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...

194. Chapter 194: Return to Shu Jing 7

While cooking had ever been challenging, to the point of impossible, a large book of recipes certainly had made matters far easier for both Azula and Sokka. Song had as good as saved their lives by agreeing to write it: even the Princess was achieving the unthinkable as she counted down the seconds until the fruit tart she'd baked was cooked enough to be eaten. Next to her, Sokka was adding finishing touches to a miso soup, and he smiled approvingly at what would have been a complete catastrophe without the book's help.

"It's hard to believe we're being so successful, isn't it?" Azula teased him. He laughed and nodded, pouring the soup into small bowls.

"It's almost like cooking's a skill that can be learned rather than an art beyond the two of us" he snickered "For a long time I thought it was"

"I suppose you never did have to cook much back in the South Pole?"

"Oh, at one point Katara was so tired of how ungrateful I was, back when we were still teenagers, that she stopped cooking and left it to me" Sokka remembered, smirking "Took her just one meal to realize that, for all our safety, she and Gran-Gran were better off handling the cooking instead, regardless of the lesson she wanted to teach me. I didn't quite bring down the igloo, but I don't think the gruesome stains on the walls' furs will have faded away, not even now…"

Azula laughed at the story, wishing she had any to match. As a child she had snuck into the kitchens on occasion, but never to work, only to nick food that was all ready to be consumed. As for being forced to cook in difficult circumstances, even when she had been stuck in the forest with Sokka, or when they and Rui Shi had traveled on foot to Yu Dao, she had never been the one handling those duties.

"I suppose they'll be impressed once they see how well you can handle yourself now" said Azula "Not only are you a splendid warrior, you can even fix your meals without winding up with a stomachache…"

"Goes to show they should be grateful to you for changing me this way, huh?" Sokka smiled "Many others had tried, but only you've succeeded"

"I think I just give you the right kind of motivation, huh?" Azula smirked, reaching down to cup his butt cheek, squeezing it gently and earning herself a glare of amused reprieve "And I think our fruit tart is finished now. Or, well, it ought to be… depends on if it didn't explode while in the oven"

"No way it did, not unless you were stoking the furnace with your firebending or something" teased Sokka, as Azula leaned in to check on the meal.

It was curious to feel so domestic with Sokka, to share matters as simple as cooking their meals with him. While there was no doubt in Azula's mind that cooking was altogether too time-consuming for her to do on a daily basis, it was fun to do it with Sokka all the same. He had read the instructions for the fruit tart to her, and she had done the same with his miso soup. Whether their meals were balanced or not was a matter of debate, she supposed… but considering they were utterly inexperienced at the craft, that they could cook something edible at all was already miraculous enough. Learning how to do it together, as they were right now, was a miracle as well, one she couldn't seem to stop appreciating as she glanced at Sokka with a gentle smile, after she added the fruit topping to her dish.

"Okay! Whenever you're ready we can get started" Sokka announced, having carried the soup bowls to the low table they took their meals at.

"And here's our tart…" Azula said, grimacing as she placed it there too: the heat hardly bothered her, firebender that she was, but upon setting it down she noticed the appearance of the fruit tart wasn't quite as perfect as she would have liked. She frowned as she studied it, displeased "Now I think of it, next time I'll organize the fruit on top in a better manner. Color-wise, perhaps, or with a constant sequence between each fruit, everything aiming in the same direction…?"

"Are you designing an artwork or cooking a meal?" Sokka smirked "It's bound to be better if it's not that pretty, you know? That way you won't be so afflicted when you cut it and destroy your, uh, perfect artwork of a fruit tart?"

"I suppose there's some truth to that" conceded Azula, smiling a little at him "Ah, well. Time to dig in?"

"Let's see if we survive another round of our cooking!" Sokka said, grinning goofily before getting started with the miso soup.

Their day had started just as they had promised to each other it would: after sharing another round of lovemaking, they had clambered off the bed and gotten to work with their breakfast, dressed lightly once again. The heat in the island's air was heavy with humidity today, prompting them to not to even fasten the bindings of their clothes in a plight to find some refreshment from the merciless weather. It was fine and good for the sunlight to shine brightly all year long, but sometimes even Azula grew to appreciate the season's changes, longing for more respite from warm temperatures than the occasional blow of soft breeze.

"So, my dear wife… got any fancy plans for us today?" Sokka asked at her halfway through drinking his soup, wiggling his eyebrows "After yesterday I'm more than willing to let you do whatever you want with me, in any sense of the words…"

"That's nice to know" Azula said, proud "But… sorry to disappoint. I was quite whimsical yesterday, but I think it's for the best if you choose what we should do once in a while, right? It is, as you've said, your birthday celebration…"

"It's tomorrow already, huh?" Sokka mused "I can hardly believe it's already here. How are we already on day five, Azula? This whole week's gone by too fast for my liking"

"I know" Azula smiled sadly "Time seems to move twice as fast when you're having fun, twice as slowly when you're bored to death"

"True, though I don't think I've experienced the second thing much ever since I became your gladiator" Sokka smirked, leaning towards her to kiss her cheek "I suppose the only exception for that is when you're not around, of course. That's always boring…"

"And you're not going to experience that for at least a couple more days, so don't bring it up" sighed Azula, wrapping her arms around his chest and nuzzling his neck "Whatever comes after this week ends is best left in the future, where it belongs"

"Yep, very true" said Sokka "Two more days of living as Jing and Wentai is still more than what we generally get, after all"

Azula nodded, pressing a soft kiss on his exposed collarbone – Sokka had taken to walking around the house with his shirt fully open, and Azula approved of the decision wholeheartedly.

"So, what to do today…?" Sokka mused after finishing his soup, already tempted to blurt out he'd take her to the waterfall: they could use dipping in the cool waters of the river to fend off the ruthless weather. He had washed in them a couple of times in the past, whenever the heat caught to him during the long jogging trips Piandao used to send him on to build up his stamina: he had the feeling Azula would enjoy that thoroughly.

"Didn't we come up with a few ideas before?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "Back when we started out on our trip. Such as visiting that waterfall, right?"

"Yeah, I was actually thinking about that" Sokka nodded, beaming "With how hot it is today it'd be fun, and… wait, that's not all we mentioned when we started out"

"I suppose not, but unless you'd like to rent the boat again…"

"No! Not that! Training!" Sokka exclaimed, grinning brightly. Azula scowled.

"Again with that? Finishing my swordsmanship instruction, was it?" she said "Do you really think that will be fun at all?"

"I'm sure of it" Sokka said, beaming "Much more fun than when I did it, definitely. You'll surely come up with crazier ideas than I did for fulfilling each task"

"Can't promise I will, you're the man who answers all questions in the most unforeseen ways" Azula smiled, returning to her soup just as he did "In many regards, I'm more straightforward than you are"

"Not true, and anyways, the point is this will help you in the long run anyhow" Sokka smirked "You see… maybe this is why you've never beaten me in a fair one-on-one sword duel"

"Oh, really?" Azula asked, skeptical "Because I didn't finish my instruction, you mean?"

"Yup!"

"So… you want me to beat you that badly?" Azula smirked "Here I thought you enjoyed being superior to me at one thing, if just the one…"

"Hey, now, I'm only trying to even the gap between our talents" Sokka smirked arrogantly "You know how much I enjoy a good challenge…"

"Ah, and I wasn't one for all these years?" Azula asked, mildly indignant. Sokka's playful smirk brought her to shove him gently, and he laughed carelessly for it "You're the worst"

"And you're the best, except for with swords, then it's me who's the best…"

Azula rolled her eyes before cutting a slice of fruit tart and shoving it into Sokka's laughing mouth. He was startled, and amused, but he ate it all the same, grinning goofily at her once he finished.

"It tastes great, Azula!" he said, and she sighed in relief at his approval "Anyways, all mean jokes aside, I promise you'll have fun with the last trials of your swordsmanship instruction. Well, the last that should've been the first, anyhow…"

"I hope you're right. If I get too bored, I'll come through with the promise of tying you up at last…"

"Oh no, now I'll actually hope it bores you, damn it…"

Azula laughed at that, and Sokka winked at her shamelessly before finishing the rest of his fruit tart slice. Admittedly, the backup plan sounded appealing enough, but despite her apparent lack of enthusiasm, some part of Azula was genuinely curious about whatever tasks Piandao had given Sokka long ago. Would they truly help her further polish her skills with blades? As much as she usually honed her firebending the most, she knew she should take her sword as seriously as she did her flames…

Their work began once they were finished putting away their breakfast: Sokka found a small table, one to replace Piandao's long-gone calligraphy table, and he had brought ink and parchment for Azula. The Princess stared at it with confusion, uncertain of what to make of this first task.

"Alright… you must stamp your identity on this paper" Sokka announced "Be as bold and creative as you'd like! Just trace it there, as a swordsman leaves his imprint on his enemies, on the battlefield he fights in…!"

"Uh… huh" said Azula, blinking blankly at the empty sheet of paper before her.

Without further ado, she picked up the brush elegantly, dipped it in the ink… and wrote her name.

Sokka's eager smile crumbled immediately.

"What…?" he said "Hey!"

"What? Did I do it wrong?" Azula asked, confused. Sokka pouted.

"W-well, technically not, but… I thought you would take a less direct route with it" Sokka mumbled.

"See, that's what I meant when I said I was more straight-forward than you in some regards" Azula smiled "What exactly did you hope I'd do anyhow?"

"Well, back when Piandao told me to do it, I… I kind of reasoned that there was no one who had left their mark on me as much as you had"

Azula froze at those words, knowing they couldn't have had as tender an intent as it sounded right now. Back then they had still been at odds, nowhere near friendly, still so hostile to each other they had never dropped their guard when they were together. Only when Sokka caught Azula training on her Barge's deck did he start to consider there was more to the Princess than what lay on the surface… but that had only happened once they were on their way to Ember Island for his first fight, not before that. Therefore…

"You mean it literally, don't you?" Azula sighed "I… scarred you. Both your neck and your stomach…"

"Don't make a fuss for it now" Sokka smiled warmly "You even fixed the big punch-mark on my stomach, and the lines on my neck are so faded it's like they're not even there anymore. Don't beat yourself up about it"

"Oh, fine, I'll pretend I won't if that makes you happy" Azula said, rolling her eyes. Sokka chuckled and shook his head.

"Anyways, back to the point… I actually covered my palm with ink and plastered it on the paper" he said. Azula raised an eyebrow "Piandao was confused until I explained that I… heh, that I was trying to leave my mark in the opposite way as you'd branded me. Since you'd used a fist…"

"You used your open palm" Azula finished, smiling a little "Interesting"

"S-so on some level I just hoped you might use your fist again…" Sokka pouted, before sighing "Then again, I guess you couldn't have known that's what I was going for, right?"

"No, not without an example, and even then, what you did came to you as a spontaneous idea. It wouldn't be so spontaneous for me if I did it now" Azula admitted, with a sad grin "But I'll say, as far as fighting each other goes, and defying one another… I did name my sword Wolf's Bane to mess with you, didn't I?"

"Heh, yeah" Sokka smiled.

"Kind of answering to you, the same way your open hand answered my fist" Azula said, shrugging "As things stand, I have no further room on the paper so my name will have to do. It's not like my calligraphy is bad anyhow…"

"It's not" Sokka conceded, eyeing it with appreciative eyes "You have a good stroke"

"Why, thank you" Azula said, with a proud grin. Sokka chuckled and reached to squeeze her shoulder.

"Maybe we ought to move on to other things now" he suggested "Stuff outdoors, likely, because the other thing he did with me indoors was playing Pai Sho, and I don't think either of us are particularly eager to do that these days…"

"Oh, I never have been eager to play Pai Sho, not just these days… but you're quite right" Azula said, before sighing "Truthfully, this mansion is wonderful in all regards save for one: I do my best to ignore all those White Lotus emblems, but sometimes it feels like they're taunting us in every corner of the house…"

"Yeah, I get that feeling sometimes too" Sokka sighed "Though the big one in the courtyard looks weird now, doesn't it? Almost like someone had started a fire on it…"

"Oh, yes. Xin Long did"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, when we were, uh, otherwise engaged this morning, he decided to humor himself by setting the biggest White Lotus on fire" Azula laughed "I only realized what he was up to later, but he was quite pleased with himself for it"

"I'd scold him for wrecking Piandao's house but if it's against that symbol I won't complain much" Sokka smiled "Granted, after the last mess I don't feel as hostile towards them as before, but they surely feel just as disgusted with us as they ever have"

"Can't say I care much, personally" Azula admitted "I wouldn't want to get along with them, even if we might have no choice but to try eventually… ugh, no, no talking about these things, not now. You said we'd move on to other lessons, and that's what we'll do, so get on with it"

"Fine, fine" said Sokka, smiling "Okay, then, now…!"

Azula found herself following Sokka to the small creek that ran through the mansion's terrains: a few fish swum in the pool, and it seemed this task would be none other than fishing. She crooked her eyebrow at the notion but accepted the rod Sokka handed her, wondering if she'd be able to scoop up any fish or if she'd fail catastrophically. If she could use means other than the rod she might succeed, but Sokka appeared adamant about making her use nothing else.

"You see, Princess… what do you suspect this task is about?" he smirked. Azula shrugged.

"I wouldn't know. Must be you miss fishing your own meals rather than buying fresh fish at the market…"

"Oh, haha, that's funny" Sokka pouted, and Azula smiled brightly at his irritation "What quality do you need to exercise to catch fish successfully?"

"Quality?" Azula repeated, raising her eyebrows "Seeing as I've never done this before, it's hard to say. But, off the top of my head… seeing how boring and pointless this feels, I take it it's some sort of lesson about patience?"

"Eh! Got it on the first try!" Sokka smirked "Well, yeah, that's the point. Wait patiently for the fish to take the bait, just as you'd wait for an enemy to make a mistake you need to exploit. The best swordsman isn't the one who slashes and hacks at the enemy a thousand times, but the one who bides their time until they finds the one weak point to take advantage of to achieve victory"

"Huh. Interesting" Azula said, raising her eyebrows with curiosity as she finished fastening the bait on the hook "Then I suppose I'll wait a while for something to bite"

Sokka smiled and nodded, sitting beside her as Piandao had sat beside him many years ago. As much as he had taught Azula most to do with sword fighting a long time ago, he suddenly grew more aware of being her master than he ever had been. She was focused, holding the rod carefully, frowning with determination to prove herself above this task too.

It wasn't long, though, before she was sighing in annoyance, holding the rod half-heartedly and scowling at the fish in the pond, who seemed utterly unconcerned with the bait she had offered them.

"Is there a trick to this?" she asked "Can't I just snatch a fish right out of the water…?"

"If you did, the exercise would be futile" Sokka smirked.

"It's already futile enough" Azula sighed "Aren't there better ways to learn patience than this? I mean, I've been as patient as I can with your nonsense for many years now, surely that's a better way to learn that lesson than this…"

"Oh, please, you love my nonsense, however you may deny it" Sokka said, and Azula inevitably smiled.

"Fine, but say… when you're hunting a wild animal, isn't it better to pretend you're unconcerned with the creature and instead busy with other affairs? It may drop its guard, thinking you're harmless…"

"Uh, some animals might, I guess, but not all of them" Sokka convened "Anyways, you're pondering other ways to be successful? Azula…"

"I guess I'm straight-forward only in some regards" she smiled "I don't like giving the enemy the chance to act and attack on their terms. I'd rather set up a trap without their awareness, and strike them down when they least expect it"

"You're impossibly hung up on controlling everything, Princess" Sokka said, shaking his head.

"Why, I don't see the issue with that" said Azula, proudly "It's more efficient and less time-consuming than sitting here for hours waiting for fish to bite…"

"We've been like twenty minutes, at best…"

"So, if you ask me, it's far better to pretend to be distracted than sit here until a fish is foolish enough to bite"

"Pretend to be distracted with what, anyhow?" Sokka asked, curious despite himself. He shouldn't be encouraging her, but he couldn't help it…

Her teasing smirk spoke for itself even before she raised a hand to the neck of his shirt and pulled him down to steal a kiss from his lips. Well, as far as ways to pass the time were concerned, this was quite possibly the best one she could have chosen. Which was, in retrospect, the likely reason why she'd chosen it: she knew Sokka wouldn't resist the chance to make out with her, regardless of his insistence to teach her proper patience.

Oh, he was a terrible teacher, now he had no doubts about it, for she had climbed on his lap and tightened her grip around him with her legs. One hand still held the rod, but the other was busy caressing him in a teasing way. He should have figured out a way to make her take this seriously, but her reasoning hadn't been all that off-base… or maybe he was just that easily swept off his feet by her kisses. Either way, his hands had moved to her waist instinctively, holding her in place as he relished in the soft pressure of her lips…

They fell sideways by the riverbank, with Azula sitting atop Sokka as she thoroughly claimed him for herself. She as good as forgot about the rod by then, devoted to the simple pleasures that were born from kissing her husband, a man who loved her as deeply and desperately as she loved him…

It was heated, fun and wild, up until they heard the unequivocal sound of rustling grass beside them. As though something were being yanked over the blades, not quite violently, but yanked all the same…

It took an absurd amount of willpower from Azula's part to break off the kiss and glance at her side, to find the rod she'd dropped was now halfway down the stream.

"Oh, blast it!" she exclaimed before jumping off Sokka brusquely and racing after the rod: her plan had paid off, but the distraction she had chosen was far too effective, it seemed, and the fish trying to swim away with her bait had certainly taken advantage of that.

Sokka would have been aghast to find their kiss broken off so abruptly, but as soon as he realized why it had happened he couldn't hold back a snort along with a loud burst of laughter. Azula scrambled after the rod, catching up to it before long, for the fish wasn't all that large… by the time she had the rod in her hands again, the Princess was doubled over with laughter as well.

Sokka approached her once his laughter had receded, just as she was reeling the fish out of the water. He took the rod from her then, and Azula breathed heavily after her bout of laughter.

"Well, my plan paid off, I just had to be a little more careful…" she smiled.

"True, but I admit, that was a very effective distraction" Sokka smirked.

With that, he detached the fish from the hook… and set it free into the river again. Azula's eyes widened.

"W-what?! Hey! That's the first fish I've ever caught!"

"And now the first fish you ever lose" Sokka chuckled "I know, I know, it's outrageous but Piandao did it to me too…"

"And what's the purpose of setting the fish free, if I may ask?" Azula said, raising an eyebrow "Is it a sad lesson on how sometimes, despite your best efforts, you'll fail to achieve your goals?"

"Uh… maybe? But I thought it was still about patience anyhow" Sokka smiled "Plus, we don't need to eat these fish so we might as well let them off the hook, quite literally too…"

"Eh… that's still disappointing" Azula pouted for a moment, though her face broke into a smile soon enough as she remembered the rod shifting away on its own "But I suppose it was a fun lesson, in its own way"

"Only because you made it fun" Sokka smiled "I never could make it fun at all, it was the one that frustrated me the most. Back in my tribe I'd fish with spears, not rods…"

"Oh, that sounds… both more uncivilized and more exciting" Azula said, smirking.

"If you say so, but I did not spear fish shirtless, if that's what you're about to ask next" Sokka said, amused. Azula sighed in disappointment.

"Such a waste…" she whispered.

"I would've frozen to death!"

"You underestimate how hot your body is" Azula smiled "You probably would've been able to hold your own against the chilly breeze if you'd tried…"

"Yeah, that sounds fun until you live through a real chilly breeze in the South Pole" Sokka said, shaking his head "You, my dear wife, need to live in the cold for real to understand just how bad it can get"

"Ah, nonsense" said Azula, shaking her head "However cold it might get, if I were snowed in down south with you, I'm quite certain we would make the most of it. Alone, stuck in a small igloo together? Oh, the possibilities…"

Sokka bit his lower lip but smiled, and Azula winked at him before taking back the rod, her fingers brushing his intentionally.

"Alas, should I continue suffering with the fish or would you like to come up with a more entertaining idea now?" Azula asked, and Sokka tapped his chin in thought, pondering his answer to her question. The Princess took advantage of his silence to gaze at his handsome features, ever more attractive under the sunlight's glow.

"I suppose we ought to move on, there's at least two more things we need to do before I'm satisfied" Sokka said, smirking "And the next one is… garden rearranging!"

"… What?"

"You heard me!" Sokka exclaimed, grinning and leading Azula to the courtyard where Xin Long had burned the White Lotus sigil.

There were many rocks beyond the courtyard, some smaller than others. The Princess frowned in confusion as Sokka explained that she should work on rearranging the rocks until she decided on a new layout for them. At first, she seemed unimpressed, but the more she studied the rocks, the more her determination increased, and her disinterest faded alongside it…

"So… you'll do it?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"I suppose it won't hurt" Azula said, stepping forward, out of the courtyard and into the natural grounds.

Sokka smiled before deciding to leave her to her own devices for now while he returned to the building. While Azula was busy, he would take to cleaning up everything he hadn't had the chance to fix on the previous day. He was sure Azula would have something great to show him once he came back to the courtyard.

Sokka swept the floors of most the upper stories in the building, and he tried to dust the main rooms too. The last leg of his cleaning spree was in the bathroom, where he took to cleaning the tub thoroughly so they could use it more comfortably later today, as they were bound to. It was exhausting work, and his body was far from well-rested, even if they were on vacation… but he felt pleased with what he'd done all the same. Strange as it was for him to feel satisfied by doing chores, it seemed right to clean up, cook and work for himself and his wife as he had.

He returned to the courtyard after preparing a quick lunch, to find Azula was talking to someone. He raised an eyebrow before glancing into the small area he had left her in, and his eyes widened upon glimpsing what she'd been working on:

The small, natural garden had been reformed completely, rocks arranged perfectly neatly in an artistic and symmetric manner. He didn't understand at first how she'd managed to get so many small rocks instead of the large ones he'd been forced to work with, let alone for them to be of a dark color that might rival Space Sword's… but, speaking of his sword, she was holding it right now, as she ordered her dragon to scorch another small rock to a crisp.

So, she had carved small rocks from the larger ones, and relied on firebending to make them a suitable color for whatever scheme she was up to. Sokka snorted in disbelief as he watched her working diligently, finding she had also picked up cushions and a blanket from the inside of the mansion, spreading them in a fancy manner at the center of her garden arrangement.

His laugh alerted her that she was being watched, though, and she turned around with her trademark matter-of-factly expression, nearly defying him to criticize her work.

"Yes?" she said "Is it you didn't want me to rearrange the rocks this way…?"

"You did a lot more than I thought you might" Sokka smiled "Back when Piandao told me to work on rock gardening I built up a cozy bed for myself with the rocks, but you just had to go and take it further, did you?"

"I… suppose. Funny that we had similar ideas, though" she grinned too "I figured I had to make it a functional garden. What else would be the point of rearranging it, after all? I had to make it useful somehow. So, yes, it may be a little too much, but I thought it'd be fun if… well, if we could go stargazing tonight right here. If you'd like that, of course"

"Stargazing?" Sokka repeated, with an approving grin "Well, well. Here I thought you had no plans for us today…"

"Until now" Azula smiled "In fact, I think I'll need to go into town for a few things, if I can find them. It's not the best season for what I want just yet, I know it's not, but it's worth a shot…"

"For what?" Sokka asked, curious.

"It's a surprise" Azula smirked "Another one, anyhow. Considering how many times you've done as you pleased to surprise me, I'd say you deserve to experience it yourself, for once"

"Oh, how the tables turn…" Sokka chuckled "Alright, alright, I guess we'll go into town as you want us to. But… we're not done yet!"

"No?" Azula asked, blinking blankly "Is there another lesson left? Because as far as Xin Long and I are concerned, the garden needs only a couple of finishing touches to be all finished"

"Good to know, but yeah, I saved the best lesson for last" Sokka smiled before raising an eyebrow at the sword Azula was still holding "As for Space Sword, though… did I say you could borrow it?"

"Oh? Not only have you borrowed my sword countless times…" Azula said, with a teasing grin "But, you know, we're married now. What's mine is yours, what's yours is…"

"Ohoho, very funny…" Sokka smirked, stepping towards her and kissing her lips "You're becoming about as incorrigible as I am, Princess. That won't do, will it?"

"I can't see the problem with it, myself…" Azula smiled, placing her hands on his chest.

Xin Long groaned, prompting Azula to glance over her shoulder as the dragon placed a scorched rock on a small, perfectly ornamental pile of rocks before the blanket and cushions. Azula smiled approvingly, and Xin Long grinned back at his rider, delighted by having worked with her with her masterpiece garden.

"Now all we really do need is a couple of lanterns, and my secret weapon…" Azula mused "And it'll be the perfect little garden, for certain"

"Well, you took this way further than I expected, but I really like it" Sokka smiled, kissing her brow "Good job, apprentice"

"Apprentice, yeah, sure…" Azula smirked, though she allowed Sokka to steer her away from the garden "What now, then?"

"Now… we get our swimsuits again" Sokka snickered "That way we can play around right after you're done with your last lesson. Alright?"

"Oh, sure…" said Azula, smirking proudly "I should've guessed we'd go down this road again sometime soon… off to the waterfall, then?"

"That's right! But not just to play around, like I said…"

"Oh, I can imagine what you want me to do, rest assured" Azula said, breathing in as she felt her chest surging with determination: she would prove her artistic skills to him, and Sokka would have no choice but to acknowledge how ridiculously talented she was…

They ate lunch first before preparing for their small trip to the waterfall, dressing up together in their revealing swimsuits, which offered them plenty to gaze at shamelessly, and more than enough opportunities to flirt playfully while they ate together, too. Afterwards, they walked all the way to the better viewing point in the cliffs surrounding the large river, and Sokka carried most the artistic implements Azula would work with. The Princess kept a hand tightly locked around his own, basking in the breeze even as the sun fell tirelessly upon their skin.

Finally, the remarkable landscape came into full view and Azula gazed at it with unrestrained admiration. Once she had held the Fire Nation as superior for many wrong reasons, taught by her father and family to uphold their nation over nationalistic pride. Upon seeing beautiful landscapes like these, though, she couldn't help but cherish the land she had been born to. Water rushed at the bottom of the waterfall, the graceful blend of greens and browns of rocks and vegetation, contrasted with the blues and whites of the water that ran powerfully through the river, were fascinating to behold…

And that was when Sokka jerked her towards him, turning her around abruptly so she'd face him instead. As much as she'd gladly admire him for hours, she was startled by the change nonetheless.

"What…?"

"Now you have to paint it" he smirked "Without peeking"

"Oh… so that's how he made you do it?" Azula asked, eyes wide "That seems a tall order to fulfill, huh?"

"Yeah, it was, but he liked what I did anyhow" Sokka smirked "So, let's get to it!"

Without further ado, Sokka offered Azula a set of colorful paints, as well as a large canvas for her to work with. She nodded gratefully before getting started, tying up her hair with a long ribbon she'd brought with her, for she had carried her long tresses loosely all day for comfort. Now, though, she didn't need her hair getting in the way of another artwork she hoped to make into a masterpiece, much as the garden had become one.

Sokka smiled as he eyed the Princess lovingly. He often said she couldn't half-ass anything and it was true: mediocrity was not in Azula's nature, not in the least. Whatever she was up to, she devoted herself to the task completely, ever striving for greatness or perfection. It was something he couldn't help but admire about the woman he loved: inspired by her, ever unwilling to let his own shortcomings get the better of him, he had grown to have a similar mentality to hers. Perhaps not to the same extent, there was no denying Azula took perfectionism further than anyone else, but he had picked up enough about it to follow on her footsteps. In those regards, she was certainly the master and he her apprentice.

But he was more than just an apprentice or an admirer: he was also her husband, and he was ever enthralled by his beautiful wife. So, despite not needing to, he spread his own sheet of paper, a canvas for himself, and began painting. Azula noticed him after a while, frowning with confusion as he crouched over his artwork, but he pouted in her direction.

"No peeking at anything, Princess! Focus on your work, never mind me…" he said. She smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Always so competitive…" she said "You know, it's not fair anyhow. You've probably painted this waterfall many times, you must remember what it looks like better than I could with just a couple of glances…"

"That's true, but no one said I was painting the waterfall, right?" Sokka smirked. Azula bit her lip and smiled, letting her eyes travel towards where he was sitting: his body was angled towards her.

"Then what's not fair is that the no-peeking rule only applies to me, apparently" she said. Sokka smirked.

"Only applicable for apprentices, my lovely wife" he declared. She snorted and shook her head.

"That doesn't make any sense, but suit yourself…" she said, trying not to feel flustered while being keenly aware of his stare upon her.

Truthfully, it was thrilling to think Sokka was painting her. He had joked about doing it for a long time now, but only upon letting it happen did Azula realize how nerve-wrecking it was to be someone's muse in such a manner. Being the subject of Sokka's art was hardly a new experience for her, she had been the recipient of enough of his haiku so far… but her heart raced for it this time, regardless. She highly doubted he was that good an artist, but what if he was? Seeing herself through his eyes should be thrilling…

Busy being nervous over the prospect of Sokka's artwork, Azula had to make extra efforts to focus on her own painting. She had sketched the outline of the mountains and waterfall nicely enough, but she had been thrown off right afterwards and refocusing was proving more difficult than she had expected it to be. She breathed deeply and evoked the image of the landscape again, knowing some of the details were slipping from her mind now but hoping to be as accurate as she could about those she could remember… it was definitely difficult to paint this way, she reasoned, but she pressed forward regardless, unwilling to falter against the latest challenge Sokka had set for her.

It took her about an hour of work until she finally pulled away from the artwork and breathed out in apparent satisfaction. Oddly, Sokka still was poring over his own painting, so focused he hadn't noticed Azula was done with hers.

"Well, that's the best I can do, I believe" she said, before showing it to Sokka "What do you think, oh wise sword master?"

She teased him, but she felt unusually eager to have his approval. Old habits definitely died hard, and in her case, the habit of receiving nothing but standing ovations and rounds of applause for her art was difficult to break.

Still, she seemed to get her wish, to some extent: Sokka's jaw dropped as he stared at the landscape she had painted, astounded by her technique. He blinked blankly a few times, staring at her in disbelief.

"Y-you peeked again, didn't you?!"

"If I had, you would've noticed" Azula smirked "You were watching me the whole time, weren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but still…! It's unreal! How did you do it so accurately?"

"Why, I did my best" Azula smiled "Good to know you think it's accurate"

"It's amazing" Sokka said, with a sad grin "Oh, curse it… you're really good at art too, now you'll never be impressed with any of my paintings"

"We'll never know unless I actually see one, right?" she smirked "And you're halfway through one now, I take it, so… mind if I take a look?"

"Oh, please, no" said Sokka, grimacing, self-conscious despite he usually was far more confident about his work "You're going to make fun of it, you'll take offense, you'll… ugh, really, Azula, best not bother. It's no good, not compared with what you did anyhow…"

"Come on, silly" Azula said, setting aside her own artwork and crawling towards Sokka. He flinched, pulling the sheet of paper towards his chest protectively "If it's no good I'll help you fix it. I promise"

"You would…?" Sokka pouted, before sighing "Oh, well. I suppose we can do this the good way or the bad way, right?"

"You suppose correctly" smirked Azula, reaching out to grab the unfinished artwork.

Sokka let her do so, trying to overcome the temptation to cover his face with his hands when she looked at his canvas. Unsurprisingly, the Princess frowned as she studied the drawing, her intelligent eyes scrutinizing Sokka's work with the expected disapproval Sokka had known she'd feel as soon as he saw the quality of her depiction of the waterfall. Of course she'd never be impressed with whatever he dared paint…

"Hmm… well, I will say you have potential, but I will also say you don't really have enough practice to pull off a human body the right way" Azula smiled sadly "It's not the worst painting ever, but…"

"It's bad, you can say it" Sokka sighed, dropping his head in defeat "Now you sure won't let me make your Fire Lord painting…"

"Well, maybe you'll be fit to paint something of that caliber eventually" Azula smiled "But for now… I need you to stop feeling sorry for yourself and become the student for a moment, alright?"

"Uh… okay?"

"There's much to correct, but there's a key element that, if improved, might really make your artwork feel… well, more real, to say the least" Azula said, shrugging "Because the first thing that stands out when I look at this is… you don't seem to have much of a grasp of anatomy, do you?"

"Uh, I guess not? I mean, I feel like I know exactly what I want to do, what I want to draw… but my brain doesn't translate what I see with my eyes well enough for my hand to properly paint it? Does that make sense?"

"More than you think" Azula said, smiling "That's the struggle for most artists, and the point of practicing to perfection: 'how do I turn my vision into a worthy artwork?' is bound to be the most common question young artists ask. With enough practice, you'll figure out how to make it happen, but I suspect we can move things along a bit faster for you, at least in the regards that I'm most concerned about"

"Oh? How?" Sokka asked, blinking with curiosity.

"If your eyes and hands aren't properly synched, and your brain isn't helping matters much…" she said, with a teasing grin "Maybe don't focus only on what you see?"

"Uh… what?" said Sokka, confused "What do you mean?"

"I mean… there are other ways to grasp the complexities of a body, perhaps unconventional ways but they might work nonetheless" Azula smiled, inching closer to him and taking his hands in hers "Feel my hands?"

"Oh… yeah" said Sokka, nodding.

"Sense the way the fingers grow more slender as they reach the tip" she said "The ridges on my palm. Seen from the front and back, a hand can be large and wide: seen from the side, a hand is thinner instead"

Sokka raised his eyebrows, surprised by her explanations, but not unpleasantly so. He allowed her to move his hands over her body, and while there was no overt erotic intent to it, his heart raced with every new part of her body he touched.

"Feel my arms now…" she said, urging him to touch her forearms and biceps "They're not straight, parallel lines, are they? Muscles work in unique ways, as do junctions…"

"I see" Sokka whispered, his fingers trailing over her arms and now to her shoulders.

"Bone structure is also very important" Azula smiled, as he trailed his fingers over her collarbone "Everything in a body is connected, Sokka. Every muscle, every bone, all of it is linked in a harmonious way. You need to figure out those connections, and once you understand how they work, it might just be easier for you to translate that into your art"

"Right…" he gasped, allowing her to drag his hands over her breasts now, making him cup them: by then it was difficult to keep the inevitable lust at bay.

"So… you can't quite touch everyone you want to paint to figure out how body connections work" Azula conceded, smiling as heat rose to her cheeks, inevitably "But as you're my husband… you can learn this way from me, if you want"

"I… I do" Sokka said, smiling in amazement. Azula smiled back.

"Good. Then… carry on, artist" she smirked, further encouraging him to caress her, with a blend of studiousness and excitement guiding each of his moves.

Sokka breathed deeply and continued with his venture, hands trembling even if they shouldn't be: curses, he had touched Azula for years now, he had spent most of this week fawning over her body in bed with her… and yet it looked like he had ever been so impassioned he had never tried to study her body with a level, clear head. He certainly wasn't doing that now, he was far too aroused upon just touching her to be fully professional about this, but he wanted to do things the right way this time around. As ever, they had a tendency for failing to achieve what they set out to do on the first attempt: maybe a second try at painting Azula, now after having thoroughly studied her body, would be much more successful.

She was enjoying it, but not with her usual devious smirk: she smiled fondly at him, as though she were thrilled to teach him exactly what he needed to do to paint a proper human body in this manner. Sliding his hands over her flat stomach, guiding them lower yet, to the legs that straddled him… all the while she continued to whisper words about what he ought to be paying attention to, what details he needed to follow, how to stay true to her body's shape and, most of all, how each body part connected with the other. Sokka followed diligently, though he was enraptured by Azula as it was, struggling to focus when she guided his hands back up, to her tight buttocks.

"See how your favorite body part of mine works, then?" she teased him "You didn't try to draw it this time, but if you ever do…"

"I might one day, yeah… you never know" Sokka whispered, his voice husky "Better to cover all bases, right…?"

"If that's how it is…" Azula smirked, guiding one of his hands forward. She gasped when he cupped her groin, but she held back the natural impulse to thrust against him "Learn how this works, too"

"Shit, Azula…" Sokka groaned, hardly resisting the temptation to pin her down on the ground right away.

Azula was clearly delighted by his reaction: she had indeed intended to teach him valuable anatomy lessons by guiding his hands over her body, though she also had longed to spark his arousal. She wasn't so sure she'd succeeded at the first thing, but the second definitely was working just as she had suspected it would. Still, she had to try to help him reason with how to depict a body faithfully in art, if nothing else…

"And now… the final part" she smiled, guiding his hands back up, to her neck.

"Already?" he smiled, fingertips caressing her skin gently, over the countless love bites she sported across it "I may need to repeat this lesson soon, Sifu Azula…"

"What, already forgot it all? Ah, how shameful on your part" Azula sighed dramatically, her neck vibrating softly as she spoke. Sokka couldn't help but marvel at the sensation "Here I was expecting I'd give you a test on all this soon…"

"A test?" Sokka asked, as she guided his hands higher, to her jawline and chin.

"Indeed" she smirked. His hands trailed slowly higher, right under her lower lip until she moved them higher still, so he could make out the contour of her lips "An art test, of course. To see if you can paint me properly yet"

"Oh, I'd rather take an oral one instead" Sokka smirk "Or a practical one, as the case may be…"

"And here I thought you wanted to learn how to paint me…" Azula sighed, resisting the urge to kiss his fingers as she guided them higher, right under her nose, and then to her cheeks "Wasn't that why we were doing this, Sokka…?"

"Yeah… but now I want to do some things other than painting you, too" he admitted, with a proud smirk. Azula laughed.

"Ah, shameless man you are…" she said, closing her eyes and allowing his fingertips to trail over the eyelids now.

"Please don't tell me this is the way Fire Nation people teach their own how to paint…" Sokka chuckled.

"It's the way a Fire Nation Princess teaches her husband how to do it, rather" she smiled "No, I'm pretty sure no one else does it this way. Not intentionally, anyhow…"

"Good" Sokka smiled, letting his hands file into her scalp now.

"And with that… you've felt it all, and you might just have a better chance at depicting everything on paper the next time you try" Azula said, releasing his hands, though Sokka kept his fingers buried in her hair, holding her head between them.

"And if I fail?" he teased her. Azula sighed, leaning closer to his body.

"Then we'll have to try again, won't we?" she smirked "As many times as necessary until you learn your lesson…"

"Well, I'm not sure I ever will…" he smiled too, cradling her face in his hands before kissing her softly "That's the most erotic art lesson anyone's ever had"

"Hmm, glad to hear it" she smirked "You generally need a very special kind of motivation to get things done, after all…"

"And you know just how to offer it to me" Sokka smirked, before leaning in for one more kiss. Azula dove in fully, abandoned to her desires: feeling his hands all over her body, as much as it was by her own choice, was downright torture when they had both held back from interrupting the lesson with wild kisses.

The artworks went forgotten soon enough, but they didn't give themselves to relentless passion right away: instead, Azula convinced Sokka to guide her down to the waterfall, just as he had offered to all along. As that had been their final lesson of the day, they could indulge in having fun by the riverbank, while Xin Long dipped and dived into the water, much colder than yesterday's hot springs.

"Well, it's not that uncomfortable…" mused Azula, dipping a single toe into the stream "But it's not much fun either. I'll have to bend the water warm…"

"Hard to achieve with running water, Princess" Sokka smirked, as he stepped into the river and allowed it to wash against him "You know…? Back in my training with Piandao I asked him once if he'd want me to meditate under the waterfall. He did that once in a while, but he didn't seem to think I needed to do it too"

"Sounds painful" said Azula, with a grimace "That water's falling pretty hard, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I suppose that's the point" Sokka smiled "I'd consider trying it now, but I'm not entirely sure I can meditate much when I absolutely can't get you off my mind"

"Must be why Piandao never told you to" Azula smirked "He could tell that, given time to think, you would've inevitably thought about me and about how many filthy things you hoped to do to me…"

"Oh, come on, I didn't think about that back then…"

"Right, only because you didn't get to meditate to consider it" Azula declared "Had you done it, surely the thought would've occurred to you…"

"Is that the point of meditation, Princess…? To have a nice amount of time to spend lusting over your one true love?" he smiled. She grinned and nodded.

"As far as I know, yes, it is" she determined, and Sokka laughed in amazement.

They played by the water for hours while Xin Long continued to chase after fish. The skies had been bright blue so far, but it seemed the fickle weather of the Fire Nation wasn't restricted to the mainland: dark clouds began swirling above them suddenly, and Azula bit her lip as she studied them carefully, calf-deep in the river as she sat on the riverbank beside Sokka.

"It's going to pour in no time" she whispered "Either we go back to the mansion now or we'll get more soaked than we already are…"

"Well, there's other options" Sokka smirked "We once took refuge from the pouring rain and found a dragon by doing so, remember…?"

"Oh? And here I thought we didn't remember that time so fondly" Azula raised her eyebrows.

"I suppose we don't, all things considered, but it wasn't the worst thing ever, was it? I mean, I don't love caves, but they're not always terrible" he admitted "We did find this goofball in one, and he's been a lot of fun…"

Xin Long raised his head when he was being regarded by Sokka, fish fins sticking out from his closed jaws. Both Sokka and Azula laughed at the dragon's smirk before he returned to devouring the fish as he pleased.

"As fair as that may be, can we really find a cave around these parts?" Azula asked. Sokka bit his lip before gesturing at the waterfall itself "Uh… what?"

"I hiked around here quite a few times, once I noticed there was a cave back there" he smiled "I think I asked Fat about it, he said it wasn't a full-blown cave, so I figure it's more of a grotto like the ones we've used during this trip…"

"Huh…" said Azula, smiling "Admittedly, it might be interesting to see the world from behind a waterfall… probably won't be able to see much, for starters, but it's a sure source of privacy"

"Indeed" Sokka smirked, standing up and offering his hand to the Princess.

They waded through the cold water, with Azula flinching whenever the low temperatures got to her. Sokka held her hand as they walked together, moving past Xin Long as they crossed the flowing river. It was deeper at its center, but the riverbank allowed them to walk easily enough. Nevertheless, figuring out how to access the waterfall's grotto would take them to walk right behind the potent water stream, and they'd get soaked by the spraying water by then: it would do them good to get used to the cold feeling beforehand.

"This is a little crazy, huh…?" said Azula, grimacing as she struggled with the cold water that now reached the level of her ribcage. Sokka smiled before pulling her close, their bodies slapping wetly together once she was in his arms.

"Want me to carry you?" he suggested. Despite she generally refused such offers, she smiled this time.

"As you did that day?" she teased him. He snickered and shook his head before scooping her up, face-to-face.

"Not so afraid of being too bold anymore, though" he whispered "I'd rather carry you while looking at you, beautiful"

"Silly" she smiled, though she kissed his lips softly "Thank you, though. It's better to feel your body than all that cold water… goodness, the cold in the South Pole must be a nightmare"

"Heh, taking it more seriously now, are you?" Sokka laughed.

They weren't close enough to the waterfall yet to feel it spraying upon them… but the clouds above were so dark it was no surprise when the rain started to fall upon them, with thick droplets that splashed in the river, against the leaves of the trees around them, and against their bare skin too. Azula clung to Sokka tightly as he continued to travel over the water, on their way to the back of the waterfall.

It wasn't easy to climb the rocks that hid behind the rushing water, but Sokka managed to do so while bringing Azula with him successfully. The waterfall's spray fell upon them, and at one point they wound up right below its running stream, which soaked their hair and left them gasping for breath as they laughed together. Shortly afterwards, Sokka found the right path up the rock wall behind them, and he climbed to a deep enough crevice, where they could sit together as they waited for the rain to stop.

"Made it… wow, that was tougher than I expected" Sokka laughed, dropping on the rocky ground, with Azula atop him. She smiled, kissing him again.

"You're ever so diligent" she whispered "Well done"

"Anything for you, my wonderous wife" he declared, proudly.

"Though I must say…" Azula whispered, glancing at the wall of water between them and the outside world "This is extremely romantic and all, but we won't quite know when the rain's stopped with all this water rushing down around us, huh?"

"Meaning we can take our time to warm up at each other's expenses, can't we?" Sokka teased her. Azula bit her lip and smiled at him knowingly "We couldn't do it back in the forest, after all…"

"You certainly love that idea, huh?" she asked, leaning close to kiss him "On one condition, though"

"And what's that?" Sokka asked, surprised she would impose conditions at all as she raised a hand…

The long ribbon she'd used to tie her hair came undone, and the Princess stared at it pointedly, as though analyzing it carefully. Before long, she smiled at Sokka and offered it to him.

"It is, after all, your birthday celebration…" she said "Feel free to come through with our longest and most unfulfilled promise so far"

"Wait, woah. Woah! Y-you're serious?" Sokka asked, astonished, his eyes wide as plates.

"If you'd rather not…" Azula shrugged nonchalantly.

"I didn't say that!" Sokka jumped, smiling now. Azula grinned too, blushing slightly.

"You'd best take advantage of my willingness for now" she whispered "The next time we do this, I'm very much going to make sure it's you who's tied up instead"

"Oh yeah? Well, I can live with that" Sokka smirked, before taking the long hair tie and fastening it around Azula's hands carefully.

Loose roots of trees lurked inside the rock's opening: Sokka slipped the ribbon around the ones on the ground, ensuring Azula would remain in place. The Princess was breathing heavily already, her cheeks flushed as she lay before her lover, waiting for him to expose her body whenever he pleased to. His eager smile spoke lengths of how much he'd imagined this, without ever having the opportunity to act on it – too often they were so caught up in the moment, so desperate to be with each other that they outright forgot all about their teasing one another over bondage… but not this time. Not today.

He kissed her voraciously, trapping her lips with his own as he caressed her intimately. She leaned into his hands, moaning softly as she wordlessly begged him to have his way with her. She definitely had taken a strong liking to being overpowered by Sokka, helpless underneath him, for whenever she allowed herself to be the free recipient of his desires, her own went fulfilled just the same. And right now she wanted to make him feel like he was in some sort of sex heaven again, just as he had described it the previous day…

He wasted no time pulling down her bikini bottom, tossing it aside carelessly before slipping a hand to her groin. Azula moaned heartily, knowing her dormant arousal would return soon enough, for the cold water had tried to chase it away: there was nothing in the world that could convince her not to want the man before her, especially now that she had given him free rein to do as he pleased.

Her top was harder to maneuver with, though Sokka did away with it regardless by undoing its clasp at the dip of her collarbone so the wet fabric would come undone, exposing her breasts to his ravenous gaze. He never held back when kissing them, relishing in toying with her erect nipples until she was moaning desperately, and this time she would catch herself doing that much faster than she had ever before: his mouth worked on her waiting nipples while his free hand was teasing her core steadily, toying with her clit, knowing exactly where to touch her to obtain the best responses.

The arousal returned in a violent surge, and Azula arched away from Sokka, her body failing to translate the excitement he offered her. She knew it would feel just right, of course she did… but it was sudden and strong, enough to leave her lightheaded, to give her vertigo as she let him have his way with her body. The intensity of this new tryst was ever enhanced by her powerlessness: vulnerable as she was, she had no choice but to succumb to everything he felt like doing, her body on fire wherever his touch traveled next.

Her chest heaved, relentless moans pouring out of her as he switched from one breast to the next, devouring them with the self-indulgence of a man who knew his actions free of consequence. He was taking full advantage of keeping her bound, and instead of lightly teasing her as he often did, now he unleashed everything he had ever learned of how to exploit her body's weakest spots, even slipping fingers inside her opening to rub her walls pleasantly.

She knew that if she said a single word of complaint he would slow down: he would even untie her if he feared he'd gone too far. If she asked him to stop, he wouldn't hesitate to listen. And that was exactly why she didn't do it, despite her body was burning so much, so fast, that she was sure all the cold water that had clung to her from their dip in the river had evaporated by now. Her head was spinning violently, despite she was firmly set where she was, and she knew things would only grow more heated once he parted her legs and entered her… and as overwhelmed as she already was, she could only crave that moment eagerly, soaking wet for reasons beyond the waterfall.

Sokka's admiration for Azula had led him to assimilate many of her traits, whether consciously or not: as he had reflected earlier, one of them was her determination to go all-out with everything she did. As much as he had applied that determination to other matters, such as his gladiatorial career, it seemed he excelled at applying Azula's philosophies to sex, of all things: he didn't stop prodding at her clit with his full thumb, while slipping a couple of fingers inside her, even if they didn't go as deeply as they could in that position. His mouth carried on playing with her nipples, and all the while he hummed happily, basking in the taste of her skin, ripe against his lips and fingertips. It was no surprise for either of them that she would shudder violently soon, countless moans pouring out of her, lost in the noise of the rushing waterfall, as she experienced climax on top of climax, with Sokka working on her body without allowing her any respite.

She didn't know for how long she had lain there, feeling her body burning with pleasant relief as Sokka carried onwards, lavishing her skin with as much affection and arousal as he could manage, and she could hardly keep up anymore. By the time he slowed down, the world was spinning and her body felt nebulous, as though she couldn't even understand her corporeal form anymore, so lost in bliss and pleasure she had lost track of herself in the process.

"Hey… you okay?" Sokka asked, with a playful grin. Azula, eyes closed, answered with a sudden whimper at first.

"Definitely not" she admitted, once she managed to speak properly anew "W-what's gotten into you? Hell, I feel… oh, it felt so good but that was so dirty, Sokka…"

"I'm not exactly sorry…" he laughed, pressing his brow to hers. She smiled too "I don't know what came over me, but that you're tied up just drove me to stop thinking with my brain and, well…"

"For a man who's thinking with his penis… you sure haven't let yourself use it yet, huh?" Azula said, opening an eye to look at him enticingly "What are you waiting for, husband?"

She didn't have to ask twice. His smile darkened, and he took off his own swimsuit so he could release his built-up erection. He still continued to knead her breasts, and he leaned in to kiss her moments before thrusting inside her, breaching through her soaking opening. She cried out blissfully, her entire body responding eagerly to more pleasure despite she had basked in so much of it already… but it was inevitable. Her mind and soul only obeyed her basest impulses right now, and the strongest amongst them was to beg Sokka to take her with all his strength.

He didn't waver, much as he hadn't the previous day in the cove: he thrusted wildly inside her, skin slapping against skin constantly, briskly, accompanying their moans and groans. All the while, the waterfall muffled their noise from the outside world, and that only emboldened the Princess to be even more vocal than she always was. Sokka's lips had traveled all over her face, pressing kisses everywhere he could find, but now they were latched onto her neck, leaving yet another mark on her as he sucked harder with every wave of pleasure that flooded his senses. By doing so, he heard her moans as clearly as he would if there were no waterfall, and he relished in each sound. Her tunnels squeezed him in the best ways: she had been on the brink of more orgasms, for he had kept her tender and ripe through as many climaxes as he could offer her, and with his manhood up to the hilt inside her, it was a certainty that she would continue to finish against him until he finally decided to slow down.

The wild thrusts, accompanied by those delightful shudders of her walls against his cock, brought forth an arousal so potent it seemed all his rational thinking vanished by the time his built-up release came close: he had grown far too excited by touching her, by listening keenly to her sounds, by devouring her chest as he had. Now, as much as he would have gladly relished in thrusting forever, he knew his excitement was rising exponentially… and so he burst inside her, gasping for breath as his mind's eye was blinded by pleasure and bliss… but it wasn't enough. No, it wasn't enough with just the one…

Azula had felt his release, up until the very last drop was spent… and she was astonished upon finding Sokka didn't stop thrusting, regardless of how weak he felt upon release. He had remained inside her, and against all common sense, he continued to thrust against her, urging his excitement to be spurred and born anew, no matter how long it might take.

At this point, however, her body was so receptive, so eager for more pleasure, that his wild thrusting and his grand idea of carrying forth towards a second round without so much as pulling out appeared perfect for her. The thrilling, pooling heat in her lower body would only continue to envelop her, eagerly begging for more pleasure as her walls squeezed and shuddered around his shaft. Every new orgasm she underwent helped him rebuild his hard-on across the next minutes, and amidst heated kisses, he found himself just as ready to finish as he had been earlier. And the more the excitement increased, the more his strength returned, enabling him to thrust recklessly into her, chasing a second climax that arrived with the force of an earthquake, pushing him so far over the edge he thought he'd blacked out for a moment, collapsing atop her as his body shivered against hers.

The cave was unexpectedly quiet after they were finished, even though their heavy breathing and occasional moans echoed within the chamber all the same. Where cold water had clung to them before, hot sweat did the same now, whether in the contact between their bodies or on their temples… and somehow, neither one was bothered by that fact in the least.

"Okay… okay… I don't know what the hell is it about bondage, but…" Sokka gasped, face wetly pressed against her neck "That was hot as hell"

"Hell…? And here I'd hoped I might have sent you to sex heaven again, instead…" Azula whispered breathlessly, and Sokka snorted in disbelieving amusement.

"You did, Azula, you did…" he sighed blissfully, kissing her collarbone "But… damn, you'll have to forgive me. I… I can't move"

"You can't?" Azula asked "Well… I can't say I blame you, not entirely… to be honest, I… I don't think I can move either"

"I think I went a little overboard" he laughed, kissing her upper breast softly "Shit, I love you…"

"And I love you, wild husband of mine" she smiled "I do so enjoy it when you just take your pleasure however you want to, without a care in the world…"

"Here I thought that was a horribly selfish thing to do" Sokka chuckled.

"You gave me a thousand orgasms in one tryst, I think that proves no one is as selfless as you" Azula laughed "Oh, but damn… you need to set me free now, Sokka"

"Oh? Why's that?" he smirked.

"Because I really want to hug you and I can't if I'm tied up like this"

Her words were sweet enough to convince Sokka to follow fit with her desires, even if he knew he'd need a little longer to regain his composure. Still, he pushed himself upright and undid her ribbon's knot. Azula massaged her wrists gently, and only then did Sokka realize she'd pulled at the restraints instinctively as a response to the wild pleasure he had offered her. Still, she didn't complain at all as she kissed his lips quickly after throwing her arms around his neck.

"Ah, yes, that's just what I meant…" she sighed happily, and Sokka smiled as he wrapped his own around her waist.

They rested briefly inside the waterfall's grotto, relaxing together until the blood flow of their bodies had normalized again, enough for them to think clearly even if they still were blissfully entwined. As much as she begrudged thoughts of returning home after having experienced the never-ending happiness born from being free with Sokka, she knew that, once they had no choice but to return, the memories of their trip would certainly bring smiles to their faces whenever they recalled them. This memory, as well as that from the cove, were sure to make her blush, too.

The rain had stopped by the time they climbed off the waterfall again. It was nearly dusk: Azula had scrambled to Piandao's mansion at haste to dress up properly, and she urged Sokka to do the same, for she had something really important to find in town, related to the surprise she had in store for him. Sokka followed her diligently, his groggy smile ever betraying that he was still on a high after the wild sex they'd enjoyed, and as much as he seemed to be on a daze, his hands kept moving to touch her body, whether to take her hand in his own or to caress the small of her back, ever seeking to keep contact with her until she pulled away upon finding the store she had been looking for.

He waited outside, still grinning foolishly, knowing he was quite disheveled, and not bothered in the least by the realization. People shot him confused stares, but he couldn't have cared less to look like a madman in their eyes. His wife was the most incredible woman in the world, without a doubt, and if anyone asked why he was in such high spirits, he'd be happy to answer with that undeniable truth.

Azula left the store after around ten minutes, carrying a huge box with her that startled Sokka. She didn't quite ask for his help, but he insisted on carrying the box himself, so he scooped up his grand surprise into his arms, unable to figure out whatever it was supposed to be; he eyed the box with curiosity throughout their trek back to Piandao's mansion.

"You've definitely given me the biggest birthday present ever with this whole week of… well, you know what" he smirked "But this is probably the biggest physical present I've gotten, too. What is it, Azula…?"

"You'll find out, you will" Azula said, mysteriously, pushing the mansion's door open so Sokka could slip through it with the box "But for now… I think we're both starving, right?"

Again, they cooked their meal together, and after such a leisurely, joyful day, they couldn't help but do so with broad smiles on their faces. Comfortable with their new cooking process, they even tried to prank one another by reciting the wrong ingredients for the recipes, prompting the other to double-check the recipe's content every time if something made little sense: it was a ridiculous but fun game, and by the time they had managed to eat dinner they were genuinely surprised that it all tasted good, despite their constant attempts to sabotage each other's dishes just for the fun of it.

They cleaned up together later, washing each other after their wild day, and Sokka smiled, his fingers trailing down the love bites he'd left across Azula's body as he finished rinsing off the soap on her skin.

"I guess I've overdone it this week, huh?" he whispered "You'll have to use a ton of make-up once you go home to cover for it all…"

"Just for the neck ones, mind you" Azula said, smiling "Everything else is over my torso and legs, right?"

"I suppose, you have a couple of faded ones on your arms" Sokka laughed "Ah, hell… every week should be like this week. Forget everything else…"

"The crazier we get, the more tempted I am to do just that" Azula admitted, smiling before urging Sokka to take her place on the bathroom stool so she could help him clean up too.

"I know I shouldn't be talking about going home, it's bittersweet and all" Sokka said "But we really ought to… I don't know, come up with a way to do this more often. Remember back when we thought you might be pregnant?"

"Uh… forever ago, but sure" Azula said, pouring soap over his body, which had no shortage of love bites across it, especially on his strong pectorals and collarbone. She smirked proudly as she scrubbed him, as bold about her groping of his body as he ever was about hers.

"I had come up with a plan, right?" he said "Where we'd relocate to the Earth Kingdom or so, if just for a few years…"

"True" said Azula, raising her eyebrows "Seems a little impossible, though, with all the stuff I have to do in the mainland still…"

"I know it'd be impossible right now, yeah, but… you do have to expand your missions over to the rest of the Colonies, don't you?" Sokka asked, glancing up at her just in time for Azula to rub soap over his handsome face. He closed his eyes tightly, and she smiled at the bubbly sight.

"I suppose I do…" she acknowledged, picking up the bucket that she had filled with warm water "But I doubt I'll manage to move forward with that so quickly. The Enforcers are probably either starting their second raid by now or still handling the consequences of the first… there's not enough of them to branch out to other islands in the Fire Nation, let alone all the way to the Earth Kingdom"

"You might need to expand your recruitment efforts…" Sokka suggested, after Azula carefully poured the bucket over his body: it had splashed around him, guiding the soap's foam away slowly across the floor as Sokka shook his head, spraying Azula with the droplets of water that had clung to his hair.

"I suppose, but I won't be doing that so soon" Azula said, setting down the bucket now "We need more time. Still…"

"Still…?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows and glancing at her, as Azula walked with swaying hips towards the tub: they had already filled it, and it waited for them to soak in it. Sokka was left gaping at his wife, again with a groggy smile at the sight of her perfect rear.

"I suppose, once we do reach that point, I could presumably ask my father about relocating, at least for several months at a time, to the Colonies" she said, smiling at Sokka over her shoulder before she slid inside the tub. Sokka's grin widened as he followed her eagerly.

"You could, then?! Because Azula, if we do that…!" he said, jumping into the water in a wild rush: the Princess laughed at his enthusiasm, bracing herself against the splash he made upon joining her in the tub "If we do, we could really be like this! W-well, maybe not all the time, and not exactly like this, but mostly, right? You'd have to take me with you, you can't let your position in the Gladiator League falter, after all. And we could build ourselves a cool house, you know? Kind of like this mansion! Maybe we could have your old guards join us there, or new people… the Enforcers themselves could do it, right? But I'd rather Rui Shi were in charge of security because he knows we're together, same reason I wanted him to come with us back when I first thought about this…"

"Sokka…" Azula smiled, taking his face into her hands before kissing his lips softly "It's wonderful for you to ponder all the possibilities right away, but this is far from a done deal, okay? Don't get overexcited, else you'll end up disappointed if my father decides I can't do something like this…"

"Ow, fine…" Sokka pouted, prompting Azula to cover his face with kisses to make up for breaking his illusion so mercilessly "But it's a thought, Azula, really. And it's the best way to do this more often, right?"

"Here I was thinking I'd just schedule myself another vacation for next year" Azula mused, licking her lips "Around this time of the year, too…"

Sokka's disappointment receded as he smiled gladly at the prospect. Azula eyed him nonchalantly, wondering if that promise would be enough to appease him.

"Okay, that would work" he smiled. Azula grinned too, kissing him once more.

"Seems like we have a lot of things to look forward to for the coming year, huh?" she said, stroking his chest "Going back to Whaletail Island, more vacation time…"

"It'll be even better than it has been this year, I just know it" Sokka said, beaming "Ah, Azula… you're a goddamn dream come true. You know that, don't you?"

"I… didn't, I guess, but I'm glad you think so" she said, smiling and dropping her head on his shoulder "As long as you're happy, I'll be anything you want me to be"

Sokka's smile only strengthened as the night carried onwards, his arms ever tight around Azula as they nestled together in the tub. It wasn't until she forced him to wait inside their room while she set up his surprise outside that he was left alone with his thoughts, pondering the way their week had progressed, and beyond that, the way their relationship had unfolded over the years.

She had been distant when they had initially partnered up, generally unwilling to trust him with her deepest secrets unless she had no choice but to open up to him. Slowly she had become more vulnerable around him, and he had understood she had feelings for him after their most chaotic debacle. But even though he knew how much they risked by being together, as much as he had known they had to hold back in case they were caught, he had failed to do so, every time. His love for her had compelled him to do his best for Azula, at every opportunity, always fighting to stay by her side and offering her as many reasons to be happy as he could… for no sight in the world could be as beautiful as a genuine smile on her face.

It wasn't often, though, that he stopped to ponder just how deep her feelings for him were. He knew they were, of course he did, she had risked everything for their relationship and she had never regretted it… but right now, as she worked hard to set up some surprise for him, his heart ached with the realization that no one else had ever gone to the lengths Azula had for him. So often he felt like a common, ordinary man who had been thrust into uncommon and extraordinary circumstances… but he knew Azula couldn't have loved him so deeply if she didn't think he was extraordinary in his own right. She thought he was unique, just as he knew she was: she had made decisions, changed in countless ways, all because he had influenced her to do so. And right now, as she came back to him with a pleased grin on her face, he couldn't help but feel his heart burning with the desperate urge to kiss her, take her into his arms and tell her that he had never felt as blissful, as whole, as loved, as he did with her…

"We're all set up now" she declared, proudly from the threshold of the room "You may join us now, if you would, Sokka…"

"Us, is it? Is Xin Long involved in this too?" Sokka asked, making his way towards her, his eyes ever tender as they found hers.

"Why, yes. He'll be our master of ceremonies, I suppose" Azula declared. Sokka chuckled and raised a hand to caress her cheek.

"You're so beautiful, Azula" he whispered. He could see her eyes gleam upon hearing him say those words, her breath hitching in anticipation "I have no idea what you've cooked up there, but thank you anyhow"

"You'll thank me more once you see it, I hope" she smiled "Truthfully it's not that much, but… it's well deserved and fitting either way, if you ask me. Still… the show can't start right away. We have to wait a while"

"Do we, now?" Sokka asked, as she took his hand in hers and guided him outside.

"It's only appropriate, after all…" she said, mysteriously, and Sokka chuckled as he laced his fingers with hers, letting her guide him towards the burnt courtyard…

And then to the small garden she had rearranged, which was lit up with lanterns by now. Sokka smiled and nodded approvingly, watching as Xin Long sat with his back towards them, front paws protectively positioned around whatever the surprise was, he guessed.

"Alright… pick whichever side you'd rather lie down on" Azula said, gesturing at the cot she had improvised earlier, with its blankets and cushions. Sokka took her up on her offer, embracing her as he did, so she'd sit down with him: he didn't even ask if she was supposed to sit with him or not, for he wanted her in his arms no matter what her next plans might be.

"Well, your gardening skills definitely beat out mine by miles" he laughed, relaxing on the comfortable cushions with a blissful grin: Azula didn't protest over his decision to bring her to lie down with him, and he was delighted for it "And this is a nice change of pace compared with all the rocks we've been fucking on, or against, lately…"

"I suppose it is" Azula smiled, settling down beside him and draping an arm over his waist "You had fun today?"

"I'd say more than ever, but that'd discredit the rest of our week" Sokka chuckled "It was amazing. Everything with you is amazing"

"You're always biased with me, Sokka…" she sighed, smiling "And truthfully I love that you are, but you're biased nonetheless"

"Such a silly Princess" he sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and tightening his hold around her before letting his eyes travel up to the sky: she had said she intended to take him stargazing tonight, after all.

Where there had been swirling dark clouds earlier, now he seemed to face the clearest and most beautiful night sky he had witnessed in his life. His eyes were wide, astounded by how bright and clear the stars were against the darkness beyond. As much as the nights could be beautiful in the South Pole, he couldn't remember seeing so many stars back then, lights blinking across the sky with some semblance of a purpose, a purpose he couldn't possibly begin to imagine…

"Okay, if this was your surprise, you've surprised me" he said, smiling in disbelief "I'm pretty sure I've never seen a night sky like this one. It's… breathtaking. And terrifying"

"Terrifying?" Azula asked, amused.

"Doesn't it make you feel insignificant?" he laughed "The universe is spreading out there, who knows what crazy things are happening in other worlds much like our own…"

"Who knows indeed…" Azula mused "I once told Zuko his problems might look small and meaningless if he looked at them from a distance… that was the one time I brought him to ride Xin Long with me"

"Oh…?" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows.

"Might be we're insignificant in the face of the universe's massiveness, somehow… which means our own problems ought to feel smaller and a lot less overwhelming, right?"

"That's a thought" Sokka smiled "Whatever all those stars are busy with, it's bound to be so much bigger than anything we have to deal with…"

Azula grinned and kissed his shoulder softly, focusing so much more on him than on the spectacle high above. While there was some truth to her own words, she couldn't care less for the larger scale of things: Sokka was all she had on her mind right now, and that was how she wanted it to be for however long as she could make it so.

"Either way, this isn't quite the surprise, though it's pretty enough to look at just the same" she whispered, her fingers trailing over his forearm delicately. Sokka tore his eyes away from the sky to glance at her with amused intrigue.

"And what exactly did you concoct, then? Xin's acting all suspicious over there…" he said. Azula grinned.

"Yeah, like I said, he's in charge of the delivery. You could say I came up with the idea and I set it all up, he'll be the one to finish it. Should be fun" Azula said, leaning close to kiss his lips "Alright, then… how many years is it now, husband? If I haven't lost track of time… twenty-six?"

"Yeah, sounds like I'm really old suddenly" he smirked "When we first met, I was only twenty-one, damn…"

"It's been a while" Azula smiled weakly, stroking his hand gently "And a lot has happened since then. Five years, no less, without a proper birthday celebration…"

"You've more than made up for that, if you're worried" Sokka smiled "Honestly… I can't even imagine a better week. This was amazing on so many levels, Azula…"

"Yeah" she said, leaning close enough now to press her brow to his "I regret things often, especially in our past, regarding how I've handled many situations… but this time? This time I'm damn sure I wouldn't change a single thing about this trip. Maybe I didn't plan everything thoroughly, and getting married was a mind-blowing surprise…"

"But it was about time we did it anyhow" Sokka smirked. Azula laughed and nodded "Besides, as far as planning goes… I thought we were getting away so you could put your mind at ease, so you stopped your overplanning, right? Don't you think we've been successful?"

"Oh, I know we have been. From the first moment" Azula smiled "When it's you and me, Sokka… whether it's planning things or improvising them, everything always seems to turn out for the best"

"We've had many years to learn how to make it so" Sokka chuckled "I did suspect you had relaxed a lot, but I figured I'd ask anyhow, just in case…"

"You don't have to worry about me at all" she whispered, tightening her embrace around him "This is your day… or will be, I think, in about five minutes"

"Five minutes?" Sokka smiled, amused "You're counting down until midnight, Princess?"

"That's right" she said, proudly "And as soon as your birthday begins, we'll start celebrating the proper way"

"With a huge pile of food?" Sokka teased her. Azula snorted.

"If Xin Long were guarding food, do you really think he wouldn't have eaten it all by now?"

The dragon huffed at that, scowling at his rider from over his shoulder. She remained impassive despite his accusatory glare, and Sokka laughed at their mild argument.

"Yeah, I said you're a glutton, and you know I'm right so there's no reason for you to take offense to that" Azula said. Xin Long huffed, shaking his head.

"You're a mochi glutton too, though, and a spicy ramen glutton" Sokka smirked "Meaning… we're a family of gluttons, huh?"

"Sounds like it" Azula laughed, glancing at him again with warm eyes "A family, huh?"

"Well, yeah" Sokka said "I'd think we have been one for a while"

"I guess that is what marriage boils down to, huh?" Azula whispered, and her fingers now trailed down his chest gently "Choosing to become a family with someone, even if it's just two people, or two people and a dragon…"

"Yeah" said Sokka, smiling warmly "And we have been exactly that for much longer than this week, you know? Maybe we only got married a few days ago, but…"

"But our hearts have belonged to each other for ages now" Azula smiled "This was just about making it official, like we've always said"

"And now it's official for sure" Sokka said "Just, not under our actual names, but still…"

"As far as I'm concerned, it was a brilliant thing to do" Azula said, closing her eyes and nestling against him "I didn't realize just how badly I wanted to be your wife until… until that first night at Firelight. It's so right, Sokka… it's so good. I just… hell, sometimes I have no idea how to keep up with how much I love you"

"Yeah… I can tell" Sokka smiled, and Azula sighed before looking at him with an amused but reproachful stare.

"You can tell? What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means… well, love is kind of selfish, don't you think?" Sokka asked, surprising her "Not in the worst of ways, of course, but… in a strange way, nonetheless. I always think about how much happier I want to make you, about giving myself to you in every way I can… and I tend to focus so much on giving that tonight I realized I haven't been grateful enough for everything you've given me, in turn. You've risked everything for me, Azula, literally…"

"Well, sure, but so have you" Azula smiled sadly "You've put your life in the line for me, you've defended me, stood up for me…"

"Heh, sounds like we're even, then?" Sokka laughed "Still, my point is… sometimes I'm so hung up on how much I love you that I don't slow down to think about how much you love me back. And upon thinking about it all just now… it's just unbelievable that a woman as extraordinary as you would have thought I was worth all this. It's unbelievable that I can make you smile and laugh as much as I have. This week has been… it has been the greatest of blessings, Azula. You, as a whole, are a blessing I didn't think I deserved…"

"If you didn't deserve me, it's only because you deserve better" Azula declared, pressing her brow to his "I guess I'm much more selfish than you are, though. Sometimes I'm dazed because… because I used to think I couldn't be loved, outright, for most my childhood, and all my teenage years… now, with you, I've felt so valued and cared for, in every way I thought I never would. So I do think a lot about the fact that you love me, whereas you keep thinking about making me happy instead. Don't you think that makes me far more selfish than you?"

"Uh, no"

"Of course not" she said, rolling her eyes as he chuckled "Oh, you're impossible"

"And you're my brilliant wife" Sokka said, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose "I can't even begin to thank you for all you've done for me…"

"If you really can't, then maybe you can put it off and thank me later, once you know how to start doing it" Azula smiled, before glancing at Xin Long "It's time, Xin"

With that, the dragon sprung to standing in all four paws before releasing a small plum of fire towards whatever waited at his feet. Sokka didn't understand what was going on right away, but before he could ask, something shot up into the sky with a whistling sound…

And then it blasted, spreading into flares with a bright vivid red color that lit up the skies even more than they already were. Sokka's eyes widened as he smiled in disbelief, and Azula smiled warmly at him as Xin Long lit the next firework, this time one that flashed green as it spread over the sky.

"Happy birthday, Sokka" Azula whispered. This time she had given him the celebration he deserved: this time she had known the right date for it, too. For once she felt she spoke the words truly, and the wonderful man in her arms seemed near tears because of it, laughing as a golden firework exploded above them.

"Hell, Azula…" he said, his voice cracking "Fireworks?"

"I did say I wanted to celebrate your birthday because I'm grateful you were born…" Azula smiled "Fireworks have always been the Fire Nation's typical way of celebrating the biggest and most important events… your birthday, naturally, is one such important event for me. And if I can get away with it, I'll keep on doing this to celebrate it every year…"

Sokka laughed in disbelief, raising his free hand to cover his mouth. No, no one had ever loved him the way Azula did, that was undeniable now: that she would have planned ahead for this, by arranging the garden for their alleged stargazing, by buying those fireworks too, and now she laid down beside him, smiling warmly as he basked in the colorful spectacle above…

"You've changed my world, my love…" Sokka whispered, and Azula shivered pleasantly upon hearing those words, spoken earnestly, with no hint of teasing "And I couldn't be more grateful for it. No man… no man can have experienced this much happiness before, I know it. You've changed my life for the better, like no one else ever had before… and I'll always love you for that"

Azula's smile was bright enough to blind him, though tears burned in her eyes too when Sokka turned towards her, away from the exploding fireworks beyond them. He leaned closer, pressing a soft but heartfelt kiss upon her lips and she responded in kind, feeling as though the fireworks were exploding in their hearts, under their skin, all over their bodies, just as in the skies above them. It hadn't been their intent to cry, that went without saying, but the rampaging emotions inside them didn't seem to know any other outlet than that.

"Thank you" he whispered softly against her lips, before kissing her again and again "I love you, Azula… I love you. Thank you…"

His words reminded her of the first night he had spoken them to her. Back then, she had feared she might never hear him say them again… by now he had spoken them so many times, enough that she had no doubts left, not a single one, about how genuine his feelings were. Building genuine trust had taken them a long time, learning to understand each other had been difficult… but on nights like these, where they were enthralled by their warm kisses, or by the eyes that were lit up by the glowing fireworks above, it was clear that every step of the way had been worth it.

"I love you too, Sokka" she whispered, her smile genuine as she held his face in her hands "With every beat of my damn heart"

He laughed and kissed her again, only slowing down once the Princess urged him to enjoy the fireworks show she'd arranged for him: it wasn't long before she found herself lying atop him, relaxing on his strong chest as he stroked her hair, still enthralled by the lights above them. And once the lights were over, and the dragon responsible for igniting each firework had given them privacy, the two lovers lost themselves to grateful passion again, this time far more tenderly than over the past two days, under the cover of the shimmering stars above.

The world seemed bright and vivid that night, more than it ever had been. Nature itself seemed to have decided to join their celebration, with smooth breeze that cooled down their heated bodies, as well as the soft sounds of nighttime creatures, unknowing witnesses of yet another round of the newlyweds' lovemaking: Sokka couldn't imagine a better way to start his birthday.

By the time they lay together again in the blankets, Azula's hair a graceful mess as she nestled with a peaceful smile against his chest, a familiar urge rose inside Sokka. He smiled, reaching to touch the betrothal necklace around Azula's neck. He held her closely, their naked bodies heated as they pressed together again, unwilling to part unless necessary. She seemed to have fallen asleep by then, yet Sokka couldn't hold back from whispering the words that were back on his mind, at full force…

"I want to marry you" he whispered softly. To his surprise, her grin widened: she had still been awake.

"Again?"

"As many times as I can get away with it"

"Sounds reasonable…" she teased him, and Sokka smiled warmly "I want to marry you too. Again, and again, and as many times as you please…"

"Good" he chuckled, kissing her brow "Good…"

Azula's hold on him tightened, and he knew he'd have to carry them back to their room sooner than later. It had been a long, wonderful day… but the newly arriving day, his birthday, was certainly to bring its own set of wonders with it. She might have thought his latest words were merely playful… but he had meant them, completely.

He only hoped that bearing matching scars on their palms upon returning home wouldn't give away their status as a married couple to anyone who might know better…