Azula has been waking up screaming for the past week. And times like this, she envied Zuko so much.

She wished that she had her brother's support system, that she had someone to turn to when things were breaking apart, a sincere human touch during the divorce, the violence, and the over all depression they all went through. When Azula left their home, she thought that she'll also be leaving the painful memories she had. But she didn't, and it haunts her in her most vulnerable hour.

It's all coming back, in flashes, in little things. Every thing in the world reminded her of what they have become, of how broken and hopeless they were.

All she wanted was a night of rest. A dreamless sleep. A moment of peace that her nonexistent family kept away from her.

"I should have not married you!"

"But you did, and here we are!"

The crashing sound of breaking glass, Zuko's cries, door slam, choked tears rang in her person. It drummed in her ears and she can't block the noise no matter how hard she press her palms on her ears. She can't do anything, but be immersed in the memory she already lived through.

"I'll take Zuko with me!"

"Who cares about that stupid brat?"

"Rather than that monster that you call dau-"

"If you can see I'm the one who understands you-"

Something loud and awful blasted on the beside room beside her.

"-Been here all along so why can't you see, you belong with me"

A pop song was being played by her neighbor. She checked the time. 11:00 pm.

She went to her balcony and called her neighbor's attention.

"Excuse me? I don't know what shit you're doing, but people are trying to sleep here."

A man peeked from the windows. "I am sorry, I am sorry! It was my alarm."

"At this ungodly hour?"

He stumbled to his balcony, knocking over his dried house plants leaving soil and pebbles scattered on the floor. "I have things to do, and I am a really heavy sleeper. It won't happen again. I am sorry."

But it did happen again.

"My ex-man brought his new girlfriend She's like "Oh, my god!" but I'm just gonna shake"

And again.

"I KNEW YOU WERE TROUBLE WHEN YOU WALK IN!"

Azula could be anything, but patient. In the middle of the night, she marched towards his unit, her mind bursting with threats. After 3 heavy knocks, he opened his door and got a glimpse at his room. What she saw almost made her strangle him on the spot.

2 speakers were directly placed at the wall adjacent to her place. His phone conveniently placed at the top.

"Is this some sick joke? Did you perhaps live in a barbaric-" She was losing the little amount of sleep she could salvage because of her neighbor's stupidity?

"Please, let me explain-"

Azula didn't. She instead gave him her deadliest glare.

"NO. YOU. LISTEN. Do this again, I'll report you to the building manager, and be prepared to be kicked out in an instant."

"That's not-"

She slammed his own door to his face.


Her night terrors weren't only about how things fell apart. Sometimes (and her most hated ones) she was visited by the happy memories of the past.

She would watch how her parents would hold each other as they lovingly gaze at their children playing in the shore. Snippets of her father's smiling face.

It was fucking unfair. Why experience perfection if it would only be taken away from you. Why be given with happy memories when it would only serve as a reminder to what you've lost.

Tap. Tap. Tap

What did Azula do to be deprived of a loving home?

Tap. Tap. Tap.

How would Azula be able to-

TAP. TAP. TAP.

It took her a full minute before she realized that she was pulled out of her nightmare.

Instinctively she looked at the source of the noise. At her glass door, she saw pieces of pebbles pooling at her balcony's floor.

Azula slid the door open and was greeted by a flying pebble to her head.

It was him, again. The shaved head gangster who apparently enjoy fucking with his neighbor's life.

"Pack your bags." Azula was about to make the call that will ultimately ruin this weirdo's life.

"I know you've been having nightmares. Every night." Azula raised a curious brow, but still went on with the phone call.

"And I really can't ignore it. I know it's none of my business. But I get it. My sister had her episodes before. I had my fair share of terrors before." Azula ended that call and stared at him.

"Back then, my sister and I had each other. Until I didn't, and had to wake myself up from those."

She cannot stop herself from scoffing at his sappy speech. "Please, you probably thought I was an easy target. Is pleasing yourself not that satisfying anymore?"

A faint blush on his cheek, he avoided her gaze. "I didn't even know you, until the first night! I- I admit that you're cute, but even if you're a burly dude who can take me down with a snap, I would have done the same thing."

Silence. She noticed him itching towards his door.

"Name."

"Huh?"

"Tell me your name."

"Ah. It's Sokka. Nice to meet you..?"

"Not it's not. Don't do this again, this is my life, my problem."

Sokka released a breath he was unconsciously holding. He went inside his room. He didn't know what he was expecting, but oddly, he felt that things went perfectly.

And it did, because on the other side, Azula was leaning on the glass door, not as hopeless and mad as she was earlier.

"Thank you, Sokka."