A. N. : Today's chapter is brought to you by Writer's Block Sokka. Writer's Block Sokka, it's the quenchiest ! Now that this is out of the way... Next chapter (planned in advance for once) will be dark. I mean, more than the rest of this fic (I recently re-read it and booy, I didn't remember it being that angsty).

Sokka doesn't like this.

It's one thing to have Toph joking around with prince-jerkface – she doesn't have the same history with that guy as the rest of the group. But Katara – his little sister, having her breakfast along with the other two and a half and smiling, acting like she isn't sitting next to the guy who chased them to the end of the world –

No. No, Sokka can't – can't – be okay with this.

And yet when Katara notices him, when Toph calls him – stop brooding and come eat Snoozles – he goes, grabs some grilled fish and sits nest to his sister – he isn't about to sit anywhere near scarface.

He noticed it last evening too, but the jerkpince really does his best with the baby, taking really small bits of fish in his hands to feed it – heh, so even a Prince can dirty his hands with food.

Well, it only means the dude isn't a complete total asshole, but Sokka already knew that, what with the offer to teach firebending to Aang once he gets better. And the fact he hasn't killed anyone yet.

Katara seems to have noticed the feeding too, because she asks if the fish isn't too hot for the kid – and apparently it isn't, even if it does look pretty steamy.

Toph laughs – no way warmth is gonna disturb the Fire Turtle – and prince-jerkface looks surprised, but then he nods.

Wait. Fire turtle ? Not sensitive to hot temperatures ? Is she implying what Sokka thinks she is implying ?

Asshole-prince notices him staring and sighs – what – and wow, if there was a way to look more annoyed, Sokka is sure scarface would find it, but there isn't so he is stuck looking like he just got spit out by Appa.

Well, the best way to find out is to ask, right ? Or maybe make the baby angry or something – experience with baby Katara taught Sokka this is the fastest way to get some bending out of a child – but he isn't ready to get his hair set on fire, either by a baby or by an over-protective jerkbender.

Said jerkbender holds the child closer and breathes a very defensive yes – what, does he think someone is going to attack him or something ? It's not like Jet knew –

Yeah, let's keep it low.

But who would've thought this giggling mess of a child with fish all over its mouth and prince-jerkface are actually family –

And suddenly it's like Sokka is back in that stupid desert and he can't even sweat because it's all evaporating and Zuko is standing and shouting that he knows what they think of him, but he isn't a monster – and just like that he's gone, but Sokka still feels like he's on fire.

What the fuck –

Everyone has stopped eating and is staring – Dad looks dumbfounded, Bato is frowning, Jet's eyes are following jerkface, but then he freezes, shakes his head, and bites his fish like it did him wrong.

Sokka looks at Katara, who shrugs. Toph seems lost in her thoughts, probably wondering, like just about everyone here, what set this guy off.

The Earth King takes the place of the jerkprince, sits with Bosco at his feet, and smiles – honestly at this point Sokka isn't sure today is real anymore.

Dude starts talking about books he read on words and their different meaning – where is he going with this and who asked him – but before Sokka can find a way to nicely tell him to fuck off, Toph interrupts.

Family doesn't mean the same thing for everyone here.

Oh. So that's why the King was – wait, just how long has he been listening to the miserable attempt at communication with prince-jerkface ?

Anyway, the King is talking and doesn't let Sokka ask, and he apparently ate a whole library because he goes on about cultural differences and historical stories and geographical reasons for words to not mean the same everywhere.

And honestly Sokka is kind of – scratch that, he's completely lost. Katara fled by pretexting having to look at Aang's injuries. Toph isn't even pretending to listen anymore.

In short – very, very short – the Water Tribes use family more or less as a synonym for Tribe, like normal people. In Earth Kingdom, because it's so big and there's no way you know everyone living here, they use the word for people who live on the same grounds. And, in the multiple islands of Fire Nation where you can spend your life without ever seeing half your blood relatives – what the fuck really – family means close relative.

Which means that when Sokka said jerkprince shared a Tribe with the baby, that guy thought Sokka meant he was the actual father.

Well shit. No wonder he was so angry.

And honestly, if it had been anything else, Sokka wouldn't have bothered. Guy is a jerk, so who cares. But that…

Sokka fidgets. The King says he read somewhere that it's best to apologize as soon as possible when you're wrong. It's kind of sad he had to read it to know, but he is right. Sokka gets up.

The prince is sitting with his feet in the sea, obviously trying very hard to breathe calmly – though he's not all that successful. Sokka stands awkwardly behind him, not really sure what to say – yo, apparently I said something and you heard another, sorry about that ?

Right. Well. Sorry is obvious. And maybe explain what he meant. Yeah.

Sokka crouches down. Zuko glares at him. Sokka's mouth dries.

Planning is so much easier than talking.