Standard disclaimers apply. I don't know anything recognizable. Seriously.
Day 2: Jubilant (Takes place post "The Search" graphic novel)
When Katara showed up asking to stay at the palace for a short time, Zuko readily agreed. He didn't question why, and she was grateful. It took her three days to tell him why she was there, by herself, and why she didn't want him telling their friends where she was at. She and Aang had had their first big fight, according to Katara. During their fight his level of maturity, or lack thereof, had been brought up. At eighteen, she considered herself considerably more mature than Aang. Heck, even at fourteen she was more mature than Aang was now. Over a cup of jasmine tea, Katara explained how she had fallen back into a pattern of mothering the air bender again and how frustrating it was becoming to be a parent when she was supposed to be a girlfriend. Being the good friend that he is, and because Zuko honestly had no clue what else to do, he listened patiently and nodded when it was appropriate. When Katara had finished venting she turned a brilliant smile his way and thanked him. The Fire Lord's heart flip-flopped in an irritating fashion that he had thought he had squashed years ago.
o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o
Somehow, unnoticed consciously by either of them, a short time had turned into a few months. In that time Zuko had found the water bender to be an invaluable asset to his sanity. He found it quite amusing when she would find him, late at night, still poring over documents that needed his attention. Sometimes she would help in making sense of tax figures or crop distribution estimates. Other times she would threaten to freeze his top knot off his he didn't get some sleep, for everyone's sake. He swore that one of his guards had out right laughed at him for that one. He tried to glare at the man, but being dead on his feet with a water bender towing him away didn't instill the fear he had hoped it would. The other guard had laughed too.
By the end of the fourth month of her stay Katara promptly announced that she would be throwing him a birthday party. The Fire Lord had opened his mouth in protest, only for Katara to cut him off. Apparently he couldn't refuse. Iroh was set to arrive in two days. Ursa, his half-sister Kiyi and his step-father Ikem would be there by the end of the week. The sneaky water bender had out maneuvered him thoroughly on the matter. He pulled his best "angry jerk" scowl to show his displeasure, only for Katara to laugh at him. She told him it didn't work as well without the pony tail. Zuko realized he was getting laughed at far too often since her arrival.
Despite the seeming displeasure about his birthday part, Zuko couldn't have been happier to have his family together. He, Katara and Iroh had met his mother as their family arrived at the palace gate. Zuko promptly picked Kiyi up and carried her around on his shoulders. Katara grinned as his top knot went askew and locks of hair went astray from Kiyi grabbing for purchase. Iroh gave a great belly laugh and Ursa politely hid her smile as they passed two noblemen with horrified expressions. Ikem shook his head as his daughter commanded her "ostrich-horse" to slow down. Zuko looked at Katara and rolled his eyes, though his smile never changed. Kiyi tugged his hair with her left hand until he moved closer to Katara, who she apparently wished to have a conversation about girly things with and ostrich-horses need to stay silent since they couldn't really talk. The fire bender endured talk of makeup, frilly clothing and hair styles until they reached the guest rooms. Zuko tossed his sister onto her bed and left his mother and step-father to retire after their long journey. The fire and water benders brainstormed over budgeting issues for an hour before she shooed him to bed for the night. His twenty-first birthday was tomorrow morning and he still hadn't been able to pry a single piece of information about his party from Katara.
They had let him sleep in, a rare occasion of the fire bender. Katara shook him gently awake. She watched, amused, as his sleepy expression changed to panic rapidly. He flailed in bed, tangled himself in his sheets and landed on the floor. The amount of light filtering through the curtains that led to his balcony alerted him to how late it was in the morning. He scrambled for his discarded robe when he heard Katara's laughter. He flushed, having forgotten she was still in the room in his panic. She made a snarky comment about rising with the sun and informed him that she had cleared his schedule for the day. How she had managed to do that, when he hadn't had a moment's rest in six months was beyond him. As she left his room, she called that she would be waiting for him at breakfast and to hurry if he didn't want Kiyi to eat all of the mango. He dressed quickly in simple clothes, disregarding putting on his "stuffy Fire Lord clothes" as Toph called them. Minutes later found him in the private family dining area, thankful that Katara had saved him some of the mango.
The entire day was spent relaxing with his family and Katara. Feeding turtle-ducks with Kiyi and getting caught up with Ursa and Ikem. He had played several games of Pai Sho with his uncle over tea before he spied Katara dozing in the shade of a tree. He excused himself before uncle could rope him into another game and joined Katara in a nap. Upon waking he wasn't sure why he ever worried about the party Katara planned. She had woken from her nap before him and was currently setting out food that she and his mother had prepared in a picnic-style setting. As they all ate, Zuko's presents were given. From Iroh he had given him a tea set intricately painted with red and blue dragons, reminding him of the dragons Ran and Shaw. Ursa, Ikem and Kiyi presented him with a set of ornate masks from the play 'Love Amongst the Dragons.' A fond smiled played on his lips as he ran his hand over the blue and white mask of the Blue Spirit. Katara's present took him back to when he was sixteen on the day Sozin's comet had arrived. Zuko stared in wonder at the blown glass sculpture before him. At the center was a crystal blue lightning bolt with red and blue flames swirled about it until they clashed at the top of the bolt. Surrounding the base were waves of water that seemed to churn up into white-capped crests. He unconsciously lifted a hand over the scar on his chest, a scar he never regretted a day in his life. Katara met his eye and mouthed a thank you, her eyes filled with tears.
That night, after his family had gone to bed, Zuko made his way to the palace training grounds. He tossed his shirt aside and began with the simplest fire bending forms, and then moved through to the more advanced ones. The fire bender felt a bit silly as he performed the Dancing Dragon on his own, and mused over teaching the steps to Katara to have someone to practice with. Blue eyes watched him complete this last form and Katara turned to leave when Zuko started a new form. She shivered when she realized where she had seen it; the smell of ozone in the air only confirmed it. Katara knew Zuko had attempted to bend lightning several times and failed, but the crack of energy forming around him was a promising sight. She sucked in a breath as he thrust his right hand into the air, lightning bursting forth and branching into the night sky with a resounding crack. The fire bender held his position, astonished, until a jubilant squeal behind him caused him to start. Turning to face the source of the squeal, Zuko was just in time to catch Katara as she flung her arms around him. Impulsively she kissed him. When she tried to pull away, her brain having finally caught up to her impulse, Zuko didn't let her get far before capturing her lips with his. Delighted kisses and laughter ensued for several minutes before Zuko laid his head atop hers.
"Never in my life have I ever been so content and happy," he whispered to her, "Thank you."