Three years later
The Fire Lord drummed his fingers along the edge of the long table, listening absently as his advisors debated over crop subsidies. He glanced at the empty seat beside him, missing the presence of his favorite companion and feeling strangely anxious without her there. He knew it was only morning sickness, but Zuko wished the counselors would hurry up and make a decision so he could go check on her.
His thoughts were interrupted as the large doors creaked open. Master Nukka stepped in silently, looking up at him with grim eyes. Zuko's heart fell into his stomach.
"Mak—direct the rest of the meeting. S-someone send me the minutes tomorrow," he said roughly, standing and biting the inside of his cheek as he swept past the questioning faces towards the healer waiting for him in the hall.
Shutting the door behind him, he looked down at Nukka's small frame, holding back the nausea in his throat. "…Again?" he rasped.
She nodded, and Zuko cursed sharply, biting back tears. "But…she'd made it so much longer this time…" he said miserably.
"…I'm so sorry, my lord," Nukka said softly, a comforting hand on his arm as he brought a palm to his face.
A few moments later, he looked up. "Is she in our room?" he rasped.
When Nukka nodded again, he took off quickly down the halls, brushing his sleeve roughly over his face before reaching their door. Placing a hand on the door knob, he swallowed roughly before pushing it open slowly.
Suki sat on the edge of the bed, staring absently at the floor as the morning sun leaked in through the open window. Another healer emerged from the restroom, a shallow basin in her hands filled with blood-soaked cloth. Zuko looked away quickly.
As soon as they were alone, he quickly covered the length of the room and sat beside her. Without looking at him, Suki let her head fall against his chest, arms limp against her sides.
Heart aching, he pulled her close and held her quietly for a long time.
"I mean, I knew it might not happen," Suki sighed, eyes unfocused as she laid on her stomach in the sheets. Zuko laid on his side, running his fingers through her hair while she talked. It had been several days since her miscarriage. "I guess I just let myself get my hopes up after Katara used the spirit water. I almost…I almost wish she hadn't," she admitted. "Then maybe I could just be at peace with it."
"But…we're still young. We've got lots of time," Zuko offered.
"I know…" she said quietly, closing her eyes. "I know."
They laid in silence for several minutes before Zuko spoke. "What if…" he stopped, pursing his lips. "Would you want to consider…adopting, in the meantime? W-we're not giving up," he added anxiously, before going on. "But I was just thinking…well, I've always kind of wanted to adopt anyway, and we might as well do it now if we're ready…"
Suki looked equally hopeful as she did worried. "I would love to, but…won't people be upset, if your heir isn't from your line? No one knows about your plans for the republic, yet. What if the child is put in danger?" she asked anxiously.
Zuko shook his head. "Most of the scumbags who think like that are in prison, remember?" he said, smirking a little. "In fact, people like me a lot more now that you're the Fire Lady."
Suki tried to suppress a smile. "I guess I am pretty popular," she teased.
"You are," he grinned, before growing serious again. "I really do think it'll be okay. I mean, we can start talking about it openly, see if there's any pushback before going through with it, just to make sure the child will be safe."
Suki was smiling, in a way he hadn't seen her smile in days. "Okay," she nodded eagerly, snuggling closer as they hugged each other excitedly.
Suki took in the rows of cribs, small pale faces and golden eyes staring up at them as she peaked over the sides. A middle-aged woman in deep mauve robes walked ahead of them, her movements brisk and business-like as she spoke.
"And this is little Masaru—father did quite well in the war, very well-respected general. Was such a shame—both parents killed in that airship crash last month." The woman looked sad for a moment, before her eyes glanced over the next bed. "Oh! and here we have Hideki—comes from a long line of powerful firebenders. He's sure to grow into a fine man," she went on, patting the end of the crib before quickly moving to the next.
Suki was struggling to keep up when she noticed Zuko standing quietly several beds behind them. He was gripping one of the crib frames, eyes glancing anxiously between the little faces filling the room before looking up at her. He was clearly overwhelmed.
"Madam Ayumu," Suki called out. The woman stopped mid-sentence, looking back at her with a fake smile plastered over her face. "Would you…would you mind giving us a minute?"
A flash of irritation swept over the woman's face, but she only bowed. "Of course, my lady," she replied as Suki moved back to grab her husband's hand and gently guide him out the door.
They soon found a nearby playroom, stepping around the scattered toys and books before falling into one of the couches. They sat together quietly for a long moment before Zuko spoke. "I don't like that woman," he said gruffly.
Suki sighed. She couldn't help but agree with him. "I know. But…I think her heart's in the right place—"
"I mean for Agni's sake, it's not like we're here to pick out a new cloak!" he whispered roughly, throwing his hand towards the door. He hunched over a bit more as he drew his hand back into his lap. "I just…I didn't expect this to be so hard. How can we just choose one of them? I don't like it," he frowned, eyes a little glazed over as he stared at the floor.
Suki didn't have an answer to that—he'd basically put her feelings into words—so she just reached for his hand and chewed her lip roughly as she tried to decide what they should do. She was about to suggest they sleep on it for a night when the door they'd left ajar creaked open. Suddenly one, then two short legs appeared, making it a couple steps inside before a little bottom hit the floor.
"Zuko," Suki whispered, smiling a bit as the child crawled to the nearest chair and pulled herself back onto shaky feet. "Zuko, look," she said again, pointing as the little girl started to scoot along the islands of furniture. He finally looked up, and they both watched in amusement as she slowly made her way over.
"We should probably tell someone she's here…" Suki said reluctantly.
"Mmhmm," Zuko said absently. Neither of them moved, however, too distracted by two tiny black pigtails moving closer. Upon reaching Zuko's knee, the child finally looked up from her quest, golden eyes dancing as she smiled at them.
"Hi," he said a little awkwardly. "…Where'd you come from?"
She only responded with two little hands that reached up, fists opening and closing in a wordless request to be held. Zuko quickly reached over and lifted her on his knee, before glancing back at the door.
"I don't remember seeing her with the others," Suki said. "I wonder why…"
Zuko shrugged, and was about to reply when the girl pointed towards something on the floor.
"Oh—you want to read a book?" Suki asked, reaching down and picking up a board book with a turtle duckling on the front. The girl crawled over onto her lap excitedly, touching the soft cover as Suki opened to the first page. As Suki named the baby animals one by one, she felt Zuko sidle up beside them, draping an arm around her shoulders as he listened quietly.
By the end of the third read-through, the little girl had her hands entwined in Suki's robes, head resting comfortably against her chest. As if by instinct, Suki set the book down and pulled the child against her, heart melting as the girl's tiny fists held her tighter.
"Zuko…" she breathed, glancing over at him as her heart swelled with an unexplainable feeling. He was looking at the child with soft eyes, before meeting hers. Before either could say anything, the girl was reaching towards him. Taking her from Suki's arms, he held her in front of him as she stared at him curiously. A small hand reached towards his left cheek as she cocked her head at him. He paled a bit, eyes wide and unblinking while Suki wondered nervously how the girl would react to his scar.
Suddenly, little fingers brushed his cheek, before both hands cupped his face and the child gave him a peck on the rough, red skin. She pulled back with a proud smile, her expression seeming to say, All better!
Zuko's mouth fell open as the child's arms curled around his neck, looking back at his wife with quivering eyes. "S-Suki…" he said, hugging the girl back. "I think…I'm in love."
Suki laughed warmly. Looks like we won't have to choose, she realized, watching as the small girl nestled against Zuko's shoulder and closed her eyes, hands clinging to his robes. I think she chose us.
Her thoughts stopped as someone stepped into the room. A young woman paused in her tracks, blanching as she saw her Fire Lord and Lady sitting across the room. "F-F-Fire Lord!" she cried, falling to the ground and pressing her palms and forehead to the rug. "M-m'lady, my sincerest apologies," she rasped, visibly trembling.
"It's all right," Zuko said casually, even as Suki cringed in discomfort. She still hadn't gotten used to the show of reverence many of their subjects would show them. "Please, sit," he said, motioning to the seat beside them.
The girl lifted her head up, clearly shocked at the offer but standing and moving to the seat in silence.
"Do you work here?" Suki asked her.
The woman nodded. "I'm new—just started last month," she said, wringing her hands in her lap as she glanced at the child in Zuko's arms. "I'm so sorry. She's just become so much more mobile all of a sudden, I'm having a hard time keeping track of her," she said anxiously.
"It's really all right," Suki said earnestly. "You're doing wonderful work here." The caretaker flushed a little, quietly pleased at the compliment. "What's her name?" Suki continued curiously.
"Izumi, m'lady," the girl replied nervously, looking back at the door before continuing. "But we call her Mimi."
"Aww," Zuko breathed quietly, before realizing he had an audience. He cleared his throat.
"Do you know…do you know anything about her parents?" Suki asked quietly.
The worker nodded slowly. "We know the mother was a servant for one of the great families. She claimed the head of the estate was the child's father—but after she died in childbirth, he denied any responsibility for the infant."
Zuko stiffened, looking like he was holding back some foul language as he rested a hand against Mimi's head, now tucked into the crook of his neck as she slept.
"I—I can take her back now," the caretaker went on, chewing her lip and glancing at the door a second time. Suki's eyes narrowed, wondering what was making her so anxious. Just then, a second figure entered the room, the mauve robes dragging along the floor as Madam Ayumu swept inside. A flash of anger crossed her face as her gaze fell over the young caretaker and Mimi's form in the Fire Lord's arms.
"My lord," she said with a false sense of calm. "Lady Suki. My most humble regrets for my worker's incompetence," she said, glaring at the caretaker who stood quickly and moved to take Mimi back. Zuko frowned, standing and making no motion to offer up the child.
He looked at the older woman. "Madam…?" he started, clearly having forgotten her name.
"Ayumu," the older woman replied, an eye twitching.
"Whatever. What's going on here?" he asked irritably, abandoning any sense of formality as it became clear the woman was hiding something from them. "Why wasn't Mimi with the other children earlier?"
The woman paled, clearly shocked at his bluntness. "My lord, I know this can be an overwhelming process. I simply thought it best to show you those children who would be most suited for the royal family—"
"And she isn't because...?" Zuko interrupted, frowning deeply and not letting her answer before he continued. "You should know we don't care about our child's bloodline," he said darkly.
Ayumu glanced at Suki, as though suddenly remembering her Fire Lady's controversial ancestry. "Ah—yes, of course not. It's just that—"
"Well, in that case," Zuko interrupted. "I think we've made our decision."
"But Fire Lord—"
"What?" he snapped.
"That child," she replied, clearly growing nervous even as she continued. "She…isn't a firebender, my lord."
Zuko furrowed his brow. "And how can you possibly know that?" he asked roughly.
"Well," the woman continued matter-of-factly. "She just…doesn't have that spark in her eyes."
Zuko's eyes grew wide, not in anger now—but in fear. Suki suddenly realized why Madam Ayumu's words seemed familiar. From what Zuko had told her years ago, they were the same words Ozai had used to describe why he'd nearly cast Zuko from the palace at his birth.
Beside her, Zuko had tightened his grip on Mimi, taking one shaky step backwards, and then another.
"My—my lord?" the older woman asked in confusion.
Sucking in a breath, Zuko turned on his heel and high-tailed it out of the room, the sleeping child in tow. His footsteps pounded down the corridor, the sound of a door being thrown open echoing from the entrance. Ayumu was left dumbstruck in place, mouth falling open.
Suki only grinned. "So," she started, breaking the silence. "Do I need to sign anything…or are we good?"
"Ah, cheer up, baby. It won't be so bad."
Toph stood at the ship's railing, holding back her nausea from the endless rocking as sharp waves plowed against the hull. "S-speak…for y-yourself," she grumbled. "You're not the one who's g-gonna be blind for the next three weeks. Also, I'm already…f-freezing."
"You know, you might warm up a little if you put some shoes on," Sokka chuckled.
"…No."
"Come on, it's not worth being stubborn if your toes fall off," he teased, dropping the cursed footwear on the deck at her feet.
Toph tried to move her frozen toes, to no avail. Huffing, she gave in and slipped the thick fur boots over her feet, preparing herself to be emerged in a sensory blackout.
But it never happened. "What the…I can still see," she realized in shock, the metal deck of the Fire Nation cruiser only slightly less clear through her feet. "These—these are made of earth!"
Sokka's heart beat happily beside her. "Yep! Surprise," he said proudly. "Got The Dark One to pack the earthen soles nice and tight, and I've got a few spares since the earth will probably break away after walking around on it for a while," he explained. "Though I sorta figured you could just keep them bent in shape on your own anyway."
Toph smiled, realizing she shouldn't have been surprised. "Thanks, Sokka," she said, feeling for his hand. His fingers slid between hers before she had to search long. "Though…I'm not sure these are gonna do more than keep my feet warm once we're on that big hunk of ice…"
"We'll see," Sokka said cryptically, leaning down to give her a kiss. Before she could reply, Toph sensed someone moving towards them on the deck.
Sokka started laughing. "Dude, think you put enough clothes on her?"
"It's cold here!" Zuko said in defiance, shifting his weight. Toph could sense a second, smaller heartbeat in the deck—he must have been holding Mimi. "And she's so little, and she's never left the Fire Nation, and—"
"Okay, okay, I get it, Mr. Overprotective Dad," Sokka teased him. "Just don't blame me if everyone thinks you have a giant marshmallow instead of a kid."
Toph heard Zuko grumble something under his breath, before a little voice spoke. "Mallow?" Mimi asked.
"Mmm…I don't think we have any of those," Zuko said sweetly, his irritation with Sokka immediately replaced by warmth as he spoke to his daughter. "We might have something else though—let's go ask Cook," he said, running off with her below deck.
Toph snorted. "That kid is going to be spoiled rotten."
"Dadda…coh-ud," Mimi said, voice muffled in Zuko's collar.
"Hmm?"
"C-c-coh…ud," she repeated, shivering against the Southern winds blowing across the water as they watched the ship's ramp descend onto the glacier below.
Cold, Zuko realized. "Aw, I know, sweet girl," he replied, tugging his strange parka further around his daughter and sending all the heat he could into his chest. He felt someone grab his arm, looking down to see Suki burying her face into his side and trying to steal some of his warmth for herself.
"You just love me for my body," he whispered in jest.
Suki only nodded into his furs. "Y-yep," she replied, shivering violently. "Sp-spirits, why are we having the reunion here, again?" she asked, her breath forming little clouds in the evening air.
"Something about…Katara being mad we've never visited?" Zuko said absently, repeating what Suki had told him herself a few weeks ago.
"Okay, that sounds about right," Suki remembered.
"Zuko!" someone shouted. He looked up and saw Aang running up the cruiser's ramp, wearing simple orange robes and holding a fire in his palm against the darkening sky. Grinning ear to ear, he gave the three of them a collective hug.
"We're so glad you guys made it! It's been forever," he said excitedly, before furrowing his brows. "…Isn't Mimi here?"
Zuko nodded, pointing to the bulge in his jacket as Suki chuckled.
"Oh, good," Aang breathed in relief. "I got nervous for a second you'd gained an Iroh belly. Come on! Let's get inside before it gets too cold."
"Um, it got too cold about a week ago," Toph muttered, following Sokka and the others down the long ramp to the icy blackness below. She grabbed his arm tightly as they neared the bottom, chewing her lip violently as they stepped onto the ice.
"D-don't leave me alone, okay?" she whispered anxiously, the nerves she'd buried about this trip suddenly surfacing as she left the comfort of the metal ship behind her. She hated this feeling.
"I won't," he said seriously, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as they walked through the empty landscape. Toph couldn't help but think about the churning ocean beneath them, imagining the ice cracking apart and sending her to her death in the cold waters.
"I hate this already," she grumbled, whining in an effort to bury her anxiety.
"I know," Sokka said, sounding surprisingly optimistic. "But it won't last long."
As if responding to his words, she soon sensed something several paces away. As they moved closer, a strange path seemed to emerge across the landscape, diverging in several dozen places as it wound in a circular pattern. Toph froze in place, concentrating on what she was feeling.
"W-what's going on?" she breathed. "How am I feeling this?"
Sokka gave her shoulder a squeeze. "It's a metal path of the city, just beneath the ice," he explained simply. "Remember when I had Penga and Ho Tun come out here to do some contracting work for the South? Well…they agreed to help Aang put this little path in place while they were here. I mean, it's pretty amateur," he shrugged. "Only really shows the major roads—but I figured, it was better than nothing—"
He was cut off as she tugged him down by the collar and kissed him fiercely. His chest rumbled happily in response.
"Aww, did I make you cry?" he asked a moment later, pulling back.
"I don't cry, remember?" she said in defiance, brushing her cheeks against her puffy sleeve. She tried to sniff, but suddenly found it impossible. "Um, Sokka?" she asked, wrinkling her nose in discomfort. "I think my snot is frozen."
He chuckled. "Yeah, that tends to happen here."
The reunion was like most the friends held over the years, but for everyone gushing over Izumi…and another toddler's utter infatuation with her.
"Aang…you're raising a gentleman, right?" Zuko asked anxiously, watching as Bumi dragged a toddling Fire Nation princess around the home by the hand.
"For the spirits' sakes, Zuko, he's two years old!" Katara cried in exasperation.
"They're totally getting married," Toph said, feet in Sokka's lap as she lounged on the couch. "I'm calling it now."
Zuko paled, glancing nervously at the kids as everyone snickered.
"So, are things still going okay with Azula?" Aang asked when everyone calmed down.
Zuko chuckled a little. "Yeah. In fact, she just wrote to me to gloat about becoming the Sun Warriors' newest Chieftain."
Everyone's eyes went wide. "Wait, seriously?" Sokka asked.
Zuko shrugged. "Yep. I was more surprised than you at first—though I'm not sure why I expected her sense of ambition to go away," he smirked.
"Katara," Suki whispered, sitting beside her while the others continued asking him questions. "Sorry, but…could I ask you for a favor?"
"Of course," Katara said, standing and following Suki out the hall and into one of the bedrooms. "Is everything all right?" she asked, noticing the strange look on Suki's face.
Her friend nodded. "Yes. It's just…well, I'm pregnant," Suki said, a quiet excitement in the way she spoke.
"Suki, that's wonderful!" Katara said excitedly. "Does Zuko know?"
"Oh, yes," Suki said. "I'm nearly fourteen weeks in."
Katara's eyes grew wide. "Really?"
Suki nodded. "It's just, I've had so many that…well, I wanted to keep it quiet, to focus on Mimi right now and not be too disappointed if it didn't happen." She bit her lip, trying to hide her excitement as she continued. "But Nukka says I'm far enough along that it should be safe…to start hoping."
"And you're going to start showing soon, anyway," Katara smiled.
Suki chuckled a little. "I already have, actually. Thank goodness for the excuse to wear lots of layers down here," she joked, accepting Katara's embrace for a long moment before pulling away. "Anyway, Nukka wanted to make sure I had a healer checking on me while we were down here, and I figured you could—"
"Of course!" Katara said eagerly. "Oh Suki, I'm so happy for you. When are you planning to tell everyone else?"
At that, the door flew open as Aang and Sokka landed in a heap. Toph stood behind them, arms folded across her chest. "What in the world?" Katara cried, hands on her hips as she stared down at the men furiously.
"S-sorry, sweetie," Aang said in shame, standing and bowing his head. "I told them we shouldn't eavesdrop, but—"
"You guys were telling secrets! I can't take that kind of curiosity!" Sokka said in his defense.
Toph just shrugged. "Your house is ice. I go where Sokka goes."
Katara pursed her lips. "Okay, Sokka I get—he's an idiot. But you, Aang? You're a father, for Tui's sake! You should be setting a better example."
"Sorry," he said again. "It was Sokka's idea, and you know how convincing he can be—"
"Wait, did you guys leave both kids with Zuko?" Katara asked, ducking her head around them.
"Well, it'll be good practice for him," Toph said absently. Everyone suddenly remembered what they'd overheard and ran to give Suki a hug. She smiled widely, looking up to see Zuko standing in the doorway with a child in each arm.
Sokka laughed. "Good practice is right. You're gonna have two kids under two!"
"Make that three kids under two," Toph said absently. Everyone froze, looking over at her curiously.
"Uh, hey baby?" Sokka whispered, leaning down to her. "I know you were kind of sheltered growing up, but didn't they at least let you take a math class?"
She threw a well-deserved fist in his arm. "I already knew she was prego back on the ship," Toph went on as Sokka rubbed his bicep. "All I had to do was count the heartbeats. One big one from momma…and two little ones from babies. LUB lub lub DUB dub dub," she imitated.
By now, Suki was sitting on the bed, heart racing as she started to understand. "Toph…you're not joking, are you?" Zuko asked, eyes wide as he handed Bumi to Aang and moved over beside his wife.
"Nope. You've got twins in there, Fire Lady," Toph smiled.
As Zuko and Suki stared at each other in shock, Katara shoved everyone else out of the room to give them some privacy.
As soon the door shut, Zuko started to chuckle, and Suki joined in, hugging each other and their daughter.
"Dadda?" Mimi asked with concern, touching his wet cheek.
Zuko wiped his eyes roughly before turning her around and pointing at Suki's stomach. "Mommy's…having two babies," he choked out.
"Bees," she repeated, clearly not understanding even as she patted Suki's belly.
They both laughed again. "That's right," Suki said lovingly, pulling her daughter into her arms and hugging her tight.
"Uncle is always telling me that things work out the way they're supposed to," Zuko said quietly as Mimi started to nod off against Suki's shoulder. "I mean, if this had happened sooner…"
Suki stood, closing her eyes as she rocked the child to sleep. "Then we wouldn't have Mimi."
"Okay, j-just calm down," Zuko gulped, pacing the room while they waited.
"I am calm," Suki smirked, looking over at him in amusement as he sat beside her. "It's going to be all right, Zuko. People have babies every day."
He stood again, moving to the window before turning on his heel and moving towards the door. "Where are they?!" he cried, storming into the hall before coming back into the room.
"Zuko, it's only been a few minutes. I'm sure they're just gathering some—"
"I mean, why do I pay to have healers in my home if they can't even come when we need them?" he asked in frustration.
Suki sighed. He suddenly looked back at her, ducking his head as he moved over slowly and hunched back into the chair beside the bed. "Sorry," he said quietly.
"It's okay. I just married a big ball of stress," she teased.
"I know," he admitted. He smiled a little as he looked up at her. "You know, I'm kind of going to miss watching you put your dinner plate on your stomach so you can reach it," he smirked.
"You're…alone in that," she huffed, breathing heavily with the newest contraction. As Zuko broke out in a fresh sweat, the doors opened and Osamu and Nukka stepped inside, followed by a couple of younger healers.
Zuko stood again and rushed over. "Osamu, she's four weeks early," he said anxiously, following the man as he walked over calmly and sat beside the Fire Lady, smiling down at her.
"Ah, yes, very good timing," he said as he took her pulse.
"What?" Zuko asked in confusion.
"Twins almost always come early," he explained. "It's quite normal, my lord."
"Oh," Zuko said sheepishly, looking at the floor before glancing back up at the healer. "Y-you've delivered twins, then?"
"Of course," Osamu said. "And I delivered you, my lord."
Zuko reddened. "…Y-you did?"
"Yes, yes. In fact, this is quite exciting for me. Two generations, can you believe it!"
Behind them, Nukka chuckled. "Old man," she teased him.
Several long hours later, and Zuko was staring into new, bright green eyes flecked with gold that looked up at him curiously.
"A son, my lord," Nukka said warmly, resting a hand on his shoulder for a moment before returning to Suki's side for the second birth.
As the waterbender's glow filled the darkening room, Zuko stared in awe at the tiny person in his arms, throat closing up as his eyes grew wet. He couldn't tell how much time had passed when Suki was reaching up with a shaky hand to touch her son. He sat on the edge of the bed, carefully handing the first boy off to her as another healer handed him the second. The same green eyes looking up at him, though with a different expression.
Zuko could barely focus on the little face as the tears started to spill out.
"I can't believe it took having kids to get you back here," Zuko said, raising his brows at his uncle.
Iroh chuckled. "It took some time to establish a second location for my tea shop, my nephew," he explained in his defense. "But now—The Ginseng Dragon is open for business!"
Zuko grinned, holding Iroh's namesake in his arms as his uncle held his twin, Lu Ten. Uncle seemed suddenly lost in thought as he looked down at the infant. A few moments later, soft footsteps could be heard in the hall as Mimi stumbled into the room. Suki followed behind her.
"Oh my—if it isn't my favorite girl!" Iroh cried. Mimi giggled as she ran clumsily over, ramming into his lap. Iroh only laughed, ruffling the girl's little pigtails as he leaned over to hug her with his free arm.
"Who is that, Mimi?" Suki prompted, pointing to Iroh.
Mimi seemed deep in thought for a moment, before she spoke. "Gwampa," she said with conviction.
Iroh's eyes grew wide, looking between Zuko and Suki in shock. Suki only smiled. "That's right, sweetie. Now, give Grandpa a kiss—you can see him again after your nap."
Mimi, ever her loving self, raised herself up on her toes and kissed Iroh on the cheek before reaching back to grab her mother's hand. Iroh didn't speak as the two girls left the room, the smaller waving at him from the door before Suki shut it behind them.
"I don't understand," Iroh said quietly, absently letting Lu Ten suck on his finger.
"Don't you?" Zuko asked slowly, looking over at him. "You…you once told me you thought of me as…" he stopped, suddenly anxious.
"As my own," Iroh finished for him.
Zuko bit his lip, nodding as he looked down at baby Iroh. "That sentiment has been returned for, well…a long time now," he said nervously. He wasn't sure why he was so afraid to say it. Maybe because it had taken him so long so say what they'd had a quiet understanding about for years. "It—it was Suki's idea, actually, that our children call you that. I mean, if it makes you uncomfortable or anything we don't have to—"
He stopped when he realized Iroh was beside him, squeezing him as tight as he could with one arm while holding Lu Ten in the other. "I love you, my son," he choked out.
Zuko felt his throat grow tight as tears formed in his own eyes. "I love you too…Dad," he said, hugging the man back tightly.
A minute later, Suki walked back into the room to find the two men crying as they embraced, the infants in their arms starting to fuss in confusion. "Great spirits," she teased them. "I can't leave you two alone for five minutes." The three of them chuckled as she sat down beside Iroh, kissing him on the cheek. "Love you, Dad," she said, knowing full well the conversation they'd just had.
"…Love you too, my dear girl," he said, not even attempting to stop the flow of tears down his cheeks as he looked back down at Lu Ten. "You two have a beautiful family," he said quietly, before looking up excitedly. "And I'm their grandpa!"
"So…was it worth the flight over?"
Toph smiled, the feeling of soft earth in her toes as she sensed the deep valley below them. "Yeah, I guess," she admitted, tightening her grip around Sokka's torso as they stood together at the top of the cliff side. The Great Gorge cut through the landscape below, sweeping through the Earth Kingdom's southeastern chain of ragged mountains.
It was probably the most amazing thing she'd ever sensed.
Sokka pulled her against him, fingers trembling as he played absently with the bracelet around her upper arm. With the closer contact, Toph sensed something in his pocket.
"Woah—where'd you get more space rock?" she asked in bewilderment.
He huffed. "Man, I can't hide anything from you," he teased, pulling the small rock from his tunic and holding it in his hand. He swallowed roughly, pulling back a little and letting his hand slide down from her shoulder to hold hers. He brought it up and placed the small, smooth object in her palm, what felt like a strip of soft cloth fastened to the back. Toph reached up and felt the stone—an intricate pattern was carved in the surface. It felt like a carving of waves crashing against a rocky shore.
"Sokka…" she breathed, chest growing warm as she realized what this was.
"Toph, you…you know how much I love you, right?" he said quietly, voice shaking.
She nodded slowly. "I love you too," she said earnestly, gripping the necklace in her hand as she felt his quaking hands hold her shoulders.
He swallowed roughly. "We've—we've been best friends almost since we met. A-and I've always loved being with you, even before I realized I loved you. I just—I love the way you see the world, and how I feel when I'm with you, and that no matter how much you try, you can't hide your big soft heart."
Toph flushed brightly, breath catching as she sensed Sokka fall to one knee.
"Toph Beifong," he said seriously, holding her hand tightly as his breath grew shallow. "…Marry me?"
Toph felt the smile stretch across her face as she squeezed his hand back. "…You bet I will."
Sokka chuckled at her response, even as a flood of joy rushed into the earth at his feet. He stood quickly, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. Toph let the valley around them disappear as excitement flooded her chest.
When they finally broke apart, they laughed happily for a long moment before Toph spoke. "You never did tell me where you got more space rock," she noted.
Sokka reached down and took the betrothal necklace from her hand, pulling it up to her neck and fastening it carefully beneath her hair. "Well…" he said, running his fingers along her skin and kissing her one more time. "Let's just say, Space Sword is about a half inch shorter than it used to be."
"All right, the boys are both…finally…asleep," Zuko sighed, falling into the bed beside his wife. He rested his eyes for a long moment before rolling over to look at her. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"…Tired," Suki answered honestly.
Zuko smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, dumb question."
Suki looked over at him playfully. "But…not too tired," she added.
"Oh," Zuko said excitedly, chest growing warm and fatigue forgotten as he moved over her. Suki laughed warmly as he planted a dozen kisses all over her face and neck.
That is, until a short knock came at the door.
Zuko groaned, letting his head fall against her shoulder. "Maybe if we just ignore it…they'll go away," he whispered.
"Zuko, what if it's General Mak? Something could have happened."
"I think the world will hold itself together for the next half hour," he mumbled hotly, weaving his hands through her hair as he continued to kiss her.
When the knock came a second time, they both sighed. "Fine," he muttered, sliding reluctantly out of bed and yanking on a robe as he stomped towards the door.
"What is it?!" he barked as he pulled it open, stopping abruptly when he was greeted by an empty hallway. He scrunched his brow before hearing a quiet sniffle at his feet. Looking down, Zuko saw a little girl staring up at him, lower lip trembling.
"D-Daddy," Mimi hiccupped, quiet tears streaming down her face.
Irritation forgotten, he dropped to his knees and pulled her against him. "Mimi, what's wrong?" he asked anxiously.
"Bad…dream," she said, trembling as she buried her face in his chest.
He picked her up quickly and held her tight. "What happened?"
"Iroh…Lu Ten," she said, her tears soaking into his shirt. "Hurt…"
"…But no monsters?" Zuko confirmed nervously.
She shook her head. Zuko sighed in relief. Not Koh, he realized. He knew it was foolish to worry about after all this time, but he couldn't help it. "The boys are okay, sweet girl," he reassured her, rubbing her little back as she clung to him tightly. "…Want to see?"
Mimi's trembling subsided as she nodded. Shutting the door behind them, Zuko carried her down the short distance to the next room and placed a hand on the doorknob.
"We have to be quiet, though, okay?" he whispered.
Mimi nodded, and he slowly opened the door into the room. Holding up a tiny flame, he moved them towards the first crib, letting some light shine onto the little boy inside. Lu Ten's hands were curled into fists, fuzzy, dark brown hair sticking out in all directions as he breathed soundly.
"Iroh?" Mimi asked.
Zuko held a finger to her mouth, smiling. "No, Lu Ten," he breathed, bringing her over to the other crib. "There's Iroh."
Mimi leaned over to get a closer look at her brother, one chubby cheek flattened against the mattress. "Cute?" she asked.
Zuko had to suppress a chuckle. "Yep, cute," he whispered, kissing her on the cheek. "Just like you."
Nightmare forgotten, Mimi sat up a little in his arms and pointed back at the door. "See Mommy?" she asked.
"Well, I don't know—"
"Please, Daddy?" she asked sweetly, touching his cheek with gentle fingers.
Sighing in defeat, Zuko carried her back out the door and into their room.
"You are such a sucker," Suki grinned as the two of them crawled under the covers with her.
Zuko pouted. "How can I say no to that face?" he asked in defiance.
Suki only grinned wider. "You have Daddy wrapped around your finger, don't you?" she asked as Mimi snuggled up against her.
"Yes, Mommy," Mimi replied obediently, eyes drooping.
They both laughed quietly as she started to fall asleep. "She's such a good girl—so different from those two little hooligans next door," Zuko teased. As sweet as they looked asleep, the boys sure were running them ragged during the day.
Suki smiled tiredly as she reached for his hand. "We're sure lucky, aren't we?" she whispered.
"Yeah," he breathed, pulling himself against them and kissing Suki's forehead as she started to drift off. Born lucky, he thought, not for the first time, holding his girls close and realizing everything he'd gone through in his life paled against the happiness he felt now.
[The end]
A/N – Thank you for reading, especially to those who have reviewed. I can't tell you how much your comments mean to me. Hope this story brought you some happiness :)
Update: I've started posting some Zuki family one-shots, titled "Fatherlord Zuko" – in case you didn't get your fill of baby fluff here, haha!
