[Fic]: A Father's Pride
Title: A Father's Pride
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Characters: Ozai, Zuko
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Ozai couldn't be prouder of his son.
Notes: Happy birthday, Floranna!
It had been an extremely long month for Firelord Zuko.
If he hadn't been arguing about his refusal to displace colonists in favour of noble children who wanted land, he'd been fighting to keep the various merchant houses from killing each other.
At least Daimyo Osamu was willing to work with Earth merchants, even if the man personally didn't like him.
Fortunately, Zuko had emerged from all of the arguments and fights triumphant. As a result, his country not only would not lose its wealth, it would likely gain more in the coming years. War was expensive; trade was profitable.
The Fire Nation was well on the way to becoming a formidable economic power.
With those crises handled, now seemed an appropriate time to visit his father.
He doubted Ozai would approve of anything he'd done recently, or even deign to talk to him about Mother. Still, it needed to be done. He brought Ozai's preferred flavour of coffee along, hoping to loosen the old man's tongue a bit.
The guards knew to let him pass, though they checked him for weapons like they did all visitors. Zuko wasn't worried about assassination attempts as much as Ozai escaping.
"Zuko," his father greeted him, mouth quirking in a sardonic smirk. "What news have you brought me today?"
Zuko's jaw clenched. It never failed. Ozai treated his imprisonment like a mere inconvenience, as though someday he would be free to take the throne once more.
"I brought you coffee, Father," he said. Reacting to Ozai's attitude never ended well.
"Dare I hope you've finally acquired the taste for it?" Ozai asked. Zuko held his tongue and offered the cup to his father.
Ozai took his time in finishing the drink. After a few sips, however, he said, "Please -- don't let me delay your news."
Sighing inwardly, Zuko reported the current state of economics and the colonies. He was particularly proud of how he'd managed to convince Ba Sing Se to buy some finished airships from him -- meaning the world believed only the Fire Nation could supply them.
He finished updating his father, and Ozai grinned. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you, son. Clearly I haven't given you enough credit."
Zuko stared. That was... not expected. "I... you are?"
"Of course," Ozai assured him. "You duped the Avatar into believing you're his friend and talked him into letting you rule the world. Most cunning of you."
Zuko stared at his father in horror, then made some excuse and left.
Quickly.
Later, Mai wondered how much it would cost to have Ozai killed. The man had an uncanny way of ruining almost every special night she had planned.
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Characters: Ozai, Zuko
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Ozai couldn't be prouder of his son.
Notes: Happy birthday, Floranna!
It had been an extremely long month for Firelord Zuko.
If he hadn't been arguing about his refusal to displace colonists in favour of noble children who wanted land, he'd been fighting to keep the various merchant houses from killing each other.
At least Daimyo Osamu was willing to work with Earth merchants, even if the man personally didn't like him.
Fortunately, Zuko had emerged from all of the arguments and fights triumphant. As a result, his country not only would not lose its wealth, it would likely gain more in the coming years. War was expensive; trade was profitable.
The Fire Nation was well on the way to becoming a formidable economic power.
With those crises handled, now seemed an appropriate time to visit his father.
He doubted Ozai would approve of anything he'd done recently, or even deign to talk to him about Mother. Still, it needed to be done. He brought Ozai's preferred flavour of coffee along, hoping to loosen the old man's tongue a bit.
The guards knew to let him pass, though they checked him for weapons like they did all visitors. Zuko wasn't worried about assassination attempts as much as Ozai escaping.
"Zuko," his father greeted him, mouth quirking in a sardonic smirk. "What news have you brought me today?"
Zuko's jaw clenched. It never failed. Ozai treated his imprisonment like a mere inconvenience, as though someday he would be free to take the throne once more.
"I brought you coffee, Father," he said. Reacting to Ozai's attitude never ended well.
"Dare I hope you've finally acquired the taste for it?" Ozai asked. Zuko held his tongue and offered the cup to his father.
Ozai took his time in finishing the drink. After a few sips, however, he said, "Please -- don't let me delay your news."
Sighing inwardly, Zuko reported the current state of economics and the colonies. He was particularly proud of how he'd managed to convince Ba Sing Se to buy some finished airships from him -- meaning the world believed only the Fire Nation could supply them.
He finished updating his father, and Ozai grinned. "I can't tell you how proud I am of you, son. Clearly I haven't given you enough credit."
Zuko stared. That was... not expected. "I... you are?"
"Of course," Ozai assured him. "You duped the Avatar into believing you're his friend and talked him into letting you rule the world. Most cunning of you."
Zuko stared at his father in horror, then made some excuse and left.
Quickly.
Later, Mai wondered how much it would cost to have Ozai killed. The man had an uncanny way of ruining almost every special night she had planned.