Contradictions- Zukka Fanfiction! (High school AU.)

Chapter Fourteen: Zuko Alone

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Zuko: (Set between the last two chapters)

Three nights with Sokka. Away from Azula's prying eyes.

Sure, it's with the school, but like. Sokka and I's sleepovers at his house, whenever those can happen because of sports practices, which are usually just once a week, can never get too, yaknow, because Katara has made it a habit of popping in whenever she feels like it. Her efforts have doubled, too, for some reason.

Well, not even Katara's watchful eye can stop me from feeling elated. Did I mention it's three nights alone with Sokka? I don't even care that I can barely ski and have never gone on the yearly trip before. Sokka can teach me. It'll be... well. I have visions of holding hands in ski lifts, being roommates, sitting next to each other on the bus. There's also a tiny part of me that really wants to see Sokka like, in his natural environment. Sokka's the kind of person that fits in anywhere: at the beach, in the city, anywhere. But Sokka was raised in the ice and snow, and I wonder what his eyes reflect when there's nothing but white for miles, and the bright blue sky. I wonder what snow looks like against his skin. I wonder what he looks like when he comes in, all flushed from the cold.

Except, Sokka doesn't seem nearly as thrilled with this as I would've thought. It's been a couple days since I told him and he said he's come, and while I can barely go five minutes without talking about it, Sokka just nods and smiles faintly before subtly changing the subject. Honestly, it's a little disconcerting, and it looks like it has put me in a rather uncomfortable position, because other people have noticed. Namely, his shadow: Katara.

Right now, the entire gang is inside the Jasmine Dragon, which I recently introduced them to. It's right after school, and the last day this week Sokka doesn't have soccer practice. Toph sits, laughing and stretched out, with her feet in Haru's lap and her green milk boba tea hanging in her hand. Haru is smiling too- it's a rare occasion he can make these hangouts. His favorite flavor is honeydew, and yes, I pay attention. Suki, with her mango, is next to Sokka who is next to me, but talking to Aang (peach) across the table. Sokka has blueberry but he's hardly taken a sip, and Katara, who has passionfruit, is watching him carefully.

"-and so I said," Aang laughs, "Appa wouldn't hurt a fly, even as he had the kid's hand in his mouth!" Everyone laughs, and I laugh too, even though I barely heard the joke.

I take the opportunity to lean forward to Sokka.

"Hey, babe, you doing ok?" I whisper, and he doesn't even react to 'babe.' "Excited for Boiling Rock?" Somehow, that was the wrong thing to say, and he stands up abruptly, walking like a robot towards the bathroom. I'm tempted to get up and follow him, but I notice Katara watching me. Oh boy. I hope she didn't notice how close I got to Sokka, hope she didn't hear what I said, but based off her narrow, calculated eyes I can guess she probably saw something more than I would wish for.

A couple minutes more of everyone else joking and laughing, and me and Katara in a nervous staredown, Sokka comes barging past us, leaving the shop. Katara quickly gets up and follows him and again, the only thing that keeps me glued to my seat with my strawberry tea is the glare she shoots me that could kill me.

"Hey, is everything ok?" Aang asks me, his eyes flitting between me and Katara as she leaves the tea shop.

"Totally," I lie, and shoot him my best smile. He returns to entertaining Suki and Toph, with some story about his cat, Momo. Oh. That makes sense why he loves peaches so much.

A couple minutes later, Katara comes back in, looking a little less mad but a lot more suspicious. She sits down in her spot.

"Sokka went home sick," she says. "I offered to walk him home, but you know how he is."