I love writing Gen!Zuko.
He watched the rain fall from the window of his room. The rich colors surrounding him that represented his nation were both ominous and comforting for the young prince. There was something about the palace that made him feel like a stranger to this place and he didn't know why. He remembered every door, every painting, and even the hidden passageways that were located near the palace gardens but even with this knowledge he still felt like a stranger. The longer he spent in the Fire Nation, the more he realized why.
When he was younger, the memories of his mother flooded the palace. It's been years ever since she disappeared and to Zuko, the mystery surrounding her leave was still something he couldn't quite understand. Retracing into his memories, he swore he could feel her holding on to his hand whenever he was alone. During the Agni Kai with his father, moments before he was branded with the scar he bears now, he could somehow feel his mother wrapping her arms around him in an embrace.
Was his mother disappointed in him? Is that why he feels like such a stranger in his own home? His mother's presence feels dimmer and dimmer by the moment, as Zuko tried to grasp on to what humanity he had left. He looks at his father, and all Ozai does is turn his head and walk away. He looks at his sister, and all Azula does is smirk, say a few remarks, and then walk away.
He visits his uncle Iroh in the prison hold, and all Iroh could do was look into his eyes, looking for some sort of answer from his nephew. Zuko wonders what his mother would've thought of him now, and hopes that in some way he could make her presence happy again.