Day 4: Nightmares

Genres: Humor/Romance

Rating: T

Setting: Fire Nation Royal Palace (after North and South)

Nightmares

Zuko awoke in sheer panic, jolting up in bed and clutching his chest, sweat matting his black hair and beading on his forehead. His eyes darted around the bedroom as he tried to piece together what had just happened.

Mai didn't say anything. She just crossed her arms and scowled at him.

"Sorry…" he panted. "Didn't mean to wake you."

"That must have been some hell of a dream…"

"Yeah… I mean, no! It was a nightmare!"

"Sure didn't sound like it," she muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." She sighed. "You look terrible. Go clean yourself up and meet me in the dining room for breakfast?"

"Sure." He leaned over to give her a kiss on the cheek, but she got up from the mattress before he could reach her.

"So, how'd he take it?" Ty Lee asked, sympathetically.

"Surprisingly well. Almost too well…"

"Well that's good! See? I knew it wouldn't be so bad." The chipper acrobat gave Suki a big hug before turning to the pale-skinned girl sitting across from her. "Mai? Don't you have anything to say to Suki? She just broke up with Sokka last night!"

"Huh?" Mai blinked. "What?"

"Is everything okay?" Suki asked. "You seem… distracted."

She stole a stealthy look around the dining room. "This stays between us." She lowered her voice. "Last night… Zuko had an erotic dream."

The two bodyguards glanced at each other and back at Mai, perplexed.

"About someone who's not me. Someone we know."

Ty Lee gasped.

"Are you sure?" Suki whispered, intrigued.

"Positive. He was moaning all night."

"How do you know the dream wasn't about you?" the bubbly brunette inquired.

"If that were the case, Zuko would have just admitted it and told me what it was about." Mai paused. "But instead, he lied and said he had a nightmare. That's what makes me think it's about someone we know."

"Hm, that is suspicious." Suki squinted her eyes as she thought. "Who do you think it was about?"

"No idea!"

"Well, let's try to narrow down the suspects. Could it have been Toph? Katara?"

Mai shook her head. "Too short, too annoying. Next?"

"Maybe it was Azula!" Ty Lee blurted.

Suki's mouth fell open.

Mai's face coiled in disgust.

"What? That would explain why he'd be so ashamed!"

"This was Zuko's dream, not yours," the black-haired girl taunted.

"Very funny." The acrobat tried and failed to hide a smirk. "Do you think it could have been one of us?"

"Possibly… but I'd say between the two of you, it'd probably be Suki."

"Aw, I'm flattered," the Kyoshi warrior smiled.

"Why?!" Ty Lee questioned. "Why not – "

"Good morning." Zuko greeted the girls sluggishly as he made his way into the dining room, taking a seat next to his girlfriend.

"Good morning, Fire Lord Zuko," Ty Lee purred, not-so-accidentally letting her robe slip off her shoulder. "Oops! Clumsy me." She straightened her robe.

The firebender paid her no mind.

"I heard you had a rough night's sleep. Are you feeling okay?" Suki smiled flirtatiously. "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"No. I'm fine."

The bodyguards looked at each other and shrugged.

"Good morning, friends!" Sokka sang as he entered the dining room. "What's for breakfast?"

The firebender refused to make eye contact with him.

"Spirits, Zuko!" Ty Lee shouted with concern. "You're turning red!"

Suki gasped. "It was Sokka!"

Mai snapped her head toward her soon-to-be-ex-boyfriend. "You had a sex dream about Sokka?!"

"WHAT?! N-No, that's – "

"You did! You absolutely did! You're unbelievable." She stood from the table. "It's over. For real this time." She stormed out of the room.

The bodyguards followed after her.

"Whoa, what did I miss?" Sokka sat down next to his mortified friend. "Is it true?"

"No."

"Come on, you can tell me…"

"Why do you care?"

"I'm curious!" The warrior grinned. "Can you blame me?"

Zuko huffed. "Fine. It's true. Happy?"

"No. But I will be if you tell me what we did…"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Come on! I won't tell anyone. Please? For me?" He batted his long lashes over his blue eyes.

"If it will get you to shut up." The firebender leaned in and whispered the details of his erotic dream into Sokka's ear. "Now can you leave me alone so I can wallow in my own humiliation?"

"No." Sokka smirked. "Excluding the part that involved my boomerang, I'd be willing to give the other parts a shot."

"Wait… are you serious?!"

"Yeah, why not? I'm an open-minded guy, you're good-looking, I trust you, and I've been super horny since Suki broke up with me… last night."

Zuko stared at him, dumbfounded.

"So, what d'ya say?"

"I say…" He smirked. "Let's discuss this further. In my bedroom. Now."