Work Text:
The great ice wall protecting the Northern Water Tribe's city still stood, over a year after the war had ended. From the deck of his ship, Zuko eyed it with mixed emotions. Aang (Avatar Aang) wanted things to change - and change fast - now that they were working together to restore balance to the world, but Zuko wasn't entirely convinced that was the right approach. The war had gone on for so long; it was only natural that it would take time....
Icy wind tugged at his hair, and he sighed. Everything took time: that was a fact he'd been forced to accept - a fact that once would have made him angry. Then again, a few years ago, everything had made him angry. (Especially Aang.) So much had changed; he cringed when he looked back at himself. Never mind all the rest of the atrocities he'd committed, or at least participated in: it was the little things that stuck, that resurfaced unexpectedly and burned with fresh intensity. Like the memory of how mean he'd been to the turtle-seals the last time he'd been here.
Turtle-seals.
I kidnapped Aang while he was in the spirit world, almost made us both freeze to death, and I'm embarrassed to remember that I yelled at some *turtle-seals*?
It was ridiculous, but then a lot of what he'd done was, in retrospect, the ridiculous drama of a self-centred teenager.
He glanced at Sokka, who stood silent but eager at his side, and bit his tongue on anything he might have said. Water under the bridge, Sokka had said when he'd proposed this diplomatic visit. It had taken Zuko a while to understand what he'd meant.
He could only hope the Water Tribe felt the same.
~~~
"And what should we gain by such open-armed welcome of your people, Firelord?"
Taking a measured breath, Zuko made very sure not to betray his frustration. The conversation had been chasing its own tail for no less than an hour now, with the Chief and his council asking and re-asking what was, essentially, the same question.
"There are many benefits to establishing trade routes between our nations," he began, again. He'd tried 're-establishing' earlier, and been rebuffed, soundly. He could accept that there was no official record of trade between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribe, but the idea that trade -- however irregular -- had never occurred at all seemed implausible. "Food, spices, raw materials, exchange of ideas --"
"Imposition of Fire Nation customs on our people."
Breathe. "Or of Water Tribe customs upon mine." Zuko made deliberate eye contact with the speaker. "I am here to offer, not impose. To invite, not demand. In all honesty, there are many ways in which the Fire Nation could use your aid: we have many wounded -- civilians," he hastened to add, "--who could use the help of a skilled Waterbender healer."
"Our most valuable resource," Pakku observed darkly. "And what can you offer us in return?"
Not for the first time, Zuko wished his Uncle was with him, to act as advisor if nothing else. "Supplies, materials, ships... skilled workers...." Nothing was changing their minds; nothing was even coming close. That was plain from the stony set of their expressions. Zuko racked his brain for something, but couldn't see a path forward. The benefits of trade seemed obvious to him, but...
...but he wasn't one of them.
Beside him, Sokka shifted but remained silent. He'd warned Zuko that he wouldn't -- couldn't -- take sides. Even after everything they'd been through together, nothing changed the fact that the Fire Nation had destroyed so much Sokka's life.
What did I want for all those years?
...To restore my honour. ... Even if I went about it completely the wrong way.
You can't offer someone that...
Taking a deep breath, Zuko spread his hands. "What would you ask of us? If I put the entirety of my nation at your service, what would you have us do?"
"Ah." At that, finally a crack showed in the Chief's icy facade. "That, Firelord, is a different conversation altogether. Do you make such an offer?"
Zuko hesitated. It was an enormous thing to offer, with so much potential for abuse. How could he guarantee --
Beneath the table, hidden from their view, he felt Sokka's hand rest on his knee briefly. An encouragement; a reminder.
The Chief was not like Sozin. The Water Tribe did not want to rule the world.
"For the purposes of peace, prosperity, and friendship between our nations, and that in all things we work together to bring balance to the world -- with those conditions, yes. The Fire Nation is open to you."
Sokka squeezed his knee again and, when the Chief finally smiled, it took all Zuko's remaining diplomatic willpower not to grin in relief.
"We thank you for your generous offer, Firelord Zuko, and accept your terms. The Council will now debate our best course of action."
With a few more polite phrases and reassurances, Zuko finally escaped, leaving them to it. The Chief had invited Sokka to stay and participate, but Sokka had demurred. Now, standing outside, Zuko finally gave in to his relief and grinned at Sokka.
"You did good," Sokka said, and punched him lightly in the shoulder.
"Thanks," Zuko said, and meant it.
Sokka nodded and started walking. "They expected you to be arrogant, superior, demanding. That's what the Fire Nation is, right? Being honest and, well... vulnerable ... that was the best thing you could have done."
"Thanks for the advice." Zuko said, playfully sarcastic. "Next time, try offering it before I have to open my mouth?"
Sokka just grinned. "Didn't think you needed my help, O Mighty Firelord."
Zuko elbowed him, and it would have turned into a scuffle, had they not been walking through the heart of the city and needing to maintain some semblance of dignity.
~~~
It took another two days, and several meetings, but they finally drafted an initial trade agreement that all parties were satisfied with.
As they left the council hall for the last time, Zuko declared: "There's something I need to do before we leave." He set out at a brisk walk, headed in the direction of the house they were staying in.
Sokka glanced at him curiously. "You mean I left something out of my Grand Tour? Or is this something of a personal nature?" Giving Zuko an intentionally unsubtle nudge and a wink, he added, "I won't tell Mai."
Zuko punched him in the shoulder. "Good. Because you're coming with me." He smiled innocently. "I won't tell Suki."
Sokka flushed and spluttered, like he did every time Zuko teased him about Suki - which he didn't do often. It was more fun to catch him off guard.
"I need to borrow some of your clothes."
"...Why?"
"So I don't look like a Firelord."
"Oh. Right. Because now that you've successfully negotiated your trade treaty, it's the perfect time to go sneaking around dressed like a Water Tribe member. Right."
"Sokka," Zuko growled through clenched teeth, as they reached the house. Grabbing Sokka's sleeve, he hauled him inside. "Trust me, okay? I'm not going to do anything stupid."
Sokka opened his mouth, a half-dozen examples of Zuko's well-meant mistakes crowding his tongue, and closed it again, words unsaid. "Okay," he said, heading into his bedroom. "But only if you tell me--"
"No."
Glancing at Zuko - who was already shedding his robes - Sokka frowned. "You're dragging me along but I'm not allowed to know what we're doing?"
"You'll think it's stupid," Zuko mumbled through a layer of fabric.
"You said it wasn't stupid." Holding up pants and shirts, Sokka waited until Zuko's hands were empty before tossing them at him.
"No, I said I wasn't going to do anything stupid," Zuko countered, tugging the clothes on. He'd barely gotten the layers on before a parka hit him in the face.
"And I'm supposed to tag along to bail you out just in case?" Folding his arms across his chest, Sokka glared at him, but as Zuko fumbled his way into the parka, looking like a little kid in over-sized snow gear for a moment, he couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. "Keep your hood up; it'll help you hide."
"Won't that look... kind of obvious?" Zuko asked, stuffing a package into his pocket before following him to the door.
Stepping outside, Sokka glanced at the sky. "Nah. It's going to snow soon anyway."
Zuko studied the low, grey clouds for a moment, but couldn't see whatever Sokka saw in them. He's the snow expert -- trust him.
"So?"
Adjusting his hood, Zuko started walking. "This way."
It took a few minutes, but Sokka finally cleared his throat and said, "Uh, we're headed to the Wall?"
"Not exactly," Zuko replied distractedly. It was hard to remember where exactly the caves had been, coming at them from the inside.
"Zuko..."
He turned his head far enough that he could actually see Sokka past his hood. "Don't worry. I'm not going to try to melt a hole in it or burn it down or--"
"No, of course not. Nothing stupid like that."
Spotting an opening into the ice caves, Zuko laughed. "Not stupid like that, no."
Sokka followed him silently as they clambered over ice boulders and down into the caves. They slipped and slid the last few feet, making Zuko realize he might have to melt the ice after all, to give them a way back out.
Turtle-seals barked at them, sliding across the ice to splash into the water. Some stayed on the ice, watching the two humans curiously.
"Hey guys," Zuko said, reaching out to pat one on the head. "I came to say thanks... and apologize." He pushed his hood back out of the way.
Sokka sat down on lump of ice worn smooth by sliding turtle-seals. "This is what you had to do?" he asked quietly, watching Zuko petting the seals.
Digging in his pockets, Zuko hauled out the package of dried fish treats he'd brought with him. The seals crowded around him, barking happily until he quieted them with the fish. "Yeah," he said, not looking at Sokka. "They... this is how I got in, that time. I followed the turtle-seals, underwater."
"Oh. ... I thought you'd just invaded with the rest of them, I guess." Getting up, Sokka came to stand beside him. "Wait, you swam in from a ship?"
Zuko nodded. The seals butted at his hands impatiently until he held them up, empty. "All gone, guys." Barking noisily, the seals slapped their way across the ice and back into the water. He finally turned to face Sokka, who was studying him curiously.
"Could any Firebender do that?"
Zuko shrugged. "I don't know. It wasn't really a good plan.... Most of my plans weren't good plans. I'm kind of surprised I survived, really."
Sokka made a non-committal noise. He glanced at the seals, diving and splashing in the water, then back at Zuko. "You were pretty driven."
"People change," Zuko said softly. You make amends for the small things, when you can.
"Yeah, they do," Sokka agreed, just as quietly. "Uh, you weren't planning on swimming now were you?"
Eyes sparkling with mischief, Zuko gave him an innocent look. "Dare you to join me."
"Nuh-unh!"
"I could warm the water--"
"Not enough!" Sokka exclaimed, laughing. "Besides, trying to warm things up down here might cause an ice slide, and then we'd be stuck. ... Then you would have to do something stupid."
"Like melt a path out through the wall?" Zuko grinned. "Yeah. No."
The seals barked, slapping their flippers on the surface and sending jets of water soaking into the humans' pant-legs.
"...Are you...?"
With a small smile, Zuko nodded. "Yeah, I'm done. Let's go back."
It was snowing when they climbed back up to the surface; large, fat flakes that drifted lazily through an almost windless sky.