Zuko is not going to wear that hideous costume, and there's nothing Katara can do to make him.

Content Warning: Mildly suggestive themes as Katara and Zuko remind us that their children weren't brought by stork, Zuko thinking he can win. A standalone story.

December 21st – Costume Party

HIS MOST ROYAL AND AUGUST MAJESTY, THE FIRE LORD ZUKO, LOOKED AT THE THING DRAPED ACROSS HIS BED AND STRUGGLED FOR WORDS. No, more than that, he was genuinely afraid to speak, a part of him sure that if he made the smallest sound, the thing would spring to life and bite him. He would flee, of course, he was no coward, but no reasonable, sane human being could be expected to stand their ground before that. So, he would speak, it would awaken, and all of his wife's tribe would stand and gawk, stunned into dumbfounded silence as the Fire Lord ran screaming like a child from the horror that lay before him.

"Did you find the costume?" Katara called from her dressing room, where her lady's maid was brushing her hair.

Zuko flinched, and felt no shame. Slowly, carefully, he stepped back from their bed and the thing that lay upon it, arms up, taking care to keep his eyes on it, lest it make its move. "I found a crime against humanity and good taste," he admitted, his voice even, guarded, "but I don't know about a costume."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic. It's not that bad."

Ice cold panic clutched Zuko's heart as he began to fear that his wife had gone mad. "Have you seen it?"

"Of course, I've seen it; I was here when Sokka delivered it."

"And you didn't immediately throw it in a fire?"

"Zuko."

"I'm being very serious, Katara."

He felt the eye roll as if it was his own. "I know you're being serious, husband, but you're also being silly."

"I'm being the exact opposite of silly, wife."

As he said this, he finally backed his way into his wife's dressing room. Slowly, carefully, he closed the door into their bedroom, taking a few extra moments to make sure the thing on their bed wasn't going to come bursting through to take its revenge.

In the meantime, Katara said, "You're being the very definition of silly. This is ridiculous."

"I beg to differ," Zuko replied, turning to face his wife. "That thing looks like it was made by Koh the Face Stealer's evil twin."

Katara gave her maid a look through the mirror that had the maid smirking and visibly biting down on a laugh. "Oh, calm down, you goof, it's just a costume."

"Well," Zuko said, crossing his arms, well aware that he looked like a petulant child, "I'm not wearing it."

"You have to, it's a costume party."

"I'm the Fire Lord, I don't have to do anything."

"Well, I'm the Fire Lady, and I say that you have to wear the costume."

"Why can't I pick out my own costume?"

"Because, if we'd let you do that, you'd drag your feet until the party, go in a uniform, and say that your costume was that of yourself if you'd been a simple soldier instead of the Fire Lord."

Zuko didn't dispute that. After all, that had, indeed, been his plan. "Well," he said instead, "be that as it may, I'm still not wearing it."

"Yes, you are."

"I'd rather go naked."

His wife turned to him, her eyes gleaming as she looked him up and down. "Is that a promise?"

His face flushed and his skin suddenly felt very hot. He loved it when she looked at him like that, even when he knew she was using his own weak flesh against him, which was only fair, he'd used her weak flesh against her more than once. "I thought you said five children were enough?"

She threw him a wink and turned back to the mirror. "I've always said that I reserve the right to change my mind, and besides, I never go anywhere with you without plenty of moon tea. Nice try, by the way."

Zuko flashed his most innocent smile. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Uh huh. Look, my brother has been planning this party all year, he's picked out costumes for everybody, and you're just going to have to grow up and wear it."

Zuko shook his head. "I won't."

"You will."

"You can't make me."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew they were a mistake. Without a word, Katara turned around to exchange a look with her maid, at which point the young woman giggled, bowed, and left the room, leaving the Fire Lady to round on the Fire Lord, fire smoldering in the depths of her deep blue eyes.

"You want to bet on that, Your Majesty?"

-0-

The worst part wasn't the costume, Zuko decided as he and Katara arrived at Sokka's for the party. The worst part was that, in the end, Katara was right. It wasn't that bad.

If anything, it looked good on him.

So, having looked at the response to yesterday's post, I have decided to make it official: I will no longer have opinions about the quality of my work, especially negative ones, because obviously I'm a terrible judge of what I create. I mean, I've known this for a while, and my wife has told me many, many times that I worry too much, but I figure it's time to make it official.

So, to my wife: Yes, babe, you were right. Again.

Nothing really to add to this story; it's just some good ole' fluff. It's standalone, but I guess you could read it as taking place in my own little personal canon-adjacent timeline, if you've kept an eye on that over the years.

Moving on! In tomorrow's episode, Zuko tries to explain that someone trying to kill him isn't that big of a deal, but Katara ain't having it. Stay tuned!