Disclamier: I don't own avatar, in fact, this is my parents computer... lets just leave it as I own nothing.
Summary: Doors are nasty things. One never can tell what was going to be hiding behind them.
Ship: onesided: Sokkla and Sukka
Rating: PG- PG-13 a little violence
Warnings: don't bash the ship, I just had this random idea, and felt like writing a crack ship, so meh.
Set: In book 3, after FBM.
Title: Doors
Doors
The fire nation palace was grand to say the least. It had beautiful vaulted ceilings, and richly adorned rooms. Gold gilding lined the walls, and thick shaggy carpets covered the bedroom floors. However there was one space in this palace meant for horrors. No comfort was thought of there, and the surroundings helped to ensure that. Stone walls covered in oozing slime lined the passages. It was even considered punishment for the guards to be assigned to this catacomb like setting. It was the prison. The fire nation was also known for it's unyielding cruelty, so it made sense to those who saw it. The dank and dark space set an air of entrapment. The lack of light alone was enough to extinguish hope in any and all who set foot in it. Any and all, of coarse, excluding the Princess of that very nation. Azula.
The princess wore her signature smirk as she strode almost cheerily out of the cell. She had always enjoyed torturing the very soul out of people. It was her favorite time of day. Recently though, it had gotten better. Her prettiest prisoner, also had something else worth beating her for. When the young Kyoshi warrior had come to her first she had proclaimed a rescuer. Her saviors name was Sokka. Oh, the fire Princess knew exactly who he was.
The incessantly annoying little water tribe twit's brother stuck in her mind. During the eclipse he had had an advantage. She had no bending, and while neither did he, he didn't feel like his stomach had been removed. That was what losing your bending felt like. Your stomach bottomed out, and there was no getting it back. She remembered that day perfectly, and not for the reasons you might think. She remembered the warmth that had radiated off his hand as it had encircled her neck, the way his tears had rolled off his rugged chin. She still dreamt about the feeling that his breath had left on her face. She didn't love him, no. She didn't even really like him. She was, however, turned on by him. He was a warrior, and wasn't afraid of her. That was enough, but there was something about him, something, almost... adorable. That truly did make the princess shudder. Her thinking anything was cute had to be bad.
For that reason, along with her beauty, Azula gained great enjoyment from slowly breaking Suki. Seeing her resolve for her lover's coming dissolve was great enjoyment, but also seeing her beauty fade with every passing day. Between the scars and the disappointment she had begun to slowly seep from her skin. Azula knew that if she did make it out alive, and recover mentally, that she could be beautiful again. Then she remembered. They were in the fire nation. She could never really escape that cell, even if she was back in Ba Sing Se. This made the cruelest woman in the world infinitely happy.
Little did the unsuspecting princess know, but the very man that had been occupying her thoughts so much recently was as far as she thought. Sokka glared through the never ending darkness that the halls to the dungeons provided. Perfect, he thought, at least if I can't see anything no one else can see me either. He silently wished he had brought Toph with him like the others had suggested. She would be a big help. He had told them that this was something that he needed to do. Also he had pointed out that they needed as many people still in working condition, if he was to be attacked. The real deal breaker was the fact that he would be less noticeable that way though. Toph's feet also had barely healed, so they were only semi-reliable.
Finally Sokka came to a large metal door. He undid the safety catch on his sheath and popped his hilt out a few inches. Doors are nasty things. One never can tell what was going to be hiding behind them. Sokka desperately hoped that it was nothing. He even more desperately hoped that if it was someone it was an incompetent guard and not Azula, or Ozai. The cold metal turned easily in his hand, and the sheet of steel swung open to reveal an inner chamber before the main holding cells. It also confirmed Sokka's gut feeling. He really should really have taken up the offer and brought Toph along.
At the tell tale sound of hinges needing oil, Azula whipped around. No one was to disturb her while she was 'interrogating' the prisoner. What shocked her even more than the breech of etiquette was the person who was standing there. Her amber eyes met the blue outfit of a water tribe warrior, and the slightly popped hilt of a remarkable black sword. The likes of which she had only seen one other place. Sokka. There he was the very man Azula took such pleasure in tormenting another young woman about was standing in the doorway, looking quite frankly, stunned. After getting over her own momentary awe, Azula started to analyze the situation.
The sight of the fire princess was the last thing that Sokka had wanted to be met with. A giant lizard-boar, maybe, but Azula, no. He quickly regained his composure though, and reached for his hilt. Azula stepped forward, and his hand stopped.
"Hello peasant." Azula commented casually. Sokka merely glared at her, while slowly inching his hand towards his sword.
"Where is she?" It was barely a question, more a demand. Azula saw that, but gave the same answer she would have anyway.
"Oh, your girlfriend? She's right through there." Azula gestured to the door. Suki was indeed behind that door. She presumed, what was most likely correct, Sokka couldn't get past her.
"It's been a while." Azula sneered.
"Not long enough" Sokka tried inching forward, but Azula matched his foot work, foot for foot, step for step.
"I don't know. I kind of missed you." It sounded sarcastic, but there was an under lying current there, something not so sarcastic. Something a little more like... longing? The fact was not missed by Sokka.
"What are you insinuating?" He inquired, straightening. A plan was forming in his head. It was good. Very good.
"Nothing, I don't like to insinuate. If you needed to know something, I would tell you. You already knew that though." She straightened too, but any fool could see she was still tensed. And Sokka was no fool.
"Oh really?" They were pacing in front of each other now, both waiting for a move by the other.
"Yes. I don't like that word. I'm surprised you do, boy. Seeing as what it reminds me of." Azula smirked, and waited for him to take the bait.
"Go on." Sokka's muscles relaxed a little, but much like Azula, he was still ready for danger.
"Insinuating." The word dripped of her tongue out of her sneer. "It reminds me of one of my favorite words. Incinerating." a bolt of lightening jumped between her fingers "And we both know how you feel about that kind of heat." Her speech was full of double meanings. Sokka was almost caught up in dissecting it when he noticed the small signal he had been waiting for. A small, so small one might miss it, flash crossed her eyes. It was something like, lust.
It was time for Sokka's plan. He rapidly whipped his sword out and charged straight for Azula. She easily summoned lightening to her fingers, but just as she was about to shoot, his arm came up and swatted hers off coarse. The next thing Azula was aware of was lips, soft, warm, pressed against her own. He was kissing her. She was stupid for not reacting, but she didn't process the danger. Sokka was counting on this.
Blinding pain. That was after pure pleasure. Sokka shoved her body back, and looked down at his bloody sword. The rubies in the color of her homeland dripped placidly from it's tip. He had known that the weak junction in the armor was in the lower back. His plan had been flawless.
Azula toppled, her legs no longer supporting her. She did manage to turn her body to see Sokka running into Suki's cell. At the last possible second Sokka turned back and met her eyes. She searched and all she found was hatred. Much to her disappointment, it only turned her on more. She closed her eyes, and let the encroaching darkness take it's toll.
When the guards found her, they immediately took her to the healers. It was not a serious wound, and Azula would regain her full skill again. Then she would hunt down the boy, she decided.
The brutally beaten body of the Kyoshi warrior had been taken, and they had left through the window. Azula wasn't worried though. There was such a fine line between hatred and love. And she had seen it blur in his eyes when he looked back. He would turn around. After all, he just had to open the right door.
The End.
Just a little thing that had been floating in my mind for a while. I had been playing with the similarity between insinuate and incinerate when the convo popped into my head, then it fit sokkla so well, that even though I don't really ship it, I had to write it. Yay for spell checker.
R&R if you want more from me. I don't work without ideas and they seem to come easier with feedback...
toodles Jas
