Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Sokka was having troubles, which was unfortunate because they just got past their last obstacle.

The last thing he wanted to do was make things harder for the group, but he couldn’t help himself. The guilt was eating him alive.

Everyone around him had lost their loved ones during the invasion. He knew nobody blamed him, not entirely, but he could see the grief on their faces whenever they remembered the failed invasion. Even if nobody blamed him, Sokka knew it was his fault. He was the one who wasted time going after Azula, he was the one who couldn’t lead them through his plan, and he was the one who led them all into a trap.

His pack did all they could to relieve him of his guilt; Katara would offer affection and warm soup, Aang would joke with him and try to make him take breaks, and Toph would just sit beside him, offering comfort and support. While he’s grateful for his pack, he knows what he has to do. And he knows he has to do it alone.

…

“Hey, can I talk to you for a second?” Zuko was handing tea around the fire, pleased that everyone, even Katara, seemed to have warmed up to him after he and Aang returned from the Sun Warriors.

The two hadn’t really spent any time together alone since Zuko’s moment of weakness that night. The morning after wasn’t as awkward as he thought it was going to be. Sokka simply greeted him with a friendly ‘Hi, how did you sleep?’ when he woke up, and then went on his merry way, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Zuko didn’t say anything either, thinking maybe it was just an ordinary thing. He didn’t know whether to thank Sokka, apologize, or never mention it again. So, obviously, he went with the third option.

Zuko nodded his head and followed Sokka a little ways past the group. He didn’t really know what the alpha was going to say, but a feeling of dread was settling in his stomach. Maybe his scent was beginning to be too much. Aang told him he didn’t need to use his Uncle’s herbs anymore, but Zuko didn’t know if the two alpha siblings would appreciate his pheromones all over the place. Toph didn’t suppress her pheromones in any way, but she was a lot younger than Zuko. Her smell hadn’t developed entirely, so it wasn’t the same situation. Before Zuko could cook up more possibilities of what he’d done wrong, Sokka asked, “If someone was captured by the Fire Nation, where would they be taken?”

Huh?

“What do you mean? Who was captured?”

“When the invasion plan failed, some of our troops were taken. I just want to know where they might be.”

Zuko thought this information over in his head. He recognized that look in Sokka’s eyes, it was the same look he had in his. The look of a child who had disappointed their father. “I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?”

“Just trust me. Knowing will only make you feel worse.” Zuko started walking away, pleased with how he handled the conversation, when Sokka reached out and stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s my dad. I need to know what I put him through.” Zuko’s first mistake was looking back at the desperate alpha. Sokka's eyes were big and blue, and the omega could see the way his body had tensed.

“It’s not good, Sokka.”

“Please,” Sokka whispered. The alpha was wearing down Zuko’s resolve, so he told him all about the Boiling Rock, the highest security prison in the Fire Nation. In response, Sokka asked where it was.

“Why do you need to know? What are you planning?”

“Nothing. Boy, you’re so paranoid!”

Zuko understood what Sokka was feeling, and it scared him. He spent years tracking down the Avatar, something everyone thought was a myth, for his father. He couldn’t even imagine what Sokka would do for his.

But one look into the Alpha’s eyes changed his mind. With a sigh, Zuko said, “It’s in the middle of a volcano between here and the Fire Nation.”

“Thanks Zuko.” The alpha yawned and patted the firebender’s shoulder as he walked past him. “Just knowing makes me feel better.

Zuko felt a sense of anxiety about this whole thing. “Yeah, I’m sure it does.”

…

Sokka was tip-toeing past everyone’s sleeping bags in the early morning. He had his plan all ready to go in his head. He was going to be at the Boiling Rock before anyone else was awake, break out his dad, and then get back to the air temple safely, somehow.

He had just made it onto Appa, pleased with his ninja-like skills, when his first phase of action crumbled.

“Not up to anything, huh?”

Zuko lounging on Appa’s saddle scared Sokka so badly that he screamed and fell backwards, right onto the stone ground.

‘What is he doing here?!’ Sokka asked himself. He was angry, and a little embarrassed, that he’d been caught, but nothing could stop the warm feeling in his chest whenever he saw the omega. ‘Pull yourself together! We have a job to do.’

“Fine, you caught me. I’m gonna rescue my dad. You happy now?” Sokka said angrily as he gathered his supplies back into his sack.

“I’m never happy,” Zuko joked. He thought it would loosen the alpha up, because that’s just how he thought Sokka operated, but he did not seem to pick up on the omega’s attempt at humor.

“Look, I have to do this. The invasion plan was my idea. It was my decision to stay when things were going wrong.” Sokka was shocked at how easily the feelings he had kept bottled inside since the invasion were coming out. Nevertheless, he continued.

“It’s my mistake, and I have to fix it.” Suddenly, the alpha knew just what to say to get Zuko to let him pass. “I have to regain my honor. You can’t stop me, Zuko.” He gently pushed the omega to the side and began climbing up Appa, already planning his apology for when he returned.

Zuko, on the other hand, already had a plan of his own, and the Alpha’s words did nothing to deter him.

“You need to regain your honor? Believe me, I get it. I’m going with you.”

“No! I have to do this alone.” Sokka’s resistance was unexpected, but not enough to make the omega back down. If Zuko was good at anything, it was being stubborn.

“How are you going to get there? On Appa? Last time I checked, prisons don’t have bison daycares.”

Sokka sighed and looked back at Zuko. He knew what he was saying made sense, but that didn’t mean he wanted to believe it. The last thing he needed to do was put another person in danger in an attempt to save his father. Unfortunately for him, the omega seemed to take his pause as a sign of agreement.

“We’ll take my war balloon,” Zuko said with an air of finality as he turned and started walking away from the bison. Sokka had no choice but to follow.

…

‘This was a stupid idea.’

Zuko’s thoughts kept repeating this one line over and over again as he shot fire into the engine of the war balloon. Zuko had no idea what to say to the boy sitting on the opposite end of the balloon. And Sokka, who was usually so talkative, was doing nothing to dispel the awkwardness.

Every once in a while, Zuko would glance back at the alpha and find him already staring at him. It made Zuko’s cheeks heat up, which wasn’t helping his already overexerted body cool down at all. The alpha’s gaze reminded Zuko of the night he spent in Sokka’s bedroll; the feeling of comfort and stability it brought him. It made the awkward atmosphere around them 10x worse.

To clear the air, Sokka started whistling, but Zuko’s thoughts had him so high strung, that he immediately responded to the sound.

“What?” Zuko said defensively.

“What? Oh, I didn’t, say anything,” Sokka stuttered out. Seeing the Zuko who teaches Aang firebending and asks for cuddles in the middle of the night really made him forget about the Zuko that had anger issues.

The silence lasted for a few more minutes before Sokka decided to make some actual conversation.

“You know, a friend of mine actually designed these war balloons.”

“No kidding.”

“Yup. A balloon, but for war.”

“If there’s one thing my dad’s good at, it’s war,” Zuko said spitefully as he shot more fire under the balloon.

“Yeah, it seems to run in the family,” Sokka said, not really paying attention to what he was insinuating.

“Hey, hold on,” Zuko said as he made his way closer to the alpha. “Not everyone in my family is like that.”

Sokka could practically see the steam rolling out of Zuko’s nose, so he thought it best to apologize as quickly as possible. “I know, I know, you’ve changed.”

“I meant my uncle.” The omega looked down at the ground, suddenly guilty instead of angry. “He was more of a father to me, and I really let him down.”

A spark of protection went through Sokka as he heard Zuko’s words. He refused to let the omega look like that. “I think your uncle would be proud of you. Leaving your home to come help us? That’s hard.”

“It wasn’t that hard.”

“Really? You didn’t leave behind anyone you cared about?” Sokka asked, genuinely curious about Zuko’s home life. He knew his dad sucked and his sister was crazy, but that’s really it.

“Well, I did have a girlfriend, Mai.”

“That gloomy girl who sighs a lot?” Sokka’s disbelief took a step back as a new question entered his brain. “Wait, did she know you’re an-”

“Omega? Yeah. My dad decided she would be a good match for me, because nobody would bat an eye at an alpha dating an alpha, but I could never hide anything from her. She was the first person, besides my mother, who really accepted my secondary-gender.” Zuko smiled softly as he remembered Mai’s kindness. They were never the most affectionate of couples, mostly because Mai preferred female omegas to male ones, but she always provided support in her own way.

“Wow. She sounds great,” Sokka said hollowly. A sense of jealousy was starting to arise within him. He didn’t want to hear Zuko talk so fondly about another alpha. Must be a pack thing.

“So nobody in the Fire Nation knew you were an omega? How’d you pull that off?”

Zuko dug into his pockets and pulled out a handful of tea leaves in little mesh packets. When he gave one to Sokka, the alpha lifted it to his nose and took a whiff. The burnt smell coming off the herbs practically burned the hairs inside his nose. He handed the packet back to Zuko as he coughed and buried his nose in the scent gland at his wrist, taking in his own scent of fresh, cold water with a hint of cedar wood.

“Dude, what the hell was that?!”

Zuko tucked the herbs back into his pocket while he explained. “They’re the scent distorting herbs I always talk about. My uncle gave them to me as an alternative to what my father had planned.” A dark look crossed the omega’s face as he spoke. “Everyone in the Fire Nation thinks I’m a traitor. Everyone except Mai and uncle. I couldn’t drag them into it.”

Sokka sat back on the bench and crossed his arms. He didn’t like the emo feel of the omega’s words, so he decided to lighten the mood.

“My first girlfriend turned into the moon.”

“That's rough, buddy.”

…

The two boys traveled for a few more hours until they crash landed at the prison. They bickered for a while when Zuko figured out that Sokka didn’t have a real, detailed plan. After finding guard uniforms, their new plan was to lay low, find Sokka’s dad, and find a way to get out of the volcano. Easy peasy. Their first interruption came when they reached the yard.

The prisoners and guards were circled around a guard who seemed to have a problem with a prisoner named Chit Sang. When the prisoner turned to leave, the guard sent a whip of fire at his feet.

Zuko started walking forward, ready to stop the violence he was witnessing, when Sokka reached out and grabbed his elbow. One look at the alpha’s eyes told him everything he needed to know, ‘lay low’. So Zuko stepped back into place beside Sokka, but the other boy never let go of his arm.

“I’ve had it with your unruly behavior!”

“What did I do?” It was obvious to anyone watching that Chit Sang was an alpha. He was big, confident, and his scent was all over the yard. It made Zuko want to barf.

“He wants to know what he did. Isn’t that cute?” the guard leaned over and asked Sokka. When the alpha didn’t reply, the guard turned around and looked closer at the two, causing Sokka to drop Zuko’s arm, and Zuko to swallow his bile.

“Uh, very cute, sir,” Zuko said as he kept his eyes to the ground.

“Super cute,” Sokka agreed with a smile.

The guard turned back and continued taunting Chit Sang, requesting him to bow down. When the large alpha refused, the guard sent another whip of fire at his back, and Chit sang bended it back at him. The guard dispelled the fire with his foot before he reminded everyone that firebending was prohibited and that Chit Sang was to be put in the ‘cooler’.

The guard pointed at Sokka to help him escort the firebender to said cooler, so he ran off before telling Zuko to meet back at the yard in an hour. Zuko couldn’t help but feel worried for Sokka as they separated. He knew Sokka could handle himself, but there’s only so much the alpha could do against a prison full of firebenders.

…

When Sokka and Zuko met up in the yard, Sokka was hoping for better news.

“I asked around the lounge, and there are no Water Tribe prisoners here. You’re father’s not here, Sokka.”

“Are you sure? Did you double check!?”

When the omega nodded, Sokka lost his cool.

“No, NO!” Sokka cried out as he banged his fists into the metal behind him. He couldn’t control the angry pheromones that he released into the air. The despair of failure overtaking his mind.

Zuko placed his hand on the alpha’s arm as he apologized. He knew he had done nothing wrong, but Sokka needed to get his emotions under control before someone noticed them.

“So we just came all this way for nothing?!” All of Sokka’s energy seemed to dissipate as he leaned back on the wall he had just punched. “I failed… again.”

Sokka barely listened as Zuko spewed some shit about clouds and silver, until he saw her. Suki was here! He couldn’t save his father, but he could save Suki!

As the prisoners were called back to their cells, Sokka and Zuko followed slowly behind them, secretly watching Suki. When they found her cell, Zuko volunteered to stand watch as Sokka talked to her.

“Thanks, buddy,” Soka patted Zuko’s shoulder before making his way into the omega’s cell, excited to see his friend.

“What, did I do something wrong?” Suki said with her back turned towards the door. Sokka took his helmet off with a smirk, never one to pass on a humorous opportunity.

“What, you mean you don’t recognize me?”

“You all look the same to- Sokka!” Suki cut herself off excitedly as she flew at Sokka, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing her nose into the familiar scent gland. Sokka found himself doing the same, taking in her sweet smell of hickory and earth.

While they were talking and embracing, a guard was approaching the door from outside. Zuko acted on instinct and slammed the guard into the door when she started questioning him. With a curse and a promise to be back, Sokka slipped out the door while Zuko put the guard into a hold, almost looking like he was dipping her in a dance.

Sokka started to walk away, but the guard had already spotted him, so he had no choice but to help with Zuko’s arrest. Sokka walked up to Zuko and the struggling guard, and with a deep breath, grabbed Zuko’s arm and slammed him into the ground.

“You’re under arrest!” Sokka shouted as he bent Zuko’s arms behind his back and dragged him off the floor. As he walked Zuko down the hall, he whispered reasurrences into the omega’s ear. Luckily, the female guard was a beta, so she couldn’t detect the calming pheromones he was releasing as well.

He felt awful. The whole point of this mission was to redeem himself, but now it feels like everything's going wrong. He stayed with Zuko until guards higher up on the food chain took him away. He couldn’t do anything as the omega was steered away by two alpha guards who were a lot rougher than he had been.

…

Zuko found himself moping beside Suki the next day. The warnings of the warden were still buzzing in his head. He knew who he was and he was planning on sending him back to his father, who wanted to kill him. He hasn’t seen Sokka at all since he’d been taken away. He had no idea if the alpha had been found out or not. All he could do was mop the floor beside the staircase with the Earth Nation omega.

“Oh, good. You guys have met.”

It was Sokka, still in his guard uniform. Zuko breathed a sigh of relief and unclenched his muscles for the first time in hours.

“We actually met a long time ago.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you kinda burned down my village.”

“Oh, sorry about that. Nice to see you again.”

The three of them crouched on the ground as Sokka began to tell them his plan.

“I took a closer look at the coolers. They’re designed to keep firebenders contained, right?”

“Right,” Zuko confirmed.

“It’s designed to keep the cold in, but that means it has to keep the heat out, right?”

“Just get to the point, Sokka,” Suki demanded.

“It’s a perfect boat for getting through the boiling water!” Sokka exclaimed excitedly. Suki and Zuko shared a look that said ‘is this bonehead for real?’ before turning back to said bonehead.

“The cooler as a boat? Are you sure?” questioned Zuko.

Sokka explained his plan in more detail, and it sounded good to Zuko, but Suki found a flaw.

“But how are you going to get the cooler out?” she asked.

“Yeah,” said an unfamiliar voice. “How are you gonna get the cooler out?” Chit Sang was standing at the top of the stairs, listening to Sokka’s escape plan.

“What? We didn’t- wuh -we didn’t say that!” Sokka said.

“Yeah, you heard wrong.” Zuko glared daggers at the alpha before them, daring him to question Sokka’s words. Sokka found himself wanting to punch the omega for basically challenging the 7-foot tall alpha who was known for causing trouble.

Luckily, Chit Sang ignored Zuko, having already decided that Sokka was the leader of the group. “I heard you hatching an escape plan, and I want in.”

“There’s nothing to get in on.” Zuko growled at the alpha. Chit Sang raised his brow at Zuko, but Sokka interjected before he could ask any questions.

“Yeah, the only thing we’re hatching is an… egg!” Chit Sang knew he heard correctly when Suki and Zuko groaned at Sokka’s words.

“Okay, so I come with you, or the warden hears about this egg too.” Chit Sang smiled as both the omega’s glared at him and as Sokka’s nervousness continued to show on his face. Chit Sang chuckled before saying, “You know, if I were a beta, I’d say you two were the alpha’s of the group, instead of him.”

At his declaration, Zuko’s eyes went wide. Chit Sang’s words insinuated that he could smell Zuko’s pheromones. The firebender lunged at Chit Sang and grabbed his collar, wiping the smile off of his face.

“How can you smell me? Tell me right now!” Zuko growled in the Alpha’s face while Suki and Sokka stared wide eyed at the interaction.

“What, can’t you smell him?” He directed his question towards Sokka and Suki “It’s faint, but it’s there. Anyone trying to get a whiff, will.” Zuko looked back at Sokka and Suki for confirmation. The female omega nodded, having picked up his scent when she was moping next to Zuko. Sokka just watched as the omega manhandled the alpha. If it wasn’t for the concern filling his body, he would find Zuko’s display of strength very attractive. But he’s too concerned for that, so he doesn’t.

Zuko growled as he looked back at the alpha. He remembers now. He had stored his Uncle’s herbs in his guard uniform, which had been stripped from him when he was arrested. “Nobody can know about this,” he threatened.

“Alright, new proposition,” Chit said as he looked back at Sokka. “I come with you, or the warden hears about the plan, and your omega.”

Sokka growled before looking back at Suki. Suki looked at him and sighed. “I guess we have no choice,” she said.

“Okay, you’re in,” Sokka said as he grabbed Zuko’s wrist so he would release the alpha. Zuko went to move back to his original seat between Suki and Sang, but Sokka stopped him and sat him between himself and the other omega, deciding that it was the safest place for him at the moment.

“So first, someone is going to need to unbolt the cooler,” he said as he passed the wrench to Zuko, “from the inside.”

“Oh, I can get you inside.”

As the four of them concluded their talk about the plan, Zuko dragged Sokka aside. Sokka could tell Zuko was worried, even if he didn’t fully show it. And when he scented the air, he really could smell Zuko’s scent, but only faintly.

“My herbs are wearing off. If people close can smell me now, then it’ll only be a few hours until everyone can smell my pheromones.”

“Okay, then just take some more,” Sokka suggested. He understands that Zuko’s had a pretty scary night, but this was a quick and easy fix.

“Ugh, that’s the thing, Sokka, I can’t!” Zuko said exasperatedly. “They took my herbs when they took my guard uniform, I don’t have them anymore. And if the prisoners here find out I’m a traitor and an omega, who knows what they’ll do!”

“Okay, okay, I get it,” Sokka said as he rubbed his hands up and down Zuko’s arms in an attempt to calm him down. “What can I do to help?”

The two held eye contact for a while before Zuko’s face turned red and he looked away. When Sokka was about to ask what was wrong, Zuko spoke up.

“You need to claim me.”

Chapter Text

”What!?” Sokka shouted before quickly whipping his head back in forth. “Zuko, have you lost your mind!” Sokka whisper-screamed, searching the omega's eyes for signs of insanity.

“Sokka, listen,” Zuko sighed. “The warden is planning on turning me over to my father, who already wants to kill me. Imagine how he’ll feel when the whole Fire Kingdom knows his son is an omega.”

“Okay, I get it-”

“AND, imagine what the prisoners will do when they find out the traitor of a Fire Nation prince is here and he’s an omega! They’ll tear me limb from limb, Sokka. So no, I have not lost my mind!”

Sokka stares at the omega while he huffs and puffs and waits for him to calm down. Sokka doesn’t talk until Zuko’s face returns to its normal color.

“I understand, Zuko, but come on, a claim? You have to know how serious those are, right? You do know how serious those are?” As far as Sokka knew, a claim binds alphas and omegas together until death. Death. Of course this is a tough situation for Zuko, but a bite mark that would tie their souls together until death seemed like a bit of an extreme. Right?

“Of course I know, I’m not an idiot,” Zuko said with a frown. “But they’re not always permanent. In the Fire Nation, It’s a symbol of status to have multiple omegas, even if you’re only truly bonded to one. My father was permanently bonded to my mother, but he had multiple half bonds with other omegas he kept around the palace.”

Sokka had seen multiple bonds in the Southern Water Tribe, less now that most of the alpha’s had gone to war, but he’d never heard of half bonds. “So, wait, how is a half bond different from a true bond?”

“For one, they're not permanent. A bond with only one recipient only lasts about a month, but all the same things apply. For example, my father claimed many omegas, but none were allowed to claim him. Because of this, he could tap into the bond with a certain omega if he wished, but they could not do the same to him. Meaning, if he needed to, he could call that omega to him whenever he needed. Of course, he couldn’t shut out the emotional bond, but I don’t think emotions really affect him at all anyway.” Sokka could feel the malice in that last sentence, but he decided not to pry.

“Well, that sounds really fucked up, but how does that help us?”

“Only he could smell the omega’s pheromones. Even if it’s only a half bond, you still belong to whoever you're bonded to. If you claimed me, I would be yours, so only you would be able to smell me.”

Sokka doesn’t ever think he’ll be able to get the words “I would be yours,” out of his head. Especially when those words came from Zuko.

He reminded himself to add half bonds to his ‘Reasons Why the Fire Nation sucks’ list.

Zuko must’ve interpreted his thoughtful silence as reluctance, because then he said, “If you don’t want to I could ask Chit Sang, although I think that would be awkward.”

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Zuko looked at Sokka in shock, but the alpha looked confident in his answer. Which was weird considering how against it he was a couple moments ago.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am 100% on this. Don’t even worry about it.”

“Okay. Then go ahead.” Zuko tilted his head to the left, exposing the scent gland on the right side of his neck. Sokka gently grabbed the omega’s left shoulder and put his other hand over Zuko’s, pulling the omega closer to him.

“You ready?” he asked, secretly nervous himself.

“Yup. Ready whenever you are.”

Sokka nodded and positioned his mouth over Zuko’s scent gland, taking in the sweet honey and slightly smoky scent wafting from it. He felt the omega tense up, and he decided it would be better to just get it over with. He had heard that claiming was painful. Most couples decided to do it when both parties were in heat and rut so the pain would be dulled, but Zuko and Sokka didn’t have that kind of time. Or that kind of relationship, he scolded himself.

Sokka sunk his teeth into Zuko’s neck, making sure to break the sensitive skin there with his canines. Zuko went limp against him and squeezed his wrists with a pained groan, letting Sokka know the rumors were true. Before he could comfort the omega, the bond hit him fast and hard. He couldn’t feel Zuko’s pain, but he could feel that Zuko was in pain. Even though the only physical sign of Zuko’s pain was his weak knees and labored breathing, Sokka knew it was much worse than that. Not only that, but Zuko’s scent was now much stronger. His scent was overpowering compared to the weak version he was smelling before. He could smell the honey he already knew was there, but now there’s so much more.

Zuko smelt like a crackling campfire in the middle of winter. He smelt like fresh sticks of cinnamon and chocolate. He smelt like warm tea under your nose after a long day in the cold. It was so different to other omega scents he’d smelt. Toph’s scent of fresh soil was comforting, but Zuko smelled like home.

“Zuko, you okay?” Sokka was basically the only thing stopping Zuko from crashing into the floor. The omega had his arms wrapped tight around Sokka’s waist and his nose buried in Sokka’s neck. Zuko nodded his head but remained silent.

Before he could say anything else, Suki joined them behind the stairs.

“What are you guys doing? Chit Sang is rearing to go. Is he alright?” Zuko purred when Suki rested her hand on his shoulder, seemingly comforted by another omega’s presence. She lifted her eyebrow at him before his bleeding neck caught her eye.

“Sokka,” he gasped, “did you claim him?” She tried to pry Zuko out of Sokka’s arms, but the omega whined and refused to budge. If anything, she only managed to make Zuko cling tighter to the alpha.

“What the fuck did you guys do? Could you not keep it in your pants for just a couple more minutes?!”

“Suki! Calm down, it was his idea,” Sokka explained, gesturing to the omega in his arms. “People can’t know he’s an omega, they’d kill him. So now only I can smell him. Problem solved!”

“And it’s temporary. So this is no big deal,” he said with a smile. Suki looked torn between her growing concern for Zuko and growing frustration towards Sokka. stupid alphas, she thought bitterly to herself.

“Okay, I don’t care, just fix him before Sang starts beating up some random prisoner out there.” Sokka nodded at her words as she walked away. He told himself to explain it all in detail to her later before turning his attention back to Zuko.

…

Watching Zuko get tossed around like a rag doll by Chit Sang and two random guards minutes after holding him like a literal rag doll was challenging, to say the least. He had to dig his fingernails into his palms to stop himself from interfering.

While Zuko was in the cooler, Sokka explained the ‘claiming situation’ to Suki. She understood, but she also voiced her concern for Zuko.

“Couldn’t you guys have picked a better time to do it? He looked pretty weak during his fight, and I’d imagine he needs all the strength he can get if he’s gonna last in the cooler.”

It was then that Sokka realized how long it had been since Zuko was put in said cooler. They quickly bolted out of Suki’s cell and went straight to Chit Sang’s. He gave them instructions to meet him and Zuko at the shore before booking it straight to the coolers. He wasn’t feeling any pain through the emotional link in the bond, but that could mean Zuko was unconscious. The thought only made Sokka walk faster.

He pulled the doors open and saw Zuko sitting with his arms crossed and head down. He didn’t even bother with the theatrical speech he had planned. “Zuko,” he said. “It’s me. Are you okay? Did you do it?”

Zuko lifted his head, looked Sokka straight in the eyes, and blew fire right out of his mouth. Hot, Sokka thought to himself. Literally.

“Yes, and yes.” Zuko smirked as he unfolded his arms revealing the nuts and bolts hidden in the fold of his shirt. Sokka smiled at him, glad to see he was okay and back to his normal self. He still looked kinda fuzzy when he had walked away to fight Chit Sang, despite Sokka’s kind words and reasurences designed to help bring him back.

“I got Suki and Sang out of their cells a few minutes ago. They’ll be waiting for us at the shore.” Just as Sokka reached his hand out to help Zuko out of the cooler, they heard voices and footsteps coming from down the hall.

“Someone’s coming!” Zuko shouted as he grabbed Sokka before yanking him into the cooler and closing the door. Sokka couldn’t help but notice how cold Zuko’s hand was. Another spike of worry went through him at the realization.

“Yeah, new arrivals coming in at dawn,” said the male guard.

“Anybody interesting?” asked the female guard. Alpha and beta, Sokka’s mind supplied for seemingly no reason.

“Nah, just the usual. Some robbers, couple of traitors, some war prisoners. Though I did hear there might be a pirate.” Sokka didn’t hear the woman’s reply because all he could focus on was war prisoners. When he looked back at Zuko, he immediately knew they were thinking the same thing.

“War prisoners,” Zuko said. “It could be your father.”

“I know,” Sokka said as he looked away from the omega.

“Well, what should we do? Are we going ahead with the plan or are we waiting another night?”

“I don’t know,” Sokka said frustratingly. “Is it right for me to risk your freedom, all or our freedom on the slim chance that my dad is gonna show up?”

Zuko could see the tears welling up in Sokka’s eyes. It pained him more than he would care to admit. “It’s your call, alpha.”

…

In the end, Sokka decided to stay and wait for his father. Suki and Zuko decided to stay as well, content to stay by Sokka’s side until his mission was complete. That left Chit Sang, along with his mate and beta buddy, sailing across the boiling lake.

As Sokka, Suki, and Zuko made their way to the gondola, warning sirens went off alerting them that Chit Sang had failed to escape. While Sokka felt bad for them, he had bigger fish to fry at the moment.

“If my dad’s not there, we risked everything for nothing.”

“We had to,” Suki reassured him. Sokka took her hand and held his other out to Zuko. While Suki held on instantly, Zuko was a little more hesitant. But he eventually took the alpha’s hand. Sokka noted that the omega’s skin was still cold to the touch.

As each new prisoner exited the gondola, Sokka’s stomach sank to the ground. None were his father. And when the flow of prisoners stopped, Sokka squeezed each hand in his grasp. He’s not here.

“Hey you,” a guard yelled from above. “Get off the gondola!”

Sokka watched in awe as chief Hakoda stepped out of the gondola. He was chained, like all the other prisoners, but he was okay.

“Dad,” Sokka said with a smile. His hope has been restored. Now he just needed to make a new plan and pray that this one didn’t fail.

Chapter Text

Sokka really needs to stop barging into people’s cells in his guard uniform. Seriously, this is the second time he’s almost gotten beat up by one of his loved ones. However, it was worth it to see the genuine look of love on his dad’s face before he embraced him. Sokka loves his dad’s hugs, and he dreads the day he’ll have to go without them again.

“How are you here? Why are you here? Where’s Katara and the Avatar?” Hakoda said frantically while he searched Sokka for injuries. Hakoda was never the stereotypical alpha parent. He was always tender and caring, and Sokka likes to think that he’s the same. He never felt deprived of an omega’s love, even with two alpha parents, because his parent’s love was always enough for him.

“It’s kind of a long story, but Aang and Katara are okay. They’re at the western air temple with the others. Suki and-”

“Why do you smell different?” Hakoda cut Sokka off with a stern voice, looking him in the eye as Sokka’s face started to heat up.

“Um, that’s also a long story,” Sokka said while scratching his neck nervously. Hakoda raised a brow, obviously waiting for an explanation.

“So, uh, you remember Zuko, right?” Hakoda dropped his smile, trying to figure out where Sokka was going with his explanation.

“The son of the Fire Lord? Did he hurt someone? Did he find you guys again?”

“Well, yes, but he’s good now! He’s teaching Aang firebending and he has renounced his father.” Hakoda didn’t look very relieved, but he stayed quiet, so Sokka continued.

“Anyway, he took me here. He found out I was going to come rescue you and insisted he go with me.” Hakoda nodded at Sokka’s words, agreeing that Sokka coming here on his own was stupid.

“Unfortunately, he was found out while I was talking to Suki, who’s also a prisoner here, by the way, and he was made a prisoner.” Sokka could see Hakoda’s head swimming in all the information he was dishing out, so he decided to wrap it up.

“But there was another problem, Zuko is an omega and he’s been hiding it from the Fire Nation all his life because his dad said so and they’re really sexist down there, so I had to claim him so nobody would find out.” The two stared at each other for a while. Hakoda’s eyes were round with shock and Sokka’s eyes were wide with apprehension. It would be a very comical sight for any outsider that happened to sneak a peek.

“You mated with Ozai’s son in the highest security Fire Nation prison,” Hakoda said in a monotone voice, almost like he couldn’t believe what he was saying. Suddenly, his eyes widened as if after saying it out loud, he finally understood what had happened. “You’re only 15, Sokka! What were you thinking!?”

“It wasn’t like that, dad!” Sokka said in a frantic whisper. “We didn’t mate, I just claimed him temporarily, he said it would only last about a month. It’s something his dad did all the time because he’s an ass.” Hakoda still looked visibly distressed. Sokka tried to think of something to say that would calm his dad, but Hakoda spoke before he could.

“I understand your intentions, Sokka, but how do you know you can trust him? He’s Ozai’s son, next in line for the throne. How much do you really know about him? What if he’s just tricking-”

“He’s not!” Sokka growled. Hakoda stopped at that, more surprised by Sokka’s threatening growl than he was at the announcement of his new relationship with Zuko. Sokka had only ever growled at him once before, the day he told Sokka that he had to stay with the tribe instead of going with him. “I understand, I had the same reaction. But believe me, dad, he’s really proven himself, and I never would’ve found you without his help.”

Hakoda stepped closer to Sokka and laid one of his big, comforting hands on his shoulder. “Alright, son,” he said with a grin, “I believe you. Now tell me the plan for getting out of this hell-hole.”

Sokka grinned at his dad before telling him about their previously failed plan, and how they’re working on a new one. Hakoda was listening, but he was also thinking about Zuko, the mysterious new person in his son’s life. He may not trust him yet, mostly because he’s never even talked to the boy, but he does trust Sokka’s judgment. If he says Zuko is good, then Zuko is good.

…

“Zuko, are you there?” Sokka whispered into Zuko’s cell door. He left his father the minute they came up with a plan. He wanted to tell Zuko the plan first, going to see him had nothing to do with being worried about his physical well being.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Sokka could see Zuko’s golden brown eyes through the slit in the door and he sighed in relief.

“I just got done talking to my dad. We made an escape plan together,” Sokka said with a smile.

“What are you doing here?” said an unfamiliar voice. Sokka turned around to see two guards, the same alpha and beta duo from earlier, standing behind him.

“I was just telling this dirty lowlife what I think of him!”

“Well, you’ll have to do that later,” said the alpha guard. “He’s coming with us.”

“Why?” Sokka had to fight to keep the growl out of his voice.

“Because we have orders straight from the warden, that’s why,” said the beta guard fiercely.

“Could I just get ten more seconds to rough him up a bit?” Sokka asked with a fake smile.

The beta guard smiled back before crossing her arms with an amused look. “Fine, ten seconds.”

Sokka walked into Zuko’s cell and started punching the pillow Zuko was holding up, yelling “take that!” while Zuko fake grunted in pain.

“We have a new plan,” Sokka said, “but it’s going to need a big distraction. Be in the yard in one hour.” Zuko smiled and nodded at Sokka’s words before the door opened behind them. Sokka tore the pillow out of Zuko’s arm and replaced it with himself, holding Zuko in a tight headlock. He made it look like they were wrestling, but he was actually pressing Zuko’s face into the scent gland on his neck, trying to tell Zuko that it would be alright without saying anything. The guards entered and dragged Zuko away, leaving Sokka all by himself. He watched Zuko be led away until he couldn’t see him anymore before making his way to Suki’s cell.

…

This is awkward, Zuko thought to himself. The guards threw him in a cell with Mai, of all people.

“How did you know I was here?”

“Because I know you so well,” Mai answered sarcastically.

The words made Zuko pause. “Yeah, but how’d you know-”

“The warden’s my uncle, you idiot.”

Zuko groans at his own bad luck.

“The truth is, I guess I don’t know you,” Mai says as she holds up Zuko’s letter. “All I get is a letter? I thought we were friends, Zuko. You could’ve at least looked me in the eye before you ripped out my heart.”

“I didn’t mean to-”

“You didn’t mean to?” Mai asked angrily. She started pacing the room before reading Zuko’s letter aloud. “‘Dear Mai, I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but I’m leaving.’ Is this all I’m worth to you? Some half-assed apology before you go and join the Avatar?!”

“Stop! This isn’t about you! This is about the Fire Nation,” Zuko tried to explain. He hadn’t meant to hurt his friend, but she had to understand that bigger things were at stake right now.

“Thanks, Zuko, that makes me feel all better.” She threw his letter at his head. Zuko stood and faced her. He was about to try and make her understand why he left, when she saw her mouth drop open in shock. She was staring at his neck.

Zuko blushed and pulled his shirt to cover Sokka’s bite, but Mai had obviously seen the claim that was already there.

“What the fuck?” she whispered to herself.

“I couldn’t let anyone know, Mai.” Zuko said ashamedly.

“So you let the Avatar fuck you? What happened to your uncle’s remedy?”

“No! Gross, Mai!” Zuko yelled, a blush of disgust spreading on his cheeks. “I’m here with Sokka, one of the water tribe alphas traveling with the Avatar. They took my herbs when they arrested me and he claimed me so my pheromones couldn’t be detected.”

Mai crossed her arms, staring straight into Zuko’s embarrassed eyes for a beat. “Did you bite him back?”

“No, there’s no need for a permanent bond.”

“But you obviously like him.”

“I don’t have time for this, Mai!” Zuko said into his hands while Mai smirked, enjoying the emotional turmoil she was inflicting on her friend. Even though she was just teasing him, it was alarming to see such a deep bite on the omega’s neck. Mai knew part of the reason Zuko had to hide his second gender was because people in the palace claimed they couldn’t control themselves around Zuko’s scent, especially the creepy alphas his dad surrounded himself with. Nobody had ever actually touched Zuko, but Zuko said that he and his father could tell that they wanted to. She had always been protective of Zuko, and it increased tenfold when she found out he was secretly an omega and that they were to be betrothed in the future.

Only a few people the Fire Lord trusted knew of Zuko’s true identity, Mai’s parents included. They agreed to the betrothal on one condition, Zuko could present himself as the Fire Lord, but a real alpha, Mai, had to call all the shots. It disgusted her that Zuko was always treated like trash, and now his throne was going to be given to Azula.

Before they could keep talking, a guard entered and announced that a prison riot had broken out in the yard. Zuko shot fire at the guard's feet and made his escape, locking Mai in the room with the useless guard.

They made eye contact through the slit in the door, much like him and Sokka did earlier. Mai’s dark brown eyes were narrowed and shaking with anger and desperation, wanting Zuko to just come back with her. Zuko knew he couldn’t have the life she wanted, not unless he finishes his mission first. Without a word, Zuko closes his eyes, and walks away from his best friend.

…

Sokka was sitting next to Zuko in Azula’s war balloon. His dad was on the opposite wall left to them talking to Suki, and Chit Sang was asleep in his own little corner. Zuko and Sokka weren’t talking, they were just sitting together, processing what had happened. Fighting Azula, both of them almost falling to their deaths, and watching Mai defeat a bunch of guards and letting them escape. Sokka wanted to give Zuko some quiet, but he just couldn’t stand not talking about it anymore.

“So,” Sokka started awkwardly, “how’s the bite?”

“Sore and itchy,” Zuko replied monotonically.

“Right. Well, is there anything I can do to help?”

Zuko blushed and looked down at his feet. “I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable. You’ve already helped me so much already.”

“It’s okay, Zuko, I don’t mind. And you helped me a lot too, so don’t bother keeping track of favors.” Sokka smiled at the groan Zuko released. He noticed that Zuko does that a lot when he’s frustrated or embarrassed.

They sat in silence again for a beat, until Zuko, his eyes still on the ground, leaned himself against Sokka. The omega’s head rested awkwardly on the alpha’s shoulder while his body remained stiff. Sokka had learned that Zuko wasn’t accustomed to physical touch, but luckily for him, Sokka was.

The alpha chuckled before sliding Zuko down the wall and tucking him under his arm. Zuko’s head now rested on Sokka’s lap, the omega now laying on the cold floor of the war balloon. Zuko’s body continued to be stiff until Sokka wrapped one arm around Zuko’s waist to rub comforting circles on his back, while the other stroked Zuko’s hair, having learned he liked this kind of touch from their previous cuddle session.

Zuko made a satisfied noise as he burrowed further into Sokka’s stomach, releasing happy pheromones that only Sokka could smell.

“Thank you, Sokka,” Zuko said, content obvious in his voice.

“Anytime, buddy.” Zuko drifted off soon after, light sounds still coming from his mouth. Even though the omega was asleep, and he could feel the stares coming from his dad, Sokka didn’t stop petting Zuko.

He watched the snoozing omega as he took deep breaths of Sokka’s scent and curled his fists into the guard uniform he was still wearing. Sokka lightly traced his claim on Zuko’s neck with his thumb, causing the omega to whine softly and further relax against him.

He’s cute, Sokka thought to himself. And this time, he let himself think it.