Chapter Text
Zuko was missing.
Well, that wasn’t necessarily accurate, it was more like, Zuko was… on hiatus?
Sokka had a couple guesses as to where the other boy might be and he tried to let that help his concern. Zuko’s uncle didn’t seem particularly frightened either.
But sue him, Sokka was concerned. Scared even.
It had started off fine, it was Saturday evening, which is usually reserved for Zuko and Sokka time. One of them, usually Zuko, would come to the other boy’s house and just hang out. They would go do something fun like taking full advantage of the unlimited ice cream at their local pizza spot or even just do mundane things like wash Sokka’s car or go to the grocery store for Zuko’s uncle.
After a while, everyone kind of understood that Saturdays were for Sokka and Zuko, Zuko and Sokka. At the beginning of this little routine that they developed, they would plan out their days, and as they became closer, they felt the need for structure less and less.
It was nice, they knew the day was set aside for them and whatever thing or adventure they wanted to set out on, and for two high school seniors, freedom came in the little things. It came in Saturday night slushie runs at the gas station, mornings watching Katara’s swim meets, afternoons doing the homework that Sokka always forgot about but still managed to finish faster than Zuko.
So, it was Saturday, but Zuko was nowhere to be seen. It wasn’t unheard of for Zuko to go MIA for a couple hours, sometimes he needed time to decompress or his uncle would call him out to help at the shop, but he would always tell Sokka.
Sokka had brushed it off. He sent a quick text asking where Zuko was and went about his day. It was noticeably lonelier than usual, but it was fine. Sokka was 17 years old, he didn’t need Zuko with him just to go deposit his tips from Friday night serving at the local seafood restaurant.
(Sokka tried to shake off the fact that it had been ages since Zuko didn’t show up on one of their Saturdays).
It started getting weirder when Iroh called.
Sokka liked Iroh, but he’ll be the first to admit their relationship had had a rocky start. Zuko was his best friend. He couldn’t help but get defensive over the fact that although Iroh had claimed to care for him, he still let all of that bad stuff happen to Zuko.
It took years for Sokka to learn Zuko’s side of the story. Long nights studying, the quiet after a movie night, eventually, everything was revealed. All of Zuko’s pain, his hurt.
Sokka didn’t understand why his uncle didn’t step in sooner.
It took a couple long-winded afternoon tea sessions to learn Iroh’s full story, and just the amount of regret he feels at his own previously hardened heart. He acknowledged his faults, Sokka rarely saw an adult do that.
It broke Sokka, having to learn about what was going on in the background while Zuko was suffering so immensely. There were many nights after meeting with Iroh, and consequentially, Zuko, where Sokka couldn’t do much but sit beside the other boy.
Even though it was Zuko’s life story they were talking about, it was mostly Sokka who needed the comfort after. The two boys would sit side by side, thighs pressing against eachother, Sokka’s head snugly against Zuko’s shoulder, both cradling a cup of warm tea (no matter how much Zuko claimed he hated the taste).
Eventually, the two had come to an agreement, and they could overlook the initial disdain Sokka had for Iroh in order to come together and be even more protective of Zuko.
Zuko says he hates it when they both get especially defensive over him, but Sokka knows that that’s not entirely true.
So when Iroh rang, Sokka’s heart jumped.
I bet this is just Zuko calling on Iroh’s number.
It wasn’t. Unless Zuko could do a very good Iroh impression (and he can’t because Sokka’s heard his attempts), this really was Iroh.
That knowledge didn’t help Sokka’s stumbling heart.
Because, fine, maybe Sokka liked Zuko as more than his best friend. Maybe he thought about how it would feel if Zuko finally let down all of his defenses, if he allowed himself to curl up by Sokka’s side, to breathe out all of the tension and just let Sokka care for him, till they grow old and then even in death. Maybe, of course.
It didn’t help that over their friendship Sokka took to learning every little thing about the other boy. When his face scrunches just enough to tell that he’s annoyed but not angry. The specific way his eyes light up whenever he sees an animal. The way Zuko walks, overcompensating for his blindside unless Sokka fills in that space.
Anyway, finally he snaps back into reality long enough to hear Iroh’s question.
“Hello Sokka, I was just wondering if you happened to know where Zuko was. He always tells me when he leaves to spend the day with you, but for some reason he didn’t today and I can’t seem to reach his phone.”
Sokka’s heart, which was previously stuttering, has now come to a full stop. The last time Zuko dissapeared without telling a single soul was right after that.
And that was 5 years ago, before Zuko even had a phone and he and Sokka relied wholly on the Google Messages feature connected to their email. They weren’t even that close then, all things considered.
(It still freaked Sokka out. 8th grade him had gathered enough about Zuko’s family to know that something was up. Helping Zuko with the aftermath was rough, but they both made it through).
Zuko had just moved back to town a couple months prior and still lived with his sorry excuse for a father. Him and Sokka only really became friends because they both played soccer at recess and were always team captains. It was a decent rivalry, the matches often left them tied and Sokka remembers keeping a tally of every game he won.
One day, Zuko didn’t play soccer. Sokka couldn’t just let his rival sit out on recess alone, so, he joined the other boy sitting on the bench. Sokka learned that the teacher wouldn’t let Zuko play because he corrected, rather harshly, the lesson that the teacher was presenting that day.
Zuko brought up Japanese concentration camps, the teacher didn’t like that.
But Sokka did. He knew just how often the teachers overlooked the history of minorities. He brought up his own tribe in his class whenever he could. His teachers didn’t always like it when he brought up the fact that his family back home was in danger because of the melting ice.
Something about ‘uneccessary discourse preventing emotional development’. Even little kid Sokka knew that was a bunch of bull.
So Sokka sat on the bench with Zuko and they got to talking about their respective cultures. Everything else that followed was history. (He’s pretty sure when he and Zuko were placed in the same class the following year, his teacher had a heart attack, it’s not easy to argue against an outspoken boy who is correct, much less two of them).
It took plenty of deep conversations (well as deep as two middle school boys could have) about communication to establish that going AWOL like that again wasn’t cool. Zuko had promised that if he ever needed to leave for any reason that he would tell someone. That someone was always Iroh or Sokka, usually both.
Even when Zuko fled his house after telling Iroh he was gay and not waiting for a response, he still managed to tell his uncle that he was leaving for Sokka’s.
(It ended up being fine. Zuko spent the night at Sokka’s and listened to Iroh’s voicemail about acceptance. When he finally went back to his house, his uncle continued his statement with a talk about protection, which nearly resulted in Zuko bolting again, this time from embarrassment).
He made good on his promise, so for something to happen to the point of breaking a 5 year commitment, it must’ve been bad.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know where he is. I’ll start looking immediately.”
“Wait, son, that’s really not neccessary it’s late and–” Iroh’s usual composure seemed to leave him.
“Too late, I’ve already left my house.”
Iroh was right though, it was already after sunset. Sokka mumbled a quick goodbye and hung up on Iroh, deciding that if Iroh couldn’t reach Zuko, maybe Sokka could.
He rings Zuko’s number, waiting, waiting. Nothing.
Whatever, Sokka knows where to look first.
He’s been friends with Zuko for a long time, and best friends with him for even longer. He was there when Zuko had to deal with his father in court, again when Zuko had to figure out how to help his sister, and again when Zuko inherited the stocks previously held by his father.
(Deciding what to do with all that dirty money was gratifying. If only Zuko’s father saw how all of his money was given to the community and various charities among the district).
Being friends with Zuko, even, maybe, claiming that Sokka knew him better than anyone else did, he knew a couple of options when looking for the other boy.
His first stop was the park near eachother’s homes. When Zuko was little he used to come down and feed the ducks with his mom, when he and Sokka became friends they would meet up here to ride their bikes, and even now he’ll come to the park every so often to watch them swim around.
Actually, this park was the first time Sokka ever saw Zuko, he just didn’t know it. It turns out Sokka also used to frequent the same park with his family when he was little, albeit to go fishing and swimming instead. Him and Zuko didn’t go to the same school, and Zuko soon left to travel with his father, they missed eachother back then.
It took Gran Gran showing Zuko embarrassing pictures of Sokka before Zuko spotted himself in the background of one of them for them to figure it out.
Sokka keeps a copy of that photo on his collage board now.
Sokka trails the entrance of the park, scouring for a probably disheveled Zuko. He just hopes that Zuko isn’t hurt or worse, nostalgic.
There’s not much Sokka can do for Zuko when he gets stuck in his own head remembering the past. He learned how to help a sad Zuko, a lethargic Zuko, Tui and La, even an angry Zuko.
But nostalgia was the one feeling Sokka can’t navigate without triggering Zuko and sending him into a panic attack. Sokka learned to keep his distance in those rare moments, even though it hurt to see Zuko upset, it was better than having to walk that same boy through breathing exercises and even once having to drive him to the emergency room.
He walks around the entire lake trail, doubling back on certain parts where Zuko usually frequents, but to no avail. The other boy isn’t here.
Sokka shakes his head, luckily the park is close to Sokka’s house so the walk back wasn’t too hard. But now he has a bigger issue.
In order to search for Zuko in the other places he might be, he has to use the car.
And it’s Katara’s day to have the car.
****************
“No.”
“Katara, you don’t understand! He’s gone gone. Not even Iroh knows where he went,” Sokka pleads. In reality he knows exactly what he has to offer Katara in order to get the car. He just doesn’t want to.
Katara glares at him, although softening at the obvious panic in Sokka’s voice. It doesn’t work though, Sokka should’ve known. Katara just got her license and car days for her are few and far between.
“Fine. I’ll cover for you next time you’re past curfew.”
Katara breaks into a grin, “Fine. Go find your loverboy.”
Sokka blushes, “Katara! He is not my–”
“Yeah, yeah. Now go before I change my mind.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Car secured, Sokka thinks as he snatches the keys from the front. Right before he opens the front door he hears, “Where do you think you're going?”
Ugh.
“Nowhere Dad, just out to meet Zuko.”
“Sure,” Hakoda raises an eyebrow, “You do realize it’s past sunset which means–”
“Which means I’m supposed to ask. Well this is me, asking,” Sokka hurries, “Alrighty, well–”
“Hold it.”
UGH
“I’m saying no. I need your help with something.”
Dammit.
Sokka doens’t have time for this. Another minute spent here talking to his dad was another minute Zuko could be choking on pain.
One part of Sokka knows he should explain the situation but it feels too personal. He wasn’t out to his dad yet (even though he knew his dad wouldn’t care), he barely even had the talk with his dad. It feels weird to pour out his heart about all of his concerns for his best friend in front of his father. It’s just not how they operate. Sokka’s dad takes him fishing and lets him have space. In return, Sokka doens’t ask any questions that have too many feelings. Yuck.
Another part of Sokka knows that he’s never disrespected his dad before. Even when he begged his dad to drive to that mysterious location Zuko sent him after ‘the accident’ five years ago, he explained to his dad what was happening and what he needed. He remembers being snotty and scared, but his dad gave in. That was probably as close as Sokka had ever gotten to letting his dad into his life.
A third, selfish, rebellious part of Sokka knew exactly what he was going to do next.
“Sorry,” he puts his hand back around the door handle and pulls, “I’ll be back soon.”
He bolts then, before his dad can grab him by the neckline of this shirt and hoist him back inside. He wants to regret his decision, to go back in and stop the yelling he can hear from inside the house.
His father’s not usually an angry man, but, hey, there’s a first time for everything.
The old, but sturdy Nissan Rogue starts up in a flash. Sokka had been driving this car since the day he turned 15, he knew it better than he knew himself.
Looking in the passenger seat and not seeing Zuko was difficult. He was used to the familiar weight next to him, messing with the air conditioning and poorly giving out directions.
Sokka needed to find Zuko. Maybe more for his sake than the other boy’s. He was starting to go crazy.
****************
Sokka seemed to hit every red light before he finally made it to his next stop.
It was an old skatepark they used to frequent after school their freshman year. Graffiti and the occasional stoner brought a life to the park that Zuko yearned for. (It helped that it also really pissed off his dad, Zuko wasn’t ready to fully separate himself from his father, so every small rebellion counted).
Zuko would come down here pretty frequently in their first year of high school. Sokka already knew how to skate, so he taught Zuko everything he knew. Pretty quickly Zuko started to learn things Sokka didn’t know, and it became another obsession between the both. They would come after school and show off their best tricks, before quickly explaining and teaching the other boy those same tricks. It was nice, and a good distraction for the both of them.
The park was empty now, with it being well past dark now. Sokka took a quick walk around, even checking the local makeout spot, but to no avail. (And yes, he apologized to the vibrant girl and the one with the murderous glare. He didn’t mean to actually catch someone making out there).
No Zuko. Sokka started to get more worried with every minute he came up empty. There were still places he had to look for before panic could permanently set in, but he was getting close.
He set off in the family car again, ignoring the missed calls from his father, only glancing at the warning from Katara about not coming hime until dad settled down a bit.
It was fine, Sokka didn’t plan on going back to the house until he could find Zuko anyway.
****************
The next place Sokka ventured to was actually Zuko’s house.
He walked up to the front door with a tentative knock. He didn’t really talk to just Iroh one-on-one often, but he was willing to make this sacrifice if it meant possibly finding Zuko.
When Iroh opened the door he looked like he was in peril.
“Oh, Sokka. What a pleasure.” He quickly shook off the look of distress. Sokka appreciated that at least Iroh could remain professional.
“Yeah, sorry for not telling you I was coming over. I just, uhm, wanted to look around for Zuko here.” Sokka fumbled with his words a bit. As far as he was aware, Iroh didn’t know about the various hiding spots Zuko knew about and frequented around the house. He felt kind of bad for betraying some of Zuko’s secrets but he was positive the other boy would forgive him.
“I assure you Sokka I looked in the house and he is–”
“Did you check the roof?” Sokka blurts.
“Oh,” Iroh considers thoughtfully, “Perhaps, I did not.”
Iroh let Sokka through and he beelines upstairs to Zuko’s room. His window was unlocked, so Zuko was either here recently or forgot to lock it the last time he went out.
Carefully, Sokka balances on the open windowsill, ignoring Iroh’s look of concern. He lifts himself up to the roof and makes quick work of all the crevices Zuko had shown the other boy. Nothing.
After a while he jumps back through the window and figures that Iroh probably did check the rest of the house well enough that he wouldn’t have to double check his work.
“Sorry, I didn’t see him up there.”
Iroh watches Sokka for a moment before saying, “You know Zuko would probably not want me to divulge this to you, but I believe you are a good influence on him. The last time I saw him, we had just received some rather unfortunate news about his father’s old company and–”
“Wait. Ozai?” Sokka spits. He hates how that man haunts Zuko’s life even now.
“Ah. Yes, I do remember how well acquainted you are with Zuko’s life. I believe that Zuko’s disappearance has something to do with that particular information.”
Sokka thought for a moment before saying his goodbyes and heading out the door. There were many more places Sokka could look but something about what Iroh told him felt like a clue.
It’s pretty safe to say that Zuko might be feeling nostalgic, and although that particular emotion isn’t ideal, Sokka can still work with it. He can give Zuko space while also making sure he’s okay.
But where would Zuko go if he were feeling nostalgic?
Oh.
5 years ago.
Of course.
5 years ago, Ozai burned Zuko. The boy lost some of his sight in his eye and most of his hearing on that side. It was a horrible day. It freaked the living shit out of Sokka when Zuko not only didn’t show up for their usual gaming session, but when he sent a text to Sokka that was just a location.
Sokka vividly remembers gripping onto his dad, begging him to drive to the location in order to make sure his best friend was okay. It was the closest he had ever gotten to pouring out his soul to his father, even closer than the night he spent sobbing after Yue moved away.
In reality, there was probably no reason for Sokka to be so freaked out, something in his soul just pulled him into the other boy. It was a good thing too, if Sokka’s dad had said no or if Zuko never sent the location… Sokka couldn’t even imagine how different his life would be.
After Zuko got burned, he ran. He ran fueled on adrenaline and fear alone. He ran until his legs gave out, until he couldn’t breathe.
He ran to the end of Sokka’s street. He couldn’t make it any farther. Sokka didn’t realize Zuko even knew where he lived, they had biked to Sokka’s house a couple times from the park with the ducks, but Sokka didn’t realize Zuko had memorized the path.
Sokka pulled himself out of the memory and opened his car door. It was well past 10pm at this point, but that was fine. Zuko was waiting for him, and Sokka wasn’t going to keep him waiting anymore.
****************
Pulling up to the corner of his street after feeling like he was all over town was gratifying in a way. He put the car in park and flashed his hazards, he had a feeling coaxing Zuko to get in the car might take a while.
Sokka hops out, stalking the exact sidewalk he found Zuko on five years ago.
Ah. There you are.
He sees Zuko through the dark, his eyes focusing on what appears to be Sokka’s hoodie. The faded blue that Sokka was looking for all week was in Zuko’s hands the whole time.
Sokka muses for a moment, This feels like a two birds one stone type moment.
“Hey buddy.” Sokka approached quietly, not wanting to spook the other boy. He takes a seat next to Zuko, curiously looking for any signs of injury or hurt – finding nothing, almost eerily nothing.
The cold cement proves to be not the most comfortable seating arrangement, but Sokka will make do. The dewy grass behind them and the warm road in front of them offers quite the solution for Sokka’s nervousness, he reaches behind him to thread his fingers among the blades of grass. With his foot he shuffles some of the little rocks from the road.
Zuko’s face sat in an impassive look, one Sokka knew about. It’s a face he doesn’t see Zuko don very often. One of controlled anger, renewed vigor, strained fear.
Sokka wouldn’t have even known that Zuko had registered his words if not for the slight tilt of Zuko’s body towards Sokka. Like a gravitational pull. It was difficult for the boys to stay apart.
I’ll find you. In every lifetime Zuko, I’ll be here. The Earth to your moon, the planets to your sun.
“I’m sorry,” Zuko whispered, “I missed our Saturday.” He glanced out of his good eye towards Sokka.
‘Our Saturday’. Oh Zuko.
“Nah, it’s okay. It took a bit, but I figured I would find you eventually.” Sokka pats the grass behind him softly, idly waiting for Zuko to continue talking. After a couple months of knowing the older boy, it was one of the first things he learned. If you were patient, and waited, eventualy Zuko would find the words he was so desperately searching for. All Sokka had to do was wait for Zuko to reach them.
They sat together in silence for a moment, admiring the cool asphalt and Sokka’s car, still flashing with unhurried concern.
Sokka remained a crutch for Zuko. SOkka removed his, now wet, hand from the grass to play with the rocks in front of him. Eventually Zuko joined him, except his idea of participation included throwing the rocks at Sokka’s little creations until Sokka huffed in defeat.
“I got a call today.” Zuko admitted, after what felt somehow like hours and only a second of time spent on the sidewalk.
“It was father’s old company. Apparently the council was combing through old documents and found that Ozai structured the hierarchy of the company like an inheritance. It shouldn’t even be possible, but somehow he knows how to mock me from beyond his jail cell.”
Sokka thought about his words, slowly piecing together what Zuko could be hinting at. He already knew that the council was trying to figure out a way to dismantle the company. It wasn’t worth the effort to keep it running without all of the backhanded methods Ozai was using to keep it successful.
“Ozai demands I have the company. There’s protocol left in place for me to inherit after I turn 18 and they want me to reject the offer so that they can sell all of their stocks and tank the market. It would more or less cause an economic recession, I’m not sure they know I know that. It would also cause millions to lose their job with no severance package. I know I shouldn’t take the position, it feels like I would be playing right into my father’s hands. But Sokka,” Zuko turns his body to look at the boy with one of the most disheveled looks Sokka’s ever seen from Zuko, “I know the company’s horrible, but the common workforce doesn’t know that. There’s a chance I could fix things…” He trails off.
Sokka lets himself think for a moment before answering. On one hand, he knows that Zuko would be suited to the role. He spent the first 13 years of his life training for the corporate world, and Zuko knows the company’s practices and infrastructure like the back of his hand. It helped – in some cruel sense – when there was a punishment involved anytime Zuko couldn’t name all of the aspects of the key performance indicators and how to profit off of the marginalized.
Even after ‘the incident’, Zuko would still constantly ask questions about business practice, learning all he could from his uncle. Sokka also knew that Zuko was always making notes about how his family empire could be improved and altered.
On the other hand, Zuko wouldn’t be able to go to college, he’d leave Sokka behind. Zuko sould be scrutinized for the rest of his life, from the media, his employees, and even his own council. It would be an extremely difficult job. He’d be lonely, sitting in his office with no one to talk to.
Out of all the time Sokka ever spent with Zuko, acknowledging the boy’s inherent loneliness felt the hardest. Zuko was isolated for so much of his life, Sokka couldn’t, in good conscience, ask Zuko to save so many people on behalf of his own life. To Sokka, it wasn’t worth the trade, he knew it was selfish, but he couldn’t allow Zuko to throw his life away.
Unless…
Sokka gave the only answer he could possibly supply.
“Zuko. If you take the company, you would lose any chance you would get at being a normal boy.”
Zuko interjects with a laugh, “Sokka, you know I lost my chance at normal the moment I was born.”
“Let me finish,” Sokka gives a pointed, yet amusing look at Zuko, he was happy the golden-eyed boy could still find humor in this situation, “If you do this, you’re not doing it alone. You’d need help right?”
Zuko looks at him then, understanding slowly flooding his features, “Sokka, no. I coudln’t possibly–”
“I want to help. I have so many designs and plans and you know that. You’ll need all the help you could get, and you and me both know Aang would love to assist in any way he could. It helps to be friends with influential people sometimes.”
Sokka watches his words settle over Zuko. He knows his small speech probably won’t sway the other boy completely, but he only has one last ditch effort to try and make Zuko understand that he’s in it for the long haul.
Will Zuko understand? Will Zuko allow Sokka this, if nothing more?
5 years, from rivalry to friendship to something else. It didn’t take long for Sokka to understand his purpose in life. He wants. He wants so much, to learn so much. Sokka’s had to play the role of provider for a long time, it’s a role he’s suited for, and ultimately, he wouldn’t change the people he’s gotten to provide for.
But this time? This time he would get to choose who he cares for. And he chose 5 years ago when he met the hotheaded boy he now calls his best friend.
“Sokka,” Zuko pleads. He looks hurt, if not a little hopeful. If he wants to dig his own grave he must at least acknowledge that Sokka will bury himself right beside him. “If I let you do this, you’ll be stuck. Stuck with the company, the cruelty, the hardship.”
Quieter, too quiet, Zuko finishes, “Stuck with me.” The other boy looks away now, unable to contain his shame.
Because over the past five years, Sokka’s learned just how unlovable Zuko believes he is. He doesn’t see all that Sokka does. His kindness to animals, his calm approach to children, his bright look when he can help someone else, his laugh, his eyes. Oh his eyes, his golden, beautiful, gentle eyes.
“Zuko. I’ve known you since we met on the playground in middle school. I knew we would be friends when I found out you told off that teacher. I knew we were close when you knew exactly how I liked to eat my ramen, no matter how unconventional it was to eat all of the toppings off before eating the noodles,” That earns a small laugh from Sokka’s side, “I knew we were best friends when you dealt with my drunk ass our freshman year– damn we were too young to be drinking then. Even more than that, I knew we were going to be inseparable when you finally stopped knocking on the door before you came over, when my dad could talk and you wouldn’t feel the need to watch to make sure I was okay.”
Sokka lets himself breathe, knowing his next words could change everything. Knowing that their perfect balance would be forever altered, no matter what the outcome would be.
Before he was sure that Zuko would figure out what was coming next, Sokka steeled himself to speak again.
“I knew I liked you in all of those moments, every time you spoke I was reminded by your greatness. When you walked, I could tell there should be a great confidence in you, instead of fear. I knew I liked you like the third time we ever spoke, and every day I’m reminded by just how much you mean to me,” He watches Zuko closely, studying his reactions, timing his words closely, “I knew I loved you when you took me to feed the ducks for the first time. Your unbridled joy, it felt like hope. Hope for yourself, for me, for us. Being stuck with you isn’t a burden, it’s the best gift I could ever be given.”
He watches tears form quickly on the bottom of Zuko’s eyelashes and worries for a moment that he said the wrong thing. Even quicker than the tears, he abandons that thought as Zuko reaches over to pull Sokka into the best hug he’s ever received (sorry Gran Gran). As he feels Zuko’s warmth spreading through Sokka’s body, he realizes at some point the two boys must’ve turned to face eachother in order for this hug to be possible.
Zuko whispers, his words meant for Sokka’s ears and Sokka alone, “I thought you would be upset, for making you chase me all over town. I was scared that this would be it, that you would finally understand that I was too much effort. I think I understand, if you would have me, I would love your help.”
“And I love you too.”
Sokka’s left stunned at the response. Recovering, he asks, “Zuko, can I kiss you?”
“Whenever you want.” A blush creeps along both of their faces.
Sokka moves his head from where it was against Zuko’s shoulder, letting Zuko do the same. The moment their eyes’ met, Sokka couldn’t take it anymore. He leaned in, letting the soft press of their lips seal the promise they just made to eachother.
The rest of their life would be filled with as much hardship as joy. But they had a lifetime to spend with eachother, and that’s all that ever mattered to Sokka.