chapter one
"dammit!" Zuko exclaimed as he reached the top of the stairs, only for a box of clothes to fall out of his arms.
lucky for Zuko, Sokka was coming up the stairs, "Zuko! i didn’t think you were getting here until later?" he asked, grabbing the box of clothes, and joining Zuko at the top of the stairs.
“yeah, well Uncle had predicted bad traffic, so that’s why I told you a later time. Turns out he thought today was Monday for some reason.” Zuko snorted, starting to walk down the hallway. He had a trolley of boxes, and Sokka was holding the box that had been resting on his left arm.
“ah, Uncle may be wise, but sometimes he’s forgetful.” Sokka smiled.
the two boys had been friends since freshman year, and Sokka considered Uncle Iroh to be his family, too. Iroh had been ecstatic to learn that Sokka and Zuko were attending the same college. Of course, Sokka was not fully aware of how Zuko got his scar. He knew that there had been a house fire, and that his mother had died, but that was the extent. Zuko got way too upset when talking about it, and the last thing Sokka wanted to do was to make his best friend uncomfortable.
“here’s our room,” Sokka said, gesturing to the wooden door with the numbers “315” on a fake gold placard. “your room is the biggest, I know you like space, so I took the smaller room. Plus, ill likely be spending most of my time in the living room, or downstairs in the commons, so there’s no need for me to take the bigger room.” Sokka was obviously trying to make it seem like Zuko’s claustrophobia had been an after thought as to why he got the bigger room, but Zuko could see right through his friend. Everyone knew how caring Sokka was, even if he tried to put on a bad-boy-who-doesn’t-give-a-shit facade.
Zuko smiled for the first time that day, “thank you, Sokka, that means a lot.” Zuko turned to park the trolley in the living room, and completely missing the flustered blush racing across Sokka’s cheeks.
Sokka shook his head as if it would rid of the blush, before bumping the door closed with his hip and walking into the living room. He put the box of clothes down next to the trolley. “do you wanna start unpacking now, or do you want a snack first?” he asked Zuko, knowing the raven-haired boy probably had not eaten since breakfast.
“i’m actually starving right now. Do you have any food here?” he said sheepishly.
“yeah, I do, but I was thinking we go get China Express. Its across the street.” Sokka said, knowing it was Zuko’s favorite.
“wait, really? I didn’t know they had it here!” Zuko said excitedly.
“yeah, c’mon! we’ll go pick it up and bring it back here. Maybe watch a movie.” Sokka suggested.
“that sounds great, Sokka.” Zuko smiled softly.
*****
The boys returned back to their dorm room, arms full of take-out.
“what movie do you wanna watch?” Sokka asked as he unlocked the door.
“uh, how about The Matrix?” Zuko asked.
“yes! I literally love you, The Matrix is the best movie ever.” Sokka said excited.
Zuko blushed, laughing at Sokka as they set the takeout on the kitchen counter. “ill get the movie started,” Sokka said, “you set up the grub.”
Zuko nodded, taking their food out of the plastic bags, silently cursing them for using non-biodegradable materials- what can he say, Zuko is an environmentalist. He grabbed Sokka’s food, while he heard Sokka singing to himself while getting the movie ready.
“Sokka, you know I love you, but what the hell are you singing?” Zuko laughed, walking into the living room with their food.
“hey! my voice is wonderful!” Sokka said smiling, putting his hands on his hips, “and if you must know, I was singing hit me baby one more time.”
Zuko had set the food on the coffee table, and said “gladly,” and hit Sokka in the head with a pillow from the couch.
“hey! that wasn’t an invitation!” Sokka yelled, grabbing a pillow off the couch and attempting to hit Zuko, but Zuko blocked it with his own pillow.
They continued attempting to hit each other with the pillows, and Sokka couldn’t get a hit on Zuko. Lucky Sokka, though, Zuko was distracted by a knock at the door, looking in that direction, so Sokka tackled him on the ground.
Zuko let out an “oof!” as he made impact with the ground, and Sokka sat up on Zuko, his legs straddling Zuko’s hips.
“ha ha! I got you!” Sokka yelled victoriously
Zuko was panting from the pillow fight, and Sokka took this moment to look at Zuko. He had never noticed just how enchanting Zuko’s eyes were. The color of fresh honey in the summer, or sweet caramel candies that your grandmother most likely has in her purse. They shined in the dim light coming from the ceiling, and Sokka couldn’t look away. But he did, and his focus went to Zuko’s lips, which had just been licked by a pink tongue. They were slick, and small, but boy did they look kissable.
Wait, what? Kissable?! No, Zuko is my best friend! Sokka freaked out.
“Sokka? Are you ok?” Zuko’s rough but calming voice brought Sokka back to the world everyone else was in.
Sokka cleared his throat, “uh- yeah- sorry, I don’t know what that was.” His eyebrows creased.
“ok, well, could you get off of me? There’s someone at the door.”
Sokka had completely forgotten that he was literally straddling Zuko, and he got off quickly with a heavy blush that Zuko decided to look past as being embarrassed for zoning out.
“its fine,” Zuko breathed out, getting up from the floor and walking towards the door. He opened it before the person knocking could break it down.
“took you long enough! What were you doing, making out?” asked Toph, her seeing-eye dog, Appa, sitting obediently at her side.
“what? No, we had a pillow fight, though.” Zuko smiled.
“weirdos,” the blind girl said, walking inside as Zuko moved to allow her to, “I smell take-out, what’d ya get me?”
“nothing, we didn’t know you were coming.” Sokka told her.
“boo hoo, then someone has to share.” She said, using her stick to find her way to the couch, and plopping herself down.
“we con both donate to your starving stomach, Toph.” Zuko laughed.
“see? Zuko is nice, he actually cares about me. Cant say the same for you, Sokka.”
“wha-!”
There was another knock on the door.
“who is that?” Sokka groaned, not wanting to give anyone else his food.
Zuko opened the door to reveal Katara and Aang.
“we brought food!” Katara said, showing Zuko her takeout bag, and Aang raising the one in his hand.
“thank god.” Sokka rumbled, pitifully sitting down next to Toph, putting an egg roll in her hand.
“we have our own food..?” Zuko said
“yeah, but now I don’t have to share as much.”
“oh, hey Toph!” Aang said, walking into the living room.
“we were gonna watch The Matrix, if you guys wanna join.” Zuko offered.
“yeah, movie night!” Toph said, “I cant wait to see Keanu Reeves.”
“Toph,” Katara said like a disappointed parent, but Toph and Sokka just laughed at the joke.
“ok, everyone get settled.” Zuko said, placing himself next to Sokka, grabbing a blanket off the back of the couch.
Aang and Katara cuddled in the small loveseat couch, and the other three just sat comfortably on the longer couch. Once everyone was settled with their food, Zuko pressed play, and the movie began.