~promises~ (zukka AU)

chapter 12

wowowowoo after an eternity of absence, i'm finally back to writing this story!!  *happy noises*
(sorry if this is bad, i haven't written in over a year😭)

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sokka's pov

when zuko told me he's never been to an arcade before, a spark in my heart ignited and i wanted to play every single existing game with him. i was always so excited whenever my dad would bring me and katara to play and i want him to feel the same thrill i did, even though he isn't a child anymore.

actually, i take that back. once we enter the game area, his gaze wanders around like he's a little kid in a candy store for the first time. his eyes are big in amazement, with no trace of the bitterness he tries to show off all the time.

my heart aches for the little zuko that didn't get a childhood sprinkled with fun, games and friends. i want to care for little zuko, to hug him tight and show him all of the beautiful things life has to offer.

i stare at the zuko in front of me, but he's too preoccupied to discover a new world around him to even aknowledge my presence. good. that means i can admire him for a bit, without getting caught.

coloured lights fall on his face, predominantly blue, with hints of pink, green or yellow, and i feel like he's been cut out of a movie scene and placed right in front of me. i find it impossible to take my eyes off him.... gosh, he's so beautiful.

his sudden turn to look my way startles me, similar to when a movie character stares directly into the camera, as if to let you know that they are aware of your intrusive gaze on them. i try to keep my composure and act as casual as possible.

"what'd you say, should we play some other games before pool?" i ask him hoping that he didn't notice that i was utterly distracted by how pretty he is.

zuko looks eager to accept my offer, but only for a second. then, his face abruptly adopts his usual stern expression.

"our deal was to play pool for a bit, and that's that"

i'm not gonna lie, that made my heart sting a little. i want to spend more time with him, but he shut me down straight away. however, that's not enough to make me give up just yet.

"oh, come on, we're already here" i whine, trying to be convincing. "it would be a shame not to make the best out of it"

"this isn't what we-"

"i'm paying!" i exclaim, before he can finish that sentence.

he scowls at me, looks at the games behind him, then back at me. for a few moments, he seems to be battling himself on the inside, and i'm waiting for the verdict with my heart in my throat. finally, he lets out a deep sigh.

"fine, but you'll buy me some popcorn as well"

i refrain myself from jumping up and down like a little kid, but i can't bring myself to hide my huge smile. i almost hug him from excitement, but that would be out of line and i don't want to risk him leaving. not now that i feel like we made some progress.

i let zuko pick the first game we're gonna play and he chooses one where they give you some VR glasses and you have to shoot lasers at some aliens. we gear up and get in place. once the countdown ends, we start shooting around us, our weapons making some typical laser noises.

i can also see zuko's character with my glasses, which makes it even better. he's doing surprisingly good, giving the fact that it's his first time playing a game like this. he's quickly turning left and right and shooting continuously, leaving piles of dead aliens everywhere.