Modern AU

Chapter summary: It's March 2020. Sokka, Azula, and Zuko are in the Earth Kingdom on spring break together. There's some talk about a mysterious virus.

Chapter rating: T

Chapter genres: Romance, Humor

This was going to be the greatest spring break ever. After two years of tutoring and picking up odd jobs around campus, Sokka had finally saved up enough money to visit his best friend, Zuko, during spring break andthen fly home to the Southern Water Tribe to see his dad and sister. But mostly he was excited to see Zuko. Since they were "online" friends, they had only had the opportunity to meet up a couple times in person, but ever since they met all those years ago playing Fortnite together, they'd formed a friendship unlike any other. Maybe it was easier to talk about himself to a stranger he'd met online, but Sokka found it so easy to talk to Zuko, someone who truly understood him. He told his friend everything, there were no secrets between them. Well… there was one. And her name was Azula.

"Well I see how it is," Azula said, closing the front door behind her and setting down her luggage. "You have no problem picking up your gamer buddy at the airport but can't be bothered to pick up your little sister."

Zuko groaned. "Sokka's flight got in much earlier than yours, and you know he's only here for three days." He didn't even bother pausing the anime episode he and Sokka were currently watching. "You weren't even supposed to be here."

"Please. As if I'd willingly choose to spend my limited time off with Mother, Noren, and Kiyi." She scowled. "This seemed like the lesser of two horrible options."

"Mmph."

"And besides… I haven't seen Sokka in forever."

"Hi, Azula," Sokka called, trying not to let her distract him from the show.

"Has it really been two and a half years?" she asked. "Last I saw you, you were just leaving for your first semester. My, how time flies."

Sokka didn't need to look at her to know she was smirking. The last time he saw her, they had kissed. Passionately. Up against a wall. And Zuko had no idea. It would have been no big deal – it was just one kiss after all – if it hadn't meant anything, but… it did. Their fleeting moment, however brief, stuck with him. It was seared inside his brain. Two and half years had passed and he still replayed it over and over in his head. He thought about it before he went to sleep most nights. He thought about it even when he started dating Suki his freshman year. It was so pathetic too. Azula probably never thought about him.

"Y-Yeah… it's been a while," he managed to get out.

That was the one secret he kept from his best friend. He had a little crush on Zuko's younger sister, a crush that would not go away no matter how many times he reminded himself how bratty, condescending, and arrogant she was. However, despite his feelings, he could never act on it. Azula was very much off-limits. He could never break the Bro Code like that. After all, he had a younger sister of his own, and he'd feel super weird if Zuko ever made a move on her. Zuko was his best friend, and he would never do anything to jeopardize their friendship.

"So," Azula said. "Where's Uncle?"

"At the tea shop," Zuko answered, eyes affixed to the TV.

She sighed. "Okay, well I guess I'll leave you two alone to nerd out. I supposed it's a 'Netflix and chill' kind of night for you two, hm?"

"Gay jokes. Nice. Clever as always."

"I'm going to unpack and take a shower."

"We don't care what you do, Azula."

That wasn't entirely true. Sokka cared. And now all he could think about was Azula taking a hot, steamy shower…

She ignored his comment. "I need to get the stench of disgusting airport people off me. I hate flying coach. My flight was fine by the way, not that you cared to ask. The airport was a total zoo though. Everyone's freaking out about some virus…"

Sokka could hear her walk up the stairs, dragging her luggage loudly on the way.

"Sorry about that," Zuko muttered. "She's such a pain. She was supposed to be staying with Mother in the Fire Nation for spring break."

"Do you have, umm, any idea why she changed her mind?"

"No idea."

"Hm." Sokka wondered if maybe, just maybe, his visit encouraged her decision. The thought alone brought a smile to his face. Not that it mattered. Azula was off-limits. Off. Limits.

Night One

Sokka, though groggy from traveling, awoke from his sleep with a rumbling tummy. Zuko and Iroh had said to make himself at home, and he intended to do as much, so he crept up the stairs from the guest room in the basement for a late-night snack. The soft glow of the TV caught his attention on the way to the kitchen. It seemed he wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

Azula was on the couch, snug under a blanket. She immediately paused her show upon hearing footsteps, seemingly self-conscious about what she was watching. "W-What are you doing up?" she snapped.

"I got hungry. Just came up for a little snack." He walked over to the kitchen and proceeded to raid the freezer for ice cream. "Couldn't sleep?" he called.

"No. Travelling always throws off my circadian rhythms."

He spooned out three scoops of mint chocolate chip and walked back over toward the living room. "So… whatcha watching?"

"Nothing," she replied, trying to quickly switch shows.

"Wait, is that – you're watching Attack on Titan, no way! After teasing us and calling us nerds, it turns out you're a secret nerd after all."

"I am not."

"It's okay, Azula. Your secret is safe with me."

"Shut up. I'm not a nerd."

"What episode are you on? Did you get to the time jump where – "

"Stop! No spoilers!"

"See, you do care," he taunted.

She groaned. "Fine," she finally conceded. "I like anime. Happy now?"

Sokka would never tell her this, but he found this revelation very attractive. "You have no idea."

"You don't have to be a jerk about it."

"Neither do you."

"Fair enough." She shifted her weight on the couch to make room for him. "Care to join?"

His heart stopped. "Ummm…" It would probably be a bad idea, but…

"While you have your… whatever it is you're eating."

"It's ice cream."

"I don't care."

"Yeah, okay," he said against his better judgment. He sat down on the couch but kept his distance from her.

She snickered. "I don't bite, you know."

"I'm not so sure about that," he chuckled.

She resumed the show and the two watched in silence for a while. He noticed that she had a particular amused smile whenever there was graphic violence. It was kind of charming, in a perverse way.

"Cold?" she asked, offering him part of her blanket.

"N-No. I don't get cold."

"Not even after all that ice cream?"

"Nope. I'm fine."

"I guess it is kinda warm down here…" She pulled the blanket off of her slowly, letting the fabric slide down her silky sleep robe.

Sokka's jaw clenched. Spirits, she was so beautiful, it was unfair. He knew at this point that he was in the danger zone and moments away from doing something stupid. "I-I'm gonna get headed to bed," he blurted, bolting upright and hopping off the couch. "I hope you find some sleep."

She smiled mischievously. "Oh, I will."

"Good night."

"Good night, Sokka," she purred. "Same time tomorrow?"

"I – I – don't think so." He ran down the stairs and back to the basement guest room, closing the door swiftly behind him. Ugh, why was she doing this to him?!

Night Two

It was just after midnight, and Sokka simply could not fight the feeling anymore. He had to pee.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem – there was a bathroom in the guest bedroom after all – but the flusher was fickle and after losing an embarrassing fight to it earlier and needing to get a plunger involved, he didn't want to chance flooding the floor. But he also did not want to go upstairs. Azula could be up there, watching TV again or whatever. And she was definitely up to something.

Azula and Zuko were both early risers, so the fire siblings were already awake and doing their morning routines when Sokka had woken up this morning. Zuko was in the kitchen chatting with Iroh over some tea, and Azula… she was in the living room doing yoga in a tight little sporty outfit that left little to the imagination. Right in the middle of the sun's rays, she was so lithe, flexible, and graceful, and her ass… it just begged to be smacked. And the way she smirked at him when she caught him staring, she knew exactly what she was doing.

He was thankful when she took off for a morning jog following her yoga stretches. If he had watched her any longer, Sokka probably would have had to run off to the bathroom for other reasons. But then things got even more frustrating after she came back from her jog, with her hot athletic body glistening from sweat, her cheeks red from her workout. He wanted to be the one to give her a workout… it just wasn't fair.

She went to take a shower after that, and all Sokka could think about as he played videogames with Zuko on the couch was how Azula was naked just one floor above him, rubbing soap all over her perfect body. Then of course, she had to go ahead and join them on the couch while her hair dried, with the only thing keeping Sokka from seeing her naked body in all its glory was a short bathrobe that showed off her long legs. Azula had sat down next to him on the couch too, so tantalizingly close to him he could smell the floral scent of her shampoo.

Just thinking about the whole day was making him frustrated, a mood in which he did not want to be while he crept up the stairs to use the bathroom. If he saw Azula there on the couch again… well, he just wasn't sure what he'd do.

Oh, but of course she was there, and of course she heard him.

"Had a feeling I'd see you tonight," she teased.

"I just came up to pee, that's all."

"You have a bathroom in your room…"

"Yeah, but using the flusher is like playing Water Tribe roulette but with worse odds."

"Ah, yes, that's right." She smirked. "I wonder how that came to be…"

"Wait, you did this?!"

She held the expression for a moment longer then laughed. "I'm just messing with you. That toilet's been on the fritz for months. Uncle really ought to have that fixed."

"Yeah, so… if you don't mind…" He started walking again toward the bathroom.

"Don't let me stop you."

In his peripheral vision, it looked like Azula had picked up a gaming controller, but… that couldn't be right. He managed to walk past her, do his business in the bathroom, wash his hands, and walk out. He had almost made it past her again – ugh, it would have been so easy not to be nosy – but she actually was playing videogames. Mario Kart to be specific, the game they had all played earlier together on the couch.

"You're staring," she said in a singsong way.

"I, umm, I'm just surprised to see you playing Mario Kart."

"Well, you two spent all afternoon beating me at this stupid game, so I figured I should get some practice in."

He chuckled. "Well it's not like either of us expected you to beat us at a game we play often when you don't even game."

She was quiet for a moment as she focused on her race. "I game."

"Really – "

"I just prefer different types of games. Not racing games."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" He realized he was getting caught up in conversation again and should call it a night very soon.

"I don't know, games like Portal, Braid, Baba is You. Games that make you think."

Sokka was stunned. Puzzle-solving games were amongst his favorites too.

"But this sort of mindless entertainment is fun every now and then…" She paused her game and looked up at him. "Would you maybe want to… give me some tips?"

"I, errrr, uhhh – " He had to get out of this, he really did.

"Come on, Sokka. It's just gaming. Unless…" She brought a finger to her lip and slowly dragged it across her flirtatious smile. "…there's something else you'd rather do with me…"

"N-No, I – " He was already kicking himself for turning down her advances, but he was not going to betray his best friend like that. "I need to go to bed."

"Suit yourself," she shrugged.

He walked to the basement door and then stopped. In a moment of weakness, he considered going back to her, to relieve himself of all his frustrations, but then decided to stay strong and head downstairs. Unfortunately, Azula heard him pause.

"Yes?" she called. "Did you need something?"

"No, I just… you're actually pretty good at Mario Kart, you just need to practice drifting, okay good night!" he blurted before darting down the stairs into the safety of the guest bedroom. But Spirits, he was too worked up to go to sleep. So just like any young man would probably do in his situation, he turned to Pornhub, where he searched for a thin, athletic, black-haired woman who sort of looked like Azula and pleasured himself into a tissue. A tissue which he absentmindedly threw into the toilet. The toilet that might or might not flush.

Night Three

Following yet another frustrating day of Azula's constant teasing, there was no way in hell he was going to leave his room. It was his final night staying at Iroh's; tomorrow morning he would be on a flight to the Southern Water Tribe. He would miss Zuko of course, and even Azula too, though in a completely different way, but he was excited to go home and see his family. Yes, he had made it. Three days without caving in to his desires.

He smiled with satisfaction. He was stronger than his urges. He was a good friend. He should be able to rest easy tonight, but… his mind was restless. Azula had tried a different tactic with him today, one that sent his thoughts and his heart racing. It was something so simple too, something that shouldn't have had that great of an impact on him, and yet, here he was, wide awake thinking about it.

While he sat between the fire siblings on the couch as the three of them watched a Studio Ghibli film, Azula simply placed her hand right next to his, beneath a blanket so Zuko couldn't see. He seemed none the wiser too – he was pretty engaged with the big bowl of fire flakes on his lap. But Azula's hand lay next to Sokka's, her pinky finger gently grazing his own, and… he didn't move his hand. He knew he should have, but he didn't. It felt nice, like she cared.

She became increasingly bolder as the movie went on. First she lay her pinky finger on top of his, so there was no mistaking the placement of her hand. And again, he didn't dare move a muscle. By the time the movie ended, they were full on holding hands beneath the blanket, fingers laced and everything. He never wanted to let go.

But maybe this was just some sort of mind game of hers. Maybe she was only doing this to make him think that she actually liked him and didn't just want to get in his pants. Or maybe… maybe she did like him. Maybe she always liked him? It was a stretch, but… possible. She probably wasn't above psychological torture, however. Maybe it was thrilling for her to get a rise out of him, and she certainly had, in more ways than one.

His circular thoughts were getting him nowhere. He wanted answers. He needed answers. He wouldn't be able to sleep otherwise. Damn it. He rolled out of bed. He couldn't believe he was doing this; he was so weak.

He would go confront Azula once and for all. Just find out if she liked him or not. That was it. That was it. Nothing unsavory could happen between them or he'd risk losing his best friend. At least that's what he told himself as he tiptoed up the stairs.

Just as he expected, Azula was laying down on the couch in her little sleep robe.

"We have to stop meeting like this," she purred, looking up at him with mischievous yellow eyes. Her demeanor changed, probably after seeing Sokka's irritated stare. "What?"

He walked right up to her, looking her square in the eye. "Do you like me?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Do I like you… hmmm…?"

"It's a yes or no question, Azula."

"Nooooo," she groaned facetiously. "It's not like I've been throwing any obvious signs your way since you've gotten here, it's not like I changed my travel plans to be here just so I could see you for three days. Do I really need to spell it out for you?!"

His heart stopped in his chest. So she really did like him. And she really did opt to spend her time in the Earth Kingdom with her uncle and brother over spending time in the Fire Nation. That would mean… that kiss they'd shared before he went to college did mean something to her after all. It wasn't just him.

"Was I really that subtle?" she continued, mockingly.

"N-No, I just thought… maybe you were just messing with me or something."

She laughed. "Why would I do that?"

"I see the way you torture Zuko, I just thought – "

"Because he's my brother," she cut in. "What, you and your sister don't torture each other for fun?"

"No, we do." He sighed and took a seat on the couch next to her. He didn't even realize he sat down until she slid closer to him. Suddenly he was back in the danger zone.

"Well," she hummed, inching even closer, "you're not my brother…"

"No. B-but I am your brother's best friend. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"

"No."

"Well it does to me, and this – we – can't happen – "

"But you want it to," she smirked.

"I-I never said that."

"You never had to." She slid so close to him, she was practically sitting on his lap. "I can read you like a book."

"Well, it… it doesn't matter what I want." He backed into the corner of the couch. "You're my best friend's younger sister. You're off-limits."

"Let me ask you something…" She looked down coyly and then back up at him. "If I weren't Zuko's sister, what would you do to me?"

"I would…" Oh, spirits. He felt his heartrate steadily climb. What he would do to her.

"Come on, Sokka," she begged with her eyes. "This is a purely hypothetical question."

"I would rip off your robe and fuck you right there on the couch," he blurted. Oh fuck.

"Well," she said, wrapping her arms around his neck, "that sounds fun…"

"We can't." He wanted to. He wanted to so bad.

"Sokka, let me reason with you for a minute. We kissed once, years ago, and Zuko never found out. In fact, I never told a soul."

"Neither did I – "

"So we now know that we're both capable of keeping secrets. Would you agree to that?"

"Yes," he squeaked. He knew exactly where this was going. She was the devil on his shoulder and he was listening.

"So what's one more shared secret between friends, hm?"

"Azula…"

"You're leaving tomorrow morning. Zuko will drive you to the airport, and you'll never have to see me or hear from me again."

Well, that wasn't exactly what he wanted either, but maybe it had to be that way…

"Why don't we just spend one night together and then pretend it never happened? We both know you're just dying to have me. And trust me, I'll make it worth your while…"

His head was spinning; his conscience was screaming. The girl he'd been crushing on forever was sitting here practically begging him to take her with no strings attached. Of course, in an ideal world, there would be strings attached and the two of them could actually be together, but there was no way Zuko would ever approve of this relationship, so maybe this was the best option after all. He could at least get her out of his system. One night, one more secret. And then he'd be on a plane. Ah, fuck it. Morals be damned.

"Then prove it," he growled, grabbing the collar of her sleep robe and pulling her onto his lap. He kissed her. Hard. Like the kiss they had shared years ago. The kiss that had ignited something within him. A spark that never dimmed and was now burning brighter than ever.

They kissed and kissed and kissed some more, sometimes aggressively, sometimes gently, sometimes pulling each other's hair, sometimes tenderly stroking each other's cheeks. But by the time she was grinding her hips on his lap and she was moaning into his mouth, he was ready to put his money where his mouth was and take her up on that hypothetical question she'd posed. He ripped open her sleep robe, forced her onto her back, and climbed on top of her.

"Hey," Azula whispered in his ear. "I'm gonna head back upstairs."

"Huh, what?" Sokka asked, lured out of his deep sleep.

"Sun's coming up soon. I should go back to my room."

"No," he grumbled, holding her closer, "don't go." Sokka was a happy, happy boy. Azula had just been asleep in his arms, and all the memories of the night were fresh in his mind. All the kisses, the moans, the cries of passion, the scratches on his back, the little marks he left on her body – not where anyone could see them, of course – her scent, her taste, her breasts, oh spirits her breasts, the feeling of her mouth on his… okay, he should probably stop there or else he'd be in trouble again.

What had started in the living room inevitably made its way down to his bedroom when things started to get loud. And when they had finished, he wrapped her up in his arms and fell into a near comatose state of sleep. Life was good, life was so good.

"Sokka… we can't have them find us like this."

"I know, I know. You're right," he sighed, finally letting her go. He watched her sit up, still completely naked. Spirits, she was the most beautiful woman on the planet.

"Look, I…" She reached for his hand. "Have a safe flight, okay?"

"Okay." He squeezed her hand. He could tell she had more she wanted to say to him, but she didn't have to; the look in her eyes said it all. She cared about him. Deeply. The same way he cared for her. But maybe these words were best left unsaid. "I will."

She smiled softly at him before slipping back into her sleep robe and heading upstairs.

Sokka couldn't help but smile as he drifted back to sleep.

The sound of his alarm going off bright and early was jarring, but he didn't have time to dawdle. He quickly packed up his stuff, shoving clean and dirty clothes into his bag, gathering his toiletries, and collecting his various cables and chargers before heading upstairs for breakfast. Iroh wasn't awake yet, but Azula had already eaten and was casually having tea with Zuko as if nothing nefarious had happened the night before.

"Made you breakfast," Zuko said, placing a plate down in front of him.

"Eggs and bacon! You're the best!" Sokka suddenly felt guilty for what he had done last night, but that was a secret he'd take to his grave.

"Yeah, I am," Zuko grinned, pouring him some tea. "Hey, better eat quickly. You don't want to miss your flight."

"No problem," Sokka said through a mouthful of food.

All of a sudden, all of their phones started going off at the same time.

Alert. Alert. Alert.

Sokka nearly dropped his tea mug, it was so loud.

"CORONAVIRUS ALERT. New rules in force now: you must stay at home. More info & exemptions at /coronavirus. Quarantine in place. Stay at home. Protect each other. Save lives."

"Oh, shit," Zuko murmured. "This virus must be a lot more serious than we originally thought."

"Yeah… I wonder if that means my – " As if on cue, Sokka received a text message from the airline. " – Yep, my flight's been cancelled."

"All flights have been cancelled," Azula muttered.

"Oh no…" Sokka was stricken with panic. "Does this mean I'm… stuck here?!"

"Hey, it's okay," Zuko tried to comfort. "You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you want, or… have to." He chuckled. "I know it's a wild and scary situation, but… I'm glad we'll get to be quarantine buddies!"

"Yeah, m-me too, buddy…" He glanced across the table at Azula, and they both shared the same flustered all-knowing look. Sokka was going to be stuck there in the Earth Kingdom for the foreseeable future. With Zuko and Azula.

What was going to happen?! How long would the lockdown last? How deadly and contagious was this virus anyway? Would he be returning to college? And more imminently, what did this mean for him and Azula? Would they continue to sleep together behind Zuko's back? Should he avoid her like the plague, or rather, this coronavirus that's going around? If they continued their tryst, would they get caught? Should they tell Zuko?

"Well, here's to being quarantine buddies," Azula said, raising her tea mug.

Zuko raised his mug in solidarity. "To quarantine buddies."

"To quarantine buddies," Sokka repeated.

The three of them clinked their tea mugs together. Lockdown had officially begun.