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Zuko, Hakoda thinks, is something of an enigma.
The first time he heard of the prince of the Fire Nation, he was in a sketchy Earth Kingdon tavern drinking away his sorrows after losing three men in a skirmish. Possibly not his brightest moment.
One of the patrons of the tavern, an androgynous figure with their hood drawn low over their face, was hissing the latest Fire Nation rumours to the bartender.
"Haven't you heard?" they'd crowed. "The Crown Prince of the Fire Nation is hunting for the Avatar, just like his father and grandfather before him!"
"Isn't the boy barely a teenager?" the bartender whispered back.
"That's why everyone's talking about it! He's thirteen and in command of his own ship! They turn them into violent warmongers young in that country."
Hakoda hadn't given much thought to that accidental eavesdropping until he encountered a pair of off-duty Fire Nation soldiers.
"Prince Zuko's face has finally healed, apparently," one of them was saying. "They say he's got a huge scar on the left side of his face."
"Didn't the Fire Lord banish him almost a year ago, now?"
"Yeah, the burn was really bad. I heard he kept the bandages on for six months."
"What's he been doing?"
"Searching the Air Temples, apparently. Agni knows he wasn't going to find anything."
Hakoda stopped, then, and compared that to the whispers in the tavern nearly three weeks ago.
News travelled slow in backwater towns.
A thirteen year old, maybe fourteen now, banished. Hunting the Avatar. A huge burn scar on his face.
Something didn't add up.
The next time he heard something about Zuko, it was two years later, and coming from is own son's mouth.
"Zuko showed up at the village shortly after we found Aang," Sokka said. "Stupid angry ponytail jerk. He's chased us all over the world, it's really annoying."
Sokka didn't seem to think Zuko was much of a threat. Hakoda almost asked if the rumours were true, and Zuko did have a burn scar on his face.
He didn't ask. Sokka and Aang returned to Ba Sing Se because apparently Katara was in danger.
Appa returned hours later, with Sokka and Katara and a little girl Hakoda didn't recognise, as well as the Earth King himself.
Aang was limp in Sokka's arms, a glaring red mark on his back.
"I can't believe I actually felt sympathy for him! How dare he manipulate me like that, talking about his mother," Katara cried later, pacing back and forth in Hakoda's tent. "Now he's probably sailing back to the Fire Nation with Azula, ready to rejoice with Daddy because the Avatar is dead!"
Aang is not dead. Hakoda knows this. He thinks it's the only reason Katara hasn't stormed the Caldera and killed the Fire Lord herself.
The scary thing is, Hakoda knows she could.
The invasion goes off without a hitch. Katara is clearly hoping to run into Zuko, and Hakoda can't help but feel there's more to the story.
From what Katara has told him of her conversation with Zuko about their mothers... Hakoda is fairly sure Zuko was being honest. That kind of raw vulnerability is very difficult to fake.
The Fire Lord knew about the invasion, because of course he did.
Hakoda watches the young ones flying away on Appa, and wonders what it would be like if Zuko went with them.
He gets his answer when Sokka appears in his cell at the Boiling Rock.
"Zuko's here too," Sokka says.
"Sounds like a problem," Hakoda replies, because something is still missing from his knowledge of Zuko but the one thing he knows is that Zuko is a wildcard.
Sokka shakes his head. "No, he's on our side now. I know, I was surprised too. But he's here to help, and he's proven to me that he's willing to."
Hakoda nods, because he knows the look on Sokka's face. It's a look he's seen on his reflection more than a few times, first whenever he thought of Kya, and later whenever he thinks of Bato. "I trust your judgment, Sokka," he says, because he does.
Sokka grins.
The escape from the Boiling Rock is far from perfect, but Hakoda thinks it went pretty well, all things considered.
Of course, Azula's appearance complicated things, but between Sokka, Zuko, and Suki, the situation was under control.
Hakoda sees the way Zuko looks at Sokka as Sokka kisses Suki.
He sees the way Suki looks at both of them when Sokka draws Zuko into a hug and thanks him profusely for helping.
He sees the way Zuko practically melts into the physical contact.
He takes notes.
Somehow, Hakoda, Chit Sang, Haru, Teo, and The Duke had ended up breaking into a different Fire Nation prison during the comet and freeing the other Water Tribe warriors and Suki's Kyoshi warriors.
They all see the huge jets of orange and blue flame shooting out of one of the palace courtyards.
They all see the bright lights of explosions just over the horizon, in the direction of the Earth Kingdom.
They all see the eastern sky light up red and blue.
They all see the lighting from the palace courtyard.
Hakoda slips his hand into Bato's and prays to Yue his children are okay.
The moon glows just a little brighter as the comet fades.
Ozai is still alive, but Aang has taken his bending away.
Hakoda didn't know that was possible. He thinks of Toph, so completely reliant on her bending, and decides that it is a fate worse than death.
It doesn't comfort him as much as he thinks it should.
After the comet, Hakoda and General Iroh help Zuko, recently crowned as Fire Lord, get the political situation under control.
Every time Ozai is mentioned, Hakoda's children get a little bit darker.
Sokka's hand wanders to his boomerang.
Katara's waterskin ends up uncorked.
Suki's fans seem just a bit sharper.
Toph earthbends herself an inch taller.
Every time Ozai is mentioned, Iroh exhales fire.
Every time Ozai is mentioned, Zuko's face turns as white as a full moon. His scar seems redder than ever.
Hakoda takes notes.
One day, three weeks after the comet, Hakoda and Zuko are alone together in one of the conference rooms. They're discussing reparations to the Southern Water Tribe for the damage cause by the Fire Nation's raids.
"Nothing you can do will bring back the people we lost," Hakoda says, as gently as he can, because Fire Lord or not, Zuko is still a child.
Zuko flinches.
Hakoda freezes.
"I'm sorry," Zuko whispers, looking down at his lap. His scar practically glows in the flickering candlelight.
"Don't worry about it," Hakoda says through the lump in his suddenly dry throat, and finds himself leaving before Zuko can say anything else.
Things are awkward between them after that. Hakoda begins to regret saying what he did in the first place, however true it may have been.
He sees the way Iroh shoots him calculating looks, when Zuko's attention is on something else.
He feels rather like his mother is scolding him for something, only he does not know what he did wrong.
Sokka comes to him the next day to ask for advice on how to tell Suki that he loves her, but also Zuko.
Hakoda tells him to just be as honest as possible.
Sokka thanks him. Hakoda thinks he may need to do something similar with Zuko.
Zuko looks terrified when Hakoda asks to speak with him privately.
"Fire Lord Zuko," he starts, and the words immediately feel fake. "Zuko," he tries again, "I wanted to apologise for the other day. I made you uncomfortable and then didn't know how to handle it, so instead of trying to reach a safe conclusion with you, I took the coward's way out and fled. I hope you can forgive me."
Zuko stares at him. He offers a tentative half-grin in response. Zuko finally blinks.
"Uh - yeah, no worries?"
Hakoda smiles properly. "Good. Sokka really likes you, it would be really unfortunate if you and I didn't get along."
The corner of Zuko's lip quirks up, and they bow to each other in farewell.
Hakoda pretends he doesn't see Zuko quietly conferring with his uncle later, and Iroh glancing discreetly in Hakoda's direction.
The calculating looks stop, and Hakoda has the sense that he's just passed a test he didn't know he was taking.
Sokka appears in his room at one in the morning, jumping on his bed and gleefully exclaiming that Zuko is now officially his and Suki's boyfriend.
Hakoda, mostly asleep, smiles blearily and tugs his son under the covers with him.
Sokka squirms a little before snuggling in closer.
Hakoda blithely wonders when Zuko last had the comfort of cuddling with a parental figure. The Fire Nation royal family doesn't strike him as the touchy-feely type.
"Make sure he knows how much you care about him," Hakoda whispers. Against his ribs, he feels Sokka nod.
The next time he sees Zuko, it's because the Fire Lord has wandered into the same garden that Hakoda is currently admiring the flowers in.
He's not sure what he expected Zuko to do, but sitting in the pond and letting the turtleducks climb all over him is infinitely more endearing than anything else he could have done.
Hakoda quietly walks over to him, absently plucking one of the fire lilies. "It's one of those days, is it?"
Zuko startles, dislodging a turtleduck from his shoulder. He looks ready to bolt until Hakoda carefully picks of the turtleduck and nestles it back against Zuko's neck.
Hakoda watches as he relaxes nearly imperceptibly. "I think I've seen all of the gardens at this point," he says. "I'd have to say this one is my favourite."
"It's my favourite, too," Zuko replies quietly. "My mother and I used to come here to feed the turtleducks, before she disappeared."
Hakoda hums, sitting on the grass beside the pond. "I used to bring home baby animals and my mother would call me an idiot for it."
Zuko's head whips around to stare at him in shock.
"Of course, that could be because most animals in the South Pole can and will kill you once they're fully grown. If you ever visit, I recommend avoiding all wildlife other than food and penguin seals."
"Your mother sounds sensible."
Hakoda smiles. He could talk about Kanna all day. "She is. Sokka told me you grabbed her when you showed up at our village."
Zuko winces. "Right. Sorry."
Hakoda laughs. "I'm honestly surprised you walked away from that encounter still set on capturing the Avatar. If my mother had her way, she'd have sat you down and lectured you on your life choices until you were too afraid to disagree with her."
"Huh. She sounds like Uncle. But more intense."
"Yes, she seems like the kind of person your uncle would like to share a pot of tea with."
"Apparently Pakku, Katara's waterbending master from the North Pole, is her husband now?" Zuko offered. "We saw him at the White Lotus's camp outside Ba Sing Se the day before the comet. He called himself Sokka and Katara's new grandfather."
Hakoda blinks. He blinks again, and then he cackles. "Oh, Mum's going to have him catering to her every whim! She told me, once, that he has a healthy fear of her temper."
Zuko nods sagely. "That's where Katara got hers, then."
"For sure." Hakoda pauses, thinking. "Oh, shit, that means he's my stepfather now." He stares at a turtleduck that's nested itself on Zuko's head. "Actually, now that I think about it, he might be my biological father."
"Wait, really?"
"Well, I don't know who my biological father is, and I don't know how old my mother was when she left the North Pole. Or how old she was when I was born." He frowned. "There's a lot I don't know about my mother. And there's no way I'm asking her."
Zuko tilted his head slightly. "Why not?"
Hakoda shrugged. "She'll glare at me."
"She'll glare at you."
"She's intimidating!" Hakoda said defensively.
Zuko raised his eyebrow, wearing an expression usually directed at Sokka. "She's literally shorter than me. And I'm pretty short."
Hakoda crossed his arms. "Is your uncle intimidating?"
"...Sometimes."
"There you go, then. Proof my mother is scary."
Zuko snorted, then awkwardly patted Hakoda's shoulder. "That's rough, buddy," he said, then dissolved into giggles.
Hakoda looked at him inquisitively. "I'm missing something here, aren't I?"
"Ask Sokka," Zuko says helpfully.
Hakoda asks Sokka.
Sokka laughs and tells him it's an inside joke, and offers no more information.
Hakoda is still confused. He has no idea what's so funny.
Zuko refuses to tell him more as well.
Suki looks him in the eye and deadpans, "That's rough, buddy."
Sokka and Zuko laugh so hard they cry. Hakoda resists the urge to slam his head against the wall.
He gets his revenge in the form of ambushing Zuko in the turtleduck garden and twisting his into a complex Water Tribe braid, with the brightest fire lilies tucked into the folds.
Zuko pretends to hate it.
Hakoda knows the truth.
For the second time during his stay at the palace, his door opened at a ridiculous hour when all sane people should be asleep.
Hakoda sat up in bed, the blankets pooling around his lap.
His late-night visitor isn't Sokka this time. Or Aang, or Katara, or Suki, or Toph, the other four people he consciously considers his children.
It's Zuko, the son that Hakoda-from-six-months-ago would have scoffed at disbelievingly, but the son that had undoubtedly, probably-accidentally, wormed his way into Hakoda's heart.
Zuko shuts the door behind him quietly, then glides to the side of Hakoda's bed with the air of someone who know how to melt into shadows. "I couldn't find Uncle," he says, and Hakoda notes that his voice his shaking. "And I didn't know where else to go-"
Hakoda opens his arms invitingly, and Zuko flops into his embrace and cries. Hakoda strokes his hair and rocks back and forth gently. "What's wrong, kiddo?"
"I went to see Azula."
Ah. Hakoda doesn't have all the details, but Katara told him the basics of Azula's mental state. No wonder Zuko is so upset.
"You love her, right?" Hakoda asks. He already knows the answer.
"Of course I do!" Zuko whines, pressing his face into Hakoda's chest.
"Then Azula will get better."
"How do you know? What if she just gets worse?"
Zuko's voice is pitifully weak an uncertain. Hakoda draws the blankets up over Zuko's shoulders.
"Because if there's one thing I know for sure about you, it's that you never give up. Azula is going to get better because you will never give up on her. That's how love works."
"Thank you, D'dk'da," Zuko murmurs.
Assuming he heard correctly, that sounded an awful lot like Dadkoda. "Any time, kiddo," he says, and can't stop himself from singing a Water Tribe lullaby that Kanna sang for him when he was young.
Someone knocks on his door in the morning.
"Come in," Hakoda calls softly, already knowing who it is. He rolls his neck in a futile attempt to alleviate stiffness. He really is getting too old to sleep sitting up.
Iroh enters with a soft expression on his face and a tea set in his hands. "Miss Kiyoko informed me she saw my nephew entering your chambers last night," he said.
Hakoda can't stop himself from yawning. "Honestly, I was just surprised he was awake." He shifts slightly, tucking a lock of Zuko's hair behind his ear.
"I see," Iroh says, placing his tea set on the desk in the corner of the room. "I would like to discuss my nephew with you, if you don't mind. Can I interest you in a cup of tea?"
"If I can disentangle my arm without waking the kid up, yes please," Hakoda says, smiling slightly. "He was looking for you, by the way. Last night, I mean. He said he came here because he couldn't find you."
Iroh frowns a bit. "I am sorry. It should not have fallen to you to look after a child that is not your own. I regret to say that I was in the city attending to personal matters."
Hakoda shakes his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Zuko's a great kid. He has a way of being very endearing without meaning to. Full confession, I may as well just adopt everyone on 'Team Avatar' as they called themselves. They're all basically my kids already."
"It warms my heart to hear you say that," Iroh says, and hands him a cup of tea. "My nephew has had a... complicated history with father figures."
Hakoda's gaze is drawn to Zuko's scar, starkly vibrant against his pale skin. "Yeah. I think I figured that out."
Iroh follows his gaze. "One of my greatest regrets is that I did not stop my brother from harming his child. I merely looked away."
"That..." Hakoda looks at Zuko's sleeping face, more peaceful than he's ever seen it. "As parents, we all make mistakes. There's no guidebook for raising a child. We just have to do our best, and our best will never be perfect. Ozai's best was being an asshole. Your best was looking away at the wrong time, but then guiding Zuko out of Ozai's darkness. Everything's relative."
"You are very wise, Chief Hakoda. I appreciate your words, but I am afraid I will never forgive myself."
Hakoda sips his tea. "And I will never forgive myself for failing to save my wife, or for my daughter seeing her dead body, and yet here we are."
"Here we are," Iroh agrees. He too takes a sip of his tea, his copper eyes resting on Zuko. "I am glad you make him feel safe."
"I do?" Hakoda asks, surprised.
Iroh nods. "Zuko does not trust easily. He has not since his mother left, even less so since he received that scar. He is especially careful around fathers."
Zuko snuggles deeper into Hakoda's chest, making a soft purring sound.
Hakoda sets his tea cup down and wrapped his arms around the Fire Lord. He only notices now how Zuko radiates warmth, and wonders absently if he can invite him to the South Pole for a few more diplomatic visits than strictly necessary. "Holy La, he's a cat," he breathes.
Iroh laughs heartily. "I shall leave him in your capable hands. When he awakens, please tell him I am in my favourite council room." He collects his tea set, bows, and departs.
Zuko keeps purring.
Hakoda quietly plans to pay Ozai a visit.
Zuko is mortified when he wakes up, both for staying in Hakoda's room all night and for sleeping well past dawn.
Hakoda just smiles and presses their foreheads together. "That's what fathers are for," he whispers.
Zuko hugs him.
"You're pathetic," Hakoda spits.
Ozai stares at him emptily. His eyes lack the light of Zuko's, despite being nearly the same colour.
Hakoda understands, now, what he didn't before.
Aang took Ozai's bending, forcing upon him a fate worse than death.
A fate deserved only by a man who can look at a being as kind and pure and adorable as Zuko and see a weak, worthless loose end.
Hakoda looks down his nose at the broken man in front of him and laughs.