Chapter Text
“Sokka, will you just come out already?” Katara pleaded, wracking her fist against the bedroom door. Panicked, Sokka quickly tried to fix the mess of hair on his head. He’d tried to style it so that it looked nicer, more formal than his simple wolf’s-tail. He’d failed miserably though, with it sticking up in some places and lying too flat in others.
“Sokka if you don’t come out right now I’m coming in!” Katara warned, the knocking coming to a halt.
“Just give me a second!” Sokka yelled back, trying to tuck in a loose strand but only making it worse. “Shit, Shit, shit-” He muttered to himself, pulling it back out again.
“I’m coming in, and you better be dressed.” Katara said and she pushed open the door. Sokka froze, turning to face her. She froze as well, grimacing slightly as her eyes flicked to his head. Sokka groaned miserably and flopped down on his bed, defeated.
“No- No, it’s nice!” Katara quickly fumbled over her words, marching over to the bed. “It just needs… uhm..” She trailed off, her footsteps stopping at the edge of his bed.
“It’s awful.” Sokka stated, the sound muffled through his mattress. Katara let out a sigh and he felt the bed dip next to him.
“Do you want me to fix it?” She asked softly, her fingers gently taking a stray strand and tucking in behind his ear. Sokka looked up at her and nodded pathetically, too embarrassed to ask for his baby sister’s help straight forwardly. Katara pushed herself back further onto the bed, criss-crossing her legs and patting the spot in front of her. Sokka mock-groaned in defeat, but was actually quite relieved for the help.
She started to swiftly take down the mess he had made of himself, unwinding beads and brushing out tangles. It was soothing, actually, but he’d never admit that out loud. Katara hummed quietly as she got to work, brushing it back and tying it up neatly. It didn’t take her long to pull out a few strands near his face and weave in several beds in a much more organized manor. It only took her about half the time it took him to created the mess to fix it.
“All finished.” She said, leaning back on her hand and allowing him to stand. He quickly made his way over the mirror, tilting his head back and forth to inspect Katara’s work.
“Not bad, not bad…” He trailed off, glancing back at Katara through the mirror just in time to catch her rolling her eyes. “But seriously, thank you.” He turned back around to face her. She smiled proudly to herself and shifted off the bed to join him at the mirror.
“You look sharp, I didn’t think you had it in you to try this hard.” Katara affectionately teased, straightening the collar of his tunic.
“I’m not trying hard at all, it’s just my… Manly… Pleasentness?” Sokka flushed slightly but crossed his arms. He’d worn his finest set of robes and pants, ones usually reserved for high-end parties or dinners. Instead of the boots he would usually wear around town he wore nicer dress shoes more practical for a date. Maybe he was trying a bit hard, but it was a date with the Fire Lord for Tui’s sake.
The reminder wore his confidence down a bit. He frowned, turning to look at his hair once again. Katara sighed and crossed her arms behind him.
“What’s wrong?” She probed, poking him in the side.
“Nothing.” Sokka shrugged, but his face must have shown otherwise as Katara just raised an eyebrow at him. “I just… I’m not so sure this is a good idea.” He relented, and Katara’s face softened.
“It was his idea in the first place. If he hadn’t wanted to he wouldn’t have asked.” Sokka looked away and Katara pursed her lips. “I’m sure it took him a while to build up the confidence before he could ask you.” She said more quietly.
They had all been eating lunch together– he, Katara, Aang, Zuko, Toph, and Suki, that is– when Zuko had asked Sokka if he had wanted to go on a date. Sokka had been lamenting about how his last date was a disaster. At the time he’d thought that it was out of the blue, something he did out of pity, but after Katara and Aang both laid out the evidence (and a lot of it, at that) the puzzle was starting to form the picture that Zuko might actually have a crush on him. Then, the more Sokka thought about, he realized that maybe, just maybe, he might have a crush back.
Sokka had entertained the idea multiple times in his head. Fire Lord Zuko was definitely easy on the eyes, scar and all, but he was also a compassionate person. He led for the people, not for power or gain. It was admirable. And wow, his swordfighting skills were just-
“He’s here!” Aang called out, voice ringing through out the house followed by the sound of rushing footsteps. Aang suddenly popped his head around the doorframe, gray eyes sparkling with excitement. “Did you hear me? Zuko’s– Wow, Sokka! You look great!” He chirped giddy.
Sokka suddenly felt nauseous, head spinning lightly. Katara quickly put a hand on his shoulder and led him out of his room and into the kitchen. She made him a glass of water of which he drank enthusiastically. Then, scrunching her nose, she dutifully bended the sweat from his forehead and shoved him towards the door.
Before Sokka was able to compose himself, Katara flung open the door, meeting face to face with a surprised– and, maybe nervous?– Zuko. The Fire Lord quickly stood straighter, giving an awkward smile and thrusting… flowers? Into Sokka’s face.
Sokka stared for a moment before a kick to his shin nocked him out of it. He side glared Katara as he gingerly took the flowers from Zuko. They were round and white, and they smelt subtly of camphor and dew.
“Chrysanthemums.” Zuko said, wringing his hands. “From the royal garden.” Sokka stared at the flowers for another moment before shame flashed through him.
“Oh, wow, Zuko, uh- thank you. They- they’re beautiful.” He stumbled over his words, facing burning red. “I, uhm, I didn’t… get you anything.” He hung his head in shame, unable to look at his date.
“Oh, no, it’s fine! I wasn’t expecting you too, I just uh, they were in bloom and I just, you know…” Zuko trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. Sokka nodded, searching for a way to move the conversation along. Why was this so hard? Zuko had been one of his best friends for the last 6 years, why was it any different now?
“They are beautiful, Zuko, thank you.” Katara said, taking the flowers from Sokka and setting them down on their mantle. “You two should get going now! It’ll get dark soon and a lot of the vendors shut down after dusk.” Katara ushered Sokka out the door, but stopped and gave Zuko her death glare.
“I want him back by 11, understood?” She grilled, crossing her arms. Zuko just nodded his head, while Sokka wanted to rip his own off. “Good. I don’t want either of you getting mugged.” she finished. Sokka scoffed, as if anyone would be able to successfully mug the Fire Lord and a master swordsman. Katara shot him his own glare and he quickly gulped, nodding with Zuko.
“Well then, have fun you two!” She said, finally retreating into the house and shutting the door. Sokka and Zuko stared at the door and then at each other, blinking. Then, the door opened again, this time with Aang popping out.
“Will you two bring me back some cardamom cinnamon buns?” He pleaded, interlocking his heads in a begging gesture. Sokka sighed and nodded his head.
“Sure thing, buddy.” Sokka agreed, and Aang smiled widely before flipping him a sliver piece.
“Have fun on your date!” He shouted, slamming the door shut before either of them could respond. Sokka chuckled nervously but the corners of Zuko’s mouth upturned slightly.
“Should we get moving, then?” He asked, and Sokka slowly nodded his head.
They had decided that Ba Sing Se was the best place for their date. Katara and Aang owned a house in the upper ring, giving Sokka a place to stay for the night while Zuko could return to the Jasmin Dragon and stay with his uncle. The ongoing autumn festival had several new vendors from all over in the middle ring, and from what Katara and Aang said, it was quite romantic. That, and it was a densely populated city where they (mostly Zuko, if he was being honest) were least likely to get recognized.
It was a nice evening for an outing. The overbearing heat of the sun had simmered out and welcomed in a cool autumn’s breeze. Though, as they walked side-by-side, Sokka felt as if his skin was going to melt off. Zuko didn’t seem bothered, though, so he pieced together that maybe it wasn’t just the sun making him feel that way. It seemed that neither of them were up to conversation, with Sokka gently pulling on his collar and Zuko’s fingers messing with his silk sleeves.
He looked good, Sokka had to admit. His robes were made of fine silk, and they fitted him perfectly. While they weren’t the robes one would normally see the Fire Lord adorn, they were still fine for a walk around the upper rings of Ba Sing Se. His hair was still in its half-up half-down usual style, but the crown that was usually there was missing.
Zuko cleared his throat. “So, where were you wanting to go first?” He asked as they approached the first few stalls. Sokka pondered for a moment, scanning the stalls that he could see. They were an assortment of foods, drinks, and goods. The furthest stall that he could see was some sort of game, which looked appealing, but his stomach growled before he opened his mouth. He could only hope that the noise of the distant music and people chattering around them was enough to hide the sound.
“Food?” Sokka asked sheepishly, and Zuko nodded in agreement before motioning for Sokka to lead the way. Sokka gulped and began to weave through the crowd with Zuko trailing closely behind.
The mix of smells made Sokka’s stomach churn in both delight and despair. One area would smell sweetly of honey and sugar and fried dough while another would smell of fishballs and something closely akin to vomit.
Finally, something caught his eye that just couldn’t be beat: ice cream. He shot a look at Zuko, who nodded in approval. The two quickly approached the woman standing behind the large assortment of flavors. She smiled brightly at them, awaiting their order. She looked younger, around their age, with pretty brown hair and dazzling eyes.
“Two bowls please,” Zuko started started, eyes scanning the row of flavors on last time. “One honey and magnolia, and…” he trailed off, looking to Sokka.
“Uhm…” Sokka smiled nervously, trying to make up his mind. “Moon Peach, please.” He finished, and the woman nodded as she dished up their bowls. As she handed them over, she shot a look to Zuko and then winked at Sokka. He laughed nervously and then stood there awkwardly while Zuko paid.
“Have a nice evening, gentlemen!” The woman called after them as they left, causing the two to side glance at each other. Sokka snorted back a laugh and Zuko couldn’t hold back a small smile. They walked together in silence, enjoying their treat. While Sokka enjoyed his pick, he couldn’t help but glance over at Zuko’s every so often. When he looked again and the glossy off-white cream, he accidentally made eye contact.
“Do you… Want to try mine?” Zuko offered, and Sokka immediately began to nod his head enthusiastically. He took his spoon and dove it into Zuko’s ice cream as he offered him the bowl.
“Hmm, it’s…” Sokka started, rolling the flavor around his tongue. “Good. Very floral, and almost… Spicy?” Sokka determined, before quickly adding “In a good way!” Zuko nodded in agreement, spooning another bite into his mouth.
“Y’know, they have ice cream in the Southern Water Tribe, but it’s not as good as this.” Sokka stated. Zuko looked to him, interest piqued. “But, we don’t really get a lot of cream up there, so it’s made using whipped animal fat and whatever we have to flavor it. I think it’s fine, but Katara doesn’t like that there’s chunks of meat in it, and, uhm…” Sokka quietly trailed off. Zuko watched him with an unreadable expression, spoon still in his mouth from a fresh bite. Yikes.
“Sorry that was, uhh, kind of gross. I shouldn’t have-” Sokka started to apologize, but Zuko cut him off.
“No! No, it’s fine.” Zuko cut him off, quickly swallowing what he’d had in his mouth. “I think it’s interesting. I didn’t know that was something you could do. What does it taste like?” Zuko asked, and Sokka blinked at him for a moment, flushing under her gaze.
“It’s uhh, well, It’s surprisingly sweet. It depends on what you use to flavor it. My personal favorite is mountain sorrel and mint, but it’s usually flavored with berries or syrups. It’s definitely meaty, too, but not to the point you’d expect.”
Zuko hummed in interest, watching him as they walked. In no time that first stage of awkwardness broke, and the two were chatting away. Well, Sokka was chatting away. Zuko mostly just nodded along.
“Would you boys want to play a game?” An elderly woman called out, breaking the two from conversation. They turned to see her sitting behind a table, three wooden bowls set upside-down atop of it. They looked at each other and Zuko shrugged, so they approached the table.
“It’s simple! I will place a pebble under one of these bowls, and you must tell me the correct bowl it’s under. Guess correctly, win a prize!” She explained, and the two nodded. The old woman smiled, holding out her hand. “Two copper!”
Zuko quickly grabbed his wallet, but sokka stared at the woman, the scene becoming increasingly familiar. Zuko handed over two copper pieces and the woman set the small stone under the middle bowl. She began to shuffle the bowls around with surprising agility for an old woman. When she finished, Zuko pointed too the bowl on the right. The woman smiled, lifted the bowl, and shook at her head.
“Sorry, son. You were wrong.” She said apologetically, and the memory suddenly came to Sokka. He seen this before, in the Fire Nation with Toph and Aang. There was some sort of trick, but, Tui, what was it?
“Heh, bad eye.” Zuko said sheepishly, pointing to his scarred eye.
“The rock isn’t in any of the cups because you are hiding it up your sleeve!” Sokka said, the memory coming to him suddenly. The old woman’s eyes widened, and she shook her head.
“Me? Oh no, I-”
“Then lift the other cups.” Sokka pressed, leaning down more towards the woman to stare at her suspiciously. She stared at him for a moment before glaring.
“Bah, whatever. You earthbenders and your tricks. Stay quiet and I’ll let you take a prize.” She grumbled. Sokka scanned the line of prizes behind her. They were an assortment of children's toys, none of which particularly interested him.
“I’ll uhh… Take the platypus bear.” He said finally, and the woman grumbled something about “mud slugs” and “dirt eaters” as she handed it over to him. It was poorly made, with thin fabric and a lop-sided eye.
“It kind of looks like you.” Sokka teased Zuko as they walked away, and Zuko looked at him, brow raised. It took Sokka far too long to realize what he had said.
“Oh, wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean, uhm, I wasn’t being serious– I just– Your eye isn’t lopsided! And– and I meant it in a good way!” Sokka quickly explained, hoping he hadn’t ruined anything. Though, to his surprise, Zuko just laughed. It was a sweet sound, one that was rare out of him.
“I know.” Zuko reassured, watching Sokka with a look he had never seen cross his face. “Hey, by the way, how did you know that woman’s trick?” He asked, nudging him with his elbow.
“Toph, actually.” Sokka answered honestly. “We ran into some scammers in the Fire Nation before we ended the war. It’s a long story.” Sokka explained, shrugging.
“I’m listening.” Zuko responded, and Sokka blinked at him before smiling and shaking his head, begging to explain their scams throughout that small Fire Nation village and how Toph became “The Runaway.” Zuko listened intently the entire time and apologised sheepishly when Combustion Man came up.
Then, the two of them walked through the rest of the festival comfortably, side by side. They talked, watched a few performers, and eventually gave up Pladypus Bear to a crying little girl. They stopped a few more times to try new foods, one being Chili pork crisps which Sokka swore he could handle (he could not.)
Eventually, after passing most of the booths, the two settled down onto a bench in a more secluded area. The breeze was getting chillier and Sokka couldn’t help but shift closer to Zuko. They sat quietly for a moment before Sokka felt a warm hand gently slide into his.
“Sokka?” Someone calls, but it’s too far away. All he can focus on is the warmth spreading through his palm. He stares at it, trying to make sense of the long, perfectly cared for fingers wrapped around his own callaused ones.
“... Sokka?” The voice calls again, and he finally looks up, eyes meeting shining gold. “Is this… Okay?” Zuko asked, beautiful gold and amber flicking down to their intertwined hands.
“What? Oh, uh, yes, of course.” Sokka stammered, trying to hide his rising nervousness. There was a long stretch of silence between them as they watched passerbyes. It was still new to him, seeing so many different people all in one place. People from the Earth Kingdom, Fire Nation, and even some from the Water Tribe intermingling. It was nice, and it made him feel a lot better about the future.
“I liked this.” Zuko said finally, breaking their silence.
“It was nice.” Sokka hummed in agreement, nodding his head.
“Would you… Want to get tea with me sometime?” Zuko asked, fidgeting with the ends of his robe with his free end.
“I would.” Sokka answered, squeezing Zuko’s hand. There was a beat of mutual silence between the two as they stared at each other. Then, without thinking, Sokka gently leaned in and pressed his lips to Zuko’s. To his dread, Zuko tensed, fingers tightening around Sokka’s as he froze against his lips.
“Oh, Tui and La, I’m sorry–” Sokka pulled away, shaking his head. “I shouldn’t have–”
But then, Zuko grabbed Sokka’s face and kissed him. Sokka wasted no time, leaning in and resting a hand on Zuko’s waist. They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, but was probably only less than a minute. Zuko’s lips were warm against his, easing the slight sting of the cool night air. They tasted faintly of magnolia, cinnamon, and maple pork.
When they finally pulled away, Zuko’s cheek and nose was dusted pink. Sokka could only imagine he looked the same, if not as red as a fire tomato. Zuko, almost shyly, took both of Sokka’s hands.
“We should probably start heading back to your place.” He said, rubbing a warm thumb across Sokka’s knuckles. Sokka sighed and stood, helping Zuko up as well.
“Unless we want to face the wrath of Katara.” Sokka laughed, and Zuko mock shuddered. “Are you sure you don't want to just stay the night, though?” Sokka asked without thinking, and Zuko raised an eyebrow at him. “I just mean, Aang and Katara have an extra guest bedroom, I don’t want you to have to walk back to the Jasmin Dragon alone in the dark!” Sokka quickly explained, but Zuko just shook his head.
“I planned on having tea with my uncle tonight. Besides, the Kyoshi Warriors have been tailing us all night, so I won’t really be alone.” Zuko shrugged. Sokka nodded, trying not to think about the teasing he would face at the hands of Suki later for kissing Zuko.
They began to walk back through the vendors, the crowd dwindling and many shops beginning to close down. They made sure to grab Aang’s cardamom cinnamon buns, and walked hand in hand back home.