The Tent (Zukka)

Chapter 4: Dreamy days and Sleepless Nights (PART 1)

Aang airbent the bags off of appa as he followed sokka and zuko inside, the others were close behind.

"what happened here?" aang asked concerned as he stepped into the palor seeing a sea of half burnted family photos.

"ohh i was pretty angry last time i was here..." zuko couldn't think of a better way to explain his emotions on his last trip to the beach.

"and your not now?" toph asked.

"Umm....anyway, why don't I show you guys to your rooms" suggested zuko deflecting the question.

He brought them down a long wallway. Katara looked around observing the ornate red and gold detailings of the home and the many portrates of Oazi that lined the walls.

"Here so I'll take my parents room," began zuko jesting to large set of double door "Sokka you can have my old room that's right there, toph umm you can have azula's"

"Why do I get the crazy girls room?!" protested toph.

"Because you don't have to see it. Right is anyway, aang you can have this one, and katara-"

"Oh we can have one bedroom" said aang.

"I see how it is twinkle toes" mocked Toph.

"You know I didn't mean it like that"

"Whatever you say aang," zuko resumed, "Katara and aang your rooms are next to each over there and Suki you can have this one across the hall from sokka and I's"

I sea of sounds goods, yeps, and okays came from the group as they dispersed to find their rooms. The rest of the evening was quiet as they all unpacked their things and headed to bed.

Sokka had found it fascinating staying in zuko's old room. He had a curious collection of play posters displayed on his wall. Theatre kid huh zuko, he thought? And there was an adorable set of wooden carved turtle ducks on his dresser. He especially enjoyed the photo of zuko and his uncle playing on the beach that was rested on zuko's night stand. He had only met iroh once but he seemed like a kind soul, sokka had gathered zuko thought very highly of him.

Zuko, on the other hand, hated being back here, he thought lying in his parents bed. It must have been at least midnight by then but zuko just couldn't sleep. He was plagued by memories of his childhood. Some of better times with his mum and others that made him only more happy he'd left. But he couldn't escape. No matter where he went his farther was always there. Especially now, every time he opened his eyes he was greeted by a painting of his family on the wall...a family he'd lost. He just needed to breath sometimes. Zuko took out his wrist and began lightly burning the flesh. He did this sometimes...only when things got too hard. It had started not long after he got his scar, he needed a way to relive his angry. He had gotten better at this lately, trying to stop the habit. He knew he couldn't give his father that kind of power over him. Yet, on nights like this he did, until he thought of a certain boy...

"Sokka?" a knock on the door, "are you awake?"

The water tribe boy growned, "zuko?"

"Yeah..."

"Oh um hi" Sokka combed his hand through his hair "come in"

Now he was awake.

Zuko tiptoed into the room and sat on sokka's bed. His hand sending a spark to the candle on Sokka's night stand.

"Can't sleep huh?" Sokka prompted.

"Eh yeah. It was just that room, i had to get out of there. Too many...memories..."

Sokka's eyes widened he was listening to zuko patiently waiting for to his more.

"It's just that-" zuko's voice broke tears forming in his eyes.