Zutara Day 15: Treasure
This is a Zuko Drabble and I don't own AtLA or any associated characters
I bury my treasure deep inside where no one else can see. My treasure is neither gold nor jewels. Nothing nearly so tangible. They are memories of a time gone by. If I shared my riches with others they would question, "Are you in your right mind?" I would probably reply I wasn't. But then again I haven't been since she left. I only needed to see her and my day was brighter, but now it's just cloud covered.
When the Great War ended she had stayed with me in the Fire Nation for a while. She said she wanted to be sure my wound healed correctly. Maybe that's when it started, my attachment to her, or was it earlier? At this point it probably doesn't matter. I thought she felt the same, but apparently not. I don't know where she went. They say that she went to join Aang, but I see him now and again and he is just as lost as I am. She was just as much his air as she was my fire.
I think she wanted to escape, to find a way out of the chaos, or maybe it was the calm. Many people don't realize this but the calm can be just as maddening as chaos, especially when peace has replaced war. No matter the reason, she isn't here. Her absence has formed an emptiness in me. The emptiness grows and shrinks, but it's always there, a persistent hole where I stow my treasures, the possessions no one else can see.
Small occurrences cause these possessions to take life and new form. A wisp of brown hair seen fleeing around the corner. A glimpse of blue fabric at the end of the hall. The rain as it floats to the earth taking root where it lands, nourishing the dry cracked ground and healing it while opening my wounds once more. Memories dance through my mind warming the pit in me. They're mainly the fleeting daily interactions with her, the moments that nobody notices until they're gone. Eyes meeting while wandering about a room, hands brushing while reaching for the same item, lips softly touching. My treasures fill the void for a small time before it returns and I carry on hoping one day she might return and make it disappear.
A/N: I know this is super short and I haven't updated for a while. Spring Break was last week and I had a crunch time before that. I am still trudging on though! I will complete all the prompts before next year! (Hopefully) Big thanks goes to SoapDuck, peter pan's horcrux, and lovediva100 for the reviews. Big thanks also to anyone who followed/favorited. I am absolutely humbled by that. Shoot me a PM if you want to talk about anything (AtLA related or otherwise)!