Sokka really hated how all Zuko did for a first date was take them—her—back to the Laughing Parrot, the exact same trashy diner where they'd met. He sighed, and raised an eyebrow in surprise only when Zuko walked back up to where Sokka and Ty Lee stood at the entrance of the diner. Zuko hung an arm around Ty Lee, his eyes on Sokka, and gestured to a booth identical to the one they had sat in the other day. A girl with long black hair sat in one, face impassive, and she wore clothes the color of her hair.
Sokka noticed, as he moved to sit next to her—only to have Zuko tug him back so that he sat next to him—that Mai had eyes almost as golden as Zuko's. Not that he noticed…Sokka glowered at Zuko through most of the meal, resenting the fact that the older boy—man?—ordered. Whenever he moved to try and speak to Mai, he'd feel eyes on him, and look at Zuko only to find the other boy's eyes on Ty Lee. Sokka almost caught Zuko once, but shrugged it off.
You're being paranoid, he scolded himself. No one's looking at you. Mai, your pawned off date, barely is.
Mai, for her own part, looked immensely amused with an I-know-something-you-don't-know aura around her. It was uncomfortable, and Sokka didn't like the smirk she got on her face when he laughed the loudest at Zuko's jokes. Her smirk only grew when Sokka accidentally rested his hand on Zuko's thigh and the fire nation boy blushed, blaming it on a sudden wave of heat. Sokka and Ty Lee bought it eagerly as Sokka quickly snatched his hand away, but Mai didn't.
"So how do you know Mai?" Sokka asked while Zuko and Mai pulled out their wallets to pay.
"We used to date," she explained simply, and raised an eyebrow when Zuko slammed his credit card down before her. She shrugged and suggested they split the bill.
He grudgingly agreed.
"Really, man?" Sokka demanded, shaking his head with half feigned disappointment. "You give me your ex after I give you Ty Lee, the love of my life?"
Ty Lee giggled, but Zuko shot him a look mixed with disbelief and a little pain. Sokka shrugged off the way it made his stomach churn with something didn't like.
"My sister's, too," Zuko admitted, eyes on Mai.
Ty Lee looked bemused, but Sokka immediately got it, and didn't approve.
"Man," he told Mai, "that's not right."
"Oh?" she said, voice full of self-righteous anger she didn't deserve to feel. "What?—the fact that I liked girls."
"I don't care if you're bi." Sokka scoffed. "The fact that you'd do that," he said. "Whether you dated your ex-boyfriend's sister, or your ex-girlfriend's brother, it's not right, Mai. It's cold."
Hesitant relief washed over Zuko's face that had only a moment ago looked hunted. He gripped Sokka's shoulder as the waitress took the bill, a smile on her face from the bill.
"It's cool, man," he told him. "Mai and I were never that serious, and…well, she and my sister Azula are."
"Are?" Sokka repeated, indignation overcome by the ready amusement he welcomed, eyebrows up and he grinned. "Mai has a gwilfwiend!"
Mai's brow furrowed with bewilderment, but Ty Lee rolled her eyes, finally beginning to understand what was going on.
"Mai and Azula kissin' in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" he yelled happily. "First comes love than comes marriage! Then comes a baby in a baby carriage."
"We're both girls." Mai said dryly, not amused for the first time that night. She straightened her hair and then smoothed down her smooth sleeves. "I don't see how the 'baby in a baby carriage' would come about."
"Oh I'm sure Zuko'd be happy to donate his sperm for you, Mai." Sokka said without missing a beat. "Or me, if Azula's the one who'll get pregnant."
Mai smiled, with a look on her face that showed how much she doubted it.
"That's very generous of you, Sokka."
"Yeah," he replied smugly as he leaned back, "I know. Premium sperm like mine usually comes at a high price. I'm giving this to you for free."
"Like anyone would pay for your sperm," Zuko snorted, leaning in towards the younger boy.
"Please, of course they would! I'm gorgeous," he crooned.
"Can't argue with that." Zuko said, stretching as they got ready to leave, and despite himself, Sokka blushed.
"Wha…?"
"So!" Ty Lee broke in, and hopped out of her seat to stand beside Zuko. "I guess we'll call it a night here."
"Yeah…of course," he replied, ripping his eyes off of Sokka. "We should."
"I call shot gun!" Sokka cried, racing to the car. "Last one there's a rotten egg."
He pushed the door open, but Ty Lee was on his heels, and Zuko raced past him. Ty Lee and Sokka hit the car almost at the same time, but she hit it first.
"You're a rotten egg, Sokka!"
Ty Lee laughed, the hardest she had that night, as she climbed into the back of the car. Sokka frowned when Zuko opened the door, but climbed in, shooting the other boy an offended look.
"Buckle up, kids," Zuko said, but his heart wasn't in it. "Safety first."
Sokka frowned at Jet as he caught the ball and then dashed away from the older boy. He didn't appreciate Jet's usual taunts that bordered on a raunchy sort of flirting. If Jet didn't watch it, Sokka'd file sexual harassment charges…Sokka cried out as he tripped over someone's foot, the ball flying out of his hands and scowled up as Smellerbee—the only girl on the team—stole the ball from him.
"Bastard!" he cried after her as he shot up from the ground and a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Jet frowned back at him, serious for once.
"Sokka," he said, and Sokka went quiet. "When you practice, you play like you would at a game. You'd play that way at a game?—seriously?—you'd embarrass me like that? You'd go out there and embarrass our whole school like that, man?" He silenced Sokka with a frown when he moved to defend himself—Smellerbee could trip people at a game?—and Jet adjusted the toothpick that was perpetually in his mouth. "I thought you were better than that."
Jet pushed Sokka back by the shoulder and turned his back on him, for once resembling something of a leader as he patted Smellerbee on the back, and with one dirty look in Sokka's direction, he was suddenly normal again. He called the game back into session and Sokka hunched down, eyes on the ball as he darted through the crowd of members of the football team.
"Hey, Jet," Sokka said after the game, falling into step with him. "Sorry about what happened on field."
Jet smiled at him, slinging an arm around Sokka's shoulders and led him into the locker room.
"No problem, man," he replied. "How about we have a shower together to seal the deal, huh?"
He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively at Sokka, but the blue-eyed boy chuckled nervously in response, and pushed him away. Jet took no small amusement when he realized that he'd coaxed a blush from Sokka.
"Er, no…thanks," he said, backing away. "I have to get back home. Uncle Chu'll miss me. Besides, I have to meet up with Ty Lee."
"Sure he will." Jet smirked at the mention of Ty Lee, but relinquished his hold on Sokka. He hadn't been serious. He never was. "Whatever. See you at practice?"
"Always," Sokka said, grabbing his stuff, and waved. "See ya later alligators!"
"Just a while crocodile." Smellerbee said, smirking as Sokka flipped her off.
"Hey Ty Lee!" Sokka called as he waltzed into the house after he slipped the key back under the matt. He giggled when his voice echoed and peeked into the living room. "Hey Ty…"
He stopped short while he washed Ty Lee move to kiss Zuko only to have him wave her away and stand up to greet Sokka. That made him frown, walking out from the hallway to meet up with Zuko and glanced down at the other boy's fitted red short and skinny jeans adorned with chains. Sokka himself looked almost preppy next to emo-boy.
"Hey," he said and gestured to Ty Lee.
"Um," Sokka said as he sat on the edge away from the happy couple, and Zuko sat back down. "Hi?" He rolled his neck and sank back into the couch. "What's up with you two lovebirds?"
"Nothing much," Ty Lee chimed and Zuko nodded. "And you, sweetie?"
"Eh, Jet had a major hissy fit on the field."
"What'd you do?" And surprisingly, Zuko was the one to ask in a knowing voice.
"Nothing! Bumblebee tripped me and..."
"Sokka! She's a girl." Ty Lee gasped, looking scandalized, and he rolled his eyes.
"That's what she wants you to think," he quipped back, leaning over Zuko to get closer to her. "She's stronger than me."
"That's not so surprising." Zuko snorted.
And the argument began.