Zuko

I wish I could've spent the night with Sokka, but we both knew it wasn't feasible. The fooling around we did left me more frustrated than satisfied. When returned to my room, the posted guard outside looked wearily at me. I glared, indicating for him to not speak about my 'walk of shame' to another soul. Last thing I needed were rumors spreading amongst my staff of my late night travels.

Today everyone would take their leave and start their travel back home. Katara, Aang, and the kids were traveling back to the Southern Water Tribe before officially moving to The United Republic. Chief Hakoda undoubtedly wanted to see his new grandson, and it was my understanding that they hadn't been back to Katara's home in quite some time.

Just as I finished pulling on the last of my robes, Dezrah came into my room, documents in hand for me to sign. They were Tenzin's birth certificates. I was required to officiate them with the royal seal—gold ink stamped with my title onto the red wax seal. These documents were proof that a child of unroyal blood was born in the palace. He would be a citizen of the Fire Nation if he chose it.

Once the seals dried, I motioned for Dezrah to follow me to my office. There was a special portfolio I wanted the documents placed in. I kept it in my desk, tucked away toward the back. It belonged to my mother; a red leather bound booklet with a gold clasp. On the front cover was a deep pressed brand, a silhouette of two dancing cranes. I carefully placed the paper inside, careful not to bend it. After locking the clasp, Dezrah accepts it back, tucking it into his robes for safe keeping. He bustles away after a deep bow.

Izumi should be awake by now. I don't think she would want to miss the last few hours she'll be able to spend with her cousins. Who knows when we'll be able to see them again? Soon, I hope. I found her eating breakfast with them, huddled together and giggling over their food.

Katara and Aang sat on either side of Sokka. Aang was talking animated about their move to United Republic, and how excited they were that Sokka would be there as well. Katara looked exhausted, the trip had been eventful for her. I didn't envy their long trip back to the Southern Water Tribe.

"Morning guys." I take a seat next to Aang, leaning forward to give Katara and Sokka a small smile. "Are you all packed up for your trip?"

Aang nods. "We're all set! We're just waiting for Appa to get saddled."

"Do you need anything for your trip? You have enough supplies?"

"We can't bring too much with us; Appa would be weighed down for the trip."

Appa was a gigantic beast, and I would think he could carry three, four, or maybe even five times his weight. That was not the case, and I was always a little puzzled by it.

Aang and I discussed moving arrangements for Sokka. Sokka was too busy teasing his sister to be a part of our conversation. He probably would have made a point to ignore us even if he had known we were discussing his move. I knew he wouldn't handle it till the very last minute. For all the lists and schedules he makes he's a horrible procrastinator when it comes to his personal affairs. Aang and I agreed that
he would look for a decently sized apartment, close to the courthouse, after he and his family were settled in.

Dezrah enters silently and has to cough to get our attention. "Please forgive me for interrupting, Fire Lord. Avatar Aang, your bison is in the main yard, saddled, and all of your belongings have been loaded."

Aang springs up and announced to his children that it is time to go. He hugs Dezrah tightly, lifting him a few inches from the ground. Dezrah attempts to look appreciative of the attention, but I can see he Aang is crushing the poor slight man.

"I hope you had a good time, I was glad to see you and your family." I extend my hand to Aang, but he pulls me into a hug instead. I gasp as the air is forced out of my lungs, and my back cracks. Poor Dezrah, he handled it better than I thought.

"I had a GREAT time!" Bumi shouts, pulling Izumi to his side.

"WE!" Kya corrects her brother, also throwing and arm around Izumi.

"Yes, we most certainly enjoyed ourselves. Thank you so much Zuko—for everything." Katara hugs me after Aang, but nowhere near as forcefully. It was a much more pleasant exchange.

I give her a small smile. "You're welcome. Anything for family."

Sokka loops his arms with hers and drags her off toward Appa. He hands her a small scroll, and whispers something to her. She looks down at it curiously and pockets it. "Now don't get any ideas, that's for Dad. Not you." I hear him say as they move back to the group.

"Come on Sokka, I'm not that nosey." She rolls her eyes at him and crosses her arms.

He mumbles something that sounds close to "yes you are" but takes it back as soon as he sees Katara's eye start twitching.

Footsteps catch my attention, and I turn to see Toph and Uncle walking arm-in-arm. I realize I hadn't seen them at breakfast, which was odd. Uncle always liked to have his morning tea, and Toph never missed a chance to eat.

"There you two are!" Sokka puts his hands on his hips. "Did you not read today's schedule Toph? I had it delivered to your room…" He trails off realizing his mistake. "I thought you would be at breakfast, you never skip a meal."

"Chief Beifong and I went for a stroll around the palace after having tea and breakfast. It was much too early for everyone to be awake. However, we would not miss saying our good byes." Uncle smiles fondly. "It might be a great while before I get to see the Avatar and his family again." He has been a member of the White Lotus since before I was born, although I had not found out till I was 16. Members of the White Lotus were sworn to protect and aid the Avatar however they could.

Toph slips her arm from Uncle's and hugs Katara, whispering something in her ear. Uncle grabs the sides of Aang's arms and wishes him safe travels before embracing him. I snap my fingers, remember the birth certificate. I motion Dezrah over, requesting the papers be presented to Aang. He produces the leather binder from his robes.

"Avatar, these papers have been signed by Fire Lord Zuko for your newborn child." He goes on to explain their importance, emphasizing how few people are awarded such an honor. It had been quite some time since someone outside the Royal Family had been born inside the Palace. The speech sounded a little pompous, but it got the point across. Aang and Katara seemed appreciative at least.

The children are still holding hands after farewells have been exchanged, refusing to let go until the very last second. "Izumi dear, it's time for them to leave." I motion for her to join me at my side.

With her most adorable pouty face, she shakes her head. "I don't want them to go! It'll be forever until I see them again!"

I raise an eyebrow at her attitude, and reluctantly she releases their hands to take mine instead. Sulking beside me, she waves at them as they climb onto the saddle. With a snap of the harness and a 'yip yip', they were off to the Southern Water Tribe.

Sokka swooped up Izumi, and they both waved till Appa was too high up for them to be seen. Their arms fell to their sides pathetically. It pains me to see them so sad, and I feel a twinge of regret as the loss of our companions sinks in.

"Are you leaving right now too Auntie Toph?" Izumi says in a small voice.

"No, not right now kiddo. I'm leaving tonight, that way I can sleep."

"Is the baby going to sleep too?" Izumi places her cheek on Toph's belly, as if to see if the baby is sleeping right now.

Toph chuckles, "I sure hope so."

I leave Izumi and Toph to talk more about the baby and go whisper a good morning to Uncle.

"Ah, good morning Nephew! It's such a beautiful day today. It should be a very smooth journey for the Avatar and his family."

"Yes, yes it should be. Did you enjoy your walk with Toph this morning?"

"I did. We circled around the palace a few times. We got carried away in conversation. Such an interesting young lady Chief Beifong is…"

"What did you two talk about?" I have my suspicions that they were gossiping like old women about things that were better left alone. A stern look from Uncle makes me gulp. "I-if you don't mind me asking…" I add quickly.

Uncle glances at Toph, walking by Sokka's side. "Oh, nothing. Just…comparing notes." He says casually.

"Notes huh? About?"

"Notes about a great alliance between the nations, but it's a bit early to say for sure if it will come to be, Nephew." He looks at my coyly.

"There are plenty of alliances Uncle, I don't know what good one more will do."

With amused expression, Uncle smiles to himself.

Sokka

It was hard seeing Katara leave, especially when I was just getting used to having her around. The pain of seeing her go was ebbed by the knowledge that we'd be seeing each other a lot more often once I moved to Republic City. The letter I asked her to deliver to Father asked him to join her in the city on their trip back. Maybe he would be free to do so, and we would all be together for the first time in what seemed like forever.

I had rewritten the letter several letters before I was happy. More than once I had crumpled up paper and tossed in the waste bin. I wanted to confide in him, but his possible reaction to my interest in a man kept me from relating my true feelings. It wasn't common for men to be together in my culture, at least not that I had ever heard of. In the end, I had asked him for advice on my feelings as vaguely as possible. That was the main reason I'd wanted to make sure Katara didn't stick her nose in it. I didn't want her to suspect anything.

Toph was still going to be here for a few more hours though, and I suggested that we go down to one of the lower level rooms where we kept all of Izumi's baby things. Izumi wanted to go with us, but Iroh suggested that she practice her fire bending forms with him. She looked a little disappointed, but with a nod from her father, she padded off after her uncle.

"Here we are," I said, swinging open the door. Zuko made quick work of lighting the torches along the wall.

"Wow, is this room big enough?" Toph exclaims, her bare feet giving her the layout. It was easily twice the size of any of the royal suites.

"Yea…Mai and I got a little carried away when planning the nursery together…" I say, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Wait a sec—Sokka? You and Mai planned the nursery?" Her laugh grates against my nerves.

"Yeah! What about it?" I snap, my arms crossed over my chest. I hear Zuko snickering behind me. I turn to glare at him. Zuko immediately straightens up and coughs behind his hand. "Since Zuko was too busy with work, I helped Mai. Is that such a bad thing?"

Toph collects herself. "I'm sorry, really. It's not a bad thing, I'm sure you did a wonderful job."

Irritated, I roll my eyes. After a while of talking about the different things she will need and what I think she should take, my irritation is all but forgotten. I'm in planning mode. Toph didn't have much of an opinion on anything. Although she could make out the shape of the furniture, the colors were beyond her. The idea of having a theme for a baby room, she said, was stupid. She wasn't going to see it, and her baby was going to be too young for it to matter. I scoffed, of course the baby's room need to have a theme.

After marking all the things that I deemed necessary for her nursery, I wondered if her living quarters in Republic City were going to have enough space for it all. I assured her that she needed all the dressers, the crib, the changing table, the rocking chair, and the bassinet even if she wasn't going to have a theme. She might not have needed the couch, wooden toy chest, bookshelf, and chest of drawers, but I marked them anyway. She would thank me later when all the toys and baby stuff piled up.

I must have gotten carried away because Zuko and Toph were both sitting down and obviously bored.

"Sorry guys that should be everything."

Toph takes a deep breath. "Well! Now that's settled, let's talk about my favorite couple!" She shouts, gleefully rubbing her hands together turning her head between myself and Zuko.

Zuko's head snaps in her direction like a whip. "Would you shut up? There are other people in this part of the palace you know?" He hisses.

"What do you mean couple?!" I yell.

Now Zuko's attention is on me, telling me to shut my mouth.

I throw my arms above my head in frustration. "Oh, I'm sorry! How else am I supposed to react when she says shit like that out of nowhere?"

Before Zuko can respond, Toph steps in. "Girls, girls, girls. Calm down. I'm only teasing you two. Relax. I didn't know this was such a sensitive topic for you ladies."

"Oh really? You didn't think our personal lives would be a sensitive topic?" I place my hands on my hips and begin brooding.

"Sokka please—" Zuko says shortly. Toph puts up her hand, indicating that she would handle it.

"Listen up Snoozles. I'm just trying to see how you two are going to work things out. You're moving soon, remember? So excuse me if I'm being insensitive for making sure you're going to be okay." She says icily.

She was being too nosy for my liking, but she did have a point. I had thought about the move but only briefly. It was overwhelming, and I kept pushing off talking about it with Zuko. Out of sight out of mind.

"I think we're going to be just fine." Zuko breaks the silence. "It will be difficult to see him leave. However, I know it's in the best interest of the United Republic. It's something we've all been working so hard for, and it's not like I'll never see him ever again." Zuko says all business and professionalism.

I'm slightly surprised at him being so forward with her.

"Okay, that's a start. Sokka? Have you thought this through?" Toph questions.

"I—I…" I trail off, I don't want to do this here.

"Well?!" She demands.

"Would you give me a minute?!" I yell at her, she is pushing me and Zuko isn't doing anything to stop her. I was trying to think it through, but being put on the spot was making me flustered and a little angry. "I think I'm going to be too busy thinking about work while I'm there. Like he said, it's not like I won't ever see him again, but I don't know how often we'll see each other. I guess we would be able to write, I still have Hawkey after all!"

"That fucking bird…" He groans.

"What?! Is that not good enough?"

"So, what about sex?" Toph blurts out.

I feel my face get hot. This is going too far.

Zuko continues to shock me by giving her an answer. "No, no, that won't be an issue. We've discussed that. He understands I'm not the type of person to throw around intimacy aimlessly."

"Oh yeah? Well then, what about you?" She asks, rounding on me.

"What about me?" I snap at her.

"You don't think you will buckle under pressure and seek out someone else for physical affection?"

"No."

"...Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure!"

"I dunno Sokka. That Nahime chick might just make you her hunt of the century."

Zuko's eyes narrow at the mention of her name. "Nahime? You think she would do something?" His voice is dark and almost threatening.

I shake my head furiously. "No, no, no. That won't ever happen. Even if she was interested—no."

"If you say so." Toph shrugs her shoulders, but her tone makes me believe that she's not quite convinced.

"Yes, I say so. We're done talking about our sex life with you!" I say with finality. I walk out of the room before she decided to ignore me and press the matter further. I stomp down the hallway, still upset from interaction.

I know Toph meant well, but her lack of filter and disregard of propriety irked me.

I don't even know what Zuko and I will end up being. I will find out in my own time, and I don't need to be badgered about it. I don't need her putting the idea in Zuko's head that I'm going to be sleeping around. I don't need Zuko to just go along with her impromptu therapy sessions!

I realize my fists are clenched and I'm breathing heavily. Man, I haven't been this worked up in a while.

Zuko

Sokka seemed genuinely upset. I was going to hear about this later, no doubt. When he stormed off, I look over to Toph and tried to give her a convincing smile. "He didn't mean to be so harsh." My apology is a halfhearted lie.

She sighs deeply. "Yeah, well…don't mention it. I just don't want you two screwing things up because you're both hard headed." She gently punches my arm.

"Oh I know…wanna go catch up with him?" I ask, gesturing in the general direction.

We can't seem to find Sokka anywhere even though we went after him not long after he left. He obviously doesn't want to be found. He needs to cool off., so I suggest we call it quits. He would show up later before Toph left. We decided that we would eat a late lunch, and over the meal we tossed around ideas of a vacation later in the year the others might be up for.

As we sip tea I remember that she and Uncle had been walking around all morning discussing a potential alliance. I bring it up as casually as possible. I have a sneaking idea what it's about and I'm not sure I want my suspicions to be confirmed.

"So, Uncle mentioned you two had an interesting conversation."

"Yeah."

"Well, I was wondering, what made it so interesting?"

"We talked about a lot of stuff actually. You'll have to be a little more specific."

Damn it. "Uncle mentioned some sort of alliance, and as the Fire Lord…I just felt that…well. I mean did you-"

"Oh just come out with it!" She cuts me off impatiently.

I flinch.

"Did you tell my Uncle about me and Sokka?" The words leave my mouth so quickly I'm surprised she understood.

Toph shifts her entire weight so she is facing me full on and the floor under me shakes slightly. "Do you really think I would go blabbing to someone about that?" She sounds offended.

I grip the table firmly, hoping the low rumble in the ground stops soon. "W-w-well I don't…"

"Seriously?!" Her face is tightly pinched and red from anger. A small crack appears in the marble flooring.

"Toph, please." I try to calm her down, I don't want my dining hall to be turned into rubble. "It's not that I don't trusted you but…I just need to know."

An eternity passes, but the rumbling stops. Toph is still glaring at me.

"I didn't tell Iroh about you and Sokka. He did ask me if I had any suspicions about you though."

I had decided to take a sip of tea too soon, and ended up choking. "He what?"

"Iroh asked me if I felt there was anything between you and Sokka. He confided in me that he thinks you two have some sort of attraction. He doesn't know exactly what it is but he's aware of it."

I can't believe it. He knows. Or at least he thinks he knows. Panic sets in and my heart beat makes me feel like Toph is shaking the ground again. What will he say? Despite male relationships being so common in the Fire Nation, I don't exactly know all of Uncle's views. Not to mention, I'm the Fire Lord, there have been no homosexual Fire Lords. My feels must have been plain on my face because Toph quickly jumps to calm me.

"Hey hey hey, relax Matches. I don't think his suspicion upsets him. He just wanted to hear what I had to say on the matter. I indulged him. We talked in hypotheticals, but I didn't tell him about anything I know. That's not my place."

My hands are pulling my face as I turn to her. As much as I wanted to find comfort in her words, I just can't. Toph is rubbing my back, trying to soothe me. My mind is going a million miles a minute and I don't know how to bring them to a halt.

"Why are you so scared? What makes you think he would be anything but supportive?"

I laugh hard. "Toph, my father hates me. My sister is crazy. My mother is nowhere to be found; she's probably dead. Izumi is but a child. Uncle Iroh is all I have left. I don't want to disappoint him anymore. I did that enough when I was younger. I don't want to push him away with what I am."

Heavy silence takes over the room. With what I am. Was I embarrassed by my being attracted to another man? No, that can't be it. Or maybe it was. No, I'm terrified of Uncle not accepting that I'm gay.

"Zuko. I can promise you, you won't push him away. He'll only be a little hurt by choosing not to trust him. He loves you and cares about you." Toph whispers reassuringly, gripping my shoulders firmly.

"I know…I just can't bring myself to tell him yet." I say softly.

"I know. And you deserve the time to figure it out."

"Yeah…thanks."

Toph shoves me back in my seat and poses differently. "Someone's coming." She whispers.

I turn to see Dezrah slipping in. He stops to bow before making his announcement. "Chief Beifong, your carriages are packed with your belongings. The ship in port must leave within the next two hours."

"Well damn. Talk about being rushed. Are my men ready to leave?"

"Yes Ma'am, they are standing by your carriages. Ambassador Sokka is outside as well. He is giving information to one of your men about a shipment you will be receiving within the next few weeks."

I dismiss Dezrah and walk with Toph to the training room. We find Uncle and Izumi gracefully going through a basic form, they've been at it for a long time and I can see their movements are now labored. Despite this, Izumi is moving with elegance and precision, and I watched her in awe.

Uncle sees us from the corner of his eye and gestures that they were almost done. Toph finds a spot on a wall to lean on. Emi is posted on top of the wooden dummy, watching Izumi with intelligent eyes. I scratch behind her ears and she purrs softly.

Izumi finishes her form, bowing slowly after.

"Well done Princess Izumi." Uncle says affectionately.

Izumi turns her attention to Toph, asking her if she has to leave already.

"I do. I wanted to ask if you would see me out." Toph holds out her hand for Izumi and they walk together—Emi pitter pattering right behind them, trying to keep up.

Seeing Toph with Izumi now, I have the strong impression that she will be this way with her own child. She's very careful in approaching the kids, easily entertains them, levels with them—I doubt she'll have a hard time. She's going to be a wonderful mom.

Sokka is talking to one of Toph's footmen when we arrive at the main yard, ensuring everything was packed and ready.

"Hey there frazzle butt, you ready to send me packing?" Toph says playfully, slapping him on the back.

Sokka looks back at her with annoyance plastered on his face. "Ha. Ha. Very funny Toph."

Izumi covers her mouth and giggles. Sokka catches her doing and peers over to give her a mock stern expression. "What's so funny Izumi?"

She stops and snaps her hand down to her side. "Nothing!"

"Mhmm, sure." He teases her, messing with her hair.

"Well, it was nice seeing you guys. I had a good time, even with the meetings and political jumbo. Thanks for letting me stay." Toph says, walking to her cart.

"It was a pleasure. We'll be sure to see you soon. Especially after the baby gets here." I say.

"Yeah that'll be great! I guess I'll see you soon enough, huh Sokka?"

Sokka gives her a stoic stare. "Yupp. Can't wait." He's clearly still miffed.

"It was nice seeing you again General Iroh!" Toph turns from him, not letting his mood get to her. She gives Uncle a big hug.

"And you Chief! Take care of yourself!" Uncle returns the embrace.

I take Izumi and lead her back to the training room after we wave goodbye. I wanted to have some one on one time with her. We don't normally train together, but I wanted to see where she was at in her training. Sokka's attitude made it easier for me to not invite him. Normally I would request him to help in her lessons, but I didn't want his negativity to affect Izumi.

Walking pass him, I give him a hard glare. He stares back cautiously and walks off somewhere. For a few hours, Izumi shows off everything she's learned from her instructors and from Uncle. She's a gifted fire bender. She's gotten a lot better in her hand to hand combat as well. I'm quite impressed.

Izumi's stomach growls loudly. "I think we've done enough for tonight. Why don't you go get showered before dinner Sweetheart?" Izumi nods, bows briefly and sprints out the training room.

Looking in a mirror nearby, I see I could do a bit of cleaning up myself. I change my shirt, wash my hands and face, redo my hair and, head to dinner. I suddenly think about Sokka. I feel guilty, I should have asked him if he was okay. I was too caught up in being angry. I need to see if he's alright. We need to talk.

Sokka

The way Zuko glared at me when he took Izumi made me feel little, and I hated it. What the hell did I do to make him look at me like that? Was he upset? I need a damn nap. I grind my teeth as I storm off to my room. The artic furs are welcome against my skin as I flop onto my bed. The top coat is very soft. I burry my body into as deeply as I can; feeling the prickly undercoat beneath.

Actually getting to sleep seems to be impossible; thoughts of Zuko keep pestering me. I'm too wound up. I try to shove the thoughts of him away, but it's not working. My brain is replaying memories of him. His smile, his touch, his deep raspy voice, his rare outburst laughter, the warmth of his body, his beautifully milky skin—how soft his skin is, all these memories plague me.

I don't deserve him. I'm staring at the ceiling, chanting it over and over again. I don't deserve him. He's too good to have. Why would he be interested in a person like me? He's royalty, and opposite me in every way. But he's mine. A small, greedy voice inside of me says happily. I feel a smile creep across my lips. I made him mine. He wanted me too after all.

I wake up suddenly, and there is no light filtering through the window. Sleep had come over me unexpectedly, and I had being asleep longer than I had intended. I slink out of my bed and make my way to the dining room. I hope I didn't miss everyone at dinner.

The lights in the hallway are harsh and I squint, diverting my eyes to the floor. It was going to take a little bit of time for my sight to adjust to the brightness. By the time I push the doors open I've rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and have adjusted to the light. Iroh, Izumi, and Zuko are all seated. The servants were just about to serve them their first course. A thunderous slam echoes the room and I freeze, everyone is looking at me. "Sorry, I didn't mean to shut it that hard."

"Nice of you to join us." Zuko says as I take my usual seat. Usually he would be teasing but I almost feel like he's scolding me for being late.

"Uh, yeah. I fell asleep. Sorry."

"Ah, I took a nice nap myself. It was quite refreshing. How about yourself Sokka? Do you feel refreshed?" Iroh asks.

I mumble that it wasn't the best nap I'd ever had, and that I was still a bit groggy. I move salad around my plate with a fork. I was hungry, but I wanted meat and potatoes. The greens and fire peppers looked offensively healthy.

"That's too bad. Maybe you will be well rested by morning." Iroh says, spooning a mouthful of lettuce leaves in his mouth.

For some reason I have a feeling that I won't. "Hmm, maybe. So uh, Izumi, how did your training go this evening?"

Izumi's face lights up, and she moves her plate over. "It was a lot of fun! Daddy had me show him what I've been learning. We did fire bending, practiced forms, hand to hand combat and all sorts of stuff." Her hands moves around wildly as she told her story.

The way she gets excited is quite adorable. "That sounds like fun! Did she do well Zuko?" I turn to him, only to see him staring at his plate of food.

"Mhm. She did extremely well. I expect nothing less."

"Daddy and I are going to practice with different weapons tomorrow!"

"Oh? Which one are you going to pick first?"

Izumi shrugs. "I dunno. The swords are really heavy. But I want to practice them all! The spear, swords, bataang stick, daggers—everything! I'm gonna be the best fighting Fire Lord there is!" She exclaims. She sits up extra tall, flexing her arms like I taught her. We're all laughing at her antics.

"Well then—it seems you are going to be quite the warrior when you're all grown up." I reach my hand out for her to high five and she does with enthusiasm.

"The best there is!"

An idea crosses my mind—but I keep it to myself for now.

As dinner goes on, I can feel some tension between me and Zuko. He didn't participate in dinner conversation like usual, and his clipped tone toward me was making me irritated again.

After dinner, Izumi excuses herself from the table to go to bed. She kisses Iroh, myself, and Zuko goodnight before being escorted by a guard to her room.

"I will be turning in for the night as well. Good night." Iroh leaves us alone.

The silence that followed his departure was awkward and almost palpable. I'm the first one to break, not able to sit in the silence any longer.

"So I'll see you in the morning?"

He's not looking at me. "Mhm." He murmurs.

"Training in the morning?" I suggest, trying to get more of a response out of him.

"Sure."

I clench my jaw and walk out. I wasn't going to play that game with him tonight. Toph had riled me up already today, and I didn't want the same from my encounters with Zuko. Not when we should be laughing and enjoying the few weeks we had left with each other. I tossed my clothes on my bed in frustration. Stupid Toph. Stupid Zuko. Speak of the devil and he shall appear, the doors to my room swung open.

"We need to talk." He storms into the room, slamming the doors closed with a huff.

"Oh yea, please—come in. Don't knock or anything. Just barge right in. It's not like I'm in the middle of something." I say sarcastically.

"What's with the shitty attitude today? You've been acting like a bratty child! What's with you?"

I'm stunned. "Really? I've been acting shitty?"

"Yes! You have! For some reason you've had some sort of stick up your ass ever since this morning with Toph. When she said good bye you basically told her to piss off. Why?"

I shift my stance to stand my ground. "It's nothing. I don't want to talk about it." I try to make my way to my dresser, but Zuko grabs my arm.

"Why won't you tell me? Was it something she said? Was it something I said?"

"No Zuko—I just—ugh. Just drop it." I try to pull away but his grip is strong.

"Don't shut me out. What's going on?" He's trying to be calm and coax me to say something. But, I can tell he's getting frustrated.

"I said it's nothing! Now would you just dr—"

"God damn it Sokka! It's obviously not 'nothing' if you got so upset! How do you expect us to be together if you won't share anything?! Now tell me!" He shouts.

"I—I…" a sigh escapes that I've been holding in, and I close my eyes. "If I tell you, would you please try not to take it the wrong way?"

Zuko lets go of my arm and stands quietly.

"I'm upset because of everything that's happening." I start off. "Ever since you told me how you feel about me, I can't stop thinking about it. You're all I think about. These feelings have yet to die down and go away. And I don't want them to. Just when I find this out, I have to go to Republic City; leaving you behind.

Then there's Nahime—that blood sucking leech who won't leave me alone. No one else seems to let go of the idea that she fancy's me. Especially when Toph suggests that I won't be faithful to you because of her. Her?! Nahime?! Toph—she's supposed to be my best friend, and she can't even believe I would be faithful.

I don't know what she expects us to tell her when we are trying to figure this out still. We're still sneaking around like it's a secret, but I'm okay with that. It is a secret! This is something that's not at all common in my culture. For all I know my own father might disown me permanently. I only just got him back after this war, and I'm not willing to let him go. Not for anyone.

What we are doing, it's no one's business but our own. Until we work through it, no one needs to know. No one needs to be our mediator or give us therapy sessions, like Toph did today. We are men, Zuko, and we get to make decisions when we are ready, not when people tell us we should be ready.

Let's not ignore that I'm leaving, for an undetermined amount of time. I could be gone forever. I'm terrified that I will never be able to see you outside of work again. For Spirits sake! Just when I think things are going great…"

I feel my hands shaking, and tears are running down my face. I didn't think it would all come out like this. I turn away from Zuko and try to calm down.

"Sokka—I had no idea."

"Yeah—well, now you do. Satisfied?"

I start moving, getting ready for bed, I need to do something to keep myself from getting emotional again. Zuko just stands there though. "Are you just going to stand there or say something?" I say a little coldly.

He shifts his eyes to focus on me. "I'm happy you told me why you were so upset. But that still doesn't excuse the fact of why you treated Toph so horribly on her way out."

"Oh, like giving me the cold shoulder is any better of a way to act?"

"…No, you're right. I acted foolishly. I'm sorry."

He walks up slowly until his face is just inches from mine. "I understand you felt targeted. You have every right to be this upset." His hand gently brushes my cheek and rests on the crook on my neck. I feel chills run down my spine when he does this. My senses are begging for him to keep touching me. "I know this is…difficult, but you must know that I'm right there with you." His gaze is fixed in my chest. His hand, almost hesitantly, drops down—his palm resting on my chest and his fingertips rubbing my collar bone.

Spirits, just take me! I'm fighting the urge to lean into his touch.

"You're right," he says huskily, his other hand rests on my hip. "This is about us. And we should keep it that way for as long as we want." The way his thumb circles over my hip bone has me in a trance; I don't know how long he's been talking. I nod in agreement. I feel the breath on my lips growing heavy. I bite my lower lip to contain myself—as if it would help.

Zuko notices and his lips curl up in a smile, and he hums. "Seems like someone is a little bothered. Does this distract you?" I nod as I try to hold in a whimper of need.

He pulls me in and kisses me. His kiss feels different for some reason. He's not aggressive like he usually is. He's carefully and deliberately placing his lips on mine. Each kiss felt passionate. I wanted more.

I hungrily kiss him, deepening it—only to find him pushing me away. "Slowly…slow." He whispers. I groan in disappointment. I wanted him now.

Zuko's arms slide around my waist. His hands are caressing my back—fingers tracing over every muscle. This feels so amazing, I think to myself. I'm on the verge of taking him by force if he continues to tease me at this agonizing pace.

"Over there." Zuko growls, motioning over to the bed. I stumble—my knees were shaking from want. I hear Zuko snicker, and a blush creeps up my neck. He needs to shut up and just get back to touching me.

I sit on the edge of the bed, waiting for Zuko to join me. He stands in front of me and takes off his clothes, slowly. All he's left in are his small clothes— I see he's not erect like me. Am I not turning him on? I reach out to touch him, but he slaps my hand away.

"Stop." I gulp as I recognize the predatory glint in his eye. "Lay down." He commands. I fall back on my elbows. He climbs on top of me and shoves me on my back. With a tight grip on my wrists he moves my arms above my head—pining me.

Zuko's free hand tugs at my hair tie—pulling it free, and then runs his fingers through it. My head jerks back from a sharp yank. Hot breath runs down the side of my neck as I feel his teeth biting me. "No touching," I nod and he lets go of my wrists. I leave them above my head to resist temptation.

He begins to slide down, his hands trailing after him. His wet tongue is going over my stomach, stopping only to nip at me from time to time. His torso and chest rub against my cock as me moved down. Precum had seeped through my shorts, leaving a small wet spot. I feel my erection throbbing and straining at the fabric. I'm going to pass out if he doesn't do anything to relieve me soon.

I comb my fingers through Zuko's soft black hair. I gently tug on it; asking for his touch on my manhood. He slaps my hand away, oops. Tutting, he says he'll let me off with a warning this time, but the next time he wouldn't be so forgiving. Zuko pulls off my shorts, tossing them aside, and slips his fingers in the waistband of my underwear. I feel the clothing sliding off, and the air hitting my exposed skin. He drops my underwear and stares at me. I still myself, holding my breath, anticipating his next move.

Zuko places his hand on my thighs and begins to rub them. His hands are strong. The way his wrists move, his palms knead my thighs, and his fingers pinch ever so slightly. I feel myself spilling more seed, as it gathers in a small pool on my hip bone.

I jerk as I feel Zuko cleaning up the mess on my hip with his flicking tongue; just centimeters from my cock. This is too much. I'm about to explode. If his warning is touching everything except the one thing I want him to touch, I don't want to know what punishment is. Within that moment, his lips kiss the tip of my erection. I let out a low moan and then gasp as I feel Zuko tonguing up and down and all around me.

His hand tightly grasps me and starts pumping. I clench my hand and bite my fist. I'm trying to control my whimpering moans, but it's all so overwhelming. I do my best to muffle my cries, but he shakes his head, and pulls my hand away from me. "Louder. I want to hear you." He says deeply. I obey him. My breath is heavy and erratic.

Zuko lays on top of me, still jerking me off, and slips his tongue in my mouth. Its torture to not wrap my arms behind his neck and pull him closer to me. I break my mouth away from his and try to catch my breath, but he forces his mouth back to mine. It's my undoing. I cum hard onto Zuko's chest.

My chest heaves as I gasp for air as my body quaking from the release. I buck a little when I find Zuko sucking me off again. I can feel his tongue flicking the tip, ensuring I was entirely cleaned off. I'm ready to go again.

"Mmm, Zuko." I whisper. He responds by fondling my balls, and then spreading my legs apart. I feel his thumb rubbing me. I tense up from anticipation; I want him in me.

Zuko pulls away from my dick to lube his finger. He gently presses on my rim, entering slowly. I instantly relax to this touch. I want him so badly; I need him in me as soon as possible. We might be bad at talking, but we are good at this. He goes in and out slowly, ensuring I'm used to the movements. I feel him slipping in a second finger, only this time, looking for that sweet spot.

I thrust my pelvis up as he's found what he was looking for. Zuko quickly starts rubbing over that spot repeatedly. He grabs my manhood once more and goes through the motions of pleasing me. When I'm on the edge and sure I'm going to cum again, he releases me. Zuko centers himself over me, looking down hungrily. "Shall I?" He asks, seeking for permission to enter me. I nod feverishly.

"Please," I mewl and grab the bed sheets in anticipation.

Zuko cups his hand to gather his spit, rubbing it on his shaft. He fixes his eyes on mine before he pushes in slowly. It hurts when he does it, how could I forget how big his cock is? He stills, giving me a chance to get used to his length and girth. A sigh from me is his que to continue.

Zuko is able to slip in and out of me without any resistance now. Still, he goes at a slow pace, keeping me close to him. He's panting now—I can tell he's close. "Harder." I grunt in his ear. He starts thrusting harder in me. Even then his movement still feels tender. He's trying to make love. The realization sends a tingling sensation throughout my body. I'm getting more into it as he thrusts in me.

"More Zuko. I want more." I moan. Zuko flashes me a looks that makes me quiver. Grabbing me, he rolls over so I'm on top, ridding him. He holds me in place with a firm grip on my hips. I claw his chest and hold on to him as we move together. A cry escapes my lips.

"Sokka…Fuck, you feel so good…" He whispers. I feel pain coming from my hips, there will be bruises there tomorrow from where he is digging his fingers into my flesh. The pain is quickly replaced with pleasure as his hand leaves my hip and begins to stroke me.

Zuko matches speeds between jerking me off and pounding beneath me. My ears are filled with Zuko's moaning and grunting. I feel my head getting dizzy from his intoxicating sounds. "Come for me…" My cock flexes and I spill everywhere, as if he could undo with me only his voice.

Zuko hums in satisfaction. His thrusts are more fevered than before and with a roar of satisfaction he grips my thighs; filling me from climax. I fall forward on his chest and we lay there, exhausted.

I slid off of him and to his side, staring at him. He grabs my hand and intertwines his fingers into mine—kissing the back of my hand. "I want you Sokka…no matter what it costs us. You're all I want..." His eyes are growing heavy, letting out a small yawn.

Looking at him, he's angelically perfect. How am I supposed to leave him behind?