This is for Maiko100's prompt #94: Lost. It's the first part of a two-part piece I'm doing. The second part is #95: Found.
Making Time
"It's been a long time since you've played with Suzume."
"I know."
"She misses spending time with you."
Zuko's heart constricted with guilt. He rolled over to face Mai in the dark of their room. "I've been so busy lately," he said. He felt around under the covers until he found her hand, then held it tight as if he could relieve some of his guilt through physical contact. Then he laughed, though there was only sarcasm in the noise. "I'm the Fire Lord and I can't even make time to spend with my own daughter."
"Zuko." Mai moved closer to him, her face now so close that their foreheads touched. He could make out the sympathetic glint in her beautiful eyes. "You're allowed to be you every once in a while. Fire Lord isn't your only title. You're also a father."
He sighed and closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her warm breath on his face. In the darkness, alone with Mai, he felt that anything was possible. Her words cleared the clouds in his mind. "A father," he repeated, always liking the feel of the word on his tongue. It no longer brought horrible memories of the past. Now there were images of tiny hands enclosed in his, of golden sparkling eyes, of laughter so pure he felt the sun's warmth in it. "I prefer that title."
Mai laughed softly, her lips brushing across his. "Take the day off tomorrow," she said. "Forget about the world for one day. Spend time with Suzume and I."
He opened his eyes. "But Mai," he said, smiling. "You two are my world."
