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A lot changes for Zuko in the next year of his life. He goes back to the Fire Nation, betrays his father, and is (at least somewhat) accepted into the Avatar’s group. There is an inner peace within him that he hasn’t had since… well, ever, really. He can finally sleep at night knowing that despite his past, he’s doing the right thing.
Unfortunately for him, that means there’s nothing left to distract him from the fact that his soulmate is right there.
Zuko learns a lot about his soulmate. He learns that his name is Sokka, that he cracks jokes that Zuko finds funny but make everyone else groan, and that he is stunningly, horrifyingly easy to fall in love with.
Yeah, so Zuko has a crush. So what? They’re soulmates. It’s allowed. Or it would be, if not for the fact that Sokka still doesn’t know that Zuko is his soulmate.
The topic comes up around the fire one night; Zuko doesn’t remember how, but it starts with Aang and Katara holding their wrists out to show everyone their soulmarks. Katara’s is an arrow, and Aang’s is an otter penguin; the two of them laugh at the shared memory of Aang’s first words to her being ‘will you go penguin sledding with me?’. Then they go around the circle and everyone shows theirs. Suki’s is some sort of flower; she explains that her soulmate is back on Kyoshi Island. Sokka is next, and Zuko finds himself unconsciously leaning forward, curious to see what mark the spirits chose to represent him.
Sokka pulls back his sleeve and holds out his wrist to reveal twin dao swords, crossed at the hilt. Aang asks if Sokka knows who his soulmate is, and Sokka shrugs and shakes his head.
“It’s okay,” Aang says earnestly. “I’m sure they’ll turn up at some point.”
Zuko looks resolutely at the ground.
Next is Toph, who folds her arms and tells them that she was born without a mark. Suki reaches out to apologize, but she just shrugs.
“I don’t mind it. I don’t think I could stand having so much of my life revolve around another person.”
Then it’s Zuko’s turn, and everyone in the circle is looking at him. Their expressions range from Aang’s cheerful anticipation to Suki’s wary curiosity to Katara’s open hostility. Zuko finds that he can’t even look at Sokka to gauge his expression.
“I, uh.” He fiddles with his wristband and, coming up with no other ideas, falls back into a familiar anger. “This is stupid,” he snaps. “I don’t care about soulmates.” He stands up and stalks away.
He’s too far away to hear when Toph says quietly, “He’s lying.”
-
Time passes. Zuko goes with Katara to track down her father’s killer and she finally stops looking at him like she’s going to slit his throat while he sleeps, which is nice. He finds himself falling into an easy rhythm with the group, and it’s almost like he has… friends.
He and Sokka are on amicable terms since Boiling Rock, so when Zuko comes across him practicing with a gleaming gray-black sword, he leans against a pillar to watch instead of immediately turning to go. Sokka clearly notices him, but continues through his forms anyway, and something warms in Zuko’s chest at the obvious display of trust.
“I didn’t know you knew how to use a sword,” Zuko says when Sokka stops to take a break.
“Oh, I learned pretty recently,” Sokka says, pausing to take a drink of water from his flask. “Master Piandao taught me.”
“Really?” Zuko looks up in surprise. “He taught me, too. I was young when I started, but he was a good teacher.”
“Wait, you use a sword?”
“Yeah. Two, actually.”
“I always thought benders didn’t learn other forms of fighting.” Zuko is distracted momentarily as Sokka pushes back a few strands of hair that fell out of his wolftail.
“Oh. Uh, yeah, usually they don’t. I was slow to pick up firebending, so I started learning swordfighting to make up for it.”
Sokka nods thoughtfully. “So would you say that makes you a swordbender?”
“I--what?” Zuko makes a face. “No. That’s not a thing, Sokka.”
“Nah, I’m just fucking with you. Hey, I have an idea!” His face lights up. “Since we both use swords, why don’t we spar?”
Zuko blinks. “Now?”
“Why not?” Sokka grins. “Go get your swords, pretty boy. I want to see if I can beat you in swordbending.”
Zuko hurries off to retrieve his swords from his room in the temple and tries not to think about the fact that Sokka just called him pretty.
When he returns, Sokka is already in a fighting stance.
Zuko snorts. “Eager much?”
“What can I say? I’ve been wanting to whoop your ass since we first met.”
I’ve been wanting to kiss you since we first met, Zuko wants to say, but bites down hard on the inside of his cheek before the words escape. Instead he just says, “We’ll see about that.”
They circle each other, both waiting for an opening. Sokka darts in first and Zuko parries easily before stepping in and aiming a strike at Sokka’s ribs that is quickly blocked. They trade several more blows, feeling each other out. Zuko is impressed with Sokka’s ability; for only having learned recently, he’s a formidable opponent.
As they circle each other again, Zuko realizes quite suddenly how close he is to Sokka. He can see the tiny strands of hair that frame his face, can see the depths of his gorgeous blue eyes. Zuko doesn’t even realize he’s distracted until Sokka takes the opening and (literally) sweeps his feet out from under him, following it up with a strike to his head that Zuko blocks with his swords crossed.
They stay frozen like that for a moment, Zuko reeling as he tries to process what just happened, Sokka’s brow furrowing as he stares at Zuko’s crossed swords.
“Wait. These--these swords, they look… familiar. How do I--”
Their eyes meet, and Zuko can see the exact moment when Sokka realizes.
The space sword falls to the ground with an echoing clang, and Zuko’s arms drop to his sides.
“Zuko,” Sokka says quietly. “Did you know?”
Avoiding his eyes, Zuko nods.
“How long were you keeping this from me?”
Zuko stands and slides off his wristband, holding it out to show Sokka the mark. “I knew since we first met.”
Sokka holds his arm for a moment before letting it drop. “Why didn’t you say something?” he shouts. “All this time you knew and you did nothing about it? Do I really mean that little to you?”
And that--that makes Zuko angry, because Sokka is everything to him.
“You think I didn’t want to tell you?” Zuko laughs bitterly. “I wanted to tell you for months, but what would you have had me say? Hey, I don’t even know your name and I’ve tried to kill you at least six times but I think we’re soulmates. How would that have gone over?”
Sokka frowns. “You could have said something when you joined us!”
“You don’t understand.” Zuko shakes his head. “It was easier when I didn’t know you, because now I know what kind of person you are. Sokka, you don’t deserve… this,” he says, waving a hand at himself. “I’ve gotta be the world’s shittiest soulmate. You don’t want to deal with that.”
“Don’t I get to decide what I want to deal with?”
Zuko falters. “I--”
Sokka takes a few steps closer to him. “I should at least get to have a choice, Zuko.”
Zuko sighs, all of the fight suddenly rushing out of him. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I just--” He breaks off, wiping furiously at the tears falling from his good eye.
“Hey,” Sokka says gently, pulling him into a tight embrace. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
The hug is over too soon, but when they sit down, Sokka takes Zuko’s hand in his.
“I. Uh.” Zuko clears his throat and starts over. “When I was younger, I didn’t think I would ever find my soulmate. Boomerangs aren’t exactly… common, in the Fire Nation, and besides, I was probably going to have to marry a noble or something. Then when I was banished and I met you, I guess I kind of gave up? Like, I knew you hated me and I would never get a chance, so I just ignored it. With, uh, varying success at times.” His mind goes unbidden to a table of scrolls, a necklace, and a broken mirror, and he quickly pushes those thoughts away. “But I was focused on capturing the Avatar so I could go home. I didn’t have time to worry about my soulmate.”
“So why didn’t you tell me when you joined us?” Sokka asks softly, and this time the anger is gone from his voice as he squeezes Zuko’s hand.
Zuko looks down at his lap, trying to find the words. “I wanted to, especially after Boiling Rock. But I was so glad that we were friends, and I didn’t want to ruin it. I thought that if you knew we were soulmates, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me.”
Sokka makes a face. “What? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Zuko shrugs miserably. “I did try to kill you a decent amount of times.”
“But that wasn’t your fault ,” Sokka says earnestly, grabbing Zuko’s other hand with his free one. “Your father told you the only way you could go home was if you captured the Avatar, right?”
“Uh. Yeah?”
“So you thought you had to, even if you didn’t necessarily want to! And even with all that, you still came around in the end. You figured out what was right for yourself.”
Zuko looks down. “I should have figured it out a long time ago.”
“Maybe. But we’re here now, and that’s what matters.”
Zuko lets go of Sokka’s hands and throws his arms around Sokka, burying his face in his shoulder. “Thank you,” he murmurs, his voice wobbling. “Thank you.”
Sokka holds him tightly, and neither of them lets go for a good, long while.
They still have a long way to go, but for now Zuko thinks that maybe--just maybe--everything will turn out all right.