So, I literally only made this blog just so I could post this idea I had the other day. Maybe other things will end up here, but I just need to share this. enjoy? maybe? oh and I didn't proofread this, kinda just word vomit.
WC-420 (only acknowledging that cause !hahafunnynumber!)
I know we don't officially know who Izumi's mother is. Personally, I think Mai is her mom. But the idea of Mai and Zuko ending up together in their late teens/early 20's and STAYING together doesn't make much sense to me. They could have been on and off and then maybe Izumi was sort of a happy accident? Then they never really ended up together together, but they made a hell of a team coparenting Izumi. Never exactly romantic, but comfortable, civil with each other.
Then she grows up, Mai and Zuko have less reasons to see each other since Izumi can take care of herself more. Then Zuko retires to Ember Island, I imagine Mai would want to stay close to her daughter so maybe she lives in the capital city. Zuko communicates with his daughter over letter mostly, visiting every so often.
It's over one of these visits to the palace Mai and Zuko run into each other, Izumi is excited, it's been years since her parents have been together with her. But today her parents weren't their normal, calm, amicable selves. They were giggling with each other and playing footsie under the table during dinner. They were acting like teenagers, normal teenagers, not the moody edgy teenagers they both were.
Life had become so much lighter for the 2 of them, but it was so much more obvious in Zuko. The weight of being fire lord lifted from his shoulders brought back some of the boy Mai had fallen in love with when he tackled her into that fountain all those years ago. Something in Mai had calmed as well, she was more in tune with herself, she let herself feel things more deeply.
Zuko would offer to show her around Ember Island, and she wouldn't hesitate much before she'd shrug and say something like "Yeah, let's see how the old place changed" and they'd start making plans for her visit. Izumi sat there wondering who these people are and what they did with her parents.
On Ember Island I can only imagine how quickly things would evolve between them. They would turn into kids again. All the pressure that surrounded them in their youth had washed away. They were both truly 100% at peace for the first time since they were children. Dry, witty jokes would flow between them with such ease you'd think they'd spent every hour of the last 60? some years together, but no. They had only just found each other again.
