A/N:Just wanted to take a sec to thank 'Guest' and Ldrmas who wrote my first reviews ever! Thank you so much! And of course thanks to all you have taken the time to read and add my story to their favs and/or started following it! You guys all made me do a happy dance :) about 3-4 more chapters then I will have completed my first fan fic!

"GUYS COME ON!" Aang yelled out on a more secluded part of the island. "Suki would kick your ass if she was here not to mention your sister!"

Struggling to catch his breath Sokka heaved out, "Well it's a good thing that they aren't here then!"

Aang suggested that they go exploring the uninhabited side of the island while the girls went out, in hopes that Zuko and Sokka could work some things out. "This is not how we should handle things guys… you two really just need to talk." Aang shouted at the water tribe warrior and the fire bender.

"No Aang if this is how he wants to talk then I'm game!" Zuko yelled back dodging another one of Sokka's attempted assaults with his boomerang.

"Didn't I tell you Aang that he would throw his damn toy at me the first chance he got! I am going to catch that damn thing a snap in two!" roared the Fire Lord

"I would love to see you try jerk bender!" wailed Sokka.

They were in a small clearing on top of a cliff that over looked a lush ravine. Aang was rubbing his temples in frustration. He knew it wasn't going to be a walk in the garden but he didn't think they were going to turn into overly sensitive four year old boys. He also knew they wouldn't really hurt each other and that they needed to release some steam but this was even testing his limits. Watching Zuko throw another fire ball towards Sokka's feet to throw him off balance. Then witnessing Zuko dodge Sokka's boomerang for the hundredth time in the past thirty minutes, he finally had more than enough and decided to put them on time out!

His tattoos started to faintly glow and he levitated himself between the dueling pair.

"THAT IS ENOUGH! IF YOU WANT TO ACT LIKE TODDLERS THEN I SHALL TREAT YOU AS SUCH!" bellowed Aang in his all mighty avatar voice.

With swift motions both older men were swept up in the air and not so gently placed into chairs made of earth that were formed with the backs touching. Now with the squabbling children in their places Aang stood to the side in the middle of them. His glow faded and his voice returned to his well-known calming tone. "I cannot believe you two made me use my avatar voice!"

Both sitting warriors had their arms folded across their chests with beads of sweat trickling down their faces.

Aang was cut off by the blue eyed baby, "Well he started it by kissing my baby sister!" Sokka pointed in Zuko's direction without looking. Zuko rolled his eyes and sank a little further in his seat.

"Sokka, SHUT UP!" Aang lost his calm demeanor at Sokka's childish response.

Zuko busted out laughing while Sokka was busy picking his jaw up off the ground.

"You too Zuko" Aang snapped and with that the Fire Lord abruptly cut his laughing short and remained quiet. "Why did you guys have to go there? Really? Acting like that is just stupid. I thought you heard what your sister said this morning? Do I need to tie you both up and go get her?"

"NO!" they screeched out in unison staring at Aang.

"Good. I'm going to take a walk and you two need to obviously get your crap in order and you better do it before I get back. I expect you both to act like the men that I know you both to be. I'll be back." In a blink Aang was gone like the wind.

They sat in their make shift chairs staring at opposite sides of the clearing. Zuko knew Aang was right and he even wanted Sokka's support and blessing to whatever was going on between him and Katara. He loved him like the annoying brother he never knew he wanted. He also knows how much she loves her brother and he would do anything to make her happy.

Sokka knew that Aang was right too. And he did have some things of his own to apologize for from this morning. He really did hear what his sister said earlier that morning and meant every word that he said. He just had to do some big brother recon to make sure. This was all apart of his plan.

Why do they always underestimate me? He asked himself. He would wait Zuko out until he finally came clean with everything.

It felt like hours that passed by, but in all actuality it was only five minutes before Zuko broke. It was a lot quicker than Sokka thought it would be. He thought that maybe his stubbornness would hold out longer but he knew that when it concerned his sister Zuko has always been a sucker.

With a heavy sigh Zuko began, "Look Sokka, I don't know how things got this heated. But I am sorry. You know that I would never hurt you or let any harm come your way right?" Both were still facing in the opposite direction.

"Yeah bro I do. And about the stuff I said this morning about…well you know…I'm sorry too. I know you have changed and that you are who you always were even though back then you hid it. I was just scared that something happened to her and thinking that…"

"Don't, just don't finish that thought. I know what you were thinking so was I and I don't ever want to think it again. You have nothing to say sorry for. You were right though, I don't understand what it's like to have a sister like yours, I can only imagine what you must have felt…it was like our fight with Azula all over again" Zuko's voice lowered even more. "I had never been so scared in all my life. I-I thought that I, I mean we all could have lost her…Sokka about last night…"

Silence.

"Sokka?" Zuko turned his body so that he could see Sokka's back.

"I would love to hear this jerk bender" Sokka said turning to meet Zuko.

"I mine as well tell you the truth before Toph commissions someone to make posters and has them plastered all over the island. But I have to tell you something else first."

"And what is that?" Sokka raised an eyebrow and folded his arms again.

"First of all you have to know that I respect Tara and I would do anything to ensure her safety, I would gladly give up my life for hers and I would do anything to make sure that she is happy, even if that means walking away from whatever this thing is going on between us. I cannot fathom a life without her in it even if it is only as my best friend. The truth is that I have had feelings for her since before the end of the war. I never said anything then because of Aang, Mai…then after me and Mai split I didn't say anything for so many reasons. I thought that I could never deserve her, that she could do far better than me. I thought she could never feel that way about me at all. Ever. So I just pushed all my feelings away thinking that if she was happy with her life and that would be enough for me. As long as she was happy then I would be. Then last night it all came rushing back because my feelings never left…"

"Do you love my sister?" He asked staring Zuko right in the eye.

Zuko swallowed before saying confidently, "Yes Sokka I am in love with Katara. And if she feels anything for me in that way I intend to ask her to court her and see where it leads. I want and it would mean more than you know, if you could support us if she accepts."

Sokka stood up facing Zuko. Zuko followed looking back at Sokka's expressionless face before Sokka clasped his shoulder saying, "Damn finally! It took you long enough. And you guys make fun of me for being slow!"

Zuko's face lost all of its color. That was not at all how he believed Sokka would take everything that he just said.

"What?!" gasped the shell shocked Fire Lord.

Laughing Sokka said, "Its ok man. I knew. I just wanted to hear it from you. I want you to be absolutely sure about your feelings for my sister for both your sakes."

Zuko started to raise his voice while running his hands through his hair.

"You have to be shitting me. So all of that was just to get me to come clean? You should have just freaking asked me."

Grinning back at his friend, "Oh, come on what fun would that have been? I had to give you my 'big bro' act. You know you were expecting it! And besides I have a feeling that I won't get to do it again so I wanted to go out with a bang!"

"What the hell does that mean Sokka?"

Throwing one arm around Zuko's shoulders and pulling him closer into a half way head lock, "What it means Lord Jerk Bender is that if my sister accepts of course I will support you guys. But for real if you hurt her I will sink Boomy into that pretty little fire nation skull of yours."

Zuko felt like he could float away he was so happy that he had his friends support. He looked at Sokka grinning to one side asking, "So um, you think I'm pretty?"

Sokka pushed him away, both friends laughing at the other as Aang flew on an air scooter back into the clearing. He hopped off and put an arm around Zuko and pinched his unscarred cheek before saying, "I think you are pretty too, like a pretty little princess!"

"You both are just jealous of my good looks!"

That's all it took for all three of them to fall to the ground laughing.

As their laughter faded and they lay on their backs staring up at the passing clouds, Zuko asked, "I know that she's your sister and this has to be awkward, but guys what if she doesn't…"

Sokka stopped him mid sentence. Saying in a matter of fact sort of tone he turned to look at his friend who he has accepted the fact he is in love with his sister and said, "She's my sister and you are my friend but Zuko, what if…?" he smiled to the fire bender and Zuko inclined his head towards her brother, "thank you." Then they both looked back up to the sky.

In that moment Zuko finally let himself feel something that he was so scared to feel before. It wasn't love. Loving her was easy; it was like breathing for him. He finally allowed himself feel hope. Hope that she could love him in return. Hope of a future that they could share together. And hope that his destiny lead him to her and her to him. What if…