Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender, so I'm not making any money from writing this drabble thing.
Warnings:Heavy shounen ai. Character death. Angst with love...
Pairing:Sokka/Zuko
Rating: T
"The Way He Wanted"
WC: About 330
By Yo, Written 11/7/12
This drabble was inspired by and essentially written for Sakura Sango as she was also the one who gave me the prompt to write it (that and she really likes this pairing).
Love is like a friendship caught on fire. In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable.~Bruce Lee
He remembered when there was a time he hated this man…this man he now knelt beside on old, aching knees…this man's whose wrinkled, thin, blue veined hand he now kissed so reverently. Tears streamed from Sokka's eyes as he openly wept in the dark, candle lit room of the Fire Lord's chambers. He distantly heard the wracking sobs of the nearest and dearest to Zuko, to him, to Aang…they already mourned Zuko.
But the short, heaving breaths of the Fire Lord roared in Sokka's ears. He couldn't yet mourn him. Not yet. Not when he still had a little longer with him…
"Let's leave them," Sokka barely managed to hear Aang's soft, tearful voice, but he was grateful.
Sokka felt the Avatar's hand squeeze his shoulder and he listened to the shuffling of feet and ruffling of clothes as people filed out of the bedroom. As soon as he felt cold at his back and heard the door shut quietly, he rose to his feet, never letting go of that precious hand, never taking it from his lips.
Sokka climbed carefully into the bed with the Fire Lord. Sokka maneuvered them underneath burgundy silk covers to where they faced each other and nothing separated them. He held the fragile man so very close, giving him warmth. Breath taking amber eyes that had captured Sokka's heart and soul so very long ago gazed up at him, and Sokka's tears began streaming anew.
"Love…you…" The hoarse whisper of the Fire Lord dragged another sob from Sokka's raw throat.
"I love you too," Sokka didn't hesitate to respond, sealing his words with a gentle kiss to Zuko's forehead.
He closed his eyes and knew that Zuko had done the same.
They stayed just like that. Sokka's lips against Zuko's forehead...both of their eyes shut...Sokka's tears still flowing between them...
The Fire Lord took his last breath.
"You died the way you wanted, my old friend, my beloved." You died in my loving arms.
OWARI