You Make Life So Hard

Music Night

AN: Momtara/Dadko kinda

written for love-n-purple on tumblr! short and sweet :)

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"No, Katara. I don't do that-"

"Did I ask, dear?" Zuko scrunched his lips together at the term of endearment being used in a way that was decidedly not endearing. Katara raised an eyebrow as she continued to rock a wailing Kya in her arms.

"I'm the Fire Lord," he whined.

"We have a child, Zuko, so I really don't need you to be acting like one. Now, pick up the tsungi horn and get to it." With a posture unbefitting a royal, Zuko slunk over to the case that held the instrument and glared at it. "I know you're powerful, love, but you won't be able to set fire to it just by staring at it. Come on now, pick it up...yes, just like that. Very good, Zuko! Now, put it to your lips-"

"Enough, waterbender! I get it!"

"Then less talking, more playing." Kya let out a piercing cry, as if to agree with her mother, and Zuko muttered something unintelligible before putting the mouthpiece to his lips.

The first note was more of a bellow; out of tune and jarring. Katara instinctively covered her daughter's tiny ears, but a second too late. Kya's cries gained strength, and so Zuko earned a glare from his wife.

"I thought you said you knew how to play."

"I do, I do! But have you considered that our daughter is a firebender?" Katara groaned.

"Not this again. I told you-"

"Look, all I'm saying is that she's very feisty. Very fiery."

"Yeah, because she's your daughter." Zuko grinned triumphantly. "But look at this. It's a full moon and she will not go to sleep. And I told you, she moved the water away from me that one time. Now, we are not discussing this anymore tonight. Play that horn. Properly." Zuko's grin dropped away as he lifted the horn again.

This time, the sequence of notes that he played was soft and melodious. Katara found herself humming as she swayed her daughter, tucked into her folded arms. The setting was the picture of serenity, until-

"Do you mind? Some of us like to sleep at this time, you know. And get that disgusting lovesick look off your face, Zuzu." Zuko scowled at the intruder, but she was no longer paying him any attention. "Oh, who's this? My favorite princess? Yes, it is! Kya can't sleep? Good, sleep is for the weak. You have to be strong, don't you, little princess?"

Katara didn't think she would ever get used to the sight of Azula cooing plans for world domination to her child. "Azula, we really do have to put her to sleep."

The general straightened. "So you got my dum-dum brother to play the tsungi horn? Well. I suppose that's not a half-bad plan. Was it working?"

"It was, before you barged in here," Zuko said, like a true scorned musician. Azula rolled her eyes.

"So dramatic. Fine, fine, I'll go. Aww, I'm so sorry, Kya. I don't want to leave you with these buffoons either, but we must all do our duty. Now be a good crown princess and go to sleep alright? We train at dawn."

"You're not doing anything with my daughter!" Zuko's exasperated shout followed a chuckling Azula out the door.

There was silence for a while, before Katara spoke up. "Play more, please?"

Zuko shot her a confused look. "Kya's nearly asleep. Why..."

Katara busied herself with fixing Kya's onesie. "Well, it's more for myself. I really like hearing you play the horn," she said, looking up at him shyly. He grinned and sat on the bed, patting the spot next to him. She practically floated over to him, tucking herself into his warm side. A feeling of peace settled in her chest as she looked down at her beautiful child and listened to the rich, soft melody of the tsungi horn.

Only when Zuko felt Katara's full weight resting on him did he stop playing, so that he could pick up his two girls and place them under the cover, climbing in afterwards and placing a protective arm over them before shutting his eyes.

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AN: if you guys want to request stories (PLEASE), you can do so at my tumblr (thebluesunflower44) or even leave them in a review.

also, I'm doing Zutara Month! not everyday, but many of them, so be on the lookout for that (they'll be on AO3/ff.net). i will also be updating You Knew It Was Me over the weeks of April, so you may want to follow so the updates don't get lost in the beautiful influx of zutara month content :)

tons of love to everyone who has read and voted!!