Of course you left with your brother when he was banished. You’d fought with your father almost to the point he’d challenged you to an Agni Kai.
You were fuming, fire threatening to shoot out your ears. How could he do that to his own son? You’d known he was harsh but this… unthinkable. And the fact that he was letting you, the first to the throne, leave without a hint of remorse… baffling. Obviously, you knew you weren’t the favourite. In fact maybe it was better you’d leave.
You wouldn’t have to deal with Firelord Sozin or dearest darling Princess Azula for a while. Yes, rather accompany Zuko and Uncle Iroh to better places…
─── ✦ ───
He’d been angry, which was understandable. But being brash and lashing out at everyone was not okay. You’d always been by Zuko’s side. When Izumi left, you’d picked up the pieces along with your uncle for him since you knew your father wouldn’t.
Though right now he didn’t acknowledge it, deep down he knew you’d always be in his corner. You were the only one in the crowd during the Agni Kai rooting for him and not the Firelord.
But at this moment, this particular instance, he was furious. The Avatar, his only way back to honour was evasive. He couldn’t get a grip on him or any of the friends he rode with even with the help of those damn pirates.
With just a mention of the pirate escapade, you’d hidden in the warship’s main cabin.
“(Y/n)! We’re leaving. The pirates are gone and we’re heading over to Gaipan soon.”
“Sorry Zuko, you’ll get the next time, alright?” While you hadn’t been a fan of Zuko’s obsession with the Avatar, it was stopping him from becoming depressed and withering away…
─── ✦ ───
You’d arrived and were told by the captain to “shake off your sea legs” for a while and go explore. Zuko had taken a group of men and his Uncle to the woods to search for the Avatar and so it would just be you on the boat while the captain and a few crewmen dealt with any repairs.
You’d thanked him graciously before stepping off the boat’s brow. What you hadn’t expected, however, was him.
You’d walked into the market, taking in the vendor’s shouting and the variety of coloured items and clothing placed on tables, looking and admiring, for though you had unfathomable wealth in your own nation, here you were basically desolate. The only money you had was given to you by the captain, a few Earth Kingdom coins, enough for several apples or so.
You’d seen a few ragtag children, sitting in a corner. One was pushing another around and the others around them seemed to get a laugh out of it. They’d all looked rather dirty and underfed but you didn’t necessarily have enough money to buy them all food, did you?
You’d waited until the “rowdy” bunch left, walking over to the one who got beat up with an apple you’d bought at the previous stall. You didn’t say a word, the child obviously had their pride since they didn’t cry during the scuffle. Instead, you gently held out the apple, a silent reprieve for the child’s hunger and a way to say “I’m sorry for what’s happening to you.”
After the child had taken the apple, a gentle nod after a time span of hesitation, you’d continued walking, promising yourself you wouldn’t use the money in case something happens and you need it. Just in case.
Until you’d seen a bow and a fine quiver of arrows.
The bow was clearly made with fine craftsmanship, the limbs carved from strong oak and the grip sanded down so finely it felt like marble. Gold details stretched across the bow gently, caressing the wood and leaning over into the quiver’s surface too.
The quiver itself was a masterpiece, body made of strong leather, so definitely fireproof and it had a range of accessories and features, the most important one: the hidden pockets.
As soon as you’d checked the price with the vendor, your face fell. That expensive? You’d placed it back down on the counter, smiling sheepishly. Yeah it wasn’t worth it, you didn’t need it.
But damn. If you were anywhere back in the Fire Nation, just a mention of your name would’ve earned you this piece. Oh well, princess in the Fire Nation means peasant in the Earth Kingdom, you guessed.
Just as you were about to turn your back and leave a strong body blocked your way, hands moving to your elbows to change your trajectory back to the table where your now abandoned wishes lay. “Hey there, you want those?”
“Uhm sorry, it’s alright—“ You moved to turn away again, pride and fear taking over at this stranger’s question. “No wait—sorry. I’m Jet.”
“Hi…Jet.” You’d smiled that same polite smile you did at the palace when you really didn’t want to speak but political reasons forced you to.
“So uhm…” he paused for your name, looking at you curiously. “(Y/n)”
Damn it, why’d you use your real name? He’s bound to figure out it sounds Fire Nation.
“Well (Y/n), it’s your lucky day. I saw you help one of my guys over there…” he paused and pointed to the apple stall. “A brother of one of my brothers. So I’ll buy you a gift.”
He nodded to the vendor, sliding some coins across the table and picking up the bow and quiver. He held it out to you, mouth parting in a smirk-like smile.
As soon as you’d reached out to take it, for though your pride was almost hurt you were also grateful for this stranger…this Jet. He seemed like a good guy, his presence and mysterious shroud he had around him pulled you in almost magnetically. So you relented and reached out.
“Ah—well now, before I gift the pretty lady things maybe I should let the person she saved thank her.”
“What?”
“That little boy you gave the apple to. He wants to thank you. Properly.”
You’d nodded, albeit a little hesitantly but this guy seemed alright…rather country and gentlemanly with a hint of snark.
He’d walked and you’d followed, chattering about trivial things while he led you into the forest. You’d been rather sceptical at this point, nothing good comes out of going into the forest with a stranger… and yet only good things came.
He’d introduced you to his Freedom Fighters and you’d felt a burn of rebellious fire towards your father, quickly accepting the idea. They’d loved you, you’d been thanked by Wei Shan and you’d smiled before patting his head to tell him it was a pleasure.
Over the course of the next few days as Zuko tried to catch up with the Avatar, you spent more and more time off the warship with Jet.
Small walks along the river, peering out at Gaipan from the forest. Exploring the vast network of houses along the treetops and him plucking a flower to gently push it into your hair. He’d called you diaphanous, you didn’t belong in his world of fear and fighting. But he knew your fierce spirit, your unwavering care for those you loved. And he’d stop this war if only it meant he wouldn’t have to risk you. At any and all costs.
Jet was sweet, brash but passionate and unapologetically him. He was nothing like you’d ever experienced back in the Fire Nation since all your potential suitors were terrified of your father. He had that country flair which intertwined with class in the way his words were elegant and precise.
It was no surprise when you fell for him. So much so you maybe mistakenly revealed your true identity. In the middle of the night, in the calm between Jet’s adventures you’d told him who you were: Princess of the Fire Nation, heir to the throne (well not anymore.)
And he—he accepted it. Listened to your reasons for why wouldn’t he? He had fallen for you too. For your rebellion against your father, for your fierce loyalty to your brother, your kindness and burning desire to comfort and help those in need. There was no question, you were both in complete shambles in your love for each other. Though neither of you mentioned it nor called it by its name.
─── ✦ ───
You were with him when Zuko attacked, the Avatar and his bunch of friends (or gang?) had joined the Freedom Fighters. You knew none of them by name, only discovering their team-up with Jet that morning when you’d walked to the forest from the ship.
Between the tumult internally, fighting two decisions: to let the Avatar live in peace and help him or call Zuko and help your brother, Jet stood. He’d convinced you to help the Avatar, it would bring down your father and lead Zuko back to the throne (once you abdicated for he knew you wanted nothing to do with royalty) and it would once and for all stop bloodshed.
It would help Zuko. You weren’t betraying him. Just doing things your way instead of his. He’d understand when he’d reap the rewards he didn’t even sow.
So you’d agreed. You’d say nothing to your brother. To stop the bloodshed, to return your brother’s honour even if he didn’t know it yet.
─── ✦ ───
Sokka didn’t know what hit him. He’d followed Aang reluctantly through the forest, his arms and legs tired from being on the run. All he’d wanted was some food, shelter and some desperately needed calm.
He certainly didn’t get the latter, instead he got something far better. A glimpse of an Angel. No, a goddess. Standing in the forest, smiling and laughing. His heart almost stopped.
It started again, fuelled by jealousy as he watched Jet walk up to you and wrap his arms around your midsection. You looked ethereal… must be a byproduct of your being in love.
And yet he too felt the same thing you did. He was in love, at first sight no less, not that he’d tell you. You were with Jet, you were leagues above him and he would leave soon with the Avatar.
No.
This love, no. He’d have to call it something else. Friendly acquaintanceship maybe. Yes.
He wouldn’t call it by its name. Just friends. Never what it truly was.
A/n: Happy New Year! Here’s the first fic of the year. Sorry I’ve been inactive. Hope you enjoy the story, will be writing a part 2 soon. Thank you so much for the request @violetcoquettecomrade I really enjoyed writing this :)
summary: the light falls a little softer in the palace gardens after a long day of council meetings.
warnings: none!
a/n: i had this idea a long time ago and finally put it on paper for @sokkascroptop for valentines <3 enjoy!
He really was handsome when he talked about political unrest.
Y/N sat at the table, chin resting in her hand as she watched Sokka gesture at a map in front of the Firelord and the other important government officials. He stood at the front of the room, strong, steady, decisive. The dark fabric of his sleeves pulled taut over his arms as he crossed them over his chest. Sokka caught Y/N’s eyes from across the room, and his lips turned up in a smirk.
A drop of ink fell from the the brush in Y/N’s hand and landed on a nearly dry black puddle on the scroll in front of her. Y/N blinked and sat upright. The meeting had ended, and the council members and ambassadors were filing out of the room. At the head of the table, Zuko brushed his signature onto a scroll. Sokka moved to prop his elbow on the back of the Firelord’s chair. Y/N smiled to herself as his laugh filled the room. She stood up from her seat and went to wait for him under the arch of the door.
“Councilwoman,” Sokka smiled as he passed through the door.
Y/N smiled back. “Ambassador.”
She Y/N caught the Southern ambassador by the front of his shirt and stepped into the hall with him in tow. The other government officials had left the corridor empty. Y/N tugged him down to her level and kissed him. Sokka let out a surprised laugh against her lips, but his eyes closed easily as he returned the kiss.
Sokka pulled away just enough to speak. “Zuko said no oogies in the council hall.” He chuckled through another kiss, heart skipping a beat under Y/N’s palm.
“We’re not in the council hall. Besides, it’s hardly a scandal anymore.”
“Took care of that one, huh?” Sokka pressed a final kiss to her cheek, tapping his finger against the carved stone that rested against her neck.
Toph had offered to bend it for him, but Sokka insisted on making it himself. He’d spent weeks carving it and sported the stubborn little pink scars on his fingers to prove it.
“What’d you think of the plan?”
Y/N laughed. “Sokka, you’ve been giving me that speech every day for a month. It was perfect. Stop worrying.” She stood on her toes to tuck back a loose strand of hair behind his ear.
“I still wanna know what you think.”
Y/N pursed her lips. “As your colleague… I think it’s a complicated problem, but with Zuko’s support and insight, we’ll be able to see some progress soon. As your wife,” She dropped down to the flat of her feet and pressed a kiss to his jaw. “I think you were very handsome up there.”
A smirk worked its way across his face. “You so have a crush on me.” He dug his fingers into her sides, and Y/N tried to swat his hands away.
“I do not! Stop it!” She laughed.
The Firelord stood behind them in the doorway. “Do you two have to do this here?” He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Sokka grinned. “So grouchy, Hotman-“
“Don’t call me that, Sokka.”
“-You really should be nicer to your two favorite council members.”
Y/N pouted. “Yeah. We’re newlyweds, Zuko. Maybe you could be nice to us as a wedding gift.”
“I am nice to you! And I already got you a wedding gift!” Zuko shook his head incredulously. “I can’t believe I thought Sokka was enough trouble on his own.” He let out a sigh. “Just go be newlyweds somewhere else. See you next week.”
Y/N crossed her arms and fixed the Firelord with an expectant look.
Zuko sighed. “Have a safe trip home.” He mumbled.
Satisfied with the monarch’s submission into pleasantries, Y/N smiled. “Bye Zuko.” She called after him, earning a small smile thrown over the shoulder of his royal armor.
Sokka placed a kiss on her temple. “And our last item on the agenda, annoy the Firelord… Done.” He grinned and offered his arm. “Shall we?”
Y/N took his arm.
Together they stepped out from under the shade of the pagoda. Y/N dropped Sokka’s arm and ran through the grass towards the pond at the center of the palace garden. It was Sokka’s turn to watch her, beautiful and bathed in soft sunlight, the way the Spirits had made her, he was sure.
Y/N was kneeling by the water when Sokka joined her by the pond. A turtleduck snapped its beak at the hem of Y/N’s robe. Y/N laughed. “Sorry, we don’t have any bread for you today.”
“Hey, you little scoundrel. No biting my wife.” Sokka scolded. He gathered the little bird in his hands gently and released him to the pond. The turtleduck ruffled his feathers in the water indignantly and swam away. Sokka fell back in the grass. He reached for Y/N, wrapping her hand in his and turning his face to the sun.
Y/N felt like she had waited lifetimes for this. The war had stolen so much, her home, her childhood. But Y/N figured that, there, laying in the grass with Sokka in the middle of the palace gardens, she could steal some back.
“What would I do without you?” Y/N asked. But the words came out soft like a confession rather than the teasing jest she’d meant it to be.
Sokka squeezed her hand, and the gold band around his finger pressed into her skin. “Katara wants us to visit when we get back home. They think Bumi’s gonna be born any day now.”
“Can’t believe we’re gonna have a nephew.” Y/N said. It seemed like just yesterday that she was standing in the snow watching Katara and Aang exchange vows. Their little family, and now by extension hers, was growing.
“Really? I can. I’m gonna be the best uncle.”
Y/N smiled. “I know you are.” Blades of grass tickled her skin as she she propped up on her elbow to look down at him. “Are you gonna faint when he’s born?”
Sokka groaned. “Okay, Toph is officially not allowed to tell you stories about me anymore.”
“I like them though. They’re cute.” She laughed.
“They’re embarrassing.” Sokka corrected.
“So? I saw you dance at Katara and Aang’s wedding, and I still married you.” Y/N teased.
Sokka laughed. He was sitting up in a flash, leaning over Y/N with the golden sunlight glimmering behind him between the leaves overhead. One hand flattened the grass beside her head. The other trailed down her cheek to her betrothal necklace. He smiled. “Yeah, now you’re really stuck with me.”
Hello! This is my first ever imagine and I have no idea of what I’m doing, but I guess that’s the beauty of it all, right? So here we go!
SUMMARY: Y/N and Sokka do not get on well. That changes, however, after one particular night.
WORD COUNT: 6k I’m not used to writing oneshots it got so long I’m sorry if the “keep reading” thingy doesn’t work
WARNINGS: there’s a bit of kissing at the end? also I think there’s one or two cuss words. there’s some angst and mutual pining, since it’s an enemies-to-lovers. Toph is Y/N’s best friend bc I love her. and bad writing! I think it feels kinda rushed and English is not my first language so I’m not really sure how to feel about this tbh
I hope you like it! Also if you want to request something please do just ask me what I write for and I’ll tell you!!
Y/N definitely did not regret leaving Zuko and joining the Avatar and his team. It was probably the best thing she had ever done, the first step to finally forgiving herself for all the years she worked for the Fire Nation and for all the pain she caused alongside it, the first step to letting go of all the hurt she held inside her heart.
But Spirits, she couldn’t take Sokka’s attitude anymore.
“We can’t let Y/N go to the city alone, it’s a three day trip! What if she tells her Fire Nation friends we are here?”
He was the only one who hadn’t warmed up to her yet. Toph had taken a liking to her almost immediately, which Y/N firmly believed was for the sole reason of spiting Sokka, but she didn’t exactly mind. Toph was the first person to treat her like a human being and not an enemy, and she was deeply thankful for that. The first few weeks with Team Avatar were difficult — the Water Tribe people didn’t trust her, Aang was unconscious, Katara was going crazy with worry for her friend, and Sokka accused her of being a Fire Nation spy every two seconds. Siding with the Avatar in the crystal cave had done nothing for her reputation, it seemed: she was still Zuko’s friend, still a bad person, still Fire Nation scum, among other endearing titles.
Katara came around eventually, while Aang was still recovering from his injuries. At one point, the waterbender told her she was the only one not pissing her off in the Water Tribe boat they occupied, which made her smile.
And Aang, well, he was a sweetheart. She would never forget the way the small boy laughed loudly after Katara told him how she punched Azula in the face after the Fire Princess hit him with lightning, kindly leaving out the part where Azula immediately gave her a nasty burn after recovering from the surprise of a fist to the nose.
“Come on, Sokka,” Katara countered, rolling her eyes in annoyance, “we’ve talked about this.”
Then there was Sokka, who still pretty much hated her, even as they now hid inside the Fire Nation together. “You know I’m right, Katara. You should go with her to make sure she doesn’t turn her back on us.”
“You guys know she is right here, right? Are you ignoring her or something?”
“It’s okay, Toph,” Y/N touched the girl’s arm fondly, avoiding the glare Sokka sent her way. “You don’t need to worry..”
“No, it’s not okay!” Katara snapped, letting go of the shirt she was stitching up and staring at her brother angrily. “Why don’t you go with her, then, if you’re so worried?”
“That seems like a good idea!” Aang smiled brightly from his place beside Appa. “It could be a fun bonding trip!”
“No!” Sokka and Y/N said almost at the exact time before exchanging a very confused look. Something seemed to ignite inside him just as he turned to glower at her with rage in his eyes. “Why don’t you want me to go, firegirl? Is it because I’m right?”
“I’m pretty sure it’s because you are a jerk to her all the time, but okay,” Toph muttered. Katara bit back a snicker, taking the shirt from the ground and trying to focus on it again.
“Well, I’m going,” Sokka announced, crossing his arms, “since she’s hiding things from us and trying to go to the city alone.”
“I am not hiding anything! No one else wanted to go to the city so I volunteered, it’s not that deep.”
“Well, then why wouldn’t you want me to go?”
“I don’t know, Sokka, why do you accuse me of being a traitor all the time?”
“That’s got nothing to do with this! But you did betray Zuko, who was supposed to be your boyfriend or whatever—”
“Zuko was not my boyfriend.”
“— and once a traitor, always a traitor.”
“That’s enough!” Katara interrupted, annoyance written all over her face. “We chose Y/N to make the trip to the city and I can’t take being near Sokka anymore, so you two will leave right now to get us supplies, food and clothes. Do you understand?”
“I—”
“I don’t care, Sokka! Go get your things, see you in three days.”
------
Sokka wasn’t really sure why he hated Y/N so much anymore. Hell, he was even starting to think he might actually enjoy her presence, in a way. Not that he would tell that to anyone.
She was still the enemy, even while Katara laughed at something she said and Toph clinged to her, talking her ears off about whatever was going on through her mind. She was still the enemy when Aang asked to braid her hair and when she talked to Appa and Momo while she thought no one noticed. Y/N was still the enemy while her eyes shone with delight whenever Toph made a joke and while she smiled that pretty smile of hers at Aang, and she was definitely still the enemy when his heart skipped a beat whenever she accidently looked at him without that angry look he always managed to put on her face.
Yes, Sokka didn’t like her in any way. He couldn’t like her, he refused to like her. She was from Fire Nation. Even if the others accepted her, he knew the truth — Y/N would never be trustworthy, would never be one of them.
The caves they were currently hiding in were Fire Nation territory, and the trip towards the city was long, specially since they couldn’t use Appa. After two miles, Sokka was already bored.
“Is your Fire Nation home close by?” he questioned, a hint of accusation in his voice. Y/N didn’t spare him a glance and, for some unknown reason, Sokka felt annoyed by it.
“No.”
“Well, then where is it?” he pressed, staring at her.
“Where is what?”
“Your Fire Nation home.”
“I don’t have one, Sokka. Are you done?”
The Water Tribe warrior scoffed and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms, “you don’t have one, firegirl? Yeah, right. I’m sure you lived in a big house where everyone did every little thing you wanted them to,” he watched as she sighed, her eyes flooding with irritation, “am I wrong?”
It was her turn to scoff, “shut up, waterboy.”
He raised his eyebrows, “waterboy?”
“Come on, the quicker we do this the quicker I can be away from you. We have no time to lose.”
------
They set up camp in the woods near a small village halfway to the city. While walking, they didn’t speak much besides Sokka’s stupid questions and Y/N’s dry answers — he noticed how she acted different now they were alone together, almost as if she had closed up on herself and, ignoring the stinging in his chest, he wondered if she would ever smile and laugh with him the way she did with the Aang, Toph and Katara. With a certain heaviness to his thoughts, Sokka concluded that no, she probably wouldn’t. Not that he cared, obviously.
“I can do first watch,” he let her know, watching carefully as Y/N yawned and arranged her sleeping bag on the hard ground.
“You sure?”
“Yes. I’ll wake you up when it’s my turn to sleep.”
Y/N nodded, falling asleep almost instantly as she laid her head down. When she slept, she didn’t look like a traitor as much as she usually did. She looked like a normal, beautiful girl he would really love to get to know better. But of course he couldn’t, because she was from the Fire Nation and would eventually betray them all, or at least that’s what Sokka told himself to avoid getting too close, too attached. Spirits, he had lost so many people that adding one more person in his care-about list was unthinkable, unreasonable and just all-around stupid.
Sokka wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Y/N started moving in her sleep, her previously peaceful expression now filled with anxiety and fear as she turned and tossed. He furrowed his eyebrows, staring at her curiously.
“No,” he could hear her mutter, “please, no. Please.”
“Y/N?” his voice was calm as he knelt down by her sleeping bag, recognizing the signs of a nightmare. “Y/N, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
“I’m sorry,” she cried out, her eyelids shut tight, “please. I’m sorry!”
“Y/N!”
The girl sat up suddenly, hitting her forehead with his. Sokka groaned at the sudden pain, bringing a hand up to his forehead and touching it lightly. Meanwhile, Y/N took in her surroundings, her breathing heavy. She could already feel a lump forming inside her throat.
“Are you okay?” he asked after a moment, finally noticing her panicked motions and moving forward to touch her shoulder but hesitating. Sokka would usually greet her with a mean comment, but he could see the nervousness on her face and it worried him. “Do you need some water?”
“No, I’m good,” she swallowed, trying to slow down her breathing. “I just—just got a nightmare.”
“I noticed,” the Water Tribe warrior smiled sadly, “I get those too.”
She hummed in acknowledgement, trying to wrap her head around the fact Sokka was actively being nice to her. It felt weird but had a kind of warmth taking over her chest that she didn’t mind one bit.
He scratched the back of his neck, staring at her while she kept her eyes trained on her own hands, “do you want to talk about it?” He noticed her intrigued expression and sighed, going on, “Katara always tells me that talking about nightmares makes them go away. So… Do you want to talk about yours?”
Y/N looked at him attentively, searching for some type of mockery or teasing on his face. Sokka seemed to blush under her gaze, but she was sure it was just the moonlight tricking her eyes. Y/N exhaled deeply, crossing her arms in a defensive stance and biting down on her lower lip as she couldn’t find any bad intention in his gaze, deciding to share some of the vulnerability he was offering her. “It was just something that happened some years ago. Before I left with Zuko, I mean.”
He nodded, leaning on his hands with his arms straight while sat beside her, “I never understood why you left with him, to be honest,” he commented, “he doesn’t seem like the fun type.”
Y/N let out a small smile and Sokka could swear his heart jumped inside his chest for some reason, “he was never the fun type, but he was still my best friend, even though banishment changed him. But I didn’t leave just because of Zuko.”
That was new information. “You didn’t?”
She shook her head, looking down at her hands again, “no.”
“Then why?”
Sokka observed as her entire body tensed and felt the immediate urge to apologize for the question and tell her to go back to sleep. Before he could open his mouth, however, she answered in a broken voice that sounded nothing like her own, “I couldn’t stay. My dad had just died in the war and my mom…” her eyes were full of anguish and misery, still watching her fingers lock and unlock, “she wasn’t doing very well. My nightmare,” she hesitated, inhaling sharply before training her gaze on him again, “it was about her.”
They looked at each other, lazy eyes studying faces with a new curiosity and innocence they hadn’t held for one another before. Something flashed through Y/N’s expression before she asked, averting her pretty eyes from him, “do you want to see it?”
Sokka furrowed his brows in confusion, “see what?”
Y/N let out a shaky breath before raising her tunic slightly. The Water Tribe boy felt his whole face flush with embarrassment but he noticed the marks before he could look away — something that must’ve been a horrible burn, the scar covering a great part of her right side, stretching from her bellybutton to just under her chest. “Iroh spent a lot of time changing mine and Zuko’s bandages in the first months after we left,” she smiled sadly and then put her clothes back into place.
“Your mom did that?”
“She didn’t mean to,” Y/N shrugged her shoulders, “it was an accident, but still. Whenever I think about it, I’m really glad I was born a non-bender.”
“You are?”
“Yes. Having the power to cause so much pain and destruction… I wouldn’t want that in anyway.”
Sokka hummed in understanding and appreciation. He knew she was a non-bender like him but they had never really talked about what that meant to them and to Team Avatar. He wasn’t aware she didn’t crave bending like he did, but it felt nice to hear her speak about it like that.
Showing someone her scar felt… Different, but not a bad different. Y/N had grown accustomed to hiding it all the time, even though she didn’t feel ashamed of it. It was just an ugly part of her that held too many bad memories that she intended to keep to herself. Letting Sokka see it was strange and she didn’t know exactly why she did it, to be honest. It felt right, though. Talking to him like they were friends felt right. Being around him like that felt very, very right.
“You should sleep, waterboy,” she punched his shoulder softly, ignoring her own thoughts, “I’ll keep guard for the rest of the night.”
He was quick to deny, “no, I’m fine, you should—”
“Sokka,” her tone was demanding, “you need to rest too. Come on, get some sleep. I don’t think I’ll be able to fall asleep again anyway.”
He would love to disagree but he recognized the look on her face. She wasn’t asking him to sleep — she was telling him to. For some reason, that thought made him smile.
“Okay,” Sokka answered quietly as he got into his own sleeping bag, “good night, Y/N.”
“Good night, Sokka. Sleep well.”
“I will. Thank you.”
“It’s alright.”
------
The rest of the trip was better than expected. It seemed like that one vulnerable moment they shared affected their relationship in more ways than one, and they traveled peacefully to the city and back. They even managed to spark conversation with each other in some instances.
Sokka would love to say that being in good terms with Y/N made him satisfied, but that would be a lie. Aang, Katara and Toph were really happy with their new dynamic, glad they could talk to each other without mean comments or accusations — Y/N and Sokka were the only ones inside the Gaang who still had to become friends, and now that they did, everyone seemed pleased and content.
Except Sokka.
Being around her was difficult. Now that he didn’t expect the worst of her all the time, he couldn’t ignore what he felt whenever she was close by, the sensations he once thought were just his way of feeling disgust and anger taking a different shape. He would catch himself smiling stupidly at her while she laughed with someone else and would feel his whole face reddening when she looked into his eyes. However, he remembered very clearly the last time he felt something like that, and it didn’t end well. He couldn’t have that again.
Avoiding her was even more difficult and he couldn’t keep it up for a single day. After finally being able to taste what a friendship with Y/N felt like, he couldn’t stop from craving it more and more. Instead of being away from her like he intended so he could get rid of whatever feelings he was gathering, he actively went out of his way to be near her, even when his mind screamed at him to just let go.
Sokka couldn’t get attached to someone like that once more. He couldn’t forget what happened to Yue — liking someone was not his cup of tea, it would end tragically and he didn’t want it, couldn’t have it, not again.
But a part of him entertained these feelings, these thoughts. It didn’t matter, right? She would never feel the same for him, so it was okay. He wouldn’t get hurt because he would never actually have her so there was no way to lose her.
Right?
------
Everything happened fast.
They didn’t think the Fire Nation soldiers would find them anytime soon and yet they still did. They were nearing the Day of the Black Sun and being found out in Fire Nation territory was less than ideal, to say the least. Y/N was just glad they had Toph, Aang and Katara to fight for them — they were truly amazing benders and there were many more soldiers than she would normally expect.
Everything happened too fast.
She had been taught from a young age how to fight with a sword and was slowly trying to teach Sokka too, even though teaching was proving itself to be harder than learning. They fought from the sidelines, hitting the soldiers the three benders couldn’t hit or see. One of them had a sword too and Y/N rapidly engaged in a difficult fight while also keeping an eye out for Sokka, who was fighting another soldier to her right.
She couldn’t deny the feelings growing inside her towards the boy. Weeks before, she would have straight up laughed if anyone told her she would fall for him, and now there she was. Y/N loved his smile and his voice and his stupid jokes and the way he called her “firegirl” with an endearing tone instead of the accusative one he used to always have when talking to her only weeks before. She loved how his cheeks flushed red when she looked at him for too long and she loved hearing him go on and on about his plans and theories. She loved it all so much she didn’t even mind Toph’s constant teasing: “Calm down your heart, Y/N,” the younger girl would say with a mocking smile, “it’s just Sokka!”
“Shut up, Toph.”
Y/N knew he would never feel the same, but a girl can dream, and dream she did. They would talk late into the night, guarding camp together and exchanging childhood stories. Being around him was very comforting, in a way.
Everything happened fast.
She got distracted when the soldier battling against Sokka seemed to get the upper hand, even though Sokka fought back and took control of the conflict again easily. However, that instant was enough for her own enemy to attack.
The pain was unbearable but Y/N kept on fighting. There was blood running down her skin, staining her clothes, the wound to her ribs deep and distressing, but she couldn’t leave her friends like that. She manipulated her sword the best she could, ignoring the sharp pain felt with every intake of breath, taking down as many non-bender soldiers as possible.
They ran for Appa when there was finally an opening, climbing onto the flying bison and leaving the remaining Fire Nation soldiers behind them.
Adrenaline was responsible for making her able to endure the pain but now that they were safe and flying while Aang and Katara disguised Appa as clouds, her vision went out of focus and she stumbled, clinging to Toph’s arm in a last attempt to remain conscious and alert. “Y/N? Are you alright?” the girl asked confusedly, her brows furrowed in question.
“Yes,” Y/N was able to get one word out, even though her thoughts were getting messier by the second and black dots appeared before her eyes. “Just tired,” she muttered. It was true — she could feel exhaustion taking over her body and head, slowly making her slump over herself.
She felt like her body was on fire, almost as if she had been burned all over. The pain made it hard to concentrate, her mind trained on the feeling of blood soaking her tunic, every breath causing waves of agony to take over her. The stab wound seemed to be throbbing, unabling her of any coherent thought.
“You sure? You seem—Spirits! Katara, come here! Y/N was wounded! She is bleeding!”
A part of her brain registered a touch to her ribs, Toph’s small hands hanging over her with no idea of what to do. She could hear Katara’s voice from somewhere on her right but she knew Katara needed to keep up their cover alongside Aang. They couldn’t afford risking their disguise just yet, they were still too close to those soldiers.
(Or so she thought. She couldn’t be really sure, since her mind was clouded and she felt extremely confused, the black dots slowly taking over her vision until she saw nothing but unrecognizable shadows.)
Amongst the screams, there was Sokka. He had left his place guiding Appa and came running to her, horror written all over his face as he started to put pressure on her bleeding wound, following Katara’s instructions.
“You’re going to be okay,” his voice sounded weird, disconnected, out of place. Y/N wished she could see him properly. She had come to appreciate how beautiful he actually was, with his endearing smile and bright blue eyes. She really wished she could see him. “Stay awake for me, alright?”
“Waterboy,” she mumbled with a lazy smile before darkness consumed her entirely.
------
There was so much blood. Sokka could see how the water covering Katara’s hands was stained, he could see how soaked Y/N’s tunic was. He could see her, her skin so pale she almost looked dead. That thought alone made Sokka’s stomach turn over inside his body, his eyes stinging with anxious tears.
They did an emergency landing on a small island nearby, Katara trying to maintain their cover as Aang rushed to the reins Sokka had abandoned in his frenzy. Meanwhile, Sokka and Toph were screaming at each other in utter panic, trying desperately to help their friend somehow. His hands were still shaking and red from putting pressure on the wound like his sister had told him to.
“What is happening?” he stopped pacing as he heard Toph’s weak voice, the small girl playing with her own fingers in nervousness. “Is Katara’s healing working?”
There was ringing inside his ears as he stared at his sister. He could clearly see tears streaming down her face as she exchanged the red water on her hands for the clean one Aang had put on a container and positioned nearby. His heart throbbed inside his chest, a million thoughts going through his head at the same time.
Y/N was going to die. He was going to lose her. He would never see her smile again and he would never hear her laugh again and she would never tell him stories about her childhood again. He would never watch her as she played around with Toph and he would never be able to peek at her as she trained her sword fighting skills anymore. He would never talk to her late at night and he would never appreciate the way her voice sounded again.
He would never feel his heart pick up whenever she walked inside a room again. He would never smile unconsciously just by seeing her smile again. And she would never know how much she meant to him, how much he genuinely liked her and everything she did. He was going to lose her without even knowing if maybe, in a distant time, when the war was over and they were safe, she would want to stay with him, making him laugh and smiling that gorgeous smile of hers at him everyday. Sokka would never know if somehow she wanted him as much as he wanted her, with all his flaws and faults and fears.
He would never know and he would never have her by his side again and he wanted to scream until his throat was sore. He wanted to cry himself to sleep and pretend this was just a bad dream he would eventually wake up off hearing her beautiful laugh as she chatted with Katara and Toph during breakfast.
“Sokka? Please, tell me what is happening. How is Y/N?”
The Water Tribe warrior felt a sudden anger spark up inside him. He should’ve done something, he should’ve noticed she’d been hit, and so should the others. Weren’t they powerful benders? Couldn’t they sense everything through the earth or some other bullshit like that? Weren’t they better than him in every way? Well, they could have at least saved her.
“Shut up, Toph! This is your fault! You should have noticed she was wounded! You should have helped her before it was too late!”
He didn’t mean it. A part of him knew it was not her fault, but his brain was enveloped in pain and desperation and he just wanted someone to blame so he didn’t have to deal with the guilt forming in his chest. He was losing Y/N and there was nothing he could do about it.
Toph went from worried to pissed off quickly, tightening her hands in fists and sending a few rocks flying towards the sea surrounding the island, “how is this my fault?! I was fighting off a few soldiers too, you know? It’s not like I could have stopped everything I was doing and ran to her!”
He moved his arms around frantically, “you don’t even care about her!”
“I don’t care about her? She’s my best friend!”
“You obviously didn’t care enough to help!”
“Oh, you little—”
“That’s enough!” Katara’s voice sounded fragile but terrifying, averting her gaze from her bloody hands to glare at them. “I can’t concentrate with all this screaming!”
“Sokka started it!”
“I don’t care who started it!” she barked, her eyes burning with rage. “Get out!”
Sokka opened his mouth to oppose, feeling his entire body tense with the idea of being away from Y/N in such a moment, but didn’t get to as Aang took a hold of his arm and started to lead him towards somewhere else on the beach. Toph groaned in frustration before leaving in the opposite direction.
“You need to calm down,” Aang sounded serene while dragging his friend through the sand, “arguing is not going to get us anywhere. We need to be together right now to get through this.”
The Avatar turned to look at Sokka when he planted his feet in place, tears flooding his eyes. It almost seemed like Aang was telling him how they had to support each other through their upcoming grief.
He was going to lose her. Damn, he had probably already lost her. She was gone and she would never know.
“Sokka? Are you okay?”
“I—” he hesitated, trying so hard not to cry he could feel his head throb. “I don’t—,” he swallowed harshly, but the lump in his throat didn’t go away, “I can’t lose her, Aang,” his voice cracked miserably and he gave up on holding back his heartache, letting the tears fall down his face. A sob wrecked his body and a hint of understanding went through Aang’s eyes, the smaller boy coming closer to hold his forearms.
“You’re not going to lose her, Sokka. Katara is going to fix it and she’ll be okay.”
“No, she won’t,” it was getting hard to breathe between his cries, but if felt better than pretending everything was okay, “she’s gone. And I—I think I’m in love with her, and she’ll never know. She’ll die and she’ll never know.”
“Sokka—”
“This is what happens every time I have feelings for someone. I lost Yue and now Y/N too.”
“Sokka, your feelings for Yue weren’t responsible for what happened to her. She told you not to be afraid of love, remember? I’m sure she is proud of you for moving on and falling in love with Y/N, and if we lose Y/N, your feelings will not be to blame either. But we won’t, okay? Katara is going to save her, I promise. She will be fine and you will be able to tell her how you feel. Do you understand?”
Sokka felt himself crumble in pain, another sob escaping his lips as Aang hugged him tightly. He cried loudly, holding onto his friend for dear life.
“Y/N will be okay, Sokka. She is strong and she would never leave us like that, okay? Never. I promise.”
------
When Y/N opened her eyes, it was already dark. A tent had been put up around her, but she noticed the cold night breeze even before she saw the starry sky.
She took notice of the neat bandages covering her stab wound. There was a soreness to her every movement, but the searing pain from before was gone. She exhaled deeply and tried to sit but quickly gave up at the ache that formed in her ribs. Lying on the sand, she breathed slowly.
“Y/N?” she turned her head towards the direction of who was calling her and found Toph’s grey eyes. The small girl seemed tired, rubbing the sleep of her eyes and furrowing her eyebrows as she called again, “Y/N, are you awake? I thought I heard something.”
“Hey. I’m awake,” she smiled softly, moving her arm the tiniest bit just so she could touch her friend’s leg.
Toph immediately gave her the biggest smile, jumping up from her spot sitting down to try and hug her friend carefully, “Never do that again, you idiot!” a weak chuckle escaped Y/N as she tried to hug back, but it hurt too much. Toph didn’t mind. “You got us all so worried! Aang went crazy trying to keep everyone calm, Katara cried a whole lot, and Sokka got so nervous he screamed at me. He apologized, though, so I’m not angry at him anymore,” Toph widened her eyes in realization, “I have to tell them you’re finally awake! Wait here, I’ll come back in a second. Try not to get stabbed in the meantime.”
Y/N giggled at her words, sighing as she found herself alone in the tent. For a second, she let herself wonder: she wouldn’t be up and about for a while, that much was obvious. However, Team Avatar couldn’t deal with that kind of liability and she asked herself what they were going to do about it.
Aang was the first to arrive, hugging her so tight Katara started screaming at him to be mindful of her injuries as soon as she reached the entrance. They spoke briefly about the gravity of her wound and Katara scolded her for not telling them she had been stabbed sooner while Aang and Toph bit back their laughter.
“Y/N?” Sokka’s hoarse voice was enough to make silence ring through the tent, the bags under his eyes dark and unmissable. Y/N met his blue eyes, her heart clenching painfully when she noticed the bare sadness inside them.
Katara cleared her throat, grabbing Aang and Toph gently and steering them outside, “we’ll be handling the supplies if you need us!”
“What? I want to stay with Y/N!”
“Spirits, Toph, shut up.”
The Fire Nation girl smiled at the arguing outside, averting his trained gaze. An awkward quiet settled between them — Y/N didn’t know exactly why there was such a heaviness to the air they shared, but it was too clear to ignore.
“I—” he hesitated, a crack to his words as he closed his eyes tightly. “You really scared me today.”
Y/N tried to sit up, frowning from the pain. Sokka immediately knelt down next to her to help and it felt too much like the night he first woke her up from a nightmare, saying soft words and treating her nicely. “I’m sorry,” she mumbled, holding onto his forearms for support, “I didn’t exactly mean to.”
“I know,” he muttered in response, sitting down in front of her. She crossed her legs under her and they stared at each other for a few moments, thick tension surrounding them. She couldn’t help but notice how close they were to each other, so close she didn’t have to lean in too much for their lips to touch. Slowly and unsurely, Sokka brought his hand up to put a lock of hair away from her face. Her stomach fluttered at the touch and Y/N sighed happily. “I was just afraid.”
She blinked in soft confusion that made his insides bloom with butterflies, “afraid of what?”
“Of losing you.”
She smiled, “You know Katara would heal me, Sokka.”
“I care about you very much, Y/N,” the words stumbled out of his mouth while she stared, “more than I probably should, but I do. You,” he shook his head, hesitantly taking his hand away from her face and wiping the tears that had escaped his eyes, “you mean a lot to me.”
His heart seemed to burn while she took his hand in hers, squeezing it delicately, “you mean a lot to me too.”
He exhaled deeply, frustrated to no end. “No, Y/N. You don’t understand. I—damn, I don’t even know how to say this.”
“I get it.”
“You don’t. You have no idea how broken I was just by thinking of not having you around anymore. I was so scared. I thought I would never be able to tell you how I feel about you,” he let out a shaky breath before leading his eyes back to her face, “I really like you, Y/N.”
“I really like you too.”
He groaned, “no, Y/N. I mean that I like you.”
“Yes, I understood that much.”
“No, I mean I—” he was interrupted by her soft lips on his, moving so gently he was sure he could die from the sheer tenderness of it all. Sokka was fast to kiss her back, bringing his fingers up to hold her jaw while her hands went up to his hair, a sharp pain running through her body at the movement and making her hiss. He moved away instantly, but her arms held him close. Their noses were still touching and they breathed heavily, eyes trained on each other.
She smirked, “is that what you meant?”
He chuckled weakly, rubbing circles on her jaw fondly with his thumb, “yeah. You’re way better at confessions than I am.”
Y/N threw her head back in laughter and he grinned at her happiness, “why, thank you.”
The couple gazed at each other, eyes sparkling with love. She sighed before leaning in and giving him a quick peck, giggling when his lips followed her blindly as she distanced her face from his. Sleepiness was catching up to her from the exhaustion of being hurt.
“Come on, waterboy. Lay with me.”
Sokka helped her lay back down, lying beside her and feeling his cheeks flush with delight when she snuggled up to him, getting into a comfortable spot with her head placed on his chest. He carefully positioned his hands on her waist, stroking her side absentmindedly. Her eyes fluttered close with satisfaction.
“Did Katara ask about your scar?”
“Not really. I think she was too worried trying to save me from death and all that.”
“Oh, I’m sure she was.”
She grinned, moving to play with his hair and exhaling contently, “I’m glad you’re here.”
He tightened his hold around her, warmth coating his every touch, “so am I, firegirl. So am I.”
In that moment, Y/N cared for nothing but the way his skin felt on hers and the sound of his heart beating under her ear.
so I asked @azucanela @beifongsss and @sokkascroptop on anon if I could tag them when this was done and they said yes so here it is? please give me honest criticism I have no idea of what I’m doing and I admire you all very much thank you!!
