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silentium-symphony · 1 year

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Book Buddies II (Link x Reader)

(a/n) hello! here is the second chapter of Book Buddies! if you haven't read the first chapter, please click here. i hope you enjoy!

cw: afab!reader, researcher!reader, a nice day out w link :), crowded places, escaping to nature, gentle looks and touches exchanged under the moon, first kiss vibes <3, quickly followed by a steamy makeout session heh

wc: 3.8k

♤♢ ~~ ♡♧

Since that eventful night, Link at the library had grown to become an increasingly common sight. It was like clockwork, really. Sometime after lunch, you can expect to see a mat of blonde poke through the door followed by a pair of bright eyes that would smile when it met yours.

He'd often come by to return a book he had loaned and ask for more recommendations (which you happily supplied). Within a matter of months, the bookish Captain had worked through most of your list and had even shown you some goodies to read. It warmed your heart having a lil' book buddy; you couldn't remember the last time someone was able to keep up with your... fiery discussions of things that have occurred in your books.

Three knocks rapt your door. Your eyes slit open, wincing immediately at the stream of light conveniently placed right on your face. What time was it...?

"Y... Yes? Who is it?" You yawned through your fingers, clawing uselessly at that one itch just out of reach on your back.

"It's Link."

Your senses snapped awake and your head swiveled to your mirror, which proudly displayed the ornate bird's nest growing on the side of your head. You fumbled out of bed, hissed at the cold the wooden floor shot through your feet, and drowsily waddled to your dresser.

"J-Just a second!" You croaked, wincing at your dry throat. One swig of water later, you were combing your hair and slipping on a shirt that was at least better than what you went to bed with. One last look in the mirror and you clicked the thick door open, careful of not slamming it right in your visitor's face.

"Link? What are you doing this early in the morning? I'm trying to sleep..." You whined. All drowsy discomforts took a backseat when you saw the grave expression painted on his face.

"Her Highness told me that I am to be deployed soon..." He trailed off, brows furrowing deeper. "I'm afraid I can't give more details past that."

This wasn't a total surprise, given his occupation and everything, but it was still... numbing to hear. His words bounced around your head as you began to process what that would mean for the two of you. Your world wasn't crashing and burning, sure, but it wouldn't be inaccurate to say that some of the vibrant colors Link injected into your life have begun to drain out. In the end, all you could muster was a quiet,

"... Oh."

"So... Since we may not see each other for a while, would you like to..." He swallowed thickly. "GotoCastleTownwithme?"

"Would I... huh?" You blinked, rubbing your eyes as if that would help you hear better. "I'm sorry, can you say that again?"

He froze, silently recalculating what the odds were of you saying yes, but knowing you wouldn't settle for silence he tried again.

"Would you... Like to go to Castle Town with me?"

Being asked out on a date first thing in the morning was not what you expected when you tumbled out of bed.

By the Captain no less.

You had dreamt of this moment for months and it took every fiber of your being to channel your inner fangirling into a calm, graceful smile. But the moment he left, you knew you were due for a good ol' cathartic scream into your pillow.

"I would love to."

♤♢ ~~ ♡♧

The moment training had wrapped up for the day, he bolted to the gates, giddy to finally have this time with you. He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he had been aching to take you out for a pleasant stroll through town, going through the market's different stalls and showing you his favorite spots to relax. He's not blind to the effects work has on your body and psyche, and he hoped that your stresses could be washed away with these safe spaces the same way it cleansed him.

A flash of (H/C) in a crowd of similarly-dressed scholars bagged his attention and his eyes flitted this way and that. His heart soared seeing your demure figure moving down the steps of Hyrule Castle and one look at him almost got you running.

You waved goodbye to your coworkers and with a hop, skip, and a step, graced your man companion with your presence.

"Hey! Thanks for meeting up with me. Have you been waiting long?"

He shook his head.

"Perfect! Well, ready to go?"

He patted his rupee pouch and gave you a thumbs up. You giggled and waited for the iron gates to be heaved open.

Before long, you were traipsing down the streets of Castle Town, positively glowing. He was just happy to be present with you. He would listen to your latest findings with great interest, listen to whatever book you happened to get your hands on, listen to all your ramblings and random intrusive thoughts you had, and just... Listen. He wasn't much of a talker and you've made it exceptionally clear to him that he could stop you at any point, but he preferred to just listen.

"--and after that, she intentionally rammed her wagon into a tree! Y'know, that was the first time I ever read a book like that. I highly recommend it."

He hummed, his eyes shining like they had just captured heaven's highest stars.

"I've heard," he began slowly, his voice still not used to all the talking he's had to do recently, "from the mill ladies that your friend's favorite author is set to complete her next book in a month or two."

His wriggling eyebrows were immediately met with a jab to the ribs.

"Woah, really?!" A spark of excitement in your eyes lightly contrasted the playful grimace splaying on the Captain's features. "That's--! Um, ahem. I'm sure she'd be very pleased to hear that. I'll let her know... later."

He rolled his eyes and huffed; you laughed, reaching up and messing with his hair. You didn't notice the way he froze or the way he all but stopped breathing, and you definitely didn't notice the heat blooming all throughout his body while your attention was nabbed elsewhere.

"Oh! Can we look at that stall real quick?"

A faint nod and you were already bounding towards an ornately decorated sign that read "Jeweler."

"Hello, hello! Welcome to my humble little shop!" You eyed the... eclectic decor curiously and made a polite smile to the merchant. "Has anything caught your fancy? Everything you see here was painstakingly, artfully crafted by the finest jewelers in all of Hyrule! Some of my own personal works have made their way into this collection, heh..."

You half-listened to the merchant as he droned on and on about how he incurred every item you see before you, and you nodded every now and then to feign acknowledgment. Glimmers of bronze, silver, and gold dazzled you until your head spun. Jewels and stones encrusted in delicate veins of metal swelled your heart with want, but you stayed your hand once your eyes drifted to the tiny numbers set before each piece.

You were a mere researcher of Hyrule, not the king himself.

Realizing this whole shop was way out of your tax bracket, you awkwardly scooted closer toward the exit, making sure to eye everything you saw on your way out for politeness' sake. As you neared freedom and your friend, the most delicate piece of metalwork you had ever laid eyes on locked your gaze in a vice grip.

The dainty necklace's simple, elegant features starkly contrasted with the cacophony of gaudy golds and polished bronze--a mere sliver of the moon in a sea of gold and copper stars that vied for your attention. Your fingers grazed the crescent moon that dangled at the apex of the thin chain while a small, fond smile played at your lips. The three small stars by the celestial body fleshed the necklace into a gorgeous piece that didn't need to have metal bits sticking this way and that to make a statement.

"Ah, you have quite the eye for design! That piece right there was carefully crafted by yours truly! It can be yours today if you so desire!"

Your thoughtful hums turned to disappointment as your eyes once again rested on the price. It was by far one of the most expensive items here and dejection weighed your shoulders.

"Thank you, these truly are gorgeous pieces, but I must be on my way."

You drifted out of the stall and into the streets teeming with life around you. The crowd had gotten noticeably thicker as bodies rammed into you; there was hardly any room to breathe.

"Man, that stall sure was expensive, huh Li-- Link?" Your head whipped this way and that. "Link?!"

Your eyes scanned the conglomerate of bodies crowding about you. The sights, scents, and sensations of Castle Town were increased tenfold and you fought the crowd for respite off to the side. Lightly panting, you immediately went back to scanning the crowd for your lost companion.

"Link! Link!"

How long has it been since you lost him? Where was the last time you even saw him?

That would have been over there...

You threw a weak glance to an arbitrary point on your left, mentally reprimanding yourself for your carelessness. You thought he was right behind you! Did he not follow you to the stall? Did the crowd start picking up when you left? Did he get swept away? He can be anywhere at this point! Gods, now you've abandoned Link on your day out and left him to fend for himself against Castle Town's inhabitants!

A simple tap on your shoulder pulled you from your thoughts and you spun around, almost knocking the both of you off your feet from the way your bodies clashed against the other.

"Link!"

A warm smile adorned his features and he nodded at you. You clasped your hands together and held them up to your chest, shaking slightly.

"I'm so sorry for leaving you like that! I thought you were right behind me, so I just bounded right over to the stall... I'll be more careful next time, I promise!"

He shook his head, that gentle smile not leaving his lips for a second. He offered his hand to you and eyed the crowd. He must be wanting to leave too. You gladly took hold of him and he turned off to the side, lacing between colorful tents and wooden stalls and slipping in and out of the crowd. Your eyes were trained on his figure as he skillfully bobbed and weaved through different bodies, effortlessly leading you through Castle Town.

You eventually rested on his hand, dutifully meshed with your own. You felt your cheeks grow hot and for once, you were relieved to have dozens of hot, sweaty bodies rubbing up against you lest he turn around and wonder why your face was a sweltering red.

You assumed he was making his way back to the castle, but a sudden left down a back alley and a veer off to the right opened into a clearing untouched by the encroaches of civilization. The vast openness of Hyrule Field spread across the horizon, wrapping its infinite plains and forests around your overstimulated self. You filled your lungs with the deepest, crispest breath you ever drew and let out a hefty sigh. The Captain did the same.

"This is so much better than that cramped market. Thanks for getting us outta there."

Turns out he wasn't done escorting you as he led you further into the wilds; the sweet melodies of songbirds and the wind making passage through trees cleansed the jolting bustle of Castle Town from your ears. You saw a clearing up ahead that opened to a grassy, flowery meadow with a crystal lake at its center.

A few steps later, you were washed in the gentle glow of the setting sun; crickets have joined in on nature's nightly symphony in conjunction with the scurry of small mammals rushing through thicket and brush.

After aestheticizing for a moment, he turned to you and his grip on your fingers loosened. You both pulled away, your fingers wrought with the absence of warmth you had been growing accustomed to. Eyes cautiously avoiding each other's gaze found shelter in the gentle swaying of sunlit trees and the long shadows they cast on the grass.

"It's so peaceful here... Do you come here often?"

He 'hmph'ed in confirmation and threw his arms above his head, scraping the sky with his fingertips in a futile effort to rake the stars.

You inched closer to the clear pool and sat down, rolling individual blades of grass and wildflowers between your fingers; your loyal knight followed suit. A comfortable silence fell over the both of you and you gazed dreamily at your semi-quavering surroundings reflected in the lake.

"Thank you for today, Link... It was fun."

The gentlest breeze cooed through your hair, pulling a few strands with it in a lighthearted dance. The sun caught in your quivering lashes and the dimpled smile on your plump lips could only be described as simply divine. Link's throat bobbed up and down and whatever passive thought was drifting through his mind dissipated immediately.

Oh Hylia, you were breathtaking.

He didn't dare look away from your glory, hoping to bask in your soft gaze for as long as you allowed him. His fingers fumbled with his tunic, with the grass, with the hem of his pants, with anything he could get his hands on and you giggled at his restlessness.

"You okay, Cap?"

"... Mm."

A surge of boldness shot through your chest as you found yourself scooting closer to the man. He positioned himself to make way for you until you slotted yourself just inches away from him. His heat radiated onto your skin and you felt your muscles lax out the tension it had been holding.

"I will be leaving soon." He whispered, streaking the serenity with hints of melancholy. "It will be a long and arduous mission far away from here... I do not know when I'll be back."

"... I know." Neither of your gazes met. "I know."

The sun, exhausted from its long journey across the sky, began its customary plummet past the horizon, calling its nightly sister to take its place as the provider of lesser light. The moon’s ascension to the celestial throne was slow and deliberate; the transition of powers brushed the sky with a rich indigo and vibrant marigold, marrying the two hues into perfect harmony. Wispy cirrus and scarlet stratus stood as witnesses to this otherworldly unification of colors, and both of you acted as passive guests to this ritual of dusk and twilight.

"But I'll wait for you." You say at last, turning to him. "No matter how long it takes, I'll always be waiting for you."

Surprised at the resolve in your own voice, your gaze faltered back onto his hands. His warm, calloused, steady hands. Your fingers itched to feel them again, but your still body betrayed your desires to hold and be held. What in the world were you saying? You weren't even his to begin with.

It was Link's turn to look at you now, heart seizing and throat drying. Forlornity tugged the corner of his lip into a somber smile and he moved his face closer to yours. He was close enough to feel your breath hitch (his did as well), and the proximity forced you to look up.

"I'll come back to you. I promise."

Your mind blanked as your arms found the back of his neck, pulling him into a gentle embrace. You kept your contact light--fleeting even, in case he wanted to pull away. But he did no such thing, instead sinking deeper into you and wrapping you up in a pair of muscled arms. Suddenly all the cold, touch-starved nights of longing didn't feel as empty anymore. Suddenly all the pining, all the directionless love you fostered for the other had some place to go. Although you didn't hear those three magical words, his tightening limbs were all the confirmation you needed.

"I have a surprise for you." He murmured into your hair, pulling away slightly. His hands fiddled in his pants pocket and a streak of joy gleamed across his face. "Close your eyes."

You did as you were told, steep in disbelief and excitement that he had actually gotten you something. The image of that necklace from earlier shot across your mind, but you internally scoffed as the price followed shortly after.

Stop kidding yourself, there's no way he would have gotten--

"Open your eyes."

Dangling in front of your face was a thin chain pulled down by a crescent moon and its three starry companions.

"Wait... That's..."

"I saw you looking at it earlier," he rubbed his neck sheepishly, "so I bought it."

"Link, that was hundreds of ru--"

"Don't worry about it." His lips were pulled ear to ear. "Do you like it?"

"I love it!" Happy tears shamelessly leaked from your eyes. "Oh gods Link, I love it!"

You sniveled and trained your eyes on the pretty little thing and Link gently grasped your shoulders to turn you. A pleasant shiver shimmied down your spine as his fingers traced the back of your neck, gingerly pushing your locks out of the way. You pinned it up to aid him further.

Link took his time clasping the accessory around your neck, drinking in the way your bare skin looked in the moonlight. Dedicating the scene in front of him to memory, he hummed and you turned to face him. He never knew how effective a simple piece of metal could be at enhancing your already ethereal qualities; his heart melted and pooled at his feet.

"Beautiful..."

You shrunk under his lovestruck gaze and, in a flurry of millions of racing thoughts all melding together, pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek.

If the man wasn't already reeling, he certainly was now. Every single gear in his head ceased execution; he was wholly at the mercy of your little chortles, your bashful smiles, and batting lashes. Hylia only knows how quickly he would cast himself into the sea should you say the word, or how happily he would steal heaven's brightest luminaries should you desire a matching ring made of the North Star. He stooped closer, practically face-to-face with you.

"May I," he said at last, "have the honor of kissing you?"

His hot breath tickled your cheeks and you found yourself giggling at his endearing politeness.

"Of course."

His face closed in on yours, his breath fanning a deep fire from the skin it touched. Hooded eyes flitted to hot, parted lips and they sank lower as he drew closer; you followed suit, your eyes fluttering closed on your knight's beautiful face. A heated softness pressed tenderly against your lips, melting any and all tension into nothingness. Your lips engaged in a clumsy, heartfelt dance as his lips moved awkwardly, cautiously, lovingly, against your own. Your heart was practically palpitating when you felt a pair of hands sneak onto your face.

He drew back for the briefest of seconds before his lips found yours again and again, each kiss more ravenous than the last. The whine that escaped your wet, parted lips incited something deep within him and his lips connected with yours in a merciless onslaught, leaving your head spinning and your heart wanting more, more, more. A hand fell to the small of your lower back and he drew you closer, your bodies flushed tightly against the other as deeper passions bloomed.

You felt yourself sink lower, lower, lower until the grass tickled the curve of your ear and skilled, battle-worn arms wrapped around you in a way that made you feel like porcelain. His lips moved on from yours and traced the outline of your jawbone with the lightest of movements, leaving a fiery trail in his wake. Your senses were wracked with newfound pleasures, his hands tightening in your own as he found solace in the crook of your neck. He peppered the soft, unmarked skin with butterfly pecks and kisses that thinly veiled his growing desires, suckling the skin just enough to send electricity through your whole body but just short of leaving a beautiful, bluish-purple welt (for he did not know if you wanted to be marked by him just yet). Your moans and sharp breaths intertwined heatedly, scattering your thoughts into a frenzy and numbing, blissful oblivion all at once.

His lips found yours once again, starved and craving for your warmth. One final, deep press into your lips before he pulled away with a pop, pressing his forehead against yours. A deep laugh rumbled in his chest.

"My apologies... It seems I have gotten carried away there..." He closed his eyes, stilling his rapidly beating heart lest it explode in his chest. Gods, he wanted more. More. One look at your pleading eyes almost made him come undone. Lilting lashes and blown-out pupils conveyed all the pent-up desire you've harbored for the man before you. He sucked in a breath and smoothed the mess he made of your hair, smiling tenderly.

"If you would like to continue, perhaps we should head somewhere more... comfortable."

Truthfully, the fact that you were in the literal wilderness may have slipped your mind just now. Your eyes went to scan for any body-shaped outlines hiding among the tree line, suddenly feeling very exposed. He saw the cautious look you shot at the trees and he couldn't help the laugh that spilled out of him.

"Are you shy, love?"

"W-Well it's just...!" Your eyes flew shut, unable to stand Link's teasing gaze any longer.

"Just... what?" His voice and face lowered into your neck. A deep moan thundered against your skin, sending butterflies knocking into your ribcage.

"Don't tease me like that..." Please keep teasing me like that--

A full belly laugh escaped the man. He pressed a quick kiss right at the junction of your shoulder and neck (his new safe space aw) and he pulled away to drink in your embarrassed, pleasured, wrecked expression.

"I've wanted this for so long..." An imperceptible smile bloomed. "Ever since I saw you grimacing at that scroll."

"You saw that?!" You shot back mortified, ears aflame. His hands shot up, waving them back and forth in protest.

"I-It was cute, I promise! I thought... You were so cute when you made that face..."

His slurred mumble made you want to ruffle his hair and hold him close whilst squealing into his chest.

"In fact," he hummed lowly, "it made me wonder what other kinds of faces you can make..."

"LINK!"

#got kinda steamy towards the end my b #link #link x you #link x reader #legend of zelda #loz #link legend of zelda #legend of zelda x reader #legend of zelda fanfiction #legend of zelda fandom #loz link x reader

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avatarnao · 4 years

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A Million Dreams CH. 4

Pairing: Zukka, Kataang

Soulmate AU, College AU, Roommate AU

First, Previous, Next

A03

******

Monday

“My own nephew! Can you believe it?”

“Iroh’s in rare form today,” Suki comments, leaning closer to Sokka so they can speak quietly. Sokka huffs out a laugh and he can’t help but agree. Their professor paces back and forth at the front of the lecture all, ranting and raving about his nephew’s latest antics. “What’s got him riled up today?”

“He said tea was just hot leaf water,” Sokka fills her in, because Suki is consistently fifteen minutes late every class. It probably has something to do with her insane schedule and a class before this that’s on the opposite end of campus. He knows she must sprint to get to this class as on time as possible.

To be fair, his nephew is technically right. Not that Sokka would ever voice that outloud and to their professor. He’s pretty sure he’d fail immediately and be kicked out of class for the rest of the semester.

This class is only an elective and he’s taking it pass/fail but still…

Suki has that look on her face saying she agrees with his nephew but is wisely choosing to remain silent.

“Um… Professor?” someone chimes in from the front row. Iroh stops mid rant and turns to the student with a patient smile. “Not that this isn’t a good story but… what does this have to do with different types of plants?”

Professor Iroh stares at the student for a painfully long moment before rocking back on his heels with a laugh. He smacks his forward and moves over to his laptop to change to the next slide.

“Not all tea is made from the leaves of a plant,” he explains. On the screen is an image of two flowers. “The white dragon bush is known for producing a tea so delicious it’s heartbreaking. It requires the use of the flower and the leaves. They grow all over the eastern part of the Earth Kingdom, but be careful not to mistake the white jade bush for the white dragon bush for it is highly poisonous.”

Iroh gestures to the images of nearly identical flowers. “The one on the left is the white dragon and the one on the right is the white jade…” He pauses, squinting at the slide, and humming thoughtfully. “Or perhaps it’s the other way around…”

Sokka groans, sinking into his seat with a frown. Of course their professor can’t even tell the difference on a subject he’s supposedly an expert in….

“We have a saying for those plants on Kyoshi Island,” Suki comments. Her pen taps against the desk in thought as Iroh mutters to himself. “Delicious and rare is ruby red, but eat the white flower and you’ll be dead.” Sokka snorts.

“ That’s what you guys came up with?” he teases, though he makes a note of the saying. Never know what it might come in handy.

“It was part of the warriors’ survival training,” she tells him.

“No matter!” Iroh suddenly declares. “The plant is exceptionally rare so it’s unlikely for you to encounter it out in nature. If you do, however, accidentally consume the poisonous one, the antidote lies within the bacui berry.” He pauses again, thinking. “Or was it the maka’ole berry?”

Sokka groans again, sinking back into his seat.

Maybe he should’ve signed up for a different class….

Tuesday

Sokka’s nursing what is guaranteed to be a migraine come morning as he steps up to Katara’s place and gives a firm knock.The door slides open and he’s greeted with the wide-eyed gaze of Aang’s pet lemur.

“Hi, Momo,” he greets, frowning a little in confusion. Why is Momo answering the door? When did Momo even figure out how to open the door? Isn’t going out the window easier for the creature? “Are Aang and Katara here?”

Momo just blinks at him, chitters something, then swoops further into the house. Sokka follows him inside. He can hear the very muffled but very distinct yelling that is his sister’s voice. Her words may be indecipherable but Sokka’s been on the receiving end of that tone, and he’s not about to disturb that rant.

Instead, Sokka makes himself comfortable on the couch and turns the TV, idly flipping through channels for something to watch. Eventually, the yelling dies down, and Toph shuffles out of her room to join him on the couch.

“Do I even want to know what’s going on?” he asks her and she shrugs.

“Her and Sparky got into an argument at practice today,” Toph replies.

“Sparky?” Sokka mutters before the rest of her response clicks. “Wait… you’re on the team too? Why am I just now finding out about this?”

“They just announced who the starting benders would be, and today was our first day practicing together.” Oh… he supposes that makes sense… though why didn’t Katara say anything about Toph being on the team? Then again, they haven’t had much time for sibling bonding lately. They’ve both been kind of busy....

A frustrated sigh comes from the hall, and Sokka twists around to find Katara and Aang stepping into the room. Katara levels Toph with a disappointed frown.

“I told you not to put your feet on the table, Toph,” she snaps coming to a stop beside the couch. Her hands fall to her waist. “You’re getting it dirty.”

Sokka groans, head falling into his hand as the girls begin arguing over how clean their home should be. He came here to spend time with his sister and friends, not to listen to them argue. A flash of orange slides into his peripheral and Aang leans into his line of sight.

“Hey, Sokka,” he greets. His grin falls as he takes his friend in. “Are you okay?”

“Just a headache,” Sokka mutters, and Aang brightens.

“Oh! Do you want some medicine?”

There is nothing Sokka would love more than something to curb his headache. He eagerly follows Aang down the hall and away from the growing argument behind them.

“Have you been sleeping okay?” Aang asks as they enter an obscenely large bathroom. Sokka sits down on the toilet, taking in a space large enough to comfortably fit all four of them with room to spare.

“Midterms are coming up,” Sokka mumbles, shrugging. “So about as well as any student preparing for midterms.” Not to mention he’s been in the library every night until midnight trying to get a term paper done by Thursday. It’s mostly been Suki lecturing him for spending hours browsing the internet instead of researching or Zuko laughing at his horrible doodles. Sokka would be offended over the art student’s teasing but he’s just happy his roommate has decided to join their study sessions.

Logically, he knows he needs to start the paper, but the paper is nothing more than an in-depth analysis of Love Amongst the Dragons . He’s totally got that in the bag. There’s barely any research that needs to be done for it anyways, but Suki did spend a good forty-five minutes last night lecturing him on waiting until the last minute to get work done.

It’s not Sokka’s fault that he’s a master procrastinator… or that Zuko decided to join them and distract him with animal videos for hours on end.

Then there was that one night Zuko talked him into watching the mover based on the play and spent the whole time viciously tearing every detail apart. Sokka has no idea what the guy’s doing studying art when he should be a film critic. Zuko’s running commentary alone had Sokka in tears from laughing so hard. They’d had to pause at one point so Sokka could collect himself.

Okay... so maybe he’s been goofing off more than working but his paper is due on Thursday and that’s… two day away. He’s got plenty of time to work on it.

Sokka’s so lost in thought he doesn’t even realize Aang is speaking until pills are being put in front of his face. He blinks at Aang’s hand. Aang gives him a wide smile as he takes the medicine and downs it in one go.

“What was the question?” he asks.

“I was just wondering how your classes were going,” Aang says, not the least bit bothered over Sokka’s lack of attention. “Katara’s been spending a lot of time in her study lately, I guess for the same reason as you.” He shrugs. “Not that I really know what it’s like going to school.”

“Trust me,” Sokka tells him, rising from his seat. They begin making their way back to the girls. “I would take world adventures and experiences over reading about them in books.”

Unfortunately, Katara and Toph are far from ending their argument. If anything, Sokka notes, they seem to be winding up to really get into it. Top’s since moved off the couch, squaring up to Katara with a glare. She jabs a hard finger into Katara’s chest.

“It’s not his fault you moved right into his blindspot,” Toph snaps. Katara scoffs. Toph presses on before she can offer a rebuttal. “He was perfectly lined up to take the shot and you got in his way! Of course, he was going to hit you!”

“What,” Sokka snaps. Beside him, Aang sighs with the sort of resignation of one who’s heard this argument far too many times. He probably has, if Sokka’s being honest. This sounds like something Katara wouldn’t be able to let go of. Sokka frowns and glances at Aang, silently demanding an explanation.

“Nobody got hurt,” Aang says. “He managed to stop before Katara was actually hit but…” He frowns. “She’s still pretty upset about it.”

“He’s lucky we weren’t bending,” Katara snaps, rounding on Aang and Sokka with a frown of her own. “I could’ve gotten seriously hurt.”

“We’re bending , Katara,” Toph growls. “Any one of us could get hurt by accident.”

“Then someone with better control should be on the team,” Katara growls back.

“If he lacked control, he would’ve hit you,” Toph shouts, arms flying in the air. Aang groans as Katara turns back around and glares at Toph. He gives Sokka a pleading look and Sokka can’t help but feel bad. Sokka thought his headache was bad. He’s willing to bet money Aang has the mother of all migraines brewing.

Sokka misses whatever Katara says, too lost in excuses to get him and Aang out of the house for a few hours. Toph’s retort, however, he hears clear as day.

“Wow,” she says, voiced tinged with barely contained fury. “Maybe you forgot, Katara, but I’m blind too. Does that mean I shouldn’t be on the team?”

Katara recoils as if she’s been slapped. Silence descends over the group of friends. Sokka spares a glance at Aang who’s watching the girls with shocked disappointment. Well… this is not what he expected when he agreed to meet his friends for a night together. Sokka sucks in a breath and steps forward, prepared to play the role of reasonable older sibling.

“I don’t really know the whole story,” he begins. “But from what Toph told me, it sounds like you just started working together.” Katara levels him with a frown, looking as if she wants to argue but remaining quiet for the time being. Sokka will take it over her, interrupting him with some outrageous accusation. He presses on. “I think you just need to give it time and make an effort to work as a team.”

“Sokka’s right,” Aang says then, moving to stand next to his friend. “Nobody expects you guys to be perfect right away.”

Katara looks like she wants to argue but something in Aang’s gaze stops her. She huffs and stalks off towards her room. Toph drops back onto the couch with an angry scoff, bare feet slapping against the table.

“I’m sorry, Sokka…” Aang apologizes and why is Aang apologizing? None of this is his fault. “I know you just wanted to hang out and came over to all…” his hand gestures to where Katara once stood. “This…”

“Katara just needs some time to cool down,” Sokka replies. “Why don’t the three of us go pick up some dinner. Maybe she’ll be calmer when we get back.”

Toph leaps off the couch as Aang disappears to let Katara know they’re leaving. He comes back a few minutes later looking concerned but otherwise unbothered by his roommates’ argument.

They head off towards a local cafe.

Katara apologizes to Toph when they return.

They spend the rest of the night playing games and watching random shows on TV.

Sokka’s headache is long gone by the time he heads home for the night, and he finds himself more relaxed than he’s been in over a week. He grins at the thought as he makes his way back to campus, tired and ready to sleep.

Wednesday

“Before everyone goes for the day,” Iroh begins an actual minute before class is set to end. The class collectively groans but settles down for whatever he has to say next. From what Sokka can tell, the general consensus seems to be that Iroh’s a good guy. Strange teacher but good guy nonetheless.

Smiling to himself, Iroh begins handing out flyers to the front row, saying, “You may not know this, but I run a small tea shop just off campus. The Jasmine Dragon,” and his eyes positively sparkle with pride. “We’re having a special event for all my students this Saturday. Bring you friends for some free tea and a break from studying.”

“Well that’s convenient,” Suki mutters as a stack of flyers comes into her possession. She takes one and passes the rest back, studying the paper in her hand. A grin spreads across her face. “This is the tea shop I was telling you about.”

“I suppose it makes sense that the professor teaching tea history owns and runs the most popular tea shop in Ba Sing Se,” Sokka comments, handing off his own stack of flyers. He doesn’t take one. There’s no need if Suki has one herself.

“We should get the gang together and go,” she says as the class finally begins packing up to leave.

“I think Yue’s busy this weekend,” Sokka points out. She mentioned something the other day about preparing for a recital. Though maybe that was last week and he’s finally at that point in the semester where days blur together… “But Aang, Katara, and Toph might want to come?”

“And Zuko.”

“I can ask him…” he mutters, uncertain. Somehow Zuko strikes him as more of a coffee kind of person. He definitely gives off those ‘starving artist who’s been up for a week straight on a project due at midnight and in need of a caffeine fix’ vibes. Maybe he’d want to come and meet some more of Sokka’s friends though? Or is it too presumptuous that the guy doesn’t have friends of his own? In his defense, Sokka’s never seen him with anyone else or even mention knowing other people.

Sokka frowns at the thought, immediately feeling guilty. Just because the guy is quiet doesn’t mean he has no friends…. He really shouldn’t be making that sort of assumption…

Which… maybe he’s just busy hanging out with them or he has work or something.

“The answer will always be ‘no’ if you never ask,” Suki teases, and Sokka huffs a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he replies. “I’ll ask him when I see him later.” They draw to a stop where the walkway diverges, both of them needing to go in opposite directions for their next classes. Something glints in Suki’s gaze as she turns towards him. Sokka has no idea what the look is meant to mean, but he can feel his defenses rising almost instantly.

“You know, Sokka,” she begins, tone hesitant. She glances in the direction of her class before continuing. “I think Zuko really likes spending time with you… and I think maybe you like his company too.”

“Well… yeah,” he replies, somewhat confused. “He’s my friend. We have fun together.” Suki’s brows furrow, mouth twisting as if frustrated he’s not getting what she’s trying to say. “What is this about?”

“You just…” she starts, actually hesitating now. Her gaze remains averted, looking everywhere but at him. It’s… a little uncomfortable seeing confident Suki suddenly becoming nervous. “You haven’t mentioned your soulmate lately is all…”

Oh… he… he supposes he hasn’t…. But that’s not because of Zuko. He’s been busy with classes and term papers and… and work! Sure, the dreams are still there but… life and classes have been holding his attention.

“I’ve just been busy,” he mutters, feeling no conviction behind the worlds but unsure as to why. Sokka finds himself looking in the direction of his next classes as he says, “I’m not sure what Zuko has to do with my soulmate… besides… I didn’t think you’d want to hear anymore about it. It’s not like anything has changed since the dreams started. I still don’t know who they are.”

“Yeah but… Zuko starts spending time with you and you suddenly stop talking about them all together,” she points out. “Don’t you think that might mean something?” Something akin to guilt twists uncomfortably in Sokka’s gut. He’s not… Zuko isn’t some sort of replacement… that’s not fair to him or his soulmate… besides, he and Zuko aren’t romantically involved.

There’s nothing going on between them other than friendship.

“I need to get to class,” he announces, suddenly unable or willing to continue this line of thought. Suki calls after him as he walks away to his next class. He ignores her, mind swimming with thoughts and implications of his growing friendship with Zuko.

The thoughts swirl through his mind for the rest of the day, digging into his mind and refusing to leave.

He’s not… Zuko’s just his friend .

There’s nothing more going on between them.

They hang out sure… study together when they have time. Get together for lunch if their schedules happen to line up.

Watch movers at the end of a long day…. Occasionally fall asleep on each other’s beds….

Sokka huffs, shaking his head of those thoughts. So what if they do all those things? It’s normal for friends to do that… and it’s normal for roommates to spend time together.

He has a soulmate for spirits’ sake! Zuko does too!

There’s nothing going on between them!

“Sokka?” He jumps, head whipping up from the book he’s been mindlessly staring at to find Zuko standing by the table. Zuko shifts where he’s standing, gaze concerned as he looks his friend over. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I…” Sokka frowns and shuts his book. “Actually… Do you think we could head back to the dorm? I don’t want to study in the library today.”

“Um… sure,” he replies, and patiently waits while Sokka packs up.

Neither of them speak until they’re outside the library.

“Sorry…” Sokka says, sighing. “Suki just brought something up and it’s been on my mind all day…”

“Oh…” Zuko says, fingers playing with the strap of his bag. “Do you want to talk about it?” Sokka shrugs because he honestly doesn’t know. For all the time they’ve spent together, neither of them has so much as mentioned a soulmate. Would it be too personal for him to bring up? Come to think of it… what are the Fire Nation’s customs when it comes to soulmates? From what Sokka knows, they tend to be a bit more reserved about traditions compared to the other nations.

Would he be somehow crossing a line to talk about it to Zuko?

Would Zuko even care? He’s been living in the Earth Kingdom for awhile now. Surely, he’s been privy to conversations about soulmates at this point.

“It’s about my soulmate,” Sokka blurts before he can overthink this further. Beside him, Zuko tenses. Sokka immediately regrets saying anything. “Sorry… We don’t have to talk about this if you’re not comfortable.”

“No,” Zuko says almost as quickly as Sokka had. He clears his throat. “No, I… it’s okay, if you want to talk about them. I don’t mind.” Sokka sighs, grateful that Zuko’s willing to listen but reluctant because maybe he really doesn’t want to talk about it…

“You know… I’ve spent my whole life waiting for the day I would meet my soulmate,” Sokka begins, somewhat forlorn. He gazes up at what little of the stars he can see through the light pollution. “Did you know my sister’s soulmate is the avatar?” He laughs a little. “Yeah… they had an almost instant connection. No guesswork with them.”

Sokka spares a glance at Zuko to find him listening, though there’s a tightness to his gaze.

“I was a little jealous at first, you know?” he continues. “It wasn’t until this year that I made the connection with mine… only, this campus is huge and there’s so many students here…” He frowns, troubled. “I have no idea who they even are…”

His mouth snaps shut, annoyance flaring within him. If he’s being honest, being with Zuko has been a great distraction and that makes him feel guilty. Makes him feel like he’s somehow cheating on his own soulmate.

“Sorry…” Sokka apologizes when Zuko offers up no words of wisdom. “I just… feel like I’m being ungrateful. Everyone keeps telling me to be patient, but they’ve already met their soulmates, and today… Suki, she-” He turns to Zuko, eyes wide and heart racing. Zuko watches him back, patiently waiting for him to keep speaking. Unassuming. Not judging. Just… patiently listening to his complaints.

Would Zuko even care if Sokka told him what Suki said?

“You know,” Zuko begins, thoughtfully. “My uncle used to say ‘waiting is like tea, and when you put the time into waiting, the tea will be perfect’... wait, no…” Sokka sputters, hand clamping down on his mouth as his shoulders begin to shake uncontrollably. Zuko frowns, face turning pink. His arms cross, shoulders rising as he hunches in on himself.

“It sounds better coming from my uncle…” he grumbles.

“I’m sure it does,” Sokka replies, gaining control of his laughter. He sighs, feeling an odd mix of happy and sad. The frown returns. “Suki just made me feel bad because I hadn’t brought up my soulmate lately…”

“If it makes you feel any better, I don’t know who mine is either.”

“Actually… it does,” he says, grinning. “Are you having the dreams?”

“Um… yeah… since move-in.” Oh wow…. What a strange coincidence that is. Sokka laughs a little.

“Yeah, same,” he replies. “But I saw so many different people that day and no way of really knowing who they might be.”

“This is my first year on campus,” Zuko tells him. “So everyone in the dorms was new to me.”

“We should take bets to see who finds their first,” Sokka jokes. Zuko tenses. His face goes carefully blank, closing himself off completely. It’s such a strange transformation, the way Zuko seems to build his walls up and shut people out.

The friendly atmosphere between them freezes.

“I…” Zuko frowns, the troubled look in his golden gaze the only indication of his inner turmoil. He sighs and brushes a hand through his hair. “I don’t….” Sokka sighs.

“No…” he says. “You don’t have to explain yourself if you don’t want to.” Sokka’s honestly surprised by how much he means it. Zuko doesn’t have to tell him anything he’s not comfortable divulging. It’s not any of his business. Zuko can tell him when he’s ready if he chooses.

“I just don’t know if I’m ready to meet them yet,” he mumbles. He huffs out a wry sort of laugh and when he turns to meet Sokka’s gaze, his eyes are swimming with unshed tears. “Nobody wants a soulmate as broken as I am.”

Zuko angrily wipes at his face and picks up his pace. Sokka has to jog to catch up to him. His heart aches for his roommate. He might not know the whole story, and, really, it’s not any of his business whether he knows or not.

“Zuko, wait,” he says, grabbing onto his roommate’s shoulder. Zuko flinches, twisting out of his grasp as if he’s been burned. His hand slaps Sokka’s away. Sokka presses on, undeterred. “That’s not true!” Zuko opens his mouth to protest. “No, listen!” His mouth snaps shut, eyes wide in surprise.

“We may not know each other well,” Sokka says, determined to cheer his friend up. “But I’d hardly consider you broken. Sure… you might have a history and who doesn’t have some baggage, but you’re a nice guy. Kind. Thoughtful. Smart. You’re far more creative that any person I’ve ever known or met! Maybe you’re a little quiet, but there’s a gentleness underneath the sarcasm. Anyone would be lucky to have you for a soulmate.”

He wishes Zuko was his soulmate. Sokka blinks, feeling all his fight flee at the realization. Oh… is this what Suki meant earlier? What does that even mean for him and his soulmate?

Zuko scoffs, derailing any thoughts he might be having.

“Nobody wants to wake up to see such a hideous scar every day,” he says. His hand reaches up to brush against the marred flesh. Sokka watches the movement with a frown, wishing for the first time ever that it wouldn’t be rude to ask. He might not know what happened, but he has enough sense to know they aren’t close enough to ask about it.

“There’s nothing wrong with your face, Zuko,” Sokka tells him, looking away from his withering glare. He waves away whatever protest Zuko might have had. “No. Listen. I get that the scar is maybe a touchy subject, but you aren’t ugly, and I know your soulmate’s going to love waking up next to you every day. So… don’t count yourself so short. Don’t let that be the reason you don’t meet them.”

Zuko’s face is entirely red when Sokka dares look at him again. He can feel the heat in his own face and is thankful for his darker complexion. Zuko bites his lip and looks down the path they were walking on. At some point they both stopped, but Sokka can’t say for sure when that happened; both of them being too wrapped up in talk to notice.

“Thank you, Sokka,” he mumbles as they resume their trek back to the dorms. He glances at his friend out of the corner of his eyes. “For what it’s worth, I think anybody would be lucky to be your soulmate too.”

Yeah , Sokka thinks, grinning, I think so too.

Thursday

Sokka’s just about to hit ‘send’ on his paper when the power goes out.

The power goes out five minutes before Sokka’s supposed to submit his paper.

There’s no power on campus and Sokka can’t submit the paper he just finished minutes before the deadline.

He stares at his screen. At the wifi signal in the corner indicating there’s no connection.

There’s no connection because the power went out.

Behind him Zuko lets out a groan of anguish. It’s echoed throughout the suddenly dark dorm.

“That was my midterm ,” he says, dismayed, and Sokka cringes. It’s bad enough that he can’t submit his paper but that’s all on him. He’s the one who waited until the last minute to submit it.

“Do you want me to text my sister?” Sokka offers as the thought occurs to him. “She lives off campus so you might be able to finish it at her place.”

“I don’t know if it’ll let me back in…” Zuko mumbles, casting the room in darkness as he shuts his laptop. Sokka’s laptop is the only thing lighting their room now, the screen displaying a message of no internet connection. He frowns, glancing outside to find even the streetlights are out.

“What are we supposed to do now?” he asks, idly watching people mill about outside.

“We could make shadow puppets?” Zuko suggests, pulling a set of candles out of his desk drawer. Sokka stares at the candles wondering distantly why he has a whole drawer full of them. Also, is he being serious about the shadow puppets? Somehow, he imagines Zuko’s terrible at making shadow puppets. Then again… he is an art student. Maybe he can make something crazy with his hands.

“You just… keep a drawer full of candles, huh?” he notes instead.

“I use them for meditating.”

“Oh..” Sokka says as Zuko begins placing candles around the room. “So like… scented candles then?” It shouldn’t matter, really, what kind of candles they are or why Zuko has them. Once they’re lit he can shut his laptop down. It’s a good thing he has those candles because Sokka’s laptop has shit battery life after all these years and it won’t last much longer on its charge.

“Some of them are scented,” Zuko explains, placing the final candles in its spot. “But it’s more of a breathing exercise for firebenders.”

“Makes sense,” Sokka replies, watching as Zuko begins lighting the candles with his bare hands. He blinks, taking a moment to process what he’s seeing, and then his eyes go wide. “Wait… you’re a firebender?!” Zuko laughs a little, lighting the final candle and allowing Sokka to shut his laptop.

“I guess it just never came up,” he says, shrugging. “And it’s not like you ever asked… so….” He stands in the center of the room, watching Sokka helplessly.

“Fair point.” Sokka eyes the candle closest to him. “Can you do any cool tricks?” He’s always trying to get Katara to do something fun with her bending, like how Aang has his air scooter thing, but she always gets crabby about it. Then she lectures him about how sacred bending is and how it shouldn’t be used for childish things. Which… is funny considering she does probending….

“I know some,” Zuko says sheepishly, snapping him out of his train of thought. “But there’s not enough room here to show you.” Sokka frowns, excitement fleeing him as quickly as it came. Aang’s the only person he’s met so far capable of firebending only… he doesn’t know enough yet to show off, and Katara’s never been any help in that department either. Toph recreated a perfect replica of Ba Sing Se once, right down to the citizens, but she can only do so much with rocks.

Sokka would much prefer to see some firebending tricks. They sound far more interesting than anything he’s seen so far.

“Oh!” Zuko says, face lighting up as if he’s just had a thought. “I might know something we can do.” Sokka watches with interest as he returns to his desk. He pulls a bottle out of a drawer and asks, “Have you ever wished you could firebend?” Sokka’s immediately on board with whatever Zuko has planned.

“Yes!” In truth, he always wondered what waterbending was like. Mostly because waterbenders are far more common than firebenders in the Southern Water Tribe. He’ll take whatever he can get, though.

“Ok, so this was a really common, uh… game? Back in the Fire Nation,” Zuko explains, dragging his chair closer to Sokka. He holds up the bottle in his hand and Sokka squints at the label, trying to read it in their limited light. “It’s hand sanitizer.”

“What kind of game is this?” he asks, eyeing the bottle skeptically. What kind of games do they play in the Fire Nation that involves hand sanitizer of all things? He gingerly takes the bottle and snaps the cap off.

“I’m not really sure of all the rules. It was something more common with non-benders, but…” Zuko takes the bottle and squirts a liberal amount onto Sokka’s desk. He spreads it out evenly across the surface before lighting it on fire. Sokka sucks in a breath, eyeing the fire with alarm.

If Zuko wasn’t a firebender, he’d be concerned they were about to burn down their dorm. He’s fairly calm though for someone who just lit their roommate’s desk on fire . Zuko gestures to the flames, flaring blue from the combination of chemicals in the hand sanitizer.

“And then you just…. Swipe the flames up with your hand,” he finishes.

“ That’s your idea of fun in the Fire Nation?” Okay… Sokka knows, logically, that he agreed to whatever nonsense Zuko had in mind. He did not realize that meant possibly lighting himself on fire. Zuko visibly wilts at his statement, frowning as he puts the small fire out.

“Sorry…” he mumbles, and Sokka feels his heart break at how crestfallen he sounds.

“I’m not exactly immune to fire, Zuko,” he points out weakly.

“And you think I am ?” He’s glowering at Sokka now, golden gaze intense enough to make Sokka squirm. There’s something in those words that strike deep. A hidden meaning that has Sokka staring at the scar on his face, wondering once again what the story behind it is. He wants to ask. Wants so badly to know, but refrains because it’s rude to pry and Zuko should tell him whenever he’s ready to (if he��s ever ready to).

Zuko huffs, shifting in his seat and says, “I wouldn’t suggest something if I thought you would get hurt, you know.”

“So it’s safe then?” Zuko shrugs as if he has no idea how safe it really is. “That’s… not very encouraging…”

“Well I’ve never had a reason to do this,” Zuko comments, which… fair. “But it was really popular with non-benders growing up and I can put it out before anything bad happens.” And when Zuko puts it like that Sokka can’t see a reason not to try.

Which is precisely how Sokka ends up where he is approximately ten minutes later, nursing a nasty looking burn on the inside of his wrist. He pulls the compress away from the spot, hiss as it rubs against tender flesh. A washcloth is probably too rough for something like this but it’s all they had.

He frowns at the mark. Katara’s never going to stop lecturing him on this… especially when she finds out he got medical attention without telling her. What he wouldn’t give for her healing right about now…

Sadly, he can not and will not get her involved. The last thing he needs is her blaming Zuko for this and he’s not about to subject his roommate to her neverending grudges. Besides… Zuko’s a firebender. Surely he knows better than anyone how to treat burns.

The door clicks open and said roommate steps back into the room. Regret and guilt roll off him in waves as he steps over to Sokka to inspect the burn. He places an unlabelled bottle on the desk.

“Let this air dry for a bit,” Zuko mumbles, apology lacing his voice. He gestures to the bottle. “Then put some of that on. It’s a salve to help the burn. My uncle dropped it off for me.” Oh so that explains where he disappeared to for twenty minutes. He flashes Zuko a grin. Zuko gives him a sheepish look then turns away.

“Do I need to bandage it?” Sokka asks, trying to break the silence.

“Um…” Zuko spares the mark a glance but doesn’t meet Sokka’s eyes. “You might want to before bed so it doesn’t rub all night.”

Sokka scowls. Zuko’s making that face of his again. The one Sokka has quickly realized means he feels bad and wants to apologize but also feels guilty because he’s been apologizing for the past hour.

“Stop beating yourself up over it,” he says and Zuko flinches, finally meeting his eye. “Accidents happen, you know? It’s not your fault.”

“Can I at least like… take you out for tea or something? To make up for it?”

“If that’ll make you feel better then sure,” Sokka responds with a grin, entirely touched by the offer. Oh… right… he and his friends had plans this weekend. “Actually…” he begins, feeling somewhat bad that he nearly forgot to invite Zuko. “We were going to go to this new place off campus on Saturday if you wanted to come with? You could always treat me to tea there?” And Zuko’s looking apologetic again.

“I have work on Saturday,” he confesses. Well… that’s…. disappointing…. His disappointment must be reading on his face because Zuko quickly adds, “I’ll be around Sunday, though, if you wanted?”

“Sure,” Sokka says, grin returning to his face. Excitement courses through him at the idea of just them going out for tea. Below that, is once more guilt, over being excited about spending the day with someone not his soulmate. They’re just going as friends though. Sokka knows this…. Zuko’s not interested in him like that anyways.

Sokka shakes himself of the thought and says, “Sunday sounds nice.”

Friday

Suki notices because of course she does. She stares pointedly at the bandage carefully wrapped around his wrist and says, “What happened there?”

“Uh…” he says, heat rising to his face. He still hasn’t figured out what to tell everyone else. The truth would be a good idea but he’s not sure how the others might feel knowing it was Zuko’s idea. Then again…. Sokka did go along with it… which just makes him feel stupid. Toph will absolutely laugh her ass off over it.

He’s never been very good at lying to Suki though….

“I… burned myself last night….” he admits. Around them the dining hall’s filled with conversation. Most of it seems to be about last night’s sudden power outage. So far all his professors have extended any deadlines affected by the outage. He hopes maybe Zuko’s professor put an extension on that exam. Would suck if he failed over something out of his control…

“And what exactly were you doing that involved fire?” she asks.

“Lighting candles?”

“You were lighting candles and burned yourself bad enough you needed to bandage it.”

“Did you know Zuko was a firebender?” he asks because he can’t help it, and keeping secrets from Suki is just downright impossible. Girl can sniff out a secret like a shirshu.

“You know…” she says thoughtfully. “That would make a lot of sense…” Suki laughs a little then, eyes glinting with a sense of sudden knowledge as she teasingly says, “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to play with fire?”

“In my defense, I was told it would be safe.” And even that sounds weak in his ears. Suki just stares at him with that sort of disappointed look he just knows Katara would be giving him if she were to find out.

“Katara’s going to kill you,” she points out.

“ Katara won’t as long as you don’t tell her.” It’s not any of her business anyways. If he wants to bond with his roommate through stupid dangerous activities then that’s his prerogative.

“Oh, I don’t have to tell her anything. She’s going to find out when you show up tomorrow for tea with that bandage on your wrist.” Sokka stares with mounting horror. He… he really hadn’t considered that last night. She’s bound to notice and when she does she’s going to ask about it.

He groans, sliding down in his seat as he pokes at his food which has long since gone cold. They’ve been so wrapped up in the conversation that neither of them have finished lunch. Well… Suki seems to be mostly done so… he’s barely eaten and a quick glance at the clock has him sucking in a breath.

“ Shit, ” he hisses, hastily throwing his bag over his shoulder and collecting everything. “I need to get to class.”

He gives her a parting wave before fleeing to dump his food and get to class on time.

He grabs some fruit on his way out.

Saturday

Katara absolutely notices the mark on the wrist when Sokka and Suki go over to her place in the morning. He left it unwrapped hoping that it would just blend into his already dark skin to absolute failure.

“He and Zuko were playing with candles the other night,” Suki gleefully tells her. She thankfully leaves out the part where he’s a firebender. He’s not sure he can handle that revelation just yet.

“ Zuko? ” Katara snaps, giving him a curious look. Toph barks out a laugh as they make their way down the road to the Jasmine Dragon.

“My roommate?” Sokka offers, frowning at the girl.

“Oh this is going to be great,” Toph cheers, refusing to reveal whatever hidden knowledge she’s keeping secret.

“Why were you playing with candles?” Katara asks, choosing to ignore Toph’s laughter. Suki won’t stop shooting the earthbender looks like she’s trying to sort through clues.

“The power went out,” he tells her. “Didn’t you hear about it?” Aang sidles up to his side, gently taking his hand and inspecting the mark. He runs a finger over it and Sokka flinches. “It’s still sensitive…”

“That’s an odd spot for lighting candles,” Aang comments. Sokka stiffens and yanks his arm away with a frown. Katara’s giving him that disappointed mom look now. He hates that look.

“Sokka-”

“Oh look,” he says loud enough to cut her off. “Is that the Jasmine Dragon?” Sure enough the building comes into view and with it, the long line of students also looking to check the place out. He wilts a little at the prospect of being subjected to Katara’s torment while they wait.

Katara, thankfully, drops the subject with the unspoken promise of revisiting it later. Sokka just hopes he can escape before she’s able to corner him.

Fortunately, the line seems to move quickly and soon they find themselves stepping up to be seated.

Several things happen then as they’re led to an open table. Katara sucks in a breath, stopping short as she looks around the shop.

“ You, ” she hisses, face twisting with contempt. Everyone stops, turning back to follow her line of sight and…

“ Zuko? ” Sokka squawks because… this is the job he disappears off to? Zuko stands by a table, eyes wide like a fox antelope caught in its tracks as he stares at Katara. “Wait…” Sokka turns to his sister. “You know him?” He can feel the pieces beginning to connect but one piece remains just out of reach. Toph’s cackling is followed by Suki’s snort of laughter as she finally connects the dots.

“Zuko!” Aang greets, bouncing over to Sokka’s statue of a roommate. His approach seems to knock Zuko out of his shock. And how does Aang know Zuko?

“Hey, genius,” Toph says, suddenly at Sokka’s side. The slap on his back is hard enough to rock him forward. “I didn’t know your roommate was a firebender!”

A strange disconnect happens in Sokka’s brain then, as the two separate people are suddenly jammed together into one entity.

Sokka becomes painfully aware that Zuko, his roommate, is also the firebending teammate of Katara and Toph.

He groans, secretly wishing Toph could just open the earth and let it swallow him whole.

Today is going to be a long day…

#A Million Dreams #zukka #fanfic #fanfic up #atla #sokka #zuko

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