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keelywolfeAs Easy As Breathing
By Keelywolfe
PG
Sokka/Zuko, Hints of Other Pairings
Summary: Set during the first part of Sozin's Comit. Toph and Zuko have a field trip! Yay?
Thirteenth in a series:
No Turning Back
Division of Time
Conflicted
Manly Pursuits
Interlude: Aang
Say Anything
Interlude, Suki
Random Curiosity
Envy Was A Fever
Couldn't Drag Me Away
For the Love of Cheese
Interlude, Toph
Zuko would be the first to admit that he didn't know Toph that well. Oh, he knew that she'd been the driving force that had gotten Aang to allow him to stay, even after he'd accidentally burned her, but all he really knew about her he'd learned in the past five minutes as she rambled on about her parents and life growing up.
There was a topic of conversation he didn't much want to add to.
But even without knowing well, he could definitely agree with her. As field trips went, this one really sucked. Hadn't anyone in this group learned the benefit of focusing on the task at hand? It was times like this that Zuko really felt the few extra years he had over all of them.
He did have to give Toph credit for one thing though; her persistence. After she'd given up confessing the horrors of growing up spoiled, she decided to try another route of torment.
"So what's up with you and Suki?" she asked, trailing after him. They'd chosen to stick to the beaches where they were less likely to run into anyone who might recognize them. Of course, they could always pretend to be in costume but frankly, Zuko had had enough dealings with that play to last a lifetime.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Zuko said finally, not bothering to turn around. Not that he really wanted to know. Not that he'd cared, but for Sokka. The other boy hadn't said a word about Suki and Toph's little display the night before, his silence unnerving, until Zuko had been tempted to ask him if he was all right. Instead, Sokka had grabbed him by the hand and Zuko had followed him wordlessly to his own room where Sokka had torn off his borrowed shirt and...the memory of what Sokka had done was enough to make his face warm even with the cool breeze from the ocean; their skin had still been tacky and brackish from the sea water and Sokka's mouth slick and hot.
If that was what came of it, Zuko would be happy to have Toph and Suki kiss more often.
Toph snorted, hopping down from a large rock to the sand. "I asked you first. Besides, if there isn't anything going on between you and Suki, then no, you shouldn't be asking me. Unless you're just bored and need some dirty talk to keep you going."
His jaw was beginning to ache from grinding his teeth. It was a wonder that Toph couldn't feel the vibrations from it, but then, she probably could and just didn't care. There was a surprise.
"Look, I know you're getting busy with Sokka. I just wondered why Suki wasn't invited to join the party."
"Did she tell you that?" Zuko asked sourly.
"She didn't tell me anything about it. But I know that you and Sokka do your dirty deeds without her."
Zuko kept his silence; it wasn't any of her damned business. Why did everyone always feel these urges to butt in and ask questions about things that were none of their concern? Especially now, probably the worst time ever for them to being thinking of something so trifling, and yet...
His mouth seemed to have spent too much time in close proximity with Sokka's because it muttered out, "I already have a girlfriend."
He heard Toph stop behind him, considering that, "That's the problem? That's what has all of your loincloths in a bunch? So it's okay for you to cheat on her with Sokka but not Suki?"
Zuko sighed miserably and he found himself feeling a certain bit of sympathy for Sokka; he opened his stupid mouth and got into these situations all the time. "More or less," he mumbled. "It's not uncommon for Fire Nation nobility to have a lover of each sex."
"Oh, the nobles get to have the wild sex orgies, hmm," Toph pondered. "What about the peasants? Do they get to have a little of the fun or are they not invited?"
"I wouldn't know," Zuko admitted. "I wasn't allowed to spend much time with the peasantry." And when he'd been one of them, he hadn't cared enough to pay any attention to it.
"Yeah, me either," Toph said agreeably. For just a few moments there was blessed silence and Zuko was able to scan their surroundings, looking for any sign of Aang. He'd almost managed to focus on their search, when that voice piped up again from behind him.
"So, if I tell you that I don't want to die a virgin, could I get a kiss out of you?"
"No!" he snapped. He'd kissed more people in the past couple weeks than he had his entire life before. Somehow, when he'd backed up his few belongings and left his previous life behind, it hadn't occurred to him that he'd need a bedpost to carve notches in.
"Excuse me for trying," she sniffed, "It worked for Aang."
It took a moment for his brain to catch on that, realization trickling in until it hit like a flood. He stopped so suddenly that Toph walked right into his back, almost knocking both of them to the ground.
"That sneaky, rotten, lying little braggart—"
"Oh, please," Toph scoffed, "You're the one who fell for it. So come on, why don't I deserve one?"
"I told you, I have a girlfriend!"
"You have a boyfriend, too, and it didn't stop you from kissing Aang."
"I don't—" he trailed off. Did he? Unbidden, the memory of ice blue eyes and a sharp smile slipped in behind his eyes. Sokka, whose laughter was as sweet as his kisses, who Zuko had told himself time and again wasn't his, was only someone he was borrowing slightly from Suki. Could he claim that title, just a little? He remembered those same eyes, cold and distant after seeing him kissing Aang, the desperate passion in his kisses just afterward, his anger, his...jealousy?
I'm not enough for you.
Toph hadn't stopped long enough to let him think about it; her argument in the direction of kissing was both fierce and eloquent. "And don't try that 'you're too young' route, because icebergs aside, Aang and I are the same age. So how about it, Sparky? You've kissed just about everyone in the group, you know. Suki, Aang, Sokka...well, I know you've at least had your mouth on Sokka. How about Katara, did she get a treat from the Snack Man?"
For a moment, Zuko couldn't work past his indignation enough to even speak. He could taste ashes on the back of his tongue, unleashed fury swallowed down as Toph waited, smirking.
"Katara is Sokka's sister, I would never!" he hissed out.
"I'm not his sister. You have a better excuse? Unless..." she swallowed hard, her sightless eyes welling. "Unless I'm not very attractive? I...don't really know."
Okay, that was so fake. He didn't know Toph well, but he knew she was stronger than that. Honestly, he suspected Sokka was more feminine than Toph was. After all, he'd seen Sokka wearing makeup and a dress willingly.
A single tear slipped free of her lashes, sending a silvery trail down her cheek.
"Oh, for pity's sake!" Zuko growled. He grabbed the front of her robe and jerked her forward, grinding his mouth against hers in a quick, rough kiss that threatened to bruise his mouth. He let go of her so quickly that she stumbled backwards, one hand rising to cover her swollen lips.
Happy now? He didn't say, whirling around to storm away down the beach. It didn't help. Toph only jogged up next to him, padding lightly on the sand.
"Huh," she mused. "And Suki told me you were a good kisser."
A rush of masculine pride demanding that he prove that he was warred with his horror over the thought of kissing her again.
"Man, and she wasn't lying," Toph said, smacking her lips with great satisfaction, proving that just because Zuko hadn't been born lucky, it didn't mean he wouldn't get a quick visit from time to time.
"Don't you dare tell Sokka or Suki about this!" he snapped. "Or Aang! Or...or anyone!"
"You've got it, Sparky." Her sudden punch was strong enough that his entire arm went numb. He took the pain stoically this time, his pride wounded enough for the day.
Whether she'd decided to take pity on him or she'd finally run out of things to say, Zuko wasn't sure, but after that they continued their search in relative silence. Several times he almost broke it himself, if only to stop his whirling thoughts. Nearly a half dozen pairs of lips had touched his these past few weeks but there was only one set that caught at him.
No. There wasn't time for this, they needed to find Aang, they needed to deal with his father. Zuko closed his eyes briefly at the thought of his father but he'd long since come to terms with knowledge of what needed to be done. If he were honest, he'd admit he barely knew the man; it shamed him to think he'd spent years trying to earn the respect and, yes, love of a man who was practically a stranger.
Love. His thoughts were flickering like a candle in a windstorm, back to an idiotic grin, back to a determined warrior with a sword of the like Zuko had never seen before. Not his, not really, but maybe—
"There isn't time for this!" he muttered aloud, striding faster down the beach.
"Time for what?" Toph asked, confused.
"Nothing," Zuko said, louder. They done nearly a complete tour of the island now and hadn't found as much as a footprint. "Let's head back, there's nothing here."
"Lead on, oh, grumpy one," Toph said agreeably and the silence slipped back between them as Zuko walked back to the house, determinedly thinking only of Aang.
It wasn't until much later, sitting atop of Appa's head as he guided the bison towards the Earth Nation that his stifled thoughts came winging back to him. The girls were drowsing in Appa's saddle, the three of them curled together against the chill night air and Zuko had been focused on guiding Appa when a slim body slipped behind him. He stiffened, startled by the embrace but unable to pull away without tumbling off the bison and into open air.
Sokka didn't say a word, his legs on either side of Zuko's as he pressed himself against Zuko's back, his chin resting on the other boy's shoulder. He felt cool against Zuko's warmer body, Sokka's breath faint and sweet against his ear. No words were spoken and after a moment, Sokka slid his arms around Zuko's waist, one hand splayed over his flat stomach and the other loosely gripping his tunic, holding on.
There was warmth pooling in Zuko's stomach, the first bare stirrings of arousal. He ignored it, ignored the confused jumble of thoughts swirling in his mind and leaned back into Sokka, closed his eyes and just breathed.
-finis-
By Keelywolfe
PG
Sokka/Zuko, Hints of Other Pairings
Summary: Set during the first part of Sozin's Comit. Toph and Zuko have a field trip! Yay?
Thirteenth in a series:
No Turning Back
Division of Time
Conflicted
Manly Pursuits
Interlude: Aang
Say Anything
Interlude, Suki
Random Curiosity
Envy Was A Fever
Couldn't Drag Me Away
For the Love of Cheese
Interlude, Toph
Zuko would be the first to admit that he didn't know Toph that well. Oh, he knew that she'd been the driving force that had gotten Aang to allow him to stay, even after he'd accidentally burned her, but all he really knew about her he'd learned in the past five minutes as she rambled on about her parents and life growing up.
There was a topic of conversation he didn't much want to add to.
But even without knowing well, he could definitely agree with her. As field trips went, this one really sucked. Hadn't anyone in this group learned the benefit of focusing on the task at hand? It was times like this that Zuko really felt the few extra years he had over all of them.
He did have to give Toph credit for one thing though; her persistence. After she'd given up confessing the horrors of growing up spoiled, she decided to try another route of torment.
"So what's up with you and Suki?" she asked, trailing after him. They'd chosen to stick to the beaches where they were less likely to run into anyone who might recognize them. Of course, they could always pretend to be in costume but frankly, Zuko had had enough dealings with that play to last a lifetime.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Zuko said finally, not bothering to turn around. Not that he really wanted to know. Not that he'd cared, but for Sokka. The other boy hadn't said a word about Suki and Toph's little display the night before, his silence unnerving, until Zuko had been tempted to ask him if he was all right. Instead, Sokka had grabbed him by the hand and Zuko had followed him wordlessly to his own room where Sokka had torn off his borrowed shirt and...the memory of what Sokka had done was enough to make his face warm even with the cool breeze from the ocean; their skin had still been tacky and brackish from the sea water and Sokka's mouth slick and hot.
If that was what came of it, Zuko would be happy to have Toph and Suki kiss more often.
Toph snorted, hopping down from a large rock to the sand. "I asked you first. Besides, if there isn't anything going on between you and Suki, then no, you shouldn't be asking me. Unless you're just bored and need some dirty talk to keep you going."
His jaw was beginning to ache from grinding his teeth. It was a wonder that Toph couldn't feel the vibrations from it, but then, she probably could and just didn't care. There was a surprise.
"Look, I know you're getting busy with Sokka. I just wondered why Suki wasn't invited to join the party."
"Did she tell you that?" Zuko asked sourly.
"She didn't tell me anything about it. But I know that you and Sokka do your dirty deeds without her."
Zuko kept his silence; it wasn't any of her damned business. Why did everyone always feel these urges to butt in and ask questions about things that were none of their concern? Especially now, probably the worst time ever for them to being thinking of something so trifling, and yet...
His mouth seemed to have spent too much time in close proximity with Sokka's because it muttered out, "I already have a girlfriend."
He heard Toph stop behind him, considering that, "That's the problem? That's what has all of your loincloths in a bunch? So it's okay for you to cheat on her with Sokka but not Suki?"
Zuko sighed miserably and he found himself feeling a certain bit of sympathy for Sokka; he opened his stupid mouth and got into these situations all the time. "More or less," he mumbled. "It's not uncommon for Fire Nation nobility to have a lover of each sex."
"Oh, the nobles get to have the wild sex orgies, hmm," Toph pondered. "What about the peasants? Do they get to have a little of the fun or are they not invited?"
"I wouldn't know," Zuko admitted. "I wasn't allowed to spend much time with the peasantry." And when he'd been one of them, he hadn't cared enough to pay any attention to it.
"Yeah, me either," Toph said agreeably. For just a few moments there was blessed silence and Zuko was able to scan their surroundings, looking for any sign of Aang. He'd almost managed to focus on their search, when that voice piped up again from behind him.
"So, if I tell you that I don't want to die a virgin, could I get a kiss out of you?"
"No!" he snapped. He'd kissed more people in the past couple weeks than he had his entire life before. Somehow, when he'd backed up his few belongings and left his previous life behind, it hadn't occurred to him that he'd need a bedpost to carve notches in.
"Excuse me for trying," she sniffed, "It worked for Aang."
It took a moment for his brain to catch on that, realization trickling in until it hit like a flood. He stopped so suddenly that Toph walked right into his back, almost knocking both of them to the ground.
"That sneaky, rotten, lying little braggart—"
"Oh, please," Toph scoffed, "You're the one who fell for it. So come on, why don't I deserve one?"
"I told you, I have a girlfriend!"
"You have a boyfriend, too, and it didn't stop you from kissing Aang."
"I don't—" he trailed off. Did he? Unbidden, the memory of ice blue eyes and a sharp smile slipped in behind his eyes. Sokka, whose laughter was as sweet as his kisses, who Zuko had told himself time and again wasn't his, was only someone he was borrowing slightly from Suki. Could he claim that title, just a little? He remembered those same eyes, cold and distant after seeing him kissing Aang, the desperate passion in his kisses just afterward, his anger, his...jealousy?
I'm not enough for you.
Toph hadn't stopped long enough to let him think about it; her argument in the direction of kissing was both fierce and eloquent. "And don't try that 'you're too young' route, because icebergs aside, Aang and I are the same age. So how about it, Sparky? You've kissed just about everyone in the group, you know. Suki, Aang, Sokka...well, I know you've at least had your mouth on Sokka. How about Katara, did she get a treat from the Snack Man?"
For a moment, Zuko couldn't work past his indignation enough to even speak. He could taste ashes on the back of his tongue, unleashed fury swallowed down as Toph waited, smirking.
"Katara is Sokka's sister, I would never!" he hissed out.
"I'm not his sister. You have a better excuse? Unless..." she swallowed hard, her sightless eyes welling. "Unless I'm not very attractive? I...don't really know."
Okay, that was so fake. He didn't know Toph well, but he knew she was stronger than that. Honestly, he suspected Sokka was more feminine than Toph was. After all, he'd seen Sokka wearing makeup and a dress willingly.
A single tear slipped free of her lashes, sending a silvery trail down her cheek.
"Oh, for pity's sake!" Zuko growled. He grabbed the front of her robe and jerked her forward, grinding his mouth against hers in a quick, rough kiss that threatened to bruise his mouth. He let go of her so quickly that she stumbled backwards, one hand rising to cover her swollen lips.
Happy now? He didn't say, whirling around to storm away down the beach. It didn't help. Toph only jogged up next to him, padding lightly on the sand.
"Huh," she mused. "And Suki told me you were a good kisser."
A rush of masculine pride demanding that he prove that he was warred with his horror over the thought of kissing her again.
"Man, and she wasn't lying," Toph said, smacking her lips with great satisfaction, proving that just because Zuko hadn't been born lucky, it didn't mean he wouldn't get a quick visit from time to time.
"Don't you dare tell Sokka or Suki about this!" he snapped. "Or Aang! Or...or anyone!"
"You've got it, Sparky." Her sudden punch was strong enough that his entire arm went numb. He took the pain stoically this time, his pride wounded enough for the day.
Whether she'd decided to take pity on him or she'd finally run out of things to say, Zuko wasn't sure, but after that they continued their search in relative silence. Several times he almost broke it himself, if only to stop his whirling thoughts. Nearly a half dozen pairs of lips had touched his these past few weeks but there was only one set that caught at him.
No. There wasn't time for this, they needed to find Aang, they needed to deal with his father. Zuko closed his eyes briefly at the thought of his father but he'd long since come to terms with knowledge of what needed to be done. If he were honest, he'd admit he barely knew the man; it shamed him to think he'd spent years trying to earn the respect and, yes, love of a man who was practically a stranger.
Love. His thoughts were flickering like a candle in a windstorm, back to an idiotic grin, back to a determined warrior with a sword of the like Zuko had never seen before. Not his, not really, but maybe—
"There isn't time for this!" he muttered aloud, striding faster down the beach.
"Time for what?" Toph asked, confused.
"Nothing," Zuko said, louder. They done nearly a complete tour of the island now and hadn't found as much as a footprint. "Let's head back, there's nothing here."
"Lead on, oh, grumpy one," Toph said agreeably and the silence slipped back between them as Zuko walked back to the house, determinedly thinking only of Aang.
It wasn't until much later, sitting atop of Appa's head as he guided the bison towards the Earth Nation that his stifled thoughts came winging back to him. The girls were drowsing in Appa's saddle, the three of them curled together against the chill night air and Zuko had been focused on guiding Appa when a slim body slipped behind him. He stiffened, startled by the embrace but unable to pull away without tumbling off the bison and into open air.
Sokka didn't say a word, his legs on either side of Zuko's as he pressed himself against Zuko's back, his chin resting on the other boy's shoulder. He felt cool against Zuko's warmer body, Sokka's breath faint and sweet against his ear. No words were spoken and after a moment, Sokka slid his arms around Zuko's waist, one hand splayed over his flat stomach and the other loosely gripping his tunic, holding on.
There was warmth pooling in Zuko's stomach, the first bare stirrings of arousal. He ignored it, ignored the confused jumble of thoughts swirling in his mind and leaned back into Sokka, closed his eyes and just breathed.
-finis-
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-02-01 03:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-01 03:42 pm (UTC)Speaking of Mai, is she going to make an appearance at all? Does Zuko still have any feelings for her, or has he been completely consumed by Sokka?
no subject
Date: 2009-02-01 09:22 pm (UTC)hehehe. Poor Zuko, at least he caught a quick break this time.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 12:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-02 12:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-09 08:14 pm (UTC)