14 years after the end of the 100 Year War
Zuko woke up to the feeling of Suki running her finger tips over his face and forehead tenderly. His eyes opened and he looked at her with a soft smile.
"Hi." She told him, leaning down in front of the chaise lounge that he was sleeping on.
"Hey." He said as he looked down at Ozlon who was draped across him sound asleep, one of his hands trapped under the boy's shoulders. "Finally." He said under his breath.
She kissed the four year old boy on his head, smiling a little bit. "I'm afraid to wake him."
He just nodded and agreement, leaning his head back on the back of the lounge. "I can't keep doing this." He said with a sigh as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand.
"I told you that I can sit with him at night." She told him.
He just shook his head, "No its fine." He told her.
"Your exhausted from sitting up with him. You can't keep doing it." She told him. She petted Zuko comfortingly on his arm. Ozlon had been a good baby, just like Azula had promised when she brought him to them. In the past few months though he had been suffering from violent and frequent nightmares. They were so bad that he never slept though the night anymore, afraid that his nightmares would return. This resulted in him only sleeping during the day and not wanting to be alone during the night.
"I don't want you to be low on energy." He told her.
She just laughed a little bit, "You are the one who has responsibilities during the day, not me." She said on the edge of the lounge with him as she placed a hand on his chest.
"You have responsibilities too you know." He said to her. She was working with the Dojo on a frequent basis and spent a lot of time there. The real reason that he wanted her rest is because he wanted to make sure that she was well rested in the case of pregnancy. He had read sometimes that an exhausted female may lead to issues with conception and did not what that to hold them back.
"But I'm not you." She told him with sad eyes. "You need your rest." She assured him. Zuko closed his eyes and thought about it. He had not slept in his own bed at night for almost two weeks, getting as little as an hour each night from various places around the palace. "Ursa said she could watch him at night." She added.
"I don't wanna have to have her do that either." He said firmly.
"You always wanna do these things on your own." She told him with a sign, "Even when you know that you need help."
He just shrugged and grinned at her as he opened his eyes a little bit. "You knew it was gonna be like that before you married me."
She just laughed and leaned up, kissing him. "That is true."
He smiled into the kiss sleepily.
"Gross." said a small voice from Zuko's lap. The looked to see Ozlon looking at them with a frown.
She just laughed and patted Ozlon's back, "Have another one?" He asked him.
Ozlon nodded slowly, looking scared.
Suki stood up and leaned down, grabbing Ozlon and picking him up slowly. He held onto her around her neck as she wrapped arms legs around his waist. "Come on, lets put you in bed." She told Ozlon, "Were gonna let your Uncle get some sleep." He just nodded as he held her, putting his head on her shoulder. She looked down at Zuko who had already closed his eyes, going back to sleep.
She smiled down at him, leaving the room with Ozlon in her arms. She went to Ozlon's room that was in the same room that his mother had had when she had lived here. She laid him down on the bed, making him rub his eyes and groan sleepily. She laid down on the bed next to him, pulling his back close to her as she hummed to him softly.
"Tired?" She asked. He nodded as he squirmed closer to her. "I'm here now, so I won't let anything get to you." She told him with a smile as she wrapped her one arm around him.
He just nodded, "Its not me." He told her with a sot voice.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"The dreams never hurt me; they hurt you and uncle Zuko." He told her.
She frowned kissed the back of his head, rubbing his belly. "I know its scary sweetie, but we are safe. Nothing will happen to us." She told him.
"It may." He told her, holding onto her arm that was draped a crossed him.
"You know; your Uncle and I saved the world once." She told him, trying to comfort him.
"Really?" He asked.
She nodded. "We did. It was long before you were born. Your uncle and Katara fought for control of the Fire nation, and I helped some other friends of ours bring down an entire fleet of air ships."
"You did that Aunt Suki?" He asked with a smile.
She nodded, "I sure did." She told him with a smile, thinking about that day so long ago.
"So you were a hero?" He asked.
She nodded, "I was; so was your uncle."
"He was?" he asked kinda surprised.
Suki nodded, looking off wish a soft smile. "He was a hero long before that though. He has been my hero for a very very long time."
"How did you first meet him?" He asked.
Suki laughed a little bit, "I think your a little young to hear that story."
"Why?" He asked, confused.
"Well it kinda paints a bad picture of him. It was a hard part in his life and I know he doesn't like to think about it, so neither do I." She said. Ozlon just nodded with his eyes closed, not really understanding what she was talking about. "You will hear the story one day." She told him with a kiss to his head. "So please don't worry about us. We are safe." She told him. He just nodded again, intertwining his little hand with hers. "Believe me?" She asked.
He nodded, "I do." He told her yawning.
She smiled at him as she pressed her cheek to his head, "I love you Ozlon."
"I love you too..." He said with a slow voice.
Ozlon drifted off to sleep in Suki's arms. It was the first night in months that he had not been awoken by nightmares of a burning village, his uncle smiling as his aunt cried.