Uwahh! I totally had this chapter written like, 3 weeks ago, but forgot to uplaod it!! Gomen gomen gomenZ!!

Anyways... hope this is to everyones liking. my mum found my story book (a notepad I draft my chapters in... OMG how embarresment!! 0.0!! neways Im going to try and work on next chappy tmw. But we'll see!

Enjoy this one.

Zuko awoke early the next morning, before Sokka, and was surprised that he couldn't feel the Water teen near him. The sun was only just peaking over the distant mountains, so Zuko was not nearly ready to get out of bed, but he wondered where Sokka was and it was keeping him from sleeping.

Groggily, he sat up and looked around the camp. Spying the Water teen, sprawled out completely off the sleeping mat, legs all akimbo, to his left, still fast asleep, Zuko couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at his companion's restful sleep.

Zuko's sleep was always filled with dreams, mostly nightmares. Since leaving the Fire Nation and joining the Avatar, his nightmares had lessened but they were still there. Zuko had also noticed that the content of his dreams had changed in recent nights. He used to always dream of capturing the Avatar and restoring his honour, they were fitful dreams where Aang had always been just out of his grasp. But these days he dreamed of saving the Avatar. Or at least, trying to save him. In his dreams he was always trying his hardest to protect his new comrades, Aang, Sokka, even Katara, but he was never strong enough, they were always still just out of reach.

He hated dreams.

The Fire Nation teen's brow furrowed in annoyance at his mind and its inherent ability to drive itself mad. Rubbing his eyes, he stood slowly and placed his blanket over the still sleeping Sokka. The Water teen mumbled something and Zuko thought he heard his name escape the sleeping boys lips. Breaking his frown to smile at the Water teen, he turned and made his way over to the dying fire. Maybe a tea would help him sleep.

As Zuko boiled the water, Sokka awoke and slowly focused his eyes on the fire teen, having been woken by the sounds of Zuko rummaging around making his tea. He watched as Zuko made his tea and sat down on the sleeping mat in front of him.

It was then that Sokka realised he was not on the sleeping mat any more, but lying on the grass, covered in Zuko's blanket.

Zuko was sitting facing away from Sokka, looking at the fire and he started when Sokka dropped down beside him wrapped in the blanket.

"Sokka!? Sorry did I wake you?" Zuko turned to face the other teen.

"Yeah… but that's ok. I slept enough yesterday…" Zuko did not answer, but just nodded and turned back to the fire.

"Do you want some tea? I would have made you some but I thought you were asleep." Zuko offered his cup to Sokka.

"Thanks." Sokka took the cup and sipped the warm liquid. "Wow! This is really good tea!" He looked into the cup.

"It is my uncle's special blend… I haven't got much left actually…" Zuko said sadly.



The two sat in silence for a moment, and then Sokka spoke.

"You're uncle is a good man, isn't he?" He passed the tea back to Zuko.

Zuko sighed and stared into his cup. "Yeah, he is. He is more like a father to me than the Fire Lord ever was… It just took me a while to realise it…" He sipped the tea and passed it to Sokka.

"I'm sure you'll see him again…" Sokka placed his arm comfortingly around Zuko's waist. "I'd battle the Fire Lord by myself to get some more of this tea!" The Water teen sipped the tea and grinned at Zuko, who sadly smiled back, still always amazed at Sokka's ability to lighten the mood.

They sat quietly, enjoying each other's company for a while. Then Sokka realised he still had his arm around Zuko. Removing it slowly, he looked at Zuko in the early morning light. He had such strong feelings for the other teen, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out where they had come from.

As he eyed the Fire teen, Sokka wondered how long this thing with Zuko could last. He couldn't possibly continue molesting the other teenager after Katara came back. His sister would castrate him if she knew half of the lewd things he wanted to do to the Fire Nation's exiled prince.

But how could he ignore how he felt? Even as he sat there, innocently sipping tea, Sokka had the urge to lose himself in the yellow-eyed teenager's arms, to bury his fingers into his soft, dark hair, to gently trace the lines of his scar… This was an issue he knew he would have to discuss with Zuko. Did the Fire teen feel the same deep-blooded urge to be touched by him? Sokka didn't want to scare the other teen away by coming on too strong, but this was ridiculous.

Everything Sokka did was now filled by thoughts of the scarred teenager. And it had only been a day!

Zuko felt Sokka's eyes on him and turned to face the water teen. Sokka was gnawing on his bottom lip with a concerned twist in his brow.

"What is on your mind?" Zuko asked.

Sokka sat there silently; a slight movement in his eyes gave the only sign that he had heard the prince's words. For a long moment, he said nothing, as if trying to get the words right in his head before he spoke.

Zuko waited patiently but he could see the other teen was having some kind of internal debate with himself that was making him uncomfortable.

"Never mind." Zuko said, his voice void of any malicious tone. "Tell me some other time…"

Sokka sighed. He was grateful Zuko had not pressed him to voice his thoughts. He was not sure he wanted to voice them out loud yet.

He nodded at Zuko in silent thanks, wondering if the Fire teen had given up so easily because he was harbouring confused thoughts himself.



The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully. As much as the two teenagers tried to keep their distance from each other, they did not seem to be able to. They continually stole chaste kisses from each other, Zuko running his hands up under Sokka's shirt whenever they came close enough, Sokka lacing his fingers into Zuko's hair at every chance he got…

Zuko knew they had to come to some sort of agreement about their situation before the others returned, but what?

Whatever it was he had with Sokka was something he wanted to explore further, but at the same time he didn't want to cause trouble for the Water teen with his sister and friends. He knew Katara did not trust him. And he wasn't entirely sure the others did either. Not even Sokka for that matter.

As they finished eating their evening meal in the fading light, Zuko turned to Sokka. He had been thinking all day about what it was exactly that he wanted to say to the other teenager, and he still wasn't sure he had it right. But it would drive him mental if he did not say anything.

"Sokka…" He started; the Water teen looked over at him, mid-chew on a mouthful of food. "You know… Katara and the others will be back tomorrow…" Sokka pressed his lips together in a thoughtful way and nodded, letting the Fire prince continue. "So I've been thinking… about us…" as he said the last word, Zuko looked closely at Sokka, attempting to judge his reaction.

Sokka slowly swallowed his mouthful and scratched his chin. It seemed to Zuko that the Water teenager was equally as perplexed by their situation as he was.

Zuko continued, his words slightly hurried, "So anyway, I'm just going to come out and say this, because if I don't I am going to go out of my mind."

Sokka nodded and listened, hoping that Zuko had found the words he himself wanted to say. Zuko took a steadying breath as if cementing his resolve. Not looking at the water teen anymore, he began.

"Ok… So… I don't know about you, but I've never done anything like this before… With another guy, I mean… But it seems that I like it. More to the point, I think I like you. I mean, I know I like you, and well... I wish there was a way we could… continue… doing what we are doing… for a bit longer. You know, after the others come back… and that's where you come in… You have decide what we do, because…" Here he stopped and chanced a glance at Sokka.

Sokka was looking into the fire thoughtfully, chewing his bottom lips. He didn't say anything.

"Sokka… I don't want to get you into trouble with Katara or your friends… I know I'm not everyone's favourite person…"

Sokka turned to look at him, "That's not true, Zuko. Aang really likes you, and Toph was the only one at the start rooting for you to join the group. Haku and the others don't even know you…"

Zuko eyed Sokka questioningly. "What about Katara? …What about you, Sokka?"



"What about me?"

"What do you think of me?" Zuko's gaze seemed to burn into Sokka as the other teen stumbled with his words.

"I… I guess I feel the same way as you do…" he managed to say through a slight blush.

"You guess?"

"I mean, I do, I totally do. It's ridiculous I know, but just sitting next to you like this excites me." Sokka saw Zuko grin slightly at his confession. "But at the same time, I know it's going to cause problems. Gah! Why is life so complicated?" Sokka threw his hands up in frustration.

Zuko looked at his companion affectionately. Placing his dinner plate on the ground beside him, he leaned across and put his hand on Sokka's bent knee. Moving closer, he brought his lips to Sokka's.

Sokka slowly closed his eyes, surprised by the sudden kiss. He readily parted his lips to allow Zuko to deepen his movements and the second the Fire teen's tongue made its way slowly, painfully slowly, into his mouth, Sokka's insides turned to jelly. There was no way he could give this up. Even if it meant lying to Katara and the others. Even if it meant telling them everything and having to leave the group. The thought of not being able to do this with the other teen almost made him sick in the stomach.

Sokka snaked his arm around the Fire teen and pulled him closer. Zuko moved the hand he had on Sokka's knee up his clothed thigh, and Sokka groaned in satisfaction as it grazed over his crotch, slightly bucking into the touch.

As Zuko applied more pressure to Sokka's growing erection, he pulled his lips from the other teen's to speak.

"It doesn't have to be complicated…" Zuko breathed against Sokka's mouth.

As the words sank into Sokka's mind, a small shiver coursed its way through his body. He knew that Zuko was right; it didn't have to be complicated…

"It doesn't have to be, but it is…" Sokka mumbled.

Zuko sighed and leaned in to kiss Sokka again. Even though it was just a simple kiss, Zuko still managed to make Sokka's breath hitch in his throat.

"Was that complicated?" Zuko asked, referring to the kiss.

Sokka shook his head, no. He didn't trust his voice.

"What about this?" Zuko asked again as he caressed Sokka's straining need harder, but still painfully slowly, all the while kissing, licking and biting at the Water teen's neck. "Is this complicated?" He whispered into Sokka's ear?



Sokka growled in frustration. There was nothing complicated about what Zuko was doing to him. It felt good… hell, it felt fantastic, and it was driving all other thoughts from Sokka's mind.

Sokka had found his solution.

He couldn't stop being with Zuko. Not for Aang, not for Toph, not even for his sister…

"Zuko…" he breathed. "Zuko, st- stop…" Zuko leaned back slightly and looked at Sokka. "I-… I think we should tell the others… about... this…" He gestured first to himself then to Zuko.

"Really? Why the sudden change of heart?" Zuko looked questioningly at Sokka.

Sokka leaned forward and placed his hands behind Zuko's head. Gently running his short nails over the Fire teen's sensitive scalp, he pulled himself towards the other teenager and kissed him with renewed fervor. Sliding his tongue out and using it to part the Fire teen's warm lips, he deepened the kiss, feeling Zuko's moan more than hearing it.

Sokka had kissed girls before. But it was never like this. Every little utterance the Fire teen made affected Sokka in ways he didn't know existed and in places he didn't know were there. That was why he wanted to tell Katara… Because he knew that there was no way he could hold back.

Zuko's hands had made their way to Sokka's hips, and as they pulled apart reluctantly, the Fire teen had to dig his fingers in for support.

"That's why I want to tell Katara…" Sokka smiled cheerfully at his companion who grinned back.

"You make a convincing argument..." Zuko put on a face of pretend contemplation, "But what if she freaks out?" Zuko asked tentatively.

"She's been my sister my whole life. I think I can handle her…"

Zuko chuckled and shook his head.

" 'Been your sister your whole life', huh? No kidding…" He grinned, "You're an idiot, you know…?"

"Yeah, but you love it…" Sokka playfully jabbed his finger into Zuko's chest.

Zuko grabbed Sokka's hand and roughly pulled him forward.

"Oh I do, do I?"

Sokka, surprised and thoroughly turned on by Zuko's aggressiveness, decided a little goading was in order. He grinned…

"Yeah, you do… Know what else you love?" Sokka grabbed Zuko's shoulders and leaned into him.

"What?" Zuko asked, eyeing Sokka suspiciously.



Sokka grinned and gave the Fire prince a shove, pushing him down onto his back and coming to lay over him.

"Me… On top…" Sokka laughed at Zuko's angry face and the growl that reverberated though the teen below him.

"You're dreaming…" Zuko snarled, as he smashed his lips against Sokka's, grabbed his arm and pulled him off to the side. Quickly throwing his leg over the water teen's waist, Zuko had their rolls reversed in no time.

"Damn it, that's not fair!" Sokka grumbled from beneath Zuko, who sat on his hips with a triumphant smile spread on his face.

"What's not fair?"

"You! You're not fair. I wanna be on top…" the Water teen whinged.

"Next time, Princess." Zuko leaned down and kissed the teen below him, surprised that Sokka hadn't tried to hit him for calling him Princess…

"Promise?" Sokka pouted and Zuko found it strangely endearing.

"I promise, Sokka, that next time we fuck, you can be on top."

Sokka continued to pout for a moment longer, then to Zuko's astonishment , began to laugh.

"What's so funny?" The Fire teen asked.

"I was just thinking…" Sokka was having trouble forming words in between laughs, "I was ju-just thinking how stra-strange it would have sounded if you h-had said that t m-me a few months a-ago…"

Zuko gave a small chuckle and looked down at the teen below him. Sokka's cheeks were red with laughter, and his eyes shone in the fire light with mirth. He found that it tingled him somewhere inside to see Sokka so truly happy.

"Yes, but that," He bent down and offered Sokka a chaste kiss, "was then. And this…" He ground his hips against Sokka's and both boys groaned at the sensation, "Is now…"

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