Five Times They Find Out, and One Time Sokka and Zuko Finally Do Too

by kyischaotic

Summary:

Toph may be blind, but even she can “see” they’re stupidly in love.
Aang just wants to take a nap and maybe eat a sandwich.
Hakoda wants to pull his hair out, both because of his and his son’s stupidity.
Suki has had enough of watching her boyfriend dance around his crush.
Katara is a little confused, but nevertheless supportive.

And Sokka and Zuko?
Well, they’re fucking idiots, but they get there eventually.
Though not without a little a lot of help.

Chapter 1: Toph in...

Summary:

"The Not-So-Subtle Erratic Heartbeat of One Dumbass Hothead"

Notes:

WOO buddy, this fic has been in the works since about January and it's finally here! I am overwhelmingly pleased to present to you lovely people, my first finished chaptered fic ever! It's been almost exactly four years since I posted my first one-shot, with eight other works posted in between. So to finally commit to finishing something multi-chaptered and with more than 7k words (the longest work I've posted so far) has been a milestone I'm really proud of myself for hitting!

A heads up before reading! - Due to me not wanting to rehash lots of canon events, while still keeping it pretty canon-compliant, this fic does require you to remember a lot of what happens between The Boiling Rock and the series finale. A lot of chapters/scenes start in the middle of episodes, so it may be a little jarring if you haven't watched them recently. (But hey, they're still on US Netflix (as of posting) should you need a refresher!)

*This chapter starts after The Western Air Temple*

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar, if I did Toph would've been allowed to say fuck.

Toph has never been good at being forced to sit still for very long. With her feet temporarily out of commission, earthbending training with Twinkle Toes has been out of the question. Thus, she’s found alternative ways to amuse herself. Namely, pushing around and teasing the shit out of the newest addition to their steadily growing Team Avatar.

Today is no different as she sits, cooling her feet off in the Western Air Temple’s fountain. She has to stifle a cackle as she considers what ridiculous demands she’ll make of Zuko today.

She still can’t decide what had been funnier yesterday, how easily she’d scared Zuko into submission, making him carry her anywhere she wanted to go. Or how pissed off Katara was that Toph let him do it in the first place. Toph had been a little offended at the insinuation that Katara believed she wouldn’t just earthbend his ass into next Tuesday, injured feet or not, were he to try anything malicious.

And while it’s pretty hilarious how terrified Zuko is of Katara, a small part of her does feel bad for him. It’s not his fault Miss Sugar Queen decided to take everything personally and project all her mommy issues onto the nearest firebender.

Placing her hand on the edge of the fountain, she can feel the vibrations of everyone mulling about the courtyard. Curiously, she hasn’t felt Zuko all morning, but she figures he’s just off brooding somewhere.

When he does finally make an appearance, it’s from the direction of the nearby forest. Toph’s not even surprised when she hears Katara grill him about where he’s been. He says he was meditating in a nearby clearing, but his heartbeat is so jumpy because of Katara’s presence she can’t quite tell if he’s lying or not. Katara doesn’t seem convinced, but before she can interrogate him further, Aang chimes in excitedly about popular meditation spots around the Temple.

“Breakfast is ready!” Haru announces from across the courtyard, catching everyone’s attention. Sokka, Aang, and The Duke, in particular, let out whoops of joy.

“Finally,” Toph groans, starting to take her feet out of the water. She’s taken by surprise when, before she can stand, she feels Zuko make his way towards her.

She doesn’t need to feel his heartbeat to know he still doesn’t feel comfortable around any of them. Though she does notice it now calms down ever-so-slightly in her presence (or at least now that he’s out of Katara’s).

Zuko only hesitates for a second longer before carefully holding a bowl out towards her. “Toph, right? I, uh, brought your food since your feet are still healing.” Shame colors his voice, making Toph want to punch him in the shoulder and tell him to loosen up a little. It’s hard not to feel like he’s babying her, but after yesterday she knows it’s more a form of atonement than pity. Clearly, he still feels awful about burning her, even though she forgave him the moment he apologized.

“I’d ask if Katara put you up to this, but I imagine she’s actually sending you a death glare because she thinks you’ve poisoned my food or something,” Toph says with a laugh, taking the bowl appreciatively.

“Why would I poison your food?”

“Hey, don’t ask me! She’s the one with issues,” Toph says with a shrug, beginning to eat.

Zuko hesitates as if he’s unsure whether he should take his leave or join her.

“You can sit, you know.” She indicates next to her. “How long have you been up anyway? I haven’t felt you all morning.”

Zuko is quiet for a moment then sits next to her on the fountain, leaving an almost comical amount of space between them. “Since sunrise,” He finally says like it’s common knowledge.

“Firebender thing?” She teases around a mouthful of rice and vegetables.

“Firebender thing,” He replies, and she imagines the barest hint of a smile has made it onto his face.

“Still, you were meditating that long?” Toph asks curiously.

“Yes,” he says, though he sounds embarrassed about it. “Well, mostly, I actually uh...” He trails off, setting his bowl down. His clothes rustle as he presumably pulls something out from one of his pockets. “I remembered a kind of plant that grows here. I, uh, came here once, three years ago, after I was-” He stumbles over his words like he’s said more than he meant to. “It’s aloe vera. The gel inside is good for soothing burns,” He finishes abruptly, holding out the said plant.

“Oh, sweet!” Toph says, oddly touched by his thoughtfulness.

“It feels stupid now, what with you guys having a master waterbender to heal your injuries, but…” He rambles, breaking one of the aloe vera stems open. “It’ll help keep the skin moisturized, so it doesn’t crack.” He pulls something else out, maybe a leaf, and squeezes the gel out onto it. Again, he hesitates, then gently places it in her hands.

Toph curiously picks up a glob of it on her finger. After a quick sniff, she shrugs and starts applying it to one of her feet. “Now that’s the stuff.”

“Don’t worry about using it pretty liberally. I can easily get more if you run out.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience. Firebenders deal with burns a lot?” Thinking it’s an innocent enough question, she’s confused when Zuko breathes in sharply.

“Of course I’m speaking from experience!” He snaps before cutting himself off sharply. “Fuck, right, you wouldn’t know, would you. I’m such an idiot-”

Toph barks out a laugh. “I know you’re beating yourself up for something probably stupid, but-” she laughs again. “I never thought I’d hear the Prince of the Fire Nation swear.”

“I lived on a ship for three years,” He says, again, like this kind of information should be common knowledge. “And I’m not exactly the Prince anymore.”

Before she can quiz him on what that’s supposed to mean, Zuko stands abruptly. “I should probably start the Avatar’s firebending training before we lose any more sunlight.”

Lose sunlight? It’s hardly mid-day! She thinks, supposing she should add it to the list of Firebender Things She’ll Likely Never Understand.

He turns and bows to her, says a polite “Thank you,” then makes his way toward Aang.

Her brain whirls with unanswered questions, not the least of which is What was the apparently now ex-Prince of The Fire Nation doing on a ship for three years? She knows Zuko was hunting Aang before he changed allegiance. But Aang didn’t come out of the iceberg until this year, right?

“Come on. We need to start your firebending training. Are you ready?” Zuko calls out stiffly.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Aang responds, his tone exhibiting a mix of trepidation and cautious optimism.

“There’s a clearing up ahead that’s-”

“I’ll come with you,” Katara cuts in icily, causing everyone to pause. Toph doesn’t need any vibrations to tell her this is the last thing Aang and Zuko want.

Deciding they’ll have to make it up to her later, Toph interrupts, saying, “Hey, I’ve got a couple of feet over here that need a second healing session!”

“Oh, right. Sorry, Toph!” Katara says, abashed. She continues talking once she’s stepped closer. “This should be the last session you’ll need. Though I’d stay off of them another day until we’re sure they’ve fully healed.”

“Do your thing,” Toph says, sticking her feet in Katara’s general direction.

“You’re lucky the burns weren’t too severe--” Katara begins sternly, but before she can presumably start ranting about how Toph shouldn’t trust Zuko, she stops short. “What’s that on the leaf?” She asks curiously, bending water out of the fountain and getting to work.

“Oh yeah, it’s stuff from that aloe plant! Zuko got it for me from the forest. Said it’s good for soothing burns, and man was he right!”

“What?! You used it?!” She says, horrified. “How can you trust him so blindly?”

“I’m gonna need you to think about what you just said, honey.”

“You know that’s not what I- Ugh, just- What if it had been poisonous?”

“Well, it wasn’t, so lay off. It’s not like I was planning to eat the stuff.”

“Still,” Katara huffs, dropping the water back in the fountain. “There, they shouldn’t give you any trouble now. But come see me if they do, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Toph waves a dismissive hand, wrapping the aloe back up and hopping off the fountain. With a mischievous grin, she turns to Haru, who’s sitting nearby. “So what’s this I’ve heard about great earthbending spots around the temple?”

Haru jumps at the opportunity, and all Katara can do is sigh resignedly.

__________

A couple of days pass, and Toph starts to notice subtle changes in Zuko’s behavior. His heart rate rarely spikes around her now, and he hardly hesitates before sitting next to her at mealtimes. After his trip with Aang, he finally started to relax slightly around him too. Though he still slips up and calls him the Avatar sometimes, which never fails to be hilarious. He continues to avoid Katara like the plague, though that’s understandable. He’s even exchanged words with Haru, Teo, and The Duke.

What she can’t figure out is how he reacts around Sokka. She thought they’d been getting along pretty well, especially after Sokka realized how easy it is to rile Zuko up. But Zuko still tenses in his presence and stumbles over his words. She could feel his erratic heartbeat from a mile away.

It doesn’t make sense, so she decides to pay extra close attention tonight.

At dinner, Zuko sits on her left like he always does. When Haru asks about his dual dao swords, he answers without incident. But then Sokka makes a passing comment about how they should spar sometime, and all hell breaks loose inside Zuko’s chest. He barely manages to get out a “Yeah, sure, if you want.”

If she wasn’t so intent on figuring out what’s up between the two, she might’ve missed Sokka’s heart rate spike at his positive response. She’s unsure whether it’s from sudden nerves or excitement at the prospect of finally training with another swordsman.

Instead of getting answers, she feels more confused than ever.

Now Sokka’s acting weird too? Is he worried Zuko will end up kicking his ass and embarrassing him? Did he not think Zuko would say yes? Why did Zuko say yes? Isn’t he busy enough teaching Aang?

Speaking of, she thinks it’s about time Aang got some earthbending training in. Sokka and Zuko’s strange behavior will have to wait. “Up and at ‘em Twinkle Toes. You didn’t think you could slack on your other elements, did you?”

“Didn’t Katara say you should- OOF.” His words are cut off by Toph bending the rock he’d been sitting on out from under him. “Right away, Sifu Toph...”

__________

Once back at the camp, Aang collapses onto one of Appa’s legs with a groan. “Uuuugghhhh.”

“Quit being such a baby,” Toph says, stretching contentedly after a tough training session. Her feet are still a little sensitive, but that doesn’t mean she went easy on Aang by any means. “Man, I am never taking my feet for granted again,” She says, sitting down and fishing the aloe out of her bag. She starts applying it as she asks, “Where’d Sokka and Zuko run off to?”

Teo is the one to pipe up, saying they disappeared to spar around the same she and Aang did.

“I told Sokka he shouldn’t go wandering off with Zuko alone, but-” Katara starts darkly.

“I think it’s great he has someone to train with now!” Aang interjects happily, apparently forgetting he’s supposed to be moping after getting his butt whooped.

“Yeah, none of us could wield a sword to save our lives,” Toph laughs.

“Hey, speak for yourself!” The Duke cries out indignantly, causing the group to chuckle.

They all turn when two voices drift into the clearing.

“Admit it! I got you that last round!” Sokka’s voice boasts from a little ways off.

“Only because you cheated!” is Zuko’s scandalized response.

“Hey, you never said I couldn’t use Boomerang, so that’s on you, buddy.” Sokka throws a casual arm around Zuko’s shoulders, causing his heart to beat wildly.

“It was a dirty play, and you know it, Watertribe,” Zuko says, crossing his arms petulantly.

“Oh, I could show you dirty,” Sokka says lowly, and Toph nearly chokes on her spit.

Holy shit, is Sokka flirting with him?!

“That’s not what I-” Zuko flounders.

Oh, this is priceless!.

Sokka laughs so loudly Toph nearly misses it when Zuko mutters, “You’re such an asshole.” and elbows him in the side. It wouldn’t have caught her attention if not for how endeared he sounds when he says it.

Slowly but surely, the pieces begin to fall into place: the elevated heartbeat, the nervousness, the stumbling over words.

It hits her like a smack to the face.

Sparky has only gone and gotten himself a crush on Snoozles! And something tells her it’s not as one-sided as he probably believes it is. Toph cackles to herself. Things just got a lot more interesting around here.

Chapter 2: Aang in...

Summary:

“My Sifu’s Got The HOTS-man For A Certain Watertribe Warrior”

Notes:

This chapter contains a scene heavily based on one from the Dark Horse Comic "Avatar The Last Airbender - The Lost Adventures". While I DID change some of the dialogue, enough was kept the same that I felt the need to preface it by saying it's not entirely my own work.

“Good job, take five.”

“Yes!”

Aang flops down onto the nearest patch of grass, letting the warmth of the sun soothe his aching muscles. It’s a wonder his arrow hasn’t fallen off yet with all the extra training.

“Yeah, yeah, I said to take five, not take a nap, Twinkle Toes,” Toph says, bending herself a chair to sit on.

“Aww, but I still have firebending training with Zuko this afternoon!” Aang whines, giving his unforgiving Sifu puppy dog eyes before realizing the futility of his efforts.

“Think you just earned yourself another fifty rock lunges.”

“Aww, monkey feathers…”

By the time they make it back to camp, Aang’s limbs feel like jelly, and Haru is already serving lunch. Aang snatches up a bowl, but before he can dig in, two voices break the relative peace from a little ways off.

“In front of everyone?!”

“What, scared of getting your butt whooped?”

“I wouldn’t want to embarrass you in front of all your friends, is all.”

“Tell that to the space sword, hotshot!”

Aang and Haru look between each other and shrug. Curiosity has Toph and them following the voices, leading them to the rest of Team Avatar in a nearby courtyard. Sokka and Zuko stand in the middle with their swords drawn, while Katara, Teo and The Duke watch from a nearby bench.

“O-kay, what’d we miss?” Aang asks Katara, his stomach flipping when her pinched expression visibly softens at his arrival.

“Sokka challenged Zuko to a ‘Swordbending Kai’? So now they’re-”

“Cool! I’ll referee!” Aang cuts in excitedly, setting his bowl down on the bench next to her. He’s never heard of a Swordbending Kai before but figures it’s one of those things he missed out on being invented in the last hundred years.

His previous exhaustion forgotten, he hops into the air and lands between the two swordsmen. “Alright, you guys! I want a good clean Swordbending match!” Aang announces, doing his best impersonation of Xin Fu during Earth Rumble Six.

Zuko groans, looking oddly red in the face. “Please don’t call it that-”

“Oh! Sorry! I want a good clean Swordbending Kai!” He amends, shooting Zuko a thumbs-up.

“There’s no such thing!” Zuko yells.

Or Aang thinks that’s what he says, but it’s drowned out when he uses an airbending trick to tweet like a whistle. If he’s lucky, this will tire Zuko out enough he won’t make him train!

The sound of three blades clashing fills the air as the fight commences. Aang takes a step back, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

“So you think you’re hot stuff, huh?” Sokka taunts before advancing once more.

“You’ve yet to win a match against me. I don’t see why that would change now,” Zuko replies matter-of-factly, dodging Sokka’s onslaught with ease. Aang has to stifle a laugh.

“Go, Water Tribe!” Katara calls out, holding up a hastily made sign with a Water Tribe symbol and sword. Next to her, Toph holds up a drawing of Zuko, though it’s upside down.

Sokka notices all of this and grins. “Lemme show you how we do things down south.”

Aang finds himself caught between who to root for, having seen first-hand their prowess as sword wielders. Being the referee, he figures he shouldn’t pick a side at all. A small part of him wins out and roots for Sokka anyway.

Seconds later, Sokka falls flat on his ass. Toph cheers.

“Told you not to get your hopes up,” Zuko says smugly.

“Rematch. Now.”

The following two matches go about as well as the first. Aang wonders if he should call it, but Sokka shoots him a glare like he knows what he’s thinking.

“One more round!”

“This is ridiculous. I’m obviously better than you. Why don’t you just give up?” Zuko asks, and Aang can’t tell if he’s boasting or genuinely confused by Sokka’s antics.

“One. More. Round. Come on! Think of your honor!” Sokka says melodramatically.

“Have it your way,” Zuko sighs, settling back into a fighting stance.

Sokka holds his own for almost a minute this time, and Aang starts to cheer! But then Zuko does some fancy-looking maneuver with his blades, and Sokka’s sword clatters to the ground.

Aang can’t help the disappointed “Aww…” that comes out of his mouth.

Sokka looks sheepish, then reaches back and throws his boomerang.

Zuko looks incredulous as he dodges. “Hey! No boomerangs in Swordbending!” Sokka’s look of triumph has him backpedalling. “Wait- I mean--”

There’s a satisfying ‘KLONK’ when the boomerang circles back around and clocks Zuko in the back of the head.

“Oww.” Zuko ends up dropping his swords, his hands coming up to cradle where the boomerang struck him.

“You did NOT fall for that a THIRD TIME!” Sokka cackles, clutching at his stomach.

Aang snorts before pointing out, “Zuko’s right, you know. You did cheat, so he still wins the match.”

“I may have lost the Battle of Swords, young Avatar…” Sokka says to Aang as if he’s imparting some great wisdom. “But I won the Battle of Words!”

Zuko groans.

__________

It turns out not even a hit to the back of the head with a boomerang will stop Zuko from pulling Aang away for training. Aang also deduces that puppy dog eyes only work on one of his Sifus. And it’s not Zuko.

Thankfully, Zuko and Sokka’s impromptu duel gave Aang some time to recharge. But he’s still a bit sluggish as they work through their forms, and Zuko is quick to notice.

“Remember, fire is the element of power. You won’t improve if you half-ass your basics.” Zuko snaps.

“Sorry, sorry, I guess I’m just still getting used to practicing four elements instead of three,” Aang says tetchily.

Zuko seems to sense his frustration, letting out a sigh. “I think we could both use a tea break,” he says, cracking a wry smile.

With the teapot now set up to boil, Zuko turns back to Aang with crossed arms. “You also won’t improve if you’re overworking yourself. Even if you are the Avatar.” Aang doesn’t miss the grimace that passes over his face when he adds, “I’ll talk to Toph and Katara.”

This pulls a laugh out of Aang. “Now that I would love to see.”

Zuko glares at him.

“Buuut, I do need you in one piece if I’m going to master firebending,” He jokes but finds himself sobering up. “It’s fine. Really. I’ll manage. I’ve survived way worse than a little extra training.”

Zuko doesn’t seem to believe him but also doesn’t push it. Aang almost wishes he would. Instead, he turns back to the teapot and pours them both a cup. Aang accepts his tea gratefully.

“Drink that. Then I’ll guide you through some meditation,” Zuko says, turning to dig through his bag and procuring a variety of candles. “Ideally, you’d do these with me as the sun rises each morning, but…” He trails off as he lights each candle with his fingers in quick succession.

The tea and candles bring Aang back to his limited time with Jeong Jeong. He shoves the pang of shame that evokes into the back of his head.

“Well, our situation is anything but ideal. And I don’t think I need to impress upon an Air Nomad the importance of meditating. So long as you’re staying in tune with your inner-fire, I trust you to do this kind of work on your own, however you see fit.” Zuko moves to sit lotus style, one hand on top of the other and his thumbs touching.

“Right.” Aang mirrors his position, the words ‘I trust you’ making his stomach churn. He has to silence the part of his brain that questions whether he’s earned that trust. Unfortunately, the candle nearest him seems to pick up on his emotional turmoil and flickers unnaturally.

“Fire is also the element most affected by emotions, both positive and negative,” Zuko says meaningfully. “Meditation like this can trigger strong emotions if something has fallen out of balance, so I understand if you’re uncomfortable with me-”

“No! No, it’s not that. Honestly, I think you’d understand more than anyone…” Aang takes a deep breath. “I was reminded of a similar situation, one that didn’t exactly end well.”

“When you burned Katara?” Zuko asks knowingly.

“More to do with the teacher that I failed,” Aang explains. “I was too impatient, too careless, and in the end, I shut my inner-fire out completely.”

“That’s not the person I see in front of me now.” Zuko looks a little out of his depth but plows forward. “Ever since our time with the Sun Warriors, something changed, right?”

“Because I finally saw fire as something that could bring life, not just destruction. I wasn’t scared of losing control anymore.” Aang can feel himself begin to smile ever-so-slightly. “It stopped being a source of pain, anger, and shame. Instead, it was comforting, alive, full of life and purpose.”

“I’d say you’re way ahead of most master firebenders in that regard,” Zuko says, almost looking mournful for a moment. He shakes himself though and pours them both another cup of tea.

“Thanks, Zuko.” Aang really smiles this time. “You know, I think it would help my old master to meet Ran and Shaw. So many things in his life led him to believe fire only brings destruction.”

They sit in comfortable silence, sipping their tea and watching the candles flicker lazily.

“Ready to try this again?”

“Bring it on, Sifu Hotman!”

The next hour is intense as Zuko leads him through a series of meditation techniques. But by the end of it, Aang feels lighter and more in tune with his firebending than he’s ever been. With each breath they take together, he can feel the candle flames rise and fall to match. It’s serene, calm, something he never expected to find in firebending of all elements.

He’s not sure if he’s relieved or disappointed when someone interrupts them.

“Sup jerks! Heard you were having a tea party without me and started feeling a little left out,” Sokka calls out from a little ways off.

Aang only opens his eyes when he feels Zuko’s candles burn more intensely.

“Woah, cool it!” Sokka raises his hands in surrender. “I thought your firebending doesn’t feed on anger anymore,” He teases.

“It doesn’t. You’re just the extremely irritating exception. Now go away! You’re interrupting the Avatar’s training.”

“Okay, fine, what I actually came to say is dinner is ready. And I’d prefer if the Avatar and Future Firelord starving to death wasn’t on my conscience.” He turns to walk away but quickly spins back around. “Oh, also, Katara needs Aang for something?”

Aang immediately perks up at the mention of her name. “Ooh, what!?”

Sokka just groans. “Ugh, you two are the worst.”

“I’m lost,” Zuko says, and Aang braces himself for the worst of Sokka’s Meddling Brotherly Teasing.

Sure enough, Sokka grins wickedly, crouching down to pull Aang into an affectionate headlock. “This little guy has been in love with my sister since he came out of the iceberg. BUT! He’s too much of a chicken-pig to do anything about it.”

Aang’s stomach swoops, and his face burns. Wait, did she not-

“And my sister is so emotionally constipated-”

“I think I get the picture,” Zuko cuts in, seeming to cringe on Aang’s behalf. “Crushes are the worst.” He offers sympathetically.

“Tell me about it…” Aang says miserably, all the confusion that’s built up after the invasion rearing its ugly head.

Sokka laughs. “Yeah, when I like someone, I always end up acting like a total idiot around them,” He says with a sheepish grin.

“But you’re always acting like an idiot,” Zuko reasons.

“YEAH, DON‘T THINK ABOUT THAT TOO HARD!” Sokka says frantically, voice cracking.

Startled, Aang looks between the two for a moment. Sokka looks embarrassed? And Zuko just looks perplexed, like he’s about to ask Sokka if he’s the one who got hit in the head with a boomerang.

He feels like he’s missing something.

By the time he tunes back into the conversation, Sokka is speed-walking away, and Zuko is stiffly packing everything up. Zuko looks deep in thought, so Aang decides to leave him to it. If only so he can’t suddenly decide to make Aang do any hot squats.

“I’ll see you at camp!” Aang calls out to Zuko, waving and then jogging to catch up to Sokka. “What was that all about?” He prods impishly.

“What was what all about?” Sokka responds, feigning ignorance. “You should probably hurry, you know? Katara said it was really important.”

It doesn’t escape Aang that Sokka is blatantly dodging the question. But his curiosity as to what Katara needs outweighs his desire to pester him further, so he lets him off the hook. For now, at least.

__________

Really important turns out to be settling a minor dispute between Katara and Toph about chores. Katara insists it’s fairer to rotate. Toph argues it’s better to permanently assign each job to the best-qualified person, so it’s less confusing. Aang uses the last of his post-meditation zen to come up with a happy medium. He suggests that two people get assigned to each chore who can then rotate between each other. He considers it a miracle when Katara and Toph look at each other and nod in agreement.

“All in a day’s work for the Avatar,” Aang sighs to himself. The last of his energy finally seeps out of his body as he finds a spot around the fire. A part of him aches when he realizes how reassuring it is to solve such a petty argument. It reminds him that they’re just a bunch of kids, doing their best to navigate a world that’s so much bigger than them. He thinks Sokka would call him an old geezer if he voiced any of these thoughts aloud.

His gaze eventually lands on Katara, and he smiles. He’s relieved to see a bit of her usual bossy self creeping back in after how hostile she’s been. It’s nice to see her stubbornness directed towards something so domestic and inconsequential.

Toph says something that makes her begrudgingly laugh, and his heart swells. He doesn’t even notice the campfire does too until Zuko sits next to him and nudges his shoulder.

“You really love her, huh?” Zuko asks softly, bringing Aang back to the present.

He doesn’t need to think twice before responding, “Yeah, I do.” The fire flares once more before calming back down to its original state.

Zuko looks from the fire to him with a sly grin.

“Shut up!”

“I didn’t say a word,” Zuko says with an amused smile. “Though I hope you aren’t planning on keeping it much of a secret.”

“Uhh-“ Aang stumbles over his words, hiding his face in his drawn-up knees. “Yeah, no, she...knows. It’s complicated.” He mumbles, face prickling.

Zuko makes a sound of acknowledgement but says nothing.

Aang turns to Zuko with a grin. “What about you? Surely even you have a soft spot for somebody.”

Zuko flushes, dropping his gaze to his crossed legs. “It’s...complicated.”

“What are they like? Are they a bender?” Aang wheedles, but Zuko doesn’t budge. “Aww, come on, you won’t even give me a hint? You’re no fun.” He pouts.

His brain whirls with ideas. Who wormed their way into such a seemingly closed off heart? Are they Fire Nation? Someone he left behind in the Earth Kingdom, maybe? Is it someone in their group? That last one doesn’t seem likely the more he thinks about it. The only ones near Zuko’s age would be Haru, Sokka, and Suki and there’s no way--

Aang sneaks a glance at Zuko only to realize Sokka has sat down on his other side. He doesn’t quite catch what Zuko says, but it makes Sokka laugh.

And lo and behold, right before his eyes, the campfire flares just enough to be unnatural.

Oh.

Huh.

Aang grins.

Flameo hotman. Fla-me-o.

Chapter 3: Hakoda in...

Summary:

“My Son Is So Oblivious Sweet Fucking Spirits, Was I This Bad At 15?"

(Don’t Answer That Bato)

Notes:

It's only been up for a couple of days but turns out the Zukka Nation works FAST :') A very special hello to the 20 wonderful individuals already subscribed to this fic, it makes my heart SOAR seeing people are excited to see more! Leave me a comment letting me know if you found this through tags, tumblr, or my Instagram! I'd love to hear from y'all and see exactly where I'm pulling people from <3

Fun Fic Fact #1 - Some dialogue in the previous chapter was based on this comic by the wonderful artist incaseyouart over on Tumblr!

It’s been a half-hour since their reckless escape from The Boiling Rock, yet Chief Hakoda can still feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins. His thoughts are a mix of relief they made it out alive, pride in Sokka’s successful plan, and disbelief that he will soon have both of his children in his arms once more. The groaning metal monstrosity he finds himself way too high off the ground in keeps him from dropping his guard completely, however.

When the Fire Prince returns to the air ship's control room with reassurances they aren’t being followed, Hakoda lets himself breathe. If Sokka trusts him, so does he.

But as his adrenaline fades, so does the relief, soon replaced by a dull ache in his chest. He’s all too aware of the empty space beside him. Flashes of when Fire Nation soldiers took him from his and Bato’s cell bombard him; his fear mirrored in the eyes of his dearest friend. It feels wrong, being free while the rest of his men remain in Fire Nation custody. But he knows guilt will get him nowhere.

When he stands with purpose, the room around him quiets down to listen. “Just because they aren’t following us doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods just yet. Sokka, how long until we’re at you kids’ camp?”

Sokka turns control of the ship over to the Kyoshi Warrior, coming to stand near Hakoda. “It took us a whole day of flying in the war balloon…” He turns to the Fire Prince. “Zuko? How fast do these things go?”

“With a whole crew working, we could make it in half that.” Zuko grimaces. “We’ve got five people. With one of us already steering, that leaves four to either shovel coal into the furnaces or keep watch.”

Hakoda opens his mouth to respond, but Sokka beats him to it.

“It’s not ideal, but we’ll make it work,” Sokka says with a grateful nod, the cogs in his head already turning a mile a minute. “Right. Zuko, Dad, you two take the first furnace shift. Suki and Chit Sang can keep watch while I steer. Find any food and water you can. We’ll try to rotate every three hours. If two isn’t enough in the engine room, bring someone else down, but we need to conserve our strength as much as possible.”

Hakoda feels another swell of pride at how easily Sokka takes charge. Even a stranger like Chit Sang now regards him with respect. With that pride comes the guilt that his son had to grow up so quickly. He pushes the thought to the back of his mind; this isn’t the time nor place.

“Let’s get to work,” Hakoda calls out, taking a moment to grab Sokka by the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, son. We’ll do everything we can to make sure you can keep us flying straight.”

Sokka seems caught off-guard by his words, his eyes going misty. “Right.” He grabs the arm on his shoulder and nods, visibly bolstered by his words.

Letting go of Sokka’s shoulder, Hakoda turns to find Zuko, only to spot him staring at them from the doorway. There’s a sort of sadness in his expression that wrenches Hakoda’s heart. The kind that you should never have to see on a face so young. Now that he’s looking at him, he realizes the prince can’t be much older than Sokka.

Zuko doesn’t appear to be aware he’s staring at all until Hakoda approaches him. When he does come to, he flinches, taking a step back. “We’ve left the furnaces unattended long enough as it is,” Zuko says stiffly, turning and making his way to the engine room without waiting to see if Hakoda is following.

Hakoda gives him space as they make their way around the airship. When they reach their destination, though, Zuko turns to him, looking ashamed. “Forgive my prior rudeness, Chief Hakoda. I meant no disrespect.” He bows stiffly, every muscle tensed up like he’s expecting something to jump out at him.

“That’s alright, son, no harm done,” Hakoda says, baffled by his sudden formality. He supposes he shouldn’t expect anything less from royalty. Still, Zuko’s severe anxiety makes him wonder about his upbringing. It can’t have been all sunshine and rainbows, growing up as Ozai’s son.

When Zuko finally straightens up, he looks disoriented. But he quickly shakes himself and sets about taking stock of the furnaces. “Luckily, the people working here before took good care of these. As long as we keep them stocked with coal, it should be smooth sailing,” He says, grabbing some protective gear off a nearby shelf. Hakoda moves to follow him.

They set to work shoveling coal, first into the furnace that seems to be burning the weakest, then continuing down the line. Hakoda doesn’t expect it when Zuko first bends a powerful blast of fire into one of them. He instinctively reaches for a weapon that’s not there. Zuko clocks this and looks sick to his stomach. “I’m sorry I-”

“No, no, it’s okay, just caught me off guard,” Hakoda cuts him off, using his most calming voice. He forces his hackles to lower, then waits until Zuko meets his eyes before saying, “My son trusts you, and I trust his judgement. I know you have no intention of hurting me.” He has to fight the urge to lay a protective hand on Zuko’s shoulder, worried that will only make things worse.

“But how-”

“If Sokka says you’ve proven yourself, that’s enough for me,” Hakoda cuts in again, kind but firm. “And from what I understand, I owe you a great debt. He wouldn’t have found me if not for you, am I correct?”

Zuko looks uncomfortable at the word ‘debt’ but eventually nods. “Yes...”

“Then, I have no reason not to trust you. And in due time, I hope to earn your trust in return.” Hakoda shoots him his kindest smile then turns to get back to work. Zuko takes a moment, seemingly digesting Hakoda’s words, before turning to do the same. The next time Zuko bends a flame into the furnace, Hakoda doesn’t even flinch. He thinks he sees Zuko give the barest hint of a smile.

__________

It’s tedious work, but the end of their rotation comes before they know it. Hakoda and Zuko hadn’t talked much during those three hours, but Zuko at least seems less skittish around him. For the most part.

It’d taken an embarrassing amount of time for Hakoda to learn not to talk to or approach him from the left side. It’s not usually the Firebenders you see having burn scars after all. Now he can’t help wondering how Zuko got it in the first place. A training accident, maybe? He wonders just how much it impairs his vision and hearing on that side.

His thoughts had drifted more than once to Bato until he could push the thoughts away no longer. Awful memories of Bato’s burning flesh; how leaving him behind at the Abbey had felt like abandoning his family all over again. Every day without him by his side had been agony, not knowing if he was still in pain, or even alive. Even breathing had never felt quite right until the day he finally came back and Hakoda could hold his living body in his arms.

Looking back on it now, something had shifted between them then, unspoken but tangible.

They hadn’t talked about how, upon Bato's return, Hakoda had insisted he stay in his tent so he could keep an eye on him. Nor had they talked about that first night, where nothing but the feeling of Bato’s beating heart under his hand had soothed him enough to sleep. Or how Bato had started setting his bedroll up next to Hakoda’s every night after. One night, Hakoda’s nightmares had been so bad Bato had taken one look at him and held his arms open. Hakoda had never felt so relieved to feel so small, his body enveloped by Bato’s long limbs.

But he supposes they’ve always been like that, in a way. They’ve always simply adapted to each other’s needs without so much as a word spoken between them. Not to say they don’t ever talk or voice their needs, just that it rarely feels necessary.

He thinks his brain is trying to come to some sort of conclusion but is interrupted before it can get there.

“Chief Hakoda, sir?” Zuko inquires from beside him, snapping him out of his reverie. “Suki and Chit Sang are here to swap out.”

Hakoda nods in acknowledgement, moving to take the protective gear off with a sigh of relief. Only now does the strain he’s been putting his muscles through hit him, a layer of sweat and grime clinging to him like a second skin.

“There’s some food and water in the control room now, though we couldn’t find much,” Suki says, shaking her hair out of its ponytail to re-tie it.

“I have some ideas of where to look for more,” Zuko says thoughtfully, turning to Hakoda. “I’d like to check around the ship if that’s alright with you?”

“I have no problem with it. Let me know what you find.” He responds with a short nod. With that, Hakoda makes his way to the outside railings at the bottom of the airship.

The fresh air is a spiritsend after three hours working the furnaces. There’s a tightness in his chest that finally begins to ease with each breath he takes. As he stares out at the darkening sky, he feels inexplicably serene. He can almost imagine he’s with his men out on the open seas, reminded of the nights the water and sky became one. Those had always been his favorite moments, sailing through a sea of stars as the world seemed to stand still.

A familiar ache makes a reappearance as memories resurface. Ones where Bato would find him and demand he go and rest. It was always a battle between Hakoda’s stubborn pride and Bato’s just as stubborn persistence. Bato would always win, of course, but never without taking a quiet moment to sit with him. Hakoda was always left feeling unsure how to thank him for always being by his side.

He’s sure Bato knows how much it means to him, especially after they lost Kya. He’s always been an open book to him, even when they were kids. It’s something Bato and Kya’d had in common now that he thinks about it.

Despite the pain that lingers at the thought, a bittersweet smile still manages to make its way onto his face. The tribe had always blamed Hakoda for being a bad influence on them. Yet he swears those two were just as much of trouble makers without him and his mischief streak. He wouldn’t be surprised if he found out they’d had a running bet on how long it would take him to ask Kya out. He’s sure Bato would’ve won.

It’s hard not to miss the days when all three of them were still together. Even when Hakoda and Kya got married, there was always a space for Bato in their family. When the kids were born, Bato seamlessly, if a little smugly, claimed the title of Favorite Uncle. And that had been that. Interestingly enough, Kya had been the first to joke about how he might as well move in at that point. But Bato had laughed it off, saying he appreciated the solitude after dealing with Sokka and Katara’s antics all day. That night especially, Hakoda had been struck by how deeply he cared for them both.

Hakoda’s vision blurs, and he has to blink a few times to dissipate the sudden moisture. Once again, he gets the distinct feeling he’s on the precipice of some life-changing discovery. As if he’s got all the pieces, now he just needs to fit them together somehow.

The railing rattles as presumably another person makes their way onto the metal platform. He takes a moment to gather himself before turning to greet the person who turns out to be Zuko. “Find what you were looking for?” He asks, puzzled by how suddenly awkward Zuko looks.

“Yes, I brought most of what I could find to the control room, but…” Zuko trails off, adjusting his grip to hold out a Fire Nation spear. “I asked Sokka what weapons you’re most accustomed to fighting with. We don’t make anything similar to your battle clubs, but we do make spears? I found a small armory full of them.”

Hakoda has no clue how to react to such a sudden, surprisingly thoughtful display. Apparently, he takes too long to respond, as Zuko rushes to explain further.

“I doubt we’ll run into any trouble tonight, but I figured you might feel better armed just in case. Not to imply you couldn’t defend yourself without a weapon--”

“I take no offense from your kind gesture,” Hakoda cuts in with a chuckle. “Thank you,” He adds emphatically, accepting the spear with a bow. Taking a cautionary step back, he moves through a short sequence of offensive forms. The weight distribution is slightly off from what he’s used to, but his hands adapt quickly. “Not bad,” He says, giving Zuko a pleased nod.

Anything he might’ve said after is interrupted by his stomach giving a low growl, causing him to laugh. “Think I’d better see to that food you kids found, huh?” Hakoda says, moving to walk past Zuko. Unthinkingly, he reaches out a hand to lightheartedly jostle his left shoulder. Zuko flinches so severely his back hits the railing behind him.

“Sorry, I--” Zuko immediately blurts out, eyes fixed on the ground and knuckles white from where they grip the railing.

“That’s alright, son,” Hakoda says soothingly, bringing his hand back to his side. For a moment there, his stomach had plummeted, terrified the kid was about to fall off the platform somehow. “Hold down the fort until I’m back, alright?”

Zuko doesn’t look up, but he does nod with a quick “Yes, sir.”

It feels wrong, leaving him in such a panicked state, but he worries his continued presence will only make it worse. Making up his mind, he turns to proceed up the nearest staircase.

Halfway to his destination, he wonders if his son would let him take over steering long enough to go check on Zuko for him. They seem to be close, so that shouldn’t be an issue, but a part of him worries it would only serve to damage Zuko’s pride. He doesn’t want to draw more attention to it than necessary.

When he enters the control room, Sokka turns and smiles. “Hey, dad! Everything alright?”

“Just grabbing some food. How’re you holding up?” Hakoda asks, leaning his spear against a nearby wall before sizing up the pile of scavenged rations.

“Ugh, not you too,” Sokka groans, dramatically slumping forward. “Zuko already came in here offering to switch out. I told him I’m fine!” He insists indignantly. “Not to mention he needs to save his energy. I’m not even sure that hothead ate anything!”

Sokka’s stomach gives an angry growl at that. Hakoda fixes him with an unimpressed look.

“Okay, okay, fine! Maybe I got a little distracted and forgot to eat too! It’s not my fault he started asking weird questions,” Sokka says with a pout, glaring at his stomach like it purposefully betrayed him. “I can’t even laugh at how worried he is of accidentally offending you because I just feel bad! I don’t even know if it’s because you’re the Chief, my dad, or both!” Sokka groans a second time, clearly experiencing a high level of second-hand embarrassment.

While Sokka talks, Hakoda opens up a ration bar, sniffing it curiously. About ten different spices assault his nose at once, and he has to try not to cough. He takes a bite and is surprised by how decent tasting it is. Picking a second one up, he makes his way over to where Sokka stands steering. “He does seem very...polite?” Hakoda ventures hesitantly, offering the unopened ration bar to him.

Sokka takes it with a snort. “Almost makes me miss the ponytail days when he would call me a peasant. I feel like I’ve brought my boyfriend home to meet the parents.”

Hakoda laughs sympathetically, not even noticing the implications of Sokka’s wording until he looks panicked.

“NOT THAT HE’S MY BOYFRIEND!” Sokka scrambles to say, voice cracking and cheeks now tinted red. “I just meant- I don’t even- You know- Like a metaphor-” He flounders for a moment before laughing weakly. “Heh...heh heh…”

Hakoda has no clue what possesses him to respond with, “I wouldn’t...have a problem with it, you know. If you, uh, brought home a boy?”

“Wh- DAD!” Sokka covers his face, looking like he might die of embarrassment any second.

“Though I’ll admit I was under the impression you and the Kyoshi Warrior were together?” He says, intent on plowing through this conversation as quickly as possible.

“We are! But we’re open to-” Sokka waves a hand in front of his face. “I think I’m bisexual.” He blurts out.

There’s an agonizing moment as father and son stare at each other, cringing on each other’s behalf.

“So, I, uh, like both?” Sokka clarifies, looking sheepish. “Guys and girls, that is!”

“Huh,” Hakoda stares at him dumbfounded, thoughts whirling a mile a minute. Puzzle pieces from before finally begin clicking into place.

Both. You can like both?! Women AND men? Kya AND-

“Huh.” Hakoda feels like such an idiot.

“Huh? Huh, what? Is that a good huh or a bad huh?!”

“I think it uhh…might run in the family?” Hakoda finally manages to say.

“You’re kidding.” Sokka laughs but quickly notices Hakoda doesn’t join in. His eyes go impossibly wide. “You’re not kidding, holy shit! What?!”

Hakoda doesn’t even admonish him for the foul language, still reeling from his revelation.

“Woah, okay, back up, you’re bisexual too? Did you just come out to me? When did you- How did you- Does the tribe even allow that?!” Sokka looks like he might combust with the number of questions wanting to spill out.

“It’s not unheard of for tribesmen who’ve gone to war together to build...uh...close bonds. And I’m sure plenty of the women back home sought out similar comfort in each other.” Hakoda scratches the back of his neck sheepishly. “It’s not taboo, per se, like in our sister tribe. But I suppose there’s still the expectation of having a family and children.”

“So it’s not looked down upon, but it’s not exactly encouraged or flaunted either…” Sokka says, looking troubled. “Kinda like with otter-penguins!” He adds suddenly and triumphantly.

Hakoda blinks, caught off guard by the emotional whiplash. “I don’t think I follow.”

“Remember when Bato told us about those two male otter-penguins? They adopted an egg that got abandoned and raised it as their own! Sure, they couldn’t have a baby biologically, but they still found a way to have a family. And they were able to contribute to the growth of the colony the same as any other couple.”

“That’s one way to look at it, I guess,” Hakoda says absently, brain stuck on a loop of Bato, gay otter-penguins, abandoned, adopted, family….

Sokka looks deep in thought again as he finally starts eating. “Now that I think about it, it was a bit like that in the Earth Kingdom too.” He chews thoughtfully for a moment and cringes. “I don’t think I want to know how the Fire Nation feels about it. And I’m still a little confused about whether Air Nomads even get together, let alone with people of the same gender.”

Hakoda pushes himself off the wall to stand, figuring this is his time to leave before he embarrasses either of them any further. He’s not sure he’ll survive having any more revelations about his love life in front of his scarily-perceptive son. Digging through the food once more, Hakoda manages to pick out a few waterskins. He practically has to force one into a distracted Sokka’s hand, who finally snaps out of his thoughts.

“Hey, were you implying some of your men have gotten together?” Sokka says out of nowhere, fixing him with a curious if calculating look. “It makes sense. I guess I just never considered it a possibility before.”

“It’s not exactly my place to dictate what my men do in their, uh, limited personal time.” Hakoda coughs awkwardly. “When you’re away from home and your loved ones for so long…” He trails off, throat closing at the reminder of everything he and his men had to leave behind. “Anyway, it’s not like it was all of us. Maybe one or two who didn’t have someone back home waiting for them. And you’d only know it if you listened to the men who liked to gossip.”

Sokka studies his face a moment longer, but Hakoda speaks before he can ask any questions he might not know how to answer just yet. “Think I’d better get back to my post. Drink up, alright?” He says, pointing to the ignored waterskin in Sokka’s hand. He can’t help it when he grins, adding, “I’ll make sure your hothead gets some food and water too.”

Sokka shoots him a dirty look before covering his suspiciously red face. Somewhere amongst the embarrassed groaning, he thinks he hears a muffled but genuine “Thanks, dad”.

“Love you, son!”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too.”

__________

The rest of the trip is a blur of shoveling coal, making sure everyone eats and stays properly hydrated, and far too much time with his thoughts.

The problem is with his newfound revelation comes all kinds of new thoughts about Bato. Memories of them sitting together turn into curiosity as to how it would feel to slip a hand inside one of Bato’s. What it would be like to spend every night in his arms, not just the bad ones. He can perfectly imagine a life where they help each other with their hair in the morning. Where Bato finally gives in and lets Hakoda apply the burn cream to his arm for him.

He’s not sure he’ll ever stop kicking himself for only just now recognising he’s been in love with his best friend for years. Has Bato known all along but has been patiently waiting for Hakoda to realize it for himself? Possibly not wanting to encroach on Hakoda’s grief? Does he even return his not-so-platonic affections? He feels like a teenager all over again, his stomach churning and cheeks prickling.

By the time he finds himself sitting around a campfire, his head is a jumbled mess of love and longing. He’s incredibly grateful for the presence of his kids, who haven’t left his side since their reunion. There’s still the distinct feeling of someone being missing, but it’s made bearable by Katara and Sokka’s hands held tightly in his own.

When he tunes back into the conversation, it’s to Sokka dramatically recounting the story of their escape from The Boiling Rock. On Sokka’s other side, Suki flushes when he gushes about how awesome she was fighting on the gondola. Next to Suki, Zuko looks like he’s one part endeared by Sokka’s antics, one part jealous. But then he’s flushing too as Sokka proceeds to give him similar praise.

“So, we’re facing off against Azula and Ty Lee, but the guards are about to cut the line. We’re totally screwed, right? Boiling lake, here we come! But suddenly, fwoosh, we’re saved by none other than Zuko’s knife-throwing ex-girlfriend Mai!”

“No way!” Aang exclaims from the other side of the circle, egging Sokka on.

“Yes, way! With the gondola back in motion, we finally make it to solid ground. Chit Sang tosses the Warden back inside, and dad says,” Sokka screws up his face like he’s about to quote Hakoda, but turns to him instead. “Aww, I can’t do it justice. Come on, dad!”

With a snort, Hakoda decides to humor him. He turns to the circle with a smug look on his face and says, “Sorry, Warden. Your record is officially broken.”

“We steal the Princess’ airship, and the rest is history,” Sokka finishes, crossing his arms with a self-satisfied smirk.

There’s a moment of awed silence until Zuko breaks it. “You say that like it didn’t happen earlier today.” The tiny smile on his face says he’s pushing Sokka’s buttons on purpose.

Sokka takes the bait, waving a hand in Zuko’s face. “Have you no appreciation for the art of storytelling?” He says, feigning offence. “A dramatic story needs an equally dramatic ending, jerk.”

Suki nudges Zuko playfully. “You’re always welcome to tell the next story and prove him wrong!”

Zuko flushes then grimaces. “Yeah, uhh, think I’ll pass on that offer.”

“Leave it to the pros, good choice,” Sokka says, reaching over to pat his knee.

Zuko’s eyes linger on the spot Sokka touches him for a few seconds before he looks up. “Don’t let it go to your head, jerk.” His mocking tone is made less effective by the soft smile still tugging at his lips.

“Too late,” Suki says with a laugh. It doesn’t escape Hakoda that she’s glancing at Sokka with a similarly affectionate look to Zuko’s.

Sokka pouts, crossing his arms. “Oh, screw you guys! You love me, and you know it.”

Suki and Zuko both go bright red, the truth of the off-hand statement written all over their faces.

Hakoda is struck by how much they remind him of Bato, Kya, and himself at that moment. He thinks he finally understands. As he looks on at the familiar sight before him, Hakoda heaves a heavy sigh.

You really are your father’s son.

Notes:

Being a bi disaster is just Water Tribe culture at this point (see Hakoda, Sokka, Korra...)

Fun Fic Fact #2 - I am ridiculously soft for Bakoda which is half the reason I wrote this fic in the first place! Not to mention getting to explore possible interactions between Zuko and Hakoda since we don't really get to see those in the show.

I kinda love how Sokka, Suki, and Zuko mirror Hakoda, Kya, and Bato in a way. Each polycule has a "smart but no braincells" goofball, a boss ass bitch who could definitely kick their partners' asses and they would thank them, and an absolute disaster gay/bi who would follow them to the ends of the earth. Or maybe Suki and Yue can share Kya's role bro WAIT. I just realized both Sokka and Hakoda have lost partners because they sacrificed themselves. OUCH. Y'all are lucky I only thought of this now, I could've dropped SO MUCH TRAUMA BONDING ON Y'ALL.

BRO DON'T IMAGINE SOKKA TELLING HIS DAD ABOUT LOSING YUE AND ASKING HOW HE DEALT WITH HIS GRIEF OVER LOSING KYA. DON'T THINK ABOUT HOW HEARTBROKEN HAKODA WOULD BE HEARING SOKKA WENT THROUGH WHAT HE DID IN A WAY BUT AT F I F T E E N. DON'T IMAGINE THEM TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY BLAME THEMSELVES, THINKING IF THEY HAD DONE MORE THEY COULD'VE SAVED THEM. D-DON'T DO IT.

Chapter 4: Suki in...

Summary:

“Is This When I Conveniently Remind My Boyfriend We’re In An Open Relationship?”

Notes:

A Heads Up Before Reading! - This chapter deals a bit with grief and contains romantic interactions between Sokka and Suki. If that's not your thing you're more than welcome to skip down to the bottom where I'll include a chapter summary.

“What’s up with him?” Sokka’s concerned words hang in the wake of Katara, then Zuko’s sudden exit. He moves to follow them but Suki puts a gentle hand on his arm.

“Let them go, I think this is a conversation they need to have alone,” Suki placates.

“I think conversation is putting it lightly,” Toph says with an air of bored disinterest.

It’s hard for Suki to believe how few days it’s been since their breakout from The Boiling Rock. From the shock of seeing Sokka in her cell to the second too-close-for-comfort escape from Princess Azula, she’s had little time to process anything. Despite all that, even she’s seen this fight coming from a mile away. Sokka’s now resigned expression tells her he’s been expecting it too.

Not even a minute of silence passes before Aang asks, “You sure we shouldn’t check on them?” He looks just as antsy to follow them as Sokka does.

“Do you think they’re finally gonna duke it out?” Toph asks a little too gleefully.

“Do you?!” Aang asks, horrified.

They aren’t left wondering for very long, as Katara soon storms back past them and into her tent.

There’s another moment of silence, heavy with the unasked question of whether anyone is going to check on her. Toph looks unbothered, Aang looks apprehensive, and Sokka looks like he’s working out a complex math problem in his head.

Suki sighs. “Come on. I think we could all use some rest after the day we’ve had.” She turns to Sokka, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing lightly. “I’ll be over in a bit?” She says conspiratorially, giving him a playful wink.

She relaxes a bit when this gets an embarrassed smile out of him. “Not if you blow our cover!” Sokka whispers back. He leans over for a quick peck on the cheek, then stands. “Whew, I don’t know about you guys, but I am beat!” He says too loudly, stretching and yawning for effect.

Suki snorts, thinking if anyone’s going to blow their “cover”, it’s Sokka.

“Goodnight!” Aang says, seeming happy enough to take any excuse to leave.

Toph looks in their direction knowingly before gagging obnoxiously. “I’m blind, not deaf, you know.”

“I have no idea what you’re alluding to, Toph,” Sokka says innocently.

Suki rolls her eyes, shooting a quick wave to Sokka before heading for her tent. Once inside, she sits down, glad to have a quiet moment to herself.

When enough time has passed, she tip-toes her way back outside and towards Sokka’s tent. It feels a little ridiculous having to sneak around when everyone already knows, but maybe they could both use something silly right about now.

She regrets not paying more attention to her surroundings when she bumps into something, or rather someone solid. “Oops! Wrong tent!” Suki blurts out, cheeks reddening upon seeing it’s Zuko.

“Sorry, do you need to talk to Sokka too?” Zuko asks without an ounce of suspicion.

“Nope, not me!” She says, wishing the ground would swallow her up right about now. Awkwardly turning around, she starts walking back to her tent. A nosy part of her wants to eavesdrop and see why Zuko wants to talk to Sokka, but she resists the temptation. She has a sneaking suspicion there’s more going on there than meets the eye. But if it’s related to Zuko’s fight with Katara, she doesn’t want to intrude.

Not wanting to walk all the way back to her tent, she finds a soft patch of grass a little ways off and sits. Gazing up at the sky, she’s struck by how beautiful the almost full moon is among a sea of stars. She closes her eyes for a moment, filled with a strange sense of peace.

When her thoughts drift to Sokka, she’s filled with an overwhelming amount of love and affection for him. The words He has so much love to give. come unbidden to her. She opens her eyes in shock, having a distinct feeling that those weren’t her own thoughts just now. Gazing back up at the moon, she recalls that night in the Serpent’s Pass. Sokka had mentioned losing someone in the North Pole. Could this be related somehow?

A gust of wind blows, bringing with it the smell of the sea.

“Suki!” A voice stage-whispers, startling her.

She turns to see Sokka stick his head out of the tent flap, only to make eye contact with a still-there Zuko. She’s too far to read their expressions, but Suki facepalms on behalf of all three of them anyway. Looking one last time at the moon, she swears it laughs with her. She groans on behalf of all four of them before standing to make her way over.

She watches, amused, as Sokka seems to speed through all five stages of grief. The moment he spots her, though, a blinding smile breaks out across his face, and Suki falls in love all over again.

Sokka opens the tent flap and waves her inside. “Come on, come on!” He whispers.

“And here I was, thinking I was the only one sneaking into your tent at night,” Suki teases as they sit down together. She clocks the lit candles and grins. “Something you two need to tell me?”

“W-what? No! Nope! Definitely not,” Sokka says, waving his hands and shaking his head frantically.

“Uh huh. Try again when your voice isn’t cracking and you’re not blushing like a schoolgirl.” Suki pokes his cheek, unable to resist the urge to make fun of him just a little bit. Sokka shoots her a petulant look that’s more pout than glare. His mood shifts when he lets out a breath, though, which Suki is quick to notice.

“Hey, everything okay?” She asks gently, moving her hand to cup his jaw instead.

He leans into the touch, closing his eyes for a moment. “Yeah, sorry, just thinking.”

“Want to talk about it?” She offers, shifting closer.

“I...Wouldn’t know where to start.”

“How about tonight? You’re worried about Katara and Zuko, right?”

“Yeah, it’s complicated.” Sokka runs a hand through his hair before letting it drop. “Zuko asked me how our mom died. He thinks it’s related to why Katara hasn’t forgiven him.”

“Oh,” Suki says quietly, moving her other hand to grab the one he lets fall to his lap. Sokka squeezes her hand, and she squeezes back.

“It’s almost a full moon out,” He says absently, looking up at the ceiling of the tent.

“The moon, it has something to do with the person you lost at the North Pole, doesn’t it?”

There’s a moment of silence, and Suki worries he’s done talking. Her stomach twists when she realizes it’s because he’s holding back tears.

He swallows once, twice, then softly says, “Her name was Yue.”

Suki runs her thumb along his knuckles soothingly, knowing he’s trusting her with something very precious to him. “Tell me about her,” She says encouragingly.

“She was beautiful and kind and selfless. She was the princess, she had a duty to her people, and I had a duty to protect her.” Sokka takes a breath, needing a moment to gather himself. “During the Siege of the North Pole, a Fire Nation Admiral named Zhao killed the moon spirit’s physical form. We thought that was the end, that there was nothing we could do. But then, Yue revealed she’d been sick as a child and had been brought to the moon pool. Her parents had begged the spirits for help, and they had answered. Some of the moon spirit’s life still resided in her. So she decided to give it back. I-” Sokka chokes back a sob. “I couldn’t protect her.”

Suki pulls him into a tight hug which he readily accepts. When she says, “You loved her.” it’s not even a question,

He nods, hands tightening their hold on the back of her shirt. “I still do.”

“I can’t even begin to imagine the kind of pain you went through, and still are going through. But I’m glad you had each other,” Suki says, pulling back to brush the hair out of his eyes and wipe away a stray tear.

“Sometimes I miss her so much I can’t breathe. And even though I know it was her choice, even though I should know there’s nothing I could’ve done to stop it…” His next words come out so quietly Suki almost doesn’t catch them. “I can’t help being reminded of how powerless I felt after losing my mom. How I blamed myself, thinking ‘if I had just gotten there sooner, if I had just done more, maybe I could’ve saved her.’ A-and I get so scared of ever losing someone like that again.”

“I’m scared too…” Suki admits, wiping away another tear. “I’m scared of how uncertain our future is and what it might take to end this war. I’m scared of losing you again. But that’s part of what makes life so special. It’s letting yourself love and be loved by people, even though you could lose them someday. It’s holding onto the piece of them they shared with you, even when they might not be with you to complete it anymore.”

She doesn’t expect it when her throat closes up, suddenly overcome with emotion as she continues. “What happened with your mom, and with Yue, wasn’t your fault. And no matter what happens moving forward, I will always be thankful for what time we’ve been given, and what time we still have left to share. We’re here now, together. I’m not going anywhere.” She finishes firmly.

“Promise you won’t suddenly turn into the Unagi?” Sokka jokes tentatively.

“Promise,” Suki says with a surprised laugh, leaning in to kiss him gently. When she pulls back, the amount of affection in Sokka’s gaze has her stomach fluttering.

“I love you,” Sokka whispers, pressing their foreheads together and seeming to take a moment to simply drink in Suki’s presence.

“I love you too, and thank you for telling me,” Suki whispers back, taking a deep breath and finally letting the last bits of tension leave her body.

It’s not the first time they’ve said those words to each other, but that doesn’t mean Suki feels any less like crying happily at the sound of them. Especially after what he told her tonight. It can’t have been easy, letting himself love someone again so soon after such a devastating loss. But as Yue said, he has so much love to give, and Suki intends to make the most of every second she has with him. To show him just as much love and care as he does to those around him.

Sokka stifles a yawn, drawing Suki’s attention to how utterly exhausted he looks.

“Alright, let’s get you to bed,” Suki says fondly, pulling him over to his bedroll and forcibly laying him down. She’s quick to follow, curling up next to him with her head resting on his chest.

Catching a flicker of fire in the corner of her eye, she’s brought back to how this conversation started in the first place. “So, candles, huh? You sure you weren’t trying to woo any Fire Nation princes with those?” Suki can’t help teasing him again, but then something dawns on her. She sits up suddenly, turning to him with a mischievous grin. “Oh spirits, Sokka, you have a thing for royalty don’t you!”

“Suki!” Sokka squawks, smacking her arm indignantly.

“Or maybe just people in positions of leadership or power,” Suki adds coyly, leaning over him with a smirk.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Sokka says, his bright red face betraying his embarrassment.

“That didn’t sound like a no,” Suki points out victoriously, leaning down to kiss his adorable pouting lips.

“Yeah, yeah, see if I ever let you sneak into my tent again,” He grumbles, pulling her back into his side.

Suki laughs.

Notes:

CHAPTER SUMMARY: The chapter takes place the night before Katara and Zuko's little "field trip" in Southern Raiders. Suki teases Sokka about talking to Zuko in his candle filled tent. Sokka opens up to Suki about Yue, admitting he still loves her even though he also loves Suki. They talk about his guilt and how he feels like he could've done more to save her, similar to how he felt when he lost his mom. As they lay down to sleep, she teases him about having a thing for royalty/people in positions of leadership/power which he doesn't entirely deny.

I'm convinced it's physically impossible for me to end a fic/chapter on a heavy note. So, uhh, rest assured I will never hit y'all with a sad ending.

Chapter 5: Katara in...

Summary:

"Oh Brother, I've Seen That Look Before"

Notes:

I have VERY little beef with the creators of Avatar, but I will NEVER forgive the fact they didn't focus on Katara and Sokka's relationship more during The Southern Raiders. (Remember that Sokka doesn't know Katara heard him when he admitted to Toph he doesn't remember what his mom looks like. And other than that moment, Sokka's grief isn't really addressed? Other than referring to the day she was taken as one he doesn't like to remember.) They had the perfect opportunity to explore Sokka's grief right along with hers. To use it as a moment for them to bond and understand each other. But NO! We don't even get to see them TALK after, only Katara, Aang and Zuko.

So here's me fixing that ;)

“But I didn’t forgive him. I’ll never forgive him.”

Katara hasn’t been sure of many things in the past forty-eight hours. She’s still not even sure she agrees with Aang, that she made the right choice by sparing Yon Rha. But as she stands on an unfamiliar dock with Aang and Zuko, she knows it’s the truth. She doesn’t owe that monster anything, let alone forgiveness.

She looks first at Aang, then at Zuko, and something else solidifies in her mind. She can examine her actions later, but right now there’s something more important to begin healing. A bridge only she can start building in the hopes it’s not too late. Turning to Zuko, her next words come easily.

“But I am ready to forgive you.”

When Katara hugs Zuko, she’s not sure if it’s because he needs it or she does. Regardless, a knot in her stomach finally begins to unwind, and this time she knows it’s the right choice. Pulling back from the hug, she lets her hand linger on Zuko’s shoulder for a moment. When she smiles at him he returns it, clearly relieved.

Steeling her resolve, she moves past him and towards where she knows Sokka is watching from a distance. Toph and Suki are nowhere to be seen so she assumes they’ve left to give them all some privacy. When Sokka notices she’s approaching him, he looks at her warily, arms crossed protectively over his chest. Shame prickles in her cheeks as she recalls some of the nastier things she said to him before leaving. She owes him an apology. A big one.

There’s a moment of tense silence where neither of them knows what to say, then Sokka lets out a sigh. “You okay?” He asks softly and Katara breaks, running towards him and tackling him with a hug. Sokka lets out a startled yelp at the impact but is quick to return her bone-crushing embrace.

“I’m sorry, I’m so so sorry…” Katara chokes out, tears she hadn’t even known she was holding back starting to stream down her face. All the anger, confusion, and grief from the last two days finally crashing over her.

“Hey, it’s-”

“Shut up and let me apologize!” Katara insists, pulling back to point a finger in his face. “I said some awful things to you, okay? And just because I didn’t mean it doesn’t mean I hurt you any less. Not to mention you’d probably stew on it for weeks if I didn’t say anything. I know you like to pretend you’re a big strong man and other people’s words don’t affect you but-”

“Hey! I can talk about my feelings just fine!”

“Can not!”

“Can too!”

“We’re getting off topic!”

“And who’s fault is that! Honestly, I would’ve been worried if we’d gotten through this without you finding a way to insult my emotional capacity on the way,” Sokka says pointedly. Katara huffs and he holds his hands up in surrender. “Okay, okay! Listening, I promise!”

Katara takes a moment to compose herself only to be interrupted by the sound of footsteps a little ways behind her. She turns to see an oddly sombre Aang and contemplative Zuko making their way past them. She catches Aang’s eye for a moment and he seems to understand her silent communication of “I need to talk to Sokka, but let’s meet after, okay?”.

“We’ll see you up at the house?” Aang asks, looking between her and Sokka.

Katara nods, giving him a small smile which he returns tentatively. Turning back to Sokka she motions towards the dock and they both make their way over to sit on the edge.

Staring out at the sparkling ocean, Katara sighs, kicking at the water absently. “I know mom’s death wasn’t any easier on you. It was uncalled for to suggest you loved her any less, and I really am sorry.” She forces herself to meet his gaze, her own eyes misting all over again when she sees Sokka’s are wet too.

“I’m not going to lie and say it didn’t hurt, but I know you didn’t mean it. I forgave you about two seconds after you said it,” Sokka says with a small shrug, reaching up to scrub at his eyes. “You probably were closer with mom than I was,” He adds quietly, pulling his knees up and resting his chin on top. “I was always busy with dad and Bato, learning what it meant to be chief and take care of our tribe. And when mom died, you’re the one who stepped up to fill her space. Of course it affected you more-”

“Hey, come on, that's not fair. It shouldn’t even be a competition anyway.” Katara kicks at the water again in frustration. “You don’t give yourself enough credit, Sokka. When dad left to fight, you had to step up too. That time we didn’t even have Bato to fall back on, just Gran Gran.” She pulls a lock of hair between her fingers, twisting it thoughtfully. “I think you were the first one to get me to laugh. Remember? With the otter penguins?”

Sokka snorts reluctantly. “How could I forget? I had a bruised tailbone for a month!”

“Did not, you drama queen.” She rolls her eyes, shoving him playfully. “It was a week at the most.”

“Would’ve healed a lot quicker if you’d just used waterbending-”

“I couldn’t heal back then you immature little-” She bends a small stream of water directly on top of his head, undoing the wolf tail and giving him the appearance of a disgruntled Momo on bath day.

“No fair! Don’t think I won’t push you in,” Sokka threatens, moving as if to shove her off the dock.

Katara laughs, grabbing his shoulders before he gets the chance. “I yield, I yield!” She concentrates for a moment, bending all of the seawater out of his hair. “I don’t think Zuko would be too impressed if we showed up to his family’s house completely drenched.”

Sokka sticks a hand into his now ridiculous looking hair with a scowl. “Great, I probably look like a boar-cupine.” Rooting around for his hair tie, he finally finds it stuck at the end of a clump of hair. He shoots Katara a petulant glare as he tugs it out, shaking his hair out in lieu of tying it back up.

“Come on, we should catch up with the others,” Katara says, feeling much lighter as she stands and offers him a hand. Sokka eyes it suspiciously as if he doesn’t trust her to not trick him and use it to push him in the water anyway.

“If you push me in I’m taking you down with me,” Sokka says, grabbing the offered hand and lugging himself up to his feet. Katara flicks his cheek. “Oww…”

“Baby.”

“Meanie.”

They walk up to the house in much higher spirits, Katara feeling like a significant weight has finally begun to lift from her shoulders. She reaches to open the front door of the ornate royal house, but Sokka stops her for a moment. His expression looks pinched as he seems to search for the right words.

Finally, he sighs, squeezing her shoulder briefly. “I’m glad you spared him.” He shoots her a fleeting smile before turning and walking inside the house.

__________

The next morning Katara vows to pull Aang aside and get him to admit whatever has been bothering him. He’d done an expert job of avoiding her at dinner last night, but she knows he can only keep it up for so long. And luckily she knows just where he and Zuko are training.

Making her way to one of the house’s courtyards, she’s surprised to find Sokka, Suki, and Toph already there watching Aang and Zuko in action. She happily joins their little crowd, watching them move through firebending form after firebending form. And if her awed gaze sticks to Aang, mesmerized by how much he’s grown in just a few weeks, it’s nobody’s business but her own.

“I would make fun of you two but, ugh, firebending is hot, you’ve convinced me.”

Katara whips around, finding herself on the receiving end of Suki’s all-too-knowing look. Okay, so maybe she wasn’t exactly being as subtle about it as she thought.

“Oh come on, Suki,” Sokka says, shaking his head in disappointment. “Firebending is hot? Really?”

“That’s real rich coming from you Sokka,” Toph says.

“Hey! My jokes are perfectly fine, thank you!” Sokka crosses his arms, shooting Toph a betrayed look.

“Wait, Suki said you two, who did you-” Katara starts to ask, making Toph and Suki snicker.

“Leave it to the two watertribe members to drool over our resident firebenders,” Toph says impishly.

“Opposites attract and all that,” Suki adds with a wink as Toph pretends to gag.

“Those two are unbelievable.”

“Unbelievably dense.”

Katara looks to Sokka for help, still not grasping the full implications of Suki and Toph’s teasing. Sokka’s face goes suspiciously red and he promptly groans, burying his face in his hands. Only now does she notice he’s left his hair down today. Huh. Odd. She glances at Aang and Zuko again, thankfully embroiled in their training and not paying attention to their little audience. She still feels like she’s missing something.

By the time she realizes she’s staring again, Aang and Zuko have started winding down their training session. The heat from their fire lingers in the air as they move through some stretches.

“I wish you could see their faces,” Suki cackles, likely to Toph.

“Eh, I can feel their lovey dovey heartbeats from a mile away.” Is her response, followed by another sound of disgust.

Katara continues to watch as the two firebenders bow to each other and then make their way over to their impromptu spectators. Aang looks exuberant and Katara has to fight a raging blush that threatens to creep into her cheeks. All attempts at avoiding her seemingly thrown out the window, at least for the time being, Aang fixes her with a huge grin. “Did you see that Katara! I almost had those last forms down perfectly!”

“Oh, she saw it alright,” Suki says and Katara just barely stops herself from uncorking her waterskin to drench her.

“It’s amazing how much you’ve learned so quickly,” Katara manages to say, warmth coiling in her stomach when Aang’s grin grows impossibly wider at the praise.

“It helps that I have such amazing teachers,” Aang says, grabbing onto Zuko’s arm and shaking him. Zuko glares at him for a moment, but even his grumpy attitude isn’t completely impervious to Aang’s infectious childish glee.

“Just don’t let it go to your head, you’re still only on the basics,” Zuko scolds him irritably.

“Wouldn’t dream of it, Sifu Hotman,” Aang says, his smug grin suggesting otherwise.

“Quit calling me that!” Zuko says, causing the surrounding group to laugh.

She’s staring again, she knows she is, but she just can’t help it. Aang has been uncharacteristically quiet since whatever conversation he had with Zuko last night, so it’s a relief to see him have something to smile about instead. Not to mention how turbulent his relationship with firebending has been, especially in regards to her. Before she can drag her gaze away, Aang catches her eye and after a moment flushes bright red. They both open their mouths as if to say something, but chicken out at the same time.

Man is she not as subtle about this as she thought.

“You looked really good out there!” Sokka blurts out from beside her, effectively shattering whatever “moment” she and Aang were having. She finally drags her gaze away long enough to see his outburst is directed at...Zuko? She can’t help the inquisitive look she shoots Sokka’s way, not understanding his outburst.

“What?” Comes Zuko’s awkward response.

“You TWO...looked...really good out there. Haha.” Sokka tries to cover and fails spectacularly.

“Oh. Thanks?” Zuko says, seemingly as thrown off by the sudden compliment as Katara.

Since when has Sokka started acting extra idiotic around someone other than Suki? Who, speaking of, is now elbowing Sokka in the side with a teasing grin.

“You know, Sokka here was just telling us about how hot-” Suki starts to say, but Sokka launches himself towards her, frantically covering her mouth with his hand.

“How hot I am in this Fire Nation sun! Whoo!” Sokka says too-loudly, fanning himself for effect. “I’m sure we could all go for a cold glass of watermelon juice right about now! Huh?” He looks appealingly at the surrounding group before hopping up and all but running back inside the house.

“YES!” Aang cheers, jumping unnaturally high then summoning an air scooter and riding after him.

Katara stares at the trail of dust left in their wake, utterly bewildered.

What..? Just happened..?

“His hair!” Zuko exclaims out of nowhere, causing the three remaining girls to look at him oddly. He doesn’t seem to register that he’s said it out loud until Suki and Toph let out a snort of laughter. “Sorry, I-” His face goes suspiciously red. “I knew he looked different and it was bothering me that I couldn’t figure out why,” He explains, face painfully genuine.

“You’re the one who said it looked nice down last night,” Suki mocks with a wolfish grin, something about what she’s just said making her pause. She covers her mouth, letting out a bark of laughter. “I bet he did it on purpose. Oh spirits help me, you two are such disasters. You’re perfect for each other.”

“I didn’t- What do you- Aren’t you his girlfriend?!” Zuko stammers, looking more confused by the second.

“Yep,” Suki says with a wink, turning to follow Sokka and Aang without offering any further explanation.

Zuko stares after her then turns to Katara for help as if she’s not just as lost as him.

“I think I’ll have some of that watermelon juice now,” Zuko croaks to nobody in particular and Katara agrees wholeheartedly.

It’s not until dinner that night Katara’s brain finally puts two and two together. There’s only so long you can watch your brother stare at the guy you finally forgave the previous night before things start to make a lot more sense. And, okay, she probably would’ve noticed sooner if she hadn’t been so caught up in her distrust of Zuko.

When Sokka finally tears his gaze away only to aim an equally sappy one towards Suki she almost facepalms. She’s glad she doesn’t because it means she catches Zuko’s fleeting look back, one part pensive, one part longing.

Yeah, okay, she should’ve noticed much sooner.

Chapter 6: Sokka and Zuko in...

Summary:

"If You Almost Die Again I'll Kill You!"

Notes:

My dear friends, we've finally made it to the long-awaited Sokka and Zuko POV chapter! (which wound up almost doubling the fic's word count haha oops?) This chapter took an embarrassing amount of hours to write, but I'm pretty dang happy with how it turned out! All those nights staying up until 4am, feeling like I was pulling teeth just trying to get words down on paper, it all feels worth it to finally get to see the finished product posted and out in the world. Though I say finished loosely now because SOMEONE had to go and inspire me to write an extra father-son bonding chapter AND SOMEONE ELSE a Suzukka(?) chapter (y'all know who you are ;)) /lh /pos

Just a heads up! - There is a POV switch about ¼ of the way through this chapter because I wanted to include both of their POVs but it felt off to split into two chapters (not to mention how that would've messed with the 5+1 format ;)).

Sokka

They won. They actually won.

The only thing keeping Sokka from disbelief is the very visible proof of the Loser Lord’s defeat right in front of his face.

It’s over. It’s finally over.

He’s grateful for Suki’s arms around him when his leg gives a sickening twinge, the adrenaline previously dulling the pain finally starting to run out.

“Ugh, fuck...” Sokka grunts, clenching his teeth through the nauseating wave of pain.

“Come on, let’s get you back on the airship,” Suki says.

“What should we do about…” Sokka trails off, looking at the pathetic form of Ozai slumped on the ground.

“I got this.” Toph cracks her knuckles with a smirk, shifting into a bending stance. With a couple of quick precise moves, she bends the nearby rock into makeshift handcuffs around his wrists. She adds a ring of condensed rock around his upper body, before using it as a means to rather unceremoniously toss him inside the airship. She dusts off her hands looking way too pleased with herself. “Come on slow pokes.”

The ride back to the Fire Nation has Sokka feeling a swirling mix of disbelief, exhaustion, and the beginnings of celebratory joy. When he manages to wrangle a disgruntled Toph and a dead-on-his-feet Aang into hugs on either side of him, he thinks he might cry. When Momo chirps at Aang before curling up on his lap, finally managing to get a small smile out of him, he almost does cry.

They may be pretty banged up, but they survived. They’ll live to fight another day. And now they get to help rebuild the world they’ve fought so hard for.

Sokka’s stomach drops. What if Katara and Zuko are-

No. He tells himself. I have to believe they’re alive and safe.

If his grip on Aang and Toph tightens ever so slightly, they don’t complain.

He’s not sure how much time has passed when they make it to the skies above the Fire Nation Palace. Through his haze of exhaustion and the throbbing pain in his leg, he manages to ask Suki, “Katara? Zuko?”

“I haven’t spotted them yet, I’m going to land near the palace gate so hold on,” Suki calls out, strained voice and white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel giving away how anxious she is to find them.

The second the airship touches the ground Sokka scrambles to his feet. Suki jams it into a parked position before catching him halfway to the door, letting him lean on her side once more. Together they hobble determinedly out the door, followed closely by Aang and Toph.

“Go find Appa, buddy, tell him we’re okay,” Sokka hears Aang tell Momo, who eagerly flies off in search of his ten-ton friend.

“Where do you think they-” Sokka starts to say but is cut off by two simultaneous cracking noises behind him. He turns to see both Aang and Toph with hands to the ground, trying to locate their missing friends.

“There!”

“I can feel Katara up ahead!”

They pick up the pace, practically running in their desperation to get to her. When they round a corner and finally see her, Sokka does start crying, the relief washing over him like a tidal wave.

“Katara!” He chokes out.

She’s alive, my baby sister is alive.

Katara’s head snaps in their direction and immediately she catches Sokka’s gaze, eyes watering as she runs to meet him halfway. “Sokka!” She cries.

All five of them crash in the middle, a tangled mess of limbs clinging onto each other for dear life.

“We did it, we won,” Sokka says breathlessly, tears turning into a full-body sob.

“We won,” Katara echoes back faintly.

They stay like that for a long time, relishing in the feeling of each other, alive and mostly well. But then Sokka’s brain reminds him it’s not just five of them anymore and an awful lump forms in his throat. His thoughts instantly spiral into the worst-case scenarios.

What if he’s not okay...

What if he got hurt…

What if he lost…

What if Zuko’s dead-

He barely manages to squash down his panic enough to choke out “Wait where’s-”

“He’s alive,” Katara rushes to say, and the rest of the group lets out a collective breath. “Injured, but alive.”

Sokka thinks he could collapse with relief, and then he does, only managing to stay upright as Suki tightens her hold on him.

He’s alive. Zuko is alive. We all made it. We’re alive. We’re going to be okay. It’s over. It’s over. It’s over.

“I’ve healed him as best as I can. Zuko, he…” Katara has to swallow a few times before continuing. Aang offers a hand to her which she takes gratefully, squeezing and seeming to draw strength from it. “Azula shot lightning at me and he just jumped in front of it. He wasn’t able to redirect it though, so it-” She chokes back another sob. “He saved my life.”

“That reckless jerk, I’m gonna kill him!” Sokka says, nerves worn too thin to care about how ridiculous he sounds. “Thank him! And then kill him! Thinks he can go and scare the shit out of me like that, being all self-sacrificing…” He readjusts his hold on Suki, fully intending to hobble his way towards wherever they’re keeping Zuko and give him a piece of his mind. His leg gives another sickening twinge, however, and he has to bite back the slew of vulgar words that want to come out of his mouth.

“What happened to your leg! Are you okay? Let me look at it-” Katara starts fretting but seems to finally notice his desperate, pleading look. Katara sighs. “Fine, I’ll tell you where he is, but only if you promise to come see me straight after, okay? He needs rest, and so do you. So do all of you,” Katara says sternly, turning her motherly glare onto the rest of the group as well.

“So do you,” Aang counters, a tired smile breaking through his exhaustion.

“Yeah, yeah, okay. We can all sleep after we’ve gone to see Zuko,” Toph says, her voice wavering on his name as her worry finally starts to seep through her tough exterior. She crosses her arms defensively as if daring anyone to object or call her out.

“This way,” Katara says, wiping at her tears with the hand that isn’t still occupied by Aang’s.

After what feels like hours, but is only about a twenty-minute walk, they finally make it to the door leading into Zuko’s bedroom. Toph doesn’t give them time to hesitate, instead choosing to barge right in shouting “Rise and shine, Sparky!” The group rushes to Zuko’s bedside, eager to crush him in a group hug.

“Huh?” Is Zuko’s drowsy response, pushing himself into a vaguely upright position with a pained grunt. “Oh,” He says quietly, eyes pricking when he registers the faces of the people he’s come to care so much about.

Sokka’s heart aches at the sight of bandages wrapped around his torso. He looks like a total wreck, but he’s alive, and that’s all that matters to Sokka right now. He’ll make fun of him for his ridiculous bedhead later.

Toph and Aang break at the same time, lunging forward and smothering him in a hug. Zuko’s answering hiss of pain has them immediately backing off. He grabs their arms, though, shaking his head. “Careful,” he says, voice scratchy. Pulling them gently back in, he seems powerless to stop the tears now flowing freely down his face.

Finally, the other three break too, moving forward to join in on the group hug. Zuko lets out an ‘oof’ at the impact, but it’s quickly followed by a choked noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob.

After a moment, Sokka encourages them to back off a little, worried about agitating his injury any further.

“Hey guys,” Zuko says softly, grinning as he looks between them.

“Idiot,” Toph grumbles, punching him in the arm with a little more force than necessary.

A shadow falls over Zuko’s face for a moment and he looks directly at Aang. “My father…?”

“He’s alive, but I took his bending away.” Aang puts a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “He can’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”

Zuko’s expression flickers between confusion, shock, contemplation, and awe before he sighs heavily. He nods once, his hand coming up to grab Aang’s wrist for a fleeting moment.

“Speaking of, we should probably go get the Loser Lord out of the airship and into a proper cell,” Suki says sheepishly, elbowing Toph and Aang not-so-subtly. “And you should go and rest a bit until Sokka’s ready for his healing session,” She adds pointedly towards Katara, practically shoving the three of them out of the room. “You two have fun!” She says before promptly slamming the door shut.

There’s a moment of silence as Sokka and Zuko stare owlishly at the door.

Sokka is the first to recover, looking back over at Zuko with a wriggly feeling in his stomach. His leg gives a painful twinge and he grimaces, quickly making up his mind. “Hey, scoot over.” He makes a shooing motion towards Zuko who stares at him like he’s grown a second head. “My leg hurts, jerk.”

“Oh, uhh, sure.” Zuko carefully scoots over to one end of the bed, settling back against the pillows with a huff.

Before he can chicken-pig out, Sokka hops up onto the bed, grabbing a lavish pillow and using it to prop up his bad leg. He maneuvers the pillows behind him for a moment until finally finding a comfortable position.

“Am I going to have to get used to you putting yourself in near death situations? I promise joining the good side doesn’t mean you have to be all chivalrous and self-sacrificing all-of-a-sudden,” Sokka blurts out before the moment of silence has a chance to feel oppressive or awkward.

Zuko lets out a surprised laugh. “What?”

“Sparky Sparky Boom Man blasting you off a cliff? Cutting it way too close for comfort with the gondola? The first time your sister tried to kill you? You know, when you nearly fell to your death? OH WAIT. THAT WAS ALL THREE TIMES!”

“That definitely wasn’t the first time she’s tried to kill me-”

“Missing the point, Zuko!” Sokka huffs, flicking him on the shoulder. “Look, I mean, thanks and all for saving my sister today. But dude, we’ve got your back, you know? You don’t have to fight your battles alone anymore. You don’t have to risk yourself like that to prove you’re a good person or something.”

“I’m not used to having people to fight for, other than myself,” Zuko says with a shrug. “And hey, I took backup, didn’t I? I’m not entirely sure I would’ve won without Katara there. Azula was...I don’t know, I’ve never seen her like that.” Zuko looks regretful as he idly rubs the bedsheet between his fingers.

“Is she…?” Sokka almost doesn’t want to finish his question.

“They had to detain her just so she couldn’t hurt anyone else or herself. I hate it,” Zuko says bitterly.

“She’s been trying to kill you! She almost did kill you! Aren’t you at least a little relieved she’s locked up right alongside your dad?” Sokka asks incredulously.

“My father can rot in his cell for all I care, but Azula is still my sister,” Zuko snaps hotly. “She’s just as much of a victim of our family as I am, and I’m going to get her the help she needs. I-”

Zuko has a coughing fit that has Sokka wincing. Turning to the bedside table next to him, he’s relieved to find a jug of water already set out. He pours a cup, proud when he only spills a couple of drops over the side, then turns back to hand it to Zuko. He shoves down the squirmy feeling that returns when their fingers brush as he places the cup in Zuko’s hands.

“Thanks,” Zuko says weakly. He drinks it slowly, holding the cup in his lap and looking at it somberly when he finishes. He runs his thumb over the rim, seemingly lost in thought.

Zuko remains quiet for a moment, and Sokka hesitates to break this particular silence. He tries to direct his excess energy into playing with the tassels on the pillow under his leg. It works for a little while, but soon he finds his gaze drifting back over to Zuko’s profile. His hands itch with the urge to smooth his hair out of his face, to caress the ridges of his scar. His body screams with the need to close the distance that lays between them like a chasm. He doesn’t move. The moment feels too fragile, so he forces his treacherous hands to keep to themselves.

Just as Sokka starts to worry he isn’t going to say anything else, Zuko takes a steadying breath.

__________

Zuko

Zuko can feel Sokka’s gaze on him, but is surprised to find it more comforting than off-putting. It makes his stomach flip pleasantly, makes him more determined to figure out the right words to help Sokka understand how he can still love Azula after everything that’s happened between them. He wonders if Sokka can tell how badly he’s trying not to cry again. Sokka has always been scarily perceptive like that, way more perceptive than he lets on.

With a shaky breath, Zuko lets his walls fall just a little bit more.

“I still don’t know where my mother is, if she’s even alive. And my father practically disowned me the day I was born. Azula’s the only family I have left other than my uncle.” His grip on the cup in his hands tightens. “I’ve already abandoned her once, I won’t do it again,” He vows, quiet but adamant as a tear still manages to slip down his cheek despite his best efforts. He wipes it away quickly, but Sokka must see it because the next thing Zuko knows, Sokka’s placing a sturdy hand on his shoulder. Zuko startles slightly at the unexpected contact, cursing the fact Sokka chose to sit on his bad side.

Sokka apologizes, starting to retract his hand, but Zuko cuts him off before he can go very far. “No...it’s...it’s okay, Sokka.” Zuko closes his eyes for a moment, steadying his breathing as he forces his hackles to lower. Once his body gets the memo that he’s not in danger, he opens his eyes to find Sokka staring at him again.

“You’re fucking incredible, you know that?” Sokka blurts out, his expression nothing short of awe.

“What?” Zuko nearly chokes, face heating rapidly at the unexpected praise.

“Even after everything life has thrown at you, after having the world’s number one worst person for a dad, you still manage to be one of the kindest people I know.” Sokka stares at him openly, like all the time in the world wouldn’t be enough to understand him, but that he wants to try anyway. Zuko’s breath stutters in his chest when Sokka’s thumb starts absently brushing up and down his shoulder, catching on his exposed collarbone.

“You love so intensely despite seemingly being shown so little love yourself. You’re so good. I don’t know, I just...” Sokka shakes his head, looking frustrated at not being able to articulate exactly what he wants to say. “It’s something I really admire about you, okay?” His gaze is unwavering, even as a dark flush starts to bloom across his cheeks and neck.

“Oh,” Zuko breathes, and with that one word the dam breaks. Once the tears start flowing he knows there’s no chance of stopping them this time. But he finds he doesn’t mind, as with them comes the much-needed release of everything that’s been building up inside him.

Sokka looks startled. “Shit, sorry! I didn’t mean to make you cry!”

Before Zuko has time to process what’s happening, Sokka’s hands come up to cradle either side of his face. Sokka’s attempts to wipe away his tears are futile as more follow immediately after, but he keeps doing it anyway. Zuko wonders if he should tell him half the reason he’s crying now is because of how tenderly he’s holding him.

He keeps his mouth shut, afraid that if he says something Sokka might let go.

Only now does he realize Sokka is touching the scarred side of his face, and he hadn’t even thought to flinch away. He’s grateful for the fact he’s already crying, as it disguises the new wave of emotions crashing through him.

Sokka is looking at him, all of him, like he’s something precious.

Apparently, silence isn’t the best option, as Sokka’s expression soon slips into one of mild concern. Still not trusting his voice, but looking for a way to reassure him, Zuko finally releases his death grip on the empty water cup and places it safely out of reach. Hesitantly, he lifts his right hand to grasp at Sokka’s left elbow. Zuko takes it as a good sign when Sokka’s eyes widen ever-so-slightly, but he doesn’t pull away. He moves to do the same with his left, but then his fingertips graze against a soft, unfamiliar fabric. Only when Sokka takes in a sharp breath does Zuko realize the unfamiliar fabric is Sokka’s tunic and that he’s slightly misjudged his trajectory.

He curses Sokka a second time for sitting on his bad side.

A whispered apology slips out before he even knows what he’s apologizing for, but Sokka shakes his head immediately.

“It’s okay, Zuko,” He says softly, as if he too is scared of shattering this moment with one wrong move.

Gathering up every ounce of courage he has left, Zuko reaches his left hand out with more purpose, finding purchase on the dip of Sokka’s waist. This time, when Sokka breathes in sharply, Zuko can feel it against his palm. Again, Sokka doesn’t pull away, instead, leaning slightly into the touch with a shaky exhale. When Sokka’s thumbs start rubbing soothing lines along his cheekbones, Zuko finds his eyes naturally closing in appreciation, his own thumbs moving to mirror said movements at Sokka’s waist and elbow.

The flood of thoughts that have been fighting for attention in Zuko’s head all day finally begin to quiet down, each breath coming a little easier than the one before. They stay like that for a little while, and despite Zuko’s heart beating wildly in his chest, he finds a level of peace he’s only ever found in the arms of his mother or uncle.

There’s an infinite number of things Zuko wants to say, things he wants to tell Sokka he admires about him. If anyone deserves to be told how incredible they are, it’s Sokka. He does so much and asks for so little in return, it makes Zuko want to take care of him. Makes him wish he had the words or actions to tell him just how much he’s appreciated.

He wants to ask for things he knows he shouldn’t want, say things he knows he shouldn’t say, but they all get caught in his throat. He wants to scream in frustration, if only to try and dislodge the words that refuse to come out.

Instead, he stays quiet, selfishly holding onto this moment for as long as he’s allowed to have it.

No matter how much he berates himself for it, no matter how many times he tells himself he’s reading too far into this or that he doesn’t deserve Sokka’s kindness. A part of him still imagines a version of this scenario where he finally tells him the truth and Sokka’s voice cracks through a confession of mutual attraction. A version where Sokka finally uses his perfectly placed hands to pull him in for a kiss.

He has to forcibly drag his thoughts back to the present, not wanting to miss out on another second of what may be his only chance to have Sokka’s attention like this. He refocuses his energy into memorizing the feeling of Sokka’s waist, the callouses on Sokka’s hands that he easily recognizes as those of a swordsman. But all that manages to do is drastically increase his desire to hold Sokka’s hand, now all too curious as to how Sokka’s callouses would match up with the callouses he himself has from his broadswords.

Worried he’s about to get dragged back into a fantasy that will only make the longing worse, he forces himself to open his eyes, only to find he’s nowhere near prepared enough to decipher the soft look Sokka is giving him. It gives him a sliver of hope and he doesn’t know what to do with it, dreading the thought of being wrong and ruining everything.

Against his better judgement, he lets himself grab onto the sliver of hope, letting it bolster him. The vice grip on his throat eases just enough for him to say, “I’m glad you’re alive,” and-

Wait, what!?

He wants to smack himself.

Really? That’s all you could manage? No shit, Zuko, he’s your friend! Of course you’re glad he’s alive!

Sokka’s surprised laugh has his face heating in shame and he can’t bring himself to meet his eyes.

“Hey, sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. You just caught me off guard is all,” Sokka is quick to amend, so earnest he leaves no room for Zuko to think he’s just saying it to make him feel better. “You dork…” He adds under his breath, and Zuko can’t even find it in himself to be offended because it’s accompanied by the goofiest of grins.

Spirits, he’s going to be the death of me. He thinks faintly.

But just when Zuko thinks he’s finally done throwing him curveballs, Sokka starts to lean in, and his heartbeat skyrockets.

There’s no way he’s going to-

His panic gets mercifully if disappointingly cut short when Sokka merely rests his forehead against his, taking a deep breath. He feels more than hears when Sokka says, “I’m glad you’re alive too.” Zuko is struck by how raw his voice sounds, his bad ear straining to hear when he adds, “You have no idea.”

Zuko wants to argue that it isn’t fair. How is it possible that such a good person can sound like they care about him so much? How can Sokka make him feel so loved with such simple words? It’s a dangerous game, putting Sokka and ‘love’ in the same sentence. Zuko doesn’t even realize he’s closed his eyes again until he has to open them once more. He watches as Sokka pulls back, leaving the barest amount of space between their faces.

Zuko’s grip tightens desperately. He barely dares to breathe.

Fuck. He’s never wanted to kiss someone so badly.

Sokka fixes him with such an intense gaze he doesn’t think he could move if he wanted to. All Zuko can do is stare openly back, sacrificing every remaining ounce of willpower he has to not give in and stare at his mouth.

“Can I-” Sokka’s voice tapers out and he has to clear his throat. He looks terrified out of his mind, but a hopeful sort of determination still manages to bleed through. Taking a steadying breath, he tries again. “Can I...ask you something?”

“You just did,” Zuko can’t help replying, but it’s so embarrassingly breathy he’s not even angry at himself for once again speaking without thinking.

Sokka snorts. “Yeah, okay, smartass. Seriously though, can I?”

“Yes,” Zuko says before he can even finish, let alone ask the real question. He’d say yes to anything Sokka asked right about now.

Sokka nods, holding his gaze for another moment. But then it’s his turn to break eye contact, instead, following the path of his right hand as it trails down Zuko’s neck to settle on his chest. “Fuck, this is so much harder than I thought it’d be.” It’s said more to himself than to Zuko, who finds some comfort in the fact that Sokka is struggling to get the right words out about as much as he is.

The hand now on his chest makes him feel vulnerable though, as surely Sokka can now feel his heart pounding under his palm. Not to mention how the only thing separating Sokka’s hand from his skin is the thin bandaging around his torso.

His suspicions are confirmed when Sokka can’t seem to stop himself from saying, “Woah, your heart’s beating almost as fast as mine!” The moment the words come out he looks like he wants to shove them back in. “Aaand I just said that out loud. Great.” When he finally peeks back up at Zuko, his face is entirely pink.

So cute. Zuko’s brain supplies, rather unhelpfully.

Sokka makes a choked sort of noise.

Zuko, horrified, realizes he’s said it out loud.

“What?”

“What?”

“Y-you think I’m cute?”

“I think you’re stalling. Didn’t you have something to ask me?” Zuko covers clumsily, hoping he hasn’t just massively screwed up. The alarm bells are blaring so loudly in his head he can’t tell if Sokka thinks being called ‘cute’ is a good thing or not.

“Yeah, right, the question…” Sokka trails off, seemingly still recovering from their mutual embarrassment. Scanning Zuko’s face, a teasing grin makes its way onto his face and Zuko knows he’s absolutely screwed.

“Dude, your face is so pink. And now your heart’s beating even faster-”

“Sokka.”

“Sorry. Sorry. Stalling again. I just really don’t want to mess this up, okay? Cause if I read this wrong, which I really really hope I’m not, I’m going to look like a total idiot, and worst case scenario you hate me forever and never speak again or turn into the sun or something, and I don’t think I could deal with that! So I just want to be totally sure before I-”

“Sokka.” Spirits above, just kiss me already.

“Yeah?” Sokka still looks so hopeful, yet so terrified, it makes Zuko want to hug him and never let anyone hurt him ever again.

He knows it’s his move now and sees an opportunity in a strand of hair that’s fallen out of Sokka’s wolf tail. He lifts his right hand from Sokka’s elbow to gently brush it back, finally permitting himself to do what he’s wanted to for who knows how long. “It’s okay.” He slides his other hand from Sokka’s waist up to his back, using it to pull him closer until their noses are almost touching. “Ask me.” He insists, barely above a whisper.

He’s too much of a coward to just say ‘fuck it’ and close the distance himself, but he doesn’t give himself too hard of a time about it on account of the part of him that wants to hear Sokka ask.

Sokka chews on his lip, eyes fixed on his hand still splayed across Zuko’s chest. He takes a breath, seeming to build himself up to the words he wants to say. Finally lifting his gaze, he gets stuck halfway up, now staring at Zuko’s mouth.

Zuko thinks he might pass out from lack of oxygen if Sokka doesn’t hurry the fuck up. His right hand twitches with the urge to grab him by the tunic and pull him the rest of the way forward, but he resists. He knows if he’s patient Sokka won’t be able to stand the silence anymore and will have to break it somehow.

Sokka drags his gaze up the rest of the way, fingers bunching up Zuko’s tunic.

Not yet…

The only thing audible in the otherwise silent room is the sound of their breathing, quick and unsteady. Bated.

In 3...2...1…

“Can I kiss you?”

Zuko barely gets out a full ‘yes’ before they’re both moving to close that last infuriating gap.

Despite the urgency with which they come together, their first kiss is still hesitant, a curious brushing of lips that’s over before it’s really begun.

Zuko feels like he could bend fire hotter than the sun.

One kiss bleeds into a second, and a third, and a fourth, each one more sure than the last. Their hands tighten their grips on each other as if simultaneously searching for an anchor to reality.

Holy fucking shit. This is actually happening. I’m kissing Sokka. Sokka is kissing me. We’re kissing. Right now. This is real and he’s kissing me!

Sokka threads a hand into Zuko’s hair and his brain nearly stops functioning altogether, a pleasant tingling sensation exploding across his scalp. His stomach flutters, his hand twists up the back of Sokka’s tunic, all while Sokka effectively extinguishes any hope Zuko once had of ever forming a coherent thought again.

They part for a moment to catch their breaths, staring at each other in wonder and disbelief. If Zuko thought Sokka was cute blushing before, he certainly does now. He doesn’t even want to know how red his own face is if the dark flush of Sokka’s cheeks is anything to go by.

Sokka swallows, taking a moment to get enough air in his lungs before asking, “This okay?”

Zuko is almost offended Sokka thinks he could be anything less than okay right now, what with how long he’s wanted to do exactly this. “More than,” He manages to get out, the knowledge that Sokka is out of breath because of something he did doing funny things to his insides.

“Good.” Sokka shoots him a grin before leaning back in, using his hand in Zuko’s hair to guide them back together at a better angle. He keeps the pace as slow and careful as the first few, like dipping your toes in the ocean before taking the plunge.

More like dipping your toes into a hot spring right after jumping into a freezing lake. Zuko corrects his mind absently as a pleasant warmth settles in his body.

Sokka inches closer, pressing their thighs flush against each other, and Zuko thinks of that first step into the hot spring. The moment of pure relief as you finally let your body sink into the soothing waters. Zuko is used to his body running hot, but the extra heat from Sokka’s body makes him dizzy with the want for more. He’s about ready to drag Sokka fully on top of him until he remembers his leg is hurt and might not appreciate a sudden change in position.

His conflict must come across in his body language as Sokka is quick to pull back, glancing at his left leg with an irritated frown. “Okay, so, making my move before getting this healed might not have been my best idea…” Sokka trails off sheepishly.

Zuko comes back to his senses enough to say, “You probably shouldn’t keep Katara waiting…” He’s not sure he manages to disguise his disappointment.

Sokka makes a distressed noise followed by a defeated groan. “Ugh, you’re probably right. She’d probably kill me first and you second.” He leans side to side a few times, seeming to weigh his options. He doesn’t look happy as he starts untangling his limbs from Zuko’s.

“I’ll uhh...still be here. You know...if you wanted to…” Zuko’s face burns. “Pick up where we left off…?” He finishes, cringing.

“Yes! I mean, yeah, hah, sure! I mean…” Sokka ponders something for a second before looking triumphant. He turns to him with a sly grin. “Well, someone has to keep an eye on you, y’know? Future Fire Lord recovering from an injury and all.”

“Oh, yeah, Katara won’t suspect a thing.” Zuko snorts, accepting that everyone in the Gaang will know by the morning if they don’t already.

“Fuck off,” Sokka grumbles, smacking his arm lightheartedly as he moves to stand.

“You’re the one who’s leaving, I’m tragically bedridden,” Zuko teases.

“Okay, now that’s laying it on thick.” Sokka wobbles on one leg for a moment, looking unimpressed. When he finally manages to catch his balance, he hesitates before leaving the bedside.

Zuko opens his mouth to ask what’s wrong but closes it again when Sokka unexpectedly leans down to press a gentle kiss to the top of his head, saying “I’ll be back as soon as I can, so just, don’t die while I’m gone, okay?”

Zuko almost laughs before he notices how serious he looks when he says it. “I’ll try not to get into too much trouble,” Zuko says, relieved when this gets a soft smile out of him.

When the bedroom door clicks shut, signaling Sokka has left the room, Zuko lets himself collapse back onto his bed. A painful twinge in his chest has him regretting the action almost immediately. Gritting his teeth, he waits for the spasms to ebb before slowly laying back down.

He doesn’t even know where to begin with processing everything that’s happened. Should he start with the last half hour? The last twenty four hours? It’s a little surreal, having his father be imprisoned, his great grandfather’s hundred-year war be brought to an end, and his seemingly unrequited feelings be returned, all in one day. Not to mention by this time tomorrow, he’ll be sitting on the throne as Fire Lord of the nation he was once banished from.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t mind-numbingly terrified of that prospect. For how much he’s dreamed of the day he’ll finally claim the throne as his own, the reality of the circumstances under which he’s claiming it are daunting, to say the least.

Will his people even accept him? Is he indeed the best candidate for the job? He finds himself selfishly wishing his uncle would change his mind. Surely such a broken nation could better use Iroh’s kindness, patience, and love to begin moving into an era of peace?

“...you still manage to be one of the kindest people I know…”

Zuko’s face heats, reminded of Sokka’s words from mere moments ago. He’s caught between the instinct to disagree, thinking he couldn’t possibly be that good of a person, and the fact he knows Sokka wouldn’t lie to him.

His thoughts continue to spiral into places of self-doubt and paranoia until they’re brought to a halt by a knock on his door. Unfortunately, it happens right as he starts considering the very real danger of assassination attempts on his life. His instincts kick in before his brain, making him bolt upright and bend a flame into his hand before registering who’s entering.

If they were here to kill you, they wouldn’t have the courtesy to knock first, idiot. He thinks scathingly, though it’s not enough to stop the adrenaline coursing through his body.

“Zuko?”

His body slumps in relief at the sound of Sokka’s voice, the flame disappearing from his hand as quickly as it came.

“Am I good to come in?”

“Yeah,” Zuko croaks out, hoping it’s loud enough for Sokka to hear through the door.

The door creaks open and Sokka peaks through, looking relieved when he spots Zuko. “Was worried I’d forgotten how to get back here for a second.” He opens the door the rest of the way, revealing a tray of food in his hands and a crutch under one shoulder. “Hope you don’t mind us raiding your palace, Your Fieryness.”

“I haven’t even been crowned yet,” Zuko counters, cursing when Sokka seems to pick up on the turmoil behind those words.

Sokka looks at him for a moment before determinedly making his way over to the bed. He kicks off his one boot before plopping down beside him, setting the tray by their feet with a flourish. “Eat. Then you can tell me why you sound like that’s something still up for debate.”

Zuko glares at him for a moment before groaning in defeat, carefully leaning forward to take a bowl. He can feel Sokka’s eyes on him as he slowly starts to eat, unable to bring himself to meet his gaze.

“It’s stupid…”

“If it was stupid you wouldn’t be having a crisis over it. C’mon, what’s up?”

Usually, Zuko would be pissed off by the nagging, but a reluctant part of him wants to confide in Sokka. Taking the last couple bites of his food, he stalls for time as he tries to piece together what exactly he wants to say. When his bowl is empty, he glares down at it in frustration. The longer the silence drags on, the harder it is for Zuko to break.

“What are you thinking?” Sokka presses gently, and Zuko wants to kiss him for doing the hardest part for him.

“There’s no guarantee they’ll accept me as their Fire Lord,” Zuko says, glad to have it finally out in the open. “What if I’m not a good enough leader? What if my uncle made a mistake?”

“Your uncle wouldn’t have left the throne to you if he didn’t trust you with the responsibility,” Sokka says, leaving no room for dispute. “You’ve seen first hand the kind of harm your people have inflicted on the other nations. I can think of no better person to lead the Fire Nation into healing those wounds.”

Sokka nudges his hand against Zuko’s, hesitating for a moment as if giving him the chance to pull away. Instead, Zuko releases his death grip on the bowl, rotating his palm upwards in a silent invitation. Calloused fingers lace themselves between his and it’s as wonderful as he’s always imagined it would be.

“You won’t be doing it alone either. You’ve got the Avatar backing you up! Not to mention...well...y’know...” Sokka moves his other hand, clasping it over Zuko’s with a squeeze. “...Me.”

Zuko squeezes it back, losing himself for a moment in the sensation of Sokka’s fingers tracing soothing patterns on the back of his hand. He doesn’t know what he’s done to deserve him. Not fully trusting his voice, he brings their joined hands up to his mouth, pressing an appreciative kiss into Sokka’s knuckles and managing a whispered ‘thank you’.

When he finally looks back over at Sokka, it’s to see him staring at their hands with a furious blush. Zuko’s stomach flips, suddenly worried the kiss was too much. Too intimate.

“Do we…” Zuko starts awkwardly, joining Sokka in staring at their hands. “Do we need to talk about this?”

Sokka looks caught off guard by the question but recovers quickly. “Probably?”

“Okay,” Zuko says dumbly, not knowing how to start said conversation.

Sokka saves him, yet again. “I guess I should start, since you probably have the most reason to have questions. First off, Suki and I are in an open relationship. So, we’re dating, but we’re open to dating other people as well. She, uhh, kinda knows I’ve got it bad for you, so this won’t come as a surprise to her in the slightest.” He laughs sheepishly.

“How do you not get jealous?” Zuko feels a little stupid for asking.

“Lots of communication and trust. Understanding that I can’t always provide everything my partner might need, be that because of distance, or some other factor.” Sokka shrugs. “Understanding that some people can love multiple people, and that doesn’t devalue the amount of love they have for each person.”

“That...makes a lot of sense,” Zuko says, surprised by how easily he opens up to the idea. And it does make sense, especially coming from Sokka who seems to ooze unconditional love from every pore in his body.

“So, as long as you’re okay with sharing, it’s okay with me and her.” Sokka starts to look unsure of himself as he says it, for once not seeming to be able to read Zuko’s reaction.

Zuko looks at their joined hands and thinks about how right they look together. He thinks about how safe Sokka makes him feel, how just a few words can soothe his insecurities. He thinks about how fierce Suki is, how her presence is always one of steady reassurance. Finally, he thinks about how happy they make each other, and how happy they could all be together. A warmth pools in his stomach at the thought.

“Okay.” Zuko nods, having made up his mind.

“Okay…?” Sokka still looks unsure, like he doesn’t dare let himself hope.

“I want you, even if I have to share,” Zuko says, determinedly meeting his gaze.

Sokka’s breath hitches. “Oh.”

“I want you to be happy, and she makes you happy. Why would I want to take that away from you?” Zuko continues, gaining confidence as he goes. “You mean so much to me, make me feel safe and cared for. You’ve seen me at my worst, and still found it in yourself to give me a chance to be better. I may not be the best with words, you’ll both have to help me learn to communicate better, but I want to try.” He emphasizes the last words with another squeeze to their hands. “I...I think I owe myself at least that much.”

He thinks his uncle would be proud of him, finally choosing to do something for himself. Finally choosing happiness regardless of how much it scares him to do so.

“Well, good, I’m glad to hear it,” Sokka says, shooting him a coy smile. “We can make it official with Suki tomorrow, but for now…” He grabs the tray of food, moving it off the bed and onto the floor. “I think I just want to spend time with my boyfriend.”

“You’re about to become ten times more insufferable, aren’t you?” Zuko groans, hiding his face in his now unoccupied hands. He’s ashamed to admit to himself how much he already misses the solid weight of Sokka’s hands around his own.

“Can’t return me now, sorry not sorry.” Sokka says, sticking his tongue out childishly.

“You say that like I’d ever want to,” Zuko mutters to himself, but he knows Sokka hears it anyway. A thought pops into his head, and he can’t help teasing Sokka a little bit to get back at him. He points to the tray of food now on the ground, amused. “Was that your excuse to come back and see me?”

Sokka laughs. “It would’ve been the perfect excuse, if I hadn’t already told Katara I was planning to come back anyway.”

“You told her?!”

“She knew something was going on and threatened not to heal my leg until I fessed up! She’s a monster, I’m telling you…”

“How’d she react?” Zuko asks, his gut twisting in apprehension.

“You wanna know what she said? Make sure he doesn’t overexert himself! With this knowing look and everything! It was awful.” Sokka flips over onto his stomach dramatically, letting out a long embarrassed groan only siblings can invoke.

“That’s kind of hilarious.”

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up jerkbender.”

“And kind of serves you right for having the subtlety of a komodo rhino.”

“Like you’re any better!”

Sokka shoots him a pout that’s so pitiful he can’t help leaning over and kissing his cheek. “Whatever makes you feel better,” Zuko can’t help teasing.

“Shut up.” Is his response, muffled as he shoves his face back in the pillows.

“How is your leg, anyway?”

“Definitely broken, but she managed to set it properly so it should heal fine. Said I should keep elevating it though.” He flips over again, scooting back towards the headboard and shoving a pillow under his leg. “Doesn’t hurt too bad as long as I don’t move it too much. How about you?”

“My leg is fine...?” Zuko says, beyond confused.

“The lightning, dumbass.” Sokka laughs, though not unkindly.

“Oh, right." Zuko looks down at his chest then back up at Sokka. "It’s fine? It hurts when I pull certain muscles the wrong way, but otherwise it’s bearable. Nothing compared to it actually entering and exiting my body anyway.” He wonders if the lightning fried his brain while it was at it.

“What was it like?” Sokka asks before slapping a hand over his mouth. “Sorry, that’s probably a really rude question to ask.”

Zuko shrugs. “I thought I was dying,” He says matter-of-factly. Sokka reaches out to take his hand again, which he accepts gladly.

“That sounds awful…”

“I don’t regret it for a second though. I would’ve taken lightning for any of you, and I’d do it again if it meant saving the life of someone I care about.”

“Well, hopefully you won’t have to,” Sokka says, sounding choked up all-of-a-sudden.

Zuko panics, not sure if the severe reaction is simply at the thought of him risking his life again, or something deeper. He has a feeling it’s both but doesn’t feel it’s his place to ask him about it just yet. Instead, he tries to take a page from Sokka’s book and makes a joke to try and lighten the mood.

“You’re going to get wrinkles before you’re twenty if you keep worrying like that,” Zuko says, poking Sokka’s drawn together eyebrows until they relax.

Sokka huffs out a laugh, batting his hand away. “Probably.” He sits up for a moment, readjusting himself so he’s under the bed covers. He pauses for a moment, looking between himself and Zuko before his face goes suspiciously pink.

“Something wrong?” Zuko asks, only making Sokka look more embarrassed.

“Do you mind if I...undress a little? I think I’d die of heatstroke if I tried to sleep in all of this next to the human embodiment of a furnace.”

“Oh, yeah, sure. Uhh, go ahead.” Zuko instinctively looks away to give him his privacy then feels a little ridiculous for doing so. Realistically, he knows it’s nothing he hasn’t seen before, but the change in circumstances has his face heating.

If only to give his hands something to do, he moves to take off his own robes. After years of rigorous training leaving his body toned, he’s never been one to shy away from going topless. But as it stands, he can’t quite stop his hands from shaking as he slides the robes off his shoulders. Too late, he realizes this is the exact kind of movement to trigger another spasm in his chest.

“Fuck!” The expletive slips out through clenched teeth as he rides out the wave of stabbing pain. He forces himself to breathe through it despite his body’s protests, grateful when Sokka places a steadying hand on his bicep.

“Okay?”

Zuko nods.

“Need help with that?”

After a moment’s hesitation, he nods again.

Sokka’s hands are impossibly gentle as they maneuver the robes down his arms and into a haphazard pile on the ground. Zuko’s heart pounds in his chest, his skin tingling where fabric or Sokka’s fingers brush against it.

When he finally gets up the nerve to turn around and face him, his mouth goes dry. He must look ridiculous as he openly stares at the planes of Sokka’s body, mesmerized by the way the low light from the nearby lamps flickers along his tanned skin.

He’s thankful Sokka too has decided to keep his lower half fully clothed, not quite sure he would’ve survived seeing so much of him all at once. His brain is already so entirely reduced to mush that he’s powerless to stop it when he blurts out, “You look pretty with your hair down.”

He watches, fascinated, as Sokka’s resulting flush creeps not only into his cheeks but also down his neck and across his upper chest.

“Dude! You can’t just say something like that!” Sokka says indignantly, voice cracking.

“Why not?” Zuko asks, not following.

“Ugh, you’re so cute I could kiss you.” Sokka groans, leaving Zuko confused as to whether that’s a good thing or not.

“I won’t stop you,” Zuko says, gaze now helplessly fixated on Sokka’s mouth. “I trust you’ll make sure I don’t overexert myself,” He adds with a grin, unable to stop himself from poking fun.

“You’re terrible,” Sokka says, fondness breaking through his half-hearted glare.

“I know.” Zuko smiles.

“The absolute worst.” Sokka leans in, his words barely a whisper against Zuko’s lips.

“Mhm…” Zuko mumbles, eyes falling shut when Sokka’s hand finds its way into his hair and tugs.

“I’m gonna stop talking now.”

Any response Zuko may have had is cut off by Sokka’s lips finally claiming his in a tender kiss. Zuko lets out a contented hum, lifting a hand to wrap around the back of Sokka’s neck and pull him in closer. He absently thinks he could die happy in this moment, being kissed and held by Sokka so lovingly he wants to cry.

Zuko may not have kissed many people in his lifetime, but he knows none of them made him feel like this. With Mai, it was always nice, safe, but nothing more. With Jet, it was an experiment doomed from the beginning, exhilarating and dangerous but still missing something. With Jin, it was pleasant but overshadowed by guilt and confusion.

Sokka is like a soothing cup of his uncle’s best jasmine tea after a long day. Sokka kisses him like he could kiss him every day for the rest of his life, and he still wouldn’t grow tired of it. Sokka holds him like he’s something to be cherished, gazes fondly at him like he can’t believe his luck.

Zuko kisses Sokka for what feels like hours, more than happy to take things slow as they familiarize themselves with each other. When he finally works up the courage to run his tongue experimentally along Sokka’s bottom lip, Sokka gasps, readily parting his lips in an open invitation. Instead of giving him what he wants, Zuko pulls back for a moment and Sokka whines at the loss of contact.

“This okay?” Zuko pants against his mouth, taking the opportunity to slide a hand up and press his thumb where his tongue just was.

“Fuck yes,” Sokka all-but-moans, scraping blunt nails along Zuko’s scalp.

Encouraged by Sokka’s positive response, Zuko finally lets himself take control of the kiss, pressing him against the headboard with a hand on his stomach. He feels the muscles clench when he dives back in for another deep kiss, running his tongue along kiss-swollen lips but still not giving them what they both want.

Sokka’s hand shoots out to grab his thigh, gripping the fabric and tugging as if to tell him to ‘hurry the fuck up’. Zuko laughs into the kiss in response, which seems to only make Sokka all the more impatient.

When his tongue finally slides into Sokka’s mouth, he can feel their mutual groans vibrate in his throat. For the moment, Sokka seems perfectly content to let Zuko explore his mouth, and Zuko is more than happy to oblige.

The next time they come up for air they barely take a breath before crashing back together, but now they both have tongues in each other's mouths and Zuko feels dizzy from all the sensations.

It’s wet, and hot, and clumsy, and he never wants it to end.

It’s a long time later when they slow back down, kisses turning less desperate and more chaste as their final shreds of energy start to run out. Warm and content, they settle against each other under the covers, Sokka curling up at Zuko’s side and resting his head on his chest. Zuko wraps his arms protectively around Sokka as best he can, squeezing the hand that falls on his stomach with his own.

When he finally gets his breathing back under control, Zuko closes his eyes for a moment, syncing his breaths with the fires in the lamps before extinguishing them completely.

“Show off,” Sokka grumbles, tone betraying the fondness behind his words.

“You like it though,” Zuko laughs, reminded of all the times he’s called him a show-off but never once told him to stop doing it.

“Yeah.” Sokka smiles against his chest, making no attempt to argue.

Zuko stares down at him in surprise, stomach swooping at the easy admission. Now that he’s looking though, he can’t help being distracted by how soft Sokka’s hair looks. Suddenly, he wants to card his hands through it so badly but he has no idea how to ask if he can.

Do I even need to ask? I probably should, right? Even if it’s something so small, there’s still a chance he doesn’t want me touching it.

His body feels frozen, unable to move his hands yet unable to think about anything else. But the more he thinks about how badly he wants to do it, the more he thinks about how he’s not fucking doing it, why can’t I just fucking ask like a normal human being?.

“Hey, what are you thinking about?” Sokka breaks through his spiraling panic seamlessly.

“Want to touch your hair, looks soft,” Zuko whispers, shame heating his face when it comes out sounding so silly.

“Okay, I’d really like that actually,” Sokka says, stretching to kiss his jaw. “It’s okay to ask for things, Zuko,” He adds before snuggling back down into the curve of his neck and shoulder.

It’s something that should be obvious, but Zuko still feels a small weight in his chest lift at the reassurance. From anyone else, it might have sounded patronizing, but from Sokka, it’s like a healing balm over sensitive wounds.

His body finally unfreezes and he’s able to lift a hand, hesitating only for a moment before resting it in Sokka’s hair. When he finally starts moving his fingers through it, occasionally making a pass with his blunt nails, Sokka sounds so pleased he might as well be purring.

“I think I understand Momo’s need for head scratches on a spiritual level now,” Sokka sighs.

Zuko laughs, so utterly in love with the doofus in his arms he might burst.

As Sokka’s relaxed humming gives way to obscene snoring, Zuko thinks he finally understands what his uncle meant when he said there’s nothing wrong with a life of peace and prosperity. What once felt so unattainable for him now shines like a beacon of hope, giving him something to keep fighting for.

Tomorrow will come, and daunting as it may be, Zuko knows he won’t be facing it alone.

Notes:

And there you have it, folks! Time to disappear into my hobbit hole for another year OTL (okay maybe not, I DO have those extra chapters to potentially write hehehe THEN I can disappear)

I honestly don't know how to put into words how wonderful of an experience posting this fic has been. All your kind comments have meant the absolute WORLD to me and inspire me to keep writing! Maybe I'll tackle more Zukka? Maybe give Bakoda a shot? Maybe I'll finally give in and write some KiriBaku or Renga haha. Or maybe I'll finally work on any number of my incomplete Drarry fics oops. Either way, I hope y'all stick around to see what this weird brain of mine comes up with next <3

In need of some more Zukka content? Check out my Zukka Themed Spotify Playlist!

Like cool cosplayers? Find me on Instagram @kyanite.cos ;)

Need someone to gush about Zukka/SuZuKka with? Find me on Tumblr @kyischaotic or @flameo-homo ;)

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Five Times They Find Out (now featuring more Bakoda!)