The gaang walked along the beach of Ember Island, towards the house formerly used by the Firelord and his family. They were coming back from the theatre, specifically the Ember Island Players, and something was very clear:
They should have listened to Zuko.
"That," Zuko began, "wasn't a good play."
"I'll say," Aang agreed, from just behind Zuko.
"No kidding," Katara, even further back, not comfortable being right next to Aang after what had happened.
"Horrible," Suki walked next to Sokka, his arm around her.
"You said it," Toph seemed shaken, though she was hiding it well. Emotions definitely weren't her strong suit.
"But the effects were decent," Sokka was trying to see the bright side of things, not that it helped.
The group ignored him, instead stopping as they reached the beach house. They all were rather disappointed after that wreck of a play, and there was clearly still some tension between certain people. Aang decided he would try to cheer his friends up anyways, they deserved it.
"Hey guys! Do we want to have a campfire tonight?"
Campfires were just their way to become closer. Team bonding, in a way. One of them (Zuko or Aang, now) would light a fire and they would all sit around it, asking questions and getting to know each other better. If they were able to, they would also have snacks and tea. It was usually a very comfortable experience. Although, it looked like it wouldn't be tonight.
Katara hesitated, not quite meeting Aang's eyes. He understood, he had completely messed up kissing her without consent. Still, he at least wanted her to be okay withlookingat him.
Suki seemed to hesitate as well, not that Aang could figure out why. Maybe something had happened between Sokka and the warrior, but they seemed just fine as they left the theatre.
Zuko and Toph at least seemed neutral, agreeing but not acting particularly happy about it. But after the night they all just had, Aang couldn't blame them.
Only Sokka seemed to share Aang's enthusiasm, telling Zuko to light the fire and running over to the wooden logs they were using as makeshift benches. Zuko walked over to join him, as the rest of the group stood there awkwardly.
"Uh, actually," Katara began, "I think me, Suki and Toph are gonna go have a girls night, if that's alright?"
Suki quickly nodded her agreement, though Toph quickly protested from beside the girls.
"Hey Sugar Queen, you don't get to tell me what to do. If I want to go to campfire then I'm gonna go to campfire, and you can't stop me!"
Katara nudged Toph, and whispered something Aang couldn't hear. Finally, Toph agreed, and the three girls left towards the house.
Aang deflated, finding himself disappointed all over again. If he couldn't unite his friends over something as small as a stupid play, how was he supposed to untie 3 nations torn apart by war? He was upset by the play, sure, but that was nothing compared to the suffering so many people, his people, had to go through. Shaking himself slightly, Aang walked over to Sokka and Zuko, who had already started a fire. Camp would be very different tonight.
…
Katara dragged Suki and Toph into the room she had claimed her own, and sat down on the bed. Toph flopped onto the bed in front of her, and Suki sat on the other side of Katara.
"Hold on a second," Suki started, "can we talk about how bad that play was?"
"Oh don't even get me started!" Katara groaned.
"I can't believe anyone anywhere enjoyed it!" Suki exclaimed.
"Me too," Katara agreed.
"Well, it wasn't the worst thingI'veseen." Toph chimed in with a grin.
"Oh shut up, Toph." Katara said, exasperated.
Toph cackled as Katara threw a pillow at the girl. Suki laughed and hit Katara with another, and soon the girls were all laughing, hitting and throwing pillows at one another.
Eventually, Toph knocked Suki and Katara off the bed, ending their pillow fight. She rolled onto her stomach and propped up her head with her elbows as the older girls made their way back to the bed.
"So, Sugar Queen, what's the deal with dragging us all here?"
Katara sighed. This had all been fun, but now it was time for the serious talk.
"Well," she began, as Suki gave her an encouraging smile, "when I went to go find Aang…"
"Uh huh? We don't have all night!"
"...he kissed me."
Toph was silent for a moment. Then she made a disgusted face.
"Ew. Why would you do that? Twinkle Toes? He's a nice guy but like...he's my age! Who cares about romance and all that? Man...I can't believe you kissed Twinkle Toes. No judgment Sugar Queen, you do you. It's just unexpected."
Katata paused. Toph had made it sound as if it was her choice. Then again, she hadn't really specified for the young girl. Before she could correct her, Suki spoke up.
"Toph, I don't think that's quite what Katara meant."
Toph looked confused, and neither of the other girls could blame her. As Toph herself had said, Toph was only 12, romance and love wasn't something on the forefront of kids that age, especially those fighting in a war.
"Toph,hekissedme," Katara explained patiently, "I didn't want him to."
Toph's face morphed from confused, to shocked, before finally settling on rage.
"Twinkle Toes did what? Howdarehe do that to you. Women are already treated like crap here, we barely get choices as it is, and now he's over here taking what little choice we do get! I can't believe it." She huffed, crossing her arms.
Katara nearly waited to laugh. She hadn't realized Toph would be so protective, especially considering the two of them clashed so often. But, thinking more on the matter, she supposed it made sense. Toph had spent most of her life not getting to make choices, both because of her disability and because she was a girl. Even after she left with the gaang, she saw how women and the disabled were treated throughout the rest of the Earth Kingdom, and had heard stories from the Northern Water Tribe. So of course she would be upset when Katara, another woman, had her choice taken from her. Katara was touched that the young girl would be so angry on her behalf.
"Toph, it's alright," she said, trying to calm the fuming pre-teen, "I told him that wasn't okay, and I doubt he'll be trying anything like it again."
"But it doesn't MATTER that it won't happen again! What matters was that it happened and it hurt you! I don't want to see my friends hurt." Toph said, before leaving the room, leaving Katara and Suki alone in silence.
…
Sokka, Zuko, and Aang sat around the campfire, talking comfortably.
It had started out awkwardly, with half their group missing it was hard to get a conversation going, but eventually the three found a way to actually talk to one another.
Aang got right into telling the two older boys his problem with Katara, hoping their experience would help him navigate the situation.
Sokka was not happy.
"You kissed mysister?" He asked, incredulously, "Are you crazy?"
"Listen, it was a spur of the moment thing!"
"That doesn't make it better, Aang!"
Zuko's response left...something to be desired, in Aang's eyes.
"That's rough buddy."
"Are you always this bad at reacting to social situations?"
"...don't judge me."
Aang groaned and held his face in his hands, "what am I supposed to do? I really like Katara and now I've ruined everything…"
Zuko hesitantly put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder, "It'll be okay...I'm sure Katara will uh, forgive you, right?" He looked frantically at Sokka before mouthing "Help me!" At the other boy.
Sokka laughed, before walking to the two and sat down next to them.
"I'm sure it will be fine Aang, Katara will forgive you." Sokka said, trying to reassure the other boy.
It seemed to work slightly, as Aang brightened slightly. Sokka decided that changing the topic would probably be a good idea.
"So uh, can we talk about what an awful play that was real quick? I mean, who would even watch that?"
Zuko gave him a dry look, and Sokka sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.
"Okay, it was kind of stupid, so sue me! All I'm saying is, trash talking the play would make you feel better, right Aang?"
Aang hesitated a moment, before nodding. It couldn't hurt, right?
Zuko seemed to agree with him.
"Oh my Agni," he started, already agitated at whatever he was thinking, "The Ember Island Playerssuck. Did I ever tell you about Love Amongst the Dragons? They completelyruinedit. All the tender, loving emotional scenes, gone. Completely nonexistent, I tell you. Why people like them, I'll never understand…"
The other two laughed quietly at Zuko's rant, entertained by their resident theatre nerd. They were quite content to let him talk about the monstrosity of a play, with them just listening.
"...and not to mention the actors! I mean, talk about over acting! They exaggerated absolutely everything! Come on people, what happened to having someclass? Their costuming wasn't good either! The makeup was just excessive, even for stage makeup! And my scar was on the wrong side! I can't believe-"
"Hey Zuko, what's with your scar anyways? What does it matter if it's on the wrong side?" Sokka interrupted. As entertaining as the long rant was, it was exactly that. Long.
Zuko paused, before laughing quietly, darkly, "What do you mean what's with my scar? Everyone knows about it."
"Well clearly they don't, why do you think everyone does?"
"Why wouldn't they know?"
"I'm just saying, there's probably better gossip going around than 'the Fire Nation prince had a training accident and got a scar!'" Sokka was confused, it couldn't be that interesting of a story, could it?
"I-you think this was a training accident?" Zuko seemed mad now, clearly trying to keep his temper together.
"Uh...yeah? What else could it be?" Sokka said indignantly, curious about what actually happened, but he was trying not to push Zuko too far.
That didn't work.
"Have you forgotten who my father is? Who mysisteris? Of course it wouldn't be an accident! No, this was the furthest thing from an accident, this was one of the worst days of my life and for the longest time I thought I deserved it! My father burned half my face off for trying to save people's lives and I thought Ideservedit! Yet the scars on the wrong side. They aren't even able to remember where it was." Zuko stormed off, leaving Sokka and Aang at the fire, both of them shocked in the face.
...
Zuko stalked away from the fire, fuming. How could Sokka talk about it so casually? As if it wasn't important? There was a small part of Zuko, a rational part, that said Sokka didn't know, but angry Zuko was in control right now, and angry Zuko didn't care.
He continued walking along the beach, trying to cool down. His anger began to slip away, until he was left with a numbness, paired with guilt. But, he had too much pride to turn back, so he continued walking.
Eventually, he could see another figure sitting in the sand, concentrating. As he got closer, Zuko realized it was Toph. Confused, he made his way over.
"Toph? I thought you were with Katara and Suki? What happened?"
The young girl looked at Zuko "Sparky, can't you see I'm in the middle of something?"
The 'something' she was in the middle of seemed to be sitting in the sand and concentrating, something which didn't make a whole lot of sense to Zuko. As he was looking her over, Toph continued to talk.
"Did Aang tell you about what he did?"
"Uh...yeah. It was pretty messed up."
She turns towards him, anger evident on her face.
"Pretty messed up covers none of it, Sparky. Women already get such little choice in the world, and now Aang, Aang of all people, has taken this choice from Katara. It's not fair!"
It's just then Zuko is reminded of how young Toph is. She's really the youngest in their group, and she's been thrust into this war after being sheltered most her life. He sighed, and crouched down next to her.
"I know," he said, hesitantly putting an arm around the young girls shoulder, "It's not fair at all. But, I know we can make people learn, we can make it more fair. You're one of the strongest people I know, Toph. You can do anything you want to."
She smiled up at him, before going back to concentrating on the sand. Zuko furrowed his eyebrows.
"What are you doing? Sand isn't generally something you seem to...enjoy."
"I'm trying to figure out how to sandbend. We met some a while ago, before we got to Ba Sing Se, and I couldn't see them, and they ended up taking Appa because I couldn't fight them. Aang was so mad… I hate feeling weak, and that's exactly what those benders did. Besides, I want to be able to protect you guys, no matter where we are."
"Oh, Toph… I'm sure none of them were mad at you, Aang is just protective of Appa, and was upset, but not at you. Besides, while I admire the want to be able to protect us all, sometimes you can let us protect you. You don't need to always be the one fighting. That being said, you're one of the greatest earthbenders in the world, Toph, I think you can do anything you put your mind to."
She laughed, "Excuse me? Sparky, I amthegreatest earthbender in the world!"
He laughed as well, and the two quieted down into a comfortable silence as Toph worked. Eventually, she turned back to Zuko.
"Sparky, why are you over here? I thought you were supposed to be at the fire with Aang and Sokka?"
He grimaced.
"I was, but Sokka was being nosey and annoying, so I left."
"Ah. Classic Snoozles. What was he being nosey about?"
Zuko stared at her for a second. If anyone else had said that, he probably would have punched them. But, Toph was Toph, and Toph could do whatever she wanted to and no one could stop her.
"Oh, he was just asking a lot of questions about...this," he waved a hand over his scar. Toph turned her head towards him, unimpressed.
"Gee Sparky, that really clears it up. I definitely know what you're talking about."
Zuko rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Sorry Toph, I kinda forgot. I just have a big scar over my face, and Sokka was asking where I got it. It's not a fun story, definitely not one a kid like you should be hearing."
She was quiet for a moment. "Is that the scar from the Agni Ko thing or whatever?"
Zuko paused. "Agni...Kai?"
"Yeah, yeah, who cares what it's called. That's not the important part of the story."
"You mean...you know?"
"Sparky, I come from a noble family. Even if we're Earth Kingdom, we still heard about it."
"But...you would've been what, nine? How did anyone let you hear about that?"
"Oh I wasn't supposed to. By that time I had mastered the art of eavesdropping, so I overheard a lot of stuff I wasn't supposed to."
Zuko stared at the younger girl in shock. She knew? She was twelve. A twelve year old shouldn't know about something like that.
"But," his brain whispered, "you were only thirteen when it happened. That's not any better."
Zuko politely told his brain to shut up.
"Sparky? You okay?"
Zuko had been quiet for too long. He looked at the younger girl, before smiling slightly.
"I'd rather talk about something else. Anything else, if that's alright."
"Of course."
The two sat there on the beach, talking to one another in the quiet of the night. Eventually, they saw a light, and four figures came down and joined them on the shore.
"Zuko I am so, so, sorry I didn't mean to push I'm so sorry please forgive me," Sokka rambled, as soon as he was close to Zuko, "I never should have made you say anything if you weren't comfortable and I-"
"Sokka," Zuko said, "it's okay."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
The two smiled at each other and Toph, content their relationship was back to normal, punched their arms.
The three turned their heads towards the remaining figures. Suki and Katara near each other, while Aang stood apart from them, not wanting to get too close to Katara.
"Aang, Katara," Toph began, "go talk and apologize and whatever else you need to do. We need to be a team, we can't afford for us to all be having arguments."
Katara looked like she was about to object, before sighing and walking to another part of the beach, Aang trailing behind her.
Suki came down beside the three, and they began talking about whatever came to mind, waiting for their final two members to join them.
…
Katara and Aang sat across from one another on the sand, in an uncomfortable quiet. Neither of them wanted to be the one to break that silence, but at the same time the quiet was suffocating, something that needed to be fixed for both them and their team, before they would all drown in the emptiness. Aang knew this was his fault, this was something he had to fix. So, he took a deep breath, before beginning to speak.
"Katara," he started, trying to keep himself calm and not ramble on and on like Sokka had in his apology, "I am so, so sorry. I never should have kissed you, especially without your consent. I just hope you can forgive me."
"I'm sorry Aang but...I can't. Not right now at least."
Aang felt his heart drop.
"What?"
Katara explained, not meeting Aang's eyes.
"Not yet, at least. I'm sorry Aang, but what you did really hurt. I appreciate you saying sorry, but that doesn't change what you did. Eventually, yes, I will forgive you. But not right now."
He nodded his head in acceptance.
"That's all I can ask. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry."
"I know you are. Let's head back to the others now, okay?"
Katara got up from her spot on the beach, Aang right behind her. They walked along the shore, the silence going from unbearable to comfortable the closer they got to their friends. The view they saw had them both stifling a laugh.
Toph was lying across Zuko, while Sokka and Suki were both leaning on one of his shoulders. The three all looked relaxed, nearly asleep, while Zuko sat up, awkward with the multiple people on him. Aang and Katara ran forward and joined the pile on top of their resident firebender, who just laughed quietly and said he was glad the two were okay. And there the group of them stayed, on the beach, under the moon, and together.
The gaang was together again.
M.. M... M.. Mm.. M... M.. Mm..
Being lost with Sokka wouldn't be that insufferable if he would stop teasing Zuko about getting them lost for just one minute.
"Seriously, I thought you said you came here all the time. How do you not know the way back to your own palace?"
"It's not —" Zuko takes a deep breath. It's only taken him a couple of months to feel like the Avatar and all of his friends trust him, and he's not about to ruin that progress forever by murdering everyone's favorite person. "It's not my palace. It's a vacation home. And it's my dad's. And I've only been here once since I was little. And it's not like I memorized how to cut through the jungle instead of taking the main ways because I wasn't in hiding as a five-year-old. "
Sokka laughs dryly. By this point, both of them are sweaty and irritated from lugging around large baskets of food for what feels like hours. Zuko is sure they've just been going around in circles; there is no way this island is even big enough to cover the amount of time they've been walking. "Well then, welcome to your new life of crime, mister criminal. We're happy to have you join the 'I'm in hiding because I'm in cahoots with the Avatar' club, but you don't get the gift basket since you brought us to an island in the middle of the Fire Nation to hide and got us lost ."
Zuko scoffs. "I don't want anything you'd put into a gift basket anyways."
"Oh yeah," Sokka huffs, readjusting the load of food in his arms. "I forgot. Dear old dad disowned you when you couldn't capture Aang, right? At the North Pole? So you've been a criminal before. You should have this down pat."
"He disowned me long before that," Zuko quips, then tries to drop the subject by stopping to prop his basket up on a rock. "It should just be around the base of the mountain. Why does it feel like we've been walking for forever?"
"I say we just climb over the mountain. At least when we get to the top, we can see which way it is over all of these trees."
Zuko doesn't like that idea, and Sokka doesn't seem to either, but it's the best they've got, so they begin hiking upwards.
"So, why do you hate your dad so much?"
Zuko shoots Sokka an incredulous look, and Sokka shrugs.
"Point taken. He is a genocidal maniac, and honestly, I'm glad you're on our side. But like. How did you not end up like your sister?"
Zuko still doesn't dignify that comment with a response, which Sokka takes in stride.
"Okay yeah, she is also a lot crazy and, again, thrilled you're not like that. But, I mean, she's so devoted to your dad. How did you not end up the same way?"
Zuko sighs. It's… weird to think about saying things that he always thought were obvious out loud. The only people he's ever been around since he was banished had already known all of this. He'd never had to speak about it. He'd never had to explain it.
"Azula is just like my father. I'm not. That's all there is to it."
"Hmmm. Except that's not it. Because he's still your dad, right? I mean. I keep thinking about it, and if my dad had gone homicidal maniac out of nowhere, I'd know that what he's doing is wrong, you know? But I wouldn't try to kill him. But you are trying to kill him. Your dad."
Zuko looks over at Sokka, wondering how he's able to speak so clearly while hiking up a small mountain with a basket of food in his arms. He admires how in shape Sokka must be to be able to do so and, at the same time, wishes he was much less in shape so they wouldn't be able to talk at all.
"I was loyal to my father. I didn't understand that what he was doing was wrong or that it was something I could do anything about. But now I do, and the only way to prevent him from hurting more people is for the Avatar to kill him."
"Okay, so if you were so loyal to him, what made you realize what he was doing was wrong?"
Zuko groans and stops again, trying to catch his breath. "Why are you asking all of these questions? I thought I proved that you could trust me already. I'm helping Aang beat my father and save the world. What more do you need to know?"
Sokka looks startled at Zuko's defensive tone, and Zuko immediately regrets saying anything. He should have just hummed his way through the conversation until Sokka gave up. That strategy has worked nearly every other time he's tried it.
"You did. I just wanted to know more about you. You told us you confronted your dad during the comet, but that was about it."
The mountain's peak is within sight, just a few dozen more feet, and they'd be able to find the house. Zuko can see the clearing at the very top, free of the tall foliage that's been blocking their sight.
Almost there.
He starts walking upward again and tries to calm himself.
Sokka doesn't mean any harm. Sokka is probably one of the most genuine people Zuko has ever met. If he says that he's only curious, Zuko believes him.
And it's not as if Zuko doesn't trust him enough to tell him. Rather, he doesn't trust himself to tell it at all. Uncle had helped him realize that a lot of the things that had happened to him weren't his fault, but it's still hard to imagine framing the story in any light that doesn't cast himself as the villain.
Because that's exactly how his father, sister, and people see him. As a villain.
"When I was young, Azula and I were very different. She was always exactly what my father wanted her to be; I was always the opposite of what he wanted.
"I was thirteen the first time I was allowed into a war meeting; Uncle snuck me in. He told me to keep quiet, but I spoke out against a general's plans. It was an act of disrespect to speak out against him in my father's presence."
They've reached the clearing now, and Zuko sets his basket down to rest, but Sokka continues to watch him from a few steps away, wide-eyed.
"I had to atone for the insolence by fighting in an Agni Kai. Against my father. I refused to fight him, and he scarred me and banished me. The only way I could go home was to capture the Avatar."
"When you were thirteen?" Sokka blurts out, finally dropping his basket. "Three years ago no one believed the Avatar would ever return!"
Zuko nods.
"So he sent you out with an impossible task to just— get rid of you?"
Zuko stays quiet.
It's a fact, and it's one he's always known, even if it took so long for him to admit it to himself. His father never intended for Zuko to succeed. Everyone could see it. But he still tried so desperately to earn something that his father couldn't give him.
Sometimes Zuko wonders if it was his honor he was trying to reclaim or his father's favor.
Did he ever really even have that?
He's glad he's come to terms with all of this because just four months ago, thinking about it would have broken him. He's a different person than he was four months ago.
"And he— he did that?" Sokka doesn't point, and he keeps eye contact which at least tells Zuko that he's focusing on his good eye, but the meaning is clear.
"Yes."
"And. It's." Now Sokka does look at the scar, and the more he looks, the more distraught he becomes. "It's a— He just—"
Zuko takes the opportunity to say what he's been wanting to since his failed attempt at the Western Air Temple. "All I wanted afterward was to go home. I'm sorry for all of the things I did in trying to reach that goal. I'm not the same person."
"No, wait. Hold on. What did you even say in that meeting that was so bad? What did you say that was worth all of that?"
Zuko winces thinking about it. Sokka's getting angry now on his behalf, which is a first for Zuko. Other than Uncle, no one has ever shown this kind of protective fury for him, and he would never have imagined it would be directed at his father for his banishment. He would never have guessed it would be coming from the Avatar's friend, of all people.
He isn't surprised, though. Sokka lives in a state of emotional extremes and takes his big-brother role in the group very seriously. Zuko's touched that Sokka extends that role to include him now, even though Zuko is a bit older than Sokka.
"Someone had proposed an idea to use recruits in a deadly decoy mission. I told them they couldn't sacrifice Fire Nation soldiers to win one battle. But that's not what matters. I spoke out of turn, and that was all it took."
Sokka, if possible, looks more upset.
Zuko stands up to break eye contact with Sokka and takes the chance to look around all sides of the base of the short mountain. He hears Sokka exhale deeply behind him, but his mind has jumped off of the topic entirely.
"Um—"
"Hey, I'm sorry I pushed about it so much. I didn't know. I just expected an answer like 'one time he took a sucker from a baby, and I wasn't down with baby thievery' or something."
"Sokka…"
"No, I'm really sorry. Thank you for telling me, though." Sokka takes a few steps closer, his expression open and full of more care than Zuko has ever seen anyone other than uncle look at him with.
"No, Sokka—"
"You know it's actually really refreshing to have a friend on the team that's my age, and it's cool that we're able to talk about stuff like this."
"Umm…"
"Well, there's Suki, but I don't feel like she counts, you know? Being my girlfriend is way different from being my friend, and I think of you as a pretty close friend already. If that's not weird. You did just give me your whole tragic backstory, but, like, if that's weird, then I take it ba—"
"Sokka, I don't see the house."
"… What? "
"We're on the wrong mountain."
——
"What's going to happen with Ozai?"
Sokka asks it carefully, like he doesn't want to disrupt the peace of the moment.
Zuko glances at his uncle before answering, just as carefully, knowing full well that Sokka will hate the answer. "He's in the palace prison. Where he's going to stay."
Everyone seems to go still at the admission, the small tea room losing its calming atmosphere.
"You're not… sending him to Boiling Rock?"
Zuko busies himself with his cup, which is nearly empty. Thankfully, Uncle answers for him.
"My brother still has people who will remain loyal to him throughout the Fire Nation. It is more secure to keep him where we can personally watch over him."
"Oh," Sokka says, and they leave it at that, though Zuko can tell Sokka is still concerned about it.
Zuko can't blame him, which is why he isn't surprised that Sokka catches him in the hallway alone later to talk.
"Are you okay with Ozai staying in the city?"
"He's not living in a house down the street, Sokka. He's in jail."
"I know that, but—" Sokka picks up his pace to match Zuko's steadily quickening one. "It doesn't feel safe."
"Safe?" Zuko stops to look at his friend. "Safe for who? Safe for me?"
Sokka doesn't answer. He looks sheepish, like admitting the truth would get him in trouble. It ignites a bit of a bite into Zuko's tone.
"His bending's been taken. There is no issue with safety. All he is now is an angry, bitter man."
Zuko turns to continue walking, thinking he had effectively ended the conversation, when Sokka grabs his wrist to stop him.
"I didn't mean…" Sokka falters, seemingly figuring he's offended Zuko. "It's just hard to think about a clean slate when you know he's right there, you know?"
Zuko knows what Sokka means, but he also knows that the Fire Nation isn't looking for a clean slate. "We can't just pretend that nothing happened."
Sokka sags a bit. "I know."
"Aren't your rooms the other way?" Zuko asks, pointedly looking down the hallway where they'd just come. Zuko and his uncle will be staying in a separate, guarded wing for the night before they travel back to the capital in the morning. His friends had planned to stay in a group of rooms clustered together on the other side of the building, not far from the courtyard where Appa was left to rest.
Sokka doesn't answer the question, but he does maintain eye contact with Zuko. Through that, Zuko can see a sort of desperation. Sokka wants reassurance, so Zuko drops his stern look and nods for Sokka to come with him.
The walk back to Zuko's room is quiet, though Zuko can practically hear all of the questions bumping around in Sokka's head, waiting for their chance to be heard.
Sokka just sits at the uncomfortable-looking chair next to the bed and waits silently, though, knowing that pushing is not the way to get the answers he wants.
Zuko sighs, sitting on the bed.
It's been an exhausting week. Uncle has been reestablished as the Fire Lord, and Zuko's title of Crowned Prince has also been reinstated, though both titles are temporary. Soon enough, Uncle will abdicate the throne, and Zuko will take the position of Fire Lord himself. Preparations for that day began the moment the ceremony ended and have been non-stop since then. Today was the first day Zuko has had a break since, and it was a much-needed relief for his mental health.
Which is why he really doesn't want to beat around the bush right now. He just wants to be honest and fall asleep as quickly as possible.
"There is a group of people who are attempting to get my father back onto the throne."
Sokka gapes openly at Zuko. Immediately after the crowning ceremony, Sokka and the others left the Fire Nation to begin rehabilitation work for the rest of the world. He wouldn't have known.
"As much as we can tell so far, it's a relatively small group of loyalists who are actively attempting everything in their power to make that happen."
"So when Uncle Iroh said those things about how people would try to break him out, he meant an actual group?"
Zuko nods. "They call themselves the New Ozai Society."
For what it's worth, Zuko can tell that Sokka does physically try to keep a straight face. It lasts approximately one second before he's laughing loudly, and Zuko laughs hard along with him until they're holding their guts and nearly spilling out onto the floor.
It feels good to laugh about it. When Zuko had first learned about the movement, he'd felt nauseous. Every time he's thought about it since has his head spinning and leaves a bitter taste in his mouth. But this? Laughing at the ridiculous name of an organization that is trying to kill him with his best friend? It feels like therapy.
"If they don't even have anyone creative enough to help out with that name, how dangerous can they be?"
"Maybe they should have recruited you, then," Zuko snarks, wiping tears from his eyes.
"Would you ever forgive me for trying to kill you, though?"
Zuko snorts. "I think I could make an exception."
"Aang wouldn't, though," Sokka huffs, straightening up his posture as his laughter leaves him. "That kid is overly attached to you."
"He obviously chose the correct role model, then."
Sokka leans over to snatch a pillow from Zuko's bed, just to smack him with it.
Zuko manages to grab it, but not before it slaps him in the face and leaves him with a very undignified expression of shock.
"Okay, for real, though. Aren't you worried that guards in the palace would let him out, too? If you're so worried about him escaping other places, what makes the palace any safer?"
Zuko forgets the pillow for a moment and lets it drop into his lap. He fiddles with a loose thread in the corner of it.
"My uncle makes it safer. He liberated Ba Sing Se during the comet, and it's unlikely anyone will forget that any time soon — even those who previously believed his accomplishments were exaggerations. Uncle has a reputation in the Fire Nation, and it is not as a tea-loving peacemaker."
"Oh," Sokka says. Zuko can tell that it opens up more questions, but Sokka seems to decide those can wait because he remains quiet. "But he'll stay in prison, right?"
"Yes."
"Separate from the palace?"
"... Yes."
"Separate from you?"
Zuko wants to answer an affirmative. He wants to promise Sokka that he has no intention of going anywhere near his father again.
He can't lie to Sokka, though.
"I've been meeting with him."
Sokka, surprisingly, doesn't seem to react much at all. His face goes slack and guarded.
"I don't want to talk to him, but I need information out of him. I need to know where my mom is, and I can't find out from anyone else. As soon as I get that, as soon as I find her, I never want to look at his face again."
Sokka looks away from Zuko and stays silent for a long time. It's enough time that Zuko begins to feel defensive and think of ways to reassure Sokka that it's not as bad as it seems.
Before he can open his mouth, though, Sokka catches his eye again and smiles.
"Alright. Let me know when he gives you something to go off, and I'll help you find her."
——
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Like what?"
Though Sokka has stopped making that strange face, he's now just openly staring at Zuko, which is at least just a bit less unsettling, if not any better for his reddening cheeks.
"Like…" The feeling of his stomach flipping around leaves Zuko without any coherent idea on how to answer. Luckily, he doesn't end up having to, as Kiyi is back to demanding his undivided attention with her dolls.
Zuko is grateful for the company to visit his mother and sister for the first time since finding them, and of all his friends, he's immensely glad Sokka was the one to volunteer his time, but he's starting to wonder if he should have gone with Aang and Katara to the North Pole instead. He's seemed pretty spaced out the entire time they've been here, as if his mind is elsewhere completely.
Zuko vaguely recalls Sokka's admission to knowing the North Pole girl Uncle had told him about, who became the Moon Spirit after Zhao killed its original mortal form. He wonders if Sokka has been back to the North Pole since then.
Maybe Sokka had only offered to come as a way to avoid going back.
No better distraction than a six-year-old girl, Zuko supposes.
"Hey Kiyi, why don't we go outside before it gets too dark?"
Kiyi excitedly looks to Ikem for permission and bounds out the door before he has so much as finished nodding his head.
Zuko drags Sokka outside with him, and they both listen attentively as she shows them her favorite hole, which she'd dug near the base of an old tree.
"It holds wishes, see? And when you cover them up, the branches will hold them until it's time to let them come true."
"What wishes have you put in there?" Sokka asks her. He's stooped over to see the hole clearly, though it is a very unremarkable hole that is only a few inches deep. Zuko finds the attention Sokka's been paying to his sister incredibly endearing, though, and has to keep from thinking about it too deeply.
She sighs like she's had this discussion many times. "I haven't found a wish that's important enough yet."
Zuko smiles and is grateful that Kiyi lives a life where she has difficulty finding things to wish for. Sokka sends another look Zuko's way, though this one is more teasing and mischievous.
"Just wait until you start school. Fire Nation schools seem so boring. "
Before Zuko can even think about scolding Sokka, Kiyi is grabbing his arm. "Maybe I can go to a Water Tribe school! What was your school like?"
Sokka straightens up a bit, always eager to talk about his tribe. "We didn't have a school. Our parents and grandparents taught us everything."
Kiyi deflates. "That sounds boring. I want to make friends and get smart."
Sokka flusters while Zuko laughs, feeling an impossible amount of pride for his half-sister. Sokka doesn't have a chance to defend himself before Kiyi is being called back inside for dinner.
"I have friends! And I'm plenty smart!" Sokka calls after her once he's gotten his voice back, long after the door has closed. "Way smarter than any of your teachers will be!"
"Maybe you can teach her then. Be sure to mention how many times you've saved the world." Zuko starts making his way towards the small house, but Sokka doesn't follow, so he turns to face him.
Sokka is staring up at the full moon.
The pit forming in Zuko's stomach lets him know that he might regret this. "Will you… tell me about her?"
If Sokka's shocked by the question, he doesn't show it. "I'd rather not."
That's understandable, and slightly relieving. "Okay."
They stand in silence for another minute before Sokka speaks up again, sounding like he has to rip the words out of himself forcefully. "Just— The man who…"
"…Zhao?" Zuko offers. Sokka's posture goes rigid at his name.
Sokka turns his face away from the moon and glares at the ground. "General Zhao. He's not…?"
Zuko knows what Sokka is asking; Sokka is asking if Zhao is still free.
Sokka is asking if Zhao is still unpunished for what he did.
Zuko has a good guess, even if he doesn't know the answer to that for certain. He does know that if it were in his power, Zhao would have been in prison the moment after his father was locked up — his guilt being solely based on that fact that he's caused Sokka to make such an anguished face would be worth more punishment than Zuko has any right to give, even as Crowned Prince.
"I can't tell you for sure, but I do believe he's getting what he deserves." Zuko had close enough to feel the malice radiating off the water, after all. Before then, even after fighting waterbenders, he had never believed water could be associated with anything other than life and healing. Now he doesn't think he'll ever forget the pure hatred towards Zhao he had sensed from the Ocean Spirit that night. "The Ocean Spirit took him, right after the moon reappeared. He hasn't been seen since."
The relief that washes over Sokka's face is similar to the look Iroh made when Zuko had told him the story. Relief that justice will be rightfully served by the one who was most wronged in the act of killing the Moon Spirit. Seeing it loosens something in Zuko's chest.
"Good."
"Why didn't you want to go up there with Aang and Katara?"
Sokka smiles, glances at the moon, then looks back at Zuko, his eyes squinting nearly shut at the wideness of his grin. Zuko feels breathless. "You saying you'd rather do this alone, hothead? Let's go eat. I'm starving."
——
Zuko knows that he's dreaming when Sokka grabs his hand.
It's becoming a more frequent occurrence: Zuko dreaming of doing impossible things. Most of which involve Sokka in some way.
In this dream, Zuko isn't wearing red, and Sokka isn't wearing blue. They're both in shades of green, blending in with the field of grass they're sitting in. Zuko doesn't know how long they've been here or how long he has left. These dreams never last long.
Sokka is holding Zuko's hand as he looks directly into the sun.
"Why is it me?" Sokka asks, as casually as if he's asking about Zuko's day.
"Who else?" Zuko answers easily.
Sokka hums and brings Zuko's hand to his lips.
"You need to accept it, then."
——
Sokka comes to Zuko when he and Suki break up.
It is a spectacular night of drinking and crying and baring each other's souls. They do it in the comfort of Zuko's room since the Crowned Prince of the Fire Nation should not be seen out in public drinking with the son of the Southern Water Tribe's Chief.
They fall asleep sprawled out on top of the mattress, having only finished a single bottle of a strange, colorless Earth Kingdom liquor between the two of them — though Sokka had optimistically brought five total bottles with him.
And they both wake up abruptly to the soft sound of footsteps creaking on the floor outside the door meer minutes later.
Zuko will later thank his instincts for kicking in when they do, as he has only just enough time to shove Sokka off the bed before the door is torn out and a blast of flame is shooting towards them.
Zuko manages to dispel as much of the initial flame as possible, though he can tell that most of his room will need to be repaired and replaced. He hopes Sokka stays down behind the bed. He hopes Sokka sobers up enough to stay safe.
He hopes Sokka's okay.
His attackers haven't come through the door, nor are they in the doorway. Instead, they're firing at him from around the doorframe, pressing themselves up against the wall to avoid any counterattacks.
All Zuko can do is continue to redirect and dispel the flames, though fire is beginning to catch at the edges of his vision. There's only so much precision he can have in a confined space like this.
He beings to panic when the chair next to his bed collapses, sparks flying in all directions.
They're going to be trapped in here. They're going to burn alive.
Two pairs of fists are jutting out into view around the doorframe again, and Zuko prepares himself for more fire, but before anything can happen, a glass bottle is flying into the center of the doorway — right in the middle of the pair of hands.
Sokka grabs onto the back of Zuko's collar and hauls him down so their backs face the door, and then there is an explosion.
Zuko feels a sting of glass on his arm and knows that Sokka isn't unscathed, either, but he still sits up again with another bottle in hand, ready to aim.
But the hands don't reemerge. The two assailants drop to the ground, yelling and patting out the flames on their clothes.
Uncle, along with a small group of armed guards, arrives only moments later.
As soon as Iroh steps into view, Sokka drops the bottle and sags backward against Zuko. The small fires around them begin to be put out.
"How did you do that?"
Sokka looks down at the glass and shrugs. "Glass breaks when exposed to sudden high-temperature changes. And this stuff is super flammable. So."
"No," Zuko says, suddenly feeling giddy. He had panicked. He hadn't seen any way out of it other than just waiting out their attacks and hoping the whole building doesn't burn down in the process. But Sokka had come up with a genius plan on the fly like it was no big deal and executed it flawlessly. While still pretty drunk. "How did you make that throw?"
Sokka laughs, now looking closer to being as intoxicated as he actually is. "When you grow up with Katara, you either land that first throw, or you die when she finds out what you were trying to hit her with. No option for failure."
——
"Are you sure you want to do this? Even after what happened last week?"
Sokka had thrown a fit when he found out how often Zuko has fought off would-be assassins since Ozai had been removed from the throne a year ago, and was only slightly sated to find out that they hadn't attempted to attack him in his room before that night with Sokka.
Still, he took the news much more personally than Zuko had expected he would.
"You can't talk me out of it. I already made all of the arrangements with dad."
Zuko knows; Sokka's made all of these arrangements from Zuko's room. Because he's refused to leave Zuko's side all week.
"You have other responsibilities."
Like his tribe. Or his sister and best friend who are still flying around the world on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions.
"I can do any important work from here. My dad can handle everything else."
Zuko is beginning to question if Sokka is having a crisis, and if said crisis is Suki related.
"Sokka, you know that I don't mind you being here for as long as you want, but I don't think that this is completely necessary."
Sokka shoots him a look that dares him to speak another word.
"I'll be fine."
"And what if you're not?"
Sokka's eyes betray his stern voice, watering in the corners.
Zuko drops the conversation.
——
It doesn't take long for Zuko to admit to himself that Sokka sticking around indefinitely is probably one of the best things to happen to him, but it takes approximately five months for him to admit that to Sokka out loud.
Sokka insists on sleeping in the same room as Zuko, and so they've downsized Zuko's bed to fit another beside it, separated by a small gap barely wide enough to shuffle between sideways.
They're up late on Zuko's birthday, and though they're both sober, they're giddy and wide awake from the enormous amounts of cake and other sweets they had. Sokka and Uncle had arranged a small celebration for the three of them before the larger party tomorrow. Zuko can't imagine that the party will come close to being as enjoyable as tonight was, though.
"You know, she told me he's taller than her now. Like, a good amount taller."
Zuko snorts. "He'll be taller than us soon, you know."
"Yeah right!" Sokka exclaims into the dark. "I'm still growing."
"In your dreams, maybe," Zuko says, but really means to say I know. He thinks about training yesterday morning and how it had taken all of his willpower to stay standing as he watched Sokka approach him with his sword, all business with the sun rising behind him. He can feel his face heating up again just thinking about it.
"I guess we'll find out when they get here tomorrow."
Zuko can hear the smile in Sokka's tone. He's been excited to see them again all week.
"Don't you miss them?"
"Yeah, but it gives me an excuse to bug them into coming to bug you. So it's a win-win."
"No," Zuko says, feeling his voice get smaller. "Don't you miss being with them?"
Sokka takes in a sharp breath but pauses before he speaks. Zuko thinks he hears Sokka turning in his bed.
"I'd rather be here with you. Besides, why would I want to be with them when they're all kissy and stuff now? Gross. Once a month works perfectly for me."
Although Sokka is trying to keep the mood light, Zuko can tell that he's putting as much sincerity into his words as possible to comfort Zuko. Maybe that's why Zuko speaks without any hesitation.
"I'd rather you be here with me, too."
Sokka gasps, and this time Zuko is sure he can hear Sokka sit right up in his bed.
"Zuko! Are you declaring something right now?"
Zuko groans. "I take it back."
"You can't! Are we best friends now? Are you finally ready to admit out loud to the world that I'm your best friend?"
"Shut up."
"Just say it. 'You're my best friend, Sokka.'"
Zuko covers his face with his blanket, just to have it tugged on. "That's not even what I sound like."
"Come on, say it. You know you love me. You can't live without me. Say it."
"Go to sleep," Zuko says, and Sokka falls back to his bed dramatically and grumbles incoherently for emphasis.
Sokka falls asleep quickly after that, confident that he's pulled Zuko right out of any impending emotional slump.
Zuko, on the other hand, stays awake for hours.
I love you, he thinks. Over and over. I love you.
By the time the sun rises, he swears he can hear Sokka saying it back to him in the silence.
I love you.
——
When the others arrive for the public celebration of Zuko's birthday in the morning, Sokka makes a big deal of having them all meet ahead of time in the private courtyard.
The party will be held first in a private hall for food, then in the public courtyard used for special events. After the dinner, anyone who wishes to come will be invited.
Sokka had protested the decision at first, reasoning that if anyone could come, then anyone would come, including the people who have been trying to attack the throne.
Zuko reasoned that there hasn't been an attack in months and that they should use this as an opportunity to reassure Fire Nation citizens that their future Fire Lord won't be threatened by a small group of rebels who want to return to a time of war; especially since the day that Zuko will be crowned Fire Lord is approaching quickly. It was a long and heated argument, but in the end, Sokka conceded and sat down to write many extremely long letters.
Which is why Zuko isn't surprised to see at least fifteen Kyoshi Warriors alongside their friends when they arrive.
He shoots Sokka a look but doesn't comment on it.
Sokka does catch the look, but instead of looking caught, he runs over to Aang. "He's not taller than me! Right?"
Katara snickers as Sokka fixes his posture to the best of his abilities next to Aang.
"You're about the same," Zuko says, though he knows Sokka is maybe only an inch taller. He doesn't give Sokka the satisfaction of saying so because he notices the skin of water at Katara's hip.
"No, I'm totally taller."
"Your stupid hair doesn't count, meathead."
Sokka glares at Toph. "Neither does yours, rockhead."
Toph grins like she's been waiting for him to say that. She lifts her foot, preparing to stomp. "Who needs to be the tallest in the room when you can just—"
"Not in Zuko's palace, guys," Katara hurriedly interjects. "No one cares who's the tallest."
Sokka mumbles out an "I care" while Toph grumbles, "This is Uncle Iroh's palace."
"It's nice to see you guys again," Zuko says and means it through his annoyance.
——
As Zuko had predicted, the party does not end in flames or fighting. Instead, it ends with Zuko sending everyone to their respective rooms and avoiding letting any of them know he and Sokka share a room.
He isn't sure if Sokka had told them about it, but he hadn't mentioned it, and Zuko wasn't about to be the one to let it slip. He can only imagine the insufferable amount of teasing from them he'd have to endure.
Sokka is already half asleep when he finally gets to his room, and Zuko promptly forgets to confront him.
He'd been on the fence with it all night. He'd wanted to avoid an argument about it because what's done is done, and Sokka had ended up spending the entire night at his side. Joking, laughing, dancing…
Zuko had never danced more in his entire short life than he did tonight, and every single time he danced was with Sokka.
It almost would have been enough to avoid a confrontation if Zuko didn't know that the only reason Sokka stuck by his side so diligently was that he was watching his back. Because he didn't trust Zuko's judgment about the safety of the night.
But now, with Sokka tucked under his covers and his hair down, with one candle lit next to his bed, Zuko forgets an argument. How can he argue with Sokka about anything when he blinks up at Zuko like that, tells him that he was waiting to blow out the candle until Zuko got back as if he'd completely forgot that Zuko is his own candle.
Zuko can barely keep his heart inside his chest. So, instead of doing any of the various things Zuko feels he could do, he lays in bed fully clothed and tells Sokka he can blow out the candle now.
As Sokka does so, he yawns and asks, "Hey, what's the first thing you're going to do when you're Fire Lord?"
Zuko thinks for a long time, not surprised by the question. Living with Sokka means getting used to questions like this, asked during times that others might consider rude or unorthodox. He isn't sure what he would do that Uncle isn't already planning on doing, though. The plan was for the two of them to attempt as much repair to the way the Fire Nation is run before Zuko's official coronation as possible, especially since the people started out much more receptive to Fire Lord Iroh than they were to Fire Lord Zuko. That's beginning to change more and more now, but they still have a long way to go.
By the time Zuko realizes he doesn't have an answer, Sokka's asleep.
——
Zuko has woken Sokka up from nightmares before.
Similarly, Sokka has woken Zuko up from nightmares before. They both have their fair share.
But never like this.
Zuko wakes up just as he's being dragged over the gap between their beds. The foot of empty space beneath him jars him into consciousness so suddenly that he gasps for air and clings to the arms holding him to avoid falling.
"What are you…?"
"You're crying," Sokka says softly, wide awake as he pulls Zuko closer. Sokka's hugged Zuko before, but never like this.
Zuko's head is pillowed on one of Sokka's arms, and his face is in Sokka's shirt. One of Sokka's hands is in Zuko's hair, which must have fallen out of its topknot while he slept, and the other is on his back. Both of Zuko's hands are against Sokka's chest, and they grab on tightly to the fabric there.
Zuko's cheek is damp, and it takes him a second to realize that Sokka's shirt is wet because he's crying into it.
"Are you okay?"
Zuko hums an affirmative, not sure he can say much else. He is now very much awake. Too awake.
Ironic, since things like this have only ever happened in his dreams before.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Zuko doesn't answer. He's not sure he could remember the details of the dream if his life depended on it, though most of them tend to follow a similar pattern.
"Go back to sleep."
But how can Zuko fall asleep like this? He feels on edge — as if he's just been shot with lightning. Every nerve in his body is on fire, and he knows that he's way too tense for Sokka to think he could just fall back to sleep.
Maybe Sokka begins to get the sense that it isn't the dream that has Zuko anxious because his hands lift from their spots and hover over Zuko awkwardly.
"Is this… okay?"
"Is it—" Zuko clears his throat, not liking how strained his voices sounds. "Is it okay with you?"
"I mean—" Sokka starts, then stops, and Zuko feels like it is suddenly much too warm. He panics that maybe he's the one unintentionally warming them, and he can feel his face heating up even worse in embarrassment. "Yes?"
"Okay," Zuko says and very carefully concentrates on not bursting into actual flames and burning himself alive.
They stay silent for so long after that Zuko suspects Sokka has fallen back to sleep. Zuko's managed to calm himself enough not to hyperventilate, and in the process has relaxed enough that Sokka allowed himself to drop his hands back to where they were, on Zuko's back and head.
Zuko blinks slowly into Sokka's shirt, wondering how he possibly ended up like this. Just five years ago, he was on a tiny Fire Nation warship, traveling the world in search of his honor, wanting nothing more than to reclaim his place at home. And now? He's cuddling a man who once stood in his way, who he hated more than anything.
Zuko doesn't think he has it in himself to hate anymore.
Thinking about the energy he'd put into hating as a teenager exhausts him. Hatred for the world, the Avatar, his family, himself. It was more negative emotion than was healthy to be feeling in a single moment.
Zuko's happy with his life now, though. He's mending things with his mother and Azula. He's nurturing a positive relationship with his little sister, Kiyi. He's making sure his uncle is adequately appreciated. He's taking time to himself and getting better at balancing his duties as a ruler with his own needs.
He spends the majority of his days with Sokka. That probably has a significant impact on his mood at any given moment.
Zuko smiles and allows himself to relax completely into Sokka's arms. The moment he does, Sokka's hands begin to resume their comforting movements, soothing Zuko right to sleep.
——
Zuko wakes up early for a meeting, and Sokka stays in bed for once, complaining about being tired.
In all fairness, they hadn't ended up getting much sleep at all, but Zuko still feels a bit lonely as he walks the hallways to and from the meeting.
Afterward, he sits with Uncle for tea, which Sokka usually joins them for, but he doesn't show. Uncle doesn't comment on it.
He trains after that, without Sokka, and it starts to make Zuko worry. Maybe he had slept even less than Zuko thought? Maybe he didn't sleep at all because of the way they slept?
Maybe he's packing his things right this moment, getting ready to head back to the Southern Water Tribe and out of Zuko's life.
Or maybe he's just catching up with their friends, Zuko reasons. It's been a month since they'd last seen each other; it makes the most sense for Sokka to want to spend his morning with them. That's probably why Uncle didn't say anything, either. It's natural to assume that Sokka is with them.
Sokka wouldn't leave without saying anything. Zuko knows this. It's not something he needs to remind himself.
He's getting better at not having to remind himself of these things.
He knows that Sokka cares about him, and he knows that he's important enough to Sokka to warrant a goodbye at the very least.
He's important enough to Sokka to be worried over.
He's important enough to Sokka to ask to introduce him to Zuko's family.
He's important enough to Sokka to be turned to when he needs help.
He's important enough for Sokka to want to mean something to Zuko.
He's important enough to Sokka to be cared about and protected.
He's important enough to Sokka to have the light left on for him.
He's important enough to Sokka to… have their beds pushed together, apparently.
When Zuko walks into their room, the gap between the two beds has disappeared, and Sokka is sitting right in the middle of the conjoined mattresses, red-faced and avoiding Zuko's eye.
And Zuko's reached his limit. He feels everything leave his head except one very quiet thought that he lets dominate his world right now.
"You love me."
Sokka still won't meet his eye and begins fidgeting with his fingers. He's nervous.
"Obviously."
"Obviously," Zuko repeats, and it is obvious, isn't it?
"And you…?" Sokka prompts.
Sokka finally meets his eye when Zuko laughs.
"Obviously."
"Obviously," Sokka echos, smile growing.
"So is this," Zuko says, moving in closer and gesturing to the bed, "a permanent arrangement now?"
"I hope so," Sokka answers as he reaches to pull Zuko in.
——
"I need to make you a Fire Nation citizen."
"Why?"
"The Fire Lord can only marry a Fire Nation citizen. It's the law."
"...Oh."
"I do not hear a no."
"I mean, that's a pretty dumb law. You've only been Fire Lord for a few minutes, but I think we could change it anyway."
"Still not hearing a no."
"Shut up, hothead."