Zuko and Suki were kissing in his office.
"To think, we'll be married in three days," she said happily.
"I can't wait," he answered as he kissed her back.
"Sparky, Fan Girl, are you two sucking face?"
Suki frowned as she broke the kiss. "Toph, did you have a nice flight?"
"Yeah it's hard to complain when they'll bring you as much food and whiskey as you want."
When Azula and Sokka got to Zuko's office, Toph and Suki were in it. It was Suki's first time seeing Sokka and months and he looked different. He had on very nice clothes. He had a new haircut and his beard was shorter. He actually looked pretty good, not that she wanted him back.
"Zappy, Snoozles, what's going on?" Toph questioned.
"We wanted to have an audience with my brother."
"Oh I can't miss this!"
"Miss what?" Suki questioned.
"Well," Azula started, "Sokka is my date to the wedding … and he's my boyfriend."
Suki laughed out loud. "That's a good one Azula."
"I'm not teasing. He's my Caveman, and I'm his Firefly."
"That's disgustingly cute," Toph told them again.
Zuko looked at her. "I'm not going to fall for this. This is like that time you convinced me that Mai was leaving me for you."
"Well, that was funny," Azula told him, "but I wouldn't do this with Mai." She grabbed Sokka's collar with both hands and kissed him hard on the mouth. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to his body as he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and he pressed her into the doorframe. She arched her back and moaned.
Zuko's jaw dropped. Suki's eyes bugged out of her head, and Toph snickered as Sokka's hands made it onto Azula's butt.
"That's enough," Zuko told her. They kept kissing. It wasn't until he threw a fireball at them that they finally stopped.
"Anyway, we thought we should tell you in person instead of over a letter, and well, that's it I guess."
Zuko panted. "How?"
"Well, I saw him at a bar. I thought he was cute, but I didn't recognize him. When I got my drink, he recognized me and we started talking. The rest was history."
"She stole my heart when I wasn't even looking."
She pecked his lips.
"Stop doing that!" Suki yelled.
"Tell me you're not jealous. It's been two years, and you're about to marry another man."
"AZULA!" Zuko hissed. "Don't start."
"What? Sokka came all the way here for you. He's your best man for spirits' sake. Why should he have to be alone?"
"He shouldn't, but that doesn't mean you two need to slobber all over each other all day."
"Oh she doesn't slobber," Sokka told him.
Zuko threw a fireball at him. Azula returned it to her brother's desk.
"My papers!" he complained. She burnt up some of them.
"Didn't you know not to throw fire indoors?"
"Get out of my office."
"Gladly. Let's go Caveman!"
She led him by the tie and took him out.
"Oh if I weren't blind," Toph said, "I would have been able to see the looks on your faces, but hearing your reactions was still pretty good!"
"This is quite possibly the worst relationship in world history," Zuko said. Who knows what shenanigans those two will get into?
"She's doing this to get back at me," Suki insisted. "She hated that you proposed, and that I'm going to be Fire Lady, so she's dating Sokka to make me angry."
Zuko hoped that wasn't true, but it did sound like her to use Sokka like that.
"I don't think so," Toph told her. "I was surprised when I saw them together, but they've been pretty happy, and I don't think she was faking it when she screamed half the night last night."
"What?" Zuko yelled.
"Yeah, he was dishing it to her good."
Zuko was ready to puke. Sokka is fucking his sister!
"And he said she likes to take the lead instead of just lying on her back." She looked at Suki.
"Why are you looking at me?"
"No reason Fan Girl, no reason at all."
The lovers held hands as they went outside to the garden. "How about we get some food out here?" she suggested.
"Perfect," Sokka pecked her. He was so happy. Azula rang the bell and ordered lunch and hard lemonade.
"I love that your tolerance matches mine!"
"Isn't it fun that way?"
Ursa and Kiyi went out to the garden. She wasn't expecting to see Sokka and Azula there together. She always avoided the garden before, unless she wanted something to burn.
Azula picked up a taro puff and fed it to Sokka.
"These are so good."
"Oh we should get dim sum before the wedding. There's a place that makes the best taro puffs, and it's cheap, so you can just keep eating and not care."
"Have I told you that I love you yet?"
"No," she laughed. "Don't you think it's a little fast?"
"Don't care. I love you," he kissed her before she could respond.
Ursa worried that Azula would never let anyone into her heart. Somehow, Sokka found the key.
At dinner, they continued to be annoyingly cute, using their nicknames for each other and even feeding each other at times.
Zuko slammed his fist on the table. "I demand that you cease this OOGIE inducing behavior immediately!"
"What's an oogie?" Azula questioned.
"It's when you're so lovey-dovey that you're going to make the people around you throw up," Sokka told her.
"Oh, I didn't know there was a word for that."
"I coined it."
"Well, Zuko's caused enough oogies in my lifetime, so I don't feel bad at all." Azula pecked his lips. "I could do that all day."
"Would you just quit it?" Suki demanded. "It's obvious you're using him to make me miserable."
"Have you always been this conceited or is this a consequence of getting a crown on your head?"
"Azula, I don't think you should," Iroh started.
"I shouldn't what, confront her when she's being rude, self-centered or 100% wrong? I like Sokka, a lot and I don't care what she has to say about it. Maybe she should focus on her own relationship instead of assuming everything's a conspiracy theory."
"Zappy's throwing shade!" Toph declared.
"What's throwing shade?" Satoru questioned.
"It's when you diss someone, and you just don't care what they do back."
"So what you do all the time?"
"Kind of, but I don't always mean to insult people. They are just too sensitive sometimes."
"I see."
"No throwing shade at my fiancée!"
"Then tell her to shut her big mouth!"
"I WILL NOT!"
"Your yelling is unbecoming. If you want to argue, argue like a lady," Ursa told her.
"I CAN'T STAND THIS!" She ran off.
"Is she on the rag?" Toph questioned.
Azula managed to refrain from laughing.
"She's always like that," Sokka said, although she could be on the rag.
"She is not!" Zuko insisted.
"Really. I've seen her throw a good number of temper tantrums in my day and they can come at any time: during dinner, after sex, at the …."
"Do not talk about sex with my fiancée!"
"He doesn't like admitting that she's sloppy seconds," Azula whispered into his ear.
Sokka laughed loudly. "Whoa!"
"Stop laughing! And stop whispering!"
"What?" Satoru questioned. "How is that fair?"
"FAIR! All I wanted was for Azula to go to Republic City and sign one stupid contract. She comes back with the perfect boyfriend to ruin my wedding, and you want to talk about fair?" He stormed off.
"Azula," Ursa chided.
"What? I like him. Why shouldn't we date because Suki's oversensitive and Zuko will never, ever, ever be happy? He was born to be miserable."
"He does do miserable really well," Satoru commented.
Everyone looked at him.
"What? Does he not always look kind of sad to you?"
"I'm surprised you're talking this much," Toph told him. "You're usually only chatty after sex."
Ursa gasped.
"I guess it was my nap, or whatever it was they put in that lemonade."
"Ahh, booze!"
"Was it spiked?"
"My lemonade is always spiked," Azula told him.
"I knew you were a good woman," Toph told Azula.
"You're not too bad your self."
Zuko went to find Suki. She was staring at the wall. "I can't believe I let her get the best of me again."
After she got out of Boiling Rock, she promised herself that Azula would never get the upper hand on it again, but she did it. She had Sokka wrapped around her crooked little finger and Suki looked like the crazy one, the jealous one.
"I lost it too, and it wasn't even her at the end of it. Toph and Satoru are not helping."
"But they are as they always are. It's your sister that's the problem."
"I can't forbid them from dating. Sokka will only chase after her more."
"But can you at least talk to him. It will sound like jealously coming from me."
"And it won't sound very good from me either. He'll just think I'm the big brother who doesn't want him defiling his sister."
"EW!"
"Tell me about it."
"Do you think she likes him?"
Zuko shrugged. "I've never known her to have a boyfriend before. I wasn't even sure if she went that way to be honest."
"Do you think it's all an act?"
"I didn't think Sokka was acting. He looked like he was in love."
"Oh perish the thought," Suki wept.
"Maybe I should talk to him," Zuko said.
"Maybe we should talk to them," Ursa said to Iroh.
"Do you mean Zuko and Suki or Sokka and Azula?"
"I meant Sokka and Azula, but I guess we should talk to Zuko and Suki too. We can't have them yelling like that at the wedding."
Iroh agreed. "We should learn more about Sokka and Azula's relationship."
After dinner, Sokka and Azula were kissing on her pavilion. "I love kissing you," she told him as she pulled him to her mouth. She hadn't had much experience kissing. She had played a few games at parties, but she wouldn't go any further than that.
Not many things stuck from her princess training, but one of them was not giving up the goods unless you could handle marrying him if you got pregnant, and none of those guys seemed like they could survive a month of Azula, much less the seven years you needed for your marriage to not look like a sham.
Sokka grinned as he leaned in. "You're like a drug coursing through my veins. I can't get enough." He pinned her to her bed. He started writhing against her and then there was a knock at the door.
"Go away," she grumbled.
He started to suck on her neck.
Used to Azula's temper, Ursa opened the door just to gasp.
"Can't you see that I'm busy?"
"I would like a word, and I think it best Sokka get off of you, now!"
Mama bear wasn't playing. Sokka excused himself.
Azula sat up. "I know you didn't save yourself until marriage, so if you think you can guilt trip me into keeping my innocence, it's a waste of time."
"I didn't come here for that," Ursa said coolly. "I came to talk about the wedding."
"So talk."
Sokka was looking for something to do for thirty minutes. Hopefully, Ursa would be gone by then when he saw Iroh.
"Sokka, care to join me for a drink?"
"Sure."
The men got whiskeys.
"So I haven't seen you in a while. How have you been?"
"Pretty good recently. I'm working in Republic City and there's so much to do. It's nice to get away for a little bit."
"I'm sure it is. You live alone."
"Yeah. Azula and I are not at the cohabiting stage yet. I think it's good that we have our own space as needed."
"I can't disagree. I found it peculiar that you're dating."
"Most people do. Toph didn't even believe us at first. Azula had to kiss me at the table."
"How did you two get together?"
"I was drinking alone. Azula saw me from the back and thought I was cute, but she didn't recognize me at first. She sat down next to me, and I didn't recognize her either, until she turned to face the bartender and I saw her eyes. I kind of jumped out of my chair, but then I realized she was just getting a drink. We exchanged tales over some whiskeys, and we hit it off.
We didn't rush into a commitment at first. It was still a little weird given our history with each other, but eventually, I knew that I wanted more than a casual fling, so I told her, and we were official. It's why I became her date at the last minute. I didn't see the point in telling everyone if we weren't serious about it."
The lie was almost true, and it felt kind of true now.
"Zuko and Suki aren't taking it well."
"I didn't expect them to jump for joy, but I also didn't expect Suki to accuse Azula of conspiring to make her miserable at the table. Even if she thinks that, yelling it out in public is kind of unseemly."
"I suppose it is, but she has never known you or Azula to get along before. It's not surprising that she's suspicious."
"I didn't think Zuko and Suki knew each other that well, and then he told me he was in love with her," Sokka finished his drink. "You never really know, and it wasn't my place to interfere with them. I just thought I should get the same chance with Azula."
"I'm not saying that you shouldn't, but this is their wedding. We don't want there to be any more fights."
"I know Azula can control herself. I can't, however, control how other people react to us. My father will be there, and so will my sister and all of my friends. I don't know what they're going to say, but I'm not letting her go."
"What is Sokka to you?"
"Didn't I already go over this?"
"What I mean is, are you two serious?"
"Yes we're serious. Am I going to have to get interrogate by everyone while I'm here, because I'd be just as happy to take Sokka and go right back to my apartment?"
"Azula, he's Zuko's best friend."
"So. It's not like he never dated my (former) best friend."
"I know that he did in the past, but he's getting married."
"Again, I know. Why else would I be here dealing with his geisha whore?"
"We need for you all to get along."
"I can be cordial around people I hate. I've been doing it my whole life, but I refuse to sit silent while Suki accuses me of using Sokka for some twisted type of payback. I wouldn't do that to him, and if you think I would, then you should leave."
"I'll talk to your brother, but try to play nice."
"Bye mother." Azula promised nothing.
Sokka tried to get back to the room when Zuko found him.
"Can we talk?"
You too! "Where?"
"Your room?"
"Azula's in it."
You don't have a separate room? "We should talk about that too. I guess my room then."
They went into Zuko's quarters. Suki heard them coming and went into Zuko's study. She wanted to hear what Sokka had to say.
"What's going on with you and my sister?"
"She's my girlfriend. Is that really so hard to believe?"
"YES!" Zuko turned to him. "Why am I just hearing about it now?"
"We were only dating casually before. I wasn't going to mention it if it wasn't serious, but then we made it official, so we decided to go to the wedding together."
"And you're serious about her?"
"I love her."
WHAT! Suki seethed in her mind.
"You love my sister?"
"Yes."
"Are you sure?"
"Are you?"
"You used to love Suki."
"You used to love Mai."
"It wasn't the same."
"Neither is Azula. I had a rough year. Nothing seemed to be happening the way I wanted it to, and when I ran into Azula, she was the last person I was expecting, but she was different. She was funny, charming in a way, and we started hanging out. I wasn't sure if we'd every really be a couple. Our worlds are different, and we both have families who expected something else for us, but I want it to be her. I'll figure the rest out when I get to it."
"I hope you know what you're doing?"
"I do."
"I guess I can't stop you."
"No, you can't."
Sokka left.
He finally found his way back to Azula's door. "How was your talk?"
"Nonsense. Yours."
"Double Nonsense. I got Iroh and Zuko."
"I only got one prima donna."
"I would feel bad (maybe) if we caused all this drama for fun, but I want you to be mine, and I don't care how mad they get about it."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"Neither am I."
Thursday: 2 Days Before the Wedding
Ty Lee came the next day to help get her friend ready for her wedding. She came to the palace and came into see an argument between Suki and Ursa.
"I don't want them at my table!"
"Well, that's too bad! She's still the Crown Princess, despite your misgivings of her."
"Misgivings! MISGIVINGS! Do you have any idea what a terror your daughter was during the war? She!"
Ty Lee clamped a hand over Suki's mouth. "Let me handle this," Ty Lee said as she dragged Suki away.
"What the heck was that?"
"It was me saving your behind," Ty Lee told her. "Whatever Azula did, don't take it out on Ursa."
"You're right!" Suki stormed over to Azula's door. The Princess was having breakfast in bed with Sokka.
"I could get used to this," he said.
"Me too."
They heard pounding on the door.
"Don't come in!" Azula told whoever was knocking.
"We're naked!" Sokka claimed.
Suki ignored them and threw open the door. They actually were naked. "EW!"
"Told you," Sokka hollered.
Suki slammed the door shut.
"Was that?" Ty Lee questioned.
"Yes, that was Sokka, naked and in bed with Azula."
Ty Lee laughed. "Sokka is with Azula!" She found it hilarious.
"It's not funny."
"It kind of is, two warriors, sworn to hate each other, secretly falling in love. It's so cliché and cheesy that I bet Azula hates it."
"They aren't in love! This is just a rouse to ruin my wedding."
"You think Azula would sleep with Sokka just for that? She's kind of picky."
"How picky?"
"I've seen her turn down like six guys in a row. I was starting to wonder what team she played for."
"Well this is absurd, and they have no business sitting together at the royal table."
"They kind of do. She is the Crown Princess."
"Why can't she sit at his table?"
"You want to put her with the Southern Water Tribe. They'll kill each other."
"Can you find out what's really going on with them?"
"I don't spy between friends. It creates bad feelings."
"You're going to ask her anyway."
"I know. I'm just not promising to tell you anything she tells me."
"Fine."
Azula was laughing.
"How did you know she would barge in this morning?" Sokka questioned.
"I didn't, but I figured someone would. I was kind of hoping it would be Ursa."
Just then, Toph came in. "Are you two decent?"
"No."
"Good thing I'm blind. Can we go to that dim sum place you keep boasting about?"
"Yeah Sure. How's 2PM?"
"That's fine. Try not to make any babies."
Before she could leave, Ursa came in. "Good you're up. I need," she turned to see her daughter sitting there, naked with Sokka. "OH SPIRITS!" She shrieked and ran away.
Azula and Toph started cracking up.
Sokka shook his head but he grinned. "How much do you want to bet Zuko's coming over here?"
"You don't think he's working."
"Azula, I need to talk to you about Sokka's sleeping arrangements," he said as he walked in the open door. "AAHHHH!" he ran into the door before running out of the room.
All three of them were in hysterics.
"This is too good," Sokka laughed.
Zuko started hitting his head against the wall.
Iroh stopped him. "What are you doing?"
"Azula, Sokka, naked, door, open! Agni hates me!"
Iroh sat him down. "Relax, drink some tea."
Ursa came in looking white. "Azula, Sokka, naked, door, open! Spirits why?"
Iroh gave her some tea too. "They should close the door."
"I knew I shouldn't have invited her," Zuko said of his sister.
Ty Lee came by a few hours later. They were dressed by then.
"Did you have a good morning?"
"I had an excellent morning," Azula said cheerily.
"Where's Sokka?"
"He and Satoru were geeking out over some engineering stuff."
"How did you two?"
"We ran into each other at a bar, not exactly the classiest start, but it worked."
"You're happy."
"He makes me really happy," Azula admitted. "I hope he doesn't change his mind."
"Why would he?"
"We told my family. His family still doesn't know."
"Oh, and they will soon. The wedding is in two days."
"I know. I don't get nervous, but I'm nervous."
Ty Lee ruffled her hair. "It won't be so bad."
"Are you nuts? Katara is going to flip. That actually sounds like fun, but I don't want his father to hate me."
"Just try your best."
"So what are you doing until the wedding?"
"Helping Suki."
"She had a meltdown last night," Azula laughed.
"That's not funny."
"Yes it is! She can't control herself, and she barged in here this morning. We told her we were naked."
"You could have locked your door."
"What if the palace is on fire? I never lock my door when I'm in the room."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
"What if you are (having sex)?"
"Well, that hasn't happened. Sokka's the first guy who's gotten past kissing with me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. I wasn't going to just give it up for any guy."
"I'm not surprised by that. So how is he?"
"He's really good with his tongue, and I could barely fit him in my mouth."
Ty Lee's jaw dropped.
"If I could drop my jaw like that, it would have been easier."
Ty Lee turned tomato carrot red. "How big are we talking?"
Azula motioned with her hands.
"You're making that up."
"I am not."
"Sure you weren't drunk?"
"I was drunk that first time, but I saw it last night when I was sober, and yeah, he's a big boy."
The girls decided to go to the bathhouses.
"I haven't been here in a while," Ty Lee said.
"Neither have I."
They went inside, where the servants bathed them and pampered them.
"Remember when we used to come here years ago," Ty Lee said.
"And we would kiss when we thought no one was looking. I remember Ty."
"I didn't want to share you," Ty Lee said to her.
"Then why did you leave?"
"I couldn't stand my home anymore."
"You could have come here."
"I know, but I didn't have anything going on for me. I couldn't just be the girl followed everyone else around."
"What will you do when you tire of being a warrior?"
"I don't know." Ty Lee became the leader when Suki got engaged to Zuko.
After their bath, they went to dim sum with the others.
"Ty Lee, it's good to see you," Sokka said to her.
"Likewise, and thank you for putting on clothes."
He snickered. "It's not my fault, people didn't believe in knocking."
"Suki knocked."
"And we said not to come in because were naked. That was her own fault."
"She's really upset that you two are together."
"I know, but she lost the right to be upset when she accepted Zuko's proposal. If I were engaged, I wouldn't want my fiancée making a fuss about who her exes were dating."
"I think she's upset about who you're dating rather than that you are dating."
"Are you sure?" Azula said. "It's easy to say she's upset because it's me, but it was probably easier to be the only one who had moved on. She could pity Sokka because he was alone while she was happy, and she could say she was better off without him. She probably doesn't want to think that he's better off without her, no matter who he's with."
"I've never been happier," Sokka said as he kissed Azula.
"Seriously. You two need a shock collar. He's going to get her pregnant by the time we get home," Toph retorted.
Suki couldn't find Ty Lee anywhere. "Where did she go?"
"Lady Ty Lee went to dim sum," the servant told her.
"With who."
"With whom, Princess Suki."
She glared.
"She went with Princess Azula, Master Sokka, Lady Bei Fong and Satoru the Engineer."
Like she needed their titles and vocations. "When are they coming back?"
"I would think by four, but I would not know if they stopped elsewhere on the way home."
The quintet made it back laughing all the way when Suki was there with her arms folded.
"Ty Lee, I thought you'd be here."
"Oh sorry, I got invited to lunch, and we lost track of time. What do you need?"
She followed Suki away from the group.
"Someone's whipped," Azula whispered in Toph's ear.
Toph made the motion.
Ty Lee was trying to figure out how to make the flowers less noticeable. "You could put some of them inside, during the banquet, if you don't want them all outside."
"A flowery banquet?"
"It would be pretty."
The only problem was that Ursa ordered different flowers for the banquet.
"I DON'T WANT ALL OF THESE ROSES!"
"What's wrong with roses?" Sokka asked.
Suki stormed off.
"Ursa went crazy on the flower order and Suki's upset."
"Could I have some of them?"
Ty Lee shrugged. "Sure, but what for?"
"I thought I could do something special for Azula."
"Aw that's sweet, like fill the bathtub with rose petals."
He hadn't thought of that. "Yeah."
"Well, you could also get scented candles and some chocolates."
She is gold right now. "How many rose petals do you think I need to fill a bathtub?"
It would only take 1-2 dozen to cover the top of the bath with rose petals. Maybe three since Azula had a big bathtub. Suki had 3000 flowers and about 1000 roses. She only wanted like 200 of them, but Sokka couldn't take 800 roses, so he agreed to take about 8-dozen off Ty Lee's hands, using three dozen to fill the bathtub and the rest to put in Azula's room.
Ty Lee was excited that Sokka was going to romance Azula. She could use a little love.
That night, Azula wanted to have fun with Sokka.
"Let's not do everything tonight."
"Why not?"
"I wanted to romance you first."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Azula kissed him. "You're sweet, but you don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do."
"Why?"
"You're not like any other girl, Azula. Honestly, I got most girls home with a cute grin spending maybe 10-15 coins on their drinks. You're worth more to me than that, and I want our first time to be a memory we're both fond of."
"Why are you such a sap?"
"I wasn't before you. I lost my virginity in a ratty tent in the Western Air Temple, hardly something to write home about."
Azula put her hand on his jaw. "I'm sure whatever you do will be nice."
He kissed her. "Let's do some other stuff."
When Ty Lee told Suki that she had found a use for some of these flowers, the bride to be was happy.
"Someone wanted them?"
"Sokka wanted them," Ty Lee told her.
"Why?"
"I assume for his girlfriend." She suddenly realized that she should have said Satoru wanted them.
"How many flowers did he want?"
"100."
"A HUNDRED!" He maybe got her flowers once in their relationship, and she was pretty sure he stole them.
"You had 1000 roses and you said you only wanted like 200 of them there. I would have given him 800, but he didn't think he could fit them all in her room."
"What is he going to do with 100 roses?"
"I don't know," Ty Lee lied. "Are you jealous?"
"NO!"
"It's okay to be a little jealous. Do you want me to poke Zuko so he does something romantic?"
"NO! This will not be a competition."
"That's probably wise."
Suki was mad. If she said she needed the flowers back, everyone would know she was being petty. She just knew Azula was up to no good. How could she prove it?
Friday: 1 Day Before the Wedding
Aang and Katara arrived on Appa.
They had work to do up until the moment they left, but they were able to fly out Thursday night and get there Friday, mid morning.
"I need a good meal and a bath," Katara told him.
"Good thing we're going to the palace."
Aang brought Appa to the barn and gave some coins to Kip, the caretaker.
"He's in good hands, Mr. Avatar."
"You can just call me Aang."
Appa grunted.
"I got a honeycomb for you," the caretaker told him.
Appa was happy about that.
Katara was headed into the palace. Aang was right behind her.
"Welcome," Ursa said to them warmly.
"Thank you," Katara said. "Is there anyway we can help?"
"Oh no. You're our guests and we pay plenty of people to work around here. Don't lift a finger."
"I'm a bit tired, so I'll have to take you up on that," Aang said with a grin.
"We should find Zuko and Sokka," Katara said.
The servants took their stuff.
Suki was still angry about the flowers. "Why does he need so many flowers?" she yelled.
"I don't understand what the big deal is," Zuko said. "You didn't want them. Ty Lee gave them away. Who cares what he does with them?"
"Don't you see? It's one thing for them to just be having sex, but he's falling for her."
"I can't tell him who to love. I already talked to him."
"Are we interrupting?" Katara questioned.
"Oh no," Zuko told her before he greeted her with a hug. "Welcome. Thanks for coming and hopefully, the palace will hold itself together until the wedding."
"Often weddings bring out people's emotions. Sometimes they say things they don't really mean," Aang said neutrally.
"Oh I mean everything I have to say about that bitchy little …"
Everyone stared at her.
"I'm going to go take a break."
"You should do that."
"Would it be overreaching to ask what's wrong?"
"Suki and my sister, well hate each other, and Suki finds a way to get mad about everything Azula does, and I'm not so sure Azula's actually trying to be a problem. I think Suki's just well, a little too emotional right now."
"Your sister is sneaky," Katara told him.
"Oh I know, but Suki's been fighting with my mother all week and yelling at poor Ty Lee left and right, so I'm not sure if it's just Azula at this point."
"Is she a bridezilla?" Aang questioned.
"Aang," Katara smacked his arm.
"Sometimes the nicest people get a little crazy."
"I don't think it's that bad," Zuko said, "but I am glad we only have one more day."
Azula kissed Sokka's chest. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Love."
"I could wake up every morning like this."
"Do you mean last night or us in bed now?"
"Either, or both. I like having your arms around me when I wake up."
"Is this an invitation?"
Azula hadn't meant to ask him to move in, but she thought it might be good. "It's not too soon is it?"
"It can be whenever we want it to be. We can do a trial run, and if we like it, we stay, and if it's too fast, I'll go back to my place."
"A trial run once we're back in Republic City."
"Maybe we should keep this our secret."
"Zuko already lectured me on my chastity since you're here."
"What?"
"Oh yeah. He was trying to be my father. Even Ozai didn't get into details."
"He didn't?"
"I think he expected me to be discreet if I indulged."
"I see and what did Zuko tell you about your chastity."
"He went on about how an honorable man would wait and the consequences of being unmarried and pregnant and …"
Sokka started cracking up. "Really, so what was he doing with Mai, playing Pai Sho?"
"You're surprised that the men in my world are hypocritical? What do you call a nobleman who sleeps with several hot women?"
"A player."
"And what about a noblewoman who sleeps with several hot men."
"A slut," Sokka said, unfortunately.
"It's the same standard everywhere. Zuko knows that the world will treat me differently for this than you. You're the one landing a princess. I'm the one giving it up."
Sokka said. "The hell with them. You're mine."
They started to kiss. There was more knocking on their door.
"Seriously, I'm still naked!"
"Then put on your clothes!" Suki yelled at her.
Azula groaned. "Will she ever grow up?"
Azula put on underwear and a robe. She slipped into her slippers and left the bedroom. "What is it now?"
"Is Sokka in there?"
"Yes, and he's not dressed."
Suki started to walk. Azula followed the implicit command to follow her and they ended up down the corridor into an empty room. "What is this about?"
"What? You're the one who called me out of bed."
"I mean you and Sokka."
"We're together. Is that not clear?"
"You're not fooling me princess. I know this is some kind of game for you."
"You know nothing. Does it really bother you this much that Sokka loves me?"
Suki glared. "Is that it? Get him to fall in love with you and then break his heart?"
"No. I may have done a lot of nasty things in my life, but I've never lied about my affections for someone. I'm not like that. My mother is, but that's her deal."
Suki didn't even ask. "This isn't about your mother. Sokka may not be my boyfriend anymore, but he's still my friend and ..."
"Really? He was your friend when you sent him a Dear Jing letter instead of breaking up with him in person? He was your friend when you hopped into bed with his best friend? He was your friend when you put him in the untenable position of either being in a wedding party that he didn't want to be in or looking like an immature brat in front of the world? (They asked Sokka to do it in front of all their friends. He could hardly say no.) You wouldn't even let him throw Zuko a bachelor party. You humiliated him in front of everyone for what purpose, so he could keep track of the rings?
If you were his friend, then you would let him go, and let him make his own dating choices good or bad. You would want him to be happy, even if it was with someone you didn't like. You wouldn't keep barging in on us like you have any right to make decisions for him anymore. You have a lot to learn when it comes to friendship."
Azula walked away in an angry huff.
Suki didn't realize how much Sokka actually confided in Azula. She probably knew much more about the future Fire Lady than she would have wanted. Was that her goal all along, to pump Sokka for information?
Azula went back to bed.
"What was that about?"
"Just the same old, I must be using you for some type of conspiracy." The first accusation was funny. Now, Azula was just annoyed. "I hate that everyone thinks I'm incapable of falling in love. I'm not a saint. Any idiot could see that, it doesn't mean I don't have feelings, that I can't enjoy the things you do for me, that I don't want us more than I've ever wanted anything."
Sokka kissed her hard on the mouth. "I love you, and anyone who isn't blinded by hatred or jealousy can see we have something special. I expected a lot of people to object to us, but not everyone does. Toph doesn't. Satoru doesn't. Ty Lee doesn't. We'll make it through this, and at the end of the day, if my friends can't accept us, then they're not my friends anymore."
"I love you," she finally said to him. He pulled her into his arms. "Let's have breakfast here."
Katara and Aang shared a bath before getting breakfast. They were in a very good mood.
"Good morning Iroh," Aang said cheerily.
"How was your flight?" he asked them.
"It was pleasant. The weather was good."
"Weddings are such a happy time."
"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Suki stormed past them
"I was just trying to help Baby!" Zuko was chasing her.
Katara looked horrified.
"I hope I didn't jinx Zuko."
"He seems to be having trouble today. Something about Azula and Suki and I don't know," Aang said.
"Oh, well they've been arguing ever since she got back."
"Why?" Katara asked.
"Um, I'm not sure if it's my place to say, but I think it will be clear by tonight."
"I see," Katara said, cautiously.
"I need a drink," Zuko declared.
"It's not even noon," his mother told him.
"I know you've been drinking in the morning all week."
"Well between your fiancée and your sister, can you blame me? It's like the clash of the titans, the crack-head edition."
Iroh started laughing. Zuko stared at him. "I can't help it. That's just hilarious."
"Well Suki's still upset over whatever Azula said to her this morning. I tried to talk to her about it, but she just yelled at me, so I don't know what Azula even did."
Ursa sighed. "I keep trying to get Azula to be nice, but she insists on starting fights."
Toph and Satoru came into the room. "Sugar Queen, Twinkle Toes, welcome to the party."
"Hey Toph. Satoru, how's your visit going?" Aang asked them.
"Pretty good. Zappy took us to get dim sum the other day, and it was so good."
"Who?" Katara asked her.
"Oh Azula."
"You went to lunch with Azula?" Aang questioned.
"Yeah, she's pretty fun. She's the only one who can match me shot for shot, unlike all you pussies!"
Ursa gasped. "That is hardly language appropriate for a lady."
"So!" Toph laughed. "I swear you and Zappy are opposites. She could hardly care what language I use."
"I think she likes it when you make other people uncomfortable," Satoru told her.
"Oh yeah. We do that a lot. Hmm. We haven't gotten into any good bar fights in awhile. Remind me to check her schedule when we get back."
"Sure."
"You two bar fight together," Ursa was disappointed.
"Well, she shouldn't go alone Mama Bear. That would be dangerous."
"Mama Bear?" Zuko questioned.
"She is a mother, and her name is Ursa."
"I always thought that was one of your weaker nicknames," Azula said as she and Sokka came into the room. "Sure it works, but it's almost not a nickname since Ursa literally means bear."
"I know, but I don't think we're at the point in our relationship where I can give her a nickname based on her personality."
"You could call her prickly bear instead of prickly pear since she's so uptight."
"Azula!" Zuko hissed.
"Hmm, not bad, but I'll keep working on it."
"Just an idea."
Sokka greeted his sister and Aang. "Did you want to come to the bachelor party?" He asked Aang.
"I'm not allowed to have one," Zuko reminded him.
"Oh I know, so you're not invited."
Toph cracked up. "Snoozles, you're the best."
"Well who's going?" Zuko folded his arms.
"Me, Satoru, Toph, Azula, Ty Lee can come, but I don't know if Suki will still have her doing bitch work and ..."
"Wedding planning is not bitch work," Katara told him.
"Yes it is," Azula said, because it makes you really itchy she said grinning at her mother.
Ursa walked away in defeat.
"You always know how to make her disappointed in you," Sokka remarked. "It's like it's a gift."
"I decided to embrace my mother repellant."
Sokka kissed her lips quickly.
The others were used to it by now.
"What was that?" Aang questioned.
"What was what?"
"Why did you just kiss Azula?"
"She's my girlfriend."
Katara cracked up. "That's funny!"
"Why does everyone think we're joking when we say that?"
"Maybe I should get you a betrothal necklace, so people get it."
Zuko's jaw dropped.
"I think it's a little early for that."
"But it's not too early for this," Sokka pulled her in his arms and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled her to his body.
Aang's jaw dropped. Katara started turning red, her fists clenched. How could he date Azula? Out of all of the stupid things he's ever done he picked the worst woman on Earth to, oh that is disgusting.
Sokka started groping her ass.
Zuko started seeing red. "Will you stop manhandling my sister in public like that? What will the nobles think?"
Azula broke the kiss to say, "that he's a good kisser, and they'd be right." She picked his lips again. "I could kiss you all day Caveman."
"Right back at ya, Firefly."
"Seriously, those nicknames make me ill," Toph told her.
"Caveman and Firefly?" Aang was incredulous. "How did … What?"
"OUT OF ALL OF THE STUPID AND RIDICULOUS STUNTS YOU HAVE PULLED SOKKA, THIS ONE TAKES THE CAKE!" Katara screamed at him.
"This is absurd. It doesn't make any sense. How could you like her of all people? I know you went through a phase of screwing random sluts but …"
"She's not a slut and we're not just screwing around," Sokka said definitely. "I love her, and if you don't like it, well that's just your problem Sis.'"
Katara froze. This can't be happening.
"I think they look good together," Aang said.
"What?" Katara snapped at him.
"I mean they contrast nicely together. He's tall and lean. She's shorter and curvier. They have contrasting skin tones. It's artistic."
"Then they should paint a portrait, not roll around in the hay together."
"I don't have sex outside. I leave that for Toph."
"As you should," Toph told her.
Everyone stared at her.
"What? I can't see in bed."
"She has a privacy fence," Azula added.
"I like sunbathing out there too."
"That is fun."
They started talking about doing various activities naked.
"How can you all be okay with this?" Katara yelled at everyone.
"It's not for me to be okay with," Satoru said, "but in all the time I've known Sokka, which isn't nearly as long as you all have known him, I've never seen him so happy. Isn't that what matters?"
"NO!" Katara yelled at him. "Who cares if he's happy? If drinking cactus juice and streaking through the desert all day made him happy, we wouldn't let him do it. That's it, if you won't listen to reason then I forbid you from dating her!"
"What? I didn't forbid you from seeing Jet, and he turned out to be a terrorist."
"Who's Jet?" Satoru asked Toph.
"Um, he was a Freedom Fighter before Long Feng killed him."
"Oh."
"And what makes you think you can forbid him from anything?" Azula questioned. "He's almost 20 years old."
"Yeah. I'm a grown man, and I don't care how stupid you think I am, I'm not leaving Azula."
"We should plan this bachelor party."
"Are you coming Aang?"
"Maybe."
"NO!" Katara told him.
"You're on a tight leash," Azula commented. "Did Katara forget to put on your collar?"
"Oh nice shade Azula!" Toph told her before they high-fived.
"I thought so." She turned to Sokka. "Maybe I should get you a collar."
"Ooh!"
"NO!" Zuko yelled. "You will not."
"We can do it in Republic City."
"You would love that wouldn't you? Leading me around on our dates."
"Hmm, you could be my slave boy."
"I'm gonna barf!" Zuko ran out the room.
Iroh was all shades of pink. They were too much.
"Damn, you two are freaky," Toph told them.
"Let's go get our freak on elsewhere," Azula led him away by the collar.
Katara fainted.
Aang caught her. "This is going to be quite a wedding."
When Katara woke up that afternoon, she demanded Aang tell her that Sokka and Azula were joking and that this was some kind of prank.
"I don't think so," Aang told her. "I think they're actually serious."
"How can it be? She tried to kill all of us. She even tried to kill her own mother."
"Well, maybe she's changed."
"You don't actually think that. She was a brat the entire negotiation."
"And she got most of what she wanted. Maybe that's just her style. She was likely trained in politics and developed a method to be effective."
"So that makes it okay."
"They're no okay in negotiations. You either get what you want or you don't. It's why Kuei can't stand her. He doesn't know how to negotiate with her."
"And she set fire to his robes."
"It was only the sleeve," Aang admitted, "and I don't think him calling us for backup helped him at all."
"So you're just going to be okay with this?"
"It's not for me to say," Aang told her, "but I know Sokka knew how we would all react, so he must think she's worth it."
At dinner that night, there were several missing people, mainly Azula, Sokka, Toph, Satoru, and Ty Lee.
"Where did they all go?" Suki asked.
"My bachelor party," Zuko told her.
"What?"
"When you said I couldn't have one, they threw one anyway and just didn't invite me."
Iroh laughed. "That's actually pretty funny."
"What are they doing?" Ursa questioned.
"I think all you can eat wings, 3L towers of beer and strippers."
"They went to see strippers together?" Ursa gasped.
"Apparently, Azula knew the hottest club in town."
"Why would Ty Lee want to go to that?" Ursa questioned. She stopped trying to understand Azula and Toph.
"She's gay," Aang pointed out.
"What?" Katara asked him.
"You didn't know."
"You did?"
"It wasn't a secret. I don't think."
"No it wasn't," Suki clarified. "Really, a bachelor party?"
Sokka almost got a hard on when he saw the 3L tower of beer. "I know you described this to me, but now that it's here," he told Azula, "I think I am in love."
"Let's start pouring." Azula started filling their pint glasses. There were five of them and it was a little more than 6 pints in 3 liters, so they could each have a pint and then they'd have to get another tower if people wanted a second pint.
"I was thinking two towers for now and then wings, which doesn't sell alcohol, but we could bring our own beer to it or we could just wait until the strip club and buy our drinks there," Azula told them.
"How did you come up with all of this?" Satoru asked.
She shrugged. "I figured this would be what I did if I was Ty Lee's maid of honor."
She giggled. "You would be more fun than Mai."
"Is she still brooding over her crappy father or whatever?"
"No, she accepted he's just a nut, but it was hard. Her mother didn't believe her right away and tried to take back Tom-Tom."
"He'd probably be better off with her cousins. They're almost normal."
"Mai's mother has him now."
"I meant picking her cousins to raise Tom-Tom over their mother. She's kind of stupid."
Ty Lee shook her head. They finished their tower and got ready for the second one.
Toph raised the bar. "Why don't we get a third tower before we go get wings?"
They were quite drunk by the time they got to dinner.
"Y'all are lightweights," Toph told them.
"It's not the alcohol, it's the carbonation," Ty Lee fussed. "That was a lot of beer."
"Yeah it was," Sokka grinned. Suki would have never taken him to a place like that.
"They serve food too, but it's over priced for what they give you,"
They got to Rishi's Wings Hut and the all you can eat special was still going on.
"Just in time. If you order now, we'll keep em coming, no matter how much you eat."
"We'll take 5 orders of all you can eat wings. Do people want an assortment or a particular type?"
"Assortment!" Sokka declared.
"You got it!"
They brought spicy wings, garlic wings, fried wings, sweet and sour wings; it was a bonanza.
They put a cloth around your shirt to protect it from the sauce. It was the only place where Azula would eat with a giant bib.
"I can't believe I'm eating all you can eat wings with a princess," Satoru told her.
"A true princess enjoys the finer things in life, no matter in what form they arrive."
The owner had never seen eaters like Sokka and Toph. They were eating the plates almost as fast as he could bring them out. Ty Lee was done first and she got through three good-portioned plates. Given her size, it was no small feat. Satoru only got through four and a half, but since they all were doing the special, Toph just finished his.
Azula called it quits at five, wanting to stop before she risked making herself puke. Toph made it to nine and Sokka got a record thirteen for his weight class.
"I have never seen a man who wasn't obese eat as many wings," the owner told him.
They even did a quick sketch of him to put on their wall.
"This is awesome," Sokka said as they cleaned up and headed for the club.
"I can't believe you ate that much," Ty Lee said, "and I've seen you eat plenty of times."
"I kind have missed lunch."
"How?"
"Azula distracted me."
"I distracted you?"
"Yeah."
"You're the one who threw me on the bed after I got out of the bath."
"You shouldn't have looked so sexy."
"In a towel?"
"Oh yeah!"
Azula shook her head. They had a carriage taking them to each destination, so they wouldn't have to be able to walk.
She got them a booth at the club, so they weren't rubbing elbows with the other patrons and had five whiskey sours sent to the table to start them off.
The show was about to start. Azula leaned against her boyfriend, not as interested in the dancers as she was in being closed to him.
The music started blaring. Toph jumped into Satoru's lap in shock.
"I got you," he as he held her waist.
"Why am I here? I can't see." The floor was wooden.
"We can still get you a dance," Azula told her.
"Do it. I want to tell Sugar Queen all about it tomorrow."
The first dancer came out. She was called the painted lady and was dressed like the spirit, but then she threw off her robe and it was clear that she was naked with "clothes" painted on her body.
Satoru described for Toph what they were watching.
"Is she hot?"
"She's got a nice figure, but the paint is kind of a turn off for me."
"I like it," Ty Lee said, "but it doesn't exude sexuality to me. In the circus, this wasn't that uncommon."
"She must wax a lot," Azula commented, making Sokka blush.
"OW!" Toph said in sympathy pain.
The next dancer was Earth Kingdom. She was dressed like a Kyoshi Warrior.
The announcer called her Suki.
"OH!" Sokka gasped. Zuko's gonna die when he hears this. Ty Lee was appalled. Azula was puckish. "How much for a dance?"
"What are you?" Sokka questioned.
"Would you like to play, pretty lady?" She asked.
"I think my boyfriend would like a dance." Azula paid the woman and moved aside so she could straddle Sokka.
"Um!"
She pushed off her warrior outfit, leaving her in her green underwear. "He's cute. What's his name?"
"Sokka the Warrior." Azula said proudly as the woman straddled him. With her face makeup on, it was hard to see if she looked like Suki, but the body was pretty close.
"I see. Well, hello Sokka," she whispered in his ear as she danced. The woman had no problem thrusting her chest into his face. He wasn't sure if he was going to get in trouble with Azula for enjoying this, even if she paid for the dance, Zuko for getting a lap dance in front of his sister or Suki for getting a dance from a girl who dressed up like her.
"I can see you have quite the spear, Sokka." She grinned as she got up and left. "He's all yours."
Ty Lee was impressed. He was big.
"Was that fun?"
"Were you trying to get me in trouble?"
"Me, trouble?" Azula purred. "Whatever do you mean?"
There was a water tribe woman third. Ty Lee seemed to think she was cute.
"Do you want her?" Azula asked.
"Um…"
Toph yelled, "we got a taker over here!" and pointed at Ty Lee before she could change her mind.
The woman grinned as she sauntered over. "Aren't you a cutie?" She said as she straddled her hips. "What's your name?"
"Ty Lee," she stammered.
"Well, my name's Kyra," she said as she straddled the warrior. Her chest was small, but she had a nice round ass, that she kept grinding on Ty Lee's crotch, making her pant from the friction.
"Are you getting wet for me?" she whispered in the girl's ear, making her gasp audibly. "I like dancing for girls. They're much more polite than the boys." The clubs had strict rules. The girls touch you. You don't touch them.
"Here's my card," she slipped into Ty Lee's hand before she took off.
Ty Lee had not had a good fuck in some time. She had a feeling that woman could really give it to her.
Toph gave Satoru a lap dance during the show, which made their whole table laugh.
"I'm not paying you," Azula told her.
"I'm charging him," she said of Satoru.
He used her to shield his erection from public view for the rest of the night.
"What's the big deal? You got a stiffy in public. It happens."
He turned tomato-carrot red. "Did you really have to say that?"
"No, but it was fun, so I said it!"
They got home drunk and tired.
Sokka set an alarm. "I hope I don't wake up hungover tomorrow."
"Drink some water now, and I'll help you metabolize your booze."
"How?"
She started heatbending him, warming his body, so he would break down the alcohol faster.
"Oh this feels good." He pulled her close, enjoying her body heat as they fell asleep.
Zuko and Suki spent the night before their wedding separate. Zuko wondered why. It's not like anyone would know the difference, and they've been living together for months, but his mother insisted, which meant, it happened.
This time tomorrow night, she would be his Fire Lady. The idea was so exciting he could hardly sleep.