Here's finally part three! It gets mature here, folks!
Back on the ship, Zuko barely said two words to anyone before locking himself up in one of the rooms. Probably to brood, Sokka thought.
There was a growing tension, something almost tangible. Sokka spent his days mostly with Iroh, busying himself by playing pai-sho and trying his damnedest to beat the older man even by a little. He could only wonder what Zuko was up to, all alone.
Being that it was tradition, the four of them only met during mealtimes, but even that was tense and silent, and for the first time Sokka found that he dreaded eating.
This lasted the better part of two days until Sokka was moving between the deck of the ship, after another crushing defeat at the hands of Iroh in pa-sho, to his room, where he planned to prepare himself for another meal spent in awkward discomfort, when he heard Zuko's pleading voice further down the hall.
"Mai—please. We promised each other we would see this through no matter what."
Sokka stopped short to listen, feeling guilty about the decision immediately.
"Zuko... I did love you once, but this... changes things."
"I just want what's right for my country," Zuko replied bitterly.
"You're unhappy with me. Just accept that you can't change this part of yourself even if it's for your country."
"You WILL marry me," Zuko suddenly growled. "No one refuses a Fire Lord."
"You're just refusing yourself."
"I'll see you at dinner," Zuko countered through gritted teeth.
Suddenly, Sokka could hear Zuko's thundering footsteps heading towards him. In a panic, Sokka dove into the nearest room but his heartbeat increased tenfold when he was able to recognize, through the lush red tapestries and the extravagant bed, that he'd put himself right in Zuko's bedroom.
The door quickly opened behind him and Zuko stopped in his tracks seeing the Water Tribesman, his fists clenching. "What are you doing here." Sokka couldn't move. Zuko advanced on him, grabbing Sokka's shoulders and slamming him into the wall. "Well?"
Sokka wasn't sure what to say. He'd been caught, but the last thing he wanted to do was make Zuko angry. "I..." Sokka looked away, unable to hold Zuko's heavy gaze.
But somehow, something out of place caught his eye. Hanging from the foot of Zuko's bed was something familiar.
Distracted, Sokka brought his hand up to his neck, his body quivering at the realization. "You took it," he whispered, mouth dry.
Zuko growled, quickly putting himself between Sokka and the whalebone necklace. "Don't change the subject!"
"You took it!" Sokka yelled back. "You took it on purpose, right? Like the tradition, you-"
"Just stop it, Sokka! Yes! I took it. What does it matter?"
Sokka pushed Zuko away. "Why did you take it? Just tell me."
"It doesn't matter," Zuko growled again.
The Water Tribesman frowned at his friend, his expression a mask to cover the pounding of his heart. "It clearly does matter!", he spat back.
"I don't have time for this," Zuko grumbled, turning to leave.
"NO!" Sokka suddenly grabbed Zuko's shoulder, intending to turn him back around, but Zuko was faster, pinning Sokka back against the wall.
"I am the Fire Lord, and you will not disrespect me like this!"
Sokka could feel warm breath across his face, Zuko had leaned in close enough for Sokka to be able to smell the tea he drank hours earlier. He could feel how hot Zuko's body was, being this close.
He could see steam rising from Zuko's nostrils, and despite the warning signs, somehow, inexplicably, he crashed his lips down on Zuko's.
The startled Fire Lord pulled away, staring, but only for a moment before he pushed Sokka out of the room.
Staring at the door, Sokka felt a wave of nausea nearly over come him.
–
Iroh told him they only had four days left together before they made it back to the capital, and Sokka figured the next four days would be the longest days of his life.
He was so sure of it now: he was in love with Zuko. Just thinking about the Fire Lord made his chest hurt, just remembering that brief kiss, the way Zuko smelled... It would all be okay if only Zuko wasn't so determined to marry Mai for the sake of his country. Mai was likely right when she said Zuko was refusing himself.
Especially considering what Zuko had taken from him.
But Sokka would be on his best behavior until he could get away. As much as he was sure that his feelings were returned he was sure that they could absolutely not be together without hurting the already fragile state of peace throughout the world.
He also had to consider what Zuko was likely going through trying to help his mother. Zuko just didn't need this on his plate.
At least Iroh was a great companion. Despite the tension, Iroh was always present at mealtimes and frequently challenged Sokka to pai-sho to pass time. He would often have scrolls and books delivered to Sokka about various fighting techniques, too.
Zuko and Mai were decidedly absent, and on the last night aboard the ship, Sokka was sure he wouldn't even be able to say good bye to his friend.
The worst part was that Sokka couldn't even sleep, he was so anxious. He knew without a doubt their last day together would be awkward and painful to a degree. Sokka sighed and rolled over for maybe the hundredth time.
But it was at that moment that someone knocked on the door softly, and for a second Sokka had to wonder if he had hallucinated it.
When there came another soft knock, Sokka stood, mind blank. He was absolutely certain who would be on the other side of the door when he opened it, and just as he thought, he found an awkward-looking Zuko waiting for him.
"Can we talk?", he asked softly, a hint of shame in his voice.
Sokka couldn't speak over the pounding of his heart and so opened the door wide and stepped to the side to accommodate Zuko.
Instead of sitting, which Sokka would have preferred, Zuko paced anxiously at the foot of the bed. Sokka stood near the door after closing it, and a long pause stretched between them.
"I know it's unfair of me to say anything after the other day," Zuko started hesitantly. "It's just..." Finally, as though the weight of the words he was about to speak were too heavy to handle, Zuko sat on the edge of Sokka's bed. "I have feelings for you. I mean, that's obvious because of this," he said, pulling Sokka's necklace from his pocket. "But at the same time, I know that I need to do what's right for the Fire Nation. After everything that's happened, I can't be selfish."
Sokka didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel. It was as much as he'd expected, and yet it hurt like a fresh wound. Zuko couldn't pick him, as much as he wanted to, and Sokka decided that was much more painful than if Zuko didn't have any feelings for him at all.
Zuko looked up then. "At the same time, I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to lose whatever we have. I thought keeping my distance would make these feelings fade, but... even after five years I couldn't seem to give you up."
"So marry me," Sokka blurted, but he regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth.
Zuko looked surprised, and Sokka couldn't help but notice the hopefulness in his eyes before he looked away again, grief setting in. "We're both men," he mumbled.
Sokka shook his head and closed in on Zuko, put his hands on his shoulders. He leaned in, cautiously, and kissed Zuko. Only, this time the Firelord couldn't pull away.
After a moment, Zuko responded with a definite edge of desperation, wrapping his arms around Sokka's waist and pulling him in closer than ever.
They kissed until they both lost their breath, and then Sokka pulled away and pressed his forehead to Zuko's. "For tonight, let's pretend that doesn't matter," he whispered. This, at least, this memory of them together would have to be enough to last him the rest of his life. If Zuko needed to marry Mai, then Sokka had no right to stop him.
Zuko nodded, moving back onto the bed with Sokka following closely. The two men embraced, bodies pressed tightly together, as their mouths met again in a hard kiss. Sokka licked Zuko's lips just as his hands gripped the Fire Lord's waist, and Zuko sighed in pleasure, accepting Sokka's tongue into his mouth.
Zuko tugged at the back of Sokka's shirt for half a second before giving up and sliding his hands up Sokka's toned back. Sokka pulled the tie at his waist and Zuko wasted no time trailing his hands around to Sokka's chest to push his shirt over his shoulders and expose more skin for him to touch.
Sokka kissed Zuko in earnest, mapping out his mouth with his tongue, nibbling his lips, tasting his teeth. He mirrored Zuko by running his hands up Zuko's stomach, trying to push his shirt up, and once the fabric had bunched up on Zuko's chest the Fire Lord pulled away momentarily to remove it all together.
Both men let out a small moan when their bodies pressed flush together, hot naked skin sliding against hot naked skin. Sokka didn't think anyone else would ever fit this perfectly in his arms—but it was no time to think like that.
He gingerly brushed one of Zuko's nipples and earned a small cry and an insistent thrust against his thigh. They'd barely started, Sokka realized, but already they were both unbearably hard. He ran his thumb over Zuko's nipple again, kissing him harder as he pushed a knee between Zuko's knees.
"Wait," Zuko muttered against his mouth. He began pulling away, but Sokka grabbed his arm to pull him back down again, though Zuko slipped out of his grip. He made quick work of the rest of his clothes, pulling off his boots and nearly ripping his pants in the struggle to be naked. Sokka was quick to follow his example, and in half a second the two men had rejoined in the middle of the bed.
Sokka shuddered at the feel of Zuko's erection nestled against his hip, hot and alive. His own in turn pressed into Zuko's bony hip. This was paradise. With Zuko clinging to him as though letting go would mean he'd fall off the earth, Sokka couldn't imagine anything better.
They kissed again, hard and needy. Sokka worried Zuko's bottom lip as Zuko kissed Sokka's top lip. He touched Zuko's nipple again, rolling it between his fingers and causing his partner to thrust against him and break their kiss to moan encouragement.
Sokka rolled on top of Zuko then, leaning down to kiss his neck, following a path from his collarbones to his chest where he licked Zuko's other nipple. Zuko arched his back and gripped the sheets below him, a moan caught in his throat.
That's when Sokka pulled back. "I have a confession to make," he said.
Zuko opened his eyes and looked up, his expression somewhere between arousal and annoyance.
"I've... never done this before," Sokka admitted sheepishly, his hand having not moved from Zuko's chest.
Without a word, Zuko sat up and shoved Sokka down, climbing on top of him and straddling his hips. Sokka moaned and bucked up against Zuko's ass just as the Fire Lord grinded down into him. "I'll tell you something," Zuko whispered harshly, "I haven't either." Sokka moaned just from Zuko's words, grabbing his hips and bucking up hard. Zuko cried out.
Sokka bucked again and Zuko hissed, grabbing Sokka's hands. "Wait, wait," he murmured, prying Sokka's hands from his thighs so he could lay out on top of him.
"Just... kiss me, okay?", Sokka said, and Zuko eagerly complied, rubbing himself against him in the process.
Sokka wrapped his arms around Zuko's waist, relishing in the feel of the Fire Lord's body. All hard lines and muscle, yet his skin remained soft save for his hands and his scars. His chest... marred by the thin line that was all that remained after what Azula did to him at the end of the war.
Zuko pressed his face into Sokka's neck and Sokka could feel the scar on his face. Another reminder. Together, his scars were visible proof of the burden of his position. To have survived the shame on his face and what could have been his death on his chest, over his heart, to have come this far... Sokka knew Zuko couldn't just give up now. He'd already lost so much to his country.
The Fire Lord reached between their bodies then, rough hands grasping at their cocks, pressing them together. Sokka gasped, arched. He could feel Zuko's heartbeat at the point where they were connected, he could feel the heat, the throbbing.
Sokka licked his lips. Zuko began to move his hand, and somehow Sokka couldn't believe that Zuko had never... never touched someone else this way. He dug his nails into Zuko's back and bucked against him, helpless to stop himself from crying out in pleasure.
Neither of them seemed to be able to last much longer than a few minutes, and when they were spent they kissed each other for a long while, relishing in the last moments they would be able to spend together.
In the end, it was entirely too soon when Zuko finally stood and redressed. Sokka followed him up to the door and stole one last kiss, trying to ignore the guilt plastered on Zuko's face.
"I'll see you off tomorrow," Zuko said quietly. "There's a ship already at the docks ready to take you home."
Sokka was afraid of what would come out of his mouth and so bit his lip and simply nodded.
–
Waking the next day was an experience in itself. Sokka wasn't sure how to feel, or how to act, after what had happened the night before.
He didn't know if he should regret it.
Sokka tried to keep his brain numb. If he only thought logically about it, he figured, it wouldn't hurt quite as much and he would be able to forget or learn to live with it.
With this in mind, Sokka packed his few things. When he reached the stuffed unicorn Zuko had won for him he was torn on what to do with it. On one hand he knew it was his to take with him, but at the same time just having it would be a reminder of what he was leaving behind when he went home and he wasn't sure if he could handle that.
Staring down at the pink plush, Sokka realized he had never before in his life thought choosing whether or not to keep a stuffed animal would be such a gravid decision.
Once he turned it over in his hands for a few minutes he decided not to keep it after all. Besides, it wouldn't fit in his ruck sack and he didn't want everyone to see him walking around with a cute stuffed toy that he'd inevitably have to lie about.
By then the ship had reached the dock and Sokka could already hear the strained hum of the expectant crowd waiting on the arrival of their Fire Lord. At the same time a guard had come to fetch Sokka, telling him beforehand which ship was the one he was supposed to board to head back to his homeland.
Sokka remained mute, only nodding in acknowledgment.
Top-side, the noise was almost deafening but that was to be expected. Zuko was their savior as well as their leader. After the war, all the work Zuko did to reverse it involved improving the lives of his citizens. The Fire Nation economy couldn't have been better—and it hadn't been, not in nearly 150 years.
Sokka was led to where Zuko and Iroh were waving at the crowd while the crew were busy preparing the gangplank for everyone to finally debark. Zuko barely acknowledged Sokka, but Iroh turned to him with a strange expression on his face—some odd mix of a smile with a guarded look in his eyes. Like he knew what happened. It made Sokka feel guilty and for once he found he couldn't look the older man in the eye.
"Sirs, we're ready to go ashore," said a nearby guard.
Zuko turned, emanating an almost surreal air of regality as he addressed his guard and then just as quickly dismissed him.
Then he turned on Sokka, and it was only then that Sokka could see the hidden darkness behind Zuko's golden eyes. "Once we disembark, you will be escorted to another ship to take you back to your tribe." He held out his hand for a handshake. "So this is goodbye," he said, the casual tone of his voice only just barely giving away how he really felt about saying goodbye.
Sokka smiled and took Zuko's hand. "Come on, you say that like it's forever!" It didn't seem to cheer Zuko up, though. It didn't even cheer up Sokka. The next time they would probably see each other would be at Zuko and Mai's wedding.
After that, they were swept up in a flurry of activity. All of them were shuffled about by the crew of the ship who led Sokka one way and Zuko the other, and Sokka wasn't even given the chance to watch his friend disappear into the surge of citizens waiting about. Instead, he was brought further down the peer, down to a smaller, less extravagant vessel.
"This is one of the fastest ships in the fleet," the soldier commented off-handed. "Since the crew plans to do some work near the Southern Water Tribe, you'll be home in under a few days."
Sokka hesitated for a long moment, then turned back to the soldier. "Wait... what if I want to stay here for a while? No one even asked me if I wanted to stick around. You know, LAST time I came to the capital, I was being hunted like a criminal."
"Accommodations would be made inside or out of the capital at your request. Only the best for friends of the Fire Lord himself." The soldier seemed to sneer just a bit in his words, but Sokka accepted it.
Sticking around seemed like the last thing he should do if he ever wanted to nurse his broken heart, but he figured he'd much rather go down fighting than just accept Zuko's stubbornness.
Besides, Zuko still had his whalebones. And if Zuko refused to abandon his nation's traditions for Sokka, then Sokka would refuse to abandon his own.
–
Sokka wrote to Katara first thing after getting into a little place of his own in the capital. Zuko might have been shipping out his best medics, but Sokka was going to do him one better than Zuko would ever do for himself.
Katara could bend blood, and she brought Aang back from death once. There had to be something she could do for the Nuli, and of all the people Zuko would ask... Katara would be the last on the list. It seemed like everyone except Zuko knew that what happened to Sokka and Katara's mother wasn't his fault.
And maybe it was just womanly intuition that made it happen, but Katara, with Aang in tow, made it to the Fire Nation in record speed.
"I bet Appa's tired," Sokka said when his little sister showed up at his front door.
Katara frowned deeply, shoving him back into his one-room apartment. "This isn't the time to be making jokes," she warned. Aang gave Sokka an apologetic smile as he brushed passed him.
Sokka shut the door and followed the two into the main living space.
Katara turned then, almost immediately. "So what's this about Zuko's mother?"
Aang gently took Katara's hand. "Let's all sit first," he suggested, leading the water-tribe girl over to a chair.
Once they were all seated, Aang began first. "I'm glad she's alive, at least."
It seemed to hang in the air for a moment. It was the one thing everyone was the most grateful. In his head, Sokka could see the crosses in the graveyard in the middle of the night, and he shivered.
"But she's sick," Katara added, voice subdued.
"But maybe you can fix her," Sokka said.
Katara kept her eyes on the floor, her loose hair obscuring her face. "I don't know," she finally said.
Aang slid his hand over her's, and Katara looked up at him.
"Okay," Katara said, her voice giving away the building confidence Aang's touch seemed to inspire. "If we take Appa, we can get to Lyu Shi in as much as two days."
Without so much as another word, the three were off. Like old times, Katara, Sokka, and Aang piled into Appa's carry basket.
"Can't say I missed this," Sokka mumbled.
Aang laughed. "Don't worry, I brought a pack of cards this time!"
They reached Lyu Shi in two excruciatingly long days, and wiled their way into the city with the Avatar's charms. Ursa was exactly where she'd been weeks earlier, too.
"I'm surprised you returned so soon," she chided softly, inviting the three of them in. "And I see you brought the Avatar."
"I brought something better," Sokka answered quickly, presenting his sister to Ursa. "This is Katara, a water-bender—a healer."
Ursa led them all to the table after introductions were made.
"I don't know what you plan to do for me," Ursa confessed. "I'm sorry you traveled all this way."
"Not at all," Katara said flippantly. "But I would like to get as much information as possible on this Nuli virus." Then she looked pointedly at Sokka, and then at Aang. "Maybe it would be better if I did this privately with Ursa."
"Sheesh, I can take a hint!" Sokka said, voice light, standing from the table. "C'mon, Aang, you would like the kind of stuff they sell in this city."
Aang bounced to his feet. "You're so right!"
Sokka couldn't have cared less, but he pretended for his friend's sake.
"Will a few hours be long enough?" Aang asked Katara.
She nodded. "Give us at least until dark. Maybe you should look into that thing we talked about earlier."
Aang straightened up a bit. "I'll try," he confessed.
"Well, we'll see you ladies later, I guess." With that, Sokka gave the pair each a hug and led the Avatar out to the marketplace.
For the first hour, Aang was a bundle of energy, buzzing to and fro between the stalls, saying "Oh Sokka! Hyacinths!", and "Look at these buds, Sokka!", and Sokka's favorite so far, "Come smell this dirt, Sokka!"
"Sokka..." Aang suddenly began after walking away from a stand.
His serious mood set Sokka on edge. Even though Aang and Katara had both mostly grown up, Sokka still only saw Aang as that scrawny pre-teenaged monk. He wasn't a child anymore, though. None of them were children.
"I should probably tell you something important. Well, a few things, but... but about Zuko, I-"
"I really don't have anything to say about Zuko," Sokka nearly snapped.
Aang didn't even flinch. "I do. Look, I need to tell you that I was the one who told Zuko to invite you. I thought if you two were... "
Sokka turned on Aang, trying not to look as angry as he really felt. People were eying them, eying the way he was acting around the Avatar.
He took a breath. "Why?"
"Do you want to go for a ride on Appa and talk about it there?"
Sokka sighed. Aang blew his whistle and summoned Appa to pick them up.
In the carry basket, Aang was quick to return to the matter at hand. "I'm sorry I didn't answer down on the ground. I could tell this is making you very angry."
"It's not that, it's not... not your fault I'm angry." Sokka stumbled over his words, trying to convey his best that his mood wasn't because of his friend, even though, yeah, a tiny part of it was his fault.
"I knew Zuko missed you. I could tell that he always wanted something more from Katara's news reports about the South Pole, but he never asked about you."
Aang laughed. "Don't look so disappointed! He did ask, just once. It must have taken a lot to lower his defenses and admit that he was missing you when he asked me what you were doing."
"It ended badly," Sokka confessed.
Aang nodded. "I expected it might, Zuko's a downright mess when it comes to doing things for himself. So what are you going to do to win him over?"
Sokka couldn't meet Aang's eyes. "I don't know. I don't know if I can... do anything." He couldn't believe how painful it was to say those words. There was nothing he could do.
"Everything will work out in the end," Aang offered.
"It's easy to say that," Sokka said.
"It's easy for me to say that—I'm the Avatar, after all. I mean, I can't predict the future, but I've gotten pretty good at performing miracles." Aang grinned at that.
The whole conversation was making Sokka rather uncomfortable, though. "Well, it's getting dark anyway. Do you think Katara's finished?"
"I'm sure they are," Aang agreed. His easy smile never left his face, and Sokka couldn't help but feel jealousy.
–
The four sat around the table in silence for a moment. Ursa stood, collecting a letter from the kitchen before returning. "A letter arrived from Zuko while you boys were out," she said.
"Why didn't you tell me Zuko was going to send doctors and healers?"
"Katara, look, I knew you would be the best choice! Didn't you heal her?" Sokka defended himself.
Katara sighed, Ursa covered the small smile on her face with her hand. "I'm sure it's only temporary, but I was able to wash the Nuli toxins out of her bloodstream. Ursa," she said, looking only at the older woman, "you need to leave now, with us, if you don't want to get infected again."
Ursa nodded slowly. "I suppose I should pack my things," she said as she stood to go to her room.
Aang was beaming at Katara. "You're amazing!", the Avatar admonished, and Katara blushed.
Sokka rolled his eyes and looked away when they kissed each other.
It took Ursa just under an hour to collect her necessities, and only a few minutes after that the four of them were in the sky headed for the Fire Nation.
"I wrote Zuko to tell him we're coming," Ursa said. "I told him about all of us," she said pointedly, looking at Sokka.
Sokka looked away, unsure what to think.
–
They arrived at the palace in the dead middle of the night, yet Zuko was bright-eyed and waiting for them to land at Appa's normal roost.
Ursa went straight for Zuko and the two hugged each other fiercely. "I'm so glad to see you," Ursa whispered. Zuko just nodded.
After a long moment, he pulled away but kept his arm wrapped around his mother's arm. "I have rooms set up for all of you. Aang, Katara, your usual apartment is open. And Sokka, you'll be sleeping next to my mother's room. Mom?"
"Lead the way, Zuko," Ursa said with a smile.
Any kind of visiting royalty was given quarters down the same hall as the Firelord's apartment, which sat at the very end of the row of twelve apartments, six on either side. Aang and Katara slipped into one of the apartments at the front of the hall, saying good-night wearily, as though they were ready to sleep standing up.
Sokka awkwardly followed the mother-son pair further down the hall, until they stopped just short of Zuko's apartment. "Sokka, this room will be yours. There's night clothes set out, and a bath waiting if you're interested.
Sokka yawned, nodded. "Good night, Zuko. Night, Ursa."
"Good night, Sokka," Ursa said in return before the Water Tribesman slipped into his luxury room.
The apartment given to him was huge and empty. A sitting area occupied the front of the room, with a small empty cart that was likely meant for tea and snacks when the time was appropriate, and further back was a partition that hid a huge bed and a dresser and mirror.
Like Zuko said, there were night clothes laid out on the bed for him, and Sokka could smell the clean steam coming from the tub just through the door to the left.
Not wanting to waste the water, Sokka opted for the hot bath before redressing in the Fire Nation bed clothes and climbing in the red satin blankets. The bed itself was big enough to fit the floor of a typical Water Tribe hut. Sokka couldn't have stayed awake if he tried.
In the morning, everyone was gathered for a small breakfast in the sun room in Zuko's apartment. It was at this time that Sokka began to really notice Mai's absence.
It was Katara that spoke first. "Where is Mai off to today?"
"She's doing voluntary missionary work," Zuko said succinctly.
"O-ohh... that sounds nice." Katara said.
Zuko nodded, picking at his food now. After a moment, he sighed and looked up. "The truth is, she called our marriage off. We're just pretending to be engaged until things get better in the country. It's just so..."
"Stupid," Sokka finished, giving Zuko a pointed look.
Zuko frowned. "Yeah, it's... stupid," he echoed.
Ursa shook her head. "I don't think you two were meant for each other." She patted Zuko's hand. "You'll find the one, though. They're out there somewhere," she concluded.
After breakfast, Zuko needed to return to work. Aang and Katara gave Sokka and Ursa a tour of the palace—though Ursa was as familiar with the walls as Zuko himself. At lunch time, the four of them ate a picnic of cold foods and fresh fruit in the gardens. A few hours later, they had afternoon tea like proper royals, and for dinner they needed to dress up to eat in the dining hall. Sokka was sat far at the end of the table, next to Katara and a squat Fire Nation man who squinted his eyes so much Sokka kept thinking he'd fallen asleep at the table.
There was a huge party later that night, and Sokka spent the better part of the evening watching Zuko laugh and talk proper with his mother and his Fire Nation friends, and taking huge gulps of fire whiskey every time Zuko glanced at him, his eyes full of guilt and apology.
It was late when Sokka stumbled into his apartment, completely shit-faced. He threw himself on the bed, but he couldn't close his eyes and the ceiling was spinning rapidly. After a moment, he turned on his side and was able to sleep fitfully, his mind intensely focused on Zuko, Zuko's smile, his brittle laughter at the party. His body writhing naked on top of his own.
Sokka gasped awake in the middle of the night. Earlier, he could hear raucous laughter and music even as far as his apartment, but now it was completely silent.
Sokka sat up, still mostly drunk and a little dizzy, and hard, too, after thinking about Zuko. About having sex with Zuko.
Standing, he straightened his clothes, tried to calm himself down, before going out into the hall and down to Zuko's room.
He knocked loudly, several times, and had enough sense to stop and wait for an answer. Zuko opened the door hastily, eyes going wide to see Sokka.
"What do you want," Zuko asked, sounding as though it took effort to keep his voice even.
Sokka fixed him with a level gaze, standing as straight as possible. "I want you," Sokka murmured, shoving Zuko back into his room until he bumped into the back of a couch. Sokka leaned in and kissed him hard on the mouth.
Zuko's arms immediately came up to wrap around Sokka, drawing him in impossibly close. Sokka whimpered. "I want you so bad," he whined, burying his face in Zuko's neck, grinding his hips into Zuko's hips.
Zuko tensed up after a second, looking down at Sokka. "You're drunk."
Sokka shook his head. "It doesn't matter... I'd... I'd do this anyway." He thrust against Zuko. "Please just..." He grabbed Zuko's hip for leverage. "We both want this, so-"
Zuko cut Sokka off with a hard kiss, digging his fingers into Sokka's back. After a long, long, moment, Zuko lead Sokka back to his bed.
The two stripped in silence and climbed under the blankets together.
Zuko became more aggressive then, pushing Sokka back so he could climb on top of him, kiss him rough, bite his lips. Sokka moaned. Zuko hissed.
"Your body is amazing," Sokka admonished softly, running his hands along Zuko's back, his hands moving even lower without any sense of inhibition.
Zuko smirked. "So is yours," he said, his own hand moving to grip Sokka's cock. Sokka gasped, bucking against Zuko's fingers.
"I hope you're ready to stay up all night," Sokka suddenly said, grabbing Zuko's shoulders and rolling them over so Sokka was on top. "Because I don't plan on stopping until dawn."
"Good," Zuko said through gritted teeth, trying to keep his sanity as Sokka was grinding his ass along Zuko's erection. "There are a few things I want to try." Zuko gripped Sokka's hips then, and bucked up, bucked hard.
Sokka threw his head back. "Anything!"
–
By morning, Sokka felt thoroughly fucked. The things Zuko wanted to do... Sokka hadn't known before then that two men could do those things, but he definitely wasn't complaining.
Zuko kissed Sokka long and gentle against the door to the hallway. "I'll come back tonight and we can pick up where we left off," Sokka mumbled against Zuko's bottom lip.
"If you don't I'll have you put to death for lying," Zuko threatened.
When Sokka slipped out, he wasn't sure if Zuko was joking.
The next night, Sokka arrived at Zuko's room right at midnight. When Sokka shut the door behind him, he found Zuko standing before him, completely naked. He was holding up a small vial of oil. "I think it's your turn tonight," he said.
Sokka didn't think he could get his clothes off fast enough.
Zuko had left a nasty love bite too high on Sokka's neck, and at breakfast, Katara gave him a strange look that seemed to be a cross between a smile and a grimace. Aang's eyes shone, which obviously meant he knew. Ursa said she had a good remedy for that, but then winked which meant she really didn't have a remedy.
Sokka didn't care.
Zuko smiled all morning, almost dazed. Sokka never wanted that look to leave his face.
That night, Zuko convinced Sokka to try a position that required them to cradle the other's head between their knees and use their mouth. Sokka explored Zuko's penis for hours, and only stopped because he was getting a pain in his shoulder from the way he had been laying.
They kissed until they drifted to sleep together.
The following night, they slipped into Zuko's bath together.
Three more nights of blissful sex followed, and neither of them could have been happier.
Sokka wished it could last forever, but Aang was beginning to hint that he was ready to get back on the road. Sokka would have to go with them, or go back to his small apartment outside of the palace.
It was already obvious to their loved ones what was going on between them.
After lunch, Aang came and awkwardly invited him to his and Katara's apartment for a quick talk.
–
Sokka burst into Zuko's study, where the Firelord was talking to a young royal woman. He marched up to Zuko and grabbed his face and kissed him hard.
Zuko was stunned still, not daring to look away from Sokka's face.
"Do you love me?"
Zuko's lips were moving slightly, but no sound came out.
"Do you?" Sokka asked again, desperately.
Zuko swallowed hard. "Of course I do, it's just that... I just-"
"Just can't BE with me because I'm not a woman?"
Zuko's face suddenly looked strained.
"Because I can't have a baby?" Sokka continued.
Sokka pulled away, and it was then that Zuko noticed Katara standing in the doorway.
She put her hand on her stomach and smiled. "Meet your heir," she said.
End story.
There's a sequel in the works!