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“Hi I’m Sokka, do you want to be friends?” Sokka had seen the new kid on the playground sitting alone on the bench and he wasn't the type of kid to let someone be alone.
The older kid smiled up at him, "I'm Zuko, I'm about to turn nine."
Sokka wasn't sure what difference it made, "I'm only seven but that's okay! You're still gonna be my friend. Let's go play on the monkey bars. I'm really good at them."
"Okay." Zuko said, following closely behind him. He was new to this school and hadn't really connected with anyone in his class yet. He had a feeling that no matter what Sokka was gonna talk to him.
Sokka was right, Zuko was going to be his friend. His best friend.
That night Sokka went home and told his parents all about the new kid. How he didn’t have anyone to play with and how he lived just down the street. So he wanted to go over there everyday to play after school. How Zuko was about to turn nine and how he really, really, really wanted to go to the birthday party even if he was going to be the youngest kid from school there.
Of course Sokka was allowed to go to the party, and he had such an amazing time with his new best friend. Even though they'd spent every recess and every day after school together.
"I'm so glad you invited me, Zuko. I've had so much fun." Sokka said way too excitedly, "This is the best party I've ever been to."
They quickly became best friends, they would meet everyday for both recess and lunch. They would take turns going to each other’s houses, and when they weren’t together they were usually on the phone.
They would joke about how one day they should just get married so they never had to spend time apart, and about how that way no dumb girls could ever get in the way.
When Sokka was twelve and Zuko was fourteen they decided to build a treehouse in the woods behind Sokka’s house.
“Your dad is so cool.” Zuko said, hammering in the final nail and stepping back to admire his handwork, “My dad would never have let us do something like this.”
Sokka kept his words to himself, in the past few years they started spending less and less time at Zuko’s house. Sokka had nothing good to say about Zuko’s dad. He just didn’t like being around him.
Instead Sokka threw his arm around his best friend and exclaimed, “It’s not perfect, but it’s ours damn it!”
As a preteen Sokka was pretty new to swearing and every time he did it Zuko couldn’t help but laugh at how stupid he sounded.
“Hey maybe one day after we’re married we can fix it up and live out here away from the rest of the world.” Zuko replied, he looked at Sokka like the stars that shined.
“Yeah the rest of the world sucks.” Sokka said, “You suck too though”
“I’m going to beat you up one of these days, I swear.” Zuko said this to him all the time, he never did though. “You don’t have the balls to even kiss me, much less marry me.”
“Dare me?” Sokka responded, and Zuko nodded yes but as soon as Sokka tried Zuko ran.
A few more years passed as such, but it had been at least two years since the last time Sokka spent the night at Zuko’s house. Zuko didn’t talk to his dad much after his mom died and he envied the ever blooming relationship Sokka had with his sister. He felt like more of their family then his own.
When Sokka was fifteen Zuko would drive Sokka home from school everyday. Most times he’d have to wait around until Sokka was done with volleyball practice. Other day Sokka would have to wait till Zuko was done with rehearsal.
It was the night before Zuko’s 17th birthday, they were sitting together in his truck. They were next to the creek outside of town, not too far from their old tree house. Katara and her friends took it over.
Sokka watched as Zuko lit a cigarette, he was definitely no longer the little boy he used to be. Sokka looked at him totally differently than he used to. He hated the smell of smoke but man did he love Zuko.
“Dude I can’t believe I’m going to be seventeen tomorrow.” Zuko said breathing out, “Like I graduate next year.”
Sokka just continued to nod along as he stared, a lump formed in his throat.
“It’s gonna suck behind at college without you for a year.” Zuko kept on while flicking his finished butt out the window. “Whatever college I get into you have to apply to, I mean I know you can get into any college you want but I can’t imagine being away from you for a year much less four. I mean I’m gonna facetime you like every minute. Sokka are you okay? You haven’t said anything in like four minutes, which is like a record for you.”
Sokka nodded, “I just, Zuko, I need to tell you something.”
Zuko turned and looked him dead in the eyes, he was always ready to pick a fight for Sokka, “Okay?”
“Zuko, I think I like you.”
The tension hung in the cab, “I would hope so, you’re my best friend. I like you too, Sokka.”
“No Zuko, I like you.”
“Oh….OH.” Zuko realized, memories flooded back to his mind. He was always joking about getting married to Sokka or daring him to kiss him, but maybe. “I’m cool with that.”
“You’re cool with that?” Sokka laughed feeling embarrassed, he reached for the door handle, “I’m going home, sorry I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No Sokka stop it.” Zuko said, grabbing his hand and pulling him in. He grabbed his face and kissed him, it took Sokka a second but he kissed back.
They pulled apart faces still inches apart, Zuko’s hands still on Sokka’s face.
“I’m really cool with that.” Sokka laughed.
A few months passed and they were happy, so very happy. Somehow they spent even more time together, and even more time in Zuko’s truck away from the rest of the world.
Before they knew it it was already summer, Zuko working his minimum wage job and Sokka helping his dad with the family business.
“Dude I hate that stupid fucking job.” Zuko said sliding into the passenger's seat of his own truck, ever since Sokka had turned 16 he’d let him take it while he was at work. He handed a cup to Sokka.
“You brought me a smoothie, I actually love you.” The words just slipped out before he had control. They hadn’t said it before. “I’m sorry I didn’t-”
“It’s okay.” Zuko said nervously, “I love you too.”
This 2am profession of love didn’t stay joyful as the couple began to bicker about coming out and telling people about their relationship.
Sokka didn’t understand how Zuko felt, of course Sokka’s family would be loving and supportive, hell he would bet they already knew. Sokka was all Zuko really had.
This night ending with a silent treatment as Zuko dropped him off at home, Sokka slammed the truck door behind him. This was the first time they hadn’t kissed goodnight.
Sokka was woken up at 7am from the sound of his phone buzzing.
Zuko was calling him.
As soon as he answered he could hear that he’d been crying, “Sokka? Sokka. I told my dad about us. I just wanted to make you happy.”
There was a silence as the weight of the situation took hold.
“I can’t see you anymore Sokka, I’m so sorry I love you.”
Click.
Sokka curled up into a ball and sobbed for hours. He’d just lost the most consistent part of his life. Even when his mom died Zuko also was able to relate. They grew up together, they grieved together, they loved together, and now they were falling apart.
“Fuck this.” It has only been two hours since the phone call but Sokka decided he wasn’t giving up without a fight. He pushed himself out of bed, grabbing his keys and phone. He walked downstairs.
“Going to see Zuko, I bet.” Katara chimed in from the couch.
Sokka sped breaking every speed limit ever made, he ran to a store and bought flowers. He wasn’t losing part of him.
When he got to Zuko’s house he slammed the car door shut behind him running to the front door.
He banged on the door, whilst screaming, “Zuko please just talk to me.”
Nothing
“Just come down here!”
Nothing.
He decided if Zuko wouldn’t come down he’d just go inside.
Sokka turned the door knob, and when he stepped inside it was empty.
Totally empty.
Sokka didn’t get out of bed for a week after that. He’d never felt so empty in his life.
He also didn’t hear from Zuko again, all the calls would go to voicemail, one day Sokka sent a text and got one back saying the number was disconnected. Years later he would try again only to have a woman he didn’t know answer the phone.
Sokka went off to college, the one he thought he’d be going to with Zuko. He stayed on the volleyball team and made a lot of friends. Even had a couple of flings, and a girlfriend for a while. Nothing real though. He was happy, mostly, and he never ever dared to tell anyone about where his heart actually was. He never talked about his ex.
He lied in bed most nights scrolling through old photos, and old text messages. He even found a private instagram one day that he could have sworn was actually Zuko. He was still out there somewhere, and he was still Sokka’s. At least in Sokka’s mind. He believed they would be reunited one day. It was easier to think that than deal with the fact that maybe Zuko could be dead.
It was a rainy night during finals week, Sokka’s last finals week. He was more than ready to graduate, and move onto getting his masters. He was emailing in his final paper when he heard a knock on his door.
He jumped up to open it thinking that Aang forgot his keys again.
“Oh my god.” Sokka could not believe who he was looking at. Zuko looked almost the same as he did back in highschool, except now he was standing there soaking wet with a huge scar over his eye he didn’t have before.
“Sokka, I am so sorry. I totally understand if you hate me and want me to -”
Sokka cut him off with a huge hug, “Oh my fucking god, you’re alive. You’re okay. You’re here. You’re actually here.”
Zuko let out a sigh he didn’t know he’d been holding in as Sokka pulled him inside. “I know you probably have a lot of questions.”
It didn’t matter right now, “It’s okay, take your time. Are you alright? Are you hungry? Do you need something? Sit. Sit down.”
“Sokka, I’m fine. I promise.” Zuko said sitting down anyways, he’d driven all night in the pouring rain. “The night I left, you deserved better than that and I’m sorry. I told my dad about us, and he lost it. He moved us that night, and -” He stopped and pointed to his eye. Sokka wanted to sob, he just took his hand. “Ever since then he’s been controlling our lives. Until yesterday, he died.”
“Oh.”
“I knew finding you was the first thing I had to do.”
“Zuko, I am so sorry.” Sokka said, pulling his hand closer to his body, “I have thought about you every second of every day since. I’m not mad, I’m just glad you’re okay. Please stay.”
He did stay.
No one in Sokka’s family said anything about Zuko being at his graduation. Katara just hugged him tightly. He was the loudest person in the crowd despite being denied the experience, and the fact he was grieving all the years he lost with Sokka.
When they met up outside they hugged each other.
“You did it, I’m so fucking proud of you.” Zuko said picking him up, when they pulled away they looked at each other and kissed.
It was over in a second, and it was like it never happened. Zuko went back to Sokka’s room as soon as he started taking photos with his family.
When Sokka got back to his room he was alone, cap and gown hung over his arm and his tie undone. “Hey are you okay? You kinda just left back there.”
Zuko looked up from his phone, “Yeah sorry, I just don’t like photos anymore. You know with the huge burn and all.”
Sokka sat down next to him, taking his hands. “I still think you look good. I mean it looks pretty badass too.”
“Sokka, I’m sorry I kissed you.”
“Don’t be sorry.” Sokka said, chuckling to himself, “I’m not mad at you for anything, ever. I have just missed you so goddamn much.”
Zuko smiled as Sokka put his hand next to his scar. Sokka meant it this time, when he kissed Zuko he kissed him with all the missing him he’d done the past five years. It felt like no time had passed and nothing had changed.
As soon as they pulled away Sokka blurted, “I want you to move in with me.”
“What?” Zuko said
“I just, I dunno. You don’t have to. I just don’t know if you have anywhere else you can go. I got an apartment that I’m moving into before I start my grad program. I want you to come live with me.”
“I’m cool with that.”
Sokka laughed, classic them. “I never stopped loving you Zuko, and I never will.”
He never did.
Zuko loved living in their apartment with his boyfriend. He finally got the chance to go to college. He was getting his undergrad at the same time Sokka was getting his masters. Everything felt right in the world.
Until Sokka came home to an empty apartment one day, a year to the day of seeing Zuko again. He was meer days away from getting cloaked.
As soon as Sokka turned his keys and swung the door open his heart dropped. This could not be happening again.
He pulled his phone out and had two texts from Zuko.
One was an address and the other read, “I don’t want to be your boyfriend anymore.”
Sokka didn’t hesitate this time, he slammed the door behind him and sped to the address Zuko sent him.
He pulled into the parking lot of a house, he knew this house, he’d been sending Zuko photos of it for weeks. It was his dream house, how he wanted his future home to look. Before he could even knock the door was opened. The house was filled with his things and his furniture. His Zuko was standing in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Surprise!” Zuko gestured around him, “I know how much you loved this place, so I bought it. It’s ours.”
“How did you do all this while I was at work?” Sokka asked
“He had help.” Katara shouted from upstairs.
“Wait, why did you buy me a house?” Sokka whispered so his family upstairs couldn’t hear, “You said you didn’t even want to be my boyfriend anymore.”
“Right, that.” Zuko said he took a step closer to Sokka before kneeling to the ground, and pulling out a ring box. Sokka was already sobbing, “Sokka, we have been through so much. I have loved you since we were kids, and I spent so much time away from you. I never want to go another day without you ever again. Will you stop being my boyfriend and be my husband?”
Sokka choked back tears, nodding quickly and pulling Zuko into a hug, “I’m cool with that.”