south pole, southern water tribe, winter]

Sokka is born in the dead of winter with a red dragon curling down the left side of his back.

His parents don't know what to make of it, because even as far down as the South Pole they know that dragons are extinct, wiped out years ago by the same people that want the Water Tribe gone. They hope it signifies a kind of solidarity with his soulmate.

Sokka doesn't want to know what it means. (He knows what it means. The dragons were the original firebenders, and the firebenders that arealive,are—)

Especially when a year later, his sister is born with another kind of tragedy wrapped around her neck— a blue arrow as a choker.

So soulmates are another thing Sokka adds to the list of things he chooses not to believe in. Magic water powers, past lives, and a twelve-year-old boy with Katara's betrothal necklace tattooed around his neck among them.

[fire nation capital city, fire nation, summer]

Zuko is born in the sweltering heat of summer with a sword down his spine.

The braided grip traces up his neck until it meets his hairline. The guard meets between his shoulder blades. The black blade spans the length of his spine and doesn't stop growing until he does.

It's not a woman's weapon, even if the Fire Nation knows that women can fight as well as men— every woman that can't fight is one less soldier on the battlefield of this endless war— but it does not belong to a woman. He knows it's not a woman's weapon like he knows the Fire Nation is intolerant, that in marriage,marksmean less than someone's gender, and that he has to work twice as hard to make up this disgrace to his markless father. Work twice as hard as Azula, markless as their father, has never had to.

He asks about his mother's, once, when Azula mocks Zuko for being weak, for havingattachments. His mother shields her face when she tells him it's impolite to ask. And maybe it isn't. But his father is watching, so he doesn't ask again.

[makapu village, earth kingdom, spring]

Sokka adds fortunetellers to his list of bullshit.

He doesn't ask about his love life like Katara does. What is there even for Kataratoask, except for a confirmation of what they already know? Except she's fourteen and knowing for certain that Aang is her match is something romantic and far off, even though Sokka knows that Aang would marry her tomorrow if she hinted that she wanted it.

Aunt Wu tells him anyway.

She tells him things he doesn't want to hear, things he already knows. She tells him that his match is a powerful firebender. She tells him that his match is a man. She tells him that they've already met. He chokes on his bean curd puffs and spends the entire day trying to prove her wrong to a village that won't listen. (But she isn't.)

[makapu village, earth kingdom, spring]

The fortuneteller offers to read their fortunes when they come barreling into her pitiful Earth Kingdom town, and Zuko doesn't want to hear it. (She tells him anyway.)

She tells him that he'll catch what he's chasing, but not before losing everything he ever wanted. She tells him that his future is full of struggle and anguish unless he accepts what the spirits have blessed him with, and that the warring dragons inside him will win unless he picks a side. He has picked a side. There was never any choice in the matter. He doesn't want to know about the man who surely has a scar in place of a soulmate.

When she's done speaking, he has half a mind to burn down her whole village. His uncle reminds him they're on a schedule if they want to catch the Avatar. His spine runs ice cold.

[shu jing, fire nation, summer]

Sokka trains.

He's accepted a lot of things over the past year. He knows that spirits are real and mostly want to eat him. He has felt Aang's immense power in the face of great tragedy. He's seen that not every firebender is as corrupt as their leader. He's seen that not every Fire Nation citizen is as cruel and unforgivable as Katara seems to think.

Noteveryone. But most of them.

So he trains. Because he's just— he's just the weapons guy in a world where people can bend metal with their hands.

His master, Piandao, is one of those Fire Nation citizens capable of being something more. Is something more.

When he holds out Sokka's finished sword, freshly dipped in water to cool, there's a conflicted look on his face. "I've seen this sword before," he says. He never elaborates.

[shu jing, fire nation, summer]

A long time ago, Piandao had a young student skilled in dual broadswords. The Fire Lord's grandson had been exceptionally skilled and eager to please, and had been a far more excellent student than his family had been customers.

Prince Ozai had shown him the young man's bare back, and asked if he knew the sword, or the sword maker. Piandao had truthfully told him that he had never seen the sword before in his life. He declined to mention that he recognized hisowncraftsmanship in the blade. And he declined to mention that he simply hadn't crafted that particular swordyet.

He was not the young prince's soulmate, but someday,thatyoung man would stand on his doorstep with a far greater destiny than he'd come looking for.

Years later, he watches the familiar sword fly off alongside the Avatar and knows that soon, the lotus tiles will fall.

[ember island, fire nation, summer]

Zuko rarely chooses to be shirtless. He likes high collars that hide his neck, and until his banishment, chose to wear his hair long enough to hide the lotus at the end of the straight sword.

Visiting the beach, being shirtless is unavoidable. But what's the point of hiding it when no one knows him here? What's the point when everyone he knows has already seen it?

When the four of them hash it out around the fire, he's reminded of when they were children. Azula likes to collect secrets and people almost as much as she likes to torment people with those secrets. She spent their childhood pitting her only two friends against each other, against Zuko, using the dirty secrets printed on their skin as leverage.

Azula is strangely quiet this time, and Zuko thinks it's because they're already doing a pretty good job of tearing each other apart.

Mai's words about Ty Lee needing ten boyfriends cut sharp when Zuko knows it's Mai's knives that adorn Ty Lee's calves. He thinks they can all be happy if they just keep pretending otherwise.

[fire nation capital city, fire nation, solar eclipse]

Azula taunts Sokka. In the underground bunker, knowing there's only eight minutes left of the eclipse, he falls for it.

When his back is turned to her, she calls out, "Don't you want to know where I've seen that sword before?"

He doesn't let it bother him. They have more important things to worry about than some cryptic Fire Nation bullshit.

But when she talks aboutSuki, he loses it. He knows they don't share marks, but not for the first time, he wishes that he had a fan spread across his back instead of a fire-snake.

[western air temple, air nation, summer]

Sokka admits that Zuko isn't that bad. He's only been around for like a day and a half, but he hasn't actively tried to kill him in that time, and Aang needs a firebending teacher, so… whatever. Just anothernot as bad as he could have beenfirebender added to his ever growing list.

But when Zuko loses hisstuffhalf a day into it, and Toph recommends, "Going back to the original source," Sokka makes light of it. It's fun to tease the guy. Let him jump into a volcano or whatever, Sokka doesn't care.

It's not until Zuko says, "The original firebenders were thedragons," that Soka drops his sword and starts paying attention. The loud clanging is ignored, and they continue discussing it as if hiswhole worldhasn't shifted. Aang doesn't seem to remember the angry red beast on his back, but Katara does, giving him a sidelong glance across the fire.

Sokka doesn't sleep that night, because every time he closes his eyes he sees the raging dragon coming towards him, the faceless rider poised to strike.

[western air temple, air nation, summer]

He and Aang discuss it on the way back to the Air Temple. "Do we tell everyone about the dragons?" Zuko asks, but is it really a question? Aang is like an open book on the worst of days and a raging waterfall on the best.

The second they hop off the bison's back, he's running to his friends— their friends?— and is telling them all about how dragons are still alive. Aang is halfway through telling them about their dragon dance when he mentions thered and blue dragons, and there's another loud clattering. They all turn to Sokka, who's dropped his sword. Sokka is scrambling to pick it up, and when he does, he wraps his fingers around the hilt, protective.

"Sorry," Sokka says, but his voice is weird. "Ol' butterfingers Sokka here. Keep, uh," he says, and his voice is like a squeak, "keep talking about the, uh, red dragons."

No one else seems to think it's weird, but after that, Zuko keeps one eye on him through the rest of the demonstration. Sokka makes light of it all, teasing them— teasinghim— incessantly, and though they all laugh, Zuko doesn't know why it bothers him so much.

[boiling rock, fire nation, summer]

Sitting in Azula's airship after rescuing his father and Suki from Boiling Rock Prison, Sokka knows he should be grateful they all made it out alive. And he is— he's so grateful, but it doesn't come in the form he expected. Even when he throws his arm around Suki, holding her close, he feels an emptiness he's not sure he's ever felt before. His hand still tingles from where Zuko had helped him up on the roof of the gondola and—Zuko.

He'd been fine with the man before— and really, he had— but this was something else. He wasgratefulZuko was there. He was glad the firebender had joined them.

He wants to reach out and squeeze his hand again, to say thank you, but he knows it wouldn't be welcome. A thoughtless helping hand during battle was one thing, but your 'barely-a-friend'friend wanting to reach out and hold your hand? Something else entirely. Zuko might be one of the better people to come out of the Fire Nation, but Sokka knows that the intolerance tothatsort of thing was bred into the Fire Nation before Aang was even born.

It should unnerve him the way that Zuko won't stop staring at him across the airship control room, as though he'd solved some long-forgotten puzzle, but— they'd evened the score between them, hadn't they? This made them friends, didn't it?

(For the first time in Suki's presence, Sokka doesn't once think about wishing that she was his soulmate.)

[boiling rock, fire nation, summer]

Zuko hadseenSokka's sword before. He'd known, in theory, that it was a straight sword with a braided grip, and Sokka carried it around like it was a piece of his soul just as much as Zuko's own firebending was. But he'd never seen it unsheathed, hadn't even considered the sheer importance of it, even seeing Toph's black meteorite band.

Butnothingcompares to the jolt oflightninghe feels when Sokka pulls the blade from its sheath to face off against Azula, and Zuko sees, for a brief second, the glint of his reflection on the black blade. Azula sees his moment of hesitance and strikes out against him, because of course sheknows. His sister has always been one step ahead of him.

"Oh, Zuzu," Azula taunts, "haven't you figured it out yet? You were always meant to be a traitor." It's meant to distract him, to throw him off balance, but he doesn't let it. Sokka doesn't seem to have picked up the meaning, and maybe it's better that way.

And the fight is quick. He stands between her and Sokka, whichshouldhave been a sign of weakness, but it isn't. They work together like they've been fighting side by side for years, him fending off the fire while Sokka lashes out at her between strikes.

They don't manage to make any real progress— any of them— but by the end of the fight Sokka's hand is in his. He's pulling the Water Tribesman from the crouching position he'd fallen into on the roof, and they're watching his sister sail away in the opposite direction. When Sokka pulls away, sheathing his sword, it's the first time Zuko has felt a true absence of heat in a long time.

On Azula's airship, when he has time to think, Zuko wonders if Sokka knows. Maybe he figured it out a long time ago, when Zuko was still figuring himself out. But by the way Sokka doesn't give him a second glance, by the way his arm falls easily over the shoulders of the Kyoshi Warrior, Zuko knows he doesn't know. It doesn't matter. This is just another burden for him to bear alone.

[ember island, fire nation, t-4 days to sozin's comet]

Growing up in the South Pole, Sokka never had much cause to strip down to his waist. Traveling with Aang changed that, of course, as the oceans were no longer covered in ice. He'd never been particularly shy about his body, so stripping down in a river to bathe or take a swim didn't bother him. Katara already knew about his mark, and since he grew up in a time of dragons, Aang didn't stop to consider it for a moment longer than remarking how cool it was. Toph, in all of her blind glory, couldn't even see it.

Suki never mentions it, and he never asks about hers, and he thinks that's okay. They're the only two non-benders in Team Avatar, and maybe they can work things out with the soulmate thing too. Not everyone can have their fruit pie and eat it too, Aang.

So when they all head down to the beach to splash around in the sun on their day off, he doesn't hesitate to strip down to his sarashi on a beach full of friends. And besides, being in theFire Nation, he figures that he probably has the most normal tattoo out of all of them.

Still, he finds it unnerving to have Zuko stop his attacks on Aang long enough to get a good glimpse of the dragon on his back. Maybe he'd been wrong in thinking that it's not that unusual of a Fire Nation tattoo.

[ember island, fire nation, t-4 days to sozin's comet]

Zuko sees his mark on Sokka's back at the beach. Like on the gondola, days ago, it throws him off long enough for Aang to get away, but he can't help it. He's spent half his life wondering what form his soul took outside his body, and then the other half not wanting to know.

He's not sure whether knowing is better or worse. Adragon. A red dragon, mirroring his own scar down to the color. He wonders how none of them have ever picked up on it. Selective interpretation, he thinks.

Dragons were noble and majestic creatures, capable of such great and powerful things. In each of Zuko's visions about the creatures, the red dragons had always represented the honor and goodness he had tried so hard to capture, and there it all is, laid out before him on someone else's skin.

(And who is he to be deserving of the titledragon?He chases after Aang.)

That evening, they sit around the fire and talk about them. Soulmarks.

Aang and Katara are easy. They line up cheek to cheek and show off Aang's replica of Katara's mother's necklace, the one Zuko got to know so well, and Katara shows off the blue arrow at the base of her throat, easily concealed by her mother'srealnecklace.

Toph is easy too. She doesn't have one, and she doesn't mind saying it. Her parents were always more bothered by her lack of one than she is but— she's blind, what use does she have for a thing she can't even see? And besides, she doesn't need anyone to complete her. She's her own person.

After that, Zuko finds himself growing increasingly uncomfortable, as though the air is being sucked out of the room.

Suki doesn't know what hers means, and it's in a place she doesn't like to show off in public. Zuko wonders if Sokka's seen it, like how Zuko's seen the channel network down Mai's back that shows the lines where her chi flows.

Sokka shrugs, and it's easy for him to put it out there, they've all seen it. "Yes, my soulmate is probably a firebender!" he says, can say, because he doesn'tknow. "Clearly, looking at Zuko, they're notallbad."

Zuko can't stop himself from asking, meeting Sokka's eyes across the fire, but there's no light of recognition there, "Do you know who it is?" And Sokka shrugs, declaring it one of life's great mysteries.

He doesn't want to talk about it when their gazes turn on him. They make assumptions— is it someone he left behind in the Fire Nation? He looks away when he agrees with them.

Toph brushes past him when they all part ways. She says, "I know you're lying."

[wulong forest, earth kingdom, sozin's comet]

Sokka loses his sword.

It falls off the airship into the Wulong Forest, disappearing into a rain of fire. It's a small price to pay for his and Toph's life, but it still hurts like the loss of a limb, even more so than the loss of his boomerang, or even his broken leg. He knows now that he's a lot more than the boomerang guy, and he thinks that his sword somehow represented his growth over the last year.

"Hey Aang," he says, looking over the ashen forest, "can you do something for me?"

[fire nation capital city, fire nation, sozin's comet]

Zuko's always been careful about not being shirtless around people, but especially Team Avatar. Especially after Boiling Rock. But he's not thinking about that when Katara's glowing hands are on his abdomen, healing him. When her hand is on his shoulder, helping him up. When her hands are peeling away his robe from where it melted against his skin.

She gasps, her fingers reaching for his spine before he realizes his mistake.

"Don't," he croaks, but it's too late, she's seen it, touched it.

"I'm sorry," she says, but her eyes are wide and gaping. He makes her swear not to say anything.

When the rest of Team Avatar returns, he shrugs back into his half-burned shirt to conceal his back. Sokka is limping, Toph is burned, and his father is still alive. But he can't keep his eyes from the Water Tribesman leaning on Suki.

When Sokka returns, his sword is no longer with him. Zuko doesn't know whether to feel pained or grateful. He thinks maybe that their time has passed. He lets Sokka be happy with Suki.

He thinks he can be happy with Mai.

[fire nation capital city, fire nation, autumn]

When he hears about the latest attempt on the Fire Lord's life, Sokka leaves for the Fire Nation capital immediately.

It's been three years since Zuko's coronation, but the attacks never seem to stop coming, and even the Kyoshi Warriors can't protect Zuko from all of them. Sokka hates it. Hates it even more that he wasn't there this time to stand between Zuko and whatever was trying to take him from this world.

It's like he's stepped back in time when he pushes into Zuko's room. The girls at the door don't stop him, and he knows he would have been willing to put up a fight if they had. Zuko is sitting on his bed, struggling to put his arm through one sleeve of his robe. He's not wearing any bandages this time, so Sokka can see the full array of purple and red bruises across his back. But that's not what draws his attention.

"I don't need your help," Zuko calls from the bed, tired, exhausted, like he's had this conversation a dozen times.

"I wasn't going to offer it," Sokka says, his voice barely containing his fury. Zuko whirls around at the sound of his voice, but winces at his bruised ribs and can't turn enough to face him, leaving Sokka with the perfect view of his back.

The sword.

His sword.

Hisspace sword,undeniablyhis. There was none other like it in the world. Zuko has seen it dozens of times, fighting side by side. He's seen Sokka's back, with the red dragon, and oh spirits, things fall into place alarmingly fast.

And by the way Zuko sits, back straight, heknows. And he knows that Sokka knows now, too.

"I admit the dragon on my back might be up to interpretation, butZuko," he says, and his voice has gone flat and cold. Zuko is wincing, slowly turning himself around to face Sokka.

"Sokka," he groans.

ForyearsSokka has felt an undeniable connection to the man, and he'd— he'd thought it was all in his head. That what he's been feeling was justhim. That it was just because ofZuko. He's wondered, justbriefly, if Zuko was his soulmate. But every time that dash of hope had risen in his chest, he stamped it out, thinking,it can't possibly be him. For so many reasons. Because Sokka's soul? Sokka's soul was simple, and undeniable, and probably as annoying and as unable to give up as his boomerang. And Zuko would have said something. He would have been vocal in his rejection of it.

But instead, he stayed silent. For years.

"If you didn't fucking want me, Zuko, you could have at least had the guts to say it to my face."

Zuko is wincing again, and Sokka hopes it hurts his bruised ribs. "It's not that."

"You knew this whole time, and I—" he looks away, stupidly. "I thought it was Mai this whole time. You let me believe it was Mai."

[fire nation capital city, fire nation, autumn]

Zuko had not been, contrary to his own misguided beliefs, better off with Mai. And she certainly hadn't been better off with him. It turns out that settling for someone doesn't make anyone happy. It doesn't make anyone less in love with someone else.

"I spent— three years in love with you thinking you belonged to somebody else," Sokka says, and Zuko can't look him in the eye.

"It's not the first time anyone has loved another that didn't belong to them. I watched you love Suki," Zuko points out.

"That's not— the same."

"So should I have told you?" Zuko says, meeting Sokka's eyes. "What would you have done? Would you have left her and dated me just because of a tattoo you don't even believe in?" Sokka winces away, and Zuko knows he's gotten him on that. Sokka had admitted his doubts in believing that the spirits could tell them who to love. "Or would you have told me, 'sorry Zuko, I've got something real in my life'?"

"This is real," Sokka says.

Zuko turns his head, and he's wincing. He can't— he can't get his arms through this blasted robe, and— those are Sokka's hands on him.

"Don't hurt yourself," Sokka says gently, reaching for the robe.

He stiffens under the touch, and he doesn't know if it's because of the injury or if he's afraid of what it means. Sokka's hands guide his arms through the sleeves, but he rests it on the crook of Zuko's elbows. His hands leave Zuko, and he finds himself chasing the touch. He's always chasing his touch.

"Why don't you let yourself have nice things?" Sokka asks, and Zuko closes his eyes.

"Because they can be ripped away from me."

And then— Sokka's fingers brush between Zuko's shoulder blades, and an electric current passes through him. By the way Sokka pulls back his hand, Zuko knows he can feel it too. It's like his body is a livewire, like lightning is passing through it, but without the possibility of being burned.

"I lost my sword," Sokka says, an unfathomable segue.

"What?" Zuko says.

And there— Sokka's fingers are back on Zuko's back, tracing down his spine like it might contain a blade. The electric current is gone but it still sends shivers down his spine.

"During Sozin's Comet I lost my sword. I was injured and we all barely came out of it with our lives, but all I could think about was my sword. After everyone healed, after your coronation, I asked Aang and Toph to come with me to go back and look for it. And we found it, the three of us. Because, Zuko," he presses his palm into Zuko's spine, "if you lose something precious you don't just let it go, you go looking for it."

"Oh," Zuko says, and Sokka is slipping the robe over his shoulders. He kneels on the bed beside Zuko and reaches for the belt, tying it. And when he looks up, its blue eyes on amber. And then it doesn't matter, because their eyes are closed, and Sokka's lips are on his.

Notes:

There was searing pain running up his arm. Zuko awoke, gritting his teeth and sweating. This would be a really bad time to get sick again as he had in Ba Sing Se. Uncle wasn't here this time to take care of him. He was the Fire Lord now and him being incapacitated wasn't an option. Sitting up, he went to rub his eyes with his right arm, flinching when the pain intensified. Running his fingers over his inner bicep, where it hurt the most, he couldn't feel anything wrong with his arm. He hadn't felt this sort of pain there since he had gotten his soul mark nearly a year ago. Uncle had also been there for that, so excited for him that he got one, unlike his father. It was a lot of pain for a small, black V to appear right next to his elbow. From that moment, he knew it wasn't Mai. She had gotten hers a year before him. In the time they had been together, she never let him see it, though he did see it on accident once. From looking at it, it wasn't him. On both arms, starting at the elbow, a pink ribbon ran across her, ending at her shoulder blades. They'd agreed that they didn't mind and kept dating anyway.

Getting out of bed, he pulled a robe on and walked to his bathroom. He just wanted to splash water on his face. If he was sweating in the thin pants he wore to bed, then he may just need to cool down for a bit. Outside of the pain in his arm, he felt normal. Maybe he'd pulled a muscle? He wasn't sure. It's not like he did anything that was physically demanding anymore. He rubbed his eyes, arm still aching, and stared at himself in the mirror. It was the middle of the night and he was ready to go back to bed. Before he could get there, his door opened.

"Zuko?" Sokka asked quietly. "Are you awake?"

"Yes," he answered, his voice a bit rough.

"Oh, good. Can I come in?" Zuko rolled his eyes a bit and told him, "Yes," again. Sokka made his way in and laid down on Zuko's bed. He really didn't care, sitting at the foot of his bed, back against the frame. It had only been about a month since Zuko's coronation. He'd offered for Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Toph to stay in the palace with him whenever they needed to until they found a permanent residence. For now, they were all still there with him, which part of him was grateful for.

"Can I ask you something?" Sokka said, breaking the silence. Zuko gave him a nod. "Did getting your soul mark hurt? Because mine really hurts."

"Today's your birthday?" Zuko asked, a bit surprised.

"Yup," Sokka said nonchalantly. "The big one six."

"Uh… well, happy birthday." He felt awkward as if he'd forgotten his birthday despite not knowing about it until a few seconds ago.

"Thanks, but seriously, dude, did yours hurt? Mine hurts so bad right now," he said, rubbing his left bicep.

"Yeah, mine hurt too. I think that's normal."

"Makes sense. Guess getting a cosmic tattoo is still like getting a normal tattoo." He looked up at Zuko with a smile. He gave him a small one in reply.

"Have you looked at it yet?" Zuko asked, a bit curious.

"No…" Sokka said, growing a bit somber. "I'm worried it won't be Suki. She won't get hers for another few months and I don't want to break the news to her." Zuko nodded as Sokka turned his head to stare out the window. "Yours is Mai, isn't it?"

"No. Neither of us has each other, but that's fine." Sokka sat up, looking at him in shock. "I don't think I've met my soulmate, so for the time being, neither of us really care." Sokka nodded a bit, mulling over what Zuko had just said.

"I just want mine to be Suki. I don't know if someone would accept some of the stuff I've done like she does." Sokka said after a thoughtful moment.

"Like what? As far as I'm aware, you guys didn't actually do anything atrocious in the war." Unlike somebody here, he thought to himself.

"I—it's just..." Sokka sighed, pulling his knees against his chest. "I'm not a virgin. Plus, I've kissed so many other girls. I don't know if my soulmate would accept the fact that I didn't wait for her."

Shaking his head, Zuko stated, "I don't think she'd care. I mean, she's your soulmate. Everyone gets their soulmark at the age of sixteen. I think she'd understand that you… uh, didn't wait." Sokka huffed and laid back down. His long-sleeved shirt rode up a bit, revealing his stomach.

"Zuko," he said, eventually. "Are you a virgin?"

He snorted. "No." Sokka chuckled, seeming a bit relieved. Reaching up, he ran a hand through his hair and stared out the window again.

"I don't know, man. I thought you'd have good advice since you already have one." He paused for a moment. "And because you're the almighty Fire Lord." It was Zuko's turn to laugh this time. Sokka stared at him, wide-eyed, but not really shocked.

"I'm not sure how good my advice is."

"It's been fine so far," Sokka replied with a smile. He sighed. "Would it be weird if you looked at it for me and told me what it is? I'm just nervous, ya know?" It caught Zuko a bit off guard. Uncle had made him look at his before letting anyone else see. He said that they represented an intimate connection and it was important for the owner to see it first.

"Are you sure? Don't you want to see it first?"

"I don't think I'll ever look at it if I have to do it myself." It was a firm answer. Zuko sighed, knowing he really couldn't fight Sokka on this and moving across the bed. Squeezing his eyes shut, Sokka rolled up his left sleeve. There, wrapping around his bicep, was a red dragon, mouth open to a golden fire nation emblem that sat right on the tip of his shoulder. Zuko's heart skipped a bit and his upper right arm seemed to tingle. It better not be Azula, he thought in a panic. Not really thinking, he reached out, touching the outline of the dragon. It felt like lightning was entering through his fingers and running up his veins again. Sokka's eyes shot open and his head snapped towards Zuko.

"It looks like Ran," Zuko muttered almost silently. Sokka turned his gaze towards his arm, seeing his soul mark for the first time. All he did was blink for a moment before dropping his sleeve. The two made eye contact again, not sure what to say to each other.

Finally, Sokka panicked enough to break the silence. "Please, don't tell me it's Azula. Please, please, please don't tell me it's her." Zuko could hear the lump in his throat.

"No, it can't be. She's not old enough to have one and uncle told me once that you don't get a full… Oh, shit," he trailed off, coming to another realization.

"A full what?" Sokka demanded, as Zuko hastily took off his robe. "What are you doing?" There was more to his soulmark now than when he had gone to bed. A sword ran down his inner bicep, the tip ending in the corner of a black boomerang. Sokka's mouth fell open as he looked down at Zuko's completed soulmark.

"You don't get a full one until you're both sixteen," he stated, not wanting to look Sokka in the eyes just yet. Part of Zuko was glad that his father had never gotten a chance to see this. There would be no shame to follow this revelation. No words saying he was less of a man for this. Unfortunately, there were Sokka's tears.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He muttered, trying to push himself up off the bed, but instead falling on the floor. "No, I—" he let out a strained laugh, grabbing his hair. "Fuck. This isn't how I thought this would go." He sat himself up, one leg folded as he leaned against the bed. "I—I just wanted it to be Suki." His voice gave out as he gave into the tears. Not sure if it was the right thing to do, Zuko lowered himself to the floor next to Sokka.

Honestly, he hadn't fully processed what this meant just yet. Sokka was, though, and he wasn't doing well. Awkwardly, Zuko reached a hand out and put it on Sokka's shoulder. When he didn't push him off, he moved to wrap his arm around his shoulders instead. Sokka rested his forehead against Zuko's bare collarbone, prompting him to wrap his other arm around him. Was he supposed to be offended that this was his soulmate's reaction to their discovery? He felt a bit like he should, but instead, he just felt numb. Maybe it was the shock of it or the fact that he never knew how to handle people crying. Suddenly, Sokka's arms were wrapped around his waist, his legs straddling Zuko's lap, their soulmarks aligning. From that spot on his arm, Zuko felt a warmth spread through him. It wasn't uncomfortable heat, one that would make him sweat after too long, but comforting. He ducked his head, resting it on Sokka's shoulder. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that for, but gradually Sokka's sobs subsided.

"How the hell am I going to tell Suki?" Sokka mumbled into his neck.

"I don't know," Zuko breathed back. "But I'll go with you when you tell her." Sokka hummed something back, nestling his face farther into Zuko's neck. Hesitantly, Zuko reached his hand up to comb his fingers through Sokka's hair. It was supposed to be comforting, but it wasn't exactly his forte. He felt Sokka sigh and lift his head up. Pulling back a bit, they made eye contact.

"I'm glad it's you," Sokka said eventually. He chuckled and dropped eye contact. "Obviously, I would've preferred Suki, but I'm glad it's someone I already know." Zuko nodded, his eyes drawn once again to the newest addition to his body, the sword that lined his inner arm. To be honest, he had been anticipating his soulmate to be a woman as well. Life in the Fire Nation was fairly heteronormative. Hell, up until the age of about twelve he thought he was straight too. Piandoa had taught him just as much about himself as swordsmanship.

"I'm glad it's you too," Zuko whispered, looking up to meet Sokka's eyes. After a moment, he smirked and said, "Did you know before tonight that you were into guys, or am I about to be your sexual awakening?" It was supposed to be a joke, but Sokka's face flushed. Holding Zuko out at arm's length, he moved off of his lap and onto the floor next to him.

Sighing, he looked up at the ceiling. "Honestly, no. I didn't even consider that my soulmate might be a guy before tonight. I just—ugh." He covered his eyes with his palms. Zuko nodded. He had a full year to process that his significant other wasn't his soulmate. Plus he'd had so many years to accept the fact that he was not straight. He was trying his best to be patient with Sokka who had had only a few minutes to come to terms with all of that.

"We can just be platonic soulmates if that's what you prefer." Zuko was chewing the inside of his cheek. He honestly wouldn't be okay with that option, but he'd do it if that's truly what Sokka wanted. Truthfully, he couldn't believe how far he'd come in just a year. Had this happened a year ago he probably would have gotten defensive and yelled at Sokka, still desperate to just be good enough for someone.

Fingers were grazing his cheek and Sokka's lips were on his. He pulled back in shock, meeting those blue eyes. "Sorry," Sokka began, before being interrupted. Zuko grabbed his face and brought their mouths together again. Sokka seemed to melt into him, his right hand coming to rest on the back of his neck. Moving away again, Zuko smiled, a chuckle escaping his mouth. Unadulterated happiness was becoming more common these days, but he was still always a bit surprised at how good it felt. Seeming unknowingly, Sokka copied him, tears coming to his eyes.

Wiping them away, he muttered, "Sorry, I'm just still overwhelmed."

"It's okay," Zuko said, pulling him into his chest again. They sat like that for a while. The quiet of the palace settled over them. Moonlight shone through the open window. His cheek against the top of Sokka's head, Zuko began to feel himself drifting off to sleep again. He wouldn't mind staying like this for the rest of the night. Sokka took a deep breath and pushed himself off of Zuko for the second time that night.

"I should get back to bed," he stated, standing up and moving to leave. Zuko grabbed his hand.

"I want you to stay," he said gently. Sokka looked like he wanted to argue for a minute, before nodding, helping pull Zuko up off the floor. The two moved to opposite sides of the bed, Sokka taking off his shirt, and Zuko pulling back the sheets. They climbed in, laying so that their eyes met.

Chuckling a bit, Sokka muttered, "Are you okay with the fact that I've kissed other people and I'm not a virgin?"

Amusedly huffing, Zuko replied, "As long as you're okay with me not being one either." He punctuated the statement by bringing his lips to Sokka's again. Wrapping his arms around the smaller teen, he whispered, "Just know you're enough." He didn't hear or see Sokka's response, his eyes closing. They fell asleep like that: Sokka in Zuko's arms, cuddled into his chest, their soulmarks touching.

Notes:

Sokka knew only one thing about his soulmate. They were fire nation. The deep red swirls and the gold markings that caught the sun in angles that set his skin on fire. And oh did he love it. He imagined all kinds of scenarios on how they would meet. When the war was over and he traveled north, no longer afraid of the fire nation navy attacking them. His dreams filled with a tall beauty and long hair and eyes like the sun.

Zuko knew his soulmate was from the water tribes. A fact of his life that his father made clear he did not approve of. They always married in the fire nation, to not to was as taboo as speaking out of turn at council meetings. His mother and uncle were supportive of him, reclaiming stories from family on the joy they felt when meeting their soulmate.

Zuko loved his soulmark, loved the way it seemed to glow in the light of the moon; briefly wondering if like him, his soulmate was a bender. Fire and water, a wonderful combination.

He remembered one conversation that seemed a life time ago. One with his mother as they sat by the turtle duck pond. The sun setting and their belly's full from dinner as they enjoyed the quiet evening together.

"How will I know?" He asked, watching in fascination as his soul mark began to glow with the rise of the moon. It was his favorite part about the evening. His fingers softly tracing the swirls, radiating a heat all of their own. His mother hummed softly, looking down at him with soft eyes. Zuko continued, "How will I know that it's them?"

His mother smiled and brought him close to her, "You'll feel the pull from the other and your marks will begin to glow. It'll feel like you two are the only ones in the world." She spoke, almost sadly. Zuko never knew her to be sad.

"Was is it like that when you met Father?" He asked, almost afraid of the answer. His father wasn't a very affectionate man and it was hard for him to even imagine him feeling such emotions.

"It was." She spoke truthly. We were young when we met Zuko. Only a few years older than you. Your father was a very different man back then." Zuko was silent, wondering how old he would be when he met his soulmate.

He certainly didn't think he would be banished and scarred when he did.

He kept his soulmark covered since his banishment, finding his soulmate wasn't important anymore. Not as important as tracking down the avatar to restore his honor. But when that boy rushed him he felt it.

And Sokka did too. Felt the world freeze around him and his soul mark burned brighter than it ever had. Zuko's eyes drawn to it, could feel his own burn too. They slowly approached and Zuko's hand removed the red band that covered his soul mark.

Zuko thought the only important thing to him would be restoring his honor by capturing the avatar. He didn't expect to find his soulmate along the way. And he certainly didn't expect himself to join the avatar, a whole new mission in his mind.

Help the avatar and help him restore balance to the world by helping them defeat his father and take the throne for himself. And maybe it was a plus that his soul mate was super cute.

Notes: