“The store is closed,” Zuko says.
Zuko and Katara worked together at the Jasmine Dragon.
Aang and Toph frequented the tiny cafe to study.
Iroh ran it and Katara’s brother had just come back from college.
He was going to visit the cafe today.
Unfortunately for Zuko, he wasn’t paying attention to his customer because if he was, he would have realized he had a striking resemblance to Katara.
“Sokka!” Katara screeches from behind Zuko, causing him to slip from the counter and flinch from her volume.
“Nice see you again, Sokka!” Aang said, beaming.
“Snoozles,” Toph greets.
Sokka grins. “Katara. Toph. Aang. Pretty boy.”
Sokka leans across the counter.
He was on his forearms and just barely was taller than Zuko.
Zuko flushes as he realized he most likely barely made it to this man’s shoulders.
And he wasn’t exactly lacking muscles anywhere.
Not that Zuko looked.
“Sokka, you’ve gotten tall,” Aang notes.
“6’5,” Sokka said with pride. “An inch taller than dad.”
“Aw, man,” Aang complains. “I’m 6’3.”
Katara snorts. “I think your height is fine.”
Zuko nods in agreement.
Both him and Katara were at 5’7 and poor Toph was 5’4.
“What’s your name?” Sokka asks Zuko.
“Zuko,” Zuko responds.
“Zuko. A pretty name for a gorgeous guy,” Sokka compliments with a smirk.
Zuko smiles sweetly. “Can I get you something? Because I would love for you to get me some personal space.”
“RIP Sokka, 2k20,” Toph cackles.
Sokka seemed unaffected though. “Mango boba tea, please.”
Zuko left to go make it.
“Real smooth, Sokka,” Katara deadpans.
Sokka looks around bewildered. “When you said you worked with a really nice and pretty personality, I’d didn’t know you meant he was fucking gorgeous with the nicest ass I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing.”
Zuko flushed before violently making the boba.
He gives it to Sokka.
“Can I have your number?” Sokka asks.
Zuko sighs. “Well, it’s me or Katara that’s gonna give it to you so whatever.”
He quickly types in his number and hands Sokka’s phone back to him.
“Sokka redemption arc!” Aang says, slapping the counter.
Toph shrugged. “Zuko being dominant for once in his life was pretty funny.”
Aang waggles his eyebrows. “Is this from experience?”
Zuko chokes on air.
He literally babysat Toph and thought of her as a baby sister.
“He literally radiates bottom energy. And his gayness is off the charts. So, no,” Toph responds dryly.
Zuko sputters. “I do not!”
Katara turns to looks at Zuko. “So are you saying you aren’t a bottom?”
Zuko’s face flames. “That’s not the point!”
Azula and Lu Ten choose that moment to walk through the door.
“Un-fucking-believable. Bitch fucking-” Azula rants until she realizes that Sokka is there.
“Azula, Lu Ten,” Sokka cheers.
Azula’s lips curl in distaste. “Peasant.”
“Sokka,” Lu Ten says, amused by Azula’s hostility.
Sokka laughs and hugs her and Lu Ten.
To everyone’s surprise, Azula doesn’t flinch away but instead pats Sokka’s head.
“Let me go, stupid,” Azula snaps.
But it was more fond than anything.
“How do you two know each other?” Zuko asks.
Azula looks at him incredulously. “He was your best friend as a child.”
Zuko and Sokka both do a double-take. “What!?”
Sokka then waves between the two. “Then why do I remember you but not him?”
Azula shrugs.
Zuko buries his face in his arms and Katara pats his back comfortingly.
Lu Ten then lets a Cheshire grin make its way onto his face. “The two of you said that you loved each other and would get married. Zuko said yes, Sokka.”
Zuko lets out a despairing wail as Aang chokes on his laughter as Toph collapses.
Katara was tearing up with how hard she was laughing.
Sokka nods seriously. “Who can resist my charms?”
Zuko slowly melts to the floor.
Azula just chuckles. “Let’s go, Zuzu. We’re going to Kwongs with Mai and Ty Lee. You are coming because you always forget to eat, you imbecile.”
“But, Lala,” Zuko whines. “I’ll eat, just don’t make me a fourth wheel.”
Sokka snorts and covers it with a cough when Azula glares at him.
Lu Ten pretends to clear his throat but ends up laughing when Azula elbows him.
“Don’t call me that, and Katara?” Azula asks.
Katara salutes at her. “Movie night with extra food shoved down Zuko’s throat, ma’am.”
Azula nods, seeming to be satisfied with this answer.
“See ya, Zuzu, tell uncle I said hello and send my love. Hope you die, water boy,” Azula calls as she leaves.
Lu Ten snickers. “Let me go change. I’ll take the morning shift tomorrow.”
“Love you and thank you,” Zuko mutters weakly from the floor.
“Let’s go!” Toph declares.
“Uncle!” Zuko calls.
“Yes, Zuko?” Iroh asks, coming out from behind the shop.
“Movie night and Lu Ten’s here,” Aang explains.
Iroh laughs boisterously. “Of course, nephew! No need to ask! Go right ahead! And Lu Ten! Do the dishes.”
“Thank you, uncle!” Zuko says as Lu Ten groans.
Katara ushers him into the changing room so they could get out of their uniforms.
There were stalls but the two of them had seen each other without clothes before so they just stripped in front of each other.
They were literally raised together, after all.
Kya and Ursa had been close but Ozai and Hakoda always traveled.
Azula, Katara, Zuko, and Sokka were very close when they were young.
But then Hakoda left and took a 3 year Sokka with him to see the world.
They visited home often and were never gone for too long though.
But that stopped after Sokka turned 9.
Hakoda met a man named Bato and things started off great.
Kya didn’t mind.
To be honest, she was falling a bit for Ursa and Ozai.
So Kya moved in with Ursa and Ozai when Katara and Zuko were 8 and Azula was 9 after the three adults had established a proper relationship.
Azula and Zuko quickly integrated Katara into their family.
It wasn’t hard given the fact they spent every day, all day together anyway.
Ozai took to being like Katara’s father and Katara could tell you right now that she would never be anywhere without him.
On several occasions, Katara had slipped and called Ozai ‘Dad’ to which he laughed it off and said, “I truly don't mind you calling me that.” Until Katara finally agreed and called him dad.
They met Aang in preschool with Gyatso.
Apparently Ozai and Gyatso had been extremely close in high school so slowly Aang became a part of their family too.
They met Toph later at an event Ozai was hosting when they were 7.
Suki was another close friend of theirs but she was off with their other friend, Yue, exploring the arctic.
Suki and Yue had come in when they were in third grade.
Mai and Ty Lee were the daughters of very close business owners to Ozai.
Later they learned they were abusive when the two girls were 10 and Kya grew emotionally attached to them after Ozai threw their parents in prison.
There was never a legal adoption but they were raised side by side.
Aang and Katara started dating the same time Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee started, in seventh grade.
Iroh was more like their therapist than anything.
Anyone had a problem, they go went to him first.
No questions asked, they just did.
And Lu Ten?
He was like the scary big brother that no one asks for but everyone secretly loves.
Lu Ten was the one that outed Jet for cheating on Katara,
They were all one big dysfunctional disaster.
But they were family.
And nothing could ever change that.
“Fucking hell, it’s hot,” Sokka groaned, throwing off his shirt.
Aang nods in agreement.
Everyone was cramped on Zuko’s bed without shirts under the fan.
“Why is it so hot here?” Sokka questioned.
Toph flicks a popcorn kernel at him. “Not our fault you lived in Alaska.”
Sokka catches it in his mouth.
“Sokka, 2. Toph, 0,” Aang says, fist-bumping him.
Toph sticks out her tongue in his general direction.
Zuko grabs the remote and plays Umbrella Academy.
The second the first line is said, Appa and Momo burst through the door.
“Noooooo,” Katara wailed as Momo took her spot on top of Zuko.
“Jesus, Appa, slow down,” Aang laughed as the furry dog jumped onto bed with them.
“One day my bed will break,” Zuko threatens.
“How tragic,” a voice calls.
Ursa stood in the doorway with Kya by her side.
Kay seemed to be holding a picture frame.
“What’s that, mom?” Zuko asks Kya.
Zuko has given up on stuttering over accidentally calling Kya mom.
Kya grins and shows them the picture.
The gaang tries not to gape.
It was the exact scene as they were right now but they were much younger.
Appa and Momo were just a puppy and a kitten and the rest were still little kids.
Suki, Yue, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee were also there though.
“We should call Suki and Yue home soon,” Ursa notes.
“They’re coming next week,” Ozai says.
Katara sits up, gasping. “You didn’t.”
Ozai smiles. “I did.”
Katara squeals and jumps out of bed to go hug him.
Ozai laughs but gladly accepts.
Toph and Aang let out whines of displeasure of being moved.
“I can pick them up from the airport,” Aang says, face smushed in the mattress under him.
“I’ll be there. It’s been a while since I’ve spoken to Suki. Or Yue,” Sokka says.
“Or anyone,” Zuko supplies.
“Zuko,” a voice chides.
“Sorry, Gyatso,” Zuko says.
The monk chuckles but drops off 2 bags at the door. “Your food arrived.”
Toph stomach rumbles at that exact time.
“My sentiment exactly,” Katara declares, grabbing the bags and getting onto the bed.
“You will choke and die and I will be saying I told you at your funeral,” Ursa warns as Zuko chucks a peanut at Aang to have him catch it.
“Bet you can’t do 10 in a row,” Hakoda says.
Katara smiles at the man, not making a move to go hug him.
It had been 8 years since he had gotten a new boyfriend and never visited.
Katara had declared only Ozai got dad hugs.
Ozai would never admit to it, but it boosted his ego a significant amount.
“Dad!” Sokka scolds. “They can do way more than that!”
Bato snorts. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Katara tenses slightly.
Only Zuko notices because he’s literally laying on top of her while eating Chinese take-out.
“Katara, this is Bato,” Hakoda introduces.
“Nice to meet you,” Katara greets.
Bato smiles warmly. “Same to you.”
“Ok, everyone that has significant political power, out. My room can barely hand the overgrown children that lay pilage to it anyways,” Zuko scolds, shooing every adult out.
The adults laugh but leave.
Ozai pokes his head in through the door though. “Katara, I’ll give you intel on Bato.”
“Thank you, Fire Lord,” Katara said, keeping up the somber facade.
Ozai winks at her before leaving.
When they were kids, they would play games about 4 nations.
Each nation had benders of a certain element: Earth, Air, Water, and Fire.
Ozai was Fire Lord with Ursa as his Fire Lady.
They insisted Kya was the leader of the Southern Water Tribe as a forbidden romance.
Iroh was a mighty fire nation General and Lu Ten was his right-hand man.
Azula and Zuko were firebenders and Katara was a waterbender.
Toph was Earth and Aang was the Avatar, the only one who could master all 4 elements.
Gyatso was an air sage with air bending and Yue was the moon spirit.
Suki was a Kyoshi warrior who fought with fans.
Kyoshi was the name of her old karate instructor before she passed in a car accident.
Sokka was also a non-bender but fought with a boomerang.
Ty Lee was a chi-blocking gymnast, and Mai was deadly with any blade.
They never really grew out of the nicknames so they stuck with them.
In all honesty, it affected a lot of their clothing choices.
Soak turns to look at Katara. “You don’t like Bato?”
Katara was a bit miffed. “I’ve never met the man before daddy dearest decided to marry him and leave mom.”
“But mom was happy,” Sokka says.
“Everyone mourns, Sokka,” Katara snaps.
There was an uncomfortable silence till Toph finally says, “I need to take a piss.”
Zuko wrinkles his nose. “TMI, Toph, TMI.”
Toph shrugs but gets to the bathroom.
Appa licks Katara’s face.
“Appa, no! I’m eating,” Katara feebly protests.
The rest of the night drone son before they start playing ‘fuck, kill, marry’.
They grew out of kissing and into fucking because it was more extreme.
“Fuck Katara, kill Jet, and marry Haru,” Zuko decides.
“Why not marry Katara?” Sokka asks.
Zuko’s nose wrinkles in distaste. “Ew. First of all, Katara is literally like my sister. Second of all, I’m gay as fuck and Haru is pretty damn hot so….”
Sokka blinks and looks around. “Is anyone here straight or normal?”
Toph cracks her knuckles. “Nah. I’m gay, Zuko’s gay, Suki’s gay, Yue’s gay, Mai’s gay, Ty Lee’s gay, Azula’s gay, everyone’s gay.”
Katara rolls her eyes. “I’m bi like you, Sokka, Lu Ten’s poly like Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee and Aang’s pan.”
“Huh. Never miss pride, huh?” Sokka asks.
The gaang explodes with laughter.
“He doesn’t even know,” Aang wheezed.
Toph falls off the bed cackling.
Zuko stumbles over to one of the many doors in his room and it opens a closet.
Not just any closet though.
It had anything and everything anyone could wear to pride.
Baggy sweatshirts tie-dyed rainbow, at least 50 capes with different LGBTQ+ flags on each, colorful makeup, and a bunch of other stuff.
“Wow,” Sokka says. “You guys go all out.”
“‘Finish what you start, bitch’. That’s my motto,” Toph says.
Katara suddenly perks up. “I know! Let’s all go to the beach tomorrow! A bonding activity, sort of.”
“I’m down,” Aang says.
“Let’s,” Zuko agrees.
“I suppose,” Toph acquiesced.
Before Sokka can respond, Ozai comes barreling into the room and practically jumps into the still open pride closet and shuts the door.
“Sir?” Sokka asked, incredibly confused.
“Shhh. I accidentally dropped one of the pieces in Ursa’s favorite china. I need to hide for my life,” Ozai whispers through the door.
Katara scrambles to the door and shuts it, locking the three different locks there were.
“Ozai, I know you’re in there!” Ursa yells from the other side.
Zuko turns to help Katara barricade the door.
Toph and Aang take defensive stances in front of the closet.
Sokka stood in the middle, incredibly amused at the group.
He’s gotta admit, they’re one nice family.
***
“No!” Katara screamed as she fell off of Ozai’s shoulders.
“Rematch!” Ozai declares, helping Katara up.
“Aw, yeah!” Toph cackles from Aang’s shoulders.
The four had been chicken fighting and Ozai and Katara kept failing.
They were at their private beach at Ember Island.
Ursa and Kya were laughing and cooking.
Ty Lee, Mai, and Azula were playing a game of volleyball.
Gyatso was meditating with Appa and Momo.
Iroh and Lu Ten were playing a game of Pai Sho against Hakoda and Bato.
And that left Sokka and Zuko.
Laying alone under the umbrella were Zuko and Sokka.
Zuko groans. “I’m gonna have a sunburn worse than dad’s cooking.”
“I resent that!” Ozai yells, then tripping and falling into the water after Aang trips him.
“Cheater!” Katara screeches, falling face-first into the water.
“All’s fair in love and war,” Aang declares.
Katara drags him under by the leg and Toph collapses with them.
“I’m drowning! Sugar Queen, save me!” Toph cried dramatically.
“Toph, you’re barely under, shut up,” Zuko called from shore.
“Zuzu’s got nerve,” Azula teases.
“Lala’s got no game,” Zuko shot back.
“He’s not wrong,” Ty Lee said, eyes sparkling with laughter.
Azula looks at her betrayed. “Who’s side are you on?”
Mai snickers. “The one that’s right.”
“Haha, very funny,” Azula deadpans.
“Oxygen, how I’ve missed you,” Aang wheezes, finally resurfacing.
“There is oxygen underwater too, Aang,” Gyatso calls.
“Not my point!” Aang yells.
Sokka watched the scene, amused.
When he looked over to Hakoda and Bato, he realized they were thinking the same thing.
These people were so different.
In Alaska, you were really close with tribes but not this close.
These people met every day.
Katara and Azula bantered.
Ozai and Gyatso trusted each other with their lives.
Iroh and Toph had mini therapy lessons.
Zuko and Mai had some weird, ‘let's be depressed together’ relationship.
But everyone had some relation.
And it was honestly kind of nice.
Sokka couldn’t wait to tell everyone they were moving back here.
“Lunch!” Kya calls.
Everyone rushes over but Zuko.
Sokka looks down at him. “Not hungry?”
Zuko shakes his head.
Sokka stands but he feels two legs wrap around his waist and two arms around his shoulder.
He feels the corner of his lips quirk up. “Can I help you?”
“You’re warm. You don’t get to leave unless you carry me,” Zuko murmurs, half asleep.
Sokka chuckles. “Fine.”
He turns around and picks up Zuko in his arms with such ease, it seems effortless.
“Zuko?” Katara asked, holding back laughter.
“He’s warm, ok? Shut the fuck up,” Zuko snaps from where he was holding onto Sokka.
“Ok, down,” Sokka says letting go.
To everyone’s surprise, Zuko stayed on Sokka, clinging onto him like a monkey.
“Weak ass,” Zuko says, eyes closed.
“Reminds me of someone I know,” Ozai said pretending to think.
Kya hits him in the back of the head with a stack of paper plates.
Ozai laughs and presses a kiss to the tip of Kya’s nose.
Zuko slowly slips off of Sokka grasp and sinks to the floor dramatically. “I won’t make it. Go on without me.”
Toph shrugs. “Guess the Hot Cheetos are mine.”
“TOPH, YOU MOTHERFU-”
***
“Suki! Yue!” The gaang screeches, running to the two women in the airport.
The two women laugh as they are tackled with hugs.
“Suki, we missed you!” Katara said.
“No love?” Yue teases.
“Shut up and hug,” Aang said.
“Jesus, Sokka, Aang, you guys are trees,” Suki said in awe as Aang and Sokka clearly puff out their chests in pride. “And Toph….you’re still tiny.”
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” Toph mutters.
Zuko snickers.
Once everyone pulls away, Suki smiles at Sokka.
“It’s nice to see you again after all these years,” Suki says warmly.
Sokka grins. “Never realized how much I missed you and Yue.”
“Oh! We should go to the beach this weekend,” Yue recommends.
Toph nods. “We went to the beach last week. Water was perfect.”
Aang snorts. “How the hell would you know? You wouldn’t go in it.”
“Sugar Queen tried to drown me!” Toph accused.
“I did not!” Katara says defensively.
“Doesn’t matter, Toph didn’t die, Katara didn’t die, no collateral damage,” Zuko said, slightly irritated.
Suddenly Ozai comes up to them.
But instead of a smile his face was ashen.
Cold, broken, and distant.
“Ozai?” Suki asked, clearly concerned.
Ozai swallowed thickly.
He clears his throat.
“Iroh and Lu Ten got caught in a car accident. Lu Ten,,, didn’t make it,” Ozai says.
And instead of his loud voice, it was quiet and renounced.
Everyone in the room’s heart shattered.
They all loved Lu Ten but Ozai?
That was his brother that almost died.
But now, Iroh was going through so much worse than death.
Loss and pain and misery would cloud Iroh.
And Ozai would have to watch from the sidelines, praying to god that Iroh would be able to piece himself together with the help they were going to give him.
But they could only do so much.
And a part of Ozai broke that day.
He never smiled as wide, he never laughed as loud.
His eyes that once shone like the sun had now dimmed.
His elegant posture was now slightly slouched.
And his way of speaking?
It was cold.
It was emotionless.
Yet still it held so much power.
And in time he would be better.
But for right now?
Nothing was looking too good.
***
“Zuko?” Sokka asks gently, opening the door to his room.
Aang was with Katara and Suki and Yue were consoling Toph while grieving themselves.
Sokka enters the room and sees a hunched form under the covers.
“Go away, Sokka,” Zuko murmurs.
Sokka’s heart breaks hearing his wavering voice.
He sits at the end of the bed.
Sokka bites his lip.
He wasn’t good with talking.
So he was going to do the next best thing.
Sokka crawls under the covers and doesn’t say a word.
He carefully maneuvers Zuko so that he’s in his arms and Sokka envelops the shorter boy.
And the dam burst.
“He - Lu Ten - gone - Uncle - not talking - dad,” Zuko sobbed, unable to keep it in.
Sokka doesn't do anything, just hold him impossibly tighter, praying that things would get better soon.
Ten Years Later
“Hi, Lu Ten,” Zuko says softly, sitting by the gravestone.
“It’s been 10 years. Kinda sad I’m still talking to you, huh?
Me and Sokka adopted Izumi 2 years ago. She’s so cute and smart. You would have loved her. Guess you’d probably say we’re too young for kids but we’re 28, how much longer are we gonna wait?
I forgot to tell you since we moved away 3 years ago for the wedding, but the wedding was amazing. Sokka left nothing behind and pulled out all the stops.
We’re moving back to Ember Island. We realised this was the best place to raise our kids.
Bumi, Kya, and Tenzin are absolute demons but Katara and Aang love them to pieces.
Yue and Suki adopted a little girl named Korra. She is absolutely precious but has Toph’s attitude.
Toph and Teo had a wonderful wedding too. They had two girls, Lin and Suyin. They are absolutely terrifying when they fight for Toph’s attention.
It may seem too early, but we’re adopting 2 more kids. They’re little boys that lost their parents to a fire. Their names are Mako and Bolin. We were supposed to just adopt Bolin but after seeing the bond the two had, we had to take both.
Uncle recently adopted a little girl named Asami. He wanted to help another child that lost her parents to a car accident. The two bonded really well. You would have adored Asami.
Mai, Ty Lee, and Azula used a sperm donor. Ty Lee got twins. They had a boy and named him Iroh in honor of Uncle and a girl named Opal.
Everyone is happy now and things are great.
And….I think it’s finally time for me to stop talking to you like this.
See you in the Spirit World, Lu Ten.”
And with that Zuko turned to leave.
And he never looked back.