Fic: The reign of fluff [Avatar: the Last Airbender] [1/5]
Author: girlupnorth
Title: The reign of fluff
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Spoilers: Post-series
Rating: NC-17 for porn
Length: ~4.740 words in this part
Contains: pregnancies. Fluff. Crack. Marital sexuashun of f/f, m/f, and m/f/f variety. Marital sexuashun while (very) pregnant. Threesome(s). (Veiled) allusions to incest. More fluff. Inappropriate jokes. Zuko being dramatic. Even more fluff (no, really).
Ships: Zuko/Mai/Katara (with side dishes of Mai/Katara, Zuko/Mai and Zuko/Katara); Sokka/Suki/Ty Lee, Azula/Toph, Hakoda/Bato
Characters making appearances: Katara, Mai, Zuko, Sokka, Ozai, Iroh, Suki, Ty Lee, Toph, Hakoda, Bato, Azula and TINY TINY ZUTARAI BABIES
Author’s notes: This is for novin_ha (♥), for reasons obvious.
This has also been my comfort writing throughout the summer (and early autumn), so the levels of fluff are pretty epic. It’s also crack, so you may expect much looser storytelling than in my usual writings (although there does happen something by way of the plot).
Resemblances to real-life people and situations are intentional. The concept of the story, as well as some of the scenes, were born in conversations with novin_ha, who also did the beta.
Enjoy!
Chapters: 01 :: 02 :: 03 :: 04 :: 05
The reign of fluff
Chapter One
Since Katara began to live in the Fire Capital, there was but one thing that she could not get used to: the summer heat. The Fire Nation state was quite pleasant during other seasons, but in the spiking heat of the summer, Katara missed the weather of her homeland.
Luckily, being a Fire Lady had its perks. Among them was certainly the possibility of calling for a bath at any given moment of the day. After just a few weeks of Katara’s stay at the palace, Zuko had a large bathroom with a giant bathtub built especially for her, in addition to the regular-sized one in the bathroom next to their bedchamber. In the summer, and particularly when Zuko was absent on political duties, it was there that both Katara and Mai could most frequently be found.
The bathtub was in such a size that some might even call it a pool, and Katara loved it. She could lie on her back in the water for what felt like hours, bending the element around her. However, there were also much more interesting uses of the bathtub, which Katara rarely failed to acknowledge.
On this particular afternoon, Katara moved leisurely through the water towards the corner in which Mai was seated. She submerged her head to kiss Mai’s ankles, and then bent the water to begin tickling the inside of her thighs. Coming to the surface, Katara saw Mai’s face quite flushed, her mouth open in a small sigh. Drops of water trickling down her face, Katara moved even closer and kissed Mai deeply, never ceasing to stroke her with water.
“Katara,” Mai gasped softly, lovingly.
“My pretty,” Katara said. “Should I stop?” she asked, as Mai grasped her wrist under the water.
Mai shook her head. “More,” she said.
Katara continued her bending, expertly, gently at first, then increasing the pressure. After a moment of heightened concentration, she caused the water to form in dozens of tiny serpents which encircled Mai’s body, stroking her belly and her sides, and rising to touch her breasts and upper back. Mai moaned loudly, and pulled Katara closer, digging nails into her arms as she began to come.
“My pretty,” Katara repeated, stroking Mai’s head and shoulders, when Mai finally stopped shivering. “My darling.”
She wrapped them both in a comfortable coating of water, and sat next to Mai, embracing her tightly.
“You should write a guide,” Mai said, resting her head against Katara’s shoulder, her eyes half-closed in pleasure.
“I’d rather not advertise these skills around,” Katara said. “Besides, there aren’t that many waterbenders left.”
At this, Mai opened her eyes, and studied Katara for a long moment, before saying,
“Speaking of which…”
“M-hm?” Katara asked, wriggling her toes in the water.
“You have noticed that we both should have bled some two weeks ago, haven’t you?”
“I have,” Katara said, slowly. “Two weeks ago at the latest.”
Mai nodded, and placed Katara’s hand on her flat stomach, her other hand mirroring the gesture on Katara’s own belly. “Do you think we are pregnant?” she asked.
“It may be still too early to tell for certain,” Katara said. “That’s why I didn’t mention it to you.”
Mai paused.
“I have been sleepy all the time lately,” she said.
“I’ve been nauseous every morning,” Katara sighed. Mai looked a tiny bit surprised.
“I haven’t noticed that.”
“That’s because you’re fast asleep when I wake with my stomach wanting out,” Katara explained. “And by the time you wake, I am fine.”
“You should have told me,” Mai said, stroking Katara’s belly. “And, well, that’s the other thing - we’ve been eating a lot this past month. In the evenings, especially.”
“That’s true,” Katara said.
“So?”
“Alright. So, we may be having babies,” Katara said. After a short moment, they both smiled, and began to kiss: once, twice, a dozen times.
“This is… quite nice,” Mai said carefully. “To be going through it all with you.”
“M-hm,” Katara muttered by way of agreement. “Can you imagine how cute our children will be?”
Mai smiled.
“Very cute,” she said, and they began to kiss again.
“One more thing,” Mai said after a long while.
Katara nodded.
“I know.”
“Zuko will freak out.”
“He will absolutely freak out.”
“How are we going to tell him?” Mai asked.
Katara stared into the water, trying to think of an answer. Then she shrugged.
“We’ll figure something out,” she said. “Would you care for a dinner? I’m starving.”
*
The Fire Lord Zuko returned to his palace early at night, after two weeks of official visits to the Earth Kingdom.
He decided to forego both the meal and the bath proposed by the servants, and headed straight for the bedchamber, where he expected to find his Fire Ladies fast asleep after the long day they undoubtedly had as well.
To his surprise, upon opening the door, he found Katara and Mai lying in a tight embrace, exchanging kisses and small caresses, and speaking in half-tones.
“Hello,” he said, approaching the bed. Katara and Mai glanced at him, and then rose in a beautifully synchronised motion, sitting up on the bed. They were both wearing half-transparent nightgowns, and appeared absolutely gorgeous.
“Zuko,” Katara said, and Mai added, “Hello.”
Zuko kicked off his boots, and joined them on the bed, kissing and embracing both of them. His wives helped him out of his ridiculous official robe, and within minutes the three of them sat leaning against the pillows, snuggled closely together.
They spent a while chatting about the details of his trip and of life at the court, pausing only to kiss and exchange words of love.
“What were you talking about when I walked in?” Zuko asked eventually, when they had filled him in about the latest going-ons in the palace.
What followed was an exchange of playful glances, mischievous smiles, and raised eyebrows between Mai and Katara. Although brief, it made Zuko grow alert: the last time something like that occurred, they suggested acting out a fantasy that involved quite a bit of bondage and blindfolding.
“Well?” he prompted.
“Well,” Katara said slowly, “We were discussing baby names.”
“Oh,” Zuko said, his interest waning. “Are you going to become an aunt again?” Sokka already had a bunch of children, incredibly noisy and lively creatures, who seemed to be able to perform acrobatics before they learned to walk properly.
“No, actually,” Katara said, and again exchanged looks with Mai. Then they both took his hands. “Zuko,” Katara began.
“You’re going to be a father, Zuko,” Mai finished with a smile.
For a moment, Zuko was dumbstruck, uncertain what to say.
“Oh,” he managed after a while. “Wh- which of you is…?” he asked, looking quizzically from one woman to another.
In lieu of a response, each of his wives placed one hand of Zuko on her stomach. He stared at them for another moment, as the meaning of their gesture slowly reached his brain.
“No?!…”
“Yes,” Katara said, smiling widely.
“But… how can you both be pregnant?”
“I think you know how,” Mai said in her usual dry tone, pushing his hand lower down her stomach. Katara giggled.
“But…” Zuko said again. “What if you go into labour at the same time?”
“Well, if anything, it will save us expenses with birthday celebrations in the future,” Mai pointed out.
“Relax, Zuko,” Katara said. “Pregnancy and childbirth are perfectly natural phenomena. There is nothing to be worried about. And even if there were, I am one of the world’s best healers.”
“What do you mean, there is nothing to be worried about!” Zuko exclaimed, freeing himself from their embraces, and sitting so as to face both of them. “There is plenty to be worried about! Your well-being! Assassination plots! Politics! We had three official visits planned in the next two months only! Everything will need to be re-organised and re-considered! And then the life at the court! And ascendancy!” He groaned, and covered his face with his hands. “What if they will fight each other for the throne?” He asked, and fell between the pillows. “Just kill me now.”
“You are very cute when you’re being all dramatic,” Mai said in a voice that, despite it revealing no apparent emotion, Zuko had long decided to consider her most tender.
“And now you’re laughing at me.”
“We never laugh at you,” Katara said, sounding as if she was fighting laughter. “Come on, Zuko. Aren’t you happy? We’re going to have pretty tiny babies!”
Zuko rose tentatively on his elbows. “Of course I am happy,” he said. “Just… concerned.” He attempted a smile. “You will make beautiful mummies,” he said. “And our babies will be the prettiest, obviously.”
“And before they are born, we will have grown very sexy breasts and bellies,” Katara said, and she kissed Mai for a long while. Zuko began to relax a little, but Katara’s next words sent him back into a panic mode.
“And of course,” Katara said, breaking the kiss, and sliding her hand over Mai’s breast. “We will want to have lots and lots of sex.”
To his credit, Zuko counted to ten before bursting out,
“You can’t possibly want to have sex!” Decisively, though gently, he pushed Mai’s hand away from his chest, and dived back between the pillows. “It could hurt the babies!”
Mai sighed. “Katara, you’re the healer. Tell him.”
“It is perfectly alright for pregnant women to have sex,” Katara said. “Especially when they are eager to.”
“What if the babies aren’t?” Zuko asked, only to hear Mai sigh again.
“Babies are happy when their mummies are happy,” Katara said patiently.
“You don’t have to treat me like an idiot child,” Zuko declared, his voice muffled by the pillows. “I am the Fire Lord. And also a father now.”
There was a moment of silence, after which Zuko felt Mai touch him again.
“Well, Zuko, if you don’t want to have sex with us, you don’t need to,” Mai said, stroking his back. Despite the soothing tone of her voice, Zuko jerked up.
“Hey!”
“That’s true,” Katara said, smiling to Mai, and leaning in for another kiss, while the other woman reached to touch her breasts. “We should be able to make do without him.”
“You’re just using me for my semen,” Zuko said dramatically.
Mai nodded. “And also for the opportunities offered by your political power,” she said.
Zuko nodded, all his suspicions confirmed.
“I will spend the night in the other bedchamber,” he said primly, making a gesture to get out of the bed. “Goodnight, my ladies.”
Before he managed to move any further, Mai and Katara had him back down on the bed, pinned to the linens.
“Oh no, no, no, Fire Lord,” Katara said, straddling his hips with a wicked smile.
“We are going to become mothers of your heirs,” Mai said matter-of-factly. “You must take good care of all our needs.”
Zuko thought briefly about pointing out the lack of consistency in their arguments, but when Mai leaned down to kiss him, and Katara proceeded to touch him intently, he decided to keep his quiet, and focus on the matter at hand.
*
The next person to find about Katara and Mai’s pregnancies was Sokka.
By that time Zuko had managed to go through numerous panic attacks, focusing on such diverse aspects of his impending fatherhood as his lack of patience and its possible consequences for their children’s personalities (“They will be the most nervous babies in the Fire Nation! They will need therapies!”), their children’s bending skills (“And what if I can’t teach them good firebending?”), and the possibility that the babies will take the murderous instincts after Ozai or Azula (“They could try to assassinate me before they’re out of their nappies!”).
“Wow,” Mai deadpanned, taking a cookie to her tea. “Way to make it all about you, darling.”
“They could try to assassinate us all,” Zuko said. “My head hurts just thinking about it.”
“We will raise them in a loving and peaceful environment,” Katara said. She was sitting with her head resting on her hands, and still feeling slightly woozy from the morning nausea.
“Not if they kill us first,” Zuko reminded them.
“Contrary to what you may know from home, most children don’t grow trying to kill their parents!” Katara exploded. She was feeling tired with Zuko’s panicking, a sure sign that the pregnancy was affecting her behaviour. Usually she’d wait until he was done, and only then would they argue about the actual drawbacks and advantages of a given situation.
“That’s true, they don’t,” Sokka said happily, walking into the dining chamber. “They’re all snugly and adorable and burpy at the beginning, and then they are already making flip-flops.” He beamed, apparently at the thought of this own children. Katara, Mai and Zuko stared at him for a long while before looking at each other again.
“Well, that’s one thing we don’t need to worry about,” Mai said with a sort of dark satisfaction to her voice.
“Wait. I forgot about knives!” Zuko said in horror. “What if their practising goes wrong and they accidentally kill someone?”
“Oh, you’re thinking about allowing them to practice knives? That’s adorable,” Mai remarked.
“What are we talking about again?” Sokka asked pleasantly. There was a moment of silence around the table, and then Mai spoke up.
“The Fire Lord is very concerned about the approaching enlargement of our little family,” she said in the fake official style she usually adopted when talking with Sokka. This, as Zuko assured Katara, was indicative of Mai’s warm feelings towards her brother. “He is afraid that his heirs might try a coup before we’re done breastfeeding.”
Out of a corner of her eye, Katara saw Zuko’s eyes go wide. Thankfully, before he managed to burst into another panic attack - this time on the subject of breastfeeding - Sokka worked out the meaning of Mai’s words, and asked the follow-up question.
“Both of us, actually,” Mai announced dryly. “Isn’t that a happy coincidence.”
Sokka’s jaw dropped. Next moment, he jumped towards Katara, and hugged her tightly. “My little sister is having a baby,” he said. “I’m going to be an uncle!”
“Hey,” Mai said. “Another expecting mother here?”
“My favourite sister-in-law is also having a baby!” Sokka exclaimed, and hugged Mai as well, which caused her to smile a little. “That’s great! Wait till I tell my girls, they’ll be all over this.” He glanced at Zuko. “Hey, congrats, man. How are you doing?”
“Running around in circles,” Katara said, pulling on Sokka’s sleeve so that he would embrace her tighter. “You know how he gets.”
“It gets easier,” Sokka said sympathetically. “So, have you written Dad and Gran-gran yet? I wouldn’t like to step on your toes there.”
“We haven’t written or told anyone yet,” Katara said. “So we’d appreciate if you, Suki, and Ty Lee could keep the news between yourselves.”
“You do realize we’re talking about Ty Lee, right?” Mai asked. “She’s not exactly famous for her secret-keeping.”
“Yeah, I can tell you that news like this usually get around real fast,” Sokka said, nodding wisely. “So if you want Dad to find out from you and not fishermen gossip, you’d better write him right now.”
“What fishermen gossip?” Katara asked suspiciously. “Do they gossip about us? Why don’t I know about it? Sokka?”
“Well... they gossip about pretty much anything,” Sokka said. “And you’re still a very interesting topic, from what Bato says.”
“I’m going to kill Bato,” Katara said through clenched teeth. “And make it look like an accident.”
“Nobody will suspect a waterbender to have created a storm,” Sokka agreed pleasantly. “Dad might be inconsolable, though.”
Katara shot him a glare.
“Too bad Aang’s decided to stash himself away for a meditational retreat away from the world,” Sokka noted. “He gets back, and you have half-year-old kids. Picture that.”
“Maybe he’ll find out from the passing fishermen,” Katara hissed.
“I suppose I should write my parents as well,” Mai said lightly, not paying any attention to the siblings’ squabbling. “And Zuko, will you let your Uncle know?”
“He’s going to send us appropriate gifts of tea,” Zuko reflected, somewhat absent-mindedly. Katara and Mai exchanged glances, and smiled: Uncle Iroh indeed bombarded them with tea on every occasion, and without any occasion. Lately, they’d become quite certain that the majority of the packages contained aphrodisiacs or fertility-enhancing brews; Uncle Iroh was quite keen on the dynasty not dying out.
“He’ll be overjoyed,” Katara said warmly. Then, however, she noticed Zuko’s frown. “What’s wrong?”
“No, nothing,” Zuko said, and forced himself to smile. “I’ve just realised there will be official announcements to make, and I’m not quite familiar with the protocol.”
“The Fire Sages typically alert the Nation about the impending birth of the heir once the Fire Lady’s pregnancy is deemed safe,” Mai said at once. “Then, after the baby is born, there follows a period of festivities. We haven’t, however, had one since your Uncle Iroh was born, as his heir’s mother died in labour, and then you were born the son to the second Fire Prince.” She noticed their stares, and shrugged. “What? I went to an expensive girls school.”
“Sometimes,” Sokka said, stealing a piece of cake from their table, “I’m glad that I’m not aristocracy.”
They couldn’t but agree with him.
*
Zuko had lied: he wasn’t thinking about official announcements, but of the necessity of eventual notifying Ozai of the situation.
The thought alone was enough to give him a headache. Once every few months, Zuko would visit his father in his prison cell, making sure that Ozai was alive. The only other person allowed to come to the prison was Mai, whose purpose was to check whether the Phoenix King was not plotting anything; Zuko, unfortunately, was still unable to assess Ozai’s behaviour. Mai, holding control of the Fire Nation spies, was much better suited for the job.
In the prison tower, Zuko went straight to Ozai’s cell.
They glared at each other for a long moment when Zuko wondered over the right wording for his announcement. They arranged it so that Ozai knew as little as possible about the world outside his prison, and he in turn took care to use any information he’d learnt to taunt Zuko. The matter of ascendancy was Ozai’s particular favourite, and one that would crop up during almost every single one of their meetings.
“Your mother was pregnant with you a mere month after our marriage,” Ozai had said after the first year of Zuko and Mai’s marriage, and he glowered. “But of course, you do not care for the continuity of the line.”
“Yes, Uncle Iroh told me about your pride in Mother’s fast pregnancy when we were on the sea after my banishment,” Zuko had replied then, pointedly. Ozai scowled.
“If you’re here just to breathe my air, please stop wasting my time,” Ozai said now, like he would do back in the times before Zuko’s banishment.
Zuko made a point of staring at him for a while longer - he was the Fire Lord now, after all - and then, in a few succinct words, revealed the reason for his visit.
Ozai took the news in with silence.
“You must be very proud of yourself,” he said at long last. “That would be your greatest achievement since you acceded to the throne.”
Zuko glared.
“Of course,” Ozai continued, a small smirk on his lips. “Children rarely grow up like parents expect them to.” He sighed in mock exasperation.
“Do they.”
“Do you know what I said when I first saw you?” Ozai asked, and, without waiting for Zuko’s reply, told him, “ ‘That’s an extraordinarily large clitoris on this child, isn’t it?’ “
“You will be happy to learn that it grew even larger,” Zuko said coldly. Ozai blinked, but regained his composure momentarily.
“But we must not forget how crucial proper breeding is,” he said. “Now, your Fire Lady is from a good enough family, but are you sure that that fisher girl can be trusted to give you firebenders? Or do you want your country to become another Water Tribe in a generation or two?”
Zuko drove his nails into the palms of his hands, and bit back an angry refute. Ozai smiled.
“The Avatar could probably energy-bend them into firebenders without a problem,” a cool, composed voice said behind Zuko’s back. Zuko turned around and saw Mai, her hands crossed over her breasts, an expression of utter boredom on her face. “He could give bending as easily as he could take it away - but you are familiar with that ability of his, of course.”
To Zuko’s surprise, Ozai’s glare actually exceeded in its intensity the ones he’d previously seen directed at himself. Mai shrugged, and walked over to Zuko, laying a hand on his arm.
“I’m tired. Let’s go,” she said.
They walked out of the prison together, their hands linked. As soon as they were in the outside corridor, Zuko embraced Mai close and kissed her.
“I asked where you’d gone, and I thought you might need some help,” she explained.
“Thank you,” Zuko said, and then remembered. “Are you alright? It’s a rather long walk.”
Mai smiled, and took hold of his hand again.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’ve been throwing knives earlier. I don’t want to lose my prowess.” She laughed quietly upon seeing his distress. “Katara is certain that it is absolutely safe.”
“I am certain that it is traditional for women of Fire Nation to rest throughout pregnancy,” Zuko grumbled.
“Oh yes,” Mai said lightly. “Up until a hundred years ago it was also traditional not to see one’s husband from the day the pregnancy is announced until well past delivery. Is that the kind of tradition you’d want?” she asked with an adorable little pout.
Zuko hastened to ensure her that it wasn’t what he wanted at all.
“Good,” Mai said. “Now, let’s go. We both have things to do before dinner.”
Duties awaiting or not, they went to the palace at a leisurely pace, holding hands, and talking pleasantly. By the time they reached the royal gardens, Zuko had grown much calmer, and decided that he might be able to deal with the whole pregnancy business after all.
*
Despite Katara’s continuing assurances that sex during pregnancy was completely safe, for the next few days Zuko remained surprisingly shy and delicate with both of them, leaving Mai rather unsatisfied. It wasn’t that she wanted their sex rough, precisely; still, being treated as if she were made of glass made her grow exasperated.
It was the night of the full moon, which meant that nearly right after they had sex, Katara slipped out of the bed to bend the water in the ponds and fountains of royal gardens. Zuko fell asleep almost immediately, and Mai lay on her back for a long time, staring at the ceiling. At first, she tried to drift off; then, she started getting ideas. A sleepy, aroused Zuko wouldn’t remember to be so annoyingly gentle with her, would he?
Before she turned to her husband, Mai started touching herself: her breasts, made doubly sensitive with the pregnancy; her stomach and sides; her pussy, still a little wet with previous arousal and pleasure. Doing so, she thought about Zuko’s hands, and Katara’s tongue, and she smiled in the dark. Finally, she decided it was time to wake Zuko.
Kissing the nape of Zuko’s neck, Mai slowly slid her hand between his thighs, and touched his cock. “Wake up,” she said softly, nuzzling his ear. Zuko’s eyelids fluttered; she could feel him grow hard under her fingers. “Zuko? I think it’s time for a quality fuck,” she said, deliberately using her sexiest voice.
Zuko murmured something incoherently.
“Hey,” Mai said, continuing to stroke him. “Wake up. Come take care of me.” She took hold of his hand, and put it between her legs. “Feel that? I want you,” she said, and kissed Zuko’s ear.
“Mmm,” Zuko said only, but Mai knew he was already half awake. She gently closed her hand around his cock, and heard Zuko gasp audibly. He touched her pussy more lucidly now, and just moments later, he pinned Mai down to the bed. He stroked her breast, and entered her, gasping again, straight into Mai’s ear. She could feel his lean body smell of sleep, but it didn’t take him long to start moving in the slow, steady rhythm Mai enjoyed so much. She locked her hands on Zuko’s back, pushing him deeper inside her, and moaned.
She didn’t hear Katara come back into the room, and only became aware of her presence when she felt Katara sit on the bed and lean to lay small kisses on Mai’s arms. Then, of course, she went straight to the waterbending; Mai felt small trickles of water stroking her ears and neck, and even travelling to the sides of her breasts. From the way Zuko’s breathing changed, she guessed that Katara was taking care of him as well. Moving her hand lower down his back and over his buttocks, Mai could feel ribbons of water dancing on Zuko’s bare skin. He was moving more frantically now, pressing her hard against the bed.
Mai came first, with a deep sigh, holding Zuko close with her arms and legs. The pleasure made her temporarily numb to all stimuli; she was barely aware of Zuko still moving inside her, and then coming, loudly, and weighing her down to the bed. Katara lay to their side, stroking Zuko’s back, and gently kissing Mai’s neck.
“You look so beautiful together,” she said softly.
“Mm-hm,” Mai mumbled, and kissed Zuko’s shoulder one more time, already drifting off to sleep.
*
About a week later, the reply letters from their families arrived, all at once. They read them during an impromptu meal which Katara and Mai demanded to be served some two hours before dinner. Despite his heavy workload, Zuko joined them at their insistence.
Mai leafed through her mother’s missive absent-mindedly, and summed it up with a stifled yawn.
“Make sure your kid is born first and gets the throne,” she said at Zuko’s questioning glance.
“Hey, at least she’s not suggesting you returned home and raised your kid there,” Katara said, folding back her own letter.
“Your father and Bato should adopt some war orphans,” Mai said, almost causing Zuko to choke. “Or borrow your brother’s children for a longer period of time.”
“That’ll only result in Sokka, Suki and Ty Lee having more time to themselves, and that will lead to more babies,” Katara pointed out.
They spent a good minute trying to picture the mess that more Sokka babies could make. They failed miserably.
“Anyway, good news is that Master Pakku added a postscript from Gran-gran, saying that Dad is just being sentimental, and that they are all very happy for us,” Katara said. “I think he also suggests that he’s sparing us some childrearing tips from Gran-gran.”
“They could actually come in handy,” Zuko said. “Next to my Uncle, your Gran-gran seems to be the most appropriate person to ask for help in upbringing the children.”
“What has your Uncle written?” Mai asked, glancing at the sheet of paper in front of Zuko.
“He’s congratulating us,” Zuko said. “He says he’ll visit us after the official announcements are made, to discuss the succession.”
“What’s there to discuss?” Katara asked, frowning.
“He probably means that I should draw an official document delineating succession laws, that could be consulted in emergency,” Zuko explained. “Oh, and there’s tea. For the morning sickness, Uncle says.”
Katara beamed. “That’s great. I can really use that.”
“And for general well-being and good mood.”
“That’s for me, I guess,” Mai said. Katara smiled, and inclined her head towards her for a kiss.
“And, of course, something soothing for me,” Zuko said.
They all laughed.
“I need to get back to my office,” Zuko said soon afterwards. He kissed them both, and stroked their flat stomachs. “Do you have any plans for the afternoon?”
“How about a bath?” Katara suggested, turning to Mai with a twinkle in her eye.
“Bath sounds wonderful,” Mai agreed. “I’ll have the servants prepare it.”
At that moment, the next months appeared to them a very pleasant stretch of time.
Title: The reign of fluff
Fandom: Avatar: the Last Airbender
Spoilers: Post-series
Rating: NC-17 for porn
Length: ~4.740 words in this part
Contains: pregnancies. Fluff. Crack. Marital sexuashun of f/f, m/f, and m/f/f variety. Marital sexuashun while (very) pregnant. Threesome(s). (Veiled) allusions to incest. More fluff. Inappropriate jokes. Zuko being dramatic. Even more fluff (no, really).
Ships: Zuko/Mai/Katara (with side dishes of Mai/Katara, Zuko/Mai and Zuko/Katara); Sokka/Suki/Ty Lee, Azula/Toph, Hakoda/Bato
Characters making appearances: Katara, Mai, Zuko, Sokka, Ozai, Iroh, Suki, Ty Lee, Toph, Hakoda, Bato, Azula and TINY TINY ZUTARAI BABIES
Author’s notes: This is for novin_ha (♥), for reasons obvious.
This has also been my comfort writing throughout the summer (and early autumn), so the levels of fluff are pretty epic. It’s also crack, so you may expect much looser storytelling than in my usual writings (although there does happen something by way of the plot).
Resemblances to real-life people and situations are intentional. The concept of the story, as well as some of the scenes, were born in conversations with novin_ha, who also did the beta.
Enjoy!
Chapters: 01 :: 02 :: 03 :: 04 :: 05
The reign of fluff
Chapter One
Since Katara began to live in the Fire Capital, there was but one thing that she could not get used to: the summer heat. The Fire Nation state was quite pleasant during other seasons, but in the spiking heat of the summer, Katara missed the weather of her homeland.
Luckily, being a Fire Lady had its perks. Among them was certainly the possibility of calling for a bath at any given moment of the day. After just a few weeks of Katara’s stay at the palace, Zuko had a large bathroom with a giant bathtub built especially for her, in addition to the regular-sized one in the bathroom next to their bedchamber. In the summer, and particularly when Zuko was absent on political duties, it was there that both Katara and Mai could most frequently be found.
The bathtub was in such a size that some might even call it a pool, and Katara loved it. She could lie on her back in the water for what felt like hours, bending the element around her. However, there were also much more interesting uses of the bathtub, which Katara rarely failed to acknowledge.
On this particular afternoon, Katara moved leisurely through the water towards the corner in which Mai was seated. She submerged her head to kiss Mai’s ankles, and then bent the water to begin tickling the inside of her thighs. Coming to the surface, Katara saw Mai’s face quite flushed, her mouth open in a small sigh. Drops of water trickling down her face, Katara moved even closer and kissed Mai deeply, never ceasing to stroke her with water.
“Katara,” Mai gasped softly, lovingly.
“My pretty,” Katara said. “Should I stop?” she asked, as Mai grasped her wrist under the water.
Mai shook her head. “More,” she said.
Katara continued her bending, expertly, gently at first, then increasing the pressure. After a moment of heightened concentration, she caused the water to form in dozens of tiny serpents which encircled Mai’s body, stroking her belly and her sides, and rising to touch her breasts and upper back. Mai moaned loudly, and pulled Katara closer, digging nails into her arms as she began to come.
“My pretty,” Katara repeated, stroking Mai’s head and shoulders, when Mai finally stopped shivering. “My darling.”
She wrapped them both in a comfortable coating of water, and sat next to Mai, embracing her tightly.
“You should write a guide,” Mai said, resting her head against Katara’s shoulder, her eyes half-closed in pleasure.
“I’d rather not advertise these skills around,” Katara said. “Besides, there aren’t that many waterbenders left.”
At this, Mai opened her eyes, and studied Katara for a long moment, before saying,
“Speaking of which…”
“M-hm?” Katara asked, wriggling her toes in the water.
“You have noticed that we both should have bled some two weeks ago, haven’t you?”
“I have,” Katara said, slowly. “Two weeks ago at the latest.”
Mai nodded, and placed Katara’s hand on her flat stomach, her other hand mirroring the gesture on Katara’s own belly. “Do you think we are pregnant?” she asked.
“It may be still too early to tell for certain,” Katara said. “That’s why I didn’t mention it to you.”
Mai paused.
“I have been sleepy all the time lately,” she said.
“I’ve been nauseous every morning,” Katara sighed. Mai looked a tiny bit surprised.
“I haven’t noticed that.”
“That’s because you’re fast asleep when I wake with my stomach wanting out,” Katara explained. “And by the time you wake, I am fine.”
“You should have told me,” Mai said, stroking Katara’s belly. “And, well, that’s the other thing - we’ve been eating a lot this past month. In the evenings, especially.”
“That’s true,” Katara said.
“So?”
“Alright. So, we may be having babies,” Katara said. After a short moment, they both smiled, and began to kiss: once, twice, a dozen times.
“This is… quite nice,” Mai said carefully. “To be going through it all with you.”
“M-hm,” Katara muttered by way of agreement. “Can you imagine how cute our children will be?”
Mai smiled.
“Very cute,” she said, and they began to kiss again.
“One more thing,” Mai said after a long while.
Katara nodded.
“I know.”
“Zuko will freak out.”
“He will absolutely freak out.”
“How are we going to tell him?” Mai asked.
Katara stared into the water, trying to think of an answer. Then she shrugged.
“We’ll figure something out,” she said. “Would you care for a dinner? I’m starving.”
*
The Fire Lord Zuko returned to his palace early at night, after two weeks of official visits to the Earth Kingdom.
He decided to forego both the meal and the bath proposed by the servants, and headed straight for the bedchamber, where he expected to find his Fire Ladies fast asleep after the long day they undoubtedly had as well.
To his surprise, upon opening the door, he found Katara and Mai lying in a tight embrace, exchanging kisses and small caresses, and speaking in half-tones.
“Hello,” he said, approaching the bed. Katara and Mai glanced at him, and then rose in a beautifully synchronised motion, sitting up on the bed. They were both wearing half-transparent nightgowns, and appeared absolutely gorgeous.
“Zuko,” Katara said, and Mai added, “Hello.”
Zuko kicked off his boots, and joined them on the bed, kissing and embracing both of them. His wives helped him out of his ridiculous official robe, and within minutes the three of them sat leaning against the pillows, snuggled closely together.
They spent a while chatting about the details of his trip and of life at the court, pausing only to kiss and exchange words of love.
“What were you talking about when I walked in?” Zuko asked eventually, when they had filled him in about the latest going-ons in the palace.
What followed was an exchange of playful glances, mischievous smiles, and raised eyebrows between Mai and Katara. Although brief, it made Zuko grow alert: the last time something like that occurred, they suggested acting out a fantasy that involved quite a bit of bondage and blindfolding.
“Well?” he prompted.
“Well,” Katara said slowly, “We were discussing baby names.”
“Oh,” Zuko said, his interest waning. “Are you going to become an aunt again?” Sokka already had a bunch of children, incredibly noisy and lively creatures, who seemed to be able to perform acrobatics before they learned to walk properly.
“No, actually,” Katara said, and again exchanged looks with Mai. Then they both took his hands. “Zuko,” Katara began.
“You’re going to be a father, Zuko,” Mai finished with a smile.
For a moment, Zuko was dumbstruck, uncertain what to say.
“Oh,” he managed after a while. “Wh- which of you is…?” he asked, looking quizzically from one woman to another.
In lieu of a response, each of his wives placed one hand of Zuko on her stomach. He stared at them for another moment, as the meaning of their gesture slowly reached his brain.
“No?!…”
“Yes,” Katara said, smiling widely.
“But… how can you both be pregnant?”
“I think you know how,” Mai said in her usual dry tone, pushing his hand lower down her stomach. Katara giggled.
“But…” Zuko said again. “What if you go into labour at the same time?”
“Well, if anything, it will save us expenses with birthday celebrations in the future,” Mai pointed out.
“Relax, Zuko,” Katara said. “Pregnancy and childbirth are perfectly natural phenomena. There is nothing to be worried about. And even if there were, I am one of the world’s best healers.”
“What do you mean, there is nothing to be worried about!” Zuko exclaimed, freeing himself from their embraces, and sitting so as to face both of them. “There is plenty to be worried about! Your well-being! Assassination plots! Politics! We had three official visits planned in the next two months only! Everything will need to be re-organised and re-considered! And then the life at the court! And ascendancy!” He groaned, and covered his face with his hands. “What if they will fight each other for the throne?” He asked, and fell between the pillows. “Just kill me now.”
“You are very cute when you’re being all dramatic,” Mai said in a voice that, despite it revealing no apparent emotion, Zuko had long decided to consider her most tender.
“And now you’re laughing at me.”
“We never laugh at you,” Katara said, sounding as if she was fighting laughter. “Come on, Zuko. Aren’t you happy? We’re going to have pretty tiny babies!”
Zuko rose tentatively on his elbows. “Of course I am happy,” he said. “Just… concerned.” He attempted a smile. “You will make beautiful mummies,” he said. “And our babies will be the prettiest, obviously.”
“And before they are born, we will have grown very sexy breasts and bellies,” Katara said, and she kissed Mai for a long while. Zuko began to relax a little, but Katara’s next words sent him back into a panic mode.
“And of course,” Katara said, breaking the kiss, and sliding her hand over Mai’s breast. “We will want to have lots and lots of sex.”
To his credit, Zuko counted to ten before bursting out,
“You can’t possibly want to have sex!” Decisively, though gently, he pushed Mai’s hand away from his chest, and dived back between the pillows. “It could hurt the babies!”
Mai sighed. “Katara, you’re the healer. Tell him.”
“It is perfectly alright for pregnant women to have sex,” Katara said. “Especially when they are eager to.”
“What if the babies aren’t?” Zuko asked, only to hear Mai sigh again.
“Babies are happy when their mummies are happy,” Katara said patiently.
“You don’t have to treat me like an idiot child,” Zuko declared, his voice muffled by the pillows. “I am the Fire Lord. And also a father now.”
There was a moment of silence, after which Zuko felt Mai touch him again.
“Well, Zuko, if you don’t want to have sex with us, you don’t need to,” Mai said, stroking his back. Despite the soothing tone of her voice, Zuko jerked up.
“Hey!”
“That’s true,” Katara said, smiling to Mai, and leaning in for another kiss, while the other woman reached to touch her breasts. “We should be able to make do without him.”
“You’re just using me for my semen,” Zuko said dramatically.
Mai nodded. “And also for the opportunities offered by your political power,” she said.
Zuko nodded, all his suspicions confirmed.
“I will spend the night in the other bedchamber,” he said primly, making a gesture to get out of the bed. “Goodnight, my ladies.”
Before he managed to move any further, Mai and Katara had him back down on the bed, pinned to the linens.
“Oh no, no, no, Fire Lord,” Katara said, straddling his hips with a wicked smile.
“We are going to become mothers of your heirs,” Mai said matter-of-factly. “You must take good care of all our needs.”
Zuko thought briefly about pointing out the lack of consistency in their arguments, but when Mai leaned down to kiss him, and Katara proceeded to touch him intently, he decided to keep his quiet, and focus on the matter at hand.
*
The next person to find about Katara and Mai’s pregnancies was Sokka.
By that time Zuko had managed to go through numerous panic attacks, focusing on such diverse aspects of his impending fatherhood as his lack of patience and its possible consequences for their children’s personalities (“They will be the most nervous babies in the Fire Nation! They will need therapies!”), their children’s bending skills (“And what if I can’t teach them good firebending?”), and the possibility that the babies will take the murderous instincts after Ozai or Azula (“They could try to assassinate me before they’re out of their nappies!”).
“Wow,” Mai deadpanned, taking a cookie to her tea. “Way to make it all about you, darling.”
“They could try to assassinate us all,” Zuko said. “My head hurts just thinking about it.”
“We will raise them in a loving and peaceful environment,” Katara said. She was sitting with her head resting on her hands, and still feeling slightly woozy from the morning nausea.
“Not if they kill us first,” Zuko reminded them.
“Contrary to what you may know from home, most children don’t grow trying to kill their parents!” Katara exploded. She was feeling tired with Zuko’s panicking, a sure sign that the pregnancy was affecting her behaviour. Usually she’d wait until he was done, and only then would they argue about the actual drawbacks and advantages of a given situation.
“That’s true, they don’t,” Sokka said happily, walking into the dining chamber. “They’re all snugly and adorable and burpy at the beginning, and then they are already making flip-flops.” He beamed, apparently at the thought of this own children. Katara, Mai and Zuko stared at him for a long while before looking at each other again.
“Well, that’s one thing we don’t need to worry about,” Mai said with a sort of dark satisfaction to her voice.
“Wait. I forgot about knives!” Zuko said in horror. “What if their practising goes wrong and they accidentally kill someone?”
“Oh, you’re thinking about allowing them to practice knives? That’s adorable,” Mai remarked.
“What are we talking about again?” Sokka asked pleasantly. There was a moment of silence around the table, and then Mai spoke up.
“The Fire Lord is very concerned about the approaching enlargement of our little family,” she said in the fake official style she usually adopted when talking with Sokka. This, as Zuko assured Katara, was indicative of Mai’s warm feelings towards her brother. “He is afraid that his heirs might try a coup before we’re done breastfeeding.”
Out of a corner of her eye, Katara saw Zuko’s eyes go wide. Thankfully, before he managed to burst into another panic attack - this time on the subject of breastfeeding - Sokka worked out the meaning of Mai’s words, and asked the follow-up question.
“Both of us, actually,” Mai announced dryly. “Isn’t that a happy coincidence.”
Sokka’s jaw dropped. Next moment, he jumped towards Katara, and hugged her tightly. “My little sister is having a baby,” he said. “I’m going to be an uncle!”
“Hey,” Mai said. “Another expecting mother here?”
“My favourite sister-in-law is also having a baby!” Sokka exclaimed, and hugged Mai as well, which caused her to smile a little. “That’s great! Wait till I tell my girls, they’ll be all over this.” He glanced at Zuko. “Hey, congrats, man. How are you doing?”
“Running around in circles,” Katara said, pulling on Sokka’s sleeve so that he would embrace her tighter. “You know how he gets.”
“It gets easier,” Sokka said sympathetically. “So, have you written Dad and Gran-gran yet? I wouldn’t like to step on your toes there.”
“We haven’t written or told anyone yet,” Katara said. “So we’d appreciate if you, Suki, and Ty Lee could keep the news between yourselves.”
“You do realize we’re talking about Ty Lee, right?” Mai asked. “She’s not exactly famous for her secret-keeping.”
“Yeah, I can tell you that news like this usually get around real fast,” Sokka said, nodding wisely. “So if you want Dad to find out from you and not fishermen gossip, you’d better write him right now.”
“What fishermen gossip?” Katara asked suspiciously. “Do they gossip about us? Why don’t I know about it? Sokka?”
“Well... they gossip about pretty much anything,” Sokka said. “And you’re still a very interesting topic, from what Bato says.”
“I’m going to kill Bato,” Katara said through clenched teeth. “And make it look like an accident.”
“Nobody will suspect a waterbender to have created a storm,” Sokka agreed pleasantly. “Dad might be inconsolable, though.”
Katara shot him a glare.
“Too bad Aang’s decided to stash himself away for a meditational retreat away from the world,” Sokka noted. “He gets back, and you have half-year-old kids. Picture that.”
“Maybe he’ll find out from the passing fishermen,” Katara hissed.
“I suppose I should write my parents as well,” Mai said lightly, not paying any attention to the siblings’ squabbling. “And Zuko, will you let your Uncle know?”
“He’s going to send us appropriate gifts of tea,” Zuko reflected, somewhat absent-mindedly. Katara and Mai exchanged glances, and smiled: Uncle Iroh indeed bombarded them with tea on every occasion, and without any occasion. Lately, they’d become quite certain that the majority of the packages contained aphrodisiacs or fertility-enhancing brews; Uncle Iroh was quite keen on the dynasty not dying out.
“He’ll be overjoyed,” Katara said warmly. Then, however, she noticed Zuko’s frown. “What’s wrong?”
“No, nothing,” Zuko said, and forced himself to smile. “I’ve just realised there will be official announcements to make, and I’m not quite familiar with the protocol.”
“The Fire Sages typically alert the Nation about the impending birth of the heir once the Fire Lady’s pregnancy is deemed safe,” Mai said at once. “Then, after the baby is born, there follows a period of festivities. We haven’t, however, had one since your Uncle Iroh was born, as his heir’s mother died in labour, and then you were born the son to the second Fire Prince.” She noticed their stares, and shrugged. “What? I went to an expensive girls school.”
“Sometimes,” Sokka said, stealing a piece of cake from their table, “I’m glad that I’m not aristocracy.”
They couldn’t but agree with him.
*
Zuko had lied: he wasn’t thinking about official announcements, but of the necessity of eventual notifying Ozai of the situation.
The thought alone was enough to give him a headache. Once every few months, Zuko would visit his father in his prison cell, making sure that Ozai was alive. The only other person allowed to come to the prison was Mai, whose purpose was to check whether the Phoenix King was not plotting anything; Zuko, unfortunately, was still unable to assess Ozai’s behaviour. Mai, holding control of the Fire Nation spies, was much better suited for the job.
In the prison tower, Zuko went straight to Ozai’s cell.
They glared at each other for a long moment when Zuko wondered over the right wording for his announcement. They arranged it so that Ozai knew as little as possible about the world outside his prison, and he in turn took care to use any information he’d learnt to taunt Zuko. The matter of ascendancy was Ozai’s particular favourite, and one that would crop up during almost every single one of their meetings.
“Your mother was pregnant with you a mere month after our marriage,” Ozai had said after the first year of Zuko and Mai’s marriage, and he glowered. “But of course, you do not care for the continuity of the line.”
“Yes, Uncle Iroh told me about your pride in Mother’s fast pregnancy when we were on the sea after my banishment,” Zuko had replied then, pointedly. Ozai scowled.
“If you’re here just to breathe my air, please stop wasting my time,” Ozai said now, like he would do back in the times before Zuko’s banishment.
Zuko made a point of staring at him for a while longer - he was the Fire Lord now, after all - and then, in a few succinct words, revealed the reason for his visit.
Ozai took the news in with silence.
“You must be very proud of yourself,” he said at long last. “That would be your greatest achievement since you acceded to the throne.”
Zuko glared.
“Of course,” Ozai continued, a small smirk on his lips. “Children rarely grow up like parents expect them to.” He sighed in mock exasperation.
“Do they.”
“Do you know what I said when I first saw you?” Ozai asked, and, without waiting for Zuko’s reply, told him, “ ‘That’s an extraordinarily large clitoris on this child, isn’t it?’ “
“You will be happy to learn that it grew even larger,” Zuko said coldly. Ozai blinked, but regained his composure momentarily.
“But we must not forget how crucial proper breeding is,” he said. “Now, your Fire Lady is from a good enough family, but are you sure that that fisher girl can be trusted to give you firebenders? Or do you want your country to become another Water Tribe in a generation or two?”
Zuko drove his nails into the palms of his hands, and bit back an angry refute. Ozai smiled.
“The Avatar could probably energy-bend them into firebenders without a problem,” a cool, composed voice said behind Zuko’s back. Zuko turned around and saw Mai, her hands crossed over her breasts, an expression of utter boredom on her face. “He could give bending as easily as he could take it away - but you are familiar with that ability of his, of course.”
To Zuko’s surprise, Ozai’s glare actually exceeded in its intensity the ones he’d previously seen directed at himself. Mai shrugged, and walked over to Zuko, laying a hand on his arm.
“I’m tired. Let’s go,” she said.
They walked out of the prison together, their hands linked. As soon as they were in the outside corridor, Zuko embraced Mai close and kissed her.
“I asked where you’d gone, and I thought you might need some help,” she explained.
“Thank you,” Zuko said, and then remembered. “Are you alright? It’s a rather long walk.”
Mai smiled, and took hold of his hand again.
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’ve been throwing knives earlier. I don’t want to lose my prowess.” She laughed quietly upon seeing his distress. “Katara is certain that it is absolutely safe.”
“I am certain that it is traditional for women of Fire Nation to rest throughout pregnancy,” Zuko grumbled.
“Oh yes,” Mai said lightly. “Up until a hundred years ago it was also traditional not to see one’s husband from the day the pregnancy is announced until well past delivery. Is that the kind of tradition you’d want?” she asked with an adorable little pout.
Zuko hastened to ensure her that it wasn’t what he wanted at all.
“Good,” Mai said. “Now, let’s go. We both have things to do before dinner.”
Duties awaiting or not, they went to the palace at a leisurely pace, holding hands, and talking pleasantly. By the time they reached the royal gardens, Zuko had grown much calmer, and decided that he might be able to deal with the whole pregnancy business after all.
*
Despite Katara’s continuing assurances that sex during pregnancy was completely safe, for the next few days Zuko remained surprisingly shy and delicate with both of them, leaving Mai rather unsatisfied. It wasn’t that she wanted their sex rough, precisely; still, being treated as if she were made of glass made her grow exasperated.
It was the night of the full moon, which meant that nearly right after they had sex, Katara slipped out of the bed to bend the water in the ponds and fountains of royal gardens. Zuko fell asleep almost immediately, and Mai lay on her back for a long time, staring at the ceiling. At first, she tried to drift off; then, she started getting ideas. A sleepy, aroused Zuko wouldn’t remember to be so annoyingly gentle with her, would he?
Before she turned to her husband, Mai started touching herself: her breasts, made doubly sensitive with the pregnancy; her stomach and sides; her pussy, still a little wet with previous arousal and pleasure. Doing so, she thought about Zuko’s hands, and Katara’s tongue, and she smiled in the dark. Finally, she decided it was time to wake Zuko.
Kissing the nape of Zuko’s neck, Mai slowly slid her hand between his thighs, and touched his cock. “Wake up,” she said softly, nuzzling his ear. Zuko’s eyelids fluttered; she could feel him grow hard under her fingers. “Zuko? I think it’s time for a quality fuck,” she said, deliberately using her sexiest voice.
Zuko murmured something incoherently.
“Hey,” Mai said, continuing to stroke him. “Wake up. Come take care of me.” She took hold of his hand, and put it between her legs. “Feel that? I want you,” she said, and kissed Zuko’s ear.
“Mmm,” Zuko said only, but Mai knew he was already half awake. She gently closed her hand around his cock, and heard Zuko gasp audibly. He touched her pussy more lucidly now, and just moments later, he pinned Mai down to the bed. He stroked her breast, and entered her, gasping again, straight into Mai’s ear. She could feel his lean body smell of sleep, but it didn’t take him long to start moving in the slow, steady rhythm Mai enjoyed so much. She locked her hands on Zuko’s back, pushing him deeper inside her, and moaned.
She didn’t hear Katara come back into the room, and only became aware of her presence when she felt Katara sit on the bed and lean to lay small kisses on Mai’s arms. Then, of course, she went straight to the waterbending; Mai felt small trickles of water stroking her ears and neck, and even travelling to the sides of her breasts. From the way Zuko’s breathing changed, she guessed that Katara was taking care of him as well. Moving her hand lower down his back and over his buttocks, Mai could feel ribbons of water dancing on Zuko’s bare skin. He was moving more frantically now, pressing her hard against the bed.
Mai came first, with a deep sigh, holding Zuko close with her arms and legs. The pleasure made her temporarily numb to all stimuli; she was barely aware of Zuko still moving inside her, and then coming, loudly, and weighing her down to the bed. Katara lay to their side, stroking Zuko’s back, and gently kissing Mai’s neck.
“You look so beautiful together,” she said softly.
“Mm-hm,” Mai mumbled, and kissed Zuko’s shoulder one more time, already drifting off to sleep.
*
About a week later, the reply letters from their families arrived, all at once. They read them during an impromptu meal which Katara and Mai demanded to be served some two hours before dinner. Despite his heavy workload, Zuko joined them at their insistence.
Mai leafed through her mother’s missive absent-mindedly, and summed it up with a stifled yawn.
“Make sure your kid is born first and gets the throne,” she said at Zuko’s questioning glance.
“Hey, at least she’s not suggesting you returned home and raised your kid there,” Katara said, folding back her own letter.
“Your father and Bato should adopt some war orphans,” Mai said, almost causing Zuko to choke. “Or borrow your brother’s children for a longer period of time.”
“That’ll only result in Sokka, Suki and Ty Lee having more time to themselves, and that will lead to more babies,” Katara pointed out.
They spent a good minute trying to picture the mess that more Sokka babies could make. They failed miserably.
“Anyway, good news is that Master Pakku added a postscript from Gran-gran, saying that Dad is just being sentimental, and that they are all very happy for us,” Katara said. “I think he also suggests that he’s sparing us some childrearing tips from Gran-gran.”
“They could actually come in handy,” Zuko said. “Next to my Uncle, your Gran-gran seems to be the most appropriate person to ask for help in upbringing the children.”
“What has your Uncle written?” Mai asked, glancing at the sheet of paper in front of Zuko.
“He’s congratulating us,” Zuko said. “He says he’ll visit us after the official announcements are made, to discuss the succession.”
“What’s there to discuss?” Katara asked, frowning.
“He probably means that I should draw an official document delineating succession laws, that could be consulted in emergency,” Zuko explained. “Oh, and there’s tea. For the morning sickness, Uncle says.”
Katara beamed. “That’s great. I can really use that.”
“And for general well-being and good mood.”
“That’s for me, I guess,” Mai said. Katara smiled, and inclined her head towards her for a kiss.
“And, of course, something soothing for me,” Zuko said.
They all laughed.
“I need to get back to my office,” Zuko said soon afterwards. He kissed them both, and stroked their flat stomachs. “Do you have any plans for the afternoon?”
“How about a bath?” Katara suggested, turning to Mai with a twinkle in her eye.
“Bath sounds wonderful,” Mai agreed. “I’ll have the servants prepare it.”
At that moment, the next months appeared to them a very pleasant stretch of time.