9:37 PM

Zuko found himself outside Sokka's door again, not peering in, but standing in front of it. He knocked. He heard quite a bit of movement and stirring. It must have been two or three minutes before the door opened. Zuko was a bit nervous by the delay.

Sokka opened the door wearing a robe, a lounging robe (Zuko was glad that Sokka was starting to really understand the . It was made of fine satin. Zuko wasn't going to tell him but the robe was an item of lingerie but Zuko was rejoicing in the fact that it was apparently left in the closet. Zuko was checking him out, now that he was able to see Sokka's front he took some mental notes and mental pictures. There was a bit of hair on Sokka's chest. He also noted that there was a definite bulge down there, and he wondered if that was its natural hang or if he was a bit aroused. Whatever the case, those rumors he had heard about Water Tribe Men were definitely true.

"What's wrong, Zuko?" The question was asked in a understanding yet a little frustrated as if he was interrupted.

"Oh, if you're busy."

"No… no, come in," Sokka opened the door and Zuko walked in. The room was warm and inviting. Zuko's nose perked when he smelled coconut. And the scent of it drenched the room. Zuko loved coconut so he didn't mind. In fact, he was lulled by it.

"What can I do for you?" Sokka asked, now fully committed to helping Zuko, whatever he was doing now an afterthought.

"I don't know if I can do this, Sokka." Zuko was in a bit of a crisis.

"Why not?"

"Because I'm terrified."

"Terrified of what, Zuko?" He sat on the edge of his bed and invited Zuko to do the same.

Zuko did and continued, "Rejection. My life. Making mistakes. This whole thing. When I was a little kid, I was fourth in line. I knew that it wouldn't happen and I slept secure in the knowledge that this unwieldy thing, being a statesman, being a ruler, would never, ever fall in my lap. I was absolutely certain that I could live and die as a prince, and a prince in peacetime too."

"And what are you? Who are you, Zuko?" Sokka started.

"I'm a scared little boy with a very heavy crown on my head. And I am all alone."

"I'm here."

"Yes, you are Sokka, but when you are in charge of something this big, I could be in a crowd of a million, a thousand million and be alone. .So terribly, terribly alone. The world may not be on fire but it's still smoldering. Embers are flying all over the place and something might catch."

"When did you get so poetical?" Sokka chuckled.

"No, Sokka, I'm serious."

"And so am I. You are the richest person on Earth."

"So wh-"

"You need to relax and enjoy everything this has to offer."

"And what's that?"

"Any girl you want. Any thing you want," Sokka was trying to convince him of the lofty benefits of his office.

"I don't want anything."

"Well you've already said you want someone. Well after you work through your emotions about Mai." Sokka remembered.

"Would you believe me if I said that I feel better about it?"

"Yes, I would."

"Really?" The Fire Lord was astounded.

"Somehow I think our fates are written out in the stars. I mean I know that we control our destinies, but we are star-crossed and star-blessed, as it were. Man is born unto trouble, we were born unto something worse. I know that Yue fixed my heart about a lot of things, took the of the pain away. I wouldn't be surprised if Mai is looking down right now preparing your heart for what's next." Sokka said, wondering where the words were coming from.

"And Mai might be some sort of star hovering up there pulling strings?"

"Not pulling strings, cutting them, cutting the emotional baggage. Making room for something new. I don't know."

"Something new. I have to create something new. We have to create something new, and not something small either. A new world order is at hand and if we don't get this right… War is easy. There's an objective, there's a goal and a mission."

"You Fire people don't quit, do you?"

"What?"

Realizing how bad that sounded, Sokka walked it back, "What I meant was that you're all so focused on work and missions and goals that you don't relax. Somehow, you haven't run yourselves ragged."

"We've probably forgotten how to relax. I mean, when my grandfather outlawed dancing in 1861-"

"WHAT? He outlawed dancing?" Sokka was flabbergasted.

"He said, 'We must not be distracted in our plan to civilizing the East.' So he outlawed dancing, gambling and he tried to prohibit alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis but let's just say that too many nobles' wealth are predicated on the drug trade."

"But prostitution, cocaine, heroin, and all the other opiates are still legal."

"Well, who wants to take away their own fun?" Zuko asked laughing. His mood was being lifted.

"And what do you do for fun Zuko? What do you do to escape?" Sokka was glad to have brought up his mood.

"After I read about cactus juice when I traveled the world I had some delivered here."

"You had cactus juice here and you didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know that you partook." Zuko said.


"You're drunk, Sokka." Zuko was feeling quite intoxicated. His words were slurred, All his problems melted, faded away with the cactus juice. It always went down warm when he drank it.

"Yes, I believe I am. And by the looks of it, you are too," Sokka said, "See what I mean? Relaxing is good."

"Did you do this in the Water Tribe?" Zuko sat back down because the room didn't seem to stay still.

"DO what?"

"I asked the question first." Zuko replied confused, but not upset by it.

"No we don't" Sokka answered the original question.

"Don't do what?"

"You asked the question first."

They burst into laughter. Not even the author of the words could find anything funny about it.

Zuko continued, "Yeah but this is like weird. Never did I think I'd be drunk, like fucking plastered with the prince of the Southern Water Tribe in my palace.

"I never thought I'd be drunk with the Fire Lord but here we are." He swiftly changed subject. "Zuko why is thing, this robe thing. Why the hell is this thing so damn short. It's like coming up above my knees."

"Well it's for a lady. In fact, it's, what do they call it? Intimate apparel."

"What you mean I'm wearing like lingerie, bro? You weren't gonna tell me?"

"Nope, it made me fucking laugh too much." Zuko started laughing harder and louder than he ever dreamed of sober.

"What's so funny, Mister?" Sokka asked, "You saying I can't be sexy? I mean look at me. I am all muscles and whatnot. And besides I like how this thing feels, very silky and roomy where it counts. Don't you think."

"Don't ask me questions like that, you might not like the answer you get." Zuko's drunkenness revealed more than he would have hoped, but he knew Sokka could not have had a clue.

"Haha, Zuko, if you ever give up the throne, you could be a comedian. And besides at least someone like how I look. Someone was peeping on me last night.

"What? You're crazy." Zuko got very nervous. Drunk and nervous, not a good combo.

"No, I'm not. I left the door open by mistake and noticed that some of the light that was coming from the hallway was blocked. Then it's like she bolted off."

"It mighta been a spirit or something."

"No, she was breathing too hard." Sokka had his answers ready. "You know what? I know who it was."

"What? How?"

"You know how you said you believe in like spirits like doing stuff for us?" Sokka asked.

"No, you said that."

"I bet that dream I had was about the peeper."

"Dream. what dream, bro?" Zuko asked. Taking another shot of juice.

"No stupid, not 'what dream', 'wet dream'." Sokka corrected.

"Thank you Mister Water Tribe Man for your honesty. I didn't think that I'd ever learn those sorts of things about you. "

"You should just ask."

"You wouldn't talk like this if you weren't drunk."

I think I'm gonna end up with one of your handmaids. Cause in the dream I had the hand that grabbed my dick was-"

"Wait, what?" Zuko was seriously lost now. "Dick grabbing, Sokka? You need to wash your hands, my friend. You might even need one of those alcohol sanitizer deals. Dick grabbing, pussy grabbing, you dirty, dirty..." Zuko couldn't find a word. It was not as if he was looking for a polite word for it, whatever he was feeling. It was like a vague sort of arousal.

"Shhh, and you might learn something."

"I'm all ears professor."

"Using my detective skills,"

"No, I said you were a professor, not a detective. Keep it straight." Zuko really needed to avoid cactus juice. He was like a caricature.

"Getting you drunk makes you chatty, I see. Now shhh."

Zuko chuckled.

" know that the hand that grabbed my dick was soft and gentle like, but too soft to be like a lady of leisure. The hands were well taken care of but they worked. And I know she's a firebender too. When she was sucking-"

"You're a perv" Zuko joked. "Ogling Fire Nation women like that what would your sister say?"

"And you're a prude." Sokka jabbed back, " And I think Why are you so fascinated with sex?" He liked flipping the issue on Zuko.

"If only you knew. I don't even know and wait a second. I'm like seventeen last time I checked. I think I am supposed to be fascinated with sex, and getting it as often as possible. And don't you turn this around on me. You're the one talking about handjobs and blowjobs like its nothing." Zuko just realized that he made up some words.

"What the fuck is a 'handjob' and a 'blowjob'?"

"Words I just came up with." Zuko scratched his head in consternation.

"And you're in the business of creating words now?"

"Yes, Zuko's Word Emporium, selling blowjobs and handjobs to the highest bidder."

"That already exists Zuko it's called a brothel. Well minus the bidding part"

"No, it's a… it's a, um, a 'house of assignation."

"Anyway, I think she's gonna reveal herself real soon." Sokka said.

"You make it sound as if it's so close you could touch 'em." Zuko remarked. "You're over Suki, huh?"

"Suki who?" Sokka burst into ridiculous laughter.

"Good," Zuko added.

"And I'll know her when I see her."

"How?"

"She was wearing something very special in the dream."

"What? Nothing?"

"I'm not gonna tell you and have you jinx it. Knowing you, you'd probably change the uniforms to screw with me."

They both laughed, though Zuko's was fake. He was barely able to hold back his emotions.


He left Sokka's room, shortly after. He managed to keep a straight face as he left and shut the door behind hi. He kept that stoic expression as he made the trek to his wing. Zuko got back to his room, shortly after, his nerve still holding. He shut the door behind him. He ran to his bed and collapsed on it. He started bawling hysterically into a pillow. He felt a sense of doom. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest.

Zuko had felt that he had a chance. It was the longest of longshots, but Sokka seemed to have his heart set on a maid. A fucking maid.

He started to feel a bit of regret a bit of foolishness. He started second guessing everything, everything that he thought about himself. Everything he thought about his chances. He thought and thought some more.

How was I even going to … I mean it's not like he would, or could… I just want him. I don't want some stupid chick. I want him. I want him so badly. I'm falling so deep into lust or love, I don't even know.

At some point, he fell asleep, staining the pillow with salty, bitter tears.