Chapter 16: Bleach

"Can you believe it?" Jet shouted over the squeaky locker room shower faucet as he scrubbed himself down.

Zuko kneaded some conditioner into his hair. "End of an era."

"I can't believe Sokka missed it – he's never missed a practice."

"Well he hasn't exactly been himself the past couple days…"

"No kidding." Jet turned the water off and reached for his towel. "I wonder what's going on with him. Has he said anything to you?"

"Not a word."

"Weird. You two are usually joined at the hip."

"Yeah, well he's been oddly distant with me lately…" Zuko was quiet for a moment. "But I don't think it's a coincidence."

"Huh?"

"Sokka's mood and Suki's announcement." He began to rinse off.

"What do you mean?" Jet's first instinct was that Zuko was mistaken. They had just learned at the end of practice that Suki was stepping down as president of the fencing team because she's graduating a semester early and that she'd be announcing her replacement sometime next week. Sokka wasn't even at this practice to hear her news, but was it possible she had told him earlier? Privately? "You think… he knew?"

"Just a hunch."

"But even if she had already told him, why would that affect him so much? It just doesn't make – " Jet stopped himself, suddenly feeling cold. Oh no. This was bad, this was really bad. "Wait, you don't think – "

"I thought it was pretty obvious," Zuko muttered. "I mean, you see the way he lights up around her, how he always wants to include her. All those late nights in the armory…"

"No… that can't be it. There has to be something else – "

Zuko sighed, grabbing his towel and drying off. "I don't like it anymore than you do – "

"Why?" Jet gave him a confused look. "Why would you have a problem with it?"

"Because Suki can be kind of annoying and bossy, and Sokka acts like a total idiot around her," he scoffed. "Why would you have a problem with it?"

"Just… reasons."

"Good answer," Zuko groaned sarcastically.

Jet ignored him as he threw a shirt over his head.

The housemates finished dressing in silence, but as soon as they left the gym, they were greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey Mai!" Zuko gave his girlfriend a quick hug.

Jet's jaw instinctively clenched. "Hey. Classes done for the day?"

"Yep. Thank the spirits it's Friday."

"A three-day weekend Friday," Jet added with a charismatic smile.

"Oh, that's right! I completely forgot about National Tea Appreciation Day. What a stupid holiday."

"It's Uncle's favorite," Zuko chimed in.

"Of course it is," Mai chuckled.

Jet thought it was strange that Zuko and Mai weren't holding hands or anything as they walked together, but maybe these two just weren't into PDA. Considering he was still trying to get over her, this was just fine by him.

"Hey, I'm actually gonna hit the grocery store before they close," Zuko said. "Need anything?"

Mai shook her head.

"I think we're running out of eggs," Jet replied.

"Got it." Zuko gave Mai a light kiss on the forehead and veered off.

Mai smiled and turned to Jet. "So…"

"So, where are you headed? Back to the dorms?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Same actually. I, uh, need to talk to Azula about something." It was a half-truth. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all." She paused, seeming uneasy. "Was I… oh, never mind."

"Were you what?"

"I don't know, I just kinda felt like I was interrupting something between you and Zuko."

"What? No…"

"There was a weird tension."

"Oh. Yeah, we're just worried about Sokka."

"Yeah, well me too." She paused. "I wonder what happened. Whatever it is, it can't be good."

"Y-Yeah. I just…" He sighed.

"What?"

"It's a stupid thing to care about, but I just wish he felt more comfortable opening up to me. He was sort of my first friend here, being my roommate and all. I-It's not that I mind coming second to Zuko – " In more ways than one, but he kept that thought to himself. "– but I kinda wish I had that same bond with someone. I've never had that with anyone before."

"That's not a stupid thing to care about, and that's not even true," she said bluntly. "You have that bond with Azula, don't you think?"

"I – " His breath caught in his throat. "Yeah, I… I guess I do." He smiled, chuckling softly to himself. "Mai, I've gotta hand it to you. You're pretty awesome."

"You think I'm…? No way," she dismissed, casting her eyes down to her feet. "I'm… I'm a phony."

"What?" he asked, concerned.

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"No, why would you say that about yourself?"

"I said forget it."

"Okay…" Not wanting to pry, he let it go. But what made her say that? What was she hiding?

"Hey."

Azula couldn't believe her eyes. Sokka, the man who made her go weak at the knees, was standing in her doorway smiling, seemingly back to his old jovial self. Except for one glaringly obvious difference: he was blond.

"H-Hey, I – " She blinked, trying to confirm she wasn't having a stroke. "Wow, I didn't recognize you for a second."

"Pretty big change, right?" he grinned. "Can I come in?"

"Of course. Umm, make yourself comfortable." Azula realized the irony in her statement considering she herself was feeling quite uncomfortable. Under normal circumstances, having Sokka alone in her bedroom would have been a dream come true, but now, with blond Sokka, clearly on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, she had no idea how to proceed.

He took a seat on her mattress. "So, whaddya think?!"

"It's uhh… different!" She forced a smile. Truth was, she hated his new look. "I think I still need some time to get used to it."

"Yeah," he laughed. "Me too. I just finished bleaching it in the bathroom. But Zuko and Jet weren't home and I wanted to see someone's reaction so here I am!"

"Here you are…" She chuckled nervously.

"I think I'm really pulling it off."

"Sokka… is there… anything you'd like to talk about?"

"Nope! Not at all. The only thing I want to do this long weekend is relax and have fun."

"Okay, then… how can I help you relax?"

He cocked an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"T-That came out wrong."

"Sure it did," he teased.

She felt her cheeks go hot.

"I don't know… do you have anything to eat?"

"Uhhh…"

"Or, I know, why don't we go out to eat?"

"J-Just the two of us?"

"Yeah, why not?"

Azula was at a loss for what to do. Her heart was screaming at her to go, but logically she knew it wasn't a good idea, not while he was clearly just looking for a distraction from whatever problems he was facing. As luck would have it, she would not have to make any decision at all. Mai had just returned.

"Hey, I'm back," she said, entering her room.

"Mai! Welcome back…"

"Okay…" She gave her a strange look. "Jet's here too, by the way."

"Hey, Azula."

"Hey guys," she said through a clenched smile, giving her friends a look that read "help me".

"Are you feeling alright?" Mai asked, not getting the message.

Jet's face twisted. "Uhh, who is that on your – "

"Hey Jet. Hey Mai," Sokka greeted, giving his friends a wave.

"Sokka?!" Jet asked incredulously, his eyebrows raised.

Mai stared blankly at him.

"Didn't recognize me, eh?"

Jet shook his head. "What did you do to your hair?"

"I bleached it!"

"Yeah, I can see that…"

"But… why?" Mai questioned.

"Dunno," Sokka shrugged. "Just wanted a change I guess."

"So…" Jet drawled. "You missed fencing practice to bleach your hair?"

"Yeah," he answered nonchalantly. "Just wasn't in the mood for fencing today."

Azula could tell by the pained look on Jet's face that he wanted to say something brutally honest but was fighting back the words. Mai too for that matter. It was funny… Jet, Mai, and Azula were rarely the type to spare someone's feelings, but seeing Sokka in this particularly vulnerable state was making them think very carefully about their words.

"So Sokka and I were just about to grab something to eat," she jumped in, hoping to be rescued.

Jet picked up on the hint right away. "Hey, why don't we all go back to the house and I'll cook something?"

"I can help with that," Mai added.

"What would you like to eat?" Jet asked Sokka.

"Anything unhealthy," he replied.

"You got it."

"Hey," Mai murmured to Jet in the kitchen as the two prepared dinner together, "do you think we should let Katara know what's going on?"

"Hmm." Jet stared at the pot of water on the stove, waiting for it to boil. "No, I don't think so. She has a midterm exam on Tuesday."

"Ugh. On a Tuesday following a three-day weekend? Brutal."

"Pre-med."

"Right." Mai pulled the few remaining eggs from the refrigerator. "What about Ty Lee?"

"What about her?"

"I don't know, m-maybe we should invite her over for dinner? She could help with Sokka's mood…"

"No way," Jet chuckled. "If Ty Lee knows what Sokka did to his hair, then Katara would know for sure. Girl can't keep a secret to save her life."

Mai nodded. "Good point."

Jet browsed the spice rack for some chili flakes and sriracha seasoning. "I… I kinda feel bad for leaving Azula alone with him while we cook."

"Why?"

"Oh you know. She's not exactly the most sympathetic person in the world. She's probably feeling uncomfortable."

"Eh. Azula can handle herself."

"I guess." He noticed Mai had a sly smile on her face. "What?"

"It's mean but… I just can't stop thinking about his hair. It's just so – "

"Terrible!"

She laughed. "I know, right?!"

"Yes!" Azula gloated, having just beaten Sokka in another match of Super Smash Benders Ultimate. "I win again!"

"Well, technically that makes us tied…"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Hey…" He smirked. "How about we make things a little more interesting?"

"I'm listening…"

"Let's say from here on out, the winner gets to ask the loser a question of their choice, and the loser has to answer honestly no matter what."

"Oh, you're on."

They shook on it and continued onto the next match. It was a heated battle, taking up all five minutes of the timed game, but in the end, Azula came out victorious.

"Spirits damn it," Sokka muttered while Azula grinned at him triumphantly. "Okay, do your worst."

"This won't be so bad, I hope…" She had a question in mind, but she was nervous to say it out loud. "Fuck, marry, kill. Mai, Ty Lee, and…" Her heart was in her throat. "… me."

"Hmm…" He looked away from her as he thought, seemingly self-conscious. "That's a tough one…"

"Y-You don't have to spare my feelings, you know. It's just a game."

"I know, I know. It's not that. It's just…" A sly smile spread across his face as he brought his gaze up to meet hers. "…I can't decide whether I'd rather marry you or fuck you."

She stopped breathing altogether. The way he said 'fuck' made her entire body feel like it was on fire. "Oh, really?" she managed. "Well, I-I 'd presume there'd be at least some fucking in a marriage…"

"You raise a really good point," he said through his smile. "In that case, I would fuck Ty Lee, marry you, and kill Mai – " He began shouting into the kitchen. "– no offense, Mai!"

"Huh?" they heard her call from the kitchen.

"Nothing!" He turned back to Azula, laughing. "Another round then?"

"Bring it." Given Sokka's answer to her question, her hands were sweating as they gripped the controller. Nonetheless, it was another close match, though not as close as before, with Sokka coming out the victor a little after the four-minute mark.

"Alright!" he cheered, getting out of his seat to do an obnoxious victory dance.

"Technically we're tied," Azula mocked.

"Yeah, yeah," he mocked right back, sitting back down on the sofa next to her. "Okay." He paused. "I have a question for you…"

She sighed. "Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to want to answer this one?"

He grinned.

"Oh boy…"

"On Ember Island, when we were all playing that game, and we… kissed…"

Azula felt her heartrate picking up once again. Where was he going with this?!

"…did it… mean anything to you?"

Her lips parted but no words came out. She struggled to collect her thoughts. "Uh, why would it – it was only a – what are you – "

He chuckled. "You haven't answered the question."

She shook her head, thinking her ineloquent response to be an answer on its own.

"Okay, let me rephrase. Did you like kissing me?"

Her cheeks were burning. "Yes," she exhaled. "Happy now?"

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling smugly.

"W-What about you?" she blurted.

"What about me?" he teased.

"You know. Did you… like kissing me?"

He smirked. "You know, that happened so long ago, I think I'd need a refresher."

At this point, Azula felt herself short-circuit. She knew what he was about to do, the way his blue eyes traced down from her eyes to her lips, and she knew she should stop this immediately, that Sokka wasn't acting rationally and just using her as an escape from reality, but… she was rendered powerless to stop him as he brushed her hair back behind her ear. And then he leaned in, and she continued to not push him away. And then…

"Back from the store!" Zuko announced, bursting through the front door.

Azula and Sokka immediately separated on the couch and straightened up.

"Ice cream was on sale so I picked up five pints of Lo & Li's."

"Yes! You're the best!" Sokka jumped up from the couch to help Zuko put groceries away.

"Holy shit!" Zuko shouted with wide eyes. "Your hair!"

"I know, don't you just love it?"

"Umm, I uhh, 'love' is a very strong – you know what, you look great."

"Thanks, buddy!" He threw his arms around his housemate and gave him a big bear hug.

"Ahh, you're just happy because I bought you ice cream. And before you ask, yes, I got you your own tub of mint chocolate chip. Your favorite."

"I could kiss you right now!" Sokka hugged him even tighter, lifting him off the ground just a little.

"Okay, okay," Zuko chuckled, getting red in the face.

Azula felt a pang in her stomach, but she wasn't quite sure what was eliciting this response. It would be ridiculous to say jealousy.

"Hey, good timing Zuko," Jet said, stepping into the living room. "Oh. You're hugging. What else is new."

"Dinner's ready." Mai came out from the kitchen holding a steaming bowl of soup. "Spicy ramen, anyone?"