Chapter Thirteen
All he could feel was heat. Tension, heat and Zuko's warm lips. It distracted him from his cold clothes that were clinging to his body. A shiver ran up his side, Zuko's warm hand placed on his waist. Warming his cold skin.
Zuko pulled open Sokka's top, peeling the wet fabric off his skin, expoding his chest which glistened in the moonlight. He bit his lip, humming at the sight. Sokka's chest was cold and his nipples were erect. Zuko ran a hand over his smooth skin, earning a soft hum from the other boy. Eagerly, he leaned in to run his lips across Sokka's collarbone, the water tribe boy letting out a sigh as he ran a hand through Zuko's hair.
The Firelord slid down the water tribe boy's body to place his hot lips over his nipple, a sharp noise of surprise left Sokka's throat.
"What?! Are-" He uttered before humming. "Why does that feel good?" He mumbled.
"What was that?" Zuko asked smugly, smirking up at him.
"Mm... It feels... Good..." Sokka replied shyly, looking away.
Zuko raised his eyebrow, returning to his work. He trailed his hands down Sokka's sides, moving to fumble with Sokka's sash, slowly untying but being stopped by Sokka's hands.
He looked up at him, giving him a questioning look.
"I... I don't want to go all the way..." Sokka whispered.
"Okay." Zuko nodded, giving him a smile.
He stood up again, pulling Sokka in again for a kiss. Sokka kissed back, humming. He didn't realize how cold his lips had gotten.
Eventually they pulled away, looking into each other's eyes.
"So... Umm..." Sokka mumbled.
"I... I want to say," Zuko mumbled. "What happened back at the palace was never a mistake to me... It was confusing at first. But... It just feels right... Being with you."
Sokka breathed a sigh of relief, his cheeks flushing again before he kissed the firebender again.
"So... What are we gonna do now?" The water tribe boy asked lowly, looking up at him through his dark lashes.
"Do you... want to be my boyfriend?" Zuko uttered, zoning out into Sokka's eyes.
"What...? Yes!" Sokka responded quickly, his eyes lighting up.
The Firelord laughed softly at the exchange. But he felt his heart skip a beat and his stomach clench again. He pecked Sokka's lips one more time before pulling away.
"Now, we should probably get back to camp. Aang's probably worried." Zuko said softly, gesturing back to camp.
"Yeah and I need to warm up, it's freezing out here." Sokka added, rubbing his arms.
"Well..." Zuko pulled Sokka's shirt closed. "That should help a little, but I can start a fire."
"Thanks," Sokka smiled gratefully. "What are we gonna tell Aang?"
"We'll just say that when I found you, I startled you and you fell into the pond. Then I jumped in after you." Zuko suggested, gesturing to the pond.
"Sounds good."
Back at the camp, Sokka curled up by the fire, wrapped in Zuko's blanket. He snuggled into his cocoon, inhaling the Firelord's scent. Said Firelord was sitting on Appa watching his sister. Sokka had complained about wanting to cuddle Zuko, bit there wasn't a very good vantage point from where Sokka was sitting. He watched the orange flames lick at the dark air, breathing in the faint smell of smoke and Zuko's scent. He felt himself grow sleepy, his eyes falling closed. He took one last glance at his boyfriend before falling asleep.
_
"Sokka what's that on your neck?" Katara demanded, pointing at the dark mark on her brother's neck.
Zuko choked on his breakfast, coughing violently, the group all looked at him. He cleared his throat before giving the rest of them a tiny, awkward smile.
Katara turned back to her brother, edging him on to answer her question with her eyes.
"I don't know... I must've hit a rock or something when I fell into the pond last night," Sokka shrugged. "Or got hit by a tree branch..."
His sister gave him another look but decided to leave it alone. Both boys looked down, blushing at the memories from the night before. Aang finished up his food before standing up.
"Alright, I guess we should get going." He chirped, putting his hands on his hips.
"Ok, just give me a minute I'm almost done." Sokka responded, stuffing his bread in his mouth.
"Sokka," Zuko said quietly, inching closer. "You've got crumbs all over your face."
He wiped the boy's bottom lip, Sokka's food stuffed cheeks flushing a soft pink. Zuko gave him a little smile, glancing at his lips once before sliding away again.
Katara and Aang watched the exchange silently. Aang thought nothing of it and went off to finish packing up while Katara got suspicious.
What was going on?
_
The group walked through a chasm of rock, leaving Appa behind as he couldn't fit. They walked through into a dense jungle. The trees clumped together, not allowing any sunlight to pass through. Still, the forest was lit dimly so the group could see.
"So this must be forgotten valley..." Aang mumbled, looking around.
"How do you know? Are you detecting something with your Avatar powers?" Sokka asked.
"No, it just says so on that sign." Aang replied shortly, nodding towards a sign that was stuck to a tree.
"Oh."
"So, where do we go from here?" Katara asked, their path cut off by a gathering of trees.
"I'm not sure... The path just ends." Zuko responded, looking around.
"Come on Zuzu," Azula mused, taking a stance. "For a true firebender, there's always a path."
A blast of blue fire shot out of her fist, igniting the trees and burning them down.
"Azula! You can't just burn down the forest!" Aang exclaimed.
"Yeah, remember what I said before? Nature hates you." Sokka raised an eyebrow, putting his hands on his hips.
"Wait... Guys... I feel something with my Avatar powers," Aang muttered. "It's making me want to go like... This." He lifted his head from his hands, a strange expression on his face.
"Sweetie, not with the faces again..." Katara sighed.
"Wait! Look! If you really focus, there're faces everywhere!" Sokka pointed out. "Like this leaf! Or that squirrel toad." Sokka exclaimed, making the same expressions that were displayed on said wildlife.
"Sokka, Aang can't help it and you're just being a jerk." Katara lectured.
"But look! That flutter bat has the same expression!" Sokka responded, gesturing to the mammal flying overhead and then to Aang's face.
"Hey, you're right!" Aang agreed, watching the creature fly off. "Hey wait! I think we're supposed to be friends!"
"Aang, don't go running off by yourself. Who knows what's out there." Zuko piped up.
But it was too late, Aang had already chased after the flutter bat. Katara ran off after him, leaving the two firebenders and Sokka. They quickly followed suit as well.
Azula pulled ahead and Sokka eyed Zuko's hand. Biting the edge of his lip, he grabbed it and laced his fingers in with Zuko's. The Firelord looked down at their hands and then to Sokka, a little taken aback at first, but his expression quickly melted into one of content.
_
The gang found themselves at a clear pool of water where Aang stood next to Katara.
"Check this out!" He called to the group.
"I've never seen water so clear and still..." Katara mused, staring into the pool.
"Like a perfect pane of glass." Zuko muttered, squeezing Sokka's hand.
"It's so tranquil... It reminds me of Tui and La's pond at the north pole...," Aang said, closing his eyes. "This place is very spiritual, everyone please be respectful."
"You again?!" Azula shouted almost immediately after, shooting lightning at the pond.
"Azula! No!" Zuko let go of Sokka's hand.
"What did I say about being respectful?!" Aang demanded, butting in.
"She told you to bring me here didn't she?" Azula accused, turning to fire a blast at Aang. "So she could keep tormenting me with her lies?!"
"That's enough!" Zuko jutted in, diminishing Azula's blast with his own fire.
"It is enough," Katara piped up, bending the pond water to douse the fire. "We've tried putting up with her Zuko, but Azula's too dangerous."
Out of nowhere, Katara flinched as something grazed her arm. Azula blocked something off and the whole group turned alert to whatever was throwing what appeared to be flower throwing stars at them.
"Look out!" Sokka yelped, dodging another star.
Zuko immediately pulled Sokka behind him, igniting his hands with fire. He searched the forest around them for the source of the stars.
"It's like the forest is attacking us!" Katara stated, looking at a star that had hit a tree.
"Yeah, it's because nature hates her!" Sokka spoke up, glaring at Azula.
"Heads up!" Zuko shouted as another wave of flower stars raced towards them.
Sokka whacked one away with his club, still partially hidden behind Zuko and his wall of fire.
"Wait, I think I understand what's happening!" Katara piped up, turning to Sokka. "Did you see how that flower shattered against your club?"
"Yeah?" Sokka looked at his club.
"It shattered like ice! They're waterbending ice flowers at us!"
"And vines!" Sokka exclaimed, throwing his boomerang which sliced through some vines heading for Aang.
Azula jumped in, burning some vines that moved towards Sokka.
"Uh... Thanks?" Sokka uttered to Azula.
"The more peasants I have fighting for me, the better chance I have of surviving this nightmare forest." Azula stated lowly, glancing back at him.
"Sokka watch out!" Zuko uttered, shoving him out of the way as he was pinned to a tree with vines.
"Zuko!" Sokka yelped, running over.
Aang shot a gust of wind which sliced the vines, releasing Zuko. Sokka touched his shoulder, silently asking if he was ok. Zuko gave him a reassuring smile.
"Yikes!" Aang stammered as he was pushed to the ground by vines. "H-hang on guys! If we stay calm, I'm sure we'll figure something out!"
"How are we supposed to stay calm if nature is hellbent on skewering you?!" Sokka exclaimed as more vines shot towards the group.
Katara took a deep breath, bending the vines back around. "Whoever you are, you're not the only ones who can waterbend. Show yourself!"
The leaves and vines she'd bent fluttered to the ground. Two people walked out of the forest, a tired looking lady in water tribe attire, and a tall man with a strange mask.