#short au
OTP Prompt 369
“Hey!! You didn’t wish me happy daddys day.”
“No.”
“Why not, Sifu Hotman?” Aang’s face was split in a grin as was his normal. Their dream for a peaceful world was building. He leaned against the Firelord looking out into the private garden of the Firelord where Katara held their new infant with a smile showing the baby boy to Mia. The lady of the fire nation showed next to no emotion as was her custom but her dark eyes flashed up to Zuko who flinched.
“I just…it’s not important. Happy father’s day, Avatar Aang.” Zuko looked away, not meeting his wife’s gaze. She knows. He then glanced at Aang out of the corner of his eye. Wondering if the Avatar, Mr. Optimist, Always-Sees-The-Positive Aang, knew. If he knew that Zuko and Katara had found comfort with each other.
“I’m just going to miss her so much.” Katara was leaning into Zuko’s embrace. She and Aang had barely been married for a month. He was still needed at the new building city they were building. A place where all four nations could live and interact in harmony. The way it should be. How it was before the war, No Zuko thought firmly. Better than before. He tightened his grip around the master waterbender. Zuko had returned to the southern water tribe to help with some war restorations, when Gran Gran had fallen ill. He hadn’t felt right leaving his friend alone while her new husband was away. Logically he had known that she had Sokka and Suki, but they were mourning the loss too. So he had written home to tell Mia that he would be returning later than expected knowing that his nation would be in good hands with his uncle and fiance watching over it. So he was there when the water tribe elder passed. And he was here now as the water bending master sobbed against his chest. He rocked her softly, reminding himself that she was a friend. He was comforting a friend. That was all. She was married. He was engaged. His army had wiped out her tribe. Killed her mother. She had hated him. They had become reluctant friends, and any kind of spark they may have had had not mattered then and sure didn’t matter now. Yet softly tipping her chin back and pressing his lips to hers had felt more right than anything else he had done. Katara’s breath had gasped against his mouth then her arms were around his neck. She pulled her body closer to him, her soft curves molding against the hard planes of his own body. Her fingers tangling in his hair, demanding more with soft urging moans. Zuko softly loosened her hair to card his fingers through her hair. Katara’s fingers trembled when they pulled away from each other, panting each other’s air. Zuko knew it was wrong. Knew all the reasons they shouldn’t but the trembling fingers loosening his outer robes scattered those thoughts in the like a blizzard scattered snowflakes.
The next morning when Sokka walked into Katara’s hut to ask if she’d seen Zuko he had discovered them together. There was angry yelling. Defensive shouting. And in the end the three agreed to never speak of it. It was a mistake, it would never happen again, as far as they were concerned it never happened. Aang had returned shortly after and Zuko had gone back to his palace. Three months later his friends had attended his wedding to Mia. And Katara was pregnant. About three month’s along. Zuko’s heart had stopped. Sokka had cornered him and informed him in no uncertain terms the child was Aang’s child. Reminded Zuko that nothing had happened. What they had done was unforgivable, it would destroy Aang and the world needed him. Their own feelings and thoughts on the matter didn’t matter. So he congratulated Aang and Katara, and hugged them. If he was a bit stiffer than normal it was attributed to the stress of his wedding and running a nation.
The announcement of the avatar’s first child, Bumi, had been met with enthusiasm from the entire world. No one noticed the Fire Lord’s lower enthusiasm. Mia had asked about his shortened temper, he had denied it. They had had an explosive fight. Slept in separate rooms for nearly a month. Zuko had apologized. He didn’t explain his reaction but he still found his way back into his wife’s bed.
“I think Bumi would love having my child named after him.” Aang smiled at Zuko. Zuko decided he was imagining the emphasis on the possessive word.
“He would.” Zuko agreed. His smile was tight. The child had Katara’s blue eyes. There was nothing really to mark the child as his. He looked too much like Katara. There really wasn’t much of him in the child. But he swore there was even less of Aang. “You and Katara have a wonderful family.”
“Yes, we do.” Aang agreed. “When are you and Mia going to start one?”
“I don’t know yet.” Zuko avoided the conversation. He changed the topic to the city and world affairs.
That night laying in their bed Mia was cushioned on Zuko’s bare chest when the conversation he knew would come up finally left Mia’s lips.
“You and Katara.” It wasn’t a question. Zuko flinched.
“Only once.”
“Do you love her?”
“I love you.”
“But do you love her?” Mia sat up partially to stare down at her husband. “More even?”
Zuko pushed himself to his elbows and reached out to push her hair from her eyes. “Whatever my feelings for Katara are or were or could be doesn’t matter. I love you. I’m with you.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “And it’s you I’m staying with.”
“And if the child turns out to be a firebender?” Mia pressed.
Zuko flopped down onto the bed. “He’s been tested. He’s a nonbender.” Zuko closed his eyes. “And it doesn’t matter.”
