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Chapter Text

Hakoda fidgeted on his knees.

He’d been sat in the sweltering room all of 30 minutes by this point, and was starting to get a bit too warm for comfort.

He was in some random fire nation office, the guards called it an embassy when they escorted him in but it felt a little too tucked away to be a reasonable embassy, scheduled for an audience with the Fire lord Ozai himself to discuss alternative solutions to ground invasions of the southern water tribes.

He didn’t know how much longer he could last kneeling on a rather uncomfortable cushion seat thing, he couldn’t recall their names, he understood they were customary for the fire nation however and so kept quiet.

It was then that the many flaming torches that lined the walls stuttered as the door behind Hakoda had opened. Ozai had arrived.

He walked slow, intimidating, Hakoda only heard his steps as he didn’t dare look behind him while Ozai approached. When Ozai got into his field of view he truly understood why they called him the Fire Lord.

He wore an elegant red robe, juxtaposed with heavy armoured shoulders and the crown piece on his top-knot that felt very regal in its polish and shine. The golden flames that lapped at his robe’s hem fluttered like real flames as he walked. His presence was fire.

He kneeled on the other side of the decorated mahogany desk and looked Hakoda deep in the eyes, unafraid.

He gave a shallow bow, and Hakoda gave one twice as low, out of flattery.

“I hear you wish to delegate over my plans for the next ground invasions of the southern water tribe.” He started, his voice had a smirk in its tone, as if he was amused at the thought of actually considering Haloda’s potential proposition.

“Yes, I want all ground invasions to cease, my people have no place in your war.” He tried to hold his head high. “All I want is for my people to be left alone, I’m prepared to negotiate anything you want in return”

Ozai laughed, “Do you think you have something I could want?” His eye contact with Hakoda never wavered.

Hakoda thought, carefully, an idea came to mind, no no that’d be impossible, he could never-

“We could trade something, if that’s what you’re implying” Ozai interjected his thoughts.

“Yes. That’s, what I was trying to consider”

“To come to me without already knowing what you want to bargain with is truly foolish”, he drew cold. Hakoda grew panicked.

“No-, I know full well what I want to discuss, what if, in return for my people being left alone, I-“ he couldn’t believe he was going to do this, “I give you one of my own, for marriage to your eldest son” his heart ached as he said it.

Ozai stilled, a million thoughts raced in his mind, zuko was 13, a good age for his future betrothal to be planned, but would Ozai really let his heir marry and have children with the blood of another nation? That would be…unprecedented. Grounds for illegitimacy… it would be grounds for illegitimacy.

Ozai had a wicked idea.

“That would be…acceptable” Ozai nodded.

Hakoda’s heart sunk, poor katarra, she was too young for this.

“I will tell my daughter of the arrangement when I return. Perhaps our children could be acquainted first perhaps? All four could get to know each other better.”

“Four? You have two young ones?”

“Yes, a son, Sokka, and a daughter, Katara. My son is 13 and my daughter is 11

“Hmmm” he tapped his chin. “Yes, that will do, your son and mine will meet and we will schedule their betrothal in a month.”

Hakoda was stunned.

“My son? Would you not prefer my daughter? How would you produce an heir?”

Ozai held a stern face “that is none of your concern, if your village is to be protected from further ground invasions you will bring your children to the palace and our sons will be betrothed by the summer solstice. Is that clear”

Hakoda panicked, not wanting this opportunity to slip away, he bowed “yes, it is, the southern water tribe thanks you for your consideration. Both my son and daughter will arrive with me in a month’s time.”

Ozai nodded and stood, Hakoda followed. They shook hands and Hakoda was back on his boat home in what felt like minutes.

He didn’t know how Sokka was going to take this.

Chapter Text

Sokka and Katara were never impatient children, but this most recent voyage of their father’s made them both nervous.

It took about two weeks to get to the Fire nation from the southern water tribe, it took another two to get back.

A month had gone by without any messenger hawk

Sokka especially was nervous.

Hakoda had taken all the men of the village that remained with him. So Sokka alone was left to keep order. He’d been doing a pretty good job if he says so himself.

Sokka had taken to whittling tiger-seal bone into little sticks and making models of wolf cove to pass the time when he wasn’t manning the troops (the 4 year olds). Katara kept to practicing bending along with her other chores. Nothing was particularly new for her activity wise.

So when the boats hit the dock they were overjoyed.

Hakoda was standing at the front of the ship, waving in return to Sokka’s wider and faster waves.

Hakoda wasn’t smiling though.

When the dock lowered all the men clambered off, being tackled by their children desperate to hug their fathers and giving chaste kisses to their loves cheeks. Everyone was loud and celebratory with the men’s’ return.

Hakoda came down last, head hung low.

“DAD! It’s been forever. How was it? Did you get a deal sorted out?” Sokka nagged incessantly until his father clapped his right hand on Sokka’s shoulder and muttered.

“You two, in the igloo. I need to talk to you”

—-————————

“So.” Hakoda huffed as he sat down. Sokka and Katara sat in-front of him anxiously. “I’ve struck a deal with the fire lord. Our village will be safe.”

Sokka punched the air triumphantly, Katara questioned “what was the deal?”

Hakoda readjusted himself in his chair.

“That’s what I wanted to discuss with you two.” He coughed in his fist, unsure of how exactly he should say “the deal was…in exchange for our village being ignored during anymore war efforts or invasions…the prince of the fire nation will take one of our own as his betrothed.”

Katara’s jaw dropped. Sokka’s dropped lower.

“One of my own specifically.” Hakoda popped his lips and waited for a response.

“YOU’RE MARRYING ME OFF?!” Katara yelled enraged. She rose from her seat. “Dad I’m ELEVEN I can’t get married at this age”

“Now let’s hold on a moment” Hakoda held out his hands. “It isn’t you who is getting married.” He soothed Katara, before turning to Sokka slowly, very…very slowly.

Katara looked puzzled and then her face drew impossibly more dreadful.

Sokka looked lost, looking between the two with a slack expression.

“What? I got something on my face?”, he touched his chin self consciously.

“Sokka” Hakoda started. “You are the one being betrothed to the prince.”

Oh

O h.

Oh…oh no

“WHAT?!?!?” He sprang from his chair and his eyes were blown imperceptibly wide. “You can’t- I can’t- but I’m a GUY?!?!?”

“The fire lord said there would be no room for discussion when we talked. We’re going to meet with the Fire Lord and delegate further.” Hakoda tried to reach for Sokka’s shoulder.

Sokka shrugged him off.

“Dad this is ridiculous you gotta see why I’m not okay with this.” He looked so betrayed, it made hakoda’s heart break.

“I know kid, but you’re still young. Okay, for all we know they might not be ready for a wedding yet, in fact we do know. I hear the prince went through a pretty rough Agni Kai while I was coming back so they probably won’t be planning on anything drastic as of this moment. We just need to get there and talk.”

Sokka shook his head and shot out the igloo. Distraught.

———————-

“SOKKA!” Hakoda yelled. Stumbling in the empty expanse of the ice sheet Sokka had ran out in. “SOKKA COME ON KID! ITS DANGEROUS OUT ON YOUR OWN!”

He was growing desperate, his face was numbing from the cold, no doubt Sokka’s was worse off.

“Please.” He whispered, ice cream breath long since having nipped his through dry.

He thought he was done for, until he heard frustrated sobs behind a barely visible snow mound.

Hakoda ran up to it and found Sokka, sniffling and ball fisted on the ground.

“…come on bud. I know it’s hard, I didn’t want to have to do it. It was the only option we had! I’ll do everything I can to make this easier, I-I’ll postpone it- I’ll do anything! But this is for our village. It’s about more than us. Please kid…” he knelt at Sokka’s side, and wrapped an arm around his shivering form.

“The fire nation. You’re gonna have me married to the FIRE NATION. Not only that, it’s not even a girl. I can’t even pretend to be into it dad seriously.” Sokka sounded enraged, but he leaned into his father more, desperate for a bit of warmth.

His father muttered small words of apology and encouragement, letting Sokka wring himself dry of tears before Hakoda interrupted.

“We gotta go back bud, we’ll talk more about it when we get some food in us, yeah?” He shook Sokka a bit.

Sokka sniffled again. “Yah… sure dad..”

They trudged back the village holding eachother. Sokka felt numb the whole way.

———————-

“So…when do we set off.” Sokka asks dryly as he picked at the meaty stew in his hands, he didn’t look up at his dad. He couldn’t remember what animal that was in it.

“Tomorrow. You’ll both need to pack after we finish eating.” Hakoda replied, knowing it would only sour Sokka’s mood more.

Katara had been silent since they had returned. I mean what was she supposed to say?

“Dad.” She asked, picking up her father’s bowl as they had both already finished their stews.

“Yes Katara?” He replied, trying to sound jovial.

“…nothing. Never mind. It wouldn’t be necessary to ask that right now” she dismissed the statement. She went to take Sokka’s bowl but he hadn’t even gotten half way through it.

“Sokka you need to eat. You’ll need the energy.” Hakoda told Sokka candidly.

“It’s fine. I’m fine. I’m not hungry anyways.”
He shoved the bowl onto the pile Katara made and stomped off those get his clothes packed.

Hakoda sighed into his hands.

This was going to be a painful 2 weeks.

Chapter Text

Zuko felt numb.

His legs were mush, he was so dazed that not even the persistent sting of his freshly seared eye could snap him from his trance.

His father had disowned him. Tasked with the perilous acquisition of aimlessly wandering the world for the avatar. Only then would he earn his father’s respect back.

He stood on the ship he would soon call home for…only the spirits know how long. Looking out over the helm to be calmed by the rolling ocean, it was choppier than usual.

His uncle, Iroh, came bounding behind him soon after.

“Nephew! I have wonderful news” he exclaimed as jovial as ever.

“What is it uncle?” He said soullessly, not looking to meet the gaze of the old man.

“My my, nephew please. Celebrate! You are to be married!” He chuckled. Zuko knew that chuckle well, he’d feel softer from it if he didn’t know Iroh was just trying to soften the blow of what he’d said with it.

Zuko took a moment to process.

“What?” He turned to his uncle in bewilderment.

“Your father told me not to share the details, he wants to tell you everything himself” he grinned wide, Zuko felt his stomach reach his feet at the thought.

—————-

“Father” Zuko bowed, head pressed against the glossy floors of the throne room.

“Zuko, come, sit.” His father said, patting the zabuton next to him.

Zuko apprehensively walked up the stairs and kneeled on the zabuton next to his father, thankfully his father was on his good-eye side so he could see him properly.

“I’m sure Iroh has told you already, that you are to be married.” Ozai didn’t look at Zuko either.

“Yes father.”

“I know what I said during the Agni Kai. I understand that the task I set is perilous, but as our tradition dictates it must be done. I however still have use for you boy.”

Zuko quirked a brow.

“You will be exiled still. That has not changed. However, as part of you earning your honour back. You will marry the son of the chief of the water tribe.” Ozai looked at Zuko then. A satisfied grin on his features.

Zuko’s eye widens.

“Father-, but what about Mai, my girlfriend.
I don’t understand.” Zuko was confused.

“The southern water tribe came to me a week before our Agni Kai and requested that in exchange for the mercy of their people, they will give one of their own to us, seeing as you are in a position of debt to me, you will accept this offer.” he looked unfazed by his words.

Zuko thought it through. He considered every angle, every possibility. Should he? No- but- what was the right choice?

“They’re already on their way by now, they should be here in around two weeks. From there we will discuss the date and time for your betrothal. Do you accept?” Ozai glared at him. He wasn’t asking.

“Y-…yes father” he bowed his head.

“Good” Ozai rose from his zabuton and walked down the stairs slowly “I suggest you learn more of water tribe betrothal traditions in the mean time.” The echo of his voice sent a chill down Zuko’s spine.

—————

Iroh sipped his tea loudly in the empty drawing room. Zuko was scribbling in his sketch book, he wasn’t sure what he was drawing in all fairness.

Vague forms of people, scratchy and undefined. He just needed to get his thoughts down, but he wasn’t thinking of much either.

All that was going on in his mind was of the sting of his eye, the smell of fresh ink, his uncles obnoxious sipping and…what was going to happen in two weeks.

He didn’t know how it would work. He didn’t know this boy, the boy he was to be engaged with. And he most certainly didn’t know anything of water tribe betrothal traditions. Was he selected because he was the only child of the leader? Or just so his father could torment him for his failings? Make him live out his life with a man by his side who had nothing but disdain for him.

“You know” Iroh broke the silence at last. “Maybe instead of dribbling nonsense onto a page, you could do some reading! Study some water tribe customs! It would make you look great for your future in-laws.” He set his tea cup down and sauntered over. A scroll already in his hands when he tapped Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko took it without thought.

It was a short essay on water tribe courting methods.

Apparently most marriages in the water tribes were arranged. From as young as 16. Was that how old his fiancé was going to be?

He read through it fully, not taking much more than 5 minutes to read.

“Thank you uncle, I’ll…do some more research myself in the topic. You can go now.

“Are you sure? I understand this is a stressful time, you could use a frie-“

“I said you can go” his voice was sterner than he had intended.

Iroh sighed, and promptly left Zuko alone with his thoughts.

What was he going to do.

Chapter Text

The voyage left Sokka constantly sea sick.

Clutching his stomach as he pressed his forehead hard against the walls of the boat. Tapping his feet furiously on the deck, only stopping to eat, or sleep. He never left the view of the ocean.

It calmed him, the rolling waves made music as they clashed against the hull, and the salted air made his lungs burn enough that the acidity of vomit stayed far enough from his mouth to find tolerable. He found even the rockiest of waters calming, usually, it wasn’t working this time.

He couldn’t stop the thoughts that flooded his brain.

What were they going to do when they got there? Would there be a party? He’d rather throw himself overboard than be forced to mingle with the filth of the fire nation.

Or maybe they’d immediately get married on the spot. That’d be worse. What did this guy look like anyways.

Sokka imagined the prince to be large, a hulking mass of muscle and scary sharp edges, sharp teeth and claws and-

Okay maybe that was a bit overdramatic.

The weeks passed faster than Sokka had wanted. Feeling like more of a bleak few days than the haunting fortnight it was.

Just before they docked onto fire nation soil. Hokoda approached Sokka with some new clothing.

“I know you’re anxious, son, but it’s important we give off a good first impression, put these on. I got some fresh stuff for all of us.” Sokka took the garments numbly. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this. Believe me.” Hokoda brought Sokka into his arms, Sokka was limp through it.

Hokoda released him and walked away. Moving back to man the controls for the boat.

The clothes over all were very nice, he’ll admit that.

The clothes were light wear. Which made sense as the fire nation was never usually cold enough to warrant the thick fur coats needed back home. Sokka loved the fur coats. The undershirt was a pale blue, with navy cuffs, embroidered with waves using white thread. The outer tunic was a rich royal blue that he suspected when worn would hang just bellow his hips in a V line pattern. There was also rolling waves lapping at the bottom of the tunic using many different white and blue threads. The hem of the tunic was lined with a think white boarder that had the symbol of the water tribe repeating all the way down. The Pants were a snowy white, the same navy blue as its leg wraps that would keep them fastened. Hokoda even got new shoes for Sokka, AND a new hair tie, this one white.

The outfit looked high quality, expensive. He knew they would look good on him.

He changed in the lower deck. Taking his sweet time, he wanted to savour putting it on, perhaps in hopes to further the time it would take to get there.

———-

He had just fastened his wolf tail when the boat shook as it hit shore.

Spirits be damned.

“SOKKA!” Katara called from the upper deck. “COME ON WE’RE GONNA BE LATE”

“COMING” his scream was so loud it cracked in the middle with a piercing squeak. He flushed and ran up the stairs. Avoiding Katara’s superfluous stares.

The tall buildings were intimidating and because of course the spirits hate him. They weren’t just any buildings, but rather they were the portions of the royal palace. They literally docked on the Fire lord’s doorstep.

He silently cursed the names of Tui and La
Before he got off ship. Avoiding any and all eye contact from the guards. That lined the dock.

Two specific fire nation guards in bulking black and red armour introduced themselves to Hokoda as their escorts and lead in front the whole time.

The walk to the palace gates was brisk and unbearable. The birds sung so pleasantly the whole time, like a death bell before they shipped him off for slaughter.

The ferns intermingled with the rocky path and licked at Sokka’s heels mockingly, and the trees rustled as low branches snapped and pinched at Sokka’s shoulders.

Even the plants held ill will in this place.

They eventually got to a large red and golden gate, with yet again four more hulking black and red armoured guards keeping vigilant.

The two escorts nodded and the four others pushed the doors open, infuriatingly slow, leading into an open courtyard filled with carefully controlled foliage.

Bushes shaped like flames and ponds with soot black fish. Flowers that shone blood red and orange canaries that sung songs of passion and peace.

It was quite pretty. If it wasn’t for the walls surrounding it, Sokka would’ve felt comfortable in it.

The escorts trudged carelessly along the footpath, one crushing a brilliant yellow marigold as it marched mindlessly onward.

The reached yet another set of hulking red and golden doors.

Before they were inside the palace.

Katara was walking behind Sokka, but he kept tabs on her by listening in for her footsteps on the black marbled floors.

She was walking with feigned confidence. He could tell because of how her pace almost matched the guards. She wanted to seem in control of herself. He knew just as well she was terrified, though, just the same as him.

The final corridor was intolerably intense.

The fire-lit torches flickered and taunted them as they approached the last set of doors they hoped they’d see that day.

The vermillion doors revealed behind them a full room, packed to the nines with fire nation elites. All he saw was black and reds and black and reds and top knots and black and reds and-

Then he looked up at the back of the room and saw gold.

Three figures kneeling proud above everyone around them. The fire lord and his heirs.

There was a boy to the fire lords’ left and a girl to his right. He assumed the boy was who he’d be betrothed to (duh).

The fire behind them flared and roared in greeting. Sokka bit back the urge to reach for his sister’s hand.

“Hakoda. Leader of the southern water tribe! It’s wonderful to have an audience with you again. I trust your travels were well tempered?” The Fire Lord’s voice boomed in the hall, confident and in control. It unnerved him.

Hakoda bowed deeply, Sokka and Katara doing the same. When Hakoda rose, he spoke.

“It’s a blessing to be here Fire Lord. Travels here were easy and the weather was mild. I am grateful to be given such a warm re welcoming” Hokoda chuckled. The fire lord reciprocated, though it was jaded and false.

Hakoda chirped up again. “These are my children, as I told you earlier, my second born Katara, and my son, Sokka.” Katara and Sokka stepped forward as if being called for roll. Sokka taking a wider step so he would be infront, stood with his shoulders broadened and his stance straight.

The fire lord looked him over. His gaze burned Sokka’s skin as he opted rather to stare at the stairs marbling.

Sokka took a deep breath and looked up at the boy one through his eye lashes.

He was…interesting looking. He had a thick bandage covering his left eye.

His kimono was a rich red with golden accents on his armoured shoulder plates. With black padding and a deep vermilion belt.

He didn’t look bad. No doubt more regal than Sokka ever could.

His face was affixed to Sokka too. Staring deep into his eyes, they were amber, a really bright amber actually.

“Sokka” the Fire Lord bellowed.

Sokka startled and snapped his head up the face the Fire Lord directly.

“These are my children. Zuko” he gestured to the boy, “and Azula.” He then gestured to the mean looking girl next to him, she sneered in return.

He continued “as you know in exchange for peace with your Tribe and the fire nation we have opted to align in marriage. You to my son”

Sokka nodded curtly.

Zuko looked away for a moment, Sokka was kinda pissed he noticed.

The fire lord continued his speech. Sokka wasn’t too focused on it. Something about a great peace time between the fire nation and the southern water tribe. Before abruptly ending it all and having all the elite onlookers be dispersed. Leaving the two leading families alone.

“So, Sokka” Sokka hated how the Fire Lord said his name. So much. “To start this union, I want to give you something, I believe it holds importance in your culture, I hope you appreciate it.” He claps and then another guard comes doing a pillar and puts a box in his hand.

“Open it” he doesn’t wait for further orders, inside was a velvet choker, with a blue stone affixed to it.

Wait.

No…

“A betrothal necklace? But that’s only for the wom-“ Katara was cut off by her father patting her on the shoulder abruptly.

Sokka just looked at it in horror. The carving on the stone was more disturbing than anything.

It was the fire nation symbol.

This didn’t look like a betrothal necklace, it felt more like branding.

“I had it commissioned, apologise if that makes it seem illegitimate, I didn’t think my son would have the skills to make one suitable” the tone of the Fire Lord was far too chipper for his liking. “Put it on” it felt like an order.

So he did. And he hated it.

It felt restrictive, not like Katara’s that hung comfortably on her neck, it squeezed his like a viper. He wanted to cry.

Zuko looked away again, Sokka felt like that was rejection enough.

The fire lord stood. His children following suit.

“Guards. Escort Zuko and Sokka to Zuko’s chambers. I want them to get to know eachother better before we discuss anything further” he paid no mind to how Sokka jolted when the guards approached. Or how sluggish Zuko trudged down the stairs out into the courtyard again.

He didn’t so much as wave them off

Chapter Text

It felt like there was poison at the back of Sokka’s throat. Burning his mouth up so he couldn’t speak. I mean he was 13… and a boy. And yet the fire nation had him in a betrothal necklace? Sokka swore they wouldn’t get married immediately.

The silence on the way to Zuko’s room was palpable. The guards hovering behind them on both sides.

When they got to the princes room, they pushed open the door and shoved Sokka and Zuko inside, albeit Zuko being handled with more care.

We wanted to throw up when the doors slammed shut.

They sat in horrible silence for a minute.

Sokka almost cried.

“So…” Zuko started

“So.” Sokka couldn’t bear to look Zuko in the eyes.

“Do you like the present?” Zuko timidly enquired.

Present?

“This isn’t a present. Zuko” Sokka spat out his name with detest. “It’s a betrothal necklace, girls wear it when they’re married. I’m not a girl, and unless your father is keen to get me into the family we’re most certainly NOT married yet”
Sokka scowled as he brought up the courage to look zuko in the eyes.

Zuko’s eyes widened. “Oh! Then…why not take it off?”

Sokka took that as permission enough, and almost ripped the choker from his neck.

Zuko looked a little offended at how amply Sokka took the opportunity to remove it.

“This is stupid”, Sokka choked back tears

“The necklace?” Zuko enquires

“All of it!” He barked “the only reason this marriage is happening is because YOUR people keep invading MY village. What’s worse is you can’t even treat me with enough decency to not regard me as a little girl!” He let out a frustrated gargle. Slumping onto the floor next to the bed fists scratching at his ears.

Zuko seemed puzzled. In all fairness he had no point of reference for how to comfort someone. So he just walked over, sat carefully down next to Sokka, and stayed quiet.

————-

Ozai, azula, Hakoda and Katara sat at a grand table. The two families opposite one another.

“We agree they are not yet ready to marry” Ozai reasoned.

“Yes, perhaps we should wait a few years? Until they’re sixteen? That way the marriage is legitimate by water tribe standards and fire nation standards.” Hakoda had found it much easier to bargain with Ozai now, but he knew he couldn’t do it for long, his little girl was trembling like a penguin seal pup in the cold.

That Azula girl didn’t look much nicer of an option to occupy eachother either.

“That sounds reasonable. In three years, on the summer solstice, they shall be married. until then, I shall let you return to your village to live comfortably”

Hakoda smiled, “that’s perfect, will Sokka stay with us in the mean time?”

Ozai laughed, “sokka will go with you. We hope to help him learn proper fire nation etiquette in the future but for now. You and your children can leave by the week’s end at the earliest”

“Of course, thank you for your generosity,” he bowed low, Katara instinctively following suit.

——————

Sokka sniffled into his knees, Zuko had long since left, leaving him to desperately fight back sobs.

He felt sunken, clutching that stupid necklace to the side of his head while he tried to block out the world.

He couldn’t block out the gentle knock from the door.

Out stepped a large, stout old man, with a short goatee and side burns. He was very calm as he walked inside. Acknowledging the little Sokka hunched near the bed.

“Sokka, is it?, how are you?” He kneeled in front of the other, bringing out a spare zabuton from the bed side table cupboard.

Sokka nodded timidly.

Iroh sighed, “sometimes, when in times of adversity, it is better to look for opportunity. I know this seems like your life has been signed away but trust me little one. There will be good things that come from this”

Sokka scoffed, squeezing the velvet of his necklace.

Iroh acknowledged it silently.

“That necklace doesn’t mean what you think. My brother is many things, but he is in no ways culturally knowledgeable. I can only offer my deepest apologies to this offence to your people, and yourself”

Sokka relaxed slightly.

“My nephew is a good boy, he will not do anything to hurt you. He just…doesn’t know much on how to entertain guests” he chuckles, Sokka cracks the littlest of smiles, “you won’t be wed to him until your sixteen anyways, you are free for many years to come”

Sokka found three years didn’t count as ‘many’.

“I’m only doing this to keep my people safe”

“And to that. I have the utmost respect for you.”

And he bowed.

And Sokka for a moment felt like maybe this wouldn’t suck as much as he thought.

Chapter Text

Zuko found the following week painfully boring.

There was nothing he could do of substance. Father had canceled all tutoring and bending practice, favouring zuko spend his days in awkward silence with this boy he didn’t care about.

He found Sokka annoying, nothing about him made sense.

He hated all things fire nation, for most of their interactions he’d be pressed up against a corner like a turtle duck with an injured wing, the furthest wall from any fire, wether it be a roaring fire place or a dimly lit candle.

What’s worse is Sokka couldn’t bend, so when Zuko begged to go out to practice his bending, with a small pale of water set diligently to the side for Sokka to take up, he was greatly disappointed to see Sokka just watch…he hovered near the water at all times however. Perhaps to be sure he could put out any flames that came his way.

He was just so, bland. Whatever he said was always something to the affect of “I don’t want to be here” or “I hate your dad” which particularly angered zuko because his father had been nothing but kind this week. He had not only rescinded his notion of banishing Zuko, but also used it as an opportunity to peacefully deal with the raids over the southern water tribe. A testament to his leadership skills as far as Zuko was concerned.

What was there to like about him? Uncle Iroh says that he’s a ‘wonderful boy if given the chance to open up’ but Zuko couldn’t honestly care. He was only truly invested in watching the days slip away until the week came to its uneventful end.

———

Sokka was stood behind his father, eyes glued to some distant unimportant thing in the far distance, looking with a mixture of relief and annoyance, his foot tapping furiously, his foot did that a lot. Katara was clinging closely behind, Hakoda gave what few pleasantries were necessary to Iroh, the only adult present and they boarded the ship. Leaving Sokka with them for one last goodbye before they sail back to his little tribe, out of sight and mind for another 3 years before he would penultimately work his way in again.

Zuko stood awkwardly infornt of Sokka, staring unimpressed into his eyes. Sokka returning his gaze with nothing but contempt.

“Fire nation” he spat almost accusatory.

“Water tribe” holding much the same venom.

Hakoda teetered back down the plank that connected the ship to the dock coming up to Sokka as he pressed his palm to Sokka’s back and led him back to the ship they’d be using to travel home. Sokka swivelled his head to look at Zuko and stuck his tongue out at him.

Zuko stuck his out in return.

They finally boarded the ship and the ships horn blared in announcement. Sailing off long past the horizon line to their home for the foreseeable future.

And Zuko let himself breathe for a moment.

Iroh sauntered up behind him, scratching at his beard with his eyes closed in contentment.

“He seemed nice”

“Shut up uncle” Zuko grumbled, Iroh only chuckling.

“You know, he has a great head on those shoulders, a good mind, astounding wit, it would serve you well if you were to open up to the possibility of conversation,” Iroh proposed, Zuko bit down the remark he was going to make about how Iroh could possibly know, because he knew Sokka had more than once taken solace in tea with his uncle.

“He never wanted to talk, uncle. He just sat in a corner the whole time” he folded his arms and let Iroh lead him back to the palace.

“Well perhaps you weren’t being hospitable! He was quite the conversationalist while having tea with me” Iroh reasoned not paying any mind to how Zuko hissed as a fly away branch scraped his cheek.

“If he did anything more than complain I might’ve been.” He muttered, much to the distaste of Iroh.

“Nonsense Zuko! That boy has just done the unthinkable for his people, he’s letting himself be taken away to a strange place full of strange people with strange customs al for the sake of their protection! He’s bound to be a bit frigid during his first visit. All I ask is that you be more open to conversation with him, perhaps more on his terms if anything.” Iroh’s tone was lecturing, head held high.

Zuko sighed, he wouldn’t win this argument, he supposed he’d leave it be. If there was a next time to these brief visits he would have to take up his uncle’s advice. He concluded.

If. There was a next visit that is.

They eventually made it up the many steps to the palace, Iroh waving for the guards to let them in, lazily trenching through the courtyard until Iroh dropped zuko off at his room.

Zuko let the door close, pretending not to hear his uncles ‘goodnight’. He let his hair fall from its top knot and placed his headpiece to sit on his bed side. Removing the golden shoulder plates, letting his shoulders sink down with a sigh.

He almost collapsed onto his bed, staring lamely at the ceiling as he was truly left with nothing but his thoughts again.

He didn’t care for Sokka, as far as he could tell he hated him actually, but he supposed his uncle was right.

Maybe talking to Sokka properly wouldn’t hurt.

He’d have to wait a few years to see it that would hold true of course.

Chapter Text

—-3 years later——

Sokka’s lungs screamed for air, his legs ached, everything hurt. He was wildly tumbling through the snow tripping over his own feet.

And he laughed the whole way.

He skidded by snow mounds and jumped past penguin otters, spear in hand as he panted like there was no tomorrow after the injured tiger seal he’d set his sights on.

Its left flipper was punctured, vastly affecting its movement, it was jagged and uncoordinated as it tried to flop away from the fast approaching hunter behind him.

Sokka didn’t relent however, even after having to scramble to his feet after slipping on some black ice in order to just make chase.

With one last thrust of his spear, he shot the blade straight through the tiger seals head.

He stumbled to a halt, sputtering for breath in the frigid air. Hands clutching his knees for support as he jostled his whole body to find his balance again.

He looked to the carcass in front of him, bowing his head in thanks to it. And, using the spear as leverage, dragged it back to the canoe his father was waiting for him in.

He struggled a bit, muscles almost giving out from exhaustion. It was the third seal he’d caught today. The biggest as well.

Its stripes were thick and fuzzy along its fat body, and he noticed its stripes formed a little heart at the bridge of its snout. Cute.

He opted not to keep looking at its head though, bloody and all that. More respectful to the animal he reasoned.

After dragging his feet far enough, he found his father waiting for him at the canoe, beaming with pride.

“You got a big one! Spirits she’s a beaut. Get her on and we’ll be back before sun down” Hakoda clapped Sokka on the back as he draped the tiger seal along the middle of the canoe. Struggling to squeeze himself underneath its body.

The voyage was filled with a calm silence, Sokka listening to the gentle rolling of the water as they zig zagged through ice sheets, the current was gentle and easy to paddle through.

He assumed he’d zoned out a little on the way as in not a moments notice he was thrusted backwards from the rock of the boat hitting the main land.

He sputtered, Hakoda chuckled and relieved Sokka of the stiff weight of the carcass.

He’d fallen right on his bed the second he was inside. Katara greeting him with a wide smile and almost exasperated huff as Sokka stumbled past her. She’d get him back for it eventually. She was sure.

He’d nuzzled his nose into the soft furs of his bed, half asleep by the time his father had rejoined them, but he wasn’t in the same calm nor excitable mood he’d been in during the duration of their hunt.

He looked pale in the face.

He approached Sokka and shook his shoulder roughly, Sokka grumbling and waving his father off before he rose and rubbed his eyes with his still gloved fingers.

“Sokka, they’re here kid.” Hakoda’s voice was low, gentle, apologetic.

Sokka faltered for a moment, blinking away his exhaustion as the wheels spun in his head. Then they clicked, and he went white.

“No…”

The fire nation? Already? Why would they be? He was only just 16 surely…no no-. He thought he had more time!

He heard the cracking of ice before he could think of much more.

Giant ice chunks splintering and crumpling like bone, the vibrations shocking him deep in his chest. It felt like his heart had ceased.

The rumbling of the ship stopped, and Sokka knew he had to move fast.

His father was already out the door when he was stood, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled out the necklace.

He’d stopped wearing it a year after he left the fire nation that first visit. He’d gotten too tired of the women giving him off stares, and the threat of them spontaneously coming to visit long since left his conscious, that wasn’t enough to stop him from carrying it wherever he went of course.

He fastened it quickly, and grimaced at the chucking feeling he’d gotten all too used to living without and grabbed his spear before he was out the threshold and by his father’s side.

The ship wailed as the metal hung in the front of the ship swing open, crashing into a walk way for the figures inside.

The thick smog that hung low to the ground dropped down the walk way like a carpet, and from it falling bellow onto the ice, staining it with its inky tar, revealed the Fire Lord, Ozai. And-…

And Zuko. His first born son.

Ozai leered down at Sokka and Hakoda, menacing and commanding. He walking down the them slowly, letting the smoke clear before his every step.

Zuko followed closely behind.

Sokka gulped silently, pinching the back of his gloves to stave off any fidgeting.

When Ozai reached the two, standing alone at the gates of wolf cove, they bowed low, Ozai simply nodding his head at the acknowledgment.

“I believe the time is appropriate for our arrangements to fall into order” right to the point as always.

Hakoda chuckled “yes, I suppose so, will we be joining Sokka? On the voyage home I mean.”

Ozai squinted, grumbling “that will be fine, you and the girl, and only, you and the girl. May come with him. We expect you ready by days end.”

Hakoda sighed, pleased.

“Of course, I’ll have mine and my children’s things packed by days and.” He bowed low, Sokka doing much the same.

Sokka for a moment made eye contact with Zuko, who looked dead into his. He’d never shivered so hard in his life.

The time apart had aged them both significantly.

They were both taller. But Zuko had caught up and surpassed sokka’s height comfortably. Not enough to be too emasculating but enough that he’d have to look up a bit to talk to him. And that was saying something, Sokka likes to consider himself pretty tall.

Zuko also didn’t have his bandage covering his eye, giving way to a well healed burn scar that covered half his left eye and stretched to his ear.

That must’ve hurt.

Everything about his outfit was pretty much the same, but far more bulking in the silhouette. His shoulder plate was a much deeper black with brighter gold accents.

It was very fire nation he’ll say that.

Sokka and his father scurried back to their igloo and told Katara of the news. They scrambled to get their things packed.

Sokka had to pack more than both, this was probably the last time he’d be home. Ever.

Spirits that scared him to think.

He grabbed his spear, boomerang and club before anything else. His back was heavy with practically every item he’d ever owned in it.

Hakoda approached and shoved some clothes in Sokka’s hand.

They were identical to the ones his father had given him that first visit. Except when he excused himself to go put them on, he found that the water tribe symbol wasn’t in the outer lining anymore. It was hidden, kept closer to his heart. And the bottom of the tunic fell lower than it had before, falling above the knee. It was still a good outfit, but he felt the changes made more of a difference than they should’ve to him.

He sighed and stuffed the spares his father had given him in the bag too.

They were ready just before sun down.

Sokka slugged his bag over his shoulders, clutching the strap like his spirit depended on it.

Ozai and Zuko met them at the same spot.

Sokka took a deep breath as Ozai and Hakoda exchanged mindless pleasantries for what felt like the millionth time.

Katara had hold of Sokka’s free hand and squeezed. Sokka squeezed back just as hard.

After an eternity, the group boarded the ship, Hakoda and Ozai at the front, Sokka and Zuko following and Katara trailing behind Sokka.

The ship was dark, lit by torches that lined the hallways that flickered when Ozai and Zuko walked past them.

It was warm, with steam and smoke from the boiler room heating the ship to almost sauna levels.

Sokka had to wipe the sweat from his brow more than once on his way to his lodgings for the duration of the trip.

The trip that would end in his marriage. A trip that would end with his life back home being forever taken from him.

He shook the thoughts from his head.

No point thinking about that yet.

Ozai came to a sudden halt, pointing to a door while staring Zuko and Sokka down.

“This” he started, “will be your two’s room for the journey.”

Sokka had to bite his tongue to stop it from dropping out his mouth.

He cursed tui and la for the second time in his life.

Chapter Text

Sokka and Zuko were pushed into the room without a second glance. Ozai guiding the two remaining guests to their respective lodgings.

Sokka was sweating bullets.

The room was big, with an abundance of red furnishings with rich velvet on every fabric surface possible. Gold embellishments shimmered in every corner of every object he could see, a big shining fire nation symbol hung to the right of the lofty bed, just as red and luxurious as the rest of the room. It hung over a pile of cast aside scrolls, lazily rolled up clearly being discarded from recent use.

How odd.

He slumped his bag into the left hand corner, as he suspected Zuko had a preference for the right side of the space and stood awkwardly as Zuko strode across the room easily.

Sokka rinsed out his fingers while he stared at the back of Zuko’s, still mostly, bald head.

“Sooooo.” He started, “what’s with the scrolls? Doing a little light reading?” He jibed, quickly regretting it from the glare zuko gave him.

Zuko turned back to the letters, and started to roll them up tightly. Tying the ribbons on them to keep them secure.

“They’re manuscripts, about the avatar, about the avatars that came before”

Sokka cocked his head and made a little ‘huh’ sound.

“Why would you need those?”

“My father said many years ago that if I found the Avatar, my honour would be restored. And I’d be free of…this” he gestured between them.

Sokka let out an offended gasp.

“I’m not that bad to be around!” He grumbled a bit. But at the same time accepted that atleast the feelings for this arrangement were mutual.

“I’ve been searching for the last 3 years,” he ignored Sokka completely, “I’ve only been allowed back home on account of preparations for…the wedding” even with his back turned the disdain in his voice was palpable.

Sokka dimmed a bit.

“You come close yet?” He sat on the bed, giving Zuko ample space for him to roll up the scrolls of parchment.

Zuko sighed, “not yet, I’ve searched the whole world it seems. But no sign of him.” He turned his head to face Sokka, his eyes bore holes into Sokka’s own. “I’m close though, I can feel it.”

Sokka gave him a look that could only be read as ‘really?’ And looked at the wardrobe affixed to the opposite wall.

Zuko huffed, grumbling along as he turned back to the scrolls and got back to tidying the scrolls away.

——

“It’s late…” Sokka started, they’d been sat in the room for hours, holding barely comparable conversation amongst their mundane little tasks they’d taken up to entertain themselves.

Iroh had food delivered to them before half the corridors lanterns were dimmed, ‘to make a cosier atmosphere during sleeping hours’ Iroh had explained, the lair were really just trying to delay the need for bed there after.

“It is.” Zuko muttered, reading through a new scroll Iroh had clutched between his fingers and graciously given to Zuko in his last visit.

Sokka tapped his knees awkwardly.

“We probably should…get some rest” his voice held a latent dread as he tried to get his point across.

“I’m going on a walk.” Zuko abruptly announced. Not sparing a confused Sokka so much as a glance while storming out.

Sokka’s jaw hung ajar in puzzlement.

Why was he so weird?

———

Zuko stared out into the endless open ocean mindlessly, thumbing the cold metal railing.

So much was running through his head so fast.

He was almost out of time to save himself from this situation.

He supposed if he tracked the avatar down, he would surely be placed on the throne, but this marriage. He couldn’t.

A wave rather spontaneously crashed against the hull and surged upward, a mighty wave pushing up and above Zuko’s head with frothy foam spitting up to the moon. The resultant wash of the wave as it sunk down splashed hard against Zuko’s face. Leaving him soaked.

Zuko doubled back, gargling and sputtering any salt water that got into his mouth, he wiped his mouth and glared at the ocean.

He grumbled, turned, and stomped his way back to his room. Huffing and squeezing out the salt from his top knot the whole way.

When he got back in the room he finds the bed partitioned by pillows, Sokka sound asleep under the covers, face buried into the silk pillows like he’d never slept a day in his life. His hair was down and messy and covering his eyes; his necklace father had gifted him was placed carelessly on the centre of the bed side table, white hair tie closely placed next to it.

Zuko sighed through his nose at how fast Sokka had gotten into this stage, shrugged it off and got ready for bed.

Letting his hair fall in the ugly way it did with this hair cut, he was in night clothes and in bed fast, laying down with his backed turned towards the pillow wall and face pointing towards the tower of scrolls on the other side of the room. He breathed in, slow and steady, and closed his eyes.

All to lead into a dreamless slumber.

Chapter Text

Zuko woke up with a startle.

Clutching the left side of his head, wide eyed and panting like a rabid dog hound. A plume of smoke sprayed from his mouth as he exhausted his lungs of all they had to give.

This nightmare had been exceptionally horrible, the singed bubbling of his skin and putrid smell of cooked flesh lingered on his nose for longer than most nights.

He also woke up alone.

He looked around dazed, eyeing the emptied but still crumpled sheets and mostly perfectly intact pillow wall Sokka had built to keep them separate.

Rubbing stubborn sleep from his eye, he stood up. Walked to the wardrobe, and got ready in some more formal clothes to find Sokka.

———-

Zuko marched through the hollow hallways for ages, the torches were still only half lit. So the staff hadn’t woken up. And the day hadn’t yet started.

He made his way up to the main door of the ship, firmly gripping the turning the wheel mechanism with ease.

The door groaned in protest, but didn’t resist as zuko pushed it away and stepped out onto the deck.

The moon was still high. Glowing pure and white, little slivers of silver twinkled on the calm rolling oceans.

Zuko breathed the fresh open air and surveyed the deck briefly before he saw him.

Sokka draped lazily over the edge of same metal railing Zuko had hours before. He stared out across the open ocean, with an expression zuko couldn’t quite get a hold of. His hair was still down, cutting off his eyes from Zuko’s view.

Interesting.

Zuko walked up behind Sokka, silent as wind, and tapped Sokka’s shoulder.

Sokka shrieked, swatted Zuko’s hand and gripping it firmly after, he brought up his free hand, gripped Zuko’s shoulder and swung and pinned him to the rails. His breathing was erratic and panicked and FUCK was his grip painfully strong on Zuko’s shoulder.

Sokka glared wide eyed into Zuko’s, Zuko now noticing just how blue they were.

Eventually, Sokka let go. It taking a moment for him to process who he had pinned.

“SORRY!” He pulled his hands away and held them up in surrender. “You creeped up on me. Startled me”

Zuko rolled his shoulder, wincing at the resistance it gave.

“It’s…fine.” He grumbled.

Sokka, looked away anxiously.

“Why are you out here so late?” Zuko abruptly broke the thick silence between them.

Sokka met his gaze again. “I dunno, I woke up and…wanted some fresh air” he looked back out to the sea, still on going in its journey. “The ocean is calming, y’know?”

Zuko hummed in agreement, going to lean his hips against the railing. Sokka followed suits draping himself over it much the same as he had before Zuko interrupted him.

They stood there in silence for a while, neither one making a move to provoke the other.

“We haven’t had a genuine conversation yet” Sokka blurts out.

“Huh?” Zuko responds, taken aback.

“Us. We haven’t had a genuine conversation in all the time we’ve known eachother”

“To be fair we’ve only met once before”

Sokka thought about it and flushed. “True, but we had a week alone for the entire purpose of getting to know eachother. It’d be nice to actually do that” he looked up at zuko through his lashes.

“I suppose. What do you want to know?” Zuko acknowledged Sokka’s gaze.

“I dunno. Why are you bald?”

Zuko’s brows knitted, but he didn’t let Sokka have enough time to sit with the glare before he could back track.

“In fire nation culture shaving your hair is customary after losing in an important Agni Kai.” He stated, monotone and impartial.

“Like The one you lost against your dad?”

Zuko visibly darkened.

“I mean- not like that’s a bad thing-“

“It’s fine.” Zuko stopped him “I haven’t yet regained my honour, I am not worthy of growing my hair out.”

Sokka whistled awkwardly.

Not getting off on a good start it seems.

“Sooo….um…what’s your favourite colour?”

Zuko looked at him like that was the dumbest question in the world, and Sokka winced because he was absolutely right.

But Zuko responded, reluctantly, “…yellow”

Sokka nodded a little bit. Pleasantly surprised. Chuckling.

Zuko got defensive, “what? What colour did you think it’d be?”

Sokka lifted himself from the railing, holding his hands in mock surrender, “no need to get offended man, I figured it’d be something like red I dunno…”

“Really…you assumed it’d be red?” Zuko dead panned him. “You’re kidding…right?”

“What! It’s the only colour people ever see around you guys. I mean SERIOUSLY its everywhere you can’t blame me”

Zuko scoffed, “so what? Is your favourite colour blue then?”

Sokka stayed still, pursing his lips to prevent a smile or other expression, he looked away for a moment. “…no” and lied.

Zuko very obviously wasn’t amused.

They carried on like this for a while, telling little things about themselves, drawling on in what seemed to be minimal small talk up until the moon dipped its belly into the sea and the sun rose up to start the day. Only retreating back to their bed chambers once the engine coughed and started to hack up smoke from the chimneys.

—

They left their room with the rest of the guests, greeted with a hefty breakfast and an awkward if not frightening atmosphere.

Oddly enough it wasn’t Zuko causing it for Sokka anymore.

It was Ozai, he’d always been more frightening but being this close to him for so long was jarring.

Sokka was sat next to Zuko, at his right. Ozai on his own end of the table that was considerably further away from any other chair. Azula was at Ozai’s left and Zuko to his right. Katara and Hakoda were on Zuko’s side of the table. Iroh was opposite Sokka.

No one spoke. Not even Iroh.

Until Ozai piped up.

“The captain has informed me that the ship is ahead of schedule, the journey has been cut again, down to only 4 to 5 days give or take.” He said coolly, not looking up from his food.

Azula grinned “how fortunate, isn’t it zuko? Your special day is just over the horizon” her sickeningly condescending tone made Sokka’s stomach churn.

Zuko simply glared at her.

“Now now…” Ozai started, both teens ceased their glaring and sat tense waiting for their father’s next words. “No need for bickering, all we need to worry about is our guests comfort. right, dear brother?”

Iroh was drinking his tea not paying much attention, swiftly dropping his cup and loudly announcing “Of course!” Zuko shook his head, groaning silently, Sokka chuckled under his breath.

Hakoda had been painfully silent since they boarded, he looked nothing less than bitter and ashamed. Katara wasn’t much different, she looked angry, chewing her food with contempt as if to deny enjoyment within something as simple as fire nation cuisine.

Azula scoffed at nothing in particular.

The group ate in silence from then on. Nothing but silent acknowledgement and latent glares at each other.

Once their meals were finished, and the plates were cleared by the swift and frighteningly silent waitstaff, they moved on to other activities.

Hakoda and Ozai left for Ozai’s conference room. No doubt to discuss more on the rules of their arrangement, Iroh perched himself on the upper deck, on-looking the teens, who were all congregated on the main deck.

Azula and Zuko were making bitter conversation, while Katara was white knuckling the rails looking out at the ocean.

“I hate them.” The she muttered “I hate everything about this place” she spoke between her teeth, seething. Sokka hummed in agreement.

“I mean it’s not all that bad, I guess” Sokka looked over to Zuko, who was staring daggers at his sister, who’d been chuckling sickly sweet with a lethal glare in return. “Could be worse” Sokka smiled at how Zuko stormed off to the corner Iroh was sipping tea in lavishly, sitting next to him with his arms crossed grumpily.

Katara looked at him like he was insane.

“You’re kidding. Right? Tell me you’re kidding” she moved to face him “you’re being married off to the fire nation’s prince. To the prince of the nation of people who soullessly MURDERED OUR MOTHER” she kept her voice to a whisper but Sokka could feel how she wanted to scream.

Sokka dipped his head in shame, it had only taken him a day of moderately interesting conversation to have all of his bite toward this place melt away. He felt dumb.

“You’re right…sorry” Sokka picked at the skin of his thumb, not looking at his sister.

They didn’t speak much for the rest of the day.

———

The week went by much faster than Sokka had expected.

He and zuko having more and more conversations in their shared chambers, Sokka had gotten to know a lot about zuko. Zuko learning much the same about Sokka.

Sokka found the sleeping in the same bed thing less weird over time, and by the time they’d hit the shores of the fire nation his betrothal necklace didn’t feel so uncomfortable against his neck anymore. Much to his sister’s chagrin.

Things weren’t that bad at all really.

Then the ceremony happened.

It was so loud, and public

Sokka was yet again adorned in an overwhelmingly fancy outfit. Blues and purples richer than any he’d seen ever. The tunic itself was more similar to the robes of the fire nation, reaching the floor with puffy wide sleeves, waves crashed against the royal blues on the back, white downy fur lining the neck and hem of the tunic. It was very formal, and only moderately constricting.

Zuko was in a flowing golden robe, fires embedded in the silk, he wasn’t wearing a crown headpiece, not like he had when they first met, though, which felt odd.

The initiator was an old man, tall and nimble and over overall just had this very ancient attitude to him.

His speech was long and drawn and Sokka honestly felt himself drift off in the middle of it a few times.

There was a seemingly unending sea of white behind them, as all the onlookers were dressed in ivory robes and stood in neat columns and rows. They were all just staring.

Zuko was silent. Looking very serious and very grumpy as per usual.

When the actual ceremony was over there was a huge banquet.

Sokka and zuko sat at an ornate table, above but in view of all of the guests.

The meal was overly complicated and completely unnecessary to Sokka but he endured.

Ozai sat at a similarly ornate table next to them, looking over to survey the couple periodically.

The room was alight with talk, some cheery and some not so, Sokka suspected, by the many hand covered mouths and suspicious darting glances Sokka’s way.

He felt exposed.

Zuko and him chatted, but over all Zuko seemed tense.

“You okay? You’ve been really quiet.” He probed.

“‘M fine. This is all just…very stressful.”

It occurred to Sokka that this was probably the first time Zuko had been home in years.

He reached out a hand, placing it within Zuko’s line of sight, and gently said nothing more than a simple “I get it”

Sokka had learnt quickly that Zuko couldn’t see very well from his scarred eye, and so tried to keep himself near Zuko’s eye-line.

He felt it was only polite, he’d seen how jumpy Zuko was when Sokka would approach on his blind side, caring enough to not want him to set sokka aflame out of reflex he’d adopted the rule quickly.

The two ate in virtual silence then on, receiving the odd bit of polite small talk from a high noble guest wanting to congratulate the prince. And only the prince.

Sokka felt a little insulted.

A girl glided up the stairs, ghostly and pale, she gave a deep bow and gave zuko a small greeting, her voice was monotone and quiet.

“Zuko”

Zuko pursed his lips.

“Mai.”

“Who’s this?” Sokka whispered into Zuko’s good ear. Another fact he learnt quickly while on the ship.

“This is Mai…my girlfriend”

Oh…

Shit.

“Ex. Girlfriend now I assume.” Her monotone voice was sharp with venom. “Your father really did the unthinkable with this one zuko”

Sokka really couldn’t catch a break with these people huh.

“Mai if I had been given another option trust me I would’ve taken it-“ Zuko leaned forward to try and reason with Mai, beg maybe. But she simply clicked her teeth.

“No need to grovel. I understand some things can’t be changed. I respect the wishes of the fire lord.” Sokka could see the emotions flip across Zuko’s face. Sorrow, anger, regret, desperation, contempt. The list could go on forever.

Mai looked to Sokka and surveyed him.

“You’re certainly not what I thought you’d be.” Sokka let out an offended gasp, quietly of course.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means I will be watching you, water tribe boy.” She didn’t take a step forward, nor attempted to do anything other than stand in that perfectly straight posture she had. But still Sokka was intimidated by her mere existence. He didn’t know girls could be this scary.

Sokka nodded. Mai bowed to the couple, and left down the steps, slipping away into the see of red and white.

Sokka let out an uneasy sigh.

——-

Zuko folded his wedding robes tightly, staring at the wall with no real focus.

Sokka looked to the floor, playing gently with the fur lining of what has been his tunic. It was so heavy, much too bulky and ridiculous for daily wear.

He wondered who had gotten the materials to make it. He hoped the animal (or animals) were treated with respect upon their death. He prayed to tui and la that their bodies were not frivolously tossed aside after they were skinned.

Knowing the fire nation, he decided he’d be better off never knowing the truth of what became of the creatures.

Zuko piped up “we’re setting off in a month.”

“Huh” Sokka turned to face Zuko, staring incredulously at the back of Zuko’s head.

“I’m continuing my search, I am still banished. This was an unprecedented lapse in tradition, but we are still cast out till I find the avatar”

Sokka scoffed, like that would ever happen.

“Your father and sister will already be packing to head to the southern water tribe. You best prepare a final goodbye for them. You won’t be seeing them for awhile” his tone wasn’t threatening, he didn’t have that thick malice sticking to his throat like he had so often before, he wasn’t teasing Sokka or trapping him in a corner. He just sounded sad, ashamed. Sokka could go so far as to say he sounded sympathetic.

“I will” he dipped his head.

Zuko nodded and placed his discarded clothes on the side table, getting into bed without another word.

Sokka did the same, but hesitated before he got in.

He reached up to his neck and fiddled with the cool crystal affixed to his necklace. Contemplative, he was slow with his movements to remove it, as if to try and stop Zuko from hearing.

Sokka got into bed able to breathe again, necklace sitting on the nightstand patiently. Knowing it would be reworn again by morning.

Knowing now, it was more than a promise, but a certainty.

Chapter Text

The farewell was short and sweet.

Sokka clapped his father’s back as they hugged. His father only mustering up a small “I’m sorry”

“I know” Sokka soothed, pulling away and breathing in the warm sea side air.

His father looked to be on the verge of tears.

Katara came up behind Hakoda, squared her shoulders and lept into hugging him. Sokka returned the hug tenfold. Lifting Katara off her feet and swinging her side to side like he did when they were younger.

“I’ll miss you” he whispered in her ear. He’d never been in a world without Katara there. His father would go out for months at a time on the regular, so his absence was no longer missed too much, but Katara had always been just around the other igloo. Just by that other huddle of old women who were watching him hunt.

He didn’t know how he’d cope without her there.

“I miss you already” she sniffled into Sokka’s shoulder, “please write, whenever you can.”

Sokka smiled warmly at the thought, he squeezed her impossibly tighter for just a moment. Before letting her go as he looked her dead in the eyes.

“I will, I promise” the statement was full of certainty. Strong.

Hakoda took Katara by her shoulder and walked up the deck, letting the mighty metal drawbridge raise on the ship.

As the ship set sail, the chimneys chuntering and hacking up smoke, Katara waved to Sokka. Tears visibly running down her cheeks.

Sokka waved them off with much the same fervour.

Iroh approached behind Sokka gently.

“I remember reading an ancient proverb once, the details allude me now but I remember its message very well. Your family is always with you. They’re in your heart, your very soul. To loose them is to loose yourself, and to loose yourself is to steal a part of them.”

Sokka looked to Iroh confused. The elder simply neatly stroked his goatee.

“Your point being?”

Iroh chuckled “my point is, your family is very important to you, I can see that much. I want you to do everything in your power to keep it that way. Do not let yourself become isolated like so many before you”

So many before him?

Sokka tried to forget the darker implications of Irohs warning, and let him be lead up the long walk back to the palace.

He’d have another month before he’d need to be down by the docks again.

——-

The wind was sharp and strong on the day Sokka would penultimately be caged in with zuko and his tiny crew.

Salty air filled his lungs, burning the back of his throat as he watched the hulking soldiers carry their luggage onto the smaller-than-average vessel. He’d never gotten used to the royal treatment. Even now he felt the urge to help up a grunt who almost dropped a trunk of fabrics. The feeling of being waited on all the time with no expectation of helping the other in return felt foreign. Disingenuous.

Zuko stared at the ship with a hollow expression.

“You good?” Sokka approached him casually, the wind making the gem of his necklace chime a little, like a small bell. He pushed down the disgust he felt towards it.

Zuko hummed in response “its nothing, just feels weird getting back on board”

“Why?”

“I got too used to being back home, I almost forgot I’m still banished” Zuko’s fists clenched, his voice was bitter, though Sokka couldn’t quite place who he was aiming his frustrations at.

“I get what you mean” Sokka didn’t, but he got a rough idea. It can’t have been nice, spending three years away from your immediate family.

“We’re going to be gone for a while.” Zuko turned to Sokka. Meeting his gaze.”it’s very likely that we won’t be back here for many years. I understand your apprehension. You won’t see your family for most of it.”

Sokka shrugged “not like I have much of a choice.”

Zuko nodded.

There was the sound of a great sigh as Iroh toddled over. The boys looked over to address the man. To which Iroh was eerily quiet, he lugged around a basket that clinked and chimed with the tell tale jingle of porcelain.

The trio boarded the ship without much word.

Once they were settled, and Iroh’s tea set was loving wrapped in silks and stored in his bedroom, the ship coughed up its first spews of smoke and tar before it meandered off into the open ocean, its destination unspecified.

Zuko quietly decided to leave orders and plans for the search to be the problem for the next day.

——————

Many months had gone by since they left the fire nation shores and Sokka had found himself quite comfortable in the rhythm of his new living situation.

Zuko let Sokka use the messenger hawk to send letters to his sister, something he felt a little sad about for the bird: the poor thing always looked so tired afterwards, but it helped the siblings could keep in contact fairly regularly.

Everyday they would practice, Zuko would practice his firebending and Sokka would spar with him afterwards. It helped grow a bridge between them.

This was one of those times.

Zuko and Sokka, fists up on light toes as the sun sunk into the distant ocean, the sky irradiated soft oranges and pinks and what little blue that was still in the sky mixed at the edges with peach tones to shine purple.

Sokka made the first move, thrusting forward for a swift punch, Zuko quickly deflected, blocking it with his ankle and kicking it away. Zuko landed a right elbow to Sokka’s stomach. Sokka doubled back for a moment and wheezed.

“You gotta stop doing that man” he sputtered.

“You should be better at blocking it by now” Zuko mused. Surging forward again.

Sokka panicked and swiped Zuko’s leg, he gripped the front of zuko’s armour and rolled backwards, chucking Zuko to the floor hard.

Zuko groaned as his head hit the ground. He winced when Sokka let go and he tried to get up, feeling a pain in his ribs.

Sokka huffed a laugh through his nose, then immediately went to reach out a hand to help Zuko up. Zuko took it without question.

He grumbled a bit, an unfortunate sign he was going to call the session finished and stomp off to his room to do a mandatory one to two hours of brooding.

Sokka payed no mind to Zuko as he did exactly as Sokka predicted, even slamming the hull door and everything.

Iroh chuckled from the sidelines, sipping his tea calmly.

Sokka looked out over to the skyline, admiring the melting and darkening hues, only to be surprised to see the messenger hawk he’d sent out was coming back, faster than scheduled.

“Hey Iroh!” He called out, the old man looking his way, awaiting his inquiry. “Where are we headed?”

“Just back to the southern water tribe water space, zuko wants to do another lap around the waters. I’ll try to get us to stop by your village at some point” he’d walked up next to Sokka, stroking his goatee while Sokka raised his arm to coax the messenger hawk to give him the rolled up paper.

“Really? Thanks Iroh, I really appreciate it” he smiled fondly at Iroh, he’d done everything he could to make the last few months palatable for him. He gave him tips to help soften Zuko’s mood, even if they only worked when Iroh did them they still helped.

The messenger hawk flew up to its cradle at the top of the ship, no doubt to sleep away the long journey. Sokka unrolled the parchment to read the letter.

It was indeed from Katara.

‘Dear Sokka,

Sorry this reply might come a little late for you, I’ve just been really busy with things.

Dad’s been teaching me all sorts of chief things since we left the docks without you. I don’t know how you managed to be so dumb and still take on lessons from him so well. Anyways, stuff has been changing a lot. Dad even lets me help him while we’re hunting, it’s great water bending practice. One time, I picked up a baby penguin otter with it! The mama wasn’t very happy about it though.

The village has been doing really well too, fire nation ships sometimes come around to do trade with us, I don’t think they’ve ever taken anything of ours though. How are things with you? Is Zuko still insisting on keeping you on the ship whenever they go on expedition? I hope you’re doing well. I can’t wait for when you visit us! That is still on right? You promised you’d get Iroh to squeeze a visit home in at some point

I wanna make sure you get this soon enough so I’ll stop writing now.

Yours sincerely

Katara.’

Sokka smiled at the letter, he wasn’t actually forced to stay on the ship, that was a conclusion Katara had drawn up because of ONE incident where he caught a cold and Iroh had recommended he stay and rest, Zuko delivered the news to Sokka a bit more belligerently than Iroh had intended.

Iroh enquired gently, “another letter from your sister?”

“Yeah. Nothing too important, I’ll put this in my room, do you know around how long it’ll take before we’re in southern water tribe territory?” Sokka had already started walking towards the door, backwards of course.

“Another day or so, tell Zuko that he needs to be out his room in another hour for supper!”

Sokka nodded and left Iroh alone on the deck.

———-

“Iroh says supper is in an hour” Sokka announced as soon as he was in the room. Zuko was grumbling while sat on the bed. He hummed in acknowledgment.

Sokka put the scroll on the little pile he’d founded, all of them were letters from his sister.

He grabbed two spare sheets, plopped himself at the twos shared desk and began writing to his sister. Nothing special, informing her of their soon arrival, and perhaps one or two stories of Zuko being a grumpy brooding shut in.

With a final scribble of his name, Sokka rolled up and tied the scroll closed, snatched up another two spare sheets of parchment and sped out to the top deck.

He finger whistled and down came the ships messenger hawk, he affixed the papers (the two spare sheets were for Katara) and sent the hawk off.

He didn’t do much after that, he watched the horizon line to see the bird dip down past it excited for the return letter, and just admired the sky for a little, loving how the clouds merged and twisted into shapes he couldn’t quite grasp.

Before he knew it the piercing screech of the ships rusty whistle was calling him for dinner.

Chapter Text

The boat hit the hard ice with a crunching resonance, scraping loudly as it stuttered into a stop.

By the time the clunky drawbridge fell, and the icky smog sunk to the powdery snow covered ground, there was already a crowd forming at the village’s entrance.

Katara was waving wildly, crying just a little bit. Sokka waved back and ran down the draw bridge. Zuko wasn’t there to let him go, actually he had the drawbridge immediately drawn up again, already beginning to set off again.

“SOKKA!” Iroh called out over the railing. “BE SURE TO MEET HERE BY SUNDOWN SO WE CAN COLLECT YOU”

“OKAY!” Sokka yelled back just as loud. Beaming.

Iroh beamed back.

The ship was long gone, obscured by the larger icebergs by the time Sokka was inside the village and playing games with his family.

He listened to stories of his father hunting and Katara practicing water bending and the mishap it caused. He sledded down icebergs with the smaller kids and ate hearty meals of stew and snow leopard caribou Quaq in the main hall with everyone.

He felt at home again.

At some point Katara begged Hakoda to let just the siblings to go off and hunt for a little while. For fun rather than for any practical purpose.

But they were out nonetheless, Katara paddling the boat while Sokka held his spear firmly in wait for the sign of something to catch.

His breath was slow, brows pressed down in focus as the hairs on the back of his neck raised in anticipation, by La he’d missed this feeling.

On the edge of his vision, he caught what looked to be a glimmer of the shimmering back of a penguin otter, its slick back feathers glowing in the mid afternoon sun, he swivelled his hips and sent his spear soaring, but he didn’t hit a penguin otter, he didn’t hit anything alive actually.

He guffawed at how he could have possibly missed, perhaps his time away had made him rusty.

He hit the top of an iceberg. Well, the side of it atleast, but it had a hollow echo to it that felt unnatural for a berg of its size.

“Hey Katara.” He murmured.

“Hm?” She answered, giving him an incredulous look.

“Do you think you could, I dunno, flip this maybe?” His suggesting was light in the air, he was still prodding it firmly, one swift jab before a cautious pause, waiting for the ultimate resounding reverb from inside.

“I don’t think I could flip it.” She seemed apprehensive.

“Oh come on! It’s just an iceberg! I thought you said you were getting better with your bending?” Sokka complained loudly, in a way he knew would set her off.

Katara’s nose flared. She gritted her teeth and huffed through her nose, she stood up, stomped in front of Sokka (who rather indignantly flopped to the seat Katara had taken previously) and steadied her stance.

With a determined breath, she brought her hands forward , then inward, then forward again. The water below gently rocked the canoe back and forth with the swash of the waves Katara formed, the iceberg swaying the smallest amount.

She kept at it for some time, eventually getting the water to lap past the top of the iceberg and swash on its surface.

“Great pace Katara, at this rate it’ll be flipped in a fortnight.” Sokka droned sarcastically.

Katara scoffed, stopped her bending, and faced him.

“You know, you JUST got back and you still can’t avoid the smart talk?” She straightened a hand behind herself, a larger wave cutting up ok the icebergs surface. “I mean SERIOUSLY. I thought your time with those smoke huffing fire nation no goods would’ve AT LEAST taught you to stop with your back chat but NOOO…” she droned, punctuating every exclamation with another arm swing, causing large and foamy waves to cut up to the skies in her rage.

Sokka visibly shrunk.

“Uh Katara-“ he stammered.

“NO.” She yelled, stomping on the canoe, the iceberg was pushed back by the giant wave that ripped from the waters. As if the sea was trying to run from Katara’s rage. “You have NO self respect!” There was a deep heavy crack. “I FINALLY get the opportunity to spend time with my brother for the first time in MONTHS” a thundering crunch shook Sokka in his lungs. “And you STILL feel the need to belittle EVER. LITTLE .THING. I DO!”there was a thunderous crumble, the swash of the waves was soaking the back of Katara’s parka and Sokka’s hair was getting misted from fly away foam, “ITS LIKE YOU DON’T EVEN CARE THAT YOU’VE BEEN GONE!” one last crackle and before either could process, they were sent tumbling back as a gust of wind chucked their canoe off course and tipped them off the edge.

Sokka was plunged in first, using what little blurred vision he had to grab onto Katara’s middle and swim up. They surfaced with a startled gasp and clutches onto a jagged chunk of ice, Sokka made sure Katara was secure before he latched on like a wet polar bear dog.

Before them was a great geyser of light, booming gale and a resounding ringing overtook their ears as they clung for dear life on the rocky waters.

Sokka kicked his legs and found himself next to a solid piece of ice, the iceberg the geyser of light was coming from. Despite every instinct he had, he chucked Katara up onto it by her armpits. He clambered on after, spitting out the salt water he’d collected in his mouth from when he’d dipped under water while helping her.

The light, eventually, flickered away into the winds, leaving a painful silence in its wake, Katara looked up and gasped, Sokka didn’t care for what she saw until he had to catch his own neck with how fast it swivelled when she leapt forward.

She kneeled, body draped over a small figure he couldn’t fully make out, the figure was pale, skinny and had thick blue strips along its arms that ended in sharp arrows at its fists.

Katara leaned closer, hearing the faintest of whispers, she leaned closer further. Thats was when Sokka could clearly hear what it had said.

“Wanna go penguin sledding with me?” He grinned, wide smile reaching his ears.

What…?

——————-

This boy was a pain in Sokka’s neck.

He was loud and talked too fast, he never stayed still and he was an airbender? (Also maybe the avatar? How would Zuko respond to this information)

Freaky bald kid and his freaky flying bison were not what he wanted to have to deal with on his ONE day off. He also didn’t like how close he was trying to get with his sister.

What worse was that it wasn’t even evening and Sokka was already feeling the itch to put his necklace back on, the itch to keep himself close to the gates so that he knows when the ship arrives so he has time to properly give his goodbyes.

This kid didn’t care, in fact he had made it infinitely harder because after he’d tumbled
Through his ninth pile of giggling children he’d decided he wanted to go and explore with Katara, leaving him alone and temperamental by the shore.

It wouldn’t have been so bad if the faint smell of smoke wasn’t approaching from the distance.

————-

Zuko stormed out the ship furiously. Giving Sokka a scrutinising look before demanding.

“Where’s the avatar.”

Sokka stared at him like he was dumb.

“What? Why are you asking me? I don’t know an avatar” he suspected it was Aang. Stupid kid.

Zuko huffed and stormed into the village and began to berate and demand from the people there.

“He’s about this old!” He grabbed ahold of one of the elder women and shook her, “master of all four element?!”

Sokka’s nose flared and he stomped towards Zuko.

“HEY!.”

Zuko’s head swung over. Sokka grabbed his collar and pulled him closer. Their noses almost touching. The woman zuko was shaking managed to pull away and regroup with the others.

“I didn’t give my life up to you for the protection of my people only for you to go around and treat them like rag dolls.” He growled through gritted teeth.

Zuko scowled. “You saw that light too, this could be my one chance-“

“I DON’T CARE ABOUT YOU CAPTURING THE AVATAR” zuko shut his mouth at that, his glare still holding strong though. “YOUR STUPID OBSESSION ISN’T MINE OR ANY OF MY VILLAGES RESPONSIBILITIES SO JUST DROP IT.” He huffed, and stepped back. Catching his breath before muttering “He’s not here”

Zuko grumbled, and adjusted his armour plates, “whatever… uncle wants you back in the ship. We’re heading out north next sunrise”

“I don’t need to be back until sundown.” Sokka interjected coolly.

Zuko only frowned deeper.

“Well things have changed. I need to find out what the source of that light. was we’re going.”

Off in the distance a whistle could be heard, along with a small speck off in the distance quickly shooting up to the sky. The flare exploded openly with a red dust floating to the ground with a deafening bang.

Zuko froze. Sokka looked at it in horror.

Katara…

Zuko without thinking grabbed Sokka’s hand and dragged him onto the ship. Not saying another word.

————-

Sokka was fuming.

Aang was swiftly captured, Katara much the same. He felt stupid for thinking that perhaps Aang would be competent enough to stop himself from being captured.

Aang was being lead away from the deck, dragged slowly to the holding cell he’d be stuck in until he’d be brought to the fire nation ports.

Katara looked nothing but pissed, openly glaring at Sokka for his inactivity.

“You couldn’t have even tried to get him to let Aang go?” She huffed.

“Katara. If you knew zuko at even the most surface level. You’d know that wasn’t possible.” Sokka replied dryly.

The two didn’t get a chance to bicker any further, as before they could even begin they felt a powerful gust of air push them to a wall.

Aang came tumbling down the hall.

“Katara!” He beamed.

“Aang! Thank the spirits are you oka-“

“No time we gotta go!” Aang interrupted her and grabbed both siblings hands, darting off and crashing out the metal hatch cover. They were followed by the ships crew the whole way.

Once they were at the tip of the ships ice breaker, Aang hollered, a deafeningly loud screech. From around a wall of ice the great bison rose up into the sky, and dipped down to meet them as Aang yanked Katara and Sokka forward, sending them toppling off the ship to fall roughly on Appa’s saddle.

Aang followed after, comfortably landing on a cushion of wind.

Zuko burst through a heavy metal door from the hull, he thrusted himself against the front of the ship and screamed up at the avatar and shook his fist, like the crybaby he always was.

Iroh came up behind him, zuko and him scrambling around before Zuko (with irohs assistance, launched a mighty fire ball towards them at full force

Aang in response, used his staff and swiped strong and hard into the air, pushing a fierce gale out from sea salted air, sending the fire ball off to the side to hit the ice wall next to them.

The ice rumbled and groaned, falling on its back and covering the ship below, burying the crew and zuko with it.

“Appa YIP YIP!” He turned and whipped the reigns without a care, almost giggling at the indignant screeches of the whining brat prince behind them. The trio cheering all the way.

————-

They made a quick stop back to the village To get supplies for Katara and Aang’s long travels. And to leave Sokka behind, he’d assumed he’d have to wait a bit before zuko came running back to the village, to which he’d be picked up and they’d continue their travels.

Sokka stood off to the side as gran gran handed Katara the supposed last sleeping bag, Sokka quirked a brow as she shakily leaned down and passed Katara a third.

“Gran gran, whats with the extra sleeping bag?” He inquired, approaching her.

“For you. Of course. You’re not going to let your sister go off to the North Pole without her big brother to protect her are you?” Her tone was playfully lecturing, like the tone she used on Sokka when he was a kid and had gotten into light hearted mischief.

Sokka flushed, a bit embarrassed. “Well, no. I just assumed-“

“Wait is Sokka coming?” Aang burst from a bile of furs with a flourish. The boy beamed a smile wider than anything Sokka thought physically possible.

“If it’s alright with Sokka.” Katara answered, turning to Sokka expectantly.

Sokka looked between the two. Calculating.

If he went with them. He wouldn’t have to deal with zuko. But if zuko got mad then he might take it out on the village, but dad was there. He could protect them. Speaking of which where was dad? Probably in the main hall. Oh he’s getting off track!

“Sure” he blurted.

“WOOO” Aang hollered again, spinning and then beginning to ride around in another gust of wind as he continued to scream.

He calmed eventually, letting Katara and Sokka finish shucking up supplies hastily on Appa’s back.

He swivelled and shot off the ground, landing gracefully on Appa’s head, sitting between the bisons horns.

“Wow I can’t believe it’s going to have been 100 years since I’ve seen my room. Not excited for that” Aang mused.

He whipped Appa’s reigns, shouting the flight command, and the bison reluctantly rose and soured. High off past the midnight sun to wherever they needed to go to get north.

The Antarctic winds brushed through Sokka’s hair, with no sickly smog to fill up his lungs, he felt he could breathe fully.

He never felt more free

Chapter Text

Zuko’s nostrils flared as he growled. Kicking a discarded helmet, it hit the viewing deck’s railing and bounced back to crash against Zuko pettily in the temple. Making a reverberating clunk like a gong in his head.

Smoke was practically coming out of his ears.

The avatar was alive, hidden away in the very tribe his betrothed had been from.

Had he known?

Had Sokka purposefully kept the whereabouts of the avatar secret from him so he could keep them on this wild goose chase?

What’s worse is the avatar was a child. A child which ESCAPED and KIDNAPPED HIS HUSBAND.

He may not have founded any fondness in his heart for that water tribe peasant in the time they’d been together but that didn’t change the fact that he was his husband, a husband he’d had stolen from him.

How would his father react? He’d be enraged if he discovered how his son had lost the one thing keeping him useful to him.

Iroh tried to approach, a hand open palmed and facing zuko to be placed on his back. Zuko shrugged him off before Iroh could rest it.

The elder sighed through his nose, disappointed. “My nephew, I understand your fury.”

“They took him uncle. The avatar has played me for a fool, and no less made me look like an idiot by taking him.” He cut Iroh off bitterly.

Iroh nodded.

“We need to find the avatar. And Sokka. My honour is only fully restored with both of them at my side”

“I will inform the lieutenant of our embarking then.”

“Dont bother, I will do it myself”

Zuko stormed off, smoke curling past his nose.

—————-

The trio spent many days on Appa’s back, perusing the ocean with an excited buzz.

Every now and then they’d stop at an island, Aang would ask for directions then sneak off to spend the rest of the day doing whatever random dangerous thrill seeking thing he could before Katara or Sokka caught him.

The trip was quickly becoming boring, for everyone.

That was of course until Aang spotted a small islands off in the distance, crescent shaped and lush, with what looked to be a village if the smoke coming from the forest’s under canopy told the group of anything.

His face noticeably brightened as he called for the two teenagers’ ,wallowing in Appa’s saddle, immediate attention.

“Guys guys! Look” he pointed swiftly.

“…yay. Another island. Well done Aang. That’s the sixth this week” Sokka drawled.

“No no- this isn’t any island. It’s Kyoshi island!”

Sokka quirked a brow in interest.

“As a kid me and the monks would visit it from time to time on our way to the temples. Awesome place. It’s all dedicated to avatar kyoshi! I wonder how much it’s changed”

“Only one way to find out I guess” Katara’s tone was light and anticipating. How she managed to keep her patient with Aang was beyond Sokka.

——-

They got jumped.

Sokka had been bound and blindfolded for the best part of ten minutes, being lugged around on the shoulder of one of the ambushers, judging by the lack of footsteps in front, he assumed the man carrying him was the leader of the marching warriors behind.

Eventually, he was shucked to the ground and had his eye coverings removed ; only to be met with a room full of girls in deep emerald and gold armours and bold white and red face paint.

Aang and Katara were there too, to his relief.

“WHERE ARE WE?!” He lunged forward, angling himself to be infront of Aang and Katara “WHERE ARE THE MEN THAT ATTACKED US!”

One girl scoffed, she had the shortest hair out of the group of girls, “no men attacked you, it was just us”

“HAH!” He chortled “no way a bunch of girls could sneak up on us”

His mind briefly strayed to Azula, terrifying Azula. Perhaps those weren’t the right words he should’ve chosen.

And almost in a display of pure karmic irony, the head girl socked him in the face, much the same as Azula would.

——-

Thank the spirits for Aang.

Everything was smoothed over, for the most part, and the entire village helped prepare a feast for the group to recuperate their strength.

And I mean who was Sokka to turn down a good meal?

The hall they collectively ate in wasn’t particularly grand, but it was large. Painted in muted greens and pale yellows, the walls were thin and uniform with a portrait of Avatar Kyoshi on every other free space not filled with katanas or fans of some other decoration that he assumed had a cultural significance to the island folk, and in the centre was a short table that almost filled the whole room, although there were plenty of plush zabutons tucked underneath to make the table’s size reasonable.

But what most struck Sokka’s amazement, was the food that decorated the table.

Great cooked chicken crane and veggies boiled in meaty broths were displayed like jewels amongst fields of seared seasoned small fish and steamed dumplings packed full of steamed cabbage, leek and mushrooms (by Aang’s request). Crisp kale wraps with a sour dipping sauce sat as side dishes to elephant koi sushi and decorative large bowls of noodles swimming in broths (ranging from sweet vegetable stock to rich and meaty broths with thick pork cutlets floating atop), designed to have small portions picked out and eaten in the smaller bowls given to each diner on the side of their main plates. The trio were given their own cups of tea, with jugs of water and kale smoothies for if the tea wasn’t to their liking.

It smelt glorious, and Sokka couldn’t help himself as he piled whatever dish was nearest to him onto his plate.

Sokka sat left of Aang, Katara to Aang’s right, they ate in a collective silence while momo scurried underneath, picking at any stray food not attended to by the trio.

Sokka wolfed down his last pork cutlet before realising the tables layout had changed.

Now instead of the savoury array that filled it, there was a great variety of sweets and desserts replacing it. How they’d managed to clean and replace the tables contents without him noticing was beyond him, but the other two didn’t seem to notice either.

Now there were plates full of sugar cookies and sugar dusted stuffed apple donuts, with pumpkin pies and moon peach cakes on spinning tables with little egg custard tarts filling the gaps between them. Boxes full of colourful mochi balls were set in front of them, one box per diner, Aang beamed at them (seemingly his favourite desert from when he’d visited back in the distant past). What was most prominent amongst the sweets was the fruit, in the centre of the table was a large bowl of moon peaches, mangos, grapes and different in season berries. There were jugs of mango juice, with cups full of milk as an alternative.

Sokka filled his pockets with the mochi, grabbing fistfuls of moon peach cakes and shoving them into his maw in bliss. Spirits this was the best food he’d had in ages.

Aang was doing much the same, Katara however was being eerily quiet. After a few moments more. She got up, and went off to collect things for their departure.

Neither payed much mind, Sokka finished up his food quickly, Aang doing much the same, they waddled out with full pockets and wide smiles, going their separate ways.

Sokka trotted off to the forested edge of the town settlement, he trudged along the path leading out of the village for no more than two minutes before finding a far away off building with a wide open door.

He stood still and listened, hearing a sharp chorus of rhythmic breathing and a collective stomp in tandem.

Upon further inspection Sokka found it was the group of girls from earlier, being instructed in an odd fan dance by the short haired girl.

In that moment he felt a surge of confidence in him, so he sauntered up and through the threshold and rather rudely interrupted them.

“I was just looking for a place to work out and figured here would be best”…

————

He fell on his ass with a shrill yelp.

Suki scoffed, clearly pleased with herself.

“Hey no fair that was dirty!” Sokka scowled. Glaring at suki as she grinned in victory.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, you’re the one who can’t dodge” she turned her back, adjusting the strap connecting her forearm armour to her wrist.

Sokka took the opportunity and lunged. Only to be swiftly blocked by suki with her fore arm, it was a steady and hard motion that left Sokka’s fist sore. She then swivelled her arm quick as wind and used it to flip Sokka onto his back, landing on the ground with a thud. The jewel of his necklace, jolting and hitting his Adam’s apple almost making him choke.

“Still think a bunch of girls like us can’t fight?” She sneered at him.

Sokka rubbed his hip soothingly, he grumbled and got onto his knees with a bowed head.

He couldn’t believe he was going to do this.

“Look I get it I was wrong. I assumed I was stronger, but obviously I’m not” he winced at his own words “Could you…teach me?” He looked up at Suki in apprehension.

You could see the thought roll around in her head, like a glass marble balanced on a plate, lulling to a stop in what looked to be a decision made.

“Sure” she nodded “but if you’re going to learn how to fight like a Kyoshi warrior, you need to accept all of our traditions.” Her smile was near predatory.

“Of course, anything.” He dipped his head back down in grace again.

He had a sunken feeling in his stomach, he didn’t think this would be the most flattering experience.

————-

Zuko scowled at his map, the tip of his nose scrunched and his brows sunken down into his squinted eyes, he’d been jotting down every avatar sighting for the past few days, the markings were scattered across many little island. Displayed as a scribbled X.

Perhaps the avatar was planning on making it to the southern boarder of the earth kingdom? No, the islands weren’t close enough to the main land, and the order wasn’t linear; they were back-pacing to islands in no reasonable order.

Iroh knelt lazily next to him, sipping at a well nursed cup of jasmine tea. He wasn’t there to be productive, but rather to be a thorn in Zuko’s side. Iroh claimed he was ‘keeping him company’.

“I don’t get it uncle.” Zuko groaned.

“Don’t get what my nephew?” He questioned with a fluffy, unfocused tone.

“I can’t find a pattern in their movements. It makes no sense where they stop. None of the islands are particularly well populated by people…this one doesn’t have a population at all!” He shoved an accusatory finger into a small stand alone island, it was a noticeable land mark because its smaller encompassing land masses made it look like a sun. It was too small however and so no one took to settling there. “I can only think they’re doing evasive manoeuvres, no one could possibly guess where they’re going next!”

Maybe Sokka was leading the operation after all, no way a child like the avatar could use any successful tactics like this.

But Zuko didn’t care enough about the specifics of who was leading them, he wanted to know where they’d be next.

They’d lost sight of the avatar’s beast a few days ago. So they were running on loose ends and presumption.

Iroh decided then to lean precariously over his nephew and inspect the map. He hummed for a moment, then tapped his index against another little island.

“Perhaps they are travelling to the Mao Nail islands!” He seemed entirely too gleeful given that he’d just named a nonsensical island.

“Why would they do that?” He questioned bitterly.

“Well they’re visiting many small islands, but this island is well known for its wonderful beaches and its incredibly rare spiderbear population. perhaps the avatar would like a break!” he cheerily replied.

Zuko considered it for a moment, he found it horribly stupid, but eventually, and rather against his own will, agreed.

“I see. Uncle, tell the captain to set a course for Kyoshi island.” He rose from his seat definitively.

“And where are you off to?” He asked with humour.

“To prepare my armour. Oh And tell Jee to get the rhinos ready as well!”He yelled out the last order as he’d already almost been out the door by then.

Jee had been in the doorway before Zuko could get out.

“Prince Zuko. The avatars beast has been spotted, it’s heading towards Kyoshi island.”

Zuko looked stunned. Change of plans then.

“Good. Set a course for Kyoshi island immediately.”

—————

The village was up in flames before anyone could rebuttal.

Zuko, on his armoured rhino, stormed through the small village enraged, shooting fistfuls of fire at any building he could see as he hollered for the an avatars attention.

He hadn’t seen him yet, but he didn’t focus too hard as a sudden ambush of emerald clad warriors darted through buildings and began their defence.

One girl came up and tried to kick him in the face, he deflected it with his forearms and tossed her away, grunting as he tried to pull at his rhinos reigns again.

But he was interrupted by another warrior, an oddly familiar one.

He didn’t get enough time to look, but he made searing eye contact with a sparkling blue necklace, with the symbol of the fire nation carved onto it, it ringing like an out of tune bell as the warrior in heavy makeup and armour made his first punch.

Sokka?

“Sok-“ Zuko had started in bewilderment, but was stopped by a strong hand knocking him off his rhino.

He was swept into the muddy road with a thud, watching as more warriors (and Sokka?) downed all of Zuko’s men.

The avatar appeared at last, but he couldn’t focus on the details of the avatar and his’ conflict. All his focus was stolen from the sight of Sokka, kneeling next to the girl who had tried to kick him, panting and heaving in exhaustion, talking some nonsense too her as he held her in a tender embrace that felt all too emotional to ignore.

He felt an angry ember flicker in his chest.

His lack of attention led him to be knocked down by another gale driven swipe of the avatar’s staff. It slammed him against a wall of a singed home and he choked.

Iroh followed up next to him, and whispered in his ear something to the effect of ‘we need to leave’. Zuko couldn’t hear him over the ringing in his ears.

He was dragged off the island with a petulant reluctance, however not with much resistance, he couldn’t fight back against his uncle’s nursing hands even if he wanted to.

That night in the ship felt especially cold as he was reminded again of the empty bed he’d been left with.

And in his fever drunk state all he could think of was that girl, and how tenderly Sokka had hugged her.

Chapter Text

[Medieval trumpet in the distance]

HERE YE HERE YE!!!

The author FINALLY updates!!!

I’m really struggling with motivation rn.

My ATLA hyperfixation has fizzled out 90% of the way and I’m finding it really difficult to continue with writing more chapters.

Along with the fact I’m trying to juggle the last of my exams, a pregnant dog, and my first time job hunting. Shit is NOT easy!!!!

I’m gonna try and get at least something out, maybe a poorly done set of quick segments for points where they interact in the series, it’s definitely not gonna take the fun turns I had planned in the beginning so sorry for getting ur hopes up with the new tags you might’ve seen… T^T

All I’m gonna say is I’m sorry, I won’t abandon this piece, but it’s gonna be severely condensed.

I hope you can forgive me. Have this little segment as an I’m sorry <3

~~~~~~~~~

Sokka heaved and sputtered as he jumped past the rig’s metal railing and on to Appa’s waiting saddle. Rolling at a painful angle as he panted, trying to take in as much air as he could in his exhausted state.

His delirium was offset by the commotion behind him, the many rioting earthebenders on the metal rig shucking coal at their former fire nation captors.

They’d helped free the earth bending prisoners. Well, Katara had mainly, thank the spirits for her amazing convincing skills.

It took him a good few minutes to regain his composure, and to steady his breathing. The celebratory hollers melted away into rolling winds by the time his head stopped spinning.

He clutched his neck to confirm it was in fact still attached and almost choked on his own panic when he felt smooth skin instead of velvet.

Shit.

Shit shit SHIT.

“Guys…”

He’d lost his necklace, Appa was already above the clouds and too far away from the rig to go back.

Katara looked mortified immediately. She clutched her neck, checking that her necklace was still attached and sighed, rubbing the soft fabric between her fingertips. It took Aang a moment to realise what was wrong.

“We can go back for it if you-“ Aang had started, assuming that would be Sokka’s next course of action.

“No no, it’s okay. It’d put us off schedule”

“we should go back and look for it” Katara had decided definitively.

“We can’t. Katara, it’s fine.”

“But the village-“

“It makes no difference if I have it or not.”

“Are you sure? What about what HE would say if he found out-“

“He won’t.” Sokka ended the conversation with that, a firm and gritty inflection in his voice.

Aang looked at the two quizzically. Sokka had never told Aang about why he had the necklace. He’d ask Sokka about it later he supposed.

——-

Zuko breathed in the salted air with hesitance. Frustration crackled in his mind like an untouched red coal, he tried his best to not huff too hard as to ignite it. Lest the brig of the metal structure melt under him from an outburst of flames.

He thumbed at the velvet strip in his hand, the blue stone chimed as it clattered with its gold hinge.

It was Sokka’s necklace.

He’d lost it. No way Sokka would risk the repercussions of leaving his necklace behind on purpose.

His brows twitched briefly, the slightest lack of composure, he’d have his fit on the ship, for now he needed uncle to finish with his conversation with the admiral of the rig, he’d fallen a pitiful loss to the avatar, Sokka and his sister.

Zuko wouldn’t worry too much for Sokka’s misstep, he was sure that the next time they met he’d have all of them