More Than Friends // zukka

Unhelpful Advice & A Map to Nowhere

After they had overcome the shock of seeing two of their friends again, the group settled on the sofa. Sokka was trying not to pay too much attention to the fact that Zuko's leg was brushing his own; and the feeling it caused in his stomach. This was wrong. He couldn't feel that way about Zuko and it had to stop. In that way, Sokka was glad not to be alone with the Firebender anymore. He was happy to let himself be distracted by Toph's stories and Aang's report about what had happened in Ba Sing Se and why they were in Omashu.

"But enough about us," Aang finished, "What about you? Did you find your mom?"

    Zuko looked like he was about to throw up and Sokka knew that he was trying to get the words out but couldn't. Sighing, he put his hand on Zuko's back to help him relax a bit. And what do you know? Zuko's tension seemed to ease up a tiny bit.

"Yes, we-" he began.

"Oh, that's great! How is she?" Aang replied quickly.

"She's dead," Zuko managed to say, and everyone fell silent.

    Well, this was awkward to say the least. Sokka watched as Aang's happy smile fell apart and Toph shifted uncomfortably in her seat. A swift movement next to him announced that Zuko was going to leave. He stood up and walked out of the room, silently crying. The big lump had returned to Sokka's throat and he felt the urge to go after Zuko. No. He couldn't do that. Zuko needed comfort, not a pining teenager. But couldn't he just go and comfort Zuko, like he had before? Now there were these feelings getting in the way. Stupid feelings. Stupid Zuko.

"What happened?" Aang asked carefully.

    Absent-mindedly, Sokka told them about their search, the Giant Serpent, and how they had found Ursa and the letter. His thoughts were still racing around only one subject: Zuko. When he finished, he watched Aang's shoulders sink in grief. Sokka knew that Aang had felt the same kind of disappointment and loss of hope when he had found Monk Gyatso's skeleton at the Air Temple. This must feel like that all over again, Sokka figured. But maybe Aang could go and comfort Zuko for him.

"I should go talk to him," Aang announced.

"Yeah," Sokka agreed, "I think it'll help if he can talk to someone who's gone through the same kind of loss..."

"Tell him, he's always welcome to shoot some fire at me!" Toph called after Aang.

    Half an hour later, Aang appeared in the doorway again waving for Sokka to join him. Oh no. Why did Zuko want to see him? Couldn't he relate much better to Aang? But Sokka obliged and he could hear Zuko sob uncontrollably, mumbling in between. And although Sokka didn't hear exactly what Zuko was saying, he knew that his name was one of the things. Taking a deep breath, he opened the door to Zuko's bedroom and entered carefully. A bundle of tears and grief was holed up on the bed, wrapped in blankets and not even looking up at Sokka. Zuko looked so tiny and hopeless, and Sokka swallowed hard to try and stop himself from crying.

"I-I j-just... I'm all- all alone now," Zuko sobbed as Sokka sat down next to him.

"H-have you e-ever felt s-so, so alone?" he asked and took Sokka's hand.

"I - uh - sort of. When my mom died..." Sokka replied carefully.

"Aang said it, it's going t-to get better s-soon, but I don't think it will..." Zuko said.

"Oh, it'll hurt for a shit ton of time, Zuko..." he said, "but you won't be alone!"

    At first, Sokka thought Zuko had started crying again but then he realised that the Firebender was chuckling. What? How was this funny? Sokka flinched a little before taking Zuko in his arms. The Firebender's scent of sunshine and Fire Whiskey teased Sokka's nose and he buried his face in the black mane.

"Why is it funny?" he finally asked.

"Cause you don't sugarcoat this shit," Zuko said, "Aang tried to tell me that everything would be fine which it will not..."

"Yeah, Aang would..." he chuckled, "I guess he already forgot how it felt for him."

"And he had to go and save the world after seeing his family like that..." Zuko added.

"Yeah, I still admire that," Sokka agreed, "but I guess there's a lot of trauma there too!"

"Ugh, fuck!" Zuko exclaimed, "How am I gonna be a great Fire Lord when the only good person in my family is gone?"

"Well, first of all... You are a great Fire Lord," Sokka said, "and, as cheesy as it sounds, your mom will always be with you..."

"Ugh, I know... It's just- I put so much hope into finding her-" Zuko paused.

"And now you don't know what to do with all that energy?" Sokka finished.

"Exactly!" Zuko almost yelled and went to squeeze Sokka even tighter.

    When Sokka let go of Zuko, he was met with the shimmering honey golden eyes and red bags underneath. Even now, Sokka thought Zuko was the most gorgeous person alive. Stop it! He couldn't be thinking this. Zuko needed a friend - and only a friend.

"You just always know what to say," Zuko mumbled into Sokka's ear.

While Sokka stayed with Zuko for the next couple of days, Aang and Toph made their way to the Palace to get advice from King Bumi.

It was a beautiful autumn day and Aang noticed how much he had missed this city and his friend. Although he was still worried about Zuko, he knew that it wouldn't help to dwell on it. He had his own responsibilities to sort out even though he really wanted to sit in Zuko's room and use this opportunity to wallow. He thought of the day when he had found Monk Gyatso in between Fire Nation helmets and snow, long dead. The closest thing to a parent he had ever had was gone for so long now that Aang barely even remembered what life had been like before. To distract himself he started observing his surroundings and the little shops and restaurants that lined the streets towards the Palace.

"Of course, I have a map!" Bumi shouted and pulled a map from underneath his cloak.

"How did you know-" Aang tried to ask.

"I always know," cackled the crazy king.

"Thank you," Toph said sincerely.

"But beware of the curse, children!" the king said before he vanished into the ground.

"Is it me or are old people just not helpful at all?" Toph asked sarcastically.

    They stepped out of the Palace and made their way to the gates of the city where Appa was grazing on a field, waiting for them. Aang looked at the map and figured it wouldn't take longer than a day to get to Hiroga. While Aang was hopeful to find a solution, Toph wasn't so sure that the town of Hiroga could give them any clues and she became more worried about the curse King Bumi had mentioned. Her parents had said something about a curse that was eating away at the town but she couldn't remember what it was and where it came from, much less how that would help them in any way.

A/N: a short one, i know. have fun reading <3