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This was perhaps the dumbest idea the Fire Lord ever had, and Zuko had a lot of dumb ideas when he was a kid.
The premise, the stage, was set for a happy reunion. The crew he spent years with at sea would finally be reunited on a newer, better ship. They'd not lift a finger and be guests of honor. His invitation even mentioned reliving Music Night, a desperate attempt to entice the men into rekindling their former connection. But time can distort memories. While Zuko seemingly looked back at those difficult years as a time the older crew members watched him grow, change, and eventually bonded with him, their memories were... a bit different.
It didn't help that Admiral Zhao's attempt to punish the prince by enlisting his crew for the invasion of the Northern Water Tribe resulted in two of those crew members dying in freezing waters.
They all knew it wasn't the young prince's fault, but it was hard to shake a little blame pointed towards him.
When so many years later they all got personal invitations from the Fire Lord to go on one more voyage at sea, none of them felt like responding no was an option. And from Lieutenant Jee's point of view, the invitation was tone deaf. Did the Fire Lord not understand that some of these men, after years cooped up on a ship without their loved ones, effectively banished from their homeland as collateral damage in some royal family drama, stripped of what little they had during that banishment and sent to die in the North, wouldn't want to be at sea together again? Let alone with him?
The whole setup felt selfish. Like the Fire Lord, a man who by most metrics atoned for his sins and sincerely helped rebuild peace, was back to being a brat without care for anyone else's suffering.
And when that woman came aboard? When the Fire Lord introduced her with a goofy smile, he knew. He knew this was some stupid setup to either make the Fire Lord look good in front of her, or to pretend they were all such close friends and introduce her to his wartime buddies.
What made it worse was how he hadn't hated Zuko in a very long time.
He did hate the prince at first. For years. He seriously considered throwing him overboard many times. The boy thought himself better than those around him and had no idea how to deal with the hardships of a life at sea. He didn't take the work of keeping a nearly 100 year old vessel afloat as seriously as he should have. He was single-minded in his ridiculous quest to hunt an Avatar none of them thought even existed. And he was rude. Whiny. Just... a teenager.
In retrospect, he could've been more understanding of how difficult it would be for any young man to be tossed aside like Zuko was. The kid was thrown onto a small, outdated naval vessel and sent on an impossible quest with orders never to set foot on home soil again until he was triumphant. He was only thirteen. But he was an angry thirteen year old who got to make the rules. And his rules were rarely practical.
Oh, he hated Zuko at first.
Hearing Iroh tell the real reason for his scar and his predicament, and then working alongside the boy to save a helmsmen during a bad storm... it changed things.
Still, when Admiral Zhao conscripted the crew and the ship was disbanded there was no reason to remain loyal to the boy. Though they all largely worried for him when they got news of the assassination attempt that destroyed their former prison at sea, there was nothing they could do other than quietly correct other soldiers whose image of the young, banished prince was...
Well. Maybe not wrong, but certainly not up to date.
Jee only saw one or two of his fellow shipmates throughout the years. They felt little need to stay in touch because once they were allowed to return home they didn't want to hold onto mixed memories. To have the Fire Lord greet each of them like old friends was awkward. The man appeared oblivious to everyone's discomfort.
But that woman with him.
She knew.
He wasn't sure how, but she knew they were uneasy.
And she said nothing. Indicated nothing. Appeared to enjoy the situation. Egged the Fire Lord on by encouraging his friendliness.
What a bitch.
"Toph Beifong?"
The Fire Lord smiled at Jee as he nodded in the affirmative, which threw him off. Was this the first time he saw Zuko's casual smile? During their time at sea he did, on rare occasions, see hints of a smile. But never such a broad, open, happy expression. He didn't know Zuko was capable of such humanity.
"THE Toph Beifong? As in... the war hero? The Avatar's earthbending teacher?"
She smiled something wicked and he knew, deep down, this woman was trouble.
"That's me!"
He studied her as she latched onto Zuko's arm and declared he's told me all about you with a glint in her cloudy eyes that put him on high alert. Then he watched the Fire Lord backpedal.
"She's making it sound like more than it was. I merely told her about our time at sea. That's all."
"And how you all were the closest thing he had to friends, which is kind of sad but I'm not in position to judge."
Zuko blushed, and Jee wasn't sure if he should speak or let whatever this was play out. In a hushed, but not overly quiet tone, the Fire Lord chastised the woman standing beside him.
"That's right! You're in no position to judge me! You didn't have a single friend until you were 12 years old."
"I was kept isolated. What's your excuse?"
"I was isolated, banished at sea!"
"I bet you didn't have friends even before you were banished."
Jee watched Zuko's eyes widen, and his face turn to shock. He couldn't blame the guy, this woman was ruthless. Still, he had to keep from smiling because he was fairly certain she was right.
"I had friends!"
"Your sister's friends don't count. And you'll never convince me you weren't painfully awkward as a child. I bet your best friend was a turtleduck with a soft name, or maybe one of your teachers."
For the first time since their reunion, Zuko looked familiar. His whole frame tensed, his posture straightened, and his fists clenched at his side. Oh, he recognized that stance. That was the young prince he remembered. Angry. Unable to control his temper. Insulted even by jokes.
Except...
This time he took in a deep breath, relaxed, and responded in a measured tone. Since when did Zuko understand taking jokes in stride?
"Toph. Would you like a tour of the ship?"
She pretended to think over his offer, then breezily said "okay!"
When Zuko turned towards him and asked if he wanted to join, Jee once again wasn't sure he could refuse.
He was almost happy when they set sail and she promptly fell ill.
Was Zuko's self-esteem so damaged from his facial scar that he thought a blind woman who somehow saw through earthbending would be his best match? She was an earthbender! How reckless could a Fire Lord be to involve himself with an earthbender?
During their tour of the ship she talked about how the metal build was why she wasn't totally blind because she could see through metalbending, too.
Metalbending.
Of course he heard about this skill in the years since the war, both from horrified survivors of the airship attacks who witnessed a power that didn't exist in recorded history, and from rumors of her academy, but it all still seemed unreal. The way she spoke of this power, the way Zuko smiled, proud of her... It made him realize that for perhaps the first time ever a Fire Lord was choosing a woman with more power than him. Maybe not political power, but incredible, awe-inspiring power nonetheless.
And yet their dynamic was almost sweet. Based on her demeanor Jee would never know she could kill them all at a whim. Azulon used power to subjugate. Ozai was the same. This woman. She was incredibly nonchalant about the whole matter. She even teased him when he was thinking too hard about her ability to end their lives.
"Wanna share your thoughts?"
The question caught him by surprise. Did she know he was considering all the ways she was a threat?
Zuko was unfazed but the heat in her eyes informed Jee that she was onto him. Again. She knew he was uncomfortable with her talk of metalbending. It was as though she saw right through his carefully crafted exterior down into his soul. He couldn't admit to her that she seemed unworldly with her bending, should those stories he heard all be true. He was afraid to ask for a demonstration, and for whatever reason she wasn't offering. She seemed the type to offer, but something held her back.
Before he could answer, before the Fire Lord caught onto how stunned and flatfooted he was, she answered for him.
"It's okay. I know you're just wondering how this guy" she nodded to Zuko, "landed someone like me. Honestly? I'm impressed, too!"
Her tone was joking, and prompted Zuko to actually agree with her, another unbecoming act for a Fire Lord who typically would consider his partner lucky to have him, but Zuko wasn't a typical Fire Lord. And she wasn't typical. Period.
He needed time to figure her out. Zuko, however, was easy to read. All the evidence so far pointed to him growing into a kind man. Firm and decisive, if his policies over the last decade were any indication, but still kind. Early in his reign Jee had a lot of moments where he second guessed Zuko's ability to rule. The early years were difficult for everyone. Most teenagers were still finding themselves, not ruling a nation.
Sometimes his age showed.
But by his early twenties the Fire Lord appeared to find his footing without so much reliance on outsiders. By all accounts he grew into his position well. He brought prosperity where there was only war for generations. He accommodated others but never let anyone take advantage of the Fire Nation. He was a leader Jee was proud to have.
Maybe his decision to be with this earthbender was another solid choice.
Never in a million years did he think that pompous, spoiled prince would fall under the spell of a wild woman with a huge ego, a penchant for teasing everyone over everything, and zero sea legs. And yet Jee actually quite liked her lack of propriety, which was both expected from stories about her and unexpected given her family name. Even a retired nobody like himself heard of the Beifong family. If he didn't see the way those two acted together, he'd assume Zuko was with Toph to add her family's money and power in the Earth Kingdom to his own.
But he couldn't deny their odd chemistry. And she got along great with the men. Much better than Zuko ever did.
At least she got along with them before seasickness kicked in.
Afterwards, no matter how many ginger candies she was given the woman could not leave the quarters she shared with Zuko.
Jee understood the young prince he once knew was a grown man. He'd crossed that threshold many years ago. At this point there were whispers in the Fire Nation asking if he'd ever sire an heir. But it was still strange to come to terms with how the young bratty boy he once knew was old enough to bed a woman. Stranger, even, to have that woman among them.
What were the odds of the men forced into banishment alongside Zuko ever meeting a potential match for the young prince?
But the remaining crew fell into step easily with one another. Aside from Zuko and his sad motives, the trip wasn't so bad. Hearing what the others were up to, learning about their work and families, was healing.
And it was a little splendid how the weather refused to comply as though nature itself wanted to prove to the Fire Lord that he couldn't force things to be perfect.
The sea was unforgiving. Not dangerous, just punishing to anyone unaccustomed to the rolling waves. Toph spent hours in bed, and Zuko split his time between her and the men he invited for this silly reunion. Did the Fire Lord not know his companion fared poorly at sea? If they met in the war those two knew each other almost twenty years. Zuko was many things, but he wasn't completely unobservant. Jee had a feeling he coerced her into this trip and assumed she'd be okay.
Clearly the Fire Lord was wrong, but it was just like his old self to try to force what he wanted without fully thinking it through. And wasn't that what this trip was about? His old self?
Zuko joined them for dinner and relayed Toph's sincere apologies for not attending. Jee knew that was bullshit. Toph Beifong probably wouldn't apologize for anything unless absolutely necessary. Seeing Zuko try to give the appearance of her having proper manners was almost cute. But her absence was likely for the best. He was certain if she tried to eat, she'd lose it all with her weak stomach.
By their second evening at sea even his former chief engineer and third officer were commenting about her absence.
"Do you think he brought her here as punishment?"
"If that's the case, we're all being punished!"
Jee frowned and kept his voice low like the others.
"I think he's just... looking for something that doesn't exist.
"Like his dignity?"
"Like the Avatar?"
"Or his honor!"
A few men chuckled, but it didn't sit right with Jee. He found himself suddenly speaking in his old authoritative voice, the one he gave orders with during the war.
"He's earned our respect. Either shape up, or shut up."
Only one former crew member dared to push back.
"It's unbecoming of a Fire Lord to wait on a woman. He's the leader of our nation, not a nursemaid!"
"He's a responsible man, and if you'd leave your wife to suffer on her own without checking on her, then you're a child. Not an adult!"
Jee turned to see the cook with fire in his eyes. He didn't expect anyone to stand up for Zuko.
"Come on, she's not his wife!"
The cook glared.
"Married or not, they're together. He's behaving with respect towards her, and respect towards us. I shouldn't have to bring up your daughter and ask what you'd expect from her partner, if she was taken ill. Caring for others isn't a weakness. If you think it is, then swim back to shore and start another uprising in Ozai's name, you coward!"
When the cook shut down all criticism of Zuko, Jee could just about see Iroh's smiling face in the corner of the room. It was a real shame he skipped this reunion. The old General always liked the cook. His heart might just burst seeing an old friend, who usually stayed quiet, defend his beloved nephew.
The sea turned once more.
Jee understood the change was temporary and the calm was more foreboding than welcome. A few hours at most before a larger storm hit. He'd say something, but the current captain appeared to know what she was doing. Her orders to her crew indicated an understanding of both the vessel and the weather. From all indications it wouldn't be too bad for experienced sailors, though Toph would surely suffer.
Dark clouds loomed in the distance, but he doubted they'd intersect directly unless winds significantly changed.
When at last Toph resurfaced, looking like hell, Music Night began. Jee was shocked to see her so pale. All of her vitality was gone. Her attitude was gone. She looked thoroughly wrecked and required Zuko's assistance to walk. Her physical state brought home just how rough the seas were to anyone not used to life on the water, but also how much influence The Fire Lord had on the woman. How he managed to convince her to leave their room and join everyone was beyond Jee's comprehension.
But she had a determined, if nauseated, expression.
Zuko sat beside her, holding her hand. As a few of the current ship's crew members played songs Jee watched some color come back to Toph's face. Even without making a show of it, everyone noticed their hands entwined. She must be something special to elicit such casual affection from a man who by all accounts probably shouldn't have an easy time opening up to anyone. They all knew under Ozai, and Azulon before him, affection was considered a weakness. From the way Zuko behaved in exile it was easy to believe he'd never experienced a hug in his life.
A new warmth blossomed in Jee's chest. It took a few minutes to realize it was hope.
The next song was played. Then another. The couple whispered back and forth at appropriate times and though he couldn't make out their words he understood from her nods of affirmation that Zuko was checking on her condition. Again, there was nothing flashy between them. No exaggerated motions or big gestures like he may have expected, long ago, from a young prince who wanted badly to have recognition.
Those two existed in their own realm of care and quiet comfort.
When everyone clapped for a short serenade played on the liuqin, Zuko appeared to remember he was not alone with Toph. He turned towards Jee and asked "Captain! Do you still sing?"
"I do, yes."
"Do you know any songs from the Earth Kingdom?"
It was Toph who asked the last question. Her voice sounded steadier than she looked. Jee was a bit glad for that. His earlier amusement at her illness vanished when he saw the effects of seasickness on her. Now he wanted her to feel better, or at least feel better before the weather turned once more.
"I do, yes. Probably the best known songs I can recall are The Tyrant Jialun, and The Tale of Oma and Shu... though I must admit the second will sound lacking without a duet partner."
He studied Toph's face and was surprised to see her thinking seriously before speaking words that made no sense.
"Okay. That settles it. I'll sing The Tale of Oma and Shu with Captain Jee in exchange for your dignity."
He wanted to ask whose dignity, but Zuko was already agreeing to her terms. Before he could inquire what was happening, Zuko looked at him with expectant eyes.
"I believe your part is first, Captain. Will you do us the honor?"
The way Zuko smiled at him, openly, excitedly, was incredibly foreign. Not unusual given how relaxed he seemed on this trip, but foreign nonetheless. Whatever verbal contract he just committed himself to was causing him incredible delight. He almost looked like he'd successfully tricked Toph. But there was just no way...
With everyone staring at him, Jee cleared his throat and tried to recall an old melody. A moment later, he began the ballad.
Took a walk atop a mountain high
Saw a girl, my soul it did take flight
What he didn't expect was a competent, almost lovely soprano joining him for the third line. Toph just didn't seem like the kind of woman to have a sweet singing voice. For the short while he knew her, the words out of her mouth were most often harsh. Her laugh was more of a cackle. And yet when she joined him the sound floated effortlessly above his tenor.
All of our love is not enough to free
The chains they put on me
Had he no experience with duets, the surprise from her vocals would have thrown him off. Instead, he sailed through and waited for her to begin the next verse. They would then trade who took melody and who took harmony. By the time they got to the most famous line, Love is brightest in the dark, he was smiling and looking forward to how she would sing his personal favorite section at the end of the song.
The final verse would begin with Shu's death in the war and end with Oma's heartbreak. He would take lead for the death, with her only adding warmth in the background. Then she'd take stage to finish them out.
When I fell, my life it came to end
Wheel broken, our dreams were newlywed
Though her overall sound remained soft throughout the song, she knew to increase her volume and add the right amount of anger and agony as they sang the final lines together, with his voice falling back to allow hers, the broken Oma, to shine.
Bending the earth like no one's ever seen
Lay my wrath on all who made me grieve
Immediately her tone tempered back down to that same, gentle, longing voice that began their duet as Oma begged for Shu not to leave her.
When they were done, silence lingered over the small party to an almost uncomfortable length. Jee realized the crew never heard him sing a duet with a woman, and that perhaps a love ballad was a poor choice to perform with a much younger woman who happened to be Zuko's.
But the Fire Lord's eyes were shining as he stared at Toph, his lips pulled up into an easy smile. There was no surprise in his expression and it occurred to him that Zuko knew exactly what he was doing when he made his deal with Toph. She likely sang in his presence before, though whether that was in public or private he'd never know. But the man looked equal parts enamored and ready to best her.
What was he planning?
Crew members clapped. A few whistled. Toph appeared slightly embarrassed, though she could probably explain it away as residual illness.
And then she declared "Your turn, Sparky!"
Sparky?
She called the Fire Lord, Zuko of all people, Sparky? Was that a reference to the lyric about the war snuffing out Oma and Shu's spark of love? Or did this woman bestow on the leader of an entire proud nation a silly nickname that implied his firebending was subpar? Zuko would never dignify that with—
Jee's thoughts ceased when the Fire Lord raised the hand he was still holding Toph's in, kissed her knuckles, and said "Okay. If that's what you want."
Toph's eyes narrowed.
"That was the deal. You said I wouldn't sing. And if I did sing, you would show me just how badly you play the tsungi horn."
There was no stopping Jee's jaw from dropping. Zuko was going to play the tsungi horn for her? All those years of flat refusal, even when his beloved uncle requested he play, and now he was willing?
As Zuko stood to grab a horn that Jee only now realized was at the ready the entire evening, it occurred to him that the Fire Lord was showing off. This wasn't a punishment for him. He wanted to play. He was trying to impress his woman. The skills Iroh insisted for years were real must be true, and he was going to surprise everyone just to see her reaction. Had Iroh been there, he would've fallen over from joy.
This little reunion wasn't really about the men on the ship. It was about that woman, who listened in awe when Zuko played a beautiful rendition of an old Fire Nation ballad. It was about how she couldn't stop smiling once Zuko encored with a tune later described as something called "Secret Tunnel." Jee didn't know the words, but she was so happy he thought her smile could power the sun. It was evident that tonight was the first time Zuko played the tsungi horn for her. She looked enamored. He looked proud of himself. Confident. Like he could firebend the world when she smiled at him like that.
How a man could fall for Toph was clear. He just didn't understand how Zuko fell for her. Just how much did he change since they were forced to spend years together at sea? The kid he knew was far more likely to fall for some quiet girl who never challenged him and let him run her life. Hell, the kid he knew was likely to marry any stranger his elders set him up with if it meant restoring his rank and buying the approval of his father.
Back then the boy was sad, really.
Pathetic.
But did he ever know Zuko at all, when the young prince was so hurt he hid from everyone?
Probably not.
Ultimately over the years Jee was glad when he heard news of Zuko. Typically he was doing well, making sound choices, and forging alliances that would never be possible without the Avatar vouching for his character and his well-known contribution to ending the war. He wouldn't go so far as to claim he looked upon Zuko as family, but he was certainly a young man whose anger and pain he saw up close, and whose redemption he knew, more than most, was hard-earned.
He wouldn't hold it against the man for using them all to impress a lady.
At least not this one.
When winds made a catastrophic turn, Jee didn't have time to worry about Toph's health.
It was all hands on deck, including the retired crew. They may not have the same physical strength they exhibited in their war days, but they were still veterans of the navy. And yet with decades of experience on board, everyone was wrong. All of their most reliable weather indications were wrong. The winds turned rapidly and they were hit directly by a fast-moving storm. The sea threw waves at them that would've sunk Zuko's wartime ship. They listed so far port-side that men still on deck had to anchor themselves or risk falling into violent waters.
What shocked him most was Zuko, who tied himself down and redirected lightning strikes.
When Iroh did the same, he was impressed. The retired General was a legend.
When Zuko, a sitting monarch, a man he once watched struggle with basic forms as a child, a man some still thought unfit to lead, a man still in his prime with no heirs to his throne, channeled his bending in an incredible display of control to spare the ship and the lives of his crew... that hit differently. He wasn't inside, where it was arguably safer, looking after the woman Jee was at this point certain Zuko was in love with.
No.
He was doing a dangerous job that no one else on the ship could. Not even he could lightning bend.
Without warning, something crashed into the ship. Jee felt the impact and ran inside to check for hull damage. In storms such as this the structure of the ship could be compromised by waves alone, but underwater debris could also be hurled into it. He was thrown into walls as he ran, and nearly slipped down a flight of stairs as he collided directly into someone. They fell to the floor, and he was rolled aside and forcibly pulled back into a standing position by Toph, who ordered him to follow her.
Without thinking, he did.
She led him past the engine room. He paused, but she demanded his attention and he skipped checking there to instead enter a storage room that was rapidly filling with water. There was no way this ship would stay afloat should it continue to fill, but Toph simply ran into the water, grabbed the interior hull, and suddenly the metal was moving and reshaping in ways he didn't think possible. She was roughly pushed into the hull by floating debris and lost concentration. She ordered him to keep her path clear.
Of course. She couldn't see what was floating and the ship was still getting hit by waves.
Jee did what he could to anchor the few boxes light enough to already cause hazards. Toph's hands were back on the hull and jagged tear on the side of the ship was closing off and repairing itself. She was repairing it. Even when the gaps closed she continued to work, changing the metal in ways he could only imagine must strengthen it. When he was tossed halfway across the room she stayed put because she bent handholds into the metal.
And then they were on the run again.
"Just two more!"
He followed her closely.
"How do you know that?"
"I can feel it!"
This metalbending was really something.
She stopped in front of a door and went to open it, but he grabbed her hands.
"Don't. That's a ballast tank. We're still buoyant if that floods."
Toph let go of the door and ran to her next location. It seemed she trusted him. He was glad he went with her on that tour earlier, or else he wouldn't know the ship's layout so well.
By the time they were finished, he knew the captain would eventually order counter-flooding to level the ship. The listing wasn't too severe, but the storm hadn't calmed quite enough to make maneuvers yet. They were lucky the storm was quick to pass, and Jee found himself sitting on the floor against a wall, rubbing circles on Toph's back as she puked into a bucket, finally letting her seasickness get the best of her.
"You okay?"
She nodded, and dry heaved.
"You did great. I've never seen anything like that."
He watched her swallow down another urge to vomit, her eyes red and her hands trembling. When she spoke, her voice was rough.
"Can't let Zuko have all the fun."
Jee laughed, and she smiled.
"When you took charge like that I'd never guess you felt so sick."
With a sniffle, she wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, still leaning over the bucket just in case.
"No time for that. When I felt the hit I knew what happened."
"With your bending?"
She hummed, but it bordered on a whine.
"You felt the hull breach?"
"I feel everything here. Every vibration. The water, the wind, your feet, everything."
Everything.
No wonder she was so ill.
Her body tensed and he resumed rubbing her back. The motion seemed to help her relax. Eventually she placed the bucket aside and leaned backwards into the wall next to him. The silence that fell between them was welcoming, not awkward. Then, out of nowhere, she reached out to hold his arm and leaned her weight into his side, resting her head on his shoulder. Jee was a bit surprised by her comfort with him, but she looked awful. And who was he to deny her a modicum of comfort when they'd just bonded during an emergency?
In that moment, she reminded him of his own daughters. They held his arm the same way, and put their heads on his shoulder just like Toph. Without thinking, he placed a kiss in her hair and told her again that she did a good job and he was proud of her.
His mind reeled. Where did that come from? He never once felt anything fatherly towards Zuko, and he barely knew Toph. But he wasn't a father back when he first met Zuko. Not really. He had children, but he wasn't a father. The girls were incredibly small when he was assigned to babysit a prince. Ozai stole from him precious years with his girls and he vowed to make up for that when his tenure with the navy was over.
His life began after the war. He doted on his children and proudly cared for them through illness and heartbreak. His girls were in their early twenties now, and Toph seemed to near thirty. Yet he wanted to care for her all the same.
It had to be his instincts as a father of two daughters kicking in. His girls were at that age where they didn't cozy up to him much. He missed that, but also understood they weren't children anymore. They had someone else to rely on instead of him. But this woman, leaning into him like he was all that kept her upright, unknowingly let him feel like a needed father again.
She hummed a response to his praise, then asked in a pitiful tone if he had any ginger candies on him. His heart broke. He couldn't recall the last time he wanted anything as badly as ginger candies in his pocket.
"I'm sorry, I don't."
"But I do."
Jee looked up to see Zuko approach. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ginger candy that looked like it saw better days. Given how he was soaking wet, the candy was partially disintegrated. But he still unwrapped it as he sat on the floor next to them, taking up position on Toph's other side. The sound his wet robes made as he hit the floor was undignified, but no one present cared. The Fire Lord reached over, using his little finger to tilt Toph's face away from Jee just enough to place the candy at her lips, which parted to take it.
They all remained silent. Toph struggling to settle her stomach, and Zuko making eye contact with him above her head. No words needed to be exchanged. Jee understood that Zuko was thankful he took care of Toph in his absence. He wondered if Zuko yet understood the extent to which Toph took care of them.
Eventually, she felt well enough to move and shifted to the opposite side, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder and allowing his arm to come around her and secure her to him.
If Zuko's goal was to get unbiased approval of Toph, he certainly had it.
At least from his former Captain.
When they disembarked two days later, Jee understood what Zuko wanted.
Toph was basking in her connection to the earth. Zuko stayed back to watch her, and the air between them told him all he needed to know. Accepting Toph wasn't enough. Though it was evident the Fire Lord was relieved she won the approval of his former shipmates, and their praise for her bending was well received when Jee told them of her work patching the ship, he could still sense a yearning in the man. This was something Jee recalled from his youth. Introducing his now wife to his friends and family. Wanting approval. Wanting to know, without a doubt, they thought he picked a good partner.
He'd never think of Zuko as a son, and Zuko would never think of him as a father. But they did have a bond forged in hard times. If Iroh took the place of Zuko's father in his heart, perhaps Jee could be the uncle he saw only a few times and wasn't remotely close to and might be able to pick out of a line-up if he tried hard.
The thought had him suppressing a chuckle.
Whatever they were, he was sure they'd always have each other's backs. And that was beyond anything he could have imagined when Zuko was just an arrogant, angry prince.
Still, the Fire Lord was searching for something. Some validation. And Jee knew what he'd want in Zuko's shoes. He knew what his own children would want, as well. As such, he did the only thing he could. He threw his arm around Zuko's back and gave him a strong pat across the shoulders.
"You did well, Zuko. She's an amazing woman."
He turned to meet surprised eyes.
"I think you should keep her."
With one more forceful pat, he released his grip and walked off the ship to say his goodbyes to the greatest earthbender in the world. She was busy challenging everyone in her vicinity to a friendly fight, emphasizing how she needed to stretch and get back into shape after almost a week away from land. This, he recognized, was her true self. Not the woman who refrained from demonstrating her powers.
Toph held back until she won over the men. She refrained, outside of working to save lives, for Zuko's benefit. To not intimidate them into pretending to like her out of fear. She put Zuko before herself because she cared about him. Because this trip meant something to him. Because she wanted him happy. And what was a slightly smaller ego in the grand scheme of his smile? Now that Zuko was happy she wasn't holding anything back.
They were a good pair.
He wouldn't be surprised if he heard news of the Fire Lord's engagement in the near future.
That is, of course... if the man could convince her to say yes.