Chapter 26
Zuko woke when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder.
"Just adjusting your blanket," Suki whispered, and he nodded, setting his head down again.
And immediately woke, alert and alarmed.
"What day is—"
"You still have a day and a half," Sokka assured him, coming up behind Suki. Then he smiled at Zuko, and the prince wondered what was going on. "You sure know how to piss off the powers that be. You're earning your old reputation back."
Zuko tensed, and realised he was still holding Katara's limp hand.
He gently set it down, in case he lost his temper. He would never risk hurting her.
"The reports?" he asked around a yawn, and he rubbed his hair from his face. As his fingers ran through it, Zuko noticed he could really use a shower. The media would have a field day with him if they were to catch sight of him at the moment.
"Well, that and lighting fire to a few of the hospital staff."
"They deserved it."
"Yeah, that's what Dad said," chuckled Sokka, and beside him Suki cracked a grin, too.
"But Dad refused to let them kick you out. He said you'd earned the right to stay at her side."
A bit unsure of things, Zuko looked between the happy couple before nodding once more and turning his attention back to Katara. The Chief's words should have warmed him, but he felt empty.
"Have I missed anything?" he asked. He was sure they would have woken him, but it never hurt to ask.
Suki shook her head, her eyes apologetic.
Then again, maybe it did hurt a little bit.
"We brought you a change of clothes, and towels, and a few things like that. And some of Katara's personal items. We were going to give her a quick bath, if you wanted to go have a shower? We'll watch her while you're in there," Suki held out a knapsack bursting at the seams.
"Uh, you may want to open it in there in case it explodes," added Sokka uncertainly. "Suki can pack a tank into a teacup."
"I'm just efficient," she said with casual confidence.
Taken aback at their thoughtfulness, Zuko didn't know what to say.
"Go!" teased Sokka, slapping Zuko hard on the back—enough to jostle him out of his seat.
"Thank you both," Zuko humbly said, finally, and went to take his shower.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Suki and Sokka's smiles faded and they just stood there a moment, staring at the door.
When they eventually left that evening and returned home, they held each other a very long time.
And then Sokka lost their unintentional argument spectacularly when he tried to trick Suki into signing a contract wherein she would promise to never chase after him on a snowmobile in the middle of a snowstorm if he were to get caught unawares. Suki scoffed at him and informed him that the only time he'd find himself lost in a snowstorm would be if she ever caught him cheating; because she would be the one to strand him there.
Feeling more reassured, Sokka settled down to cuddle for the night.
And then woke up after midnight, with a groggy, "Heeey…."
With her eyes still closed, Suki just smiled at him and hid her snort with a faint snore.