A/N: takes place after Southern Raiders.

For Zukka week, I was a day late here. Hopefully it doesn't matter.

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Zuko has never seen Sokka's blade so closely before.

It's strange that he's never asked about it before, not when he saw his bladework at the Boiling Rock and the daunting obsidian edge that flashes in the moonlight when he trains at night. And before had only resorted to the boomerang when he arrived at the Western Temple.

Zuko's been watching him, waiting for an opening to say what he needed to say. And he was stuck, admiring a blackened edge.

And now it's open and exposed from its sheath (branded with a familiar insignia he couldn't quite remember), laid across the tribesman's lap while Zuko boiled water for their tea no more than two feet away from it. Stars speckle the sky and they're the only two left awake now, and Zuko would be tired out as well if he wasn't distracted by the blade.

He was running a smooth, flat stone carefully along the flat of the sword as though honing it, though it was more like cleaning blemishes of dirt and grime rather than sharpening; the black metal is already sharper than a razor's edge. Zuko couldn't place the material and wondered if it was even possible to dull; he'd never known where he'd actually obtained it and struggles to guess what kind of metal the sword is made from. The blade is utterly black, but shines like polished glass in the low light, reflecting the glow of dancing flames from their campfire.

It's eerily disconcerting, and Zuko did not envy the soldiers who had to face this weapon in battle.

He only sparred with Sokka once so far, and it wasn't with the unusual blade that rested in his hands now. When asked why he wouldn't use his blade ("Space Sword!" Sokka had declared proudly, much to Zuko's confusion), the tribesman gave him a droll look and pointed out that a sword capable of slicing metal should be handled more carefully.

'Cut metal?' But there was no falsehood in his words.

"I don't want to hurt you," Sokka had said, with addendum, "anymore."

Zuko made a mental note to only clash against the flat of the blade if he were ever forced to face the real thing in the future.

He doesn't realize he's staring until the smooth stone is packed away and Sokka shoved at his shoulder with the heel of his hand, gesturing at his hissing teapot, "You gonna get that?"

"Oh, right," He took off the pot and set it aside to be divided out, cups set on the ground between them. Zuko cast the other boy a faintly wary look as he took his cup, setting the pot aside. It was the first time in a while that Zuko had gotten the chance to talk to Sokka in private since...well, since he and Katara had left. Aang hadn't been the only one who disapproved. But after everything was said and done, Sokka was the only one who still seemed on edge. He had been more pensive since then, withdrawn to an extent, as if he was still bothered by it.

(There was something specific about that confrontation before that bothered him, but Zuko couldn't remember exactly what was said, only that it was the reason.)

And it was then that he wondered if Sokka was angry at him.

Zuko was discomforted by just how much that worried him.

It wasn't just that Sokka was a member of the team either. Because he couldn't stop thinking about how Sokka bared his insecurities to him and vouched for Zuko at the Boiling Rock when he probably didn't need to. And now...well. The warrior hadn't said a word about it afterwards, but Zuko still felt like he'd messed up.

At the time all he was thinking about was how having all that hatred directed him was taxing and just wanted it to stop. He wasn't aiming for the group to fight, but hindsight is twenty-twenty after all, and by now everything Uncle had told him about his charging forward was believed. He hadn't been thinking things through, and it might've been luck that things didn't turn out worse.

It would be just his kind of luck if by ending one sibling's ire, he'd incited the other.

He'd been working up to it, maybe by sliding into the subject when talking about that sword…. But he was so nervous.

"Stupid," Zuko muttered to himself, rubbing at the bridge of his nose, and forgetting for moment that he wasn't actually alone.

Sokka was staring at him oddly with he lifted his gaze. "What was that?" He said, lowering his sword off to the side. Zuko's eyes followed it subconsciously, then flickered back up to his face. He didn't know why he was so nervous about bringing it up; Sokka wasn't going lash out at him like that. The Water Tribe warrior wasn't that kind of guy.

Zuko was pretty sure anyway.

Zuko wasn't good at deliberation, so he just came right out with it, "Sokka, are you upset with me?" Sokka just made a confused noise, so he amended, "About...what happened with Katara. I noticed that you've been...tense, since then. I know I'm a little late to be saying it now but, I didn't intend for things to get as heated as they did."

The other boy didn't immediately reply, and his wide-eyed stare narrowed into something more somber. Sokka leaned down and retrieved his sword, sliding the unnatural blade back into its sheath with an audible click and laid it down between them. For a moment he had Zuko on pins and needles before hunching over and speaking with the same even, serious tone he'd used to talk about the raider's attack. "To be honest, Zuko, I'm not mad at you. But I kinda feel should be." He looked up, staring into the shadows in the direction of where the others were sleeping. Or, more specifically, his sister. "I should be mad at you for egging her on to go on a destructive revenge quest."

Zuko looked away, avoiding that intense gaze.

"I know your family isn't like mine, but I've known Katara my entire life, and I know how soft her heart is under all that bravado. I know what she's like. No matter how much Katara wanted to in the moment, killing that man wouldn't have made her feel any better, if it didn't hurt or confuse her more…" Sokka shook his head, and looked back at Zuko, "I'll admit most of what she was angry at you for wasn't really your fault, but I don't really like how you tried to handle it."

Zuko knew that now, after everything was said and done. The fact that Katara didn't go through with it was actually just a confirmation. "I know… I'm sorry." He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking aloud, "Every time I think I'm doing better, something else comes along and…." Zuko trailed off, frustrated.

They shared a moment of silence. Sokka took his cup and sipped at it, testing the warmth, then downed the whole thing at once. He sat the cup back on the ground and leaned back, lounging on the grassy floor completely. If it weren't for the look on his face, he'd look at ease. "Honestly...if I knew what you were going to do, I don't know if I would have told you about the raid at all. So maybe what happened is partially my fault."

"What?" Zuko stared down at him, "No, that's not right. I'm trying to fix a mistake I made. You shouldn't be putting yourself down over that."

Sokka winced. "It is true though," He said, "the only one of us who was part of that argument who didn't do anything wrong is Aang actually. And how Katara was treating him just...wasn't right. I'm glad she's all contrite to him now, but...yeah, that whole thing was a mess."

Oh, that's what it was.

Zuko knew there was something about that day that he'd forgotten.

It was Katara's anger, what she had said to everyone that was putting him off. But if that was the case… "Smoothing things over with Aang, I understand. They're obviously sweet on each other. But what about you?" The warrior's face went carefully blank. "Sokka, what was it that she said?"

Sokka rolled over onto his side, facing the other way. "It's nothing, Zuko. Don't worry about it."

He wasn't budging. It was clear from the line of tension building up in his shoulders.

Zuko sighed, and this time, he knew to drop it. Instead, he reached for his teacup, hoping the brew would chase away the last of his worries. "Well, whatever it was, I owe you for that too, then. I shouldn't have gotten her riled up like that."

Said warrior didn't immediately reply, but he craned his head back to look at the firebender over his shoulder, considering. "You've actually changed a lot."

That he would apologize at all was what he probably meant.

"I have? I-I mean, that's good of course."

Sokka suddenly grinned, all too quickly looking light and casual once again, "Of course! I mean you don't have that ponytail anymore!" He laughed as Zuko snorted into his cup, and finally, appeared to be back to his old self. "Well, this has been an experience, bud, but I think I'm going to be turning in now. Get some rest m'kay? 'Rise with the sun' and all that." He ambled off, plucking his blade and scabbard from the ground as he did, leaving Zuko watching after him with a cooling pot of tea and feeling calmer than before.

Zuko felt a sense of relief wash over him. Sokka wasn't mad at him, and he seemed better off now too. That's really all he wanted.

It was alright if Sokka chewed him out a little bit, as long as he was feeling better.

That was...all he wanted.