Chapter Text
The first time they met was on a clear spring day, and Zuko wasn’t sure how he’d ended up in this situation. He had been practicing for an upcoming performance - his first proper live show as a professional fire dancer - when the poi left his hand and went flying DIRECTLY into a tree. A tree that immediately caught fire. A tree that was just far enough away from the house that the water hose couldn’t reach it. A tree that was just close enough to the house that he was panicking over it catching on fire.
Thankfully, his best friend was over to keep him company and had the common sense to call emergency services while Zuko was trying to get the water hose to reach further to put out the fire. Also thankfully, Toph was smart enough to point out he had a bucket to fill up with water to better put it out… Not that he would admit to Toph that she was right. Even in the midst of a slight panic, Zuko knew that would only inflate her already inflated ego.
It hadn’t taken long before the firetruck’s siren could be heard, but the fire was still going strong, and Zuko had finally admitted to himself that he wasn’t going to be the one to put it out. When the truck pulled up to his house and multiple men jumped out, Zuko flopped onto the ground next to Toph with a groan.
“I’ve always said growing up in my father’s house was hell, but I stand corrected. This is hell.”
Toph snorted and reached over, patting Zuko’s leg just below the knee. “Aw, it doesn’t look too bad from my perspective!”
“You’re blind.”
“Okay, and?”
Zuko huffed and put his face in his hand. This was so embarrassing. He was a professional firedancer now! How could he have let this happen to him? He was always extra precautious, making sure everything was safe, so how did he manage to let the poi slip from his hand? This was-
“Are you the owner of this place?” asked a surprisingly kind voice behind him, startling Zuko so badly he jumped.
He whipped around, his hair flying and smacking Toph in the face - “Ow! Dude!” - and Zuko was met with the prettiest blue eyes he had ever seen in his life. Stunned into momentary silence, he just blinked up at the fireman with a surprised expression.
“Uh..” Zuko very helpfully said.
That handsome firefighter blinked back at him, giving a bright smile. “I know, I’m super handsome and all, but I kinda need to fill out the incident report or Bato’s gonna kill me.”
Zuko shook his head and stood up quickly. “Yeah! Sorry. Yeah, this is my mom’s - no sorry. My house. Yep, that’s my house.”
Toph snorted from her seat on the ground. “Smooth.”
That earned her a light kick in the side from Zuko before he tried to give the firefighter a wobbly smile. The blue-eyed hottie in front of him let out a small chuckle before looking down to Toph then back up to Zuko.
“And is this your… partner or-?”
“Ew no!” Zuko interjected before the other man even finished his question. “Best friend, that’s all. I’m gay.” He paused. “Not that… you needed to know that. Hah…”
Zuko was going to combust on the spot. This was where he was going to die of embarrassment by simply combusting like some sort of combustion man. He was done for all because of the pretty man in front of him.
“No worries! I’m Sokka and I’m bi, so now that our sexualities are out there, can I ask you a few questions about what happened?” The man was still smiling as he seamlessly got the conversation back on track despite all of Zuko’s fumbling around. Zuko could kiss him he was so grateful.
He let out a sigh. “Thanks, yeah. I, uh, I’m Zuko. I was just practicing my fire dancing when the fire poi left my hand and went flying into the tree. I swear, it was an accident and not on purpose. I didn’t mean for it to happen, and when I went to put the fire out, the water hose was too short and the bucket didn’t do very much in the end to help. But that’s when you showed up, so we’re okay now! Thank you.”
The fireman - his name was Sokka - nodded, writing everything down on a little notepad. He nodded along until Zuko stopped talking.
“Oh! It’s no problem! It’s our job after all, and the fire didn’t spread from the tree, so it’s all good, Zuko.”
The way Sokka said his name sent a shiver up his spine, but Zuko just smiled and nodded at him before giving him additional information needed for the report. And if he watched as Sokka left, wishing he’d met him in any other capacity where a chance for something more could have been a possibility, well… that was for Zuko to know and no one else.
The second time they met was when Sokka was just about to get off shift. It’d been a long day of nothing but reports since Bato was annoyed he’d barely actually gotten information from the insanely hot guy who nearly burnt down a tree two days ago. While an actual fire was never a good thing, the chance to do something else was a relief. That relief, though, was short lived when he saw the address for their new call.
“Wait, that’s the hot guy who almost burnt a tree down!” he exclaimed, pulling on his equipment.
Bato rolled his eyes with a laugh. “Is that the way you’re remembering that guy? The ‘hot guy’?”
“Well, no, but…” Sokka shrugged, a slight flush spreading to his cheeks. “He WAS hot, okay? And looked about my age, too. If I’d met him anywhere else, I’d have asked for his number and tried to snag a date. He’s gay, so it’d work!”
Bato shook his head as he grabbed the last of his gear and rushed off to the firetruck. Sokka turned to follow him when Suki smacked his shoulder as she passed by him.
“Hurry up! Let’s go see your boyfriend!”
“He’s not my boyfriend!” he corrected, rushing after her to the truck.
Sokka absolutely ignored her quieter retort of ‘Not yet’ and did not mention that he’d had the same thought himself. It wasn’t something he was able to think about right now having only met Zuko once before in a professional capacity. He just hoped that this time wasn’t worse than the last fire the pretty man had caused.
When they arrived, Suki was the first out of the truck. She stopped in her tracks and stifled a laugh.
“Holy shit, it’s the same tree!”
Sokka shoved her to the side and snorted, seeing that it was, in fact, the exact same tree as last time. Zuko was in the middle of filling up buckets of water with the hose and tossing the buckets onto the tree, yelling something to the same woman who was there last time. Said woman was grinning like this was the funniest thing ever, and as Sokka and the others got closer, he could hear what she was saying to Zuko.
“Hey! Maybe the same guy as last time will show up and you can shut up about it!”
Zuko scowled and tossed another bucket of water on the tree. “Shut up, Toph! The truck’s almost-” He turned and their eyes met. “Sokka!”
“Oh, so he is here?” Toph quipped before moving her head around like she was looking for someone.
Bato laughed from behind Sokka and patted him on the back before going with Suki and the other firefighters to get the hose to put out the fire, leaving Sokka by himself and looking at Zuko and Toph. He raised his hand in greeting and smiled.
“Hey again! Zuko, right?” As if he didn’t remember this walking wet dream’s name. “I’d say nice to see you again, but I’m a bit concerned to see you again so soon It’s been, what, two days?.”
“Hah.. Yeah. I uh… suppose I should get a new poi since this one keeps flying out of my hand. I guess it really hates that tree?” Zuko grimaced at the reasoning he gave, but Sokka just laughed and walked closer to him.
“Don’t worry. So, is that what I should put in the report this time? Should I add a few embellishments like… ‘He said he specifically despises that tree and wishes to see it suffer before it’s dug up.’ or something like that?”
Zuko rolled his eyes and gave Sokka a frown and work be damned, Sokka wanted to ask him for his number right then and there. He loved a man who looked hot while frowning, and this guy seemed like a jackpot… aside from possibly being an arsonist.
The third time they met, it wasn’t at Zuko’s home. He was at the studio with the others, practicing the performance piece when he got distracted of all things by wondering if Sokka would be one of the firefighters on duty for their performance. That distraction led to his poi knocking into someone else’s and everything went to hell from there. By the time the firetruck arrived, Zuko was annoyed and mad at himself to the point where he lit a cigarette and sat on the ground. Hopefully Sokka wouldn’t be here this time.
Unfortunately, the moment he thought that, Sokka’s voice came from behind him, loud and clear and very much here.
“Started another fire?”
Zuko grumbled and pulled the cigarette from his lips before speaking. “It was just an accident from dancing.”
Sokka plucked the cigarette from his fingers and grinned at him. “An accident? But it’s the third time this week, fire boy. Someone’s really been wanting to see me, huh?”
And then he had the absolute audacity to put Zuko’s cigarette to his lips and take a deep drag. The cigarette that Zuko had just used. The cigarette that had been in his own mouth first. He was so shocked by the display in front of him that it took a moment for Sokka’s words to even register for him, and when they did, Zuko’s entire face shifted to a bright crimson that Sokka seemed to take as a confirmation to his question.
“Actually?” Sokka asked, eyes going comedically wide. “Wait, Zuko, did you you actually want to see me again???”
Zuko turned his face away and grumbled a “shut up” in response before nodding to answer his question. There was silence from Sokka for another moment before Zuko glanced over to him and saw that his face was just as red as his own was. It took a second for Zuko to get the courage to even move, but when he finally did, he reached over to take the cigarette back from Sokka. Their eyes met as Zuko placed it back to his own lips to take another drag. Sokka’s eyes dropped down to watch Zuko’s lips, absently licking his own as he watched.
“How… about I give you my personal number? That way you don’t have to start any more fires just to see me.”
Zuko pulled the cigarette away and raised an eyebrow, trying to keep his cool at the suggestion. He nodded, giving Sokka the smallest of smiles.
“I think I’d like that, Sokka.”
Exchanging numbers didn’t take too long, and before he knew it, Sokka was leaving again with his crew - though not without giving Zuko a bright grin and a wave. Zuko watched them go, feeling like maybe, just maybe, starting a few fires by mistake wasn’t going to be the end of his new career. Now he just had to finish this performance practice before he could go home and lose his mind over getting the hot firefighter’s personal phone number.