#local asexual not having the energy to write a kiss today haha

[backhurtyy]

ELLEN!!!! zukka with 57 for the prompts please?? 🥺 also congrats on 400!! 💕💖

57. Heart eyes when the other talks, sings, dances, argues, does literally anything- especially things which others make fun of them for or find annoying

so i think this was supposed to be soft and fluffy but uhhhhh it became a little more angsty??? anyways warning for a general making fun of zuko for having a lisp.

When Zuko got rambling on something he liked- something he was really passionate about- he got a lisp. Well, technically he always had a lisp, but years of speech therapy forced on him by his father meant that in normal conversation, he was able to disguise it. But when he got going on a topic he was passionate about- things like art or putting the more bigoted advisors in their place- or was tired, or upset, or on the rare occasion that he sang, he couldn’t hide it.

Sokka knew that Zuko was insecure about it. He could see why, when the advisors leftover from his father’s rule so clearly hated it. They never hid that they saw it as just another weakness of his, just another imperfection in the boy they hated. He knew Zuko tried to hide his passion and enthusiasm so that no one would hear it. He knew Zuko hated it.

He wished he didn’t, though, because Sokka thought it was... Cute? Endearing? Precious? Whatever he thought it was, when he heard Zuko’s lisp, he couldn’t help but melt. Not because of his voice itself, though that was definitely a factor, but because of what came with it. Zuko got this fire in his eyes when he was ranting, something bright and lively that blazed like a thousand suns. His face would become soften and open (unless he was yelling at advisors, in which case it was stormy and angry and a completely different story), his hands would begin waving around, and he’d just... Slip away from being the Fire Lord for a minute, and become Zuko.

It was those moments that reminded Sokka just how gone for him he was.

Today was no exception- they were walking through the palace together on their way to their next meeting, hands brushing occasionally they were so close. Zuko was telling him about the trip to see his uncle he’d just gotten back from and how well Azula was doing, and his enthusiasm was clear in how Azula came out with a soft whistling ‘th’ instead of a hard ‘z’, how he stuttered over Jasmine Dragon ever so slightly, how his face was locked in a carefree smile and his hands gestured freely.

Sokka couldn’t look away or dampen the smile on his face, and he knew that if Zuko were to look over, he’d see all the love and adoration he felt for him clearly written for the world to see.

But Zuko didn’t look over, and Sokka didn’t stop staring- they just continued walking.

As they were rounding the corner, neither of them were paying attention, as absorbed in Zuko’s story as they were, and they didn’t see the group of men walking their way until Zuko had already crashed into one of them.

The man stumbled, spilling the scrolls he was holding, and both Sokka and Zuko dropped to the ground to help pick them up.

“I’m tho thorry,” Zuko exclaimed, head bowed as he scrambled to grab them, his lisp clear. “That wath completely my fault.”

“...No worries, Fire Lord Zuko,” one of the men said, disdain dripping from his words.

Sokka’s heart ached as he realized just who it was, and he glanced at Zuko to see his cheeks burning red as he came to the same realization. General Takashi was the military advisor, an old man who had been very vocal about his disagreement with the end of the war. Since then, he’d continued to fight Zuko on every decision he made, and hadn’t bothered to hide how much he hated the young ruler. Of all the people to hear Zuko’s lisp right now, he was one of the worst.

Sokka opened his mouth to speak for Zuko, but his best friend shook his head minutely. He rose to his feet gracefully, scrolls bundled in his arm, and looked at him evenly, even though Sokka could tell he was panicking slightly.

“General Takathi,” he greeted, before turning to the advisor who’s scrolls he held. “Onthe again, my apologieth. Here are your thcrollth. If you’ll excuthe the ambathador and I, I’m afraid we’re late for a meeting.”

Without waiting for a response, Zuko pushed past them and continued down the hallway.

“Excuse us,” Sokka echoed, following him worriedly.

As they walked away, he heard Takashi say in disdain, “Unbelievable. What sort of Fire Lord can’t even say a general’s name properly?”

Sokka hoped Zuko hadn’t heard it, but when he saw his shoulders tense and his stride lengthen, he knew it was in vein. His heart broke, and as they passed the door to his office, he lunged forward to grab Zuko’s hand and pull him into it.

“Thokka-“ Zuko cut himself off, eyes squeezing shut in annoyance and embarrassment and wrenching his hand away from Sokka. He pretended it didn’t sting as much as it did. “What are you doing? We’re going to be late.”

“They can wait. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I’m fine. Now let’th- let’th-” he sighed, turning away as he took a deep breath and carefully said, “Let’s go.”

“Zuko, please. You’re not in any condition to run a meeting right now.”

“I’ll have the lithp under control by then, Thokka. It’th fine,” he snapped, lisp coming back with his broken composure.

His heart broke. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”

He sighed again. “I know,” he said tiredly, hanging his head. “I know that’th not what you meant. I juth-“ He groaned. “I’m thorry you have to hear thith, I know it’th annoying.”

“No it’s not, Zuko. I promise you, I don’t mind. I sort of... Well, I sort of prefer it?”

“What?” Zuko’s tone was immediately defensive.

“That’s not a good way to describe it. I just meant that when you’re lisping, it’s usually because you’re happy, or talking about something you love. And I like it when you’re happy, because you get all soft and beautiful and I love it because I want you to be happy. So, yeah... I love hearing the lisp.”

“I-“ Zuko turned to him slowly, eyes watering slightly. “Ith that why you were thtaring? You think I’m beautiful?”

Sokka blushed, realizing just what he’d admitted. “Oh. You noticed I said that. And also... that I was staring.”

“Thorta hard not to,” he laughed shakily, taking a step closer to Sokka. “I hoped you felt that way, though.”

“Oh,” he breathed, suddenly understanding and stepping forward so that they’re were just inches apart, eyes searching each others’. “Uh, yeah... It’s... Well. Yes. I do feel that way, and if you feel that way too...”

Zuko rolled his eyes fondly. “Juth kith me, Thokka.”

Sokka had never heard anything sweeter.

#lol so i didn’t read this over at all really and i kinda feel like i lost the prompt but #lisp zuko makes me very 🥺🥺🥺 so hopefully this is okay???? #also not me stopping right before the kiss lmaoooo #local asexual not having the energy to write a kiss today haha #anyways thanks hannah sorry it took a while!!! #zukosadragon ace writes #zukosadragon ace speaks #ellen’s 400 follower celebration #verdanthoney