Chapter Text
It was rare she was alone in Ba Sing Se, at least now. The rebuilding of the world had slowed ever so slightly, allowing the gang to separate at times.
Well… there had always been a degree of distance between her and the rest of the gang. Not surprising, her path was parallel for a lot of the time. It had something she had reflected on in her younger years, feeling a degree of shame and even jealousy that she didn't have the level of recognition and fame everyone else did.
Unless she was in uniform. Then things changed. Then everyone knew she was.
Now she was grateful for the anonymity. It allowed her to travel, allowed her to work for the police force in Republic City, allowed to do her White Lotus duties without issue, and do everything she wanted.
Suki sighed, tilting her head up and opening her eyes. She scanned the sky, looking for the Avatar's sky bison. She could see a small dot, moving closer as she watched.
They were meeting with King Kuei to discuss Omashu’s interrogation into the Earth Kingdom as a province once Bumi passed.
She knew Aang was struggling with Bumi getting sicker, and watched the dot in the sky get bigger. There was some grumbling and some squishing of a tail, and she looked over to see her eel hound lay down beside her, flopping on her back and sticking her feet in the air.
“What are you doing silly girl?” Suki leaned over, scratching Peaches and smiling at the pleased grumble she received. They stayed like that, enjoying each other's company and watching the sky.
It didn't take long before Appa was before them, roaring and settling in the courtyard. Aang hopped down, laughing as Momo darted over to his favorite person and curling around Suki's shoulders.
“When was the last time we went on a field trip, just the two of us?”
Suki smiled, standing from beneath the plum blossom tree and brushing her pants off. She accepted his embrace, amused as the lemur bounced between them and then hopped over to Peaches, who was nuzzling Appa happily. “I honestly can't remember.”
She pulled back, squeezing his shoulders gently. “Ready?”
Aang sighed, staring at their companion animals before looking at her. “Nope. Not at all… I'm glad you're here, truly.”
“Just focus on Bosco when you start to disassociate.”
A sharp laugh left him, though it didn't reach his eyes. “Will do.”
“Avatar Aang!” Suki chided, slamming down her chopsticks in disbelief. A few patrons of the ramen shop looked over in shock, a few half-standing to peer at the commotion - only to sit right back down as the Avatar dropped his head to his hands and sighed. Lowering her voice, she picked her chopsticks up again. “Are you kidding me? You have the most accomplished healer in your bed and the latest medicine at your fingertips!”
Aang picked up his head and glared at her despite the blush covering his face - and head. His voice was equally low. “I was gone for almost a month and she practically jumped on me when I came home! What was I supposed to do, Suki?”
Without a word Suki threw a noodle at his face from the chopsticks, amused at the lack of reaction as it plastered over his brow. “I don't know, not get knocked up before your wedding. People will figure it out!”
Aang calmly took the noodle off of his face, popping it in his mouth before picking up a dumpling. His voice was small. It was a far cry from the commanding presence a few hours ago, in the court of King Kuei. “... you think people will care?”
She sighed, leaning across the table and putting a brief hand on his wrist. “Yes… people always will… but at least the wedding is in three weeks… she isn't that far along, is she?”
“No, not really… I shouldn't even be telling you. It's really soon.” Aang finally put the dumpling in his mouth, slumping in his seat. “You're the first person I've told… haven't even told Zuko.”
“Aww, I beat the bro code? I'm touched.”
“You're spending too much time with Toph.”
“I do work with her.” Suki shoveled more food in her mouth, grinning impishly. “I do have to head to Kyoshi Island before the wedding, I have a meeting with Oyaji. We're discussing which plot of land Sokka and I will buy for the house we want to build, plus I'm observing the new potential recruits before the trials. Gran Gran and Pakku are coming to visit for a few days before you pick us up. They haven't been to Kyoshi Island in years.”
“They've been to Kyoshi… right, Gran Gran has traveled the world, I forgot about that.”
“Pakku too, though much less so.”
Aang snorted, popping another dumpling in his mouth and chewing for a moment. “That explains the stick up his ass.”
“Those are your in-laws.”
“They're your in-laws too.”
Suki rolled her eyes. “I have less standards than you, arrow head. I'm the barbarian that hasn't married Sokka or given great-grandchildren. Makes life easier.”
“You accomplish more in a month than I do in a year. Don't sell yourself short.” Aang dipped his dumpling into some sauce, thinking for a second. “I do envy you. Being able to move through life without people recognizing you, only being noticed in uniform, never staying in one place for long. It sounds wonderful.”
Suki smiled, thinking of all the adventures she'd had since meeting the Avatar and his friends. How small her world had been at sixteen, how she'd been to every corner of the world now. Most people on Kyoshi Island had been as south as the first Southern Water Tribe village, as north of maybe Omashu. Several hadn't even left the the island, or at least the circle of islands they traded with.
“It is nice, especially since being Lotus members. Everyday is different… I do envy Zuko and Toph though. They stay in the same place, with sets of laws and rules to follow every day.”
“I never thought Toph would make laws, of all people.”
She shrugged. “She has a strong sense of justice, I wasn't surprised. We all ended up the roles we should have… maybe not Katara, but - “
“You don't think Katara - “
“Aang. You know what I mean.” Suki watched the anger leave him, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She took a sip of her saki, thinking how to phrase her next words.
But before she could, the Avatar sighed.
“... Katara talks about it sometimes. Feeling like she doesn't measure up to the rest of us… that you judge her, or Mai does.” Aang shook his head, then put his chopsticks down. “Her happiness is having children, making a home. The rest of it… secondary, at least right now. Not to say she isn't passionate about certain causes but… it's not priority.”
“...I'm not judging her. We would love children too. To put some of the world's problems aside. The Spirits have made sure the former does not come to fruition.” Suki took another bite, watching Aang shift uncomfortably. Regardless, she pressed on.
“I worry that Katara will pour so much of herself into preserving your heritage she will forget herself, her own goals… you won't always be around to help that.”
“I won't let that happen.”
Suki raised her eyebrows, but before she could say anything the bells in the distance rang, signaling a change in hour. She looked down at her food, suddenly not hungry.
Aang was raising his hand, waving down a waiter to pay. He had a brief argument with the waiter who was refusing to let him pay, and she groaned.
“Let the man pay, or will you make his sister-in-law foot the bill again?”
Aang couldn't help the amused snort that came out, covering his mouth to cover the snickering, though it failed. “Well she does make more than I do, but it's the least I can do, right my good sir?”
The waiter scurried off, most likely to talk to his boss behind the counter. A few patrons looked a little alarmed, whispers and glances being shot her direction. Most of them glares, really.
“I should bring you everywhere, it's easier to get people to treat me normally when you yell at them.”
Suki smirked, draining her saki and standing. She fished around for some coins, then smirked as she was beaten to it. “There's a firework show in the lower ring tonight - if we start walking now should make it.”
“Why are you awake?”
Suki blinked, turning her head to see the Avatar come into the courtyard. She shrugged, taking a sip of her tea - well, if one could call it tea anymore. “I'm the world's worst insomniac.”
“I thought that was Zuko.” Aang smiled at the resounding snort, leaving for a moment. He came back with a second teacup, sitting down beside her and pouring some tea. He sipped it, made a face, and set it down. “Anything I can help with?”
“Just…thinking. Trying not to spiral into an endless abyss of worry.” Suki smiled at the resounding, knowing nod, sipping her tea. Their companion animals were fast asleep only paces away from them, curled around each other in a happy pile. “What about you?”
“... thinking about Omashu. Bumi… dying… I hope he makes it to meet our child.”
Suki nodded, watching the sky and the clouds moving. “Has he spoken what is ailing him?”
Aang sighed, tears gathering in his eyes. “...cancer. He… says it's been there for a few years. Has felt it growing and sapping his strength.”
He wiped his eyes, then took his tea and had a few sips. “All the advancements since I was a kid and cancer still exists. I'm the all powerful Avatar and I can't even prevent that. Or convince him to be treated.”
“...does he want to be treated?” Suki watched his expression darken, knowing they both knew the answer. “Aang… his entire family is gone. All of his friends - you're here now, but for a hundred years you weren't.”
Aang nodded, not responding. For a while they sat in silence and sipping tea. They watched the sky and the clouds move, listening to the quiet sounds of the city. It was louder in the lower rings, but they could still smell restaurants, hear people shuffling on the street, carriages pulling…
“...can I ask you something?”
Suki turned to look at her brother-in-law, a little perplexed. She set down her teacup. “Sure…but I'm not sure what the Avatar wants to do with me of all people.”
Aang snorted, raising his eyebrows over his teacup. “Please. You discredit yourself. But I could go on and on with your epithets and you'd never think you're worthy of any of them.”
“Takes one to know one, oh wise Avatar.” Suki stretched out, feeling her hips pop. She needed to see the acupuncturist again, maybe…
“Do you think I'll love our child any less if it's not an Airbender? If he or she is a Waterbender or a non-bender?”
“...yes.”
Aang froze, teacup halfway to his mouth. He set it down, staring at her. “That was a quick answer.”
Suki shrugged, glancing at him before continuing to look at the moon. “Not intentionally… but you need to rebuild an extinct nation. There are plenty of people already saying you shouldn't be marrying Katara, and not just because she's a Water Tribe whore or rat or whatever the current fucking insult is.”
“...but I'll love my child less?”
“You'll prioritize whoever the Airbender is.” Suki looked him in the eyes, seeing the fear and doubt there. “I pray to every God and Spirit you only have Airbenders, because that is a burden no child or wife should bear.”
They sat in silence, her words hanging heavy in the air. Part of her expected for him to start yelling, to curse her out, to walk away and slam the door like he did when emotions became too much. It wouldn't surprise him, because Aang was very much a flawed human like the rest of them.
Everyone forgot that, even among their group of friends.
Aang sat back in contemplation, holding the teacup like it was dear life. He showed no emotion, the rise and fall of his chest being the only indication there was life.
“...I won't do that.”
“Uh huh. Avatar Roku also said he wouldn't let Sozin become so powerful, yet look what happened. His love blinded him, and he focused on other things, like managing the Dai Li or making sure the Earth Kingdom didn't fall into civil war.”
“... it's not the same.”
“Isn't it, in some ways? You'll need to spend more time with any Airbenders you two have. By default they'll be the favorite. Everyone else will fall by the wayside.”
A heavy sigh escaped Aang, and he put the teacup down. Head titled back so it touched the frame of the door, he stretched out his long, gangly body. “...ya know, you and Zuko are just about the only two that don't care about hurting my feelings.”
Suki snorted, reaching over and patting his arm. “Glad to help, Avatar Aang.”
“...if I do all these things though?”
“Eh, Sokka and I will just steal the kid. Not like we can have them anyway.”
A raucous laugh escaped Aang, probably loud enough to wake the neighbors. He covered his face, trying to smother the snickers and gasping for breath.
“The teapot is spiked, isn't it?”
Suki laughed, pouring more for both of them. “Oh, it's mostly liquor.”