A little rainbow [ZUKKA]

chap.11

another day at work, Zuko was the waiter again. Sokka was slowly but surely getting better at this tea making stuff, thanks to Zuko's help. everything was going great, until a loud crash was heard.
"here you go! your stupid tea! i hope you're happy now!" Zuko yielded.
the attention was on the scene, the tea shop completely silent.
"well well is the firelord into a bad mood today? maybe he shouldn't be working in a tea shop and he should actually be doing something important!" the customer yelled.
"i'm trying to!"
"well it doesn't look like it! we're still suffering up here the four nations are bleeding and it's all your fault!" the customer's scream was strong.
Zuko closed his eyes, the words hurt him deeply. he took a deep breath.
"look, take that back before i don't something i'll regret." he said trying to keep his cool. but his wrists were closed, ready to strike.
before he could even make a move, he felt Sokka's grip on his forearm. he turned around and he was looking at him.
"please don't do this." he mouthed.
Iroh stepped in, trying to cool things down. after checking on Zuko, he ordered him and Sokka to go outside for a bit while he talked to the customer. Sokka was still holding his arm, Zuko being completely silent. Sokka knew where to go, and they went to a like isolated park where they could talk.
"this place is... nice." Zuko said sitting on the bench with Sokka, "how come we never come here instead?"
"because it's harder to hide. but right now i don't care and we need to talk Zuko. what happened?" Sokka said, taking Zuko's hand.
"i- i jus-" and Zuko burst out of tears. he threw himself into Sokka's arms who rapidly shielded him, "i just hate this stupid firelord thing! i hate it so much Sokka you don't even understand. i keep trying and trying to make things better but it simply doesn't work. being firelord has been associated and used for evil for such a long time and it's hard trying to dissociate from the title that your ancestors gave you. b-but i'm not bad Sokka! i've changed. it's been a year! a whole year! i'm good now why can't people see it? i'm trying my best, i- i'm just a teenager i want a normal life. i just want to be happy with you b-but each morning i wake up to this stupid scar who's going to be there for the rest of my life! and people. stupid people reminding me of something i don't want to be!"
woah.
Sokka listened all along, hearing Zuko cry was heartbreaking to him. he rubbed his back, Zuko slowly calming down.
"i-  i'm sorry Sokka i didn't mean to explode like that."
"Zuko," Sokka looked into his golden brown eyes, "thank you for opening up to me." he sighed, "i don't know much about this firelord thing but... i know you're doing your best and it's showing. you can't always satisfy everyone, you have to know that. as long as you're doing what you know is right it'll come naturally."
Zuko made a half believable smile and it went silent for a split second.
"why don't we go on a vacation? just the two of us." Sokka proposed.
"but where?" Zuko asked.
"don't you have that beach house or something that we went to before... yknow the big fight?"
Zuko's smile grew a little bigger, enough to warm Sokka's heart.
"yeah i do, it's been a long time since i've went it must be in a pretty terrible state."
"it doesn't matter, as long as we spend time together uh?"
"yeah." Zuko blushed, "i could ask some maids to go and clean it up too."
"great idea! you don't mind?"
"it's fine." he smiled, "i guess we should go back now."
as Zuko got up, Sokka grabbed his hand. he got up and held the other one, getting closer to Zuko.
"i love you." he whispered.
"me too Sokka." and they shared a small kiss.
small yet honest and true.

going back to the tea shop, Zuko apologized to Iroh who simply gave him a hug and offered some tea. they gently refused, claiming they were too tired, and went home.

arriving back home, Aang and Katara we're playing a board game in the living room. so Zuko went to his room to write a letter to his maids, asking for them to clean the beach house, while Sokka went to take a shower.
after writing the letter, Zuko sealed it and put it on the dinging room table then went to Sokka's room.
Sokka was still changing, he only had his boxers on and he heard his door shut. he turned around just to see Zuko, his face completely red.
"hi oh um... i can wait outside if you want?" he said.
"no no it's fine. you've seen me with even less than that before." Sokka said, putting on a shirt.
"yeah... um anyways i wrote to the palace. i guess we could leave in the next two days or something?" he said, a little less embarrassed.
"whenever you want fire boy." Sokka said, finishing to put on his pants.
he went to Zuko and gave him a kiss on his left cheek, where the scar was.
"now let's go eat shall we?"

they sat on the same side of the dining table, Aang and Katara facing them. Katara picked up the envelope Zuko had put on the table earlier on and examined it.
"what is this for?" she asked.
"the royal palace." Zuko said.
"what are you writing to them?" Aang asked, serving himself a bowl of rice and buns.
"oh uh... it's nothing, just firelord things." Zuko said, rubbing his neck.
"like what?" she frowned.
"sweetie calm down please." Aang said, touching her arm.
she sighed and put the envelope down and they started to eat. after a moment of silence, Katara spoke again.
"this is too weird. first of all you guys keep snooping around, you're always together! doing spirits knows what! and since when do you guys sit on the same side at the table?"
there was another moment of silence. Sokka and Zuko looked at each other, then at Aang.
"i'm tired of people keeping things away from me!"
"honey who cares, whatever they do it's none of our business." Aang said, trying to calm her down. that didn't work.
"so you know about what they're doing? and i bet Toph knows too? and so does the entire city except for me!"
"Katara i think this isn't just about me and Zuko." Sokka said.
Katara broke down and started crying, covering her face with her hands. everyone was silent.
"sweetheart what's going on?" Aang asked concerned.
"i'm so sorry. it's just t-that..." she took a deep breath, "there was promotion thing at work and it was kind of a competition between us at the store. i've been working so hard, being a role model for weeks and weeks only to learn today that the job was given to some random new girl about a week ago. they didn't tell me because they liked me working hard." she got off her chest.
"and what did you do?" Zuko asked.
"i just quit." she sighed. "i'm sorry for snapping at you guys. i- whatever there is going or not going on is none of my business and i shouldn't have tried to be in it so much."
Zuko and Sokka looked at each other in understatement. Sokka took a deep breath,
"Katara... we- me and Zuko are dating."
Katara let out a faint smile, looking at them.
"i'm happy for you guys. really." she got up and went to hug them both before returning to her seat.
"i'm happy for you two," Aang said, "Zuko came to me for advice awhile ago... i didn't even think you were talking about Sokka."
"you went to Aang for advice?" Sokka asked, looking at Zuko.
"hey! i give great advice!" he said, fake offended. he and Zuko laughed.
"so since when did you guys started dating?" Katara asked.
"we... um... a few months ago, let's just say." Zuko said.
"well i'm happy it's working out." she continued.

they finished eating and left some left overs for Toph, who was out as usual. they played a little bit of a board game. it felt nice for Zuko and Sokka to be themselves around their friends for once.
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note
i usually don't write notes at the end of chapters but yeah :)
i love Katara so i didn't want to make her act so mean for the rest of the fic for no reason. also sorry for the late update i just had the biggest writer's block ever and i was stuck on the same thing for days so yeah. i should be uploading once every two days now because i have tons of things to do. but i'm not giving up this fic!! i love it too much anyways. THANK YOU SO MUCH for 500+ reads i'm so happy ahhh thanks u thank u!