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...

97. Chapter 97: Giving in 3

WARNING: From this chapter onwards, this fic will feature scenes of adult nature frequently. Read at your own risk.

It was overwhelming. It was intoxicating. It was desperate.

But it was their moment, at long last. And they both had decided, without needing to convey it through words, that they wouldn't waste it. Not this time.

The hard ground underneath Azula went forgotten easily, the Princess found, despite in any other circumstances she would have been displeased by the dirt that she knew would attach to her hair and clothes. But how to pay any mind to that, when she was clinging onto Sokka as she would to dear life, her lips parting as he sought access into her mouth?

He supported his weight with one hand, making sure not to crush her, but it seemed she wanted all his weight on her all the same. Else her legs wouldn't have shifted under him, surrounding his waist in a tight embrace, matching the way her arms had draped around his neck.

No more tears fell from her eyes by now, lost in this passionate exchange as she was. She couldn't stop kissing him, and he refused to stop kissing her as well. They both had given up the battle they hadn't wanted to fight to begin with. He was done struggling against his feelings for her, and done with clashing against her, too. He didn't care anymore who was right or who was wrong, whether this was a good idea or a bad one… all he cared about was feeling her body pressed against his, to enjoy the smooth outline of her curves through her armor. All he wanted was to take in the warmth of her breath, to taste the despair in her kisses.

Her fingers caressed the short hairs on the back of his head, and she tightened her legs' hold around his waist. Sokka whimpered, the blood rushing through his body so fast he was almost dizzy, but she kept him grounded. She made him set apart his confusion from reality… because the only real thing was her. She was all that mattered, he had known as much from a long time ago.

The soft moans that left her throat had his heart beating all the faster, prompting him to pull away briefly for breath, and he stole a glance at her… but he returned to kissing her again only instants afterwards, just as she wanted him to. Just as she needed him to.

And all the same, he wanted her, he needed her, but the circumstances weren't helping in the slightest. The ground was in the way… the world was in the way. It always had been. But for this moment, if only for this moment, none of it mattered. He would forget it, and so would she. They had waited longer than they thought possible, definitely longer than they should have. It was time to put an end to that.

He pulled away from her briefly, his forehead against hers as he breathed with difficulty. Her gasps met his, her eyes closed, and her cheeks fully flushed. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable yet so open, urged Sokka to kiss her again, as he had before… but they needed to change locations. This wouldn't do.

He sat up, his arms sliding around her body, so she would have no choice but to sit along with him. Her hands remained on either side of his face, and without even opening her eyes for accuracy, she kissed his lips anew, threatening to stop Sokka's endeavors altogether if just to return her affections. But he had to cope for a little longer… this was no way to do this, however desperate they might be for it.

With her legs tight around his waist, Azula clung onto Sokka as he struggled to rise into a standing position without losing his balance in the attempt. Carrying her weight along with his own made said operation more complicated than expected, but he had accomplished one too many difficult feats already. Standing up, and bringing her with him, couldn't be all that troublesome…

He had to open his eyes for it, though, and he used a hand to lift himself up, the other surrounding Azula's waist tightly. Her legs were locked powerfully around him, her thighs pressing into his body to ensure she wouldn't fall once he was standing. He could only sigh in bliss as he finally managed to stand up as intended, their intimate embrace but a glimpse of the pleasant things that would follow.

He stood in place briefly once he had managed to hold his footing properly, devouring Azula's lips eagerly as she pressed her body against his. Only the growing pressure in Sokka's groin alerted him that he needed to get going. And that he did, walking as carefully as he could back into the house, ever kissing Azula.

He was careful as he climbed the steps that led up to the veranda, hoping to avoid tripping as his arms and legs threatened to give way, despite Azula wasn't all that heavy. But his body seemed overridden by emotions and sensations he could barely keep up with. He was close to collapsing, goosebumps rushing over his body, leaving him with all his hairs standing on end over her every moan. She was too much for him, he had always known so, but he felt weaker to her than ever before.

He had to find support someway, somehow, and he found it indeed once they reached the house's outer wall. He pressed Azula against it, groaning weakly as he kissed her deeply again. She moaned too, her left hand gripping the fabric of his shirt while the other went to the back of his head. He shivered when she caressed the nape of his neck, gasping briefly only for her to trap his lips between hers an instant after he pulled away. Her body seemed to envelop him, embracing him completely. She didn't realize she was moaning, but had she become aware of it she wouldn't have cared. She didn't care if she seemed too desperate, because he matched her despair with the same enthusiasm, the same drive. Only desire dictated her actions now. Nothing else registered within her mind at this point.

His hands could roam over her body with more ease now, reminding Azula of what he had been like during that first kiss they had shared. He had touched her so intimately, in ways nobody else ever had before… she had craved to feel that again, constantly, practically on a daily basis. She had wanted him hopelessly, wishing to give herself to him but believing it could never happen… it shouldn't have happened indeed, not for an array of reasons. But it was too late for her to stop it even if she had wanted to. She had given him her heart already, whether that went against her better judgment or not. She didn't think he was incapable of hurting her, he had proven otherwise quite a few times by now… but at this point she practically welcomed the pain. No reward was worth the task if there was no risk included in the quest towards earning it…

Sokka groaned and pulled her closer again, feeling somewhat stronger by now as he resumed the walk. He directed himself with difficulty towards the doorway that would lead them back inside by seeking out his whereabouts with one hand, the other one surrounding Azula's waist, holding her in place. The metal plates of her armor and her boots dug into his skin, but he didn't register any pain. He couldn't feel anything except for every kiss she pressed into his mouth, each one sweeter and more gratifying than the previous one.

He almost despaired as he walked through the living room, failing to find the opposite wall as he walked blindly towards it, his hand stretched out. Azula was making the entire matter more difficult, albeit Sokka wasn't about to ask her to stop just so he could find his way in the house. No, he'd rather get lost and not reach the stairs at all, if it meant he could continue feeling her like this, if he could keep kissing her like this…

Just as he started to think the couch would have to do, despite the table Azula had kicked would hinder their access to it, he finally found the wall he had been looking for. When his foot found the first step of the staircase he began climbing slowly. As he moved he made every effort to continue matching her kisses, but it wasn't easy to concentrate on so many things at once, Sokka found. Not when she was biting him, sucking on his lips softly, kissing him deeply and brushing his tongue with hers. If they ended up on the stairs as well it would come as no surprise, uncomfortable as it might be.

Nevertheless, he actually reached the top of the stairs. He allowed himself to feel slightly triumphant about that as he turned towards his room, making out the way with his hand on the wall. One door, it was Song's room, so the next one…

He could have fainted with relief when he finally reached their destination. He pushed the door open and strode inside, walking straight towards the bed. Azula's fingers had slid through his hair and undone his wolf's tail by this point, discarding the hair tie as she ran her fingers over the soft strands.

Sokka placed her on the bed, and she finally stopped clutching at him with her legs, releasing him from his grip as she sat at the edge of the mattress, still holding his face close to hers. He continued to kiss her, his hands caressing her flanks and sending pleasant shivers down her spine. He fumbled until he found the buckles he had been meaning to undo, and once his fingers had worked them, he pulled her armor over her head and tossed it out of the way. It rattled as it fell on the floor, and Sokka finally had free reign to devour her neck.

Azula moaned as she pulled his face closer, basking in the way he was kissing and biting her skin. Her hands roamed over his body as well, caressing his strong back and torso. All that training had made him far more muscular, his build a thing of wonder for her at this point. Yet she could feel the scars as well as she touched him, whether those she had left on his body or the ones left by his many rivals in the fighting pit. Each and every one of them had stories… several of them had stories she didn't know, that she had never dared ask, but right now she wished she had. She wished to know it all, for there to be no secrets left between them, nowhere for either of them to hide from each other. She wished to belong to him, wholly…

Sokka's hands danced down to her belt, a small smile forming on his lips as he recalled how he had cut one of these before. He had told her then that she wore too many clothes… no doubt she did. He really wanted to get through the layers as quickly as he could. He couldn't wait to reach the depths of her, to see her as she was…

He tossed the belt away soon enough, allowing his hands to caress her thighs briefly. The soft cry that left her lips made him shiver against her, breathing heavily as he removed her boots now. Azula's hands reached down to his waist, tugging undone the sash he wore as a belt, allowing his shirt to fall open. Her hands caressed his chest and shoulders, pushing his shirt off and making him gasp again in pure ecstasy upon feeling her touch in this way. Their lips were linked again as he pulled on his gloves, taking them off swiftly and tossing them aside before undoing the bindings around his forearms. She helped him with that, her hands caressing his strong arms as the bandages fell in a heap to the floor. He found her neck once more, his hands rising over her thighs again, on to her waist, grazing her breasts and making her moan louder yet. He groaned against her, delighting himself in the feeling of her body against his, and she clasped his face in her hands, forcing him to lift his head so she could press her lips against his. Sokka replied to every kiss, his hands still caressing her as desperately as she needed them to. Every inch of her body ached for him, and with every touch she only desired him more.

His hands slid down again, finding the hem of her long tunic, and he lifted Azula gently in order to remove it swiftly. His heart sped up in anticipation, and underneath this he found… her long-sleeved shirt.

Azula opened her eyes to look at him when she heard him groan in frustration. He kissed her hungrily again, his hands moving over her body more aggressively now. Azula found herself enjoying that all the better. She rather liked to feel just how much he desired her…

Though she didn't expect the extent of his desire to run so deeply. When he gripped the border of her shirt she assumed he was only going to pull it over her head… she didn't realize he was going to rip it in half as he did.

She gasped as he pulled, the rip making it so her bare skin would be revealed slowly, from bottom to top, to Sokka's lustful eyes. He looked her over eagerly, his pupils dilated, his lips parted as he finished splitting the shirt, reaching the neck of it and revealing indeed her pale body, and the bindings that concealed her breasts.

He could have cursed, though this time he would have done it to himself getting so eager. Of course she'd have bindings, it was only logical. He wouldn't see everything he thirsted for so quickly.

He had been right, and now he had verified it, when he had told her she wore too many clothes.

His desperate eagerness seemed to amuse her, Sokka realized, as he heard a soft chuckle escaping her lips. The sound was as erotic as all her moans, if not more so. He kissed her again, his hands finally touching her skin directly as he pushed the shirt off her shoulders. Caressing her torso like this was out of bounds, it was forbidden… oh, but that only made it all the better altogether for them both. Her body burned wherever he touched it, giving way to the same sensation he had introduced to her while on their way to the Slate. He moved down from her lips and to her neck, slipping lower still as he kissed her collarbone. Azula gasped repeatedly, dropping back on the mattress with her eyes closed as she felt him brushing her skin with his lips. His hands were on her waist, clasping the hem of her pants and pushing them down, albeit he was incapable of removing them altogether just yet. Still he continued to kiss her, sensing her heart's reckless racing as his lips moved to her left breast, still covered by the chest bindings she wore.

His hands trembled as he reached for them, and he clumsily attempted to find the way to undo the bindings. He couldn't find the end of them, though. How the hell was he to take them off?

It was up to Azula to lift herself up with her elbows and to reach towards her back with one hand, finding the end of the binding and undoing them herself. They came loose once she finished fumbling with them, and they dropped almost in slow motion for Sokka's eyes.

Azula's breath caught in her throat as she allowed her entire torso to be bare for him. Sokka stared with wide eyes, as though hypnotized, as the bindings came to rest on her ribs. She looked at him expectantly, her chest heaving as he finally moved forth, closing his eyes and pressing his face to her left breast.

Azula sighed in relief, wishing she could have been less nervous about something like this. He was likely as eager as she had been to reveal herself completely to him, he wasn't bound to reject her at this point for any reason…

One of his hands busied with removing the bindings altogether, tossing them aside as he had with every other piece of her attire so far. The other hand reached for her right breast, as his mouth explored the left one eagerly, prompting Azula to moan and throw her head back as her nipples hardened while he nibbled at the one he had caught in his mouth. Her heart was beating so fast, so fiercely that she feared it would burst out of her chest at this rate. This probably was too much for her already, but she didn't dare tell him not to do this. She didn't dare ask him to stop… she didn't want him to. She wanted to be overwhelmed by him, for him to occupy all her senses, for him to be everything she could feel…

She lifted her hands now, her breathing heavy as she undid her own hair. She removed her hairpiece, which was poking against her scalp as she lay down on the bed. She set it aside clumsily, pushing it as far from herself as possible. Her fingers then slid into Sokka's hair again as his lips moved to the other breast, his free hand cupping the mound he had already aroused fully. Azula's moans were shrill and desperate, despite she bit her lower lip in a hopeless attempt to control herself. His bare chest pressed against her belly, the friction between their bodies as delectable as everything his hands and mouth were doing to her chest.

She caressed his face, her eyes closed as she experienced everything more vividly, all sensations heightened as she let herself feel his touch, her hands trailing over his back as well, but her caresses had to stop when Sokka moved over her body, his lips tracing kisses on the valley between her mounds as he moved lower still, towards her abs. His hands stayed on her breasts for now, toying with the nipples and eliciting further moans from his lover, but soon they moved down with him as he kissed her pelvis. Her body shuddered, and she gave an involuntary jolt when she felt his breath against her skin. She glanced down at him, insecure, and he only smiled at her. She could have melted where she was just to see that expression on his face.

His fingers found the hem of her underwear, and again he shivered in anticipation and nervousness as he moved it down slowly. Azula closed her eyes and dropped her head to the side, knowing she was blushing furiously by now, blood rushing thunderously inside her body. This was too embarrassing, despite she didn't think she had anything to be ashamed of… Her undergarments slid to her ankles, along with her trousers, and with that, Sokka had removed every item of clothing she had worn that day, without ripping up anything else.

She lay naked, fully revealed before his eyes for the very first time. There was no way to conceal her vulnerabilities, were they physical or emotional at this point. He saw her for who she was, all of it… and given the soft whimper she heard coming from him, he just might have liked what he'd seen so far.

She felt compelled to oppose some resistance when his hands moved to separate her legs, merely because she wasn't used to this. She already had a good idea of what sorts of pleasures Sokka could offer her, and she had no doubt she would enjoy them, but still…

He kissed her inner thigh and her qualms seemed to disappear into nothingness as her entire body melted with desire. His hands, calloused and strong, stroked the underside of her legs, and she shivered and moaned as more arousal was born by his touch. His lips traced their way over her skin, feeling her tremble more violently as he moved to her center.

"S-Sokka…" she whispered, almost as though begging him not to do this last minute. She wasn't sure she could take it. In fact, she was quite sure she wouldn't last a second if he did what she thought he wanted to… but the words refused to leave her throat. Her more irrational mind refused to let them out. The wild pleasure was all she craved right now.

Sokka breathed deeply once he was facing her very core. When he released said breath into her sensitive, moist skin, Azula moaned again. His fingers slid towards the red nether lips, splitting them open to find what he had been looking for. His touch prompted Azula to close her eyes tightly, a hand going to her mouth as she tried to contain the sounds hopelessly.

The very first lick made her cry out, and Sokka's eyes closed in delight as he tasted her for the first time. He pulled away only to gaze at her in amazement: he couldn't hold back the urge to lick her again, his tongue tracing its way from her opening to her clit. Azula shuddered violently underneath him, an urgent cry escaping her throat.

"Tell me if it's… if it's no good," he whispered against her wet folds, and Azula felt compelled to kick him. No good? How could he not tell it was the entire opposite of that? She could barely keep up with him and he hadn't done much just yet!

As a response, since she couldn't seem to form coherent sentences anymore, she trapped his face between her thighs. Sokka grinned and leaned in, his mouth pressing against her clit now, prompting Azula to cry out desperately again, her hands reaching down to pull at his hair once more…

---

Song truly hoped to find Sokka in a better mood by the time she was on her way back home. She had seen how miserable he had been during the past few days, and she wished the Princess would snap him out of it. That he hadn't even tried to meet her at the Palace was a bad sign, seeing how happy he had been during the last months just over the perspective of spending a little time with Azula. But perhaps they would be working things out by now…

Or maybe not. Maybe even the Princess had gotten fed up with him, and instead she would be giving him the beating of a lifetime for being so irritating. Song wasn't too sure she'd do something so harsh, but considering how the Princess had acted while she was sick, she just might if Sokka displeased her too much…

She finally reached the house and pushed the door open with her shoulder, struggling as she carried her basket into the kitchen. She wiped the sweat off her brow once she left the basket on the counter, and she had a look at the living room, where she had left those two, only about an hour earlier…

She frowned upon noticing the small table had been pushed into the couch, and not pushed particularly carefully, to begin with. There were dark spots on several walls and curtains, too. Something else was amiss, too… Sokka's weapons and armor were still lying around except for one: where was his sword?

Song stepped towards the garden in confusion when something white caught her eye amid the grass. It was the Princess's sword… and not too far from it was Sokka's, sticking out from the ground. What the hell had happened here? Where were they? There had to be an explana-…

Her hair stood on end when she heard the distinct sound of a female cry coming from upstairs.

She looked up at the second floor, her eyes wide. That… that had sounded like the Princess, hadn't it?

The next time she heard it there was a more distinct cadence to it… it sounded like a moan. A moan…

Her hands flew to her mouth as she blushed deeply, her eyes wide open. She had to get out of here. She did NOT want to hear this. Oh, no, they really had done it now…

Forgetting all about her basket, she jumped outside again, closing the door carefully and hoping to return to the street at haste… only to find someone was in her way, someone who had reached the house's front courtyard only moments ago.

"Ah, Song. Good to see you," said a friendly voice from behind the mask and uniform of a Royal Guard. Song went pale now instead as she felt time come to a stop. Oh, this was only getting worse by the minute… "The Princess told me she would come here. I meant to inform her about… Song? Is something wrong?"

"C-Captain, s-she's… uh, well, y-you see, she's actually… busy," she said, gulping and smiling awkwardly at him. If only she was a good actress, but she wasn't! She was no good for this type of thing…

"Busy? What is that supposed to…?" the Captain said, frowning behind his mask…

When the realization hit him, he wished he could have dropped dead where he stood.

"No. No, no, she's… she's not doing this. She can't be… you're mistaken, it has to be a mistake," he said, walking past Song and heading to the door.

"Oh, please, Captain, I beg you, don't go in there or…!" she said, as he swung the door open… and the melodious sounds of his charge's now desperate moans filled his ears.

He shut the door instantly, disregarding the noise he might have made upon doing so. His eyes widened as his jaw dropped. No, no, no… oh, they were done for. Every single one of them was done for, there was no denying it anymore.

"She's going to get me killed, and then fired. And then killed some more," he said, with a sardonic grin Song couldn't see. "And… this is it. It's… fuck. Fuck. Fuck…"

"W-well, I suppose that is what they're doing, if we're to get techni-… sorry," Song started, freezing in her words when she felt the weight of his glare upon her. "I just… s-sorry. My bad."

"It wasn't your bad, it's theirs. Idiots they are… that's right, I insulted my princess!" Rui Shi exclaimed, throwing his hands up in the air and shaking his head. "Doesn't matter what I do now anyways because I'm as good as dead! I'm as good… as dead…"

"If you keep shouting about it then you sure will be," said Song, grimacing and looking at him sympathetically. "Say… how about we go someplace else? Being here… it's going to be beyond uncomfortable and we'll only feel worse. So…"

"Yes, let's go elsewhere. I can't… curses, this is preposterous…" he said, shaking his head and huffing in irritation.

"Now, Rui Shi… everything can be fine. I mean…"

"Song…" he said, looking at her skeptically.

He knew she only wanted to lift his spirits, and he had no right to shut her down. It was merely that he couldn't see a bright side to this situation… but maybe putting some distance between them and the cause of his concerns would do them some good. Maybe.

"Rui Shi," Song said, breathing deeply before smiling at him. "Maybe we should get something to drink."

---

The movements of his tongue were relentless, constant, as he tasted her thoroughly and hummed with delight into her wet core. Her taste was addictive, he found, as his hands kept her legs in place over his shoulders, making sure he could continue to feast on her at leisure.

Azula's cries had escalated slowly, but surely. He hadn't known she would be so vocal, but he was thrilled to find she was. Her every sound made him even more eager to carry on, lost in the warmth between her legs. He lavished her with his tongue, toying with her clit only occasionally, hoping to make this last for as long as possible. Whenever he did prod at the small bundle, though, Azula's cries became more urgent, and her body shuddered violently… she could barely take this anymore. She felt as though he was making her melt, or explode, or both things at once. It was a magnitude of pleasure she had never expected to experience.

Her body was burning up. She was drenched in sweat by now, or at least that was what it felt like for her, despite she had barely moved at all ever since they reached the bedroom. But his skillful caresses had made her body's temperature rise to unprecedented levels, and she was a firebender, no less. It wasn't only the arousal, though: her inner fire was flaring incredibly as well, which was unsurprising, but also maddening. The pleasure was too extreme, his delivery of it so impeccable… she could barely keep up.

Her legs shivered as she whispered his name, her toes curled, her fingernails clawing at his scalp. Sokka swallowed and understood just how close she was to her climax… the climax he had sought to deliver to her from the get-go. He moved to her clit, his lips wrapping around it as he sucked on the small mound, his tongue flicking it in the most sensitive spot he had found…

Azula screamed euphorically now, her hands slamming down on the mattress, her heels digging into his back. Her body trembled far more violently now, and Sokka groaned as he continued to deliver the same treatment to her clit for as long as he could, extending her orgasm and keeping her at the heights of pleasure for as long as he could do it. He closed his eyes and allowed his right hand to move towards her core as well, sliding his index finger inside her gently to find her walls were smooth, wet and contracting wildly over the orgasm she had experienced. He groaned again, sliding his finger deeper inside and massaging her walls gently…

Azula expected to black out when another burst of pleasure burned through her, washing against Sokka in waves as her walls trapped his finger in place, rubbing against it as she cried out again, her throat aching by now. Sokka licked and kissed her clit one more time before finally giving her a moment's respite, removing his finger as well as he sat back on the floor, his chest rising and falling with his deep breaths as he gazed at her through heavy-lidded eyes.

Azula lay on the bed, shivering helplessly, feeling as though her body was on fire as the aftershocks tore through her. She had to breathe through her mouth, her head spinning after what Sokka had just done. She was having a hard time registering what had happened, inhaling and exhaling repeatedly as she tried to get her body in check, but it wasn't likely to work. Her heart was still racing; the spot he had devoured between her legs felt so raw, and it was the most pleasant sensation she had ever experienced.

Sokka breathed out slowly as well, still watching Azula with lustful eyes. He leaned closer to her again, his face pressed to her left calf. He kissed her leg gently, garnering only a subtle hum as a response. His hands caressed her thigh as he moved upwards, kissing his way up to her waist as he climbed on the bed, in order to drop next to her…

"W-what are… what are you doing?" she whispered, when she recognized his intentions.

"I just… I thought that was a lot for you already," he said, smiling at her. "I thought…"

"Don't you dare…" she said, shaking her head. "You're not… you're doing this now, damn you. You have to…"

"Azula…" he replied, caressing her cheek with a hand as she struggled to turn her body towards him. "You don't need to worry about me, I'll be just…"

"Hush," she said, her hands moving to his pants and yanking them down with difficulty. Sokka's eyes widened. "Enough of this… we're not going to stop now. Not now."

"Azula…"

"Do it, damn you," Azula told him, yanking down his underwear as well. "I know you want to. I damn want you to. So… so just do it. Take me. Now."

Sokka looked at her, thinking to protest somehow, to tell her that she didn't have to push herself to make him happy. He had learned the arts of bearing through the most unpleasant wasted erections after spending so much time with her, he could take this one too…

But he didn't have to. For once, he didn't have to. She didn't want him to.

When she kissed him again he shivered, looking at her in disbelief. That had been unexpected, after what he had just been up to. He breathed out and moved so she would roll on her back again, and he pressed his forehead against hers. With one more kiss to her lips, he climbed off the bed to shake off what was left of his clothes. Azula chanced a glance at him, his bottom catching her eye as soon as it was visible. Yet when he turned to face her she closed her eyes, if just instinctively. She had seen his manhood once before, and she had shirked away from him, horrified… She wasn't sure it was a good idea to see it now. She didn't want to be predisposed to thinking it wouldn't fit inside her, or so…

Sokka climbed atop her again, gazing at Azula intensely as she spread her legs again. He felt her tremble, and he knew he matched her nerves in the same way. He leaned down and kissed her neck, his hands caressing her sides so she would shiver with delight as well as anticipation.

He kissed her shoulder as well, and his lips moved to her hand when she lifted it to touch his face. He gave her a meaningful stare, asking her whether she truly was ready for this or not. Azula replied with defiance, her forehead meeting his as she waited for him to finally set aside all his doubts.

With one hand cupping her face, he let the other move downwards, caressing her skin and making her shiver again as he reached down to find her core once more. His fingers made certain that her opening was ready for this before he took his hardened, aching manhood into his hand. He gasped just by placing his tip on her entrance, the contact against the head of his cock sending unbelievable jolts of pleasure through his body. With one more look at her, through which he apologized to her wordlessly, he heaved forward.

The warm walls welcomed him, but only after he had pushed with enough strength to break her hymen. And Azula shouted with his thrust, her nails digging into his back when the blast of pain shot through her.

"It's okay… it's okay," Sokka whispered into her ear, as she clawed at him. He was going to have a brand-new set of scars after today, no doubt. "That was the bad part…"

Azula breathed with difficulty now, her eyes wide open. The pain was of the blinding kind, as she could have expected it to be, but somehow it seemed her body wasn't registering it fully. Perhaps the previous pleasure had already overwhelmed her nerves to the point where they couldn't quite convey pain as well as they should have…

Sokka frowned in surprise when she kissed his shoulder. He cupped her face in one hand and his intense eyes bore into hers as she breathed out repeatedly.

"Feeling better?" he asked, and she raised her eyebrows, before pressing her forehead to his.

"Go on…" she said, her eyes closed. "I… I think I can take it."

"If you need me to stop…"

"I don't want you to stop."

"I'm just saying, if it hurts too much…"

"Sokka…" she said, looking at him meaningfully before kissing him. "Shut up."

He smiled at that and nodded, heaving against her slowly. Azula cringed and he gritted his teeth, withdrawing slightly. The grimace on her face changed into confusion now… Sokka breathed out before sliding into her again, and once more she cringed. He shifted back only a little, and now instead of seeming confused, she seemed to like it. The entry wasn't as good, but the withdrawal after the thrusts were pleasant enough for her, Sokka reflected. He released a breath in a huff and continued in the same way, his rhythm as slow as possible as his hips swayed in a movement that Azula found incredibly sensual despite the lingering pain. She hadn't even imagined he'd move that way…

Her nails dug into his back whenever he entered too deeply, but her grip on him loosened whenever he slid out again. Soft moans started escaping her as he pulled away after each thrust, and Sokka sighed as he dropped his head on her shoulder, his hands on her hips.

The pain was starting to take the backseat, Azula realized, when even his entrances started to feel just right. She clutched at him, gasping into his ear. His responses were soft growls as he moved, still slowly. Azula looked at Sokka, noticing his face was contorted in a snarl. He was definitely holding back for her sake, but, unbeknownst to Azula, he held back for his own, too. He refused to let himself come undone so easily, not just yet. He didn't want to fight against his urges anymore, but he had to do it for the time being. He couldn't let it be over so quickly…

He was shivering as he forced his self-control to the max, still moving into her slowly, filling her more with every new thrust. Azula's lips continued to press on his shoulder, her eyes shut tightly as his shaft traveled further inside of her. Just how much further could he go? She didn't know… and she wanted to. She truly wanted to…

"Deeper…" she whispered, and Sokka's careful self-control threatened to shatter after her request.

"Say… s-say what…?" Sokka muttered, as he lifted himself to look at her in disbelief.

"You heard me…" she said, taking his face into her hands. "Stop… stop holding back already. I can take it."

"You say so, but…" he said, yet he shook his head and sighed. He couldn't keep doing this. He really couldn't. He was a common man, no more than that… and she was warm and tender around his shaft. The sensation was to die for.

His arms slid around her body, lifting her slightly from the bed as he embraced her tightly, his hips starting to pick up speed as his thrusts went deeper, as requested. Azula gritted her teeth, the mix of pain and pleasure hard to keep up with at first. Her nails latched onto his back again, whimpers leaving her throat as her legs surrounded his waist. The pain didn't subside as easily as he filled her more deeply, but she trusted it would, in time…

Sokka groaned, moving his torso away from her, forcing her nails off his back as he almost removed himself from her entirely. Azula threw her head back, the rush of pleasure when his cock's head brushed against her walls a most delightful surprise. Sokka hummed, the sight of her bare torso making him eager to go on… with his legs spread wide, and hers still wrapped around his waist, he lifted her by the hips and began thrusting in a different way now. More used to the sensations by now, it wasn't quite as painful as before for Azula. In fact, in this new position she found she was starting to forget the pain…

Her eyes flew open when she felt him reaching more deeply, no longer as slowly and cautiously as he had, his cock rubbing against her walls more pleasantly than before. Her nails caught his skin again, this time that of his forearms, as his tip rubbed against something far too sensitive…

"Sokka, Sokka, you… Oh, hell, do that… do that again… Sokka!" she gasped, her nails digging into him more aggressively. Sokka flinched at that, glad that the pain she was causing him now helped distract him from the pleasant sensations in the joining of their bodies.

He looked at Azula in amazement, still thrusting into her, his hips crashing against hers now as he continued filling her. Her moans were strange now, as though she were utterly confused and aroused simultaneously… he seemed to have found a weak spot, it looked like. He smiled and watched her with delight, carrying on with the same movements as Azula gritted her teeth, doing her very best not to cry out in pleasure. What the blazes was he doing to her…?

He growled now, closing his eyes. The pleasure was starting to become too much to take. His hands, still holding her waist, clutched at her hard, his fingers digging into her skin just as her nails did to his forearms. He jerked upwards and Azula moaned loudly, and Sokka knew he couldn't last any longer at this rate. Neither would she, most likely…

He gasped, moving back and forth in the same manner, stimulating both himself and Azula regardless of how hard she clawed at him with his every thrust. Sweat rolled down his back as he panted, heaving time after time, knowing each thrust was leading them closer to their finish…

"Sokka… Sokka!" she exclaimed, pushing herself up brusquely. His arms surrounded her body as hers went around his neck, her hands balling into fists as he thrust just one more time…

The sensations now were beyond her. Her cry was desperate, loud and long as she felt him move inside her, as he applied the perfect pressure to that very spot…

She shuddered violently, the newest climax making her light-headed once more. Sokka lifted her and pressed her on her back against the bed again, thrusting fully, penetrating her to the hilt as her walls welcomed him eagerly, jolting and contracting around him so pleasantly he could not resist anymore.

"Hell, Azula…!" he groaned, the final rushes of pleasure building up and leading him to the ultimate goal.

His orgasm was more violent than hers, shaking through him forcefully and making his entire body weaken atop her. He trembled, groans leaving his throat as he felt his seed depleting him, leaving him to gasp for breath as he thrusted weakly now, whimpering with his lips right next to her ear. It seemed all his strength had left him now that he had finished…

Her hands trailed over his midriff gently. He breathed out through his mouth, gazing at her through his now blurry eyesight.

"Azula…" he muttered, almost absentmindedly. He leaned in and kissed her softly once, twice, thrice, pecking at her lips just for the sake of feeling them against his. Just for the sake of feeling her with him.

"D-don't you dare… ever tell me…" she said, her face flushed, her golden eyes heavy lidded as well. "Don't you ever tell me to replace you again… you heard me? Not… not ever…"

"I won't… I swear, I won't," Sokka replied, smiling and kissing her more eagerly now. Azula responded to his gesture, one of her hands reaching up to caress his cheek.

His lips caressed hers softly, moving to kiss her cheek, her nose, her forehead, everywhere he could touch. Azula simply closed her eyes, breathing out through her mouth slowly as her heart finally slowed its desperate beating. Her hands went to his back, her touch far kinder now, though she was aware she had probably left quite a few scratches on his back. He didn't seem to mind, though, kissing her all over as he was. She sighed in bliss as he smiled at her, his eyes gentler than ever before. He felt he could stay forever as they were just now, holding one another just like this…

He shifted ever so slightly, though, and that was when she flinched. He frowned with concern, and his eyes flew open when he realized that, while he was at ease and as comfortable as could be, that sure wasn't the case for her.

"Azula…" he whispered, pulling away slowly as he separated the joining of their bodies.

She moaned weakly, a relaxed expression on her face as she closed her legs, feeling her lower body stiff and numb. But Sokka, kneeling before her as he was, had seen the trickle of red staining his sheets just below her…

"Damn. Damn," he said, gritting his teeth and scrambling off the bed. "Azula, come here."

"Huh?" she said, absent-mindedly. She gave him a lazy glance, with which he realized she wasn't going to be too cooperative. He didn't need her to be, though.

"You know what? Never mind," he said, grinning and sliding one hand under her knees, the other on her back.

He lifted her with some difficulty, his body still weak after their reckless tryst. He kissed the side of her head as she slumped against him, too exhausted to move anymore.

"Where are we going?" she muttered, as he carried her outside of the room, holding her close.

"Just… to the bathroom. We won't be long," Sokka said, glancing outside warily. If Song had returned, he sure as hell hadn't noticed it… so he'd better make the trip to the bathroom as quickly as he could. "We just have to clean you up a little, is all."

"We?" Azula asked, and Sokka smiled as he climbed down the stairs slowly, his ears perked for any other sounds in the house. Judging by the silence, it didn't seem like there was anyone else home, fortunately.

"If that's okay with you, of course," he said, kissing her forehead now. Her hand fell lazily on his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Maybe it will be," she whispered softly, and Sokka grinned.

He felt awfully self-aware, walking outside while the two of them were fully naked, but fortunately there were no neighbors who could see them, since the nearest houses weren't occupied. Nevertheless, Sokka sped his way to the bathroom, pushing the door open with his foot as he entered it hastily, setting Azula down on the floor carefully.

He filled the wooden tub quickly, silently thanking the universe for the Fire Nation's plumbing innovations. Meanwhile, Azula had taken her seat on a stool and was busy cleansing herself already, dumping a bucket of water on herself after warming it up slightly with her bending. Without so much as asking for permission, she grabbed a linen cloth and used it to wipe away the blood from her groin and legs. It looked worse than it had felt, she thought, with a small frown…

"Everything okay?" Sokka asked her, and she shrugged.

"As long as you didn't like this linen cloth too much, I think so," she said, and he smiled awkwardly.

"I guess I'll have to ask you to burn it," he said. "Same as… as the sheets. I should probably change them…"

"Go ahead," Azula said, shrugging "I'm afraid the mattress is likely stained by now, though."

"Can't be helped…" he said, gulping.

"I can burn that too, if you want," she said, with a playful smirk. "I guess you wouldn't have anywhere to sleep anymore, but still…"

"Heh," he said, smiling back at her. "I'll take that into consideration, if I can afford a new one. I should go deal with the sheets, though. I'll be back in a moment."

"Go ahead," she said, softly, and he smiled again before leaving her to her own devices.

He returned to his room, changing the sheets almost systematically, his mind hardly in the task at hand. As she had guessed, the blood had stained the mattress. He sighed and shook his head, knowing he should have been more careful… but he hadn't expected this to happen, let alone now. How had it even escalated to this point, he had no idea. He could only stare at the stain in his bed, pondering the latest events in utter disbelief…

He rolled the sheet to be disposed of into a ball, guessing he'd hand it to Azula for her to burn later, and he returned to the bathroom as quickly as his feet could carry him. He didn't want to be too clingy, or to annoy her by not giving her enough space… but he could barely stomach being away from her right now. He needed to be around her, if just to make sure she was okay…

"That was quick," she said, as he entered the bathroom again, closing the door behind him.

She was already in the bathtub, which was to the brim with foam; some bubbles floated in midair. It would seem she had gone wild with the bathing salts, something that made Sokka smile. She looked rather adorable, her head sticking out of the wooden tub overflown with bubbles. It was as though she were surrounded by clouds.

"Would you rather I was gone a little longer?" he asked her, with a raised eyebrow. Azula looked at him, as though weighing her answer. Sokka chuckled and sighed. "Maybe I should be offended by your silence…"

"I should be offended too… by the fact that you came rushing here and you have made no move to join me yet," Azula said, dropping her head back and looking at Sokka skeptically. "Didn't you want to bathe with me ever since you first came to the Capital, you stinky wolf?"

Sokka laughed louder now, which prompted Azula to smile at him. He filled the water bucket as well, dumping its content on his body before cleaning himself up quickly with soap. After filling and dumping the bucket on himself again to rinse the soap off, he finally turned to the tub, where Azula lay in wait, amid bubbles. Sokka heaved himself inside the tub carefully, feeling the effects of the salts as soon as he dipped his foot inside the water.

"I have to ask," she said, as he slipped into the water completely, making the level rise so that Azula was up to her neck in bubbles now. "Even though I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but still… the salts are yours, just like all the hair product, right?"

"Uh… yeah, b-but that doesn't mean Song doesn't ever use them when she wants to. I mean it!" Sokka squeaked as Azula started laughing, a hand going to her forehead.

"You're such an idiot," she said, grinning.

"No doubt," he replied, sighing and looking at her worriedly. He scooted a little closer, though he didn't touch her yet, unsure of himself despite she seemed to be in a pleasant mood right now. "How are you feeling, though? Does it… does it hurt much?"

"It doesn't hurt that badly right now," she said. "But it's bound to get worse when it's healing, maybe. I really don't know, though. It hurt badly at first, back in your room, but it got better after a while…"

"I'm glad it did," he said, as she looked at him, her eyes soft but her eyebrows drawn together somewhat reproachfully. He gulped. "Azula…"

"You really are an idiot, you know," she said, no longer smiling. "In as many senses as possible. I really can't understand how you allowed all that get to you as it did, Sokka."

"I don't… I don't know, to be honest," he said, resting against the tub, sighing. "I just felt helpless, and hopeless. Maybe it's because now I know what you'd been aiming for all along… I felt like I had to fight for your dream now, for your goal as well as my own. Almost as though I were a protector of it… as though knowing that you had high expectations of me, that you trusted me to help you achieve your objective, would make me invincible. But, of course, that wasn't the case. The result of the fight already bothered me enough, but add to that what Admiral Sideburns told you…"

"Say what you will, you're still an idiot," Azula said, shaking her head, and Sokka nodded.

"Never denied it."

"You just… you do realize that the main reason I'm doing this, that the dream you talk about protecting, is precisely about proving Zhao wrong?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. Sokka blinked a few times and frowned. "Just what am I going to prove by doing as he told me to, by finding myself some other gladiator because he believes you aren't strong enough?"

"Well, it's not just about whether he believes it or not," said Sokka, looking at Azula meaningfully. "It's true that I'm not that strong, Azula…"

"And it's true as well that I don't have you around because of that. It's not why I chose you, and I never expected you to be stronger than damned Combustion Man anyways," she said, staring right back at him with determination. "So whatever Zhao says, Sokka, forget it. If I'm out to prove him wrong, you can't falter over every small thing you hear him say. Else he wins either way."

"I guess, but… it would be easier, I figured, if you found someone stronger. It's why I said all I said. Sorry if… if it came out wrong," he said, looking at her worriedly.

"Well, I never said I'd picked the easiest way to deal with this," Azula muttered, biting her lower lip. "So it could be easier to do that. But I won't rely on anyone other than you if I can avoid it."

"It's… it's great to know you trust me that much," he said, with a small smile that was followed by an intense and earnest stare. "I don't want to leave you, Azula, believe me on that. Heck, had you listened to what I said and actually decided to find someone else I would've stayed around anyhow, just because… because, well, I…"

"You?" Azula repeated, her eyebrows raised. Sokka smiled, a weak blush on his cheeks.

"I simply… don't want to live without you," he said, and her eyes widened. "Even in the off-case that I could do it, and I suspect I outright can't, I just don't want to. You… you make me so damn happy, and I'm a fool, but I just…"

"Sokka…" she whispered, her hand reaching through the water until she found his fingers and gave them a squeeze. Sokka smiled at her.

"I love you," he said, his blue eyes gleaming. "Just being away from you for a few days makes me so damn miserable… spending months without so much as seeing your face was sheer agony. So… going away because I can't finish the job? I… I couldn't even if I tried. Not anymore."

"Well, that's… actually surprising," Azula said, swallowing hard and trying to ignore the burning sensation in her throat. "I never imagined that… that your feelings ran as deep as that."

"I guess you couldn't have known. I'd never told you as much," said Sokka, smiling. "I just… didn't think I had to. It looked like we'd be partners forever, up until… up until it didn't. Up until I started to think that maybe you would be better off with someone else."

"Would I be better off with someone else?" Azula said, looking at him as she floated closer towards him. "It might be, but… but I don't want anyone else. No one else would do. It has to be you, and you know it."

"No doubt I'm the luckiest man alive because of that," he said, ever taking her off-guard with his charming smile. She couldn't resist the urge to lean close to kiss him.

He continued to smile into the kiss, his arms around her as his heart picked up speed again. To this day, and surely forever, every exchange between them would thrill him, excite him… and each and every moment they shared convinced him all over again of the words he had told her, that he was the luckiest man in the world. Even when she was trying to kill him, of course.

"Still… don't you think you were a little extreme back there, by fighting me like that?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Azula snorted and laughed, dropping her head on his shoulder. "I mean… you could've just said 'no, I'm not doing that, I won't give the bastard the satisfaction' and I would've shut up, you know…"

"I wasn't entirely sure just why you were saying the things you were saying, you see," she said, caressing his chest. "For a moment there I just lost it because…"

"Because I was a wicked mastermind who had plotted this from the start?" he said, smiling at her. "Did you really believe that?"

"I don't know. It was the worst-case scenario, at the very least," she said, chuckling.

"No doubt, but I can assure you I'm not that good at playing a part," he said, smirking. "I wish I could say I am, but you know I'm not."

"Well, your blunt honesty is definitely amongst your best features, believe it or not," she said, pressing against him.

Sokka swallowed, finding his mouth was dry. Just how was he supposed to handle this? What he had dreamt of hopelessly, what he had always thought would be impossible for him… it was happening right here, right now. The woman he loved, the most fascinating, beautiful, intelligent woman he knew, was hugging him, both of them fully naked in a tub. It would have been too good to be true… but it was true. And he could barely give his eyes credit as he held her, wondering if his stupid smile was just as stupid as he thought it was.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," he finally said, sighing. "At times it feels like my idiotic honesty only serves to cause problems between us more often than not."

"My pathetic insecurities don't help either, in that case," she said, looking at him almost apologetically. "I just… I never really expected this to happen. You were a damn unexpected surprise from the very start, you moron. And things… things just don't go that well for me all the time, you see. They do when I scheme to make them so, usually, but not by chance. I'm not used to… to trusting someone in the ways I've learned to trust you. And heck, my personal relationships so far have been failures more often than not… the only man I got along with before meeting you was my father, no less, and my only friends were Mai and Ty Lee. I'm… I'm not used to this. Romance was never my thing. Hence why I'm likely to mess things up between us more often than not."

"You can say that all you want, but I feel most the time it's been me who messed things up. And I'm sorry for that," he said, kissing her left temple. "I keep saying stupid things, and I only realize I've hurt you when it's too late to take it back. So, I'm… I'm really an idiot after all, aren't I?"

"I'm afraid we both are," Azula said, with a small smile. "Might be why… why we've ended up in this mess together, after all."

Sokka grinned, looking into her eyes to find hers were warm and gentle again. He leaned down to kiss her lips, and she responded to the gesture with delight.

His arms went around her, the friction between their submerged bodies smooth and pleasant as he lifted her, placing her on his lap. The pain in her groin prompted her to shift in place so she could sit comfortably atop him. Once she found a pain-free position, Azula leaned closer to him, pressing her chest against his, and Sokka sighed as he continued kissing her, a hand on the back of her neck now.

They were breathless when the kiss ended, their foreheads pressed together. Sokka suddenly beamed, a soft chuckle escaping him as held her closer, hugging her tight and dropping his head on her shoulder now.

"What's so funny?" Azula asked, her eyes closed as she let her fingers slide into the wet strands of his hair.

"Not funny… just unbelievable, in the best sense of the word," he said, prompting her to smile as well. "I'm so happy right now, damn it all…"

"To think you were such a miserable mess when I got here," she said, smirking, and he laughed more.

"See, you brighten my world…"

"Okay, that's about enough of corny sayings, don't you think?" she said, huffing and prompting him to laugh more. "Sorry to be blunt, but I'm not into being that mushy, believe it or not."

"Not hard to believe," he said, leaning back again as he took in her beauty, still with the same large smile on his face. "But I can't really help myself right now…"

"Do you expect you'll be able to help yourself at some point?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows, and Sokka laughed again before shaking his head. "So, you're saying I'm going to have to put up with you being sickeningly sweet from now on? Spirits save me…"

"Sorry," he said, chuckling. "I'll try to keep it in check, though. I'll only say what I think when I really can't hold it in…"

"Sokka, you never hold anything in. Don't expect me to believe any promises about how you'll learn to hold your tongue now," she said, looking at him in skeptical amusement. Sokka kept laughing, his eyes gleaming as they met hers.

"Alright, then. Whenever I say something mushy that you can't help but hate, kiss me and then I'll shut up," he suggested, shrugging. Azula raised her eyebrows but smiled.

"Are you blackmailing me into kissing you? What a piece of work you are, gladiator…" she said, shaking her head and pressing her forehead to his. "Shameless to no end."

"Can't help myself when it comes to you," he said, and after rolling her eyes, Azula kissed him, to his amusement. "Heh, you did it!"

"I'll have to learn to identify just when you're going to say something stupid, though," she said, smirking. "The point is to shut you up midsentence, after all."

"I can't find a reason to be bothered by that, honestly," he said, grinning as he prodded the tip of her nose with his.

"You're the worst," Azula muttered, prompting him to laugh again as she nuzzled his neck.

"And you're the best," he said, smiling with his eyes closed. Azula rolled her eyes again.

"I think I'm going to try to blame the bath for your 'bubbly' mood," she said, and Sokka snorted. "And speaking of which… we probably shouldn't stay in here that long. We'll start pruning."

"Ah? But… there's nothing wrong with staying here a little longer," Sokka said, pouting as Azula floated off his lap.

"How much longer?" she asked, looking at him with amusement.

"Uh… how about forever, for starters?"

"Yeah, sure," said Azula, smirking and rolling her eyes as she floated towards the edge of the tub.

Sokka smiled at her reaction as she stood up, the water running down her bare body gracefully. He couldn't help but sigh upon the sight of her. How he had longed to see her, all of her… and now he had, he thought, as she lifted herself over the edge of the wooden tub. She cringed a little as she moved, pangs of pain bursting between her legs at times, but she did her best to bear with them as she walked towards the bathroom's storage closet, searching for a towel.

"You can use my towel if you want," he said, standing up as well. There was no point in staying here if she was leaving, he reasoned, as he emptied the tub.

Azula frowned at him inquisitively, unsure of which of the two towels hanging on pegs was his, so she had to wait until he had climbed out of the tub too. He approached the storage and reached for the furthest towel, but instead of handing it to the Princess, he spread it open and grinned at her. She raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, drying you is the least I can do," he said, still smiling. Azula chuckled a little and sighed in resignation as he wrapped the towel around her, taking the chance to surround her in his arms once more.

It took a while before the two of them were fully dry. Azula donned a bathing robe that she found in the storage closet while Sokka was drying himself, and she couldn't help but laugh at how aghast he was to see her wearing clothes again. His pouts and complaints were quickly forgotten when he lifted her up bridal style again, right after he had wrapped his towel around his waist.

"You do realize I have just proved I can walk on my own, regardless of the pain, right?" Azula said, looking at him skeptically as he carried her out of the bathroom.

"You can, but you don't have to," he told her, smiling once again. "It must be uncomfortable for you to move too much right now. Besides, I thought you'd enjoy the pampering…"

"I do, but… I'm not that helpless," she said, and he chuckled.

"Alright, I won't carry you around anymore if you don't want me to," he said, sighing dramatically. "After this time, though!"

Azula rolled her eyes but she smiled anyways as she rested against his bare chest, relaxing in his grip. He carried her back to his room, placing her on the bed gently. It should have come as no surprise for her arms to snake around his neck once he had laid her on her back, pulling him down with her in order to take another kiss from his lips. Sokka indulged her, closing his eyes and letting her explore his mouth as she kissed him deeply.

Again, they only stopped when they were breathless, and again they couldn't help but smile as they looked at each other. Sokka dropped beside her, his eyes glued to her figure, fascinated completely by her. The loving gaze he gave her, in turn, was beyond mesmerizing for Azula.

"I seriously… think I'll explode," Sokka said, chuckling as he caressed her cheek with a hand. "You're so beautiful, damn…"

"And you're… an idiot," she whispered, with absolutely no spite in her voice as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the touch of his fingers. "Though… you seem to be lacking in a certain department, I have to confess."

Sokka's good mood was quickly replaced by uncertainty and horror upon hearing those words. His jaw fell open as his eyes widened, afraid to ask the question he had to ask, but asking it nonetheless.

"W-what… what do you mean by that, exactly?" he said, pushing himself up and looking at her with dread in his eyes as Azula smirked.

"I think… you have absolutely no idea how to make a bed, is all," she said, smiling and pulling at the sheet. Sokka breathed out in relief, dropping heavily on the bed again as she laughed at his reaction.

"That… that was mean, Azula, seriously!" he said, as she continued to laugh.

"But it's true! There are all sorts of wrinkles underneath me, and see? The sheet already came loose when I pulled it. That's not what it's supposed to do, you know?"

"Well, do excuse me for being hopeless with housekeeping chores," Sokka pouted, to Azula's amusement. "But despite all that criticism, I don't think you're any use with them either."

"You're a peasant, you have to learn to deal with these things yourself," said Azula, smirking. "It's natural that I wouldn't know how to do it, but you should be capable of it and yet you're not."

"Heh, well then, since you're being mean now I'm not going to help you with your hair this time," Sokka said, dropping on his back, his arms crossed behind his head. Azula raised an eyebrow and looked at him with amusement.

"Is that so?" she asked, as she crept over the mattress towards him, a malicious smirk on her face.

"W-well, I'm open for negotiations, truth be told," he said, prompting her to smile as she leaned down to kiss him again. Sokka's eyes rolled back in bliss as he cupped her cheek with a hand, enjoying the deep kiss thoroughly.

"Want to help me now?" she asked when they parted, and he smiled.

"You should manipulate me this way more often, you know. You'd have your way every time," he said, and Azula smirked.

"Don't I already?" she asked, as he chuckled and climbed off the bed, heading towards his dresser.

Azula watched him move, supporting her weight on her elbows as she looked at his back. There were red marks all over it, marks she knew she had left on him…

"Are you okay?" she asked him, and he looked at her with disbelief as he picked up his brush.

"Actually, no, because I'm the happiest I've ever been in my life. Why the question?" he asked, smirking. Azula blushed and shook her head.

"It's just… you've got quite a few scratches down your back. Don't they sting?"

"Uh… heh. I didn't even remember them anymore," Sokka said, blinking blankly before smiling and shrugging. "Really, they're no big deal. You've done worse to me… and I sure did worse to you, too."

"I guess," she said, her eye caught now by a sheet rolled into a ball, sitting on the corner. "Is that the sheet I need to burn?"

"Oh, yeah. You don't have to do it yet, but make sure not to forget it," said Sokka, returning to the bed and smiling at her. "So… you should sit up if you want me to brush your hair, you know?"

Azula didn't respond, though, busy staring at the bundled sheet as she was. Sokka raised an eyebrow as he realized she was frowning. Her eyes gained a quality he didn't think suited them so much: fear. He gulped and waved a hand in front of her, but she still didn't react.

"Azula?" he called, looking at her worriedly.

"W-we… we had sex," she said, uttering the words with all the weight they carried. "Sokka, we… we had sex."

"Yeah, we did," he said, unable to keep from smiling at the thought. Azula glared at him.

"Sokka!" she exclaimed, pushing herself up to a sitting position and flinching at the pang of pain she felt in her groin after her sudden movement. "H-hell…"

"You alright?" he asked her, grimacing with concern. His attempt to move closer soon failed, and instead he was inching back over her disbelieving glare.

"Alright?! You ask me if I'm alright when we just did what we did?!" she exclaimed. Sokka swallowed hard.

"W-well, you looked like you were in pain just now, so…"

"Oh, this? Ha! This is nothing!" Azula exclaimed, with hysterical laugh as she lifted a hand to her damp hair. "Because what my father is going to do to us… heck, this is going to amount to nothing in comparison. That's… that's it. We're doomed. We're… oh, spirits, we're such idiots!"

She dropped heavily on the mattress now, the sheets indeed coming loose now as she covered her face with her hands. Sokka remained sitting beside her, biting his lip nervously.

"How could we do this…? After all this time, after knowing exactly what was coming, and now it's… gods, we've really done it now," she said, shaking her head. Sokka nodded.

"Yep. We've done it, in every sense of the phrase," he said, unable to contain a small smirk. Azula groaned and glared at him.

"Not the time for you to bask in the fact that you scored, you know?" she said, through gritted teeth. Sokka chuckled.

"Yeah, maybe not," he said, as she pushed herself up to a sitting position, looking at him with irritation. "But… hey, don't look at me that way!"

"I'll look at you this way, damn you, because… because you don't even know half of it! I'm getting it worse than Ty Lee now, because I'm… for crying out loud, I'm Crown Princess! I'm… I'm Crown Princess. And I've… been deflowered before my wedding night. I'm so dead. So dead…"

"Uh… worse than Ty Lee?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What else? Why do you think she's free to fuck Haru all over the place without anyone giving a damn?" Azula asked, looking at him skeptically. "You never did the math?"

"W-well, nobody ever told me anything, I didn't know there was any math to be made…"

"Ty Lee was caught with some slobby boyfriend of hers back when we were still teenagers," Azula said, huffing. "I think she was around sixteen, seventeen, I can't even remember now. The point is, her parents caught them and that was it for her dignity, her honor and everything she was supposed to uphold for her family. Everyone found out, of course, because gossip travels quicker than lightning in this damn city. And so, she was disgraced, to the point where she was almost completely disowned. It's why she doesn't live with her parents despite she's not married: they had her move out. They used to help her with money before, no idea if they still do, but they were so displeased about it all that they barely wanted to agree to do that. Truth is, she only survived that disaster because of her long-time friendship with me. If that hadn't given her social status all on its own, hell knows where she would be now. Not even her old circus would've taken her anymore, likely."

"Wow," said Sokka, his eyes wide. "I never… never really thought about that. I mean, I thought it was odd, but… then your friendship saved her?"

"It spared her from the worst of it, really," said Azula, shrugging. "Being friends with the Princess always came in handy, but never as much as it did when that happened. My father wasn't particularly pleased about the whole matter, but he didn't care much if I stood by her either way. It wasn't… it wasn't my dignity in jeopardy back then, so it barely mattered to him. But now…"

"Still, though…" he said, scratching the back of his head and looking at Azula with a frown. Azula looked at him skeptically.

"Still what?" she snapped. "You think it won't be that bad because everyone thinks highly of me? Well, that's right, it's only going to be a million times worse because of that. Heck, if anything, being killed immediately for our great crime wouldn't be all that bad. Living through the punishment will be far worse…"

"You know, you could stop being such a fatalist," he said, pouting and looking at her skeptically.

"I'm not being a fatalist, I'm being realistic!" she exclaimed. "We're… we're done for, Sokka! Simple as that!"

"You're most definitely not being realistic, Azula," said Sokka, folding his arms over his chest. "Because if you were, you'd realize one small detail I'm pretty sure you've failed to notice."

"Oh? Pray tell, what is this detail that eludes me?" she growled.

"You said we're dead, with utmost certainty," Sokka said. "Well, turns out we would be dead indeed… if your father finds out. But I'm not going to run to the Palace to tell him all about it, and I'm pretty sure neither will you. So, just how is he going to find out?"

"How? He… he will find out eventually, like it or not, Sokka!" Azula exclaimed. "Once I'm forced to marry someone, for sure! Because unless my future husband were a monumental idiot who won't be able to tell I'm not a virgin, my status will be revealed one way or another anyways! And then my father will indeed kill you, and probably make me watch, before killing me too. How do you feel about that, huh?"

"How do I feel…? I feel like now, more than ever, I'm happy you convinced your dad to have your suitors find gladiators who could defeat me before being allowed to court you," he said, his voice perfectly calm and level. "Because that way I'll make sure things never come to that."

Azula froze, the deal she had struck with her father having slipped her mind altogether. Sokka smiled at her blank expression.

"So, all in all… it's not an ideal situation, I know," he said, scooting closer to her, the brush still in hand. "But regardless… it's not as bad right now as you might have feared it was. If we're careful, and manage to hide what's happened between us…"

"Oh? Because that sure will be easy…" Azula said, sarcastically, as he crossed his legs and sat next to her, sliding the brush over a strand of her hair slowly.

"I didn't say it'd be easy, but… I don't think we're that obvious," he said, smirking. "Else a lot of people would have thought we've been doing it for ages now."

"Well, we weren't doing this, but we weren't exactly innocent either," Azula said, sighing as she relaxed a little with his every brush of her hair. "And several people sure noticed. Ty Lee has been pestering me about you ever since she first saw you, Mai knew as well that there was something going on, and while maybe Haru hadn't noticed, and neither had Zuko and his dear Suki, you made a fool of us both and hugged me in front of them. After that, even they would have guessed something was happening anyways."

"Oh, well… I admit I couldn't help myself back then," he said, chuckling. "But it was all I could do not to kiss you. Hugging seemed a little less dangerous…"

"Still was damn dangerous," Azula said, and Sokka sighed.

"My bad, my bad. I won't do that anymore. From now on, we're going to be straight arrows in public! You will insult me and be overly passive-aggressive towards me, while I'll be sarcastic, non-compliant and uneducated, as per usual!"

"Overly what, now?" Azula asked, looking at him over her shoulder with a raised eyebrow. Sokka grinned.

"See, just like that. Menacing tone, scary look in your eyes… you've got it down perfectly," he said, and earned himself an elbow to the ribs. "Ow!"

"Moron," she said, shaking her head but, despite herself, smiling. "You are truly an idiot, you know… but…"

"But you like that about me?" Sokka said, wistfully, still clutching his side.

"I wasn't going to say that," Azula muttered, and Sokka pouted. "In fact, I was… going to say you could be right about this."

"Huh?"

"About my father, the suitors and about acting as though nothing happened. It's the only way to proceed anyways," she said, sighing. "Before, the struggle was to resist, now it's about keeping this a secret. We will never have a normal relationship, will we?"

"I'm afraid not," he said, as she sighed and dropped against him.

"Sorry about your ribs," she said, and he smiled. "And your back. And your arms… and for attacking you as I did earlier. I've pulled one hell of a number on you today, huh?"

"I already told you, it's nothing," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Now, should I get back to the brushing?"

"Please do," she said, sitting upright again as he resumed his task. "Still… it's a worrisome matter, Sokka. If my father gains any motive to suspect I've been defiled, at a lack of a better word, we'll face consequences I doubt you really understand. I mean…"

"You'd lose everything you've fought for, wouldn't you?" Sokka muttered, biting his lower lip. "All you've accomplished… it'll amount to nothing if it's known you were with me."

"It will. Though I guess that was true to even the smaller things we did before," she said. "If my father knew you've so much as kissed me, he'd have your head for that already…"

"Damn, you're held to some fairly ridiculous standards of purity, aren't you?" Sokka said, grimacing. "I take it you can't even hold a man's hand?"

"I'm not supposed to, no," she said, with a weak grin. Sokka gulped.

"Well, no doubt I'll pay for this if it's ever known, but as I said, I don't mean to let it be known," he said, setting aside the brush and surrounding her with his arms. "I'll keep you to myself forever if I can get away with it."

"Forever is an awfully long time to bear with me, you know?" Azula said, smirking. Sokka chuckled.

"I'm afraid I wouldn't notice if it is a long time or not. Actually, I might feel like it's not enough time if I'm with you," he said, and she sighed.

"I really need to learn to stop you from saying those things," she said, shaking her head as he grinned, kissing her neck. "You're unbelievable."

"I just… I can't help it!" he said, chuckling and holding her tighter. Azula smiled. "There are so many things I've wanted to tell you for ages, and I never thought I could say them… but now I feel free to do just that! So…"

"Feeling free to say all the nonsense that crosses your mind doesn't mean you have to say it all at once, you know?" Azula said, smirking at him. "If you really mean to make it so nobody ever finds out about us, then that means we'll be together like this for the foreseeable future, right?"

"I hope so," said Sokka, with a small voice.

"Then you should have a decent amount of time to spread out all your mushiness without overwhelming me, thank you very much," Azula said, and Sokka laughed.

"Okay, I'll try to spread it out, but I can't promise anything," he said, his eyes closed, his hands resting on her abdomen… and so he felt the way her stomach groaned powerfully. He raised an eyebrow and Azula smiled guiltily.

"I suppose you haven't eaten all your food supplies, or have you? Wouldn't surprise me if you had, truth be told, but…" she whispered, and he chuckled, kissing her neck.

"I'll see what I can find. Wait here," he said, reaching to kiss her lips now. She returned the gesture softly before he moved away, unable to help from smiling as he slid out of her reach for the time being.

She rested on the bed, unpleasant thoughts scrolling through her mind slowly as she wondered just what she was supposed to do now. Sokka was right about the way they had to protect their relationship, but it seemed easier said than done to her. She could do her best to act normally, but she feared Sokka's acting might not be too convincing. For how long could they keep this secret? Could they keep it at all? A secret relationship had its obvious appeals… but in this case it was more terrifying than anything, if she gave it enough thought. Would it all have been worth the risk, should the worse-case scenario unfold…?

Sokka rushed through the house, only stopping to think Song ought to be home by now once he was at the bottom of the stairs. He gulped and looked around the kitchen, noticing quickly that the shopping basket was there… but she wasn't around, seemed like. Normally she would be in here cooking dinner by now… it was odd that she wasn't. Perhaps she had forgotten to pick up some ingredients… he swallowed hard and realized the first person they had to keep this a secret from was Song. It would prove hard, perhaps even impossible… but in all fairness, who would she tell? Surely Azula would want no loose ends, but Song barely counted as one, right?

After loading a wooden tray with leftovers and snacks, Sokka returned to his room, biting his lower lip as he tried to balance all the food he'd brought with him.

"Uh, I don't think I needed that much, in all honesty…" Azula said, and Sokka smiled goofily.

"Well, whatever you don't want, I'll eat myself," he said, setting down the tray before her. Azula looked at its content with interest before picking whatever dish caught her attention first, and Sokka took his seat beside her, still smiling as he looked at her.

"Are you going to stare at me forever or will you actually start eating?" she asked, with her eyebrows raised as Sokka came back to his senses after she spoke. It was her turn to smile as he picked up a muffin, his cheeks flushed as his face sported a grin that wouldn't fade away from it anytime soon.

There was little conversation as they ate, but often they cast furtive glances at one another, glances that ended in embarrassed smiles once the other caught them. Azula soon dropped on the bed, satisfied, but Sokka, as expected, continued filling his stomach happily until the tray was clear.

"Your appetite is a thing of nightmares," she said, smirking at him as he lifted the tray and climbed off the bed, heading towards the dresser in order to place it there.

"No need to be scared, Princess, I won't eat you… not in this sense anyways," he said, winking at her. Azula felt the blood rushing to her face as she shook her head, prompting him to laugh as he set the tray out of the way.

As he was returning to the bed, though, the towel around his waist came loose. Sokka tripped over it as it slid down to his feet, and he stumbled as he fell on the bed again.

"Are you okay?" Azula asked him, with raised eyebrows. Sokka gave her a gawkish smile.

"I'm fine, just a little mishap, but I'm… uh, I should probably cover up again, right?" he said, gulping as he noticed Azula's gaze had gone down to his groin, a prominent blush still coloring her cheeks.

"Y-you… you know, you should, I guess, but…" she said, sighing as he raised an eyebrow, confused.

"What? You like what you see?" Sokka asked, smirking playfully and earning himself a vicious glare.

"It's merely that I… I'm thinking I have to get used to it," she said. "Now we've reached this point in our relationship, I think I'll have to see it a lot more and… and being a prude really doesn't suit me, now, does it?"

"It's cute enough if you ask me," Sokka said, chuckling despite knowing that wouldn't make Azula any more comfortable. Again, she glared at him. "But really, you don't have to force yourself to see anything you don't want to. I can just cover…"

"Don't do it, I said," she growled, reaching out to him and pulling him towards her forcefully. Sokka laughed. "I'll get over it better this way."

"Fine, girl, fine…" he said, smiling as he dropped on the bed, smiling as he gazed at her. "But then… just saying, shouldn't you get used to being naked around me as well…?"

"I… guess," Azula muttered, gulping as she sighed and pulled at the robe's sash. Sokka pushed himself up and helped take the robe off her shoulders. His breath caught on his throat even if he was only seeing her naked back from where he was.

"Hell, you're…" he said, smiling in amazement. "You're so beautiful I could cry, damn it."

"Huh?" Azula said, as Sokka chuckled, discarding the robe. She looked at him in disbelief, still flustered.

"I just can't… hell, I can't handle you," he said, laughing as he flexed his knees, looking at her with a large grin as he crossed his arms over his flexed legs, his face resting atop his forearms. "I can't even process that this really happened, and that… that you're here, after all this time? It's… it's a lot to take, you know?"

"It definitely is," Azula conceded, with a weak grin as she breathed out, trying to relax. "I've… never been naked around a man before, you know. So indeed, it's a lot for both of us."

"I… damn, and I'm the one who gets to see you like this," Sokka said, chuckling. "Yep, I'm the luckiest man alive. Definitely."

"Come on, after everything I've done to you, everything that has happened to you, you think you're lucky?" Azula asked, skeptical, though he merely shrugged and smiled.

"Maybe I wasn't always that lucky, but right now? Right now I'm sure I am," he said, as he dropped on the mattress. "You're here, with me… naked, on my bed. I've genuinely thought about this for so long, but I just never thought…"

"How long, exactly?" Azula asked, dropping next to him, and Sokka stopped talking, blinking blankly.

"Huh?"

"I'm just wondering… when did you start thinking about me in this way?" Azula said, turning on her side and looking at him inquisitively. "It wasn't from the very start, I hope… though the whole matter of the blue fire actually makes me think it was."

"Ah, yeah, well… not exactly," he said, with a smile. "The whole 'blue fire' thing was a stupid comment, I was a little too dazed by the fact that you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen…"

"And how about the fact that we were about to fight each other? Or is it you don't remember that part anymore?" Azula asked, and Sokka chuckled.

"Yes, that too," he conceded. "I was slightly overwhelmed by the circumstances. I mean, you were the first girl I'd met who was close to my age and who wasn't related to me. You have to understand I just had no idea how to proceed…"

"So, making some sort of innuendo was your best idea, naturally," said Azula, smirking. "I'm still wondering, though… what exactly did you mean with that?"

"Uuuuuh?" Sokka said, his eyes widening with panic. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"You said most people would be too busy looking at my 'blue fire', or something like that… it was pretty clear you didn't mean it literally, but you were standing a little too far for me to know whether you were staring at my chest or something like that…"

"W-well, in all fairness, I had no suspicions about just how perfect your breasts were until now," he said, allowing his gaze to travel to them. Again, Azula blushed, but she fought the urge to cover up. She had to get over this nonsense… "All those fabrics in the way, and your armor… I couldn't have possibly imagined just how great they were back then, you know?"

"Well, then, if that wasn't it, what was?" Azula asked, and he gulped.

"Do I really have to say it? Uh…" he groaned, shaking his head. "Well, I… I could see your curves anyhow, even if your breasts were so heavily covered, so I was… looking at your waist. And your hips. And even though I couldn't quite see it, I started to think that your… your royal rear was bound to be quite curvy too"

"My… oh, for crying out loud," Azula said, before bursting with laughter. Sokka smiled awkwardly, a hand on his face.

"I'm very sorry for my shamelessness, I am a hopeless idiot, always have been," he said, as she continued to laugh. "But as I said, you were gorgeous, and I realized it as soon as I saw you! I couldn't keep my mind in check, so I'm sorry for thinking about your butt in that way."

"No wonder… no wonder you touched it as you did when we first kissed," Azula said, chuckling now as Sokka blushed deeply. "Was it up to your expectations, then?"

"Pffft. Azula, you are never up to the expectations. You are always so far above them that by now I don't even know why I bother holding any expectations whenever you're up to something," he said, smirking. "So even your perfect butt is absolutely perfect. Nothing about you ever comes short, you know?"

"Well, yours isn't half bad either, I admit…" she said, and Sokka jumped in surprise.

"Ha! You looked at my butt too, didn't you?! I knew I wasn't the only one with a twisted mind around here!" he exclaimed, as Azula laughed once more.

"Still, if the blue fire instance wasn't what did it, according to you, what was?" she asked, and Sokka huffed.

"I could ask you the same thing, you know?" he said, folding his arms over his chest and pouting.

"Well, ask if you want, but answer me first," she said, smirking. "Come on, stop resisting. Give it up now."

"I… ugh, you'll probably kill me," he said, and she frowned as he sighed. "Y-you know how things were… were different, once Piandao was gone? We spent a lot more time together than we used to back then, you'd come to see me here, we'd be around each other more often than usual…"

"Yes?" Azula said, raising an eyebrow. She didn't think something like this was worth killing him over… at least not yet. No doubt he hadn't reached the thick of his story…

"W-well, I'd always thought you were beautiful but, for starters, back then I was, uh… stupider still," he said, gulping. "So, while I really liked what I saw, I never expected to do anything about it because I just… didn't know you as well as I do now. I, eh…"

"You didn't trust me back then, yes. I remember," Azula said, and Sokka sighed.

"S-so because I didn't, I… I didn't really think about you and me as anything but gladiator and sponsor. Until I…"

"Until you what?" Azula asked, looking at him inquisitively after he remained silent for a while. He sighed in resignation.

"Until I had a… a naughty dream about you," he said, with a dry grin. Azula's eyes widened.

"You had a what, now?" she said. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear. Sokka blushed deeply.

"I am NOT proud of it, I assure you of that!" he said, as she looked at him with indignation but also curiosity.

"Well, seeing how shameless you are, I'm not sure I can believe that," she said, smirking. "Do tell, then, what were we doing in this… this 'naughty dream' of yours?"

"Ugh, Azula… isn't this much knowledge enough?" he asked, looking at her with pleading eyes. She shook her head.

"Talk. Or your dream won't ever become a reality… unless it was something we already did, in which case, then it's never going to happen again."

"Stuck between a rock and a hard place," said Sokka, sighing in resignation and shaking his head. "Well, it's never happened, and I actually don't expect it to, so I wasn't holding my breath either way…"

"Just spit it out, Sokka," Azula said, poking his shoulder. Sokka looked at her warily before sighing, his insides twisting as he sought the courage to put the unspeakable dream into words…

"For starters, I… I was naked."

"Wow. Big surprise."

"Oh, come on!" Sokka exclaimed, as Azula chuckled. "Yeah, okay, that was obvious enough but see, y-you were… y-you were…"

"I was what?" she asked, looking at him insistently as Sokka closed his eyes and grimaced.

"You were giving me oral sex, is what," he said, and her amusement morphed into distaste as she looked at him in disapproval. "Yeah, see?! You didn't want to hear it, but you made me say it! Now you think I'm a pervert and you'll be scarred for a lifetime because of what I dreamt…"

"Now, in all fairness, I've thought you are one for a long time now, but the depths of your dirty mind hadn't fazed me until now," Azula said, chuckling as she fell on her back again, Sokka blushing wildly next to her.

"Well I didn't mean for that dream to happen, you know?!" Sokka squealed, looking at her with a pout.

"No doubt, but that doesn't make it any better," said Azula, smirking. "Hell, your subconscious mind truly betrayed you if you dreamt something like that."

"It did indeed," he said, grimacing. "I hadn't expected it, and I wasn't entirely happy about it, you know? It's why I spent that day acting as I did…"

"What day are we talking about, exactly?" Azula asked, and Sokka gulped.

"You know, when I fought the… Western? No, Eastern Wayfarer. You know, when I first offered to teach you how to use swords? The same day Mai's kid was born…"

"Right… You were acting strange that day," she reflected, with a small frown. "And it was because… because you were horny. Well, can't say it doesn't add up, honestly…"

"Come on, give me a break! It's not like I was proud of it," he groaned, as she chuckled.

"Seriously, Sokka… shameless even in your sleep. Me, doing something so foul…?"

"W-what did you…? Hey! I ate you out!" he exclaimed, looking at her indignantly as she laughed and shrugged.

"You did but I can't remember asking you to, or did I?" she said, and Sokka looked at her in sheer horror. "Granted I enjoyed it, but it was your idea. I never expected it from you, honestly. And I… can't imagine myself returning the favor. Clearly you have already imagined it well enough for both of us, but seriously…?"

"W-well, it's not like I was going to make you do it," he said, rolling on the bed so he was lying on his stomach instead. "You're not forced to do anything…"

"So, you're not going to appeal to my honor as a Princess to make me return the favor?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "How gallant of you, if that's so…"

"Ah, but I will appeal to your honor as a Princess…" he said, smirking. "And now you're going to tell me about when you started thinking of me in a sexual way, thank you very much!"

"Uh…" said Azula, biting her lower lip and looking at the ceiling. "Well… it was quite a long time ago."

"I figured," he said, smiling proudly. "I saw how you gaped at me that time, back at Piandao's, you know? You were so embarrassed… I've always wondered about what you were thinking as you saw me throwing the water over my head as I did."

"I was thinking you were a shameless moron, if you must know," Azula said, and Sokka laughed.

"Of course, and that's why you were blushing so deeply. Come on, be honest! I already confessed my truth, it's your turn to do the same!"

"Fine, fine," she said, sighing and shaking her head. "I suppose it was… a little before that. I didn't really take it so seriously, though, I only started to genuinely think of it as something that could happen after our drunken night on our way to the Slate. But I guess my first time pondering the possibility was… well, Ty Lee's fault, unsurprisingly."

"Huh?" Sokka said, raising an eyebrow and smirking as Azula covered her face with a hand.

"Remember your very first fight? After I returned to the Capital, having succeeded at shaking off Chan's marriage proposal, I ran into Mai and Ty Lee, and I can't even remember why, but Ty Lee suddenly started rambling about how Water Tribe men surely were the best in bed or something like that. And…"

"And that planted the seed of the idea in your head? Wow," said Sokka, chuckling, and Azula huffed.

"Granted I'd thought you were good-looking before that, but…"

"You did?!"

"Oh, shut up, of course I did," she growled, and Sokka laughed happily. "But the thing is, I didn't really think about anything happening between us until then. And add to that your ridiculous display when I went to find you that day, with the bucket of water…"

"Hehe, I knew you had been more affected by that than you were willing to admit," Sokka said, grinning. "And see? You were a perv before I was! Ha!"

"I wasn't…! Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes as Sokka chuckled and rolled onto his side, draping a hand over her waist. Azula glared at him. "I had no filthy dreams about you, thank you very much! And even if the idea crossed my mind, I already said I never expected it to happen for real until a few weeks ago, so knock it off!"

"No need to be so angry," he said, still laughing a little. "Though you're cute when you're angry, you know…?"

"I'm all the cuter when I set you on fire, I think," Azula growled, and Sokka laughed more. "Quit laughing!"

"I can't! I lo-…" he started, but he was silenced when she grabbed him by the chin and kissed him forcefully, freezing him cold.

"Ha," Azula said, smirking when she pulled away. "Enough mushiness, I said."

"B-but I really do l-…" another kiss silenced him, but this time he could only laugh as she pushed him on his back, climbing atop him.

She had only meant to shut him up at first, but the harsh kiss grew smoother as his hand went to the nape of her neck, the other surrounding her waist. His lips responded, his tongue reaching out for hers. She complied with his wishes soon enough, her eyes closing with a flutter as she enjoyed the exchange thoroughly.

"Alright… you'd rather I show it than say it, looks like," said Sokka, smiling as they parted. Azula smirked.

"It's a lot more fun that way, don't you think?" she said, as he chuckled and leaned in, kissing her again.

Their bodies were pressed together fully, in perfect harmony. His hands now danced over her skin, making her sigh as she felt him touch her. There was nothing like being desired by the same person you wanted, she concluded, as she dropped her head on his shoulder, basking in his gentle caresses.

"You okay?" Sokka asked, looking at her gently. Azula only smiled a little.

"To be honest, I'm somewhat… tired," she said, and he grinned back.

"Then we can get some rest. It's been a crazy day for both of us. And naps are good," he said, still smiling broadly as Azula chuckled.

"You're an idiot," she whispered for the umpteenth time that day, and he smirked.

"Your idiot, though."

"That's right."

His smile grew kinder after that as he noticed her eyes were closing again. Holding her intimately, an arm around her naked body while he pulled the sheet over them with the other, he decided to take a nap of his own as well. He guessed he would be numb once he woke, if she slept atop him like this, but he found he barely cared. Having her in his arms like this was well worth any pain he might experience later on.

He kissed the top of her head, caressing her hair before whispering:

"I love you."

Azula hummed against him, placing her hand on his chest. He closed his eyes too, drifting into a peaceful sleep with a perpetual smile on his face.

A/N:

And it's been done! I know quite a lot of you were eager to see this particular chapter… several people joked about how they wouldn't bang until chapter 100, and hey, we got pretty close to that, right? :'D Oh well, cat's out of the bag now and our two mains will start having problems of a different nature from now on. Hope you guys stick around to see that!

And now, the Reviews Party! Yep, we broke past the 2500 mark and I'm in awe for that. I'm very lucky that so many of you guys take your time to write out a review, short or long, for this crazy fic. I feel very fortunate for all the feedback I get, believe it or not, so thanks to all those who review constantly and who are so invested in this fic! Your support means more than I could possibly say.

Anyways, about the Party… we're going to have a deadline for the questions this time around. I do hope to be able to answer everything, but I can't promise I'll get to every single ask in the two days I had originally planned for this. So instead of giving myself a deadline, you guys will be the ones getting it! You're going to have until September 12th to submit all your questions. Questions submitted past 12:00 on September 13th, GMT-4:-30, will likely be left unanswered… so make sure to send everything you want to know before then!

Of course, you can also not send questions if you don't want to ask anything, that barely needs to be said xD but for all those who're eager to know, if only roughly, about what's in store for this fic, come by my Tumblr blog (or Gladiator's blog) and ask or submit anything you're curious about! :D

So again, thanks for all the support. I'm baffled we've come this far, and I know we wouldn't have if you guys didn't keep me going. I'm a seriously fortunate fic writer and I know it! Thank you very much, everyone, and I hope you continue enjoying Gladiator!