It was warm in Sokka's room in the Royal Palace. Having lived previously in the South Pole, such temperatures were hard to deal with, but having travelled all over the world with the Avatar he'd learned to adjust.
But not even the many adventures he'd had during the Hundred Year War (and possibly because of them) could prepare him for the sight of Princess Azula barging into his room in the early morning, blue flames streaming from her fingertips.
Fortunately for him she too had adjusted over the years, not with regards to temperature but rather temperament. The blazing surge instead took root in a lantern, igniting it and throwing orange light into the previously darkened room.
After his heart had calmed from its frantic beating (the exact reason for which not even Sokka was entirely sure about) he looked up at her from where he was laying in his bed.
"Hi, Azula. Was there something you needed, or did you just want to admire me?" He questioned, gesturing at his mostly unclothed body with a hand.
The girl in question's gaze raked over him imperiously, before she sniffed disinterestedly, taking a moment to sit on a nearby chair.
"No? Well, I'm still glad to see you I guess." Sokka rose into a sitting position. He surveyed her form with reverence before something clicked in his mind.
"Hang on a moment - what happened to your hair?"
Azula's face immediately slipped into a frown. Ever since her little episode on the day of her coronation, she'd been extra protective of her hair. It had taken a while to grow back properly after all.
"What, exactly, is wrong with my hair?" She questioned.
Not quite sure how but noticing that he had in some way made a blunder, Sokka attempted to correct his mistake.
"Nothing, it's just… well, you usually have it all done up. It's actually quite a lot longer than I thought it would be. How on earth do you manage to fit it all in those little thingies at the side of your face?"
It was a question that would haunt him until his dying day.
"My handmaiden has taken the day off, some family issue I believe. So there's no-one to assist me."
It was clear from her voice that whatever problem the servant had, it was in Azula's opinion far less important than doing Azula's hair.
Sokka scratched the back of his neck for a moment.
"Well, not sure what I can do about that family issue, but maybe I could help you out? I'm not busy right now."
Azula considered this. While, as far as she could tell, Sokka was about as useful in a domestic setting as a bag of moonpeaches, she was equally as incapable - if not more so. If she was to be denied her usual fare, at least she could utilise someone else in the meantime.
She nodded brusquely, and Sokka swung his legs off the bed, standing up.
"So, what do I do?" It couldn't be that hard to assist Azula for a bit.
"First, draw me a bath."
Despite himself, Sokka shuddered a bit. Especially powerful firebenders were remarkably heat resistant, and Azula's preferred temperature for bathing was approximately the same as the lake surrounding the Boiling Rock prison. He'd once dipped a finger in one, out of curiousity. It had required some very quick healing by Katara.
Standing before the tub, Sokka right away noticed an issue: the water was supposed to be heated by a firebender. Something he was, in fact, decidedly not. Still, there was no reason to give up yet.
He carefully collected some wood and laid it around the metal tub. Collecting his spark rocks from his room, he rubbed them together until they ignited the branches. While this did not endanger the occupants of Palace with unintended arson (due to the fact that Fire Nation houses are, by necessity, fireproof) it had the side effect of filling the room up with smoke.
Opening a window, he took the fan he often used to cool himself off (a normal, wood and cloth one, not a Kyoshi Warrior battle fan. He had owned one of those, but it had mysteriously gone missing. Sokka wisely did not bring the matter up to Azula) and waved the offending air out of it.
Having cleared the room of smoke and ash, Sokka did the easiest thing he could: he grabbed the nearest firebender and set them to work on heating the tub. It was technically cheating, but Azula would only wait so long and it was never a good idea to disappoint her.
Ushering them away, he quickly collected his beau and presented the superheated water to her. She inspected the bubbling fluid for a moment, before nodding and casually disrobing in front of him.
Lowering herself into the evaporating water, she looked back at him and raised an eyebrow.
"Well?"
He tore his gaze away to her face at her remark.
"Uh. Sorry. What is it?"
Rolling her golden eyes, Azula smirked for a moment.
"Go and get the shampoo and soap."
Sokka's brows furrowed.
"Am I supposed to wash you, or something? Surely you're capable of cleaning-" Sokka cut himself off, realising exactly what he was about to turn down. Coughing for a moment, he set off.
A squeaky clean and dry Azula stood before him in a bathrobe. It was remarkably similar to her sleeping robe in Sokka's opinion. Why someone who generally wore armour needed so many robes was beyond him. Maybe it was a female thing.
She offered a brush to him and he took it. The end was ridiculously pointed, you could probably stab someone to death with it. Fortunately, he wasn't here to commit sudden assassinations, so instead held it as was intended.
There was, Sokka decided, something unexpectedly soothing about brushing Azula's hair. It was so long and silky, hanging in a pitch-black curtain. The girl stood stock still as he ran the bristles (and occasionally his fingers) through it.
Eventually he brushed it to perfection, every hair was straighter than a ruler. Seeing as Azula hadn't bothered to tell him how to form her trademark bangs, he left it as it was. He kinda preferred it like that anyway, though he refrained from telling her that.
"All done. Anything else?"
Azula regarded his handiwork for a moment, before the beginnings of a smile appeared on her lips. Sokka took this as a good sign.
"Now I shall need a foot massage."
Of course she did. Sokka had his doubts that this was an official function performed by her servant, but what Azula wanted, Azula got.
He gripped her by the heel, carefully feeling his way up her ankle and calf. While not grotesquely muscled, it was still very well-formed. Her firebending training had sculpted her well.
He took a moment to place a quick, sweet kiss on the soft skin. Azula's eyes were closed, her smile one of contentment. It was not a look he often got to see, so Sokka treasured it.
Having squeezed the muscles free of any built-up tension, he realised he was just feeling her up by this point. While this was by no means a bad thing, it did eventually tire his fingers.
Stopping, he crept up her body and placed his hand on the back of her head, pulling himself in for a kiss. Azula's golden eyes fluttered open for a moment, before quickly closing again.
Eventually, despite himself Sokka pulled away.
"Will that be all?" He queried.
Azula took a moment to compose herself before replying.
"Yes, thank you. Your work has been pleasing. Perhaps I might fire my handmaiden and just have you instead."
Sokka laughed for a moment, before realising the Princess wasn't joking.
"Uh. Sorry Azula, I already have a job. But I'm sure I can take over if there's any more emergencies. Now, if I'm done here then I'd probably better go and see Zuko."
He went to move off, before being halted by a hand on his shoulder.
"Perhaps there is another service I require of you." Azula's voiced breathed in his ear.
A grin split Sokka's face.
"Is that so? Well, I am, as always, your humble servant."
It was late afternoon when Zuko, who hadn't really noticed the absence of his sister and friend, spotted a rather dishevelled Sokka leaving her room.
After a moment's contemplation, he decided he didn't want to know.