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babydotcom · 3 years

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okay i don't know if anyone's said this before but i think hakoda and bato's relationship is really important to sokka accepting his attraction to men. this absolutely got away from me so the analysis is under the cut. i'd appreciate it if you gave this a read!

we all know sokka sees his dad as the pinnacle of Manliness, and spends so much of his childhood and teenage years trying to live up to this standard he feels hakoda has set for him (whether or not this perception is accurate). he is supposed to be a warrior, a protector, a leader. he is supposed to be strong. this is why he represses all of his negative emotions, all his grief, sadness, rage, hurt. it's why he falls madly in love with the first sweet, emotional, kind, traditionally feminine girl he's ever met that he's not related to, because yue compliments his perception of manhood. it's why suki, a woman who is all of the things he thinks a man should be, is confusing to him. suki opens his eyes a little bit, because she is an attractive girl that also embodies manhood the way sokka thinks he should.

from the beginning of book two on, we see sokka be more honest with himself about his attraction to men, even if he's not so open about it. there's the boulder, chong in the cave of two lovers, and zuko (he was flirting at the western air temple i don't care. this isn't about shipping anyway). these are men that sokka textually finds attractive, so he knows he's not straight. this doesn't fit into his perception of manhood- hakoda's love for kya was incredible, so of course sokka would ingrain heterosexuality into manhood. he never voices this same-sex attraction (i know this is nickelodeon, but you know what i mean), but it's pretty much a no-brainer that a relationship with suki, who he perceives as being man-adjacent, is something he wants so much to pursue.

from book two on, we also see sokka sort of reevaluate this manhood standard by expanding his horizons. he finally is expressing himself creatively. first is the haiku club in ba sing se-- when else have we seen him trying to impress girls by meeting them where they're at, using his words in poetry to impress them rather than performing some act of machismo? second and infinitely more importantly is in Sokka's Master. the entire episode is about sokka proving (and realizing) his worth, and to him he is only worth anything if he is a perfect man, if he is like his father. for someone training to be a swordsman, we actually see sokka do little swordfighting in comparison to how much art (which for the sake of this post we'll consider traditionally feminine) he does. he never once complains about this, but his appreciation of the arts changes over the course of his training. for his first calligraphy practice, sokka tries, sure, but he doesn't take it seriously. he mushes his face into the paper, taking the easy, and the more brash route to the end goal.

he approaches his first spar with *checks notes* fat, the same way. he tries, but fails spectacularly because he takes the brash and easy route, making the most obvious first strike against his opponent. he sucks with the sword, so far. it's only after he takes piandao's painting lesson seriously-- or as seriously as he's capable of-- that he has any sort of breakthrough in his swordfighting. his development as a swordsdman, his mastering of a masculine activity and fighting style, is dependent on his acceptance of art and emotion and creativity, of femininity. piandao's training, his emphasis on the arts, is what made sokka a great swordbender. in realizing his worth, sokka had to accept femininity into his ideal of man.

back to hakoda and bato. sokka doesn't get a lot of time with his dad before the invasion on the day of black sun, because obviously they have a war to fight. but what time he does have with hakoda is spent spiraling over his worth as a man yet again, because hakoda has shown just how much sokka has yet to grow as a leader. it's neither of their faults, but hakoda showing up sokka at the planning meeting causes a blockage in sokka's growth, just after he'd reached new heights in sokka's master. sokka's back to feeling like shit, and this is compounded by the failure of the invasion. that moment at zuko's coronation, when hakoda tells sokka that's he proud of him, after sokka had been absolutely crucial to winning the war? that's means the world to him. his Ideal his proud of him.

i imagine that during the war, hakoda and bato weren't together. hakoda was still mourning kya (and he always will be, but the wound was fresher then), and then they were fighting for their lives. so, i think when they do get together, it's not terribly long after the war. sokka seeing them start a romantic relationship is what allows him to finally embrace his attraction to men. his father, his chief, his pinnacle of manliness, can love other men and express that openly. hakoda is the Typical Father in that we don't really see him actually vulnerable other than that moment in boiling rock when he tears up at seeing sokka, so to see his father in a loving relationship again, with bato, his life long best friend, would be incredibly powerful for sokka. it finally clicks that sokka can love a man, too, and that loving a man does not make him less of one. before bakoda get together, sokka probably fears ever coming to terms with his same-sex attraction. he knows that hakoda loves him absolutely, but the nagging voice in most, if not all, queer peoples' heads still makes sokka wonder if hakoda would respect him as a man if he were in a gay relationship, regardless of how much hakoda loves him. to have that worry soothed... that's everything to him, when it comes to his sexuality and acceptance of himself.

much of sokka's arc throughout the series is about deconstructing that idea of manhood he's held onto since he was a little boy, and redefining masculinity in terms that embrace the feminine parts of him that make him such a great warrior, protector, and leader. he is loving in his protectiveness, he is soft in his strength, he is creative and artistic in his leadership. sokka's development in this regard is incomplete by the end of the series, because he's 15 and nobody is done growing up at that age, but him getting his dad back, and finding that his ideal isn't really what he thought, has him on the right track to fully embracing himself as a man whose strengths go beyond the idea that he created as a kid, and whose love goes beyond gender. i just think that's neat.

#i've been working on this post for hours and idk if i said everything i wanted to say but here it is #i think sokka's arc is so beautiful man #it's all about acceptance and open-mindedness and self-worth and self-love #i love him #sokka #hakoda #bakoda #bi sokka #even if sokka ends up in a het relationship that boy is a FRUIT #atla #avatar the last airbender #analysis #atla analysis #mine

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imreallyhereforkataang · 3 years

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hello, i don’t know who to ask about this but i’m new to the fandom and saw that you really like kataang. what’s your interpretation of katara’s glance down after the kiss before the invasion? i’m not a fan of the surprise kiss trope but even with that said, i had thought she liked him back. it didn’t seem like she did at that point or through the rest of book 3, and then next thing we knew they were endgame in the finale. sorry for being a bother, i’m just a little confused (like katara i guess haha)

Hi, Anon! Welcome to the fandom! Hopefully it treats you nicely lol.

Ah yeah. I've seen this talked about a lot over the years. And, y'know, I get it. It can seem a little out-of-place at first since, as you noted, Katara shows signs of being romantically interested in Aang beforehand, and now that they've had their second kiss, she doesn't look too happy about it. As someone who ships them, I initially would have loved to see them happy in that moment, to take another minute to themselves just to share grins and maybe laugh a bit because they've taken that step, put their feelings out into the open, and they're both glad for it. To a shipper, or to someone who's rooting for our protagonist to express his feelings, this does feel like a celebratory moment. I'm taken out of the context of the scene for a second because the pretty music has shot in and I'm still surprised at Aang's move and I'm happy to see an actual, mutual (as Katara leans in) kiss between them.

Then again, this situation is a lot realer for them than it is for me. I'm the viewer, I can hear The Cave of Two Lovers' theme, I can see this being painted in a positive light because we see these two come together for a brief moment, and the narrative is, in a sense, praising that. In-universe, though, it's a bit more complicated, and Katara looking sad really isn't so out-of-place.

Remember where they are and what they're doing, what they were saying moments before and what they're about to risk. For them, this is the quiet before the storm, their possibly final goodbye. Aang is about to fly off and face his destiny, confront what he's been training for over most of the year, "since the day we met" as Katara puts it, and determine the fate of the world based on whether he wins or loses. Whether he comes back or not. And he puts the reality of the situation out there. "What if...what if I don't come back?" It's the threat of that possibility that spurs him to kiss Katara. And she figures as much.

Despite the music suggesting otherwise, this isn't a happy scene (and perhaps that's why we don't get the full score until the finale, because this kiss is only foreshadowing what could be). It's tense, and bittersweet, and pretty tragic imo. Aang knows he could die. He says so. And then he kisses her. And I feel like Katara breaking out into a great big smile in that moment, even though she does have feelings for him, would just seem off. Idk, personally I'm not sure how you (impersonal) can celebrate finally kissing the person you like when you remember that what drove them to make their move just now is the very real possibility they might never see you again. That they're about to leave and face that risk, and there's nothing for you to do about it. Seems like an upsetting situation to be in.

There's also the fact that I'm skeptical Katara didn't already know Aang had feelings for her. I'm not saying it was always on her mind or that she paid much attention to it, she may have been putting all that stuff on the back burner or pretending it wasn't there as much as it was (including her own feelings) to focus on more important things, but I think she at least knew it subconsciously. I mean, Aang's not very subtle sometimes lol, and they've shared plenty of moments. So when Aang kisses her and Katara jerks back and her eyes widen in surprise, it's not because she didn't expect Aang to have these feelings (at least imo), but because she was in the middle of talking and is taken aback that Aang broke the unspoken barrier between them.

They're touchy feely throughout the show. Katara's kissed him on the cheek plenty of times, they've even kissed on the lips before now. They have sparks, and they've been dancing around them quite a lot, from the Book 3 premiere at the latest. But they haven't gone that extra step to put it out there too far, where there's no mistaking the meaning behind these gestures. I think, on Katara's end, she would have been okay with putting off making any official moves for a while, given the war and several other possible factors preventing her from feeling able to spend too much conscious thought and emotion on it, and so she's surprised that Aang's kissed her because they'd been keeping their more romantic intentions implicit up until then. She won't be realizing afterwards or celebrating in her head that "omg, the guy I('ve sorta been avoiding my feelings for but actually do) like likes me back," because she’s known this, but it’s been left unsaid and kept slightly quiet in Katara's musings. Now, it's out there in the open, they're past the safe zone, there's little room for ignoring the feelings anymore, and it sucks so much that they had to make their way there now. It's such tragic timing, a kiss that doesn't stem from a smiles and rainbows conversation where they sit down to talk about their feelings and where they want to go from there, but a kiss done out of desperation, out of the possibility that Aang doesn't come back. Through that lens, it's almost like they kissed "too early," especially for what happens next.

See, my impression is that Aang's kiss was meant for two possible scenarios -- Aang loses and thus doesn't come back, which means there's obviously no future for him and Katara. Alternatively, the day is won, the war is over, he comes back and the world is finally at peace; they can stop running, they can celebrate and breathe and talk about where they're going from here in an environment more appropriate for that. And since Katara kissed him back, it seems like she affirmed that there's something there for them, given he returns. But instead, something happens that I don't think they anticipated. Aang does come back, but he didn't win. So, in terms of Katara and Aang, they're now at a bit of an impasse, a situation that their kiss wasn't intended for, and it leads to this semi-awkward limbo because Aang's still alive but ideally that kiss between them wouldn't have happened yet.

Everyone needs to regroup, start it all over again, keep grinding and come up with a new plan. There's no time to get sidetracked, now more than ever. And, to me, that's reflective of what happens to Katara after Aang kisses her and takes off from the sub.

Katara's reaction is to dwell on the kiss. She wants to, but Sokka reminds her that there's no time to. So Katara snaps herself out of it, and she moves on. And then they survive the Day of Black Sun, but the fight isn't over for them yet.

You asked about the DoBS kiss, so I'm not gonna waste your time hyper-analyzing Ember Island Players because there is a lot that's been offered and discussed about that episode. But if you were to simplify the reason for Katara's stance there, it's pretty much just holding up what was established in DoBS.

At the Invasion, while caught up in surprise because she had an expectation that they wouldn't broach the subject this way, if at all, for a while, Katara kissed Aang back, and she kissed him back because she wanted to. But since then, she's had more time to think, and she won't be so caught off guard next time. Aang expresses during EIP that he wants to try a relationship with Katara sooner rather than later, and that he'd thought she felt the same since she kissed him back (as well as the moments they shared before), but Katara is adamant now about this not being the right time. She fully intends to keep her head in the game, like Sokka reminded her at the Invasion. That's essentially what she thinks Aang needs to remember now, too (and yeah, like I said, there are other ideas that can be brought in that contribute to the articulation, but this is the primary point being conveyed here).

Whatever the reason, her response causes Aang to reevaluate his conclusion about where they stand. Even though the war isn't over, he thought that, because he survived and Katara accepted his kiss before, maybe they could try anyways. But Katara still feels stuck in limbo, and she makes that clear. It's also significant to note that Katara doesn't make Aang any promises about being together after the war, which imo was a good move on the writers' part (I have a wip about this but idk when that'll be done lol). Anyways, Aang backs off, following her lead and putting romance aside.

I do want to talk about the second half of Book 3 as a whole, though, not just EIP. I've seen people criticize this portion of the story in terms of Kataang, but I think that, besides the substance of these episodes, it's important to keep in mind that the last 10 episodes of the series (The Western Air Temple and on) originally aired 7.5 months after Day of Black Sun. Not only that, but these episodes all aired within the same week. It was a big, hyped-up event on Nickelodeon dubbed "Countdown to the Comet," and it took place over the course of 6 days. That sort of schedule for finishing a show is...unusual. But it was also intentional here.

Even though the episodes don't have to be watched that way, the final 10 episodes are, in a way, all together the final big bang of the series. They're majorly dedicated to the most critical elements of the main story, including Zuko finally, after 2.5 seasons, joining the gaang and him finding his place in it. I'd say that The Western Air Temple to The Southern Raiders are most generally about that, about Zuko being accepted and making amends especially to the original three members of the gaang (who he's hurt much more than Toph). The viewer is gratified by watching Zuko do what we all hoped for him, forming relationships with Aang, Sokka, and Katara after all this time, merging our most important A and B plots. The other major things the last 10 episodes are for are the final battle, of course, because that's going to be our conclusion to this journey, and Aang's preparation for it.

So yes, onscreen interactions between Aang and Katara are fewer, but by no means does that make the rest of Book 3 an undoing of what they have. All their setup has been established, we're good on that, and we're going to leave that relatively be for now while we delve into the action until we're ready to revisit. And besides, imo, they still have extremely critical moments in the last 10 episodes that I am deeply, deeply happy exist. They're more subtle and less explicitly romantic -- a lot of them take place when they're not even around each other, but they speak volumes to me about how Aang and Katara have influenced each other, and how important the other is to them.

These 10 episodes are like a refocus of our largest priorities, and Kataang coming together is put on hold (again, I think that benefits the main story) for the end. But even though we watch less scenes where they're together, with more scenes of Zuko joining and hanging out with each of them individually in place, there's hardly indication of Katara and Aang avoiding each other after their DoBS kiss, or even post-EIP.

They're still friends first. What they're avoiding is not each other, but a new possibility for themselves, because right now they're choosing to ground their feet in what they have. Basically, around each other, they're pretending what unfolded between them never happened until, possibly, on Katara's say so, it's appropriate to resume that aspect of their relationship.

And after the war, probably into a few months of peace (based on the state of Sokka's leg), she decided it was. She felt ready, and they dove right in.

I hope that clears things up! And don't worry, you weren't a bother at all! I love talking about these two, but unfortunately I became really busy the past couple days (plus this response got deleted and I couldn't salvage it because I saved a copy of a cursed screenshot of Aang and ig it was scary enough to erase my clipboard history :3). Thanks for your patience lol!

#i hate tumblr it happened again #id in alt text #kataang #kataangtag #atla #avatar the last airbender #katara #aang #irhfk replies #oh yes and btw i have LONG been aware of the other storyboard lol #i have also listened to the official commentary for this ep #the girl is sad for him yk #and she been knew he has feelings for her #so i'd appreciate if ppl would not rb the other storyboard. seeing as it's not canon it's irrelevant to the conversation

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tickly-tufts · 4 years

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Different Yet Familiar

you know i thought this fic would turn out a bit spicier, and that the focus would be sokka wrecking zuko... but then i ended up getting sentimental and stretching the meaning of “tickled to tears”

behold the end result

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“How do they feel?” Sokka asked, eyeing the Fire Lord’s bound wrists.

“Soft,” Zuko replied, tugging his arms a few times. “...and sturdy,” he confirmed when the fabric ties didn’t give.

“Sounds good, and you remember the safeword?”

“Turtleducks?”

They both huffed in amusement.

“Yeah, okay, I guess we’re ready to go.” Sokka grinned as he climbed onto the bed.

The ambassador started with Zuko’s lips, kissing them softly and slowly. Zuko tasted lightly of spice, though Sokka couldn’t say what spice it was. While his eyes were shut, he felt Zuko lean forward, eagerly attempting to deepen the kiss. Though every part of him yearned to give in, he still found the willpower to drag himself away.

Sokka smirked when Zuko let out a whine, pecking him on the cheek to make him stop pouting. “We’ll come back to that later. Just be patient.”

Reluctantly, Zuko obeyed.

Drifting lower, Sokka moved to his neck, planting down another kiss before sucking on the skin. He smiled when Zuko made a noise of approval, then shifted his attention towards his throat. Sokka lingered there a bit longer, content to simply nuzzle against him. He halted, however, when Zuko giggled, the sound coming out surprisingly shrill.

“Not quite the reaction I was going for.” Sokka lifted his head, confused but endeared. “Did you just think of something funny?”

“Your goatee was... rubbing on me...” Zuko struggled not to blush.

“Oh.” Sokka paused. “Oh,” he repeated. He stared as if seeing Zuko for the first time. “I can’t believe I forgot you were ticklish. It really has been way too long...”

He recalled teasing Zuko relentlessly when they were teens, taking ample advantage of the prince’s ticklishness. He’d discovered it during their time at the Western Air Temple. The memories felt ancient, yet no less vibrant. It had been quite a shock at the time, to learn the fearsome firebender had such a silly weakness, but that made it all the more entertaining when Sokka won half their sword matches by tickling him into submission.

They’d spent so many days together back then, before the end of the war brought with it new responsibilities. Sokka couldn’t help but mourn the following years of distance, though he supposed everything still worked out in the end. Now taking in the sight of Zuko beneath him, Sokka couldn’t help but marvel at how far they’d come. However, it wasn’t until Zuko spoke up that Sokka realized the opportunity he’d stumbled upon.

“Sokka, look, I know what you’re thinking,” Zuko rushed to dissuade him. Little did he know that he was digging his own grave, leading Sokka straight to the root of his worry.

“What am I thinking?” Sokka raised an eyebrow, taking great pleasure in watching Zuko stammer. It never ceased to amaze him how Zuko delivered grand speeches, yet still fumbled so easily in casual conversation. “Actually, scratch that. I’ll just tell you. I was remembering how cute you were whenever I used to tickle you.” The corner of Sokka’s mouth curled upwards. “Are you still as ticklish as you were back then?”

“Don’t you dare,” Zuko threatened, though he was about as intimidating as a baby dragon. “Weren’t you the one who said you had plans? Tonight’s about-”

“-trying something different.” Sokka grinned when Zuko faltered. “Sorry, sweetheart, but this is happening.” The firebender shivered at the endearment. “Now then... where should we start?”

Sokka soon returned to Zuko’s neck, nuzzling the area with playful intent. Zuko immediately resumed giggling, tickled by the brush of his facial hair.

“You know, I wasn’t sure the goatee look was for me, but I think this proves that it was a good choice. What do you think?” Sokka questioned. “Do you like it?”

“Y-You’re the wohohorst...”

“Aww, c’mon, that’s not an answer.” Sokka put on an exaggerated frown. “But I guess you can’t really see it from this angle. Why don’t I sit back and try something else?”

Sokka proceeded to do just that, straightening up to survey his options. He was pleased to note Zuko already looked flustered, cheeks dusted a flattering shade of pink. His gaze lingered on Zuko’s bound wrists, gradually trailing downwards from there. His eyes lit up when they reached Zuko’s underarms.

“Remind me... were you ticklish here?”

Zuko flinched when Sokka’s hands came to rest against his hollows. For a moment, they were still, until Sokka started scratching. Though he knew it was futile, he still tried to resist the feeling, actually doing a decent job until Sokka caught on.

“Does the Fire Lord think he’s too dignified for laughter? As your ambassador, I respectfully disagree.” Sokka tickled harder, making Zuko strain his arms. "C'mon, laugh for me. You know you want to."

“Mhmhmph! Nuhugh! Grrgh!” Zuko tried desperately to muffle himself. Unfortunately for him, this only spurred Sokka on, and things soon took a turn for the worse.

"If you're going to be stubborn, then I guess you leave me with no choice..." Sokka promptly burrowed his fingers into Zuko’s defenseless ribcage.

“AhahaHAHAHACK!” Zuko broke. “NOHOHO! WAHAHAIT! NOHOHOT THEHEHEHEHERE!” Laughter poured out of him like an unstoppable flood as he thrashed helplessly against the bed.

“Sounds like this is still a sweet spot,” Sokka observed with satisfaction. Digging into the soft spaces between Zuko’s ribs, he curled his fingers, eliciting a squeal. “Man, do you remember the first time I did this? You screamed so loud, Toph thought I was hurting you. You turned so red when I had to explain that you were just really ticklish.”

“Sokkahaha!” Zuko protested, humiliated by the memory and overwhelmed by the tickling. Sokka had eased up while reminiscing, but it was still enough to keep Zuko frantic. “Plehehease juhust-! Ahahanywhehehere ehehelse!”

“Alright, alright, I’ll be nice. But just for the record, you brought this on yourself, and I am nowhere near done with you.”

Sokka massaged Zuko’s ribs for a few more seconds, then brushed his fingers down the firebender’s sides. He repeated the motion for a full minute, keeping Zuko twitchy but relaxed enough to breathe. However, as soon as Zuko recovered, Sokka didn't hesitate to pick up speed. Zuko yelped, feeling pinches at his hips, which then transitioned into squeezing at his belly.

“I always loved tickling your tummy,” Sokka mused as Zuko cackled. “Your abs made me pretty jealous... until I figured out how ticklish they were.” Sokka had been particularly smug after that little revelation. It had been so easy to poke Zuko in passing, often making him flounder mid-stretch. On top of being amusing, the way Zuko startled was genuinely adorable. Sometimes the gloomy royal just needed to laugh, and as the team jokester, Sokka aimed to provide.

Moving up Zuko’s stomach, Sokka inevitably encountered his lightning scar. Located just below his chest, it was far less obvious than the scar on his face. Even so, it stood out clearly against the pale expanse of his body. Carefully, cautiously, Sokka traced its edges, following its shape with his finger.

It wasn’t long before Zuko was trembling, unaccustomed to the sensation.

“Sohohokkaaaaa...” he whined weakly, attempting to squirm away. He burst into a renewed fit of giggles when Sokka rubbed the discolored skin.

“Sensitive?” Sokka asked, keeping his touch feather-light. Rather than responding, Zuko hid against his shoulder. “Hey, no fair keeping your smile from me! You can’t hog something that precious forever.”

Zuko’s mind scrambled to process the praise, so much so that he barely noticed Sokka shift. Despite the fact he’d literally held lightning, Zuko still wasn’t prepared for the sudden shock to his system.

“EEHEEHEEK!” he nearly shrieked as Sokka blew an aggressive raspberry. Sokka’s lips were flush against his scar, unleashing jolts of ticklishness that radiated out from the center. Reflexively, Zuko writhed, twisting this way and that in an effort to escape. However, he ultimately found no reprieve. Sokka had him right where he wanted him.

“Learned your lesson?” Sokka smirked, pulling back once he was satisfied. "Don’t you even think about hiding that face from me again.”

“Yohohour ridiculous!” Zuko wheezed, face flushed and eyes watering. He forced himself to speak in spite of any residual giggles. “Whahat’s even the pohohoint of this? Do yohou just like mahaking fun of me?”

“I like seeing you happy.” Sokka touched their noses together. “You smile and laugh more than you used to, but it still feels pretty rare. If tickling works as a shortcut, then why wouldn’t I indulge in it?” The tone of his voice was surprisingly sincere, even with the teasing edge. His expression held so much affection that Zuko almost stopped breathing.

“You... that doesn’t... I don’t...” Zuko murmured. His eyes had taken on a concerning shine. Sokka wavered, suddenly uncertain, sensing he’d uncovered something delicate.

Hoping to soothe him just a little, Sokka ran his fingers through Zuko’s hair, but when that only seemed to distress him further, the ambassador decided to change tactics.

“Hey, sweetheart, what’s the matter?” Sokka cradled Zuko’s face in his hands. He gently brushed away Zuko’s tears with his thumbs, feeling the warmth of Zuko’s cheeks against his palms.

“You’re... so good to me,” Zuko mumbled.

“It’s what you deserve,” Sokka replied.

At that, Zuko looked positively stricken, and Sokka finally realized what the problem was.

“You do,” Sokka emphasized before Zuko could deny it, pressing a firm kiss to his forehead. “I will absolutely fight you on this, so don’t even try me.”

“Okay.”

After a long moment, Zuko seemed to calm down, and Sokka took that as his cue to continue.

“By the way, if you still wanna make out, it’s later, and you’ve been pretty patient.”

Zuko’s next laugh came out shaky, but it made Sokka beam all the same. When their lips eventually met a second time, Sokka could feel Zuko’s smile against his own.

#zuko #sokka #zukka #avatar the last airbender #tickling #a tickly fic

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is-that-another-soulmate-au · 4 years

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Okay, so, let me make this dream thing make sense.

You can't see them, you can't say your name, or where you live. But you can say tid bits about your day. These dreams happen twice a year starting at age 12. When you meet them the visits become much more common, and their image becomes clearer, but not enough to see them perfectly. Just a better silhouette. If someone is a year older then the dream will happen at that point. So Sokka would be 11. You'll only remember tid bits about your conversations, ill only write those but that should be all that I got.

"Hello?" Sokka heard the voice of a boy call out

"Uh? Hello? Who's there?"

"If I said my name you wouldn't hear it dum dum." The boy made a huff "I didn't expect to visit on the night of my birthday"

"Oh! We're soulmates!"

"Yeah, we are" the boy laughed "its a bit strange tho, Ive heard that it takes a bit for the dreams to show up.."

"Well, happy birthday! Uhm, since I can't know your name can I call you... uhm, my dad calls my papa Sprout!"

"Ugh! Sprout?" The boy made huff that sounded like a pout "yeah, you can call me sprout, but if we ever meet you better not call me that"

They both laughed at the idea

"Im sure ill find a better nickname"

"And I'll call you... turtleduck!"

"What? Why turtleduck?"

"Well my mom and I sit at the turtleduck pond alot and the turtleducks are my favorite part of my day"

"Aww! I hope to see one some day!

"I'll show you them if we meet!"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

That was all Sokka could remember of Sprout's visit. He talked to Gran gran about his visit, about the turtleducks and the boys laughter.

Meanwhile Zuko talked excitedly to his mother about Turtleduck and how he wanted to call him sprout. Making a face at the nickname to which his mother laughed at.

It wasn't until almost the end of the year when Sokka saw Sprout again this time he called out

"Sprout! Hello!"

"Turtleduck!"

They both went to hug eachother before they realized that they couldn't move closer "oh... right..." Sprout mumbled

"Its been a while"

"Yeah, and now its cooooolldd"

"Haha, I'm used to the cold"

"Oh is it normally cold where you are

"Yeah, its cold enough to snow most days. Makes hunting much easier though"

"Oh! You hunt? But your only 12?"

"11 still actually, but yeah, I have to hunt, my dad and papa could go off to war any day now so I have to be prepared to go hunting and fishing"

"Yeah, this war sucks, dad says it's a principle, but that just doesn't make any sense! I can't tell him that tho, can't change his mind"

They both talked and laughed together until the dream ended.

They didnt see eachother again until Zuko's 13th birthday when Sokka heard him crying

"Sprout? Hey Sprout is that you? Are you okay?"

"Turtleduck!? Hi, yeah, I'm... I was uh, banished from my nation today, uhm I'm traveling now"

"What!? What happened?"

"My dad he, he was furious at me, he challenged me to an Agni Kai and burnt my face"

"Agni Kai? What is your dad a firebender?"

"Yeah, Agni Kai is a firebending dual, I disrespected him and he burnt me when I didn't fight"

"Sprout, I'm so sorry."

"Its not your fault-"

"Its not your fault either you know! Just because you disrespect someone doesn't give them the right to burn you! Regardless of who they are!"

They cried this time, Sokka trying desperately to convince Sprout that his dad was in the wrong.

It wasnt until Sokka's 12th birthday later that year that Sprout showed up again.

"Hey! Sprout! Guess what day it is??"

"Uh, Wednesday?"

"No! Well... yeah, but its my birthday!"

"Oh! happy birthday turtleduck!"

"Thanks! My Gran Gran made me a whalebone necklace!"

"A... whalebone necklace?"

"Yeah! Its a thing my village does, well I guess its our culture. When a boy turns 12 he is given a whale bone necklace and can't remove it until he's married. My sister has a betrothal necklace, thats the opposite tho.. normally you'd wear a it when you're about to be married but our mom gave her that necklace."

"Oh! That sounds cool!"

The two talked and joked around for a while longer. Not much more to memory. They met a few more times over the next 3 years, then his sister and him found the Avatar and the fire nation appeared, well, more so a single ship showed up with very few people on it. The leaders voice was extremely familiar to him. But he didnt have time to try and figure out why.

After that day his dreams were a little clearer. And it seemed they were closer than he thought possible always leaving the same places at the same times, which was weird especially without ever figuring out who they were.

It wasnt until the western air temple after boiling rock that they realized it. Everyone was sitting around the fire talking about their soulmates. Katara revealing she'd only ever seen memories and Aang saying he thought that he just didn't have one. And then when they met in their dreams it didn't take long to figure out who eachother were. Suki revealed that she and another kyoshi warrior were soulmates. When it came to Sokka he shrugged "ive been talking to him since I was eleven, I call him Sprout because well Dad calls Papa Sprout. But he's pretty fun to chat wi-"

"Did you just say sprout?" Zuko cut in

"Uh.. yeah, I did, wh-"

"Does he call you turtleduck?"

"Yes! Do you know the guy?"

"Uh..." Zuko's face couldnt have gotten redder "Sokka, Im Sprout..."

Everyone went silent and he listed off different parts on their conversations until Sokka was convinced.

"I cant believe it. This whole time, it was you, wait, you told me your dad burned you, is that how you got that scar? In the Agni Kai?"

Zuko nodded "yeah, yeah my dad did this" he motioned to his scar.

Katara, having grown up with Sokka chatting up a storm about his dreams with his soulmate seemed to relax a bit more around Zuko, gaining a bit of trust in him.

"Wait, Sokka, you called your soulmate Sprout?" Hakoda chimed in

"Well, yeah, I couldn't find out his name through the dreams so I called him the best nickname I could think of..."

The group around the fire fell into laughter. After the reveal Sokka and Zuko were practically inseparable. When the day of the comet came Sokka was hesitant to let Zuko go to find Azula but with Katara there with him he felt he'd be safe. However after the battle was over and he found out that Zuko had been struck by lightning he couldnt get to him faster. Hobbling right into the medical wing of the palace. "Zuko!" He shouted as he made it in, finding Katara and Zuko in the middle of a having session

"Sokka! What happened to your leg!?"

"Forget my leg, you got shot by lightning!?"

"Yeah, hah, that I did, but Katara's magic so Im all good now!" He gave a thumbs up.

"He's got some medicinal tea that Iroh brewed for him, he's a little out of it. I'll leave you two alone."

After Katara left Sokka sat in the chair she was in and rested his head on Zuko's lap. The battle was won, they can breathe easy now.

@chaoticidiott @transzukostanblog @roman-does-nothing @idkhowbutimgayer

Hope i did it justice!

#RayMakesSoulmates #ray of sunshine #zukka au #zukka #soulmate #so gay #atla sokka #sokka x zuko #sokka #atla zuko #zuko #prince zuko

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zutaraverse · 6 years

Text

Lunar Eclipse

Day 2 In which Katara has two things on her mind: the possible assassination attempt during the lunar eclipse, and the undeniable feelings she had for the Fire Lord. The latter was far more worrying. @zutaramonth

Apologies for the quality - this was written literally two or three sentences at a time while life got in my way... so I don't think it flows at all! But don't have time to rewrite it! Am working on the others...

AO3 | FF

- Worldcrawler

They say that a Lunar Eclipse isn’t a huge event. They say you just lose your bending for a while and then it passes. But Katara had been apprehensive for weeks. She’d been there, at the North Pole when the Moon Spirit died… and she was not in a hurry to repeat the experience. It felt like part of her soul had been ripped out, like she was drowning and unable to breathe… no. If the Lunar Eclipse was one tenth of that she still would not like it.

To make matters worse, she was staying at the Fire Palace for official Southern Water Tribe business. She hadn’t realised until she hawky brought her a message from Sokka, telling her to be careful. And now she was here, again. She swallowed thickly and found her way outside to one of the palace’s many courtyards so she could feel that night’s moon and reflect on what she would do the following night. She would ask Zuko but things between them had been… off.

Katara angrily brushed away a tear. Every time she was at the Palace her and Zuko would be inseparable, and it hadn’t taken many moons for her to realise her feelings. Last time… last time she had thought - had hoped - that Zuko would reciprocate, would ask her to stay with him. Long nights talking in the gardens, sparring in the mornings, meetings during the days, dinners, teas, lunches… lingering touches and hitched breaths and… nothing. He had simply bid her farewell formally and left her to board her ship with the other dignitaries and leave.

“You know, there is no war now…” came Zuko’s rasping voice from the door to the courtyard. Katara stiffened further and took a deep breath. He could tell she was tense by her stance - but strangely, she wasn’t bending.

“There is no war in Ba Sing Se,” she mocked quietly in reply, turning to look at him. Zuko snorted.

“You think somebody is trying to harm you?” he guessed. “You can tell me Katara - I can deal with them…Why are you so on edge?”

He walked towards her, trying to read her expression in the moonlight, but Katara had it tightly under lock and key. Right. She would focus on the easier of the two things she had been thinking about - her would be assassin.

“No. But if there were - and there is no guarantee that there isn’t - then they would do it tomorrow night, during the lunar eclipse.”

“Oh.”

They stood in silence for a while.

“You will stay with me tomorrow night,” he murmured finally, nodding his head to himself. “I don’t want you separated from the guards and the palace. We won’t tell anybody but I’ll make sure to stick by you during the day as well. Then come to stay in my rooms at night.”

“Until the eclipse is over?” She asked, half hopefully, half bitterly. Zuko shot her a look of mild confusion.

“Yes. Until its over.”

The next day flew by in a whirl of duties and tension - clearly palpable from the Fire Lord and Master Katara. Their meetings were full of half spoken sentences and furtive glances into dark corners of the room, their easy manner from the previous trips gone completely, They dined together and staged Katara’s exit to her room, doubling back to go to Zuko’s instead.

And so they found themselves sitting across from one another sipping chamomile on silk cushions, listening carefully to the sounds of the night. It was not unfamiliar, but other times there would be laughter between them and an easy atmosphere. This time, Zuko’s dao swords lay by his side, and he wore his training gear, ready for action. Katara thought it was a little odd he kept the same clothes he had joined them in - he was the Fire Lord now, he could have any clothes he liked. But instead, he insisted on having these ones patched up over and over again. She tried to stifle a laugh at the memory of the painfully awkward boy who appeared to ask for their forgiveness at the Western Air Temple.

“Why do you keep them?” asked Katara finally, startling him out of his pensive silence. She motioned her hand to his outfit.

“Oh. This outfit… it reminds me of why I am here… who put me here… what we fought for.” He shifted uncomfortably, as he always did when he was being honest or revealing in anyway. Usually he had no issue opening up to her but something was… off… between them.

“And what did we fight for Zuko?” she asked quietly, feigning not to notice his discomfort.

“Peace,” he replied simply, locking eyes with her and allowing her to look into his heart. He was being honest. He sighed and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sometimes, when I practice, I can forget why I’m doing all of this, who I’m doing it for. The long nights and the infuriating councillors sometimes make me want to burn everything down! But I need to stay calm, stay ready. We all lost in the war. We also won, but I don’t want to forget what we lost either…” he trailed off, flashes of the horrors he had seen during the war flashing through his mind. One particular flash that was not meant for him, one that still had the power to wake him up in the middle of the night sweating and shivering like a child. The fear for his uncle. The refugees… The voice of his mother before she left.

Katara’s hand reached up to touch her own mother’s necklace, the familiar pain of loss coursing through her body.

“Mine too,” he murmured, bowing his head.

Katara instinctively reached out to hold his hand, giving it a little squeeze. His fingers followed hers as she pulled away, and were consciously pulled back.

They sat in silence again, listening to the sounds of the palace and both secretly savouring the short contact they had just had.

Suddenly, Katara sucked in a breath.

“Its starting,” she said, bringing a hand up to her head. She tried to bend the tea from her teacup and it fluttered pathetically before stopping all movement at all. She let go of the breath she had been holding - there was no gut wrenching pain, she didn’t feel any part of herself die like she had at the North Pole. She just felt… a little odd…a little on edge with all the adrenaline. Somehow, bolder.

Zuko, however, was on his feet, pacing the room. He paused at the windows, looking out at the dark sky now that Yue had been covered, and again at the door, listening for the steady step of the guards as they patrolled the corridor outside.

“Zuko!” burst Katara finally, “Please just calm down! We don’t know anybody wants to harm me, its just a hunch! Nothing is going to happen alright? You’re really putting me on edge!”

“Well good!” he snapped back, resuming his patrol with renewed ferocity. “Maybe next time you warn me of these things so I can put proper precautions in place instead of this ad hoc madness!”

“Proper precautions?? Are you that convinced somebody wants me dead?”

“There have been uprisings,” he threw over his shoulder. “In support of Ozai. What better way to prove their power and start another war than assassinate the Southern Water Tribe Ambassador - the War Hero, the Avatar’s friend - while she is under my protection? So yes, they could very well want to kill you - to get back at me!” His voice had been steadily rising, a small reminder of a Zuko of the past.

“I didn’t know there were uprisings,” said Katara quietly, looking down at her hands.

“Yeah not exactly doing to advertise that to the international community am I? You think the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribes are about to make trade deals with an unstable Nation?”

“Zuko STOP!” cried Katara, jumping to her feet and grabbing him by the shoulders, forcing him to pause his march and look at her. “We can help Zuko! If you’re having trouble, we can help!”

“I don’t need your help,” he growled, trying to push past her. The situation felt to incredibly familiar it boiled her blood.

“Yes you do! Why are you being such a … such a stubborn idiot?” she growled back, exasperated, banging her fists on his chest in frustration.

Zuko easily caught her hands in his own, holding them firmly in place.

“You almost died once because somebody wanted to get to me. I can’t let that happen. Ever.”

“Zuko…” she breathed, eyes wide. She felt a sensation of falling as things seemed to click into place - the looks, the touches, the way he always pulled away, never let it get too far, the rough formalities of goodbyes but the genuine greetings…could he feel the same way? “Is that… is that why you didn’t stop me leaving? Last time?” Her voice wobbled but didn’t break.

Zuko dropped her hands and turned his head away. She could almost see him counting his breaths.

Katara raised a hesitant hand and placed it on his scarred cheek, gently turning him back to look at her, waiting for an answer.

“Its too dangerous here for you Katara,” he told her finally, voice thick with an emotion he usually kept buried. He brushed a strand of her from her face and offered her a wistful smile. “Its better to know you are safe somewhere else…”

“I think thats for me to decide, don’t you?” he looked down at her, bewildered by her response. “If I stayed… would you… would we maybe…would you like to…” She was blushing furiously, but refusing to break eye contact.

“No. Katara. No.” He looked pained, she thought.

“Is that what you feel?”

“It doesn’t matter what I feel! What don’t you understand about that! And… and it doesn’t matter how you feel either… Yes, I want… I want to court you properly, I want you here by my side every day, so much it h-hurts… but it would put you in so much danger … even if you did decide to … even if you did want to… and you really shouldn’t want me and you probably don’t so….AHHHH” Zuko was propelled into the nearest wall by a jet of water and frozen there unceremoniously.

“Oh, look, my bending is back!” exclaimed Katara, smirking and turning to bow to Yue. The moonlight was growing through the window, sending energy through her veins, heart hammering with power.

She sauntered over to him, glad to see that the shock had stopped him thinking of melting himself free.

“I disagree. I think it does matter what I want, and what you want, and quite frankly your Nation will have to get used to it. In fact, let them come to me! You’ll capture them and root out the Ozai supporters… although you’re not particularly good at capturing people,” she giggled, setting him free with a flick of her wrist.

Zuko’s shoulders sagged and he groaned, opening his mouth to say something but startled as he felt a warm finger on his lips.

“Don’t Zuko,” she whispered, tantalisingly close to him. He couldn’t help looking at her lips - lips he had dreamt about tasting for far longer than he remembered, lips closer to his than they ever had been…

A loud knock ran through the room, pulling a curse from his own lips as Katara winked at him and pushed him towards the door.

His Head of Guard walked in, dragging two men in chains behind him.

“Fire Lord, we found these two men climbing into Master Katara’s room but she was nowhere to be … found,” he stated, the last word leaving his mouth as he set eyes on the very alive water bender standing behind Zuko.

“Thank you. Take them to the dungeons, they will be interrogated later,” commanded Zuko in his Fire Lord voice, eyeing the two assassins with utter disdain. The two glanced at one another with barely contained fear at the force in the Fire Lord’s voice, and glanced back towards the stoic monarch with no pity in his hard gaze.

The door swung shut, the clang echoing around the room.

“Huh, I guess I was right. The plan is going fantastically, don’t you think? Already two down!” came Katara’s voice from behind him, striking a note of false positivity.

“Katara…”

“No Zuko, I can’t do this anymore, I need to be with you alright? I go downright crazy every time I leave…”

“Katara please…”

“And I am strong! You can teach me to sword fight if you like, I’ll learn! But I can protect myself and…”

“For Agni’s sake Katara!”

“I’M NOT LEAVING!”

“KISS ME THEN!”

Katara blinked, finding Zuko right in front of her, holding her hands tightly in his, a look of defeat drawn on his face but his eyes more alive than she’d seen them in a long time. A smile spread across her face as she leaned towards him and their lips, finally, met.

Yue smiled down at them through the window. Sometimes you needed to take something away for people to take advantage of it when its back.

#zutara #zutara month 2017 #worldcrawler #dribsanddrabs

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