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Sokka was trying to find Zuko. It was surprisingly hard considering he had memorized Zuko’s schedule for the whole week. But he had finished his audiences early, only when that happened he went to the training ring, and Zuko hadn’t been there. On the other hand, if he finished early on a Thursday he went to the gardens. Only it was the third Thursday of the month, which meant the library not the gardens.
His knowledge of Zuko’s movement was normal no matter what Katara said.
He wasn’t in the library, or the gardens. Now Sokka was growing concerned, he hurried to Zuko’s room wondering if the man was sick or something. Maybe he had been attacked, and no one told him. Which was crazy because if he was visiting, he was the third person to be told if there was an assassination attempt on Zuko.
Again this was a perfectly normal thing, Katara.
Sokka hurried to Zuko’s room and let himself in quietly, not bothering to knock because one, it was Zuko’s room, he didn’t have to knock, and two, if he was sleeping during the day he clearly needed rest, and if he was being assassinated, Sokka would get the jump on the regicidal maniac and stop them. Thoroughly. He heard Zuko laugh and frowned. Maybe he was sick and hallucinating which caused the laughter? Maybe the evil assassin was trying to tickle him to death. Sokka slid along the wall and he didn’t have a heavy feeling in his stomach, seeing Zuko sitting on his balcony with Mai. Maybe she was here to assassinate Zuko, it could happen. And her feet were on his lap because she had hidden blades there and was going to stab him. He should move closer just to make sure.
And he wasn’t jealous of Mai, Katara, just they had broken up and there was no reason for her to have her feet on Zuko’s lap. On top of things they shouldn’t be on top of, they weren’t allowed to be on top of things after dumping Zuko. He wanted to dump her right over the balcony ledge.
He tried to get Suki to kill Mai for him, but she hadn’t. She had promised him one kill for not being upset when they broke up, and he wanted that one. Stupid exes. He moved closer, and meant to say he was there. He did. But maybe he wanted to listen a bit, just to make sure that they didn’t sound coupley. Because then Mai would be cheating on Ty Lee, and he could write Ty Lee and then she’d kill Mai. Perfect plan.
Zuko laughed again. He wondered if that one free kill included fire lords. Mai wasn’t even funny. Sokka was funny.
“Then, she kidnapped me!” There was more laughter, and Sokka wished whoever had kidnapped Mai, had kept her kidnapped. Whatever she said next was too low for him to overhear with her stupid sexy husky voice whispering into Zuko’s ear, and that was a whole different laugh, one he had never heard Zuko make before. Fine, so maybe they were back together. Whatever.
He didn’t care, Katara.
For a moment he worried he said that out loud but he didn’t think he had. He really had to stop arguing with his subconscious, and he really had to stop acting like it was Katara. But it was comforting when they were apart and he couldn’t bicker with her, to bicker with her inside his head. He eased away and went very still when he heard Zuko say, “I’d love to be kidnapped.”
There was more laughter, and Sokka scowled a bit.
Zuko wanted to be kidnapped, fine he’d be kidnapped! Sokka left quietly and he was stomping by the time he made it to his suite. There was a servant turning down the bed, and he shooed them away, politely and then began to pace. Why would Zuko want to be kidnapped? Sokka had been kidnapped a few times, it sucked! He realized that a couple of those kidnappings had been Zuko’s fault, but he had forgiven him years ago for being an evil asshole. Now he was just sometimes a regular asshole. And not even that so much anymore. Mostly he was tired a lot. Being Fire Lord Zuko weighed heavily on him. That’s why Sokka had been spending more time at the palace. He missed traveling the world, but his buddy needed him, so he parked his butt in the palace and didn’t leave.
And being an ambassador wasn’t so boring, he was actually helping he was pretty sure, he was having fun with the little inventor’s circle he had created. He had even gotten used to the food, and was almost used to the heat. And Zuko was here. A Zuko who wanted to be kidnapped. Well fine, he wanted to be kidnapped, he’d be kidnapped! He started to make plans in code in his invention journal, it seemed like the safest place. Luckily, he had long since memorized the palace layout, the guard rotations. Not so lucky was that he had been working hard to improve all the systems so that there weren’t any holes in it.
But it was the midnight storm season, and he could work with that. He sketched out a few rough ideas. In their lab, he definitely had some things he could use to knock Zuko out, and tying him up would be easy. Leave a ransom note on the bed, get him out of the palace, the question was to where. That he would have to scout out a fair bit. It should only take a couple weeks to plan. He had no idea why Zuko wanted this, but he always got Zuko what he wanted, to see the man smile, this would be no different.
And shut up Katara, it was perfectly normal to think your best friend had a great smile.
He worked long enough that he almost missed heading to the dining hall for dinner, but there was a knock at the door. “Are you sick?”
“No, why?” He went and opened the door for Zuko. “Why would I be sick?”
“You’re never late for dinner.”
“Surprised you even noticed. Thought you might be having a private dinner with Mai.” Fine, that sounded a bit jealous. Just a bit, no big deal, not like he was used to Zuko being all his or anything.
“No, she just was here for a quick visit. She is with her family tonight, and then headed back to Ty Lee tomorrow. She wanted to personally tell me that she was going to be asking Ty Lee to marry her.”
“She is?” Sokka beamed. “Really? That’s great, isn’t that great. Oh that is the greatest, they’ll be great and greatly married and that is -”
“Great?” Zuko touched his forehead. “Are you sure you are fine?”
“I am fine as fine can be. Let’s go eat! Now I don’t need to use up my one free kill. This is great.”
“One free? No, no Zuko, don’t ask. Because then you’ll know the answer, and you never want to know the answer.” Zuko said, and Sokka bumped his shoulder into Zuko’s.
He was pleased when he made Zuko laugh so much at dinner that the wine shot out of his nose.
Now he just had to figure out a kidnapping destination. Shouldn’t be too hard.
*
Zuko groaned as he slowly regained consciousness. It didn’t take long to realize that he had been drugged and was currently bound. He tried to bend but his hands were is some sort of metal device, if he tried to cast he’d only hurt himself. The people who had done this were clever. “You won’t get away with us.” He looked around the room, but it was dark, just a thin bit of moonlight coming in a window, enough that he could tell there was someone in the room with him, large enough it was a man, but that was it. “Is this about money, demands about colonies, something about Ozai?” There was no answer, and he struggled against the ropes. They were incredibly tight and well knotted. He grunted as they dug into his skin. “Trust me, you made a big mistake doing this.”
“Why is that?”
“Because of the wrath that you’ve brought down on you,” Zuko spit on the ground, his mouth felt disgusting. “Forget the fact that the entire fire nation army will be coming for you. Forget that the avatar is my friend and will object to this kidnapping. If anything happens to me, and honestly even if you let me go now, he will never stop until you are dead.”
“Who?”
“Sokka,” Zuko snarled. “He will never rest until - Sokka!” Zuko blinked a bit as the lantern was lit. “Wait, did they kidnap you too? Why are you free?” Sokka hopped up, and was sitting on the table. “What’s the plan?” Sokka must have already broken out of his bonds, and had come to rescue Zuko. “How many are there?”
“Just me,” Sokka replied.
“No, not how many they kidnapped, how many kidnappers?” Zuko tried to move. “Can you untie me? And what is on my hands?”
“Oh, aren’t they great? I invented them, just for this.” Sokka sound so happy, he was kicking his feet a bit in the air. “See they are cages, but not just full metal mittens.”
“Someone stole your plans?” Zuko was confused.
“No, I made them. Well, one of Toph’s students helped me bend the metal a bit. Owe them big for the rush job. So what happens now?”
“What do you mean, we escape and make sure all the kidnappers are dead or in jail? Sokka did they drug you too?”
“Zuko,” Sokka was smiling at him. “There is no they, just me. I would never ask for help on something like this. Well, I had to hire a carriage to get us here, and I mean when they find the ransom note and come for you, I guess that might count as help but -”
“Sokka!” Zuko yelled, and breathed a bit of fire. “You kidnapped me?”
“Of course I did,” Sokka’s smile slipped, and he was almost pouting. “When don’t I do what you want or need?”
“I don’t understand.”
“I overheard you with Mai. And you said that you’d love to be kidnapped. It took me three weeks to plan it. Which actually, I have concerns that I was able to plan a successful kidnapping of you in just three weeks, it should have taken longer. Hmm, but also I know the palace even better than you at this point. I’ll have to think on this. Also, I need to develop a warning system around your bed, you didn’t even wake up before I drugged you. I don’t like that. Leaves you too vulnerable.”
Zuko realized that this hurt more than anything his father or sister had done to him. “You kidnapped me? What, what...were you bribed with to turn on me?”
“Is this a part of it?” Sokka looked confused. “I didn’t get it, but figured you would explain after. What happens now?”
“Why would you betray me, Sokka?” Zuko would not cry.
“I would never!” Sokka snapped. He was looking frustrated and like he wanted to cry too, which made no sense. “You were being stupid and telling Mai, and not me what you needed. You weren’t even where you were supposed to be. And you told her you would love being kidnapped. I don’t get it, but I don’t get why you like chili paste and the dawn, but I learned how to make that stupid condiment, and I haul my ass out of bed at an hour that shouldn’t even exist to be with you. So, if you say you want to be kidnapped, then I kidnap you!”
Zuko watched Sokka get increasingly upset, but he start to smile. “You didn’t betray me.” His grin widened. “You kidnapped me because you heard I wanted to be kidnapped so you did it.”
“Yeah? What wouldn’t I do for you?”
“Right, so now that we have that out of the way, though you know you didn’t have to go to quite these lengths, shall we move onto the next part?” Trust Sokka to break their circling around each other in such a dramatic fashion. Actually properly kidnapping Zuko to make the role play as authentic as possible. It was adorable, a bit terrifying that he actually managed it, but adorable. “Please Sokka, let me go, I’ll do anything if you let me go.”
“Of course I’ll let you go. Did this do whatever it is you wanted it to?” Sokka was biting his lip. “What was the point of this anyways? To make up for all the times you kidnapped me? To see what it felt like for you mom when she was taken? Test your security?”
“Sokka, come on let’s get to the fun part. Been waiting for you to make a move, but should have know you’d have a plan,” Zuko laughed at himself a bit. Of course Sokka had had a plan. He tilted his head. “I’ll be good.”
“Of course you will, buddy, you’re the best. You know that right, that there is no better than you?” Sokka came over and soon as soon as Zuko was untied he sank to his knees. “Oh shit, did I tie them too tightly? Did you lose circulation? I’ve been practicing my knot work.”
This wasn’t going how it was supposed to. “Sokka you heard what else Mai and I said about kidnapping right?”
“No? Just that you’d love to be kidnapped. So…here you are kidnapped.”
Zuko had no idea if this was the funniest or most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him. But he sure as fuck could not tell Sokka that this had been a sex fantasy, because Sokka wouldn’t respond well for a few reasons. He tended to have an adverse reaction to Mai, because Mai had never actually apologized for trying to kill him. And also, it seemed he had only done this as a concerned friend thing - not a sex thing. And explaining that would humiliate them both. “This wasn’t exactly what I had meant, Sokka. But thank you?”
“Oh,” Sokka looked upset. “We should get home. I left a ransom note.”
“Of course your did.” Zuko stood, and hugged Sokka. “I’m really impressed with these things on my hands. And it was a very thorough kidnapping.”
“Thanks. Did it sort of do what you wanted it to?”
Not even a little bit. “Yeah, it did,” Zuko smiled, and Sokka seemed relieved. “How much did you ask for in the ransom note?”
“A lot,” Sokka said.
“Good.”
*
“You are the stupidest boy who has ever lived,” Katara was hitting him with a pillow. “You kidnapped Zuko?”
“He wanted to be kidnapped!” Sokka replied and took the pillow, started hitting her back. “I wouldn’t do something like that if he didn’t want it!”
“How do you not understand people?” She tried to grab the pillow and he just held it up, because she hadn’t grown much more and he had, which meant it was well out of reach. “Give me that, so I can hit you!”
“Katara there are five other pillows on that bed,” Aang pointed out.
The guy really didn’t understand the rules of a pillow war. Katara jumped, which caused them both to fall over and they scrambled for the pillow that she claimed first, and started pummeling him again. “It was a metaphor, you dumbass.”
“What are you on about?”
“He didn’t want to be kidnapped for real, which Tui and La you are lucky they didn’t execute you for kidnapping the fire lord.”
“Iroh thought it was funny, and the captain of the guard was grateful for learning about a couple holes in his security,” Sokka protested. He rolled away and went and sat in a chair. “What did I do wrong then?”
“He meant that he was tired, Sokka, that being fire lord is weighing on him and that he is desperate for a break, but is worried if he takes one he’ll look weak, or that the kingdom will fall apart, or some crazy duty, honour loop that is stuck in his head, like always. He wants someone to whisk him away even for just a couple of days, so that he can be relieved of the burden of ruling a whole nation at 23.”
Sokka slumped, “Why didn’t I think of that?” He was an awful best friend. “It is so obvious.”
“Because you get all weird and intense around Zuko because you lovvvvve him.”
“I don’t love him,” Sokka muttered, and crossed his arms.
“I have to agree with Katara, Sokka, you behave like a man in love - like how I behave around Katara.”
He wouldn’t kill the most holy avatar, but he thought hard about that one free kill he still hadn’t used. “It’s different, Aang.”
“It doesn’t have to be. Zuko loves you, the way Katara loves me.” Aang was smiling with pure innocence and joy. Sokka pictured Suki hitting Aang with a fan. “And I do think Katara is right. When was the last time he took some time off? Not counting your actual kidnapping - which how did you manage that?”
“It was really not easy,” Sokka began, but a look from Katara quieted him. “So anyways, you think he just needs a vacation?”
“I do. A whole week away, no meetings, no crown, just his friends who love him.”
“Then why doesn’t he take a week off?”
“Because of that duty and being better stuff, Sokka. Really, how do you not understand. If he is ‘kidnapped’ well he can’t refuse to take the time off can he?” Katara was giving him her annoying I am far more wise than you head nod. Which was extra annoying because she was wiser than him. He was smarter, but she was wiser - it was a pain in the ass. “If you force him to take a break, well then he has no choice but to rest.”
“Where though? Need it pretty close, don’t want to lose a lot of time traveling.”
“Ember Island,” they all said together.
Sokka nodded to himself, and went to grab his journal. “So this kidnapping, I probably don’t have to drug him, or put the metal gloves on him.” He made some notes. “Appa will get us there, which he’ll be able to tell by the smell, unless we block that?”
“Sokka,” Katara sighed, “remember he wants to be kidnapped. Just say you are stealing him away, and maybe blindfold him?”
“Yeah, but if you are right about him being scared of shirking his duty, he might say no?” Aang worried.
“He will, he absolutely will. Back to drugging it is!” Sokka said cheerfully. “I’ve been working on the formula, I think I have it fine tuned, should make him lethargic, easily suggestible so that he goes along with us and oh wait, I do not like how that sounds.” He looked at them, and they were staring at him in horror. “This on the list of bad Sokka inventions isn’t it?” There were slow nods of agreement. He ripped a few pages out of his journal. “Aang?” They burned away to ash. “Well, back to the knock him out cold drug.”
“That is still bad?” Katara asked.
“No, but it is in part for you.”
“What?”
“In healing really bad injuries, wouldn’t it help if the person was unconscious, immobile?” Sokka showed her the recipe. “See? It has more practical purposes than just letting me kidnap Zuko.”
“This, yeah, this could actually be useful, but this plant use too much and the person doesn’t wake up.”
“I know, it has to be triple filtered and diluted, and you need a strong background in herbology before you mess with it.”
“You did,” Aang pointed out.
“I have read almost everything in the royal library while I chill with Zuko during his meetings. Picked up a fair bit.” Sokka looked at his journal. “Yeah, I’m going to have to just knock him out again, but quarter dose of what I used last time. Then we load him up onto Appa and away to vacation. Leave a regular note, not a ransom note and we are golden.”
“Sokka, I worry about you,” Katara had to point out. “I think you are taking this to extremes, if you just told him it was a favour for you he would jump to do it.”
“He would?” Sokka made a face, and looked at his journal like it might have the answers. “Why?”
“Because he loves you as much as you love him. Just try it before the drugging? Say, Zuko I need you to do me a favour and see what happens.”
“But I can keep the drugging as a back up?” Sokka hugged his journal a bit. “Because if this is what he meant, what he needs, it is happening.”
“Yes, you can keep the drugging as a back up,” Katara reassured him.
“Then we’ll do this.” They chilled for the rest of the day, until Zuko joined them after his meetings. Katara kicked him and Sokka took the hint. “Hey, Zuko, I have a favour to ask you.”
*
Zuko wore the blindfold obligingly, but it was fairly easy to tell they were headed to the beach house. The direction that Appa flew, the smell of the air, it was simple to put together. The second Sokka had asked for the favour, Zuko would have done whatever he wanted - Sokka never asked for anything. Then he was blinded folded, and they were off. He really appreciated not being drugged this time. He was hoping perhaps though once they arrived, that Sokka would tie him up a bit for the fun part of the kidnapping.
“I’m sure you’ve guessed already, but you are fine leaving the blindfold on, for authenticity’s sake?”
Sokka sounded so hopeful and it made Zuko smile that this time, Sokka had it right. “I am very fine with that,” Zuko reassured him. He reached a hand out, and Sokka took it. Zuko couldn’t resist and brought it to his lips, kissed Sokka’s knuckles, and then turned it to kiss the pulse point in his wrist.
“Oh, that is so sweet,” Katara said and Zuko froze.
“Katara?” why was Katara there?
“I can kiss you like that, Katara,” Aang said.
And Zuko no longer cared about authenticity, and pulled off the blindfold. Stared at his friends who waved eagerly at him. And then Sokka who was pouting that he had pulled off the blindfold. “Katara and Aang are here.”
“Yeah, of course! What’s a few days of rest and relaxation without your friends and family?” Sokka said. “Katara set me straight on what you meant by kidnapping. I am so sorry I kidnap kidnapped you before, when you just meant that you needed a few days off.”
“I meant that?” He had not meant that.
“Of course, you work so hard, Zuko, and I try to help but -”
“You help,” Zuko swore to him. “You have no idea how much you help. I’m always dreading the day that you are telling me you are going back home.”
“Huh, I am home?” Sokka frowned, lost. “Where is home besides the palace, or wherever you are?”
“I,” Zuko let out a breath, he could never cope with Sokka’s confused sincerity. “You are home too,” was what he said after another moment. He could see Ember Island approaching. He could use a few days away, even if this wasn’t the type of kidnapping he wanted from Sokka, not that he would ever tell Sokka what he had meant when he was talking with Mai. “I could use a break.” It was the truth. He could also use Sokka pinning him down and fucking him into next week while he was bound and gagged, but well a nice swim sounded fun too.
*
Mai was in his room. “What did I do to warrant being murdered?” He asked as he put his back to the wall. Sokka didn’t have a weapon on him and cursed a bit. “If you kill me, Zuko will be grumpy.” That should maybe keep him alive. He hoped.
“You are an idiot.”
“You broke in to tell me that?” Sokka was confused, “You tell me that every time we talk, why is this time special?” He tried to think. “No, the anniversary of the first time you called me an idiot isn’t for another six weeks.”
“How do you remember something like that?”
“Because Zuko was feeding turtleducks and Toph pushed him into the pond and he was all wet and I always remember when I see wet Zuko. And no, that isn’t weird, that is a perfectly normal thing to remember about your best friend, Katara.” There was a raised brow, “Sorry, Mai. Just used to shouting that at Katara, not thinking about you like a sister. I mostly don’t like to think about you at all. I do, but I don’t want to.”
“Are you done?”
Sokka sighed, “Yeah, can I sit?” She nodded and gestured like it was her space, not his. Stupid nobility having those stupid manners. “So, killing me?”
“No, talking to you. Tea?” He just shrugged, and she poured out tea. “Do you know why Zuko and I broke up?”
“He doesn’t talk about that.”
“Because as much as we loved each other, still do love each other, we were too the same. We both are strong people and we both wanted…care.”
“He cares for you, I hate how much he cares for you,” Sokka replied.
“Why?”
Sokka just shrugged again, because they both knew the answer even if he had been in denial for years.
“That’s why you are an idiot,” she said, “why I’ve always called you an idiot. But to be fair he is an idiot too. You are perfect for each other.” She drank her tea. “Sokka, you can’t keep kidnapping him.”
“It was twice. Two kidnappings is hardly a pattern!” Now Sokka was annoyed. “And the second one was what he wanted. Katara told me, and he agreed.”
“He was lying. He did need that break, but that wasn’t why he wanted to be kidnapped.”
Sokka was confused, and he didn’t like it when Mai confused him. “But Katara is always right on this kind of stuff. What other type of kidnapping could he have wanted?”
Mai looked impatient. “Sokka, seriously think about it, and stop playing a naive moron. It doesn’t suit you.”
Sokka glared at her but tried to think of any reason that Zuko might want to be kidnapped other than a break from work and he was coming up blank. “I’m sorry Mai, you know I’ll give Zuko whatever he needs, but this time I don’t know what that is.” He was at a complete loss. “I don’t understand.”
“You really don’t, do you?” Mai was smiling a bit, and he was terrified by whatever she was about to say. “Sokka he wants to be kidnapped for sex reasons.”
Sokka reached for the cup of tea that he hadn’t touched picked it up, took a sip, carefully put it back down. He leaned back on the couch he was sitting on, crossed his legs. He stared at her, completely calm and casual. “I see.” He didn’t even remotely see.
“I was telling him about a thing that Ty Lee had done, where we played. It is a game. She ‘kidnapped’ me and I was forced to pleasure her, had no choice since I was tied up to let her do whatever she wanted with my body. And stop picturing it, Sokka.”
“I’m sorry,” he replied desperately, “but how do the logistics work, if you tie a person to a chair which is really standard for kidnapping and -” he frowned, because he wasn’t trying especially to picture the part most guys would but just the sheer logistics. “And isn’t force bad? Like you know…”
“Not when you’ve talked about it, not when it is what the person wants,” she explained and oh spirits save him, he was getting sex help from Zuko’s ex. He was learning about sexual things from a person who has been there with the person he wants to be with, because yes Katara he is finally admitting he loves Zuko, and he really cannot be thinking as part of his brain like Katara right now, when Zuko’s ex is explaining a sex thing that Zuko wants. “Sokka, where are you?” Mai was waving a hand in his face.
“I have no idea,” he had to admit. He needed to focus. This was a thing that Zuko wanted, and just like always when he had that thought all his scattered thoughts aligned and he stared at Mai. “Explain everything to me.” He gave her his attention in a way he hadn’t since when she had first been trying to kill him.
“Oh, that is why he is gone on you,” she said and nodded. “Let’s talk about control.”
Sokka drank the tea and listened carefully to everything she explained, and it wasn’t hot except that it was in that this was what Zuko wanted and he could provide. He thought about how much of everything he did was about serving Zuko and asked Mai about that, because she seemed to have a lot of answers, and she had one for this too. Every question he had, she answered honestly and calmly and in one conversation he stopped hating her, because they both loved Zuko and wanted him to be happy. He couldn’t hate someone who felt like how he did.
“Just so we’re clear, I don’t kidnap kidnap him before we do this right, it is staged like a play?”
“That is right, no proper kidnapping. I did hear though that security has really improved since you pulled that first one off.”
“Yeah, at least some good came of it, and Tui and La that was why he said that stuff about letting him go, and he’d show how grateful he was.”
“That is the other way to play the scenario, yes,” she agreed. “Don’t do this though, if it doesn’t interest you, Sokka. He’d never want to push you into doing something you don’t want.”
“I -uh- want, could want, yeah, it doesn’t, so how’s the weather on Kyoshi island?” She has spent an hour explaining all sorts of sex things to him, and he hadn’t flinched, but now that the focus was him and not Zuko, it was awkward.
“Fine, I miss cities, but for Ty Lee I can cope.”
“I miss glaciers sometimes,” he agreed. “The cool wind against your cheek, that sound of ice cracking. Spirits, I miss that sound. But I’d miss him more if I went back for longer than a few weeks.”
“Love is really annoying isn’t it?”
“So damn annoying,” Sokka had to agree. “Mai, could I ask a few more questions? There is no one else I could go to.”
“It’s for Zuko, I have all the time you need.”
Yeah, they were never going to be friend friends, but he would never be able to hate her again. Dammit. He enjoyed hating her. They talked more, and when he had to ask increasingly specific questions and needed not to look at her, they went and did target practice, which made them both realize that Zuko had a bit of type. Awkward. But not awful. “I’m going to stop asking Suki to have you be my one free kill.”
“Thank you, Sokka, that means a lot. I’m going to call you an idiot a bit less.”
That was sweet.
They eventually agreed she had told him everything he needed to know right now, which that concerned and intrigued him, but the rest had to be between he and Zuko. “I should like tell him I love him and want to be with him forever, before I kidnap him for sexual purposes and shenanigans right?”
“That’s up to you.” She hugged him, and oh that was scary. “Well, that was wrong.”
“Yeah, never do that again.” She left without even a goodbye, putting them back on decent standing.
Sokka went and had a bath, wore some of the clothes that Zuko had bought him because Zuko liked when he did that. It was a Tuesday which meant Zuko was doing his favourite royal duty. Sokka went to the royal agni kai grounds, and saw Zuko teaching a dozen children the dance of dragons. “Your fire doesn’t come from anger,” he was teaching them, “it comes from life itself. It is joy, not malice, that makes your flame glow brightly.” He moved arms, and feet into proper placements. “Now let’s practice the -”
“Sokka!” One of the kids shouted and fell over waving.
“We’re going to practice being me? I’m down for that, I think I have me pretty much nailed at this point!” Sokka caught the boy who flung himself at Sokka, and gave him a spin. “But how about all of you focus on being firebenders and what Fire Lord Zuko is trying to teach you. Here, I’ll practice too.”
“But you can’t bend,” a couple of the newer students protested.
“Nope, not even a bit, but the moves are fun to do,” he replied as he stepped in line with them. “Teach me oh great master of flame and fire, just as the dragons taught you and the avatar.” He bowed and snickered a bit at the look that Zuko gave him. But he moved with the children, as Zuko taught and he had watched this enough to actually have it all down pat. He helped a few of the children and eventually the lessons were done, the care takers took the students back to the orphanage.
“They are coming along,” Zuko said clearly pleased. “By the end not a single one fell down.”
“You are a great teacher, buddy. Got a way with them. Dinner?”
“Of course, we always eat together.”
“Yeah, but this dinner? At it, I need to tell you I’ve been in love with you for years, and finally admitted it to myself when Mai decided to sit me down and explain the kidnapping thing, and a lot about sex in general which was educational and terrifying, and we don’t hate each other anymore because we decided we love you enough to let that go and half my hatred was fear one day you’d get back together with her, when I’ve been standing here loving you all this time.” Sokka took a breath, “And I want us to be together, dating, partners, I’ll marry you tomorrow if you want, and for a bit having regular sex before I jump into the kidnapping you for sex thing. I need us to fuck like seven? Maybe eight times, then we can do the kidnapping thing.” Sokka looked at Zuko. “Yeah, just to prepare, that’s what we’ll be talking about at dinner. Hope it is rice tonight, feeling that more than noodles.” He needed to run away now. Maybe back to the south pole. Or the spirit realm. He hated it there, but it was away from this moment. “See you at dinner, buddy. Do I still get to call you buddy, after this dinner where I tell you, you are the love of my life?” Zuko was still just staring at him. Sokka whistled and turned away slowly, walked away before his heart was smashed into a million pieces. He had to stop walking though when fire shot by him. “You could just ask me to stop.” He couldn’t turn back.
He didn’t have to though, because then Zuko was in front of him. Glaring at him. But like a happy glare. “At dinner, I’m going to tell you that I’ve loved you for a long time, and I never want you to leave, and sometimes I feel guilty keeping you away from your home and family, but never so guilty that I can tell you go home for a visit, because what if you never come back. And I’ll tell you that you are moving into my room tonight, we are making the relationship public tomorrow, and thanks to being fire lord it will be about a year before we can marry. We can have sex a thousand times before you kidnap me, and you don’t ever have to do that if you don’t want me to, and if after we make these confessions at dinner which will now be private in my room, you don’t kiss me dramatically, and we fall to the floor, tearing clothes off, and fumbling through touching and a too quick first orgasm because we have wanted each other for so long, we can’t make it good, I will light you on fire.”
“Well, guess it is going to be an interesting dinner isn’t it?” Sokka bounced on his feet a bit. “And just to be clear, I am very okay with the kidnapping idea. Somewhere between seven and a thousandth time. Lot closer to seven is my bet though. So dinner?”
Zuko nodded. “Dinner.”
Sokka went up to his room, and started packing everything. Then he realized that was going poorly so he just started grabbing stuff and hauling it to Zuko’s room. He ignored the giggles from the staff, but thanked them when they collected everything he dropped and brought it to the fire lord’s chambers. For now it could all just sit in a corner. He’d have time to sort it. It seemed he’d have the rest of his life.
*
After The 53rd time
Zuko walked into his bedroom and snarled when a hand closed over his eyes and one over his throat. “Well, well, well, look what we’ve caught here,” was whispered against his ear. Zuko smiled to himself before he started to struggle - not much, just a little bit. The hands moved and grabbed the arms that he had already put behind his back, and rope was tied around them. Really well, honestly Sokka was a genius with knots. A blindfold was put over his eyes. “Are you going to be good and come along quietly, or do I have to gag you?”
Damn, that was a hard choice. “I’ll scream for help.”
There was a chuckle and since when could Sokka sound dark and mysterious? “No, you won’t,” was said against him, and then a gag was in his mouth. He was picked up and thrown over a shoulder, and he tensed a bit as the door opened. “Don’t worry, I planned this around guard rotation, and if they catch us, is this any weirder than the mushroom incident?”
That was a good point. Zuko relaxed and let Sokka kidnap him away.
Finally the right sort of kidnapping.
But it was also Sokka, so who actually knew, but it certainly wouldn’t be boring.