Archive of Our Own ^beta

Year: 41 BG(?)

It was a breathtaking morning.

The cerulean sky contrasted against the reds and browns of the caldera, like a reef homing a coral. Roku had longed for the sight of home – the royal palace standing in all its glory. Landing on the palace’s biggest field, dotted with daisies and dandelions, Fang roared a hello to the group of little faces running towards them. Roku’s heart soared at the sight of his children, and he unmounted excitedly off of the purring dragon. The airbending softening his drop off Fang’s extensive neck.

Little Hatao toddled towards him, so much energy and life in her step. She had already grown so much since he last saw her. It was only yesterday she had learned to walk. Roku lifted up his youngest and kissed her head and then her cheeks while she laughed. She had her mother’s beautiful laugh. While doing this, Lingmin had snuck up from behind and had embraced him in a tight hug. Roku gently put down his toddler so he could grab his other daughter into a big hug.  

“I missed you, Baba!” Lingmin cried, sentimental. She had her mother’s cute face.

“I missed you too, Lingling,” Roku murmured.

Behind him, Daoren and Tanmi had caught up to them. The boys were side-eyeing each-other.

“Dad!” Daoren called, “I beat Tanmi in a fight!”

Tanmi snorted, “Only once, and I was feeling sick that day.”

“No you weren’t!”

“Yes I was!”

Roku shook his head amusedly at his competitive sons, “You’re both very strong firebenders. I’m proud of you both,” he put one hand on one of their shoulders, “You should be working together, not fighting each-other.”

Tanmi nodded, “If you think that’s best, Father.”

His second oldest son, always so mature and compliant. Ta Min said he was the spitting image of him, and behaved the most like him too.

“But we need to test each-other, Dad!” Daoren argued.

Daoren was universally agreed upon to be the spitting image of Sozin, had his mother been born a boy. He had his father’s eyes, however.

“You can help each-other improve while also respecting the other’s skills,” Roku patted their heads paternally.

Tanmi tried to remain stoic, while Daoren pouted.

“Dad!” Riko practically jumped on him.

Roku almost lost his balance. Of all his children, Riko had inherited his height. She had nearly killed Ta Min during her labour, but Roku loved his eldest daughter more than anything in the world (well it was close tie between all his children but Riko especially).

“How was your trip to the South Pole? Was it as cold as the North?” Riko was at that age where she was restless and longed to join him on his travels, but her father could only disappoint her in those terms.

Roku chuckled, “Even colder. Can you believe it? I never took off my parka once!”

“How unfortunate for the tribeswomen,” strolling towards them was none other than his two gorgeous wives and his second daughter, Iren.

Iren was his quietest child and meekly smiled at her father and waved. She was wrapped in the warm arms of her mother, none other than Fire Lord Sozin.

Sozin approached him first, her belly large and swollen. Her smirk hadn’t faded as she leaned up to kiss his mouth. Roku embraced his soft, strong and curvaceous wife and deepened the kiss. He had missed her terribly. Obviously as she did him. Sozin never liked ending their touches but Roku had to eventually because he needed to kiss Ta Min hello too. When their lips parted, she sighed, but Roku rubbed their noses together which made her smile mildly again.

Moving away from his monarch-wife, Roku turned to his noblewoman-wife. Technically Ta Min was only his concubine, but in his heart, her status was equal to Sozin’s as his marital partner.

“I’m back,” he said, trying to sound suave.

Ta Min giggled joyfully, “It appears so.”

Roku cupped her face and kissed her as deeply as he had Sozin.

They were interrupted by Sozin’s shouts.

“Daoren, get off that dragon! Why is your sister up there with you!?”

An unimpressed Fang had to tolerate two children and a toddle trying to climb him. Luckily he knew better than to just shrug them off.

“But Mommmmm; I want to a climb a dragon!” Daoren cried while Tanmi started slowly climbing up.

Sozin snapped, “No buts! You’re too young to be climbing a dragon by yourself! And you better not drop Hatao! You know what – just wait there!” Sozin charged towards her wayward children. 

Daoren slid his sister down the side of Fang where Riko caught her just in time. The boy and his half-brother slid down the other side and made a run for it.

Sozin took Hatao off Riko and sneered, “You’re grounded, Dao!”

Roku knew the boys would be back sooner than later if they wanted dinner. He left the discipling to Sozin and turned back to Ta Min.

“I feel like someone is missing,” he admitted.

He knew of course who.

“The crown-prince is upset with you,” Ta Min said, “You should probably give him space, you know how teenagers are.”

Roku blinked, “No, I don’t. He just turned thirteen!”

“Exactly. You missed his birthday,” Ta Min reminded him, “Not to make you feel guilty, but he was disappointed. I’m just letting you know so you know what to expect.”  

“I never meant to upset him,” Roku stated, eyes downcast.

“I know, love,” Ta Min kissed his cheek, “He’ll forgive you… eventually.”

Roku huffed, “I suppose a child of mine and Sozin was always going to be noteworthy in holding grudges.” 

Ta Min shrugged sheepishly.

Just then Sozin touched her Prince-Consort’s shoulder, “If Zinlu wishes to sulk alone in his room, he is welcome to it. Let’s go inside, my love. You’ve had a long journey.”

Roku took both Sozin’s and Ta Min’s hands and kissed the tips of their fingers simultaneously. His wives blushed at that.

As usual at dinner, Roku sat at the head of the table. Ta Min to his left, Sozin to his right. His heirs would sit on Ta Min’s side of the table, whereas Sozin’s heirs would sit to the right of their mother. Everyone was digging into their eel, fish and rice. It was lovely being with his family again, it was. If only the space next to Sozin was filled, food not cooling.

“Husband of mine,” Sozin cooed, reading him with ease, “Don’t concern yourself with that stubborn son of ours. He is young and does not yet understand the toll of power and responsibility. When he is older, he will realise what a fool he was to his father.”

Roku’s face carried remorse, “Or he will realise what an inept father I was.”

“No! You are a great father,” Sozin insisted, “The boy is short-sighted due to his age.”

Ta Min backed Sozin up, “Her Majesty is correct, love. You’re a wonderful father. Look how happy all the children were to see you today.”

Riko nodded next to her mother.

“But maybe not a wonderful father to him,” Roku lamented, before he suddenly stood up from his seat, “I’m going to see him.”

Sozin sighed, getting out of her chair, “No need; I’ll do it in your stead.”

“No, Zin,” Roku put his hand on her shoulder, “This is my bridge to fix.”

Sighing, she allowed reluctantly, “Very well,” Sozin sat back down, “Go talk to him.”

Roku smiled softly.

Knocking on the door of his eldest’s bedroom, Roku swallowed and fidgeted with his hands.

There was no response. Of course there wasn’t.

“Hey Lu. It’s Dad; I’m back home,” Roku tried not to sound desperate. Teenagers didn’t respect desperation. No one did.  

No response.

“Your dinner is on the table. Our cooks worked so hard; it would be rude to waste it.”

No response.

Roku hit his head against the door. What could he say next? “I’m so sorry I missed your birthday, Lulu.”

No response.

“The Southern and the Northern Water Tribes were having a little disagreement and they needed a third-party diplomat to-”

“I don’t care!” called a voice from behind the door, “Go away; that’s what you’re good at."

Roku was profoundly dismayed his oldest son seemed to think he was as committed to this family as a lion-tiger was to his. Around, but distant. Well he wasn’t distant today.

Opening the door, Roku marched right in.

Zinlu was making origami on his desk, scowling as his father barged into his room, “I’m not going downstairs.” 

His son had his build and complexion, but Sozin’s eyes and dark hair. He would be devastatingly handsome once he was older, but today all Roku saw was his little boy feeling neglected. All over his desk were paper turtle-ducks. Pairs; a small one and a bigger one next to it.

Roku’s heart skipped a beat.

“I’m sorry, Zinlu, if you feel I haven’t been around much. I will try harder in the future-”

The crown-prince scoffed, “How? The world always needs you, that’s what Mom says. You have duties beyond me which are more pressing.”

“That’s true,” Roku admitted, “I can’t always be there for you – in that sense, yes, I am a lousy father. Fine. If you want to hate me for it forever, then that’s fine too. Just remember I was busy keeping the world in check, and when I wasn’t, I always came home to see you. Remember you’re the one who actively started wanting to be away from me.”

“I do want to be away from you,” Zinlu hissed, “I think I’ve made that quite clear.”

Suddenly the room felt very cold. Roku felt his chest ache and his heart burn, “If that’s what you want, your Highness,” his lips felt dry.

Zinlu held his nose up and retuned to his hobby.

Retreating from the bedroom, Roku had never tasted defeat as acidulous as this.  

A warm, sleeping wife on either side of him, Roku found the realm of dreams escaped him. His mind kept orbiting back to Zinlu, the son that loathed him. An even more harrowing thought snagged him – what if all his children were to follow suit? Roku couldn’t ever imagine Riko nor Lingmin feeling such a way. Then again, he hadn’t thought Zinlu were capable either. Roku just hoped Sozin was right; that it was a phase. Soon he would mature and appreciate what his father had done for him, despite his imperfections.

Could one truly hate their father forever?

The night lumbered on and Roku laid morose and pensive.