The Tent (Zukka)

Chapter 9: The invitation

Seated on the steps of the courtyard zuko let out a loud sigh, "Aang just stop"

"Hmm?" Aang turned to face the fire nation boy.

"Look. I-I'm sorry. Here, just come sit" zuko gestured for the boy to join him on the steps, "can you practice this later okay? I don't want you getting hurt"

Aang took a seat and he caught his breath while thinking for a minute before looking up at zuko and prompting, "so what's really going on?"

The fire nation boy sat there just watching the rain for a while before he turned to answer aang, "you know about sokka right?"

"You mean that he's into..." aang wanted him to clarify before he said too much.

"Guys too?"

"Oh yeah I know" aang smiled.

"Right well," zuko took a deep breath, "i'm that guy."

"Ohh! I had figured," aang smiled and continued saying, "you guys are cute" 

"Yeah," zuko smiled to himself, "but here's the thing" his expression became serious now, "everyone knows but Kat."

"Well actually-"

"Hold that thought," zuko said "just let me just finish. See suki saw us"

"Still don't understand why she got upset that you guys made snacks" aang interrupted. 

"What??"

"You and sokka in the tent that night at the old camp, he said you guys were making snacks and suki got mad about it"

"Ohh snacks right" zuko laughed at sokka's story modification, "anyways, toph found out cause you know she's toph and then of course you know too. Everyone's been cool with it but sokka still doesn't want kat to know. She knows I'm gay right so like she's halfway there and she's for sure caught on so it wouldn't be a big deal, at least it seems like that to me. Like I'm not asking for much. Trust me I don't want everyone knowing like outside of this house but I don't want to hide it from my best friends"

"Zuko look," aang began, "it may not be a big deal to you but you have to understand that this is all new to sokka. He might just not be ready for everyone to know"

"I get that I do, but it's katara, they're so close. And she'd be understanding I know it, she was to me"

"See zuko I don't know what sokka told you. But I saw him this morning when Kat and I were talking"

"What do you mean?"

"He came in the back door, he must have been on a run or something and kat was asking me about you guys. She said the idea of you two was crazy"

Zuko's faced dropped, "ughh I wished sokka had hold me that"

Aang sent a questioning look signaling zuko to continue.

"We got in a fight, last night/this morning. He mentioned that he heard you guys but now I get why it hurt him. Ugh I feel like such an idiot" zuko buried his face in his hands.

"No no Zuko you're not an idiot you couldn't have known"

"I know but I should have been there for him, he should have felt comfortable  telling me. I-I'm his boyfriend"

Aang wrapped his arms around the fire nation boy and they sat there for a while in the rain just listening to thunder.

                                                                       *****

The boys soon headed inside and zuko took a shower. He was just drying off when he heard a knock on his door. He put only his towel on in case it was sokka, "come in" he spoke.

"Kat and I are gonna go for lunch, okay?" it was aang.

"Sure alright. Oh and aang?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you seen sokka?"

"Oh he's with toph I think, I saw them chatting in her room"

"Oh okay," was all zuko said before aang left. His stomach rumbled and he took that as a sign to get dressed and head to the kitchen.

To his surprise suki was already in there, making wraps of some kind. She looked up at Zuko and offered him one out of politeness. Zuko said yes, and took one of the knives helping suki cut the veggies.

"So how are you?" he asked trying to be civil.

"What since your boyfriend broke up with me?"

Ouch okay so much for civil zuko thought, "Suki please, I get why your upset, I really do. But can we try be friends still?"

"We were never very good friends zuko."

"I mean true, but like with the comet coming and everything I want us to get along"

"I mean me too," suki was hurt but she understood where zuko was coming from, "don't think I've gotten over you burning now my village though"

Zuko laughed at this since suki was chuckling herself, "I've changed I swear!"

"If you say so," replied suki teasing him. The two took their plates over to the small table in the kitchen.

"Zuko I have to ask though, why that night? Like honestly did you not realize he was waiting for me?"

Zuko took a little time to think before he replied, "I-I did suki. I had gone into his tent that night to tell him how I felt. But then I saw his set up for you, and I got all awkward and I almost left the tent, multiple times. But sokka could tell something was up"

"He tends to pick up on that kinda stuff doesn't he?" suki interrupted sincerely.

"Yeah," zuko smiled reflecting on the boy, "umm but basically one thing led to another and he kissed me and..."

"Ohh sokka never told me that he kissed you but I figured as such Sokka's bold like that"

"Er yeah," zuko didn't really know what to say to that, "please don't be mad at him though suki. i mean i get it if you are hurt but Sokka he's a good guy and he wouldn't have kissed me if I hadn't had been for how i was. If anything be mad at me"

Suki finished he her wrap before responding to zuko, "no it's okay, really I get. I mean not going to lie I'm still sorta mad, but I want sokka to be someone he really likes and I think that's you"

"Oh you think?" Zuko teased.

"Stopp" suki laughed, "but yes"

                                                                          *****

Sokka and Zuko passed each other a couple times in the halls of the house over the course of the day. They kept their heads down avoiding eye contact, but when they did Zuko smiled. He missed the water tribe boy. Once aang was home zuko greeted him and katara, trying to forget what she had said earlier. He asked if he could speak with aang, who of course agreed. The two boys went to zuko's-or really zuko's parents room- and took at seat on the bed.

"So how are things?" aang prompted.

"Umm a little better I think? Suki and I made up, mostly"

"Oh that's awesome zuko," aang was happy to hear this news.

"Yeah. But I think I've got a plan. Do you know where the tent ended up?"

                                                                        *****

About an hour later...

Zuko walked past Sokka's room knocking when he approached.

"Come in," the water tribe boy replied.

Zuko didn't come in though, he instead slipped a note under the water tribe boys door.

My Sokka,

I'm sorry. Come to the point of the cliff over looking the beach to the left of the villa at sunset. I'll be waiting for you .

Yours always,

Zuko