#when they do eventually get together and sokka finally gets to confess that he does find zuko the most beautiful person in any room | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gladerwolfstarkimagines · 2 years

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Imagine your best friends Mai and Zuko setting you up with Sokka on a blind date

You had been the third wheel to Mai and Zuko for years. So much so you actually weren’t sure which one of them you were friends with first. Some of your earlier childhood memories were spent being confused why Mai and Zuko were so weird around one another. Then when you realised you spent your childhood trying to force them together so they’d admit their feelings. They were both so annoyingly unforthcoming with their emotions you were probably just as happy as the couple when they finally confessed to one another. You were so thrilled your teen years were spent covering for them when they wanted to meet unsupervised or outside of the palace. Zuko would just happen to go on a walk by your house when Mai was sleeping over or Mai would tag along with you to the Ember Islands at the same time Zuko and Azula were there. You did such a good job that everyone actually thought you were dating Zuko or Mai, they were all quite shocked when you revealed you had no part of it. When Azula eventually outed the pair they still invited you to things because apparently your presence while they stared at one another and more was required. You’d been getting kind of sick of third-wheeling with your two best friends lately and they thought they’d found the perfect solution.

Sokka.

"Why are we so dressed up just to go to our favourite restaurant and where is Zuko?" you asked as you and Mai headed into the restaurant district of the capital. The three of you had this planned for weeks but they’d be mysteriously quiet about the details and Mai had practically refused to leave before you dressed up a bit. So you were more than a little curious to know what was going on but Mai never let something slip if she didn’t want to. Mai just shrugged "because it's nice to dress up sometimes and Zuko's just got something to do beforehand so he's meeting us there". You nodded and fell into silence which did nothing to ease Mai’s nerves. Mai and Zuko were fairly sure you’d incinerate them on the spot when their plan was revealed.

You reached the restaurant and were shown to a table. You and Mai were chatting aimlessly when you noticed something. "The table has 4 places mats not 3". Mai feigned surprise "ow yeah it does". "And the waitress said we'll wait for your companions to arrive not companion. Plural not singular. As if were expecting 2 more people not 1". Mai looked at the floor "yeah...". "Mai!" you said in warning "what's going on?" but you were cut off by Zuko’s arrival. "Hi guys sorry we’re late. Y/n you remember Sokka?". You look past him to see the water tribe boy Zuko was fond of. He waved at you awkwardly "hi y/n, hi Mai. You both look lovely". Mai smiled "thanks Sokka take a seat" and Zuko moved to sit next to her leaving the space next to you free for him. This was a double date and you were furious.

Judging by Sokka’s awkward reaction he also hadn’t been prepared for this. You stared at Zuko and Mai, wreathing in anger as they both pointedly avoided your gaze hiding behind their menus. “Wow this all looks so good” Sokka said tentatively into the awkward silence. Zuko nodded “yeah it does, what you thinking of having?”. The two descended into chatter and you caught Mai’s eye “so when I asked if there was anything new you chose to leave this out?”. “Y/n” Mai hissed “please just try it” she said lowering her voice. You rolled your eyes “you are not getting away with this” and went back to your menu.

After your orders had been taken there was nothing left to hide behind and Sokka tried cautiously engaging with you. “So y/n Zuko tells me you’ve known him and Mai since you were all very young?”. You nodded “ahh so he can tell the truth sometimes?”. Zuko blushed and Sokka chuckled “I’m dying to know what kid Zuko was like? Was he anything like the god awful ponytail version?”. You paused caught off guard “you meant the pouty angst machine? That’s always been his main personality”. “I knew it!” Sokka cried “Zuko tried telling me he was wise and calm before his banishment”. You snorted “is your name Iroh? No Zuko has always been hotheaded and mardy” you smirked “some things never change”. Sokka nodded “tell me about it, I beat him fair and square in sword fighting the other day and he invented a rule to deny me the match”. “That is not what happened at all” Zuko complained and you and Mai smirked. “Ow yeah? What was the rule?” Mai asked. Zuko paused and Sokka turned to you both “apparently I didn’t wait three seconds after my last point of contact”. You and Mai burst out laughing and Sokka grinned “it’s crazy right? No rule like that really exists?”. Mai smiled “it does but at the academy when everyone is still learning and can easily maim one another. The rule is usually dropped when kids get to around 13...is there something you’re not telling me Zuko?” she asked and the three of you all continued laughing. Zuko blushed folding his arms “I didn’t know Sokka’s level, I was being responsible”. “He trained with Piando and you know it!” you cried before you paused looking at Sokka “that was you right?”. Sokka nodded proudly “yup!”. “Sorry Zuko talks about you guys a lot so sometimes it’s hard to remember who is who...are you the one who also got the same fish hook stuck in his thumb twice?”. Now it was Zuko’s turn to burst out laughing. “You told her that!” Sokka cried kicking Zuko under the table. Zuko just laughed and Mai grinned. Sokka sighed turning back to you “yes that was also me but I wish Zuko thought to tell you something less embarrassing about me”. You smiled “don’t worry we can get him back later” you found your mood had been lightened and decided to embrace it. “So Sokka, what is it like growing up in the Southern Water Tribe? We hear many stories of course but you're the first water tribesman I’ve ever met so i’d like to hear it from you”. Sokka sat up a bit taller, seemingly pleased by that “well it’s unlike anywhere I’ve ever seen and I’ve seen a lot of places” Sokka started and he proceeded to launch into an in-depth answer to your question.

Despite your good mood you hadn’t forgotten what Mai and Zuko had done so when Mai went to the bathroom you went too. She jumped when she came out to find you waiting. “So is there something you want to tell me?”. Mai paused “i’m pretty sure you’re aware of Sokka by now...”. “Very funny” you replied “if this is your way of telling me you and Zuko are sick of me tagging along with you? You could have been brave enough to just say it! I always ask if you guys would rather be alone so I find this so insulting and embarrassing. Do i not deserve your respect and honesty?”. “Woah woah y/n calm down, it’s not that at all! Zuko and I love having you around”. “Sure seems like it” you shot back and Mai sighed “can you be quiet long enough to let me explain?”. You crossed your arms angrily but remained silent. Mai nodded “thank you. Like I said this has nothing to do with us being sick of you, it’s more the opposite. Y/n we know we’re not the most fun to hang out, especially when we’re so absorbed in one another and we felt bad. You’ve already done so much for us and so we thought we’d invite someone like-minded to join us so it was less boring”. You frowned “so instead of hiring entertainment you bring me a boy? Don’t pretend this isn’t anything other than a date Mai”. Mai sighed “no you’re right we did invite Sokka and hope the two of you would hit it off but we put a lot of thought into it y/n! You’re only a year older than him, you both love strategy and planning. He’s interested in mechanics and engineering just like you love architecture and mathematics. You’re both hot-headed and incredibly smart. You also share a love of sarcasm and think your embarrassing puns are hilarious. We didn’t just choose the first guy we saw. We put a lot of consideration into it y/n and the two of you are really compatible! Even if not as a couple you should be great friends”. You hated when Mai was reasonable, it also made it so much harder to be angry at her. You sighed “okay fine you put a lot more effort into this than I thought but I don’t appreciate not being told. I am not some desperate lonely girl who needs a man to complete her”. Mai nodded “of course not and Zuko and I don’t think that about you at all! We didn’t tell you because we knew you would never agree if we were honest so we had to be sneaky but tell me this. Are you having a bad time so far?". You paused "well no but...". "But nothing! If you're enjoying yourself why are you mad? Stop being stubborn and embrace the event". You sighed "i hate when you turn out to be right". Mai smiled linking your arm with hers "i know, now come on, you have a water tribe boy to quiz about battle strategy”.

Sokka seemed to guess why you’d followed Mai and while Zuko and Mai began discussing how ugly the colour scheme of the restaurant was he leant towards you. “So” he asked in a quiet voice “did they blindside you to this too?”. You nodded “yup, you?”. Sokka nodded “yep. Zuko told me he was showing me his favourite restaurant in the city. Then when we got outside he told me you and Mai were also here and that it was a double date. I tried to storm off but he convinced me to come inside and atleast meet you”. You couldn’t resist messing with people and so you kept your face passive and gave Sokka a hard stare. “Was there any particular reason why you were so opposed to being set up with me?”. Sokka jumped, as if just realising he’d told an expert firebender he didn’t want to date her. “No! I mean you’re very beautiful of course and from what Zuko’s told me about you I think you’re amazing I mean you were the only person who could match Azula in fire bending! That’s insanely impressive” Sokka cried and you nodded “keep going”. Sokka nodded “of course any guy or girl would be lucky to date you but I just hated being blindsided like this. I’m not some sad desperate guy who needs a blind date to get a girl. Please don’t be offended, the issue was definitely not you more the premise itself”. You allowed your smile to appear and chuckled “I know i’m messing with you. I totally agree them springing a date on us was bad”. “So bad!” Sokka cried and you nodded “so we’ll definitely have to get them back for it”. Sokka smiled “I like that devious look in your eye...what do you have in mind?”.

The next morning

You lived in the palace and shared a wing with Mai and Zuko so your plan was very easy to enact. You made sure they were both in the dining room having breakfast before you turned to Sokka “you ready?”. He paused surveying himself in the mirror. He was wearing the same clothes as yesterday just very crumpled (you’d stamped on them to get that professional effect) and has his hair messily down. You wore a night robe and had your hair messily up in a bun. You were going to trick Mai and Zuko into thinking you spent the night together when really Sokka climbed up through your window half an hour ago. Sokka tousled his hair once more and nodded “ready!”. You paused for a second at how nice his hair looked before you pulled yourself together and nodded “let’s do this”.

You grabbed Sokka’s hand and began chattering loudly between the two of you. You made sure you were in plain view of the couple but made no move towards them. You had to pretend like there was nobody else in the world except Sokka and that wasn't too hard at the moment. Sokka adopted the role of flirty smitten one night stand well. He whispered in your ear and trailed his hand around your waist. You weren’t one to back down so you stepped up your game giving lots of eye contact and twirling a piece of Sokka’s hair in your fingertips. Eventually it was too much for Zuko and Mai. “Ah-hem!” someone *coughed* and you turned as if startled. “Ow....hey” Sokka said blushing and you looked down “morning”. “Good morning” Zuko replied “would you like to join us for breakfast?”. Sokka shook his head “can’t i’m afraid i’ve got plans with Toph but i’ll see you later” he said suggestively, directing the question at you. You nodded and kissed him lightly. It wasn’t planned but it seemed to fit. Sokka was surprised, you could tell by how tense he felt against you but he soon recovered and wrapped his arms around you kissing you back. You eventually separated and Sokka said goodbye shooting his eyes up and down you before he left. You smiled after him before walking lightly over to the table and taking a seat across from a very shocked couple. “What the actual fuck?” Mai asked “you and Sokka...on the first night?”. You smiled “don’t be such a prude Mai it’s just sex”. Zuko spluttered and you struggled not to laugh. “So are you like...dating now?” Mai asked. “Nope” you replied and Zuko frowned “no? y/n you just had your tongue down his throat”. You rolled your eyes “so that means I have to marry him? We’re just having fun. Hooking up casually and stuff, i believe the term is friends with benefit?”. Zuko looked faint at the idea and Mai’s eyes were wider than you’d ever seen them. They looked at one another before glancing back at you. Zuko spoke first “well...if you and Sokka are...if that works for you then we’re happy for you. Right Mai?”. Mai nodded “yeah I mean this is certainly a new form of company we didn’t expect but you seem to be enjoying it so good for you”. You stared at their awkward looks of encouragement and burst. “Sokka and I didn’t sleep together you idiots! It was all a prank!”. Zuko sighed “ow thank god! Katara would have murdered me for sure”. Mai stared at you “wait a prank, why?”. “To get you back for blindsiding up both. We arranged it all last night”. You explained the finer details and Mai and Zuko shook their heads at how gleeful you were for getting them. “And now i’ve got what I came for I will be leaving” you smiled with a bow. “Hold on a second” Mai called “so I get you faked all the flirting and stuff but you kissed him. Planned or not that happened”. You paused unsure what to say and Zuko smiled. “Yeah and a kiss is pretty extreme for a prank, especially for you who hates physical contact unless it’s with someone she cares about or...fancies”. Their smiles were back and you sighed “I kissed Sokka for the prank, no other reason okay?”. “Sure keep telling yourself that” Mai smiled and Zuko nodded. “Ow and you’re welcome for yesterday, we could tell you had a good time no matter how much you tried not to” .”I...just because I didn’t hate it proves nothing”. “Sureee” Mai replied sarcastically and Zuko laughed throwing an arm around her. “Eugh I’m leaving” you groaned and they kept laughing. “Y/n’s first love” Mai called and Zuko chuckled “they grow up so fast don’t they?”. "I'm two months older than you!" you called and slammed your door closed blocking out their laughter.

The force of you slamming your door caused your room to shake and the person standing on your window ledge to fall forwards with a thump. “I’m okay!” Sokka cried and your eyes widened “Sokka? I’m so sorry I had no idea you were...here let me help you up”. You helped Sokka to stand and checked nothing was broken. “So what are you doing here?” you asked half pleased and half nervous. “To hear how it went of course!” Sokka cried “did they fall for it?”. “Hook line and sinker” you laughed “you should’ve seen their faces” and you explained their reactions in detail. Sokka laughed before he looked at you “well i’m not surprised we were brilliant actors...I mean for a second there I thought that kiss was real”. You froze but managed to keep your face calm. “You could have convinced me you actually wanted to kiss me” Sokka joked and you shrugged “well I am an excellent actress”. “Clearly” Sokka nodded “but just in case you did want to do it again how about we go out tonight?”. “You’re asking me out?” you asked “I thought you were mad at being set up”. Sokka nodded “I was and still am that’s why I’m asking you out myself. Zuko and Mai get zero credit”. You nodded “that sounds good....if I said yes where would we go?”. “I was thinking the theatre. I know we’re both so talented we could be up there but I figured we’d leave it to the professionals this once?”. You nodded “that makes sense, we’ve got to take a break sometimes right?” you joked. Sokka smiled “exactly...so what time should I pick you up?”. “I haven’t said yes yet” you retorted and Sokka laughed before coming closer. “You said yes the moment you kissed me. I could tell you liked me by how passionate it was and not to even mention the way you checked me out all morning. I thought your eyes were going to fall out the way you oggled me when you were stamping on my shirt and I was topless”. You laughed taken back “I’ll admit you’re visually pleasing and your personality isn’t awful”. “Best compliment I’ve ever got” Sokka joked “so fire girl what time?”. “I’m not sure if i’ll be able to fit you in but how about we say 7?” you asked nonchalantly. Sokka grinned “7 it is, see you later y/n” and he hopped out your window. You stared at the spot Sokka had just disappeared from and the realisation you had a date sunk in. You thought about Sokka and this morning and a smile soon appeared on your face which made you want to both curse and thank Mai and Zuko. They might be annoying but they really had done their research.

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waterfire1848 · 10 months

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Hello! if your still doing Au asks, I was wondering if maybe you could do an Zuko x Sokka x Suki x Yue (cause in my mind she lives), I don't know why i just think its a cute ship?

Thanks for the ask!

Of course! It sounds like a cute ship to me too.

Sokka and Yue actually get together during the North Pole episodes. While Sokka did have a crush on Suki, he actually starts a relationship with Yue. It's one of the reasons that she decides to join them in their journey after Aang learns waterbending. So now it's season two but with Yue.

The Gaang meets Suki at the Serpent's Pass and Sokka introduces the her and Yue. Throughout their time together, Yue can tell Sokka still has feelings for Suki and also develops a little crush on her as well. Something that she struggles with a bit because the North Pole doesn't really allow gay relationships, but the South Pole does. By the end of the Serpent's Pass episode, the three confess that they like each other (I imagine Yue would do this while half hiding behind her hair cause I find that so cute) and agree to talk more later. In this version, Suki agrees to come back to Ba Sing Se after she finishes some work with the other Kyoshi Warriors. So the group is expecting her.

Sokka hears Suki (Azula in disguise) is in Ba Sing Se and almost doesn't go with Aang, but Yue tells him to and says she'll talk to her. When Yue goes to talk to her, she'd go first thing, she quickly realizes it isn't Suki and is captured by Azula. Now, Katara starts to grow uneasy because her friend suddenly disappeared. She goes to the king and tells him something in wrong, but he gives a similar response "Bosco's animal instincts would sense it." Still uneasy, she writes to Sokka and tells him to come back. Things would be pretty similar to canon except Aang stays with the Guru. Katara finds out about the Kyoshi Warriors when she goes to talk to Suki and is captured as well. Everyone, minus Aang, heads back to Ba Sing Se and a battle emerges between the groups. "WHERE'S SUKI!?!"

The city still falls, but Aang does not. The group flees and stays with Hakoda. Sokka and Yue spend the entire time worrying about Suki and if she's okay. Flash forward to the DOBS, Yue comes within seconds of stabbing Azula (cause Yue hates anyone who calls her girlfriend her favorite prisoner) only to be stopped by Aang. When Zuko arrives, Sokka and Yue don't consider him as more than anything but a firebending teacher for Aang. It's only during the Boiling Rock episode that they start to see him as more. Sokka falls first, but Yue is right behind him. Suki is the one who's more reserved because he burned down her village. However, after a few weeks, the four start spending more and more time together and finally talk about liking each other. Zuko also suffers from some internal issues because the Fire Nation is very much against same sex relationships. He grows but slowly.

Following the war, Sokka and Yue have to return to their homes but Suki stays in the Fire Nation with the Kyoshi Warriors. Sokka and Yue do return and start going back and forth between nations. The fact that Zuko has partners from the Earth Kingdom, South Pole and North Pole does come in handy though with international relations. The only disturbance to their schedule is when Izumi comes into their lives and the four parents all want to share their culture with her and spend as much time as possible with her. They eventually decide to keep her in the Fire Nation (because she is technically their princess) but bring her to the South Pole, North Pole and Kyoshi Island every few months.

#ask #zuko #sokka #suki #yue #zuko x sokka x suki x yue #atla #send me an au and i'll give you five headcanons

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beifongsss · 4 years

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i saw this idea somewhere for a blurb and i kinda liked it tehe. idk i feel like when you subconsciously bite your lip while thinking, zuko/sokka (whichever one you want) just go 👁👄👁 LMAO idk it made me laugh when i saw it somewhere else

their reactions to you biting your lip [sokka, zuko]

.masterlist. taglist form.

Sokka

ok so

i like to think that this would happen before day of black sun ok?

and like, you’re pretty good at strategic thinking

so the gaang gets the idea to have you help sokka plan things out

it’s totally not because y’all are crushing on each other and they want you to spend more time together in hopes that one of you will confess

n e ways

you’re sitting at a table and looking over a map

and you’ve never seen sokka so serious or concentrated on something and low key its very attractive

but also it only warms your heart because here is this boy who’s putting his all into trying to make a change in the world

b r u h

f*ck the war

and so it’s super serious and aang, katara, and toph are watching from a distance and getting frustrated bc y’all are actually taking this seriously

like the o n e time you’re alone y’all are actually getting shit done

but then

it happens

sokka sighs deeply and looks up, tired of looking at the map, and he freezes

there you are, sitting quietly, your bottom lip in between your teeth

sokka’s like 👁👄👁

and obviously everyone notices

now aang, katara, and toph are barging into the room making subtle comments

and toph is like “why is ur heart racing?”

and sokka’s like “stfu”

and you’re so confused but aang keeps elbowing sokka and motioning towards you

katara is just giving you subtle winks and you’re turning bright red

“sokka why are you staring at (y/n)’s lips?”

“i am NOT!”

eventually it gets late and you two are left alone yet again

you can tell sokka is kind of uncomfortable but you can’t help it

lip biting is a habit

the tiredness and frustration gets to sokka eventually and he finds himself leaning in closer and closer and closer

and bam!

y’all are kissing :’-)

the next morning the rest of the gaang wakes up to the two of you sleeping at the table, holding hands.

they all share a smile but you know damn well that they’re going to clown on you when you wake up.

Zuko

he’s not very subtle

y’all are probably tip toeing around each other but your feelings are very clear to everyone

whenever he’s around you, he gets flustered and he can’t help it.

your lip biting habit only makes it worse

you’ll be talking and he’s paying attention and then you stop to think and you bite your lip and he’s so distracted that he hasn’t noticed that you started talking again.

it isn’t until a cool five minutes later that you realize that he doesn’t know what the heck you just said.

it’s kind of funny actually

but yeah you catch on quickly enough and so does everyone else and soon enough you find yourself biting your lips at every possible chance

like, he’s sparring with aang? one look at you and aang is able to beat him in five seconds flat

he’s sword fighting with sokka? you’re in the background cheering him on and biting your lip in worry (it’s totally intentional) and sokka managed to land a blow

it works out though because you feel bad so you take care of him and clean his cut

you’re biting your lip in concentration when he decides he’s finally had enough and gently grasps your jaw, leaning in to press a kiss to your lips

now it’s you who’s a wreck and zuko has a smug smirk on his face

you do end up confessing though and when you join the others, they totally start revealing how you would do the lip biting thing on purpose

zuko is simultaneously mad and very happy and now every time you bite your lip on purpose (he can just tell), he can and will make you stop by kissing you

taglist! this means i couldn’t tag you :(

@musicalkeys, @mywigglybaby, @aangsupremacy, @iguessthefloorislava, @dekahg, @boxofteenageideas, @bottledcostcowater, @butterflycore, @coldlilheart, @the-firebender-girl, @ajediherowitchrunner, @lammello, @a----rag, @astroninaaa, @samsmultifandomblogs, @sadskater25, @oddment-niwit-blubber-tweak, @duh-dobrik, @honey-ruel, @eternallyvenus, @sukifans, @emberislandplayers, @sunflowerazula, @moonnei, @stilllivindue2spite, @knaite-solo, @riespage, @wastelandbbyg, @whalerus, @lexysclubhouse, @edgy-hufflepuff-bro, @a-monsters-love, @realimbo, @laniarukas, @euphoricmads, @sonotvic, @zuko-and-sokkas-simp, @youneedmemanidonotneedyou, @eat-a-brick714, @nyoooooooooooooooooo, @sokkashi, @starryhawkeyes, @goldnwings, @yeetsendmemes, @twentytwosav, @hopefuloperaangelnerd, @kimvmarvel, @gingerdissapointment, @cielhidalgo, @madiciene, @tiffy119, @bigbeanburritoboi , @simmantha, @bison-whistle, @sxrensxngwrites, @ceestlaviemylove, @whaterverthe, @hotgirlazula, @forgottenfriends, @suga--free

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dragynkeep · 3 years

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To give you a break from *gestures at the K@taang anons* whatever the f*ck is going on there, uh, do you have any fun headcanons about Taang? Do you guys have any fun names for their babies like "steambabies"? I know you guys mentioned way back when that you shipped them I think so just curious. 😊

bless you nonny. idk if they have a name but i’m totally down for taang’s kids being called pebble babies !! as for some headcanons about them & taang, i have a few owo.

a year after the show ends, aang & toph go travelling across the world for his duties as the avatar; toph not really having any ties back to her home & still craving freedom, except now she’s not running away. she’s doing what she wants as her own person, tying into how aang has helped her see beyond her more grounded roots into a more free way of living. however, toph is still there to ground aang when he needs it, to centre him as he learns to be a more effective avatar for everyone, including himself.

you definitely won’t find one without the other after they go on their journeys, & they’re sure to come back every few months to meet up with their friends. during that time, they definitely end up growing closer together & after a festival in one of the earth colonies, aang confesses his feelings for her. toph turned him down at first, fearful of jeopardizing the friendship even though she also had feelings but eventually, they both came to accept their feelings for each other & got together.

aang did tease her that was his confession really that bad, which got him a punch on the arm. but then a sweet kiss on the cheek ♥

by the time they get together, they’re 15 & sokka is teasing them about their puppy love, despite suki pointing out they weren’t that much older when they began their relationship.

aang !! discovering more airbenders !! aang finding out that his culture isn’t gone forever !! aang getting to mentor all these babies who’ve had to hide their bending & culture for so long to keep themselves safe !! he also takes this opportunity to show toph pieces of his culture he thought he’d lost forever & toph is able to teach the baby airbenders stances to evolve their bending.

the babies referring to aang & toph as dad & mom respectively, which flusters them so much. when they go back to meet up with zuko & katara, the pair just tease them on how it feels to go from babies of the group to the parents.

toph eventually going home to her parents when news of her father’s death reaches the pair on their travels. she regrets not being able to make amends with him before he died, with aang comforting her in her loss & respecting the grief that followed, but also is there to help toph when she does make those steps to invite poppy back into her life.

they do end up having kids when they’re in their early thirties, & end up with four before deciding to call it a day there.

their eldest girl is kelsang ( flower / good luck ) who’s an airbender & named after the festival aang confessed during. then came the earthbending twins dawa ( moon ) & ya wen ( graceful clouds ) & finally, their youngest hao ran ( grand in manner ) who was a nonbender.

all four were raised in both cultures & taught both traditions, though toph had to remind poppy that her grandchildren came from the world’s greatest earth bender & they won’t break with a little rough housing. hao ran definitely ends up becoming grandma’s favourite, eventually taking over the beifong family business.

#atla #toph beifong #aang #poppy beifong #pebble babies #kelsang beifong #dawa beifong #ya wen beifong #hao ran beifong #owl.txt #answered #q #owo !! thank u nonnie #i really loved this ask ♥♥♥

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shortkingzuko · 4 years

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title: carving out a life together

relationship: bato/hakoda

warnings: mentions of canon injuries and death, non-graphic animal death

summary: Of course, it’s Katara who brings it up, ever the romantic that she is. It’s the evening, with the bulk of the day’s work done, the remainder being tomorrow’s problem, and Hakoda is sitting in front of the fire in his home, enjoying a pleasant conversation with his daughter while they wait for Bato to return from his work, when Katara, suddenly and without preamble asks, “So when are you and Bato getting married?”

(my late submission for the final day of @bakodafleetweek, prompt: wedding [but.. barely lmao])

read under the cut or on AO3 for the full list of tags + notes

After their many years of pining, silent affection, tentative touches, their eventual confessions, Hakoda and Bato found that they didn’t quite know where to go from here. In the two years since the war ended - an impossible fact that never lost its dreamlike quality when Hakoda thinks about it - the two men have fallen into an easy routine, characterized by early mornings and kisses softer than their battle-harden bodies ever thought possible, by meals shared in the comfort of their own home, and by long days coming to an end when they were able to wrap their arms around each other in bed.

Being with Bato, Hakoda often thinks, feels natural and right, like slipping into his favourite parka; it fits so perfectly that he barely thinks about it, until he contemplates wearing anything else, and then he appreciates its' comfort all the more.

He knows that Bato has harboured feelings for him since they were children, no older than Katara was now, and while he never expressed it freely, Hakoda had always known, in some way. The way that Bato would roll his eyes but still laugh at all his jokes early on, the way that Bato would drop everything whenever Hakoda asked, the way that Bato was dedicated, devoted, to him like no one else - bar Kya - gave it away. It wasn’t hard to accept that Bato loved him, as Hakoda knew that if Bato ever loved anyone else, he would feel a sense of loss and sadness, mixed with the joy of seeing his friend being happy and in love.

It had been harder to come to terms with his own feelings, even years after Kya’s death. Hakoda knew there would always be a piece of his heart dedicated just to her, a love that only she had, but as time went on, he (re)discovered his feelings for his friend, falling in love with his dry wit, his deep voice, the way that would smile whenever he caught Hakoda’s eyes.

During the war, it was easy to rationalize his growing desire to be near Bato at all times, to share a tent with him, to be close enough that at any point he could reach over and place a hand on the taller man’s arm. It was safety, Hakoda remembers telling himself before he finally got his shit together, it was for safety and because he wanted to make sure his friend was okay at all times. And yeah, maybe that was a small part of it, but mostly it was because he enjoyed being close to Bato, revelled in feeling his warmth against his side, in being able to hear the rumble from his chest as he spoke, and from being able to link pinkies with him at a moment’s notice.

Bato always seemed to know Hakoda better than he knew himself because he would just look at Hakoda whenever he initiated an unnecessary touch, and smile coyly, before looking away. He never commented on what Hakoda was doing, until one night in their tent he reached across their sleeping rolls, and placed a gentle hand on top of Hakoda’s. When he didn’t pull away, Bato shifted slightly, laced their fingers together, before whispering, “Goodnight, Koda.”

And they had fallen asleep like that, though Hakoda had spent what felt like hours just memorizing the warmth that he felt, the feeling of Bato’s rough skin behind his calloused fingers, how tenderly and gently Bato’s grip was, and how it loosened even more as he fell asleep. During the night, of course, they had both moved and their hands had separated, but the knowledge of the night before was enough for them, and they spent many more nights falling asleep like that. Eventually, under the gist of doing an impromptu patrol, Hakoda and taken Bato outside the camp, and under trees taller than they could have ever imagined, Hakoda reached for Bato's hand in the daylight. He laced their fingers together, before leaning up - and, to his slight embarrassment, Bato had to hunch down - and pressing a kiss against Bato's chapped lips. They had returned to camp soon after, and if they held hands at dinner, then no one mentioned it.

There were bumps that they hit, as one might expect, considering that they were in a war, that Bato was Hakoda’s second-in-command, and considering that Hakoda was entering the relationship as a widower with two children. Though Sokka and Katara both knew Bato well - the man had taken them ice dodging! - and loved him like an uncle, or even as a second dad, they were still confused, shocked, and a little bit hurt when Hakoda had finally sat them down after the comet, and with one hand on each of their knees, Bato sitting stiff as a board next to him, that he and Bato were dating.

In the two years that passed, any apprehension that his children carried has melted away to easy acceptance and happy neutrality at seeing their father sharing his life with a man that made him smile in a way that they hadn’t seen in years. They roll their eyes at the sight of Bato and Hakoda holding hands as they walk around their under-construction village, when they see their father leaning up to press a quick kiss to Bato’s chin, and when they see Bato sporting matching beads in his hair as Hakoda.

The two years since the end of the war seem to fly by, with Hakoda and Bato learning to readjust to life that isn’t constantly under threat. He’s happy to be with Bato, happy that for once, everything is simple and happy that he and his partner can just go with the flow for once.

Of course, it’s Katara who brings it up, ever the romantic that she is. It’s been about a month since Hakoda and Bato’s anniversary, a date which is vague at the best of times and which had no formal celebration, though the dinner that night was more fanciful than usual, that was due to Katara and Sokka’s friends visiting, saying farewell as Katara and Sokka were needed in the village for the upcoming winter months.

It’s the evening, with the bulk of the day’s work done, the remainder being tomorrow’s problem, and Hakoda is sitting in front of the fire in his home, enjoying a pleasant conversation with his daughter while they wait for Bato to return from his work, when Katara, suddenly and without preamble asks, “So when are you and Bato getting married?”

If Hakoda had been drinking anything, he would have spat it out. Instead, he blinks a few times, before asking, “What?”

“When are you getting married?” She repeats. “You guys have been together for a few years now, right? Are you planning on getting married?”

“Uh,” Hakoda is still trying to gather himself from the whiplash that the conversation has given him. “We weren’t… we haven’t talked about it?”

Katara hums, and fiddles with her necklace. It’s not a move that goes unnoticed.

“Do you want us to get married?” Hakoda thinks for a moment then corrects himself. “Would you be okay if we got married? If I got married?”

Hakoda knows that in theory, his daughter wants him to be happy, she wants Bato to be happy. But, he knows Katara still has complicated emotions over Kya, still misses her deeply, and that her wanting them to be happy was different than her feeling comfortable with her dad marrying someone else.

Sokka, Hakoda knows, harbours somewhat similar feelings, though he leans more towards the opinion that Kya would have wanted her two best friends to be happy, would have wanted his dad to find love again, and if nothing else, Sokka has a few more years worth of memories of Bato being around and taking care of them.

Katara lets go of her necklace and sighs. “I don’t know.” She looks a bit surprised at her own honesty. “I guess? I want you to be happy, and I know now that you’ll always love mom and that Bato isn’t trying to replace her, but, it’s just…”

“Weird?” Hakoda offers.

Katara shrugs. “Yeah. It’s a little weird.”

They sit in a silence of understanding for a few moments before Hakoda clears his throat. “Well, as I said, Bato and I haven’t spoken about marriage yet, but if we do then I’ll check with you and Sokka first, okay?” Hakoda waits until Katara meets his gaze again. “I’m not going to do anything that hurts you.”

Katara smiles, a little watery, before leaning over and giving Hakoda a brief hug.

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy because, after that conversation with Katara, the topic of marriage keeps appearing in his thoughts. Really, there’s nothing tangible that they can gain from getting married. There are no illusions of virtue that they need to maintain - after all, Hakoda has two children and no one has ever accused Bato of celibacy - and they already live together, Bato not even attempting to rebuild his previously destroyed igloo when they arrived home.

Hakoda thinks of his own engagement to Kya, how he had to humble himself in front of her parents to get their blessing, how he had worked so hard leading up to that point to prove that he would be a good husband, that he could provide for them and make her happy, how he spent so many nights carving designs into whalebone before Kanna eventually gave him her necklace to gift. It had been terrifying, anxiety-inducing and wonderful, the mixture of confidence and worry that he felt every time he looked at his half-finished carving and every time there was a moment with Kya where he thought, “ This is it!”

Bato doesn’t have parents anymore, nor does he have any other family members that Hakoda could ask to give him their blessing. If Bato was interested in marrying Hakoda, they already know that Kanna would give them her blessing easily, even casually. They have nothing to prove to one another; they’ve been to war together, have hunted together for years, and even with Bato’s scarred arm and the slight limp that Hakoda has gained, it’s clear to both of them that they can provide for one another.

Hakoda knows that they would have no issue getting the tribe to acknowledge their marriage, arguably the most important part of the wedding ceremony. Half the children in the village already refer to Bato as ‘Chief’, ignoring the slight smile and correction from Bato and their parents that technically that’s not his title. And considering that no one has even tried to set Bato up with one of the nice Northerners that blush when he makes eye contact with them, and the fact that some of the adults in the village - the ones that remember how long Bato’s been pining after Hakoda, the way that he used to go out of his way to spend time with him and his family, despite his self-proclaimed dislike of babies - have been asking if they’re going to be seeing any tall, dark-haired, strong-jawed children anytime soon, well, it’s pretty obvious that everyone has already written Bato and Hakoda off as a forever thing.

Hakoda is pretty sure that they’re right.

He knows that he should actually talk to Bato about this, instead of just bouncing the thought around in his head, weighing the pros and cons of marriage before he’s even found out if Bato wants to get married. They’re pretty happy as is, Hakoda thinks, as he braids Bato’s hair in the morning, making sure not to pull too tightly as he threads the strands through beads that match his own. Bato has never liked too much fuss, has always been a little more private and withdrawn than Hakoda; maybe he would think that a wedding would just be a waste of time, too many people getting involved in their private business. It’s always a balancing act with Bato, between him wanting to show that he’s in love, that he is loved by the man that he’s been pining after for years, the desire to show slight affection with him in public, and his discomfort of being so open, so obvious to the public eye. It’s a balance that Hakoda isn’t always perfect at maintaining - sometimes pushing Bato too far when he pulls his down to kiss him at the end of council meetings, or when he introduces Bato as ‘his partner’ first, instead of ‘second-in-command’ - but it’s a balance that he’s always ecstatic to try and perfect and maintain.

Finally, weeks after his talk with Katara, as he’s rubbing soothing balm into Bato’s shoulder, he asks, “Bato?”

Bato hums. “Yes, Koda?”

“Ever thought about getting married?”

Bato turns his head to look at Hakoda, eyebrows furrowed. “If this is you asking, this is a terrible proposal, so the answer is no.”

Hakoda laughs and shakes his head. “No, no, not a proposal, I’m just. Wondering, I guess, if you ever thought about marriage or…. Or kids? The future, I guess.”

Children are a touchy subject, he knows, but he might as well get all the awkward conversation out of the way now.

Bato’s answer is immediate. “We are not having any more kids, Sokka and Katara are more than enough and they’re not even mine.”

“You know that’s not totally true,” Hakoda mumbles. Bato smiles a bit at that, reaches across his chest to lay a hand on Hakoda’s forearm.

“Besides, I’m getting old , Hakoda, I don’t even think I could… have a kid,” He levels a look with Hakoda, trying to put the emphasis on the right words so that Hakoda knows what he’s trying to say. It works, and briefly, Hakoda remembers back to Bato’s youth, when his voice dropped, when he got his growth spurt, the way he was so proud when the tribe finally stopped shoving him with the women and let him learn how to hunt and fight. Bato has either ignored or changed so many of the functions that would allow them to have a biological child together for so long, and Hakoda understands his uncertainty. “Besides, the only kids I like are yours, and who knows if you can go three for three.”

“You seem to like Toph pretty good.”

“Toph doesn’t count,” Bato says defensively, but his tone has a slightly frustrated edge to it, showing he doesn’t want to talk about it anymore. Hakoda rolls his eyes as they laugh for a moment.

“Okay, fine, she doesn’t count. But, how about marriage?”

Bato sighs. “You know that the only person I’ll ever want to marry is you.” He says it so casually, with such neutrality, as if it’s just a fact of life - like he was telling Hakoda that summer days were long and that the water that surrounded them was cold. It makes Hakoda’s heart feel like bursting, hearing Bato’s declaration of love, even if it's a few years later than Bato wanted it to be. Hakoda leans over from where he’s kneeling on their bed to kiss Bato’s cheek.

“You know, Katara asked me if we were going to get married.”

“Oh?” Bato says as he shifts away to pull on his nightshirt, now that they’ve thoroughly abandoned lotioning his scar.

“Yeah, she said that she would probably be okay with it. You know how much she misses Kya,” Hakoda adds hastily, feeling a bit guilty. Bato nods as he lays down in the furs, watching as Hakoda goes to put out of the candles that are illuminating the room. It’s almost winter, and as the lights flicker out, the room is soon sent into near pitch darkness. Hakoda leaves one candle lit, and when he lays down next to Bato he admires how the light and shadows dance around his face.

They lay in silence for a few minutes, the only sounds being the noise of shifting bodies as they intertwine limbs and get comfortable. Hakoda ends up face pressed against Bato’s strong chest, enjoying the warmth and softness of it as he lightly tosses his own arm across Bato’s waist. He nestles in when he feels the weight of Bato’s scarred arm fall across his shoulder, hand hanging loosely down Hakoda’s back. Bato nuzzles slightly into Hakoda's hair, though he'll never admit it. It’s comfortable and familiar, and Hakoda can’t believe that he gets to feel this safe, this warm, this happy after all the years of war and violence and suffering that they had to live through.

“If the kids are okay with it,” Bato’s chest rumbles as he speaks, tickling Hakoda’s cheek. “Of course I would like to marry you.”

Hakoda smiles into Bato’s chest, feeling giddy like he’s a teenager again. “Okay. We can think about it and talk later.”

Later comes soon than either of them expected, when Hakoda and Sokka end up hiking up a mountain to hunt a polar bear that chased some of the Northern Water Tribe members. Hakoda doesn’t really want to kill it - if the creature wanted the Northerners dead, then they wouldn’t be complaining about the ‘dangerous wilderness’ to Hakoda - but he knows that if the animal ever ends attacking one of the members for real, then he’ll have a crisis on his hands. They take a sled and begin the long trek up the mountain. They’re partway up the mountain when they find one of the caves that mine for engagement stones in, and they decide to take a rest. Hakoda sits down, watching as his son leans his spear against the wall walks deeper into the cave, unsheathing his sword as he goes.

“Don’t go too far, Sokka, we’re not stopping for long.”

“Ugh, I know, dad, I’ll be fine,” Sokka calls back noncommittally. Hakoda sighs and lets him be. He hears some clanging a few minutes later but decides that Sokka is old enough to waste time and energy if he wants. Once he's done resting, Hakoda stands up and is about to call out for Sokka when he comes scurrying back to the entrance. He dashes to one of the cloth bags that sit on the sled, shoves something in it, before going to collect his weapon. Hakoda raises an eyebrow at him and gets a sheepish smile in response.

They find the polar bear a little further up, and after taking it down, load its body onto the sled. They catch a few gopher-hares and collect the few edible plants that have survived so far into the season as they make their way back down. It’s hours later when they finally arrive back in the village, with Sokka needing to run ahead to get more help the lug the bear and the sled across the vast, flat plain of ice that stretched between their village and the base of the mountain. Despite his displeasure in having to hunt the bear, Hakoda looks at it and thinks about how proud he is of his son, how much of an accomplished hunter and provider he’s become, and how this catch will be nice padding for the village’s winter food stock. The fur will make some excellent clothes, and Hakoda is sure that a few of the animal’s claws and teeth will appear on someone’s wrist or neck as jewelry. It’s after they’ve pushed the sled into the village, and various people descend on it and the various bags filled with plants and other animals, that Sokka calls out, “Hey, there’s carving stones in one of those bags, someone give them back to us when you’re done!”

Someone makes an affirmative sound as they prepare to butcher the animal, and Sokka nods and turns to walk away. Hakoda follows him and looks at him strangely. “Why did take carving stones?”

“So you have something to carve for Bato,” Sokka says it as a statement, but looks confused at his father’s asking. “I thought you and Katara talked about you guys getting married?”

Hakoda sputters. “Yeah but we weren’t planning on getting married now .”

Sokka shrugs. “That’s why you gotta plan in the carving time, dad! Carving takes a long time! It takes like three weeks if you don’t chip or crack the stone.”

Hakoda can’t bring himself to agree vocally, so he stares ahead for a few seconds until he realizes, “Wait, how do you know how long carving a necklace takes?”

Sokka flushes and starts walking faster.

“Sokka- Sokka, you are WAY too young to be marrying the Firelord! Sokka, get back here!”

In the end, Kallik, one of the younger men that Hakoda led in the war, brings four rocks, all shades of dark blue to grey, already cleaned of dirt and blood and wrapped in leather, a few days later, smiling slyly as he passes the lumpy package over. “Good luck, Chief!”

Hakoda mumbles a thank you, and hastily tucks the parcel under his arm and puts them in his and Bato’s room. He tells himself it’s not technically hiding if a blanket just happens to fall on top of the container that he’s placed them in, and the container happens to be under a shelf that Bato never looks in. He doesn’t care if Bato finds them, he tells himself, as he pushes them box further into the wall.

He knows that he’ll have to talk to Katara and Bato about this more, will have to make sure everyone is fine with it, and then plan the ceremony, all of which will take a while.

But , he tells himself as he fishes out one of the stones, hiding it in one of his pockets before setting out on his canoe to ‘check the traps’, all of that can happen once I’m closer to finishing this carving .

The first step of necklace carving, Hakoda remembers, is to shape the stone down to a circle-ish shape, breaking off any protrusions off and then shaving pieces off, little by little, until it’s the right shape to actually carve. Hakoda cracks the stone on his first attempt - not unlike he did twenty years ago when he was carving Kya’s. Hakoda checks the traps and hauls a couple of urchin-crabs back to the village. He drops the broken rock into the sea.

The next week Hakoda goes out to check the guide rope that surrounds the outer wall of the village. One of the children of the village said that the rope had broke in the last wind storm but couldn’t remember where since they had been going out to find otter penguins and had got distracted, and as tedious as it is to walk the entire perimeter of the continuously expanding city, everyone knows that if the rope is broken, then there’s a chance someone could get lost in a blizzard. Hakoda volunteers, since everyone else is so busy. Bato offers to come with him, but Hakoda waves him off.

“Your arm has been hurting you,” Hakoda says in the doorway to their igloo. Bato rolls his eyes.

“Doesn’t stop me from walking.”

“Just stay here, love.” Hakoda stretches up, Bato leans down automatically, and Hakoda places a kiss on his lips. “I’ll be back soon.”

He finds the break in the rope just a few minutes past the entrance, ties the pieces together, and continues walking around the perimeter, fishing a new stone out of his pocket.

The second step to necklace carving, once the stone is the correct shape and dimensions, is planning. Each necklace is meant to be unique, meant to represent the recipient and the shared love of the couple. But, the design also depends on the stone, on what the medium will allow. Hakoda is trying to gouge out a tall, deep line in the rock, meant to represent the tall trees of the earth kingdom that surrounded them, that Bato was so impressed by, and under which they first admitted their feelings for each other. He presses either too hard or at the wrong angle, and it splinters, a piece of it chipping off. Hakoda sighs and tosses the broken mineral in one of the tiny ice fishing holes that they use to teach children how to dig through the ice. There are no other breaks in the rope.

Bato goes off to help repair some boats - even with an arm that occasionally seizes up, he’s still one of the best boatsmen in the tribe - and once all of Hakoda’s meetings are done for the day, he’s left with an empty igloo and a few more hours until Bato is likely to return. Hakoda pulls out the second to last stone that he has and starts to carve.

The third step in carving a necklace is to create the eye that either the metal or leather bail will go through to connect it to the choker. It’s not particularly hard, but it’s time-consuming, twisting a blade or tool in circles for hours until it breeches the other side.

The fourth step is connecting it to the leather choker. The fifth step is presenting it.

Hakoda finishes step three, looks at his carving and hates it. The tall lines of what is meant to be a forest seem crooked and nonsensical, the swirls at the bottom barely register as waves, and there are knife marks around the eye look intentional instead of accidental and confuse the setting. It looks sloppy and bad, and even if Bato will accept it happily, Hakoda's stomach turns at the thought of presenting something so poorly crafted to him. He groans and throws it to the side of the room.

He doesn’t know if carving Kya’s necklace was easier or if he just repressed how hard it was from his memories. It all seems silly, all the stress when he and Bato are perfectly happy as is. He wonders if he should just forget it, just give it up, let good things stay as they are. Except.

Except he knows that underneath his reasonable tone, and understanding air, Bato wants to marry him. Hakoda doesn’t know what he did in a past life, what spirit he worshiped or what king he saved, but he must have done something because in his life he’s had two great loves and both of them wanted to marry him.

You know the only person I’ll ever want to marry is you.

Bato wants and asks for so little. He wants Hakoda to lay next to him as they sleep, he wants Hakoda to help him rub his shoulder, he wants Hakoda to go fishing with him, he wants Hakoda to not ask about kids or his body or his medication, he wants Hakoda to kiss him in the privacy of their home and hold his hand for a few minutes when they walk outside. Bato wants Hakoda to marry him, and like all the other open secrets about himself, he’ll never tell Hakoda outright, leaving him to put together the clues together until he can find out how to make Bato happy.

Hakoda is pretty sure that’s all he wants, really; to make Bato happy. He deserves it.

He hears Bato stomping the snow off his boots as he walks into their home. Hakoda sighs, and gets up, collects the rock he threw and slips it into his pocket. He goes to greet his lover, wrapping his arms around the taller man’s torso under the gist of ‘warming him up’, even though his parka was plenty warm, and thinks about how he has one more stone left.

He swears that he’s not trying to put it off, but Hakoda figures he should talk to his family before he moves forward. He talks to Katara to make sure she’s still ‘okay’ with the prospect of him marrying Bato. She gives somewhat the same answer, though she concedes, “You guys are pretty much married already, so…”

Sokka is already enthusiastic about it, though Hakoda is pretty sure that’s just because a wedding ceremony is an as good excuse as any to invite all their friends back. Privately, Sokka finally admits to Hakoda that he thinks mom would have wanted her two best friends to be happy, even, or maybe especially if it’s with each other.

He talks to Kanna, even if traditionally that’s meant to be Bato’s job. Hakoda figures Kanna is the closest thing Bato has left to a mother. As expected, Kanna is fine with it, thinks it’s a bit silly that Hakoda seems to stress about what’s clearly a sure thing. Hakoda doesn’t know how to explain to his mom that even if it’s a sure thing, even if Bato will say yes if Hakoda hands him a piece of clay attached to a string, he wants it to be right. He wants Bato to look back at their engagement and feel satisfied and fulfilled.

Hakoda is still nervous about carving but the unbearable pressing of anxiety has lifted some. The last stone left is a dark grey-blue, less glossy than the other prospective stones, and more opaque. Hakoda begins to carve it during the dead of winter when everyone in the village only spends a few hours a day outside, and they only step foot outside the village if completely necessary. This means that much of his secrecy of the matter is gone, but whether Bato is intentionally staying out in the main area of their igloo during the day, or if he’s there because the fire there is warmer than their bedroom, Hakoda doesn’t know. He sits on their bed of furs, trying to keep his swears quiet as he chips and carves away at the stone. The sounds of Bato just a room over, speaking to Katara and Sokka, laughing at their jokes, and going about his day seems to calm Hakoda's nerves and steady his hands.

It takes him less time than his previous attempts. He’s limited the lines of the trees to just two vertical ones, one slightly taller than the other. The waves at the bottom now have mirrored swirls at the top, land sandwiched between sea and sky. Hakoda is more carful carving out the eye of the pendant and is surprised when he actually adores it when it’s finished. He carves some designs into some whale teeth and polar bear claws, knowing that even though the addition of bone will make the necklace more noticeable overall, it’ll draw some of the attention away from the pendant, and he suspects that Bato will appreciate the small amount of privacy and intimacy that will afford him.

Hakoda knows that Bato knows what he’s doing. The way he smiles when he sees Hakoda retreat into their bedroom after he’s done working for the day, the way he sees the new callouses and cuts on Hakoda’s fingers and doesn’t ask where they came from, only presses small kisses onto them because he knows it’ll make Hakoda smile. If Hakoda wasn’t certain before, when he finds a piece of spare leather - raggedy and unusable - but cut to a specific and familiar length, just casually laying on Hakoda’s desk, it’s confirmation.

He gets a new leather band, of course, one that’s just slightly thicker than traditional, soft on the inside and tanned a deep, dark blue. He punches the holes for the bones with Bato leaning over his shoulder, telling him where he wants a tooth and where he wants a claw. Neither of them mentions how the centre of the leather is left blank for now.

Their engagement is nothing like Hakoda and Kya’s was. Hakoda proposed to Kya in the spring and they got married in the summer; he had asked while they were outside, basking in the sun, and with some of Kya’s friends peering around igloos to watch as the scene unfolded. Hakoda had stuttered, had proclaimed his love for Kya, had made her laugh as he helped her place Kanna’s necklace around her neck.

In contrast, winter has only just started to end, the sky only just barely brightening for about an hour or so each day, before it plunges back into darkness. All of their friends are either dead, in the Northern Water tribe, or busy with their own families. Hakoda doesn’t even ask Bato, not really, he just slides the finished necklace across the table, ignoring the way Sokka and Katara gape at it. Bato looks at it and smiles, gingerly picks it up and ties the leather around his neck. He asks Katara to make sure the knot is secure, and Hakoda’s heart soars when she readily gets up, moves Bato’s hair to the side and readjusts it. The necklace sits at the base of his neck, the teeth and claws sprawl across his collarbones in the most delectable way, and the pendant sits flat on his chest, looking so natural and casual, that Hakoda can trick himself into thinking it’s always been there.

Bato looks happy wearing his necklace, he looks comfortable when his hand gets finding its way to the pendant, nails finding all the groves and uneven surfaces that Hakoda couldn’t smooth away.

There are few opportunities for anyone else to see it, with as cold and dark as it is. Even inside some of the newly build halls and offices, most people still wear an outer coat, to fight off any chill that passes through the complex halls, designed to keep the wind from blowing straight in. But the few who do see it get a sly grin on their face, wiggle their eyebrows and give Bato a playful nudge.

“Finally making an honest man out of Hakoda, huh?” Some people joke and even Hakoda can’t help but laugh.

“More honest than you, at least.” Bato sometimes fires back, earning a gasp of fake insult.

They’re busy, Hakoda and Bato, the village, their children, the whole world, and weddings take time. Hakoda asks Sokka and Katara if they have a preference for when the wedding is. They hem and haw for a while, before tentatively asking if it can wait until spring.

“Zuko won’t be able to visit for long if there’s not enough sun,” Sokka mentions shyly. Hakoda shoots him a look that he hopes reads as We Will Be Speaking About You Dating This Firebender Soon But Not Right Now. Sokka dutifully looks away.

Later as Bato is laying down next to Hakoda in bed, Hakoda asks, “Are you okay if we wait until spring?”

Bato shrugs. “I’ve waited for decades, I can wait two more months.”

When they sleep, Hakoda can feel the cool press of bone and stone against his cheek. It’s more comforting than he ever thought it could be.

The sun has returned, and with it brings new chores to do, new game to hunt, new responsibilities, and various children that were born during the winter months. There’s plenty to do, and every second of light brings them one second closer to the winter once again. There are boats to build and repair, there are walls that were damaged by wind and snow, there are stocks that need replenishing, and children that need hunting, singing, dancing, fighting, and history lessons.

Hakoda is pretty sure that everyone should be anxiously anticipating the start of all their work.

Instead, everyone is gathered in the new village square - complete with archways and fountains around the sides, columns that hold up a domed roof, and a ground that doesn’t shift when people walk over the same place too many times - throwing decorations on any available surface. The columns have been covered in swathes of fabric and dyed ropes, various beadwork decor has been hung from the ceiling and archways, carved bones have been placed around the area for luck, and good tidings, and just to make the place look interesting. Hakoda isn’t sure if it’s because no one has been out long enough for their clothes to get overly messy, but he’s pretty sure that everyone is dressed up in their more formal coats and boots.

It throws him off guard. Weddings in the Southern Water tribe truly aren’t that grand of an affair, but he assumes that the influx of Northerners has resulted in their more festive approach gaining some traction.

“Or maybe, they’re excited that their chief is getting married.” Bato offers, smiling at Hakoda when he presents his theory. Hakoda smiles back.

“I think I saw some men weeping when they realized they officially lost their shot with you.”

Bato rolls his eyes. “They never had a chance with me.” It’s a joke, and Hakoda wants to laugh, but Bato places a gentle hand on his shoulder, and Hakoda reads between the lines.

He doesn’t tease Sokka about running off with Zuko - the Firelord bundled up in more red and blue fabric that Hakoda has ever seen on him at once - the minute he steps off his ship. He doesn’t tease Katara about the way she shyly kisses Aang when he slides off Appa, before going to help Toph navigate her way across the ice. Bato is excited to see the young earth bender and starts an easy conversation with her and Suki and he leads them around the village, letting Katara go off to hold hands with Aang away from her father’s watchful eye.

They marry a few hours later, with nearly the whole village pressed against each other to watch as the two of them kneel in front of one of the elders, the old woman standing tall and proud in her furs despite the slight hunch she has in her spine.

She asks Bato if Hakoda has presented him with a betrothal necklace.

“Yes,” He says, voice deep and happy, and so soothing, even as dozens of eyes - including Hakoda’s children and their friends - stare at them. He digs the leather and pendant out from under his clothes, allowing the elder to see the design. The elder nods and smiles.

“Do you have a gift to present to your betrothed?” She asks Bato. He nods and pulls out a cloth gift. He hands it to Hakoda, who has to restrain himself from thanking him as he unwraps the fabric. A small gasp escapes him, when he sees the ivory of carved walrus tusk, carved and sharpened into a knife, the leather around the handle soft and worn but well cared for. It was Bato’s father and had been passed down in his family for generations. For a second, Hakoda almost turns to asks if Bato is certain if he wants to give it to him, before realizing that Bato wants it to be Hakoda’s so that it can go to Sokka. Bato wants to pass his family heirloom onto Hakoda’s children, because, and Hakoda’s heart skips a beat when the realization finally hits him, they’ll be the same family.

“Thank you,” Hakoda says a little watery. The woman in front of them takes that as acceptance of the gift.

“And do both of you intend to provide for each other and your family? Will you work together in the light of the summer, collecting what the Spirits give you, and in the darkness of winter, when only Tui smiles upon us?”

Both of them nod, and they hear an excited titter go through the crowd.

“Do either of you have any qualms or objections to your union.” They both shake their heads hastily and Bato’s necklace clicks and clacks as he moves his head. The excitement in the crowd grows as the elder clears her throat and calls, “And does the tribe accept this marriage?”

The crowd erupts with excitement, Hakoda can just filter out his own children cheering, Aang’s ‘whooping’ and Toph’s cackling at the sound. People clap and shout, and he and Bato can’t help but look at each other and laugh at the commotion. The Northerners have definitely spread their own modified traditions throughout the village. The elder in front of them works to control her own smile as she waits for the noise to settle.

“The tribe has acknowledged this union. Chief Hakoda, Bato, you are now wed.”

The cheering starts up again and Hakoda and Bato stand up, holding each other’s hand tightly. Hakoda surges up and presses a kiss to Bato’s lips, earning more cheers and a few whistles, and an exaggerated gag from Sokka, and grins when Bato blushes and pushes him lightly.

Hakoda can already tell that they’ll have to just write this day off, judging by excited energy that comes and goes through the crowd like waves. Hakoda wouldn’t be surprised if he found some people passing around fermented wine. He barely cares though, when he looks up to Bato and sees him smiling wider than Hakoda has ever seen him before.

He’s still gripping Hakoda’s hand, still blushing from the kiss and all the attention, and Hakoda can’t stop himself from leaning up and kissing him again. Bato doesn’t push him away this time, even though his flush gets darker.

“Worth the wait?” Hakoda asks.

Bato nods. “Yeah. It was pretty worth it.”

#m #bakoda #bakoda fleet week #my fic #hakoda #bato #bakoda fic

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panda-noosh · 4 years

Note

Could u pls do a Sokka x childhood f reader pls?? Thank u so much for consideringg🥰🥰🥰🥰

“Do you remember when we used to get in trouble for sitting up here?”

Sokka looks at you. Blue eyes, always so bright, always so alert, forever ready to take on a challenge. They’re softer when he’s around you, a moment when he can let himself relax because he knows you are the one person in the world who won’t hurt him.

The two of you sit side-by-side on the ice berg, gazing out at the lake. The water is grey today, tiny chunks of ice floating around as the weather gets warmer and the ice bergs melt into nothing. The few remaining ones are easily accessible for the southern water tribe, but they’re dangerous nonetheless.

“I can’t really blame our parents for getting worried,” Sokka replies after a moment. “But we’re professionals; we know what we’re doing.”

“Even at age six?”

“Especially at age six.” Sokka sighs, placing his gloved palms flat against the ice and leaning backwards. From this angle, he can gaze at your side profile without making his admiration obvious, so he stays there, turning his head just slightly. There’s a tiny smile present on your face, that tiny tilt to your head that Sokka has seen so many times in the years you two have been together. He could probably paint you entirely from memory at this point. Years spent pining, years spent laughing with you, years spent by your side because you finally, finally, took the hint and confessed you returned his feelings.

And now you two do this. You just sit together. You just exist together, and that’s how it always kind of has been. Neither of you have known anything else. At this point, your life is his life and vice versa.

“When did that change?” you ask.

“What?”

You glance back, blushing when you see him already staring at you with that wide, goofy smile on his face. You nudge his knee and turn back to the lake. “When did they finally let us come up here on our own?”

“Don’t be fooled, babe - my grandma still thinks we’re being dirty when we go up here on our own. I have to remind her I’m old enough to join the army now, so she has to let me go up on the ice berg with my girlfriend.”

You giggle. “I love your grandma.”

“And she loves you. She just doesn’t like the idea of grandkids at such a young age.”

You pat his knee. “She doesn’t have to worry about that.”

Sokka rolls his eyes, nudging your side with his foot. You smile down at him, before leaning back so you’re both shoulder-to-shoulder again. You continue gazing out at the lake, your favourite pass-time, because it really is just you two when you’re out on the lake. Katara is back at camp; your parents are nowhere to be seen - Sokka has you all to himself.

He nuzzles his head against your hair, sighing. “Looking out at the lake always makes me sleepy.”

“I know it does,” you reply.

“You left me here that one time. Remember?”

“Only because I wasn’t about to carry you back to land. You’re heavier than you look, Sokka.”

Sokka pouts, playfully nipping at your ear lobe with his teeth. You grunt, shoving him away.

“I apologised for it!” you exclaim.

“That doesn’t change the fact that I nearly got frost bite on my back!”

“Oh, get over it.”

Sokka sticks his tongue out at you, holding your gaze for only a moment before the two of you burst into laughter. It echoes across the lake. In the distance, a seal jumps at the noise and dives back into the freezing cold water. On land, a few kids look up from their fishing rods to see where the noise is coming from.

You lean into Sokka’s side then, and it’s reflex when he stretches an arm across your shoulders and pulls you closer to him. This is natural now, his arm around you, your warmth against his. It’s just how things are, and Sokka doesn’t really remember the moment it all changed. He just remembers it did, and he’s never been happier for it.

“Are you staying at mine for dinner tonight?” you ask, breath fanning Sokka’s cheek.

“If you want me to.”

You hum thoughtfully. “Actually, I take back my invite. I think I’ve seen enough of you today.”

Sokka pinches your sides.

You squeal, swatting his hands away. “I was kidding! Of course I was kidding.”

“Yeah, yeah, alright.”

You press a kiss to his cheek. “So? Katara should come, too. I’ve still got to help her finish her homework.”

Sokka frowns. “So you want me to come over just so I can sit with your parents whilst you help Katara with homework?”

“Don’t pretend you aren’t best friends with my parents, Sokka. Remember that time I came home from school and you were already sat with them in the living room?”

Sokka shrugs. “Your dad tells some pretty great stories. Much more interesting than yours.”

“Why don’t you go out with my dad then?”

“I’ve considered it.”

You chuckle, once again swatting his chest in that way that makes his heart flutter beyond anything else.

“I’ll come,” he says. “And I’ll bring Katara.”

“Great,” you reply. “It’s fish for dinner.”

“Of course it is.”

You grin. Sokka rolls his eyes, leans down and presses a kiss to your lips, just because he can, because he’s your boyfriend and best friend all rolled into one, and that gives him the kissing privileges he tends to use as often as he possibly can.

You hum against his mouth before pulling away. “We were meant to be fishing you know.”

He shrugs, grabbing you around the waist and pulling you down fully, so the two of you are laying side-by-side. The cold sinks through his coat, but eventually it fades away and he is able to roll over and nuzzle his head in your neck. You close your eyes against the feel of him, reaching up to stroke your hands through his hair as it sprawls out on the ice behind him.

“Fishing, Sokka,” you remind him.

He nuzzles deeper into the hood of your coat.

You giggle, and Sokka knows he has won. Neither of you make a move, instead laying there on the ice, enjoying each other’s presence just as you have always done.

#atla #atla fic #request

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avatarnao · 4 years

Text

A Million Dreams CH. 1

Pairing: Zukka, Kataang

Soulmate AU, College AU, Roommates AU

A03

******

There’s a lot of back and forth with Katara and his family, but eventually Sokka is able to convince them to let him move in on his own. It’s sophomore year and he doesn’t need them cramming into a tiny dorm room, taking up more space than necessary, okay? Sokka just wants to get to his room, meet his new roommate, and get unpacked. Maybe run to the dining hall and grab some lunch. Or dinner. Whatever meal is happening by the time he gets there.

Unfortunately, his plans to meet the roomie are thwarted, the grin on his face and ‘hello’ on the tip of his tongue dying out the moment he opens the door. His roomie’s been here if the immaculately made bed, and almost compulsively organized desk is any indication. Only the room is empty so Sokka can only assume the guy is out and about.

It’s a little discouraging, but Sokka can live with this. Might be better to unpack on his own anyway. He just hopes his roommate isn’t a neat freak considering the neverending mess that is his room back home. There’s going to be a lot of arguments in the future if that’s the case. Hopefully, some sort of compromise can be reached.

Sokka gets to work unpacking his things and getting his side of the room set up. He’s sure his roommate wouldn’t appreciate him leaving boxes all over the place to unpack later. The text chime on his phone goes off just as he’s placing a poster on the wall. He checks his phone and finds a message from Yue.

She’s asking if he wants to meet up for dinner. Grinning, he texts her back with a time to meet up and which dining hall. In all honesty, he’d been planning on going alone to try and make some new friends. Having dinner with Yue though is something he can’t pass up. She’s likely to be in the music hall for most of the semester so this might be their only chance to meet up before classes start.

He has an hour until dinner though, and so he gets to work making his bed and organizing his desk. It’s way more work than he’d normally do, but he doesn’t want to make a bad first impression with his roomie… who still hasn’t returned.

Zuko. He reminds himself. His roommate’s name is Zuko, and he has got to stop calling him ‘the roommate’. Sokka just hopes they can be amicable towards each other. The last thing he wants is to be living with another Jet.

Sokka does his best to make his side of the room as neat and organized as possible, then leaves to meet up with Yue.

******

The dining hall is packed by the time Sokka and Yue make it inside. He’s hardly surprised. This is the most popular of the three on campus. They wander through the crowd, looking for an empty table and eventually find one in the back near the windows. Sokka promptly slaps his bag down on the surface and they leave to get food.

A group of what he assumes to be freshmen watch him go with wide eyes and he laughs a little. They always say not to leave stuff unattended at the tables, but he’s long since gotten over that fear. Nobody in his year or higher seems to care about such a thing and he certainly would never steal someone’s stuff. If someone took his table, though, he’d be fuming.

Yue goes for the sushi. Sokka settles with loading his plate up with meat kebabs. Sushi is all well and good, but he spent the entire summer consuming Water Tribe cuisine. No… he’s been looking forward to food from the other nations to try out. He takes a moment to chat with some of the dining hall staff, surprised to find Suki of all people working the line. She introduces him to a few new faces before he needs to return to his dinner date with Yue.

Suki gives him a playful shove, eyes rolling as he walks away from her station. She knows Sokka isn’t serious about Yue. Not like that at least. Yue is gorgeous, for sure, and at one point, he thought maybe there was something there. That was before she confessed to having met her soulmate. The news crushed him a little but they’ve managed to stay good friends and he’s more than happy with that arrangement.

Dinner passes with them getting caught up and sharing stories from over the summer. Sokka’s summer was full of fishing and teaching some of the younger kids how to hunt out on the ice. Yue taught piano and singing lessons to children of nobles.They exchange schedules so they can plan to meet up at some point in the future, though Sokka knows it’s likely to fall through given their classes. Still, it��s the thought that counts, and they can always meet up for a study session if needed.

Suki has long since finished her shift and joined them for a late dinner by the time they're leaving. The pair part ways with Yue so she can head over to the music room. He’s not even sure if the academic buildings are even open, but Yue’s pretty dedicated to her music. Sokka and Suki head back to their dorm to relax before classes start on Tuesday.

“I heard there’s a new tea shop in town,” Suki says as their conversation drifts away from classes. She’s walking along one of those low walls along the sidewalk that people love to sit on. “We should go check it out some time.”

“The one that opened over the summer?” Sokka asks and she nods. “Yeah, I think Aang was talking about it earlier. Said the tea there was the best. I’d be down for going.”

“Bring your roommate so we can all meet him?” Sokka scoffs and rolls his eyes.

“I haven’t even met the guy,” he tells her.

“Oh…” Suki gets to the end of the wall and jumps down. “Has he not moved in yet?”

“He moved in before me but he wasn’t there when I arrived,” he answers with a shrug. “Guess he’s just busy… or something.” Only… Sokka vaguely recalls something about Zuko being a transfer student. So… maybe he’s been getting familiar with campus, or making some new friends? He shrugs again. “I’m sure I’ll run into him soon enough since we live together. Maybe he’ll be okay with joining us.” Assuming he isn’t busy with his own stuff.

“Remind me again why you didn’t just room with Haru?” she asks. Sokka sighs. So… in reality, he and Haru probably would’ve been great roommates. Sokka would’ve done it in a heartbeat but Haru wanted to move off campus and he just wasn’t ready for that. Besides, rooming with a random person just means more opportunity to make new friends, and maybe meet his soulmate, of course.

“I wanted another year on campus, remember?” Suki hums but still looks unconvinced. She would’ve just moved off campus if she were in his position. Jet would’ve turned anyone off from having a roommate again. Thankfully, Sokka believes in second chances. Also, not everyone is Jet.

“How’s Katara liking her new place?” Suki asks, and the conversation turns to their small group of friends.

He invites Suki back to his room which she kindly turns down. Something about needing to finish unpacking.

Much to Sokka’s surprise, his room is currently occupied. By someone he can only assume is his roommate given the guy’s half-naked appearance. Sokka’s gaze starts first at the towel wrapped around his waist, then follows water droplets up his stupidly toned abs, and obscenely muscular arms to land on his surprised gaze. He feels his face grow warm as they stare silently at each other before Sokka abruptly steps out of the room and shuts the door.

He stares at the door wondering what the hell he’s doing. This is his room too! They’re going to be living together for the next year, and they sure as hell will be times they see each other half-naked! If he can’t survive this then it’s going to be a long year.

Thankfully, his roommate has gotten dressed in the time he spent outside having a crisis, donning a simple red tunic and pants. Fire Nation, then, Sokka determines, glancing quickly over Zuko’s side. Other than his clothes, nothing else seems to reveal his heritage. Makes Sokka wonder at that but he chooses not to ask. For now at least. He’ll ask when they’ve gotten to know each other better.

Zuko’s sitting at his desk, headphones on and blaring music loud enough Sokka can hear the lyrics. Okay so… not exactly the best first impression, but he wishes he could at least introduce himself properly. Sokka peaks over his shoulder as he moves into the room, curious over what Zuko is furiously scribbling into his book. He must get too close because his companion freezes and then quickly snaps the book shut, turning to glare at the person behind him. The music cuts off suddenly.

“Can I help you?” Zoku growls.

“Sorry…” Sokka steps away from him and over to his bed. Zuko’s still watching him and he finally notices the very large and entirely unmistakable scar on his face. It looks pretty gnarly and he wonders vaguely if Zuko can even see out of that eye but he wisely chooses not to comment. Instead, he flops onto his bed and says, “I’m Sokka by the way. Nice to meet you officially.”

Zuko hums. There’s a long beat of silence where Sokka thinks the conversation may have ended. He groans and Sokka watches his roommate slide down in his chair, hands on his face.

“Why am I so bad at this?” he hisses under his breath. He’s trying to be discrete but it’s loud enough that Sokka can hear it. Sokka stares at his phone and pretends like he didn’t hear the comment. Zuko mutters something else that he definitely doesn’t hear and then replies, “I’m… uh...Zuko?”

Sokka snorts. He can’t help it, and he can’t help the tiny laugh that bursts out of him. Zuko frowns, turns back toward his desk, and okay… now Sokka just feels bad.

“Sorry,” he says, waving a hand in the air. “Didn’t mean to laugh. I just… are you telling me your name or asking?” Zuko huffs.

“No, I…” A hand brushes through his hair and he sighs again. “I’m just not good with meeting new people…” A beat of silence. “Sorry…”

“You don’t need to apologize, man,” Sokka tells him, waving the apology off. Zuko turns around again. Sokka gives him a reassuring smile. “I get it. Meeting new people is hard especially when they’re about to spend a whole year crammed in a tiny room together.” The tiniest possible smile Sokka’s ever seen wiggles onto Zuko’s face. It’s gone just a second later.

“So… uh… what are you studying?” Zuko asks.

“I haven’t decided on a major yet…” he confesses. “Sort of stuck between a few different options. You?”

“I’m studying art therapy.”

“Oh, cool.” Sokka isn’t too sure what to say to that, other than it sounds like a hard major. He’s honestly surprised that Zuko’s studying something so… artsy? Especially considering how… not art-esque his side of the room is. If Sokka had to guess a major, it probably would have been business related or something. Hell, he doesn’t even have any posters on the walls. If it weren’t for his very obvious Fire Nation attire, Sokka’s not even sure he’d know where his roommate was from. Not that it matters, but still... Zuko’s half of the room is as impersonal as they can get. Guy likes his privacy, Sokka supposes.

He wonders if Zuko’s a firebender.

“What got you into that?” he asks instead, unwilling to pry into that subject just yet. Zuko shrugs.

“Art really helped me through some… things,” he answers. “So I wanted to use it to help others.” Curiosity makes him want to ask about it but the scar on his face is probably a big indicator of what happened. Also, asking would be rude and Gran-Gran would no doubt scold him for prying into a sensitive subject.

Instead, Sokka directs the conversation to class schedules. They take the time to go over when each of them wake up every day. Surprisingly (or maybe, unsurprisingly) Zuko has a strict wake up schedule of the literal ass crack of dawn. He likes to get an early start to the day regardless of his plans which only means it’ll translate to the weekends as well, much to Sokka’s dismay. Weekends are Sokka’s down days, okay? He likes to stay up late and sleep until noon.

Zuko swears he’ll be quiet, which Sokka has no reason to not trust so he goes along with it. It won’t be a problem anyways unless Zuko also goes to bed early which he reassures he definitely does not.

Sokka admits he’s pretty messy because it doesn’t hurt to tell the person he’s rooming with. He promises to be as clean as possible though so it doesn’t disrupt anyone; something Zuko is visibly appreciative of.

At some point, Zuko moves to his own bed and the lights are turned off. Silences between conversations grow longer until both boys eventually fall asleep.

He finds himself swimming deep into the depths of the ocean. Something swims ahead, close enough to make out the shadow but too far to distinguish whatever it is. Still, he finds himself drawn to the creature.

The water grows colders.

It grows darker.

Still he swims.

Reaching.

Chasing.

Trying in vain to catch up to something… something he knows, deep down is important. Whatever’s in front of him is the thing he’s been searching an entire lifetime for yet it eludes him.

Remains too far out of reach until its shadow blends into the darkness of the ocean.

He finds himself alone.

#zukka #zuko #atla #fanfic #a million dreams #sokka

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boringsofia · 3 years

Note

Matchup for DBH, Atla and Monster prom please! I’m a fairly tall, gremlin of a bisexual person. I have ADHD, cuss a lot, I’m terrified of phone calls, am a generally creative person and have a talent for comforting people. I’m a pretty wacky person but come off as intimidating when I’m alone. I draw, play ukulele and guitar, cosplay and I’m part of my schools MUN. I’m a bit punk but also just a big softie. I have lots of plushies and love my cat and dog with my whole heart. Thanks in advance!!

Thank you for the request! Honestly, i relate to the fear of phone calls way to much 😔

For D:BH I ship you with...

Simon!

You were his 'owner' before the whole Revolution. The person who showed him that humans aren't as bad as they seem. His home.

At first he was just the normal caretaker android he is. Making sure you always took care of yourself and so on. But as time passed and continued to treat him like a human instead of a slave, he started to go deviant. You immediately noticed, of course. Once the Revolution ended and they were finally free, he immediately returned to you. And was the happiest he had ever been when your welcome back was a kiss. His favorite thing about you is undoubtedly your Creativity. It was one of the first things you showed him when he first moved in and he loves it. Every drawing you make, he will make sure to take a picture and memorize in his software. Your ADHD often makes him anxious because he knows how much it can affect you and bring your mood down. It was the maun reason you got him afterall. If you insist on not taking medication, he won't force you. He will be there to calm you down. To remind you of things you might forget. To keep you focused on the task at hand. He will be your medicine.

Simon loves you and everything about you. When the deviants at Jericho spoke badly of humans, he often retaliated because you were always on his mind. And you were everything but bad. You are his angel.

"I'm free. We can really be together now. Just like we always wanted, angel.."

For ATLA I ship you with...

Suki!

Believe it or not, you two met because of your kindness. She had had a tough day, everything was going completely different than they had planned and then there you appeared, comforting her as if she weren't a stranger.

After that little encounter, you two became inseparable. She taught you how to fight, you taught her how to play the ukulele and guitar. It was honestly a very affectionate and close connection from the get-go. When Gaang came around, she immediately pulled you into the whole mess with her. At first, you really thought she and Sokka had a thing but then out of nowhere, she came at you with a very long and deliberate love confession and you were absolutely ecstatic. A little confused, but very happy nonetheless. Especially when you heard Sokka cheering like the amazing wingman he is. Sukiloves your intimidating and punk exterior, it kinda goes along with her confident but welcoming vibe. Makes the perfect duo, as she says. Suki doesn't understand much about cosplay, it's all very new to her but she loves to just sit and watch you work on your costumes and makeup. The whole transition from yourself to the character you like is like a magic show to her and it always makes her look like a child looking at all the different candy at a candy store. Just pure heart eyes from her.

Throughout the whole journey, she always makes sure to keep an eye on you and to protect you. You mean the world to her and Suki would never forgive herself if something happened to you. Or worse.. if she lost you.

"The two of us together? Oh, we're UNSTOPPABLE!"

For Monster Prom I ship you with...

Damien!

Well.. where do I start. You guys met because he decided to be a total Asshole to you. But you happened to be very, VERY angry that day and absolutely demolished him. Soon enough, y'all were dating.

To be more exact, he thought your little outburst was really attractive and so, he started being nicer to you (very poorly though) and you two became friends. Eventually, he grew a pair and asked you out. It came as a surprise to everyone in the group honestly, but they supported it 100%. Damien is surprisingly very affectionate and sweet to his partner. Well, the sweet is to an extent, he's still an asshole but he never does or says anything that might hurt you in any way. Not only would he beat himself up but so would the others if he hurt you. He doesn't really get along with your pets. He hates that you show them so much affectionate and attention. Who needs them when you have him?? Yes.. he is a very jealous lover. Anyways, he's not the most patient being but when it comes to you, he has that patience of a saint. Especially if you're feeling bad because of your ADHD. You're afraid of phone calls? Don't worry, he'll call for you. But he won't promise it to have a good outcome. Or that you get your phone back intact. One of his favorite things to do with you is just ... cussing. Just cussing back and forth to see who can come up with the most creative cusses and insults. It's honestly hilarious to anyone who isn't used to it. But also a little terrifying...

This Himbo is an absolute sucker for you and he spoils you rotten. It all might have started with him bullying you but now... he will have anyone's head that dares even breathe weirdly in your direction. No joke. Please, hold him back, he might hurt someone-

"Did you fall from heaven? Cuz there is no fucking way someone as hot as you could be from there. I'm serious, have you seen those ugly ass angels, I'm not kidding they're fucking hideous- Babe, hey, WHERE ARE YOU GOING-"

#monster prom #monster prom damien #monster prom matchup #matchups #dbh matchup #dbh simon #detroit become human matchup #detroit become human #atla matchup #atla suki #aang the last airbender

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jctko · 4 years

Text

Jetko week, day 1: Confession

Hi folks, here’s my shitty late contribution. I had a world of difficulties with this piece, but I also enjoyed it and felt like I got to vent a little. It’s a bit more Gen than most of my fics, but it was made with Fleabag in mind so...

i. confession

Dear Jet

Please come to my wedding.

Thanks,

Katara.

The first time Jet sees the priest, he’s in the bar on the way to Katara’s house. It’s a little bar on the corner of a main street, with a green sign and blinking lights. It is very distinctly English, in the sense that the mist and fog clambers up the windows. But the warm light beckons him in, and before he knows it he’s sitting at the counter waiting for a beer.

Jet lights a cigarette just as the door opens once again with a jingle of wind chimes.

He’d be a young man if not for the red scar stretching his skin taut. It kind of makes Jet’s heart drop to his stomach, if he’s being honest. From the moment he appears, Jet identifies him as a man of contrast. Sharp white skin beneath a black turtleneck, interrupted by violent red.

The man glances at Jet and narrows the one eyebrow he has left. “Something interesting?” Jet shakes his head. “Not at all.” Then, before he can even feel it, a smile is splitting his face in half. “Hi.”

The man ignores him, instead going to the other end of the bar and ordering a scotch on ice. Red-gold liquid slides, languishing around white ridges of ice. Jet snorts and finishes his beer, leaving a tip. “See you,” he says to the man.

It’s Katara’s engagement dinner. Technically, Aang should be there too, but he’s doing something with the rest of the monks. It’s a nicer restaurant than Jet’s used too, a barn location with minimalist food. It’s not exactly what Jet would choose. Glasses swirl around him, and a lazy jealousy fills Jet’s chest. He knows that he needs to reassess his meds, but recently they fill him with an icy numbness that burns as much as it chills.

“Putting pine nuts on your salad doesn’t make you a grown up,” Katara is laughing.

“Fucking does,” Jet mutters under his breath.

There’s a bit of a rustle, and then someone is sliding into the one vacant seat. “So sorry, I was- traffic,” Jet is wondering how there could be traffic in a town as small as this when his eyes make contact with red. That’s all there is.

Katara moves in for a hug and then turns. “Jet, this is Zuko. He’s the priest! And Sokka’s best friend.” Jet nearly scoffs but simply waves his hand in a friendly gesture. Zuko just watches him, which makes things really awkward considering they’re sitting adjacent. The two of them sit around their meals, listening to the conversation as it sloshes around the table like water in a fishbowl.

Jet’s gaze slides around the table, and he allows himself a moment to think. There’s Katara, of course, and her father. Then there’s Sokka- who is clearly not going to address Jet in the time of this conversation. Her eyes are alight with that practiced happiness that has eventually become real.

There’s a crash and some yells, and Jet realises he’s dropped his glass. Red wine has splashed out across the tablecloth, leaving everything a kind of musty pink.

“Shit,” he mutters, and then repeats it so everyone can hear. “So sorry, I’ll just grab a- some tissues- ahah.” He gets up and is blocked by a speedy waiter. That’s the kind of restaurant this is. Jet turns back to the table, and is met with multiple pairs of second-hand-embarrassed eyes. “I need a piss.”

He turns and goes not to the bathroom, but past it to the alleyway.

The lighter sparks in his fingers to the point that he nearly drops it. Who in their right mind has a wedding in November! He curses, but halts at the sound of a soft voice. “Careful.” He looks up and sees a woman; red hair bobbed to her shoulders and eyes the type of blue he can’t catch in the moonlight.

“Thanks,” he says, but all there is is shadows passing over a dumpster. The air smells kind of like blood, so he covers it up with nicotine.

He’s halfway through his cigarette when the door opens and the priest steps out. There’s no eye contact, but Zuko awkwardly shuffles closer.

“Want a cig?” Jet holds it out and Zuko takes it in silence. “So you’re a cool priest, huh? Cigarettes and alcohol,” Jet laughs as Zuko glares. They don’t know each other well enough for this kind of banter.

Smoke drifts through the alley in its comforting disgust. “Who were you talking to, just then?”

“What? Oh, nothing.”

Zuko turns to go, clearly satisfied with their interaction.

“I wasn’t staring because of your scar,” Jet says suddenly, and Zuko stops at the end of the street. He makes a half-turn, and his gaze glances over Jet’s body. “I have a few grizzly scars too, so it made me-”

“Our scars have nothing in common.” Zuko raises his speed and is soon gone. Jet chuckles to himself, pitifully.

He leans his head back against the brick and feels static in his scalp. Cool wind soaks over his skin, bathing him in a type of quiet light.

“That was smooth.” It’s the same voice of the woman before. She’s amused. “Thanks, Suki.” He doesn’t open his eyes, instead hearing the soft ramble of her voice. The cigarette burns to the filter and he finally drops it into a pile of trash. His stomach burns something awful, like he’s going to throw up. He turns and heads to the car.

Over the next day, Jet finds himself thinking about the priest. There’s not any reason to, it’s not like they’ll bump into each other before the wedding. But there’s something about that frightened scowl that reminds Jet of the kids he helps in social work. He’s known several kids who go to religion as a source of healing, but most of them haven’t exited it.

He doesn’t know what it is that brings him to the churchyard. Not the building itself, of course, but he finds himself lingering among the gravestones. Part of him feels slightly dead, he thinks. He finds kinship with these people below the ground; no doubt by now rotting and hollow like old fruit.

“Are you stalking me or something?” His attention is tugged to- of course- Zuko. He’s even in his priest habit, a black thing with a white collar. It looks good on him, Jet thinks, in the time it takes to process Zuko’s presence.

“It’s illegal to go for a stroll through the graveyard now, is it?”

“It’s morbid,” Zuko tilts his face so that he’s giving Jet his good eye. “You don’t know anyone here, do you?”

“Sure I do,” Jet grins and puts a piece of grass between his lips. He found it on the border of the property, “Or- I don’t know them yet, but I will one day.”

If his eyes don’t deceive him, Zuko makes a snort. He twists away from Jet, catlike as he starts to walk along the path. He stops down by a grave and reaches to pull weeds from the flowerbed. Florence Doyle, 1874-1917. Beloved wife and mother.

“Poor woman,” Jet mutters, tracing his fingers along the stone rendered green by time. Some of the other headstones are now so old that they are illegible- this woman will join them one day, Jet thinks. And so will I. “I wonder if anyone at all visits her.”

“The dead don’t care. Those aren’t them, just skeletons under the ground. They are with God now.” Zuko pauses, because he is currently doing just what he thinks strange, “This is my job. For the presentation of the church.” He frowns a little and pulls out the final weed.

He starts to head back to the parish but Jet clears his throat. “Have dinner with me tonight, at the pub.”

Zuko doesn’t answer.

Jet goes anyway, waiting at the bar for someone that might not even come. He’s got a pint of beer inside him already, but all he does is watch the horse races on the pub TV’s. It makes him feel like more of a waster than usual. He sips foam from his glass and sighs. This is hard. Zuko sets down beside him, and sniffs.

��Why’d you come?” Jet asks, and then regrets it. His voice sounds slightly raw under the influence of alcohol, and he’s been finding it difficult to sleep. Someone behind him reminds him that alcohol is a depressant, but he ignores it. “You didn’t have to.”

“You are very uniquely irritating,” Zuko shrugs and the bartender immediately goes for the usual. Jet is quiet; watches the man unscrew an amber bottle and pour it over rectangles of ice. It burns like fire, like Zuko’s eyes, swirling around the shimmering ice. Jet realises he’s missed hearing that. It feels like years.

“I am very unique.” Zuko laughs at that. It’s a frightened sound, like a mouse. Jet doesn’t dare look in his direction as he says, “Would you like to walk back to the parish after this? I could do with some night air.”

They walk in silence through the streets. Jet knows him. This is a sensation that grows inside him over the moments that they spend together. They go for almost an hour without talking, and the sounds of Zuko’s breath makes something clench in Jet’s chest.

Without speaking, they drift into the church. Jet has never been religious. He tried to be for a time, but it didn’t really gel with him. He believes that something might be out there, but it certainly isn’t embodied by men of cloth- God would never exist inside a capitalistic system. He smiles at his own predictability.

A shadow moves at the corner of his eye and he turns without thinking. A curve of red hair glances out behind a pillar. He twitches, takes in a deep breath, and accepts the fact that Zuko is looking.

“Who are you looking at?”

“No one-”

He winces at the twist of his words. “I would like to make a confession.”

He sits awkwardly on the wooden seat, his hands fumbling. He doesn’t know how to do this. “Well, I have a lot of sins to begin with,” he laughs awkwardly, “Sodomy, self-pleasure, queerness. I’m a manic depressive wreck who is clearly possessed by something wicked, and I think my former self drowned a village or something because I just can not get a break.” He laughs around his fist, his fingers gripping his skin a little too tightly. “But mostly I think I’m just- everything is wrong. It’s never felt right. And I wish- I wish I could believe in God, because I just wish I could step in a direction without wondering where it’s taking me.”

He waits for something, anything, but Zuko remains quiet behind the wooden screen door. Not a breath escapes either of them, the tension lingering in the atmosphere that smells of pine and sweat of thousands before him.

“I want love but I don’t know if I can get it. Because I- I had love once and- and I lost it.”

“Katara?” “No. Some- someone else. And it was a different love.” He closed his eyes, “The kind of thing that makes me know what I’m going to do tomorrow. I’m going to call her, I’m going to arrange tea, I’m going to compare traumas. I’m going to look after her and I’m going to be looked after. I had it, once, and it was so much more beautiful than anything I can describe to you. Not a thousand encounters with heaven could ever compare to the beauty of that stability. But the stability was broken, and I can’t ever get it back.” His hands shake. “You can’t fix a relationship with a dead woman.”

He swears he can hear voices travelling past the confession box. He hears his name in a soft, cool voice.

“The only reason I was invited to this wedding was pity and concern.”

Zuko makes a sound and Jet feels like he’s crumbling inward. He’s not okay. He wishes he were okay. It feels so much less escapable the older he gets, as if he’s wandering the earth in a cage of his own mind. Something burns, like alcohol, and he wishes he were still at the pub. The opposite of taking his suffering away, he feels it washing through him like a tsunami of pain. He is silent, not even making a whimper. Not a tear leaves his eye, and yet he sits there feeling like a marked Cain. A struck Abel.

The curtain slides open and he tilts his face upwards, to where Zuko stands above him with a face of calm understanding; pressed into that testimonial frown like paint over cement. He doesn’t say anything and he doesn’t move. His golden eyes look like honeycomb moons; and before he knows it, Jet’s starting to cry. At least a year’s worth of tears build up and crash; and he rocks his body forward so his face is buried in Zuko’s habit. He shudders and sputters, nearly gagging from the pain of it all. A hand rests on the back of his head, holding him stable.

He cries so hard that hours must have passed; though it is still dark. All the energy is gone from his body by the time he wipes his eyes. Zuko doesn’t look at him, but it’s not from embarrassment. It’s from respect.

It’s pretty obvious that Jet can’t walk home tonight. Silently, Zuko leads him back to the parsonage and gives him a bed to sleep in. Jet’s words are all gone, his throat completely wracked. Still, Zuko senses the note of panic at the motion of leaving. Still clothed, Zuko slides into bed beside Jet.

He’s still there when Jet wakes up.

#this is the first time i've written in a while #jetko #jetko renaissance week #confession

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boomeer-aang · 4 years

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Earth Shattering

You were born into this world a screaming, kicking miracle, daughter of the legendary earthbender, inventor of metal bending. You don’t know your father, you don’t even think your mom knows him. She’s not around enough, but you know she has a very busy job so you try not to get hung up too much on it. But sometimes you can’t help but be made at her sometimes.

The days get longer and longer and mom stops being as caring as she was before Su was born. You start to depend on Katara and Aang and sometimes Sokka, who always seems uncomfortable when you talk about your mom. You can never tell why.

You get older, growing to stand taller than your mom, your bones aching when you wake up sometimes because growing hurts. When Su’s mad at you, she sometimes screams that your just like mom, and that stings. Mom has turned to the bottle most nights, and you worry that she’s gonna leave you for good.

You finally become an officer, and the day you graduate from the academy, you have the biggest smile on your face. Aang, hobbling on his little cane hugs you, pride in his eyes. Katara and Sokka follow, and Zuko sends his regards. The only adult to not congratulate you is mom, but then again, you’re used to it.

Sometimes you hate Su so, so much. You weren’t even surprised when you thought she was a member of the triad. You were 21 when Su scarred you for life, crying out in pain when the metal contacted with your face, tears springing in your eyes. You haven’t cried in a long time, not even in pain.

Kya is the one who patches you up, a soft smile on her face when she tells you it will heal, for the most part. She listens to you vent about Su, before she has go see another patient. You wish you say her more.

“What were you thinking?!” Toph says, the question aimed at the two of you, as you sit in her office, you with your arms crossed and walls up. She scolds you for arresting your sister, and though she doesn’t say it, you know mom thinks your a disappointment.

She sends Su away and leaves you in Republic City with her. A few years pass, and you start spending nights on Air Temple Island, growing closer and closer to Tenzin, eventually dating him, and sometimes you can’t tell what the fluttering in your chest is.

But like everything, he broke up with you, and of course he had to it in his mother’s garden. You destroy it, and later deeply apologize to Katara about it.

You were at Air Temple Island when Aang passed. As his health worsened, Kya, who you had become closer too, begged you to stay at the island with her family. Work was tiring, and you practically collapse into bed. You awake to sobbing screams, which you quickly identify as Katara. You, Kya and Tenzin find her sobbing over Aang’s body, looking as though he was sleeping. You stand, frozen, eyes wide. It feels like a family moment and you’re intruding, but Aang was the closest thing you had to father, so you jump to sit with Katara, rubbing her back. You’ve dealt with loss and pain, but death is a new sting you don’t know.

You’re 33 when Toph disappears in the middle of the night and you’re suddenly the Chief of Police. You have lost so much, and your mom had added more on top of that. A swirl of emotions rise in your chest and you’re this close to breaking down completely, but you keep a straight face. You’re alone now, completely alone. Su was sent away and mom left you.

You’re 40 when Sokka dies, defending his city. You don’t know how to take it, and Katara takes it even worse. Kya whispers to you on your last night together that she’s moving to the South Pole to be with her mom. You beg her stay, grasping on the memory of her skin against yours.

You spend 10 years thrown into your work, defending Republic City, from whoever, whenever. You arrest the Avatar, and in her grown up face, you see the baby you protected from kidnapping all those years ago. Tenzin asks for you to release her, and the softness in his eyes is something you miss. You want to say no. When she leaves, you see Sokka in her movements, and it brings a brief, fleeting smile on to your face.

Amon rises into power, and you feel powerless to stop him. He almost killed Korra, and from that moment on, you take a vow to protect that girl goddamnit.

Amon takes the breath out of you when you lose your bending, the very thing that made you strong. You would do it again, 1,000 times over for the safety of the airbenders but it hurt. You felt as though at any given moment your knees were going to buckle out from under you and send you crashing to the floor.

Amon got the airbenders any. Your sacrifice was in vain. In the end, Korra was able to save them and restore your bending. You took a break from Republic City, much to your own dismay, to recover from the 50 years worth of being beat down again and again. You knew it was what you needed.

You remember sitting in the healing tent, worried sick about Jinora while the battle of spirits raged outside. Korra could handle herself, you knew that, but it was still very concerning.

You saw Su again, when Korra almost died. It was a bittersweet reunion. She saved Korra’s life, even if it left her paralyzed. You stood by her, offered a shoulder, even if she wouldn’t take. She reminded you of you, even when she clearly needed help, she tried to stay strong. You wish you weren’t like that, and hoped she would eventually ask.

The sight of Kya still makes your heart flutter in your chest. You still don’t quite know what to make of those feelings.

You proudly watch a new air bending master. She is strong and brilliant and you know the look on Tenzin’s face is one of immense pride. Jinora is stone face, but you see a smile slip through.

The Avatar disappeared for 3 years. You thought she was recovering at home, but Tenzin informa you she left 6 months before she was supposed to arrive in Republic City. You worry more for her than you ever have in your life.

When she comes back, her hair is shorter, more practical. But she looks so tired. You are glad to see the Avatar again, but the bags under her eyes tells you that she has not recovered as much as you’d hoped. You know that look in her eyes, of traumatized tiredness.

Her bending is not as good as you remember, her limbs not working for her. But she does it, she defeats Kuvira, like every other bad guy she has beat before. Some light starts to returns to her eyes, and when she walks into the portal with Asami, you finally have the courage to tell Kya how you feel.

Your stomach does summersaults when you find her, and spit out a choked confession. She feels the same way you do, and you fall into a comfortable rhythm with her, remembering that night so long ago, the touch of her skin against yours still etched into your memory.

Your life isn’t perfect, but you have so much going for you.

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bellatrixobsessed1 · 5 years

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Above The Party

Sokkla Week Day 1: Awkwardness

Azula, trying to escape the party scene, walks in on Sokka changing.

A/N: due to real life circumstances I’m posting this one a day early. Officially, Sokkla mini-week begins tomorrow. I may or may not be able to reblog content posted tomorrow either. It really just depends atm, but I’m gonna try.

She isn’t at all familiar with the place. Frankly, she doesn’t know why Zuko has even brought her along. It wasn’t as though it was an event of any importance. No, it was little more than a fancy get together hosted by Earth King Kuei. Azula isn’t one for parties, especially not after her first experience with one. Political gatherings, sure, but this…this is just for entertainment. ‘To relive stress’, as Zu-Zu put it. She couldn’t see it soothing any of her tension. In fact, she had every intention of ditching the party scene at first opportunity.

She sticks around only long enough to seem polite, which entailed some socializing over an appetizer platter or two. Mostly she sips at a bottle of peach sake. It sooths her nerves and takes some of the edge off. A little further into the drink than she had intended, she worries that her tongue will become too lax and excuses herself.

For a moment—she likes to blame it on the drink—she forgets that she isn’t at home. The Earth Kingdom palace is larger than she has anticipated and she thinks that she may be lost. No, she knows that she is lost, she is wandering rather aimlessly. She doesn’t even recall where she had planned on sneaking off to. That’s right, she tells herself, she’d forgotten where she was and for it she had planned on finding her bedroom. She supposes she’ll just have to find another, hopefully with a balcony. Balconies seem to be the place to be if one loses interest in the party itself.

She travels to the third floor and pushes on the first door she sees, only after having done so, she considers what she might find. Granted she hadn’t heard any sort of racket coming from behind the door. So she assumes that she is safe.

The room itself is quiet, indeed so she finds the bed and drops onto it, laying with her hair fanned out and her hands tucked under her head.

The moment of quiet doesn’t last, she hears a rustling from across the room. She bolts up again to see Sokka’s bear ass. His pants and underpants are only half up. His face is as flushed as hers, maybe even more so. He quickly scrambles to tug them up the rest of the way.

“Wha-what are you doing?” There a very few things that can catch Azula off guard, and he has discovered one of them.

“I spilled some juice on my pants so I ran up here to change!” Everything about his tone is on the defensive. “Why are you here?” And that fell on the accusatory side.

Azula sighs, trying to cool her cheeks. “I don’t much like social parties, like this.” She confesses. “I came up here for some quiet.”

“You had to pick this room?” Sokka sputters, “you’re a royal, you’re supposed to know about knocking.”

Azula shrugs. “I’m a royal, I go where I please. I don’t need permission.” She replies with a dismissive wave. “And besides, I didn’t hear anything so I figure this room wasn’t…occupied.” She pauses. “Not like the others anyways.”

Sokka narrows his eyes. “I guess.”

She crosses her arms. Sitting in silence, it doesn’t take long for her eyes to wander. He is still topless. Topless and in very good shape, with the kind of abs worth trailing her fingers over. A sculpted chest…

She shakes her head, what is she thinking? He’s Sokka, the water peasant’s brother. The idiot. Again she tries to blame the sake for tainting her vision and bringing out her libido.

But he isn’t really, she knows it. She just needs an extra push to keep herself in check. She picks up his shirt and thrusts it at him, “have some decency.”

Sokka blinks. “Decency? I don’t know if you know this, but men run around topless all the time.”

“Great for men.” Azula mutters, only because she knows that he has a point. “Just put your shirt back on, before you make things weird.”

“I make things weird?” He points to himself. “You made things weird when you barged in here without knocking.”

Another good point. She was an a losing streak—a petty, trivial losing streak—but a losing streak no less. “Well perhaps you should have put a sign up. Or, if you are too uncultured to write, you should have spoke up when you heard the door open. You know, instead of letting me get cozy.” She smiles smugly because it is, in her opinion, a satisfactory argument.

He opens his mouth only to close it a few times and she knows that she has won this silly verbal spat. Her mind goes back to her initial task. She tosses the shirt at him. “Put it on.”

Sokka rolls his eyes and tugs it over his head. “Happy?”

She nods. But a part of her actually is not satisfied. That part still wants to take in his sculpted abs and toned arms. “Quite.”

He is staring at her now and she doesn’t know how to feel about it. She averts her gaze, brushes a sweep of hair over her shoulder, and pretends to pick some fuzz off of her top. She finds herself hoping that she at least looks presentable in his eyes.

She thinks that her face might have colored again and it frustrates her. She didn’t think she had drank that much.

.oOo.

Sokka doesn’t think that he has ever seen Azula so flustered. He can smell a faint tinge of sake and he wants to blame the drink for the pink in her cheeks, but somehow he knows that it is an old fashioned blush. Despite it all he feels bad for making her feel so awkward and out of sorts. Granted he is rather embarrassed himself.

He let her see him with his pants half-down.

He stuffs his hands into his pockets and looks at the ceiling. When he finds the courage to look back down, she is sitting with her arms propping her up, weight shifted more-so onto the right arm. She crosses one leg over the other and seems to stare at her lap as she taps one foot. Her cheeks look less pink now. He can’t help but note that she does look rather lovely tonight. She looks nice with her hair down. And the gown she has chosen is rather elegant. It suits her well and accents her figure. It is fuller than he remembers, more grown up. Her face is some sharper too.

But her expression.

That is notably softer. It takes him a moment to realize, but he thinks that, that is why she looks extraordinarily wonderful tonight. It is because she doesn’t have such an evil presence about her. She, for the situation, almost seems relaxed.

She crosses her arms again, holding them against her middle as opposed to her chest.

Against his better judgment, he tucks her bangs behind her ear and brushes his thumb over her exposed cheek. He can’t quite believe that she is letting him do it. So when he feels her fingers wrap around his wrist, he expects a lash out. But she simply holds his wrists and stares at him. He doesn’t think that she knows what to do next.

Briefly he thinks of kissing the princess, but before—and perhaps mercifully—before he gets the chance, she effectively ruins the mood. “Just so we’re clear I’m not going to be that person.” She declares. “I’m not getting knocked up at a party.”

Sokka rolls his eyes, the woman really is hellbent on making things as weird as she can. Truly she must have been a thrill downstairs. “I wasn’t planning on doing anything like that with you!”

He can’t possibly fathom why Azula looks so smug. He senses that it would be a good time to get back to the party scene. But she still has him by the wrist and the smug look is gone. It takes him a second to realize that she is rubbing her thumb over his wrists. But again, she seems to be at a loss as to what comes next.

He doesn’t want to make her uncomfortable so with a sigh he asks, “so you up for going back to the party or…?”

Azula cocks her head and withdraws her hand. “I think that I might be.”

.oOo.

She doesn’t exactly know what is going on in her head. The feeling is foreign and somewhat disorienting. In avoiding the first, she has put herself in another, different situation she doesn’t know how to navigate. She is grateful that he hasn’t taken advantage of that. He takes her hand and leads her down the hall. She thinks that it might be a good idea to jerk away, but she feels safer as they are. She admits to herself that she is a little lost here and it is reassuring to have a familiar face so close. Even if the face belonged to someone she hadn’t particularly gotten along with in the past. They don’t say much to one another for a while. Not until they reach the second floor. Finally Azula finds the courage to thank him for respecting her boundaries, as grey as she had made them.

He smiles. “It’s no big deal.”

She lets the conversation drop again and it takes until the first floor to set her pride enough to the side to thank him for accompanying her back to the party. She didn’t want to return alone. Even with a rekindled friendship, Mai and TyLee weren’t much use here. They had conversed in the beginning but eventually Mai had gone off with Zuko and TyLee’s attention was tugged by a herd of boys.

He nods. “Yeah, no one likes to be alone at a party. You don’t mind talking with Aang, Toph, and Katara, do you?”

She shrugs, “I suppose that it can’t hurt.”

“Great!” He says boldly, “I’ll re-introduce you.”

That was just one more thing that was oddly reassuring. She is glad that things took a turn from awkward to something rather promising.

#Sokkla Week #Sokkla #Azula #Sokka #Fanfiction #Avatar

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kdinthecity · 7 years

Text

Confessions of a Teenage Sugar Queen: Kiss and Tell

I text my dad once we’re on board, and he is actually already aware of the change in our travel itinerary. I guess it makes sense that Iroh would let him know, but I didn’t even realize they were acquainted. Our family does frequent Mushi’s, but I always thought it was because of my dad’s deep appreciation for quality seafood. My mind now races through all the possibilities—call it investigative journalism in practice… or me basically questioning my entire childhood.

So, did my parents know Iroh before my mom died?

If they knew each other, my dad must consider him an ally since we still dine at his restaurant. Dad says he is wary of Zuko, though, despite allowing me to go on this trip.

Does my dad know anything about Mom’s connection to Ursa?

Even if he didn’t know Iroh or anything about Zuko’s mom, how is my dad OK with all of this? His trust is not easily earned. Yet here I am, caught up in the middle of the Kasai family madness.

But it involves my family, too.

My dad’s words suddenly weigh heavy on me. “I don’t trust them, Katara. But I trust you.”

I apparently have no problem trusting Zuko, because as soon as our plane takes off, I melt into him and fall asleep. I can’t help it. I’m exhausted, he is perpetually warm, and he always smells like...

“Sweet dreams, Moonpeach.”

OK, did that really happen or did I just imagine Zuko saying that and kissing the top of my head?

The entire seven-hour flight passes like the blink of an eye. I hope I didn’t do something embarrassing like snore or drool on his shoulder. Zuko gently rouses me when the cabin lights come back on just before landing. I try to shake myself from a sleep-induced stupor while he stares at his phone, awaiting instruction of what to do next. I check mine, too, but neither of us have a signal at the moment.

At 11:45 p.m. local time, this particular terminal of the Anchorage airport is nearly empty. After passing through security, we find an isolated cluster of chairs to dump our bags and settle in case we’re stranded here for the night. Zuko curses at his phone, but I switch into wifi mode, and a series of notifications for missed calls and texts soon registers. I read and listen and panic and ponder. Dad instructs to stay put and wait for someone to come get us. And that he and Sokka will meet us in Anchorage tomorrow. And be careful, he warns.

Zuko receives similar messages from Iroh, and while he says, “Don’t worry. Everything will be OK,” the paleness of his face gives him away. It accentuates the scar, and even though I’ve mostly forgotten it’s there, I’m unabashedly staring at it right now.

“What?” he asks, exasperated.

The words slip out before I can stop myself. “How did it happen?”

“Really!? You want to talk about that here? Right now?” Some color has returned to his cheeks, along with that incredulous expression he wears so often.

What I really want to do… is kiss him. Yes, here. Right now.

I start by reaching for the rippled discoloration under his left eye. He flinches but doesn’t pull away. His golden gaze softens—he trusts me, I think. I trace the outline of his scar with the pad of my thumb then slowly bring my hand around to stroke the nape of his neck. His breath catches when my lips find their mark. I’ve always been curious about this, but the ridged skin is surprisingly soft.

His eyes flutter closed. “I can’t feel it,” he says, barely above a whisper. “I can’t feel anything…”

He’s talking about damaged nerve endings, and whatever else is damaged beyond repair, but I’m determined to make him feel something.

I grip the chair’s armrest in between us to brace myself. “What about here, then?”

And just like that, we’re kissing.

It would have been more romantic that day on the beach. Or more commonplace any of the countless times we’ve been in his car together. But now that we’re practically running for our lives, there is a sense of urgency—a neediness. We skip all the shy first kiss business, too. I’m shocked by my own boldness, but more than pleased at how fervently he responds.

And now that I’m finally kissing Zuko, I really don’t want to stop.

He doesn’t, either, if those soft moaning noises he’s making are any indicator. I tug at his bottom lip with my teeth in between insistent open-mouthed kisses before his hands are in my hair, and his hot breath and teasing tongue are everywhere.

I think we’ve forgotten that we’re in an airport in the middle of the night waiting for some random person to meet us here. Clearly we’ve both wanted this for a while now, but maybe this is not the best time or place. Eventually we come to our senses and reluctantly pull away from each other.

Zuko slumps back in his seat and lets out a breathless, “Wow.”

I nod in agreement, unsure of whether he can see me or not, but if he were looking, he’d find me sporting swollen lips and an unnatural shade of pink. I pretend to browse on my phone to avoid whatever awkward conversation will inevitably happen next. Because it’s me and Zuko, and we’re the world’s biggest dorks. I’d rather not talk, really. Can’t we just make out some more?

Zuko fiddles with his phone, too, for what seems like ages. Then out of the blue, “I was thirteen.”

“Huh?” I shift in my chair to face him.

He points at his scar. “When my father…”

“Oh.” I had completely forgotten. Why did I even ask? “Zuko, you don’t have to—“

“I used to want to be like him,” he continues. “Because I’d take over the company some day, I figured. Our top selling game at the time was Day of Black Sun, this war simulator game, and like any teenager, I was really excited about it. I begged to go to one of the engineering meetings, so Uncle got me in somehow.”

My stomach starts churning with uncertainty. “Iroh worked for Future Fire?”

“Yeah, he quit after… uhh, anyway, Dad’s top engineer, Dr. Bujing, presented a prototype of the Black Sun combat gloves, but they were actual weapons. I was confused by this, so I said a lot of gamers who use the virtual reality gear are just kids. They could get hurt. Then Bujing laughed all creepy like and said some kids don’t play war games for fun.”

The depth of sadness in Zuko’s voice, and the flash of fear in his eyes are now giving me heart palpitations. I grab his hand and gently squeeze it.

“So, it turns out that these new weapons were being sold to a top bidder overseas, to this guy named Zhao who exploited kids to carry out his covert operations. Bujing said these young soldiers lived in hostile environments and had to be tough. No Bay Area brat like me would understand. I was appalled, so I challenged him. I said kids should never be forced to fight, and Future Fire shouldn’t be making weapons anyway.”

Zuko pauses and swallows, then fidgets and sighs. I tell him he doesn’t have to finish, but he shakes his head and draws in a deep breath.

“My father said… I talked too big, just like a typical Silicon Valley kid… and I didn’t know true pain and suffering. He then reminded me that Future Fire was first and foremost an arms dealer… and always will be. In order to learn my place, I was awarded the privilege of testing out the prototypes.”

I gasp because I can only guess where his story is headed next. The pressure building in my chest is almost unbearable. I’ve never let myself think about it before now, but I can’t fathom the pain he must have experienced.

“A few days later, Dad wanted me to give a demonstration in front of the entire company. I barely knew how the gloves worked, and I didn’t want to fuck it up and embarrass him. I said I needed more time, and I only had the company’s best interest at heart. He called me disrespectful and a coward. He took one glove from me and put it on his right hand. It all happened so fast, but I saw his fist coming at my face, so I raised my left hand to try to block him. No one knew for sure which glove misfired, so the whole thing was written off as an accident. Or what was it? An equipment malfunction, that’s right.”

Tears prick at the corner of my eyes. “Oh, Zuko. That’s—”

“It was no accident, though,” he adds through gritted teeth. “Because my dad came to see me in the hospital and told me it was to teach respect. And that suffering would be my teacher. That’s always his line whenever he—“ Zuko stops short and clears his throat. “Uncle was there that day, and he knows the truth. He was the one who took care of me afterward. Still does.”

“Zuko, I’m—“

“Don’t.”

I know he doesn’t want my apologies or my pity, so I clarify. “I was going to say, I’m glad you told me. Thanks for trusting me. I trust you, too.”

He probably doesn’t have a clue how incredibly huge this confession is for me.

Or… maybe he does? His eyes go wide, even the half-lidded one his father marred so carelessly just to teach a lesson, that bastard.

“Katara, that… that means a lot. Besides Uncle, I’ve never told anyone before.”

Zuko’s gaze meets mine, and I don’t see a broody boy with a mysterious mark anymore. Yes, he will always have the scar and its horrific story, but he is beautiful to me—strong, enduring, and trustworthy. The wounds run deep, but he is not calloused. He is healing.

This makes me feel safe with him. And I haven’t felt that way in a long time.

He also makes me feel something else, and now that kissing is an option…

Zuko yelps when I launch myself from my seat and into his lap. Armrest be damned! Do not get in the way of me and my man! That’s right, I just claimed him. Sokka is probably going to freak and swear off meat for a week when he finds out. I entertain no further thought about my overprotective brother as I plunge my tongue into the soft warmth of Zuko’s mouth. Mmmmm.

“Hmm-mmm.” Someone coughs behind us.

Heat rises to my cheeks as I scramble to my feet. Zuko leans forward and buries his face in his hands. The intruder just laughs.

“Hey, I know you.” I point with a shaky finger. “You were at Iroh’s July Fourth party.”

“Yes, I was,” the man replies. “Some of your uncle’s buddies were taking bets on the first kiss. Bumi said before the party, Jeong Jeong said during the party, and Iroh said not yet because it would take a long time for Zuko to work up the nerve. Who won the bet, I wonder?”

“Well… I initiated the first kiss. So… I win!” I fold my arms across my chest.

Zuko presses his fingers to his temples and rolls his eyes. “Katara, this is Noren.” He then tips his head toward the man. “And Noren, this is Katara.”

#zutara #zutara week #zutara week 2017 #zkweek #zkweek2017 #slow burn #they kissed #agni kai

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steambend · 7 years

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idk if this has been asked yet but if you have the inclination, what would be your ideal zutara progression in a hypothetical book 4 for the original series? like if it was all under your direction, how would zutara develop in a fourth, 20ish episode season? bonus points for describing the season/series finale

you know what, i’ve never been asked this. so thank you, i’ve been wanting to answer for so long!

first of all, i would change the season 3 finale. i like zutara’s progression in season 3, i think was very natural for a 14/15 year old girl and 16/17 year old boy. i’d completely erase that scene where m@i comes in and threatens zuko to never break up with her again because **what the fuck**. instead, it’d still be zuko struggling to get his tunic on, maybe a little bit painfully and katara would walk in scolding him with words like, “zuko! you shouldn’t be doing this on your own, you’re hurt.” and then cue a mini healing session (katara blushes, but not as deeply as zuko does). he would express his appreciation for everything she’d done for him over the past couple of months and she would convince him to let her stay and oversee his recovery “just while the wound’s still fresh.” bullshit katara, we all know why you actually want to stay

i’d keep the end scene with them at iroh’s tea place exactly the same, except without the k@taang kiss obviously. i’d replace that with a kind, but firm talk between a@ng and katara about how she didn’t appreciate him kissing her in the ember island players episode when she explicitly asked him not to and letting him know that while she loved him dearly, she didn’t think it would ever be in a romantic way. a@ng would be upset at first, for sure, but part of his season 4 development would be learning to accept this and also maturing as a person and learning to be empathetic of other people’s situations and so on

BUT ANYWAY ENOUGH ABOUT A@NG AND MORE ABOUT ZUTARA

look, my friend, i am a sucker for slowburn. all of my ships somehow manage to be slowburn (and as an avid bellarke shipper, i am very much dead thanks for asking). so sue me for wanting zutara’s romantic relationship to establish slowly. they’re only young after all

the first couple of episodes would be katara helping in med and acting as a impromptu southern water tribe ambassador while the world is sorting itself out and slowly healing. zuko would be learning the basics of being the firelord. all that essential stuff that would come from ending a 100 year war would take place. season 3 has already established that zuko and katara have a strong bond, and are beneficial friends. i doubt they’d do anything but make time to regularly see each other outside of meetings and whatnot. zuko would make sure that no matter how busy his day was, he’d reserve time for afternoon tea with katara (and sometimes iroh, although i vehemently believe iroh ships his nephew with katara and so he’d always come up with ridiculous excuses as to why he couldn’t come so that they could be alone)

they’d talk about everything and nothing and eventually, maybe three episodes in he’d finally tell katara about his visit to the prison to see ozai and how his mother is possibly still alive. after much discussion and planning, zuko would decide to go look for her and katara would not let him go without her, insisting it’ll be just like old times and reminding him how he helped her when she was seeking closure for her mother

and this’ll be where the meat comes in. now, like i said, at first it’d be slow. things like brushing hands, zuko helping katara untangle her hair, katara comforting zuko whenever their search led to dead ends and stuff. it’d slowly become more affectionate; snuggling together during cold nights, holding hands for comfort, katara finding ways to touch zuko’s scar or brush back his hair and zuko finding it extremely hard to not look at her lips or stare into her eyes. and of course they wouldn’t even realise they’re doing this because they’re silly kids in love

and after the search is over and they visit sokka and suki and toph and the gaang, everyone sees how they act together now and are all like “wait since when did you guys start dating?” and they’re like “wait what” and ursa just looks up from her tea like, “wait, zuko, you’re telling me katara’s not your girlfriend?” and zuko and katara would be so confused like they were totally just platonic pals this whole time right? lmao wrong

and eventually when everyone’s gone to bed and it’s just zuko and katara awake they’re all giggly and blushy with each other and then they sort of confess but in a way where it’s like they totally didn’t realise they were falling for one another but now that they’ve said it, it just makes sense. their first kiss would be under the starlight and it’d be all smiles and katara would run her hands through his hair like she loves to do so much and zuko would cup her cheek with one hand and hold her close around the waist with the other and everything would just fit into place. and katara would say something cute afterwards like “i don’t know why we waited so long. who knew an angst prince like you would be such a good kisser?” and zuko would grin like an idiot but he’s her idiot so it wouldn’t matter

the end scene of the finale would be a time jump to like 5 years in the future when katara’s 22 and zuko’s 24 and they’d be married and throwing a wedding at the fire palace for a@ng and a lovely girl he met and everything would be perfect and zuko’s favourite nickname for katara would be “his queen” and katara would call him a “jerkbender” to tease him (also because sokka and zuko are best friends and she picked it up from her brother fight me) and katara would have her goddamn statue and whenever zuko went out fighting villains she’d be right there beside him kicking ass

the end

lmao this was super long i apologise i just have a lot of feelings about these two. feel free to add your own headcanons, zutara is my favourite thing to talk about!!

#answered #anon

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paixen · 7 years

Text

ffxv/atla/korra stuff?

just gonna ramble my thoughts and opinions of an atla au in which the ffxv chocobros exist because showers always get me thinking. fair warning, there is no organized timeline so i’ll be jumping willy nilly between atla and lok events, so pardon the spectacularly inconsistent verb tenses. this will be a messy stream of consciousness post. Spoilers all around.

noct: i feel like the prince would mostly likely be a water bender. he’s just got this cool, icy vibe going about him. small things - i find his ice spells to be visually pleasing because i feel like ice compliments his black and pale aesthetic best of the other elements. his eyes are a good chilly icy blue. and he likes to fish. Ray Chase even said that everything that noct says has weight to it because being cool is so important to him. larger things - his character development is exceptional. he undergoes so much change. as a water bender, he might struggle to get a handle on the techniques initially because of his overall inert attitude toward life. then chapter 13 happens and he becomes quite the changed man. he is able to go about his days by feel, ready to adapt as soon as he needs to. Sounds changey watery to me. once he gets into the water bending groove, his go-to weapon would be ice shards. water bending is often argued to be the most powerful form of bending, being able to conduct electricity, manipulate the water content in bodies, chi/qi meddling, healing, all that jazz. it would be fitting for a king like himself. i also like to imagine him having uninterested, unimportant arguments with the korra, who would fiercely sass him back. korra would kick his butt of course, but no one can stay mad at noct forever. he’s literally sacrificing himself. at least the avatar doesn’t need to die to save the world. i also like to imagine sokka, aang, and prompto being real bros and roping noct into semi-ironically partaking their shenanigans and terrible jokes, iggy, gladio, and katara shaking their heads somewhere in the background. in another scene, the other 3 chocobros are probably bowing at katara’s feet for her generously mentoring noct with how to manage his ice spells so that the other guys don’t have to suffer under his AOE icy hell. if only he could have learn these techniques before Leviathan happened... also Shiva is just nonchalantly JAZZED in the spirit world that her wee prince is learning ice so well. His doggo companion, Umbra, would probably be part spirit, gifted with some nifty communication abilities. He’ll never lose touch with Luna with Umbra around. Umbra is definitely cuddle buddies with Naga. (noct is kinda amused by the irony in the name of korra’s bear-dog.)

prompto: first instinct is to say he’d be an air bender because of the happy-go-lucky/carefree vibe he exudes. but then i remember Bolin, to whom he is similar in personality. as much as i love picturing prom air scootering around town, i also have a hard time picturing him being a particularly spiritually invested individual. and then i also remember prom’s MT history and his old esteem issues. prom is someone who can’t live without constantly being reminded of his roots. heavily influential roots make me lean toward him being an earth bender, his specialty being metal bending. it would make so much sense - the bros tease him about being a technophile. he is MT. I imagine him really digging Zaofu. Toph would teach him as mercilessly as the rest of her pupils, but his quirky personality would eventually win her over, queuing her signature affectionate punch. with time, he even picks up sand bending pretty decently. the Beifongs would end up being quite protective over this ray of sunshine despite his clear ability to take care of himself (esp after the 10 year jump.) wouldn’t be surprised if zuko took prom on a life-changing field trip that confronts his past. #the real episode prompto. that’s rough buddy. bolin and prom would get pretty competitive with earth bending sports. he and bolin gossip about how they secretly have a crush on gladio’s muscles. prompto also confesses his love for asami to bolin. she’s techy and gorgeous, it just isn’t fair. bolin empathizes with him, talking about his old crush on korra. prompto would essentially become another brother to mako and bolin. Asami is still fond of prompto and appreciates the help he offers in the garage. Iroh is probably commending prompto’s appreciation of nature and friendship, as displayed so wonderfully in his pictures. at the end of the day, prompto finds that his camera’s memory is completely full of real flattering pics of aang’s face and motion blurred sokka who complains of not being ready for taking a perfect picture. toph is just glad she can’t see the pictures. meelo borrows some of the pictures prompto takes for references for his complex paintings. varrick hires prompto as his personal photographer and the two fall in love with each others’ spunk. they talk about prompto’s cindy situation. prompto is given some terrible ideas for this but he tries them anyway. when iggy is freshly blind, prompto does everything he can to give iggy pointers to help him feel his way around the earth. of course, his animal companion is a chocobo. when noct is gone, he makes sure to take a charcoal colored chocobo chick under his care and names it after his late friend.

ignis: again, first instinct is to classify the guy as a water bender, like katara, both being the moms of their squads. it’d also make sense, being the healer of the group. regardless, iggy’s a bit tough for me, because he also reminds me of tenzin - being the protagonist’s advisor and being accidentally funny. but he also demonstrates the aristocratic discipline of a polished fire bender, a much different kind of discipline from katara’s or tenzin’s. my final answer is that iggy would be a fire bender. he’s wise like iroh and disciplined like jeong jeong. the fire benders seem to take on advisory rolls in the avatar series in terms of main characters anyway. Iroh to Zuko. Zuko to Aang. Mako to Bolin. i like to imagine ignis using fire bending to his advantage as a cook. his ebony never runs cold. i also like to imagine when ignis becomes blind, instead of using his usual fire bending in melee, he figures out how to manipulate the electric impulses in human body. he could effectively exhaust someone or something just by tetanizing their muscles. he and katara might even be able to discover some medically revolutionary treatments through his abilities with the nerves, pacemaker cells, and the brain. also the synergy between noct and iggy when fighting would be so good. iggy would probably grab some lightning from the atmosphere and direct it to noct, who redirects the lightning with his water bending, quickly incapacitating MTs. if noct is unavailable then prompto’s on it, sending a charged metal whip right to the hearts of the MTs. iggy will sometimes put a motherly flame under noct’s ass to get him out of bed in the morning. Iroh is probably very fond of iggy, who appreciates his tea and is a great conversationalist when it comes to philosophy. iggy is always more than happy to cook for Iroh and to play pai sho on his spare time. iroh basically adopts the man. When iggy is blind, he and zuko like to tease each other about the fact that they both have scars on their left eyes. iggy proves to be a great listener for zuko just as he is for noct. zuko basically adopts iggy as his substitute uncle when iroh passes. now iggy is busy motherinig TWO angsty figureheads. at least zuko eats his vegetables. gladio is always grateful when iggy’s around so he doesn’t have to spend a lot of time making a fire. toph probably thinks iggy is just the most amusing, darnedest, and sometimes infuriating beast, and iggy learns a lot from toph when he’s blind. it doesn’t take an earth bender to tap into the frequencies of the world, and he eventually learns to see like toph. team avatar lowkey ships the two together, but the chocobros know that iggy probably couldn’t handle a girl like toph. when iggy visits zaofu, he cooks for suyin, who is blown away by the blind man’s tastes. bolin requests seconds and thirds of his meals, going up to fifths, rivaling gladio’s appetite. every once in a while, iggy feels intrigued by varrick and helps zhu li out with her endless duties. Ignis would probably have a BIG black leopard-opossum hybrid companion. a beast with heightened sight and smell to guide him when his own eyes fail. also a good friend for finding quality ingredients.

gladio: gladio’s a straight forward kind of guy. he knows what his path is. his mind is unwavering, being the king’s shield. he is a guy who’s very in tune with nature. I bet he’s a natural earth bender. gladio can also have a firey temper when provoked. over time he might learn to lava bend. as the chocobro’s survivalist, his earth bending comes in handy when they boys are just too tired to set up a tent or to build a proper fire pit. if he’s lucky, he doesn’t even have to try very hard to catch small prey like rabbits if they’re unfortunately close by. he makes very easy friends with the creatures from the spirit world. they show him all sorts plants to live off and places to camp out. of all the bros, toph tolerates him the best. this is mostly because he can put up an equal fight and isn’t as excitable as the others. the bros are awestruck once again by how gladio can seem to get on every woman’s good side. toph and gladio enjoy sparring - toph is very sensitive to his movements and quick to react. gladio has excellent instincts as well and is obviously powerful. he might not be quite as accurate as toph but he’s got just a smidge more brute force than her, somehow. sokka is unsubtley jealous of gladio’s masculinity and secretly leaves to do some pull ups on a tree or something. how dare gladio just walk around with his 6-pack out and about. gladio and aang become great buddies. aang and gladio relentlessly pull pranks on each other and the bros. aang helps gladio learn the wiley ways of the spirit world too. korra sees gladio as a big brother. when she needs someone to talk to, gladio’s there to listen. if she needs to let off some bad energy by throwing rocks n’ stuff, he’s always happy to give the avatar a good, earthy fight. this guy can take a punch. prompto is hiding and secretly taking pics of the intense fights. both fighters are pleased with how badass they look. he and bolin train together sometimes, though usually the sessions end up devolving into a volley of cheap and dirty tactics and taunting. spending time with bolin is still one of his favorite pastimes. gladio becomes fond of mako as well. they relate to each other, having very similar occupations. gladio even offers to fill in for mako when something more urgent than his police work requires his presence. lin approves of gladio. every once in a while prompto requests gladio’s assistance in helping him escape the slightly overwhelming varrick during enormous parties, but gladio decides to stick around and have a few drinks with the elegantly dressed ladies. gladio would probably have a raven for an animal companion (partially to match his tats.) The raven would be a great helper when scavenging and just a nice intelligent friend to hang out with. His raven probably plays pranks on all the other bro’s animals.

#ffxv #atla #lok #avatar #noctis #prompto #ignis #gladio #long post

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panda-noosh · 4 years

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Hi, I love all of your stories particularly the best friend x reader ones. I’d like to politely request a Sokka (or Aang but you didn’t hear that from me👀) x best friend fem reader who’s in a relationship with Zuko, but the reader is only a rebound from Mai and so Zuko is miserable and takes it out on her all the time. Not like abuse more like just lots of brooding and the cold shoulder. Lots of angst, but a fluffy ending with Sokka and reader ending up together! Thanks so much ☺️🧚🧚‍♀️⚡️✨✨

I’M SO SORRY, THIS REQUEST GOT LEFT BEHIND IN MY ASK BOX AND I’M ONLY JUST NOW GETTING TO IT. i hope you enjoy. sorry for the wait!!! xxx

----

Sokka watches you.

That’s all he ever does. He doesn’t think it’s appropriate to question the logic behind why you’re staying with him when he clearly treats you so badly.

Zuko has changed, and Sokka knows this. He watched it happen. The prince went from a blood-thirsty, annoying little shit to someone Sokka can genuinely vent to if he feels like it. The two have shared moments in the past few months that have solidified some sort of friendship between them, even with the tension they once held, the tension they will forever hold.

But he still has his flaws, and apparently, treating you with respect is one of them.

It’s another one of those days where Zuko is just. . . being Zuko. He’s probably thinking about Mai again, which angers Sokka to no end. He understands, and he hates that Zuko is hurting over his previous break up, but you will always be the first one on Sokka’s priority list, which is why he finds it so infuriating that Zuko isn’t treating you right. He sits at the table and ignores you, one hand cupping his cheek as the other jabs a fork into a plate of leaves that Sokka made fun of when he first laid eyes on it. His own pizza goes cold in front of him, because he’s spent so much of the past hour just watching Zuko completely ignore you, like you don’t even exist.

You continue your attempts to get your boyfriends attention, attempts you shouldn’t even have to make. Zuko should be listening to you. Zuko should be treating you like god damn royalty, because you’re one of the best people on the planet. You give your everything to everyone, treating everyone with respect and kindness, no matter how many times they-

Sokka has to cut his thoughts short. They always get like that, completely out of hand no matter how much he tries to block them off.

He will admit to himself that he loves you, but that confession can never be uttered to anyone else. It’s terrifying. It’s humiliating. You would rather be with someone who gives you the cold shoulder than with him, and that’s enough to shatter any ounce of confidence Sokka is so renowned for.

“Zuko, are you okay?” Sokka hears you ask, his ears immediately prickling at the question. You’ve tried to keep your voice down, but it hasn’t worked.

Zuko grunts in response.

You bite your lower lip, glancing at the table. Your own meal is unfinished, slowly going cold. You’ve been letting that happen a lot recently, and the weight is dropping off you faster than Sokka is comfortable with. He’s mentioned it once or twice, but you always use the same excuse: “We’ve been running around a lot more often; it’s just burning off me.”

“You haven’t touched your salad,” you continue. “I can go get you something else if you-”

“If you want to help me, go away and leave me alone.”

You flinch. Flinch. Sokka has to curl his fingers into fists to stop himself standing up and punching Zuko square in the face.

You nod and slowly stand. You follow his order, because he’s Zuko and he’s upset so therefore, everybody has to adhere to exactly what he wants. It makes Sokka sick to his stomach watching it happen, and when you flee from the table, he can’t take it any more.

He stands and marches over to Zuko. “What the hell man?”

Zuko glances up. “Oh. Hey Sokka.”

“Don’t Hey Sokka me! Why are you being like that to Y/N?”

Zuko raises a brow, but he doesn’t seem all that bothered. His face is still cupped by a lazy hand, his fork still jabbing into his dinner leaves. “What are you talking about?”

Sokka inhales, trying to keep his cool. “Listen, Zuko. I get it, okay? Mai broke your little heart. You gave her everything and all that bullshit. But just because you’re in a bad place doesn’t mean you get to treat Y/N like shit, do you understand? They don’t deserve that.”

And Sokka doesn’t even know where the words come from, but they’re out there now, and there’s no way he can just snatch them back. Slowly, Zuko raises his head, his eyes boring into Sokka’s with an intensity that only a member of the fire nation can really hold.

He says, “Sokka. Are you in love with Y/N?”

It feels so obvious. Sokka almost wants to laugh, almost wants to say “Well, obviously,” because surely every single person in the world should just know that he’s been head over heels in love with you from the moment he laid eyes on you all those years ago.

He swallows now and says, “Yes. Yes, I am. So please stop dragging them around like a sock puppet. They don’t deserve that.”

He turns then, unable to hear Zuko’s reply, unable to witness the anger that surely overtakes his features. Sokka has just confessed to being in love with his partner - no man in their right mind would ever take that lightly.

Without turning back, Sokka walks away.

---

His name sounds like a prayer on your lips.

He turns, bleary eyed and tired from a long day of work and a long night of tossing and turning. He stands in the window of his cabin, wearing a pair of pyjama shorts and a flowy white shirt he stole from his father before they left the water tribe behind. You stand in the doorway, wearing baggy grey trousers and a low cut pyjama shirt.

Sokka’s eyes widen. “Y/N.”

You look up, offering the tiniest of smiles.

“What are you still doing up?” Sokka asks, approaching you with caution.

“I wanted to come see what you were up to,” you reply. “Plus, I was talking to Zuko earlier and he told me a few things. A few things I wanted to ask you about.”

Sokka’s heart stops at those words. There’s nothing else it could be, is there? His conversation with Zuko lasted approximately two minutes, and there was nothing significant about any of it besides his confession.

He takes a step back, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. “Actually, I was just gonna go to bed...”

“Sokka, why didn’t you tell me before?”

He pauses. “Huh?”

“That you’re in love with me.” You take a step closer, and Sokka’s body shifts into overdrive. He’s going to overheat. He’s going to start sweating and that’s so gross, and how are you ever going to like him if sweat is lashing off him and he can’t even-

“You’re with Zuko,” he blurts out.

You freeze, hand outstretched, inches from his own, and suddenly Sokka regrets ever saying anything before you held his hand.

“You’re with Zuko,” he repeats, calmer this time. “I didn’t want to jeopardise that. I care too much about you both to do that.”

You blink like this isn’t the answer you expected. And then, “Zuko told me to go after you. He said I should be happy.”

“You should be. He’s right. Did he finally apologise for treating you like shit?”

You laugh. “Well, kind of. He - uh - broke up with me.”

Heat rises in Sokka’s face. His jaw falls open before he snaps it closed and exclaims, “He what?”

But then you laugh again. Short, sharp, confusing. “He broke up with me, Sokka. He said he wanted me to be happy, so he ended it.”

Sokka raises a brow, genuinely puzzled. “Where’s the logic in that?”

You roll your eyes, and before Sokka can fully comprehend what is happening, you’re marching towards him, grabbing his shirt collar and tugging him in for a kiss.

A kiss. A genuine kiss!

Sokka’s mind explodes the instant he feels your mouth on his own. He has kissed plenty of people in his lifetime, but this is so different. This is like his first kiss all over again. Suddenly, he doesn’t know what to do, or how to move, or where to place his hands, so he just stands there, letting you take control. Your hands travel into his hair, guiding him closer and closer and closer until you eventually pull away and say, “Did I misread something?”

The panic of you thinking he doesn’t want this drives him on. He grabs your hips and pulls you to him, slamming his lips back to yours.

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