Tell Me

Chapter 4

By: Kigen

Sorry again for the long wait. Thanks to Reigning Fyre and Usagi Youkai for abuse musing. Yay for abuse muses!

Side note, last chapter. The secret of the necklace is revealed!

Disclaimer: There's not interaction between Sokka and Zuko for me to own it. Once they start wrestling or fighting or something to 'prove their manliness' to each other or something, you'll know it's from me.

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Zuko sighed, sitting at the camp and waiting until his uncle and Sokka returned. After about an hour of the 'torture' as Sokka readily called it Zuko decided that he wasn't getting anything out of the water teen, and untied him. Sokka had promptly kicked Zuko in the shin, missing his original target and stomping off; shouting something about dumbass fire princes and getting breakfast.

Figured that Sokka would use his stomach as excuse.

That had been almost an hour ago. If Sokka didn't return in another hour, Zuko was going to have to go after him and kidnap him all over again.

Zuko sighed again, how was he going to get anything out of Sokka? Kidnaping him didn't work. Threatening him didn't work. Seducing him didn't work. Zuko frowned at how much like a horn dog he had acted like. All that made Sokka do was turn red and sputter. That had been entirely worth it, but...

Zuko groaned and leaned his head back. He was getting nowhere.

Iroh cautiously poked his head out of the foliage, quickly peeking into the campsite to make sure that he wasn't interrupting anything. Seeing Zuko sulking, and Sokka no where in sight Iroh had more then a vague idea of what had happened. With these two teenage boys, he had his work cut out for him.

"How are things going Prince Zuko?" Iroh ambled over.

"Fine." Zuko muttered.

Iroh sat next to his sullen nephew. "You know, I always found that romance worked best to charm the ladies, or Sokka in your case."

Zuko groaned. He could feel the headache coming on now. "Uncle, I don't need you to play matchmaker. Sokka and I are already a couple."

"Of course Prince Zuko. Just keep those words in mind. It's how you aunt and I-"

"Augh!" Zuko held his hands up in a warding gesture. "No! I don't need to hear anything about you and my aunt ever again!"

Iroh chuckled. "All right, all right."

Zuko stood up, beginning to leave the campsite.

"Where are you going?"

"To find the idiot. Spirits know what he's gotten himself into by now."

Iroh watched his nephew stomp out of camp, and sighed happily.

Young love was such a beautiful thing.

:-:-:-:-:

Sokka grumbled, trying for the fifth time to untie the damn hooped knot thing. Who the hell put traps this far out in the middle of nowhere anyways? Let alone snare traps. He had been stuck there for about ten minutes now. And to make matters worse, he had dropped everything sharp and pointy that he possessed upon capture.

Sokka slumped, his body hanging upside down once more. Though, now that he looked down and noticed the nearly twenty feet below him, Sokka was starting to plan what he'd do once he got out of the trap and how he'd reach bottom without splitting his head open.

Hearing a crashing through the undergrowth; Sokka looked up in hopes for a savior. What he got instead, was Zuko. The prince was obviously looking for him. Sokka considered staying silent just so he wouldn't have to deal with him, but Zuko had found his discarded weapons and was looking around. So Sokka decided that he might as well catch Zuko's attention.

Zuko jumped in surprise when Sokka's empty boomerang holder plunked onto his head. Looking up, he resisted the urge to laugh. "Enjoying yourself?" Zuko asked, smirking.

Sokka growled. "Stop laughing you damn bastard and get me down!"

"Fine, just hold still." Zuko took careful aim, lining up his fist.

"Hold it! You are not just gonna burn the rope to get me down, are you?"

"How else am I going to get you down?"

"Do you not notice the fact that I'm hanging a good twenty feet above the ground? I asked you to get me down, not kill me!"

"Twenty feet won't kill you. Even if you landed on your head, your skull's too thick for it to do any real damage."

Sokka sputtered and raised his middle finger to salute the fire nation prince.

Zuko rolled his eyes. "I'll catch you."

"You'll what?"

"Catch you. Pay attention when people are talking to you."

Sokka hesitated. It was a long way down.

"Just trust me you idiot."

Sokka crossed his arms and pouted. "Fine. Just get me down you jerk."

Zuko took aim; careful not to scorch Sokka in the process, and burnt the rope.

Sokka squeezed his eyes shut and screamed as he suddenly plummeted towards the ground. He was going to die, he was going to die, he was going to die. His landing was softened by Zuko's arms.

Zuko grunted as Sokka landed in his grasp, losing his balance and landing on his rear in the process. Getting his breath back, the fire prince scooped up Sokka's weapons, deposited them in his lap, and began walking.

Sokka immediately began to squirm. "Put me down! You are NOT carrying me again!"

"I'm not getting you down from another trap either."

Sokka pouted, turning his head away from Zuko as he sullenly pouted. But Zuko couldn't help but notice he didn't struggle anymore.

:-:-:-:-:

Sokka squawked as he made an unpleasant contact with the ground again. "Is it so hard to just let me down gently? Do you HAVE to drop me on my ass every time?"

"Yes."

Sokka grumbled to himself. "You're uncle's still not back yet?"

"No." Zuko thought of what to do now. His uncle would probably be gone another hour or so, at least. Maybe he should try to be romantic? It couldn't hurt, and nothing else was working.

Sokka squeaked when he was suddenly pulled from where he was standing, down onto the ground and into Zuko's lap. "Um, Zuko?" Sokka asked as his back was pressed against Zuko's chest, and Zuko's lips rested against his shoulder.

"Hm?"

"What are you doing?"

Zuko blinked and thought of how to answer. How DID someone be romantic anyways?

"Holding you."

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I want to. Now shut up and enjoy it." Zuko snapped.

Sokka crossed his arms and pouted. "Fine, No need to bite my head off."

Zuko sat silently, Sokka held against his chest. Maybe half an hour went by without either saying a word before Zuko broke it.

"Do you want to tell me about this now?" Zuko's fingers trailed along Sokka's necklace.

"Do you want to tell me about your past?" Sokka shot back.

Zuko tensed, his mind racing. No, he didn't want to tell Sokka about his past; he didn't want to tell anyone about his shame. But really; didn't Sokka have more of a right to know than anyone?

"What do you want to know?"

Sokka jerked, visibly surprised by Zuko's question. "Really?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"Seriously? Because you never tell me anything about anything-"

"I said yes didn't I?" Zuko snapped. "Just hurry up and asked your damn question so I can ask mine."

"Fine, fine. Calm down." Sokka sat, still in Zuko's lap; looking thoughtful.

"Well?" Zuko asked as several moments of silence went back. "Are you going to ask a question or not?"

"Keep your pants on. If I only get to ask one question, it's gonna be a good one."

"You can ask more than one question, as long as I get to ask more than one."

"Really?"

"As long as you're not an idiot about it, yes."

"Fine." Sokka took a deep breath. "How did you get..." Sokka trailed off, his fingertips gently grazing the edge of Zuko's scar.

"My father gave it to me before my banishment." Zuko frowned at the memory. It was far from being a pleasent one. "My turn. What-"

"Why?"

"You got your answer. I'm not going to explain it." Zuko answered. "Now it's my turn. Why are you so god damn touchy about your necklace?"

Sokka pouted, a frown marring his own feature. "It's a purity necklace."

Zuko blinked, surprised. "A purity necklace?"

"Didn't you hear me the first time? Now for my next question-"

"It's a purity necklace?"

"Yes, it's a frickin' purity necklace!" Sokka smacked Zuko's head.

"Now shut up and let me ask my next question. Why did your father burn you?"

Zuko grimaced. "Because I spoke out of turn and dishonored him." Zuko paused. "A purity necklace?"

Sokka tried to hit Zuko again, but the banished prince caught his hand before he could. "Yes! It's a god damned purity necklace. Ask one more time and it counts as a question!"

"I can't believe that it's just a purity necklace." Zuko shook his head. "The way you were acting I thought you'd get pregnant or unlease some sort of ancient power if you took it off."

"No. It's just your average, wear it since birth wear it until you lose your virginity kind of purity necklace. Your turn." Sokka poked Zuko's shoulder.

"All right. Why won't you take it off?"

"Because that would involve sleeping with you." Sokka answered simply. "Why is your sister out to murder you?"

"What's so bad about sleeping with me?"

"You answer my question first."

"Because I'm a fugitive and a traitor to my nation. What's so bad about sleeping with me?" Zuko repeated.

"Because that would involve me marrying you. The water tribe believes in this thing called abstinence; only sleep with the one your marry. I'm pretty sure it's not a new concept."

"I've heard of it." Zuko answered Sokka's sarcasm.

"Again, what does that matter?"

Sokka raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

Zuko wrinkled his nose. "Marriage? I don't mean marriage, but we're in a serious enough relationship."

"No. No sex without marrage; or whatever the closest we get to it."

Zuko nodded. "All right." he unwrapped his arms from around Sokka's waist. "You're free to go."

"What?"

"I wanted to find out why you were so neurotic about your necklace. Now that I did, I don't have any reason to keep you prisoner any longer."

"Oh. Okay." Sokka stood up, stretching a bit. "What direction did we come from when you kidnaped me?"

"That way. Don't you remember?" Zuko smirked.

"I was too busy kicking and screaming about someone letting me go and untying me." Sokka answered sarcastically. He grabbed his weapons, making sure they were properly attached. "See ya around."

"See you later. Next time I kidnap you, I'll be more discreet."

Sokka rolled his eyes. "I'd prefer a lack of kidnaping if you don't mind."

"Fine." Zuko stood up, grabbing Sokka's shoulder and turning the water tribe boy to face him. "Next time you come on your free will."

"If you can convince me."

Zuko leaned forward, pressing his lips to Sokka. His tongue darted into Sokka's mouth, as his fingers trailed along the edge of the necklace. "That convince you?" Zuko smirked, pressing his forehead to Sokka's.

""I'm more convinced than I was before, but still not all the way convinced." Sokka's damp lips twisted into a coy smile.

"Then I'll just have to try again, won't I?" Zuko pressed his lips to Sokka's once more.

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The end! Yep, it was a purity necklace the whole time. No magic, no mpreg, just your average purity necklace. For those who like the NC-17 stuff, the epilogue will be posted on adult fanfiction . Net later on. I'd post it here, but there's no way I could censor it enough.

Thanks for reading, so please review.

Ja min'na-san.