NEW YEARS FESTIVAL.
DAY 31
Her entire life, she had followed the rules. She had been the perfect example of a student, of a Princess, of a daughter and of a firebender. All her life she had always placed her head above her heart. Always listening to the reason and logic before letting her feelings overcome her senses and blur her judgment. Always hiding her feelings. Always controlling her impulses and desires.
But for once… She didn't.
Maybe listening to her heart, for once, wouldn't be that bad. Maybe doing something on impulse and irrational wasn't something bad.
She let her heart take full control of her mind and body. She let her impulses out and blur her judgment. She knew it wasn't the right thing, but still, for once, she let her heart guide her.
"Sokka!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Her heart racing like a drum. And her mind a little dizzy for all the overwhelming sensations that were drowning her.
He stopped his tracks instantly. He froze but didn't turn, afraid he might have imagined. But then, he hears it again. Azula call him.
Her voice. The voice he had missed so much the last three days was calling him.
He turned as he heard rushed steps behind him.
His mouth curled into a smile as soon as he saw her running towards him.
"Let's do it," said Azula, standing before him. "Let's do it. Twenty-four hours. One last date." she acceded with a little smile.
Sokka stood there flabbergasted, still processing it all. His eyes looking at her from head to toe like if it was the first time he was seeing her.
"But, that's it." she added, decisive.
She was letting her heart take the lead, but deep down, she knew she still needed to listen to her head. He needed to know that even though she was agreeing to this, her mind remained the same, and he still needed to leave.
"Okay," Sokka muttered, pleased, nodding frenetically. She had agreed. "Okay, let's do it." he said with a smile before entwining their fingers and heading out of the Palace.
"What do you want to do first, huh?" he asked her as they left the grounds of the Palace. "Do you want to go eat? Or do you wish to walk around just holding hands? Or do you want to go to see a play?" he asked, making proposals.
"Let's do all that." she replied with a smile.
He raised his eyebrows, agape. "All that?"
"Yes. I want us to do the things we would do any other day." she stated.
"All right." he agreed, "Then, let me think how we can make the most of today," he said, pondering with a hand under his chin, trying to come up with a schedule that would work for them, and would let them make the most of the time they had. He snapped his fingers. "I got it."
"What are we doing first, then?" she inquired, curiously.
Sokka smiled, mischievously. "Do you trust me?"
Azula made a grin. "Mmm… I do," she said with a smile. "Just for this one time." she clarified, making Sokka chuckle.
"It works for me." he said.
…
Hours later they were walking thru the streets on their way to the major theatre in Caldera City. Not a lot of places were open because people were getting ready for the New Year's Eve festival tonight.
They had walked along the river and even had sat in the grass for a moment. He took her to the swing where they had chatted about the most banal things they could come up with.
They even came up with a silly game of naming the odd things they had noticed of each other.
"You can't sleep with doors or windows open. And you tuck yourself under the covers, even if it's a warm night. I also noticed that you have an oddly light dream and you neither move nor snore at night," Sokka listed, "Oh, and you have an obsession with order and perfection." he added.
"It's called being organized!" she refuted, "Something you might learn something about." she pointed, remembering the mess his room was the last time she was there.
"Hey, in my mind, it's an organized mess, okay? You have your methods, I have mine," he said, as they stopped to buy ice cream at the same place, they had done it during Foundation Day. "Your turn."
"Mmm… Well, your drawing abilities are comparable to a child's one." she began, "Even though you are messy, you love schedules, -which, it's weird-. You are a heavy sleeper and drool on your sleep, but you don't snore -which, I truly appreciate-. And you are ambidextrous."
Sokka glance at her with a soft smile.
"What?" she quirked a brow.
"I didn't think you noticed." he said, passing her her ice cream.
"This…" she pointed with her eyes towards their entwined hands. "Gave you away. Whenever we were holding hands and you needed your prominent had to do something, -no matter what-, you will do it without a problem, and without letting me go." she said, giving him a bright smile.
He kissed her on the forehead.
"I would never let you go." he muttered, only for her to hear.
…
"Give me from yours." Sokka asked, leaning to lick her ice cream when they were close to the theater.
"Nop." Azula denied, stretching her hand, putting it out of his way.
"Come on." he begged, again.
"I don't want to." she replied.
"Azula, come on." he insisted, pouting. "You are almost done with it."
"And you just finished yours!" she remarked.
"Please…" he said, making puppy eyes.
The Princess rolled her eyes, annoyed. "Fine, fine." she offers him a little of her ice cream. And when he is about to lick it, she smudges a little bit on his face. "Oops…" she smiles, maliciously.
He whipped his face. "You little meanie." he complained amused, wrapping both of his arms around her head, and placing a kiss on her forehead.
"Sokka," she muttered with her face buried in his chest. "I can't breathe, savage."
Sokka placed one last kiss on her forehead, before entwining their fingers again. "Come on. I heard that for the festival, they are playing Love Among dragons." he said before heading to one of the little plazas, where they had staged a small stage.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they found some empty sits. He gives her a warm smile, before turning his attention to the stage when the play began.
Azula takes a little peek at his wrist. It empty. She couldn't help to feel a little saddening for the lack of the bracelet on it.
"This bracelet means that even lovers separated for some reason, they will go around and then will meet again finally and their feelings for each other will remain, as long as they use them." he had explained her.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, hoping that he would not notice the tears filling her eyes.
Even though she had returned hers to him, a little part of her still had hoped that he would hold to his, as if he was doing it for both of them.
The play ends when the Dragon Emperor and the Empress reunite and live happily ever after.
"My mom used to love that story so much, that every summer at the Ember Island, she would take us to see the play." she explained.
They were walking barefoot thru the seashore. Sand under them. And their shoes on one hand, while holding each other with the other one.
The water was warm as the waves brushed their feet. The sun was setting at the horizon, painting the water of an orange tone instead of the regular blue.
"But didn't you say that the Ember Island players were the worst?" he inquired.
"And they are." she affirmed, "Still, my mother loved the play either way. Right after the theater, we would have a walk like this thru the black sand on the Island. And at some point, Zuko and I would recreate the play, in a much more decent way."
"Really?" he raised his eyebrows. "I bet you made an amazing dragon empress." he complimented her.
"No." Azula denied, shaking her head, "I was actually the dragon emperor. Zuko was the empress." Sokka snickered when his imagination flew at the thought. "He would always get angry about it, but it was obvious I was a better dragon emperor than him."
"I beat he hated it."
"You beat right." she said.
"I knew it. You are amazing at everything," he said, warmly, "Amazing Princess, firebender, dragon emperor, and… overall amazing girlfriend."
Azula blushed at his flattery. "You are only saying that because you like me. But you are right in all that." she acknowledged, cockily. She sighed and a mischievous smile appeared on her face. "I wish I could say the same from you." she teased.
He huffed. "Oh, c'mon. You know that's a flat lie… Here. Feel my shirt." he pointed at the fabric. Azula raised an eyebrow but touched it, a little confused by his odd request. "Know what it's made of? Boyfriend material." he said.
"That's the worst pickup line." she said, shaking her head as a little laugh escaped from her lips.
He shrugged. "Still made you laugh." he replied, "And that's enough for me."
The Princess huffed. "Don't begin with your cheesiness," she warned him, walking ahead of him. "And your pickup lines are the worst."
"That's not true." he retorted, trailing behind her. "Just, listen; Do you have a name? Or can I call you mine?" he teased her, raising his eyebrows playfully.
"Stop it!" she complained, walking faster away from him.
"Are your parents bakers? Because you're a cutie pie!" he shouted, amused when she began racing away from him covering her ears with a smile on her face. "And I have more from where those came from!"
"I don't want to hear them." she said, shaking her head diverted, as he was trying to trap her in his arms.
"Why not? They are great!" he laughed, playfully, as he managed to wrap his arms around her.
They laughed as both stumbled and fell into the sand as Sokka keep throwing flirty quotes at her.
The Princess squealed when a wave splashed them fully. Splashing them completely.
"It's just too much mushiness." she wrinkled her nose childishly.
"Alright, alright." Sokka brushed one of her wet bangs behind her ears. "I will stop with the pickup lines." he smiled, cupping her face with his hands.
"Thanks, the spirits." Azula said, thankfully with a smile before Sokka learned to kiss her.
Their lips meet, with a little salty taste for the seawater that had swashed them. They feel warmth extending to every limp as they were wrapped around each other, not caring about their clothes getting all damped because it only them who matters.
A wave makes them split when it breaks near them and almost covers them.
Sokka stands up first, pulling her up with him and lifts her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She surrounded his waist with her legs and leans down to kiss him.
The way he kisses her made her heart race, and her blood rush increase ten times. A shiver runs down her back as his hands trail down her spine and down to her bottom, where he holds her firmly. A soft moan escapes from her lips when she feels him squeeze it.
"Perv." she muttered against his lips.
He smiles as he lowers her. "Only with you." he replied.
"Who would have thought a wet wolf would still look this handsome?" she mocks, brushing away a few strands of his hair that had felt from his hairstyle.
"I look handsome in every form, Princess." Sokka replied.
"Really?" she quirked a brow, before splashing him in the face with the salty water.
"Oh, so that is how is it going to be, huh?" he smirked, amused before splashing her back.
They laughed like little kids, having the best day of their lives.
And maybe it was, or maybe it wasn't. But if they were sure of something, it was that they were going to try to make the most of it. To keep it in their memory. To try and make it a day to remember and treasure in the memories for a long, long time.
…
They had returned to Caldera City a couple of hours ago. And as the citizens were getting ready for the midnight festival, the streets began to gain life.
They played in a few stands at different games. Sokka turned out to be extremely good at all the aiming one's making him win at each one of them. They had also seen a puppet show, and a small dance from the gisaengs.
"Ready?" Sokka asked her, as she was finishing writing her wish to glue to their floating lantern. It was almost midnight.
"Ready," she affirmed, "You?"
"Yes," he showed her his little piece of red parchment in his hand. "Let's go." he grabbed her hand as they reached the spot where the lanterns were being given out to the guests.
"There you go, boy." an old man handed to Sokka red lantern. "Enjoy the festival." he wished them, before continuing distributing the lanterns to the people.
The parchments that were handed out, were special for the occasion. they were red and on one of the sides, they had a little strip, that once you remove it, it had glue, for you to attach it to your lantern.
Each one glued their wish to one side of it.
"It's glued?" Azula inquired to Sokka.
"Yeap." he uttered, taking two corners of the lamp and extending it. "Would you mind?" he raised an eyebrow.
Using one finger, Azula ignited the fire in the little wick that would elevate the lantern to the sky. The fuse burned for a couple of seconds, before beginning to fill the inside of the lamp like a balloon with hot air.
The citizen began a countdown from ten. And when they got to cero, they all let go of their lamps as they began to float in the night sky, as a representation of the New Year's Eve.
"And there it goes." muttered Sokka, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "What did you wish?" he asked her.
"Oh, no. I'm not falling for that again. I'm not telling you this time." she said, glancing at him over her shoulder and sticking her tongue at him.
"Tch! Meanie."
The lamp slowly began to rise in the night sky, soon joined by thousands of them.
They followed theirs with their glance, as theirs was the only one with a blue flame. The lantern turned a little bit, and Azula was available to read Sokka's wish.
For Azula to be truly happy.
She wrapped her arms around Sokka's body tightly, leaning her head on her chest, listening to his heartbeat, and biting her lower lip. She was happy, but at the same time, her chest ached.
Then it moved slowly again, and hers appeared.
For Sokka to be truly happy.
He placed a kiss on the top of her head, before leaning his chin on it, and wrapped his arms from behind around her.
She wished they could stay like this forever, as their lantern got lost between the other ones. And once the lamps were high enough. The Fireworks began painting the night sky of colors.
"Happy new year, Azula." Sokka muttered.
It might not have been in reality New Year's Eve, but she understood the meaning. He wanted to say it now because he knew that when it really would be New Year's Eve, he would not be there to tell her.
She wiped a tear from a corner of her eye, regaining her composure. She took a deep breath and gulped hard. "Happy new year, Sokka." she said, caressing his arms around her body as they stared at the Fireworks.
DAY 31
"You do know that you don't have to do this, right?" Azula asked him as Sokka walked thru the streets with her on her back.
"Shush…" he shut her, "Just let me do this one… one last time, okay?" he said, sadly, looking at her over his shoulder.
She rested her chin on his shoulder. "Only, till the restaurant." she muttered, acceding.
"Fine. But stop complaining, alright?" he said, "After all, it was my idea."
"Alright. I will shut up." she said, wrapping her arms tightly around his shoulder.
"Don't. I love the sound of your voice." he told her, glancing at her.
Azula face blushed and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "And I like yours, even if it's squishy." she said, quizzically.
"Ushh... Evil woman." he grunted, "You know it's not squishy."
"It is. Manly man." the Princess mocked, as he lowered her in the front door of the restaurant. "But I like it." she said, tiptoeing to kiss him on the cheek.
He entwined their hands.
"Princess." an old lady greeted them in the door one second later, with a little bow at her presence.
"Oh, I remember you," Azula raised her eyebrows when she noticed the old woman. "You are that old lady who sold me the taiyaki during the first Water Tribe festival," she remembered, "Do you work here?" she inquired, politely.
"Yeah. It's my sister's place…" said the Lady, and her eyes glimpsed their hand entwined. She raised her eyebrows. "Oh, spirits! What did I tell you, huh? I told you, I could recognize young love!" she said, joyfully, "Our, Fire Lord finally found a suitable young man for our Princess. Thanks the spirits!" she clapped her hands together to the sky, thanking to the gods and the spirits.
Azula and Sokka shared a glance and a little smile.
"Gosh! Look at you both! He is so brawny and handsome. And our Princess, her beauty and brains… Spirits! You two would make the most gorgeous babies." she expressed, overly joyed.
Both of them blushed deeply.
"A-Actually, we…" Azula wanted to correct her, but Sokka cut her off, wrapping his arms around her a placing a kiss on her temple.
"They would be, right? Our babies would be the cutest." he said, affirmably.
"Definitely! The cutest!" the old woman replied, "What wonderful news! Princess, it's an honor to have you as always," she vowed, respectfully, "We would give you the best service for you two to enjoy your date. We are really proud to be the only restaurant in the Capital were your highness would eat outside of the Palace."
"Well, actually..."
"Yes, we are on a date." Sokka interrupted, nicely. Azula glanced at him, but she only got a bright smile from his part.
"Oh! Of course, follow me, please." said the woman, leading them inside the restaurant. "Are you two here to celebrate your engagement?" she inquired.
Both share a look before replying, awkwardly. "Kind of."
"I will give you one of the tables your family uses whenever you visit us, Princess," she said, taking them to the back part of the restaurant, under some curious glances. "Here you two would be available to have some privacy." she slipped the door of a small room, with one table in the middle. "Go, ahead."
"Thanks." they thanked her as they walked in.
"It's my treat." she winked an eye to them as she delivered them the menu.
"M'am... You can't treat us," Sokka refuted, "I invited the Princess here, so... it's my treat." he explained.
"Oh, next time then." the woman replied, waving a hand.
"There's not going to be a next time," said Azula, with a sad smile. "He is leaving Fire Nation. Tomorrow. And… We don't know if he is coming back." she muttered, looking away at the window.
"Yeah." Sokka affirmed with a bittersweet smile.
The woman's shoulders dropped. It was not a celebration. It was a farewell dinner. "T-That's... That's a shame…" she whispered, wanting to hide under a rock for being such unwise.
"M'am?" Sokka called her before she fully closed the door behind her. "Thanks." he muttered, and she gave them a little smile before she closed the door to give them privacy.
They remained in silence a couple of minutes, reading the menu, before a young girl knocked on the door, asking them if they were ready to order.
"... Some noodles," ordered Azula looking at the menu, "And side meat with some…"
"Ohhh, since when you know so well my likings?" Sokka teased her, resting his face on his arm, leaned on the table.
"It's for me." she replied, frowning.
"Oh…" he blinked a few times.
"Bring us that order, for two. He would have the same." the Princess said to the waitress girl.
"Right away, Princess." the girl said, finishing writing down, before leaving them alone again.
"Are you tired?" Azula asked him when she noticed him looking fixedly at her.
"Nop." he denied with a smile. "When I'm with you, I'm never tired." he reached for her hand over the table.
The Princess rolled her eyes. "Again, with the cheesiness." she mocked.
"Oh, shush… Let me enjoy it." he retorted, kissing her knuckles.
"Did you pack, already?" she inquired.
Sokka gulped. "Yeah, I already did. I wanted to spend until the last moment with you, so I did it prior."
"That's good." she muttered, biting the inside of her cheek to avoid tears clogging her eyes.
Around ten minutes later, the same girl returned with their dishes.
"Thanks." they both thanked the girl.
"By the way, the owners decided to close till dawn today," she said, "So, take your time and enjoy the meal."
And again, they were both left alone in the room.
"Woah…" Azula expressed when she tasted her food. It was as good as she remembered. "You have to try this pork, it's something else." she said, taking another bite.
Sokka smiled at her. "Every time I see you eat, I feel like the food just tastes ten times better." he assured her, lovingly.
"It's better when you eat it." she stated, taking another bite.
"Ok, then." he replied, digging into the same dish, and widening his eyes when he tasted it.
"So? It is good?" she asked, but she could already tell by his expression.
"Oh, my spirits! I could marry to this pork." said Sokka, taking another bite.
Azula smiled. "Here, have some more." she approached him more dishes. "You know…" she began as he stuffed his mouth. "Since I have been with you, I started to notice certain things." she told him, with her eyes on her plate.
He shallowed. "What do you mean?" he tilted his head.
She shrugged. "I started to notice things I didn't care about, before."
"You did?"
"Yeah," she muttered, clenching her fist. "Like... I didn't care about how a lot of things tasted. Which type of weather is best for a date? Whether…" her lower lip trembled, and her eyes got watery as a knot formed in her throat. "Whether, someone likes me or not. Or if the person who liked me was happy. Or if someone is thinking about me or missing me." a little sob escaped her lips. "I didn't care about any of those things. Until…" she gulped with difficulty. Her tears began streaming down her face.
She didn't want to look up to Sokka as she guessed just by looking at how white his knuckles were that he was fighting so hard to not break too.
"Until an idiot slapped my hand back while I was trying to reach a mochi." a sad smile appeared on her face remembering their first encounter. "That was when I… I realized that I started to care for a lot of things."
Sokka gulped, hard. "And now? Do you still care about that idiot?" he inquired, whimpering.
Azula nodded. "More than anything in the world," she admitted, whipping with a hand her tears. Yet, more still coming out. "But... it's for the best if we are apart. It's best for both of us. It's the right thing." she said once more, trying to convince herself.
"I get it, okay? I understand you," Sokka whispered, reaching again for her hand. "But I have something to ask you…" Azula raised her face, glancing at him. He didn't bother in wiping the tears. "Can you… Can you call me idiot, with one of those cocky expressions of you I really love?" he asked with a bittersweet smile. "Back when we first meet, you looked to dazzling. So arrogant with that royal manner so distinctive of you."
He remembered how when he had seen her across the room, standing next to Zuko, he had thought that she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. He had been a fool enough to not connect the dots of her being Zuko's sibling and thus the Princess. He had tried to find an excuse to talk to her, which ended backfiring on him as instead of a conversation they discussed.
And the next morning, he had found her even more hypnotizing. And now he could assure that following inside the Library had been the best decision he had ever taken.
They both wiped their tears from the faces taking deep breaths.
"Okay, if that's what you want…" she said with a brief smile.
"It is." he assured her, fighting the tears.
She looked at him in the eyes. Those beautiful blue eyes she loved.
"You are the smelliest, bad-mannered, gluten, and the stupidest savage I... have ever known." she insulted him with a broken voice.
Sokka side smiled. "And you are the most annoying, bossy, and terrifying girl I have ever meet." he retorted, with a wimp voice.
"Spirits, bless the poor naive girl that ends up with you."
"Spirits, bless the poor bastard that ends up with you." they said at the same time, failing to repress their silent tears.
"I bet... you would like to be." she muttered.
"In your dreams... Princess." he retorted, "Gods, I'm laughing so hard, I have tears in my eyes." said Sokka, covering his face to hide the tears.
"I think I have something in my eyes." the Princess said, whipping her face.
"Miss," Sokka slid the door slightly and called for their waitress. "Do you have any mochi?" he asked, and the girl nodded. "Can you bring us some?"
"Of course."
He glanced at Azula with a side smile. "I want to eat some mochi with you one last time. This is the best one in all the Fire Nation, isn't Princess?"
"Yeah." she nodded.
"Then, is perfect," he said, "It's perfect that this one gets to be my last mochi."
"What do you mean by that?" she inquired.
He gave her a warm, melancholic smile. "Do you think I would be available to keep eating mochi, when all I will remember is you and everything that we lived?"
…
The Sun was almost rising by the time they left the restaurant. They had been the last costumers to left. The owner had been kind enough to let them stay until they had believed wise to return.
"It was truly delicious. Just as you said it would be." said Sokka, as they walked back to the Palace. The streets were empty.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it." muttered Azula next to him. She gave him a little smile. One of the last ones. Sokka smiled back, as he entwined his finger with hers. "W-What are you doing?" she inquired.
"I want to and hold your hand." he replied, casually. It was probably the last time he was going to get a chance to do it.
"B-But…"
"One last time." he said, softly kissing her knuckles. "Just till your door."
Azula gave him a bittersweet smile but agreed, tightening his hand. "Just till the door," she repeated, softly, "But you can't come inside." she warned him.
Or I'm not going to be available to let you go, she thought.
"It wouldn't be the first time if I do…" he said, cheekily trying to ease the mood.
"Tsk!"
Sokka rolled his eyes with amusement. "Fine. But then, we should walk slowly." he said, taking slow steps.
"You are incorrigible." said Azula, with a side smile.
He shrugged. "It's part of my charm." he said, playfully.
"Charm, my ass." Azula spouted.
Sokka raised an eyebrow and took a quick peek. "It's a nice ass." he stated.
The Princess huffed. "It is!" she pointed, before doing the same he had done. "Yours it's not bad." she teased him.
"What are you talking about, woman?" he inquired, "It's the best damn ass in the entire Southern Tribe, you little perv." he mocked.
"You are the perv, savage!" she refuted.
"With you? Of course," he replied, the same way he had done it hours before. "You are the most dazzling girl I have ever meet, gorgeous. No one will ever top you." he said, placing his arm around her shoulders with their hands still entwined.
They walked a couple of minutes in silence before Sokka spoke again. "I never finished telling you the rest of my gran-gran story, did I?"
"Well, you said that your gran-gran and your grandfather loved each other till the end of his days." Azula recalled the story he had told him during the Gone But Not Forgotten Festival.
"They did." said Sokka, "But there's more."
The Princess raised her eyebrows. "There's more?"
"There's more." he affirmed, "Do you remember I told you she arrived to the south after escaping an arranged marriage?" she nodded, "The thing is, a few years ago some travelers from the Northern Tribe arrived at south. A few of them, amazing waterbender masters. And one of them…"
Azula's eyes widened. "Don't tell me that one of them was..."
"Yes." he nodded, "One of them was the man my gran-gran was supposed to marry."
"Really?"
"Yeah. His name is Pakku." he informed her, "Gran-gran and Pakku, -or how I like to call him grand-Pakku-," he snickered at his own joke, "After all this time, they reunited again."
"After all this time." Azula muttered.
She understood that the fact that Sokka was telling her his grandmother's story was a way of him to telling her, that if his gran-gran and her old love were available to reunite again after so many years, they had to hope they could also reunite again one day.
Maybe one day, they could, and they would get their happy ending. Maybe...
"My grandfather could have not been gran-gran last love, but she was his," said Sokka, as they entered thru the hallways of the Palace. "Just as I attempt to be yours. However long it takes." he muttered, lovingly.
The Princess eyes filled with tears. "Sokka," she whispered, turning to face him. "You are my first love," she affirmed, cupping his face with her hand. He kissed her palm. "But I'm not yours. And that's okay, because at least I will know that you will be available to move on. Because that's how life is."
Sokka reached to cup her face lovingly. "I don't care if you weren't my first love. All I care about is I was yours. And I don't care if I'm not your last love, but there is something I can assure you... You would be mine. You would be my last love." he said, before kissing her forehead.
"Sokka," she whispered, heartbroken.
"I love you." he wrapped his arms around her. Sokka hid his face in the vape of her neck. "I hate this." he muttered in her ear, "We weren't supposed to end like this. We were supposed to be together forever, in love. We were supposed to get married in secret in the middle of a lake. Swearing eternal love to each other."
A sad smile appeared in her lips. "That sounds beautiful," said Azula against his chest. "Let's do it in our next life." she looked up to him, tears running down his face.
"And in the next one. And the next one," he said. His forehead against hers. "And all the ones to come after that one."
"Alright. We will," she said with a little smile, between sobs. She wiped a tear from his cheek with her thumb. "My handsome savage." she muttered, "I'm going to miss you." she said before tiptoeing and pulling him from behind his neck to link their lips in one last loving kiss.
They tasted the salty flavor from their tears. This kiss wasn't urged like others. But it was just as intoxicating. It was sweet and loving.
…
"Did you have a pleasant time?" Sokka asked her when they were about to reach the hallway that lead to her room.
Azula gave him a bright smile. "The best. But still this day went to fast." she acknowledged.
"As fast as a blink of an eye," he muttered, crestfallen, knowing what it was about to come. The hardest part of all. He gulped hard. "Let's make a promise," he grabbed both of her hands between his. "We will spend every day of our next life together, okay?"
The Princess nodded. Her eyes were like shining crystals because of the tears. She pressed her lips in a smile. "It's a promise," she said, with her lower lip trembling. "You… You should go get ready."
"I will," he muttered, not moving a bit. "You should go inside." he forced himself to say.
"I will," the Princess replied, neither moving a bit. "Take care, okay?"
"Yeah. I will see you go." Sokka whispered.
Azula denied. "You go."
A little smiled escaped from his lips. As stubborn as always. "At the same time, then."
"Okay." she acceded, feeling her heart being ripped apart in pieces.
Already longing for him, and his love.
And like that, they both walked in opposite directions, with opposite destinations. They held each other hands until the distance split them apart and slip away, to never reunite them.
Neither looked back. Neither turned around one last time even though, their hearts told them otherwise. Because both knew that not doing it. It was the biggest act of love.
...
The Princess decided to skip the farewells, as she had had enough with them. She made an excuse for not going to Harbour City to see the guest depart. Instead, she stayed in the Palace, now empty.
For the first time in her life, she wished to start over. To turn back time. 31 one days to be precise. If she could turn back time, knowing what she knew today. She would go and would make everything possible to stop herself from meeting Sokka.
She would have retired from the Welcoming Feast early. She would have asked for her meals to be served in her room. She would have tried everything… If only she would have known how much pain it would cause them both. If she could stop everything and avoid breaking his heart, seeing him cry and in such a pain, she would have chosen… to not meet him. To never, ever meet him. And to not fall for him.
Knock. Knock.
Her heart jumped. Her first thought was that it might be Sokka, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Knowing that he was more likely at the port right now. Getting ready to embark.
"Yes?"
"Princess," it was a servant, "Lady Mai and Ty Lee had arrived and are waiting for your highness."
She frowned. Mai and Ty Lee? she hadn't summoned them, and it wasn't the day they had schedule their meetings.
Azula wasn't truly in the mood for visitors, but having her friends around might help her to distract her mind, even if it was for a while.
She opened the door abruptly, startling the servant. "Send them to the library. I will see them there." she instructed, before heading to said destination.
The Princess threw a little flame to the fireplace to light the room. Her eyes glanced around, and a feeling of melancholy hit her. Still, everything was in their place.
Except one thing.
The dragon lantern Sokka had gifted her.
She was totally sure she had shoved inside one of her drawers the last time she had been there. But right now, it was placed in the middle of her desk. Pointing at the door. And under it, it was her copy of Love Among Dragons.
She was positive that she hadn't left neither of them there. She removed the book from the desk when a piece of paper slid from the cover.
...
Sokka wiped the tears that came out of his eyes.
"Gods, I such a sadist," he said to himself, "Why would I come here from all possible places?" his eyes drifted back to the coffee table onto the paper burned.
He reached for the paper. He knew it was not right to invade her privacy, but he couldn't help it. He unfolded and recognized her perfect calligraphy. Clear and elegant. His heart skipped when he read the first line.
Sokka:
I don't know where to start. In fact, I don't even know why I'm writing this if you are never going to read it. But I guess I needed to let it out somehow… With my heart in my hand, I can tell you that my life will never be as happy as I was during the past month.
Your promise about making it work still rings in my head. But I know that the distance would become a dagger that would stick every second in my heart and would not let me breathe. You are not even gone and I can't stop myself from crying just by remembering you.
This month, I would forever keep it close to my heart.
Sokka, you will always be a part of my story, but I always knew that you will not be there in the future. That we simply have none together. I do not wish for you the same destiny I hold. And I told you once, you are a free soul while I'm caged, and will always be.
Right now, you might think that my choice was wrong. But I can assure you that eventually, you will think otherwise. When you began to travel with your sister and the Avatar. When you return to that ice pole of yours, -that you speak so dearly. When you see with your own eyes all those wonderful places, I can only imagine. When you meet a girl that can follow you around the world.
Your departure hurts so much that I would give everything I have in this life to be one more second with you, but that it's a privilege that not even a Princess like myself can have.
I say goodbye loving you and I want you to know that I will never stop thinking about you and hoping that you will find someone to make you happy.
If we ever meet again. This is what I will tell you... Thanks to you, now, I know the meaning of the words: I love you. I will love you always, my idiot savage.
Azula.
His tears smudged the letter. It was a goodbye letter to him. A letter that he was never meant to read. That he was never meant to find.
He folds it carefully and tucked into his pockets, before looking thru her drawers for a piece of paper.
...
My Princess:
I tried to write this at least a dozen times, trying to find the correct words to say. I guess I don't need to tell you that I found your letter.
If only a month ago, anyone would have told me the most beautiful girl in the world would fall for me - a nobody from the south- I would have laughed at their faces. I leave with a heartbroken. Hoping that in the future our paths cross again, so we can have the happy ending from our unfinished story.
This month felt like a dream. A wonderful and beautiful dream. But like every dream, it had to come to an end. And at the end of that long dream, I finally made a choice. That even if I go back in the past, even if I do for a hundred more times, I will still choose to meet you.
In the meantime, I leave you my bracelet, as a symbol that I'm leaving my heart here, in the Fire Nation, with you. With the hope that when the day we cross our paths, we can meet again and exchange them.
I will not give up on us. Not now, not ever. Because I know, that you are my happy ending, -even if you don't believe in them-. There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, I will always be in your heart.
I will hold you in my heart, until I can hold you in my arms again.
Forever yours
Your savage.
Her eyes read and read again the paper. Sokka had found her letter. He had read her letter.
She covered her mouth, fighting to repress a loud sob. Her tears were impossible too.
Azula opened the cover of her book with shaky hands. Her knees gave up under her weight. He had left her his bracelet.
"Even lovers separated for some reason, they will go around and then will meet again finally and their feelings for each other will remain, as long as they use them."
She had assumed he had removed it to throw it away or to destroy it, but he had actually left it there for her. And leaving his bracelet hadn't been the only thing he had done. He had also replaced the first fire carnation flower he had gifted her with a new one.
"Azula?" Ty Lee asked as she pushed the door open, followed by Mai. They had knocked and gotten no reply,
The room was illuminated, but it took them a second to find the Princess sat on the floor with her back towards them. They heard little sobs.
"Azula?" Mai muttered when she noticed her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably.
The reached slowly to the Princess, sharing a concerned glance. They had never seen her friend cry before. Both kneeled next to her. She was covering her face with her hands while holding a piece of paper wrinkled in her hand.
"Do you wish to be alone?" Mai asked in her softest voice possible, caressing the Princess' back.
Azula didn't reply, but shook her head, denying.
"I think you could use a sleepover," suggested Ty Lee getting a brief nod of affirmation from Mai, "Like the old times. Come on." she said, helping her friend stand and heading towards her room to try to help her friend place the broken piece of her heart back to their place.
…
He stood there, leaned on the railing of the deck, seeing the Fire Nation shrink as they sailed away. Back to the South Pole.
"Sokka, darling," the soft voice of his mother got his attention, "Ursa told me what happens. You know you count with mine and your father's support, right? That whatever choice you would have taken we would have still supported you."
"I know." Sokka mumbled, depressed.
Kya frowned, confused. "If you knew... Then why did you leave? Why did you leave her? Why you didn't stay?"
He sighed. "Because she didn't want me too," he replied, staring at the waves. "I was willing to give up everything I had. My life in the south, traveling... Everything… If she would have asked me to do it. I would have done it."
"I see," muttered his mother, "Sokka, answer me this… Do you love her?"
"Yes," he said in a bit. "More than anything. And a part of me always will. And... And I don't want to get over her… I want to be with her. But, also… there is a part of me that believes that I'm not good enough for her. That I don't deserve her. That she is a Princess who deserves so much more than..."
Kya smiled warmly at him. She cupped his face. "My sweet boy. Don't you see? She loves you just as much as you love her. And I'm sure that her decision of letting you go has been the hardest choice she had ever made."
"What?"
"She made the choice of letting you go. She chose your happiness above hers." said his mother, "She knew that you would have stayed there for her. But she didn't want you because she must have been afraid that that would make you miserable."
His eyes filled with tears. "I wouldn't have been miserable… I wouldn't… I wouldn't, because… because I would have been with her. I should have… I should have stayed… I should have proven to her that."
"Oh, my boy." she said, wrapping her arms around his son, comforting him.
"She did it for me. She did… I should have known when she stared at me with her big golden eyes that were glistering from the tears… Even from where I was standing, I swear the cracks in her heart we visible through her eyes… She was being unselfish... I love her… I do love her." he rambled, holding tight to his mother embrace, "Mom, when I was holding her, I knew I didn't want to let her go."
But he had done it. He had let her go.
…
Two days later.
"Mom," the Princess muttered, "Why does it hurt so much? When it would stop hurting?" she asked. Even after two days, her chest was still aching. Ao was curled up next to her. He had tried to cheer her up the last couple of days, but nothing seemed to work.
Ursa gave a warm smile to her daughter, stroking her hair. "Because what you had was real." she said, "So, feel it. Suffer and cry, so you will know it was real…. And eventually, you will let it go."
"But I don't want to let it go." she replied, glancing at the blue bracelet on her wrist. "I don't want to."
A/N:
Here it is, the last chapter! We still have the Epilogue to go, but that it, one more update and we are done with this story. Gosh! I can't stop thanking you guys enough. I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. But the best, it's yet to come... The Light that Left Your Eyes, would be uploaded along side with the epilogue and you can wait for weekly updates!