I'm sorry?
"Sokka?" Zuko clasped his shoulder, tugging him lightly.
Sokka turned towards his boyfriend, tipping his head. "Zuko?" he returned.
"I-" Zuko paused, clearing his throat, and Sokka's brows rose. "I have a . . . question for you. And a . . . present. If you want-" his voice hitched, "it."
Sokka blinked, but nodded understanding, coming closer.
Zuko opened his mouth, then closed it, taking a deep breath and letting it out. Sokka eyed him with concern, but stayed quiet for the moment. Zuko pulled something out of his sleeve, cradling it in his palm and folding his thumb over it in a light nudge.
Zuko met his eyes. "I love you, and we've been . . . happy, together." Sokka nodded immediately, though Zuko didn't pause. "Will you marry me?" he asked, turning his hand out towards Sokka.
He didn't even look down into it for a moment, shocked and staring into Zuko's face. He looked nervous but hopeful and- "Zuko." Sokka said faintly. Zuko smiled weakly, lips trembling just a little. "Zuko, yes." he added quickly, just as Zuko's eyes flicked down to his own hand.
Sokka glanced down reflexively, following the flicker of a look himself, and his breath caught in his throat. "Oh! Oh- Zuko, you. . ."
Zuko was holding a blue band with a patterned - carved - creamy disk attached to it. A-
"You made me an engagement necklace." Sokka said, blinking rapidly, tearing up.
"I- I know it's. . ." Zuko shrugged helplessly. "That is, I know the tradition isn't quite right," he swallowed, giving a faint shrug of his shoulders, "that women wear . . . engagement necklaces, that's it's a tradition for. . ." He nodded towards Sokka. "But there aren't really any . . . similar traditions here, and I thought- for you. . ."
Sokka grinned, giving a rough little breath and feeling a few more tears escape. "Oh, Zuko. I can't. . ." He shook his head.
"Sokka, I- I'm sorry?" Zuko said, sounding not quite frantic but definitely upset. Sokka felt a little ridiculous but- He rubbed the heels of his hands over his cheeks. "I- You didn't have to- If you don't want. . ." Zuko sounded pained, and no.
"No! No, no, no." Sokka said emphatically, lunging towards his boyfriend - his fiancé - and grinning through his tears. "Zuko, no, of course I want to." He framed Zuko's face with his hands, stroking his thumbs along sharp cheekbones. "No, I'm fine, I'm just- I'm happy." he said, flushing.
Zuko made a soft sound, looking adorably confused, and Sokka kissed him rather than try and explain - he wasn't entirely sure he knew why he was crying himself. He was just- Happy. And overwhelmed. And . . . Zuko. Zuko's hands slid up his arms and curled around his shoulders and he returned Sokka's kiss with a low, pleased hum.
"And," Sokka said when they broke away from each other, "I'm . . . really pleased that you-" He glanced at the blue silk caught between Zuko's fingers on his shoulder. "It means a lot." he said, clearing his throat.
Zuko nuzzled his cheek. "I'm glad. I hoped you would like it and not think it was. . ." he trailed off, concern briefly twisting his features.
"No, I like it." Sokka confirmed quickly, shaking his head. "I. . ." He'd been about to say that he almost couldn't believe Zuko had done it, but . . . no, he could. Zuko was a deeply caring partner, very sweet - as odd as that once would have felt to say - and as much as he put everything he was into anything he thought was worth doing, it was how he had approached their relationship, too.
Sokka kissed him again, feeling warm and . . . deliciously in love. "I love you." he said against Zuko's mouth.
Zuko smiled, his eyes warm and soft. "I love you, too." he said again, a low purr.
"Put it on me?" Sokka asked, reaching up and tugging at the necklace he wore to get it out of the way.
"Is that," Zuko paused, gesturing to the plate choker, "er, is it important?"
"Zuko," Sokka said firmly, narrowing his eyes, "I am wearing my engagement necklace. Help me put it on. Blast." he muttered, trying to get the knot at the nape of his neck undone. "Maybe help me with this one first." he added after a moment, too impatient to keep fighting with it himself when Zuko could probably get it quicker.
"If you want." Zuko said, and Sokka turned his back, letting Zuko pluck at the stubborn knot in his stead. "I . . . is this one. . ." he trailed off, even as the plates finally loosened, sliding away - he felt weirdly light, without it resting there - and Sokka looked over his shoulder at Zuko with a smile.
"I like it, but it's not anything particularly meaningful, no." Sokka said, grinning. "I made it when I was a kid." Zuko gave him a sceptical look, and he snorted. "I made it bigger as I got older, thank you. The plates are carved from bones from some of my kills. Some of Dad's, and Bato's, too, especially when I was younger and nothing I killed had bones big enough. You can see where I was learning to carve them, too." Sokka said, turning back to face Zuko again and holding up the choker, showing the differences between some of the pieces he'd added over the years.
"Let me see." Sokka reached for the engagement necklace Zuko had made and he flushed lightly but offered it up. The pendant was bone, all shades of warm yellow and soft cream, with a spiky design that made him think of Boomerang's flight, marked out with darker lines that Sokka had thought were simply due to the depth of the carving, though they were a striking contrast, but this was. . . "Did you burn it?" he asked, surprised.
Zuko rubbed the back of his neck. "I know it's not traditional, but huǒ shǒuyì is . . . a Fire Nation tradition. To do it with your own hands. . . Especially for . . . important gifts." he said awkwardly. Sokka's face must have showed his confusion. "Ah, fire art. Craftsmanship. Usually in wood or bone, sometimes glass, metal or clay, or leather." Zuko clarified.
"So you made me a Water Tribe engagement necklace," Sokka said slowly, "and you used your Fire Nation traditions, too?" he asked. Zuko nodded tentatively, and Sokka grinned. "That's . . . perfect." He rubbed his thumb over the face of the carving.
"Oh, good." Zuko relaxed visibly, and Sokka laughed, tugging him closer with one hand slipping behind his neck and kissing him again, nuzzling playfully.
"Put it on for me?" Sokka asked, surrendering the necklace back into Zuko's hands.
He nodded, and Sokka turned away again, holding his breath without thinking as Zuko's fingers smoothed over his neck, then tugged the silk into place and clasped it there firmly. "Good?" Zuko asked, hands resting close to Sokka's nape.
Sokka nodded, and Zuko's breath tickled over his neck, followed by a soft kiss just below the silk band. "I love you." he said quietly, lips brushing Sokka's skin.
Shivering, Sokka gave a low hum of pleasure, then spun and pulled Zuko towards himself. "Yes." he said, hugging Zuko tightly. "Thank you. I love you." he said, leaning in close. Zuko took the chance to kiss him, warm and languid, hands sliding over his back.
"Thank you. For saying yes." Zuko said, and Sokka laughed, kissing him again.
Writing this was actually the second proposal between these boys I wrote in about 24 hours . . . and I wound up using an engagement necklace in both of them, though it wasn't in my original plan for this one. (That other proposal was for another request; it is in Important Question, which I posted two days ago.)
I don't know whether huǒ shǒuyì is a term that is actually used as such in Chinese or not, but it does translate (in my inexpert researching) to 'fire craftsmanship', by way of craftsmanship being 'art made by hands', and even if we don't see anything like in canon it seemed fitting for the Fire Nation.