#zukka nation rise up

[steve-needs-a-hug]

Gordon Cormier (Aang) and Ian Ousley (Sokka) answer a fan's question about whether there is a possibility of Zukka becoming a thing in future seasons of the show - Toronto Comicon, March 17 2024

transcript under the cut!

Fan: I am wondering in the future if there’s any hope for the Zukka shippers. I’m just putting it out there, wondering if that’s anything I should continue looking for.

Ian: I hear you. I hear you.

Host: You can't spoil it. Netflix has shooters, so.

Ian: That's probably true. Um, I - we haven't, we haven't read any scripts yet, so you can only hope, you know. Yeah, we have no control over that. And I don't know. So I'm right there with you.

Gordon: Are you guys talking about Zuko and Sokka, like Zukka?

Me, recording: Yeeees.

Gordon: Okay, well, I also haven't read any scripts. But I would like to say on behalf of the whole fan base and the whole cast, we are really excited to see what you guys might do with it if you do, because, I mean, I'm in full support. I think that they're a perfect fit.

Host: The charisma is there...

Gordon: Yeah, you guys are both…it'd be really cute, you know.

Host: Yeah. I'm currently writing fanfic about it right now, so, I gotchu.

Gordon, to fan: Thank you.

Ian: I hear you. Thanks.

[petricorah]

How's about "love shown through weapon's maintenance" for a zukka prompt?

Ahh this was such a good prompt! I do wish i wasn't half asleep in a car to do it proper justice, but i hope you enjoy!

-------

Zuko woke in a cold sweat.

He panted, frantically attempting to catch his breath as the dregs of his nightmare melted off his body. His chest was tight, and he felt like his throat was closed off. He looked wildly around his room but was met with abrupt darkness. He flicked his hand to produce the flame, and only sparks erupted from his hand.

He grit his teeth. Of course. Of course this was still a problem.

He'd been stressed for months, between his new duties as firelord and assassination attempts, and more and more, and for some reason, his ability to bend had dwindled, which had done nothing but increase the stress.

No one knew, of course. He'd kept it close to him. He was vulnerable at this time, and he didn't know who to trust. And the idea of telling his friends...he was supposed to be stronger than this. After all he's been through, this is what was bested him? The stress of running a nation? He'd even gone to the dragons themselves and found a new way of bending, and now it was gone again? Did he have to go back?

Zuko felt the panic rise in his chest once more, that awful feeling that he hadn't been able to shake, and he groaned loudly, the sound echoing off the room. He shook his head and threw the covers off of him. They crumpled to a pile on the ground. In the dark, he reached for the spot on his wall where his swords were mounted and closed his hand around the joint hilts.

A smidgen of the panic clogging his throat dissipated, but not by much.

He took them off the wall and carefully crept out of the room.

Since the third assassination attempt, he hadn't slept in the firelord's chambers. That let him sleep a little better--mostly because he didn't like staying in what he still considered to be his father's room. In order to call attention to his new resting place, there were no guards stationed outside of his door. That was fine enough--the guards hadn't been able to stop the assassins the first few times, so it was better to not have any blood shed on his behalf, anyway.

And it made for an easier escape when he wanted to pace the grounds in the middle of the night.

He made his way through the palace. He had no idea where he was going. He had no idea what he was doing. Why he was going there. With his swords. He just--

The air on his sweat soaked skin made him shiver. He stood in front of the door, swords drawn, and didn't move.

This is stupid.

He grit his teeth and stepped away from the door, causing the wood under his feet to creak. He winced, and the door opened before he could decide on running or jumping behind it.

"...Zuko?" Sokka said sleepily, rubbing the back of his head. His hair was down, framing his face, and sticking up in every direction. He looked groggy and sleep logged. "What are you doing here?"

"That's how you open the door?" He snapped. "What if I was an assassin?"

Sokka squinted at him. "I could tell it was you," he said. "You always shift like that in front of my door."

What? "I do not!"

Sokka's eyes trailed down to his swords. "Were you coming to kill me?"

"No!" He snarled in a hushed voice. "How could you say that?"

Sokka laughed sleepily, a good sound that Zuko couldn't appreciate because he couldn't shove down the panic in his chest.

"Relax," he said. "Why are you here, then?"

Zuko grit his teeth and his eyes drifted away from Sokka's gaze.

"Ah."

"I thought we could spar."

Sokka chewed on the inside of his cheek. "Nah."

"What? You're awake now."

"You look pissed," he said jabbing a finger at him accusatorily. "And I'm still half asleep. That's a recipe for getting my head lopped out."

"I wouldn't do that to you," he said through his teeth. "How could you think that I would do something like that? Do you really think I've lost that much control--"

"Woah," Sokka said and put both of his hands on Zuko's shoulders, stopping him in his tracks. "Chill out."

Zuko could feel the warmth through the tips of his fingers, grounding him. His eyes had adjusted in the dark, and he could see Sokka's features. Soft and concerned.

"Stay here," Sokka said. He withdrew his hands and a rush of coldness fell over Zuko at their absence.

Sokka came back out a few minutes lter, holding something in his hand. He motioned for him to follow, and they made their way out to the moonlit courtyard.

"Give me your swords," Sokka said. He sat himself down on the grass, and Zuko followed suit, handing him the swords. The night breeze was cold, and sittinf in the damp grass was colder, but he did.

He watched as Sokka took the object in his hand and began to sharpen his sword.

"I can do that myself," he said.

"I know."

Zuko glared at him, but settled into his seat and watched as Sokka ran the stone across the blade.

"What were you told to do when you sharpen your blade?" Sokka said.

"It's a task," he said. "What do you mean?" It was simply something you did to take care of your weapons.

"My dad said that you should use the opportunity of sharpening your blade to sharpen your mind," Sokka said. His long hair fell forward as he leaned to see what he was doing. "When I was younger, I thought it meant to focus on the battle ahead. But now...I use it to clear my mind."

"Should your head be any emptier?"

Sokka rolled his eyes and jabbed him in the ribs. "The best sword works as an extension of your body," he said.

Zuko narrowed his eyes. Of course.

"So you have to take care of yourself like you would a prized weapon." He pressed the stone on the tip of the sword, and the metal bent downwards. "Just like stress can destroy a blade, it can destroy you, too." Sokka relaxed his shoulders and let out a long breath. "I think it's important to remember that."

Zuko was silent for a moment. Then--

"I can't avoid being stressed," he said, and he reached forward to take the swords back, pulling them from Sokka's grasp and putting them back together. "I wanted to spar and get rid of that stress. That's why I came to you. If you don't want to do that, then I'll leave--"

"Zuko," Sokka said. "Just sit down."

Zuko glared down.

"Please. To humor me. And then you can fight me and knock me out so I can go back to sleep."

Zuko's eyes narrowed to slits, but he slumped down.

Sokka sat with his legs crossed, looking like Aang when he meditated.

"You're kidding me, right? Are you an air nomad?"

"Remember when we went to the boiling rock?" he said. "And you used your breath to stay warm?"

"I've tried that," he said. "But every time I sit still, I just think about everything that I have to do, and everything that's happening and--"

Sokka reached over and took his hand, and Zuko immediately closed his mouth. "Just breathe with me for a bit."

Zuko kept his mouth in a firm line, but did. He expected Sokka to remove his hand, but he didn't.

Sokka took a big breath next to him, and Zuko hesitated, but did. He closed his eyes inhaled, filling his lungs, taking in so much that his chest ached and his back cracked.

And he breathed out.

And again.

And again.

"You know we have your back, right?" Sokka said softly from beside him. Zuko could feel the warmth from his palm over his, radiating throughout his body. "All of us. We're here for you."

Zuko could feel the tightness swirl inside his chest, panic flaring up, and a burning behind his glassy eyes. "I don't want you to have to be."

Sokka laughed. "Well, too bad. You have friends. I hated it when you made me do exercises for my leg and when you wouldn't let me train until it healed. I especially hated when it gave out and you had to carry me all the way back to the palace. But that's what friends do. And that's what I'm doing for you."

Zuko's opened one eye, looking at him. "By comparing me to a weapon?"

He laughed again, and this time, Zuko appreciated it. He appreciated how soft and carefree it was. How deep and grounded it sounded. How he could hear it at the middle of the night. How he was there to hear if.

"Yeah. By comparing you to a weapon."

Sokka took another deep breath, and Zuko did as well.

And, in one final exhale, he felt the flames curl out of his mouth, and warmth spread across his body once more.

[bisexuallsokka]

jo. bestie. hi. i’m holding your hands and asking u to please if u want deal us all permanent psychic damage with “you’re just as beautiful as the day i lost you” (the httyd divorced zukka agenda has to continue and nobody can do it as well as u <3)

Sokka had spent the entire journey to the Fire Nation imagining himself being so overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of Zuko that, decorum be damned, he would run into his arms as soon as they made eye contact.

The sting of disappointment he felt when he realized that Zuko wasn't even there to greet him and Katara was enough to extinguish most of the excitement he had felt and make him second-guess everything about this trip. It was odd enough that after over a decade of being broken up they had rekindled their relationship over letters, what would it be like when they saw each other in person for the first time in years? Did they only know how to be in love again in theory? Was Zuko truly ready to leave the throne and his home in a few months and start a life with Sokka?

He's hiding out on some balcony that the two of them frequented in his Ambassador days, and he jumps when he hears the door open behind him. It's probably Katara telling him to stop moping, and he's about to tell her that he just needs a minute when he sees Zuko there, giving him a tentative smile.

"Hey," he says.

"Hi," Sokka says, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.

"Sorry about," Zuko gestures, and Sokka knows what he means.

"I get it. You're a busy guy," Sokka says.

That makes Zuko frown, and he walks over and takes a seat on the bench next to him. "Not too busy for you," he says. Which, historically, is kind of a lie, but Sokka appreciates the sentiment all the same. Especially since soon, they won't have to worry about the Fire Lord nonsense ever again.

Zuko seems to be thinking the same thing. "For what it's worth, it wasn't 'official business' keeping me away again," he clarifies. "Izumi was getting a little overwhelmed with everything going on to get ready for the party, and I spent longer in the garden with her than I realized. She's with Uncle, now."

Sokka softens at that, his doubts slowly starting to fade away. "That's understandable."

"Thanks for coming all the way here," Zuko says quickly. "It means a lot and it...it's really good to see you."

The sincerity in his tone is a little overwhelming. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sokka says, despite having missed the last ten or so of Zuko's birthday celebrations.

It makes Zuko smile, though, which Sokka relaxes at the sight of.

"You look good," Sokka says, smiling back.

"You look..." Zuko trails off, a strange expression on his face as he just keeps staring at Sokka.

"What?" Sokka asks suspiciously. "Is there something on my face?"

"You're just as beautiful as the day I lost you," Zuko says, so softly Sokka might have missed it had he not been hanging onto every word from those lips.

"I..." Sokka says, feeling speechless for once as heat rises in his cheeks. "That's...great, thank you."

As soon as the words leave his mouth he groans, putting his head in his hands as Zuko laughs loudly at him.

"You can't just say things like that," Sokka complains, even if he can't stop smiling.

"I can and I will, especially if that is the kind of reaction I can expect," Zuko teases. Sokka looks over at him and feels his cheeks flushing again at the soft look on Zuko's face.

Sokka takes a shaky breath, calling upon every ounce of bravery he's ever possessed to help him reach for Zuko's hand. "Twelve years?" he asks, giving it a squeeze.

"Twelve years," Zuko confirms, squeezing back. “It’s not that I haven’t seen you that whole time. I just…never let myself really look.”

Sokka nods. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

Zuko raises his eyebrow. "I've started packing."

Sokka rolls his eyes and shoves Zuko's shoulder with his own. "Oh, so romantic, run away with me just because you're already packing."

Zuko laughs again, and Sokka feels lightheaded. He's not going to get used to constantly hearing that sound anytime soon.

“I've had all this time to think about it, and my answer is still the same," Zuko tells him seriously. "This is best for the Fire Nation, best for us. Are you sure, though? Six year olds are pretty crazy.”

“Raising a kid with you?" Sokka asks. "That's all I've ever wanted. Craziness and all."

The way Zuko looks at Sokka erases any of the doubts, the questions, the worries Sokka had about this. About them. After the years of heartbreak and separation, Sokka knows that's behind them, and the future looks much brighter.

[violet-prism-creatively]

I couldn't let Zukka Week pass without writing or drawing anything for it! ...except I kind of did, because I'm two days late with this. Oops. But A:TLA got me back into fandom a year ago, so it was important for me to do something.

For @zukkaweek day 7: Engagement/Proposal (Image description in alt text; fic below the cut)

And a little fic to go with it:

Sokka planned to propose on the anniversary of their escape from Boiling Rock. That had been the day he'd first seen Zuko for who he was, strong and smart and brave to a fault, willing to risk everything just to help Sokka do the impossible.

They both knew a proposal was coming soon. They had thoroughly discussed the political aspect of it-- Sokka would step down from his post as official Southern Water Tribe Ambassador due to the conflict of interest, but remain an advisor doing roughly the same job. Same-sex marriage had been legalized in the Fire Nation years ago. And of course they'd discussed the personal side too, how they were both nervous yet excited to solidify their relationship with a special bond. How they wanted each other in their lives forever and wanted to share that promise with the world.

Sokka had been reading up on Fire Nation engagement rituals (he'd spotted Zuko researching Water Tribe ones too), and he had the perfect plan. He was the plan guy, after all!

Zuko would probably propose on the anniversary of the war's end. It was the perfect time for a big announcement about uniting the nations, and all their friends would be there to celebrate with them. But Zuko deserved to be the one proposed to. Zuko had spent his whole life having to ask for affection and trust; Sokka wanted to offer all his love and let Zuko decide to accept it. So Sokka would propose first, on the anniversary of their escape from Boiling Rock.

After their dinner in a romantically lantern-lit garden, Sokka was planning to pop the question. But they were in the middle of a debate on the legality of appointing a turtleduck as Zuko's advisor. Out of nowhere, Zuko said, "Hey, there's something I want to ask you."

In Sokka's defense, he thought this was still about the turtleducks. "Shoot."

The blush on Zuko's cheeks was visible even in the dim lantern-light. "I can't think of the right way to say this-- I mean, I've been thinking about it for a long time, but words are--" He took a deep breath and kneeled down. "Sokka, will you marry me?"

"Noooo..." Sokka groaned, realizing that his perfect plan had failed. Then the expression on Zuko's face hit him and he quickly corrected, "Yes! Yes, yes, yes! But I was planning to ask first!"

Zuko laughed, and then Sokka was laughing, leaning a hand on Zuko's shoulder to support himself. "I was literally about to propose tonight," Sokka told him between giggles. "I can't believe you beat me to it."

"As Uncle says, the bird that rises early gets the... tea leaf or something. I don't know, it sounds better when he says it."

Sokka took Zuko's hand in the one of his that wasn't resting on Zuko's shoulder. "Well, you've got me." He smiled. "And do I have you?"

The question wasn't anything like the speech Sokka had prepared. But that didn't make Zuko's answer any less perfect.

[ao3feed-zukka]

Tending

Read now on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/FbGUSL7 by SyciaraLynx Summer is a different sort of beast in the Fire Nation. Zuko hadn’t really noticed it when he was young, only that the oppressive heat was a constant every year, but it wasn’t until he had started to travel that he understood the difference. Other nations did have the change of season, they did have the temperature rise and the humidity spike, but not like this. The sticky, inescapable waves of heat that last weeks at a time, and make even breathing feel like an effort. The burning heat of the sun soaking into every building and stone pathway, and continuing to radiate it back even at night. Zuko is at least still used to it, even if it is unpleasant. His husband is not. Or: Zuko helps his husband cool off, and then very much does the exact opposite. Words: 3270, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 3 of Married Zukka Banging It Out Fandoms: Avatar: The Last Airbender (Cartoon 2005) Rating: Explicit Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Categories: M/M Characters: Sokka (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar) Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar) Additional Tags: Trans Male Character, Trans Sokka (Avatar), Pregnant Sex, Banter, Romantic Fluff, Married Couple, Zuko's rampant pregnancy kink, zuko's rampant SOKKA kink, he loves his husband very very much, what can i say, Vaginal Sex, Nipple Licking, Nipple Play, Hot FireNation summer, Sex in a bath, cool off your preggie husband and heat him right back up again Read it on Ao3 at https://ift.tt/FbGUSL7

[enchantedquill-40]

Title: "Embers of Affection"

Tags: #Zukka #Romance #Fluff #FireNation #WaterTribe #BoomerangFights #RelationshipGoals #Fanfic

"Sokka, you know you're cute, right?" Zuko finally voiced his thoughts, a small smile playing on his own lips.

Sokka turned to him with a raised eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Cute? Me?" he teased, nudging Zuko lightly. "I thought I was ruggedly handsome."

Zuko rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the affection in his gaze. "Ruggedly handsome, cute, whatever you want to call it. I just can't get enough of you."

Sokka chuckled, his laughter a melody that echoed through the quiet night. "Well, you're not so bad yourself, Fire Prince."

They lay in comfortable silence for a moment, the crackling of the fire providing a soothing backdrop to their shared warmth. Zuko couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed since they first met. The once tense dynamic between the Water Tribe warrior and the disgraced Fire Nation prince had transformed into something beautiful.

As Sokka shifted closer, Zuko wrapped an arm around him, feeling the steady rise and fall of Sokka's chest. The firelight played upon Sokka's features, casting a gentle glow that softened the edges of his tough exterior.

"You know," Sokka began, his voice taking on a more serious tone, "I never thought I'd find someone like you."

Zuko raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "Someone like me?"

"Yeah, someone who challenges me, makes me laugh, and," Sokka added with a sly grin, "puts up with all my weird quirks."

Zuko smirked. "Well, I never expected to fall for someone who fights with a boomerang."

Sokka chuckled again. "You love the boomerang fights, don't deny it."

Zuko couldn't argue with that; he found Sokka's unconventional combat style oddly endearing.

"I just... I appreciate you, Zuko," Sokka admitted, sincerity in his eyes. "You make everything more interesting."

Zuko tightened his grip on Sokka, his heart swelling with warmth. "And you make everything better."

The night continued to envelop them in its tranquility, the flames flickering as they shared quiet moments and whispered confessions. As Sokka rested his head on Zuko's chest, the two drifted into a peaceful sleep, grateful for the unexpected connection that had blossomed between them. Uncle Iroh, a keen observer of people, noticed a peculiar energy surrounding Sokka. As the trio gathered around the campfire, sipping tea beneath the vast night sky, Iroh couldn't help but sense something unusual about the Water Tribe warrior.

"Sokka, my young friend," Iroh began, studying Sokka with a thoughtful gaze, "I couldn't help but notice that you seem to be all over the place tonight. Is everything alright?"

Sokka glanced up from his cup, a half-smile on his face. "Yeah, Uncle Iroh, everything's great. Just enjoying the stars and the company."

Iroh nodded, but his perceptive eyes lingered on Sokka a moment longer. "It's just that I've observed you fidgeting quite a bit and your attention seems to wander. Is there something on your mind?"

Sokka exchanged a quick glance with Zuko before letting out a small laugh. "Nah, just my usual scatterbrained self. Nothing to worry about, Uncle."

Iroh raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "My dear Sokka, I've traveled the world and met many people. You can't fool an old man like me. There's something more, isn't there?"

Caught off guard, Sokka scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin forming. "Okay, fine. Maybe there's a lot going on up here," he admitted, tapping his temple.

Iroh chuckled knowingly. "Ah, matters of the heart, perhaps?"

Sokka blushed, and Zuko couldn't help but hide a smirk behind his teacup. "Well, I guess you could say that," Sokka confessed, his gaze flickering to Zuko.

Iroh leaned back, sipping his tea with an amused twinkle in his eyes. "Love is a powerful force, my friends. It can make even the bravest warriors feel like clumsy teenagers."

As the conversation continued, Iroh observed Sokka's subtle glances at Zuko, the way he absentmindedly played with his necklace, and the occasional dreamy smile that crossed his face. It was evident that Sokka was navigating the uncharted waters of a blossoming romance.

Later that night, Iroh found himself sitting beside Sokka, the crackling fire casting a warm glow on their faces. "Sokka, my young friend, love is a beautiful journey. However, it requires patience, understanding, and a willingness to embrace the unknown."

Sokka nodded, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. "I never thought I'd feel like this, Uncle. It's like my brain is doing somersaults, and I can't keep up."

Iroh chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on Sokka's shoulder. "Love has a way of turning even the most composed minds into delightful chaos. Embrace it, my boy, and let it lead you to places you never knew existed."

Sokka sighed, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty in his expression. "I want to, Uncle Iroh. It's just... it's all so new, you know?"

Iroh nodded sagely. "Take your time, Sokka. Love is a journey, not a destination. Allow yourself to savor each moment, and remember, there's no need to rush. The best things in life often unfold at their own pace."

As Sokka absorbed Iroh's wisdom, he looked across the fire at Zuko, who met his gaze with a reassuring smile. In that shared glance, they found a silent agreement to navigate this new chapter together, allowing their hearts to guide them through the uncharted territories of love. The morning sun painted the sky with hues of orange and pink as Sokka burst into the campsite, his energy infectious. Zuko, who had been quietly tending to the fire, couldn't help but notice the extra spring in Sokka's step.

"Sokka, what's got you so lively this morning?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow.

Sokka flashed a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "Just feeling the vibes, Zuko! Today's gonna be a great day."

Zuko exchanged a puzzled glance with Uncle Iroh, who merely sipped his tea and observed Sokka with a knowing smile.

As they journeyed through the day, Sokka's vibrant energy didn't wane. He chatted animatedly about everything from battle strategies to the latest Water Tribe inventions, leaving Zuko slightly taken aback by the whirlwind of words.

When they finally met up with Katara, Sokka's sister, the dynamic shifted. Katara, with a playful smirk, greeted them with arms crossed. "What's got you all worked up, Sokka? You're practically a chatty box today."

Sokka feigned innocence, his eyes wide with mock surprise. "Me? Chatty? I have no idea what you're talking about, sis."

Katara chuckled, sharing an amused glance with Zuko. "Oh, come on. I've known you your entire life, Sokka. This level of chattiness is definitely a new development."

Zuko smirked, catching onto the playful banter. "He's been like this all day. I thought he had discovered a new source of caffeine or something."

Sokka rolled his eyes, elbowing Zuko in jest. "Very funny. Just because I'm in a good mood doesn't mean I've consumed any mysterious substances."

Katara laughed, shaking her head. "Well, whatever the reason, it's nice to see you in such high spirits, Sokka."

Sokka's grin widened, and he slung an arm around Zuko's shoulders. "Maybe I'm just happy to be surrounded by such great company."

Zuko couldn't suppress a smile, feeling the warmth of Sokka's touch. It seemed that Sokka's energy was contagious, lifting the spirits of everyone around him.

As the group continued their journey, Katara pulled Zuko aside, her expression mischievous. "So, what's the deal with Sokka today? Did he accidentally stumble upon a secret stash of jokes or something?"

Zuko chuckled, glancing back at Sokka, who was now engaged in an animated discussion with Uncle Iroh about tea preferences. "I have no idea. He's just... extra today."

Katara raised an eyebrow, her smirk growing. "Extra, huh? I've seen Sokka in many moods, but 'extra' is a new one."

Zuko shrugged, a playful glint in his eyes. "Maybe he's just excited about our journey. Or maybe he found a new appreciation for boomerang aerodynamics."

Katara laughed, shaking her head. "Well, whatever it is, it's entertaining. I haven't seen him this chatty since... well, ever."

As the day unfolded, Sokka's energy remained a constant, bringing laughter and joy to the group. Whether it was his infectious enthusiasm or the newfound glow in his eyes, everyone couldn't help but be swept up in the whirlwind of Sokka's vivacity.

As they settled around the campfire that evening, Sokka's chatter gradually subsided. He gazed at the stars with a contented smile, his earlier exuberance giving way to a quieter sense of satisfaction.

Zuko, sitting beside Sokka, nudged him gently. "What's with the sudden change of pace, Sokka? You were a veritable fountain of words earlier."

Sokka chuckled, leaning against Zuko. "I guess I just needed to let it all out. But now, it's nice to enjoy the quiet moments, too."

Zuko nodded, appreciating the balance between Sokka's boundless energy and the serenity of the night. As they shared a peaceful silence, surrounded by the crackling fire and the whispers of the wind, Zuko couldn't help but be grateful for the unpredictable and delightful journey they were on together.

[paramouradrift]

If you're still doing the wip ask thing the zukka pirate au 2023?

So, there are actually two, and one of them is a barebones outline along the lines of, "at 13, Zuko decides finding the Avatar is too hard, and insists on becoming a pirate; at 14, Zuko's ship is attacked and sunk by the Southern Raiders," etc. Not very interesting.

The other one has a complete plot and chapter outline, and a whole rising and falling action, but its dark origin is that I was playing around on chatGPT one day doing things like, "hey, idiot, give me a table of contents for a story with these parameters," "hey, give me a crew list for a pirate ship of this size and era," "hey, generate a port city that might exist in this canon." It was instructional with regards to the overall quality of AI-generated content (poor), but also it did get my creative juices flowing enough that I took the scraps and made them into something half-way decent.

It's a tale in four acts.

Act 1 - Air. Zuko and Sokka are pirates captaining different ships. They're after the same prey one day, but have to join forces to repel a Fire Nation anti-piracy patrol. They part ways after victory at sea, and later at port the two engage in a drunken tryst.

Act 2 - Water. Zuko leaves Sokka twisting in the wind at a dangerous moment, but later apologizes and makes a peace offering: a treasure map to a long-lost mountain of gold. Sokka accepts the offer, and the two embark on a quest. Unbeknownst to them, they are being followed by Admiral Zhao, who wants the treasure for himself.

Act 3 - Earth. They arrive at an island where a spirit that knows the real treasure's location resides, and she tests their bond of love to almost the breaking point. In the end, she gives up the location of the treasure, but extracts a terrible price for the knowledge.

Act 4 - Fire. Turns out Zuko had a deal with Zhao: treasure for amnesty. Sokka is furious, but the treasure happens to be located on an island currently contested by the Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom, and he suggests that the Earth Kingdom would be better to beg for amnesty from. A pitched battle at sea ensues, and Zuko turns on Zhao to save Sokka and the others. It ends with the Earth Kingdom granting Zuko and Sokka both letters of marque and reprisal, and the two joining forces to sail off into the sunset.

I'm eliding a lot of details with this summary, but that was the gist. I never did much more than some basic logistical note-taking and fleshing out the table of contents. I was, at the time, too busy working on J&R. It might be interesting to take this up again when I've got more of that monster slain, but for now it sits in my WIP folder, abandoned.

WIP game master post.

[scattered-winter]

For the ask game: owen from 911ls and zuko from atla 👀

owen

sexuality headcanon

bisexual

otp

billy/owen because they fucking hate each other and I think it's hilarious

brotp

poor judd is always dragged into his bullshit 😔

notp

gwyn deserves so much better I'm not sorry

first headcanon that pops into my head

he probably has a tattoo in a very embarrassing place

favorite line from this character

ok I will give him this one win: "126 is a family. These uniforms bind us tighter than blood. Like family, we argue, screw up, let each other down. But as long as we keep fighting for one another there is no challenge cannot rise to, there is no crisis that we cannot overcome. This building stands today not because of its bricks and mortar, but because of the heart and soul of the family inside of it" because fuck yeah, they are a family <33

one way in which I relate to this character

annoying bitch representation ig

thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

literally everything?? but especially how he makes EVERYTHING about him. even things that are completely unrelated. like. does he ever get sick of the world revolving around him??? does he???? and the other thing is how when he had cancer, the biggest thing he was worried about was his hair and his dick. like. maybe I'm just biased because my family is full of people dying--literally dying--of cancer but that shit was like a slap to the face. I'd be so embarrassed if I was him. imagine telling your son to his face that you care more about your hair and your fucking abilities more than you care about the very real, very damaging trauma that comes from watching a parent wither and die right before your eyes. the ls cancer storyline isn't just annoying, it's offensive (to me, at least) and a big part of it is because of owen's attitude

cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

problematic. not my fav. just problematic <3

zuko!!!!!!!! my baby boy!!!!!!!!!!!

sexuality headcanon

he's the gayest little guy I've ever laid eyes on. I've stayed silent on this issue long enough

otp

I'm a zukka truther at heart but I also think jetko has the potential to be funny

brotp

zuko and toph!!! lowkey wish there was an ep before sozin's comet where they hit the town and caused some problems together

notp

zutara. I'm sorry but it's true ,, it's just. a painfully straight ship no matter how you twist it. doesn't pass the vibe check

first headcanon that pops into my head

he's also the most autistic guy to ever exist so jot that down

favorite line from this character

"they don't see our greatness. they hate us, and we deserve it" yesssss boy recognize the wrongdoings of your people and fight for redemption not just for yourself but for your nation yessssssssssss

one way in which I relate to this character

autism <3 also family issues (I haven't been burned in the face tho <333 thank fuck)

thing that gives me second hand embarrassment about this character

ghsldkfjsg every time I watch him re-introduce himself to the gaang in s3,,,great job little buddy that's the worst anyone's ever done it <3

cinnamon roll or problematic fave?

he's both. he's my cinnamon roll and he's also a problematic fave. he contains multitudes <333

character ask game

[primmrot]

zukka-ed my previously shipless au which makes it 10x more complicated due to the heaps of character development that needs to happen before romance can even be introduced. also worked on the complicated relationship between sokka and katara.

this, of course, is the tnuwt au in which the war escalated with the absence of the avatar, the water tribes unified early on and became a force in the fighting, and due to their early involvement and the rising tension between two large powers (the tribes and the fire nation), they began to do just as much harm as their enemies (not that the propaganda and ‘the-ends-justify-the-means mindset allow the majority of the population to understand that). 

kya still dies in this au during an attempted raid and due to it, hakoda ends up putting a lot of pressure on sokka from a young age to be able to protect the people he’s closest to (sokka also looks like kya and in his head he’s thinking that if he can keep his son alive, it’s like being able to save her). this pressure ends up creating a rift between sokka and katara and escalates when the siblings start their biennial trips to the north. sokka gets more enthralled with the growing war culture and propaganda while katara gets increasingly tired of the tribes and the way they’re forsaking their culture for victory (specifically on the political level). 

katara ends up running away and finds herself washed up on kyoshi island. sokka continues on his trajectory traveling between the tribes and overall becoming not the best person (he has some character arcs to go on trust me).

a lot of katara angst. a lot of sokka angst. sibling angst in general. zuko’s back story is altered when looking at his banishment (which is also intertwined with the first time zuko and sokka met). the canon storyline is beyond changed. like unbelievably so-

[genrihgayne]

So true. Rise up my Zukka nation

"your ship will never be canon" you silly silly boi

I don't want my ship to be canon

I don't care what happens in canon

To me canon is just another fanfic that I really like

I'm here for the fanfics, the fanarts, the memes, the people and the vibe

My fav ship being canon is the last of my concern

[coldgpa]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7D7ajonHPaOeB1OufdM980?si=XgSq1KiDTgqinIXyYIJ9rg

Hey yall I made a fake deep zukka playlist and I think its rlly funny bc it's also so good

[zukkaflowers]

zukka who met when they were kids

while zuko was on a trip to the south pole with his mother to get away from his father for a bit and go someplace he wouldn’t follow. zukka who recognize they’re from warring tribes and give each other fake names and vitriol until they become friends because they can’t help it. they’re barely ten and already starting to feel the loneliness that will just sink in deeper as the years go by. but they find a way to write each other letters and continue their secret forbidden friendship, until zuko writes to sokka that he’s going on a quest to redeem himself in front of his father. so when they’re fifteen and sixteen and sokka prepares himself to face the evil fire nation man who dared to attack his tribe to try and find the avatar and finds himself face to face with the boy he used to write all his secrets to—he covers the shock that floods his face and hardens his expression. he will always choose his tribe first. zuko’s breath is caught in his throat when he finds his first crush running at him, a battle cry ripping from his throat. he beats sokka down too harshly because his instincts are sharp and sokka hasn’t had enough experience in battle. he can’t figure out if sokka forgot his face or doesn’t recognize him with the scar or if he remembers and just doesn’t care. he realizes he doesn’t care which is true—he hates sokka more regardless. aang and katara never suspect that there might be an extra reason sokka hates zuko so much. “he keeps trying to kill us” is a pretty good reason on its own, so he’s never pushed to elaborate. as zuko pursues them, sokka and zuko clash more and more, and zuko watches sokka get stronger and more determined. it feels as if neither could want to kill the other more. after he decides to join the avatar, zuko finds himself distressed for days about how he’s going to face sokka. and he was right to. sokka is by far the least willing to forgive zuko, and that’s saying something. when zuko finally finds himself sitting beside the small, angry earthbender and the precious, sunny avatar, congratulating himself on the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, sokka stands up so abruptly that a cloud of dust comes up to frame his legs and he storms away from dinner. even katara thinks he’s being overdramatic, until she finds sokka cornering zuko later and growling about betrayal and the slime of snakes. she demands to know when zuko used to be on their side, and sokka leaves the room after seeing she’s there, knocking his shoulder against hers. but when zuko begins to tell her the truth, sokka barges back in again, yelling all the things he’s held in for the past year, letting more emotion rise in his chest than maybe he ever has before. anger, disgust, disbelief, resentment. and something else he doesn’t want to acknowledge. hurt. he’s so hurt. how could zuko come back to the place they met with the intent to destroy and burn? when he never followed through on his promises to come visit again, to build snow sculptures together again, to let sokka be with the one person who made him feel less alone, less like everything depended on him doing everything right and keeping everyone safe. he was young and he loved zuko, and zuko spat it back in his face in the most humiliating way. sokka slaps his hand over his mouth when he realizes he’s let his thoughts out of his mouth. katara’s eyes are flooded with shock, but zuko’s are warm with recognition and guilt. “i love you t—“ he starts, but sokka shoves him against the wall. “don’t you dare,” he spits, and then he’s gone from the room again.

zukka who met when they were kids and mixed their love and hate into one thing.

[ultfreakme]

hhhh if there was a fic with this, i’d think it’d happen somehow between Day of The Black Sun and Sozin’s Comet or post-canon where they go on group trip and Zuko’s panicking about his future as Firelord and the Gaang go on vacation with Zuko. They pass by Aunt Wu's village and Katara gets all excited like “Hey! I know this person!! Aunt Wu can tell you how it’ll go!”. She suggests it to give Zuko some control and insight into the future, ya know, to chill a bit since he'll know what's coming.

Sokka thinks that's bogus and obviously the only way to calm down about the future is work harder so he's like “ABSOLUTELY NOT. Zuko, you should focus on fixing the fire nation economy you guys spent way too much on weapons and consult with your council to calculate expenses, I'll help obviously--” but Zuko zoned out at 'ca;culate' because he can't math and is like “Fortune-teller.....destiny.....what is my new destiny? Yeah that’s my problem idk what my destiny is! Thanks Katara!”

Now Gaang's all excited and going to the village, Aunt Wu fucking hates Sokka and is dreading Katara and Aang. Anyways all of them go in and Zuko goes first. Zuko's in disguise btw, but literally everyone can tell 'Lee the Tea shop Worker who has a scar that exactly resembles the Firelord' is actually Zuko.

Anyways Zuko goes first and Aunt Wu says the thing(your future is far brighter than your past blah blah cryptic but overall optimistic reading). Then Katara goes in and when she comes back Aang's asking if she checked her love life thing.

Zuko: "Love life?"

Suki: "Awww you want to know about your future love?"(obviously teasing like she is making kissie faces batting her lashes)

Now that it's a thing on the table, and Zuko's feeling....lonely after Mai broke up with him, he's being dramatic and thinking he'll die alone. He goes back again, toooootally not for a love reading nope, no siree this is for....his political future.

Sokka's like "yeah no that's even more vague, like obviously Katara was gonna end up with a powerful bender she's surrounded by benders". Zuko gets the reading and its basically Sokka but it fully goes over both their heads. Aunt Wu KNOWS. She's eyeing them both with like, vague disappointment and shaking her head at them.

Kataang are asking about the reading and Zuko tells all of them like "wow this is so vague maybe Sokka is right", but Suki, Toph and Kataang are staring at Zukka like "are you.....stupid? like are you idiots?".

Cue Sokka being jealous of this "future partner" and being like "HA! Please, literally anyone can fit that description, like even I can fit that just watch me." And he's also like, love isn't about destiny but two people working together and finding friendship and solace in each other. So the entire time he's...trying to disprove the thing by proving the thing.

Zuko atp is also like, having a little(gigantic terrible humoungous) crush on Sokka so he's no complaining but also he thinks it ISN'T him so this is also torture and he's begging him to stop.

idk how but some conflict happens in that village, another possible natural disaster(people trying to break the lava cover thing from the first visit to crush the village??? blasting jelly attack by...someone) and Gaang's doing their thing and turns out Aunt Wu predicted this.

Now Zuko's annoyed because after the love-life prediction and Sokka crush, he doesn't want it to be true, because that means he doesn't get to choose who to be with and if he does anything with Sokka it's just end in heartbreak. He expresses this(Without mentioning the crush part) and Sokka's like "SCREW DESTINY, you choose what you want. I've seen you rise against impossible odds, you're like the most stubborn person ever if anyone can say fuck you to fate, it's you!".

Zuko in his head is like 'welp I have made countless terrible decisions for worse reasons, loving Sokka's actually a pretty good reason to be stupid' and he kisses him. Or just screams out loud he likes him. Whichever is funnier.

Sokka: 😳😳😳😳😳

Gaang: 😲😲😲😲

And thats how they get together.

Months later, someone describes Sokka exactly how Aunt Wu's prediction did and Zuko's like "oh thank god destiny's an actual thing" while Sokka's mad about it but he's also like "fine.....i guess fate can have this one"

If Zuko was around during the fortune teller episode, he'd have 100% believed everything she said like Katara did. He's always talking about destiny and when he did have the opportunity to kill Ozai, he didn't solely because of his belief its the avatar's duty.

Katara and Zuko get on Aang, Aunt Wu and Sokka’s nerves with HOW MUCH they keep going to her.

Katara: She said my lover's going to be a strong bender👉👈

Zuko: Mine is apparently someone super smart😳👀. Also I'm supposed to eat papaya for safety.

Katara: SAME!!!

The zukka spin on it is Sokka absolutely does not buy it, but also he wants to know what Zuko’s love life prediction is for tooootally no reason at all(he's trying to fit into the descriptor). Also Zuko’s kinda worried about Sokka after his reading and is trying to very subtly(and failing) to keep him from dying.

Sokka: I'm going with Aang to the giant volcano to prove that the loser over there risked nothing for the panda lily

Zuko’s head ringing with 'mostly self-inflicted': That’s so dumb, I'm coming with you.

[volkswagonblues]

a lil guide to the Fire Nation for the ATLA fic writers out there

(aka. a no means exhaustive primer on east asia by an asian person)

This is a guide for fic writers want to write a canon-era story set in the Fire Nation, or featuring Fire Nation characters. A quick little primer on the tiny details of everyday life that you might not think about, but certainly stuff that would make me, an asian person, wince if I were to encounter it. BRUSHES, not quills. CHOPSTICKS, not forks. 

(note #1: this was partly inspired by a chat with @elilim​) 

(note: #2:  I originally intended it for zukka fic writers before realizing that other writers might find it useful. so apologies for a slight Zuko-bias for that reason)

(note #3: this is all stuff i was thinking about when writing firebender’s guide, in case anyone was wondering)

1. CLOTHING

Okay, I think the most straightforward way to describe what everyone’s wearing most of the time is “tunic”. They’re all just...tunics of different colours and varieties. Later when Zuko’s the Fire Lord he wears robes. The show provides a better visual guide than I could, here are a few notes to keep in mind:

a) Japanese people wear their collars LEFT crossed over RIGHT

I don’t think this would come up in writing as much as it would in art, but it’s considered bad luck to do it the wrong way because that’s only for dead people. Let my boy Zuko demonstrate:

b) There are no buttons

This is picky, but Wikipedia says “Functional buttons with buttonholes for fastening or closing clothes appeared first in Germany in the 13th century.[6] They soon became widespread with the rise of snug-fitting garments in 13th- and 14th-century Europe.” I kinda believe it. If you look closely, characters’ clothes are always tied together or wrapped in some way with a belt. If there are fasteners, they’re braided frog closures that go into a little loop, like the qipao-style dresses women wear in Ba Sing Se, or Zuko’s casual prince’s clothes in the topmost image. Anyways, I don’t think Zuko or Azula or the Gaang would technically button or unbutton anything when they’re changing clothes. Clothing is designed to be tied, not buttoned.

[so much more under cut]

c) This isn’t a real rule, but there’s something called koromogae, or the seasonal changing of clothing in Japan.

This is something I learned when I was writing firebender’s guide, and I just liked the fun detail about there being a strict calendar for when to wear something. I liked the idea of someone like Zuko, who actually spent most of his formative years outside of the Fire Nation, coming home and just suffering mutely through the summer heat because upper class etiquette says no changing into cooler clothes until August 15. 

From My Asakusa: 

And this website:

Generally, people change from thick, heavy, dark-coloured clothes for winter to thin, lighter, bright-coloured clothes for spring and summer. In traditional Japanese culture, particularly in formal settings such as tea ceremony, it is important to acknowledge the changes of seasons—in such circumstances, not only the patterns and colours of the kimono that are worn but also the utensils and furniture that are used are required to change. By changing their clothing, people notice and appreciate the change of seasons. [Japan Foundation]

Here are some visual guides from the official creators for clothes: (notice how it’s pretty much always left over right)

2.FOOD AND EATING

a) Traditional cuisine

It seems like the most common foods in canon are Fire Flakes and meat, to the point where poor Aang had to eat lettuce out of the garbage at some point.

HOWEVER, the Fire Nation seems to basically a big subtropical archipelago, so I would guess that seafood and rice are common. If you want to write about characters eating, a. quick google for “traditional japanese cuisine” would help you come up with a menu really quickly.

Wikipedia says:

The traditional cuisine of Japan, washoku (和食), lit. "Japanese eating" (or kappō (ja:割烹)), is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi.

But before we get too serious, at one point the Gaang eats a “smoked sea slug” (Sokka’s Master) 

Oh ATLA, never stop being you.

b) Utensils

One thing to keep in mind is chopstick etiquette. Someone like Zuko or Toph, for instance, would have completely internalized all of these.

Another thing is that there are no glasses. Cups and bowls are made of ceramic or clay. Let the Gaang show you:

And another note: characters won’t eat “bread” in the European sense, ie. a baked lump of dough. Steamed buns, yes. Fried pancakes made from batter, yes. Flatbreads, okay I’ll give it a pass. Rice or noodles should be the most common carbs of choice.

3.ETIQUETTE

“In the homeland, we bow to our elders” - angry schoolmistress in The Headband.

Japan Guide has a list of etiquette rules for visiting Japan, which is interesting but not too necessary to read. In general, based on what The Headband tells us, Fire Nation characters would have been raised with a strong nationalist curriculum that values communal contribution over individualist expression. Even someone like Zuko, who openly rebels against that, probably couldn’t help but be affected by it. In general the Fire Nation seems to have an East Asian-ish set of values. It’s patriarchal, all the positions of authority are filled by men; there seems to be a strong emphasis on patriotism; there’s a sense of diffidence and respect towards one’s elders; and finally, there’s an emphasis on “knowing” one’s place in society and fitting into what’s expected of oneself.

I don’t really know how to describe it, but in China and Japan I sometimes feel like there’s rules for everything, and even people born and raised there acknowledge it could be stifling at times. You could go down a rabbit hole researching points of etiquette (for instance, rules on who has to sit where in group dinners...), but to me the most important thing is acknowledging that Fire Nation has a rigid system of etiquette, and also, they’re an imperialist power who’s pretty prejudiced against foreigners. Poor Aang/Kuzon gets called “mannerless colony slob” just for being slow on the bowing action (!!!)

(in firebender’s guide I had a lot of fun imagining the stupid microaggressions Ambassador Sokka has to face in the Fire Nation, so obviously I’m just biased)

4.WRITING AND DESKS

Characters would probably write on paper, with a calligraphy brush. Not quills or pens -- a brush. Technically, old Japanese and Chinese texts should be written top to bottom, right to left, but the show itself doesn’t do this, so I think you’re fine. 

One fun thing about traditional calligraphy is that you don’t use bottled ink. You have something called an ink stone, and then you grind your ink yourself by rubbing the ink stone in a special little dish with a bit of water. In my (very few) encounters with this stuff in the calligraphy lessons of my youth, the ink stones can be plain or have beautiful designs on the side. It looks something like this: 

ATLA is an East Asian-ish universe, so characters are likely to be kneeling at a table, not sitting. To demonstrate, here’s my boy Sokka doing his famous rainbow at Piandao’s:

and here’s the war chamber meeting when Zuko speaks out against a general’s plans to sacrifice some soldiers:

THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS: This is Zuko’s cute little setup when he’s writing his goodbye letter to Mai. In this case he’s writing in a chair and table. It’s possible that some furniture items, like a sitting desk and a bed in a bedframe (not a bedroll or futon) are special royal palace features. Normally in a private setting we see characters sitting on the ground or on a slightly elevated platform with a low table. Maybe Caldera is just different? Or rich people are just different: the Bei Fongs also have a sit-down dining table + chair setup.

(That little rectangular box is his ink dish!!)

5.A NOTE ON GENERAL CULTURE

It’s worth talking about a few general points of East Asian culture. I can’t claim to speak for ALL of Asia, and I don’t think I should. But I do think ATLA fic writers who want to set something in the Fire Nation should take a few moments to at least skim the wiki pages for filial piety and Nihonjinron (literally, "theories/discussions about the Japanese"). There’s a certain...vibe to...asianness... that I’m not sure I can explain without like, a doctorate degree in sociology. 

It’s a bit like gender, I guess. There’s no definitive checklist to what is a woman and what is a man, and we can argue that gender is performative, that it’s a construct, but at the end of the day gender is still (tragically) real in the sense that it still shapes people and affects how we walk and talk and dress and think. Nationality is the same. Obviously, the Fire Nation is a made up place in a made up show, but out of respect to the cultures that inspired it, I do think it’s worth familiarizing yourself with some of these cultures’ codes and values.

Also, ahem, if I can direct you to war crimes in the Japan’s colonial empire. Again, worth remembering that the Fire Nation was an imperalist colonizer too.

I might do a continuation of this post and talk through my more abstract takes about Fire Nation culture - Is Zuko an example of filial piety gone right or filial piety gone wrong? Why I think Zuko’s flashbacks are like, at least part teenage melodrama bullshit (the reason is son preference), how someone like Sokka might be treated once he’s openly Water Tribe in the Fire Nation (probably with racism...), specific aspects of asian homophobia and racism, etc. We’ll see.

This is not a definitive guide. Comments and critique welcome.

If you think there’s a factual mistake, PLEASE hop in my asks and let me know. I also think there’s a huge blind spot in ATLA for South and Southeast Asian representation, so I acknowledge that I can’t speak for all Asians, and there is no such thing as a “pan-asian” identity.

If there’s something else you’re curious about, I’m not a historian or anything, but I like research. Ask me and I’ll try to answer the best I can.

And oh, one last thing, this is how I do research when I wrote firebender’s guide, in case anyone’s interested in learning more (LINK)

[mangoofthesea]

For the prompt - zukka, ATLA, something hurt comfort with zuko being the hurt one?

hello! I'm so so sorry this took so long, my free time drastically decreased this week suddenly. But it's finally here because I loved this prompt and was super excited to write it, and I was finally able to! Yay! And I really enjoyed it, I always forget how much I love writing for these two.

anyway, without further ado here's the ficlet that turned into more of a short fic oops

--

The infirmary is quiet as Sokka enters, looking around with sharp movements trying to find dark hair, pale skin, and a burn scar. Thanks to it being the royal palace infirmary, it wasn’t too difficult though, not with there only being one bed with a patient in. One clad in the elegant reds and golds deserving of the ruler of a nation. If a little rumpled.

“Zuko!” Sokka shouts over the low buzz of sound from the rest of the room's occupants - all seeming to be bodyguards or doctors.

Zuko looks up sharply, and his expression seems to shift through a couple different emotions before settling on a sheepish smile that has Sokka's fear shifting to anger.

He stalks over to Zuko's bedside, as he goes watching Zuko attempt to sit straighter and wince as he does, hand going to his side.

"Sokka, hi." Zuko says, smiling with a slight wince. "How was your journey?"

"Don't do that!" Zuko frowns.

"Don't do what?"

"Don't act like you don't have a fucking stab wound!" Zuko's eyes dart away briefly then come back to Sokka, expression reverting to placating and that same innocent expression he saw him try to use to calm down his uncle after he sustained his lightning injury.

"It's fine, Sokka, really. Don’t worry about it. They caught the attacker, and even if they hadn’t his skill was stealth, not combat. It was no trouble for me subduing him.”

Sokka purses his lips, looking down at his boyfriend and takes a deep breath that is supposed to be calming but only serves to give him a moment to be more annoyed when he sees Zuko’s eyes follow the rise and fall of his chest. Biting the inside of his cheek, he folds his arms across his chest and closes his eyes.

“I’m not mad I’m not mad I’m not mad,” he repeats to himself under his breath. Why is he exclusively friends with noble idiots?

Well, noble idiots and Toph.

He opens his eyes to find wide gold eyes looking at him, and a soft smile pulling at the rough edge of burnt skin.

“Zuko, getting stabbed is not a ‘this is fine’ kind of thing!”

Well he tried.

“But I am-”

“Shut up. Shut up right now. If you say you’re fine I’m breaking up with you and getting on another boat back to the south pole, ambassadorial duties be damned.”

Sokka has no intention of fulfilling that threat, but when Zuko’s eyes drop to the edge of his robes pooling on the bed he’s sat on, suddenly unsure, Sokka regrets even making it hyperbolically. The bed is solid when he sits on it beside Zuko, sighing again as he tries to corral the wave of fear and anger that he’s feeling so as to not keep aiming it at his boyfriend as much as he wants to chew him out for not being more careful.

“Zuko, I’m sorry. Just…”

Zuko looks up, and he looks so like a sad polarbear puppy Sokka immediately regrets ever saying anything. Even with the storm of feelings he still has swirling in his chest, he’s taken aback by how beautiful Zuko looks. His hair is loose around his face for once, something Sokka normally only sees late at night when he gets changed out of his official robes and removes the hair piece from his hair. Right now, he’s in a state of undress normally reserved for sparring as well, soft slightly billowing red trousers and no shirt under the robe that has now fallen open, revealing the bandages underneath.

In the face of it all, Sokka can’t help but be struck by the fact he could have lost his boyfriend today. His boyfriend who he hasn’t seen in four months before he had walked into the infirmary a few moments ago..

“Fuck I missed you,” Sokka says, voice breaking on the last word as he darts forward suddenly to wrap his arms around Zuko’s shoulders. He hears Zuko hiss a breath out quietly indicating his pain and Sokka curses and tries to pull back, but Zuko doesn’t allow it. Before he can pull back more than an inch, Zuko’s arms are around his back, clutching onto his travelling clothes tightly and burying his face in Sokka’s shoulder. In response, Sokka holds him tighter.

“You really scared me, firelily. I got here and they said you were in the infirmary. That there had been an attack.”

“It was a couple hours ago,” Zuko replies quietly, voice half muffled by his shoulder. “I had hoped I’d be able to be walking around when you arrived. I didn’t want to worry you.”

Sokka scoffs, but doesn’t let go. No matter how weird it feels to be talking to the wall behind Zuko’s head, the feeling of him, safe and so warm and in his arms, it doesn’t feel weird at all.

“Yeah, well. I’m gonna worry, okay. I love you, of course I’m going to worry, even if you’re claiming you’re fine. Which you absolutely fucking aren’t.” He cinches his arms tighter around the muscular shoulders and turns his face into Zuko’s hair.

Zuko meanwhile, has gone still in a way that is quickly worrying Sokka.

“Zuko, are you okay?” he says, trying to hide the tremor in his tone. What if the dagger had been poisoned? What if it was slow acting and now Zuko was going to die because Sokka hadn’t been here to stop this happening? What if-

“You love me?”

Sokka blinks and sits back frowning, finally detangling himself from the hug. Zuko does the same, but keeps a hold of the side of Sokka’s tunic in the same way Sokka keeps a hold of the sleeve of Zuko’s robe.

“What? Zuko, of course I love you?”

Zuko bites the inside of his lip and his eyes begin to water. Sokka panics.

“Wait wait! No, hey, I’m sorry, don’t cry I mean-”

He cuts himself off when Zuko laughs.

“No, Sokk, it’s fine, fuck. I-” he stops, and swallows. “You’ve never said you love me before.” Sokka frowns.

“Huh? What, no, I’m sure I have.” He must have? He’s sure. All he’s been able to think of for the last few months is how much he loves Zuko and can’t wait to see him again and-

Oh fuck.

Zuko had left him to process, looking on with an amused watery smile, quietly waiting for him to respond.

“That was the first time I said I loved you.” Zuko smiles and nods.

“Yeah. It was. I love you too though.”

Then Sokka finds himself reacting and he totally understands Zuko’s now. The words feel like a warm soft blanket being wrapped around his heart, and it's like he can’t breathe from how much he adores this amazing man in front of him.

They come together suddenly, but when their lips land it's soft. Tender and gentle, imbued with all the affection that has been swarming in his chest from every letter, every moment of distance where he couldn’t wake up to the sunlight streaming over gorgeous pale skin and shining black hair resting on silk sheets.

The kiss only lasts a few moments, then they pull back and this time it’s Sokka who tucks his face into the crook of Zuko’s neck, clutching the back of his robe tightly and Zuko responding in kind.

“You’re still not off the hook for getting stabbed,” Sokka eventually says, muffled by Zuko’s shoulder. He feels the responding chuckle reverberate and holds on tighter, uncaring any more if the grip is too much for Zuko to deal with yet. If it is, he’ll apologise later.

They have time.

[zukkaoru]

good evening zukka nation yesterday i watched episode 3x03 of legend of korra and decided hmm. you know what would be fun? if zukka had been casually canon! why would that be fun? because then we could’ve seen p’li trying to tick zuko off by mentioning sokka.

anyway then i wrote this. i haven’t watched past 3x07 of tlok so just... ignore any inaccuracies 

tw for references to character death

and in the end, it had word count: 1016

P’li creeps closer to the cell door, and lowers herself enough that she can look Zuko in the eye. He meets her gaze, knowing better than to display any sign of fear.

“Where’s your little Water Tribe toy?” she taunts. “Didn’t bring him along today?”

Something icy stabs through Zuko’s chest at the reference to Sokka. It’s been long enough that the mere mention of his name doesn’t throw Zuko off kilter, but the way P’li speaks - like she somehow already knows - has Zuko wishing he could rip the cell door off its hinges and put an end to her right here and now. He might do it, too, if not for the knowledge that Sokka would disapprove.

Sokka would say something like, “She’s just trying to get under your skin. Don’t let her. You’re stronger than that, I know you are,” because Sokka always, always, believed in Zuko.

As it is, Zuko can’t stop his body temperature from rising.

P’li gasps, mock concern filling her voice to the point where it’s making Zuko sick. “Oh? Don’t tell me something happened to him.”

Zuko looks away from P’li’s gaze enough that it answers her question wordlessly. He can feel Tonraq standing tense next to him, like he’s ready to hold Zuko back from a fight. Like he’s hoping he even can. 

P’li clicks her tongue. “Well,” she says, the false sense of concern abandoned in favor of her original taunting tone. “We all knew you’d outlive him anyways.”

Zuko wants to scream. He wants to tell P’li off, tell her how it should have been Zuko to die first, how Sokka’s only gone because he sacrificed himself to save Zuko’s life. But then again, maybe that’s what she means. Of course Sokka wouldn’t have let Zuko die before him. He’s too stubborn, too loyal, too self-sacrificing, too insistent that he’s always the less important one.

He never was. As far as Zuko is concerned, Sokka was the most important. As far as Zuko is concerned, he still is.

Because it’s Sokka’s memory - Sokka’s ghost, haunting Zuko’s mind - that stops him from lashing out at P’li. It’s the part of Sokka’s spirit still dwelling in Zuko’s bones that reels his temper in and stops him from inadvertently freeing P’li before Zaheer even makes it to the North Pole.

She’s just trying to get under your skin.

If it had actually been Sokka speaking, he would’ve thrown some pet name in there that Zuko would have pretended to hate during the early years of their relationship but ultimately admitted he liked because it was a reminder that Sokka had chosen him.

Sokka isn’t actually speaking, though. He isn’t here. He’s gone.

Zuko steps towards the cell, bracing himself to throw Tonraq’s hand off him if he tries anything. He doesn’t.

“If you’re going to talk about Sokka,” Zuko has no idea how he manages to keep his voice steady, “at least have the decency to use his name.” It’s not even close to what he wanted to tell P’li, but it’s what he can manage without setting the entire place on fire and putting Avatar Korra in even more danger than she already is.

He turns on his heel, away from P’li so he doesn’t have to look at her menacing smile for a moment longer, looking like she’s trying to peer into Zuko’s mind and figure out what she can say to tip him over the edge. And he doesn’t have to stare at that mark on her forehead that sends Zuko all the way back to the Western Air Temple before the war was over, back to Team Avatar reluctantly accepting him into their group and Sokka’s soft smile when he showed Zuko to his room.

He avoids making eye contact with Tonraq or either of the kids. “Let’s go,” he grumbles, pushing past them. He doesn’t bother turning around to make sure they follow. 

“I’m sorry for your loss!” P’li calls after him. “No really - I am. You two were good for each other.”

Zuko winces. His hand reaches up towards his topknot absentmindedly, reaching for a hairpiece he can’t bear to wear anymore because it hurts too much to be reminded that Sokka is gone every time he catches a glimpse of his reflection.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and tries to block out P’li’s voice. It doesn’t work.

“I know what it’s like to be separated from a significant other for a long time.” He can hear the smirk in her voice. “Only difference is mine is coming back for me. Yours can’t.”

The sharp iciness digs itself deeper into Zuko, wrenching his heart in half and making his stomach churn. He closes his eyes and thanks Agni it’s too cold here for tears to fall. He hears footsteps and hushed voices behind him, but he pushes them from his mind and walks onwards.

It’s not like being outside of this prison will help much, though. It’s all snow, all Water Tribe and reminiscent of Sokka. It’s all Boiling Rock Freezer-adjacent. It’s all a reminder of what he’s lost, far as the eye can see, and he can feel the heat radiating off his body.

If Sokka were here, he’d tell Zuko to focus on the task at hand instead of letting P’li’s words get the better of him. He’d wrap his arms around Zuko and whisper into his good ear, and he’d hang on for longer than he needed too under the pretense of being cold. He’d tell Zuko that no matter what happens, they won’t let any harm come to Korra or they’ll die trying to keep her safe.

It was a promise they’d made each other nearly a decade and a half ago, on Aang’s behalf. They would do whatever they needed to in order to keep Korra safe, even if it meant dying.

It was a promise Sokka had made Zuko too, time and time again. He would do whatever it took to keep Zuko safe, even if it meant dying.

And in the end, it had.