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Sokka didn’t put much stock in soulmates.
The idea that he was supposed to automatically fall in love with or be best friends with someone just because they physically couldn’t lie to him sounded ridiculous. Though, he had to admit, it sounded better than giant flashing spirits pointing directly to someone you’re supposed to marry.
It didn’t stop him from making sure no one in the tribe was his soulmate. He didn’t really want any of them to be. They were all either too old, too young, or too related to him.
Katara finding out her soulmate was the Avatar slowed down the few thoughts Sokka did have on the matter. He was shoved without warning into a position where he had to protect his little sister and the boy who was already way too in love with her. There was no time to spend gawking or trying to lie to the few allies they had as a means of determining his theoretical complimentary match.
In all of the chaos that he was sorting through on a daily basis, the one relief he and the spirits could agree on was that the Fire Nation boy Zuko was definitely not his soulmate. Sokka had known that from day one.
When he’d thrown his boomerang and managed to get an excellent hit on Zuko, it had been a small piece of relief after his disaster of a fight. On Zuko’s ship, trying to rescue Aang, the prince had stopped and stared at him during their fight.
“The hit you got in with your weapon was actually pretty smart.” Zuko pointed to his boomerang. “You learn quick.”
He was right, of course, but Sokka knew Zuko must’ve thought he was lying. There’s no way that he would’ve actually complimented Sokka and been sincere.
Sokka pushed him off the ship.
On top of being a rude, grumpy Fire Nation soldier, he lied outrageously to someone who couldn’t be his soulmate. Saying things like ‘the sky is purple’ and other obvious lies were supposed to be reserved for people to say to others who might be their soulmate. To lie outrageously to someone you couldn’t be with was considered as crass as, well, attacking a village and threatening Gran Gran.
Sokka really wasn’t all that surprised. At least the spirits hadn’t screwed him over this time by making the worst possible person in the world his soulmate. Maybe they were finally giving him a break.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The spirits were not giving Sokka a break.
He’d been beaten up by a bunch of girls, learned to be humble by dressing up like said girls, and now everything was burning down. Then again, he had learned to fight with really cool fans, so maybe things weren’t so bad.
Of course, Prince Zuko was the one burning everything down, so the spirits still had some explaining to do. He’d exchanged lies with Suki, and he was glad that she still seemed to like him even though they weren’t soulmates.
Sokka had to remind himself that the Kyoshi warriors were all capable as he watched them exchange blows with Zuko. As it was, he barely stepped in at the last minute to deflect a blow of fire from hitting Suki.
While he fought Zuko after the others had been knocked down, Zuko opened his mouth to speak. Sokka was expecting some form of trash talking or at least a few “peasant” comments.
“You look quite nice in the Kyoshi style for a Water Tribe boy.”
That was…the last thing Sokka was expecting. The fact that Zuko was still throwing lies at him even though he’d already done it once was downright awful. He would’ve expected even the Fire Nation to have some rules about soulmates. They worshiped the sun, so they probably believed in all of the spirit stuff too.
Unfortunately, Sokka didn’t get the chance to retaliate before he was on the ground and Aang had control of the situation. He could’ve insulted the Firelord! That seemed like the perfect thing to make this Zuko creep angry, always screaming about glory or whatever it was.
It wasn’t until he was on Appa flying away with the others that he left a small part of himself feel bad for how complimentary Zuko’s lies were. It was one thing to state a fact that wasn’t true. It was another to comment on something personal.
It made him all the more determined to punch Zuko in the face.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The next time Zuko lied to Sokka, it was about his sister. He honestly preferred the weirdly personal lies to things that had to do with Katara.
The cloud of fog created by the pirates was awful considering he was still tied up from being captured. While Sokka was searching for some way to escape, from the fog or the ropes, he ran into Zuko. Literally, face first into the dudes knees. At least, Zuko lost his balance and fell over, putting them on somewhat equal footing. Sokka braced himself for another creepy personal comment.
“I’m sorry for your using sister’s necklace as leverage. I know what it means to miss someone.” Zuko looked almost as angry as Sokka felt when he finished speaking. The last thing he saw was Zuko rolling out of the cloud of fog before a pirate’s knife landed in front of him that he could use to cut the ropes around his hands.
There wasn’t much time to dwell on that jerk prince commenting about his sister. Finding Aang in the mess was more important, freeing Katara next, and then the object of trying to get away when Appa wasn’t around. There were too many problems to solve at one time for him to worry about Zuko’s lies.
He’d carve out time to be angry later.
~~~~~~~~~~~
The last lie Sokka heard Zuko tell was at the Northern Water Tribe, and it was by far the worst.
He’d told Aang that they should just leave Zuko in the snow. He always seemed to make it anyways, so why would they bring the guy who’s constantly after them.
Yue patiently told them the story of her life and how she owed it all to the moon spirit. He reached over to hold her hand for the rest of the flight back to the Oasis, but Zuko couldn’t even let him have that.
Before they slipped off of Appa to face Zhao, Sokka heard Zuko’s breathing pick up as if he was awake again. He didn’t see any movement, but he didn’t really feel good about accidentally attacking someone who was knocked out if it was just a mistaken hunch.
“You’re both beautiful and kind. I hope you’re happy with her.” Zuko’s whispers probably only reached Sokka because Zuko was facing him in his bonds at the back of Appa’s saddle. He looked at the others, but it was clear nobody else had heard.
Sokka was seconds away from yelling at him to shut up with his rude personal lies, but Appa landed at the Oasis. It was time to fight to make sure Yue was okay, and he would rather protect her and his friends than yell at Zuko.
In the end, it didn’t really matter. Yue was gone, and Zuko’s stupid lie still burned through him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Hello! Zuko, here. Hey, I heard you flying around down there, so I just thought I’d wait for you here.”
Sokka was going to throw him in the fountain and let Katara freeze him in there. Fortunately, everyone else seemed to agree with his feelings. Zuko was sent away, and Sokka could always find another opportunity to yell at him about everything he’d done.
Toph kept arguing about Aang needing a fire bending teacher, and saying that all of his lies sounded sincere. Every single time she mentioned him telling the truth, Sokka got a little closer to snapping.
“I’m just saying! If he was really lying, he would’ve done a much better job! He wasn’t even trying to come up with a good lie!” Toph pointed in the direction Zuko left, and Sokka felt all of the anger he’d had since Yue’s death boil over.
“He’s an awful liar, Toph!! He’s found time to lie to me almost everywhere we’ve met him!! He told me that I was a smart fighter! He told me I looked nice!! He told me he was sorry for Katara’s necklace weeks ago!! Tui and La, he even told me that Yue and I were beautiful and kind and deserved to be together!! Obviously, he doesn’t believe a single word of that!!”
Sokka flinched when he heard his voice echo back off of the walls of the Northern Air Temple. He hadn’t meant to yell. Everyone was staring at him, even Teo, The Duke, and Haru. Nobody seemed to know how to react.
“Maybe we should…just forget about it.” Aang held up his hands, in the way he did when he was doing his ‘I’m the Avatar, and I want peace’ routine.
Everyone else refused to meet Sokka’s eyes, as if they weren’t as offended by Zuko’s incredibly rude lying as he was. Even a little anger would be great!! Sokka left as quickly as possible, running into a random room in the temple. He could deal with them at dinner, but their stares were just too much after all of the chaos.
What was worse, Sokka had no idea what they were thinking, but he knew they’d all been thinking the same thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Toph’s feet got burned, Sokka felt terrible. Still, there was a small part of him that was relieved that the others would listen to him about Zuko.
Of course, Zuko had to go and wreck it all by almost dying to save them from Combustion Man. It didn’t make anything he’d done remotely okay, but at least Sokka knew he’d get the chance to yell at Zuko about all of his lies in private. He’d also make him apologize to Yue, which he was sure would be a real test of Zuko’s loyalty.
“I’m so happy you’ve all accepted me into your group.”
“Not so fast.” Aang looked back at Sokka, Katara, and Toph. “I still have to ask my friends if it’s okay with them. Toph, you’re the one that Zuko burned. What do you think?”
Toph got the same grin on her face that she had before she started a scamming operation. “Sure, let him join.” She put one hand on the ground in front of her. “I would like him to lie to us first. His sister had that creepy habit of lying and I couldn’t tell. I want to make sure he isn’t the same way.”
Thank you, Toph!! Someone was finally on Sokka’s side. They’d all see that Zuko couldn’t be trusted to tell the truth. Maybe they could make an arrangement to retake him as their prisoner after Toph saw he couldn’t be trusted.
Zuko opened his mouth to speak.
He didn’t say a word.
Why wasn’t he saying anything?
“Come on, it’s not that hard!!” Sokka crossed him arms. “You did it to me way too many times.”
Zuko’s face turns red, and he gasps for air like he’s just been drowning. “I’ve never lied to you.”
Sokka scoffs and moves forward to poke Zuko in the chest. “Yes, you have!! That was a lie!! You’ve lied to me so many times!! Just tell us one lie!!”
Zuko took a deep breath, but he stood silently until Sokka shoved him backwards a step.
“You told me I was pretty!! You said I was smart!! You said you were sorry!!” Sokka gestured wildly at the sky. “Lie about the color of the sky, dammit!! It’s not that hard!!”
Zuko took another deep breath.
“The sky is blue.” What the fuck was Zuko doing? “You are pretty. I was glad you found someone who could make you as happy as you deserve.” This had to be some joke the spirits were playing on him. “I’m so sorry about what happened after that. You were so smart and learned how to beat me after barely a few minutes. You adapted to everything around you.” Because if Zuko wasn’t lying- “Your eyes look like the color of the sea at dawn. You’re distracting. You’re brilliant. I hated being mean to you, all of you. I never wanted to fight. I want to-“ Zuko slapped a hand over his mouth.
“…Toph?”
“Leave me out of this one, Snoozles.”
Zuko took a deep breath and made eye contact with Sokka.
“Tell me the sky is purple, Sokka.”
The sky is purple. “The sky is blue.”
……..The sky is purple.
“The sky is blue.”
Oh.
Oh no.
“See!! I told you all Sparky was telling the truth!!”
Sokka distantly heard the sound of his sister shushing Toph and dragging away the others. None of it really registered because Prince Asshole was his soulmate. Everything he’d said to Sokka was true.
Everything he’d said to Sokka was true.
“You think I’m pretty?”
Zuko was blushing hard enough that Sokka was a little worried he might burst into flames.
“I think you’re pretty.”
“Tell me you’ve changed.” Sokka whispered soft enough that his voice couldn’t echo off the temples walls.
“I’ve changed. I realized that I didn’t want to hurt anyone anymore. The only person who was ever family to me wanted me to be better, and I want to make him proud. My…Firelord Ozai is a monster who hurts anyone to get what he wants. He has to be stopped. I want to help you in any way I can. I’ve always wanted to help you, but I didn’t know how.”
Sokka reaches out and holds his hand, still half afraid he’ll get burned for the effort. “What do you want, Zuko?”
Zuko smiles in a way that looks odd after only seeing him angry for so long. “I want to end this war so I can stop people from hurting.” He looks down at his feet. “So I can really get to know you.”
Sokka leans forward and tilts his head up just enough to kiss him on the cheek.
“Apologize a few more times, and take me on a real date when this war is over? You just might get to know me.” Sokka laughs and squeezes his hands. “I think I just might want to know you too.”