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The room is mostly quiet, the only sound being the occasional grunts and the shuffle of fabric. Two figures sit across each other, a single candle providing them of light. After another few seconds of muffled complains and tossing around, the taller figure finally snaps.
“will you stop moving?” Sokka says frowning at the firebender, holding his wrist with one hand while the other holds a piece of gauze soaked in disinfectant. Zuko scowls at him, hissing once more as the tribesman dabs the older’s injury to clean it. “you are being a baby”
“you are doing a terrible job” the Fire Lord huffs, jerking his arm back at another painful jab to the cuts in his arm. Tries to at least, Sokka’s hold tightens and the young man frowns again but doesn’t look up from the angry and still bleeding wounds.
“well I’m sorry, I’m not my sister with her magic water, and you won’t stop moving around” the bender flinches as blue eyes look up into his, a storm of emotions flashing in them. “this wouldn’t be happening if someone hadn’t jumped in front of danger… again” his tone is more than just annoyed and Zuko rolls his eyes, turning his face away.
“I’ve dealt with worst”
“you almost got your arm torn off by an angry spirit” Zuko opens his mouth again to retort, but something stops him and he just huffs. He’s fine, really, Sokka just worries too much.
Silence falls between them again, tense and almost awkward. Zuko hates it, hates to be back on that awkward moment from years back, when they were teenagers, just getting into a potential alliance that later turned into friendship. The firebender clenches his hands as Sokka passes the gauze over one of the deepest cuts, the disinfectant stings like a bitch but he tries to stay still.
A gentle touch makes him turn back, seeing as Sokka traces slow circles on the back of his hand, trying to sooth him. It does nothing, but Zuko appreciates the gesture. A long sigh leaves the tanned man as he tosses the soiled gauze in the growing pile to his left then takes the bandages resting on the bed.
The tribesman halts then, and just stares at him. Zuko can feel his eyes wandering over him, making an embarrassed heat crawl up his neck and face, feeling too exposed as his shirt had been practically torn apart by the enraged spirit. It feels like an eternity passes before Sokka moves again, starting to wrap his right shoulder and arm with the white bandages, making sure to put enough gauze between the cotton strips and his cuts to try and stop any more bleeding.
“you are an idiot” the insult startles him, throwing the bender off for a few seconds before he is scowling back to his friend.
“wha― i had to stop it! The spirit was going after you, i… i couldn’t let it hurt you”
“I was expecting it! I could have easily deflect or block it, you didn’t… you didn’t fucking need to throw yourself in the middle!” their eyes meet again, and Zuko can’t handle the storm in them. He looks away.
“i wasn’t going to just turn around, Sokka” the tribesman finishes wrapping him up but doesn’t let go of his wrist, his now free hand going to rest on Zuko’s shoulder, a gentle pressure as to not hurt him.
“you can’t just throw your life away like that, Zuko” the firebender tenses at the sudden change on his voice. “you can’t keep doing this, buddy” Sokka’s voice looses most of his anger, turning to concern and fear. “what are we supposed to do if you die?”
“you.. move on?” he shrugs slightly, grimacing as a sharp pain crosses his right arm. At his friend’s silence, the Fire Lord glances back to Sokka, who doesn’t look amused, at all.
“I―” the young warrior cuts off, takes a sharp breath and let’s go of his wrist and shoulder, then pushes off his sit and steps away from him. “I can’t believe you! Move on?! Are you fucking kidding me Zuko?!”
“i..”
“shut up!” his mouth snaps close and he looks at the non-bender pacing the small room, golden eyes wide in shock. He hasn’t seen Sokka so angry since… never, actually. He’s seen the younger annoyed or frustrated with him before, but never angry. Not like this. “how can you say such a thing like it’s nothing?! Like you are nothing?! Do you seriously expect us to just… move on if you die?” Zuko doesn’t answer, still startled by the outburst. It’s usually him the one with the temper. “do you honestly think we don’t care?! That I don’t care?!” his voice cracks and he halts his pacing, facing away from the bender. Zuko bites his lower lip, frowning at the ragged breathing from the taller.
“Sokka..” he tries, but doesn’t seem to know what to say. Slowly he get’s up, holding his injured arm to not move it much and approaches the tanned man. “Sokka” he calls again, trying to make the younger turn but just shakes his head, still facing away. “Sokka, look at me”
“I can’t believe you think we wouldn’t care” he finally answers, his voice strained and almost too quiet. Zuko clenches his hand and takes another step forward, grabbing the other’s arm.
“Sokka, I’m fine. Stop being childish and―”
“childish?!” the tribesman whirls around, facing him and frowning. “how am i being childish for caring?!” the firebender flinches at the sudden rise on the other’s tone, and stands still as Sokka leans closer again grabbing both his arms, the right one flaring up in pain. “you could have bleed to death trying to be a hero, but I’m childish for caring?!”
“I wasn’t trying to.. it wasn’t a hero thing!” he glances at the hand on his right, biting back a pained whine as Sokka's hold becomes tighter.
“whatever it was” Sokka huffs, shaking him slightly. Zuko clenches his hands as he feels his injuries getting aggravated. “you can’t keep doing it! Tui and La, stop giving your life away for nothing” the bender now scowls and yanks his left arm from the swordsman’s hold.
“it wasn’t nothing! i was saving you!” he argues then a pained gasp leaves his lips and he grabs Sokka’s wrist. “You are hurting me!” he finally yells. The warrior jumps back, releasing his arm at last.
Both take two steps back, and look at each other’s faces in silence. Zuko feels a sharp pain in his arm and rises his opposite hand towards it, feeling a warmth washing down from his shoulder and bicep. He sees how the expression on the tribesman goes from startled to downright horrified, his eyes growing so much it would be almost funny. “shit” he hears the other mumble and Zuko turns to look at his right arm. The bandages that had just been on him for less than ten minutes have two slowly growing blood stains. The Fire Lord pulls his left hand away, noticing it’s actually wet with the red liquid.
“fuck” he curses, frowning and turns to try and look for something to stop the bleeding. He goes to grab the first aid kit that Katara had given to them before the team split to look for some clues about the spirit’s attack on this place. –I know you will need it– the waterbender had given him a meaningful look when she spoke. Zuko huffed ironically amused, of course she had been right. But he refused to let his friends get hurt if he could stop it.
The black-haired man sighs and goes back to the bed he’d been sitting on earlier. His left hand is dirty with his own blood and the other he can barely move from the pain spreading along his limb. He stares at the kit for several seconds, debating how to do this when a pair of tanned hands get in his line of vision. He turns to find Sokka sitting back on the stool and, without uttering a word, starts looking through the medical supplies.
Zuko frowns, opening his mouth to restart the first argument of the night. That he can do this alone, somehow. The words die on his tongue when he looks up to Sokka’s face and sees the storm from before is gone, blue eyes now filled with guilt. The tribesman remains silent as he takes a second roll of bandages, more gauze and turns to the bender. He presents the objects to him an stays still, waiting.
It takes the older a moment to realize he is waiting for him to take them. He’s still mad about before, but he is also tired and in pain so Zuko just sighs and turns his right shoulder to the other, allowing him to re-do the wraps. Sokka seems to hesitate for a second then the firebender feels his hands over the bloodied cotton.
The process feels painfully longer this time around. The silence from the very start coming back, but it’s worst. Zuko remains absolutely still this time, not having to endure the horrible sting of the disinfectant. Sokka is also being extremely careful and gentle with his touch, which the Fire Lord thanks but also concerns him. He is being too gentle.
When it’s finally done, the tribesman leans back and turns away without breaking the silence as he starts to clean up. Zuko just stares at his back, watching the tension on his shoulders and the crease in his brow when he turns to the medical kit again.
He can’t stand the silence anymore.
-.-.-
He’s and idiot! How the fuck did he not notice he was hurting him?!
Sokka wants to smack his head on the closest wall. He looks down to his own hand, glancing back as Zuko starts walking away. Nononono. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to, i-i just― He watches the oldest sit back down and stare at the supplies his sister gave them, then look at his bloody hand. His doesn’t even try to move the right one. Sokka feels even more guilty now, he just made it worst.
Taking a deep breath he approaches the bender, easing back on the wooden stool then starts rummaging through the small bag. It takes no time to find more materials and he turns back to his friend. He is surprised to see the other offer his arm, letting him do it.
The water tribe warrior thins his lips into a tense line, he doesn’t want to hurt him again. But Zuko clearly can’t do it himself now. He makes sure to be careful now, he already made him start bleeding again. He doesn’t want to keep hurting Zuko.
It’s his fault this all happen after all. Zuko told him to get away, but he had a plan, and if the spirit just got a little bit closer he could have― it had gotten too close, too fast. If Zuko hadn’t pushed him away, he would be as good as dead right now. Sokka frowns, pushing the thoughts away and tries to focus back on what he is doing now. What happened before― I can’t change what happened. He saved me, it was his choice and i shouldn’t be lashing out at him. It was his choice… it was his choice… it was her choice.
The air is caught in his throat and his heart aches at the grief he still holds deep inside him resurfes. He could never get over Yue’s death completely. He’d loved her so much for the short period they had spent together. Now he loves Zuko, they’ve known each other for years now and his feelings for the bender only grow stronger each day. He already knows these are stronger than the ones he held for the northern princess.
Sokka can’t loose him, or he’ll be devastated.
“Sokka” he flinches at the sudden call, having enter some kind of autopilot as his mind and heart went all over the place. He swallows around the lump forming in his throat and turns over his shoulder to look at the Fire Lord. Zuko’s brow twitches and then he is frowning at him, but he doesn’t really look angry, not anymore. “I’m sorry” the older mumbles after a long sigh, looking down as he uses his left hand to keep his hurt arm from moving too much while he get’s up. “I know you are a skilled warrior, and that you can handle yourself alone. But… you and the rest of the team are the firsts friends i’ve ever made. The firsts that truly knew me and still accepted me, even after everything i did, you gave me a chance and… you all became my family. I couldn’t just stand aside when i saw the spirit run towards you”
Zuko fumbles with the edge of his bandages, shifting from one foot to the other, rambling as his mouth runs too fast for his mind to catch up on what it’s coming out.
To Sokka it’s like seeing that socially awkward teenager trying to make amends all over again. The angsty and moody prince that slowly made his way into Sokka’s heart, starting from that very first day at the western air temple. Unknowingly to either of them.
The thought makes his heart tremble when he sees the bandages again. He remembers the young man jumping and pushing him out of the way as sharp spirit claws swung at them. The pained scream of the Fire Lord and the blood that splattered across the field forces him to clench his hands tightly.
The warrior takes two steps forward, standing before the older male.
His hands are cradling Zuko’s face and leans down closing his eyes, pressing their foreheads together before he even realizes what he’s doing. When the bender doesn’t push him away he lets a broken sigh escape him before words start spewing unbidden from his mouth.
“I’m still grieving the last person i lost” he sounds off to his own ears, too broken, too vulnerable but he can’t stop now. “Yue’s death… it broke me in a way i’m still trying to fix. It hurts so much to think about her because she made me so happy… and Suki did too, but it just wasn’t the same.” he can feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as he sees pale blue eyes closing forever. “i’ve thought i would never feel like that again… until you came to us.. and i got to know you, the real you, i…” he finally leans back, staring right into the golden eyes he has loved and dreamed about for the last couple years. His thumbs caress Zuko’s cheeks slowly, the smooth right side so contrasting to the leathery left, and Sokka loves it.
-.-.-
“Zuko… if you die on me... i will never move pass it” his eyes go wide as he sees once more the storm in those ocean eyes. Yet it’s different, there is something else in there. Zuko thinks he knows what it is, but he doesn’t want to get false illusion on it.
But Sokka just compared him to his first love. Doesn’t that mean something? Anything?
He notices the other is waiting again for him and he swallows, forcing himself to keep the eye contact as he moves his hand over one of Sokka’s own. He offers a tiny smile. “y-you said it yourself… once” the tribesman squints, confused and the bender shrugs with his good shoulder. “I’m too stubborn to die by anything but old age” he tries to make the other smile. Sokka may be much more emotional than him, but Zuko rarely sees him cry like this. So heartbroken and in pain.
His attempt at bringing up that small joke from a few years back isn’t very successful, the tribesman only huffs, a mildly amused smile stretching his lips barely an inch. The non-bender leans closer again, and Zuko feels dazed when a soft kiss is pressed on his scarred cheek.
“i love you, Zuko” his heart stops, then all together starts beating too fast and too slow. “i’ve loved you for years.” Zuko gapes, trying to say something but Sokka isn’t done yet. “I care about you, and i could have lost you today… and it would have been my fault”
“Sokka, i..” the tribesman pulls back and once more looks straight into his eyes.
“I can’t lose you” one more stray tear slides down a tanned cheek “or I’ll die inside” words aren’t enough anymore. Zuko reaches up to Sokka’s face and pulls him down until their lips meet.
It’s a gentle touch, merely pressing their lips together while trying to convey all of what he feels for the other in it. The tribesman’s arms wrap around his waist, hugging him closely. Zuko takes his hand around to the back of the other’s head, his fingers caressing his undercut and neck.
They pull apart, Zuko hissing in pain as he tried to rise his right arm to hug Sokka back. “careful with that. We only have one roll of those left” the youngest whispers, still hugging him and with their faces only inches away. “and you already lost a lot of blood.”
“I’ll be fine” the royal huffs, then grimaces at his own tone. “sorry… for worrying you” the tanned male snorts.
“one of us has to, right?” Sokka gives him another peck on the cheek then pulls back to face him but doesn’t let go. “I think we are done for today.. can we go to sleep now? I’m drained” Zuko agrees but there is still one last thing he has to say.
“Sokka?” their eyes meet and Zuko smiles. “I love you too”
A grin splits across the future chief’s face before he is leaning down once again and taking the Fire Lord’s lips with his.