(fic) Basic- part 2

Title: Basic - part 2
Modern day AU - Basic training
Fandom ATLA- I do not own ATLA and make no money from this.
Inspired by the saucy dog tag pic by

luco_millian . Please head over there and let her know how great an artist she is. I didn't ask for permission for this one because it was eating my brain. My apologies.
Rated R for swearing,
Pairing eventual Sokka/Zuko

Warnings: This fic will be is a series of snapshots of a much bigger picture in my head from red phase of basic to eventual deployment. What this is not is a political or moral exploration of the nature of the military.

I only know stuff second hand about service in the armed forces so excuse any errors. Positive and/or negative, comments of a constructive nature are always welcome so let 'er rip. If folks are interested I'd be happy to share more.

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Sokka couldn’t stop his shivering. Wearing every single piece of cold weather gear he owned and he could barely feel his hands. He had seen some tough winters but this. Fucking. Sucked. It was if the Army had specifically picked the coldest day of the year to make them all go out and play one big game of ‘capture the flag’.

Thirty six hours with little sleep on top of that wasn’t helping. Both he and Zuko wound up being assigned to Red Team which made things a little more palatable. They got dumped into the dropzone at ass-early o’clock in the morning and had to hike in several miles with 60 pounds of pack apiece. Red Team’s mission: secure a small area and protect a concrete bunker with some fictional prisoners. The two of them got stuck sitting up in some fake clock tower that had about zero tactical significance for the bunker they were supposed to be defending. Red had way too many men on the ground anyway and it seemed like whoever had come up with the scenario just wanted to make up reasons for guys to freeze their balls off.

The wind was fucking brutal, sucking any heat right out of them in the poorly insulated space. And they had been there for hours with no sign that anything was happening anytime soon. He watched Zuko’s head bobble forward and back, like a little kid fighting to stay awake on the car ride back from grandma’s house. Sokka wasn’t sure but the guy’s lips looked a little bluish. If they were heading towards the second phase of hypothermia then they were fucked.

Sokka nudged the sleeper with his foot. Zuko jerked awake, sliding off his pack that had until recently been propping him upright.

“You’re lookin’ a little rough there, buddy.”

Zuko’s response came out alarmingly slurred. “It’s not like we can do anything about it.” The guy was almost right. There would be two kinds of help they could get if they radioed in for assistance now. Jack and shit. But there was another option.

Sokka had been out on enough backcountry trips in crap weather to know the drill. “We can conserve body heat if we kinda huddle together. Maybe we can take a little nap in the process.”

The other man’s chin sunk into his tactical vest, very much looking like an alarmed turtle. “What? You mean like spooning?”

“Jesus-tapdancing-Christ. Don’t worry, you can keep your chastity belt on.” Sokka only realized that he had his sunglasses on after he rolled his eyes. “We have to keep warm somehow.”

The pale man couldn’t stop his teeth chattering. “If we get caught we are going to be in deep shit.”

“And if we stay like this we’re screwed anyway because we’re going to be pretty much useless if anything happens.”

Zuko took his time considering this. “Okay,” he said guardedly. “But only if I get to be the big spoon.”

“As long as there’s no negligent discharge involved then I accept.”

The coughing fit that followed this comment lasted for a good five minutes. Sokka ignored this, setting down one tarp for measly protection from below and dragged the second tarp over for a little protection from above. He entered his little cocoon and patted the space besides him. “Honey! It’s time for bed!”

Zuko crawled on all fours and slid in besides the other man. Neither could quite figure out where to put their hands. Sokka gave up and curled into a little ball, letting the other man wrap around him.

It was working. Slowly, but it was working. Feeling began to return to extremities. Sokka could feel the shivering ease in the body next to his. After a while it actually felt warm. Even a little cozy. Man, Zuko really was putting out the BTU’s because it sure wasn’t him that had any body heat to spare. Now that the threat of freezing to death had been pushed aside, the pull of sleep became irresistible. Sokka knew they should take turns snoozing but it was… just too…

Nice.

The next thing Sokka knew something was up his nose and his head was on fire. He bolted upright and began digging at his face, trying to fan the ammonia burning his airway. Heart racing he could see Zuko in one corner, coughing so hard that he was barfing up the nasty meatball with gravy MRE that had been their dinner. Sokka clutched the broken ampoule of smelling salts that had been shoved up his nostril and glared through his tears at their attacker.

Jeter.

Smug fucker raised a thin, pointy eyebrow. “Shouldn’t fall asleep on guard duty, huh?” He activated the radio in his hand. “Blue Team leader. Clock tower has been secured.” The bastard let out a little chuckle as he dropped off of the platform like a goddamned monkey and disappeared.

Zuko spat out a mouthful of water from his canteen and wiped his face with the back of one hand. “I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch.”

“Killing’s too good for him.” Sokka distractedly tapped the ampoule against his thigh. “I’ve got another idea.”