An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 7: The Friend Who Cared

Zuko bolted upright in his bed, frantically looking around his room for a sign of his mother or Azula. All he saw were the shadows cast by the curtains blocking the moonlight. He was breathing heavily and was covered in sweat but at the very least he knew none of what he saw was real. His nightmares were getting more realistic and it terrified him.

As he sat there trying to catch his breath, he heard a faint knock at the door. He sighed and wiped off his forehead with the small hand towel he kept by his bed for nights like this one.

Zuko gently cracked the door open just enough to see who it was. To his utter disbelief he was met by Sokka's piercing blue eyes and a look of fear.

"Are you alright? I heard you shouting and I was afraid something had happened," Sokka asked with a look of genuine concern for Zuko.

"I'm fine," Zuko nodded and started to close the door but Sokka placed his hand on it and stopped it from closing.

"I know it's not my place," Sokka started to say, "but I'm worried about you. I've never seen you like this before, and I don't want you to go through whatever you're dealing with alone."

Zuko could not meet Sokka's gaze and instead focused on the floor. "Like I said, I am fine it was just a bad dream and I would like to go back to sleep now."

Zuko could tell he had been a bit blunt because he saw Sokka's face sink and his gaze fall to the floor. Hurting his friend hurt him just as much. He hated hurting the people he cared about and he hated it more because Sokka was just trying to be nice.

"Sokka," Zuko tried to find the right words but settled on, "I'm sorry." He could be so stupid sometimes and he wished he didn't mess things up so much.

"It's alright," Sokka said, his voice steeped in defeat, "I'll leave you alone, but if you need anything or want to talk, I'm just the next room over."

Zuko couldn't find the right words to say, so instead he just gave a small nod and watched as his friend returned to his room. Sokka briefly glanced over at him as he opened his door before walking inside.

He went back to his bed. The images of the palace walls burning and the sounds of his friends screaming sent chills down his spine. He would check with the prison in the morning to ensure his sister was still in custody, and he planned on having extra guards stationed around her room just in case his dream was trying to tell him something.

He laid back down, trying to get the images and sounds out of his head but they played on a loop over and over again. After an hour of tossing and turning he threw the covers off and marched out of his room. He was about to pound on Sokka's door until he stopped himself and all the confidence he had vanished into thin air. He held his fist inches from the door, but he couldn't close the distance.

Zuko turned away from the door and back to his room. He did not know what he was even planning on saying or what good it would do talking to Sokka. His tired feet carried him away from his friend's door and towards his own. The endless restless nights were taking a toll on him whether he wanted to admit it or not.

As he was about to twist the doorknob he quickly turned around and walked back up to Sokka's door, only this time he did not hesitate to knock when he got there.

A few seconds went by and Zuko's heart began to race. What if Sokka had changed his mind, what if he was mad at him for how cold he had been? His mind started racing and he wanted to run. Before he could the door opened and a groggy Sokka greeted him.

"Come on in," Sokka said forming a small, tired smile as he opened the door the rest of the way. Zuko walked in hesitantly and Sokka closed the door behind him. He motioned for Zuko to sit down on the edge of his bed and he pulled up a chair.

"What's on your mind?" Sokka asked in a casual manner that Zuko did not expect for some reason.

"It's nothing really," Zuko mumbled. He was starting to think he had made a mistake coming to Sokka to talk.

"If you're in my room in the middle of the night it's obviously something," Sokka said, "I'll wait as long as you need to feel comfortable talking about it, but don't get mad if I fall asleep while I wait."

Sokka laughed some which made Zuko feel more at ease. His friend had something about him that helped ease the tension when too much built up. He sat there for a few moments trying to come up with a way to explain everything without himself seeming crazy.

Lucky for him Sokka noticed and said, "You said you had a bad dream, want to tell me about it?" There was something in Sokka's voice that he hadn't heard before. A tenderness he never knew existed in him, and it was just what he needed in that moment.

"I dreamed that Azula escaped and somehow had found my mom and brought her back to the palace. I tried to chase after her but I couldn't save her in time. I watched my mom die in front of me and I sat and listened as I heard all of you..." Zuko felt a few tears fall down his face and his throat locked up.

He instinctively stood up and tried to get to the door but Sokka grabbed his wrist. He looked back at the non-bender through his tear-soaked vision and saw how concerned he was.

"I'm so sorry you had to witness that," Sokka said letting go of Zuko's hand. "I can promise you Azula did not break into the palace and Katara and I are perfectly safe. How long has this been going on?"

Zuko sat back down on the bed and took a deep breath. "Since the day of my coronation."

Silence hung in the air as neither one of them knew what to say. Zuko wiped his tears on his sleeve and as he moved his arm away from his face, he felt Sokka's arms wrap around him in the most comforting hug he had felt since his uncle and him had reunited before Sozin's comet.

They stayed like that for what felt like forever. The fear, anger and sadness faded as they continued to hug one another. Sokka gently pulled away and looked into Zuko's eyes, searching for a sign that he had helped his friend somehow. Zuko wiped one last tear away and the smallest of smiles crept onto his face.

"Thank you Sokka," was all Zuko could manage to say. He was never very good with words, but he knew Sokka understood him. In that moment, no words were needed.

"You need some rest," Sokka said putting the chair back where it came from. Zuko nodded in agreement and stood up. He did not realize how tired he was until he felt his feet give out on him slightly. Sokka held out his arms, prepared to catch him if he fell but he caught himself on the bed frame.

"How about you just stay here for tonight?" Sokka said guiding Zuko back to the bed, "I can tell you haven't been getting much sleep recently and there's plenty of room for the two of us."

Zuko was about to protest but Sokka had already cleared a space for him and laid out an extra pillow on the left side of the bed. He laid down and closed his eyes. This time there were no images of his sister with fire crackling from her hands, there was nothing at all. He felt the bed sink slightly as Sokka climbed in and covered himself with the sheets.

While it felt strange to have another person sleeping next to him, it also made him feel safe for the first time in a long time. Within minutes Zuko's eyes had shut and he drifted off into a deep and restful sleep.

WRITERS NOTE:

I hope you guys liked this chapter since we're finally starting to see some more Zukka interactions! I wanted this story to feel more natural, so the relationship develops slowly but I feel like it's more meaningful that way. As always if you have any feedback or advice feel free to leave a comment.