amor omnibus idem

Diplomacy was near synonymous with your family name. 

Your parents met as diplomats, their parents were diplomats, so on and so forth. Inevitably, you would walk their path as well. 

As the Fire Lord’s number 1 diplomat, your duty was to oversee matters concerning Republic City. 

But as the Fire Lord’s one and only spouse, other matters took priority as well. 

Specifically, making sure your husband doesn’t turn into an emo, broody, yearning mess. 

You’d like to think you were good at that, at least. Having been married for a few years, you knew when the distance became too long and the desire to be together came with a vengeance. 

You’d had to take more frequent trips due to the building of republic city so maybe he’d gotten used to it. 

Yeah, he was probably alright. 

-x- 

Zuko was about to burn down the palace and everyone within it. His cultural advisors were going first. 

“Have a gala, they said. Without your spouse, they said. Why are you scaring away the civilians, they said.” His angry muttering went unheard by the nobles around him, who continued to prattle on about ceremonies and nation morale. 

Zuko took a breath. Patience, he thought. Focus. Just a few more weeks. 

He finally managed to escape the meeting. In his opinion it ran far too late and could have been a letter. 

On the thought of letters, he roamed through the halls, thinking about sending one to you, till he instinctively walked into his uncle’s tea room.

There stood Uncle Iroh, preaching tea preparation methods to an unsuspecting soldier who happened to be patrolling that wing of the palace. 

“Nephew!” Iroh called enthusiastically, “Come have some jasmine tea with my new friend here!” 

The guard gave Zuko a panicked look. 

Zuko sighed. “I think the head guard was calling for you, you should probably go see to that.” 

The guard exhaled in relief. He bowed deeply and left, just quickly enough to not seem like he was running away. 

“Tell me, how was your day?” Iroh poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of the Firelord. 

Zuko took a sip of his tea, the warmth soothing. “It was long. Boring.”

Iroh hummed. “What is really bothering you, Zuko? Your mood is like bitter tea.” 

Zuko sighed. “I miss my spouse, Uncle. I miss them a lot.” 

“Have you told them? That you don’t enjoy them going away?” 

“It’s for the good of all the nations, we can’t stop it.” 

“Then flow with it. Send letters, keep mementos, make the distance a little less unbearable.” 

Zuko took another sip of tea and thought about it. A soft smile slowly graced his face. Bridge the gap huh, he could do that. 

-x-

You dragged your exhausted body into the luxurious guest room the Earth Kingdom had given you. You flopped onto your bed, not bothering to slip out of your robes. 

Your head still raced with city hall construction plans, borders and each nation’s role in the development of Republic City. 

Just as your eyes slipped shut, a tap tap came from your elaborately carved balcony door. You groaned and pulled yourself up to open it. 

Please let it not be an assassin, you thought. Or let it, to end my suffering. 

You pulled the door open and were greeted with the Fire Lord’s personal dragon hawk, Hawky II- name courtesy of Sokka. It happily squawked at you, perching on your shoulder after dropping a scroll in your hand. You scratched its chin as you made your way back to the bed. 

Hawky II stayed on your shoulder as you opened the letter, greeted with your husband’s recently-turned-regal scrawl. 

My Dearest, 

Words cannot describe how much I miss you. Because I miss you a lot, and I’m not very good with my words but I’ll try. 

The palace is really empty without you. I miss your warmth in bed, I miss your smile every morning when you wake up, I miss your presence at every meal, I miss you. 

I know you’re very busy, I know your work is important, but I can’t help count down the days till you’re back in my arms. 

Horrible things have started happening in court with your absence. The ministers have suggested a gala to help raise nation morale in the capital and I nearly had a heart attack when they suggested a day when you are not here for the event. It is a miracle I managed to convince them otherwise. 

Uncle thinks these letters are a good idea to bridge the gap, but it’s not the same as having you with me. There’s a little gift in here too, to show by action rather than words that I love you. 

Affectionately yours, 

Zuko 

Attached at the end was a delicately pressed fire lily. 

A smile split your face as you finished the letter. Hawky II let out an indignant caw and flew onto your bedpost as you fell back onto the plush sheets of your bed. You clutched the letter to your chest like a lovesick teenager, already planning to smother your husband with all the love and affection you could muster when you get back. 

You let out a lovesick sigh, rolling over to push yourself off the bed with one hand, the other still clutching the letter and the flower. You set it down on your ornate wooden dressing table, pulled out your own parchment and started writing.

-x-

Hawky II was back in the Fire Nation's main palace by dawn.

Zuko blearily awoke to the feeling of talons digging into his arm. He blinked the haze away and noticed a letter tied to Hawky II's leg. He quickly sat up and coaxed the dragon hawk off his arm. He untied the letter and a multiple flowers slipped out. He set the letter aside and gathered the blooms. They were recently picked and were of various types and colors.

Zuko glanced at the letter, picking it up to see what you had replied.

My love,

You are literally impossible. It is taking all my willpower not to return home this instant. If Hawky II could carry me, I'd be there by now. Alas he is a dragon hawk, not a dragon, and here I am, an ocean away.

I want nothing more than to be back home. Back to my people, my chambers, and most importantly you, my husband.

I must give those courtiers a piece of my mind when I return. How dare they throw a party without me.

I loved your present, it somehow makes the homesickness better and worse. In return, here are a few souvenirs I may or may not have sneakily acquired from the gardens of the diplomats' inn. But that is a story for when I get back.

Entrusted to Hawky II's loyal talons are violets, tulips and camellias. All local Earth Kingdom flowers found nowhere else. Thankfully the gardener had not gone home yet and was able to help me with picking the right blooms. Violets are for love beyond distance, purple tulips are for longing and camellias are just to say I miss you.

Maybe next time you could come with me? It's been a while since we got away. It'll still be work, but you being there would make things a little more bearable. Till then, I'll be thinking of you tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

Yours forever

You had signed your name with a flourish.

Zuko couldn't put the letter down, reading and rereading it just to hear your voice again.

He picked up the neatly wrapped flowers, remnants of their fragrance still preserved on them and their packaging.

Hawky II flew back over to perch on his shoulder and nipped his ear, snapping him out of his thoughts.

Right, Zuko thought. I'm still the Fire Lord.

He pushed aside his bedcovers, got dressed for the day and set off toward his first meeting, already planning what to write.

-x-

A few hours and too many meetings later, Zuko found himself at the turtleduck pond nestled within the palace gardens. He had this one built privately, just for him and the royal consort.

He sat at the small table next to it and laid down his parchment, picking up his brush to begin writing. Right before his brush touched the paper, he paused.

Was he being too clingy with the letters? This was the longest you had been gone but he was the Fire Lord, he should be able to take care of himself.

Realistically, he knew you wouldn't mind. But what if you were tired or busy or wanted a break.

In the end, his hesitation was overshadowed by his ache for your proximity. The sound of water lapping softly at the edges of the pond soothed his thoughts as he began writing.

My Sun and Stars…

-x-

My Sun and Stars,

This is probably the most frequent we have been in contact since you were away. This is also the longest you've been away since our marriage. I hope I'm not bothering you. I know you'd tell me if I was.

Anyway, I'm more concerned about the "sneaky acquisition" of those flowers. What did you do. We went to the Earth Kingdom for diplomacy, not flora heists.

No gifts this time as a desperate attempt to stop you from stealing any more plants.

Please don't get into any trouble.

Yours,

Zuko

Unfortunately for your husband, you were already in the gardens of the diplomats' inn at dusk when you were reading the letter. It was inevitable that you would snag a few plants as gifts for him. At least you weren't wandering the gardens at midnight like last time.

You had borrowed a book on flowers and their meanings in the old Earth Kingdom and that came in handy when picking out the flowers.

Now here you were, squinting at your book in the waning sunlight and trying to match the images to the flowers you wanted to pick.

Finally, you found it. The Earth Kingdom lily.

You returned to your room, book and bloom clutched in hand and sat as your desk. You lit the candle and began to write.

My love,

Fear not, no gardens were snuck into this time. The negotiations are going well and I do deserve a vacation after all the arguing I've done with stubborn Earth Kingdom officials.

You could never bother me by being a good husband and keeping in touch. In fact, I order twice as many letters from here on out.

I'm coming home soon. Wait for me.

Yours,

You stuck the flowers at the end of the letter and tied up the scroll. You gave the letter a kiss before walking to your balcony railing where Hawky II had been resting.

"I'm sorry for making you fly so much," you whisper as you tie the letter to his leg.

The dragon hawk squawked in return and took off, delivering your final letter of this journey to your love.

-x-

It hardly ever rained in the Fire Nation. It was never a good day for fire benders since the rainwater would extinguish their flames. But today, on the day you were supposed to come home, dark storm clouds draped the skies, threatening to pour down on the palace.

The palace was buzzing with anticipation. Finally the day had come for the royal consort to come home. It had been nearly 2 months since you had left and finally you were returning home.

The most excited for your return was obviously your Fire Lord.

You were supposed to leave the Earth Kingdom port at dawn, making your arrival time in the Fire Nation Royal Port around noon.

Your husband had been waiting at the port since dawn.

Unfortunately, the rain had been waiting too.

It hardly ever rained in the Fire Nation. It was never a good day for fire benders since the rainwater would extinguish their flames. But today, on the day you were supposed to come home, dark storm clouds draped the skies, threatening to pour down on the palace.

It had already started drizzling as Zuko stood at the port, an attendant holding an umbrella over him.

Uncle Iroh waited beside him, under the umbrella, keeping Zuko from going crazy with impatience.

"Uncle for the last time, I don't need any calming tea," Zuko groaned.

A guard ran up to the duo. "Lord Zuko! I see the ship!"

Zuko had to fight the urge to propel himself into the air just to see you sooner.

The boat was coming closer, but it wasn't soon enough. His hands itched with anticipation just to hold you again.

He stared down the boat as the rain picked up, mentally pleading for it to dock faster.

Finally, after a wait that felt like 100 years, the helm dropped and he spotted you. The world seemed to slow down.

It was just you and him.

A man and his love.

You spotted him, and broke out into a run, leaving your own umbrella behind.

There was only one thing that mattered on your mind and it was him.

He matched your pace, sprinting towards you, arms out.

You both collided in a mess of arms, laughs, rainwater and tears. His arms wrapped around your waist and yours holding his face.

You pressed your forehead to his, grinning as tears rolled down both your cheeks, blending with the rain.

The rain raged around you but the storm in your heart had stopped.

I'm home," you whispered, not wanting to ruin the sanctity of the moment.

"Welcome home," he murmured back, his eyes closed.

You let go of his face and buried your face in his soaked robes, inhaling his scent and letting his presence wash over you.

Zuko was in a similar state, holding you tighter as you were finally back to him.

Your own clothes started getting drenched and the sea breeze made you shiver, but nothing mattered anymore.