星の消えた夜に (Starless Night)

Meeting room,

Republic City council building

多分 君は少し強がりで

You're trying to act tough

いつも笑顔作ってばかり

Always keeping a smile on your face

泣きたいなら 無理しなくてもいい

If you need to cry, don't bottle it up;

すぐに泣けばいい

Just let it out

It was supposed to be a regular council meeting, yet for some reason Azula was feeling anything but fine. For some reason, the mannerisms and the accent of the current speaker seemed to trigger flashbacks to a part of her memory that she desperately wished to have locked away permanently. Suddenly, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she almost went into a panic attack.

"Hey…are you okay? Your hands are shaking really badly. Do you want to take a break?" A familiar voice asked.

Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself and replied with a small smile "I'm fine, councilman Sokka. Thank you for your concern."

"Look, if you need a timeout we can always continue this later. I can share my notes with you-"

"I'm fine Sokka, thank you." she repeated with more conviction this time, more for herself than Sokka's benefit.

"If you say so." he shrugged, but not before he grabbed a cup of water and placed it in front of her. As they refocused back on the speaker, he couldn't help but notice that for whatever reason, there was, for a lack of a better term, 'tenseness' around her for the rest of the meeting.


As soon as the meeting was over, Azula made herself scarce, not stopping to discuss matters with her other councillors but heading straight back to her place, where she felt safest outside of the scrutiny of people who she felt always gave her the short end of the stick despite her efforts to rehabilitate her image.

Couldn't they see she was trying her best?

Couldn't they give her a second chance the same way they gave her brother a second chance?

Couldn't they just…..


多分 君はとても優しくて

You're trying to be nice

一人で抱え込むばかり

Trying to shoulder everything yourself

少し歩くのに疲れたら

But if you're feeling tired

荷物をおろせばいい

You shouldn't have to keep on carrying it

Three weeks later….

As Sokka started to clean his desk and head out, he looked out the window and saw that the sun had completely disappeared over the horizon. Giving one last look behind him and patting down his pockets to make sure he had everything, he turned off the gas lamp and shut the door. Turning around, he bumped into Azula, who was holding a plate of snacks from the tea room.

Thankfully, her reflexes saved most of her snacks, though an unfortunate cookie landed on the carpet. Under her glare, Sokka gulped and apologized profusely, hoping that she wouldn't immediately turn him into a piece of charcoal as he cleaned up the mess. Disposing of the fallen cookie, he decided to turn and follow her to her office, where a small stack of papers lay in an 'IN' tray.

"What do you want, councilman Sokka?" she asked as she bit into a mochi while studying a petition from her 'IN' tray.

"Aren't you going home? It's pretty late already, you know?"

"Are you insinuating that I can't protect myself? I'm not some helpless pretty face. In case you forgot, your brother in law has a nice memento from Ba Sing Se. Now if you're done bothering me, please leave. I've got work to do."

"You know tomorrow's session is postponed, right?"

"And?" she replied, mouth half full with mochi.

"Ever since you were sent here, you've been at it non stop for the past six months. You really need to take a break, else you're going to crash and burn."

"If I take a break, who's going to run the show? Senjuro? He's a nice kid and all, but he's new to the job and is going to get pushed around, especially by those Earth Kingdom reps."

"Well glad to know he's got a cute mentor looking after him. Wish I had one."

"If your painted fangirl was here she'd beat you into submission."

"Wouldn't you like to see that?"

"Normally yes, but I'm busy right now."

"Ever heard of delegation?"

"I don't see a reason to delegate if I can do it myself."

"If this is about proving that flameo hotman was right in giving you a second chance, let me tell you that you don't need to push yourself to the ragged edge because I'm convinced and so is Aang that you've really changed."

"Your sister and that fan girl of yours would beg to differ, as does the rest of the council. You and Aang are the minority."

"Tell you what, I'm pretty free tomorrow, so why don't I help you-"

"No."

"Suit yourself. But for real, please take care of yourself Azula. I don't want to explain to Zuko why his sister is in the hospital due to overwork."

"I. WILL. BE. FINE. Now get out, you've wasted enough of my time on pointless jibber-jabber."

Shrugging his shoulders, Sokka got up from his seat and left. For some reason, his words seemed to linger in the air even after he left. Grabbing a piece of mochi, she found it hard to focus as the phrase 'take care of yourself' kept looping over and over in her mind.

Maybe he has a point.

Shut up.

He's just looking out for you. Doesn't hurt that he's cute.

Agni no, we are NOT entertaining that line.

At least he isn't Chan.

Agni no please, what was I thinking back then? Also, that is a really low bar, self.

"Grrr….I hate you so much Sokka. Thanks a lot for distracting me." she muttered. Privately though, she was somewhat grateful that someone came in to check in on her, even if it was her biggest nemesis back in the day.


大丈夫だよ 大丈夫だから

Don't worry, everything will be fine

大丈夫だよ 大丈夫だから

Don't worry, everything will be fine

ほら 夜が更けるよ ほら夜が更ける

Look, night is approaching…..the night is coming

On the other side of the city, Sokka inexplicably sneezed in the direction of the council building. Rubbing his nose, he wondered if Azula was still working overtime. Looking at the clock, he prayed and hoped that she'd make it back safely.


星の消えた夜に 何を願うの?

What will you wish for on those starless nights?

遠くを見てる目には 何が映るの?

What's reflected in that far off gaze of yours?

星が消えた空より隣を見てよ 気付いて

Instead of focusing on the starless sky, look around and find…

思い出? それより確かなものがある

Memories? There's something more real than that….at least that's what I believe

Ember Island

Seven months later

"Am I glad I'm on a first name basis with the Fire Lord huh?!" Sokka exclaimed, as he, Katara, Aang and Azula got off the airship that Zuko sent to fetch them from Republic City. Though he was a Southern Water Tribesman through and through, years away from his native Pole had weakened his cold resistance and he very much enjoyed the tropical warmth that Ember Island provided.

"Agni can you not make it sound as bad as it seems?" Zuko sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning to greet the rest of them with firm handshakes and hugs. When he got to his sister, Azula instantly replied "I'll take a pass on that Zuzu."

"Um….yeah. It's good to have you back. Kiyi's been pestering me as to when you're coming back."

"Good to see that someone is picking up the slack that I left."

"Why are both of you like this?"

"That is our calling in life Zuzu, I thought you would have learned to live with it by now."

"Give me a break. Anyways, it's good to see you again."

In response, Azula simply gave a thin smile and continued into the house, carrying her own baggage and refusing to let any one handle it. Shaking his head, Zuko turned to follow the rest of them in when a light tap on his shoulder caught his attention.

"What is it, Ty Lee?"

"Azula, she…looks different. Ever since you've sent her to Republic City she's always had this…weight on her shoulders. And her aura is…well, it's something I'd keep an eye on if it were me."

"She seemed fine to me."

"It's what people choose to not say that you should be paying attention to. Look, don't get me wrong, me and her would probably never see eye to eye after throwing me into the Fire Nation's most secure prison. Still, as a fellow human being, having that weight on your shoulders is not a healthy thing."

"All the more reason for her to take this week easy and forget about the stress."

"If only it were that easy."


Laying back on her bed, Azula stared back at the ceiling fan, her mind recalling events that seemed like a lifetime ago.

Back when she had everything in the palm of her hand.

Back when she was still in control.

Ember Island reveals the true you, her firebending masters told her when she first set foot on its black sand beaches.

What if…what if I haven't changed?

What if all this time, I've been working so hard for nothing?

What is the true me? More importantly, what will they think?

Lost in her thoughts that spiralled out of control, she found herself gasping for breath, cold sweat on her forehead. Forcing herself to commit breathing exercises, she slowly regained control of her mind and made her way to the bathroom, where she doused herself in cold water to give her mind something else to focus.


Thankfully, the rest of the day went without issue. Surprisingly, she even managed to go a few rounds of kuai ball without setting fire to the net or the ball itself. Though out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sokka was sneaking a few too many glances in her direction.

Not that she'd admit to doing the same when he was out on the waves carving it up on his surfboard while she took a break in the shade, sipping on her drink. After all, as far as she knew, Sokka was with that painted fan girl of his that she so easily disarmed in the forests of the Earth Kingdom…what was her name again? Su-Suki?

But then why was he stealing glances your way?

I must be imagining it. But then why is Mai not here but she is? And why is she so cosy with Zuzu?

Instinctively, she turned to ask Ty Lee, but stopped herself. After all, why get her hopes up over something that was probably a figment of her imagination?


Later that night…..

After dinner, her brother suggested having a bonfire with the gang as a way to cap off the first night of their getaway, much to her internal horror as memories of the last time they had a bonfire, they ended up arguing rather pointedly, culminating in the mother of all sibling battles that damn near burnt down the palace on the day of Sozin's comet.

Noticing the same 'tenseness' coming off Azula, Sokka took matters into his own hands literally by taking them out from the room and on to the verandah, where the cool sea breeze helped calm her down a little.

"You okay?"

"What does it look like to you?"

"Um…no?"

"There's your answer. And no, I don't want to talk about it."

"Heard you loud and clear, princess."

"Also you're kind standing way too close to me, it's suffocating." Immediately, he scooted to the side, giving her space that she now wished didn't exist.

"If…if you need someone to talk to, don't hesitate to ask." Sokka replied hesitantly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Since when were you a qualified therapist?"

"I never said I was. But when you're travelling with the Avatar, it's hard to not stop and try to help whichever village we pass by. So no, I'm not a therapist but I can recognize what a cry for help looks like."

"I'm used to it."

"Tell me, what is that you wish for on starless nights?"

Taken aback by the sudden turn in the conversation, all she could reply with was "What? What's that supposed to mean?"

"Everyone needs someone to lean on. Who's that someone for you?" he replied, before heading back inside, leaving her alone with the sea breeze and the lapping of the ocean waves as company. Before he closed the door, he swore he could hear her mutter 'thanks' under her breath.


多分 君はとても繊細で

You're really reserved

ほんとは全部知りたいけど

Even still, I want to know everything about you

話したくないことだったら

But if it's something you don't want to talk about,

話さなくてもいい

You don't have to

Two weeks later…

While the rest of the trip ended relatively incident-free (outside of that one time someone tried spiking all the water dispensers with coconut liquor), Azula left second guessing every small gesture from Sokka ever since that night. Of course, she was tempted to ask Ty Lee but figured she'd probably not want to talk to her after the Boiling Rock incident. Still, she figured she was probably the best resource to ask on such matters. After all, it didn't hurt to try.

Of course, he just had to barge into her office while she was busy writing the letter to Ty Lee.

"Whatchu doing?"

"Sokka, door knockers exist for a reason. The next time you stroll into my office without knocking I will use it to knock some sense into that peasant skull of yours."

"Mother of La, is physical violence your default option?"

"Violence is the question, and the answer is yes Sokka. Now unless you've got a good reason to talk to me, I've got a meeting to attend in five minutes with the construction company reps regarding the bridge project."

"I was….um…hoping to ask if you were free for lunch or dinner sometime this week?"

"Close the door Sokka."

"I-"

"Just do it."

Not wishing to argue, he did as he was told and closed the door behind him, placing the 'Do Not Disturb' sign outside for good measure. Inside, Azula scribbled some parting words and put down her pen, before looking at him straight in the eye and asking "Is-is this your way of asking for a date?"

"No." Immediately her heart felt both relief as well as disappointment at the same time.

"Then what is it about?"

"Just thought I'd do something nice for you, that's all."

"And this is completely unrelated to some bill that you're wishing to gain my support for, right?"

"Yes. Spirits Azula, not everything has a hidden motive."

"Given your reputation with members of the opposite sex…."

"Come on now, do you really think I'd bend you over here during working hours? Contrary to popular belief, princess, I don't think with my dick."

"But you'd still bend me over once everyone left?"

"Ew, no. Also I'd like Zuko to not burn me alive and my family to disown me, thank you very much."

"Well, as charming as this discussion is, I really need to get going. I'll let you know when I've made up my mind." Azula replied, packing her papers and walking past Sokka, her perfume lingering in the air for a few minutes longer after she left.

So he doesn't see me that way. Good.

Admit it you want him to, don't you? Of course, the irrational lovey dovey part of her brain was run by Ty Lee.

Shut up. Okay maybe. But no.

As she made her way to the meeting room, she had to make a detour to the women's washroom and splash cold water on her face to calm herself down as images of Sokka momentarily flooded her mind doing things that made her blush heavily.

"I hate you so so much Sokka." she muttered, though there was no venom in her voice.


ただ私は傍に寄り添って

I just want to be by your side

神様にはかなわなくても

Even if the gods won't allow it

何ができるかもわからない

I don't have the first clue where to start

でも何かしたいな

But I don't want to do nothing

Two days later...

Wisely knocking on her door the first time, Sokka peeked his head in and asked "Hi Azula, are you free right now?"

Not even bothering to look up at him, she replied "What does it look like?"

"Yes?"

Placing her pen down, she beckoned him in. "I've got a few minutes. What do you want?"

"You." he smirked, waiting to see her reaction.

It took a minute for her mind to process what Sokka, but the effect it had on her made it worth it as she immediately dropped her pen, slack jawed at his answer.

"Now that I have your attention, are you-"

"Okay. Stop. Right. Now. WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?" she screeched..

"Calm down Azula, it was just a joke." he replied, hands raised up in surrender lest she fry him there and then, which by the looks of things, she was two steps away from doing so.

"Calm down?! Calm down?! I don't have time for your-your stupid love confessions and-and-gah!" she replied in a frazzled state, her calm, poised demeanour thrown completely out of the window. Moving into damage control mode, he took her hands in his and patted her on her back as he guided her back to her seat, trying to calm her down.

When he felt she had calmed down a little, he placed a glass of water in front of her and apologized "Sorry about that, I just-well, I thought to lighten up the mood a little since you always looked so stressed out everytime I see you. And I thought, maybe if I lightened up the mood a little, then…."

"I should be the one sorry for overreacting." she replied. "You're right, it has been kind of stressful these past couple of weeks."

"Is there anything I can do to help? I don't have a lot going on right now."

"I don't know if…if I should. Like this is my responsibility, and-and I don't want to give Zuzu the impression that I'm slacking."

"You, slacking? I have never seen anyone more hardworking than you in the entire council. Seriously Azula, you're going to burn yourself out before you're thirty at this rate."

"Who cares? It's not like anyone cares."

"I do, which is why you're taking the rest of the day off."

"But-"

"Work can wait. It's not going to go anywhere."

"That's precisely the point, Sokka."

"How much leave did you take last year outside of the time we closed for winter?"

"N-n-none? But-"

"How much of Republic City have you seen other than during your normal commute?"

"What does this have to-"

"Everything Azula. If you can't see what you're working so hard for, then what's the point? Don't you want to see what impact you're having on this city? Or this country that you've now been posted to?"

"I… I don't know Sokka. I've never really thought about it that way."

"So what do you say? Wanna take the rest of the day off?"

Staring at her in and out trays, she reluctantly shrugged and replied "S-sure, I guess."

"Well that's settled." Sokka replied, a little too excited for her taste.


"Where are we going?" Azula asked, as they stepped out into the relatively busy streets of pre-rush hour Republic City.

"It's a secret." he winked, taking her by the hand and getting on the tram. Having only experience with private chauffeurs due to her status and for security reasons, being on public transportation was a rather jarring experience. Sensing her discomfort, he led her up to the second level, where it was relatively empty. Ushering her to a window seat, he sat on the outside, making himself a barrier between her and the rest of the world.
"You okay?"

"Um…kind of, I guess? This is all new to me." she hesitatingly replied as the tram brought her through unfamiliar streets, showing her a side of the city that she'd only glimpsed through zoning meetings and construction projects for new housing and industrial zones. While crossing the Silk Road Bridge, her eyes were glued to Yue Bay and the Mo Ce Sea that separated her from Caldera.

Following her gaze, he placed a hand on her shoulder, momentarily shaking her from her daydream.

"Thinking of home?"

"Mmhmm."

"Kinda hard isn't it, when everything's so far away?"

"What do you know? Your family practically lives across the bay."

"Not all of them. Gran-Gran still lives in the South Pole, as does Pakku."

"Do you miss it?"

"The South Pole? Yeah, I do. Sometimes, I wish I could just drop everything and head back down south, get away from it all and just focus on tinkering. But that's not fair to Aang, Zuko, Toph and the others who agreed to help build this nation and this city."

"Sorry." she whispered silently, feeling a little guilty at her previous statement.

"Hey don't be. We all have our reasons for doing what we do. By the way, we are getting off at the next stop."

"Where are we going? Please don't say 'it's a secret.', or I'll zap you right here and now."

"It's a river walk. Well, I mean you could take a boat ride, but that's not a river walk is it?"

"I suppose not."


Getting off the tram, Sokka once again led the way to the river walk when a gurgle was heard from behind him.

"Are you hungry?"

"I'm fine, Sokka."

"Your stomach says otherwise."

"This is so embarrassing."

"Lucky for you, I know just the place." With that, he once again took her by the hand and pulled her along into the post work crowd that was just beginning to spill into the streets. Pushing open a set of old teak doors, they entered into a tearoom that was uniquely both Fire Nation and Earth Kingdom. While Azula didn't like or care for 'hot leaf juice' as her brother called it, she did appreciate getting away from the crowds, who in her mind were no doubt whispering about their supposed relationship, real or imagined.

Unfortunately for her, she barely had time to pause before a sullen looking server placed two small cups and a pitcher of tea, before whipping out a worn notepad and a pen.

"What's your order?"

"Two number 3s, a number 9 and 5 number 12s. We'll be sharing."

Tearing out the note, the server wedged it under a salt and pepper holder and went to place their order.

"What is this place?"

"It's a tearoom."

"Clearly."

"Sorry if this isn't the kind of tea room you and those fancy nobles are used to."

"Do I look like the kind of person to attend tea parties?"

"You look like the person who'd enjoy watching bare-knuckle sparring."

"I don't know if I should be insulted or flattered."

"You are the most martially inclined person that I know outside of Suki, and that's her full time job."

"When was the last time you practiced with that beloved 'space sword' of yours?"

"Uh….."

"Please don't tell me it was three years ago. Piandao would be very disappointed."

"Yeah, he wo-wait, how do know Master Piandao?"

"It's kinda hard to be lowkey in uncle fuddy duddy's flower club when you've got a big lotus on the front gates. Also, Zuzu trained with him for a while before dad decided to nix that."

"Now that you reminded me, I should pay him a visit sometime. Wanna tag along?"

"Uh, no?"

"Don't you want to have a blade of your own?"

"I can bend fire and electricity Sokka, I'm not exactly lacking in lethality."

"Fair enough. Oh look, the food's here." he pointed out, distracted as the cart rolled up to their table and offloaded its wares. Surprisingly, Azula found herself feeling peckish as well, as she only had a single mochi for breakfast that day. Seeing her eyes locking on to the food, which was small dishes of fish, meat and steamed dumplings, as well as some sweet tarts.

Picking a little of every dish, she found them all to be very much up to her standards. Before long, all that was left were empty steamer baskets stacked away in the corner.

"What do you think?"

"That was really good."

"See, this is why you should trust me."

"On matters of food and drink? Probably."

"Ready to go?"

"Mmhmm."

Placing a stack of bills under a plate, they left and made their way down a set of stairs onto the river bank, where stalls and some pop-up joints had set up lights and were a hubbub of people, while others took gondolas down the river.

"So…we could take a walk along the riverbank, or take a gondola. Your pick."

"I don't know Sokka, this whole enterprise was your idea."

"You're the one who needs a break, you should get to choose how."

"I guess we'll-I mean the gondola it is. I don't feel like walking." she added quickly.

"Hmm, what was that I heard?" he smirked.

"You heard nothing Sokka, it was merely the slip of the tongue."

"Sure, whatever you say." he shrugged, though she could tell he wasn't buying it at all and would definitely use it against her somehow. That, she was sure of.


大丈夫だよ 大丈夫だから

Don't worry, everything will be fine

大丈夫だよ 私も不安だよ

Everything's fine….yet I'm worried….

星の消えた夜に 何を祈るの?

What is it that you pray for on this starless night?

遠くへ伸ばす手には 何を望むの?

What is that outstretched arm reaching for?

星が消えた空より隣を見てよ 気付いて

Instead of the starless night, look around and realise that….

神様? それより確かなことがある

Gods? Spirits? No…there's something much more real than that

多分 そうなんだ

That's what I choose to believe

ほら ほら ほら夜が更けるよ ほら夜が更ける

After paying a nominal fee, Azula was surprised to see Sokka take up the paddle of the gondola and push off. When questioned, he simply replied "I'd like to think you would not appreciate some random stranger eavesdropping on our conversation."

"Fair enough. Let's see you put your Water Tribe heritage to good use."

"As you wish, princess." he replied, resulting in the lantern on the front of the vessel briefly flaring up in response to Azula's feelings.

Suspecting that any reply back would only serve to put her in a deeper pit, she wisely kept quiet and instead focused on the view in front of her, drinking in the view of tens of lanterns bobbing about on the water, with the lighthouse in the far off distance flashing every now and then like a twinkling star, which on this moonless night was made all the more brighter. As they coasted along with the current, her mind started to wander.

Is it so bad to be wanted by Sokka?

It is. Shut up irrational me!

So you're fine with letting some floozy of a secretary steal him away then?

N-no?

Then what are you waiting for?

It's just...it's all so fast and..and what if he doesn't share the same feelings?

"Hey, are you okay? You look kind of spaced out? Don't tell me you're thinking of work?"

"N-no, it's just, there's a lot on my mind."

"If you feel comfortable to share, I'm here to listen."

"Sokka..I, don't take this the wrong way but..you're not the right person for this right now."

"That's fine. As long as you have an outlet, wherever or whoever that may be."

"So…what do you think?"

"I think….this is nice."

"It is."

After a period of silence, Azula asked Sokka "You've been asking me about what it is I hold on to on those starless nights. I'm curious, who is it that you pray to?"

"The moon."

"The moon?"

"Yup, you heard that right."

"If-if you don't mind me asking, why?"

"Because not so long ago, she used to be one of us."

"Sh-you don't mean….?"

"Yup."

"Doesn't it seem a bit strange to place your hopes in someone long gone?"

"They're only gone if there's no one left to remember them. Besides, just because she's not here on this physical realm doesn't mean she can't still influence things. Go ask Aang, he'll tell you. Also, the Water Tribes always had this…reverence and faith I guess in the moon, just like you do with the sun."

"I see. Do you miss her?"

"Well yeah, but somehow I think she'd be fine if found someone else. I mean, if you think about it, she's got the long game figured out since we all return back to the Spirit World one day."

"What do you know about the Spirit World?"

"I've been there myself, actually."

"No way. Uncle tried all sorts of methods for a way in, and he's the most spiritually inclined in our family."

"I dunno what to tell you. I was there for a whole day. No toilets tho."

"TMI Sokka, TMI."

"You asked. But for real, the answer to your original question is that it is much more real and closer than some far off celestial object or an ethereal spirit. If and when you figure it out, I'll be waiting to hear your answer."

"Something more real, huh….."

"Take your time, there's no rush." With that, Sokka turned the gondola around and headed back upstream to dock, leaving her once more to her thoughts, which was increasingly clouded by Sokka much to her annoyance.

"Are you thirsty right now?"

"Not particularly, why?"

"'Cuz I could use a drink right now. And a snack. Preferably in that order."

"You really have a bottomless pit for a stomach."

"Now look here princess, I've been working out over here steering this boat so I think I deserve a reward."

"Mmm, but princesses don't simply hand out rewards to peasants."

"Then do tell, how shall I earn this particular princess's favour?"

"Hmm…are you sure you want to place yourself in the palm of my hand?"

"I trust you Azula."

"Trust is for fools."

"If that's the case, I wouldn't mind being the biggest fool of them all."

"I'll hold you to that."

"I don't break my promises."

"No you don't. You go around breaking hearts instead."

"Do I now?"

"Your reputation amongst the ladies isn't the greatest."

"Well most of them want to mooch off my status as councilman and war hero. Gets annoying after a while."

"Lucky you."

"I'm surprised there isn't a line of guys waiting outside of your door with flowers."

"Most people still think I'm crazy and I'm just putting on a good girl act."

"Well they're wrong." Sokka replied, as he steered the gondola back towards the lights and the pier.

"Sokka?"

"Yes?"

"I want you to be honest with me."

"Okay….."

"Do-do you have…..feelings for me? Or am I just imagining things? Because I don't know if-if I'm ready to reciprocate someone's feelings."

Pulling up near a semi-secluded spot, Sokka looked around before dropping anchor and taking a seat facing her.

"The truth is…..I can't help falling for you. I just can't. But I'll completely respect your decision whether it goes one way or the other. Does that answer your question?"

"So then all this…..was your way of taking me out on a date?"

"That was just a happy coincidence. First and foremost was giving you a break because you really needed it."

"Then I guess….are you sure this isn't some passing fad, that you wouldn't immediately jump ship as soon as someone better comes along or if- Suki wants you back?" she asked, the last part ending in a whisper.

"I'm sure of it."

"Swear on the moon. Swear on the moon that this isn't some flight of fancy or that I'm some girl that you think could fix or something. That you really and truly have feelings for me. Because..because I don't know if I can-"

Clasping her hands in his, Sokka looked her straight in the eye and replied "I swear on the moon that I truly have romantic feelings for you. That this isn't some wishy-washy feeling that comes and goes. That I truly care for you as a more than a friend. That I'm 100% serious about you."

For a moment, there was awkward silence between them as Azula processed what Sokka had said. Just as Sokka was about release her hands from his grip, she leaned in to wrap her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder as she repeated between sniffles "You-you really do have feelings for me. You really do."

"That I do princess, that I do." he whispered back, stroking her hair as he felt all tension leave her body.


Leaning her head against Sokka's on the ride back, she whispered "Sokka?"

"Yes"

"Is-is this what love is supposed to feel like?"

"Depends from person to person I guess. Why?"

"I don't know, it just feels like-like there's a tingly feeling of like butterflies in my stomach but also a…warmth I guess? I don't know, this is all very new to me."

"I'll be honest, this is all very new to me too.

"Really?" she quizzed, doubt on her face and a raised eyebrow in response.

"Everyone expresses it differently, and it takes a while to figure out what their preferred love language is."

"Hmmm…" she hummed in response. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she felt an elbow nudge her.

"Do you want to crash at my place for tonight? It's getting really late."

"Um….does-does that mean me and you are going to-"

"No, I can take the couch. You can take the bed. I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you don't want. I could accompany you back to your apartment, if you'd prefer."

"Whichever you think is best, I trust you to take care of your princess."


星の消えた夜に 君を照らすよ

On those starless nights I'll be that star shining for you

声をなくした夜も 歌を歌うよ

I'll be that song for you when you lose your voice

夢が覚めた夜でも 隣にいるよ 気付いて

When dreams wake you up I'll be by your side

気付いて 何より確かなことがある

Know this, we've got something that is very real

これが 愛なんだ

It's love

ほら 夜が明けるよ ほら夜が明ける

Look, dawn is coming….dawn is coming

Three years later

Fire Nation Palace, Caldera

"This is ridiculous, no one should have to wake up this early, even if it's my own wedding. I hate you so much Zuzu." Azula grumbled.

"Oh how the turn tables. Consider this my wedding gift for all the grief you gave at mine."

In response, she flicked a small bolt of lightning at his crown, making him yelp.

"Ow! That was uncalled for."

"I think not."

"Let's just get going, otherwise your husband is going to bitch and whine about his Spirit-forsaken schedule."

"Tell me about it."

Climbing up the steps to the top, she could see Sokka dressed in an eclectic mix of Fire Nation red and gold with nods of blue representing his Water Tribe heritage, along with the rest of the gang and their family.

Holding her hands in his, Sokka and Azula waited for Zuko to recite the blessing of Agni and for Gran-gran to recite the blessings of Tui and La upon the two. Stepping forward to the altar, where a small stack of fragrant wood was encircled by a small moat of water, both of them lit their incense sticks before setting the small stack alight as the light of dawn broke across the horizon.

"I, Zuko, as acting Fire Lord, now pronounce you both husband and wife." As soon as Zuko finished his sentence, Sokka pulled her into a deep kiss, with muffled moans coming from them both as Sokka's hands landed on her butt while hers found their place on either side of his head.

"Okay guys that's enough, there's kids here." Zuko coughed, to which they both reluctantly broke their kiss.


Later that afternoon…

"Azula?" Sokka breathed in her ear as they gathered their breath after having thoroughly put the bed through its paces, their bodies slick with sweat and other fluids.

"Yes?" she mumbled, her face resting on his chest.

"I love you."

"Love you too." she mumbled back.