Work Text:
It takes a few months for the others to ask Zuko for his Instagram.
Seemingly out of the blue at one of their study sessions, Suki asks, “Do you happen to have an Instagram, Zuko?”
Zuko blinks, looking up from his computer as he sees everyone else do the same. “Yeah. I never use it, though.”
“That’s fine!” Aang pipes up, chin in his hands. “We’ll follow you anyways.”
“I wanna see if you act like an emo boy online.” Suki smirks.
“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?” Zuko sighs, trying to focus on his homework.
“Nope.” Toph pops the p, joining the conversation. “Stop dodging the question, Sparky. Give us your handle.”
He makes a face as he types. “What’s the point? I’m not active.”
“But babe.” Sokka pouts at Zuko. “Who am I gonna tag in our selfies?”
Zuko takes one look at Sokka and his resolve crumbles ridiculously quick. He groans. “Fine. It’s bluespirit, no underscores or periods.”
“Yeah! Nice work, Snoozles!” Toph cheers.
Everyone digs out their phones and starts typing, presumably to type his username into the search bar.
Toph frowns, a single earbud in her ear. “Are you sure you remember your username correctly?”
Bemused, Zuko nods.
“How the fuck do you have so many followers without following a single person back?” Suki's staring at her screen in astonishment. “You don’t even use hashtags!”
Zuko shrugs. “I guess people like my photos.”
“The mirror selfies of your outfits don’t hurt, either,” says Katara. “Your account’s somehow aesthetic and fashionable.”
“Very palatable,” adds Aang, nodding earnestly. “I like it. I’ve followed you!”
“Same,” says Sokka as he turns a betrayed gaze on Zuko from next to him. “You didn’t tell me you were internet famous!”
“I’m not-” Zuko starts.
“Oh yes you are,” interjects Suki. “You have 735 thousand followers. That’s like 734 thousand more than me.”
Zuko doesn’t have a response to that. He’s never really thought about his follower count or his social media presence before, but now that it’s been pointed out, he does have a lot more followers than the typical person. He tilts his head, wrapping his mind around that fact. “I guess.”
“Are you gonna follow us back, or are you gonna keep your 100:0 followers to following ratio?” Toph raises an eyebrow at Zuko.
“Oh! Right.” Zuko’s not really familiar with the intricacies of social media etiquette, but following his friends back seems like a good idea. He logs onto Instagram for the first time in several weeks and follows all of them back.
Then he realizes that he has an assignment due in 2 hours and gets back to work, forgetting about Instagram as he puts his earbuds in with the sole focus of getting the assignment done before the deadline.
~!~
imcompletelycalm: Hey your “following” has gone up! To 5 whole people! 👀
~!~
Zuko: is it ok if i post a photo of you guys that i took at the pride parade?
Aang: Yeah! Which one is it?
Zuko: its a surprise
Zuko: but i want you guys to remember that a lot of people follow my account. are you sure you want your faces on my page?
Suki: Yeah
Suki: My face is already plastered all over the internet. It’s fine
Sokka: Duh im fine w it!
Zuko: katara? toph?
Aang: Katara’s with me right now. I can ask her
Aang: She says “Of course!”
Toph: You think I care about my face? Go ahead, Sparky
Toph: Just make sure you tag us
Sokka: ^
Zuko: oh, so you want my followers?
Sokka: NO :( i just want people to know we’re friends. And beefs
Zuko: beefs?
Sokka: You know. Boyfriend, bf, beef
Zuko: ...okay. you might need to change your notification settings, though, unless you want your phone dying after 2 hours.
Zuko: posting.
Zuko: posted.
bluespirit: [Image ID: A single photo, filtered so the colors are less vibrant than in everyday life. It’s a candid photo of a crowd of people in the middle of a street, taken from the side, many of them waving various pride flags and signs. In the center of the image is the Gaang, all of them smiling. Katara is mid-laugh, leaning into Aang, who is holding a pan flag and grinning down at her. Sokka, walking on Katara’s left, has an armband in the colors of the bi flag and is wearing a shirt that has an image of a fish with the word ‘ZOOTED.’ His arms are around Suki and Toph, who are on his left and right respectively. They’re both wearing shirts with fish on them as well. Suki’s shirt has the words ‘ABSOLUTELY TORQUED,’ and Toph’s has the word ‘ZONKED.’ All of them are smiling wide. Suki has an armband that matches Sokka’s, and Toph’s white cane is striped with the colors of the inclusive pride flag. There is confetti in the air around all of them.]
bluespirit: love is love. they never let me forget that.
164,086 comments
wangfire: Holy shit you’re an actual person and not an aesthetic account! Did you take all the photos yourself? They’re so good!
penetrablecity: dude! ur one of my fav accounts and your ranking just got higher. your photos are always breathtaking AND you’re supportive of the community! gold mine!
Katara: wow you were NOT kidding about the notifications
Sokka: I cabt fuckgni see anything im turnigv off notificcatipns for instagram
Toph: My TTS software is crashing because of the notifications
Toph: Can someone call to help me with them I’ll pick up immediately
Suki: I got it
Zuko: i can call you guys to configure the notifications
Aang: Please!!
Zuko: now?
Katara: yes. now.
Zuko: got it
It only takes about ten minutes for everyone’s phones to stop pinging with every new like, comment, or follow request, so after ending the call, Zuko decides to look at how his post is doing.
While he does log off Instagram for several weeks at a time, there had been a time when he had obsessed over his posts and the amount of interactions there had been. He knows it’s bad and has stopped checking so much, but well- old habits die hard.
Opening Instagram, Zuko sees that his most recent post is doing way better than his others - most likely because it features actual people.
Scrolling through the comments, Zuko’s eyebrows draw together when he finds a comment that uses more than a handful of derogatory terms. He looks at his screen for a moment before slowly tapping out a reply.
bluespirit: @admiralzhao and other homophobes, fuck off. those are my friends you’re insulting, and i can tell you that none of them would hesitate to deck you. enjoy the block button. @ everyone else, block fuckheads like this guy. they’re not worth your time.
Zuko’s phone dings a minute after he posts that comment.
Sokka: I saw ur comment
Sokka: And i think ive fallen in love w you all over again
A smile spreads over Zuko’s face as he reads.
Zuko: sap.
Zuko: i love you too
Sokka: I love you more
Zuko: i love you most. no arguing. do your homework.
Sokka: Yessir!
Zuko: <3
Sokka: :)
Smile still on his face, Zuko turns off his phone and stretches, checking the time. It’s late enough to sleep, he decides, and flops down on his bed, falling asleep within ten minutes.
~!~
Sokka: Hey babe
Sokka: You done with that photo sesh?
Zuko: yes, im done with the ‘photo sesh’
Sokka: Dope! How do you think it turned out
Zuko: not the worst. we’ll see, i guess
Sokka: Bet it was great. Wanna come to the campus starbucks? My last class got cancelled
Zuko: yeah. i’ll be there in 10
“Hi.” Zuko greets Sokka with a kiss on the cheek as he slides into the seat beside him.
Sokka grins, looking up from his computer, speaking softly to match the atmosphere of the cafe. “Hi darling. Do you want scones? I got you a few.” He holds out a paper bag.
Zuko takes it, stealing a sip from Sokka’s iced coffee. “Yeah. Thanks.”
The scones are gone within a few minutes, but Sokka’s still sipping his coffee slowly, focused on his work. He looks so good like that, just sitting there in the sunlight pouring in from the window, that Zuko’s breath catches for a second before he’s digging out his camera.
He manages to take a few candid shots before Sokka looks up, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth up as he raises an eyebrow at Zuko, a question obvious in his eyes.
“Just keep working,” Zuko mutters, turning slightly pink and taking a photo of Sokka’s current expression.
Sokka shrugs. “Okay.” He turns back to his work, face turning serious again as he seems to forget about his surroundings.
At one point, frowning at his computer, Sokka stretches and pulls out his hair tie, sticking it in his mouth and shaking out his hair as he lights up and leans forward to start typing again.
“Babe,” Zuko says softly as Sokka finishes typing. Sokka looks at Zuko, hair swishing as he looks to the side. Click. “Thanks. You can get back to work now.”
Sokka smiles fondly at Zuko before tying his hair back up and doing exactly what Zuko had told him to do. He looks good in the sunlight, Zuko thinks absently as he watches it move over the other’s skin, coloring it a deep, vibrant brown.
Eventually, Sokka finishes up his work, and closes his computer with a large exhale, shoving it into his bag. He smiles at Zuko. “Ready to go?”
Zuko smiles back. “Yeah.”
They walk out of the cafe hand in hand.
Later, alone in his unshared dorm room and clicking through the photos he’d taken that day, Zuko smiles down at his camera and the mini Sokkas captured on its display. There are a lot of photos of Sokka, but Zuko can’t bring himself to mind.
Since when has he been so mushy? Zuko shakes his head, clicking to another photo of Sokka. It’s the one he’d taken when Sokka had taken his hair down, and Zuko stares at it for a second before immediately sending it to his phone, along with a handful of others that he’d decided were good enough that he could let them take up storage on his phone.
Looking at the same photo on his phone, Zuko bites his lip, debating something. Then, he opens his messaging app.
Zuko: can i post a photo of you?
Sokka: Yes!!!
Sokka: Do i get to know which one it is or is it a secret
Zuko: it’s a secret
Zuko: you’ll get to see it though, don’t worry
bluespirit: [Image ID: A single photo, seemingly unfiltered. It’s of Sokka and taken from the shoulders up, who at first glance seems to be looking into the camera but is actually looking at something just past it. His hair is down around his face, blown around slightly. He has a hair tie held in his mouth, which is in a half smile. He has several piercings in and is wearing a fur-lined blue jacket. His ivory choker is around his neck, and the warm lighting in the photo hits his hair and eyes, turning them a chestnut brown and bright blue respectively.]
bluespirit: <3
38,924 comments
circusfreak: omg sokka!!
leelikestea: BLUE?? YOU GOT A BOYFRIEND WITHOUT TELLING US????????
melonlord: Suki described the photo and the caption to me and I nearly threw up. Sparky you’re stupid lovestruck
iloveappa: @melonlord yeah but they’re cute!
katarasikuliaq: @iloveappa cuter than us?
sokka_sik: @katarasikuliaq yes!!!!
iloveappa: @katarasikuliaq @sokka_sik NO!!!!!!
melonlord: @iloveappa @katarasikuliaq @sokka_sik you all make me want to throw up
suki.xia: @iloveappa @katarasikuliaq @sokka_sik @melonlord i think what toph meant to say is that you’re all cute
melonlord: @suki.xia yeah, whatever. I guess they’re all kinda cute
iloveappa: @melonlord ^v^
~!~
A day later, Sokka comes over to Zuko’s dorm with Chinese takeout and a big grin for their now-weekly movie night, parking himself on Zuko’s bed as they kiss in greeting.
Halfway through, Sokka leaves to go to the bathroom, and when he comes back, sits on the floor instead of with Zuko. Zuko manages not to join him on the floor until after the movie, but as soon as the end credits start rolling, he sidles up to Sokka’s right side, burying his nose in the crook of his neck. He presses a smile into Sokka’s neck when he feels him press a kiss to the top of his head and lay his head on top of Zuko’s, lacing their fingers together.
“Say cheese,” Zuko says without moving, holding his phone in front of his face and positioning it so the frame has both of their reflections. Click.
“You gonna post it?” Sokka asks, looking at Zuko in the mirror.
Zuko shakes his head. “I wanna keep it. It’s just for us.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay.”
~!~
snozzels: does anybody know what this bluespirit guy looks like?
weechild: @snozzels yeah. His boyfriend posts plenty of photos
snozzels: @weechild fr? hollup imma check it out
snozzels: @snozzels oh my god his feed used to be photos of him but now it’s literally just photos of bluespirit
~!~
sokka_sik: [Image ID: A single photo. It’s of Zuko and is taken from the waist up. He stands in front of a white wall, giving the camera an exasperated look. His shirt reads, in incredibly large letters, “I HAVE GIVEN UP.”]
sokka_sik: He didn’t want a fish shirt to match me, @melonlord, and @suki.xia (coward. ily) so I got him this emo ass sweater instead. Also, I love you but PLEASE stop saying “that’s rough, buddy” whenever I say something mildly sad
14,947 comments
bluespirit: no
sokka_sik: @bluespirit :(
bluespirit: @sokka_sik check my bio
sokka_sik: @bluespirit ok?
sokka_sik: @bluespirit IM GOING TO KILL U WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR BIO TO “THAT’S ROUGH, BUDDY”
bluespirit: @sokka_sik :(
sokka_sik: @bluespirit IM SORRY!! I LOVE YOU
bluespirit: @sokka_sik youre lucky i can’t help but love you back. now get over here so i can kiss you
sokka_sik: @bluespirit :D
bluespirit: @sokka_sik :) <3
Sokka puts down his phone with a smile as Zuko does the same across the room, raising an eyebrow in a get over here kind of way.
Zuko’s eyes follow Sokka as he grins and walks over to where Zuko’s seated in a patch of sunlight on the dark red carpet, lowering himself down so that he’s laying on his back.
“Hi,” Zuko says, turning his head and looking down into the bright blue eyes of the boy he really does love.
Sokka’s grin turns into something softer and sweeter. “Hi,” he says, almost as a whisper.
Zuko gives into the urge to crawl over to Sokka’s head and kiss him, and his lips start curling into a smile when he feels Sokka doing the same. They break apart, and Zuko lowers his body so that it half-covers Sokka’s, his head fitting into the space between Sokka’s shoulder and head.
Sokka moves a bit, probably searching for something, but Zuko just closes his eyes, breathing Sokka in.
“Z,” Sokka says softly after a while, nudging Zuko’s leg with his own. “Smile.”
Zuko opens his eyes to find Sokka holding up Zuko’s phone above them, finger ready to press the shutter. Warm and content, Zuko just smiles up at the camera as he moves even closer to Sokka, an arm and leg draping over his body.
He falls asleep then with his left hand on Sokka’s chest and wakes up a short time later in the same position. It’s only when he’s on his back, looking at the photo Sokka had taken of the two of them, that he realizes that his smile reaches his eyes.
He looks happy.
And, Zuko realizes, he actually is happy. He’s got everything he’s ever wanted. And more, if he’s going to be honest.
With that realization, Zuko posts the photo of the two of them with the caption, “stupid4u.” The likes and comments start flooding in immediately, and Zuko’s finger hovers over the notifications.
Next to him, Sokka murmurs something incoherent and turns over, switching their previous position as his arm lands on Zuko’s chest. Zuko grins and turns his phone off, turning over to face Sokka as he laces their fingers together. Instagram can wait.
Zuko softly presses a kiss to Sokka’s forehead and settles in to sleep, tranquil and stupid lovestruck.