Zuko gaped at Sokka's response to his sister. "She's going to kill me." He groaned, running a hand over his face.

Sokka gave him a grin and shrugged, rubbing his smarting nose. "Nah, I'll protect you!" He swung a friendly arm over the prince's shoulder, and flexed the other.

"Really?" Zuko scoffed. "What, like your boomerang's gonna stop her?"

Sokka scowled and removed his arm. "Well, Jerk, now I'm just gonna watch while she snuffs – you – out." He jabbed Zuko in the chest to emphasize the last three words, and couldn't help but crack a smile when the firebender began to pout.

"Jerk?" He grumbled, swatting at Sokka's hand.

The warrior's goofy grin widened and he studied Zuko, feeling like he was finally allowed to really look at him. He noticed the contrast of the firebender's black hair against his pale skin, and how his bangs were starting to fall in his eyes. The way he tried to keep up the façade of being aloof and grumpy, despite how obviously pleased he was. Sokka scanned his face, following the way his features flowed, leading to the scarring over his left eye. He watched the gold iris beneath the damaged lid flick back and forth– an island in the sea of red, puckered skin– and the warrior smiled. It was different from the grin he'd been wearing moments before. It was softer, and easier. Something felt natural about his banter with the prince, and he wondered at his fears and what he'd gone through when he realized his feelings for Zuko.

It was just so... right.

"So…" Sokka said slowly, walking back towards the bed. He wanted to ask the prince how he was dealing with the unusual circumstance they were caught up in, but he wasn't sure if he could talk about something so personal so soon. The firebender noticed his ruminating, and waited impatiently for the warrior to continue.

" 'So,' what?" He asked watching Sokka run his fingers distractedly over the crimson, silk sheets on his bed.

"Well…" The tribesman glanced over his shoulder, scanning Zuko again with his cerulean eyes. "I was wondering if you're… ya know… gay or whatever."

Zuko's face scrunched up a bit, and his head tilted in contemplation, a light tinge of red dusting his cheeks. "Gay…? I dunno. I guess I didn't really think about it." He paused, trying to sort out whether or not he classified himself as such, and feeling a little too embarrassed. "I guess I don't really know. I mean, I've liked girls– one of my sister's friends and this girl in Ba Sing Se… But I never really thought about it." He brushed some hair from his eyes and the light blush deepened as he continued. "I guess I don't know what to call it… I mean, I don't like you based on what's in your… pants… ugh, I don't know." Zuko looked away, breaking the eye contact he held with the warrior. The embarrassment was beginning to overwhelm him, and he tried to push the question back. "What about you?"

Sokka thought quietly and returned his gaze to the sheets his fingers were tracing. He had to admit; it was a little intimidating to be the only one really questioning his sexuality. Although Zuko seemed embarrassed talking about it, he seemed comfortable with himself. Sokka, however, was still having difficulty being okay with his feelings. "I think…" He muttered. His mouth formed a sharp line, and he glanced over his shoulder again, taking in the sight of the boy he fell for. Zuko's eyes were trained back on Sokka, and he watched, interested (although he tried to hide it), but not judgmental. The warrior took a deep breath and finished, "Yeah. I think I'm gay." There. He said it.

Zuko smiled awkwardly and stepped towards the tribesman, reaching out a hesitant hand. Despite the intimacy they'd shared just moments before, he was still uncertain, and didn't want to push Sokka too far. The warrior continued to watch him, his eyebrows knit together. He opened his mouth to speak, but decided against it and turned away.

"So… are you okay?" Zuko asked, unable to determine the proper way to approach the boy's fluctuating emotions.

The warrior shrugged, and smirked, turning to finally face the prince. "Yeah…" His smile faltered. "But can we not tell anyone about this?"

"Oh," Zuko was surprised by the request and it stung at first, but he remembered Toph's words the other day. Sokka was afraid.

"You haven't told anyone else?"

Sokka shrugged again. "Just Toph. And Hui."

Another surprise. Zuko nodded, remembering the waitress and his original assumption that she and Sokka had had sex that night. He smiled back at the warrior, and gracelessly patted his shoulder. "Don't worry." He said quietly, attempting to comfort his… boyfriend? Zuko's physical contact was awkward, but the sincerity in his words made Sokka's stomach twist into pleasant knots. The warrior laughed, pushing Zuko's hand away.

Now that the initial euphoria was over, the warrior was unsure of how much physical contact he was allowed, and melted a little when Zuko's hand slowly grabbed one of his. Sokka squeezed his eyes shut and soaked up the prince's unusual body heat. "Ugh…I like you." The warrior groaned, hushed and almost ashamed. He felt Zuko's hand get a little hotter, squeeze a little tighter.

"Um… Are you sure you're okay?" The firebender asked.

"Yeah," Sokka answered, not actually sure of how okay he was. "You wanna go get some dinner?" The prince nodded after a moment of hesitation, and let go of Sokka's hand. The two boys wandered up to the top deck, doing their best to avoid touching each other around the other warriors on the ship.

When they entered the empty kitchen, Zuko offered to prepare their meal, and Sokka sat at the small table. The prince stood over the stove, stirring rice (which was apparently all they'd ever eat again) and watching the warrior, who seemed to be struggling to say something. Zuko sighed.

"What, Sokka?" He asked with a small smile. "What could you possibly be afraid to say now?"

The boy's blue eyes squinted, offended, and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well… If we both like each other…" He was whispering, and pink painted his tanned cheeks. "Well, does that mean we're, uh, like… Dating?" Zuko watched him in silence for a moment, unexpectedly thrilled and nervous at the same time. He did his best to keep a blank face, and replied as if it wouldn't affect him one way or the other.

"If that's what you want."

Sokka's shoulders drooped in relief, and he gave the prince a goofy grin. "Yeah." He breather. "That's… exactly what I've wanted."

Zuko turned back to his cooking, hiding his obvious smile. The two sat in a now comfortable silence, until Katara walked in.

"Oh." She said coldly.

Sokka sighed guiltily and pulled the chair next to him out, offering it to his fuming sister. "Here." He mumbled, patting the seat.

Her glared flicked between her brother and Zuko for a moment before she decided to sit.

"Sorry, sis." Sokka said quietly, taking her hand. She let him, but refused to look in his direction.

"I just don't understand you." She growled. Zuko's back tensed. "Why are you so buddy-buddy with him? He's evil."

The warrior stared at his sister as an angry spattering of sounds fell from his mouth, and he tried to think of a way to make her see the unfairness in her words. "You don't actually know him." He hissed. "And stop talking like he isn't here!" Sokka let go of her hand. "He's actually pretty awesome, not that you would know." Zuko blushed and Katara scoffed, but Sokka cut her off before she could interrupt. "He's a great friend, and he helped me through a lot, not that you knew that either! You haven't asked once what I did while I was gone! If it weren't for Mr. Evil over there," Sokka gestured at Zuko a bit wildly, his anger starting to get the best of him. "Who knows if we would have ever found Appa! A-and…" Hurt suddenly overwhelmed the warrior, and he glanced at his sister's equally blue eyes. "Why can't you trust me?"

She looked at Zuko, then back at her brother, her demeanor changing from enraged to sad and quiet. The prince had finished preparing the meal and awkwardly set out three small bowls, filling each with some rice.

Katara stared at the subtle offering for a split second, but quickly returned her gaze to her brother. "Of course I trust you!" She said, offended. "But sometimes your decisions are stupid." She pushed the bowl away and stood, putting her back to the two boys. She directed her words at Zuko. "And you'd better be careful. I swear to the moon, if you slip up once…" She glared back at the prince with the same icy eyes as her brother, then stalked off, letting the threat hang in the air.

Zuko sighed heavily and picked at his rice. "She's gonna hate me forever."

Sokka frowned and pulled his sister's abandoned bowl towards him. "Nah. Just for a really, really long time." The prince hid his smile behind a slight scowl, and watched Sokka with fondness as the warrior inhaled his portion of rice, then moved on to his sister's.

After only a short moment Sokka was finished and smiling, both pleased and relaxed as he rested his elbows on the table, holding his face in his hands. He glanced around, making sure they were both alone, and then asked secretly, "So now that you're… my boyfriend or whatever, am I allowed to… ya know, like, touch you and stuff?"

Zuko's froze and blinked dumbly. They sat in a long, stressful silence, until the firebender finally spoke. "You want to…" He swallowed the lump in his throat. "… Touch me?"

Sokka nodded, not catching the meaning at first, but his eyes widened when he realized Zuko's interpretation, and felt his cheeks burn under his fingertips. "No, no, no!" He said quickly, covering his face. "Well, I mean maybe but that's not what I was… Ugh…" The warrior parted his fingers just enough to peek at the prince, who scowled at the wall to his left. "I just wanted to know if you're okay with like… I dunno, hugs and what-not?" Sokka didn't want to admit it, but he was a pretty big fan of cuddling.

"Oh…" Zuko said slowly, his flush retreating. "Well… yeah. I guess that stuff's okay… Whenever you're comfortable with it, I mean." The Prince of the Fire Nation would rather die than admit he'd been craving Sokka's touch since their first kiss.

The warrior let his hands fall from his face, and gave the firebender a lopsided smile. He gathered up his dishes, and stood to wash them at the sink behind Zuko.

There was silence until Sokka finished. "So," he said as he stood next to Zuko, resting his hand on his shoulder. The warrior was quiet for a moment. "This is okay?" He leaned towards the prince nervously, allowing his lips to brush the firebender's damaged cheek. Zuko was about to respond, but was cut off by Sokka's surprised "eep!" as Hakoda entered the room. The younger warrior's back snapped straight and he marched straight out of kitchen, leaving Zuko sitting alone with a very confused Water Tribe Chief.

"Uh, He was just t-telling me something." Zuko said quickly, scowling down at the table and silently cursing Sokka for leaving him behind.

Hakoda stared at him, his face both confused and disbelieving. "Right…" The eldest warrior sighed and slowly sat across from the prince, crossing his arms on the table in front of him. "So you two are friends." His stern eyes met Zuko's.

"Yes…" The older tribesman made the prince almost as nervous as his own father, and this anxiety limited his responses to one word.

Hakoda regarded him tiredly and nodded. "That Sokka's something, hm?"

"Er… Yeah…" Zuko mumbled lamely, fiddling with his chopsticks.

Hakoda pressed his fingers into his eyes, seeming to hold back. "So… Toph said I should, uh… talk to you about something…"

Zuko's nose wrinkled at the mentioning of the young earthbender, and he felt a heat rise on his cheeks. "Really." He said, pressing his fists anxiously into his lap, his eyes practically burning holes in the table. "About what."

"Well, I was hoping you could tell me." Hakoda replied. He watched the blush spreading across the prince's face, and shook his head. "Seems to be something rather embarrassing going on between the two of you."

"No." Zuko said a bit too quickly. "I mean… There's nothing going on."

"...Not much of a liar, are you?" Hakoda muttered, shaking his head slowly. The chief stared off to the side, clearly still tense and Zuko sat in silence, refusing to look anywhere but the table.

"So what's going on?" Hakoda's voice was blunt and stern – too fatherly for Zuko to respond in any positive manner.

"It's not my place to say." He snapped, the heat in his cheeks burning unbearably.

The chief nodded. "I see. Well, I suppose I'll throw some guesses out there then." He leaned on the table crossing his arms. "How about… you two are fooling around."

Zuko's mouth formed a tight line and he couldn't find the words to respond.

Hakoda groaned, running a hand of his tousled brown hair. "I thought so." He glanced up at Zuko, raising an eyebrow. "Relax." He grumbled, leaning away from the boy.

Zuko sat unresponsive, his face twisted into an intense glare.

"What?" Hakoda asked, a little agitated. "Why are you making that face."

The prince's chest puffed up in fear and he tried to say something. "Y-you aren't supposed to know!" He barked.

Hakoda was taken aback, now offended and agitated. "Is that so?" The chief sat up tall, and gave Zuko his most intimidating stare.

The firebender matched his stance, despite the actual fear he felt, and said, "Sokka didn't want anyone to know… He's afraid." He saw the father's eyes soften, and his tanned shoulders slackened a bit.

Hakoda suddenly stood. "I see. It was a pleasure speaking with you." He turned, walking towards the exit, and glanced at Zuko.

In that split second the prince saw the chief's eyes filled with a fatherly worry. The firebender's chest tightened when he realized that was a look he would probably never see from his own dad.

Zuko let out an aggravated sigh and rubbed his face tiredly. That was awkward.

Sokka leaned his elbows against the railing at the stern of the ship, unable to decide whether he should go back and save Zuko, or wait and face the firebender's wrath later. He'd actually been standing there for more than a few minutes, but the debate he was holding with himself kept him distracted, and was only interrupted by a strong, calloused hand on his shoulder. He jumped at the touch and whirled around to face his father, who looked unyielding and concerned.

Sokka felt his teeth dig into his bottom lip as he tried to remove his father's hand and escape. "Ha ha, what's up, dad?" He asked with a nervous chuckle as he tried to pry Hakoda's fingers away. "I was just gonna go… uh… clean between Appa's toes? Hah." Hakoda raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Yeeaaaah," The youngest tribesman continued. "Kidding, kidding. Actually I have to –"

"Sokka. What's going on." Hakoda was demanding, not requesting. Sokka blinked wide eyes a few times, his words catching in his throat.

"I-I don't know what you mean." He squeaked, finally freeing himself from his father's clutches.

Hakoda let out a long, weary sigh and turned to watch as choppy waves interrupted the smooth line of the horizon. "Look, son. I know what's going on between you and that firebender."

"How?" Sokka gasped. They'd only been officially together for a few hours! He glanced around nervously, looking for someone who might hear. The other tribesmen were scattered throughout the ship, and the last thing he wanted was for one of them to overhear.

The chief's sharp eyes squinted at the waters over the railing, and he hesitated to respond. "That little earthbender. She let it slip the other day when you were being miserable – although I suspect the slip was on purpose. Then I spoke to the firebender. He confirmed it."

Sokka frowned sharply, taking a few steps away from his father. "Well, what did they say?" The young tribesman hoped his father had heard something other than the truth. Anything but the truth.

"Toph said you were…" Hakoda made air quotes and said with a serious face, " 'Butt-hurt' because your friend made some… advances and you 'chickened out.' " Hakoda ended with the air quotes again and continued to stare out onto the water. Sokka covered his burning face with a hand and kept quiet as his father continued. "And as for said friend, well he told me… you didn't tell me because you were afraid."

Sokka let his hand fall, and he stared at the ground, looking ashamed. "Sorry, dad." He whispered, crossing his arms defensively. "I know it's wrong, and I didn't mean to keep it from you."

Hakoda finally turned away from the railing and studied his son pensively for a while. "You know I love you, Sokka." He said quietly. His son nodded, and continued to look humiliated. "I want what's best for you, and… If he were anyone else… If we were anyone else…"

Sokka finally lifted his gaze, wounded and confused. "W-what do you mean?" He breathed.

Hakoda's unwavering eyes stared his son down as he continued. "He is the Prince of the Fire Nation. You are the next in line to be Chief of our tribe. You both have duties, Sokka, and if this war ever ends, what then?"

"I don't understand." The miserable teenager whispered. "W-we've barely started, and you're already telling me to end it?"

Hakoda took in a slow, deep breath, and let it out. "No, I'm not telling you to end it. I'm just saying, be prepared. This cannot last, no matter how much you want it to."

Sokka's face began to scrunch up and his eyes became glossy. Shame and betrayal covered his face as he stared at his father. "Who said I was planning for it to last anyway!" He croaked angrily. It was a statement made out of fear, but it had some truth behind it. Sokka had been subconsciously preparing himself for Zuko to change his mind since their first kiss. He might not have realized it, but the situation truly felt too good to be true. The young warrior tried to continue, "W-why would you…" Sokka pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. Hurt and confusion flooded his mind, and drowned out any coherent thoughts he was trying to have.

Guilt welled up inside Hakoda as he watched his son search for words, and he wrapped his arms around the young tribesman. Sokka trembled with the effort he was exerting to prevent any wimpy crying, and an especially difficult wave of hurt washed over him as Hakoda's comforting arms tightened. "I'm sorry, son." The chief muttered, squeezing the boy of only sixteen comfortingly. "I'm trying to protect you. You are both men from very different worlds; worlds in which you have responsibilities."

Sokka let his hands drop and balled them into fists, nodding into his father's shoulder. He knew eventually he'd have to do what was best for his tribe, no matter how much it hurt. "I didn't mean for this to happen." He whispered with fixed determination, barely able to let the words escape his closing throat. His feelings for Zuko were stronger than anything he'd felt for any significant other, but he knew they were just kids. And what was it they said about young love? It never lasts.

Hakoda laugh quietly, suddenly lighter of heart. "I know, son… I'm sorry. I have no problem with the two of you, but when the time comes… Just remember your responsibilities." He squeezed the boy closer to him. "I'm sorry, Sokka."

"S'okay." Sokka mumbled into Hakoda's fire nation cloak. "…I'd never abandon the tribe."

The Chief took a deep breath and finally let go of his son. "Alright, well, now that that's done – why the firebender? Katara says he chased you guys to the ends of the earth for months."

"Oh…" Sokka sighed. "Well… I dunno." He crossed his arms defensively across his chest and muttered under his breath, "I'm not gonna list all the reasons I like him."

Hakoda heard the comment and chuckled. "Okay, okay… But I must admit, it's kind of a surprise." He ruffled his son's hair, pulling strands away from the leather cord that held it together. "When did you realize you were interested in men, anyway?"

Sokka's jaw dropped at his father's forwardness, and he quickly spun around, putting his back to him in an attempt to hide his burning cheeks. "Daaaaaaad!" He whined. "I don't wanna talk about this!" He was glad his father was unfazed, but really.

Hakoda laughed again, and ruffled Sokka's hair a little more. "Fine. We can talk about this whenever you're ready." He stepped around his son and began to head towards the door that led below deck. As he opened the entrance he called, "I'm off to take a nap… Oh, and you should check on your firebender, he seemed pretty angry…" Sokka let out a groan as his father disappeared.

Luckily, he didn't have to go searching for the prince because as soon as the door closed behind Hakoda, Zuko promptly rounded the corner, and approached Sokka with a strange look on his face.

The tribesman avoided his gaze and placed his hands on his hips. "So… did you hear all of that?" He asked quietly. He hoped the prince had been hiding around the corner for the entire conversation, saving Sokka from having to repeat it.

Zuko let his eyes roam over the Water Tribe warrior and nodded, with an air of caution. "Yes…" Oh, he'd heard everything all right. Zuko continued, his face blank but his voice sharp, "What was that you said? You weren't planning for this to last anyway?"

He knew he was being childish. Sokka's words were most likely spoken out of desperation, anger, something – but it stung nonetheless. Zuko hated admitting it to himself, but letting someone get this close to him was difficult. The prince loathed feeling vulnerable, it was too dangerous; he'd learned that lesson long ago thanks to his father and Azula, and any sign of manipulation immediately set off alarms in his mind, warning him not to trust.

It took a moment for Zuko's words to sink into Sokka's mind. He frowned, and finally looked the prince in the eye. "Well… I mean, I want it to last, but… You're the Prince of the Fire Nation and I'm just some twerp from a dinky tribe that no one knows about…" He shrugged, giving Zuko a sad smile. "I just…" Sokka sighed tiredly. "I was just trying to brace myself okay?"

Zuko stood calmly, watching the warrior with an equally tired gaze. He rubbed his temples. The explanation was sensible, and the prince was displeased with his initial assumptions and overreaction. He had to learn to trust Sokka if he really wanted this.

"… Banished Prince." He finally mumbled.

The warrior looked at him quizzically, waiting for an elaboration.

"I'm the Banished Prince, so who cares who I choose to affiliate with? And… Well I wasn't hoping for a… temporary relationship." He scowled at the ground.

Sokka smiled a relieved, toothy smile, and glanced around before grabbing Zuko's hand. "Me either." He said elatedly. "Besides, all that 'responsibilities' stuff… It's ages away." He didn't want to sound clingy, and assume that they'd be together for that long, so he didn't add that they would figure something out. But he hoped.

Zuko glanced at the tan hand clasping his, then turned his eyes up to meet Sokka's. He couldn't understand how the warrior's emotions were in such a constant state of flux, and chalked it up to his Water Tribe heritage, although it was probably some hidden insecurities. "So um… I was thinking, maybe we could spar or something." He said quietly, finally giving Sokka a small smile. Being stuck practically by himself for two weeks was rough, and he was excited to finally have some time with his friend, or… well, boyfriend.

The tribesman's stomach flipped at the sight of the firebenders rare smile, and he nodded eagerly. "Alright, but I'm not very good. Actually I don't know anything, just stuff I've taught myself." He tugged Zuko in the direction of the stairs and they began to head to their rooms. Sokka smiled innocently. "Maybe you could teach me a few things? All I've got is my dagger and club, so maybe we could do, like, hand-to-hand or something? "

The prince nodded silently, distracted and hyper aware of how cool Sokka's skin was in his hand. The warrior gave Zuko's fingers a squeeze, and let go as they made their way downstairs and into Zuko's room. The prince watched as Sokka removed his black cloak and boomerang. "Okay!" He said enthusiastically. "Where do we start?"

The "sparring" was hardly that. It mostly consisted of Sokka getting knocked on his butt and Zuko getting frustrated. Eventually it simply became training for the warrior.

A few hours later the boys were in Sokka's room, relaxing. The warrior was on the floor, with various leafs of paper sprawled around him. Some had crude paintings of his friends and animals, and others had some silly haikus, most involving food (particularly meat).

"Okay, how about this one?" Sokka asked Zuko, who was lying on the tribesman's bed with his eyes closed. The warrior received no answer and stood, crawling in next to the firebender.

Zuko's damaged eye cracked open just enough to see Sokka's face hovering inches over his, and then closed again. "What is it?" He murmured.

"I drew a picture of you, look!"

Zuko's brow furrowed a bit. "It is going to be insulting again?" He asked, wrinkling his nose to cover up the smile creeping onto his face. His eyes stayed closed as Sokka rolled onto his back. "Just loooook."

The prince sighed and finally opened his eyes, turning to Sokka, who had a mischievous grin. The blue-eyed boy held up his drawing and displayed a child-like caricature of Zuko. As far as the prince could tell, there was nothing insulting about the rather bad drawing. "Very nice." He muttered, cracking a small smile. "Looks just like me." Sokka raised an eyebrow, obviously dissatisfied with the reaction. "Didn't you read the bottom?"

Zuko spotted what Sokka was referring to. Scrawled across the bottom in miniscule writing it said "My favorite Jerkbender." The prince let out a bark-like laugh and snatched the picture away, quickly tucking the piece of paper into the folds of his shirt. He tried to make it look like he was angry, like he didn't want anyone else to see it. In reality, however, the prince was drawn to the endearing statement written at the bottom, and wanted to keep it. Zuko found it weirdly reassuring to have someone care about him. "Well aren't you sweet." He crooned mockingly, punching Sokka lightly in the gut.

The warrior let out a loud laugh and rolled on top of the prince, straddling his hips. "You're gonna regret that!" He cried with mock-anger. The tanned fingers found their way to the firebender's sides and dug in viciously, eliciting screeching, angry laughter from Zuko.

"No, no, no! Stop!" He bellowed, utterly uncomfortable and afraid of the lack of control. The prince felt his body tensing painfully as the warrior tickled him, and he shoved at Sokka, accidentally throwing the surprised boy onto the floor. The warrior lay in shock for a time, listening to Zuko's rattled breathing slowly become normal again. Finally he sat up and peered over the edge of the full sized bed. "Um… Sorry." He murmured, afraid he'd done something wrong. The prince was rubbing his eyes with fists, and didn't respond at first. Finally he sighed and turned to the frightened tribesman with a smile that he attempted to cover up with a scowl, like usual. "You're an idiot."