Azula breathed out slowly in a deliberate effort to maintain a slow and steady heart rate. She scrutinized herself in the mirror after her fifth attempt at tying her top knot, finding that her hair was symmetrical, her bangs framing her sharp features elegantly.
Perhaps the second or third attempt would have sufficed, but she wasn't looking to simply be sufficient. Today she must triumph, must surpass all possible expectations, otherwise she risks meeting the same fate as her dum-dum brother.
Nodding at her flawless reflection, Azula confirmed once more that the title of 'better-looking sibling' had been bestowed upon her rather than Zuzu. Now, it was time to prove that the title of 'only-employed sibling' belonged to her as well.
She checked her watch as she turned away from her bedroom mirror, noting that it was fifteen-till; it was time for her to leave. She grabbed her dark red coat off the coat rack and threw it on as she pocketed her keys and set off.
The sky was overcast as she made her way to the train station, and she silently reprimanded herself for neglecting to bring an umbrella. She would be in massive trouble if it were to start raining at any point during her walk now or her walk after the train ride, but she would risk being late if she headed back now. Deciding that there was no other option but to push through and hope for the best, Azula increased her pace and continued the breathing exercises that her therapist had recommended. At the very least, she knew for sure that the train would be punctual.
She couldn't help but smirk once the station was in sight, her red-painted lips widening once she saw the station display, which showed that her train would be exactly on time.
Ah, I timed everything perfectly, as I always do.
She did love it when even her most simple plans came together perfectly, though it was no real surprise that they had this time. The Fire Nation Lightning trains were notoriously dependable, and their reputation was well-earned. Azula recalled an article she had read in the Shu Jing Times about the trains, citing that they would arrive within twenty seconds of their expected time, with almost no exceptions. She could respect that kind of punctuality and had no reason to doubt the authenticity of such reports.
Finding a spot near the tracks, Azula waited, going over everything again in her head. Her clothes were flawless—professional, but not too professional. Her hair was impeccable, she had seen to that already. Her timing should be good, the train ride was forty-five minutes, followed by a twelve-minute walk, which gave her three minutes to get from the entrance to the waiting area on the sixth floor.
She had determined that she had to arrive right on time, not a minute late or a minute early. If she arrived early, she would appear anxious to the interviewer. If she arrived late, then she would seem apathetic and careless. No, she had to be exactly on time, there was no other option.
Checking her watch as her train pulled into the station, Azula confirmed that her faith had not been misplaced. It was on time—five seconds early, in fact.
She waited patiently for the doors to open before striding through the closest one. Usually, public transportation would disgust her—having to sit in the same place as peasants could be traumatizing—but proving that she could get this job without any assistance from her parents was of utmost importance. Besides, Lightning Trains were surprisingly elegant, as far as public transportation went.
Looking around the train, Azula realized that it was rather crowded today. However, she spotted two empty seats facing each other on the left side of the aisle.
Perfect, this way I won't have to worry about being distracted by some peasant.
She walked purposefully towards the seats, taking the one facing the front of the train, and sighed audibly as she sat down in the generously cushioned chair.
Now that she couldn't do anything but wait for the train to leave, she felt some anxiety creeping up within her. Azula couldn't help the questions and worries that assaulted her mind.
What if the interviewer thinks I'm standoffish?
I hope I don't come across as too arrogant.
What if they realize that I am far too good for this company and refuse to hire me?
She groaned and shook her head, deciding that there was no use in stressing about such things. She had prepared the best she could, now she just needed to relax and keep calm. There was nothing more she could do.
Azula reached into her pocket for her earbuds, put one in each ear, and turned on her meditation music. She had experimented with meditation in her therapy sessions, now it seemed like a good idea to block out the sounds of chattering peasants by listening to her usual relaxing track. However, this turned out to hurt more than it helped, as the track was accompanied by the soft drizzle of rain. Panicking, Azula's eyes darted to her left to look out the window. Why couldn't she have remembered her damn umbrella?
It only took a split second for her to realize that it wasn't actually raining, and she rolled her eyes at herself.
You are Azula of the Fire Nation, daughter of Ozai. You do not get nervous. Or anxious. Or any of that! Cut it out!
She took her earbuds out in resignation before glancing at her watch, the train should be leaving any minute now—
Azula's thoughts were cut off by a loud slamming noise behind her. She shook her head, trying to ignore the distraction, but several more loud noises followed it. And they were accompanied by… cursing? She spun her head around to look over her shoulder, trying to identify what in Agni's name was delaying the train.
To her dismay and utter confusion, it seemed that some idiot had gotten his backpack stuck in the door mechanism, preventing it from closing. He had fallen to the ground, failing to free the backpack strap from the door.
Ah, a low IQ individual.
"Ugh, damn. Why does this always happen to me? They're actually going to ban me from these things at this rate," grunted the fool as he pulled on his backpack with, what appeared to be, all of his might.
Azula turned forward, grinding her teeth as she ran her fingers through her hair. This had to be some kind of joke, nobody was that stupid, right? Checking her watch again, she decided that, indeed, someone could be that stupid. The train was already running two minutes late! This imbecile was going to cost her a job!
As the man struggled with his backpack, Azula's anxiety and irritation increased. Before she knew it, the fingers she had been running through her hair gripped down in aggravation as she yanked at her bangs, trying to get her rage under control. She realized too late that she had pulled her hair out of its perfectly done top knot, as her long locks fell around her shoulders. That was just great. Really.
She swung her head to look over her shoulder, her hair whipping her face, as she prepared to scream at the idiot who had managed to ruin her day within a span of a few minutes. Just as she was about to open her mouth, the backpack came loose and the man flung backward, knocking his head against the back of a chair.
"Ow," he complained before he looked around, seemingly realizing that everyone in the cart had turned to glare dangerously at him.
"Uh, sorry about that," he said sheepishly as the door finally closed and the train started to pull away from the station.
Azula glared daggers at him as he stood up in an awkward manner, slinging his backpack around as he looked for a place to sit. His gaze moved around the cart before landing and focusing on a specific spot, Azula frowned as she followed his gaze.
Shit. You cannot be serious.
A ridiculous smile burst onto the face of the buffoon as he confidently strode towards the seat across from Azula, all embarrassment seemingly forgotten.
"Public transportation, am I right?" he scoffed, jokingly, as he slumped into the seat. Azula glared back at him, unwilling to entertain the fool who had caused her to be late, and who had indirectly ruined her meticulously styled hair.
Oblivious, he continued, "Anyways, I'm Sokka." He held out his hand, obviously expecting a handshake in return. Azula didn't offer him one, simply choosing to continue her scowling.
"Huh, okay. Nice to meet you. Uh, are you alright?" asked Sokka, a comical blend of confusion and concern on his handsome face. It was handsome, as much as Azula hated to admit it, especially when the individual it was attached to was as foolish as this one seemed to be.
"Well, since you asked: No, I am not okay!" snarled Azula, "I was okay before you showed up. Now I am late to the most important interview of my life, and if that wasn't bad enough, you have completely ruined my hair!"
Sokka blinked blankly at her, clearing his throat before responding, "Well, if it means anything, I don't think your hair is ruined at all. It looks great!"
Her eye twitched uncontrollably, "Really? Are you serious? That is all you got from what I just said? This has got to be a joke," she huffed.
"I'm afraid not," chuckled Sokka, "usually my jokes result in people laughing."
"Somehow, I doubt that very much," Azula shot back.
"Hey, that's not very nice," he pouted, causing Azula to smirk maliciously, "Regardless, I don't see how I'm responsible for either of your two problems."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah, I mean I couldn't have made you that late, right? You said you had an interview. You probably aimed to get there at least ten minutes early, so you're just less early!" he exclaimed.
Azula ground her teeth together, this peasant truly was just trying to irritate her, wasn't he? "Wrong. In fact, I had timed everything perfectly so that I would arrive exactly when I was supposed to. My resume said I was punctual, and I was not going to prove it wrong by arriving at the incorrect time, may that be too early or too late."
"Uh, right…" replied Sokka, cringing slightly, "I still don't see how I messed up your hair."
"Because your foolish antics caused me to pull it out of its knot in frustration and I can't get it perfect without a mirror! Can't you keep up?"
He shrugged, "I could help you fix it—if you'd like."
Azula scoffed, "I doubt you would be capable of such a thing."
"I might surprise you, I used to help my sister do her hair all the time growing up," claimed Sokka.
"Forget it."
"You sure?"
"Forget it, I said," snapped Azula.
Sokka held up his hands in surrender before smirking slightly, "I meant what I said earlier though, your hair does look very pretty like this."
Azula's eyes widened for a split second before she narrowed them again, composing herself, "Well, today is a day for professionalism, I'm not trying to look pretty."
"Comes that easily for you, then?" asked Sokka slyly.
"Naturally," Azula glared at him in a desperate attempt to convince the both of them that her face was red out of anger, rather than admit she was quite flattered by his shameless flirting.
Seemingly unbothered by her glowering, Sokka grinned mischievously, "Say, you seem to be glaring quite a bit. Is the sun in your eyes or something? You can borrow my shades if you want," he wiggled the pair of sunglasses hooked onto the front of his shirt in emphasis.
Azula rolled her eyes, "I am not going to borrow your 'shades', peasant!"
"Well, maybe you could close the curtain—if the sun's bothering you so much."
"I am not closing the curtain either, fool," she growled, "and I'm not glaring because of the sun, I'm glaring at you! And there's an overcast, the sun isn't even shining!"
"It is from where I'm sitting," teased Sokka, as he leaned back in his seat.
She scoffed, this guy was something, "Seriously? You asked that stupid question just so you could say that line, didn't you?"
He shrugged, "Guilty as charged. You laughed though, so it worked as planned."
She crossed her arms stubbornly, "That was not a laugh, that was a scoff. I laugh when I'm amused, I scoff when I'm annoyed. See the difference?"
"Of course, Princess," he said, the nickname caused her to narrow her eyes, "But I'm confident that you are amused, even if you won't admit it."
Azula sighed in resignation, "Perhaps, I am," she smirked, "in the same way that I am amused by a jester or maybe even a circus hog monkey…"
"Ouch, that's kind of mean…"
"Ah, but I thought you wanted me to find you amusing?" she replied teasingly.
Sokka gave her a skeptical look, "So… you're saying you do find me funny?"
This time, Azula did actually laugh, "Sure, if it helps you sleep at night."
He grinned triumphantly, "Ha! It actually will!"
She shook her head, smiling despite herself, noticing she had somehow already forgotten about the stress that had overtaken her minutes earlier.
And… now it's back. Good job, Azula.
Rather than let the stress overtake her once again, she decided that perhaps it wasn't such a bad idea to continue a rather absurd conversation with this 'Sokka'. At the very least it would keep her mind occupied.
"Azula," she said after clearing her throat.
"Huh?" Sokka said as he looked over at her.
"It's my name. Azula."
He smiled generously, "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Azula."
"I would say likewise, but I'd be lying," she said and Sokka gasped in indignation.
Why is he so fun to mess with?
"So, where are you from, Azula," he asked, emphasizing his newfound knowledge of her name.
"What a foolish question," said Azula
Sokka raised an eyebrow in response, "Why is it foolish?"
"Because I am clearly Fire Nation born and raised, fool."
"How'd you know I wasn't asking what part of the Fire Nation you were from?"
Azula leveled him with a skeptical glare, "Were you?"
"Might've been," he shrugged.
She let out a dry laugh, "I bet you don't even know the different Fire Nation regions."
Sokka grimaced, "Well… there's the capital—"
"Right, where we currently are."
"And there is… the islands… and the volcanoes," finished Sokka, trailing off into an uncomfortable silence.
"Ah, yes. That is correct," replied Azula, barely able to conceal her amusement, "And what part of the Water Tribe are you from, I wonder? The cold part?"
"Very funny, Princess. I bet you couldn't even guess which Water—"
"Southern Water Tribe," Azula said, cutting Sokka off mid-sentence.
The dumfound look on his face almost made her burst out laughing on the spot, but she managed to keep it in.
"Well," he shrugged, "You had a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right."
"In truth, it was much higher than that," explained Azula, "Northern Water Tribesmen are at least somewhat refined, so you obviously had to be from the South."
"How would you know if I was refined or not?" asked Sokka.
She laughed, "I grew up in Fire Nation high society, it's only natural that I'd know. I've learned to tell those who are actually refined from those who pretend to be refined. Not that I'd need that skill anyway in this case, you're not even pretending to be a gentleman, Sokka."
She had intended to provoke him, to get a reaction. It had looked like she would succeed, but his features softened as she ended her sentence. When she said his name.
Sokka leaned in slowly and deliberately, not breaking eye contact with Azula for even a second.
"I don't think you are looking for some refined, high-class gentleman. And I think that's why you clearly like me so much already, Azula"
His use of her name made her heart skip a beat and her breath hitch.
Stop being ridiculous, Azula. You are NOT so easily swayed by some idiot that you've only talked to for twenty minutes, no matter how handsome he is… or how blue his eyes are… NO! Stop it!
She did her best to compose herself and to stop thinking of how Sokka seemed to get more handsome after he spoke her name in such a way.
"You flatter yourself, but I'm not looking for anything at the moment—gentleman or no—with the exception of a job. Sorry to disappoint," she said, avoiding confirming or denying his observation.
"If you say so…" Sokka replied, enigmatically.
"Don't believe me?"
"Would it matter if I did?"
"Not really," she shrugged dismissively.
Azula paused for a second as she appraised him, a question arising "Why are you even here?"
Sokka raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"
"What are you doing here? Why is a Southern Water Tribesman in the Fire Nation?"
"Am I not allowed to be? Do I not fit in well enough with your 'high society?" he asked with finger quotes and a smirk.
"Of course, you don't. I was just curious if you had a reason to be here or if you came all this way just for me?"
"Now who's flattering themselves?"
"I believe I've earned it," Azula said as she stuck her chin up in pride.
Her shameless arrogance seemed to amuse Sokka, as he doubled over in laughter. She hated to admit that she liked making him laugh, even if it wasn't entirely intentional.
Azula did her best to hide how pleased she was as she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, "You know it's not polite to avoid a woman's question."
Sokka's laughter slowed and he looked up at her, amusement still painted all over his face, "I'm pretty sure we established that I'm not the most polite person."
"As if we needed to do that, it was blatantly obvious from the get-go."
"Hmm… okay, since you are so very curious, I'm here pursuing my graduate degree in Mechanical Engineering."
"Seriously? That's surprising," said Azula
"Impressed?"
She huffed and shook her head, "Hardly, I was just surprised that you could get into a Fire Nation University. I would've taken you as a man who still counts with his fingers."
"Hey! It helps, alright!" exclaimed Sokka.
Azula laughed at his ridiculousness as he shot her a playful scowl.
"Well, what did you go to school for then? Since you're all high and mighty," asked Sokka.
"I have my Master's in Business Association, I was in a very selective accelerated program," she shrugged.
"Ha, business," he scoffed.
Azula narrowed her eyes at him, "What's wrong with business?"
"Oh, nothing," said Sokka evasively, "It's just, you know, a commonsense degree."
"A commonsense degree?" she repeated with a dangerous glint in her eyes.
He shrugged, "Yeah, like the classes basically just teach you common sense, right?"
"If that's the case, then perhaps you should have taken some—you could certainly use the help."
"Ha. Ha. Very funny"
"It is, isn't it" she replied with her trademark sarcastic smirk. She paused for a second, her analytical gaze set on Sokka, "You know, I am surprised that you would choose to attend school in the Fire Nation, of all places."
"I had a good scholarship," Sokka shrugged.
"Are you sure that's it?" asked Azula, her finger on her chin in an exaggerated gesture, "I'm pretty sure you're here because you must have acknowledged Fire Nation superiority."
His eyes widened as he opened and closed his mouth a few times, "You're—you're kidding."
"Not at all, it's pretty obvious."
"That's ridiculous! Stop jumping to conclusions, woman!" explained Sokka, his voice coming dangerously close to a squeal.
Barely containing her laughter, Azula continued, "That must be it right? Or maybe you came here just to pick up Fire Nation women, that could be it."
His outrage was quickly replaced with smugness, "A bit hopeful, are we?"
"As if," she said, rolling her eyes, "as I said, I have no time for such nonsense."
Sokka scoffed at her, in a rather ridiculous, theatrical manner, "Whatever you say, Princess," why was that absurd nickname growing on her? "All these interviews though, huh? Everyone in the Fire Nation is lining up to hire you, then?"
Azula cringed, figuring her facial expression would speak for itself.
Sokka's eyes widened, "Wait, are you for real? You've had a hard time getting interviews?"
"Well, it's not that I've had such a hard time getting them, I have good connections after all," she said as she awkwardly played with her, now very loose, bangs, "It's just that I don't usually get a second interview… or a call back… or an email… or anything really," she finished with a sigh of defeat, looking down at her feet.
"That's why this one's so important to you?" asked Sokka, with a kind look in his eyes, surprising Azula. She had honestly expected another joke, not for him to actually ask about her problems. It was a welcome surprise though, she supposed.
"Among other reasons," she shrugged, her gaze drifting out the window as the city zoomed by, "I guess this just feels like my last chance, you know? I always thought that I could outperform my brother in anything, and I can—but apparently, this is something we are both quite terrible at."
"It doesn't have to be a competition, you know that, right? You might even do better in your interview if you don't focus on outdoing your brother," said Sokka, surprising Azula, once again, with a serious look in his blue gaze.
She huffed, "Yeah, right. Easier said than done."
"Why's that?"
She eyed him skeptically, unsure of how much she was willing to disclose to this stranger. He was a fool, she knew, and probably couldn't help her in any way that truly mattered. Yet, her therapist had constantly nagged her about finding people to open up to; she'd probably never see Sokka again after today, but perhaps he'd make decent practice.
She sighed in resignation, might as well give it a shot, "It's my parents you see." he hummed in understanding. "My mother has always favored my brother, giving him affection no matter what he does, but she's always ignored me. Even my greatest accomplishments only get a half-hearted 'congratulations' out of her."
"So, you want this job so bad to impress her?" asked Sokka.
Azula let out a dry, sarcastic laugh, "Absolutely not, I have long given up the hope of such a thing. It's more about my father. Like I said, my mother favors my brother, and my father, well…"
"Favors you?" guess Sokka.
"He does, yes," admitted Azula, "But not in the same way, he only favors me because he knows I'm better than my brother. I'm afraid…" she paused for a long few seconds before revealing one of her deepest fears, to a stranger nonetheless, "I'm afraid that if I slip up, I'll lose the only person who supports me."
She looked up at Sokka, his gentle eyes contrasting with the fear and hopelessness that she knew was in hers. He didn't say anything for a moment, she could tell he was contemplating something. He looked even more attractive when he was actually thinking for once.
"I know it's probably not the same," he finally spoke up, "But for what it's worth, I thought a similar thing about my father." He bit his lip as he spoke, clearly remembering how he had felt long ago, "I always knew he wanted me to stay in the Water Tribe, to follow in his footsteps. But that wasn't what I wanted. I wanted to explore the world, change it, and create something new and different."
"How's that going for you," Azula asked, her mischievous smirk a little sadder than usual.
"I'm working on it," responded Sokka with a half-smile, "Regardless, I was terrified of what he'd think of me when I told him I had decided to go to school in the Fire Nation. It was the opposite of what he wanted for me, of what he thought I wanted too. But when I told him, he just laughed at how nervous I was, and gave me the biggest hug he'd ever given me."
"I don't have your father though," said Azula, trying to hide how much she wished her own father was like that.
Sokka let out a little laugh, "I know, thank the spirits for that! All this flirting would've been pretty awkward if that had been the case."
Azula laughed at that, realizing that she might have laughed more in this one train ride than the last month in total.
Sokka continued, "My point though, is that sometimes things will go better for you when you know that you'll be okay, regardless. Maybe you'll kick that interview's ass, or maybe it'll go terribly; you just have to have faith that, no matter what your father thinks, everything will somehow go your way in the end."
"Well, I do love it when things go my way, that's for sure," hummed Azula.
"I can tell, Princess."
Her expression changed, though, to one of gratitude, "Really, though. Thank you, Sokka."
"Anytime, Azula."
Hearing her name on his lips still incited the same reaction within her, but she found that it didn't bother her much anymore. She could tell this man was more than just a handsome face, even if he certainly tried his best to hide it.
"You feel better about this interview now?" asked Sokka. As distracted as she was, thinking about what more he could be hiding, she almost didn't realize he was talking to her.
"What? Oh… yeah, I suppose," she said, recovering before changing back to her usual, dismissive attitude, "I'd feel a lot better about it if I wasn't going to be late."
He grinned guiltily, "Yeah, sorry about that. At least the train hasn't crashed, not to jinx it or anything."
"Crash? Fire Nation Lightning Trains do not 'crash', Sokka," Azula said, rolling her eyes.
Sokka laughed, "Oh? Says who? Hopefully not the same person who said they 'can't be delayed," he finished with greatly exaggerated air quotes.
She raised her eyebrows, now humored by his stupidity, rather than annoyed, "You intend to prove them wrong twice in one day, do you?"
"What? You think I couldn't do it?" he asked, crossing his arms jokingly in a stubborn manner.
"Please refrain from trying," laughed Azula. As thankful as she was for their more serious talk, she was glad that Sokka was back to his ridiculous jokes, once again.
"You know, my offer still stands."
She tiled her head, "What offer?"
"Since I've made you late, the least I could do is help you fix your hair," he shrugged.
Azula looked at him in surprise, she had completely forgotten about her ruined topknot. She reached up to run her fingers through her tangled hair, cringing as she did so. She knew that— no matter if Sokka said she still looked pretty with her hair like this—her confidence would be down during her interview. She didn't fully believe that he knew how to do her hair, but she didn't have much to lose, she supposed.
Well, since he's offering…
"Okay, Sokka, do your worst," she said, leveling him with a decisive gaze.
"I would've thought you'd want me to do my best, but your wish is my command," he said, sitting back and patting the spot on the seat in front of him.
Azula looked at him for a few seconds, confusion shining in her eyes before Sokka raised his eyebrows at her, "Azula, are you gonna come over here?"
She started, realizing what she had asked for. He would have to touch her to fix her hair, wouldn't he? That only made sense, didn't it?
"Someone's impatient," she said, trying to hide her blunder as she stood up and sat down right in front of him, nestled between his legs.
"Well, I offered to do your hair at the very beginning of this train ride, so if anything, I'm too patient," he said, his smile evident in his voice, even without Azula being able to see it.
She tried her best to relax, but it was more challenging than she would've thought. Azula wasn't entirely sure if her, now undeniable, attraction to Sokka made this better or worse. On one hand, she wouldn't want an ugly man to run his fingers through her hair in such a delicate manner, but on the other, she was now starting to feel anything but relaxed.
Admittedly, the things she was feeling instead of relaxation were an agreeable alternative, but still embarrassing, regardless.
She breathed in deeply through her nose as Sokka continued to handle her hair in a manner that she could almost describe as sensual, but she wouldn't—because that would be ridiculous. Was her scalp always this sensitive? She had never felt this way when getting her hair done before. Maybe she needed a new hairstylist. She briefly wondered if Sokka would be interested in a part-time job, or full-time—if she could have her way.
She allowed her mind to follow that train of thought to places that she would never admit to anyone, such as what else those callused hands were good at, her fantasies encouraged by the elegant way her hair was being caressed.
Would you look at that? Turns out he does know how to handle a woman's hair, after all.
As caught up in her imagination as she was, she hadn't even realized that Sokka was finished until he cleared his throat, hopefully for the first time.
Azula jumped slightly—grateful that he hadn't been able to see her biting her lip in quite a crude manner—but she maintained her composure as she stood up and returned to her original seat, facing Sokka.
"How'd I do?" asked Sokka.
"Hmm," she reached up to touch her hair, surprised to find it was not in her traditional topknot, as a good portion of her hair still ran down her back, "You did a half knot?"
He shrugged, "I wasn't sure what you wanted me to do, so I went with what I thought would look best."
She found that the change wasn't disagreeable, and yet, "Why didn't you just ask me?"
"Umm. Well, I did," said Sokka with an awkward grin.
"You did?"
"Yeah, a couple times."
"I think I would've remembered that," said Azula with a huff.
Sokka cringed slightly, "Yeah, but… you seemed a bit… distracted."
Her eyes widened in shock before she inevitably covered her flushed face with her hands, letting out a groan of embarrassment. She couldn't catch a break, she truly couldn't.
Oh, and now Sokka's ego would go through the roof, if it wasn't already there.
She hadn't realized she had started pulling at her hair again—a habit she undoubtedly needed to stop—before Sokka spoke up.
"Woah! Careful now, or you'll mess up your hair again," he seemed amused by the whole situation, "You wouldn't want me to have to do it all over again, would you?"
She might have lost most of her dignity in the past few minutes, but she wasn't about to lose the last of it by admitting that: yes, she very much would want him to do it all again. So, she shot him a halfhearted glare, wishing she could've meant it more if only she didn't find him so damn charming.
"Of course not. I'm just not used to a half knot, is all," she said.
"Well, I think you look perfect, Azula," said Sokka, with a grin that had gone from foolish to enduring within the last forty minutes.
Perfect? He did have a way with words, it would seem. Being called beautiful didn't genuinely faze her that much, but perfect? It was what she's always strived to be, him calling her that was more than just flattering—it lit a flame inside her.
Before she could respond, however, there was a loud 'ding' sound from overhead, causing Sokka and Azula to both look up at the green sign above them.
"This your stop?" asked Sokka.
"Yes, it would seem so," replied Azula, not even bothering to mask the disappointment in her voice.
"Come on, I know you'll do great," said Sokka with that kind smile that she felt she could grow used to, that she possibly already had.
"We'll see. Thanks, for everything," she murmured, not revealing the true source of her apprehension, as the train came to a stop, accompanied by the most unwelcome noise imaginable.
"What? Are you okay?" asked Sokka, stunned by her seemingly frantic face.
"It's… it's raining, because of course it is," Azula growled, feeling that anxiety rush up within her. So much for relaxing.
Just as she was about to decide on skipping the interview entirely, her attention was pulled away from the window by a zipping sound.
She stared at Sokka quizzically as he rummaged through his backpack—the same backpack that had managed to singlehandedly delay the train—before he pulled out a narrow, dark blue object.
It only took Azula a couple of seconds to realize what it was before her eyes widened, "Are—are you serious?"
"Of course!" replied Sokka, holding out the collapsed umbrella.
Azula gave him a grateful look as she took it from him, their fingers brushing lightly against each other, sending shivers down her spine.
"Won't you need it though?" she asked him, despite desperately hoping he wouldn't suddenly change his mind.
"Nah," he shrugged, "I've been told I'm even more handsome when my hair's wet anyway."
"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Azula responded, haughtily.
Sokka laughed and she relished in that feeling one last time before their moment was interrupted by a different 'ding' noise, this time accompanied by a red light, indicating that she had sixty seconds until the doors closed.
"For a woman who was so upset over being delayed, you don't seem to be in much of a hurry," said Sokka with a smile.
She looked at him regretfully, "Thank you, for everything, really. I owe you."
He laughed once again, "I'm the one who's made you late, if anything, I owe you."
"Well, if you're so insistent then how about you buy me dinner sometime?" the words just flowed out of her without her thinking. Did she just ask him out on a date? She never did that! Yet she found that she didn't regret asking, and she likely wouldn't regardless of what he said.
"If I end up costing you the job, then I'll buy you dinner. How about that?" said Sokka.
"And if I get the job?" she asked, an eyebrow raised.
"Then you can buy me dinner, you'll be the one with a job after all," responded Sokka with a chuckle.
Azula laughed, "You have a deal, Sokka of the Water Tribe," she reached out to shake his hand.
"Glad to hear it, Azula of the Fire Nation," he returned her handshake, causing her to feel like electricity was flowing through her veins.
Another alarm caused them to pull away from each other, the last warning before the doors closed.
"Oh shit! I have to go," exclaimed Azula as she took off towards the closing doors, "I'll see you, Sokka!"
She thought she heard him whisper: See you, Azula, but she couldn't be certain as she barely made it out of the train, thankful that the station was still a haven from the downpour.
Azula twirled around as the train started to move, hoping to get one last look at Sokka, only to find that the tint of the train windows wouldn't allow it.
She cursed herself internally as the train started to leave her sight, wishing that she had at least been able to hear him say her name one more time, to feel her heart skip a beat when he spoke it. She sighed and started walking away. Well, at least he'd promised to take her on a date—
She stopped in her tracks.
She hadn't gotten his number.
And he hadn't gotten hers either.
She groaned and dramatically buried her face in her hands for a couple of seconds. How could she forget such a thing? Well, she knew how, she was in a hurry after all. A hurry to get to her interview, which she was still quite late for. She seemed to keep forgetting she even had an interview. Ugh, what was she? A schoolgirl with a crush? Embarrassing.
Azula composed herself and began walking through the covered train station, grateful for the umbrella that Sokka had gifted her.
How had he expected her to return it to him without exchanging numbers? She swore that man could go from wise to foolish like a flip of a switch.
Regardless, it seemed that she would have to track him down one way or another. He had promised that he'd buy her dinner if her interview went poorly, or that she'd have to buy him dinner if it went well. She intended to keep him to those promises.
She laughed to herself at the fresh memory as she extended the umbrella above her head and walked out into the rain.
Azula was about to start her determined, twelve-minute march through the rain when something on the handle of the umbrella caught her attention.
She looked closer at what appeared to be a laminated note card crudely wrapped around the umbrella's handle, held in place by rubber bands. A wide smile found its way to her lips, the kind that would give Zuzu nightmares when they were kids.
If found, please return to Sokka.
She had to strain to read the handwriting, as well as the number beneath it, but she could read it. Maybe tracking him down wouldn't be as hard as she had thought?
She laughed, once again, as she continued her march through the storm towards her once dreaded interview. The rain, no longer a source of anxiety, soothed her as she steeled herself and prepared to give the best interview of her life.
It seemed, Azula thought, that Sokka was right about at least one thing: everything was easier as long as she had faith things would go her way in the end. And she was quite certain they already had.