Chapter Text
Fire Nation Royalty National Tour
Riding on the success of their premiere self-titled album going platinum, with their hit single "Lighting Strike to the Heart" reaching its 14th week on top of the National Charts, Brother-Sister fronted band announced yesterday their first national tour.
Fans have lovingly dubbed the lead siblings “Princess Azula” and “Prince Zuko”, and it seems demand will be high for the tickets as the twitterverse has already gone crazy with anticipation. The band, which also includes bassist Mai and drummer Ty Lee, received national fame following their show at last year’s Ba Sing Se music festival. A special announcement video can be seen on the band’s official Instagram account.
Tickets go on sale Friday - VIP meet and greets will be available. See below for information on tour schedule and pre-sale opportunities.
"FAMILY MEETING!!! RIGHT NOW!!"
Sokka sits at the dining room table, left leg bouncing underneath him as he waits for his family to join him at the table. He keeps looking down at his phone, refreshing the announcement page to make sure it is real.
He refreshes as his father sits down, then again as Bato joins them. Five minutes later, when his sister has yet to join them, Sokka calls out again.
"Katara! Stop facetiming your boyfriend and get down here!"
Hakoda shakes his head at his sons antics - this isn't the first time Sokka has called an emergency family meeting only for it to be about something his daughter had claimed was "inconsequential" and "a waste of her valued time".
With a flurry of movement and a loud huff, Katara enters the room and sits down, arms crossed over her chest.
"For your information, Sokka, I was in the middle of a practice MCAT, which I now won't even be able to count as a true practice because I stopped halfway through. Happy?"
"Yeah yeah, whatever," Sokka replies, barely listening and earning another frustrated huff from Katara. Instead, he flips his laptop around to face his family. "I have called this meeting today because Fire Nation Royalty, my number one all-time favourite band, just announced their national tour. You all know I've been saving up so Toph and I can travel to one of the big cities where they are playing, knowing a tour was going to be announced after their performance at the Ba Sing Se Summer Festival. Well, tickets go on sale Friday, but being a part of their VIP fan club i get access on Thursday at 10, so I need everyone to be off their computers to make sure I have internet to be able to-"
Katara rolls her eyes across the table, interrupting her brother, "Really Sokka? This is the emergency meeting?"
Sokka splutters, completely losing his train of thought and the rest of his practiced speech.
"Wait, is this…" Kataras eyes shine with mirth, her earlier anger dissipating. "Is this that band where you totally have a crush on the lead singer?"
"What? No!" Sokka replies, a little too quickly. "I don't… no they just used to play the local club scene before they got famous, and I want to support them, and-"
"No, it is!" Recognition finally hitting, Katara completely forgetting about her practice test to instead mock her brother. "This is the band fronted by Prince Zuko, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you're-"
"I can't believe you're still harboring that crush from four years ago!"
"I’m not harbouring-"
"Oh, I HAVE to message Suki! She's going to flip out and-"
"And his name isn't prince Zuko its-"
"But isn't the band royalty?"
"You don't even know what you're-"
"ENOUGH!" Hakoda says, hands falling hard on the table and voice stern. His kids jump in place, voices quieting, and turn to look at their father. Sokka looks annoyed, while Katara just looks amused.
"Katara, stop mocking your brother. Though I agree that this topic easily could've waited for dinner to be discussed, we should let him finish talking. This is obviously important to him." Hakoda looks at his children, hearing Kataras mumbled sorry. He shakes his head with fondness, eyes catching the mirth present on Batos' face. Once everyone calms down, he turns to Sokka and says, "Alright son, continue."
"Thank you," Sokka replies, taking a moment to stick his tongue out at Katara before proceeding.
"As I was saying, there are only twenty VIP meet and greet slots, and Toph and I need to make sure that we have two of them. So on Thursday at 10am I am going to need everyone to be off the internet to guarantee I have access to buy tickets."
Sokka stops talking, folds his hands on the table in front of him, and looks expectantly at the three people around the table.
He is again met with an eye roll from his sister. "Sokka, you know I have class at 10am on Thursdays. I'm not even going to be home! And Dad and Bato have jobs, they won't be home either!"
Sokka feels his face warming, realizing his oversight. Apparently, he didn't even need to host his emergency meeting, and he also could've avoided some mocking from his sister and inevitably from Suki once she hears about this too.
He collapses onto the table, face cradled in his hands, as he mumbles, "Fine, whatever, meeting dismissed."
The last sound Sokka hears after the scraping of the dining room chairs on the floor, is Bato's sharp laugh as he leaves the room.
“How much longer now?”
Toph’s voice comes through the phone loud and clear. She and Sokka have been chatting for the past twenty minutes, waiting for tickets to go on sale. Because Toph can’t really see the website to make sure she buys the right tickets, and because they don’t trust the phone operators to work fast enough to get them VIP if Toph were to call, the ticket buying is completely up to Sokka. A task he takes willingly.
“Another ten minutes, and then we are front row VIP baby!”
Toph laughs, then Sokka hears someone else talking to her over the phone.
“Hey - Toph - excuse me! This demands your full attention!” How dare she be doing something else when Sokka is about to take part in the most important internet transaction of his life?
“Sorry Snoozles, I’m along for the ride but you’re the one who really cares about these tickets. I don’t care how close we are - its not like I can see the band.” Sokka can practically hear Toph’s facepalm over the phone. “Oh, and Uncle says hi, by the way.”
Sokka perks up a little at the mention of Uncle, but then something a little akin to jealousy picks up. “Hey! The Jasmine Dragon is OUR place! You can’t go get Boba alone!!”
“Oh, Excuse me for enjoying chatting with someone other than you for a change! Besides, you never let me order the regular tea, so I have to come here on my own sometimes.”
Sokka sputters. “I let you! You can order! Oh, shut up.”
The line is quiet for a moment, until Toph speaks up again. “Okay, how much longer now?”
“We have… ok we have two minutes. Excuse me while I shut up and frantically refresh for the next two minutes until it loads.”
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” Toph’s statement is followed by the sounds of a long sip of tea, and a refreshed sigh.
The two minutes seem to crawl by, Sokka refreshing every time the site loads, hoping that he gets in a millisecond or two before someone else to snag two of the coveted VIP Meet and Greet tickets. When the page takes more than three seconds to load, Sokka’s heart skips a beat and he lets out a gasp. Sokka can hear Toph put down her mug over the speakerphone, clearly waiting with anticipation for Sokka’s success. He looks at the clock on his laptop, 10:00 staring back at him. The page bursts to life and Sokka hastily clicks on the VIP button. It takes him a minute to scroll down and find the right level of VIP [which vary from floor seats with a signed poster, to early show access and merch discounts, to the full meet and greet shebang] before requesting two tickets and clicking the “go”.
The page takes a few seconds to load, and Sokka’s heart feels like it is going to beat out of his chest. He glances to the clock, 10:03 glaring, his leg bouncing up and down in anticipation.
“Come on… come on…” he mutters, eyes continuing to glance back between the clock and the loading bar on the page. He notices the screen changing from the white loading screen, and his heart instantly sinks.
“Well?” Toph asks, her voice annoyed with waiting. “Did we get them or what?”
“Sold out,” Sokka replies. He doesn’t know what else to say, just stares at the screen incredulously. It is 10:04, and VIP Meet and Greet is ALREADY sold out. Before he even got a chance to buy tickets.
“Oh, Sokka,” Toph’s voice sounds a mix between concern and merriment. “Well, was meet and greet really necessary? I mean, it was a whole three hundred dollars more than the other tiers. Why don’t you just buy the next level down or something?”
“You don’t get it Toph,” Sokka says, his hands betraying his mind and going through the motions of purchasing the next level down. It still manages to put them in row 5 on the floor, near the center, right next to a walk-out platform, if the stage description is correct for the venue. But it hurts. “I just… we got row 5 by the way… I just needed to see him again. In person.”
“You’ll still be able to see him again from row 5, way more than I will anyways. Wait… what do you mean again?”
“Remember how back in my early days of my pop-punk phase, how I would tell my dad I was staying at your place, but really go into the city and use my fake to get into clubs and see bands performing? Well, four years ago I may or may not have seen Fire Nation Royalty performing… and I may or may not have madeoutwiththeleadsingerthatnight.” Even though he is alone in the house, Sokka can feel his face turning red.
“I’m sorry, I know I speak Sokka, but even I couldn’t tell you what you just said. I don’t think Uncle could either.”
Sokka blanches. “Do you have me on speaker phone?? In the middle of the Jasmine Dragon??”
“Hello young master Sokka,” comes the voice of Uncle over the phone. Sokka lets out a groan. “I am sorry about your inability to get the tickets you wanted. If I could help I would. However, let me offer this advice - sometimes you end up getting what you want even if it is not in the way you expected. I believe what is meant to be will be.”
“Thanks for the proverb, Uncle. Now Toph please take me off speakerphone.”
Uncle lets out a little chuckle, and Sokka can swear he can hear the gleam of a twinkle in the old man’s eye. “But you’ll have to come visit me the day after the concert – I want to hear all about it.”
“I’ll never say no to more tea!” Toph says. Sokka hears the sound of Uncle pouring some more tea for his friend, then the beep to signal he is no longer on speaker phone.
“Just so you know, Snoozles, I am the only one here other than Uncle, so no one else heard your little outburst. Now can we get back to the part where you said you MADE OUT with the lead singer of Fire Nation Royalty? Because I have heard interviews with them, and that girl is SCARY.”
“First off, I thought you didn’t hear what I had to say. And second, hey! I would never make out with Azula. She is like… terrifying. And her nails are always so sharp. And she may sing in many of their songs, but she is definitely not the lead singer. She plays keyboard! No, it was her brother. Zuko.” Sokka finishes with a sigh.
“Zuko,” Toph repeats mockingly. “Man, you sound like a lovesick puppy. What did that boy do to you? Was he really that good? And also - why haven’t I heard this story before?”
“Well… it was before they were famous. And they went by a different name back then. And… it was kind of a special moment and I didn’t want to ruin the memory by telling everyone about it. By the time they became famous, I doubted anyone would believe me anyways.”
“Well, you are known for your tall tales.”
Sokka makes an affronted noise, but doesn’t really argue against Toph’s point.
“You owe me that story sometime. Maybe tomorrow, over Boba? Besides, I have to go now, I’ve got things to do and people to not-see.”
“Boba, tomorrow. But we are getting that private secluded booth so no one can hear my mental breakdown as I relate this story to you, okay?”
“Deal,” Toph replies with a laugh. “Talk to you tomorrow!”
Before Sokka has the ability to reply, he hears the click of the phone ending the call. He looks forlornly at the confirmation page in front of him, clearly showing the fifth-row tickets, the promise of a goodie bag and merch pre-sale guaranteed, and tries to hold back the tears. He opens a new tab, and reloads the order page again, just to make sure. Even though it's already twenty past, and there would not be a way there are Meet and Greets left. The large flashing red MEET AND GREET SOLD OUT at the top of the page mocks him, and Sokka pushes the laptop away to rest his face in his hands on the table.
He closes his eyes, and instead of focusing on what he is going to miss out on, delves deep into his mind to relive the best night of his life.
The memory is clear as day, as if it happened only a week ago instead of four years ago. He was standing outside the venue, in the dark back alley, pacing as he talked to his dad on the phone. His heart was racing, having heard the best band he possibly ever had, and seeing the most beautiful boy he had ever seen shredding on the guitar and serenading him with that raspy voice. But right now, he had damage control to finish.
“No, Dad, Toph and I are going to bed soon. Promise. We haven’t been getting into any shenanigans, just watching old concert footage really loud. That’s why I didn’t hear your other calls. Honest.” This wasn’t the first time Sokka had to lie to his father about sleeping over at Tophs, or about not answering the phone because he was too engrossed in live music to answer. Thank Tui and La for a best friend like Toph who has fairly absent parents, enough money to secure him a fake ID, and is willing to pretend like Sokka was at her place all night instead of just from whatever time he gets back from the show.
Sokka continued to pace as his dad scolded him, reminding Sokka that the only reason he gets to go to sleepovers at Tophs in the first place is the agreement that he will answer his phone whenever his father calls.
“I promise I’ll answer the phone, dad,” Sokka had replied, his ear picking up the sound of a door opening and closing, and his eye catching movement. He looks up, eyes widening at the sight of who just walked out the door. “Um… you know what? Toph needs my help making a late-night snack… so I’m going to have to go! Love you! See you tomorrow!”
“Sokka, you can’t just dismiss-”
But Sokka didn’t hear what else his dad had to say. Because just ten feet over, leaning on the wall of the venue, head looking down at a phone as his fingers flew across the keys as easily as they strummed an electric guitar, was the lead singer of what is most likely going to become Sokka’s new favourite band. He took a deep breath, paced back and forth two more times before deciding it was now or never.
He took few steps towards the boy, but the guitarist didn’t even look up or notice that Sokka was there. It was then that Sokka could see up close the large scar that covers the boy’s left side of his face. In the dark light of the back alley, it makes him look even sexier than it did from the stage.
“Um, Hi,” Sokka said, clearing his throat. The boy jumped, his eyes widened as he looked up towards Sokka.
“I don’t have anything for you to steal, so get lost,” The guitarist had said, his raspy voice and angry glare causing something to stir in Sokka’s belly.
“No, I…” He paused, unsure what to say. “I’m not a mugger, I’m… I just watched your show. And I wanted to say… you guys are good. Like… really good.”
“Oh,” the boy replied, clearly not used to sincere compliments. His face had turned a deep shade of scarlett, amplified by the red lights in the alley. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Sokka said with a smile. “I mean it. I’ve been checking out the local scene for a while now, and I have to say, your band was by far the best one I’ve heard. Like, miles ahead of all the others.”
The guitarist smiled, but didn’t say anything, so Sokka took it as a sign to continue.
“The way your lyrics spoke to me - man. I never knew someone could truly and utterly explain the loss of a parental figure just through metaphors and sad guitar strings as well as you could. And that solo at the end of the set? Epic!” Sokka had smiled at the boy, enjoying the way his eyes had lit up at the compliment. “I’m Sokka by the way.”
“Zuko,” the guitarist had replied. “And… you aren’t just saying that? You really understood that ‘Times by the Turtleduck Pond’ was about my mom?”
Sokka nodded enthusiastically. “I mean, I was definitely crying by the end of it. I think it was the best song of your set.”
“Thanks,” Zuko replied, his eyes leaving Sokka’s face and casting towards their shoes. “It was the first time we played it outside of practice. To hear someone say they liked it, well, it means a lot."
"Oh yeah, of course I liked it! I liked the whole set! I mean, I could not stop staring at you -" Sokka had said, his face reddening upon realizing he said that out loud. He sees Zuko's mouth turn upwards, clearly a little amused. "Uh... because… because of the song. Not because of your face…"
Zuko's smirk at Sokkas earlier slip turns into a frown, but Sokka keeps going, digging the hole deeper
"... not that anythings wrong with your face, that is. It's just... it's nice to look at. Beautiful even. Moreso out here where I can see you up close than from the stage but…"
Zukos frown had disappeared, and that smirk was back. It sent something shooting down Sokka's body, sending a shiver up his spine.
"... you think I'm beautiful?" Zuko says playfully, looking at Sokka through his eyelashes.
"Well... I mean, that's obvious isn't it? You're the lead singer of a band, and that scar makes you look edgy and mysterious, but in like.... a sexy way?" Sokka doesn't know why he is still talking, but his mouth keeps going.
“Don’t let Azula hear you call me the lead singer,” Zuko says, eyes glowing and voice low, barely interrupting Sokka before the word vomit continues.
“And it helps that you've got the eyeliner on - really brings out the gold in your eyes. Plus you're so emotive when you're singing, its like I can hear your tortured soul through your music. Each song had such a different and unique sound, and the fact that you wrote most of them! I can tell how you’ve poured your heart and soul into each line and-"
Sokka is unable to continue, his mouth finally stopping due to it being otherwise occupied with Zukos lips, which have attached themselves to his own. Apparently for once, despite what Katara may say, Sokka’s big mouth has actually accomplished something for him.
The kiss is both too quick and too short, too tame and too hard, and as Zuko pulls away, Sokka wants more.
"Sorry that was-" Zuko starts.
"No, its fine, really"
"I mean I don't even know if you're"
"I was clearly into it, there’s two sides to every-"
"Do you mind if I?"
"Go ahead."
The two boys grew silent, a heated air hitting between them. Sokka spent a second looking into Zuko’s eyes, and the raw emotion he had seen staring back at him rocked him to his core. Next thing Sokka had known, his back was thrown against the dirty wall of the music venue, and Zuko’s lips had slotted themselves across his own.
The kiss was hot and fervent, and both boys fought for dominance. Sokka remembers the noise he heard when he had scratched his hands through the other boy’s hair, nearly tugging out the top knot. He remembered the feeling of his bottom lip being bitten, so hard it had felt swollen even two days later. He remembered a smell of charcoal, and the taste of cinnamon on his tongue. The feeling of rough hands, calloused from years of guitar playing, running over his face, his bare arms, sneaking under the hem of his shirt to run up and down his back.
He could honestly have lived in that kiss forever, a whimper escaping Sokka’s lips as Zuko had trailed kisses down the side of his neck, punctuating it with a nip on his shoulder, before slotting their lips back together. At some point in the heat of the kiss, Sokka had managed to pull out Zuko’s top knot, the elastic holding it up sliding easily onto his own wrist.
But the strongest memory Sokka has of the kiss is that it ended too soon, Zuko pulling back upon hearing his name called out by someone who had opened the back door to the venue.
“Zuko, stop picking up strays and get back in here. That agent Dad talked about is coming backstage. She wants to meet the band. The whole band.” A sigh was heard, then the distinctly female voice added an angry “We aren’t waiting for you,” before she had slammed the door closed.
Sokka had been in a daze, eyes glazed over as Zuko had apologized, given him a quick peck on the lips, before quickly sneaking off back through the door. By the time Sokka had come-to, and realized how big a mistake he had made by not asking Zuko for his number, he could hear the chatter as the rest of the crowd left the venue through the front. A part of Sokka had wanted to wait for Zuko to come back out, to kiss him again, to get his number, to anything. But the logical part of his brain reminded him that the last train back to Toph’s place just outside Gaoling left in ten minutes, and it was still a seven minute walk to the station.
And that was that. He had arrived at Tophs, who asked him about the concert, to which Sokka talked animatedly about the amazing band he had watched [failing to mention a certain meeting with a certain lead guitarist in a back alley] before promptly falling asleep on the futon. It wasn’t until the next morning that Sokka again noticed the small elastic on his wrist, a small golden flame reminiscent of the Fire Nation flag adoring it.
Sokka sighs as he comes out of the memory, revelling in the twisting in his stomach and faint way he can almost still feel Zuko’s lips on his. His right hand absently moves over the left wrist, tracing over the now familiar flame shape that hasn’t left his wrist since that day. Well, he supposes, looking back at the confirmation of their row 5 seats. The kiss and that day will just have to stay a beautiful memory forever then, no matter how much he wishes it could change.
His fingers absently move from his wrist to trace over his lips, back and forth over the area that had been bitten by Zuko that fateful night. Well, fateful his ass. If it was fate, Zuko would have come back out. Or Zuko would have given out his number. Or Sokka would not have been so dumb as to not give his number to Zuko. Or he would have waited for Zuko instead of going to catch a dumb train. Or he would have been able to go to any of the myriad of small venue concerts the band had played in the past four years that would have been so much more accessible. Or a million other things would have happened, not the least of which being obtaining VIP Meet and Greet tickets so that he could talk to Zuko about whatever it was that happened in the alleyway four years ago.
But then again, Sokka thinks to himself, Zuko is a big famous musician now. Who is to say that he is still hung up on a boy he made out with four years ago? Would he have even remembered who Sokka was? Maybe this was for the best - Sokka can continue to pine from afar, and he would never go through the heartbreak of Zuko not remembering their chance encounter. Sokka usually isn’t above trying to sneak backstage, but that's at small venues and he knows the type of security that goes on at these big arena shows.
It is probably for the best - Zuko is way too good for Sokka anyways. He will watch the show, hang out with Toph, and that’ll be that. Although, Sokka thinks with a groan, now he will have to live with Toph making fun of him at every turn about his unrequited little crush.
“Yeah, there is no way Zuko is hung up on a water tribe boy he had made out with once in some dirty dark alleyway,” Sokka says out loud to himself as he closes his laptop, already knowing he will spend the rest of the morning re-living that kiss over and over before having a nap on the couch. “Absolutely no way.”