Date Completed: 7 February 2009
Pairing: Sokka/Zuko, mentions of past Sokka/Suki (eww!)
Disclaimer: I got a call from my lawyer today. Still don't own it yet, but not for a lack of trying.
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: Hehe sex scenes making me blush...
This was probably one of the funnest chapters to write though, what with Froggy being involved and all. There's just something about that little badgerfrog... This is mainly just a filler chapter before the Firebending Masters next chapter. Enjoy the mini-chapter!
EDIT: Okay... this turned out longer than I expected it to. Honestly, the words just grabbed the keyboard from me, and typed away without me. Still, I hope you enjoy it!
Notes re: Terra: This came in with a shitload of corrections that are all thanks to my lovely beta. Seriously, I don't know how you all got through the first chapters without her to help the flow... flow right. I'm horrid and grammar... and spelling. She's a pro at everything!
Smoke from the low-melting candle nearby coiled lazily about the air like a silent serpent, flicking an amber glow across the two lazy bodies entwined on the silken sheets. The air was hot and heavy, and a low baritone moan answered in response to its partner's arousing touch. Eyes, darkened to the deepest sea in their hazy lust, drifted open at the wandering fingertips traced down the path of his chest. They caught the slightest hint of sleep- – or perhaps sex – -ruffled short hair before the touch ventured lower, and he let his head fall back against the downy pillows with another moan.
Sultry fingers traced a line across from one hip to the other. The faintest feather-light touch along the inner curve of his thigh and Sokka tossed his head side to side, gripping the sheets with white knuckles to resist thrusting his hips up against that warm heat hovering above him. Still the wandering fingers lingered...
Warm, wet heat engulfed him, and everything fell away but that sweet mouth and the soft silken hair beneath his fevered grip. The hot tongue continued its trail down to the tip.
"Please...don't stop..."
He hated the way his voice shook, full of wanton lust and need, but the mouth wrapped its full lips around the tip and sucked lightly – a faint vibrating hum grinning around him. It was so very hard to fight something that brought such results.
The traveling hands came to rest around the curve of his knees, tickling at the softer skin behind. He moaned again, louder, biting at the corner of his lip. He was so close...
That heavenly mouth pulled back slightly, just enough to blow gently against the tip. Warm, crashing breaths that shook his resolve and threatened to cast him into oblivion. A whimper left his mouth, hips jerking up to stay in contact. The hands caught him.
"Shh..." the soothed, hot breath ghosting over his feverish skin. He sighed, throwing his arm across his eyes, breath coming in shuddering gasps. It was as though he was on the Earth Kingdom's mail slides once again, sliding backwards down the hill, stomach doing flip-flops and heart pounding. The soft thumb rubbed circles against his inner hip. He shuddered again.
Finally his partner leaned back down, body sprawled out across his legs and taking him fully into that hot mouth. He felt himself tipping...
...And colliding with the cold stone floor, knocking the hazy lust clear out of his thoughts. Just his luck. The first time he gets some from Suki in nearly a month, and it's in his dreams.
Sokka glanced around the open cathedral space, noting that none of his friends (or sister) were still asleep in their bedrolls. He rubbed at his eyes with his palm.
It's still too damn early...
A thump from above caught his attention, and he froze, cocking his head in the direction of the upper floors. Again it sounded, and this time he detected the clear clangs and bangs of a fight. What were they up to now?
He made short work of the bedding tangled around his legs, and lumbered across the room and up the stairs, mumbling under his breath all the while. His people were known to rise with the moon. Or, at least the waterbenders were, but he would cling to any excuse to not wake up, and mornings had never really been his particular favorite time of day anyway.
The voices grew clearer the closer he got to the hallway, and he sped up subconsciously. He couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like his sister was picking a fight with Zuko again, and things were getting more heated. Sokka had no idea why they couldn't just get along – they were on the same side now, anyways – but not a single day had passed without periods of tense silence and snide remarks between the two. Even Aang had eventually warmed up to the firebender, going so far as to give him the title Sifu Hotman that had Zuko indignant, but the blush gave away how much the familiarity meant to the older boy. Toph also had welcomed him full-heartedly into the group, even if it was only for him to play the role of her slave – something that Sokka and her fought about more often than food or sleep, which was something of a rarity in itself.
For all his life, there had only been three things that Sokka would actively fight for: family, food, and freedom. That wasn't to say that nothing else was important to him, but there were only so many things a man was willing to lay down his life for, and he had been pretty content with his list for a long time. So when Yue came along, he had been surprised to find himself fighting for her life. Shortly after he had just gotten over the death (or rather, transformation) of his first love, he had met Suki, and once again a woman outside his family was put on his list, along with a new category: love.
Then how could he explain away his protective instincts towards Zuko?
He wasn't naïve enough to believe in anything as foolish as love at first sight, and even if he did, that didn't seem to fit towards the paler boy. While he had to admit that the other teen was attractive as hell, there hadn't been any feeling other than suspicion when he had first arrived. No butterflies or sparkles or anything they spoke of in songs or poems. No, this was lust. This was more primal.
Over the week Zuko had spent with them at the temple, Sokka had learned more about the ex-prince than he had ever known in the two years spent avoiding him. For example, he could now say with all honesty that the pale boy despised the taste of tea, even though the firebender made the best brew he had ever tasted. They both shared a similar penchant for sarcasm, and could lob lighthearted insults back and forth across Zuko's worn bed for hours without growing weary of the other's company. Sure, Zuko didn't hold that same obsession with meat that Sokka clung to like a dogma, but he did introduce Sokka to pepperoni, which was still meat even if it was garnered in so much spice that it was almost painful to eat. And he knew that this foreign boy was now inexplicably his friend, and so friendship was added to his ever-growing list.
Smoke was billowing from Zuko's open doorway, and Sokka's heart pounded in his chest.
"I told you, it was just a dream. This happens a lot with–"
"So what you're telling me is that not only can you not teach Aang firebending, but you could burn us all to death in your sleep, as well?"
Sokka peeked into the room, ducking his head below the slowly clearing gray smoke. Katara stood like a giant before a meek Zuko, who was sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in his hands. A quick glance to the other side of the room proved the cause of the smoke – the smoldering remains of what used to be a tapestry was lying in a puddle on the floor.
A soft voice alerted him to Aang, standing off to the other side beside a bored looking Toph. "I don't think he meant to catch the tapestry on fire, Katara. He said it was just a dream... I used to airbend in my sleep sometimes too when I wasn't feeling well..."
"Still, his firebending could do a lot more damage than your airbending or our waterbending. This wasn't a risk I was prepared for when I agreed to let him stay with us. I'm not sure it's safe to keep him here anymore."
Zuko glanced tiredly up from his knees and leveled Katara with a stare, and the dark smudges under his eyes looked like coal against the pallor of his cheeks.
"If you really want me gone, just say the word," he sighed, voice scratchy but still strong, "but remember that I'm the only one around that can teach Aang firebending before the comet."
His sister bristled, and Sokka thought better of Zuko as he didn't back down.
"You can't even control your own firebending!"
"I know."
Startled by the admission, Katara seemed to lose some of her steam, and sat down near the foot of the bed, a good two or three feet from the offending boy. It was hard to argue with someone who wouldn't fight back.
"So what are we going to do about it?" she asked, fingering the rough cloth of the bedding with a frown.
Sokka shifted closer to Toph, joining her and Aang on the floor out of the warpath that was Katara and Zuko's arguments. They might have calmed down for the moment, but everyone knew that was only temporary. Toph nodded towards the ruined tapestry that had stopped smoking, but was now giving off the odor of burnt liongoat hair. They tuned out Zuko's feeble excuses, and the snide remarks Katara threw back in his face. Just another argument, just another day.
"Princess woke us all up this morning when he yelled for Katara to come put the fire out. She wasn't happy."
Sokka scoffed. 'Wasn't happy' was an understatement. But still, that didn't explain why the tapestry was burning in the first place. "Why'd he set it on fire then?"
"Apparently he had some kind of bad dream and did it in his sleep," she explained lowly, blank eyes glancing eerily close to where the boy in question actually sat, silently taking Katara's criticism. "But then he couldn't firebend it out, so he had to get Katara to do it with her waterbending before he caught the whole temple on fire."
"I wonder what's going on with him..." The other boy already had enough problems, what with his apparent trouble sleeping and lack of control with his firebending. Knowing how the ex-prince felt about burning Toph, he knew Zuko wouldn't be able to go to sleep without fear that he'd burn them all in his sleep.
Aang shifted on the other side of Toph, and turned towards him, concerned gray eyes freezing aqua pools. "I think he's sick."
He remembered how he had had to steady Zuko the day before when the other teen had stood too fast, and how Zuko had told him it was due to a persistent cold. Maybe Aang's theory had some merit. "Yeah," he agreed, leaning his chin against his upturned palm, "he said he's had this cold for a few weeks. Isn't sleep-bending something you guys do when you get sick?"
"Not really," Aang admitted, glancing over to make sure the arguing pair were still busy. "I mean, I sleep-bended once when I was sick, but that was when I was really little."
Toph, who had progressed to lying on her front by now, nodded, bangs flopping about her glassy eyes. "It's pretty much something only kids do. Adults usually have a lot more control over their bending than that."
"He's only sixteen," he corrected distractedly, missing the pointed look Toph threw his way at already knowing such intimate information. There had to be some reason why Zuko was having difficulty firebending... "Hey, Toph... you said that earthbending is controlled by determination, right?" She nodded, but Sokka was already turning towards Aang, blue eyes alight with the thrill of figuring out a mystery. "And Airbending's spurn from..."
"The quest for freedom and spiritual enlightenment," Aang supplied.
"Right, right. Then waterbending is all about change and adaptation. So what's firebending fueled by then?"
Finally, Toph seemed to understand where he was going with this, and rolled over slightly, just enough so that she was facing Zuko, who was in the middle of defending himself yet again to Katara. "Hey, Zuko! What's firebending fueled by?"
Katara scowled at her for interrupting, but Zuko paused with his mouth open for a moment, looking confused, before rubbing the back of his neck. "Anger, I guess. I mean, it is kind of a violent element..."
"Well," Sokka grinned, leaning forward over his crossed legs, "do you feel angry?"
It was kind of ironic in an annoying way that he wasn't angry enough to control his element. He, who had – fueled by rage and determination – chased around the Avatar for two whole years. The irony hadn't been wasted on Katara, who had started laughing and declared that he was better off as their enemy than ally. At least Sokka had tried to cheer him up (at least he hoped it had been in good sport) by poking him several times in the ribs and head with Aang's staff. Unfortunately, all that came of this was an angry, but still flameless firebender, and sore ribs.
He tried to picture Azula's face in mind; the night-streaked black hair pulled back in a royal bun, bronze eyes glinting and painted lips curled into that self-satisfied smirk she wore so often... If he squinted just right, he could imagine that she was hiding in the shadows created by the setting sun against the thick support pillars of the temple's lower floors. The ghost of her laugh echoed through the open room. He raised his fist to punch...
...And brought it down with a sigh.
While it was true that she undoubtedly hated him and the very thought of her turned his insides to liquid fire, she was still his sister. They were still family. At least, they were if he wasn't disowned by now.
The thought sent his mind down a different road, one he had tried to forget since he had first left the palace. What did everyone think happened to him? He hadn't taken the time to write a note or leave behind any sort of clue to tell anyone where he had left or why; the fortune teller's eerie prediction had spoken of suffering and misery, and his every instinct had him fleeing the palace walls that were beginning to look more and more like a prison. Did they even know he had turned traitor, or did they suspect kidnapping?
Better yet, did anyone even care?
Wiping the cool line of sweat away from the back of his neck with a small hand towel, he slid down the outermost wall until he was sitting knees to chest, gazing out into the slowly setting sun. He couldn't explain why, but the thought of his family and friends not knowing he was on the Avatar's side actually hurt. Maybe it was because this seemed so right to him, helping Aang and his friends restore balance to a world ravaged by his own people.
And yet he still couldn't do much to help Aang, because he couldn't even get angry at the ones who had started it all.
Croak
Zuko glanced down by his side. The newly dubbed Froggy sat beside his leg, large yellow-green eyes staring up into his own gold ones. The badgerfrog blinked and continued staring, as though waiting for Zuko to do something entertaining again. Zuko sighed.
"You know, if I keep talking to you, people are going to think I'm insane."
Croak
"At least you can't judge me. Thank Agni for small favors," he chuckled, lifting Froggy from under his chubby and lightly-furred arms, and placed him on his lap. A wandering hand found the creature's short ears and gently rubbed the soft fur along the base.
"I think there's something wrong with me," he confessed, hand sliding down through the brown fur to the middle of the animal's back, then moving back up to the ears to repeat its journey. He could almost pretend that Froggy's blink was questioning concern, and he felt foolish for feeling happy at the imagined kindness. Still, it was nice to be able to talk to someone who wouldn't (or couldn't) judge him. "It's just– I haven't been able to sleep well lately, and when I do, I catch my room on fire. How am I supposed to try if it means accidentally killing all my friends?" The hand sped up in his frustration, pressing a little harder.
"This wouldn't even be so bad if I could just do my job and teach Aang firebending, but I can't even do that right! They say I'm not angry enough... but I've lived my whole life off anger. Besides, what kind of warmhearted nation could we grow to become if all of our strength comes from inner-rage?" Froggy squirmed uncomfortably under the mounting pressure Zuko's warm hand was subjecting him to; the creature kicked out lightly with a back leg against the assailing arm, but Zuko was too engrossed in his own demons to notice.
At least the hand was petting lightly again. "Last night I threw up after dinner, and it had blood in it again," he informed Froggy weakly, tilting his head back against the stone wall behind him, relishing the last few moments of sunlight before the moon took up guard in the starry sky. "And I'm never hungry anymore. Haven't even eaten yet today. I wonder how long this can go on before someone notices... something. Anything. I'm surprised no one has yet. I mean, look at me," he gestured to his limp hair and pale skin, and Froggy continued to sit contentedly on his lap, gazing out in the opposite direction.
Zuko sighed, shivering now that the warming sun was engulfed by the horizon. His furry friend huddled closer to the warmth the firebender emitted.
"All the other elements are fueled by peaceful, harmonious qualities... But fire's the element of destruction." He glanced out up into the star-spotted sky, full moon looming overhead, and Zuko could understand how the watertribe thought it a god. Just as his people revered the suns powerful heat and light, there was something to be said about the soft glow of the moon. He could imagine the spirit of his mother, pale cheeks and whispering eyes, in the face of the silvery orb. And their god didn't tell them to destroy the world. Maybe the waterbenders had the right idea after all.
"What do I do now?"
"For starters, you could stop talking to animals."
He jerked around, spying Toph leaning against the nearest column with a smirk. She sauntered over to his side, plopping down into the spot now free of pebbles.
"I know you like the little guy – and it's obvious you're the only one he likes – but talking to him?" Her fingers sought out the soft fur, and Froggy scooted away from her hand as though annoyed at her insult.
Zuko snorted, patting Froggy on the head in praise before running his hand through the silky fur once more. "Aang talks to Appa, and Sokka talks to Momo. Actually," he considered, "everyone talks to Momo. So what's so strange about me talking to Froggy?"
"It's not the talking to animals part," she explained sarcastically, as though speaking to a slow child, "it's the fact that you're doing the talking. I'd expect this of Aang, and definitely Sokka, but I never pictured you for an animal lover."
His eyes found Froggy's, who was butting his head against Zuko's hand, and he continued the petting apologetically. "I don't really like animals, honestly. This one just seems to like me, and who am I to deny the only person who doesn't seem to hate me here?"
Zuko didn't look up, but he could feel the way her sightless eyes roamed over his pitiful form, judging him, unlike the creature on his lap. That was probably another reason why he had grown so attached. Finally, Toph pushed herself to her feet with the help of a handy earthbended pedestal that sunk back into the ground as she brushed the loose dust from her pants. She had no problem with what she called a 'healthy layer of dirt', but the dried out particles dusting the floors of the temple carried the sent of decay, and she didn't want to carry that around all day. She scoffed and Zuko glanced up to meet her foggy eyes.
"If you wanna believe that, go on ahead. But if you really think that, you're more of an idiot than I thought you were. Let me know when you're done crying and we can hang out again." She leaned forward, gripping a good section of black hair in her hands and pulled, knocking foreheads hard against the ex-prince's. Zuko winced and pulled away, earth rocking under his crossed legs.
"Ouch," he moaned, rubbing the sore spot with the heel of his hand. Froggy hopped off his lap and down the hall, realizing that that was the end of his petting. "What was that for?"
Toph smiled sadly, nursing her own forehead, although seeming not as affected by the collision as Zuko. "It's how I show affection."
She shuffled back to the doorway, small rocks leaping away before her feet. Finally she turned and stuck her tongue out at him, before racing off down the hallway.
Zuko frowned, watching her disappear with some confusion. "What just happened...?" Unfortunately, Froggy wasn't there to answer for him.
Sokka, however, peeked his head in through the open doorway, responding with a grin, "I don't know. Why don't you tell me instead of talking to yourself."
"Well, at least I'm not talking to a badgerfrog this time..." the other boy didn't seem to get the reference, but didn't dwell on it. Instead he ambled over to where Zuko sat, taking up Toph's previous spot. They both took in the cool and comforting glow of the moon for a moment, waiting for the other to speak first. Out of the corner of his eye, Zuko could see the soft moonlight playing along the edges of the other boy's tan jaw, illuminating the slight stubble of a long day. He thought of his own smooth and hairless chin with a small frown. He had been positive he was older than the watertribesman, but the warrior was already shaving? Maybe the people of the poles were just hairier than the rest of the world. Still, the light stubble didn't look out of place on the boy, and accentuated the strong edges of his jaw to make him look older than he really was.
However old he was...
Zuko was the first to break the silence. "Why are you here?" he sighed, thinking about all the things the other teen could be (and most likely would rather be) doing. The new toy feeling had washed through the rest of the group by the end of the second day, and Sokka was the only person to continue seeking him out for something other than chores or bending practice. He knew that there would come a day when the novelty wore off, and he would be left alone as always, but until then he couldn't stop the guilty little part of his heart that wanted Sokka to be fascinated with him.
A hurt look crossed the other boy's face for a hint of a second, and he cursed his tactless tongue. "I haven't seen you since this morning.... and wouldn't you like to know what the group thinks we should do now?" He nodded, not trusting himself to speak again in case he said something else that was unintentionally offensive. Sokka cheered up straight away regardless, leaning back on one hand and flicking Zuko playfully on the nose with the other. "Toph and Aang were talking about how their original benders were animals, the badgermole and skybison, and apparently waterbending was made from watching the moon. Is there anything like that, that could teach you the original way to firebend? And don't look so cross, I just flicked you on the nose."
"Why is it that no one can show affection the normal way? Seriously... I'm going to end up in bruises again by the end of the week," he grumbled, rubbing at the pink tip of his nose. Sokka smiled, pulling the firebender in with one arm and dropping his ponytailed head on top of the paler boy's fluffy hair. They both ignored the other's blush, concerned enough with hiding their own.
"Nah, that's Toph. I am perfectly fine with hugs and stuff. Completely manly hugs and stuff like that."
Zuko snorted, reaching in and poking the broader teen in the side, chuckling when he produced a rather manly high-pitched squeak. The other boy was always doing things like this, hugging him or throwing an arm around his shoulders. Over time he had come to realize that everyone in the group communicated through touch as often as spoken word, but Zuko was not used to such intimateness. Growing up, his mother had always held her warm and waiting arms out for him, but his father kept an icy hard front despite his abilities with warmth. Touch for pleasure and comfort was as foreign to Zuko as the rough and unrefined languages of the far north. But still the other boy tried, pulling him into a warmth that completely belied the snowy climate he heralded from.
And Zuko found himself never wanting to leave it.
There's nothing shameful about friendly touch, he told himself, mentally shutting out the hissing voice in his mind that sounded suspiciously like Ozai. He was away from him now and could make his own decisions. Still, he found himself growing too comfortable in Sokka's hold, and slowly eased out of the strong arms, leaning against the other's side instead. The warmth was still extremely inviting, an in the end it was only through force of will the he didn't relish in it forever.
It was a fight to recall the spoken half of the conversation, and he considered it with an all too common frown. "They say we learned firebending from the dragons, but that won't help me. They're all extinct."
Sokka brought his hand to his chin and tapped his knuckles against the peach fuzz a few times, looking to the moon for guidance. Something seemed to occur to him. "How did your people learn from dragons? Wouldn't they just bite your heads off or something?"
"I wouldn't know. I never got to see any."
"Oh yeah."
Zuko sighed softly and let his head fall back against the firm muscle of the shoulder behind him. His eyes once again gravitated towards the great silvery orb hanging gently in the sky, as though held aloft by hundreds of tiny, sparkling spider's webs of stars. Uncle had once told him the story of Circeli, who challenged the moon to a sewing contest, and was turned into a spider for her arrogance. He, personally, had always thought her punishment harsh – was the cold moon so unforgiving that she had to ruin someone's life for going against her views? But something had reverberated through him at the tale.
His own father had done the same thing.
Thoughts of his uncle and warmhearted camp stories took him in a different direction, one in which he suddenly remembered a story from what seemed like long ago. He turned his head to look up into Sokka's smiling eyes. "Uncle said that the Sun Warriors learned the art from watching the the dragons fly through the sky. Supposedly, that's why we can breathe fire if we learn to control our breathing just right." A glint formed in Sokka's eyes, and he knew what he wanted to ask. "And yes, I can breathe fire. Well..." he thought better of it, "maybe not right now, with my firebending not even working right, but I usually can."
The glint didn't fade, as he had fully expected, and Zuko huffed, turning around to fully face the other teen. If he was going to do this, it was only going to be once. He didn't want to give Sokka any excuse to ask for him to do it again.
He took a deep breath, feeling the slow burn of his own internal fire warm it, but not nearly enough; the breath came out as steam, and Sokka continued waiting patiently. The next breath was deeper, and he focused on wrapping the packet of air in fiery hot tendrils, engulfing the air as fuel and expelling it in a show of fire – hot and bright, yet small enough to not burn the teen in front of him. Sokka laughed and applauded him, pulling him in again to knuckle him on the head.
"See!" He shouted cheerfully, seeming to not care about the hollow echo it made as it echoed out into the canyon before them. "You're firebending's still there. Maybe you just need to go to where those Sun Warriors lived and check it out. Sure, they may all be dead, but... I don't know, maybe you'll pick up some fire-magic tricks while you're there."
Zuko shoved the other boy off his head, feeling the corner of his mouth tug up into the beginnings of a smile. Sokka always seemed to have that effect on him. Still, the other boy had a point. "Yeah, I guess. And I'll take Aang along with me. He should see where his firebending came from too." It may have been his imagination, but Sokka seemed to slump some at the suggestion of bringing Aang. Would the teen really miss the boy if they were only gone for a day or two? "We'll try to be back as soon as possible, and we're almost out of meat. I trust you can hunt some for us while we're gone, Mr. Meat and Sarcasm Guy?"
Sokka shoved him, hard, but he looked up to find only laughter in his blue eyes. "I'll catch plenty of food, Mr. My-favorite-dish-doesn't-even-have-meat. You and Aang just go and learn fire-magic so Katara can stop nagging him to not mess around. Oh yeah!" He seemed to remember something and jumped to his feet, holding out a hand for Zuko to take. "She's done with dinner, so we can go tell them your idea. We're having monkeycrab tonight!"
Briefly Zuko wondered where they had managed to find the usually shore-faring animal, but shook away the thought, realizing that Sokka was still waiting for him. The hand was large and warm around his own, and Sokka easily pulled him to his feet, silently steadying him as a wave of verdigo hit. The other boy didn't seem to think much on Zuko's rapidly deteriorating health, but Sokka at least seemed to realize when he was needed, even if it was only as a firm and steady hand.
That night, dinner was alive with mirth, as though the Avatar and his firebending teacher were about to learn from the dragons themselves, rather than from the crumbling ruins their worshipers had left behind. He had came down with Sokka, expecting to grab his plate then return to his room. Sokka apparently had other ideas, and refused to let go of his leg until he was seated (albeit uncomfortably) on the cushion right beside the stubborn teen. Toph had punched him on the arm (again) and told him it was about time he stopped being a hermit. Aang didn't eat the monkeycrab – which despite Zuko's initial reservations was actually pretty tasty, if a bit crunchy – but gobbled up seconds, then thirds of the vegetable and rice dish Katara had made especially for him.
He caught the boy in the wheelchair – Teo, his name was – staring at him every few seconds when he thought Zuko didn't notice. But this didn't bother the golden eyed boy. In the past, when people stared it was in disgust for either his scar or what it meant. Now, however, he saw past the ideals of the past, and noticed the rise of an eyebrow, nervous smile, discreet glances. He couldn't blame the younger boy for being curious, after all, he was a foreign prince among peasants. Or at least, he used to be. Now he was just as much of a peasant as the rest of them.
But by this point, Zuko didn't mind.
Aang laughed at something Sokka had said, then turned to face the withdrawn firebender with a face-splitting grin. "Hey, Zuko, what time should we leave to go see the Sun Warriors tomorrow? How long will it take to get there? Should we bring anything? Have you ever been there before?" All was said in rapid fire, and Zuko wondered how Aang could still breathe. Probably using his airbending somehow...
"We leave at dawn," he confirmed, ignoring the slack-jawed expression on Sokka's face at the mention of the early hour. "It shouldn't take more than half a day on your skybison, so we should be back in two days, three at the latest. And... I can't keep track of everything else you asked, so just assume the answer's no and learn to speak a bit clearer."
The insult flew over the younger boy, who continued to chatter on to anyone who'd listen about how excited he was to 'go on a field trip with Zuko'. As if this was all just a game... Couldn't the Avatar be serious for once?! Still, his mood was contagious, and soon everyone was happily participating in the discussion, even asking for souvenirs as if they were going on a vacation. Only one person other that the ex-prince seemed to be immune to the general cheer.
Katara practically seethed in her seat, glaring at the once enemy throughout the meal for daring to join them. Her cushion was scooted up close to Aang's, but slightly farther away from the makeshift table, almost as though to guard his back. He knew that she could, and would, cause many problems with their leaving tomorrow. There had to be some way to calm her down...
He brought the chopsticks back down to his plate distractedly, before jolting when they touched smooth porcelain. The corner that had housed the soft cooked vegetables was empty, and he was pleasantly surprised with how much he had managed to get down before feeling sick. Perhaps this sickness was finally dissipating.
Still, he thought, setting down his chopsticks, it'd be best to stop eating now before I push my luck.
Toph's head cocked in his direction, and he knew he was caught. The short girl elbowed him in the ribs, before scooting the chopsticks closer to his idle hand. At least she didn't announce his troubles to the rest of them... Still, when he looked up, he found Katara glaring, once again, at him. It seemed she wasn't too pleased with him not eating her food.
"What," she snarled, digging into a piece of meat ferociously, "is my food not good enough for you, Prince Zuko?"
"It's not that–" he tried to explain, but she would have none of it.
"Well if you don't like this, you can starve for all I care."
Sokka made to stand up, but Zuko was quicker, leaping up and grabbing her outstretched arm as gently as he could with this frustration burning through his veins. She started to pull away, and he used that momentum to haul her from her seat and out towards the hall. "I think Katara and I need to talk." Katara huffed and glared like a child who hadn't gotten their way, and pulled her arm from his, but still followed him out into the empty hallway. Once they were out of earshot, he turned on her. "What's your problem?"
"What's yours?! Oh, wait, I know! You're a rich and spoiled jerk who's too good for our peasant food!"
Zuko exhaled roughly, rubbing the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. He might stand a chance if he could get a word in edgewise... "Katara, I liked your food." Already, she looked ready to argue. "It was well-cooked, and tasted better than most of the food I ate while I was in the Fire Nation. It's just... I haven't been feeling well lately, and I can't seem to keep anything down. I'd rather not eat the food and miss the good taste, than to have to taste it again, half-digested."
Finally, she started to loosen up, and she settled to leaning against the rough corridor wall. He came to lean beside her, before letting his weakened legs give out and sliding down to sit by her feat. She followed soon after.
"But that's not what's really been bothering you," he prodded quietly, picking at the dirt beneath his fingernails to put up a feeling of casualness.
She glanced back towards the dining room, double-checking to make sure no wandering ears were focused there. It was difficult to tell with Toph though, and they figured that if she heard, she heard. "It's not," she confirmed. "I'm not entirely comfortable with you in our group yet." He snorted. That much was obvious. "And I don't like how close you are to my brother. What are you planning now?"
Heat scored his cheeks, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. He didn't know why the boy was so friendly either.
"I'm not planning anything, honest. Your brother's just a really nice person, who's taken to seek me out each day. If you've got a problem with that, talk to him about it."
She nodded, and he knew she'd do just that. Then she grew silent, and picked at a loose thread in her dress. He almost thought she was done talking to him, when she spoke once more, "you never apologized to me for what you did in the caves."
So that's what had her hip-wrappings in a twist.
"I know. And I won't."
She sputtered, turning to glare at him in shock and anger. Obviously she felt that this was the wrong answer, and that he had better change it fast, before she decided to forgo waterbending and simply attack him with her fists. Still, she had to learn that her views weren't always the right ones, and that there were two sides to every argument.
He leaned forward to kneel before her, grasping her cool hands in his own. "Katara, come back to the Fire Nation with me. Leave your brother and the Avatar behind and we can cleanse the world of all its evils together."
Although his voice was a dull monotone without conviction, she still balked at his words, flinging her hands from his and bringing them to her waterskin to attack.
"How dare you!" She screamed, jumping to her feet. A couple strands of hair fell free from its tie, and Zuko considered telling her that she would look better with it all down. "I would never betray Sokka, much less for you! I knew you never changed!"
"See? We're even now." Zuko finally let out the knowing smirk, leaning back against the stone wall once again. Just as he had thought, she had gotten defensive, proving his point all the more. Not only was she being unreasonable, but hypocritical as well. Zuko always did like being right – who didn't? But her expression had never changed to shame or embarrassment, instead flowing through confusion and doubt, and he recalled that she was only fourteen. So it was to be in laymen's terms then, huh? "Your first reaction wasn't in disgust at helping me, or even the Fire Nation – it was in betraying your own sibling." Still no comprehension. Zuko wanted to bang his head against the wall behind him. How had these uneducated and half-witted children defied him for two whole years?
"Back in the caves, it was a choice between you – someone I had only spoken to for about an hour, really – and my own sister," he said slowly, as if he were talking to a small child. Actually, by this point, the difference was pretty moot to him. "Sure, I get that you were angry I didn't choose your side, but you have to think about it from my point of view. Here I was being given the opportunity to rejoin my family for the first time in two years, and some girl wants me to give that up because she'd rather run around the world playing with penguins, or... or going shopping in different towns, stealing scrolls from pirates..." He waved his arms about wildly, as he was wont to do when agitated or upset. "You meant nothing to me, you know... just as I'm sure I still mean nothing to you.
"Besides, the Dai Lee had my uncle's life in jeopardy, and if I didn't choose Azula's side, they would have killed him like he was nothing. I couldn't let that happen." His tired eyes looked up to meet hers, and was relieved to see that hers no longer held that same fury, only the sour grimace of someone who understood what was going on around them, even if they didn't like it.
By now, the other's were probably done with dinner, and it was starting to get late in the evening.
"You should go back to your room now," she suggested, averting her eyes and stepping back towards the doorway. "You've got an early morning."
Then she was gone, and sleep was sounding more and more attractive by the moment.
The wide, empty bed was cold against his skin, sheets pooled around his waist and thighs, hugging hips and caressing calves. A cool nighttime breeze fluttered through the open window. He shivered and sighed, rolling over to lie on his side.
Something warm and soft, skin against skin, pressed up against his back and side.
His lip quirked at the leg thrown over his hip, and he bit down on the corner to keep from groaning, moaning, or any of the other sounds a sleeping person wouldn't usually make. There were rules for this sort of engagement, and he knew this would all end abruptly should he make any sudden moves or noises before his partner was fully absorbed in the ministrations.
Still, it was difficult not to move when slim hips straddled his own and rocked slowly, oh so gently.
Only when his partner let out a moan did he move, and leaned forward quickly, pushing the other back against the bed. He straddled their waist as they had done moments before, and ran shaking fingers down the pale and slim chest, nipping and kissing along after the trail. A bite brushed over the other's throat, only to be soothed away by gentle, though heated kisses that traveled up to the smooth jaw, over the chin, and around the panting mouth. Their hips rubbed up against each other with tantalizing friction, and he gasped against the soft lips, before moving in for the kill. Tongues battled for dominance, swallowing the other's gasps and moans as the two grew closer and closer to the ceiling, sky, the heavens....
As his whole body tensed with pleasure and the white fire burst behind his eyes, his lover's eyes found his own.
Gold like treasure, gold like fire, gold like...
AN: Mmk. Two 'special dreams' then. And no, Sokka's not quite ready to accept that he'd really rather do his best friend than his girlfriend. Poor boys. Things would be much easier on you if you just admitted your feelings, you know... but it wouldn't be as much fun for us, so scratch that thought!
This chapter was 7,995 words long.
Next Chapter: Firebending Masters. Seriously this time. Or, at least they leave to go see them. We'll see how far I can get them in one chapter. =]