Chapter 5: A Relationship Built on Secrets

Suki sprang up from her mattress at the creak of her cell door opening. "Is it go time?"

"Not exactly," Sokka muttered. "There's been a slight… interference with our plan."

"And what would that be exactly?" she questioned, overly enunciating her words and making unusually intense eye contact.

He was too distracted with his own thoughts to notice her odd behavior. "Well, you see…" He shuffled his feet awkwardly. "Why is this so difficult? Just tell her about Azula for crying out loud. Well… maybe not the cuddling part…"

"Sokka, you're scaring me. What's going on?"

"New arrivals are coming in tomorrow morning. Including war prisoners." He racked his brain trying to figure out why he couldn't tell her about the princess. "My dad may be one of them."

"Your dad?"

"I hope you understand."

"Of course I do!" She sounded relieved. "We have to stay and find out."

"Thank you." He pulled her in for a hug. "You're the best."

"Don't you forget it," she threatened flirtatiously before leaning in and kissing him on the lips.

He deepened the kiss, pulling her closer against him.

"You know…" she breathed, "…since we're going to stay an extra night anyway… we may as well spend it together."

"I'd, uh, like that. I really would!" he squeaked, his voice cracking a bit. "I… just don't think that would be a good idea. We can't risk getting caught." He couldn't believe he was turning down a night with Suki to try to comfort an unstable firebending prodigy.

"You're right," she sighed with disappointment before placing her hands on his shoulders and turning him to the door.

"Oh, so now you're kicking me out?" he chuckled.

"You'd better go before I change my mind and hold you hostage."

"Maybe we can try that later," he said suggestively.

She turned him back around. "Good night, Sokka."

"Good night." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips before exiting her cell and heading to the guards' cabin for some supplies. Eventually, he made his way back to Azula's cell.

"You… came back."

Her voice was soft, but he could tell she was genuinely surprised at his return. "I promised I would, didn't I?"

She didn't respond – she just regarded him warily as he stepped closer to her.

He couldn't blame her for being distrustful. Not after what her supposed friends did to her. "I brought you some food. And, uhhhh, some clothes." A tad red in the face, he set down a folded-up prison uniform, on top of which were a bowl of rice and some chopsticks, on her mattress.

She sat up, holding the blanket up to cover her chest. "Turn around."

"Huh?"

"So I can get dressed."

"Oh. Of course." He obeyed. Though somewhat funny considering he had already seen her in her underwear, he didn't find the command surprising. "Just a heads up… the food probably isn't up to your standards. The kitchen isn't serving anything at this hour, so I couldn't even get you any meat."

"It's fine." She sat back down on her mattress, her back perfectly straight and her legs crossed lotus style. "You can turn around now." Even though she was starving, she ate slowly, in a dignified manner.

He couldn't believe how refined she looked considering the hell she had just been through. "So… any visits from your mom while I was gone?"

"Yes, she stopped by for a bit."

"What did she say?"

"Not too much this time," she answered between bites. "Only that you weren't coming back. Oh, and that you're a foolish boy for helping me."

"Well, she was wrong about at least one of those things," he smiled. He could have sworn he saw the slightest lift of her cheeks. After she finished her rice, he pulled an apple out of his pocket and sat down on her mattress. "Just in case you're still hungry." He extended his arm, offering her the red fruit.

She reached for it, touching her hand to his.

Their eyes locked.

He couldn't figure out why her touch rendered him breathless.

"Wh… why are you being so nice to me?" she exhaled almost inaudibly.

"I don't know, Azula – "

"It doesn't make any sense."

"Perhaps I'm just a kind, caring, devastatingly handsome, magnanimous person," he teased.

She shot him an incredulous stare.

"You could just say 'thank you', you know."

She smiled softly. "Thank you, Sokka."

Again she spoke his name, and again he was hypnotized.

Realizing she was still touching his hand, she took the fruit from him, blushing.

He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she ate the apple. Her mouth on the red fruit. The juice on her lips. Why was his heart beating so quickly? Why was he even looking at her in this way? "It's because I was just kissing Suki," he tried to reason.

After she was finished, she placed the core in the empty rice bowl and carried her trash to the wall by the door.

He found it amusing and endearing that even in a prison cell she would attempt to keep her room tidy. "Well, if you don't need anything else from me, I guess I should be going." He crossed to the door.

"Sokka wait." She paused. "Would you…" Another pause. "Oh, never mind."

"Azula… do you… want me to stay?" He was thankful his back was toward her so she couldn't read his panic.

She took a deep breath. "Mother doesn't seem to visit me while you're here."

"Well…" He sighed. "Do this for Zuko, do this for Zuko," he thought to himself."Okay then." With his back still turned to her, he stripped off the outermost layer of his guard uniform.

Without saying another word, they crawled under the blanket together.

Alas he found himself, not in Suki's bed, but the firebender's. And although they were not having the kind of fun he and the Kyoshi warrior surely would have been having, he was surprised to find he was enjoying the princess's company just as much.