Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

88. Chapter 88: The Slate-Festivals 6

WARNING: certain... adult-ish situations further into the chapter. If that's not your cup of tea, I think you'll know when to stop reading.

"Wow! Oh, Azula, that's amazing!" Ty Lee exclaimed, admiring the dancing golden flames on the Princess's hand.

The Princess smirked, pleased by her friend's reaction to her latest bending feat. Ty Lee's slaves were also watching in amazement while Sokka, Mai and Zuko merely smiled at the scene.

It had taken a few hours for their ship to sail out of the crowded bay, but at long last, they were on their way to the Slate. Nearly every ship was sailing in the opposite direction, but that stopped being a potential problem once they made it past the Great Gates of Azulon. The group had remained on deck as the ship coursed the Fire Nation's open waters; as soon as they had stopped being in risk of collision with other ships, Ty Lee had asked Azula about the ceremony, which had resulted in the Princess's display of her golden fire.

"I'd never seen anything like that before," Suki said, her eyes wide.

"Nor had I. And I've fought lots of firebenders," said Haru, impressed. "How did you do it, Princess?"

"Why does everyone ask me that?" Azula said, her eyebrow twitching as the flame turned blue and disappeared when she tightened her hand into a fist.

"W-well, it's just such a rare style of firebending," said Haru, smiling a little. "We're simply curious."

"We sure are," said Sokka, stepping forward, an eyebrow raised playfully. "You really should tell us what's the secret, Azula. We're all good people here, none of us will reveal your tricks of the trade for awesome firebending to the rest of the world."

"Good to know. But I'm still not saying anything," she said, giving him a dry smile. Sokka's eyebrow twitched.

"Well, aren't you stingy, woman," he muttered, folding his arms across his chest.

"Well, whatever the secret is, that was really amazing, Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed, clapping happily. "Oh, I really wish I had seen the ceremony. I shouldn't have missed it…"

"Yeah, you really should have seen the other fire too," said Sokka, smiling again. "If you thought the gold one was awesome, you should've seen the colorful one."

"Colorful fire?" Ty Lee asked, her eyes shining bright with amazement. "Oh, that sounds amazing! Can you show me, Azula?"

"I can't quite bend that one freely," Azula admitted. "So I'd rather not take chances with that while we're on a moving ship. You'll see it when we get back to the Fire Nation, though. All the torches near the Temple have been set alight with it."

"So, you really can't produce that one like the others?" Zuko inquired, curious.

"I might find a way to do it eventually," Azula said. "But I could only do so much in two months' time."

"And you did really well," Sokka told her, beaming.

Azula nodded, holding back the urge to smile back at him. She didn't want to seem aloof or cruel towards Sokka, but she couldn't act naturally around him while everyone else was there. Being harsher towards him would keep their suspicions and questions at bay, she hoped…

"I suppose I did," she responded, before looking at Ty Lee again. "Well, then, which cabin will I get?"

"Oh, you'll take the one I was going to use," said Ty Lee, smiling. "It's the last one in the hall below deck, all the way to the end of the ship. You'll have big windows, and a very nice view of the landscape! Your men brought all your luggage into your room, so you'll be able to tell which one is yours."

"Well, thanks for that," said Azula. "You could have given me a smaller room, though. We're already imposing on you, so…"

"Oh, come on, Azula," said Ty Lee, rolling her eyes. "You're the Princess, you get the best stuff and that's just how it is. You used to be quite fond of that before, weren't you? Where is this sudden altruistic streak coming from, huh?"

Azula's eyebrow twitched and she gave Ty Lee another sarcastic grin.

"Alright then. I won't say another word about it," she stated. "Still, what will you do?"

"No need to worry. I'll just share rooms with Suki, and Sokka has already agreed to share with Haru too," said Ty Lee, smiling. Azula nodded.

"It seems you have everything covered, then. That's good to know," she said, despite already suspecting some of the sleeping arrangements might not be quite as Ty Lee had described them in practice.

Even though she wouldn't be tucking in anytime soon, Azula decided to head to her cabin while the others continued to talk on deck. The ship wasn't particularly large, in fact it was far smaller than what she was accustomed to. It was mostly white, and it lacked the pagoda towers that identified high-class Fire Nation ships. It had a chimney, though, and a superstructure from which the inside of the ship could be accessed. Azula followed Ty Lee's instructions down the ship's hallway and reached the furthermost room, where a far smaller cabin than her quarters in the Barge awaited her. The bed was big enough for her comfort, but it took up most the room with its size. There was a dresser to the left, and a soft red carpet covered the floor. Her luggage was occupying most of the available space in the cabin.

She was busy arranging the room to her liking, something she'd never had to do before while on a ship, when she heard footsteps approaching. She lifted her gaze from the bag where most her clothes were stored and found Mai at the doorway, watching her.

"What is it? Did you want this room for yourself, Mai?" Azula asked, with a small smirk.

"Not really. I don't think the room will make any difference regarding the amount of sleep I'll get," said Mai. "Nor will it make any difference for yours, either."

"That sounds eerie," said Azula, and Mai smiled a little.

"Come on. You don't actually believe that Ty Lee will share rooms with Suki, or do you?"

"No, I figured not," said Azula, sighing. "You expect Ty Lee and Haru to keep the rest of us awake all night with their antics, then?"

"Not quite, in fact," said Mai, looking at Azula slightly apologetically. "I had prepared for that eventuality already."

Azula smiled in approval when Mai pulled out a pair of ear plugs from her pocket.

"I only brought one pair, though," she said. "If I'd known you were coming along, I would have offered you some."

"No need to worry, I'll figure out a way to sleep despite the noise they might make," said Azula. "If I managed to sleep while lost in a forest, I should be able to do it this time as well."

"Hopefully," said Mai, smiling a little. "We'll be gathering for dinner in a couple of hours, just so you know. Ty Lee hired some great cook she knows from the city, apparently we'll have a feast to celebrate your ceremony."

"Well, that's good to know," said Azula. "If there's one thing that could easily ruin any voyages at sea, it's bad food."

"It seems Ty Lee prepared well enough for that," said Mai, and Azula raised an eyebrow.

"I'm really impressed. She has been so thorough and responsible it hardly sounds like her at all," she pointed out, and Mai shrugged.

"I think having two slaves who remind her of things is quite helpful for Ty Lee," said Mai. "Normally she's careless and sloppy, but I think Haru has been observant with everything she might have overlooked. And I figure whatever Haru doesn't help with, Suki does, so…"

"She has quite a nice team, it seems," said Azula.

"Yeah, truthfully Ty Lee has always been at her finest when she's part of a group," Mai said, smiling a little.

"Don't we know it," said Azula, nodding. "It's rather unusual for you to be nostalgic, Mai. Something the matter?"

"Well, it's hard not to be, at times," said Mai. "Life gets a little lonely when the only person you can talk to for most the day can only blurt out random syllables and make spit bubbles."

"Life as a mother isn't too much fun, is it?" said Azula. "I'd always assumed that watching over a child must be unbearably boring."

"It could be worse, he's a good boy," said Mai, smiling. "Still, it's usually him and me for most the day. By the time Ruon Jian is home either I'm exhausted or he is, so we barely even talk. These last months, though… they have been unexpectedly fun."

"You mean, training Sokka?" Azula asked.

"Yeah. I've never liked being around large groups of people, but surprisingly, I didn't mind it this time. Possibly because I never spent the whole day with them, but still…"

"Still, you needed the company," said Azula, raising her eyebrows.

"Odd that even I would need someone to talk to, isn't it?" Mai said, raising her eyebrows. Azula chuckled.

"Well, despite what you might try to make people believe, Mai, you're only human," she said. "So it's understandable that you enjoyed it. I suppose you'll miss it when we're back home."

"I might not have to miss it, though," said Mai, looking at Azula nonchalantly. "See… I've been thinking about how we've stopped meeting as often as we used to, before Yuudai was born. I guess we stopped because of him and because you kept getting busier, both with the Gladiator League and all your responsibilities…"

"Our lives became more complicated over time," said Azula, nodding. "We have changed a lot. We're not the same three girls from school anymore."

"It's true, but… I do have to say my days would be a lot easier to get by if we returned to our weekly meeting regime," said Mai. "It's just a suggestion, though. I understand you have much to deal with as you are."

"Well, it's not a bad proposal, actually," said Azula. "Usually I spend the day training with Sokka, so maybe we could meet at Ty Lee's place. He could train with Haru instead, while you, Ty Lee and I catch up on whatever we've been up to, as it was in the good old days."

"Huh… that sounds like a good idea," said Mai, her voice betraying a hint of enthusiasm. "I'd have to bring Yuudai too, of course…"

"Oh, well. Maybe being around a child once a week will warm me up to them, if only a little," said Azula, with a sigh. Mai smirked.

"You, warm up to a child? That'd be a sight to behold."

"Well, if you don't want to take that risk then you'll have to keep him far from me whenever we do meet up," said Azula, smiling as well.

"Noted," said Mai, nodding. "Thanks for complying with this, Azula. Hopefully it'll be fun to do this again."

"Yes, it just might be."

"We do have a lot of catching up to do, after all," said Mai, smirking, and Azula frowned.

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"Only that there's much we haven't had a chance to talk about for a very long time, Azula," she said. "Such as your dragon, for instance. I've never even met him."

"Oh. You meant Xin Long," said Azula, relaxing a little. "Well, he's currently flying well above us. I could call him down to the ship's deck if you want to see him for yourself."

"We could do that indeed," said Mai. "And we could also talk about your gladiator…"

"What about him?" Azula said, between gritted teeth. Again, she tensed up, and Mai laughed softly.

"You know just what about him," she said, turning on her heels and walking down the hallway again.

"Oh, sure I know…" said Azula, an eyebrow twitching. "You're just worried about that stupid bet of yours, aren't you?"

"As a matter of fact, I've managed to resolve that particular problem" Mai replied, surprising Azula. "So you don't need to feel bad anymore about making me lose my money to Ty Lee. It's been taken care of."

"Oh, really?" Azula asked, distrustful. Her curiosity got the better of her, and soon she was following Mai down the hall. "And how exactly did you accomplish that, if I might ask?"

"You probably wouldn't believe me if I told you," Mai replied enigmatically, with a knowing, secretive grin as they climbed on deck again.

The rest of the group remained on the deck, just as they had been before. Upon Azula's request, Xin Long descended on the ship so Mai could finally see him for herself. Xin Long greeted his rider happily, but also leapt at Sokka upon seeing him, which made Sokka laugh and pat the dragon's head. Xin Long was surprised when Zuko wasn't as distant as he usually was with him, and he was more than happy to make many new acquaintances. The only downside for Xin Long was Azula's express command for him to not burn or chase after anyone, but he enjoyed the attention nonetheless.

Xin Long took off again by dinnertime, hoping to find prey either in the water or in nearby islands. The humans, on the other hand, headed inside the ship, and gathered in a brightly lit dining room where all assortments of dishes awaited: salads, beef, pork, komodo chicken and rhino, rice, dumplings, muffins, sweets and more. Naturally, Sokka went for everything meat-related, although he remained quite wary of the komodo rhino even to this day, just as Azula did. The meal was pleasant and cheerful, and everyone seemed to eat to their heart's content. But things couldn't possibly carry on in the same cheerful and lighthearted note, and Azula felt quite foolish for having assumed otherwise. There was no way a trip of at least five days with this group of people would go smoothly.

So, when Ty Lee pulled out the bottles of baijiu, all Azula could do was berate herself mentally for not having foreseen this from the start. Clearly, something like this had been bound to happen.

"And now we'll celebrate Azula's success in the ceremony properly!" she exclaimed, as Azula's eyebrow twitched.

"You've got to be kidding me," she said, as she felt Sokka stiffen next to her. Stealing a glance at him, she found him grimacing with concern at the sight of the alcohol bottles.

"Ty Lee, what on earth…?" said Mai, looking at her in dismay, as Ty Lee giggled.

"Come on, Mai! It'll be fun! Besides, we need to toast to Sokka's triumph in the Slate too!"

"I don't think we need to toast to anything," Azula snarled. "Sokka's odds in the fight are most likely not going to favor him if he has alcohol in his system while he's in the ring, in case you hadn't thought about that."

"Oh, please, he'll just drink today, not every day," said Ty Lee, looking at Azula matter-of-factly. "And it's just one tiny drink, nothing more! It's all good fun, you'll see!"

"If it's anything like sake, baijiu should be good," Suki said, shrugging, as Haru smiled at Ty Lee eagerly.

"No wonder she's so happy with you two," Azula said, begrudgingly. "But I, for one, will pass. I'm not taking so much as a sip from that bottle's contents."

"Well, you don't have to drink straight from the bottle, you know," Ty Lee giggled, and Azula rolled her eyes.

"That's clearly NOT what I meant, Ty Lee," she growled, as the girl laughed more.

"And she's not the only one who's going to pass," Mai said, grimacing. "That's probably the cheapest liquor you could find, isn't it?"

"W-well, maybe, but that doesn't mean it's bad!" Ty Lee squealed, as both Azula and Mai looked at her in disbelief.

"Yeah, well… I'll pass too," Zuko said, surprising everyone.

"You'll pass? Why?!" Ty Lee exclaimed.

"So will I," said Sokka, sighing, and Azula actually looked at him proudly. "Alcohol isn't really my strong suit… I'd rather not take any risks with it this time around."

"B-but… oh, you're all such spoilsports!" Ty Lee exclaimed, pouting. "A little fun never hurt anyone!"

"Not sure if that's entirely true, especially regarding alcohol," Azula said, and Sokka flinched guiltily at her words. "Feel free to drink at will, Ty Lee, but don't expect the rest of us to join in."

"B-but at least just for a toast, Azula, please!" she begged, still pouting.

"No, thank you," Azula said, standing up. "You can have my share, I'm sure you'll enjoy that."

"Heh, yes I will!" Ty Lee exclaimed, pouting. "And I'll take Mai's too!"

"By all means, go ahead," said Mai, smiling a little and standing up too. "Don't make a mess of the ship if you get drunk, will you?"

"When have I ever done anything stupid while being drunk, Mai?" Ty Lee asked, and when Mai opened her mouth she lifted a hand to stop her. "You know what? Don't answer that."

"Good call," said Mai, smiling before following Azula out of the dining room.

Sokka followed Azula with his gaze as she took her leave, wondering if he ought to do the same… he still hadn't gotten a proper chance to talk to her today. It bothered him that he hadn't, but for some reason Mai had always been near Azula ever since they boarded the ship. Still, he could approach Azula before she went to bed, couldn't he? It should be a good moment for a private conversation, so long as nobody saw them…

"Now, Zuko, really," Ty Lee said, once Mai and Azula were gone. "You can't just say you won't drink! This is a good drink, you'll see!"

"B-but you just said it was cheap," Zuko said, and Sokka snorted.

"And I suppose you're well above cheap drinks, aren't you?" he asked, mockingly. Zuko's eyebrow twitched.

"Here I was, thinking we were getting along far too well lately…" he grumbled, and Suki laughed softly.

"Come on, you both should have a little, at least," she said, taking one of Ty Lee's bottles and the small saucer-like cup that came with it. She filled it and passed it to Zuko, who stared at the liquid as though it were possessed by a wicked spirit. "Just take one drink and it'll be enough, Zuko."

"Heh, I… I don't know, Suki," he said, grimacing. Ty Lee, who had been staring at Zuko intently, smiled suddenly at that.

"Just a moment… are you trying to say you've never had any alcohol in your life, Zuko?!" she asked, and Zuko flinched.

"I'm not… I didn't say that!"

"You didn't say it because you don't want to admit it, but surely…!"

"I don't have anything to admit!" Zuko retorted, blushing furiously. "I've had drinks before! Anyone has!"

"Well, then, drink a little baijiu and I'll believe you," said Ty Lee, beaming. "Come on, it's not half as bad as Azula and Mai made it out to be!"

Zuko grimaced and took the cup Suki was offering him reluctantly. Sokka raised an eyebrow, surprised that the Prince had complied in the end. Zuko took a deep breath before lifting the cup to his lips, and his eyes widened as the sour taste of the liquid filled his mouth.

It seemed to take him all his willpower to swallow, but he did it in the end, lowering the cup and shaking his head.

"W-what the hell, Ty Lee? That was really… that was a really bad drink," he said, looking at her judgmentally.

"Oh, please. You say that because you're new to it, is all!" said Ty Lee, giggling.

"As if! This is terrible!" Zuko exclaimed, grimacing still over the unpleasant liquor he had just drank.

"Come on, how bad can it be?" Suki asked, taking the bottle and pouring some baijiu for herself as well. "They used to make sake in my village long ago. I never had much of it, but I did drink it a few times… I figure it shouldn't be too different from that."

"Oh, then you'll be able to tell Zuko if it's good or not," said Ty Lee, clapping happily.

Suki drank the cup's contents and grimaced a little before looking at Ty Lee apologetically.

"This is… actually pretty lousy," she said, and Ty Lee pouted.

"Oh, well. At least it's alcohol, and that's what matters!" she exclaimed. "Doesn't matter how you get wasted so long as you get there, right?"

"Uh… no?" said Zuko, grimacing.

"You probably shouldn't get drunk on a ship, Ty Lee," said Sokka, standing up to leave as well. "If the rocking motion doesn't make you sick, that's going to do the trick. You'll be puking into the sea before the night is over."

"Well, luckily it'll be quite a while until it is," said Ty Lee, smiling. "Now, come on, don't go, Sokka! You need to have some too!"

"I'd rather not, really," said Sokka, and Ty Lee raised an eyebrow.

"Well, what is it, are you new to drinking like Zuko?"

"I'm not new to drinking!" the Prince exclaimed, blushing.

"Not at all," said Sokka. "I've just… had a few bad experiences with drinking, is all. I'd rather not take chances with it this time around."

"Bad experiences how?" Suki asked, and Sokka's mouth twisted into an awkward grimace. That she'd be the one asking the question didn't make matters any easier: she had never known what he had done after their failed date, and he wasn't planning on telling her about it anytime soon.

"Just… bad. I'm highly prone to doing and saying stupid things while under the influence of alcohol."

"But you do like it, don't you?" Ty Lee asked, and Sokka shrugged.

"I guess. I've probably had worse to drink than whatever you've got there. This must be really refined in comparison to what I had while in the Amateur League…"

"You were given drinks back then?" Zuko asked, surprised.

"Once in a while," said Sokka. "If the guy who managed the business felt like buying us a 'treat', as he liked to call it. But it only happened if he had gotten more money than expected in the Arena that day."

"Huh," said Haru, looking at Sokka with worried eyes. "So you'd rather not remember those times, I guess?"

"Uh, yeah," said Sokka, gulping. In all honesty, he had never done anything as stupid while drinking in the Amateur League as he had during the one time he had gone drinking while already being hired by Azula…

"Oh, but this is bound to be better than whatever you had back then, you just said so yourself!" Ty Lee exclaimed, and Sokka shrugged.

"Probably, but I'd rather not…"

"Come on! You know you want it, Sokka!" Ty Lee said, offering him a bottle and a cup. Sokka's eyebrow twitched as he looked at her.

He could have a little sip. It couldn't hurt, could it? He would simply slip away, to a secluded area, where nobody would approach him. He'd gone a long time without having any liquor and, despite himself, he wouldn't mind having a taste of it again. He had stopped drinking altogether because he associated it with some of the worst decisions he had made in his life, not because he disliked it. Maybe he could just take that bottle… He simply had to be cautious not to go overboard with drinking and everything would turn out fine…

He sighed as he reached a hand out for the bottle. Ty Lee giggled as he gave in to her requests, and Sokka merely glared at her before turning around and leaving, with the bottle and the cup firmly clasped in his hands. He would only have a few sips, and that would be it. He wouldn't go overboard, and he would stay as far from everyone else as possible, if just to avoid potential trouble. That was what he'd do. Nothing other than that.

---

"If I were you, I'd tuck in early," Mai recommended Azula, as they both paced on deck. "I already expected tonight to be quite chaotic, but I didn't foresee the drinking. It's only going to make everyone louder."

"Surely," Azula said, sighing. "But I'm not tired enough to go to bed just yet. I'd end up hearing their scandal regardless of whether I turn in early or not."

"Well, I sure feel bad for not bringing more ear plugs now," said Mai, sighing. "Let's hope they drink enough to just fall unconscious, huh?"

"Knowing Ty Lee, that won't be the case," Azula muttered. "Her resistance to alcohol is ridiculous. But her drinking buddies for the night might not have the same endurance she does…"

"Hopefully. Anyhow, I'll be taking off now," Mai said. "Beware the drunken party."

"I'll make sure to do so," Azula said. Mai nodded and Azula smiled, and with that, her friend walked inside the ship once again.

But as Mai left, Azula noticed some movement at the back of the deck. She frowned at first, unsure of why anyone would go there at such late hour. She heard no voices, though, so whoever it was, they would be alone.

Assuming that whoever it was wouldn't pose any threat to her, she decided to have a look. It couldn't hurt to do so, she hoped…

And indeed, it didn't hurt, though it surprised her nonetheless. She froze where she was when she recognized the lurker in the darkness, and she rested against some heavy wooden crates that had been placed on the back of the ship while she watched Sokka uncork a bottle of baijiu, an amused, yet disapproving look on her face.

"Just the one drink for luck. That's it," he told himself, and she smirked. "No need to do anything stupid, Sokka…"

"Just drinking at all seems pretty stupid to me," Azula said, and he squealed and jumped, not having expected any company just then.

He turned to look at her, the color draining from his face at first before it came back at full force, his cheeks flushing.

"W-where did you come from?" he asked, embarrassed. Azula chuckled.

"I was on deck all along, I was just talking to Mai. I noticed there was someone here just now, though, so I figured I'd find out if we had a stowaway or perhaps a nest of rats… but it turns out it was just a gladiator trying to have a shameful drink, it seems."

"It's not… it's not that shameful, I mean, I'm a grown man!" he exclaimed, and Azula raised her eyebrows. "I can have a drink if I want it, can't I?"

"Why, you can, but you shouldn't. At least, you should take it easy," she said, her arms crossed over her chest. "Fighting the Millennium Dragon is going to be bad enough as it is, imagine going against him while struggling with a hangover, on top of it all."

"Well, good thing I'm not planning on getting a hangover, then," said Sokka, stubbornly, pouring some liquor on his cup. "Cheers to you, my sponsor who creeps up on me when I least expect it!"

"It's not my fault you make it easy to sneak up on you while you're doing something you're ashamed of," she said, smiling. "But now, are you really going to drink that?"

"Meh, it's not like it's going to kill me, is it?" said Sokka, shrugging and lifting the cup to his lips. He swallowed the baijiu quickly and wiped his mouth with the bandages on his arms. "Oh, damn. It's been ages since I last felt that rush."

"It should have been a few more ages yet," Azula said, looking at him disapprovingly. "Seriously, Sokka… must you do this?"

"You don't have to worry so much, Azula," said Sokka, smiling at her. "I'll be fine, I'm not going to get drunk. I have some self-control, believe it or not."

"You have it when it's convenient, if you ask me…" Azula muttered, and Sokka chuckled.

"I'd disagree with that, but you might be right…" he said, grinning and setting the cup down. "Still, if you're so worried I might end up drunk, you can just sit here with me and make sure I don't take too much. How about it, huh?"

Azula frowned and looked at him warily. Undeniably, she wanted to be alone with him for a while… but the presence of alcohol daunted her. The last time he had been under the influence of liquor he had said a few things she had never wanted to hear from him. But they both had changed a lot since that time, hadn't they? Surely he didn't think of her in the way he had back then. There shouldn't be such a great risk of winding up with her heart broken tonight… or at least, she hoped not. And he did need someone to make sure he wouldn't get drunk…

She sighed in resignation and made to sit beside him, to Sokka's blissful surprise: he had expected her to refuse right away.

"This is going to be a long night, isn't it?" Azula asked, dropping her head against the crate they were both resting against, trying her best not to blush while knowing Sokka was smiling warmly at her.

---

Giggles rolled from her lips as she stumbled her way through the ship's passageways, but he helped her keep her footing with his arm around her waist. Suki could tell she was in far worse shape than he was, for she had certainly had more to drink, but the effects of the alcohol didn't go unnoticed on Zuko regardless. There was a goofy smile on his face, and his cheeks were flushed. Suki didn't think she had ever seen him like that before, but she was sure she could grow fond of this new aspect of the Fire Nation Prince.

"Mine was… left from Ty Lee's, was it?" Suki asked, as they looked at the ship's cabins.

"Weren't you sharing with her?" Zuko replied, and Suki frowned.

"I… can't remember. Maybe?" she said, before giggling again. "Oh well…"

"You can come to mine until you figure it out…" he said, before realizing how bold he had been to say the words. Suki smiled.

"If you want… b-but do you know which one is yours?"

"I think we can figure it out," he said, smiling a little at her positive response. He had only expected her to reject him.

Zuko was having a hard time figuring out directions, but he found a door that seemed the right choice to him and pushed it open. When he scoured the room and found there was nobody else inside he guessed this was really his cabin. He coaxed Suki into the room and closed the door behind him, and Suki continued to giggle as she entered it.

"So, these… are your royal quarters, huh?" she asked, still laughing. "Looks plain to me, eh?"

"You're drunk. You can't see… the wonders," he said, dramatically, and Suki laughed more.

"Well, so are you. So for that matter…" she said, walking towards the bed and dropping face-first atop the pillow. "Ah… nice. It's… soft."

"Like you," Zuko said, laughing too before he noticed what he'd said.

"Oh? I'm soft? Or are you trying to say I'm bland?" Suki asked, turning on the bed to glare at Zuko judgmentally.

"B-bland? Eh… I didn't… what?" Zuko said nervously, and Suki wound up giggling again.

"Why are you so much fun to tease?" she asked, smirking. "Come on, join me, will you? This bed is too big for just me…"

"W-wait, are you…?" he said, as she rolled on her back while spreading her arms. The room was spinning for her, but she rather enjoyed it.

"Am I what?" she asked, and Zuko gulped before sitting next to her, shifting nervously.

"I'm a virgin," he blurted out. Suki sat up and looked at him with amazement.

"Say what?" she asked, and he blushed furiously.

"I-I-I'm just saying, if you wanted me to… t-to, well… y-you know, I mean…"

"I didn't say I wanted that, you dirty-minded Prince," Suki said, smirking and pushing him down on the bed. Zuko fell on his side without mumbling incoherently anymore. "Quick to jump to conclusions, aren't you?"

"W-well, I mean… we're alone, and there's a bed…"

"And do you always expect to have sex whenever you're alone with a woman and a bed?" Suki asked, smirking.

"Not really…" Zuko said, frowning. "We've been alone with a bed before…"

"We have. And all we did was…"

With that, she leaned in and kissed him, and Zuko froze at first before closing his eyes and responding slightly too enthusiastically to her advance. Suki giggled as he kissed her intensely, as if his life hinged on his performance in this very moment. But soon enough she pulled away, to Zuko's chagrin, a hand on her forehead. He frowned again.

"Are you alright?"

"Uh, it's just… everything spins," she said, smiling a little. "And… I got a bit dizzy there."

"Heh. My kiss dazzled you," Zuko said, smirking with pride, and Suki laughed.

"Looks like it," she said, turning her head to look at him.

Zuko felt braver tonight than usual, surely because of all he had drank that night. Never had he expected liquor to have such an effect upon him, but he found he actually liked it. It made him confident enough to draw closer to Suki again, to take another kiss from her lips. And she was happy to give in, surrendering as he surrounded her with his arms, still somewhat bashfully, and kissed her more. She made the exchanges longer and deeper whenever she sensed him hesitate, and they both laughed softly whenever they parted, just before they resumed their previous activities.

She was far more daring than he expected, but he thought it was mainly the drink that made her this way. She had touched his scar once before, and they had kissed in his room when she visited the Palace, but never had she caressed his chest as she was doing now. Thrills rushed through his body as her hands continued to move over him, softly at times, roughly at others. He wanted to return the favor, but so far, all he dared do was touch her arms. Suki looked at him through half-closed eyes, as though challenging him to mimic her actions. Shyly, he forced himself to comply… and he gasped when his hand fell upon one of her breasts. Suki smiled.

"You can relax, Zuko… nothing bad is going to happen, you know?"

"I-I just… I'd never done this before, is all," he said, gulping. "I meant it when I said I was a virgin…"

"I believe you," said Suki, giggling. "Still, hadn't you ever touched a girl before? After all those years at sea… I mean, you are a Prince. Didn't women line up for you?"

"What, looking like this?" he said, pointing at his scar. "Not a chance"

"Come now, Zuko… you're a handsome man" said Suki. "You know that, don't you?"

"I'm… not so sure," he said, and Suki raised her eyebrows.

"So, you think I have bad taste in men, then?"

"I j-just… don't know if I'm your taste, actually," he said, and she kissed him again.

"Would I be here with you if you weren't?"

"I… don't know. See, you're drunk…"

"So are you."

"B-but I'm not the one whose taste is in question, or am I?"

"Maybe you are, though. Why would a Prince lay in bed with a slave such as myself…?" Suki asked, and Zuko stared at her in disbelief.

"W-well, because…. B-because I… I like you," he said, gulping, and Suki smiled.

"And I like you," she said, kissing his nose. "So there you have it. Drunk or not, I like you, Zuko."

He smiled and laughed softly as she took his hand into hers. She closed her eyes and rolled on her back, the world spinning around her. Zuko looked at her in amazement, never having expected something like this to happen. When he had heard Mai was married, and that she wouldn't be with him anymore, he had assumed he would be alone for the rest of his life. And despite things had never gone awry with Suki, he had never quite considered that perhaps she was as fond of him as he was of her.

"I'm very lucky you do," he said, smiling. "You're… you're a very good kisser."

"Am I?" she said, chuckling. "I'm good at other things too, as it happens…"

"Are you really?" Zuko asked, raising his eyebrow. Somehow he wasn't sure if this conversation was taking a turn he was ready for…

"Believe it or not, I am," she said, closing her eyes. "If you're wondering, the men from Shu Wo didn't really… well, I'd lain with someone else before that happened. So I wasn't… I wasn't entirely inexperienced by the time that mess happened."

"Oh," said Zuko, nodding. "Well, then. That's… good, I suppose?"

"It was a nice memory for a time of darkness," she whispered, and Zuko's eyes widened. "He was… a nice man."

"Who… who was it?" he asked, nervously. He had never spoken with Suki about her past romantic relationships: he had assumed that wasn't a topic she wanted to breach. She had asked about him a few times, but he had never dared do the same. Her time in Shu Wo had taken its toll on her, and he doubted she would want to trust him with any stories of the sort. But from the looks of it, she might just be about to do so…

"Another gladiator," she said, and Zuko looked at her in dismay. Suki noticed and laughed at his expression. "Not Sokka, in case that's what you thought. I already told you nothing came from that."

"Oh… oh," said Zuko, relieved now. "I suppose not. He… he wasn't your taste in men, I take it?"

"I think he could have been," Suki said. "If only he hadn't been in love with someone else."

"That again?" Zuko asked, and Suki chuckled.

"Indeed," she said. "Seeing how he carries himself around your sister just proves it. I always wondered why he seemed so distraught during our date… must have been because of her. I don't really know why, but it makes sense if I think about it that way…"

"Maybe," said Zuko, grimacing. "Still… weren't you talking about something else?"

"I was…? Oh. Oh, Kerron," she said, and Zuko raised an eyebrow.

"Was that his name?"

"Yeah. He was an earthbender," she said. "He got to be really high up there in the ranking, even though I met him when he was still below the top hundred. We were in a Pairs Tournament together… we lost, but it was fun."

"And that's how you got involved?" Zuko asked, biting his lower lip.

"It's how it started, yeah. It was never anything serious, though," Suki said, her gaze lost on the ceiling. "We just met once in a while. Our sponsors were friends, so whenever they wanted to have dinner together we would see each other. It was very casual."

"Sounds like you liked him a lot, though," Zuko said, not realizing he was speaking out loud.

"I guess I did," said Suki, sighing. Her eyes darkened now, and Zuko was afraid of asking his next question.

"W-what… what happened, though? Did you break it off?" he asked, and she snorted.

"Me? No, not at all," she said, shaking her head. The world only spun harder after she did so, and she decided not to move at all. "Uh, he… he was the one to do that, actually."

"He did?" Zuko asked, astounded. "W-why the hell…?"

"Well, he was… an idiot," said Suki, biting her lower lip.

"Yeah, sounds like it," said Zuko, frowning. "Only an idiot would dump you."

"I guess," she said. "I mean… if he really thought dumping me was going to make it hurt any less when he died, he really had it wrong."

Zuko's eyes widened and he looked at Suki in horror. She sighed.

"He… he had a fight with someone in the top ten," she said. "His sponsor got the challenge, and it would have been dishonorable not to take it. But… but he knew he wasn't strong enough to make it. S-so he… he thought he would do me a favor by breaking it off with me, but it didn't help at all. When I heard he had been blown to smithereens, I just… well, I told myself not to get attached to anyone in the business again. Not for real."

"Suki…" Zuko whispered, taking her hand in his. She smiled at him.

"It was long ago now. I'm… pretty much over it," she said, shrugging, before smiling again. "I suppose you must think bad things keep chasing after me, huh? First my village gets taken over by soldiers, then Kerron, then Shu Wo…"

"Heh. Going out on a date with Sokka probably should be in there too," said Zuko, smirking, and Suki chuckled, before biting her lip. "What?"

"I just… I'm afraid, I guess," she said, gulping. "Kerron didn't fight in the Slate, and… and yet he ended up as he did. I just… I don't want that to happen to Sokka. We tried our best, but… what if he…?"

"Him?" said Zuko, smiling a little. "That thick-headed moron won't die that easily. You can trust he'll get through this. Just don't… don't think about that, alright? Relax and forget about it. Really, everything is going to be fine."

"You think so?" she asked, looking at him with hopeful eyes.

"Yeah," he said, surrounding her with his arms and pressing her against his chest.

Suki sighed and hugged him, her legs entwining with his. Zuko closed his eyes and frowned, his grip around her strong and certain. He knew Suki's life had been anything but easy, but this new revelation had taken him by surprise. That a warm and gentle girl like her had seen so much grief sat ill with him. He wanted to make her life brighter, that she would never suffer as she had while mourning for the man she had lost, or while living in hellish conditions as she did in Shu Wo.

"I'll take care of you now," he whispered, and Suki sighed in relief.

"That should be nice" she muttered, and he smiled.

Not only did he want her to be safe, though: he wanted her to be happy. He knew he would be happy too, so long as she could have some joy in her life. He didn't care about what he had to do to make it happen, Suki deserved a chance to forget her sorrows just as he often did whenever he was with her.

He closed his eyes, noticing he had felt this way long ago towards other people, but it had been on a smaller scale compared to what he was feeling towards Suki now. He wasn't sure of what to make of it just yet, because it had been a long time since this had happened to him… but for the time being, it felt right to acknowledge it, to begin with: he was in love with Suki, and he would do everything in his power to help her find the happiness she deserved in her life.

---

The sound of the ocean underneath the ship was rather pleasant at night. It was hard to tell the water and the dark skies apart, for the line in the horizon was barely noticeable. If not for the foam the ship left in its wake, it would almost seem as though they were sailing across a sea of stars… and it would all seem so poetic to Azula if only she didn't keep wrinkling her nose at the very scent of the liquor Sokka was ingesting.

"How can you even drink that?" she asked, as he finished his third cup for the night. "Just by the smell alone I gather it must taste like piss…"

"And how would you know that?" said Sokka, smirking. "Have you ever drunk…?"

"No, I haven't. Don't be ridiculous," she snapped, and he chuckled. "The mere odor makes me think of it."

"Oh, well. I suppose I should've expected the Princess to find common baijiu revolting," said Sokka, smirking. "Peasants' liquors are beneath her, aren't they?"

"Why are you talking about me in third person when I'm right here?" she asked, and he froze.

"I… don't know, really," he said, smiling widely. "But you are here, eh? It's just you, and me…!"

"And the baijiu. And these crates that also stink, but like rotting fish instead," Azula said, looking around herself in distaste. "Why did you choose such a lousy hiding spot, if I may ask?"

"I just wanted to go someplace where nobody would look to find me. Especially not proud Princesses who don't like alcohol and who would usually want me a thousand miles away while I drink…"

"You're doing it again, you know. The third-person thing," she said, looking at him through narrow eyes. He blinked blankly.

"Am I? Well, what do you know!" he said, with a soft laugh.

"You're drunk already, aren't you?"

"Hey, I am not drunk!" he said. "Maybe… maybe you're the one who's drunk!"

"How could I possibly be drunk if I haven't had a single drop of that thing?" Azula asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well, you should have some," said Sokka, smiling. "It's pretty nice after the first two rounds."

"You mean, once the effects of the alcohol start messing with your organism," Azula said, looking at him matter-of-factly. Sokka shrugged.

"Nah, it's more like… see, there's this unpleasant sensation when you swallow," he said. "Which you can only quench by drinking more! And after some time, that unpleasant sensation goes away. It already did for me, see?"

With that, he poured himself another cup and Azula sighed as he drank it.

"You're going to get drunk and I'm not going to take responsibility for it because I've already warned you and you've refused to listen. You'll get yourself killed in the Slate later, and…"

"I'm not going to get myself killed, Azula," he said. "You don't have to worry about me. I've got a great tolerance for alcohol."

"Oh, you do, don't you?" Azula asked, looking at him skeptically.

"Don't believe me? You'll see," he said, smiling. "Though you probably can't believe me because you don't know much about alcohol in the first place…"

"I know enough," Azula snapped. "I may have never had baijiu, but it doesn't mean I've never had any liquor in my life."

"Oh, really? What have you had, then?" he asked, smirking. Azula glared at him from the corner of her eyes.

"Why do you ask? You don't believe me?"

"Hardly," said Sokka, beaming. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Ever heard of lychee wine?" she asked, and Sokka raised an eyebrow. "I figured not. Too refined for your commoner's tastes, isn't it?"

"Well, it sounds pretty pretentious, I won't lie," said Sokka, smiling. "Is it any good?"

"To you it'll probably make no difference," Azula said. "If you can drink that crap and enjoy it…"

"Oh, come on, it really isn't that bad. Just try it and you'll see," said Sokka, filling the cup again and handing it to Azula, who grimaced and shook her head.

"No, I won't take that. Stop trying to make me drink it, damn you!" she said, inching away from the cup as he insisted on giving it to her.

"Really, woman, it's not like it's going to kill you!" he said, looking at her skeptically. "Come on, just this once, you only have to try it and if you hate it you can have no more of it. Really, what could possibly go wrong?"

"Why, I don't know," said Azula, an eyebrow twitching. "How can you even ask that question? You know all too well how many things could go wrong because of alcohol…"

"Yeah, well… you know what?" said Sokka, a smirk spreading over his face dangerously. "I think you have no resistance to alcohol and just this one cup is going to get you badly drunk. That's why you don't want to do it, isn't it?"

"Oh, of course that's why," Azula said, rolling her eyes.

"Unless you drink this, I won't stop thinking so," Sokka said, smiling and offering her the cup again. "Azula, powerful Princess with the multiple-colored fire, with the ferocious dragon companion and the greatest set of wits anyone has ever had, can't possibly stand her ground when dealing with alcohol. Isn't that incredibly…?"

"Oh, shut your mouth," Azula snapped, ripping the cup off his hands and making Sokka laugh.

"Alright then. Let's see how you fare," he said, amused.

Azula breathed deeply before bringing the cup to her lips. Her nose wrinkled, and her eyes widened when the sour taste reached her tongue, and she would have spat and tossed the cup into the ocean if only she hadn't been painfully aware of Sokka's stare upon her. Disgusted by having to swallow what was left of it, she tilted the cup and poured the content in her mouth to be done with it as quickly as possible. She swallowed fast and gasped before handing the cup to Sokka again, her hand going to her mouth.

"Uh… you okay? Hey… Azula?"

"You're… you're the worst, you know that?" she asked him, her eyes dangerously wide as she glared at him.

"Okay, I got it, you hated it. It's alright, it won't happen again," he said, setting the bottle away from the Princess. "There, it's not going to bother you anymore!"

"Oh, surely not that disgusting thing, but you sure as hell will," Azula said, grimacing at the unpleasant aftertaste in her mouth. "That was revolting…"

"No need to fret, you don't need to take any more of it," he said, smiling uneasily. "H-hey, let's change the subject, shall we? Let's talk about anything other than drinks. That'll be nice, right?"

"Heh. Really nice," Azula said, grimacing. "I need… to rinse my mouth, right now"

"Uh, can't really help you with that," he said, biting his lower lip. "I'd offer to kiss the taste off you, but as you can imagine…"

"You've been drinking the same blasted thing, so it's not like that's going to make a difference," she retorted.

"… I could still kiss you, you know?"

"Not after that, you won't."

"Whaaaat?" Sokka said, looking at her in dismay.

"Oh, please, you have the nerve to act like that's unfair on my part?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows.

"B-but I just thought…"

"Well, whatever you thought, you were mistaken. Clearly," Azula said, proudly, and Sokka pouted before dropping against the crate behind him.

"You take everything to heart, don't you?" he said, still pouting. "You know, you might feel better if you have more of it…"

"No, thank you," she said, pointedly. "Didn't you want to change the subject, though? Might help me get my mind off this wretched thing…"

"Oh, right," said Sokka, blinking a few times before smiling warmly at Azula. Despite she had been rather irritable just a moment ago, the sight of his grin made her blush ever so slightly. "You were amazing today at the ceremony, Azula. I'd already said you would be, but you went out of your way to prove it, huh?"

"I suppose I did, on some level," she said, shrugging. "But you really couldn't have known I'd do what I did…"

"Well, even if I didn't know, I believed in you and see? You succeeded and blew everyone's minds away," said Sokka, beaming. "It was a really great ceremony. Not that I have any point of comparison, I'd never watched a firebending ceremony before, but…"

"I appreciate your opinion anyhow," said Azula. "Though I do think I could have done better if I'd had more time to practice, but…"

"Meh, you did brilliantly anyhow," he said, patting her shoulder. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I am, as I already told you earlier," she said, smiling at him. "Are you sure you're not drunk?"

"Of course I'm not," said Sokka, pouting, but he poured himself another cup upon the mention of the drink, and Azula sighed.

"Well, you may not be, but you will be if you…"

"Now, I have to drink this one for you!" he said, smiling. "Ty Lee said we had to toast over your great success today, so I'm going to do it now. To Azula, the only woman in the world who can ignite colored flames and look absolutely stunning in the process!"

She blushed harder and he smiled mischievously at her before downing the content of the cup. Azula was looking at him skeptically by the time he had drained the cup.

"And I suppose you're going to do that again for your cause now, aren't you?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, and Sokka shrugged.

"It's not a bad idea, if you want me to be honest…" he said, smirking at her.

"Well, I'm not going to let you," Azula said, ripping the cup off his hands, to Sokka's dismay.

"Hey! I wasn't really going to… Azula?" he said, his eyes widening when he noticed she was pouring the drink on the cup herself. "What are you doing?"

"You said another round might help, and I can't tolerate this disgusting aftertaste, so here goes," she said, sighing. "To your survival, and hopeful victory, in the Slate."

And with that, she drained the cup once more. Sokka looked at her with chagrin as she grimaced at the drink's taste once more, but she seemed slightly less disgusted this time, probably because she had already known what to expect.

"Y-you didn't have to do that, Azula…" he said, and she shuddered as she felt the alcohol stinging its way through her body.

"You lied. That second round didn't make it any better," she growled. "Still tastes awful."

"I didn't quite lie, though… what I said was that it would get better after the second cup you drank," said Sokka, with a weak grin. When Azula glared at him he raised his palms in a defensive gesture. "Just saying…"

"Might be better if you don't say anything at all" she said, placing the cup between them and sighing as she dropped her head against the crate. The alcohol was already burning its way through her body. It was a very strange sensation, not quite like the fire she usually felt inside her.

Sokka looked at her worriedly briefly before shaking his head as his eyesight became somewhat hazy. It would seem the alcohol was affecting him more by now… he was still conscious enough of what he was doing and saying, but that might not last much longer. By the time his body processed all the liquor he'd be likely to lose his senses, which was a pity. He was really enjoying his conversation with Azula.

"Say…" he muttered, looking at her through half-closed eyes. Azula frowned at his dazed expression. "You just toasted to my hopeful victory."

"I did," Azula said, shrugging. "What of it? You don't expect me to go to the Slate thinking you'll simply lose, or do you?"

"Well… I thought you didn't need me to win," he said, smiling a little. "Wasn't that what we'd talked about before?"

"It may be so, but I'd still like it if you won. I'm not saying you absolutely must do it…" she said, shrugging. "But you did believe in me when even I couldn't believe in myself. And… well, that helped me perform as I did today, believe it or not. So, while I don't know if it'll help in any way, I've chosen to believe in you this time around, even when I know the odds are against you."

"Huh," said Sokka, his smile widening as he stretched a hand to grasp hers. Azula rubbed his knuckles with her thumb, "That's… well, moving and distressing at the same time. See, now you've put me in the same predicament I had you in before."

"Oh?" said Azula, a small smirk on her lips as well. "You don't want to disappoint me, then?"

"I've never wanted to," said Sokka. "But I'm just a common guy, after all, trying to play at a level that just might be beyond him, so chances are I'll fail at that…"

"Don't be ridiculous," said Azula, looking at him earnestly. "You can go ahead and pretend you're common, you can even try to act the part, but you know damn well you're anything but that."

"Heh. If you say so," he said, grinning at her. "I suppose I should believe in what you say, though, because you believe in what I can do, because I believed in what you could do…"

"I suppose?" said Azula, smiling a little, and Sokka chuckled.

"I don't think I'm drunk yet, but that was a bit too confusing for me to process for the time being, and I was the one who said it," he confessed, before looking at her with a silly smile. "But alright then. I'll be doing my best to win, even if that might not be enough. But you can trust I won't give up easily with this fight. Just promise you won't be too mad if I lose…"

"So long as you don't lose your limbs, or your life, I won't be mad," she said. "So make sure to avoid that, alright?"

"You can't have me dead after all," said Sokka, and Azula nodded.

"It would be most inconvenient," she said, and he laughed.

"And why would it be?" he asked, leaning forward as he looked at her with amusement. "Is it just too hard to find a decent gladiator nowadays?"

"It sure is. Look at what I've been stuck with for over a year now," Azula said, smirking. "You're way below decent…"

"Am I? Last I knew, I was already in the top two hundred fighters…" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows.

"You are, which doesn't mean you decent anyhow. You walk around your house half-naked, you drink piss alcohol, you've said inappropriate and suggestive things to me ever since this partnership began… care to tell me how that's decent?"

"Now, that's not fair, I was only referring to my fighting prowess…"

"Well, I'm talking about human quality," Azula said, eloquently, and Sokka snorted. "Oh? You find it ironic or so, is it?"

"Not at all," he said, leaning against the crate again with a satisfied smile on his face. "You just want to think I'm a bad person because that'll make me more attractive to you, that's what I find funny."

"See what I mean? There you are, saying inappropriate and suggestive things…" Azula said, rolling her eyes as Sokka laughed next to her.

"Inappropriate or not, it's the truth, isn't it?" said Sokka, smiling. "You don't want to be interested in a guy who's all nice and sweet. For a girl like you that's just plain boring, isn't it?"

"And how do you know what I want?" Azula asked, looking at him expectantly.

Their gazes met as they both fell silent briefly, just before Sokka started chuckling again. Azula continued to look at him with curiosity and defiance.

"Well?"

"I don't know what you want, no," he said, sighing. "But if it's anything like what I want…"

"A not-boring relationship, is it?" Azula asked, and Sokka smirked.

"That's not quite what I want, but it's guaranteed anyhow," he said, looking at her with a pleased smile. "Considering it's you we're talking about, after all."

Azula blushed a little and looked away, unsure of how to respond to that. Sokka smiled and reached for the baijiu again, pouring himself yet another cup and finishing it in instants. He didn't know for sure why he had taken another one, but it possibly was because he had no idea what to do while Azula remained silent. He looked at her from the corner of his eye to find she seemed happy about what he'd said, but she refused to convey it. He sighed, always having known he couldn't possibly figure out everything the Princess kept to herself.

"In any case," he said, placing the cup on the floor again. "I'll do my best not to get killed out there. It's why I trained as hard as I did, after all. So… I should be fine. Hopefully."

"How did the rest of your training go?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you figure out a way to fight with two swords?"

"Actually, yeah," said Sokka, smiling at her. "It's weird because both swords are really different, and so I had to get used to that, but… but I can wield them both by now. I think I developed a cool enough style…"

"That's good news, though 'cool' shouldn't be what we're striving for," said Azula, and Sokka smirked.

"I'm pretty sure I'll need to remain 'cool' in that Arena, though."

"Point taken. Still, I'd suggest you don't use both swords all the time," said Azula. "You'll need to use long-ranged attacks before trying to get close to him, I fear. Don't get too confident no matter how skilled you've gotten, you need to be on your guard all the time. A firebender's fire isn't bound to hurt him, but you might still get the better of him by using his moves against him somehow."

"Alright. I'll think of a way to do that, if possible," said Sokka, dropping his head against the crate again and looking at her from the corner of his eye. "You were studying up on firebending, right?"

"Yes, I was," said Azula, looking back at him. "You want me to give you more advice on how to handle a firebender?"

"Well, that'd be nice of you," said Sokka, smiling. "But… I wanted to ask a question, and not for advice. Curiosity is going to get the better of me and I really want to know…"

"What is it?"

"Where did that golden fire come from, huh?"

Azula stiffened at the question as Sokka smiled and looked at her with insistent eyes.

"C'mon. You can tell me, it's not like I'm going to steal your secrets," he said, chuckling. "I'm no firebender, I can't pull that off myself, in case you forgot…"

"I didn't forget anything, I'm well aware of that," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "But I just… I don't want to say, is all. Your curiosity will go unsatisfied because I'm not going to…"

"But why?" Sokka asked, pouting. "After all we've been through, you still think you can't trust me? I've kept every single secret you've ever asked me to!"

"Well, it's not that simple this time around, is all," said Azula, shrugging and turning her head away from him. The movement was strange… she felt like she had turned far too fast, and that her body was having trouble adjusting to the speed of her movement, for some reason. "Uh, not pleasant…"

"Well, no, it's not pleasant at all!" Sokka complained, pouting and crossing his arms. He stretched his legs as well and nearly kicked the bottle of baijiu. The spark of an idea came to him then and he smiled wildly before looking at Azula with mischief in his eyes. "Well, alright then! I'm giving you an ultimatum! Either you tell me what's the secret behind your gold fire, or you drink another cup of baijiu!"

He had been hopeful that she would surrender, but he should have known better than to expect Azula to be predictable. Still, he never imagined she would make the choice as quickly as she did: his jaw dropped as she reached for the bottle and cup, pouring herself her third round and drinking it quickly. She wrinkled her nose at the taste again, but not for long. She actually smiled by the time she had set the cup down again.

"Well, well. Looks like it really does start to feel less disgusting on the third round," she said, laughing softly. "Still not a good drink, though. You… you should try lychee wine, I mean it. After you do, you'll want nothing to do with this…"

"Azula…" Sokka whined, and she smiled at him.

"What?" she asked. "Were you expecting something else? Well, poor Sokka. Disappointed by the Princess. I guess that's just something we'll both have to live with."

"Hey, now. You're talking about yourself in third person," he said, smiling a little. Azula froze and frowned.

"Huh. I am," she said, as he started laughing next to her.

Despite herself, she ended up joining him. His laughter was more contagious than it should be, but for some reason, Azula didn't seem to notice or care. She was failing to notice far too many things by now, which should have alerted her of the fact that her body wasn't in its best shape anymore, but she didn't quite realize it.

"I knew you'd break eventually," said Sokka, once his laughter had subsided. "Now it's only a matter of time before the gold fire secret is out!"

"Well, why do you want to know so much, huh?" Azula asked, frowning. "It's not like you can do anything with the knowledge… or can you?"

"I can, as a matter of fact," Sokka said, smirking and pouring himself another cup of baijiu. "It'll be very helpful, yup."

"Helpful how?" Azula asked, as he drank the liquor. Despite her common sense warning her not to, she ripped the cup off his hand when he was finished with it, and poured herself another round. The unpleasant sensations born from the first two drinks were nearly gone as the alcohol stung through her body this time, and while she was still aware of how cheap the drink was, it didn't seem so bad, all of sudden…

"It'll make me marvel even more over you, that's how," said Sokka, chuckling as he watched her drink the cup's contents. "Say… you're really liking that by now, aren't you?"

"You were right. Did get better after a while," Azula confessed, shrugging and setting down the cup. Thrills ran through her body, and she felt warmer than she should. Everything was fuzzy, and hazy… and for some reason, she felt rather content, free, and careless right now. All her previous reservations had gone forgotten. Every single one of them.

"Good to know," said Sokka, smirking. "Well, then, why won't you tell me what's the secret behind the gold fire? Is it something that could destroy the Fire Nation completely if I knew about it?"

"Obviously it's n-… actually, maybe," she said, frowning and looking at the skies with confusion. "Maybe. I don't know. Depends on how you look at it, and on the outcome of it all."

"The outcome of what? You already pulled off an epic ceremony, isn't that the outcome?" Sokka asked, and Azula shook her head.

"The outcome of you knowing what's behind the gold fire, I mean."

"Well, I can't see how that'd put the Fire Nation in danger," Sokka said, skeptical. "Come on, you're just exaggerating now to make it even more enigmatic. If you're afraid I'll laugh at you, or judge you, you don't have to worry because I won't."

"You might laugh, though. You're drunk. Everything's funny for you now," she said, with a smile on her face quite similar to Sokka's trademark silly grins.

"Hey, now, I'm not drunk," he said, stubbornly. "I may have had five… well, six. Okay, probably eight, but… no, alright, I've lost count, but my head still works, okay? I'm not drunk."

"You don't seem to understand what being drunk means," said Azula, smirking. "See, when you're drunk, your head works weirdly. Still works, though. If your head stops working altogether, it means you're dead. See? Drunk and dead, not the same."

"Heh, drinking can lead to death, though," he pointed out.

"Ah, it can. Lots of things can," said Azula.

"Like your secret, for instance?" Sokka asked, and she smiled.

"No idea. It might kill you one day, though. I don't know," she said, reaching out to fill the cup again. She nearly knocked the bottle over as she did.

"Well, then, if that's how it is then you're not getting another drop of baijiu until you tell me about what endangers my life, Princess!" Sokka said, ripping the bottle from Azula's hands just as she was about to tilt it over the cup.

"Hey! Give the revolting thing back," she said, struggling to take it from him as she reached towards it. Sokka smirked and stretched it away from her, and Azula lunged for it but ended up falling across his lap as she did. "Do it or… or I'll fight you. Blue fire and all. Yeah."

"Uh, you do know using fire while there's alcohol nearby isn't exactly a good idea, don't you?" said Sokka, grimacing.

"Oh, I know," said Azula. She pushed herself up clumsily and her head pressed against his chest. Sokka smiled at that. "You have no idea how many taverns have blown up in the Fire Nation and the Colonies because of angry firebenders brawling in the place. No idea, whatsoever."

"I actually didn't," he said, as she struggled to sit up again. He was rather disappointed that she would pull away, but he chose not to say anything about it. "But I'm not surprised. You guys are weird and from what I can see now, you get a little too crazy about your drinks."

"Hey, now, that's not my drink," she said, lifting her index finger pointedly. "That is yours. And just yours. And I'm helping you with it because… b-because if you drink it all you'll get yourself killed. And we can't have that, can we?"

"Nope, because it's inconvenient," Sokka said, smiling. Azula frowned.

"We… had already said that, hadn't we?"

"We had," he said, chuckling, and she scratched her head.

"Well, something's… something's weird. I think I…"

"You had too much of it?"

"N-no. I mean… I'm not drunk. I don't get drunk. Let alone with peasants' liquor."

"Because that's too lame for you, huh? But as it turns out, you seem to like it just fine now," said Sokka, smiling.

"I don't like it. Not one bit. Still leaves a stupid aftertaste that only disappears if you drink more, and then it comes back again…" she said, grimacing. "So hand it over. I've got to…"

"Come on, you don't want more of this, girl," he said. "You just want to avoid telling me the truth, and you won't. So, come now. Talk."

"Talk?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "Okay. Did you know there are over fifty volcanoes in the Fire Nation? Not all of them are active but…"

"Not about geography, Azula," he said, smiling. She was being quite funny just now. "'Bout… the gold fire. Really."

"Really?" she said, looking at him with despair. "Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do," said Sokka, smirking. "If you promise you'll do it, you get another drink. Probably the last one, though. I think we've finished the bottle…"

"What? So quickly? How many did you take?" Azula asked, looking at him accusingly.

"Hey, I…! I've lost count" he admitted again, and Azula snorted before laughing loudly at that, throwing her head back as she did. Not even she knew why she found that so amusing. "But I'm a gentleman, so you can have the last one if you promise to tell me about the gold fire, okay?"

"Fine, then," Azula said, still chuckling as she stretched her hand to take the bottle. "I'll… I'll do it. But give that now."

"Okay, then," said Sokka, smiling and pouring the last of the liquor before handing the cup to Azula, who smirked before drinking it in one go. "Aftertaste gone now?"

"Yeah… for a while," said Azula, swallowing again before setting the cup aside. "Ah, well. Promise is a promise, isn't it?"

"Yup, it is," said Sokka, smiling excitedly.

Azula didn't start talking right away, though. He frowned as she stared at the ship's stern pointedly, as though she had lost all track of what they had just been talking about. He had to tap her shoulder for Azula to blink rapidly and look at him, almost as though she had forgotten he was right there next to her.

"Oh. Yeah. You… oh, you wanted to know about… that," she said, sighing heavily and dropping against the crate in defeat. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I did…"

"Well, fine," said Azula, sighing. "I… I had no idea what I was doing at first, to be honest, it was just a thought that occurred to me… y-you see, I've got this flame inside me, the inner fire… every firebender has it, b-but I'd never paid too much attention until you… well, until you showed up."

"Ah?" said Sokka, surprised. "What did I do?"

"What didn't you do?" Azula said, looking at him in defeat. "You… you messed me up inside. You did. And I didn't realize how weird it was until I… until I kissed you the first time and I felt that fire growing wilder and wilder inside me. And it always happens with you, you know? If you kiss me, or if you say something stupid and ridiculous and embarrassing…"

"Really?" Sokka asked, surprised. He had no idea he'd had such an effect upon the Princess. He knew she liked him, naturally, he wasn't stupid enough as to remain oblivious to that, but to think that he unleashed fire within her… never in his wildest dreams he could have imagined that.

"Really. And it's… I guessed it was just me being emotional," Azula said, shrugging. "But then after I went to oversee your training that day, after all those weeks without seeing you, that fire came back and… and I felt happy. Which was what Xin Long told me I should strive for, to find the firebending I needed for the ceremony. S-so then, I… I wondered if I could bend out the inner fire you'd made me feel. And at first it didn't work out too easily, b-but… b-but as I thought about how I felt towards you, the inner fire became stronger. And when it was strong enough, I managed to bend it and… and the next thing I knew, I was bending gold fire."

Sokka's eyes widened as he listened to her. Azula was looking at her hands now as she spoke, her brow furrowed lightly.

"Y-you… your feelings, you're saying? Your feelings for me were what…?" he said, staring at Azula in awe.

"Heh. Yeah. See why I didn't want to tell you? Now it's going to go up to your head and you're going to be proud and pleased because…"

"N-no, no," said Sokka, looking at Azula with amazement. "I… I won't do that, I promise. I'm just… surprised. I didn't think… I just never thought…"

"Heh. You never think? So all along you've been trying to fool me into believing you actually could use that brain of yours?" Azula said, hoping to change the subject, but knowing she would fail. No attempts to insult his intelligence would succeed when he was looking at her in amazement as he was.

"Azula…" he said, smiling a little and reaching out to grasp her hand again. "I'm not telling anyone, you can count on it. I'm just… well, surprised, and honored, really. I didn't think I'd had anything to do with it."

"Well, what did you think was the secret, then?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at him skeptically. "You thought I can just change the color of what I bend at will? Well, I actually can't. Or maybe I can but I just don't know it yet. If I work hard enough I might discover the secret for more colors. But right now, it's just blue and gold, yeah. Just those two…"

"In all honesty, I was just curious," said Sokka, smiling and trying to ignore her rambling. "I thought it'd be something crazy cool, really…"

"Sorry to disappoint," Azula said, shrugging. "I wish it were something cool too."

"It is, though," said Sokka, looking at her with awe in his eyes. "I… heck, I might start bending gold fire myself now, Azula. My chest hurts, and…"

"That's the drink's fault," said Azula, smirking, and Sokka shook his head.

"Like hell it is," he said, smiling. "No wonder you wouldn't tell others about it, though…"

"Yeah…" said Azula. "It's not a very good idea to tell people I'm in love with you, is it?"

Sokka's eyes widened again. Azula didn't seem to register she had spoken aloud, though, her gaze on the ship's stern again, as though she hadn't just uttered the words she had always worked hard to keep from Sokka. But he had heard her. And he could barely believe the euphoric thrill that was rushing through his body now.

"Y-you…" he said, his heart racing in his chest as he felt warmth spreading through his body. He suspected it was something unrelated to the drink, but he couldn't say for certain at this point. "Azula…"

She turned to look at him to find him smiling in a way she couldn't remember having seen before. The grin would have been contagious if only she hadn't found it suspicious. Had he read her mind? Or had she actually said that aloud…?

"Sokka?" she said, blushing and looking at him with wary eyes.

Her reservations were forgotten when his arms went around her waist and he pulled her closer to him, his lips pressing to hers lovingly. Azula couldn't help but notice the taste of the liquor on him, but after a moment she let the thought go forgotten as she surrounded his neck with her arms. She had been worried for a moment, his sudden shift of attitude surely meant he had realized Azula loved him… but as he kissed her passionately, gently, devotedly, she decided it wasn't a matter of concern. If this was what she got for finally confessing her feelings, if that somehow counted as a confession, then so be it. She was sure she'd enjoy every second of it.

Sokka was surprised when she became more forceful, taking his gentle kiss and turning it into a wild exchange. She opened her lips and sought to force him to do the same, her fingers sliding through the short hairs on the back of his head. Sokka complied with her, despite he hadn't meant for this to be a desperate kiss, but he had no qualms regarding the change of mood. His hands moved over the sides of her body, and he found himself realizing, just now, that the Princess wasn't wearing her armor…

He refrained from doing anything inappropriate, despite he longed to. His hands simply grasped her by her shoulders, pulling her closer to him so he could continue to deepen the kiss. Azula moaned softly, and the sensuality of the sound nearly made him freeze in the middle of his motions. Now he sure had forgotten all his intentions for this to be a soft and tender exchange.

His hands surrounded her again, moving up and down her back as he pulled her to his lap. Azula hummed into their kisses before daring to bite his lower lip and making Sokka gasp at the pain. She smirked and enjoyed the way he returned the favor, devouring her lips wildly. She gasped when his mouth left hers and moved towards her cheek, from where he continued downwards until he found her neck. Azula threw her head back, her face the epitome of delight as he kissed and sucked the skin that wasn't covered by her shirt's tall collar. His hands were starting to roam over her body more daringly, and the Princess was rather pleased that was the case.

She pressed his face to her neck, still arching her head back as she settled on his lap with her legs straddling either side of his body. Her thighs pressed against his waist, and she moved as close to him as she could get, her chest rubbing against him. Sokka moved his face away from her neck and towards her breasts, kissing them over the clothes and making Azula frown and gasp in surprise. Well, that was new. And also amusing and enjoyable, for some reason.

She was laughing without understanding why she was doing it, her hands roaming through his hair again. She bit her lip and looked down at him guiltily as she undid his ponytail, as though that was the most daring and bold thing she had ever done. His loose hair fell as a curtain around his face and she sighed as she discarded his hair tie and ran her hands through his soft hair. She had wanted to do that ever since she had first seen him with his hair down, and only tonight she had felt daring enough to try it. Sokka didn't seem to mind in the slightest, busy burying his face between her breasts as his hands moved up and down her back, his thumbs running smooth circles on her ribs, all of which had her shuddering in pleasure.

She pressed him against the crate again, his head bumping against it due to her forceful push. Her mouth was on his again, craving the feel of their tongues and lips moving together. His hands moved away from her back now, sliding towards her breasts so he could caress them. Azula hummed again, and Sokka groaned before biting her.

"Damn it, Azula…" he whispered, moving away from her lips again and towards her left ear. Azula chuckled.

Her hands started to explore him as well, caressing his well-formed chest and feeling the many marks of scars upon it. Had she been fully conscious, she would have inevitably wanted to know the stories behind so many of them… but right now she couldn't quite care. She just wanted to touch him, to feel his skin under her fingers, the heat of him joining hers…

She moved her mouth towards his neck now, but unlike how it was for Sokka, there was a lot more territory for Azula to explore due to the clothes he wore. He sighed, his hands still on her chest as she started to kiss and bite his neck. He held back the groans, which resulted in hisses that Azula decided to interpret as a good sign. She continued moving south, finding his collarbone and kissing it softly, but the fabric was getting in the way. She wanted to curse her luck, why on earth was the fool wearing clothes in a moment such as this one? Until, of course, she started to think that maybe she could do something about that…

With a low chuckle, her hands moved down over his abs and lower. He jolted when she caressed his pelvis, surprised by her daring movement. Her hands moved a little higher as she laughed at his reaction, her fingers undoing the knot on his belt, so his shirt would come loose. Her hands slid under the fabric, caressing his skin as she had yearned to for the longest time.

Sokka was gasping for breath by now, his rational mind trying to outdo his instincts. It seemed to warn him that this was dangerous, that they had to put a stop to this or else they never would… but her warm hands on his body were eliciting the most pleasant sensations he had ever experienced. He could only close his eyes and give her free rein, biting his lip in hopes to contain his moans and groans.

He soon started to think that she had no right to do what she was doing… not unless she was willing to let him do the same. Was she? Well, he was more than ready to find out.

He pulled her up again, catching her mouth in another kiss, one she surrendered to eagerly as his hands continued to scout her body's curves, gliding towards her waist, where her belt rested. He pressed the buckle and loosened it too, casting it aside and looking at Azula cockily… only to find that he wouldn't be as lucky as she was: there were still many layers of clothes between him and her bare torso.

Azula laughed again as he started to realize he was getting the short end of this deal, but a passionate kiss easily silenced him before he could voice any complaints. Sokka closed his eyes and gave in again, her hands caressing him as he tried to figure out the way her clothes worked… though it was much easier said than done. Why did she have to make everything so difficult? He snarled at her upon her next chuckle and cupped her buttocks firmly, at which Azula moaned. The sound made him groan in need and despair, and he kissed her deeply again, bringing about even more erotic sounds from the Princess.

He found the hem of her long tunic, and his hands slid over her thighs slowly as he tried to reach her body directly… but there was still another clothing item in the way. He cursed again and moved to devour her neck once more, his hands now playing with the hem of her pants. Azula frowned slightly at that before smirking. That was quite a brilliant idea on Sokka's part. Maybe she ought to do the same to him…

She caressed his abs again, touching the skin she had burned long ago and moving even lower. Again, he shivered when she touched his pelvis, but this time she didn't retreat. Instead, she slid her hand inside his trousers.

Sokka jumped when her hand started exploring the content of his pants, and he pulled away from her neck to look at her in astonishment. Azula didn't want any of that, though. She closed her eyes and kissed him wildly once more, her fingers sliding through coarse hair until they found what they had been looking for.

"A-Azula…!" Sokka gasped, gritting his teeth as she chuckled.

"Sokka," she said, against his lips. "You look… nervous."

He had no answer to those words, and she took that as a good sign, for reasons Sokka couldn't possibly make sense out of. And thus, she encircled his shaft with her hand, making him gasp for breath as she kissed him.

There was obvious inexperience in her touch, it didn't seem she had the faintest clue of what to do now. She had only been curious, after all. She had enjoyed herself by exploring his body, taking full advantage of their wild, reckless exchange. But Azula didn't need to be skilled at what she was doing to his manhood for him to burst, and Sokka knew it. He had been holding back for too long: being touched in this way by the one woman he had ever desired was like a gift from a kind god whose existence he was only going to start acknowledging after tonight.

But he refused to let her get ahead. He wouldn't sit back and allow her to explore him as she wished without returning the favor… and so he grasped the hem of her pants as well, pulling them down harshly and with difficulty, as she was sitting atop him. Azula frowned at that and caressed his cock with her fingers, teasing his skin with the lightest touch of her fingertips and the grazing of her nails, and Sokka gritted his teeth before reaching for the one garment that stood between him and his target. He reached for the border of the silk underwear and pulled it down as he had with the pants, and Azula would have been indignant over that if only she hadn't just decided to pull his manhood out of his pants, hoping that, if she gave it more attention, Sokka would be rendered helpless to her touch…

But she was surprised to find he wouldn't give in now. Not just now. His right hand returned to her groin and, without further ado, his fingers moved in to probe her core. Azula gasped, a practically unknown sensation spreading through her now as Sokka touched her daringly. She gritted her teeth and tried to continue touching his cock as she had intended, but she couldn't quite do so while she was wondering what on earth Sokka was trying to do to her.

He smirked when he felt the wet warmth within her. His fingers explored her, and Azula's gasps and moans became more intense now. She was practically immobile by now, a hand on the back of his neck while her forehead rested against his, her other hand still around his cock. Sokka looked at her intensely, finding her eyes were closed as she breathed heavily. She opened her eyes and gold found blue. Sokka smiled before leaning in to kiss her, and Azula groaned as she opened her legs further, pressing down on his hand.

She started to touch him again, her fingers moving along his length as she tried to stir him further. Sokka huffed and hissed, the arousal increasing to unprecedented levels as her subtle touches made him see stars dancing around his head. She was driving him crazy, tonight more than ever, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He hated to think he would burst so quickly, especially when he was finally getting a taste of the forbidden fruit he had never expected to taste, but his body couldn't take the strain anymore. He had put up with his desire for her for too long, and tonight his lust might be sated, for the very first time.

He gritted his teeth and stopped touching her as his orgasm built, and Azula's chest heaved as she kept going, now taking his cock into her hand and moving her fingers more confidently. Sokka's breathing hitched and he tried to hold back the urge to groan again, but it proved impossible. He cried out, his head banging against the wooden crate once more as his overheated body found its release, and he shuddered once the peak of pleasure subsided after a few moments.

It had been brief, but it had been worth it. Having burst too fast didn't bother him as much anymore, not after that enjoyable climax. He opened his eyes to find Azula was staring down at his manhood with a crooked eyebrow, and he bit his lip before his fingers started to caress her daringly again. Azula gasped and looked at him in surprise: he grabbed her by the back of her head with his free hand and pulled her close for another kiss.

Her body jolted away from his hand at times, but despite Sokka suspected she might have wanted him to stop, she never told him to. She grasped his hair again, her breath hitching as new and strange burning sensations started to rush through her body. Whatever this was, it was different from her gold fire and her blue… and it was pleasant, even though it was foreign and terrifying at the same time.

"S-Sokka…" she gasped, gripping his shoulders now, her nails digging into his skin. "Sokka!"

"Want me to stop?" he asked. "Say the word… and I'll stop. I will."

"S-…" she uttered, pressing her forehead against his. She wasn't sure if she knew what loomed ahead, she wasn't sure if she really wanted this, she wasn't sure of anything right now… but for one thing: she didn't want him to stop. "Sokka, please…"

"Please what?" he asked, pecking her lips softly as he continued to touch her. His fingertips found her clit and massaged it circularly, bringing about a cry of passion from the Princess he hadn't expected her to release. "Azula?"

"D-damn it, Sokka!" she exclaimed, pressing her body against his, her hips grinding against his hand.

"Just tell me…" he said again, between gritted teeth. His blue eyes were more intense than ever just now, and all the more alluring. Azula's nails dug into his back now, and he didn't flinch. "What do you want?"

"I…" she said, as the excitement became more powerful. She breathed with difficulty as one of his fingers slid inside of her, and his thumb stroked her clit. By then, any sound coming out of her was unintelligible.

Sokka kissed her neck and throat, Azula's sounds more urgent by now. His lips sucked her skin and his fingers began moving faster. Azula hissed and moaned, a hand leaving his body to slam the crate with a fisted hand. The pain born from the impact distracted her but briefly from the arousal that continued to grow inside her, the arousal that burned in waves and made her gasp as she tried not to succumb to it. But she had lost all control by now. What was to come would come, and there was no stopping it…

She didn't know if she had screamed as she threw her head back, but the soreness of her throat later on would help her realize that she had. The arousal was unleashed with her cry, and Azula felt her skin couldn't contain the explosion taking place inside her body. It was so powerful she couldn't think, she couldn't see, she couldn't hear anything… all she could do was feel it, and bask in the unbelievable pinnacle of pleasure she had accessed for the first time thanks to Sokka.

She had nearly forgotten who she was as the orgasm burned its way through her, but everything came back to her as she breathed heavily, her heart racing in her chest. The man below her was looking at her inquisitively, as though worried… well, he should worry indeed, she thought. She suspected people could die after being subjected to such pleasure…

"You… you okay?" he asked, as she continued to breathe heavily.

"I… damn…" she said, a hand going up to her head, which throbbed now. Was it the drink that made it hurt, or was it the way her blood had rushed through her body just now that had made her lightheaded?

Sokka pulled her close, her head dropping on his shoulder as he tried to help her feel stable somehow. His arms surrounded her, and she continued to pant while lying against him.

"Azula…" he whispered, as she caressed his chest with a hand. "I… I love you. I do…"

"Sokka…" she muttered, closing her eyes and turning her face into his neck. "I… I'm drunk."

The words seemed to hold no impact for Sokka at first. At least, for the first five minutes. Perhaps ten, even. By the time he realized just what it meant, and by the time he processed what they had done, or nearly done, Azula had fallen unconscious atop him.

"Drunk," he repeated, with a weak grimace. "Damn it. We're drunk."

She didn't respond, and he was relieved that she didn't. His energies were leaving him as well by now, though. Quick as it had been, his climax had still taken its toll on him. He dropped his head against the crate again, already dreading what the next day would bring as he fell asleep with Azula atop him…