The Tent (Zukka)

Epilogue (PART 2)

***Time skip it's been two weeks***

"Can I join?"  Sokka approached zuko who was sitting beside a pond in the palace gardens watching the turtle ducks. 

"Sure," he smiled up at the boy. 

"So how are you doing?" sokka asked. He'd barely had time to see the other recently. Zuko had been swamped with preparation for his coronation, which was tomorrow, and they had agreed to stop their other activities so that zuko's wound could heal. They'd barely even had alone time, the two saw each other at meals and sokka occasionally visited zuko at night, but not too much to raise more suspicions from the guards. 

That said zuko had missed sokka, "um better I think?" 

"Oh really?" sokka replied hopefully. 

"Uhum I met with the physician this morning, he said that it was getting better. Good enough for me to train and exercise more again" zuko said looking now at the bandages wrapped around his abdomen. 

"Um exercise did he say?" sokka smirked. 

"I mean you might have to check me out yourself for that" 

"Is that so?" sokka teased pulling the other in for a kiss. They were deep in the gardens aways. 

"Seems better" sokka concluded. Zuko chuckled in response. 

"You know I wasn't asking about the wound though right?" sokka gave zuko a look. 

"Figured" 

"So how are you really doing, you know about tomorrow?" the water tribe boy prompted. 

"Um I'm okay"

"Um that doesn't sound very convincing" 

"I mean I'm good"

"You know you don't have to be, it's okay if you're nervous"

Zuko rested his head of sokka's shoulder and thought, "I really do think it will alright. Honestly after standing up to my Dad and knowing you guys will be there I feel kinda...ready" 

"Sure okay, prince zuko" 

"I'm serious!" 

"I don't know zuko, empire island zuko would be saying something different about being alright"

"Well I've had practice" 

"Ah because you definitely weren't day dreaming about me during those rehearsals"

"As if I have duties now!"

"I should be one of those 🥺" 

"You are silly come here" and zuko opened his arms for the other. They sat in the gardens cuddling and watching the ducks.  

"sokka?" zuko spoke up after a new minutes. 

"Yeah?" 

"Do you think I'm gonna be good?" sokka gave the fire nation boy a questioning look so zuko clarified, "as fire lord?" 

"Of course" sokka said surely. 

"I don't know..." zuko was worried, "I just feel like I'm gonna end up like..."

"Your dad?" sokka finished for him and zuko nodded his head, "look, you're nothing like your farther. He would never have team up with the avatar. Zuko you have nothing prove you've already proven yourself. To the country, our friends, to me" 

Zuko contemplated what sokka had said, "you really think so?" 

"Yes I know so, I know you" 

Zuko smiled and the continue, "you know I'm actually thinking of having my father come..."