Work Text:
~1~
It started out simple and harmless. He was laying in bed, healing, after the Agni Kai and a few strands of hair fell in his face. Normally, he would have moved them himself but he was still sore so he had a lazy moment. After all, he’d been struck with lightning. He was allowed a moment not to stress. Sokka saw his dilemma and brushed Zuko’s hair out of his face. Nothing too out of the ordinary in Sokka’s culture.
In Zuko’s, it was huge. No one outside of the immediate family and a few servants touched someone’s hair. And even then, it wasn’t like everyone went around touching hair in the family. Hair was private. Personal. Sensual. Zuko and Mai hadn’t even touched each other’s hair while dating. So for Sokka to touch his hair, even in such a brief way, was a gesture proclaiming they were extremely close.
Which, if Zuko was honest, was fine with him… Because Zuko happened to like Sokka. A lot. As in, not just a friend kind-of-way. As in, if he didn’t do something soon, a very illegal way in the Fire Nation. (First order of business after becoming Firelord was stopping the war. Second was removing the law Sozin created about same sex relationships being illegal.) So for Sokka to touch Zuko’s hair, even in such a small way, was only stirring those feelings even more. He tried his best to keep his heart from racing and the blush from forming when he thanked Sokka. He wasn’t sure how successful he was, but at least he could brush it off as his injury.
“You okay?” Sokka asked. “You seem a bit... flushed?”
Zuko cursed his ability to blush too easily as he fumbled for what to say. “I’m fine! Just warm.”
“That I understand,” Sokka said. “It is really warm in here, and you have all those blankets on which doesn’t help.”
Sokka reached over Zuko to grab his cup of water, only to find it empty. “Let me grab you some more water. That’ll cool you off.”
Zuko nodded in agreement, but to be honest, he’d agree to whatever Sokka said. Even as Sokka handed him a cup of water, Zuko realized he would drink whatever it was Sokka gave him without question. Part of him wondered if he could get Sokka to touch his hair again, even though a large part of him knew it would be best if he didn’t. If anyone walked in and saw, it could complicate things.
For now, Zuko was okay with the light touches from Sokka. Even if he didn’t know what they meant.
~2~
The second time was almost a year after the war ended. Sokka and Zuko practiced together almost every day, so it was no surprise to see the two of them sparring. Sokka’s skills had improved greatly since the end of the war. Which was evident in their fight and Zuko was having a hard time keeping up. If asked, he would blame it on exhaustion, or his council stressing him out, or some other nonsense.
But in reality… It was hard focusing on anything but Sokka’s body. He decided to go shirtless, which was not helping Zuko’s situation. It wasn’t his fault the sun hit Sokka perfectly and made his skin glisten as if Agni was saying ‘here is your man’. This caused Zuko to not pay attention, which caused him to not notice his surroundings... (Piandao would be so disappointed.) Zuko ended up tripping on a stupid small rock – a pebble really – and fall backwards. Sokka reached out to catch Zuko, only to fall down with him.
Right on top of Zuko. (Zuko realized the irony of how much he wanted to be in a situation like this but in a different setting.)
Instead of commenting on how close they both were, or making any effort to get them off the ground. Sokka seemed distracted. In the process of their fight and falling down, some of Zuko’s hair came loose from his ponytail and fell down around his face.
Sokka was reaching out and touching Zuko’s hair to fix it.
“I don’t think you tied your hair up all that well. Maybe that’s why you tripped,” Sokka said as he fixed Zuko’s hair. (And gave Zuko a very close view of his abs.)
“Oh. I... uh...” Zuko cursed his poor communication skills, but it couldn’t be helped with everything going on.
“Yeah. That... uh... that probably is what happened.”
Sokka snorted. “Sure.”
He pulled back from Zuko, finished with Zuko’s hair, and stood up. He looked ready to say something more but turned towards the doorway. “Mai. Didn’t see you standing there. I take it you need Zuko?”
Zuko tried his best to calm his panic as he stood and turned towards Mai. She didn’t appear any different when she answered Sokka’s question, but Zuko could see the laughter and surprise in her eyes. It wasn’t until Sokka left Mai and Zuko alone did he speak.
“Don’t. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” Mai glared at him.
“He touched your hair. He redid your ponytail. That’s not nothing. How long have you two been sleeping together?”
“Mai!” Zuko hissed, embarrassed for anyone listening in, even if there was no one around.
“We’re not... he’s not... no! That’s not the case! We’re just friends!”
“Friends don’t do each other’s hair, Zuko. We didn’t even do each other’s hair.”
“It’s different in his culture.”
“That doesn’t – oh. He doesn’t know, does he? You haven’t told him, have you?”
Zuko looked away as she asked the question, but it was easy to tell the answer. His avoidance and blush told the answer. “I... I was going to. I... haven’t yet.”
“Zuko! He needs to know this!” She sighed. “Are you not telling him because you don’t want him to stop? Because you still like his touch?”
“Mai! That’s... not the point.”
“You’re an idiot.”
~3~
The third time caused a bit of an issue with Uncle.
Zuko was going over paperwork and Sokka was keeping him company. At first, Sokka was helping and giving good suggestions. But as time went on, Sokka seemed bored and started pulling at Zuko’s hair. This was more than a simple fix of his hair as Sokka started to braid it. It was more intimate than anything Sokka had done previously.
Zuko should have stopped Sokka and told him what it meant.
However, he was selfish. He liked the way it felt. He liked that Sokka was touching him in such an intimate way. By the time Sokka was finished with one braid, Uncle entered with some letters. Zuko hoped Uncle hadn’t noticed, but judging by the smile, he knew that didn’t happen.
In a bit of a panic, he told Sokka he needed to speak to Uncle in private. It was a lie, and one Sokka saw right through, but he still followed Zuko’s request.
The door had barely closed when Uncle spoke, “Zuko, when were you going to tell me the two of you were together?”
“Well... we... aren’t.” Zuko avoided eye contact to avoid the look Uncle no doubt was giving Zuko.
“You aren’t? He braided your hair. Nephew, you can’t abuse your friends like this. It’s great that you enjoy sexual relationships with others, but if you are going to have sex with your friends, you should be in a relationship.”
“Uncle!” Zuko could feel his face turn a bright red as his embarrassment grew. “That’s not... we’re not... Ugh!” Zuko took a few deep breaths to calm himself. “We aren’t together and we haven’t... done anything.”
“No? But...” Uncle gestured towards Zuko and the braid.
“It’s different in his culture. It’s normal.”
“I know that much. But surely he knows how it is here. Unless, of course, he does not know. Zuko, do not tell me he does not know the significance of this.”
“I... uh... might have forgotten to inform him of this.”
Uncle sighed and Zuko could feel the disappointment coming through. “Nephew. This is not thinking things through. This is risky. There is a difference in cultures. What if he finds out what it means and he’s mad at you for not telling him? What if-”
“I know Uncle! I know,” Zuko interrupted. He sighed, not sure how to tell his uncle he didn’t want to say anything to Sokka because he didn’t want Sokka to stop. Still, it wasn’t right of him holding back that in the Fire Nation, they were pretty much having sex.
“I’ll tell him. I will.”
Uncle gave him a stern expression, but said nothing else. Zuko hoped that meant he would trust Zuko.
That he believed Zuko.
~4~
The fourth time was not long after the interaction Uncle witnessed.
It was the same premise of Zuko working, and Sokka talking.
At one point, Sokka tried to distract Zuko by sitting on his lap. If Zuko couldn’t see or reach his work, he wouldn’t be able to work. At least that’s what Sokka’s theory was.
Zuko proved him wrong – if only to say Sokka was wrong – and kept on working. Sokka sighed and kept quiet for a few minutes before taking out Zuko’s crown and braiding his hair. Zuko should have spoken up and said something then but he liked Sokka touching his hair. Not to mention the braid Sokka put in previously was no longer in his hair and Zuko missed it.
So he said nothing.
In the corner of his eye, he could see Sokka sticking his tongue out as he moved to another part of hair to braid. It was cute. It was adorable. It made him want Sokka more. After the second braid, Zuko decided he was done working for now and it was time for a snack.
Honestly, if Sokka kept sitting on Zuko’s lap braiding his hair, it would have become really awkward for the both of them. Zuko managed to pull his hair up in a quick topknot, leaving one braid hanging down. He liked the braid too much to not have it on display.
Later that day, Zuko was alone in his office when Mai and Ty Lee came to bother him. It did not take long for the both of them to notice the braid and Zuko really wished he would have hid it. Since he couldn’t, he did the next best thing and grabbed a scroll to hide his face. It was stupid and childish, but if he couldn’t see them, maybe they couldn’t see him.
“Seriously, Zuko, a braid? Did you give him a lap dance too?” Mai asked.
“Mai!” Zuko felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He thought they would just tease him about the braid, but he didn’t realize it was that much.
“Aww, I think it’s sweet!” Ty Lee smiled and patted Zuko’s shoulder in support. “Secret lovers hiding their affection.”
“Ty Lee! We... we’re not...” Zuko stumbled over his words as the embarrassment grew. “We aren’t together. Or lovers. Or... anything.”
“He’s doing your hair. He put beads in your hair,” Mai said, which made Zuko look at his braids. He hadn’t realized there were beads in there as well.
“Zuko, you’re displaying to everyone that the two of you are having sex. If you don’t say something to him soon, someone else will and you know that will be messy.”
He sighed, knowing she was right. “I know. I know. I just...”
“It’s okay, Zuko. If it makes you feel better, I think he feels the same.”
Zuko had a hard time believing that. Sokka wasn’t shy or quiet about his feelings. He didn’t hide behind a mask like Zuko did. He wasn’t afraid like Zuko was. There was no way he was harboring secret feelings for his best friend for years the way Zuko was.
“Thanks Ty Lee,” he said, not even bothering to deny there was no way Sokka would feel the same. It would just take too much effort. “I know I should say something to him, I just... I can’t.”
The two of them sighed, both for different reasons.
Mai was clearly annoyed, and Ty Lee was thrilled with the thought of romance blossoming where it wasn’t. Zuko put his scroll down, figuring it would be safer out of his hands, and led them out of his office. He held back a sigh, knowing how right everyone was. He should really tell Sokka, but he didn’t want Sokka to stop what he was doing either.
~5~
The fifth time was when things changed.
It was another boring council meeting with councilmen going on and on about something stupid. Zuko couldn’t say one way or another to be honest. He stopped paying attention when Toz started speaking. He was known for lengthy, boring speeches that meant nothing.
At one point between the topic of factories and new buildings, Zuko’s hair was coming out of his topknot. It might have fallen out when he started rubbing his head in an effort to prevent a migraine from forming. As much as Zuko wanted to fix his hair, he had to try and focus on what was being said. Or at least pretend to be.
A moment later, a hand moved in front of him and pushed his hair away.
Zuko knew it was Sokka, and he smiled when he felt the touch he had become so used to. It was great until he heard scattered gasps from others, and Zuko realized Sokka just touched his hair in front of his entire council. Councilman Yosor grabbed his chest like he was having a heart attack. As bad as Zuko felt for him, he was thankful for the distraction.
“Councilman Yosor needs medical attention. We should break from the council for the day and resume tomorrow. Let’s see if we can get some medical assistance,” Zuko said as he stood to flee the room. He flagged a few servants to get some doctors to help Yosor, but didn’t stay around to make sure he was okay. It probably wasn’t the best as a Firelord but he didn’t care. He had to leave.
“Zuko! Wait up!” Sokka called out as he rushed to catch up. The sound of his voice only made Zuko walk faster. He did not want to have this conversation right now.
Or ever.
A few turns later and he was in his sitting room, where he often had tea with Uncle. It seemed a safe enough space until he opened the door to find Uncle, Mai, Ty Lee, and Suki.
This was not good.
“Zuko. Did you not hear me? I told you to wait,” Sokka exclaimed. He plopped down on the couch next to Suki to catch his breath. “What was all that?”
“Nephew? What happened?”
“Nothing!” Zuko blushed. He knew it was the worst lie possible but that didn’t stop him from trying.
“Councilman Toz was blabbing about something, and then all of them gasped and Councilman Yosor started having a heart attack. I don’t know what happened,” Sokka explained and sighed.
“What did you do?” Mai narrowed her eyes at Sokka.
“Nothing! Why do you think I did something?!” Sokka exclaimed. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Zuko was the one distracted. Zuko was the one not paying attention. He didn’t even notice his hair was falling down.”
Zuko felt himself cringe when Sokka mentioned his hair. This was not going to work out in his favor… But maybe no one noticed the slip up.
“Hair. His hair...” Mai eyed both of them and Zuko knew she figured it out. “Did you move his hair for him, by chance?”
“Well I had to. It fell down in front of his face.” Sokka half shrugged as Mai, Ty Lee, and Uncle all gasped.
“What?! What is it?! Why are you all gasping?!”
“I take it Zuko hasn’t told you.” Mai glared at Zuko and he wished he was invisible.
“Perhaps Zuko should explain why his entire council is so shocked about this development.”
“Um... that’s a good idea... I should go...” Zuko backed away towards the door, in hopes of a quick escape.
“No.” Mai threw her shuriken at Zuko, nailing him to the wall. “You are going to explain to Sokka what it means. Now.”
“Zuko?”
He sighed. “In the Fire Nation, hair is very… Important. Private. Only immediate family would touch someone’s hair. Maybe a servant, but it would be in the privacy of their home. Never in public.”
“Oh. So me touching your hair, or braiding your hair... What does that mean? How do they view that?”
“It’s... um...” Zuko cleared his throat and removed the shuriken. There was no point escaping right now, but just in case this conversation didn’t go well, he wanted a quick exit. “Basically it’s like we’re having sex in front of everyone.”
“Oh. That would be why everyone gasped.”
“Sorry Sokka. I meant to tell you sooner but I...” wanted it to keep going, wanted to still feel your touch, was afraid to say I love you.... “I was afraid of hurting your feelings.”
“No, it’s fine Zuko.” Sokka gave a small smile, but Zuko could tell he was lying. “I understand. Thank you for telling me.”
He walked out the room and Zuko felt his heart leave with him. This... this wasn’t what was supposed to happen. In a moment of desperation, he ran after Sokka, afraid he would miss out on something important.
~+1~
Zuko saw Sokka concentrating on his work, and he couldn’t help the pride he felt seeing him work so hard. He snuck up behind Sokka and removed his wolf’s-tail, running his fingers through Sokka’s hair. Sokka let a moan escape as Zuko started to massage his head.
“That feels amazing.”
Zuko chuckled. “I’m glad you think so. I thought you could use a little distraction.”
Sokka pulled at Zuko’s arm until Zuko stopped what he was doing and followed his friend’s pull as knelt in front of Sokka.
“It’s your turn now,” Sokka said as he removed Zuko’s topknot and massaged his hair. It felt amazing. He wished he could feel this all the time. (Same time maybe not as it would cause a bit of a problem)
“Sokka...” Zuko moaned.
“Oh, get a room you two.” Mai rolled her eyes. It was then that Zuko realized Sokka had not been alone. Mai and Ty Lee were both in the room as well.
“Well, we are engaged,” Sokka said, reaching out to touch the necklace that hung around Zuko’s neck. “I don’t see why we couldn’t.”
“Ew gross. I don’t want to hear about your sex life,” Mai said and Ty Lee giggled.
“You should be happy to know the Firelord has a healthy, happy, sex life!” Sokka declared.
“Sokka!” Zuko blushed. “That’s not something you say!”
“That’s right. I will show it instead.” Sokka smiled and ran his hands through Zuko’s hair.
“Ugh. Boys.”
“Mai, I think Ty Lee needs your help with her braid.” Zuko winked before kissing the man he loved.