Chapter Text
“Well.. what do you want me to tell?” Zuko smiles at his attempt a feign innocence… resting a hand on his head, while watching the two little girls stare expectantly, exasperation evident in the way they both move their heads in unison at his question.
“ANYTHING! ANYTHING!” His youngest, Lin’s tiny feet practically scrambling to jump up and down on the bed like a wood frog in the wild.
Izumi smiles up from her mother’s chest, her head cradled by calloused yet gentle hands as she looks over to her father. “Yeah dad! Tell us a story about you.. or– or anything! Pretty pleasee” she pouts and places her small hands on the baby bump, a deliberate movement which Zuko can only describe as an attempt to feel the baby move.
A firm voice called out behind Lin’s jumping. “Be careful kid, I wouldn’t want to bring sugar queen all the way to this place if you fall off!”
Well over a week ago he never imagined finding himself back on this island, let alone having his entire family back to the house where dreams often turned to a haunting tale during his teenage years— and apparently, also as of late.
It wasn’t a voluntary choice. Spirits knows he’d never do that willingly… unfortunately in this case, it was more of a careful measure.
Because in all honesty, Zuko well over the past months— hasn’t seen much of his family.
Uncle Iroh once told him that firebenders wake with the sun, drawing their powers and energy from the giant star. Of course, it wouldn’t be in Zuko fashion if he didn’t take things like one of his uncle’s proverbs overtly serious.
His routine… or what his mother would rather call his bad habit, recurs every single day. He wakes up before the sun does, finding himself buried in paperwork by the time Toph visits him in the throne room before she departs for Republic City in the early morning.
This continues, he remains unavailable for the rest of the day. Confronted by endless papers to sign, repeating reviews on taxes and council meetings that never seem to absolve themselves— he simply couldn't find the time to breathe.
The only moments that Zuko ever finds himself seeing his daughters are before their tutoring lessons and later at night, when he brushes their wavy locks away from their foreheads and kisses them goodnight knowing they’re fast asleep.
Oftentimes his chest feels a growing guilt, he was a husband and father first for spirits sake! The firebender knows he’s doing everything in his power to retain peace in their nation. But his mind takes him back to the recurring question of Do they know that?
Never mind the struggles he goes through every single day, because he knows that from their perspective?
All they have and know is a husband that is married to his work, and a father that visits them before lessons.
It was a constant war of duality— being a firelord. You either prioritize keeping the nation from collapsing or doing your very best to become a present figure in your family’s lives. With the latter being his promise to Toph even before they started having children.
A promise that he in the past months, has continuously failed.
He tries… and hopes that at least it is enough.
While knowing its never really is.
However, the routine was disrupted a week ago, during a council meeting when a person whom he came to recognize as Toph’s maidservant came rushing past the giant wooden doors.
“Your Majesty! Forgive me for the interference!”
Zuko sits up alarmed, already raising his hand signaling to the grand chamberlain to keep his mouth from shouting at the intruder “Speak, what seems to be the trouble?” His face scrunches up in worry.
The maidservant bowed down, panic evident in the way her voice trembled. “It’s the Fire Lady, her health has been compromised my Lord!”
That could only mean one thing.
As the sun set later that day, Zuko dealt with the person who attempted the assassination himself.
——————
A day after the food poisoning incident, it was the grand chamberlain himself who suggested the royal family stay away from the palace as they conduct counter measurements in the meantime.
That’s how he and his family found themselves tucked away on the king-sized bed, inside one of the many great rooms that the ember island estate has, relishing on the euphoria of a good post-afternoon nap.
Toph’s health returned eventually. However that didn’t ease the fact that the occurrence left their family visibly shaken. If anything, this just brought the firelord’s anxiety to an all time high, with Zuko being bitterly reminded of the scar his own mother left him when he was Izumi’s age.
And to think that we were so close to losing her.
“Sparky!!”
He looked at the caller. Lin now sat excitedly, eyes bright similar to her mother’s when causing mischief, apparently the toddler was giggling at the nickname given.
“Sparky huh? What do you mean my turtleduck?” He smiled, large hands found their way to his daughter’s sides drawing giggles from the little one. “Isn’t my name dad anymore?”
“No!” Lin squeals tiny feet making their way to Toph hiding away in her arms.
Well that gesture made it clear who girls’ favorite is. As his side of the bed continues to remain embarrassingly empty.
“Yohoo, Earth to Sparky? Where have you been?” Golden eyes find hers, Toph looks ethereal in the afternoon light, the setting sun casts a shadow over her form. Making her look like a goddess. Knowing his wife, she’d definitely throw in a punch or two if he says these thoughts out loud.
“Lin’s been calling you for the past minute” Zuko doesn't miss the way Toph strokes stray hairs away from Izumi’s forehead in silent affection.
“It's a wonder she called me sparky” he scoffs playfully, looking over to his family, the girls huddled near the baby bump. ”Looks like she’s been picking up bad habits from someone I know.”
“No need to thank me husband” she smirks, one hand holding her head up as the other guides the girls’ hands, trying to detect movement on her stomach.
“Ooh! Okay dad how about this? How many times have you been here?”
“Darling I think that’s too many times for me to count” Zuko smiles at Izumi as she genuinely tries hard to think of another, more reasonable question.
Lately the girls have gotten into the habit of asking questions, Izumi especially.
“Dad, where did you learn to fly an airship?”
“Dad, why does Uncle Iroh pretend to be weak? I’ve seen him lift sacks of tea leaves!”
“Dad, do you think Lin is an earth bender or a fire bender?”
He has yet to decide whether he likes it or not.
Izumi stills, sitting down to think through her question. “Okay dad not that!”
Zuko patiently waits for another question. Looking over at Toph who is silently smiling at a Lin whispering nonsensical things he assumes.
“Ooh! What about tell us your memories of the beach house?”
It takes a moment before he responds, “Lets see, I have my two beautiful and mischievous daughters in front of me and the greatest earth bending fire lady laying across me when she should have been within arms reach” A terrible attempt at flirting zuko.
“Uhuh..” the said greatest earth bending fire lady nods at him “Well your majesty, you are not in luck because I am not moving anytime soon” Toph raised her hands making it obvious that she's busy with girls. “Have your royal highness make his way over to me then!”
He smiles, “Yes Ma’am”
“Not that dad! I mean in the past, since you were my age!” Izumi rolls her eyes. Not even a second later Lin chimes in with a “yes dad!” nodding furiously.
Staring at the children waiting impatiently, Zuko knew what they asked for wasn’t a question, quite the opposite.. It was a direct request from the princesses.
A request to ‘tell them stories about dad’s memories at the beach house’.
But what can dad even say?
“Oh well.. you know dad didn’t really have good memories here, yeah his family used to spend endless summers here and he had a handful of moments– but the only ones that were even worth looking back on, happened way before he was exiled to oblivion. I mean who would do that to their child?! He couldn’t even imagine doing that to Izumi or Lin!? That would be just beyond evil! Like hell he was anything like his own father.”
Well he couldn’t say that.
“Let’s see...“ he settles more comfortably beside Toph, back against the headboard.
I remember one time, we went here for a short vacation— all of us; Uncle Iroh, your grandmother Ursa, and… your grandf—“ he hesitated “Uhm, and then cousin Lu Ten who passed away years ago was also there back then”. He started to fiddle with the topknot that came loose, while recalling.
“Was I was born yet?” Lin asks innocently.
Zuko could only chuckle “No darling, it was way before momma and I met”
“Shush Lin! Dad, continue!
“Well we were playing Kuai Ball down the beach with your aunt Azula..”
The children’s eyes grew at the sound of their aunt’s name. They know of Azula and her past… at least just the relative ones, like the reason why she lives at a hospital for the most part.
Ursa constantly tries to make Azula feel included in their family. Hosting family dinners every now and then. Which of course, Zuko for his part also tries to build a connection with her, especially within the past months. Even though they weren't the ideal example of loving siblings, it was worth trying to regain lost connections.
Quite a miracle that despite the tough years Zuko still cares deeply about Azula. In the end, she was also just a victim in the many ways he was. Despite it all, she was still family.
He figured his mother was right that having children softens you in ways you never know could.
“....Then when she couldn’t catch up she tripped on a giant boulder, her two front teeth came loose! That night when we came back to the estate, your grandmother scolded me so badly she sent me to my room without dinner” Zuko tells the story with such passion Toph couldn't help but snort.
Izumi could only laugh, pointing to Lin who also is missing the respective amount of teeth. The younger rushes back to bury her face in the mattress, a muffled grunt can be heard after.
“Make sure to ask your Aunt about that next time, for all we know, your dad could be lying to make himself sound cool”
”Hey! No I—“
The oldest child only nods with insistence at her mother’s remark. “Another one with aunt Azula dad!”
“Okay, there was one time when I was a teenager. We went here on forced vacation" Izumi eagerly listens as Lin finally removes her face from the mattress to listen after a coaxing from Toph.
“We were at this popular boy’s house party, I think he was the son of one of the former generals. He was quite rude if you ask me”.
“I’d be rude to someone who’s idea of a conversation was to shout at everyone to be honest” Zuko smiles at the sarcastic remark and tries to play with Toph's hands before she playfully swats it away.
“Hey I wasn’t that bad!” he grumbled. “Ah, then I suddenly heard this obnoxious laugh some minutes into the party”.
“Then later I found out from Ty Lee..”
An audible gasp can be heard from Izumi “kyoshi warrior Ty Lee!?” Zuko nods.
“What happened next!”
“She told me Azula was trying to impress the boy who invited us” Zuko said with a proud smirk as he looked back to the fond recollection of the moment.
A rustle can be heard from the bed, Toph sits up to rest on the headboard as well “You make quite the big talk when it comes to Azula huh? why don't you tell us where you were during that time, dad?”
“Well… I was—“
“Breaking up with Mai aren’t we?”
“You had a girlfriend before mom!!?” Izumi screamed as if discovering a gold mine, Lin closely mimicked her sister flailing from shock.
“But dad, I thought you and momma were boyfriend and girlfriend” Lin attempts to reach her father from Toph's lap. A growing shock grows on the child's face.
“We’re done with being boyfriend and girlfriend my turtleduck” Zuko says teasingly, observing the visibly upset Lin.
Zuko strokes his daughter’s hair attempting to tame the unruly curls once more. “Oh it’s just a joke darling, me and momma are married, see!” He feels a punch on his arm by Toph.
“They’re husband and wife Lin, that's even better!” Izumi attempts to console her sisters disbelief.
Lin repeats “WOW, even better!”
Toph intervenes in the two children’s conversation, “You know, mom was quite the charmer back then as well” picking her nose with casualness.
“Really!?” Lin shouts this time.
“Really” she says earnestly “I had marriage proposals left and right, your grandparents kept pestering me to marry one of the guys”
“Oh mom, we knew that.” Toph couldn't help but stifle a laugh “I just can't believe dad had a girlfriend before, and it turned out to be Aunt Mai?! MY knife throwing tutor Aunt MAI!”
“Is that so hard to believe?” Zuko grunts as he helps adjust a pillow on Toph’s lower back. Izumi giggled some more before saying “Wait! Wait! Then how did you and mom become boyfriend and girlfriend?”
“mom mom!” Lin jumps up and down the bed ”Did you kiss when you first saw dada?”
Toph laughs, noticing that the topic of the Ember Island house is slowly turning into a cheeky retelling of their love story.
Conversation ran easily between the four of them, Zuko recalls the play they watched long ago merely a day before ending the century long war. Noting that in the scenes he was portrayed as an angry prince with his scar being drawn on the wrong side. Toph adds their idea of Zuko then wasn't too far from the truth.
Izumi kept pestering him to bring the play back as she wants to watch it for accuracy reasons. Using her “But dad! You’re the Firelord!” card as justification.
Which then leads to Toph bragging about how she was portrayed by a muscular man. All the reasons for Izumi to want for the return of the play more.
After the laughter died down, and the conversation calmed. Lin laid on her mothers chest, feeling the fitness of the round stomach beneath her tiny fingers.
“Momma, why is your belly big? Are you fat?”
“Jeez, and here I thought getting past Izumi without being asked if I am fat would mean the same to you” Toph laughs “Didn't I tell you mama is growing an entire human being in here?” The earthbender points her index finger to her stomach.
Zuko's heart warms at the innocence of his daughter's question. Suddenly remembering a time of strictness and struggle where moments of youth and vulnerability cannot slip through the rigid walls of the palace.
“Like this big?” Lin gestures with her hands overtly exaggerated the size of what could fit in Toph's stomach. “More like this big Pebble” as Toph gives a more accurate depiction.
Incidentally, Izumi calls Lin dumdum.
Where did she learn that from?
Zuko scolds her lightly saying Lin is bound to learn more, and that asking questions does not make you dumb. Izumi apologizes and kisses Lin's chubby cheeks in return.
Suddenly movement by Toph.
Followed by a groan. Then moment passes but she says nothing. Silence from his wife never usually means well.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah uhm” Toph makes an attempt to sit up more comfortably, Zuko places another pillow behind her.
“Well damn you Zuko, this kid is.. Argh” she curses beneath her breath.
“Hey” He touches her arm, in hopes of steadying his already in pain wife. “Better?” Zuko figured it was back pain, so without asking he puts his bending to use, both hands on her lower back he bends a warmth to ease whatever pain.
Unexpectedly Toph smacks his hands away, taking him by surprise “was it not back pain..?”
“Quit trying to fry my baby, Zuko” Toph places a protective hand against her stomach moving them to cop a feel at… something?
“Your stomach won't be affected if I try to just—“ yep! she’s glaring now, alright Zuko drop it.
“No, you idiot I don’t mean back pain, I meant the baby just kicked—a really painful kick at that.”
Two sets of green and gold eyes that aren’t his and Toph’s widened. The girls latched themselves onto their her mother’s stomach eager to feel the movement.
Izumi and Lin usher closer, practically being glued to the hip in proximity.
Zuko watches and stills, his heart aches at the sight so domestic it feels foreign for someone from a long line of strict royals to witness something so.. normal.
In front of him, Zuko sees not the Fire lady but the girl who stood by him and the gaang to simply fight for good when she was merely a child herself. The same Toph who when he first met actually believed and saw through him when no one else wanted to hear out the banished prince with the telling scar.
The most beautiful thing that could ever happen to him was Toph Beifong.
Never in his pained, angry and bitter past could he ever imagine building a life with the woman he stares at today.
Toph with the neatly braided hair that he tied, carelessly thrown over one side of her shoulder. While messy face framing bangs that she never got to grow out despite her many attempts at doing so, stubbornly cover her clouded jade eyes.
This woman with her fiery attitude despite not being born of fire nation soil— who entranced him wholeheartedly for being simply and unapologetically herself.
Toph Beifong the metal bending prodigy, the girl who ran away from home at just 12 years old to fight for something many people could only wish to have believed in, in the first place.
The earth bending prodigy, the inventor of metal bending, the esteemed Beifong heir, the war hero, veteran, the friend, the lover who eventually became his wife.
The woman who made it possible to call himself a father, the very same woman who nursed their children in the same way she is nursing their youngest now while their daughters awaited the movement of what Toph already predicted to be as their sister.
With two sets of small fingers pressed against her belly waiting to feel something move. His heart strings tug at the scene unfolding.
The sight brings Zuko to tears. It doesn't make him cry animatedly like how Sokka does every time the gaang has to eventually depart after a gathering. Nor is it similar to Aang’s light misty eyes whenever his children do something only the avatar could describe as the most adorable.
No, Zuko’s had always been silent. Even with his troubles he’d rather bear them selfishly. He certainly was a man that kept to himself, quite the hypocrite after having trouble with past relationships that aren't expressive enough. That is until he met his match, a long time friend from the earth kingdom; who unknowingly taught him that trust takes time.
Love didn’t come crashing down on them one specialized day. No, love came to them randomly, both realizing the connection was built over stolen moments on borrowed time. Tiptoeing around one another for years brought them here.
It was a rough and messy road but they were fortunate enough to make things work.
The girls’ squeals sounded almost muffled in his ears, his vision only depicting the three blurry blobs of the people who Zuko called his family.
His heart aches, so so much..
The tears that flowed were silent, warm and present. They remind him of the family he has now, they humble him and ground him to what he must never lose sight of.
And to think I was so close to repeating the mistake I vowed to never make.
In a heartbeat he moves closer to his beloved, until he hugs her as if she were to disappear the next moment.
Toph is astonished, sensing the equal shock on her daughter's faces who momentarily stopped what they’re doing to stare at their parents.
“Sparky what-- what are you doing?” Toph laughs in an attempt to ease the silence “Get off, you’re crushing me you know? You’re not as light as you think you a-“
A sniffle.
This caught her off guard, carefully Toph stills, bringing her hands to gently stroke the broad back of the Firelord who is currently enveloping her in what she could only describe as a hug similar to a platypus bear.
Toph huffs out a breath, a weary smile caresses her feature “Oh you big old oaf..”
Meanwhile a shared look of confusion is heavily growing on Izumi and Lin’s faces. Their firelord dad who never showed an ounce of weakness is now clinging onto their mother as if tomorrow won’t exist?
What is happening..
Before Toph could do anything about her girls who went awfully silent at their fathers gesture a servant knocks at their door urging that dinner is ready. Taking this as an opportunity she does what she hopes is a ‘look’ at her girls.
“Looks like dinner is ready, why don’t you girls head out first? Mom and dad will be there in a short while kiddos, okay?”
A moment passes… after she hears the door click, she turns to her husband, pulling him away from their hug. Placing hands that were strengthened through time on his face, feeling the hot tears staining his cheeks.
Gently wiping them away she asks in a gentle yet humorous voice “What the hell is wrong with you sparky?”
Tophs attempts a small smile, confused by her husband’s behavior but concerned altogether.
He sniffled, everything had been too much. The silence seemed to stretch on for too long. A silent plea to hold a single proper conversation they haven't had in such a long time.
For what it’s worth, Toph understands and takes him in a crushing embrace once more.