After the war

Aftermath

The outermost door was lowered and Zuko's heart ached when he saw what awaited him on the other side. 

Outside the cell, Sokka was shaking, cradled in Toph and Suki's arms. The Firelord watched as his boyfriend's tear-stricken face turned to him, and the water tribe boy broke out into a relieved smile.

"Sokka" Zuko's lip trembled as he looked at his boyfriend.

The boys stumbled towards each other and the Firelord took the non-bender in his arms. The boys held one another close and sank down to their knees.

As Sokka's arms constricted tighter around him, Zuko felt all of the turbulent emotions that he'd pushed away inside the cell hit him. A sob caught in the firebender's throat and he gripped his boyfriend's shirt as tightly as possible with both hands. The Firelord could feel damp patches on Sokka's clothes where his tears landed but he didn't care.

What mattered was that Sokka was safe. Jet didn't get to him.

Sokka felt all of the worry and concern for his boyfriend hit him and he gripped Zuko's shoulders tightly and started to cry. The two sat there for a while, holding each other as tightly and as desperately as possible. When the couple could speak without breaking down into a mess of tears and tremors, they began the walk back to Suki and Toph's house.

"Did you do it? Did you... finish him off?" Sokka asked Zuko, dreading the answer.

"Believe me, I wanted to... I wanted so badly to make him feel the same pain as me, I wanted to silence him forever, but I couldn't... I don't know if it's because I'm too weak to do it, or if it was because I'm strong enough not to" Zuko hung his head as he admitted his thoughts aloud. He looked at his boyfriend when he felt a reassuring squeeze on his hand.

"Well, I'm glad you didn't kill him Hotshot" Sokka smiled as he placed Ra on Zuko's shoulder. The dragon was overjoyed to see his companion and scurried up to Zuko's head and there he sat snarling at anyone who got too close to the Firelord.

"I'm glad I didn't kill him Boomerang" Zuko smiled, squeezing his boyfriend's hand.

They arrived at Toph and Suki's house, and were sat at the table and waiting for Sokka to finish making the tea. Ra was sat contently on Zuko's lap, receiving chin scratches and treats from the firebender.

"Has Ra got bigger since you got him Zuko?" Suki asked her friend.

The Firelord nodded, "when I got him he fit perfectly into the palm of one of my hands, now I fear he's getting a little too big to sit on my head, he already takes up all of my left shoulder" Zuko stroked the top of Ra's head as he talked.

"Is the tea almost done Sokka?" Suki asked, wondering if he needed help, having never brewed tea before.

"Stop being so impatient" Sokka playfully snapped, turning around with a tray in his hands.

Sokka set the tray down on the table and poured the tea into the four cups. He handed the first cup to Suki, then Toph, then placed the last cup in front of his boyfriend. Sokka kissed Zuko gently on the side of the head before sitting down next to him with his own cup.

"I wonder why it feels so nice holding a cup of tea in both hands" Suki spoke her wandering thoughts aloud.

"I don't know, but I agree with you, it's nice" Toph sighed contentedly as she took a sip from her cup.

Once Toph had ingested the tea she spat it straight back out again, realising it was disgusting. "Oh, spirits Sokka! What the hell did you do to this tea?" Toph slammed the cup down on the table, making Zuko jump.