Chapter Text
"You need an honorific."
Sokka looks up from his diagrams on the reconstruction of Ba Sing Se. "What?"
Zuko clears his throat. "Um, to add you to the Royal Mail System, you need an honorific."
"Why can't I just be 'Sokka'?"
"The Fire Nation places extreme significance on addressing someone with all the honor they're due. And you're not 'just Sokka'. Scoot over, I'll help you come up with one."
Sokka scoots over to make room for two at the low writing desk. "Well, what's your honorific?"
"Fire Lord Zuko, firstborn of Ursa, descendant of Avatar Roku. Master of firebending and lightning redirection, grand dual dao swordsman, teacher of Avatar Aang, defender of the 41st, restorer of honor." Zuko deadpans.
"That's... a mouthful."
Zuko laughs. "Beats 'traitor to the Fire Nation', I guess. Just start with your name and family."
Sokka scribbles on some scrap parchment:
Sokka, firstborn of Chief Hakoda and Kya.
"Good," Zuko pauses. "Only one correction." He adds:
Lord Sokka, firstborn of Chief Hakoda and Kya.
Sokka sputters. "Am I a lord if we're not, not..."
"Married yet? In the mind of the Fire Nation, you're a Lord in your own right as the son of the Chief—and yes, I know your tribe doesn't follow a hereditary line of succession, just humor me."
Sokka blushes, opening and closing his mouth like a beached fish. "You said, 'married yet'."
Zuko kisses his cheek. "It's no secret that I intend to hold onto you forever. I just have to get all the paperwork in order first."
Sokka scoffs. "Romantic. So, what's next? I'm not a master of any bending."
Zuko hums. "Well, you're missing a pretty big one," he scribbles another title down.
Lord Sokka, firstborn of Chief Hakoda and Kya. Prince Consort to Fire Lord Zuko.
"Now, just list your accomplishments, like becoming Ambassador. Do you have any titles from the Water Tribe?"
Sokka purses his lips, then starts scribbling again:
Lord Sokka, firstborn of Chief Hakoda and Kya. Prince Consort to Fire Lord Zuko. Marked-Wise, Warrior of the Southern Water Tribe, Ambassador to the Fire Nation Royal Courts, master swordsman and strategist.
Zuko feels a bloom of pride in his chest, seeing Sokka's accomplishments on paper. But it also reminds him of something.
"I need to make a change to my own honorific."
"What, going to add 'ghost-writer of honorifics' to your list?"
Zuko grabs the brush from Sokka's hands to write out his new and improved honorific:
Fire Lord Zuko, firstborn of Ursa, descendant of Avatar Roku. Consort to Lord Sokka, Marked-Wise Warrior. Master of firebending, grand dual dao swordsman, teacher of Avatar Aang, defender of the 41st, restorer of honor.
"There," Zuko says putting the brush down. "I can hardly ask you to tie yourself to me if I don't honor you in my title."
Sokka chuckles. "Now, that was romantic." He slings an arm around Zuko's waist. "Did I ever tell you about how I earned the Mark of the Wise?" Zuko shakes his head, and Sokka launches into the story. "There's a ritual in our tribe, a coming-of-age tradition called 'ice-dodging'. Normally, a kid takes part in the ritual with their dad when they turn 14, but um, my Dad wasn't there when me or Katara turned 14."
Zuko knew why. Sokka presses on.
"We met up with Bato—you know him right? —while we were on the run, and he offered to take us. Normally, you maneuver a boat through the ice of the South Pole, but we used these giant rocks as the next best thing. At the end of the day, Katara earned the Mark of the Brave, Aang the Mark of the Trusted, and I, the Mark of the Wise."
"Someone from outside your tribe can earn a Mark?"
"Yeah, but only the Mark of the Trusted. And there's other ways to earn it, you just basically have to prove yourself worthy. It means you're like, an honorary member of the tribe."
Zuko makes a mental note of that. Perhaps earning the Mark of the Trusted would be a nice engagement surprise for Sokka. He hums, "Didn't your dad also receive the Mark of the Wise?"
"Yeah, why?"
"Just so I know his full title too. I'm going to be writing to him a lot to ask his advice. He seems like the kind of leader I want to be."
Sokka snorts. "Honestly, Zu, you can just call him Hakoda. He might ask your advice too. I hear that Southern Reconstruction is trying his patience. I'm sure he'd love to be able to breathe fire when he gets angry in council meetings."
"Oh, so you saw my breath of fire the other day when I dealt with Ming Lee?"
Sokka nods. "It was pretty... hot." He snickers.
Zuko brings a palm to his face, "Agni, Sokka, that was a bad one."
"You know you love it."
Zuko sighs. "I do. But I love you even more than your bad jokes."
"Apparently some of the staff have started calling you the Dragon of the East—is that in reference to your fire breathing?"
"Well, I'd hardly call what I can do 'fire breathing'. You should see what Uncle can do. As a matter of fact, I'm sure he'll tell you the whole story when he's in town next week, how he became the Dragon of the West."
Sokka leans against Zuko. "I'd like that very much. I can't wait for his tea!"
Zuko grins inwardly, knowing that Kanna will be here next week as a surprise for both Sokka and the Royal tailors.
"I will attempt to keep you placated with my hot leaf juice until then, my love."
Sokka smiles into Zuko's shoulder. "It is very good hot leaf juice, my dear."
Zuko doesn't have to wait long to hear Sokka announced in front of the royal court with his new honorific: only a week later, the various councils reconvene after some time off for a holiday. He doesn’t think he’ll ever get over the feeling of pride he gets when the court crier announces Sokka and his accomplishments to the various meetings they attend together.
Zuko is continually learning how to make these meetings more efficient and productive for everyone. He wants people to work together to come up with policies and solutions, not just let him have the final say.
First things first, Zuko does away with Ozai's flaming throne. He's learned it's impossible to hear anything, exacerbated by his loss of hearing in his left ear. And he doesn't like feeling so... elevated above everyone else, especially Sokka. The second thing he does is to ask his servants to add another cushion at the head of the council table, for Sokka, at his right side.
The placing is both practical and symbolic: Zuko will be able to hear and see Sokka better, and Sokka will be perceived as an authority by the rest of the council members. Zuko sends a prayer to Agni that his choices are good enough to shield Sokka from any more elitist criticisms. He knows Sokka could best all of his advisors in hand-to-hand combat, probably all at the same time, but he’d like his court to be an example to the rest of the world: to say, we come together from different backgrounds, but for a common goal. He hopes it’s not just lofty thinking.
The night before the big surprise, Zuko visits Iku to discuss the menu for a reunion dinner. When he arrives at the palace kitchens, the door is closed, so he raps his knuckles against the door. “Come in!” Iku calls from the other side. Zuko turns the brass handle and opens the door to see Iku and… Sokka covered in a flurry of white powder. He slowly closes the door.
“So… you guys having fun?” Zuko grins as he sees the blush creep into Sokka’s face.
Iku smiles warmly at the blue-eyed boy. “Sokka here asked me to teach him how to make a little surprise for you.”
Zuko turns to Sokka and raises his eyebrow. Sokka caves.
“I wanted to learn how to make you sticky buns,” Sokka concedes. “For, you know, the dinner with Uncle Iroh.”
“Oh, my love…” Zuko feels like his heart might burst. He strides to Sokka, pointing a finger into his flour-covered chest. “You—are incredible.”
Iku snorts. “He’s a lovely boy, but I think it’ll take him a bit longer to make incredible sticky buns.”
“I thank you heartily for your attempt to mentor me, Iku. I don’t think I’ll perfect them by tomorrow.” Sokka sighs.
“Well then, we can compromise. You wash all the dishes when I’m done baking, and I’ll tell Iroh you helped. Sound good?”
Sokka smiles. “A deal is struck, Iku.”
Zuko sends another prayer thanking Agni for guiding Iku to the palace. She’s been nothing but supportive of the two of them, and if he’s completely honest, he’d trust her with his life. Of course, he hopes he never has to.
“And what did you come in here for, Fire Lord Zuko? I must woefully inform that I have no sticky buns for you at the moment.” Iku’s voice cuts through his train of thought.
“Oh, I just wanted to discuss tomorrow’s menu with you—do you have all the right ingredients to please our guest?”
Iku’s brown eyes sparkle as she catches his meaning—Zuko is asking her if she has the right ingredients to make sea prune stew for Kanna. “Of course, Fire Lord Zuko. Us old people know how to cook for each other, you know. Now, please take this young man from my presence before he causes anymore chaos—but I expect to see you here bright and early tomorrow morning at the sink, Lord Sokka!”
Sokka bows, flour falling from his wolf tail as he does so. “Of course, Iku.”
The two of them actually get a good night’s sleep. Zuko had expected to be awake until the early hours, fretting over Kanna’s arrival. Sokka expected to be tossing and turning all night, considering his strategy for playing Iroh at Pai Sho. But the moment they crawl under the silk and fur pelts, sleep overtakes them.
Zuko’s awakened by Sokka leaping out of the bed at first light. “Sokka, why—”
“Dishes!” Is all the response he gets before he hears the door closing behind Sokka. He sighs. Kanna shouldn’t be here until late afternoon, and Iroh maybe a few hours earlier. He rises, pulling the blinds from the large window and going out to the balcony. His rooms are located on the second floor, looking over the private courtyard with the turtle duck pond. Zuko settles onto a meditation cushion and inhales deeply, feeling the sun slowly rise and shine on Caldera City. Exhale. He feels his breath of fire stir in his chest. Inhale. He meditates on the image of the rainbow fire shown to him by Ran and Shaw. Exhale. Fire flickers to life in his upturned palms. Zuko continues with his meditation, his fire rising and falling with his breathing. Sokka had given him a mantra to meditate on after the incident with Ming Lee: I do not fear myself and I do not fear my fire. Trust Sokka to be a budding guru as well as an excellent warrior.
But sure enough, as Zuko’s been repeating the mantra during morning meditations, he begins to trust himself—and his fire—again. Maybe this time it’ll stick, he thinks. His train of thought is interrupted by a knock on his door. He grumbles, but answers it, finding a servant with a tray of tea and warm biscuits. He thanks the servant, who bows and leaves. A note on the tray reads in Iku’s handwriting:
If I know you, you’re probably worried about dinner tonight. Don’t fret: Everything is going smoothly in the kitchen. And having Lord Sokka around doesn’t hurt either! Eat something, please.
Iku
She does know him too well. Eating any sort of breakfast had not crossed his mind at all, but now that there’s some in front of him—Zuko places the tray gingerly on a table and pulls up a cushion. He can at least use this quiet to get some paperwork done he’s been putting off. The biscuits don’t last half an hour.
Dinner is a four, but Zuko’s ready by three. He walks out to the garden where one of Iku’s staff, Hana, is in a flurry preparing the place settings. He decided to host dinner outside to take advantage of the cool evening air in an otherwise boiling summer. Sokka gets twitchy after a long day inside the stuffy halls of the palace.
Zuko waves Hana down. “Do you know if our guests have arrived yet?”
“Yes, my Lord. General Iroh and Lady Kanna have been shown to their guest chambers. I expect they’ll be escorted here once you confirm everything is to your liking.” Zuko looks over the table. Hana’s dressed the table with vases of fresh cut flowers, placed plates and silverware with dainty symmetry, and even made sure that the tea set is in front of Iroh’s place setting.
“You’ve done an excellent job, Hana. I know my Uncle will be pleased that my staff know how to properly prepare a table for supper and tea.”
Hana’s smile broadens. “Thank you, my Lord.” She bows. “I will let your aides know that you’re ready to receive your guests.”
“Find Sokka first, will you?”
“Of course, my Lord.” Hana heads into the palace, leaving Zuko alone in the quiet garden. It’s not quiet for very long. “Zuko!”
A very excited Sokka bounds out of the doorway and into the garden. “I’m so nervous to have dinner with your Uncle.”
Zuko laughs. “You two have met each other before. You’ve shared a meal with the man!”
Sokka dismisses this. “It was in a war, it doesn’t count. What if he doesn’t like me as your consort?”
“He’s going to love you as my consort. Come on, sit down, you don’t have anything to worry about.” Zuko sits at the head of the table, guiding Sokka to sit next to him.
Hana appears at the doorway: “May I present, General Iroh: firstborn of Azulon, the Dragon of the West, and—” she looks down at smudged writing on her hand, “—brewer of the best tea in the four nations.” Iroh appears at her side, beaming as he walks to the table.
“See! Why couldn’t my honorific be something fun like that?” Zuko rolls his eyes at Sokka before standing to greet Iroh. They both bow before Iroh pulls Zuko into a hug.
“It is very good to see you looking so happy, Nephew. And I’m going to guess that you have had something to do with that young man,” Iroh turns to Sokka. Sokka bows awkwardly and Iroh pulls him in for a hug as well. “Thank you for looking after him for me.”
Zuko shoots Sokka a look that says see? I told you he’d love you, before Hana speaks appears at the doorway again.
“May I present our second guest, Lady Kanna of the Southern Water Tribe, mother of Chief Hakoda, grandmother of Lord Sokka and Master Katara.”
Kanna appears at her side and Sokka moves faster than Zuko’s ever seen before. He crosses the length of the garden in seconds before throwing his arms around Kanna. She hugs him back fiercely and pulls away to get a good look at him. “My, my, you’re going to get taller than your father at this rate.” Sokka blushes before turning to look at Zuko with an accusatory glare.
“You—are the sneakiest, most considerate consort a guy could ask for.”
Zuko shrugs. “I guess I’m the whole package then.” Iroh claps him on the shoulder.
“How about we get to know each other over some nice food and calming Jasmine tea?”
It turns out, Iroh has known of Kanna for a few years, but never met her directly. He takes one look at the betrothal necklace she’s wearing and remarks, “So you must be the incredible woman that Pakku raves about!” Their conversation starts on pleasantries, but soon devolves into telling embarrassing stories from Zuko and Sokka’s childhoods. By the end of it, Sokka has his head in his hands, unable to stop Kanna from sharing the story of how he was absolutely tripping balls as a toddler after eating hallucinogenic squid jerky. Iroh’s laughing so hard, Zuko could swear he sees tears running down his face, and as Iku brings out another tray of sticky buns, Zuko can’t help but look around and think, so this is what family feels like.