[Rewriting) Keeping the fire close [Zuko × Sokka]

Welcome Home Lee

After the Jasmine Dragon was set up and cleaned up the three men smiled, resting their hands on their hips while looking at the shop. At least Zuko and Sokka did, while Iroh folded his arms in his sleeves and smiled at the shop with his eyes closed, that classic position he always took. "Well Nephew, Sokka." The old man turned towards the two teens "Shall we open up and enjoy ourselves?" Zuko shook his head, "no, I just want to lay down and get to bed" the young prince, not used to doing work aside from training, was tired from cleaning the shop up, and putting up all the tea, so he truly did want to hit the hay.

Sokka and Iroh both chuckled at Zuko while shaking their head, "How about we don't open up, you and I have a game of Pai Sho, Uncle" since getting closer to Iroh, the younger water tribesman had learned to play, and enjoy Pai Sho, wanting the old man to have someone to play with. "Now you see Nephew, your boyfriend here is a man of taste," the old man liked to poke fun at the two, it was a great past time, seeing that the three of them, if not all three, then just the young boys were together all the time. This comment made the two blush a little, both looking at each other, then adverting their glances to something else.

Zuko cleared his throat then walked inside of the Jasmine Dragon "Good night uncle, Sokka" he stopped once inside the door, resting his hand on the frame "Come and join me whenever your game is over" he smiled, still being the happy young prince he had been since meeting the young warrior. Sokka nodded and gave Zuko a thumbs up, then looked back to Iroh "So, Mushi," they were still around others, so he had to be careful "you up for a game?" He smirked a little, and it was indeed returned by the old man "Indeed I am, and you should hurry up and lose so you can join my nephew" Iroh teased.

Sokka rolled his eyes and snickered while crossing his arms over his chest, walking inside of the small shop "We'll see who gets beaten this time old man, I will get revenge"

     ~In Zuko and Sokka's room~

Zuko slid the door to his room open and stepped inside, sliding it shut before heading towards the small bed, that was just a sleeping bag made for two on the ground. He smiled at the bed, yes he and Sokka did share a bed back on the cruiser, but this was their new home, a new life for them both. The prince got to put being the actual prince behind him, he got to be Lee, he got to work in a teashop owned by his Uncle Mushi, he got to be with his lover Sokka, he got to walk around the Earth Kingdom and pretend to be someone else.

The young banished prince pulled off his Earth Kingdom robe that masked his Fire Nation armor, then removed his armor. He would need to dispose of it someway, sure he could just toss it into the ocean, or just wait until everyone in the town around him was asleep so he could melt it, then again due to being a fire bender it would take a lot more heat than just he and his uncle could produce to melt it...this was going to have to sit in the corner of the room until he could find a secure way of getting rid of it.

The 16 year old stripped down to his underwear, then searched through one of his bags, pulling out some olive green colored puffy pants, using the draw strings inside of them to tie them flushed against his hips so they don't fall down while he walked and slept. He pulled his hair out of its ponytail, he would need to ask Sokka or Iroh to help him cut it, seeing as he was now able to grow it out, use it to hide his scar, Sokka could play with it. He truly could become a new person.