An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 34: An Unexpected Visitor

The strong winter sun woke Zuko up. He still was not used to how blinding daylight was reflecting off the snow, and it took him a few minutes for his eyes to adjust.

He looked to his right and smiled upon seeing Sokka still sleeping like a log, unphased by the blinding light pouring into the room. The thought of getting up crossed his mind, but he decided instead to lie back down and rest his head against Sokka's shoulder.

Part of him was afraid of what would happen after they both woke up and faced the others. Aang supported them, and he made it sound as if Katara did too, but what about Sokka's dad? What about everyone else?

He brushed the thoughts aside, instead focusing on the beautiful man he was lying next to. As long as Sokka was by his side, he knew they would get through it together.

Zuko drifted peacefully back to sleep, his natural firebender warmth kept them both warm and comfortable, making it easy to fall back asleep.

He woke up again an hour later to Sokka gently running his fingers through his hair. The water tribe boy noticed he had woken up and smiled at him warmly, not stopping what he was doing.

"Good morning," Sokka said softly, making Zuko's heart melt all over again. He had never felt this way before, and he knew in that moment his feelings for Sokka was much more than a simple infatuation.

"Good morning boomerang boy," Zuko said and pressed his head firmly against Sokka's arm, not wanting the moment to end.

"Zuko?" Sokka said with what sounded like a hint of nervousness in his voice.

"Hm?" Zuko mumbled into his arm and kept his eyes closed.

"I... I just wanted to tell you..." Sokka struggled to say before finally getting the words out, "I love you."

Zuko's heart skipped a beat and his eyes shot open. Was he dreaming, or did Sokka actually say he loved him? He was speechless and he looked up at Sokka's eyes which were a mix of love and fear.

"I love you too," Zuko said and relief flooded Sokka's face. Zuko leaned forward and kissed the love of his life softly on the lips. Their eyes met one another's and Zuko felt like he could get lost in Sokka's bright blue eyes.

Sokka leaned in and kissed Zuko once more. This kiss was one filled with passion, dedication and love. It felt like fireworks were going off in Zuko's brain, like the last piece of a puzzle was put into place and everything finally made sense.

Their lips parted and once more Zuko couldn't help but stare longingly at Sokka. The uncertainty and fear he had felt months before seemed like a distant memory. Sokka had been what was missing from his life all this time, and he never would have known had he not woken up from a bad nightmare and made the split-second decision to ask him to visit.

Sokka ran his hand through Zuko's hair a few more times before saying, "as much as I'd love to stay here with you all day, I think we should get up and get this over with."

Zuko's spirits fell a little knowing what they had to do, but Sokka was right as usual. The two slowly crawled out of bed and got ready for the day. The smell of eggs, bacon and pancakes filled the hallway, and the sound of the bacon sizzling in a skillet put an extra pep in Sokka's step.

"You ready?" Sokka asked when they had both finished getting ready. Zuko nodded and the two made their way down the hall and down the stairs to the living space where the kitchen, dining area and living room were one.