Sorry if this chapter is kind of lacking. I ended up having to multitask when typing the last part and as you some of you might have noticed I was in a bad mood, so I wasn't entirely focused on it. But I typed it anyways because typing fics makes situations that much more bearable.
blueandie: Sick Azula is not a morning person. I feel like having her kind of gauge his problems would be something that brought her closer to her character in the canon. He gave her some insight and she put a few pieces together. I also felt as though I should add more bits about her to kind of link their problems more and create a more solid understanding of each other. Thanks! That episode was pretty influential to find some insecurities for Sokka to work with in this fic.
Emizula: Thank you! I always have fun typing dialog between the two and giving Azula opportunities to be sassy. Feeling a little better, I just hope that it stays that one. Thanks you for saying so. :)
Sokka had felt the air warm some and he had dreaded the thawing of the snow. He had known that as soon as they could set foot into the outside world, that the princess would have him where he stood presently. He watched the waves fold and dip under the boat. He had waved a goodbye to Gran, Pakku, and Bato. And to Hakoda he departed with a promise to give Katara his regards and the stuffed seal-lion she had left behind the last time. Azula was eager to give her a hard time over still sleeping with a plush at all. Though Sokka was faintly certain that she still had one of her own somewhere. The woman in question strolled leisurely from one end of the deck to the next. Fully recovered from her brush with a frigid death, she was put together extra well. Not a hair out of place, not a kink in her clothing. Where he was queasy with anxiousness, her spirits seemed very high. No doubt, she was elated to be on her way home. He was hoping to get a word with her, to seek comfort and advice, but Iroh got to her first. Sokka wasn't surprised in the slightest—Iroh had a much better chance to make headway with her when she was in a brighter mood to begin with. He didn't have the heart to ruin that chance so he let Iroh confront Azula and wallowed alone in his nervous anticipation. Would they be mad at him? Or were they just worried. Would they be mad at him because they were worried. Sokka tapped his fingers nervously upon the railing as he glared at the ocean. He took a deep breath and tried to let his hatred of it go. For as much as it stole from him it had taken him to his father, to the place where he was able to get his peace of mind. The distance it put between he and Azula was closed. But he supposed it was better to hate the ocean than himself. He wished that he could detest neither.
.oOo.
"I'm not him." It was firm and left no room for argument.
"No, but you almost became him." Iroh tried anyhow. "You were so close to becoming your father that it was hard to tell the difference."
"You never tried." Azula countered.
Iroh rubbed his beard. "You are right, I should have. But you have to understand just how hard it was to do that when your father made it difficult to reach you. I am his brother, I have heard his manner of speech. His dark inclinations. His mannerisms, his tone, his demeanor, you reflected them all almost exactly. You tormented my nephew—your brother, just like Ozai. You spoke of war and conquer."
"I was raised to think of how to put my kingdom first."
"He may have put the words there, but they came from your lips. All of them."
"You could have influenced me just as easily if you chose the right words." Azula muttered. "But you were too busy showing Zu-Zu the right way."
Iroh's hard expression gave way. "The truth is, I didn't know how to reach you. Zuko had a dream once, in which you were a blue dragon. Dragons are a force to reckon with, niece. It is wise to keep one's distance. But a dragon befriended is a companion worth keeping; they are powerful and protective as they are frightening and dangerous. Most people are to wary to try to acquire such a companion. Sokka is braver than most people. He is braver than I was."
She still didn't like his lengthy speeches and metaphors. Frankly she just wanted him to get to the point with her having to sort through the fluff. "Are you saying that you are a coward?"
She had pinched a nerve for his face hardened again for a moment. "Concerning you, I might have been. To a point I believe that I had the right to be so." She had to appreciate his honestly. "But after hearing Zuko's recount of your Agni Kai I probably shouldn't have feared you. I shouldn't have pressed you to change without offering any help."
Azula bit her lip thinking it over. She wanted to stay mad, but that was what she wanted to hear, or at the very least it was the basic structure of what she wanted to hear. A small confirmation that she wasn't completely at fault for slipping into her own destruction did her well. "Is that an apology?"
"It will be an apology if I get one too." He poured himself a cup of tea. He brought it near his lips before changing his mind and offering it to her.
She stared at the teacup for a moment before accepting it.
.oOo.
Sokka fanned himself. He was already sweating with anxiety, the unapologetic Fire Nation heat did little to aid the situation. Azula told him that she would talk to the gang first which only settled his nerves to a minuscule degree. He constantly made the mistake of preparing no dialog for himself so this time he did. He was going to tell Katara that he ran away because he had hurt Azula and he was afraid of hurting someone else. He was going to tell her that he knew that running away had been selfish, but that it came from a selfless place. He was going to confess that to all of them. At worst, if they gave him a hard time, he had Azula for support and company until he could prove his case better.
Zuko and Azula were the first to join him in the room. He caught the tail end of their conversation; something akin to, "I was stuck in a snow storm too, Aang had to save my sorry ass." To which Azula replied, "I suppose almost dying in the Water Tribe is a family activity." And from Zuko, "let's try to find other ways to bond."
Katara, Aang, and Toph filled the rest of the seats at the table. "I was the one who found your name in the ship logs!" Toph declared.
"Congrats, Toph, I appri—wait, no you didn't!" Sokka grumbled.
"I did so." Toph replied, "ask Momo, he was there."
From what he gathered there were no hard feelings from her, though she would probably be making jokes about his disappearance for years to come, which was punishment enough.
Sokka addressed Katara wearily, "dad says hi, and Gran misses you."
Katara fixed him with a hard stare. "He couldn't have seen me if you would have, oh you know, invited me along. You couldn't even say goodbye to me in person?"
"I didn't know how to say it." He muttered "and even if I did I was afraid of hurting you. I thought that you would be afraid of me."
"I'm not afraid of you, I'm afraid of some of the things you do." Katara replied. "I was more afraid that I was going to lose you…" She paused. "I just can't believe you would run away like that." He caught the slightest tremble in her voice.
"It's not all his fault, remember Katara. We were ignoring him? Would we have listened to him if he tried to tell us?" Aang asked.
"Of course I would have!" Katara cried. She turned back to Sokka. "That was stupid and reckless and irresponsible! And Azula told me that she almost died?"
"Twice." Azula corrected.
Sokka nudged her under the table and muttered, "you're not helping me."
"Is this how you're going to handle all of your problems? By running away?" Katara shot.
He gripped Azula's hand as the guilt welled up again. She didn't squeeze back, but she didn't tug out of his grasp. "I just didn't want to make things worse."
"Well I'm glad that worked out for you." Katara stood.
"Don't leave." He frowned. "Katara. Come on, we're trying to talk about this."
"All you're doing is making excuses." Katara shouted. "I didn't come down here to hear excuses."
"No I'm not, it's true I left because I was afraid of…"
"You didn't think about how any of us would feel at all."
"That's all I thought about." Sokka lowered his gaze. "I thought that I was doing what was best."
Aang smiled, "I know. I think Katara does too. It's just easier for her to be frustrated than sad."
Katara knit her brows. He was right it was easier, so much easier. Which is why she replied, "maybe you did what was best for you."
"That's what I thought too." Azula put in. "He has bigger problems than you know."
"If he was having problems he should have told us." Zuko grumbled.
"Yes, because that's what you always do." Azula examined her nails. Based on her expression Sokka concluded that's she'd be seeking out another trip to the royal spa shortly.
"At least I don't throw punches when I have pent up problems!"
Azula quirked an eyebrow.
"Whatever." Zuko folded his arms over his chest.
Katara bit the inside of her lip and Sokka hoped that it meant she was trying to see things his way.
"I hate you, Sokka." She snapped, "I hate you for leaving me here wondering if you were going to be okay."
"I'm sorry." He replied softly. "I just needed a break."
"Next time you take a break, maybe leave a better note." Toph suggested. "Sugar Queen likes her sappy notes."
He was a grown man, it was time to start acting like one. "I won't need to write another, I don't plan on leaving again."
