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...

191. Chapter 191: Return to Shu Jing 4

"The first dish you shall have the pleasure to taste will be a pork-based bowl, with a soft-boiled egg, wakame seaweed and thin, curly noodles. The broth is seasoned with curry powder: it is, according to some folks, a subtle spice, thus, the best way to begin your journey through the world of spicy ramen!"

Shengkai finished his speech and placed the steaming bowls before his customers. He had already poured the water glasses and left the jar nearby, a wicked temptation that he ever enjoyed presenting for any bold challengers that dared take up ten of Jiare's best dishes in a row. The young couple only glared defiantly at each other, the scent of the soup teasing their noses.

"Very well, then…" said Shengkai, grinning "Dig in!"

Both Azula and Sokka picked up their chopsticks and obeyed promptly, the five-minute time limit ever-present on their minds. Sokka leaned over the bowl, Azula picked it up expertly with her free hand, not bothered in the least by how hot it was: firebenders handled much hotter kinds of fire on any given day, after all.

Non-benders didn't, though. And perhaps being a firebender was ideal for taking up this challenge, a thought that didn't occur to Sokka until he had brought the first mouthful of noodles to his mouth.

His eyes widened. That was NOT the kind of curry powder spicing he was used to.

He didn't cower, though: he had to finish the meal as fast as possible… but that was too much! Why would anyone pour that much spice on a ramen bowl? The natural seaweed taste was faded in comparison, the pork the only component that seemed to stand its ground against the invasive taste of the curry. But he would endure, of course he had to endure, because Azula had challenged him and he would prove her wrong…

But when he dared glance over his bowl at the Princess, his heart sank:

She was devouring the bowl at haste, eating in a frenzied rush he had never witnessed from her until that day. The many other customers at the inn had approached, curious over the young, elegant woman who devoured noodles like no one they had ever seen before: even Shengkai's eyes had widened at the reckless eating manner displayed by the incognito Princess.

In less than one minute, her bowl was empty.

"Goodness! That was…! Wow!" Azula exclaimed, a wild grin on her face as she looked at Shengkai in amazement "D-did you say your wife made this?"

"W-well, yes, she's the cook…" said Shengkai. Azula laughed in disbelief, staring at her bowl almost with longing.

"When you go back to bring our second course, please let her know I am quite impressed by her prowess. Not everyone dares cook with spices on this level, even in the Fire Nation…"

"Why, I'll certainly bring your compliments to her, yes" said Shengkai, amused.

Their eyes inevitably shifted to Sokka, whose eyebrow was twitching as he stared at Azula. She hadn't even touched her water glass so far: the spice had been nothing for her.

Oh, how he hated to find she had, quite possibly, measured the situation better than he had.

"Something the matter?" she asked him, tilting her head sideways with a knowing smirk. Sokka scowled before returning to his bowl, determined to silence her by eating as quickly as he could.

It was an unexpected chore, difficult in ways he didn't quite believe possible until today. Food was usually so easy to gobble down… but food had never seemed to fight back against his ravenous eating until today. He was breathing heavily by the time he was done with the first bowl, feeling as though he was standing in a desert, with scorching sunlight burning his body… only, the burning feeling came from inside him, as though he'd swallowed the sun rather than a bowl of soup.

"Well, well! First dish, finished!" Shengkai announced, and their curious audience cheered, clapping politely at the successful challengers.

Sokka reached for the water glass and downed it quickly, hoping it would douse the burning sensations. By the time he set it down, Shengkai had already taken away the empty bowls and Azula regarded Sokka with the same expression of self-satisfaction she had worn moments earlier.

"Still think you have what it takes?" she asked. He snorted.

"Oh, I'm just getting started!" he said, his voice unnaturally shrill. Azula laughed, mischief and malice gleaming across her face "T-this was no big deal! And hey, I'm perfectly hungry still, so bring on the next nine!"

"Right" Azula sneered, making no efforts to conceal how amused she was by his reaction to the very first dish.

It took around two more minutes for Shengkai to return, once again with a pair of steaming bowls of ramen on a tray. Sokka swallowed dryly, dreading the degree of spice would be skewed unfavorably against him once more. Naturally, Azula only breathed in the scent of the new bowls and sighed happily.

"The second round: cabbages with steamed fish cake, along with soy sauce…" said Shengkai, placing each bowl before the contestants. He refilled Sokka's water as he continued to explain the new dishes "The noodles are thick this time, so they will absorb more broth… a broth seasoned with yuzu spice paste!"

"Huh, citrus spice in ramen…" Azula said expertly, picking up her chopsticks as she studied the new bowl intently "That sounds like fun"

"If so… then please, do get started" said Shengkai, grinning.

He didn't need to say it twice: both Azula and Sokka dug in unceremoniously, and it seemed today was fated to be the first time Azula truly wouldn't think twice about table manners, whether her own or someone else's. If only Sokka hadn't been struggling so much with the burning spices, he would have certainly thrown plenty of jibes at her for it.

But he had to focus, to eat, and to ignore the unpleasant burning of his tongue. Oh, at this rate he was going to lose all ability to even move it! This crazy chef woman had learned much in her travels, it seemed to Sokka, but the right way to spice a meal was not amongst them…

And yet Azula was even giggling in sheer bliss as she devoured her bowl. Curse everything, if there was one thing he couldn't let himself lose at, it was food! Azula couldn't possibly outdo him here!

The next course was comprised by flat noodles, ground meat, scallions and seasoned with a chili paste Shengkai commented on proudly. As far as Sokka was concerned, it might as well be called the hell paste: his mouth felt as though someone was firebending right into it, especially as they'd had thick noodles twice by now, and they absorbed the broth, which only meant every element of the meal was scorching-hot. Goodness, he hated admitting it, even if only to himself… but Azula had been right to say he wouldn't be able to take it: his gluttony had been his own undoing.

Meanwhile, Azula seemed to be enjoying the food thoroughly, more than he remembered she had in the past. She would set down each bowl with a wider and more blissful grin, and he could tell she wasn't doing it merely to taunt him: this was a true feast, as far as the Fire Nation Princess was concerned. Suddenly it was abundantly clear why she claimed most meals in the Colonies were tasteless, if this was what she considered a properly seasoned meal…

The fourth bowl arrived and Sokka wished he could have two glasses of water by then. He would have nightmares about this in the future, no doubt, maybe with the ramen eating him instead. And yet he was surprised to find this new blend of chili, now in a bowl of curly thin noodles, accompanied by another egg in a base of miso, wasn't quite as potent as before…

"So… either my mouth's gone really numb or that wasn't so bad" Sokka said, grinning with difficulty after he finished his latest bowl and respective glass of water. The grin turned into a grimace before long "Uh, yeah, I think it went numb"

"It was a smoother kind of spice, so it should've been easier on you…" Azula said, but she suddenly sounded less confident than she had earlier. Sokka raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Is that why you sound so worried, Jing?" he taunted her "Sounds to me like you're afraid I've built up so much resistance to the spice you'll falter against me, haha!"

Azula smiled derisively, shaking her head… but her concerned frown returned before long.

"Or, wait…" Sokka said, eyeing her carefully "Are you… hey, are you full by now?"

Her eyes widened in panic. He snorted in disbelief.

"I told you!"

"Shut up!"

"I knew that was going to happen to you!"

"You're the one who's proving me right, you can barely stomach all this spice!"

The revelation that Azula's stomach might be reaching its limits surprised her many new admirers: the intrigued restaurant's customers, locals who had never seen visitors like this pair, had pooled around their table, virtually all of them supporting the dark-haired woman over her traveling companion. Whether it was her beauty that had swayed them, or her appetite for the spicy broths, or perhaps a blend of both things, it was hard to say: ultimately, they all seemed horrified that their chosen ramen champion might falter as early as the fifth bowl.

"I have it in me to eat more if it's worth it! I know I do! So… stop laughing! You're the one who's going down!" she declared, cheeks flushed, though in her case it was certainly out of embarrassment, rather than Sokka's own reddened face, product of their spicy meals.

"Oh, I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing at the fact that we know each other so very well…" Sokka said, with an innocent smile "You knew I'd falter at the spices, I knew you didn't have it in you to eat ten whole bowls of ramen…"

"You haven't seen the last of me, Wentai…" Azula said, with a threatening voice. Sokka only found it all the more amusing "I will certainly crush you!"

"Who was it that recently said 'if I project the right image I can win battles without even fighting them'…?" Sokka said, tapping his chin before smirking at her "Right, that was you. Funny, though, that you can't exactly achieve that if your opponent is a stubborn, bullheaded fool like me!"

"Damn right you are…" Azula grunted, though her bravado faded at his pinpointing of her attempt to intimidate him. Of course that could work with people who didn't know her… but it would never work with Sokka, who indeed knew her better than anyone.

"And here we are! Fifth bowl, and you'll be halfway through the challenge once you're done with this one!" Shengkai announced, beaming. Azula grimaced: the scent of the new bowls was delectable, and she wished she could eat hers with the gusto it deserved…

Shredded pork and pickled ginger, along with halved hardboiled eggs this time: the spice was one of Azula's very favorites, togarashi chili powder. If just out of the powerful urge to enjoy a proper ramen bowl cooked to her liking with the right spice, she managed to finish the whole bowl in the right amount of time. Her supporters cheered as she set down the bowl, but she was panting heavily by now. Sokka sat across her, nearly in tears over the power of the spice, but still relieved that, much like himself, Azula was no longer in the best shape to triumph in this challenge.

The sixth bowl was spiced with yet another blend of chilis, and this time Sokka nearly exploded upon biting the thick noodles: the broth only seemed hotter after being absorbed by the noodle. Again, the temptation to reach for his water was nearly too strong to resist, but he had to prevail. Azula was close to her breaking point, and he couldn't possibly give up now…!

He gobbled down the rest of the bowl, nearly without savoring any of it, and for good reason. It felt like it all burned as it went down, and he swallowed the contents of his water glass rapidly, too rapidly, if anything.

"Shit, Jing, c-can I have yours…?" he asked, with a thin voice.

"Nuh-huh! You've got to follow the rules, boy!" exclaimed one of the members of their audience, pleased to see Sokka had hardly withstood the latest bowl.

But this time Azula hardly reassured any of her many fans. If anything, they were aghast to find she had taken longer than usual to finish the bowl, and she was breathing heavily by the time she was finished.

"Near took her four minutes this time!" said one of them.

"Well, damn! That's not good!" said another, eyeing her with concern "You okay, lady?"

"I… I think I need to go to the bathroom" Azula said, eyes wide. Sokka looked at her skeptically.

"You're not going to throw it up so you can fit more in…?" he asked

"What? What sort of disrespectful fool would DARE do such a thing to these ramen masterpieces?!" Azula asked, outraged "How could you accuse me of that?!"

"Yeah, well, I just can't know if you'll play fair" Sokka said, smiling a little "So I'll go with you, if you really plan on going to the bathroom"

"Oh, if so, I'll keep an eye on you to make sure you don't rinse your mouth with the tap water!" Azula said, with a skeptical smile of her own. Sokka snorted.

"Oh, you think I'm that bad a sport, really?!" he asked, pushing himself up as she did the same.

"I have no reason to suspect otherwise, if you think I would do something so lowly, so… so unacceptable! These are the best noodles I've eaten in my entire life!" Azula exclaimed. To Sokka's utter surprise, tears seemed to fill her eyes "And I should eat more of them, all of them, I… I can't stop now. I mustn't stop now!"

"You can do it, lady!" exclaimed one man.

"Yeah! Show 'im who's boss!" said a woman, and soon enough everyone was cheering her on. Sokka couldn't help but smile in disbelief.

"Look at that, you turned them all against me" he said. Azula huffed.

"They can recognize a winner when they see one, I suppose…" she said, proudly. It seemed the cheers of her many supporters had eased some of her concerns. It was good to see her returning to her usual self, Sokka thought…

… And then they felt the scent of a new pair of ramen bowls.

Both Azula and Sokka stared at each other in chagrin as Shengkai returned. The seventh bowl was here, and neither one had gone to the bathroom, for whatever purposes they had wanted to go for.

Again, curry powder, this time stronger than the first, and once more Sokka finished the bowl at haste to find the glass of water unfulfilling. Azula was struggling even more than him by then, taking frequent pauses to catch her breath before lifting the bowl closer to her face.

For the first time, she placed it again on the table without emptying it in one go. Sokka's eyes widened, and her fans gasped in horror.

"I-I'm just… enjoying it properly" she said, her voice weak. Sokka snorted, and she glared daggers at him as he let himself laugh, his need for refreshment forgotten for the time being "Stop that!"

If just to prove a point, she raised the bowl again and gobbled more of the noodles down, but she was struggling more than ever. It tasted just right, and her entire body seemed to shiver pleasantly for it… until the shivers were unpleasant instead, because she had eaten altogether too much compared to her usual amounts. She grimaced, pushing down the last of the vegetables and meat to her mouth and swallowing them without thinking too much. Three more. Only three more, and Sokka's laughter would be silenced…

"Uh, I kinda asked Shengkai, he thinks you guys can't go to the bathroom at all…" said a young man who had been witnessing the contest too, returning from the kitchen's area. Azula shot him a disbelieving glare, and Sokka sighed, shrugging.

"Heck, if I can't have more water… and shit, I do want more water, but if I can't, you shouldn't get any form of relief either!"

"I suppose it does seem fair and yet… ugh" Azula groaned, dropping face-first on the table. She needed a bigger stomach to win this contest. Only now did she start to consider that, at this rate, she'd put on way more weight than she had in her entire life: her friends would make fun of her for it, Ty Lee in particular, to be sure…

Sokka decided not to taunt her much anymore, not only out of consideration for Azula's feelings: he was having a hard time of his own just as well. He was breathing through his mouth, hoping the air would help cool down his burning tongue, cheeks and even the roof of his mouth. It felt like he was made of pure lava at this point…

"Eh, enjoying the spice, I see!" Shengkai told Sokka, beaming as he brought the next round. Sokka blinked blankly, mouth still open "I swear, when I eat my wife's spiciest ramen, I feel like a damn firebender!"

"Y-yeah, I can see why…" Sokka said, with an awkward smile "I'll try not to start spitting fire out of my mouth just yet…"

"Well, good luck with that, because here's our specialty with sansho pepper!" Shengkai announced. Azula as good as yelped, raising her head slowly. The expression on her face was a seamless blend between horror and expectation "It comes with garlic and crab, an absolute delight…!"

"G-give it…" Azula said, reaching her hands towards the tray. Shengkai laughed.

"You're in terrible shape and yet you want more. I like your spirit!" he smiled, handing her the bowl indeed before offering Sokka his own.

Sokka held back from starting, choosing to wait just to witness the ecstatic expression on Azula's face when she sampled the first noodles. Now she seemed close to tears, though this time it wasn't out of embarrassment over not having enough room to fit the rest of the food.

"I… I need your wife to be my personal chef for the rest of my life" Azula said, her voice unexpectedly frail. Shengkai's laughter was louder still at that.

"You'll have to bring that up to her, you will! She's pretty pleased with the pair of you, I must say…" Shengkai declared, as Sokka smiled at Azula and leaned over the bowl and readied himself for another promised explosion of spice.

By this point, it was clear that eating was becoming more cumbersome than pleasant in any regards for the pair of challengers. Azula had to stop more frequently, Sokka even had to open his shirt to cool down his body, and he kept breathing in through his mouth in a hopeless attempt to quell the numb burning all over his mouth: they both cut it close to the time limit with the eighth round.

"Well, well. You look like you're ready to give up" said Shengkai, and although that meant he'd be paid properly for all the ramen, he couldn't help but be disappointed "You want the next round or would you rather withdraw?"

Azula breathed deeply, trembling. Sokka stared at the empty water glass, aghast to find it hadn't soothed the unpleasant burning inside his mouth at all. Just two more bowls, though. Two more, and they could relax, drink all the water they might need, or go to the bathroom as Azula had intended to earlier…

They glanced at each other, wondering if they were ready to surrender. But as it ever was between them, they found their own determination in their lover's eyes. Resolve built up, defiance rushed through their veins, and soon the two had reached a non-verbal agreement: they wouldn't surrender. They had signed up for this madness, and they would see it through to the very end.

"Bring it on" Sokka said. Azula nodded.

"I'm not leaving this restaurant… without sampling all ten dishes" Azula said, determined.

On cue, the entire restaurant seemed to be flooded by joyful cheers. Shengkai was pleased by their decision, and by now even some of Azula's fans had started to support Sokka, choosing to cheer them both at the last legs of their wild challenge.

A picken-based broth came next: it was flavored with togarashi once more, and so, Sokka assumed he would be able to handle it: if he'd put up with the spice before, he'd do it again easily enough…!

The noodles were thick and curly.

Upon biting the first, his numb mouth seemed to catch fire once more as the absorbed broth seemed to flood his tongue. He nearly screamed, choosing to whimper with a hand pressed to his mouth instead, but he feared this wasn't a fight he'd be able to triumph in anymore. No, this was impossible, he needed water so badly, or any sort of substance to chase away the dreadful spice…

Azula loved togarashi. If she could get away with it, she would spice up as good as her every meal with it. But as it was, the ninth course was starting to shape up to be too much for her to handle.

The picken slabs were delicious, and she basked in the flavorful, yet still consistent noodles… but her head was swimming, she could even feel herself sweating, and her entire digestive system appeared to scream at her to have mercy. She gritted her teeth, though: it was togarashi. She couldn't shy away from it, she couldn't back down, she hadn't even reached the final dish yet!

She forced herself to keep going, but it was increasingly difficult. She even gasped at times, fumbling for how to finish the bowl when she wasn't sure how to swallow another mouthful… but Sokka was crumbling before her. It meant she couldn't give up, or else the challenge would end in nothing. If she gave up now…

He set down his bowl, his face red, his eyes tearful.

The bowl was empty.

He was winning.

Azula gritted her teeth. He couldn't beat her, not when he was in such bad shape! Not when he could hardly handle himself anymore!

"J-just twenty seconds left, Jing!" said one of the men near her, and she growled before near burying her face in the bowl. Forget all dignity and decorum, if there was any of them left in her as it was: it was now or never.

If only Sokka's mind had been functional, he could have noticed Azula was rushing through the bowl in the most disgraceful manner possible. Yet his last-minute rush through his bowl had numbed his entire body, mind and soul. And the only way to remediate that…

He reached for his water glass and downed it quickly.

Azula set down the ramen bowl, with barely three seconds to spare. Her supporters rejoiced loudly, and she dropped against the chair's backrest, her entire body weighing so heavily she thought she might outright break the chair.

"You made it to the final round! Amazing!" exclaimed Shengkai, beaming "The last bowls are ready! I'll bring them right up!"

Azula grimaced, Sokka cringed, but Shengkai walked away with the empty bowls, ready to bring the new ones.

"You can do this, Jing, you totally can!" said one of her steadfast supporters, but for once, Azula outright shook her head.

"N-no. I… I don't think I can…" she admitted, gritting her teeth.

"You can't let him win though! If he finishes the next-…!" said the man, but suddenly their eyes moved towards Sokka…

Who was downing Azula's so-far untouched water glass, and then proceeded to drink the entire content of the water jug, to everyone's shock and horror.

"Y-you're out!" exclaimed one of them, but Sokka seemingly had given up on his hopes to succeed at the impossible challenge. All he wanted right now was relief, and little by little he was finding it through what seemed the sweetest, purest drink of water he had ever tasted.

"So Jing wins!" exclaimed another of her fans. But Azula's eyes were wide, and she shook her head near-imperceptibly.

"I can't" she repeated "I… I can't. If I try to eat more, I… I won't be able to hold it all down anymore"

"What?! But he's already out! You can't just…!"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Shengkai's voice reached them, as he returned with yet another set of steaming ramen bowls. Azula nearly wept again at the sight and scent of them: in any different circumstances, she would have devoured them gladly. As she was, though… "What do you mean, he's out?"

"He just drank all the water! All of it!" exclaimed Azula's fan. Sokka only smiled and waved at Shengkai, hugging the jug to his chest.

"I did" he admitted. Shengkai sighed, shaking his head and placing the tray on the table.

"Well then, I suppose there's only one contestant left?" he said. Azula grimaced, though to everyone's surprise, especially her own, she lifted her chopsticks.

The last bowl wasn't quite as strong with the spices as the previous ones had been. Seasoned with a less potent spread of sansho pepper, the beef and mushrooms as well appeared lighter than everything else they'd eaten so far. The noodles were thin and curly: Azula picked up only a few of them in her chopsticks and brought them to her mouth.

Of course, it was top-notch again. She sighed in bliss, savoring the noodles until she had managed to down them, with some difficulty…

And she bowed her head towards Shengkai, in a gesture of defeat. The entire crowd gasped.

"I… I can't continue. I'm sorry, if it were up to me I… I would eat the whole bowl, but… I'm no longer in any shape to do so. I'm sorry" Azula said, breathing heavily. Shengkai smiled, hands on his hips.

"That you came this far speaks quite well of the two of you. You're by far the most fun challengers we've ever had…! W-wait just a second, are you going to eat them?!"

Azula only raised her gaze at Shengkai's sudden exclamation. She might have been too groggy over having stuffed herself to the extreme, perhaps, but she found there was nothing quite surprising about Sokka pulling both bowls towards himself, a mischievous grin on his face.

"I have enough room for these two, can't let them go to waste, now, can we?" he said, beaming "Though… please fill the water jug? We've failed the challenge as it is, so I can have some water whenever I need it, can't I?"

Not a lot of the crowd had found Sokka particularly respectable until that moment. Now they gaped at him with the same admiration they had given Azula so far. As for the Princess, she couldn't hold back a proud grin as she watched Sokka digging in with the last two bowls, finding, to his delight, that they weren't quite as cruelly spicy as the previous ones had been.

"He really is going to… woah" said one of the men.

"You've got the sturdiest stomach I've ever seen!" exclaimed another one. Sokka snickered cheekily.

"I've been a proud glutton all my life, thank you very much!" he said, but he focused on his last two courses again, so the crowd watched him in amazement as he cleaned up the bowls entirely.

Nothing in the earlier plans for their trip had prepared Azula for such a wild, unexpected turn of events. And yet, now that it was over and she could think more clearly, she was deeply amused – and a bit sleepy too, after all she'd eaten. It was so easy for them to lose their minds to ridiculous competitions, ever eager to outdo each other… and just as it had been in Sokka's backyard, all those years ago, they had been forced to surrender to one another, even if this time it was in a much more innocent manner. Azula hadn't finished her ten-course meal, but Sokka had finished it for her, after finding respite from the spice that Azula wasn't fazed by in the least. It seemed their teamwork was infallible and inevitable, even in the most unexpected circumstances.

Shengkai had hoped to talk to them some more, but he was caught up serving the rest of the customers once the wild challenge was over: the restaurant was fuller than before, noisier too. Was it possible that word had spread in town about their ramen duel, and that many people had dropped by to witness its final stages? Azula had felt the crowd growing thicker by the minute, but she had chalked it down to misperceptions, for her mind was definitely not working at its finest right now…

Sokka finally finished the last bowl and he smiled at Azula, leaning over the table. He seemed to have lost his competitiveness by then, just as she had.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. She snorted.

"Can't say that I am" she admitted "I feel like… like I'm going to burst. How the hell do you eat like this so often without consequence…?"

"Lots of practice" Sokka smiled, reaching for her hand over the table "I, uh, I know we already had talked about spending the night here? But I'm starting to think we have no choice now. If you ride Xin Long like this…"

"Don't even make me think about it" Azula said, eyes wide. Sokka chuckled.

"Alright. I'll ask Shengkai if he has available rooms" he said. Azula breathed out and nodded in agreement.

"If he does, I'm taking a nap" she said "I don't think I'll be able to do anything useful until I've digested at least part of all I ate, and… that's probably the best thing I can do while I wait until that happens"

"A nap, huh? Sounds appealing" Sokka said, beaming at the thought of cuddling up to her and falling asleep together without any pressures hanging on them, for once. Maybe this wasn't quite how they'd expected for their first day on the road to unfold, but their crazy improvisation in this town had been rather entertaining anyhow.

He stood up, meaning to track down Shengkai, but he kissed Azula's lips softly before walking away. He inched away from her quickly though, as she smiled and he raised his eyebrows.

"Your, uh… your lips are very spicy, and not quite in the erotic sense this time" he said. She laughed at his assessment.

"Maybe you ought to ask Shengkai if he knows of any measures to counter the lingering spice" she said "I doubt we'll do anything reckless when I feel more swollen than your hot-air balloon, but just in case…"

Sokka smiled and nodded, stroking her cheek gently before making his way to the table Shengkai was serving at the moment. He made arrangements for their room quickly, and discovered the answer for their spicy predicament: Shengkai brought a glass of milk for each of them, which they drank while one of his sons took care of preparing a room upstairs for the visiting couple.

Eyes were on them at all times, and Azula would have joked gladly about how they couldn't help but make an impression everywhere they went if she had been in better shape. Sokka had to help her climb the stairs very slowly once their room was ready, as her entire body resented her and rebelled after she had stuffed herself to such degree.

"I can feel… every single movement of my organs" Azula said, Sokka's arm tight around her waist once they reached the second level of the building "I'd never felt anything like this before"

"Heh, that's how I feel when I eat plenty. You get used to it" Sokka assured her.

"How do you not put on weight?" Azula asked, grimacing. Sokka snickered "Moreover… you will still think I'm attractive if I put on a ton of weight after today, right? It feels like my body wants to… expand? And I don't know how to prevent it anymore, so…"

"Nothing could ever make you any less attractive, Azula" Sokka smiled, kissing her brow softly. The milk had certainly helped with easing the lingering burning feeling on their lips, though it seemed having something else to drink hadn't been all that positive for Azula, whose body couldn't handle eating anything else for the foreseeable future.

"Good to know you think so…" Azula sighed, as Sokka finally stopped at a door "This is it?"

"That's right" he said, opening the room with the key Shengkai had given him earlier "Lo and behold, our new abode"

He was being pompous as a joke, but the room was cozy and classy all the same. Azula raised her eyebrows, regarding the double bed with approval, ignoring all the rest of the furniture and the sight of their bags on a corner, which had been brought upstairs by Shengkai's son after they booked the room.

"Look at that, we have a personal privy and all" Sokka said, smiling at her "You're allowed to take a potty break now, Princess…"

"I… I think I could use one, yes" she admitted, moving to the only door inside the room.

Sokka chuckled as he led her there, taking in the room with approval. This was the best place they could have wound up in, he reasoned. As much as Spicy Ramen Challenges were hardly the most romantic of experiences, it had felt right to do something so random and wild with Azula. Their brand of romance was ever quite unusual, or so he liked to believe…

Azula spent over half an hour relieving herself, and although she returned with a small smile on her face, she confessed she still felt her body was struggling to assimilate their massive meal. Sokka grinned before taking her into his arms and guiding her to the mattress.

"I know we said we'd get frisky as soon as possible and all, but I think we can leave it for later tonight" he said "If we take a nap we'll have more energy for it, right? And as you did want to take one…"

"Yes, please" Azula said, moving very slowly to climb on the bed.

It wasn't long before the two of them were lying side by side, Sokka's arms wrapped around Azula, her face pressed against his chest. They barely exchanged a few kisses before sleep claimed Azula, and Sokka held her reassuringly as he closed his eyes for a short rest.

---

The sky outside had darkened gradually, but the traveling couple was placidly oblivious to the change as they slept. It wasn't until someone knocked on the door that both Azula and Sokka stirred, but the Princess seemed utterly unwilling to climb off the mattress. Sokka kissed the top of her head before detaching their tangled bodies.

"Where'd you think you're going…?" she asked drowsily, her hand reaching out to grab his. Sokka smiled.

"Someone's at the door" he said, stroking her hand gently with his thumb.

"What for…?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out" he said. Azula opened her eyes slightly, her confusion dispelling slowly as she came back to her senses.

"Oh" was all she said before she let go of his hand. She could hear him chuckling even moments before he opened the door, to find a familiar face behind it.

"Ah, I hope you two have rested well!" Shengkai's voice was loud, and it was accompanied by a stream of light that poured in from the hallway's lit lanterns. Azula shirked away from them both, having grown comfortable in the silent darkness of their room without even internalizing that it was already dark, to begin with "I don't mean to pry or anything, I just thought I'd invite you downstairs for a few drinks, if you're feeling up for it. My wife's ecstatic about getting to know you, and her shift in the kitchen's already done, so…"

"I take it she doesn't get challengers like us often, huh?" Sokka said, smirking proudly.

"Definitely not" Shengkai agreed, laughing "Drinks are on us, though! It's the least you deserve for how sturdy you were throughout the challenge"

"That sounds good to me" said Sokka, grinning "I'll check on Jing, make sure she wants to go, too"

"Alright! You know where to find us" said Shengkai, waving before walking down the hallway once more.

Sokka closed the door, the thought of drinks both appealing and off-putting, to some degree. They'd have to pace their drinks if they did it, to make sure they wouldn't grow lightheaded and begin spilling information they shouldn't…

But first he had to ask his very sleepy partner if she wanted to go downstairs, of course.

"You heard all that?" he asked, returning to take his seat by the bedside.

"Hard not to…" Azula sighed, shifting in the mattress as she blinked sleepily "I'd decline their offer, but… I do want to meet the culinary genius behind all those bowls of ramen"

"I guess you would. Though… don't offer her a job at the Palace" Sokka smiled teasingly "I know you loved her ramen and all, but…"

"We have to stay true to character, I know" Azula said, nodding.

"Are you feeling any better yet?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.

"Might be… but I think I'll need the bathroom again" she said. Sokka chuckled and nodded.

"Go right ahead. We'll only go once you're feeling up for it" he said, kissing her brow. Azula sighed, her hand reaching out to pat his chest gently.

"My considerate and dependable fiancé…" she said "Thanks"

"Nothing to thank me for, I'm the reason we ended up in this mess" he chuckled. Azula finally smiled.

"Well, that can't be denied" she said, opening her eyes properly now and pushing herself to a sitting position with some difficulty.

Their nap had knocked them out for at least five hours, or so Sokka guessed, judging by how dark it was outside. As silent and comfortable as their room was, the rumor of boisterous voices drifted upstairs, its likely source the restaurant's area.

By the time Azula returned from the bathroom she seemed far more refreshed and less weighed down than earlier: Sokka gallantly offered her his hand before they made their way to the restaurant again, finding it was akin to a tavern by now, since it was already nighttime. Most people at the tables were drinking, some rowdy, others laughing: the room was lit up brighter than with lanterns by the pleasant, happy mood in the restaurant, a mood that affected the plump couple at a table near the furthermost wall, who waved at Sokka and Azula eagerly upon sighting them.

"Hope you're feeling better, Jing!" Shengkai said once they reached them: his wife looked at Azula near-apologetically.

"You weren't sick because of the ramen, were you?" she asked. Azula smiled but shook her head.

"If anyone is ever ill after eating your food, they should be sent to jail for it" Azula said. Jiare laughed at the unexpected praise "Truly, I've never had ramen of such remarkable quality. If only I were used to eating in large quantities, I definitely would have finished your challenge…"

"Ah, so it was the amount, and not the quality" said Jiare, grinning as Sokka and Azula slid into the free seats at the table "That's a relief, at least"

"And your hard work didn't go to waste, seeing as Wentai finished both my last bowl and his own" Azula said, smiling at Sokka. He snickered proudly.

"Letting good food go to waste would be unacceptable, wouldn't it?" he said. Jiare nodded promptly.

"That's the right attitude to have in life!"

"You two are definitely the most unusual newcomers we've had in Firelight for a long time" said Shengkai, eyeing them with curiosity "Where are you from, Wentai? You're definitely a foreigner, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Northern Water Tribe" he said, with an awkward grin.

"Oh, my! You must be the first Water Tribesman I've ever met" said Jiare, eyes wide "I've always wished it were easier to travel the world, we could learn so much about foreign cuisine that way…"

"Yeah, well, I'm no good at cooking, so if you hoped I could teach you a thing or two, I'm useless" Sokka admitted, with a sad smile. It was fortunate that his genuine, poor cooking skills would only help him strengthen his lie.

"I've heard about some Water Tribe people here and there lately" said Shengkai, stroking his chin "They're still unusual, but I think that the Princess has some Water Tribe slave…?"

"O-oh, yeah, we've heard" Sokka said, with an awkward grin.

"From the South, though. That's what the rumors said" Jiare pointed out. Azula did her very best to stare at them with believable, silent curiosity.

"Must be real crazy, though, for anyone from the Water Tribe to end up here" said Shengkai "It's all ice and snow in your pole, right?"

"Oh, yeah, on the most part. It does take a while to get used to the change of scenery and weather, but we Water Tribe people adapt fast to new environments" Sokka said.

"And how did you two even meet?" Jiare said, intrigued "You told Shengkai you were engaged? It sounds like yours must be a fascinating stor!"

"Oh, it is, I suppose…" said Sokka, growing nervous. They'd talked about expanding their false backstories… but they hadn't quite settled on how to do as much, had they?

"Well, I was born to a noble family in the Fire Nation mainland" Azula began promptly. Sokka fell silent, deferring to her altogether, as he often did when it came to fabricating embellished, complicated stories "My father owned some lands. As I was his third child, I was never going to inherit any, titles so he arranged a marriage for me, with a soldier"

"Is that so?" Jiare asked, her confusion increasing at the mention of another man in Azula's life.

"Roshi was a good man, but there was never anything real between us" Azula said, with a sad smile "He was sent to the Colonies, so I had to move there with him. He was a man of means, so I had a maid and everything… you can imagine my surprise, of course, when I found he was more interested in her than in me. He never did anything inappropriate, but I wasn't happy anyhow…"

"Who would be? That sounds unpleasant…" said Shengkai, grimacing.

"In one of his assignments, at the northern Earth Kingdom, he came across a Water Tribe man who had been taken prisoner in the war against the North" Azula continued, smiling affectionately at Sokka. He was deeply amused, wondering just how far she planned to spin her story "As he was badly injured, Roshi brought him home to tend to his wounds, and while I helped nurse him to health, I started to fall for him, inevitably.

"Wentai became one of our servants; technically he was a slave, but Roshi was always kind to him. Years later, we moved from Omashu to Yu Dao and once there, Roshi and I decided to be honest about our feelings. We split up, Roshi stayed with my maid and I ran off with Wentai, after we got him his Honorary Citizenship…"

"And since she wanted to show me her homeland, she brought me all the way here" Sokka chimed in, grinning "We're on a trip of the Fire Nation for now, maybe we'll find a nice place where we can settle down together…"

"Well, that's wonderful! Yours is quite the sweet story" said Jiare, beaming "I certainly hope you find a proper home soon, then. I guess you may have it hard, some people are very close-minded about foreigners, but you look like a fine young man…"

"Yeah, we've run into some trouble here and there, but nothing we can't handle" said Sokka, with an easy grin.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here as long as you like" said Shengkai, smiling too "So, what drinks can I get you both?"

"Uh, Jing surely wants lychee wine" Sokka said "I'm fine with sake"

"Then I'll be right back!" Shengkai said, pushing himself up to his feet and making his way to the inn's kitchen.

Azula smiled, reaching for Sokka's hand and squeezing it gently. He offered her an innocent grin of his own, delighted by her initiative with physical contact.

"You are certainly a woman of refined tastes, if you like lychee wine" said Jiare, amused "I'm honored my ramen is up to your standards"

"It's the best I've ever had, and that's saying something" Azula said, smiling "I've always relished in spicy meals, myself, even if people like Wentai don't grasp why"

"Hey, now, in my defense, I've been building up more resistance to your favorite meals" Sokka said, smiling and nudging her "But after today, I guess it's clear I still have a long way to go…"

"I suppose it'll be my duty as your future wife to get you up to my level in regards of spicy foods, huh?" Azula said, squeezing his hand.

"And mine as your future husband to learn as fast as I can before I come across a worse kind of spice than I can handle?" Sokka finished, prompting Azula to laugh.

"Oh, if you could withstand my ramen I question you'll ever come across anything stronger" Jiare said, waving a hand in his direction "I have always been told I go too far with the spices, that's why Shengkai came up with this solution for me: if I held this Spicy Ramen Challenge I'd be free to go overboard and make the dishes as I wished to, rather than holding back as I must with everything else we serve at the restaurant"

"Well, that sounds like a perfect compromise" said Azula, smiling "It seems you two are well attuned to each other's needs"

"As are you two, I'm sure" said Jiare, beaming "I think a successful marriage comes from knowing each other properly, and caring about what the other cares about… of course, there are many elements to do with it, but that's an important one all the same"

"I think we've made enough progress on that front" Sokka said, proudly, as Shengkai returned to their table, carrying the drinks he'd promised "If that's what we need, I guess we'll have a pretty good marriage, huh, Jing?"

"Well, as far as marriage is concerned…" Shengkai said, distributing the bottles between all four occupants at the table "You two are young, so are you sure you're ready for it? It's a pretty big commitment…"

"Oh, we've been sure for a while now" Sokka said, grinning happily at Azula "It's not some crazed decision or anything. We've known each other for years and… well, seeing as Roshi and Jing reached such a reasonable decision to split up so they could follow their hearts, we won't let it to go to waste"

"That's wonderful!" said Jiare "Don't let my husband discourage you from doing exactly that, dears. If anything, we should be asking what your wedding plans are!"

"O-oh, well, we haven't really… planned much, have we?" Sokka said, glancing at Azula. She shook her head but smiled.

"No, I think we'll settle down somewhere before we start thinking about that" Azula said "I suppose I could try to get a job as a teacher, perhaps. I was always good at history…"

"Right. And I could be some nobleman's bodyguard, maybe?" Sokka suggested, with a proud smirk "I was a warrior, back in the Water Tribe…"

"But before that, I think we'll continue to see everything we can in the Fire Nation" Azula finished "That's what we came here for, after all"

"Well, that sounds good" said Shengkai, nodding "You're down-to-earth kids. I like that!"

"Ah, and here I was hoping to hear more about your wedding ideas" Jiare sighed.

"She's a hopeless romantic" said Shengkai, smiling and messing Jiare's hair. The woman scowled as she struggled to fix it once Shengkai stopped, and Azula wistfully felt as though she were looking at what her own relationship with Sokka would be like, once they reached their age.

"Ah, yeah, so is Jing" Sokka declared, grinning. Or perhaps they were already there, come to think of it…

"Says the goofball who even writes haiku poems about me?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka blushed violently "I'm pretty sure you're more embarrassing than I am, when it comes to being an incorrigible romantic…"

"Oh, now, really…" Sokka said, biting his lip and eyeing her playfully.

"That's good, though! A man must be forthright and honest about his feelings, I say!" Shengkai declared "If I hadn't been honest with Jiare, she would've just gone on to marry the baker!"

"Not true! I didn't like him!"

"But he liked you!"

"Well, I would have sooner been an old maid than marry someone I didn't like!"

"So, you just bluntly told Jiare how you felt, then?" Sokka asked Shengkai, amused "You weren't worried she might turn you down?"

"Oh, everyone worries about that, but I decided it wouldn't stop me" Shengkai declared "I just walked up to her family house and asked her if she wished to marry me! Of course, her parents and siblings were quite shocked, but still…"

"At first they thought you were demanding to be my husband, my poor frail father was so scared…" laughed Jiare "I hope Wentai was far smarter about how he asked you, Jing…"

"Well… he did take me to the edge of a volcano and asked me there, if you must know" Azula said. Both Jiare and Shengkai stared at them in shock "Yes, it was absurd, but… I suppose it was romantic, in its own way"

"I made her a betrothal necklace, too" Sokka said, grinning and pointing at it, fastened around Azula's neck as it was "It's an old Northern Water Tribe tradition. I used the traditional Tribe's colors for the choker and the stone, but I carved a symbol of fire instead, because that suited Jing better, so…"

"Ah, such a beautiful necklace!" said Jiare, eyes glistening before she pouted in Shengkai's direction "Why don't we have beautiful traditions like that in the Fire Nation? It's not fair!"

"E-eh, but we have… we have our own ceremony, and our rites, what's wrong with that?" Shengkai said, shrinking in his seat. Jiare sighed and shook her head… though the gleam of an idea lit her gaze once more within moments.

"Oh, maybe I'm being bold and crazy…" she said, eyeing the younger couple with amazement "But… maybe we could convince the local sage to hold a wedding ceremony for you!"

"Wait, what?" Azula said, eyes wide. Sokka leaned in as Azula leaned back, intrigued while she was utterly stunned.

"You could? For real?!" Sokka asked.

"He's right there and everything! We could ask him without a hitch" said Jiare, shrugging as she gestured at the center of the room.

A group of loud men gathered not too far from their table. Amongst them stood a short, middle-aged man, wearing a lighter version of the ceremonial robes sages always wore… and he had a sizable sake bottle in his hands.

"T-this one…! This one I dedicate to the souls of the lost…!" he started, stumbling both with his own feet and with his words "The lost of the souls who…! Who fell to that witch of the mountains…!"

"Oh, not again" said Shengkai, rolling his eyes "Every time he gets drunk he starts rambling about that old tale"

"The witch of the mountains?" Azula repeated, confused.

"It's something that happened over ten years ago in this island, in the other village" Jiare explained "A lot of people started disappearing in nights of full moon, and the culprit was this old lady, an innkeeper…"

"Sure caused us a lot of trouble, people kept mistaking our inn with hers when they dropped by…" Shengkai said, shaking his head.

"Wait, she took people away? What did she do with them?" Sokka asked, and just on cue, the sage sang with a horribly broken voice:

"Taken by the witch! Dragged into the caves of doom! Taken by the witch! Chained in the dark and glooooom…!"

"C'mon, you can't hit that note!" another drunk man shouted, and everyone laughed together as the sage struggled to drink and sing simultaneously.

"She took them into caves? Chained them?" Azula repeated.

"No one ever knew why, but yeah" said Shengkai.

"By the time the Domestic Forces finally bothered coming to take a look, a few of the villagers had already died" Jiare sighed, shaking her head "A tragedy, that was. The old lady was taken into custody, from what we were told, but she died barely a few days later"

"Y-you sure? Sounds like a very creepy old lady. She didn't just stage her death…?" Sokka asked, grimacing. Jiare laughed.

"I doubt it, but even if she had, she was very old and that was around ten years ago. The disappearances stopped after she was taken away, and no one's had to worry about going out on nights of full moon ever since"

"Ah. A happy enough ending, so you don't have to be so frightened, Wentai" Azula said, smirking at Sokka. He pouted in her direction, cheeks flushed.

"It's cause enough for concern!" he said "Creepy old ladies stealing people and dragging them into caves… couldn't she take them anywhere but a cave, really? Completely ridiculous…"

"At any rate, if you want to get married soon, we could ask Sage Ryu if he's willing" said Shengkai, shrugging "Sounds like you two know what you're doing, so…"

"Well, I'd be fine with asking him, yep" Sokka said, grinning. Azula gave him a pointed stare.

"I suspect his willingness to hold our ceremony will vanish the moment he finds out we have… well, no papers to prove you're an Honorary Citizen, for starters" Azula said, with a dry grin "We left those with Roshi, remember? And we said we'd send him a bird so he could mail them to us safely, once we settled down somewhere?"

"O-oh. Right" said Sokka, but to their surprise Shengkai snorted.

"Bah, papers, that's the least of it! I'm sure Ryu will be agreeable even if you don't have them" he said, standing up "I'll go ask!"

"I'll go with you!" Jiare said, and they left the younger pair at the table, with a very shocked Azula and a rather eager but slightly nervous Sokka.

"U-uh… maybe that was forward of me?" he said, smiling awkwardly and scratching the back of his neck "But, well, Azula…"

"Azula indeed" she said, eyeing him with sharp eyes "We can't get married like this, Sokka. We're not… Jing and Wentai!"

"Well, we are right now…" he pouted, but Azula shook her head.

"Even if we went forward with it, it'd only last for what, six days?" Azula said, skeptical "We'll have to go back to our normal lives eventually, remember? And by then, having lit a candle together will have amounted to nothing…"

"It's not nothing…" Sokka said, raising an eyebrow "I mean, maybe I'm being silly, or idealistic, I don't know… but I'd think our wedding ought to be about us committing fully to each other, right?"

"And we already have done that, haven't we?"

"We'd be doing it in front of a lot of people, and your Fire Nation phoenix god, too" Sokka said, with a grin. Azula sighed "Basically, it's about choosing to share our lives completely, and acknowledging that commitment before the entire world, to a fault…"

"That's all fine and good but it's not the entire world, and no one's really going to know we did it unless you run to tell them as soon as we go home" Azula said. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"I don't think I'll do that, not unless you want me to. But, see… I just want to marry you" he said, reaching to take her hand. Azula gazed at the contact between them, his fingers strong and firm against her softer hands "I don't need all our friends to see it, I don't need the damn Fire Lord to find out. It can be a secret wedding, just as ours has been a mostly secret relationship, right? And this way… this way we wouldn't have to wait until we're seventy, the way you always say we would, right?"

"Sokka…"

"I know it's pretty goofy, in general…" he said, smiling sadly "And yeah, it won't amount to much, not before the law, not before anyone else. We'd be married as Jing and Wentai, so… yeah, once we go back to our usual selves it might be as though it hadn't happened at all. But… even if I can only be your husband for six days, as you put it, I… I think that would be the greatest six days of my life"

Her breath caught as she heard those words. The notion of calling Sokka her husband, outright… it seemed to shake the foundations of her entire world. She had never quite wanted to call him her boyfriend, finding the term too juvenile, if anything… but husband had the right ring to it. If she was his wife, if they were married…

Her heart seemed to do backflips, and it wasn't because of the strain she had put her body through by eating too much ramen anymore. If they did this now… it might even be the one time they could get married at all, if anything went wrong in the future. She had agreed to marry him when he lay dying in a forest, hadn't she? And she had done it because she had known there might be no other opportunities to say yes. Because she had decided to give her heart and soul fully to him, consequences be damned, since long ago, and marriage was as good as the solidification, the full, public acknowledgement, of that decision.

It was insane, though, wasn't it? It was ridiculous, for so many reasons… but suddenly she found herself undergoing the same impulse that had brought her to say yes to Sokka every time he had asked her to marry him ever since that dark night. She didn't know if she had the guts to act on it… but a tingle in her chest urged her to do so.

"Still, I see your point" Sokka admitted: Azula cast an uncertain glance at him, finding he was smiling sadly by now "It can be a bit superfluous, in the grand scheme of things, so…"

"Here we are! These are the lovebirds in question, Sage Ryu!"

Shengkai's voice cut Sokka off: they turned towards him to find he had brought the drunken sage with him. The man hiccupped, his face as red as his robes, and he stared at both Sokka and Azula intently.

"If I'm… if I'm gonna do some ceremony, marriage, funeral, what's it…"

"A wedding, we said! It's a wedding!" Jiare repeated.

"Ah, a… a wedding, then!" Ryu said, before raising a hand pointedly "Well, if you want me to do it, then, um, then you have to sing with me, then, yes…"

"Oh, crap" Sokka said, grimacing in defeat "Well, there's no way Jing will ever agree to that: she has the best voice but hates singing and…"

"N-nuh, nuh, not her! You!"

"What?!" Azula exclaimed, as Sokka's jaw dropped "Oh, no! Absolutely not! His singing voice is no good, I assure you…!"

"Nonsense! No man that handsome can have a bad voice!"

"Wanna bet?" Sokka asked, awkwardly.

"Come on, come on, join me for 'The squirrel-rat meets the possum-pigeon'! It's a great song for newlyweds!"

"It is?" Sokka asked "W-well, I'm a foreigner so I don't know those Fire Nation songs, but if you teach it to me…!"

"Oh, sure! We'll sing it all night 'til you get it right!"

"Cool!"

"What do you mean, cool?! It's anything but cool…!" Azula said, but by now her apparent groom-to-be was smiling mischievously and he joined Ryu in alleged tuning exercises that only convinced the Princess that both Sokka and the Sage were actually tone-deaf.

It was ridiculous enough when they were still tuning, it got worse yet once they started singing the song: Ryu hadn't told Sokka the lyrics or written them for him, leaving the younger man to mostly babble and ramble, attempting to anticipate to the next words and failing at it, more often than not. By the time they had finished the first run through the song, Azula couldn't possibly do anything but laugh, along with every other customer and the two innkeepers.

Laughter and songs continued through the night at the Dragon's Casserole: despite her unwillingness to leave the bed earlier, Azula now found herself completely immersed in the wild joy of the townsfolk. They were kind, even if they were rowdy, and they were absolutely welcoming of the newcomers. Knowing that there was such a generous, open side to her nation's people reassured the Crown Princess, filling her heart with a quiet, gentle happiness… though, as it was, she hardly felt like a Princess tonight. She sabotaged one of Sokka and Ryu's songs by singing it herself, for she had known the lyrics of that one and she had wanted some respite from their loud and dreadful voices. She finished her lychee wine bottle after drinking it by sips across an hour or two, and although she still retained her senses, the world around her seemed brighter than ever before.

The main reason she felt that way wasn't the drink, though: it was the dashing man with beautiful blue eyes who had finally desisted on his singing spree, now that Sage Ryu looked close to blacking out after too much drinking. It was late, and half the customers had already left, though some were still joking around, talking in unnecessarily loud voices. To Azula, it was the right moment to slip upstairs, and Sokka's flushed face as he downed the rest of his sake bottle only convinced her further of it.

"Woah, singing is exhausting…" he said, chuckling "Is that why you don't want to do it more often, eh? Though you did today, Az-… Jing, woops"

"It's okay, no one else was listening just now anyhow" Azula shrugged, and Sokka snickered.

"Either way, you did sing today, and I loved every second of it" he said, slipping an arm around her waist to pull her closer "Though I have no idea why you did it, really… are you drunk, by any chance?"

"Surprisingly… no" Azula said, smiling as she raised a hand to trail his chest. He smiled, finding her hand with his own "Are you?"

"Not quite, I think the sake wasn't all that strong" Sokka said "I was thirsty, though"

"Do you need more to drink, then? Because if you don't…"

"If I don't?" Sokka said, acutely aware of how her body was inching closer and closer to his own…

She smirked and kissed his lips softly, pulling away playfully just before he could answer her properly. His eyes narrowed, her fingernails grazing his chest gently over his shirt.

"What do you say?" she whispered. His greedy eyes gleamed even before he grinned, answering her question with an eager nod.

He didn't wait until they were upstairs to kiss her again: his body seemed to be on fire and not because of the spicy ramen this time. The lychee wine's taste lingered on Azula's lips, and it only compelled him to deepen their exchange, noses brushing together as he angled his face to better kiss her.

Azula closed her eyes, ever basking in Sokka's sudden dominant urges. She leaned into him, her hands reaching for his own as she begged him wordlessly to touch her. He answered her silent request instinctively, basking in her reactions as she smiled into their kisses, moaning softly, so very quietly, holding back enough so they wouldn't be overheard, but unwilling to contain the sounds that poured out of her, just as well.

Her implied suggestion couldn't go to waste, of course: after sharing a heated kiss that probably should have been kept private, Sokka forgot all about the singing, the drinks, even the notion of marrying Azula through the unconventional Sage. There was but one thing on his mind at this point, and it was the woman in his arms, who seemed to crave his touch and kisses as though she had been starved of them for years. He was ever happy to please her by providing her no shortage of either thing.

So they made their way upstairs, pointedly ignoring the hoots and congratulations they received by the remaining customers in the building. Rushes of adrenaline buzzed through their bodies: it dawned on them, as they stumbled their way upstairs amongst further kisses, that they had indeed been openly, carelessly affectionate in front of a sizeable crowd… they had been reckless, bold, unapologetic about their love in every sense they could have been, and there would be no real consequences for it. There would be none while they were Jing and Wentai, while they were in this beautiful and humble town that had no intentions of condemning them.

They stumbled against the walls on their way upstairs, trading further wild kisses each time they stopped, pinning one another to the walls just briefly to enjoy each other's affections some more. Every step away from the onlookers made them all the more daring, and by the time they reached their room again Azula was moaning shamelessly, with Sokka's hand between her legs.

"I… I think we held out for too long…" he whispered, pushing the door open hastily "C-can't spend so long alone together without…"

"Yes…" she agreed immediately, kicking the door closed once they were inside the room "Yes, Sokka…"

"Come here" he whispered, pulling her closer and pressing a powerful kiss to her lips.

She could have easily allowed the kiss to sweep her off her feet completely, but this time she didn't just stand there melting in his arms: her hands began working on the fastening of his clothes, undoing the changshan that suited him so well. He followed her example before long, but unlike Azula, who was relishing in groping his strong, exposed abdomen, Sokka found Azula's bindings, wrapped tight around her chest.

"Sometimes… sometimes I just wanna cut through these" he growled, with a deep voice. Azula didn't need more reasons to shiver pleasantly, but it seemed Sokka was determined to give her just that when he spoke that way.

"I want you, Sokka…" she said, her voice faint. Sokka flashed her a knowing smirk before devouring her lips with kisses once again.

He nudged her towards the bed gently, and she gasped when she tripped over the side of the mattress, falling on her back, her tunic spreading open carelessly. Laughs left her lips now, as she relished in the lustful gaze Sokka was offering her. He smiled too, biting his lip before dropping on his knees while she lay on the mattress. He removed her boots, yanked off her trousers unceremoniously, and he ran his hands over her strong legs, lips kissing her knees and calves while his fingers trailed over her thighs.

She yanked off her arm sleeves on her own, wishing Sokka were closer so she could strip him off his remaining clothes just the same. And yet there was a side of her, the royal side, presumably, that relished in being at the receiving end of his affections. Being naked faster only meant that he had devoted himself to her to such extent that she had been completely overwhelmed by the passion of her talented lover.

Lover… that had been, for a long time, the right word to describe him. After tonight, though, a new one seemed to be about to take its place: it had been a subtle whim at first, but as she lay in bed, her body heating up under his touch, she burned with the desire to call him her husband.

Perhaps it was madness, perhaps it was reckless, but their relationship had ever been reckless and crazy in its own way. If anything, this seemed to fit just right with their track record so far, and with every kiss he pressed to her inner thighs as he crawled over her body, the more he convinced her, unknowingly, that she ought to listen to her wild, racing heart and do the most unthinkable of things with him on this journey.

His lips returned to hers, and Azula fisted his soft hair so she could claim him thoroughly now. Her sudden aggressiveness contrasted with her earlier seductive behavior, and Sokka couldn't help but wish he knew what was on her mind right now. He allowed her freedom to explore his mouth, to grope his torso after shoving off his changshan, touching his muscles and scars boldly, proving she wanted him just as he was, virtues, strengths, faults and flaws alike.

She rolled them on the bed, pinning him down so she could unfasten his wrist sleeves and carry on stripping him bare. As much as she loved it when he was more dominant, she didn't know what else to do with her overwhelming feelings other than to take control of the situation and try to convey them wordlessly. So she leaned in, covering his neck and collarbone with kisses as she unfastened his trousers. Sokka groaned, letting her know she was doing a fine job of arousing him as he deviously did away with her chest bindings… and then he gasped, for her hand had sneakily encircled his shaft while he worked on her last garments.

She pumped him gently, delighted to find he was already half-aroused, at least. Sokka's breathing grew more agitated, and he gazed into her eyes longingly, finding unquenchable fire in her own. Oh, she was beautiful, unbearably so… he reached to undo her ponytail, and her silk-like hair fell around them elegantly. His breath hitched at the sight, unable to contain his blissful grin as his excitement increased by her hand.

Azula didn't slow down until he asked her to, by clasping her wrist silently. His manhood was stiff, reaching its peak size, and with raw excitement clouding her mind, Azula couldn't want anything more than to carry on touching it, stirring him until he finished… but Sokka had other plans.

He remained where he was, lying on his back, but he urged Azula to crawl over him, so her entrance would hover right above his face. Azula's unabashed smile was all the more stimulating for Sokka: the Princess obeyed diligently, her legs spread out fully so she could sink over him. Sokka's hands raked her smooth ass, each settling on a cheek, and he pulled her close to offer her the best kind of oral pleasure he could muster.

The shameless moans that poured out of her were sure to be heard downstairs, but when Azula clasped a hand over her mouth Sokka slowed down with his devious ministrations.

"I like hearing you…" he whispered. She gasped.

"I… everyone's going to know that we're…"

"Not like they'd think we're doing anything else, would they…?"

"But…" Azula said, face flushed. Sokka smiled at her encouragingly from between her legs "Ah, shit…"

"They're still being loud and singing nonsense…" Sokka said, leaning in to press a slow kiss to her clit. She cried out, fingers lacing with his hair urgently "And we're free to do what we want, Azula… for a week, at least. So…"

It was, indeed, a week through which they'd face no consequences for loving each other openly. A week of not being Princess and gladiator, of being nothing but two travelers who loved and wanted each other in every possible sense…

That proved to be the one argument Sokka had ever needed to use. Azula lowered her hips, pressing her folds to his mouth, so he could lick her expertly again, and she cried out in desperate, eager bliss as for it. Her nails dug into the mattress, and she told herself not to worry anymore. Teasing, taunts, even complaints about how loud they might have been… they would be irrelevant. For tonight, she and Sokka were truly free for the first time, and she was determined to enjoy every second of said freedom.

Unlike him, Azula didn't pull away upon feeling the built-up climax's impending arrival. If anything, she gave herself to it completely, her moans shrill and irrational with every surge of pleasure. Sokka didn't hold back: two of his fingers slid inside her as his lips continued to suck on her tender clit, his tongue flicking the nub mercilessly. Within moments, the Princess had come undone loudly, unabashedly, and she was thrusting against his mouth and fingers without a care in the world.

Sokka smirked and continued to tease her, even after she had reached her peak. Azula's moans were weaker and yet more constant, as the pleasure rose up again. Finally, she cried out in an aggressive manner again, and she pulled away from his mouth only to leer at him, gold eyes gleaming with desperate lust.

"Fuck me" she said, authoritative and determined. As ever, her rebellious lover found her tone amusing.

"I love it when you get so demanding…" he said, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he sat up on the bed, his hardened shaft ready and waiting.

Azula threw herself into a wild kiss, frantically toying with Sokka's tongue as her legs wrapped around his waist. Sokka chuckled, his hands busy fumbling with their sexes, ensuring the head of his cock could penetrate her smoothly.

"And see… I did eat you out, and I out-ate you earlier too, just like I said I would" he smirked into their kisses, prompting Azula to snort and laugh "I'm a man of my word, aren't I?"

"And you're ridiculously talented at anything you do, for sure" Azula declared, bucking her hips against his, urging him to fill her with his shaft.

Sokka often teased and taunted her in bed, but this time he needed a release of his own quite desperately. He pushed through the heated, wet walls, and Azula moaned erotically against his mouth, her body arching into his: he could barely believe just how badly he wanted her. He was taking her right now, literally, and yet she made it so it wasn't enough. Were he to listen to his heart and impulses, he would have gladly spent every moment of the rest of his life making love to her this way, consequences be damned, the rest of the world forgotten.

She was too aroused, apparent by how she hardly thrusted against him once his manhood had entered her fully. Sokka sighed blissfully before turning them in bed, but only so they would lie on their sides, face to face. Azula's arms clung to him, and his hands traveled over her body lasciviously, squeezing her ass, kneading her breasts, teasing her pelvis to make her body jolt against his own. And all the while he thrusted into her, at first slowly, helping her adjust to his sizeable cock inside her, but he couldn't be considerate for too long when the blood rushed southwards and clouded his better judgment. It was just what Azula had hoped for, though: she wanted him uncontrolled, reckless, seeking pleasure as a drowning man might seek a breath of fresh air.

The long kiss they'd held broke off as Azula panted heavily against Sokka, brow pressed to his. He kept his eyes open, watching as hers were closed, her face heated, pearls of sweat beading her skin. He relished in her reactions, in the wild emotions he could see across her face: never was she more honest than when she was aroused beyond control. He could see Azula's very essence, bare and pure before him, and he could reach for it with his own…

Her eyes opened briefly, at the lack of feeling his lips working against hers, and they laughed after holding each other's gaze briefly. She couldn't continue to smile for long, the pleasure violently claiming her through more moans as he thrusted deep inside her, as far as he could reach in this position, but Sokka held his own blissful grin as his strong body continued to move steadily into hers. He was pacing himself, hoping to drag out their tryst for as long as he could, and yet he knew it wouldn't be enough. They would need another round, or twenty, to sate their desire, and even then he knew he'd still want more of her.

She was addictive for all his senses, holding him under a spell he had been delighted to be charmed by for years now. The longer it went on, the more he wanted her, the more he loved her. His heart was completely linked with hers, as far as he could tell: maybe she was right to think a wedding was unnecessary. Their commitment and passion for one another would stand true against any test they were subjected to, no matter if they were secret lovers or public spouses…

He boldly gazed at her reactions with every kiss he stole from her lips, thrusting into her more powerfully each time, listening to what seemed an endless stream of pleasure cries that she wouldn't restrain anymore. Every moment they shared, every drifting second of bliss, seemed to renew the love that burned between them, an everlasting flame much like her powerful inner fire, that promised to never falter, not against the passage of time or the many adversities that might still come their way.

She gasped his name breathlessly, and he answered with hers, cupping her cheek and kissing her deeply. He broke their eye contact by it, pouring his heart and soul into the exchanges that would drive them past the final boundaries of pleasure. Her legs trembled around his waist, anticipating to the burst of passion they'd built their way towards. He couldn't hold back the loving words that tumbled out of him in a clumsy rush, not when his body seemed to fall out of his control: his culmination was here, and Azula welcomed him eagerly.

He gasped loudly, clutching her hair as she cried out in bliss, her body erratically clashing into his. The bodily pleasure had been charged and fired away, and they thrusted less frantically during the aftershocks of their release, trembling violently together after sharing their climaxes as they had. Soft moans still poured out of Azula's lips, and she clung to Sokka hard, nails digging into his skin, as he continued whisper:

"I love you so much… oh, fuck, I'm so yours you could… you could kick my ass and I'd thank you for it…"

The last of his sentences seemed so out of place Azula couldn't help but laugh, her body pressed tight against his. Sokka smiled, arms around her waist, finally feeling the blood was rushing back to his brain after unleashing himself inside her.

"I'll… have to drink the tea in the morning" Azula whispered, stroking his chest gently "Remind me of it, in case I…"

"Yeah… I will" Sokka's lips trailed over her cheekbone before pressing gentle kisses all over her red, sweaty face. She wasn't sure she'd stop smiling anytime soon "You did drink it today, didn't you…? Back at the Palace…?"

"I did" Azula answered, seeking his lips with his own "Getting married… it's a possibility. But we're not making babies yet, for sure"

"A possibility, you say…?" Sokka repeated, grinning innocently "For real…?"

"Do you really want to?" Azula asked, no longer reluctant: if anything, she sounded eager to hear his answer.

"Why'd you think I've asked you to marry me a thousand times…?" he asked "Come to think of it, I haven't done it often lately… will you marry me?"

"Yes" she answered, biting her lip as she gazed at him "Of course I will"

He chuckled, raising a hand to touch the pendant of the necklace that nestled over her collarbone: Azula's heart was racing, and not only because of the passionate sex they'd just had.

"Why does it always feel like the first time, when I ask you that and you say yes?" he laughed, kissing her lips promptly "It makes me giddier than a kid on his birthday…"

"Well, you're childish sometimes, and your birthday's coming up so… I guess I ought to make you as happy as that, shouldn't I?" Azula said, fingers sliding into his smooth hair "I love you, Sokka"

"And I love you, Azula" he said, kissing her softly "So much I… I think we have to do it again, right now"

"Ah? Do what again, exactly?" Azula asked, amused. Sokka snickered.

"What'd you think?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows and rolling them over the bed. He was kissing her passionately even before he climbed atop her, and he kept doing it with scarce interruptions: his Princess remained in a cloud of bliss for it, responding to his smooth and delectable kisses with plenty of her own.

Their senses were attuned to nothing but pleasure, and they lost track of the world around them entirely as they gave themselves to each other constantly through the night. Their bodies were in perfect synch, both when it came to their coupling and actual sleeping: neither one would quite remember when they fell asleep, exactly, but Azula would be the one to wake up first in the morning, finding her legs locked around Sokka's, as they lay upside down across the mattress. It was a surprise that they'd managed to keep the sheet on the bed at all, seeing as they'd kicked the pillows off at some point through their many rounds of lovemaking.

She always seemed to find herself resting against his chest: she felt safe when he held her so closely, and she was ever reassured by his steady, strong heartbeats and slow breathing. Seldom could she wake up beside him in this way, without having to scramble for her clothes and rush home, or without having to jerk Sokka awake to urge him to leave, if he had been the one to sneak into her room instead. For once she could lie beside him, watching him rest, his mouth slightly open, his hair falling gracefully over his face.

With every day she spent by his side she was all the more grateful to have him in her life, for all the wonders he had opened her eyes to, and the love he had given her so selflessly. Her appreciation for him only reached greater heights each day, and in moments like these she could only want it to rise even higher. She breathed deeply and relaxed atop him again, closing her eyes as she nestled in his arms. The temptation to simply let herself fall asleep anew was strong, especially when her heart was at such genuine peace. All thoughts of stressful matters had vanished without a trace, and she couldn't help but smile at that realization…

Just when she was about to doze off again, Sokka stirred underneath her. His shifting brought her back to full consciousness, but she didn't open her eyes, comfortable atop him as she was.

"Hmm…" he groaned, raising a hand to caress her messy hair "Azula…"

"Good morning, Sokka" she whispered, slipping an arm around his body to embrace him, while taking full advantage of the chance to caress his strong torso.

"Better than good…" he said, and she could tell he was smiling only by his voice tone "We're waking up together, heh…"

"I thought so too" Azula smiled as well "Neither of us has to run away and hide… it's a miracle, isn't it?"

"Sure feels like one" he said, tightening his arms around her. Azula only opened her eyes again by then, reaching up to kiss his lips fully "After everything we did last night, too…"

"Hmm, yes…" Azula said, patting his chest gently, but upon taking in his delectable body, she caught sight of a bulge in the sheets, level with his groin "Though it looks like I didn't tire you out enough for your Boomerang's satisfaction, did I?"

"You know by now that always happens to guys…" Sokka laughed "And it's Mr. Boomerang, mind you"

Azula laughed too, climbing over his body and kissing him anew. It wasn't long before they were caught up in another tryst, slow but intense as their bodies woke fully from their slumber. Azula did make efforts to avoid being so vocal this time, but by the time her climax approached she could hardly hold back. She collapsed atop Sokka, her flushed face the picture of satisfaction while her similarly satisfied lover relaxed beneath her, breathing heavily.

"I so love doing this… early in the morning…" Azula said, laughing softly. Sokka snorted.

"How early is it, exactly? I can't really tell…" he said. Azula shrugged.

"It's bright outside, is all I know" she admitted: they'd left the curtains of their window open, and the glow of daylight fell upon them.

"Heh… I suppose those stains dancing over the window aren't really there, are they…?" he said, with an awkward smile. Azula frowned, glancing at him warily.

"Sokka…?" she said. He offered her a guilty grin.

"I'm okay, I'm okay…"

"You're seeing shapes, though? That's not being okay, silly, you're…"

His raging stomach finished Azula's sentence on its own with a very loud groan. It was enough to elicit further laughter from the happy pair.

"Breakfast it is" Azula declared, smiling and kissing his lips "Eleven bowls of ramen and he still eats like a beast…"

"That's what keeps my muscles so buff, just the way you like them…" Sokka chuckled, tickling her and prompting her to laugh louder yet.

They helped each other dress up and made their way out of their room, agreeing to return to pick up their luggage once they were done with their meal. Azula was slightly apprehensive about talking to Shengkai and Jiare again, knowing they had likely overheard her cries of passion, but she decided to face the consequences of their recklessness: they couldn't be all that steep, anyhow, could they?

Yet as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs they were greeted by loud cheers and hoots once more: it seemed many of last night's drunkards hadn't gone home yet.

"W-wait, you guys just spent the night here?!" Sokka exclaimed, glancing at the men who were clapping in his direction. Azula's face couldn't have been any redder.

"We do that sometimes!" one of them said "And you sure are the town's hero today, boy!"

It was Sokka's turn to blush profusely, something Azula found endearing despite her own embarrassment. Had he been smug about his achievement she might have scolded him, but that he'd be bashful about their night of passion only stirred her love for him further.

Still, she had no intentions of lingering here, listening to all sorts of indiscreet comments from near-total strangers, so she squeezed Sokka's hand and smiled awkwardly.

"I'll go talk with Jiare about my tea" she said "You can handle this?"

"I better, huh?" Sokka said, with a weak smile. Azula stroked the back of his hand gently, wishing to kiss him good luck instead, but seeing as everyone's attention was already focused on them, it was better not to give them exactly what they wanted.

Jiare was amused by Azula's visit to her kitchen. She had already been working on breakfast for several of the customers outside, and she was happy to add two more orders to her list. Her sons were working with her, but they were too preoccupied with their business to pay their mother or her guest much attention.

"So… I suppose this tea means you're not ready for children yet?" Jiare said. Azula nodded, wishing her cheeks could be less red than they were as she sipped the beverage.

"Wentai would like to have children, yeah, but I'm not sure, myself" she admitted "We've talked about it, he seems to be alright with waiting or with not having any kids altogether, if I never change my mind…"

"Well, that's nice. It's always better to have a partner who respects your opinions and decisions. Trust me, you don't want to have kids just to please your husband" said Jiare, smirking "It's best when you do it out of your own convictions"

"Of course" Azula agreed "Though… I'd rather we're married before we start taking the possibility of children seriously. It's something to consider, but until then…"

"Ah, naturally. That's a wise decision, Jing" said Jiare, nodding.

Azula swallowed hard now, as Jiare focused on her cooking. Nerves twisted her stomach into knots, begging her not to be foolish enough to bring up the subject anew, in fear of hearing the answer she didn't want to hear… but the thoughts that had coursed through her mind the previous night kept returning at full power whenever she let herself think of Sokka again. So, against her better judgment, she took a deep breath and asked her question:

"Say, that Sage… are you sure he'd be willing to hold our wedding ceremony?"

Jiare stopped her work with the omelet she was cutting into a perfect square shape to stare at Azula pointedly. The Princess was bashful, but a certain innocent determination gleamed in her eyes.

"Why… possibly. Granted, he's always more agreeable when he's drunk" Jiare laughed "But he might still be willing to do it now, if you ask him nicely. He's still out there, if you must know…"

"He is?" Azula asked, eyes wide. Jiare nodded promptly.

"You can bring it up directly to the man, sober or hungover as he may be" Jiare said, beaming.

Azula's nerves had only grown wilder by now, but there was a sense of giddy anticipation accompanying them. She downed the rest of her tea and nodded.

"Thanks, then. I-if you don't mind… I'll do just that" she said. Braving a room full of villagers who had heard her every moan last night wasn't all that appealing a perspective, but all caution be damned…

"Good luck!" Jiare called after her, as Azula pushed the kitchen door open and reentered the large dining room.

Some eyes shifted towards her again, some curious, others cheeky, but she ignored them as she sought the man she was looking for. She recognized Shengkai standing near Sokka: it seemed her lover wasn't so tense anymore, so perhaps the worst of the teasing was over by this point… the Sage, as it happened, was sitting at the table Shengkai was currently attending, his head in his hands while what looked like a hangover cure rested before him.

"… I've always told him to take it easier but he never learns, right, Ryu?" Shengkai was saying before patting the Sage's back. The man cringed, shooting him a deadly glare.

"'S your fault, you keep giving me the strongest sake you've got!"

"I do not!"

"Yeah, you do!"

Sokka had been chuckling at the argument when he caught sight of Azula walking up to them. He grinned reassuringly at her, but the smile froze on his face when he recognized the glow of an idea in her eyes. And instead of making her way towards him… she stopped right in front of the Sage at the table.

"Az-… Jing?" Sokka's tongue near-slipped, but he caught himself on time, and no one seemed to make much of it. Azula didn't regard him, though, for she was set on speaking with the Sage instead.

"C-can I help you, young lady…?" the Sage asked, trying to sound formal but managing to sound sick instead.

"I… suppose you may not remember much about last night" Azula ventured, but the Sage shook his head.

"I remember plenty. You are a loud lady" he said. Her cheeks flushed, but she refused to let that inappropriate comment deter her… "Trying to sing louder than me and all, who'd have thought someone had the lungs for that?"

"O-oh. That's what you meant?" Azula asked, uneasily. The Sage shrugged.

"You were loud enough later too, but I don't really care 'bout…"

"Y-yeah, well, good to know you don't" Azula said, promptly. She breathed deeply and looked at the man pleadingly "I… I just want to know if the offer still stands. Shengkai and Jiare said you could marry us, so… can you?"

"Wha-…? Oh, no, I don't want to marry you" the Sage said, immediately, so quickly that Sokka's surprised confusion froze immediately, though he was still left gaping at Azula with an open mouth "I'd rather marry this handsome fellow, if it were up to me! Though he's already taken, the bastard, but still…"

He pointed at Shengkai upon saying that, and the men listening to the conversation laughed while both Sokka and Azula stared at him in surprise, while Shengkai smiled and rolled his eyes. The Sage was unapologetic about his tastes, something Azula would likely give him credit for in the future, but she had no intentions of losing sight of the reason she had decided to speak with him.

"Well, I sure hope you find someone as handsome as him for yourself one day" Azula said, with a curt smile "But I didn't mean… ugh, I meant, can you perform a wedding ceremony for me and Wentai?"

"Ooooh! Oh, haha! I messed that up!" Ryu laughed, until the pounding headache prompted him to grimace instead "Oh, never drink too much, lass, I don't advise it…"

"I've done it in the past, I have no intentions of doing it again in the future" Azula assured him, smiling with unease "But, about my question…"

"Woah, woah, woah!" Sokka exclaimed suddenly, reaching to clasp her shoulders so he could look her in the eye. Azula tried not to seem too nervous, though Sokka's intervention came as no surprise… "W-what exactly…? Hey, hadn't you said you didn't know if…? If it'd make any sense to do it this way?"

"Well, yeah, it's not going to be all that legal without our proper papers and what-have-you" Azula admitted, biting her lip "But… I changed my mind anyhow. Which I figured you'd be happy about"

"I am! Of course I am, but I'm just too surprised to even think properly anymore…!" Sokka admitted, grinning in disbelief. Azula smiled awkwardly.

"Well, all it really boils down to is whether we want to marry each other or not, so… will you marry me?" she asked, simply. Sokka snorted, as the men around them gasped, only to begin cheering right away again.

"Hey, boy, if you don't say yes I'm stealing your girl away!" one shouted.

"Damn, if she ain't the full package! Who's heard of a girl proposing before? That's one for the books!" said another.

"Come to think of it, why don't girls propose more often? Makes no sense to leave men to do it!" claimed another one, and their conversation would've shifted entirely to debating traditions and laws and whatnot if Sokka hadn't smiled and pulled Azula in for a heartfelt kiss: with that, the cheers and hoots began anew, prompting Azula to laugh against Sokka's lips until he pulled away, his face alight with unshakeable joy.

"Damn right I'll marry you" he said, beaming "I suppose it was about time you asked me, for a change"

"Got to keep things interesting somehow" Azula teased him, but their willingness to marry each other wasn't the only question to be asked: the one man who could perform the ceremony was still staring at them, eyes clouded with a hangover, arms folded over his chest. Sokka swallowed hard.

"Do you think you can do it?" he asked Ryu "I know the circumstances aren't the best, but…"

"Heh…" said Ryu, pushing himself up to his full height and staring at them both pointedly "As far as I recall… I gave you one condition last night, didn't I?"

"You did…" Sokka said, glancing at Azula warily "Y-you asked me to sing with you, and I did. Not very well, apparently…"

"Not well at all!" shouted a man, prompting Azula to laugh outright. Sokka smiled and shook his head.

"But I did it anyhow, didn't I?" he said, shrugging in the Sage's direction "So…?"

Ryu stared between Sokka and Azula for a long pause, finger tapping his arm as he pondered his options. All the while, Azula's fingers tightened around Sokka's, wondering why, of all the tense moments of her life, this seemed the most heart-stopping of them. They might get married… but only if a hungover sage agreed to perform the ceremony.

"Are you busy today, maybe?" Azula asked "I mean, I know it's crazy to want a wedding so fast, but…"

"But we're not planning on staying in this town forever, so this is kind of our only chance" Sokka finished. Ryu hummed.

"My schedule… is clear" he said. Both Sokka and Azula blinked blankly "I don't have anything planned for today. Only prayers, and then coming back to this accursed establishment to drink anew"

"S-so, if that's the case…?" Sokka said, staring at the man eagerly. Ryu breathed deeply once more, before placing his hands on his hips.

"You fulfilled the condition just fine" he declared, before smiling and nodding "So… yes. I can do it. I will do it. Consider it done, though we still must actually go through the whole ceremony, but still…"

Another loud cheer ran through the inn, dwarfing the Sage's voice, but this time Azula and Sokka near joined it, gazing at the Sage with disbelieving joy. Shengkai laughed, patting Sokka's back in congratulations as the young man's gaze met that of his future wife's, incomparable bliss pouring through their clear, honest eyes.

"We're getting married!" Sokka said, in disbelief. Azula's laughter poured out of her in nervous amazement, and the laughs gained strength when Sokka wrapped her in his arms, lifting her effortlessly off the floor "We're getting married!"

They twirled together, arms locked in the tightest embrace, hardly knowing how a casual visit to a town had resulted in such an unexpected outcome. The ceremony wouldn't quite seem valid in the eyes of anyone other than them and the townsfolk, they knew, but it didn't matter: against all odds, common sense and predictions, one of the greatest dreams of the clandestine lovers was about to become a reality.