Zuko twitched, breath hitching, as Sokka's hands slid over his shoulders; he hadn't needed the confirmation that his boyfriend was barely tracking, but he added it to the list.

"Come on, dragon," Sokka coaxed, glancing out at the very dark sky just visible through the window in Zuko's study, "it's late; you know," he added, changing tacks when Zuko made a cat-mulish sort of noise, "you'll do better work in the morning anyway. . ."

Zuko also, Sokka had noticed more and more over the past months but not yet mentioned to him, tended to droop and get a little less sharp after the sun went down; silly jerkbender did better under the sun . . . and then he spent all day with the court before working late into the night - how could it be any surprise he was distracted and less than his best?