Disclaimer: I do not own, nor claim the rights of, any Avatar: The Last Airbender character or plot-line. I make no money from writing this.
A/N: This, unlike most of my writings, contains no romance. It's quite a departure for me. I love the brotherly interaction between Sokka and Zuko and wished there'd been more of it in the show. I was inspired to write this and share it with you all. I tried to hold as true to canon as I possibly could.
Watch Her
The comet was here. Their destinies were upon them. Huddled in the shadows of Ba Sing Se's crumbling outer wall the intrepid group of young people, conspicuously minus the Avatar, were preparing to go their separate ways.
Sokka stood with his helmet on his hip as he watched the last of the preparations. Soon they would say their final goodbyes. He and Katara had spent some time last night talking, and had come to a peace about splitting up. They'd never spent more than a day apart their whole lives and this was to be the epic end-of-all-things battle. It was taking an adjustment period for both of them.
There may have been tears but Sokka would only swear that they were all from Katara.
Sokka scanned the group of White Lotus members and his friends; finally he spotted the man he wanted to talk to and approached him. "Zuko, can you come here a minute?"
The firebender cocked his eyebrow at him but followed silently. When they were out of earshot of the others Sokka turned to face his new-found friend. "I need you to promise me something."
"Anything." Zuko nodded once in assertion of his statement.
Sokka sighed shakily and developed lines of concentration on his brow. He looked at a distant point on the horizon, composing his thoughts before he spoke. "I come from a people devoted to family. From an early age we are taught to consider our entire village as our family, and as such we must defend them with our lives."
Zuko remained still, his face growing solemn.
"But I have a confession. There was, and always will be, one I wanted protected more than the others, so I found the will and fought harder." He finally turned his eyes to the other boy. "Katara is my only sister and after what happened to Mom, and with Dad leaving… I became a little obsessed over her care." He chuckled dryly; there was very little humor in it. "She'd probably tell you I was smothering her but I don't care what she says. She's my responsibility."
Sokka put a hand on Zuko's shoulder and the older boy didn't flinch. "I want… no I need you to promise you'll do everything in your power to protect her. If I hear it from you, I'll know she'll be safe."
Zuko blinked as the hand left his shoulder. It was never easy to see what he was thinking but the Water Tribe warrior thought he saw compassion and understanding in his eyes. "I promise, Sokka. I will protect Katara, with my very life if I have to." Zuko's rough voice was completely earnest.
Sokka nodded. He knew Zuko wouldn't lie to him, not about this, and he felt the briefest glow of relief wash over him. "Thank you"
The two men looked at each other for a second before Zuko extended his arm for Sokka to shake. Sokka looked at the extended appendage but brushed it aside. He wrapped the surprised former-prince in a friendly bear hug. Zuko patted the other man on the back and they separated.
Neither had felt closer to having a brother than at that moment.
They silently moved back to the group, Zuko to Appa with Katara, and Sokka to the eel-hound with Toph and Suki. They looked at each other and each man nodded to the other. No further words were needed because a deep understanding was steeling the bond between them. No matter what happened that day, that bond would stay forever.
A/N: This was more of an introduction than a chapter. More to come.
Rewatch the episode - that nod at the end really happened.