A/N: As some of you may have noticed, this year I am posting every two weeks, since I have written fewer stories in contrast to the last years. Which means this is my second to last entry. I decided to make a difference this time. While writing today's story, I went with a flow of my feelings without planning it through. It was one of these stories that motivated me to write in the evening without a "final goal" in mind. I thought it would need a continuation most likely. In the end it turned out I was right. Personally, I like stories that shape the form of happenings while writing when a sudden feeling arises, inspiring me to put it into words. So, in two weeks you will be able to read the continuation of today's story!

Life was not easy. It was full of tests. Everybody struggled in different ways, with different things.

Her test was her family. To make hard choices. It was cruel for being forced to stay away from the one man who gave her the most wonderful things she ever had. That man who made her feel awesome things.

She would like to stay with him forever. It felt wrong to be away from Sokka. An inner desire, a strong feeling almost stronger than her loyalty to her family.

Yet here she was, entering the seas of the Southern Water Tribe, without permission from the Chief. Without thinking it through.

"Princess, your father wanted you to deliver the message with your royal hawk from Kyoshi Island." the Captain of her guards said.

Azula's gaze was lost in the horizon. Her back was turned to the him on deck of her ship.

"I know that very well Captain." she said.

"Chief Hakoda has the right to take us hostages the moment we enter their seas."

"I know that as well Captain." she said coldly.

The Captain sighed, "Princess, I respect your feelings and decisions, but…"

"Captain!" she snapped turning around to face him, „Chief Hakoda won't touch you or my other guards, you have my word. We both know he isn't some heartless man. If there are consequences, it'll be on me."

"I care about your safety and protection Princess."

"I appreciate that Captain."

Both of them and the whole crew on the ship knew that Hakoda would never hurt them as long as they meant no harm, which they didn't of course. Even if their nations weren't on best terms, years of communication and allying for certain situations made many of them unspoken friends.

Azula would meet Chief Hakoda, deliver her father's message and that would be it.

Maybe, … maybe she could also see him one more time. Look at him one more time.

Sokka.

The man who made her fall in love…

Oh she was playing a dangerous game wasn't she? Her father was likely to get mad at her. So be it. She was tired of all of this.

The arrival went as expected. The Southern Water Tribe had rules. No outsider could lay a foot on their grounds without taking permission first. Hakoda and Kya kept said consequences for Princess Azula and her Guards harmless. The Guards were given food while Azula was in the "Royal Igloo" as Sokka sometimes called it to mock her.

"Princess, as Chief, I can't let you get away without any consequences. Your ship will be searched through. I believe you meant no harm, but we all have a task." Hakoda told her.

"I apologize for the inconvenience." Azula said honestly.

Kya smiled and put a hand on her arm.

"Please make yourself comfortable Azula. Sokka should be back soon, he went hunting this morning."

Azula smiled at her too.

When Kya left the igloo, Azula couldn't help but enter Sokka's room.

It felt like him, smelled of him. The familiar feeling warmed her aching heart. She sat on his bed and her eye caught his necklace. He normally didn't take it off leisurely. It was one of his most prized possessions. She froze when she saw a carving on one spot. A name.

AZULA.

Her name. Carved into his necklace he valued so much.

His test was his deep love for her. His Azula. Without her, every breathe he took felt like it hurt. Everything was her. She was in his thoughts constantly.

When he saw her ship, he literally sprinted on snow, forgetting his task. He recognized her guards sitting in front of his igloo and gave them a nod, almost bumping into his father in the process.

"Father! Where is Azula?" Sokka asked.

"Inside." Hakoda answered with a look that told him many things.

He looked at his son hopelessly, trying to convey a message. Many times he talked with both Azula and his son, that unpleasant things would happen if they acted on their feelings. Their nations would not welcome a union gladly at the moment. But at this point, it seemed like nothing could hold them back.

Sokka kept held gaze for a moment, wordlessly telling him that he wouldn't stay away from Azula. Not out of rebell to his Tribe, but out of true love, which his father out of many people knew and understood very well. With that he entered the igloo.

Sokka's feet carried him to his room and Azula stood up abruptly from his bed still holding his necklaced in her hand.

Time appeared to stand still. Desperation in their eyes conveying many words. And all of them meant the same thing:

I love you. Never leave my side!

Azula held her hand with the necklace up only lightly.

"My name?" she asked softly, "You carved my name in your necklace?"

"I carved your name into my heart not just there." He said not a doubt in his voice.

Azula was already on the verge of tears. She was a second away from running to him. His words only intensified all her feelings.

„Why?" she asked desperately.

Lovers liked asking questions they knew the answers to. Only to hear their loved one say it out loud.

„For the same reason that made you come all the way here even though you knew you weren't allowed to? Why?"

She was silent for a moment.

"To deliver the time and place for the meeting of our fathers." she said finally.

"Couldn't you have sent a hawk? They way you did to me when you left last fall?"

She winced at his harsh words, sensing his anger and sorrow. And Sokka regretted what he said immediately. He was an idiot. The last thing he wanted was seeing her hurt, be it by him or someone else.

His face softened up and he walked towards her. Azula closed her eyes when she felt his breath on her ear, his nose touching her hair nuzzling it and inhaling her scent. His hands were balled into fists.

"Why did you leave like that Azula?" his voice shook, his emotions coming out more with every word, "I know you had to go to your family. I never held it against you. But it hurt so much. It broke me apart when you left without a word."

Azula breathed through her mouth. She turned her head slightly, so that their noses touched.

"It hurt me as much as it did you. You know, if I had looked into your eyes, I could not have gone."

Sokka's hands went to her waist, holding her tightly.

"I don't want to leave you Sokka." she said.

"Don't leave me Azula. Don't ever go please."

With that, the dam broke. Kisses, tears, hands touched the other's tightly pressed bodies, as if the other would vanish when they let go. No word could describe how they felt. Embraced tightly they basked in each other's presence.

Night arrived and Hakoda looked that Azula and her guards could stay. The Guards weren given a guest igloo while their Princess was prepared Sokka's room.

Even though it wasn't allowed, when night arrived, Sokka sneaked next to Azula in bed. She welcomed him. Wrapped around each other with clothes on, they shared a calmed sleep. Not caring what troubles tomorrow would bring…

To Be Continued…