Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

228. Chapter 228: Fire Lord for a Week 9

A/N:

WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!

THIS WAS A DOUBLE UPDATE!

PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTER (227) BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH THIS CHAPTER! :'D

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A hand.

A hand held hers.

A familiar hand, though she couldn't place who it belonged to right away.

It was difficult to breathe, more so with an oppressive weight hanging all over her body, akin to an anchor, dragging her underwater… was that why she couldn't breathe? No, no, that didn't sound right. And yet she couldn't really remember why she felt as she did: why was her body so vacant, and at the same time, so overwhelming? Why did it feel like a cloud had been stuffed into her brain? That was the weight, wasn't it? Pain… a very strange, dull, invariable pain. As though something was off… something was missing. What on earth was missing? She couldn't tell…

"… can you hear me? Hey, hey…"

Ah. The voice was as familiar as the hand.

Even now, she couldn't place it.

"Azula, love… are you awake? Can you open your eyes, or…?"

Eyes. She did have eyes, that made sense. How to open them, though? She didn't remember that, either…

"Hell, I… okay, I'll be back in a sec, I'll get Fei Rou. Just… I'll be right back"

Oh, that was too bad. The hand was gone… even if she couldn't tell who it belonged to, she wanted to hold it for a little longer.

She couldn't really discern the footsteps, whether on their way out or returning to the room. Yet she did hear two voices debating something, far faster than she expected. Maybe it concerned her… but she couldn't understand what they meant. She didn't pay enough attention. For now, she merely waited for that man to hold her hand again…

But while his voice had returned to the room, it wasn't him who touched her next, and her eyebrows twitched with discomfort because of it. The first man yelped at the sign of consciousness, but she couldn't know that was what he was so excited about…

And then there was something solid, hard, against her lips. Ah. She had lips, too.

Liquid entered her parted, chapped lips: it crossed her dry mouth, and the sudden presence of the water made her aware of how much she needed it. The cup was tilted towards her carefully, and the water was a painful relief: every droplet that touched her tongue, as well as the roof and walls of her mouth seemed to bring those elements of her body back to life… and while the water was no doubt a good thing, each nerve-ending of her body it reawakened would be shot with slow, spreading pain.

She swallowed. That hurt, too.

She could feel the water flowing down her system, even down to pooling in her stomach. It was cold. She wasn't sure she wanted it to be so cold, but she couldn't do anything about…

Wait. She could. She was a firebender.

Fire, though. Where was it? Why couldn't she feel it? She kept swallowing the water, hoping it might bring back her fire, just as it had brought back her mouth, her body… but nothing. Nothing. What was the meaning of this? What was going on?

The small cup was removed from her lips, and if she'd had it in her to call for more water, she would have. She still couldn't remember how.

"Can you keep doing this in my stead?" said a new voice. She understood its words better now "I have some critical patients, and she still seems stable, so…"

"Don't worry" the first voice replied again… ah, that was good. Just hearing him was enough to soothe her nerves, somewhat "I'll take care of it. If anything happens, I'll let you know"

"Thanks. In all likelihood, she'll just fall asleep again in a short while, so… don't get too frustrated if that happens"

"Yeah… I won't be"

Moments later, the cup was pressed to her lips anew: water, more water. Maybe it was a bad idea to drink so much of it, come to think of it… maybe it would snuff out her fire if she drank too much. But would it? She couldn't feel any fire in the first place. There wasn't anything to feel… maybe that was the source of the pain, the heaviness that weighed on her whole, hazy body…

"I know this isn't fun…" that same, comforting voice said "But Fei Rou thinks you need as much water as possible, love. You… you lost a lot of blood, so… this should help you start replenishing it. Hopefully"

Lost a lot of blood? Well, if so, that explained why her body barely felt real. It didn't explain why everything was so confusing, why she couldn't remember much of anything yet… though that voice was still heartwarming, kind. She wanted to hear it talk some more…

"You've been asleep for about ten hours now, if you were wondering… it's already dusk. And yeah, I'm not supposed to be in the Palace at night… but apparently everyone will make an exception for me today. It's damn lucky for me that they will…"

A palace… that rang a bell too. Was she in a palace, then? She was sure she hadn't been in it, before losing consciousness. But where had she been, instead?

His words elicited so many questions, not nearly enough answers. But he continued to pour water delicately into her mouth, and her whole body appeared to respond well to that… if only by causing her further pain. It helped her feel her body all over again, though… and that was what should matter. That, first of all.

"If you can stomach all this water, they'll send you some broth next" the voice continued to explain "Water's all nice and good, but you need food… and Fei Rou says your digestive system shouldn't be in trouble. The damage was to your shoulder, after all…"

Her shoulder? What on earth had…?

A violent clashing sound, right by her ear. The whole world tumbling, her senses weakening, her dragon screaming for her, Imperial Guards shouting after her and chasing away the culprit with the dadao sword, who had attacked her from behind without remorse, surely aiming for her head, but she had unknowingly moved out of the way at the very last moment and avoided that fatal blow…

"Azula…? Hey, hey. What's wrong? Azula…"

Azula. That was her. That was her name.

"Can you hear me? Breathe slowly, alright? You're safe, love, I promise. All the danger's gone now, no one will hurt you here"

She hadn't noticed she was breathing more agitatedly now. Yet those words soothed her, if just slightly… and now that she had breathed deeper than before, her lungs seemed to work better. Though everything still hurt, of course.

The water was gone now: she had scared her caretaker with her latest reaction. Oh, she wanted to apologize, but how…?

A hand stroked her hair gently. It was far more soothing than anything she could have imagined… more so when the other hand found her right one, resting over her body on the bedding as it had been. Strong, calloused hands… the fingers intertwined with hers, while the hand on her head slid through her tresses kindly. That was nice… very nice.

"Feeling a little better now?" he asked. She wanted to nod, but she couldn't convince her body to react. Oh, this was pointless and painful. Why couldn't she move in the least? Surely there was something she could do. Anything…

It was her right hand that reacted: she squeezed her companion's own gently, and he gasped at her response. She wondered if he had been crying earlier, as per the choked sound of his voice. With that gasp, she wondered if he would cry now, too.

"I… I'm here, Azula. I'm here for you" he whispered, his voice frail "You don't have to worry about a thing. I'll stay with you until you're all better. I've always promised I would, right? So… don't fret. No one's going to hurt you again"

She believed him. As long as that kind man, with that gentle voice, sat by her side, she had nothing to fear. Her fire might have gone away, and difficult memories flashed in her stuffy head, and her body might not want to respond to her impulses… but he was here. He would protect her. He would guard her from all that sought to harm her.

Those thoughts seemed to unlock the truths that had eluded her so far. Truths she had wanted to understand, and finally, she did: he was her husband. He was her lover. He was the most important person in her life.

He was her gladiator.

"Sokka…"

He nearly jumped when she breathlessly spoke his name. Where she appeared calm right after fidgeting for a moment, upon the mention of her shoulder, now it was Sokka who appeared to be on the verge of a nervous collapse. His chest heaved, tears surged in his eyes anew, and the hand that had touched her hair slid down to cup her cheek.

"Y-yes… it's me" he said, choked again, struggling to control his tears "I'm here, Azula. Your Sokka"

His mind could have been playing tricks on him, but it wasn't his imagination when the corners of her lips twitched a little, just a little… a smile. A broken, subtle smile that faded from her face in moments. Her breathing became even… a quick check of her pulse revealed it was easing down to its previous, slower pace. He had been holding her hand when she had woken, he had felt her wrist for her pulse once she had breathed a little more heavily than before… as long as her heart continued to beat, he wouldn't lose his mind to concern. Fei Rou had said she might fall asleep again on occasion, that he shouldn't think much of it as long as he saw no signs of danger… and as much as she had a sudden reaction earlier as he spoke to her, she appeared perfectly calm once more.

Sokka released a breath, knowing he had to keep himself together. Azula would be fine… of course she would be fine. She managed to call his name, or well, mumble it, with a thread of a voice. It was heartbreaking… and yet it was progress. The next time she woke he'd ensure to give her more water, and he'd check with Fei Rou if it was advisable to get her proper medicine soon. Her shoulder's bandages might need to be changed as well, and he was sure he wouldn't be allowed to do it himself, but he'd stick around for every stage of her recovery he could be part of, without a doubt. Azula required it.

It was deep into the night by the time she woke again: once more, he held her hand when she came to, though this time a soft groan broke through her lips as Sokka snapped himself fully awake at her stirring.

"Hey there" Sokka smiled sadly, despite Azula couldn't see him yet "Time for more water, 'kay?"

The improvement wasn't sizable… but it was an improvement all the same. Azula accepted the water without complaint, receiving as much of it as he dared offer her. He spoke reassuring words all the while, hoping she wouldn't know how anguished he was about her state. She always had told him that projecting strength and confidence could win battles without fighting them at all… this was no battle, not anymore, but if he showed her strength and confidence, she might be further encouraged to keep recovering.

"Okay… that's all the water we've got for now. I'm glad you were awake long enough to drink it" Sokka said, sighing as he stroked her cheek, setting the small cup aside with his other hand "I'll go ask Fei Rou what I should do next, alright? Maybe there's something more we can give you, but if you want to fall asleep again go ahead. It's been a long day for you, love, so…"

She groaned again, and then she stirred: it was a very light movement, perhaps a shudder, but it implied Azula was reclaiming control of her body, if only progressively. Sokka's breath hitched, and he reached for her hand again to give it a light squeeze.

"I'll be right back, okay?"

The situation outside Azula's room hadn't been good when he had fetched Fei Rou earlier, and it probably wasn't much better yet either. Sokka glanced about for the physician, failing to find him at first, but soon he spotted him at the other end of the group of stretchers, sewing one of the wounds of the soldiers, victims of the Stingray's impaling attacks. Sokka gritted his teeth, knowing they needed help direly… knowing, too, that they'd likely want Azula prioritized as well. He breathed slowly as he reached Fei Rou, clearing his throat once he did.

"Is she awake again?" Fei Rou asked, without bothering to glance back at Sokka as he delivered the final stitch. The man underneath him was unconscious, likely sedated to ensure he wouldn't reject the treatment over pain.

"Yeah. I gave her all the water in the pitcher, like you told me to…" Sokka said "Should I find more, or…?"

"Not yet. It's time for medicine now" Fei Rou said, turning to one of his assistants "Finish this up for me, will you?"

"Yes, sir"

Fei Rou didn't waste time; he appeared tireless, though somewhat removed from his own actions too. Perhaps it was how most healers had to behave, especially in the face of such challenges: the soldiers with the worst injuries had been brought for treatment with the top-ranked physicians, even if it meant they'd likely spend a full, sleepless night or more than that ensuring to protect as many lives as they could.

"How has it gone so far?" Sokka asked Fei Rou, as they returned to Azula's room with the necessary medicine Fei Rou had collected for her, as well as a new set of bandages "Have you managed to…?"

"To save them all? No" Fei Rou answered, curtly "We've already lost three. About seven are out of danger"

"I see…" Sokka whispered, as Fei Rou pushed the door open. The Princess, languishing on her bed, didn't react to the sound or their presence.

Fei Rou asked for Sokka's assistance, to his surprise: he was to help keep Azula's body in an upright position so she wouldn't choke on the medicine Fei Rou had brought for her. It was a thicker liquid, of a green color, and the smell was unpleasant, but as unappealing as it might be for the Princess in any other circumstances, right now she couldn't seem to care for taste or odors: she swallowed everything, little by little, and Fei Rou appeared perfectly satisfied with the results of the initial round of medication post-surgery.

"I figured she might not respond well to a few things, but it seems I was mistaken. Good" Fei Rou said "I'll need help with the bandages now: hold her body up carefully, will you?"

Fei Rou hardly seemed to care for propriety: he didn't even warn Sokka not to touch Azula anywhere he shouldn't, and he lowered the Princess's current robe so it would slide off her left shoulder. Letting anyone else see the bare body of the woman he loved wasn't quite something Sokka had expected he'd do, but Azula's breast bindings kept anything too intimate perfectly concealed regardless: the bandages around her injury were above them, covering a cotton cloth that had been imbued with a substance whose main purpose was to prevent infections.

Once those bandages and the cloth were removed, though, Sokka gasped, inevitably: where there had been one cut in her skin before, now there were three. The two new gashes formed a U-pattern that didn't touch the first wound but surrounded it, instead.

"We had to do that, to isolate the corruption" Fei Rou explained, unsurprised by Sokka's reaction "Strange as it looks, it was the only way to stop the worst of it from leaking out of her shoulder and to other parts of her body. It was close to her heart too… had she been in contact with that corruption any longer, she might not have made it at all"

"I… I understand…" Sokka whispered.

It was merely a shock, one Fei Rou couldn't understand, to see the flawless skin he had kissed countless times, covered in stitches over red lines of cut skin, as well as the darker red hue of the original wound. He gritted his teeth, knowing she'd have scars from both the treatment and Rhone's cut… maybe the damage could have been worse, but Fei Rou was right: it had been close. Too close. The marks would be a harsh reminder of how she had brushed terribly closely with death … just as Sokka's own scars often had done the same for Azula.

"This treatment will keep her safe from infections… and it will promote quick scarring" Fei Rou explained, placing a new cloth over the wounds. Sokka nodded "The stitches are already doing their job, but it doesn't hurt to give her another helping hand anyhow. As for the pain, the medicine I gave her earlier ought to help with that. Food, water and rest will keep her chi flowing smoothly… but until I get a chance to research, I don't think I'll know anything about how to restore the amounts of chi she lost. If the Head Sage hasn't found any solutions yet, it'll be a while before we figure that one out"

"Yeah… I guess so" Sokka nodded, delicately hoisting Azula so Fei Rou could finish fastening the bandages over her shoulder and under her armpit, to keep the injury perfectly protected.

"Alright, then. I'll send someone to find her something with more substance to recover with" Fei Rou sighed, standing up "Feed it to her gradually. Don't be hasty"

"I won't be" Sokka nodded, determined.

Fei Rou only glanced one more time at the Princess before turning to leave the room. Sokka swallowed hard, the image of Azula's new scars too vivid to forget easily… just how badly would they hurt in the next months? In the next years, if anything… curses, why had he let such a thing happen to her? He'd spend the rest of his life self-flagellating for it, he knew so…

"Well, then… food's coming up next" Sokka breathed deeply, turning his gaze towards Azula "Or, well, it will be the next time you're awake, huh? I guess those medicines knocked you out cold again. Still…"

"…'m not… sleep"

Sokka's eyes widened. He had still been sitting behind her, holding her up carefully, so as surprised as he was, he didn't jump… the broken voice scarcely sounded like hers, yet it had to be. It had to be.

"Azula… hey. Hey, I thought you were… oh, I'm sorry" he said, again with a tearful smile "How are you…? Ugh, well, I shouldn't even ask that, should I? M-maybe I… I shouldn't ask anything at all. That you've talked is already plenty, so…"

"Mm…"

Sokka breathed deeply, stroking her hair with his fingertips carefully. Azula had yet to open her eyes… but that was fine. Once she regained enough strength, it was bound to happen.

"Do you want me to set you back down?" he asked, quietly "Or are you okay like this?"

"… This… you" Azula couldn't finish a full sentence, but she still understood him. If she understood, if she recognized him, it meant her mind was still working relatively well. It would take time, but she should recover her full faculties soon.

"Good" Sokka said, smiling as he placed a hand on her right shoulder "Then I'll stay here. I'm not supposed to do this, I know, but… seeing as I'm the only one allowed to be here with you for now, I'd like to do whatever I can to make you more comfortable. Because, yeah, a lot of people came to see you. They're all hoping to visit soon. Song, Rui Shi, your guards, Ty Lee, Haru and Mai… they were out there. Though, well, it's late so maybe they've had to go home by now, but still… lots of people really care that much about you. They'll be happy when you can finally see them and tell them not to worry, like you always do… you can even joke around, I bet you'll come up with a few fun things to tease everyone with, you witty, wonderful Princess…"

Sokka's thumb had grazed her skin gently over her robe… now, though, it reached down for her right hand, once again measuring her pulse: slow, but constant. Her breathing appeared to be perfectly rhythmic, too: she had fallen asleep after all, once again.

He smiled despite himself, lingering on the edge of the bed, with her body propped up against his. Her road to recovery was barely beginning, he knew that… but he hoped, deeply, that by morning she would be far livelier, able to open her eyes anew. If she had made progress and responded well to all of Fei Rou's treatments, it was only a matter of time before she was back to her usual self, he hoped. She would likely poke fun at him… oh, how he hoped she would. Then he could overreact, pretend he was affronted by her words, and she would laugh… maybe laughter would help promote chi regeneration. If it didn't, at least it would lighten Azula's load, somewhat.

He truly wasn't sure how to help the Princess, what to do for the love of his life. He held her gently now, stroking her disorderly hair, taming it gently, while watching her sleep. Maybe Fei Rou would come up with a solution… maybe the Head Sage would. And if neither could, Sokka would do his best to find an answer of his own. Maybe the Northern Water Tribe healers could transport one person's chi to the other, weren't their powers supposed to be extraordinary? Though they'd likely never agree to help Azula… but perhaps it'd be a way to stop the war: convince Ozai to leave the Water Tribe alone in exchange for his daughter's health? Would he agree to that?

Ozai… Sokka had refrained from thinking about the man so far, but it was inevitable that he'd come to mind eventually. What would he do? How would he react upon discovering his daughter had been in mortal peril? Would he think she had done right by her nation? Or would he consider her an irresponsible fool, unworthy of her temporary duties, for throwing herself into the action, and getting badly injured in the process…? If it was the latter, Sokka would have to beg Azula for forgiveness eventually, for he would punch her father in the face hard enough for his head to do a full circle…

Would anyone truly understand how much she had sacrificed to keep her people safe? How hard she had fought, how close she had been to death, all be it to ensure her nation wouldn't succumb to the cruel plans of a man who had lost his soul as a child, as far as Sokka could tell? Would they appreciate it, once they learned of it?

Whether they did or didn't, Sokka gritted his teeth as he held Azula, knowing himself to be a selfish bastard for thinking the Fire Nation didn't deserve her. Neither would any nation, frankly, if they had a royal as devoted to her people as Azula was. It didn't matter if there was a good payoff for this, if everyone thought she was the greatest leader, even if Ozai stepped down and abdicated so she could rule in his stead… for her life mattered more than her skills and talents. And that she'd be so ready to give it up was simply…

His thoughts stopped bluntly at that point, his arms still gently cradling Azula's body.

She was ready to give up her very life for those she loved. To do anything for them, even if it was a thankless job. And all he ever wanted was to beg her not to be so ready to discard her life for those reasons…

Oh, the ironies. It was exactly what she had been scolding him for, throughout all the years of their relationship.

He sighed, knowing he was being irrational. Knowing he was no better than she had been, whenever the situation was reversed. Knowing his pain couldn't be more valuable than the lives of thousands of people… Azula knew as much. Just as Sokka had begged her to live on even if he died, she now seemed to force him to face the same conundrum: if she fought to protect her nation, if she died while keeping them safe, he couldn't be ready to discard his life right afterwards either. Especially when, in all likelihood, she had done everything for his sake too. He couldn't let her efforts, her sacrifices, go to waste… and yet that she'd ever have to make them was utterly devastating.

Their world was far crueler than he ever had known it could be. That saving Azula's life had proven to be so challenging for the physicians, that she would lay immobile on that bed now, that it was even possible she might not recover fully… Sokka clenched his jaw, wanting to hug her tighter, but knowing he shouldn't, for her health's sake. Had she felt this way too, when he had languished in bed after Jeong Jeong had nearly killed him? This despair, this unbearable desolation, this increasing conviction that life was not worthwhile if she wasn't part of it…?

He couldn't sleep, and he wouldn't, no matter if his body was exhausted after already spending one whole night awake, watching over their plans, as he had the previous day. No matter if he had spent most his energies, and that he couldn't even remember the last time he had eaten. All that truly mattered was that he could sit here, stroking his Princess's long, flowing hair, ignoring his battered, weak heart's increasing ache as he whispered reassuring words to his slumbering wife, encouraging her to take her time and replenish her strength, little by little.

The Palace was calmer by the next morning, at least, on the inside: the injured had either been taken to the Royal Physicians' Institute outside the Palace, or into the Palace's physicians' wing, namely if they were highly-ranked officers who required specialized attention. Yet the gates had been barred for the commoners, and even at early hours a few of them had gathered in place, asking for explanations pertaining what had happened the previous day, and whether or not they were safe now. The guards standing by the wall attempted to convince them of their safety, but it seemed they weren't too reassuring. So far, the only thing that worked was ordering, outright, for the commoners to vacate the area… and once most of them were chased away, Mai, Ty Lee and Haru managed to reach the gates and earned a golden chance to enter the Palace, after revealing they had been allowed inside the previous day, as they hoped to visit the convalescing Princess.

"You think they'll actually let us see her this time…?" Ty Lee asked, as the three of them walked the Palace halls side by side.

"Beats me" Mai admitted "Might be they won't until she's better. But who knows?"

"At least Sokka should be there still" Haru whispered, walking hand in hand with Ty Lee "I doubt they could've convinced him to leave the Palace, right?"

"Yeah… they'd probably need an earthbender to toss him out" Ty Lee reasoned.

"Even that might fail, at this point" Haru commented "He's gotten far stronger against earthbenders than he had any right to. Probably my fault, in part, but still…"

"You should take pride in it, if anything. You're extraordinary, and you helped him grow stronger too" Ty Lee grinned, pressing against Haru's arm. He laughed softly and shrugged, ever humble.

Their conversation had turned leisurely and casual, but not for a lack of concern over their friend: if anything, it was a coping mechanism, an attempt to distract themselves from worrying sick about whether or not they'd arrive to worse news about Azula today…

Upon taking the turn at the physicians' wing, they found they weren't the only ones hoping for a glimpse of the Princess, no matter how fruitless the same attempt had been on the previous day.

"You're back" Rui Shi said, nodding in their direction. Song waved almost shyly, only for Ty Lee to lunge for a hug that the healer reciprocated "I wasn't sure you'd be free to enter…"

"One of the soldiers was the one who opened the gates for us when we left last night" Haru explained, with a weak grin "Do you have any news yet…?"

"Fei Rou said she's woken a few times" Rui Shi said, and Ty Lee's breath hitched, still holding onto Song as she was "It doesn't seem she's stayed conscious very long whenever she wakes up, but it's something"

"And Sokka's still with her?" Mai asked. Rui Shi nodded.

"We're actually starting to worry about both of them by now…" Song said, grimacing "Fei Rou said, when he had a chance to talk to us, that Sokka looks like he hasn't slept at all so far? I mean, neither have the physicians, but he could take a nap…"

"He hasn't slept for two nights in a row. At best" Rui Shi said, an eyebrow twitching.

"At… best?" Mai repeated, amused. Rui Shi sighed.

"I… refuse to elaborate on whatever has been happening while the Princess served as Interim Fire Lord" he said, though his words were revealing enough as it was. Despite the seriousness of the situation, both Mai and Ty Lee smiled.

"Those two are incorrigible…" Ty Lee said, though her smile soured quickly "I guess he expected this whole week would be a breeze, huh?"

"In all fairness, it should have been" Rui Shi mumbled "That this mess happened just when the Fire Lord wasn't home… it must have been a coincidence. As far as I know, that group had no ties with anyone in the Fire Nation. No one could have told them the Fire Lord wasn't here at the moment… and in all likelihood they hoped to kill him just as well"

Haru sighed, shaking his head. The Fire Nation was, by far, the safest place in their world… but even then, it wasn't exempt from the consequences of the war. Maybe he would have taken no issue if the topmost leadership of the Fire Nation suffered those consequences without harming anyone else… yet it wasn't Fire Lord Ozai suffering through this ordeal. It was Azula, the only royal who had made decisions that might genuinely benefit people like Haru and his parents. It was a cruel, harsh irony he was sure he could do without…

"… Wait, you spent the night in the guards' barracks? Song…!" Ty Lee was gasping when Haru focused on the conversation again: the Earth Kingdom woman was blushing profusely under Ty Lee's judgment.

"I-it's not like that! I mean, walking all the way back to the house, at that late hour…! It was safer to stay here, and… and it's not like there's anything wrong with that anyways!"

"I'm not saying there is, it's just not what I expected from you…" Ty Lee smirked, and Song groaned, burying her face in her hands. Rui Shi chuckled softly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders "I guess you'd have new privileges now, of course, as Rui Shi's fiancé! You should tell us how that came about, though, we had no idea! And with how grim things were yesterday I didn't really think it was time to ask…"

"You think it's any less grim now?" Song asked, in a deadpan tone.

"Well, we have to try to be more cheerful, for Azula's sake! So just share and don't be so shy…!"

"Goodness, help me, Rui Shi…"

Rui Shi had been willing to conceal Song in his arms, despite knowing that wouldn't help matters much, but by the time Song had buried her face in his chest, the creaking of the door behind them took the whole group by surprise. Rui Shi and Song turned quickly, finding, once more, an exhausted Fei Rou on the other side, with dark bags under his eyes and a rather exasperated expression on his face.

"That's a whole lot of you again. At least my brother's not here too this time" he sighed "Can you people give me a hand?"

"Uh… with what?" Song asked, relinquishing her hold on Rui Shi "I could serve as an assistant in surgery, if that's what you…"

"No, no, all that's taken care of. It's the gladiator"

"What about him?" Rui Shi said, almost hesitating to ask the question out of fear of the answer. Fei Rou, however, sighed.

"It's bad enough he won't sleep, now he won't eat either. Think you can talk sense into him?" asked the physician. The whole group froze on the spot.

"Sokka… not eating?" Ty Lee asked, perplex "Is Azula getting any worse…?"

"No, she's not. He's just a pain" Fei Rou groaned "Won't leave her side no matter what I tell him. I thought if any of you, or all of you, take his place for at least ten minutes he'll clean up or eat or something… apparently he's not too bright when it comes to common sense. You can't expect to look after a convalescing patient if you're exhausted and famished, can you?"

"Well, no one ever said he had that much common sense in the first place" Rui Shi shrugged "Can we all go in at once, or…?"

"I guess, as long as you're not too noisy or rowdy. She's probably not going to react much either way, but I'd rather you don't give the Princess any cause for concern or alterations" Fei Rou huffed "Come on, then, come on…"

Convalescing soldiers were still being tended to in the physicians' wing, though it appeared their wounds weren't quite so severe anymore. Rui Shi glanced at them unabashedly, wondering if the second squad's captain would be amongst them. Perhaps he had been taken to a recovery room… or perhaps he hadn't survived that long. Rui Shi breathed deeply but followed Fei Rou, choosing not to ask that difficult question yet. It would be better to focus on the Princess for now.

The physician opened the door nonchalantly: the scene within was exactly what the group would have expected to find, but the sight of Azula lying inert on a bed, her hair splayed behind her, her left shoulder covered in bandages, noticeable by the bulge under her robe, was still shocking and difficult to process. Even Song and Rui Shi, who had seen the Princess at her worst when she'd had her cold, were taken aback by the pale complexion of the royal before them.

Sokka sat by her bedside, and even though they had entered the room, he seemed to ignore them: his hand held Azula's right wrist. For a moment, Rui Shi wondered if he had fallen asleep… stepping closer, however, revealed he simply was too focused on Azula to pay attention to anything but her.

"Oh, dear…" Ty Lee gasped, covering her mouth with a hand at the sight of her friend. Haru's arm wrapped around her waist, offering her support when she needed it most.

The Princess's state was worrisome, but so was her companion's. Song swallowed hard as she approached the bed, though not to check on Azula just yet…

"Sokka?" Song called him. Her voice startled him, as did her hand on his shoulder "Good morning?"

"Uh… hey. Wow, it's… all of you guys" Sokka said, blinking repeatedly as he tried to take in the visitors.

"Fei Rou told us you haven't slept" Song said, raising an eyebrow judgmentally. Sokka huffed and shrugged.

"No point doing that. That's not what I'm here for, so…" he whispered, turning his head towards the slumbering Princess anew.

"You're here to look after her" Song agreed "But you can't do that if you're not in good shape too, Sokka"

"I'll sleep later…" Sokka mumbled, half-heartedly. Song's eyebrow twitched: this gentle-mannered approach wasn't about to work, was it?

"You stink"

The words were blunt and sudden, startling Sokka, who finally dared tear his eyes off Azula to shoot a confused, outraged glare at Mai. The tall woman stood by the other side of Azula's bed, eyeing both the Princess and her secret lover with keen eyes.

"The hell…?" Sokka replied: his moodiness wasn't surprising, both considering the situation and his lack of proper rest and nourishment.

"You really don't want those to be her first words when she's awake and back to her senses, do you?" Mai asked. Sokka froze where he sat "You shouldn't, at least. She's already had it hard enough to add bad body odor to the mix…"

"Bad body odor…?" Sokka repeated, blinking blankly.

"There's even bloodstains on your clothes. That's going to smell like nightmares if you keep wearing it any longer" Mai said "You need to clean up. It's not negotiable"

Her intent was obvious to anyone but Sokka, at least at first. Just as Song had concluded he wasn't likely to respond well to reasonable requests to take care of himself, Mai had figured she had to address the problem from a point of view that might genuinely convince Sokka to take care of himself too, if just for now.

Sokka scowled for a moment before turning his gaze on Azula again. Well… the truth was he shouldn't give Azula cause for concern. Whether over his body odor, or his lack of nourishment or rest… she had more than enough to worry about with recovering successfully. He didn't want nor need to burden her any further… even if he wasn't sure she'd even take notice of any of those details about his wellbeing and appearance anytime soon. Yet it was true he hadn't cleaned up thoroughly since his last visit to the spa… curses, how had that merely happened two mornings ago? It was surreal… everything had been.

"Please, Sokka?" Song said, watching as something akin to resignation crossed her friend's face. Sokka sighed, closing his eyes.

"Fine. Fine. I'll be quick about it, though, and… you'll keep track of her pulse the whole time while I'm gone, okay, Song?"

"Uh… sure?" Song blinked blankly, as Sokka took her hand and placed it on Azula's right wrist.

"It's how I've known if she's awake so far" Sokka mumbled, his eyes downcast "She's managed to talk a little… even recognized me, called my name back when she first woke up. But beyond that… she's mostly just slept like this"

"Alright… it's better if she rests anyhow. Her chi's unstable and needs to even out" Song explained, as Sokka rose to his feet, vacating the seat temporarily for Song to use it instead "Rest is the best way to achieve that"

Sokka sighed but nodded, still unwilling to tear his eyes off the Princess. Heaviness clung to him, an unusual one, contrasted with his usual, lively, careless self. The shock of what had happened the previous day would take a long time to overcome… perhaps he never would be completely over it. No one doubted that, if Azula were to wake up now and tease him with her mischievous smirk, his entire world would brighten anew… yet it wasn't likely to happen, and everyone knew as much.

"Come. I'll get you something to eat, and find a place close by where you can clean up" Rui Shi offered, patting Sokka's back and steering him out of the room. Even then, Sokka glanced one more time at Azula, anxiously hoping she might awaken again, offering further signs of recovery next time…

He wasn't talkative at all, and he was withdrawn as Rui Shi guided him all the way to the nearest bathroom. A set of Palace servant robes was all Rui Shi could procure for Sokka, who cleansed his body quickly and then clad himself in the outfit without caring about what he wore: even if he was clean now, and his clothes were no longer stained whether with the Princess's blood or the Kinslayer's, his face appeared just as vacant, just as hopeless.

"She'll be fine" Rui Shi said, after stopping by the kitchen to collect a box with food that, despite how empty his stomach was, Sokka could only feel queasy about "Nothing will have happened while you were gone, you know?"

"I… told her I'd be there when she woke up. I meant to be, every time" Sokka said, lowering his gaze before tightening his fist "Let's hurry"

"That's why you didn't want to go?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka sighed and nodded.

"Well… the main reason, anyways" he said "I know, I know… she'll be upset if she sees me like this, but damn, Rui Shi, I can't…"

"I'm not going to ask you to swallow your feelings" Rui Shi said, patting Sokka's shoulder "I've already asked that of you in the past, and it never helped, did it? Still… it's our Princess, Sokka. She's stronger than any of us, always has been"

"Yeah… I know" Sokka said, nodding weakly.

That was just one more reason to be scared, terrified to the bone: she was at her weakest now, without a single doubt. With her chi levels taking such a violent drop, she needed more support than ever before. Leaving her alone, even for a second, was a terrifying notion for Sokka. At least she wasn't alone now, though… and they were merely another corner away by now. Then, past the door, to the next hallway towards her room…

They found one more occupant inside along with the ones they'd left there earlier.

"Ah, I thought it was odd that you weren't around" the Head Sage said to Sokka, smiling weakly. The gladiator swallowed hard and nodded, entering the room as Rui Shi closed the door behind them both.

"She's still asleep" Song confirmed, though she released Azula's wrist after confirming the Princess's state to Sokka.

"Good" Sokka said, breathing out slowly before shooting an accusatory glare at Mai "Happy now?"

"Eh…?" Mai said, eyeing his unfashionable outfit judgmentally. Sokka rolled his eyes, ignoring the light smirk on Azula's friend's face as he focused on the Head Sage again.

"Will you check her chi now?" he asked. The Head Sage nodded.

"I'll have to ask for space to work, though. This isn't that dangerous an art, but I do need to focus" he said. Sokka swallowed hard but complied, his eyes settling on Azula's face once again.

She was still pale… still softly asleep. No sign of discomfort, no sign of awareness… how he hoped this chi-reading would yield astonishing, grand news that she was recovering far more on the inside than they realized. That she would recover all her missing chi in no time… but he knew better than to hold onto those hopes too tightly. He had to brace himself for the worst, even if he did so while hoping for the best.

The Head Sage breathed deeply as he spread his fingers, raising his hands towards the Princess's body. Fire sparked in his hands before long, and he guided them carefully over Azula's shape methodically. That she'd be covered by sheets and a blanket was irrelevant to the skill, it seemed: the chi seemed to answer the man's technique, regardless of how many layers of fabrics stood between the fire and the energy it was seeking.

Everyone held their silence as he worked, most of them too perplexed and confused to understand what the Sage was doing. Song lurked nearby, behind the Sage, watching him with amazement: she could sometimes see a pattern, even if a light one, whenever the brightness of the fire corresponded with something aglow on the Princess's face. Ty Lee, as well, was familiar with the chi paths, and from the other side of the bed she frowned upon understanding what the Head Sage's technique entailed…

"My, my…" the Head Sage said, and Sokka tensed up next to him.

"I hope that's a good 'my, my…'" he said, prompting the Head Sage to smile and nod "Really?"

"Well… she hasn't recovered chi, I'm afraid. But by now, the remaining chi is flowing far more regularly than it did when I checked her yesterday" the Head Sage explained "There are still some irregularities here and there, of course… but it seems to be falling into place, into a proper rhythm. Soon her entire system will be perfectly linked anew. Of course, it won't be easy for her to move around much, but she may be able to spend longer periods of time awake… Fei Rou mentioned she has already woken up a few times, yes?"

"Yeah" Sokka confirmed, breathing out in relief at the Head Sage's words "Hasn't for a few hours now, but… but if you think her chi's flowing better then that's good. She'll be… she'll be better. If just a bit"

"Indeed" said the Head Sage, extinguishing his flames and turning to Sokka again "The damage was severe, but her will to live seems far stronger than the ill intent that caused this to her. This much progress within less than twenty-four hours is surprisingly fast, considering the severity of her state…"

"Well… good" Sokka said, managing a small smile "That's her, alright. Even her chi paths are crazy efficient"

"Yours might be, too… but if you don't get any rest, her chi paths will be working far better than yours, at this rate" the Sage warned Sokka. Sokka smiled guiltily but nodded.

"I… I'll try" he said, as the old man patted his shoulder.

"I'll hopefully return by the afternoon again" he said "The city's settled down somewhat by now, but I'll make sure nothing's out of place either way"

"Thanks for holding up the fort for her" Sokka said, as the Head Sage started on his way to the door "She'll appreciate it lots, once she hears about it"

"Well, I'm sure you know she's better off not being told about what's been happening while she's convalescing, right?" said the Head Sage, with another smile "Give her time to recover and catch her up with what's happened later, alright?"

"Sure. Thanks again" Sokka said, nodding as the Head Sage stepped out of the room, seeking Fei Rou to inform him of the new developments in Azula's energy reading.

"You can eat now, see?" Song smiled at Sokka, who sighed as he stepped closer to Azula nonetheless "Sokka…"

"I know, I know… I'll get to it in a sec" he said, sitting at the stool by Azula's bedside.

"Do you think there's any way to regenerate chi?" Haru asked Ty Lee, who blinked in surprise "Since you're a chi-blocker, I thought…"

"Well, I do know about blocking it, but that's merely a way to disrupt chi temporarily" Ty Lee explained, with a shrug "This whole notion of sapping someone's chi is… well, scary. I hope there's some way to help her, though…"

"We'll look into it" Song said, breathing deeply "It may not be easy to find a proper solution, but… we'll help her in every way we can"

Sokka nodded, reaching for Azula's hand and stroking it gently. Her body was still unnaturally cold… he suspected it would stay that way for the foreseeable future. Until her chi count improved, at the very least. But if the Sage thought she was getting better already… Sokka breathed deeply as he watched her: it was already progress, even if not the progress that mattered most. She still was frail and vulnerable… but if her body balanced out enough to function fully again, even if not on the same capacity, it would be easier to start seeking methods to replenish her chi. It was only a matter of time…

"Sokka. Food" Rui Shi's voice startled him.

"Right… right" Sokka sighed, releasing Azula's hand and turning towards Rui Shi, who offered him the box he had collected for him.

Song took Azula's hand in Sokka's stead, and the gladiator nodded in appreciation for the gesture. The food Rui Shi had managed to get ahold of awaited, and while a part of Sokka wanted to retch at the thought of food – a rather unusual sensation for him –, his stomach had started churning a while ago, even if he was deliberately ignoring it. With a deep breath, he picked up the box and stepped towards the closest furniture within the room he could place it on. He knew he shouldn't eat too fast, but he'd do it anyways, just to return to holding Azula's hand right away…

He had only finished the first rice ball when Song gasped suddenly: Sokka's head whipped around at haste, his long hair flipping against his face as he did.

"Azula…?" Song called: the Princess was reacting somehow. She was… stirring.

The food went forgotten all over again, even though Sokka's stomach asked for more… but he wouldn't possibly remember his own needs when Azula was reacting again. All the onlookers appeared to have stopped breathing for a moment, and Sokka sat by her bedside, anxious eyes upon Azula's closed own.

"S-… Sokka"

Had the situation been any less worrisome, Rui Shi would have likely snorted in disbelief: not only was Sokka near impossible to tear away from Azula's side, Azula herself was reaching for him, even when she was barely conscious? They truly were cut from the same cloth…

"I'm here. Azula, I'm here…" Sokka said, as Song offered him the Princess's hand anew. Sokka offered Song a tight-lipped, grateful grin as he clasped Azula's hand in hers.

The Princess's restlessness eased up by then: her expression had been streaked by confusion for a moment, but by now she seemed to relax again. It didn't seem Sokka could drop his guard at all, despite everything… for if the Princess called for him this way, it was only natural, only expected, that he'd forsake everything to rush to her side, as he always did. Perhaps he would be able to eat again once the Princess dozed off, as she was prone to…

And yet, as much as she wasn't too restless, Azula also wasn't as sleepy as before: her eyelids tightened, and Sokka's breath hitched, his heart racing… for they drew back now, her upper and lower lashes separating with impossible elegance, for someone convalescing. The gold of her eyes was revealed slowly… and her pupil, dilated, seemed to struggle to focus on something. Sokka dreaded immediately that she might not be able to see at all, despite her eyes weren't clouded the way Toph's were…

Yet recognition crossed her features, and her lips parted as she gazed at him in silence. Could she see the tears in his eyes, the disbelieving, relieved smile that parted his features?

"Azula…" he gasped, reaching to caress her face with his free hand "Oh, goodness, Azula…"

She stayed silent, and although her eyes were narrow, they didn't close again. The rest of the room's occupants gazed on in amazement, occasionally glancing at each other often in profound relief… but so far, the two lovers couldn't seem to tell they weren't alone, not even the one who had full use of his body.

"Hi" Sokka finally managed to say, a light laugh leaving his lips "Damn, I missed those beautiful eyes of yours…"

"I… how… h-how long have I been…?" she managed to utter, swallowing dryly after poising her unfinished question.

"About a day now, but don't worry about that, okay?" Sokka said, stroking her hair gently "You're safe here. You're in the Palace, and the worst is over now, I promise…"

"Really…?" Azula whispered, closing her eyes as pain streaked her face, upon attempting to move and failing "I… w-what happened… to my arm?"

"It's in a sling. Fei Rou's been using some numbing substances so you won't suffer much from the pain" Sokka explained, and as he caressed her face, Azula's tense face was smoothed again with comfort.

"Huh… n-no wonder… I don't feel it" she said, breathing out slowly "I'm… thirsty"

"Of course" Sokka grinned, glancing across the room at the rest of the group "Can someone go get Fei Rou? Maybe she should drink medicine, or water… hell, he should know she's opened her eyes this time, too"

"On it" Rui Shi said, nodding. Azula stirred upon hearing someone else's voice, but as much as she tried to see who else might be in the room, her eyes wouldn't focus beyond what was closest to her. Everything else was a blur…

"W-who…?" she whispered.

"That was Rui Shi" Sokka said, smiling as he continued to caress her hand "He came to see you, with Song. Ty Lee, Mai and Haru are here too"

"Huh…?" Azula managed, though it didn't seem she was too relieved for the news "Damn… I must look like… like a mess"

"So?" Sokka smiled, teasingly "We all love you. No matter how messy you may look right now"

"You… you're always so corny"

And yet, her lips curved a little. It was only a little, but it was a smile. And that alone was enough to melt the frost that had taken hold of Sokka's clenched heart. He laughed, tears rolling down his cheeks as he held her gaze for as long as he could. Fei Rou would arrive soon, and he would have to check on Azula. By then, he'd have to let go… but just for a little longer. Just another moment of sitting by her, watching that gentle smile, those kind eyes, warmer than sunlight, than a fireplace, than the most pleasant meal he'd ever enjoyed…

"She's awake again?" Fei Rou's voice arrived. Sokka sighed, but smiled at Azula, drawing back the hand by her face to wipe at the tears on his own. He nodded in response: Fei Rou didn't make any comments regarding any of Sokka's emotional displays so far, let alone the frequent physical touch between him and the Princess, and it didn't seem he'd care to make one now.

"She opened her eyes and wants some water" Sokka said. Fei Rou sighed.

"Well, she can have it" he decided "Though she should have more medicine, too. What we've given her seems to be working, at least, if she's able to open her eyes already. I didn't expect her to do that for another day or two"

Sokka nodded, though he knew he'd be forced to step away from Azula temporarily: Fei Rou took his place, performing simple tests to ensure Azula's mental faculties were at their best, regardless of the damage she had received. Her eyes couldn't focus enough yet, but she could follow his hand as he moved it from side to side. And while she couldn't answer questions instantaneously, she still seemed to remember who she was, even if she seemed rather hazy about how she had gotten here.

"Still better than expected" Fei Rou said, standing up again after ensuring the Princess had taken her medicine properly. It seemed the taste was disagreeable, but she wasn't in any position to voice out complaints about it yet "Though I don't dare begin a more intense recovery regime yet. Her body is still evening out after the crisis she's suffered, and I'd rather wait for the Head Sage's next visit before increasing the dosage of the chi-flow medicine"

"Could it have troubling aftereffects?" Song asked, Fei Rou shrugged.

"Only if she takes too much of it without being ready" he said "So we'll wait and see. In the meantime, I'll send for water, probably for actual soup too. She had some this morning, but she could use some more broth. I'll be back later"

"Thanks" Sokka said, nodding in Fei Rou's direction as the man left the room yet again.

"He looks tired…" Ty Lee commented, once the physician was gone.

"He's likely been up all night. Can't be any different" Mai replied, with a shrug.

Azula released a breath slowly, closing her eyes again as discomfort crossed her face. Sokka was quick to slide closer to her, reaching for her hand in hopes that might soothe her.

"Why's… he been up all night?" Azula asked. Sokka's willingness to answer any of her questions froze cold right away "What… what happened…? Is it my fault…?"

"It's not, Azula, not at all" Sokka whispered, smiling gently at her "Don't fret, okay? He'll be fine, as will you. We'll give you food, and water, and you'll be back on track again in no time"

"Hmm…" Azula breathed out slowly, blinking near imperceptibly "Is… is everyone else… alright? You…?"

"Yeah, I'm fine" Sokka said, trying to sound as convincing as possible. If Azula knew now that there were badly injured soldiers – and several casualties – her resulting despair might only damage her recovery further. She'd only hear of it once she was better, Sokka determined "The Fire Nation is safe"

"Hmm…" Azula swallowed dryly, her lips parted "Then… the only idiot… who got this hurt was… me?"

"W-wait, what? Don't…! No! T-that's not…!" Sokka exclaimed, flustered as he struggled to figure out how to answer this new question. Despite everything, the other occupants of the room seemed to stifle some laughter… and a small smile appeared on Azula's face "Come on, Azula, cut yourself some slack… you worked harder than everyone else, so you deserve to rest more than everyone else. It's that simple"

"Really…?" she said, her voice coated with mild skepticism.

"Really" Sokka said, breathing out slowly "So… don't think about any of that, alright? Just focus on recovering… once the food gets here. Hell, I guess it'll take a while before it does, but at least a new pitcher of water would be nice"

"Maybe I can go find a servant and ask for one?" Haru offered. Sokka nodded in his direction, and Haru grinned before dashing out of the room at haste.

"Food…?" Azula whispered, once Haru was gone.

"Yeah, you need to eat" Sokka assured her, rubbing her hand gently with his thumb "You'll probably have to settle for soft stuff for now, but surely…"

"Soft…? Then… tasteless?" Azula asked. Sokka snorted, unable to hold back a smile this time.

"That's what worries you?" he asked. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"No… no spices?"

"It's not likely, no" he said. Azula huffed lightly, prompting Sokka to laugh again "Azula, please…"

"Sounds… like a boring meal" she said "You… ought to… to trade me yours"

"Gladly, though I doubt Fei Rou will approve… or Song. She's still here, you know?" Sokka said. Azula sighed.

"Have mercy, Song…"

"It's not a matter of mercy" Song smiled: that Azula would be able to joke around this way was a profound, unexpected relief "You can eat your spicy foods after your body's recovered some more, okay?"

"Heh… boring again" Azula sighed.

"Will you make me send word to Firelight Town, to ask for Jiare to come here?" Sokka smiled, stroking Azula's hair "Could be if you eat her stomach-dissolving spicy ramen you'll be back on track in a heartbeat…"

"Hmm… good. Do that" Azula said, and her smile was stronger this time as Sokka laughed.

"It'll be a problem if she recognizes us, though" Sokka admitted.

"Then just… make her cook, but… don't let her in here" Azula smiled "That'd work… right?"

"Probably" Sokka smiled, tucking some of her locks behind her ear "You must have recovered far more than I expected, huh? Already outsmarting me when you're in this shape… then again, you're smarter than anyone and everyone, so that's no surprise"

"Hmm… you must be… really worried to admit that…" Azula teased him. Sokka huffed, shaking his head.

"I'm only stating the truth" he said, his hand cupping her face now. Yes, he was worried, profoundly… but Azula was better off focusing on her own recovery rather than on Sokka's feelings. It was something obvious, but he knew, by experience, that it was much easier to worry about other things, outside of oneself, when you were convalescing this way.

The door swung open anew, and Haru made way to Sokka's side quickly, carrying the new water pitcher. Sokka smiled approvingly as Haru deposited it by Azula's bedside table: merely a moment afterwards, Sokka began offering cups of water to the Princess, who still seemed both relieved and displeased by the beverage.

"Does it hurt to drink it…?" Ty Lee asked, upon glimpsing Azula's troubled expression: it was subtle, but it was still apparent.

"N-not sure… if it's pain, exactly" Azula whispered "Though… my mouth's all dry so… helps with that"

Her explanation only convinced Sokka to keep going: his stomach tightened every time a hint of pain or discomfort crossed Azula's face, but he hoped, deeply, that this would be for the best.

Merely ten minutes later, a servant arrived with bowl of broth for the Princess. It was lukewarm by the time Sokka finished offering it to Azula, but she appeared to have grown used to the drinking routine by now. She knew she should be embarrassed upon being fed by someone, especially with so many onlookers… yet that rational thought was overcome by her emotions. By her relief that Sokka was here, taking care of her as best he could, offering her warm smiles and reassuring her that the worst was already behind them…

Even now, with her mind regaining clarity, she couldn't remember how she had wound up in this shape. But there was one thing that had changed, beyond her ability to stay conscious for a while longer, and to hold a conversation as she had:

"It's… not gone" she mumbled, after Sokka had set aside the soup bowl: most the others had taken to finding their own food by now, for it was lunch time, and they were alone together for a moment. Sokka, however, hadn't even finished his breakfast, no matter how loudly his stomach might grumble.

"What's not gone?" Sokka asked, gazing at her earnestly "Is something wrong?"

"Something's… right, rather" Azula said, closing her eyes and breathing slowly "It's back. My… my fire"

Sokka blinked blankly before grasping what she meant:

"Your inner fire was missing?" he asked, softly. Azula hummed a positive response "But… you feel it again?"

"Yeah… must be your doing" Azula smiled a little "It's there again, so… must be because you're looking after me…"

Sokka released a relieved sigh, cupping Azula's face before venturing to kiss her, no matter if he knew he shouldn't have. Anyone could barge in at any moment, he would get them into trouble for sure, but even so, he had to do it. He had to kiss her, for she was regaining strength and using that strength to speak words that blew a warm, welcome breeze into his troubled, aching heart. Whether she had intentionally said what she had to reassure Sokka or because she truly meant it, it didn't really matter: as long as he offered her help in any capacity, his sensation of inadequacy and failure could be chased away, little by little.

He pulled away when his own mind's warning signs told him this was too risky to do right now, when Fei Rou could show up, to check on the Princess… yet as he lingered at a short distance from Azula, her warm, golden gaze locked affectionately on his own. His throat dried, though he couldn't hold back from smiling just the same.

"You… could do that again" Azula whispered. Sokka grinned, tempted easily by her quiet request.

Well, the door was closed. He'd hear it if anyone came anyway, so why not do it? Why not offer her further kisses, if that was what she wanted? Her lips sought his just the same, so perhaps this was a good way to help her regain her strength? Or was that too wishful of him? Either way, it might soothe Azula's soul every bit as much as it soothed Sokka's. Wasn't her inner fire connected with her feelings? Wasn't this exactly what she'd meant when she had said she felt her fire again because of him?

He didn't kiss her as boldly as he often did: his hands held her face in place most delicately, and each brush of his lips against hers was gentle, a light breeze that she welcomed gladly. She would breathe sharply at times, surprising Sokka, and she'd smile afterwards, compelling him to kiss her again. He grinned and did as she asked, giving her time, giving her space, giving her love, whichever one she needed, whenever she needed it.

Footsteps outside compelled Sokka to pull away, though Azula didn't seem to approve of that: disappointment was apparent in her gold eyes as Sokka sat beside her anew, smiling apologetically at her.

"Sorry, love" he whispered, placing a hand over her abdomen, as the footsteps trailed off before reaching them: surely it was a physician dropping by at another patient's room "We… we do need to be careful, even now"

"Do we…?" Azula smiled, closing her eyes again "I'd rather you kissed me… whenever you felt like it"

"I'd rather do that too" Sokka said, biting his lip, but before he could say anything else, Azula laughed softly.

"Look at that… I'm sounding like my dream-self now. The one from the Swamp…" she said. Sokka scoffed but smiled, caressing her face gently anew.

"Well, damn. I'd better not sound like the Sokka from your dream too, he sounded like a moron" Sokka smirked. Azula laughed again…

And then Sokka gasped: his free hand, placed upon her abdomen, suddenly had company.

She had moved. She had moved her hand, enough to find his… to touch his fingers, and place hers atop them. She smiled as she gazed down at their joined hands: her palm's scar brushed the back of his hand, while Sokka's own wedding scar touched Azula's face instead. He swallowed hard, trying to restrain his tears before succumbing to another impulsive kiss: Azula sighed into the new contact, welcoming his loving gestures gladly, offering him as many kisses of her own as she could muster.

Again, they only broke off the contact when footsteps approached the room. Sokka smiled apologetically, stroking her hand gently as he pulled away, and Azula released a sigh: it carried a hint of disappointment again, but most of all, it seemed a sigh of relief.

"It's okay. If they walk past the room, we can get back to it again, no worries" Sokka said. Azula smiled, gazing at him affectionately.

"You'd like that, huh…?" she said. Sokka chuckled and shrugged… though his easygoing attitude faded once the rapping sound of knuckles against their door broke him out of his temporary comfort.

"Who's…?" Azula mumbled. Sokka shrugged before glancing at the door.

"Come in…?" he said, releasing Azula's hand most unwillingly.

It wound up being a good thing that he'd stop all physical contact between them when he did, for Admiral Zhao pushed the door open, his jaw clenched as he seemed to brace himself for something dreadful…

Yet his face relaxed once he noticed the Princess's eyes were open. That Sokka sat beside her, looking apprehensive rather than panicked, was also a good sign.

"Zhao…" Sokka blurted out, though he leapt to his feet, grimacing "I mean, uh, Admiral. Hey"

"No need to worry about propriety right now" Zhao said, stepping into the room slowly: his eyes were set on the Princess. As much as she was awake, she didn't appear nearly as quick-witted as she always was. Something was absent in her eyes, a clear consequence of the strain her body had been through "How is she? Can she…?"

"Talk…?" Azula said, startling Zhao "Just… a bit"

"Well, that's… that's great to know" Zhao smiled, releasing a deep breath "I dropped by to ask about you earlier, but it seemed you weren't fully conscious yet. I'm relieved you're feeling better already… well, that is, if you are. How are you feeling, actually?"

"Hmm… like I was… trampled by a stampede of moose lions" Azula settled for that metaphor, closing her eyes as Sokka smiled sadly at her "You're… fine, Admiral?"

"I am, me and my group got away mostly unscathed…"

"See… I really am the only loser who… who got beaten up, Sokka" Azula concluded, smiling teasingly as the gladiator rolled his eyes.

"Beaten up, as if. You won, and you fought harder than anyone else, so… just rest, okay?" Sokka said, reaching to pat her head, as unadvised as it ought to be right now "Silly Princess…"

"Still can't really… can't really remember what I did, but… I'll believe you" Azula said. Zhao breathed out slowly but nodded.

"I'm glad you're in better shape by now, Princess, even if you do feel like a stampede trampled over you" Zhao said "Hopefully even that sensation will recede soon. I had meant to check on you… though I also meant to speak with you, Sokka"

"Me?" Sokka said. Zhao breathed deeply and nodded.

"In private, if possible?"

He wanted to refuse, by sheer instinct: he couldn't leave Azula alone, not even for a moment. He didn't care for the consequences of his obvious attachment for the Princess: he couldn't simply leave her alone right now, of all times, no matter what Zhao wanted to share with him. And his reluctance was apparent, seeing as Zhao's brow furrowed lightly, though not mercilessly.

"I can ask a physician to stay with her while we talk, if that's alright by you" he said, reading through Sokka easily: Sokka only swallowed hard.

"I…" he mumbled, gazing wistfully at Azula.

Before he could answer, a new group of footsteps approached the room. Sokka glanced at the open door right away: Azula's previous visitors had returned, after eating lunch in the Palace's kitchens.

"Admiral" Rui Shi said, surprised. Zhao nodded in his direction.

"I see you're well. Good to know" Zhao breathed out slowly before glancing at Sokka again "Will you feel more inclined to talk now, perhaps?"

Sokka breathed deeply but shrugged, gazing at Azula wistfully one more time before leaning closer to her. Everyone watched in varying degrees of fear and horror: was he going to kiss her in front of Zhao? Yet he stopped by her ear, not her lips, and whispered softly:

"I'll be back as soon as I can, okay? Get rest if you need to. I'll leave you with everyone else, alright?"

"I… guess" Azula replied, closing her eyes "Don't be long…"

"I won't be" he said, smiling warmly at her as he rose to his feet again.

With one more lengthy gaze at his Princess – some color seemed to be returning to her beautiful features, to his immense relief –, Sokka breathed out and turned towards Zhao. Rui Shi, Song, Ty Lee, Mai and Haru had already entered the room, and they watched as the military leader led the gladiator outside, closing the door behind themselves as soon as they were gone.

"Y-you don't think he… will warn Sokka off her or anything, do you?" Ty Lee said, swallowing hard.

"Hopefully not" Song said, biting her lip.

"With how carefully they've hidden their closeness lately, it wouldn't surprise me much" Mai, ever the pessimist, admitted… though she stepped closer to Azula's bed, sitting at its edge "How are you now?"

"Like hell" Azula responded. Mai smiled.

"Then you'll be relieved to know your appearance matches your feelings" she said, as blunt and harshly as ever.

Azula knew Mai was merely messing with her: she was always harsher than most people, blurting out what no one else had the courage to say, especially to Azula. Riling her up, triggering her worst responses, was nearly a sport for the girl.

And perhaps that was why Azula could only find it amusing when she did it this time. The Princess smiled a little, opening her eyes to shoot a half-hearted glare at her friend.

"Bad enough that I feel like hell… now you'll be a pain in my ass, too?" she said. Mai chuckled and reached to clasp Azula's uninjured shoulder gently.

"I thought that was my job, as your self-appointed asshole friend?" Mai said. Azula chuckled softly.

"Well… yes, I guess so" she relented. As much as a lot of things seemed to have been upended in her life, it was good to know some things wouldn't change at all.

Zhao only guided Sokka outside the physicians' wing, knowing better than to allow anyone to listen in on their conversation, whether exhausted physicians or convalescing patients, and also knowing better than to take the gladiator too far away from his beloved sponsor. Sokka fidgeted as Zhao finally came to a stop, and he glanced at the man with uncertainty before Zhao began to speak.

"I take it you've decided not to explain what happened until she's better?" Zhao asked "I've seen this happen often: injured soldiers tend to forget the moment of their injury, even everything that led up to it. I suspect it's a mind's own method to protect an individual…"

"It must be" Sokka said, breathing deeply "I don't even dare bring up she's Interim Fire Lord still, or else she might decide to climb out of bed and take her role again until her father's back… not that she really can, she's not strong enough for it, but she'd likely try"

"Hmm, she would" Zhao acknowledged "Though… that's one of the things I meant to speak to you about. I guess it's rare for a slave to be considered an actual guardian for his master, worse yet when the master is a royal, but you appear to be the one responsible for her at the moment, by choice even…"

"Well… I guess" Sokka nodded, weakly "I meant to stay by her side until she gets better. You're not going to ask me to fill in for her or something insane like that, are you?"

"No, no, that'd never work" Zhao said, with a weak grin "I'm doing my best to keep the Armed Forces together right now, after everything that happened. This being said… I also have sent word to the Fire Lord. The message is likely to arrive by tomorrow, which means that, at best, he'll return from his trip a day earlier… otherwise, he'll probably only come back on the same date he was supposed to. Either way… I thought it was best to inform him of this situation now, seeing as it's been resolved. I know this isn't the way the Princess wanted her tenure as Fire Lord to turn out, let alone did she mean to interrupt her father's vacation…"

"It's hardly like she failed her people, though" Sokka said, frowning "She put her life on the line for them, for everyone in the Fire Nation. Granted… there might not have been another way to defeat that Spear, but if Ozai even dares think this is some sort of proof that she's not ready for the role, I…"

"You don't have to worry about that, either" Zhao said, raising a hand towards the unusually serious gladiator "If Ozai misunderstands, or reacts badly, I'll handle him myself. I've already explained matters in the letter I sent, but if he doesn't see reason right away, I'll make him do so once he comes back. I know, as well as you do, that without the Princess's help, all hope for our survival might have been lost. No doubt, it would have been far better if she hadn't had to sacrifice herself to this extent, but she is a hero, not a failure by any means. I'll do my best to keep him out of the physicians' wing until he understands that"

"Well, that's… that's good, then" said Sokka, swallowing hard "Can't lie, if he even dares think Azula failed anyone, I'll probably give him a piece of my mind and I'm damn sure he's not going to like it"

"Which is why I hoped to avoid that" Zhao smiled awkwardly "I know it may not work, but I'll try regardless. Now then, there are some other matters I thought to bring to your attention. Between the Armed Forces and the Sages, we've managed to keep the peace in the city after this crisis. It's been difficult, but we've been successful so far. The Princess needn't worry about the state of the nation right now. I've given orders to all pertinent soldiers that all scheduled meetings with the Fire Lord will be postponed until further notice, so there won't be any trials or petitioners, and once they begin again, they will be Ozai's problems to deal with"

"Good" Sokka nodded.

"There will be a large funeral for the deceased soldiers" Zhao said. Sokka swallowed hard, lowering his gaze "We have registered around thirty deaths so far, though it's possible some soldiers may yet die from their injuries, despite the physicians' efforts. Considering the magnitude of the threat we faced, thirty isn't too steep a number… but it's yet another thing you're best off keeping from the Princess. She might despair if she knows she couldn't save as many people as she hoped to"

"I'll keep my mouth shut, don't worry" Sokka sighed, closing his eyes as he tightened his fists "Though it's not her failure as much as it's mine, right? Had my team arrived sooner to help at the factory…"

"You couldn't have known they would be headed there" Zhao sighed, shaking his head "Even if your team had been on the airship and dived from above somehow, you risked being knocked down by that damned waterbender. If he could bend a river and reroute it altogether, I highly doubt he wouldn't have been able to use ice projectiles to destroy the airship… and then we'd be all the worse off. I know it's not easy to lose men, especially the first time… but so far, I can't see a better outcome than this one. We lost one man, too…"

"You did?" Sokka asked, eyes wide "But you said your group was…"

"The group I led was safe, yes. But the Spear's wielder used it to make an example out of one of the ship's captains" Zhao said, closing his eyes. Sokka's stomach churned upon hearing as much "The Princess attempted to stop him, but no reasoning would work, of course. Afterwards, she did her very best to stop the Spear from stealing the life away from the rest of the crew: he had kept them as hostages in case he needed to use more than one man's death to prove his might, apparently"

"Fucking hell…" Sokka said, breathing out slowly as he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingertips "And he just… killed that captain in front of her? In front of all of you?"

"Yeah" Zhao sighed "It was probably good you weren't there to see it… otherwise, I guess you might have panicked even more when the Princess took that injury and it grew infected by that spiritual corruption"

"Why? What happened to the captain?" Sokka asked. Zhao shook his head.

"Nothing that will happen to the Princess. What caught her, in all likelihood, was just the remnants of the corruption before it faded away altogether, once its vessel was gone. What happened to the captain was deliberate, the Spear's corruption was used fully for its nefarious purpose on him, rather than peripherally, as it was with her. She's safe now"

"I… I hope so" Sokka sighed. Zhao clasped his shoulder with a hand, hoping to infuse him with further strength and courage, despite knowing the gladiator wouldn't find much comfort in the gesture.

"The last thing I thought to mention… well, I'm not so sure about doing it now, but I'll offer it anyways" Zhao breathed out slowly "That man… the Kinslayer?"

"What about him?" Sokka said, bitterly.

"He, and the dead of his group, are set to be burned in a communal pyre, in the outskirts of the crater" Zhao said. Sokka's eyes widened as he glanced at the Admiral "It's not going to be a particularly dignified business… so, while I know you outright killed the man, I also know he was a friend of yours, in the past. As you're the one who took him down, and he had a connection with you… I thought to offer you the chance of giving him some Water Tribe funerary rite, if you'd prefer that? Despite I spent many years in the north, I don't quite know what your people do to mourn your dead, so…"

"Not sure what they do in the north, might be different from what we did in the south" Sokka sighed, closing his eyes "Truthfully, what my people did for their dead is… well, I don't think it can be done, realistically. Worse yet, I… I don't think I'd do it, even if it could be. Rhone… doesn't deserve that. Not after everything he did"

"I thought you might believe so" Zhao sighed, dropping his hand from Sokka's shoulder "I still thought it might be best to offer you the possibility anyways"

"Thanks" Sokka sighed, nodding.

"I know you may choose to stay with the Princess anyways, but if you want to be present during the lighting of the pyre, we'll be doing it on the side of the road that leads to the Prison Tower" Zhao explained "It's an arid area, so it'll serve this purpose… our fallen soldiers will be given proper pyres of their own in the Temple. If you'd like to represent the Princess in that ceremony, it most likely will happen by the end of the week"

"Represent the Princess…?" Sokka repeated. Zhao shrugged.

"It is, after all, what you've been doing all these years. Hardly a new notion for you" Zhao said "Either way, I understand if you'd rather not involve yourself with either thing and only focus on helping her through her recovery, but I thought I'd bring this up, just in case"

"Thank you, Admiral" Sokka breathed deeply, nodding and bowing his head very curtly in his direction.

"I'll take my leave now, then. Take care of yourself. You look, well…"

"Like I got trampled by a moose lion stampede too?" Sokka asked. Zhao laughed softly and shrugged.

"Emotionally, yes. She needs you at your strongest, Sokka" he said. The gladiator nodded.

"I know. I've tried, but… it's hard to focus on eating or resting while she's in this situation" Sokka admitted "I'll try to get some rest tonight… or tomorrow, I don't know"

"Very well" Zhao said "I'll either see you for the communal pyre, if you choose to be there, or once I hear back from Ozai"

"Yeah. Thanks" Sokka said, nodding as Zhao raised a hand in farewell and turned on his heels.

Rhone's death had barely registered in Sokka's head for what it was so far. He had killed men before, starting with the soldier in the compound down at the South Pole that Sokka hadn't quite expected would die from the impact of his boomerang… and he had killed many in the Amateur Arena, around seventy men, if his memory didn't fail him.

Yet Rhone was the first man he had meant to kill, out of his own volition and conviction. The only one that he didn't regret killing, not even upon remembering he had been his friend, many years ago. Not even upon pondering what could have been, if only the two of them had escaped that damn cave-in on time. Would Kya have survived, and the secret of another waterbender wouldn't have been revealed for many years? Would Rhone have stood with him, leading the warriors of the Tribe against the settlement? Would he have attempted to help Sokka in his initial fight against Azula, perhaps? Would he have stayed in the South, helping Katara lead the soldiers in his stead after he was taken away…?

His fists clenched, and he breathed deeply. There had been so many possibilities… so many chances for Rhone not to become who he was. He could have even fought by Sokka's side, learning the world they ought to have been fighting for was one of balance, rather than vengeance… but that wasn't the path Rhone had chosen. As damaged as his spirit was after his experience in the cave-in, Rhone could have made different choices, Sokka hoped. If he had… none of this would have happened. None of it.

He refused to mourn Rhone, the Kinslayer. If anything, he would mourn the little boy who had lagged behind, trapped within a cave. A boy whose potential and possibilities had been grand, perhaps even greater than his own… that was what he should be grieving. Not the heartless bastard who would have done anything in his power to destroy a nation, making no distinction between those who had committed countless sins to earn themselves a bleak fate and those who didn't. It hadn't likely bothered him that his Spear would kill indiscriminately, that slaves who were in the Fire Nation unwillingly, serving masters they hated, would also fall to the weapon. He might have thought he'd do them a favor, even…

Sokka clenched his fists, gritting his teeth as he returned to the physicians' wing. Zhao had no ill-intent with his offer, but Sokka felt sick upon pondering Rhone's crimes anew. So far, he had managed to handle himself well enough by focusing on Azula and nothing else. Or maybe he hadn't even handled himself all that well, considering he hadn't even eaten a proper meal yet… he sighed, weariness clinging to his body all of sudden as he pushed the door to Azula's room with a hand. Maybe he really did need a break, even if he wasn't sure he'd have a chance to take one…

"Ah, you're back!" Ty Lee exclaimed. Sokka raised his head: Azula was still awake, and it seemed she had reacted to Ty Lee's words. He couldn't contain a small smile for that.

"Yeah… nothing to worry about" Sokka said, nodding as he made his way to Azula's bedside: Ty Lee had been sitting by Azula's side at the moment, and she jumped off the bed to give him room again "Did you recover completely while I was gone?"

"Sure… see? I'm in better shape than you by now…" Azula said, playfully. Sokka grinned, stroking her hair again.

"I knew it" Sokka followed fit with her joke, though he sighed slowly after his fingers trailed over her face "Do you need anything now? Food, water…?"

"Not really…" Azula mumbled "Just… still don't feel my left arm"

"You probably won't for a while… but I promise you, it's still there" Sokka smiled sadly. Azula nodded very lightly, but she still did: the gesture had to shoot off pain through her body, for her face contorted with a grimace "Azula?"

"I… shouldn't move much. Is all" she said, closing her eyes before releasing another sigh "What did… he want?"

"Uh…" Sokka bit his lip. Azula huffed lightly.

"You're going to… start keeping secrets now?" she asked "Still haven't told me… what happened to me. And now… you'll keep your conversation from me too? That's… that's a first"

"I just don't want you worrying about things you shouldn't worry about right now" Sokka admitted. Azula snorted weakly.

"How's saying that… not going to make me worry?" she said. Sokka sighed, shaking his head "Smartest man in the world… but you can be real dumb sometimes, you know…?"

"I'm not sure if just sometimes" Sokka laughed softly, gazing at her sadly "It's just… I'm afraid knowing everything right away might not help you recover, alright? I can fill you in later"

"So he just… had to tell you something about whatever happened?" Azula asked, gazing at him questioningly. Sokka nodded "Do you… have to do something, or…?"

"I don't have to, no. I'm going to stay here with you" Sokka decided. Azula frowned lightly.

"You're sure…?" she asked. Sokka nodded again "You… look troubled, though"

"I'm not, I'm not" Sokka reassured her, smiling weakly. Azula sighed.

"What's going on?" she asked. And as weak and vulnerable as she ought to be, her usual authority still permeated those three words. If just for that, Sokka's smile grew stronger.

"You do sound better, despite everything" he whispered "Even so, Azula…"

"You were going to keep everything to yourself… until I was better?" Azula asked. Sokka swallowed hard, lowering his gaze guiltily "Not much point… I already have flashes of… of what happened. Some memories, I… I don't really know for sure but they're worrisome stuff. If you just tell me… I'll be a lot calmer than I am right now"

"Really? You remember something?" Sokka said, grimacing. He had hoped, truly, that her mind's erasing of the latest events would last a little longer…

"Really" Azula breathed deeply, her eyes narrow "I… remember I led the army to the bay. You wanted to come with me. Then… a fight. Lots of people at risk, I… I tried to save them, but…"

"Alright, alright, you do remember a lot more than I thought" Sokka sighed "If it helps, Zhao says you did succeed at saving those people, so… don't fret about that, okay?"

"Hmm…" Azula breathed out in relief, and Sokka clasped her hand before preparing to answer her query.

"I know you're not going to be able to do anything about what's happened, even if I tell you the truth and you don't like it, but… can you promise, Azula, that if I tell you what's going on, you'll stick to recovering and not worry sick about me when you should be worrying about yourself?"

"Uh… sure" she said. Sokka narrowed his eyes, prompting her to smile "You don't believe me?"

"I'm not sure yet" Sokka smiled, though he sighed in surrender afterwards "Well, alright. I'll try to trust you. Zhao was telling me how things are going right now, and apparently everything's under control, so don't fret about that, okay?"

"Hmm… alright" Azula said "What's… so troubling about that?"

"Well… there's going to be a communal funerary pyre for the people who attacked the Fire Nation" Sokka sighed, reaching up to caress her hair. Azula frowned "The dead ones, anyway. The others… I suppose they're still captives. I know you probably don't remember anything, but…"

"Rhone" Azula said, suddenly. Sokka's heart sank "He's… why this happened, isn't he? Is he…?"

"Dead? Yeah" Sokka said, nodding. Azula released a deep breath.

"Sorry… I know he was your friend" she whispered. Sokka shook his head.

"Not anymore, he wasn't" Sokka said "Zhao thought that too, and asked if I wanted to be there for the burning, but…"

"You… don't want to?" Azula asked. Sokka shrugged.

"Can't say he deserves it" he whispered "And I'd rather stay with you"

"Could be… it's not about him" Azula said, gazing at Sokka affectionately. He met her eyes, feeling his heart tightening at her words… at her yet-unspoken permission that he could leave if he needed to "He's dead… gone. Probably can't… can't tell whether you'll be there or not. But… if you need to be…"

"I don't need that" Sokka said, breathing deeply "I just want to stay here, and make sure you'll heal properly. That's all I need"

Azula didn't say anything for a moment. Neither did the rest of the occupants of the room, who, as much as they might try not to intrude on their conversations, found themselves listening in on them anyhow more often than not. Sokka closed his eyes, tightening his hold on Azula's hand… until he felt hers tightening on his, too.

"Will you forgive yourself in the future… if you're not there now?"

He gritted his teeth and gazed at her with uncertainty. Wounded, weakened and confined to a bed as she was, her eyes saw through him with piercing clarity, understanding his heart even when he didn't. She released a breath slowly at the hopeless expression on his face before closing her eyes.

"You won't be long" she whispered "If these guys are… are too boring, I'll just… sleep until you get back. I'll be okay… until you can come back to me"

"Hey!" Ty Lee pouted, prompting the others to laugh softly "Are we really that boring…?"

"Compared to him, no doubt she thinks so…" Haru sighed, patting his wife's head gently.

Sokka swallowed hard, gazing at Azula wistfully for one long, painful moment. She would have likely embraced him if she'd had the strength, but even though her hand was responding to her impulses, she couldn't raise her arm or shift it in any way. How wrong, he knew, for her to offer him comfort when he was the one who should be doing that for her…

"He should eat before he goes, though. Hasn't eaten at all today" Rui Shi blurted, and Sokka flinched. Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously, as Sokka grinned guiltily.

"W-well, I…"

"What's this about you not eating…?" she said, prompting Sokka to jump to his feet with a nervous smile.

"Just… nothing, really! Rui Shi's being a jokester, I always eat, haha, nothing to worry about! See, I'll eat my lunch right here, it's over there!"

"That's his breakfast" Song said, nonchalantly, and Sokka flinched before shooting her a disbelieving glare.

"You… you traitor!" he said, though he grew acutely aware of Azula's disapproving glare on him "I'll eat now, okay, I will! It's fine, see? I'm on it, I'm on it…"

Unexpected laughter seemed to fill the room now, as Sokka scrambled to eat quickly. With his back towards her, he couldn't see the no-longer menacing Princess was smiling fondly, her eyes on his unfocused back – she hoped her vision was improving slightly, it seemed it was slightly better, but she couldn't be sure yet. It was strangely moving to know Sokka had forgotten to eat because of how frantic he'd been over her current circumstances… it was a bittersweet reminder of their time in the forest, when he had sacrificed himself constantly for her sake, to the point of scarcely eating so she could have proper strength to endure their tribulations, disregarding his health and needs entirely.

He stuffed himself far too quickly for it to be healthy, it was clear to everyone, but Sokka finished eating and released a sigh before turning towards Azula, grinning positively for the sake of reassuring her again.

"All done, see? No problem" he claimed, though he stepped closer to her bedside once more "You… you're sure I ought to go, though? I know it wouldn't likely take long, but… I'll probably spend the whole time thinking about coming right back here"

"You'll have something to look forward to, then…" Azula smiled almost lazily. Sokka's heart churned for it, and he leaned close to press a light kiss to her brow.

"Alright, then… I'll be back in no time. And after that, there'll be no tearing me away from you" he said. Azula snorted.

"I hope not… what would you do about potty breaks?" she teased him. Sokka laughed and shook his head.

"That's my wife. Mischief humor and all" he said, daring press a quick kiss to her lips before rising to his full height again "Okay, okay. I'll come back in a while… you guys can try to stay until then, I take it?"

"Sure thing" Ty Lee grinned, sitting on Azula's bedside again "Don't you worry, we won't bore her at all!"

"Well, maybe you ought to. If she falls asleep she might recover faster" Sokka smirked, chuckling as Ty Lee scoffed, outraged.

He ignored her retaliating rant though: his eyes fell upon Azula's, watching her wistfully for one extended moment. She still had a long way to go… but she felt far more alive than when he had first entered her room, than when she had first awoken at all. Maybe the road to recovery wouldn't be straightforward… but he wanted to hope, if just for now, that she would be closer to returning to her usual self than it appeared.

With a wave of a hand, and a heartfelt sigh and smile at Azula, Sokka stepped outside the room once again: Mai waited until he was gone to clear her throat, deliberately moving towards the free flank of Azula's bed.

"Was I hearing wrong… or did he say: 'that's my wife'?"

Azula blinked for a moment, as Ty Lee failed to stifle a giggle. Haru covered his face with his hands as Song sighed, and Rui Shi rolled his eyes while grinning too. The smirk on Mai's face spread slowly, waiting for Azula's answer. An answer that apparently wouldn't come, seeing as she hadn't said a word just yet.

"Well?" Mai insisted, no matter if she already knew the answer to her inquiry.

"I… am so tired right now" Azula smiled, closing her eyes moments before the room rang with laughter "I don't know… what you may have heard, but now… I'll take a nap"

"A nap, is it? Sure thing" Mai smiled, shaking her head "And to think I had merely meant to congratulate you for your wedding, if you told me the truth, but you chose not to… you coward"

Azula's smile widened, though she didn't open her eyes yet. Having Sokka around definitely helped the most… but her friends' teasing, and the laughter they were sharing now, would be enough for the moment. Enough until he could return to her, for she would be waiting as patiently as possible until her beloved gladiator was by her side once more…