A. N. : Leaves from the Simsapa tree were used by the Buddha to illustrate the things he did and did not teach. Basically, it's time for some understanding... or at least attempts at it. Doesn't go so well when you're lacking sleep. Also ! Next update will be on friday, March 6th (it's viper-birthday time babey) instead of the usual tuesday. A few days later, then, but I think you'll find the wait worth it.

Sokka is too tired for this shit.

First he has to handle the reins all night, then Katara and Jet – always Jet, almost like his only goal in life is to ruin Sokka's – sing and whistle and don't let him catch a single minute of sleep, and then, right when he thinks he can finally get Jet out of his life for good – no cueing when lacking sleep, sure, but he's the only one in this case and he won't be judging, surely it's fine –

Zuko says it's alright. Zuko who, lest anyone forgets, almost got fucking murdered, says it's alright and accepts Jet's apology.

What the fuck.

Even Jet doesn't look like he believes it. And Zuko goes on to say he was the one to set Jet off, so – Sokka doesn't let him finish this. If he has to hear Zuko say Jet almost killing him was his own fault, he'll probably lose it. Look, even Jet thinks this is bullshit !

Zuko insists that they're either both at fault, or both innocent, Jet sighs and raises his hands with a sigh, surrendering to Zuko's stubbornness, and Sokka wants to die a little.

He mostly wants to sleep, though, spirits.

There's something weird going on, that much is clear, between Jet apologizing and Zuko just – just – what the shit, seriously. Sokka is too tired to deal with any of this. But he has to, because this is his only chance to drop Jet off in a place he won't cause too much trouble – hopefully – before the rescue.

So Sokka gathers whatever coherence he has left to make his mouth move.

Explanations. Now. He moves his finger between Jet and Zuko, just to make sure they understand he's talking about the murder attempt just as much as whatever went through Zuko's dumb brain.

He wasn't planning on waiting for explanations before cueing Jet, honestly, but Zuko's actions confused him enough that he just – he needs to understand what's going on here. They can always deal with Jet once that's done.

Or Sokka could just strangle him there and now because that asshole just shrugs – if you can count that weird jerking of his shoulders as a shrug – and says it was the force of habit, like that somehow explains a murder attempt.

Sokka is this close to just punching him in the face, when his expression turns serious and he says that the last time he let a firebender – an angry firebender – this close, he almost lost his foot. See ? – he points to a scar on his ankle, one Sokka never thought anything of, because this is Jet and he's got dozens of these, just like the Warriors at Chameleon Bay did, on arms and legs and probably more Sokka didn't see, and suddenly he wonders how Dad's men would've reacted to Zuko grabbing one of them and shouting at him with all the anger a jerkprince can manage.

Not very well, probably.

But that's an unfair comparison, because the Warriors didn't trust Zuko, while he and Jet are friends or something. The only conclusion is that Jet is really, really fucked up, but Sokka knew that already.

Force of habit, he said, and Sokka does not, can not accept this as an explanation, even if Zuko seems to think it makes enough sense for him to forgive Jet. Seems to understand, in a way that makes Sokka uncomfortable.

Does Zuko have habits, too ? Things that will make him blow up, start chasing them around the world again ?

Does that huge, ugly scar of his come with the same kind of bullshit as Jet's ankle ?

It doesn't, right ? Why would it ? It's just a dumb scar, the same as the punctures on Sokka's thumb from the fishhooks incident, or the slightly discolored skin where Lin burned his arm hair clean off. Just a stupid scar that eats half of Zuko's face to the point his ear has melted away and his eye is never really open.

And the only reason Sokka doesn't ask about it now that he's wondering is that there's no point in knowing, and not at all because he sort of maybe slightly fears Zuko's reaction.

He's too tired for this.

Sokka is tired and doesn't want to deal with any of this anymore, so he tells the two idiots to just do whatever, tells Jet that if something like that happens again, Sokka will make sure there isn't a third time, no matter what he has to do, and grabs his sleeping bag.

Also, if Katara starts singing, he will make her eat his shoes, or so help him.

She shouts at him, and he laughs.

Time to snooze out.