Chapter Text
The first time Sokka wanders into a nondescript tea shop in the upper ring of Ba Sing Se it’s to ask around about Appa. And ask if he can put up a poster. Since he’s there anyway, and he’s been walking around for a while, he might as well stay for a bit and have some tea. It’s hot outside and it’s nice and cool in here. Plus, he can sit and strategize a while. He’s a strategy guy.
He’s thinking about how he was taught to track animals in the south pole. Using tracks, and markings and movement patterns. But that was usually for smaller animals. Peacock-mice and owl-cats. Not for gigantic furry sky bison. He sighs, they’re probably the first people in the history of forever, to lose a sky bison.
He’s looking down at the table when he hears a strangely familiar, gravelly voice from above him, “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. May I take your order?”
When he looks up at the server he nearly jumps out of his skin. He would recognize that face anywhere. Golden eyes and the scar blossoming across half his face. Zuko. Zuko has followed them here. His hand jumps immediately to his boomerang. And he ponders whether it’s socially appropriate to brawl in the middle of the tea shop. What he wants to say is: How the hell are you here? Are you still following us, man? And: If you’re here after Aang you’ve got another thing coming.
What he says is, “Huh?”
“Water nation peasant!?” Zuko stares at him incredulously.
“If there weren’t people here you would be dead meat.” Sokka whispers at him fiercely, “And I mean dead. Deader than dead.”
“That doesn’t even mean anything.” Zuko shoots back, “And I can’t do this right now.”
“Ooooh. It’s not a good time for you. I understand. Cause it was totally a good time for us when you were chasing us across the world and trying to kill us!”
“Ssshhhhhh.” Zuko says putting a finger to his mouth, “My shift is almost over. Meet me outside in ten minutes.”
Then he hurriedly marches himself to the next table and repeats in his fake-happy voice, “Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. May I take your order?”
Sokka sighs, they have the worst luck. And what’s more, he didn’t even get to order any tea.
Ten minutes later they meet outside the store. Sokka is tapping his foot impatiently, glancing around here and there--in case this is some sort of elaborate trap to capture the avatar. Sort of high-effort though, going undercover in a tea shop just hoping Sokka would walk in and become the perfect hostage to get Aang to come running. But then, Zuko is kinda a high-effort guy.
When Zuko comes out Sokka fights off an urge to pre-emptively stab him. And instead settles for, “Explain yourself. Or I’m getting Katara. And if things get really bad. I’ll get Toph. Believe me. You don’t want that.”
“Who?” Zuko asks, scratching his head, “Whatever. I’m not--I’m not here for you.”
“I don’t believe that. How stupid do you think I am?”
Zuko stares at him blankly.
“I’m supposed to think it’s just a huge coincidence that you’re here. And we’re here. In the same city. At the same time.”
“Uh. I have something for you. It’s a coupon for a free cup of tea.” Zuko pulls it out of his pocket and offers it to Sokka.
“What.”
“Forget it. It was my uncle’s idea for getting out of awkward social situations. Look, I can’t prove anything to you.”
“You. You just keep yourself. And your jerkbending away from me and my friends. Comprende?” Sokka narrows his eyes, “Wait a second. Do you have Appa?”
“Appa?”
“The giant sky bison we ride around when you chase us on your angry iron ship.”
“Sure. In the back where we keep our good ginseng blends and lapsang suochong, I also have a giant sky bison.” Zuko gestures towards the shop.
They look at each other for a minute. Sizing each other up.
Zuko sighs, “Are we done here?”
“We’re done. But I’m watching you.” Sokka points to his eyes with two fingers and then points them back at Zuko.
He doesn’t tell Katara or Aang. For a number of reasons. For one thing, he doesn’t know how to bring it up naturally in conversation. ‘Hey you know that guy who tried to kill us a bunch of times and generally is super bad news. Well I saw him serving tea today’ doesn’t really roll off the tongue. For another thing, he’s pretty sure if he tells Katara she’ll go after Zuko herself and turn him into a permanent icicle. If he tells Aang, that’s as good as telling Katara. And lastly, having Zuko here, in a spot where Sokka could easily turn him over to the Dai Li, gives him something he’s never had over that pesky firebender. Leverage. It’s leverage like that which could work to his advantage, and give him something that’s been almost impossible to get. Information on the fire nation.
But he has to tell someone. So when the others are asleep. He goes over to Toph and shakes her awake.
“Whada’you want?” She grumbles.
“Come outside. I have a secret.”
Hearing the word ‘secret’, she tiptoes outside after him immediately. And when they’re huddled together in the dark. He tells her.
“Spill.” Toph demands.
“So yesterday you know how I was out for a while.”
“Yeah. So?”
“Well.” Sokka begins slowly, “I was with this guy.”
“Ohhh.” Toph nods, “So you like guys. I mean. I kinda knew.”
“What?” Sokka turns bright red, “No. I don’t. It wasn’t like that. It was Zuko. I mean. Sort of. He was pretending to be someone else. And calling himself Li.”
“Interesting. Is his uncle here?” Toph wonders.
“Yeah. They’re together. And I’m sure that they’re up to something.”
“You know I can tell when people are lying right? Just take me to him. Jeez. And I’m guessing you don’t want Twinkletoes and Miss Sugar Queen to know?”
“Not yet. Not until we know more.” Sokka strokes his chin, “Let’s go with your idea. I’ll take you there in a few days. We’ll see what he’s really up to.”
But Sokka can’t wait a whole few days to check up on him again. So he’s back again the next morning. It’s for Aang’s sake really. The safety of the whole gang. And for Appa. He’s still not completely sure that Zuko doesn’t have Appa.
So he walks up to the counter and takes a place in line, waiting patiently, and whistling to pass the time as he makes his way to the front. Until he’s once again face to face with the fire prince.
“Why are you here again?” Zuko demands.
“Believe it or not. I need to order some tea.”
“We’re not open.”
“Lee.” the man Sokka knows to be Zuko’s Uncle Iroh, pops up behind him, “That’s no way to talk to an interested customer.”
“Sorry, uncle.” Zuko says in a voice that sounds decidedly not sorry, “What. Would. You. Like.”
“I think a half-cup of oolong would hit the spot.”
“And your name, sir?” Zuko says drily.
“Zuko. My name is Zuko. Do you need me to spell it?”
“Please take a seat. Your order will be ready shortly.”
Sokka takes a seat. In a few minutes another server calls out from the counter, “Half-cup of oolong for a Mr. Leave Mealone? Mr. Mealone?”
Sokka hates him.
The next day Sokka doesn’t have Zuko take his order. Instead he hangs around at a table. And he watches Zuko for signs of suspicious activity.
Other than being generally prickly and scowly though, Zuko acts like a perfect saint. After an hour he figures he’d better head out. When the girl who’s been sitting across from him for the past few minutes starts to talk to him.
“He’s cute, right?” She smiles at Sokka conspiratorially.
“Yeah--Wait. Who?” Sokka sputters.
“I’m Jin.” She explains, “It’s okay. I saw you looking at him. You were here yesterday too. I was going to ask him out today actually. Unless you were thinking of--”
“Nope. You go right ahead.” Sokka wishes he could drop-kick himself into the sun.
He stays just long enough to see her follow through and ask Zuko out.
This girl had actually thought he was here checking out Zuko. I mean, he’s not unattractive, even with the scar and all. He has the broody air, and the voice, and the whole ‘intense’ vibe going on. But Sokka doesn’t roll that way. It’s not the fact that Zuko’s a guy. But he’s a fire nation guy. No self respecting water tribesman would make eyes at a fire nation guy. God, why does the universe do this to him?
The next time he stops by the teashop he has Toph in hand. Literally, in hand.
He goes up to the counter and stares Zuko right in the face and says, “Ten minutes. I’ll be outside.”
After exactly ten minutes Zuko is there.
“Will you never stop tormenting me?!” Zuko hisses at them.
“Calm down, Sparky. We just wanna talk.” Toph says.
“Yeah. Tell us again what you told me before. So Toph can tell if you’re lying.” Sokka explains.
“I’m not here to capture the avatar.” Zuko says flatly, “Can I go now?”
Toph shrugs, “He’s telling the truth.”
“You must have misread him.” Sokka shakes his head, “Come on Toph. This guy would sell us to the fire lord for one corn chip.”
Zuko turns to head back in and Sokka stops him, grabbing his wrist. The firebender immediately tenses and Sokka swears he feels a bit of heat.
“Just once more.” Sokka insists, “For science.”
“Fine.” Zuko says weakly, “I’m not going to capture the avatar. I’m not going home. I’m never going to get back my honor.”
Whoa. Sokka thinks to himself. That escalated quickly. This time, when Zuko leaves, he doesn’t stop him.
After he’s gone, Toph tugs on Sokka’s arm, “That was all true too. Or at least, he thinks it is.”
It’s at this point that Sokka decides to implement Operation Leverage. It’s simple really. Zuko will tell him what he wants to know. Or Sokka will tell everyone, especially Aang and Katara, that Zuko is here in Ba Sing Se.
The only problem he could possibly run into is convincing Zuko to actually start talking to him and not just run for the hills. It’s then that he’s hit with a stroke of genius. He remembers watching that girl, Jin, ask Zuko out. It had been his uncle who accepted the invitation for him and made Zuko go. So that’s what Sokka has to do. It’s brilliant. All he has to do is ask Zuko out just like Jin did. GENIUS!
Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Sokka’s a smooth guy, he is. He’s asked plenty of people to do ‘activities’ before. But usually it was real and not part of an operation to gain viable information about the fire nation for an upcoming war. Still, he’s flexible.
“Hey. Lee, right?” Sokka asks, flashing what he believes to be a winning smile. He also purposefully chooses this moment, when Zuko is manning the coin register and his uncle is brewing tea behind him.
No response. Okay. Guess he has to lay it on a little thicker.
“Would-you-like-to-go-do-an-activity-together?”
Zuko looks like he’s been hit in the face. By a train.
Come on, Uncle Iroh. Now or never, Sokka thinks.
“My treat?” Sokka asks, scrambling desperately for compliments, “I like your tea. And your face.”
“He’ll be there.” Iroh turns around and smiles at them both cheekily, “Lee, if the young man professes to like your tea. He must truly care for you.”
Zuko’s scowling at him so fiercely he wishes he could retreat under the Earth. But hey, it’s a victory.
In the evening he waits for him outside of the shop. And when Zuko finally shows up his hair is parted down the middle and oiled down. It’s not the greatest look on him, but it beats the ponytail. He looks almost...cute?
“Is this a joke?” Zuko asks, “Please tell me this is a joke.”
Sokka hadn’t honestly thought out what he would do at this stage. When he was out on a fake-date with Zuko.
He settles for a shake of the head, “It’s not a joke.”
“Look. I get that your options are limited. But...”
“NO! I mean it’s not a real date. I just wanted to talk to you for a bit. Get to know some stuff about where you’re from.” Sokka explains.
“That...kind of sounds like a date.”
“I’m trying to learn about the fire nation.” Sokka sighs, “I went to this library. And there was this owl. And he tried to attack us. But before he did that we tried to find books about the fire nation. But they had all been burned before we even got there!”
“That’s rough.”
“That’s where you come in though.” Sokka’s eyes brighten up, “I’m sure you know loads of stuff.”
“I may not be here for the avatar. But I’m not a traitor. I’m not telling you what I know about the fire nation military. Forget it.”
“You don’t have to tell me that stuff . Besides, I’m sure you wouldn’t want anyone to know your flaming little secret.” Sokka crosses his arms, he’ll get the military stuff out of him too somehow, but Zuko doesn’t need to know that yet.
“Go ahead. I don’t care. Turn me in.”
“Maybe you don’t care,” Sokka says carefully, hoping he can strike a nerve, “But I think I know someone who does. And I think you owe him. You might even care about him.”
Zuko stops in his tracks and considers him. Narrows his golden eyes, well, eye, the other one is always sort of--well, narrow.
“I’ll give you half an hour. For twenty-one days. I can decide what I won’t answer. After that I’ll never have to see you again. And you’ll swear on that fluffy abomination and everything you love that you won’t tell anyone about me and uncle. Deal?” Zuko holds out his hand.
“One. One hour.” Sokka counters.
Zuko pauses, then nods. And they shake hands. Zuko’s hand is warm and calloused. The hand of a swordsman--not a bender. Huh. Maybe Sokka doesn’t know him as much as he thought he did.
“Katara. Do you know where Sokka keeps disappearing off to?” Aang asks.
“No. I thought he was probably just exploring. He used to go out by himself all the time back home. The city is massive. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Katara pats his hand.
“Well, if you ask me. I think he has a secret boyfriend.” Toph offers.
“Why would he get a boyfriend and not tell us?” Aang looks a bit hurt.
“Toph doesn’t know what she’s talking about, Aang. He’s probably just putting in some extra hours asking around about Appa.”
Toph laughs, “Guys. I’m telling you. Sokka’s got it bad.”