Chapter Text
Sokka leaned into the heat that pressed against his cheek. His mind was still foggy from slipping out of sleep's sweet hold only moments ago. The only thought in his empty mind was warmth.
Sokka cuddled around the heat, sighing into it, his breath cool against it in comparison. He raised his hands to grab onto it, reaching to pull it closer.
When his hands met soft silk, he huffed in frustration and opened his eyes slowly, raising his lidded azure eyes upward from Zuko’s abdomen, the so-called ‘Sea of Chi’ according to Zuko’s uncle Iroh.
“Why do you wear clothes to bed?” Sokka asked, his voice groggy. “It's just you and me anyway.”
Sokka felt a strong hand card gently into his hair. “Because someone is incapable of behaving when I’m unclothed,” Zuko said, pausing for a moment before adding, “And when I’m clothed. You really are insatiable, Sokka.”
Sokka couldn’t stop the small sound he made as Zuko gently pressed his hand into his scalp. Zuko laughed and Sokka looked away, his eyes struggling to land on something that wasn’t Zuko.
Sokka hated how Zuko made him feel, but at the same time he loved it. Sokka’s eyes failed in their objective and landed on Zuko’s scar, glowing in the rays of sunlight that filtered in through the curtains. Without thinking Sokka reached up and cupped his cheek, brushing his thumb over the red markings.
“Have I told you you’re beautiful?” Sokka asked, already aware of the answer.
“Usually whenever I walk through a door. But you haven’t today.” Zuko grinned at him, his lips stretching across his jawline.
That stupid, perfect jaw. Sokka wanted to kick himself for what his mind was thinking. “Well then, I’ll say it now. You’re beautiful.”
Zuko dropped his right hand from Sokka’s hair, drawing a line down Sokka’s back with his middle finger. The touch made Sokka shiver, his hand slipping underneath Zuko’s silk nightrobe, his hand running over Zuko’s bare side. Zuko’s other hand moved to meet Sokka’s, gently resting on top of it, the nightrobe being their hands' only barrier.
Zuko stopped his hand and gently held on to Sokka’s midsection and pulled him up from his stomach to his chest. Sokka didn’t fight Zuko’s pull and went along willingly, his feet meeting the mattress again, shuffling and locking around Zuko’s ankles. Sokka pressed his face into Zuko’s chest, firm and steady.
Sokka struggled but ultimately resisted the many urges and impulses that were way too inappropriate for this moment. This was quiet, this was calm, something rare for Sokka these days. Resisting now gave him something to look forward to tonight.
Zuko leaned his lips down to Sokka’s forehead and kissed him softly. Sokka sighed, “Stop teasing. Kiss me properly.”
“Impatient,” Zuko muttered before pulling Sokka up higher. Sokka went willingly, leaning upward, putting his hand on Zuko’s chest for support. He closed his eyes as Zuko’s lips met his. Zuko’s tongue slipped over Sokka’s teeth into his mouth, his arm rising to wrap around the small of Sokka’s back.
The kiss was short and sweet, both of them knowing what would happen if they didn’t stop. After dropping back to Zuko’s chest, he was quiet for a moment before lifting himself off of Zuko. Sokka crawled and sat back against the headboard, his ivory necklace shifting around his neck. Zuko rose and sat next to him, his head dropping to Sokka’s shoulder, his loose black hair spilling down Sokka’s back. Sokka pressed a kiss to his temple before draping an arm over Zuko’s shoulder from behind.
Sokka whispered a soft, “Love you” into Zuko’s ear, his breath warm, and heard a soft reply, “Love you too.”
Sokka tried to enjoy this moment with the love of his life but was rudely interrupted by his stomach growling loudly.
Zuko laughed into Sokka’s shoulder. “Come on, let's get you fed.”
“I’m not hungry!” Sokka protested, cursing out his own stomach.
“Your stomach says otherwise.” Zuko slid off of Sokka, swinging his legs over his side of the bed. “What kind of man would I be if I let my husband starve?”
Sokka wanted to protest, but it died in his throat as he saw Zuko climb off the bed. Sokka groaned before doing the same, letting his cool feet touch the ground.
Zuko grabbed a plain gold hairpin out of his dresser, tying his hair with careful precision as he pushed the pin through. Sokka walked past him, pecking his cheek as he left the room.
Sokka sat down at the kitchen counter, playing with the bits and bobs he left on the table last night while he was tinkering. Zuko practically had to drag him to bed.
Sokka raised his eyes when Zuko walked to the other side of the counter, his nightrobe now properly tied, hiding the lower half of his torso. Sokka couldn’t stop the prideful smile that came across his face when he saw his betrothal necklace tied around Zuko’s neck. The blue ribbon stood stark against his red nightwear.
The practice was more of a Northern Tribe tradition, but Sokka didn’t care. It didn’t feel right to propose without something, and making things was his expertise. Though clearly engraving was not his expertise, after all, it took him multiple tries to get the fire emblem on the bronze disc just right.
Zuko only ever took it off when he bathed, swam, or slept. Sokka always smiled when he saw it. It reminded him that a part of him was always with Zuko, even if they were across the world when Sokka had to attend to his duties as ambassador.
Zuko made them toast with eggs, an easy food though Sokka had managed to burn it every time he tried to make it, just like he managed to burn most things he made. Toph, Katara, and especially Azula always complained. Even Aang couldn’t hide how bad his cooking was. After Sokka nearly set the kitchen ablaze the last time he tried to make dinner, Zuko wrote a royal decree on a napkin forbidding him from cooking again while still choking on the smoke emanating from the stove.
“Do you at least trust me to take these to wash?” Sokka asked sarcastically as he grabbed his and Zuko’s empty plates.
“As long as you’re not going past the stove, then I need to supervise you,” Zuko responded, adjusting his topknot.
“Are you sure you’re not just looking for a reason to stare at me?” Sokka teased.
“I don’t need a reason for that.” Zuko responded, “I’m allowed to stare whenever I want.”
“Goes both ways, Your Highness,” Sokka said as he stepped through a doorway, his voice bouncing off the walls.