"So, are you going?"
Zuko looked up to see Sokka leaning against the doorway. The boy had become as common a feature in Zuko's office as the Fire Lord himself. Zuko raised an inquiring eyebrow.
"Going to what?"
"'To what'?" Sokka straightened with surprise. "To Aang's party. He invited you, didn't he?"
Oh, right. That. The Avatar's Spirit's Eve party.
"He did." Zuko looked back down at his papers. "And I'm not."
He didn't need to be looking at the younger Water Tribe boy to know his jaw had dropped.
"What?" his voice cracked in his apparent appalled shock. "Why not? It'll be fun. Plus, it's a great excuse to dress up!"
Zuko raised an eyebrow and looked up at the boy. Of all the people—and especially of all the men—Zuko knew, no one changed their outfit more often than Sokka. Zuko had thought that Sokka was something of a slob when they first met, wearing the same thing for so long. He had felt rather ridiculous when Sokka had informed him that he only wore the same thing every day because they couldn't afford to carry around changes of clothes when they were being chased around the world by a moody prince trying to kill them. Whenever he had an opportunity, however, he reveled in the chance to wear clean, and particularly new, clothes. It was a rare sight when one didn't see Sokka strutting around the capitol in a different outfit every day. He still preferred his Water Tribe blues and was fond of Earth Kingdom green, but he now had a variety of styles in an array of said shades. Zuko was pretty sure there were women that envied his sense of style. Not that Sokka noticed. He knew he looked good, of course, but Sokka never seemed to notice when someone else noticed how good he looked.
Luckily that relaxed attitude had saved Zuko from several embarrassing situations when he had been caught admiring the cut of Sokka's more form-fitting clothing choices.
Zuko shook himself from his musings and smirked at Sokka.
"You hardly need an excuse to dress up, Sokka." He told his friend. "If it wasn't for your wolf's tail, no one would recognize you the way you keep changing."
Sokka shrugged.
"So it's nice being able to buy nice things once and a while. So Firebend me."
Zuko snorted.
"Once and a while? You buy a new outfit once a week!"
Now it was Sokka's turn to raise an eyebrow.
"How…are you spying on me, Zuko?"
Zuko froze. He flushed and schooled his features into a well-known expression of contempt.
"Of course not. But it's hard not to notice when you strut around in more new outfits than your sister."
A small smile tugged at the corner of Sokka's lips, but he didn't say anything. Instead he just leaned against the doorframe again and smirked at Zuko in a way that made the Fire Lord mildly uncomfortable…
"Anyway, are you going?" Sokka asked so abruptly that Zuko almost missed the question. He blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts, rubbing at the spot between his eyes.
"I'm the Fire Lord, Sokka. I don't have time for parties. Even if it was the Avatar who invited me." Zuko told him, trying to keep the weariness out of his voice and feeling as if he was failing. But, then, this was Sokka. Sokka seemed to notice when he was tired whether or not he thought he was hiding it well.
"Well, then…what if…I was the one who invited you?"
Zuko paused and looked at Sokka. The boy was looking at the floor, paying particular attention to the toe of the boot that was quietly scuffing at the polished floor. His arms were still crossed, but he posture was slightly less relaxed, more nervous. And…was he blushing?
Zuko didn't know what to say. He really didn't want to go. He was the Fire Lord. He had important duties to take care of—things that he had to oversee himself. It had only been a few months since he had been crowned Fire Lord and he was still trying to piece together a fractured nation and a restless world.
However…Sokka was asking him to go.
Zuko cleared his throat.
"I suppose…I should make an appearance. I could spare a few—"
"Perfect!" Sokka brightened. He pushed himself away from the doorway and grinned, his regular Sokka-self again. "I'll see you there! And don't forget to wear a costume."
Sokka dashed out the door just as Zuko leapt to his feet in alarm, shouting after him, "What do you mean—a costume?"
"Can't wait till you see mine!" Sokka's voice drifted down the hallway and then vanished into a chuckle that sounded far too pleased with itself.
Zuko groaned and sank back into his chair. He propped his elbows on the desk and dropped his head into his hands. What had he gotten himself into? And a costume… What was he supposed to go as? He was the Fire Lord. Could he go as himself? Or maybe…
Zuko's head snapped up. Maybe he could go as someone else.
He felt a smile spread slowly across his face. It was perfect. Perhaps, for once, he would get the last laugh on Sokka and not the other way around.
He had to finish here and then he had to talk to Katara.
O0O
Katara, Aang, Toph and Sokka were sharing one of the "small" guest houses not far from the Fire Lord's palace. It was the one possessing the largest courtyard so it could accommodate Appa, though at the moment it was vacant since he and his Airbender companion were currently elsewhere. Probably preparing Aang's costume…
Much to Zuko's relief (he was still surprised by that feeling when confronted by the Waterbender) it was Katara who opened the door. She looked surprised to see Zuko, but then happiness swiftly overruled the former emotion. She grinned happily and flung open the door so she could hug her friend. Where once they had been mortal enemies and, later, mistrustful allies, Katara now saw Zuko as a close friend. Brother, even, though perhaps that part she would never admit—certainly not to either Zuko or Sokka.
"Zuko! It's so nice to see you! I feel we never see you anymore…"
Zuko shrugged uncomfortably. It was odd being in the same city—within just a few blocks—of the closest friends he had eve r had and hardly seeing them beyond the brief glimpse here and there. Aang he saw more regularly, but it was generally during diplomatic meetings or some such. And then there was Sokka, who he seemed to see nearly every day. The boy always seemed to be able to find Zuko and manage to squeeze a few minutes of conversation out of the Fire Lord. Zuko found those moments the happiest of the day and they relaxed him in a way few other things could…And he hoped Sokka was unaware of the effect he had on him. As soon as he knew how Zuko felt about him, he would probably run for it. Not that Zuko could blame him…
"Yeah. Well, I've been pretty busy…" Zuko said lamely. Katara just smiled.
"Of course. Fire Lord and all…" she stood aside so Zuko could come in. "So, what are you doing here now?"
"Well…I wanted…I don't know if…can I borrow Sokka's wolf armor?"
Katara's mouth fell open. She recovered herself quickly and with the dignity Zuko had grudgingly come to admire in her, but she was still obviously thrown off by the question.
"Uh…um. Why?"
Zuko paused. He hadn't actually thought that far.
"Um…you know…I was just…would Sokka be mad if I did?" he asked finally. Katara looked almost more perplexed than before, but her face softened and she shook her head.
"At you? Hardly." She snorted. "But…why?"
Zuko scuffed his foot against the floor.
"If I tell you, will you let me borrow it? If you think Sokka wouldn't mind."
Katara smirked.
"You could have just taken it, you know. But now you're going to have to tell me."
O0O
"I still can't believe that's what you're wearing…"
Katara shook her head as she looked her brother up and down. She had to admit he looked pretty good, for her brother, but she still couldn't believe he had the gall to dress like…that. She wondered what Zuko would think.
But, then, what would Sokka think of Zuko's costume?
"Hey, it's a good costume." Sokka turned in front of the mirror, obviously preening. Once again he seemed well aware of the fact that he looked amazing, but was oblivious to the effect he had on everyone else.
"Oh, it's a great costume." Katara agreed, raising an eyebrow. "That's the problem. You're going to get arrested."
Sokka laughed.
"It'll be worth it to see Zuko's face." He grinned happily. Katara rolled her eyes. She opened her mouth to add some remark, but they were both interrupted by Aang leaping into the doorway.
"Hey, guys!" he shouted, whirling in the doorway and happily showing off his costume. Katara's mouth fell open and Sokka snorted.
"Plus…I'm not the one dating the guy dressed as Momo."
O0O
Whispers and stares trailed after him like ripples in a stream, but Sokka was apparently completely unaware. He strolled through the crowd of Aang's party, proud and unaffected by the shocked murmurs. And as scandalized as the Fire Nation party-goers were, they had to admit he struck a striking figure with his head held high and shoulders thrown back.
Katara and Aang had gone to mingle in the crowd and Toph had planted herself somewhere near the buffet, shoving food in her mouth while she chatted with a pair of guards that couldn't decide if they wanted to be impressed or disgusted. Sokka was left to roam the party alone—more alone than anyone else since all the members of the Fire Lord's court refused to have anything to do with him while he was dressed like that—smiling and nodding at anyone who would meet his cerulean gaze. He seemed unaware of the scene he was making…and probably wouldn't have cared even if he had. Besides, he was on a mission. Zuko said he was going to show up and Sokka was going to find him. He knew he would be hard to miss, dressed as he was. But he was curious to see what Zuko—
Sokka stuttered to a halt, his mouth falling open in shock. There, in a break in the crowd, he saw…himself.
Standing not too far away, was a figure dressed in the varying shades of Water Tribe blue. His head was hidden by a heavy wolf's head helmet, which obscured the features of the warrior from where Sokka stood. The shoulders were broad beneath fur-lined leather armor pads and the waist narrow with a leather belt cinched tight around the leather tunic. Black breeches ended beneath knee-height boots and bracers guarded his forearms.
"What…the…"
The figure turned and Sokka saw the man's face, framed by the jaws of his wolf-head helmet.
"Z—Zuko?" Sokka squeaked in surprise. Zuko's golden eyes snapped toward Sokka's face, and then mirrored his look of pure astonishment.
"Sokka?"
Because while Sokka was staring at the Fire Nation version of himself, Zuko was looking at the cerulean-eyed image of himself. Sokka was dressed, to the tiniest detail, as the current Fire Lord.
And he looked damn good, too.
"Are you me?" They pointed at each other, tripping over each other's words at the same time.
"Is that my armor?" Sokka demanded.
"Are those my robes?" Zuko demanded in return. His eyes rose to the top of Sokka's head. "And is that my crown?"
Sokka's astonishment vanished in a second as he straightened, obviously preening.
"I make a pretty good Fire Lord Zuko, right?" he grinned cheekily. Zuko stuttered for a moment, then laughed.
"Actually, you do."
Sokka blinked in surprise, then his grin grew wider.
"I have to admit, Zuko, that you look pretty good in my armor." Sokka poked the Fire Lord in the chest. He raised an eyebrow. "Katara let you have it, didn't she."
"Maybe." Zuko shrugged. He shook his head, chuckling.
"I really can't believe you dressed up as the Fire Lord. You do realize that's an offense, right? Impersonating the Fire Lord."
"Really?" Sokka looked around at the crowd and seemed to suddenly notice all the party-members giving him odd looks. "Huh. Explains that…"
"As much fun as you seem to be having, Sokka, perhaps we should get you out of here before they," Zuko nodded towards the guards who were torn between watching Toph shovel her food and Sokka apparently breaking the law, "decide to arrest you."
"But…you're the Fire Lord. Just tell them not to arrest me and we can enjoy the party."
"I may be the Fire Lord, but I'm not the law. I can get you out of trouble, but I can't keep you from getting into it in the first place."
"Huh." Sokka looked Zuko up and down, raising an eyebrow. "So…you're getting me out of here?"
"Yes. Let's go. We need to get you out of…that…before the guards escort you out themselves."
Sokka grinned.
"Well, let's go then."
Zuko frowned, hesitated, then turned and began walking—simply assuming the younger boy would follow him. And of course Sokka did, grinning and waving happily to the court members who watched him pass with scandalized whispers.
"Stop that." Zuko snapped over his shoulder without looking. Sokka slumped his shoulders and grumbled to himself as he followed the Fire Lord out of the party.