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Burning Love	By : InvokingRainbows Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > Slash - Male/Male > Sokka/Zuko Views: 8145 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Avatar: The Last Air Bender or any of their characters or creative world. All rights belong to Nickelodeon (I assume), or some other company that isn't me. Just trying to write stories here, enjoy!

Chapter List
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It was most definitely immature of him, but Zuko avoided Sokka like the plague for the next week. Instead, he poured all of his focus and effort into teaching Aang how to fire bend. Except, that endeavor wasn't working out very well, either.
He'd never taught anyone before and his own problems were making it hard for him to concentrate. He blamed Sokka for this, and the stupid nightmares he'd been having about the phantom sensation of lips, and the cool glide of wet skin.
Then they had a stroke of luck and met the dragons who helped them learn the true form of fire bending. It was exhilarating - so many years of practicing bending, and now it just came so easily to him. The flames leapt to his fingertips like eager puppies, ready to be utilized. Never had it come to him so easily before.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Zuko felt at peace and relaxed. Until Aang ruined it.
"There's something wrong between you and Sokka, isn't there?" he asked innocently enough, wearing the guise of a caring friend.
Zuko cut a glance at him, frowning, "... nothing's different. We still don't get along," he denied.
Aang nodded slowly. “Right, except you’ve managed to get along with just about everyone else.” He pointed out. “And you two went and rescued Suki and Hakoda together, just the two of you.” He went on, it showing on his face that he was slowly starting to put things together.
“I know!” he shouted suddenly, jumping to his feet from the rock he’d been sitting on with a blast of air. (They had stopped to take a rest on their way back from the Sun Warriors and their dragons.) “You’re afraid of him!” he said, although even as the words were coming out of his mouth he knew they were wrong. “No, he can’t bend so that’s not it.”
Aang began to pace around Zuko, eyeing him curiously. “He stole some meat from your own personal stash and now you’re mad at him?” he asked.
Zuko eyeballed him warily, not liking where this was going and wishing Aang would just drop the issue.
Also, "... who has personal meat stashes? That's weird."
He shook his head, perplexed and exasperated. Really, sometimes the Avatar and his friends were too quirky for words to properly express.
"Just leave it, Aang. Sometimes people just don't like each other," he insisted.
“Yeah…but I know that’s not what’s going on.” He said with a grin. “I’m the Avatar, remember? I’m pretty good at reading people. Also, Toph taught me some of that whole ‘truth sensing’ thing she does with her feet. I know when you say you don’t like Sokka that you’re lying, but I just can’t figure out why you’re lying.” He said, sighing.
He probably should just leave it alone, but hey, Zuko had helped him immensely by taking him to the Sun Warriors, so helping him work through his emotional stuff would be the least he could do.
“So what is it then?” he asked, with his usual eager smile.
More than anything, in that moment, he deeply missed Iroh. Zuko realized that he'd never fully appreciated the man, though he'd definitely loved him. He just never was able to express it. Iroh always knew what was eating at Zuko without the prince having to tell him, and though his advice was often mysterious and philosophical, it was usually exactly what Zuko needed to hear.
He ran his fingers through his hair - it was quickly becoming a tic, he should stop - and looked away from Aang's earnest expression.
"I don't... want to talk about it."
“But if you don’t talk about it, it won’t get better.” He said, walking around him in the other direction now. “But I mean, I guess I could just ask Sokka what happened at dinner tonight. You know. In front of everyone.” He said with a sly look on his face.
Aang wouldn’t really do something like that of course, but he knew that whatever was eating at Zuko needed to be let out. What had monk Gyatso said? “Emotions are like soup in a pot. Keep too many inside and it’ll boil over.” or something to that effect. Gyatso’s best wisdom always seemed to be food related.
“I think you really do want to talk about it.” He pursued. “I just think you don’t realize that yet. You’ll feel so much better afterwards though, and then you and Sokka might be able to be friends again. I think you’re good for each other.” He said, nodding solemnly. Of course, he was speaking spiritually good for each other.
Zuko grit his teeth, eyes narrowing at the Avatar, wondering if the brat would actually do something like that and feeling betrayed that the kid would even threaten him in such a way.
"We were neverfriends," he spat the word like a curse. Seriously, Aang was asking for it - Zuko had a short fuse as it was, and this had been eating at him for a week now. It wasn't as if he'd been able to leave, either. Not when he had to teach Aang fire bending and when he'd sworn to himself he'd restore honor to the Fire Nation.
"If you really want to know maybe youshouldask him," he growled, bolting up from his seat and pacing the small length of their resting pace like a caged lion. "It's his fucking fault, anyway."
He glared at Aang some more, pissed, "Coming here to help you was not an easy choice for me, Aang. Not when I spent years looking for you in hopes of restoring my honor. And Iunderstand, it's crystal-fucking-clear, that you all wouldn't trust me. And that'sfine, I'm not asking for more than your group's cooperation."
He grimaced, "I don't know how to be a nice guy, or how to have friends, anyway."
Again, he ran his fingers anxiously through his hair, pacing still. "I know Sokka didn't want me here, I know that he doesn't like me. Mistrust doesn't justdisappearovernight, so I need to know Aang..."
He whirled on Aang, the gold of his eyes dark and angry, "I really need to fucking know - all this touching and laughing, and pretending to get along. It's all bullshit; him trying to mess with my head, right? He's getting revenge for all the grief I've given you, right? Why else would he try to k---"
He cut himself off abruptly, making a choked, distressed sound low in his throat. Spinning on his heel, he jammed a fire-coated fist into the nearest wall. The stone won, of course, but the jarring pain of bruised and split knuckles helped clear his head a little.
He stared blankly at his bloodied hand, breathing hard through his nose, before closing his eyes and resting his forehead against the cool stone, feeling suddenly tired and defeated.
"I just need to know what his deal is, Aang."
Taking a moment to let everything he’d just heard sink in, Aang breathed deeply and silently for a moment, giving the energy around them time to cool off. “Sokka would never do something like that.” He said, once he was sure that Zuko would not try to set him on fire for speaking.
“It’s not in his nature. If he’s been doing all those things, it’s because he wants to. I’ve never known Sokka to be a mean spirited person. Well, unless meat is involved.” He said, laughing awkwardly. “It sounds like you need to have a conversation with him. I’m sorry I can’t give you better advice, I’ve never kissed anyone.” He said, turning a bit red. “That is what you were going to say though, right?” Aang put on his best fake Zuko voice “Why else would he try to kiss me!?” He even covered one of his eyes, trying to imitate the scar.
“I think you should just ask him.” He said after a moment, smiling at the other. “Chances are, he’s pretty confused about everything too considering you haven’t really spoken to him in a week.”
Zuko stiffened, turning to send Aang a baleful look for having figured him out so easily, and for that horrible impression.
"Your advice sucks," he bit out, sounding and looking petulant. "I'm pretty sure he goes goofy for women, right? He's had a few girlfriends on this little journey of yours as far as I've heard."
He could think of one who was back at camp with Sokka right now, probably making eyes at him while beating the guy to a bloody pulp during training drills.
"You don't just randomly start liking guys, Aang. Things don't work that way; so he must be messing with me."
He paused, "... or he's a bigger idiot than I first thought."
“Come on, we need to get back to the camp.” He said, knowing that if he kept pushing Zuko he might blow up again. The two of them headed in the direction, but something occurred to him as they were walking. “Haven’t you had a girlfriend? That one girl with no emotions, wasn’t it? I can’t remember her name. Besides, who’s to say it doesn’t work like that? From where we’re all sitting, you just suddenly decided to be good.” He pointed out.
Of course, sexuality and whether or not you help destroy the world or rebuild it are two completely different things, but at Aang’s age it seemed logical enough. “Plus, you wouldn’t be so worked up over it if you didn’t care.” He pointed out. “People get angry or upset with one another because they actually care about that person.” They would be approaching camp shortly, and Aang decided he would drop the subject for now, and keep what they’d spoken about to himself.
"Those two things don't even go together," he argued, huffing and feeling himself relax if only marginally.
He didn't feel better like Aang had said he would. He just felt drained and like he really needed to lie down and nap for three days. He didn't need more drama in his life, not when he had bigger concerns to worry about - like helping Aang defeat Ozai and his crazy ass sister, Azula. And, afterwards, if they even got that far, taking up responsibility for his people.
Zuko didn't say anything else. Despite being over a century old (technically), Aang wasn't all that learned at life. He just didn't think the kid was old enough to really appreciate what Zuko was going through.
That was fine. The kid had pushed him, but it wasn't really fair of Zuko to have unloaded on him like that.
Maybe he would talk to Sokka later, just not right at this second. He needed food, a bath, and sleep - in that order.
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Burning Love