Work Text:
“You’re so stiff,” Sokka grumbled. “It’s like trying to snuggle a plank of wood.”
Zuko huffed and grumbled out, “It’s not my fault.”
He’d always been like this, as long as he could remember. Stiff with hugs, stiff with affection, stiff while standing . He just wasn’t good at the whole “relaxing” thing. Why would he relax when he might need to be on his feet within seconds, running or fighting for his life? Sokka was lucky Zuko had bothered to even take his shoes off, this time. He was just sick of Sokka grumbling about dirt in the blankets.
They literally slept on the ground most nights, in the dirt . What was the point?
Sokka groaned and jostled Zuko, grabbing the shoulder furthest from him and shaking it a little. “Loosen up . Even Toph would be a better cuddle buddy than this.”
“Toph would kick you out before you could get within five feet.”
Sokka paused a moment. “Would you at least kiss it better?”
Zuko scoffed. “After you called me stiff as a board?”
Sokka pressed his pout against Zuko’s neck. “If Toph kicked you out, I would kiss it better.”
Zuko rolled his eyes. Sokka huffed a put-out breath against his neck, and Zuko couldn’t help the shiver that ran through him, the way his tense body instinctively tried to jerk away. Sokka went eerily still. Sokka was never still.
“Don’t you dare–”
“I think I know how to help you relax.”
“ Sokka –”
Zuko didn’t get to finish his protest. Instead, he had to slap both hands over his mouth to muffle his mortifying giggles. If he was going to be made a fool, he didn’t need the rest of the Gaang as witnesses. Sokka nuzzled into his neck, huffing out quiet breaths and utilizing his lips where he saw fit. Meanwhile, Sokka’s hands started sneaking around Zuko’s body, seeking out weak points. Unfortunately, the disadvantage of being so on-edge all the time was that his body and mind got tired, and a tired body and mind didn’t have the energy to keep from flinching when those weak points were reached.
As Sokka snickered against his neck, Zuko resigned himself to his fate. Even if this didn’t get him to relax, it would at least help him get a good night’s sleep. And a good night’s sleep in Sokka’s arms was a win in Zuko’s book, playful torment and all.