Fic: Winter at the South Pole [Avatar: the Last Airbender] [1/1]
Title: Winter at the South Pole
Author: girlupnorth
Ship: Zuko/Mai/Katara; Azula/Toph.
Characters: Zuko, Mai, Katara, Azula, Kanna (Katara's Gran-Gran), Pakku, Hakoda, Z/K/M children
Rating: R, for one sex scene
Length: ~5,140 words
Spoilers: Post-series.
Contains: No pregnancies this time, but there are four (4) children aged 2.5 through 7.5; also, there are conversations of possible pregnancies. Marital f/f and m/f sex. Fluff. Crack. Postcolonialism.
Summary: The Royal Fire Family (Z/K/M and their four kids) visit the South Pole during winter. Zuko suffers.
Basically, a nice winter family fic with some Azula (and her ideas) thrown in.
Comments: If you have any, please leave them at the Archive of our own version of this story.
Author's notes: This is as per usual for novin_ha, who also did the beta, was a source of inspiration and the sounding board.
A wintery sequel to The reign of fluff, set some seven years later. (In other words, my "feel good" fic for December.)
This picture by Rikayu @ deviantart was also something of an inspiration, although the weather this December takes probably most of the blame.
Some things are intentionally kept ambiguous, but I will (try to) answer all questions ;)
Enjoy!
Winter at the South Pole
Zuko woke up with a feeling that he was being watched.
It was neither morning, nor Zuko’s first wake-up call of the day; earlier, his two lovely wives got horny and grabby, and demanded his attentions. After they had been properly satisfied, they got out of bed, and set out for another day with Katara’s family, while Zuko pulled the covers over his nose and fell asleep again.
He loved his wives to bits, but the South Pole climate made him sleep in and then feel groggy throughout the day.
It also made him even crankier than usual.
Finally deciding to give up on sleep, Zuko moved away the blankets and the furs that covered him up till his forehead, only to look straight into the blue eyes of his youngest daughter.
Kimiko stared. Zuko stared back.
Kimiko plunged forward and hugged Zuko closely.
He couldn’t but smile.
“Did your mums send you to get me for breakfast?” he asked, messing up his daughter’s hair. Kimi - as she was usually known in the family - giggled and nodded.
Zuko sat up, uncovered himself a little, stretched, and made an exaggerated face.
“It’s so cold,” he said, even though it was actually decently warm inside. “How does it feel outside? Is it also that cold?”
“Not cold,” Kimi said. “Nice.” She wrinkled her small nose. “Come, Daddy. Breakfast.”
Dressing up - and shivering throughout the process, until he managed to put on the fourth layer of clothing - Zuko thought that his waterbending daughter was quite likely to have a different understanding of the concept of nice weather. It was just that he had no real interest in experiencing this kind of weather first-hand, even coated in a fur, an inner cloak, and five sweaters over his usual three tunics.
Zuko put heavy boots onto his feet, two pairs of gloves on his hands, and pulled the fur hood over his head.
“Let’s go,” he said, extending his hand to Kimi.
*
The whole mess had started, not untypically, with Azula arriving at the royal palace.
At the age of twenty-eight, and seven years into her relationship with Toph, Azula decided that she would like to have children.
Zuko’s first reaction was, naively, to get all happy and excited.
“There are so many kids out there waiting to be adopted,” he said. “You will be such a great example for the masses.”
Azula looked at him with utter fascination.
“I don’t want to adopt a child, Zuko,” she said.
“You’re not going to give birth, are you?” Zuko asked, suddenly terrified.
“No, Zuko dear. If we get to that, Toph will carry the baby.”
“She does know that you’re planning this, right?” Zuko inquired feebly, trying to postpone the inevitable. “Because I thought she didn’t like children.”
“She’s not terribly fond of the idea of being pregnant, but she knows it makes more sense than if I were to be,” Azula said, and she gave Zuko an expectant look.
He sighed deeply.
“So who’s the designated father?” he asked.
Azula smiled manically.
“Well, actually, I believe it would be best to keep it in the family,” she said. “Have the baby as closely related to me as possible.”
Zuko stared.
“I think I see your point,” he said politely. “And now I’m going to pretend that I don’t. Forever.”
“No, you don’t understand. The Northern Water Tribe has apparently devised a way to conceive babies without the need for actual intercourse, with the help of waterbending,” Azula explained. “You wouldn’t need to have sex with Toph. Not that I would let you, anyway.”
“Well, first of all, Mai and Katara wouldn’t let me,” Zuko said. His head was already starting to spin. “And quite rightly so, because it’s a terrible idea. Both for our family relations and the politics.”
“I’ve already talked with Mai and Katara,” Azula replied. “And it actually makes sense. There’s no political threat, because you already have four children in line to the throne, and ours would be publicly known only as your niece or nephew anyway.”
“Oh, dear spirits,” Zuko sighed. “What did Katara and Mai say?”
“They weren’t very happy, but they saw my point in the end,” Azula said, again with an overly enthusiastic smile. “They said that I would need to convince you, and that I’m not to force you to do anything.”
“I’m not even going to think about it,” Zuko informed his wives later that day. “So don’t try to persuade me either way.”
Katara nodded with understanding.
“Azula’s not going to restrain herself, though,” Mai remarked.
Zuko decided that a strategic retreat might be the wisest solution to the crisis.
They sailed for the South Pole two days later.
*
All four of Zuko’s children absolutely loved the winter and the South Pole - both the landscape and the community.
He was concerned.
Hakoda would take all four - even Kimi, although Zuko thought she was much too young for that - on fishing trips. They would return giddy with joy, bringing fish which they had caught, or been helped to catch. Zuko was then made to taste the dishes that Kanna prepared from all the different fish. They caused his stomach to hurt.
“Oh please,” Katara said upon seeing his gloomy expression. “It’s fish! It’s healthy. It’s good for your brain and your heart.”
“Maybe for yours,” Zuko replied - gravely, yet quietly, as he didn’t want to upset the kids. “Certainly not for mine.”
Katara glared. Mai smiled, and asked for a second helping.
Zuko swallowed the last of his fish, and stared miserably at the plate.
“Do you know if there’s anything good for breakfast?” he asked his daughter now. “Something your Daddy could eat?”
Kimi pondered the question for a long moment.
“Eggs,” she said finally. “Scrambled.”
Zuko brightened up considerably. Scrambled eggs were probably his favourite meal here, although he resolved not to ask what kind of meat was used for flavour, so as not to get unnecessarily traumatised.
There was just one small thing to find out, then.
“So is there anyone else coming, or is it just us?” he inquired.
“Us,” his daughter said, tugging Zuko’s hand to make him go faster. “With Grea-n’ma.”
“And your Grandpa Hakoda?”
“He eat and goooo. Fish-fish,” Kimi explained emphatically, and then looked up at him with a frown. “Daddy miss Gran’pa leave. Daddy sleep long.”
“That one wasn’t premeditated,” Zuko sighed, and, upon Kimi’s further frown, said, “Planned. ”
When Mitsuko and Keiko were two-and-a-half, they would talk and talk, incessantly, all day long, to each other and to everyone around. At the same age, Naoki was less gregarious, but he did have a few chosen people with whom he shared his thoughts. In contrast, Kimi was still a child of few words, and spoke mostly when talked to; Zuko suspected it had to do with her siblings being overly expressive.
By the time they reached the small cottage, everyone was almost finished eating. Even still, Zuko was greeted warmly, and offered his scrambled eggs and tea without any fuss.
“We’re going to build a snow castle today,” Mitsuko declared. “Like ours in the South.”
“That’ll be a lot of work,” Zuko observed. “All the towers and bridges.”
“All the kids will help us,” Mitsuko said, absolutely self-assured. “There are some waterbenders, so it won’t be that difficult.”
Keiko rolled her eyes a little.
“Stupid castle,” she said.
“She wanted to put up a likeness of Ba Sing Se,” Mitsuko explained.
Zuko considered this while chewing on the last mouthful of his breakfast.
“Maybe try the Boiling Rock,” he said at last. “It’ll be simpler than the southern castle.”
He didn’t expect them to agree at once; this wasn’t how his older daughters worked. Sure enough, not a minute passed before they started to debate their enterprise between themselves once again, excluding Zuko from the argument. Over at the opposite corner of the table, Naoki was deep into conversation with his Great-Gran-Gran, paying no attention to the presence of his father.
Katara and Mai were sitting at the side of the table, the latter now holding Kimi up in her lap, and playing with the girl’s dark-brown hair.
“How did you sleep?” Katara asked, moving closer to Zuko to give him a brief kiss. “How do you feel about taking a walk with us?”
Zuko thought about the cold outside, and then saw the look on his wife’s face.
“No is not an option, is it?” he asked.
Mai chuckled.
“The Winter Solstice celebration is tonight,” she reminded him. “Do you know what that means?”
“More hanging outside in this lovely temperature,” Zuko guessed.
“That’s right. Gather your strengths, Fire Lord.”
Zuko realized that this was going to be another very long day.
*
Spending time at the South Pole was never particularly easy for Zuko. In addition to the terrible weather conditions and the inedible food, there was also a vast selection of people who detested Zuko for all the reasons imaginable.
To nobody’s surprise, Hakoda disliked his son-in-law vehemently and consequently. Zuko, after a thorough consideration, decided that the reasons for that state of affairs were manifold, and owed to his own character, Hakoda’s relationship with his daughter, and all the good and bad things that Fire Nation, both in general and in his person, had done, was doing, and would do towards the Southern Water Tribe.
Katara’s grandmother was a little fonder of Zuko than her son; Zuko had a strong suspicion that it was mostly due to the fact that the old lady was more acutely conscious of Zuko’s role in the conception of Katara’s babies. That Hakoda treated both Katara’s and Mai’s children with equal, grandfatherly affection first made Zuko relieved, and then, combined with Hakoda’s attitude towards him, caused him to wonder whether his father-in-law believed in parthenogenesis, or merely ascribed to Azula’s ideas about the role of the man in making babies.
“Does Mai resemble your mother?” he asked Katara once, when he was still trying to figure out why Hakoda only took exception to one of his daughter’s spouses.
Katara narrowed her eyes.
“No,” she said after a heavy pause. “Neither Mai nor Bato resemble my mother. But I do.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
“So there’s a chance your mother wouldn’t have hated me,” Zuko reflected; whether it was his statement or his tone, it made Katara smile.
“She probably wouldn’t,” she said, leaning over to kiss Zuko. “She might have even appreciated your good looks.”
Zuko then nodded gravely; from Mai and Katara’s teasing - as well as his own observations - he noticed quite plainly that the Southern Water Tribe girls and women were, in general, rather fond of him. It wasn’t anything he was unused too, and, in fact, nothing too remarkable.
On returning from the walk, Zuko was almost immediately called into Katara’s grandmother’s cottage for lunch.
“You should eat more,” Kanna declared, putting a bowl of fish soup in front of Zuko. “You’re so thin, it’s no wonder you’re cold all the time.”
Zuko looked at the soup in absolute desolation. The South Pole food wasn’t doing him any favours.
“I think I’ve already put on weight,” he volunteered meekly.
“Do you only fit into three sweaters under your fur?” Pakku asked, his smile almost cruel . “Your Grace.”
“Four and a thin tunic,” Zuko said.
“I thought you looked more robust in the past, Zuko,” Kanna continued. “You should really take better care of yourself. You know that your being in a good condition makes for healthy children.”
“They are in perfect health,” Zuko replied, pretending not to understand her meaning. Katara had warned him that her grandmother would be doing her best to push them towards further procreation; he had had more than enough chances to see that prediction coming true.
Kanna clicked her tongue in her mouth.
“There’s always enough for a second helping,” she said. “Eat, eat. You need to make the girls happy.”
This time, Zuko almost choked on his soup.
“And the firebending probably requires a lot of energy,” Pakku added, still smiling.
Zuko stared wordlessly into his bowl, before deciding to try and eat the soup despite its unappetizing looks.
On their way South Katara suggested that they refrain from excessive firebending while at the South Pole, especially when in public.
“Actually,” she told Zuko later on, “You shouldn’t firebend at all, unless we are all on our own, preferably in bed.”
Zuko scowled.
“I can’t tell, they might think it’s cute when it’s the children bending fire, but when it comes to you-” Katara stopped, and kissed Zuko’s ear.
“Yes?”
“You know, they still remember you from when you came down here haunting the Avatar,” she remarked, running her hand over Zuko’s chest. “And they still see you as that ruthless guy, not a cuddly family man.”
“That was almost fourteen years ago!” Zuko protested.
“Should have changed your name upon ascension to the throne,” Mai said.
“Azula used to be much worse than me,” Zuko complained. “Why isn’t she universally hated?”
“The South Pole isn’t universally,” Katara exclaimed at once.
“They’re not very fond of her in the Earth Kingdom,” Mai added. “You know, after Ba Sing Se. They might even detest her more than the Water Tribe does you.”
“Clearly, you should’ve both gone for girls from the Fire Nation only,” Katara remarked. “Because Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom are out, and, oops, your grandfather managed to kill off all Air Nomads.”
“That’s really not my fault.”
Katara sighed.
“Oh, darling, darling Zuko,” she said. “If you still believe in people judging you absolutely fairly and for your own merits or deeds-”
“Yes?” Zuko asked dryly.
“-maybe you should give the crown to Azula after all.”
In response, Zuko fumed, making them both laugh, and then attempt to smother him with kisses.
*
The Winter Solstice celebrations were in full swing, the children running around and playing in the snow, the waterbenders of both tribes (and Katara) performing complicated feats of bending, some people dancing, some chatting and eating by the tables.
Zuko, feeling a complete outsider in this merry crowd, escaped his place of honour at the main table as soon as he was able to, and chose to sit down on a log at the outskirt of the party, spreading the atmosphere of gloom into the night.
It was some time - and many miserable thoughts - later that he saw Mai also leave the crowd, and come towards him, a rather inscrutable look on her face.
She soon sat down by Zuko’s side, carefully arranging her long fur around her.
“Your hands are cold,” she exclaimed. “Why don’t you warm them?”
“Katara did ask us not to firebend,” Zuko reminded her.
“Well, they can’t tell that you firebend if they see no flames,” Mai stated soberly.
“They can’t, but it wouldn’t be honourable,” Zuko explained. Mai rolled her eyes.
“Fuck honourable,” she said. “Warm up your hands, Zuko. Now.”
Obediently, Zuko bent the fire right under his skin, until the persistent cold gave way to a much higher temperature. Mai took this as a cue to slide her hands between his, and let out a small sigh upon feeling the warmth.
“That’s much better,” she murmured, snuggling closer to Zuko.
They sat in silence for a while, looking at the partying crowd.
“You should get up there with Hakoda, Pakku, and the rest of the wise leaders,” Mai suggested finally, nudging Zuko on the side.
“My uncle ought to be here instead of me,” Zuko replied, sounding gloomy. “He’d have given everybody tea, led a makeshift orchestra, and by now everyone would’ve been utterly charmed.”
“Well, I’m here to charm,” Mai said, stroking his arm. “The spawn can make an orchestra, if you’d really like them to. Mitsuko and Keiko will be delighted to dig out their instruments. So that leaves the tea.”
Zuko mumbled something about that tea from him wouldn’t be accepted anyway; Mai looked at him thoughtfully, still stroking his arm.
“Do you want me to tell you what you could do, here?” she asked.
Zuko shrugged.
“I think that you should talk to Hakoda,” Mai said in a low voice. “Tell him that you’d like to slowly diminish the money subsidies we give to the Southern Water Tribe, and to establish with him the best pace to do so.”
Zuko gave her a look of uttermost surprise.
“We don’t need to stop the financial help altogether,” Mai continued. “Just pretend that it’s not official, but comes from Katara’s private money, something like that.”
“Alright,” Zuko said, impatiently. “But why? Did they say something to you?”
Mai shook her head.
“They didn’t. But from what I see, they seem pretty uncomfortable with getting so much money from us,” she paused. “I think that they might feel as if they were a Fire Nation colony.”
“Huh.”
“Well, Hakoda does seem to value independence, doesn’t he,” Mai pointed out. “He doesn’t really like being coddled.”
The mental image of their father-in-law being coddled made them both chuckle. Zuko then kissed Mai deeply, and sat up straighter.
“I could talk with him, I suppose,” he said.
Katara, laughing, ran out of the throng of the waterbenders, and approached her spouses.
“I’m exhausted,” she announced, making Zuko and Mai move to the sides before she collapsed between them. “I’m too old for this.”
Laughing, Mai kissed her on the cheek.
“You seemed quite amazing,” Zuko said, embracing Katara’s waist.
“Oh, I was,” Katara declared, snuggling close. “What about you? Aren’t you cold?”
“Zuko put on the heating,” Mai replied in a whisper. “So we’re all nice and cosy.”
“Clever,” Katara said, and smiled. “We can leave soon, I think. The obligatory parts are almost over, and it’ll be all drinking and fish-eating from now on.”
“Let’s gather the spawn, then,” Mai agreed. “They should sleep beautifully after all the exertion.”
They got up, shaking the excessive snow off their boots and clothes, and headed off to find their children.
*
When they first arrived at the South Pole a week earlier, they were offered three separate cottages to sleep in. One of these - though by no means the largest - was supposedly for Zuko’s use; Mai and Katara got the other one, while the children were to sleep in the last hut.
Obviously, nobody paid any heed to these designations. On the first evening, Zuko installed himself in his wives’ cottage, commented on the softness of the fur covering the bed (and now also him), and remained there. Kimi and Naoki immediately took to jumping and rolling all over the bed, and continued to do so for several minutes, until a disagreement over the order of jumping made them break into water- and firebending, and then resulted in shouting and crying. A minute later, Mai was lifting one off the bed, and Zuko holding the other.
“Mummy, can we sleep in Daddy’s hut?” Keiko asked upon suddenly realizing that one cottage would be unused.
“On your own?” Katara said, hesitating. There were two nannies - one Fire Nation, one Water Tribe - who were going to sleep in the children’s hut; both Katara and Zuko wondered if they shouldn’t find one more girl to watch over the kids at nights.
“We are eight,” Keiko replied. “Well, almost.”
“And you said we were safe here,” Mitsuko added.
“You can sleep there for one night,” Katara deemed finally. “And then we’ll see how you have behaved.”
This was, as they’d had many a chance to see, a surprisingly good way of dealing with their older two daughters, at this point in their lives increasingly keen to appear mature and responsible in front of the adults. They managed to keep to Katara’s condition, and it was at their separate cottage where Zuko tucked them in after the Winter Solstice celebrations.
As for Zuko, he found himself missing the constant access to bathroom facilities more than he would have expected to.
“Maybe your father is right,” he remarked to Katara, when they were washing quickly by the entrance to the cottage, with the help of two buckets, snow from the outside, and their respective bending powers. “I have grown too comfortable.”
“We certainly aren’t complaining,” Mai said, hugging him from the behind, her hand on Zuko’s collarbone. She kissed him on the back, below his nape, and rested her cheek against one of his shoulder blades.
Katara laughed, stroking Zuko’s chest and stomach.
“Yes, it’s definitely nice that you bathe more frequently than once a fortnight,” she said, sliding her hand lower. “I don’t think it has anything to do with your manliness.”
Zuko inhaled sharply.
Mai took a step back.
“Bed?” she suggested.
“Mmm.” Naked, Katara made her way towards the bed, pulled back the covers, and laid right in the middle on her back. “I still feel quite tired, actually. Why don’t you come take care of me?”
Mai smiled, and climbed the bed after her.
“Aren’t you spoiled?” she asked, straddling Katara’s hips, and then leaning to kiss her. Zuko watched them kiss and touch for a moment, all his blood flowing downwards, before sitting down on the side of the bed.
They went slow, slower than Zuko would have liked, stroking, touching, rubbing and grinding against one another, making him wait his turn. They were gorgeous, the hands and fingers on breasts, breasts against breasts, stomach against stomach, and, where he wasn't quite able to see, pussy against pussy. They were, without any doubt or change for over a decade now, the most beautiful, sexiest women of his world, and sometimes, watching them could almost be a torture.
He suspected they were well aware of that.
Katara came first, with Mai’s hand between her legs, making soft noises of pleasure. Mai kissed her for a while, before turning towards Zuko. Hastily, he moved to touch Mai, pushing her against the pillow while kissing her eagerly. She was soaking wet, and they both moaned when Zuko entered her. Neither took very long at that point; not more than a few minutes later, Mai shivered and came, and Zuko followed her right after, and lay atop of her for a good moment, breathing shallowly.
After that moment, he realized that he was cold and started to pull the covers, blankets, and furs over the three of them. Mai chuckled quietly.
“You could just make it warmer, you know,” she murmured when Zuko, clad in his nightwear, laid down at her side.
“I’d rather not burn the whole thing down in my sleep,” he whispered, causing Katara to lift her head off the pillow.
“I knew we shouldn’t allow girls to sleep by themselves,” she said, a note of panic to her voice.
Mai embraced her soothingly.
“Well, they don’t mind the cold as much as Zuko, do they,” she pointed out.
“I,” Zuko exclaimed with dignity, “have older bones than our children.”
They laughed, kissed, and hugged, and then, one by one, fell asleep.
*
In the morning, Zuko was up much earlier than usual, half resolved to speak with Hakoda, and half freaking out.
“Should I get him before or after breakfast?” he asked, pacing the length of the hut. His wives were still sitting in bed, taking turns combing each other’s hair.
“Before,” Mai replied. “Or you won’t be able to eat anything.”
“After,” Katara said firmly. “Dad’ll be in a better mood once he’s eaten.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t try anything at all,” Zuko exclaimed, sitting back on the bed. It was easier to make decisions and rule when in the Fire Nation, and especially on the familiar ground of the palace. There, he could glare people into submission; they were usually too afraid of his position to disobey him.
“Well, sure,” Mai countered, not looking away from doing Katara’s hair. “We can have the servants pack our things, put the engines on, and go back to the Fire Nation right this afternoon.”
“Of course, Azula’s probably right there, waiting for you,” Katara added, sounding vaguely amused. “Or should I say, your semen.”
“More pretty Zuko babies,” Mai sighed, and put up the final hair loopie. “Alright, you’re ready.”
Their matter-of-factness regarding the issue was getting on Zuko’s nerves.
“Would you really not mind?” he asked dramatically. “Me being the father of someone else’s child?”
Mai and Katara exchanged glances.
“We wouldn’t mind terribly,” Katara said. “It’s not like we would lose anything, right.”
“Also, Katara’s curious if she’d be able to perform that kind of waterbending,” Mai explained.
“If we have any reservations, they’re mostly about you being able to keep your peace of mind,” Katara added, kissing Zuko’s ear. “Should you spent the rest of your life worrying about Toph and Azula raising a child of your blood-”
“They wouldn’t be worse than most parents out there, including mine and yours,” Mai pointed out.
“There’s that.”
“And since we already have four children, Azula won’t be able to lay a claim to the throne.”
Zuko stared.
“Have you met Azula?” he asked.
“We could have official papers drawn,” Mai replied lightly. “Legally forbid her to do anything that would prevent our spawn from taking the throne.”
“She will come up with something,” Zuko said. “I know her. She will.”
“Toph will keep her in place,” Katara interjected. “And by the way, didn’t the Bei Fongs complain that they needed an heir to the estate? Maybe that’s what Azula’s setting her sights upon.”
Both Mai and Zuko went quiet for a long moment.
“As a starting point,” Katara said impatiently. “For taking over the Earth Kingdom. She does still think that Ba Sing Se should have remained yours, doesn’t she.”
Zuko remained silent. Mai raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think that Ba Sing Se should have remained Fire Nation’s?” Katara asked, sounding perturbed.
Zuko looked guiltily at the clay floor.
“You do. Oh dear spirits,” Katara said in disbelief. “My husband is a power-hungry tyrant after all.”
“You wish.”
“Could be really hot, every now and then,” Mai remarked. Zuko leaned to kiss her, and then sighed deeply.
“But what about the public?” he asked. “They would want to know who the father is.”
Mai shrugged.
“They’d just assume Toph and Azula found themselves a lover,” she said. “Or that the rumours were true and Azula is, after all, a man.”
Zuko took a deep breath; Katara began to laugh at his expression.
“I won’t even ask,” Zuko decided, his voice dignified. “This conversation ends here.”
Mai snuggled closer to him, ran a hand through his hair, and pulled his head back to kiss him.
“Sure, husband,” she murmured. “Whatever you say.”
Zuko sighed with pleasure, ready to dismiss any and all unpleasant thoughts from his mind, when Katara stood in front of him and pulled him up by his hands.
“Time to face my father,” she said, and then her facial features soften; she embraced Zuko tightly, and they kissed for a long moment. “Don’t worry. It’ll be alright.”
Zuko sincerely doubted that, but, this time, chose not to protest.
*
If there was one thing Zuko minded about having children, it was the fact that he needed to have eyes and ears all around his head when in their company.
After the surprisingly pleasant breakfast, the children took him - and Mai, and Katara - to do some further work on their snow castle; it was, after all, to be the Boiling Rock prison.
For a while, they worked together, the kids running all around, everyone rolling and piling together the snow, except Mai, who was giving them directions. Then, however, Mitsuko and Keiko recalled that they had wanted to skate on that day, and promptly ran off, barely remembering to ask for permission.
“There’ll be someone to watch over them,” Katara said soothingly upon noticing Zuko’s look.
With some help from Naoki, Zuko finished forming the volcanic crater around the prison, telling his son about the scorching temperature of the water, and the escape they designed with Sokka.
“Together with your Uncle Sokka, we broke your Grandpa Hakoda out,” he explained. “But it wouldn’t’ve been possible without your Mum’s help.”
“Yeah, I spent a month in prison afterwards,” Mai said, her hands on her hips. “No hard feelings, though.”
Naoki looked at her, his eyes wide.
“Why were you in prison, Mummy?”
“I did something that wasn’t very clever,” Mai replied, looking tenderly at Zuko. “But it did work out well, in the end.”
Zuko pulled her close and kissed her face, cold from the frost.
“Do Mitsu and Keiko know? I have to tell them,” Naoki said impatiently.
“Take Kimi,” Katara told him. “She’ll make you some ice for better skating.”
Appearing very concerned, Naoki nodded solemnly; he took Kimi by the hand, and they walked away together, watched closely by their parents.
“I’m glad you reached some conclusions with my father,” Katara said, putting Zuko’s arm around her waist. “Maybe you’ll get along better from now on.”
“Well, they haven’t been getting along so badly, really,” Mai remarked. “Since they have been mostly avoiding each other, and grumbling when in private.”
In a leisurely step, they made to follow their younger children.
“Probably better than me and your parents, yes,” Katara agreed. “And Zuko doesn’t meet my Dad too often, luckily.”
“I’ll have some official papers drawn,” Zuko said. “About Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe. And then yes, it should be easier, for some time.”
“Oh Zuko, you’re such an optimist,” Mai murmured.
“I say, let’s spend the next holiday on the Ember Island,” Katara suggested, as they approached the sea, frozen solid apart from a passage for the ships. “I’m not that used to the winters here anymore.”
Zuko laughed, and kissed her.
They were interrupted by their children, this time running in their direction.
“Grandpa Hakoda says there’s a ship coming towards us,” Naoki said, breathless, almost bumping into Mai.
“It’s Aunt Azula,” Mitsuko added knowledgeably. “I recognized the banner.”
“She’s never been here before, has she, Mum?” Keiko asked Katara. “Will she know that she shouldn’t firebend?”
“And can we send her back if she does?” Zuko said under his breath. Mai shot him a warning look.
“Azula’s coming, how nice,” Katara said, briefly making a face. “We’ll have a family get-together.”
“We can deal with her,” Mai stated calmly. “What do you think, Zuko?”
Zuko thought about his long days of braving the cold and the fish, and the assorted Water Tribers, and about his morning conversation with Hakoda, and felt a little more confident about talking with his sister.
“I suppose we can,” he said, morosely.
Katara snuggled still closer to him on the one side, and Mai held his hand. Zuko attempted a brave face.
Even the falling snow wasn’t able to break his resolve.
Author: girlupnorth
Ship: Zuko/Mai/Katara; Azula/Toph.
Characters: Zuko, Mai, Katara, Azula, Kanna (Katara's Gran-Gran), Pakku, Hakoda, Z/K/M children
Rating: R, for one sex scene
Length: ~5,140 words
Spoilers: Post-series.
Contains: No pregnancies this time, but there are four (4) children aged 2.5 through 7.5; also, there are conversations of possible pregnancies. Marital f/f and m/f sex. Fluff. Crack. Postcolonialism.
Summary: The Royal Fire Family (Z/K/M and their four kids) visit the South Pole during winter. Zuko suffers.
Basically, a nice winter family fic with some Azula (and her ideas) thrown in.
Comments: If you have any, please leave them at the Archive of our own version of this story.
Author's notes: This is as per usual for novin_ha, who also did the beta, was a source of inspiration and the sounding board.
A wintery sequel to The reign of fluff, set some seven years later. (In other words, my "feel good" fic for December.)
This picture by Rikayu @ deviantart was also something of an inspiration, although the weather this December takes probably most of the blame.
Some things are intentionally kept ambiguous, but I will (try to) answer all questions ;)
Enjoy!
Winter at the South Pole
Zuko woke up with a feeling that he was being watched.
It was neither morning, nor Zuko’s first wake-up call of the day; earlier, his two lovely wives got horny and grabby, and demanded his attentions. After they had been properly satisfied, they got out of bed, and set out for another day with Katara’s family, while Zuko pulled the covers over his nose and fell asleep again.
He loved his wives to bits, but the South Pole climate made him sleep in and then feel groggy throughout the day.
It also made him even crankier than usual.
Finally deciding to give up on sleep, Zuko moved away the blankets and the furs that covered him up till his forehead, only to look straight into the blue eyes of his youngest daughter.
Kimiko stared. Zuko stared back.
Kimiko plunged forward and hugged Zuko closely.
He couldn’t but smile.
“Did your mums send you to get me for breakfast?” he asked, messing up his daughter’s hair. Kimi - as she was usually known in the family - giggled and nodded.
Zuko sat up, uncovered himself a little, stretched, and made an exaggerated face.
“It’s so cold,” he said, even though it was actually decently warm inside. “How does it feel outside? Is it also that cold?”
“Not cold,” Kimi said. “Nice.” She wrinkled her small nose. “Come, Daddy. Breakfast.”
Dressing up - and shivering throughout the process, until he managed to put on the fourth layer of clothing - Zuko thought that his waterbending daughter was quite likely to have a different understanding of the concept of nice weather. It was just that he had no real interest in experiencing this kind of weather first-hand, even coated in a fur, an inner cloak, and five sweaters over his usual three tunics.
Zuko put heavy boots onto his feet, two pairs of gloves on his hands, and pulled the fur hood over his head.
“Let’s go,” he said, extending his hand to Kimi.
*
The whole mess had started, not untypically, with Azula arriving at the royal palace.
At the age of twenty-eight, and seven years into her relationship with Toph, Azula decided that she would like to have children.
Zuko’s first reaction was, naively, to get all happy and excited.
“There are so many kids out there waiting to be adopted,” he said. “You will be such a great example for the masses.”
Azula looked at him with utter fascination.
“I don’t want to adopt a child, Zuko,” she said.
“You’re not going to give birth, are you?” Zuko asked, suddenly terrified.
“No, Zuko dear. If we get to that, Toph will carry the baby.”
“She does know that you’re planning this, right?” Zuko inquired feebly, trying to postpone the inevitable. “Because I thought she didn’t like children.”
“She’s not terribly fond of the idea of being pregnant, but she knows it makes more sense than if I were to be,” Azula said, and she gave Zuko an expectant look.
He sighed deeply.
“So who’s the designated father?” he asked.
Azula smiled manically.
“Well, actually, I believe it would be best to keep it in the family,” she said. “Have the baby as closely related to me as possible.”
Zuko stared.
“I think I see your point,” he said politely. “And now I’m going to pretend that I don’t. Forever.”
“No, you don’t understand. The Northern Water Tribe has apparently devised a way to conceive babies without the need for actual intercourse, with the help of waterbending,” Azula explained. “You wouldn’t need to have sex with Toph. Not that I would let you, anyway.”
“Well, first of all, Mai and Katara wouldn’t let me,” Zuko said. His head was already starting to spin. “And quite rightly so, because it’s a terrible idea. Both for our family relations and the politics.”
“I’ve already talked with Mai and Katara,” Azula replied. “And it actually makes sense. There’s no political threat, because you already have four children in line to the throne, and ours would be publicly known only as your niece or nephew anyway.”
“Oh, dear spirits,” Zuko sighed. “What did Katara and Mai say?”
“They weren’t very happy, but they saw my point in the end,” Azula said, again with an overly enthusiastic smile. “They said that I would need to convince you, and that I’m not to force you to do anything.”
“I’m not even going to think about it,” Zuko informed his wives later that day. “So don’t try to persuade me either way.”
Katara nodded with understanding.
“Azula’s not going to restrain herself, though,” Mai remarked.
Zuko decided that a strategic retreat might be the wisest solution to the crisis.
They sailed for the South Pole two days later.
*
All four of Zuko’s children absolutely loved the winter and the South Pole - both the landscape and the community.
He was concerned.
Hakoda would take all four - even Kimi, although Zuko thought she was much too young for that - on fishing trips. They would return giddy with joy, bringing fish which they had caught, or been helped to catch. Zuko was then made to taste the dishes that Kanna prepared from all the different fish. They caused his stomach to hurt.
“Oh please,” Katara said upon seeing his gloomy expression. “It’s fish! It’s healthy. It’s good for your brain and your heart.”
“Maybe for yours,” Zuko replied - gravely, yet quietly, as he didn’t want to upset the kids. “Certainly not for mine.”
Katara glared. Mai smiled, and asked for a second helping.
Zuko swallowed the last of his fish, and stared miserably at the plate.
“Do you know if there’s anything good for breakfast?” he asked his daughter now. “Something your Daddy could eat?”
Kimi pondered the question for a long moment.
“Eggs,” she said finally. “Scrambled.”
Zuko brightened up considerably. Scrambled eggs were probably his favourite meal here, although he resolved not to ask what kind of meat was used for flavour, so as not to get unnecessarily traumatised.
There was just one small thing to find out, then.
“So is there anyone else coming, or is it just us?” he inquired.
“Us,” his daughter said, tugging Zuko’s hand to make him go faster. “With Grea-n’ma.”
“And your Grandpa Hakoda?”
“He eat and goooo. Fish-fish,” Kimi explained emphatically, and then looked up at him with a frown. “Daddy miss Gran’pa leave. Daddy sleep long.”
“That one wasn’t premeditated,” Zuko sighed, and, upon Kimi’s further frown, said, “Planned. ”
When Mitsuko and Keiko were two-and-a-half, they would talk and talk, incessantly, all day long, to each other and to everyone around. At the same age, Naoki was less gregarious, but he did have a few chosen people with whom he shared his thoughts. In contrast, Kimi was still a child of few words, and spoke mostly when talked to; Zuko suspected it had to do with her siblings being overly expressive.
By the time they reached the small cottage, everyone was almost finished eating. Even still, Zuko was greeted warmly, and offered his scrambled eggs and tea without any fuss.
“We’re going to build a snow castle today,” Mitsuko declared. “Like ours in the South.”
“That’ll be a lot of work,” Zuko observed. “All the towers and bridges.”
“All the kids will help us,” Mitsuko said, absolutely self-assured. “There are some waterbenders, so it won’t be that difficult.”
Keiko rolled her eyes a little.
“Stupid castle,” she said.
“She wanted to put up a likeness of Ba Sing Se,” Mitsuko explained.
Zuko considered this while chewing on the last mouthful of his breakfast.
“Maybe try the Boiling Rock,” he said at last. “It’ll be simpler than the southern castle.”
He didn’t expect them to agree at once; this wasn’t how his older daughters worked. Sure enough, not a minute passed before they started to debate their enterprise between themselves once again, excluding Zuko from the argument. Over at the opposite corner of the table, Naoki was deep into conversation with his Great-Gran-Gran, paying no attention to the presence of his father.
Katara and Mai were sitting at the side of the table, the latter now holding Kimi up in her lap, and playing with the girl’s dark-brown hair.
“How did you sleep?” Katara asked, moving closer to Zuko to give him a brief kiss. “How do you feel about taking a walk with us?”
Zuko thought about the cold outside, and then saw the look on his wife’s face.
“No is not an option, is it?” he asked.
Mai chuckled.
“The Winter Solstice celebration is tonight,” she reminded him. “Do you know what that means?”
“More hanging outside in this lovely temperature,” Zuko guessed.
“That’s right. Gather your strengths, Fire Lord.”
Zuko realized that this was going to be another very long day.
*
Spending time at the South Pole was never particularly easy for Zuko. In addition to the terrible weather conditions and the inedible food, there was also a vast selection of people who detested Zuko for all the reasons imaginable.
To nobody’s surprise, Hakoda disliked his son-in-law vehemently and consequently. Zuko, after a thorough consideration, decided that the reasons for that state of affairs were manifold, and owed to his own character, Hakoda’s relationship with his daughter, and all the good and bad things that Fire Nation, both in general and in his person, had done, was doing, and would do towards the Southern Water Tribe.
Katara’s grandmother was a little fonder of Zuko than her son; Zuko had a strong suspicion that it was mostly due to the fact that the old lady was more acutely conscious of Zuko’s role in the conception of Katara’s babies. That Hakoda treated both Katara’s and Mai’s children with equal, grandfatherly affection first made Zuko relieved, and then, combined with Hakoda’s attitude towards him, caused him to wonder whether his father-in-law believed in parthenogenesis, or merely ascribed to Azula’s ideas about the role of the man in making babies.
“Does Mai resemble your mother?” he asked Katara once, when he was still trying to figure out why Hakoda only took exception to one of his daughter’s spouses.
Katara narrowed her eyes.
“No,” she said after a heavy pause. “Neither Mai nor Bato resemble my mother. But I do.”
“Oh.”
“Yes.”
“So there’s a chance your mother wouldn’t have hated me,” Zuko reflected; whether it was his statement or his tone, it made Katara smile.
“She probably wouldn’t,” she said, leaning over to kiss Zuko. “She might have even appreciated your good looks.”
Zuko then nodded gravely; from Mai and Katara’s teasing - as well as his own observations - he noticed quite plainly that the Southern Water Tribe girls and women were, in general, rather fond of him. It wasn’t anything he was unused too, and, in fact, nothing too remarkable.
On returning from the walk, Zuko was almost immediately called into Katara’s grandmother’s cottage for lunch.
“You should eat more,” Kanna declared, putting a bowl of fish soup in front of Zuko. “You’re so thin, it’s no wonder you’re cold all the time.”
Zuko looked at the soup in absolute desolation. The South Pole food wasn’t doing him any favours.
“I think I’ve already put on weight,” he volunteered meekly.
“Do you only fit into three sweaters under your fur?” Pakku asked, his smile almost cruel . “Your Grace.”
“Four and a thin tunic,” Zuko said.
“I thought you looked more robust in the past, Zuko,” Kanna continued. “You should really take better care of yourself. You know that your being in a good condition makes for healthy children.”
“They are in perfect health,” Zuko replied, pretending not to understand her meaning. Katara had warned him that her grandmother would be doing her best to push them towards further procreation; he had had more than enough chances to see that prediction coming true.
Kanna clicked her tongue in her mouth.
“There’s always enough for a second helping,” she said. “Eat, eat. You need to make the girls happy.”
This time, Zuko almost choked on his soup.
“And the firebending probably requires a lot of energy,” Pakku added, still smiling.
Zuko stared wordlessly into his bowl, before deciding to try and eat the soup despite its unappetizing looks.
On their way South Katara suggested that they refrain from excessive firebending while at the South Pole, especially when in public.
“Actually,” she told Zuko later on, “You shouldn’t firebend at all, unless we are all on our own, preferably in bed.”
Zuko scowled.
“I can’t tell, they might think it’s cute when it’s the children bending fire, but when it comes to you-” Katara stopped, and kissed Zuko’s ear.
“Yes?”
“You know, they still remember you from when you came down here haunting the Avatar,” she remarked, running her hand over Zuko’s chest. “And they still see you as that ruthless guy, not a cuddly family man.”
“That was almost fourteen years ago!” Zuko protested.
“Should have changed your name upon ascension to the throne,” Mai said.
“Azula used to be much worse than me,” Zuko complained. “Why isn’t she universally hated?”
“The South Pole isn’t universally,” Katara exclaimed at once.
“They’re not very fond of her in the Earth Kingdom,” Mai added. “You know, after Ba Sing Se. They might even detest her more than the Water Tribe does you.”
“Clearly, you should’ve both gone for girls from the Fire Nation only,” Katara remarked. “Because Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom are out, and, oops, your grandfather managed to kill off all Air Nomads.”
“That’s really not my fault.”
Katara sighed.
“Oh, darling, darling Zuko,” she said. “If you still believe in people judging you absolutely fairly and for your own merits or deeds-”
“Yes?” Zuko asked dryly.
“-maybe you should give the crown to Azula after all.”
In response, Zuko fumed, making them both laugh, and then attempt to smother him with kisses.
*
The Winter Solstice celebrations were in full swing, the children running around and playing in the snow, the waterbenders of both tribes (and Katara) performing complicated feats of bending, some people dancing, some chatting and eating by the tables.
Zuko, feeling a complete outsider in this merry crowd, escaped his place of honour at the main table as soon as he was able to, and chose to sit down on a log at the outskirt of the party, spreading the atmosphere of gloom into the night.
It was some time - and many miserable thoughts - later that he saw Mai also leave the crowd, and come towards him, a rather inscrutable look on her face.
She soon sat down by Zuko’s side, carefully arranging her long fur around her.
“Your hands are cold,” she exclaimed. “Why don’t you warm them?”
“Katara did ask us not to firebend,” Zuko reminded her.
“Well, they can’t tell that you firebend if they see no flames,” Mai stated soberly.
“They can’t, but it wouldn’t be honourable,” Zuko explained. Mai rolled her eyes.
“Fuck honourable,” she said. “Warm up your hands, Zuko. Now.”
Obediently, Zuko bent the fire right under his skin, until the persistent cold gave way to a much higher temperature. Mai took this as a cue to slide her hands between his, and let out a small sigh upon feeling the warmth.
“That’s much better,” she murmured, snuggling closer to Zuko.
They sat in silence for a while, looking at the partying crowd.
“You should get up there with Hakoda, Pakku, and the rest of the wise leaders,” Mai suggested finally, nudging Zuko on the side.
“My uncle ought to be here instead of me,” Zuko replied, sounding gloomy. “He’d have given everybody tea, led a makeshift orchestra, and by now everyone would’ve been utterly charmed.”
“Well, I’m here to charm,” Mai said, stroking his arm. “The spawn can make an orchestra, if you’d really like them to. Mitsuko and Keiko will be delighted to dig out their instruments. So that leaves the tea.”
Zuko mumbled something about that tea from him wouldn’t be accepted anyway; Mai looked at him thoughtfully, still stroking his arm.
“Do you want me to tell you what you could do, here?” she asked.
Zuko shrugged.
“I think that you should talk to Hakoda,” Mai said in a low voice. “Tell him that you’d like to slowly diminish the money subsidies we give to the Southern Water Tribe, and to establish with him the best pace to do so.”
Zuko gave her a look of uttermost surprise.
“We don’t need to stop the financial help altogether,” Mai continued. “Just pretend that it’s not official, but comes from Katara’s private money, something like that.”
“Alright,” Zuko said, impatiently. “But why? Did they say something to you?”
Mai shook her head.
“They didn’t. But from what I see, they seem pretty uncomfortable with getting so much money from us,” she paused. “I think that they might feel as if they were a Fire Nation colony.”
“Huh.”
“Well, Hakoda does seem to value independence, doesn’t he,” Mai pointed out. “He doesn’t really like being coddled.”
The mental image of their father-in-law being coddled made them both chuckle. Zuko then kissed Mai deeply, and sat up straighter.
“I could talk with him, I suppose,” he said.
Katara, laughing, ran out of the throng of the waterbenders, and approached her spouses.
“I’m exhausted,” she announced, making Zuko and Mai move to the sides before she collapsed between them. “I’m too old for this.”
Laughing, Mai kissed her on the cheek.
“You seemed quite amazing,” Zuko said, embracing Katara’s waist.
“Oh, I was,” Katara declared, snuggling close. “What about you? Aren’t you cold?”
“Zuko put on the heating,” Mai replied in a whisper. “So we’re all nice and cosy.”
“Clever,” Katara said, and smiled. “We can leave soon, I think. The obligatory parts are almost over, and it’ll be all drinking and fish-eating from now on.”
“Let’s gather the spawn, then,” Mai agreed. “They should sleep beautifully after all the exertion.”
They got up, shaking the excessive snow off their boots and clothes, and headed off to find their children.
*
When they first arrived at the South Pole a week earlier, they were offered three separate cottages to sleep in. One of these - though by no means the largest - was supposedly for Zuko’s use; Mai and Katara got the other one, while the children were to sleep in the last hut.
Obviously, nobody paid any heed to these designations. On the first evening, Zuko installed himself in his wives’ cottage, commented on the softness of the fur covering the bed (and now also him), and remained there. Kimi and Naoki immediately took to jumping and rolling all over the bed, and continued to do so for several minutes, until a disagreement over the order of jumping made them break into water- and firebending, and then resulted in shouting and crying. A minute later, Mai was lifting one off the bed, and Zuko holding the other.
“Mummy, can we sleep in Daddy’s hut?” Keiko asked upon suddenly realizing that one cottage would be unused.
“On your own?” Katara said, hesitating. There were two nannies - one Fire Nation, one Water Tribe - who were going to sleep in the children’s hut; both Katara and Zuko wondered if they shouldn’t find one more girl to watch over the kids at nights.
“We are eight,” Keiko replied. “Well, almost.”
“And you said we were safe here,” Mitsuko added.
“You can sleep there for one night,” Katara deemed finally. “And then we’ll see how you have behaved.”
This was, as they’d had many a chance to see, a surprisingly good way of dealing with their older two daughters, at this point in their lives increasingly keen to appear mature and responsible in front of the adults. They managed to keep to Katara’s condition, and it was at their separate cottage where Zuko tucked them in after the Winter Solstice celebrations.
As for Zuko, he found himself missing the constant access to bathroom facilities more than he would have expected to.
“Maybe your father is right,” he remarked to Katara, when they were washing quickly by the entrance to the cottage, with the help of two buckets, snow from the outside, and their respective bending powers. “I have grown too comfortable.”
“We certainly aren’t complaining,” Mai said, hugging him from the behind, her hand on Zuko’s collarbone. She kissed him on the back, below his nape, and rested her cheek against one of his shoulder blades.
Katara laughed, stroking Zuko’s chest and stomach.
“Yes, it’s definitely nice that you bathe more frequently than once a fortnight,” she said, sliding her hand lower. “I don’t think it has anything to do with your manliness.”
Zuko inhaled sharply.
Mai took a step back.
“Bed?” she suggested.
“Mmm.” Naked, Katara made her way towards the bed, pulled back the covers, and laid right in the middle on her back. “I still feel quite tired, actually. Why don’t you come take care of me?”
Mai smiled, and climbed the bed after her.
“Aren’t you spoiled?” she asked, straddling Katara’s hips, and then leaning to kiss her. Zuko watched them kiss and touch for a moment, all his blood flowing downwards, before sitting down on the side of the bed.
They went slow, slower than Zuko would have liked, stroking, touching, rubbing and grinding against one another, making him wait his turn. They were gorgeous, the hands and fingers on breasts, breasts against breasts, stomach against stomach, and, where he wasn't quite able to see, pussy against pussy. They were, without any doubt or change for over a decade now, the most beautiful, sexiest women of his world, and sometimes, watching them could almost be a torture.
He suspected they were well aware of that.
Katara came first, with Mai’s hand between her legs, making soft noises of pleasure. Mai kissed her for a while, before turning towards Zuko. Hastily, he moved to touch Mai, pushing her against the pillow while kissing her eagerly. She was soaking wet, and they both moaned when Zuko entered her. Neither took very long at that point; not more than a few minutes later, Mai shivered and came, and Zuko followed her right after, and lay atop of her for a good moment, breathing shallowly.
After that moment, he realized that he was cold and started to pull the covers, blankets, and furs over the three of them. Mai chuckled quietly.
“You could just make it warmer, you know,” she murmured when Zuko, clad in his nightwear, laid down at her side.
“I’d rather not burn the whole thing down in my sleep,” he whispered, causing Katara to lift her head off the pillow.
“I knew we shouldn’t allow girls to sleep by themselves,” she said, a note of panic to her voice.
Mai embraced her soothingly.
“Well, they don’t mind the cold as much as Zuko, do they,” she pointed out.
“I,” Zuko exclaimed with dignity, “have older bones than our children.”
They laughed, kissed, and hugged, and then, one by one, fell asleep.
*
In the morning, Zuko was up much earlier than usual, half resolved to speak with Hakoda, and half freaking out.
“Should I get him before or after breakfast?” he asked, pacing the length of the hut. His wives were still sitting in bed, taking turns combing each other’s hair.
“Before,” Mai replied. “Or you won’t be able to eat anything.”
“After,” Katara said firmly. “Dad’ll be in a better mood once he’s eaten.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t try anything at all,” Zuko exclaimed, sitting back on the bed. It was easier to make decisions and rule when in the Fire Nation, and especially on the familiar ground of the palace. There, he could glare people into submission; they were usually too afraid of his position to disobey him.
“Well, sure,” Mai countered, not looking away from doing Katara’s hair. “We can have the servants pack our things, put the engines on, and go back to the Fire Nation right this afternoon.”
“Of course, Azula’s probably right there, waiting for you,” Katara added, sounding vaguely amused. “Or should I say, your semen.”
“More pretty Zuko babies,” Mai sighed, and put up the final hair loopie. “Alright, you’re ready.”
Their matter-of-factness regarding the issue was getting on Zuko’s nerves.
“Would you really not mind?” he asked dramatically. “Me being the father of someone else’s child?”
Mai and Katara exchanged glances.
“We wouldn’t mind terribly,” Katara said. “It’s not like we would lose anything, right.”
“Also, Katara’s curious if she’d be able to perform that kind of waterbending,” Mai explained.
“If we have any reservations, they’re mostly about you being able to keep your peace of mind,” Katara added, kissing Zuko’s ear. “Should you spent the rest of your life worrying about Toph and Azula raising a child of your blood-”
“They wouldn’t be worse than most parents out there, including mine and yours,” Mai pointed out.
“There’s that.”
“And since we already have four children, Azula won’t be able to lay a claim to the throne.”
Zuko stared.
“Have you met Azula?” he asked.
“We could have official papers drawn,” Mai replied lightly. “Legally forbid her to do anything that would prevent our spawn from taking the throne.”
“She will come up with something,” Zuko said. “I know her. She will.”
“Toph will keep her in place,” Katara interjected. “And by the way, didn’t the Bei Fongs complain that they needed an heir to the estate? Maybe that’s what Azula’s setting her sights upon.”
Both Mai and Zuko went quiet for a long moment.
“As a starting point,” Katara said impatiently. “For taking over the Earth Kingdom. She does still think that Ba Sing Se should have remained yours, doesn’t she.”
Zuko remained silent. Mai raised an eyebrow.
“Do you think that Ba Sing Se should have remained Fire Nation’s?” Katara asked, sounding perturbed.
Zuko looked guiltily at the clay floor.
“You do. Oh dear spirits,” Katara said in disbelief. “My husband is a power-hungry tyrant after all.”
“You wish.”
“Could be really hot, every now and then,” Mai remarked. Zuko leaned to kiss her, and then sighed deeply.
“But what about the public?” he asked. “They would want to know who the father is.”
Mai shrugged.
“They’d just assume Toph and Azula found themselves a lover,” she said. “Or that the rumours were true and Azula is, after all, a man.”
Zuko took a deep breath; Katara began to laugh at his expression.
“I won’t even ask,” Zuko decided, his voice dignified. “This conversation ends here.”
Mai snuggled closer to him, ran a hand through his hair, and pulled his head back to kiss him.
“Sure, husband,” she murmured. “Whatever you say.”
Zuko sighed with pleasure, ready to dismiss any and all unpleasant thoughts from his mind, when Katara stood in front of him and pulled him up by his hands.
“Time to face my father,” she said, and then her facial features soften; she embraced Zuko tightly, and they kissed for a long moment. “Don’t worry. It’ll be alright.”
Zuko sincerely doubted that, but, this time, chose not to protest.
*
If there was one thing Zuko minded about having children, it was the fact that he needed to have eyes and ears all around his head when in their company.
After the surprisingly pleasant breakfast, the children took him - and Mai, and Katara - to do some further work on their snow castle; it was, after all, to be the Boiling Rock prison.
For a while, they worked together, the kids running all around, everyone rolling and piling together the snow, except Mai, who was giving them directions. Then, however, Mitsuko and Keiko recalled that they had wanted to skate on that day, and promptly ran off, barely remembering to ask for permission.
“There’ll be someone to watch over them,” Katara said soothingly upon noticing Zuko’s look.
With some help from Naoki, Zuko finished forming the volcanic crater around the prison, telling his son about the scorching temperature of the water, and the escape they designed with Sokka.
“Together with your Uncle Sokka, we broke your Grandpa Hakoda out,” he explained. “But it wouldn’t’ve been possible without your Mum’s help.”
“Yeah, I spent a month in prison afterwards,” Mai said, her hands on her hips. “No hard feelings, though.”
Naoki looked at her, his eyes wide.
“Why were you in prison, Mummy?”
“I did something that wasn’t very clever,” Mai replied, looking tenderly at Zuko. “But it did work out well, in the end.”
Zuko pulled her close and kissed her face, cold from the frost.
“Do Mitsu and Keiko know? I have to tell them,” Naoki said impatiently.
“Take Kimi,” Katara told him. “She’ll make you some ice for better skating.”
Appearing very concerned, Naoki nodded solemnly; he took Kimi by the hand, and they walked away together, watched closely by their parents.
“I’m glad you reached some conclusions with my father,” Katara said, putting Zuko’s arm around her waist. “Maybe you’ll get along better from now on.”
“Well, they haven’t been getting along so badly, really,” Mai remarked. “Since they have been mostly avoiding each other, and grumbling when in private.”
In a leisurely step, they made to follow their younger children.
“Probably better than me and your parents, yes,” Katara agreed. “And Zuko doesn’t meet my Dad too often, luckily.”
“I’ll have some official papers drawn,” Zuko said. “About Fire Nation and the Southern Water Tribe. And then yes, it should be easier, for some time.”
“Oh Zuko, you’re such an optimist,” Mai murmured.
“I say, let’s spend the next holiday on the Ember Island,” Katara suggested, as they approached the sea, frozen solid apart from a passage for the ships. “I’m not that used to the winters here anymore.”
Zuko laughed, and kissed her.
They were interrupted by their children, this time running in their direction.
“Grandpa Hakoda says there’s a ship coming towards us,” Naoki said, breathless, almost bumping into Mai.
“It’s Aunt Azula,” Mitsuko added knowledgeably. “I recognized the banner.”
“She’s never been here before, has she, Mum?” Keiko asked Katara. “Will she know that she shouldn’t firebend?”
“And can we send her back if she does?” Zuko said under his breath. Mai shot him a warning look.
“Azula’s coming, how nice,” Katara said, briefly making a face. “We’ll have a family get-together.”
“We can deal with her,” Mai stated calmly. “What do you think, Zuko?”
Zuko thought about his long days of braving the cold and the fish, and the assorted Water Tribers, and about his morning conversation with Hakoda, and felt a little more confident about talking with his sister.
“I suppose we can,” he said, morosely.
Katara snuggled still closer to him on the one side, and Mai held his hand. Zuko attempted a brave face.
Even the falling snow wasn’t able to break his resolve.