When Zuko had gone to his bedroom the night before, Sokka had asked him if everything was okay with Varrick. He'd assured him that it was, deciding that maybe it wasn't right to tell Sokka about his son's worries in case it came off like he was trying to manipulate him into seeing him again.
To be honest, he hadn't been sure how to broach the subject either. So the two of them had just sort of existed together in the bedroom, not speaking as they did their own things. A million things had been on the tip of Zuko's tongue, wanting to burst from him to ask about what their future held and if it held anything at all.
But he'd had to give Sokka space.
It was an ironic thought when they'd been in the same bed together.
It was just as ironic this morning when he woke up and found that while he wasn't fully cuddled together with Sokka, the two of them had gravitated toward each other and so Sokka's face and body curled toward him were the first things that he'd seen when he'd opened up his eyes.
The other man looked peaceful in sleep, his long, dark eyelashes brushing against the tops of his cheeks. Zuko allowed himself to study his face, the soothed-out laugh lines next to his mouth, his strong jawline, the freckles that dotted over his nose, his full lips that Zuko knew to be soft. His dark hair hung around his face, mussed from the way that he'd moved about in his sleep and calling for Zuko to right it with his fingers.
He didn't though, he simply admired the other man because he wasn't sure that he'd get the chance to do it again in the future.
That did not make it less embarrassing when Sokka's eyes opened, his nose scrunching up as he blinked a few times to see Zuko staring straight at him. A flush covered his cheeks as he looked away promptly, hoping that he hadn't weirded out Sokka.
"Morning?" Sokka yawned and reached his arms up to stretch out lazily, like a cat waking from a nap.
"Morning."
Sokka was sitting up, looking toward the clock, and then making a shrugging gesture as if what he saw on it didn't matter. Zuko had no clue what time it said but Sokka probably had to get up fairly early today anyway to get ready for his flight, which explained why the other man got straight up and went over to the bathroom.
While he was in it, Zuko took a moment to sit up and put some order to his own appearance. Not that what he looked like was likely to change anything, but he felt better as he got himself dressed and started to get his hair into a more presentable state. His brush was in the bathroom so he couldn't do much about his hair, but he at least put some clothes on. Automatically, he found himself reaching for the wedding ring that he'd been wearing lately only to remember that he no longer needed it.
His hand felt strangely empty without it, like the time he'd forgotten to wear his watch and noticed its absence randomly throughout the day. Truthfully, he didn't know what to even do with the ring now? Azula was the one who had gotten them to begin with, he doubted that they could return it. Maybe he could donate it?
When the door opened, Sokka walked out and headed over to the clothes that he'd laid out the night before, stripping off his pajamas.
Zuko looked away despite the strong urge to watch him strip down, knowing that he didn't have the right to do so. Trying to distract himself from the want to take in Sokka mostly unclothed, he spoke up, "What would be a good date to send Varrick's things over?"
Although he couldn't see him, he could hear the puzzlement in Sokka's voice as he responded. "Varrick's things? I've packed away his things."
"I mean the things in his room."
Sokka moved so that he was looking at Zuko, he still held a shirt in his hands though he'd put on a pair of jeans. It was a testament to Zuko's self-control that he did not take the opportunity to openly oogle the other man. "You mean the books and toys and things?" His brows were pulled in and he looked at Zuko as if he didn't understand what he'd said.
"Well yeah," Zuko answered with a shrug, determinedly keeping his eyes on Sokka's face. "They were bought for him and I noticed last night you didn't pack any of them up."
"I didn't- I mean, I assumed that you'd probably donate them or something." Sokka had raised his arm so that he could rub the back of his neck and Zuko was weak enough to let himself take in the sight of his arm muscles as he did so. The way that they flexed under smooth skin, looking strong and firm. Making him want to reach out and run his hands along them.
Aware that he might be blushing, he forced his eyes back to Sokka. It seemed that he'd noticed his slight distraction because now when Zuko met his eyes, there was a challenging and almost amused look to them.
"If Varrick doesn't want to keep it, I can donate it but... he should be able to keep anything he wants."
A series of emotions crossed Sokka's face, too quick for Zuko to name but something soft settled over him in the end. Something that made him look almost fond. It makes Zuko's stomach flutter. "He's going to be spoiled by that," he said but it didn't sound like it bothered him.
"We can consider it his payment for doing such a great job, if it makes you feel better," Zuko offered, giving a half-smile.
Sokka let out a chuckle. "Right, wouldn't want to have all his effort go unthanked."
"Exactly."
A silence fell over the two of them but wasn't as weighted as the ones that have been happening lately. Instead, it was comfortable with the two of them smiling at each other. It felt nice, warm, and right and Zuko wished that it would last a lot longer than it did.
Instead, the sound of Sokka's alarm cut through it suddenly, leaving the two of them thrown forcefully back into reality. Sokka put on his shirt as he spoke, "Looks like it's time to get up."
Zuko nodded, a feeble smile crossing his face as he turned toward the bathroom so that he could do his morning routine. "I'll go and get some tea started in a few minutes. And put out some breakfast for you and Varrick."
"Thanks."
A half-hour later, he had sat at the table with Piandao, Sokka and Varrick. Varrick seemed somewhat more subdued than usual as he ate and it was actually Piandao who was the one doing most of the talking, asking Sokka about what his travel plans were for the day.
"Just the one flight, we wouldn't drive if we wanted to. The roads don't connect up that way, so we'll fly up and then my dad will pick us up from the airport and we'll go stay with him and my step-father," Sokka explained. "Well Varrick will spend a few nights over at Yue's parents' house but they'll come for dinner tonight. It'll be all of us together again."
"That sounds like it'll be lovely," Piandao said with a nod.
"It always is," Sokka agreed.
To Zuko's surprise, it wasn't long before Izumi joined all of them downstairs. Usually, on the weekends she wasn't up so early, but it seemed that she must have set an alarm so that she would have some time with Varrick (and Sokka) before they left.
Varrick seemed to perk up a little at her joining the table, talking to her about what he was hoping to get done while he was up in Nunavik.
Too soon, it was time for Sokka and Varrick to start gathering their things. Zuko's throat felt like it was full of cotton, he didn't know what to say as he watched Sokka instruct Varrick to tell everyone goodbye.
"Goodbye, Mr. Piandao. I liked meeting you," Varrick said smartly, holding out his small hand to shake the older man's. Piandao smiled as he took the hand and shook it.
"It was very nice meeting you too, Varrick," Piandao replied.
"And thank you for hiring my dad," he added with a chipper tone.
Zuko wanted to laugh but he instead turned to Sokka and Izumi who were saying their own goodbyes. It was much more awkward, the two of them simply standing close to one another.
"Thank you for being so welcoming to Varrick and for everything you did for him. I really appreciate it," Sokka said.
"He's an easy kid to like." Izumi gave a shrug as if it was nothing.
"Still, I'm guessing you weren't always thrilled to have the two of us around, but I could never tell. Thank you for that."
"Well, I'm guessing we'll see each other in the future," Izumi answered. "So have a safe trip."
Sokka gave a huff of amusement and then nodded. "Thanks, you too."
Then he and Varrick switched places. Varrick launched himself into Izumi's arms, hugging her tightly and his daughter hugged him back just as fiercely.
"I'm gonna miss you so much. I wish you were coming with us," he said, his voice muffled against Izumi's shirt.
"I'm gonna miss you too, but we'll see each other again," Izumi's voice had a slightly higher pitch. It would be hard for most people to pick up on, but Zuko recognized when his daughter was emotional. "Besides, you have all your cousins that you'll get to see, right?"
"Yeah," Varrick sighed. "But they'd like you too."
"Yeah, they would," Izumi joked, poking Varrick's side and startling a laugh out of him.
Sokka and Piandao seemed to be having a much less emotional goodbye, they were shaking hands and smiling but Zuko couldn't hear what was being said over Varrick's loud laughter as he pulled back and told Izumi that it wasn't fair that she poked him.
From what he could make out though, Sokka was thanking Piandao for something - his job, maybe.
Zuko was startled out of figuring it out when Varrick was suddenly at his legs, wrapping his arms around Zuko's middle and hugging him much more firmly than Zuko could have expected out of the child. He bent his legs to take him closer down to Varrick's level as he returned the hug, sighing a little without being able to stop himself.
He'd miss Varrick. The boy had taken up a residence in his heart that wouldn't be hard to shake. He was a special kid and Zuko knew that even if he never saw him again (the thought was painful to think) it wouldn't be the last that he heard of him, someday he imagined this child was going to be at the front of some scientific industry. The world would be better for it.
"Thank you for being my papa," Varrick said.
Something in Zuko seemed to break at the words and his nose burned as he worked very hard to keep his emotions in check. He was not going to start crying over this.
"Thank you for being my son," he answered back.
Varrick pulled back and gave him a watery smile. "Will you take me to the planetarium again sometime?"
"Yeah." The word was out before Zuko could consider if it was wise to say it. How the fuck was he supposed to say anything else when the kid was looking at him like that?
He was sure that Sokka would understand if he explained it to him.
Speaking of, he looked up to Sokka watching the two of them with a conflicted look on his face.
"Come on, I'll walk you and your dad out," he said, offering his hand to Varrick so that they could head to the garage. "Make sure that you have lots of fun while you visit your family, okay?"
"Okay!" Varrick agreed with a nod, though he still seemed a bit off.
"And, I'll give you some cash so that you can get a good snack for the plane at the airport." Zuko was glad that he'd automatically put his wallet into his pocket as a part of his daily routine. He reached into it and pulled out a twenty, handing it over to Varrick who immediately pocketed it.
"Thank you, papa!"
When they arrived at the garage, Sokka helped Varrick get buckled in and seemed to look over the luggage that he'd loaded the day before to make sure that he hadn't missed anything.
At last, it was just the two of them, standing in the garage together, having to say their own goodbyes.
Zuko didn't know how to say this? What would he say that he hadn't already said? That he was sorry for what he'd put him through? That he wanted to see him again? That he hoped that he hadn't screwed everything up beyond belief? All of that seemed so obvious. Could he say that he should have a safe trip? A good trip? Those seemed too impersonal and cold for everything that had happened between the two of them.
Sokka seemed to be similarly incapable of saying anything. The silence stretched for a moment before he finally spoke up, "So, I guess this is goodbye."
The finality of it seemed to tear through Zuko's heart, catching his breath. All he could manage was a sort of jerky nod before he wet his lips. "I guess it is."
More silence then Sokka closed the distance between them, his hand reached up as if he was going to pull Zuko in by his face. Maybe kiss him in some sort of romantic gesture. It made Zuko almost dizzy with the anticipation of it and he found himself staring, breathless into the other man's eyes.
Sokka's hand stopped short of his face though and he swallowed.
Zuko eyed his adam's apple as it bobbed in his throat before his focus was brought to Sokka's mouth where his tongue slipped out to wet them. He felt paralyzed, unable to do anything but watch Sokka in a mute attention.
"Can-" Sokka started, then stopped taking a moment before he continued. "I'll text you while I'm gone?"
It was more than he could have hoped for so Zuko nodded quickly. "I'd like that," he said.
Sokka gave him a smile and they stood there for a beat before Sokka pulled him into a hug. Zuko's arms wrapped around the other man tightly, holding himself against him while he sucked in a breath of air greedily, the weight of fearing that Sokka was saying his goodbyes forever lifted from his shoulders.
It was over too quickly for Zuko's taste but he understood that Sokka did have to get to the airport so when the other man pulled back, he allowed himself to say the things he should. "Have a safe trip," he wished him. Then, before he could stop himself by thinking better of it, he added, "Text me when you get there?"
Sokka gave a wide, genuine smile. "Yeah, I will. Take care of yourself and Izumi. Safe travels to you, too."
Zuko stood in the garage as Sokka got into the car and he opened the garage for him to go, leaving it open even after the rented car was out of the driveway. The winter wind was bitter and strong but he stared out the empty driveway for a minute longer before he let the garage door close.
Now he could only hope that Sokka would keep his word.
The flight into Kuujjuaq seemed to take less time than usual. Or maybe that was just because Sokka was so preoccupied. Varrick certainly was happy to spend the flight munching on the ridiculously overpriced snacks that he'd gotten at the airport thanks to the money that Zuko had slipped him.
Sokka's thoughts were on the aforementioned man, thinking about the goodbye that they'd shared and kicking himself for not just kissing Zuko when he had the chance. Sure, they had some things that they'd need to work out but.. well now that he realized he'd missed the chance to do the kissing he wanted to do so.
He couldn't change the past, however, so he tried his best to put everything Zuko related out of his mind. He was going to see his family again and he'd missed them so much lately, it was an exciting time and he refused to let his thoughts drag him down. His romantic entanglements could be put out of his mind for the time being.
The small airport was so familiar and easy to navigate that even with a stop in the restroom for Varrick to go, they beat their luggage to the baggage claim. Once the bags were in hand, they exited out to see his father and Bato standing with wide smiles and waves.
Varrick straight dropped the handle to his luggage and sprinted over to his grandfathers, practically tackling them in his attempt to get a hug. Sokka picked up the abandoned bag and made his way over with a shake of the head, his mood much lighter at the sight of his father picking up Varrick and attempting to hold him over his head even though Sokka thought both that his father was too old for such things and that Varrick was too big but both of them were laughing so maybe it didn't matter what he thought.
Bato greeted him with a warm hug. "It's good to see you again, Sokka."
"It's good to see you too," he answered back. "I missed being home."
"Well you could always move back up here," his dad suggested the same way that he always did whenever Sokka visited.
"Maybe someday if they let me work remote all the time, I'll be able to do that. For now, I've got to stick to the office," Sokka answered, the same way that he did whenever the subject came up.
"Dad has a new boss!" Varrick threw in happily. "Mr. Piandao, he's so cool. I like him a lot."
"Did you quit your job or something?" Bato asked in confusion.
"Ah, no. The Sozins are selling. It's not exactly news that's been broken yet though," Sokka said, giving Varrick a look. "Actually, I think I might be getting a promotion? It's difficult to say. But come on, let's get out of here and I can tell you all about my work later. I wanna see Gran Gran."
They headed to the truck that his father had been driving for at least the past twenty years. Sokka kept trying to get him to get something newer but his dad insisted that there was no reason to change the truck when it worked so well for him and when it had a back seating area. Climbing into the back next to Varrick it felt as familiar as it always did, somehow timeless in a way that made him feel like he was a child again himself as Varrick started to talk about all the things that he'd been up to since he'd last been to visit the family over the summer.
Luckily, there was enough without him having to bring up Zuko so Sokka was spared from the conversation, for now. Though the thought of Zuko did make him realize that he had yet to text him, so he sent a quick text to say that he'd landed safely and was with his family before putting the phone and Zuko out of his mind.
His luck could only last so long though. A few hours later they were settled around the table, bellies, and hearts full. There were too many people for it to technically be considered comfortable and it was loud with Sokka, Varrick, his dads, Gran Gran, Yue's parents, Katara, Aang, and their three children altogether. It still felt nice though and Sokka was happy even as his mind contrasted the cramped dining space full of home-cooked favorites with the large and spacious dining room of Zuko's home and the food that Ty Lee prepared. Somehow, both managed to be alluring to him.
Varrick was the one who ended up bringing up Zuko, not that it should have been a surprise to Sokka but he wished that he would have done it differently than to say, "I think papa would really like this," directly to Sokka.
There was a stillness that overcame the table at the words, every head turned to Sokka as his neck heated and his cheeks darkened. "Varrick, you know that you don't have to call him that anymore."
"Call who what now?" Bumi questioned, his eyes wide he looked between his uncle and his cousin. At 15 he was the most likely to speak up without any regard to how it came out and at the moment it seemed that no one wanted to correct him.
"Sokka are you seeing someone?" Bato asked.
"Uh-" That was complicated. Way too complicated to try and tackle right now.
"But he said that Varrick didn't have to call him that anymore," Kya pointed out, all logic as she looked at her step-grandfather. "That would imply a breakup."
"I'm still sitting right here," Sokka pointed out with a groan. "Is there any way that I can just.. ask you all not to ask about it?"
Gran Gran was the one who fixed him with a square look. "So you're keeping secrets from your family now?"
Spirits above he wished that he was with Yue right now. At least she was free from having to deal with awkward family conversations like this.
"I'm not. It's not what you think," he began, looking around at everyone. He found his eyes drawn to Yue's parents, most afraid that they would think that he'd just forgotten their daughter. As if he could just replace her or even attempt to.
What he found instead, was the two of them looking at him with curiosity but no hostility. Neither of the faces seemed to reflect any anger toward him. That did make him relax the slightest bit.
It was, in fact, Arnook who seemed to take pity on him. "Perhaps," he said. "This is a conversation best held between the adults a little later."
And everyone agreed. Or, the other adults agreed. Bumi, Kya, and even Tenzin seemed to think that it was very unfair that they'd be kept out of the loop of their uncle's newest scandalous adventures. Especially since, clearly, Varrick knew what was going on. Actually, Sokka had zero doubt that the cousins would get Varrick to talk about his experiences with Zuko but mostly Sokka was thankful for the extra time to try and collect his thoughts and his story so that he wouldn't fumble so terribly once the subject was picked back up.
At the end of the meal, Yue's mother took Varrick home where he'd be spending the first few nights anyway as he always did. She also brought the teens who had tried to beg to be allowed to stay only for Katara to tell them that they'd be picked up a bit later.
Rather than let everyone descend on him with questions, Sokka decided that he would be the one to speak first. "So, a few weeks ago I got approached by Azula Sozin for a job."
"Don't you already work for the Sozins?" Aang questioned in confusion.
"I do but this wasn't.. it didn't have anything to do with computers." There was a sort of look between his fathers that he didn't like and didn't want to get into. "She asked me to pretend to be married to Zuko for a few days because she'd lied to an investor and said that Zuko had a husband."
"You did what?" Katara asked, eyes wide.
"It paid well!" Sokka defended himself. "At first it was two grand for just a couple of days."
He saw his dad's eyes widen at the amount but he didn't say anything else.
"And did you have to perform all the husbandy acts for it?" Katara pressed.
"No! Zuko would never have expected or asked for that. He was a perfect gentleman," Sokka argued, immediately defensive. Sure, he'd thought about possibly doing much more than making out with Zuko but he hadn't and if he had it would have been completely consensual.
"But you had Varrick call him papa?"
"Varrick pretended to be his son too. He's the one who told me to take the job. He was the one who ran into Azula first after he had to come to the office because of something he did at school," Sokka explained. "Anyway, it was only supposed to be a couple of days but then Piandao decided that he was going to stay longer and one thing lead to another and he offered another fifteen thousand to stay until today."
"Fifteen thousand?" It was his dad, speaking up with the shock evident in his voice.
"Yeah. Uh, it was a lot of money to say no to. Besides, Varrick liked staying there, and having Izumi around it was like having a sister for him. There was no reason to say no."
Katara did not seem to agree judging by the hard look on her face. "It seems like he might have gotten a bit too attached though."
It was hard to argue that when Sokka had been fearing the same thing himself. Instead, he said what he thought was going to placate her. "Izumi and Zuko are just as attached to him. It's not a one-way thing."
"And what about you?" It was Arnook who spoke up now.
Sokka turned his attention to the older man, swallowing hard. "Me?"
"Are you attached to this Zuko and Izumi?" There was nothing on his face to indicate if he thought that this was a good or a bad thing.
"I- It's a bit complex," he admitted, his fingers gripping at the fabric of his pants. "We're trying to sort it out."
Arnook gave a non-committal hum that had Sokka shifting in his seat, desperate to give some sort of reassurance that even if something were to happen with him and Zuko he wouldn't be forgetting Yue or trying to do anything that would make her less present in Varrick's life. "Zuko told me to bring a picture of Yue too when we were staying there. We didn't try to pretend that she didn't exist or anything. Even in the.. pretend family that we made, it was with Yue as Varrick's mother and my wife. I- I love her. I always will, no matter what."
His throat felt full and his eyes were burning but he forced himself to look at his father-in-law with a straight face so that he knew how much he meant what he said.
Despite it being slight, a bit of tension seemed to leave Arnook. "I know that, Sokka. I do. And thank you, for telling me that." He offered a small smile. "Yue would want you to be happy. We want you to be happy. If that's with this Zuko, we will support you."
"Thank you," Sokka swallowed down the lump in his throat with a grateful nod.
Silence was thick in the room before Katara spoke again. "So you're gonna be dating your boss now? Is that what you're telling us?"
"I mean.. maybe? But he's not my boss anymore anyway. He's uh, the company is going to be owned by Piandao soon. They signed the contract to change it over."
"Wow Sokka, that's great! He's your favorite, isn't he?" Aang asked.
Before he could answer that though Katara cut him off, having connected the dots far quicker than Sokka had expected. "Wait, did he have you lying to your new boss about being married to him?"
Now everyone seemed worried about this as they all put together what she'd said. "It's fine. Piandao knows we aren't really married and has promised me that he's very excited to work with me." He said, not wanting to get into the whole messy details of the drama that had unfolded during the time that he had been staying with Zuko.
"That's not an answer," Katara pressed, her eyes blazing. He knew from experience that her protective instincts were surging right now and he was glad that Zuko wasn't anywhere nearby because he had no doubt that she would give him an earful.
It was much easier to push aside all of the reasons why he'd been upset with Zuko when he was defending him to his sister. Sure, he had his own feelings still to fully work out but Katara didn't know Zuko the way that he did so she would only latch onto the negative things about him and he didn't want that. He wanted her to be able to someday be in a room with Zuko without it being the most uncomfortable thing in the world. "Katara, it doesn't matter. Everything is fine. The awkward conversation already happened and I think I might even get a promotion of it."
"I don't trust him," Katara said, apparently decided. "You deserve someone who wouldn't have ever asked you to lie to begin with."
Sokka opened his mouth to argue but it was Bato who cut him off. "Katara, your brother is a grown man. He can choose who he wants to be involved with. As long as he's happy and treated well, it is only our place to offer him support."
"We don't even know this man, so there's no way to know if he's going to take good care of Sokka or not," Katara argued, ignoring the calming hand that Aang placed on her knee.
Now Sokka was getting annoyed. He knew that his sister was trying to be protective and knew that she didn't mean anything negative about it, but he still couldn't help but be frustrated. "I'm not asking for your approval," he said cooly. "I'm simply informing you of what's happening. Whether or not Zuko do end up in a relationship is yet to be seen, but he's a good man and he and Izumi will continue to be involved with Varrick in at least some measure going forward."
His brown eyes met his sister's. She'd always taken more after their father in terms of her facial structure while he'd always been closer to his mother's looks but their eyes burned with the same stubborn fire when they locked. Both of them always wanted to take care of the other, but sometimes they didn't agree on when they needed the help or even what was appropriate. The stare-off was intense and Sokka wasn't sure that either one of them was going to win it, but after a few minutes, Katara averted her gaze with a muttered statement that only Aang seemed to be able to hear.
"I should be getting back home," Arnook said, rising to his feet. "I've been waiting to spend some time with Varrick and now that he's here I want to take full advantage of it."
Sokka got to his feet as well, going to give a hug to his father-in-law. "Of course. Drive safe."
"I will," the man assured him.
"We'll be heading out too," Aang offered. "It's been a long day. We'll be back over tomorrow anyway."
Despite her frustration, Katara still hugged Sokka tightly and told him that she loved him before them left after Aang had done the same and Sokka was sad to see them leave despite his own exhaustion. He'd missed Katara so much and he wanted to spend more time with her, wanted to fully catch up and not just have argued over Zuko.
"You will be careful, with this Zuko?" Gran Gran asked fixing him with a raised eyebrow.
"I can't get him pregnant if that's what you're worried about," Sokka joked, not wanting to deal with any more heavy conversations.
The hard look that he was given made him feel like he'd made a mistake. "Sokka."
"Of course, Gran Gran. For what's worth, I do think that you'd like him if you met him."
"I think we'll be the judge of that," his father spoke up, though he cringed when Bato nudged him none too gently. "Ow. Fine. We trust your judgment, Sokka."
He gave a smile. "I'm pretty tired. Can I go to sleep?"
"I made up your room," Gran Gran nodded.
"Nakurmiik," he said softly, going to give a hug to the woman. "Unnuaqhatkut"
"Unnuaqhatkut," she echoed and his fathers did as well.
A hot shower later, he was in the room that he'd grown up in, staring at his phone where the notification of Zuko's text sat on the screen. He purposefully hadn't opened it up before now. But now that he was alone, there was no reason to put it off any longer.
He was stupidly nervous as he clicked onto it, though his own message had been mostly informative so he didn't see why Zuko would have answered anything of any real sustenance.
The words were there, simple and unimposing.
Good to hear. Enjoy your trip.
Why was he let down by this? What was he expecting? Some sort of stupid mushy message? With the way that they'd left things? When his own message had no indication of feeling in it at all?
He started to type out a message several times, wanting to tell Zuko about how Varrick couldn't help bringing him up right away, about the discussion with Arnook giving him his blessing to be happy, about defending him to Katara and realizing through it that he was willing to forgive Zuko if he hadn't mostly done it already.
Every time he deleted it. Nothing seemed to be right. The words seemed off and weird and he didn't know what to say to Zuko over text anyway.
After half an hour, he decided to get over himself and just say something to let him know that he'd gotten and appreciated the message. To let him know that there was some hope for what would happen between the two of them in the future. Nothing heavy, he couldn't do it. So instead, he went with something light and hoped that Zuko understood.
I'm so full of great food that I may fall into a coma for the rest of the trip.
Then, before he could overthink it and any of the weird implications that he might have missed, he turned his phone over and tried to fall asleep in a bed that felt far too small and empty.