More Than Friends // zukka

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 Sokka watched Zuko carefully as they both ate the scrambled up dinner he had prepared. Although the Firebender appeared to have calmed down after their discussion, Sokka couldn't help but feel tension coming from the Fire Nation teen. Something was up, he just knew it. But how should he approach Zuko about it now? There was a fifty fifty chance of him getting out of this alive. And Sokka wasn't thinking about the mission; he was thinking about talking to Zuko. He didn't really know why he cared so much about what Zuko thought of him and, to be honest, he was scared to even think about it. As long as he didn't think about it there was nothing to worry about. That's why he kept his eyes down, ate quietly and then went to sharpen his machete by the fire.

"Aren't you tired?" Zuko asked, breaking the silence.

"No, why?" Sokka replied.

"I don't know... It's been an exhausting time, don't you think?"

"Yeah sure. But a warrior's gotta do what a warrior's gotta do!" Sokka said.

"Mhh. I could do that for you, you know?" Zuko offered.

"No. This machete is very special to my heart, ya know?" Sokka joked, but held onto the weapon.

"You should really get some rest before tomorrow..." Zuko said again.

"Why do you want me to go to sleep so bad, huh? Are you planning on just leaving without me?" Sokka said sarcastically, but Zuko didn't answer.

"You can't be serious?" Sokka exclaimed, frowning.

There it was again, the lump appearing inside his throat whenever Zuko shut him out. Sokka couldn't explain why he felt this way about Zuko and what it meant, but he knew that he wouldn't let his friend go alone. There was no way! They had to stay together or they would both end up dead somewhere in these woods.

"I won't let you go. So what, if I have to stay up and watch you? I don't care!"

"Stop it, Sokka. I've made up my mind. This is my mission!" Zuko retorted.

"Well, I'm here with you and I'll stay!" Sokka said, staring into Zuko's golden eyes.

Without noticing it, Sokka had scooted closer to Zuko whose eyes shimmered angrily in the dim light of the fire. He shook his head and tried to object again but Sokka wouldn't hear it. He just put his hand on Zuko's mouth to shut him up. Just like that. Sokka wasn't quite sure where this sudden confidence had come from but it felt good.
"You're staying with me!" he said quietly but with determination.

Zuko felt his heart pounding so hard that he was sure it would hop out of his rib cage at any moment. Sokka's face hovered inches away from his own, and his warm hand was pressed onto his lips. The Firebender felt the heat inside him boil up. He had to get away from Sokka or he would burn his dark skin. But he couldn't move; sucked in by these ocean eyes piercing into his own. There was something else, too. Zuko didn't want to get away from Sokka. He wanted this moment to last forever, captured in the blink of an eye. Zuko felt his breath accelerate underneath Sokka's hand, and it was getting hard to hold his head up. There was an unfamiliar urge to melt into Sokka's grip, and he almost obliged before he could stop himself.
Zuko jerked away.

"I'm going to get cleaned up," he said more forcefully than he had intended.

"Uh, yeah. You do that,"

Head spinning, he went outside to search for some water where he could wash off the sweat he had just produced in this single moment with Sokka. He had never felt more dirty; but it felt good somehow. Anxiously trying to calm his breathing, Zuko stumbled over some branches and finally found a little stream of water running towards a nearby lake. What the hell just happened? The depressing tension he had been feeling before turned into excitement and a strange longing for more. He practically ripped his clothes off, throwing them away carelessly, and walked straight into the cold water.