Early In the Morning

I don’t own the Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.



Early In the Morning


As a wail rang through the palace, a tired pair of golden eyes popped open. The Fire Lord sat up straight almost at once, looking around in the huge bedroom in the meantime expecting something horrible to happen. He had always been a light sleeper, and becoming a father of two did not help much either.

His unscarred eye was encircled with darker rings because of sleep loss when he finally peeked at the only blueness in the otherwise red room. The Fire Lady slept beside him with a smile gracing her features, her arms wrapped around her pillow. She had been the one who said that it was their responsibility to take care of the twins, but ironically it had always been him who actually woke up.

Lord Zuko heaved a sigh before leaning down, blowing a kiss on his wife’s forehead, but when he spoke, she started frowning. “Katara… wake up.”

She let out a sound then murmured while burying her face in the pillow even more. “Please go instead of me…”

He made a small smirk before answering. “Sure, just give me one of your breasts.”

The Fire Lady’s gave him a glare, and now one could see that she had bags under her eyes too. She then let her head fall back into the pillow. “Bring them the bottles.”

Zuko put an arm around her shoulder as he leaned to her ear. “Dear, they are half Water Tribe… those bottles are empty for hours now.” He chuckled as her hand finally appeared from below her head, trying to poke him in the ribs. He caught her hand but before letting it go he raised it to his lips, kissing her fingers.

Katara’s expressions changed to a smile. “You’re lucky that I like when you do that.” His look softened. He slowly leaned towards her as she pulled herself up, but then…

A second voice joined in the previous solo wail, and they finally rose from the bed. The Fire Lord turned in his place while tying his red robe above his pants, and his lips curled up into a smile as the dark skinned waterbender really slowly put on her dark blue one too. When her blue eyes peeked behind her to meet his gaze, he knew she did that on purpose… whenever he could he admired her slim waist and long legs, even more after the twins born. But no matter what she only believed in the look in his eyes… that told her far more than any words could have.

“Beware Zuzu… you wouldn’t want a bee to fly in your mouth.” Zuko shook his head as she taunted him, but she giggled as she headed for their children’s room. He hurried after her and they reached the corridor side by side.

When they got to the door of the room, they found Iroh standing in the doorway – now the kids were silent, and the Dragon of the West shushed, waving them to come closer.

“What’s going on?” Katara asked, as she and Zuko stopped too peeking in the room.

“Look!” Iroh only whispered with a grin.

Amaya was rubbing one of her teary, golden eyes with her dark skinned fist, but she only sniffed once now as she watched her twin brother in the crib beside hers. A stuffed penguin toy lied in front of her on the rug – that was the reason of her cries. So because of that the little Prince Kazuki tried his best to push a similar penguin through the bars between them. The one-year-old boy did not look away with his blue eyes from the said toy, while he tried to push it onward or pull it back from its place with his tongue put out in concentration.

“Aww…” The Fire Lady placed her hands above her heart as she smiled at the twins.

“Yes,” Iroh nodded before peeking at the two of them then back to the room. “Kazuki tried to give his toy to his sister but now it’s stuck…” As Zuko took a step his uncle hold on his sleeve. “Wait a minute!” The Fire Lord gave him a side glance before he went on. “So I wanted to see if he was going to realize that he must turn it to move it either way like his mother would, or he’s going to act like you and rely only on his…”

In that moment, followed by four pairs of eyes, Kazuki pulled on the stuck toy, which Amaya grabbed from the other side too, and with a tearing noise the poor stuffed penguin lost its head. “Strength.” Iroh finished with a slight grimace seeing as the prince fell back on his rear. His lower lip trembled as he gazed down at the headless toy before him, but it was Amaya who wailed while letting go of the head.

Katara and Iroh already appeared in the room when Zuko took a step too… he did not even realize how tired he had truly been before.

Amaya was held in her mother’s arms while she sobbed sadly, but Kazuki only reached towards the ‘ill penguin’ as Iroh picked him up too. “Pe-pe…!” The boy’s blue eyes started to turn teary when his uncle Iroh picked up the toy’s two halves.

“Don’t worry Kazuki,” The Dragon of the West said on a calming voice when finally Zuko appeared beside him. “Daddy is going to take care of Pepe.”

“I am…?” Lord Zuko blinked as his son peeked up at him. When the boy’s lips trembled while he let out a low noise, Iroh’s hand pushed the penguin to his chest with a strong look.

“Yes daddy, go and fix Pepe!” He said through gritted teeth when the Fire Lord finally showed a smile.

“Of… of course.” Zuko looked down at the toy in his hands then back at his son, who only sniffed once, before his eyes shone up at the sight of something more interesting. In the next moment he pulled on Iroh’s sideburns, who yelped once before removing the boy’s hands.

“Zuko, go now…” Katara said before kissing the side of his face. “We’ll be fine.”

The Fire Lord let his eyes trail upon his wife and daughter, then to his son, who clapped his hands happily as he was sitting in his Uncle Iroh’s neck. With that image in his head, he slowly turned around, then left the room.

When some servants crossed his way, he gave one of them the toy, asking them to fix it then return it to the prince.

He hurried back to their room, quickly getting dressed as he realized that he should have been in the throne room already. Then he headed straight there while only trailing his fingers through his short hair – the greatest advantage of this hairstyle had been that he didn’t have to suffer with the bun and the flame shaped hairpin anymore.

After the guards nodded to him as he left the royal wing, he basically sprinted down the corridors towards the throne room, and only slowed down to normal speed before he turned to see the huge double door leading there. The two guards beside the dragon decorated door suddenly stopped talking, straightening up as he walked towards them, but they looked at each other before bowing to him.

“Are the council members already here?” Zuko asked without stopping, and opened the door as one of the guards started mumbling.

“M-my lord, but today…”

The Fire Lord stepped in the giant hall. “Excuse for my being…” He came to a halt, as the room – instead of being full with elderly and rather grumpy council members – was completely deserted. “Late?” Zuko breathed as the previous guard followed him.

“Lord Zuko I’ve been trying to tell you that the council…”

They left? Is that it? How could they?! Zuko grabbed the guard by his shoulders, shaking him. “Where did they go? What’s the meaning of this?!” He finished with a yell, and his darkened eyes made his look angrier than they otherwise had been.

The guard gulped. “My lord, b-but it’s Saturday. They are not supposed to be here.”

His hold weakened. The Fire Lord blinked once – realizing how much better his eyes felt with them closed before asking. “Saturday…?” His good eye twitched lightly. “It’s the weekend already...?” He said with a low murmur then cleared his throat. “Then,” He let go of the guard, straightened in his place. “Excuse me.”

The man slightly bowed his head as Zuko stepped away. Both of the palace guards watched as the Fire Lord headed back to his quarters while scratching his head.

--

The Fire Lady smiled down at her son, who slowly walked beside her with holding her hand. After every step the dark haired boy looked up at her, and his sister in their mother’s other arm, who leaned her tiny head on the waterbender’s shoulder. They finally managed to reach the double doors of the royal bedroom, and while Katara let go of his hand, Kazuki held onto the door, trying to push it open with her.

They were playing for hours in the twins’ room then in the royal gardens before Uncle Iroh left, so they decide to check on the Fire Lord.

Katara opened her mouth to greet her husband as they walked in, but when her blue eyes caught sight of him – half buried under the red silk sheets, with his eyes closed – she closed it without saying a word.

Princess Amaya turned her head towards the bed too, and when she saw Zuko’s sleeping form, she pulled out her thumb from her mouth, speaking out. “Daddy.”

The Fire Lord stirred. His good eye opened, and after a smile came to his face, it closed again. He faintly heard Lady Katara’s voice like she had said something to their children, then the door closed again leaving him in peaceful silence again.

Of course Zuko might have only dreamt this. He might as well wake up soon and find himself aboard a tiny fire navy ship, with his hair in a ponytail, and his uncle waiting for him with a cup of jasmine tea… with the mission to find the avatar. But now he knew something he did not back then.

The next time they met, he was going to bow down to Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Because this dream he had, was worth any prize he had to pay for…