Archive of Our Own ^beta

Sokka pouts at him and calls him a jerkbender with no sense of fun. He rolls his eyes and continues petting Momo from his perch sitting against the temple’s pai sho table.

Suki puts her head on Sokka’s shoulder as she hugs him from behind and says he doesn’t have to play if he doesn’t want to. Zuko nods gratefully at her and closes his eyes as he lays his head back against the table.

“If he’s too scared of a little kissing game, well...” Zuko’s eyes shoot open again to glare at her, and she smirks at him with one eyebrow raised.

Damn it.

“Fine, I’ll play your dumb game.” He rolls his eyes again as Sokka whoops loudly.

He begrudgingly gets up and joins the others in a circle as Haru and Teo are explaining how the game works. Teo holds up an empty cup in one hand as he says the game is called ‘Spin the Bottle’.

“That’s not a bottle.” Obviously.

“Semantics. Stop complaining, Zuko.” Sokka elbows him in the ribs as he waves his other hand dismissively. It didn’t really hurt but Zuko still glares at him on principle.

Haru explains how to play. Everyone gets in a circle and one person spins the bottle — Sokka nudges him again even though he hadn’t said anything — and they have to kiss whoever the open lip of the bottle points to.

Suki says it’s okay to kiss cheeks or foreheads or whatever, it doesn’t have to be on the lips, when Katara asks, as long as both people are okay with that.

Haru goes first, spins, lands on Sokka, and gives him a peck on the lips that has Suki whistling and Toph cheering.

Next is Aang, who Zuko thinks may have used airbending to make the cup spin as it slows down until it lands on Katara. He blushes as he kisses her quickly while Sokka makes gagging noises and Zuko gets to elbow him back for a change.

Suki’s turn lands on Toph, who definitely blushes as Suki swoops down to tap the other girl’s lips with her finger in warning before following them with her lips for a solid three seconds as Teo whistles this time.

Katara takes her turn and blushes as she stands on her tiptoes to kiss Haru, who is also blushing as The Duke and Teo nudge each other and laugh.

Then it’s Zuko’s turn. He rolls his eyes once more for dramatic effect as he steps forward and gives the cup a spin.

It lands on Suki.

Well. Fuck. He can’t kiss Sokka’s girlfriend.

He can’t bow out either. Suki quirks her eyebrow at him in challenge again.

He walks up to her. It’s just Suki.

Pauses. Sokka’s girlfriend.

Leans in. Her boyfriend is watching.

Redirects at the last millimeter and kisses the corner of her mouth. That still counts, right?

Sokka cheers. “Get it, Zuko!” Like a weirdo who just watched someone — almost —kiss his girlfriend.

He knows it looks like they kissed on the lips, and as he steps back Suki doesn’t say anything to expose the lie, just looks at him with an expression he can’t read before turning back to the game.

He doesn’t pay much attention as Sokka gives The Duke a kiss on the forehead and Toph kisses Teo on the hand like a noble gentleman courting a lady with a seriousness that makes both of them break out into helpless giggles.

The game ends soon after, when Hakoda calls them over for dinner from the fountain room they had been using as a kitchen.

They’re all relaxing afterward in various rooms, just another evening in a string of similar evenings. Zuko is leaning against Appa and watching Aang and Teo airgliding when someone comes up next to him.

It’s Sokka and Suki, who sit on either side of him and don’t say anything, as if it’s just another normal night that didn’t have Zuko — almost — kissing one of them.

Zuko resolutely keeps his eyes on the gliders, following their paths through the sky, until a hand on his left shoulder makes him glance down at Suki.

She’s looking at him with that same expression. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion.

She leans forward and kisses him gently on the lips.

Zuko automatically kisses back before he comes to his senses and goes rigid.

Sokka is sitting right there.

Suki pulls back just enough for him to see the serious look in her eyes. “We claim you. You’re ours now.”

Sokka hasn’t said anything. Zuko almost doesn’t want to turn and look at him.

He does anyway.

Sokka is looking at him with the same unreadable expression. 

He leans forward, raising his hand. Zuko closes his eyes, waiting for a slap that never comes.

Instead he feels a hand on his jaw pulling him down gently. He goes willingly, eyes still shut.

“We.” Sokka’s lips on his forehead are a surprise. Zuko’s eyes fly open, but doesn’t move an inch as he waits for Sokka to continue. “Claim.” He’s watching this time but is somehow still unprepared by the light kiss on his nose.

Who kisses someone on the nose, anyway?

He almost misses the last word as he goes cross-eyed to try and keep Sokka in view as his mouth moves toward Zuko’s. “You.”

Sokka’s kiss is just as chaste as Suki’s, and Zuko barely dares to breath as he freezes for several seconds before pressing back gently.

He can feel Sokka’s grin before he pulls back, turning to look at Suki this time.

Because, um, what was happening?

Suki just grins at him and leans forward to kiss his cheek, under his scar.

“Ours.” She whispers just loud enough for him to hear.

“If you want.” Sokka looks nervous as he shifts around to be next to Suki in Zuko’s vision. “But, uh, we like you.”

Zuko is even more confused. “But ... you’re dating each other.”

“Yes. We are.” Suki’s voice is steady, calming the beginnings of anxiety Zuko can hear in his own voice. “But we would also like to date you. If you like us too.”

“Of course I like you.” Zuko’s mouth has taken on a mind of its own, and he presses his hand against it. Suki and Sokka share a triumphant look as Zuko shakes his head. “I mean —”

He doesn’t know what he means.

He knows Suki is talented and kind and brave, how could he not like her? 

He knows Sokka is caring and brilliant and funny, how could he not like him?

Of course, the Fire Nation didn’t approve. It was just another way he was a disappointment to his father, but his mom and uncle had accepted him. He isn’t haunted by Ozai’s disapproval when he remembers his mother and uncle’s words of acceptance. This is the one way he knows he can be himself without being afraid, even if he doesn’t feel the need to tell everyone he meets that he like boys and sometimes girls.

“Do you like Suki?” Sokka asks with a wide gesture at his girlfriend. Zuko nods, not allowing himself to speak and trying not to blush.

“Do you like Sokka?” Suki asks in return, and he looks at the calm acceptance on both their faces before nodding slowly. He’s not afraid of their reactions, of them.

They share cat-gator grins before kissing him simultaneously on each cheek and hugging him from either side, the positioning reminiscent of their talk in the alley during Zuko’s breakdown.

He pulls his hand away from his mouth again. “What — what are you doing?”

“Smothering you with love.” Sokka’s response is instant, and he curls further against Zuko’s right side as Suki does the same on his left.

“That’s ridiculous, you can’t kill someone with love.”

“Watch me.” Suki mutters as she pulls his arm around her and holds Sokka’s hand across Zuko’s stomach. Zuko relents and puts his other arm around Sokka when the Water Tribe boy pouts at him.

“Umm — okay.” Zuko decides to just accept this for now. He can have a breakdown about it later.

He closes his eyes and enjoys the moment while he can.