Sokka woke up suddenly and with a jolt at 6am Thursday morning. The wind was so strong it rattled his cheap college apartment windows and the heat hadn't been turned on yet due to it being insanely expensive to heat the crappily insulated apartment, so his room was about as cold as an ice cube. He pulled himself out of his blanket cocoon, cursing mother nature and shuffled into the hallway to jiggle the thermostat until the heat clicked on with a groan. Fuck being poor. Why couldn't we have found a place with utilities included. He thought bitterly to himself as he fumbled back to bed.
However, since the heat hadn't been run since last winter, it creaked and moaned all morning, keeping him in a state of tossing and turning until he finally flung the blankets off in a rage at 9am and stomped off to the bathroom to get ready.
All Sokka's classes had been canceled for the rest of the week due to the high wind chills and chances of snow so he resigned himself to trying to catch up on his late assignments that day. He shuffled into the kitchen about 30 minutes past nine and blearily pulled open the cabinets then let out a string of curse words. "TOPH!" He screamed.
No answer came from the depths of the apartment. Sokka made a mental note to berate her for finishing all his coffee next time he saw her and slammed the cabinet door closed in a huff. Grumpily, he shuffled over to the door and grabbed his backpack and winter gear and walked out the door slamming it behind him.
The bus ride downtown was cold as all fuck and the bus was moving extra slow due to icy roads which just made Sokka's lousy mood worse. Finally after what felt like ages the bus skidded to a halt and he shoved past the other people and onto the pavement. His first instinct was to go across the street to the Jasmine Dragon but desperate times call for espresso, so he turned right away from the tea shop to starbucks.
The line at the coffee shop was almost all the way to the door, yet another addition to his shitty day. He waited in line for about 20 fucking minutes and was almost to the counter when the manager came out and told everyone that location was closing due to a wiring malfunction that rendered their machines unsafe to handle. Sokka just cursed loudly and pushed out the door, not even bothering to wait for his free voucher they were offering "for your troubles." He sighed as he stepped into the icy winter air. The only other coffee place that was open was all the way across the downtown area and by now it was already almost noon. He sighed and pulled his hood up against the frigid wind. Jasmine Dragon it is. He thought to himself. He was disgusted at the thought of having to slurp down hot leaf juice just for an ounce of caffeine, but relished the thought of seeing Zuko.
The Jasmine Dragon was fairly empty since it was a Thursday and around lunch time, but Sokka spotted his project partner immediately. He was standing facing someone in a booth holding a ceramic teapot and wearing his adorable little serves apron and nodding politely. Sokka could tell whoever was in the booth must be talking his ear off because Zuko looked like he had been standing there forever. Sokka smiled and made his way towards him and as he did the voice in the booth became clearer. "And he's soooo cute Zuko! He's so fluffy! I love him so much I would buy him right now if I could but we can't have dogs in the dorms and I don't want to ask Katara and the others to keep him at their place but he's just so adorable! You have to come see him sometime his name's Appa and he- hi Sokka!"
Sokka had just come into view and smiled as he saw a rosy cheeked Aang sitting with a mug of tea and papers splayed out on the table chatting excitedly to Zuko. "Hey Aang!" He said, then glanced at Zuko. "Hey"
Zuko smiled slightly. "Hey, you look like shit."
"Well that's rude."
He saw fear flood Zuko's face for a second and his mouth opened like he was about to start stuttering and back tracking like he often did but Sokka cut him off. "I'm just joking! I woke up at like 5am this morning freezing my ass off. Slept like shit."
Zuko looked relieved. "And you came here? Why didn't you go to starbucks and get espresso like usual?" Aang asked.
"Closed early because of some power lines down or something." Sokka said, brushing past Zuko and slinging his back into the seat opposite Aang. "Guess I'll just have to suffer with tea." He smirked.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "Don't let uncle hear you say that or you'll be banned for life."
Sokka grinned. "I can't imagine Iroh ever banning someone from the store for life."
"You'd be surprised." Zuko shrugged.
"Oof. I don't even want to know. Bring me some leaf juice tea boy!" Sokka said slapping the table and earning a glare from Zuko.
"Tea boy?" He said in a tone saturated with annoyance.
"Waiterman? Oh bringer of teas? Leaf boiler?"
"Sokka just leave the nicknames to Toph" Aang said, shaking his head in disgust and holding back a smile.
He shrugged. "Alright, may I pretty please have some tea oh great and powerful all knowing tea waiter?" He said, looking up at Zuko through his lashes.
A small pink tint crept onto Zuko's cheeks as he turned away from the booth quickly. "You're ridiculous." he muttered as he walked away.
Sokka beamed as he watched him go, his bad mood a thing of the past. "So, do you have anyone specific you want to get for secret santa?" Aang's voice floating from across the table pulled him out of his reverie.
"Huh? Oh, yeah that's tomorrow. Ummmm not really. I just hope I don't get Toph. I never know what to get her, she hates everything!"
Aang laughed. "Me too! I hope I get Katara, then I can just get one present this year instead of two. What's on your list this year?"
"A boomerang!" Sokka's answer came immediately.
"A boomerang?" Aang raised his eyebrow.
"YES! I made one in an engineering class freshman year and it was the best thing ever. Then I lost it sadly one fateful winter night…."
"Oh is that why Toph calls you captain boomerang?" Aang asked.
"Yeah. She hated my boomerang. So mean. And I still don't understand why she's the only one allowed to give people nicknames! Captain boomerang is so lame. I could come up with something so much better." He pouted.
"Like tea boy?" Zuko was back and carrying a tray.
Sokka sat up quickly. He had slumped down in the seat while being dramatic. "Hey! I think tea boy suits you well!"
Zuko quirked an eyebrow. "Why? Because I'm a boy that brings you tea? Not very creative."
He set the tray in front of him. "I brought you some green tea. It has caffeine." He said as he did so.
"Thanks bud! Now time to guzzle this down and try and not taste it." He grimaced.
Zuko just rolled his eyes. "It's not that bad you're just a wimp. Now I have actual customers who actually want tea waiting for me." He started to turn and leave but Sokka reached out and stopped him.
"Wait what about the bill? You forgot to bring it."
Zuko looked at him for a second like he was contemplating something. "It's on the house." He said after a moment.
"Oh the house? Why?" Sokka looked at him confused.
Zuko shrugged. "Aang's bought so much tea the last few weeks if we had a punch card he would have earned a shit ton of free tea by now. Consider it a customer loyalty program." He turned and stalked away.
Aang smiled over his cup at Sokka as he turned back around. "What?" He asked.
"Nothing!" Aang smiled wider.
"Why are you looking at me like that."
"It's just….I come in every morning and never get free tea but the one time I'm here with you Zuko decides it's on the house?" He waggled his eyebrows.
"Shut up. It's just a coincidence. You've been watching too many of those rom coms they play in the union on fridays."
Aang shrugged and put down his mug. "All I know is you were in a terrible mood when you got here, you see Zuko, and now you can't stop smiling. You're the one in calc 3, you do the math."
"I hate you." Sokka glared at him and stood up gathering his things. "Now I have some work to do in peace and quiet." He stuck his tongue out at Aang as he swung his backpack over his shoulder and trapsed out the door, fighting the urge to turn and look at Zuko one last time.
That night came and Sokka was wide awake. The bitter tiredness from before had vanished and he was actually almost caught up on his assignments.
Damn that green tea really works! I don't feel tired at all. He hovered over the send button for a few seconds until he finally pressed it and the text message whooshed off to Zuko.
A few minutes later his phone lit up with a response,
Zuko - History Partner: That's because it wasn't all green tea.
Sokka: What?
Sokka: Did you give me like adderall or something?!
Zuko - History Partner: No idiot. It was green tea but I just poured a five hour energy into it.
Sokka: I didn't know that was on the menu lol
Zuko - History Partner: It's not.
Zuko - History Partner: You just looked tired. Thought I would help.
Sokka smiled as he read and reread the last text.
Sokka: Well thanks bud :) 'preciate it!
Zuko - History Partner: What time do you want to meet tomorrow to do the project?
Sokka: Come over at 10 :)
Zuko - History Partner: Will you be awake…..
Sokka: Hey! I resent that! Of course I will be awake!
Zuko - History Partner: Okay. Fine. If you're not then you owe me.
Sokka: Owe you what?
Zuko - History Partner: If you're not awake when I get there you have to buy me a tea.
Sokka: Okay deal. But if I am, I want something too!
Zuko - History Partner: That's not how it works.
Sokka: That's not fair though!
Zuko - History Partner: Fine. What do you want.
Sokka: I want you to come to the mall with me :)
Zuko - History Partner: NO! I hate the mall.
Sokka: But I hate shopping for christmas gifts alone ):
Zuko - History Partner: No.
Sokka: You were so sure I wasn't going to wake up before 10 a few minutes ago….
Zuko - History Partner: You're not. FIne. It's a deal.
*Sokka sent a gif*
Zuko - History Partner: What the hell is that.
Sokka: Its monkeys :) They are shaking hands!
Zuko - History Partner: Why.
Sokka: Because we just made a deal!
Zuko - History Partner: You're an idiot.
Sokka: 3
Sokka smiled and layed down on his bed, scrolling through his conversations with Zuko. He was going to get his mall date even if it meant waking up at 3am.
When the fateful time arrived the next morning, Sokka was not only awake but he was also showered, dressed, and had put on a blue button up shirt and black rolled jeans with his bone collar choker and hair pulled and brushed back. Zuko arrived a few minutes early at 9:55. Sokka smirked as he swung the door open wide. "TADA!"
Zuko looked him up and down and raised an eyebrow. "I'm shocked. You're dressed and awake."
Sokka smiled proudly and stepped aside to let Zuko in. "And showered." He said, tossing his head back so his wolf tail swung majestically (or so he liked to think.)
Zuko rolled his eyes. "What section do you want to start with?" He asked, setting his bag down in the chair.
"Umm….how about with the Yoshiwara slides?" Sokka said, walking over to the kitchen and grabbing some mugs. "Do you want some tea?"
Zuko looked up, surprised. "You own tea?"
"Well Katara owns tea. But I know how to make it! I became a gourmet tea chef when Katara got sick last winter. I have perfected my tea recipe far beyond the scope of that disgusting hot leaf juice you drink." He said smugly.
Zuko rolled his eyes. "All tea is hot leaf juice. That's literally what it is."
Sokka waggled a finger at him. "Not my tea." He had come back over now and offered a mug out to Zuko.
He took it warily and brought it to his lips. "Ugh! This is disgusting!" He had taken one sip and promptly spit it back into the cup.
"What?! It's delicious!"
"What did you put in there?" Zuko choked, wiping his mouth.
"Hot water! And some sugar and tea bags!" Sokka said defensively.
"And….?"
Sokka sighed. "And an electrolyte mango peach flavoring packet…."
Zuko's face contorted in disgust. "Why the hell would you add that to tea."
"It tastes good!" Sokka crossed his arms.
"It tastes like dirty cotton candy."
"Still better than that bitter leaf juice."
"I am going to dump this on your head if you call it leaf juice one more time."
"Oh? I'd like to see you tr-"
Just then the door flung open and a very agitated and a very wet Katara stumbled in, throwing her bag down with a huff. "If one more car even TRIES to splash me on my way back to campus I am going to throw an ice brick so hard through its windshield."
Sokka raised his eyebrows. "Bad day sis?"
"Yes." She snapped. "And don't call me sis." She threw her coat on the ground angrily and then turned to face him, arms crossed.
Her eyes narrowed when she saw Zuko sitting in their living room, unfortunately holding one of her tea mugs. "What are you doing here." She said, bitterly.
Zuko's expression became immediately defensive and Sokka could sense trouble brewing. "Working on homework." He snapped back.
His short tone obviously only served to make Katara more irate and she raised her eyebrows even further. "Oh? They won't let you in the library? Sokka you're supposed to ask if strangers can come over."
Sokka opened his mouth to speak but Zuko talked over him. "I'm not a stranger. I've been working with Sokka all semester."
She snorted. "Yeah. You certainly have been working."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What's that supposed to mean? It means that I don't like you hanging around my brother all the time and messing with his emotions." Her aggression came bubbling up.
"Messing with his emotions?" He could see an angry red color begin to course throughout Zuko's face.
Zuko was usually stoic most of the time, but Sokka knew that he had a very quick temper when it came to people attacking him. "Why don't we just go work in my room…." Sokka suggested nervously.
"No." Zuko snapped. "You've had a problem with me for weeks and I want to know what it is." He stood up and turned to face Katara.
She glared at him. "I don't have time to sit here and bother with you! Unlike some people I have actual work to do. Not just books to read and...and people to mess with!"
She turned and stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her. Zuko's hands had clenched into fists during the conversation and were now tight at his sides, his teeth gritted and nostrils flared. "Zuko...she's just having a bad day Im sure she didn't mean-"
"Shut it." He snapped. Then all of a sudden started walking off towards where Katara had just disappeared.
"Zuko where are you going?" Sokka jumped up, panicking.
"If she has a problem with me, she can tell me. I don't appreciate people just yelling at me for things I didn't do." He whirled around, fire blazing up in his eyes.
Sokka shrunk back a little. He had never seen Zuko go into full on rage mode. "I don't think that's a good idea…" He said, taking a step forward.
"Well lucky for you this involves me and your sister." He spat, then turned around and vanished down the hallway.
Sokka stood hesitantly perched on the gap between running and hiding in his room or going to stop Zuko from killing Katara, or vice versa. Suddenly he heard a loud pounding coming from down the hall and raised voices, followed by a door opening and slamming shut. He stood motionless, caught between two worlds. On one hand, Katara had been kind of an ass to Zuko from the moment they met, but on the other, she was his sister, and Zuko definitely had a tendency to fly off the rails sometimes. He stood debating for what seemed like eternity, then finally decided he should go try and break it up. Still unsure of what he would say, he moved swiftly down the hall until he reached Katara's door. Outside, he paused. The loud yelling had subsided and he could barely hear anything now. Quietly he leaned his ear against the wood and strained to pick up on the muffled voices coming from inside.
"I just don't want him to get hurt again." Katara's voice came through the door, quiet this time.
Then followed by the lower voice of Zuko. "I know. That's why I...I haven't said anything. I don't want to hurt him."
Hurt him? Are they talking about me? Why would Zuko hurt him?
He heard Katara sigh and then after a pause, her voice came again. "For the record, I think you should tell him."
"I will. I just….can't yet." Zuko sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
What the hell is going on. Two seconds ago they were at each other's throats.
"I know. But for what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual."
What feeling? Does Zuko have feelings for someone?
He heard another sigh, this time from Zuko. "Thanks Katara."
"Of course. Sorry I was being a little….brisk with you."
He heard Zuko chuckle and mumble something back to her but the words were garbled behind the door. Then suddenly he heard a bed creak and footsteps approaching rapidly. Fuck fuck fuck He thought as he leaped back and raced off towards his room. A few moments later Zuko came through his bedroom door and then stopped, looking him up and down. "Why are you breathing so heavily?"
"Im...not!" Sokka panted. He wasn't used to sprinting so fast and his heart was still pounding from the anxiety of almost getting caught. "What did you and Katara talk about?"
Zuko gave him a suspicious look. "Nothing. Just worked it out. Don't worry about it." He stepped back out to retrieve his laptop, and when he came back Zuko took his place at Sokka's desk and began talking about the project, all notions of the previous encounter forgotten. Sokka sighed and slumped back on his bed. What the hell just happened. He thought.