"I didn't know I had a dream
I didn't know until I saw you"
–Come into the Water, Mitski
Zuko thanks his lucky stars that the sky is clear tonight, the moon shining bright and lighting the way down to the water. He quickly makes his way down a now-familiar path, ducks under tree branches and steps nimbly over roots that twist and curl, eager to trip him up the second he looks away. His heart thumps steadily in his chest, sweat beading on his brow as he jogs along—it's a long walk to the old pier from the palace, and he only has so much time before someone notices his absence.
He hears the water before he sees it, the distant murmur of ocean waves carried to his ears by the breeze. Zuko breaks into a sprint, excitement flooding his veins—he can't help the smile that stretches across his face as he bursts from the treeline onto the beach of the cove. He barely pauses to kick off his boots, and then he's running again, his bare feet pounding against the sand. By the time he reaches the old pier, his chest is heaving and his face is flushed unattractively from sprinting headlong down the beach like an idiot—so he takes a second to collect himself, catches his breath and fixes his hair. Tries, unsuccessfully, to quash the giddiness rising in his gut.
The weathered wood of the pier is rough against his feet as he walks out onto the water. The dull thump of his footsteps echoes into the still night air—Zuko strains his ears for any other sound, knowing that it's only a matter of time until—
A splash.
Zuko's heart jumps into his throat. He wipes his suddenly sweaty palms on his trousers, and waits.
There's another splash, and then a familiar head appears over the edge of the pier, white teeth flashing in the light of the moon.
"Took you long enough," Sokka calls, his voice teasing. He heaves himself halfway out of the water and props himself up on his arms; his brown skin glistens as he shifts and settles.
"Sorry," Zuko says, ignoring the way his stomach ties itself up in knots at the sound of Sokka's voice. "Some of the guards were up late playing cards and drinking themselves stupid, and I could barely sneak out without tripping over one of their bottles."
"Aww, and you didn't bring one for me?" Sokka says, his eyes crinkling as he grins. "You keep saying you'll bring me something from that fancy palace of yours, and you never do."
Zuko huffs out a laugh as he draws even with Sokka. Sokka watches him with a soft smile on his face, his head pillowed on his arms, and Zuko is hyperaware of his gaze as he sits down beside him. Zuko tries to appear nonchalant as he settles back against his hands, his legs dangling over the edge of the pier, hoping his face doesn't betray the helpless feelings fluttering in his chest.
"It's not exactly easy for me to carry things all the way out here," Zuko points out.
Sokka hums thoughtfully. "I guess you do have a point," he says. "I always forget that things are harder for you guys to carry on land."
"Exactly," Zuko says. He tilts his head and narrows his eyes. "Although I did actually bring you something this time."
Zuko smothers his grin as Sokka visibly perks up, his pointed ears twitching excitedly. Zuko reaches into a pocket hidden on the inside of his tunic and pulls out a small cloth pouch. He gently places it into Sokka's waiting palms; Sokka stares at it with unbridled curiosity.
"I...what is it?" Sokka says. He gives the pouch a tentative sniff.
"Open it," Zuko says. He tries not to laugh as Sokka eagerly pulls on the ties holding the pouch shut and peers inside, eyes bright.
"They're fire flakes," Zuko explains. "You eat them. Although I don't think you can bring them underwater, because they might get soggy..." He trails off, watching as Sokka excitedly upends the contents of the entire pouch into his mouth.
"Oh, uh, you probably shouldn't..." Zuko starts, somewhat distracted by his momentary glimpse of Sokka's sharp, sharp teeth. "They're kind of—"
Sokka coughs suddenly, his eyes going comically wide.
"Spicy," he finishes lamely.
Sokka pants as he frantically fans at his mouth. Zuko snorts, caught between concern and amusement.
"You can spit it out, you know," Zuko says. Sokka just whines and shakes his head and then, with a seemingly herculean effort, swallows the entire mouthful in one gulp. He looks like he's on the verge of tears.
"You're not supposed to eat them all at once," Zuko says helpfully.
"Well how was I supposed to know that?" Sokka gripes. His tail splashes agitatedly in the water. "My mouth is still burning."
"I mean, they're called fire flakes for a reason."
Sokka shoots Zuko a halfhearted glare, muttering something under his breath. Zuko can't help but smile fondly back—having the full weight of Sokka's gaze on him always has that effect.
"Anyways," Sokka huffs, rolling his eyes, "now that you're done trying to poison me, are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, just give me a second," Zuko says, and climbs to his feet. Sokka pushes off from the pier and floats a few metres away, almost invisible in the dark waters but for the bright markings above his eyes. Zuko flushes hot under his stare, his hands fumbling as he works to shed his clothing. He silently curses himself, for being so awkward and for letting Sokka affect him so easily.
Stripped down to his shorts, Zuko sits back down on the edge of the pier and, bracing himself, gingerly dips his toes into the water. He hisses at the chill, and Sokka laughs, drifting closer.
"You do this every time," Sokka says. "I thought you would've gotten used to it by now."
"There's no getting used to it," Zuko says through clenched teeth. "It's always going to be freezing."
Sokka grins, shaking his head. He holds out his hands and waggles his fingers. "No point in complaining, then. In you get, jerkbender. Let's get this over with."
Zuko scowls to hide the way he flushes at the nickname. He huffs dramatically and places his hands in Sokka's; Sokka's skin is cool, but Zuko feels like he's burning where they touch. Sokka smiles encouragingly at Zuko and gently pulls him forward, slowly easing him into the water. Zuko sucks in a sharp breath at the cold, reflexively squeezing Sokka's hands tighter.
"It's okay, I got you," Sokka says, his voice low and soothing. "There you go, you're doing great. Just a little bit more…"
Zuko squeezes his eyes shut and tries not to shiver as the water reaches his navel, then his chest, and finally his shoulders. He lets out a shaky breath; Sokka makes a concerned noise.
"Are you doing okay?" Sokka says. His voice is soft and very, very close.
Zuko forces his eyes open, smoothes out his grimace. Sokka's face is barely a foot away, his blue eyes bright and piercing against the black markings on his face. Zuko would blush if he weren't so freezing cold.
"Yeah, I…" Zuko starts, carefully unclenching his fingers from around Sokka's. "I'm okay. Just give me a second."
Sokka hums. His hands come down around Zuko's waist, and Zuko can't help but shiver at the feel of Sokka's fingers against his bare skin. Zuko hooks his own hands around Sokka's shoulders; the muscles shift and flex under his touch. They float together for a minute as Zuko tries to adjust to the temperature of the water. Zuko kicks his feet lazily, occasionally brushing against the smooth length of Sokka's tail as it sways beneath them. He tries to ignore the way Sokka watches him, his eyes never leaving Zuko's face—being this close to Sokka didn't used to bother him, but these days it has his pulse rushing and his skin tingling wherever the two of them touch. Zuko would probably find it annoying if it didn't feel so good.
Eventually, Zuko meets Sokka's eyes and nods.
"Ready?" Sokka says, his voice barely above a whisper. It feels terrifyingly intimate in a way that makes Zuko want to close the distance between them, press their chests together and wind his fingers into Sokka's hair.
"Ready," Zuko says. Sokka's lips quirk into a smile.
Sokka pulls them away from the pier, farther out into the bay, where the water is deeper and stiller. Zuko snorts, remembering the way he had adamantly refused to stray more than a couple metres from the pier the first couple of times they'd done this. Sokka catches his eye and grins, and then, seemingly reading his mind, says, "Remember how freaked out you got the first time I tried to bring you farther out into the water?"
"As if I could forget," Zuko says, wry.
Sokka barks out a laugh, tilting his head back. Zuko's eyes catch on the polished white plates of Sokka's necklace, the sharp jut of his collarbone. "I literally had to pry you off the post of the pier! It's like you thought I was going to let you drown the second you got into open water."
Zuko scowls at him, but there's no heat behind it. "Can you really blame me?"
Sokka grins ruefully. "No, I guess not." A beat. "You know I never would've let you drown, right? I wouldn't have let you go."
Despite the chill, Zuko suddenly feels warm all over. "No, I know. 'I got you,' that's what you always say, right?"
Sokka's face softens; Zuko's heart flutters behind his ribs. "Yeah. I got you, Zuko."
They float in silence for a little longer, letting the current carry them farther out into the water. Zuko tries not to stare too obviously at the way the moonlight slants across Sokka's glistening skin, the way he seems to almost glow in the night.
"Okay, I'm gonna let you go now," Sokka says. "You ready?"
Zuko nods. Sokka's hands disappear from his waist, and then he's floating by himself in the water, Sokka watching him from a few feet away with a soft smile on his face.
"Wow. Look at how far you've come," Sokka says.
"I'm just floating," Zuko says with a shake of his head. "It's not that impressive."
"It's better than when you'd first started out." Sokka tilts his head and grins, bright and beautiful. "But fine. Show me what you got, then."
Zuko takes a deep breath and squeezes his eyes shut as he dives under the water, kicking his way over in Sokka's direction. Sokka isn't where he expects him to be, though, and Zuko surfaces again, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes as he spins around in the water.
Sokka is waiting about ten feet away, and he bursts into laughter when Zuko glares at him. "You're gonna have to do better than that if you want to keep up with me, slowpoke!" he calls.
"I think you have a bit of an unfair advantage," Zuko says, and makes a rude gesture. Sokka gasps dramatically, his hands flying up to his mouth.
"Such terrible manners for a prince. What would your subjects think?"
Zuko doesn't say that his subjects probably wouldn't think anything, since he spends most of his time locked away in his chambers. Instead he splashes some water in Sokka's direction, which makes him yelp and duck beneath the surface, and begins to paddle over.
They spend a long time like that: Zuko following Sokka through the water as Sokka teases him, Sokka darting away before Zuko can get too close. Zuko pretends to be annoyed, but the truth is that he's never happier than when he's with Sokka, his smiles and laughter coming more easily and naturally than they ever do when he's back at the palace.
Occasionally, Sokka will correct Zuko's form, or show him how to best angle his shoulders to cut more efficiently through the water. He's a very touchy teacher, his hands lingering unnecessarily long on Zuko's skin, and Zuko's heart pounds so hard and so fast that he worries he might actually faint. A bit concerning, given that he would probably drown if he did—but he knows that Sokka would be there to save him, so it doesn't even matter.
Eventually, Zuko tires, and he floats lazily on his back in the water as Sokka dives beneath the surface, collecting little shells and stones that he presents to Zuko with a brilliant smile. At one point he comes back with a small crab and places it on Zuko's chest, where it begins to crawl around. Zuko isn't proud of the way he shrieks and flails, but at least there's nobody but Sokka there to witness it.
And Zuko doesn't even mind, is the thing. He thinks that he wouldn't mind showing Sokka the worst, most vulnerable, most embarrassing parts of himself, if only to have Sokka keep looking at him like that—like Zuko is the best, most beautiful thing he's ever seen.
Sokka tows him back towards the dock when they're done, their fingers interlaced. Zuko has one seashell that he'd taken a particular fancy to clutched in his other hand. He has plenty like it in his room back in the palace, stacked neatly along the windowsill that looks over the distant sea, but he'd have to be out of his mind to turn down a gift from Sokka, no matter how many he's already been given.
"Did you have a good time?" Sokka asks once they're back at the pier. Zuko has one arm wrapped around the wooden post to hold him steady; he secretly wishes that it were Sokka doing so instead.
"Of course," Zuko says, and smiles. "I always do."
"Good." Sokka smiles too, just a minute crinkle of his eyes. "I'm glad."
He helps Zuko climb out of the water, his hands strong and steady against Zuko's back. Zuko turns and looks down at him once he's back on his feet, water dripping off of him in uneven rivulets, and finds Sokka staring back at him, his face soft and open.
Zuko's stomach flutters. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Sokka tilts his head, smiling. "Like what?"
"Like—nothing. Nevermind." Zuko shakes his head, trying to dispel that dizzy, untethered feeling that he always gets around Sokka nowadays, and turns away to pull his clothes back on.
He faces Sokka again once he's dressed, although Sokka's eyes are so piercing that it doesn't make him feel any less exposed. Sokka watches him intently, his elbows hooked over the edge of the dock and his chin propped up on his folded hands, and Zuko blushes beneath his gaze.
"Thank you for the fire flakes, by the way," Sokka says. His voice is quiet, as if he's afraid to break the stillness that's settled between them. "I don't think I thanked you for them before."
"You didn't even like them," Zuko says, settling onto his knees in front of Sokka.
"That's not true. I'd like anything you brought me." Sokka says it so genuinely, his face so bright and earnest, and Zuko is struck with the sudden and intense urge to kiss him.
"Even if it causes me bodily harm," Sokka adds, and Zuko snorts.
"I did try to warn you," he says.
"So you did." Sokka seems to hesitate for a second, and then he, almost shyly, reaches for Zuko's hands. His skin is cool against Zuko's fingers, and Zuko swears that he nearly stops breathing.
"When will I see you again?" Sokka asks.
Zuko swallows thickly. "Um, I don't know. In two weeks, maybe? I'll leave you a note."
"Perfect," Sokka says, and then before Zuko can really register what's happening, he brings Zuko's hands to his lips and kisses his knuckles. "I'll see you then."
Sokka releases him, and Zuko stumbles to his feet, his entire face burning. His skin is tingling where Sokka kissed him. "I—yeah. See you," he stammers, his tongue feeling thick and clumsy in his mouth. And then he spins on his heel and nearly sprints back towards the beach, his bare feet pounding against the weathered wood of the dock.
He hears a splash behind him. When he turns around again, Sokka is gone, with only the faint ripples spreading across the water betraying that he was ever there at all.
The trek back to the palace passes in a blur. Zuko spends the entire journey floating on a cloud of bliss, flexing his hands as he walks, almost unable to believe that Sokka had actually kissed him. He's spent so long pining, longing for something that he thought he couldn't have…it almost doesn't feel real.
Zuko's giddiness fades but doesn't disappear once he finally catches sight of the palace again. He's so happy that even the reminder of the miserable fate that awaits him back home isn't enough to completely dampen his spirits.
He tiptoes past the guards, now all drunk and snoring, and eases his way into his room without a sound. Then he pulls the seashell that Sokka had given him out his pocket, and carefully lines it up next to the others on the windowsill. He lingers by the window for a moment, watching the way the moon reflects off the distant glittering sea, and wonders if, maybe, Sokka is looking back at him too.
He can't wait to see him again. Two weeks feels too long.
Maybe next time Zuko will bring him something from the kitchens. Some proper food, like a pork bun—he thinks Sokka would like that. And maybe next time Sokka will take him even farther out into the water, past the reef that protects the cove and out in the open sea beyond.
Maybe…
Maybe one day Sokka will take him so far out that he'll be able to just leave his life behind and disappear into the sea, never to be seen again.
Zuko smiles. He wouldn't mind that. He thinks that, as long as he was with Sokka, he wouldn't mind anything at all.