Chapter Text
“Bumi, no ball in the house!” she calls sharply, fixing Kya’s hair with loopies and beads while also packing a bag full of snacks, waters, wipes, and other essentials. Her attention divided, she hisses when she realizes she’s dropped one of Kya’s beads.
“Don’t worry, Mommy!” Kya says quickly, dropping to her knees so that she can crawl to where the bright blue bead has rolled beneath the table. “I’ve got it!”
Sweeping her own curls and hair loopies up into a high ponytail, Katara sighs, looking up just in time to see Bumi launch his ball across the living room. “Bumi!”
Her son snaps to attention briefly before bounding to her side, “Yes, Mom?” His eyes are mischievous, and he hides his ball behind his back.
“We’re going to the park,” she fights to keep her voice level. “You can play with your ball there.”
Kya pops up with the missing bead trapped within her closed fist. “I got it!”
Accepting the bead and threading it through Kya’s curls, Katara allows her gaze to drop on both of her children, “Have you both gone to the bathroom? We’re going to be out of the house for at least an hour, and we are not going to the one by the playground if we can help it.”
Kya, with her big blue eyes and dark lashes, nods her head vigorously, “I went, Mommy.”
Bumi, on the other hand, pouts and stomps his feet, “But I don’t have to go!”
“I need you to go anyways, Bumi,” Katara says smoothly, reaching for the ball. “We always go before we leave the house, just in case. Remember?”
Reluctantly, Bumi spins on his heels, tearing through their small house to the bathroom. “Fine!” In less than a minute, he’s crashing back into the living room, right to the edge of the foyer where Katara’s helping Kya put her shoes on. He holds his hands out expectantly, and she waits for him to tug on his jacket before she hands the ball back.
Hitting the light switch off in the living room, she pulls on her sneakers and coat, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Are we all ready to go?” she asks with a smile.
When they both nod excitedly, she opens the door, and they race down the stairs, waiting for her at the front gate. As she takes care to lock the front door, she pushes a strand of hair away from her face, tiredly tucking it behind her ear. With a small hand gripping her own on either side, she leads them down the sidewalk, listening with interest as they chatter excitedly about their plans for once they reach the park.
“Mommy, play?” Kya asks eagerly, tugging lightly on her hand.
Her expression softens at the sight of her little girl, looking up at her with so much excitement. “I’ll do my best, sealpup. You two run so fast, though. I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up.” Katara’s never been one for running, and she’s exhausted after a long week at work… But she loves her kids, and she’ll try for them. She always does.
Bumi looks less than satisfied with her answer, “Dad always runs with me when we go to the park.” The ball he’s carrying under his arm wavers, and he lets go of her hand so that he can fix it. “When will we get to see him?”
At that, Katara’s lips begin to twist into a frown. She catches herself. “He said something about seeing you both next weekend… But I don’t know how long he’ll be held up in the Fire Nation.”
She hates seeing the look of disappointment on both their faces. She hates knowing that she can’t fix it. She hates having to deal with the fallout of an absent co-parent.
Going into the relationship, she’d known that being with Aang would be difficult – His job requires a lot of international travel, and she’d initially been okay with it. She’s a school nurse at one of the local elementary schools so dealing with his travel had been a bit inconvenient but still relatively easy. After Bumi’s birth, though, Aang’s travels increased, and Katara often found herself alone, tending to their new baby while juggling her work responsibilities. Instead of getting better after Kya, things only got worse.
Eventually, she reached a breaking point. She’d agreed to marry Aang, expecting that he would still be involved in the lives of their children, believing that he would be there to support her. As much as she loved him and as much as she knew he loved her and their children, things simply weren’t working out anymore.
The divorce hadn’t been easy, and it had been difficult to explain to the children. But it was necessary.
Not much changed within their established family dynamic. With the way Aang traveled, she was practically a single mother already. The divorce just made things that much more official.
“I miss Daddy!” Kya bursts out from beside her.
Her heart is breaking. “I know, sealpup… And I’m so, so sorry.” She puts on a brave face. “But I’m so happy that I get to spend my day with my two most favorite people in the entire world.”
They’ve almost arrived at the playground. Since it’s only a few blocks away from their home, she didn’t bother bringing the stroller. Kya loves walking.
As soon as they reach the playground, Bumi lets go of her hand, finding Kya’s. “Mom, can we go play?” At times, her son can be mischievous, but she knows that he takes good care of his baby sister.
“Of course,” she nods. “I’ll be over at that bench if you need me. Take care of each other, and we can play tag in a few minutes.”
As she makes her way over to the park bench, just a few paces away, she heaves a sigh of relief. She always hates discussions on Aang. She never knows what to say. Although she’d like to say that she and her ex are on good terms, it’s hard to tell. He pays child support and usually remembers birthdays and holidays, but he’s rarely ever home to see the kids, even after promising that he’d take them two weekends a month.
She’s a mom. Moms fix things. Moms make situations better. Moms kiss owies and give hugs and provide comfort. To see her kids so upset over something she can’t control kills her inside.
Dropping her bag onto the bench beside her, she double checks to make sure she hasn’t forgotten anything. Knowing Bumi, he’ll be racing over with Kya in a few minutes for a snack.
It’s a crisp autumn morning, and she enjoys the slight chill in the air for a change. She’s just getting back into the swing of things now that work’s started up and the kids are in school. Working at the school is a comfort, knowing that her kids are only a few doors down if they need her while being able to do something to help the children of the community.
Watching Kya and Bumi from her peripherals, she smiles when Bumi takes Kya down the slide, his ball waiting for him at the bottom. In so many ways, they remind her of when she and Sokka were young.
As they soar down the slick metal, Kya squeals in delight, and Bumi roars with laughter. They both love the slides. When they reach the bottom, though, they realize that another little girl has taken hold of Bumi’s ball. Instantly, Katara’s on the alert, ready to bolt over to the bottom of the slide and play peacemaker. She’s surprised, though, when a tall man strides over from where he’s been watching them by the gate, dropping down to one knee and wrapping a light arm around the little girl. He must be her father.
Although she can’t hear what the man’s saying, Katara watches as Bumi’s angry expression morphs into an excited one again. Kya still clings to Bumi’s arm, hanging back behind her brother uncertainly.
Before she knows it, all three of the children sprint off to where they can find an open space, plopping down onto the rubber mats scattered around the playground, rolling the ball back and forth between them.
From across the park, she meets the man’s eyes. They’re gold. She doesn’t startle at the long scar that’s concentrated on the left side of his face.
Gathering her things and slinging her bag over her shoulder, she gets up from the bench and walks over to where the children are playing… so she can keep a closer eye on them, of course.
“Hello.” His voice is gravelly and light, and he’s leaning against one of the many metal railings that line the perimeter of the area.
She settles in a careful distance beside him, dropping her bag on the ground nearby. “Hi.”
When Bumi notices her relocation, he pops up from the ground, running over, “Mom, mom, mom, I’m hungry.” He latches onto her side, peering up at her with large pale blue eyes.
With a short laugh, she reaches into her bag, handing him a package of crackers, “You’re always hungry, sealpup. Make sure you share some with Kya and your new friend.” She glances up at the man, “If that’s okay with you, of course.”
He nods, “If it’s okay with you, it’s okay with me.”
“Mom, you have to meet her,” Bumi cuts in. “Her name is Izumi, and she’s about to turn five so that means she’s younger than me but older than Kya, and she knows how to swing on the monkey bars, and she says she can swing higher than me, but I don’t believe her.” And then, he’s whipping around and running back to the little girls who’ve paused their game, waiting for him.
She shifts, facing the stranger slightly, “It seems that my kids have taken a liking to your…”
“Daughter,” he fills in the blank. A nervous hand rubs at the back of his neck. “She seems to like yours too.” His face is sharp and defined, and from where she’s standing on his right side, she can just barely make out the edges of his scar. He’s wearing a light jacket and black jeans, his hands shoved into his pockets.
The kids have since abandoned their game of ball, content to idly swing together while eating their crackers, a short distance away.
“I’m Zuko, by the way,” he adds.
That stubborn strand of hair slips out from behind her ear again, she huffs, tucking it back again. “I’m Katara. It’s nice to meet you.”
He sighs, in a tired way that she knows all too well. “Same here. Izumi’s been needing some friends. We just moved into the area, and she’s really shy.”
Something in her heart stirs. “You both are welcome to grab lunch with us after they’re done playing.”
His head shoots up so quickly that she’s almost startled. “We wouldn’t want to impose.”
“You wouldn’t be imposing,” she reassures him, fiddling with the bottom edge of her jacket. “Bumi and Kya get lonely sometimes, and they can be quite the handful when it’s just the three of us. Besides, I feel like I haven’t spoken to another adult in… well, ages. You’d be doing all three of us a favor, really. Unless, you don’t want to come in which case I don’t mean to pressure you or anything…” Her voice trails off uncertainly.
Zuko clears his throat, keeping his gaze trained on the children as they swing, “Izumi and I would love to join the three of you for lunch, Katara.”
The corners of her lips tilt upward into a smile, “Then it’s settled. I know a really good noodle shop just down the block. I usually take the kids there after the park.”
“Sounds perfect… Oh shoot, hold on.” And then, he takes off running to the swingsets where Bumi and Izumi have just leaped from their swings, hitting the rubber mats, hard.
Stuffing her things back in her bag, she follows him there quickly, very nearly crashing into the jungle gym and the monkey bars on the way there.
Zuko’s already scooped a crying Izumi up off the ground, with her little arms twined around his neck, watching in amusement as Bumi proudly shows off his newly scraped knees. Hopping off her swing and coming up beside Zuko, little Kya begins to cry, opening her arms to her big brother.
Dropping to her knees beside Zuko, Katara gathers her children to her chest, pressing a kiss atop both of their heads. “Are you two sealpups having fun?” she asks, examining Bumi’s knees.
“Yeah! Did you see me, Mom?” her son asks excitedly, bouncing on his toes despite his torn knees. “I leaped off the swing when I was really, really high up, and I was flying just like how Dad does when he leaves home on those airplanes!”
Katara stiffens at that, and Zuko seems to do the same as he’s consoling Izumi. “Let me see if I have some bandages. We’ll fix you two right up.”
Izumi, whose lower lip is wobbling terribly, has her father’s golden eyes. “You have bandaids?” she asks, crawling out of Zuko’s lap toward Katara.
“Izumi,” Zuko calls, a question for Katara in his eyes.
She meets his gaze with a smile, subtly nodding her head. “Of course I do. I’m a mom, and I’m a school nurse. I never leave home without them.” She makes a big show of digging through her bag to find her small first aid kit before holding it out for Izumi to investigate while she uses a wipe to clean her hands.
Uncertainty crosses over Izumi’s sharp features before relief overcomes them. “Can you fix my knees?”
With a nod, Katara beckons her to come closer, already cleaning the dirt out of Bumi’s cuts, spreading ointment across them, and sticking twin bandaids on his ripped skin.
Kya, nervously watching the scene unfold, wraps her arms around her brother tightly, patting his cheeks with her hands. “Better, Bumi?”
“Yeah – That was so cool! Are you going to play tag with us, Mom? You promised you would!”
In all honesty, she’d really rather not play tag right now. Her muscles are exhausted, and she’d like nothing more than to return to her bench and sit for a bit before they go get lunch. It turns out that she can.
“Hey, buddy – How about a round of tag with me?” Zuko asks suddenly.
Bumi’s eyes light instantly. “Really? Do you run fast? Mom never runs fast enough.”
Katara’s features draw into a scowl as she focuses on Izumi’s knees. “Hey, I run fast, sealpup.”
“I guess we’ll just have to race sometime and prove that, yeah, Katara?” Zuko smirks. Then, he jumps to his feet as Bumi takes off again, racing off to scale the jungle gym with Kya running along behind him.
Carefully placing on last bandage on Izumi’s scrapes, Katara stands, offering the little girl a hand up.
“Thank you so much,” Izumi breathes, dashing her tears away with her fists. “Daddy never brings bandaids with him.” She wraps her arms around Katara tightly before letting go, running off to join Bumi and Kya as they avoid getting tagged by Zuko.
Balling up the used ointment packet and bandage scraps, Katara tosses them in the trash as she leaves the swingset area and heads over to where the kids and Zuko are playing together. A fond smile works its way onto her features as Bumi and Izumi yell and scream whenever Zuko gets close, keeping Kya close behind them.
Zuko, for his part, looks like he’s having a grand old time, remaining on the ground while the kids stay up on the platforms. For a moment, he pauses, sweeping the long locks of hair that fall in front of his eyes into a tight little ponytail at the back of his head. She has to fight to keep her looking respectful because he looks damn good right now.
Sinking onto a bench where she can keep a close eye on the four of them, Katara doesn’t find herself reaching for her magazine like she intends to. Instead, she watches Zuko and the kids, and he occasionally glances back to look at her.
Her heart stutters in her chest, and she suddenly feels self conscious about her leggings and messy ponytail.
“Mom, mom, mom!” Bumi yells from across the playground. He doesn’t dare climb down the side of the jungle gym because Zuko prowls right by the ladder, blocking his only escape. “I’m hungry! Can you bring me and Zumi and Kya a snack? If we leave now, the tigershark will attack!”
Arching a brow, Katara fishes her phone out of her pocket, checking the time, “Actually, it’s almost time for lunch. Are both of you sealpups hungry?”
“Yes!” Kya exclaims, stomping her little foot.
Dragging herself up off the bench to go stand by Zuko, she looks up at her children as they peek back at her through the bars of the jungle gym. “Are you both ready for some ramen and mandu?”
Bumi’s quick to protest, “We don’t want to stop playing! You never play tigershark with us, Mom, and Mr. Zuko’s really good at being a tigershark!”
“Hey, buddy, would it be alright if Izumi and I joined you kiddos and your mom for lunch?” Zuko cuts in smoothly, still watching her out of the corner of his good eye.
“Yes!” Instantly, all three of the kids scramble to reach the slide close by, Bumi making sure that Kya goes down with him safely.
By the time they’ve left the park and shared a meal together, Katara feels light on her feet. Izumi gives her a hug before they part ways, thanking her for taking care of her knees, and Zuko exchanges numbers with her, promising the children that they’ll schedule another playdate for the three of them soon.
As soon as Zuko and Izumi disappear down the street, Bumi and Kya are tugging on her arms, begging to know when their next playdate will be.
With a nervous laugh, Katara leads her children down the sidewalk in the opposite direction, “I don’t know, sealpups. Mr. Zuko and I will have to talk to each other and figure out what time works best. Did you like them?”
Squeezing Katara’s hand tightly, Kya lets out an emphatic, “Yes!”
Bumi, his ball tucked securely under his arm again, looks up at her. His face has been schooled into such a serious expression that Katara is almost worried for him. “Mom, Izumi is now my bestest friend, and Mr. Zuko is the coolest person in the world.”
Caught completely off guard, Katara finds herself agreeing with him. Her phone vibrates, and she briefly lets go of Bumi’s hand in order to check her notifications.
It’s Zuko, asking to make sure she and the kids have gotten home safely.
Her lips betray her, twisting up into a smile.
“Mom, do you like Mr. Zuko and Izumi?” Bumi demands to know as they finally reach their front gate.
Blue eyes flicking downward to look at her son, Katara lifts her shoulders up in a rather shaky shrug. “I’d like to think so… I guess we’ll just have to see, yeah? Now let’s get inside and wash up. Maybe we can make some cookies.”
“Cookies!” both kids squeal, rushing into the house as soon as Katara’s able to unlock the door.
As she hangs their jackets up on the wall and places their shoes on the rack, she catches herself smiling as she types out a reply to Zuko’s text. She’s in trouble.