The city was lively, she could see as much even from their house, so distant from the center of the city. Song glanced out the window in her room and watched from afar as stalls were erected, as people rushed through the streets to meet each other and enjoy the festival. She smiled to herself, wondering if she should step outside for an hour or two today. It looked like it was a fun event, after all…
She sighed and simply dressed up for another casual day. She shot a dirty glare at Sokka's room as she was going downstairs, thinking breakfast would be extremely awkward today, what with him being a pain… but she wasn't going to let him ruin her day. If anything, she could ask him to go to the festival with her. With any luck, they might spot Azula's Procession during the parade. It might cheer them up to see the ones they loved, if just from a distance.
She was starting to gather the usual ingredients she favored for cooking breakfast when she heard a knock on her door. She frowned and glanced at the window, trying to see who might be at the front door, but the window's angle didn't let her see the visitor.
She breathed deeply and set everything aside before heading to open the door. It couldn't be anything important, could it?
She almost yelped when she opened the door to find Rui Shi standing on the other side.
But it wasn't the Rui Shi she was used to seeing: his clothes looked second-hand, his hair was an untidy mess, there were bags under his eyes, and the most surprising thing of all was that he was smiling brightly.
"Song," he said, beaming. Her eyes were wide in disbelief.
"Rui Shi?" she gaped at him, blinking repeatedly, as though he was merely a mirage. As he didn't vanish before her eyes, she guessed he was real after all. "What are you…? You were busy today! You had a lot to do and…!"
"I had a very important thing to do, yes," he said, looking at her earnestly. "It was finding you and spending the day with you."
"What?" she said, trying to hold down the joy she felt upon hearing those words. "Y-you mean… Rui Shi, you're supposed to be working, you…!"
"It's the most important day for couples in the Fire Nation," said Rui Shi, smiling and placing his hands on her shoulders. "I asked the Princess if I could spend it with you, and she denied me that request. So I…"
"You said you were sick?" Song asked, with uncertainty. "Please don't tell me you resigned…"
"I didn't," Rui Shi whispered. "But I have set things up so I can be with you today. Someone's taking my place by the Princess's side."
"Someone?" Song repeated. Rui Shi blushed a little before answering her.
"Sokka."
Her jaw dropped. Suddenly, every mystery from the day before was cleared up before her eyes. Song looked at Rui Shi in disbelief while shaking her head.
"Y-you… you set up everything with him, so he could spend the day with her, and you with me, and…! Oh, but that's… that's so risky, Rui Shi, that's just…!"
"It's madness, I know," said Rui Shi, with a sad smile. "And I might even lose my job for it, if the Princess decides I deserve that. But as reckless as it may be, I… I truly wanted to be with you today. And if that means I'm unfit to be the Princess's guard, then I guess I am unfit indeed."
"But you…" said Song, looking at him hopelessly. "This job was all you had, you told me that…"
"It was. But now I have you," he said, smiling and cupping her face. "And while the Princess and Sokka are stuck with their lots in life, I'm not. If she won't accept me as her guard anymore, so be it. I choose to cherish you more than anything."
Song's eyes seemed to burn as tears surged upon listening to Rui Shi's words. She shook her head but hugged him, arms tight around his waist; Rui Shi smiled and held her close, inhaling the scent of her hair.
"This is too much, Rui Shi…" she said. "Am I really worth all this?"
"You're worth more than this, to be sure," he said. "I hope we can have a fun day together."
"I'm sure we will," said Song, smiling happily against him.
She allowed him inside, and they prepared and ate breakfast together, holding hands, smiling and kissing on occasion. Part of Song was apprehensive, for she didn't want to be the kind of girl who forced her significant other to sacrifice his job for her… but she had never seen Rui Shi so happy before. He had made his own choice, and it seemed he was ecstatic about it. She hoped the Princess would be able to forgive him for this, nonetheless…
"I can't believe this. I can't believe you! I can't…! Oh, goodness, I should set you on fire for pulling something like this! How could you…?!"
"Azula, please…!" Sokka begged, but she snarled so angrily at him that he stumbled back and against her bed. "I'm not telling you to stop scolding me, just… keep your voice down?"
"I'll…!" she started, before her common sense kicked in. Yes, he had a point. If she got too loud, anyone might hear and find out about, well, whatever this was. "You're… oh, you're the most unbelievable moron ever, you've really done it now…"
"Yes, yes, I'm really dumb," Sokka agreed, lowering his head as he sat on the edge of the mattress.
For once, being with Azula in a room with a bed didn't bring any dirty thoughts to his mind. He was more than a little worried about how upset she was, even if she had only ranted for a couple of minutes while pacing angrily. He thought he'd seen a few sparks of blue in her hands, but he hoped that he had only been imagining them…
"Why?" she finally asked, stomping up to him, so she could glare at him from above. "Why would someone as smart as you do something as stupid as this, on a day like this?! Tell me!"
"I… don't have any excuses," Sokka admitted, looking at her earnestly. "Truth be told, I'm really sorry I did it at all. If you want to kick me out right now, I'm not going to protest, I know I deserve it…"
"Kick you out where, exactly?" she asked, looking at him sternly. "You think I can just dismiss you, send you back home, and then end up without a Captain of my guards for the whole day? Hell knows where Rui Shi…! Ugh, Rui Shi… Rui Shi!"
"Azula…" Sokka called her, as she started pacing again, running her hands through her hair.
"I'm going to kill him. I'm really going to… what the blazes was he thinking?!" she exclaimed, shaking her head before remembering again to keep her voice down. "Oh, I should kill him, I really should…"
"Yeah, he knew you'd want to," said Sokka. Azula stopped and glared at him.
"And he did it, regardless of knowing I'd want to?" she asked. "Even when he knew I'd be so outraged I might fire him for real…!"
"Okay, I know he messed up and I have no right to defend him since I helped him with this, but Azula…" he pleaded, earning himself a harsher glare even though she remained silent. "Can you maybe just unleash all your anger on me instead? I mean, if I hadn't agreed to this nonsense, he wouldn't be getting away with it, and…"
"Why did you agree to it?" she asked, her nostrils flaring as she huffed. Sokka lowered his gaze. "Seriously, Sokka, why?"
"I… suppose there were a few reasons," he admitted, scratching the back of his neck. "The main one being that I'd have a chance to spend the day near you… I know it's nonsense but still, I… I always want to be with you."
"I'm aware, and oh, it's insanely romantic," said Azula, with the most cynical voice she could muster. "But right now, I feel like beating you up for it, seriously. This is not the time for you to do something as risky and unnecessary as this. We've been apart for much longer than a day, you could've endured it!"
"I could have," Sokka admitted. "But it was rare enough to hear Rui Shi suggesting anything that would allow us to be together. I… never thought such a day would come, really. He knew the consequences, yet tried to enlist my help, and well… some foolish side of me thought it wasn't a chance to turn down. Yet as soon as I saw you yesterday, I… I felt pretty bad about it."
"You did, did you?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Why didn't you tell him it was too risky, then? Why didn't you try to convince him to abort this foolish mission of his?"
"Because of what I already told you. I was a fool, and as we've been reckless before, some twisted part of me thought 'what's the harm in a little more craziness?', but I guess you don't agree," he sighed.
Azula groaned and sat heavily on the bed, burying her face in her hands as her elbows rested on her knees. Sokka glanced at her uneasily.
"You realize…" she whispered. "That if you're caught, which you could be, if anything dangerous were to happen today, I'm the one who's going to take the fall for it?"
"Well, not necessarily," said Sokka, pouting a little.
"Oh, but yes," said Azula, looking at him meaningfully. "Because I should be perceptive enough to notice my guard isn't who he's supposed to be."
"And you were," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "Actually… did you suspect all along? Or did my performance fool you for a little while…?"
"Does that matter at all?" she asked. Sokka hunched and nodded.
"Right, right, sorry…" he said, shrinking in his frame as Azula shook her head.
"My father would be so outraged, or he'd mock me. I can't even imagine which would be worse," said Azula, with a dry grin. "This is just…"
"Okay, but we've always operated under the notion of 'what your dad doesn't know won't hurt him', so how about we do that now, too?" Sokka suggested, with an innocent smile. Azula turned her skeptical glare towards him again. "Seriously though, what are the chances that he'll find out? How many times have these parades been attacked by crazy terrorists or something?"
"Well… never," said Azula, rolling her eyes. "Not while I've been alive at least. There's too many soldiers everywhere, both involved in the parade and involved in protecting it…"
"So, the chances for something crazy to happen aren't that big, right?"
"Something crazy has already happened: my gladiator is the captain of my guards all of sudden," Azula snapped at him, finishing her sentence with gritted teeth. "Are you even armed in any way? Or are you just expecting to punch your way out of danger?"
"Well, I'm ready to do that," said Sokka. "But I did bring a few weapons too. I've got my knife hidden inside the uniform."
"Oh, brilliant. My Royal Captain, fighting off enemies not with his bending, but with a whalebone knife of Water Tribe make," said Azula smirking sarcastically. "No one will find that suspicious in the slightest."
"Well, let's hope no one does indeed," he pouted. "Do you really think there can be danger?"
"I honestly don't know. We should be prepared for anything," said Azula, shaking her head and huffing. "I did say I felt like a hypocrite when it came to telling Rui Shi he couldn't do this, but I don't think my guilt goes far enough as to forgive him for this. He's mad."
"Yeah, I guess he is," said Sokka, with a weak grin. "But if nothing goes wrong…"
"He's still an irresponsible moron," Azula snapped. "Truly, all just to abide by some tradition that doesn't mean anything…"
"Huh? You mean, the tradition about couples spending the day together?" Sokka asked. Azula gave him a pained look.
"There's more to it than that," she said. "There's some old, pointless legend that people try to honor today…"
"Oh, really?" Sokka asked, surprised. "Rui Shi didn't mention that."
"You've never heard of it?" she asked. "It's based on an old Fire Nation story. A man and a woman were meant to marry, but he was called to war. He left for many years, but upon his return, he found out she had passed away…"
"That's awful," said Sokka, grimacing. Azula shrugged.
"He thought so too, yes," she said. "He couldn't bear being separated from her so unfairly, so he searched for her through the material and spirit worlds. He couldn't find her anywhere, though, but he wouldn't give up. On the first day of the final week of summer, his hopes were almost spent. He picked the most beautiful fire lily he could find, his almost-wife's favorite flower, and made it an offering for the spirits by tossing it into a volcano in the mainland, wishing he could see her if only one more time. The separation between the worlds was weaker during the sunset, of course, and that enabled the spirit of the woman he had loved to appear before him."
"Is that so?" said Sokka, eyes wide. Azula huffed.
"Sokka, it's a legend. It even has lots of different conclusions, you shouldn't be taking it seriously. Pointless legends like this one are why people like my uncle genuinely believed they could come in touch with their deceased loved ones by entering the Spirit World. As you may have noticed, my uncle failed, and so did everyone who ever searched through the Spirit World for whatever dead relative they may have looked for."
"Well, still, what are those conclusions?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows. "How does this legend end?"
"Heh, let's see…" Azula said, looking at him skeptically. "According to one story, he chased her spirit and fell into the lava, but this reunited him with the love of his life, so a lot of people love this version…"
"That's horrible!" Sokka exclaimed, eyes wide. Azula smirked.
"There's a ridiculously wishful version, where he manages to bring her back to corporeality thanks to his flower, and thus they get to live happily ever after."
"Well, good. Much better," said Sokka, nodding repeatedly.
"And then there's the one that most people support," said Azula. "Where the husband-to-be visited the volcano every year, on the first day of the week leading to the end of summer. And there he would meet her every time, with his offer of a fire lily, so he could be with her for an instant. It went on like that until his death, and by then they reunited in the Spirit World anyways. And that's the story."
"Well, I don't like the first version, but the third one's… more tolerable," said Sokka, grimacing still. "Anyways, I take it the relation between this story and the festival is because…"
"Today's the day when the husband would visit his wife in that volcano, yes," said Azula. "So, all through the Fire Nation, men are encouraged to cherish their lovers and offer them fire lilies to show their devotion to them, usually at twilight. It doesn't always end well."
"No?" Sokka asked, with a weak grin. "Do some women take it badly?"
"Well, yes, especially when they catch their guy giving flowers to other girls, too," said Azula, smirking. "When we were teenagers, Ty Lee caught one of her boyfriends doing that. To be fair, though, she received around ten flowers that year, so she wasn't much better than him."
"I guess not," said Sokka, smiling. "Did… you ever get any of those flowers?"
"Me?" Azula asked, skeptical. "Did you already forget that the only fool who's given me flowers, in my entire life, is you?"
"O-oh, well, yes. I remember now," he said, blushing. "Okay. Um, just for academic purposes, where can a guy find a fire lily around here…?"
"Academic? Truly?" Azula asked, with a skeptical smirk. Sokka grinned as he noticed she had smiled more genuinely in the last part of the conversation than she had in the rest of the day. "Usually, nowhere. Today? Everywhere. Most stalls will be selling them today. The fire lilies aren't out and about all year, they're mostly blooming in the middle of summer. But some talented botanists can keep them alive and flourishing until the end of the season, which is why this foolish tradition can happen at all."
"I see," said Sokka, biting his lip. "So, if I wanted to find one for you…"
"I'd probably kick you so hard you would wake up in three weeks," Azula snapped. "You're not getting me a fire lily, especially not when you're pretending to be Rui Shi."
"But if that's how it is, I'll never be able to give you one," Sokka pouted. "Even if I wait until next year, what's the likelihood that I'll see you at all next year, on this day?"
"That depends on how today goes, of course," said Azula, smiling dryly. "If you get caught, you certainly won't see me next year, if ever again…"
"Why's that, will you ship me off to the Colonies?" Sokka scoffed, teasingly. "You know you wouldn't. You'd throw to waste your last two years in the Gladiator League if you get rid of me now."
Azula glared at him. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she shook her head.
"Well, I'm glad you're being so practical, if anything," she said. "That's the only argument I'll accept to keep you around right now."
"Thanks," said Sokka, beaming. "So, clearly I have to try to polish my performance as best as I can, of course… but yeah, that's why I wanted to know when you started to suspect things. What gave me away? Was it I was doing it wrong, or…?"
"You weren't walking right," Azula said. Sokka grimaced. "That, paired with your refusal to speak, was far too suspicious. If you'd walked perfectly, I wouldn't have thought you weren't him. I would have simply assumed he was that angry at me. But when I tested my fire resonance in the temple…"
"Yeah, I should have figured you were doing that," said Sokka, grimacing. "That's what you were talking about earlier, right? When you were trying to make me break character by saying I had lost my bending?"
"Yes," said Azula, smirking. "I did tell you I could sense other firebenders with it. And I sensed oh so easily that my firebending Captain had no inner fire to speak of all of sudden…"
"Did you figure it was me, though?"
"Oh, I suspected it, but I wasn't going to be stupid enough to say anything incriminating in case it wasn't you," she said. "You were conspiring with him yesterday, so it would have made sense. But also, you're the only male non-bender that, as far as I know, has any sort of friendship with him. Whoever he had asked to fill in for him had to be someone who knew of his relationship with Song, too, and who else knows about it aside from you and me?"
"Enough reasons to suspect, then," said Sokka, lowering his gaze.
"For me to suspect, yes," said Azula. "But no one else knows you were whispering in corners with him, well, no one aside from me and Song. So that's not a factor that would help anyone else suspect you're impersonating him. I've also never heard of any other firebenders who can resonate consciously, so chances are they don't know how. And if they don't, they probably won't notice you're not a firebender… so, in short, most the factors to suspect of you were related to information I had, and that most people won't have."
"Which means…" said Sokka, glancing at Azula with uncertainty. The Princess stared back.
"It means you may just pull this off," she said. "If you improve that performance, of course."
"Alright. Coach me!" Sokka said, turning on the bed so he could sit facing her. "Help me get the right speech pattern, an accurate voice tone, and the proper stride! That way I can stop acting like I'm mute, at least."
"Indeed," said Azula, raising her eyebrows. But she smiled soon enough and sighed. "Well, if this is how it has to be, so be it. Let's try this."
Sokka cleared his throat as Azula sat upright and looked at him sternly.
"Is the Procession ready for the parade, Captain?"
"Yes, Princess!" he said, with a deep but enthusiastic voice that made Azula scowl. "N-no?"
"Absolutely not," she said, looking at him in disbelief. "Rui Shi is never that upbeat, and you have to imitate every fluctuation of how he talks, Sokka. Don't just say it the way you would, but deeper. That won't work."
"Okay," said Sokka, biting his lip. "Can you demonstrate?"
"Well, Rui Shi always starts his sentences with more strength than how he finishes them," Azula explained. "The potency of his voice decreases as he courses through the sentence, so you have to speak the same way. Deepen your voice, yes, but not to the extreme… do it little by little, so you can find the right tone."
"Huh," said Sokka, as Azula cleared her throat this time.
"It should be like…" she said, before narrowing her eyes. "Yes, Princess."
Her voice was still hers, despite it was deeper, yet Sokka almost felt as though he had heard Rui Shi's twin sister speaking. His eyes widened.
"Woah… Azula, you're a great actress," he said. She actually smiled.
"I know," she said, with her usual confidence. "And you're supposed to be a quick learner, so give it a shot."
Sokka nodded and closed his eyes, trying to focus.
"Yes, Princess," he said, with his normal voice tone, but following Azula's recommendation. She smiled approvingly.
"Deeper now," she said, trying not to think of the connotations of such a phrase.
Fortunately, Sokka didn't notice the potential double meaning in her words. It was just the kind of thing he'd make jokes of, and they should focus on perfecting his performance rather than making light of the situation.
After a few more attempts, he had successfully sounded enough like Rui Shi. Azula nodded and clapped softly.
"A fine performance. But I'm not convinced yet," she said. "Now, let's pretend that I'm… a palanquin bearer, yes. You must…"
"Which one?" Sokka asked. Azula raised an eyebrow as Sokka produced a few folded pages out of his pocket. "Rui Shi wrote the names and descriptions of all of them, so…"
"Huh. That's thorough of him. Can't fault him for that," Azula said, cynically. "Well, I'm Lingxin, then."
"Really? The one with the wart and…?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow, but Azula's deadpan glare silenced him. "Okay, never mind. Um, yes. What do I do now?"
"Convey orders to me," said Azula, raising her eyebrows before getting into character. The strange, submissive smile on her face wasn't like anything he had seen before. Sokka's eyes widened. "You called, Captain?"
"U-uh…" Sokka started, before clearing his throat and focusing. "Take your position by the palanquin. The Princess will be here shortly."
Azula broke character to judge him with uncertainty. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"You're thinking too much about what you're going to say, and that makes you sound… well, bumpy, somehow. Your rhythm is off, you're waiting too long to say each word. Try again, smoother this time."
He did, and on the fourth attempt he nailed it. Azula smiled and nodded.
"Alright. One last test, then," she said. "I'm Fei Li, and I picked a fight with Tai Wei. You must get me to behave."
"As if Fei Li could behave," Sokka scoffed, amused. Azula smiled before getting into character again.
The transition into her Fei Li persona was just as amusing as before. She slouched her shoulders slightly and gave him a standoffish but goofy glare. Her silence was Sokka's cue to start.
"Stop this nonsense now, Fei Li," he said, bluntly. Azula huffed.
"It's not nonsense, Captain! This prick owes me money!" she snarled. Sokka held back the urge to laugh at how accurate her performance was. "I told him to pay up yesterday but he's still being a cheapskate…"
"This is not the time or place for you to discuss such matters," Sokka said, sternly. "Back to your stations, Fei Li, Tai Wei. Resolve this on your own time."
Azula's eyebrows rose and she smiled at him. Sokka bit his lip and smiled too.
"How did I do this time?" he asked.
"Surprisingly well," she said. "In fact… goodness. I had no idea you could sound so serious."
"Oh, come on. I've been serious before," Sokka pouted. She laughed.
"Not like that, you haven't. So serious, so responsible, without a shred of sense of humor… it's surprising, coming from you," Azula said, smirking.
"It's not like me, I know, but that's the point, isn't it?" Sokka said. Azula smiled.
"It is indeed. Well done," she said, nodding towards him. "I think you can sell it, then. As long as you keep speaking that way, your fellow guards may not suspect you much. They still might sense your voice isn't quite the same if you talk a lot, but still…"
"I'll speak as little as I can," said Sokka, nodding. Azula breathed deeply. "So… all good now?"
"Not quite," she said, jerking her head to the side. "Stand up. We have to work on your stance and stride."
Sokka gulped but obeyed. Azula instructed him, telling him how to stand at ease, with the right separation between his legs, his hands behind his back, the proper positioning of his shoulders, and the straightness of his posture. His walking pattern was a little harder to fix, but after Azula corrected a lot of his leisurely movements, he seemed to get the hang of it. She was smiling with delight by then: he really could pull this off. If no one tried to make him firebend, Sokka might just make it.
"Halt. At ease," she said, as he stopped before her by the bed, hands behind his back as before. He looked at her from above, with unyielding eyes.
"How did I do?" he asked, still with his firm, steady and deeper voice. Azula smirked.
"Far too well," she said. "It doesn't hurt one bit that you look so good in red."
A slow smirk spread on his lips. Azula chuckled as Sokka's strict position relaxed and, unsurprisingly, he leaned closer to her, so she would lie down on the bed she had still been sitting on. He hovered above her, hands at either side of her body.
"Do I, Princess?" he asked, his nose prodding hers gently. She hummed.
"You're too fast a learner. It's one of your best qualities," she said, smirking too. "Only on par with how well red suits you, I guess."
"You don't look half bad when you're in blue either, Princess," he whispered, smiling beckoningly now.
She knew she was a fool, an easily swayed fool, for letting that smile win her over so easily. She had been mad only half an hour ago, outraged, threatening to kill someone for the accursed scheme she had discovered. She should still be mad at him, for all the reasons that she should… and yet right now, all she wanted to do was clasp his face between her hands and devour his lips with the most ravenous kiss she could muster.
And she did as much, but not before he took the initiative. He kissed her daringly, his body towering over her, as her hands caressed his face and nape of his neck. She closed her eyes and deepened the contact between them, legs wrapping around his waist without a second thought. Sokka groaned happily and shifted on his position, so he could touch her with one free hand while the other kept him hovering above her as intended. Azula moaned into him, arching her armored body against his. Metal clashed with metal, and she wished they could be naked instead, right here and now.
They had wasted yesterday, that much went without saying. In her foolish displeasure over what Sokka hadn't told her, she had punished him without sex instead of coaxing the truth from him that way. But the excitement they had built up since then hadn't faded, and it felt like turning up the heat under a boiling pot of water: the arousal was already bursting, desperate to course explosively, and they could do nothing but obey their desires as they sought relief for the storm within their bodies.
Azula's hands began moving over Sokka's arms, but his usual sleeveless shirt was a full guard uniform today. It annoyed her that she couldn't feel his strong skin directly, as she loved to… but she still could intoxicate herself with the taste of his lips, that was just fine. She succumbed to her every craving with such ease it could be embarrassing, but she found herself eager to do so. Her basest needs were met by Sokka every time, and she didn't care if he teased her for her eagerness later: what was there to be flustered by, when she thrived in everything they did to each other?
He pulled away briskly, though, as if he had suddenly grown all too aware of what they were doing, and where, and when. He swallowed hard and looked at her, as she opened her eyes, but only until they were half-lidded.
"We… we shouldn't be doing this," Sokka whispered. Azula smiled.
"No. We really shouldn't," she admitted. Sokka sighed and pressed his brow to hers.
"I… I'm really sorry I lied to you," he said, rolling off her and dropping beside her. "I shouldn't have schemed with Rui Shi at all, I know, and I feel so bad for having lied, I…"
"You didn't really lie," Azula pointed out, raising her eyebrows. "You said he had a solution for his problem, I was the one who jumped to conclusions on my own. A clever move, worthy of my cruel mind. I salute you for it."
"I don't want to be cruel to you," Sokka pouted. Azula smiled warmly now. "I really don't. I can be an ass to everyone else, but… but it's plain wrong if it's you."
"Don't worry. I think you learned your lesson," she said. "You'll know better than to plot wicked schemes behind my back again. Heck, if you'd told me about this, I could have even coached you from the start…"
"You wouldn't have agreed to it," said Sokka, with a skeptical smile. Azula shrugged.
"One would think you'd come up with ways to be more… convincing," she said, before climbing atop him. Sokka swallowed but smiled.
"Are we okay, then? You're not… not mad anymore?" he asked, his gloved hand touching her face. Azula huffed.
"Not mad? Why, no, I wouldn't say that. I'm terribly mad, even now," she said, without a hint of anger in her voice. "I'm absolutely beside myself in displeasure… but I'd say a little over half the displeasure is for Rui Shi. The rest of it is yours."
"Heh. Good. At least I'm not the one you resent the most," said Sokka, smiling and caressing her cheek. "Though I'm surprised that your displeasure is this agreeable and nice… I'm a little worried you're setting me up for something terrible later, somehow."
"Oh, there's nothing to be worried about," she said, smirking. "I am quite angry, and it will take a lot to appease me. But… I can think of a thing or two that will cheer me up. Even if right now…"
"Even if right now what?" he asked, smirking.
"Even if right now I hate you as much as I do," she hissed, with a seductive voice that Sokka knew she wasn't conscious of. His entire body shivered.
She kissed him hard and deep at once, without giving him any quarter. His body heated up, relaxing as if in a trance, while enjoying the taste of her lips and caresses of her tongue. She was relentless, wild, dominating him with ease, and for once, he wasn't up for defying her hold on him. She deserved anything she asked for today. He had already been fickle, and he'd behaved very recklessly on a whim. It was only fair for him to please his lover in any way he could, and if that entailed allowing her to overwhelm him with addictive kisses, so be it.
His hands were free to touch her now, fondling whatever he could reach and prompting her to moan with delight. She rested atop him, but the pleasant feeling of her chest against his was something they were deprived of while wearing their armor. Sokka growled with irritation at this fact, and soon he slid his hands along her flanks to unbuckle her breastplate. Doing as much allowed him to caress her breasts with further ease, as he slipped his hands between her clothes and armor.
Azula moaned eagerly and relaxed into his touch. Her legs spread and straddled his hips, and her kiss's aggressiveness only increased with his bold caresses. Despite she had her bindings tight around her chest, she could sense her nipples hardening as she longed for Sokka to take them into his mouth. Her body heated up and her desires spun wildly out of her control. She wanted more, needed more, and some part of her felt she was owed as much. If Sokka was going to spend the day with her, she had to make the most of it while they were alone.
He was at a loss when she pulled away. His lips were reddened after being kissed so passionately, and his perfectly tidy uniform was slightly more crumpled than before. He watched as Azula climbed off the bed, utterly confused.
"What…?" he whispered, dreading she had changed her mind.
But she undid her belt, releasing the buckle and allowing it to drop to the floor. Sokka's uncertainty shifted into an eager smirk, as she took off her boots now. Some part of him wanted to join in on this, to help her remove her clothes, but another part of him found it absolutely erotic to watch as Azula rid herself of all the garments on the lower half of her body. He shivered in anticipation as she climbed atop him, and his hands removed the breastplate he had already undone.
Azula was perfectly compliant as he took off her armor, and she threw her head back in bliss as Sokka hoisted himself up to kiss her chest even over her remaining clothes. But she interrupted his joyful moment by pushing him down on the bed and straddling his hips again. Sokka smiled a little, curious over what her next move might be as she crawled over him, her legs slowly but surely climbing at either side of his body.
"What are you…?" he asked, looking at her with confusion, but everything was clearer when she only stopped once her knees were level with his head.
"Oh, don't be so shy now…" she said, smirking down at him. "You know just what to do, don't you?"
Sokka's red cheeks brightened but he smiled confidently soon enough. His hands caressed her thighs before latching onto her rear, and he pulled her down on him so he could delight himself between her folds. His lips worked on her with sucking motions, and his tongue flicked her clit back and forth, without giving her a second to brace herself for it. Azula groaned and threw her head back, a blissful smile on her face.
"See? Just… just like that," she uttered breathlessly. Sokka chuckled proudly.
He was devoted to the task, bearing with her full weight without complaint. His fingers traveled back and forth over her legs, enhancing the shivers that already shook Azula to her core. Heat was gathering in the sensitive spot between her legs, and Sokka's lapping of her folds was certainly doing its job of boosting her excitement. If this was the payoff from Rui Shi's wicked stunt… well, perhaps she could accept it. If just for a little while.
His ministrations grew more urgent, fingertips now digging into her skin. Her chest heaved, and her hands, at a loss for what to do, took to guiding his own inside her remaining clothes. Sokka laughed softly into each kiss he placed upon her wet skin, as his hands now found her breasts under her bindings, thanks to Azula's guidance. He squeezed and kneaded, toying with the nipples until they were fully hard against his palm. Repressed moans slipped out of Azula, but she held them back as best as she could, while bucking her hips towards him, thrusting against his delightful tongue.
Even when she was the one in control, the one leading the entire tryst, the one on top, Sokka was doing a marvelous job at controlling the steady and progressive rise in excitement of Azula's body. Azula smiled upon thinking of how commanding she was in most regards, yet how easily she could relinquish control to him in the bedroom. He seemed to understand her body and needs thoroughly, and he teased her by touching her in her most sensitive places just to recoil instants later, giving her small doses of pleasure that would always leave her craving for more.
She arched forward now, her mouth open as he gave her clit a few flicks with his tongue. A pathetic whimper left her throat, but she could barely be embarrassed by it when he was doing such pleasant things to her. His hands moved over her back now, fumbling to undo her bindings even though she still wore her shirt and tunic. Still, at this rate, she'd soon lose all remaining clothes and end up naked while he was still fully dressed… and some shameless part of Azula didn't think there'd be anything wrong with that. A stronger, more vindictive part of her enjoyed the thought that, after all this, Sokka would have an excuse to never return this uniform to Rui Shi. The man had to face some consequences for what he'd done, after all…
Trying to distract herself with any thoughts that crossed her mind proved a futile endeavor. Her entire body was burning with lust right now, and Sokka's hands now massaged her rear with sensual circular movements. The Princess had no choice but to bring a hand to her mouth, biting hard on her wrist at a lack for anything better. The pleasure was too strong, and the orgasm he had built inside her was going to burst out of her violently. She was reluctant to release on Sokka in this way, and she tried to restrain the pleasure, but his lips, wrapped around her clit, sucked her nub delightfully: there was no way she could repress anything, Sokka had seen to that.
The rush of pleasure poured out of her recklessly, and Sokka groaned as he received it gladly. Azula almost fell over, having to support her weight with her hands on the mattress, but her elbows gave way before long. She collapsed face-down on the bed, crawling away from Sokka's insistent mouth, for it seemed hellbent on giving her a second release.
"It's… it's fine already, Sokka, I… I already…" she gasped, her chest heaving as Sokka hummed and looked at her with sharp eyes.
When she gazed at him she was caught by the eager, hungry quality of his blue gaze. He had looked at her with many different eyes through the years: she knew his rage, his hatred, his fear. She also knew his love, his joy, his gratefulness. Right now, though… she wasn't sure she had ever felt as desired as she did under his current gaze. And she thoroughly relished in it.
He didn't give her the mercy she had requested. He inched closer to her, kissing her calves and the back of her knee as he rose over her thighs. The effect his eyes had had on her was kicking in powerfully: she had said she'd had enough, but all of sudden, nothing was enough. She wanted him to do it again, to devour her with his talented lips…
He was still rising over her leg when he noticed her lifting her hips. He smirked as his hand reached to cup one buttock, fondling it eagerly as he kept kissing her thigh.
"Do it again…" she whispered. He frowned.
"Hmm? Wasn't it enough just now, lover?" he asked teasingly, caressing her flat belly before moving to push her shirt and tunic off her body. Azula helped in their removal, breathing heavily and lifting her body just enough to rid herself of the fabrics.
"It's not anymore," she admitted, shifting her hips again. Sokka smirked. "Just… more, Sokka…"
"Gladly," he said, with one more sucking kiss to her round cheek before leaning in to lick her slit.
The new angle was difficult, but he could still achieve the desired effect as Azula struggled to retain her position. Sokka chuckled soon enough and turned around, sliding just below her again so he could access her sex easily. His mouth and tongue toyed with her again, and she bit hard on her bed's wrinkled sheets as her body began burning once more.
Sokka's manhood was throbbing by now: he was ready to take this to the next level whenever she was. Still, he enjoyed devouring her folds too much to stop just yet. He kissed and licked, sucked and teased, giving her no respite as he enjoyed the melodies of her moans. Her tense legs shivered, and she pressed her groin against him just as before when a second climax arrived. Again, he remained latched onto her, helping her ride that pleasure cruise until the very end.
She collapsed again, chest heaving against the bed, as a soft sound left her lips with every gasp for breath. Sokka slid out from under her, licking his lips and smiling proudly. He turned to watch her, his grin growing kinder as he caressed her thigh.
"Now it is enough?" he asked, teasingly. She huffed.
"No," she replied breathlessly. "Now… now you fuck me."
Sokka smirked and nodded, and she shivered with pleasure upon hearing the metallic sound of his buckle, unlocking from its spot around his waist. Sokka could see the small smile on her lips, and he smirked. It was always nice to know she craved him just as badly as he wanted her.
"Not going to change positions?" he asked, after pushing his pants down and leaning over Azula. She hummed and shrugged.
"Why not go at it this way, gladia-…? Oh, wait, you're not a gladiator today. You're my guard…"
"For a day, yes," said Sokka, smiling. "I really should keep this suit after this. I can't imagine Rui Shi would want it back."
A triumphant, mischievous laugh left Azula's lips, and she opened one eye to glance at him enticingly. She lifted her hips, and her ass rubbed against his hardening cock. Sokka gasped.
"Get on with it then. We don't have all day," she said, with a hushed voice.
Sokka snickered but obeyed, pushing inside her opening and leading her to cover her mouth with a hand so she wouldn't moan out of bliss. He laughed and leaned in to kiss her temples, as she beamed happily.
"Yeah, I definitely won't return this outfit," he gasped, filling her further. Azula moaned again.
"I thought it was the perfect punishment for him, too. He deserves it…" she said. Sokka smiled.
"And I don't?"
"Oh… you're about to spend all day being bossed around… by me," she said, smirking at him. "That'll be punishment enough, I'm sure…"
Sokka laughed as he plunged inside her again, and the warmth of her walls enveloped him fully. He smiled too and almost forgot to continue thrusting, already so overtaken by the feelings that he couldn't bring himself to thrust any harder, or else he might burst already…
But when he moved again, Azula's hand darted out and smacked him on the chest. Sokka frowned, mildly grateful that he was wearing his armor still, but he saw the panicked look on his lover's eyes. Something wasn't right.
"Do you not want this anymo-…?" he started, uncertain, but Azula put a finger on her lips as she sat up, forcing him to withdraw his manhood. Neither of them waned to disengage their bodies, it was clear, but Azula wouldn't be acting this way without a reason.
Sokka knew this side of Azula well enough, too, just as he knew the temptress who had seduced him so easily only moments earlier. She had brought out his most daring instincts, and some part of him wondered if she had been eliciting all those feelings in him knowingly. She was a firebender, though. If someone had it in her to stoke Sokka's own fire, it was her.
As long as no one intruded on them, of course.
Finally, Sokka heard it too. The clear sound of a footstep made Azula cringe. She pushed at Sokka so he would get off the bed immediately, her motions led by a mix of fear and urgency that did not befit her. Sokka jumped off the mattress obediently, unsure of where to go as he grabbed his belt. Without warning, Azula shoved him under the bed at haste, and Sokka rolled there as Azula began gathering her clothes, grateful that she had locked the door when she had.
Whoever was out there would have to wait, or they would have to talk to her through the door. But whichever they chose, Azula would not allow them to see her with her tangled, messy hair, and almost fully naked body. She had tightened her chest bindings and was moving to pick up her remaining clothes when she heard the knock on the metal door.
She refrained from answering, trying not to move too suddenly as she dressed up again, her hands clumsier than they should've been.
"Princess? Are you in here?" she heard a female voice calling, and she identified it as one of her personal maids. Azula breathed deeply.
"I am…" she said, without masking her irritation in the slightest. Sokka's eyebrows twitched: wouldn't it be too suspicious if she seemed to be in a bad mood for no reason?
But Azula was ahead of him, as she often was. She knew just what she had to do, just what she had to say to ensure her maid wouldn't want to enter her room no matter what. The young woman outside hesitated nervously, while Azula pulled up her underwear and trousers in one quick motion.
"D-do excuse me! I didn't mean to interrupt while you were resting!" the maid exclaimed.
"There's an obvious reason why the door is locked, you realize…" Azula growled, still with the same irritation as she reached for her shirt and tunic. The maid's anxiety audibly increased, her breathing faster and clumsier.
"I'm so very sorry, Princess! I… I was merely sent to inform you that your palanquin was left sitting by the South Wing, n-near your dragon's refuge? The parade will begin in an hour, so you're expected to be in the palanquin…"
"Within that time frame, yes," Azula said, with a sigh. "I can manage that even if I take a short nap, Yawen."
"Then, shall I send for someone to keep watch on the palanquin while…?"
"No, you shall not. I'll take care of that myself. Thank you for your report: you're dismissed now."
"O-oh, of course, Princess! I'm so very sorry, so…!"
"Enough of that already, be quiet," Azula snapped through the door. Only then did Yawen fall silent.
Azula fastened her belt and listened carefully as the maid's footsteps moved away from the room. She only released her breath when she couldn't hear her walking anymore.
"That… was too close," she admitted, dropping her face between her hands.
Sokka crawled out from under the bed, looking at her apologetically. His manhood was still eager for more action, but he could ignore it while focusing on the problem at hand. He pushed himself up and placed his gloved hands on Azula's shoulders. She groaned and shook her head.
"This is so risky. It's so dangerous, and maybe that's why I'm being such a fool," she said. "I… enjoy it. I love feeling like we're outsmarting everyone else, I can't deny it. I enjoy being with you as it is, but that only makes it better, and one of these days I'm going to do something so stupid and get us both killed, all because…"
"Hush, no need for that," said Sokka, pulling her close so she dropped her head on his shoulder. Azula sighed. "It's my fault in the first place, so don't go blaming yourself for things you didn't do. Seriously, don't."
"I don't know what to do," Azula whispered. "It's been almost a year since we first went this far, Sokka, and yet…"
She lifted her eyes to find his own. Sokka's fingers caressed her messy hair as they held each other's gazes. He smiled a little before leaning in for a gentle kiss: Azula responded softly, pressing her forehead to his until he pulled away.
"I'll help you with your hair," he said, caressing her arms. "Come on."
Azula complied as Sokka led her to her dresser: he picked up her brush and undid her top-knot. He made sure to fix every strand to perfection, just as she needed him to. Azula closed her eyes through it all, enjoying the feeling of his fingers in her hair, allowing herself to remember the first time he had brushed it: she had been delighted by how careful he was with her hair, how his fingers caressed her scalp so very gently, yet also intimately. The feeling it had elicited back then was just as strong then as it was now.
So much had changed, she knew as much, but at the same time, not a lot had. She knew relationships could grow stale, they could lose the spark that made them important and desirable in the first place, but after all this time, that hadn't happened to her with Sokka. Instead, she found herself at a loss when she tried to remember what life was like without him in it, without his kisses, warm smiles, loving touches…
The truth was, she didn't want to remember that at all: she wanted her future to be just as her present was. She wanted him beside her at all times, ready to take any chances they might get whenever they were alone together…
But sometimes that was a bad idea. And it was one now, even if her heart didn't want to acknowledge that. She sighed as Sokka finished fixing her hair, placing her hairpiece just before the top-knot.
"Alright. Now I just… need my armor and boots," Azula whispered. Sokka nodded.
Sokka helped her finish dressing up, caressing her cheeks and gazing at her just after fastening the buckles of her armor. Azula's eyes should have been reproachful, Sokka knew as much, but he found her remorseful instead: she wanted the same thing he did. Yawen's untimely interruption had taken a toll on them and their moods that day.
"What should I do?" he asked her. "If I sneak out of here quickly…"
"No," Azula said, shaking her head. "Take the tunnels again. First exit to the south. Stand guard by the palanquin, I'll be there shortly."
"Should I?" Sokka asked, biting his lip. "You seemed not to want anyone guarding the-…"
"Of course I didn't, because this way you could go there safely and be by yourself for as long as you can," she said. "The less time you spend with the rest of the guards, the less likely they are to notice the deception."
"Okay, okay," said Sokka, sighing and cupping her face. "I'm sorry…"
"How I hate it when you apologize," she said, with a small smile. "I'm the one who initiated this. Stop feeling guilty. Get going."
Sokka smiled and obeyed, picking up his helmet and making his way to the trapdoor in Azula's room. She unlocked it and he stepped inside, glancing over his shoulder at her. Azula knelt by the trapdoor just as Sokka was chest-level underground. He smiled.
"I'll see you in a bit," he said. She leaned in to kiss him deeply.
"Be careful. And put on that helmet," she said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka chuckled before obeying.
"Shame that I have to, really. How will you kiss me now?" he teased her, before waving and walking deeper inside the tunnels.
Azula watched him vanish into the darkness until there was nothing left to see. She closed the trapdoor carefully and rolled the carpet over it, breathing out and trying to gather the willpower she'd need to keep her hands to herself for the rest of the day. She couldn't risk any misbehavior anymore, she knew as much. She had to control herself, prove she was the perfect heir her father wanted. Perfect heirs didn't engage their gladiators in impromptu rounds of sex, let alone when the gladiator in question was impersonating a Royal Guard.
Yet her whole body burned with desire, even now. Azula fixed her makeup, as ever – it was practically systematic by now, seeing as she had to do it whenever she met Sokka –, and stared at her immaculate reflection in her dresser's mirror.
There she was, clad in a golden armor, the Princess she had always dreamt of being. She was her father's heir, and she had his trust. He had given her all the opportunities she had ever wanted, and she had been successful with most of them. She had been acknowledged for who she was, by the nobility, by the commoners, by her enemies, by everyone. The woman who returned her gaze in the mirror was exactly who she was supposed to be.
And yet some chaotic side of her wanted to tarnish the feigned purity, to stain white sheets, to commit acts she should never get away with. To be with the man she loved, even if he was everything she wasn't supposed to care for, everything she wasn't supposed to have.
Life had its ways of being contradictory, of turning the tables when it was least expected. What she had desired since her childhood, every ambition she had set her sights on, was at risk because of her dalliance with Sokka. And a reckless, likely hormone-driven side of her, urged her to continue risking everything as she had. Because, while she hadn't been paying attention, her deepest desires had changed completely. Dreams of glory and success had once occupied most her thoughts, but now she couldn't focus on them as she used to. Now she was willing to let go of so many things, things she had once considered vital, just for Sokka's sake.
One day she might regret this, she knew. But for now, she would settle for trying to protect their relationship from the very worst consequences while making sure to enjoy it to the fullest.
She finished fixing her appearance and stomped out of her room with strong strides. She held her head high, brow furrowed, fists clenched. Every soldier and Palace worker who crossed her path would cower at the sight of her, as she wanted them to. She responded to no greetings. Every reverence went unanswered.
All so they'd know better than to interfere. All so they would be too scared to be near her right now. The less likely they were to be interrupted again, the better.
She finally reached the Palace exit she had headed towards, and after a glance, spotted the palanquin to the side. Xin Long was crouching behind it, and it took Azula a moment to realize her dragon was talking to Sokka.
"… Shh, don't even think about giving me away, Xin!" he said, but the dragon chuckled and poked him with his nose. "Okay, yes, I was doing pretty naughty things, but you can be a grown-up about it, you know?"
"I'm afraid he can't," Azula said, startling them. "Neither can you, from the looks of it, Captain. Doing naughty things, is it?"
"I… wasn't," Sokka started with his regular voice, but then changed to the deep version he had perfected earlier. Azula smiled. "I believed you were resting, Princess…"
"I thought I'd do as much in the palanquin, this way we know for sure that I won't sleep in," she said, stepping towards the vehicle while giving Xin Long a meaningful stare. The dragon seemed surprised at first, then disapproving, then amused. Sokka wondered if he had hallucinated those expressions, or if he was learning to understand the creature better…
"I see," Sokka told Azula, nodding. "If that's the case, let me help you."
He drew back one of the curtains of the palanquin, helping Azula climb aboard. The Princess nodded gratefully as she stepped into the palanquin, settling on its central cushion. There was a backseat right behind the cushions, Sokka noticed, fashioned out of crimson velvet and encased in a frame of gold, with spikes bursting from it. He hadn't been conscious the first and so far only time he had been aboard the vehicle, so he hadn't noticed any details back then.
"Do inform me of anything you may need," he said, bowing his head towards her. Azula smiled.
"I suppose I'll do that, if there's anything for you to do. For now, though… shall you keep watch for any prying eyes?"
"I… can, of course," said Sokka, glancing about himself with uncertainty, but there was nobody around. Not within sight, at least.
But Azula's soft laugh brought him to wonder whether the command had been directed towards him or not…
Suddenly, Xin Long shot up into the air. Sokka caught a sound of grumbling, or what counted as grumbling, coming from the dragon. He raised his head and watched as Xin Long flew high, to perch himself on the highest point of his refuge. He snaked around it carefully, his tail swaying as he glanced around himself cautiously. Sokka raised an eyebrow before stepping closer to the palanquin.
"When you said that about keeping watch, were you talking to me or…?"
A hand with perfect, long nails darted out through the curtains and clasped Sokka's forearm, pulling him into the palanquin forcefully and making him board it for the second time in his life. Sokka stumbled into it, eyes wide as he dropped right in front of the palanquin's seat. Azula wasn't occupying it right now, though, for she was busy closing the curtains again.
"Azu-…?" he started, but was interrupted again when she reached for him, removing his helmet quickly so she could plant another kiss on his lips.
And just like that, everything made sense. Sending him to guard her palanquin, making Xin Long keep watch…
"Yes, I was talking to the dragon," Azula hissed, with a malicious smirk. Sokka snorted and smiled in disbelief.
"Oh, you beautiful sly wonder, you…" he whispered before kissing her harder.
She climbed atop him again, her legs straddling his hips as they kissed heavily. He found himself pressed against the palanquin's backrest, and some part of him was apprehensive about taking her place in the royal vehicle, but Azula didn't seem to care for that in the slightest. Her dominant, eager kisses convinced Sokka to relinquish all control of the situation to her, most gratifyingly. He was too nervous, too uncertain, too conscious of how translucent the curtains of the palanquin could be. Her recklessness was unbelievable right now, and yet… and yet he couldn't put a stop to her. He really didn't want to.
"This is… it's madness, you realize…?" he said. She snickered.
"Who'd have thought you'd be so prudent, gladiator?" she hissed, pressing against him. Her hips bucked against his, and Sokka swallowed hard.
"Azula…" he whispered.
"I can't go the whole day thinking about what we left unfinished," she retorted, her hands traveling over his uniform to undo his armor. Sokka's breath caught in his throat. "So, if you'll be so kind… you'll spare me that torment, yes?"
"Are you sure? Azula, this is…" he said, as she set his armor aside before undoing her own. "We're going to look like a mess after we're done, this isn't…"
"We'll be quick, and thorough," she said, reaching down to his belt and unclasping it. Sokka succumbed to the temptation, doing the same with hers. She smiled. "And yes, if you cooperate, we'll be done faster."
"Goodness, you're going to kill me, Princess…" he hissed. She chuckled.
His manhood wasn't fully erect, having lost its stiffness after the fright from their interruption earlier. But Azula had an idea or two about how to fix that conundrum…
"Don't worry about it, just… woah, Azula?" Sokka said, eyes wide as the Princess slid down his body, holding his cock in her hands.
"Shh. Be quiet," she said, smiling mischievously before leaning in.
He knew it was payback for earlier, of course he knew as much. But being kissed by those delectable lips, on his most sensitive body part, sent his blood rushing southwards at haste. He had still been a calm brook when they had been in her room, but with what she was doing to him, his slow trickle had shifted into the torrent of wild rapids, rushing through in a mad race that would only end with the final rush down a waterfall…
He covered his mouth with his hand, trying not to make any noise while Azula did as she pleased with him. It was surreal that she would do this, especially when he had displeased her as he had. Nothing could have warned him about this, he never expected to feel her lips wrapped around his shaft, her tongue snaking all over his manhood…
"E-enough, Azula… Azula, please…" he begged, his erection fully loaded now, harder and more sensitive than it had been while they were in her room.
Azula frowned but obeyed, pressing one last kiss to his tip before pushing her own pants down. She climbed over his body, looking at him with uncertainty, but he pulled her in for a long and deep kiss while she settled atop him. His fingers dug into her rear as he helped push her boots, pants and underwear off. She would need to get rid of the restrictive clothes if she wanted to ride him properly…
And that was exactly what the Princess endeavored to do. Her arms encircled his neck as she continued to kiss him, and she heaved down on his erection, allowing him to fill her properly this time: Sokka gasped against her, Azula moaned against him. Their eyes were barely open, but they gazed at each other nonetheless. The intimacy, but also the raw passion, was enhanced by how they kissed without breaking eye contact.
She began thrusting slowly, her hips swaying against his with rocking motions that he followed easily. Sokka's blood was rushing wildly, while her inner fire was flaring eagerly too. His hand rose to cup her face, and she made a face of displeasure before removing his gloves. Sokka smirked as she pressed her face to his bare fingers.
"That… that's more like it," she whispered.
His fingertips traveled over her face, touching her as though to trace every line on it. The caresses made her shiver, closing her eyes as he touched her brow, her eyelids, her nose, eventually her lips. She took that chance to press a soft kiss to his hand, and he smiled before pulling her in for a deeper kiss.
With every clash of their tongues, Azula felt more compelled to thrust against him. She moaned into him, her arms still locked around his neck. Being on top always seemed to mean that Sokka would have free rein to touch her as intimately as he liked, and it didn't matter how much control she supposedly had, she lost it easily when he mesmerized her with his caresses. She basked in everything he did, for she never felt as desired as she did when she was with him: she never felt as loved as she did with him.
But it wasn't the right moment to reflect on their feelings. People could spot them at any given moment, and she couldn't be sure Xin Long would chase them away easily. They had to finish this, and to finish it right.
She sped up her rhythm, and Sokka followed fit. He thrusted upwards weakly, merely responding to her stronger thrusts, and gazing up at her hungrily. Eventually he caved in to his needs, latching onto her neck and nibbling on it while fondling her rear still. Azula's moans were hard to keep at bay, but she did a better job of it than usual for now.
"Faster…" he whispered. She bit her lip and nodded, spreading her legs wider and welcoming him more fully. He cried out in bliss and complied, thrusting with more power and prompting her to moan loudly in pleasure.
He shot her a meaningful stare and decided to kiss her deeply to silence her. It was effective, and it wouldn't anger her. If anything, kissing her would only further their mutual excitement, he knew as much.
Her thrusting rhythm was erratic, a sure sign of how excited she was already. Small droplets of sweat were accumulated on her skin, he could feel them as he slid his ungloved hand inside her shirt. The taste of her kisses was as intoxicating as it was addictive, furthering his urgent need of her. She was driving him mad with pleasure, to the point where he could easily forget where he was, who they were, and all the reasons why they shouldn't be doing this…
Azula's urgent moans poured into him, accompanied by the fast, erratic rhythm of her thrusts. Sokka hummed back, pounding into her from below and driving her to moan louder as her body stiffened. Sokka knew what that meant, but the slowing of her movements was the last thing he needed right now.
So he snatched her up and pinned her down on the palanquin's cushion, swapping their positions as he took to being the one erratically thrusting into her. Azula gritted her teeth, her entire body shaking violently as the ripples of the climax ravaged her, driving her fire to blaze brightly, so brightly she felt as though she might just set the world ablaze if he wasn't there to keep her grounded.
Sokka wasn't doing much better: his torrent of pleasure was inches away from its finish, ready to plummet down wildly. It was an incoming barrage, not unlike an avalanche, not unlike a powerful, surging storm that could destroy everything in its path. It certainly had destroyed his willpower, his common sense, everything he often failed to hold onto when he was with her. He was out of control, his body trembling fully as the rising excitement finally reached its peak. For once, thrusting became a matter of pure instinct, for he couldn't think through it anymore. He couldn't command his body: it moved on its own. And as Azula clutched at him from below, nails digging into his back even over his outfit, he lost himself fully in the pleasure. The torrent finally found a release, and it poured through him in a wild frenzy, as he thrusted until he was fully spent.
He slowed down eventually, his chest heaving against her as he struggled to recover. Azula was just as dizzy, but going by the smile on her face, just as satisfied.
"Ah… what a good gladiator you are," she said, stroking his hair and caressing his cheek. He smirked.
"Really? I'm good when I'm breaking all these rules?" he asked. She laughed softly.
"I might change my mind when my sense of responsibility kicks in, but for now… yes," she whispered, reaching up to kiss him. He made the effort easier for her by meeting her halfway.
They remained locked in their embrace shortly, indulging in each other's company, but Xin Long's consciousness intruded in Azula's own, reminding her that the palanquin bearers could show up at any time, as could the rest of her procession. She sighed but nodded, pushing herself up and forcing Sokka to sit up as well.
"Alright. Alright, we're good for now," she said, patting his chest gently. "Time to return to reality."
"Your hair…" said Sokka, sighing as Azula smiled and shook her head.
"I'll put on my armor first. Fix it after," she whispered.
Again, he helped her compose herself just as she did the same for him, buckling his belt, setting the guard armor in place. She wiped his face clean from her kisses, even though his helmet would conceal the marks, while Sokka ensured her tall collar would cover the red spots he had left on her neck. He fixed her hair afterwards, while she assessed the damage to her makeup with the help of her pocket mirror.
"Thanks… but you have to get going now," she said. Sokka raised his eyebrows.
"Where to?" he asked. She bit her lip.
"Just… stand out there. There's nothing else for you to do, really, just… stand there."
"Heh," said Sokka, with a small smile. "Well, alright then."
He straightened his uniform, but Azula didn't let him go without one last kiss for the time being. Sokka smiled into it, cupping her face and kissing her back gladly. It had been the wildest, craziest escapade, but even now, Sokka couldn't really worry about everything that could've gone wrong. All he could feel was the adrenaline, the rushes of joy inside him, the warmth in his chest that brought him to his knees before her. He loved her, desperately, eagerly. Years had passed, but their passion only strengthened every day. A part of him, the skeptical side that believed in nothing but what was real and tangible, was scoffing at the romantic side, that believed in soulmates, in true love, in every single corny notion about the perfect partner. But he knew he couldn't have forged a bond like this with anyone else. He wouldn't go as far as he had with her for anyone else.
And he truly regretted nothing. Not a thing…
"I love you," he blurted out as they kissed. Azula smiled and kissed him again repeatedly. "Damn it all, I love you…"
"I love you too," she said. "But you have to get off my palanquin, lover."
"I suppose I do, don't I?" he said, with a weak grin. Azula pecked his lips again.
"Put up with this pretense, just for today. Surely tomorrow's events won't take up all my day," she said, caressing his cheek. Sokka kissed her palm.
"I hope so, selfish as that might be," he said, smirking. "At times like these I wish I could have you to myself, all day long…"
"Well, aren't you a dummy," said Azula, kissing him one more time. "I'm already yours, entirely… but do get off the palanquin. Your ride is over, for now."
Sokka laughed but obeyed, fastening his helmet as Azula smiled warmly at him. He made a gallant reverence to acknowledge her before stepping off the vehicle. The Princess didn't stop watching him, not even when he stepped through the curtain and closed it neatly behind him. She sighed, though, eyeing his silhouette through the fabric before focusing on herself. She had pulled up all the clothes from the lower end of her body and fastened the armor and boots back into place. Sokka had helped her with her hair again, and her makeup could be fixed quickly, too.
But she glanced about herself warily all the same, making sure there was no evidence left in the scene of their passionate crime. She smiled at the thought, wondering just how she could behave with such abandon when it came to him… ah, but she knew why. She knew why.
She rested against her palanquin's backrest, eyes closed as her de-stressed body relaxed fully. She was as giddy as could be, and that wasn't a word she ever believed could describe her, but the man by her side had achieved the impossible with her already, in many regards. He had unleashed her locked down, frozen heart, and now he paid the price by bearing with her most unreasonable demands, such as bringing him into her palanquin for a rushed, mad tryst.
She laughed to herself and glanced at the shape of him through the curtain. A daring impulse took over her again, and she slid her fingers through the fabric to touch his gloved hand. Sokka didn't take long to lean down, gazing at her through his helmet.
"Something wrong?" he asked. She only smiled.
"Sure," she said. "I wanted to hold your hand, but you weren't in here, so I had to reach out to do it."
Sokka snorted and looked at her in disbelief. She smiled innocently.
"Honestly, woman… you're going to be the death of me," he said, intertwining her fingers with his own. Azula chuckled.
"Just stand close to the curtain, no one will notice if you do that. And of course, when you hear anyone arriving, let go and stand further away. But for now…"
"For now," Sokka agreed, smiling.
His thumb stroked the back of her hand gently, and again, Azula wished he wouldn't have to wear gloves… but there was nothing to be done about that, she knew. She only breathed deeply and released that breath with a blissful sigh: who needed any flower offerings, any old-fashioned traditions to prove how true their love was? Certainly not them. Certainly not when they were pushing every boundary, every limit, to be together as they were right now. Every moment they could share was of unmeasurable worth. And they intended to make the most of them, all risk be damned.
It was hard to see them holding hands, genuinely impossible from most angles. Still, the closeness of Sokka's standing position to Azula's palanquin proved suspicious enough on its own. Or at least, that's what a distrustful Admiral thought to himself, as he chanced a glance out of the window, on the second floor of the Palace's South Wing…