Almost Betrayal

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By: Kyatto

Pairing: Zuko/Sokka

Disclaimer: I do not own "Avatar" or make money from writing this.

Spoilers: Only if you didn't see any of the third season.

Note: An "Alternate Route" of how the story of the third book could have progressed.

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Almost Betrayal

Chapter One: The Captive

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"Zuko, I have something of interest."

Zuko turned to shift his gaze to his sister, Azula, as they stepped out of the room the war meeting was located in. Their father and the council of generals had been discussing where to plan their next siege, and since their return, they were both invited to take part. Of course, Zuko never felt he really belonged at those things. Most of their plans sounded terrible and cruel. What could he do though? This was his home and his life. Betrayal was out of the question. He already had enough secrets of his own.

"What do you want, Azula?" He asked with his brow raised.

When they were clear of anyone who could overhear, Azula whispered in a hush voice, "I have something in regards to the Avatar as well as the Invasion."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I'm having a hard time deciding what to do with it. We should probably hide it form dad for now. The guards are terrible at keeping things secure…"

"Let me see it."

Azula led him out of the main gates and they snuck around to a small, very secluded building near the gardens. It at one time was used to house Prisoners of War before they built the larger prison, but now it was nothing more than the palace's storage facility. Seeing the symbols of royalty atop their heads, the guards stepped aside and allowed them to enter. They walked down a long narrow hallway before coming to a row of cells. It wasn't long before Azula stopped short and undid the latch that locked a large metal door. She slid it open and revealed a dark-skinned young man, his hands bound behind his back, scrambling around as if desperately seeking an escape. Zuko immediately recognized him as the ally of the Avatar who couldn't bend. No wonder he was an easy capture.

"That's…"

When the young man saw that the door had opened, her turned to look at them. "Azula!" He shouted. "When Aang finds out where your rats have taken me, he'll tear you apart along with the rest of this place! Let me go if you know what's good for you!"

"So…" Zuko murmured. "The Avatar…is alive."

"…Zuko," Sokka snapped, glowering in the scarred prince's direction. "I thought you hated this witch. Isn't that why you stood with us before? You're messed up! When I break free I'll kick both of you!"

"My, you're chatty," Azula commented with an amused smirk, waving her hand dismissively. "So," she looked at Zuko. "What are we to do with him?"

Zuko stared long and hard at Sokka for several moments. Noticing the intent gaze of the firebender, Sokka seemed to weaken in his presence. He actually slumped to the floor and backed up a couple of feet. His expression was that of a frightened deer about to get attacked by a hunter, his eyes wide and never once leaving Zuko's. Expression not softening in the slightest, Zuko sighed as he came to a decision. "I'll take him…For interrogative purposes. Besides, I always wanted a personal servant."

"What!" Sokka snapped back to reality when he heard 'personal servant'. Just whodidthis guy think he was? "I'd rather just be stuck here!"

"Quiet, chatty monkey!" Azula snapped, and then her expression turned to that of an amused, yet content, sneer in her brother's direction. "As long as you can think of a clever reason for it if dad were to find him. Better start thinking up the lie now. You're quite terrible at them."

Zuko frowned and chanced a quick glance at the young warrior again."I'll think of something."

"Guards!" Azula barked, and within seconds, three of them stood at attention before her. "Take the Water Tribe prisoner and assist him to Zuko's quarters for interrogation. It has been deemed that his temporary punishment is to be slave labor."

"As you wish," one of them nodded in their direction and the two behind him both grabbed Sokka by the shoulders.

In Zuko's room, which was free of Azula as instigated by a rule Zuko had put up during his childhood years; Sokka sat poised back up against a wall, refusing to look at the prince. He also refused to move from the spot, looking very much like a well-made statue. However, he gave away his feelings about the situating by grunting and huffing every so often. Zuko just sat on his bed and stared at him. He really wasn't sure what to do. He never had a prisoner like this before. Should he be rough and demanding? Try to coax the information out of him? What would his father do? …No. He wasn't going to be like that. Time to trust his own instincts.

"Are you hurt?" Zuko asked quietly after several silent, uncomfortable, minutes.

"…No," Sokka replied grumpily, still not looking at him.

"…So," the prince cleared his throat. "The Avatar survived?"

"Wouldn't you like to know."

"You gave yourself away when you were yelling at Azula."

"…Right." Sokka's face reddened for a split second.

"…Where is he?"

"I'm not telling you."

"Why not?"

"I'm not betraying him."

"What do you think I'd do to him?"

"I don't know…throw him a party?" Sokka replied sarcastically. "I know you'd just kill him. Finish the job your sister failed at."

"….I don't want to…I have to."

"I don't care. I'm willing to die for the cause."

"Are you sure?" Zuko looked amused by this declaration.

"Of course I am."

"If I killed you here, would you say you died with honor?"

"…Maybe."

"That's not a real answer."

"You're just trying to break me. Well, you're doing a terrible job at it. For an esteemed prince of the Fire Nation, you're bad at a lot of things."

"I need to know where he is."

"You're not getting it out of me, Zuko."

"Hm…" Zuko pondered to himself for a moment. He then looked up at the warrior and smirked. "If I loosened the bindings a bit, would you at least tell me where they caught you?"

"I don't know…"

"You wouldn't be giving much away."

"…Just a bit."

Zuko got up and slowly stepped around behind him and worked at the tight ropes tied around the warrior's wrists. Underneath the skin was broken and red. Azula showed no mercy binding him. For a moment Zuko actually felt sorry for him. Not only was he captured, but Azula probably shamed him for declaring him to be the weakest of the group for being such an easy captive. When the rope was loose enough that it was no longer painful, yet tight enough to keep him from wriggling free, the prince stepped around to face him.

"Better?"

Sokka made a face. "Yeah…A bit…"

"So…" Zuko arched a brow. "Where were you?"

"Near Ember Island. All I'm saying."

"They're probably long gone by now."

"Yeah…Probably…" Sokka looked downcast, sighing.

There were a few minutes of silence and breathing.

"Tomorrow," Zuko said. "I'll unbind you and give you ankle-cuffs instead. I wasn't lying when I said you'd have to work."

"Don't you royal brats have maids?"

"I'll give them some time off."

"You're a jerk," Sokka glared, and then made a point of looking away. If he could fold his arms, he would have.

"I'm not…I'm not like her…I won't torture or anything…"

"Like I'd believe anything you have to say."

Zuko sighed. "I'm going to dinner. I'll bring you back something." With that, he turned and stepped out of the room.

When Zuko was gone, Sokka leaned back up against the door and groaned. What had he done to deserve this? Azula had some fierce firebenders on her side. He almost was able to fight them off. However, he was ambushed, so he was at a disadvantage. Something told him Azula was suspicious. That she did know Aang was still alive and they were planning something. Why else would she have been so intent on capturing one of them? What he didn't understand was why she so willingly let Zuko take him. Did she get some sort of sick pleasure out of guys in slave labor? The thought of it sent an unwanted shiver along his spine. He sighed and thumbed his head back against the wall. He was going to make it out of there alive. No matter what.

True to his word, Zuko came back about an hour later with a tray of food. He looked extremely disgruntled. As if this was the hardest secret he ever had to keep. However, the reddened face and neck spoke volumes of something completely different. Frankly, Sokka really didn't want to know. But he couldn't help the wide eyes he gave when he saw all the meat on the tray. The food in the palace really was fit for kings.

"Sorry I took so long…" Zuko grumbled. "Got busy with um…things." Of course he was referring to the surprise ambush Mai had given him that left him uncomfortably aroused with a small hickey on his neck. But he wasn't going to let that get in the way of his new mission.

"Thanks…" The warrior grunted, looking away. "…I guess."

"So…" The prince pondered what to do. "Looks like I'm going to have to feed you or something."

Sokka's face flushed for a moment. He really didn't like to be at a disadvantage. "…Yeah."

Zuko got down on one knee and held a small mouthful's worth of food to Sokka's lips. "…I don't mind." He too was blushing at the embarrassing concept of having to feed the young man like he was a child.

At first Sokka was dubious about taking food from the enemy, but his growling stomach was in no mood for such protest. He opened his mouth slightly and let Zuko shovel the mouthful in. It made the warrior's tastebuds dance. He'd never had such good food in a long time! Not since the Earth King's feast anyhow. He was now very grateful Zuko was going to set aside some of his own plate for him, despite the circumstances. Sure, that was hypocritical, but Sokka had never been one to say no to a good meal. Especially when meat was involved.

"You like it?" Zuko raised a brow after the fifth mouthful, when he saw Sokka slide his tongue all over the chopsticks to get every last bit. As the young man ate, he made very content groaning sounds that kept having odd effects on the prince. He had to shift his position to hide it.

"Yeah…" Sokka nodded when he finished all Zuko had to offer. "…It was nice."

"You must like food a lot."

"I do."

"I can tell."

"Oh?"

"You were moaning."

"….What?" Sokka snapped, glaring. "I was not! I was simply trying to get the food into my mouth. You'd make a lousy parent."

"I wasn't complaining…It sounded right."

"…Shut up! Freak." The warrior turned his back to him in a huff.

Zuko reached out and placed his hands on the back of Sokka's shoulders, 'cause Sokka to shudder at the unexpected and unwanted contact. "Get used to me." It sounded like a direct order. Like the prince he really was.

"…I can try."

Later that night while Zuko was preparing for bed, Sokka found a corner of the room to curl up in and mope. Seeing Sokka like that, on a floor like a pet, made him feel uncomfortable. Sure, servants had no status, but it wasn't like the warrior had done anything to deserve that kind of treatment. Zuko chewed his lip and thought. The conclusion he came to probably wasn't the wisest, but it could work. He sighed.

"Hey, idiot," he nodded in Sokka's direction.

"…What."

"You don't have to sleep there. There's plenty of room in my bed."

"No way!" Sokka grimaced. "I think I prefer the floor."

"It's comfortable…"

"You can't be serious."

"Excuse me for trying to be slightly hospitable."

"That isn't part of the job description. You're supposed to make me miserable."

"Not my style."

"Your style is weird."

"You're weird."

"See? Now that wasn't nice…"

"Just get in the bed!" Zuko snapped, glowering.

"Alright, alright," Sokka grumbled, getting to his feet so he could stumble to the bed. He lay on top of it and sighed, looking up at the prince.

"It's not so bad, is it?"

"I think I'd prefer torture."

"Whatever," Zuko rolled his eyes and adjusted the covers so he could get under. "Move over so I have some room."

"…Thanks again. You know. Saving me from Azula. And the food."

"Nothing."

There was a long moment of silence before Zuko made an observation.

"You know…at this angle. You look like a woman."

"What is wrong with you?" Sokka snapped.

"What? Just making an observation."

"And you look like a hippie with that hair."

"I didn't say I didn't like the way you look…"

Sokka bristled, hair standing on end. "I swear…You try something creepy…My feet aren't bound…"

"I have a girlfriend."

"…Fine." …Was that a hint of mild disappointment in his tone?

"Night, idiot."

"Night, jerk."

Zuko sighed and rolled over, his back facing Sokka. He stared at the wall for a while before closing his eyes. Obvious being genuinely nice and concerning wasn't going to get him anywhere. Perhaps he would have to toughen up. Sokka was a lot harder to break than he thought. There had to be a way… The next day, Zuko would have a plan. And he was sure it would work.

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To be continued….