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There is merit to the old wives' tale that firebenders rise with the sun. One might assume that this creates excess bustle in major cities at dawn’s first light, but as the previously war-torn world begins to relax back to the way the world should be there is a new sense of quiet that falls over the Fire Nation in the morning. As the sun peeks out over the horizon of eastern Caldera City every firebender from young to old opens their eyes. And in the Fire Lord’s room, he does the same, basking in the stillness of his nation slowly awakening and preparing for the day. All breathing and being together. The momentary pause before everyone goes their separate ways.
Zuko turned toward the rising sun and toward his moon. The early morning light shone through Sokka’s brown hair igniting a golden halo around his sleeping husband. Sokka lay splayed across his pillow, breath lightly ghosting along the firebenders palm as he reached for a piece of hair obstructing Sokka’s face.
The Southern Water Tribe Man stirs slightly. “What are you doing, little dragon?” His voice was thick and gravelly with sleep in the way that made Zuko’s heart melt and a soft smile appear on his face.
“Mm,” the firebender hummed, “Your hair was in your face.”
The non-bender snorted a laugh. “Go to sleep, you dork.”
“Can’t. Sun’s awake.”
“Try. Husband’s Asleep.”
“You know that never works, my love.” Zuko started to sit up in their bed, fully intending on getting up and ready for the day. He raised his arms skyward, stretching, and as the early morning sun kissed his shoulders, Sokka wished (not for the first time) he could invent something to slow down time so he could bask in this moment forever. Zuko, who didn’t seem to be basking, pressed a kiss to Sokka's hairline before turning away.
Then faster than you could redirect lightning a certain Water Tribe’s man was wrapped tighter than a cobra bear around Zuko’s waist. The firebender’s laugh filtered through the air in a way that made Sokka’s head spin. The first time he had ever heard Zuko laugh in that way-the way where he didn’t feel the weight of everything on his shoulders-he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do to hear it again. Nothing Sokka wouldn’t do to get Zuko to let his guard down enough for him to see every part of the man he loved at once. The first time he heard it, Sokka’s heart stopped in the best way it ever could have and he was determined to hear it as often as he could from there on out.
“What are you up to?” the older man muttered as he wove his fingers between the others.
“Hm?” Sokka hummed, wholly distracted by the warmth of the firebender’s back against his chest, the fingers intertwining themselves between his own, the shoulder underneath his chin he desperately wanted to kiss, the warm scent firebenders carry with them drawing him closer like a siren song.
Zuko brought Sokka’s hands up to his face exhaling a warm breath onto the non-benders hands before bringing them to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss to the rough calloused skin. “I should get up. I need to check over my paperwork again before my meeting later.”
“You’ve looked over those papers so many times, my prince.” Sokka turned the Fire Lord's face toward his own before pausing, waiting for him to meet his eyes. When he did the one bright gold clearly showed the anxieties about his plan not being passed. Worries that before now he had only expressed late at night when the racing thoughts kept him up far longer than he should have been. “They’re perfect. You’ve checked them more times than I can count. They have been proofread by advisors, counselors, lawyers. Spirits Zuko, even your uncle came in to read them, and couldn’t think of one suggestion to improve upon them.” A small grin worked its way onto Sokkas lips as he spoke. “Relax. They are going to be approved. You’ve already helped so many people, and you’re going to help so many more. Come back to bed.”
Zuko’s chest rose and a shaky sigh left his lips, steam rising in the morning air. “Sokka, I- I can’t. What if, it doesn’t? And I know that I could have done more. Done more for my nation, I need to-”
“Come here, my love.” He pulled gently at the firebender, who came without much convincing, back into bed. Sokka adjusted him gently, pillowed the firebenders head on his chest before tightening his arms around him. “Can you take deep breaths with me, dear?”
Zuko, oh so stubbornly, subtly held his breath for a second focusing on the gentle rise and fall of Sokka’s chest underneath his head, and the steady drumming of his heart encased inside his ribcage. It lulled him up and down and reminded him of the Water Tribe ships Sokka had taken him on when he had visited the South Pole. His heart the pounding of the water on the wooden sides, his chest the rise and fall of the cresting waves, all of him warmer and more inviting than the cold metal Fire Nation Navy ship he had spent years on.
A playful nudge of a finger between his ribs forced a breathy laugh from the darker-haired man. “Hey, fish for brains,” the critical pillow interjected, “I said breath with me, not stop breathing completely,” though there was no real malice in his voice.
“Sorry,” gold eyes meet blue and Zuko has to remind himself not to get lost in their depths. “Just thinking.”
“Mind telling me what’s going on in that mind, pretty?” Sokka moved a hand away from where it was holding his husband to brush away a lock of hair that had slipped down into his face, taking extra care around the scarred area, moving slowly and gently tucking the strands behind his warped ear, before letting his hand drift down to rest on his jaw.
Zuko’s nose scrunched and lips quirked in the way they always did when he got flustered with how much love he held for his husband. He turned his head into the hand placed on his jaw and pressed his lips to the awaiting palm. “Nothing important.”
“Really? Didn’t know I still took your breath away.”
“Sokkaaaaa,” his head turned in, and his body twisted, burying his face in his moon’s chest trying to hide his very red face from his husband, who was well aware of the skills he still possessed. Soft lips pressed to the crown of his head as his body relaxed into the soft skin beneath him. The firebender took a deep breath, letting himself wonder how even after so long away from the pole, his husband still managed to smell of the south; the deep wood of the ships, the crisp cold of a fresh snow, the warm scent of stew brewing in a home, and something he assumed was distinctly Sokka. In all his trips to the south he hadn’t been able to place it. He exhaled, more tension seeping out of his body with his breath. “Was thinking about our trips to the south. It’s been a while since we’ve visited.”
The Water Tribe’s man hummed under the firebender. “Once your plan gets set in motion we’ll take another trip down.” Sokka heard his husband’s plea to escape the pressures of the palace for what it was, without him having to say it out loud. “I just got a letter from Dad and Bato asking when we would be visiting again. And it’s almost sea prune season.” Zuko seemed to, however minutely, perk up at this. “I swear, you are the last person I expected to love sea prunes.”
“Watch the sarcasm before we go down there, or I’ll steal yours.”
“Sure you will, jerkbender.”
“Don’t doubt my abilities jerkybrains.”
“Shhhhhh, no more quacking, duck. I’m sleeping.”
“I’m pretty sure otter penguins are significantly louder than turtle ducks,” the firebender mumbled into his husband’s neck.
“SHHH!!!” The nonbender was more insistent this time, but still chuckling under his breath kept there from being any real fire behind it. The firebender, never one to not have the last word, opened his mouth only to let out a content sigh as Sokka’s fingers slipped through his hair, nails scratching his scalp.
“Okay, okay, time to rest,” the firebender somehow got out, but Sokka knew he had won the contest. Golden eyes fluttered fighting to stay open, while warm breath tickled Sokka’s bare chest in a slow steady rhythm, and for Zuko’s sake, he would pretend that he didn’t notice a very poorly concealed yawn.
Blue eyes gazed down lovingly at the Fire Lord, as he continued his ministrations. “You know, you don’t have to fight against everything. You are allowed the gentle, easy things in life. I’m right here. You’re allowed this. Relax.”
Tired didn’t begin to describe the eyes that looked up to meet Sokka’s. “You really think it’s going to work?”
“I know so. You have worked so hard. Now allow yourself a moment of peace.”
As if the spirits answered Sokka’s prayers, Zuko let himself relax back into his husband, his warm breath ghosting over Sokka’s neck. With his own personal warmer, and Zuko’s heart beating a steady rhythm against his hand he had no problem relaxing back into the pillows behind him.
To say that it was easy to fall back asleep with the sun already rising in the sky would usually be untrue, but as Zuko curled into his love he felt the waves of comfort and the exhaustion deep in his bones calling him to sleep. Never one to give in without a fight he pried open his heavy lids, stealing one last glance at his husband. The early sun cast its rays down from the east, only to be fragmented by the tree outside the window. Here, relaxed in bed in the early morning light, Zuko could swear he had never seen anything more beautiful. His love. His moon. His stained glass Sokka.