They naturally found themselves laying down on the bed, Zuko in Sokka's arms, Sokka holding him.
Saying- swearing that one day Sokka would meet the turtleducks, and that he'd get to feed them. Even if Sokka still had no clue what a turtleduck looked like, he still pictured himself throwing in some pieces of bread for the small floating animals.
The rain was still doing its thing, driving both Sokka and Zuko in their conversation. Sokka's hand in Zuko's hair, the other on his hip. Everything feeling at ease and at peace, like it belonged. Because maybe it did.
It was late, or maybe better considered early, but tiredness didn't come just yet. Sokka was getting lost in Zuko's voice, and he thought it was the best thing he had drank since his cactus juice adventure.
Sokka closed his eyes, letting himself get drunk on the pleasant noises around him. Everything felt so real in that instant, Zuko's hair, the fabric he was laying on, his thumb stroking the framing at the other boy's hip.
The way the room smelled like rain, but also like spice and sea. Rain still pouring and raspy voice still talking about tiny Fire Nation animals that Sokka had no idea what they looked like despite Zuko's descriptions.
At this instant, he felt good. He couldn't help but let his lips curl into a smile. A few days back he had wanted to truly know Zuko. Know what he went through, what were his struggles, his interests. His favourite food and drink and what kind of tea he hated the most.
He still had a lot to learn about him, yet what he knew so far felt like a lot. Not too much though, nothing about Zuko could never be too much to Sokka's eyes, but just enough so that he wanted to know more and drown into facts about Zuko.
"What are you smiling about?"
"Mmh?" Sokka cracked an eye open and met the golden ones who were directly looking at him, a little amused, "Oh uh, nothing. I just realized how much I like your voice."
Zuko chuckled before looking down, his cheek painted a soft shade of pink.
Sokka took the opportunity to lay a small kiss on Zuko's mouth. Zuko kissed back, only pressing his mouth harder on Sokka's. He pulled away, a small blush still on his face, "I'm happy we can finally get to do this."
"Yeah." Sokka answered, smiling, "I can't believe you thought that you were obvious."
"I mean, wasn't I?"
Sokka laughed as Zuko rolled his eyes, "Zuko I think that in a tournament of 'who is the most obvious' you would definitely lose."
"What even makes you say that?" He asked, giving a light punch on Sokka's shoulder.
"Well, each time we got like close close you would walk away." Sokka shrugged.
Zuko rubbed his neck, "Oh yea I'm sorry about that."
"Don't be, I get that you can get a little bit scared to kiss someone as handsome as me." Sokka said, lifting his eyebrows.
Zuko rolled his eyes, "I just didn't want it to happen during an uneventful moment Sokka. I don't know how everybody would react if they saw us kissing."
Sokka once again shrugged, and Zuko went back to laying his head on Sokka's chest. "So uhm, Zuko? Why do you like me?"
Zuko didn't move, but he threw his arm on top of Sokka's hip, proceeding to hold him tighter, "You're funny."
"That's it?"
Zuko chuckled, "Because you're wonderful Sokka and you make me feel happy about things. I like spending time with you and I don't know, I guess you're very pretty."
"That's more like it." Sokka joked, and them immediately getting rewarded with a hit once again on the elbow, "Ouch."
"What about you? Why do you like me?" Zuko asked.
Sokka went back to the lists he had made in the past week, blushing in embarrassment. He shook the thoughts away. He didn't know when he'd tell Zuko about the lists yet, but he hoped the answer would be never.
"I don't know, I don't feel like the words would be enough anyways."
"Try."
Sokka sighed, "I like you because you make me feel better about this whole situation we're in and I don't know maybe you got a super special talent or something but everything you do makes me want to scream at the top of my lungs. But like- not in a bad way you know." Zuko chuckled, "Oh and that also. Your laugh is cute. I really like it."
Zuko lifted his head from Sokka's chest and laid it in the crease between his neck and shoulder. He left a small kiss there, making Sokka's stomach do a flip, "My uncle would like you."
"Do you miss him?"
"Yea, tons." Zuko breathed on Sokka's neck, "He pretty much told me everything I know. I- I have no idea where I'd be without him. Probably in my father's hands."
"Thankful that you aren't."
"Me too. Uncle really opened my eyes in the past months. Even if I was the worst around him. He never left my side. And now I feel like I've betrayed him again."
Sokka pulled him even closer, "Zuko, if your uncle stuck with you all that time then he certainly won't turn his back on you now. Especially after knowing that you changed side and helped defeat your own dad."
Zuko breathed, "Yea."
They spent a moment in silence, the rain being the lullaby of the night. It was small, enjoyable, simple. Yet it felt like forever and so complex that Sokka wasn't sure he could ever put the words on this moment. "Sokka, when did you know that you liked me?"
Sokka didn't have to go too far, the events still pretty recent, "Well when you first joined.." He sighed, not sure how to make himself out look like some idiot that falls in love only with a smile, "When you smiled at me after I showed your room. I got confused and... yeah."
"I liked you when I first met you." Zuko said.
"Are you sure about that?" Sokka chuckled.
"When I attacked your village-" He stopped himself, sighing loudly, his breath brushing Sokka's neck, "I liked that you were brave enough to go out there and fight in order to protect it. I had a whole crew out there, and all firebenders, yet you still tried your best," He resumed.
"You were persistent, and I guess that it was what really made me hate you a little more. I knew that you would always be there to protect the ones you care about. Even if that means sacrificing yourself. And- I don't know, now that I look back at it-" Zuko stopped once again. Sokka for once didn't have anything to say, he was stunned at how much Zuko had just said about him.
"It's stupid- Sorry if it feels weird and all I didn't really-" And Sokka interrupted Zuko with a kiss. He felt his lips curl in a grin against Zuko's, unable to make it stop. He giggled into the kiss. "Argh- I knew it was dumb. I'm sorry." Zuko said as he pulled away.
"I didn't really like like you back then. I mean- I might not be the best in all that stuff but I know that you aren't supposed to chase your crush around the world to capture their best friend."
Sokka finally catched his tongue, "Zuko. It's okay, I get it. And- I- I really appreciate what you said, really."
He caught Zuko smiling, the room becoming brighter as the rain became thinner and the sun made it's way up again. "Maybe we should sleep."
"Yea."
"Yeah." Sokka breathed and kissed Zuko goodnight.
___
The sun beams brushed his eyes, stripping him out of his dream.
Sokka didn't really remember what it had been about, however he remembered it being quite a pleasant one.
Not fully awake yet, he felt an unusual weight on his chest. Sokka looked down, meeting Zuko who was still asleep, his hand on his torso. His mouth was slightly open, and Sokka had never seen him look as peaceful as right then and there. Not that he had much experience with knowing how Zuko slept, he just knew that it was never so much of a deep sleep and that it rarely lasted.
He also knew that Zuko usually slept on his left side, his unscarred side facing up. He considered that it was in mesures of safety, and it was pretty much understandable. Which was why Sokka melted at the realization that Zuko trusted him enough to sleep on his right side.
He stroked the black hair. Silk going through his fingers. Sokka sighed, and a grin printed on his face as he remembered the hours preceding this.
He felt the other boy move. Must've been woken up by the bright light in the room, or the fact that it was later than he'd usually wake up.
He blinked, looking lost for a moment before his eyes met Sokka's and he gave him a warm smile. "Hi."
"Hey." Sokka answered, his voice still sleepy. "How'd you sleep?"
If Sokka thought he had a raspy voice, then he wasn't ready for Zuko's. His voice was already quite something, not that Sokka didn't like it, but the mix of the morning raspiness added to it made him lose his mind.
"Good. Very good." He said sheepishly, "What about you?"
"Great! I had this dream I don't really rem-"
Sokka got interrupted by a finger on his mouth, "No talk in the morning." Zuko said, his eyes closed.
Sokka let out a chuckle before his hand found its way back into Zuko's hair.
He had been pretty much everywhere in his life, in less than a year he had travelled all around the world. He has seen thousands of landscapes, hundreds of night skies, and a couple of sunrises and lazy mornings.
He had seen things that many people even older than him will never even see. He had lived moments that could never be lived again.
Yet if he had only one chance to be able to live an instant for the rest of his life Sokka would pick this one. Where he felt so peaceful, so calm, at ease. Only lazy breathing and loud light hitting on every surface of the room.
His sleepy fingers feeling the texture of Zuko's clothes. Ears catching on the soft breathing of each other, no other sound.
Zuko sighed, "You can talk now." He said, his eyes still closed and his arms got even tighter around Sokka's waist.
"Well finally." Sokka joked, and Zuko laughed in answer.
"Consider yourself lucky that I even allow you to speak right now."
"Fine, fine." He smiled, "How'd you sleep?"
"Great. Better than I usually do." Zuko seemed to blush, "You?"
"Me too. It's somehow always a better sleep when you're next to me."
Zuko groaned, opening his eyes just a little, "What time do you think it is?"
"Uhhh..." Sokka looked through the window. It was later than usual, that was for sure, but he knew that a few more minutes doing nothing wouldn't hurt, "We can stay for a bit more."
Zuko smiled, diving his head in the crease of Sokka's neck where his shoulder met. His fingers laid in Sokka's hair, untangling every strand, "I love your hair."
"I love yours too."
"Yeah." Zuko whispered, "Thank you."
A few moments passed, the once comfortable silence turning heavier. Sokka felt like there was something that was bugging Zuko, and Spirits knew Zuko wasn't the one to be spitting out his thoughts like that.
So Sokka waited, each second growing too long, turning into minutes that felt like hours. The fingers playing with his hair felt worried, like afraid they would hurt him.
"Zuk-" "Sokk-" They said at the same time. Then Sokka smiled, "Go ahead."
Zuko sighed, and by the look on his face Sokka only knew he was worried about something. His eyebrows were furrowed, eyes looking for something to fixate on. A deep breath. "How do you think this is gonna go?"
"Huh?"
"Sokka, we-" Zuko interrupted himself before sitting on the bed, leaving Sokka's body. The blue eyes followed his movements, and soon enough Sokka was sitting too, a worried look on his face mirroring Zuko's. "Do we even have time for this?"
"Zuko if you want to go join the others now we can just go-"
"I mean the two of us. Like all of this. What- what's the point?"
Sokka felt his heart sink, he tried his best to hold tears that threaten to fall down his cheeks, "Zuko what do you mean?"
"I like you Sokka. And a lot actually but- we don't even know if we'll be able to defeat my father in time. What if we fail Sokka?" His voice cracked.
His typical warm eyes suddenly felt cold starring in Sokka's own. Because in more ways than one, Zuko was right. They had no guarantee of winning this war, after all, weren't they simply children born with a purpose too heavy on their shoulders? Was it fate, or perhaps was it luck.
Luck, and that's all it took.
Sokka wouldn't consider himself a lucky person. Things didn't always worked for him unless he truly worked for it. He knew Zuko was like that too, someone who considered himself unlucky.
But if they were so unlucky, then why were they brought together?
"Hey." Sokka breathed, "I like you, you like me. We got each other, that's all it takes." He looked at Zuko with a faint smile, "Have my back?"
"And I'll have yours."
They both smiled a little wider before pressing their lips against each other's.
"Maybe we should go now before they start looking for us." Sokka said.
__
As much as Sokka didn't want to, they made their way to the main room separately in order to not raise suspicions amongst the others. Even though Sokka probably knew that Toph would be the first one to make the discovery, and shortly followed by Katara and her psychic sister powers.
"Sokka buddy are you okay?" Aang asked as Sokka entered the room.
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "Yeah why?"
"Well I felt you moving in your sleep you kept going back and forth and-"
"It's the worst thing ever! Don't you ever stop moving Boomerang?" Toph interrupted Aang.
Sokka rolled his eyes, but Toph didn't keep going. He was grateful for that.
"Uh, good morning." A smaller voice interrupted.
Toph's eyes widened at the sense of Sokka's heartbeat. He shot her a glaze, obviously with no answer. "Good morning to yourself, I suppose. How'd you sleep?"
Zuko rubbed his eye, and Sokka found the gesture inherently adorable, "Alright I guess. What about you?"
"Oh well someone here couldn't stop moving around so it kind of distracted my sleep pattern but other than that I guess I slept well." Toph said, uncrossing her arms.
"What about you Aang, I hope you slept well because we got a lesson to do." Zuko gave a smile, which was still something Sokka needed to get used to, or at least when he was around the others.
Aang blinked, "Oh yeah, right, firebending and stuff yeah."
"I think breakfast is ready." Toph pointed where Katara and Haru were making the rice.
Sokka sat besides Toph, soon enough followed by Zuko sitting on his left.
Breakfast went well, nothing much different from usual. Sokka kept glancing at Zuko, quickly before reminding himself that he was around people who probably didn't know about the two of them.
They reviewed their plan of leaving in about three days from now, reminding Sokka once again of his father. Maybe he'd still have time to save him, at least he hoped. Zuko stayed by his side during the whole thing, his glaze sometimes lingering on Sokka.
Once the small debrief was over, Zuko and Aang left in order to practice some firebending, leaving Sokka, Katara and Toph who would usually go on with their bending stuff.
Except that today they stayed put, excitement drawing on Katara's face. Knowing her for fourteen years now, he knew it wasn't going to be something he'll enjoying hearing.
"So you and Zuko?" And he was proven right. "Did you guys make up?" She smiled brightly.
"We never were in a fight in the first place." Sokka said, taking a sip of his tea.
Katara rolled her eyes and snorted, "Yeah right. But anyways what happened?"
"Yeah and where did you go last night?" Toph added. He knew that she probably already made up an answer for herself, so asking was simply out of curiosity.
He took a deep breath, starring into his tea. He wasn't sure how much Zuko would like them to know about this, and he wasn't sure of how much e could reveal either. "I guess I went to the fountain?"
"Toph?" Katara asked.
"He's telling the truth." Toph replied.
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "Oh so Toph's just here to make sure I'm not lying? What aren't you able to trust me? After I've trusted you?"
Katara's face quickly turned into shame, and although Sokka knew she didn't mean it like that, he wasn't sure he'd be able to calm down now. "I need some air."
And he left without looking back, his eyes about to cry and his head feeling heavy. If even Katara couldn't trust him, then who? Was he really that much of an unreliable person? Maybe it was simply the fact that he kept deceiving over and over again. First his dad, then Katara. Next would have to be Zuko.
He curled up in a ball in some deserted hallway that would eventually lead to the statue hall before tears could have the chance to catch up to his eyes.
Guilt. That was what he had been feeling, the guilt of always promising yet always deceiving. Maybe it simply that he wasn't enough, or that he was saying too much. Maybe it was the fact that he could maybe brag all he wanted but at the end of the day he was nothing.
His cheeks were painted with salted water, and then his arms were around his knees and all he could hear was black. He wasn't able to feel anything but the wave of something that was other than lust for somebody that had too much fate in him.
Somebody that he had promised something, now already doubting.
__
"Sokka?" Katara said, shaking him up a little.
He hadn't realized that he had fallen asleep, and that now he probably looked like shit with dried tears on his face and messy hair. Plus his back and neck hurt.
"Are you alright?"
Sokka tried his best not to explode again, the situation was embarrassing enough, "Y- Yeah I'm alright. I just think I uh."
"Hey, it's okay don't worry I um, got you some water. I know your throat must feel sore." She handed him a small leather pouch, which Sokka gratefully took and started sipping on. Katara was right, his throat did feel like it had been stomped by over a thousand polar bear dogs.
Once Sokka was done drinking he handed the pouch back, "Thank you."
"You're welcome and I'm sorry for what I did earlier. I shouldn't have made fun of you like that it-"
"No, I kind of overreacted." Sokka interrupted, "I'm sorry."
Katara chuckled, and not long after Sokka joined her too. Giggles soon turned into full on laughter and sudden Sokka felt like nothing had happened. It was something he'd liked about his sister, no matter how hard they fought, they'd always have each other's back.
"Promise I'll won't do this ever again." She said once the laughter calmed down.
"Bet?" He smiled.
Katara rolled her eyes, "Okay maybe not promise, but for at least a week."
"Deal." Sokka got his pinkie out, and Katara echoed the word before crossing their fingers.
"And Sokka." She added, unlinking their pinkies, "I know we've already talked about this but... if there's ever anything I'm here for you."
He sighed, "Same goes for you. If you ever need anything I'll always be there."
She offered a small smile before setting down more comfortably besides him. Her head fell on Sokka's shoulder and finally he could breathe. His eyes closed, as if the mechanism to keep them open had been broken, and his head gently fell on Katara's.
The silence was comfortable, only nature and distant firebending sounds could be heard. Sokka let himself drive to the now familiar sound of the temple. He never thought he'd ever miss a hiding space as much as he was going to miss this one. After all it was where it had been the most peaceful, and also where something more than a friendship blossomed. He felt almost at home there, almost.
"So Zuko uh?" Katara broke the silence.
Sokka opened his eyes only for the sake of rolling them before moving in order to sit facing his sister, "What do you need to know exactly?"
"Everything."
And so he told Katara -almost- everything that had happened. She didn't miss in the occasion to add in a few thoughts but overall she listened to what Sokka had to say without much interruptions.
He also noticed that it was incredibly hard to keep the huge grin away from his face as he was talking about Zuko and everything that had happened so far. Somehow reliving even the most embarrassing moments had been something that Sokka had appreciated.
"Okay, not to be rude but you two were pretty much dumbasses." Katara said once Sokka was done talking.
"We know that already no need to remind me."
"I mean, what would've you even done if he hadn't kissed you first?"
"I would've kept it to myself and never mention it ever."
She threw her arms in the air, "Sokka!"
"What! I could tell you the same thing you know! What if Aang had never kissed you before the invasion uh!"
She blushed, looking away from him, "That's none of your business."
"Well technically it is!" Sokka exclaimed, "So what's going on with him?"
She took a long inhale, before exhaling and starting, "Well things have been normal. I just can't bring myself to talk to him about it, because it would feel kind of awkward."
"But do you like him?" Sokka asked.
"Yeah, of course I do." She said with a faint smile printed on her lips.
Sokka threw his arms in the air, "Then what's the issue? The guy's already crazy for you. Believe me, I know. All you got to do is admit and bam!"
Katara took a deeper breath, contemplating her fingers, "I just don't feel like right now is the time for a relationship." She opened her mouth, as if to add something, before quickly closing it again. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "N-not that I'm saying you guys shouldn't-"
Sokka chuckled, interrupting her, "It's okay do't worry. As much as things are crazy right now I think we really both need it, you know? We're both here for each other and yeah."
She sighed, "It's not that I don't like Aang. I just- need to get things sorted out before anything."
"And you will eventually. Things take time sometimes." He replied, his tone calm.
"Look at you giving advice." Katara laughed, "I guess dating really changed you uh?"
"Oh shut up.'"
__
Sparring is all about intelligence. Using the other's strength in your advantage. Finding a way to use your surroundings as a tool.
It isn't necessarily about harming the other, but more about protecting yourself.
Sparring is an art, a sport, a hobby.
But mostly, sparring is what brought him closer to everything.
__
"Sokka you idiot that's not how you make buns!"
"Hey! I'm trying my best okay!"
"Can you guys calm down? Here, that's how you do it." Aang said, pinching the freshly made drought and wrapping the filling, "See? Now you do it."
Sokka replicated the technique, with success this time. "I did it! I did it, Zuko look!" He exclaimed, his teeth showing in a huge bright smile.
"Not bad, wanna learn Fire Nation technique next?" He grinned.
"Where did you learn to make buns Zuko?" Aang asked, grabbing another portion of dough and vegetable filling.
"Yeah, it doesn't really seem like cooking is something that a prince would have to do." Sokka shoved him lightly with his elbow.
"My mother loved making those. She was a pro too, like flower designs and all that." He smiled lightly, "That reminds me, I could make you guys some tea for diner." He said, his face lighting up.
"Sure!" Aang smiled.
"Didn't you say that your tea tasted bad once?" Sokka whispered to Zuko's hear.
His eyes widened and a slight pink tone reached his cheek before he gave Sokka a small arm punch.
"Anyway- the technique is quite simple." Zuko explained, taking a ball of dough and flattening it, "Put the filling in the centre, then pinch in an angle and you're done."
"That's quite simple." Sokka said, taking a ball of dough for himself.
"Well that was for beginners," Zuko raised his eyebrow, a smirk on his face, "I can give you something more complicated than that if you want."
Sokka raised his eyebrows, shouting for a challenge. Zuko put his finger on his chin, like browsing the options he had. When he finally found one, he lit up, and quickly made it himself before showing Sokka.
First, you need to add the dough in the centre, like any usual bun, but then it gets more complicated once it's time to seal it. Pinching it at a certain angle, before then adding some details and designs in order to make it look like a flower.
He followed what his brain had kept from Zuko's tutorial, yet he couldn't get the shape right. Even as Aang repeated that it was fine and that it was still eatable, Sokka couldn't be satisfied. After his third try, Zuko snorted and took Sokka's hands in his.
Sokka had to try extra hard to not let his cheeks darken and stopping his hands from becoming clammy. He tried his best to catch his breath, and to not look suspicious to Aang who still had no idea of what was going on.
"Like that, look." Zuko folder his fingers over Sokka's, guiding him through the whole process. The fact of Zuko's voice being so close to his ear made him shiver, and he felt electricity in his fingers once again, "Then you pinch, but not too hard, or else it'll break."
"Yeah." It took everything in Sokka's body not to jump right at Zuko and kiss him, feeling 3kind of deceived once he sat back down at his spot.
They spent the next thirty minutes or so finishing the pile of dough, the conversation going smoothly, if it wasn't for comfortable silence. Sokka enjoyed those times with Zuko, but the fact that he could now enjoy them with his friends too made him smile. He finally felt like he didn't have to take too much place, like silence was alright, even with Aang.
He did a few more buns before they ran out of stuffing, and then they cleaned.
"Hey," Zuko said once they were done cleaning the plates, "A bit of sparring perhaps?" And Sokka smiled.
They grabbed their swords and went to the sparing spot. Although they had sparred any other day now, he still felt that rush, that feeling that once he had his stance and his sword ready, nothing could touch him.
Avoiding the hits here and there, dodging the Dao swords being thrown at him, it all felt like a dance, and he knew the choreography by heart. He was light on his feet, his force not coming from himself but from the adversary. He knew he didn't actually have to harm the other, the goal was to unbalance them, and then take advantage that they were weak. All he had to do was being patient and use his brain.
One hit, then another, metal clashing with metal. Sokka knew that Zuko knew the dance too, however he also knew that he had one weak spot, he was impatient. Much more than Sokka was, and he was ready to get this match over with.
He avoided the hit thrown at his left, then slid under Zuko. To both of their surprises, it actually worked, and soon enough Zuko was down on his knees, panting.
"Agni, Sokka, you fought well." He grinned, "I can't believe you outsmarted me."
"What, like it's hard?" Sokka answered, helping Zuko to get up.
Zuko looked at him, eyes set on delicate fire, and for a moment he looked hesitant before saying, "Your dad would be proud of you." He held the hand tighter, and Sokka tried his best to hold in his tears.
"Thanks." He smiled faintly, before sinking in Zuko's arm.
He muffled his nose into the crook of his neck, taking in the scent of wood and spices. He felt hands get around him and holding tighter, then a kiss fell on the side of his head.
Sokka let go, immediate regretting the cold that was now surrounding him, "I'm- I'm going to clean." He looked into the amber eyes, they looked darker, "I'm not mad at you Zuko, don't worry. I just feel gross and yeah." He gave him a smile and it got returned.
He then picked up his sword and headed for the door, only to stop before actually getting there. He turned around and sprinted into Zuko's arms in order to sink in them once again. He then pressed his lips over the slightly chapped ones, and they pressed back. His hand went on Zuko's hips, and his shoulders now had the weight of Zuko's arms.
He pulled away, resting their foreheads against each other, "I'll be back in a few, I just need to cool off for a bit okay?"
"Yea, I'm sorry I said that, it threw you off and-"
Sokka interrupted him, "Hey, it's not big deal. I appreciate that yo thought of him."
He then gave him another quick peck before going to the lake.
Once he was in the water, thoughts came rushing in. For once he had to admit, his dad would've been proud of him. He probably would've given him a high five and a big smile and then they would've sparred together.
Sokka smiled at the thought of teaching his how to spar. He had always been a smart man, Tui and La, he is the chief of the Southern Water Tribe after all, and that required a lot of brain. He was sure his dad could pick up on it quite fast.
He'd show him the basic first, how to manipulate a sword, the stretching, the breathing, it all played a role in a swordsmanship. He thought about dancing, and wondered if his dad had someone special that he could also dance with.
Like Sokka had danced with Zuko.
He was floating now, would his dad like Zuko? Well, he probably wouldn't like him immediately considering that he was not only Fire Nation, but also pretty much the prince. Or used to, whatever, it didn't matter much to Sokka anyways.
He took in a long breath, he swore that he was going to bring his dad back and alive, wherever he was, he was going to get him. All he needed to do is bring his sword, Appa, and ask Zuko where his dad could be and it was done.
He needed to leave alone, it was his call, the only way for him to regain his honour. So tonight he'd sleep with the others, in order not to wake Zuko up once he'd head for the flying bison.
Yeah, that could work.
—
It was late, and all that could be heard was snoring and distant animal sounds. Sokka was ready. He had packed his bag earlier this evening and Zuko had given him the information he needed. He went to his bag, making sure that he had everything and then packed his sword.
Making sure not to make too much noise, he headed for the -sleeping- flying bison. Fuck, waking him up would make quite a lot of sound, and Sokka was sure that Aang had some type of magic power that could tell when Appa was doing anything. He'd manage.
He climbed the fought fur, making sure not to awaken the beast too soon. Almost there-
"Not up to anything uh?"
He jumped, making him fall off the place where he'd been and straight to the floor. His items were all over the place, shit. "Fine, you caught me. I'm gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?"
"I'm never happy." Zuko replied looking down from the saddle. Sokka knew how dramatic Zuko could be, although he had been quite cheerful a few hours later while serving his tea. He let it slide.
"Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea, it was my decision to stay when things were going wrong," Zuko jumped off to meet him, "It's my mistake, and it's my job to fix it. I have to regain my honour. You can't stop me Zuko." He pushed Zuko off his way, climbing Appa up again.
"You need to regain your honour? Believe me, I get it." Sokka rolled his eyes, of course he does, "I'm going with you."
Sokka almost said yes, the words were inviting anyways, but no, "I have to do this alone."
"How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons dont have bison daycares."
Zuko had a point, as much as he wanted to fully rely on himself, Sokka sighed and got off the bison. "We'll take my war balloon."
Sokka sighed, grabbing Zuko's shoulder, "Thank you."
"Of course Sokka. I wouldn't let you just go out there to save your dad, if you go I go too." He smiled faintly, pink covering his cheek.
Sokka drew in for a kiss, and soon enough they were headed for the Boiling Rock.
____
note:
and like that, it's over. 5k words and nearly two months and i finally finished this chapter. i was struggling to find an ending that didn't seem too underwhelming or anything and i hope it didn't disappoint too much!
on that, story over. wow.
okay before i go! i have a few things :)
i have changed my twitter @! it is now @/jeankirstnsgf so make sure to check it out if you want.
second, i'm no longer going to be writing here. i know it sucks but uploading on both Wattpad and Ao3 and making sure that everything is italicized takes a LOT of time. maybe i'll make a comeback someday but for now, it has been a pleasure to write on there. i love your comments and notes and it makes me so happy. plus you guys are the reason why i'm here today. so sincerely, thank you.
however i'm not stopping the writing! you can find me on ao3 with the same username (i'll update maybe if i change it) or just look up the name of my works and you'll find me. i'll be writing aot/snk from now on, since it's my obsession currently. next story should be out somewhere next week, a jeanmarco <3
love you guys. mwah.