste kiss. He seemed satisfied with just the slight interaction and he sighed happily. He pulled Katara against his side, turning her around easily so that her head was against his chest.
"When we got to the prison, they were on lock down. My sister was there to inspect the facility. Her two friends, Ty Lee and Mai, were also there. We had to stay undercover. We pretended to be guards." Zuko started his story, recalling how difficult it was to lay low when Ty Lee was flirting with all of the guards at every chance she got. He knew that if he spoke to her, she would recognize him immediately. Tactfully, he decided to leave that point out.
"We searched for your father, but never found him. In the end, we barely rescued the warrior girl from being executed. She was being tortured and my sister wanted to kill her as an example. I guess she's a pretty brave girl. She didn't give up any secrets to the Fire Nation." Katara shuddered in response. He hugged her reassuringly. "Our rescue attempt was originally foiled, but Mai and Ty Lee stopped my sister from capturing me or harming your brother and the girl. We barely escaped. I don't know what happened then."
There was a looming and uncomfortable silence between them as Katara took in the story. She wrapped her arms around her husband's neck and buried her face into the place where his neck and shoulder met. She laid a sweet kiss there. She mumbled something, but what Zuko didn't know. After several moments, Katara released her hold and settled back against his chest. Zuko made no move to say or do anything. He was hungry and tired, but at the moment he was perfectly contented to hold his lovely wife.
"We will have to thank them someday." Katara said, absentmindedly rubbing her hand on her now swollen belly. It was only slightly swollen, but there was definitely a distinct bump indicating her pregnancy.
Zuko put his hand on top of hers, rubbing his babies with her. "If they are still alive, I agree."
After a few moments he added, "I thought about you a lot while I was gone. I want to be a good husband to you. I think I might actually love you." The last part was so soft she barely heard it. She turned her head to look at him. Her eyes searched his for several moments before she smiled softly.
"I thought about you too." Her eyes filled with tears. "I think I might love you too." Her voice equally as soft. Neither of them moved, not sure what to do now.
Slowly, unsurely, Zuko dipped his head and pressed his lips firmly on hers. Katara opened her mouth in surprise, which Zuko took advantage of to deepen the kiss. He pulled her closer, hugging her frame to his before slowly releasing her lips from his.
"We should probably return. I have a feeling they'll want dinner tonight." He smirked.
"We need to go shopping in the near future." She sighed, remembering their dangerously low supplies.
"Yes, I know. Someone is going to need new clothes soon." He smiled, patting her stomach.
"I wonder why?" She smirked, sarcastically.
"Probably because you ate all of the supplies while I was gone." He smiled, almost laughing at the indignant sound she made. They stood up and walked back toward the camp hand-in-hand.