Chapter Text
Sokka groaned, he was much colder than he has been for years. The fire nation doesn’t typically get cold, much less as freezing as it was.
It almost felt like he was home.
He didn’t want to open his eyes though, his head ached.
The last thing he remembered was talking to Zuko last night. They had been in the library, pouring over some books to help Korra out. He promised the young avatar that he would find out who the spirit was that had been bothering her. He must have fallen asleep during research.
His back was going to hurt.
It took him another moment to realize that his back didn’t hurt, in fact, none of his injuries from his long life are aching, spasming, burning, piercing, or otherwise disabling him right now.
Another moment to realize that he was lying down on a fur bed, one much thinner and uncomfortable than the bed he shared with his husband, but much more comfortable than the floor, chair, or table in the library.
He blinked his eyes open.
He was in an igloo. He was in a very familiar igloo. He was in an igloo that hasn’t existed in over sixty years.
Sokka sat up with zero effort. No wheezing, no twing of pain, no arms trying to keep him in place.
Zuko!
He was up and changed in less time than he had in years, barely pulling on his parka, not even bothering putting up his, very short, hair.
He remembered, shortly after he started dating Zuko, they were in their forties, Mai and Zuko had separated a few years earlier, and Sokka decided to just ask.
They were on a date, walking hand in hand in the palace gardens, when Zuko made an off handed comment on how he loved the feel of Sokka’s hair. He carded his hands through Sokka’s hair that evening when they got back, and it felt amazing.
Sokka decided right then to let it grow out.
He never let it get as long as Zuko’s, but it got below his shoulders, a bit longer than his father’s had been.
He pulled up suddenly when he saw his Grandmother.
His Gran-gran, standing upright, happy, alive . He couldn’t have stopped himself from hugging her, even if he wanted to.
“Sokka, what has gotten into you?” He didn’t let go. It’s been so long since she passed away. He’s either dead or back in time somehow. And knowing the craziness that comes from unknown spirits, he decides to play along, just in case.
“I had a bad dream,” he told her, “you- and dad- and-” he kept it vague, hoping that she would let it go and just hug him back.
She did, but he could feel her hesitance. He remembered, when he was young, before he met Suki and went on a long journey to save the world, how he had refrained from things that could be considered weak, like hugs and telling his Gran-gran that he loved her.
He hugged her tighter before letting go and looking into her eyes.
“I love you, please don’t leave,” he told her. He didn’t actually know how old he was supposed to be right now, but he thinks the supposed nightmare is enough of an excuse for his childish wobbled voice, the tears burning his eyes, and the seriousness in his tone.
Gran-gran pulled him back in and let him linger for another minute before gently nudging him back to the igloo to finish getting dressed. He would try to figure out how old he was before making a plan…
Okay, he’d make a few plans depending on how old he is and enact the one that matches best.
Katara didn’t know what to think about her brother right now.
He had some kind of nightmare last night and now he was acting weird.
“How old even are you?” He asked her, patting her head. She swatted him away.
“Seven?” He asked with an infuriating smirk.
“I’m Eleven!” She cried, accidentally freezing the bowl of soup that Sokka was going to drink from.
“Okay okay, yeesh.” And that was that. Sokka went back to normal.
Or, almost normal. There was something off about him.
Other than him deciding that he wanted to grow his hair out like Dad.
She decided to keep an eye on him.
Sokka just played himself. He was a great actor… after six years of training from Suki so he could go on undercover missions to protect Zuko and Katara.
It was easier to act like a child than it was to act like an earth kingdom dignitary, that's for sure.
He kept it up for years.
Up until he was standing beside his sister while they watched the ship carrying his once and forever love. He would find out now if Zuko came back with him.
There wasn’t a way for them to communicate; not really, not without risking being found out.
Katara and he had found Aang almost exactly how they found him last time, he got on his sister’s nerves, Katara got angry, her bending got out of control, Aang popped up from the water in a giant ball of ice, and then a giant beam of light shot into the sky when they broke the ice open.
Now they waited for the fire nation ship to dock.
Sokka resisted the urge to fix his hair before his beloved saw him, his hair pulled half back, hanging just slightly down his back. He was half tempted to fix it back like he had toward the end of his life, but he didn’t know how his Gran-gran would feel if he looked even more like his mom by copying her hair style.
It was an easy hairdo, and he had fallen into the habit of pulling it back without paying attention, his eyes on a book or scroll and his hands working on their own.
He wanted to look as similar to his old style as possible, so Zuko would know immediately after getting off the ship that he was back.