Chapter Text
Sokka's alarm goes off at an hour that is, truly, ungodly. Their flight is at 10:00, but they need to get there at 8:30, so the car is picking them up at 8:00, which means Sokka needs to be out the door and on the way to Zuko and Aang's by 7:45, at the latest. Zuko had literally given Sokka an itinerary for the morning, at the top of which read: FINISH PACKING THE NIGHT BEFORE. Sokka, of course, hadn't, which meant he needed to wake up even earlier and throw the rest of his shit into his suitcase as quickly as possible.
What does one bring for two weeks spent with your not-boyfriend's probably ridiculously uptight family? Sokka has no earthly idea, and instead of trying to figure it out, he simply packs half his wardrobe. He's throwing things unceremoniously into his suitcase, trying very carefully not to wake up Suki. Zuko will kill him if he's late, but Suki will literally have him drawn and quartered if he dare disturb her. He has to sit on his suitcase to get it shut, but Zuko had previously assured him that he needn't worry about the overweight bag fee. He rushes out the apartment at 7:44, making a break for the elevator.
His phone rings as soon as he steps out of the building, 7:45 on the dot. It's Zuko.
"I promise I am on my way," Sokka pants, lugging his suitcase behind him. There's fairly few people out on the street this early, mostly businessmen and women with their morning coffees in hand.
"Do you have everything?" There's a bit of an edge to Zuko's voice, which Sokka attributes to the stress of transpacific travel.
"Yeah, I do."
"Are you sure?" Zuko repeats, more pointedly this time.
"Yes," Sokka over-enunciates his words to make them stick. "I have everything."
"Okay. Good. Get here on time."
Zuko hangs up before Sokka can say anything else. He rolls up outside Zuko and Aang's building at precisely 7:57, greeted by Aang guarding Zuko's luggage.
"Sokka!" Aang greets him with an enthusiastic smile, throwing his arms around Sokka's middle. "I can't believe you two are leaving me here all alone for two weeks."
Sokka briefly returns Aang's hug before prying him off. "Hang out with Suki, or something."
Aang pouts, but before he can continue complaining, Zuko comes rushing out of the building. Behind him is a poor kid in a suit way too big for him, dragging a sleek black suitcase behind him. Of course Zuko's got a ridiculous amount of luggage-- three giant suitcases, to be exact. Once the last one is placed with the others, the kid lugging it races back inside.
Sokka wants to poke fun at Zuko for his overpacking, but he's too off-put by Zuko's appearance. First off, he's wearing sweatpants, which Sokka never thought he'd see in his lifetime. Zuko, in athleisure? Sounds like a cryptid. Secondly, Zuko looks incredibly stressed out. His hair is a complete wreck, and he can't stop tapping his foot against the ground. As Sokka opens his mouth to try and placate him, the car pulls up.
"You're late," Zuko snaps at the driver as he gets out to help with the luggage.
"Only by a couple minutes, Zuko, it's okay," Aang places a hand on Zuko's elbow in what must be an attempt to soothe him, but Zuko rips his arm away.
The driver begins to quickly load the luggage into the trunk of the car. "My sincerest apologies, Mr. Sozin."
Under his breath, Zuko mutters something about his father that Sokka doesn't quite hear. They get the luggage into the car, say quick goodbyes to Aang, and are en route to JFK by 8:03. The three minute delay is clearly getting to Zuko, as he thrums his finger against his knee and obsessively checks the time on his phone.
"We have plenty of time, Zuko," Sokka's taken enough international flights to know that five minutes won't make a difference as long as you're at the gate on time. Maybe this is the first time Zuko's flown back to Japan, because apparently the whole ordeal is stressing him the fuck out.
"We cannot miss this flight," Zuko says through gritted teeth.
Sokka rolls his eyes. They have over an hour before the flight takes off, they're making perfect time. Once, he woke up forty-five minutes before his flight left and still made it onto the plane. "We have plenty of time, Zuko."
Zuko's head whirls toward Sokka, like he's just remembered something. "Did you remember your passport?"
He really, really tries not to roll his eyes again. "Yes, I remembered my passport, Zuko."
"Okay," Zuko says to himself, turning his head toward the window. "Okay."
Zuko doesn't say another word to Sokka the rest of the way to the airport. He keeps eerily quiet in the line for security, chewing on his bottom lip. He whips out his Japanese passport with ease, though his hands are shaky. When they arrive at the gate thirty minutes before the flight is set to start boarding, he doesn't breathe the sigh of relief that Sokka expects. Even though they're definitely going to make the flight, he still seems on the verge of a meltdown.
As they line up to board, Sokka gets a text from Toph.
text me when you land.
Toph recently landed an internship that's kept her in Tokyo for almost a year now. Sokka tries to talk with her as frequently as possible, but the time change is kind of a bitch and both their sleep schedules are fucked. He caught her on the line a couple days ago, long enough to explain briefly why he's going to be in Japan and for how long. For the most part, she's still pretty in the dark, but Sokka will explain everything as soon as he sees her.
The first-class seats on the plane are otherworldly. Each is its own little cubicle, complete with a TV. Sokka and Zuko have the middle seats, with a half-wall in between them so they can see and speak to one another. Sokka settles into his seat and immediately starts playing with the buttons: the seat fully reclines into a bed, complete with pillows. Sokka, of course, tries out this function.
"Stop being a dork," Zuko chides as Sokka returns to the sitting position. He's already picked up a magazine to read while the rest of the passengers board.
"Are we even going to be flying during the night? What time are we landing in Tokyo?"
"2 o'clock tomorrow," Zuko answers. "14 hour flight, 14 hour time change."
"So..." Sokka tries to do the math in his head. "We land at midnight America time, which is 2 PM Japan time."
"Precisely."
Zuko turns a page of the magazine. His fingers are still shaking, ever so slightly. As the plane takes off, Sokka wonders why the hell Zuko's still freaking out. They're on the plane, on the way to Japan, everything so far has gone exactly according to plan. There's no reason for him still to be so worried.
Once the pilot announces they've reached maximum altitude, Zuko snaps the magazine shut and shoves it into the pocket next to him. He crosses his arms so tightly across his chest that Sokka can see his muscles flexing in his forearm and begins to chew on his bottom lip.
"Dude, are you okay? Are you afraid of heights, or something?"
"Don't be ridiculous, I fly all the time," Zuko seethes.
Okay, so fear of flying is off the list. What else could have him so nervous? Sokka wonders for a moment, then recalls the mysterious 'incident' mentioned by Lo, how Zuko had apparently not spoken to his father in years. It's all things he's not supposed to actually know, but it must be why Zuko's so freaked out.
"Are you nervous about seeing your family?"
Zuko's head whips over to look at Sokka, a flash of pure terror in his eyes. Sokka isn't sure what Zuko's more scared of-- seeing his family, or Sokka knowing his secrets about them. He can't press it any further without revealing that he'd eavesdropped on his and Lo's conversation.
Before Sokka can make a decision on what to say next, Zuko's digging his airpods out of his pocket. He puts them in his ear without a single word in response to Sokka, then reclines his seat as far as it goes.
Sokka ends up sleeping for most of the flight. When he wakes up, they've still got a few hours before they land. Zuko is passed out asleep in the seat next to him, head resting on the divider between them. He breathes deeply, softly, sighing with each breath. Sokka wants nothing more than to dive into his brain and figure out what the fuck is going on.
He watches a couple movies to entertain himself. The flight attendants come around with food and refreshments, and it all actually tastes pretty good. Zuko sleeps the entire time, not even shifting when the pilot comes on to announce they're close to landing. Sokka reaches out and taps Zuko gently on his cheekbone, where his bruise is almost faded. Zuko jolts awake, startled.
"We're going to land soon," Sokka says as Zuko catches his bearings. He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, then lets out a yawn.
The Tokyo airport is massive and terrifying, but Zuko navigates it with ease. The first time someone speaks Japanese to Sokka, he blinks at her, dumbfounded, having forgotten that people speak a different language here. The customs agent just laughs, then repeats the question in English. After Sokka, she and Zuko speak in rapid-fire Japanese.
Sokka shoots a quick text to Toph while they're in the car, who invites him to lunch tomorrow. After checking with Zuko to make sure he doesn't have a previous engagement, he agrees.
The hotel, on the other hand, is absolutely breathtaking. Outside is a huge fountain, shooting synchronized jets of water into the air. When the car pulls up to the entrance, they're bombarded with people opening the doors and unloading the luggage. Zuko doesn't even have to tell anyone his name-- one of the bellhops recognizes him immediately and greets him as Mr. Sozin.
The lobby of the hotel is equally as beautiful. There's a giant, dome-shaped chandelier that drapes down from the ceiling, cherry blossoms lining the way to the receptionist desk. Beside them, people whizz by in perfectly tailored suits and elegant gowns. It literally smells like money.
The receptionist recognizes Zuko, too. She has their key ready for them before they even make it to the desk. Sokka zones out as she and Zuko start speaking in Japanese, but he refocuses when he realizes that the woman is looking at him expectantly.
"Apologies," Zuko wraps an arm around Sokka's middle, pulling him slightly closer. "My boyfriend doesn't speak much Japanese."
"Ah," The women smiles and nods. "Welcome, Mr. Kuruk. Is this your first time visiting Japan?"
Sokka's slightly caught off guard by someone older than him addressing him so formally. "Oh, um, yes."
The woman nods again, sliding him a keycard. "Enjoy your stay."
Zuko drops his arm from around Sokka as they walk toward the elevator. A few people they pass seem to recognize him, stopping to nod or say what Sokka assumes must be hello. They all seem to note Sokka's presence.
"What, are you like famous here, or something?" Sokka asks in the safety of the elevator.
Zuko rolls his eyes. "No, I'm not famous. A lot of people know my father."
Sokka wants to point out that doesn't mean he isn't famous, but he keeps his mouth shut.
Their room is absolutely gorgeous. It's gigantic, with an entire sitting area and dining table set for two. The view of the city from the windows might be the prettiest thing Sokka's ever seen. He gets so caught up in taking it all in the he doesn't notice Zuko standing at the foot of the bed, frowning.
"There's only one bed," Zuko says, tearing Sokka's attention away from the window. "I mean, of course there's only one bed, but... there's only one bed."
Sokka shrugs. "No big deal. I'll just sleep on the couch." The couch looks nicer than his own bed at home, so he really doesn't mind.
Zuko nods. "We'll alternate."
"Sooo..." Sokka hops over the back of the couch and gets comfortable on it. "Are we having dinner with your family tonight?"
Zuko scoffs. "Like I have enough time to dress for dinner with my family," He says to himself. Sokka restrains from pointing out that it's only 4:00 and he absolutely has time to change. "No, we're meeting them for dinner tomorrow night."
It's strange that Zuko's going to be home for 24-hours without even seeing his family. Hakoda and Katara are always waiting as close to the gate as they can possibly get when he flies home. They spend pretty much every second together until he goes back. But then again, nothing about Zuko's family seems conventional.
They unpack and order room service for dinner, which apparently includes servers coming into the room and serving multiple courses. After eating that much and still adjusting to the time change, Sokka sleeps soundly on the couch.
Sokka wakes up three hours later than intended. He's disoriented at first, until Zuko says 'good morning' and Sokka remembers that he's on a different continent than usual.
"Breakfast?" Zuko proposes, though he's already eaten his own portion of the meal laid out on the table.
Sokka rubs at his eyes, yawning. "What time is it?"
"Eleven."
"Shit!" Sokka nearly falls off the couch in his haste. He's supposed to meet Toph in an hour and she'll kill him if he's late. He grabs the first pieces of clothing he can find, then runs into the bathroom and throws on the shower, slamming the door behind him. Faintly, he can hear Zuko say 'I'll take that as a no.'
After the fastest shower of his life, Sokka throws on his clothes and brushes his teeth. When he steps out of the bathroom, the dishes have been cleared and Zuko has relocated from the table to the bed. He's sitting perfectly straight against the wall, a book in his hands. Sokka realizes that he's totally abandoning Zuko on the first day of their trip, but he hadn't actually thought about it until just now. He'd assumed that Zuko would be hanging out with his family, but it looks like he doesn't have plans to leave the hotel.
"Do you want to, um, come?"
Zuko looks up from his book. "Hm?"
"To lunch," Sokka elaborates. "With me and Toph."
Zuko seems to consider it for a moment. Barring Aang, Toph was really the only one who could stand Zuko in college. They hung out from time to time, but Sokka never could imagine what they talked about. He supposed he could see the resemblance between the two: both snarky, both short of temper, both rich kids. Now, he can see the similarities even more clearly: the family problems, the pressure of being a perfect child, the hiding scandals.
"No," Zuko returns his gaze to the book. "You two have fun."
"Are you just going to sit here all day?" Sokka gestures to the room. "You aren't going to go see your family?"
Zuko frowns, like he genuinely doesn't understand the question. "We're seeing them tonight for dinner."
Right, Sokka thinks, The Sozins are weird.
Toph picks him up from the lobby of the hotel to spare him from trying to navigate Tokyo. She launches herself at him as soon as he rounds the corner, and he gladly accepts the hug. It's been almost a year since he's seen her, which is the longest they've gone since they met.
"I missed you, kiddo," Sokka ruffles Toph's hair as they release, which she immediately swats away.
"I didn't miss you messing with my hair," She huffs, crossing her arms. "But I missed you, too, I guess."
She takes them across town to a little outdoor restaurant, ordering for both of them in Japanese with ease.
"You're getting really good at that," Sokka remarks. Before Toph left for Japan, she was freaking out about speaking Japanese. She could hear it and understand it with ease, but speaking proved to be more difficult. Now, it sounded flawless.
Toph shrugs in response. "I do a lot of talking with clients."
"How is your internship going, by the way?"
Toph majored in geology, which Sokka had always assumed meant she would be going straight to some museum after college to look at rocks for the rest of her life. Somehow, she'd landed an internship with a huge construction company based out of Tokyo, which put her in the corporate lifestyle. It wasn't at all what Sokka had expected for her to do, but he also knew that she wanted to be closer to her parents in Beijing. Their relationship has been rocky to say the least after she left for school in America without telling them anything about it, but it's on the mend.
"It's amazing, but it also kind of sucks. Like, I have to wear these stupid clothes and use professional language, which apparently doesn't include calling people dense even when they're being really, really fucking dense."
Toph, in a professional environment? Toph, using a customer service voice with clients? Toph, in a pantsuit combo? Sokka has to admit that it's hilarious.
"I'm sorry, Toph. Do you think you're going to--"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Toph cuts him off with a wave of her hand. "Enough about me, I want to know why you're here with Zuko." She leans forward in her chair, resting her chin on her palm.
Sokka rolls his eyes. "He needed a date to his cousin's wedding."
"Wait," Toph sits up in her chair, "you're here for the Sozin wedding?"
"How do you even know about it?" Sokka frowns.
"Everybody knows about it!" Toph throws her hands into the air. "Literally, everyone. It's supposed to be, like, the wedding of the fucking century."
There's something Sokka still isn't getting. "How does everyone know about it?"
Toph groans. "The Sozins are famous here, Sokka. Everybody either works for them or wants to be them, or both. Hell, I technically work for the Sozins. Ozai practically owns my firm."
Sokka's jaw drops. "What?"
"The Sozins own half the city, Sokka!" Toph exclaims. "They're super-mega-ultra-fucking rich. Like, diamond-encrusted toilet seat rich."
Sokka sinks back into his chair, putting his head in his hands. "What have I gotten myself into?"
Toph snorts. "I have no idea. Those bitches are going to eat you alive."
Sokka's head snaps up. "Are they really that scary?"
This time, Toph practically howls with laughter. "Yes, they're that fucking scary! One time, Ozai fired somebody on the spot because he didn't stand when he came in. Literally fired him and blacklisted him for working anywhere near Sozin Industries again-- they guy's still unemployed."
Sokka can feel his heart dropping into his stomach. He knew that Ozai is going to be scary, but he hadn't expected... this.
"And Zuko bringing a guy to Lu Ten's wedding..." Toph chuckles to herself. "God, this is going to be good."
"Don't tell me they're homophobic, too."
Toph rolls her eyes. "Why do you think they banished Zuko to New York?"
The gears are starting to spin rapidly in Sokka's head. "Zuko went to New York because he got into Columbia."
"Aw, you're so naive," Toph coos. "Zuko didn't get into Columbia, Daddy's money got Zuko into Columbia. Rumor has it after Zuko graduated boarding school, he and his father got into some huge argument and then he mysteriously got into Columbia. Nobody knows for sure, but most people think it's because he came out."
Sokka can feel his face pale. His own father sent him halfway around the world just for being gay? How is Sokka's presence going to affect that? "Is that... the incident?"
Toph suddenly goes rigid. "No, I don't know anything about that."
"Come on, Toph, tell me," Sokka puts on his best puppy dog eyes. "What's the incident?"
Toph leans in close and lowers her voice to a whisper. Sokka thinks it's silly, since there's nobody seated that close to them, but he leans in anyway. "Nobody knows what it was. All I know is that Zuko came home from boarding school with a clean face, then left for Columbia with half of it burnt off."
This time, Sokka can feel his heart stop. He'd never thought about how Zuko had gotten his scar before, he'd always just accepted it as part of his face. It never even really occurred to him that it had to come from somewhere. "You don't think..."
"I don't think anything," Toph corrects. "That's the one thing about the Sozins people won't speculate on, and I don't blame them."
"Holy shit," Sokka mutters. "Should I be, like, scared?"
Toph's quiet for a moment. "I'm not going to lie and say no, if that's what you want to hear."
"Fuck. I have dinner with them tonight, what am I supposed to do?"
"Okay," Toph sounds more serious that she ever has in her life. "Keep your head down. Don't look Ozai in the eyes, he hates that. Don't say anything that will even remotely implicate Zuko in anything. Don't even comment on the food. Just keep. Your. Head. Down."
"You're kidding, right?" Sokka really, really wants her to be kidding.
"No," Toph shakes her head. "I wish I was."