Zuko sat cross-legged on the living room floor, a half-empty bag of marshmallows abandoned beside him. His four-year-old son crouched opposite, a tiny flame still flickering in his palm.

Across the room, three-year-old Aurora was curled against Y/N’s side, happily munching on a piece of fruit while occasionally patting Y/N’s stomach with sticky fingers.

He straightened his shirt, crossed the room, and opened the door.

Sokka’s voice died halfway through the word. Behind him stood Aang, Katara, Toph, and Suki, all wearing the delighted expressions of people who had successfully organized a surprise visit.

Then Aurora lifted her little head from Y/N’s side and cheerfully announced—

Silence. Aang’s mouth fell open. Katara stared. Suki slowly covered her face. And Sokka turned toward Zuko with the expression of a man who had just witnessed the collapse of everything he thought he knew about the universe.