"This is where he is?" Aang looked through the passenger window as Sokka drove them to the building Zuko said he was at.

"Fancy," Sokka whistled and pulled into the parking lot.

"Alright try calling him from your phone, he might be inside or something," he parked the car and the two got out to look for the other teenager. 

Aang put his phone on speaker as they waited for Zuko to answer but instead they heard a phone in the distance ringing. They looked at each other and sprinted to the sound. 

Aang turned to the side and saw Zuko sleeping using his backpack as a pillow on the ground, his face was buried away from the light.

"Found him," Aang said flatly as Sokka seemed amused by him. He took out his phone and snapped a picture of him as Zuko had his arms crossed tightly against his body and curled up. 

"You think he's dead?" Sokka asked walking up to him. 

"Yo Zuko," he kicked his arm a little.

"No more," Zuko groaned.

"Dude, it's me, Aang and I are taking your drunk ass home," Sokka knelt you hum as zuko opened his eyes.

"I can't my uncle will kill me," Zuko pushed himself up against the wall heavily breathing. His dress shirt was unbuttoned down his chest further as his black hair was messy.

"Why are even here? This place looks way to nice," Sokka put his hands on his hips as Aang grabbed a water from the car and handed it to Zuko.

"Don't tell Katara, she'll be mad," Zuko mumbled leaning his head to the side.

"Dads making me work for him, I don't want too though, he scary," he sighed as Aang helped him drink some water for him to sober up. 

"Yea we all don't wanna work, doesn't mean you can get drunk," Sokka grabbed his wrist as the two boys helped Zuko up as he was a little taller than Sokka.

"Zorry, didn't want too... I tried to stop," Zuko leaned his head against sokkas shoulder.

"I don't think I can be good, I'm bad at it," he whined as the two boys looked at each other. 

"Ugh this is gonna get to deep for us, look man once your in the car you can sleep," Sokka rolled his eyes as they went to the car. Aang crawled in first so he can help out Zuko as Sokka slid him in the car.

"God youre heavy, do you eat bricks or something?" Sokka grabbed his ankles to get all of him in the car. 

"Rice!" Zuko corrected. 

"Drunk Zuko is kinda fun," Aang beamed. 

"How much did you drink?" Sokka scoffed. 

"A lot, they broke out the expensive shit, my whisky under the bed is strong but not this strong," Zuko leaned his head on Aangs shoulder as the younger boy smiled patting his fluffy head. 

"Your nice," Zuko looked up at him. "Sorry for being a bitch," 

"It's okay," Aang laughed a little as Sokka started the car up. 

"Does Katara know?" Zuko asked as Aang put his head down by his legs but Zuko put his head in his lap instead, craving a kind touch. 

"No, she thinks I'm dropping Aang off," Sokka looked at him. Zuko nodded as he relaxed a little as he couldn't think straight. 

"So are we allowed to terrorize you still?" Sokka asked. 

"Don't care," Zuko closed his eyes. 

"Theeeen why are you interested in my sister?" He smirked and Zuko shrugged.

"She smells nice, she's nice to me... not a lot of people are nice," Zuko covered his eyes. 

"Oh.. so you don't like Katara like more than a friend?" Aang asked surprised. 

"Mmm maybe, don't know, maybe, she's pretty pretty," Zuko smiled a little.

"I trust her a lot," he whispered and Sokka pursed his lips a little. 

"So you wouldn't hurt her or anything?" The tan boy asked carefully. He wanted to know the intentions he had, he didn't want his baby sister getting hurt. 

"Nooo I don't- I'm not gonna, that's why I don't want her knowing I work with my dad, she'll yell at me," Zuko hugged around Aang as he squeaked in surprise.

"Zuko are you scared of Katara yelling at you?" Aang laughed awkwardly. 

"I am," Sokka agreed. 

"I lied to her saying I won't talk to him but I diiiid now she'll yell at meeee," Zuko whined. 

"I feel like shit," he whimpered as Sokka snorted a little. 

"So where do you live?" Sokka asked but next thing he knew Zuko was silently sleeping in the back seat as Aang let him sleep on his lap. 

"He can stay with me tonight, i don't mind," Aang told Sokka gently so he wouldn't wake up the older teen. 

"You sure? Drunk Zuko is way different than sober Zuko," Sokka looked at him through the mirror and Aang shrugged. 

"I don't mind, hes going to be in a lot of pain in the morning," he said again and Sokka sighed but agreed. 

— 

Zuko woke up the next morning on the couch as he didn't recognize where he was. His breath hitched sitting up quickly with wide eyes not knowing where he was. He grunted in pain feeling his head ache.

"Fuck," he rasped as he felt dehydrated. 

"Wow he's alive," Sokka was sitting on the other couch as he decided to spend the night. 

"What? Where am I?" Zuko laid back down with his hands over his face.

"Aangs apartment, his guardian is on a mission statement or something," Sokka ate toast while watching tv.

"You threw up like four times last night, the fuck did you eat?"

"Why are you here again? How did I even get here?" Zuko narrowed his eyes looking at Sokka.

"You called my sister, I came and picked you up at that building, you kept telling Aang he's really nice," Sokka snorted smirking but noticed how Zuko wasn't laughing about it. He seemed ashamed.

"Sorry," Zuko mumbled.

"Don't worry about it, it's better that you called than trying to drive home on your own, didn't you have a friend or someone in there?" Sokka asked sitting up more as Zuko shook his head. 

"No, I wasn't even going to drink," Zuko looked down.  "They just kept.. kept coming and told me it was the last one but it.." he closed his eyes.

"Does your dad force you to drink?" Sokka asked getting concerned now, and he looked up immediately with wide eyes. There was fear.

"How did-" "you told us about your dad making you take a job here and stuff," he pursed his lips as Zuko ran his hands over his face. 

"Yea I guess, I don't remember anything, didn't know I left," Zuko told him quietly.

"I haven't blacked out drank in a long time, fuck I hate it," Zuko sat up but realized he was shirtless, Sokka saw his tattoo sleeve on his upper bicep he didn't know he had.

"Where the fuck is my shirt?" Zuko made a face.