Chapter Text
Sokka had, without any shadow of a doubt, severely missed Zuko while the prince was stuck in the Fire Nation.
When Sokka arrived at the palace in the Fire Nation’s capital, it had been at least half a year since he’d found the time to visit. It was only a few years after the war and Sokka was still in the earliest stages of his twenties, but the Southern Water Tribe had a lot of rebuilding to do and Sokka had found himself incredibly busy up until recently, and had only found an excuse to visit his old friend now.
It was fun and fulfilling work, but he could really use a break. It had been so much work that it had cost him his relationship with Suki ages ago in fact, and Sokka was thinking a nice vacation in a warm place with good friend was exactly what he needed.
The breakup with Suki had been one of the first things they talked about, that evening when Zuko finally had the time to sit down and share a drink with Sokka. It was the most interesting news to catch up on, after all - right after why exactly, Zuko had broken up with his beta girlfriend Mai. Which had happened an even longer time ago than Sokka’s own split had, but as of yet remained a subject Zuko had refused to expand on.
“We were… incompatible,” Zuko said with a red flush creeping down his pale neck. “It just took us a while to figure out that it was enough of a problem that we couldn't get over it. That’s all there was to it.”
“You mean like, sexually incompatible, right?” Sokka said, deciding it was safer not to try and imagine the beta and omega trying to go at it. They were only one drink into dinner after all, not enough of an excuse to get all inappropriate, even in his head. Even if the mental image was hot as hell.
“I didn’t say that!” Zuko snapped at him, managing to avoid eye contact while he yelled. “I just said we weren’t compatible, that means a lot of things didn’t work.”
The sex included, Sokka decided without saying it. “Yeah, I can see how you didn’t fit. I always figured you two were two alike in all the worst ways to last long.”
Zuko scowled at him, at Sokka noticed his scent was flaring up with more abandon than Zuko’s usual self control would allow. “Worst ways? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just mean you two were both too gloomy and temperamental, that’s all.” Sokka watched Zuko snort. “It’s not a bad thing! If anything, your gloomy temper is one of your most charming qualities.”
“I’ll pretend that’s a compliment,” Zuko drawled, taking another drink. He sighed, rubbing at the back of his neck a little.
“It is,” Sokka reassured. No need to actually talk about his bravery or strength or loyalty or honor or any of his actual good qualities. Not out loud, anyway.
The truth was, Sokka was already a little overly attached to Zuko. He knew it was probably just because Sokka was an alpha and Zuko was the only omega he knew that wasn’t his sister, so Sokka tried not to think about Zuko very often while they were apart but… it was surprisingly difficult to forget about the firebender under even the most distracting of circumstances.
“Whatever. If I’m gloomy and temperamental, you’re impulsive and overbearing.” Zuko said, rubbing at his forehead.
“Why thank you,” Sokka said earnestly, eyes still on his friend as he pinched at his temples.
“Are, uh… You okay there, buddy?” Sokka asked, watching as Zuko finally glanced up to meet his eyes. “You’re looking kind of…”
Zuko shook his head, sitting upright. “I’m fine,” he denied. “Just a little overheated.”
That seemed like an odd thing for a firebender to get, but it did just kind of seem like he was wiping sweat from his brow, so maybe it was true. His scent didn’t seem sick at all either, as far as Sokka’s alpha senses were concerned, he just smelled a little stronger than usual, and that could have just been because of the sweat.
Still, being friends with Zuko got particularly awkward when Sokka could really smell him like this. For someone as happily pansexual as Sokka was Zuko’s looks were already dangerous enough, and that sweet gingery smell was downright deadly. It didn’t help how cute it was when Zuko got all awkward and/or confused, which was surprisingly often for a world leader.
Sokka had just been single for too long. Zuko was now and always had been off limits for any kind of pining over, for a multitude of reasons. Zuko was a serious person who did things with his entire heart, which meant even the lightest of flirting was totally off-limits.
“Tell me about how the Water Tribes are doing,” Zuko said, changing the subject. “Aang has been helping me here with the Fire Nation, but I haven’t heard from you or Katara in a lifetime.”
“It’s all boring is why,” Sokka told him, still keeping an eye on Zuko now while they shared their meal. “We’ve opened trade back up, and with the support of the Fire Nation’s reparation funds we’ve had a huge baby boom. After the war like, all the wives got pregnant at once, so now we have about half a dozen babies along with the kids that already made up most of the tribe to start with. Just… babies everywhere.”
Zuko laughed, a rare sound that Sokka had always loved hearing. Zuko was rarely relaxed and happy enough to let such a sound loose, and so the times he was this loose had to be appreciated. “I’m glad the money’s been doing good. Makes it worth all the hell I’ve been getting over it.”
He wiped the sweat from his neck again, letting out a short sigh as he loosened the collars of his robes to let some air onto his neck. It made the hairs on the ends of Sokka’s own neck stand on end, a small explosion of scent wafting out where Zuko was fanning himself with his own collar.
Wait a minute…
“You aren’t like, going into heat are you?”
Zuko shot him a glare. “That’s a little rude to ask, isn’t it?”
Sokka rolled his eyes, scooting a little farther away from Zuko to try and avoid the constant nosefulls of sweet-hot omega hormones. “I’m just saying, if I came at a bad time we can put this little vacation of mine off. I can just get out of here until-“
“No,” Zuko snapped, eyes going wide. “You just got here, and I haven’t seen you in… The heat isn’t important. I work through them all the time, and I need to work through this one too.”
“Yeah but,” Sokka sort of gestured to himself. “I’m an alpha. Isn’t that like, a little awkward? You don’t really want me to stay do you?”
“I do,” Zuko said seriously. “Ever since Mai left the only person around the palace I actually like spending time with is Uncle Iroh. That’s one person, Sokka. I only like one person in my life and he’s the most boring person to ever live. Don’t make me ask you to stay.”
This… sounded like a monumentally bad idea. “Well. It’s not like we’re still all sleeping together in one big pile on Appa anymore,” Sokka reasoned. “You’ll go to your room when you need to, right?”
Zuko scoffed. “Just trust me. I’ve been an omega longer than you’ve been alive,” which seemed like an unnecessarily pretentious way of saying he was a bit older than Sokka. “I know how to deal with a heat by now. I promise I won’t let it bother you.”
‘Bother him,’ yeah. That was one way of putting what Sokka was worried about.
—
Zuko went to bed early for obvious reasons, and Sokka hadn’t had much reason to try and stay up late by himself. Not when he was already preoccupied by the thought of Zuko’s impending heat, staying up wasn’t even a good idea.
It meant he got an early day the next day, but that was fine. He had a quick breakfast with Zuko before the Firelord was off to work with the council, obviously taking whatever kind of… breaks he needed to during the work day.
Sokka himself did what he’d been planning on asking Zuko to do with him today, and he went out of the palace to see the town.
It was a nice change, to see the Fire Nation out of war time. It was nice to see everywhere out of wartime, but the Fire Nation specifically had a particular air of jovial freedom that they seemed to be enjoying out from under Ozai’s oppressive reign.
There were more kids actually out playing in the streets now, Sokka noticed with delight. More fathers returned home from war, more mothers pregnant with children, more people out crowding the streets happily making commerce.
At least, it seemed that way on the surface. But as Sokka spent more and more of the day out in the world talking to the people of the Fire Nation, he found… a bit of unrest.
Not as many men were returned from war as the other nations, and it didn’t take long to figure out why. Zuko’s war reparations meant there were still soldiers out helping to rebuild the other countries that the Fire Nation had destroyed during the war, and it was good work that helped their reputation with the rest of the world, but…
There was still unease back home in the Fire Nation about it. The war was over and people wanted it to BE over, didn’t want to be reminded of debts they had to pay for a war they had been born into without asking.
Maybe he’d talk to Zuko about it when he saw him again later tonight. He wasn’t sure what to say yet, but there was bound to be a conversation out of it.
When Sokka got back to the palace, it didn’t take long before he saw his wayward friend. Zuko was storming out of the conference room tearing off layers of his robes as he went, shouting “Why is it so god forsaken HOT in here?! Are we living in Hell for fuck’s sake?! Someone turn down all of those god damned fires!”
Sokka laughed, watching the trail of clothing scatter across the floor as Zuko stomped off to his room. He got out much sooner that expected, changed into the lighter clothing of a civilian and swiping a hand through his damp hair what must have been enough times now to start mussing up his bun and letting his bangs hang loose into his face.
“What time is it?” Zuko asked, looking flushed and overheated and smelling like a firestorm of pheromones that took Sokka aback when Zuko got a little bit too close. “You know what, I don’t care. I’m hungry, so it’s dinner time.”
Sokka laughed again, joining the prince and his uncle for the impromptu meal with cheer and only minor trepidation. It was just the first day of Zuko’s heat, how bad could it really be?
It was… pretty bad, once they all sat down to eat together. Sokka didn't know if it he was grateful for Iroh’s presence or if it was the bane of his very existence right now, but he was the only thing stopping this from being a meal shared by a lone unmarked alpha and an omega in heat. Which, it still was that, but it was ALSO all of that plus that very omega’s beta uncle, who seemed to be there just to make everything feel about ten times more awkward.
Which was a good thing, probably. If Sokka hadn’t been concentrating on NOT staring at Zuko right in front of his uncle, he’d have instead have been possessed by that scent for the entire meal, and lord knows what the consequences for that were.
With his hair mussed up and his face all flushed and sweaty he looked like a damned snack, looking damn near as tempting as he smelled. Sokka had been around omegas in heat before but none that weren’t in his tribe and whom he felt directly related to, and he’d had no idea that they could be distracting when they weren’t doing anything at all.
Not distracting enough to make Sokka act like a lesser alpha and touch him or anything but. Goddamn him if it wasn’t so easy to fantasize about licking the sweat off Zuko’s neck right now. Easier to concentrate on that thought than anything else that crossed his mind the entire meal.
“I think you need a break, Zuko,” Iroh was saying, looking at his nephew with a critical eye. “You have not taken one yet all day, surely your body must need the rest.”
So much for Zuko having been taking care of himself. No wonder he smelled like an explosion, Sokka could probably smell the entire afternoon’s worth of slick still lingering on his skin. “Yeah dude, not in an offensive way or anything, but I haven’t been able to smell any of the food on this table over the smell of… you this entire time. A bath is… would be doing me a personal favor, a little bit.”
Zuko grumbled something dismissive out, but stood up nonetheless. “You alphas are just weak. I’m the one who has to actually put up with my body this whole week, If I can work through it so can you.”
Which was super true, but. “You still need to rest sometimes, Zuko.”
The Firelord rolled his eyes, but he was already on his way to the baths without a retort.
He was gone for a half hour or more, bt when he got back he was still wearing the same sweat-stained civvies he had been wearing before, like he had run out of clothes already after one day of his heat. Maybe the rest were busy making up his nest right now.
Either way he looked and smelled a hundred times… Sokka was going to say better there but he had never looked or smelled BAD in the first place. That was kind of the exact problem in fact. Either way he smelled closer to a normal human being and looked more refreshed too, leading Sokka’s imagination to supply all kinds of things he could have been doing in that bathtub by himself for so long.
Sokka didn’t let the thought take anchor in his mind. “Were you gonna get changed, or just keep wearing your dirty laundry all day?” He asked instead, letting himself be a little rude for the sake of getting Zuko into clean clothes.
Zuko grunted unhappily. “It’s too hot. All my other clothes are too hot. Layers and layers of huge damned robes, I can’t stand it.”
Ever or just right now, Sokka wondered. He shrugged, and since it was only late afternoon and there was still time, offered “Why don’t we go shopping, then? For lighter clothes for you. This is the Fire Nation after all, you guys have gotta have clothing to deal with this heat. I remember wearing some myself.”
Zuko thought for a moment. “En Zhu,” he said, turning to one of the ubiquitous guards standing by one of the doorways. “I’m going out into town. Tell the other guards I’m not to be followed.”
En Zhu blinked at him, the first hint of expression Sokka had seen from any of the palace guards. “Um, no disrespect sir,” he stuttered out uneasily, looking at Zuko. “But isn’t now the exact time when you’d need a guard most?”
That sounded like an accurate fact to Sokka personally. “Does he have a point?”
Zuko shook his head, and surprisingly, reached up to pull the pretty hair thingy out that was holding his bun in place, hair cascading down into a fluff sound his shoulders. “No. It would look ridiculous for the Firelord to go out while he’s in the middle of a heat spell. I’d rather draw as little attention to myself as possible, just get some clothes and get back home without trouble.”
He had a point. Being an omega AND the Firelord was already unprecedented enough, and going out in such a vulnerable state just to go shopping would probably make him look bad. Sokka maybe should have thought of that before he offered.
“So much for a night out on the town,” he joked, and the guard looked uneasier than ever.
“Can’t we even send one quiet guard to tail you from a distance? You’ll be… you’re…” He trailed off, unable to form the words ‘in heat’ to his own lord.
“It’s fine,” Zuko said, pulling half of this hair back out of his face and letting his bangs cover his ever-recognizable scarred left eye. “I’ve got Sokka with me.”
The guard looked between the two of them, clearly worried about exactly that.
Sokka shrugged at him cheerfully. It was true after all. Between the two of them, no matter what happened Zuko was going to be safe.
That having been said, it put the weight of responsibility squarely on Sokka’s shoulders, and he could feel it. As they walked into town Zuko drew people’s eyes to him, if not because he was close enough to smell that it was him who was in heat but just because he was tall and gorgeous and his hair flowed like silk, and someone that naturally beautiful just drew people’s attention.
And then they got close enough to smell that he was an omega in heat, and well. Let’s just say Sokka was sticking close to Zuko, and had to keep a low growl ready in his throat the entire trip into town.
They finally got to a clothes merchant, and then Sokka realized that this was the part where he got to watch Zuko trying on all kinds of different skimpy - that is, lightweight clothing and asking Sokka’s opinion on every one.
He looked good in all of them, obviously. Also obviously Sokka couldn’t say as much, and could only nod or give a basic thumbs up in approval, all while secretly dying inside as he watched Zuko change into every new sexy outfit that showed off more and more skin.
He picked four outfits out of it, naturally all in shades of deep red. “Here, let me pay for it,” Sokka offered. “We’re trying not to draw attention to you, right?”
Zuko looked like he was about to argue, but immediately relented, a blush spreading across what Sokka could see of his pretty face like Sokka was buying presents just for him. Which he kind of was, paying for his clothes and all.
Sokka turned to the clerk, taking the clothes from Zuko and showing them to the merchant with a grin. “Hey there, sir. Just picking up a few things for my omega here.” Out of the corner of his he saw Zuko nearly trip over nothing. “How’s business going these days?”
As he’d expected, the merchant didn’t so much as glance at Zuko after the words ‘my omega’ had slipped out of Sokka’s mouth, which is you know. Why he’d said that. Instead he kept his eyes on the alpha actually making the purchase, smiling at Sokka and sighing “Ah, you know how it is. As good as things could be going with those reparations dragging everyone in the country down.”
Sokka frowned at that, and he glanced over to see Zuko visibly sulking. “Yeah, at least it’s still better than wartime business, right?”
The clerk laughed, taking handing Sokka the change he was owed so the two of them could get out of there.
The smell of Zuko’s heat was getting stronger again, and the flush from the store hadn’t receded from his pale face even as they left. He didn’t look like he was suffering otherwise but his scent was strong enough to attract people to start staring at them as they walked past, alpha and omega alike wondering what an omega in heat was doing out and about.
Sokka kept his eyes and ears open, figuring it was alright as long as no one tried to approach. And when one stray alpha licked his lips and stepped forward as if he was about to come approach Zuko, Sokka glared him down and slipped a possessive arm around Zuko’s shoulders as they walked.
Zuko, curiously, did nothing but glance at Sokka, allowing the weight of his arm around his shoulders to remixing on the entire walk home, never once making a comment or attempting to shrug Sokka off of him.
When they got back Zuko only stopped to change into one of his new outfits briefly before rejoining Sokka, his hair still down around his shoulders as Sokka supposed it would remain for the rest of the night.
It was already evening, and the two of them sat down for a game of pai sho they could largely ignore while they talked over it.
Sokka won easily, since he had an edge over Zuko on concentration. Only a slight edge, granted, but once again Sokka wasn’t the one actually going into heat here, no matter how detrimental he found said heat to his health it was still going to be worse for Zuko.
And the later the evening went on, the more obvious that became. Sokka watched as Zuko started sweating and twitching again, moving the long hair off of his neck to wipe the sweat off, and drawing Sokka’s attention all up over that delicate throat for so long Sokka lost trail of the conversation they’d been in to just… stare for a minute.
Zuko was starting to breathe heavier too, loosening the already open collar of his shirt to reveal half of his sculpted chest in the process. “I think…” he said, voice weak, “I think I need to go back to my room now.”
“Should I walk you back?” Sokka offered without thinking, standing up and offering Zuko a hand.
Zuko didn’t even nod, didn’t even look at Sokka. Just took his hand and let him help him out of his seat, leading the way back to his rooms.
It was hard to ignore the spark of electricity he felt when the two of them touched hands, a surge of heat flowing from Zuko into him and heating him up from the inside out with a need to increase the mount of skin on skin contact as soon and as much as possible. He let go of Zuko’s hand quickly.
The guard gave Sokka a warning sort of look on their way out of the room, and Sokka finally realized how it must have looked from an outsider’s perspective. Oh god, should he like, explain he was literally only walking Zuko to his room and not following him inside? No, that was… this was fine. He’d just walk him back to his room and then leave and then it would be over.
The palace was big enough that it took a few minutes to reach Zuko’s personal quarters, and Sokka tried not to spend it in silence but… there wasn’t much to say. ‘Hey good luck with your heat I’mma go try not to think about you or touch myself for the rest of the night?’ Haha. Yeah, this was so weird.
It was still so strange that Zuko even wanted to hang with him right now. He was in heat and Sokka was an alpha, his presence had to be making things worse instead of better, right? Was the time they had been apart really so long it was worth putting up with their clashing pheromones?
“Well,” Zuko said when they reached a huge ornate pair of doors. “This is me.”
“Yeah,” Sokka agreed. “Looks like we’re here.”
They both hesitated awkwardly, Sokka feeling like there was something he was supposed to be doing right now but couldn’t figure out.
“Thank you,” Zuko said eventually, avoiding eye contact shyly. “I um… yeah. Thanks.”
Sokka nodded. “Yeah it’s um, no problem at all,” he answered, not even sure what he was being thanked for.
“Yeah, then uh. Goodnight,” Zuko fumbled for the door, Sokka giving him an awkward little salute off.
Zuko slipped inside and the door closed behind him, leaving Sokka alone. Well, relatively alone, the presence of a guard situated outside of Zuko’s door being something of a permanent position. Which means that there was no reason for Sokka to stick around, nothing to protect Zuko from when Sokka could smell that the guard was another beta and surely posed no threat to his safety.
Sokka still lingered around the door for another few minutes before he finally left, not sure why himself he felt so compelled to stay.
The heat must be getting to him.
—
It was well into the next day before he saw Zuko again. Sometime in the late afternoon he caught Zuko storming out of the councilroom again, fire blasting out of his throat as he yelled at the members of the council on the way out into the halls.
“-If you people would stop treating me like a child and let me make my own decisions, maybe we could get things done!” He was growling at them, an omega in the full thralls of his fury.
When he saw Sokka his expression immediately changed, his scent calming down into something less furious like just Sokka’s presence was enough to soothe him in his heated state.
Heated both figurative and literal right now, as the case may be. “Oh good, it’s you,” Zuko said with surprising sincerity, stomping up to Sokka. “Spar with me. I need to let off steam and no one else around here is good for a fight.”
Or willing to risk harming their omega Firelord when he was out of his right mind with hormones. But Sokka shrugged and pulled out his short sword from where it rested on his lower back, spinning it around in his hand and answering, “Just lead the way.”
They didn’t even bother going out to a courtyard. There was one specific room with a view of the lake that Zuko seemed to prefer hanging out with Sokka in, and it was there they once again went for their sparring match.
Zuko usually pulled out his swords when the two of them sparred, forgoing bending in favor of putting them on an even playing field. This time he bypassed them all together, getting into a firebending stance while Sokka prepared himself for the match to start.
He glanced over at the doors, where one guard was standing by and watching intently should something go wrong. There really was nowhere in the palace they could go without being watched, was there? Well. Maybe that was for the best right now, anyway.
Zuko made the first move, an elegant step of footwork that came with a wave of fire fanning out at Sokka across the floor. He jumped up out of the way to avoid his ankles being burned, drawing his boomerang and sending it flying towards Zuko faster than the eye could see.
Zuko dodged out of the way, keeping his eye on the boomerang’s return home to Sokka’s hand as he palmed forth another shot of fire. By this time in his life Sokka was an expert at dodging bending attacks of most any kind, and he spun out of the way of the fire in time to slide his way forward in range of a sword attack.
Zuko was already breathing heavily, panting out steam and movements only half as fast as they should be. He dodged the sword attack probably only because Sokka himself wasn’t trying to actually hit Zuko, stumbling backwards.
Sokka attacked again, and this time Zuko’s dodge slipped him up and sent him to the floor. Sokka was close enough for Zuko to grab at on the way down, and the fight ended with Sokka pinning Zuko to the floor.
They caught each other's eyes, and the entire world halted. Sokka didn’t even have enough brain power to think that sparing had been a bad idea after all, too busy caught up in the glow of Zuko’s golden eyes.
And in his scent. He smelled hot and sweet like ginger cookies baking in an oven, luring Sokka in with the promise of tasting it off of his very skin. He smelled like he wanted it, like there was nowhere he’d rather be right now than pinned underneath Sokka and completely at his mercy. Even Zuko’s eyes were going unfocused with lust, and Sokka could smell the combination of sweat and slick leaking out of Zuko from between his thighs.
Sokka had never been so hard before in his life.
Somewhere out of eyesight someone coughed, and then coughed again much louder. Sokka blinked, suddenly aware of where he was and who he was with again, scrambling off of Zuko’s body and as far away as he could get in just about three seconds.
“Sorry,” Sokka apologized, rubbing the back of his own neck and pointedly not making eye contact with Zuko. “That was… probably not as helpful as it was. The opposite of helpful.”
Zuko sat up slowly, and Sokka tried not to watch him as he blushed and nodded. “I need to… I’m going to my room.”
This time, Sokka knew better than to try and follow. Every inch of his body wanted to anyway.
—
Zuko spent most of the next day in his room.
He came out for meals and long enough to have one meeting with the council, but otherwise went back into hiding as soon as he had the ability to again.
It was nerve wracking, made Sokka think about what he could be doing in his room all day. Probably naked all wrapped up in bedsheets only so he could feel the cool silk against his sweaty skin, either sleeping to conserve his energy or with his hands all over his own body, chasing relief from the heat in his pleasure…
Not that Sokka was obsessing over Zuko or anything. He’d just never been this close to an omega in heat before, and it was really messing with his head.
It was really too bad they couldn’t just… fool around a little to take the edge off. They’d both feel a lot better if they could. But Zuko wasn’t the kind of person you could just play with and then leave, he was someone who did everything all the way, someone who deserved dedication.
Sokka was realizing now that he wished he had the time to dedicate himself to Zuko like that, to become his alpha for real. But he had work to do for his people just the same as Zuko worked hard every day for his, and there was little time in between they’d be able to meet.
Fucking around with him was a nice dream, but staying by Zuko’s side forever was an ever nicer one. Sometimes Sokka thought that maybe it was possible, maybe they’d be able to make things work long distance but… that had been what had torn him and Suki apart, and he didn’t want to have that kind of breakup with Zuko.
Being with Zuko just wasn’t an option, no matter how sexy and beautiful and alluring he was. Sokka really had to get it out of his mind.
When Zuko finally re-emerged from his bedroom after spending most of the day holed up in there, he looked worse for the wear. And smelled it, too, reeking of sweat and slick and everything else in this world that was debauched and good and thoroughly distracting to Sokka’s alpha senses.
One would think that he’d overdose on Zuko’s scent, maybe start getting used to being in its presence, but. God, he really wasn’t. Not at all. Every minute was as bad as the first, a miasma of the most arousing scent imaginable flooding his senses every second Zuko was around. Sweet heavenly torture.
“I need air,” Zuko was scowling again, fierce and beautiful as the fires he controlled. “I’m going for a walk.”
“Cool,” Sokka said following lightly behind, not wanting to leave Zuko alone when he was this riled up. Or maybe just drawn in by his fiery scent and unable to do anything BUT follow. “I’ll come with.”
He followed the firebender out of the palace, still staying on royal property as they wound up wandering into a garden that most of the windows in the higher floors overlooked. To spite that it managed to be a surprisingly secluded area, the trees and shrubberies providing coverage from above so that no one casually spying would be able to tell who was down there or what was going on.
There was a huge pond in the middle of it all, and on a bridge halfway over it is where Zuko finally stopped.
“It’s hot,” Zuko said finally, after a few long minutes of staring into the water together.
“I mean,” Sokka shrugged. “This is the Fire Nation. Long acknowledged to be the hottest place on the planet.”
Zuko glared at him. They both knew what he really meant.
“Sorry,” Sokka apologized dumbly, eyes still on Zuko instead of the water.
Zuko huffed out an annoyed sigh, glaring back into the water of the pond again. Quietly, a turtleduck floated past.
“Fuck this,” Zuko said finally, pushing back away from the bridge railing he’d been leaning against to paw at the fasteners of his shirt. Sokka nearly fell off the bridge in surprise as he watched Zuko peel his shirt off of his sweat-soaked skin, dropping it to the wooden floor of the bridge before he untied and dropped his pants next.
Dressed only in black underwear, Zuko climbed up over the railing and jumped into the water with a small splash.
Being in the middle of the pond, the water was deep enough that it went up to his collarbone when he stood back up again, nearly to his neck. His long hair floated in the water around his shoulders lightly, and Zuko swept the rest that had come unbound out of his face with a smooth swipe of one hand he looked expectantly back up at Sokka.
Well fuck this shit. Sokka scrambled out of his own clothes faster than he ever had in his life, leaping into the waters after Zuko in a few scant seconds.
Zuko smiled at him, one of those subtle barely-there smiles you had to watch for to catch properly. Here in the waters his powerful heat scent was finally washed halfway away, leaving both of their heads clearer than they’d been all week.
Well, mostly. Even with only half of that hypnotic scent luring him in Zuko was still a sweet trap that drew the rest of Sokka’s senses all to him. His voice was thick smokey honey when he laughed, his body was built strong and slim and sexy and now currently soaking wet, and as for taste and touch… God how Sokka wished he was allowed to find out.
Anyway, back in real time where Zuko wasn’t paying any attention to how much Sokka was pining over him, so he was instead kicking at Sokka’s ankles so he could unbalance him enough to shove over and knock him back into the water with a playful smirk.
Sokka went down with a splash, but if it was a fight Zuko had wanted he’d started it with the wrong person in the wrong place. Sokka had spent half his life in the snow and the other half in the water, and he could swim fast enough and quietly enough to sneak up behind Zuko and dunk him down into the water with a single hard push on his shoulders.
Zuko flailed and popped back up in half a second, laughing and brushing his hair out of his face again and generally being too goddamned beautiful. Instead of trying to trip or dunk Sokka again this time his attack was in the form of one broad sweep of his arm, sending a huge wave of water splashing right into Sokka’s face.
Sokka laughed, then outright bodily tackled him, barreling them both into the water at once. When they resurfaced they were both laughing, and Sokka’s arms were still wrapped around Zuko’s waist.
He didn’t let his arms drop. He knew he should, but… He’d never gotten a chance in his life to hold Zuko like this, and now here he was doing it on accident. Zuko’s waist was naked under his hands, their chests close enough to just barely not be touching one another. He could feel Zuko’s body heat, radiating off of him, and when he looked into Zuko’s eye Zuko was staring straight back into Sokka’s.
Neither of them looked away. Neither of them backed away. From this close, Sokka realized he’d finally gotten a little taller than Zuko, because he had to look just the slightest bit downward to make eye contact for so long.
Zuko’s eyes darted downward, just a fraction like his eyes were only dropping as far as Sokka’s lips. Sokka watched as Zuko’s own lips parted a tiny bit, tiny pink tongue darting out to lick his own lips before it was gone again.
For the record, Sokka wasn’t the one who had leaned in first. He was like eighty percent sure it had been Zuko who had let his eyes slip closed, Zuko who had tilted his head expectantly like Sokka was supposed to know exactly what to do in this situation.
He did the only thing he could bear to do. His hands tightened their grip around Zuko’s wet torso, closing his own eyes as he leaned forward to steal Zuko’s mouth in a kiss.
He tasted even better than he smelled.
Zuko’s arms wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him in close. The kiss was surprisingly gentle and chaste for all the heat that had been building up between them lately, Zuko only parting his lips to let Sokka gently nip at his tongue after a few long moments of simply pressing their lips together.
Zuko was once again the one to escalate it as well, pushing his tongue into Sokka’s mouth to rub their tongues together, tasting the insides of Sokka’s mouth with reckless abandon. Sokka returned the fervor, sucking on Zuko’s tongue and swallowing up the moan that poured from Zuko’s throat into his own.
The sound Zuko had just made sent chills down Sokka’s spine, riled up all of his alpha instincts to please. Made him want to pull more sounds like that out of Zuko, more throaty moans and gentle sighs all the way until they turned into chirps and whines of pleasure. He wanted to take Zuko, pull his mostly naked body close to Sokka’s and rub them together until they both came, hot and delicious right there in the water.
Zuko pressed his body closer, impossibly close. So close he could feel the hard length of Zuko’s erect cock pressing into his hip, and Sokka’s hairs stood up on their ends and his own cock throbbed in his too-tight shorts with the suddenness of his wanting .
He could probably have him, too. Right there in the waters. Sokka could smell the desire rolling off of Zuko in waves, could smell his slick even through the thick waters trying to wash away any trace of his scent. He could have him, because Zuko was in heat, and that’s also why Sokka needed to stop this. Right. Fucking. Now.
Sokka pulled away with a gasp, hands still on Zuko’s shoulders as he stepped away from the firebender gently steaming in the water of the pond. Zuko blinked up at him in confusion, tried to step closer once more, but Sokka used the tip he had on his shoulders to hold him at bay.
“Can’t,” Sokka panted, not realizing how worked up he himself had gotten until he found himself out of breath. “We can’t do this, we’ve gotta stop.”
“Why?” Zuko’s word was somewhere in between a pout and a growl, coming thick from low in his throat.
“You’re in heat.” Sokka shook his head, finally letting go of Zuko’s shoulders and wading away. “Sorry, Zuko, let’s just… put this on pause until I’ve cleared my head a little.”
Zuko looked annoyed, like he didn’t understand why his being in heat was a reason to stop. But he didn’t pursue Sokka any further, just stormed his fine ass out of the water and threw his clothes back on in angry tugs.
Sokka would like to say he didn’t watch his ass as he left, but. That would be a lie.
—
After each of them jacked off in their respective rooms, or at least Sokka was reasonably certain that’s what both of them spent the rest of the afternoon doing, they didn’t see each other again until dinner. Zuko didn’t seem annoyed at the rejection anymore after that, presumably after clearing his own head and realizing himself what a bad idea it would have been for them to continue.
Like seriously, even if there was no heat involved they’d been outside in plain view. Not a very appropriate place to debauch the Firelord.
But Gods, Sokka could just not stop thinking about that kiss. Not just how hot it had been, or much he wanted more. No, Sokka was caught up in a different train of thought entirely.
Zuko had initiated it. Zuko wanted him, at least some small part of him, at least in his heat, and the thought was driving Sokka absolutely mad.
What did it mean? Did he want more than just a casual fling? If he did, then why had he been so insistent that Sokka stay, even before his heat had began and he’d still been completely coherent? Had he just been planning on using Sokka while he was here?
No, of course not. Zuko would never be so underhanded as to neglect telling Sokka this, if he’d wanted a heat partner he’d have just asked for one. And at this point he STILL hadn’t asked for any help with his heat, so maybe…
Maybe Zuko had gotten caught up in the moment because he liked Sokka. Just. Liked him, the way an omega liked an alpha they were compatible with. Maybe that kiss had been something Zuko wanted when he was out of his heat, too.
The fact that Sokka just didn’t know was torturous. If it was something Zuko really wanted, maybe there was someway Sokka could really be with him… But it’s not like there was any way to ask. He just had to wait for Zuko’s heat to end and see what happened afterwards.
Dinner was fine, except that Sokka noticed Zuko starting to drink earlier in the evening than Sokka had ever seen. It just meant that by the time dinner was over and they were alone again Zuko was a little bit on the tipsy side and Sokka had to start drinking now to catch up with him.
They made a pretty good time of it, actually. Both of them were too busy with responsibilities to have the ability to have a drink more than once in a blue moon, and it was fun sharing that now with Zuko.
At least, it had started out fun. They had been chatting easily for the first hour or two of the night, catching up on old times and good times and bad times alike. But once they ran out of old news to chat about all that left was current events, and that was when things got a little heated.
“Everyone in the entire council is arguing about money,” Zuko said, “And it just doesn’t matter what I suggest or what I try to do, because no matter what I’m always wrong. Every decision I make as Firelord finds some way to bite me in the ass, and I just…”
Sokka scooted closer, lured in by the sour tang that darkened Zuko’s scent with his bad mood. “I get it, buddy, I really do. Being a leader is hard, and I only get the overspill of it that my dad can’t handle by himself. I can’t even imagine how hard it’s been for you.”
“Well,” Zuko said glumly. “I still have Uncle to advise me when I’m uncertain, and he’s the best support I could ever hope for. But I can’t come to him with everything, not when he intentionally turned down the crown twice because he wanted to rule so little. It would just be cruel of me to keep burdening him.”
That was a really good point. The entire Water Tribe all worked together because there were still so few of them, but the Fire Nation had never had the losses of life on that scale, and still had a huge populous and a relatively working government Zuko needed to stay in the confines of. He was one man ruling a huge number of people, all the decisions made all by himself.
“That sucks, man. I’m so used to having my whole family backing me up on anything, I can’t even imagine what it’s like to need to do everything on your own like you do.” He shifted in his seat, body unconsciously leaning in towards Zuko. “Maybe as long as I’m here, we could talk about this shit. Maybe there’s something I could do to help, just for a while.”
Zuko smiled at him, beautifully reminding Sokka how drunk both of them were right now. “In one more week? I seriously doubt it.”
“Hey come on, there’s always trying.” Sokka said cheerfully.
Zuko sighed, and leaned into Sokka’s side. Sokka hadn’t even realized they’d been sitting close enough together for him to be able to do that, but here Zuko was, leaning his weight into Sokka like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Sokkaddn’t know if it was the heat or the liquor or both that made Zuko so… soft , but he couldn’t find himself complaining about it. Gods, what the hell was Zuko even doing here? He was in heat for chrissake, what was he doing trusting Sokka enough to get drunk and cuddle into him? He’d NEVER let himself be so vulnerable around another alpha, so why was Sokka getting this special treatment? This insane amount of trust ?
There had been a long silence for a while now, and Zuko’s eyes drifted shut. Shit, he’d forgotten that Zuko was a sleepy drunk, wasn’t he? Sokka had to get him back to his room before he fell asleep right there on Sokka. That would be… so many kinds of bad, he was pretty sure.
“Zuko,” Sokka tried, but Zuko didn’t respond more than a hum. “Zuko, come on, you can’t fall asleep here.” Sokka said again more firmly, arm around Zuko’s shoulder to give him a little shake.
“I hear you, I just don’t care.” Zuko drawled lazily, staying exactly where he was on Sokka’s shoulder.
“I’m serious, you gotta get up and get back to your room. I’m not going to carry you there just because you’re an omega; you’re still a grown-ass Firelord here.”
Zuko, if anything, became more petulant about it, rubbing his face into Sokka’s neck and inhaling deeply. “I like it here, though.”
A shiver ran down Sokka’s spine and his pants tightened considerably, desire running through his veins that he knew he couldn’t indulge in like Zuko seemed so determined to do.
He didn’t want to do it, but he knew what had to be done. Pulling the word from deep in his throat, Sokka commanded a firm “Zuko,” in his best Alpha Voice. “You need to get up.”
Zuko’s eyes shot open, his spine straightening and his head snapping towards Sokka, all the fog cleared from his eyes. “Did you just seriously-?”
Yeah, that had been a mistake. No one ordered around the Firelord, and even the guards were staring at him now. Zuko’s stare turned into a fiery glare, and he stood up like a shot. “Watch how you use that voice of yours, Sokka.” He hissed.
Sokka raised his hands defensively, shaking his head a little in apology. He chose not to defend himself, knowing what an alpha’s commanding voice could do to a vulnerable omega.
Zuko just huffed out in irritation, glaring down at Sokka. “Whatever. I don’t need to tell you when I’m tired. I’m going back to my room.”
But before he left, he reached down to just behind where Sokka was sitting, grabbing something Sokka had to twist around to see, as he himself had forgotten about it.
“And I’m taking this with me,” Zuko said, pulling Sokka’s discarded blue jacket from the floor he’d left it on.
“W-that’s my - you can’t just take that!”
Zuko defiantly slung the shirt around his shoulders like a scarf, bringing it up to his nose and taking a deep inhale, staring directly into Sokka’s eyes as he did it. “Goodnight, Sokka.”
And with that, he walked out of the room, Sokka gaping after him.
He’d just taken… to his bedroom. Sokka’s clothing. An article of Sokka’s alpha-scented clothing, taken to his bedroom while he was in heat.
Sokka mind spun.
—
“You seem troubled, my young friend,” Iroh’s deep voice nearly surprised Sokka sneaking up from behind where he was staring down from a balcony. “Care to share what’s on your mind?”
Sokka watched from the corner of his eye as the older man approached, joining Sokka on the balcony. “Not really,” Sokka admitted honestly, thinking of the nature of his problems with Zuko. And that that nature was, you know. Kind of sexual.
Iroh just laughed, and then proceeded to act like Sokka had never rejected his company. “You and my nephew have gotten close lately,” he started slowly, not looking at Sokka.
“Something like that,” Sokka replied, trying not to think of the time they made out in the pond and failing.
Iroh laughed again, probably because he somehow knew about that. Sokka wouldn’t put it past this man to know every single thing that went on in this entire palace and then some. “He has gone far out of his way to share his company with you this visit. It makes me happy to see him so close to someone at last.”
“Maybe a little too close,” Sokka mumbled under his breath.
It was still loud enough for Iroh to pick up, of course. “Yes, I can see why his presence would get stifling for you. I admit, in all the years since he came of age, Zuko has never spent this much of one of his heats out of his room.”
So Sokka wasn’t going crazy, and it really WAS weird for an omega to spend this much time out of his nest during a heat. He’d seen Katara go through a huge number of heats by now, and for all her strength and determination not to let them get to her, she still had to spend as much of it as possible in whatever nest she could make up for herself. It had displaced the entirety of Team Avatar for days at a time the two times her heat had struck during the war, and Sokka and the others had to spend the majority of that time watching guard to protect her.
“Does he just have really light heats, or…” Sokka started, trailing off in favor of asking if it was his own fault Zuko was spending so much time wandering around out of his bedrooom.
“I would not be able to say, myself, having never gone through one.” Iroh said. “But this time in particular he has seemed far more coherent than I have ever witnessed. I suspect that’s why he’s had the energy to get so much work done, and been able to spend so much of his heat in your presence.”
That hardly made sense. As an unrated alpha he should just be making Zuko’s heat worse, right? He could only be making it better if they were mated to each other, and there were certain chemicals involved there that just couldn’t possibly be in play.
“I don’t think I get omegas at all,” Sokka admitted tiredly.
Iroh patted his shoulder. “Just know that Zuko and I both appreciate your presence. I don’t know how long you intended to stay in the Fire Nation for, but you are certainly welcome to stay as long as you might like or need to.”
Need to? What did that mean? Was he implying something was going to happen with Sokka and Zuko?
God, Sokka couldn’t even think about that. It was just too scary a thought, too BIG of one. Staying with Zuko would be a commitment, and he still had commitments he’d made to his own people.
“I don’t think I can stay long,” Sokka said, shaking his head. “I mean I’d like to, I’d love nothing more than to. But The Southern Water Tribe has just barely reunited, and I’m still needed to help rebuild as much as I can.”
Iroh turned to him, something sparkling behind his eye. “Are you really, though? The Water Tribe people are strong, Sokka. I think they can survive without your presence, and even prosper while they are at it. Especially if you continue to watch over them from over here.”
Sokka’s jaw dropped, in preparation to say words that simply would not come. Did he just call Sokka unnecessary? No way, Iroh would never be so cold. Iroh was a friggin’ bro, and he was like Zuko wherein everything he said he meant. So was he trying to say instead that Sokka could do more good f he stayed here than if he went home? Or…
“You are a young man,” Iroh said during the silence Sokka had left. “And so is Zuko. You are both so busy being important leaders that you forget you are still young. I implore you to enjoy your youth, while you have the chance.” And that was the last thing he said.
Concentrating too much on work was what had cost Sokka his relationship with Suki, all those long months ago. And now, was he really going to let it get between he and Zuko, before they ever even got the chance to see what they could be together?
Then again, did Zuko even really want him?
Sokka wasn’t sure what the right thing to do was.
—
It was the last day of Zuko’s heat, and Sokka could tell as much from the smell.
The two of them were wandering around outside, and the conversation had once again turned to politics.
“I know the people are getting restless with me, and I haven’t figured out how to get a handle on it. They’re fine with the war being over as much as anyone, but the fact that I’m not thinking of only the Fire Nation and our own advancement anymore isn’t something they’re used to.”
Sokka could see how that could be true. A leader was supposed to devote themselves only to their people, and right now Zuko was still trying to make peace with the whole world. “What about free trade? The Fire Nation isn’t benefiting from all the open trade routes like we are down south?”
Zuko shook his head. “Everything we needed we used to just take. Now we have to pay for everything, so taxes and prices have actually risen everywhere.”
Oops. Didn’t know why Sokka hadn’t thought of that himself. “Not even crafts?”
Zuko blinked. “Okay, you got me. Everyone loves Earth Kingdom jewelry, and we’re getting a lot more fish for everyone now that the waterbenders aren’t under persecution.” He shook his head. “But it’s just not enough.”
“Is only money the issue?” Sokka asked. “Or are they dissatisfied with like. How the war ended.”
They come to a slow stop, so Zuko could stare out over the pond at the turtleducks. The same pond where they had… Yeah, nevermind that part. “As far as I can tell, even the people of the Fire Nation were a little afraid of Ozai. Everyone seems happy with the new freedoms, with the men back from war. It’s just that we went from the wealthiest people in the world to having to work every day just to eat. They just… haven’t gotten used to the change yet, and I’m not sure how I could make it better.”
“But that’s the thing though,” Sokka said, suddenly realizing he’d known of a solution all along. “Not all of the men are back from war, right? Last I saw there were even Fire Nation troops down in the Southern Tribes, trying to help us rebuild. You could always like…” Sokka shrugged. “Pull them back home.”
Zuko stared at him. “The Fire Nation spent a hundred years systematically tearing apart the entire world. And you think the best idea is to just… stop trying to fix the mistakes we’ve made.”
“They weren’t your mistakes, though, Zuko.” Sokka reminded him. “And while everyone respects what you’ve been doing, it might be time to ease up on the reparations. For the sake of your own people.”
Zuko shook his head, frowning. “I can’t do that, Sokka! It’s been less than five entire years, and people have a longer memory for wars than for any of our kindnesses.”
“There are other ways to give back to the world besides giving them your troops and your money, Zuko. You really do have to put your own nation first, or else the entire system kind of fails.”
Zuko still looked like he was hesitating, so Sokka continued. “I mean, what’s the rest of the world gonna do? Declare war?”
That at least, pulled a short laugh out of Zuko. “But what else is there to offer?” He asked, looking out over the still waters.
“How about technology?” Sokka offered. “We had to use everything we could make up and then some to combat the Fire Nation’s war machines. If you like, shared the plans for it, I know at least a few inventors who could tear those plans apart and build a thousand things that AREN’T weapons out of the ideas they start with.”
Zuko turned to look at Sokka, concern written all over his face. “But what if they just… build more weapons?”
Sokka shrugged. “That’s just a risk you’d have to take. But I’m sure that’s not what would happen, at least not right away. People are tired of war and ready for innovations and new ideas, Zuko. You might just be able to give that to them.”
Zuko’s face finally cracked into something that resembled a smile. “You really think it’s a good idea?”
Sokka nodded, placing a hand on Zuko’s shoulder. “I’m sure it is. You can bring great things to the world, Zuko. And you can do right by your people at the same time.”
Zuko’s smile was soft, the kind of smile that made Sokka’s heart thump louder in his chest. “Thanks you, Sokka. I wish I could keep you.”
Sokka’s eyes widened, and he watched as Zuko’s did the same. “I - I just meant, keep you here in the Fire Nation, for more advice. I could really use you in my council, I don’t…” His eyes darted away. “I don’t have very many people I can rely on.”
The thing was, even with the correction what he’d said was still a big deal. “You would really trust me on the Fire Nation’s council? I don’t… I don’t even live here, I just wanted to help my friend.”
Zuko’s smile grew, bordering on radiant. “Yeah, but you still want what’s best for the people, anyway. Of course, I’d trust you, Sokka. I trust you with anything.”
And lord if he hadn’t proven that by now. This had been the longest week of Sokka’s life, and he still didn’t know what to make of all the faith Zuko had put in him.
Or maybe he did know what to make of it, and was just scared to admit it.
“I… I want to stay, too.” Sokka finally admitted. “I want to stay here. With you.”
Zuko’s eyes glimmered with something Sokka could only identify as hope, and he inched in closer to Sokka. “Really?” He asked, tentatively. “You’d stay with me?”
Sokka nodded. “I mean, I can keep this vacation going a little longer, and then… and then maybe when I go back I could talk to the rest of the Tribe about some kind of Fire Nation ambassadorship. See how much… See how much I can do for them while I’m...”
“Over here?” Zuko finished hopefully.
Sokka nodded again, stepping closer to Zuko until there was practically no space between their bodies.
They looked at each other for a moment, and Zuko flashed Sokka another hesitant look. “Would you be staying for the Fire Nation or for….”
Grabbing one of Zuko’s hands to hold in between his own, Sokka told him. “For you.”
Zuko smiled again, one more time. He let his eyes slip closed, and Sokka knew that was his cue to lean in and kiss him.
The kiss was soft, and simple, and sweet. It was also short, just a small press of lips on lips, two people communicating their feelings.
It wasn’t their first kiss, and it would be long from their last.
—