Too Close

hangover

Zuko hurled into aangs toilet as he felt sweat run down his back and gripped the sides tightly.

"You okay in there?" Aang called knocking on the door concerned.

"Shut up," Zuko coughed and he panted trying to breathe.

"You think he's okay?" Aang asked looking at Sokka wide eyes as Sokka was watching tv.

"Maybe we should make eggs and bacon, it'll help him," Sokka said loudly and heard Zuko throw up again in the toilet.

"Don't you fucking dare!" Zuko yelled back from the bathroom. Sokka smiled proudly.

"Sokka I know we aren't a fan of Zuko and he's done bad things in the past... but I'm.." Aang walked over and sat next to Sokka.

"I'm worried about him at home, his dad made him get black out drunk and left him, we found him outside alone," he explained.

"His fault for drinking so much," Sokka frowned.

"We don't know the reason," Aang whined a little. "He said some things last night that didn't sit well with me... we should try asking him,"

"Aang it's not our problem, he's been rude all morning," he scoffed and they both jumped when Zuko opened the door of the bathroom looking paler than usual.

"I'm going to head home, sorry for bothering you guys, thanks for letting me crash," Zuko pushed his hair off his forehead as he barely could keep himself up.

"Your bikes back at the place," Sokka raised a brow.

"I'm walking," he said flatly.

"Zuko just stay here and rest, you look awful," Aang gulped nervously.

"No im okay," Zuko closed his eyes shaking his head.

"Buddy, sit the fuck down, your staying," Sokka got up and grabbed zukos bare arm and forced him to the couch. He threw the blanket over Zuko and sat next to Aang with a glare.

"I've been clean, I was clean," Zuko covered his face feeling ashamed.

"Can we ask you something?" Aang asked worried as Zuko stayed on the couch, his body felt like bricks.

"Sure," he nodded sitting up and held the blanket over him.

"You don't like your dad right?" Aang asked and Zuko nodded a little.

"So then what do you mean you don't want to work for him?" He looked at him carefully.

"... how much did I say last night?" Zuko stared at the ground mortified not knowing what his dumbass could've told them.

"You don't want to work for your dad, your scared of him, you don't want Katara or your uncle finding out, you didn't want to get as drunk as you were, blah blah blah," Sokka listed as Zuko let out a breath of relief.

"That's it?" He gulped.

"I think so," Sokka nodded and Aang agreed.

"My dad has a lot of blackmail on me, so I have to help with the family business till he says otherwise," Zuko explained a little.

"Your scared your dad will expose you or something?" Sokka snorted.

He would kill me, my uncle, everyone I care about.. "he could put me in jail if he really wanted too, take back everything and put me in debt, run my uncle out of business, and that's just him showing mercy," Zuko shook a little thinking of the man.

"Your dad... he's your dad that's not how he should be treating his kid," Aang blink confused.

"Yea and dads shouldn't hit their wives and kids either," Zuko snapped at him and the two boys went silent.

Somehow they never thought of that possibility that Zuko wasn't just spoiled from his families wealth but there was more. It should've been obvious but somehow no one thought of it, maybe it was their hate that didn't want to think of it, to pity a child that was neglected and abused...

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that," Zuko shook a little more.

"It's okay, I didn't mean to pry," Aang nodded.

"Did your dad give you that scar too?" Aang asked quietly and Zuko immediately stopped shaking, stopped breathing.

"No,"

"I was in an accident," he lied.

Aang nodded gently as he accepted the answer but Sokka felt sick seeing right through his lie. He felt like the air was thicker reading zukos body language. It was so easy to see he was lying...

"Damn that sucks man," Sokka gulped.

"I'll get you a snack and we can just all hang out till you feel better," Aang smiled brightly as he bounced up to his feet and ran to the kitchen while Zuko laid back down with a small groan.

"I miss my cat," Zuko mumbled into the blanket.

"Course your a cat person," Sokka rolled his eyes.

"I literally will kill anyone that tries hurting my cat, do not even try," Zuko glared at him as Sokka put his hands up quickly.

Sokka felt his phone ringing and saw it was Katara calling, he showed Zuko but the black haired boy shook his head but Sokka answered anyways.

"Hey Katara," Sokka smiled nervously.

"Where are you?!"

"I'm at Aangs, I just decided to sleep here, it started to rain last night," Sokka made a face at the lie as Zuko looked at him disappointed.

"Are you guys safe at least? You only told me you were driving Aang home," Katara sighed believing him.

"Yea were good, aangs making breakfast so I'm gonna stick around a little, I'll be home later," Sokka gave the two a thumbs up as Aang smiled back nodding but Zuko wasn't happy.

"Uh okay? Didn't know Aang could cook..."

"I'm making yogurt parfaits!" Aang yelled back and Zuko shot up to stare at him shaking his head.

"You both are going to die," he hissed.

"Okay bye Katara see you at home!" Sokka quickly hung up and grunted when Zuko threw a pillow at him.

"You both are fucking idiots," he complained as Sokka laughed a little.

"I'm great at lying to Katara, she didn't know I was sneaking Suki in the house for months!" Sokka beamed proudly.

"She actually caught Suki sneaking out almost every morning, she made her breakfast, and they've gotten coffee," Aang raised his hand from the back as Zuko glared back at the older boy.

"I... she knew?" Sokka blinked dumbfounded.

"She found out the first week," Aang nodded.

"As long as I wasn't in that fucking sentence then we're good, her and my uncle would team up," Zuko covered himself under the blanket as Sokka was still in shock by the new facts he just found out.