After the war

Ember Island pt. 2

Sokka and Zuko had sat together on the beach for a while now. While the boys were sat talking Ra had been sunbathing, when he had grown tired of that he had climbed into Zuko's lap and fallen asleep. Zuko was cradling the small dragon in his hands and looking down at him lovingly. The caring look in Zuko's eyes made Sokka's, definitely in love, heart completely melt.

"Hey, Hotshot, I've been meaning to ask you something"

"What is it Boomerang?"

Sokka looked at Zuko's, crooked, shit eating grin and found he couldn't quite form words. 'Wow, what a time to freeze up, good going Sokka!' The non-bender mentally cursed himself.

"You okay Sokka? You just kind of... stopped talking... you good?"

Zuko suddenly found his sentence cut off by Sokka taking a fistful of his shirt, pulling the firebender towards him and connecting their lips. Zuko's heart was soaring as he and Sokka's lips moved in sync before Sokka pulled away, his eyes wide in shock and trembling.

Sokka couldn't speak so he did the next best thing: grabbed Zuko by the shirt, pulled him towards the non-bender, and kissed him. As they were kissing Zuko put his hand on Sokka's shoulder. The water tribe boy suddenly chickened out and pulled away, eyes wide and trembling all over.

"Sokka?"

Sokka couldn't let Zuko finish that sentence, he was far too terrified of the Firelord turning him down and reprimanding him.

So Sokka did the only logical thing and ran away as fast as he could.

Zuko was far too shell shocked to follow Sokka as he ran so, he kneeled on the beach, facing the direction that his friend had run in and felt utterly lost. His feelings for Sokka suddenly became rather clear. He was pulled out of his confusion by Aang approaching.

"Hey there Zuko!" Aang shouted excitedly running up to his friend.

"Hey Aang" came Zuko's defeated reply.

"Something wrong?" Aang asked sitting down next to the firebender. He put his hand on Zuko's shoulder as he hung his head. "Okay, you don't fancy telling me what's up, so I'm gonna sit here until you're ready to tell me" Aang offered rubbing Zuko's shoulder in an effort to comfort him.

"No, someone needs to know. Aang, this is gonna sound kind of shocking, but I've had feelings for Sokka for a while. It first started when we went on our rescue mission to the Boiling Rock... and just now, he kissed me, pulled away looking terrified and ran away" Zuko couldn't look Aang in the face as he told him what happened.

"Zuko, you and Sokka spend almost every second of the day together you really thought no one caught on?"

"Wait so everyone knows?"

"No. No one knows, but we all have playful suspicions"

"I see"

"Let's go find Sokka"

"Agreed"

Zuko scooped Ra up and held him, cradled in his hands as they walked along, wondering where Sokka had run to.

Toph and Suki were wandering around the residential areas of Ember Island and had reached somewhere that looked rather fancy. Toph wondered why she couldn't 'see' any houses and Suki informed her they were all on stilts. Toph sensed someone near them and immediately recognised it was Sokka.

"Hey, I think I can see Sokka crouched under one of the houses" Suki informed Toph, immediately proving her correct. They ran up to Sokka and both sat down next to him.

"Hey there Sokka" Suki said sitting on Sokka's right and Toph sat down on his left.

"Hey" he said in a painfully sad tone and Toph noticed him wiping his eyes.

"Have you been crying?"

"Yeah"

"Why?"

"I can't tell you"

"We can try and guess" Suki suggested

"Yeah we can! And don't lie, I'll know if you do!"

"Okay, well, Zuko isn't here so I'm assuming you two fell out" came a good guess from Suki but Toph knew from Sokka's reaction that wasn't the case.

"Well, it's something to do with Zuko" Toph guessed.

"How did you know that?"

"You just told me. I was making a wild guess, but your reaction just told me I'm correct" Toph said proudly.

"Okay fine, it's to do with Zuko"

"What could have happened that was so terrible you ran away crying like a little bitch? I mean it's not like you kissed him"

Toph felt Sokka tense up and she knew her suspicions were immediately proved correct.

"Okay, you kissed Zuko. We all know you two like each other. You all seem to be forgetting that I can read people like open books, trust me, you both like each other. It's almost as painfully obvious as Katara and Aang" Toph laughed.

"He likes me?"

"Yeah. Now go tell Sparky how you feel!"

"Oh, thank the Spirits! There you are Sokka! Aang and I have been looking everywhere!" Zuko yelled as he ran up to them with Ra sat on his shoulder and Aang in tow.

Toph felt Sokka stand up and run to Zuko and they stopped and stood in front of each other.

"Zuko, I, I'm so sorry, there's no-

"Shut up Boomerang"

Toph knew Zuko had cut Sokka off with a kiss.

"FUCKING FINALLY!" She shouted. "Took you two long enough, we all knew you liked each other!" Toph exclaimed standing up and punching the air.

Zuko wrapped his arms around Sokka's neck, and Sokka put his hands on Zuko's waist, and the two pressed their foreheads together.

"I'm sorry for running off Hotshot"

"Don't worry about it Boomerang"

"Uh, where's Katara?" Aang suddenly piped up.

"Shit! Suki we abandoned Katara!" Toph panicked

"Well let's go find her then you idiots! It's honestly exhausting carrying the braincell!" Suki exclaimed running off in the direction of the market.

Zuko took Sokka's hand in his and they walked, hand in hand, towards the market.

Ra sat happily on Zuko's shoulder enjoying the firebender's body warmth. Sokka reached his hand up to scratch the little dragon's chin.

"Thanks for the trip Sokka, I know it was your idea"

"That's alright, Zuko. I'm glad we got your head screwed on right"

The two laughed as they wandered off after their friends.

They both couldn't help but feel good, having finally closed that gap between their hands that always seemed so small, but so wide at the same time.

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Oh wow, what's this? An update? From me? Never!

Okay seriously the burnout is in full swing, as is the mental breakdown and so far this story is a flop!

Vote, comment, y'all know what to do!