Wounded

Chapter summary: While searching the outskirts of Gaipan for an old friend, Sokka runs into someone he least expected to find… and falls straight into her trap.

Chapter rating: T

Chapter genres: Humor, Romance

"Aha!" Sokka gloated to himself, having successfully navigated around another boobytrap in the woods on the outskirts of Gaipan. Fire Lord Zuko had sent Sokka alone on this semi-dangerous mission, a mission to find the one and only leader of the Freedom Fighters, Jet. Apparently one of Zuko's greatest regrets during the war was not being able to make amends with the rebellious swordsman after he had betrayed him by lying about his identity and being inadvertently responsible for Jet's capture by the Dai Li. Since Zuko was trying to stay afloat with his Fire Lord duties and planning a wedding with Mai, Aang was occupied with Avatar stuff, Katara was stuck in the Southern Water Tribe nursing their injured dad, Toph was busy training metalbenders, and Suki and Ty Lee were off on some exotic bisexual vacation together, Sokka was the only man for the job.

And he was crushing it. He remembered each and every trap laid out by the Freedom Fighters like the back of his hand. All the pits beneath suspicious piles of leaves, all the trip wires and ropes, all the blasting jelly… it was child's play. Sokka laughed out loud when he came upon an obvious "X" made of sticks right in the middle of the dirt. "Wow," he chortled, "It's like they stopped trying." Feeling overly confident, he leaped over the "X" like a fox-antelope, but when he landed, the ground completely gave way beneath him. "AHHHHH!" he shrieked as he found himself freefalling unexpectedly.

Fortunately, his fall was broken by his own ankle. "Ah, fuck," he swore, seething in agony as his bag of supplies fell on top of him. It wasn't until the dirt and debris cleared around him that he realized he was stuck in a giant pit. This one seemed newly made too. There was no way he'd be getting out of this one. Not without help anyway. "Damn it, Jet!"

He alternated between screaming for help and writhing in pain, but somewhere in all the shouting, moaning, and swearing, someone did come to his rescue. Or so he thought.

A lithe, hooded figure appeared at the edge of the pit. "Sokka?!"

"Azula?!"

"What the hell are you doing here?!" they cried simultaneously in sheer disbelief.

Azula crossed her arms as she looked down at him. "You first."

"Why me?!" he questioned, getting indignant.

"Because you're the one in the pit," she smirked.

"Okay. Fair point." He sighed. "Your brother sent me here to look for a friend we may have lost during the war."

She narrowed her eyes at him in suspicion.

"I swear he did not send me after you. I had no idea you were here. Clearly."

"This 'friend' of yours… what does he look like?"

"Umm, well let's see, he's tall, bronze-skinned, has dark spiky hair, brown eyes, he's always biting down on some sort of grass, wheat, or hay, he must have an oral fixation or something – "

"Hmm," she smiled impishly. "Sounds like someone worth meeting."

"Have you seen him?"

"No," she replied nonchalantly. "I haven't seen anyone out here."

"Then why would you have me describe him?!"

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Bored I guess."

He groaned. "Help me out of here, will you?"

She looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Okay."

"Wait, really? You'll help?"

"Unless you'd rather I leave you there to starve…"

"No, no. I'd prefer not starving to death."

"That's what I figured. Let me go get a ladder." She turned her back to him and ran off into the woods.

It was strange, relying on Azula for help. But, now that he thought about it, this wasn't the first time she had come to his rescue. Back when they were searching for Ursa, Azula had saved him from some crazy spirit vines. Despite the pain, he was oddly at peace as he waited for her to come back, the odd part being that he believed she would return, which meant that he trusted her on some fundamental level. Or maybe he just didn't have a choice but to believe in her.

"Got it!" she called, carrying a makeshift wooden ladder. Carefully, she lowered it into the pit. "Now come on."

"Yeah… about that. I'm pretty sure my leg, ankle, or foot, or possibly all three, are broken."

"Bummer," she said unsympathetically. "Okay, don't fret. I'll get you out." She gracefully climbed down the ladder into the pit and walked up to him. "Can you move at all?"

"Not really…"

"Alright," she grunted, scooping his arm over her shoulder and hoisting him up onto his feet.

"Yeow!"

"Yes, I know it hurts. Just lean on me and don't put any weight on your injured leg."

"What about my – "

"I'm going to get you up and then I'll go back for your beloved belongings."

"Thanks." He paused. "So… how exactly are you going to get me out of here?"

"You're going to have to get on my back."

"You really think you can carry me like that?"

She looked offended. "Just who do you think I am?"

"Right."

Of course, he had been wrong to underestimate her strength and capability. While it wasn't exactly easy for her to piggyback him while climbing up a ladder, she did it without further injuring him, or herself for that matter. As promised, she retrieved his stuff from the pit, and then managed to get them up safely to one of the treetop hideaways via pulley system. Sokka couldn't help but be reminded of the time his sister clung to Jet and the look in her eyes when Jet had taken them up to his treehouse for the first time. He realized he probably looked at Azula the same way, like she was his knight in shining armor or something, as they shot into the canopy. At least Katara hadn't been around to see that.

Currently, Sokka lay on Azula's bed, and she was being… weird. Uncharacteristically attentive to his wounds. She was practically straddling him, examining his injured leg in an almost professional manner. It was all so strange to him – she had no reason to act like his caregiver… or did she?

"Why are you helping me?" he blurted.

"Out of the goodness of my heart," she said in a sweet, singsong tone.

"No. Really."

"Fine." She continued working on his leg. "I'm helping you in order to ensure your silence."

"My silence?"

"My stupid brother may not have a clue that I'm here, but now you do, and since you're his loyal friend, I have no doubt you're dying to tell him my whereabouts," she explained. "Now take off your pants."

"Hey, hey, we're just getting reacquainted," he teased, smirking. "Just because I'm single doesn't mean – "

She rolled her eyes. "So I can dress your wounds more appropriately."

"Yeah, okay." He sat up to unbuckle his belt. He was able to lift his butt enough to slide his pants down slightly, but moving his leg even a little bit was proving to be an issue for him in the searing pain department.

"I'll take it from here," she said, helping him out of his pants.

"Thanks." He gritted his teeth as she gently lifted his ankle, gingerly applying pressure as she moved it around slowly. "So, uhh… why are you out here in the Earth Kingdom anyway?"

"Well, I don't know if you've noticed, but the Genius Lord has deemed it necessary to put a large bounty on me," she said sardonically, "so I'm being pursued by bounty hunters all over the world. That's why I've boobytrapped the place, well, a lot of them were already there when I got here, but I've added a few of my own."

"I've noticed."

She smiled, looking proud of herself.

"So," he said grimly, glancing down at his leg, "How does it look?"

"Honestly… not good, but I'm going to do what I can for you. Your injury would be best treated with ice, which I do not have, nor can I conjure. But I can at least apply heat to your upper leg so your muscles can relax a little."

"Okay – "

"That is… if I can in fact ensure your silence…"

"I'm not really in any position to negotiate, now am I?"

"You really are the smart one," she grinned.

Sokka sighed deeply as she began massaging his leg while using firebending to heat her hands to a comfortably hot temperature. She started just above his knee and worked her way up. It felt good. It was certainly a distraction from the pain anyway. Feeling her warm hands on him, he was finally able to relax a little. He rested his head on her pillow and closed his eyes. She knew just the right amount of heat to use, as well as the right amount of pressure. It was starting to feel a little too good.

"Umm… Sokka?!"

As he felt her hands pause on his upper thigh, his eyes snapped open. Oh, Spirits. Disaster. It appeared he had gotten a little too comfortable. "Ahhh, Azula, I'm so sorry! This is so embarrassing – "

"Is this seriously turning you on right now?!"

"No! I-I mean, maybe a little, no, I don't know, it just felt nice, okay? I'm sorry! I have no control over that."

"You know what? It's fine," she sighed, getting up from the bed. "Now I've definitely secured your silence."

"You could say that again," he muttered. This was so humiliating. There was no way he'd be telling a soul.

"Anyway, I'm afraid your injury is serious enough that you should go to the hospital. After you calm down a bit. With an emphasis on 'down'."

"Yeah, yeah."

"Unfortunately, that's going to pose a problem for me, you know, with all the bounty hunters tailing me. I'm not sure I'll be able to get you there…"

"But you have to!" he pleaded. "I can't get there by myself!"

"I know that. We just need to come up with a plan…"

"Well fortunately for you," he grinned, "I'm the plan guy!"

"I'd say it's probably more fortunate for you, but… what did you have in mind?"

"I have several outfits in my bag, I'm sure there's something in there that could be adjusted to fit you."

"Are you asking me to pretend to be a boy?"

"What, you don't think you're up for the challenge?"

Azula was already wiping away her makeup.

While Azula did not make the most convincing boy – her facial features were far too feminine to pull that off – Sokka couldn't help but notice how good she looked wearing his clothes. And without makeup too. It was the first time he'd seen her fresh-faced, and she truly looked beautiful either way. Or maybe he just thought she looked more beautiful when she wasn't trying to kill him or his friends.

Sokka used her as a crutch as they made their way over to the hospital. Azula practiced her "man voice" along the way, probably to distract her from the fatigue of having an injured man lean on her during their walk through the town. He appreciated the effort, but Azula's fake deep voice was… not great, though it did cause him to burst out laughing several times on their walk. At least she was able to laugh at herself too. That was something he hadn't seen in her before, the ability to poke fun at herself. He liked that she was able to cut loose around him and wasn't so rigid all the time. By the time they reached the hospital, they had decided it was probably best for Sokka to do most of the talking.

Gaipan was still struggling after the war and clearly short-staffed, but following a brief wait, a nurse escorted them back to a curtained room and helped Sokka lay down on the hospital bed. She told him to get comfortable before leaving to get the healer.

"I'm scared," Sokka whispered.

"I know, but don't worry. I'll be here the whole time," Azula assured him.

"You promise?"

"I won't leave your side."

The healer came in and was clearly surprised to see two people there. "Oh." She looked at Azula. "Are you a family member?"

She shook her head no.

"Then you can't be here. Sorry, hospital policy – "

"Can you please make an exception?" Sokka begged. "He's – " He very nearly said 'she' but caught himself. "– my boyfriend."

Azula coughed out loud, nearly choking.

"I'd feel more comfortable with him here," he continued, reaching for Azula's hand.

Grinning awkwardly, she took his hand, holding it gently.

The healer eyed Azula suspiciously for a moment and then looked back over at her patient. "Aww, well, I suppose we can break the rules just this once," she smiled, giving Sokka a friendly wink. "What a handsome couple."

"Thank you." Sokka sighed with relief.

As the healer went on to examine his leg, she asked them both questions about their relationship. How did they meet? Who asked who out? How long have they been together? What did they do on their first date? Have they met each other's families? Were their families accepting of their relationship? Naturally, Sokka monopolized most of the conversation, with Azula just confirming Sokka's answers with nods, grunts, and short replies. The only things that caught Sokka off guard was how easy it was to lie about his fake relationship with Azula and how much of a good sport she was the whole time. All in all, with Azula willing to go along with Sokka's lies without hesitation, she made the perfect partner-in-crime.

"Well, the good news is that nothing appears to be broken. However, your ankle and foot are very badly sprained. We need to keep you here for a bit while we elevate your leg and ice your injuries, but you won't need to be admitted. We'll send you home with a cast and a wheelchair. You'll need to be off that leg for four to six weeks." She glanced at Azula and then back at Sokka. "You know, you're a lucky young man to be in such good care. Your boyfriend did a great job with the initial treatment. You're lucky to have him."

"I know," Sokka said, smiling softly at Azula. "I am lucky." Though it was difficult to tell under her hood, he could have sworn he saw Azula blush.

Back in the safety of the treehouse, Azula prepared some stew for dinner while Sokka rested on the bed. The one bed. Sokka wondered how that situation would play out later in the evening. Would she make him sleep elsewhere despite his injuries? Would she opt to sleep elsewhere? Or would they… share? The thought alone brought heat to his cheeks. Or perhaps it was the bowl of stew Azula had just set down on his lap.

"Enjoy," she said. "It's nothing special, so don't get your hopes up. I'm not a gourmet chef, you know."

"Food is food," he shrugged, grinning. "I've never been a picky eater." He swallowed an eager spoonful. "Mmm, not bad!"

"You're just being nice."

"No, I mean it. This is great. Thank you… and thank you for taking care of me and going along with all shenanigans at the hospital."

"It was actually quite fun," she smiled.

"Oh? So you liked pretending to be my boyfriend?" he teased.

"Hey, I'm just doing what I need to do so that you won't go blabbing to my brother about where I'm hiding."

"Yeah, sure, sure."

She gave him a playfully threatening glare as she sat down next to him on the mattress, carefully as to not to spill her bowl of stew.

"Zuko's just worried about you, you know."

"Well, he certainly has a funny way of showing it."

"Yeah, he doesn't always make the most rational decisions," he chuckled. "Now that I think about it, he could really use someone like you aiding him…"

"Obviously, but that's never going to happen. Not with everything that's happened between us."

"I wouldn't say that. What if…" Suddenly Sokka was struck with an idea. "What if I helped you!"

She raised an eyebrow.

"You could come back to the Fire Nation with me, and I'll tell Zuko all about how you saved me from the pit – "

"The pit that I made," she interjected.

" – and nursed me back to health."

"I don't know… Zuko still hasn't completely won over the Fire Nation, or the rest of the world for that matter… he'd probably be pressured to throw me in prison. With Ozai." She scowled. "I think I'd need more leverage…"

"What kind of leverage…?" he tentatively asked, noticing the scheming look on her face.

"Well…" She looked down at her lap. "I think Zuko would show more mercy if he thought we were, well, more than friends…"

"Like… a couple?" He felt butterflies in his stomach.

"Yeah, I mean, I don't think Zuko would have the heart to imprison 'Sokka's girlfriend'," she laughed, clearly embarrassed. "It's a stupid idea. Forget I said anything."

"I mean… we already know we can pretend to be in a relationship…"

"Where do you think I got the idea?"

"Well, I think…" He gave her a smug grin. "I think you kinda like me, princess."

She opened her mouth to object, but her rosy cheeks gave away her feelings before she could get a word out.

"It's okay, you don't have to say anything. I… kinda like you too."

"R-Really?"

"Yeah. Enough to continue with our fake relationship anyway. If that's what you want to do. And hey, you get to be a girl this time!"

She chuckled softly.

"So, do we have a deal?" he asked, extending his hand for a handshake.

"Deal." She shook his hand.

Pressing his luck, he lifted her hand to his mouth and softly pressed his lips to it.

"Hmmm," Azula smirked. "Interesting how you'd give me a real kiss to solidify our fake relationship."

"Oh, you haven't seen anything yet, that is, if we're really gonna sell it."

"Well we have to sell it. We need to be very convincing, Sokka."

"Then," he smirked back at her, "we'd better start practicing as soon as possible."

Her blush deepened. "I couldn't agree more."