Earth

…Earth.

Sokka mentally sighed with relief as he looked over at Toph.

"It's Earth, isn't it."

"Sure is!" he sneered.

"Ah well. I'd say you'd better not be lying to me, but I can tell you're not." She hopped out of her seat. "Let's get this over with."

"Y-You're not worried?" Aang asked. "You think you can handle her by yourself? Have you ever taken care of a baby before?"

"Pft, how hard can it be? She probably just wants attention. I'll be back before you know it," she said confidently on her way out of the dining room, "so try not to miss me too much!"

Izumi's wail echoed throughout the hall. Aang visibly jumped in his chair.

"Hey… are you doing okay there?" Sokka asked, taking a seat next to his startled friend.

"She's so… loud! Are they always this loud?"

"Uh oh," Azula said under her breath.

"I don't know if I can do this, you guys," Aang spoke quickly.

Sokka shook his head. "You were just talking about how excited you were to be a father like two seconds ago!"

"I know, I know, and I am! But… I'm also scared. I mean, what if I'm no good at it, and I screw everything up?!"

"Hey, let's just take a deep breath," Azula said calmingly, claiming the seat to the other side of the Avatar.

Was Azula really trying to help?!

"They cry for everything! Hungry? Cry. Sleepy? Cry. Cold? Cry. Bored? Cry. Pooped? Cry! And you'll never know which one it is, and you'll probably be wrong – "

"Aang," Azula breathed. "It's going to be okay. If anyone can do this, it's you. You've legitimately had the weight of the world on your shoulders, and you came out victorious."

"She's right, Aang." It was shocking to see Azula speak and act so gently, but Sokka wasn't about to question her motivation when his friend was on the verge of having a full meltdown. "You have the biggest heart out of everyone I know. You've got this."

"You don't need to put so much pressure on yourself," she continued. "If I've learned anything over the last decade, it's that you don't need to be perfect. You're going to mess up sometimes, that's just an inevitability. But as long as you keep trying and don't let your imperfections get the better of you, you'll be fine."

Aang was silent for a moment. "Thanks, Azula. Thanks, Sokka. That was… all really nice." He paused. "But Katara is due any day now and I'm still freaking out!"

"Oh boy," Sokka muttered. That's what he really wanted to hear from his brother-in-law.

"Okay, I'm going to take a page out of Uncle's playbook here and get you some calming jasmine tea. Would you like that?"

"Actually, yeah. I think that would help. Thanks."

She stood up. "Sure, be right – "

"While you're there, can you get me something to eat?" Sokka asked, realizing it had been a solid four hours since he'd last eaten.

"I'm not your servant," she groaned.

"I know, but – "

"But you can accompany me to the kitchen if you so desire."

He had two options. Stay here with his friend or take his chances on being alone with Azula. He looked at Aang and then back at the princess. Overly anxious Avatar versus diabolical, albeit strikingly beautiful, lightning generator. His rumbling stomach chose for him, and he soon found himself following the firebender to the kitchen where he promptly started raiding the royal pantry.

"Hmm…"

"Find something you like?" Azula asked, heating a kettle of water.

"I'm feeling snacky." He deliberated some more. "I'm debating between the fire flakes, fire gummies, and leftover mochi."

"There's only one correct answer there," she chuckled. "Mochi is my absolute favorite."

"No kidding." Who'd have thought the lean, mean Fire Nation princess enjoyed sweets. He was about to help himself to one but then stopped. "W-Would you mind if I had some?"

"Of course not – I couldn't possibly eat them all anyway. Well, actually that's a lie, but I shouldn't eat them all."

He smiled. "I'm honored you're willing to share your favorite dessert with me."

"As you should be," she smiled back.

Halfway through a bite, Sokka heard something coming from the other side of the wall. Something playful, yet delicate. "Hey, did you hear that?"

"Hm, hear what?"

He frowned. He could have sworn he heard something. Maybe his hunger was causing auditory hallucinations. But just as soon as he dismissed it, he heard it again. "Aha! That! It's like… giggling or something."

"Sokka… are you sure it's not the kettle whistling?"

"No, shhh!" He strained his ears. "There it is again! You hear it, right? Tell me I'm not going crazy."

"Oh, yeah… that…" She forced a laugh, casually filling a strainer with jasmine tea leaves. "…didn't you know we have ghosts?"

"G-ghosts?! You're joking, right? I mean, come on, ghosts aren't real…"

"Spirits are real and ghosts aren't? Do you know how many Fire Nation royals lived and died here? Of course we have ghosts."

Her matter-of-fact tone made it seem so plausible. But Sokka was a man of science, not one to be easily fooled. "I'd like to investigate these 'ghosts' for myself."

"I-I really don't think that's a good – "

Her voice trailed off as he wandered over to the room closest to where he was hearing the creepy noises. He got on his knees and peered through the keyhole. What he found shocked him to his core. Suki was in there. With Ty Lee. And they were making out! He couldn't look away.

"Sokka…" Azula whispered, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"Ghosts, my ass!" he whisper-shouted.

"Shhh, I know, I know." She sighed. "Come back to the kitchen. I'll explain everything."

Huffing and puffing, he followed Azula to the kitchen once again and began pacing. He needed answers, damn it. "How long has this been going on?"

"I don't know exactly when it started, but… it was a while ago."

He clenched his jaw. No wonder Suki had broken up with him so unexpectedly!

"Look, I know how you must feel – "

"What, completely betrayed?! She should have told me! I would have understood. Any explanation would have been better than being kept in the dark."

"It's not that easy… you know how the Fire Nation feels about homosexuality. They needed to keep their relationship a secret for their own safety – it's not like they were purposely hiding it from you. I-I'm the only one who knows about it! And I only found out by accident, similar to the way you did…"

Suddenly it all made sense. The breakup. The reason why Suki trusted Azula. "Did I… do this to her?"

"I don't follow…"

"Was I that lousy of a lover that I turned her gay?!"

"Gee, I don't know." She rolled her eyes, clearly tired of his self-pity party. "Why don't you do me right here in the kitchen and I'll let you know."

"Wait…" He froze in place. Surely he must have misheard her. "Really?"

"No! I was just – " She paused, her cheeks reddening. "You didn't really think that… I mean, we don't really know each – y-you wouldn't want…"

In that moment, Sokka didn't really know what he wanted. He wasn't sure what to think or how to feel. He was angry. Sure he had gotten over his feelings for Suki a long time ago, but he still felt hurt now knowing that she had left him for someone else. While he was left with a broken heart, she was falling in love again. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

He took a deep breath. "You know what I want, Azula?"

She raised an eyebrow.

"I want to get her back."

She stared blankly at him. "You want her back…?"

"No. I want to get her back. I want revenge!"

She smirked. "Now you're speaking my language."

"Great! So then what do we do?"

"'We'?! What do you mean 'we', there is no 'we' here – "

"Oh yes there is! You owe me!"

"For what?!" she questioned indignantly.

"For trying to gaslight me about ghosts, for spirits' sake!"

"You know, I never understood that expression… I mean, what the hell is a 'gas light' anyway?"

"It's…" Sokka racked his brain, but he couldn't find any explanation for it. "I-It's just something people say! And you did it to me, so now you owe me."

"If you say so."

"So, how do I get justice?"

"Well you know what they say, the best revenge is success!"

He cocked an eyebrow.

"Suki's successfully moved on, and you should too. You should hook up with someone, someone hot, hotter than Suki, that's for sure. And preferably with someone Suki wouldn't approve of, you know, someone who would get under her skin if she were to find out – "

"You mean someone like you?" he questioned, tauntingly.

"I – I never said that!"

"You didn't have to," he continued to tease. "You know how pissed Suki would be if she found out I hooked up with the person who imprisoned her at the Boiling Rock. Come on, fess up," he laughed. "You know you want me."

She met his challenge with a mischievous smirk. "Interesting how you'd immediately think of me when I suggested you hook up with someone hotter than Suki…"

"Hey, that's not – "

"So, you think I'm hotter than your ex-girlfriend. Good to know."

"I – I never said that!" He could feel his cheeks flush – spirits, he hated giving Azula that satisfaction.

"Aw, such a shame you can't admit it," she taunted, averting her gaze. "I would have let you use me as a pawn in your vengeful scheme…"

"You're… you're just saying that." There was zero chance Azula wanted to hook up with him… right?! That would be… that would be…

"Guess you'll never know," she shrugged innocently, continuing to smirk at him before turning her back toward him and tending to Aang's tea.

…madness! The notion of hooking up with the Fire Nation princess was preposterous! He never would have considered it before tonight, although… he had always found Azula to be painstakingly beautiful. But she was still Azula of all people! A conniving, manipulative firebender… with looks to kill… oh spirits, help him.

She hummed nonchalantly as she dipped the tea strainer into a mug of hot water.

"I'd like to know." The words escaped his mouth before his brain could process what he'd just said.

"You'd… like to know?" she asked, almost cautiously, keeping her back toward him.

"I… I want to know." His heart was in his throat as she slowly turned around.

"We all want things, Sokka…"

Emboldened by her response, he stepped closer to her, gazing intently into her eyes as he backed her up against the counter. "I need to know."

She smirked, her golden eyes pleading. "Much better."

He closed the distance between them, capturing her lips with a heated kiss. She slipped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, melting into him.

Was this really happening? Was he really making out with Princess Azula of the Fire Nation?! The feeling of her lips, her tongue… it definitely felt real. Real needy. Desperate. He liked that. Aang had said earlier in the night that maybe Azula would surprise him if he gave her a chance. And boy oh boy was she surprising him. In all the best ways.

He hoisted her up by the waist and placed her on the kitchen counter, her legs wrapping instinctively around him. Her breaths grew ragged as their kisses intensified. Soon he felt her hands roaming up his tunic, feeling his chest. His entire body thrummed with desire, like she had set him on fire. He lifted his arms as she tugged at his shirt, his mind filled with possibilities of what he wanted to do to her. But as luck would have it, just as soon as his tunic was up over his head, a familiar voice cut through the tension.

"Hey, what's taking so – " Aang gasped.

Sokka and Azula shared a panicked look, then an embarrassed look, and then turned to the airbender.

"Uhhh," Azula grinned awkwardly, completely red in the face.

"This isn't what it looks like?" Sokka managed, unconvincingly.

A wide, goofy grin spread across Aang's face. "WHAAAT?!"