LOTUS FESTIVAL
DAY 17
"Why am I doing this again?" Azula asked, whipping the razor on the cloth next to them.
After having lunch, Sokka had kept her distracted with some innocent kisses here and there and had brought her to his room.
Azula had been so focused on him, that she had only realized this when her back had crashed against the door of his room, at first, she had thought he had in mind some more mischievously intentions with her, but they turned out to be innocent ones.
He shrugged, "Humph, I thought it might be romantic." he said looking up to let her have full access to his neck.
She smirked, raising an eyebrow, "Really? Me holding a sharp thing to your neck? You find it romantic?" she teased, while the razor slid on his skin again.
"Not when you say it like that," he said frowning looking at her.
"Look up," she commanded, pushing slightly his chin with the tip of her fingers.
He loved the feeling of her touch.
"But it gives me an excuse to have you sit in my lap in a very, very suggestive position." he teased in a flirty tone while she whipped again the razor.
Azula was seated in his lap with her legs at each side of him, and he had noticed that just an insignificant movement from her part would probably trigger a very uncontrollable situation for him down south.
"I knew you had a hidden intention when you suggested this," she said accusingly.
"Well, it was you who told me I need it a shave," Sokka replied.
"And I thought you were going to do it by yourself, not convince me to do it for you."
It was not like it had taken a lot of convincing, actually; she had agreed quite easily compared to other stuff, also; she hadn't been bothered of the idea of sitting in his lap or the fact that he had shamelessly, now his hands on her ass.
"Yet, you are extremely good at it." he pointed out.
"You are just saying that because I haven't cut you yet," she said, "I wouldn't call it a victory until I'm done."
The Princess had been extremely careful to not cut him; she didn't want him to get any cuts or injuries in his handsome face.
"I trust you," Sokka stated, "And can I point out that from this angle you look gorgeous?" he added.
The red on her face became instant and very noticeable, the beating of her heart speeded up. The reactions he could cause on her in a blink were ridiculous.
"Don't distract me, moron."
"But you do…" he pouted in a quite silly manner, "And also…" he smiled softly.
"What?"
He brushed her hair strands behind her shoulder and caressed her cheek, "I love you." he said before kissing her on the forehead.
Azula rolled her eyes, biting her lower lip, "You're so annoying, oh my gods… I like you so much." she kisses him on the freshly shaved cheek. "You are an idiot."
"We can finish later," he said placing the shaving tools aside, before leaning to kiss her on the lips.
"You think?" she muttered with amusement, she loved it when he got all flirty and cheeky.
She took his face between her hands and squishing him a little placed a short chaste kiss in his lips.
Sokka took her by the waist and placed her in the mattress delicately, almost as if he thought she might break. He was on top of her, supporting his weight with one of his hands, and his legs between hers.
He caressed her face with his thumb, then her lips, her chin, her jack, and slowly lowered to her neck.
She closed her eyes to fully focus on his touch, her breathing was ragged, her heart speeded up in a way she had never felt.
When Azula felt his lips again on hers, she pulled him closer from the back of his neck; she needed him; she wanted him, to feel him, to feel every inch of him, and she need it to be touched by him, every tiny little spot of her body needed his touch.
His lips tasted like glory. He definitely had more experience than her in that matter, so she let him take the lead from time to time. Just like the first kiss they had shared, their lips were eager for each other. He bit her lower lip when they both ran out of air.
Sokka delivered kisses on her jaw, and then on her neck. She bit her lower lip. It felt so good.
Azula's hands went to his hair. She had loved to see him with his hair down; it had given him a wild, sexy look. As she undid his hair, his free hand went down to caress her leg she bent to give him easy access, he touched from her ankle till her thigh while the kisses continued thru her collarbone.
She cursed herself for not being wearing a dress, for the first time in her life, if she had been wearing one she could experience some skin to skin touch right now. She let out a soft moan when his thumb rubbed her hip bone skin, through one of the cutouts of her shirt.
She closed her eyes and bit her lip again and exposed a little more of her skin while getting lost again in his touch and his kisses on her collarbone, neck, and shoulders. She noticed that that specific area -around her shoulders and neck- were more sensitive than other areas, and she enjoyed his lips on there.
She had never been kissed like that, touched like that, desired like that. A shiver runs down her spine, she wanted more of him. Azula tried to undo the belt of his shirt to get a glimpse of those abs she had seen for the first time the day she had found out he liked to write haikus -she still doesn't know how she had remained so calm and pretend to be not affected by it-.
When the image of him on top of her, wet and shirtless reappeared in her mind, a warm but pleasant sensation grew between her legs.
Sokka wasn't in a better condition. His mind was blank as she was trying to undo the belt of his shirt. Touching her, feeling her soft skin like silk, was intoxicating, he couldn't stop touching her, kissing her, and when that soft moan, that she had tried to repress came out of her lips, his blood rushed to his cock like some horny teenager.
Gods and they were still fully dressed!
He caught her lips once more when his hand ascended to her rib bones. He could feel with his fingertips the start of the lace in her lingerie.
This kiss was wilder and deeper than the first one, maybe because of the heat of the moment they were sharing, but this time she didn't let him take the lead.
She bit him, took air, and glance at those abs now that she felt that his shirt was successfully opened. She let out a groan when she saw them. She also realized the situation that it was happening in his pants, and she felt proud of being capable of causing that kind of reaction in a man, while still being fully dressed.
She pulled him to another kiss. She wasn't sure how far where they going to get, but if they got all the way in, -maybe it was the heat of the moment, the hormones, or that sensation between her legs talking- she wouldn't mind if they did.
When her hands when to his shirt to help him get that thing out of the way…
The unexpected happens, the door opened.
"Sokka darling, your father wants to know..." his mother's voice startled them, making the split apart, "Oh my gods!" she let out with her eyes wide open and turned around embarrassed of such a situation.
"Mom!" Sokka squealed, before Azula pushed him off her, and the bed. "Ouch..." he whined.
Azula covered her face red in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry, darling! Princess." Kya excused herself, closing the door behind her, and pretending that she saw nothing.
Once they were sure his mother was gone, they looked at each other, both red in embarrassment.
"This is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happen to me," muttered Azula covering her face. It had to be his mother who found us in such a situation? Now, she was not going to be capable of seeing her at the face again.
"Well, I have had worst," said Sokka sitting in the bed making Azula next to him, chuckling a little embarrassed too.
She glanced at him, his shirt was still open, "Nice abs, by the way." she said with a brief smile.
He smiled to towards her, "Nice hickey, by the way." he pointed near her collarbone.
She looked down to see it. She wouldn't have probably noticed till she had glanced at herself in the mirror. "Sokka!" she whined when she saw it.
"Sorry, I couldn't help it," he said shrugging amused before she started to hit him with a pillow.
"I couldn't help it." she imitated him while throwing more pillows at him, while he was trying to dodge them.
…
The lotus festival had been beautiful. The lanterns in the shape of a lotus flower-filled every inch of the surface of the lake.
They haven't been available to spend much time together due to the fact that the Royal Family had to start the festival with them placing the firsts lanterns in the water.
Usually, the Fire Lord will place the first one to honor the previous Fire Lord, in this cause Fire Lord Azulon. Then, the Fire Lady will place hers, which was in memory of her grandfather Avatar Roku. And lastly, the Prince and Princess would place theirs in memory of their grandparents -from their mother's side- as her Uncle Iroh would do it for his mother, Fire Lady Ilah.
"Okay, so you weren't very close to your grandfather Azulon, right?" Sokka asked as they headed back to the Palace. The festival was short and most citizens preferred to return home with their loved ones and spend the rest of the festival in the company of their loved ones.
"Yeah, and my grandmother Ilah died when my father was very young," said Azula.
"And your other grandparents?"
She meditated a moment before answering, "Well, my grandparents from my mother's side, were really old by the time I was born," she tried to remember some memories with them, "I remember seeing them a few times, they would come to visit from Hira'a. My grandma Rina was an amazing cooker. She would sneak into the kitchen and would take charge of the staff while she was here. By the end of their stay, Zuko and I would have chubby cheeks for overeating," she snickered at the memory, remembering how her grandma used to scold them all, for how `little´ they were eating. "Grandpa Jinzuk was really troublesome, the kind of grandpa that would sneak sweets under the table, or who would take you out from bed really late just to... look out the stars."
They shared a few more memories of their younger years as they headed back to the Palace.
"Have you talked with your mother?" Azula asked him as they strolled in one of the hallways, still feeling a little embarrassed of the way his mother had found them earlier in his room.
Sokka shook his head in denial, "No. And thank gods she mentioned nothing about what happened, I just want to forget all the thing about it." he said.
"Huh," said Azula, pouting.
"What?" he raised an eyebrow confused for her sudden frowning.
"All the things about it?" she repeated raising both eyebrows and crossing her arms.
"Yeah." he nodded still confused.
The Princess huffed, "Fine. In that case, you can forget about it and forget about ever happening again." she said brushing her hair over her shoulder hitting him in the face and strolling faster down the hallway away from him.
"What are you…?" the realization hit him, and his eyes widened when he understood what she meant, "Wait!" he squealed before chasing after her. "Azula."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face when she heard his steps behind her, before rushing quickly to her room, with him running behind her.
"Come on, you know what I meant," he said walking into her room behind her and closing the door, so she would not try to escape without and explanation.
"Yeah, you just want to forget all about it, I get it," she said trying to sound mad at him when in reality she wasn't mad at him, she knew what he had meant but she enjoyed also seeing him struggle.
Sokka rubbed his face with exasperation, "No, that's not...you don't...Agr!" he sighed, "Look, I didn't mean the part of us together…"
"Really?" she quirked a brow.
"Yeah, I would never, ever, regret that," Sokka said reaching to caress her cheek, "Never." he placed a kiss on her forehead and then pulled her into a hug, "I love you, you're the best thing that's ever happened to me," he muttered.
Azula smiled happy with the answer she had gotten for him, and returned the hug, "Wait," she said looking up to him, "I'm the best thing to happen to you?" she inquired.
"Yes," he affirmed.
"Now, I'm starting to feel bad for you," she said teasingly.
Sokka rolled his eyes and leaned down to pick her from the floor with a hand behind her knees. She squealed, "Yet, I feel the luckiest bastard on earth."
She rolled her eyes snickering, "Yeah, you are." she smiled agreeing, "Now, put me down." she commanded.
But instead of releasing her, he squeezed her closer to him, "Not a chance." he said before placing her on the bed and kissing her.
"Shouldn't you go to sleep? It's getting late, and we should rest," she asked him, after a while, they had spent chatting.
Sokka shook his head. "I'm thinking I should sleep here," he stated.
Azula widened her eyes, "Why do you want to sleep here? Are you crazy? What if my family see us?" she inquired, surprised for his boldness.
He pondered an excuse, "What if someone comes into the night? Or you have a nightmare?" he said, caressing her hair.
The Princess made a grin at his ridiculous explanation. An intruder in the Palace? With the number of guards, they had in every door?
She frowned. "You are just making excuses, aren't you?"
"Maybe, but I'm staying," he replied firmly.
Azula rolled her eyes when she saw him getting comfortable in her bed. "Fine. But if you snore, I will kick you out."
"I won't," he promised, dropping his head on the pillow.
"And you have to leave very early," she warned him, the last thing they need it was any of their relatives seeing him leave her room in the middle of the night and misunderstanding the situation.
"I have training with Piandao, so I would leave before dawn," he muttered, pulling her closer by the waist.
"It's a onetime thing only, got it?"
"Got it."
"Fine." she acceded, dropping her head on her pillow.
She turned her back towards him and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep, when she felt Sokka sliding his arm under her pillow while pulling her even closer to him by hugging her more by the waist.
Her heartbeat increased like crazy when she felt his warm breathing behind her neck. "W-What are you doing?" she whispered thankful for the darkness of her room, so he couldn't appreciate the red of her cheeks.
"Sleep well," he says pressing a kiss on her shoulder, tightening her more to his chest.
"The bed is enormous. You have a lot of room on that side, you know?" said Azula, noticing his heartbeat in her back, his pulse was racing like hers.
"Yeah." he murmured almost inaudible, but he didn't move.
She closed her eyes a few times, trying to fall asleep, but she couldn't. She should be accustomed to his closeness, but maybe it was the fact that she had never slept with anyone else in her room, or hadn't shared the bed with a guy in her life, or maybe it was just because it was Sokka who was lying asleep next to her.
She turned slowly to face him, trying not to make any abrupt movement, in case he was asleep already.
His eyes were closed, and his breading was calm. She had seen him sleep once, when she woke him up in the library a little abruptly, but never like this.
"Are you sleep?" Azula mumbled, just in case he wasn't actually asleep. He didn't answer. "Moron, how can you sleep so calm?" she says with her fingertips softly tracing every bit of his handsome face. His nose, cheekbones, jaw, lips… and when she went to his eyebrows, she jolted up when she noticed a pair of blue eyes were staring back at her. "W-Weren't you sleep?" she asked.
"How could I sleep with you next to me?" he said brushing some strands out of her face. "What were you doing?"
She smiled, and pinched him softly in the cheek, "I was thinking how can I like so much an idiot like you."
Sokka looks at her at how beautiful she looks, "Just remember I was sleep, okay?" he muttered before kissing her on the forehead, then in the lips.
BREEZE DAY
DAY 18
She opened one eye to confirm that she still had some hours to sleep. It was still before dawn, so the blue of the sky it was barely perceptible.
She tucked in a hand under her pillow, when she felt something unfamiliar, but a second later a soft breathing behind her neck refreshed her mind and the fact she wasn't alone in her bed. Sokka had one arm under her pillow and the other one around her waist, which he only tightened when he felt her move a little.
Azula smiled softly, as she entwined her fingers with his and brought their arms upper to snuggle even more when she remembered.
She turned to face him, "Sokka" she muttered trying to wake him. There was no reaction of him, "Sokka." she insisted again, shaking him a little bit. And just when she thought that she might need to slap him to wake him up he groaned in frustration.
"Don't wake me," he whined with his eyes still closed, but pulling her closer to him and placing his chin on the top of her head. "I'm having the best night of sleep." he muttered sleepily.
After a brief kissing session, they had stayed in silence, just embracing each other, and at some point of the night, they had fallen asleep without noticing.
Azula stayed there for a moment, squeezed against his chest, hearing very clearly his breathing and heartbeat. They both stayed silent for a moment, just embracing each other.
She felt a little silly; she had never thought that one day she would long so much for someone embraces and that just being close feeling his heartbeat and breathing would instantly made her feel a hundred times better, but Sokka had that effect on her.
Her irresponsible, needy of caress and the lazy side was telling her to not wake him, to say like this all day in bed, snuggling, but her responsible side was telling her to send him off to his daily training.
"You need to go to your training with Piandao." she whispered not wanting him to go, "It's almost dawn."
Sokka groaned, pouting, "I don't want to."
She smiled softly, "I know, but you have to, lazy ass." she mocked.
He glanced towards her with an eyebrow raised, "Do you think that is an agreeable thing to say to someone first thing in the morning?"
She shrugged, "At least, now you are awake. But seriously, you should go before the servants come, or anyone sees you leaving my room this early."
"Why?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Because if someone sees you, they might think we did what we didn't do," she said
A mischievous smile appears in his face, as he gets on top of her with his arms and legs at each side of her, trapping her. "Well, if they are already going to think that we did, what we didn't do, then why not, we do what they think we already did but which we have not done yet?"
The Princess made a grin. "Huh?"
"Did that make sense?"
"Not at all, snoozles," she said, pushing him aside to sit on the bed.
"Snoozles?" Sokka snickered sitting next to her, "You know, Aang earth bending master calls me that." he said, "She is really cool and an exceptional bender…" his voice when silence when he noticed Azula's frown.
She raised an eyebrow, "She?"
"Yeah, Toph," he said not understanding the sudden change in her voice tone.
The Princess huffed, standing up from the bed annoyed, "May I inquire why did she nickname you snoozles?"
He shrugged, "She knows I like to sleep in." he said remembering the amount of times Toph had made found of him, because he liked to sleep in really late and how she enjoyed annoying him moving the earth under him when he was asleep in his sleeping bag while they were traveling around some towns in the Earth Kingdom.
"She knows you like to sleep in," she repeated, her mind filled with all these horrible thoughts of him. How would this girl know of his habit of sleeping in? Did they had...slept together?
Azula knew and acknowledge he was attractive, -that had been one of the first things she had noticed of him- in fact, very attractive and his personality just made him every girl dream come true, he was like the Southern Water Tribe version of Goong Yoo. And she had suspected he had been a womanizer before, but now, she was kind of confirming it, and, if she was only one more of his hookups? Like, dating the Princess of a Nation must be the ultimate goal for every guy. What if she was that? Just someone else to add to his list of hookups?
Why was she feeling like this now? She had never been insecure about anything; she had always been sure of herself. But since she had developed feelings for Sokka sometimes she felt like she wasn't enough, that one day he might realize she wasn't as perfect as he thought and he would just get tired of her.
Of course, she also knew their current situation wasn't forever, but at least she wanted to enjoy it as long as she could, feel special next to him, but that sensation right now, it didn't feel like that at all. In fact, it remembered her of how she had felt on her birthday when she saw him with Ty Woo in the city.
There was no secret he had dated other girls previously, and that was not the problem, the problem was why brought up another girl, while they had shared a moment so private the day before? When they had slept together?
"Are you jealous?" he asked side smiling a little amused.
"N-No." she denied, pouting. She was. "But I think you should go."
Every trail of amusement disappeared from his face. "What? Azula, come on…" he said, standing up and reaching for her.
"You know, Piandao is very strict about punctuality," she said sulking, pushing him towards the door, not wanting to hear his excuses right now.
She was pissed that he had brought up the fact he had slept with another girl -no matter the context-, as they were snuggling just a second before, but also, she was embarrassed at being jealous of such a silly thing, after all, he was with her right now.
She hadn't felt jealous of Suki when she found out she and Sokka had dated, but maybe it was the fact that she had got to know the girl, and was fully sure she had moved on from Sokka, just by looking at the way she glanced at Zuko. But this girl Toph, she couldn't say the same about her. Damn it!
"Azula, come on…" he said while being pushed to the exit, he didn't want to leave her with such a misunderstanding, "Just let me explain, it's not what you think...Agr! You are being ridiculous!"
Azula stopped pushing him, and when Sokka glanced at her, he knew he had messed up.
"I'm being ridiculous?" she crossed her arms over her chest irked and her eyes narrowed, "Really? And what about your little scene with Lu Ten, huh? On the Bonfire Day? You acted totally ridiculous about my cousin!" she grunted.
"I know! I was an idiot!" he tried to apologize, but Azula didn't let him.
"Yet, when I get jealous about you bringing up the nickname some random girl gave you during after fucking I'm ridiculous?!" she squealed fumed.
"F-Fucking? What are you talking about?" he raised his arms in confusion, then he raised his eyebrows, "Azula, you are totally misunderstanding the situation, Toph is just…"
"I don't want to hear it!" she said cutting him off, "Just go to your gods damn training, would you?" she pointed at the door, "Maybe when you are done with it, I would want to hear your excuses, but now… just go."
"But..."
"Just go before I fry you," she warned him.
Sokka sighed resigned. He didn't want to leave her like that, but she didn't want to hear him right now, so he had to let her alone for a while.
"I'm a fucking idiot!" he muttered hitting his head with the door once he had lifted her room. Now he had to think of a way to arrange things.
…
"Are you okay? You seem quieter than usual." Zuko asked her while having breakfast a while later.
"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Azula answered stoically.
"Sure?" he raised an eyebrow, there was a lot of stuff that he knew bothered his sibling, -sometimes he was the number one on her list- but there was something different on her this time.
"Yeah, it's nothing," she muttered, trying to ignore her brother and the curious looks of the other people at the table, looking straight forward trying to pretend nothing bothered her.
"Really?" Katara asked quirking an eyebrow, "It doesn't seem like nothing. You have been looking at my brother's place like if you were about to burn it," she nodded towards the empty place next to her. "So, either you hate the tapestry of the chair or my brother did something stupid. And knowing him, he probably did," she said.
"It's nothing," Azula said, shaking her head.
"Well, if looks could kill, and he was seated here, he would be six feet under," Katara uttered, making a grin.
The Princess smirked, "I wouldn't bother in burying him." she muttered.
"So, he did something." the water bender affirmed.
Azula sighed, Katara knew Sokka as well as she knew Zuko. "Can we talk alone after breakfast?" she asked warily after noticing the inquisitive glances of everyone around on them.
"Yeah, sure." Katara agreed.
"Oh god, that doesn't sound good," Aang whispered towards his girlfriend.
"It's a Sokka." Zuko said.
"Hey!" Katara whined, "It's my brother, but...Huh, what the hell sometimes not even I can defend him." she said.
…
"What did he do?" Katara asked to the Princess as they were glancing towards the Royal Garden, with her arms crossed.
The Princess sighed, "Maybe he did...or maybe I'm just assuming," she admitted when it came to Sokka she had always rushed to make assumptions about him. "Either way… Does the name Toph rings you a bell?"
"Toph?" she raised an eyebrow, and Azula nodded, "Yeah, she is Aang earth bending teacher."
So that part was true. "Something else?"
Katara made a grin, "No. Only that she is really tough as master, she made Aang struggle a lot at first with his bending, also she is the daughter of Lao Beifong."
"The investor?"
"Him. Oh, and she blind." Katara added.
"Blind?" she repeated.
"Yeah, she uses her earth bending to see… like to feel vibrations and know where things are." she explained, then noticed the Princess frown, "But why are you asking about her?"
"Did your brother and she ever had like a...a thing ?"
"With Toph?" Katara asked gaping, and whiffed her head, "No, they are best friends, also Toph is kind of little tomboy-ish… How do you know about Toph?"
Azula rubbed her forehead with her fingertips, "It's just your brother mentioned something and I kind of lost it." she admitted.
"What did he say exactly?" Katara asked leaning on the balustrade in a relaxed manner, narrowing a little her eyes, already assuming the direction this conversation would take.
Azula sat on the balustrade. "I called him snoozles, and he mentioned that this girl also nicknamed him like that and... I assumed that they… well..."
Katara snickered a little. "Ahh...You got jealous, and you thought he had slept with her."
"When you say it like that it sounds ridiculous… But yeah, I did, I mean how else would she had nicknamed him like that if they hadn't slept together? And I got angry because why would he bring that up when we were..." said Azula.
"Gods, I don't want to hear that you and my brother were fucking." she made a grin.
"What? No. Tsk! We were sleeping with clothes on." Azula pointed out.
"Alright, alright!" Katara said, "When he realized he had messed up, what did he do?"
"Well, he asked me if I was jealous, which pissed me off even more…"
"Understandable."
"And when he finally understood that I was really pissed, he tried to explain, but I didn't allow him." Katara snickered, "What are you laughing at?" The Princess asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Okay, listen…" Katara began, "First, Toph nicknamed him snoozles because one time while we were camping…"
"You guys camp?" Azula made a grin.
"Yeah, quite often actually..." the water bender uttered, "So, the thing is, one time Aang and Toph were training really early in the morning, and they were making a lot of noise with the rock moving and all that, and Sokka complained because he couldn't sleep in as late as he liked, and Toph made fun of him calling him snoozles," she explained.
"Wait, so they have never…?" Katara shook her head in denial of every question she could come up with.
"No.," she said, "In fact, when we camp, Toph usually bends a tent of rock instead of sleeping in one of the tents. Oh, and I think she has something with a boy named Satoru, one of her father employees."
"I see." Azula muttered, before huffing annoyed, "Great! Now, I have to apologize." she grunted, "and I don't even know how to do it."
Katara chuckled, "My advice, it's don't. Let him do it." she said shrugging, "After all, the fact that you assume that it is his fault for not clearing things up."
"But I didn't let him."
"Still, he should have insisted." she replied, "Boys tend to be quite idiots, and also he needs a lesson."
"Thanks."
Katara smiled softly, "Don't mention it." she said, "I think that if you and Toph ever get to meet each other, you two would be good friends. She also enjoys annoying Sokka."
Azula snickered, "Really?"
"Yeah, well actually, everyone...She loves to annoy everyone." she uttered, "She calls me sugar queen and Aang twinkle toes."
Both girls stayed there silent for a moment.
"I guess you have things to do," said the Princess, "I should get going too." she stood up feeling a lot calmer than she had felt earlier that morning.
"Princess," Katara called her, "My brother might be an idiot, but I can tell when he is really in love just by the way he looks at you. And I have honestly never seen him like this before. He has really fallen for you."
…
She went to the place she knew he would look for her once his training with Piandao was done, so she waited for him in the Library.
Now, she understood the way he had reacted about Lu Ten. They were two jealous idiots that certainly weren't the most harmonious couple.
She was arranging some books on the shelves when a knock on the door got her attention. Her heart skipped a little bit.
That must be him, she thought it was almost lunchtime.
The doorknob opened, and Sokka peeked thru.
"Hey, can we talk now?" he asked hoping that she would let him explain now. He owned her that after all, when he had reacted like an idiot, she had forgiven him without explanations.
She said nothing but nodded affirmatively. They sat in front of each other. Sokka leaning his elbows on his knees.
"Listen, about Toph...is not what you think." he stated, "We are just friends. And also,..."
"It's okay." she cut him off, he raised his eyebrows. "I talked with your sister, she explained the all snoozles thing."
His eyes widened, "She did?"
"Yeah." said Azula, "I overreacted."
Sokka smiled softly, "It's alright. It did it once too." he replied, "So, are we fine?" he asked hopefully, reaching a hand towards her.
A moment later a slight smile appeared on her face. "We are fine," she said accepting his hand.
He pulled her towards him and made her sit on his lap. "I'm sorry," he said brushing one of her bangs behind her head, "I should have stayed and explained, not leave."
"I was angry, I would have probably burned your head off," she admitted, snuggling in his arms, placing her head on his shoulder as he surrounded her by the waist. "I guess I was just a little piss that you were… I don't know. I know that you didn't sleep with her and I also know you have dated before and all that. And It doesn't bother me but for a moment I…"
"What?"
She shrugged, "It's just...You have dated other girls, and I have dated, well… anyone. I mean, we were lying in bed, after having a moment the day before, and the fact that you brought her up it felt like… like a comparison between us. You have a point of comparison with your other relationships while I… don't. I mean, you could be a totally horrible boyfriend and I wouldn't even notice."
He quirked an eyebrow and glanced towards her, "You think I'm a horrible boyfriend?"
Azula whiffed her head, "No. I'm not saying that. But, if you were... I wouldn't even be available to tell," she said, "But instead you will notice right away. I'm not girlfriend material."
"What makes you think that?" he reached for one of her hands and entwined their fingers. He had never seen her like that, insecure of something.
"Maybe the lack of the previous dating?"
Sokka's side smiled, "That means nothing. If by any means actually means something is that guys around you were totally jerks." he kissed her knuckles, "You are the most beautiful, smart, and funny girl, I have ever met."
She frowned, "I'm sure you told that to every girlfriend you had." she pouted.
"I don't." he affirmed, "Seriously, You are the most, most, most beautiful, smart and funny girl I have ever seen." he said reaffirming his statement, "And I'm crazy about you." he placed a kiss on the top of her head, as she snuggled again with him.
"You are right about all that." she uttered, he snickered, "But even knowing all that, I couldn't help to feel jealous."
"It's totally normal to feel jealous when you are in a relationship. It means you are afraid of losing that someone special," he said while she focused on the beating of his heart. "You know, we both have this tendency of assuming stuff, so why not, next time, before assuming anything, we ask each other about it?" he proposed.
She straightened herself to look at him in those blue eyes she liked so much. "It seems the mature option. Tsk!" she pouted again.
"What?" he asked confused frowning.
"It's annoying." she muttered, "That you come up with that. Why I didn't think of that?"
He shrugged, "I have good ideas from time to time."
"Well..." Azula made a grin.
"Well?" Sokka raised his eyebrows.
The Princess smirked, "You are dating me, would you qualify that as a good or a bad idea?"
"Neither," he said in a heartbeat.
"Neither?" she widened her eyes, a little taken back for how quick it had been his answer.
"No." he replied, before smiling, "Because is the best thing that has ever happen to me," he said cupping her face.
"Are you sure? And if I make you suffer?"
He shook his head, "I'm willing to take the risk, plus, I'm sure that it doesn't matter how much you make me suffer, because…"
"Because?"
"You will make me ten times happier," he stated before leaning to kiss her.
FAMILY DAY
DAY 19
His training with Piandao had left him exhausted, and his eyes were a little itchy as he was trying to read the story of a female Pirate of her tribe that had lived centuries ago.
"What are you doing?" asked Azula when Sokka rested his head on her lap.
"I need to rest my eyes for a moment," he said closing them and turning into her direction and surrender her by the waist. "This is a nice pillow."
"A pillow?" she repeated, "Since, when I'm a pillow?"
"Hush… finish your reading, pillows don't talk," he replied letting her scent fill his lungs.
"You could just go to your room and have a nap, you know?" Azula restored.
"I don't want to," he said during his nose in her. The smell of cherries had become his favorite, but more precisely her scent.
"Sokka?" she called him a while after, once she was done with her reading, "Huh? He fell asleep." she mumbles, brushing his hair carefully when he suddenly wakes up. "I-I was doing nothing. I-I mean…." she removed her hand, but Sokka reached for her and placed her back on his head.
"Keep doing that." he whispered, closing again his eyes, "Keep your hand in place a little longer."
She huffed but didn't remove her hand. "You are like a child."
"I just like to enjoy simple things in life," he replied.
"There is nothing simple between you and me," affirmed Azula.
…
"I can't believe you acceded," said Ty Lee with the biggest smile she has ever seen on her.
"By how much you insisted, It was expected," said Azula
"Oh, come on. It would be like in the old days when we used to get together." said her friend, sitting next to Haru in the spot she had prepared. "We are going to have fun," she said overly excitedly.
For Family day in the Water Tribe, it was mostly a day where father took their sons to hunt or fish, and mothers and daughters had their own activities, finishing the day with a small gathering around the fire.
But instead of doing thousands of small bonfires, they had opted for a big one and having people gathering around it. Ty Lee had made the arrangements for them to spend the evening together.
"Your definition of fun has never been the same one as mine but…" The Princess sighed, before sitting down, "Let's give it a try."
"We can still sneak out if you wish," mumbled Sokka in her ear for only her to listen sitting next to her.
"And have her nag about it for the rest of the year? No, thanks," she replied, whispering.
"Your definition of fun is to make fun of Zuko and make him miserable." Ty Lee uttered.
"Indeed." her brother agreed, "The bigger smiles I have seen on her, are due to my misery."
"As I said, you have your ways I have mine." said Azula shrugging, "Mine involves other people suffering, especially his," she said in a teasing tone, making Sokka chuckle.
Ty Lee shook her head, a little amused. "I don't even know why we are friends."
"Beats me." The Princess replied, shrugging.
"And me," said Mai after reaching for a pocky. "Still, I'm making a demand, overall to you two..." she pointed at Ty Lee and Haru.
"Which one?" she raised an eyebrow.
"You and Haru, are forbidden from making out in front of us," Mai demanded.
"What? Why?" Ty Lee pouted.
"Agree," uttered Azula a little distracted, reaching for a mochi.
"What?"
"You two make it awkward, and nobody wants to see you having a saliva interchange." Mai pointed out, and everyone else nodded to her statement.
She crossed her arms in a silly manner. "Fine! But the same applies for you all," she said looking at everyone.
"No problem," Azula muttered.
Sokka raised his eyebrows. "Huh?" he mumbled, "I don't agree with that."
"It looks like someone can't keep his hand of you, huh?" the mocking voice of Zuko said.
"Shut up." snarled the Princess, before turning towards Ty Lee, "Why did you invite him?"
"Because we haven't done this in ages… and I thought it would be fun." her friend retorted.
"Zuko and fun in the same sentence? As if..." she uttered quizzically.
"You know, even though you keep attacking me with words, you have been nicer than usual." Zuko frowned looking at his sibling.
"What do you mean?"
"You're just nicer than usual. It's weird. And it's freaking me out." he admitted shrugging, "I keep waiting for you to suddenly attack me or something."
Azula made a grin, "I can punch you if you want."
"No, thanks." said Zuko, "But seriously, why?" he quirked an eyebrow.
She shrugged, not knowing the answer herself, "Maybe, because I'm just waiting for you to lower your guard and then…" she smirked mischievously, "Psychological torture is funnier."
The Prince frowned, "You are the devil incarnation."
"Thank you," she said.
Zuko sighed, "Great. Now, I'm going to have to sleep with one eye open."
"If I were you, I wouldn't sleep at all," added Sokka.
"Okay, okay enough with whatever this is.., "intervened Ty Lee, "It's time for some soju," she said taking out a bottle out of nowhere.
"You always have to put out the alcohol, don't you?" Haru inquired, raising an eyebrow and looking at her girlfriend with a grin.
"Hush… bring closer your glasses, come one," she commanded, before starting to fill all ten glasses.
"Nice, it's sweet!" said Aang astounded, drinking it all in one go.
"I think you should drink it slowly, sweetly," muttered Katara next to him, "Do I need to remind you what happen last time you drank too much?"
"What happen last time?" Suki questioned.
Katara sighed before talking, "He spent hours flirting with me, and cried for hours after he asked me if I had a boyfriend and I said yes." Aang rubbed the back of his neck, as his girlfriend talked. "Him."
Everyone laughed at the tale, including a little embarrassed Avatar with flushed cheeks.
"I was heartbroken, okay?" Aang pouted, making everyone laugh again.
"Do you remember when he signed up to a contest of best Avatar impersonator?" Sokka said, still laughing.
"Oh, yeah…" Katara remembered.
"Spoiler alert: He lost to a girl." Sokka mocked.
"It was an arranged contest!" the Avatar squealed when everyone laughed, "Does anyone else have also drunk stories? I'm feeling kind of attacked over here." he muttered.
"I know of someone…" Azula muttered innocently.
"Shut up," Zuko grunted.
"Please, tell us," said Suki smirking at his boyfriend.
"Only because you asked nicely. One time at one of our family feasts…" the Princess began.
"Gods," the Prince whined rubbing the bridge of his nose, "In my defense, Azula was sneaking alcohol in my drinks without me noticing."
Azula huffed, "Oh, yeah, blame me for your poor drunk habits." she snorted, "Anyways, so Zuko got drunk…"
"Because of you…" he pointed out.
"Sweety, sweety, hushh… let her finish," said Suki.
"I had to help him get to his room. Once there, he said he needed to pee, so he went to the bathroom, and after a while of him not coming back, I went in thinking that he may have passed out on the floor or choked in vomit, but no... turns out he was crying because he had forgotten how to return to his room."
The laughs were heard again, and the drunk tales keep coming for a while as well as the alcohol.
…
"I had fun today," said Sokka as they walked through the hallway of Azula's room.
"Yeah, me too." she agreed.
"I will see you tomorrow," he said when they were standing at the door of her room.
"Aren't you going to come inside?" she asked with her heart raising.
"I thought it was a onetime only thing," said Sokka remembering her words.
Azula shrugged a little, "Maybe is the alcohol talking, but it doesn't have to be... If you want to..." she felt her cheeks a little flushed but she granted it to the alcohol in her body, which wasn't a lot but just enough to make her face feel heated.
"Okay." he nodded, following her inside the room.
She puts the lock on the door and grabs him by the wrist and takes him towards her bed, where she forces him to sit down. He doesn't say a word, neither does she as she climbs on top of him in his lap.
Their eyes connect for a moment, Sokka caresses her cheek softly, and she closes her eyes to feel more intensely his touch on her skin. Then, she reaches for his mouth and kisses him furiously. His hands fly to her waist to hold her in place more firmly and returns the kiss just as eagerly.
A shiver runs down her neck as their tongues play with each other.
The temperature in the room slowly rises, as his hands travel thru her back, and then slowly they get to her buttocks, giving them a little squeeze, making her moan softly, and breaking the kiss, but that doesn't stop him, he leaves a trail of kisses down her jaw, her collarbone, in those little sexy moles she has, maybe is the alcohol or the heat of the moment, but the idea of removing her shirt to allow him better access crosses her mind. But she wants him to have the initiative.
As he keeps leaving kiss down her neck, she undoes his hair and her own.
He kissed her over that little hickey he had left a two days before. They connect their mouths again. She can feel that their interchange is not only affecting her but also him. She can't help but bit her lip when she feels him, even with all the clothes that where in the way.
He removes his shoes, and she does the same.
For a moment they split up to catch air. And their eyes connect again. She noticed his pupils are dilated, and probably hers too. They are panting, and he has a little of her lipstick on his mouth. She runs her thumb over it to remove carefully, but he catches her wrist and with his lips, he traps her thumb.
Her legs turned into jelly at this gesture, and her throat went dry. She crashes her lips against on his and her hands flew to his shirt. It wasn't that hard to open, overall, with his help. She runs her hands through his chest as soon as she got the chance.
She wanted to kiss him all, to lick him.
Azula broke the kiss again, pushing him into the mattress. If he would not take the initiative, she could as hell do it. She undid the belt around her waist, Sokka was breathing ragged as she saw him do it, not even blinking. And when she took the edges of her shirt and pulled over her head, he wanted to pinch himself in case he was having another of his dreams involving Azula.
"Whoa…" he couldn't help to let out when he saw her.
"What?"
"Nothing, it's just… Gods, you are perfect," muttered Sokka before grabbing her by the waist and placing her softly in the mattress, now being him the one on top and trapping her between his arms and legs. "I'm not dreaming, right?"
Azula pulls him by the neck and links their lips again. She bit his lower lip playfully. "Does it feels like a dream?"
A groan comes out of his throat, "It's better." he kisses her nose.
"Have you had... dreams like this with me... before?" she asks him, as he traced with his nose the edges of her face, filling his lungs with her scent.
"Too many."
She cupped her face with her hands and looked him at in the eyes. They were filled with lust and desire; she had never felt like that, her mind got a little dizzy for all the emotions and sensations she was filling right now. And a pleasant filling grew in her core.
"Then... I want you to do me everything you have dreamt of." A groan left his lips as his pupils grew even bigger at her words, and he didn't lose a second.
His mouth when to her collarbone once more, but this time he didn't stop there. His finger slipped out the suspenders of her lingerie, as his mouth left a trail of kisses between the valley of her breast, at her ribs and all the way till her belly button. She arched her back, trying to feel him more; she wanted to feel him, all of him.
He went all the way down to the edge of her pants and even though that spot between her legs was also craving for attention, she couldn't let him have all the fun. When Sokka looked up to her, like asking for her permission, she pulled him up, and in a quick move, she placed him in the mattress again.
A louder moan escaped him when she kissed and lick him all over his chest. Just like he had done previously she left a trail of kisses all the way down. She gave him a mischievous look when she glanced at his erection. She wanted to play with him.
She caught his lips again with hers; she left out a groan when his thumbs rubbed the edge of breasts, Sokka kissed every inch of her exposed neck, but when he least expected she sneaked in her hand into his pants.
He stopped kissing her to look at her, shocked at her bold move. A smirk appeared in her lips and when her fingertips brushed against his length, his eyes when white. His breathing raised, and almost another moan came out of him when a knock on the door made them froze.
She covered his mouth like a reflex.
Then another knock.
"Princess, the Fire Lord, and Fire Lady have summoned you in their chamber." the voice of a servant said.
"Now?" she asked,
"Now, Princess." the servant affirmed.
"Damn it," she grunted, dropping her head on Sokka's chest.
"Princess?" the servant insisted after a few moments.
"I'm coming!" she shouted, rushing to pick up her shirt and throwing it on, "Sorry, I will be quick. Wait for me." she said, tying up quickly her shirt.
"All my life," he said before watching her leave the room leaving him alone.
...
Azula rushed to her parent's room as fast as she could, still feeling her legs a little shaky, and not wanting to make Sokka wait too long.
She knocked on the door of her parent's chamber, and a few seconds later she heard her mother's voice allowing her in.
"You called?" she asked walking in the room, her mother was seated in her dresser, and her father was reading a scroll in the bed.
"Yes, Azula" her father made a sign for her to get closer. "Tomorrow after breakfast, we are having a meeting in the throne room."
"About?" she raised an eyebrow.
"The project of Republic City," he said, "I want you and your brother to be by my side, and also…" he made a pause, "Do you remember those projects you proposed to me months ago? The reforms?"
"Yeah." Azula nodded, she had suggested a few changes in the school system and in the health care months ago.
"Do you think there is a way we can apply them to Republic City?"
She widened her eyes, "Well, I would need to do some notifications, but is possible." she affirmed.
"Perfect." he said, "You should go sleep now, I will need my best diplomat tomorrow at her best."
"Good night," she said to both of her parents.
"Azula, wait," her mother's voice called her making her turn, she scrutinized her daughter for a moment, "Is that a hickey?" Ursa inquired, looking at her daughter's neck."
"N-No." she denied covering with her hair sneakily.
...
Azula walked back towards her room slowly.
The remainder of the meeting recording Republic City brought her back to the reality.
Ten days.
Ten days is what they have left, only ten more days and it would be over. She had been a fool for letting things between them escalate so fast. She couldn't let it happen again, she couldn't lose control again like that.
"Ten days." she muttered, "And it's over."
Inside her room, it surprised her to find Sokka asleep when she returned. He seemed to sleep so pleasantly, so; she didn't bother in waking up, instead; she brushed a few loose hairs away of his face and snuggled next to him.
As soon as he felt her next to him, he welcomed her surrounding her with his arms.
"Ten days to love you," she whispered only for herself.
A/N:
ALL THREE FESTIVITIES ARE INVENTED
Lotus festival: I got inspo from the lantern festival with people celebrates in honor of bbudha.
And yeah, Toph had to eventually appear in the story.
Also I published a one shot (That can possibly turn in to a multi-chapter) named "Hunter" of course is Sokkla. And I hope for the next chapter update, I have another one ready to publish.