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Fire nation.
“Nightmare?” Suki asked, passing Zuko a warm cup of jasmine tea. It was Suki’s favorite tea and Zuko has insisted on drinking her favorite since she was there for him.
“Yeah.” He grabbed the cup followed by a sigh. “Can you guess which one?”
Of course she could. She started working for Zuko during his first year as fire lord due to the fact that his former royal guard was a disaster and the asassination attempts were getting out of control. So they spent the following years building a very strong friendship.
The first time he had nightmares, he wouldn’t tell her what was wrong, only that he needed air. And even if he didn’t want her company, she still followed him to make sure he was alright.
Suki didn’t ask personal questions or bothered him to talk about what was troubling him. No. She waited until he started to trust her enough to tell her those kinds of stuff and eventually he did.
First, Zuko would ask her advice. Sometimes it was about how to handle someone that he didn’t like and other times it was matters of the heart.
For example his relationship with Mai. He loved her —— Suki was sure he did —— but as a friend and he knew Mai felt the same way about him.
They cared deeply about each other but ultimately they were just being tied to the idea that they were supposed to be together. It wasn’t fair for any of them, but they ended up on good terms.
Suki was there for support which led Zuko to tell her more things about his feelings which were linked with the nightmares.
That night, they were sitting next to each other on the floor of his balcony. “Katara is arriving in two days. You wake up screaming and crying, so I guess we are talking about nightmare blue.” Her eyes were fixated in his jaw. “Right?”
Zuko nodded, wrinkling his nose. “I’m completely fucked.”
The thing about nightmare blue was that it was extremely special. It only happened when Zuko was going to see Katara again. That was the nightmare of him not being faster enough to save her.
“Stop with the drama, Zuko.” Suki rolled her eyes, drinking a sip of her tea. “You are going to be fine, friend. You just need to relax and focus on other things.”
“You are the funniest person alive.” Zuko mumbled sarcastically. His eyes were focused on the sky.
“Of course.” Suki chuckled, putting down the cup of tea. “Zu you should talk to her.”
“About what?” His golden eyes were now looking at hers and she could read how deeply sad he really was. “How much I love her? Because that’s utterly ridiculous. I’m not going to tell her and put such pressure on her.” He hesitated for a second but then added “I... I don’t want her to believe she needs to reciprocate, you know? I’m happy if she is happy even if she is not with me because being in love with her is enough.”
“Wow, Zuko... how romantic! Do you have a girlfriend? Because I might be interested.” She joked to which Zuko replied with a roll of his eyes. “Listen Zu. I don’t know why you think loving you is a burden but is not. You are the bravest, kindest and stupidly good hearted person I know. Loving you is not a burden, it’s easy because you make it easy.””
Zuko blinked twice. Once due to the surprise and the second one because of the tears. Silently he took her hand, and squeezed it tightly. “Thank you.”
She didn’t reply. Suki simply put her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a while until he was calm enough to try to sleep again.
Southern water tribe.
One day before traveling.
Sokka always had a suspicion. He was sure about him, but he had his doubts about his sister. Especially since she ended dating Aang for a while.
Maybe it was just him, he thought for a while. He pitied Zuko a little bit since he knew how terrible it was to watch the girl he loved being with someone else.
Yet he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t his place to talk about someone else's feelings regardless of what he suspected or not.
They were happy, weren’t they? Zuko was dating Mai and his sister was dating the Avatar. Again it wasn’t his place. Not until he found out, first about Zuko and Mai breaking out and secondly when Katara and Aang called off their relationship.
Suki sent him a letter telling him something like: Dear Sokka. Mai and Zuko are no longer together please don’t ask questions. Love you. or something like that. Of course he didn’t ask questions but he did send a letter to Zuko telling him some silly things to cheer him up a little.
He was there with Katara when it happened. Both Aang and Katara had time to think about their feelings which led them to accept the fact that they weren’t in love. Not really. He had a crush on her, true but he realized that not because he had a crush it meant it was going to last forever.
Katara thought she loved Aang but she didn’t, not in the way he would have wanted. She did love him, but she wasn’t in love with him.
Their breakup was amicable yet Sokka was ready to support his sister in anything she needed.
After that and knowing all the information and watching how excited and happy she felt every time a new letter from the Fire Nation arrived, he realized that after all he was right.
Katara was checking for the fifth time that morning if she had everything for tomorrow’s trip. She was nervous and excited.
“Sis, relax. You checked that bag hundreds of times.”
“I can’t! This is important, Sokka. Not only the third anniversary of the war but also the Szeto festival.” Katara frowned worryingly.
Sokka shook his head. “Katara, you are an amazing ambassador and you have proven that multiple times! Plus, the festival is going to be amazing! I wish I could go.” Sokka snapped his tongue. Since he was training for the position of chief, he was not available to go which made him sad. He wanted to dance with Suki!
“I know…”Katara touched her hair nervously. “I guess I really should relax…”
“Is there something you would like to tell me, dearest sister?”
“No.”
“Oh...well I thought you were nervous about seeing Zuko again but I guess I’m wrong.” He crossed his arms, resisting the urge to smirk.
“Sokka!” Katara was blushing hard, making him laugh a little. “Ugh you are simply the worst...But...I may be a little nervous about that, yeah.”
“Katara, I see the way you react when you read one of his letters. You like him.”
“No, I don’t.” She responded defensively.
“Yes, you do! Look, take this information the way you want but you might not be the only one that feels that way.”
She raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean? Do you know something?”
“No, I’ve just got a feeling.”
Katara looked at him unamused and left the room. Sokka shook his head. It just wasn’t his place. And that's why he didn’t say anything about how he caught Zuko looking at Katara the same way that Sokka looked at Suki. That was something she would have to see with her own eyes but there wasn’t anything wrong with telling her to be more alert, right?
Fire nation.
After the welcome banquete. .
“Zuko, you ridiculous pain in the ass. WHAT. DID. YOU. DO?” Suki was probably the only person in the whole palace that could enter into the Fire Lord’s room shouting like an evil spirit and shaking one of her golden fans.
“You look beautiful too Suki, thank you for the compliment.”
“Don’t you dare, you idiot prince.” Suki was using the fan to point him. “What did I tell you? Talk to her. And what are you doing? Ignoring her like she was some kind of stranger and not the person you love.”
“Suki! Keep your tone down!” He rushed toward her just to grab her by the wrist and push her softly into the bathroom.
“No! You know what Katara asked me when I went to her bedroom? If there was something wrong with you and what was I supposed to answer? Oh no, Katara he is fine, he is just acting like an idiot because he is too terrified to tell you that he likes you.”
“I don’t know how to do it okay! I’m too scared to lose her as a friend and I would rather have her as a friend to risk everything over my own selfishness!” At this point both of them were yelling.
Suki breathed deeply trying to calm herself. “Okay.” She put her fan back into the hidden pocket of her green and golden dress. “Okay. I’m sorry for shouting.”
“Me too.” Zuko interrupted her. “I get your point. I...know that you’re right and I am ignoring her.”
“No, Zuko, you don’t get it. If you keep pushing her away, you really are going to lose her as a friend because she thinks you are angry with her.”
He didn’t answer and Suki thought he was actually about to cry but he shook his head, looking into her eyes with determination. “I don’t want to lose her but I don’t know what to do or how to say it to her.”
“Well friend, try to be yourself. Tomorrow during the ball, ask her to dance with you.”
“To dance!?” And the confidence and determination was gone, replaced by fear.
Suki sighed dramatically. “Oh Kyoshi help me.” She rolled her eyes and nodded. “It’s a ball. Ask her to dance with you. Nothing too risky since it’s a ball.” She repeated that again just to be sure that he understood.
“O...okay, yeah you are right. It’s not that deep, it’s just a dance.”
“That’s the spirit! Now if you don’t mind, I would love to go to eat dessert. Are you coming?”
“No, but you enjoy it.”
Suki nodded and went out of the room. She trusted Zuko and also trusted that her words were going to make a difference and he was going to do the right thing...only if she knew.
Southern water tribe.
Four years later.
Sokka was smiling. His sister looked so beautiful in her wedding gown and the way her hair was decorated with pearls shells. She really looked radiant and happy
Some people were eating, others were having small chats between all the guests ——He never saw so many people from so many different places together—— but his eyes were focused on the happy couple.
Zuko and Katara were dancing with no music but they were enjoying their wedding so he was not going to say anything...for now.
“You can’t imagine how hard I worked for this to happen!” Suki sat next to him, handing him a cup of rice wine.
Sokka grabbed the cup, grinning. “Oh same here.”
Suki raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean Sokka?”
“Well...I had my suspicions and I told her that maybe she should be a little more alert around him.”
Suki laughed, leaving a little kiss on his cheeks. “So apparently we were playing matchmakers with them without knowing.” Her smile widened when her eyes focused on the happy couple again. “I’m glad we helped a little bit because look at them.”
“They are the picture of happiness and love…like us in our own wedding.”
Suki placed a hand on her belly, nodding softly. “Exactly.”