A/N: I can't resist Sozula so this chapter is strictly Sozula. Also, if you don't like Sozula, then you don't have to read it to understand the Taang plot line. I was going to wait for more reviews, but after seeing the cover of the first DVD of season 3, I've decided to post this now. Have you guys seen the cover? Go to Avatar Spirit now if not!

Warnings: Pre-marital (implied) sex and mild sexual content.

Heaven, Earth, and Hell

"You know that when I hate you, it is because I love you to a point of passion that unhinges my soul." Julie de Lespinasse

"I hate everything about you; why do I love you; you hate everything about me; why do you love me?"--Everything About You, Three Days Grace

"There is a thin line between love and hate."---Unknown

"I too have been kissed lately!" the obnoxious boomerang boy yelled out to his friends, after they teased him about not having a kiss in a long time.

"By who? Gran Gran?" his sister mocked. The table was soon greeted by Katara and Sokka's grandmother, asking why they were talking about her.

Suddenly, so anyone around the table could hear, Sokka yelled, "I have a girlfriend!"

"Sure you do Sokka. It's nice to dream," Katara mocked her brother. After all, if he did have a girlfriend why didn't he bring her to the party? Azula only rolled her eyes--annoyed at the loud mouthed "warrior" and focused her attention back at her chatting friends. They were convincing the princess to have some fun.

"Fun? At Zuzu's anniversary?" she reminded them. Her brother was dull and there was nothing to celebrate. After all, Iroh was Fire Lord and Zuko was his heir. Katara was his wife. That woman would be soverign before her, and despite Azula's apathy to rule--it was slightly insulting to have a peasant-born woman rule hernation before the princess herself. Where and when did that happen after all?

"So Ty Lee do you have a boyfriend?" Azula averted the attention to her friend.

Ty Lee blushed and smiled, "Maybe."

"Don't tell me it's that jokester over there," Mai remarked, pointing at Sokka.

"No..." Ty Lee beamed. "It's not."

"My my who is it?" Azula asked.

"Don't worry guys, you'll meet him soon."

Azula looked at Mai, "And how about you Mai?" Before the noble lady could answer the princess, someone interrupted them.

"Excuse me miss, would you care to dance?" he was quite handsome. Azula somewhat recalled seeing him at balls when she was a child. She looked at her friend to see her looking into the man's eyes. And was that a hint of a blush from her pale cheeks?

Azula smirked, "She would love to." Unexpectedly, Mai did not argue with the princess and accepted.

"Well now she's going to have one," Ty Lee beamed.

"She can't wait for my brother forever after all," Azula sipped her beverage.

Azula stayed for a little while before going off to retire to her chambers. The party had been dull. She was asked by a couple of people to dance and she accepted little of them. There was nothing interesting anymore in the Fire Nation to Azula. The princess entered her room and closed the adjoined doors and turned around swiftly, "You're getting good at that," and then glared at her intruder angrily, "now what the hell are you doing here?!"

"Now is that any way to greet someone you haven't seen in a long time?"

"No. It's how I greet a peasant," she hissed and walked over to him. He smirked at her.

"And this is how I greet a princess," he leaned down and wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her closer to him and kissed her. She returned the kiss shortly before pulling away and arching her brow.

"All princesses?" she questioned him sternly.

"No only you. You're my only princess," he answered her—mentally kicking himself for sounding corny. Azula pulled herself away from Sokka and walked toward her vanity table and sat down on her chair, combing her hair. Speaking of her station, Sokka realized she wasn't wearing something she was very proud of. "Why aren't you wearing your crest or crown or whatever it's called?"

"Because I am no longer part of this family," she answered him bitterly. Iroh and Zuko treated her well enough, in his opinion. Though he did notice that she was never allowed certain things that a princess should have. Like privacy. Maybe they were worried that she would over throw them or something. In short, they were still civil to one another. Regardless, Sokka could see that Iroh and Zuko observed Azula as if she was up to something every minute. Maybe one day he could help them reconcile but then again, the Fire Nation family was a complicated situation. He couldn't say or do anything to ease her so instead, her kissed her cheek. It had been so long since they've been together.

Azula missed his lips on her. He kissed her on the neck, the check, her temple, and lips. Despite being a native of the Water Tribe, he knew how to ignite a flame within her.

It was strange. They never expected this to happen. It wasn't planned at all. It started a few years ago when Sokka came to palace, along with the others, to help the Fire Nation rebuild. Azula ran away from her guards, hoping to get some privacy―or at least action in being chased when she ran into Sokka. It was very unpleasant, they've met and talked several times before―always fighting. This meeting was no different, soon after they started fighting until they found themselves against the wall kissing each other.

Neither one of them can remember who started it.

All they can remember were blames and sharp tongues leading to a fiery kiss. Gradually those stolen and fiery kisses became more. Their love making couldn't really be called tender or sweet or even love making; it was raw and unbridled. They hated each other, and did not hold back in letting the other know. Neither one cared though. Nothing changed except for they had sex. They still fought and took out their anger on each other through verbal means. Sometimes they would even spar. Though somehow, somewhere along the way...it became so much more. It became more than passionate nights and hurtful words. Even though neither have admitted it, they both knew something had changed.

They felt something for each other. They actually began to care for one another. One night when they were both really wasted on sake, they told each other they loved the other. Of course, it could've also been taken as a joke because of how they said it. They were drunk. Little did people know, words weren't needed when it came to Sokka and Azula. Sometimes, words were useless and meaningless--like Azula's for example.

Sokka led her to her gigantic bed and started to tear off her clothing. Azula chuckled, "My you're in a rush...more than usual."

"I'm surprised you're not," Sokka muttered as he nibbled her ear meanwhile trying to undo the back of her dress.

"It's only been a month and a half ago," she reminded him as she ran her slender fingers through his hair, after taking it out of the "warrior's wolf-tail" he was so proud of.

"That's a long time for me," Sokka replied as he marked her pale neck.

"Poor thing. You must've been deprived of pleasure," Azula laughed as she undressed him as well. "No women on your journeys to ease your hunger?"

"None. They wouldn't satisfy me like the way you do," Sokka told her as he captured her mouth with his. He was still trying to shed her of her dress. "Don't you ever get hot?"

"Not like this," Azula breathed as she succeeded in removing his shirt.

Sokka chuckled, as he lavished her collarbone. "I mean seriously. The Fire Nation has warm weather. You'd think your clothes would be lighter than the rest of world's. Especially with firebenders."

"Do you need help?" Azula offered as she realized he was having a hard time undressing her.

"No," he answered stubbornly.

"Do you want me to wear less next time?" the princess smirked.

"Depends. Private or public? I don't want another guy looking at you."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"But it's okay for the other ladies to look at you?"

"...Uh no..." There had been ladies looking? When? Where?

"Really?" she challenged with a smirk, bringing him to look at her in the eye.

"Yeah..." he wondered where she was getting at. He felt like he was being set in a trap, and if he wasn't careful he would fall for it--and there is nothing in the world that you would want to do, to fall for Princess Azula's traps.

"So who's this girlfriend of yours? I'm certainly not your girlfriend," Azula explained to Sokka's relief.

"So what do you call this?" Sokka asked, looking into her golden eyes with his blue ones.

"Sex," she answered bluntly and honestly.

He laughed as he caressed her ear gently with his teeth. "Oh...is that what you call this. But what do you call us? Lovers?"

"Sokka can you just shut up and take me?"

"As you wish Your Highness."

Several hours later...

The two were on the bed panting, after their love making sessions. Sokka gazed at his lover and smiled, "Azula?"

"Hm?"

"While I was gone...I've been doing a lot of thinking."

"That can't be too good---"

"Hey! I'm being serious over here. Besides you know I'm smart," he flashed her a cocky grin. Azula did have to admit he was, especially in science, but she wasn't about to tell him that. The warrior continued, "And I've realized something. I hate being away from you."

"I think you're ill," she told her lover.

"I find myself constantly thinking about you, even though I know I shouldn't. Even though I know this wasn't really supposed to go anywhere," he continued, ignoring her remark.

"It wasn't even supposed to begin."

"But it did. And you know what? I'm glad that it did happen. I love you," he told her firmly. "Azula I want you to marry me."

"What?" she sat up and tugged on the blanket to cover herself.

"Will you marry me?"

"Have you gone nuts? Are you insane? Dear gods I think you are ill Sokka."

"Will you marry me?" he repeated.

"No!" she told him defiantly.

"Why not?" he asked. "I know you want to."

"You don't know me, so don't assume you know how I feel," she retaliated.

"Come on Azula. You know that I know you more than anyone else. Why don't you want to marry me?"

"Have your forgotten that you and I are from two very different and opposite worlds?"

"No but I know we can get over that. I mean you and I survived the war and its aftermath--we're strong. And you know you're strong," he reminded her warmly and sweetly.

"Have you forgotten that my people murdered your mother? Have you forgotten that you and your friends along with my so-called 'family' murdered my father?!" she raised her voice, not caring that guards outside her chambers might have heard. That is if any guards were still posted there. The firebending prodigy was absolutely shocked that the man beside her would even suggest a thing such as marriage between the two of them. He was right though, he did know her and she knew him—therefore she knew which buttons to press to make him feel whatever she wanted him to feel, thus bringing up his mother and her father.

"...I know that Azula. I haven't forgotten. How could I?" he told her truthfully and still his voice was soft, just a bit more quiet. "But it wasn't you who killed my mother--"

"It was my grandfather who ordered those men to raid your village. Indirectly I'm responsible. Doesn't that bother you?!" she pressed.

"Indirectly your grandfather is responsible. He didn't literally go out there and kill my people during the raid. It was the soldiers."

"My grandfather was family--my grandfather is blood," she told him proudly. Sure the old man's strength waned when he aged, but he was still a great ruler once. "Beside what would my father say if he were here? I'd shame him by marrying someone who wanted and aided his death."

"If you truly held a grudge against me for that Azula, then this would've never started. You wouldn't let me get this close," he told her, looking at her in the eye relentlessly, causing chills to run through Azula's body.

"Well maybe I hadn't meant for you to get this close!" it was slightly true, but only slightly. After all it's not she planned on letting him this close to her--it just happened. However, why hadn't she stopped him and herself, when she realized that he had gotten close to her? So close that he knew her in and out. Sure she fought him (especially after realizing he was close to her), but she gave in so easily that it wasn't like her.

"So why did you?! I'll tell you why--because you love me! Because you love me as much as I love you!"

"How long have you felt this way Sokka? Because if you just realized that you love me then shouldn't you wait and see if this is real or if it's just an infatuation that will soon go away?" she pointed out to him. Feelings of infatuation come and go quickly, after all. When he tired of her, he would leave.

"I've loved you for a while now Azula, and I know it's the same for you," he told her. "Now marry me. Say you'll marry."

"No," she did not relent. She did love him, she wasn't lying that night when she first told him she loved him and vise versa after they had too much to drink. She wasn't just saying that because Sokka said it to her, too and decided to tell him also, so he didn't feel stupid for saying it. She meant those words--more than anything she had said before--as much as he meant his.

"Why?" he finally lost his patience and demanded to know her reasons.

"I'm pregnant."

Sokka's eyes widened and then smiled, "Wow. Well that was fast. I must be really good. I mean we just finished--"

"Sokka!" she yelled.

"Okay. Sorry love. When did you find out?"

"Few weeks ago," she answered quietly, the term of endearment did not go unnoticed by her ears.

"Well that's great!" he said happily, but Azula disrupted his fun when she told him.

"It's not yours," she bit out.

Sokka was taken back, confused and maybe even hurt. However, he surprisingly answered, "Why would you think that mattered to me?"

Azula looked at him with shock eyes and then yelled, "What the hell is the matter with you?! Have you become blind?! You're an idiot!" Sokka grabbed her arm, pulled her closer to him, pinned her on the bed, and ravished her lips.

"Why would you say that? Do you think that if the child wasn't mine, I would change my mind about marrying you?" he asked softly and lovingly.

Yes.

"No!" she answered defensively.

"I mean it's not like you love another do you?"

"And what if I do?" she wasn't making it easy for him. The answer to his question was obvious though, he'd fight for her.

"Azula damn it answer the question," he told her tiredly.

"No," she told him truthfully.

"Then there's no problem. I still want to marry you," he told her firmly. "I'll love the child and treat it as if it were my own." He meant those words with all his heart. If he wasn't the father, then he would be the child's dad.

"What?" Azula couldn't believe him. He was either really stupid, or really kind hearted.

"But...I know you haven't been with anyone but me. So I know the child can't be anyone else's but mine."

"How would you know? You haven't been here for a month."

"Come on. Not just anyone can touch you. You wouldn't allow it," he told her with a smirk. It was all true. She'd burn them before allowing another touch a hair on her head. Azula wondered how suddenly this man was able to read her like an open scroll. Sokka didn't say it, but they both knew if anyone did touch her save himself--he'd probably kill the guy (if she hadn't already). Just thinking about another with Azula made Sokka's blood boil.

"Azula I know we have a lot of working out to do. But I'm willing to do that--I'm willing to put my all into that. I want this to work. I know that my mother and your father's death are big reasons, but like I said, I wanna work through that. Besides my sister and your brother was able to work it out."

"Because he switched to your side in the middle of the war, betraying me and my father. There is a big difference."

"Azula you and I are different people and yet we were able to come together. There's nothing you can say or do, that will make me change my mind because I know you feel the same way about me." He gave her a sweet smile, caressing her cheek.

Azula smirked, "You do know that Zuko--the guy you're not fond of---is my brother right?"

"Yeah..."

"You do realize that if you marry me, you'll be related to Zuko in more than one way."

"Haven't thought of that," he told her. She really was trying to ruin his fun. He shrugged, "Oh well. Katara kinda started that anyway..."

"Now we just gotta tell Zuzu. I wonder how he'll react." Sokka beamed with joy, she had accepted his proposal and they were going to get married. Though the words she told him brought him back to reality, turning his smile upside down.

"Aaaww I really haven't thought about the aftermath. Damn it."

"Wanna back out?" she dared him.

"No. Never," he kissed her again as Azula embraced him tightly. They were both very happy and excited about starting a new life with one another.

"So when and how are you gonna tell him?"

"What?! Why me?! Me alone!? Why!?" his voice started to squeak. He could see it now, Zuko burning him while he had nothing to defend himself with.

"Of course. After you proposed to me like the way you did. What am I supposed to tell the others? What if our child asks how its father proposed to his mother, what am I supposed to say? I mean where's the jewelry? Where's my necklace?"

"Ah. That. Well you see...I had thought about proposing the Fire Nation way, cuz it's only fair since Zuko proposed to Katara the Water Tribe way."

And...? "Sokka do you even know how to propose the Fire Nation way?"

"No...and that's why it turned out the way it did. Heh heh. So you gonna tell me? Or do I have to get it out of your relatives?"

"Relatives. If you're lucky. You might have to ask the servants. They might not be so willing to tell you, after you tell them why you need the information."

"Wow you guys are strict."

"Get used to it," she told him with a grin. He chuckled as he began to kiss her again. "Hey Sokka?"

"Hmm?"

"The baby is yours," she knew that he knew, but she didn't want there to be a doubt in his mind about it. He'd been right all along, with everything he said tonight. There had been no one else but him. There will be no one but him. It was the same for Sokka. After all it had better be, or Azula would ensure he didn't live to see the next day.

"I know," he smiled warmly as they made love for the first time.

A/N: I love lemons and limes. They're enjoyable to read, but writing them is another thing. I finally know how a fellow author must have felt. It is hard. T.T Sorry this chapter was short, it was only 9 pages while the previous one was 16. I tried my best, but I didn't want to drag it out; and I still had a hard time with this because there were things I wanted to add, but I had to make it flow.

Please review.