Hunting. It was weird to think of it that way, looking back hours, days later, but in the end, it had been but that one simple action needed to start it all. Later on, they'd silently agree to never remind each other, not even think of it ever again, because if they could think of one word fitting, it was wrong.

For once it had been Zuko's fault, but he blamed Sokka anyway because he'd started it. While the firebender had been busy teaching Aang the double firekick Sokka watched them (which meant 'annoyed') from a small distance. If you asked Zuko, the distance had been too small.

He shouldn't have these thoughts. A distance too small, it's something you say about girls, something he's supposed to say about Mai, because she's the girl he thinks he loves and has left back home to keep her safe. But instead, it suddenly isn't her anymore to occupy his thoughts.

It's all because Sokka forced him to come along though, after Zuko had asked – more than annoyed – if he didn't have anything better to do. Which he had, it appeared, only had he needed someone else with him. So Zuko was forced to go hunting.

It just happened once. Forget about the fact that whenever Zuko thinks about Sokka's soft hands on his skin and his panting in his ear that things get too hot – which for once isn't because of fire. He tried convincing himself that Sokka isn't attractive or whatever, but simply imagining him without his ponytail makes him think Sokka is the hottest creature he's ever seen.

So, of course, Sokka is still as clueless as he had been that particular day. Then, he had been all goofy smiles, obnoxious laughter and pointless babbling – meaning nothing has changed really. Just that now, a few days later – days gone by way too reluctantly – Zuko isn't as sure of what he feels about the other as he used to be. And maybe, they are both to blame in the end.

Zuko groans to himself when he hears Sokka's obnoxious laughter behind him; normally he hates it because it's loud, but now it's because he actually likes it. He contemplates running away so he won't have to talk to the warrior (and feel all fuzzy inside as he does), but luck doesn't seem to be on his side when he feels a hand on his shoulder.

"You're awfully quiet today." Sokka notices in an unusual attentive voice, and for a moment he really seems worried, all traces of cheerfulness vanished from his features. But then, all of a sudden, the smile returns full-force, and he just pats Zuko's shoulder somewhat awkwardly, saying, "You know what, I think I heard something!" And just like that, he's back to his more or less successful style of hunting, meaning all but excitedly running around in between trees, by sheer luck managing to catch something eventually.

Sokka runs (or skips) off into the forest near them, boomerang in one hand and sword in the other. It takes Zuko five looks around him to run after him, telling himself he needs to watch the goof before he hurts himself. Right. If Sokka falls, it's most likely because Zuko's finally given up the battle with himself about whether or not to jump right on him and… maybe… do things to him.

How odd this must be to watch, he observes quietly, two boys – men almost – chasing through a forest, most definitely with completely different aims in mind. He refuses to blush at the thought of it, for it just isn't his way of going about these matters - but this doesn't mean he doesn't get tangled up in the net of observations his brain has oh so merrily created within the last few minutes gone by.

"Hey!" an annoyed Sokka suddenly yells at him. Zuko looks up (since when is he looking down?) to see Sokka looking a lot like a girl with his hands in his sides like that. He merely arches an eyebrow at him, which gets him an annoyed grunt. "If you're going to come hunting with me then do it properly! Last time you came along we didn't catch anything." Didn't they kind of catch each other?

He almost says it aloud. Emphasis on the almost.

"I…" he begins, before his thinking is all but absorbed into an indistinguishable blur, because Sokka – totally out of the blue – grabs his hand, having decided to simply pull him along if he can't work up the motivation needed himself. Damn it, and now they're practically holding hands, and Zuko can't help but become more and more aware of his motivation that is there in a way, just of an entirely different kind.

To make things worse Sokka starts whistling, which doesn't seem like a bad thing in the first place, but seeing those puckered up lips makes Zuko think of other, slightly more mature things. Oh crud, it's getting hot again. Sokka has to feel him sweat, because all of a sudden he turns to him with a confused look on his face, and all Zuko can do is try to breathe.

"Heh."

It stays at that for a few seconds, minutes, hours it appears, before somehow Sokka decides to continue, "You haven't yelled at me yet."

Zuko merely quirks an eyebrow. And…? Oh right. An answer is probably required. "And that means…?"

"Duh. It means all your hate-energy is finally fading!"

The firebender smacks his hand against his forehead with a grunt – he can't believe Sokka's that clueless.

"Um, Zuko?"

"What?" Zuko snaps, which he immediately regrets upon seeing Sokka cringing.

"I wouldn't do that smacking thing too often. There was this one time I did it constantly," Sokka shudders at the memory, "And it gave me a headache for days."

Zuko stops himself in time before his palm comes in contact with his forehead again, and unavoidably thinks of the kind of ache he'd like to cause his companion instead, but then he brushes it off with a partly faked, incredibly tiny smile – it's all he can muster – which immediately makes Sokka laugh.

"See, you're getting better at it already!"

Noticing all he needs to do is cling his hands together in order to get rid of the anger makes him believe Sokka, even if just a little. Considering the subject closed, Sokka continues walking, pulling Zuko along yet again. Before it starts all over again though, Zuko squeezes Sokka's hand in hope he'll get the hint, only to be left confused when Sokka squeezes back.

It makes him feel like a teenage girl to get sent into a fusillade of emotions by a simple action such as this, and still part of him dares to hope Sokka hasn't lost track entirely, isn't quite as oblivious as he makes believe. The other part all but screams for him to give it up already, for once is probably enough for good. And yet he yanks Sokka back all on instinct, and when their gazes connect it appears as though something locks into place.

To Sokka 'something locking into place' must be funny, because before Zuko can stop him he's grinning like the idiot he is and the mood (if there was one to begin with) is ruined. Zuko grits his teeth in annoyance and unable to stop himself, he pushes Sokka against a tree. The yelp that escapes the warrior's lips makes something stir inside Zuko, which is everything but good.

So what now? Probably, they are supposed to… kiss, aren't they? Zuko is torn on that matter for but a second, for he isn't good with pulling through with whatever plan his brain decides to come up with, and he's never been – at all, if he may say so – and then again, he needs to do something, anything, to make them proceed. Surprisingly enough, though, it's Sokka to break the silence.

"So, is this a staring contest or are you actually planning on doing something?"

Zuko blushes at the images inside his head. "L-Like what?" he asks as he looks down and hides his face behind his hair.

Sokka forces him to look up at him by yanking his hair mercilessly, and suddenly his lips are very close to his own.

"Like this."

Zuko isn't lying to himself when he inwardly admits to expecting the other to kiss him any moment now, but it doesn't happen – immediately, that is. Sokka's breath feels hot on his skin, and he senses his face heat up even further, because this is everything he wanted and yet it isn't and just strange in a way – his train of thought is cut short however when their lips do connect after all, leaving it unclear as to which one of them was the one to pull off the action in the end.

It starts out slow, gentle; not clumsy like some people would think, Sokka has kissed two women after all (and more than once). Zuko is more than content just feeling his lips, the way they move against his, exploring them, searching detail after detail. If Zuko had to describe the taste of Sokka's lips, he would use the words meat, dirt and something else that is just so Sokka that he can't do anything else but love it.

He had never wanted to do this again in first place, but worries vanish somewhere off into the distance when all his senses start to feel as though standing on end, focusing on nothing but the person currently pressed backwards against the rough bark of a tree by his very own body, and suddenly the clothes avoiding the contact of bare skin seem so, so thin. Why was it again that they had decided upon forgetting about the first time?

As predictable, their kiss becomes more passionate in no time, and it's like they both think the same thing– even though in Sokka's case, Zuko can never tell for real.

It can only get better.

And it does. Oh spirits, it does.

Sokka's never been so fast in his entire life (not even when Katara yelled dinner was ready) as he grabs Zuko's shirt and pull it over his head, casting it aside to the dirty ground. Zuko moans when he feels those soft hands on his chest again – finally, a voice in his head yells – and just like the first time they leave his skin tingling wherever they go. Zuko's moan grows louder at the feeling of Sokka's fingernails scratching him ever so softly, yet so violently at the same time.

It's all new and familiar at the same time. What exactly, neither can tell, and probably it's better to leave whatever is between them unnamed for now. For the moment, Zuko decides it's enough to mirror Sokka's actions – getting rid of clothing, practically forcing the younger to groan and grind up against him (that nearly catches him off guard, though). Somehow, it's all but his form of revenge (for he won't let himself be dominated ever again, damn it).

Zuko grins to himself when he notices all Sokka is wearing is his loincloth, while he still has his pants on – it has a good effect on his ego, and on his groin as well. Sokka whimpers deliciously as Zuko places his hand on his throat, and when Sokka arches his neck all the older one can do is slide his hand to the back of his head and lick the exposed flesh. The Water Tribe boy is like fire flakes: so hot, so good, but if you eat too much too fast, you'll get burned.

It just continues from there on, and even while Sokka doesn't willfully give in quite as quickly as Zuko had hoped – just where did all the cluelessness go? – he does eventually, and the firebender feels incredibly pleased with himself at that.

Soon, both of them stop thinking – Sokka probably has way earlier, anyway – and at some point Zuko hastily takes his own trousers off, just because their tightness suddenly feels unbearable. Seconds later, he's skin to skin with Sokka again, which the younger comments on with a satisfied moan and a bruising kiss.

It's a nice kind of bruising though, and honestly Zuko wouldn't want it any other way. As their tongues battle for dominance (which Zuko wins easily) the ex-prince's hand finds its way to Sokka's ponytail and loosens it, throwing the band somewhere in the bushes. Zuko knows he'll get complaints about that later, but he's long passed caring about anything now.

The sudden yelp Sokka lets out breaks the kiss (and the hotness), and before Zuko can even ask what's wrong he's being pushed away. Sokka runs around for several seconds as he screams in fear, and Zuko grins when he hears, "Bug! Bug! There's a bug on my back!"

He should have seen it coming, really. This is Sokka, after all. And maybe Zuko truly is getting better at handling comical situations – his grin is genuine, however awkward things have turned out.

He just waits for Sokka to return from his momentary high of sorts – another sort of high than the one Zuko would've preferred him to be on right now, admittedly – and eventually Sokka stumbles to a halt right in front of him, grinning an askew, embarrassed grin kind of typical of him.

"Umm, yeah. Sorry 'bout that."

Even if Zuko had been good at making people feel at ease, saying 'It's not a problem. Everyone is afraid of bugs.' would have been… odd, if anything. Besides, don't actions speak louder than words?

Being the tease he is (and wants to be) Zuko pecks Sokka on the lips ever so lightly, and so it doesn't take long for the other to kiss him back, only longer, deeper and oh spirits harder. Zuko discovers he seems to like it rough, and he would blush if he wasn't trying to regain dominance again.

He puts his arms around Sokka's waist and pushes their bodies together again, letting out a satisfied groan when Sokka slides his hands in his hair and pulls it. Yes, Zuko definitely likes it rough.

They're back up against the tree – Sokka seemingly forgetting about the bugs – and just letting their groins connect through the fabric of the little clothing still left in hasty, clumsy (well yes, horny) movements, and Zuko can't help but realize just how easily their mutual arousal has returned as if nothing has interrupted them in first place.

Sokka lets loose a string of messed up, incomprehensible words Zuko can't figure out though he tries, but he does very well sense the demanding tone in them anyway. No matter how brainless Sokka may seem, he knows what he wants. And luckily, that's Zuko.

The latter lets out a pleased gasp as Sokka desperately tries to find a grip on his back, the combination of grinding against each other and feeling teeth nibbling his earlobe seductively becoming almost too much for him. Zuko's head spins with the panting and moaning and groaning spluttering out of Sokka, and all he can do is reply the same way.

Their bodies are sweaty already and they sound tired, so tired, but there is absolutely no way they're stopping now. Zuko groans softly in disappointment when Sokka pulls one hand away from his back, but the moment it ends up pulling down the last thing he's wearing, Zuko feels himself getting harder than ever.

"Oh spirits, oh spirits…"

Once his loincloth lies on the ground Sokka retreats his hand, fingers brushing past the tip of Zuko's fully erected manhood to tease him, at which he succeeds. Sokka flashes a grin at Zuko – who's abandoned every coherent thought – and mouths "you too" as he grinds their arousals together again for the firebender to get his point.

Oh, he does.

All Zuko manages is a breathy moan, a nod then, before he does just as he has been told, and now there's nothing left anymore to keep him from getting what he might have secretly wanted ever since that last time.

And if it isn't even better now, he doesn't know in what to believe still. Experience is a nice thing, he decides, when he realizes they both know so much better now about how to adjust to each other's wishes, demands, so much more quickly reach the point up from which they don't care about the sheer basics, the sheer abnormality of what they're doing anymore. Let it be abnormal, something one heard of in stories told to disgust, he doesn't care, for what is left there to be wrong if Sokka seems just as intent on it all as he does?

In one swift movement, Zuko lets his hands slide to Sokka's behind, and the mewl of distress the warrior lets out upon feeling his buttocks squeezed a little too tightly eagerly turns into a rough, breathless moan, which Zuko replies to by silencing the other with a kiss yet again.

The occasional breeze that hits them once in a while is merely freshening; their nudity makes it hot instead of cold, and a simple touch drives both of them wild. Sokka's hands are fast and dart from Zuko's back to his chest, then his back again to end up in his hair, gripping it just the way Zuko likes it.

Said one nearly goes too fast about it, but then he is back to thinking for a second only and brings up one hand – Sokka gets the intention of the gesture immediately, for whatever reason, willingly taking three of the fingers inside his mouth to coast them in saliva. Zuko is not sure whether he likes the feeling or not, but if there's one thing certain, it's that they're not going to repeat their mistakes from last time – he still cringes at the thought – however good the roughness of it all had felt during the deed itself.

And the sight of Sokka's semi-closed eyes, pupils glazed over, him being so focused on his task, the sensation of his tongue twirling back and forth in between the digits probably isn't all that bad.

Not that bad at all, Zuko realizes. In fact, it suddenly feels fantastic, and when he withdraws his fingers it's the thought of what's yet to come alone saving him from disappointment.

With that, he lets his hands wanders southwards once more, accompanied by a soft moan coming from his partner.

Sokka's gasps are silent yet so loud as Zuko's fingers move closer and closer to his entrance, circling it and probing it ever so lightly to make Sokka a blabbering mess – the most gorgeous mess Zuko has ever known.

Without thinking, he slides a first finger in, wriggling it in a testing motion, and even though Sokka seems startled at first, he complies after some moments gone by, burying his head in the crook of Zuko's neck – a sign of approval, he hopes.

The nod Sokka gives for him to go on he only feels.

Sokka tenses only a little when a second finger is added, and he relaxes sooner than before, actually starts pushing back so they get deeper, deeper-

"Ahh!"

Zuko stops his preparations as he realizes he was the one letting out that embarrassing moan, and the reason for that is Sokka licking his collarbone, sometimes biting it lovingly. Sokka needs to push himself down on the fingers again to remind Zuko he still has a job to do, a job far greater than hunting for animals. Zuko quickly starts moving again, and soon Sokka is back to panting, groaning and pleading against the other's skin.

Zuko scissors his fingers to stretch that tight hole even further, before eventually pushing in the third and last finger, and by now Sokka really is whimpering shamelessly. The sound alone almost is enough to send the firebender tumbling over the edge, and the way their erections unavoidably grind together all throughout the time isn't helping one bit.

And then-

"Ahhh…! Oh come on, do that again!"

It takes some seconds for Zuko to realize what exactly it is he's done; but the satisfied smirk he gives then is only shy of feral, and by pure luck the way he thrusts his fingers in is enough to hit that spot and draw one of those groans of pleasure from the younger once again.

Zuko bites his lip to prevent himself from groaning along, as Sokka rubs their arousals together each time his spot is hit and he arches forwards. Of course he has no idea what he's doing, too lost in pleasure, oblivious like he usually is. Though, if he's oblivious during times like these, Zuko can live with it.

Trying out how far Sokka can be taken, Zuko purposely grinds his cock against the other's, pulling a long, loud moan out of him that has his member leaking with precum. Zuko's movements become sloppier as he feels himself getting closer too soon, something Sokka seems to notice as he stops his own actions and lifts his head to look him in the eyes.

The look on the warrior's face resembles that of a wild animal, one that wants and needs and will get. Their lips crash together again and it's messy but wonderful as their saliva mixes and they groan in satisfaction.

"Do it." Sokka eventually breathes into Zuko's mouth, licking his lips afterwards. "Do it now."

Zuko doesn't have to be told twice.

He hastily withdraws his fingers, steadily grips Sokka's hips and brings them into a position that allows him to align his cock with the other's stretched entrance, with Sokka still back up against the tree, but no longer in contact with the ground.

He'd never admit, but Zuko surely finds it difficult to hold back right now, finds all that discipline he's supposed to have gained through profound and long-lasting training. Yet, he somehow manages to push in only slightly for now, wait for Sokka to adjust first. It doesn't take too long, though, and he is oh so relieved when the younger is the one to take up their former actions again by pushing back down against the length inside of him only seconds after.

The groans they both give at this new sensation mingle with one another and it only takes little time now for Zuko to find himself buried balls-deep inside the other.

He lets out a breath he hasn't realized he'd been holding, and Sokka does the same – and he has that look again, that look that's just so not him in all its wild strength of purpose, and yet suits him all the same.

What he mutters next is at the same time expected and surprising, the one single word Zuko had been starving to hear all along.

"Move."

Knowing seeing Sokka's face will end this wonderful moment way too soon Zuko refuses to move his head along with the backwards movement of his body. He slides out carefully, tightens his grip on the boy around him in order not to drop him, and the way he's nearly forced back inside makes him shudder in delight.

He takes a breath once he's nearly out, tells himself he needs to calm down, don't rush things and enjoy it – the heat, the tightness, the bliss it all brings.

The first time Zuko re-enters the awaiting hole he knows he's a little too rough and too fast, but he can't find the will to blame himself for it; Sokka feels so… so…

"Tight."

A low chuckle draws his attention and there the firebender makes his mistake: he looks at Sokka. The latter watches him through seductive eyes, biting his bottom lip in pleasure. Zuko buries himself just a little deeper and draws a short, high pitched "ah" out of the other, which satisfies him greatly.

"Big." Sokka replies with his eyes closed, a light frown on his face showing he's trying to concentrate on the feeling inside him.

Their combined brand of dirty talk probably isn't the smoothest, but hell if Zuko cares right now – in fact, he sort of… likes it. Maybe because finally Sokka's behavior reminds him of his usual self for once, for as arousing as this seductive, scheming Sokka he's got to know may be, the careless, simple minded yet determined side of his personality is just as intriguing, as well as the way he finds himself responding to it.

Upon not hearing any comment of restraint, Zuko continues to slide out and thrust back in again, and it comes all but naturally for them to start going at a faster pace.

Sokka wraps his legs around Zuko's waist just a little tighter; to bring them even closer, build up more of that delicious friction. They proceed to sloppily make out all the while in accord to their movements that become more and more coordinated, harmonized by the second – practice paying off? – and even though neither wants it to end, Zuko feels getting closer to his point of release, and he just knows Sokka feels the same.

As the dominant one Zuko knows he can't lose by coming first – not that this is a contest, but he still has his pride, you know – so he decides to play dirty (forget that in a way, he already is) and wraps a not too steady hand around the neglected cock eagerly welcoming his touch.

"Ahh!" Sokka cries out, tightening the grip around Zuko's neck and panting in his ear once again.

Zuko starts out slowly, going from base to tip with a firm grip to try out once, see what kind of effect it has. A good one, it appears, since Sokka tightens around his own cock and makes him see stars for a moment.

Whether it's for his own good or the other's, Zuko speeds up and is soon in sync with his thrusts, which have become harder and harder over the seconds. Sokka definitely doesn't seem to mind though, he grunts softly each time he's filled, moves along perfectly.

A finger passing the slit of his erection breaks the pace, however; the warrior moans so loudly it nearly hurts and stops moving just to enjoy, too lost in pleasure to do anything else but that. Zuko could care less that he's the one doing all the work now, he gladly takes Sokka just like that, harder, faster, deeper and oh crud, oh crud, he's going to-

It's like everything having lead up to this reaches conclusion in this very moment.

Zuko tenses, leans forward by just a bit and spills himself inside the other; Sokka follows suit after, every of his muscles clenching and they both nearly scream as they ride out their orgasms almost in perfect sync.

They just collapse after that, slumping down into the muddy grass still warm from the sunshine. With a grunt, Zuko rolls off the younger, panting heavily and doing his best to ignore the sticky mess Sokka's cum has left on his chest.

"Whew…" is the most intelligent comment the Water Tribe boy seems to be able to work up in his mind. For minutes seemingly turning into an eternity they simply lie there, and even though the burned grass is itching their backs and the surface isn't exactly soft altogether, it's probably the most comfortable position they've ever found themselves in.

"We still need to-" Zuko begins eventually, finishing his sentence with '…go actually catch something so that… suspicions won't rise' being what he'd had in mind.

Instead, they're both shocked out of their minds when all of a sudden, there's a rustling coming from a bush not too far off, along with a bored voice they know all too well.

"Yeah, guys, you totally should. Just get dressed first, not everyone is blind, you know?"

Zuko's eyes go wide. No, no, no- Toph stepping out of her hiding spot in an all but bored manner is everything still missing to confirm his fears, though.

"Oh, and you lost this."

With that, she throws the hair-band Zuko had so carelessly tossed aside earlier at where she knows Sokka is currently lying in an almost comically shocked state, before swiftly turning and walking away, probably smugly grinning to herself all the while.

It takes a while for both of them to be able to speak, their minds trying to catch up with what just happened and realizing that no, that wasn't a dream. (Which they are both secretly grateful for because otherwise they wouldn't have had the time of their life just now.)

They are both properly dressed again when it's Sokka who speaks up, much to Zuko's relief. He'd been thinking of wise things to say and is ashamed that even after spending so much time with Uncle he isn't able to come up with anything.

"Well, luckily there's a bright side to all of this."

The firebender lifts an eyebrow in confusion, at which Sokka grins. He takes a few steps closer to Zuko and places his lips next to his ears, most likely so Toph won't hear what he says.

"At least I didn't come first."

And just like that he leaves Zuko the same way Toph did earlier: smug and casually, as if nothing's ever happened. Zuko grits his teeth and thinks that going hunting with Sokka is the worst thing to do, but if he can have his revenge next time they're in the forest, he thinks he might start liking it.