☆ yellow ☆ (zukka AU)

chapter 22

sokka's POV

i'm scrolling through tiktok, bored out of my mind, when i hear two quiet knocks on the door. school isn't over yet, so if it's not zuko, who else could it possibly be?

the door opens and, contrary to my expectations, the one who enters the room is zuko. he's holding a big teddy bear in one hand and a box of little chocolates in the other.

"hey, zuko, you didn't have t-" i start saying, but i soon forget all of my thoughts.

when the huge plushie isn't blocking my vision of him anymore, i am able to see his face properly. he has a black eye, with purple and blue shades, and his bottom lip is split, some dry blood being very noticeable. i almost jump to my feet, but the cast around my leg reminds me i have to stay put.

"what in the world happened to you?!" i ask, feeling the anger building up inside me.

he ignores my question.

"here, i brought you these so you would feel better" zuko attempts to smile, but fails greatly.

he hands me the teddy bear and the candy, keeping that forced grimace on his face. i put everything aside and pull him on the bed, next to me.

he grunts when he sits down, his hand reaching instinctively to his stomach. i build up my courage and lift his shirt just a little, only to uncover the bruises it was hiding underneath.

it's a lot worse than the last time i saw him like this, after the incident with the random guys on the street. how does he still find power to move? and despide being hurt like hell, he went and bought me all this stuff?

"zuko, who did this to you?" my voice cracks. "we should call for a nurse, you're hurting badly"

he shakes his head and i take his face in my hands when he avoids my glare, leaving him no other choice but to look at me with those troubled golden gems.

"stop staring at me like that or i'm gonna start crying" he says.

his voice is weak, full of suffering and it makes me want to drive a knife through my heart just so i can stop what i'm feeling right now.

"zuko, for the love of spirits, tell me right now who i have to murder" i request firmly.

he doesn't answer right away, but he instead throws himself in my arms, burying his face in the crook of my shoulder and squeezing me tightly.

he radiates sadness mixed with exhaustion and i wish i could just take all his negative feelings, make them my own, and fill him with happiness instead.

"please" i beg him. "tell me what happened"

he clutches on my hospital clothes and i pat his back affectionately, but he flinches, which gives me the idea of checking his back as well. i reveal his skin and it's full of purple-ish spots, that make my stomach twirl and twist in every direction.

he retreats from the hug and wipes the corner of his eye with his index, then he starts talking.

"suki came to me this morning a- and told me that coach wanted to see me. i went to the locker room, b- but there was no sign of the coach, just... your teammates-"

i don't like where this is going, i already feel my fists clenching.

"-they apparently don't agree with their captain having a boyfriend" he stares at me with his eyes sparkling because of the tears that he's barely managing to hold back. "they said that it's my fault you broke up with suki, cause i turned you gay-"

what? what the actual fuck? did suki ask them to do this? is she this desperate?

"-of course, i said i wouldn't break up with you because they said so. they decided to 'convince' me... by force"