Title: Reach For Me Now

Author: Neldluva ()

Beta: The illustrious Banditjoeykuba at LJ. Thanks so much for helping me straighten things out!

Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender

Pairing: Zuko/Sokka

Rating: up to NC17, this chapter PG

Disclaimer: The characters belong to the creators of Avatar, but the story is mine.

Warnings: None in particular for this chapter, though later on there will be some fairly explicit m/m sex.

Summary: Insomnia leads to friendship, bonding, and the promise of more.

Author's Notes: This is my first foray into Avatar fanfiction, and I'm excited to get this up. These first few chapters feel a bit bumpy to me because Zuko turned out to be unexpectedly difficult to write, but I can only promise they'll get better.

You may perhaps be perplexed by the absence of Suki. Not that I don't love her character (and even the Sokka/Suki pairing), but it just ended up being easier for me to not have her present. I'm pretending that she and Sokka never got romantic.

One last thing: As I'm writing this story, I'm listening obsessively to the soundtrack to the Cirque du Soleil show, Ka. It makes me think of firebenders, go figure. The title to the fic is the title of one of their songs.

The Avatar. The one he had been hunting for so long, the one he had sworn to bring down – the one he was now aiding. Zuko rolled over, facing the other wall of his tent. As usual, he was having some trouble sleeping, and not just because of the rock that he imagined Toph had shoved up to dig right into his shoulder.

Not a day, not a moment went by that he didn't think of his uncle and what had happened in Ba Sing Se. Joining the Avatar and his motley group had lessened his rage, but it had not healed his conscience. He wanted more than anything to see Iroh again. He needed to apologize and to hear that everything was alright again; he needed that calm voice of reason – he needed advice.

With a quiet sigh, Zuko got up and left his tent, going to sit beside the dying embers of the fire. He built up the flames again, watching the outer edge where the fire turned red and orange. He scooped some up in his hand, just watching it and feeling it tickle his fingers with warmth.

"Can't sleep?"

Zuko turned, slightly surprised to see Sokka up and about. "I thought I was the only one up."

"What, a guy can't feel a little stressed?" Sokka gave a little half smile and sat down on the log next to him. "It's not like we have to save the world or anything."

The corner of Zuko's mouth twitched. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I just always thought you were a heavy sleeper. I can always hear you snoring from my tent."

Sokka looked slightly affronted. "Hey … I'll have you know I'm a deep breather."

Zuko's mouth twitched again. "Right."

They both stared at the fire for several long moments before Sokka broke the silence again. "Hey … I don't think I ever really thanked you for helping me break my dad out of that prison."

Zuko lifted his eyebrow, looking at Sokka. The other boy kept looking at the fire, apparently thoughtful. "It was nothing."

"No, seriously. That was a good thing you did. I didn't think you had it in you … I didn't even want you to come along." Sokka looked up again. "So thanks."

Zuko finally let himself smile slightly. "You're welcome, I guess." He let the silence stretch, feeling companionable. Sokka's presence had none of the tension and possible volatility of Katara's, or even Aang's condensed power and energy. It felt refreshing, for a change.

"You know," Zuko started after a while, "I've never really had friends I could look out for like that."

"Nah, really?" Sokka asked, smirking. "I wonder why."

"Hey," Zuko said, frowning. "I wasn't always the bad guy who was chasing you around."

"Yeah, I know." Sokka leaned back, smirk still lingering. "But you've gotta admit, you're not a very cheerful guy."

"Just because I don't laugh at your jokes doesn't make me gloomy," Zuko retaliated, though his frown lifted. "I guess I was just … anti-social, or something."

"Or the prince of the Fire Nation. That probably doesn't win you lots of friends."

Zuko lifted his eyebrow again, looking at him. "I guess that's right."

"Oh well," Sokka sighed, leaning back more. "You've got friends now. Even Katara doesn't hate you anymore. I think."

"Oh goodie," Zuko said, leaning back with him and putting his hands on the ground behind him. "Friends. Just what I always wanted."

"Hey, don't knock it," Sokka said, tone getting serious. "I didn't have many friends either. Most of the kids in my tribe were just babies, and Katara was … well, Katara. And look at this. Aang and Toph are my friends, but Aang is the Avatar, and Toph is a little rough around the edges."

"You're just jealous that her jokes are better," Zuko replied, though his face softened. "So I'm the only one who doesn't intimidate you too much?"

"Well, there's Appa…" Sokka's voice trailed off, and he looked away. "Yeah, I guess."

"Aang once asked me if he and I could be friends, if there were no war. I could ask you the same thing." Zuko shrugged slightly. "You're my friend."

Sokka turned to him, grinning. "Never thought I'd hear that from a firebender."

"Never thought I'd say that to a water tribe peasant." Zuko smiled back, little more than a tiny curve of his lips.

Sokka opened his mouth, clearly about to retort, when his eyes narrowed and focused on Zuko's hand, resting in the dirt near the log. He leaned in, quietly sliding a knife out of the sheath on his belt. "Stay very still," he whispered in Zuko's ear, eyes remaining focused. "There's a rock snake next to your hand."

Zuko stiffened, resisting pulling his hand away. The poisonous snake could kill with one strike. If Sokka hadn't spotted it…

"I can get it," Sokka continued. "Just … keep … still." He leaned in more, practically locking his arms around Zuko to get a proper angle and balance for a strike.

Zuko kept still as ordered, but his eyes slowly shut. He hadn't been embraced for so long, not since Iroh had been imprisoned. Though Sokka's wiry arms were nothing like Iroh's, they were firm, protective, comforting.

He was startled from his thoughts by Sokka's sudden movement and the dull wet sound of a knife slicing through flesh. Sokka tossed the head of the snake away and let Zuko out of his hold, looking triumphant.

"There, got it," he said, wiping the blood from his blade. "Lucky thing I spotted that."

Zuko swallowed and cleared his throat. "Lucky. Yeah." He looked up at the sky. "If we don't go to bed soon, it's going to be early rather than late."

Sokka yawned widely and stretched his arms. "Yeah, that's enough excitement for tonight. Don't let any rock snakes bite." With that, he got up and retreated to his own tent.

Zuko sat still for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts, before he did the same. However, there was still no rest to be found. That rock was still there, and he couldn't help but puzzle over his strange reaction to Sokka until the stars started to fade.