Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zuko glumly loaded his suitcase onto the belt, he hadn’t packed much, and traveling was like second nature now. In fact, he had traveled so much that sometimes he’d say a word aloud just to cure his own paranoia– well obviously he wouldn’t lose his voice in a few hours, but it felt like it. It probably wasn’t good to be silent for that long. Speaking or not speaking, each airport ended in a similar destination that Zuko had learned to despise. 

Boarding school. 

Zuko tugged at his hair, frustratedly ruminating in his thoughts while he made his way through TSA. 

In the beginning he’d excel, teachers loved him, he would easily leave his peers behind in the dust . But shit always hit the fan. Someone, some idiot, would find out exactly who Zuko was, and spread the news like wildfire. It would ruin everything, sometimes in ways he couldn’t even predict.

Yes. You have to believe me, he’s the son of Emperor Azulon. 

I know it doesn’t look like it. 

What Prince has a scar that ugly? 

…

Stoop. I’m not even being that mean. 

Besides, have you even read the news? He’s probably, like, also a murderer.

They pushed him to his limit, spitting in Zuko’s face and picking him apart until he had no choice but to fight. 

He wasn’t a murderer. 

Scars aren’t supposed to be pretty. 

Fighting was the honorable thing to do, that’s what he told himself each time he got expelled. Zuko was defending his family . So why was he always seen as the aggressor ? 

Zuko grabbed the hot coffee he ordered, gripping the cup a little too tightly. He could already tell that this school would be a shithole, they didn’t even have a website. In fact, Zuko noticed the schools he was being sent to had become progressively poorer. He had a hunch his father asked some menial servant to choose them out of spite.  

Zuko shifted in his seat and tried to loosen the grip on his drink. The intercom rang out, announcing the time for passengers to board and urging him to down the caffeine in one go. As per usual, the lady at the front desk gave a hard look at his information, wiping her glasses twice before reluctantly sending him in. 

He sneered at her. 

Azula was back in their nation, at a prestigious school, perfect grades, skilled in karate, boxing, and fifty million other martial arts Zuko hadn’t bothered to learn the name of. She had it easier. He couldn’t explain it but it was true. It was a natural ease for everything he lacked, apparent since birth.

Zuko walked down the cramped aisle, his eyes landing on a boy wearing curious orange clothing. Noticeable cerulean blue markings covered a small expanse of the kid’s body, he wondered if they were tattoos. The boy was shaved bald, and avidly watching Happy Feet. 

Zuko briefly pulled his gaze away to check his seat number. He checked again. And again. 

He should’ve known how shitty his luck was. 

Five hours into the flight everything was still relatively peaceful. Oh boy did that change. 

Zuko had woken him up out of courtesy. They were serving shitty plane food, but he figured with the boy’s attire, he’d need every meal. The boy noticed, turning around and pausing his second rewatch of Happy Feet to eagerly grab the platter. 

“Thanks!” He exclaimed, happily digging into the disgusting slosh. 

Zuko nodded in response, barely touching the meal himself. 

“What about yours? Are you gonna eat yours?” The kid said after wiping his face. 

“Yes,” Zuko paused, the kid looked hungry for more, “but…actually…not really.” Zuko squinted, pushing the tray over. The boy grinned shyly, eating the second plate a little more carefully this time around. 

He could hear Azula’s piercing laughter. 

Does feeding the ducks make you feel good Zuzu? 

“Is this a transit flight for you? It’s gotta be,” the kid inquired. 

“No? I’m staying at the South Pole for a while,”  Zuko answered. Why would he not be staying at the South Pole? It didn’t make sense, but he didn’t ask. He usually blamed stuff like this on the scar. 

“Oh.” the boy said, looking surprised. 

A beat. 

“Then, why are you wearing that?” He exclaimed, quickly slapping a hand on his mouth as if he was shocked by the words that came out of his own mouth. 

“Excuse me?” Zuko scowled. “What’s wrong with what I'm wearing ,” he irked. 

“Nothing- It’s just-…don’t you think you’re gonna get cold?” The kid hurriedly explained. 

Zuko’s eyes widened. He was going to freeze. Maybe the boy was just looking out for Zuko, as weird as his markings were. Azula rolled her eyes. 

Why would I look out for you Zuzu? You spoke out of turn, now pay. 

“There aren’t any good winter clothes in the West.” He explained hesitantly. The kid’s eyes widened at that, something cold flashing through his gaze. Zuko shivered. 

“What’s your name again?” He asked curiously. Zuko quickly scrambled to think of something that wouldn’t be too obvious. 

“Lee. I’m Lee,” He lied. 

“Aang. How long are you staying?” the boy prodded for information. Zuko’s guard was immediately back up. He couldn’t give away any crucial information, being Emperor Azulon’s son came with its fair share of risks. 

“Around a year. You’re a local right?” he assumed. 

“Yeah! Well…I moved here a couple years ago for school,” Aang added. 

“What school?” Zuko took a breath. Letting it out slowly after hearing the response he dreaded most. He closed his eyes, taking a moment to open them again. 

“That makes a lot of sense, I bet you’re missing home right now,” Aang reconsidered, “Or if not that, then you’re probably missing your pets. First time boarding? I missed Appa a lot my first year,” He mused.

“Not my first time. Who’s Appa again?” Zuko asked glumly, he’d given away too much. There were still seven hours left on the flight. And Aang would definitely try to talk to him after landing, there was no chance he wouldn’t. Aang quickly pulled out his primitive looking phone, face lit up in excitement. 

“Don’t worry you’ll love Appa. Everybody does. Even Toph, and she’s always angry. He’s a white-brown Mastiff and…”

Hours passed, plastered with Aang showing horribly adorable pics of Appa running around in his backyard, on his bed, sleeping, eating dog food. It reminded Zuko of the yellow chicks back at home. Zuko felt a small warmth creeping its way into his chest, and didn’t particularly feel like diminishing it just yet. 

They were well into the journey now, Aang finally tiring himself out and lazily picking at the cloth on his seat, his phone dead. 

Zuko sat rigid, observing. He was tracking the flight attendants. They were staring at him, moving frequently around. He had to be prepared for any random questioning, bad track records and an empirical father didn’t mesh well with travel.

Meanwhile, Aang was fighting the urge to ask Lee about the scar. It was most definitely a bad idea, and a sensitive subject. Maybe if he didn’t look at it he would be able to resist asking. Toph said he was famous for dumb questions. But, the monks back at the temple had said to learn from those who were different from you. 

Okay, he was bending their words a little. 

“Does it hurt right now?” Aang asked, too wide eyed to care about the consequences just yet. 

“The pain died ages ago. Now it’s rare, and easier to handle.” Zuko admitted. Aang was having a comforting effect on him, the photos of Appa might’ve warmed him up a little. 

“How’d you take care of it?” Aang asked. Katara would appreciate the information, she wanted to be a doctor. But he wasn’t asking for Katara, he was genuinely curious. 

Zuko blanked. 

Take care of it ? It was a punishment, not meant to be taken care of. It was supposed to teach you a lesson through pain, no other way. That wasn’t counting the rare relief of cool water from his uncle’s calloused hands, which always left a trail of lingering guilt anyways.

“Iced water.” He replied curtly, not adding that he hadn’t slept on his normal side since the incident. 

Aang’s eyes widened in shock. 

“Are you kidding!?” He practically screamed, causing the flight attendants to hone in on them. 

“That’s- that’s-”  Aang tried to make sense of it, but nothing came. Zuko grit his teeth, silently willing the boy to shut up. 

Aang started, the monks would never do that, nobody would do that? No sane person would. 

“How are you not dead? Are you infected?” Aang reached out, meant as a gesture of comfort. 

Zuko slapped his hand away with a scowl. Dead? His Father would never try to kill his own son. Especially at thirteen. Aang let out a small ow, clearly taken aback. He needed to calm Aang down now . An impossible task since he could barely calm himself. People were staring. 

But as per usual, anger overtook logic, and will bended to fury. 

“ I’m not the one who needs to be worrying about an infection,” Zuko replied through gritted teeth.

“Huh? I don’t have any scars?” Aang asked, confused. 

“Your feet. Ever heard of socks?” Zuko bit back, voice getting louder. 

Aang was red, another heartbeat in his throat. He didn’t think anyone would point it out. The monks would forgive him for doing this. 

“My socks aren’t here since I was wearing sandals that customs lost !!! And have you ever heard of aloe vera? ” He retorted, uncomfortably matching the teen’s loud tone. 

“Are you asking me. Someone with a third degree burn. If I know what aloe vera is.” 

Aang winced. 

“Only someone dressed like you wouldn’t know what that is.” He snarled.

Aang pushed himself as far into the aisle as possible.

“I was just kidding…” he mumbled, sinking into the seat. He wanted it to swallow him whole.

The plane was silent. 

Aang put his face in his hands. Stupid. Stupid. He shouldn’t have asked a stranger about a life threatening scar! It was such an obvious thing to know, yet he was naive and missed it by a mile. Anyone would’ve lashed out in that position. 

Zuko heard the threatening click of the flight attendant’s heels. Each click made him pray that the plane’s engine would burn into flames. He was about to get kicked out of an entire airline because of aloe vera. And to top it off he felt guilty for yelling at Aang. It didn’t make sense, the boy was a nuisance. 

The woman knelt beside the boy, plastering shallow concern on her face. Zuko didn’t miss her judging glance at Aang’s attire. 

“Are you okay here honey?” She asked Aang while glaring at Zuko. 

The words were a double edged sword. 

“Yeah,” Aang replied in a dejected voice, head resting on his hand. A desperate attempt to be nonchalant. In reality, he felt a bit panicked.  

Zuko heard a mother muttering about the “ poor boy who was sitting with that vile man. ”

“Let me know if you want anything okay?” The lady patted his arm, focusing her eyes on Zuko. 

“Sir, come with me please.” She gestured curtly.

He grimly realized that was an order. Ordering people around was his bloodborne right. 

He heard Azula’s shrill laughter. Zuko had the strong urge to blame the boy again. Give him a real taste of his anger. Aang deserved it. How similar did that sound to Father? 

He almost retched. 

“We’re giving you a chance on our airlines. Don’t ruin it. Any more trouble with the boy and you’re off.” the woman said sternly, poorly hiding the power rush she was getting from berating him. 

He knew that rush well because he felt it clearly when he was yelling at Aang. Azula and Father felt it. Reveled in it. 

It was their currency. 

But why did his rush come with guilt? He ruminated bitterly while walking back to his seat, cruel faces twisting around him. 

Aang had gotten Lee in trouble. He didn’t even know that was possible on an airline. Agh, this was definitely on him. He had to apologize. As if that came naturally to him… He already had his fair share of incidents with Katara. 

“Lee?” he said when the teen returned, testing the waters. 

Zuko turned to look at him, face tightened in judgment. Aang realized with a start that he was looking down on him.  

A beat. Aang was about to speak. 

“I forgive you.” Zuko said through gritted teeth, almost sounding sarcastic. Aang felt a stubborn knot twist further into his stomach. 

Zuko was being too generous . He was nice enough to spare Aang from the embarrassment of an apology, give him food, and stare at that hideous dog. The rest of the plane ride passed in mild silence, not just from those two, but also from hushed whispers running around the plane like small mice.

Chapter Text

The lights on the plane had dimmed considerably, painting everyone in a cool blue hue and sending Aang into a sleep coma after completing a successful meditation. 

But Zuko’s feelings had shifted from anger to uncomfortability. He felt something strong in his stomach, unsure where the sensations were coming from. It was too dark, and the roar of the plane's engine thrummed tauntingly beneath him. The person in front of him had pushed his seat all the way back, cramming Zuko into the space. He tapped his foot lightly, fear crawling into him. His breathing was becoming a manual act, an erratic rise and fall. Someone coughed thickly, another man gulped down a glass of water. He couldn’t hear enough on his left side, and it was too dark. 

Zuko needed to get up now. 

He looked around, disguising the rise of his panic as a search for the bathroom. 

Too late. 

Zuko was thirteen years old again, coughing as thickly as the person behind him. He could smell the heat of his Father’s anger from the arena. Something strange overtook him. A tribal, animal fear. Father had taken Zuko’s voice away that night, ripping it comfortably to shreds. Zuko could see the shadowed hand raising and falling again, as if he was a distant viewer. 

He blinked. 

The lights on the plane had changed, now a warm orange tone. Zuko still felt the flames dance along his face, vaguely remembering the strangely satisfying notion that he deserved this pain. 

He blinked again. 

Everything was a blur after that. He didn’t remember getting off the plane, or getting through security. Zuko thought he saw Aang stretching his legs behind him. Or maybe that was an illusion too? It was hard to tell, this hidden part of his mind always manifesting in the most unpredictable ways.  

He finally returned to his usual state when they got on the nearest bus, ages after leaving the airport. Zuko had taken the lead, stumbling when the bus jerked forward before the doors even closed. He looked around, there were no seats either. Aang snorted, lamely disguising it as a cough. 

The driver maneuvered through the snow slicked road, the bus sliding violently across each junction. Zuko clung to the handles for dear life, feeling cold snow hit his face. He looked around, realizing that one: there were no doors. And two: there weren’t even any markings on the road. Was this considered normal here? 

Aang watched in amusement. Lee’s hands had turned red from gripping the handles. His expression screamed “what the fuck is happening.” And Aang didn’t say anything when Lee let go of the strap as they slowed down to a stop. Sure enough, the bus jerked forward again, flinging everyone forward, especially an unassuming Lee. He let out a panicked noise, all of his stuff falling loudly to the floor. 

There was a moment of silence as the passengers looked around, making sure everything was still in place. Relieved laughs echoed loudly, accompanied by profuse apologies from the driver. Aang giggled silently to himself, not watching the driver at all. His eyes were focused on Lee, who was fuming. Jeez, if he was this angry at a simple mishap, Aang wanted to see what he’d act like in a week. He then insisted that the driver stop apologizing, because roads were rough and it wasn’t his fault anyways. Aang had also resolved to put their conflict behind him after meditating, and bent down to help Lee with the scattered luggage.

Zuko glared. His stuff was all over the floor and he couldn’t seem to recover from the previous hour. On top of that, he wouldn’t accept help from someone so…so… beneath him. Aang stared at him with pity, and he didn’t need to be pitied. He was a Prince. Princes didn’t need the help of a twelve year old boy. Especially one who watches Happy Feet like it contains the secrets to life. 

The driver yelled at them to hurry up, and the boys rushed out onto the dark street, hot smoke blowing in their faces as the man drove away. Aang gestured for him to follow. Zuko huffed, it’s not like he had a choice in the matter anyways. The cold frost hit him immediately, freezing over his lips and causing him to rub his hands together in desperation. 

Zuko’s lips parted when he finally saw the school. Not out of surprise, but out of disgust. It was a tall grayish brown building, deteriorating from the onset of snow and rain. Aang dashed in, shoes padding against the snowy stone and rubble.  The interior smelled strongly of musk, and flickering yellow lights beamed down on them. There was a simple check in, which he quickly signed.

Zuko signed the same paper, and was given a browned room key. 

“This building is where we stay. The actual school is farther from here.” Aang said hurriedly, very much distracted. 

Zuko clenched his jaw, this treatment was a sure slap in the face from his family. It said two things. The first was, this is your last chance. That was something Zuko could deal with, he’d dealt with last chances so many times before. But the second thing made him want to rip every. single. wall. of this school to shreds. His family was trapping him here. There was no other reason he was sent to the opposite side of the planet, with minimal wifi and barely a basic civilization. He had no choice but to obey. Hanging on by a thread, probably avoiding a fate akin to his mother’s.  

Azula smirked. 

I bet Brother begged Father to give those soldiers a glimpse of the freedom our family has. 

He now realized the freedom Azula had talked about was never destined for him. 

Zuko followed Aang up the ruined staircases; to his dismay, they had rooms on the same floor. Upon arriving, he was struck by the fact that these rooms didn’t have doors. Instead, thickly made cloth sloppily covered the entrances. Fairly young kids ran around wildly, despite it being almost midnight. Electricity buzzed through the air. Children huddled around the heater, shouting for more space on the grey carpet. A blue eyed girl walked through the drapery, clearly exhausted but lighting up when she saw Aang. She wore traditional ocean blue clothing, and had two strands of hair pulled out from her hairdo. 

“Aang!! You’re back!!” She enveloped him in a rib-crushing hug, oblivious to the blush on his face (probably more for his sake). After a grand total of three seconds, Aang patted her back awkwardly and pulled away. They conversed warmly, obviously avoiding eye contact with each other. It was like watching two embarrassingly oblivious lovers. Zuko was almost jealous. 

“It was…” Aang stopped, having a much better idea, “Katara, why don’t you ask Lee?” he smiled, a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“Uh, what?” Zuko replied dumbly. The girl was quiet, as if she had made a realization. She quickly plastered an understanding smile on her face. 

“You’re not from here right?” Katara asked gently. 

“Nope,” he didn’t elaborate.

Katara waited and when he didn’t continue, filled in the space, “That’s fine! We’ll make sure to help you around.” She sounded different, how people did when they didn’t know what to do with someone. 

Shit. 

Zuko internally face palmed. He completely forgot that she’d treat him like this because of his scar . He was being offered help because she thought he was struggling to get around. That’s why she was so confused, and unusually caring. More pity, just what he needed! Was Aang doing the same? Zuko could bet he was. 

“I don’t need anyone to help me around,” he snapped. 

They looked at each other and shrugged. Their first day here sucked too. 

Zuko clenched his fist anxiously and busied himself in finding his dorm, which was the last one on the floor. He hated the hand-done feel to everything, and the way the orange-yellow lights flickered uncertainly. He fucking despised that servant for choosing this God forsaken place. 

He pushed up the useless cloth and threw his luggage down on the floor. A moment of silence passed, the first in over fifteen hours of travel. The roar of engines was gone. At least that was nice. He sighed loudly, falling into the bed. Introversion was becoming a more appealing lifestyle by the second. 

“That rough?”

Zuko shot up, hitting his head hard on the wooden bunk bed. 

“Noted.” The disembodied voice said smugly.  

Fuck.

Zuko never had roommates. 

He rubbed his head, groggily seeing the silhouette of a guy jumping down from the top bunk.

“Sorry,” his roomate flashed a mischievous smile, “‘M Sokka.” He tilted his head, eyes widening when he finally got a proper look at Zuko. Harsh golden eyes marked by a healed scar, with paler skin and dark silky hair. He had to be a foreigner. 

“Z-...Lee here,” Zuko replied stiffly, his vision returning. Sokka looked like a male version of Katara; blue eyes, shorter hair, not wearing traditional clothing. He had a strange dark blue ribbon tied around his neck, with a single worn pendant hanging from it. 

No way this guy knew what a betrothal necklace was, but boy was he eyeing it for an uncomfortably long period of time.  So Sokka tried to satisfy Lee’s curiosity, and entertain himself. 

“You want one?” Sokka asked, eyes glinting. 

Zuko snapped back to reality, “A necklace?” he asked hesitantly.  

That confirmed everything Sokka needed to know. This was too easy.

“Yeah, definitely,” Sokka lied, taking it off and swinging it in front of his roommate.

“I’ll even make you your own, personal one. Hand crafted by me.” Was this too far? Maybe. Would he find out what that meant eventually? Hopefully not. 

Zuko backed up, either this was an inside joke he didn’t get, or his roommate was just strange. 

“You’re joking,” was all he could muster up.

Sokka snickered, “Yeah no shit. Say Lee…do you get in trouble a lot?” he coaxed. 

Zuko stared blankly. How did he know that? 

Spoiler alert, Sokka did not know that. He was busy planning to steal food after curfew, which included trying to scope out how strong Lee’s moral compass was. What better way to test that than ask a hypothetical? It worked on Aang hundreds of times. Even though he should probably be trying to get to know the guy he was going to live with for the next twoish years.

“I mean, if you found out there was cooked meat in the fridge, and there’s never cooked meat in the fridge, then would you go get some? If there was a way to get there? Nobody’ll be up since the first day of school’s tomorrow. And I think Toph’s coming, but she always ditches to find something better…” Sokka trailed off before abruptly stopping. 

Zuko held back a yawn. They’d get away with it. And he was fucking starving. It had to do with the necklace right? A statement if Zuko ever saw one. He didn’t know why Sokka was so worried. 

So he just said, “Is there cooked meat in the fridge?” 

“Yes.” 

They shared a glance. 

All the lights on the floor went out. Zuko startled, quickly calming down after hearing giggled screams from children on other floors, apparently unfazed. 

“What. You think that was curfew?” Sokka joked. 

“Then what was it?” Zuko asked seriously.

Sokka blinked, that was unexpected to say the least. He knew Lee wasn’t from here but…did he really not know?

“The light goes out sometimes. It’ll come back on though,” he answered awkwardly, embarrassment crawling into his throat. Did he miss Lee’s sarcasm or something?

“Oh...right.” Zuko replied dryly. Sokka felt his heart sink. He knew how pitiable their circumstances must look to foreigners. And now Lee had to live like this, of course he wouldn’t be happy. But he wanted to give Lee a better welcome than he had gotten, and it didn’t seem to be working. 

As if in response, the lights switched on, accompanied by the click of dress shoes. Sokka rushed to jump onto his bed, anxiously gesturing for Zuko to do the same. 

Sure enough, a man pulled back the cloth that served as their doors. The striking image of Zuko’s mother, but oddly different and much older. He was wearing rimless glasses, eyes completely devoid of emotion. 

“Oh, this is the new student,” the man said. “I’d watch out for that one,” he whispered under his breath, closing the gap so only Zuko could hear. 

Sokka rolled his eyes. His history teacher had it out for him since they met. 

He finally shut off the lights and left, they were the last room on the floor. Zuko rolled over to sleep, keeping the comment in mind, before getting thwacked in the head by something that was definitely not a hand. At this rate he was going to get brain damage. 

“Shit shit, can you get that for me?” Sokka croaked.

Zuko rolled over to find…a boomerang? A fucking metal boomerang on the floor. Were all roommates this…eccentric? 

“Why the fuck do you have this?” Zuko hissed, handing it up to him. 

“Why don’t you have one? They’re more useful than you think!” Sokka stated defensively, scrambling to get it. And he was right, it surprisingly came in handy.

Zuko pulled the blanket up, not wasting his energy on a response. He’d worry about it later.  

“No one sleeps on the first night.” Sokka whispered, flipping his head upside down to see his roommate.

Zuko turned around, facing the wall. 

“Oh come on. I know you’re not tired.” Sokka prodded, the blood rushing to his head from his position. 

“Just cause i’m not tired doesn’t mean i’m doing this .” Zuko replied curtly. 

“Good. Because if you’re not tired, we aren’t gonna get caught.” Sokka promised, visibly disappointed when that didn’t work.

Zuko’s stomach growled loudly. 

“Is that a yes?” Sokka snickered. 

“No.” Zuko retorted. 

They rapidly rounded a corner of the kitchen, hands full of strange looking meat. Zuko caught a flash of movement, quickly shoving Sokka into the wall with his hand. Sokka glared at him, grateful but disgruntled. Zuko peeked around the bend, the same man was sitting at a table, the only adult in sight. He was talking on the phone with someone, voice hushed. 

“Kanguk, history teacher, asshole,” Sokka filled in.

Zuko swore he heard his father’s name more than once. Azulon, Azulon. He furrowed his brow, this was just one of his moments. Like the one on the plane, that’s all it was. 

Sokka tapped him on the shoulder. He gestured silently behind them, moving slowly. They found an exit to the stairwell, quietly, quietly closing the door behind them. 

Zuko sighed. 

Sokka perked up, gesturing violently again. Zuko stared at him, confused. That was before he saw someone barefoot walking noiselessly down the stairs. How was that even possible? 

He felt himself being pulled down by Sokka. 

They hid, breathing heavily. Sokka rolled his eyes, getting up and shoving the short girl semi-violently. 

“Toph, you scared the shit out of me,” he said in frustration. “Why didn’t you meet up with me?” 

“Why do you think boomerang boy?” The girl said, voice low and gravely. Sokka flushed. 

“Don’t call me that,” he hissed, “We have company.” 

“I couldn’t tell,” she said, voice dripping with sarcasm. 

“I still don’t get how you can see with your feet ?! Anyways, this'll be Lee.” He gestured lamely, still clearly embarrassed. Well, he had brought it with him but that wasn’t the point. She looked at him, her eyes not focusing on anything. Zuko decided almost immediately that Toph was intimidating. 

“Lee.” 

“Yeah?” 

“How many times has Sokka hit you with his boomerang?” 

“Once,” Zuko admitted, peeking at his roommate, who was redder than Azula. 

“What, really? That’s in the first few hours too.” Toph said, shit-eating grin still on her face. 

Thank God Zuko didn’t have time to reply. The lights shut on from above, sending everyone dashing. Toph sprinting to the kitchen, the others running to their room, cooked meat in hand. Zuko wondered if anyone wore shoes around here. 

They devoured the meat, pushed close to tears from the hunger they were satisfying. Sokka’s hair had fallen from its hair tie, he was too busy to care. The meat tasted different from the burning spices Zuko was used to, this was a savory feeling. They finished it immediately, an easy task. 

Both teens finally made it to their beds, stuffed full, not a hint of regret in sight. If Father sent him here , what behavior was he supposed to expect? Zuko thought tiredly. 

He heard Sokka sigh contentedly, and for a moment Zuko let himself indulge. It’d be nice to be in Sokka’s shoes right now, sleeping guiltlessly. And boomerang boy? What was that about? It was a little funny, but he didn’t have the heart to tease him about it. 

Zuko rubbed his temple, how tired was he to be thinking like this? Father said too much room for others led him astray.

Chapter Text

He was back in the airplane, legs cramping into the confined space. The vehicle rumbled, incoming turbulence was announced through the intercom. Zuko didn’t mind turbulence, but this felt fake somehow. The rumbles were too consecutive, they sounded like footsteps or someone hopping around. Zuko rolled around, wait- rolled? 

He was in his dorm, covered in blankets and furs that accounted for the lack of heating. The hall lights were on, which was strange since the sun had barely come up yet. Some people were already starting to get ready, including Sokka, who was hopping around trying to put his socks on and hadn’t noticed that Zuko was awake. 

“Do you really like boomerangs that much?” Zuko pointed out the fuzzy boomerangs on his socks. 

“They…” Sokka threw his shoes around, “were a gift…” 

“The socks or the boomerang?” Zuko mused mindlessly.

“Obviously the-” Sokka stopped, realizing he was being messed with, “I’ll tell you if you make an attempt to get up.” 

“How much time?” Zuko asked.

“Uh, like ten minutes?” Sokka said nonchalantly, busy fixing his laces up.

Zuko shot up from his bed, feeling his body begin to ooze with anger. He didn’t set an alarm and Sokka hadn’t bothered to wake him up. Taking it out on his roommate would be so easy. But even he had the decency to wait at least a week. 

Sokka spoke up, sensing the menacing aura around Zuko, “Look, I usually wake up this late and didn’t think you were the punctual type- I mean based on last night.” 

Zuko brushed past him, “You barely know me,” he snarled, “and how exactly does me being hungry last night mean I want to be late.” 

Sokka rubbed his temple, “We’re gonna get there on time anyways.”

Zuko laughed cruelly. On time? He knew his roommate didn’t have common sense, but this was a new low, “Okay, whatever you say boomerang boy.” 

Sokka felt his stomach drop. He ignored the comment, throwing one of his coats at Zuko. Zuko flinched, his eyes widening when he realized the coat was meant for him. Not all of us are assholes like you, Sokka wanted to say. He was beginning to understand what Aang had messaged him about last night and he had yet to get the full details about that situation.  

Today the sun was hiding behind clouds, the bus arriving with a flurry of brown snow. They stepped onto the slicked surface, silent. Sokka had grabbed an extra stash of cash, they’d easily get there in five minutes. He handed it to the bus driver, who gave his usual hearty laugh, both of them aware of Zuko’s piercing eyes. 

The bus took off with a growl, momentarily startling Zuko. The rare few buildings wisped by within seconds, the force of movement pulling on his stomach. He was suddenly glad to miss breakfast, because it’d be all over the floor right now. The bus driver took a swing of his coffee, which in hindsight maybe wasn’t coffee…

“We’re early,” Sokka informed Lee smugly, getting off with a harsh pat from the driver. 

“By two minutes.” 

Stubborn, got it. Wasn’t he a little impressed? 

They parted ways just before the bell, both glad to get away from each other and shake off the unnecessary tension. The day would pass by relatively slowly, Zuko wasn’t gifted like Azula, he actually had to pay attention in class. Which was incredibly hard because teachers spoke in grating voices, painfully dragging out each syllable with unnecessary care. 

Zuko shifted under the weight of Sokka’s coat, it was the heaviest he’d worn so far. He thought the weight was a necessary part of the design. That coupled with the soft nature of the cloth made it hard to concentrate, almost lulling him to sleep. 

In the two days he’d spent with Sokka, he’d proved to be spontaneous beyond belief. From stealing copious amounts of food, to owning a fucking boomerang, which he still can’t get over. And not to mention his unsurprising connection to an even more unhinged driver, who was definitely drunk. 

The bell rang weakly, causing a multitude of students to get up. Zuko was pushed along with them, catching glimpses of some kids from his floor. He was hit with regret. Because these kids should be bowing down to him right now, like they were under Azula. He should be enjoying the money they spent generations accumulating, his life should be more than easy . It should be powerful . That’s what he wanted, all he had wanted. 

Zuko sat down in the cold chairs of his last class, sinking luxuriously into the warmth of the fur coat. Their floor supervisor walked in, and he sat a bit straighter, hoping Sokka was right about them being quiet last night. 

Zuko noticed that he wasn’t the only one sitting upright. This teacher, Kanguk? had a way of commanding the room, even the most careless kids seemed to pay attention. Kanguk spun historical facts like a story, and it kept him awake. He kept a good distance away from Zuko, and never called on him unless his hand was raised. Zuko caught himself relaxing, an admittedly rare instance during classes.

The clock sped up, and the bell rang once more. Last period was a blessing, he thought while walking through the hoard of kids. 

“Lee!” his teacher called, “Stay back awhile?” 

Curse his damn luck, he walked back over to the history teacher’s desk. They didn’t do anything special, Kanguk asked him about his day, how he was settling in. Then they got to the hard part. Turns out Zuko didn’t know any of the history of the South Pole and he “had a lot to catch up on.” He had no interest in learning the history of a nation like this, but was grateful for the unexpected help. 

“Is something bothering you young man? I mean, outside of the extra work,” Kanguk laughed to himself. 

Usually he’d say no and make a quick exit. But something about Kanguk reminded him vaguely of his mother, and he’d been more than kind so far. It was a pathetic train of thought really. 

“Yeah actually…” he regretted saying it the moment he did. 

“And that’d be?” Kanguk waited expectantly, an unusually gentle expression on his face.

“Well, my roommate and I, I don’t think we’re gonna get along. It’s nothing…” Zuko said. Where was this coming from?

Kanguk laughed again. “I didn’t mean that comment I’d made about him yesterday. Did something happen?” 

“Nothing happened. It’s his friends too, I can’t get along with any of them,” Zuko couldn’t stop himself from saying these things, things he didn’t even care about. He didn’t know why.

Kanguk became unusually silent. Zuko felt that ancient, animal fear build like bile in his stomach. He willed himself not to flinch. 

“Listen. It hasn’t been a week. And I know you’re not from here, so tell them that. They’ll understand,” he assured Zuko. 

Zuko nodded, feeling ghosts crawl up his throat. He had wanted to say something- anything to keep the comforting conversation going, but his gut pulled and tugged. It told him to get out, told him that the room was closing in on him. It was pure muscle memory to feel nauseous, a decade of habit. Because any person could be him at the right time . He said goodbye as courteously as he could, shutting the door gently behind him. 

Zuko willed himself to walk out, this feeling of dread so irrational and ruthless. 

He ran straight into Sokka, feeling hands steadying his shoulders. Hands that he pushed off with a taste of malice. 

“Looking for me?” Sokka said, not noticing his disheveled state, “Aang and I were going to study at the coffeehouse later,” Zuko barely registered when he extended an invitation. He knew these moments of weakness would stop, but he’d been thinking that since he was thirteen. 

“Lee? Helloo,” Sokka waved a hand in front of him. 

“Oh, yeah. Sure. Let’s go,” he said.

Sokka gave him an odd look, but trudged on, “Don’t worry, it’s not too far from here.” 

Lee didn’t reply, but Sokka was getting used to that. In comparison to Aang’s blabbing, it was more than welcome. 

They walked for approximately ten minutes, arriving at the foot of the store in dreadful condition, with purpled noses and a shivering demeanor. The door chimed open, a whoosh of warm air followed by the first stable heating system Zuko had encountered since the airport. It was one of those coffee shops you only saw on advertisements: lined with terracotta potted plants, an obligatory exposed brick wall, and vibrant art to top it off. Aang waved enthusiastically at them, he seemed to fit right in under gentle lights. 

"Where’s Toph?” he asked.

Sokka checked his phone, “She’s training.”

Aang threw up his hands, “She always has training! When was the last time we all got together?!” 

“In all fairness, she has training because the winter solstice’s two weeks away. And we’ll get together then. So really it all works out,” Sokka said, still staring at his phone. 

“Is the winter solstice a celebration here?” Zuko asked, Sokka and Aang glancing at each other. 

“Yeah…something like that…” Aang replied, staring at something behind Zuko. 

“It’s basically like a community get together,” Sokka said.

Aang snickered, “Okay, that’s definitely sugarcoating it. A community get together sounds like a retirement home name.” 

Zuko didn’t understand why they were circling around the subject. 

“Then how would you describe it Aang?” Sokka retorted.

Aang lit up, “There’s so much stuff to do. And only certain people know about it, and it’s my second year going plus Toph’s gonna-” Sokka slapped a hand over Aang’s mouth, muffling noises of protest.

“I didn’t mean actually tell him you dipshit,” Sokka removed the hand, earning an eye roll from Aang. 

A warm coffee smell wafted through the air, incredibly sweet. Zuko looked up to see Katara placing the three drinks on the table, taking a seat with hers. 

“What? I’m on break,” she said, mostly directed at Aang who was staring at her with his mouth open. 

Sokka made eye contact with Zuko, they exchanged a knowing look while Aang and Katara spoke.

“I bet that coffee cost more than your paycheck,” Sokka smirked. 

“Okay, first of all, I make more than both of you here. And at least I have a job,” she said confidently, taking a sip of her coffee as Sokka visibly deflated, “Is Toph still training for the solstice?”

“Yeah…even though it’s like…a month away,” Aang pouted.

Katara nodded, “Are you going?”

Before Zuko could answer Sokka jumped in, “We didn’t exactly…tell him what it is yet…” 

Katara rolled her eyes, “Sorry about those two…they can be rude sometimes,” she smiled.

“Sometimes?” he caught himself saying, earning a laugh from Katara and dead stares from the other two. 

“You insulted my clothing…” Aang said, “and yelled at me about aloe vera.”

“Yeah and I gave you my jacket after you laughed at me,” Sokka added.

“I showed him pictures of Appa, and he didn’t even like them!” Aang told Sokka, who shook his head in mock disappointment. 

Was this the part where Zuko was supposed to apologize?

“You weren’t wearing socks on an international flight,” he shrugged. 

Katara looked at Aang in horror. Aang sunk into the seat, tinted red. 

“Aang, man. I can’t even defend you on this one,” Sokka laughed, almost spilling his drink. 

“So…what’s the winter solstice like?” Zuko changed the subject, vaguely feeling bad for Aang.

“Hm…it’s like a cross between a wrestling match, a circus, and a bonfire? I think?” Katara tried to explain. 

“Yup. That’s a pretty accurate description. And I guess you’re going this year, so you might as well help us with prep,” Sokka agreed.

Zuko didn’t know what he was getting into, and frankly this seemed like a very bad idea.

“Are you sure he can help us?” Katara eyed him.

“Oh yeah. You should’ve seen us last night, he has it down to an instinct,” Sokka said.

Zuko still had no idea what they were saying and if he asked, they’d probably avoid the question again. It was infuriating, but also added a touch of anticipation, a touch of thrill. He wouldn’t deny compliments on his rendezvous skills either.

Katara finished her drink, moving out of the booth and tying her hair up again, “Okay, forget preparations, we still have a lot of time. What he needs is new clothes.”

Sokka moped, “You just said it yourself, I don't have a job!!” 

If they knew how much money was in Zuko’s bank account…It gave him some comfort, clinging onto the idea that financially, he was better than them. A feeling of disgust came along too. Knowing that, no matter how hard these people worked, he’d always have more money than them, even if it was simply from inheritance. For some unknown reason, his body rejected the idea, it felt so wrong. He knew if he told Father or Azula this, they’d believe he wasn’t meant for royalty. So Zuko kept it to himself, only his Uncle was able to draw out these feelings.

“I know it’s late right now, but we can go grab a couple things for you tomorrow,” Sokka fidgeted with his cup, breaking the silence. Aang had slipped away a minute ago, their banter finally ending.

Zuko looked up. Was Sokka doing all of this in the name of being a good host? He wasn’t even asking him to pay right now. It was a little unnerving, the best way to describe this feeling in his chest.

“You don’t have to do that,” he said, surprising himself again. 

Sokka just smiled, putting his jacket on after paying, and got up to throw both their drinks away.

Chapter Text

The meetings with Kanguk drew on longer than Zuko expected. They had stopped talking about history long ago, when his teacher sensed that he could figure it out on his own. Now, the topics varied from the best places to get food, and rarely, little tidbits of Zuko’s life. His initial dread at the beginning of these meetings was replaced by a feeling akin to excitement. Kanguk became a stable figure, he had a way of drawing out parts of Zuko he didn’t know existed. 

“You went to get coffee with them, you say?” the teacher prodded, a twinkle in his eye. 

Zuko nodded. “We’ve been going more often since then. I never get any work done, but the atmosphere is nice,” he admitted sheepishly. 

“I told you it would work out, didn't I?” Kanguk said contentedly, “And how’s it going with your roommate?”

“Yeah…it’s….we’re getting along,” he muttered guiltily. 

Sokka and Zuko had made it a regular part of their routine to steal food. And without fail, they’d see Kanguk in the exact same spot, whispering something inaudible. Sokka said it was a miracle that they hadn’t been caught yet. Zuko had his suspicions, but chose to believe Sokka for his own peace of mind. 

They had also developed a rhythm along the way. Sokka didn’t look like it, but he was perceptive. He knew when Zuko wanted quiet, which was often, and could pick up on his confusion in a matter of seconds. Zuko was never people-smart like that. In these past two weeks, he hadn’t been able to get a good read on Sokka at all. There was a piece of the puzzle missing. 

Kanguk sensed his confusion, “People don’t make sense, at least for a while. Trust me, there’ll be a moment where it clicks,” he paused, as if far away, “I would know…” 

Zuko looked up, “Did something happen?” 

Kanguk pushed his papers aside, sighing, “Yeah, kid. Something happened.” 

A moment where it clicks? Shouldn’t that be a good thing? Zuko speculated, waiting for him to continue. 

“Sometimes, you don’t realize…how a person truly feels…until it’s too late,” the teacher explained. 

“Yeah…I've had a few encounters with that,” Zuko thought back to the people who found out about his coveted position. 

Kanguk rubbed his temple, “It hurts the most when they are closest to you.”

Zuko blinked. He didn’t think it was possible to understand someone more than he did now. 

Silence.

“It was my wife,” Kanguk whispered, voice heavy with long scarred regret, “she was suicidal, I saw the signs-”

“-but I didn’t think it was enough evidence to do anything,” Zuko finished.

He took a shaky breath, “For me…it was my mother. I heard her- I knew something was off-”

In that moment, Zuko could feel the horrific scene play out in front of him. Kanguk’s face, mirroring his own. The nightmares, the regret, the guilt. Ghosts aching to torture in silent moments. He should’ve followed his mom down that hallway. He’d deserve the pain that came next.

Kanguk’s eyes softened, “It wasn’t your fault Lee.”

“Wasn’t it?” he countered, looking Kanguk in the eyes. He had a splash of brown around his iris.

Kanguk looked at Zuko with such a level of compassion that it hurt, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Hot tears fell, his eyes were already screwed shut. It felt so gruesome. Zuko felt Kanguk get up from his desk, pulling him close. He gave in, letting himself be held. If it wasn’t his fault, what was all this guilt for, what was all the suffering for?  

Kanguk held Zuko until the ghosts chased him down. Clawing and sharp. 

And he held him until they left.

Zuko wiped his now-embarrassing tears, unable to say anything because of the weight in his throat. At this point, he knew not to expect punishment from Kanguk, it was pathetic really. 

“I mean it. Now take it easy today kid. We’ll continue this,” his teacher made a shooing motion that was somehow affectionate. 

Zuko thanked him and left hastily, repeatedly toiling over the past five minutes in his head. After that, he wanted to tell Kanguk everything. I mean- he was already basically doing that. But Zuko wanted to get into the grit of his emotions, to let the endorphins relax his mind after tears. They had understood each other . Everybody else seemed to fall short in comparison.

He climbed up the stairs to their dorm, which had grown familiar to him, and now displayed traces of his Western background. Blues mixed with reds. Sokka was already hunched over his desk, scratching away with his pencil. 

“What are you working on?” Zuko thought they had a pretty light load of homework, with the Winter Solstice drawing closer every day. 

Sokka shoved the piece of paper to the side, obscuring it from his view, “Nothing…just- Do you want to come watch Toph train today? We’re using it as an excuse to grab some supplies for the event too.” 

Zuko knew Toph wrestled, but he didn’t understand what supplies they’d get from a training ground? 

“Sure, how far?”

Had Lee been crying? Sokka ignored his unnecessary concern, it was probably the cold. Lee was affected by the cold to a…dare he say…adorable level. His cheeks and nose turned a light pink, and Sokka had secretly taken to carrying tissues around in his bag, for the sole purpose of Lee’s sniffling. There were snow flecks all over his hair, and he tried to hide his dismay when Lee shook it all off. 

Sokka thumbed his betrothal necklace, not really listening to the conversation but somehow still managing to look present. They’d bought new clothes for Lee a while ago, and everyday he thanks the Spirits that he was there to do it. The black leather and overall dark clothing was a sight. Aang seemed to be slightly intimidated by it, being the purist that he is. Nevertheless, Sokka preferred to stick to his flannels, and when he couldn’t bear that anymore, traditional clothing. 

Lee’s eyes wandered over to his drawing again, which Sokka quickly crumpled up and threw away. It was just a basic prototype anyways. 

“Wanna head out now? It’s already getting pretty dark,” Sokka said lazily, dismally getting up from his desk to lead the way. He prayed today was a heater day. But he wasn’t completely disappointed about leaving, Toph’s fighting was (admittedly) badass . You just had to be there. Which is why he was still talking to Lee about something, and leading him down the dorm room stairs. 

Lee paused at the ground floor, “Where are you going?” 

Sokka smirked. The training arena was far below the basement of the dorms, a risky move, but risk always adds adrenaline right?

“You’ll find out,” he said with a teasing lilt, descending into the darkness.

 Zuko felt his way down the stairs, Sokka’s hands guiding him. His throat still hurt from the past hour. And everytime he thought they were there, Sokka made another turn. Pipes trickled with the soft break of water. It was pure darkness for what seemed like forever. He couldn’t tell Kanguk about this at all. 

“You okay?” Sokka called into the darkness, hearing Zuko’s breath.

“Yeah…not to be that guy…but are we there yet?”

Sokka snickered, his voice echoing through the chamber. 

Zuko bit his lip, and they climbed down another set of stairs. Though this time felt different, a heat coming from the walls, the railings a bit more secure. He saw a dark purple light coming from a single, worn out lightbulb. Someone was at the door (more of an indent in the wall), they looked younger than Toph, but had a bright tuft of pink hair. 

Sokka handed them something and he eagerly pulled Zuko in. 

Zuko’s ears hurt from the screams of entertainment. A crowd of rowdy people surrounded a ring, lit in bright neon studio lights. They cheered wildly every time someone fell with a dramatic thud, and groaned with each call from the referee. The intense background music was completely drowned out. The ground shook under his boots, the floor painted in the colors of teams. The most noticeable being green. Zuko wondered what Kanguk would think of this. 

“You just gonna stand there? Or do you want to actually see Toph,” Sokka prodded, his voice raised to a shout. 

Zuko rolled his eyes, he knew he was gawking. Anyone would, it was a miracle that this sounded completely silent above ground, even if it was so far down. 

Sokka didn’t wait for a response, he roughly grabbed Zuko’s hand to maneuver through the ravenous crowd. People pushed and shoved, but they pressed on, sighing when they made it out. Sokka had led him to a hallway covered in neon graffiti, with numbered doors lining the walls. They made their way to door number one, scribbles of praise written on the wall, fan mail falling like a waterfall through the cracks. 

His roommate knocked thrice, Zuko recognised it as a pattern, and a hand pulled them in, shoving the door shut. The roar of the crowd was muffled and he was greeted with a small place to get ready, complete with a destroyed carpet and shattered vanity. Aang and Katara were already playing cards on the floor, and barely acknowledged their presence. 

“Boomerang Boy and Sparky! I didn’t think you’d show up,” she smirked, sharing a glance with Sokka who all of a sudden seemed very pissed.

“Well we did so…beat that,” he replied weakly. 

Toph ignored Sokka, snapping a quick finger in front of Zuko. He blinked and she grinned, “He has quick reflexes.”

“Thanks…” Zuko replied. He wasn’t sure that testing someone’s reflexes was a normal first greeting in any part of the world. 

“Anyways! Duty calls, get good spots twinkletoes,” she said smugly, putting on spiked wrist guards.  

Zuko looked around, was he twinkletoes? Or sparky? He hoped the answer was neither. 

“You’ll learn eventually,” Katara supplied, briefly looking up from her game.

Toph slammed the door shut behind her, and a couple seconds later, Zuko swore he heard the crowd roar with delight.