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storypaint) wrote2014-09-07 12:52 am
storypaint) wrote2014-09-07 12:52 am
[A:TLA/Legend of Korra] a better fate than wisdom (Zuko/everyone + canon pairings)
Title: a better fate than wisdom
Fandom: A:TLA/Legend of Korra
Length: 1991 words
Prompt: Let's Make Out: atla, zuko/everyone. five times someone in the gaang kissed zuko
Pairing: Zuko/everyone + canon pairings
Other: This got waaaay more serious than I expected. (But some of it is still fun.) Warnings for mentioned character death and violence. Various Korra spoilers as well.
Excerpt: Five times that someone in Zuko's found family kissed him -- or he kissed one of them. Zuko was Toph's first kiss, not that he had much of a say in the matter. They were sitting around one day on a rare break from Zuko's official duties and Toph's rigorous training sessions when she leaned over and kissed him, mouth hard as a punch.
1.
Aang had always been open with his affections in a way that surprised Zuko. Ursa gave her love freely, without price, but Zuko had always thought that was her prerogative as a mother. Iroh had done so as well, but Zuko had always made mental exceptions for his favorite uncle. Perhaps the love was a manifestation of Aang's Avatar self, but Zuko had learned all about Roku and other fire Avatars when he was educated, and he hadn't heard a single thing that made him think that Roku was cuddly.
But when he was happy, Aang bubbled over with affection. When they met in Iroh's shop, away from the politics of daily life, Zuko would often find Aang's arm draped casually across his shoulder, Aang's laugh in his ear. It took a long time before Zuko was able to fight his impulse to stiffen at his friend's touch. Azula had used her affections as a weapon; Ozai had withheld them completely. Aang cared, without agenda.
Aang came to Zuko the night his son manifested airbending for the first time. Appa hit the courtyard outside with a hard thump that indicated he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. The sound had frightened Zuko awake from his doze across his desk. He slid backward in his chair when Aang appeared at his second floor window.
He must have ridden all night, Zuko realized, seeing the manic grin and tired eyes of his friend. He was sure that someone must have died, despite the smile. He opened his mouth to ask who when Aang came through the window and swept Zuko up in a strong hug.
"He's an airbender, Zuko!" Aang said, kissing him on the mouth. Zuko blinked. Aang let him go and jumped across the room, a breeze following behind him.
"What?" Zuko said. He could be perfectly dignified, the Fire Lord his people expected, but somehow he was always still an awkward teenager with his friends.
"Tenzin bent air today! He's an airbender! The Air Nation will survive! I had to tell you!"
Zuko knew why. He'd sent the first messenger hawk to Aang when his daughter firebended for the first time. She'd been a late bloomer, like her father, and Aang and Zuko had had more than one conversation about the possibility of a non-bender as future Fire Lord. They loved their children, but the idea worried them, and Aang of course had his own concerns.
"I'm glad," Zuko said. "Really."
He crossed the room and hugged his friend.
2.
Zuko was Toph's first kiss, not that he had much of a say in the matter. They were sitting around one day on a rare break from Zuko's official duties and Toph's rigorous training sessions when she leaned over and kissed him, mouth hard as a punch. He wasn't even sure if a kiss had been her intention until she pulled back, wiped her mouth, and said, "I don't get why everyone says that's so magical. Aang won't shut up about kissing Katara all the time."
"What are you doing?" Zuko asked, scrabbling back from her until he felt cold stone at his shoulder. He didn't want to take the chance that it would happen again. He'd say that it had felt like kissing his sister would, but he was pretty sure that Azula would have used the moment's distraction to hurt him rather than surprise him.
"I just wanted to get that over with," Toph said, her body language relaxed and lazy. She picked something out of her teeth and flicked it away. "Thanks, I guess. But don't come looking for a repeat performance, I have other people to kiss."
"This is never happening again," Zuko said grumpily, crossing his arms.
"We're bending the same rock, Sparky," Toph agreed. "Now, I was thinking, you know what you need at this palace? A rock garden. Don't worry, I charge very reasonable rates!"
She beamed at him and he argued back; eventually the conversation moved on. To Zuko's relief, she never tried to kiss him again, although he never did quite get used to the affectionate slugging she did instead.
3.
They all nearly died on Zuko's wedding day. They nearly died twice, in fact, and although that used to happen to them with greater frequency when they were traveling together, it hadn't happened in five long years. Zuko probably would have bled out if it weren't for Katara's hand on his stomach, her bending torn between healing and forcing the blood to stay in. There was a huge smudge of ash on his cheek, near his uninjured eye, giving him a foxraccoon look. Katara was wearing a lot of blood, and although most of it wasn't hers, enough of it was to make her feel a little loopy, which is probably why she leaned down and kissed him. She was dripping tears onto Zuko's face. They tasted salty when she touched his lips.
"You can't die now, not after everything we've worked for," Katara said, and Zuko could hardly move but he reached up a shaking hand to grab her shoulder. It was only one kiss, lips tight and hard, and then she pulled back and stroked his hair until Aang and Toph and the rest of the fighters found them. It hadn't been a romantic kiss -- it was the kiss you gave someone because you'd survived against all odds. It had been a long time since either of them had had a kiss like that. They weren't kids any longer. Politics were supposed to be the most dangerous parts of their lives now, but sometimes politics slipped out into the world and became all too real..
They never talked about it again except once. They were sharing a bottle of wine to celebrate Zuko's daughter ascending to the throne. After all of the major celebrations had ended, it was just the gang again, like it always was. Toph and Aang were snoring in a comfortable pile of cushions. Mai had gone to bed. Only Katara and Zuko lingered.
Katara poured him another cup and laughed a little to herself. Zuko gave her an inquiring look.
"You know," she said, "in the Water Tribe, it's very good luck to kiss the bride and groom on their wedding day. The whole village lines up after the ceremony to do it, so the new pair go out together with all that love on their faces."
"We were lucky," Zuko said, after a long hesitation.
"Hmm," she agreed, with a contented sigh, and they watched the stars begin to set.
4.
The message from the hawk said simply, "Please come. -K." There was a small wet stain on the edge of the paper, despite the fact that the container was designed to be watertight. Zuko had a packed schedule for the upcoming week. Even though he had stepped down in favor of his daughter, his appearance was still expected at most important functions.
He'd been woken by his secretary to take the message, and he hadn't thought at the time that Mai had been disturbed, but he wasn't alone for long. He was staring out into the darkness and worrying when his wife wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back.
"What was so important?" she asked grumpily, but without any tension of anger in her body.
"Katara asked me to come. She didn't say why," he answered, reaching behind to hand her the note.
"I'll take your appearances this week," she said after a moment taken to read it in the light of the moon. "No one would dare object." He could hear a touch of amusement in her voice. She squeezed him in a hug and then let go. "You'd better go wake Druk."
The dragon hated having his sleep interrupted; he was like a cat deer in that way. But it had been a while since he had had the opportunity to travel. Zuko's bones wouldn't thank him for hurrying, but Katara probably would.
"Thank you," Zuko said, kissing Mai and going back into the bedroom to dress. He was in the air within the hour and in Republic City as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.
It wasn't Katara who greeted him when he knocked awkwardly at the door of the Air Temple. The temple, normally busy from sun-up to sundown, was uncharacteristically subdued. Sokka answered the door, face haggard. Zuko thought that he was looking more and more like Hakoda every day, more weathered. Sokka hugged Zuko hard.
"What happened?" Zuko demanded, voice harsh with concern. "Katara didn't say, she just said come-- is she okay? The kids?"
"It's Aang," Sokka said, "Aang is dead. Kya finally talked Katara into lying down and Tenzin is doing some prayer thing, Bumi was out on maneuvers but he's on his way." He rattled it all off in one shaky breath, like he'd spent the last difficult hours assessing and figuring out what to do next. He probably had. He was the idea guy after all.
Zuko knew how he felt, losing a brother and a friend. Zuko had already survived the loss of his uncle, mother, and sister. (His father as well, although that was so long ago as to feel distant and unreal.) Sokka was no stranger to mourning, either, but it was worse when it was unexpected. Aang was younger than them both. Even as he aged, he never stopped moving.
The shock rooted Zuko to the ground, hands clenched at his side. He'd considered the possibility briefly on his way over but was sure that one of his other friends had been hurt, probably badly. They had lived with danger all their lives.
Sokka took him in to see Aang, who was peaceful in his death. There was incense burning in a bowl by the pallet they'd laid out in the front room. It burned Zuko's nose when he bent down to kiss his old friend on the forehead, one last time.
Raising carefully, Zuko tucked his own hurt away for a moment and said to Sokka, "Have you informed the White Lotus? We must begin searching at once."
There was an ache in Sokka's eyes, but he nodded. They stood there in the room alone.
5.
Sokka and Suki married later than anyone expected, but it took some time to figure out when and where to combine their lives. Suki had responsibilities to Kyoshi, of course, and they broke up for a while after Sokka presented Suki with their hut in the Southern Water Tribe, all prepared for their new life. (He probably should have asked first, before beginning the construction.) Zuko had been glad at the time that the expectations in his own marriage had been spelled out from the beginning, and that his wife didn't mind them.
He'd given advice, when asked, not that he thought Sokka would follow it. He'd sparred with Suki when she asked for his time, and didn't hold his punches to insult her. He was glad they'd finally figured out how to talk to each other.
They married at Kyoshi, in a small ceremony with their friends and family. They dressed as warriors, ready to go forward together, a united front against their enemies. The paint tasted ashy against Zuko's lips when he kissed their cheeks. Sokka beamed at him.
"Katara told me," Zuko said, "that it was good luck."
"We won't need it," Sokka said, "but we'll take it!"
"You of all people should recognize how lucky you already are," Suki said, her tone affectionate as she rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Zuko."
"I do, I do!" Sokka insisted, and when Suki replied teasingly Zuko knew his presence had been forgotten by the newlyweds. Their eyes were only for each other. He didn't mind. He figured he probably had a little luck of his own by now to share around.
Fandom: A:TLA/Legend of Korra
Length: 1991 words
Prompt: Let's Make Out: atla, zuko/everyone. five times someone in the gaang kissed zuko
Pairing: Zuko/everyone + canon pairings
Other: This got waaaay more serious than I expected. (But some of it is still fun.) Warnings for mentioned character death and violence. Various Korra spoilers as well.
Excerpt: Five times that someone in Zuko's found family kissed him -- or he kissed one of them. Zuko was Toph's first kiss, not that he had much of a say in the matter. They were sitting around one day on a rare break from Zuko's official duties and Toph's rigorous training sessions when she leaned over and kissed him, mouth hard as a punch.
1.
Aang had always been open with his affections in a way that surprised Zuko. Ursa gave her love freely, without price, but Zuko had always thought that was her prerogative as a mother. Iroh had done so as well, but Zuko had always made mental exceptions for his favorite uncle. Perhaps the love was a manifestation of Aang's Avatar self, but Zuko had learned all about Roku and other fire Avatars when he was educated, and he hadn't heard a single thing that made him think that Roku was cuddly.
But when he was happy, Aang bubbled over with affection. When they met in Iroh's shop, away from the politics of daily life, Zuko would often find Aang's arm draped casually across his shoulder, Aang's laugh in his ear. It took a long time before Zuko was able to fight his impulse to stiffen at his friend's touch. Azula had used her affections as a weapon; Ozai had withheld them completely. Aang cared, without agenda.
Aang came to Zuko the night his son manifested airbending for the first time. Appa hit the courtyard outside with a hard thump that indicated he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. The sound had frightened Zuko awake from his doze across his desk. He slid backward in his chair when Aang appeared at his second floor window.
He must have ridden all night, Zuko realized, seeing the manic grin and tired eyes of his friend. He was sure that someone must have died, despite the smile. He opened his mouth to ask who when Aang came through the window and swept Zuko up in a strong hug.
"He's an airbender, Zuko!" Aang said, kissing him on the mouth. Zuko blinked. Aang let him go and jumped across the room, a breeze following behind him.
"What?" Zuko said. He could be perfectly dignified, the Fire Lord his people expected, but somehow he was always still an awkward teenager with his friends.
"Tenzin bent air today! He's an airbender! The Air Nation will survive! I had to tell you!"
Zuko knew why. He'd sent the first messenger hawk to Aang when his daughter firebended for the first time. She'd been a late bloomer, like her father, and Aang and Zuko had had more than one conversation about the possibility of a non-bender as future Fire Lord. They loved their children, but the idea worried them, and Aang of course had his own concerns.
"I'm glad," Zuko said. "Really."
He crossed the room and hugged his friend.
2.
Zuko was Toph's first kiss, not that he had much of a say in the matter. They were sitting around one day on a rare break from Zuko's official duties and Toph's rigorous training sessions when she leaned over and kissed him, mouth hard as a punch. He wasn't even sure if a kiss had been her intention until she pulled back, wiped her mouth, and said, "I don't get why everyone says that's so magical. Aang won't shut up about kissing Katara all the time."
"What are you doing?" Zuko asked, scrabbling back from her until he felt cold stone at his shoulder. He didn't want to take the chance that it would happen again. He'd say that it had felt like kissing his sister would, but he was pretty sure that Azula would have used the moment's distraction to hurt him rather than surprise him.
"I just wanted to get that over with," Toph said, her body language relaxed and lazy. She picked something out of her teeth and flicked it away. "Thanks, I guess. But don't come looking for a repeat performance, I have other people to kiss."
"This is never happening again," Zuko said grumpily, crossing his arms.
"We're bending the same rock, Sparky," Toph agreed. "Now, I was thinking, you know what you need at this palace? A rock garden. Don't worry, I charge very reasonable rates!"
She beamed at him and he argued back; eventually the conversation moved on. To Zuko's relief, she never tried to kiss him again, although he never did quite get used to the affectionate slugging she did instead.
3.
They all nearly died on Zuko's wedding day. They nearly died twice, in fact, and although that used to happen to them with greater frequency when they were traveling together, it hadn't happened in five long years. Zuko probably would have bled out if it weren't for Katara's hand on his stomach, her bending torn between healing and forcing the blood to stay in. There was a huge smudge of ash on his cheek, near his uninjured eye, giving him a foxraccoon look. Katara was wearing a lot of blood, and although most of it wasn't hers, enough of it was to make her feel a little loopy, which is probably why she leaned down and kissed him. She was dripping tears onto Zuko's face. They tasted salty when she touched his lips.
"You can't die now, not after everything we've worked for," Katara said, and Zuko could hardly move but he reached up a shaking hand to grab her shoulder. It was only one kiss, lips tight and hard, and then she pulled back and stroked his hair until Aang and Toph and the rest of the fighters found them. It hadn't been a romantic kiss -- it was the kiss you gave someone because you'd survived against all odds. It had been a long time since either of them had had a kiss like that. They weren't kids any longer. Politics were supposed to be the most dangerous parts of their lives now, but sometimes politics slipped out into the world and became all too real..
They never talked about it again except once. They were sharing a bottle of wine to celebrate Zuko's daughter ascending to the throne. After all of the major celebrations had ended, it was just the gang again, like it always was. Toph and Aang were snoring in a comfortable pile of cushions. Mai had gone to bed. Only Katara and Zuko lingered.
Katara poured him another cup and laughed a little to herself. Zuko gave her an inquiring look.
"You know," she said, "in the Water Tribe, it's very good luck to kiss the bride and groom on their wedding day. The whole village lines up after the ceremony to do it, so the new pair go out together with all that love on their faces."
"We were lucky," Zuko said, after a long hesitation.
"Hmm," she agreed, with a contented sigh, and they watched the stars begin to set.
4.
The message from the hawk said simply, "Please come. -K." There was a small wet stain on the edge of the paper, despite the fact that the container was designed to be watertight. Zuko had a packed schedule for the upcoming week. Even though he had stepped down in favor of his daughter, his appearance was still expected at most important functions.
He'd been woken by his secretary to take the message, and he hadn't thought at the time that Mai had been disturbed, but he wasn't alone for long. He was staring out into the darkness and worrying when his wife wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back.
"What was so important?" she asked grumpily, but without any tension of anger in her body.
"Katara asked me to come. She didn't say why," he answered, reaching behind to hand her the note.
"I'll take your appearances this week," she said after a moment taken to read it in the light of the moon. "No one would dare object." He could hear a touch of amusement in her voice. She squeezed him in a hug and then let go. "You'd better go wake Druk."
The dragon hated having his sleep interrupted; he was like a cat deer in that way. But it had been a while since he had had the opportunity to travel. Zuko's bones wouldn't thank him for hurrying, but Katara probably would.
"Thank you," Zuko said, kissing Mai and going back into the bedroom to dress. He was in the air within the hour and in Republic City as the sun was beginning to rise over the horizon.
It wasn't Katara who greeted him when he knocked awkwardly at the door of the Air Temple. The temple, normally busy from sun-up to sundown, was uncharacteristically subdued. Sokka answered the door, face haggard. Zuko thought that he was looking more and more like Hakoda every day, more weathered. Sokka hugged Zuko hard.
"What happened?" Zuko demanded, voice harsh with concern. "Katara didn't say, she just said come-- is she okay? The kids?"
"It's Aang," Sokka said, "Aang is dead. Kya finally talked Katara into lying down and Tenzin is doing some prayer thing, Bumi was out on maneuvers but he's on his way." He rattled it all off in one shaky breath, like he'd spent the last difficult hours assessing and figuring out what to do next. He probably had. He was the idea guy after all.
Zuko knew how he felt, losing a brother and a friend. Zuko had already survived the loss of his uncle, mother, and sister. (His father as well, although that was so long ago as to feel distant and unreal.) Sokka was no stranger to mourning, either, but it was worse when it was unexpected. Aang was younger than them both. Even as he aged, he never stopped moving.
The shock rooted Zuko to the ground, hands clenched at his side. He'd considered the possibility briefly on his way over but was sure that one of his other friends had been hurt, probably badly. They had lived with danger all their lives.
Sokka took him in to see Aang, who was peaceful in his death. There was incense burning in a bowl by the pallet they'd laid out in the front room. It burned Zuko's nose when he bent down to kiss his old friend on the forehead, one last time.
Raising carefully, Zuko tucked his own hurt away for a moment and said to Sokka, "Have you informed the White Lotus? We must begin searching at once."
There was an ache in Sokka's eyes, but he nodded. They stood there in the room alone.
5.
Sokka and Suki married later than anyone expected, but it took some time to figure out when and where to combine their lives. Suki had responsibilities to Kyoshi, of course, and they broke up for a while after Sokka presented Suki with their hut in the Southern Water Tribe, all prepared for their new life. (He probably should have asked first, before beginning the construction.) Zuko had been glad at the time that the expectations in his own marriage had been spelled out from the beginning, and that his wife didn't mind them.
He'd given advice, when asked, not that he thought Sokka would follow it. He'd sparred with Suki when she asked for his time, and didn't hold his punches to insult her. He was glad they'd finally figured out how to talk to each other.
They married at Kyoshi, in a small ceremony with their friends and family. They dressed as warriors, ready to go forward together, a united front against their enemies. The paint tasted ashy against Zuko's lips when he kissed their cheeks. Sokka beamed at him.
"Katara told me," Zuko said, "that it was good luck."
"We won't need it," Sokka said, "but we'll take it!"
"You of all people should recognize how lucky you already are," Suki said, her tone affectionate as she rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Zuko."
"I do, I do!" Sokka insisted, and when Suki replied teasingly Zuko knew his presence had been forgotten by the newlyweds. Their eyes were only for each other. He didn't mind. He figured he probably had a little luck of his own by now to share around.