The Jasmine Dragon - Zukka AU

Chapter 8

~Zuko~

Waking up with a start, Zuko rubbed his eyes and realized he wasn't exactly what you'd call tired anymore. It was still dark, and and the fire that was crackling a couple hours ago was dead silent. Basically, the only sounds were the soft snores of everyone around him, the usual breeze, and his own labored breathing.

"I'm...going on a walk." he muttered, not sure who he was talking to.

Katara suddenly stirred a bit and he froze until she stopped moving in her sleep. Sighing, he got up and walked forward, only to gasp as he tripped over the edge of the saddle and his face thumped in to Appa's fur. He let out a low groan as Zuko pulled himself up.

"Right... I should probably be more careful with you, buddy," he said to Appa, grateful no one was awake yet.

Due to his luck though, somehow he managed to slip on Appa's fur and slide unceremoniously to the ground. Grunting, he got up and rubbed his head. 'Everything hurts', he thought.

Zuko walked. He walked way longer than any person should without water or breaks. He realli couldn't care less, though. It helped him take his mind off of things, usually. But he still couldn't get Azula out of his head, even as the sun started peeking through the trees. Giving up, he fell to the ground and buried his face in his hands. He just wishes he could be normal. Have a normal, happy life. Have a normal, healthy family. Be able to have normal conversations with his sister for more than a minute. But... that would also never happen. No matter how much he wished it wasn't true, he was Zuko. Nothing could change that.

Crying out, he sprawled himself on the ground, not caring how pathetic he looked. No one could see him here anyways. Even if they could, no one would care about him anyways. They would probably just laugh at him and call him a weakling. Everyone except... Uncle.

'Uncle!' He thought, getting up with a start. What was Uncle doing?

Zuko felt even worse now that he really thought about it. He betrayed the one person that actually liked him. Respected him. Tears fell down his face and he clenched his fists, sitting up. With start, he realized he didn't even know where he was.

'Great. Now tell me, wise inner self. How in Agni do I get out of this now?!'

~

~Sokka POV~

It wasn't long after dawn when I saw Zuko trudging out of the forest and passing out on the grass.

...

"Sokka! What happened?! Are you okay?!" Katara yelled, running towards me.

I had just unconsciously let out... probably the loudest girl scream I could produce.

'Damn you, puberty voice.' I thought, aggressively poking my head with my index finger.

"Sokka?" Katara asked, less sure of her decisions now. I yelped, swishing around and facing my sister who was somehow within an arms' reach of me now. "What... are you doing? And why is Zuko just lying at your feet?"

"Uhhh-"

"Did he try to hurt you?! Oh when he wakes up I will literally-" she made a sharp motion with her hand that made me shudder and a couple droplets of water subconsciously moved closer to us.

"NO! No... I mean, I don't know what he's doing right now but-" I took a deep breath after realizing I hadn't been breathing the entire time. "He didn't hurt me."

''Then how do you explain this?! Did the spirits just drop him in front of you?!" she yelled, glaring daggers at him I couldn't help but shudder again.

"I guess... sort of? I think he might be feeling sick or something, I don't know." I answered, voice trailing off near the end.

Katara made an exasperated sigh and an overdramatic eyeroll, but her face softened a little.

"Fine then. Help me carry him to Appa."

I tentatively nodded and slung my arms around him as Katara carried his feet. He was weirdly cold for a Firebender.

"Guess he isn't feeling to hot, amiright?" I said, and immediately wheezed at my own joke. Katara just stared at me.

"...What?"

"No, because he's usually really hot." Katara smirked and I suddenly shut my mouth as I realized how that came out. "WAIT don't take that the wrong way! I meant Firebenders are hot and- I mean sick people- cold- Zuko's hot because fire and... you know what? Just forget I even said that."

"Uh-huh. Sure." Katara was trying not to laugh as my face turned beet red. "Funny joke."

I sputtered for a while and eventually gave up. 'Zuko is kind of hot, though. I can't deny that. Of course in a friendly way. I mean- yes. Friendship.' My face heated up a bit more and Katara looked at me with an increasingly curious expression.

"What? Is there something on my face?" I squeaked out.

"You could say so-"

Before she could finish her sentence, I playfully flicked her face.

'Yes. Just friends.'

>>

Not me trying to make slow burn and miserably failing

djilhfdslkfjslkfjlskdjflkdsjflkjsdf I love yall