Avatar - Zukka - Borderlines P11
Title: Borderlines - Part Eleven
Series: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Sokka/Zuko
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 5,795

The next day Katara rose early, peeked in on Sokka's room and, finding it already empty, set about her own morning routine before heading out to reserve a spot for that day's brunch and wait for her brother to arrive as planned.

Katara wasn't exactly surprised when their agreed upon time came and went with no sign of Sokka, but she'd thought to bring a book and as such, hardly noticed the time passing until her stomach grumbled petulantly. She set aside her reading to look around the outdoor patio where she'd claimed a table among a scattered handful of other patrons, hoping to spot her brother.

About half an hour late, Sokka finally appeared though surprisingly not as disheveled as he could have been. After slipping from Zuko's room fairly early, he'd collapsed into his own bed for just a few more minutes which had turned into two more hours of sleep. "Sorry," he said sheepishly as he sat down with his sister. "Overslept."

Katara raised a brow and set aside her book. "Oh really? Have a slumber party with Zuko then?" she asked, a teasing smirk on her lips. She caught the eye of a server, signaling with a nod that they were ready for their meal.

"What?!" Sokka yelped, his voice coming much louder than he'd intended and cracking embarrassingly. Also, he dropped his utensils.

Katara snickered quietly, passing her brother an extra set, not bothering with the utensils that now rolled on the ground. "You weren't in your room this morning," she pointed out. "Calm down, I don't care what you do with your mornings." Clearly, her own vacation was going well, her mood cheerful. "Oh! Here's our food."

Sokka was attempting to convince his heart to at least hold off exploding until he could have a last meal. At least allow him that. But it was very hard not to stare at his sister as the food was set in front of them. She was kidding, of course. Right? Of course she was kidding. What was she doing in his room anyway? Don't bring it up -- it'll just make her defensive and she'll pry more in retaliation. "I was probably just peeing," he said abruptly, then realized that their pretty female server was standing over him and looked down at him with a rather disturbed expression. Sokka couldn't even recover, beet red as she hurried away.

"Well!" Katara replied, looking eagerly over her plate. "Seems like that guy's influence has knocked your obsessive compulsions up a notch, if you're making your bed when you get up for a potty break." Her eyes sparked with mirth.

Oh god, she knew. She had to know -- she had that stupid, smug look in her eye. The question was -- why wasn't she upset about it? Had Katara actually managed to become more philanthropic in the few months of traveling through the Fire Nation? That seemed impossible. No! She was cheerful because it was blackmail material! Sokka couldn't even look at his food. "Katara -- It's not what you think, I swear!"

"Oh relax!" Katara stared. Sokka was undoubtedly the twitchiest person she knew. "He already told me that you guys might be having some late nights. I mean, I'm a little annoyed you were late to brunch but..."

"He TOLD you!?" Sokka sputtered, gaping.

Katara raised a brow. "Are you okay? You're a little... high strung right now. Like, more than usual." Shaking her head, she went back to cutting up a bit of food. "I mean, it's your vacation, you can spend it how you want... it's not my place to tell you what you should and shouldn't do..." Her tone was mildly disapproving, but far from angry or upset. There wasn't even a trace of shock in her words.

He was going to KILL Zuko. Pretending last night like he didn't care if Sokka told her! Of course not, he'd already done it himself! That insensitive -- "Well we won't be doing it again any time soon!" he spat, angry now on top of his frayed nerves. He was so worked up that he didn't really notice how well his sister seemed to be taking this news. "Katara --" He looked up at her with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell dad. PLEASE."

"Okay, you're really starting to freak me out, Sokka," Katara put down her spoon and looked him in the eye. "Dad -knows- you're the Water Tribe's Ambassador to the Fire Nation. He knows you're working closely with Zuko. Why would I tell him what you're doing on your vacation? If anything, he'd tell you to loosen up and stop working so hard! Take some time for yourself once in a while! Do something fun! He'd tell you that! And I agree!"

For a very, very long moment Sokka stared at her suspiciously. Then finally, he understood. "Oooooh-- you're talking about WORK!"

Katara blinked, looked at her brother as though he were a slower than average child --which, she supposed, wasn't that far from the truth. "Um, yeah. Hello? Good grief, Sokka, Zuko told me yesterday that half your luggage was the paperwork he'd failed to convince you to leave at home. He said you'd probably keep him up half the night with letters and hawks you absolutely had to send, never mind that you're supposed to be relaxing. On vacation." A beat. "What did you -think- I meant?"

"Nothing," Sokka replied instantly and immediately started shoveling food into his mouth in spite of the fear that it might come back up, his stomach was churning so.

"Sokka..." his sister's voice was already taking on that dangerous edge that preceded nothing good. "You know I hate it when you -lie- to me."

The older sibling looked up with wide eyes, his cheeks bulging full. "Mpghmphphmmmphm," he responded. I don't know what you're talking about.

"Uh!" she huffed, looking to the sky as if something might fall from the clouds and save her from her idiot brother. "You're impossible! Fine. I'll just ask Zuko. Maybe he'll tell me why my brother is so weird"

Sokka choked. Clutching briefly at his throat, his face turned red before he pounded on his chest a few times before he was able to get his food down. "No!" he managed to cough. If Katara was going to know, he needed to tell her himself and he didn't put it past Zuko to angrily blurt the information if Katara pushed his buttons just right. Which she had already proved that she had a keen talent for. "You shouldn't bother him on his vacation," the young man amended once he could breathe again. Then he sighed.

It wasn't that he didn't want to tell Katara. He did -- in spite of all their bickering, he and his sister had always been quite close and he didn't care to keep secrets from her for the most part. He mostly just had no idea how to even approach the subject.

"It's just... um... well..." Sokka stammered. "You remember when you were visiting and we both agreed that I needed to work on my uh... my skills... at relationships?"

It was a sensitive way of saying they'd nearly bitten each other's heads off and Katara knew it, but if Sokka didn't want to renew the argument, she was more than okay with that. Instead she only raised a cautious brow and leaned back in her seat, folding her arms across her chest. "Yeeeeah...?"

"Well... I guess you could... uh..." God, this was going to be humiliating. Beyond humiliating. CRUSHINGLY humiliating. "I guess you could say I've been working on that..."

"Oh really?" Now, Katara leaned forward, fixed her brother with an inescapable stare. She wasn't letting him get away with either silence or a lie, and they both knew it.

"Y-Yeah..." Sokka barely managed. His stomach was twisting and chest constricting as though his body was trying to wring the life out of him before he could make anymore utterances. Under that fixed stare, he was crumbling -- his mouth was dry and his heart was racing. He was disgusted with himself for being so afraid of his own sister. He should have just told her calmly and matter of factly and proudly ignored her if she tiraded, kept his chin held high and not care what she thought. He shouldn't care what ANYONE thought, right? But as it was, his insides had turned to jelly and he found himself shrinking back as though to disappear under the table. "I -- uh -- well -- since after you visited! I've been... working on that," he blurted.

If he'd thought Katara's stare couldn't get any harder nor her brow any higher, he'd been wrong. "Uh huh..." she prompted. "You've said that already." She was beginning to think she'd need to ask Sokka a direct question to get anything more than a scared stutter from him. "Look, I over reacted... I don't really care if you get back together with Suki--"

"No--no it's not that -- it's uh -- it's somebody else," Sokka managed. And then he started babbling. "I mean, really, I knew it wasn't going to work out with Suki before she broke it off -- you know, I respect her, she's strong and knows what she wants but that's the problem -- she needed to do her own thing and I needed to mine and she really kind of resented me for not up and moving out to Kyoshi -- but after traveling and working in the palace and you know, being all over, how was I supposed to just settle down in little Kyoshi? So --" Wow, he'd really side-tracked. But that was a much easier topic than the one he was about to broach. "What I mean is -- before I told you about that -- I mean, before you knew about Suki -- I was you know -- interested. In someone else."

As firm and unyielding as Katara was determined to be, she couldn't help the interest that Sokka's words perked, nor the slight softening of her expression. "You were?" she asked, honestly surprised. She'd thought her brother so wrapped up in his work with the Fire Nation and its Lord as to not even have time for such things. "Well, that's great! When are you going to introduce me?"

Sokka's breakfast which he'd been picking at throughout the conversation seemed to settle in his stomach like a brick. He laughed nervously and stalled with a drink. It did nothing for his mouth that felt like cotton. "I don't have to, actually!" he said, trying to sound cheerful and mostly sounding like he was motion sick. "It's someone you already know!"

Katara blinked. "Really? Who?"

It took a moment for Sokka to gather the gumption to even draw breath into his lungs to form words. Even a single word. Meanwhile he was pushing food around on his plate idly, watching his fork. Finally, he managed to mutter the one single word necessary to potentially make his life a living hell. "Zuko."

Katara was nodding, eyes half-closed, waiting for her brother's admission, so ready for it that she almost missed it, nodded for another second and a half after he'd spoken. When the fact that he'd answered registered, still, for a third and fourth second she expected him to finish his sentence ("Zuko has this friend..." or "Zuko introduced me to her at his latest party," maybe). When, finally, she came to the delayed conclusion that Sokka was -not- going to finish his sentence, that, in fact, he already -had- finished his sentence, Katara froze, stared, backtracked to the single word he'd spoken and gave it a second mental go-over. And reacted.

"WHAT?! What are you SAYING? SOKKA! Do you realize what you're saying to me? You're saying that you... and, and... HIM?! are... -you- and... and him..."

Sokka cringed and squeaked, "Katara! Not so loud!" Oh god why had he done this in a restaurant? Possibly his worst idea ever. He could feel glances from around the room. "You can beat me up when we leave if you want, just don't yell here," he whispered. Not only was it humiliating but it was dangerous if she were to shout Zuko's name in such context.

But Katara seemed to have no desire to speak the Fire Lord's name aloud, and though her heart rate hadn't dropped to normal, she did manage to drop her voice to a heated whisper. "Explain this to me," she hissed, "Because I must have misunderstood you. The Sokka I know is many things. Most of them stupid and crazy, but none of them are..." she waved her hands vaguely, frantically, "... gay."

"I'm NOT!" Sokka hissed back, his face blossoming bright red. He really should have planned this out better because it sounded stupid even to him. "I mean -- I never -- not before this!" he whispered, leaning over his half-eaten and cold meal. "It's different! Shit--" He scrubbed at his face with both hands, trying to form coherent thoughts which was extremely challenging at the moment. "I don't know how to explain it," he admitted. "It's not BECAUSE he's a guy -- that's just... ugh -- that's just circumstantial!"

"So you... like him for his personality?" His sister's tone of voice clearly demonstrated what she thought of such an idea.

Sokka bristled at this, the words making him steel a little. It wasn't about him anymore and this subject he wasn't afraid to defend. "Yeah, that's right," he said sharply. "What, because he was such a jerk to you last time you visited what with throwing you parties and being hospitable and helpful in every possible way?" He shot her a challenging glare.

"That's not the point!" Katara snapped back, prepared to defend her less than positive reaction. "I think it's dangerous! How do you know he isn't just using you! Pretty convenient to have a foreign ambassador so tightly wrapped around his finger, isn't it?" The shock of Sokka's announcement seemed to have the girl's thoughts exploding outward in multiple directions; the stress of sorting each one out lending a purplish hue to her face.

For a moment Sokka could only gape at her, horrified at what she was insinuating. Then came his disgusted and sarcastic reply, "Wow, how did I not think about that! He's just trying to get better prices on the trade of fish and ICE! Are you listening to yourself, Katara? Or maybe that's what YOU'RE doing -- trying to get us into good graces with the Avatar by being involved with him? Well I think it's downright patriotic of you!"

"That's not true and you know it!" was Katara's biting reply, but Sokka's words had done their job, hitting home hard and true and for a moment she said nothing, only staring at the table between them. She -knew-, intellectually, that it wasn't a personal betrayal, but something about the whole situation still stung and it was a difficult thing to sort out her feelings. "He... he likes you too?" she asked, only half as bitter and much quieter.

"Yes," Sokka muttered in response, just feeling a little ill now that the tension had snapped. "We... figured it out when you and Aang visited," he elaborated quietly.

"O-oh," Katara replied, avoiding his eyes and tucking a bit of hair behind her ear. Then, abruptly, she stood, pushing her plate away and casting a sharp glare at another guest of the springs who she'd caught watching. "Let's take a walk," she said, her tone leaving no room for argument. "Too many busy-bodies here."

"Okay," Sokka agreed readily. He wasn't exactly a glutton for Katara's wrath but he was much more prepared to handle it outside of prying eyes and ears. Plus he definitely wasn't hungry anymore. He murmured the tab that their meal should be put on to their server whose eyes widened but she nodded quickly.

The springs were settled in a very pleasant valley which was green and healthy with spring weather, offering trails into the lightly wooded hills. They didn't really have to say anything to one another to fall into step outside the inn. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," he said quietly to her.

Katara said nothing for a long moment, just letting the thump of solid earth under her feet and the solitude of the surrounding woods ease her tension just a bit. It wasn't the business of any of the springs' patrons to overhear their conversation, but now that they were alone, the words came with greater difficulty. "You -should- have told me sooner," she finally agreed. "But... I guess I understand why you didn't."

"Yeah," Sokka said needlessly. There was a DIFFERENT sort of tension now, a quiet one. It felt heavier. He swallowed, knowing that what he needed to add (though he'd already said it under different context) wasn't going to make her happy. "Katara... you won't tell Dad, right?" he asked rather meekly.

Katara frowned, clearly finding the keeping of secrets distasteful, but she shook her head, watching Sokka from the corner of her eye. "Are you serious about this, Sokka? Really? It's not just..." How could she put it? "...for fun?" It wasn't the right way to describe it, but she could think of no better way to ask.

He knew he shouldn't have been embarrassed but he was. He almost wondered if it wouldn't have been easier if he could have told her it was just some reckless phase. Then at least he wouldn't have to be admitting to having FEELINGS for a man which when he actually had to speak out loud, seemed terribly emasculating. "Yeah..." he mumbled. "It's serious. I mean, we haven't you know... DONE... anything but..."

This admission almost de-railed Katara's train of thought, and she had to shake her head against the unwanted thoughts Sokka's words inspired. "If that's true," she continued, pausing her steps long enough to force her brother to meet her eyes, "then I won't tell Dad. But -you- should."

Reluctantly, Sokka met her gaze, guilt nagging sharply at him. "It's complicated," he mumbled. "I mean -- he's the Fire Lord, Katara. We can't exactly go announcing things, you know?"

"Well it's a good thing our father understands the value of discretion," Katara countered, pointedly. She wouldn't let him get away with such an obvious cop out. If he was serious about this... whole thing, then let him prove it by finding the courage to tell the people he cared the most about.

Sokka winced as though from a physical blow. "Yeah," he gave in with a sigh. "Just... give me a little time, I guess." This conversation had been painful enough with his sister. And though their father was an amazing and understanding person, Katara couldn't begin to understand how things worked between a father and son.

Katara stared hard at her brother, searching his strained face for something. Sokka supposed she must have found it because she finally nodded, looking back to the path and resumed walking. "I won't tell him," she added.

The older sibling managed to force down a swallow, pausing for a long moment for his breath to slow before he jogged to catch up with her. "Thanks," he said softly as he fell into step. He didn't know what else to say and was still reeling a little from the relief that Katara wasn't going to tattle on him.

Katara too, was quiet for some time, her own thoughts only just beginning to settle before she spoke again. "Why him?" she asked, the words carrying a conscious and audible effort to keep any judgment from her voice.

This time Sokka didn't bristle or anger -- it was a difficult question to palate though. He hadn't talked to anyone except Aang very, very briefly about the subject and actually speaking out loud about it was so different than the simple understanding that he and Zuko just had. He couldn't just tell his sister 'I don't know.' She was giving him the opportunity to explain himself -- she was offering to listen.

When he spoke it was soft and without the panic that had been in his voice for the last hour. "Because we understand each other, I guess. It probably sounds really crazy to you. But it's hard to believe sometimes that he's the same person from four years ago." He tried to gather himself, hoping to somehow make Katara understand. "It's like -- when we stopped fighting, it turned out that we had a lot in common. And similar reasons that we were fighting. But..." How could he explain it? "Neither of us is really good at having fun. He's so intense and I'm -- well. You know, kind of a workaholic. But somehow we started figuring it out together, like we were teaching each other how to relax and live outside of that. It just happened somehow, I guess. And then -- he started smiling like we never would have thought he could -- you know, from old shaved-head Zuko. And I just wanted to make that happen -- to make him smile more and more." Sokka stopped abruptly, his face heated again with embarrassment. Such sentimental talk -- Katara was going to think he was going soft.

But the truth was, this sort of talk was just what she needed to hear from him. She needed to know that her brother had at least some sense of what he was doing, some reason, something solid for making the choices he was making, for heading down the path he was walking-- a path, she had a feeling, that would be fraught with obstacles just as challenging, if in a different way, as those they'd faced 4 years ago. "Sokka," she frowned, paused, tried again, this time waiting for him to fall into step with her. She reached out and took his hand, squeezed hard enough to prevent him from pulling away. "I just... want you to be happy." She wasn't sure yet that Zuko could do that for him, but... "And I swear if he hurts you in any way, he is so dead."

He didn't try to pull away, letting her hand stay slipped in his. He did though, groan loudly, pressing his other hand over his eyes. "That's what I'm supposed to be saying to you!" he said in a whining voice. "This is humiliating..." He sighed but he gave her hand a squeeze, dropping his other hand from his face to offer her a small, grateful smile. "It--uh--it means a lot though for you to say that," he stumbled over the words just a little. "Thanks."

"Mm," Katara nodded in reply, managing to return his smile with one of her own, equally tentative but no less sincere. She couldn't say she was completely convinced... she might need to have a talk of her own with Zuko. But for now, it was enough to be here, enough that Sokka had trusted her enough --had worked up enough balls-- to tell her something that was clearly important to him. She had, at least, that much comfort. "You're a huge idiot," she added fondly, because it felt like it needed to be said.

He grinned a little sheepishly at her, then paused, watching her carefully. "You will wait to see what happens before the whole killing thing, right?" he asked, concerned for Zuko's well-being.

Katara frowned vaguely, but nodded. "Yeah, yeah," she agreed, unsure yet whether she felt comfortable with this newly discovered, sentimental side to her brother. "No killing without good reason, I promise."

Sokka was able to laugh at this in a relieved sort of way. He could appreciate her sentiment -- if Aang weren't someone that they all implicitly trusted, his own words word have mirrored hers. And there was a stubbornness that ran in their family that he had never expected to be overcome in a day. He fell silent again then, just basking in the relief.

Her hand tightened around his and the look she gave him was calm, affectionate. "So," she began after a long, comfortable moment. "Three months, huh?"

"Yeah..." Sokka offered a chagrined sort of smile. "But you know, after living with him for over a year..." He hoped this would translate that he'd thought things through thoroughly.

"When did you..." she gestured vaguely, frowning at the difficulty she found in forming words from reluctant thoughts. "...first think... you know... that you might, um... feel that way?" she cringed a little at the awkwardness of her own question, but hoped the fact that we was asking at all would express her sincerity in more fully understanding her brother.

Sokka forced down a swallow, again feeling nervous and awkward but at least not afraid or dreading. It took a moment for him to gather his thoughts -- even he himself wasn't sure how to explain all this or what it meant for him. "I guess... a while ago," he said slowly. "It's... different. Because if it was a girl, I would have known right away how I was feeling. But I'd never felt... uh... that for a... you know, for a guy. At least not that I can think of... so it... I guess it took a while for me to realize it wasn't just friendship. But even after that, I didn't want to say anything... you know, what with Suki and... being really freaked out." He took a breath and realized he hadn't really answered Katara's question. "So I guess like, six or eight months ago, something like that."

It was something of a challenge to bite back the giggle that threatened to slip free, the way Sokka rambled when he was nervous. Still, as awkward and uncomfortable as the conversation was, Katara sensed it was one her brother needed to have. Had probably not had the chance to have with anyone else. So she nodded and filed the information away for later, when she had already decided she would talk with Zuko. "How did you tell him?" she asked. "Or did he confess first?" It was a slow process, but her discomfort was gradually giving way to curiosity, and the urge to see just how much gossip could made Sokka uncomfortable enough to refuse to answer.

"Well actually... Aang sort of... convinced me that he felt the same way -- that ZUKO felt the same way -- and I just sort of... uh... well, I kissed him," he admitted in a mumble. "Which was probably pretty stupid because if Aang had been wrong, he could have burned my face off..."

Katara blinked, cocked a brow and held up a hand. "Wait a minute, Aang -knew-?"

Immediately Sokka realized his mistake and his eyes widened a little. "Oh -- well -- not EXACTLY -- I mean, I didn't tell him what happened. He just... you know, convinced me to... follow through. So he didn't know know."

"But he told you that Zuko liked you back," Katara pointed out, her eyes just a little flinty, restraining the surge of ire that threatened. "How did he know your feelings in the first place?" Was she the last one to know about all of this? The thought made her bristle.

"He figured it out on his own," Sokka said, embarrassed. "He actually brought it up himself. When uh... when the three of us were fighting."

Katara was skeptical, but her anger faded somewhat with this revelation. Aang, though adorable and often more than a little dense, could be surprisingly observant and insightful about things like this. It was less of a surprise that Katara herself had noticed nothing and for this, she couldn't help but feel a tiny sting of shame. "Oh," she mumbled, embarrassed to be reminded of that time and the way they'd all acted.

"But that's why -- er --" Sokka hurried to smooth over her discomfort. "He was so... upset when he thought I was going to leave," he managed. "Anyway, don't be upset with Aang. I asked him not to tell you about it."

"Mm," Katara nodded quietly, considering this. It certain brought a lot of things into light. She couldn't say she was -happy- about being kept in the dark up til now, but there was little point in completely souring the mood by continuing to harp on it. She'd talk to Aang later.

"How was it?" she asked, an abrupt change of subject.

"Huh?" Sokka blinked at her. "How was what?"

"The kiss," Katara answered bluntly.

"Oh," he blurted, a little embarrassed. He didn't expect for Katara to be interested in... details. "It was you know... good. Really good. A little... different. But not that different. But I didn't get any third degree burns, which was really the best I was hoping for."

Katara chuckled a little, considering. "I always thought he'd be horrible at that sort of thing..."

"What, at kissing?" Sokka asked and then he was rubbing at the back of his neck thoughtfully. Unsure if he should continue. But he did -- "He's uh... actually very good at it!" He didn't feel the need to add that he was probably better than SOKKA at it since he always seemed strangely more confident about intimacy than the Water tribesman. "Surprisingly aggressive." There was a pregnant pause in which Sokka realized what had just tumbled out of his flapping mouth and he gave a loud, terrible laugh, resisting slapping himself in the face.

Katara kindly pretended not to notice this moment of extreme humiliation, instead plowing onward to deeper humiliation. "Is he good at anything else?" she asked. It wasn't just about getting the dirt on this budding relationship. She had a responsibility to make sure her brother was being safe and smart and unhurt both physically and emotionally. After all, who else would do it if Sokka wouldn't tell their father?

"Katara!" he yelped, slapping a palm over his crimson face. They were NOT having this conversation. Not with ANYBODY -- least of all his sister! "I told you," he struggled to mumble, "we haven't DONE anything!"

The water-bender nodded sagely, seemed to have dropped the subject. Then, suddenly, "Why not?"

Sokka sputtered, his hand dropping from his face with sheer disbelief at what he was hearing. "W-what?" he flubbed. "Why? What -- what do you care!" He'd released her hand to instead opt for wild gesturing. "Isn't that what you WANT to hear?!"

Katara sighed. "Sokka..." she stepped close, clasping a hand on her brother's shoulder, ignoring the flinch her touch brought. "What I want is to make sure you know what you're getting yourself into and that it's something that's healthy for you. If a more intimate relationship is something you aren't -ready- for, then that's fine! But if it's something you -do- want and don't have... well then, that's something you should take a closer look at. That's all I'm saying."

He could only gape at her. How exactly did she have the capacity to go from raging and seething, judgmental and angry to sensitive, open and soothing in a matter of minutes. Sometimes women were terrifying and Sokka considered that he may just have made the right decision. "Oh my god," was all he could get out for a long moment. "I -- I -- I --" Luckily there was a bench nearby that he could wander to and collapse before his knees gave out. "You must be trying to kill me," he muttered as Katara sat down beside him. The most irritating part about it was that it was a subject that had been bothering him but he didn't plan to TALK to anybody about it. "It's just a big step," he finally said. "A really, really big step. For everything -- for us AND... me."

Katara was quiet as she sat beside him, hands on her knees and looked out at the scenery as though contemplating the trees rather than Sokka's words. When she spoke, the sudden break of silence was almost startling. "That's true," she said. Then, "What about taking that step scares you most?" There was no judgment in the question, it simply needed to be asked. For Sokka's sake if nothing else.

"I'm not SCARED!" Sokka said, incredulous, defensive and utterly lying. "I'm just cautious! He's the Fire Lord, you know," he voice dropped to quiet. "If anyone found out -- I don't even know what'd happen And besides that it's like I said... I'm not... gay." His lips pursed into a pout. "Besides, what if I'm no good at -- oh my GOD why am I talking to you about this!?"

Katara seemed hardly to notice his panicked outburst, her eyes unfocused as she considered what her brother had said. "If people found out, yes, things might be difficult for you... but I think Zuko wouldn't let anything happen to you." The glint in her eyes said what would happen if the fire-bender -failed- in such a task. She seemed about to continue down the list of things Sokka had just stumbled over, but stopped suddenly, turned to face him. "Sokka, have you actually -told- Zuko these things? Have you -talked- to him about your... why you're cautious?"

"No..." Sokka answered carefully. "I know you seem to think that I enjoy utter humiliation but I really don't!" He slumped heavily back against the bench, turning his eyes up so he wouldn't have to look at Katara. "He'd think I'm crazy."

Katara blinked, then shrugged. "What's worse? Risking him thinking you're crazy by telling him or risking him thinking you aren't serious, or -worse- that you don't like him as much as he likes you?" She went on, "I'm not saying you have to -do- anything, but I think you aught to at least -tell- him why you're reluctant so he doesn't think it's because of him!"

Slowly, Sokka's gaze turned to her, his eyes narrowed. He opened his mouth and raised a finger, ready to make a great point. Then paused. Tried again. Nothing. "God dammit, I hate it when you're right," he finally groused, crossing his arms.

Katara smiled, confident in her victory. "Anyway, just think about it, hm?" Then without further warning she stood and began the trek back toward the bath houses.

"Fine!" Sokka called after her petulantly, pouting for a long moment before he scrambled up and hurried to catch up with her. He was just about ready for lunch, since he'd eaten half of his breakfast at best. Apparently, he had a lot to think about which wasn't to be done on an empty stomach.