Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter or at least didn't hate it too much.

As you might be able to tell, I'm new to this and I have not time management skills, so there will be no consistency with my updates. I hope that's not a deal-breaker.

I will probably make small changes to both chapters once in a while when I find typos or just generally hate something.

I'll try to get the next chapter written and posted soon, but there is a strong possibility that I will be sucked into a time vortex.

Maybe leave a review with some constructive criticism or just straight-up roast me, I don't really care.

You may now proceed with your reading, but only if you feel like it.

Back in his room, Sokka groggily strips off his dripping tunic and throws it in a basket in the corner. He goes to the closet to grab a dry one but finds it utterly empty. He forgot about his lack of clothes.

He walks the short distance to Zuko's door and knocks lazily. Sokka hears shuffling from inside the room and Zuko answers the door. He has dried off and changed into clean pants, but his loose hair drips down his back and shoulders. Sokka looks him up and down; now in the light of the hall, he can see all of Zuko's scars that were obscured by the dark.

His eyes are drawn to the large one in the center of his chest. He wasn't there that day, but his mind has spent a lot of time concocting horrible images of the Agni Kai with Azula and the thoughts are not pleasant.

Sokka wonders how Zuko can stand having so many bad memories permanently etched in his skin. Only a very foolish person would doubt Zuko's strength, but Sokka feels that no one really knows how strong Zuko truly is.

The stories behind most of the scars are a mystery to Sokka, but he finds himself wishing that Zuko would talk about them, particularly the most noticeable one over his eye.

Sokka has picked up bits and pieces over the years, but he's never gotten the full story. He knows that the memory behind it must be painful for Zuko, so he doesn't want to press the issue.

Remembering his original mission, Sokka brings his eyes back up to Zuko's face. He is staring at Sokka with a puzzled expression.

"Did you need something?" Zuko asks him, still eyeing him strangely.

"Oh! Uh... yeah.," Sokka says stupidly. "I kind of don't have any clothes."

"Ok. Come on in. I'll find you something." Zuko says, ushering Sokka in.

Sokka looked around the spacious room pacing with his hands hanging awkwardly at his sides. He sees a few familiar items hanging on the walls. Zuko's dragon masks and his signature twin broadswords hang proudly on the wall. He sees a meditation table with candles, and several generic banners adorned with the Fire Nation crest.

And one other thing that surprised him: the painting that Sokka made at the Jasmine Dragon after Zuko's coronation. Why on earth would Zuko have it? How did he even get his hands on it? Sokka knows that it's not a good picture, even though he argued otherwise. It doesn't make sense that Zuko would keep it.

Sokka looks over to see Zuko rifling through his closet. He wonders what's taking him so long; he obviously has plenty of options. He's about to ask, but suddenly, he's blinded by fabric, hitting him in the face.

"The pants might be a little long, but we can get you new ones tomorrow," Zuko says.

"Thanks," Sokka says, pulling at the drawstrings of his wet pants.

Zuko averts his eyes. "What are you doing?!"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm changing my clothes."

Sokka wonders why Zuko's being so weird. They'd changed in front of each other countless times. He decides not to overthink it. Zuko gave him a pair of light black pants and a short-sleeve, grey tunic. The ends of the pants drag on the floor as Zuko predicted but otherwise fit well. The top is also longer than he would like, but he can deal with it.

"What do you think?" Sokka asks.

Zuko turns around to look at him, his face flaming.

"Uh... you look great," he mumbles. Sokka hasn't tied the tunic yet and it hangs open. Zuko's staring at him and he can't figure out why.

"When did you get a tattoo?" Zuko asks, gesturing at Sokka's upper arm. The ink consists of two solid black bands with the phases of the moon illustrated in between them.

"Oh, yeah. I got it a couple of months ago. You know… for Yue."

"Did it hurt?"

"No, of course not, I'm very strong." Sokka flexes his biceps.

"You cried didn't you?"

"No!" Sokka defends indignantly.

Zuko raises his eyebrow skeptically.

"Fine! I admit it! I cried a little, okay?" Sokka practically shouts. Zuko is barely containing his laughter. The idea of Sokka crying isn't funny, but his ridiculous attitude is. "Did you know they used needles? And they poke you with them! "

Now Zuko is fully cracking up. "Of course I knew that!" he says, clutching his sides. "Everyone knows that!"

"Are you done yet?" Sokka says, crossing his arms. "I wanna go to bed, but I can't if you keep cackling."

"Ok fine, I'm done," Zuko says, still grinning.

Sokka turns and heads for the door mumbling something about needles.

"Goodnight!" Zuko calls after him.

"Night," Sokka grumbles.

Zuko wakes up to a loud banging at his door. He rolls over and groans. Who could be at his door at this hour? The knocking continues incessantly.

"I get it! I'm coming, hold on."

As soon as Zuko gets the door open, Sokka bursts in energetically.

"What time is it?"

"Six," Sokka answers dismissively.

"What? I thought you hated getting up early?"

"I do, but something urgent came up."

"And what might that be?" Zuko asks, rubbing his eyes

"I forgot to ask you about this last night," Sokka says, pointing at his painting on the wall.

Zuko's eyes go wide. "Oh, that! You left it at the Jasmine Dragon after my coronation and my uncle wanted to throw it in the trash, so I saved it."

"Why though?" Sokka asks. Zuko's answer did not make anything clearer. It only offended him a little.

"Well..." Zuko thinks for a moment. "I guess I wanted to have a picture of all the people that I care about. And it was a good day, so I thought it'd be nice to have around."

Sokka clearly didn't expect such a heartfelt answer and he's blushing little.

"Plus it's funny," Zuko adds with a smirk.

Sokka's smile drops. "Ok. You ruined it." He punches Zuko lightly on the arm. "Come on, let's go shopping. I wore this outfit yesterday and it's still damp. But let's get breakfast first"

Zuko smiles and lets Sokka drag him out of the room. They make it only a few steps before Zuko realizes his lack of proper clothing.

"Maybe I should put on a shirt," Zuko says, absentmindedly.

"Oh yeah, that's probably a good idea," Sokka agrees. "But hurry up. I'm starving."

"Don't be so dramatic," Zuko says, rolling his eyes, but does what he's told.

Only a few seconds after Zuko goes into his room, Sokka is already banging on the door.

"Hurry up or I'll go without you," he whines.

Zuko scoffs. "Like you could find the dining room by yourself."

"That may be true, but it's only because this stupid palace is designed like a maze. My navigation skills are amazing."

Zuko just chuckles and throws on his clothes.

Zuko comes out of his room a few minutes later wearing loose pants and a casual black tunic.

"Ready to eat?" he asks, closing the door behind him.

"That's a stupid question."

After a disorienting series of turns, they arrive in the dining room, Sokka condemning whoever the demented architect was that designed this place.

At least the decor isn't too bad. He's surprised by how modest it is. He was prepared for giant statues of firebenders and dragons, but there's none of that. He suspects that Zuko has done more than a fair amount of redecorating since he became Firelord.

Sokka is also surprised to see Suki, Ty Lee, and three other unfamiliar Kyoshi Warriors waiting for them at a long table in the middle of the room.

"Morning, guys!" Suki says, looking up from her conversation with the girl beside her.

"Morning Suki, Ty Lee, and uh… everyone else," Sokka replies, awkwardly hovering by the table.

"Oh yeah, sorry. That's Ona, Miyuki, and Mina," Zuko says.

Ona and Miyuki are identical. They even waved in at Sokka in sync (it must be a twin thing). The girl who had been talking with Suki (he now recognizes her as Mina) didn't wave. She didn't even smile. She just nodded at him solemnly, the corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smirk. Sokka is equally impressed and intimidated.

"The food's over there." Zuko points to the opposite wall. "I asked for a buffet because I didn't know what you'd want. I realize now that you would literally eat anything, and that was not necessary."

Sokka is not listening. He has launched himself at the trays of food and has begun shoveling food on his plate -wait make that plates- with the vigor of a starved man. He walks over to the table, practically dancing, and pulls out a chair at Zuko's right hand. Sokka munches on his food, humming and bouncing in his seat happily.

He looks up to see Suki and Zuko hunched over their plates whispering and giggling. He shakes his head and continues eating until Zuko snorts loudly and nearly spits out his drink.

"Alright, what's so funny?" he asks.

"Nothing," Suki says unconvincingly.

Sokka raises an eyebrow.

"Well, Suki said that you looked like an excited dog wagging his tail, but I said you didn't," Zuko says innocently.

Suki elbows him in the ribs. "Yea, you said he looked more like a toddler on a sugar rush."

Zuko shoots her a look of betrayal. "Ok, fine I might have said that but only because it's true."

He leans away from Sokka's fists, pelting him with light punches.

"You do look like a giant toddler, though," Suki says and a chorus of agreement goes around the table.

"You guys don't deserve me," Sokka says dismissively, but everyone laughs.

Zuko is finished eating long before Sokka. This is due, in part, to the sheer quantity of food heaped on Sokka's plate. He also wasted a significant amount of time dancing (and defending himself from everyone's taunting).

After Sokka left his room last night, Zuko arranged an appointment in the city with his personal tailor. He's a bit worried about finding clothes for Sokka. Sokka has worn Fire Nation clothes many times before, but that was always out of necessity, as a disguise. He didn't think Sokka ever felt safe or like himself in those clothes. He wants Sokka to have his own clothes that he feels comfortable in.

They still have a few hours to kill before the appointment; he wasn't counting on Sokka's early, food-motivated wake-up call.

"Are you done eating yet?" Zuko asks him.

Sokka looks up, mouth full and eyes wide like a puppy. "Hmm?"

"Are you finished with your food yet?" Zuko says, enunciating each word carefully.

"Yeah, I guess. Why?"

"We're going shopping."

"Really?" Sokka scrambles out of his seat. "Yessss! Let's go!"

"Are you sure you want to go into town looking like that?"

"Hey! What's wrong with the way I look?"

"Nothing. As long as you're okay with going out with rice on your face," Zuko says, tapping his face.

"Oh," Sokka says sheepishly, whipping the food off of his chin. Zuko turns on his heel and strides out the door followed by the warriors. He doesn't bother to look over his shoulder; he knows Sokka is racing out of the room to catch up.

"Why the rush?" Sokka asks when he catches them. "Where are we going?"

"Well," says Zuko. "I made you an appointment with my tailor, but it's not for a while; I didn't expect you to get up so early. So I thought I'd show you around town while we wait."

"Wait, I have an appointment with the royal tailor?" Sokka asks, blinking his eyes slowly.

"Yeah, I guess-"

"Yes! Your clothes are so nice!" Sokka exclaims, practically skipping down the hall no longer listening to Zuko whatsoever.

"Oh." Zuko clears his throat. "Well, she's not technically the royal tailor, she's just a tailor who happens to do some work for the palace."

Suki pats him on the chest. "Shhh. Just let him enjoy it," she says.

They reach the end of the hall and head through a heavy door into the carriage yard. Sokka looks around curiously at the carriages of many sizes and shapes.

"What? No palanquin ride into town?" Sokka teases.

"Stooop!" Zuko whines. "I always hated those. They made me feel so far away from normal people."

"Oh. I just thought you felt bad for the poor servants who had to carry you." Sokka ducks behind a carriage to avoid Zuko's retaliation. Zuko, laughing, chases him under and around carriages. The warriors collectively roll their eyes.

They approach a small carriage that, excusing the fact that it had no place for a hitch, is quite ambiguous. Mina climbs into the driver's seat and Sokka follows her curiously. He walks around to the front, bending down to inspect underneath.

"It's motorized," Zuko says, watching the gears turn in Sokka's head.

"Hm," Sokka says without looking up. "I knew you guys had some pretty advanced tech here, but I didn't realize you had anything that doesn't help with world domination."

"Yeah," Zuko says, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "We had a lot of stuff that we kept to ourselves. I didn't even know about a lot of it; they invented so much while I was gone. I've been trying my best to share as much as we can, to prove that we're not enemies anymore." He pauses. "I know sharing some blueprint isn't much, especially since I'm trying to make up for a hundred years of destruction, but at least it's something."

Somewhere in his rambling Zuko stopped talking to Sokka and he's now fully wrapped up in his own head. He's pacing back and forth, in front of the carriage, mumbling to himself about reparations.

"Hey," Sokka says gently, putting a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "It's a step in the right direction. And clearly, you care about making peace. I think that's all anyone can ask from you."

Zuko shakes his head, and his eyes come back into focus. "Yeah, uh, sorry," he mumbles absentmindedly. He's carried this guilt for a long time now; he can forget about it long enough to get Sokka some clothes. "Let's go."

Zuko goes before Sokka and opens the door for him. They hop in and Suki closes the door behind them, jumping onto the side where she'll be hanging on for the duration of the trip. Zuko's told her that she would be able to protect him just as well from inside, but she always insists on riding outside (she says it's for security reasons, but Zuko knows she's just having fun.) Mina starts the "carriage" with a deep rumble that has Sokka grinning excitedly.

"So, where are we going?" Sokka asks, staring out the window.

"I thought we'd go to Agni Square. It's at the center of the city, and it has a bunch of vendors and stuff," Zuko answers. "If that's okay with you, obviously," he adds quickly.

"Yeah, totally. That sounds great!" Sokka says, distracted by the views out his window.

Zuko supposes that Sokka has never seen much of the Capital City, or at least never got to enjoy it properly. Zuko himself had only recently learned to appreciate his city as it is. He thinks about how wildly his perspective has shifted in all his years of ruling and running from the Fire Nation.

At the beginning of his life, when he still thought his homeland was the finest place in the world and that, through conquest, they were spreading the "glory of a great nation," he saw it as a place full of inferior commoners that he was destined to rule over.

Later, after seeing more of the truth of his people it seemed more like a prison that was simultaneously overcrowded and completely isolating. He was angry at the people, and the buildings, and the streets themselves.

And then he was gone. He didn't see his home for nearly three years. During that time, his head was spinning like a broken compass, trying hopelessly to find his direction. One all-consuming thought plagued his mind: he wanted to go home and he wanted it badly. That was the whole reason for his desperation to capture Aang.

Yet, when he finally made it home, and at a great cost to his conscience, it didn't feel right. Even after visiting Ember Island, everything inside him felt wrong and he couldn't sleep. He felt just as empty and lost as he had in the middle of the ocean and his anger was stronger than ever.

Finally, he had to stop pretending that he would ever belong in the palace and that Azula and Ozai could ever be a real family to him.

He felt awful for leaving his people and for leaving Mai without so much as a goodbye, but he couldn't stay.

Only after joining Team Avatar and renouncing the only place he had ever considered home did Zuko ever feel like he belonged. It was not immediate and he felt himself slipping back into his defensive anger often. Sokka, Aang, Toph, and even Katara, eventually, were more patient with him than he ever felt like he deserved.

It was far from easy, and he still had an empty space where he knew his Uncle, and many others should be, but finally, his internal compass was hovering somewhere close to North.

Now, in a new era of peace, Zuko sees his city at its best, as a bustling place full of vitality and hope. He feels an overwhelming sense of pride that this is something he had a part in creating. Seeing the melting pot that has emerged at the heart of a once hostile place makes him wonder how he ever thought he was happy before. It almost makes everything okay. Almost.

Always, some days more than others, Zuko's joy and hope are overshadowed by the deep-seated fear that all of this is fleeting. That his current happiness, friends, and peace are all just grains of sand slipping through his fingers. Part of him wonders if he even deserves happiness.

More than anything though, he's terrified that he's going to be the one who messes everything up. He's petrified that the parts of him that are like Ozai and Azula and so many others will emerge and he will be powerless to stop it.

Sokka is mesmerized by the sights out of his window. The city is much more vibrant and colorful than he remembers.

Not only does he see the distinctly Fire Nation reds and golds, but also the greens and browns of the Earth Kingdom, a few instances of Water Tribe blue, and even some orange and blue arrows from the Air Nomads (he's pretty sure it's Avatar merchandise.)

Zuko has told him that they've seen an influx of travelers from other nations, but Sokka is happy to see it in person.

He sees a small group of children playing what appears to be some sort of chasing game. He sees plenty of colors within their group. They run around carriages and maneuver around the crowd, squealing with laughter.

Eventually one of them, a small boy dressed in earth tones, runs straight into an old, fierce-looking Fire Nation man with a long, gray beard. Sokka's sure that this kid is about to receive a severe haranguing, but the man just helps the boy up, ruffles his hair, and sends him on his way with a smile. A bright feeling of bliss rises inside Sokka, mixed with a little disbelief; he once thought moments like these would be impossible.

A smile even larger than before erupts over his features and he sits a little straighter. He looks over at Zuko, who's been quiet for a while. He's been in his head a lot in the short time they've been together. Sokka nudges him lightly with his shoulders.

"You alright, man?" he asks, concern in his voice.

Zuko shakes his head as if trying to reset himself; it seems to be a habit for him.

"Yeah, I'm great," he says with a strained smile.

Sokka decides not to hold off questioning him, for now. "Ok." He smiles quickly in a way he hopes is reassuring.

Sokka doesn't know why, but seeing Zuko so tense drains him of some of the happiness he was so high on just moments before. He doesn't have much time to dwell on it, though.

Mina parks the motorcar beside a cart selling perfumed oils and lotions. Suki hops down and opens the door for them. Her hair is tangled and her headpiece is crooked, but she's beaming happily.

Zuko is not greeted by the cacophony of shouts that Sokka expected. Shop-owners and customers alike simply wave or offer a small, respectful bow.

"So…no one cares that they're shopping right next to the actual Firelord?" Sokka asks.

Zuko chuckles, his dark mood seeming to have lifted slightly. "Well, I'm here at least once a week, so it gets old after a while."

"Oh," Sokka says, surprised. "Why so often?"

"There are a lot of reasons, I guess." Zuko walks over to the aromatic stall and picks up a vial smelling heavily of lavender and vanilla. "I want people to be comfortable around me and I don't want them to think I'm better than them; that's why I dress casually most of the time. And it's nice to just relax and talk to normal people."

Suki frowns. "Am I not normal enough for you?" she asks, feigning offense. Zuko shoots her a look that makes his answer very clear and Sokka laughs. "What's so funny, Sokka? Do you think you're more normal than me?" she demands, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, but that's such a low bar." Sokka knows what he's done, so he tries to dodge her punch preemptively, but he's too slow and she lands a good blow to his chest. "Oof!" he grunts lightheartedly.

He charges toward her for revenge, nearly knocking down a display of glass perfume bottles. He hears Zuko apologizing profusely to the vendor on his behalf. He catches Suki trying to hide behind Mina, who steps aside with a smirk, earning her a glare for her disloyalty. He runs at Suki and grabs her around the waist

Both of them, and Mina are laughing, but Zuko's shoulders have sagged back down and he is staring at the ground. Sokka, noticing this, puts Suki down from his shoulder, where she had been, and leaves her leaning against Mina, giggling softly (Mina is not a giggler, but she is smiling.) He walks up behind Zuko who is now sniffing various bottles of sweet-smelling oil inattentively. Sokka picks up a bottle of his own and inhales the strong scent of jasmine and ginger. Something about it reminds him of something, but he can't put his finger on it.

"Are you okay?" he asks Zuko quietly.

"Yeah. Fine," he replies, his voice unreadable. "We should probably get going. Your appointment's in a few minutes."

Sokka's previous excitement flares up again, but even in his haste, he doesn't forget to buy a small vial of the perfume he was smelling earlier. He's not sure what he's going to do with it, but he feels compelled to have it.

After gathering Suki and Mina, Zuko leads them down a narrow alley towards a small building with a large sign that reads "Naoki's Tailor and Alterations" in large, hand-painted letters.

"This is the royal tailor?" Sokka asks doubtfully, inspecting the plain exterior.

"I told you she wasn't the royal tailor, she does some work for me sometimes."

Something about the way Zuko says "she" makes Sokka think that their relationship has more to it than strictly business. The thought makes him a little sick to his stomach. Then again, he probably just inhaled too much perfume.

A bell chimes faintly as they walk inside. The interior is just as plain as the outside, consisting of a small table, a ratty mannequin, and several precariously-stacked piles of fabric; it certainly has none of the glamour that Sokka expected. A girl, who can't be more than 16, runs out from a backroom that he hadn't noticed before, a measuring tape around her shoulders.

"Zuko!" she exclaims happily, running to hug him.

"Hi, Naoki," he says, hugging her back.

Zuko lets go of her, catching the confused look in Sokka's eyes.

"Sokka, this is Naoki, your tailor for today. I know she looks young, but she's the best in the business." He turns to face her. "Naoki, this is Sokka, your newest project."

"Ohh, so this is the Water Tribe boy I've heard so much about?" she says, with an eyebrow raised mischievously.

"He's told you about me?" Sokka asks, apparently regaining his ability to speak.

"Oh, yeah!" she says happily, disregarding Zuko's pained expression. "He doesn't shut up about you. It's quite annoying, actually."

Zuko turns away, but Sokka swears he's blushing. A pleased smile takes over his face.

"Let's just get started," Zuko begs.

Naoki laughs and ushers Sokka over to a wooden block that she tells him to stand on. She wastes no time in beginning her measurements, manipulating his limbs like he's nothing more than a doll to dress for her amusement.

Abruptly, she gets up and begins rummaging in her piles of fabric, heedlessly tossing brightly colored cloth over her shoulder. Apparently finding what she was looking for, Naoki holds a large bundle of blue material above her head victoriously.

"Here it is!"

"Here what is?" Sokka asks. Her behavior has puzzled him to no end.

"This! Zuko had a bunch of blue silk sent over- nice silk, too. This blue color is pretty hard to come by."

Without bothering with further conversation, Naoki begins draping the fabric over him, a straight pin between her teeth. Sokka lets her do whatever she pleases. He hasn't known her very long, but he gets the impression that challenging her would be foolish.

He's glad to comply, though. He's fairly preoccupied. Before their shopping adventure today, Sokka was expecting to have to wear some random, red Fire Nation clothes, much like the ones he had stolen years ago.

He wasn't expecting his own tailored clothes and he most definitely wasn't expecting Zuko to buy him clothes in his own nation's colors. It's touching, really.

It's not that he doesn't look good in red (because he definitely does), but he wasn't himself in it. He had always felt like a sheep in wolf's clothing when he wore Fire Nation attire in the past and the feeling still lingers.

He wonders absently how Zuko would look in blue. It would probably stand out against his pale skin and clash wonderfully with his black hair. He thinks of Zuko wearing a thick blue parka in the snow of the South Pole, his nose red from the cold. The thought distracts him for a while, but it's not enough to mask his senses completely; he is a hunter, after all.

Sokka sees Zuko lounging in a chair in the corner, lazily offering opinions when Naoki asks for them, but he's not the thing that caught Sokka's attention.

Suki and Mina are chatting quietly in the doorway, Mina leaning her arm against the frame, towering over Suki's head. Sokka can't tell what they're saying, but judging from the shining look in Suki's eyes, it's something very entertaining. Sokka wonders if he has uncovered the identity of Suki's mystery sweetheart.

After several hours of measurements, sketches, and dozing on Zuko's part, Naoki ushers them out of her shop with a promise to send the finished outfits over to the palace by the end of the week. That means Sokka will have to borrow his clothes for a little while longer, but Zuko doesn't mind. He thinks between the two of them, they can figure out how to hem a pair of pants.

He and Sokka clamber into the backseat of the motorcar, the sun beginning to descend over their heads. Sokka looks exhausted but content.

"So… Naoki is not what I was expecting," he says with a small chuckle.

"Yeah, she's not too keen on meeting expectations," Zuko agrees fondly. "When I met her she was just a little girl with a sewing kit demanding to fix a hole in my sleeve. And I've been helping her build up her business ever since."

"I was wondering how you found her," Sokka says.

They sit quietly while Mina begins driving back toward the main road. Zuko feels awful for being so distant on the way there, so he makes sure to point out all of the places of interest, now glowing faintly in the evening light.

Zuko watches Sokka's eyes light up at each thing he sees and it makes Zuko's heart swell with happiness once again. He's still not sure if he deserves this joy, but, Spirits, he hopes so.