Sharing A Bed ~ A Zukka Fan-fiction

Chapter 2 - Scars

Sokka groaned as he opened his eyes to bright sunlight streaming through the four paned window. He suddenly noticed a quiet heavily breathing body beside him, he realised it was Zuko.
Zuko had rolled over in his sleep leaving him in the perfect position for Sokka to take in every perfect detail about Zukos face. Sokka eyes were drawn to the scar on the fire nation boys face. He had always wondered how Zuko had acquired his magnificent scar. For a while Sokka had assumed it was just a training accident but after a while of getting to know him he started to suspect it was a lot more. Zuko never talked about his scar and if it was ever brought up in conversation Zuko would quickly change the subject, often Sokka would notice Zukos hand brushing his scar whenever his father was talked about. He also noticed the same thing happening the time Sokka had asked if he liked anyone. Zuko had turned bright red - Sokka assumed out of anger - he briefly touched his scar then changed the subject. His scar was definitely not something Zuko wanted to talk about and Sokka respected that and would not pry.
Sokka yawed again and got up slowly, as he put a navy blue hoodie on he went through to the kitchen were Toph was sitting at the brand new dinner table.
"You know I felt that?" Announced Toph, smirking as if she knew something Sokka didn't.
"Felt what?" Sokka didn't think he had done anything worth commenting on.
"After you woke up you lay facing Zuko for 20 minutes...does someone have a crushhhh? Toph replied taunting Sokka.
"Shhh...A crush, what? My eyes were um... closed...yea closed..."
"I don't need to read your heartbeat here to know that your lying, why are you lying?"
"I...um...Zuko is a .. you know...a"
"A what?"
"A guy, you know, I thought you'd me mad, tell the others, that you'd hate me or make fun of me.."replied Sokka close to tears thinking his secret was out.
"Sokka, it's fine - I don't care, plus I've know you liked him for years now." Toph smiled, which was an odd thing for her to do but she wanted to show Sokka that she supported him she did of corse, being in the same situation as him why wouldn't she?
"What? So you've known I liked him?!? For years? And your fine with it? Why didn't you say anything?
"Yes, Yes, Yes and don't know, guess I just didn't care enough." Said Toph going back to her normal emotionless self.
Suddenly the rest of the gaang walked in all at the same time. Sokka panicked, turned bright red and ran over to the fridge as Toph chuckled.
"What's up with him?" Aang asked seeing the flustered Sokka run over to the fridge.
"Don't know twinkletoes, he seems fine to me"
Sokka smiled knowing he had a supportive friend, for a moment all of his self hatred and worries disappeared.
The rest of the day was a pretty normal day - they went shopping and bought a extra wardrobe for Katara and Aangs room and a tv and armchair for the living room. For the rest of the day they just sat around the table and talked. Later on in the evening, when they were all in the living room talking Sokka moved the conversation onto lgbt rights, he was trying to see what everyone else's views were and see if it would be safe enough to come out to the rest of the gaang. He had been surprised by Tophs supportive reaction and if anyone else was like that had wanted to share that with them. Suddenly Zuko stood up and muttered something about the bathroom as he quickly rushed out of the room.
After an hour of talking Sokka accepted he wasn't going to learn anything he diddnt already know about his friends views. Suddenly he realised Zuko had been gone a full hour.
"He guys, Zuko has been gone for a while I'm going to go and see what's up" with that Sokka rushed out of the living room and into the room he shared with the firebender. He was shocked to see that fire bender sitting on the floor of their room with his knees tucked under his chin, tears streaming out of his good eye and his fingers lightly brushing his scar.
Sokka was extremely worried he had never seen Zuko so vulnerable, he was used to a tough emotionless Zuko, what could have happened to change that?
Sokka hurried across the room and comfortingly put his arm around Zuko. "What's wrong, are you ok?"
"I'm fine" Zuko choked shoving Sokkas arm of him and making to get up. Sokka wasn't going to give up that easily so he sat Zuko back down cupping his cheek in his hand, his thumb brushed the edge of Zukos scar. Zuko took a sharp breath in and shuddered.
"It's about your scar isn't it?" Sokka questioned soothingly.
Zukos eyes welled up with tears again as he took a deep breath in and out before meeting Sokkas beautiful blue eyes and giving him a small nod.
"Do you want to tell me...what happened? It's completely ok if you don't want to." Asked the water tribe boy as he sat back down and put a arm around Zuko. "I do, I really do, it's just...its difficult to talk about so it might take a while. Is that ok?"
"Of corse it's ok, whenever your ready, I'm ready to listen.

⚠️tw - homophobia, injury detail and abuse

Zuko took a deep breath, "I was out on a date, it was the perfect night and I was really happy as my date walked me right to the door."
Sokkas mind started racing as soon as Zuko said 'my date', sokka desperately wanted to hear a she so that he could just get over this silly crush. His thoughts were quickly cut off though by Zuko continuing his story.
"As I kissed them good night I heard my sister calling me. I panicked and ran inside. She told me that my fathe- Ozai wanted to see me in his office, as I walked by she whispered in my ear that Ozai had seen me with my date. I panicked, obviously, I knew Ozai was homophobic but I didn't know how homophobic he really was.
Homophobic? Sokka thought, Zuko is gay?
I quickly walked into his office knowing if I was slow it would only make him angrier. His office always terrier me since I was a little kid, it was a large room with dark colours, he had animals from hunting mounted up on his wall, I had a nightmare about them once when I was younger. I saw you with them, he spat in my face as soon as I walked through the door. He seemed so disappointed and angry. He then asked me if I was a f-fag he sounded so discussed so I said it wasn't I said it again and a-again that I wasn't but the more I said it the angrier he got." Zuko paused taking another shaky breath so sokka rested his hand on his shoulder and indicated that it was ok for him to continue, "Suddenly he shouted LIES a-and he r-raised his hand and p-pointed it at my face th-then h-he burned me" at this point tears were starting to run Zukos face. Sokka pulled him into a tight comforting hug. Zuko hid his face in Sokkas hair which was, for once, down. Sokkas eyes welled up with tears, it hurt so much for him to see his friend like that. Sokka didn't say anything, he knew that it would help Zuko if he shared the whole story.
Zuko attempted to steady his breathing and he continued with his story. "T-then he grabbed me by the collar of my shirt and dragged me to the front door. He basically threw me onto the steps where I cut my arm. I-I didn't know what to do, I reached up and touched my face, it felt weird. When I looked at my hand I was terrified, it was covered in b-blood. I couldn't feel anything yet but I knew I would soon. I ran as fast as I could to my uncles house. He welcomed me in and treated my wound I was able to live more comfortably and be more myself around him, I'm so thankful.  I-I've lived with him until yesterday, I w-would have lived on the streets if it weren't for him.

⚠️end of tw

"I ran out of the room earlier because I was scared one of you would make a homophobic comment, or some how know why I got my scar. I was mostly scared that y-you'd be homophobic."
"I-I'm so sorry I didn't know." Sokka pulled Zuko closer in to the hug. After about 5 minutes Zuko pulled away and looked Sokka in the eye. "S-So you don't hate me?"
Sokka cupped Zukos face again and let his thumb touch the edge of the scar. This time Zuko didn't shudder or gasp at Sokka touching his face, he found it kind of comforting.
"The reason I started talking about lgbt rights is because I was trying to see if it was safe for me to tell everyone that I was gay...you definitely don't need to worry about me being homophobic." Sokka gave a comforting half smile.
Sokka met Zukos eyes and they sat there in silence for a while, just staring into each others eyes.
Suddenly, at the same time they realised what was happening - they were sitting on the floor of their shared room with Zukos face cupped in Sokkas hand, their eyes locked tears still streaming down both of their faces. They quickly scrambled up, Zuko heading into the bathroom to get ready for bed and Sokka heading to the living room to tell the others that Zuko was ok and that he was just tired and wanted to head to sleep.

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Wow that was a long chapter, btw do you prefer longer or shorter chapters? Also how would you feel if I added a trans character? (I am trans so it would hopefully be good rep)

Chapter 2

Zukos scar

Words 1714