Chapter Text
「 Camp Greenwood 」
The sign stared back at Sokka as they stopped in front of the gatehouse. It was large, hung from a tree branch with a rope, and the letters were nailed-in blocks of wood, making it have a textured appearance. The entire sign was painted green, various shades smeared across the letters to make the design organic. Sokka wondered if the kids helped out with its creation, because it had some type of charm.
“Sokka,” Katara said for the third time. “Get out and move the gate.”
“Oh, sorry,” Sokka apologized quickly before hopping out of the old, rundown Volkswagen Beetle. It was cream-colored with a brown double-stripe down the back, nicknamed Appa by Aang, Katara’s boyfriend. Speaking of Aang, he was passed out in the backseat, tired from his turn driving earlier.
Sokka crossed the slightly muddy ground, hopping over low spots where water pooled, and made his way to the gate. He pushed it open towards the car, the yellow bar moving slowly with a horrible creaking sound. Eventually, Katara and Appa could squeak by, driving across the muddy spot and…
… Splashing Sokka with a wave of muddy water.
“Oh, come on!” Sokka yelled. He cursed loudly, the shout echoing through the trees. He was glad the kids weren’t there yet, because that definitely carried through the valley.
“Sorry!” Katara yelled, rolling down the window with a wince. “I didn’t realize the puddle was that deep!”
Sokka closed the gate behind them with grumbles and extra expletives. Then, he went to get back into the car, but Katara locked the doors.
“If you get in all muddy, Aang will kill me…” She said with a sheepish smile. “Sorry.”
“You suck. You really, really suck. You’re not even a good sister.”
“Let it all out,” Katara reassured him. “I’ll see you at the campsite.”
She pointed to a camp map nearby, another wooden sign with bright colors marking the routes.
“It’s half a mile from here. Hopefully you’re dry by then!”
Katara sped away (not really, but it was faster than Sokka could run) and left Sokka in the dust. At least he didn’t have to carry all his luggage up, which was shoved in the trunk, but walking in wet, muddy jeans and a soaked-through T-shirt was unpleasant. However, Sokka persisted, marching his way down the road, over the wooden bridge over the ravine, and up the hill that all the cabins stood upon.
When he arrived, he saw that he was still one of the first counselors there. It was him, a bunch of strangers, and—oh, oh no…
Suki. Ex-girlfriend Suki. The girl who broke up with him in their senior year of high school because Sokka wouldn’t “open up to her.” Suki, the girl he still definitely loved, missed, and cherished. Oh, Sokka was going to die of embarrassment.
“What happened to you, Sokka?!” Suki said, concerned as she jogged across the gravel parking lot. “You’re all muddy!”
“Long time no see,” Sokka said. “And don’t worry, mud is so in this season.”
Suki laughed. Oh, how Sokka loved her laugh. It sounded so clear and bright, like wind chimes.
“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” She asked rhetorically. Suki sighed. “Come on. Let’s find out what cabin you’re assigned to so you can shower and get changed.”
“Alrighty,” Sokka said, a little pained as Suki grabbed his hand to drag him towards the central building. Holding her hand felt so right, but so wrong, because he knew he couldn’t enjoy it in the way he used to.
Sokka turned around, looking for Katara. When his eyes found her, she wasn’t even looking. No, she was pulling into a parking space over and over, unable to line up with the concrete parking bumper. She was a good driver, but was shit at parking, and it never failed to amuse Sokka. But still, Sokka needed some backup when it came to Suki, or else he might say something he’d regret, like a blurted-out love confession.
Ugh.
Just when I need my sister…
The main building was called the “Greenwood House.” In line with the name, all the camp counselors were responsible for color-coded cabins and their little inhabitants. The campers would be between the ages of 11 and 14, AKA middle school age.
Entering the lobby of the Greenwood House, Sokka and Suki found the nearest Senior counselor. Senior counselors were adults who had worked for three or more years consecutively at Camp Greenwood and were in charge of the Junior counselors.
They told Sokka he was in charge of the Blue Cabin, and then told him to mop up his mud trail in the main house once he was done showering.
Sokka left quickly, exiting the main building and heading towards the cabin that was painted a faded blue. Katara met him on the way, carrying his bags so they wouldn’t get muddy. Then, he entered the cabin, headed to the back, and showered thoroughly. After, he tossed his muddy clothes in a clear bag to be washed later. Then, he changed and headed back out, jogging to the Greenwood House so he could fulfill his promise of mopping.
When he got there, there was no one else around. Suki must’ve gone off with the Senior counselor, or something.
Sokka found the mop in the supply closet after opening nearly five different supply-closet-looking doors, then proceeded to clean up his mess over the next half hour. By the time he was done, he was satisfied and ready to head back out.
Exiting the Greenwood House, Sokka descended the front steps and saw that the parking lot was filling up. Cars were gradually coming down the road, parking in the gravel lot, and other camp counselors were exiting their vehicles, heading towards the main building. Sokka, inadvertently, became the point person as people gathered around him.
“Ummm,” Sokka trailed off as he finished walking down the steps. “Let’s all just wait here, I guess?”
He didn’t know anyone in the crowd besides Katara and Aang, but they wouldn’t be staying. They were using Sokka as an excuse to go on a road trip. So, at the end of camp, they’d pick him up on the way back to end their summer adventures. That means that when a guy spoke up, Sokka didn’t know him at all, but it was likely that he was working as a counselor or was a relative of someone who was.
“You’re not in charge, are you?” The guy asked in a tone that should leave Sokka a little offended, but Sokka was too busy looking at… all that.
The guy was tall—just a little taller than Sokka, a little wider, built with muscle, and honestly intimidating. However, all of the above just made him seem fun to spar with, and Sokka was itching to ask if he practiced martial arts or combat of any kind. His hair was dark, almost black, but it glistened warmly in the sunshine. And his eyes were a striking honey-gold, one outlined with a dark brow, the other eye surrounded by a severe scar that had to be painful to get.
“Are you?” The guy repeated, and Sokka realized he’d been staring. The guy was now glowering at him, probably because Sokka looked like he was judging his face.
“Nope!” Sokka said quickly. “I’m the guy in charge of the Blue Cabin.”
The guy nodded, but he was frowning slightly. He reached up and messed with the hair on the side of his face with the scar.
Sokka walked closer, circumventing the crowd to stand beside him. He asked, “What’s your name?”
“Uhhhh, Zuko.”
“Hey! Uhhhh, Zuko,” Sokka teased with a grin. “What a unique name!”
Zuko scoffed. “Do you normally make dad jokes?”
“Yeah,” Sokka said with full confidence, “because they’re so funny.”
“Sure,” Zuko muttered. “Who are you?”
“You mean ‘What’s your name?’”
“No,” Zuko said in a flat voice. “I said what I said.”
Sokka pouted. This guy wasn’t giving him an inch. Whatever, he was going to be his friend, he was sure.
“Sokka,” he said. “Here for the whole summer, or partial?”
“Whole,” Zuko answered. “You’re full of questions.”
“Mhm,” Sokka nodded, proud. “Do you practice martial arts?”
For the first time in their conversation, Zuko’s eyes lit up. “I do. Traditional Fire Nation martial arts.”
“Southern Water Tribe fighting style,” Sokka replied with a bright grin. “We should spar sometime. Show off for the kids, right?”
Zuko’s bottom lip twitched. He looked Sokka up and down, and then his lip curled into a small smirk.
“Right,” Zuko agreed. He turned his eyes forward when someone important-looking came out from the Greenwood House, walking along with Suki.
Sokka swallowed and glanced away. It was hard to look at her and not remember things, like their first kiss or their last kiss.
The important-looking person turned out to be the camp's owner. He had Suki hand out sheets to all the counselors in the crowd, assigning them their cabins and telling them where to pick up their stack of color-coded T-shirts for them and the kids. They went over rules, expectations, and other important details to maintain order and fun, as the owner put it. And, above all, to keep the kids safe while they were in their care.
Sokka saw Zuko pick up the box for the Red Cabin, Suki and a woman with hazy, white eyes grabbed the Green Cabin box, and Sokka went for the Blue Cabin box. Then, with Katara and Aang’s help, he brought the rest of his stuff to the Blue Cabin.
He put out labels on each bed, assigned kids to each spot, and placed a T-Shirt in their size on the pillow. Then, he got changed into his blue Camp Greenwood T-shirt and went back to the steps in front of the main house. Once everyone was there, they headed to the pavilion for the welcome lunch, which family and friends were welcome to.
Sokka sat down with Aang and Katara, and shortly after, Suki came to sit across from Sokka with her friend in tow.
“Introduce yourself,” Suki said, elbowing the woman in the side.
“You don’t have to jab me,” the woman said, rubbing her ribs. She waved her left hand, just a short, confident movement. “Sup. I’m Toph.”
“Nice to meet you, Toph!” Katara said cheerfully.
“Wow, you’re sparkly,” Toph commented.
“Sparkly…?” Katara asked, confused.
Toph grinned in her direction. “Nothing bad with sparkly! You’re just really friendly.”
“Oh,” Katara said, her smile returning. “Good.”
Toph laughed. She kicked Sokka square in the shin by accident.
“Ouch,” Sokka muttered.
“Sorry, didn’t see you there,” Toph said, waving a hand in front of her eyes. “Literally.”
“Are you co-counselors with Suki?” Sokka asked after he was done rubbing his shin.
Suki nodded. “We met in college. Toph wanted to give it a shot after I said I’ve worked here the past couple of summers.”
“Overprotective parents,” Toph explained. “I never got to try summer camp, but you people better watch out for me now!”
Aang laughed. “Do you have any goals for the summer?”
“Oh, wow, I want to try everything,” Toph said. “Archery, too.”
Sokka blinked. “That sounds deadly.”
“Just don’t stand down range like an idiot,” Toph commented with a shrug. “I also want to try swimming.”
Katara’s eyes widened. “They didn’t let you swim?”
“Nope,” Toph said. “They didn’t even like me using the bathtub. Showers with guard rails only.”
“Wow,” Katara muttered. “Talk about overprotective.”
They continued talking. Sokka looked around as they all discussed different things they wanted to do that summer, and again, his gaze fell on Zuko. He was sitting at the other table, silently eating a hot dog, looking off into the distance as the other counselors conversed among themselves.
“Zuko!” Sokka raised his voice, calling across the pavilion. “Get over here!”
Zuko looked in his direction, mouth filled with a bite of hot dog. He glanced at the other counselors, excused himself quietly, and they barely turned their heads in his way, giving him a polite wave. Zuko sat next to Sokka.
“Sup, man,” Sokka said, clapping him on the back. Zuko glanced at him from the side.
“Sup,” He greeted back, a little shy.
Suki looked at Sokka, then at Zuko. She smiled. “Hi! I’m Suki, nice to meet you.”
Zuko smiled back, but it was a little strained. “Nice to meet you, too.”
Toph, Katara, and Aang introduced themselves as well. The conversation continued, but unlike the other group of counselors, they included Zuko in the conversation, asking him questions and encouraging him to contribute.
After lunch, they began to prepare for the campers arriving the next day. Fitting the beds with sheets and pillow-cases, cleaning the cabins with brooms and dust rags, and ending the day with a massive bonfire as was tradition. They passed around marshmallows on sticks, had smores, and complained about their sticky fingers.
Zuko, like he was glued, stuck to Sokka’s side the entire time. It was like he chose Sokka as his safety net because Sokka was being friendly. It made Sokka curious about why Zuko was a camp counselor when he was so prickly and shy.
“So why did you decide to become a camp counselor?” Sokka asked at the end of the night as the fire died down. Katara and Aang had begun the drive to their motel before the sun went down, skipping the bonfire, and Suki and Toph were getting ready for bed already. Sokka had volunteered to stay up to put out the fire with the hose. Zuko happened to stay with him.
Zuko thought for a long moment. “I like working with kids.”
“Mhm,” Sokka hummed. “Yeah. They’re pretty fun.”
Zuko unexpectedly spoke up again. “And…”
“Yeah?”
“I broke up with my ex, and I needed to get away,” Zuko explained. He looked at Sokka in the low light of the glowing embers and the moon above. His eyes appeared a deeper shade of amber, and his lashes fanned over his eye like a sultry curtain.
Sokka gulped. Were men usually this pretty?
“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Sokka sighed. “Suki is my ex-girlfriend, actually.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, seeing her here was a surprise. But ehhhh, we’re on good terms, so it’s fine,” Sokka partially lied. He was still mostly in love with Suki, or he thought he was.
Sokka stood up, looking for the hose. His heart was beating quicker than it should. “I hope this summer is good to you, man. I know how rough break-ups can be.”
“Yeah,” Zuko muttered. “It’s rough.”
Zuko, awkwardly, stood and patted Sokka on the shoulder. “Keep your chin up.”
His hand was broad and warm. Sokka wanted to hold it to his shoulder.
Ahahahah, what is happening?
And that was how Sokka’s “bisexual crisis summer” began.