When he first met Sokka, he wanted to smack him for the arrogance that seemed to emanate from him. Zuko won’t say his confidence wasn’t earned; Sokka and a second-year tech, Teo, are responsible for the development of NASA’s anti-gravity technology (accomplished while still in graduate school). He’d been streamlined through the interview process, aced his space tests with flying colors, and had the added bonus of impressing Piandao enough within a week of working there that the man had hand-written him a recommendation letter when it came time to choose candidates for TUI-84’s mission to explore plant sustainability in different atmospheric conditions. According to Aunt Wu, Director Jeong Jeong had been so shocked at Piandao’s interference that he hadn’t even bothered considering other technicians. He was one of the youngest first-year candidates NASA had ever considered for a space mission to actually get the job.
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Sokka is the youngest space engineer to be sent to outer space. Zuko is the ground control member assigned to track him. Falling in love wasn't part of the mission, but it happened anyway.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
pairing: zukka | chapters: 1/2
word count: 7.4k | for @zukkaweek prompt: second chances
She laughs at his antics as she says, “Ready to go?”
Zuko thinks about snowdrifts, penguin sledding, and bonfires. About strong arms, whispered secrets in the middle of the ocean, and deep blue eyes that sit on a handsome, freckled face. Something in him pulls, it both aches and comforts him, and he knows this is something that’s long overdue. He ignores the part of his brain that tells him he isn’t wanted, despite Chief Hakoda’s words. When Katara raises an eyebrow at his pause, he forces himself to relax and plasters a smile on his face.
“Absolutely,” he breathes out.
or: sokka is taking over for his father as chief. in a last ditch effort to get their heads out of their asses, katara & hakoda have convinced zuko to come down for his swearing in. they didn’t account for sokka and zuko’s absolute stupidity.
pairing: zukka
prompt: day 3 (secret identity) and day 6 (royalty) for @zukkaweek
word count: 3.4k
summary:
Today, when Zuko enters his forgotten garden, there is someone already sitting there. Someone who is trying, and failing, to garner the duckling’s attention.
“Come on, little ducky, please?” Zuko hears the voice before he sees him, and when he peaks around the corner he almost laughs at the sight. The intruder (guy?) looks to be about his age with a sharp jawline and intense blue eyes that are narrowed in concentration. The sides of his head are shorn, and what hair he does have is littered with beads and braids. He’s wearing mostly-plain robes that consist solely of shades of blue with wave patterns embroidered into the hems.
Ah, so he’s from the Imiq royal procession. Wonderful.
or: zuko is set to marry the son of King Hakoda, tying the Imiq and Taiyō kingdoms together. how will his resolve hold when he meets a stranger trying (and failing) to befriend his mother's ducks
here’s an exerpt from my day 2 @zukkaweek fic which will cover both the turtleduck pond and second chances themes
Three days after the fall of Ozai, Sokka finds him by the old turtleduck pond. The air is eerily quiet, the water almost unnervingly still. Zuko isn’t focused on anything in particular, simply staring ahead of him as the leaves hang unmoving on their branches and the sun sits precariously on the horizon. This is the first break he’s had since the imprisonment of his father and sister, too busy being hauled from one meeting to the next about what to do next and ‘What color of robes do you want for your coronation, my lord?’ As if he’d be able to wear anything but red and gold.
“I can hear you thinking from across the castle. You’re gonna hurt yourself if you keep that up for too long.” The new voice startles him out of his daze, and he turns a half-hearted glare at the intruder. Sokka simply looks at him, an eyebrow raised in amusement as something else settles in his eyes. “Everyone’s looking for you, y’know. It’s rude to make people who care about you worry.”
“None of those people care about me. They were ready to help my father take over the world four days ago. My well-being isn’t really a priority of theirs, despite the facades they’re putting on for the Avatar and his friends.” Zuko turns back to the pond. A mother and her ducklings have come out from their nest to drink from it, one of the smaller ones struggling to stay upright. The sight makes him miss his mother dearly, and not for the first time he wishes she was here with him now. He hopes that he’s making her proud.
“Your friends.” Sokka’s voice is much closer than it was before, and when Zuko turns his head he finds that the other boy has made himself comfortable in the grass beside him. He’s looking at Zuko almost pityingly, but something inside him tells him that’s not the right word. Zuko stares at him, tilting his head in confusion. “We’re your friends, too, Zuko. Not just Aang’s.”
Zuko blinks, unsure of how to respond. “Um.” That probably isn’t it.
“We may have started out on different sides of the war, but what matters is where we are now. You turned against everything you ever knew because you were able to recognize the wrongs in what your family did. You taught Aang firebending, helped Katara get her closure—though I’m still not happy with your methods—and…you helped me rescue my father. You’re just as much our friend—our family as Aang is.” Sokka pauses for a moment, a soft smile overtaking his features. There’s a dimple that forms in his left cheek. Zuko wants to reach out and smooth it out with his thumb.
He blinks, mentally shaking the thought from his head. In two days he’ll be crowned his nation’s ruler. He doesn’t have time for wandering thoughts or what-ifs. Distantly, he realizes he’s been quiet too long, but when he pulls his gaze from Sokka’s lips, he finds that Sokka is looking at him just as intently. Sokka doesn’t wait for him to reply as he turns to watch the turtleduck mother try to teach her ducklings to swim. Zuko follows his gaze, not sure about the feeling that’s forming in his stomach.
“You’re worth more than the crown they want to shove on your head, Zuko. Don’t let them take from you who you truly are.”
No one responds, and he’s about to snap at them when he notices a sheet of paper being tightly clenched in everyone’s hands. Something in his stomach drops. His hand twitches, but he balls it in a fist and shoves it into his pocket. He jerks his head down, looking each person in the eyes before asking, “What the hell is that and why are you all acting like someone kicked your favorite puppy?” They all shift back and forth on their feet, looking at each other from the corners of their eyes. None of them speak up, and this time Katsuki doesn’t stop himself from letting the sparks pop on his hands. “Somebody better start talking, or I swear to God—”
Izuku leaves U.A. two weeks before Katsuki’s birthday. He’s not handling it as well as he would like to be
