Chapter 73: Moving Forward

"Your Majesties!"

The invocation to the Northern leaders from outside the Royal Quarters reverberated into the inner bedchamber, eliciting quiet groans from their dancing lips. Yue gasped out of her bliss, extricating her fingers from his hair and covering herself with a sheet. "S-Someone's at the door—"

"But you're close, baby," Sokka dove in for her lips again as he thrust gently, deeply into her, drawing a moan that teetered between pleasure and urgency.

"B-But—unngh…! Sok—ohhhh!"

He lazily brushed away the sheet that separated them, sucking on an eager teat. Her fingers grasped hold of his shoulders, muffled moans disappearing into his hair. He swirled his tongue around her areola, the hand on her back traveling below her waist, cupping her rear—

"Your Majesties?" came another call.

"Fuck," he panted, pivoting in the direction of the exit and raising his voice, "Hold up for a minute!"

"Go see what they want," she reluctantly began to unhook her legs from around him, but she felt his hand slide quickly under her thigh and keep her wrapped around him, another thrust evoking a shriek of delight that she suppressed by burying her face into his neck, biting the skin.

"Come for me first," he rasped, "They can wait…"

She rested her head against him to catch her breath, placing soft kisses on his chest, making his loins roar, "I have no energy..." And when he smirked, she frowned, "What?"

"That's what you said last night, nalligima, and here we are at, what, round five?"

Flushed by the mischief in his deep blue eyes, "Well you're not exactly a saint yourself, Mr. Aninnialuk—" before another one of his thrusts sent her to cloud nine, pulling a croon out of her. Her hand clamped over her mouth, covering her moans as he kept up his rhythm.

"F-Faster," she gasped, "Faster, Sokka…uunnnhhhh—!"

"Can you hear us, Your Highnesses—?"

"YES!" She suppressed an accompanying shriek and quickly flew over the edge of her high, fumbling to hold onto every part of his skin she could reach. She whispered against his mouth, "J-Just… go see what they… aaaaaahhn! Ohh! Ohhhhhh Laaaa! Mmmph—!"

He held her as she unraveled, kissing every inch of her undulating form. She clenched him tightly, her lower lips rippling against his girth, drenching him in her juices. She lay back against the sheets as pleasure bloomed within her in waves, washing an afterglow over her. She let go of her fierce grip on the blankets, both of her arms flying around his back, thumbing away his sweat as she trailed appreciative kisses down his bicep. She could feel his hard length pulsate inside of her, brushing deliciously, desperately against her snug walls.

"Y-You're close, too…" she panted.

This time, there was rapping on the door, "Your Highnesses?"

"I'm on my way," Sokka groaned, moving to get up despite being tense from an overload of pent-up energy. Her legs tightened around him before he could leave, though, firm hands settling on his ass, "Ingan sema. They can wait."

He grinned, losing himself in a tussle of passionate tosses and turns, which eventually ended with them tumbling off of the bed, bringing down several pillows and sheets. He landed on his back and caught her yelping form. They giggled and melted into each other's lips, his strong arms flipping her over to her back atop the pillows. He marveled at her appearance — the flailing of his La pendant in tandem with the bounce of her breasts, the remnants of his seed drooling from her lower lips, the elegance of her hair that was splayed out on the floor like white waves painted onto the rumpled blue sheets… with the exception of some locks, which had gotten entangled in his own hair. He gently untangled them, smoothing her hair away from her face, leaning down for a kiss to her forehead before descending to the tip of her nose, then a tackle of her lips, his tongue traversing the slope of hers. He lined his cock up with her flooding entrance, inching inside—

"Your Royal Highnesses?"

"Just a minute, dammit!" the chieftain huffed as she tossed him over to his back, climbing atop him. His palms were nestled on her hips as she took him fully, impatiently, ripping moans out of him. Her hands settled on his chest as she rode him, marking her grace and presence like a queen on her throne. It did not take him very long to reach his peak, the hands on her hips caught in a desperate squeeze, his moans reaching higher octaves.

"Chief Sokka—?"

"C-Coming, I'm coming, w-wait…!" he managed, doing his best to climax as quietly as he could. Her lips silenced his deep moans and satisfied grunts as he flooded her innermost depths, emptying himself completely. She took everything he had to give with a pleased sigh, cocooned in his arms even as he fell back against the carpet, spent from the ambitious night. She smiled at his sleepy form, brushing some of his locks away from his face, tracing away beads of sweat.

"If you would like to sleep in, Your Majesties, we will come again!"

The chieftain glared at the door, earning giggles from his wife, who peppered his face with kisses.

"They should've just said that first," he mumbled, kissing her forehead. He rested against the valley of her bosom, nuzzling against a breast, "I don't wanna get up…"

"Mm…But if we talk to them now, they won't have to come back and interrupt."

A long sigh and a nod followed by a pout when she separated from him. He gathered the strength to stand up. Her sleepy eyes trailed down his back as he stood, lingering on his chest as he turned, eventually resting on his now-flaccid length as he bent forward and helped her up.

"Wear something first, Chief."

"I thought you'd appreciate the view, Chieftess," he winked, sauntering his way to the corner of the room where their clothes lay. "Seems like you are."

"Well I should be the only one appreciating this view."

He laughed and fumbled to throw something on in the dark. He drenched himself with the nearest cologne he could find— or was it perfume? He couldn't tell. He didn't bother putting his hair up or wearing a shirt, soaked in a sleepy afterglow as he nearly floated over to the door. He opened it and stood with his arms crossed, eyeing the servant men, "Alright, let's make this quick."

The servants blinked at his appearance— his disheveled locks that harbored flower petals as well as a single strand of long white hair nestled between stubborn curls; the love bites on his neck and chest; the fact that he was wearing her long skirt at the moment. Even his cologne couldn't hide the smell of raunchy rendezvous, couldn't mask the fact that he smelled like her now— a sculpture of bronze skin imbued with an unmistakable moonflower scent. Even his attempt at seriousness was countered by the amusement of the sleepless night's events tucked away in his vibrant eyes.

The servants' faces turned beet red. One of them, however, was bold enough to talk, "Um…we apologize if we were… A-Anyhow, we wish you and our Ataniq a very happy birthday, Angayok Sokka."

The title still felt weird for him to grasp, "Oh, thanks. Is that all?"

"The court painter wanted to paint your official couple portrait. Just a reminder, Angayok."

"Her Majesty and I are tired. Maybe we can reschedule it for the evening? Or maybe tomorrow?"

"We will send word immediately, sir."

"Also, Lord Arnook and Lady Ahnah wish to make breakfast for you both," chimed another servant. "They will be joined by Lord Amaruq and Lady Ki'ma."

"Tell 'em not to go through the trouble. We wanna sleep in."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

He exhaled as they hurried away. "Finally. Thought they'd never leave." He locked the door behind him and ambled into the bedchamber. Yue was snug under the sheets, blinking at his appearance amusedly, "You're wearing my skirt."

"Is that a problem?"

"As long as it doesn't bother you that you were speaking to the servants just now in that skirt," she smirked, "The walls will talk."

"Well," he slipped beside her under the covers, sliding an arm around her waist, "We were wondering how to break the news that we consummated," he kissed her jaw. "Let the walls talk."

"So you're cool with the entire palace buzzing about how you finally agreed to make babies with a Northerner?"

"Hey, you said you won't sleep with me," he pointed out. "You said you won't even look at me even if I was the last man on earth."

"And I clearly redeemed myself by trying to seduce you."

Smiling as he brushed his nose against hers, planting gentle pecks on her face before descending to her neck, "I guess you did."

Her arm flew around him, pulling him on top of her, "I need a shower, and I'm going straight to bed."

"You want me to join you?" he wiggled his eyebrows.

"It'll defeat the purpose," she teased.

"Well…I do like seeing you wet…" Suckling the skin at her neck, grinning at her soft gasp, "But if a shower's all you're looking for, that's fine, too. I'm your humble servant…"

"I didn't marry you to have you as my servant."

"Then?"

She pushed herself against his member, exciting him with a brush of her clit against him. Arching her back as he ground against her, "Think you can take me there and still be inside of me?"

"Challenge accepted."

She giggled and moaned as he slowly entered her, fixing her legs around his waist and whisking her into his arms.

"He envisions a family with you doesn't, he?! We'll see about that!"

The words haunted him as he realized he was back in the Southern tundra. To his horror, his wife was back in her injured state, lying in pools of blood beneath the wretched lunar eclipse. This time, they were alone. No one was there to attack, and no one was there to defend. It was only the two of them in a vast, endless blanket of white with nothing but the company of that wretched man's echoing words.

"If I call myself a man, huh? Can you call yourself a woman?!"

Sokka quivered in horror, tears raiding his face. "I thought you were healed!" he shrieked as he tried to shake his wife awake. How did they get back here? They left the South! They left behind everything and everyone from the South! They were in their palace in the North after their coronation. How could they have gotten here? How could he have let them get back here?! How stupid did he have to be?

"YUE! Oh Tui and La—!"

"Nalligima?"

He froze and turned around, perplexed to see Yue standing behind him a small distance away, clad in loose, sweeping robes rather than blood-soaked attire. She was completely free of injury; rather, she seemed to be aglow, cast over by a pleasant aura despite looking on at him in concern. The Northern palace loomed in the background, confusing him.

"What are you doing over there?" she asked.

But how did…? She was right here— Sokka turned back to his lap, finding that her injured self wasn't there. There was not a single drop of blood anywhere on or near him. The endless tundra of the South had suddenly been replaced with the canals and gondolas of the North. Pakku's words, too, had been blown away by the Northern winds.

Not caring for logic or explanation, Sokka scrambled up and ran to his wife in relief, greeting her with a firm hug and long, desperate kisses all over her face. "You're okay…"

"Of course I am," she blinked, confused by the tears that he was brushing away from his face, "Love, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing… I was…I was worried…"

"We were, too. You weren't in the palace."

He moved forward for another hug but felt as if something was pressing between the two of them. He also thought he felt a slight thump against his abdomen. The hands at her waist noted that her hips seemed wider than he remembered. He looked down, melting immediately as he saw her belly— her ballooned belly. She was pregnant.

"The baby's been worried, too," she told him, her hand settling on top of her stomach. "See?"

As softly as he was able, he settled his hand over the swell of her prominent belly, his palm tickled by strong thumps. The baby— their baby— was kicking. His other hand joined her stomach, eager to feel the strong kicks.

"Sokka?"

He looked up at his wife, who had never appeared more beautiful to him than she was at this moment.

"Sokka, are you sure everything is okay?"

He nodded, raided by fresh tears. This time, his tears were of joy. "Yeah," he smiled, and with every minute, his smile widened more and more before blooming into a laugh imbued with love and excitement and relief, "I've never been better, Baby Blue!"

She continued to look at him, concerned, but he dispelled her worries with a kiss to her forehead and lips. He knelt down in front of her until he was in level with her stomach, closing his eyes as he gently kissed her belly.

And by the time he opened his eyes, he found that he had drifted out of his sleep, waking up with a small stretch of a smile on his lips. He blinked, realizing that it was a dream, and upon looking around, he realized that they had fallen asleep in the shower. He had dozed off on her stomach following their intimate activities, both of their forms continuing to be drenched by the slowly running shower.

He pushed at the nearby lever, stopping the water, letting out a hopeful sigh as he turned to his sleeping wife. "Baby?"

"Mm…?"

"Let's go sleep on the bed."

She shook her head, "'wanna stay here…"

"You'll hurt your back. Come on, I'll take you."

She held her arms up, and he lifted her, setting her down against the sheets. She bent the water off of both of them, pulling him into bed with her and cuddling against him. He smoothed her hair, draping a blanket over her.

"Hey, Yue."

"Hm…?"

"Do you want a boy or girl first?"

She blinked at him sleepily, noting his wide smile, "Who do you want first?"

"I want a girl first."

"Really?"

"I want an adorable little princess," he cuddled closer to her, "Who looks exactly like her anaana. But she needs to have her ataata's discernment."

"What does that mean?"

"I mean, she should have compassion for others but with boundaries, you know?"

Rolling her eyes playfully, "Well I was hoping for a little boy with a wolf tail running around and throwing boomerangs at people. But he would have more self-control than his ataata."

"You're saying I have no self-control?"

"Defending the people you care about is commendable, but punching people in the face for saying something so dumb that it's laughable?"

"They always have it coming. I'm not just sitting there and letting people run their disrespectful mouths."

She shook her head at his defense, "Whatever you say."

"Well we'll have both, of course, but I want a girl first." His eyes lit up, "She'll be the greatest warrior in the Water Tribe. No, the whole world. Doesn't matter if she's a waterbender or nonbender or airbender, she's kicking ass."

She gave him an amused look before asking, "What got you thinking about this anyway?"

He shrugged, "Nothing. Just thought about it."

"I don't know, something seems different. You're all smiley. What's up?"

He shook his head, full of hope and love and he lost himself in her inquisitive eyes, "No reason. I'm just very happy today."

She beamed, kissing his cheek. "Inaamiya."

"Iya inaami."

Everyone's stares were on them. The pattern of reactions was similar for all; a blip of concern given what happened down South, a reminder of La's healing hand, an intrigued rise of their eyebrows followed by relieved and excited grins. The parents' burdens were lightened the most. It was about time, they chanted, looking to the future that lay ahead and imagining the grandchildren they would hold in their arms soon. They went about smiling and chuckling amongst themselves whereas the servants made it a game to spot the love bites the chief and chieftess chose not to heal, apparently. It had gotten to the point where Yue took it upon herself to leave the party that their folks had arranged for them, dragging her husband to the storage closet nearest to them.

"Finally," he closed the door behind them, pressing her against the wall as he kissed her with ferocious need.

"This isn't why I called you in here," she said, pulling the top of his tunic up to cover the light bruise on the nape of his neck. She blushed as she traced her hand where her lips had indulged in his skin, "This is why I told you to wear a collared tunic. You know what, I'm just healing it—"

"No, it'll take the fun out of it!"

"All the ministers are laughing at us," she insisted.

"They've made love before, they know how this works!" he countered, continuing to kiss down her neck. "Besides, you're not healing yours!"

Because he was considerably more gentle with her as opposed to her eagerness, she had noted with a tint of red smearing her cheeks. Besides, "Eighty percent of your markings are in this area right here," she gestured to her chest, "And I don't go flaunting this around, do I?"

With a sheepish grin, "Fine, how about this? You heal yours first, and then you can heal mine—"

"You just need an excuse to look at my boobs."

"I'm only a man deeply in love with my wife," he grinned.

Shaking her head, hiding her smile, "Fine, at least change out of this shirt. Or I'll have to rip it off of you."

"Not your first time doing that, huh, Chieftess?"

She flushed, her hands sliding under his shirt, inching their way up his toned physique. His gaze was settled on hers, imbued with patience and amusement. She bit her lip, feeling every part of her bristle as if on fire, "Well not here—"

"There's no one here."

She ran her palm from his bare chest down past his stomach, grasping his cock through the outline of his pants. He hitched a breath, "Yue—"

"W-We can't be here for long," she stammered, fiddling with the drawstrings of his pants.

"You're not some object, nalligima," he pulled down her left sleeve, kissing her shoulder, "I'm taking my time making love to you."

A shudder before her robes fell around her feet. Closing her eyes, chewing at her lower lip as she felt his hands roam over her aching body, "J-Just change out of your shirt, Sokka."

"Why don't you take it off for me?" he wrapped his arms around her waist, his breath tickling her neck, "Rip it off me. Do whatever you want to me."

"Do whatever you want to me."

She tossed him against a couple of pelts in the corner, caught in the throes of adrenalin. She tossed his tunic aside before she froze his hands to the icy floor, grinning while she kissed her way down his chest…

"Come on, Baby Blue," he panted. "You told me not to ruin our robes, and I didn't."

Yue caught her breath against the tapestries, looking from her pristine Black Lotus robes and his glimmering White Lotus robes, which were neatly placed aside, to the state of their intertwined bodies soaked in sweat and the juices of their pleasure. She fought back an amused grin, maintaining a pout, "They'll be here any minute."

"The door's locked."

"We don't exactly smell celibate," she sat up, holding a fur pelt to cover her nudity, "We can't sit through a court painting like this." Teasingly, "You're the chief. You should be taking this seriously."

"I am! I even came prepared." He reached for his boomerang sheath that he had tossed aside in his haste and pulled out the moonflowers he'd saved so meticulously, handing the flowers to her with a toothy grin.

"You're still trying to impress me with these?"

"You thought I was trying to impress you? How selfish do you think I am?" He sat up, brushing her long locks evenly with his fingers before weaving the flowers into them, "I was giving them to you because you like them. Not 'cause I wanted any favors from you. How can you think so lowly of me, Chieftess?"

"Alright alright, my bad," she smiled as he draped her freshly braided hair over her shoulder.

"Honorable Ataniq, the court painter is ready!" came a call from outside. "Would you like me to send him in?"

Sokka scrambled to put his robes on but was caught by Yue's hand before he could get up. The chieftess turned to the door, commanding, "Compensate the poor man and send him on his way! We're postponing the painting!"

"Again, Your Highness—?"

"Again," she confirmed and pushed Sokka onto his back, silencing his giddy laugh with a kiss.

"Palace talk has it that you two are going at it like rabbit-seals," Imona folded her arms. "I wish I can say I'm surprised but not really."

Sokka flushed despite his defensive pout. Junguk merely laughed at him, "Hey, that sounds about right with all those months of sexual tension."

"Oh yeah, Yue drove me crazy with her pining," Imona shook her head, a wave of concern nevertheless persisting in her eyes. "It's just that…I know she was already healed, but I thought she would take more time to process everything."

The color on Sokka's face left quickly with the reminder of the South's events.

"She's not in pain, I hope…"

"You think I'd agree to this if she was?" Sokka frowned. "I only want her to have a good time. That's what I always try to make happen—"

"Relax. I know," Imona said. "I was just thinking out loud… And I know it wasn't easy blocking your folks from coming here ever again."

"It wasn't hard, honestly," Sokka turned away, embittered by the South's memories, "A part of me had been confident that I could convince Chief Hakoda and Chieftess Kya to see their hypocrisy. I couldn't be more clear when I told them I wanted with Yue what they had with each other. But they gave her no respect. They told her to leave me in the dust if she called herself honorable."

Junguk placed a hand over Sokka's shoulder, "It's okay, Sokka…"

"No, it's not. I really thought that…since they'd been through their fair share of experiences, they would be more understanding. And for thinking they could be redeemed…" Drying his eyes, "If anything had happened to Yue, I…"

Imona's fury was strangely mute this time, perhaps due to the reminder of the situation she herself had been in, the most sacred parts of her womanly being violated in the past.

"I've always thought of myself as lucky," Junguk said quietly. "I know Imona's experience with that bloodbender was horrific, but… at least I never had to see it. It's not a good image. Seeing your wife like that in unbearable pain…I don't know if I would've been able to handle it." Looking at Sokka, "I can't imagine how it had been for you, Brother."

Sokka closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, "Yue always told me she didn't want to be in a relationship because she couldn't afford to get it wrong, and I told myself I'll never cause any inconvenience for her. I wanted to be perfect. But because of me…"

"It's not because of you," Imona said. "You didn't know this would happen. And this is coming from me."

Sokka shook his head, "Yue declared me the chief of the North with so much pride. I wish I could've done the same for her down South."

"Forget it," Imona sighed. "I'm sure she's more excited about having a man who cares about her than being declared the queen of his kingdom. What Yue needs is love, not more thrones. You keep her happy, Brother Sokka. There's nothing else that brings her more honor."

Yue was surprised at how easily Sokka went along with the older folks' suggestion of a fertility ritual. Despite the expectation that he would scoff over rituals, he sat through the whole thing like a pious tribesman, not uttering a single sarcastic comment. He consented to being doused in vermillion and covered in pigment drawings, and he agreed to sit for hours on end in front of the sacred fire. He even opted to circumambulate the Moon Temple over a hundred times, not bothering to complain.

"You seem so different today."

He turned to his wife, "Different?"

"I was expecting more of a 'you silly believers and your useless rituals' type of reaction," she said. "You want a daughter that bad?"

"I wouldn't disagree with that," he smiled tiredly, "But I went for it because I thought if we kissed up to La, he'll take extra steps to keep you safe."

Yue didn't have to be explicitly told of the context that inspired his anxiety. She softened her eyes, trying to tone down the intensity with a chuckle, "And here I was trying to protect your disbelieving pride."

"I don't care about the pride. I destroyed every bit of it when I saw you in the South like that…"

Frowning worriedly, "You're still thinking about that?"

"I'm never gonna forget," he said. "And I'm never gonna see you like that again."

She placed her hand on his cheek, "You won't. I promise you."

The moon was vibrant, its glow intertwined with the dance of the Northern lights. Dazzling brighter than all of those were the young chieftain's eyes as they beckoned her. She crimsoned as he slid his hand around her, pulling her into the shadows and away from the dreary and overly-formal officials.

"So many parties lately," Sokka drawled.

"Yeah. Who knew this many people would want to congratulate us even two weeks in?"

"No common sense, I swear. And no privacy. There's always someone knocking on doors or asking for signatures."

"I mean, it's not like we're the leaders of the nation or anything..."

"Right, right..." He huffed, touching his forehead with hers, a twinkle in his deep blue eyes, "We can get out of here, you know. Just like old times."

"Ataata will kill us both."

"I got Silak's permission."

Blinking, "You did?"

"Yeah, it was easy," he smirked, "I told him I won't be like his irresponsibly generous daughter, and he agreed."

"How brilliant of you."

He held her by her hand and led her away with a laugh. Scouring the shadows and dodging the guards on their way out of the palace, they slipped secretly into a gondola. It was a much longer ride than Yue had expected, spanning three whole hours or so, but Sokka was persistent, having maneuvered the gondola himself. When they had finally reached the shore, he blindfolded her, citing that a surprise was in the works as he carried her all the way to their destination. The smell of a lush garden greeted her by the time he set her down, and the rumbles of thunder indicated that this place — wherever it was— was not a traditional tundra.

"Okay," he took the blindfold off of her, "Here we are!"

She blinked at their surroundings. They were not in a tundra but in the warmer part of the North, surrounded by permafrost and coniferous plants. She noted that they were standing in front of a simple log cabin, but it had a grandeur of its own, which came from the abundant flora that seemed to encapsulate the cabin in its splendor. Arctic roses and moon jasmines and ocean lilies, accompanied by mango-pomegranite and pearplum trees.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, gazing up at the sky, which stirred with the beginnings of a storm. Which was always a plus. "Where are we?"

"Nansei," he beamed. "We're finally here."

Arnook and Ahnah were indeed right about the natural beauty of this place. "How long are we staying?"

"However long you want," he said. "I had everything arranged beforehand. Food's in the ice box, and it's enough to last us a week, but we always can get more."

"Clothes?"

"I don't think we'll be needing much of those anyway."

"Sokka!"

"Okay okay, there's a wardrobe, too," he laughed at her embarrassment. "Everything's good to go. And…" His arms snaked around her waist. Eager lips tickled her earlobe, "I can run you a steaming bath if you want…"

"Mm?"

"Mhm… And maybe get some oils out for a nice massage," his palms smoothed her shoulders and slid down her arms, gently squeezing his way down. "You do look sore…"

Delightfully sore. "Not as much as you are, I'm sure. Rowing for three hours straight. I'm sure it takes a lot out of a man." Turning around in his arms, a rare spark to her eyes, "Why don't we give your arms a break?"

He blushed, "I'll, uh...I'll get the rope..."

Deviously, "Perfect."

Hakoda had only nightmares these days.

He would see his son sitting alone in the snow, wearing the desperation of a wounded animal, the grief of a mother, and the wrath of a madman as he wept over his injured wife, the Southern tundra soaked in her blood. Hakoda's heart would always break, and his stomach would always churn with guilt and sink with horror at the wrath that would follow the younger man. Sometimes, Sokka would never step out of his grief. Sometimes he would turn angrily to Hakoda and roar to his heart's content. In extreme cases, he would grow fangs that seemed to tear flesh apart at mere glance, form claws that threatened to kill all in his wake, wear streaks of Pakku's blood on his body like a soldier wearing a medal of achievement.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, the Southern chief would chant as he jerked awake during the wee hours. I never wanted this to happen…

Very rarely, Hakoda and Kya clung to slivers of hope. La was merciful. But there were plenty of reminders. To those who threaten peace— to those who threaten Tui— La was hostile. Destructive. Though in their case, it was strange. There was never a scarcity of food or water or wealth or health. Karuna and Kohana were the crowned jewels of the household, and they were as happy and safe and healthy as they could be. And yet, there was no peace. The possibility of never seeing their oldest again, never getting to know his progeny swallowed them whole.

Apart from this bitter truth were other dreadful realities. Any and all traces of sleep in their household were ruined by the knowledge that Pakku was in unbearable pain and was engaged in perpetual screams in prison. Yue's hollers of anguish and Sokka's devastated cries still rang through their ears. And the grim reminders of Sokka's wrath shimmered in the prayer room and throughout the palace— in the form of blood stains that refused to wash off of the black and white marble sculptures of Tui and La, the bloodbath tainting the ice of the new Southern palace, marking the moment Sokka dragged the old perpetrator across the halls and threw him to the salty fires of the sea.

Prayer did not soothe their hearts, either. The marble Spirits, despite given offerings from the persistent Southern chieftess, always appeared as if they were starving, as if they had lost their smiles. The Southern chieftess wasn't able to even look at the sculptures lately; they were gifted by Yue after all, and the thought of her brought nothing but guilt.

"It wasn't our fault," Kya would whisper for hours on end in the prayer room. "We never wanted this to happen…We might not have approved, but we never wanted it to go this far…!"

And the marble Spirits would only stare back. Unwavering, uninterested.

"Keep them happy. That is all we ask," Kya would weep. "Please."

Sokka jerked out of his sleep, the panic from his nightmare transcending into the real world for a moment. He was soothed to find himself not in the South but in their warm bathtub in their Nansei guesthouse, surrounded by candles and fragrances as opposed to whipping winds and the pungent smell of blood. Yue was leaning against him, sleeping peacefully with her back to his chest, their nude forms intertwined and submerged in bathwater. Through the initial blur of his sleepy vision, he panicked upon seeing blotches of red in the water, but with every passing blink, his clearing vision revealed that they were merely the plethora of rose petals that he'd sprinkled in the water earlier in his enthusiasm.

He breathed a sigh of relief, trying to calm his rapid pulse. She stirred, and her soft hand brushed over his cheek, her eyes fluttering open. "Everything okay?"

He nodded, kissing her temple, his gaze ebbing with devotion, "I love you."

Smilingly, "I love you, too."

"Psst. Hey."

Sokka, who was currently holding Arnook and Ahnah's week-old twins, turned to the unmistakable voice of his wife. It was very easy to summon him, she knew; all it took was a beckon, and he would slip out of even the most important conversations. He grinned and handed the twins over to their parents before leaving the courtyard. He hurried inside, driven by the excited spark in her eyes as she pulled him aside. She also seemed…strangely nervous…

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing," she shook her head, smiling, "I, just…I got something for you."

"Aww, you shouldn't have, Baby Blue!"

From the folds of her robe, she pulled out a small box, handing him the same. He peered eagerly into its contents.

"Hey, it's a small boomerang," he noted, intrigued as he felt the material. "It's like a stress plushy type thing but…it also kind of reminds me of…what's it called…like a teething toy for babies—" his sentence jarred to a halt, hopeful eyes tearing up instantly as they peered at her. "I-Is it a teething toy?"

"Yeah…" twiddling with her fingers, "In case Sokka Junior would want a boomerang like his ataata…"

He burst into a laugh and a cry all at once, his hands flying around her shoulders, "Are you pregnant—?"

"Yes, you're going to be a father—"

"WOOOOOO!" He wasted no time picking her up and spinning her in his arms, excited but gentle in his grip. "I love you, I love you, I love you!"

"I love you, too."

He thought he had been laughing all the while until a sob left him. Cupping his face, "Are you crying—?"

"I'm a happy man, okay, let me cry," he set her back down and kissed her all over. "Spirits, I'm gonna be a dad! You're gonna be a mom!" His hand settled lovingly on her stomach, "W-When did you find out?! How far along—?"

"Yugoda said I'm at six weeks. It's only been a few hours. I've been wanting to tell you ever since but I wanted to surprise you." Brushing back her own tears of joy, "Turns out boomerang-shaped teething toys are rare in the market."

"Oh my Spirits, oh my Spirits, YEEEES!" He laughed and picked her up again, this time kissing her stomach as he did. "We're gonna be parents!"