Kalivax: Nihao Everyone, Wow, it's been awhile since I posted on it fells like ages, I've been so busy with Livejournal and all…and cough watching fan-subbed anime. I personally blame Oda-san and Kube-san for coming up with Bleach and One Piece…and the people who came up with Yakitate Japan, Gokusen, and Beck…but anyways. Avatar is one of the few shows on American TV I do watch… -U so…erm…yeah…I thought up this situation but have now decided to type it up and post due to two things:

To counter-act the dreaded sues (this fandom is worse than Uchiha Sasuke's rated 'M' stories…which is in itself a wonder Oo)

I actually like these pairings even if they're impossibly crack. (I just find the whole rival thing sexy…I tend to do that a lot…nervous cackle)

If you haven't figured this out yet, to put it bluntly: this is shonen-ai…and even more so point blank: This is sokkaXzukko-so those of you who can't handle that-please click BACK now, you're wasting my time and yours flaming me just because you don't like this pairing and you think Zukko's 'yours' and all that…I need something to fix my broken grill anyway…Ok, obviously you're probably staying now so let me just say a few more things:

This story's AU-because in this one, there is no time limit, no comet- (well…I can't say that...) but Sokka, Aang, and Katara have been traveling and training for four years-they're all pretty big now-I expect since Sokka and Zukko are good-looking-they're full blown bishies now. Also I usually miss episodes last one I saw was the one about the storm and before that the one about beautiful, loverly Jet-so if I'm missing info-oh well, it's AU…

Ok! Enough of my rambling, let the fun begin: I do not own Avatar, neither do I own the song this fic is based on-Jun from Arashi (Shin from Gokusen) has a J-pop group and they sing this endearing little ditty….

Sakura Sake

By: Kalivax

(The crazed shonen-ai shinobi)

The night was peaceful enough, but that didn't stop, Sokka from tiptoeing as he walked. Call him, paranoid, but traveling with the Avatar made him overly cautious, sure he was still loud mouthed and could eat a whale (according to his darling doting sister, he personally thought they were to much fat and not enough meat) but whenever they were in a new place he would let his laidback demeanor slip a little and although he seems at ease would secretly check for anything suspicious.

Man, leave it to those two to get sick at the same time. He thought, mildly as he carefully ducked to avoid an approaching branch, remembering with a frown why he was creeping around...The things he did for family, with a surly frown he recounted why he was out here in the first place:

oOoFlashbackoOo-

"Please Sokka-cough-I-cough-we-cough-need the flower-cough," Katara pleaded, as she and Aang huddled in their blankets. Both teenagers were huddling closer to the fire.

"How can you both catch a cold at the same time, when all three of us were supposed to be in different parts of town!" Sokka demanded, rising from next to their makeshift campfire to gather more wood' "we've been traveling together for three years-you two shouldn't be so careless! I should just wait until sun up-" Sokka turned to see his sister and Aang both looking pitiful: shivering and coughing, they were near the North Pole…so it was cold, and after all getting sick in the cold was never fun. He sighed, this was just plain pathetic how easily he gave into those two: "Where exactly is this flower that can cure your special colds?" ….

And so now, here Sokka was in fire nation territory wandering around in the middle of the night-no-less, looking for the 'Lumare Mali' flower a.k.a a glowing pink flower. Yes, his skills at being a warrior were not being put to waste at all, no really, tracking an animal was just like finding a flower…so why was it taking him over an hour to find it?

"This is pointless!" he murmured to himself, aggravated that his search was begging to register as fruitless. Part of his mind kept screaming at him to get Appa and get the heck out of there-but a more louder and more annoyingly correct part kept pointing out that Katara and Aang (since by now, it was pretty obvious they were going to be married) were family-he should just find the stupid weed, never mind how long it took, after all they'd do it for him, wouldn't they?

"Yeah, but they could cheat and use their weird powers," he mutters, with a pout as he stepped over yet another fire nation trap, must've been hunting season because they were everywhere and Sokka already had three close calls. "Man, I'm starting to hate forests," he murmured as he scrutinized the darkness further, an already seemingly impossible task at midnight, "where's that stupid flower already!" he moved forward and tripped over an branch landing gracefully on his back. "Just lovely," he demurred, rolling his eyes.

"-I thought so," a voice interrupted, the smug face of Prince Zukko popped into view.

Sokka immediately tried to jump into fighting stance and this time fell forward since he didn't really redistribute his weight. "Was that supposed to impress me?" Zukko questioned, hauntingly, swaggering to Sokka's line of vision, his confidence and bravado making the other frown: "What do you want?"

Zukko looked down at him, mock-confusion splashed easily onto his features. "Why-shouldn't I be asking you that?" he pointed out, "this is Fire nation territory-and I am it's Prince." Sokka rolled his eyes as he got up-this time without falling.

"Look, I don't have time for this, I need to find a flower," the ice warrior muttered, more to himself, as if sub-consciously trying to will the other away. The expression on Zukko's face was priceless: "Come again?"

"What? I need it for Ka-someone," Sokka informed, still searching around the exiled Prince, "so if you'll excuse me-"

"-why would you need a flower from here?" Zukko cut in, curious despite himself, "can't you just buy one?"

"It's only found here-I really don't have time for this, I need this flower by sunris-" Sokka continued, slowly treading away from his unwanted companion.

"What flower is it?"

"Huh?"

"Are you deaf as well as clumsy? What flower is it?"

"Lumtara Maui-"

"-you mean Lu-ma-re Ma-li?" Zukko emphasized the pronunciation regally, just to tick him off-and all this with a content smirk on his face, "I know where that is. I can get it for you-"

"-You can!" Sokka repeated, immediately relieved, "thanks! You know you aren't so bad for a stal-"

...but then Zukko quickly added: "-for a price."

"Are you kidding me!" the other boy dead panned, glaring at him with a look of blended emotions of exasperation, annoyance, anger, frustration, and a slim glimmer of Hope, "I'm not going to take you to Aang-you creepy stalker."

"I'm not a stalker-" Zukko started but stopped and cleared his throat, cool act settling back in, "I'm not concerned about the Avatar right now-I'll gladly give you the flower in exchange for something else-"

"-you can't have my sister, you freak-"

"-will you let me finish?" the other sounded irked, and Sokka felt a better and revenged for when he was mocked for falling, Zukko's fingers started glowing and that clued him to quit though, "I want something totally unrelated to those two. Something-"

"-just get to the point," Sokka quibbled, shifting his feet, he'd been standing for awhile and with Zukko's fingers returning to normal it was evident he wasn't in anything really dangerous.

Zukko made a little noise at the back of his throat to signal that he didn't like his dramatics cut down but begrudgingly finished: "A favor-no wait, two favors since you'll probably need two flowers right?" Sokka didn't bother asking how he knew but instead prompted:

"Nothing sexual, publicly humiliating, or having certain body parts removed…"

"Of course not-you're sick, you pervert!" Zukko blurted, a disgusted look on his face, then to cover it up added: "Do we have a deal it's two hours till sunrise-you won't make it in time…"

Sokka frowned. Once again that stupid arrogant jerk was right. He really didn't want to agree-every part of his brain was screaming to just say 'no' and hit the fellow teen with his boomerang, but he already knew this was the only way, he wasted so much time talking to this blathering idiot. Sighing as he rubbed his temples and answered wearily: "Fine. You win- go get the stupid glowing weed."

Zukko go this bravado deamnor once more in place and began to stroll away when the other waved his boomerang as he called after: "If this is a trap-I'll kill you myself in the most horrible way imaginable and feed you to Appa!"

"Trap?" Wouldn't dream of it," Zukko responded a little too quickly and happily for Sokka's liking…

Meanwhile, Else where-

"What's taking him?" Katara interrogated as she paced about in the small tent, as Aang just reclined lazily behind her, Mom sleeping next to him, "it's been five hours at least! What if he was caught! What if he's being tortured as we speak! I never should've-"

"Don't worry Katara, Sokka's the best warrior in your village, right? He wouldn't be caught so easily," Aang comforted lazily as he opened an eye to watch her, "you'll get sicker walking around like that-just sit and wait."

"Sorry Aang, but-I can't I keep getting the feeling that something's about to happen, something really big," Katara suddenly remarked, as if in a haze, trying to dispel the horrible images of her brother being hurt, maimed, beat to a pulp, face being burnt…etc. and then her eyes began to water a little, "you don't think he-"

"No, he's fine," another voice interjected, causing both teens to jump, as an intruder walked into the tent…..

TBC

Whew…done. With the first chapter at least, darn took too long to type out…I guess I'll post the second as soon as I finish working out some plot problems and return from my trip to Washington. Hmm…that reminds me I still need to get a beta-person thingy….I derno, I guess I'd like reviews, that would speed up the process abit more, creative criticism, whatever floats your boat, now if you'll excuse me. I'm going to figure out how to make Mt. Fuji bread (blatant reference to Yakitate Japan!)…See ya!