jo. bestie. hi. i’m holding your hands and asking u to please if u want deal us all permanent psychic damage with “you’re just as beautiful as the day i lost you” (the httyd divorced zukka agenda has to continue and nobody can do it as well as u <3)
Sokka had spent the entire journey to the Fire Nation imagining himself being so overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of Zuko that, decorum be damned, he would run into his arms as soon as they made eye contact.
The sting of disappointment he felt when he realized that Zuko wasn't even there to greet him and Katara was enough to extinguish most of the excitement he had felt and make him second-guess everything about this trip. It was odd enough that after over a decade of being broken up they had rekindled their relationship over letters, what would it be like when they saw each other in person for the first time in years? Did they only know how to be in love again in theory? Was Zuko truly ready to leave the throne and his home in a few months and start a life with Sokka?
He's hiding out on some balcony that the two of them frequented in his Ambassador days, and he jumps when he hears the door open behind him. It's probably Katara telling him to stop moping, and he's about to tell her that he just needs a minute when he sees Zuko there, giving him a tentative smile.
"Hey," he says.
"Hi," Sokka says, the corner of his mouth twitching in amusement.
"Sorry about," Zuko gestures, and Sokka knows what he means.
"I get it. You're a busy guy," Sokka says.
That makes Zuko frown, and he walks over and takes a seat on the bench next to him. "Not too busy for you," he says. Which, historically, is kind of a lie, but Sokka appreciates the sentiment all the same. Especially since soon, they won't have to worry about the Fire Lord nonsense ever again.
Zuko seems to be thinking the same thing. "For what it's worth, it wasn't 'official business' keeping me away again," he clarifies. "Izumi was getting a little overwhelmed with everything going on to get ready for the party, and I spent longer in the garden with her than I realized. She's with Uncle, now."
Sokka softens at that, his doubts slowly starting to fade away. "That's understandable."
"Thanks for coming all the way here," Zuko says quickly. "It means a lot and it...it's really good to see you."
The sincerity in his tone is a little overwhelming. "Wouldn't miss it for the world," Sokka says, despite having missed the last ten or so of Zuko's birthday celebrations.
It makes Zuko smile, though, which Sokka relaxes at the sight of.
"You look good," Sokka says, smiling back.
"You look..." Zuko trails off, a strange expression on his face as he just keeps staring at Sokka.
"What?" Sokka asks suspiciously. "Is there something on my face?"
"You're just as beautiful as the day I lost you," Zuko says, so softly Sokka might have missed it had he not been hanging onto every word from those lips.
"I..." Sokka says, feeling speechless for once as heat rises in his cheeks. "That's...great, thank you."
As soon as the words leave his mouth he groans, putting his head in his hands as Zuko laughs loudly at him.
"You can't just say things like that," Sokka complains, even if he can't stop smiling.
"I can and I will, especially if that is the kind of reaction I can expect," Zuko teases. Sokka looks over at him and feels his cheeks flushing again at the soft look on Zuko's face.
Sokka takes a shaky breath, calling upon every ounce of bravery he's ever possessed to help him reach for Zuko's hand. "Twelve years?" he asks, giving it a squeeze.
"Twelve years," Zuko confirms, squeezing back. “It’s not that I haven’t seen you that whole time. I just…never let myself really look.”
Sokka nods. “You’re sure this is what you want?”
Zuko raises his eyebrow. "I've started packing."
Sokka rolls his eyes and shoves Zuko's shoulder with his own. "Oh, so romantic, run away with me just because you're already packing."
Zuko laughs again, and Sokka feels lightheaded. He's not going to get used to constantly hearing that sound anytime soon.
“I've had all this time to think about it, and my answer is still the same," Zuko tells him seriously. "This is best for the Fire Nation, best for us. Are you sure, though? Six year olds are pretty crazy.”
“Raising a kid with you?" Sokka asks. "That's all I've ever wanted. Craziness and all."
The way Zuko looks at Sokka erases any of the doubts, the questions, the worries Sokka had about this. About them. After the years of heartbreak and separation, Sokka knows that's behind them, and the future looks much brighter.
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Hi! I just saw your review for Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, and how it feels like reading Wikipedia when even with the magic added everything in the Napoleonic wars happen exactly the same as it did in history anyways, and I vaguely remember you having read the Temeraire series at some point? Anyways, since I just got through Black Powder War, I was curious about what you thought on how Novik handled The-Napoleonic-Wars-but-with-dragons, and whether it has a similar feel, or if it's handled better.
oh no it's not that it felt like reading wikipedia--I was actually reading Wikipedia and constructing explanations for why Wellington had fucked up such and such to need Strange to do whatever when historically he had, perhaps obviously, not had any magicians.
at any rate: Novik drives me nuts.
it DOES end up derailing fairly dramatically from history (yay!) but then sharply pivots into "in this book we shall examine one Foreign Culture TM and how they interact with dragons and also uncritically praise Britain/condemn Napoleon". which makes me want to eat glass.
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Desert translation
When Ha'nuk had told you that you would not survive in the desert he wasn't joking. You had assumed that he meant the high heat that poured down in waves from all directions or the clear lack of water for miles around.. You would be correct, but you would also be underestimating a key component in a majority of biomes. The fauna.
Excluding Titi you realized that you had not seen any other creatures on the desert floor. You couldn't blame them if they were simply hiding from the heat. The twin suns having taken their place at the highest point in the stratosphere. Even the large birds that had circled above like vultures ready to feed on you when Ha'nuk had found you unconscious in the sand were nowhere to be seen. With no clouds in the sky to buffer the sun's relentless gaze you could see the appeal of digging deep and waiting for twilight to escape it. Looking down at the hard shell of Titi below your woven sandals a sigh escaped you, "Poor Titi".
If Ha'nuk had ears they would have twitched as he let out a hum in reply.
"Shouldn't she take a break? The sun is hotter than hell," Titi's dark carapass was not cold by any means but compared to the arid air, it was so refreshing to lie your head against.
"Hotter than hell," Ha'nuk's brows pull forward, his confusion shown clear on his face despite his brimmed hat and the many layers of lining that covered his face. He clicks his teeth together as he mold over the unknown phrase and his next words. "Titi okey. Time no waste. Be at outpost before mid sun." Ha'nuk knew very little basic because of how isolated his village and planet was but it was enough to decipher and you were thankful for it.
"It is already midsun," you replied pointedly.
"Next midsun," he held a minor smug air about him at his own witty reply. He turned his head to look at you directly over his shoulder, a serious air about him, "Yet much danger."
That word would never sit right with you.
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