No Time To...

Begging

Two baby's wailed as twenty year old Zuko was sitting on a chair rocking himself as the two one month old infants cried. He knew they were fine, they were fed and changed but he didn't know what else to do.

Tears ran down his face over the dried spots where others ran down before as he sat in the chair with a stick of tobacco in his fingers, he didn't light it, he was exhausted.

He didn't know how to be a parent. He didn't know how to be someone for them.

"I can't do it, I can't do it," he leaned forward and covered his face as he covered his ears.

"Zuko?" A new voice came in but he didn't bother looking up. He didn't care. He was so tired.

But the infants crying stopped. His ears rung at the silence.

"Hey kid," a foot kicked at the young mans ankle. He looked up seeing Kataras father holding one of the twins and Zuko looked over seeing the other was flipped over to sleep on his stomach instead of his back.

"Chief Hakoda? What are you doing here?" Zuko rasped, his mouth was dry, he was so thirsty.

"I've been looking for Katara," Hakoda laid the baby back on the bed when he fell back asleep.

"She's not here," Zuko told him as his jaw clenched.

"I don't know where she is, I need her, I need her so bad now," he trembled and Hakoda looked at the twins laying on the bed sleeping.

"I don't want to ask but I have too... Katara was gone for a year, she hasn't been here with you has she?" Hakoda asked softly.

"You already know the answer," Zuko rubbed his eyes, the bags under his eyes were dark and his eyes were red.

"The twins both of yours then I'm guessing?" Hakoda inhaled a deep breath.

"Meet your grandsons," Zuko scoffed leaning back in the chair as he bounced his leg.

"I can't take care of them, Hakoda I can't do this alone, what the fuck am I doing?" He started to breath faster as he heard one of the boys whimper. He couldn't take the crying, he was going insane.

"What, You want me to take them? Raise them in the tribes?" Hakoda snorted shaking his head.

"Please, you had two children, you know how, please you'll do so much better-I don't want them to grow up with me, I'm not better than my father," Zuko broke down with shaking shoulders.

"Why? They're your children, Zuko your all they have," Hakoda narrowed his eyes, he had to be realistic with the kid even if it's not what he wanted to hear he had to hear the truth.

"I don't know how, I'm going to hurt them or fuck them up like me, I can't be a father Hakoda, please please please help me I'm begging you," Zuko wiped his face but more tears ran down his face.

"Kid, go take a nap, wash up, eat something, we'll talk after," Hakoda touched the back of his head.

"I'll take care of the twins for a bit but you need some rest, you look like shit," he smirked a little.

"I'm so sorry, thank you," Zuko felt humiliated but he was so tired, it's been days since he was able to sleep for longer than two hours.

"Call it payback for saving my daughters life," Hakoda nodded softly and Zuko looked at him with glossy gold eyes.

"So what's the names of my grandsons?" He asked as Zuko got up.

"Ren and... aito," Zuko gulped a little.