An Innocent Spark [Zukka]

Chapter 63: The Chef's Honored Guests

A short and overweight old man approached the railing on the balcony above, flanked by two muscular bodyguards.

"I would think a man of your status would be considerate enough to try the food of a humble old chef," the short man said, not raising his voice and yet carrying with it a bone rattling sense of authority.

"If you want us to try your food then you should have come out and greeted us yourself," Zuko spat out which seemed to strike a chord, as the old man's eye twitched slightly.

"I have no time for insolent young men in my establishment," the old man said and turned around in a swift, yet sharp fashion. "Incapacitate them both and get them on a boat to the north at once."

The old man stormed through the ornate doors he had entered through, followed by his bodyguards. The restaurant's employees dropped what remained of their plastic smiles and the blank expression of mindless drones took over.

"Why is it that one day can't go by without the world trying to kill us?" Sokka asked and longed for his sword Zuko had given him as a gift what felt like years ago.

"The universe is jealous I get you all to myself," Zuko said. Sokka could picture the faintest smirk on the firebender's face.

Sokka reached for his dagger he kept tucked in his boot and as if they were connected by more than their love, the two men sprang into action before their enemies could get the chance to gain the upper hand.

Sokka had taken down two of them already, knocking them off their feet and causing them to smash into the tables on either side of him. Zuko was off to a slower start, the woman he was facing was a talented waterbender. Thanks to all the glasses of their excuse for sparkling water she had a plentiful supply of ammo against him.

Sokka's next opponent was in fact five waterbenders, and unlike his hot head of a boyfriend, he couldn't just evaporate their flying bubbling water with the swing of his arm. The water stung each time he tried to dodge a water whip and got surprised by another attack.

Whatever was in those drinks, he was glad he had only taken a sip of it. In fact, he was very glad he had taken a sip because now he could blame his poor fighting on the drink.

"Oh no you don't!" Sokka said and lunged towards a tall and awkwardly lanky man charging towards Zuko from behind with a sword. Sokka nicked the man in the ankle with his dagger which sent him crashing into the concrete floor, grasping his ankle screaming.

Zuko shot off three blast of fire to ward off the two waitresses who could pass for twins, using the moment of distraction to grab Sokka's hand and pull him up. When their hands met static electricity shot from Zuko's hand to Sokka. His cheeks warmed up and he knew he was blushing for the hundred time. Even after all this time the charming man from the south could still make his face turn red.

The split second of embarrassment was quickly replaced by the two almost-twins and the five attackers Sokka had left to save his boyfriend's life charging towards them.

"I think our table is getting a little too crowded," Sokka said with a cheesy grin. Zuko's eyes narrowed and got brighter as he smiled faintly.

They jumped over two large tables meant for large groups and pushed them on their sides, separating them from their attackers. Zuko lit the tables on fire, sending large plums of smoke into the air as the polished wood began to disintegrate, lighting the nearby table clothes on fire and causing a chain reaction that began to spread at an alarming rate.

"You get the guests out, I'll handle these guys," Zuko said, laser focused. Sokka felt a little warm upon hearing his boyfriend's confident remark, and he was pretty sure it wasn't because he was surrounded by fire.

Sokka took off towards the stairs, using the knocked over tables and the growing fire as cover. He counted at least thirty people still laughing as if nothing was happening on the balcony, continuing to eat their food and drink their tainted water. Whatever was in that stuff had to be strong to make these people so unaware of everything that was going on around them.

The first couple he ran up to were in the middle of the most intense make out session he had ever seen, and one he never wanted to see again. They were in their later forties and had been there for god knows how long, and it was time for them to leave.

"Alright lovebirds it's past your curfew," Sokka said and tried to pull them apart. They lazily pushed him away, not stopping to take a breath let alone acknowledge him.

"If that's how you want to play it," he said, not putting up with any of their delirious protesting when the whole building would soon go up in flames. He pulled the chairs out from underneath them, forcibly separating them.

Now was the hard part, figuring out a way to get all these people out of the building quickly and safely. There were no emergency exits, only two sets of stairs and the first floor was a battlefield, but thankfully one Zuko seemed to be in control of for the time being. By chance he glanced out the window across from the lovebirds' table, and right outside the window was an old metal chute from when this place was operating as a weapons factory. Much easier to send crates sliding gently down a glorified slide than to carry them down wet stairs day in and day out.

"Hope they have property insurance," Sokka said. He picked up the table with some difficulty and with all his strength chucked it at the window. The glass shattered and he covered his face to protect himself from the shards.

The couple had found their way back to each other and of course had picked up right where they had left off.

"You can kiss all you want once you're out of this building," Sokka said and dragged them both by their wrists to the window. He brushed off the broken glass and loaded them up onto the slide, giving them a slight push. They slid down the slid, and instead of making out they decided to laugh hysterically instead. He thought that was an improvement.

Sokka ran back over to the railing, but Zuko was nowhere to be found. The first floor was fully engulfed in flames save for a few spots where the fire had consumed everything it could. Panic took over and all thoughts of saving the other guests escaped him.

"Zuko!" Sokka shouted over the roaring of the fire below, desperate for some sign that he was alright.

He couldn't lose Zuko, not after all they had been through together. Not after years spent fighting each other on opposite sides of the war. Not after then begrudgingly working together to help Aang, not after Zuko helped him rescue his father. He couldn't lose him after finding a true friend in the awkward dork who lit up his whole world, not after all they had gone through since realizing their feelings for each other.

"Zuko!!" Sokka shouted, straining his voice to be heard over the crackling and popping echoing off the concrete walls. With no response this time he frantically looked around, remembering there were dozens of other people who needed his help.

His heart wanted him to go find Zuko, but he knew these people deserved saving too. He gave up the pleasantries he tried using on the first two people and took to dragging them as they stumbled behind him. One by one he sent them sliding down the chute. Luckily they were conscious enough to get up and get out of the way after making it to the bottom.

By the time he had gotten everyone else out the building was beginning to collapse. He ran back over to the balcony railing. When he instinctively placed his hands on the railing he recoiled. The metal was extremely hot, and he had burned his hands on it.

He peered down at the first floor, hoping Zuko would be there but also hoping he wouldn't. He was nowhere to be seen and so Sokka slowly backed away, taking one last glance over his shoulder just in case before climbing out the window and letting gravity do the rest.