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Part 1 of open to question
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2020-07-02
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gone fishin'

Summary:

“I would like to learn how to make a betrothal necklace.”

Hakoda nearly drops his fishing pole in surprise. Under normal circumstances, this would be a cause for celebration. He would take the lures out of Zuko’s hands and wrap him in a tight embrace. 

But under normal circumstances, he would know which of his children Zuko wants to propose to.

Notes:

I haven't gone ice fishing in a zillion years so I had to look up the wikihow article on what to do lmao. Also, I learned that you can ice fish in the south pole, so that is cool.

Written for an anon on tumblr who requested a fic based on a post that said: "Something that I think could be a really funny scenario is that Hakoda knows that Zuko is dating one of his kids but he doesn't know which one." Here is the result.

(See the end of the work for more notes.)

Work Text:

Hakoda isn’t stupid. 

Bato would argue otherwise. He would remind Hakoda of a dumb joke he told last week or a ridiculous story from when they were teenagers that he remembers in perfect detail and then say something like “Actually, my evidence proves otherwise, my husband is kind of stupid”. But Hakoda was always just acting stupid then. He isn’t actually stupid. 

And yet, that seems like the only explanation for how he got in this mess. 

Fire Lord Zuko is visiting the Southern Water Tribe, getting a first hand look at the rebuilding efforts that have taken place with the help of their sister tribe in the four years since his coronation. It is an honor to host him, and it has the additional bonus of getting to see Katara again. She spends weeks at a time traveling with Toph and Aang, both of whom are busy in Ba Sing Se, so Katara had traveled with Zuko to the south pole. Sokka lives at home the majority of the time, leaving once or twice a month to spend a few days with Zuko. Hakoda is glad that his son makes time for their new friend, and he is glad that Zuko looks much more comfortable sitting around the dinner table with them than he had the first time he came to visit. 

His daughter laughs at something Zuko says, and Hakoda’s eyes slide over to her. Katara has also mentioned her travels to the Fire Nation, although how frequent they are or how long in duration, he doesn’t know.

He doesn’t know a lot of things, he thinks as Sokka pulls on Zuko’s clothes to grab his attention. He notices how Zuko’s smile comes naturally around his children. Which makes sense, considering that he is pretty certain one of them is dating the Fire Lord. 

He’s just...not sure which one. 

(Okay. Maybe he is stupid.)

 

 

The next morning, he wakes up as the sky is barely beginning to lighten and immediately starts putting on layers in preparation for the cold conditions waiting for him outside of the igloo. Bato doesn’t move, content to continue sleeping through the morning, and Hakoda can’t resist pressing a soft kiss to his cheek before stepping out. 

He had been hoping to catch Zuko before he left one of the igloos to see which one he would leave. Was it Sokka’s? Or would he step out of the one Katara used during her visits back home? However, Zuko is already waiting for him, sitting on a hard clump of snow. He stands when he sees Hakoda.

“Are you ready?” he asks, handing Zuko a fishing pole.

Zuko nods. “Yes, sir.”

Hakoda gives a short laugh. Zuko had been stiff and awkward around him toward the beginning of their relationship, and while he has definitely warmed up to him over the years, he still has his moments. “Remember our deal? I won’t call you Lord Zuko, and you won’t call me sir.”

Zuko smiles, and Hakoda notices the boy is looking a little more anxious than his usual anxious self. “Right, of course.”

He pats Zuko on the back and holds out his lantern. “Will you do the honors?”

Zuko nods and lights the candle inside with a quick flick of his wrist before taking it and holding it in front of them, lighting the path that Hakoda leads them on.

Zuko is quiet, but not in the way that Sokka usually is when the two of them go ice fishing this early. Sokka tends to drag his feet, yawning the whole way but then eagerly setting up the hole once they find a good spot. Zuko is just silently walking alongside Hakoda, content with watching the sky as the colors of the sunrise become more bright.

“You don’t seem too tired, did you sleep well then?” Hakoda asks him.

“Absolutely, s- uh, Hakoda. The igloo was very comfortable,” Zuko insists. “It also helps that I am used to rising with the sun.”

“Right. You weren’t too cold, were you?”

“I was fine, thank you. The blankets kept me nice and warm,” Zuko answers politely.

“I bet that wasn’t the only thing keeping you warm,” Hakoda winks at him, and Zuko blushes.

“Well, no,” he says, focusing on staring at the flame in front of him. He doesn’t seem inclined to clarify who it was that was keeping him warm, and Hakoda sighs internally. He’s going to need a strategy if he is going to discreetly discover the identity of Zuko’s significant other by the time they return back to the tribe.

After a few more minutes of walking, Hakoda stops. They have reached his usual ice fishing spot, far enough from the village that the ice isn’t too thick, but the ocean isn’t close enough that it is too thin, either. He drops his bag of supplies and Zuko puts down the lantern, watching as Hakoda lays out everything and grabs a long metal tool before jamming it into the surface of the ice. 

“Here,” he says, motioning for Zuko to grab it. “Rotate it clockwise, keep turning and the blade will cut into the surface. Once the chunk of ice separates, we have our hole.”

Zuko nods and starts turning slowly, watching the ice carefully. Hakoda observes and nods his head. “Good job, just like that,” he encourages, and Zuko speeds up a little bit. The ice breaks, Hakoda hands him a small shovel, and the two of them dig out the extra ice and snow to give them a good hole to work with.

“I’ll test the depth, you add bait to those lures,” Hakoda instructs, pointing Zuko toward the items. “So tell me, son,” he starts, noticing how Zuko drops the hook in his hand at being called that before recovering quickly. “When you asked me to take you ice fishing, I was pleasantly surprised. Any particular reason you wanted to learn from the master?

“Well,” Zuko says, concentrating on his task. “I, uh, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Hakoda smiles. “Of course. You know I’m happy to talk with you about anything. Especially if I end up being your father in law, someday,” he gives Zuko a wide smile, and Zuko glances up at him.

“That’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” he says, and he clears his throat. “I would like to learn how to make a betrothal necklace.”

Hakoda nearly drops his pole in surprise. Under normal circumstances, this would be a cause for celebration. He would take the lures out of Zuko’s hands and wrap him in a tight embrace. 

But under normal circumstances, he would know who Zuko wants to propose to.

“Is that right?” he asks, willing his voice to come out evenly. 

“Yes. I know that it hasn’t been a long courtship, but we have been friends for many years, and I feel like we are both ready to take this step,” Zuko explains, and Hakoda notices that his hands are shaking.

“Hey, you don’t have to explain to me, if you feel it is the right time then I agree. I trust your judgement and I trust you two to know what you want and what is best,” Hakoda insists. 

Zuko glances up at him again. “Really?” 

“Of course,” Hakoda says, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach. His window of opportunity to find out who Zuko is dating is closing rapidly. 

“That means a lot,” Zuko sighs in relief. “I was worried about what you would say, which I now realize is ridiculous.”

“It’s only natural to be nervous about this,” Hakoda assures him. Was he nervous about Hakoda being overprotective of his daughter? Or nervous about wanting to marry his firstborn? Or-

Zuko smiles and Hakoda tries to match it. “So, what do you know about betrothal necklaces?” he asks. 

“The only one I have seen is Katara’s,” Zuko says, and Hakoda’s mind races. Is he dating Katara then? “And Sokka recently explained to me some of the details.” Hakoda frowns, does that mean it’s Sokka? He feels like this conversation is giving him whiplash, and he has to make an effort to listen to what Zuko is saying. “But there are still some questions I have…”

Hakoda nods. “Ah yes. Well, let’s start at the beginning. Typically the husband asks the bride’s father to teach him how to make the betrothal necklace. Together they hunt an animal to get the bone for the pendant and then the father shows him how to size it and carve it. As the student learns, the teacher gets a better idea of the kind of worker and husband this man will be. Is he detail oriented, or does he rush the small things? Is his touch delicate, or firm? And so on. It takes time, and by the end of it, the father can choose to give his blessing to their marriage, after which the proposal takes place.”

Zuko listens closely. “So is it okay that we...are doing things a little differently? From tradition?” 

Hakoda nods slowly. What would be different from tradition? Both Sokka and Katara are unique individuals, and he can picture either of them wanting to shake things up a bit. “Well, sure. Our people take the traditions of our ancestors and make them their own. I’ve even heard of some women taking matters into their own hands and being the ones to make the necklaces for their future husbands.”

Zuko doesn’t seem so satisfied with that answer. “Right.”

“Every couple is different,” Hakoda shrugs. It’s possible that Katara wants to keep the necklace from her grandmother. “Kya’s father died when she was young and my own father had died, too. Luckily, I was close with Bato and his father volunteered to teach me. Kya already had her mother’s betrothal necklace that she decided to use, so I held onto the one I had made until it became useful.”

Zuko still looks uncomfortable, but he offers a small smile. “Well, I am glad to have you with me.”

Hakoda had completely forgotten about his fishing pole, and he pulls it out from the water, satisfied with the depth of their water. Probably. He isn’t really paying attention to the task at hand, to be honest. There are more pressing issues to deal with. He takes the lures that Zuko has prepared and adds one to his line as well as Zuko’s and hands him the pole. 

Zuko sits across from him and mirrors Hakoda as he lowers the line into the cold water. “So, now what?”

“Now, we wait,” Hakoda explains. “Once you feel a slight tug or notice your pole is moving, we grab the string and pull the fish up.”

Zuko nods seriously, staring at his pole with a fiery intensity that makes Hakoda smile, reminding him of Katara. 

“So you’re okay with our marriage?” Zuko asks quickly after a few moments of silence. “Even though it may be a little...unconventional?” 

Hakoda wonders what could be unconventional about the situation. If he is dating Sokka, is it the gay marriage? But Zuko knows that he is married to Bato, so it can’t be that. Maybe Hakoda is overthinking it. 

“Yeah, the Fire Lord and a child of the Water Tribe,” he smiles. “I gotta say, it’s pretty unheard of. But I love and support the two of you. You have always been a part of this family since my children befriended you, but it will be nice to welcome you officially.” 

Zuko visibly relaxes at that. “Thank you.”

“You know, when we get back I can even give you a closer look at the first necklace I made when I was younger. I don’t know if you’ve seen Bato wearing it, he usually has so many layers on, but it’s not too bad if I say so myself.”

Zuko drops his fishing pole and immediately goes to pick it up before it can be pulled into the water. “You...you and Bato are married?”

Hakoda frowns. “You...you didn’t know that? We got married soon after the war ended.”

Zuko blinks at him several times. “I feel like such a fool. I just assumed you were good friends.”

Hakoda gives him a reassuring smile. “Many people thought that for the majority of our relationship. Which is true, we have been friends for a while, but it turned into something more. I know you can relate.”

“Yes, it’s true. It did take us some time, but I’m so glad we finally got to where we are now,” Zuko nods. “I’m sorry I didn’t know about your marriage, this is embarrassing and definitely not the way I wanted this conversation to go.”

“It’s fine, son,” Hakoda says, and as he feels a tug on his line, he grabs it and starts to pull it out of the water. 

“That’s why I was acting so weird, I had no idea if it would be appropriate to give another man a betrothal necklace and I didn’t know how to ask about it,” Zuko explains. 

“Another...” Hakoda’s hands slip, dropping the line in surprise. He watches helplessly as the weight of the fish pulls the pole down and it disappears in the water. He doesn’t have time to process that loss at the moment. “A man. You want to marry Sokka.”

“Of course.” Zuko tilts his head in confusion. “Like I said, we haven’t been dating for very long, but I have no doubt in my mind that I want to spend the rest of my life with him.”

“That...that’s wonderful,” Hakoda says, relief spreading through him. 

Zuko’s eyes narrow. “He...he told you, right? That we started dating a few months ago?”

“Uh,” Hakoda starts, spending a moment debating whether or not to tell the truth before sighing. “No. He didn’t.” 

Zuko blinks at him. “You didn’t know we were dating? But this whole morning...”

Hakoda winces. “You weren’t the only foolish one. I had no idea if you were dating Katara or Sokka.”

“Katara?” Zuko’s eyes widen. “Of course not. I’m not...I love her, she’s one of my closest friends, but I have no interest in women. At all.”

“Forgive me, you two are very close,” Hakoda says apologetically. 

“No, don’t worry about it. Again, I’m sorry for not knowing about you and your husband,” Zuko sighs. Hakoda starts to laugh, and Zuko joins him. 

“We will never tell the others about this, yeah?” Hakoda asks once they have calmed down, and Zuko nods quickly. 

“No one will know.”

“Glad that is settled. Alright, this ice fishing trip has been a bust. How about we exchange these poles for some spears and go hunting to start off our necklace making process?”

Zuko pulls up his empty fishing line and begins to help pack up everything. “That would be wonderful, dad.” He realizes what he said and immediately turns red. “Sorry, it just slipped out-“

“Don’t apologize, son,” Hakoda smiles. He’s surprised when Zuko puts down the shovels and embraces him tightly, but he recovers from the shock quickly and hugs him back. 

Notes:

So there you have it! Hakoda spent the whole time trying to find out who Zuko is dating. While Zuko had no idea how Hakoda felt about his son marrying a dude. And found out they are both fools.

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