Chapter 3
“What’s up, Zuzu?” Zuko turned to see Toph approaching him. Her bare feet slapped against the red marble as she walked over to him. She was in her uniform and her hair was pulled back from her face. She smiled and opened her arms and he walked over to hug her.
“How’ve you been Toph?” She shrugged.
“I’ve got two toddlers so you tell me.” He laughed.
“How are the girls?” She pushed a strand of hair out of her face.
“Nothing alike. That’s what I get for having kids with two very different men.” He held out his arm and she reached out to put her hand on it.
“So what do I owe the honor of this visit?” She grinned and elbowed him.
“Can’t we catch up before we get to business?” She acted offended at his question and put a hand on her hip.
“I saw you just a few months ago, Toph.” She laughed and nodded.
“I wanted to talk about possibly borrowing some...resources for my new metal bending academy.” He nodded.
“I don’t see why we can’t loanyou money for your school.” She frowned and turned to face him, her eyes staring blankly ahead.
“I don’t like how you stressed the word ‘loan’, buddy.” She wagged a finger in his face. “You owe me, remember?” Zuko laughed and nodded.
“Alright, alright! I concede. I’ll see what I can do.”
After a short dinner together, Toph left for the Earth Kingdom. Zuko knew she loved visiting but she also hated being away from her duties for too long. She was loyal to her children and students and didn’t like being gone for too long.
Once she’d left, Zuko felt that lonely ache he’d been feeling since Sokka had left two weeks before. Izumi’s absence every summer made him sad but it was something he was used to. Sokka’s absence felt different though.
The two men had been close for years. Their friendship was something he cared for above quite a few of his other relationships. He knew he had thought of Sokka as more than a friend for a while before he’d taken the job as his advisor but he hadn’t truly wanted to admit it.
He’d never been a huge romantic but he’d tried for Mai. She had never been one for jewelry and roses though, so he gave up after a short while. But he wanted to do nice things for Sokka. That was the whole reason he’d shown him Sozin’s weapons room. It was the most romantic gesture he could think to make without being obvious about it.
Seeing the look on his face when he’d told him everything was his made his heart flutter. He wanted to give him more, do more for him, but he hesitated. Not only was Sokka a widower but Zuko hadn’t even entertained the idea of being in a relationship again. Especially not one with another man. He stepped into his office and froze at sight in front of him.
Standing there in his parka was Sokka with a huge smile on his face. His cheeks were slightly red and his arms were crossed over his chest. Zuko stepped into the room and closed the door.
“When did you get back?” He shrugged.
“About 10 minutes ago. Thought I’d surprise you and by the look on your face, it worked.” He nodded, still slightly in shock.
“How was your trip home?” He asked, walking around him to sit at his desk.
“Great! Katara had the baby. They named her Kya, after our mom.” Zuko grinned.
“That’s amazing! I’ll have to arrange a visit to see them soon.”
There was a long silence between them and Sokka lowered his bag. He put his hands down on the desk and looked down. Zuko reached a hand out but pulled it away, not allowing himself to touch his friend.
“I lied about why I went home.” He sighed and sat down at his desk.
“I figured. I just didn’t want to say anything.” Sokka looked up at him and smiled. It was different than every smile he’d ever given Zuko and his breath hitched.
“I needed to talk to Katara about something personal. I would’ve talked to you but it was about you and that would have been an awkward conversation.” He laughed nervously and scratched the back of his neck.
“Did I do something to upset you, Sokka?” Zuko asked, standing up quickly.
“No! It was the opposite.” That confused the firebender but he sat back down, suddenly nervous. “I needed her advice about some stuff I’ve been dealing with. Stuff that I’m still kind of dealing with. Give me some time and I promise that I’ll tell you. It’s nothing you need to worry about, ok?” Zuko felt like his heart was in his throat but he nodded anyway, not wanting to show his worry. The thought that he’d done something that warranted Sokka travelling all the way back home made his stomach turn.
“I understand. I won’t push the subject.” He tried to make his voice even but it cracked slightly and his friend smiled.
“It’s nothing bad. Stop worrying.” Zuko’s brow wrinkled and he glared at him.
“I am not worrying.” He smoothed down the front of his robes. “I’m going to bed. It’s been a long day. You should get some sleep as well. I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
“I’m never too tired to talk to you.” He felt a blush rise to his cheeks and he looked down.
“You should still get some rest. I don’t want you to be tired tomorrow.” Sokka waved him off.
“I’ll be fine. If I was worried about sleep, I wouldn’t have come here first.”
Zuko ran a hand across his face and fought back a yawn. Sokka saw him struggle and he stepped around the desk to pull his friend out of his seat. The firebender was suprised by the sudden action and the flames around the room flared for a quick moment. If Sokka noticed, he didn’t act like it.
“Let’s go to bed then.”
“What?” Zuko asked, startled. His friend raised a bewildered eyebrow.
“Uh...go to bed? Our rooms aren’t that far apart. We can walk there together and I can tell you about my visit.”
“Oh! Of course.”
The two men walked to their rooms together, Sokka gushing about his new niece. He spoke so animatedly for someone who’d just gotten back from such a long trip. He didn’t seem to care though as he walked backwards down the hallways, making sure to face Zuko while he spoke. He waved his hands around, nearly hitting a few guards as they walked. It was something he’d found annoying once but his energy was something he looked forward to when he saw him. It refreshed him.
They stopped outside Sokka’s room and the warrior pulled him in for a hug. He practically melted under his touch but he did his best to act normal. He patted his back a few times before pulling away.
“Goodnight, Zuko.” He said softly, a gentle smile gracing his lips. He’d never wanted to kiss him as much as he did in that moment and it scared him. He backed away and offered a weak smile.
“Goodnight. I’ll see you in the morning.”
He practically ran to his room once he was around the corner. The guards opened his door as he approached and muttered a thanks. The doors closed behind him and he covered his face and let out a muffled scream. The flames around the room flared like the ones in his office but for much longer.
He ripped his heavy robes off and pulled his sleeping gown out of his closet and tugged it on. He was going to sleep for a long time and in the morning, these adolescent feelings he was having would go away. He was an adult, the Firelord, and he better things to do than blush at dumb jokes and imagine kissing Sokka until he was breathless.
Zuko waved his hand and all the candles in the room went out. He climbed into his bed and pulled his blanket over his head, like he could pretend that everything was normal. That he wasn’t slowly falling in love with his womanizing best friend. Sokka deserved better than him anyways.
‘Idiot!’ He thought as he drifted off to sleep.
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Sokka awoke much later than he planned to. The sun was already past his window and the birds were not chirping. He sat up slowly and leaned on one elbow and used the other hand to rub his eyes. He could hear people talking in the courtyard below and he briefly glanced out the window before walking over to his closet.
He dressed in casual Fire Nation dress and ran a hand through his hair before vetoing the wolf tail. He was too tired and hungry to pull his hair back. There was a sudden sharp knock on his door and he shouted, jumping backwards away from his closet. He’d instinctively put his hands up in a fighting stance but quickly lowered them.
“Come in!” The door creaked open and a maid entered, offering an apologetic smile. She gave him a small bow and he returned it.
“Good evening, Advisor Sokka.” He scratched his head and groaned.
“Evening? That’s not good.” She giggled at him and he smiled.
“Firelord Zuko has invited you to join him for dinner in his suite.”
“I bet he’s also the one who gave the order not to wake me either.” He grumbled under his breath.
“I’m not at liberty to say.” She gave him a small wink and he rolled his eyes with a chuckle.
Once the maid had left, Sokka rushed over to his small bedside table, practically ripping the drawer out as he opened it. He pulled out the small bottle of cologne he’d bought in Gaoling the last time he’d passed through. He dabbed the liquid on his neck and dabbed some on his wrists as well. When he was sufficiently pleased with how he smelled, he stepped out of his room.
The walk to Zuko’s room was short and he wished it was longer so he could hype himself up their dinner. They’d had dinner alone practically every night he’d been at the palace, save for his trip and some state dinners, but this one was nerve-wracking. He knew he had feelings for Zuko, there was no denying that but how could he possibly bring it up to him? What if Zuko kicked him out of the palace? Or told him he never wanted to see him again?
The thought made his whole body fill with anxiety and he briefly thought about turning back and just sending a maid to deny the invite. But he was still walking towards his room and the guards opened the door for him. He gave them a thumbs up and walked awkwardly into the room, earning a perplexed look from them both.
Zuko had his back to the door when he entered, looking out his window at the main courtyard where citizens and nobles alike entered the palace. He stepped up behind him and cleared his throat. He didn’t turn around but instead motioned for him to join him.
“This palace is so big. So many people go through this courtyard every day from all walks of life. Earth Kingdom representatives, the children of servants playing tag, citizens coming in hopes of speaking to their Firelord. It’s overwhelming to think that this palace was closed to all of these people for so long.” Sokka looked at him flummoxed and Zuko turned to him with a smile. “I’m glad I met you. All of you. If I hadn’t, then none of this would’ve changed.”
“I’m glad I met you too. If I hadn’t, I’d never have been able to call you my best friend.” The smile on his face flickered and he turned back to the window. Sokka put a hand on his shoulder but the Firelord walked away, going over to the table covered in food.
“We should eat before this gets cold. I have something I want to talk to you about.”
“So do I.” That caught his attention and his stiff demeanor relaxed.
Zuko sat at the head of the table and Sokka seated himself to his right, as opposed to across. He grabbed his glass and took a huge gulp of wine. He fiddled with his utensils as Zuko served himself.
“Are you going to grab something to eat or just play with your spoon all night?” He asked, pulling Sokka out of his thoughts.
“Yes! Sorry.” He scooped rice into his bowl and pieces of fried fish onto his plate. Zuko handed him a small bowl of soup and another bowl with pickles. “This smells delicious.” He said, picking up some of the pickle with his chopsticks and shoveling it into his mouth.
They ate in silence, occasionally broken by a cough or a burp. They could both tell the other had something that was wanting to say but neither spoke up. After they finished, Zuko chugged the rest of his wine and poured himself another glass.
“Dude, what’s wrong? You’re more quiet than usual.” His hands stumbled and he splashed wine on the table. He groaned and put the bottle down.
“I’m sorry. I’m nervous.”
“Why? Did something happen?” He shook his head and curled his fist in the fabric of his robe.
“I wanted to talk to you about something that’s been on my mind for a while but I’m not sure how you’ll take it.” That made Sokka a bit nervous but he just leaned forward so that he was closer to his friend.
“You can talk to me. I won’t bite.” He snorted.
“Alright then, I’ll just say it. I just hope you don’t hate me after.” He took a sip of his wine and looked up at Sokka. He watched him with curious blue eyes and his heart flipped. “I'm falling in love with you.”
The world felt like it had suddenly stopped. The words he had planned to eventually tell Zuko were instead being told to him by Zuko. He stammered for a moment and the Firelord nodded, like he understood something that hadn’t even been said.
“You’re falling in love with me? But I thought you were…” He trailed off and looked down, trying to wrap his brain around the information he’d just been given.
“I’m sorry for putting you in this position but I felt like if I didn’t say something, my heart would explode. I know you don’t feel the same. If you want to leave, I won’t blame you.” Sokka snapped back to reality and looked up at him, alarmed.
“Leave? Why would I leave?” That seemed to confuse him.
“You don’t want to leave? I thought-”
“What? That I’d suddenly hate you? That I wouldn’t want to be here anymore? That I couldn’t possibly feel the same way?” Zuko had tears in his eyes and he frowned.
“Yes.” He said softly. Sokka reached over and grabbed his hands.
“You’re incredible, Zuko. How could I not feel the same way?”
“What are you saying?” He seemed unwilling to process what he was saying and Sokka chuckled a bit.
“I’m falling in love with you, too.”
Sokka leaned across the table and was met by Zuko who brought their lips together. He cupped his face and kissed him deeply, like he couldn’t get enough of the sensation. The firebender didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands but he eventually settled on gently grabbing Sokka’s forearms and eagerly kissing him back. He’d kissed and been kissed before but this was definitely one of the best.
“Are you sure about this Sokka?” Zuko asked, when they’d separated a bit. His voice was low and raspy and it was the most beautiful sound in the world.
“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He pulled him in for another kiss, this time pulling Zuko out of his seat.
The firebender wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him close, their bodies pressed tightly together. Sokka wrapped his arms around his neck and fought back a smile that was threatening to spread across his face.
“What are we doing?” Zuko asked, bringing a hand up to brush his hair out his face.
“Making these dishes very hard to clean tomorrow morning.” Zuko grinned and pulled him in for another kiss.