Wow, I wasn't expecting so must lemon feed back. :D I guess I'm making lemonade folks, and with LZfOx1379 providing the sugar, we're in business. Enjoy as Zuko wakes up and they actually speak to one another -gasp- What a concept.
Zuko awoke cold and with a throbbing headache. He sat up in the cot, hand going to the back of his head where he wasn't surprised to find a rather large and tender bump. He was, however, surprised to find he was in a cot with the only thing on being his underwear and a rice paper thin sheet, with a couple of moth eaten holes in it. He shivered and felt his skin was cold and clammy. He immediately started a warm circulation around his body with his fire bending. He was soon warm enough to see his breath in the chilly hut, and looked around to see Sokka kneeling before the fire pit. His immediate reaction was to question the other, though his uncle's constant teachings of being calm and rationale made him stop and watch the other teenager.
He could see Sokka's body was shaking uncontrollably as he tried to light start a fire with two frustrating pieces of kindling that were really too wet t do any good; even though they were the driest pieces that Sokka could find. The dark-skinned teen cursed angrily, nearly loosing his temper when the kindling he was working with broke and he hit his hand on one of the hard rocks in the fire pit that kept the fire in the pit. He stuck his knuckles in his mouth where there was a scrape and glanced angrily at the sticks, soon folding his arms, the cold making itself known as he rubbed his arms.
Zuko noticed both of their clothes were hanging over the pit, dripping into the ashes of it, though it wasn't enough to stop any fire, the sticks were just too wet to work with.
Zuko sighed and got up, quickly walking over to Sokka, crouching behind/beside him, starting the other boy. Sokka jerked his head around and looked at Zuko, who said nothing; the fire bender only started a small flame in his palm, then took the kindling and set it on fire, dropping it onto the logs in the pit, catching them aflame. Zuko then stood up and went back over to the bed, sitting down, the springs squeaking under his weight. Sokka narrowed his eyes at the other teen.
"Show off," he muttered; sitting down on the cold floor near the fire. Zuko rolled his eyes and sat cross legged on the bed, looking at the crackling fire, listening to the rain pounding on the little hut, a couple drips from the ceiling were not to his liking, but he dealt with it. He looked at Sokka who glanced back at him from the fire.
"Why did you bother to help me?", he asked and Sokka paused a minute.
"Well I couldn't leave you there," Sokka replied. "Conscience got to me." Actually he just knew it would get to him then, but really it was a split second reaction at the time. Zuko huffed, asking the very question that Sokka knew he would.
"Where's the Avatar?" Zuko knew he was in no position to catch Aang, he had no men near by and he was miles away from his ship, but it was good to know.
"Not here, obviously," Sokka snipped, poking at the fire to move the logs to their clothes wouldn't catch aflame. "I'd be gone if he'd been by already."
"Where is he?", Zuko pressed on.
"Not, here," Sokka stressed every word through gritted teeth. Zuko glared at the rebelling teen but figured he didn't look too intimidating nearly naked and sitting on the bed. He stood and went over to Sokka, who didn't notice the other was up until Zuko grabbed his arm and spun him around. Sokka gave a startled yelp as he was turned to face the other fire bender, stick dropping from his hand, looking into the eyes of a very serious Zuko.
"I'm going to ask one more time," Zuko said calmly, but his grip on Sokka's arm tightened to a bruising grip. "Where is the Avatar?" Sokka winced at the tight grip but glared at Zuko just the same.
"I'm not telling you anything," he said stubbornly. Zuko was getting annoyed now. They glared at each other for a long time, Zuko's hand still gripping Sokka's arm, both only in their underwear.
Sokka really expected Zuko to punch him, maybe half hoping he would so that he could punch back, but Zuko didn't lift his other hand. Finally Zuko pushed Sokka away, sitting next to the spot Sokka had been before and folding his arms, looked to the fire, which flickered, but stayed a steady burn. Sokka glared at Zuko a few more moments before sitting back upright. Obviously Zuko knew this was no the time to fight.
"I'm only resisting hurting you because you helped me," The fire bender said, eyes on the fire
"Fine," Sokka replied; sitting with one knee bent up, resting his hands on his knee, then his chin on the back of his knuckles. Though Sokka did have to give his credit, Zuko wasn't trying to force any information out of him, or beating it out of him just because he could… Sokka frowned and gazed at the crackling flames, not liking the fact that Zuko was coming into the sense of another human being and not a ruthless fire bender.
They descended into a tolerable silence, both watching the flames flicker and listening to the pounding rain on the roof. Sokka could feel the bender's heat next to him and vaguely wondered how Zuko could be so warm when he was so cold, because his own body shook uncontrollably from being cold and wet. His skin was cold and clammy to the touch, though Zuko was a couple inches away and he could feel more heat radiating off of him more than the small fire. He fought the urge to lean closer to the source of warmth and a red blush spread across his nose as he thought of being held in Zuko's warm embrace. He shut his eyes, trying to banish the sought, but it was stuck in his head now, and the more he tried to forget it, the more details were added to the thought.
Zuko glanced at Sokka, seeing the other shivering, his eyes shut, though the light of the fire hid the dark skinned teen's blush. Zuko couldn't say he felt nothing, feeling an urge to stop the other's shaking. He hated the urge, he wished he could block out all compassion for people, that's what got him exiled in the first place. Zuko huffed, a stream of hot breath coming from his mouth before he moved, getting back onto his feet. Sokka opened his eyes and watched the fire bender go over to the bed.
"I'm going to bed." Zuko said and sat on the tiny cot. Sokka didn't reply; looking away from Zuko's body as the fire bender laid down, pulling the poor excuse for a sheet over him. Sokka tried not to imagine Zuko's flexing muscles under his pale skin, trying not to imagine what they would feel like against him. Sokka swallowed a lump in his throat and looked back to the now covered figure in bed. He wavered before he got up and walked over to the bed, pausing at the cot, Aunt Wu's words of the fortune ringing in his head; but he wasn't going to sleep with Zuko, just sleep in the same bed, nothing would happen.
Sokka laid down next to Zuko, back turned to the other like Zuko had his back turned to him. Sokka curled up slightly, his arms wrapped around himself. He didn't dare crawl under the covers with the other, it would just be too awkward; warming up to the fire bender when he barely knew or liked him. Sokka was also annoyed that he couldn't stop shaking; it was embarrassing that he was so cold from a bit of rain when he was from the South Pole. He hoped the rain would stop soon so he could leave.
Zuko was wide awake, unbeknownst to Sokka, feeling every move the other teen made on the small cot. They were only inches away on the bed, both on the very edge of the poor excuse for a cot. Zuko couldn't sleep, not with the nagging chill and damp surroundings; nor could he sleep with the constant vibration of Sokka's shivering. Zuko rubbed the sheet between his fingers a moment, and then sat up throwing the sheet away; it wasn't doing him any good anyway. The sheet, still warm from Zuko's fire bending, floated down onto Sokka, startling him.
"You're going to catch a cold that way," Zuko warned and Sokka curled up more, pulling the sheet tighter around his body, warmed by the lingering heat.
"Thanks," Sokka murmured, warmed also by the kind gesture. Zuko watched Sokka for a minute. Sure the blanket had stopped the shivering, but he was sure Sokka was still cold; the sheet didn't retain much heat. Zuko laid down again, this time facing Sokka and he slipped his arms around the other's waist, knitting his fingers above Sokka's stomach. Sokka was startled by the touch and warmth, but didn't shove Zuko away. "What… are you doing?"
"What do you think I'm doing?" Zuko replied, shifting some so his body pressed against Sokka's, making the water tribe teen blush, "Sharing body heat." Even as a fire bender, Zuko couldn't bend the heat in his sleep, this would have to suit the both of them through the night. Sokka felt his face heat up more, the sheet between them was practically non existent; Sokka could feel the other's heat clearly, and it was an intense heat against his chilled skin, but it felt good.
They lay there in warmth for the longest time, both tired, but unwilling to sleep. The unsettling feeling of being by someone who fought you did that. They allowed the drowsy feeling that heat produced to envelope them, but not sleep.
Next chapter, The, erm… -clears throat- 'Climax' of the story :D Though it may be a while, I still have no computer at home, I'm doing this at school, and I really, really don't want to be caught at school with man-sex. -Sweat drop- That would be defiantly awkward.
And if you don't like yaoi lemons don't read the next chapter, read the one after that.
Please Review, thank you
