The crew landed at the front gates of the Fire Nation palace the next evening. They hadn't made any more stops, Aang desperate to get back to Katara. It was late, and everyone was groggy, but they managed to hold themselves together long enough to unpack Zuko and Sokka's things. Zuko groaned as he realized he'd have to find somewhere to display that awful rug Sokka had bought.
Aang decided to stay the night in the palace before he would jet off again the next morning to go see Katara. She was currently residing in Ba Sing Se, doing what she could to hold everything together there. The Dai Li had been completely disbanded and rebuilt during the months following the war, but there were still lurkers who were loyal to Long Feng despite his failures. The kingdom needed to present a strong front against these sympathizers, and it was difficult to accomplish when there was originally no leader in place, what with the Earth King off travelling the world. There had been many months spent debating who would be the Earth King's successor since he had no children of his own. There were cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, the list goes on of people who felt they had a claim to the throne.
To everyone's surprise, the Earth King returned to claim the throne once again, claiming that his time of travel had taught him much about the world. He felt he finally understood what his people needed. Now, Katara and Aang were working closely with the king to help redirect the trajectory of the kingdom.
Zuko had once thought about stepping down as Fire Lord and allowing the people of his nation to decide for themselves who would rule after centuries of his family being in charge. It was Mai who had told him that there was so much change in the world right now. Everyone would appreciate a little stability. She was right, of course, that the chaos that would ensue if he made that decision would far outweigh any good Zuko thought it might do. There was too much history, his family too entrenched in the leadership of the Fire Nation. Hopefully, in the generations to come, his successors, his children and their children, could enact this change he so desired.
Zuko knew that Aang would probably spend much of the rest of his life in the Earth Kingdom salvaging what was left of it. Sure, he would also spend time in the Southern Water Tribe, both because of his personal loyalties and the need to help rebuild, but the Earth Kingdom was where he was really needed. For better or worse, the Fire Nation was intact. There was still tension between those still loyal to Ozai and those who desired a new era, despite the years that had passed, but Zuko felt confident that he would be able to handle it. He would show his people what it meant to lead with peace in mind and kindness in his heart. He tried not to think too long about how Mai was meant to be by his side during this, help him lead this land.
The morning after their arrival back in the Fire Nation, Aang was gone before he even ate breakfast. While the romance between Aang and Katara made Zuko gag at times, he still felt a little twinge in his heart at the thought of Aang rushing off as quickly as possible to go see the love of his life. Zuko internally cringed at his own thoughts. Love of his life? He thought he may be getting a little too sappy for his liking.
With their little vacation out of the way, the duties of ruling a nation came back in full force. Zuko was in meeting after meeting for the next week. He barely saw Sokka, barely saw anyone at all, outside of those meetings. He was up late drafting new proposals for how they could assist the Earth Kingdom. One advisor had mentioned that a small group of Ozai loyalists were discovered in the heart of the capital. The sound of his father's name still made him flinch. Another problem to add to the long list.
It was nonstop for so long that Zuko began to lose track of the days. His only break was when he finally allowed himself to go to sleep at night after hours of work.
One evening while poring over the latest budget update, a knock came on his chamber door.
"Yes?" Zuko called, not looking up from where he was hunched over a desk.
"Zuko?" He recognized the voice as Sokka's and put down his quill.
"Come in," Zuko said, standing from the spot he'd been sitting all day.
The door creaked open as Sokka sauntered inside, a tray in his hands. "I heard someone say you haven't left your room at all today. I thought you might be getting hungry." Sokka's voice was gentler than normal. Zuko knew he must have worried him when he skipped out on their planned lunch together.
"I'm sorry," Zuko said, making room on a small table in the center of the room for Sokka to set down the tray he was holding. There were little plates of cheeses and fruit laid out for them on the tray, as well as two cups of hot tea.
"Sometimes I wonder if you're working yourself too hard," Sokka said, grabbing one of the plates and sitting on the couch nearby. He kicked his feet up on the edge of the table.
"No need to wonder, I can confirm that I am." Zuko grabbed a plate for himself and sat across from Sokka on the matching couch. He couldn't help the small sigh of joy that escaped him as he took his first bite of food all day. "I don't really have a choice though. It's my responsibility to make sure my people are safe and happy."
"Well, I'm here to help," Sokka said as he popped a few grapes into his mouth. "Just let me know what I can do."
"Making sure I don't starve to death is a good first step."
Sokka laughed before reaching for his cup of tea. "Seriously, though. You should make sure you're taking some time for yourself. Let me go to some of these meetings in your place."
Zuko shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I really need to be there."
Sokka grumbled something that Zuko couldn't quite make out.
"Anyway, it's late. I'll go to bed soon. You can head out, maybe spend some time in town. I heard a new dance tavern opened in the city," Zuko offered, already placing his dishes on the tray and walking back towards his desk.
"A new place to dance? That's pretty cool." Sokka stood and stretched. "Especially since as of a few years ago, dancing wasn't something you could do in public here."
"Lots of things have changed since then." Zuko tightened his robe around himself and looked out the window above his desk. The sun had already set, and Zuko cursed at the sky for time going by too quickly.
"Well, as much fun as that sounds, I'm pretty pooped too. Good night, Lord Zuko." Zuko cringed as Sokka dipped into a low, obviously sarcastic, bow. Sokka shut the door behind him as he slinked away into the hallway.
Zuko sighed. The short reprieve of Sokka's visit had been welcome, even if Zuko essentially pushed him out the door. Sokka was right, he needed a break. Not necessarily another weeks-long vacation, but maybe a night out could be fun. It might be beneficial to come back to his duties refreshed. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he needed to hire more staff. He wouldn't be able to maintain this level of go, go, go much longer. He scratched out a note to himself about it before diving back into the budget plan sprawled across his desk.
The next morning, Zuko dressed himself, dismissing his chambermaids, and walked into the breakfast room to see Sokka already digging in. He was reading the newspaper in one hand, a forkful of eggs in the other.
"Good morning," Zuko grumbled.
Sokka looked up, eyebrows raised. He set down his newspaper and said, "Well, don't you just look lovely today."
Zuko recognized the sarcasm in his voice and knew that he must have messed something up when dressing himself this morning. "Is it my hair?" Zuko asked, eyes shooting up as if he would be able to see.
"Yeah, your hair, your clothes, everything is a little crooked." Sokka laughed. "What grown man doesn't know how to dress himself?"
"Hey!" Zuko stormed over to the table and sat down with a heavy thud. "There's too many layers to these stupid outfits, how am I supposed to know which goes first?" He sneered at Sokka which only caused him to laugh more.
"You would think that by now you would've figured it out!" Sokka continued laughing, hand over his belly, leaning back in his chair. "What's the excuse for your hair? All you do is pull it back and stick a fancy pin in it!"
Zuko grumbled in dissatisfaction, reaching up to touch his hair. "I should've checked the mirror before I left."
"Yeah, you should've!"
As Sokka continued to laugh and come up with other things to mock Zuko about, Zuko began eating. Eventually, even Sokka got bored of his own jokes and quieted down. "Anyway," Zuko began, trying to put a cap on his anger. "I was thinking about what you said last night. You're right, I'm pushing too hard. I was thinking maybe tonight, we could check out that dance tavern?" Zuko stared down at his plate, doing everything he could to seem nonchalant.
Sokka sat up straight in his chair, eyebrows shooting to the top of his forehead. "Really? You'd want to go?"
"Only if you want to."
"I must warn you, I'm a mean dancer. It's just how we do things in the Water Tribe."
"Is that so?" Zuko finally met Sokka's eyes and smirked a little. Imagining Sokka dancing, mean or otherwise, was definitely entertaining. "You'll have to teach me. Fire Nation kids not being allowed to dance didn't lend me any skills."
Zuko caught Sokka's cheeks light up a deep red before he turned his face away. Zuko looked away too, out of instinct. "I can teach you." Sokka's tone was much more serious than it had been only moments ago. He took a deep breath before turning back towards Zuko. "I'll show you how it's done," he exclaimed, as if trying again, his usual jovial tone returning.
"Great," Zuko said, grateful that the awkward tension had lifted. "I'll find you at sundown."
After another meeting-filled day, Zuko stuck to his word and sought out Sokka after he changed into more casual wear. He went with a black cotton undershirt, a red and yellow overshirt, and long black pants. He wanted to look put together but not like a Fire Lord. He opted to keep his hair down.
When Sokka stepped from his chambers, he too had changed. He was wearing a sleeveless blue top and deep blue pants. The garb was reminiscent of the style of clothes he used to wear, back during the war. Zuko got the impression that he was trying to show off his biceps to any ladies he may encounter that night. Sokka's hair was pulled back in it's short tail, the sides of his hair still overgrown.
"Ready?" Zuko asked.
"As ready as I'll ever be!"
As they began walking, Sokka threw an arm over Zuko's shoulders. "Any guards coming with us tonight?" Sokka asked.
"Why would they when the best boomerang wielder in the Fire Nation will be there with me?"
"I'm pretty sure I'm the only boomerang wielder in the Fire Nation," Sokka countered.
"Then there won't be anyone who can stand against you," Zuko said, his focus drifting to where Sokka's hand was brushing against his shoulder. "But really, there will be a couple of guards, but they've been instructed to wait outside. We can handle ourselves."
"It sure would be embarrassing if the Fire Lord got attacked at a dancing tavern. Even more so if he couldn't hold his own in a fight." Sokka giggled a little at whatever scenario he had imagined.
"I suppose it would be," Zuko said, his voice a little dark.
"Good thing that won't happen!" Sokka jumped in, probably realizing the shift in Zuko's mood. "Like you said, you've got the best boomerang wielder in the whole nation at your side."
Zuko gave Sokka a sidelong glance and smiled.
When they finally arrived at the tavern, the guards obediently remaining outside, the two headed straight for the bar. The music was overwhelmingly loud for the relatively small place. The band was stationed in one corner of the room, blasting their upbeat music and tapping their feet. Patrons gathered in the middle of the room, gyrating and bobbing and some even jumping up and down. No one seemed to know how to find the beat and move to it, but they all appeared to be having fun.
Sokka shouted an order at the bartender, still barely audible over all the commotion inside the building, and in a few moments, they were both presented with their own drinks.
"What is this?" Zuko asked as loudly as he could, staring down at the clear liquid in his glass. It smelled strongly of alcohol.
"Just drink, have a good time!" Sokka shouted back, throwing a hand on Zuko's shoulder and giving him a shake. "Loosen up!"
Zuko hesitated for a moment but downed the drink in one go. Sokka cheered him on before gulping down his own drink.
"Let's dance!" Sokka yelled, grabbing Zuko by the wrist and dragging him toward the crowd of people at the center of the dance floor. Zuko noticed that the lights scattered around the room had colored glass over them, causing the walls and floor to be lit up in red, blue, and green. Despite only having one drink, Zuko was already feeling the effects as he stumbled over his own feet when Sokka pulled them to a stop in the center of the room. It must have been a strong drink.
Sokka grabbed both of Zuko's hands and pulled his arms back and forth, causing Zuko to sway to the beat of the music. Even as the heat from the alcohol spread across Zuko's body, his limbs still felt stiff and awkward. He saw Sokka bouncing his hips from side to side, and even doing little side steps, but Zuko couldn't make his body move that way. At least, not with only one drink in his system. He desperately wanted to have fun though, so after a quick trip back to the bar for another round, he returned to Sokka with a little more pep in his step.
Sokka got a hold of Zuko's hands again, this time swaying more enthusiastically, as if he too were excited to see Zuko have some fun.
The world swam around Zuko. What was in that drink? Sokka beamed over at Zuko before dropping his hands to break down on his own. Sokka picked up his foot in one hand and tucked his other hand behind his head and skipped around, pulling his head in and his knee up. Zuko didn't really understand what he was seeing, but - maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the atmosphere - he cracked up. He couldn't help but laugh as Sokka jumped around, his body curving in on itself on every offbeat. Zuko tried to mimic him but immediately tripped. Luckily, Sokka reached out and caught him before he could faceplant.
The two stood face to face, Sokka's hands still under Zuko's arms to steady him, mere inches from one another. Zuko could see the sweat that was steadily forming on Sokka's brow. From this distance, he could also see the smooth curve of his exposed biceps. The room was certainly hot, and exerting themselves while dancing didn't help. Sokka recovered and clasped one of Zuko's hands and placed his other on Zuko's hip. He shifted so that Zuko's empty hand rested on Sokka's shoulder. They began an exaggerated version of a ballroom dance, Sokka holding out their clasped hands as far as he could. He stiffened his legs and began waddling around like a plank of wood in their mock dance. Zuko followed suit, knowing how ridiculous they looked, and began snickering. They both kept a healthy distance from each other, their bodies only touching where their hands lay. Sokka donned a face of hyperbolic aristocracy, his nose tipped high in the air, looking down at Zuko with a smug look on his face. This was the first time Zuko noticed that Sokka was taller than him. Had it always been that way?
As the current song wound down, Sokka and Zuko separated themselves and walked back to the bar. Sokka ordered another drink for the both of them. This time, it tasted much better to Zuko than it had the first two times. Zuko could tell they both had become exhausted easily, their chests rising and falling dramatically with each breath, their clothes sticking to their skin with sweat. It was still summer, and despite the cool night air outside, the inside of this small building was thick with humidity, no breeze to relieve them.
After downing two more drinks, Sokka sticking with just having one more, Zuko returned to the dance floor, this time dragging Sokka along. As if by magic, Zuko's limbs finally moved with the same fluidity as Sokka's, perhaps even more fluidity. His hips could shimmy, his legs could shake, his whole body felt looser. The two danced for several more songs, and with each passing minute, they floated closer and closer to each other, as if drawn by a new source of gravity. By the third song, Sokka's arms were around Zuko's shoulders.
"I'm glad you're having fun," Sokka yelled, leaning close to Zuko's ear so that he could be heard over the music.
"I am having fun," Zuko shouted back. He felt his voice go hoarse and some far away part of himself wondered how tomorrow would go with all his meetings where he would be required to talk.
"I'm not gonna lie, it's weird to hear you say that." Sokka didn't question him further, though, and just continued to dance.
Every song that night had been bright, happy, and upbeat. It was exactly what Zuko needed.
In between songs, Sokka leaned in and pressed his lips against Zuko's ear to say something. Zuko couldn't make out what he said though and just laughed.
"I love you, Mai," Zuko whispered, his eyes closed and head leaning back.
And just like that, sobriety crashed into Zuko. He snapped his head back down to look at Sokka. He didn't seem to have heard what Zuko said because he was still bouncing to the music. They were close, too close, Zuko realized. Their bodies were pressed together at almost every inch, Sokka's arms slung over Zuko's shoulders. Zuko stepped away from Sokka's touch. They were way too close. He needed to get away, needed to clear his head. He tried blinking, but it didn't help straighten the wobbling floor beneath him. How much had he had to drink? He couldn't remember.
Slowly, he walked toward the entrance of the tavern, putting every ounce of his concentration into staying up right. When he reached the door, Sokka was quickly behind him.
"Are you okay?" Sokka asked, concern filling his eyes.
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Zuko replied. He hadn't felt it until he said it out loud, but suddenly pain ripped through his stomach. He clutched his abdomen as hard as he could and stumbled outside. The breeze was cool enough to calm Zuko down a bit. The guards were around them in an instant. They couldn't help as Zuko hurled into a bush nearby, though.
When Zuko finally recovered, he met Sokka's gaze. Heat rushed to his cheeks at the look Sokka was giving him. "I'll be fine," Zuko said before leaning over the bush again.
Two of the guards slung Zuko's arms around their shoulders and helped him walk home, Sokka trailing behind. He didn't seem nearly as affected as Zuko had been by the alcohol. When they got back to the palace, the guards laid Zuko on his bed as gently as they could before leaving the room. Sokka stayed behind and sat on the edge of the giant bed.
"Do you want me to stay with you?" Sokka asked. "You might throw up again." Zuko noticed he cringed a bit, probably at the thought of having to help clean up Zuko's vomit.
"This is so embarrassing," Zuko said, slinging an arm over his face to hide the blush that was growing on his cheeks.
"I'm not gonna argue with that one."
"I'll be fine, get some sleep," Zuko said, waving Sokka off. It must have been very late, and he was exhausted. He assumed Sokka was too.
Sokka just nodded and stood. He squeezed Zuko's shoulder in farewell before leaving him alone with his thoughts.