Archive of Our Own

Sokka needed more nights like this. The one year anniversary of the end of the war called for a celebration. A big celebration, from Caldera to Ba Sing Se, and all the places between.

Lanterns were hanging from every rooftop in sight, casting warm, golden light that Sokka felt around him and inside him. There were streamers cutting across the courtyard, providing a perfect frame for the hours of fireworks that had been going off. That combined with the food, drink, music, and friends, Sokka was feeling the happiest and lightest he had been since well ? Months. That may have had something to do with the wine, which he was on his third cup of, but he had earned it. A server with a brass kettle came over and gave Sokka a refill. He gladly obliged.

His eye scanned over to the corner of the courtyard where he spotted Katara, smooching Aang. He smiled, it was still weird and something he needed to get used to. In some ways he felt like they were all grown up, having travelled the world and ended the war but then he would see Katara and Aang kissing and showing the teenagers they actually all were at the end of the day.

He took another sip of his wine and gave himself a second to just take it all in. The band had been playing for hours, the music sans singing but nowhere lacking in feeling, every string echoing the joy of the crowd. And yes, he just wanted to grin because this was happiness.

“Someone’s drinking like it’s going out of fashion,” came a sly voice from beside him and Sokka grinned.

“Hello to you too Suki,” he said, his words just a tad looser than usual.

She laughed and then wrapped her arms around him, the thickness of her armour familiar and comforting. Okay, Sokka was a little drunk that had to be said. As she pulled out, he reached out to scuff her hair and instead just knocked her head dress off.

“Sokka!” she whined, swatting his hand as she laughed, though her tone was more playful than annoyed.

Sokka hiccupped and snorted with laughter. Wiping a rogue tear from his eye, he attempted to take another sip of his drink. Suki snatched it from his hands before he even got the chance. Even had the chance to wink at him before she used one hand to fix her headdress and the other to bring the drink to her lips, draining the cup in one long sip.

“Suki! I was drinking that!” he whined.

“Seemed like you enjoyed the other barrel you’ve already had,” she said as she gently placed the empty cup on a nearby windowsill, before extending out her arm to Sokka. “C’mon drunky, let’s go get some air.”

Sokka rolled his eyes but still took her arm, linking it with his own. “Did Katara send you over here. I’ll have you know Suki that I can handle my liquor much better than my sister will have you believe.” He takes the opportunity to grab another cup two cups from the server, passing one to Suki. “Katara is the light one in our family, her not me!”

Sokka's eyes darted across the courtyard, sweeping past the musicians until they paused on the stone retaining wall surrounding one of the lavish fountains. Katara was sitting there, legs extended long in front of her, arms braced behind her and leaning back. Sokka caught her as she snorted at Aang nearby, who had left her side to do the marble trick for some kids. Some things never changed.

Zuko meanwhile was sitting on the wall beside her, his head bowed slightly and both hands tightly gripping his cup of rice wine. Katara seemed to put him at ease, on a day where Sokka knew he'd been trapped in diplomatic meetings since dawn, fuck had Sokka even gotten a proper chance to talk to Zuko today, more than the few words they shared when they hugged at the beginning of the event? But even with the ease that Katara seemed to bring to him, the tension was written all over his body, his rigid spine as he maintained the presence and grandeur of the Fire Lord, all straight backed and square shouldered. Sokka supposed growing up here, he must have lessons in how to sit like that. For sure something taught and learned though because Sokka knew Zuko’s slouchy posture, it was burned into his mind. He watched as Katara tapped Zuko’s wrist, pulling herself forward to look at him, he looked exhausted. Entertaining diplomats, having to give every guest a portion of his time, and himself more than anything.

Two servants caught both of their attention, as they began carrying over a grand chair, reserved only for the Fire Lord, it was a monster of a thing. It was Katara looked up first, her eyes puzzled as she looked between the chair and Zuko. He raised one hand, two fingers flicking dismissively at the chair, much to the servant’s surprise. He stayed there with Katara, his head bowed and troubled.

“Stone is more comfortable than the throne,” Suki said.

“Huh?”

She used her fan to point towards the two.” "Wait here," she said, her eyes following Sokka's to also settle on Zuko, who waved when he saw her. She dashed away from Sokka at lightning speed and was suddenly where Zuko and Katara were, bending down and hugging them both. Sokka saw as she pulled both of their faces closer to her own and whispered something in both their ears. He caught Katara smile and nod, a large grin which she turned to Sokka with, giving a big thumbs up.

Sokka also noticed Zuko physically seeming to relax, there was a drop of his shoulders and his jaw unclenched as he gave Suki a gentle nod. Suki squeezed his shoulder before she skipped back to Sokka.

"Something I should know about?" asked Sokka, raising a single eyebrow.

“Nope nothing at all,” she replied with a smile and then produced two more bottles of wine from behind her back, with a wink hiding them under her armour.

“I thought you were cutting me off,” said Sokka, raising a brow at the two bottles.

“Cutting you off? Nah these are for later. I do think you need some air first though,” said Suki. Once more taking Sokka’s arm and leading them away from the palace courtyard and through a slim garden gate to the woodlands surrounding the grounds.

“Is this a secret shortcut of yours?” said Sokka.

“Something like that, I’ve gotten pretty good at finding all the nooks and crannies of this place,” she said. “C’mon, I’ll show my favourite tree.”

“What, is this the tree where you take Ty Lee smooching or something,” Sokka said cockily with a laugh and a raise of an eyebrow.

“I mean we haven’t not kissed here,” she replied her eyes darting to a large hollowed out tree, a few logs gathered around it.

Sokka laughed and took his seat. “You seem happy here.”

“I am,” replied Suki with a nod. “It’s been a bit crazy, hasn’t it?” She uncorked one of the bottles and topped herself and Sokka up.

“Mmh,” said Sokka. “I really should be trying to visit you here more; we are all just so all over the place now.”

Suki nodded, there was a certain sadness in her eyes. “I know, I’m happy with my life. I am and I wouldn’t wish the stress we were under on my worst enemy. But it still feels like we’re the ones cleaning up the world, like nothing is ever enough.”

“Couple weeks ago, I realised I hadn’t spoken to Zuko outside of an official setting in months,” Sokka said with a sombre nod.

Suki gave a nod, looked down at her cup and then back to Sokka, not pushing him, giving him space to continue.

“I mean at least with my work back at the South Pole, I still have my dad, and Bato, I still feel like I’ve space to breathe. Aang and Zuko though?” Sokka looked off into the dense foliage of the forest, “I think this post war is aging them more than the actual war ever did. Katara too, I mean fuck, all of us really.”

Suki wrapped an arm around him; her head then went to his shoulder.

Sokka didn’t like seeing Suki upset, or making her worry, he shook off his feelings. He didn’t need to focus on the unknown; he needed to just be there with his best friend. “Is Ty Lee going to jump out and kill me for canoodling her girlfriend,” Sokka said with a crooked smile and then shoved Suki’s headdress again.

“We have an understanding,” said Suki, turning to Sokka. “You will always be my favourite ex-boyfriend and still my best friend.”

Sokka smiled and nodded at that. “You’re my best friend too Suki. Fuck, will you promise me we’ll try get more time to catch up.”

“I’d like that,” Suki said with a smile. “You should hang around in the Fire Nation a while longer this time, Zuko would be so happy to have you here.”

“Yeah,” replied Sokka. “I think he could do with some bro time, probably getting sick of all his friends being girls all the time.”

“He only loves it and don’t let him make you think otherwise,” replied Suki.

“Okay,” said Sokka. “Yeah, my mind is made up, you all clearly need me down here, so I am going to gift you and Zuko with my extended presence.

Suki chuckled, refilled both of their cups with the stolen wine and then scuffed her feet. "So…”she said eventually.

"What?"

" Apart from building docks and watch towers, how have you been keeping back at the South Pole?"

“It’s good, it’s nice seeing Gran Gran again, but it felt weird being there without Katara for the first time. You know it was the first time I felt alone.”

“What,” said Suki a faux gasp in her tone, “You haven’t found yourself a little lady down South?”

He barked out a laugh. “No."

"No?"

"No." he gave a curt nod, a sip of his wine, and looked towards the distance. He loved Suki, he did but the love had changed to something akin to his love for Katara, and his love for Aang, a different kind of love, a still good one but he had to admit when he saw Aang and Katara cuddling, when he saw how Suki and Ty Lee were with each other, his heart ached a bit and he wondered when that would be coming for him, if ever.

He pushed the loneliness down, took another long sip of rice wine, and gave Suki a goofy smile. "I did find out someone has a crush on me this week."

Suki's eyes widened. “Really?"

"Mhm,” said Sokka.

“Someone in the Fire Nation? Who?" Suki was leaning closer to him now.

He took another drink.

"Zuko's sister."

Suki, aghast, smacked her gloved hand against her lips. “Azula has a crush on you! Why am I just hearing about this now, why wouldn’t Ty Lee have told me,” and then Sokka just shook his head laughing, “Not Azula, his kid sister Kiyi, she’s like six.”

Suki snorted, “Tui and La, Sokka, you actually had me for a second.”

Sokka just continued laughing himself. “Fuck me, I think if Azula had a crush on me I’d be dead by now.”

Suki gave his hand one last squeeze before letting it slip free. "Come on," she said. "We've hidden away long enough. They'll be looking for us, and Kiyi would never forgive me for losing her husband.”

Sokka accepted Suki’s arm in helping him stand up, but then as they started walking it wasn’t in the direction they had come, and Suki was instead leading him further into the woods.

Sokka couldn’t see anything in the direction they were going. Suki had an added spring in her step though and she tightened her grip on Sokka’s arm and pulled him along with her ahead until the woodland finally gave way to a small clearing, and four figures gathered around a small fire. And ah, this was exactly what the night needed, no diplomats or show, just a rare time of quiet with his friends.

Toph was the first to notice them. "There they are!" Beside her, Zuko glanced over his shoulder, he smiled too. A small, tired smile, but a genuine one. Toph said something then that made him laugh, and the corners of his eye creased as he let it out. He had changed out of the outer layers of his Fire Lord robes, leaving him in a simple red vest and the wide legged red trousers worn in the fire nation. Before seeing them Sokka had no idea trousers could be that wide. He also was captivated by Zuko’s hair, the crown no longer holding his hair high atop his head, though still adorning the top knot. This was the most stripped back Sokka had seen Zuko in months, where for the first time he felt like he wasn’t looking at the Fire Lord, he felt like he was just looking at Zuko, his friend.

“Hey guys!” Suki said with a wave, pulling her and Sokka’s joined hands up in a wave.

Sokka meanwhile just still couldn’t take his eyes off Zuko, he just looked so much more himself, and he was smiling at Sokka now.

"Sokka!" Katara’s voice cut through from across the campfire, pulling Sokka’s attention and for a split second Sokka saw her eyes widen in terror, her body pulling her up and towards him.

"Fuck, watch out!” said Suki and he felt her attempt to pull him aside but then something hard cracked against his forehead. Splitting pain.

It all happened so fast.

One second Sokka felt he had a hold of everything, he could feel the crunch of the leaves under him, knew their place and size. He could feel the cool leather of Suki’s glove in his hand, the shape of her fingers wrapping around his.

He could feel the warmth from the campfire, travelling over to kiss his face, bringing its warm smoke to draw him over to his friends. And he had felt the gaze of his friends, what were first gazes of love being flipped to horror. His sisters’ eyes were bulging and there was the faint phantom pull from Suki that just didn’t come fast enough.

And then the dulling of all his vision, the sharp pain across his brow, which struck right into the core of his mind. How it swept his legs out from under him and tore him from Suki’s grasp. How he wasn’t even sure if he had time to scream before a sharper pain hit him in the back of his head.

And the voices around him muffled, as if sinking in water.

And the stars dimmed.

And though he felt like he could hear his friends rushing to him.

Felt maybe he could feel a hand on his forehead, he just couldn't be sure, and everything went black, and everything was gone.

🔥🍃💧🗻

When Sokka woke up he felt clammy, and uncomfortable. Spirits was this what a hangover felt like. Is this what his Dad had been warning him about, every time he begged Sokka not to overdo it, every time he cut Sokka off early on fishing trips for fear of the dreaded hangover. The thick, heavy air pressed down on him from every side, a far cry from the crisp, biting cold of the South Pole. He would’ve given anything for just a breath of that icy air right now. And despite knowing he was awake, Sokka just couldn’t will himself to open his eyes, it felt too much.

Groaning, he pressed a clammy hand to his forehead, multiple beads of sweat gathering there and sticking to his fingers. His body ached, yes, he had drunk last night but he didn’t think he had drunk to this extent. What in the world was the fire nation putting in the rice wine to make him feel so light and free last night but like a sack of beaten potatoes today. Oh Spirits, he wanted to vomit.

Stupid Fire Nation. He cracked an eye open, he was in a tent, so at least someone had been more prepared than him, because there was no way he was the one to put this tent up. His tongue felt heavy and dry in his mouth, if he didn’t get some water soon, there was a pretty high chance he was going to vomit.

Katara's voice cut through his grogginess.

“Sokka!”

He groaned in response; did she not understand the torture that had been inflicted upon him. Did she not see his trouble. He lifted his hand, attempting to shoo her away, which yes was going to get him punished in the long run, but if he did so much as lift his head he was certainly going to be sick. He pulled his blanket over his head and prayed she would leave him alone. If he couldn't see Katara then maybe she couldn't see him. He shifted in an attempt to find a cooler spot on the bedroll, but when his head landed on the other pillow, it was warm, smelled like smoke and spice, something he couldn’t place but also something familiar.

“Sokka,” Katara repeated more frustrated this time, and tugging the blanket from him. “Breakfast is ready! Get up already!”

“Breakfast?” he cracked a second eye open; he could get behind breakfast. Food had never let him down before. Food is good and caring. Food loves him. Food had never betrayed him. Good, dependable, comforting.

Unlike rice wine, apparently.

When he finally lifted his head up enough to see the opening of the tent, his sister was looking over him, arms crossed, an irritated expression, kneeling just outside the entrance. She looked annoyed at him but there was something more to her, more than just the way her lips pursed at him. It took him a second to take it in but essentially, well she looked weird.

She didn’t have her hair loops, and yes, she often didn’t in the morning, but the alternative was her hair would hang loose. Instead, two braids in the front of her hair were braided back, her ponytail high on her head, higher than he wore his own, and she had huge gold hoops in her ears. It didn’t look bad, but it was different.

Okay so they all got drunk and Katara decided to change her hairstyle and jewellery, but then there was her weird parka. Sans any fur or trimmings, just plain blue with a thin hood. He supposed it made sense since they were in the Fire Nation, so she didn’t need to be as warm, but he had never seen this light design before.

The only consolation was their mothers’ necklace, still pride of place around her neck. Okay at least something made sense.

“You look weird,” he said.

She scoffed and shoved his shoulder, knocking him back onto his bedroll with a thud.

“Wow, well fuck you Sokka. C’mon put some clothes on and hurry up.”

Okay he probably deserved that. On the floor of the tent was another parka, similar to Katara’s this one black, again so unfamiliar but he put it on, he supposed he had been wearing his formal ceremony clothes last night, one of Zuko’s staff must have dropped down these clothes because the brown trousers and shoes didn’t look anything like his own belongings. Fire Nation fashion he guessed.

When he finally emerged from the tent, the sun hit him like a brick to the face. He squinted, his head throbbing even worse now under the bright light. Everything about this felt off. The air was still heavy, and it smelt weird, and the sun felt like it was pushing down on him, adding to the headache that had already settled deep into his skull. He pinched his temple; this was all so wrong. Katara shoved a tin cup of water into his hand, and he downed it all in one go. “I’ll get you another one,” she said.

He was never drinking again, if this was how he was going to be made feel every time, like something dragged through the spirit wilds and back. Katara shoved another cup of water into his hand, this one was fizzing and bubbling though.

“I put two aspirins in it, should help with the headache.”

“Is it alcoholic?” Sokka hadn’t heard of aspirin before, and while he had seen some men make jokes of hair of the dog as a cure, he really didn’t want to continue drinking.

“Haha very funny Sokka,” came Katara’s reply, laced with sarcasm, and he took that as a no, and downed the bubbling concoction.

“Bleugh.”

“Well,” she added, “that’s what you get for drinking your weight in booze.”

“It was Suki’s fault.” Sokka said but he knew it wasn’t. He was entirely responsible for his own demise.

“Don’t even try blame Suki. You made your own choices” Katara marched off then, back to the campfire.

“Hey,” came a raspy voice from Sokka’s side, distracting him from his downwards spiral into hungover sorrow. He turned his head and saw as Zuko walked over, his shirt was normal, and nothing out of the ordinary, compared to Sokka and Katara’s odd parkas. His strange trousers though, they were a whole different thing all together, pitch black and tight against his legs, had Zuko’s legs always been that long? It was nothing like what Sokka had ever seen him wear before. Zuko stopped and smiled at Sokka for a second. His hair loose and carefree, no crown or top knot in sight.

“Someone stole my hoodie,” he said, as he stepped closer Sokka could smell the smoke from the fire clinging to him, and something familiar.

“They did?” said Sokka. Well, if someone came and stole clothes last night, he guessed that explained why they were all wearing odd clothes now. Zuko’s staff must have dropped these down.

“Mmh,” said Zuko, taking a step closer to Sokka, his hand coming to rest on Sokka’s lower back, fingers warm and solid. What would be a welcome support for how unbalanced Sokka felt but the feeling of Zuko’s fingers made him feel like jelly. Sokka felt as Zuko, slowly slid his hand from his mid back, each finger dragging around until he was cupping Sokka’s hip, his thumb absently tracing circles until the fabric of Sokka’s hoodie hitched up and Zuko was palming Sokka’s bare skin. They were standing so close together, it gave Sokka pause if Zuko could feel how fast Sokka’s heart was beating, could he hear it, could he see it on Sokka’s face? When Sokka looked to Zuko for answers, Zuko's eyes were half lidded, amber catching the morning light, and he was looking at Sokka's mouth.

Sokka searched for words, anything to say to get an explanation but when he opened his mouth all that came out was something halfway between a gasp and a whine. To which Zuko just smiled, and with his right hand danced his fingers up Sokka’s arm, taking his chin and fully bracketing Sokka with his hold. And then he leant forward and pressed a chaste kiss to Sokka’s lips. “It looks good on you.” Then he was gone. Taking his supporting arms with him and leaving Sokka more off balance than ever.

Sokka felt frozen in place, eyes bulging. What the fuck had just happened. He felt goosebumps all over his body, his hip missing the heat of Zuko’s fingers, his lips still tinging from the smoky taste of Zuko’s kiss, because Zuko just kissed him?

Zuko!

Zuko walked over, and Zuko kissed him. And Sokka could have stepped away, he could have stopped it, but why would he have, how could he have? He kissed Sokka like it was the most normal and natural thing in the world, like this was how they greeted each other.

What the fuck happened last night.

“Katara!” he tried to whisper as loud as possible. Katara could explain this, surely, she knew what was going on, she could tell him and everything would make sense, and fuck Sokka’s head just throbbed more. She could bring him more aspirin; she could maybe heal his head and make this make sense.

Katara meanwhile was sitting by their small campfire, sipping something from a cup. Zuko had started talking to her as he took some food from the pan, put it straight in his mouth, rather than onto a plate, and Katara playfully smacked at him. Sokka meanwhile felt like he couldn’t move his legs, he felt off balance in every sense of the term. Everything was wrong. First, he couldn’t make sense of anything and now he couldn’t move.

“Katara! Please!” he hissed.

This time she put up her hand, dismissing him and ignored him, instead shoving a plate at Zuko. Sokka probably deserved that, it was Karma biting him for dismissing her this morning. But this was important.

He tried again. This time much louder and in something that definitely could not be considered a whisper because Zuko heard him too, looked up and smiled. The fucker even waved.

Frozen he gave him a quick nod, managed to pick up a stick and chuck it at Katara, hitting her in the leg.

“Sokka!” She walked over with the stick, prepared to smack him in the head when he managed to grab her hands at the last second. “Katara! “ he attempted to whisper but it came out shrill and he shrieked, “Zuko just kissed me!”

“Oh wow,” she said sarcastically.

Sokka’s eyes bulged, why the hell was she being so nonchalant about this. “Why would he ever do that?” she said as she started to walk away and Sokka reached out for her sleeve, pulling her back.

“No Katara, really. Why?”

“Sokka,” she said as she was looking him up and down now. Sokka loosened his grip on her wrists, worrying he was hurting her now. Her expression shifted, where before she was annoyed, frustrated even with him. Sokka knew from her face that that was no longer the case. “Sokka you and Zuko are a couple,” she looked over at Zuko who was still at the fire rolling a cigarette now. Katara glared at him then back at Sokka. “Wait, did something happen last night, did Zuko do something?” she was gripping on his sleeve now.

Sokka felt how the fabric tugged, tight and strange, still so unfamiliar. Spirits his head hurt, why was everyone being so strange and that didn’t even start on the kiss, and wait what Katara had said.

“What do you mean couple, Zuko and I are a couple, a couple of what?”

And when Katara looked concerned again, another voice tired and yawning came from behind him. “A couple of gays. What’s up with Sokka?” And there stood Toph punching Sokka in the shoulder and turning towards Katara.

“I don’t know,” said Katara, her lips were tight and cautious as she looked at Sokka again, her eyes creasing, brewing anger. “Did Zuko do something last night?” she said it again, quieter, closer to Sokka, shielding the words away from anyone else.

“No.” said Sokka. Well, Zuko had kissed him, but he figured what Katara was getting at was something different. Something sinister from the look on her expression, concern on the verge of transforming into anger.

Perhaps his trepidation showed on his own face because she placed a hand on his face, the opposite side to where Zuko just held him so tenderly. Resting near his ear, her palm pressed against his jawline, cool and familiar. Her rings gave him something to focus on as the metal pressed in and he breathed out."

“Sokka, what do you remember about last night?”

“Well, my head hurts, it’s sorta blurry but I was drinking wine with Suki in the woods.”

Katara nodded, perfect she must have remembered that too. Sokka wasn’t completely crazy.

“Do you remember hitting your head?” said Katara

“I hit my head?” Now that he thought about it, he did remember being with Suki, approaching the campfire when everything went black.

“Sokka, you smacked your head on a branch, you were out cold for a few seconds.”

“I did?” Sokka did remember his hand in Suki’s, he remembered walking towards the group in the clearing in the woods, which yes looked like this clearing. He remembered being unable to take his eyes off Zuko, at the way he was laughing and looked so carefree. And he remembered Katara’s eyes widening in concern, remembered Suki trying to pull him out of the way, and everything going black.

“You went down and really freaked Katara out.” said Toph with a cackle loud enough that Zuko looked over again, clearly Katara’s plan to quieten her voice hadn’t been enough of sign for Toph to quieten hers.

Katara worried her lip for a moment. “I think you hit your head worse than we thought. Fuck I knew we should have hitched home, I’m so stupid.”

"Hitched?" Toph barked a laugh. "Yeah, because a bunch of drunk and high teenagers hitching in the middle of nowhere definitely wouldn't have ended with us murdered."

"Toph." Katara whined.

"What?” she shrugged. “It would've. And if you recall once he was up from his ass kissing the ground. Sokka was well and truly himself and annoying us all. Don’t you think if it was serious he would have been out longer than a few seconds, or needing stitches or something?"

Katara rubbed her temples for a second. "As soon as Suki and Aang get back with the car, we’re taking you to the hospital Sokka. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have been this stupid.”

“Hey, hey Katara.” Sokka said, grabbing her hands, interrupting her apparent spiral. It’s not that he hadn’t seen her worried or scared before. He was there with her, when Aang had been hurt. But the fear being directed at him, her being worried that she hadn’t protected him properly, that was something he wasn’t prepared to do. He was her big brother. The one who should be protecting her.

“ It isn’t that serious,” he repeated, searching her expression. “ I remember hitting my head, but I was really drunk. I don’t think I’ve ever been that drunk before. Do you really think the hospital will take us getting too drunk off rice wine seriously?”

Katara didn't answer straight away. Instead, she looked him over again, her eyes lingering on his face.

“He has a point,” said Toph.

"I mean,” she finally said. “I was worried when you went down, you hit your forehead and the back of your head. But then you were up again straight away, and you were laughing and being yourself.”

“Being his annoying self,” said Toph.

"But you really scared me just now.”

Sokka squeezed her hands. "I’m sorry. Fuck, just the wine. Like sure hitting my head probably didn’t help but this feels nowhere near as bad as the time I face planted on the ice, the time you and Gran Gran had to carry me back. I was fine then, wasn’t I?"

She searched his face for another second before giving a small nod.

"I guess."

Sokka breathed out a sigh of relief, though something was still slightly off in her expression. She'd stopped spiralling, but she hadn't stopped worrying.

Okay, so clearly something happened last night with Sokka and Zuko. And surely Sokka’s freak out about that was what was making her continue to worry. Zuko was an attractive guy, strange for Sokka to end up kissing, but a catch surely. And Sokka had two options, he could tell Katara the truth which was apparently going to make her freak out and blame herself, or he could lie, hopefully get a chance to discuss this with Zuko later and get to the bottom of this.

“And Katara?”

She looked back up at him.

“I didn’t forget about being with Zuko,” he supplied and this made her look towards him, shifting her expression from concern to just confusion. “I was just confused that he kissed me…. when I hadn’t brushed my teeth.”

Katara’s shoulders physically relaxed, looking down at the ground and taking a deep inhale. “Dammit Sokka!”

He flashed her a smile. Never thinking he would be so happy to see her annoyed at him. “Okay come eat something, you’re insufferable when you’re groggy and hungry.”

She took Sokka by the hand, walked him over to the campfire, where Zuko was still sitting on a log, blowing smoke from his mouth. He offered the cigarette to Sokka, only for Katara to shove her hand in front, blocking Zuko. “Not now Zuko, let him eat first before any weed. I still think his head is pretty fucked up from last night. ”

“You okay?” Zuko said and then put a hand on Sokka’s knee giving it a light squeeze.

“Yeah.” Sokka breathed out, it coming out close to a whisper as he was unable to look away from Zuko, from the way his eyes were looking at Sokka. Zuko's hand shifted, sliding from his knee closer toward Sokka's thigh. Sokka went clammy. He opened his mouth, said nothing, and then just got lost in looking at Zuko again, because Zuko was already leaning in, pressing a kiss to his cheek instead. And then he was gone, walking away and leaving Sokka with the lingering tingle on his skin. Sokka's fingers twitched where they gripped the log. He traced the spot with two fingers anyway, warm from where Zuko's lips had been.

Couple - That’s what Katara said

Couple of gay people – That’s what Toph said, cool, cool, cool everything was totally fine. Nothing strange going on at all, nope, everything peachy perfect handy dandy fine. So, him and Zuko kiss now, and kissing Zuko makes him forget how to breathe? What could be more chill and cool than that?

“Here are your eggs, Sokka.”

Oh right, breakfast. Katara was still acting like Sokka and Zuko kissing was nothing noteworthy, had she been here the whole time just now, just dishing up eggs while Sokka lost his shit, and Zuko kissed him again.

She put the plate on his lap. The eggs looked normal, fluffy and perfect and his stomach whined, a reminder of the alcohol abuse he’d inflicted upon it.

“Sokka slow down!” said Katara as he shovelled them into his mouth. When he was finished though, the plate caught his attention, he’d never seen a plate like this before. Sure, he had seen decorative plates, Toph’s parents had fancy porcelain ones. And in the Fire Nation he had seen fancy brass ones, worlds away from the soapstone and wooden bowls he and Katara had grown up with. This plate was pink, it felt lightweight, was covered in flowers and the strangest part there was a drawing of a woman on it.

Toph dropped herself onto the ground near the campfire with a thud, an amused grin spreading across her face, pulling him from his thoughts. She was eating hard sweets from a small brown bag, which jingled as she moved. "So, Sokka, how's the head?”

Sokka stared at her, still staring at the plate. “I’m...uh, feeling better, I think.”

Toph cackled again at that. “Good, we can continue the promposal planning now that you remembered your amore.”

“Proposal?” Sokka said. Fuck how in the depths of this was he. Had he gotten so drunk last night, he asked Zuko to marry him. Oh, Spirits what the fuck, and Zuko must have said yes if everyone was behaving like this. Was Sokka going to be the new Fire Lady? Fire Lad? Fire Man?

“I mean sure if you want to get that serious Sokka,” she said.

“Oh, can it, Toph,” said Katara shoving her own plate of eggs. “Sokka ignore Toph, there was no wedding planning last night, she’s just being a jerk.”

Toph shrugged her shoulders and started digging in. So Sokka, looked around, a campfire, a few logs around it. Strange clothes. Four tents. Aang and Suki had left with a carriage apparently according to Katara? Katara interrupted taking his plate away and handing him a matching pink cup, with the same girl.

“Thanks,” Sokka said with a smile gladly accepting the dark tea, another thing he hadn’t seen before. It smelt strong, and when he tasted it, it was creamy and sweet and familiar. Coffee, he’d had this before, why did he think he hadn’t.

Over where Zuko was stood blowing smoke, Katara had made her way over to him, her back was to Sokka now and he strained to hear what they were saying.

Zuko looked over at Sokka then back to Katara, something shifting in his expression, before he put out the cigarette on the sole of his shoe. Which again, was another thing, when had Zuko started smoking.

“Toph?”

“Mm?” she replied her mouth still full of food and slurping her drink.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hit me?”

“Why are we all wearing such strange clothes?”

Toph tilted her head back and barked out a laugh. “You don’t like our fancy threads?” she wiggled her fingers in the air for emphasis.

Sokka blinked, more confused than ever. “A disguise?” Suki had snuck them all away from the party, they had talked about wanting to be normal people again after all, maybe they were trying to take a day off all these responsibilities.

“Yep Mmhm! These are, uh, ‘Battle robes.’ Really advanced stuff. Only the fiercest can wear ‘em.”

“Right.” Sokka glanced over at Katara, hoping for a more sensible answer. She was silently watching, concern growing on her face, Zuko’s now too when Sokka wondered had she been asking Zuko about Sokka’s supposed head injury.

“And this cup Katara gave me, did you know there’s a girl on it? She’s on all the plates and the cups, who is she??”

Toph leaned forward, still grinning. “Oh, you mean the mysterious Barbie set used for breakfast feasts of champions. You should feel honoured!”

Right, so Toph was not helping. Not at all.

Katara and Zuko finally came over. Zuko putting a hand on Sokka’s shoulder, squeezing it gently and Katara squatting in front of him, so close to the fire it gave her an orange glow. Her hands on his knee’s she looked at him, “Sokka I know you told me not to be. I know you said you’re okay but I’m worried.” She tapped her own mug, only now highlighting to Sokka that her fingernails were all painted. “Do you really not know who she is?”

Sokka looked at it for a second, “Barbie,” he said parroting the name Toph had just given him.

“See he’s just fucking around,” Toph cackled, her mouth full of food. “Sokka isn’t as delicate as you two seem to think he is.”

“Yeah,” Sokka said, a brief smile crossing his lips. “You know me. I just love fucking with Toph.” He felt Zuko squeeze his shoulder and then look down to him with the most endearing smile Sokka had ever seen the guy make. He didn’t know how it made him feel.

Katara filtered off, dragging Toph with her, and Zuko slotted in next to him. He felt the heat radiate from Zuko’s skin, and when he turned to look at him, Zuko’s face pointed towards the sun, the morning light giving him a golden glow. It made him look younger, stripped of all the embellishments and decorations of the Fire Lord, he actually reminded Sokka of how he looked when he first came to the air temple, but then when Sokka dwelled on that memory another one tied to it, still Zuko, still approaching the group, but not on the side of the mountain, in a large green field.

“Sokka?”

“Huh?”

Zuko tapped Sokka’s leg again. “Are you sure you’re okay? I’m not judging you for forgetting Barbie or anything, Azula didn’t play with them so I wouldn’t have known her name either. But Katara is worried about you, I think she thinks something happened between us?”

And Zuko actually looked worried, his eyes piercing Sokka’s gaze.

“I...” Sokka found the words catching in his throat. How the fuck was he meant to explain this, because Zuko knew more than him but asking was going to cause a lot of ruckus.

Maybe he needed to wait until Suki and Aang got back, maybe they could actually explain what’s going on, they could be impartial to this. “I guess I just woke up kind of groggy, and I was surprised you kissed me when I hadn’t brushed my teeth is all,” Sokka said, hoping the same lie that Katara had bought was going to work on Zuko. “Katara um, she thought something happened between me and you and that’s why I was surprised you kissed me.”

Zuko pursed his lips and nodded. “Yeah, she said that you said that.”

It wasn't quite the reassurance Sokka had been hoping for. “Listen,” said Zuko, “I know we were both pretty drunk last night, I don’t know if maybe something happened. Something I don’t remember, because if I hurt you Sokka, if I said something or did something I...”

“No, no,” Sokka said, he had to slap a hand over Zuko’s mouth to shut him up. Fuck, it was the same fear Katara had shown, his stomach lurched, loudly and Zuko looked at him. “Zuko. I know nothing like that happened. I ... just fuck….”

He saw Zuko looking at him again, this time Sokka was the one to put a hand on Zuko’s leg, give it a squeeze and shake his head, “ can you get me some more of that bubbly water Katara had. My head is splitting.”

“Yeah,” said Zuko, “no problem.”

He returned a moment later, another pink cup in hand, the water however wasn’t bubbling or fizzing. It was just still.

“Yeah, hang on a sec,” said Zuko who then tore open some gold foil and dropped a coin shape into the water, giving it it’s fizz.

Zuko stayed by his side as he downed it. “I don’t blame you; I had four of those since waking up.”

“At the ass crack of dawn I’m guessing?” said Sokka with a rise of his eyebrow.

Zuko didn’t even deny anything, just gave a small, timid smile. “I rise with the sun.”

“I know,” Sokka offered his own smile. “I’m never drinking again.”

Zuko looked at him, earnestly this time. “So, we’re, okay?”

Sokka downed the rest of his bubbly drink. “We’re okay. Just yeah, I think I need to learn to handle my rice wine. I’m blaming Suki for getting me more.” Sokka still didn’t feel okay, his head was finally starting to clear though and Katara’s cooking should do the job of settling his stomach, he supposed his body being off balance wouldn’t help with the slippy feeling in his mind. If he really reached back, yes, he did recall them all drinking around the campfire last night, and like a silver wisp at the edge of his vision, something coming in and out of focus, there were memories of Zuko helping him out of the dirt, memories of Zuko kissing Sokka on the brow.

“She has a talent for brewing, but you feel the consequences,” said Zuko, breaking Sokka from his trance.

Suki made the wine? Had Sokka known that? She swiped two bottles on their way out, that must be what Zuko was talking about but at the back of his mind Sokka also had a memory of him and Suki making it together. Yes, he was sure about that one.

“Sokka?” said Zuko. “I’m thinking of going for a swim to clear off this hangover, do you want to come?”

Now that was something Sokka could get behind.

🔥🍃💧🗻

Sokka initially had a plan to use the walk and swimming excursion as a means of getting answers on what was going on, why everything was different and slightly off and why the two of them were apparently together. They took a dirt path towards the water, Zuko leading the way and shoving twigs and branches out of their path, Spirits if Sokka were to smack his head on one again. As they walked Sokka knew the place well, knew he had been here before. Zuko paused for a moment, taking the leather pouch from his pocket and began rolling another cigarette. Experienced fingers sprinkling the tobacco onto the white paper, and warm calloused fingers rolling it, licking the seam shut. He'd seen Zuko do this before, though how long ago he couldn't say.

“When did you start smoking?”

“Oh,” said Zuko. “ Far too young,” he paused to put it in his mouth, “ I don’t know maybe 13, why?”

"Just wasn’t sure if I’d ever asked.” Sokka said with a shrug.

Zuko gave a nod, “hey I think my lighter is in your pocket?”

Sokka reached into his hoodie, and on instinct pulled out the silver zippo, he tossed it to Zuko who caught it with ease.

Zuko was in the middle of lighting his cigarette when Sokka took pause. This morning so many objects had felt foreign, but he knew what a lighter was, didn’t need to be told, didn’t need to be explained he just knew. And when he thought about the girl on the plates, when he thought about Barbie, it wasn’t just crockery, he could see Katara, a young Katara, maybe six playing with the blonde haired doll. And there was a carpet under them, Gran Gran sitting in her chair and the drone of voices in the background. And Sokka there too, colouring.

“You know,” said Zuko and he cupped the back of Sokka’s head, “I was worried about you too when you smacked your head.”

Sokka’s hand went to brush over Zuko’s. when their fingers touched, Zuko smiled at him. “I think you might get a bit of a nasty bruise, you think we should have taken you home?”

“What’s the point in worrying Gran Gran.” Sokka supplied without thinking, but then why would going home have anything to do with Gran Gran. She’s back in the South Pole but then some part of Sokka felt like that wasn’t right, that she was here, waiting for him and Katara. An image of her, not in an igloo but in a house, the one Katara was playing with dolls in.

“Yeah, you said that last night,” said Zuko. “Still though, I’m always going to worry about you, you’re my guy.”

“Your guy?” Sokka said with a chuckle and a lift of his lips. “Spirits Zuko, if that isn’t the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”

Zuko snorted at that, so much so that smoke ploughed out of his nose. It should have looked embarrassing and not endearing. “Shut up, Sokka.”

“Nah, nah,” said Sokka and now it was his turn to get into Zuko’s space, it started in just a teasing manner, a way to laugh at Zuko for saying something so cheesy, but without meaning to he was cozying into the other man, their hips dangerously close together in a way that sent sparks through Sokka. They were so close.

He plucked the cigarette from Zuko’s lips, he held it between his own fingers. He didn’t think about it. His hand suddenly on Zuko’s chest, soft cotton over stretched muscles, and Zuko’s steady beating heart. This feeling wasn’t new, he had done this a million times before, his fingers knew the stretch and expanse of Zuko. He knew the slope of his nose, and the sweep of his cheek. He knew the beat of Zuko’s heart and what it felt like to place his face on Zuko’s chest, to card his fingers through Zuko’s hair. He knew that, and if there were clouds in his memory, they didn’t make sense when his body knew what his mind wouldn’t supply.

But how could that make sense? How could that make any sense.

Sokka closed his eyes for a second, there were just so many thoughts, loud and demanding. He needed to shut them off, so he did what he knew his body was leading him to, leaned in and he kissed Zuko, soft smoky lips firm and sure against Sokka’s. He kissed him and when he did it, it felt different to the confusion of the morning, because when he kissed him, he felt like he was understanding more and if he focused more on Zuko and less on fogginess in the depths of his mind, then more would make sense. When he kissed him, it was like his body was filling in information for him. And Sokka decided that he could answer his burning questions later, he could learn and he could know, but now he could just be. And that was okay with him.

Zuko took a step backward, a soft giggle escaped his lips. Sokka didn’t know Zuko could make noises like that. Fuck, he wanted to hear it again. He tightened his hold on Zuko’s arms, his fingers running along the light hair of his forearms, to his biceps where Sokka squeezed. Everything around him fell into place, the golden light kissed his cheeks, the light breeze gave him pause, and the scent of Zuko overpowered him. Yeah, letting all the thoughts out of your head was easy when he was kissing like this.

All menthol and tobacco. And Zuko. Some of it was just Zuko. But Sokka was there too. This was Sokka and Zuko, kissing. And fuck did Sokka need more.

A moan escaped Sokka’s lips, it had been so long.

Sokka didn’t even realise how far, the kiss had brought him, how Zuko had walked them off the dirt path, until the crunch of the shrub beneath him ended.

He felt Zuko take his face in both his hands, opening his eyes, Sokka saw Zuko’s amber eyes, just inches from his face. They were so close he couldn’t even get a complete view of the other man. Zuko took his thumb, touching Sokka’s bottom lip. He gulped, wanting to lean in again. Sokka was surprised to find he did not get the opportunity, he didn’t even get to take in the mischievous flick of Zuko’s eyes, as his arms dipped down and scooped Sokka up.

“Zuko!” Sokka whined. Holding tighter on Zuko.

Zuko began taking huge, exaggerated strides towards the wooden pontoon of the lake. The wood was old, aged and rickety. Sokka didn’t really trust it to be standing on alone, worse yet, Zuko’s footsteps holding both of their weight.

“Oh fuck, Sokka,” said Zuko, an exaggerated laugh coming from him. “You’re so heavy.” Sokka was being lowered, lower and lower, Zuko managing to lower Sokka but also approach the edge of the pontoon.

“Zuko! No!” he wrapped himself like a snake further and tighter around the other man. “I swear to fuck do not drop me in.”

Zuko just laughed at Sokka, as he deposited him back down. “You really think I would throw you in?”

“I do,” Sokka said without missing a beat, to which Zuko had the audacity to put his hand on his heart and look offended. The bastard.

“I believe you can be a complete and total asshole when you want to be,” said Sokka with a smirk, hands positioned firmly on his hips.

Zuko gave him a sly wave of his hand, then removed his satchel, putting his pouch of tobacco in it, then pulled out two pairs of trunks tossing one to Sokka, and holding onto one for himself.

“Did you think to bring your own shorts?” said Zuko with a playful eyeroll, when he caught Sokka inspecting them.

“You grabbed these for me?” Sokka said, his voice lilted, higher pitched than he would like it to be. He looked to the tag on the back, the stitch work was distinctly Katara, tight and even, nothing near Sokka’s chicken scratch - Zuko Lee – why Katara chose to stitch Zuko’s fake earth kingdom name into clothes was beyond him, but then again Sokka was pretty sure that Zuko went by Zuko Lee. It sounded right and natural.

“I didn’t think you’d want to get caught skinny dipping in front of your sister again.”

Sokka mouth picked up on that one, he remembered that night when they were down by the lake and it was just him and Zuko, and they went skinny dipping. Fuck, how long ago was that now. Wait, when had that happened?

“I remember that night,” said Sokka. The words fell out of his mouth, he hadn’t thought them so much more as processed them, just slipped like water out of him, and he knew them in his bones to be true.

"Yeah," Zuko said, bashfully, the fact that big bad Zuko could sound bashful bringing a smile to Sokka’s lips. "It was one of my favourites."

That’s right. Moon high in the sky, silver hue on their skin, not warm and a gentle breeze. They weren’t quite waist deep in the water. Sokka had held Zuko’s face in his hands, had seen the way the light danced across his features. He held him, leaned in when their foreheads brushed together and told him he loved him. And then Katara had walked upon them and shrieked. And Aang had ran down worried about her.

Zuko was still smiling. Sokka realized he was smiling too. Yeah, he remembered that, why was he questioning he wouldn’t ? Of course, that was the night he told Zuko he loved him. Sokka loved Zuko, he told Zuko he loved him. Sokka pinched his brow because this wasn’t new information, but when he thought really hard, he struggled with the timeline of it.

Without hesitating then, Zuko took a step back and pulled his shirt over his head.

Sokka's brain stopped. And let's be clear this wasn't like Sokka hadn't seen Zuko shirtless before, he'd undressed and seen Zuko undress many times in their journeys together, he knew the topography of the starburst scar on Zuko's chest, knew the way the light hit, knew the colours and how they differed to those on his face. All those times were lost to him now, watching someone he had just been kissing as if his life depended on it, well it hit different.

And he knew he was staring, willing himself to just be normal for two seconds, stop staring like a crazy person or better yet work on changing himself but he couldn't even will his fingers to move as he clutched the shorts and his fingernails dug small crescents into his palm.

Zuko was watching him. He looked up, half-smiling, and winked.

Sokka's face burned.

"Enjoying the view?"

"I'm not blind," Sokka shot back, but the words came out rougher than he intended.

"Good." Zuko said with ease, finishing changing out of his trousers like Sokka wasn't about to have an aneurism. "Because I was thinking the same thing about you. Hurry up!"

And then he dove, Letting a huge splash come up and wet Sokka’s shins.

When Zuko came back up out of the water, his hair was soaked and plastered to his face, the water dragging down the length, and Zuko pushed the ends behind his ears, giving Sokka a view of his entire face. “Are you gonna stand there all day in your clothes? Or trying to give me a strip tease or something?”

“Something like that,” said Sokka.

Fuck it.

He stripped down right there on the pontoon, stripping down to his underwear so fast, he didn’t caution to look towards Zuko to catch his reaction. Nor did he have it in him to look the other man over as Sokka changed from his underwear into the swim shorts. It was fast, methodical work, not the strip tease Zuko suggested. And then he was splashing into the lake to join him.

“Oh fuck!” yelped Sokka when the water made its first contact with his skin. He was not expecting it to be that cold, not from the way Zuko had seemed so at ease when he emerged.

“Aw,” said Zuko, laced with teasing sarcasm. “Is my guy cold?” He swam closer to Sokka, and slipped an arm around his waist, his fingers finding their coveted place on Sokka’s hip bone.

“Are you going to warm me up?” said Sokka. He was preparing to be romanced again, held closely, kissed tenderly. Get himself more of that sweet Zuko.

“Fat chance,” said Zuko, and he dunked Sokka’s head under the water.

“Oh, you wanker! Zuko!” Sokka spat out, spitting water at Zuko’s face, taking his turn to shove the other man. The big oaf was stronger than Sokka though, putting up much more of a fight to stop Sokka shoving him in. But Sokka hadn’t anticipated it, he was sneak attacked. Zuko played dirty, and if Zuko was going to play dirty then Sokka was too. His hands moved from their perch on Zuko’s shoulders, shoved under Zuko’s armpits and gave him a quick tickle. This wasn’t Sokka’s first rodeo, and all he needed was Zuko to lose his stance for two seconds, succumb to Sokka’s tickling and then …. Success, he pushed him under the water.

When Zuko came up, hair dripping, the water droplets falling onto his shoulders, he had the audacity to look good. “Wasn’t even that cold,” he said, flexing his shoulders, a dramatic arm stretch, trying to look the big man.

Sokka just rolled his eyes, “whatever you say, you big cheater. You’re just using your inner fire to keep you warm.”

“Inner fire ey?” Zuko replied coyly, wrapping an arm around Sokka’s waist, pulling him flush against him. “Is that what we’re calling it now.”

“Oh, shut your face,” replied Sokka. He placed his arms around Zuko’s neck. Their legs tangled under the water, and Sokka let himself lean into the weight of him. The wrestling left them both heaving with more laboured yet joyful breathing. Zuko’s hand traced Sokka’s face again, and found the tie securing his wolf tail, he pulled it out with a gentle tug, and Sokka felt droplets rolling down his brow.

“Fucking hot,” said Zuko, just holding Sokka. Both floating together in the middle of the lake , it felt like the peace and tenderness Sokka yearned for, the reason he had fought every adversary for. “Kiss me,” said Sokka, and Zuko kissed him.

Fast, and messy kissing for what felt like forever. Sokka’s own inner fire perking interest, he could do this all day. until Zuko pulled back with a soft laugh.

Sokka’s lips still tingled from this kiss, he needed more, so with an eyeroll, Zuko gave him one small peck. “Let’s not get too carried away, who’s to know how close the others are?”

And yeah, that’s right, the others, fuck Sokka’s sister could catch him. Yes maybe, Zuko was being logical.

“Come on,” said Zuko, releasing his hold on Sokka, turning towards the centre of the lake and tugging Sokka’s wrist in the process. “Let’s swim out to the raft.”

"Race you there?" Sokka challenged, already pushing away from Zuko.

Zuko may be more built than Sokka, his muscles may have come in younger, but Sokka was made for this. The water was in his blood, and he knew he was smoother, swift, he could kick more fluidly, and he could without a doubt beat Zuko to it.

The raft wasn’t even that far, maybe 60 meters out. Sokka swam longer than that for leisure.

When he reached the raft first, he didn’t immediately climb on to it, he turned around to taunt Zuko with his victory, heckled and cheered the other man for the time it took him to catch up, which gave Sokka a brand new sense of satisfaction. “C’mon jerk.”

They climbed onto the raft together; it creaked softly under their weight. Zuko climbed onto it first, lying back against the sun bleached wood, one arm draped over his eyes. Sokka followed, sinking down beside him, until Zuko's chest rose beneath his cheek, his heartbeat still racing from the excursion, but Sokka sought comfort in it.

Sokka didn’t close his eyes.

Sleeping would be perfect, it would be so relaxing and peaceful, maybe that was what Zuko intended to do. But Sokka just looked around and took it all in. Took in the view, and the scents and the sounds, and the fucking peace of it all, and when his thoughts from that morning threatened to creep in, of parts that shouldn’t feel right, Sokka just pushed them to the corners of his mind. He didn’t need them.

And then he spotted something out of the corner of his eye. He moved his finger from Zuko’s chest down to touch it, carved into the wood of the raft, clear as day – Zuko Lee loves Sokka Qajak –

“Did you bring me here to show me this?” said Sokka, lifting his head from its perch on Zuko’s chest, to look the other man in the eyes.

“Don’t I always,” replied Zuko, lifting Sokka’s hand and placing a kiss on it.

🔥🍃💧🗻
Sokka didn't mean to fall asleep. And spirits knew how long he'd been out for. He needed it though, because when he woke up, gone was the last of his hangover.

When he opened his eyes to the sounds of laughter, he spotted his sister and friends down at the pontoon. The sun had shifted, it was higher now, and he could feel its heat baking into him. He'd be glad for the chill of the water on his sun soaked skin now. Would Zuko kill him if he had a tan line in the shape of Sokka's face, smack in the middle of his chest? It would be pretty funny though.

Zuko lifted his head, blinked up at him, shielding his eyes from the sun. "Who's down there? I didn't bother putting my contacts in."

Contacts. Right. Sokka rolled onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow. "Suki and Aang are back from work. And Katara's out swimming with Toph." He watched the girls, the bright orange tether connecting their waists, the buoyancy aid floating along with them.

"Sweet," said Zuko, and put his head back down for another few seconds rest. Zuko can be all talk and pretentious about rising with the sun and waking up to do his yoga and meditation and whatever Zuko stuff he does when everyone's sleeping, but does he really get bragging rights when, like a toddler, he also needs a midafternoon nap?

"Zukooo," Sokka said, poking him in the lip. "C'mon, let's go play. They set up the volleyball net."

That got movement out of him, cracking one eye open, much to Sokka’s amusement. "Doubles?" Zuko said, a challenging look in his eye.

"You're on." Then Sokka leaped up and dove into the water, shouting "Race you again!" before Zuko got a chance to catch him.

"It doesn't count if you jump before calling it!" Zuko shouted, scurrying up and diving in after him.

Sokka was manically laughing, threading through the water. He had a good head start and was well paced despite having just woken up. Besides this head start was revenge for Zuko starting it earlier and shoving Sokka’s head under water.

Sokka looked over his shoulder to see if Zuko was gaining momentum, and the fucker was just a breath away from Sokka, clearly giving it his all and pushing with all he could. When Sokka expected Zuko to overtake him though, Zuko grabbed his foot, not even trying to slow him down. Worse, he started pulling Sokka back toward him, and Sokka shook like an awkward fish in a net.

"Cheater! Cheater!" yelled Sokka dramatically, alerting all of their friends.

Zuko laughed and released him. "You started it. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes."

"Mmmh," said Sokka. "Yeah, Zu, that's what you are. A stupid prize!"

"That's not what I meant," shrieked Zuko. That classic angry pouty Zuko face, all he was missing was the stupid ponytail for a trip down memory lane.

"That sounds like it's what you meant," said Toph, herself and Katara having caught up with them.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You really know how to get me, don't you, Toph?"

"You're half blind, I'm allowed to tease you," she replied, and punched him in the arm.

"We could get you a tether, Zuko?" Sokka offered.

"Sokka," said Katara, "I mean this in the nicest way,”

“But?” said Sokka.

“But” she said lovingly, “ I would not trust you and Zuko with a tether together."

"Yeah," said Toph, sticking out her tongue. "Ye'd get too horny and find some way to tangle up and drown."

If his and Zuko’s antics earlier were anything to go off yeah, maybe Toph did have a point. Still despite the teasing, Sokka felt good, the swim was more relaxed, without the guise of racing, swimming together down to the pontoon and the net.

"How's the head?" said Katara, turning toward Sokka and touching his forehead.

"It's Zuko you should be asking," said Toph, and okay, the innuendo was right there, and yes Sokka had left off her last remark, but that didn't mean Sokka wanted his sister talking to him about such things.

Katara had gone bright red at the insinuation.

"Toph!" Sokka yelped and splashed water at the menace. She had the audacity to keep laughing, much to Sokka's dismay.

"What did Toph do now?" Aang asked, placing the ball on the pontoon and swimming out towards them.

"The usual," said Sokka. "Making innuendos and scenarios in front of my baby sister. How was work, buddy?"

"Same old, same old," replied Aang stretching his arms up over his head. "Suki yelled at some old guy, it was great."

"Aww, I'm proud of you," Sokka replied. But then he couldn't recall where it was Aang and Suki were working together.

"There's Mr. Drunky-Drunk!" Suki wrapped an arm around Sokka's shoulders upon seeing him. She cooed and poked his cheek; spoke the way you would to an animal or a toddler.

"It's all fun and games you blaming me for being drunk and not blaming yourself for making the wine?" asked Sokka.

To which Suki just gasped in faux shock.

Aang cackled. He had climbed onto the pontoon and was now standing at its edge before diving back in. "It was pretty funny, Sokka. You were the drunkest I've ever seen anyone." He then pushed his hair back against his forehead. "Katara, is my dye running?" he said, gesturing to the bright blue arrow running down the centre of his dark buzzed hair. From far away it would look like a tattoo with hair growing on top of it, not a teenage bleach and dye job.

She turned, inspecting. "Nah, you're all good."

Sokka paused for a moment. The arrow was dyed? Not a tattoo… but yeah, Aang was only fourteen, why would he have a tattoo? But he did have tattoos, didn't he? And—

Suki wrapped an arm around his shoulder again, pulling him from his thoughts. "So, Sokka," said Suki, grinning. "We gonna show these losers how we ball?"

"That's what she said!" yelled Toph.

"Toph!!!" shrieked Katara. "Get your mouth out of the toilet for two seconds? Please."

"Sorry, Sugar Queen, no can do."

Aang was laughing. "Katara, you're with Zuko right? And Toph, want to swim with me for a bit?"

"No problem with me," she said, and Katara began removing the tether from her waist, helping secure it to Aang’s. With his arms raised up again, to give Katara easier access, Sokka noticed their lack of tattoos.

There was still so much going on, so much Sokka couldn't fully wrap his head around. How did he explain that he felt like he had two stories in his head? How he kept coming in and out of knowing two contradicting things? But then again, how could it be logical for Aang to have tattoos? But he does have tattoos, doesn't he? And—

"Sokka? You good?" said Katara, finishing her task and looking him over, the beginnings of concern worrying her lips.

He just shoved it down again, down into the corners of his mind. "Yeah, yeah, I'm good. Let's ball."

🔥🍃💧🗻

Forcing thoughts away was easy when Sokka had Katara and Zuko against him. Even easier with Suki beside him. They may not have worked out romantically, but Sokka was never willing to give Suki up as his partner in crime ( double team based sports)
Suki was always able to anticipate his next move, she was always there at his side, and he hers. They were a well-oiled machine. Things were getting tight when it was 23 – Zuko and Katara to 24 – Sokka and Suki.

Aang and Toph had abandoned their swimming, choosing instead to sit on the pontoon, with Aang deciding to give live commentary for Toph, he used a certain degree of embellishment.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Aang said in an old-timey voice. “You will not believe this.”

Sokka had been momentarily distracted when Aang started doing it, but he had to admit it was really funny and Aang had a talent for it.

“It’s getting so close, the crowd is falling in suspense!”

“Oh yeah suspense,” Toph said nonchalantly from where she was sunbathing.

“Here comes super Suki!” Aang screamed.

He yanked Toph up. “She’s slapping the ball; the ball is coming and Oh!!!!! Crafty Katara misses!!”

They won! “We won!” said Sokka with a grin, and he wrapped up Suki in a hug. Katara and Zuko were both giving stink eye. It felt great.

"Alright,” said Katara, perhaps trying to distract from her embarrassing loss at the hands of Sokka and Suki. “ I'm starving. Let's head back and make up some dinner."

Suki nodded, hauling herself up onto the pontoon with surprising grace.

Sokka got out like a floundering fish, the volleyball match had been intense and his arms hurt, he was out of practice! His arms trembled with the effort, and he gave what he thought was a manly grunt.

"Sounds like a beached seal," said Toph, the sounds of him huffing and grunting where enough for her to know he was making a mess of it. She could barely wheeze out between her laughter. "Is Sokka dying? Should we call a vet?"

"I am not dying!" Sokka shrieked. “Just give me like two seconds.”

"Here," came a voice, calm and steadying. “Use me for balance.”

Zuko arrived behind him and shoved him up with one solid push, and Sokka scrambled the last few inches, collapsing onto the wood with a groan. Toph continued to laugh at him. “Thanks, Zuko,” Sokka said, trying his best to ignore Toph. He rolled onto his back, the sun had found itself against the edges of the trees, and the golden light was hitting the pontoon perfectly.

Which was good, because when Zuko got himself out, fuck, did it look like something Sokka could get lost in. He basically saw it in slow motion. Zuko's arm muscles flexing as he hoisted himself up, biceps straining, water sheeting off his shoulders, revealing his chest inch by inch as he rose from the waterline. The definition there, the way his muscles moved under skin that was still glistening from the lake. The way it felt like Zuko was in cahoots with the sun itself for the light to just hit him perfectly.

Sokka felt his mouth go dry.

"Sokka."

He snapped his head up so fast he nearly gave himself whiplash. Katara was standing at the edge of the pontoon, hands on her hips, eyebrow raised. “Uh yeah?” he said.

“Get dressed,” she said, it wasn’t a question, it was a demand. He walked over to where he had abandoned his clothes, on top of Zuko’s satchel. Thankfully Zuko had thought to bring two towels.

" Turn around and face the water,” she was rummaging in her bag, pulling out her own towel which she began using to dry her braid.

"What? Why?" Sokka asked, already standing, holding his clothes, he was about to begin dressing.

"Because we're getting dressed," Katara said flatly gesturing to herself Suki and Toph.

"But—"

"Turn around, Sokka."

Aang laughed at him. “Did you actually think Katara will have stopped making us turn around,”

“I guess not.” So, he stood in line, dressing in the middle of Zuko and Aang, he felt ridiculous like three birds on a wire.

It took a minute or two, but eventually Katara spoke. "Boys? You can turn around now."

They walked back towards camp along the same dirt path as earlier, the setting sun making the walk darker now. The trees were dense, so they were already limited in the amount of light getting in and the air was cooling, the humidity lifting just enough to make the evening feel crisp. Sokka was glad for the dark hoodie he’d stolen from Zuko.

Aang took Toph on his arm, the forest brush made it hard for her to navigate with her cane.

Sokka was at the very back with Suki, she had her own brown bag of sweets and she handed Sokka one.

“Cola bottles!” he said with a grin, taking a few gummies from the bag.

She grinned and then ate a few more gummies herself. “ Katara said you were feeling a bit off this morning, I felt bad for not yanking you out of the way when you hit your head. So these are a peace offering.”

Sokka chewed, swallowing before he spoke “Suki,” he said earnestly. “It isn’t your fault that I can be an oaf, I’m the one who didn’t move out of the way. You didn’t need to bring me these.”

She gave him her own smile. “Just don’t traumatise me like that again.”

“I’ll try my best.”

Ahead of them, Zuko had paused from his conversation with Katara, something catching his eye and distracting him. Just to his left a branch was jutting out, its leaves shaken off, Katara easily slipped under, and she cocked an eyebrow before her mouth formed an o shape.

Zuko held the branch, watched as Suki and Sokka approached. Suki, like Katara slipped right under, but for Sokka, the branch was the perfect height to hit him right on the forehead and, oh. “This is the branch?” Sokka said.

He ducked under the branch, willing himself not to stare at Zuko the entire time, that was how he wacked his head in the first place. How he started this entire ordeal.

Zuko's expression was simple as he released the branch. "Didn't want you hitting your head on this one again," The branch swung back lazily into place behind them, and he gave Sokka a cheeky smile. His hand found the small of Sokka’s back, warm and firm, guiding him forward. Together, they walked into the clearing.

When they got back to camp, Zuko offered to get dinner started, Aang decided to help him, arguing that the way Aang cut spring onion was leagues superior to how Zuko did it. Sokka decided to just leave them off, for him food was food, if the flavour was good, he didn’t care so much about the presentation.

He busied himself grabbing the length of his hair, he didn’t care for wearing it down so much, it would always get in his eyes and bug him. Zuko however seemed to love when Sokka’s hair was down, he was a bit obsessed with it. Sokka gathered his hair up, but it was only then he noticed his bare wrists, and he would have nothing to tie it with.

“Katara, do you have a hairband? Or a ribbon or something? I can’t find mine.” She was stoking the fire.

“Yeah, I do,” she gestured to one of the logs around the fire. “Sit down your hair looks terrible.”

Sokka knew his hair looked bad, the humidity had been insane today and his hair always made it be known and grew three sizes with the sticky weather, which wouldn’t be bad except it didn’t know where to part itself and his vein would zig zag across his scalp and it would stick out in all directions. Katara shouldn’t be calling it out though, especially when she got so ratty at him that morning when he said her hair looked weird. “It can’t be that bad.”

She looked at him, she said nothing but then just marched off to her tent. “My hair can’t be that bad?” Sokka repeated.

“Your hair is fine babe.” Zuko said. Though Sokka was guessing Zuko would say that regardless of how it actually looked.

“It’s not as cool as my hair though,” Aang echoed in, flashing the bright blue arrow.

“I think it looks great,” Toph said and Sokka was about to accept the compliment when he remembered.

“Dammit Toph! Stop doing that.”

“Why should I,” she replied, “When you fall for it every time.”

Katara returned with a comb and set of hairbands. She had him sit on the ground, with herself on the log, giving her access to his hair. She used her fingers first, carefully running them along his scalp and detangling with purpose. Sokka relaxed back into it. He had always loved her playing with his hair.

She switched to the comb. “Do you want me to braid it for you?”

“Yeah, I’d like that.”

She began dividing up the sections in the front of Sokka’s hair to do a fishtail braid, his preferred style.

“Did you even comb your hair today?” Katara said amused.

“There were other things on my mind.” Sokka hoped she didn’t poke.

“Yeah?” she replied. She left it open for him to elaborate, he could tell from her tone, she wasn’t going to ask any more than he was willing to give. When the pause had extended long enough, and just before it could be considered awkward, she said, “are you feeling better now?”

Was he? It had taken everything in Sokka’s power not to dwell on it, he shoved it down, turned his attention to Suki and Toph who were arm wrestling, to Aang and Zuko who were chopping and preparing vegetables. And he thought back on the day he had had, kissing Zuko, playing volleyball and swimming with his friends. How it felt to banish the dwelling and just be himself. Yeah, today was a really amazing day. I think it was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

“Really,” said Katara, “You aren’t usually so optimistic, what changed.”

Sokka sighed, “Maybe hitting my head made me nicer?”

“Maybe,” she replied and he could hear the grin in her response. He sank back into the feeling of her fingers braiding his hair. The feeling of Katara braiding his hair, was the closest Sokka ever felt to having his Mom around. When they were young, she had done both of their hair every morning, he remembered before he shaved the sides into a wolftail, how his Mom combed and braided his hair, sometimes just one small braid. He remembered watching her do Katara’s and how she taught him to braid, his small little fingers on Katara’s thick hair. It was a nice memory; it was one he always thought of and sank into when Katara did this for him.

Maybe that was why he didn’t ask her so often, a fear that if he recalled and focussed on that memory too many times, it would lose its power, that memory was sacred. He felt it when she was finished, she secured the end with a dark blue band. He felt good and like himself.

“Thanks,” he said, perhaps too emotionally because she squeezed his shoulder.

“It’s okay,” Katara said. “Doing this reminds me of her too.”

Then she wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug, and he buried his head on her shoulder. “Oh, spirits Katara, don’t set me off. I’ll be in a heap all day,” he said.

She gave a simple nod. “Yeah, yeah, I agree. I’m going to go read for a bit. You’ll get me if you need me?”

He looked at her; her face had so much care for him. “I will,” he said, and he watched her walk off. Maybe he and Katara should talk about their feelings about Mom more, when they did it was always so heavy, still now after so much time. He wondered would it ever feel easy.

When Katara did walk away though, grabbing her book from her tent and sitting on a stool outside it. Sokka breathed out, letting the quiet settle. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling the stiffness in his shoulders ease. That was enough. No more diving into the deep end of memories, he could do without the emotional whiplash, he needed to shove them down and just focus on enjoying some time with his friends.

He noticed Suki laying outside her tent, walked over and cast a shadow over her. “Someone is settling down for a relaxing evening” he said.

“I “ she sat up and lowered her sunglasses, “unlike you lazy cretins, did a full day work today,”

“I’ll give it to you, the gas station is pretty chaotic.”

“Besides,” Suki added. “ I caught the fish. Someone else can prep it.”

“When did you have time to catch a fish today?” asked Sokka.

“While you were conked out with Zuko on the raft for like an hour.”

“I didn’t think I’d been asleep that long.”

“You must have been tired,”

“Guess I was,” Sokka stomach growled, discussions of food were setting him off, and judging by how long it was taking Zuko to chop vegetables with Aang, he wasn’t banking on his fish gutting skills. Spirits knew Aang wasn’t going to be the one to do it. “ Where’s the fish, I’ll get started.”

“It’s in the cooler,” she said her eyes darting over to the dark blue box.

Inside he found, three medium sized hake, the silver scales glinting amongst the ice. “You did well, Suki!” he said with a whistle.

Sokka reached for his knife on his belt out of muscle memory, but it wasn’t there, hadn’t been all day, perhaps it was in the tent but then he looked over to Zuko.“ Have you seen my knife?”

“Don’t worry, it’s over here, none of us touched it.” Zuko held up a bundle wrapped in oiled cloth. Sokka’s knife was precious to him; it always had been. He was glad to see Aang and Zuko knew that.

He made his way over to the campfire where Zuko and Aang were working. Zuko handed him the knife.

“Thanks,” he said. Sokka unwrapped it, the wooden handle and clean blade, his knife. Something itched his throat, the knife, like his name, like his friends, it was the same. It was the same knife his father thought him to hunt with. It was completely unchanged.

He sat cross legged on the ground, using a metal tray to work on and laid out the fish. He liked tasks like this, where his brain just switched off, in hunting you had to be so agile, always watching and waiting. When preparing a catch though, his hands remembered the hundreds of times he had done this, how he had done this with his mother, with his father, with Gran Gran and with Katara. This was work that his bones knew, and he grasped his knife tighter, even more grateful for the knife to be the same.

Thumb behind the gills. Knife angled down along the spine, his movement precise and focussed. He filleted the meat of the fish, putting them in one dish, keeping the roe and liver separate.

He pulled on the roe, golden and delicate. “Katara, do you want some?” he held It up and watched her eyes widen in delight.

“I can sear it for us if you want,” she said, carrying over the cast iron skillet.

Sokka’s mouth watered as he watched his sister, like himself she didn’t need to think, her hands just knew.

The dinner ended up being one of the nicest meals Sokka had had in a very long time. They ate off the pink barbie plates, and drank from a mix of barbie and tin cups. Suki had gone around with the rice wine but no way was Sokka having any more of that, just the smell of it made him feel weak. Which made all his friends laugh at him.

And after dinner was everything Sokka had wished and hoped for, the playful wrestling with Suki. Getting to sit and just be with his sister, even just washing dishes with Aang. There was beauty in the mundane that they really were just a group of teenagers.

🔥🍃💧🗻

The night could not last forever. Eventually, one by one, everyone went to bed. Katara had kissed him on the cheek, said she loved him. Then flicked his forehead and made him promise no more cranial injuries, before walking away laughing with a flick of her braid. Fuck, he loved her.

Toph punched his arm, cackled as he winced at it.

Aang gave him a big squeeze of a hug.

And Suki, Suki put a solid hand on his shoulder, her grip strong and steady and had said goodnight, that tomorrow they would have a wrestling rematch. To which Toph shouted from her tent that she would be first in line in the morning to annihilate Sokka.

Sokka had given a stretched smile, which didn’t fully reach his face. When Suki asked about it, he said he was tired.

Then there was Zuko who Sokka could still hear pottering around in their tent, he’d promised he would be back in a few minutes. The minutes left Sokka alone with himself for the first time today.

He poked the dying embers of the fire. Sparks rose like tiny stars, and in their flicker, something caught in his throat, and he lost himself in them. Spirits, how was he going to be okay. How does one make peace with what Sokka had experienced today. Because he couldn’t ignore any of it anymore. How could he have promised his friends a rematch, or a mountain hike or even his company if he didn’t know if he’d be here tomorrow. Why was he even here today?

Sokka’s head sunk down onto his knees, his fingers covering his eyes, just willing tears not to fall. It had been easier with everyone around, he could make these bad thoughts go away, but the fire looked into his very soul.

No more hangover, giving him an explanation for his cloudy thoughts and murky memories.

No more sun giving him a wave of new senses to experience and get lost in.

No more sense of obligation of not wanting to scare Katara or see her cry.

Gone was Suki and their competitiveness to wrestle and joke together.

Toph’s quips and jokes were gone quiet, leaving the sound of her snoring softly coming from her tent.

And most of all, without Zuko here to kiss him, and touch him and make him choose to banish any confusion to the sides of his mind. Sokka was left only with himself and with thoughts he refused to confront. Until now, losing himself in the embers.

Fire truly was something that was just so human, surely every life who ever lived and seen their past, present and future in it. He used to only see the fear and destruction of the element, but over the last year he had come to see the beauty and how it was more than death, it was also life.

In the flames, Sokka saw himself, around four, if not younger and a tiny Katara on the furs as he dragged her by her legs around their home. And his Mom laughing as she chased them, and she pretended that Sokka was so fast, she simply couldn’t catch him. And Katara’s joyful laugh was so loud it filled the entire room, or the entire igloo. Because that was the story of the day he had had, two stories, some with similar foregrounds and alternating backgrounds. This one of Katara, it transcended through him, a fact that was always true.

Then there were the memories he had one set of, memories like him and Zuko skinny dipping, and he remembered the scenery but more than that he remembered the love as it blossomed in his chest, and how on that night he knew he loved Zuko.

That didn’t begin to address the bending, the avatar. There was no way he dreamt the magic of Aang and the glow of his tattoos. Or how Katara whipped water, if he touched the back of his head, he knew the feeling of when she used the water to hit him with it, but then he also knew the feeling of her throwing snowballs at him.

He knew the heat of Zuko’s fire, but he also knew how the cigarettes in Zuko’s mouth lit up his face, how when Zuko held a cigarette late at night how it looked like he held fire in his hands.

Sokka pulled the zippo out from his pocket, flicked it himself and watched the flame dance in his hand. Then pulled his arms tighter around himself, and watched as the flame came off and on, repeatedly.

Zuko came out of their tent, his sleep pants hanging low on his hips as he forwent a shirt, a toothbrush was hanging out of his mouth. “You coming to bed soon?” he asked with a muffled voice as he walked around aimlessly while brushing his teeth.

“I don’t know,” said Sokka in a meek and low voice. It was the voice he spoke in when he was a child. “Could we maybe... could we maybe just sit here a bit longer?”

“Yeah,” said Zuko. “That would be okay.”

He sat in front of Sokka, close to the fire and Sokka put his face down into Zuko’s hair, took a deep breath in. There were no oils or scented shampoos, just his own clean scent, and it was so familiar just so utterly Zuko and something Sokka knew through and through. He was positioned above him and wasn’t used to be being the taller of the two, but it felt good. He opened his legs so Zuko could lean back into his and he wrapped his arms around the other man.

“Are you not cold? Do you want to get a hoodie or something?”

“Nah, you’ll keep me warm, you usually do.”

“Mmm,” said Sokka with a dreamy sigh, because he and Zuko had routines, they took care of each other. They had a story together, and love.

He watched the fire and combed his fingers through Zuko’s hair. His eyes were glassy, but he still watched as the wind carried the embers up and away from the fire, how for a moment in time they danced before his eyes, and then they blew out, and they were gone just as fast as they had been there. They came from the fire, the fire let them go, and when they were gone the fire was still there.

That's all this was, Sokka thought. Same fire. Different moments burning at once. The South Pole and Wolf cove didn't vanish. This place didn’t erase it. Just like he wasn’t a different person.

He knew he was Sokka and Sokka Qajak. The second name didn’t feel foreign.

Son of Hakoda Qajak.

Brother of Katara Qajak.

Grandson of Kanna Qajak, who he loved dearly.

He lifted his hands from Zuko’s hair, and reached out for the heat, to feel it closer to him. Both sets of memories were warm on his skin. Both were true enough to burn. He didn't have to choose which flame was real. They all burned. They all left something behind.

He's nine, he's ice fishing with his dad and he falls asleep, his dad careers him back to the tent. Maybe the clothes alter slightly but it's the same, he's the same.

He's thirteen, he's holding Katara. He's holding back tears and watching his father leave. He's watching him leave on a boat but he is also watching him leave through airport security.

He's fifteen, he's meeting Aang for the first. Katara is at his side, they are meeting on a glaciar but are also meeting in a dark park as it snows around them.

He's fifteen, and meeting Zuko for the first time, and they beat the crap out of each other, because some things never change.

He's seventeen, and is walking back from the woods with Suki, drunk, carefree and he spots Zuko and he can't stop staring because it's him, spirits it's him. And Sokka stares so deeply and gives no care to anything else that he smacks his head.

The fire told it all, held it all. A whole life washing over Sokka at once. Zuko’s face dipped against Sokka’s thigh. How long Sokka had lost himself was beyond him. It was too much, what he needed was a now, and Zuko.

“C’mon,” said Sokka, giving the fire one last look, taking it all in, letting it wash over him as if it could be the last time. “ Let’s get to bed.”

“You sure? We can stay up awhile later if you want.

“Nah,” Sokka said, and he wasn’t sure if the tears in his eyes were from too long looking into the flames of it, they were coming from within. “Let’s go to bed.” He picked up Zuko’s hand and kissed his fingers, then stood and helped Zuko up too.

The walk back was quiet. Just their footsteps on grass, the distant hum of crickets and sounds of their friends snoring. Katara would never ever admit she snored, she always tried to say it was Sokka, or that he must have been snoring so loud himself he woke himself up and could never be her. How Aang tuned her out had to be a high meditation skill.

Inside the tent, Zuko had left the lamp on for them, had taken Sokka’s sleep trousers from where he had discarded them and lay them on top of a hot water bottle to warm them up. The air smelled of pine and tobacco, and Zuko.

Sokka busied himself changing into his sleep trousers. Zuko was watching him tenderly, he gave his best smile but there was something broken in it. He just couldn’t hide it, and Zuko clearly saw that too.

He lifted the sleeping bag. “C’mere.”

Sokka slotted in, lay beside Zuko and they faced each other, so close that under the faint lantern light, Sokka could count every single one of Zuko’s eyelashes. The ones on his scarred eye were sparse and few, on his right, they were thick and curled. Sokka could get lost, sitting here counting them, and when he was finished, he would count the freckles on Zuko’s arms. He wanted to know the sum of them all. He needed to know.

It was Zuko who spoke first and broke the silence. “Whatever it is, you can tell me. I know when your head gets sticky. I know there’s been something today you’ve been avoiding.”

“I...” Sokka started but he didn’t know how to continue. He knew if he spoke Zuko would listen and be there for him. But the words still caught in his throat.

“Do you promise to hear me out? Let me say it all and maybe ask questions later” Sokka asked and he lay his head onto Zuko’s shoulder because maybe if he didn’t have to look at him it would be easier.

“Anything,” Zuko replied, and his fingers started lazily drawing patterns on Sokka’s bare back. Sokka pulled himself closer, felt Zuko’s heartbeat against his own.

“When I woke up this morning,” he started. “I didn’t really know where I was, I didn't know what a lot of the things around me were, I mean I knew you all, I knew you and Katara and everyone else. But the details were wrong, everyone’s clothes were odd, the cups and plates looked strange. I didn’t know why you kissed me.”

Zuko kept up his ministrations, a clear invitation for Sokka to continue. He took a breath in, “this is the thing, last night I do remember us all drinking around the campfire, I remember the rice wine, and that I was with Suki before I fell. But before that there’s two stories in my head. In one we’re us as we are here, but in the other we lived this whole life, we ended a hundred year war, you command fire and sit on the throne, and Katara can bend the water.”

He lifted his head to look at Zuko, waiting to see if Zuko was laughing at him. But he just found Zuko’s kind patient face.

“So, is that all?” Zuko asked.

“Well, no I mean, Aang is all powerful commanding all four elements and has glowy arrows. He turned into a fish once.”

Zuko didn’t say anything for a few seconds, Sokka was so worried Zuko would call him insane, or tease him or highlight just how wrong and batshit Sokka was being, but then his arms tightened around him. "La Noche Boca Arriba," he said quietly.

“The Night Face Up?”

“Mmh,” said Zuko and he just kept stroking Sokka’s hair.

“Does it mean something?”

“It’s a book.”

“Okay?” said Sokka.

Zuko gave a light chuckle. “There’s this man. He’s riding a motorcycle in Buenos Aires and he crashes. Hits his head pretty bad.”

“Like me,” said Sokka.

“Mmmh, like you. And when the man is in hospital recovering, he has these vivid dreams. In the dreams he’s this Moteca warrior. He’s in this thick jungle and he knows he needs to stay on the path he’s on, and he needs to hide so he isn’t caught and sacrificed by the Aztecs.”

“Zuko,” Sokka interrupted, “is this supposed to be making me feel better?”

“Sorry,” Zuko replied with a raspy chuckle. “Essentially the book presents the story that he was a man from our world, and he dreamt of the Aztecs and Moteca tribe, but in the end, he was Moteca, and the motorcycle was the dream. For the whole story you keep asking yourself which is real which is true.”

“Mmh,” Sokka closed his eyes. The warmth of Zuko's body pressed against him. Safe. Familiar. Real enough. How Zuko was being so calm about this was beyond him, would he have believed Zuko if there roles were reversed? He thought surely he would, so maybe that was why Zuko was accepting him so easily.

“Here’s the thing though,” Sokka rolled onto his belly, his elbows positioning him up. “I thought about it, I didn’t want to but I really thought about it and I’m neither one or the other, I’m both, I think both are real and I think us, not just me and you, all of us, me and Katara, me and everyone, we are all a love that’s transcending time and place.”

“Oh,” said Zuko. “That’s really optimistic. Uncle would have a whole speech about parallel lives and love, probably would use the example of Zhuang Zhou dreaming he’s a butterfly, rather than me going straight for the sacrifice and torture.”

Sokka snorted, “It’s okay as long as tomorrow you promise not to be burning me in a fire sacrifice.”

Zuko chuckled again, his patterns on Sokka’s back grounded him. He leaned forward and took Zuko’s lips against his again, a tender back and forth of lips. His entire weight on Zuko, and hands combing through Zuko’s hair. He could just stop and just do this here, but what if tomorrow he woke up and never got to say this to Zuko.

“The thing is,” Sokka said breaking their lips, gazing down into Zuko’s eyes, “if the people I love are here, if here is somehow safer, and if here I have you and you're mine? I'm not sure I need to go back. Do I want to?" Silence stretched between them. Then it must have been Zuko to notice that Sokka was crying before Sokka did, because suddenly Zuko’s lips were on his cheeks and under his eyes, and when he kissed Sokka’s lips, Sokka tasted salt.

When Zuko finally spoke, his voice was rough, “I can’t fathom the pain you’re feeling. I wish I could take it away, but if I could give you all my love now, if I wouldn’t be here tomorrow, I... actually, fuck Sokka, I can’t imagine a me that wouldn’t be utterly in love with you, so yeah if I’m a fire lord like you say, and if this world is gone replaced by another, I think you’re right and love transcends it all.”

“So, all you need is love?” Sokka said cocking a brow.

“Love is all you need.” Zuko finished.

And Sokka laughed despite his tears, “Why are we such dorks?”

“I don’t know,” Zuko replied. His fingers came back up and dried Sokka’s tears.

“I love you Sokka, you know that.”

“I do,” Sokka replied. “I love you so much, you have no idea. I think I loved you before I knew I loved you. I think I loved you every time we drank tea together, and every time you made a stupid joke that nobody else laughed at.” He rolled Zuko onto his side so they could look at each other, watched how Zuko’s hair spilled down onto the pillow, touched Zuko’s scar with the most delicate and wanting touch. “I love you, Zuko.”

Zuko kissed him again, lazy and familiar. Two people who knew each other through and through. And when Sokka’s eyes were becoming heavy he just held Zuko close.

And when he drifted off to sleep it was Zuko’s chest on his cheek, Zuko’s arms wrapped around him.

Whatever tomorrow brought.

Sokka would be okay.