A/N: Just some cleanup I missed out in my haste to get it out for Sokkla Sat. yesterday. There isn't a whole lot changed other than some minor additions but not major story wise.
Sokkla Saturday Week 9: 终于结束的起点 (The beginning of the end)
还记不记得 我和你 最初的相信 Do you still remember the first time we trusted each other
还记不记得 孩子般 简单的爱情 Do you still remember our simple innocent love
我们仿佛天生在一起 用不完的默契和话题 It was like we were meant to be together, our never ending conversations and jokes
戴上了耳机 沉入曾经的 回忆 Putting on our earbuds, we reminisce about the past
Five years ago
It was, like most things in Sokka's life, an unexpected surprise. To him, falling in love was not part of the plan. After all, he was there to support Zuko and his sister's mixed doubles badminton match against Suki and Haru. Well at least, that is what he would claim he was doing.
Truth of the matter was, he'd fallen for Zuko's sister. Hard.
As the match grew in intensity from what seemed like an easy 2-0 stomp into a drag down fight, with both sides pulling out every trick in the book from soft feints near the net to power smashes from opposite corners of the court, Sokka could only find himself being more and more entranced with how Azula flowed from one end of the court to the other, either setting the pace or shoring up gaps left by her brother.
Even though he was just a casual player, he could appreciate skill and talent, of which Azula had in spades, to the point where coach Piandao has declared her a prodigy in so many words. With the match reaching its crescendo as the pairs were at 22-21 in Zuko and Azula's favour, a jumping smash executed by Suki from the back left corner of the court was deftly returned by Azula with just the right amount of finesse and skill, the slicing motion sending the shuttlecock gently sliding down their opponents' side of the net to rest in front of Haru, who had dived down to return it in vain, the tip of his racket just barely touching the cork base.
With that, claps and cheers erupted throughout for the group, none more louder than Sokka, much to the embarrassment of Katara, who told him to take it down a notch.
Of course, Sokka's antics caught her attention, and the duo locked eyes for an instant. In that moment, Azula's honey coloured eyes seemed to say I see you there and she gave an almost imperceptible wink, to which Sokka caught and to him it felt like his soul had died and gone to heaven.
When they met up at the court, Sokka couldn't stop gushing about her skill, to which she replied "I'm glad at least someone here recognized how much my back hurt from carrying the game, unlike someone here who was going soft on their girlfriend."
"I wasn't okay, she-she caught me off guard!" Zuko sputtered.
"Yeah yeah whatever you say, Zuzu." she replied, before moving to stow her rackets away. Before she could, Sokka thrust a shuttlecock into her hand before scurrying away, leaving her puzzled and suspicious.
Scrolling through his phone, Sokka didn't realise Azula had crept up on him.
Placing her lips as close to his ear as possible, she whispered "Hello there, stranger." and followed up with twin jabs to his sides, causing him to jump up in shock.
"Spirits above Azula, could you not!" Sokka sputtered, as Azula was bent over laughing at his reaction. Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to get angry at her, not when the sound of her laughter was that melodious to his ears. In that moment, Sokka vowed he would do everything to hear her laugh like that.
After she had calmed down enough, she handed him back the shuttlecock and asked him "I presume this is your attempt at asking me out? I noticed out of the corner of my eye you were checking me out that whole match."
"Guilty as charged."
"If it's anything, I do the same when you run through your wushu routine." she replied, all of a sudden looking rather shy at having confessed to doing the same, her left foot crossed behind her right in a tiptoe whilst she blushed, which in Sokka's opinion made her look adorable.
"Well that makes two of us. What do you say to checking each other out some more over dinner, my treat?"
"Kampachi at eight, don't be late."
"Deal." Inwardly, Sokka was ecstatic at having scored a date with Azula, despite the fact that his credit card bill at the end of the month would not make him a happy camper.
幸福的回忆 是追求 幸福的天敌 Nostalgia is the natural enemy of pursuing happiness
寂寞的问候 是加深 寂寞的陷阱 Being alone just makes the trap of loneliness feel deper
当时无限珍藏的回忆 变成无处躲藏的雨季 Those precious memories of yesterday turned into rain storms of today
让最小事情 都变成最痛 叹息 All the little things turned into painful sighs
每一段伤痛的爱情 都困住两颗想挣脱 伤痛的心 Every angsty love story contains two trapped hurting souls
如果说可惜 就在下一章 更珍惜 The regrets of now taught us to cherish the next time more
也许一个勇敢的决定 能换两个重生的约定 It just takes one brave decision to change two people promise to each other
"我们到了站" 这一站叫终于 We reached this stop called 'The End'
终于结束的起点 终于写下句点 The beginning of the end, we finally put a full stop
终于我们告别 终于我们又 回到原点 Finally we said goodbye, we start over again
流干了眼泪 日日夜夜 All these tears day and night
未来的我们 也许能说声"好久不见。" So the future us could say "It's been a while."
Six months ago
It was supposed to be a relaxing getaway for the duo, two solid weeks' worth of mountain sports such as skiing and snowboarding. However, things took a tumble for the worst when firstly, Sokka fractured his wrist while snowboarding down one of the slopes whilst Azula tore her ACL while skiing two days later.
When they returned, it was never the same for them again as they could only sit from the sidelines as their injuries healed. In addition, during their time of recuperation, they slowly found themselves arguing and bickering over the pettiest things. Eventually, it got to a point where they found themselves at each other's throats more often than they found themselves in each other's arms as they thought they had nothing of value to offer the other being out of their respective sports so long. Slowly but surely, they started to drift away from each other, whether they intended or not.
Two weeks ago
One night, it got so bad where Azula, in a fit of anger, hurled her medals and trophies across the room at Sokka and stormed out into the rain despite having a crutch. After some sulking and grumbling, Sokka decided to drive out in search of her. Finding her huddled in a corner under some pedestrian bridge, he couldn't bring himself to chide her, not when she looked like a lost kitten, soaked to the bone and curled up in a corner shivering. Swallowing his pride and anger, he lifted her bridal style into the car and put the heater on, spending the drive back in awkward silence and shame; Sokka for letting her storm off and Azula for letting her temper get the best of her.
When they got back, he helped her change into warm clothes and made some warm soup for her, worried that she would get a cold after spending half an hour out in the freezing rain.
"Thank you. You shouldn't have." she sniffled and wrapped the heavy blanket tighter around her, the beginnings of a cold starting to form.
"Leaving you out in the cold is a shitty move, regardless of how I feel. Now get some rest, we can talk about this tomorrow or the day after." he replied, while massaging her calves, which he knew would be sore.
爱情并不是 对与错 简单是非题 Love isn't a simple true or false question
相爱的两人 不一定 能相守相依 Two people who love each other may not be able to stay together
因为相爱所以在一起 因为深爱所以又分离 Because of love we came together, we separated because we loved too deeply
约在下一站 车票是你我 勇气 Meet you at the next station, with courage as the ticket
每一段遗憾的曾经 当时名字都叫憧憬 我们的心 Every single regret, cuts so deeply into our hearts
不能忘怀的 至少释怀吧 在风里 We can't forget it but we can let it go with the wind
那些无法看破的叹息 某天会是看淡的风景 Those painful sighs of yesterday will fade away
虽然那风景 永远有谁缺席 Even though there will always be a place that's empty
Present day
"We need to talk." was her reply after Sokka came back one evening.
"About?"
"Me. You. Us. This relationship."
"You're right. We should."
It went deep into the night and for the first time in a long time, both of them weren't at each other's throats. Then again, why create unnecessary drama, both of them figured.
Finally, as the sun slowly peeked its rays over the horizon, Sokka said "I guess this is it then."
"I guess so."
"It's over then. It was a good run."
"I'll miss you though. After all, who's gonna to laugh at my jokes?"
"I'll miss you too. After all, someone needs to keep your ego in check."
As they said so, both of them curled up next to each other for what seemed to be the last time, their foreheads touching as they gave each other one last deep kiss, telling each other in so many words just what they felt. With that, both of them dozed off on the couch, tired and drained physically and emotionally.
终于结束的起点 终于写下句点
终于我们告别 终于我们又 回到原点
流干了眼泪 日日夜夜
未来的我们 也许能说声好久不见 好久不见
终于结束的起点 终于写下句点
终于我们告别 终于我们又 回到原点
流干了眼泪 日日夜夜
未来的我们 也许能说声好久不见
站在这起点 其实没有走远 Standing back here, we actually haven't gone as far as we thought
其实不愿告别 其实我心中 依然想念 Unwilling to say goodbye, you're still in my heart
拥抱着遗憾 岁岁年年 Carrying all these regrets for all these months and years
却要在今天 头也不回的告别昨天 奔向明天 But today I'm letting it all go to run to the future
奔向明天 Running towards tomorrow
不回头 不眷恋 的明天 No more looking back, a clean start tomorrow
Two years later
Life without each other had been surprisingly painless to slip into, what with them taking incredibly divergent paths as Sokka powered through his graduate classes whilst Azula found a calling with the Foreign Office. Though they still saw each other, things were still somewhat awkward between them and thus, they only exchanged cursory greetings and small talk with each other, not ready nor willing to take their friendship to the next step. Thus, Sokka was surprised to receive a text from Azula telling him she was going to be transferred to Ba Sing Se for the next four years. But it was the last line of the text that had him stunned, as tonight was to be her last night in Caldera before flying to the capital of the Earth Kingdom tomorrow morning. Meet me at the place we first met, 8 p.m.
Staring at the clock on the wall, he noticed it was 7:50 p.m. already and thus, he drove as he dared, wanting to catch her for the last time before she left. Speeding through the streets, the song in his car was approaching the end when he finally pulled into the parking lot at 8:10 p.m., having broken just about every traffic rule known to mankind and a few that haven't even been classed as a rule yet.
Scrambling, he burst through the doors and ran down the hallways, hoping against hope that she hadn't just left. Meanwhile, Azula had arrived early and decided to take a seat and watch a training session of new badminton players. As the session drew to a close, she glanced at the wall clock, seeing the minute hand come closer and closer to the number 12. Seconds turned into minutes and Azula was growing impatient. Sighing, she stood up and got ready to leave when a familiar face appeared in the corner of her eye.
In that moment, as both of them looked at each other, all the past memories, smiles and tears came rushing back like a summer storm, overwhelming them both as they realised, they were right back at the same spot all those years ago, hot tears rolling down their cheeks as their legs carried them towards each other like magnets. Picking up a shuttlecock on the floor, he tossed it at her, who deftly caught it in the palm of her hand.
Seconds later, they were hugging each other in a tearful embrace, each confessing to each other just how much they missed each other. When they released, Sokka started to open his mouth but Azula just put a finger to his lips and said "I'm sorry for that night and all the times I got angry at you without reason." before dropping to her knees and asking "Will you forgive me?"
In response, Sokka dropped to her level and pulled her in an embrace "It should have been me who's saying sorry for all of the times I made you angry and cried. Will you forgive me?"
"But-
"Shh, I forgive you 'Zula, even if you don't." At this point the waterworks were in full swing as she soaked the front of his shirt with her tears, to which Sokka merely cradled her and stroked her back, all the while whispering sweet words as her feelings overwhelmed her. When at last her sobbing ceased, he looked into her wet amber eyes and said "There will always be a space in my heart for you. Just, promise me you'll text me everyday, okay?"
"Oh Sokka, you're just-" she cut herself mid sentence and cupping his face in her hands before kissing him deeply with everything she had, using actions to convey what words could not.
When they broke for air, Sokka replied "Let's get out of here and turn that frown upside down, how's that sound?" as he pulled her back on to her feet, wiping her tears from her cheeks with his thumb.
"I, I'd like that very much." she replied, as she pulled him into an impossibly tight embrace, burying her face in the warmth of his chest.
"Since it's your last night here, dinner's on me." he replied, running his fingers through her hair while stroking her back.
"Just like old times?" she said, teary amber eyes staring at him with hope and a rekindled love.
"Just like old times."