My first attempt at Zukka, or any ATLA fic in general — so if any of the characters seem OOC, please remember that. Set after the events of Smoke and Shadow Part 3.
(Warning for a bit of swearing.)
When Sokka saunters in wearing his masquerade outfit and looking too goddamn handsome for words, Zuko just gapes.
"Gorgeous and can't speak a word. What am I gonna do with you?"
The line materializes out of nowhere, and Sokka has a shit-eating grin on his face as Zuko splutters incoherently.
"I can speak — Sokka, what the hell was that?" Zuko composes himself in seconds, which is a miracle feat. "You can't just waltz in here and — and —"
"And admire my Fire Lord boyfriend in his Fire Lord outfit?" Sokka leans against the doorframe, still wearing that grin that crawls under Zuko's skin. "Which, by the way, you should wear more often."
"Noted," Zuko says, his face still aflame — damn, he'd thought he'd gotten out of his awkward romance phase with Mai, but Sokka is a smooth operator and can destroy Zuko without lifting a finger.
Forget his father or his sister — Zuko can handle them. Sokka, however…
"Why are you here?" he asks hastily before his thoughts roam elsewhere. "Where is Katara? And Aang? And everyone else?"
"Katara and Aang are giving me the oogies," Sokka says with a shudder for emphasis. "Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors are out securing the palace to make sure that Azula and her...friends don't crash the ball. And Toph...Toph is giving her metalbending students another lesson."
"A lesson? Now?"
"Yeah, I asked her too, and she threw me out of the room, saying that it was metalbenders only."
"You weren't hurt, were you?" Knowing Toph, she would have actually thrown him out of the room — whether with earthbending or her bare hands, that was the real question.
"Nah, you know me. Tough as nails." Sokka flexes his arms, displaying his barely-there muscles.
Zuko chuckles and crosses the room, pressing a chaste kiss to his boyfriend's cheek. "Shouldn't you be helping with the preparations?"
"You know, Zuko, I'm getting the feeling that you don't want me here," Sokka says, frowning. "Did I do something? Because if I did —"
"You did nothing," Zuko assures him. "Of course I want you here. In fact," he steps forward and lowers his voice to a murmur, "I have a special duty for you."
"Oh yeah?" Sokka can't hide his interest. Zuko smirks.
"I need you," his mouth moves tantalizingly close to Sokka's ear, and something warm pools in his stomach at Zuko's proximity, "to help me…"
Sokka can't breathe.
"...select something for Kiyi to wear." Zuko pulls back, wearing a replica of Sokka's trademark shit-eating grin. "She's having a hard time choosing what to wear, and —"
Sokka gives him a shove and Zuko stumbles back. "You — you — I thought — "
"Thought what?" The smug expression on Zuko's face is telling, though, he'd meant to torture Sokka like that on purpose. "Thought that I was going to ask you to —" He cuts himself off, dipping his head to Sokka's ear and whispering something that makes Sokka burn.
"Of course I thought that!" Sokka says, his voice coming out high-pitched. "When you say things like that, I —"
"— can't take it?" Zuko is enjoying this so much. "You can dish it out, but can't take it? This is revenge, my love."
He presses a kiss to Sokka's lips and turns to leave, but Sokka's hand snakes out and grabs his wrist.
"Oh, you are so not allowed to have the last word, my darling…"
"You really couldn't have straightened up after you were done?" Katara raises a skeptical eyebrow, her eyes raking critically over their rumpled clothes.
"You're one to talk," Sokka retorts. "You and Aang were slobbering all over each other before I left —"
Zuko and Aang share a look of mutual exasperation as the siblings bicker and fall behind, their voices echoing loudly down the hall. "We're dating two idiots," Zuko mutters and Aang nods fervently, but not before casting an affectionate glance at Katara.
"Let's leave them be," he suggests and Zuko nods.
670 words
Auction - "Gorgeous and can't speak a word. What am I gonna do with you?"