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Sokka reclined against the wall, adjusting the mask covering his face and surveying the scene before him.
The chandeliers dripping with crystals hung from the ceiling, lighting up the ballroom with rich golden light. Hundreds of people milled about the ballroom, some dancing, talking, eating from the many tables heaped with plates of decadent food. The heavy smell of expensive perfume hung in the air, giving Sokka a headache.
Most of the partygoers were peacocks, flaunting their wealth with fancy clothes and intricately designed masks, blissful in their ignorance. But Sokka knew that there were a handful of very influential people in this room, people that his clients wanted intel on. He just needed to seek them out.
Speaking of seeking people out. Sokka brought his hand to his earpiece.
“Hey, Aang. Any chance you know where the hell Zuko is? We’re running a tight shift here.” He muttered, careful to speak in a way that wouldn’t be obvious to passers by.
The earpiece clicked, signalling the start of a response transmission.
“Just...checking…” Aang’s voice had a faint background of static accompanying. “Mai says he’s caught up at the entrance. Small talk.”
“Small talk? This is Zuko we’re talking about here.”
“I never said he was doing it well.”
Sokka huffed a laugh under his breath. The audio crackled again.
“Oh—looks like he’s on his way. Go mingle, or something.”
“Gotcha,” said Sokka. He pushed off the wall and strode into the crowd, scanning those in his field of vision. He didn’t immediately recognise any faces from the mission file, so he approached the nearest woman, bowing to her politely.
“Excuse me, Miss, but may I have this dance?” He looked up through his lashes at her, extending his hand out. The woman giggled behind her white gloved hand, her eyes widening behind the ornate silver mask that covered her eyes. White gloves in the 21st century? God, these people were pretentious.
“My, you’re very polite.” She took his outstretched hand, and Sokka led her onto the dance floor. The music changed to an slow, rhythmic melody, and Sokka and the woman began a simple waltz.
“So, what brings you here?” Sokka asked the woman. He was pretty sure she wasn’t anyone of importance, but it didn’t hurt to double check. Even his memory had its occasional faults.
“Oh, my father knows the host. He and my mother are around here somewhere, but I liked the idea of a masquerade ball. An air of mystery, and all that. Rather exciting.”
Sokka nodded. They spun across the ballroom floor, weaving in and around the crowd of dancers. As they danced, Sokka subtly looked over the woman’s shoulder for Zuko. Where was he?
“What about you?”
“Huh?” Sokka jerked his gaze back to her.
“What brings you here?”
“Uh…” Sokka grasped at his memory for the second it took to twirl the woman under his arm. What had been on his case file again? “Business partners with the company. Got an invitation.”
The woman opened her mouth to reply, but then spotted something over Sokka’s shoulder and stopped.
“Excuse me,” A familiar voice spoke. “Mind if I cut in?”
Zuko stepped into Sokka’s view, dressed in a sharp black suit and sparkling red mask that covered the left side of his face. The woman’s looked disgruntled for a moment, then the faint line between her eyebrows smoothed out, seemingly regaining her composure.
“Of course,” she said graciously, then sauntered off, hips swinging. Sokka watched her go, then turned back to Zuko.
“I’m leading,” Sokka announced, and Zuko rolled his eyes. Then they both stepped into position and began the dance.
“Where were you?” Sokka said, careful to keep his voice quiet. “I thought we agreed to stick together?”
“I was caught up at the front,” Zuko responded. “I actually overheard a useful conversation though. Apparently the gift we’re looking for is nearby,” He said in a careful tone.
Huh. So the flash drive they needed was in the building? That made things far easier than Sokka had expected.
“What’s the catch?” He muttered, twirling Zuko under his arm. Nothing was ever easy with this job.
Zuko threw Sokka out by his arm suddenly, then spun him back in close against his chest. So much for leading. They stayed like that for a moment, and the world around them seemed to disappear, nothing but the warmth of Zuko’s chest against his back and his hands on Sokka’s.
Sokka was uncomfortably aware of how close they were when Zuko leaned in, and Sokka shivered as his lips brushed his ear when he whispered: “That’s what I thought. But apparently, it’s just that easy.” He suddenly spun Sokka back into regular hold, and Sokka was dragged violently back down to Earth as they began to dance again. Focus, He told himself. Worry about your inappropriate crush on your coworker when you’re not retrieving sensitive information.
“So, where’s our gift?” He said casually, acutely aware of the close proximity of guests surrounding them on the dance floor.
“Twenty-fourth floor, two rights and six doors to the left.” Zuko spun them round and round on the dance floor. “We should probably wait, bide our time.”
Sokka shook his head. “We’re better off going straight away. The less people know we’re here, the better.”
Zuko scowled. “I say we go later. We have no idea what kind of watch these people have set up, we need to survey and wait.”
“I say now.” Sokka said shortly.
“Later,” Zuko twirled Sokka under his arm.
“Now,” Sokka said, taking the lead back from the dance and twirling Zuko in retaliation.
Zuko twisted quickly, and Sokka felt his centre of balance shift as Zuko dipped him, holding him steady with his arm. Sokka didn’t dare breathe, staring up at Zuko’s red glittery mask. “Later,” Zuko murmured.
Sokka inched his leg around Zuko’s ankle, and yanked himself up, pulling Zuko around and bracing his arm behind his back. Zuko’s eyes widened as he was lowered backwards, and Sokka smirked when he leaned closer to his face as he dipped him. “Now,” He breathed. Zuko stared at him, at a loss for words for once.
“Fine,” Zuko finally whispered back. Sokka held him a moment longer than necessary, both of them slightly out of breath, before the relatively slow waltz music changed into a lively quickstep. Sokka pulled Zuko up, and dragged him by his arm off the dance floor. He spotted a doorway leading to an elevator, and made his way forwards.
“You said the twenty-fourth floor?” He called behind his shoulder as he walked briskly down the cushioned hall to the elevator. There was no response. Sokka stopped and looked behind him to see a flustered and red faced Zuko a fair bit behind him. He sighed, and crossed his arms as he waited. “Time is of the essence,” He reminded as Zuko walked past him to the elevator, pressing the button to summon it.
Zuko ignored him, and there was a faint ding as the elevator doors opened. Zuko stepped into the elevator, and Sokka followed. It was more brightly lit inside than the hallway, and Sokka squinted as his eyes adjusted. There was music playing quietly in the background, the only other noise in the elevator save for the rustling of their suits as they shifted.
“So, what’s your brilliant plan once we arrive?” Zuko said drily. “Ask the guards politely to step aside, or are there no guards in this scenario?”
Sokka tapped his nose. “Gotta trust my instincts. They’re always right.”
Zuko snorted. “Right. So we’re basing the fate of this high security operation—involving highly sensitive files that are vitally important to return our employers, don’t forget—on your so-called instincts?”
Sokka thought for a moment, before nodding in assent. “Pretty much,” He said cheerfully.
Zuko sighed, and Sokka heard him mutter something under his breath that he couldn’t quite catch. He glanced at the lit up buttons on the wall. They were about halfway to the twenty-fourth floor.
“By the way, did you pick your mask?” Sokka said. “Very Phantom of the Opera. Fits your aesthetic.”
“Actually, it was Mai,” Zuko said loftily.
“Ah, she knows you too well. The touch of glitter adds to it, too. Very intriguing.” Zuko gave him a look, but Sokka wasn’t entirely sure whether he was being sarcastic or not. The glitter did look nice, and red suited Zuko, setting off his pale skin.
Before Sokka could head off on another tangent of daydreaming about the endless bounds of Zuko’s pale skin, the elevator dinged again, and they both straightened. Now things were serious.
Two right turns, and the sixth door on the left. Zuko stepped forwards first, and they both walked down the red cushioned hallway, the carpet muffling their footsteps. Sokka’s ears strained to hear anyone else down the hall, and the gun in his inside pocket seemed to grow heavier.
When they neared the turning, Zuko stopped, and held out a hand. They stood, pressed against the wall, listening. When it was evident that there wasn’t anyone in the hall, they continued.
The next turning was the most important. If there was going to be any guards, they would be positioned right by the door in the next hallway, and the two of them would have to take them out as quickly and quietly as possible. Sokka did a double check, thinking back to that morning, remembering that he did in fact load his gun before leaving. He wondered if Zuko was doing the same, or if he just—
There was a noise around the corner. Zuko shot Sokka a wide eyed glance. They were about halfway down the hallway, it would take too long to go back the way they came. Sokka was just desperately considering playing dead, when all of a sudden Zuko was striding forwards, pressing Sokka against the wall, and oh.
Zuko pressed his lips against Sokka’s, and despite the dire situation, Sokka melted against him, gripping the back of his head. Once it was clear that Sokka wasn’t going to push him away, Zuko tilted his head slightly so that they were at a less awkward angle, and wow, he was good at this.
This is nothing but a distraction, He desperately reasoned with himself, as Zuko slipped his arms up Sokka’s chest. Purely professional. Just two coworkers doing what must be done to complete the job. Besides, it wasn’t like Zuko actually wanted to actually kiss Sokka. But then the footsteps came nearer and Sokka slid his tongue into Zuko’s mouth and Zuko fucking moaned, that was when Sokka considered the alternative.
Time seemed to pass slowly, like pouring honey. The footsteps approached, and even Sokka could stop being a hopeless moron about kissing the person he had been pining after for months for a moment to pay attention. As the guard turned the corner, Sokka realised that they would really have to sell this to get him to leave them alone. He figured fuck it, and suddenly flipped the position, so that he was now the one pressing Zuko up against the wall. Zuko made a surprised noise, but didn’t let go, shifting to wrap his legs around Sokka’s waist. He rolled Sokka’s bottom lip between his teeth, and Sokka made a noise that was frankly embarrassing.
Sokka distantly heard a disgusted snort, and he heard the guard turn back the way he had came. Once Sokka was sure that the receding footsteps had faded and the guard was gone, he pulled back for air, and Zuko was set back on the ground. He rested his forehead against Zuko’s, both of them panting.
Neither of them moved, Sokka gazing into Zuko’s deep brown eyes as they both listened for any noise. At least a few minutes—or maybe a millenium—passed, before Sokka spoke.
“We should probably…” He said under his breath.
“Yeah,” Zuko breathed, not moving.
“I mean, he could come back any moment though,” Sokka said.
“Also true,” Zuko replied.
Sokka ran his fingers through Zuko’s hair. “But—just in case he does come back—“
“Oh, spit it out,” Zuko laughed under his breath.
“I mean, I’d hate to blow our cover. Who knows what could happen?” Sokka reasoned, pressing his lips to Zuko’s neck. “Maybe we should keep it up for a few more minutes—just in case.”
Sokka pulled back to look into Zuko’s eyes again, and Zuko grinned. “Not a bad idea,” He said, pulling Sokka in by his tie and meeting his lips halfway.