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As hard as he tried, Zuko couldn’t think of a single place in the entire world he would rather be than where he was right now.
He was lying in his big bed, with Katara in his chest, eyes closed and breathing slowly. She had Kya in her arms, probably because of a nightmare, while Izumi laid right beside him. The firstborn wasn’t really fond of body heat like himself and the other two waterbenders. And Kai, his youngest, was also curled in his chest, besides her mama.
He couldn't be happier.
“Go to sleep, Zuko.” Katara’s voice reaches his ears, low but still startling him.
He looks at his wife, but finds her with her eyes still closed. He frowns.
“You’re awake?” he whispers, confused.
“Of course I’m awake,” she smiles “Do you know how fast your heart is beating right now?”
He did not, in fact, know how fast his heart was beating. He hadn’t really paid attention to anything besides his family — and their safety — since he woke up minutes ago.
“Yeah, well.” he clears his throat “I’m happy.”
Katara slowly opens her eyes and blinks up at him. If his heart was beating too fast before, he couldn’t imagine how it was right now, as he caught a glimpse of his favorite view in the world. His beautiful wife, with messy hair and swollen morning face.
“Hey.” he mumbles.
“Do you have any idea of how early it is?” she asks, squinting at him.
“Probably very early” he nods. “But it’s Lin’s birthday and Sokka is going to kill us if we’re not there to help before noon.”
Katara grimaces and tries to sit down, holding Kya close to her chest.
“You’re right,” she sighs “But we should let all of them sleep a little more. Kya’s nightmare last night was no joke.”
“Of course,” Zuko leans in to press a kiss on her forehead “Want me to make breakfast? You can stay with them for a little bit too.”
Katara laughs.
“I’d love that but Izumi can literally sense it every time you leave,” she reminds him “And Kai can’t sleep if the other two aren’t close to her, you know that.”
Zuko rests on his pillow once more.
“Then maybe we can all stay here for a while,” he looks at the clock on the bedside “For… I'm gonna say fifteen minutes?”
“Sounds like a plan.” she smiles.
So they all stay in bed for a while longer.
Zuko can’t fall back asleep, and Katara must be alert because of him and Kya, because she can’t either. So they both stay awake, casually talking about each other’s work and their friends and family, as mundane as it was.
Izumi is the next to wake up. As her bending started to develop, she was starting to feel the sun rising just like her dad, and although Zuko was proud, he knew very well that was eventually going to mess up the routine of all of them.
The seven year old blinks her eyes open at them. She takes in the room and then turns to her sisters.
“Is Kya ok?” she asks, as quietly as she can.
The way she’s always taking care of the younger ones always melts Zuko’s heart. It reminds him of how Sokka was with Katara, and of how he was with Azula before… Well, everything. They were better now, yes, but sometimes he wondered what it would’ve been like if his father hadn’t fuck up their relationship.
“She hasn’t woken up yet, my sun,” Katara tells her, adjusting Kya in her arms “But I think she’s fine. How are you?”
Izumi sits on the bed, perfect posture and all. She stays quiet for a whole minute, then looks at her parents with big golden eyes.
“I’m hungry.” she decides.
Zuko laughs.
“You know what? So am I,” he carefully picks Kai up and places her on the space Izumi previously was “How about you and I go make some breakfast while they rest a little bit more?”
Once again, Izumi pauses to think first. Zuko never knew who she got that from — he doesn’t remember him or Katara ever being the type to think too much before acting or speaking.
“Will you make spicy cheesy waffles?” she risks it.
Katara makes a face. She never really liked those waffles, ever the sweet-tooth.
“I will,” Zuko nods. “If you help me heat up the water for mommy’s tea.”
“Right, my tea.” Katara mutters, holding back her laugh.
Zuko sticks out his tongue at her, to which Izumi laughs. Kai twists in her sleep and they all turn to her, but the youngest thankfully does not wake up.
“Ok, you two go before you wake up the others,” Katara instructs “We’ll all be there in a minute, I promise.”
Izumi nods and gets up, running out of the room, probably to her own room. Zuko gives Katara a quick peck on the cheek before getting up himself and heading out. He washes his face in the main bathroom and then heads to the kitchen. He gets all the ingredients that he needs and waits until Izumi joins him.
He had taught her a little bit about firebending, but she mostly had classes with Azula and Aang, who loved spending their time with their niece and passing down what they knew. Iroh, however, was the one to teach her how to heat up water for tea.
She held the kettle carefully, looking down at the water patiently.
“Ok, it’s ready.” she warns.
“Are you sure?” he frowns “It’s not boiling.”
“It’s not supposed to boil.” Izumi states “The tea doesn’t taste as good when you boil it. Come on, dad.”
“Hey, I was testing you!”
“Right.”
She got that attitude from both of them, that much he knew.
He carefully takes the kettle from her hands and settles it on the stove so the tea can finish its brewing.
“Ok,” he sighs “Waffles now?”
“Yes!”
“Are you sure you don't want cereal?”
“Spicy cheesy waffles.” she insists.
“Fine.”
He starts on the waffles, and as he works, the rest of the house begins to show up.
Kya appears first, still in her Spiderman themed pajamas and with the messiest bed hair ever. She hugs him and mutters something along the lines of “good morning” before clinging to Izumi, who was patiently waiting in the kitchen counter. Then Katara shows up, hair just as messy as Kya’s, with Kai on her arms.
Kai makes grabby hands at him immediately, and Zuko stops what he’s doing to take the girl.
“Hi, sweetie,” he takes her and then gives Katara a peck on the forehead “Can you take over the waffles for me for a second, love?”
“Sure,” Katara laughs. “But don’t be mad if I mess up the fireflakes.”
Zuko rolls his eyes playfully. She always says that, and always messes up. He never gets mad.
Kai rests her head on his shoulder, still a little sleepy, and Zuko can’t help but smile. She stays still for a few minutes, and then points towards her sisters at the counter.
“Do you want to sit with them?” he asks.
She nods, and Zuko's smile grows bigger. He places her in her toddler chair, which has little bars just in case she falls, and she’s immediately integrated in the other’s conversation about sharks (Kya’s favorites) and dinosaurs (Kai’s favorites).
As he takes a full look of his kitchen, his heart does a little flip.
Katara has poured the tea for them, in their respective cups — hers is “The Little Mermaid’ themed, while his has pictures of Mushu from “Mulan” — and the waffles were already cooking. Her hair is still a complete mess, but she looks the happiest, as usual. His kids, all different, but sharing the same likes and interests, also looked nothing short of beaming with joy.
Now, that’s a legacy.
Zuko came from an important family of politicians, and there was a lot of money on his name, but it never mattered to him. He wanted his life to have a meaning outside of that family, and it was happening right in front of him.
As the waffles are ready, Katara places them in front of Izumi. Before she eats, Izumi pours cereal for Kya in her favorite bowl, and Kya is busy helping Kai with the cut up fruit Katara had given her. Katara looks at him, a warm smile on her face, and he is so thankful.
That’s the legacy he wanted. A legacy of love.