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...

152. Chapter 152: Haru's Family 1

This chapter was written in advance, long before the string of recent reviews arrived. Even if I had wanted to abide by your counsel, I've already written ahead nearly to the end of this new arc and I'm not going to discard everything I've done as of late, after that much work, just to please those of you who have voiced complaints about how I've been handling this story.

That being said, there are romantic scenes between Sokka and Azula in this chapter. Goes without saying that you can skim or skip them if they bother you too much (going by the content of the aforementioned reviews, you probably already do that), but I figure, after what happened, that it'd be a simple courtesy on my part to warn you before you waste your time reading in circles. Do enjoy the chapter, if it's still enjoyable in any way for those of you who are dissatisfied so far.

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The test results would be delivered to the guards later today. Azula knew as much, but part of her didn't want to discover what her father's decisions had been just yet. She doubted all her guards would pass, but most of all, she doubted Rui Shi would, and not over any incompetence, but because of the Imperial Guards' General's mysterious hostility towards the Captain. Azula had done her best to argue in the man's favor through her meetings with the Fire Lord and the General, but it was hard to tell whether her arguments or the General's had been more influential on Ozai.

She had no choice but to find out now, though, as she sat at the Fire Lord's office again, a guilty smile on her face while Ozai regarded her with a raised eyebrow. Her question had been met with skepticism, just as she had expected it to be.

"Another trip abroad?" he asked. "Which means you'll be taking your guards again, even if now they will be Imperial?"

"I… what?" Azula said, blinking blankly. "What do you mean they will be…? Were all of them promoted, then?"

"Indeed, but that's not the topic at hand," said Ozai, squinting as Azula blinked blankly.

"Seriously? All of them?" she repeated, in disbelief. Ozai huffed.

"I just said so. I decided as much and the General has accepted, albeit begrudgingly, that all of them had their merits. Feel free to rejoice over it," said Ozai. "But I certainly wonder if you are merely teasing me, Princess Azula. Requesting this promotion, only to backtrack and ask for the same men back in your service barely a few days later?"

"It's within a month's time, a month and a half," Azula said, shrugging. "It's not something essential either, Father. If you would rather I don't leave the city, I won't. I'm here to ask your permission, and if you won't grant it, I won't go. I only thought it was right to bring this up to you first."

"And it was right, indeed," Ozai huffed, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Azula eyed him warily as he stared right back at her, his golden eyes piercing through her coldly. She'd much rather be done with this already and be stared at by warm blue eyes, instead… "I suppose I can allow it."

"You can?" Azula asked, surprised. "That's… thank you, Father. I know it's very inconvenient, but I assure you, I'll stay put afterwards and…"

"I have a hard time believing that," Ozai said, raising his eyebrow again before waving his hand towards his daughter. "Run along then, run along. Go prepare for your Dual Tournament, or whatever you called it."

"Thank you," Azula said, smiling and standing up. "I'll take my leave then."

Ozai nodded and Azula bowed her head, still disbelieving of his decision in her favor. Ty Lee would be pleased, she guessed, once she arrived at her place to tell her the good news. A Pairs Tournament, with Ty Lee and Haru… well, it couldn't be more chaotic than the one with Iroh and Toph, could it?

Xin Long waited in his refuge, and she groomed his mane before they set off to fetch Sokka at his house. The mischievous creature was in a much better mood as of late, so Azula enjoyed a peaceful flight this time, as opposed to the constant bickering they'd had before making amends a few days ago. They landed in the backyard of the house after a casual flight, and Sokka rushed out to greet them, smiling warmly at Azula.

"Hey!" he exclaimed, as she dismounted quickly and moved in to kiss him. He responded happily, grinning as they parted. "I didn't think you'd be here today…"

"Well, it happens to be training day for you at Ty Lee's, remember?" she smirked. "Although, admittedly, most days will turn into training day at her place, from now on. To my utmost surprise, my father has agreed to let us go to Ba Sing Se, so…"

"We're joining the Pairs Tournament?" he asked, eyes wide. "Woah! That's…! Oh, goodness, yes!"

He hugged her tight, lifting her off her feet and twirling her in the air triumphantly. Azula laughed as she held onto him.

"If only you were excited about the actual event, rather than being with me for around a month or two without interruptions…" she said, laughing as he stopped spinning. Sokka smiled guiltily.

"Can you blame me, really?" he asked, beaming up at her. "The more I see of you, the better life is. That's just a fact, Azula."

"Oh, fact, you say. That's a very scientific argument you just made," she said, poking his shoulder. Sokka chuckled. "But you do have to go get your weapons now. We're off to train indeed…"

"Can't have a brief celebration beforehand?" he asked, with a weak grin. Azula laughed.

"Need I remind you of what number of foul things we did in this house just yesterday?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "Speaking of which, you did clean up properly, didn't you?"

"Yeah, as best as I could, and when Song showed up, she forced me to clean everything up again, just to be sure," Sokka pouted. Azula laughed. "Feels so underserved…"

"Cheer yourself up by thinking about why you got everything so dirty in the first place," she said, prodding his nose with hers. His guilty grin spoke for itself: he certainly had spent his morning recalling everything from yesterday, in full detail. "Go get your stuff, then, will you?"

"Alright, alright…" he said, smirking as he turned back to the house, a spring on his step.

Azula didn't need to wait long for Sokka, as he returned happily bare moments later. They flew to Ty Lee's house, his hands often caressing her flanks and abdomen gently, lips kissing her ear and cheek unless she turned her face around to catch his kisses with her own. By the time they landed at Ty Lee's backyard they were beaming brightly, barely hiding just how pleased they were with each other today.

"Azula? You're early!" Ty Lee exclaimed, stepping out into the backyard once Azula and Sokka had dismounted.

"Here I thought you'd be happy about it, considering how much training Sokka and Haru will need…" Azula said, smirking as she patted Xin Long's flank. The dragon flew away briefly afterwards, leaving Ty Lee to gaze at Azula and Sokka with a hopeful smile.

"Wait, wait… what does that mean, Azula?" she asked, stepping towards her. Sokka grinned at Azula too, who shrugged enigmatically.

"It might mean my father has agreed to let me go to Ba Sing Se for the Pairs Tournament, though we still need to submit our entry for it, but still…"

"YES!"

Azula nearly toppled over when Ty Lee hugged her excitedly. Sokka instinctively darted out an arm to keep Azula upright, and she was grateful for it, but annoyed by Ty Lee's outburst. With Sokka's help, Azula managed to retain her footing, but Ty Lee took to jumping cheerfully around her and Sokka, squealing of joy before rushing inside the house, presumably to tell Haru the good news.

"I can't believe she's already making me regret this," Azula growled. Sokka chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Maybe I can make you stop regretting it," he said, brushing her hair away from her face to kiss her more deeply. Azula rewarded him with a moan and a caress of her fingers, trailing over his jawline.

"Well, that's as convincing an argument as it can get," she said, smiling as they parted. "Fine, fine, I won't regret it…"

They didn't have to wait long for Mai to arrive. She hadn't brought Yuudai with her on that day either, having left him with her servants instead. As usual, that meant she wouldn't stay all day, but she seemed perfectly content to take part in Sokka and Haru's training, if just for a short time. Ty Lee helped her get ready while both Sokka and Haru stretched, the former already at the backyard, the latter pacing inside the house.

Azula watched Sokka's stretching routine from the veranda with undeniable interest, pleased by how his muscles tightened and tensed with each movement. She should have been talking to Mai and Ty Lee about how they would fight the two men simultaneously, but she found herself slightly too distracted by Sokka's body to listen to them.

"So…" he said, as he stretched an arm across his body. "Seeing as your dad will allow us to go to Ba Sing Se, does that mean we'll go with new guards, or with the old ones, regardless of who got promoted and who got demoted, or…?"

"Well, as it turns out, my father told me today that all of them passed the tests," said Azula, with a small smile. "So he's going to send them with us again, now as Imperial Guards. I suppose this is how things will be from now on, whenever we travel…"

"The main difference is what they'll do when we're not traveling. Figures," said Sokka, smiling too. "I'm glad, surprised but glad. This way we won't have to learn how to work around new people, but they're still distant enough that they'll be safe if anything bad happens, right?"

"If anything goes wrong, yes," Azula said, nodding. "But hopefully nothing will. I, for one, don't intend to get caught with you anytime soon…"

"Ah, sure, no doubt you'll play it safe and not have anything to do with me, won't you?" Sokka laughed, pacing as he finished stretching his arms. He soon leaned down, stretching to touch his toes with his fingertips. Azula watched him intently.

"That… would be the plan, of course," she said, biting her lip and succumbing to temptation as she stared at his perfectly tense body.

She strode towards him innocently, stepping into the backyard and moving closer to where he stood, right behind him. Sokka could see her shoes as she took her place, and he smirked when he felt her hand traveling over his back.

"I thought we were training today, not getting a reprise from yesterday's fun…" he teased. Azula scoffed.

"Whatever makes you think this is a reprise?" she asked, as her hands darted deviously over his body. "I'm only here to help you stretch, that's all…"

"You probably ought to stretch yourself, you know, avoid cramps and such…" he said. Azula laughed.

"I thought cramps were your thing, or aren't they?" she teased him, "Alas, I guess you're right, I ought to stretch too. I shall begin with my arms…"

"Wait, what are you…?"

Sokka yelped when she gave him an abrupt shove that knocked him off balance, making him roll onto his back and land on the ground solidly. His brow furrowed, his lips contorted in an annoyed grimace, his blue eyes gleaming with goofy indignation… all of it made Azula laugh as he scowled at her from the ground

"How amusing, aren't we?!" he huffed, moving to stand up, but instead of pushing himself up entirely, he dashed towards her when he was still in a crouching position.

He leapt forward and wrapped his arm around her waist. Azula gasped but laughed again as they toppled over, the two of them lying on the ground now, though Sokka had ensured to cushion her fall with his own body.

"Two can play that game, Princess!" he declared, proudly, and Azula's snickering only sounded like a challenge to his ears.

The noise they made drifted into the house easily enough. Haru was finished with his own stretch routine, and he watched as Sokka playfully wrestled with Azula on the ground, the pair of them trading playful banter as they teased each other. Azula was absolutely comfortable in her foolish fight with Sokka: the intimacy of their relationship was plain to the eye right now. It wasn't only whatever they did in private, but the ease with which they spent their time together, laughing and joking as though there was nothing in the world that might keep them apart…

"Seems like it was a very successful anniversary," said Mai, next to Haru. She stared at the laughing pair with skepticism, despite she was, deep down, slightly amused to see Azula behaving in such childish, leisurely way. "Maybe we should attack them, see if they stop being so obnoxious that way."

Haru laughed softly, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Yes, they were obnoxious, but he didn't think that was something he had any right to interrupt. If anything, he was happy for them, too.

But Ty Lee wasn't quite as thoughtful as her gladiator, as she rushed downstairs, rubbing her hands together in anticipation for the heavy training. She had dressed up in light clothes that she favored for mobility's sake, and she walked up to Haru and Mai quickly.

"Alright, are we ready to start?" she exclaimed, glancing outside just to freeze upon the absurd spectacle by the Blue Wolf and the Princess, as he kept her pinned to the ground now. "Uh… what's going on here?"

"I have no idea, but I suppose they're not done celebrating their anniversary quite just yet," Mai said, raising an eyebrow. Ty Lee's eyebrow twitched.

"Azula? Are you here for training or for playing around with your boytoy?" she asked loudly, with an unpleasant smirk. Azula scowled at Ty Lee as Sokka released her, sitting up before her.

"My what, now?" she said. Sokka chuckled, though.

"Heck, you can play around with this boytoy whenever you like," he snickered, standing up and pulling her up as the others walked out to the backyard, too.

"Yeah, yeah, flirting time is over now," Ty Lee said, with an awkward smile. "Though, with you two, I guess it's never over, but still! We have to focus on training! Haru, darling, come here!"

Haru smiled and obeyed, standing silently by Ty Lee's side. Azula shook her head, as if to shake off all distractions, while Sokka kept eyeing her with amusement. Mai approached too, moving to stand between Azula and Ty Lee as the group formed a circle. The Princess eyed them all carefully, all thoughts of playful banter with her lover well behind her, for the time being.

"Well, what needs to be done is quite clear," she said, giving Sokka and Haru a pointed look. "You two are supposed to figure out how to work as a team, so… it's the two of you against the three of us."

Ty Lee seemed rather thrilled about the idea, while Mai remained as impassive as ever. But both Sokka and Haru flinched.

"Wait, all three of you?" Sokka said, blinking blankly. "You're already a handful on your own, and you want to have an advantage over us, too?"

"Think about it this way: if you two get to defeat all three of us, you'll probably be able to handle any opponents you face in the Green Gates," said Azula, with a proud smirk. "See?"

"She has a point," said Mai, though she was staring at her black nails as though the conversation barely concerned her. Haru swallowed hard, but Sokka breathed deeply and nodded.

"Alright, then. Alright," he said, smiling nervously at Azula. "As you wish. We'll try not to be too hard on you guys."

"If only we'd make the same promise," Azula said, with a very genuine sarcastic smirk. Ty Lee giggled as Sokka and Haru stepped away from them, walking backwards.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get started!" Ty Lee squealed, sprinting out towards Haru, ready to chi-block him.

The girls always had been strong fighters on their own: Mai's knives were the perfect long-range weapon for her fighting style, while Ty Lee was nimble and efficient with her chi-blocking technique. Azula was a capable fighter in every sense, with extraordinary firebending skills and a sword fighting style that she had developed to use alongside her flames with Sokka's help.

All three together comprised a nightmarish combination for their opponents. Mai's weaknesses were Ty Lee's strengths, and whatever they couldn't handle, Azula could. Ty Lee's close quarters combat ability was unmatched, Mai's range and speed proved overwhelming, and Azula took care of fighting back against Sokka's sword and Haru's bending with her own sword and bending. She was a perfect line of defense that enabled her friends to attack in the unforeseen ways, and as prepared as Sokka and Haru tried to be, keeping their guard up against all three of them was practically impossible, at least for today. Both men silently hoped that, after enough practice, they would be able to defeat the three dangerous women, but for now, they would have to accept defeat as graciously as they could.

Mai took off in the afternoon, and without her, Sokka and Haru's chances improved once the two teams squaring off had equal numbers. Regardless, Azula and Ty Lee adapted their strategies to avoid losing against them: Azula's perfect defense continued to hold, only dropping whenever Ty Lee jumped forward to chi-block someone, and by then they both took the offensive. Haru's attempts to bend the earth beneath Azula and Ty Lee seldom worked, as both girls were quicker on their feet than most opponents he dealt with. Sokka tried to use his boomerang and sword to his advantage, often engaging Azula in hopes to keep her out of Haru's way, but by then Ty Lee would slip out of Haru's grasp and chi-block Sokka, freeing Azula so she could take out the earthbender next.

Only at their very last fight did Haru and Sokka manage to outmaneuver the two girls: when Ty Lee made the mistake of staying still for too long, Haru caught her foot with his bending. Azula's attempt to save her friend resulted in an opportunity Sokka seized immediately to chi-block Ty Lee and, bare moments later, he kept Azula in check with Space Sword at her neck.

"Well, I suppose that's one out of… fifty-five?" Azula asked, teasingly. Sokka laughed and rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to focus on the one success rather than the fifty-four failures, you know?" he said, lowering his sword while Haru picked up the chi-blocked Ty Lee.

"As long as you learn a thing or two from the failures, that's fine by me," Azula replied, smirking at him. Sokka's chuckle was beckoning, making her heart race even more than it already did with that much adrenaline rushing through her.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have taught you how to chi-block," Ty Lee growled, stretching with difficulty with Haru's arm around her waist. "You're a hazard, Blue Wolf!"

"I'm supposed to be one, aren't I?" Sokka said, smirking proudly. "Besides, you've spent the whole day chi-blocking me and Haru, it's about time you had to endure it yourself."

"It's so annoying though…" Ty Lee groaned, as Haru chuckled softly and pulled her closer.

"Come on. I think it's late enough as it is, I should get started with dinner," he said. Ty Lee pouted and shrugged.

"If you say so…" she sighed, letting her gladiator ferry her away. She didn't miss the cheeky smirk Sokka sent at Azula, or the Princess's own shy but pleased smile once they were left alone.

She still was rather happy for Azula, there was no denying that. What she had with Sokka was extraordinary; the fact that it had already lasted longer than a year, and yet they were still this devoted to each other, spoke for itself. But it was hard to suppress the twinge of envy that gnawed away at her sometimes. It wasn't that she wanted Sokka: the better she got to know him, the more she could see he was the ideal match for her best friend. But that closeness…

"Alright, you can rest here if you want," said Haru, guiding her to the kitchen chair. "Or would you prefer to be outside, on the cushions?"

"I'm fine here," said Ty Lee, biting her lower lip. Haru lowered her onto the chair delicately.

"Very well then," he said, grinning at her and standing upright once she was settled safely. "What will it be for dinner then? No komodo rhino for them, I know as much…"

"I suppose you could be creative, right?" said Ty Lee, with a weak grin. Haru blinked, perplexed, but he shrugged and smiled at her soon enough.

"If you want me to, I guess I will be," he said. Ty Lee gulped as he turned away to begin cooking.

"Let me know if you want any help. This will wear off soon, after all…"

"Don't worry, I think I can handle this meal by myself," Haru said, with a reassuring grin.

She smiled, but once he turned away, she grimaced instead. Had they ever had a long conversation about anything aside from the Gladiator League, or the chores around the house? They never really talked properly about many things, not even about their relationship. A quick glance at the living room, where Sokka and Azula were filing into now, teasing each other, hands linked, made her scowl.

It was absurd to think those two could have a healthier relationship than she did with Haru, considering how conflictive they could be. Ty Lee had been nothing but nice to Haru, even if sometimes a bit pushy, but Haru had never shown any displeasure about that. He always smiled kindly, always did as he was told, always asked her what she would like for dinner, whatever she wanted to do each day, and he always responded to her boldness with innocent blushing, after all this time. Haru was by far the most considerate and kindest man she had ever been involved with. She had nothing to complain about, not really…!

Only, the more she looked at Haru's strong back as he worked in the kitchen, the more she realized that their comfortable silences were too often interrupted by her rambling about anything that came to mind. She spoke about other people, about whatever new bits of gossip had reached her, about her speculations regarding her friends' relationships – she had recently grown convinced that Mai would be pregnant again soon, at which Haru had only responded with yet another shy smile and a shrug –, about anything… but herself. Haru didn't know much about her life's experiences, and Ty Lee didn't intend on changing that anytime soon.

Yet, at the same time, she realized Haru hadn't shared anything about himself either. He didn't talk about his past much, he had never confided in her about his sorrows or fears, if he had any. She didn't even know if he'd had a family before becoming a slave. Heck, for all she knew, he might have been married before being taken away, and he just had never mentioned it…

Why wouldn't he share his story, though? Why was he always so withdrawn, barely opening up to her? The thought made her heart sink: he had never really shown interest in either hearing about her story or sharing his own…

But no, she was making an unnecessary fuss. Haru was simply a reserved person. He was humble, gentle and he put other people's needs ahead of his own. That was all there was to this: it didn't mean he didn't like her.

She bit her lip and moved with difficulty. The chi-blocking would wear off soon, and once it did, she'd make her own advances to show Haru just how much she appreciated him, and how much she liked him, shy and humble as he was. Perhaps once she did that, she'd stop being so uncomfortable by witnessing Sokka and Azula's ever-improving relationship.

Haru had been chopping vegetables when he felt Ty Lee's arms around his waist. He was startled, cheeks flushed, and she laughed softly behind him.

"Now, now, I'm just hugging you. Was the training so harsh you're overly paranoid, dear?" she asked. Haru swallowed hard and shook his head.

"No, not at all. I just… didn't expect it," he said, smiling before carrying on. Ty Lee bit her lip and pressed against his back.

"I'd think you should. I thought you knew by now that I like touching you…?" she said. Haru's blush grew stronger, his grip on his knife unsteady.

"I, uh, I did, but I am holding a knife right now," he said, with a nervous laugh. "It's a little dangerous to touch someone with a knife when they're not expecting it."

"Well, it could be, but I trust you, sweetheart," Ty Lee said, beaming and rubbing her face against his back. Haru blinked blankly but continued to chop his vegetables, hoping his cheeks would stop flushing in time. "You've never, ever, let me down."

"I haven't?" Haru asked, grinning weakly. "That's good to know. I wouldn't want to."

"Then rejoice! Because you haven't!" Ty Lee exclaimed happily, pushing herself up to the tips of her toes and kissing his cheek. Haru chuckled shyly.

And with that, the conversation died again. Ty Lee's heart was slightly appeased for a moment, as Haru had been ever as gentle and warm as he usually was… but there they were. Again, the silence, while the other two outside couldn't seem to stop talking, going by the conversational sounds that drifted into the kitchen. Ty Lee's eyebrow twitched.

"What are you going to make, then?" she asked, glancing over his shoulder. Her hand slid over his flank, and Haru shivered under the light caress.

"U-uh, I was going to cook these?" he said, smiling awkwardly as he pointed at the vegetables. "And then I thought of moosow chops, we have some still. I'll make the miso quickly, too…"

"I can help you, you know?" Ty Lee pouted. "Always so manly, taking care of everything all on your own… it's not fair to you, now, is it?"

Haru swallowed hard and shrugged lightly, her breath brushing against his neck. It didn't matter how long it had been, he could never seem to get used to Ty Lee's behavior. He grew even more awkward upon remembering they weren't alone…

"T-then sure, if you would help, I'd… I'd be grateful," he said, smiling at her.

She giggled and kissed his cheek, alight with joy, apparently. Haru merely blinked blankly again as his sponsor rushed to fetch an apron so she could get to work. He smiled soon enough, though, and basked in the less awkward conversation that came up once they were cooking, as they were too busy working to talk properly.

That same realization irritated Ty Lee later on, though, after she was already setting up the chops on the stove. Again, their conversation had been entirely meaningless. But maybe that wasn't such a bad thing… Haru probably was more comfortable this way, after all. By not pressuring him further with conversations she was merely adapting to being with him, that was all there was to it.

The conclusion gave her a little peace, if nothing else, and she continued to work on the meal while the pair outside waited by the table, relaxing as their exerted bodies finally got the respite they needed.

"Do you think you'll be able to come here every day for training?" Sokka asked Azula, his hand on her thigh. Her face was a mask of resignation he couldn't interpret as a good thing.

"I will try, but considering what things have been like as of late…" she said, shaking her head. "It's a miracle we've seen each other for two days in a row, you know."

"It is," Sokka agreed, smiling gently. "A miracle we ought to make the most of, as far as I'm concerned. We should go home as soon as dinner's done, and at least just cuddle there for a while. It's been great being around you, but…"

His hand reached up to cup her face. Azula turned her face into his palm, kissing the rough skin without a care in the world. It was especially rough right after he had just handled his sword, she had always noticed that, but she rather liked the feeling. Sokka's hard edges and imperfections were a thing of wonder for her, and she basked in them as he shifted closer, no doubt hoping to steal a kiss or two from her.

She didn't protest, of course, and allowed him to steal away. She closed her eyes and leaned against him, his free arm around her waist. The soft brush of lips built up their eagerness, and suddenly they were breathing more heavily, chests pressed together, tongues toying with each other while their hands sought whatever skin they could find under clothes…

The clanking sound of frying pans in the kitchen startled them out of their devoted exchange. Their kiss was interrupted as they both blushed and glanced over at the kitchen's open door. Ty Lee was barely visible, but she seemed to have her back towards them. At least they hadn't been seen…

"Okay, we really need to go home," Sokka laughed, dropping his head on Azula's shoulder. She allowed herself to flop down to the floor amid cushions, and she pulled Sokka down too, so he could relax by her side.

"We will, after dinner," she reassured him, hands traveling over his strong arms as his head rested on her shoulder. "Though you shouldn't try to nap right now if you're that eager to go home, Sokka…"

"I know, I know," he said, sighing and dropping an arm around her waist. "But you three are seriously exhausting to fight against. It's always been bad enough to fight just one of you, especially you, but all three… I think I'll be grateful when this tournament's over, regardless of the result."

"You should be grateful we're going, to begin with," she said, toying with his hair. Her leg shifted towards him, calf rubbing against his own. "At least preparing for it is a nice excuse to be together. And of course, we will take a few breaks from training, once in a while, as we can't overwork ourselves…"

Sokka snickered as Azula prodded his nose with hers. She kissed him softly, and he responded in kind.

"But you do need proper teamwork training with Haru, there's no doubt about that," she said, and Sokka sighed in defeat while nodding.

"Yes, yes I do," he said. "And yes, beating you three might mean we're absolutely ready for anything, but… damn. You're horribly well-balanced as a team. Did you three ever take up any mysterious missions for your dad, by any chance? Anything like that?"

"Not really," said Azula, with an amused smile. Sokka huffed.

"You'd have fooled me. That's some ridiculously seamless teamwork you've got with them," he said. "Though I guess you three have been growing up and learning all your skills together, haven't you?"

"Not quite," Azula said, undoing his wolf's tail so she could play with his hair properly. He smiled as the strands fell gracefully over his face. Her breath caught briefly, but she smiled and continued talking. "Ty Lee learned a few martial arts when we were children, she had a talent for acrobatics and I think her father wanted her to learn how to protect herself. The chi-blocking she picked up with someone in her circus, I believe. As for Mai, she got into knives when she was bored in her house in Omashu, apparently."

"Woah, what?" said Sokka, eyes wide. "She just left the house and slashed at people in the streets, or…?"

"No, she didn't like going out. She'd just toss knives in her room, at the ceiling or the walls," Azula said, smiling wider as Sokka's confusion and horror increased. "She wasn't always as sweet and gentle as you see her now, you know…"

"Sweet and gentle are definitely not words I'd use to describe Mai," Sokka said. "But that's a lot crazier than I expected. How old was she?"

"I suppose fourteen, fifteen? Her parents were a bit too terrified to tell her to stop, I think. When I asked her if she would like to visit Ember Island with me, they jumped at the chance to send her over, and allowed her to stay in the Capital for as long as she wished afterwards. As she wanted nothing to do with Omashu, she was happy to take them up on that offer, and she got to throw knives in their family home instead, with less risk of hurting her little brother, I suppose."

"I would've never thought Mai would be so reckless, but… then again, she handles her knives with too much expertise for a perfectly innocent noblewoman," said Sokka, grimacing. "In any case, you three are pretty extraordinary, all in all."

"That we are," Azula chuckled, smiling warmly at him. "So don't take it so badly if you and Haru can't beat us. It does take a lot of work to overcome all our talents…"

"That may be so, Princess, but I'm not scared of fighting back," Sokka hissed, leaning closer to her face. She didn't bother resisting the urge to kiss him yet again.

"I know you're not. You have no sense of self-preservation," she said, shaking her head. "It's an equally good and bad trait, you know? You need to watch out for yourself a little more."

"I try, but there's always some reason or another why I have to go the extra mile to achieve things," he said, smiling. "But so far it's always been worth it. And something tells me it will be this time, too. Got to make my sponsor proud, seeing as I'll be taking you away from your very important duties…"

"Well, yes, you will have to fight and make me proud indeed," said Azula, stroking his cheek gently. "Then again, you've been doing just that for quite some time now… I can't quite remember the last time I was disappointed by your performance."

"In the Arena, or outside it?" Sokka asked, with raised eyebrows. Azula smirked.

"In the Arena, of course. Outside it, well…" she said, making a face of displeasure. Sokka grunted and reached out to tickle her. She laughed against his shoulder, lightly smacking his hands so he'd stop.

"Wicked woman!" he squealed, hugging her tightly after he was done with his light punishment. She was still laughing, holding him against her body too. "If I'm that disappointing why are you with me, huh? Is it out of charity?"

"Why, of course. I'd feel guilty if I ditched you by now," Azula continued, snickering as she ran her fingers through his hair. "I guess I'll be stuck with you for the foreseeable future… how sad, isn't it?"

"Well, for you, no doubt," said Sokka, smirking a little. "You're the one who's well above my league. I'm taking advantage of your charitable streak for as long as it lasts."

"For shame," said Azula, scowling playfully at him. "So if it lasted forever, you'd take advantage of me forever?"

"I… suppose I would," he said, with a shameless smile. "I'm sorry, Princess, but as the unworthy, lowly fool that I am, I can't be expected to act honorably when it comes to this."

"I am aghast. What sort of heinous man have I been sleeping with?" Azula asked, feigning indignation. Sokka laughed, pressing his forehead to her chest. "An upstanding woman like myself, giving herself to someone as terrible as you…"

She squeezed his buttock when speaking of her virtue, prompting Sokka to laugh again. She smirked down at him, beckoning him to kiss her again. He smiled lazily afterwards.

"Whatever shall you do with me, then?" he asked, beaming.

"Oh, I suppose I'll make up my mind eventually," she said, squeezing his buttock gently again. "But until I do, I guess I'll be the one taking advantage of you."

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Sokka answered, with a chuckle that she muffled quickly by kissing him deeply again.

The kisses were far more leisurely and relaxed this time, but they lost themselves in the exchanges and forgot entirely that they weren't completely alone. Fortunately, it was Haru who came by with the first plates rather than Ty Lee, and he was as subtle as could be when he set them at the table.

"Food's almost done," he said, with a soft voice. He startled Sokka, though, enough that he threw his head back. It hit the low table's leg, and he cringed as Azula grimaced. Haru blinked blankly. "S-sorry…?"

"N-not your fault, I just… didn't see that coming," Sokka said, with an awkward grin. Azula smiled too and reached to look at his promised bump.

By the time Haru came back again they were on a sitting position, and the Princess was

now lightly massaging the back of Sokka's head. His blissful smile was unlike any Haru had seen on his face before.

"Alright, food's here…! Uh, what's going on?" Ty Lee said, blinking blankly upon walking into the living room with the last dishes, finding Azula combing her fingers through Sokka's hair before tying it up carefully.

"Just an accident," Sokka said, waving his hand in her direction, hoping she wouldn't ask too many questions.

Azula chuckled after she was done tying up his hair, at which Sokka blushed weakly, but he smiled gratefully at her as she did it. She inspected the back of his head properly now, smiling weakly as she noticed the area of the bump was already growing in size.

"Here I thought you were more hard-headed than that," she said, smiling as her hand rested on the nape of his neck. Sokka pouted.

"I usually am. I was just caught off guard, that's all," he said. Azula laughed again and shook her head before letting her hand slide down Sokka's back.

"Thanks for the meal as ever, Ty Lee, Haru," she said, nodding in acknowledgement towards them. Haru smiled, and Ty Lee grinned a little as she shrugged carelessly.

"At this point it's tradition, isn't it? And we need to do it to commemorate the latest intensive training sessions, too!" she said, beaming now. "You'll be coming back every day until we have to go to Ba Sing Se, right?"

"Sokka will, I'll be here if I'm not otherwise engaged," Azula said, nodding. "You can train them with Mai if I can't make it."

"And if you can't come at all, we can come up with ideas and strategies to beat our opponents once Mai goes home," Sokka suggested. Azula nodded again.

"That ought to work," she said. "At any rate, shall we?"

She didn't need to say much more to get Sokka to dig in. He smiled at the food and scooped large servings into his plate, devouring them happily before the others even had a chance to pour their own food on their plates. Azula rolled her eyes at his display, but she didn't have it in her to scold him for his lack of manners as of late. After their latest fright, even his least appealing traits were something worth treasuring for her.

"Oh, did I forget your chopsticks, sweetheart?" Ty Lee said suddenly, as Haru smiled awkwardly at her.

"It's fine, I'll get them myself…"

"No, no, no need for that, darling!" she exclaimed, getting up promptly and moving towards a cabinet. Azula raised an eyebrow as she watched her friend, glancing quickly at Haru to find he was somewhat flustered. "Here they are, I'm sorry! It won't happen again, cutie."

"I, uh… thanks," he said, as she came rushing back and handed him his chopsticks.

Ty Lee kissed his cheek before sitting back on her spot. She gave Azula a proud smile afterwards, noticing the apparent confusion and discomfort in her friend's eyes.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing…" said Azula, with a dry grin. She picked up one of her dumplings and was in the middle of eating it when Ty Lee gestured at Haru.

"Can you pass me the soy sauce, dear?"

"Oh, sure…"

"Thank you, honey!"

Azula nearly choked on her dumpling now. Sokka raised his head from his own plate, looking at her with uncertainty as she swallowed quickly. Ty Lee's leisurely behavior changed again, now tinged by mild irritation.

"Something wrong, Azula?" she asked. Azula wiped her mouth with a napkin, smiling weakly behind the cloth.

"I just… I'm wondering if you forgot he's called Haru, is all," she said. Sokka snorted next to her, while Haru blushed and Ty Lee scowled. "I'm sorry but… seriously, Ty Lee?"

"What's your problem?" she pouted, hands on her hips. "Pet names are a mandatory practice in any healthy relationship!"

"Oh?" Azula asked, with a smirk. "Well, Sokka, I guess we're the unhealthiest pair there ever was."

"Sounds like it," said Sokka, chuckling too. "I suppose at least we'll die of unhealthiness together, it's the best we can hope for at this point."

"It truly is," Azula said, with a dramatic sigh. Ty Lee huffed.

"Well, it's not my fault you two can't be cute. I mean, I used to think you could, but as of late I've found you're actually just obnoxious!" she declared. Azula laughed out loud at that. "It's true, though!"

"That ought to sit just fine with you, considering you've been boasting about you and Haru since… what, a week after you took him in?" Azula said, smiling. "Is it you don't like having competition in the contest for the most obnoxious couple of all time?"

"We're not…! Haru and I aren't obnoxious!" Ty Lee declared, blushing and folding her arms across her chest. "He's shy, so he makes everything ten times cuter just because he's involved in it."

"I do?" Haru asked, looking at his sponsor in confusion. Ty Lee nodded promptly, and his blush intensified.

"So, I suppose the endless string of pet names isn't obnoxious in the slightest?" Azula asked, smirking. "Seriously, you have an arsenal of those, looks like…"

"What I'm getting from her logic is that pet names are cute, rather than obnoxious," Sokka said, lifting a finger thoughtfully. "Which directly contradicts your stance on pet names, from the looks of it."

"It's barely surprising, Ty Lee and I seldom agree on anything," Azula said. Ty Lee rolled her eyes and swallowed a mouthful of rice before speaking again.

"Have you two ever even tried to use any pet names?" she asked. "And I mean, other than calling each other by your job or title, which I think I've heard you do, but that doesn't count."

"Uh… if that doesn't count, absolutely not," Azula said, with a shrug. Ty Lee huffed.

"Then try it before judging me for it!" she said. Azula grimaced and looked at Sokka with uncertainty.

"I… don't think that's physically possible for me," she said. Sokka laughed, swallowing his vegetables quickly.

"I think I'd check for a fever if you ever did something like that, especially if you did it spontaneously," he said, smiling at her. "Though, well, let's see… maybe I can come up with a good pet name for you."

"Oh no, you can't come up with a good name for anything!" Azula said, looking at him in disbelief. "You have the most extraordinary sword in the history of this world, and you called it Space Sword; you aren't allowed to address me with any terms of endearment."

"Now, come on! Lighten up!" said Sokka, beaming. "I promise I'll come up with something good!"

"You couldn't possibly…!"

"Let's see!" Sokka said, smiling and biting his lip. Ty Lee seemed rather satisfied by Sokka's sudden enthusiasm about this matter, and Haru as well eyed him with curiosity. "Okay, okay, uh… what's an appropriate term of endearment to use on Azula?"

"You could just go for the usual ones, you know," said Ty Lee. "It's not that hard…"

"Oh, no, I am absolutely not going to use traditional ones," Sokka declared, proudly. "That would be ridiculously boring. No, I have to call her something nobody has ever been called before! Something like…"

His eyes drifted around the table, searching for a good word, or a good adjective. This was a little harder than he expected…

"I suppose you're basking in all this second-hand-embarrassment, aren't you?" Azula said, smiling sarcastically at Ty Lee. Her friend giggled happily.

"Okay! I've got it!" Sokka declared, smiling proudly and looking at Azula with a determined, cheeky smirk. "I have to say, Azula, that you're… a smoking-hot noodle bowl"

Azula's eyes widened, as did Ty Lee's and Haru's. The earthbender resisted the urge to find cover, dreading that the Princess would react quite adversely to this alleged pet name… whereas Ty Lee was absolutely disappointed.

"Sokka…" Azula said, finally. Sokka smiled at her, unsure of what to expect, too. "I'm so sorry."

"You're sorry? Why's that?" he asked, following her lead. If she said she'd dump him for this he might at least have fun crying and clinging to her, begging her to take him back…

"I have been underestimating your naming skills for so long that I never imagined you could do this, but… that's unbelievable!" Azula said, smiling. Sokka raised his eyebrows. "That's… oh, thank you. I really expected something awful, but this one was…!"

"Terrible!" Ty Lee growled. "You don't just call someone a noodle bowl! What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Uh, it means… it could mean a lot of dirtier things than I'm willing to disclose right now," Sokka said, with a low chuckle. Azula laughed too.

"Okay, I don't know if I can top that, but I suppose it's my turn," she said. Ty Lee huffed.

"You should do it right, Azula, come on!"

"Let's see…" she said, staring at Sokka intently. He smiled brightly at her, while teasingly batting his eyelashes at her. Azula could barely hold back her laughter. "Oh, goodness, you're as ridiculous as a…! Oh, that's it! You're my ridiculous mongoose lizard!"

"Am I, really?!" Sokka asked, his smile brightening. "See, it's because I was stuck with so many of them for a while, you know, it's hard to shake off that sort of influence…"

"Are you two serious?" Ty Lee asked, aghast. "That's not…! No! This isn't how anyone in their right mind would use pet names! Absolutely not!"

"Oh. Should we try again?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula with uncertainty. "I suppose you can be my tiny pine tree?"

"That one was random," she said, smirking. Ty Lee scoffed.

"They're all random!"

"Oh, no, there's a method to our madness," Azula declared, raising a hand in lecturing gesture. "For instance, I could call Sokka a… poorly-oiled machine."

"Oh, I'm poorly-oiled?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Why, yes, because poorly oiled machines are rebellious and don't obey the people trying to operate them, just like you," Azula said, smirking. To her delight, Sokka smiled soon enough as well.

"That could be the single most romantic thing you've ever said," he sighed. Ty Lee groaned. "But I'll outdo you! You're my hawk with poor judgment!"

"Oh, am I now? Then you're… an overweight turtle."

"As if!"

"You know that's the real reason you thought I'd drop you. Not only you do have a heavy shell, but also a chubby underside…"

"You like that I'm chubby. That way you can hug me more comfortably when we're in our nest of love, my screeching bird," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, I suppose I won't ask you to diet then, my insensitive train-tank."

"For crying out loud, you two are the worst! By far!" Ty Lee bellowed, breaking the string of absurd pet names by losing her temper.

Sokka and Azula's only reactions were to laugh uncontrollably after Ty Lee's interruption. For once, Azula wasn't deliberately trying to anger her friend through her newfound method of public displays of affection: she couldn't seem to stop laughing, genuinely, and she hid her face away in the hollow of Sokka's shoulder as he held her against him, his own laughter accompanying hers.

Haru glanced at Ty Lee with uncertainty, worried about how her mood had soured so quickly over the other pair's behavior, but something told him that wasn't all there was to Ty Lee's irritation. She rolled her eyes and got back to eating until the other two slowed down with their laughter before commenting on it:

"You know, it's really no wonder you two are so perfect for each other," Ty Lee smirked sarcastically. "You're equally messed up, this just proves it"

"Now, really, Ty Lee?" said Sokka, with a lop-sided smile, his arm still around a chuckling Azula. "Pet names aren't for us, okay? Unless it's a competition for ridiculousness, no doubt, but still? Doesn't suit us."

"At the end of the day, it's not our thing and I don't think it ever will be," Azula laughed, moving away so she could go back to her food. "But if the two of you love that sort of thing that's not our business. I'll do my best not to judge, unlike what you're doing now, Ty Lee."

"As if! You were the one who judged me first!" Ty Lee pouted, shaking her head. "But still, it is your loss! Haru and I know just how nice terms of endearment can be, and you two won't ever understand it, stubborn mean couple you are."

"I suppose, but… all things considered, I can't remember ever hearing Haru call you anything like that," said Sokka, blinking blankly before glancing at his friends. Haru tensed up.

"I-I just…" Haru said, swallowing hard. "I just don't do it in public, is all."

Ty Lee's eyes widened. Azula didn't miss her friend's reaction, which brought a weak frown to her face. Haru was always nervous, shy, which made it difficult to read whether he was telling the truth or lying. But Ty Lee was crystal-clear right now, despite she wasn't incapable of dishonesty. Had it been true, she would have gladly confirmed as much. Instead, it looked like she had been dealt a low blow with Haru's lie: it was forcing her to face truths that, until then, she hadn't wanted to acknowledge.

But it wasn't Azula's place to get involved in that, and she knew as much. Sokka hadn't paid any attention to Ty Lee's reaction, and he had taken Haru's words as the truth. Azula chose to follow Sokka's lead, suddenly unsure about the true reason why Ty Lee had been so jealous of her and Sokka as of late. For the longest time Azula had taken for granted that her friend was as happy as she could be with Haru, but now…

"No wonder I didn't remember you doing it, then," Sokka said, while Azula was deep in thought. "Well, if that's how you do it, I guess I should try the same thing!"

His words startled Azula now, and she glanced at him warily. He grinned mischievously at her.

"Do you think you'll mind if I call you noodle bowl while we're in private?" he teased. Azula couldn't hold back a smirk.

"I suppose we'll only know if you try it," she said, shaking her head. "Oh, whatever. Let's just eat, shall we? Food's getting cold."

Sokka didn't need to be told twice, and he focused on the meal again, without a care in the world. Haru smiled as he watched him and spared a grateful grin towards the Princess for closing the door on such an awkward argument. But Ty Lee, next to him, didn't look all that happy. Was it because she wanted to continue arguing, or because of what he'd said…?

Haru's heart sank. Had he hurt her? He had lied deliberately to avoid embarrassing her in front of her friends. He had never used a term of endearment with her, finding it a little too forward to do so, but he had never had any qualms with Ty Lee doing it. Still… did she want him to use them? Did she expect him to?

Again, he found himself envying the easy camaraderie there was between Azula and Sokka. They seemed to understand each other perfectly well, even when they were just swapping ridiculous pet names. It felt like they had found the perfect rhythm to work with, and regardless of what Azula had claimed about Sokka earlier, their relationship seemed to be a well-oiled machine. Haru didn't know most details about their relationship, but he felt like he didn't really need to. They were just that happy together.

And it seemed Ty Lee wasn't. The thought made him squirm slightly, wary of whatever consequences there could be for this sudden turn in her mood. He had never wanted to antagonize his sponsor, not when she was the kindest person he had known ever since he was taken away from his home in the Earth Kingdom. He had thought he'd done right by her, but it was clear he had misread her needs just now…

The dinner carried on without any other hitches after that. Azula was careful not to push Ty Lee too far with further teasing, so she refrained from being blatantly affectionate with Sokka for the time being: he didn't mind, busy as he was eating everything he could take from the table. Haru was as silent as ever, and Ty Lee was quieter than anyone remembered her being, even after the meal was done.

"Well, Sokka will come back tomorrow, if it's all good with you," Azula said, once Xin Long was landing in Ty Lee's backyard.

Her friend nodded as a response, and Azula raised an eyebrow. Sokka had gone ahead to greet the dragon, while the Princess stood by the house's back door. Ty Lee's eyes didn't meet hers, and Azula sighed.

"Was it really that much teasing? I'm sorry if it was, Ty Lee…" she said, but to her surprise, her friend shook her head.

"I-it's fine, you two are jerks, but… I'm used to that," she said, with a weak smile. "You… you are the perfect match for each other. Always have been."

"Though it seems we're a little troublesome for everyone other than ourselves," said Azula, looking at Ty Lee intently. "Are you alright, Ty Lee? You're acting, well… nothing like yourself."

"I'm fine," Ty Lee lied quickly. Azula grimaced. "You shouldn't leave Sokka waiting, though. He might just leave you behind here, if you take too long."

"Oh, he's going to get it if he dares…" Azula said, glancing over her shoulder at her gladiator, who was happily waving at her from Xin Long's saddle. She couldn't hold back a small smile at the sight of him.

"I'll see you, well, whenever I see you," said Ty Lee, nodding towards her.

Azula nodded too, unsure about leaving Ty Lee in such a state. But something told her that if she and Sokka lingered here much longer, they'd only make the situation worse. Not that she understood the situation entirely… but if Ty Lee wanted her gone, she wasn't going to argue. She had the feeling she wasn't going to be much help at solving her friend's problems, anyways.

"Goodbye, then," Azula said, turning fully now and walking to where her dragon and gladiator waited for her to join them on the saddle.

She didn't glance back at Ty Lee as Xin Long took off, suspecting the girl had already turned away. She hoped she had, truthfully. Sokka had wrapped his arms around her quickly, placing his chin on her shoulder as they flew away.

"You okay?" Sokka asked, glancing at her with uncertainty. Azula sighed. "You were before…"

"Ty Lee started acting really weird," she said. "I mean… not her usual kind of weird. You noticed, right?"

"I did, but… I figured she was just mad Haru only calls her ridiculous things in private," said Sokka, shrugging. "I thought she expected him to go all out with the 'honeys' and the 'sweethearts' right then and there."

"Whereas I think… Haru was outright lying," said Azula. Sokka's eyes widened. "Ty Lee's reaction suggested as much. Haru wanted to help her, in a way, but I think all he achieved was making her aware of how he doesn't actually reciprocate her blatant displays of affection…"

"Uh, and meanwhile, the two of us…" said Sokka, grimacing. "I suppose we only make it worse for them, don't we?"

"I guess we'll have to stop being so leisurely in front of her, at least," said Azula. "Not that it's going to be that much of a challenge, we always held back before, but…"

"But being shameless in front of her is just pouring salt into an open wound, huh?" said Sokka, biting his lip. "Still, as she's not watching us anymore…"

His hands slid down her body, caressing her thighs. Azula smiled and relaxed against his touch, reaching back to kiss his neck as he leaned closer to her.

Ty Lee had watched them until Azula had climbed on the saddle, turning away just as Sokka started to relax against the Princess. The chi-blocker swallowed hard as she entered the house again, finding Haru hard at work at clearing the table.

She didn't say anything to him, even though he stared at her hopelessly when she walked in front of him, on her way to their room. The next he saw, she had a change of clothes under her arm and was headed to the bathroom. He briefly wondered if he ought to follow her in there, but… no, not like this. She was upset, he could read the atmosphere well enough. If she wanted him there, she would say so.

They practically avoided each other until bedtime. By then Haru was nervous even about sharing her bed: should he go elsewhere? Would she be mad if he did? Or would it anger her more if he didn't? At the same time, he thought he ought to speak with her. Perhaps if he did, she would tell him, outright, what she was thinking and what she wanted, and that way he would be able to avoid mistakes that would displease her…

He breathed deeply at their bedroom door and pushed it open to find Ty Lee sitting on her bedside, uncharacteristically dressed at this time of the night, her long braid already undone: she hadn't waited for him to undo it for her this time. He gritted his teeth, wondering if she was trying to punish him in a subtle way… granted he wasn't nearly as eager for sex as she usually was, but he had grown used to having it more often than not. Ty Lee didn't waste opportunities for physical intimacy, and he dreaded what it meant that she would waste this one…

"Oh, I didn't hear you coming upstairs," Ty Lee said casually. Haru noticed she was reading the content of some old parchment she had with her. He bit his lip and nodded.

"I was being quiet," he said. Ty Lee snorted.

"Aren't you always?"

She might have wanted to sound affectionate, Haru thought, but… that wasn't what it sounded like to him. He swallowed hard and moved to his side of the bed, stretching across it while feeling there was a very thick barrier between the two of them right now, thicker than any he could summon with his bending.

Ty Lee finally seemed to finish her scroll, and she rolled into the bed, lifting the light sheet over herself. Haru gritted his teeth as he watched her, dreading she would turn on her side and sleep with her back to him. But she relaxed face-up, instead, although she didn't acknowledge him in any visible way until he spoke again.

"Ty Lee…" he whispered. She raised an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?"

"Why would something not be okay?" she asked, shrugging. "Everything's fine. Though I suppose maybe you're the one who's troubled? Are you okay, Haru?"

He grimaced at how she had turned the simple question around on him. Why would she feel the need to do that…?

"I'm… I am. I just thought, well… maybe you weren't happy because of my lie earlier. I, uh… I didn't know you wanted me to tell the truth. I somewhat figured, well…"

"I've never told you to lie for my benefit," she said, simply. Haru's sense of dread increased. "It's not like you can't do it, but… you didn't have to."

"I just thought it was what you wanted me to do. I'm sorry I didn't read you right," he said, gazing at her with remorse. Ty Lee smiled, to his surprise.

"You don't have to apologize for something like that," she said. "You've been very considerate and thoughtful as it is, haven't you? You've never inconvenienced me, so… why would I be mad about how you handled things this time?"

"I… I just figured you were, since you're not acting like you always do," he said. "I mean, well… maybe you're just not in the mood for anything tonight. It was a long day."

"Oh, am I the only one who should be in the mood?" Ty Lee asked. Haru flinched. "Are you in the mood for sex, Haru?"

"I, w-well…"

"I've always taken for granted that you are, men usually are, but… maybe you want a break," she said, with a shrug. Haru frowned, wondering if she meant that.

"I, well… I'm not sure," he said. "But I'll do whatever you want to do."

"And what do you want, Haru?" Ty Lee asked, turning to look at him.

His mouth fell open, as words he couldn't find sought to come out of it. She was giving him the most serious look she ever had, her brown eyes gleaming earnestly. But how was he supposed to answer her? What was he expected to say? How could he give her an answer as straightforward as her question, when he had never asked himself what he wanted?

"I… I don't know," he said, regretting the words immediately. Ty Lee wore her emotions on her sleeve most the time, and seeing her in a bad mood was always a worrisome thing…

But right now, she looked crestfallen. She was disappointed, entirely disappointed in him. The realization gave birth to a whole new sensation of dread and horror that nestled inside Haru's chest, eating away at him like an infection. After all this time of hoping she wouldn't grow tired of him, of being the best man he could be for her, on every level… he had let her down. He had, and he didn't know how or why, but he had.

"Well… I hope you can figure that out soon," she said, with a weak smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Haru lifted a hand under the covers, but not before Ty Lee turned in bed, her back towards him, as he had expected initially. She was turning away from him, entirely, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing… because he didn't want to anger her further. He didn't want to let her down again. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, just to leave her devastated again.

So, he simply stared at her, watching as her back shifted with every breath she took. If anything, at least she wasn't trembling, or crying. But he wasn't sure he would be able to hold back his own tears at this rate. He had pushed her away, barely knowing how or why, but he had done as much. And being unable to understand what he'd done only made him feel more deserving of her distance…

He sighed and closed his eyes. Maybe by dawn things would be better between them. Maybe…

---

There was never any stopping Azula and Sokka when they had a chance to be alone together. Despite it was already dark, and she probably should have been home at least an hour ago, no one could expect to pry her off Sokka, as she sat on his lap on the living room couch. While the situation with Ty Lee worried her, she couldn't bring herself to remember it anymore, not with Sokka's arms tight around her, his chest heaving against hers as they sat together, not clothed at all from the waist down.

"Well, that was efficient, I'll say," Sokka laughed, as Azula dove at his neck, kissing and nibbling on it devotedly. "We needed that."

"Needed it, really? Or just wanted it?" she teased, smirking. "We spent an entire day doing just this yesterday, remember?"

"Oh, I remember… and I didn't plan on doing it again so soon, but seeing as Song wasn't home, why not make the most of it?" Sokka grinned, proudly. Azula sighed but smiled warmly at him.

"We'll have to tell her about the trip now," said Azula, smiling as she rolled off Sokka. He sighed upon losing her enjoyable weight atop his, and the walls that had still warmly held his manhood between them. "I hope she'll want to come with us. I can't imagine any reason why she wouldn't, but still…"

"I'm sure she'll be stoked," said Sokka, smiling as Azula gathered her clothes and tossed his at him, urging him to cover up in case someone showed up. "She has a chance not a lot of slaves get. I don't think she's crazy enough to let it go to waste."

"She shouldn't be," Azula agreed, nodding and looking at him. "I… I'd give you that chance too, you know. If I could, that is. Though, I suppose I can… even if that would mean taking you to the South Pole. It would be risky but… if you mean it when you say you'll want to come back with me anyways, I could take you long before you become the top gladiator of the League, regardless of our initial deal."

"Well, it wouldn't be crazy if we changed the terms of our deals again," Sokka said, smiling. "We've promised each other many things we haven't kept. Such as that we would never, ever, be romantic or intimate again…"

His hands slid to her waist and he pulled her in for a kiss. Azula laughed into the kiss, holding his face in place and pulling away with a bright grin.

"I couldn't be happier about breaking that one, you know that as well as I do," she said. "Though, I will say… we'd only be modifying the original one for the better, right?"

"Right. No more dreadful ideas of leaving each other forever," Sokka growled, kissing her cheek. Azula smiled happily. "You've made the mistake of getting me attached to you. Now you'll have to pry me off your body with every bit of strength you've got, Princess!"

"Oh, the horror!" she declared, dramatically, as he hugged her tightly. She hugged him back soon enough, smirking and kissing his neck again. "Maybe I don't feel like getting rid of my clingy… oh, which one's better for this? Insensitive tank-train? Ridiculous mongoose lizard? Granted the lizards do seem a bit clingy…"

"Yeah, they really are," Sokka confirmed, chuckling. "Oh, well. I guess, if you're not fighting me off, you're not going home today!"

"I wish," she sighed, pressing her face to his shoulder. "I love you, Sokka…"

"And I you," he smiled sadly, knowing by her resigned voice that she would leave regardless of his wishful claim just now.

"We'll be able to spend nights together again on the ship, though," she said. "My father said I'll be taking the same team of guards as before… and you're practically a master of sneaking around while they're on duty, aren't you?"

"I suppose," Sokka chuckled, rubbing her back gently. "Though Ty Lee, Haru and Song will be there, too. They all know about us, but it's wise to keep in mind that we'll have a lot of new variables to deal with…"

"They shouldn't be much trouble," Azula assessed, caressing his chest. "We'll be okay, Sokka."

"We always have been. Even in the scariest moments," he said, smiling and lifting her chin to kiss her softly.

They were losing themselves to their passion again when they heard the sounds of footsteps outside, at the front door. They both scrambled to pull up their underwear and pants, managing to at least cover up their bodies before Song stepped into view.

"O-oh. Oops. I should've known you two were, uh…" she said, swallowing hard as Azula picked up her armor and clad herself in it.

"Don't worry, we shouldn't have been doing this," Sokka admitted, with a weak grin. Azula pointedly looked away, trying to conceal her blush. "You, uh… were you off with Rui Shi?"

Song smiled and nodded, but she lowered her face again suddenly, surprising both Azula and Sokka. The Princess stood up after fastening her boots, eyeing Song warily.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I mean… somewhat. Rui Shi says it's not important, but Fei Li is horrified and the others, well… they're a bit worried, too," said Song, looking at Azula somewhat nervously. The Princess frowned.

"What are they worried about, exactly? I was told everyone had passed, I thought everything was fine," she said. Song bit her lip and nodded promptly, and Azula's confusion only increased.

"Everyone passed, yeah," she said. "And they'll continue to work together, from what I was told. They're the third squad of Imperial Guards, it's how the General organized them. But he, um… he also added a new member to their squad, and apparently convinced the Fire Lord to allow him to hire a few more guards to even the numbers of all the squads, and…"

"A new member for their squad?" Azula repeated, frowning. Song shrugged.

"He seems okay, I met him today," she said. "His name is Renkai. But that's not the real problem…"

"Then what is?" Sokka asked. He had tied up his sash, and he moved to stand beside Azula, a hand on her lower back. Song swallowed hard again.

"The General, well… he's the one who reorganized everything. So, he assigned captains for all the squads and he assigned Fei Li as the captain for their squad, rather than… rather than Rui Shi."

Azula's eyes widened. Sokka's lips parted, confusion written plainly across his face. Song looked at them with uncertainty and resignation as they failed to register this new information.

"Rui Shi says it's not a problem, that he'll help Fei Li with his duties, but…"

"The damned General is setting them up for failure," Azula hissed. "That Renkai… he must be some sort of spy amongst my men. Someone he hopes will become close with the rest of the group, so he can give him direct information on my orders. The bastard really thinks I'm trying to overthrow my father…"

"Well, if that's the case, this Renkai fellow will be very bored," said Sokka, looking at Azula matter-of-factly. "You're not up to anything like that."

"I am up to something with you, though," she said, looking back at him skeptically. "While he may just focus on studying my guards, he's going to keep an eye on me, too, and not for my protection only."

"I guess…" said Sokka, grimacing.

"But choosing Fei Li, of all people…" Azula huffed, shaking her head. "Tai Wei would have been better suited, even Jianghuo… no one is as hotheaded and volatile amid my guards as Fei Li."

"He's aware of it," Song said. "Fei Li, I mean. He was devastated. He doesn't want this, not at all…"

"Curse that bastard," said Azula, rolling her eyes and turning to glance at the backyard. Xin Long was lounging across the uneven earth, staring back at her. "I should go. I doubt there's anything I can do to fix this by now, seeing as I've lost my power over this situation, but still…"

"Well, even if this is so messy, we do have good news for Song, don't we?" said Sokka. Azula blinked and looked at him with uncertainty. "I could tell her myself, but I figure it's nicer if we tell her together…"

"Well, I suppose. Amid the unpleasant changes, it's probably the one uplifting thing in the foreseeable future," said Azula, shrugging and looking at Song. She blinked blankly.

"What's going on?" she said, looking between the two.

"You were with the guards all day, so maybe they already heard of their first assignment with me. It will begin within a month or so," Azula explained. Song nodded.

"Yeah, they mentioned you'd be going to Ba Sing Se?" she said. Azula smiled a little.

"You're free to stay here if you'd rather not join us for a ridiculously long trip, but…" she said. Song's eyes lit up immediately, her hands going up to her mouth. Sokka chuckled.

"Want to come with us and see your mother again?" he asked.

Song was tearful, nodding bare moments before she leapt between them, embracing them tightly. Azula smiled and patted Song's back, glancing over at Sokka, who grinned brightly at her. Over the years, Azula had gone from receiving no gestures of affection of any kind other than Ty Lee's random embraces, which she had rejected more often than not, to accepting hugs even from people like Toph and, after today, from Song as well. A lot had changed since she had found Sokka in Hui Yi, and not only in regards of their relationship.

"Please, oh, thank you…! Thank you!" Song cried out, as Sokka chuckled and rubbed her back gently.

"It's no problem," Azula said, smiling still. "You've done plenty for us as it is. This is the least we could do to thank you."

Azula had to leave Sokka to deal with Song's joyful tears and laughter, for she had to return to the Palace and confirm what the healer had told her. She parted ways with her lover after a deep kiss, and he returned to his house for Song to ramble excitedly about their upcoming trip and all preparations she'd have to make for it.

The guards weren't distraught, it seemed to Azula, once she entered their barracks to find Rui Shi. They also didn't seem all too happy, despite having secured their promotions successfully. Surprisingly, the one in the best mood seemed to be Rui Shi.

"You're taking this awfully well," Azula had told him in his room, while he was putting away his new sets of uniforms. "Are you sure this isn't a problem, Rui Shi?"

"Losing the status of leadership isn't going to change much for me," he said, smiling at her. "I've already offered my guidance to Fei Li, and while it may not be enough, I hope it is. He doesn't look like leader material, but I'd like to see him surprising the General by proving otherwise."

"Hopefully he will," said Azula, grimacing. "As for this new member Song mentioned…"

"Renkai?" Rui Shi said, turning to look at her just as he heard footsteps nearing the room.

Azula turned to find a stranger at the door, his helmet under his arm. His hair was styled with short bangs as well as a top-knot, his was nose crooked, his face round and his eyes dark and unyielding. Yet he smiled, in the warmest way he could muster.

"You called?" he said, his voice melodious. Rui Shi smiled back.

"I was only informing the Princess that you'd be among us from now on. This is Renkai, Princess."

"So I see," Azula said, her eyes narrowing. The set of his shoulders, and build of his body… he might have been the same Imperial Guard who had been sent to find her in her room, when Zhao had told her father she was carrying an illicit affair with Rui Shi. "Renkai, then? I think I've crossed paths with you before, haven't I?"

"You have," Renkai nodded. "I'm the guard who…"

"Escorted me to that meeting with my father a few weeks ago," Azula finished. Renkai nodded.

"Rui Shi explained what had happened that day, I had no idea," Renkai admitted. "It must have been awkward for you, especially as Rui Shi already has a girlfriend. I hope nothing of that nature happens to either of you again."

"Oh, I hope so as well, but it seems it's not up to me," Azula said, with a dry grin. "Some men have been known to discredit women through rumors, perhaps even through forgery of evidence… it may not matter whether I do something wrong or not, as long as someone out there sounds convincing enough when claiming I did."

Renkai's easygoing behavior seemed to freeze over her words. Azula's eyes were pure steel at that moment, coldly assessing the man in front of her.

"Then again… the men who serve my father are supposed to be above that kind of thing," she said, with a weak smile. "The Admiral actually thought he was fixing my entire life by discovering an affair I didn't have. Funny, isn't it?"

"You, uh… don't need anyone to fix your life for you, of course," said Renkai, somewhat nervously.

"Certainly not," Azula said, with raised eyebrows. "Especially when they try to fix it by causing unnecessary trouble. At any rate… it's good to meet the man who will be working with my guards from now on. I hope you adapt quickly."

"I shall do my best," said Renkai, nodding. Azula glanced back at Rui Shi, who gave her a pointed grimace.

"It will take time getting used to addressing you by your name only, now that you're no longer a Captain," she said. "But you served me well, as you already know. I hope you'll prove as efficient at following someone else's lead as you were at making them follow yours."

"I will endeavor to be," said Rui Shi.

"Good evening, both of you," she said, curtly.

She strode out of the room without another word, the tension in the atmosphere fading once she was gone. Renkai sighed and glanced at Rui Shi warily.

"Is she always this abrasive? I thought she was going to fry me for a second there," he said. Rui Shi chuckled.

"She takes time to trust people. I've been working for her since she was a teenager, and I don't think she truly trusted me until recently. I guess that's the reason why Admiral Zhao's claims were even more unbelievable. Growing that close to the Princess sounds virtually impossible."

"It does, doesn't it? She always has seemed so unapproachable," said Renkai, with a weak smile. "And as I won't work directly with her often, I doubt she'll warm up to me any time soon."

"Yeah, don't expect any warming up," Rui Shi recommended. "Hope for her indifference, it's the best most people can get. Being acknowledged by her is no easy task."

"Is it the best her other guards have gotten, too?" Renkai asked, surprised. Rui Shi bit his lip.

"She came to talk directly to me, didn't she? As if I were the only one she acknowledges."

Renkai frowned but nodded. Rui Shi gazed at him from the corner of his eye, hoping his words would sound convincing enough to Renkai's ears. But he rather doubted they would…

Neither Rui Shi nor Renkai were fools: they both knew that underneath the layers of welcoming warmth, neither one of them was ever going to lower their guard for the other. Renkai was here as a spy, regardless of his agreeable behavior, and he was ready to do whatever he had to, even the intentional discrediting campaigns Azula had blatantly spoken about, to prove the General right: he wasn't here to serve under the newly appointed Captain Fei Li, that was for certain. But now that he didn't have the burden of leadership, Rui Shi was free to keep an eye on the spy without as many distractions: he had every intention to keep the man far from Azula and Sokka's trail, for as long as he could do so.

---

A/N:

Double author's note in a single chapter, after having spent so long without writing any. Considering that a lot of you probably don't even read these, who knows why I'm bothering, but I'm bothering indeed.

I would be the greatest hypocrite in mankind if I bawled and cried about receiving criticism, because everyone knows I criticize like a madwoman when something rubs me the wrong way. Ergo, I have no problem with being told what I'm doing wrong in the story, as long as it's spoken from a respectful standpoint. So far, most of you took said standpoint and I'm grateful for it. To the smaller number of you who didn't, well, try to imagine how nice it would be to spend half a decade working as hard as I have on this story just to receive insults for how I've chosen to write it. Considering how mature you sounded in your reviews, you probably wouldn't handle any such criticism very well either.

I've received criticism since I started off, for valid reasons and for absurd reasons alike. Many times I've learned from it, and believe it or not, I learned something from this occasion as well. It's probably not the lesson you guys hoped I would learn, though.

About a year ago I had a mild breakdown because of something rather similar to this matter. I felt the urge to please everyone with my stories, and not only did I feel like I was failing to do so (and I'm pretty sure I was), but I was also failing to write what I wanted to write by catering to everyone else's apparent needs (which none of my stories could ever possibly satisfy). That drove me to decide that I was done playing by other people's rules, and to decide that I was going to write Gladiator however I wanted to write it, without letting anything stop me.

It's been nearly a year of many tribulations and complications since I made that decision. All the same, I never lost the urge to work on this story.

Until now.

I was recently revisiting old content, original content, that I have never and will never publish anywhere. One of that content's many virtues is, in fact, that it was never published. That I owned it, and that I didn't let myself be influenced by what others wanted me to do with it. And sure, I made a ton of mistakes in the process, it's beyond flawed and simply not publishable by any means. Yet I returned to that mess and I felt absolutely happy upon reading it for the first time in six years. It felt like reconnecting with some part of myself that I'd completely forgotten about.

It's not about the content: it's about my stance on said content. It's because, ever since I started writing fanfiction, I've been a complete idiot for letting myself be swayed by whatever people thought of my stories, by whatever ideas they had for them, by every last thing that they wanted me to add here and there. Granted, a lot of the input has been good. But the other side of it hasn't been good at all, which is what has led me to compromise what I wanted and what I believed in just to please a handful of people who would never be pleased, people who would eventually stop reading me and never care for how hard I worked to readjust for their sake. And yet I got swayed, every time, because I thought that was the lesson to learn. That compromising was what I had to do to become a better writer.

I think I know better by now. Those of you who want me to stop writing the story I'm writing, and start writing the story you want me to write? Please, take to your favorite word processing programs and write that story yourselves. Hell, you can borrow Gladiator's setting exactly as it is, and cut to the chase in ten chapters if that's what you want. Do it. Satisfy yourselves with what you want to see, and then, if your outcome happens to be better than my never-ending story, you can rest assured that you did a good job. That's absolutely fine by me. Hell, for all I know, all my readers will flock over to your versions of the story and I'll be left writing into the void. I might really get beaten out by a superior writer who had it in them to absolutely improve on my story in ways I never could have envisioned myself. I'm not speaking out of some sort of arrogance, I mean it: Gladiator, so far, has failed to be the story you thought it would be. And you have every right to answer that with your own stories, with your criticism, or by no longer reading it because you don't see the point to the story anymore.

You see, I'd be fine with all of that. I really would be. Because Gladiator is many things, but overall, it was always supposed to be the story I wanted to write. And that's what it has been, since chapter 1 to chapter 152. And maybe the story I want to write is flat-out NOT the story you want to read. If what I want to write is a waste of time, well, that's fine by me! Many writers have devoted their time to what seemed to be superfluous, unnecessary stories or writing techniques or what have you. It's hardly new. It's not like I'd be the first person to apparently destroy their story by being whimsical and doing whatever the hell they wanted to do with it.

Now, what am I doing, if you'd like to know? It was an experiment, at least so far. It was an attempt to see if I could subvert some of the typical romance plotline stereotypes by not abiding by all the tropes that romance is always stuck in. If you're telling the story of a relationship, it must be about how two characters get together, and then it stops when they get together indeed and you don't get to see anything of what happens when their actual story as a couple begins. If that's not how it goes, then they were in a relationship all along and said relationship is mainly a sideplot as they deal with something else. If not? Then the story does continue after the couple gets together but breaks up for whatever cliched reason you can imagine. I was trying to step away from those formulas, formulas I've abided by in the past, to properly show our two leads having a satisfactory, ever-improving relationship, to explore their new dynamics, even while they resolve the countless plotlines that I've been opening up throughout my time of writing this story.

The experiment has certainly yielded its results, and now I know that most people don't care about this kind of story. I accept that. But see, this story has been built on what I described above. That's the truth of it. And yes, there are important plot points ahead, yes, Ozai's discovery is ever looming, yes, Katara and Aang will meet Sokka one day, yes, there's a lot of mysteries and problems I'll get into in time: but this story has been long-winded since day one. It has. If you put up with the 100 chapters of Part 1 and thought that I'd just "get to the point" in the next segments of the story, despite taking that long with the first part? Then you really had some strange expectations, considering the kind of precedent I'd set up all along.

I won't stop writing the story I want to write. I won't, even after the promised backlash this author's note is bound to get. I have tried too damn hard, for too damn long, to please people who could never be pleased through what I wrote. After what I've endured for all this time, I'm not going to derail my entire story (because yes, it would derail it) just to cater to people's desires again. I said I was done with that last year, and I meant it. I am.

You're free to criticize me, and Gladiator, for as long as you want to do it, for whatever reasons you want to do it. Each of those reviews is indeed a nice little stab at my chest, as I'm not very good at handling failure. But as it is, the only real action I would ever take is to stop updating while still writing for myself on the side. I did swear a thousand times that I'd finish this story, and I intend to do so. But I'm doing it on my own terms, and if that means Gladiator will become a toxic load of verbal garbage, then so be it. I'll own up to being a shitty writer. But I'll be Gladiator's shitty writer, just as I was the shitty writer of the original story I mentioned before.

The action you guys can take, of course, are what I said above about writing your own versions of the story, or just flat-out stop reading because that's how boring it got. I will say, to those who criticized the story's pace and current developments and said that you loved Gladiator and hated to see it become what it is now... Gladiator was my 24/7 for five years. I was constantly working on it, planning it, doing art and writing out chapters at speeds that most fic writers won't write on any given day. I literally neglected my education for this story, THAT is how far my love went. I could've been a way better student, but I was too busy with Gladiator to bother. You love Gladiator, and that's great, but so do I. And I love the Gladiator I have right now. The best way to display your love for the kind of Gladiator you would rather see than the one I'm writing is, indeed, by writing it yourselves. And I'll just do the same thing with my version of the story, if you don't mind.

I will continue to update, but less frequently. Not only are my everlasting urges to write this story disturbingly absent as of late, but I have a job now too, and that's been taking up a lot of the time I used to devote to writing. Therefore, we're back to the less frequent updating rate unless I miraculously start on a mad writing spree and finish five chapters in advance or so. Doesn't look very likely to happen in the foreseeable future.

To those of you who are sure to dump the story altogether upon reading this author's note: I'm sorry for letting you down. I am, but I wasn't going to stop doing it, so if you choose to stop wasting your valuable time with this story, I have nothing more to say than that I'm sorry for not fulfilling your expectations. After what I've said, I wasn't lying about being bad at handling failure and this is just part of how I suck at it. But a lot of people have dumped the story so far, people I was close to and that I'm still close to, to this day, and it hurts every time I remember that I let them down, too. So... if I got over it when this happened with my closest friends, I can get over it with you guys too, so feel free to join the "We dumped Gladiator because we got sick of the shitty writer" club. You'll be in good company, I assure you of it.

To those of you who are still sticking it out with me in hopes to see what the future will bring in this story: thank you for giving me a chance, and don't feel bad if I let you down, too. It's on me if that happens. If it doesn't, Gladiator will be very fortunate for it.

To those of you, who are either a relatively silent majority or a moderately loud minority, who love this story as it is right now: I'm elated that you've found in Gladiator the story you wanted to read. And I hope you'll continue to do so for as long as possible.

That would be that. Have a good day.