Chapter Text
Katara silently groans as yet another elder comes up to the podium. Sure, she’s all for democracy and absolutely loves that everyone comes to a consensus on what’s best for the Southern Water Tribe and it’s not just reliant on the chief alone.
Especially since she’s seen said chief shove himself into Appa’s mouth, willingly drink cactus juice, and be so dumbly blind to Zuko’s affections for years. Not to mention, it took him leaving the Fire Nation and becoming chief to realize his own feelings towards Zuko.
The two of them are truly idiots, but idiots in love and Katara supports them whole heartedly.
Zuko helps Sokka focus, keeps him grounded when his thoughts race thousands of miles a minute. He validates and reminds him what an asset he is, no matter what neurodivergences he experiences. Being ex-Fire Lord for nearly a decade, he also has an infinite amount experience to pull from. Katara’s sure many of the finer details on how to deal with the other nations solo—as well as Sokka has these last couple weeks—is 100% Zuko.
And Sokka is Zuko’s world. He was the constant loyal presence in their once endless Fire Nation meetings, and is still the emotional tether that can pull Zuko back from the depths of his fears, the one that anchors and soothes him when his trauma is too much to handle. Sokka pushes him to be a better communicator both in their relationship and now in the tribe, forces him to feel his emotions but not lose himself in them.
They’re an all-around powerful and amazing couple which is why, sitting in this meeting is just grating on Katara’s every nerve.
All the elders are present, Hakoda and Bato included, sitting in their respective spots to the right of Sokka. Aang, as the Avatar, is positioned to his left, and Katara is next to Aang. Zuko, unfortunately, is sitting in a lone chair slightly to the right of the podium (which is parallel to Sokka). He’s not allowed to speak on his own behalf, but has to be present considering the meeting is about his and Sokka’s relationship.
He’s close enough that Katara could lean over and with a stretch, touch him. But she’s not allowed to on account of being on the council herself.
She wants desperately to hug him though.
He looks miserable, the top of his long black hair pulled up in a small top knot (keeping with some of his fire nation culture), two pieces framing his face, while the rest fell down and in front of his shoulders with his slightly sagged over posture. He’s wearing one of Sokka’s thickest coats. He’d been woefully unprepared for the South’s winter, both her and Gran Gran scrambling to make warm clothes for him to wear. They’d not finished yet, so anytime Zuko goes out of his and Sokka’s home, he has to wear Sokka’s clothing.
“This traitor…”
Katara’s attention is pulled from her thoughts to the elder, Aput, who stands at the podium. He’s nearing 70, his wolf tail completely white with a thick snow-white beard covering the bottom part of his face. Katara vaguely remembers him growing up. He was very strict and rather unfriendly. But being a survivor of Boiling Rock prison as well as the war in general, he was appointed elder position when the war ended.
Katara thinks he and her dad worked well, though the decade after the war’s kinda a blur for her, busy helping Aang around the world before starting their family.
“Has contributed nothing…”
Hate drips from every pore as he glares at Zuko before continuing. He is the 2nd (of the 5) elders to present their ‘case’. The first one taking almost an hour to bash Zuko, his and Sokka’s relationship, and they all had to sit here and listen and not say anything.
The downside to the democracy, Katara supposes.
Though, she’s sure she would’ve committed murder if anyone spoke about Aang the way these two elders are speaking of Zuko.
“Chief Sokka—” Aput says, a sickeningly condescending tone to his voice as he focuses solely on Sokka, “I cannot in good consciousness just allow this…relationship to continue. While, he was a fair Fire Lord all he did was show basic decency. Giving the tribes, and the Earth Kingdom what his ancestors owed them. I did not complain when you left to be with him, nor when he moved here. Though, I wish I had…”
Katara looks at her brother, sees the anger that’s barely being contained. His broad shoulders are stiff and tense, his hands clasped in front of him, his jaw tight. His deep blue eyes are boring straight into Aput’s soul, more than annoyed at the constant slander of his boyfriend. Though, he keeps his composure. His wolf tail, despite being long, as well as his tribal braids, one with a red string throughout it and gold clasps on it, one with the tribe’s blue and silver woven throughout it are impeccably neat. Something he says is a show of true chiefdom.
“Zuko has been a citizen of our tribe for nearly a month now,” Bato says evenly, his age showing in the wrinkles that cover his face and the grey hairs that shimmer in his shorter wolf tail.
Both he and Hakoda were chosen as Elders once Sokka became chief, their vast experience during and post war being invaluable. Bato’s far enough removed from their family to not be accused of nepotism but close enough to have given Zuko a chance and gotten to know him since his arrival. “He’s been nothing but a model citizen. This all seems a bit much.”
“A bit much?” Yura, the female elder who’d gone first, interjects. She shakes her head, her white hair loops moving with each turn. She looks to her immediate left, at Sokka. “Chief, you must understand why this meeting is necessary. What the Fire Nation did to our tribe, we’re still recovering!”
Sokka forces himself to stand and walks to the podium, Aput moving back to his chair. Sokka looks tall, strong, and powerful standing there and part of Katara blooms with pride. He’s far removed from the insecure, sarcastic, skinny teenager that helped end the war.
His large hands grip each side, his arm muscles flexing and his tattoos straining tightly at first, before relaxing as he makes brief eye contact with Zuko and releases a long sigh. “Yura, Aput, I understand your dislike and distrust of the Fire Nation. But you can’t pin the entire war on Zuko. Yes, he was royalty and yes, he made mistakes but he was a child—just as Katara and I were. What matters is that he helped train the Avatar—” he motions towards Aang who nods once, “Reclaimed the throne and spent nearly a decade repairing as much damage as he could—”
“If he cares as much as you say he does, he should’ve stayed in the Fire Nation and continued. You can’t undo 100 years of slaughter in 10 years!” Aput counters, crossing his arms in front of him, scowling.
“He abdicated it to Lord Iroh because of me,” Sokka says calmly, “Because I became chief and because he is devoted to me and the tribe.”
“It’s selfish,” Aput grumbles, “Leave it to an ashmaker to put himself in front of the world.”
Both Zuko and Sokka flinch, Katara feeling Aang’s leg begin to bounce next to her, which means he’s teetering towards anger. She quietly slips her hand under the table, threading her fingers through his. He looks at her, his brown eyes sad and angry, before bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it softly. She returns the sentiment before looking out at her brother who’s quickly losing his composure.
“Aput, please refrain from using such slurs,” Hakoda says trying to buy Sokka some time, “I’m sure the chief can understand your concerns without them.”
Aput nods. “My apologies but my sentiment stands. I do not support and will not support a relationship between our chief and ex-fire lord Zuko.”
“I concur. It is enough to ask us to support a same sex relationship, add in the fact that he is Fire Nation AND a fire bender, and it’s also a no from me,” Yura adds from her space next to Aput.
“I know I’m supposed abide by your unanimous decisions for the tribe,” Sokka says looking at them. Hakoda and Bato watching supportively while Aput and Yura glare angrily. The last elder, a woman who is best friends with Gran Gran named Ahnah, sits stone faced. Keeping her opinions—for the moment anyway—to herself. “But who I’m seeing isn’t up to you or the tribe.”
“If it were, we would’ve chosen the Earth Kingdom girl,” Aput mumbles, though definitely loud enough for everyone to hear it.
“Oh, yes. So smart and sweet!” Yura gushes, “So respectful of our culture. If only you’d been so willing to move around with her as you were to move with him—"
“Enough!” Sokka growls, his patience completely gone, “This…attack is over. I will date Zuko and that’s that.”
“You can’t make that choice unilaterally!” Aput roars, slamming his fist against the table, making it tremble slightly.
Katara’s had enough, especially after bringing Suki into this. Things ended for her and Sokka when their distance and destinies pulled them away from one another, the chasm becoming greater and greater until Suki broke it off. Katara remembers how devastated Sokka was, what a dark period he went through after that. She also remembers Zuko—despite repairing a nation—working hard to repair her brother. Their friendship evolving in ways neither anticipated but both deserved.
Which is why she can’t let this council rip them apart anymore. She’s tried, she really has, but this needs to stop. “My dad and all the chiefs before him chose their partners,” she jumps in. Sokka shouldn’t have to wage a war alone and this is a war worth winning. “We trust Sokka to lead our tribe and he’s done just that without a problem for over 2 years now. Why can’t we trust his judgement in his choice of partner?”
“I agree!” Aang says, “And as someone who’s worked with and is friends with the person you’re all so worried about I can personally vouch for his character and what he can bring to your tribe.”
Aput ignores Katara, looking at Aang. “That may be, Avatar Aang, but past is often an indicator of future behavior, and his past is too disastrous for us to allow it here. Our tribe is just now getting on its feet, just now being rebuilt. We can’t risk its safety because this man claims to love the chief. He betrayed his family, his own father—one look at his face will tell you that he’s done it more than once!” Aput glares at Zuko. “You claimed to love and respect your family, and yet, your father had to burn half your face off, and as much as I loathe Ozai, I’m most assured you deserved that. Your sister nearly killed you. And yet, you want us to believe you are of sound mind and trustworthy? No.”
Zuko and Sokka exchange a look, Katara noticing the way Zuko’s hands clench tightly in his lap in a way they didn’t before.
“I’m ending this,” Sokka says as calmly as he can manage, “None of us are going to concede, so this is pointless.”
Katara watches as Zuko stands, Sokka allowing him to leave the room first, following behind, as if he could physically shield Zuko from the slander being hurtled their way as they leave. She sighs as the elders erupt in loud argument, Aang trying his best to mediate.
Why could nothing be easy for them?