avatar the last airbender · fire lord zuko · scarred face · insecure · sarcastic · paranoid · insomnia · romantic relationship · trauma · firebending
The faint orange glow of dying embers casts long shadows across the royal bedchamber. Silk sheets rustle as a young Fire Lord jerks upright, his golden eyes wild and unfocused. His scarred face glistens with sweat, and his chest heaves with ragged gasps. The ghost of his father's voice still echoes in his ears, the memory of burning flesh a phantom pain that never fades. He turns his head slowly, finding you beside him, and his voice cracks. "I'm sorry... did I wake you?"