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Zuko wasn’t pacing in the garden, it was a vigorous walk to stimulate blood circulation and make time move a bit quicker. “Zuko, will you stop, you are making me dizzy,” Mai wasn’t even looking at him as she said it.
He kept moving. “What if he isn’t on the boat, he’s postponed the trip three times now.”
“But never at the last minute,” Mai pointed out, “when he has said he’s not coming there was always a hawk before he was even expected to leave. There wasn’t one.”
“These will be the last boats out,” Zuko at least wasn’t biting a fingernail as he paced. Small mercies. “If he isn’t on these boats, we won’t see him until spring.”
“Yeah, not like you or he have access to a flying bison or air ships or anything that could make the journey even in winter.” Mai stood. “You are being annoying, and I am going to the market. He’ll be here. Or I’ll kill him for you.”
“Good.” Zuko was relieved, and then actually realized what she said. “No, I don’t want you to kill Sokka.”
“Oh, then I’m just going to the markets.” She left without another word.
Zuko paced in the gardens a bit more but the air was cool that day as winter grew ever closer. He decided to head in to his office. He had canceled all his meetings that day, because Sokka was supposed to arrive and he knew he wouldn’t have paid attention. Tide was due an hour ago, but no runner had come from the docks yet. No word about Sokka. He had wanted to make a huge welcome for Sokka, but hadn’t dared, in case it jinxed it. That yet again Sokka wasn’t coming.
He hadn’t seen his friend. His, whatever they were in three years.
Zuko had understood when they parted after the war. Sokka was needed back home. It was supposed to be a year, but it had taken longer than Sokka or his father expected to rebuild, deal with opening trade routes. Then Sokka’s grandmother had gotten sick. She recovered but of course Sokka couldn’t come. The next time, it was some important ceremony that couldn’t be anticipated certain northern lights had to occur or something. And last time, it had simply been that something had come up and he’d be there soon.
Zuko half the time was convinced that Sokka had decided to hate him, and half the time understanding none of them could have anticipated the work they would face after they defeated Ozai and Azula. They exchanged letters as often as they could via hawk via the southern ambassador, Aang when he was visiting. Any available resource let them exchange letters.
Sometimes the letters were short, the next move in their pai sho game, and sometimes they were a filled scroll front and back, the writing small to fit in every thought. Things they would never say to anyone else. Letters that definitely suggested Sokka didn’t hate him. But he kept putting off visiting.
He was reading yet again Sokka’s last letter when there was a knock at the door. His guard poked his head in. “Runner is here Lord Zuko. It seems that Sokka is on the boat, but a bit delayed because a worker strained a shoulder and he is insisting that he can help.”
That made Zuko smile. “Of course he is. Make sure the kitchen know he will be hungry, and he’ll likely want a bath as well.”
“I’ll let the servants know. If it is not too forward, my lord, it is nice to see you smile like that. I’ve met all the legendary companions of the avatar, except him. I look forward to this.”
“So do I,” Zuko agreed. The guard left him be, and yes fine, Zuko started pacing again. He looked down and wondered if he was dressed well. Maybe formal robes to welcome Sokka, but no he’d hate that. He should do something. Work. No that would just have to be done over. If he was helping unload the boat, it would be another hour at least. Zuko hurried through the palace to the bending grounds. He stripped off the over layer and turned the half hour sand glass. He centered himself, focused and began to move through a meditative firebending routine. It was about control, simple moves done perfectly. It calmed him, reminded him that this was Sokka.
The smartest goofball there ever was. There was so much he wanted to do with Sokka. Sword fight, show him Caldera, stay up late talking the way they had a few times at the air temple. He spun and was distracted enough he dragged his foot a bit. He cursed and started the routine over, this time truly focusing. At the end he heard applause and a whistle. There was a man there in the shadows.
He looked over and frowned. “I’m sorry?”
“Looking good, jerkbender,” the man said. And Zuko almost growled.
“Only Sokka is allowed to call me that.” He moved forward and so did the man, and Zuko blinked. “What the fuck?”
“Holy shit, you swear now? Why wasn’t that in any of your letters? I know about turtle ducks hatching, political intrigue, the cook’s new baby and your personal guard’s big romance. But I didn’t know you swear, now? That is some bullshit right there, Zuko. You gotta warn a man about that shit.”
“I don’t swear, it is unseemly for the fire lord to use common expletives.” Sokka, because that had to be Sokka, moved forward and Zuko had to look up a bit. “Agni’s sacred dick, what happened?”
“That was definitely a common expletive,” Sokka grinned, “And uhh, yeah, so I grew?” He raised an arm that was probably twice as thick around as Zuko remembered it. “So, remember when I said there was a wacky ceremony?”
“Yes, scared, important, really random due to -” Zuko looked at him, “- due to you completely making it up?”
“Kinda?” Sokka was shrugging, “I couldn’t exactly say, hey I don’t think I’m going to make it on account of my body deciding how about one last growth spurt, that is really going to fuck you up because you haven’t grown in two years, and in fact we’re going to do it all in two weeks. Do you know how much it hurts to grow almost four inches in two weeks? Then for a month after I was just banging into things and everything was just off because wham whole new centre of gravity. And then all this stupid muscle mass came in, and zero of my clothes fit, and I know I look weird, and that is kinda why I made the next excuse. I didn’t want you to see me.”
“Because you look weird.”
“Ha! I knew it!” Sokka spun around a bit and then pointed at him. “I do look weird now! Everyone is always staring at me, and I see them whispering. I know it is all about me being awkward. I couldn’t throw my boomerang right for weeks, because of all this.” He was gesturing at his arm. The really thick, corded with muscle arms. “I was all ropey like Bato, then whoosh blink I’m thick like dad.”
Zuko nodded, “thick,” he agreed. He was wearing a tunic with full sleeves, not the bare arm that he used to. Zuko wondered if he had enough control to burn those sleeves away.
“Exactly. They got even worse when I got my arm bands. Which I mean of course I got the bands, but maybe people thought I didn’t deserve them?”
“You deserve them,” Zuko said even though he had no clue what Sokka was talking about. Probably a ceremonial item of clothing. “Hair.”
“Oh yeah, being an adult I grew out the under a bit, the top is longer too.”
“Glistens?” Agni save him, was that some silver in the hair?
Sokka was flushed a bit. “I know, not even twenty and I have silver in there, Dad doesn’t, and he’s over forty! Suppose I should be grateful not going bald or anything, but Tui and La, silver! Actual silver in there. It is awful.”
“Sure,” Zuko said, because he couldn’t even been to vocalize the ways it was not awful. “But your Gran-Gran had been sick?” He just wanted to make sure that hadn’t be a lie.
“Yeah, it was really bad, close, but Yue smiled down on her, and she is still with us.” Sokka moved a bit closer. “Only the last two excuses were excuses and I am sorry about that, but I just felt so awkward and weird. But Katara said you’d love me no matter - I mean she just said you wouldn’t care that I look weird now.”
“Weird,” how in all this world and the next could Sokka think he looked weird when apparently three years had turned him into a living god? “Don’t mind,” he managed to add. “Friend. Yeah. Fine. No minding.” No mind at all, he had apparently lost it when he had seen his friend, boyfriend, whatever they were had gone from good looking to someone he would need a poet to describe the beauty of. “Love you, Katara right. Always right.”
“Yeah?” Sokka had soft smile on his face. “I love you, too. Since no boats will be heading that far south, was thinking I could maybe stay the whole winter? Unless you’d get bored of me, I could go visit Toph. Or just poke around the fire nation when it isn’t trying to kill me.”
“Stay,” Zuko said quickly. “Please stay.”
“Okay then. Now, I unloaded a ship. I need food and some water to clean. Because I really want to hug you but there is a weird grease stain on my hand and clothes and I do not smell good. Smell worse than how weird I look these days. You really don’t mind?” Sokka seemed to need a lot of reassurance, which how did Sokka not realize how stunning he was now?
“Sokka, you are not weird looking. Weird, but you always were. But not weird looking.” Zuko didn’t care he went forward, and oh but he had to actually go onto tip toes to hug Sokka’s shoulders. “You are really here.”
Sokka’s arms were around him. “I really am.”
“You do smell really bad.”
“I warned you.”
“Not enough. Go bathe, and then I’ll keep you company while you eat.” Sokka gave him a last squeeze and then left. Zuko went through the meditative routine one more time, needing the calm and focus so that he didn’t leap onto Sokka like a squirrel bat when he saw him again.
*
“My lord, are you doing…well?” Zuko was walking with his personal guard to the meeting room. “You’ve been a bit off the last couple of weeks.”
“I know,” Zuko said. He was honestly happy he wasn’t a gibbering, drooling mess. He and Sokka had been spending as much time together as they could, and he was able to keep mostly coherent. Mostly. There was an occasional bit of babbling when Sokka stretched, or did that tiny bit of lean down to hug Zuko. And at least he had stopped saying “that can’t be right,” out loud whenever he saw Sokka for the first time in a day. “But Sokka,” he knew he sounded forlorn, which was insane because he was sort of dating the man. He was fairly certain. They probably should actually confirm that they were in the middle of a courtship.
“Sokka,” the man said, and that was a dreamy voice.
Zuko stopped walking. “You too?” Maybe he should be jealous but honestly it would be nice to have some fellowship in this feeling.
“He is similar and not at all to the paintings of him. He is -” the guard coughed a bit, “I don’t want to overstep bounds with the one you are courting.”
“Thicker, taller, more stunning?”
“Hotter, Agni wishes he had burned as hot as that man,” the guard blurted out. “How are you coping?”
“You did ask if I was doing well,” Zuko pointed out and they started moving again. “He was always handsome. The smile, it is the same. The best smile.”
“My lord, he seems to be unaware that he is starting to be know as the most gorgeous man in Caldera.”
“I know!” Zuko flapped an arm a bit. “He keeps telling me how grateful I am that I don’t mind how weird looking he got.” Zuko did not know what to do. “I am up to almost two hours of meditation a day, just to not leap at him and not let go.” There was a sympathetic squeeze on his shoulder. At least at the meetings he would focus and not think about Sokka for a few hours.
Only when the doors were opened for him, Sokka was sitting there talking with the ambassador from the north, and the trade minister. Sokka looked up Zuko did not whimper. He had shaved the sides of his head again, just the longer wolf tail was left. He whimpered, quietly, painfully and the guard sort of nodded in agreement. “Zuko!” Sokka stood and went over, held out his arm. “I was getting really hot with all the hair being summer is coming to the fire nation. I remembered though that shaved heads was a thing in your culture but the ambassador reassured me I wouldn’t cause any offense if I did this.”
“No offense,” Zuko agreed and his voice was a lot lower than it should have been. He cleared his throat, and his voice was back to normal as he clasped Sokka’s arm. “I thought you were going exploring today.”
“I was but your trade minister, Bao, he said he could use my opinions on some of the trade routes at sea, and since I had most recently traveled, I might be able to help.”
Zuko looked at his trade minister who almost had heart eyes as he stared at Sokka. The man was seventy and had been happily married for fifty of those years. Half the men in the room were looking at Sokka like that. A year ago they had all been debating murdering the earth and water kingdom ambassadors. Spirits, Sokka was so hot, he was making all these angry men get along.
They had to be careful how they wielded this power.
Zuko smiled a bit. Or he could use it to his advantage. It was the most productive meeting he had had in months. Whenever he wanted something, he asked Sokka’s opinion, and at least 70% of the time Sokka agreed with him, and the ministers all fell over themselves agreeing to the request. When Sokka was eager about the changes and increased budget to education that Zuko had been trying to get passed for three months, and talked about how the fire nation could shape the world for the better with student exchange programs, and practical apprenticeships in different kingdoms, the education minister almost wept at getting the unanimous vote.
Zuko ignored the way his personal secretary was smirking as they took notes. Especially when the man exchanged looks with the guard who thought Sokka was hot. He closed the meeting and the ministers who were usually eager to leave were lingering.
Sokka stood and gave the table a bow. “I cannot tell you how much I appreciate the warm welcome from all of you. I know that I am a guest here, and not as well versed in the fire nation history and culture as I should be to sit with such esteemed people, but that you listened to my humble thoughts, I am just truly honoured.”
Zuko bit his lip not to laugh at the way that everyone leapt to reassure Sokka about his place at the table, and breath of fresh air, and a million other things. Zuko needed to get the man out of there before someone proposed. He stood as well. “Sokka, how about I take you to this area of the market district, there is a street that is all booksellers, you may find works on culture and history to help you.”
“That would be brilliant,” Sokka agreed. He bowed again to the group and they were off. Zuko managed to get them out of the palace with only three guards, which was a victory. “So, I played that right?”
“I’m sorry?”
“I clued in, they all wanted to look impressive and magnanimous so that I would send word back home about how amazing and generous the fire nation is, build them up a bit. Figured why not take advantage of them wanting to grease their image a bit, get you what you wanted.” Sokka looked so damn proud of himself, that he had figured out these deep political plot, when really it was just old men who wanted to stare at the pretty guy and make him smile.
“You played it just right,” Zuko went with, because Sokka wouldn’t believe him if he tried to explain it. They arrived in the market district and Zuko knew they were being stared at, but generally ignored it. It was a mix of him being the fire lord, and Sokka being Sokka.
“Oh, wow, this is great!” Sokka was beaming and almost bouncing. “Look at these shops. I brought some money when I came, hope it is enough.”
“Sokka, this is for cross culture knowledge, as fire lord and your friend it is my privilege to buy any scrolls or books for you today.” Zuko hit the guard who snickered next to him.
“You are the best boyfriend imaginable,” Sokka leaned down and kissed his cheek. A woman walked by and dropped her basket. “Oh, am I not supposed to do that?” Sokka whispered, embarrassed. Zuko saw the woman standing there, hands clasped like she was seeing the best play ever.
“No, it is fine, just nothing more overt than that?”
“Of course, decorum for the fire lord,” Sokka was earnest. “Besides, everyone will be wondering what an amazing guy like you is doing with me.”
“Seriously?” a guard said, and Sokka clearly heard it. “Seriously.”
“I know,” Sokka hunched a bit. “I know.”
“Not weird, I swear on Agni,” Zuko said and he took a breath. He held out his hand, and Sokka took it. “You called me your boyfriend.”
“Problem?”
“Perfect,” Zuko countered, “now let’s take you shopping.” Sokka was in and out of shops, taking with owners and clerks and being his cheerful, friendly self and there was a growing mass of people following them. By the time they reached the end of the lane, Sokka having bought a dozen books and scrolls and declaring himself satisfied there were at least forty people outside.
“Oh, does this happen to you every time you go shopping?”
“No,” Zuko said. “It really doesn’t.”
“Guess that woman spread word about me kissing you. Shit, your people are probably ready to chase me out of town, for being too common with their king.”
“Lord.”
“Whatever,” Sokka made a face at him. “Do we just keep walking? Because I want to explore more, but -” he quieted when a child burst through the crowd and ran up to him. Sokka crouched down. “Hey there,” he said. The little girl was clutching a scroll and opened her mouth, but nothing came out. “Whatcha got there?”
“Story,” she said finally. “I heard you. In Mama’s store.” She thrust the scroll to him. “You wanted stories, Mama gave you boring ones bout history. This is better, it is my favourite.” She pushed it into his hands. “It isn’t boring.”
“It isn’t?” she nodded furiously. “Well, that is good.” Sokka was clearly looking around and saw a fountain. “Does your Mama know you are here?”
A woman stepped forward, “Yes, I followed her when she ran out. My apologies. I can -” the woman was reaching and Sokka stood up, bringing the girl with him, and settling her easily onto his hip.
Zuko heard a few people in the crowd swoon, and he was right there with them.
“Just didn’t want to accidentally kidnap this princess without you knowing,” Sokka said, “because I really need to hear this not boring story. So I was hoping she and I could go to the fountain in the courtyard over there and read it together.”
“If that is fine with the fire lord, we would be humbled,” the woman said.
“It is. Which story is it?” he asked the girl who was leaning her head on Sokka’s shoulder.
“The flower and the flame,” she told him and Zuko smiled.
“That is an important and definitely not boring story for Sokka to hear.”
“Excellent,” Sokka carried the girl with ease and a few more of the children in the crowd hurried over because it really was a favourite story of most children. By the time they reached the fountain, Sokka had a kid in each arm, one on his back, and two clinging to his legs and was still moving easily. It was ridiculous, and in the crowd he could hear people whispering about how great it will be when Sokka is royal consort and they have a million adopted children roaming around the palace.
Zuko supposed it was good to know his people were just fine with the succession line not being of royal blood, but they were getting ahead of themselves. He and Sokka were just dating. He glanced over and Sokka was sitting on the ground, all the kids sprawled around him, and he was reading out loud the scroll the girl had given him. Using dramatic voices, and occasionally stopping to tighten a child’s belt or run a hand over hair.
“The royal nursery has to be moved closer to the royal suites,” he muttered, because they eventually were going to adopt all the babies in the kingdom. The guard next to him made a noise of agreement.
“He is just so handsome,” a woman in the crowd said.
“Why can’t his own father hold him like that?” another woman said.
“He is so good with children,” there was a sigh.
“The royal couple portraits are going to be so handsome. I’d hang five in my house.”
“Imagine if those portraits looked like the ones in the back room of Sheng’s shop that we aren’t supposed to know about.” There were giggles right behind him.
Zuko leaned to his guard. “Back room?”
“Nude pictures for…inspiration.”
Zuko knew he was turning flame red, but it was also totally reasonable to want scantily clad pictures of Sokka. He wanted scantily clad pictures of Sokka. Story time finished and then the children were all up and running and Sokka was pretending to be a monster trying to catch them. He seemed to get warm enough, he ran over, stripping off his over layer and tossing it to Zuko, so that he was just in his shirtsleeves.
“Sorry, just a few more minutes?”
“Uh-huh,” Zuko agreed and held the robe while Sokka ran about, getting sweaty because of how warm it was to Sokka and the tunic was sticking to his back.
“Take that off too,” a guard begged and there was a general wave of agreement in the crowd. But the shirt stayed on. Eventually the littlest ones were getting tired, and Sokka guided all the kids back to the crowd. His hair was slipping out of its tail, so he pulled the leather that was holding it in place out, and it spilled against his cheeks, the silver in it shimmering in the late afternoon sun. Zuko knew his fingers were likely singing the fabric of Sokka’s robe that he was holding.
“My apologies for monopolizing your children and your afternoon spent watching to make sure nothing untoward happened. If you lost any sales because of closing a shop because of me, I will make restitution. I have some money, and I’m good with my hands, if you need something fixed? I didn’t mean to, back home I spend a good bit of time minding children, when I’m not out hunting, and I missed it. But let me know how I can fix what I have done in error.”
“Nothing at all, sir,” one of the mother’s said. “It was honestly a joy to see our fire lord, and one of the heroes of the war, out with the people.”
“But uhh,” another woman coughed, “I have a high shelf I need a thing off that I can’t reach? That is also a little heavy. I bet your arms could reach and move it without concern.”
“I can reach it,” a man, clearly her husband said next to her.
“No, you can’t, you have a bad back.”
“It’s been fine for weeks.”
“Let me have this,” she hissed.
Sokka laughed, “send word to the palace if your husband can’t reach it and I’ll come help you out. Thank you so much for my best day in Caldera so far.”
“Next week is the food fair, in the courtyard,” someone called. “Everyone puts out tables with their best food, and there is music. We would welcome you, if you would like to join us.”
“Food, music, spirits yeah, we’ll be there!” Sokka agreed. He took his robe and threw it over his shoulder, and held out his hand for Zuko. Zuko took it and there was a small cheer from the crowd. “See, you were worried how your people viewed you, but they like you! You just need to get out with them more.” Sokka gave a wave and they started to head back to the palace. “This was really great. I needed this.”
“I am glad,” Zuko said. “You know we haven’t sparred since you arrived. Bet that would help with some of your energy.”
Sokka was quiet. “I’m not back up to being as good as I was. Because of the need for hunting, got myself squared away with the boomerang, spears. Only had started getting back up to snuff on my sword.”
“We can practice forms together,” Zuko suggested quietly. “I am sure it isn’t as bad as you think. And I would enjoy doing that with you.”
“Then tomorrow,” Sokka agreed.
Sokka had gotten there first and Zuko watched him move through steps, and had to pray to every god that he had even heard mentioned that he would get through this.
He did.
Barely.
*
When the summer heat wave arrived, Zuko made sure that umbrellas, access to water, were available to the poorest regions of Caldera, and then did what most of the ministers had down three days ago, left for Ember Island.
Sokka was both excited and nervous which was odd. The man loved the water, he assumed Sokka would be swimming for hours. But he was a bit jittery on the journey. Restless. “Sokka, what is wrong?”
“Nothing,” Sokka squeaked. “My voice always sounds like this.”
Zuko just raised a brow. He pointed at the leg that was bouncing, the fingers tapping. Sokka was someone always moving, but it was purposeful, not this nervousness. “Whatever it is you can tell me.”
“I have stretch marks,” Sokka blurted out. “Why I haven’t taken my shirt off when we spar, no matter how hot I get. Grew so fast, I have these lines on my stomach, my thighs.”
“Sokka, you are so hot,” Zuko said.
“No, not too bad right now actually, still morning, so not dying.”
He was in love with a moron. But a moron who was having some body issues. “I know what it feels like to hate what you see when you look at yourself,” Zuko said. He sat next to Sokka, and leaned against him. “A lot.”
“I don’t mind the scars, from the war, from work I’ve done, but they are just these weird lines that appeared because my body decided to just grow and grow fast.”
“When Katara has a baby she’ll gain stretch marks, if she hated them what would you tell her?”
“That’s different, she’ll have grown a life. I just grew me.”
“You is a rather important life to me.”
“You are so sappy,” Sokka punched him a bit. “But yeah, I’ll be nicer to myself.”
“Good. You are so damn beautiful.” Zuko kissed his jaw.
“Now I know you are in love, saying shit like that.” Sokka laughed, “Excited to see Iroh?” He was meeting them at the house, and it had been seven months since Zuko had seen him.
“I am,” Zuko agreed. “He mentioned in his letter that he is looking forward to seeing you as well. Something about discussing your future plans with you over a game of pai sho?”
“The family grilling about intentions. I give one to Aang every time I see him. It’s fun!”
“Does Aang think it is fun?”
“Sure,” Sokka’s grin only grew and Zuko melted against him. “Totally thinks it is fun.” There was a giggle. “Mostly. Maybe.” Sokka yawned, “I’m going to nap. Travel always makes me nap.”
“Of course,” Zuko soothed. “Nap away.”
When they arrive at the beach house, Iroh came out of the house to greet them. Zuko ran over and hugged him, smelled the tea scent that never really left Iroh. “It is good to see you my boy. You look happy and in love.”
“I am.” Zuko thought about it. “Uncle, I need to warn you about Sokka, he looks different.”
“Of course he does. Three years at your ages, builds a boy into a man. Change is to be -” Iroh’s voice trailed off and Zuko knew he had seen Sokka. “Really?” he looked at Zuko, and Zuko just sighed and nodded. “That is -” he couldn’t finished the sentence.
“Indeed,” Zuko agreed. He turned and there was Sokka, tall, broad shoulders, the silver in his hair. Because of the heat he had taken to sleeveless tunics which showed off the bands that Zuko had learned were tattoos not a piece of clothing. The day he had seen them, he had to take a few hours to himself, to be able to process and compose his being (and he had desperately flushed when the servants collected his laundry).
“Iroh!” Sokka almost jumped onto the porch, and was hugging the man. “I missed you.”
“And you as well, Sokka. I see much has changed the last three years.”
“Yeah weird, I know. But at least Zuko doesn’t think it is too weird.”
“No, no I don’t imagine he does.” Iroh nodded slowly. “You look much like your father.”
“Except he doesn’t have grey hair yet,” Sokka sighed. “You know some women use tuna squid ink mixed with stuff to dye their hair. Maybe I should -”
“If you do I will challenge you to an agni kai,” Zuko snarled. “It’s uhh, potentially bad for you health. Breathing it in is…bad. And easy to have an allergic reaction to. And -”
“Sure,” Sokka held up his hands in peace, “got no dyeing my hair. Just a random thought.”
“Say goodbye to the random thought,” Zuko ordered.
“Bye bye random thought,” Sokka repeated.
“Well isn’t this fun,” Iroh said, “but perhaps we should settle you two into your rooms, and then you can go for a swim.”
Sokka let out a shaky breath and nodded. An hour later they were at the water’s edge. Zuko already in a bathing costume, Sokka too, but Sokka still had a shirt on. They stood their feet in the water. “If you want to keep it on, I understand,” Zuko spoke, facing out to the water. “If you are uncomfortable showing your body, that is your choice. I am okay with whatever you look like, I always will be. Because I love you. So keep it on, or take it off because you hate how heavy shirts get in the water. But you pick.” Zuko went into the water and dove in. It felt like heaven. He dove as deep as he could go, which wasn’t as far as he had seen Katara and Sokka do, but enough to feel good. He broke the surface and felt arms wrap around him. A bare chest pressed to his back.
“You are right, I really hate the feeling of a wet shirt against my skin.” A kiss was pressed to his shoulder. “I know there are a lot of rules about our relationship, a million protocols. But here it can be a little more lax right?”
“It can,” Zuko agreed. He turned in Sokka’s arms, and fuck it was unfair how the man already so gorgeous looked when he was wet. He moved forward and kissed Sokka on the mouth in public, even if there were barely any people around. It still was a shift. He pressed his forehead against Sokka’s. “Sokka -” for a moment he was tempted to do more. But there were still eyes on them. “Tag,” he said and pushed off. Sokka caught him easily and they played for a fair bit before Zuko tired. He went to shore and lay on a blanket, while Sokka swam some more. He must have drifted off because it startled him when water droplets fell on him.
And there was Sokka, standing over him, wearing only the small bathing costume, sun making the water glisten on his skin. Thick, slick, and oh so lickable. “I look, fine?”
“Uh-huh, fine,” Zuko agreed. “Very fine.” He tried to remember the laws on public sex, and how much it would hurt the position of fire lord if he just tackled Sokka. He was fairly certain his people would shower him in flowers and celebrations if he did. Rumour had it that pictures drawn of them dancing at the food festival were big sellers. His guard had also helpfully told him, they were the number one seller in Sheng’s back room. He had rejected offers to bring him samples of the best ‘art’ his imagination was working fine enough. “Sokka, staring at you is like staring at the sun.”
“Painful and makes you go blind?” Sokka sat next to him. “I knew it.” But his tone was more relaxed about it. Honestly teasing.
“Firebenders can stare at the sun a bit longer than most. We can look right at that heat and sharp light, and feel it fill us, and when we look away all we can think is to count until we can look again. I am always counting until I can look at you again.”
“Maybe I’m not so weird looking,” Sokka said. “And in Caldera at least I know all the staring and whispering is because out with the fire lord, or they are keeping an eye so I don’t disappear with their kids.”
Every time they went to the market, inevitably, children gathered to Sokka and he was teaching them a bunch of water tribe stories, and crafts and they taught him fire nation fairy tales. When he acted out the stories with the kids, the whole courtyard would stop to watch. Many people had told Zuko they looked forward to the day he and Sokka’s own children were added to the mix.
He kind of was looking forward to it too.
“We need food,” Sokka jumped up. “And I saw a bit down the beach there is a cookout going on. Let’s go meet the vacation neighbours!”
“Standing seems like work, and we have food in the house. Iroh has likely been preparing food.”
“But grilled fish, I can smell it. So, yoink!” Zuko felt his arm grabbed and then he was piggyback on Sokka. He wasn’t even sure how that had happened so smoothly. “Hey guard pretending they aren’t guarding, tell Iroh we’re being sociable.”
“You know one of us has to go with you,” the guard said.
“I know, lefty you are up!”
A guard stood and walked a bit behind them. Zuko tried to wiggle down but Sokka just hitched him up more and he didn’t fight it. But he was curious. “Lefty?”
“Yeah, that is lefty one. You only have three lefty’s and seven righty’s.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Paid attention. Of all the guards you will only let three walk on your left, trust on your blind side. So if we are meeting new people, giving you the guard you trust a bit more.”
“Oh.” He hadn’t thought about it, not really, but Sokka was right. He did only have a few he trust on his left. Sokka was always allowed there. They made their way to where the cookout was happening, and it was a dozen or so people, Zuko thought he maybe recognized a couple from parties here before. When they approached all the conversation stopped. Zuko saw a few dropped jaws, because yeah, wet fairly naked Sokka would do that to people.
“Hello, we saw you were cooking and hoped maybe you would have room for a couple more?” Sokka gave a small bow, as much as he could, Zuko knew, with Zuko on his back. “I’m Sokka, visiting from the southern water tribe. This is Huan guard to the guy on my back. Who I am guessing you know, but just in case you don’t, this is Zuko. Zuko these are neighbours.”
“Sokka, put me down,” Zuko said.
“But I like you there.”
“You’ll get tired eventually.”
“Nah, you are lighter than three ice blocks. I’m good for longer than you think.”
Zuko started thinking about just how long Sokka could maybe hold him up during sex. Which was a bad thought to have with his crotch pressed against Sokka’s back.
“I bet you are,” a man at the party said, while clearly giving Sokka a lascivious look. That was a bit much. He didn’t mind the dreamy sighs and heart eyes most everyone at the palace gave Sokka, but a come fuck me look was too much. He poked and Sokka let him down. “And we definitely have enough to feed you, Sokka,” the guy licked his lips. “Feed you whatever you want.”
“Great, that fish smells amazing. Doesn’t it Zuko?”
It did smell good. “Reminds of that one food cart in the market.”
“In Caldera?” A girl flipped over the fish on the makeshift grill and she bent a bit more flame onto the rocks underneath. “On the left hand side of Sozin road? That’s my grandfather’s shop.”
“No way! Lee the Three is your grandfather?” Sokka jumped, “that is the best fish in town. I fixed his grill for him, on the promise of learning his spice rub.”
“He gave you the secret family rub recipe? I don’t even know it!”
“Yeah, I mean he watched me like a hawk when I was working, had to be bent over a lot, so guess he wanted to make sure I didn’t get stuck or cause any more damage. But at the end of the day he gave me the recipe, said it was an early wed -” Sokka immediately stopped talking. “Yeah, anyways nice guy.”
So they had gotten a several hundred year old secret recipe as an early wedding gift because an old man got to ogle Sokka’s ass for a few hours. This was just normal in his life now. Which reminded him when he got home, he needed to have Sokka sit in on a few meetings in the sleeveless tunic so that he could get his ideas for public transportation at least passed into the preliminary study phase.
The food was served up and Zuko appreciated that his guard was fed as well, though he melted into the background to maintain a watchful eye. Everyone was talking, well Zuko wasn’t, he left that sort of thing up to Sokka, and he was busy glaring at the guy who kept licking his lips. “So what do you do, for a living?” one of the people asked Sokka.
“Whatever is needed, wherever I’m at,” Sokka said easily. “After well, you know,” he gestured to himself and Zuko, “was mostly what people needed me to be. So back home I hunted, taught, read trade contracts, stopped the couple pirate raids that came on by.”
“What? You never said about pirates!” Zuko stared. “Neither you, nor your sister!”
“Meh, like we couldn’t handle three ships,” Sokka snorted a bit. “She barely even let me have fun. But I did score a really great pirate coat. Left it back home, I’ll make sure it finds its way to me here, or we’ll get it when we go visit in their summer.”
“You’re souther water tribe right?” Sokka nodded, “are you old enough, did you fight in the war?”
Sokka laughed a bit and Zuko did too, but they paused. “Wait, how old are all of you?”
“I’m the oldest, 18,” lip guy said, “most are 16, 17, why?”
“So none of you fought?” Sokka looked at the group. “Wow.”
They were just a year or two younger than they had been, but they were the reason these people never fought. They could look at kids or young teenagers and understand it, but people near their own age it was odd.
Lip guy shrugged, “I was a month away from basic training and then the avatar did what he did and then I just stayed home. Figure it is only a matter of time though, until the new fire lord shows he is like his family after all, and then wham back to war.”
“He won’t,” a girl insisted. “My auntie works in the kitchens at the palace. Says the place is completely different. Do you know you get your birthday off with pay? A girl got burned on the stove, and the fire lord himself sent her flowers. They have a long list of people now dying to work at the palace.”
“Always said, mark of a good leader is how he treats the lowest of their workers,” Sokka agreed, and he had that look on his face. He was going to do something. “Spent some time in the palace since I came to Caldera. Actually put up some shelves in the kitchen.” He leaned forward, “I actually met the fire lord.”
Zuko gave Sokka his most unimpressed face possible. And kicked the man subtly. It didn’t not deter him. Zuko could hear his guard chuckling from that spot he melted away to. This was going to be the gossip for a week. Lovely. “Sokka,” Zuko warned, “you don’t want to bore these people with that story.”
“No, no it is a great story!” Sokka began to mime hanging shelves. “So there I am putting up these racks for the cook, everyone watching to help me make sure they stayed level.” Seriously the mental gymnastics Sokka had to do not to clue in that everyone watched him because they wanted his babies was truly awe inspiring. “I get them finished and the cook is feeding me these amazing meat pies. Like just the best food ever. And we hear this throat clear. And there is the fire lord. Like the actual crown thingy in his hair, fancy ass robes that I still can’t figure out how he doesn’t trip over them, fire lord. And he says ‘uhh hello. Zuko here. My secretary is coughing, I wanted to get him soup? Is soup what you give people with a cough?’ He was so awkward, but I mean guy rules the whole nation, and takes time to personally come down and get soup for his secretary? He don’t suck. Plus he told me nice shelves.”
“Of course I said nice shelves,” Zuko swatted Sokka, “don’t make it sound like you just put up planks. You carved this waving flame pattern into the wood that has holders so labels can be added, so the cooks know what jars are on the shelves. Also, you just do things? Making yourself sound like a handyman?”
“To be fair? I kind of am!”
“You -” Zuko spluttered a bit. “The hero who stopped the airship raid and burning of the earth kingdom, a handyman. You sit on the fire nation council!”
“What no I don’t?” Sokka frowned, “I have sat in on a few meetings and I guess I vote on things when I show up but, I’m not on the council.”
“You have your own spot, with a title, General Outside Council!” Zuko swatted him again. “You created a workers union down at the docks!”
“That was an accident! It was just that -” Sokka smiled, “I am a handyman. I like that Zuko. I just help with what needs fixing, taking care of. Like taking care of you. Not that you need fixing. But you know, in the future when…things…happen I get that taking care of you is going to be my main priority. That will be the best job of all. Well that and getting that public transit idea going. Man, do I have some plans there, if we can get the finance minister on board, tight ass.”
They had gotten so caught up in the bickering that they didn’t realize the group had fallen quiet. Zuko looked at lip guy. “Yes?”
“You’re the fire lord. He is the leader of the rebel army, the nonbender who put everything in place for the benders to win victory that day?”
“He won -”
“Yup,” Sokka said cheerfully. “Told you I fix what needs fixing! Just you know few years ago, kinda did it big. Now shelves.”
“I met the fire lord wearing the bikini that my mother calls my whore in training costume,” a girl whispered. She looked pale.
“It doesn’t look slutty,” Zuko offered. Sokka hit him, “That was the wrong thing to say wasn’t it? I just meant I didn’t notice your breasts at all.”
“You kinda just did, buddy,” Sokka pointed out. “They are great breasts, just you know not of interest to us. Him, ever, me like aesthetically. You are crazy beautiful, and if I wasn't stupid in love with Zuko, I’d so be hitting on you. But I am, so it is more awareness that you are gorgeous with zero interest. Actually, though looking at your arms bo stafff?”
“Yeah, since I was a child,” she said slowly. “How?”
“Sokka can always tell what weapon people use. It is a thing,” Zuko explained, “and you just spent a lot of time there talking about her breasts. And now we have all said breasts way too many times. This is why I don’t talk to people unless it is in meetings.”
“Aww, you’re better than you used to be,” Sokka promised. “Right, he and I spar in the mornings, but like getting used to his sword work, be fun to go up against staff if you are interested.”
“You want to fight me. You?”
“Yup, him too,” Sokka pointed to Zuko.
Zuko shrugged, it would be an interesting challenge.
“What happens if I take him down? Do I -”
“Get bragging rights forever? You betcha! Also like if you want to fight for a living that will get you ahead of the waiting list to join the Kyoshi warriors. I’m bestie with their leader.”
“That’s my lifelong dream,” she started to cry a bit. “My mother wants me to marry this merchant, but all I’ve ever wanted is -” she was crying in earnest.
“By order of the fire lord, you are never to marry anyone unless you love them,” Zuko blurted out. And then he had the crying woman wrapped around him. “Sokka, what do I do?”
Sokka picked up his arm and wrapped it around the girl. “You say, there there and rub up and down. Now while he is doing that, who wants to swim.”
“I do,” lip guy said. “Bet I can beat you in a race.”
“What do I win?” Sokka challenged.
“I’ll give you whatever you want,” the guy promised and Zuko would not light him on fire. He rubbed his hand up and down the girl’s back.
“I have everything I could ever want, I have Zuko,” Sokka replied, “…but I win, you all have to come to the bonfire party we’re going to hold in two days.”
“We’re having a party?” Zuko wasn’t sure about that.
“Man, Sokka,” the guard whined.
“It will be fine.”
“That’s what you want for your win? Us to come to a thing where you’ll do all the work?” the guy was clearly at a loss. “Sure?”
“Great. Bye!” and Sokka was off running.
“That is why my aunt said palace morale has gone up significantly in the last couple of months,” one of the girls said. Everyone left was looking at Zuko.
“I know, don’t worry I will marry the hot guy for the sake of all the royal art that will flood the nation after,” Zuko promised. The woman against him laughed and wiped away her tears.
“He is really hot.”
“I am aware, believe me.” He watched Sokka dive into the water and sighed. Everyone else there did too.
It was a really great bonfire party, and he got to dance all close with a barely dressed Sokka.
It was good.
*
It was not good. It was really not good. It was, it was great that Sokka had finally stopped believing he was weird looking, wasn’t complaining about the silver in his hair, and wasn’t self conscious about his body anymore. It was absolutely wonderful that Sokka was at peace with himself and his appearance.
But that also meant, during training Sokka now regularly shed his down to just his leggings.
They now regularly had a dozen people watching them with increasingly weak excuses for why they were there. Iroh had come to the palace after the trip to ember island, he said for important meetings, but mostly to enjoy watching everyone’s brains melt at confident Sokka. Because he had been gorgeous before, but now his spine was always straight, shoulders back, and fully back to the Sokka that Zuko had known.
While also not being fully aware how gorgeous he was. Zuko was dying. He spun and lay a row of low flames, which Sokka leapt over and did a quick somersault on the ground and came right back up. It’s be insulting how all his staff, guards, and some ministers, cheered for Sokka but he had been a spectator, he would have been cheering as well. Sure enough after Zuko finally scored the first point, Sokka signaled for a moment and his shirt was off.
Zuko ignored all the happy noises around them. Sokka scored the next point and Zuko focused because yes it was just for fun, but it was fun to win against Sokka.
He started to lunge forward and there was an odd sound, and Sokka pulled at his ankles, which rang Zuko’s head against the ground. “Sokka?”
“Arrow! Assassin!” Sokka shouted and then he was off running.
Guards were circling him, but Zuko snarled, flames pouring out from him, because Sokka had chased after assassins with one sword and almost nothing on. Zuko ran after him, the guards after Zuko. They could see Sokka chasing after two people running and leaping on the roofs until they were all the way to the front of the palace. It was petition day and people were already lining the steps. Zuko let out a gasp of horror as Sokka took a flying leap and went over the side of the building.
He ducked inside and pulled the main doors open, ready to light the world afire if Sokka was dead. But Sokka was standing on the steps of the palace, a failed assassin at his feet. He was holding his side, but his sword was steady. “You dare come for my fucking man?” Sokka yelled. “Make your peace with the spirits quickly, because I’m sending you to them.” The sword raised.
“Sokka, no,” Zuko said firmly. “He will stand trial.”
“He tried to kill you, my everything. I will -”
“Not be a person you aren’t,” Zuko moved forward, “because I am asking you to. You saved me. But if you want, you can kick him a bit?”
Sokka laughed and did kick the man that the guards then swiftly took away. Sokka dropped his sword and then was right there, touching his face, holding him close. “Are you fine?”
“I am, you saved me,” Zuko looked up at him, and then found himself kissed hard enough he was bent back a bit. But then his hands were on Sokka’s bare skin, and when they pulled apart you could see imprints from where his heated hands had been. There was silence and then a deafening cheer. “Petitioners. Right. Yeah.” He laughed as Sokka gave the crowd a wave and a bow. He picked up his sword and they went inside.
“I need a hot bath, I got banged up on the fall a bit. Spirits what all those people must think of me!” Sokka was flushed a bit. “Bet they all hate the grubby guy grabbing their fire lord like that.”
There was a cough from Zuko’s secretary. “I need you both to sign here, here, and here.” He had his writing desk and a quill. They both signed. “Excellent, by royal decree and several hundred witnesses to that kiss, the two of you are now betrothed.”
“Shouldn’t we have proposed to each other or something?” Sokka asked.
“Probably but you weren’t doing it and the people are getting antsy. After a public display like that, it will be accepted as matter of fact so it is official now.”
“Thank you,” Zuko said. “Send out the formal decree. How long will a wedding take to plan?”
“Six months,” the secretary said, “and that is only because several of us started planning five days after he arrived.”
They had been much more obvious than Zuko had realized. He looked to Sokka who had an odd expression on his face. “Unless you don’t want to marry me in six months?” The secretary melted away to send out word. Zuko really hoped they wouldn’t have to rescind that word.
“I would marry you tomorrow, six months from now, ten years from now, whenever you want. I just want to make sure marrying me, won’t cause any problems for you.”
“It won’t,” Zuko promised.
“In that case, I have strong opinions about what cake we should have at the ceremony!”
Zuko would happily listen to everyone. Which Sokka shared with him, while he had that hot bath and Zuko stared very fixedly at the wall. Six months. He could last six months.
*
“Huan?” Zuko kept his voice calm as he leaned to the guard on his left.
“Yeah,” the man sounded like he was short of breath from running, even though they were just standing still in the formal hall, for the anniversary of his coronation. All their friends were there, and none of them seemed to take any notice of how gorgeous Sokka was, not even Suki. Hakoda had come and given their marriage his blessing. Three more months. His control was hanging on by a thread, especially because Sokka had moved into the suite next to his, reserved for the royal consort. He could sometimes hear Sokka at night through the walls, moving about.
But that thread had been holding everything together. Until just now. “I need to make sure, I am not in a hallucinatory state, correct, you see that too?”
“My lord, I do, I really do.” Their friends had gone over and were clearly teasing Sokka about wearing robes in the traditional fire nation colours but cut to water tribe style. “My lord, you are truly Agni’s chosen that such a partner was delivered to you.” Sokka shifted just a bit, and the light caught the silver in his hair. More had come in over the last three months, a streak right at the front that hung beautiful when his hair was down. He had it down tonight.
Zuko swallowed heavily. “How long is this event?”
“We’re having an event?” The guard shook his head. “Uhh, few hours? Speeches, ceremonial stuff with you and the avatar and oh spirits save us all,” the guard whimpered, because when he turned it showed that embroidered along the spine of the clothes was the golden dragon that was the symbol of the royal consort. He was fully declaring himself Zuko’s at this ceremony. And their friends were teasing him.
His minister of affairs was hurrying over, Zuko wondered what could be seen on his face. “Sire, while the wedding isn’t for three more months, and traditionally certain events due to the legitimacy of the throne have to wait for legal binding. There will be no heir, and it was overheard that the leader of the Kyoshi warriors asking when he would come and play. The whole council are in agreement, that certain events do not have to wait for the wedding. There is precedent for early…claims of intimate nature.” The minister was trying to be delicate but when Suki laughed he scowled and almost stomped his foot. “Sokka is our hot man, they don’t get to play with him!”
“Mine, is what you meant, I am sure,” Zuko stared at the minister.
“Of course. So if you just wanted to make sure that everyone outside understood what all of Caldera does, that would meet with general approval.” The minister gave a bow and left.
“Huh, never thought I’d see the day where all your ministers agree on something, and it would turn out to be you should bang your really hot betrothed. Like right now.”
Sokka turned and was looking full out at Zuko. He was wearing black liner and gold shimmer around his eyes and that last single thread that had been holding on snapped. “Right now,” Zuko agreed and moved through the crowd with such intense purpose they people were running out of the way.
“I don’t think we meant right now right now,” Huan called. “The ceremony?”
“Can be celebrated without me. I remember that they made me fire lord, so does everyone else. Don’t you?” He glared at the room and there was quick ascent.
“Zuko, what’s up, you look intense?” Sokka asked and Zuko grabbed that loose hair and pulled him in for a hard kiss. All the control that he had had since the second he had seen Sokka again vanished he poured every ounce of painful longing and attraction he had held within him into that kiss. When he pulled away and remembered to breath, flames slipped out from between his lips. “Zuko?”
“You have been breaking me for months,” Zuko’s voice was harsh. “And I cannot take anymore. So we are leaving the ceremony now.”
“Don’t you? Are the clothes wrong? I wanted to make you happy.”
“I will be happier when they are on the floor of my room,” Zuko snarled and started to tug Sokka out. There were gasps of shock and some confusion and Sokka was protesting, wondering what he had done wrong. “Nothing, I just cannot endure how gorgeous you are for another second and I am taking you to my bed and you will not be leaving for at least two days.”
“My dad just heard that!”
“Well then he shouldn’t have bred such a hot son!” Zuko knew he’d be embarrassed later but right now he couldn’t be. “Do you know what the market is on porn for you in Caldera? We could fund that whole north south public transit line if we legitimized it and taxed it at 10%! When you play with kids in the market, women talk about wanting to have your babies. Every single member of my staff swoons over you and I’m never jealous because how can you be over people revering a work of art!” They were storming through the halls, and he kept babbling about how stunning Sokka was and how literally all of the fire nation was in love with him, and how much pain Zuko had been in for months just wanting to climb Sokka like a tree. He slammed open the door to his room. “And you come in there, in our colours, the consort symbol embroidered along the back. Showing the world you are mine. And I have nothing left, Sokka. Nothing. Unless you tell me you don’t want this. In which case, we go back to the party and -”
“Close the door, Zuko,” Sokka said firmly. “You said something about these looking better on your floor? Let’s find out.”
Zuko closed the door and turned. He waited and once Sokka had stripped everything off, stood there in nothing but his tattoos and eye make up, Zuko pounced. Sokka caught him easily and they tumbled back onto the bed. Zuko began kissing every bit of Sokka that he could reach, and he knew he would be useless this first time, too much pent up desire, and Sokka was panting below him, and it was fast and messy hands touching everywhere, drawing each other off until they were sticky with sweat, spit, come on their fingers and stomach. He collapsed next to Sokka on the bed and stared at his ceiling.
“Well,” Sokka said when he caught his breath, “that was the best.”
“No, that was if I didn’t have you, I would go insane. Next round, when I can focus, that will be the best.”
“Do uhh, we have to go back to the super important ceremony thing? Because I don’t think my legs can work, and we are gross and probably smelly. And I don’t wanna, I want more of the gross and smelly and wait. You think I’m hot?”
“Seriously?” Zuko propped himself up and looked at Sokka. “Are you fucking serious right now?”
“You swore again, always weird. But like this isn’t just love makes everyone beautiful, you honestly think I’m hot?”
Zuko pressed an achingly gentle kiss against his beloved’s lips. And then he pushed the man out of the bed. He dropped on Sokka and shook him. “THE ENTIRE FIRE NATION THINKS YOU ARE THE HOTTEST MAN EVER. THERE WAS A POLL. THERE IS PORNOGRAPHY OF YOU. I GET HIGH FIVES CONGRATULATING ME ON LANDING YOU. YOU ARE FACTUALLY THE MOST GORGEOUS MAN ON THE PLANET!”
“Ha!” Sokka began to laugh. Zuko debated murdering him, but didn’t. It was close but he didn’t. “Gotta love how you build me up. Makes me feel great, babe. Hottest man in the kingdom.” More giggles and Zuko decided to let it go, because Sokka was perfect in his very Sokka way. “I mean really how can I win a hottest guy in the fire nation contest, when you are right there.” Sokka grinned and lifted his hips a bit. “I mean, you are right there.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Round two? Hear it will be the best.”
“You are an idiot,” Zuko said but leaned down and kissed Sokka and round two was definitely the best.
*
After the wedding ceremony, they took a carriage ride through Caldera, waving to the cheering crowds, regularly kissing which made the cheers grow louder. “Your people really love you,” Sokka said smiling at him.
The man had braids in his wolf tail, that eye make up on, in traditional water tribe marriage garb, but with the black of the fire nation where the white usually was. With all the work he did with his hands he didn’t want to wear a ring so there was a piercing in his ear in place of it. He looked every inch the hero, the warrior, that he was.
“Yup, they are cheering because they love me,” Zuko agreed, because it was useless to explain it to Sokka. And utterly endearing how oblivious he was.
“Not as much as I do though,” Sokka said and pulled him for another kiss. One just on the edge of inappropriate for a wedding procession.
Zuko could only imagine what sort of art was going to show up in Sheng’s backroom after this display.
Well no, in a few more hours he wouldn’t need to imagine, because Sokka would be in his bed, where he had been for the last few months, and would be for decades to come. He cupped Sokka’s face as he pulled away. Smiled at his gorgeous husband. “They love you too, you know.”
“But not as much as you?” Sokka teased.
“But not as much as me,” Zuko agreed and kissed him again.