Learning Experiences Zukka

Chapter 9: Headaches and Healing

It was two full days before Zuko truly woke up. Sokka spent the entire time in his quarters, tending his wounds, feeding him broth when he roused enough to swallow it and napping fitfully on a pile of spare blankets beside the prince's bed. Most of the attentiveness was caused by concern for his friend, and the rest by a nervous unwillingness to leave the room and deal with the crew. Zuko was his friend and Iroh clearly had the potential to be completely awesome when not worried sick about his nephew, but Sokka was still Water Tribe and he was on a ship full of firebenders. There were concerns.

He was in the midst of a nap when a hand gently shook his shoulder. "Ugh, sorry Iroh, I fell asleep..."

"That happens, but I'm more curious why you're sleeping on my floor." He shot up so quickly he almost knocked heads with Zuko as the prince leaned over the edge of the bed to observe him.

"You're awake! I was getting worried, when I said you could sleep for a week I didn't think you'd take me up on it! Do you think you can eat some solid food? How do you feel? Do you-"

He was interrupted by a hand placed over his mouth. "Sokka," the other boy said very firmly, "why are you sleeping on my floor?" The hand was removed while golden eyes looked steadily at him, waiting for an answer.

"Oh, I was, um, keeping an eye on you, and I didn't think you'd want me climbing into your bed," Stop blushing, Sokka! "So I just borrowed a blanket for when I needed to nap..."

"You could have had a crewman bring you a cot or something." When Sokka dared to look over, he realized that Zuko was blushing lightly himself.

"I guess, but I didn't know how long you'd be out, and I figured it would be silly to ask for something like that when you might be kicking me out before my next nap, and well..." He looked away again, blushing even more. "I should go tell your uncle that you're awake, he's been worried about you, and then I don't know if you want me to stay on the ship for a while longer until you're all the way on your feet, I guess I could sleep in one of the crew bunks or a cot in here if that would be okay, or-"

"Please shut up for a moment," Zuko said in the tone of affectionate annoyance that Sokka was used to hearing when the prince talked about Iroh, and then the water tribesman was being grabbed by the arms and bodily pulled up onto the bed.

"Hey, careful, you have stitches in your back and cracked ribs and you shouldn't be..." He gave up at that point, partly because he was rapidly losing his train of thought and partly because he was pretty sure he couldn't be understood anyway with a mouth over his.

A very nice, warm mouth. Surprisingly soft and gentle considering how rough most of the firebender's other actions tended to be. It tasted sweet and a little spicy. He could get used to not being allowed to talk if this mouth was going to be in the way.

By the time the prince pulled away, Sokka had shifted them so he wasn't putting pressure on any of the other boy's injuries, and lightly caressing his cheek. He was quiet for a moment, just looking into those golden eyes and enjoying a moment of contentment before he was overwhelmed with the inevitable panic.

"Sokka, I know this is all really complicated, and I've got some pretty crazy stuff to figure out myself, but I just need you to answer a question for me." Zuko looked like he was holding back his own panic. "I- I'm not asking if you will, or can, or if you think you're allowed to, I just want to know... Do you want to stay with me?"