No Time To...

Twins

"Aito, wake up," Ren poked at his brother. The sleeping twin peaked one eye open and sat up annoyed.

"What?" He coughed into his hand and held the blanket around him. His freckled face was red as his blue eyes looked exhausted.

"You need to drink more water, you've barely ate anything today," Ren gave him a cup of water.

"Where's dad?" Aito drank the water rubbing his eyes.

"Down stairs, he got into a fight again I think," Ren shrugged but aito's eyes waters a little.

"I want papa," he sniffled. "I don't feel good still,"

"I'll go get him, drink more water," ren nodded and ran off yelling for their father.

"Sokka get out! I'm not going I have bigger issues!" Zuko bursted through the door as he was followed. Ren stopped and ran back to his room.

"Dads busy," he said quickly, the twins looked over curiously hearing the door slam and more people were in their home.

"Zuko we didn't know but we really need You for this, you know better than anyone that if azula has a weak point we need to strike it as soon as possible," Toph groaned.

"You obviously have Katara, and my uncle, use them," Zuko glared crossing his arms over his broad chest.

His head snapped to the side hearing his son coughing harshly and immediately left the adults to make sure he was doing okay.

"Papa," Aito reached for him as he was crying and coughing red in the face.

"Aito, why you crying buddy?" Zuko pulled him up and felt his forehead. He was still burning a fever.

"Ren said you got in a fight!" Aito cried into his chest as Zuko cradled the toddler close as Ren jogged to stay close while they left the bedroom so Zuko could get him to a window where it was cooler.

"And I won the fight, You don't need to cry," Zuko wiped the tears off his freckled face. He went to the room with his old friends as he held his little boy close.

"I also have twins, not just Ren, they come first, I'm not leaving to die in a war when they need me more," Zuko glared at them as he went to get a cold cloth to keep on his son to try breaking the fever.

"What happened?" Suki asked walking up to him to see aito.

"He gets sick a lot easier, I'm the same way, it's the flu so he's a lot more emotional too," Zuko rubbed his back gently as Ren hugged his leg.

"I told Toph the same thing, you know about the twins Toph, you knew," he glared over at her.

"I know," Toph sighed and he gulped.

"Why don't we come in the morning? He needs rest," Suki smiled gently up at him.

"Sure, I don't care, your going to anyways," he rolled his eyes.

"But I'm letting You guys know, my boys come first, they're my boys, and I'm all they have," Zuko told them seriously and they nodded.

"Your a good dad," Suki understood and looked back at the others.

"Appas close by, we'll talk in the morning," she insisted and the other two nodded.

"Alright, take care little men," Sokka waved at the children as Ren waved back smiling a little and aito looked away nervously.

-

Katara drank the rest of her whisky as she bounced her leg anxiously.

"Twins, Zuko has fucking twin boys," Sokka walked out the door letting it sink in.

"Really?" She asked looking up at them.

"Yea but one has the flu so I guess we came at a bad time," he sat with his sister and they all looked at Toph.

"Toph..." Katara crossed her arms upset.

"What?" The blind girl asked.

"I told you no Zuko, and if he has kids then why the hell would you go back?" She asked clenching her fists a little.

"I told you we needed him and we can find a babysitter," Toph shrugged a little and they all groaned.

"The moms not there, the boys don't have another parent to have raise them, they need him more than we do," Suki sighed shaking her head.

"We'll talk about it in the morning, Toph a little right, we really need Zuko, but with the kids it's not as easy," Sokka rubbed the back of his neck and they nodded agreeing for once.

"You knew?" Katara asked looking at Toph seeing she was the least surprised.

"Yea when I came by last week," Toph crossed her arms nodding.

"Aito wasn't sick then either, I didn't know that, they're sweet boys but if they want a future without all this apocalyptic shit and to possibly be open fire benders then we need their old man," she explained tilting her head to the side.

"They're fire benders?" Katara asked surprised.

"I'm guessing one of them will at least, royal family got strong genes," she shrugged.

"Let's just head back," Sokka shook his head motioning to get moving.

-

"Dad who were they?" Ren asked as Zuko sat on the couch with aito in his lap sleeping again with a cold cloth on his forehead.

"Old friends, but don't worry I'm not leaving you two," Zuko pulled him close Ren hugged his arm nodding.

"It's getting late, You should be sleeping too," zuko stood up and held his hand out for the four year old. Ren yawned nodding that he was tired. He lead his boys to their shared bedroom and laid aito on his bed across the room from Ren's.

He flipped the cloth on aitos head and put a thinner blanket over him, he felt the side of his face and pursed his lips. Zuko let out a sigh and went over to Ren who was grabbing his stuff animal bear.

"All set?" Zuko knelt down to him as Ren flopped on the bed.

"All set," he smiled up at his father.

"Come get me if anything happens okay? You're doing amazing helping me take care of your brother," Zuko kissed his forehead and Ren smiled at the praise.

"Do you have a brother pops?" Ren asked hugging his stuff bear to his chest.

"Nope, had a sister," Zuko took his hair out of the bun and combed it out, he didn't mind having long hair that was past his shoulder blades.

"Where is she now?" He asked.

"She's fighting her own battles, I haven't seen her in a very long time, my family wasn't very close before but now that I have You two..." Zuko kept his hand on his head looking down at his kid.

"We stick together," Ren nodded smiling.

"Absolutely, you always look out after your brother and he always needs to look out after you, even when im not here I need you both to have each other's backs," Zuko told him calmly and Ren looked a little worried.

"Why? Where are you going?" He asked.

"Down stairs," Zuko smirked and Ren giggled shuffling to get comfortable in the bed.

"Good night Ren, I love you," he got up from the floor.

"Night papa, love you too," Ren laid on his side.