Chapter Text
“Americano for Avery!” Zuko calls, setting the order on the counter.
He turns back to the computer, and starts working on the next order. It’s a London fog and two macarons. Thank goodness the frother is back to working, he thinks.
He puts his mostly clean food glove back on, and gets the macarons from the case.
The morning rush is rough today, more than usual. He usually tries to dodge these shifts, but Jin is abroad this semester, so he's had to pick up a few of her shifts
He puts the macarons in a box with some parchment paper, and starts mixing up the taro milk for another boba order. He adds in the pearls and uses the sealing machine to seal the cup, cranking the handle.
“Taro milk tea for Sokka,” he calls, setting it on the counter.
Zuko does a double take, looking at the cup again. Sokka is a pretty uncommon name, could it be?
He looks up, and it’s Sokka, unmistakably. He has the same tan skin and wide blue eyes, a nose bridge dotted with more freckles than he used to have, and a little gap in between his two front teeth. His eyebrows are pressed together as he looks back at Zuko.
“Zukes?”
“Zukes!” Sokka says, giggling. “That’s my horse!” He hits the horse that Zuko is sitting on and it takes damage, making a horse sound.
“When are you guys coming back to base?” Katara says. “I need the wood for the house.” She sits up on her elbows so she can hold her ipad better.
“It’s not my fault, Zuko took my horse!” Zuko giggles as he darts past Sokka again. Sokka’s horse is a lot faster than his, it’s fun to ride.
“Just take mine,” Zuko says.
“Yours is ugly,” Sokka says, matter of factly. “Daisy Bell is beautiful and fast, and mine. Give her back!”
“I need my birch,” Katara groans, resting her forehead on her ipad.
“She is fast, you’re right,” Zuko says, darting off into the trees again on Sokka’s horse.
Sokka goes quiet next to him. Then suddenly, Zuko is getting tickled.
“Hey! Stop!” He says, through loud laughter. Sokka sits on him and takes his ipad, guiding Daisy Bell back to where Sokka’s character was standing, still tickling Zuko with his other hand.
“Hello? Birch!” Katara says again, pointedly.
Zuko blinks, he looks down and his hand is still awkwardly cupping the taro boba cup. He pulls it away.
"How– how have you been, all this time?" Sokka asks, smiling a bit unsteadily.
“I– uh, I’ve. I’ve been good,” Zuko says, jerkily. He can’t believe Sokka is really here. He didn’t know if they’d see each other again. He was never able to get back in contact with Sokka and Katara after the move, and he always felt guilty about it.
He wants to lean over the order pickup table and pull him in and hug him tight. He has so much to say, so much to ask about.
He's on the clock, so he squeezes his hands into fists instead, and continues. “Do you want to– to catch up? Later? I’m, uh. I’m working until one.”
Sokka’s face lights up even more, somehow. Zuko soaks it all in, the way his eyes squint up when he smiles, the gap in between his two front teeth. The way all the little quirks in his face feel familiar, even though so much time has passed.
“Yeah,” Sokka says, “that’d be great.”