I've had Rojo by J Balvin playing on repeat this last week. I figured that was a sign that I should write a short Sokkla one-shot inspired by the song (not the music video).
The summer heat wasn't intolerable…
In fact, it was down right a pleasant night compared to the balmy heat of the Fire Nation that suffocated the air no matter how many windows were open nor the time of night.
Yet Sokka still found himself restless in his bed, the thin sheets tangling in a bunch at the end of his bed as he struggled to fall asleep. The breeze that carried through the open window of his penthouse apartment did little to soothe the hypochondriac fever that had him seeing red silks and raven locks.
The crude timepiece contraption of cogs and bolts Sokka had assembled and displayed on his nightstand read that it would still be a couple of hours before sunrise. It ticked loudly, reminding him that in a few hours he would have to resume his ruse of councilman and the Southern Water Tribe dignitary.
It was simple enough for him to play the role in the day. The identity of the astute politician had felt like a farce when the official titles had first been assigned yet he wore them like a familiar coat years later. Despite his humble origins, there was no mistaking that Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe had helped shape the political sphere after the war and subsequently the lives of countless people around the world. Fifteen years after the war, he still wondered what life would have been if he and Katara had never gone fishing and found Aang in that iceberg.
Sokka lay still in his bed praying to all the spirits he knew and the few he made up, that feigning sleep would trick his mind into resting for the few hours left of the night.
As he waited for sleep to arrive, the scene from across the hall to the other, more luxurious penthouse played out in Sokka's mind despite efforts to avoid the thoughts. He could imagine her stirring in her bed, equally frustrated and restless.
Years of what could only be classified as a personal attachment now had honed Sokka to the mystery which was Azula. There was a connection there so strong that no matter how many fights nor how many times they called it quits, he was acutely aware of how his body called to her and how hers responded to him. Their heartstrings were tethered together and wound so tightly that they each resembled hapless marionettes, unable to cut free from the strings yet neither really making an effort to sever the ties.
Sokka had long since tired of trying to understand what was going on between the two of them.
In the beginning of their affair, it had started out innocently enough. The Fire Princess was in need of companionship as she settled into her role as the Fire Nation dignitary and councilwoman of Republic City. They shared the same responsibilities and their goals for the budding city aligned more times than not. Their banter was easy with equal parts intrigue and irritation that flowed to deeper, meaningful conversations that Sokka had not found with anyone else since he had settled in Republic City. As much as he loved his sister and his friends, they just never understood the brilliance of his jokes.
However, even as their friendship progressed physically and passionately, both had been hesitant to address the other as anything more than a friend or colleague.
Azula had… expectations.
Sokka perfectly understood that she felt pressure to make a name for herself outside of the shadow of her past self. Even the ghosts of Ozai's clutches still haunted her and she was determined to exorcise those phantoms of her mind on her own. She had repaired her relationships with Zuko and her mother and uncle yet the perfectionist in her would not rest until she had attained the level of peace within herself which she so desperately sought. Azula tried to play it off as indifference but Sokka knew that Azula kept him at arm's length to save him from the infamy that plagued her.
It did not matter how many ways he had tried in the past to make her realize should she ever tire of carrying that heavy yoke on her own, his arms were wide open to help her.
He admired Azula's independence and disguised selflessness while cursing it since it made him cling to her time and again. No matter how many times he tried to distance himself from her, he knew that he would ignore everything for her if she needed him. She had sunk deep into his core and wedged firmly in place. Even if he ended up with someone else later in life, Azula would forever remain in the recesses of his mind.
Still, Sokka couldn't help but be bothered by the suitors as they tried to vie for the princess's attention. They were another reason that Sokka and Azula had decided to call it quits again. Azula wanted her nuptials to be advantages to the Fire Nation, a small sacrifice on her part for her country. Love and marriage were two distinct matters in her mind. He expected nothing less than the cold, calculated approach to marriage that she was taking… he only wished that he didn't feel so gutted with each pursuit.
It was some comfort for Sokka that every single nobleman and pompous suitor trying to impress the Azula for her hand tripped over themselves trying to awe her with their riches and wealth. The more lavish the gift or the more self-important the pursuer made themselves, the harsher Azula's rejection would be. It was an ill kept secret that Sokka was Azula's lover yet how foolish to try and woo a princess with gifts she could easily obtain for herself!
Still, he felt a twinge of envy that those idiots could humiliate themselves for her hand. He would never ask her knowing the turmoil it would cause Azula but as he lay in his bed Sokka couldn't help but wonder why couldn't he be the one to pursue her openly?
Sokka replayed his list of things to do for the day that was quickly approaching. The timepiece on the nightstand continued its loud ticks, announcing each passing second.
He watched the dark shadows play across the wall of his room as he waited a few more minutes before he got out of bed and walked towards the open window.
The cool summer breeze hit his naked chest, a blissful relief to the heat he had been feeling moments ago. He felt his skin prickle as the cool sensation washed over him and contrasted with the gleam of sweat that had collected across his pecs.
Sokka heard the noise he had expected all night. He had been calling out to it without meaning to but he knew that it would have come regardless.
Soft footsteps on his fire escape disrupted the darkness.
Azula's hair swirled around her face in gentle waves as she rounded the corner from her penthouse. She wrapped her silk robe around her lithe body to keep the current of air from ripping it out of her grasp.
Sokka held his hand out as she ducked under the windows into his bedroom, her arms wrapping around his neck tightly while her milky legs wound around his waist. He buried his face into the familiar scent of her hair while his lips sought the soft skin at the base of her neck.
It did not matter what the day brought for them. It did not matter how many times they attempted to walk away from each other… desire always ended up bringing them together no matter how they tried to fight it. He just needed to feel her next to him, feel her near him. At least for a few more hours they could pretend that the pressures outside of his bed were meaningless.
Flashes of red silk and raven locks contrasted with pale skin, flooding his vision. He decided that no matter how Azula came to him, he would always want her.
End.
Thanks for reading! Comments and critiques are welcomed.