Chapter 2: Forever Love

Hakoda was right. Sokka loves showing off the new and improved Southern Water Tribe. Perhaps Azula is out of her element in the cold down south, but Sokka is completely comfortable and seemingly can't get enough of his own voice. Azula finds his borderline egomania endearing. She's especially surprised and touched by how relaxed he is around her in a one-on-one setting. Most people walk on eggshells around her and she can feel that. It bothers her every time. But not Sokka. He genuinely seems to enjoy her company. Or perhaps he's just eager to be away from Katara. Sokka smiles proudly as he shows her around, introducing her to all the new sights and attractions, complete with history of what lay there before the construction… which mostly just consisted of snow.

Sokka wraps up his tour and the two decide to grab a bite to eat. A couple hours walking in the snow sure worked up their appetites, and Azula uses the meal as an opportunity to thaw out a bit. She's far from used to the cold and she's not sure she'll ever fully adjust. She has to admit though that Sokka is a good walking companion. He entertains her to a point where she sometimes forgets how cold she is. They finish their lunch and Azula is about ready to head back to the inn, but Sokka seems to have other plans in mind.

"So, how's about you and I hit the shops?" he asks eagerly.

"For what?"

"For clothes! For you."

She raises an eyebrow.

"Well I don't think Katara's going to be taking you shopping any time soon," he continues, "But I will." He flashes her a wide grin.

"You really want to take me shopping?" she asks incredulously.

"Are you kidding? I love shopping! Besides, I know this cute little boutique not too far from here, I think their clothes would look good on you…"

"Okay, okay," she laughs. "I do need a warmer coat. Let's do this."

Sokka escorts Azula to the boutique where he immediately takes charge, rummaging through racks of clothing and pulling out potential garments to buy.

Azula can't help but snicker. "You're seriously picking out my outfits?"

"You may be a princess, but I know Water Tribe fashion better than you do," he says confidently.

"I – " She pauses. "I suppose you're not wrong."

A shop employee comes over to help but Sokka shoos her away, making it clear he has everything under control. He hands Azula a heaping pile of clothing and excitedly rushes her over to one of the dressing rooms.

"Start with the coats."

She's amused by his command. "Would you like to see the outfits I've tried on?"

"Obviously! I'm not just going to let you buy anything without seeing it first."

It's something a friend would say, and this makes her smile. Maybe after today she'll feel comfortable calling Sokka her friend. Spirits know she could sure use more of those. She tries on a coat and steps out of the dressing room.

"Well, what do you think?" she asks.

"Who knew you looked so pretty in blue? It really suits you."

She can feel her cheeks fill with heat and she hopes he can't see it. "So… it's a keeper?"

"Probably, but try the other ones on too so we can compare."

She tries on a few more coats followed by some casual tunics. Each time she steps out of the dressing room, Sokka compliments her appearance. The compliments are innocuous enough, but she can't help but wonder if perhaps Sokka and Suki are no longer a couple. She had never heard of them breaking up, but this is also information she probably wouldn't have learned even if they had. Zuko isn't one to gossip about his friends, and Ty Lee probably would have assumed Azula wouldn't be interested in such news. She thinks it best not to let herself get carried away with these thoughts. Surely Sokka wouldn't be interested in a girl like her anyway.

After she's done with the casual attire, she moves on to the dresses Sokka picked out for her. Nothing super fancy or formal, but dressy enough for any special occasions that may arise while she's here. The look on Sokka's face as she leaves the dressing room is something that will be etched into her mind for a long time.

"Wow," he breathes. He's quiet for a moment before chuckling nervously. "You were made for that dress, I-I mean, that dress was made for you."

She likes that he's flustered but she's almost positive she's blushing now and she doesn't want to react this way. "What can I say? I look good in everything I wear," she says teasingly.

"You really do." He smiles warmly at her. "You look beautiful."

"Stop," she dismisses, hating how much of an effect he was having on her. "Okay, actually keep going."

"You have to buy that dress. It would be a great disservice if you didn't. Ooh, I know! You can wear it to the Glacier Spirits Festival!"

This isn't the first time she's heard of the Glacier Spirits Festival but she didn't realize her time in the Southern Water Tribe would overlap with this event. "Whatever you say. You're the fashion guru after all."

"That's right, and as your fashion guru, I advise you to buy everything you just tried on."

"No way!" she laughs. "That's way too much."

"You're a royal princess, you can afford it!"

"I can afford it, but I certainly can't cart all of this with me back to the Fire Nation."

"I guess that's true," he sighs. "Well good luck paring these down."

"You're not going to help me?"

"No." He shakes his head. "You look too good in everything, you're just too pretty. My work here is done."

She smiles at the compliment and heads back to the fitting room to go over her options again. It's not as hard as her fashion guru's made it out to be. She reflects on all the reactions she got from Sokka and chooses the clothing that elicited the best responses.

"Hey," she says as she makes her way over to the merchant to check out, "let me buy you something. You know, to thank you for your time and expertise."

"Really?!" he asks enthusiastically. "Like what?"

"Anything from the store. My treat."

"Hmmm…" He looks around the shop. "Well, a man can never have too many bags." He picks one out and hands it to her. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"Don't mention it." She checks out and Sokka helps her carry all the clothes back to the inn.

"I had a lot of fun today," he smiles as they approach her room.

"Me too," she smiles back. In all honesty, it's the most fun she's had in a long time.

"Do you maybe… want to hang out tomorrow too?"

"I, um – " She nearly chokes on the words. Why is he making her feel this way? So vulnerable and eager. Sokka in all likelihood has a girlfriend and it's foolish to get her hopes up like this. She wants it to stop, to gain control over her emotions like she used to be able to when she was younger. "I have to work tomorrow."

"I know. After that."

Slowly, she nods. "Sure, I'd… I'd like that. What did you have in mind?"

He grins. "Have you ever been sledding?"

Alas, Azula finds herself atop a snowy hill that looks much steeper from the top than it did from the bottom. She's not afraid of heights but knowing she's about to torpedo down this hill on a shaky wooden vehicle with limited capability for steering makes her vision tunnel for a second.

Sokka senses her apprehension. "Don't worry, this is something little kids do all the time."

"Yeah, well, little kids don't conceptualize their own mortality."

"Fair point," he chuckles. "Hey, we don't have to do this if you really don't want to. I always forget how scary it is until I'm standing up here myself – "

"No, no. We're doing this." She conquered Ba Sing Se at fourteen, there's no way she's chickening out of a common children's activity.

"Then how about we make things a little more… interesting?" he asks with a diabolical smirk.

"Oh?"

"Let's race."

"That's it?"

"If I win," he continues, "then you have to be my personal slave for a day."

"Really, Sokka? You couldn't come up with something more creative than that?"

"What, I like to be waited upon," he laughs. "And if you win, then I'll be your personal slave for a day. How does that sound?"

She looks him square in the eye. "That sounds like an unfair bet to me. No deal."

"What?" he asks, feigning innocence. "You don't think you can beat me?"

"We're starting out at the same height. All the conditions are the same. The one difference is that you weigh more than I do, and therefore, you're guaranteed to travel faster than me."

"Dammit. I should have known better than to try to trick you."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," she hums with a haughty shrug.

"Don't be." He smiles. "I like that you understand science. I can't really talk about it with most people."

She decides to press her luck and find out for certain if Sokka is still with the Kyoshi warrior or not. "Suki's not interested in science?"

"No." He shakes his head. "It bores her. I think I've actually put her to sleep talking about it."

Ah, so they're still together. Figures. "That's a shame…"

"Yeah," he shrugs. "Oh well. What can ya do?"

She knows she shouldn't be trying to drive a wedge between Sokka and Suki, but for some reason she wants to. She hates herself for feeling this way. "You know what, Sokka? I changed my mind. I'll take that bet."

"What, really?!" He steps forward to shake her hand to officiate the bet, but then pulls his hand back. "Wait a second…"

She smirks.

"You're going to firebend to propel yourself, aren't you."

Her smirk morphed into an innocent grin. "I wouldn't dream of it!"

"Okay, okay. All bets are off."

She laughs.

"Let's just go down on the count of three."

The two get into their individual shoddily crafted sleds.

"One… two… THREE!"

Azula pushes off and her sled tips over the snowy edge. There's no turning back now. It accelerates and she's forced to surrender all control. Her stomach drops and she's screaming. Sokka's screaming too, maybe even louder than she is, and this offers her a bit of comfort. Finally she reaches the bottom and the land plateaus, slowing down her speed considerably. She lands safely, sighing with relief. Unsurprisingly, Sokka is already at the bottom.

"You made it!" he cheers. "See? That wasn't so bad, now was it?"

"That was exhilarating! Let's do it again."

They trek up the hill and sled back down again, and again, and again. Azula's cheeks sting and her ears hurt from the cold, but the fun she's having with Sokka outweighs all the discomfort. After a while, they grow tired and a bit sore. Sokka proposes they try something different for their final trip down the hill.

"You want to do what now?" she asks.

"Let's share a sled! Come on, we'll go lightning fast."

"I don't think we can fit!"

"We can fit," he assures. "Just hold onto me."

"I – " She realizes she's reading too much into things again and yet she can't help herself. "It's a stupid and dangerous idea." She smiles. "Let's try it."

Azula abandons her sled at the bottom of the hill, and she and Sokka make the final trek up with his sled alone. They position themselves with Sokka in the front sitting between her legs. She's never had this much human contact before in a non-combat setting. It feels nice.

"Hold on tight, okay?"

She nods and wraps her arms snugly around him. She wants to rest her head on his shoulder but she knows better than to do this.

"Alright, here we go." He pushes off and they speed forward, barreling down the near-frictionless hill. Fast does not begin to cover it. Her eyes tear up and her cheeks fly back toward her ears. They're both screaming at the top of their lungs, and all she can do is close her eyes and hope for the best.

They dive into a snowbank and are both launched from the sled. Sokka lands headfirst in the snow, while Azula lands ungracefully on her side, the wind completely knocked out of her.

Sokka breaks free of the snow and rushes over to her. "Azula, Azula! Are you okay?!"

She tries to answer but can't. She holds up a finger to let him know she's trying to speak.

"This was such a bad idea, I'm so sorry! Are you hurt?"

She's fine and has no way of conveying this to him. It's frustrating.

"Did you break something?! I can carry you to a healer. I am so sorry, this is all my fault." He tries to pick her up, but she pushes him away.

"I'm… fine," she manages to get out. "Just… can't talk." She smiles at him and he gives her a puzzled look. She doesn't know why, but all of a sudden, she starts laughing. She's laughing uncontrollably, rolling in the snow like a maniac. Her entire side is probably bruised and yet she's laughing and can't stop.

It must be contagious because Sokka starts laughing too. He laughs loudly and unabashedly. He laughs until he falls into the snow next to her. Good thing they're alone because any bystander would probably think they're insane.

Finally she starts to collect herself and turns to Sokka who's still in hysterics. "We're never doing that again."

For the next couple weeks, Azula and Sokka find ways to spend time with each other every day. Sometimes it's only for an hour or two after work, other times it's the whole day. Around Sokka, she feels like she can really cut loose and let her walls down. She's never felt so relaxed around anyone like this before. Even after she receives the news that Mai delivered a healthy baby girl, who Mai and Zuko decided to name Izumi, she's less eager to return to the Fire Nation than she was when she first arrived.

Even her workdays pass by quickly. Hakoda treats her well, and on days when they don't have meetings or a lot of work to do, they play games together, share long lunches, and goof off. They may be colleagues and his humor is often corny, but Hakoda really has a knack for making her laugh. With the way things are going, Azula starts to think that maybe she could make a life for herself down here in the Southern Water Tribe.

It's a bitterly cold night and Sokka is teaching Azula how to build an igloo. Apparently he grew up in one of these snow dwellings and Azula is skeptical how he ever managed to stay warm. After they finish, they crawl inside and there's barely enough room for Azula to stand up. She sits next to Sokka.

"Ours was much bigger than this," he informs. "It was fully furnished and everything. A real igloo takes a lot longer to make."

She nods. "It's actually quite a bit warmer in here than it is out there. I'm surprised."

"But you're still freezing, aren't you."

She sighs, hating to admit weakness. "Perhaps."

"Hey… can I show you something?"

"Okay…"

"It's at home. In my bedroom."

"Umm…" A thousand thoughts race through her mind. What can he possibly have to show her in his bedroom?! Is he trying to lure her there under false pretenses? What is his real motivation? Is something going to happen between them? She quickly shakes the thought out of her head. Sokka is still with Suki. Of course nothing is going to happen, but… what if he did make a move? Would she go for it? "Aren't Katara and Aang there? I-I don't want to disturb them."

"We'll have to sneak in." He winks at her.

"Okay," she murmurs.

The two successfully manage to sneak into Sokka's room undetected. It's dark. Azula takes it upon herself to light some lanterns. She hopes her signature blue fire won't give her away. Sokka's sitting on the floor with his back against the mattress. He motions for her to come sit next to him.

She takes a seat and whispers, "So what did you want to show me?"

He smiles before open a drawer from his nightstand and pulling out a small box. Turning toward Azula, he slowly opens it. The light of the fire catches the pearly, opalescent object inside as it flickers in the darkness.

Her mouth opens before she speaks as she admires its beauty. "Oh, Sokka. Is this… an engagement ring?"

Grinning, he nods. "It's a moonstone."

"It's beautiful," she smiles. "She'll love it."

"Thanks. I'm going to propose at the Glacier Spirits Festival."

She's excited for him of course, and yet, she feels disappointed and empty. Insecurity and jealousy begin to gnaw at her. Naturally she had read too much into Sokka's warmth and friendship. This was foolish of her and she won't make that mistake again. "Suki's a lucky woman. She'd be a fool to say no."

"Yeah, she would be," he boastfully teases.

She laughs. "Hey, how do you know that… oh, never mind."

"No, what?"

"Nothing, it's stupid."

"Now you have to tell me!"

She sighs. "How do you know that… Suki is your person? I mean, surely there are other people in the world with whom you're… maybe even more compatible?"

"Hm, that's a good question." He pauses to think. "Sure Suki and I may have our differences, she doesn't care for science and Spirits know she has a horrible taste in music, but when it comes down to it, I… I can't imagine my life without her."

"Okay but, couldn't you say the same thing about a good friend? Like what about Aang? You couldn't imagine your life without him either, I presume."

"Well…" He chuckles. "The big difference there is I don't want to have sex with Aang."

She laughs.

"Look, I know it's cliché but, when you know you know. And I know that Suki's my person." He smiles at her. "You'll know it too, when you find your person."

"Hm," she snorts. "We'll see about that." She wants to believe him, but she's doubtful she even has a person to find. With her track record, she thinks it may be best if she's alone. She can't imagine anyone will want to spend his life with her. She can't imagine she'd be good for anyone.

"Relationships aren't always easy, you know. Katara and Aang make it seem easy since they can't be away from each other for more than a minute, but between you and me… the long distance has been… difficult to say the least."

"How so?"

"I haven't had sex in months!"

Azula rolls her eyes. She almost blurts out that she hasn't had sex in… well, ever, but she keeps it to herself.

He shakes his head. "I love Suki, but seriously, I want to fuck every hot girl I see."

"Well, then it must be killing you to be alone with me in your bedroom," she jests. "In the dark."

He laughs. "You're hot and all, but you're very much off limits."

"What do you mean 'off limits'?!"

"You're my best friend's little sister! Zuko would never forgive me for something like that."

"Hm. Interesting."

"What?"

"It's interesting to know that you consider Zuko to be your best friend and not Aang."

"They're both my best friends!" he says defensively. "I'm going to ask them both to be my best men, just like Zuko and I were Aang's best men at his and Katara's wedding. Oh right, you weren't there…"

She scowls.

"You're not… offended are you? I mean, it's not like you'd lower your standards to debase yourself with a 'water peasant' such as myself, now would you?"

She smirks and shrugs. "I guess you'll never know."

"Hah!" he laughs out loud before placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad we're friends."

"Me too."

She means it. She truly is glad they're friends. But at the same time, she can't help but wonder if anyone will ever want her the same way Sokka wants Suki. Above all, she just wants to be wanted. And it hurts believing that it will never happen.