Azula smillled to herself, seeing her home through the carriage's window. Zuko had the habit of forcing her to take a proper break at least twice a year, so she had gone for a vacation with her friends for a week, and while she had a lot of fun, she was dying to see her husband and child, for she wasn't used to spending more than a day away from them.

Mai and Ty Lee had already been taken to their own homes. Usually, Ty Lee would have have demanded a sleep-over, and surely would have found a way to coerce Mai into agreeing to it. But the two of them had apparently decided to drink all the wine they could buy on the last 'girls night out' of their week, and Azula decided that it was best that they weren't around a loud, super-excited Izumi when they woke up in the morning with a hangover.

The Fire Lady had stayed sober. It had been well over three years since she had any kind of hallucinations, but she preferred not to risk doing anything that could affect her treatment. Zuko would want her to keep taking care of herself while away from him, and she had to set an example for her daughter.

As soon as they spotted the carriage, Zuko and Izumi ran out of the house to greet her. They didn't have to say it for her to know that they had missed her just as much as she had missed them. She lost count of how many times they hugged her on that moment alone.

"Did you have fun, mom?" her little girl asked, looking up at her with those big, loving yes, her small hand clutching her own.

"Yes, darling. And I'm sure our little family vacation will be even more fun" Azula responded, leaning down to kiss her daughter's forehead.

The Fire Lady felt herself instantly relaxing as soon as she walked through the door. She loved her luxurious life at the palace, with people to spoil her at every second of the day, as well as the frightened gaze of the occasional guest that still feared her due to her reputation for being rather ruthelesss when displeased, but there was something almost magical about getting away from everything, including work, and just spending a few days with the two people she loved the most in the world.

The three of them would be staying at their small home for two days, before going to the Earth Kingdom. It would be one of the few times Zuko was going there for something other than a mission, and the first time Izumi would leave the Fire Nation at all. And while Azula had no interest in ever starting a war again, she knew people would be apprehensive to have her around, considering what she had been fully willing to do on the day of Sozin's comet, and it brought immense pride and joy to that small part of her that was forever unrepenting for being willing to do whatever was deemed necessary to bring glory to her family and her nation.

Still, she was willing to not bring the Dai Li along - not openly, at least. They knew the territory better than anyone, and thus having them protect her family would make it more difficult for anyone to cause any harm to them.

But it wasn't just to avoid a scandal with the Earth Kingdom that she would keep that a secret. Unlike the elite Fire Nation warriors that were always openly following them around to assure their safety, Azul had the Dai Li investigating people from the shadows, crushing any traitor before they could become an actual threat. The secrecy was important because she wanted her husband's power to look as absolute and unquestionable as possible, like no form of opposition against him could ever even exist.

Zuko didn't like lying to his people or to his foreign allies, but they had reached a compromise: Azula would never go anywhere a battle or even mild conflict if it could be helped, and he would pretend that they no longer had any ties to the Dai Li.

"I wonder if they miss their home" Zuko asked once they were discussing the matter in their bedroom, but looking more like he was just thinking out loud and not expecting her to give him an answer. She did it anyway.

"They're seen as traitors for helping us take over Ba Sing Se, had little to no money, and would have been living on the streets very soon if we had not brought them here. I'm sure they like the Fire Nation just fine, dum-dum" she sat next to him on the bed "And you, do you miss all the lovely cities where the 'mysterious' Blue Spirit is still a wanted criminal, or the pathetic tea-shop I rescued you from?"

"Not exactly, but if I had to choose either of them, I'd gladly be wasting away in a cell before having to wait tables again" he responded, making her chuckle "And let me guess, you miss the throne that was once yours"

"It is still mine, and yours as well Zuzu. We conquered it once, and could easily do it again if we wanted to"

"Good thing we don't want to do that" he said, ending the subject in a rather bossy, infuriating, yet somehow still endearing way "And you better be on your best behavior when we're in Ba Sing Se"

And if I'm not?

She didn't say it out loud. She loved teasing her brother, but if she got him all worked up even though they wouldn't be able to make love to each other that night, it would only make sure he would be in a terrible mood for a few days.

"I'll try my best" she promised, earning herself a kiss on the cheek.

As they both had been expecting, Izumi opened the door to their room, offering them her sweetest look, silently pleading to be allowed to spend the night in their room.

Obviously they let her, and Azula took the chance to catch up with her baby a bit, hearing about how she spent those few days just with her dad, how they had fun, how they missed her, how excited she was to travel with them. She asked them a million questions about the Earth Kingdom, Ba Sing Se, king Kuei, Omashu, king Bumi, the White Lotus, Kyoshi Island, all the places they had and had not been to, always looking more and more excited no matter the answer.

As the hour passed, Izumi started to drift off, and the young couple smiled to themselves as their little girl slept, safe in the arms of her parents, still clinging to her mom like she was the most precious thing in the world.

"She likes me more" Azula teased, being careful to keep her voice down.

"Can't blame her" he answered, inching just a little bit closer so he could kiss her forehead, already gently holding her hand, their fingers entwined "I missed you"

"I missed you too, Zuzu"

After that, no other word was said. There was no need for it. All they wanted was to enjoy being next to each other again, knowing the first things they'd both see in the morning were the two people they loved the most in the world.

After breakfast, Zuko had allowed Azula one hour to look at the few documents he had brought along with himself from the palace, the few bits of work she was allowed to think about during her days off. He wanted her to relax, but by that point her brother had learned that trying to force her not keep herself busy at all, even if just for a day, was pointless, counterproductive, and would inevitably make her anxious and angry. It was best then to make sure that she had something to work on, check, or plan every day, but without letting it consume her.

She went over the official reports, taking her time to read them carefully, checking everything from taxes, to the food production, to the resources of their army, to the royal expenses, and, most importantly how much money they were sending to the other nations to help fix all the damage they had caused. She understood, and on some level even respected, Zuko's commitment to help as many people as possible, but she always made sure to not let him spend too money much at once. They had to make sure not to neglect their own citizens, and especially to not give the other nations the impression that they could ever over-step any boundaries and just take whatever they wanted from them.

Finally, she picked up the letter she had been trying to decide if she should read at all. She had recognized the handwriting immediately. It was from the warden of the prison where her father was being kept since the Avatar defeated him, likely with some news about him. Ozai had been a bit sick recently.

She read it, but once she found out he had recovered, she felt neither the joy and relief that would have filled the heart of a loving daughter, nor the disappointment of an enemy that discovered someone they hated wasn't dead just yet.

Ozai was a terrible person and awful parent. Yet even after everything he had done, and with all the anger and resentment she still felt towards him, she struggled to fully turn her back on him. But those negative emotions, and her current understanding of just how badly he had mistreated and hurt her all those years, she could no longer want him in her life, not when he was insisting on never changing, not even a little. Not when he'd just make her regret giving him a chance.

So she didn't. But neither did she let him know her wrath, nor did Ozai seemed eager to be on the receiving end of it after Zuko finally taught him a lesson. He stopped acting out, and they gave him more than enough to survive and enjoy the rest of his miserable, lonely life, all without ever visiting him unless he called for them - which he never did. No Ozai insulting them and their family, and thus no Zuko breaking his bones for it. No direct contact, ever. That was the closest they could get to love.

It was better this way.

She forced herself to focus on the other documents, reading them again, making sure there truly was nothing important to be delt with, at least not immediately, and then went to the roof, where Zuko and Izumi were already waiting for her so they could practice their firebending together. Their little girl liked to copy them, so they made sure not to do anything too risky. She wasn't a prodigy, but she was precocius, smart, and as stubborn and proud as both of her parents, so they only practiced the basic, safest forms and moves, so there was little to no chance of Izumi hurting herself.

After it, Zuko and Azula started getting lunch ready, but first they put a big rug on the ground, next to stairs, where their daughter often chose to play, and gave her some paper and ink to paint her little castles, kings, queens, warriors, dragons, spirits, monsters, and anything else she wished to represent in her little 'masterpieces.' Most of the messes she had made before had been already perfectly cleaned up, but there were still some faded, yet persistent blue marks of her tiny hands on the stone of the walls. Azula freaked out when she saw them for the first time, and couldn't recall how many hours she spent trying to fully remove them, to no success. Now, she had grown to like them, even though her eyes seemed to get fixated on it every now and again, as if willing them to either fade completely or at least not stand out as much anymore.

Once their meal was almost ready, Zuko gave Izumi a quick bath, cleaning all the paint from her hands and face, while Azula set the table for the three of them. She smiled when she saw her daughter's face light up, ready to pounce on her favorite foods.

Getting her to take a nap after lunch was way harder than getting her to eat.

"Firebenders rise with the sun!" she'd say as an excuse, as she always did "I don't need to sleep!"

"It's just for a little while, honey. You need to rest" Zuko pleaded, even though this was more for them than for her.

"No! I want to keep playing!"

"You can play later" Azula took her little hand and led her child to her bedroom, tucking her in bed, gently running her fingers through her hair while she sang a song, waiting for her daughter to fall asleep.

With some time for themselves, Azula sat next to her husband on the couch, the two of them cuddling as she told him, in great detail, about her vacation with her friends. Zuko seemed very pleased to see her eager to talk about something other than their responsibilities for once. He also kept teasing her about how obviously happy she was that Mai had decided to fully accept her back into her life at long last, not a hint of resentment in her detached, yet somehow loving atitute towards the Fire Lady.

"I told you Mai would come around eventually"

"Well, I would never forgive any woman who dared to steal you from me"

"Of course you wouldn't, because that wouldn't happen anyway" he gave her a little kiss on the cheek "Now, come on. Say it" she pretended not to hear him "Say I was right"

"You're so childish, Zuzu. A Fire Lord shouldn't be so immature"

"Neither should his wife"

She pouted and turned away from him, but chuckled when he pulled her closer to himself again, his strong arms wrapped around her as he kissed her hair and temples, forcing her to lay down with him. They shifted around to get in a more comfortable position, and as soon as she stopped moving, laying on her side, with one of her legs over him, Zuko wasted no time placing one of his hands on her lower back, slowly moving to her hip, and then quickly to her ass, grabbing it, before moving to her thigh, then back to her waist.

"You know what we really need?" he kissed the tip of her nose "Some time just for the two of us, away from everyone"

"It's been so long..." she sighed in delight, both at the memories of all their romantic little escapades and at the feeling of his hand slowly moving from her waist to one of her breasts, gently cupping it "Maybe we could go to some of the more secluded beaches. At night, to make sure no one interrupts us"

"No responsibilities, no one around, but still a little risk of getting caught" he said as if to himself, nipping at her lower lip "I like that idea"

"Of course you do, you pervert" with that, she gave him a proper kiss, the two of them lazily making out for a little while. Zuko then pulled away and stood up, picking her up. Azula found herself smiling like a foolish young girl being given affection by her lover for the very first time as he brother carried her to their chambers so he could make love to her like he desperately wanted.

...Or at least tried to. They hadn't even closed the door to their bedroom when they heard Izumi's voice.

"I already took a nap, mom, can we go play in the garden now?"

The couple swallowed their frustration and prepared to spend some more quality time with their daughter.

"Daddy, tell me a story!" Izumi demanded when it was time for her to go to bed. She was already visibly tired, after having made them play with her all day, seeming to get more hyperactive as the hours passed, before finally seeming to give into exhaustion.

But, as she often did, she could only truly let herself sleep after getting a bit more of their attention, and she was already holding Zuko's hand, making sure he'd stay sat by her side on the bed.

Instead of reading a story from a book, or telling her some of the old Fire Nation tales they had known since they were children, or just making something up, Zuko decided to tell Izumi about some of his adventures with his friends. Azula was pretty sure their daughter had already heard all of them at least four times, but she never seemed to get tired of them.

"The moment my flame went out, and I saw those two beasts flying all around us, I didn't know what to do. I would have probably just stood there like an idiot until they devoured me if Aang had not been there" he looked as mesmerized by the story he was telling as would have if it had happened mere hours before, instead of being a nearly decade-old memory "When he told me to dance with him, I felt ridiculous, but it at least helped me focus on anything other than the dragons. And once they landed right in front of us, and all I could see was that dragon staring at me, letting me see its teeth and the smoke that was coming out of his mouth, I thought I was about to die"

Even though her father was standing right in front of her at that very second, and even though this wasn't the first time she had heard that story, Izumi looked scared, as if the threat to Zuko was still real and immediate, the traces of her sleepiness suddenly gone.

"I could feel the heat of the fire and their power all around me, even though the flames weren't close enough to us to do any damage. As soon as I opened my eyes, all I could see were these beautiful colors swirling around. It was all so quick, and almost otherworldly, but it was still clear as day. I could see the first ray of sunlight, the first time a dragon breath fire, the first time a sun warrior created a flame, the first time Iever created a flame... it was incredible. I had never felt more powerful and more sure of my purpose than I had on that moment. I knew I was finally doing things right. I knew we would make it. I knew I could defeat our enemies and even become Fire Lord if I still wanted to"

"Still took you two years to realize you were meant to marry me" Azula teased, making Izumi laugh, slowly relaxing again.

"They couldn't give me all the answers at once, could they?" he said, trying to sound playful, but the annoyance was evident in his voice.

"Either that, or they knew you were too dense to understand everything at once" she kissed his forehead, as if to make up for being mean.

"Will you ever take me to see the dragons, dad?"

"One day, when you're older. I have no doubt that you'll be the worthiest firebender they'll ever meet, but you still need to grow and practice more"

"I'd be ready to do it now if you and mom taught me the advanced set..." she said, in a slightly angry tone that made Azula chuckle as Zuko sighed, no doubt seeing himself in their child.

"One day" he assured her again "And your mom will be with you when you're ready to meet the dragons, giving you support and making quite an impression herself"

Azula had to smile at that thought.

As soon as Izumi slept, they left for their own room, hand in hand.

"Did you mean it? Will you take me to see the dragons?" she asked, feeling a little foolish for being as excited at that thought as her daughter. The Sun Warriors still being around was no longer a secret now that they had the Fire Lord's protection, and plenty of dragons to defend themselves, after Ran and Shaw had finally had some cubs - that were quickly showing they'd grow to be just as threatening as their parents.

But Azula had not met them yet, even though she had wanted to since the first time Zuko told her they were still around.

"Of course I meant it" he wrapped one arm around her and kissed her cheek "I only haven't done so already because I knew Izumi wouldn't forgive me if I took you without bringing her along as well" he said, making her chuckle.

After that, the Fire Lady spent quite a lot of time making sure they had already packed everything the three of them would need once they left.

"Never thought I'd see you so concerned about children's toys"

"You know Izumi always gets cranky in long travels. I want to make sure there'll be plenty of things to distract her"

"Already took care of it, and even asked our mom and some of the servants to double check"

She huffed "And what do they know? And what's this? Only summer clothes?"

"It is summer"

"But the Earth Kingdom's climate isn't as warm, and the weather is much more inconsistent"

"Then we'll buy her warmer clothes when we're there, you have nothing to worry about"

She pouted and narrowed her eyes, going over the list in her mind again, sure that she would remember something very important that had been completely neglected until that moment. One could never be truly prepared.

She let out a surprised gasp as Zuko suddenly grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around to face him, holding her against himself. Azula felt weak on her knees when she saw his malicious smirk.

"Stop worrying so much and let me welcome you home properly"

She chuckled and pressed her forehead against his "Needy, are we?"

He responded with a passionate kiss that had none of the tenderness he had shown her the previous night, one hand firmly around her waist, and the other with a tight, nearly painful grip on her hair. She had to repeatedly hit him on the chest to be allowed to pull away and desperately gasp for air. Still, he brother didn't fully let go of her, forcing her to take a few steps back, her back against the wall, his hands touching everything they could reach, his hot lips on the delicate skin of her neck, both of their hearts beating faster and faster.

Eventually, as they continued to make out, Zuko undid the knot that tied her robe and pulled it off of her, letting it fall to the ground, exposing the sight of her naked body to his hungry eyes.

With her mind just as clouded by desire as his was, she tore his shirt off, hands feeling him up for as long as he allowed her to. Zuko gave her a hard slap on the ass before kissing her again, his body pressed against hers, hot skin on hot skin.

"I love it when you get wild like that" she said, almost out of breath.

"I love you" he murmured as he pressed a dozen fiery kisses up and down her neck, making her smile.

"I know" she brought a hand over his crotch, rubbing his cock over the fabric of his pants "I can feel it"

Zuko then picked her up, and lay her down on the bed, before taking off his pants and getting on top of her, holding her wrists against the pillows. Azula noticed as he let his eyes shamelessly roam her body, then settling on the scar he had left on her chest, right above her heart, to match the one she had given him what felt like a lifetime ago.

"All mine"

"Yours and nobody else's, Zuzu"

She slowly spread her legs, eyes shutting in delight as her brother's hand caressed her thigh before reaching her sex, rubbing her clit in quick, small circles, then pushing two of his fingers inside her, getting her ready for him. The Fire Lady didn't need to look at her husband to know that he was smilling at the sight of her whimpering, moaning and trembling underneath him.

"Please, my Lord, give me more. I need more..."

As usual, her pleading only made him go on teasing her, walking that thin line between pleasure and frustration. She felt pathetic trying to pull him closer and frantically moving her hips trying to get the release she wanted, but couldn't help but enjoy even that small humiliation, since Zuko had never hid how much he liked being in charge and doing as he pleased with her.

When he finally pressed his cock against her entrance, she held onto the sheets in anticipation. Once he pushed it inside her, he wasted no time giving it to her as rough as possible, and they both had to fight the urge to moan, scream, and cry out, not wanting to wake up their daughter.

Despite that, the night was as perfect as any of the others Azula had spent with her brother. Zuko knew every inch of her body, how to touch her, how to read her every reaction, how to please and overwhelm her. And by the way he reacted to everything she did to him and always kept begging, and demanding, more and more, she was sure had become the perfect lover as well, the only woman he'd ever want in his bed.

After a particularly hard thrust, Azula wasn't able to fully hold back her moan, and punished her brother for causing it with a violent tug at his hair and a gentle bite on his shoulder.

"Slow down, idiot" she practically hissed, yet kept moving against him, holding him even tighter, making sure he wouldn't even dare to think about pulling away from her or changing his pace.

He slapped her face, making her gasp, and she had to use all of her self-control not to push him even more, since there was no way they could keep quiet if she did that.

"I'll do whatever I want to you, and you'll love all of it"

She grabbed him by the hair again, forcing to kiss her as he sped up a bit, both of them struggling to keep quiet.

"Just like that! Oh, Zuko..." she whispered to him in between passionate kisses, loving his harsh, fast, deep strokes, the way he was holding her down and manhandling, and the occasional gentle touch that acted as a sweet reminder that, no matter how rough he was with her, he just wanted her to enjoy herself.

The Fire Lady held onto her husband as he used her, smiling to herself when he climaxed, crying out her name as he buried his face in her curve of her neck, panting above her for a moment. While trying to catch his breath, Zuko brought a hand to her pussy, rubbing her clit, and it didn't take long for him to finish her off.

He rolled off from on top of her, and she cuddled up next to him, enjoying it as he wrapped one arm around her, the two of them giving themselves time to come down from their high before, inevitably, making love again until they just had to rest.

And wake up to see their daughter, their friends, their subjects. To go back to enjoying the amazing life they had built for themselves after so much suffering.

Not so long ago, she would have found it impossible to believe that this could be her life - knowing, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was loved, in a way that she had always thought she didn't deserve. And now, here she was. She had everything she could have ever wanted, and much, much more. The memories of the past still hurt, but they were just that, memories. Not ghosts that haunted her or delusions that made her doubt the very world around her.

This dream of a life was her reality now, and every night she'd rest assured that she would never wake up to a living nightmare again.