Chapter 24 – I'm breaking up with my harem
The Sunday dinner service was slowly coming to an end and the staff of The Northern Lights restaurant began to gather in the upstairs hangout area as soon as they were done with their chores. It was time for their little retreat to Azula's rented forest cottage, and Azula was full of nervous trepidation about the trip. The cottage had looked absolutely amazing on the website and Azula was looking forward to spend some time away from the crowds and recharge her batteries. But Azula was not looking forward to the conversation she planned to have with Katara, Yue and Suki. Quite the contrary, just thinking about it had put her in an abysmal mood over the past couple of days.
"Alright, are we all ready to go?" Azula asked, being the last one to arrive upstairs.
"Uh, did you miss my text from yesterday?" Aang asked, looking at her.
"I don't think I did," Azula muttered, checking her phone and already knowing that she had probably ignored Aang's text, planning to check it later and then forgetting to do so. She wasn't trying to be mean, but checking Aang's texts was of way lower priority to her than checking texts from Yue, Katara or Suki. Still, when Azula found Aang's text now, she was surprised to read that he had written her about having to bow out of their cottage trip because he had some urgent 'thing' on Monday. "What's this about a thing?" Azula demanded.
"Oh, it's just this thing that I'm doing," Aang replied evasively. "It's just a little thing, kind of like a hobby, think nothing of it. There's this gathering of likeminded people who share this hobby on Monday, and I really don't want to miss it."
"Right," Azula frowned. Looking around the room she saw mostly confused stares and shrugs. Only Toph was smirking like she knew what Aang was talking about. Then again, if Aang was going to be all mysterious, how much did Azula really care about it. Aang was a nice guy and a great coworker, but Azula didn't feel a particularly strong pull to forge an even closer friendship with him. "Well, whatever, be mysterious if you want to. I'm sure we'll learn all about this new hobby of yours soon, anyway."
"I'll tell you all about it eventually, I promise," Aang nodded earnestly.
"Aang, you know that you can tell us everything and we won't judge you," Katara spoke warmly.
"Speak for yourself," Sokka scowled. "I am totally going to judge you, and also, I will find out what you're hiding from us."
"Thanks," Aang smiled at Katara. He then looked at Sokka. "Sorry, I'm just trying something new and I still don't know if I'm going to stick with it or not."
"Alright, whatever," Azula sighed, shaking her head and refusing to become sidetracked by Aang being all mysterious. "Anyway, are the rest of us ready to leave? It's getting late and we still have a bit of driving to do before we get to the cottage. And we still need to pick up Kya, right?"
"Umm, actually," Yue blushed lightly. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you, but we've had some last moment rearrangements." Azula's heart skipped a beat, fearing that Yue had decided to bow out. Which would obviously upset Azula only because it would ruin her plan to have an earnest talk with Yue and the other girls, not because she would miss Yue's presence terribly.
"What sort of rearrangements?" Azula asked nervously.
"Kya won't be coming with us," Yue said. "Sokka wanted to have his day with Kya tomorrow, so he's going to relieve Kiyi and stay with Kya until we get back Monday evening or Tuesday morning."
"Wait, you're not joining us?" Azula glared at Sokka. This was a rather concerning turn of events for Azula. Kya's presence at the cottage was supposed to act as a shield against any sexy shenanigans taking place, but now that shield would be removed.
"Sorry," Sokka shrugged. "I wanted some time together with Ty Lee. I guess we both could have joined you, but I thought this was supposed to be just for the staff of The Northern Lights. Also, I think maybe Ty Lee doesn't feel as a part of the group yet."
"That's obviously a bullshit excuse. I don't believe that Ty Lee would say something like that. She has a very poor concept of boundaries and she instantly feels a bond with a group of people she's standing next to at a bus stop," Azula scowled.
"Alright, fine," Sokka sighed. "But when I told her about this posh forest cottage you rented for us, Ty Lee said that you're obviously making moves to score some bitches." Azula was about to launch into vehement protestations, when Sokka cut her off. "And Ty Lee also said that she would like to go roller skating."
"So, you decided to be a massive simp for her, I see how it is," Azula said, deciding to ignore the earlier slanderous suggestion.
"I have a feeling that Sokka was so keen on having his day with Kya because he wanted to show Ty Lee how good he is with children," Suki laughed.
"That's utter and complete slander, Suki. You're making it sound like I'm using my daughter as a prop," Sokka frowned.
"Well, you are good with Kya, so there's nothing wrong about showing that off," Yue chuckled. "And I know it's not really my business anymore, but… just be careful about moving too fast with Ty Lee, even if she's very nice and we trust her as Azula's childhood friend. And as your friend and mother of our child, I hope you're better at using protection in your current relationship."
"It's, uh, a work in progress," Sokka muttered uncomfortably.
"And if you're going roller skating, just please for the love of Tui and La, make sure that Kya is safe," Yue sighed. "Probably best to leave her at a kid's corner, if there is one."
"Sounds good," Sokka said. "Although, I was planning to have her go piggyback. She's definitely lighter than a sea lion."
"Why would you compare our daughter to a sea lion?" Yue glared.
"Uh, no reason," Sokka said quickly. "Anyway, I best be off to relieve Kiyi. It's so late I should probably give her a lift."
"I would appreciate that, Sokka," Azula smiled. "Even if I don't appreciate you bailing on our forest trip." Sokka gave her a nervous smile in return before running down the stairs. "Alright, can the rest of us leave now? The good thing is that at least now we can get by with only one car."
"Wait a moment," Toph raised her hand. "With Aang and Sokka bailing, I would now be stuck with four horny sapphic bitches in the middle of a forest?" There was some quiet muttering to oppose this description, but Toph waved it off dismissively. "Right, I really don't want to get caught in the middle when all that pent up sexual tension gets released. So, I'm out. Good news, Twinkletoes, I'll be available to help you with your thing."
"Thanks, Toph," Aang beamed. "That zipper on the back is still giving me trouble. Anyway, if you're really sure about not going on the forest trip, then we should probably get out of here and let the girls be on their way."
"Oh, I'm really sure," Toph said decisively. "My asexual ass would get permanent mental scarring from the sheer intensity of those sapphic vibes. Let's get out of here, Aang. And you, bitches, make sure not to scissor too hard or you'll start a forest fire," Toph added, laughing like a madwoman as together with Aang they headed back downstairs.
"So," Katara turned to look at Azula with the sweetest of smiles. "I guess it'll be just the four of us."
"Umm, I suppose so," Azula gulped. This was not going exactly according to her plan. Still, there were upsides to these developments, too. At least now she wouldn't have to think of some creative ways of how to get Suki, Katara and Yue alone for that serious talk they needed to have. "Also, I just wanted to make it clear that there will be none of the stuff that Toph was lewdly suggesting," Azula said.
"But of course, Azula," Yue nodded, looking at her with wide and earnest eyes.
"We wouldn't dream to engage in such scandalous behavior, Azula," Suki added with a sly wink.
"That's good to hear," Azula said, feeling relieved that her plan was still intact. "At least we are on the same page about that."
The forest cottage reminded Yue of some of the impressive hunting lodges back in the Water Tribes. On any other occasion, those memories would have probably made her feel very sad, but it was impossible to slip into a downcast mood when she found herself in such exciting circumstances together with her two best friends and Azula.
Even though the cottage was made from logs, it was so large that calling it simply a log cabin seemed disrespectful. The ground floor had kitchen and bathroom facilities, a cozy little bedroom and a vast open area suited for various activities. It had two additional sofas in case the three upstairs bedrooms were not enough, but with Aang, Toph and Sokka foolishly declining the invitation to join, sleeping arrangements would clearly pose no issues.
Yue already missed Kya, and she was certain that her daughter would have enjoyed her stay at the forest cottage. However, it was true that Sokka was way overdue some dad time with his daughter. Yue often had to push for Sokka to spend more time with Kya - not because he didn't want to, but because he had made himself so busy at the restaurant. Just because they had broken up, Yue hadn't stopped seeing the bond between Sokka and Kya as extremely important. However, Yue wasn't as hypocritical as to deny that on this occasion, she wasn't overly saddened by Kya remaining behind, because she was definitely open to engaging in some activities that Kya's presence would certainly preclude.
Azula's invitation a few days ago had come as a pleasant surprise. It was likely a result of her, Katara and Suki all kissing Azula on the same day by complete accident, something that had made them all laugh themselves to tears once they had shared their stories. For the next few days, Azula had been acting like a skittish doe whenever one of them approached her. So, Yue had no idea what Azula was planning, but she was certainly planning something and it was putting her on edge. Yue had been able to tell that from how Azula had gripped the steering wheel on the forty-five minutes long drive from Caldera.
They all had their own guesses as to what Azula was planning. Suki was sure that Azula was getting close to her breaking point and was planning to throw a sapphic orgy. That didn't make too much sense to Yue because Azula had apparently been serious about inviting Sokka, Aang and Toph. Yue was leaning towards agreeing with Katara's guess that Azula planned to tell them to tone down their advances and keep things professional. Still, that also didn't seem like something Azula would want to do in the presence of Sokka and the rugrats. All in all, Yue was very curious and impatient to see what Azula was up to.
After they had brought all of their belongings inside and settled down comfortably in the living room, Azula seemed in no hurry to get on with her plan. She looked relieved when Suki grabbed a bottle of rose wine from the cooler bag and opened it, while Katara hunted down four glasses in one of the kitchen cupboards. Soon enough, they were busy sipping wine and bickering about who would get which bedroom. The one downstairs was the smallest. The most desired upstairs bedroom had a queen bed and an in-suite shower and toilet. Then there was a room with a single bed and a larger one next to it with comfy looking twin beds. Needless to say, all four of them had their eye on the queen bed, and Suki's idea of having some sort of friendly competition to decide the matter was gaining traction.
Azula still looked a little nervous and anxiety ridden even on her second glass of wine, so Yue was not too surprised when eventually Azula pulled out a joint and lit up, passing it around in a circle with everyone taking solid hits. Soon enough, the tension disappeared from Azula's posture and she started to relax, laughing freely about whatever silly thing they happened to be talking about.
Still, Yue was way too curious about Azula's intentions. She wasn't about to let the weed make Azula forget what she had brought them here for. When Azula still wouldn't bring up her plan, Yue decided to just go for it and confront Azula directly. "So, Azula," she began, giving the Fire Nation girl her firmest stare. "What's the real reason why we're here?"
"I literally have no idea what you're talking about," Azula tried to laugh it off. "It's just me being nice to my friends and coworkers. It's good for the morale."
"I guess that's not impossible," Suki smirked. "But if that were all there was to it, then you wouldn't be so nervous, chugging wine like water and lighting up a joint right away."
"Ugh, fine," Azula sighed. "There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but… it's not really all that important," she added hastily. "It can wait until later."
"Are you sure about that?" Katara asked softly, giving Azula what looked like an encouraging stare. "Wouldn't it be best to get it out of the way so that we can focus on having fun afterwards?"
"Yes, but… I'm not sure you'll be interested in having fun afterwards," Azula frowned. "You'll be too busy being angry with me."
"Why would you say that?" Yue asked, feeling nervous. "Now you really have to explain, Azula."
"Alright, alright," Azula gave in. Before explaining, however, she decided to take a particularly big hit, one that made her explode in a nasty fit of coughing. It took Azula a long time to recover and when she did so, her eyes were a little red and watery. "Agni, that was horrible… anyway, guess I have enough liquid and inhalable courage in my system by now," Azula muttered. "Anyway, what I wanted to talk about has to do with what happened earlier this week."
"You were right," Yue exclaimed, high-fiving the grinning Katara.
"Bugger it," Suki grumbled, forking a tenner over to Katara. "Remind me never to bet against you, especially on things that involve Azula."
"Thank you, Suki," Katara beamed, accepting her winnings. "Also, sorry for interrupting, Azula. Please, do go on."
"Right," Azula sighed. "It's just that… after Katara and I…" Azula blushed heatedly, taking a big swig from her glass of wine. "I mean, we had a conversation afterwards, right?" she looked at Katara. "And I explained why we can't… I mean, I thought I had made myself clear. And I guess I wrongly assumed that Katara would have told you two…"
"You didn't assume wrongly," Suki smirked. "We just decided to mess with your head anyway."
"Yeah, we were just having fun with you, Azula," Yue nodded earnestly. "Honestly, it's so hard to resist pushing your gay panic buttons."
"That's very true," Katara nodded in agreement. "But I am sorry for disrespecting your wishes and kissing you back on Tuesday," she said, looking at Azula. "I just became overwhelmed by the occasion. But you can't blame Yue and Suki for giving it a shot. You should have established boundaries with them directly, not through me."
"I suppose that's a fair point," Azula told Katara. "And now that we have cleared it up, I… I hope I won't have to repeat myself again in the future." Azula didn't look particularly happy saying those words, and Yue was sure that she wasn't the only one who saw that.
"Sure, as you wish," Suki shrugged. "Is that a rule that you apply consistently, regardless of circumstances?" she asked. "No mixing of business and pleasure?"
"Yes, it's just a bad idea," Azula stated, not very confidently.
"Why do you think so?" Katara asked simply.
"I mean… I thought that would be obvious?" Azula shrugged. "You start a relationship with someone, then it goes sour and you can no longer work together at the same place and one of you is forced to quit-"
"Wasn't a problem for me," Yue shrugged.
"It won't be a problem for me and Sokka, either," Suki nodded in agreement.
"Also, Azula, what you're saying maybe makes sense if you're trying for a serious long-term relationship, but even then, as Yue and Suki have proved, it doesn't mean you can't remain friends or work together," Katara said. "But we've always known that you're in Caldera for six months. Well, slightly less than five months, now," she added, looking a little sad.
Azula looked very thoughtful and slightly taken aback, mulling things over in her head. "I suppose that's true," she was forced to admit. "It's just that… I've helped fix many restaurants in my admittedly still short career, but I've never been embraced as a part of the team like here. You included me in your inner circle. I never even knew what that would be like, to be a part of a group that's so close. I just… I don't want to ruin it, okay? I don't want one of you to… I don't know, expect more from me than I can give. I don't know when - if ever - I'll be able to come out publicly. Besides, like you said, Katara, I'll be gone in five months. I don't want that parting to hurt more than it already will."
Everyone was quiet after Azula had blurted out what felt like unadulterated stream of consciousness. Yue was having trouble deciding whether Azula was making fair points, and it looked like her friends were having similar thoughts. Yue couldn't deny that her crush on Azula had only grown in strength and the idea that Azula would eventually leave their lives already hurt to think about. Would it hurt more if she were to share intimacy with Azula? Or would it hurt more if nothing happened and she would regret forever missing that opportunity? It felt impossible for Yue to answer. Still, since it was going to hurt in any case, she much preferred to maximize having fun beforehand.
"I think none of us were under any delusions that you might not be leaving once your time here was up," Katara was the first to speak up. "You have a bright career waiting for you to get back to. We're all aware that this is just a temporary assignment for you. I'm pretty sure none of us were thinking about anything else than having some fun while you're here."
"Exactly," Yue agreed, even if she privately questioned the honesty of Katara's statement. She knew that Katara also harbored a huge crush on Azula, and Yue suspected that Katara secretly dreamed of a scenario where she could have more than just a short affair with Azula. Of course… deep down, Yue was harboring similar fantasies, but she was trying to push those thoughts aside for now. The fulfilment of her deepest desires wasn't even on the table, so she at least wanted to have as much fun as she could. "I feel the same as Katara," Yue said aloud. "I'm just looking to have fun."
"Likewise," Suki nodded. Yue suspected that their auburn-haired friend probably was not quite as gone for Azula as she or Katara, just because her breakup was very fresh, and she clearly still had a lot of love for Sokka even if the relationship was over. "Also, Azula… you're probably planning to hook up with random girls through your app, right?" Suki asked.
"Well, maybe now and then," Azula admitted.
"See, that makes no sense to me," Suki shook her head. "You're so worried about getting outed, but you would rather risk hooking up with strangers than have some fun with us, girls you can trust?"
"I-…" Azula began, only to hesitate and fall silent, looking very confused. "Wait, this is not going according to the plan," she frowned. "You're not supposed to convince me of the opposite of what I'm trying to achieve here."
"Well, maybe your plan needs rethinking in light of compelling new evidence," Suki winked. Yue really wanted to kiss Suki just about now, because while she and Katara mostly reacted emotionally to Azula's words, Suki was clearly doing the best job by presenting logical arguments to a slightly tipsy and stoned Azula.
"I'm very confused now," Azula confessed. "What exactly are the three of you saying?"
"Well, I don't want to speak for Yue and Katara, even if I think we're on the same page," Suki said. "I'm just saying that I'm open to hooking up with you, whenever we both feel like it."
"Same," Yue added quickly. "We're definitely on the same page here, Suki," she giggled.
"Well, you already know where I stand on this, because we already hooked up," Katara winked at Azula, making the Fire Nation girl blush. Yue felt a brief pang of jealousy blossoming in her chest at the reminder that Katara had already experienced something Yue still craved, but it was eased by the thought that if everything played out the way she hoped, perhaps she wouldn't have to wait too long to get what she wanted.
"I just wanted to add that we're not putting any pressure on you, Azula," Katara continued. "I feel like it needs to be said because I know all three of us have been coming at you a little strongly at times."
"True, but I would have never realized what you were doing if you didn't come on strongly," Azula said, making all the other girls laugh. "Hey, weed makes me more self-aware, what do you know?" Azula chuckled.
"Katara's right, though," Suki spoke up again. "Just because you're stranded here deep in the forest with three thirsty bitches, it doesn't mean that things need to happen, right? I mean, I wouldn't mind some action, but it's fair if we don't rush it."
"I couldn't agree more," Yue forced herself to say. "We don't want to overwhelm you, Azula. We know that together the three of us can be a bit much."
"Thank you," Azula looked grateful. "This went completely the opposite way of how I had planned for it to go. I… will need some time to wrap my head around what just happened. I'd like to take things slow if you don't mind."
"Slow is good. In fact, slow is often the best," Katara smiled, winking at Azula again.
"How did I end up in this situation?" Azula wondered, sighing. She didn't look disappointed, though. In fact, she looked a lot happier than earlier in the evening.
"I hope you're not complaining," Suki smirked. "Countless guys and girls would kill to trade places with you and get the kind of offer we're making to you."
"I definitely am not complaining," Azula said hastily. "But I'm also ready to talk about something else. I don't think I can deal with more suggestiveness and innuendos right now."
"Well…" Katara said, clicking her tongue. "We still have to decide on who gets which bedroom. I think we should play a game and have a nice friendly competition to settle the matter."
"There's a whole shelf of board games over there," Azula said, pointing at a bookshelf behind Yue and looking far too lazy to get up and investigate closer. "I think I can see Pai Sho, Monopoly, backgammon…"
"Oh, don't you worry about those boring board games, I have something way more fun in mind," Suki chuckled.
"Sounds great," Yue grinned. "Knowing Suki, I'm sure it will be in no way suggestive and filled with innuendos."
"Let me know if I understand this right," Katara said, looking thoughtful. "So, if we've done the thing, instead of taking a drink we just like… add a point to our score? And whoever gets the most points, gets the first choice of bedroom?"
"I mean… I think we should both drink and score a point, but other than that, you've got it," Suki replied. She was truly having a great time in the company of her besties and Azula, who was also quickly catching up to the level of a bestie. Besides, Azula was just adorable to mess with, and turning tables on her silly plan to put boundaries on their relationship had been so much fun.
Suki was definitely interested in a sexy romp with Azula, but despite being very direct about it, Suki knew that she couldn't get too carried away. She had already formed the impression that both Katara and Yue had caught quite serious feelings for Azula. And it wasn't as if Suki didn't want Azula, quite the contrary, but her breakup with Sokka was still very recent and Suki felt like she wasn't completely over it just yet. Katara had clearly moved past Jet and perhaps wanted a palate cleanser from the way that relationship had ended. And Yue had been too preoccupied with her job and with raising Kya to give new relationships a chance, which definitely made Suki feel very sad because Yue was wonderful and deserved only the best.
"So, shall we begin?" Yue asked, appearing very excited.
"Can I just ask something before we begin?" Azula asked, raising her hand. "So, uh… I'm going to guess you're going dirty with these questions, right?"
Katara and Yue exchanges glances, giggling. Suki sighed. "Yes, Azula," she said patiently. "That's kind of the nature of the game. Especially in the context of all of us being single and a little bit into each other."
"Oh, big assumption there, Suki!" Yue laughed, gently elbowing her.
"But am I wrong?" Suki grinned, winking at Yue. Yue blushed lightly, laughing even harder.
"Can I suggest that we write down our questions?" Azula asked. "I think it would be more fun."
"It would definitely be more weird," Suki rolled her eyes. "But perhaps I should have expected that this would be the strangest game of Never Have I Ever that I have played."
"Great, I'll be right back," Azula rose and dashed off to where they had dropped off their bags.
"That is one skittish bitch," Suki sighed, making Katara and Yue giggle.
"And that's on her third glass of wine and having taken some pretty big hits as well," Katara laughed, shaking her head. "We have our work cut out for us to make her feel nice and relaxed."
"I wonder if Azula is friends with Molly," Yue said. "But that was not a serious suggestion," she added hastily. "That's not a length I want to go to myself."
"We'll be fine, trust me," Suki smirked as Azula returned with a notebook and several ballpoint pens which she distributed among the group. Then they all giggled like schoolgirls while writing down their questions and passing them over for Suki to read them out. Suki shuffled the pieces of paper, which was mostly an empty gesture because she was confident about recognizing the handwriting of all the girls present.
"Alright, here we go… never have I ever," Suki said, drawing the first question. "Done butt stuff? Seriously, butt stuff? Who here is twelve?" Yue was blushing and giggling like mad. "Anyway, I can throw my question out now, because it was essentially the same, only not written like by a twelve-year-old."
"Your commentary aside, who's drinking?" Azula asked. She wasn't touching her glass, which didn't surprise Suki.
"Alright, fine," Katara sighed, taking a drink and wincing. Just for this game, they had opened a bottle of very fancy single malt whiskey that looked to have quite the punch, judging from Katara's reaction. Yue also took a big sip, coughing as she did so. Finally, Suki also downed her whiskey, feeling like she had just downed a mouthful of liquid peat.
"I'm guessing you two have done it with Sokka, and Katara with Jet," Azula said. Suki thought that she almost looked a little jealous, or perhaps that was just Suki's imagination.
"Umm, it wasn't with Jet," Katara said, blushing fiercely.
"Seriously?" Suki asked, feeling very curious now. "So, was it with that previous boyfriend of yours? What was the name of that boring milk toast?"
"You're thinking of Haru," Katara snorted. "But no, it wasn't with him either."
"Alright, I'm really confused now," Suki scratched her head. "If it wasn't with Jet or Haru, who then? I know you have dated Aang as well-"
"You have?" Azula asked, definitely sounding jealous now.
"Suki is being completely ridiculous," Katara said, looking mildly disturbed. "I dated Aang for two weeks when I was fifteen and we barely got to the first base. Thank you for putting some traumatizing mental images in my head now, Suki."
"Sorry," Suki grinned, not feeling terribly apologetic. "Still, I'm waiting to hear who was your partner in crime of doing butt stuff," she giggled.
Katara for some reason exchanged stares with Yue before replying, and her answer shocked Suki. "Actually, it was Yue," Katara confessed, making both Suki and Azula gasp in surprise.
"Whoa, I had no idea!" Suki exclaimed. She turned to look at Yue. "So, when you took the drink, was it because of doing it with Kat? You never did it with Sokka?"
"Umm, let's just say that Katara isn't the only Enuaraq I have pegged," a very red-faced Yue laughed, making Katara groan at her words. "Also, I've never been on the, uh, receiving end. Just putting that out there."
"Okay… you're full of surprises, Yue," Suki said excitedly. For some reason, the idea of Yue maybe being a secret dom made Suki feel all hot and bothered. And she clearly wasn't the only one who had that reaction, because Azula also suddenly looked very intrigued.
"Suki, any surprises behind you taking a drink?" Azula then asked.
"Not really," Suki shrugged. "Sokka sometimes needed a little coaxing to try new things, but usually he was open to experiments. Still, there's nothing really scandalous to share. I'm not going to drop a bomb like those two," she pointed at Katara and Yue.
"Hey, we were eighteen and super curious after we watched an inspirational video together," Katara laughed. "It was… fun, I guess?"
"So, why did you never do it with Jet?" Azula asked.
"Hmm," Katara frowned. "He certainly wanted to. But he was… I guess, a bit pushy about it? I don't know, I just found it a bit off-putting," she shrugged, looking at Azula. "And what's your stance on it?"
"I, uh… have never given it much thought?" Azula blushed again. "I mean… I guess I wouldn't rule it out?"
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere and being a bit adventurous!" Suki nodded approvingly. "Anyway, onto the next question." She drew another piece of paper. "Never have I ever… not had an orgasm with a guy?" Suki blinked, trying to digest the question.
"Who would ask something like that?" Yue laughed, obviously not touching her drink.
"Oh, I don't know," Azula grinned, taking a drink.
"Seriously, Azula?" Suki groaned. Of course, she and Katara also couldn't drink to a ridiculous question like this. Still, Suki was surprised that Azula was drinking, even if her relationship with this Chan Takanashi guy was fake. "Did you never even sleep with your fake boyfriend?" Suki asked.
"Oh, we had sex quite regularly when we started dating," Azula replied. "It was simply doing nothing for me. It was only when I started hooking up with girls through the dating app that I discovered… well, how good it can actually feel."
"That's kind of sad," Yue sighed. "I'm glad that at some point you stopped with the heteronormativity, at least behind the scenes."
"Not going to lie, trying to deny who I am almost broke me," Azula confessed, looking like she was recalling a particularly unpleasant memory, but then she quickly shook her head, recomposing herself. "Anyway, I just knew that all three of you would be drinking to this, so it would be an easy point for me."
"I suppose you could have felt confident about that," Suki admitted. "I know that there are stories circulating about Sokka's legendary pipe laying skills." That comment made Katara groan and facepalm.
"That's… one way to put it," Yue laughed. "But hey, I certainly never had any reason for complaints."
"I didn't exactly ask for details," Azula rolled her eyes.
"Well, you're getting them whether you wanted or not," Suki winked at Azula. "Also, you can be sure that Ty Lee is having plenty of fun in her new relationship."
"I'll be sure not to ask her about that, because she's just as happy to overshare as you, bitches," Azula groaned. She then looked at Katara. "Anyway, thank you for not providing an in-depth answer."
"Well, I wouldn't know what to tell you," Katara replied. "Jet had many flaws, and I still think he's an asshole, but I can't deny that he knew his way around a pussy. I had many issues with him, but sex wasn't one of them."
"Too much information!" Azula cried with a disturbed look on her face.
"How is that too much information?" Katara laughed. "That's just literally what happens in relationships that aren't fake. And unlike your relationship, ours wasn't fake."
"Unfortunately," Azula sighed. "Anyway, can we move on to the next question?"
"Sure," Suki said. "Since Yue and I had the same question, it means there's just one more left. So, never have I ever… had a three or more-some? Damn it, Katara!" Suki sighed, shaking her fist at her laughing friend as Katara and Azula clinked their glasses together and drank more of the single malt.
"Ugh, I knew I should have hurried up with crossing that off from my bucket list," Yue grumbled.
"Funny you should say that," Suki chuckled. "Because for a while Sokka and I had some serious conversations about asking you to join in."
"Damn it, I wish you would have," Yue sighed.
"Really?" Suki felt her eyebrows rising in surprise. It made her wonder if Yue would consider hooking up now, without Sokka being involved. "Anyway, in the end the timing never felt right, so… it is what it is."
"Well, too bad, because half-assed intent doesn't give you any points," Azula smirked. "Smart thinking there," she smiled at Katara.
"Thank you," Katara smiled right back at Azula. "And you two better get working on those bucket lists," she winked at Suki and Yue.
"Well, I'm certainly open to threesomes or maybe even foursomes," Suki grinned.
"Likewise," Yue added hastily. "Eventually, and no pressure, obviously."
"Obviously," Azula snorted. "Anyway, that puts me and Katara on two points and in the lead. Should we do some tiebreaker type of thing for the queen bed?"
"Or," Katara began with a devious look in her eyes. "That bed is so big that we could comfortably share it." Azula definitely looked interested in that proposal.
"Hey, whatever happened to taking things slowly," Yue butted in, looking a little disappointed with Katara. Suki could understand Yue's jealousy flaring up, especially after the reminder about Azula and Katara already having hooked up more than a week ago.
"Yeah, you were the one talking about how we were coming on a bit too strongly on Azula," Suki decided to back Yue on this. "I motion for Katara to be disqualified from this competition."
"Seconded," Yue flashed Suki a feral grin. "That makes Azula the winner. You can choose the bedroom, Azula."
"Hey!" Katara protested. She had been looking guilty moments ago, but now she appeared just a tad annoyed. "I don't agree with this disqualification! I vote against it. And with Azula also voting against it, that puts us in a deadlock."
"Uh, Katara?" Azula asked, grinning. "Why do you assume that I'm voting against it? If you're disqualified, it means that I win." Katara pouted at that, but Azula remained unmoved. "Anyway, I obviously choose the big bedroom with the queen bed," Azula declared victoriously.
"Alright, I guess we need to decide which one of us picks next," Suki turned towards Yue.
"Maybe we can settle it with rock paper scissors," Yue suggested. "Or… if you were to pick the room with twin beds, I could be your roomie? I don't want either of us to have to sleep downstairs, and this way Katara can have the smaller upstairs bedroom. Does that work for you?" Yue asked.
"Sure does," Suki replied, more than happy to take the deal. Having a roomie was infinitely more preferable to sleeping by herself, especially if she could get a roomie as amazing as Yue. "What about you, Katara?"
"That's perfect for me," Katara replied, no longer looking or sounding upset. "I actually wouldn't have wanted that huge queen bed all to myself. I wouldn't have been able to fall asleep in it."
"You're so weird," Azula laughed. "Anyway, I do feel a little tired. No wonder, it's way past two in the morning."
"Sure, bed sounds like a good idea," Suki nodded. "Still, there's only a third of the whiskey left, so how about we finish off the bottle?" Suki was happy that her suggestion was met with nothing but nods of approval.
Having swapped into her pj's, Katara lay on the bed in the smallest of the upstairs rooms, still vibrating even if it was half past three in the morning. The door to her room was open and she was listening to Suki and Yue talking outside in the hallway as she waited for her turn to use the bathroom. Behind the wall, she could hear the sound of running shower from Azula's in-suite bathroom. Katara shook her head at the idea of taking a shower at such an hour instead of waiting until morning like a normal person, but Azula was just weird like that. Or maybe Azula was in dire need of a cold shower, which Katara would completely understand.
It had been quite the evening, and Katara was struggling to digest everything that had happened. Katara was still feeling the high from the joint they had passed around, and she was more than a little tipsy from all the wine and whiskey. Together with the thought that Azula was open to hooking up with her, Yue and Suki brought on flashes of what felt like pure euphoria.
Still, now and then the euphoria gave way to more somber moments, during which Katara was reminded of Azula's eventual unavoidable departure in less than five months. Deep inside, that little spark of hope that Azula might reconsider and decide to stay after the restaurant competition came to an end refused to die, though. Katara knew that this spark of hope was very dangerous and needed to be extinguished, but she also knew that it would be very hard to do that. But the truth was that Azula's career was too important to her, and Katara understood that she or anyone else had no rights to try and dissuade Azula from pursuing her goals. Katara didn't want Azula to stay at any cost, especially not if that cost was eventually growing bitter and feeling unfulfilled, starting to blame and even hate Katara for the decision to stay.
And obviously, Katara understood that while all this potential hooking up sounded amazing, they would need to be careful with it. Already, she had made Yue and Suki a little upset for hooking up with Azula and June. Even if Katara sensed that Suki was mostly chill about the whole thing, it seemed like Yue's feelings could be hurt more easily and Katara desperately didn't want to do that. Katara knew that she would have to thread carefully and try not to hog Azula all to herself, as much as she wanted to do just that.
"Bathroom is all yours, Kat," Katara was pulled out of her musings by Yue's voice, her friend poking her head into Katara's room. Yue was wearing her white pj's with pink and blue elephants, looking absolutely adorable. "Goodnight!" Yue added, smiling.
"Night, Yue," Katara smiled back, getting up from the bed as she heard the patter of Yue's feet as she retreated to the bedroom she was sharing with Suki. Katara then spent the next few minutes on brushing her teeth and the rest of her bedtime routine. As Katara returned to her room, she noticed that light fell from Azula's room through the tiny gap at the bottom of the door frame.
Katara briefly hesitated, wondering if she should go and wish Azula goodnight. It seemed like the polite thing to do, especially given how Azula had shelled out for this gorgeous cottage. So, Katara walked up to the doors of Azula's bedroom and entered, freezing on the doorstep at what she saw. The blissful look on Azula's face and seeing where her right arm was under the duvet left no illusions about just what Azula was doing.
"Agni, please, just burn me to ashes here and now," an intensely red faced Azula muttered, looking like she wanted to crawl under the floorboards and disappear.
"Spirits, I'm so sorry," Katara exclaimed, feeling awful for her terrible faux pas. Being so comfortable around each other brought the danger of not even thinking of such small social graces as knocking before entering, and now she had made Azula feel incredibly uncomfortable because of it. "There's no reason to feel embarrassed, Azula," she tried.
"Sure… of course," Azula sighed. "Could you please leave, so that I can start working on killing myself?"
"Please don't do that?" Katara pleaded, trying to think of a way to make Azula feel less embarrassed. Because she was still feeling all high, tipsy and horny, Katara could only think of one solution. Leaning with her back against the doors, she slipped her hand inside her pj's and began to touch herself.
"Katara… what are you doing?" Azula gasped, desperately trying not to stare.
"Well, I figured that this way we'll both be either equally embarrassed, or not embarrassed at all," Katara smiled, trying to meet Azula's eyes as she continued to touch herself.
"That's… that's…" Azula tried to protest, fighting herself, but it was clearly a losing battle. In the end, she couldn't stop herself from looking at Katara, and as soon as their eyes met, Katara saw Azula's hand resuming its movements under the duvet.
Touching herself while Azula did the same, with their eyes locked in stares that felt like they penetrated each other's very souls was an incredibly intense sexual experience. It didn't take long before relief claimed Katara and she surrendered with a quiet gasp, Azula following suit mere moments later.
"You are absolutely crazy, Katara," Azula said, giving her a stare that held many conflicting emotions.
"And you love it," Katara winked. "Sweet dreams, Azula," she added teasingly before slipping out of Azula's bedroom, giggling as she ran all the way back to her room and quickly ducked under the covers.