er. okay. so i never used ffnet before. read fics, yes. written an avatar fic? no. background information. well... i haven't explicitly stated this, but this is post-war, but Iroh is fire lord instead of Zuko, and the Gaang is just living together, travelling around until... DUN DUN DUNNNN zukka (my otp 3), some tokka and taang

Undignified Escapades: Chapter 1

Zuko walked into Toph's room, looking around. It was weird not to have any of her stuff there anymore (even though she had been "kind" enough to leave her rock garden there). Her absence filled the room and Zuko found himself missing the surly little addition to the Gaang already. He turned to leave when he saw a grappling hook on the window. Zuko readied himself into a fire bending stance. Who the hell would break into the earthbender's room only hours after she left? He gingerly made his way over to the hook, and was surprised to hear a familiar cry.

"Sokka?" Zuko thought, rushing to the window.

"TOPH!" Sokka cried. "TOPH DON'T DO IT! DON'T MARRY HM!" His words were slurred together. Zuko fidgeted where he stood. If there was ever a list of things he didn't need to witness, this was topping it at the moment. "WAIT FOR ME- WAAAAAAIIIIITTTTTTTTTTTT!"

Zuko face-palmed himself. Sokka was way too melodramatic sometimes. He turned on his heel to leave. Whatever that idiot did on his own time wasn't his problem.

"I'M FALLING!" the voice continued. "I'M GONNA DIE HERE!" Zuko snapped.

"We're on the first floor, dumbass!" Zuko called down the rope. Sokka looked up and met his eyes. They blinked at each other.

"Whurrstoph," Sokka slurred. His eyes looked unfocused. Zuko lifted the grapple hook and tossed it out the window. He heard the thump as Sokka hit the ground. Zuko looked down the window as a precaution to make sure that the younger boy wasn't dead. He wasn't. Unfortunately.

"GODDAMMIT ZUKO!" the boy called up angrily, seeing Zuko's head out the window. He seemed to have sobered up. "What are you doing? Why are you in Toph's room? Where's Toph?" Apparently not sober enough.

"She left three hours ago, Sokka!" Zuko shouted down, thankful that Katara was out. "You were there! You watched her leave!"

"Where did she go?"

Zuko shook his head and left the room. Sokka was far too gone to listen to reason at this point. Zuko had no clue that Sokka even had feelings for Toph. He had blessed the marriage whole-heartedly. He walked out the door to where Sokka was still sitting on the ground. The fool was still dressed in his suit from the wedding. Was he really this much of an idiot?

Zuko knelt down before him, and talked softly and slowly. Maybe this way the boy would get it.

"Toph's gone. She left already. You were there, remember?" Zuko awkwardly hit the boy a couple of times on the back. He had intended to stroke the younger boy's back the way his mother had stroked his when he was upset, but it came out in slaps.

"I know," Sokka said in a small voice.

Zuko stopped immediately and shoved Sokka over.

"What was that for?" the boy called, picking himself up.

Zuko flushed. Had Sokka been fooling him this entire time? Zuko cursed himself for trying to make Sokka feel better.

"You're such an idiot!" Zuko yelled at him. "If you knew she was gone, why are you out here?"

"I dunno," Sokka muttered, ruffling his hair. "I thought it was all some kind of bad dream or something?"

Zuko was silent. "You're an idiot."

"I know." Sokka exhaled. "I just can't believe that she's really gone." He leaned against Zuko. The older boy fidgeted. Was it normal for two guys to lean on each other? What the fuck did Sokka even drink? Actually- when did the boy even get out of the house? Even Zuko had been swept up in the wedding. Was this idiot ever going to get off his shoulder?

"Zuko?" The older boy jumped to.

"Y-Yeah?" Fuck. How was he supposed to look at Sokka when they were leaning on each other? Should he crane his neck? "Ah fuck it, just keep facing forward." Zuko told himself, keeping himself ramrod straight.

"Should I go after her?"

Zuko choked on his spit. Was this fool really suggesting- wait- wasn't it illegal to chase after someone else's wife? He thought for a second. Nope, not illegal, just stupid and bound to end horribly. He pulled himself away from Sokka to give him a no-that's-not-technically-illegal-just-really-stupid-and-bound-to-end-horribly look. Sokka furrowed his eyebrows.

"So... Is that a yes?"

The urge to punch Sokka in the face was rising.