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A bell chimes as Sokka opens the door to the blissfully calm Jasmine Dragon. Katara sounded so tired in her texts, and she loves the tea here. Hopefully a nice, calming tea would boost her mood and prevent another Sibling Snack™ spent talking about Dr. Pakku and his aversion to teaching women the same way he teaches men. She doesn’t need him to be a great surgeon, and Sokka told her as much, but it still hurt to see his sister so down. Although Aang, as her boyfriend and the friend group’s resident mediator, usually handles emotions better, Sokka finds that sometimes Katara needs someone to suggest something more than a peaceful conversation. Sometimes it’s nice to have someone offer to murder someone for you, to show they care.
That’s where he and Toph come in. On her days off from the hospital, Katara and Toph will go to this place and just vent to one another. Sokka is always caught up on the Hot Goss via text or later that night. He’s not invited to Girl Talk, that’s what he tells people, really it’s because during that time Sokka has his History of Combat class, which only has one time slot and he wanted to take it so badly he sacrificed tea time. But to tell people that he wanted to take an obscure class so badly that he now has to eat dinner at 10pm to fit everything into his schedule? It's just easier to say that he's not invited and joke about being excluded. Either way, Sokka doesn’t love tea, but as he looks to the till, he can see the appeal of this specific tea shop.
“You have beautiful eyes,” is all Sokka can say as he goes to order, and there’s a pause. He has to remember to breathe. He's breathing and he wishes he wasn't.
“There’s really only the one but thanks,” of course Sokka should have thought before he said that. Of course he noticed the scar taking up the left side of his face, it should be out of place, he thinks. It’s not something you see everyday. But for this man, it somehow fit. The damage leaves one eye clouded over and grey while the other stands out like the sun on a clear day in it’s golden brown, almost glowing when the light hits him in the right spots. If there were two eyes like that, Sokka would never be able to look away.
“I am so so sorry uh Zoo— Zuck— Zuck-oh?” Of course Sokka can’t pronounce his name, he’s already offended this guy once, why not butcher his name after you compliment his eyes, all the one of them.
“It’s Zuko,” Oh .
“Right, of course, I’m so sorry. You know, it really suits you. Your name, that is. It’s really pretty— no, not pretty— um, handsome? Can a name be handsome? It’s original for sure, not in a bad way like ‘ oh that’s original ’ but it’s nice. Much cooler than Lee, you know how there’s like a million Lees out there? I bet you’re the only Zuko though,” Tui and La can someone please just come stick a sock in his mouth or something because every time Sokka starts to talk it just makes it worse.
He thought, anyway.
Because then Zuko laughs. He laughs and nods. There’s a glow in his eye that spreads throughout his face and infects Sokka. He feels his heart skip a beat and a jump in his stomach. “What’s yours?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your name, I— uh— need it for your order!” There was a pause in his speaking that made Sokka think that maybe Zuko had just made up an excuse.
“I haven’t given you my order yet,” he’s smug, he knows that. But this guy is cute in an awkward and a little bit emo way, and Sokka wants to keep the conversation going. “For the record, I’m not too sure what I want. My sister, Katara, comes here all the time but I don’t know what she gets. I just want to bring something to her at work, you know? She’s having a shitty day. So just, I guess, whatever your favourite is? I’m assuming you like tea, you know, cause you work in a tea shop? It would be weird not to, so two cups of that?” He thinks for a second and then adds “oh, and my name is Sokka, you know, for the order.”
Zuko looks down, hair covering his face. Saying something about an uncle owning the store, he mutters the total and Sokka can’t quite recall anything being said, as when he hands Zuko the cash and sorts out his coins, he feels their hands touch. He had never understood the way the people in those old-timey romance movies seemed to feel when the smallest of touches happens, but now he thinks he might understand. Zuko’s hand gives off an aura of warmth and Sokka wonders if his entire body runs hot, if Zuko felt a similar heat coming from Sokka’s own hand, if he even noticed the brush of skin. He notices Zuko’s hand curl in just a little bit, bringing his hand to a fist then stretching it out straight. It was as if he was testing to see if his hand was broken, if he could feel it. Maybe Zuko felt that same rush of energy that Sokka felt from that one moment of contact.
He tries to shake off that feeling as he walks to the other end of the counter when his phone buzzes in his pocket. Covering Momo’s ears on the photo occupying Sokka’s lockscreen is a message alert from Katara, he’ll have to ask her why she neglected to mention Zuko in her summaries of Girl Talk.
New Message from Katara (Flying Sister): Getting pulled aside for a case, won’t make lunch. Sorry, love you!
Zuko places the two cups in front of him, “Jasmine, my favourite. I hope you like it,” he seems almost nervous. Nervous that Sokka won’t like his tea, maybe? Well, since Katara just cancelled and it’s Zuko’s favourite tea, he might as well…
“Do you want the second cup? Katara just cancelled lunch and I don’t want this to go to waste. You probably drink tea all the time but you said it was your favourite and—”
“I’d love to,” Zuko intercepts Sokka’s rambling with his own, “really I would. Agni you don’t even know how much I want to, but I have to work, I’m really sorry!” He looks so guilty about it too, as if he were cancelling plans made months in advance. Sokka is about to text Aang and see if he’s home to drink the other cup, but another man comes behind the counter from a door that Sokka assumes leads into the kitchen area and places a hand on Zuko’s shoulder.
“Nephew,” he starts, ah, Sokka thinks, this is the uncle that owns the store. Maybe he’ll let Zuko off work early. “I can handle this busy crowd myself. Go, take tea with your new friend, to share tea with a fascinating and handsome stranger may be one of your life’s greatest delights.” He pushes Zuko out into the small, empty store space, sending him out with a wink.
“So you have a sister?” Zuko pulls out a chair for Sokka at one side of the little table and goes to sit himself on the other. A gentleman , he’ll remember to tell Katara about this, and they say chivalry is dead.
“Yeah, Katara’s the best! She’s the chief resident of her class at Kyoshi Hospital, so she’s great when I accidently cut or burn myself in one of the labs. She’s pretty much been like my mother even though she’s younger than me, which is amazing. She’s got all this empathy and badassery, even after everything that’s happened to us” He pauses, breathes, and looks away from Zuko to study the floor. Then, in an unforeseen turn of events, one could even say in a life changing instant, Zuko places his hand over Sokka’s. And that warmth he felt before? The one in his eyes, his laugh, his touch? That was nothing compared to the sensation of simply holding hands with Zuko. His palms are rough, and Sokka wonders what could possibly cause that when you serve tea for a living. He only hopes he can get to know Zuko and his rough palms for all he is. With the grounding, connecting presence of Zuko’s hand now entwined with his own, Sokka takes a deep breath and continues, “while doing everything for our family and working at the hospital, she also manages to have a perfectly disgusting relationship with my best friend, Aang. I figured a tea on a bad day would be the least I could do for her.” Though Sokka often feels overshadowed by his sister, he is also incredibly proud of Katara and will take any opportunity to brag to a stranger about her accomplishments.
“Well I’m sure you and your girlfriend are just as gross to her,” Zuko’s comment seems like an attempt at subtly and Sokka has to stifle a laugh.
“She was close with my first girlfriend, Yue, who died,” Zuko hisses and Sokka thinks he hears him say something like that’s rough buddy under his breath, but Sokka continues on, “and Suki, my other ex. She and I are still close too, we’re just better as friends and she’s dating some girl in a circus now. Other than that, there haven’t really been any guys or girls I’ve been serious with enough for Katara to get grossed out by. Besides, no matter who I bring home, they can’t be worse than this guy, Jet, that Katara was super into for a bit” Sokka hopes that his explantation, as well as his thoughtful fidgeting with the bi-pride friendship bracelet Suki had given him a few weeks ago, made his availability and sexuality clear to Zuko.
“Oh, I went out with a Jet once, wonder if it’s the same one,” Zuko said it off-handedly, and although Sokka had assumed from the beginning that Zuko was, at some level, attracted to men, it was nice to have confirmation. He was glad for that, but Jet? Seriously? Jet? Everyone has their flaws.
Sokka drinks more of his tea, hoping it will wash down some of the disgustingness that comes with the idea of Zuko and Katara sharing an ex.
“God I hope not.” Sokka says it all in one breath, because, Jet? Really? Zuko just takes a sip, and maybe he would tell Sokka more, but he really doesn’t want him to. “Do you have any siblings?” Smart move, Sokka, change the subject, stop thinking about Zuko and, ugh, Jet.
“I have a sister, Azula.” Zuko’s gaze drifts and his grip on Sokka’s hand tightens, which would make Sokka happy if Zuko didn’t seem so uncomfortable. Zuko seems to take comfort in the cup of tea, if the way his other hand grasps it is any indication. White on the knuckles, Sokka worries that he might end up breaking it.
“Oh, are you close?” Sokka feels stupid again, like he did before. Clearly Zuko didn’t want to talk about her, so why on Earth would Sokka press the issue? Honestly he was surprised Zuko is still talking to him. He’s also surprised that Zuko hasn’t torn through the paper to-go cup he’s been drinking out of. Sokka is glad it’s not a porcelain mug, because if it were, it would have shattered. Which, to be fair, would be very hot if not for the current vibe of the conversation. Zuko continues.
“No she’s been...away… for a while, I go to visit her sometimes though” It’s delicate, not just quiet. Zuko’s voice is rough and raspy, that’s just how it seems to be naturally. The way he speaks now is different. Sokka could reach into the air and tear the words with the slightest movement. Instead they linger, and he feels the need to speak.
“That must be nice,” it’s an out, and he hopes Zuko takes it, for himself and for the sake of that poor cup.
“Sometimes,” Zuko turns to look out the window onto the street, and Sokka does too. The two sit in silence, hands intertwined, watching the people pass and finishing their tea. They breathe together, and Sokka thinks that the two of them fit together quite nicely, and he goes to ask Zuko what he thinks, turning to see that Zuko is already looking at him. He’s looking at Sokka and he smiles, soft and open.
Customers come back in and that smile fades. Replacing it is a grimace and Zuko lets out a noise that’s something like a groan or a growl. Whatever it is, Sokka is somewhat pleased to see that Zuko doesn’t treat other customers like he has Sokka.
“Well I should probably—” Sokka starts, at the same time:
“I’m so sorry I have to—” Zuko begins to say, and they laugh. Checking his phone, he’s surprised to see that he has spent an hour in the Jasmine Dragon. He has a snapchat notification from Suki, but he’ll open it when he gets back home. The only thing he cares about is getting Zuko’s number, even if he is willing to come to this store everyday to talk to him, he wants to make his interest very clear to Zuko.
“Hey, before you go back to work, I was wondering,” Zuko looks at him, right in the eyes, and Sokka wonders if Zuko knows the effect that it has on him, “I was wondering if I could get your number?”
“Yes.”
“Just cause, you know, I think you’re really cute and I know we haven’t known each other that long at all, but if I were to take you out sometime—”
“Yes.”
“I think we’d get to know each other better and you could see that I’m not just some guy with chronic foot-in-mouth syndro— wait, did you say yes?” Zuko laughs again.
Sokka wants to record it and make it his ringtone, but that would be weird. That’s third date stuff.
“Okay, yes, awesome, so just, yeah, here, you know, take this, put in your number and text yourself— or I guess I can text you right now after you put it in— whatever you want,” Sokka sends a silent thanks to Yue, as she has most definitely taken her place amongst the gods by now, as Zuko giggles and hands his phone back. Then, before Sokka can say goodbye, Zuko leans down just an inch or so, kisses him on the cheek, and goes back behind the counter. All Sokka can do is make a series of noises before yelling out “I’m texting you now, and probably later!” He has no shame, and he laughs as Zuko rolls his eyes and makes a shooing motion with his hands. Smiling, he walks out of the shop, opening his snap from Suki, it’s a picture of him and Zuko. Holding hands, sitting at the table, smiling at each other, and it might be the best picture ever taken. Choosing not to question just how Suki got this picture, which is zoomed in a little but looks to be taken from inside the shop— and honestly The Boulder himself could have walked in and Sokka wouldn’t have noticed at the time— he screenshots the picture. He decided to send it to Zuko, saying in another text “ I think the Jasmine Dragon has a badgermole! ”
Sokka, currently standing three shops down and with his airpods in, sees the message has been read and can then hear a loud shout all the way from the Jasmine Dragon:
“UNCLE!”