Archive of Our Own

Zuko's eyes opened minutes after the early morning sun began to shine through their window. Most fire benders didn't wake until the land was filled with sunlight, but for Zuko, they enjoyed rising during the softer hours of morning, when the sun was still yawning and stretching, and greeting the turtle ducks and meadow voles as they, too, arose from their slumber. Most days, they would dress lightly and grab a book to read aloud amongst the turtle ducks near the pond. They found that they despised historical texts, but that they were very fond of poetry; sometimes, they would even write their own poems to bring to the pond. Once the sunlight became more saturated, they would give each of the turtle ducks a loving pet or two before returning to their chambers to get dressed in their official Fire Lord robes. Zuko dressed simply. They wore their hair in a proper top knot with the traditional five-pronged headpiece and preferred to wear a tunic not dissimilar to those which they had worn during their travels with their friends. Today, they donned the ever-so-eccentric royal robes they despised for the accentuation of their shoulders, for they felt no need to appear more menacing than they truly were. However, they were necessary for the meeting Zuko had with their cabinet today for precisely that reason.
As the newly coronated Firelord, Zuko was stuck in a grand dilemma of their own making. They had reached a wall in their fight for improvement in the nation’s domestic policy: during his reign, loser-lord Ozai had placed a ban on same-gender and polygamous marriages; at the time, Zuko was already in their exile, but they remember feeling privately outraged that their father felt that he was allowed to control who his citizens could love and marry, claiming that relationships that were not exclusively of a man and woman were ‘disgusting’ and ‘immoral by nature’. Their appointed cabinet, mainly compromised of nobles they weren’t particularly fond of, may have finally accepted Zuko as their new leader, but by no means were any of them as open to the idea of same-gender couples and polyamorous triads and harems walking through the streets. Hell, it was hard enough getting them to refer to them with neutral pronouns, and there weren’t any laws against that!
“Firelord Zuko, we simply don’t understand why you’re so concerned about your subjects’ love lives! Surely you wouldn’t wish the population’s growth to slow down, do you desire for the Fire Nation to remain small and insignificant?” Ukano, one of the cabinet members, asked. Ukano happened to be Mai’s father, and he was in complete denial over Mai’s announcement that she and Ty Lee had begun dating. He pretends like she’s just lying in wait for a man to come and whisk her away, even though Ty Lee is plenty strong enough to whisk Mai off of her feet.
“The population’s growth will not slow down. People who aren’t attracted to a gender they can have offspring with don’t marry and have children anyway, at least not a majority of them. Also, our nation has an incredibly high number of children in orphanages, so by allowing people to marry who they wish, regardless of the gender or number of desired spouses, those kids can possibly be adopted by these people and be given a loving home. And for the record, our nation is one out of four nations, and is responsible for bringing the world out of balance directly because of the 100-year war that we instigated; we are literally incapable of being insignificant on a world-wide scale,” Zuko retorted, wishing that this meeting could end, and the marriage ban lifted.
Another cabinet member, Lei, one of Zuko’s favorites, being one of the younger nobles, directed their clapback towards Ukano and said, “For a man with a daughter in a healthy relationship with another young woman, of another noble may I add, you sure are set on maintaining the ban on people just like your daughter. I see no reason to further draw out more of Ozai’s outdated tyranny. How are we able to proudly be a part of this great nation that prides itself on trying to right the wrongs of past Firelords and staff members and on restoring balance when we can’t even agree that people in our own country should have the freedom to love and marry whomever they wish? Lifting the ban won’t affect any of the existing happy relationships and marriages in this country, it merely seeks to restore the freedom of love to those citizens who are currently unable to express their love freely through the act of marriage. Don’t you want your daughter to be free, Ukano?” Many of the cabinet members’ eyebrows were raised, their heads turning to Ukano for his response.
Ukano, fuming with internal rage, retorted, "My daughter has no illegal affiliation with any nobleman's daughter. My fellow noblemen, how would you have your daughters running off with other less-esteemed women? Surely you have your own fortunes to consider, you would be losing an investment in allowing your daughters the choice not to be married off to a wealthy husband," he smoothed down his robe before adding, "They would be unable to bear any sons to continue the family name." Some of the other noblemen began to mumble amongst themselves, considering Ukano's argument. Zuko's eyebrow was twitching incessantly with annoyance at Ukano's unashamed dehumanization of Mai and Ty Lee.
"Like my esteemed associate stated earlier, lifting the marriage ban will be reinstating freedom of choice to all citizens in the Fire Nation. Adoption, as I have repeatedly mentioned, is a viable option for those who wish to continue the family name without procreation. In fact, there is a chance I may not have a blood-related heir, for I am not interested in only women, but men as well," gasps were made around the room, which only served to egg Zuko on further. "Are you declaring that I, your Fire Lord, do not deserve to express my love however I desire to? That I, along with the many citizens of our nation who are akin to me, are secondary citizens compared to those of you that can produce children with their lovers?"
Another noble, Daichi, spoke up, "Do not attempt to fool us with this tomfoolery any longer, Fire Lord Zuko. You are not truly this way, for the only person you have ever courted is Ukano's daughter, Mai." The other nobles nodded, to Zuko's detriment. However, a spark lit up in their head. If only they were in a very illegal relationship, the cabinet would be all but forced to vote in opposition to maintaining the ban.
"Actually, sir, I am currently with both a man and woman at the moment; they're Suki of Kyoshi Island and Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe. Perhaps you know them?" Zuko replied coolly, hoping that none of the cabinet members would see the raging red take over the surface of his face. It worked, sort of.
"Fire Lord Zuko, how are any of us to believe your unfounded claim?" Ukano asked, skeptical.
"Perhaps you have not noticed, Ukano, what with your utter denial of these types of relationships, but anytime Captain Suki or Ambassador Sokka have time in their packed schedules, they arrive on the shores of the Fire Nation capital as soon as the tides allow. Have you not seen the three of them together in the streets of the city? Surely you have seen the three of them talk over tea and figs near the turtle duck pond? They've been rather obvious in their courting in spite of their lifestyle being illegal." Lei responded. The noblemen talked amongst themselves, wondering who they were to deny their Fire Lord a free pursuit of love without legal boundaries. Zuko paid no mind to this, their brain not making the connection that Lei had in relation to the romantic characterization of what had been perceived as platonic quality time amongst three idiots pining for each other. A few of the members of the cabinet made eye contact with Lei, silently giving him permission to speak on their behalf. He inhaled, and stated:
"While some remain skeptical of your honesty in this matter, Fire Lord Zuko, I am of the belief that you are an honest person, and that you, as well as all citizens of our nation, deserve their innate right to freedom of love, and should be able to marry whomever they desire to in the hopes that the repealment of this marriage ban will bring the people of the Fire Nation together and further our strive for an era of love and peace, as you have stated." Zuko and some of the other noblemen gave discreet smiles, and the meeting was soon brought to a close, with Zuko and their cabinet ruling in favor of lifting the marriage ban.
Zuko called upon a palace servant to pass out complimentary tea and snacks to their cabinet members; they found that after such an exhausting debate, a full stomach helped to settle down everyone's nerves. Once everyone had begun eating, they excused themselves and hurriedly left the meeting room, their breath becoming mildly labored.

. . .

"What in Agni have I gotten myself into?" Zuko thought, concerned. "I have to summon Suki and Sokka."
When Zuko told Ty Lee and the other nearby Kyoshi warriors what they had said in the meeting, they cackled and shook with laughter.
"That's hilarious, Zuko, this is going to be so much fun," Ty Lee said, her infectious smile creeping onto her face, and onto Zuko's as well, not wanting to find out what Ty Lee had in store for them.
She had told them that this was the best course of action, but they weren't convinced that spending an absurd amount of money on gifts for Suki and Sokka for a romantic welcoming reception was. They had already sent messenger hawks to both of them earlier, and were anxiously awaiting the hawks' return announcing their impending arrival. Ty Lee helped them pick out new silk robes for each of their faux lovers, each being saffron yellow with embroidered flowers and dragons in shades of vermillion and blood red, as well as headpieces for each of them to complement theirs, engraved on the inside of each ring with "you are what I saw in the dragons' fire". Ty Lee kept implying that this was an unnecessary addition to the rings but Zuko insisted that even after this all blows over, it would be nice to have matching headpieces with two of their closest friends. After all, they did see them in the dragon fire when they and Aang met the masters Ran and Shaw. Their friends, although very new to them at the time, have become one of the most important parts of their life, and even then they knew that they couldn't live without any of them. Not Toph, or Katara, or Aang, and especially not Sokka and Suki, for they love all of them so dearly. Fire is life, and since they unlocked the true meaning of fire, their friends, and their uncle, had been their fuel.
Ty Lee eventually stopped bothering Zuko about the headpieces, and they pushed their confusion towards how they felt about Suki and Sokka to the back of their mind. I will have time for that after this mess is over and done, they thought to themselves. So Zuko put their new headpiece on, tying a thin red ribbon around theirs to signify their status, and set off, their robes billowing as they walked, to arrange a special dinner with the kitchen servants for the evening he expected both of them to arrive.
Zuko wanted to make sure that both of their faux lovers felt at home and loved, even if it didn't really matter what was served since surely none of their legislation paid attention to their favorite foods like they did. For Sokka, they gave a tattered recipe written on parchment made from sealskin for stewed sea prunes, and told them to get it as close as possible to this with ocean kumquats, making sure to stew them long enough. They didn't personally want a huge stinky pot of that stuff, but Sokka loved it as much as he loved food in general, which was quite a bit. For Suki, they brought out an old wooden platter on which various fruits and vegetables would be served, including apples, cucumbers, cantaloupe, figs, and oranges, with a candied wildflower garnish and a bowl of honey to dip the fruit into, just how Suki liked it. She certainly exuded fitness-conscious energy, but her favorite meal being so simple is more a result of spending a lot of time on the road or training as part of her Kyoshi warrior duties, and a large component and often the freshest option was fruit. In her travels, she tried many new fruits and vegetables that weren't found on Kyoshi Island, and it was these that would be served on what had been their mother's favorite platter for its simplicity.
Other than Sokka’s and Suki's favorites, Zuko asked for a lavish dinner consisting of roast duck, sushi, rice, dried seaweed, wagashi desserts, ash banana bread, and a fruit tart, making sure to add a bowl of fire flakes onto the table to add as they all wished. Tea in their nation was an important part of a meal, and different teas had different symbolism depending on who you served it to. Zuko felt like having their favorite tea, jasmine, but insisted on brewing it themself rather than by one of the palace servants, who have never seemed to catch on to skillful and loving brewing like their uncle did. They added rose petals into the pot to show their affection towards them, being sure to remind themselves to request the glass tea cups so the rose petals that would be added on top later could be seen clearly to any expecting eyes. The fresh rose petals would be candied in mint sugar, a recent obsession of theirs, and with the tea, plum wine would also be served.
If Zuko had the most recent scroll of their friends' schedules, then they were due for a visit here anyway, for they had made sure that they got at least a week off every couple of months, seeing as how exhausting their work was. Regardless, Zuko couldn't help but be aware of the growing pit inside of their stomach, dreading the worst case scenario that all of their hard work towards legalizing love will be for naught as a result of a mishap during the execution of this plan. Ty Lee insisted that it would be fine, but they were antsy for the other two to get here anyway. They promised to give their entire servant staff ten silver pieces each, and two copper pieces for every member of their household, including animals, so long as they took no bribes from his legislation and kept watch of the ports and doors of the palace and made sure that they would be the first to know when Sokka and Suki had returned to the Fire Nation.
A few days go by and Suki had arrived early that morning, taking eager initiative for the vaguely explained plan by sneaking into the Firelord's room, setting down one of her shoes outside of their bedroom door and the rest in a trail leading to the bed so any person snooping would suspect that… certain intimate events had gone down. The group had grown comfortable enough around each other that they would walk around in night clothes and the others wouldn't blink an eye, no matter how skimpy they were dressed. However, when Zuko rose that morning to find Suki laying in their bed, curled in a ball nestled against their chest, they nearly shouted with alarm, but opted not to have a repeat of what he had done to Toph all those moons ago. They took a deep breath and ran their fingers through her hair, and did this for Agni knows how long, until she opened her eyes, grinning cheekily before sitting up to face Zuko.
"This is something I could get used to, since we'll be 'dating' for a while."
"I'd be more than happy to ensure you wake up with a smile on your face every morning," Zuko placed their hand over hers before adding, "I missed you, Suki, how was your mission?"
"It went well, that village has been safely reconstructed and decolonized, and is now part of the Earth Kingdom once again, although many of the families have heritage from both nations and I think it will stay that way for generations," she sighed triumphantly, meeting their eyes, "I missed you, too, but what the actual hell is going on?"
Zuko explained their plight, Suki bursting out laughing once they got her caught up. "This is gonna be a piece of cake, I think I already have a few ideas! All we have to do is be an obnoxious trio, like usual, just more affectionate, and once the repeal of the marriage ban has gone through and been signed and announced to the people, we'll just break it off quietly and continue on with our lives as usual."
"We shouldn't have to act super out of character, either, since most friend groups are already much more reserved than we are. We can read in the library, visit my uncle in Ba Sing Sei, go to the hot springs, and chill out in my bedroom at night so everyone presumes we're sleeping together." Zuko replied. A knock on the door, after approval to come in, was from one of the Kyoshi warriors that had been stationed in the palace; she said that a member of the palace staff had alerted her of Sokka's water tribe style ship on the horizon. Zuko and Suki shared a look, the both of them realizing that Suki's clothes were still all over the floor, but nodded curtly and after the warrior left, they both got ready to leave the palace immediately. Zuko opted for their simple tunic they had worn in their travels prior to rising to the throne, but once they were ready to put their hair up, they found that they had never done it themselves before. Whether it had been their mother, a servant, or their uncle, there had always been someone there to do their hair. Dismissing their hair's disheveledness as part of their disguise, they took a deep breath and met Suki at the door of their bedroom.
"Time to go debrief Sokka!" a grin spread across her face before tilting her head in confusion, "Zuko, what's up with your hair?"
"It's uh, part of my disguise! If my hair was done properly, everyone would recognize me immediately and my cabinet would know what I'm up to."
"Fair enough, ducky. Let's go!" Suki replied enthusiastically, seamlessly giving Zuko a pet name as a symbol of their love for each other. Zuko, being obsessed with turtle ducks and spending an abundance of time with them at their pond, left their bedroom a deeper shade of red than the banners adorned on the walls of the palace. They each grabbed a fruit, Suki an apple and Zuko a fig, before walking all the way down to the port, making sure to pet the turtle ducks on the way down. Many citizens hurried back and forth through the streets, with merchants pulling wagons full of produce like fruits, vegetables and fish to their stalls to sell. Suki and Zuko eventually were able to flow through the crowds and arrive at the port in time to see Sokka's ship turn into the dock and watch the crew tether her down. They both rushed to the dock and were practically jumping up and down waiting for Sokka. He eventually spotted them mid-conversation with one of his crew members and hurriedly makes a joke and wraps up his point before patting him on the back and rushing to the edge of the ship, where he jumps off and lands, kissing Suki dramatically. "You're a dumbass, now don't forget Zuko!" Suki smiles. Sokka, momentarily confused, gave Zuko an affectionate kiss on the cheek before giving them a hug immediately afterwards.
"How could I? I love you both!" Sokka grinned. "Zuko, what's up with your hair?" He watched as Zuko's absent-minded smile faltered.
"It's part of my disguise, I couldn't possibly walk out of the palace looking good without being recognized and swarmed immediately." they replied, hoping neither of them would realize that it was mainly due to their upbringing that they didn't know how to do their own hair.
"Oh, okay! Then shall we head back to the palace? I'm starving!" Sokka beamed, aware of the citizen near the dock that had been watching the three of them a little too intently.
"Of course, my loves, let's go!" Suki exclaimed, paying no mind to the spy that she, too, had noticed. The three of them clumsily linked hands and began the long walk back up to the palace. By the time they had shuffled through all of the traffic in the streets, the sun had risen to the point where everyone's skin was radiating sunbeams and slightly reflective from thin layers of sweat. To Zuko, Sokka especially looked astounding in sunlight, the warmth of the light made his skin almost glow and seemed to highlight all of his best facial features; but Zuko paid their thought no mind, as there was no need to pretend to be in love when not thinking aloud, and they didn't want to linger on why they paid so much attention to Sokka in that way when they weren't truly together.
Finally, they arrived at the heart of the Fire Nation, walked through the front entrance, and made their way back to Zuko's bedroom. Immediately, Sokka started throwing off the majority of his clothes, raiding Zuko's obnoxiously vast collection of clothing for something less diplomatic to wear. Zuko chuckled to themself before taking Suki and Sokka's hands.
"Don't worry, you guys, I have, uh, special clothes for you to wear," they said, noticing Sokka's reactive expression, "Not sexy clothes." and watched Sokka's expression become less suggestive.
"So, what clothes did you get us, Zuko? And uh, why?" Suki inquired, also removing the bulk of her clothing.
"Ty Lee convinced me to give you two custom sewn robes. Made of silk. Embroidered. I don't know if she was being serious but, hey, they look good, and they'll look great on you two- not like I'd know, but you know. Y'know?" Zuko stumbled through their rationalization of giving them the custom robes before adding, "There will also be headpieces for you two, like mine. I hope you'll like them." They pulled out the robes and carefully laid them out. Sokka barely looked at his before practically lunging for it and putting it on, grabbing a spare pin from his discarded outfit to keep it closed. Suki admired the embroidery on her silk robe and complimented the colors before gently wrapping it around herself and securing it, too.
"Damn, Zuko, they both fit us like a glove," she gave them a sarcastically questioning look. "How'd you know our sizes so well?" Zuko flushed red, suddenly finding the skin on their fingers extremely intriguing.
"Lucky guess? I hang around you two all the time, if I don't know your sizes, I don't know who would," Zuko replied bashfully. Sokka had been absentmindedly tracing the embroidery on his neckline out of appreciation but nodded.
After their impending departure hit him, Sokka declared, "Zuko, I want to fix your hair first, come here!" Zuko sighed and sat down in a nearby chair while Sokka located a comb and the nearest unadorned xiao guan.
"I'm sorry, I never really-" they cut themselves off, visibly relaxing once Sokka started combing through their hair; his fingers would gently lift a section of hair before running the comb softly through it. He did this twice for each chunk of hair, making sure not to tug at all. Around halfway through, he found a stubborn knot that he worked out with his calloused fingers. When he had finished his work with the comb, Zuko's hair was softer than the robes they all wore on their backs, and their entire body was teeming with warmth and adoration for this enormous man behind them who had struck their heart with love they had only ever felt from this act with their mother. Sokka now used the comb to section off the top half of their hair, making sure to carve a clear line between the two halves before combing through the upper half again to smooth it out. He drew Zuko's hair back away from their face and twisted it to then pull it through the golden ring, formed the top knot, and secured it with a matching hairpin. Sokka combed through the bottom half of Zuko's hair, adding a couple small braids for flair, before standing back to appreciate his work. Tentatively, Zuko asked, "Are you all done? I'm sorry you had to do my hair for me, I just-"
"I'm done, angel, and you don't have to say it; I know. Honestly, you should hire me as your hairdresser, I'm easily your best one." Sokka interjected. Zuko had nothing to apologize about, he knew that they likely couldn't do their own hair, considering their upbringing. Even during their exile, Zuko never really let their hair down, literally and figuratively, at least until they chopped off the ponytail. Sokka decided against telling Zuko how soothing he found styling hair to be, or that doing someone's hair in the Southern Water Tribe was typically reserved for close family members and significant others; not to mention the running double entendre that "styling hair" had in his tribe. It felt more intimate than kissing to Sokka. Not wanting Zuko to drop dead, he kept that information to himself and elected to make a joke instead.
"Thank you, Sokka," Zuko whispered gratefully. "I… really appreciate it." They hoped their face hadn't gone rosy but they knew it was more than likely it had. Sokka gave him an understanding smile before pulling them up out of their seat and into his arms for a bear hug. After Zuko seemed to be sufficiently hugged out, Sokka grinned and lunged to do the same to Suki; she jolted from the momentum but squeezed just as hard as her beloved warrior.
"Where to, Zuko? Wherever it is, keep in mind Sokka's bottomless appetite," Suki chuckled, patting the carnivore in question on the back.
"We still have a few hours until dinner, and the headpieces won’t be finished for a couple days, so I was thinking we could get lost in the library. There's a few scrolls' worth of work I need to get done but I figured I could do it on the new bag chair and you guys could lay on it with me," Zuko glanced into the mirror, admiring Sokka's work with a comb, before gesturing towards the bed cheekily. "Unless you wanted to pretend to have sex in here for a few more hours."
Preferring to postpone their night sleeping in Zuko's bed together for a little longer, they all left and headed towards the royal library, an enormous room that could be mistaken as a palace of its own with all of its splendor. It had several windowpanes lining the walls that were beautifully designed and lined with thin screens of parchment to keep unwanted elements and animals out. However, the best windows were the ones built into the ceiling; their design was similar to that of the regular windows, but they were around twice as big, also covered with thin parchment that was painted with abstract watercolor so the light that shone into the room and projected onto the thoughtfully placed lounge mats was bursting with color. Sokka and Suki loved it there, even if Sokka didn't read very often, he loved laying on the lounge mats and basking in the sun. Zuko adored watching Suki mess with Sokka's hair while he rested, his skin aglow and warm.
However, their borderline stalker-like behavior would have to wait until after they had done their work for the day and had written their uncle a humorous letter about their curious predicament. They entered the magnificent library with their faux lovers and an armful of scrolls, ink brushes, and ink before settling into one of the large bag chairs under a skylight. Sokka dove onto the bag chair and draped himself over Zuko's torso while Suki gently laid down and nestled herself into Zuko's side, encouraging Sokka to lay his head on her lap so she could mess with his hair. He took this offer with enthusiasm, and once he was finally settled and happy, Zuko laid his scrolls onto Sokka and used him as a desk since they were being used as a bed. As they made notes in their current scroll, the quiet rhythm of their steady breathing, their brush being dipped into the ink and wielded onto the parchment in Zuko's neat, elongated script soothed Sokka off to slumber. Suki had pulled a couple tomes on Fire Nation styles of nonbender fighting in preparation for Sokka's nap and was nose deep into her chosen books by now, her spare hand resting under Sokka's shirt, tracing shapes into his skin like protective sigils.
The sunlight had just begun to soften when Zuko had finally gotten through all of his scrolls; a servant had coincidentally came in around that time and Zuko hushed them, gesturing to Sokka's limp frame, before Zuko beckoned them towards them. The servant chuckled quietly on their way to the group, fully intending to gossip all about the implications of this pile of lovers, and stood near Zuko, who asked politely, "Would you mind taking these scrolls and passing them off to Yūbin? He knows where they need to be taken." The servant nodded, gathering the scrolls into their arms, bowing, and silently leaving, making sure to shut the library's door as gently as possible.
"There wasn't any need for them to be quiet, Zuko; Sokka sleeps harder than a log," Suki smirked, Sokka's snoring only proving her point.
"I know, but isn't he adorable? Plus, that servant is going to start palace gossip, which will spread like wildfire and our relationship can become common knowledge over the course of, I don't know, a week? People talk," Zuko replied, their heart wanting to continue gushing over how precious Sokka looks asleep, how much they adore watching him wake up and stretch for Agni knows how long before curling back up into the nearest warm thing, which was usually either Suki or themself. When either of their friends nestle into their sides, their skin seems to catch fire, as if they had laid down on moss that had been soaked in morning sunlight. Zuko's throat longed to stop holding those feelings hostage, but alas, they knew that Suki and Sokka wouldn't want to be in a genuine relationship with them, no way. Suki, who had been admiring the way the rich late afternoon sunlight made Zuko’s eyes look so full and indulgently golden, had been thinking the same of them. She was worried that if she made the proposition to Sokka about asking Zuko to go out with the both of them, that he'd get jealous and reject her. Sure, they had both openly expressed interest in Zuko as a possible FWB, or just spent afternoons stealing secret glances and whispering excitedly about how adorable they were. They would often sit behind Zuko when basking at the turtle duck pond so they could both watch them play with the ducklings. When they traveled with them and found trouble, often they would both give each other looks regarding Zuko's skill and how hot he looked while firebending, chuckling about how they wished they could get sweaty with him like that, minus the fire—on second thought, maybe fire. Sure, they both openly were smitten with him but surely that was just the raging hormones, right? "Suki? You alright?" Zuko asked, embarrassed after gushing about Sokka. Of course she knew how soft Sokka’s lips looked, and how his eyes shone like sunlight off of a babbling brook when he talked about plans and strategies and boomerangs, and how if you want to get him to stop talking, all they’d have to do is make an excuse to give him a massage and start to work on his shoulders and he’d melt like snow under a firebender’s feet. Of course she knew that already, she-
Zuko’s train of thought stopped when they felt a hand touch their shoulder.
“Zuko? Are you alright? You looked a little shaky,” Suki asked concerned. “I was a little lost in thought, too, if you wanted to talk about it?” Zuko exhaled a shaky breath they didn’t know they’d been holding, giving Suki a grateful smile.
“Just overthinking things is all. We’re friends, right?” Zuko replied. Suki sighed before flashing a smile to hide her disappointment.
“Yeah, we are.”
Not wanting to disturb the other, the both of them sat in painful silence, the only thing there to ease the pain being Sokka’s borderline snoring. Finally, after what felt like hours, a servant quietly opened the library door; they must have been informed of the sleeping ambassador ahead of time, Zuko thought.
“All of your requests for this evening’s dinner have been prepared with the exception of the tea. The tray has been left with your ingredients near your seat, my lord.” The servant softly informed.
“Thank you so much, my friend. Please be welcome for you and any of the other staff on the clock tonight to help yourselves to leftovers from tonight. It’s the least I can do for those working with irregular dishes.”
“Thank you, Firelord Zuko! I’ll be on my way now, and I’ll let everyone know.” The servant bowed, a new bounce in their step with the promise of fancy food.
“We should probably wake him up now,” Zuko commented to Suki once the library doors were once again shut.
“Such a shame, he’s so cute when he’s sleeping,” Suki frowned, but a grin peeked through quickly. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t have fun doing it!” Suki positioned her hands on either side of Sokka’s side, wiggling them a little for explanation. Zuko, now grinning, slowly removed Sokka’s shoes and positioned their hands over his now exposed feet. “Ready?” Suki asked, her expression now matching Zuko's level of excitement.
“Ready!” Zuko replied, and they descended upon the poor boy with their fingers, tickling him gently at first before going full force as he began to stir. He twitched, then an eye opened, and unholy laughter began to rumble out from his throat, not even having time to question why he was being tortured so.
“Fuck, please!” he cackled, body writhing from over sensitivity as Suki and Zuko continued to tickle him.
“Say Iroh!” Zuko insisted, their fingers now torturing behind Sokka’s knees.
“Noooo!” Sokka groaned, giggling uncontrollably.
“Say Iroh… or else!” Suki threatened, illustrating her point by bringing her fingers up to Sokka’s armpits. Sokka squirmed under her gaze for a few seconds before finally conceding.
“Iroh,” Sokka sighed, relieved as the torturous phalanges left his body. “What was that for, anyway?”
“Oh, I thought you’d be hungry by now, Sokka, or were we wrong?” Suki teased.
“Nope. As always, my dear, you were right,” Sokka said, gulping down saliva that was threatening to dribble down his lip from the thought of food.
“Then let us part for dinner, shall we?” Zuko offered, standing to give Sokka a supporting hand upwards. With a grin, Sokka grasped their hand and let himself be pulled up into the firebender’s arms, who proceeded to flush red and back up a couple steps, a million apologies on the tip of their tongue. They instead opted to tend to the now lopsided and loose top knot on Sokka’s crown until he gave them a proud smile at their inexperienced handiwork.
Together, the trio departed the library, and made their way through the long hallways of the Fire Palace into the dining room. Zuko witnessed Sokka inhale deeply as they all entered, a grin capturing his face when he caught a whiff of the stewed ocean kumquats.
“Zuko, have I ever told you how much I love you?” Sokka asked, rushing to the chair nearest to the mock delicacy of his homeland. The unblemished side of his side could have been mistaken in that moment for his scarred side with how red it became. Suki gave him a loving pat on the back.
"Thank you, Zuko, it looks great. Is that fruit?" Suki inquired, a grin gathering as she walked to what she correctly presumed to be her seat. Zuko found a seat somewhat in the middle, so they could get a little of everything. They loved eating their duck with rice so none of the duck fat would go to waste. Before they sat down, they asked,
"Do you guys want tea now or later?"
"Later, please. What kind have you prepared for us today, Zuko?" Suki asked, dipping an apple slice into honey absentmindedly, her attention on Zuko.
"Jasmine, with rose and mint. Does that suit the both of you?" They asked in response. Both of his comrades affirmed the tea with a nod, as both of them now had food in their mouths, which made Zuko smile. The three of them ate in peace, the hot food subsequently warming their hearts and filling their bellies. Eventually the murmur of a servant pushing an unwelcome visitor out of the area took over the friendly silence, giving the now well-fed trio an opportunity for tea. Zuko made sure his favorite tea set of kyusu was brought out: pale ceramic with a simple band of gold along the rims and edges. They found that the more ornate the teacups, the worse the tea tasted. Hence, they opted for beautiful simplicity instead. They poured properly and gently, garnishing each cup with candied mint and rose petals. "May this tea warm your hearts and souls the way you have warmed mine," Zuko said as they passed Sokka and Suki their cups.
"Thank you, Zuko, it smells wonderful! Did you brew this yourself?" Suki asked.
"Of course! Like my beloved uncle would say, tea is a chance to appreciate our surroundings, both material and spiritual. I brew tea myself only for the people whom I love the most." Zuko replied honestly, no lie in their voice. His time with his uncle in Ba Sing Sei taught them what tea means to them. Tea means love, shown through dedication for a perfect cup of tea, attention to detail, creating a sensory and spiritual experience, giving your loved ones a sense of warmth as a reminder of the feelings they give you with their support and friendship. It helps to be good at it, but that comes with time.
"Zuko, have I ever told you how much I appreciate you? Because I do. So much. Like fuck, I haven't feasted this well in a long time. And this tea? I want to bag it up and take it with me wherever I go." Sokka affirmed. Zuko couldn't help but flush a little at the praise, their mutual appreciation for the two of them bubbling out of their body and escaping onto their cheeks and ears. They all talked a while while tidying up the table so the wait staff didn't have to, catching up further and reminiscing about their time together in the Boiling Rock.
"You being the one to take the warden hostage alone was very impressive, Suki. You should take me hostage, sometime," Sokka provoked.
"Maybe I will, Sokka. Take care when you sleep tonight, you may wake up somewhere else.." Suki teased in response. When Sokka didn't answer, she knew she had gotten him right where she liked him, hot and bothered, and too embarrassed to admit it. He fumbled around with the plates, his eyes glazed over, his mind no doubt in the gutter. When Zuko's hand innocently brushed his, he jumped, his ears turning bright red, and his words spilling out of his mouth as he babbled,
"Shit, sorry, fuck, sorry, fuck shit fuck,"
Zuko and Suki giggled, Zuko catching on to Sokka's train of thought. The three of them began walking back through the palace halls, to Zuko's bedroom. Zuko attacked then.
"You know, Suki, there's an old interrogation chamber downstairs. It's pretty creepy. There's a whole metal bed with leather straps and everything. I don't even want to think about what went on down there."
"Wow, really? I'll have to check it out sometime. Stuff like that is totally my thing. Not to mention I have to make sure it's a secure room. No one going in there, and no one coming out. As your bodyguard, of course." She replied, hiding her grin. Sokka's silence was deafening and hilarious. Neither of them looked back out of respect, knowing that Sokka was thoroughly flustered. They kept quiet, grinning to each other and shushing each other the whole way back to their room. When Zuko opened the door, Sokka made a mad dash to the bathroom, insisting that he always has to go after a good meal, muttering something about teasing and throbbing something or other. Suki and Zuko opted to sit on the bed together while they waited, feeling a little awkward at what just happened. "So… how's it going?" Suki asked, unable to bear the silence any longer.
"I've really liked having you guys here. It gets so lonely sometimes, y'know? Turtle ducks can only give so much company until they get tired of you." Zuko half-joked.
"I can understand. I have the other Kyoshi warriors, and I have Sokka, but sometimes it just doesn't feel like enough. Like there's something I'm missing. But how could I? Wonderful friends, an amazing boyfriend, I couldn't ask for more."
"Yeah, that's about where I'm at. Not to mention I'm so privileged to have an entire palace to myself, the staff, I'm literally the Firelord of an entire Nation. And yet, even with all of these people, I feel incomplete. And I don't know why. I hate not knowing why, or what I'm missing." The two of them met each other's eyes, the cogs in their brains turning, and finally, it clicked.
"Zuko–"
"Suki–"
"Oh shit, sorry, you go first–"
"No, no, you go ahead–"
"I think, Zuko, that it might be us. Each other. I don't know if it's just us faking recently for the sake of the people but it's been amazing. It just feels right, having the two of you by my side. Having you by my side." Suki admitted, putting a hand on Zuko's thigh.
"Fuck, I think so, too. But what about Sokka? I don't want to make him feel left out. Why's he taking so long, anyway?" Zuko asked, concerned.
"Don't worry about it. I think you and him need to have this moment with each other, too, and only then can we all have a discussion, y'know?"
"Yeah, I understand. And I think I have a plan."
Just as Zuko said this, Sokka finally came out of the bathroom, looking much more relaxed than before. Were those different pants than he had been wearing before? Zuko opted not to think about it too much. There was too much on their mind, they had too much to do; but that was for another day.
"Can we go to bed? I'm cold." Sokka whined.
"Aw, come here, buddy, I'll warm you up!" Zuko replied, embracing Sokka, and slowly increased their body temperature until they had turned themselves into the perfect hot rock for Sokka, who was apparently as cold-blooded as a lizard. Sokka melted into their touch.
"Can y'all continue cuddling in bed? That meal was so good, it made me all tired." Suki interjected. Sokka was long gone, almost bewitched by the warm body around him. Zuko, however, understood and made Sokka waddle with them to the bed, where Zuko fell backwards, causing Sokka to groan with impatience. His hot rock wasn't being cooperative. Zuko and Suki giggled and the three settled into bed with Sokka happily in between his two friends, who cradled him and showered him with body heat from all sides, all of them under soft, luxurious blankets. Not wanting to hold hands without Sokka's knowledge, Suki and Zuko opted to give each other a long, meaningful look and discreet smiles before they, too, drifted slowly to sleep.
–
The next couple days were spent similarly, with the trio lounging around, teasing Sokka, and napping while Zuko did their actual job as Firelord. And writing letters to the rest of their friends, whom they insisted should also pay them a visit as soon as their duties allow.
Finally, a messenger made their way into the palace with news of the new amendment's processing. It had gone through officially, and had gone through to the papers that morning! Suki was the first important person they had seen, and promptly gave her the information, as well as the official paper copy with the literal stamp of approval. She promised to pass the news on to Firelord Zuko immediately and sent the messenger on his way, making sure to direct him to the servants' backrooms, where he should ask to celebrate with all of the excited waitstaff. Suki took her time walking back to Zuko's room, not wanting to disturb the two. When she had left, they were completely tangled with each other, limbs and all, the blanket all but abandoned for each other's warmth. She wished she could paint, if only to hang such beautiful moments in her room for her to fondly look back to.
Wait, if she told both of them that the law had gone through, they wouldn't have reason to have their discussion, and the three of them wouldn't ever be together. So, she’d just have to wait until her boys had talked things over.
Suki quietly reentered Zuko's room, trying her best not to disturb them if they were still sleeping. When she turned her head to the light snoring, Sokka was wrapped in all of the blankets by himself, and yet none of them were covering his feet. After adjusting one of the blankets to cover his feet, she tiptoed to the bathroom, where she embraced Zuko from behind as they were brushing their teeth, startling them as her hands slid their way onto their soft but firm tummy.
“Oh, um, good morning. Have I ever told you that you have nice hands?” Zuko stammered, relishing in the feeling of Suki’s hands wandering around their torso before settling comfortably around their hips, her chin resting on their left shoulder.
“No, but feel free to mention that more often. By the way, you, uh, missed a spot, ducky.” Suki giggled, dabbing some stray tooth powder off of the corner of Zuko’s mouth.
“Thanks, Suki,” Zuko gave her a wide smile before realizing what today was. “I need to talk to Sokka today. I want to spoil both of you without it being for the game I’ve been playing with my cabinet. Speaking of, any mail? Good news?”
“Unfortunately, no good news yet, but before you get that stamp of approval, you need to get Sokka’s stamp of approval.” Suki replied, demonstrating by kissing Zuko’s scarred cheek. They felt a small shiver run through them, that side of their face was still mildly sensitive, even after their closure with Ozai.
“Understood.” Suki smiled, leaving her lovers to their own devices while she found something to eat. Zuko sighed, unsure of how Sokka would respond knowing that Zuko and Suki had confessed to each other, and how receptive he would be to Zuko joining their relationship. Ideally, the second Zuko gets their words out, Sokka will burst out with some big confession with lots of complimentary adjectives not dissimilar to Zuko’s thoughts…but that was a longshot. After contemplating in the bath, Zuko decided that Sokka deserved time to rest before anything else happened today, and that they would wait for him to wake up before telling him how pretty he looks in his bed, or how he loves hearing his dramatic groans when he stretches after a good nap, or any of the other thoughts that have consumed Zuko for too long.
Sokka spent his morning drifting in and out of sleep, wanting to continue enjoying his dream. Sure, it was just a replay of the previous day’s events, but he really enjoyed the library. Zuko looked positively radiant in the natural glow that bounced off of the bookshelves, and it was so easy for Sokka to get lost in the soundscape. The contrast between Suki and Zuko’s breathing, the sounds of scrolls shifting, of crisp book pages being turned, not to mention that Suki was tracing patterns under his shirt with her perfect hands. He never wanted to leave, but he knew that the coming day could only be better, and hey, Zuko would need help with his hair again. So he summoned all of his willpower and turned onto his back, and sat up a little. In the corner of the room, he noticed a familiar sight. A nervous Zuko, bouncing their leg while sitting down a few feet away from their bed.
“Mmmorning, Zuko. Do you want help with your hair?” Sokka mumbled as he stretched his limbs, the sheets slowly shifting off of the bed. Zuko gave a soft smile that quickly disappeared and was replaced by a furrowed brow.
“Sokka, I have something to tell you.” Zuko replied, resisting the urge to bite their nails. Sokka immediately sat up fully, his concern for Zuko being prioritized over his drowsiness. He checked to make sure he had underwear on, and seeing that he did, he untangled himself from his cocoon of blankets and scooted to the edge of the bed.
“Is everything okay? It’s okay if breakfast isn’t ready yet, if that’s what it is.” Sokka chuckled, giving Zuko a reassuring look. Zuko took a deep breath and, after hesitating a beat too long, bursted.
“I love you, and I love Suki, like more than friends love each other,” they readjusted themselves in their seat before continuing, “I completely understand if you don’t feel the same way, we can pretend like this conversation never happened and I’ll pay for your departure and we can communicate every few months by letter until our friendship gradually tapers off into nothingness and dreams of what could have been if I hadn’t…” Zuko trailed off, realizing that they were veering into anxiety territory. Maybe Ty Lee was right, and they did need to get a therapist. They were pulled out of their train of thought by a hand entwining with theirs.
“Zuko, do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to say something to me? The things I’ve thought about you, hell, I dreamed about how cute you looked yesterday all night long! And you’re afraid we’re going to turn into ex-pen pals? I love you, Zuko!” Sokka grinned, lunging into Zuko’s arms and embracing them, not to mention the many kisses that he peppered Zuko’s face with.
“You have no idea how good it feels for you to say that,” Zuko replied with a grin, feeling lighter instantly now that they had confessed. The moment was interrupted by Suki bursting into the bedroom with a piece of paper in her hand.
“It’s through! Our fake trio is officially legal!” she exclaimed excitedly, hoping that she had burst in after Zuko’s confession. Sokka loves having his dramatic moments.
“Suki, sweetheart, what do you think of our trio becoming official?” Sokka asked, still firmly attached to his hot rock. Suki walked over to her loves and wrapped her arms around the both of them to the best of her ability.
“I would have it no other way."
–
“Thank you for doing my hair again, Sokka. What’s your hourly rate? I’d love to keep you around.” Zuko beamed at their boy through the mirror, turning around to embrace Sokka tightly, which he matched with equal enthusiasm.
“Hm, 100 kisses an hour. And on demand access to your body heat.” Sokka smiled, letting go of Zuko so they could breathe. Before Zuko had the chance to respond, Suki entered from the bedroom.
“Finally, you two and your hair. It’s time to head into town!” She kissed both of their foreheads, and the three of them departed into town to retrieve the headpieces Zuko had ordered for them. They had a new fuel for their bending, all right, and they had a feeling that it would never run out.