Chapter Text
It could be striking that, in a city located at the highest point of the sun, where the "cold" climate barely justified a light long-sleeved tunic, Sokka and Zuko would get up at dawn to go to the children's room. However, that didn't mean they could neglect the morning routine.
Zuko went to Iroh's room, since his youngest son still had difficulties dressing appropriately. If they didn't check on him beforehand, Iroh might end up wearing an inner tunic as outerwear; only a miracle prevented him from trying to layer every different style of garment on top of each other. Izumi, on the other hand, was already ten years old and didn't need Sokka to help her tie her shoes like when she was five, nor to sing her some song that would haunt him for the next few weeks. However, she had recently been insisting that he braid her hair, after Kya arrived with an elaborate hairstyle that Katara had done for her. Sokka had decided he wouldn't fall behind: he undoubtedly had better technique than his sister, and his daughter seemed to have good taste, because she always waited for him, already ready in front of her vanity.
Opening her arms as wide as she could, Izumi demanded:
—I want a huge braid —gesticulating.
Sokka chuckled lightly as he began to create the loops.
—A princess braid?
—A warrior princess braid —she corrected.
Izumi had beautiful hair, inherited directly from Zuko, just like Iroh: a texture and silkiness that would turn any girl from the South or North green with envy. However, it wasn't the best for elaborate hairstyles from her culture, since it required twice the time to achieve the appropriate volume compared to the hair that Katara, Kya, or he had. Nevertheless, Izumi didn't seem to notice yet, so Sokka didn't complain.
They both left to continue with the daily routine: finding Iroh and Zuko already seated around the private dining room, breakfasting on a mix of different dishes accompanied by tea. The daily routine was simple: after leaving their children with the private tutor, Sokka would go to the engineering faculty, where he had his own students to guide. There he conducted all kinds of experiments. It was a fascinating place where everyone looked at him with admiration, even if he made something explode (which was common). Sometimes, when Izumi or Iroh felt a little sick, Sokka would bring them to class with him, seating them in the front row with the goal of having them experience specialized teaching and, of course, see their dad in action. His students always tended to be animated and kind when one of his children joined the classes, addressing them with their respective titles of "princess" or "prince," but keeping them at that level of trust and affection.
Greeting all his students in the classroom, he left the multiple rolls of parchment, blueprints, pencils, and rulers on his wide desk, and sat on it to ask them how they were doing. A chorus of "good" and other sounds that could be defined as "not too bad" were returned to him as he smiled at them, telling them that the academic period had been tough, but that there was little time left until the holidays.
—And how are you, professor? —asked Ren.
He liked the kid, although he was obviously a bit childish and immature. The typical heartbreaker who had gotten involved with three other students from that same class, to the point where Sokka himself had asked him to ease up a bit when one of them discovered she was being cheated on with her best friend.
—Me? Excellent, perfect. This morning I did a warrior princess braid for my daughter —he informed.
He liked to think he was that kind of cool, approachable teacher—the kind he always wanted to have when he was young but never experienced until almost adulthood, because his tribe was small and made up only of women who dedicated themselves to the "typical omega tasks." He made an effort to remember every one of his students' names and take note of their strengths and weaknesses to challenge them to keep improving.
Overall, he felt satisfied with his life, both professionally and personally. Zuko had established himself as Fire Lord with that confidence that left no room for doubt, and his children kept him active with every new idea that came to them.
As for his children... Izumi tended to make his life a little difficult, especially because she was too similar to him in personality, but without the restraint that Zuko had in his youth. A clear example was when she hit the son of a palace worker, breaking his nose, because the boy, a few years older and an alpha, had mocked Iroh. Zuko hadn't been happy at all. Sokka had told his daughter that violence was never the way, although after the whole situation calmed down, he gave her advice on how she should improve her right hook if she wanted greater impact.
Iroh, on the other hand, was a different matter. Sokka couldn't help but feel a certain unease when it came to his youngest son, something that made him wonder if perhaps his father felt this way when it came to Katara. The reason was too simple for the multitude of feelings it generated.
Sokka had a deep respect for all kinds of cultures and genders existing on the face of the Earth. It was the kind of respect that is only learned when you see that differences, many times, are what sustain civilizations more than the reason they should be separated. His family was living proof of that: Aang was an airbender, his brother-in-law; his husband was a firebender; his children were a mix of both; and his best friend was an earthbender. And not to mention secondary genders: they didn't have many betas they were that close to, but he knew he shouldn't doubt for a second that an omega could kick his ass.
That didn't mean he wasn't worried at this very moment.
He wasn't angry—that would be stupid; surprised, even less so, because he had eyes and common sense. However...
Sokka was worried.
—Prince Iroh is an omega —said Zuzune, looking at a paper.
There was no surprise on either his or Zuko's faces. They had both suspected it. Well, he thought it was a bit obvious, especially from when Iroh was a baby, because if Iroh were an alpha he would have had the knot on his member, but the five-year-old didn't have it. Sokka thought he could be a beta; he even mentioned it to Zuko, who looked at him as if to say "are you serious?" because Iroh was...
Well...
Iroh...
He was sweet, the kind of child who cries when told the story of the ugly turtleduck and thinks the fire lilies are sad when the stem is bent.
Now he saw that he indeed deserved that look from Zuko. Of course, his youngest son was an omega, and it's not like he had no experience caring for omegas: he took care of his ADOLESCENT sister. Does that count as something? But the fact that Iroh was a male omega made everything much more complex, because male omegas were rare and... coveted and... Sokka wasn't stupid—he knew what men and teenagers (especially) said when there was a male omega, he knew HOW they referred to them.
He could hear Zuko saying there was no problem, while Zuzune began to talk about timelines and how it should start becoming more noticeable next year, when he turned six, although normally he wouldn't go into heat until adolescence.
He felt his chest tighten just thinking about his youngest son in heat. It was stupid, it was normal, but... he also knew what could happen when an omega went into heat. Sometimes they couldn't defend themselves and alphas took advantage. Zuko had told him that when he was young, he often had to endure all kinds of actions and comments, even BEING royalty and a firebender. By Tui and La, to this day (though rarely) he still encountered certain comments for being an omega.
What awaited his son then?
Iroh wasn't like Zuko. Zuko had kicked his ass the first time he met him. Iroh would probably give him flowers.
Oh, by Tui and La, what was Sokka going to do?
—Sokka, are you listening? —Zuko asked him, irritated, narrowing his eyes.
A confused sound came from his lips as he returned to the present. Zuzune sighed as if it didn't surprise her in the least. His omega just rolled his eyes, turning back to the healer to thank her for her time and ask for some scent blockers for their children and for themselves.
They left the rooms in silence, at least until they crossed some hallways and arrived at one of the private inner gardens, where Zuko stopped to ask him what was wrong with a tired tone, looking at his face attentively.
He sighed.
—I'm just... worried —he admitted.
Zuko's eyebrows furrowed. A silence followed.
—Because of Iroh? Because he's an omega? —he asked with a hurt undertone.
Sokka sighed again and took his hand.
—Yes... the world is great... but we both know it's also cruel —he told Zuko, who nodded thoughtfully.
Sokka looked at him with pursed lips, asking what they could do to make their son's upbringing pleasant. His omega looked at him with a soft smile, reaching out his hand to frame his jaw with a touch of affection.
—Prepare him —he replied—. My uncle always explained everything to me, although it was embarrassing —he grimaced, making Sokka laugh—, but it helped me, and when knowledge failed, I knew how to defend myself.
And that's how they came to Sokka's multiple attempts to generate a bit of control over things he couldn't control.
Zuko witnessed every single one of them.
First things first: he made sure that every prehistoric law that spoke about the value of omega children of royalty was repealed. It wasn't much work; Zuko had taken care of most of them in his first year of reign, including the first ten options of Fire Nation families that had privileges to establish arranged marriages. The existence of such treaties hadn't been a surprise, since he remembered quite well how Zuko had mentioned some time ago that his grandfather had prohibited relationships between alphas of the same gender, claiming it was contrary to nature and that it contributed nothing good to the world, of course winking at natality. In response, he had asked the omega if he didn't have some suitor hidden away to whom his hand had been promised, with Zuko shrugging unconcernedly.
—At first, when I turned five and it was revealed that I was an omega, my hand was promised to Zhao. However, when my father burned me and then exiled me, he retracted his request, arguing that my "value" had decreased considerably —he explained with no hint of emotion.
He said it as if it were a conversation about the weather.
Sokka looked at him with his eyebrows almost lost in his hair.
He had to be joking.
—You're pulling my leg.
Zuko smiled amusedly, telling him no, it was true and he wouldn't joke about that, adding that it was the main reason he had abolished that decree.
—If Zhao weren't dead, I would kill him myself. You know what? No. Forget it. He's an idiot. Now I feel bad because he rejected you because your father was a bastard.
Shrugging, reaching out his hand to intertwine it with Sokka's, Zuko whispered in a soft, satisfied tone—the kind that shares secrets—that he was grateful for it since they were together now. Sokka had no choice but to kiss him, because his heart felt like it was about to burst.
With the decrees repealed, the next thing he did was take his children to see an old acquaintance.
Master Piandao was like a ghost in the Nation. A legend, admired and hated depending on who was speaking. Practically considered a phantom. When he wasn't in national territory training some students like Sokka and Zuko, he was abroad on top-secret White Lotus missions. Finding him, therefore, had been a challenge. In simple words, he had to insist to Iroh and use his influence as a "member" to get the beta to return to his old workshop.
—Master Piandao —he greeted, bowing and making the Fire Nation salute with his hands.
His children behind him imitated the salute.
Some might say that, given his position as the Fire Lord's husband, he shouldn't bow to anyone. Nevertheless, Zuko did it, and Sokka wouldn't even dream of not showing his respects to a man of such reputation.
Piandao responded with a "Professor," imitating the bow, and looking at his children:
—Your Majesties.
The children blinked at each other.
Iroh, Zuko, and he had already told both the beta and his children what brought them together today. Even so, he took care to introduce each child to Master Piandao and vice versa, placing his hands on their shoulders to say something basic—like that Iroh liked strawberries and Izumi liked pineapple—in an attempt to make the process warmer and friendlier, announcing afterwards that from today on they would be his students. Izumi practically vibrated in place, asking questions and twisting her hands to keep from touching the different weapons displayed on the walls and furniture. Iroh, on the other hand, just observed—not with fear, but with a hint of curiosity—while the beta evaluated each child carefully.
—Is there any predisposition toward any weapon? —asked the master.
Sokka squeezed Izumi's shoulder.
—Izumi likes swords.
Piandao looked at her carefully.
—The princess is a firebender —Sokka nodded—. I can have a demonstration —he requested, and Izumi practically lit up, eager to show how much she had learned in her private lessons with Zuko and Iroh.
Stepping back, they gave adequate space for their little daughter to begin performing basic katas—the same ones Sokka had become familiar with when Aang received lessons from Zuko—twirling with her fists aflame, although she fell after two consecutive ones after miscalculating her center of gravity. He quickly ran to help her.
—I slipped —she murmured to him, her face flushed with embarrassment and exertion.
Sokka nodded to her, telling her it was no problem, that it had all been wonderful.
She smiled at him satisfied, taking her guard stance again in front of Master Piandao, who nodded.
—A straight, thin sword. Swordsmen are the noblest of their brothers —he informed.
The next was Iroh. Sokka explained that there were no indications he was a bender. Master Piandao nodded, asking Iroh to show him his hands, carefully examining his palms and folds to think aloud that his youngest son didn't have a warrior's hands.
—The art of war is not for everyone. Sometimes, destiny grants healing when peace arrives —he announced in a pleased tone.
Sokka's eye twitched.
In the Southern Water Tribe, being male, alpha, and beta was synonymous with being a warrior. That was the established role. In his childhood, if someone strayed from their destiny, they were looked at as if they were strange. Now it was different: there were options, broader perspectives.
Nevertheless, now Sokka needed Iroh to learn to defend himself, and Piandao seemed to deduce that from his expression. Pulling a blade from his sleeve, he handed the weapon to his youngest son, who looked at Sokka expectantly until finally taking it in his small hands.
—Knives. Your mother has learned to use them, though she wields dao swords. They are an elegant and underestimated weapon. Let their prejudice be your weapon, prince —he blessed.
Then they came to their third action.
—You have to close your fist and propel yourself by rotating your hip —he said, exaggerating his movements.
Iroh, beside him, seemed less than committed to the task. They had been doing this for a week, meeting after Sokka's work hours to give him hand-to-hand combat lessons, reviewing the movements already installed in his brain and asking his youngest son to hit the palms of his hands with all his might. Izumi, of course, had been thrilled, giving her best in comparison to her brother.
His youngest son, on the other hand...
—Dad... do you think turtleducks have knees? —Iroh asked, hitting the palm without force.
Sokka assured him that Zuko would surely know.
—I think they would have small knees... you know, if they had them —he explained thoughtfully.
Sokka thought carefully about how it was possible that he and Zuko had produced such a calm child.
It didn't make sense.
Had they exhausted all their reserves of chaos in Izumi? Sokka scratched his head thoughtfully.
Letting them go back to playing around the garden, he watched them for a moment running after each other, climbing monuments, decorative statues, and trees. Zuko joined them an hour later, smiling at both children when they began calling him desperately to get his attention and show the omega how they had managed to climb the tree.