Title: Getting Along
Characters: Aang, Katara, Sokka, Zuko (Zukka-ish)
Word Count: 586
Rating: PG
Summary: Aang tries to figure out how to get Sokka and Zuko to get along with each other. (AU-ish in the fact Zuko is somehow traveling with Aang and company.)
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Aang was beginning to worry if Sokka and Zuko would ever find a way to get along. Even though they weren't actively finding ways to hurt each other anymore, there was still a good deal of animosity between the two. At the moment Sokka wasn't helping to change that as he had begun randomly poking the exiled Fire Nation Prince with the butt of his spear. To Zuko's credit he was doing his best to ignore the Water Tribe boy, but Aang tell by the twitch of the older teen's brow that wasn't going to last for long.
Sighing the bald boy asks, "Sokka, could you please not try to start a fight when we're riding on Appa?"
The Water Tribe youth sniffs and says, "I'm not starting anything."
"Then stop pestering Zuko," Aang chides, wishing that Zuko wouldn't look so smug since he knew that would only serve to irritate Sokka more.
"Well I'm sorry if mister angst-o-matic has a problem with me, but doesn't have the balls to say anything about it," the dark skinned boy says huffily while glaring at the scarred prince.
"What the hell are you talking about you dimwit?" Zuko seethes, "I have no problem telling you what a complete nuisance you are, you just can't seem to get that fact wrapped around that little Neanderthal brain of yours. And I don't angst."
"Are you calling me a liar then?" Sokka asks heatedly, shaking an angry fist at the other youth.
"Honestly will you both just stop!" Katara finally snaps, "Zuko, you do angst a lot and having you sulk in the corner by yourself all the time gets really annoying really quick." She then turns to her brother and scolds, "And you need to stop goading him into fighting with you, Sokka. Seriously, you haven't bothered anyone this much since you had that childhood crush on that girl from our village years ago."
Hearing Katara's words, Aang quickly comes up with an idea that he's sure will stop the fighting for at least some time. He then quickly cuts back into the conversation and says, "I always thought their fighting reminded me of something and that's just it. You guys are acting like those little kids that tease each other 'cause they have a crush. I can't believe I didn't notice that you guys really do like each other until now."
Aang tries not to bust out laughing at the older boys reactions to his 'new insight' about them. "There's no way I could like him!" they both say in unison, their faces darkened by blushes.
"Really?" the Avatar questions, trying to sound as innocent as he can, "'Cause it sure doesn't look that way with how you guys can't seem to stop annoying each other."
"We're not annoying each other," Sokka quickly says, "We're just goofing off, like friends."
"You're the only one goofing off," Zuko mutters and earns a dark look from the other teen.
"So you guys are just friends then? Nothing more?" Aang asks, while congratulating himself in his head for coming up with such a good plan to stop the hostilities.
"Yea, just friends," the dark skinned boy answers, "We will never be anything more."
With the fight adverted the group quickly settles down. The peace is only broken when Katara asks, "So now that you two are 'friends' can you finally agree on who's top? Because I would really like to get a nights sleep without your fighting over it waking me up."