After the war

Leaving Ba Sing Se

"Agni be damned!" Sokka was roused from his otherwise peaceful sleep at the sound of metal clattering against the floor.

He sat up, rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and looked around the room. What Sokka saw was Zuko getting increasingly frustrated with his hair. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and walked over to his boyfriend.

"Need a hand Hotshot?" Sokka asked standing over the cross legged firebender.

"No" Zuko turned his head to look up at his boyfriend and stuck his tongue out. He went back to trying to put his hair into a simple top knot but couldn't get it to sit right with his headpiece. He dropped his arms and hung his head.

"Help" Zuko murmured quietly.

"What was that my love, I couldn't seem to hear you" Sokka laid on the sarcasm.

"Please help me with my hair Boomerang" Zuko begrudgingly huffed at a pitch audible to humans.

Sokka shook his head at his boyfriend and knelt behind him to do his hair. The water tribe boy combed through Zuko's hair and gathered it all into a top knot. He then positioned the Firelord's crown amidst the strands of his hair.

"Thank you Sokka" Zuko smiled and planted a kiss on his boyfriend's cheek. "Now sit down and let me do your hair" the firebender motioned at the floor in front of him.

"Okay" Sokka grinned as he sat in front of his boyfriend. The non-bender revelled in the feeling of Zuko braiding the hair near the shaved parts of his head. The firebender then sat the long hair in between the two braids and tied it all together, braiding the hair that came out of the hair tie.

"All done Boomerang" Zuko smiled, kissing Sokka on the cheek before standing up.

"Thanks Hotshot" Sokka beamed up at his boyfriend.

"Let's go say goodbye to Toph and Suki, I expect the crew will be wanting to leave soon" Zuko picked up his and Sokka's things and walked out of their room.

The boys walked out into the living area and found Suki conversing with the ship's crew. Zuko saw one of his soldiers handing Toph a large red bundle and realised that it was the Fire Nation flag that was going to hang on Jet's cell wall.

"Thank you for the flag, we'll make sure it hangs high and centre in the prisoner's cell" Suki smiled evilly at the soldier who had handed Toph the banner. It unnerved Zuko and Sokka to the point of a silent, unspoken vow to never cross Suki.

"Good morning lover boys" Toph teased the couple, tripping Sokka when he flipped her off.

"Morning, Toph" Zuko smiled, stifling a laugh when Sokka tripped.

"Bad morning Toph" Sokka glared at his friend.

Suki shot the couple a quick smile once she'd sent the soldiers back to Zuko's ship.

"How did you guys sleep?" Suki asked them, taking the banner from Toph, and placing it on the table.

"Pretty good" Sokka grinned while he stretched his arms above his head, earning a small smile from Zuko when he noticed the water tribe boy displaying his muscles.

"What were you talking with my crew about?" Zuko questioned the Kyoshi warrior while walking towards the table and leaning backwards against it.

"They were informing me that they're ready to leave, they're waiting on your orders, and they brought me the banner you promised to hang in his cell" Suki explained.

Zuko nodded and turned to Sokka.

"The crew sound as though they're growing restless. Ready to go Boomerang?"