Work Text:
Aang was always excited when it was someone’s birthday. The monks weren’t super big on celebrating people, so he never had a traditional birthday until his friends surprised him when he turned thirteen. Now, Aang is 24, and he’s had plenty of fun on his and his friend’s birthdays. Today will be no different.
It isn’t everyday that one of your best friends turns 28, and the whole gaang has been busy preparing for Zuko’s birthday. The plan is to surprise him early in the morning and steal him away from all his firelord duties for the entire day.
Everything is going according to plan until Katara realizes Sokka is missing. No one has seen him since last night, and he isn’t in his room. Apparently, he had told Katara he was planning some “special birthday surprises,” so everyone figured he must be off somewhere doing that.
They couldn’t have been more wrong.
They decide to go ahead with their plan and trust that whatever Sokka is doing is important enough for him not to be here. Quietly, everyone sneaks into Zuko’s room, streamers and balloons in tow, to surprise Zuko. Aang turns on the lights and everyone shouts “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Zuko shoots up out of bed and stares at his friends in sleepy confusion while everyone laughs at his delirium.
What no one expected was the groan that came from beside him. Everyone stared in shock as Sokka sat up shirtless in bed right next to Zuko. “What’s going on?” he grumbled as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.
“It looks like everyone decided to surprise me for my birthday”
“Oh yeah I forgot about that” Sokka said, “Oh no.”
“Oh yes” Toph said with a grin on her face, “Care to explain what you are doing in our dear firelord’s bed on this fine morning?”
“Uhhhhh…” Sokka had nothing.
Katara, who had been fuming while all this was happening finally burst, “YOU TOLD ME YOU WEREN’T SEEING ANYONE. YOU LIED DIRECTLY TO MY FACE. YOU ARE NEVER GOING TO HEAR THE END OF THIS SOKKA.”
“Woah, it’s gonna be ok. Let’s just let them explain what’s happening here, alright?” Aang said with a pointed look towards Zuko and Sokka, trying to calm Katara down.
Sokka, who had been completely frozen for quite a while, finally spoke, “so I know this looks bad.”
“Yeah this looks pretty bad” said Toph, still smiling.
“It’s not what it looks like!” Zuko tried to save the situation.
“Oh yeah? So you two haven’t secretly been dating behind our backs and have told absolutely no one?” Katara asked, still angry, but a little amused.
“Well…” Zuko didn’t want to lie to his friends again. Especially since the situation didn’t look like it could be saved.
“I CALLED IT” Toph yelled.
“Called what?” Zuko is still trying to deny the obvious.
“You two are the most obvious little gay boys ever.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about”
“It’s not even worth trying to save at this point, babe” Sokka gave up.
“Alright, so how long?” Aang was gonna get as much information as he could while the topic was open for discussion.
“I think our three year anniversary was… last week?” Sokka laid his hand on Zuko’s shoulder and enjoyed the shock on his friend’s faces as he revealed just how much they had missed.
“WHAT” Katara was not happy.
“I’m sorry we didn’t tell you sooner” Zuko apologized.
“I’m not” Sokka was just provoking Katara at this point, and it was working. He could swear he saw actual steam come out of her ears if he concentrated hard enough.
Zuko had to bury his head in Sokka’s neck to keep from bursting into laughter at his friend’s hilarious faces. Katara was FUMING, Aang was just bewildered, and Toph was absolutely loving this.
“You know what, I think this is a conversation we can finish once everyone has had a little breakfast.” Aang decided it was best to give everyone a little bit of processing time.
“That sounds great.” Zuko was glad to temporarily end this conversation. Though he was sure there would be plenty more questions later.
“Now get out of our room.” Sokka added.
“Our?” Toph couldn’t stop herself. This just keeps getting better.
“If you don’t get out I’ll make you” Sokka just wanted to have a few minutes alone with his boyfriend.
“Oh yeah? How?” Toph accepted the challenge.
Sokka then proceeded to give his boyfriend the best birthday kiss Zuko could ask for, and he didn’t stop there. Sokka’s lips trailed down Zuko’s jaw and across his neck, finding the spot that always made Zuko go weak.
Toph wasn’t one to admit defeat, but she didn’t need to see to understand what was happening. She quickly turned on her heal and booted out of there along with Aang and Katara, who were equally as mortified.
“Finally, they left”
“I’m gonna kill you” Zuko is not one for PDA, and this is so much more than he would usually do.
“No you won’t” Sokka leaned back in for a kiss and he got his wish because despite his words, Zuko was an absolute fool for this water tribe boy he had fallen in love with, and he couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift.