Archive of Our Own

Zuko blinked as he emerged from the boat. The south pole was painfully bright. There were blue skies and the sun was high. He tried to raise his hands to shield his eyes, but the chains around his wrist connected to the ones around his stomach meant he couldn’t lift his hands with more mobility than to feed himself, or hold his dick while he pissed. 

A guard laughed at him and Zuko desperately wanted to light him on fire, but he had learned at the start of the journey that fire bending was met with cruel punishment. He was once their prince, but they didn’t give a fuck. The fire lord had thrown him away, so he was garbage to the whole nation. He was pushed down the ramp, stumbled a bit, but didn’t fall on his face, like they clearly wanted. He snarled and was pushed again, until he was on the ice. He shivered, because he was not dressed for the south pole, just in a standard fire nation gi, no princely clothes for him anymore, no nothing.

The crew were unloading several crates and people from the water tribe were collecting them. They all stepped back a bit as a man walked forward. “I am Chief Hakoda.”

“The agreed upon reparations,” one of them said. “If you can manage to sign your name, you will sign here.” 

The chief was smiling faintly. “Will my signature work, or would you prefer that of the Avatar?”

There were people Zuko’s age with the chief, a couple just a bit younger. One of whom was the Avatar.

“No,” the smugness left the man’s voice. “Your signature is all that is needed. Sir. We have a few more crates. Commander Zhao has the agreed upon money and will be bringing it shortly. As for the promised alpha, there is he. His birth name is Zuko, but he’s your property now, guess you could rename him whatever you wanted.”

“Hey,” the boy who looked his own age snapped, but the Chief held up a hand, quieted him.

“I trust there are keys for the chains?”

“The commander has it,” the man said. “I would recommend though that you keep him chained up. He’s used to it, been in prison since he was thirteen, and it was clear he was an alpha.”

“I see,” was all the chief said, and Zuko watched him move his hand a bit.

The boy his age came over. “Follow me,” he said and then started walking, ignoring Zuko. Zuko was used to being ignored by most people. At least in prison his uncle had been in the room next to him and twice a week they had been allowed to eat together. It had been the only thing he had. Zuko followed until they reached a dome of ice. “Come on, have to duck to get in,” he said and the entrance was almost claustrophobic, but inside was a lot bigger than he expected. And warmer. “I’m Sokka.”

“Zuko.”

“Uhh, so what did they actually tell you? About coming here.”

“Nothing,” Zuko said. “I was in jail, then on a boat, then here. Details weren’t forthcoming.”

“You know the war ended, and Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai, that the fire nation is paying out for the damage they caused over the last century. We are getting paid back for the whole they killed all but one of our water benders.” The boy shrugged, “and uhh, we mentioned there was an omega here, and they sort of threw you in with the deal.”

“So I’m breeding stock,” Zuko nodded. “Better than being executed.” He looked around the igloo. “Is there where I’ll be living?”

“Yeah,” Sokka’s voice cracked. “With me?”

“You’re the omega?” There was a nod. He was attractive, but he couldn’t smell him. “You don’t have a scent?”

“I hunt, use masking medicine so animals don’t get a whiff and run away. You don’t have a scent either?”

“Alphas are considered unappealing by the fire nation, we are drugged to contain as much of it as can be contained.”

“What?” Sokka was staring at him in shock. “Seriously, what?”

“If I hadn’t been the prince they would have made me sterile, but it was needed, just in case.”

“Prince?” Sokka was looking increasingly agitated. “You stay right there.”

“I umm, actually…where do I…” Zuko knew he had gone pale. “I’m sorry, are there going to be rules about when I can use a bathroom?”

“No? Why would there be? Through there, I need to go talk to Dad.” Sokka had pointed at a fur that was hanging from the ceiling as he ran out of the igloo. Zuko moved it and was shocked that there was almost a hall. He followed it and it seemed to join with another hall. “Hello?” he called out but there was no response. There was another fur hanging and he checked behind finding a small space that was clearly for attending to needs. He took care of what he had to and hurried back to the igloo in case Sokka got mad at his lingering away. 

He was so surprised that the igloo wasn’t cold, or wouldn’t be cold for most people. He was still shivering a bit. And no one was around so he used dragon’s breath, like how Uncle had taught him. That warmed him up. He wasn’t quite sure what to do and there was a pelt on the ground by the bed so he knelt on that. Waited. Wondered. He heard a shout and sort of grinding noise, realized that the boat was leaving. 

Zuko figured they all were going to want revenge on the fire nation, and he was their means for that. He heard noise, and kept he head bowed. 

“Now then, we have a problem,” a deep and rich voice said. The chief’s voice. “Zhao seems to have whoopsy "forgot" the keys, and recommended that we keep you chained anyways to stop you from firebending. Something about alpha’s not being able to control their fire?”

“I can control it,” Zuko growled. “He just was an asshole.”

“That was my impression in the three sentences we exchanged. My Bato, he is fairly good with his hands.” Zuko looked up at the snort that Sokka gave, and the Chief rolled his eyes a bit. “Mind out of the depths, Sokka,” was chided gently. “I would ask if you are willing to trust him. Worst case, we can break the chains so you have mobility, even if we can’t get the cuffs of the wrists.”

“What would I owe you for this?”

“Owe us?”

“Kindness doesn’t come for free.”

“You are Sokka’s alpha,” the chief said like that answered something. Zuko had no idea what though. “Now, Bato is out hunting, a couple hours at most. Welcome to the water tribe, Zuko.” That had sounded almost nice. Welcoming.

Then it was he and Sokka alone again. “You don’t have to kneel. Unless you like kneeling, then kneel away. You can sit. On the bed, sorry, it is kinda the only sitting spot. I just got the igloo when we found out they agreed to send an alpha. Didn’t want to share with my sister anymore. For obvious reasons.”

“Obvious reasons,” Zuko agreed, not sure at first. And he watched Sokka who looked incredibly nervous. “You mean sex. You don’t want to share a home with your sister when you are using my body for your needs.”

“That makes it sound bad. But guess it is. Did you have a say at all? You said you were a prince, there had to be a say.”

“I tried to have a say once, and my father burned my face and threw me in jail. When my Uncle objected said he would take me away, we’d disappear, they threw him into the cell next to mine.”

“That’s Iroh, right?” 

“How did you know that name?”

“I trained with Master Piandao a bit, and my sister and Aang with Master Pakku. White Lotus, they said that they had a man on the inside. Iroh was that man.”

“Is he alive?”

“Yeah, far as I know? Toph claimed him.”

“He isn’t an alpha, what do you mean?”

“Toph and he got along great, and she didn’t want to go back home after the war. So we pulled some strings, and said she needed a guide since she is blind. She got him in all the negotiating about the reparations for the earth kingdom.”

“Do you know what happened to the rest of my family?”

“Well Aang took away Ozai’s bending and it broke his mind, he’s rotting in prison somewhere, and so is your sister? Azula? Katara kicked her ass, and they wanted to execute her, but Aang argued for her. She is imprisoned in the northern water tribe. It was agreed to keep her and Ozai far far away from each other. Took a while to find out who would be in charge, or like if the earth kingdom would do something, but some scrolls were found, and there was a cousin a few generations back, and their grandchild is now the fire lord. Name is Mai. Do you know her?”

“Yeah,” Zuko said. “I know her.”

“Gloomy, but clever. She has plans, and her girlfriend brings the cheer.” Sokka moved, was sitting on the bed. Zuko slowly pushed himself up so he was sitting next to him. He had never actually been near an omega before. “We won’t, I won’t. You aren’t a prisoner, you know that right?”

Zuko shrugged, because he sure as hell didn’t know that. The igloo was almost twice the size of the cell he had spent 21 out of 24 hours of the last 4 years in. “How many times a day will I be fed?”

“You get as much food as you need, save winter when we all sometimes go without depending on the hunting. But some of reparations were seeds, and we have plans!” 

“And I can go to the bathroom whenever I need?”

“Yeah?”

“How often can I bathe?”

“Uhh, I tend to wash down with a cloth and water every day, and full bath once a week, trek to the hot springs once every six weeks or so.” Sokka looked worried. “Winter might be a bit less because you try not to get naked a lot. Are you used to more?”

“Up until two months ago, I was often so covered in filth, bugs wouldn’t even live on me. That sounds amazing.”

“What do you like to do for fun?” 

Did this idiot really just ask that? “I have been in almost complete solitary confinement for the last 4 years. Ever since my face healed a bit after my 13th birthday. 3 hours a day I was allowed out of my cell. I got to see my uncle who was in the room next to me a couple times a week, and the guards never spoke to me, except to insult me and make sure I saw them piss in my food. What do you think I like to do for fun?”

“Jerk off a lot?”

Zuko blinked at how flat that had been asked. Just so matter of fact and entirely absurd and, “Yeah, yeah I jerked off a lot.” He started to laugh, and just couldn’t stop. He hadn’t even known what his own laugh sounded like, it had been so fucking long since anything was even remotely funny. He sat there, hunched over, laughing and it abruptly cut off when a hand touched his back. He went very still. The hand didn’t move, just pressed there. He breathed out. “Sokka?”

“Zuko.”

“All I have to do is fuck you when you want? And I get regular food, access to a bathroom, be outside as much as I want?”

“Pretty much? I mean if you want to be taught how to do one of the jobs that is needed that can be arranged. I can teach you to hunt. We were sort of mostly hoping you’d light fires, help smoke meat. Aang had a fire bender teacher, but he could use more training up. It was mostly the avatar state that got him through defeating Ozai. And you don’t have to you know…sex…if you aren’t in the mood. Unless it’s my heat? And we can figure out something if you don’t want.” Sokka’s voice cracked a bit.

“I’ve had sex,” Zuko said. “Couple guards were curious what a knot would feel like, got offered better rations, a bath. Decent trade off.”

“I won’t, it won’t be like that here. And if you don’t want to be here, we can go to the earth kingdom, find your uncle.” 

Zuko looked at Sokka who seemed sincere. “Here is already better than anything I’ve known for a long time. It’s fine.” He leaned in and scented Sokka. His natural scent was mostly blocked, but there was a hint of it this close. It wasn’t repulsive. “It’s fine,” he repeated.

“Good, then. You look tired. Do you want to nap until Bato can work on the chains?” 

That sounded nice. Zuko nodded and he found himself being eased down on the bed, tucked in like he was a child. There was a kiss to his temple. “You’re going to be fine here. Just so you know.”

“That would be nice.” Zuko felt so weary, he had not slept a whole night through in years, guards always waking him, or just wondering if it would be the night his father had him killed. He curled into a small ball, as he always did to sleep. Precaution, protecting his dick from getting kicked or stepped on. 

“What would help me staying or going?”

There was a hand stroking his hair. “Staying,” he said after a moment. He head was then lifted onto a thigh, and the stroking continued. His hair wasn’t very long every few months they had shaved his head. Reminded him of his shame, but the last cut had been a bit ago and there was enough hair for Sokka’s hand to really sink in. He really hoped there weren’t any bugs living in his hair, but they had scrubbed him pretty thoroughly before sending him south. “I want to just not be scared today is the day someone will kill me. Give me that, and you can have my body as much as you want.”

“No one here will hurt you,” Sokka promised.

Zuko fell asleep.

When he awoke, Sokka was over at the other side of the igloo talking to a man who was a lot taller than him, lanky, almost spindly. Zuko sat up and the chains jangled. Both turned to look at him. “You’re Bato?” he guessed. He could smell the alpha. Why had they needed him if there was an alpha in the tribe who looked like he could easily take care of Sokka.

“I am,” Bato agreed and came over. He knelt easily at Zuko’s feet. Made himself vulnerable. Why?

“Bato’s showing you he isn’t here for like an alpha challenge or anything,” Sokka explained. “Just letting you know there will be no fight for me or in general or anything. He’s Dad’s partner. So not interested in me.”

“Your father is a beta. Alphas have to be with omegas.” That was what they were taught back home. That the spirits had made sure that the filthy ones could only mate with each other and hopefully thus die out their line, until only betas remained. He had a feeling though, perhaps what he had been taught hadn’t been correct. 

“My dick works just fine in Koda’s ass,” Bato replied.

“Bato! That’s my dad! Gross.” Sokka was gagging.

“You’ve walked in on us a million times, Sokka.” 

“Yeah, not by choice! But because of our general lack of doors.” Sokka sat next to Zuko. “Alphas can be with whomever they want. Dad and Bato are in love, so they are together. Biology can learn to deal with what the heart needs.” Bato stood and Zuko realized he had some roll in his hand. “He tinkers a lot with things, been teaching me.  If anyone can get you out of those chains, it is him.”

Bato pulled out a few thin things. “May I?” 

Zuko nodded and he watched as Bato bent over and began to work. He had been taught that if alphas ever were in the same room together, they’d immediately fight for supremacy, but Bato was humming softly as he worked, bending his head even though he knew Zuko could bite the shit out of him, force him to submit. Like it was no big deal. He breathed in and honestly he didn’t want to fight, he was oddly comforted to smell another alpha. He was cautious as he bent his neck and bumped his head against Bato’s and that got him a small laugh from the older alpha. 

“Yes, pup, we can play later, once you are free and not so skinny.” Bato went back to humming and there was a small snick as one manacle unlock. Zuko watched the chain fall, in confusion. “Sokka, his skin is chafed, rubbed raw. Get your sister.”

“Zuko, that fine, I’ll be back quick.”

Zuko nodded and sat very still. Soon enough his other wrist was free, and by the time the waist lock was undone Sokka was back.

“Hi, I’m Katara, the healer of the tribe,” she said. 

“She’s only the greatest living waterbender,” Sokka bragged.

“Sokka,” she rolled her eyes a bit. “He said you are hurt?” Her gaze lingered on his scar.

“That’s from a long time ago,” he said and held out his wrists, which were dirty, and raw, old scars from previous manacles locked too tight. “Also, I don’t know if you can, but could you double check that I’m bug free?” He ignored the pitying look she gave him. Soon her hands were surrounded by water, and it was around his wrists and they felt so much better.

“Can you lie down, so I can do a diagnostic? I can ask them to leave.”

“No, it is fine. Guards watched me shit in a hole for years, them staying is nothing. Unless you need me naked?”

“I don’t,” she reassured. So Zuko lay down and water sort of drifted over top him, not quite touching. “No bugs,” she reassured. “Mostly tired, malnourished. You need some sun. I’ll leave a list of instructions with Sokka, if that is fine.”

“I’ll take good care of him,” Sokka swore to his sister. It sounded more intense than making sure that Zuko ate.

“You can sit up, I’m all done,” Katara told him. “Aang was hoping you’d start teaching him right away, but I’m going to hold off on that for a few days, until you rest. Your bending is a little blocked in you?”

“I wasn’t exactly allowed to bend a lot in jail, and I was never the strongest. Could I - could I practice now?”

“After you eat a bit. A small bit, need to get your stomach used to consistent food again, and our food will be different from what you’ve been eating. We’ll start you on some broth, and bread.” Katara squeezed his shoulder. Everyone here seemed big on touching. “You’ll be strong in no time.”

“Thank you,” he said. “But a strong alpha is -”

“A strong alpha is a benefit to the tribe, and those they protect.” Bato finished, and that definitely wasn’t what he was about to say. Bato bumped his head to Zuko’s sniffed him. “Lots to sort out in you, huh?”

Zuko just shrugged, because he had no idea. 

“Come on, Gran Gran has been cooking up a storm,” Sokka said and was holding out a hand. Zuko took it and they were outside. He breathed in the air and the crispness or it burned his lungs and the sun was so bright, calling him and he was itching to bend. But he did need food. He followed Sokka and ignored all the looks he was getting. He was taken to an area that looked to be a gathering spot, and there was a huge pot cooking and it smelled like heaven. “Stew, but you get mostly the broth, maybe a bit of fish.”

Zuko scowled at him a bit and didn’t understand why the boy looked so pleased. “I can eat more than broth. They did give me meat, once a week.”

“Yeah, well you start with a cup of broth, and then we’ll go from there. Healer’s orders.”

“Isn’t she a child?”

Sokka just laughed at that. “Sure but hell, so are we if you go for child or adult binary. And since she brought the avatar back from death after your sister shot him full of lightning, her opinion on getting you healthy matters more than yours. Gran Gran!” Sokka shouted and Zuko wondered if she was hard of hearing or just because Sokka seemed like a guy who would shout a lot. “This is Zuko, he’s my alpha!”

And yeah, it was just that he was a shouter. Who announced something like that so cheerfully. It was a shame upon your people to be so open about alpha and omega status. Zuko bowed to the woman. “Greetings,” he said politely.

“How wonderful. Manners.” 

“I have manners, Gran Gran. And an alpha now. I need to take good care of him. So broth?” 

“Of course. And I know you will take good care of him,” she reassured. A full bowl with chunks of things was handed to Sokka and it smelled fascinating. Good. And yeah, maybe a bit more than he could handle. A child’s bowl of mostly liquid was handed to him. He cupped it and brought it to his lips. Zuko sipped some and it felt like heaven down his throat, and yes after the one small bowl he found himself full. 

“Thank you, it was delicious.”

“It will be even more so by dinner,” she smiled at him. “The never ending stew, we call it, everything breaks down, flavours meld, quite delicious.” A gnarled hand cupped his cheek. “Little alpha, we’ll set you to rights.”

Zuko ducked his head, embarrassed. 

“Now want to bend a bit?” Sokka asked and Zuko nodded. “Let’s go away from people.” He followed Sokka and they traveled a decent bit of time over a rise and when they crested it, he was in shock.

“I thought it was all ice here!” He was staring at sand.

“There are a few dunes, especially in summer. The sand and rocks are handy for building. And I figure handy for practicing firebending on.” Sokka sat on the crest. “Go on down, have some fun!”

Zuko moved a bit to where the hill was less steep and slid down to the sand and rocks. It was so barren, different from the sand he knew from a child on Ember Island. This was almost a different planet. Zuko breathed in and out, steady, slow. He had never finished his fire bending training and years of barely bending, he knew he’d be awful, and he didn’t want to look like an idiot in front of Sokka. 

He punched forward and the fire erupted, wild, free. He called it back into himself and tried again and then again, until it was smooth and he began to move through the first kata he had ever learned. He was sweating and worn out by the time he managed to complete just the one kata smoothly from beginning to end. It was humiliating. But then he heard clapping and whistling. 

Sokka came flying down the dune. “That was so cool! Firebending always looks so different from the others.”

“I’m out of practice, and I was never the best.” But it had felt incredible. He looked at Sokka. “Can I?”

“Can you what?”

“Just unleash?”

“Go for it!”

Zuko turned and faced the water. “You might want to step back a bit.” Sokka obligingly moved away and Zuko ran forward, leapt up a bit, and came down, punching his fist towards the ground and fire exploded down and forward, traveling all the way towards the water. He stood there, breathing heavily and then he was knocked to the ground, the sand still warm from his fire.

“Sorry, meant to hug you!” Sokka sounded contrite and a nose was buried against his neck. “You are incredible.” There was nuzzling and a gentle lick. “You smell really great when you firebend.”

“I do?” He was sure his scent was still deadened from the medicine, but he hadn't been on it since they set sail so maybe an omega nose could catch a bit of it, like how he could scent a bit of Sokka.

“Yeah,” Sokka said and was nuzzling him. “Sorry.” Sokka’s weight was off his back, and it was absurd that he felt bereft without it. “Really sorry, that was rude, just scenting you like that.”

He had scuttled away and was sitting on the sand, poking at some of the rocks. Zuko sat similarly and watched him. Eventually a rock was tossed his way. “Are we playing catch?”

“No, just a rock, to remember the first time you got to firebend all free and stuff in how long?”

“Four years,” Zuko looked at the small rock, that was nothing special at all, and clutched it tightly. “It felt really good.”

“Looked neat. Benders are cool. Used to be jealous, but Suki taught me, that a warrior has as much of a role in everything as benders do.”

“Suki?”

“Kyoshi warrior. My first kiss,” Sokka was smiling fondly. Zuko growled a bit and was horrified, but Sokka’s grin grew, “Aww, sweet alpha, now that I have you, promise to not kiss any other cute girls.”

“Whatever,” Zuko muttered. It was so stupid. He looked at the rock. “Can I bend a bit more?”

“You actually up for it, you look pale.”

“I might pass out,” Zuko agreed, “But I need to.”

“Go for it then,” Sokka agreed, and Zuko stood, and practiced a couple different katas until his legs were shaky and the vision in the corner of his eyes was white. He swayed and then Sokka was there holding him up. “Let’s get you back.”

It was slow going, climbing with such rubbery legs, and Katara eventually saw them, cursed Sokka out for letting Zuko do too much and Zuko snarled a bit at Katara. Which then lead him to worry about being chained or whipped at such a display, but Katara just rolled her eyes and healed him enough to walk on his own. “I’m sorry,” Zuko told her. He looked at Sokka, “what are the punishments for an alpha outburst like that?” They looked so confused. Maybe it was phrased differently here. “What are the rules for keeping alphas in line, so they know their place?” That made Katara look even more confused, but Sokka was morphing to anger. That he understood. He started to sink to his knees, but Sokka was stopping him. “I growled at your sister.”

“She was fussing. You fuss you get growled at. Dad fusses over Bato, and Bato growls.”

“To growl at the chief, he must be severely punished.” 

Sokka was nuzzling him, and that couldn’t be right. “Hey, you are fine. No punishment for growling at Katara. I mean, it is good to say sorry, which you did, and if you growl at me, I’m going to do what Dad does with Bato.”

Zuko swallowed. “Which is?” There was a nose buried against his neck, breathing him in. “What are you doing?”

“What Dad does, Dad always says, an alpha growls outside battle, just means they are scared and need to be calmed.” Katara smiled a bit. “Don’t think he is quite right, but hey it works. I mean you are calming down.”

He was, Sokka was draining the anger out of him. Which made him realized how tired he was. “I did overdo it,” he had to admit. 

“I can heal you more, if you like.”

He didn’t want to lose this ache, from bending, it was the first good hurt for his body in a long time. “I’m fine.” 

Katara looked like she wanted to protest. “He’s fine Katara. I’ll take him to the bathing tent, let him have a good soak.” That got a reluctant nod and she needed a few reassurances until Sokka snapped, “Katara! I know how to take care of my alpha!”

“I know you do,” she replied immediately. “I’ll be with Aang if you need me, alright?”

“Thanks,” Sokka said and Zuko just stood there. Once Katara had left, Sokka let out a breath. “Sorry, everyone has been fine in the last couple months. When we were at war she got used to fighting and healing. She’s a bit lost.”

“What about you?”

“Yeah, me too. But I have you to take care of now. That will help. To the bathing tent!” Sokka took him to the opposite end of the village from his igloo and there was a structure that was a mix of wood and furs. They went inside and there were four bath tubs, arranged around a fire pit. Sokka hung a blue fabric over the entrance. “So people know that the person bathing needs privacy,” he explained. There was a sort of well at the back. “It will take a bit to heat the water once it is pulled up.”

“No, it won’t,” Zuko smiled a bit. “If you wanted a bath too.”

“Oh, hey, this is handy.” Zuko watched Sokka pulled up a bucket and it took a bit of time but soon two of the small tubs were full and Zuko heated them up. He was a bit hesitant about whether he should turn or something, but Sokka just stripped down like it was nothing and sat in the tub. Well then. Zuko did the same. You couldn’t stretch out in them but if you sat up, legs had enough room to extend. 

“This is only the second bath I’ve had in four years,” Zuko said softly.

“Huh?”

“When they freed me, I was allowed a bath. It took three goes to get me properly clean. When they had me in prison, it was a bucket once a week. If I was lucky I was outside when some rain hit.”

“You were the prince! Seriously, who did you kill, or worse?” Sokka gulped, “Did you do worse?”

“What do you consider worse than killing someone?” 

“Eat them while they are still alive?”

That made Zuko laugh. “That would be worse, yeah. I spoke out of turn at a meeting. It was declared as proof that I would be one of those vicious uncontrollable contemptible alphas. There were a few more adjectives I think. Hard to remember after your father burns your face. And then I was in jail.” Zuko slid so that he dunked his head under the water and when he came up, Sokka wasn’t in his bath, but sitting on a stool next to his. “What?”

Sokka didn’t say anything just poured something into his hand and then he was scrubbing Zuko’s hair. An omega was washing him. He had been told he’d never have that. Anything. He didn’t know what to do, so he stayed very still. “Does the whole fire nation treat alphas like shit, or was it because your father knew instinctively that given the chance, one day you’d be able to beat him and he wanted to shut that down? But outright killing a prince was a bit too much?”

“I-” Zuko couldn’t answer that, because he had seldom met other alphas. He knew what he had been taught, but those were tutors chosen by his father. “My mother had told me to be proud of being an alpha,” he was able to say. 

“Well yeah, of course,” Sokka sounded so natural about it. “We’re a blessing from Tui and La.”

“I don’t know those words.”

“The spirits of the sea and the moon. They saw the world and the people who wandered it. And they loved each other, the perfect balance and unity of the push and pull of the universe. So they decided to gift humanity with the same. They knew though it was more than most could cope with, so it was a small blessing. A handful of people - ten in a hundred. The sea gave us alphas, with the strength of a typhoon and the calm of deep where no human can see, and the moon gave us omegas to shine and guide. The waves don’t travel without the pull of the moon, and the moon can’t shine without the reflection of the water.”

“I was taught we were a curse.”

“That sucks.” Water was poured over his head. Then Sokka was leaning on the lip of the tub, head on his arms. Zuko reached out a hesitant hand and stroked his hair, pulled the tie out so it was free. It was a different texture than his, though he couldn’t quite explain the difference. But it felt good under his fingers. “You aren’t cursed, you know. In case you were wondering.”

“How can you be sure?” Zuko knew he was cursed.

“Because if you are cursed for being an alpha, I’m cursed for being an omega. And I don’t feel cursed. I feel great.”

Zuko let his hand drift to Sokka’s neck. “You do.” This was the most he had touched anyone in a long time because the guards seldom let him hug his uncle in case they tried to pass each other something. He squeezed Sokka’s neck and the boy whimpered, a sound that made Zuko shiver. He squeezed again, scratched a nail over where he could bite if they ever wanted and Sokka moaned. He took his hand away, because that was wrong what he had done. Maybe. Sokka made a grumbly noise that was frankly adorable and his hand brought Zuko’s back to his neck.

“I looked for an alpha, while we were traveling. Found a couple, but they weren’t for me. I mean Master Piandao is older than Dad, by a lot, and he taught me a lot of neat things but clearly not my alpha, and there was this guy Jet, but Katara kinda liked him and he was a fucking jerk. Maybe died saving us though, so less a jerk? If you were a jerk but died nobly, does that make you less of a jerk?”

“You’re rambling.” It was charming. Zuko eased away and stood up from the bath. “We didn’t bring towels.” Sokka went to a chest where there were a couple spare ones. Zuko dried off and he knew Sokka was watching him, but it was a lot different gaze than when the guards had watched him. Zuko looked at his clothes. “I don’t want to put fire nation clothes on ever again.” He didn’t even think, just set the only clothes he had on fire, watched them burn.

Sokka was hugging him, scenting him. “Shh, it’s fine,” he was told. “Never again, sweet alpha, if you don’t want.” They stayed there until the clothes were ash, and Sokka put the fire out. “Uhh, one thing though. Do you feel like walking through the village in just a towel?”

That was. “No.” He should have thought about that.

“Only a little shorter and skinner than you, so be snug but not to bad,” Sokka said and Zuko found himself standing very still, as Sokka put his own clothes on him. They smelled like Sokka. They were a bit tight but not too bad, just as Sokka said. Rougher material than his, but not black, not red. Blue, marking him as Sokka’s, marking him as belonging to the omega. In his mind at least. And he found he did not hate that at all.

Not even a full day here yet, and he was so thoroughly ready to be owned by the omega. He was as weak as his father had said, as his biology made him. But fuck it, what had fire nation thinking ever brought him but misery. “You’ll have to walk through the village in a towel.”

“Zuko, small village, bathing tent. Trust me, everyone has seen everyone’s everything. Just bodies.”

Zuko growled a bit. “Mine,” he said.

Sokka just laughed, “Aww, alphas are so fucking cute.” But he got a hug and a nuzzle. Sokka lead them out, and there were a few calls and laughs at Sokka in a towel, but several more about how good Zuko looked in water tribe clothes. He saw the chief by the huge fire pit in the middle of the village, leaning back against Bato and they roasted something that smelled amazing. Bato smiled at him, and he gave a hesitant smile back. When they were in the igloo, Sokka pulled out clothes from a chest. “Here, these are still a bit big on me, they might work.”

“But these smell like you,” Zuko didn’t want to change.

“Fuck,” Sokka looked like he wanted to pounce. Zuko sort of wanted him to do it. But then Sokka dressed. “You willing to go out for a bit, or do you want us to stay in tonight. This has to have been a lot.”

Zuko thought about it. “What do you want?” It seemed the safest to ask that.

“Nope, Zuko. You can say what you want here.”

“I want to stay in.” Zuko was exhausted. “And can you, could you touch me?” He was so touch starved. It felt too needy, asking too much. But Sokka had sworn to his grandmother that he would take good care of the alpha. And that had to include touch didn’t it?

“Sweet alpha,” Sokka made it sound so affectionate. “Get on the bed.” Zuko moved, lay down and Sokka stood there. “Do you want me wrapped around you, or do you want to be hugging me, bury your nose against my scent gland?”

“Can I?” He had never had that. In a breath Sokka was laying in front of him, and Zuko slowly drew him close, and wrapped an arm around him. There were no objections and Zuko carefully pressed his nose to Sokka’s neck. He whined and heard a small laugh. “Shut up,” he ordered and breathed in. The scent was muted but still, it was there. Soft and crisp, like the wind carrying the scent of sea inland through trees. “You smell good.”

“So do you,” Sokka replied. “Mineraly, like this cave we once got stuck in. Love lead Katara and Aang out. Me? I rode a badgermole.”

Zuko laughed and that pressed his lips to Sokka’s skin. He licked and Sokka squirmed against him. He tightened his grip, to hold Sokka still and began to suck on Sokka’s neck, leaving bruises. He could feel himself getting hard. “Sokka.” He could stop mouthing at Sokka’s skin. It felt so fucking good to be touching someone, to feel a connection. Even more so that it was one that called to every part of his being. Someone he was sure he’d never have. Something. “More. I need more,” he begged, he didn’t care. “What can I have? Please?” He bit Sokka's neck.

Sokka tugged at the arm that was holding him close, and Zuko wanted to growl to pin Sokka down and just take, but he couldn’t. He knew he could never hurt Sokka. He let go, pushed himself back away. Sokka stood and Zuko curled into a ball, “Hey sweet alpha, shh,” was crooned and he couldn’t hear Sokka leaving. He opened his eyes, and the one was blurry as ever, but the other saw clearly. Saw Sokka smiling at him. “I need to leave for just a couple minutes. Just a couple, I promise. Nothing bad, just need to get a few things, because don’t think we are leaving here again tonight.” Sokka crouched near the bed. “Can you be fine for a few minutes alone?”

“I’m always alone.”

“Not anymore, you aren’t,” Sokka swore. Zuko gave a nod and Sokka left. He stayed on the bed, watched the entrance, willed Sokka to come back, because maybe it had been a lie that he was leaving forever disgusted at how Zuko was already pushing his body onto Sokka. Which was kind of absurd since the whole reason he was here was to fuck Sokka, meet the omega’s needs and wants. But he was a fucking mess, and lining up everything in his mind was difficult. He closed his eyes pressed the palm of his hand against his dick, to push it down, to feel good, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t do more than press, but he kept his hand there.

He heard footsteps, and opened his eyes, “Sokka?” he called out, but it was Bato. Fuck, why did Sokka get the other alpha, was he in trouble? “Bato, what did I do wrong?”

“Nothing,” Bato reassured. “Can you sit up, Zuko?”

Spirits he was sitting with an alpha while palming his own cock. He sat up and whined a bit, embarrassed, unsure. He waited to be told he was being kicked out, or to be hurt but instead he found himself hugged. “Sokka was just a bit worried, you were going into an unexpected rut, and might need some advice or to be checked on. Katara was ready to leap into the fray, but Koda pointed out I was probably the best to handle this.” There was a gentle head butt against him. “How do you feel, pup?”

“I don’t know?” He honestly was so confused. “I had a rut a couple months ago.”

“Thank you for sharing.” Zuko had no idea what to do with the praise. He had been taught that alphas loathed each other, but he just wanted to curl up against Bato. “In you come,” was said and he was hauled against Bato. It soothed something in him. A hand was rubbing up and down his back, and he was being rocked just a bit. “Yeah, you just haven’t been touched much, and your body is going into overdrive now that it is getting it. Alphas can go wrong if they aren’t touched a lot.” There was a nose dragged along his temple, and Zuko almost purred. “Do you know how strong you are, that you’ve survived?”

“I’m weak.”

“You are mighty,” Bato replied and Zuko was cuddled even closer. “Now if I had my preference, you’d be jammed in bed between me and Koda tonight. Nothing sexual,” Bato reassured, “but you need some intense touching and emotional repair.”

“Sokka,” Zuko’s voice was somewhere between a growl and whine. “Want Sokka.”

“That is what I thought you would say.” Bato gave a laugh. “And that is fine, but tomorrow, you and I will have a good long chat, about what being an alpha here means, start to get you all healed up. Tonight, the best thing you can do, is listen to your body, and listen to Sokka. If you are comfortable, I’d suggest naked for the two of you, because you need a lot of skin contact. Fuck if you want, it’s fine, and it’s fine if you don’t. You’ll be fine, Zuko. I promise.”

Zuko put his arms around Bato. “My uncle told me, one day I’d know joy. It was hard to believe him.”

“Did you know Kana, Sokka’s mother, when he was born called him her joy?” Bato squeezed him. “But then all mother’s call their baby’s that. No hidden meaning.”

“What if I want there to be?”

“Then maybe there is.” Bato let go. “Sokka is probably pacing outside. Sweet alpha, you will be fine.”

“Thank you, Bato. You seem, nice.”

“You do too, Zuko. Tomorrow.” Bato left and Sokka was in, with a small basket. It was put on the ledge against the wall.

“Food, for later, so we don’t have to leave,” Sokka said. “Bato help?”

Zuko gave a nod. “I talked with Dad, he basically said you were basically just going haywire at getting what you’ve needed for years. He said he and Bato could help you out, but I said no?” Sokka shrugged. “My alpha, I’ll take care of you.”

“I said no, too. Just want you. Stupid because I’ve known you a few hours, and all I want is you.”

“Same, buddy,” Sokka grinned. “You made me believe in fate and destiny, which is a kick in the teeth because I hate that crap, but you were might to be my sweet little alpha and I am going to take such fucking good care of you.” Sokka stood there and stripped off his clothes. Zuko moaned at the sight. His skin was darker than Zuko’s stomach a bit softer because he didn’t work out for hours on end just to cope with the unrelenting boredom of jail. Thatch of dark hair around his cock that looked nice, Zuko thought, but mostly he just wanted to bury his face there, breathe Sokka in. 

He just wanted to clamp onto Sokka, and not let go. 

“Can you get undressed or do you need help?” 

“I can,” Zuko said but his fingers were clumsy and there was Sokka helping him. The second he was naked as well, Zuko pulled Sokka close and flopped back on the bed so that Sokka was on top of him. “Need you,” he said. 

“Shh, I know,” Sokka said. “Just take what you need, okay? I’ll let you know if you are taking too much.”

“How could you stop me? I have fire and alpha strength and -” There was no way that Sokka could stop him, if he needed Zuko to stop. He couldn’t hurt Sokka like that. He should have gone with Bato. “You wouldn’t be able to -”

“Zuko, my alpha, your hand on my back is too warm, it hurts, please move it.” 

Zuko stared at Sokka’s eyes which had a sheen of tears to them and immediately both his hands were off Sokka and on the bed.

“Yeah, I think we are fine,” Sokka blinked and the tears were gone. He was in fact grinning. “A good sweet alpha like you would never in a million fucking years hurt their omega.”

“How do you know I’m good?” 

“Because I can see you, Zuko. Now how about you take what you need.” There was an eyebrow wiggle. “Never had sex you know. Your alpha dick, your knot, going to be the first in me that is real. Had a heat aid, but have a feeling you? Better than whale bone.” Sokka rolled so he was on his side. “Like before, liked you sucking on my neck.”

Zuko growled a bit and pulled Sokka against him. His brain fuzzed out for a moment at all the skin contact, as something healed, something broken. It was all a jumble. But he just went with it. Because he could, because Sokka. Because he was getting what he needed. He licked and sucked at Sokka’s skin, his hands roamed over warm flesh and muscle. There was promise of a strong body to come, he knew the next few years would change their bodies so much, but right now they were only an idea of whom they would become. He bit Sokka’s shoulder, and that elicited a gasp, a moan, and his name sounding different than he had ever heard it. 

He flipped Sokka onto his back and for a moment lay his head over Sokka’s heart which was beating rapidly. It was such a good sound to hear, and Sokka skin felt so good. “I want to,” Zuko began, “I want to stay here.”

“We can cuddle, absolutely.” Hands were his shoulder, back. “All night if you want.”

“No, I mean,” Zuko quieted. “I want to stay.”

“Can we travel sometimes? Big world, lots of neat people and things in it. You’ll like Bumi, he’s a crazy king, in a city where you can ride the mail carts.”

“You say really odd things.” Zuko eased down Sokka’s body more. Until his nose was pressed against Sokka’s groin. It tickled when some of that wiry hair brushed his nose but here the scent of Sokka was a lot less muted. “Can I suck your dick?” 

“Yes,” Sokka’s voice was a squeak, and it was utterly endearing. “Yes,” he repeated in a deeper voice, one that might be what he sounded like in a few decades. “If you want. You said, I was allowed to use your body however I wanted if you were fed, allowed baths. You can use mine too.”

“In exchange for what?”

“Just being with you, taking care of you.”

“How is this real?” Zuko asked and a tear slid from his good eye. “Am I going to wake up back in jail?”

“Buddy, you seem great. But not the dream big sort? And in any of your dreams, did it ever involve this much ice all around you?”

“No, and I could never have imagined you.” Zuko definitely couldn’t have dreamed a person like Sokka was other there in the world waiting for him. Zuko moved his hand and held Sokka’s cock, began by flicking his tongue over the tip, before he began to sink down the length. It wasn’t huge, wasn’t like one of the cocks he had sucked in prison to get extra food, and rested well on his tongue, all the way down and it didn’t quite reach his throat. Which meant he could stay like this for a long time. He breathed in, the scent of Sokka making his head swim and he moved up and then down again. Sokka was cursing in what had to be a local dialect. 

It sounded pretty. 

Zuko choked a bit when Sokka was coming without much warning, but man’s first time with a mouth on his cock, the orgasm probably surprised Sokka just as much. And he liked the taste. He moved up Sokka, lay on top of him, squishing him. “Does anyone else ever get a taste of you again?” he asked, curious, desperate.

“Why would they?” Sokka was purring. “I got my alpha, who is good, fuck so good. Why would I want anyone else?” Zuko felt a nip against his collar bone. He growled a bit to warn Sokka, but that just got him a pleased laugh and something pressed into his hand. “Heat is not for a couple months, so don’t you know, very much. A bit, but not enough to make it comfortable for knotting. If that’s fine?”

Zuko looked at the bottle and while he didn’t have a problem with it, he had a question. “Sokka, who makes the oil?”

“You really want me to answer that right now?” Sokka gave him a look. “Because I can. But then you have the knowledge of where I get slick from, and really there are only a handful of logical answers.”

Zuko thought about it and nodded. Because he didn’t particularly want to think about Katara or Bato or the couple other options it might be. “You use this alone a lot?”

“A bit, like feel of being pressed into. Bet your fingers are better than mine.” 

Zuko opened the bottle and drizzled some on his fingers. He urged Sokka face down and ran the slick finger from the base of his neck down his spine, over the slight curve of his ass. Down against skin, pressing just a bit, before dragging his finger back up the same path. All this skin, this body was his for the taking. 

He was never letting go. Zuko leaned down and couldn’t help himself, bit Sokka hard, not on the mating spot, he had enough sense for that, but on the shoulder. He didn’t break skin but there was a deep satisfaction in seeing the indent of his teeth. “More,” Sokka gasped and Zuko left mark after mark on the thin body under him. Neck was bruised with hickeys, hips would carry the mark of his fingers, he did break the skin just a bit on Sokka’s ass. He licked at the spot to soothe it. He poured a bit more oil onto his finger and pressed into Sokka. As he fingered Sokka some natural slick produced helping, and he was just -

Zuko had no words for what Sokka was.

He just knew he was never letting go. Funny thing to believe after one fucking day, but when he looked at his life before, and at this moment, he believed.

Zuko eased Sokka onto his side and moved behind him. “So I can hug you,” he whispered against one of the dozen marks he had left on Sokka. 

“Neat,” was the response that he got, and he had to laugh. 

Zuko slicked his cock a bit, not much was needed, and moved Sokka’s leg. He caught on his first try, missed getting the angle right, and pressed apology kisses to Sokka’s skin. He moved them a bit more and this time he was able to slowly sink into Sokka. 

“So much better than bone,” Sokka moaned. “All the better, alpha good. Zuko good. Zuko more?”

“Of course, sweet omega.” 

“Hey, my word for you.”

“But maybe you are sweet too,” Zuko whispered, and licked Sokka’s shoulder. He didn’t taste sweet at all. He began to rock his hips. “What should I call you, then?”

“I don’t know, Dad called Mom, precious so that is right out. Never ever call me precious omega in bed.” 

“Agreed.” Zuko ran a hand all over Sokka. “Little omega, you are a bit shorter than me?”

“But might grow tall-er!” The word was stretched out as Zuko seemed to hit the right spot. Zuko smiled and bit Sokka some more. “Call me whatever the fuck you want, so long as you keep doing that,” Sokka demanded, pleaded, somewhere that was both and neither.

“One day, bet I call you mine,” Zuko said and that made Sokka moan and come. Zuko pressed in knot, growing, locking them together as his orgasm hit. They were both gasping for breath, and Zuko couldn’t stop clutching at Sokka, but at least he had switched from biting to gentle kisses and licks. “Until then, how about Sokka, I just stick with Sokka.”

“Always kinda pictured my alpha calling me baby?”

“I can do that,” Zuko agreed. He looked at Sokka’s neck and shoulders. “You are going to be a mess tomorrow.”

“Yeah, got chewed all up by a sweet alpha, who needs to learn a bit of control. We’ll work on it, once you are all healed up. But you know, not too much.”

“Liked the biting did you, baby?” Zuko hissed as Sokka’s body clenched around him, reacting to the pet name. He pressed his hand over Sokka’s heart. “I get to keep you?”

“Nah, I get to keep you.”

“I like that better,” Zuko agreed. He breathed Sokka in. “Here is good. Here is right.”

“Here like my ass, or here like the igloo, or here like the south pole?”

Zuko began to snicker. “Your ass, definitely wins.” He held Sokka until he could pull out and went to get up but Sokka was up and took care of them and then Zuko found himself fed and praised and taken care of. They talked, him eager to learn about Sokka, less eager to share about his own life but he did share some. He eventually lay back down and Sokka lay against him. He held Sokka close. “Don’t disappear?” he asked.

“I won’t.” Sokka was tracing a finger up and down his side. “You are going to take a lot of looking after, I can tell. Good thing, I’m up to the task sweet alpha.”

“Promise I won’t be too much trouble, baby.”

“Well, little bit of trouble would be just fine too,” Sokka reassured.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Zuko slept, not the whole night through, but each time he awoke scared he’d be back jail, he smelled ice, and furs.

And Sokka, who had drifted off of him, but always had a hand or leg on him the whole night. 

In the morning, Bato came by and dragged him away to the dunes. Zuko did his katas, already easier than they were yesterday, and Bato seemed impressed. They sat and stared out at the sea. “So what do you actually know about being an alpha?”

Zuko stared at the sea, thought of what Sokka had told him about the beliefs here, about what his father and the prison guards had said. What his mother said. And how it felt to touch Sokka. “That it is an honour to be an alpha. That if any other alpha tries to go near Sokka, I will rip their throat out. That it is my duty to protect my people, which is everyone here.”

“And more pragmatically?”

“My dick has a knot?” That got him a laugh. “I was taught things that I think are wrong. Could you teach me different?”

“I could,” Bato agreed. “You want to stay here?”

“I want -” Zuko paused because the wind carried a scent to him. He looked over and saw Sokka on a canoe, paddling out with others, likely to hunt. “I want him. I know that.”

“Yeah, that’s how I feel about Koda. Sokka’s a good kid, he’ll take good care of you. Let’s start simple, with basic biology.” 

Zuko saw Sokka turn and wave to him. He stood up and threw fire as far as he could, so that it raced passed Sokka. He could hear Sokka’s laugh, and he went back to Bato who was giving him an indulgent smile. “Perhaps we’ll start with an alpha’s need to show off for their mate.”

Zuko flushed and ducked his head. “We’ve known each other a day. He isn’t my mate.”

Bato held out an arm and Zuko burrowed against him, after giving him a gentle head butt. “Sure, he isn’t.”

Zuko listened to Bato talk as he watched Sokka disappear into the horizon.

Sokka wasn’t his mate, but Zuko knew one day, he would be.