After the war

Sailing

Zuko and Sokka were two days into their voyage now. So far, all the firebender could think about was his goal. Silencing Jet forever. When he had done away with the freedom fighter, he would never walk in Zuko's nightmares again. The firebender would finally be free. It was there, stood at the prow of his ship, that he thought about how it was going to happen, how he was going to end Jet's life.

Zuko took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. He hadn't come to this decision easily, since the start of their voyage he had wondered what he would say to his tormentor. When the Firelord couldn't work out what to say he had settled on revenge. He felt the heat of the sun on his face and slowly opened his eyes.

"I found a Pai Sho board in one of the rooms!" Zuko was broken out of his thoughts by Sokka's voice. He looked back over his shoulder and saw his boyfriend running towards him holding the game. He smiled and turned to walk towards Sokka.

"Come on, Hotshot, let's play a few games" Sokka smiled at Zuko, holding out the board and pouch of tiles.

"Okay, Boomerang, but I warn you, I spent three years playing Pai Sho with my uncle" Zuko gave Sokka a playful smirk as he sat across from his boyfriend and helped him set up the board.

"For fucks sake Zuko stop beating me!" Sokka frowned as his boyfriend kicked his ass at Pai Sho for the fifth time.

"You can do without the swearing Sokka, you know I don't like it, and no I will not stop, because when I win, it's funny" Zuko smiled at his beloved boyfriend.

"Zuko?"

"Yeah?"

"I have a slightly odd question for you" Sokka drew his knees up to his chest and leaned his arms on them, looking out at the sea.

"Go on" Zuko said as he reset the game.

"You hated us, for so long... when was the turning point? When did you realise you liked me?" Sokka looked Zuko in the face.

Zuko stopped resetting the board and looked into Sokka's eyes.

"The day of black sun" he answered.

"We didn't see you on the invasion" Sokka furrowed his eyebrows, perplexed.

"My room was in the tower of the palace, before I was led down to the underground room I looked out of my window and I saw you... in your warrior uniform... I realised my feelings weren't as simple as I thought they were" Zuko leaned his elbows on his crossed legs and looked out across the sea.

"Simple feelings?" Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"I thought I was wholly in love with Mai, that I was destined to rule the Fire Nation, take a bride and produce an heir..." Zuko trailed off and looked down at the deck of the ship.

"Then you saw me?"

"Then I saw you" Zuko looked up with a bemused smirk on his face. "Let's not forget, you also hated me and my Nation for a while, when was your turning point?" The Firelord looked at his boyfriend.

"Remember when I took you out of the cooler and you showed off your fire breathing?"

"I do"

"That was my turning point. Under my guard helmet my face was redder than a Fire Nation flag" Sokka chuckled as he told Zuko when he realised he liked him.

"Why did you ask me this Sokka?"

"Because I often don't feel like I add anything of value to the group, I feel that if someone were to think of our group they would think of the Avatar, the master waterbender, the inventor of metalbending, the Firelord and the head of the Kyoshi Warriors... they wouldn't even think of me..." Sokka looked down at his shoes. "I guess I just needed a little ego boost" the non-bender let out a soft laugh as he looked up at Zuko.