Day 3: The Boiling Rock

Genres: Romance/Friendship

Rating: K

Setting: Fire Nation Royal Palace (after North and South)

The Boiling Rock

"Zuko, look." The blue-eyed boy exhaled sharply. "You don't have to do all this for me. You don't have to wine and dine me. I know what you're trying to do – "

"I don't think you do – "

"And it's not necessary." He smiled. "For the last time, I'm not mad at you."

"I know, that's not – "

"Sure it sucks you stole my girlfriend, but I know you'd never do anything to hurt me, at least intentionally – "

"Sokka…"

"And I should have known she'd fall for you after being your bodyguard for so long." He took a swig of his wine, resting his elbows on the candlelit table in the palace ballroom. "So you don't have to do this. I don't need the royal treatment. There're no hard feelings. You don't have to worry about our friendship."

"Actually I do – "

"If you're after my blessing, you've got it. You have my permission to date Suki – "

"Sokka, stop."

The warrior arched his eyebrows.

"I'm not doing this for your blessing or your forgiveness. I don't want Suki. I want…" Zuko paused, wondering if his mouth would finally spit out what he'd been holding back for so long. "… you."

"You want me to what?"

"Ummm…" His cheeks reddened.

"Oh." Sokka looked baffled. "OH!" His heart jumped in his chest as the words sank in. "I… I don't know what – "

"I know it's weird, a-and you probably don't feel the same way, but I just had to – "

"Since… since when? When did you – "

"When we went to the Boiling Rock. That was the first time I felt it." Zuko swallowed. "At first I thought I was blindly following you into a death mission because I wanted to earn your trust. But now… I know that's not the reason why."

Sokka waited for him to continue, his head spinning.

A gentle laugh escaped Zuko's lips. "We barely knew each other at the time, but even then, the thought of you getting hurt or worse was unbearable to me. I-I couldn't let that happen, so I – "

"So you went with me that night." He took a deep breath. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"Lots of reasons! You had a girlfriend, I didn't know what people would think, I was confused, y-you're my best friend and I didn't want to risk – "

"Zuko… I'd never stop being your friend." The warrior smiled warmly. "You're my best friend too."

The firebender smiled back, but it quickly faded. "But you don't feel the same way…"

I don't know," he breathed. "I need time to process, Suki just broke up with me! I don't know what to think."

He nodded, feeling disheartened.

"But what I do know is… some of my happiest moments were ones spent with you, and I-I feel like I can completely be myself around you, and…" Sokka chuckled to himself. "Truth be told, I may have felt something for you too when we went to the Boiling Rock." He blushed.

"You did?"

"I-I just chocked it up to the rush of heading into such a dangerous mission, the risk of us losing our lives… I think that's why I was so excited to see Suki there. She was the perfect distraction from the confusing feelings I was having." He noticed his friend had an odd smile on his face, one he had never seen before. "What?"

"N-Nothing!" Zuko laughed. "I'm just… happy to hear that I guess."

He smiled, laughing softly.

"So… I know you need time to think, a-and that's okay, but… do you ever see us ever being more than just friends?"

"I… I don't even know where we'd start…"

"How about with…" He stood from the table and offered the warrior his hand. "… a dance?"

Sokka gazed into the firebender's bright eyes, flickering yellow and orange in the candlelight. And with one leap of faith, he took the boy's hand.