Date Completed: 23 January 2009

Pairing: Sokka/Zuko

Disclaimer: I don't have them in my grasp yet, but it's only a matter of time...

Summary: When Zuko asked to join the Gaang and teach the avatar firebending, he mentioned that there was "not very much time left," and they assumed he meant until Sozin's Comet. But what if there was another restriction on his time –one he hasn't told anyone about? (Much angst, drama llama, and romance-smut. Oh yeah, and a good dosage of omg NOOO! )

AN: This took forever. First I wrote 3000 words of a chapter that I decided I wanted to save 'til later on down the road. Then I hit a major writers block, and could not think of another way to say ridiculous. Ridiculous, eh? Eventually I just gave up and just shoved right (or write) on through. Ha, pun.

Waking up was like fighting his way through quicksand. Lethargically, he lifted his head, trying to blink the blurry room back into focus. Colors swirled before his eyes. He let his head drop back down onto the lumpy pillow with a thump.

Down the stairs, he could hear the hustle and bustle of daily life, but he had no desire to join them. It might have been the heavy thump of his heartbeat in his ears, or the residual queasiness in his stomach from the night before, but Zuko was pretty sure that he couldn't handle annoying little kids poking and prodding at him like a vase on display. Like they had been doing all week. Just because he was new, didn't mean he was some kind of toy, dammit!

A lone sunbeam broke free from the morning's caress and fell across his face. He considered flinging his arm across his face for about a moment, before promptly dismissing the idea on the grounds that he felt too miserable to move at all; instead he just squinted his eyes shut harder, cursing Agni for early mornings. Oh, and we can't forget sickness, because if it weren't for that persistent cold, he wouldn't be so completely drained. And for kids and their ability to keep anyone awake when they really just want to sleep. From the sound of it, Toph and Sokka were fighting – again – about how she chose to treat him; like some kind of servant. Personally, he didn't mind because he did burn her feet, although he was beginning to have his doubts about her claims that they still hurt.

But Sokka continued to fight for his rights – as though he hadn't been their enemy for two years – and despite his slight indignation at the other boy fighting his battles for him, Zuko felt a strange sort of warmth in his chest whenever he overheard them. He chalked it up to pleasure that anyone would actually care for him, and didn't think twice on it.

At the moment, however, the only thing Sokka's voice stirred in him was the pounding in his head. He should have fried the boy while he had the chance.

"Yeah, he burnt your feet, we got that," the throaty tenor floated up from the floor below, "but that was days ago! Your feet have got to be healed by now. I mean, come on!"

"It's the principle behind the thing! I saved his butt so now he owes me. What's it to you, anyway? I don't tell you how to treat him!" Toph sounded pissed. Sokka would be smart to quit while he was ahead. Or not encased in stone.

"That's because–" Sokka was cut off with a rumble, and Zuko found himself chuckling in spite of himself. Living with the Avatar was certainly interesting.

Now that most of the drama of the morning was over – or at least over for now – he figured it was probably safe to venture out of his room. He pushed himself up on shaking arms and sat hunched over on the edge of his bed. The morning breeze ruffled his hair and he pulled the downy comforter tighter around his body. It couldn't hurt to drag it along with him, could it?

Slow was the key, and taking care not to stand too quickly, he got up and shuffled over towards the door. Halfway there his knees turned to noodles and he sank to his knees with a sigh. The last couple mornings had found him with weak legs and an even weaker sense of vertigo. At least this time he had made it off the bed without falling. He drew little circles in the dust with his fingertip as he waited for the feeling to return to his lower limbs.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he had the feeling that this wasn't normal, that he should be fighting against this weakness tooth and nail, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Sure, the jelly-legs could get annoying, and the almost constant headaches made concentrating on anything both difficult and painful, but at least he wasn't fighting for his life anymore. He tried to count the small blessings.

Finally after what seemed like hours, but was probably only about a minute or two, the tell-tale tingles began drifting up and down his legs like ants, and he pushed himself to his feet. The blanket he still clutched around himself with a death-grip, but he was no longer cold. Instead, he would swear his skin was blistering off if he couldn't see the backs of his pale wrists as he walked. Another interesting side-effect to that pesky cold that he'd been dealing with for about a week now. First he was freezing cold, then his body was back to the boiling inner temperature he was used to. Like a slow-to-start oven.

The stone floor outside was just as icy as in his room, the weak sunlight not doing much to warm this area of the temple yet. Inanely, he regretted not wearing socks to bed, but he had already wasted a good few hours that he could've been spent practicing firebending. There was no use for regrets.

He ducked the low-hanging ceiling over the stairs and paused, taking in the odd view.

Sandwiched in between two menacing looking pillars was Sokka, and he looked ridiculous. Zuko thought that he himself probably looked ridiculous too – bed-mussed downy black hair sticking up every which way, clutching both ends of the shoddy comforter as it was wrapped around him like a dogerpillar in it's cocoon – but as far as ridiculous things went, Sokka definitely took the cake.

Probably the tea and cookies too.

Round-tipped branches stuck out of each pillar beside his face, so that the nubs shoved each cheek together in a forced 'fish-face', surprised wide eyes and all. Yeah, it was ridiculous, but most likely painful as well, and Zuko couldn't in good conscience leave his protector in that position all day.

"Uh..." but what to do? "Just stay there and I'll... Well," he considered, "it's not like you can go anywhere, but the point is–"

"mmuh!"

Right. Gotta stay focused... even if it is completely hilarious...

"I'll try to see if I can find that other earthbender guy. He can probably help us out..." Sokka could move his head enough to nod slightly, and Zuko had to look away lest he do something embarrassing like giggle or laugh. He had more important things to do.

The earthbending boy had only spoken to him once, and even that had been more of a noncommittal grunt when he had first been introduced to the more extraneous members of the group. Zuko didn't deceive himself into thinking that the older teen would help him, but he would help Sokka, if given the proper motivation. The only problem lay in actually finding the man.

He ignored the main rooms – Haru, Teo, and The Duke were often heard yelling as they slid through the many tunnels, or investigating the numerous hidden passageways – and instead ran towards the room Aang had called the 'All-day Echo Chamber'. Most of the tunnels branched off from there, so it was a logical place to start his search. Plus, if he called Haru's name the teen was sure to hear him and come to investigate.

The huge chamber doors were twice as tall as him, nearly ten times as wide, and the old oak gave slightly under his palms as he shoved them both open. In order for it to work, the Echo Chamber's doors had to be firmly shut; otherwise all the noise could escape out through the hallways instead of the closed in sliding tunnels. Inside was a huge round beige room, decorated only in hundreds of slide openings that littered the walls like Swiss cheese.

"Haru!" he called into the nearest hole, mentally thanking Toph for telling him all their names in advance. It would've been a bit more awkward shouting 'Earthbending peasant' and expecting the other teen to obey him.

A vibrating echo tumbled back up to him that he interpreted to mean 'yeah?' and Zuko leaned forward into the hole to hear him better.

"Sokka's stuck. You can earthbend, right?"

This time it was a little clearer, and Zuko imagined that the other teen was trying to climb up the tube to be able to hear more clearly. "What was that?"

"I said–" Zuko shouted, bringing his hands (still gripping the blanket) up to cup around his mouth like a megaphone, "–you can earthbend, ri–aaah!"

His foot snagged his trailing blanket as he shuffled just a bit closer, and he found himself falling forward into the tunnel. Immediately he was sliding into darkness, feeling the air around him get cooler as he descended deeper and deeper into the ground.

He crashed into something hard and heavy that let out an 'oof' when he hit it, and then both he and the heavy weight were sliding down, down, until the tunnel came to an abrupt end, chucking them out onto the stone floor. Zuko was thankful that the landing was soft. His pillow apparently didn't share his sentiment.

"Ouch," Haru groaned, rubbing the back of his head with a wide, calloused hand. "What just happened?"

Zuko crawled off of the other teen, miraculously having not lost his blanket in the fall. It was cold down here... "I tripped and fell into the tunnel." He glanced around him. "Where are we?"

The room was easily four times the size of the chamber above, and on the opposite side of the room was another tunnel, big enough for even a sky bison to walk through without brushing against any of the walls.

"Teo thinks it was some kind of storage room where the airbenders kept their big stock. See that big tunnel over there?" Zuko nodded, getting to his feet and brushing the dust off his pants. Haru followed suit. "It leads all the way down to this opening in the side of the cliffs. Teo and The Duke are still there; I was just heading back to see if Katara has anything she needs me to do to help out."

"I wouldn't think a hole in the cliff face would entertain two children," Zuko commented cynically. Haru chuckled.

"There's a vine growing there that has these sweet berries. Too sweet for me," he squinted his eyes and stuck out his tongue that was, contrary to his word, purple with berry juices. "But Teo and The Duke can't get enough of them."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Zuko walked over to the smaller tunnel and peered up into its black depths. It looked slick and steep, and he didn't know that he'd be able to climb all the way to the top without slipping and falling all the way to the bottom again. He turned back to the older teen. "Is there another way out of here, or do we have to scale back up this thing?"

The other boy shrugged with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, up's the only way out. It wouldn't be anything to the airbenders, but it's hard on us."

The raven-haired teen could only scowl, tying two corners of the blanket around his neck like a crude cape (he didn't want to lose it down here and be without any bedding) and brace both hands against the mouth of the tunnel. "No wonder my people wanted to wipe them out... stupid smug little shits..."

Haru just laughed, leaning back and watched as the ex-prince tried and failed to get himself out of the tunnel over and over again.

His situation sucked.

This wasn't up for debate. He didn't need to stop and think about it because it was absolutely undebatable that the situation sucked. But it wasn't the worst situation he'd ever been in, and he clung to that.

Of course he'd been through much worse. His mother had been killed and he had been helpless to help her. Time and time again he found him and his friends in danger, and a lot of the time there wasn't much he could do to help them in the fight since he couldn't bend. That was way worse than this.

So then why was this so much more annoying?

Croak

Sokka looked down – well, as much as was possible for someone in his position – at the badgerfrog that had followed Toph home from her little excursion out into the prince's camp. Huge yellow eyes stared blankly back. If he stared long enough, it almost looked like the animal was smirking at him...

When Toph had first returned from Zuko's camp, the badgerfrog had been content to relax about in his bag, and no amount of coaxing could get it to come out until Zuko had been allowed out of his room. As soon as the badgerfrog had seen the firebender it had leapt out of the bag and into the surprised arms of the black-haired teen.

"Froggy!" Zuko had astonishingly declared, swinging the creature about with a grip under its front legs. "What're you doing here?"

He had snorted, only to get elbowed by Toph. What kind of hardass prince names an animal 'Froggy'?

"You talking to him or us, because I don't think he'll respond to you," Toph had teased, warm smile on her face. "But by all means, keep trying. It's funny to see you go crazy every once in a while."

There were some interesting parallels between now and his brief encounter with 'Foo-Foo Cuddly Poofs' the Sabertooth Mooselion cub (he had never claimed to be a hardass prince). Only then he was down in the ground, now it was up around him.

Either way, he couldn't move, and he had to wait for Zuko to come and save him.

That sounds really strange seeing as for years 'Zuko' was synonyms with 'near-death experience'.

Croak

The little guy was still staring at him, as though patiently waiting for him to do something, or to give it something.

"whaa-ooo wann?" Okay, so that didn't come out like he hoped it would. Then again, it wasn't half bad for someone who had their cheeks squeezed together. Besides, he was being ridiculous. He was trying to talk to a badgerfrog. Apparently he hadn't learned from the last time that talking to animals when in annoying situations is a bad thing. Actually, talking to animals at all was bad. It's not like they could understand him... Zuko just needed to get back soon.

He really needed to piss...

"I-I am... NEVER... doing that again..."

Beside him, Haru sat leaning against the open mouth of the tunnel they had just spent forever climbing out of. Zuko shivered and scooted farther from the accursed hole.

"Yeah, I agree," Haru agreed, breathing harshly. "It looks like so much fun, but it's a pain in the ass to get back out of these tunnels."

Both boys sat quietly for the next few minutes, save for their harsh breathing. For some reason Zuko's breath wasn't coming as quick as it should've and it frustrated him; usually he'd be up and onto his next thing already. Stupid cold... He leaned his head back against the cool stone of the Echo Chamber, eyes closed and just focused on steady, even breaths. One after another. Breathe in, breathe out. Already he was starting to feel a little better.

"–something, right?"

The fog shifted around in his mind, and he realized Haru was trying to talk to him. "Sorry, can you repeat that?"

"I said, before all... help Sokka... right?"

Zuko shook his head to clear his head and turned to get a good look at the older boy. "One more time? I'm still worn out..."

Haru smiled and nodded, but something about it seemed off to Zuko, like the older teen was waiting for him to fall over or something. "I said, before all this, you said you needed me to help Sokka or something, right?"

The firebender stared blankly back at the earthbender for a moment before something clicked at he remembered Sokka stuck in the rock.

"Right!" he started, jumping up and helping the older boy to his feet. Sokka had already been waiting for about an hour... "He's stuck in this rock... thing."

Haru grabbed Zuko's hand to help him up, and came willingly towards the Echo Chamber doors. "Then why didn't you get Toph to help?" he asked. "Not that I don't want to help or anything."

"She's the one who put him there. I don't want to irritate her and join him..." Haru nodded. The other earthbender could get violent easily.

Then they were running, bare feet slapping along the rough stone towards where Sokka was stuck. His head came to about Haru's chin, he noticed in between long strides. So Haru was older than him. Or at least a lot taller.

They took the corner at an easygoing jog – Sokka had already been waiting an hour, so there was no real reason to rush – and Zuko would've fallen, tripping over the edge of his blanket once again, but Haru was quick to catch him with a hand on his shoulder to set him back to place. Zuko turned to thank the older boy but froze; Haru was staring, transfixed on something behind him.

Ah, so we've found Sokka.

"Mmph!"

"Yes, Sokka, we're back," Zuko teased, shuffling over to a bench to sit down Indian style. Dragging along that blanket had been troublesome, but it was all worth it when he could just cuddle up under it and not have to face the world. Dazedly, Haru followed Zuko's example and started moving; either he was too polite to laugh or was amazed at the lengths Toph would go to punish someone. Personally, Zuko thought it was the latter because it was hilarious.

A calloused finger ran along the edge of the nub on the left side, possibly testing it's strength, quality, design... Zuko wasn't an earthbender and had no qualms admitting that he didn't know how it worked. It was amazing though. And for Toph to do it blind? He respected the girl all the more.

"I think I can bend it out of the way," Haru decided finally, weakly. "Just– try not to move too much, okay?"

Sokka could only nod with wide eyes.

Haru stepped up into a strong, low stance, palms flat against each pillar. A bead of sweat ran down his face. He shook his head and stepped back. "What'd you say he did to deserve this again?"

"Arrrroo!" Sokka whined, wiggling as much as his confinement would allow. Zuko didn't doubt that he wanted to punch him for taking so long to get help already.

He rose from the bench with a groan and shuffled over to the pair, blanket still firmly wrapped around him. A pale hand patted the taller shoulder comfortingly. "You can dothis, Haru. I mean look at him," he pointed towards Sokka. Sokka nodded as though to say, 'this is me'. "He looks miserable, doesn't he?" Another nod, saying, 'yeah, very miserable'. "And you can do something about it. Just try." A wiggle, and narrowed brow spoke volumes.

"Alright," Haru sighed, getting into position once again. A sort of tremor shook the pillars before they jerkily descended into the ground. Sokka was free.

"Finally!" Sokka cheered, shaking out his sore muscles. He rounded on the cocooned boy. "What took you so long?!"

Zuko growled, pulling the blanket tighter and sat back down on the bench. For some reason he was just so cold... Maybe he should sit down for a moment, wait for the room to stop swaying. "I got him as fast as I could, okay? It's not my fault the tunnels are so damned hard to escape from..."

That wasn't enough for the other boy, and Sokka stomped over, grabbing Zuko's shoulders and shaking them roughly. Haru crept away from the pair and out the room before Sokka turned his wrath on him next. "I was stuck there for an hour! You left me there for an hour to play in the tunnels? What's wrong with you?!"

The world continued shaking even after Sokka let him go, and Zuko couldn't even answer that question for himself. "I told you, I got him as fast as I could! What more do you want from me?!" He sniffled at the end; he could add a runny nose to his ever-growing list of reasons why he hated this cold.

"I want for you to be able to..." A strange look came over his face. "Is your nose bleeding?"

Zuko wiped the back of his hand under his nose and it came back red.

"Yeah, I guess it is." He didn't get bloody noses often, but when he did they tended to clear up in a matter of minutes.

All of a sudden Sokka looked awkward and as though he just realized his hands were still gripping Zuko's thin shoulders through the blanket, he jerked them back like he was burned. Which he wasn't because Zuko had already burned one member of the group and never wanted to again.

"Are you alright? I mean– do you need anything?"

"Nah," he muttered, tilting his head back to stem the flow. "They're just annoying, really. It'll go away in a minute or two. You can go ahead and go find your sister or whatever it is you do all day..."

Something warm settled against his side and Zuko glanced over, gold eyes meeting blue and he found they were honestly concerned.

"Do you– do you get bloody noses a lot?" Sokka looked down, picking at a bit of dirt stuck under his fingernail. "Because when I do it's always because I got hit in the nose. And I didn't see you get hit in the nose."

"No, I haven't had a bloody nose in..." he tried to remember the last time, "...forever. And that's because I didn't get hit in the nose. I'm just dizzy or something..."

"It wasn't from me shaking you, was it?"

"I don't think so... I mean that's a pretty stupid reason to get a bloody nose. If you ask me, it's because of the height. "he glanced out at the opposite rock wall of the cliff. "Or lack of height maybe."

"Yeah, I guess..." They sat in awkward silence for a few minutes as Zuko waiting for the bloody nose to pass. Finally he could feel the blood drying, and he figured he was safe to hold his head normally now.

"Alright, I should be good by now. Like I said, it only lasts for a few... Or not..." Blood dripped from the end of his nose to create a nut-sized drop on his blanket. He frowned.

A warm arm wrapped around his chest while another found his forehead, and then he was leaning back against something strong and oh so warm. That would be Sokka. Suddenly his cheeks felt that much warmer.

"Here, you can lean your head back against my shoulder so you won't get a crick in your neck. What's this?" Sokka's hand dipped down just under the neck edge of his shirt, and for one moment Zuko's heart stopped beating. Then he realized that Sokka wasn't talking about his sparse chest muscles and he focused in on the situation. A tan hand emerged fingering a small dragon pendant.

Zuko breathed out, suddenly realizing that he had been holding his breath, and took the charm from the other's hands. "It's a well-wish for an eternal flame. Kind of like a 'hope you live a nice life' gift. It's silly... I don't even know why I'm still wearing it." He reached up to unclasp the fastening, but tan hands gripped his fingers, halting him.

"It's not silly, it's sweet. For a moment I thought– but no, you are Fire Nation, so of course your traditions are different... Who gave it to you?" From his position laid back against his chest, he could see a rosy blush rose to the other's cheeks that Zuko doubted had anything to do with the extra body heat. But then, he was probably blushing scarlet by now too.

"Nobody, just... this guy back in the Fire Nation who was my friend. But what did you think it was?"

"A guy, huh?" Sokka had a predatory look in his eyes that made Zuko blush all the more. "What was this special guy's name?"

It clicked, what Sokka meant by 'special guy', and Zuko had to look away from his smoldering blue eyes. "I told you, he was just a friend. Nothing more." He growled, and his tone of finality was enough to deter even Sokka. "What did you think it was?"

This time it was Sokka's turn to blush. "Nothing. Our culture just puts different emphasis on necklaces."

Zuko wasn't about to let it go that easily. "You wouldn't blush if it was just nothing. What do necklaces mean, then?"

Sokka grumbled something along the lines of 'you're one to talk' before fingering his own necklace. "If a guy gives his to someone it means he plans to marry them. I don't know why I thought– I mean you didn't have one for the last two years and now– I was just being stupid, that's all." Sokka let his arms drop around the shorter boy's shoulders.

"So that means your sister–"

"No!" Zuko glanced up at Sokka's fevered blue eyes. "No, I mean... that was our mother's." If he hadn't felt like a jerk before about stealing Katara's necklace, he certainly did now. Why did everything he do have to come back and bite him in the ass?

He leaned his head back against the firm chest and reached up to feel the bone of the tan boy's necklace. Each of the bone pieces were smooth and hard, about the size of a litchi nut. Experimentally, he lifted one into his palm; the necklace had to weigh at least a pound! How did Sokka heft this around on his neck all day?

"Still dateless then, I see?" he jabbed, light tone letting Sokka know he wasn't trying to be rude, just keeping the conversation flowing.

The other boy laughed, and the rumbling tickled all the way up Zuko's back. "Nah, I've got Suki. That's more than you can say!"

"I've had dates before," he denied. He started to cross his arms, but they bumped into Sokka's hanging hands so he let them rest on his lap.

"Suuure. I can't picture you taking a girl out." Blue eyes turned playful and he tapped out some obscure rhythm on Zuko's shoulder bones. "But that's just it, right? She probably did all the planning, right?"

He frowned, thinking back on every date he had ever gone on, and found he couldn't honestly deny it. Back when he and Mai were 'dating' they never really went anywhere, but when they did he always just followed her around. Like a newborn puppylizard. Then there was Jin. He figured that couldn't fairly be called a 'date', because even though they had gone to dinner and to the park afterwards, he had only went along with her on his uncle's wishes. Finally, there was Cal...

Immediately he wiped the thought from his mind. There was no way that was a date! Calsifer was a guy, and it wasn't as though he had asked him outon a date... It had just been an invitation slipped into his coat pocket to go out to dinner with someone he had just met. Who had winked at him.

And called him cute.

Mentally he smacked himself in the face. Okay, so it had been a date. But he hadn't known it was a date, so it also didn't count. And Cal was a guy, so how was he supposed to know to be wary of the man? Same sex relations weren't unheard of in the Fire Nation, but they were so few and far between that he had never actually considered that two men might be more interested in each other than in women. It was just strange.

Armed with this new knowledge, he thought back to everything that had occurred on their 'date'. There had been over-friendly touches that he hadn't thought twice of. Touches that Calsifer had probably gotten a sick kick out of. Unconsciously he scooted out of Sokka's warm embrace, completely missing the hurt look that shot across his friend's face.

Everything had been fine, the casual teasing and playful atmosphere drifting into a realm where Sokka was most comfortable, then out of no where the pale boy jerked away from him, leaning over his knees with his head held low. There had been no leading up to it; one moment they had been joking about their sex lives, then the next it was as though a wall had been thrown up to keep the watertribesman out. Had he been pushing the boy too far?

Sure, there was an attraction that reared its ugly head whenever he was around the other teen, but how could there not be? The paler teen was all lanky lines and lean muscle, and yet – Sokka had never seen someone who was so strong while not looking so strong. He was like a wolfpanther; they looked sleek, smooth, and friendly, but would much rather be left alone. Sokka felt like the stupid kid that couldn't take the hint.

But Zuko's hair had been soft against his neck and his inner warmth had breeched even the blanket, and Sokka had almost not let him go.

So then what had he done wrong?

"What? What's wrong?"

The other boy jumped slightly and Sokka bet that he had forgotten he was even there. "N-Nothing," Zuko mumbled, glancing at him for just a split second, and he would have missed it if he wasn't so focused on those expressive features. Weary gold eyes landed and settled on the doorway towards the main room. "It's just my stomach– I haven't eaten yet today, and I was just remembering how hungry I am."

"Oh, right! You slept in this morning." To hide his awkwardness in dealing with the other teen, he stood up and brushed off his pants. "Katara should have lunch done soon, as long as we've still got meat left. And if there's only one piece left, I'm going to fight you to the death for it, got it?"

Zuko nodded, and a ghost of a smile played across his dusty pink lips.

I wonder if they're as soft as they look...

Puberty could be a bitch.

He probably wasn't the best judge – seeing as this was probably the first time he had made a friend of his same gender and age group – and it wasn't like there was a manual he could consult on the matter, but Zuko doubted it was normal for one man to stalk another. At least not how Sokka did it.

After bluffing his way out of an awkward conversation by means of bringing up the warrior's favorite topic, dinner, he had planned on finally putting away his possessions in the dresser that had been hauled in from one of the many other near-empty rooms about the temple. It had been a good week since he was grudgingly allowed into the group, and although it rubbed at him the wrong way (he was a meticulously neat and organized person, after all), the sack overstuffed with his clothes and belongings had remained at the floor by his headboard as a precaution. He could never know when the group would get tired of his uselessness.

At least, that had been the plan.

Sokka, however, had marched right along beside him all the way to his door, and even let himself in uninvited to settle on his bed while Zuko tidied up the room. "Hanging out" with Sokka wasn't even that horrible, even though he used quite a few grins as an excuse to grit his teeth and fists trembled when his back was turned. Up until that moment he had never believed that there was someone who could talk as much as Ty Lee, but he was quickly proven wrong. Sokka was worse. The other boy actually expected him to listen and be an active part of the conversation.

Things had only gotten more frustrating as they made their way back to dinner. For some inexplicable reason, no matter how wide he paced his steps from Sokka, the other boy was always uncomfortably close. Zuko was starting to get sick of the careless apologies thrown his way every time their elbows or knuckles brushed, even if the other teen's skin was comfortably warm against his.

Katara had prepared a surprisingly delicious looking dish from the local variety of nuts, rice, and berries, which was a testament to her profound skill in the kitchen. Despite his reaction to the stew the night before, he had never had any complaint about any of the other foods she had cooked throughout the week.

Nestled into the swirling mass like a rabbitsnake in its den was a bit of darker brown, and it seemed as though there really was only one good chunk of meat left. He considered snagging it before Sokka just to get a rise out of the boy, but let it go. He could call himself impatient, pig-headed, and a bit of a fool, but he wasn't often a masochist, and the other teen's sharp retorts would wreak havoc on his already fraying control on firebending. It's not like they would keep him around if he charred their resident 'plan guy'. Besides, it looked like Toph had already discovered it.

The second his plate was full (or at least half full, because he doubted he could eat anywhere near as much as the piles Toph and Sokka were loading up), Zuko stood stiffly and made his way back to his room. He knew the rest of the group usually sat together during meals because it seems they just couldn't get enough of each other, but he wasn't liked or wanted, so he would eat up in his room. It was quieter there anyway.

And he was used to the quiet. For months after he had split up from his uncle, he had had no company but the tuneless whistling of the wind and the sun to warm his back, and he had been perfectly content. Or, at least as content as he could be for being on the run and constantly half-starved.

Balancing his dish in one hand and his cup in the other, he leaned back to keep his balance and brought his foot up to the doorknob. With the slightest bit of pressure to the right, the door clicked and swung open. It had stumped him the first time he brought dinner back to his room; he couldn't set the plate down because he had always been taught that the place settings didn't belong on the floor. But then Toph had come along, and noticing him standing in front of his door with his arms laden with food, she had opened both hers and his doors with just her foot as she balanced her own dinner. The first time he had tried it he had fallen backwards and lost his drink, however he had managed to save his food. Practice made it easier, and now he could enter his room just as easily with his feet as with his hands, and he was proud of his newfound skill.

Even if it was a rather useless talent.

He placed the plate on his bed while the cup went on the nightstand beside it. Dirt and dust itched against his skin, and he just had to get out of those disgusting clothes.

"Mind if I join you?"

Zuko turned around slowly, lowering the shirt back down. If he was going to be subjugated to the other boy again this soon, he was not going to be doing it half-naked.

"Oh, yeah. I mean, no, I don't mind." What he really wanted to say was 'yes, I do mind', but sometimes his mouth gained momentary control of his thought process. So now Sokka was settling himself beside him on the small twin bed. He felt awkward standing in the middle of the room, and sat down as far away from Sokka as the narrow space allowed.

The tan boy loaded up a teetering tower of noodles on his chopsticks and chewed slightly with a contemplative glimmer in his eyes before he said, mouth still full of half-chewed food, "What's your favorite food? Mine's seal jerky. Or tigerbass sticks. Ooh, or maybe fried armadillowalrus. It's chewy and juicy!"

Basically any kind of meat then.

He took a much smaller bite and chewed the crunchy noodles deliberately, and Sokka's fingers twitched in anticipation. Why was he so jumpy? "I'm gonna have to say 'Dragon Palm'."

There was a moment of blissful silence before Sokka figured out what the dish actually was. "But there's no meat in that!!" He actually sounded scandalized. Or maybe offended. "You can't tell me that that's you're favorite food!"

The next few bites of lunch felt thick in his mouth, and heavier in his stomach. "I didn't make fun of your meat dishes, so don't criticize mine. I come from a different culture than you, so you can't expect me to like the same things, you know..."

"But still! I just don't get how that can be your favorite. Or are you a veggie-only person like Aang?"

"Well, my mother used to make it for me." Back when she was still around. "And I do like meat, you know. I've been eating the same food as you for the whole week."

They both went silent, having nothing else to say, and continued eating. Sokka ate like a ravenous lionpig and made enough noise to fill in the silence without even speaking. On Zuko's plate, two nuts did an improvised dance, assisted by his idle chopsticks. He had only eaten a quarter of what he dished up so far, but it didn't look like he'd get through much more. His stomach was protesting already.

Not wanting a repeat of the night before, he pushed away his plate and leaned back against the headboard. With his eyes closed the room ceased its spinning, and the cool wood was a blessing to the back of his burning neck. His internal heating system was off by about twenty degrees today, it seemed...

"I thought you said you were hungry," Sokka accused through another mouthful. A stray noodle clung to the side of his face that looked like a ferretworm. Zuko's stomach rolled at the thought.

He thumped his head back against the wood again, desperate to feel something other than the slow rise of half-digested food back up from below. "I was," he pointed out, "but then I ate. I'm good now, alright?" The room teetered on its axis, and he knew he needed to get to a bathroom soon. He lurched to his feet, intending to do just that.

"H-Hey!" Sokka jumped up, knocking a few nuts off his plate. "Where're you going?"

Zuko paused at the door. "The bathroom. I'll be right back." Sokka moved to follow him. "I don't need an escort, alright?! Just quit– stop following me!"

The other boy stopped, a hurt look flashing through his eyes. "I'm not following you, I'm just... What's wrong with wanting to hang out with your friend?"

"Friend? We've hardly known each other a week!" he said incredulously, pacing before the open door. "And your stalking me isn't helping matters. Just... I don't mind your company. Really, I don't. But give me a little space every once in a while, okay?"

Sokka stared, open mouthed back at him, and Zuko wasn't sure if it was in disbelief or because he was surprised he was caught. "So I'm stalking you, now?" he waved his arms about the air around him as though it could provide him with the words. It didn't seem to be working. "I follow you to your room because I thought you'd like some company, and you of all people have the nerve to call me a stalker?"

A wave of cold crested over him, and he leaned heavily against the open door, hands coming up to grip weakly at the door frame behind his head. He wasn't being very fair, was he? After all, these people were taking him in on face value that he had honestly changed – that he wasn't going to betray their location to the Fire Lord – and here he was yelling at someone for being thoughtful?

Whatever happened to 'staying friendly'?

Wide knuckles slipped through his swaying vision, watching, waiting for him to take the hand up. It was even warmer now that he was focusing on it and not his crumbling sense of balance; he considered the inane thought that Sokka could secretly be a firebender. Downcast sapphire pools avoided his own. Zuko was led back to the bed with a firm hand on his shoulder.

When Sokka finally spoke next, his voice wavered as though he was still going through puberty. "I didn't mean to say that... I just meant– You shouldn't have to be all alone up here everyday, ya' know? I mean, everyone else eats together... and you shouldn't care what Katara thinks, no one else does. Well, maybe Aang, but that's just 'cause he likes her. He thinks you're great!"

"Sokkaaaa!" Both boys' heads turned towards the door, despite knowing that Katara was all the way downstairs. Sokka turned back towards Zuko with a sigh, and patted him once on the shoulder before standing up again with a groan.

"And Katara has to go and ruin the moment again. You look tired. I'll 'leave you alone' now for a bit, and you can sleep. Or read. Firebend. Whatever it is that you do up here all day," he chuckled, winking at the last. Of course Sokka would assume something naughty out of something so innocent. Zuko ignored the jab and nodded, pleased that the motion didn't cause immediate distress. His stomach was finally settling too.

The door clicked shut. Silence seeped through the cracks under the door and around the window, and it felt too quiet, too empty without the loudmouth to help fill it. He almost considered calling him back. But the bed was inviting and looked so completely warm that he couldn't protest his sore and aching muscles from a bit of a lay in. He curled up under the blankets (one of which he had been dragging around for most of the day) and smiled faintly as the sheets tangled around his legs. If his muscles were heavy, his head was a boulder, and he let it drop onto the pillow like a farm worker throws his hay.

In the misty mid-afternoon, in the darkest room of the northernmost tower, Zuko let himself slip into sleep.

AN: That took WAAAY too long. But good news, I've got a shiny new beta-reader (terracannon876) who was a godsend when writing (and coming up with the plot for) this chapter. She's just full of nifty ideas that I'll be kidnapping for the future. Oh, and she's trying to write her own story one of these days, so go and read it whenever she posts!

---- edit: Terra is officially the best beta EVER! She worked with me through this process for the last few days and nit-picked all the inconsistencies in my writing.. and there were a LOT. So thank her and I'll send the review along! =]

This chapter was 8,083 words long, which is NOT a record.

Next chapter we finally meet the firebending masters. Schweet.