Azula sat warily waiting for Zuko's return with the Avatar's group. It seemed awkward that she was so nervous about Sokka coming to the fire nation; it wasn't like she had anything to prove to him, or try and make him like her. All she had to do was go along with this whole charade. Despite knowing this though Azula couldn't fail, at least not without trying her hardest to succeed, and being disliked by her husband was certainly a failure. "I think I see them!" cried out Ty Lee. Indeed distracted by her own thoughts and memories of her last failure Azula had failed to see Appa approach carrying the Avatar, Zuko, the water tribe peasants, and the blind girl.
Once Appa had landed everyone nimbly jumped off and began stretching their tired muscles. Azula began to walk up to the group feeling more nervous than the last time she had tried to interact with a boy, and what a disaster that had been. 'Honestly so sharp you could pierce a ship's hull and leave thousands to perish at sea? What kind of flirting line is that?' Azula thought to herself. "Hi Zuko" Azula called out. "Hey Azula" Zuko replied. "Hey Sokka" Azula said looking expectantly at the water tribesman. 'He certainly hasn't gotten any harder on the eyes sense the war ended' she thought to herself. Sokka had become muscular since the war, less in a ripped and obvious way like zuko, but she could tell what kind of power was under his skin. He had apparently decided to keep in style with earth kingdom men while in kyoshi, keeping his beard shaved rather than letting it grow out like most water tribesman. Fortunately unlike the earth kingdom men he hadn't grown one of those hideous mustaches.
Of all the responses Azula had been expecting or hoping for "Sorry not now I'm tired" hadn't really been one of them. As Sokka had then proceeded to stalk off towards his quarters. "Oh Zuzu I'd like to have a word with you when you have a moment." The look on Zuko's face looked somewhat like a deer caught in the headlights. "Uhhhhh….sure Zula, just let me have a moment to talk to Mai in our chambers please." Zuko then proceeded to practically sprint to Mai, whisper something in her ear and then the two of them sprint off together towards their room.
As Zuko rushed into his room his heart almost stopped at the sight that met him everywhere he looked there were cardboard cutouts in the shape of a person painted blue that looked like they had been blasted through with lightning, which was probably exactly what had happened. Swiftly turning around he saw Mai, "quick we've got to go protect Sokka" Zuko stuttered out. "Relax Zuko, Azula is just trying to get you to do something foolish" Mai said softly as she began to rub his shoulders. "So how do you think she is taking this whole thing?" "Pretty well actually…she actually seemed excited while we were picking out a dress." "Well Sokka isn't taking it quite so great, we had to literally trap him just to get him to stop and listen to us." "That's a shame, but he did just break up with his girlfriend of three years, just give some time" Mai smiled as she held Zuko's face in her hands and kissed him.
Toph was walking around the Fire Capital thinking about the events of the past couple days. When they had first received the letter from Sokka she had been so excited. Not only was Sokka coming to see them, but he had broken up with Suki. Toph didn't understand why she had opened her big mouth when she had the idea of Sokka marrying Azula. That had always been a problem for Toph but this was possibly the worst outcome of it. Toph had always had what many would have called a little girl's crush on Sokka and her feelings had only grown with age. Maybe there was time yet, she had sat idly by last time and look what had happened, Suki had gotten Sokka, and then Sokka had been crushed. Toph would fight for what she wanted this time, peace would just have to find some other way.
Sokka was roaming around the fire palace at the meantime thinking over what was going on. "Why do these kinds of things always happen to me" Sokka said to himself. "You know cutie as much as I like the sound of your voice it's a bit weird to be talking to yourself." Sokka turned around to see Ty Lee cart wheeling towards him. "So what is bothering you cutie?" "It is all just a bit much" Sokka started "I mean just a couple weeks ago I was living the boring life on Kyoshi, and now all of a sudden I have to marry a crazy fire nation princess because the fate of the world might be in the balance." Sokka frowned and sighed as he thought on it all when he felt Ty Lee reach up to put a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes cutie, we all have to do things we don't want to, take me for example I wanted to just stay in the circus when Azula came to get me and forced me to come chase you guys…but it all turned out okay and who is to say what would've happened if I hadn't of gone." "Plus cutie" Ty Lee continued "Azula is a good person deep down and married to her the two of you could be happy together." Leaning closer to his face Ty Lee continued in a lower voice "or you could be happy with me." Sokka was about to reply when she stood on her toes to give him a quick kiss on the cheek and then cart wheel off. "Whoa" was all Sokka said as he felt his cheek.
Ty Lee smiled as she got in her room and lay down. She didn't think she could get Sokka to just not marry Azula since he wasn't really the type to just abandon his duty, but since they probably wouldn't even talk to each other, there really was no reason her and Sokka couldn't have a relationship of their own. Sighing Ty Lee recalled Suki driving away Sokka, but still forcing Ty Lee to leave when she had begun to flirt with Sokka on Kyoshi. "Hopefully Azula will be a better sport about it" Ty Lee said smiling. "Oh no now he has me talking to myself."
Sokka still stunned at Ty Lee's brashness had decided to head towards the royal kitchens to get a bite to eat. 'So I have to marry Azula, but Ty Lee is the one that loves me…when did my life get so complicated' Sokka thought as he turned a corner straight into Toph. "Snoozles I've been looking for you" Toph said as an evil smile lit up her face. Recognizing this as bad news for him since he was the only one around Sokka began to back up. "Now Toph….whatever you're planning to do please don't, I don't want to get launched across the fire palace not today." Sokka began to try and run when he saw Toph move her arms into an upward motion but he soon found only his head free from a rock cocoon. Using the earth to rise up Toph was face to face with Sokka, eye to eye. "What'd you want to see what it'd be like if we were the same height, all you woulda had to have done is ask" Sokka said nervously as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his face. "Nope" started Toph "blind girl remember?" Sokka was about to say something smart back when Toph grabbed his face and latched her lips onto his own. Soon he found her tongue hungrily exploring his mouth as he just tried to figure out what was going on. After what seemed like hours she finally let go. "Nice seeing you Sokka" she said smiling as she walked away. "I think I'm going to go grab some food" she said laughing leaving him trapped in the rock. "Hey….A LITTLE HELP HERE?" Sokka shouted.
'How dare that peasant just ignore me like that, me Princess Azula of the fire nation!' Azula was steaming as she walked around the palace trying to compose herself. Where did he get off just ignoring her like that? "What are you doing here?!" Azula was shocked to see none other than the source of her aggravation in a stone cocoon in front of her. "Ummm, well I guess Toph thought it'd be funny to just sort of trap me here and none of the servants have felt the need to acknowledge my existence." "You were very rude to me earlier, brushing me off like that, but I suppose I shall have to teach you some manners." "I'm sorry but please don't do anything rash" Sokka said beginning to sweat. Azula got into form for lightning bending and began to feel the energy surge through her. "AHHHHHHHH!" Sokka screamed while closing his eyes and facing away. "Relax you sissy" Azula smirked at his undignified pose. Sokka looked around to find that a side of his rock prison had been blown apart letting him escape. "Well, thanks I guess" Sokka said smiling. "No problem, so do you have time to talk now" Azula replied with a dead serious and somewhat angry expression on her face. "Do I have a choice?" "No not really, I know that you can't seem to help but talk if someone else is around and if you run, I'll hunt you down." "I see….well want to talk it over some food I'm starved?" "I suppose if it's the only way." "Hooray" called out Sokka.
Azula sat in disgust watching the water tribe peasant's eating manners. "I think you're getting more on the table than in your mouth." Swallowing, Sokka replied "That's ridiculous I'm trying to get as much in my mouth as possible." "Ugh, if the avatar eats like you do I could've probably have just ignored you all and waited for you to choke to death." "You know, it'd make talking to you less weird, if you didn't talk about how you used to be trying to kill us all." "Maybe" Azula put on a smile "so what do you think of this whole arranged marriage thing?" "I think its nuts, but you know, they didn't really give me a choice about it." "Well peasant before we go further with this, I've only ever kissed one boy…." Azula looked at Sokka expectantly. 'Oh man, what is it with girls and kissing today…I'll have to ask Aang if Katara and Zuko if Mai and Katara are acting normal.' "So what are you trying to say?" Sokka put on his best clueless face to see if he could escape the inevitable." "I WANT YOU TO KISS ME YOU IDIOT!" Azula was starting to lose her patience with this whole idea, she didn't know if she'd be able to exist in the same nation much less the same house as this moron. "Oh…okay" Sokka said scratching the back of his head and looking around. Standing up Azula beckoned to Sokka. When Sokka stood up Azula pulled him into a full embrace and their lips met. As Sokka put his arms around Azula she pulled closer and deepened the kiss. 'At least shes not ravaging my mouth like Toph' thought Sokka remembering the earlier event. After a moment Azula finally let go of Sokka, "that wasn't so bad was it?" "No I guess it w….what's burning?" "AHH HOLY CRAP" Sokka screamed noticing the back of his clothes were starting to catch on fire. "Oh and Sokka…I think you're pretty hot" and Azula walked off giving him a wink. 'Oh man what a great pun' Sokka thought to himself as he rolled on the ground to put himself out.
A/N sorry the paragraphs are still pretty long =\. Oh well bite the bullet I guess =P. Anywho sorry if it seems a bit disjointed I didn't write it all in one go because I've been busy and felt a bit rushed towards the end because I wanted to finish it up and post it before I head to a party. Well hope you like it read and review please =).