Commencing Combat: Chapter 3
Wow, I think this is a record for me. It's only been a little over a month since my last update. Enjoy!
Title: Commencing Combat
Chapter Title: Veteran
Author: hakuryu08
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Characters/Pairing: Sokka & Zuko
Prompt: Jealousy
Rating: T
Genre: Angst/Friendship
Word Count: 1,309
Disclaimer: Still don’t own ATLA or Sokka or Zuko. If that ever changes, I’ll let you know.
Summary: Modern AU. This is in the “Another Battle” series that I started. Three years after Zuko’s mother died Sokka moves to Zuko’s school. This is the friendship (and trouble) that follows.
Author's Note: The prompt from this chapter is also from 10_hurt_comfort
Commencing Combat
Chapter 3: Veteran
Zuko wasn’t sure what to say as he looked around the horribly rundown building he was currently standing in. “You bought this place?” He finally asked, making his distaste known as he narrowed his eyes critically.
“I know it doesn’t look like much now,” his Uncle Iroh responded, “but it will look amazing in no time. I hired a contractor and we started drawing up plans for the remodel.”
Zuko glanced at his uncle curiously. “What for?” He asked.
“I’m going to open my own teashop.” Iroh stated, proud of his investment.
“Oh.” Zuko glanced around again. His uncle was retired and he was aware that the old man was extremely bored. That would have been very hard to miss. But this venture seemed a bit much. Zuko couldn’t imagine this decrepit old building looking like anything but the dump it currently resembled.
‘Sokka would see it.’ Zuko sighed. He knew that Sokka had a much better imagination than he did. It many ways, Sokka reminded him of his uncle. Zuko was sure Sokka would have been just as excited about this place as Iroh was. He probably would have started adding his own ideas. Zuko sighed again.
“Is everything alright, Nephew?” Iroh asked, looking at Zuko in concern. The two of them had travelled further into the shop and were now standing in what Zuko assumed would be the dining area. There were a few badly damaged tables scattered around but not many chairs.
“I’m fine, Uncle.” Zuko answered. “Just thinking.”
Iroh picked up an overturned chair and placed it at the closest table. He gestured for his nephew to pull over the chair at the next table as he sat. “Is there anything you wish to talk about?”
Zuko placed his chair across from his uncle and sat down, putting his elbows up on the table. He sighed again as he decided whether or not he felt like talking. Iroh pulled a thermos and two small plastic cups out of his ‘giant tea bag’, as Zuko liked to call it, and poured them both a cup of tea.
“I was just wishing I could see what you see.” Zuko started. He pulled his cup towards him and looked down at it as he continued. “My friend, Sokka, would be able to see it too. I guess I’m a little jealous.”
“Your friend?” Iroh questioned with a smile. “I don’t remember you mentioning him before.”
“He moved here a couple months ago.” Zuko looked back at his uncle and smiled as well as he remembered Sokka’s first day. “I tried to scare him away but it didn’t work.”
Iroh chuckled, cup of tea now in his hands. “Well, what is he like?” He asked, taking a sip.
“He’s really smart. We work on school work together a lot and he actually enjoys it. And he’s very energetic. He loves telling stories about all the places he’s been to. His father’s an ambassador and his whole family used to travel all around the world.”
Iroh sat back in his chair as he listened to his nephew. It was rare to see the boy this happy. “He sounds interesting. I’d like to meet him sometime.”
Zuko nodded. “You and him have a lot in common. You even seem to handle things the same way.”
“What do you mean?” Iroh asked.
Zuko blushed, embarrassed that he noticed so much about someone he hadn’t known for very long. “I just noticed that Sokka has a lot of smiles. He has this sad smile that comes out whenever he talks about his mother. He’s never actually said this, but I’m almost positive she’s… dead.” Zuko paused and looked at the cup in his hands again. “I’m pretty sure it happened right before he came here. He and his sister live with their grandma now. His father still travels.”
Iroh nodded in understanding, taking another sip of his tea before he continued the conversation. “It sounds like you two have become good friends.”
“Yeah…” Zuko paused again, not sure how to word what he wanted to say next. “But I’m worried that it won’t last.” He confessed, hoping his uncle would understand. “I’ve never had a real friend before. I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right.”
“Zuko-” Iroh tried to speak but Zuko cut him off.
“I mean, from what Sokka’s been saying, he’s never had a friend his own age either. But he seems so much more confident than me. It’s like all of this comes natural to him. It’s not fair.”
Iroh sighed while he considered the best way to combat Zuko’s insecurities. “Tell me, Zuko.” He said after a moment, placing his tea back on the table. “Do you care about Sokka?”
Zuko’s eyes widened at the question and he ducked his head lower in order to hide his current blush, this time embarrassed that he didn’t even have to consider his answer. “Yes.” He said, softly. “I actually realized this a few days ago. Sokka was upset. I could tell because he wasn’t smiling and I didn’t like that. It just wasn’t right.”
“What did you do?”
Zuko glanced up as he answered. “I found out what was wrong. He was upset because he found out his father wouldn’t be here for his birthday.” Zuko nearly gasped as he remembered what he had said that day. “I promised him that I would be there.”
Iroh smiled. “Then you have nothing to worry about. You showed that you care enough about your friend to be there for him when he needs you. That’s the most important thing in a friendship and as long as you both remember that, the two of you will be just fine.”
Zuko considered his uncle’s words. “Sokka did smile when I told him I’d be there for his birthday.” He said, slowly. With the realization that he hadn’t needed anyone to tell him what to do to help Sokka, Zuko looked up at Iroh with satisfaction. “Thank you, Uncle.” He gave the older man a soft smile before taking a sip of his tea, doing his best to hide the grimace that almost always followed. He never really liked tea.
“You are quite welcome, Nephew. Now, what do you think I should name my teashop?”
They talked for some time after that. Zuko pretended to drink his tea while Iroh randomly threw out names that Zuko mostly shook his head at.
“Oh dear.” Iroh said after a few hours had past. “I didn’t realize how late it was getting.”
“What time is it?” Zuko asked in alarm.
“Nearly nine.” Iroh looked from his watch to his nephew, not liking the note of fear he was sure he heard in his nephew’s voice. “Why don’t you call your father. Tell him you’re with me and I’ll drive-”
“That’s okay, Uncle.” Zuko interrupted, already heading for the door, this time the fear unmistakable. “Thanks for everything.”
“Nephew, wait…” But Zuko was gone.
____________________
Zuko was out of breath by the time he reached his home, having run the whole way. He really should have taken his uncle up on his offer of a ride but he was afraid that it would have caused more harm than good. He still would have been past curfew and he wasn’t sure he would be able to hide his anxiety about arriving late. No phone call would ease the confrontation with his father.
Pausing at his front door, Zuko thought once again of Sokka. He imagined the other boy was at his own home at the moment, probably spending some quality time with his grandmother and sister. They might even be watching a movie together or playing a board game.
‘Sokka may have a negligent father,’ Zuko thought as he opened the door, ‘but he’s still better off than me.’
________________________________________
Please comment. Let me know what you think.
Title: Commencing Combat
Chapter Title: Veteran
Author: hakuryu08
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Characters/Pairing: Sokka & Zuko
Prompt: Jealousy
Rating: T
Genre: Angst/Friendship
Word Count: 1,309
Disclaimer: Still don’t own ATLA or Sokka or Zuko. If that ever changes, I’ll let you know.
Summary: Modern AU. This is in the “Another Battle” series that I started. Three years after Zuko’s mother died Sokka moves to Zuko’s school. This is the friendship (and trouble) that follows.
Author's Note: The prompt from this chapter is also from 10_hurt_comfort
Commencing Combat
Chapter 3: Veteran
Zuko wasn’t sure what to say as he looked around the horribly rundown building he was currently standing in. “You bought this place?” He finally asked, making his distaste known as he narrowed his eyes critically.
“I know it doesn’t look like much now,” his Uncle Iroh responded, “but it will look amazing in no time. I hired a contractor and we started drawing up plans for the remodel.”
Zuko glanced at his uncle curiously. “What for?” He asked.
“I’m going to open my own teashop.” Iroh stated, proud of his investment.
“Oh.” Zuko glanced around again. His uncle was retired and he was aware that the old man was extremely bored. That would have been very hard to miss. But this venture seemed a bit much. Zuko couldn’t imagine this decrepit old building looking like anything but the dump it currently resembled.
‘Sokka would see it.’ Zuko sighed. He knew that Sokka had a much better imagination than he did. It many ways, Sokka reminded him of his uncle. Zuko was sure Sokka would have been just as excited about this place as Iroh was. He probably would have started adding his own ideas. Zuko sighed again.
“Is everything alright, Nephew?” Iroh asked, looking at Zuko in concern. The two of them had travelled further into the shop and were now standing in what Zuko assumed would be the dining area. There were a few badly damaged tables scattered around but not many chairs.
“I’m fine, Uncle.” Zuko answered. “Just thinking.”
Iroh picked up an overturned chair and placed it at the closest table. He gestured for his nephew to pull over the chair at the next table as he sat. “Is there anything you wish to talk about?”
Zuko placed his chair across from his uncle and sat down, putting his elbows up on the table. He sighed again as he decided whether or not he felt like talking. Iroh pulled a thermos and two small plastic cups out of his ‘giant tea bag’, as Zuko liked to call it, and poured them both a cup of tea.
“I was just wishing I could see what you see.” Zuko started. He pulled his cup towards him and looked down at it as he continued. “My friend, Sokka, would be able to see it too. I guess I’m a little jealous.”
“Your friend?” Iroh questioned with a smile. “I don’t remember you mentioning him before.”
“He moved here a couple months ago.” Zuko looked back at his uncle and smiled as well as he remembered Sokka’s first day. “I tried to scare him away but it didn’t work.”
Iroh chuckled, cup of tea now in his hands. “Well, what is he like?” He asked, taking a sip.
“He’s really smart. We work on school work together a lot and he actually enjoys it. And he’s very energetic. He loves telling stories about all the places he’s been to. His father’s an ambassador and his whole family used to travel all around the world.”
Iroh sat back in his chair as he listened to his nephew. It was rare to see the boy this happy. “He sounds interesting. I’d like to meet him sometime.”
Zuko nodded. “You and him have a lot in common. You even seem to handle things the same way.”
“What do you mean?” Iroh asked.
Zuko blushed, embarrassed that he noticed so much about someone he hadn’t known for very long. “I just noticed that Sokka has a lot of smiles. He has this sad smile that comes out whenever he talks about his mother. He’s never actually said this, but I’m almost positive she’s… dead.” Zuko paused and looked at the cup in his hands again. “I’m pretty sure it happened right before he came here. He and his sister live with their grandma now. His father still travels.”
Iroh nodded in understanding, taking another sip of his tea before he continued the conversation. “It sounds like you two have become good friends.”
“Yeah…” Zuko paused again, not sure how to word what he wanted to say next. “But I’m worried that it won’t last.” He confessed, hoping his uncle would understand. “I’ve never had a real friend before. I’m not even sure if I’m doing it right.”
“Zuko-” Iroh tried to speak but Zuko cut him off.
“I mean, from what Sokka’s been saying, he’s never had a friend his own age either. But he seems so much more confident than me. It’s like all of this comes natural to him. It’s not fair.”
Iroh sighed while he considered the best way to combat Zuko’s insecurities. “Tell me, Zuko.” He said after a moment, placing his tea back on the table. “Do you care about Sokka?”
Zuko’s eyes widened at the question and he ducked his head lower in order to hide his current blush, this time embarrassed that he didn’t even have to consider his answer. “Yes.” He said, softly. “I actually realized this a few days ago. Sokka was upset. I could tell because he wasn’t smiling and I didn’t like that. It just wasn’t right.”
“What did you do?”
Zuko glanced up as he answered. “I found out what was wrong. He was upset because he found out his father wouldn’t be here for his birthday.” Zuko nearly gasped as he remembered what he had said that day. “I promised him that I would be there.”
Iroh smiled. “Then you have nothing to worry about. You showed that you care enough about your friend to be there for him when he needs you. That’s the most important thing in a friendship and as long as you both remember that, the two of you will be just fine.”
Zuko considered his uncle’s words. “Sokka did smile when I told him I’d be there for his birthday.” He said, slowly. With the realization that he hadn’t needed anyone to tell him what to do to help Sokka, Zuko looked up at Iroh with satisfaction. “Thank you, Uncle.” He gave the older man a soft smile before taking a sip of his tea, doing his best to hide the grimace that almost always followed. He never really liked tea.
“You are quite welcome, Nephew. Now, what do you think I should name my teashop?”
They talked for some time after that. Zuko pretended to drink his tea while Iroh randomly threw out names that Zuko mostly shook his head at.
“Oh dear.” Iroh said after a few hours had past. “I didn’t realize how late it was getting.”
“What time is it?” Zuko asked in alarm.
“Nearly nine.” Iroh looked from his watch to his nephew, not liking the note of fear he was sure he heard in his nephew’s voice. “Why don’t you call your father. Tell him you’re with me and I’ll drive-”
“That’s okay, Uncle.” Zuko interrupted, already heading for the door, this time the fear unmistakable. “Thanks for everything.”
“Nephew, wait…” But Zuko was gone.
____________________
Zuko was out of breath by the time he reached his home, having run the whole way. He really should have taken his uncle up on his offer of a ride but he was afraid that it would have caused more harm than good. He still would have been past curfew and he wasn’t sure he would be able to hide his anxiety about arriving late. No phone call would ease the confrontation with his father.
Pausing at his front door, Zuko thought once again of Sokka. He imagined the other boy was at his own home at the moment, probably spending some quality time with his grandmother and sister. They might even be watching a movie together or playing a board game.
‘Sokka may have a negligent father,’ Zuko thought as he opened the door, ‘but he’s still better off than me.’
________________________________________
Please comment. Let me know what you think.