Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Amber ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: This is the first Sokka/Zuko fic that I have published. This will be a romance between two dudes down the line, so if you are not o.k. with that…please do not read it. Please BE WARNED: This story WILL have some BL lovin' later on. That's just how the cookie crumbles, folks.

One LAST thing (promise)-this story is going to go a lot slower than your normal slash fic. Because that is what happens when you like to have a plot. If you are looking for instant gratification, this is not the story for you.

Disclaimer: I don't own ATLA or its characters or anything really. But I do own a cat. And a Kitchenaid mixer.

Sokka couldn't believe how dry his mouth felt. Darting out his tongue to lick his lips, he swallowed thickly and glanced over his shoulder. Being around this many Fire Nation citizens should have felt normal by now. But he still remembered the not-so-distant moments of sheer terror when their little group had been on the run from the Fire Lord and his army. The teeny tiny little fact that EVERYone in the Fire Nation had literally been out for their blood may have been insignificant, but he felt like it was a pretty hard thing to forget.

It was an honor, though, to be chosen as the ambassador of the Southern Water Tribe. Too bad it couldn't have been Katara. Sokka could think of no less than 30 places he'd rather be, and the list was growing. Surfing with the Unagi on Kyoshi Island. Taking a jacuzzi bath in the water around the Boiling Rock Prison. Shoving hot needles under his fingernails at…well, anywhere else. To make matters worse, Zuko was making him attend lessons. Lessons! What the hell did a charming and sophisticated guy like him need lessons for? In the Southern Water Tribe, lessons meant getting pushed off an iceberg, and baby it was either sink or swim.

The only, hear it - ONLY - thing that made this entire ordeal bearable was the fact that he didn't have one but THREE hawks, and that Zuko had to suffer through the "lessons" as well. It was pretty amusing, watching Zuko struggle with the classes as much as Sokka was.

At least it would have been amusing if that had been the reality, and if Zuko wasn't a fucking genius and Sokka was apparently a Grade-A retard when it came to all things to do with Fire Nation etiquette and ancient history. Who cared about the difference between a robe with one red thread and a robe with two red threads? Give him planning, maps, blueprints, problems and Sokka would blow you out of the water-literally if you wanted him to. Social niceties and subtle verbal backstabbing on the other hand...

Sokka released the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in a giant "whoosh" as he couldn't detect anyone following him. Lessons were lessons, meetings were meetings, and they all deserved to be located in the sixth level of hell, but today he was determined to blow this popsicle stand. Mmmm…popsicles. Task one: decide on first stop while playing hooky-Check! But what flavors would a Fire Nation popsicle stand have… probably something that started with "Nuclear Meltdown…" or "Tear-Inducing…", or perhaps his favorite: "Third Degree Tongue Burn Hot…" Really, the people in this country wouldn't know when to lay off the spices even if their eyeballs were melting out of their faces from the fumes.

Lost in thought, he wandered toward the entrance to the Fire Palace. Meandering along the broad pavilion road, he tried to make it look like he was just out for a stroll and had no place (like in a lesson) to be. Shoving his hands into his pockets and whistling nonchalantly he studied the archway to the exit he was approaching. It really was beautiful craftsmanship , constructed in the standard red and black of the Fire Nation and decorated with gold filigree and gilding. It had bold, aggressive curves and colors but was still tightly restrained. Just like the Fire Nation people, the combination made it intense. Just like Zuko. That kid reeeeeeally needed to cut loose. And soon.

The smell of freedom was crisp and fresh and Sokka was breathing it in by the lung-full. The sounds of the city became more intense and almost deafening the moment he crossed underneath the arch and out of the palace proper. The change in environment was staggering—beautiful, manicured palatial grounds on one side of the wall suddenly became bustling and slightly dirty streets. People were scurrying every which way, pushing past him on their way to important tasks or meetings.

This was still a nice area since it was right outside of the palace after all, but the signs of a city could be seen anyway. Sokka eyeballed a grimy urchin glaring at him from under his shaggy black bangs and double-checked his coin roll. Yep, the signs of a city were definitely here too. It didn't help that he was obviously foreign even though he was almost as familiar with these streets now as he was with his own village. People still tried to take advantage of him or skipped that step altogether and simply tried to take every belonging worth a cent straight off his body.

Years of poor economic direction under Fire Lord Ozai coupled with the enormous financial burden of making peace with the other nations was putting a strain on the palace and the government, and indirectly on the citizens. The number of urchins and street peddlers was increasing—very very slowly, mind you—but increasing nonetheless.

Zuko was doing his best to plug all the leaks and holes and keep the country running while making peace meetings and arrangements with the other nations and observing all the niceties and customs as well as attending endless meetings on repairing the economy….and wow, Sokka's MIND was out of breath listing all the stuff Zuko had to put up with! Yet despite all the tremendous responsibilities he shouldered, Zuko still made time for their lessons. He was also constantly checking on Sokka, trying to make him feel comfortable in this unfamiliar environment and with his shiny new role as Ambassador.

Suddenly feeling very guilty for skipping school, Sokka's mouth tipped into a little frown and the Water Tribe boy sighed, visibly deflated. Zuko was rocking it out as Fire Lord, and he couldn't even keep up with this one little responsibility! Feeling pretty worthless he spun on his heel and began the short walk back to the palace. Determined to try harder and to attack his duties with the same kind of enthusiasm as Zuko, Sokka was making a mental list of the fifty ways he needed to grow up first when something shiny caught his attention out of the corner of his eye.

Skidding to a halt, a plume of dust puffed up out of the dry dirt in the street. Hacking and coughing Sokka cursed the dry weather that sucked the moisture out of every living thing in this godforsaken region. It was so dry that even if he wasn't a fire bender, he could've lit shit on fire just by snapping his fingers. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd seen a bead of sweat before it evaporated, much less a measly drop of rain. Oh, how he longed for an iceberg or two.

Re-gathering his thoughts as the air cleared around him, the boy made his was over to the little street where the silver item had flashed at him. The alley was constricted and had a dank, sick smell to it. Sokka narrowly avoided a grimy pile of something that may possibly have been rags but could've just as easily been something completely grosser—and THAT was something he didn't really want to think about.

Glancing down, he frowned at how dirty his clothes were getting from this little adventure. If he was going to get Zuko a "whoops-I-screwed-up-but-I'll-be-better-now" gift, he wanted to be as presentable as possible. Running his hand over his shirt to brush off the last traces of dust, he reveled in the rough feel of his Water Tribe clothes under his fingertips. His clothing was one of the only things he still had with him that was achingly familiar.

He knew it was dangerous to take these little excursions wearing these clothes while there was still some political unrest in the capital. But he felt like his heritage was slipping away from him at an alarming rate—there were days when he couldn't even remember what the faces of the younger members of his tribe looked like.

Desperately clinging to his memories and his traditions, Sokka had insisted on retaining his own wardrobe at the very least. As piddly as THAT was—all two pairs of pants and three shirts he owned. Plus, the clothing of an Ambassador was beyond ridiculous and fashionista he was not, but there was no WAY he was debuting THAT outfit in public.

After a few more steps, he neared the stand with the silver jewelry that had winked at him from the alley. A layer of muck covered the wheels of the dilapidated little cart. The metal roof was rusted and sunlight filtered onto the wares below through the corroded holes that peppered the rusty tin.

Despite the appearance of the cart the finely crafted silver pieces glittered on a rich blue velvet swath of cloth. Small jewels adorned the pieces in settings such as twinkling eyes in the faces of various animals, some that Sokka didn't even recognize. A particularly fearsome figure glared at him from the luxurious tray with emerald eyes and ruby fangs. The detail of the silver hair was amazing—so fine it almost seemed to rustle in the slight breeze that wheezed through the alley.

There were all different styles and types of jewelry and trinkets, but one in particular sat up and practically screamed "Zuko!" Reaching out, he gently ran a finger across the golden eyes of the dragon peering up at him. The silver beast's body was all ripples with shots of gold twining through its silver scales. The intricate work was superb on the armband.

The dragon's body formed a circle, with the fierce mouth clamped down on its tail. This was an ouroboros—a serpent eating its own tail like that… Sokka felt the rightness settle down in him. This was perfect for his friend. Ouroboros represented re-creation, re-birth, the cyclic nature of things and the immortality of the soul. Plus, it was a dragon and hey now, everyone knew those things were pretty nifty. It looked like it would fit perfectly on the Fire Lord's upper arm, and Sokka knew that he'd seen Zuko with bands on before.

He felt a tad silly about buying jewelry for his guy buddy. Luckily he had very little shame and a tolerably low level of dignity, so he was comfortable feeling like this wasn't really a problem for him. Glancing side to side he spotted the cart's owner hunkered over a rickety old stool. The ancient woman was tiny and grey, so fragile-looking he was almost afraid she would blow away with the next draft of air.

"Found one, have ye?" Well. Her appearance seemed to be the only frail thing about her. Her voice was as clear and pure as the silver trinkets in front of him. How eerily similar to Toph, which was a completely terrifying thought.

"Yep. How much for this dragon? The one with the gold eyes?" Sokka glanced back down at the armband and jumped back in surprise when the old woman's hand was suddenly picking up the object. How the hell had she moved that fast?

"Aaaah. One of my best pieces. Pure silver base with gold weave, amber chips in the eye set, and a ruby heart." The old woman's voice was proud and affectionate as she caressed the dragon. Sokka hadn't seen any rubies, but she had said a ruby "heart." Kind of a waste of a gem, to hide it away like that. The old lady eyeballed him in such an open manner that Sokka actually blushed. "It's not for ye, is it? No offense sonny, but ye're rather built like a wet noodle. I won't sell it to ye."

"Wet-buh..uh, no…noo-wha? I don't…" sputtering, he finally managed, "N-no! It's not for me…it's-it's for a friend…" Sokka trailed off and flushed furiously. Why was he so embarrassed? It was just a gift for Zuko, it's not like it was an engagement gift for a girl! Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? Why in the Spirits' Names would he have even thought of Zuko and engagements in the same thought? The heat must have been affecting his brain.

The granny frowned at him. "Sonny," she said gently, "this ain't fer a gel. I've some nice rings and bangles over here if'n that's what ye need. A looker like ye must be gettin' a present fer yer sweetie."

"Ah! No! No, it's not for a girl! It's for a guy!"

"Eh?" the little lady looked him up and down once more. "Dinn't realize ye swang'd that way. Oh well, I hope yer lover is a bit more filled out than ye."

Sokka almost face-planted. "Excu-what?"

"Is he pretty too?" She seemed genuinely curious.

"Yes, I mean, no! He's not-"

"It's a bit of a shame that the pretty ones ne'er reproduce" she tsk-d.

"I don't-I'm not-"

"Eh, I'm guessin' yer the bottom, aren't ye?"

"Now wait a minute! If someone was the bottom it would NOT be me!" What the HELL was he saying?

The old lady cackled, "Har, proll'y best that way, ye look like yer boyfriend could snap ye in half! Ha har!"

"N-no! Wait! It's not like that either-he's not my-"

"Aaaah, sure sure, ye're just friends, don't worry, Grandma Leola won't be a-breathin' a word." How had this conversation gone so wrong?

"NO! He's not-ugh!" Sokka smacked his palm to his burning face. This had to rank as one of the most awkward conversations of his life, right up there with that first conversation with Zuko after he joined them at the Western Air Temple…and gah! Why the hell was everything coming back to Zuko right now?

Well, he was buying him a present after all. "Listen. It's not for my boyfriend. It's just a present for a friend. One who's done a lot for me." Sokka peeked through his fingers at the lady.

Scrutinizing him for another moment, she finally nodded. "I see. Well… "

"It's not for sale."

Sokka's jaw hit the ground, "Whaaat? Then why do you have it on display right here?" He knew he was whining, but he couldn't let the most perfect present for Zuko -EVER— just slip away like that!

"This here's my pride'n joy sonny, an' it's waitin' fer someone. I'll know 'em when I see 'em. Ye're a sweet one dear, but ye're not the one for this."

Contemplating, Sokka stared at the grandma's face for a moment before responding. "I'm not too bright of a guy sometimes. Mostly I like to stick to the simple things. Knock knock jokes. Meat. Baby polar-seals. Walking in a straight line. I'm about as deep as a puddle. In the middle of the Fire Nation. This week. I may not understand why you stuck a stone inside a bracelet, but I do know that the fact that something so beautiful is hidden inside something that looks so scary only makes it more perfect for my buddy. He's a lot like that, too." Sokka shrugged. He knew his answer was dumb and if it was some tricky Fire Nation quiz, like you must answer a riddle before I sell you this q-tip kind of thing, he was S.O.L. anyway so why not just spit out whatever was on his mind?

The little grey lady stared at him. Her eyes were cloudy and he wondered how she could even see to make it to the bathroom, much less craft this beautiful work. Blinking slowly, she began to pack up her things.

"I'll clean it up and send it to ye. Where are ye stayin'."

"Er-the palace." The woman glanced at him sharply, then nodded slowly.

"Be expectin' it tomorrow, dear."

Dumbstruck, Sokka could only stand there and watch as the woman zoomed away from him. What the hell had just happened? Had the sweltering sun turned her brain to mush? Wait a minute…he hadn't even paid for it! Starting forward, he began to hurry after her down the narrow walkway just in time to see her take a sharp turn around the corner.

Cursing, he tripped over a loose stone and winced as pain lanced through his toe. He realized he was muttering profane and unkindly things about insane little old ladies and quickly put a can on it before anyone could hear. As he reached the other entrance to the alley, he skidded to a halt and looked both ways, then sucked in a surprised breath.

This area was completely different from the street just a block away. He wasn't sure he'd ever even seen this street before. The gutters were dirtier, the shops were a little more run-down and the people seemed to have a sharper edge to them. The whole atmosphere practically shouted "Rough neighborhood! Do not take candy from strangers! Do not run with scissors!"

He jerked back to reality as he saw the rusty tin-roof cart turn the corner around another block and out of his sight. With a final curse, he took off after her at a jog.