One-shot XI: New year.
It was almost New Year, one of the most important celebrations in the Fire Nation; Aang knew some of the traditions but he had not lived them himself, at least not until a few years ago when he got married and had his children. That was his tenth year celebrating in the Fire Nation and the celebration was getting closer and closer, with less than a week left, and he was beginning to decorate to receive the new year. Even the twins had asked for some decorations for their bedroom.
However, that day, just before the big party be held, Aang was pretty busy and it was not with any kind of preparation for the party but he had a joking teenager, four children running around and a baby girl who was half asleep in his arms.
"You seem busy" Zuko greeted Aang giving him a kiss and then looking at the small army made by his nephews and children.
"My siblings saw me as a babysitter."
"Siblings?"
"Sokka and Katara… somehow it feels right to call them that way" Aang mumbled with a smile on his face, although his expression changed radically when Bumi took off Izumi's glasses and started calling her 'mole' "Bumi, don't be rude and return the glasses to Izumi! you're too old for silly jokes… Tenzin, you can't do that to Bumi!"
"Why didn't you ask for help?"
"I tried, they were too busy or scared to see these little beasts… Kya, you can't use the pond water! Izumi, don't play with firebending, it's dangerous! Suyin, leave Tenzin alone!"
"I think I can help you."
"Thank you" he said giving the baby girl to Zuko, who was already half awake "help me with Lin just a moment"
And he left an almost confused Zuko with Lin who was about to pull his hair, while Aang ran to stop the kids from fighting and also scold them a bit. Aang tried to keep order between the kids, he had even considered taking Bumi away from there because his children were about to throw something at him with their powers or simply kick him, he kept separating and calming down the kids fights until the little beasts parents arrived and Katara helped him finish calming down.
"Well, it's time to start preparing everything for dinner" Aang got up from the grass and was immediately followed by his twins.
"We'll help you mommy" Izumi began, Tenzin nodding energetically.
"You can't go to the kitchen and I don't think you want to help with cleaning and decorations."
The kids did not insist upon being discovered, so with some regret they walked back the other kids. Then Aang almost angrily left all the kids in charge of Toph, Sokka and Katara while he pulled Zuko to see the preparations for the festivals and the palace party, plus that was a little revenge for almost losing his temper with all those mischievous kids, although his children still followed him like turtle ducks. So, he kept them until dinner time came, that year instead of having a big dinner full of nobles from all over the world, Aang insisted on a smaller family party. Izumi, Tenzin, and Lin took a nap to arrive fresh and energetic to dinner, which would be the first event around midnight, and then went out to visit the temples near the palace.
They started dinner very animatedly with the Avatar team reunited, it almost seemed that they were having their improvised dinners around a campfire where they were just children camping; however, now they were a big family like any other having a big New Year party, although the children seemed to be in their own world talking, laughing, and yelling.
Only when the first chime of midnight sounded was there at least a second of silence because almost immediately the kids returned to throw their own New Year party, until they decided to visit the temples to ask for a prosperous next year. When they started visiting the temples, they separated by families to go to the temples according to their requests, so Izumi and Tenzin seemed much more animated and it is not that they did not love their cousins, only that they preferred to spend time alone with their little family; they went through the small fairs that were just outside the temples where they were recognized in each stand they stopped at, so they only greeted and already had the sellers offering them things that the children accepted without thinking too much.
They walked all night, and even when the kids were too tired to go on, Aang and Zuko carried them on their backs because Aang still wanted to do one last thing: shortly before dawn, they visited the last temple that was on a mountain and stayed looking at the horizon until the sun began to appear shyly between the mountains giving the sky shades of purple and orange.
"Children, get up for a moment" Izumi and Tenzin half opened their eyes and looked at Aang "look, it's already dawn, that means we will have a great year"
"It's very nice" Tenzin said half asleep on his father's back and Zuko could agree with that, it was very nice to see his little family happy and reunited.