Negotiations and Compromise
7
A light drizzle outside, in the middle of the night, was the only sound that seemed to spill across that room once their breaths found their rhythm again. Once their hearts eased up, still beating in unison. Once their lips, a mere whisper away, slowed in their relentless seeking of each other.
Comforting warmth settled between them. No more secrets left to reveal… no more fear of whatever the other had been hurt, shaped, changed by. Even if they had yet to fully inspect every inch of each other's bodies, true tranquility allowed them the clarity of mind that had evaded them until then: they had time. They would have time. There was no need to fight and struggle to return to one another anymore, no more waking up every morning full of regrets, knowing that they wouldn't see each other yet.
Even so, as much as their bodies asked for respite and rest, neither one dared fall asleep. The oil from the lamp hadn't burned out completely… that meant they could continue to gaze at each other, to take in their features, after so long of having nothing but memories to fall back on, instead.
"We… shouldn't go again yet, I guess," Sokka said, with a small smile. Azula sighed.
"Might get us killed if we push our bodies further," she admitted. He nodded, unwilling to tear his eyes from hers. "But… once we've rested. Once we've eaten, and… well. Whenever we have the time…"
"We always did find a way to make some," Sokka smiled. Azula chuckled, nodding. "Though… I suppose that's going to be a little harder in the next days. Frankly… we should sleep. But…"
"We can't do it here," Azula said. Sokka nodded. "We… we needed this, but Hotaru needs us too, so…"
"I know. It's going to be a heavy walk back there, but hopefully the rain will stop soon," Sokka said, caressing her arm gently. "Still, once we get there… you really need to get some sleep. It's got to be like… four in the morning, I don't know."
"Whatever time it is, you need it more than I do," Azula sighed. "Haven't slept in ages and you still had it in you to make love to me… maybe you really are more than human, huh?"
"Maybe," Sokka smiled a little, pressing his brow to hers. "But I'm… not the one who's been told to fight an Agni Kai, am I?"
Azula frowned. Sokka eyed her remorsefully, but he didn't take the words back.
"You know, I… I could always fight it for you," he suggested. "I, uh, have some experience, being the representative standing in for this Princess I know, in certain duels against upstarts trying to undermine her…"
"Right," Azula said, eyeing him with uncertainty. "But you're not a firebender. Can't fight an Agni Kai."
"Oh, now, that's a technicality, I'm sure. For one thing, I've been a firebender before," Sokka smirked, and Azula smiled. "For another? Firebenders are just scared that I'd beat them up one-on-one, yep."
"I can confirm that. You beat me," Azula pointed out. Sokka shivered, and she smiled. "It's… it's been a long time coming. Not to mention… I'm really glad you could do it. Not just because of the war, but… this started when I beat you up, didn't it? In a sense… you've finally done it, Sokka. Your true revenge has been achieved."
"Pfft," Sokka smiled awkwardly. "Now, now, I've already said my revenge was making you fall madly in love with me…"
"Could be both things. No one said otherwise," Azula smiled. Sokka chuckled.
"Be that as it may… I don't really want to leave yet," he said, his palm smoothly traveling over her flank. "But we should make sure you can rest properly. I have no idea when Jeong Jeong plans on making you fight Zuko, so…"
Azula gritted her teeth, lowering her gaze. Sokka picked up on her withdrawal immediately, more so as she rolled onto her back. He frowned, giving her a moment to be forthright… but when she wasn't, his hand, now resting on her abdomen, caressed her gently, reassuringly.
"Talk to me," he said, softly. "If something's wrong… well, I know a lot of things are wrong lately, but..."
"A lot of things feel right, right now," Azula admitted, turning her head, gazing at him warmly. "But… I don't really know how to say this. I… I don't think you'll like it."
"When has that stopped you before?" Sokka smiled, his thumb drawing circles over her ribcage.
"Whenever I fear I… I'll disappoint you," Azula admitted. He frowned.
"What, exactly, could disappoint me about… anything you do anymore?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly. "If nothing you told me earlier did it, Azula, then…"
"Maybe… it'll sound like I'm an ungrateful bitch," Azula said, her voice soft. "Maybe it'll seem like I'm wasting an opportunity you fought this hard to bring to me. Maybe… you'll think I'm really not the woman I used to be…"
"Azula…"
"I don't… I don't know if I want to be Fire Lord anymore, Sokka."
Perhaps he should've sensed it sooner. Perhaps her story should have told him as much already… perhaps her behavior, upon refusing to go through Aang's proposal at once, should have suggested as much. He had assumed she was resisting for the sake of their relationship… but as usual, Azula's mind appeared to be many steps ahead.
"That's why you weren't ready to accept what Aang suggested," Sokka asked. Azula sighed.
She pushed herself up, sitting on the bed, legs drawn up so she could place her elbows upon her knees. Her fingers slid through her hair, and her eyes seemed charged with tears again. Sokka sighed, rising too, settled beside her.
"I'm not disappointed," he said. "But I am confused. Probably shouldn't be too confused, considering everything, but… I'd like to know why, exactly, you're feeling this way now."
"It's… it's not just now," Azula said, shaking her head. "After I lost so much… you, Xin Long, so many bonds, so many achievements, I held myself together in the belief that I… I had other people to protect. I was protecting the Fire Nation itself from my father. The Fire Nation people needed me, didn't they? I… I had to do right by them. But…"
"But?" Sokka frowned. Azula shivered, shaking her head.
"I lost this war," she said. "I failed them, or I would have, according to my father's views. That's how the nobles would see it. It's what the people who worshipped me would think. Suddenly, the mighty woman who couldn't be defeated just… lost. They might still believe in me, you'd say, they might still support me… but the thing is, maybe I just don't want them to anymore. Maybe… maybe a part of me resents… having lost as much as I did, to no avail. I wish I'd gone with you… I wish I could've been with you all along instead of having chosen the Fire Nation, and you'll say, I know, it was the right choice, but…"
She sighed, dropping her head on her knees, before finally saying the words that hadn't found their way past their lips until now.
"I'm tired."
Sokka frowned: that sentiment echoed inside him as the marks of so many battles seemed to return to him. Up until he won the very last one, he hadn't truly rested, hadn't truly slowed down… for he needed to reach Azula as fast as possible. Now that he finally had… perhaps it would be the ideal moment to rest indeed. But…
"I am too," he said. Azula gritted her teeth. "Don't think that's something to be disappointed in. We've… we've been through a lot, Azula. And in a really short time. So… if you want more time to figure this out, I get it…"
"But there is no time," Azula said, sitting upright again, looking at him with despair. "And I know why that's the case. The Fire Nation needs a new leader as soon as possible… and frankly? It's… it's fine by me if that leader is Zuko. I… I can barely remember why I ever wanted that throne as badly as I did. But… I set it on fire. I destroyed the seat of power, I tore it all down, so… it feels like rebuilding it shouldn't be down to the very person who screwed it up."
"Some would say that's the right way to make amends," Sokka pointed out. Azula eyed him reproachfully. He sighed. "But… listen here. I hear you. I get it. Nobody who's been in your shoes would ever feel ready for a responsibility of that magnitude, much less when you have a baby to feed, when you have to raise her, when you have all these burdens on your shoulders that you don't know how to shed. So… if you don't want to do this? If you don't even want to do the Agni Kai at all? I'm on your side. I'll stand with you. And whatever comes next? I still will."
"We…" Azula said, clasping his hand nervously. "We could go to your people. In the South? We… we could live there instead of here. I know it wouldn't be easy, but if Zuko did it for years, maybe I could too. I… I don't need the Fire Nation. I…"
She shuddered, tears spilling down her face as she spoke the words. Sokka sighed, raising a hand to wipe away the tears.
"You know… you really aren't that great a liar."
Azula grimaced, lowering her head in shame. Sokka sighed, smiling kindly at her.
"You don't want to do that. You… you don't want to leave your home," he concluded. "But… you're afraid. You think you'll let them down… just as you've been letting yourself down, with your choices, as of late."
"That's… look, I… I really would go there," she said, shaking her head. "Wherever you want to go, Sokka, i-if we're sticking together, then…"
"I never said I'd be going back to the South Pole," Sokka pointed out. Azula shivered.
"We've always lived here. It… doesn't seem fair," she whispered. "I can adapt. I can live wherever, as long as I get to be with you. I…"
"I appreciate the sentiment," Sokka said, taking her face into her hands and kissing her lips softly. "But I don't think you're truly ready to abandon everything you fought for across all those years. Maybe I'm wrong, sure! But… you want to give yourself no other choice, is what I'm hearing. You want to give up, because fighting for it, failing, at any given point, would be too painful to bear. But you see… it won't be. Not anymore. I'll be right here with you, succeed or fail, because, whether you go back to the Southern Water Tribe with me, or we stay in the Fire Nation? No one is going to tear us apart anymore."
"Well… worth noting the Water Tribe's people seem to have wrapped their heads around Princess Jing and Wentai quite quickly, compared to mine," Azula said, sniffing and shaking her head. "So…"
"Huh. Really?" Sokka said, raising an eyebrow questioningly. "Last I knew… your people were the ones who saw our relationship rise from the get-go and they took to calling us the ultimate combination of gladiator and sponsor…"
"They had no idea what they were doing, Sokka, if they'd known…"
"Azula: you saved everyone in this city," Sokka said. "You've done it multiple times, too. If they're so ungrateful to you that they'd withdraw their support because of me? No doubt you'd be too good to rule that bunch of whiny bastards. But if they understand that they owe you their lives, always have? Maybe… maybe most of them will respect this. Us."
He clasped her hand, bringing it to his lips. Azula inched closer, placing her head on his shoulder.
"I don't… I don't want you and Hotaru to suffer. I want you safe… not in the sights of all the wretches who would pretend you're unworthy," she said. "I don't know how they'd act… I don't know what they'd dare do. If anyone ever hurt you…"
"They've tried. Few have succeeded," Sokka said, earnestly. Azula gritted her teeth. "I know why you're worried… but it's not going to be any easier for your brother, you know? He has a wife, daughters, who are every bit as foreign as Hotaru and I would be, in their eyes. The situation isn't too different, if you think about it that way. Neither one of you is going to have an easy time, fighting an uphill battle against the traditionalist assholes who'd think we're not a suitable family for you. But, heh, if I've spent all this time fighting back against Jeong Jeong's bullshit, clashing with all the people who have told me I couldn't do what I did? I don't think I have much reason to worry about what I might face next. I'll be ready."
"You wouldn't have to be… if I just gave up the throne to Zuko," Azula said, closing her eyes. "I know… it wouldn't be fair to him either. But… the two of us spent years fighting for acknowledgement, trying to convince our father that we were the worthier heir, hurting one another, doing terrible things, and… suddenly it all feels worthless. When we finally stand in line to take that damn throne, to seize the crown… I… I just find myself thinking I'd have sacrificed so much only to take up a thankless, awful job that lasts a lifetime. I'll be responsible for millions of people, for providing reparations for millions more now that the war has ended… the mere idea is so exhausting that I just want to hug you, drop in this bed and forget who I ever was. And… i-it almost feels like I could do that. Like we could just… go away. Live simple, careless lives somewhere far away. The world… the world should just learn how to fend for itself. I'm so tired… I'm so sick of having to think of everything and knowing that any slip-ups are going to be catastrophic. I… I don't ever want to hurt you again."
"You think you would, if you accepted this burden?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged.
"I never knew what my worst self truly was like… never knew the lows I could stoop to until all this happened," she said. "I never want to be that person again."
"You won't be. You don't have to be scared of yourself like that," Sokka whispered, reassuringly, stroking her hair. "The circumstances have changed. You'll never be in that situation again. I know it'll take a while for you to stop being afraid of your worst… I was, for a long time, too."
"But… you learned how to accept your dark side," Azula frowned. "It's something that…"
"Yeah. Something that Zhao taught me," Sokka said, with a heavy sigh. "Half the time I don't know if I was an idiot for thinking more of him, once… feels like he might have always been a bastard, and he just hid it well. But…"
"But he might have gone downhill anyway… becoming worse than he ever was," Azula said. "I do think he was bad enough before, in many ways… but he got worse over time. It's… it's not your fault."
"Or yours," Sokka said. Azula sighed, but nodded.
"You're always so forgiving… so thoughtful, so compassionate," she said resting against him. "I love that about you. But…"
"But?"
"Would you forgive me for choosing not to fight for that throne?" she asked, shivering. "Would… would that ever be okay with you? I know you're supporting me, I know you want it to be me, not my brother… you've spent all this time believing that would happen, I imagine. And… well, that my father gave me the crown right before…"
"Unfortunately, his will isn't something that weighs a lot right now… but I do think it was a sign that he finally started to see the light," Sokka said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. "If you could change that stubborn, thick-headed, unforgivable asshole? I think it's proof that you can change this nation, too."
Azula shivered, closing her eyes, pressing her face to his shoulder. Sokka sighed, embracing her warmly.
"This being said, you don't have to worry, okay?" he whispered. "I believe in you… no matter what you choose, I still will. If you'll forfeit, trust your brother to do it himself, I'll accept that. Means… well, more time for ourselves, surely. More chances to make up for lost time in every way. We'll be happy, no matter what happens. But… I don't know, Azula."
"What do you not know?" she said, breathing deeply.
"Can you live with the outcome, if you give up from the very start?" Sokka asked. Azula frowned. "If you decide you're not even going to try… we'll work with that. But… it seems like trying your best and failing to defeat your brother would be a better way to close this off with no regrets, right?"
"What if he doesn't want to fight either…?" Azula asked. Sokka shrugged. "It'd make me the winner by default… kind of like what I pictured would happen but the other way around, if I said I give up before fighting. But…"
"Give up before fighting?" Sokka said. Azula huffed, meeting his gaze in helplessness and defeat. "The two of you have… one fun little thing in common. Even if it's one you might not appreciate as much, these days, considering its origins, but… he gave something to you because you liked it when you were kids, didn't he? And now… it feels like the best way you two could honor each other is…"
"To not give up without a fight?" Azula sighed. "Stupid knife. Should've known it'd bite me in the ass one day."
Sokka chuckled, holding her warmly and kissing the top of her head.
"You can give up. It's fine if you do. I won't think less of you if you did," he said. "It's entirely up to you, but… I want you to make a choice you can live with, okay?"
"You think, if I gave up, and Zuko starts making bad choices, I'll regret not fighting him for the throne?" Azula asked, nonchalantly. Sokka shrugged. "It's not impossible…"
"He could make good ones, too. And then you could wonder if… if you could've measured up to that, if you'd just tried," Sokka said. Azula grimaced. "I'm only saying, love…"
"That I'll never know what could've happened if I don't do it. I owe it to… to my old self, even. To the girl who realized that… that she wanted to change her nation for the better, if for her own selfish reasons," Azula sighed, nestled against Sokka's flank, arms wrapped around his waist. "I didn't really understand the many flaws of my nation yet… only the ones that affected me, directly. I didn't care for any plights but my own…"
"And now you do," Sokka smiled, warmly. "I know it's heavy work, Azula, but… you wouldn't do it alone. I'd be right there, carrying the burden with you. As the partners we are."
"Then… would you be my Fire Lady?" Azula asked, with a small smile. Sokka chuckled.
"Well, clearly I wouldn't be Fire Lord, I refuse to marry you legally beforehand, so… fine. I'll take it," he said, with a resigned sigh. Azula chuckled, shaking her head.
"We'll find you a better title," she said, leaning close to kiss his cheek. "Gladiator's already caught on, so… maybe something like that. Or maybe… Prince of the Southern Water Tribe?"
"Oh, come on," Sokka scoffed. Azula chuckled. "After all these years? After all this time, you're FINALLY going to accept that? For real?!"
She laughed harder, hugging him tightly as Sokka's playful outrage resulted in light tickles on her flank. Azula writhed away from him, laughing still as he pounced over her, pinning her on the bed anew: both smiled warmly as they slowed down, as Sokka's hands rose away from her flanks and wrapped around her body, sliding under her back, between her and the bed.
"I don't really care… whatever my title might be," he said, prodding her nose with his. "Being your husband matters more than that."
"Good," Azula smiled, kissing him softly. "But then… we'll do it anyway. After… after the Agni Kai. Whatever coronation is needed, whether mine, Zuko's… we'll get married, legally."
"If you need to pull any strings to make it happen? I'll wait for it, but… as far as I'm concerned, you're my wife," Sokka smiled proudly. Azula's heartfelt smile matched the earnest tears in her eyes. "The ceremony's just a technicality. So… yeah. Whatever you need to do, whatever we have to work towards… we'll get to it, once the next Fire Lord's chosen. Well… whether you fight or not. I'm not trying to pressure you into doing it, worth noting, I just…"
"I know, Sokka. I know," Azula said, closing her eyes and pressing her brow to his. "Whatever choice I make… you'll accept. Whatever the outcome of that fight… you wouldn't begrudge me if I lose it, right?"
"I'd be mad at him if he hurts you, though, I will say that much," Sokka smiled. Azula chuckled.
"Well, one has to burn the other. I'm guessing neither would go too far with it, though, if that's any reassurance," she said. Sokka nodded. "But… if I decide none of this is worth it? That… that the Fire Nation isn't worth it?"
"Well… I wouldn't exactly disagree," Sokka admitted, with a guilty smile. Azula raised her eyebrows. "I'd still remind you that balance isn't a bad idea, all in all. It's fine if you love your people, as far as I'm concerned. But… if you want me to be completely honest? I have long suspected that they don't deserve you."
"Oh?" Azula blinked blankly. Sokka smiled sadly.
"I nearly lost you to the Bloodlust Spear… because you were fighting to save them. When it looked like I might lose you to it? I… I couldn't help but resent them," Sokka said, with a guilty smile. "Wasn't fair, I know, but… I thought no nation could ever truly be worth more than your life."
"That's so very balanced of you," Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled, kissing her lips softly.
"I didn't say I was getting it right, did I?" he said. "But either way… I just want you to know that I'll accept whatever you choose, love. Whatever it may be."
"I choose you. You, Hotaru, and Rei. Above anything else," she said, nestling against him. "I just… I wish it were easy to know what the best choice is. I… I can make a difference and make amends for so much I got wrong, but I'd spend a lifetime doing it, for sure…"
"You would still want to do that, even if you weren't Fire Lord… that's my suspicion," Sokka said. Azula shrugged.
"Maybe. Maybe I wouldn't be able to live with the guilt of still being alive, and doing nothing to truly fix the world," she said, fingers sliding between his. "So…"
"So?" Sokka raised his eyebrows, and Azula met his gaze with her own.
"I'll… I'll do it," she said. Sokka breathed deeply and nodded. "I… I don't know if I can beat him, though. I'm not as strong as I was, the corruption might not be fully gone…"
"Zuko nearly died and still hasn't recovered in full. Neither of you are in peak condition," Sokka said, nudging her gently. "And you just said that neither of you is bound to want to hurt the other for real. So… I think it's okay. I think you can take it easy. Whatever happens will happen… and, if you change your mind halfway through the fight, all you have to do is tell him to burn you very lightly and take the win, right?"
"So very dignified," Azula said, with a mute tone. Sokka chuckled. "I… don't think I'd do that. Though that would definitely convince everyone that Zuko's the better choice, no kidding…"
"They'd be wrong, if you ask me," Sokka said. Azula tensed up, glancing at him. "I… I don't really care, you know? If you don't become Fire Lord. But nobody… not Zuko, not your cousin, not a single soul out there, could have ever been a better choice for the role, or any role, than you. I know, you might think I'm overselling you, but… I don't think I am. I'm telling the truth, and the truth is that you're extraordinary. Every idiot who could ever dismiss you or dislike you owes you their lives at this point… so even if they think lowly of you, they're always going to be far lesser than you could ever be."
"You know… all that talk of superiority and extraordinary stuff?" Azula said, raising her eyebrows. "It's starting to sound like you ended up buying into the Fire Nation's pretenses of greatness a little much…"
"I don't believe the Fire Nation's great, I believe you are," Sokka said, beaming. Azula laughed. "And you will be, no matter where you live, where you are, what you're doing… it's you, Azula. You're a miracle… my blessing. And I'll be damned if I ever let myself be swayed into changing my mind about that. No, no, I'm serious, someone's going to have to stage an intervention to figure out what spirit possessed me, or if maybe I got duplicated somehow and there's a doppelganger in my place…!"
Azula laughed, turning her face into his neck as he rambled nonsensically. He chuckled too, hugging her as well, bringing her into his naked body fully. When she rose back, she kissed him willfully, and Sokka responded with just as much affection.
"I… I never want to let you down. Or, rather, never again," Azula said. Sokka smiled.
"Don't think you'll have any excuses to fight me to the death anytime soon, so… I doubt that's going to happen," he said, stroking her hair gently. "I love you, Azula. You've already realized just how much, right? I… I pulled it off, didn't I? Conquered the world for you…"
"I didn't ask you to…"
"Yeah, no, you asked Chan and see? I'm the one who delivered…"
"Sokka…!" Azula snorted, and Sokka chuckled, kissing her lips repeatedly.
"Stay with me… and live your life to the fullest," he said. "That's all you need to do… because no matter what shape our future takes, provided you do that, I'll never ever be disappointed. Alright?"
Azula sighed, nodding and bringing their lips together fully. She held the kiss for a long time, pressing a soft one upon his mouth again afterwards, letting her brow rest against his.
"Alright," she said, her voice calm, soothed. Sokka smiled bringing her into a tight, warm embrace.
After the nightmares they had faced, the anguish of such a long separation… the comfort in which they basked now soothed them in ways nothing had since well before the Bloodlust Spear's arrival. Nestled in his arms, soothed by his caresses, by the soft kisses upon her brow, Azula smiled to herself, slowly… upon allowing a rare thought to bloom in her mind. One she hadn't been able to truly believe… but maybe she could now. Maybe at last, she could embrace it.
"Everything… will be alright," she said, softly. Sokka hummed, smiling in agreement.
"We'll see to that," he said. Azula nodded, tears blooming in the corners of her eyes.
"I… never thought I'd feel that way. Never imagined I… I'd come to believe that we could find peace. Build peace. But… that's what's next anyway. We… we've torn down the old world. And now we build the new one."
Sokka nodded, stroking her hair delicately, away from her face.
"Are you ready for that?" he asked. Azula smiled… and shook her head.
"Not a chance," she said. He chuckled.
"Need some sleep before you can believe otherwise?" he asked. Azula shrugged.
"Don't know if that will help, but…" she said, with a slow smile. "I'll… I'll go to bed with you again. For every day, for the rest of our lives?"
He smiled confidently at her, and Azula's smile widened too. She kissed him once more, receiving no end of affection in return from the man who loved her so deeply… perhaps more deeply than anyone else had ever been loved in their world.
"Sounds like that's something you are ready for," Sokka grinned brightly. "Well… I'd gladly rest here for a while, but maybe we should've cleaned the room a bit instead of doing something like this so recklessly. Dust everywhere, after all…"
"Eh, you fucked someone who hasn't taken a bath in what feels like a week, so… I'm probably a bigger hazard to your health than the room is," Azula grinned. Sokka scoffed.
"Filthy Princess. We've got to clean you up, then!"
"Sokka… in the morning," she said, with a weak smile. Sokka eyed her skeptically. "You need rest, I need rest, Hotaru is…"
"Yes, I know, she's waiting…" he said, with a nod. "But that the day would come when you wouldn't clean up… that's unthinkable, mind you. I remember all too well how disgusted you were after a week in a nasty, distant forest…"
"Heh. I really would've killed for a bath back then. The river was tempting, too," Azula chuckled. Sokka wiggled his eyebrows. "You killed all such temptations, though."
"Whaaaat? But I should've been the greatest of your temptations…!"
"You were. Hence why I resisted you, and the bath, all at once," Azula smiled, kissing him softly. "If I'd dared be naked around you back then, well… by now we would have around four kids rather than one, and we'd live in Xin's cave and the world would have gone forgotten because I wouldn't have had the guts to return to it after, uh, potentially seducing you."
"No 'potentially' about it, if you'd showed yourself off naked in front of me…" Sokka said, eyeing her bare body with a wicked smirk.
"Here I thought you'd say that false future wasn't a great idea," Azula chuckled. "Stuck in a forest forever?"
"Eh, we would've made it work. I would've been a lot more ready to do it if I thought you'd sleep with me," he laughed, kissing her brow. "I mainly wanted to get us out of there so that I wouldn't fail you and you wouldn't regret having listened to me about the Rhinos… you had a big life to return to, remember?"
"I suppose…" Azula said, dismissively. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.
"What time and distance can do to a Princess, truly… either you've forgotten how you felt back then, or you're just messing with me now," he said, kissing her cheek. Azula smiled. "Alright… enough joking around. Or, rather, joking around while sitting here. I'll dress you up…"
"And I'll dress you up," Azula countered. He nodded promptly.
"And after that… we'll try not to pass out on our way back to Mai's," Sokka said, with a weak smile.
"We'll survive… I hope," Azula said. "Also hope they have something to eat…"
"I wish, but Toph surely ate everything they had by now," Sokka grumbled. Azula chuckled at his assumption.
"We'd better get there to find out, I guess."
She squeezed his hand, kissing him one more time before shifting on her way across the bed. The typical process of gathering their clothes drove home what had happened between them… it brought a tender smile to Azula's face, too. She hadn't expected to ever find intimacy with anyone again… more so due to the fact that she had assumed she would die in that final battle. She owed everything to the man sitting behind her, wrapping his arms around her, using her chest's bindings as an excuse to hold her. She smiled as she allowed him to touch her, arms raised to provide him room to maneuver: Sokka kissed her cheek repeatedly, tying the bindings loosely, so as to not discomfort her.
"I'm really sorry to see them hidden, though," he admitted, as he finished his work, a devious smirk on his face. "They were perfect all along if you ask me, but… wow."
"I dread the day I stop breastfeeding and they shrink again. You'll be bored with plain old me, with my plain old chest, all over again," Azula smirked. Sokka chuckled.
"Not a chance. You know I'm weak to every last one of your curves, you have nothing to worry about," he said, kissing her briskly. "If anything, I look forward to playing with them to my heart's content by then. For now? They're just a beautiful scenery for me to swoon over, yep…"
"You're just…" Azula laughed, shaking her head. "No man should be so shameless, but… I love that you are. I have no sense."
"Never did, as was obvious when you fell for me," Sokka teased her, kissing her cheek again before climbing off the bed.
Azula smiled as he helped her dress, with her socks, her underwear, her pants and tunic all following one after the other until she was fully clothed, barring the sash that remained in the living room still, much like his did. Sokka, in the meantime, remained naked.
"Is this your way of making up for me being naked faster as often as I am?" Azula inquired.
"Don't know why you'd complain about that, frankly," Sokka smirked. "Means you're getting that much of my attention, now, doesn't it?"
"It does, it does. My ever-generous lover…" Azula smiled, running her hands over his hair as he knelt before her, slipping her shoes into place. "You… never did cut your hair while we were apart, did you? Kept the sides shaved, but…"
"I didn't. You said you liked it," Sokka said, simply. Azula smiled tenderly. "Figured… you'd tell me if I went too far with growing it out, once we met again?"
"It's beautiful," Azula said. Sokka smiled bashfully at her praise. "You'll have to displease me and cut it someday, I'm sure… but as it is? I'm perfectly fine with its length."
"I'm not gonna cut it again. Ever," Sokka said, scoffing. Azula laughed, kissing him promptly. "You said you liked it!"
"I said I liked your beard and you didn't shave it, true… but you didn't let it grow out of control either, now, did you?" Azula asked, thumbing his chin. Sokka bit his lip.
"True… maybe I should do that, huh?"
"Oh, please," Azula rolled her eyes, laughing as Sokka rose to his feet, smiling warmly at her.
He hoisted her to her feet, eyeing her with certainty before running his hand through her hair.
"Well… if you don't mind me, there's something I have to do now," he said, with giddy determination. Azula raised her eyebrows.
"Oh…? I thought we were going to dress you next…"
He ignored her, taking her hand and guiding her to sit at his dresser. Azula chuckled, quickly guessing what his intent was, even before he started rummaging through his old belongings to find a proper brush and a hair tie.
The mirror before her allowed Azula to see herself… the bags under her eyes, the chaotic hair, the clothes that were slightly too big for her. Her face was pale, too…
And yet she saw the spark of life in her eyes that had faded across the past year, ever since they had been torn apart. She smiled at the sight, closing her eyes as Sokka's smooth fingers slid through her hair, caressing her scalp gently.
"I missed doing this," he whispered.
"I missed you doing it too," Azula said. "Not the same, tying my own hair up. Always better if it's your doing."
"Of course," Sokka smiled, combing the long strands carefully, delighted at the texture of her silky dark locks.
He knew the process by heart: reeling most her hair back, then ensuring to leave her fringe in place before fastening the bulk of her hair in a half-knot. He brushed the rest, loose underneath that bun… once that was done, she turned her head towards him, hoping he'd judge whether he'd done a good job or not: his blissful smile spoke for itself, though.
"Beautiful," Sokka said. "Though… worth noting I like you with your hair down just fine, too."
"You'd better," Azula smiled. Sokka chuckled as she clasped his wrist, kissing his hand gently. "Thank you. It's… it's been a while since I was last pampered that way."
"Heh. Song didn't brush your hair?" Sokka scoffed. Azula snorted.
"Why would she?" she asked. Sokka huffed.
"Because it's the best hair ever. Evidently," Sokka said, shrugging. Azula laughed, rising to her feet.
"After everything I put that poor woman through, it ought to be me waiting on her on my hands and knees, if anything," she said, shaking her head. "I owe her a lot. Definitely not going to ask her to fix my hair for me…"
"Well, you don't have to anymore, I'm here to do it for you now," Sokka smiled carelessly. "But still…"
"If you pick a fight with her because she didn't help me with that, you know I'll side with her."
"Great. More fun for me!"
"Masochist."
"Beautiful."
Azula rolled her eyes, but she stepped up to kiss him for his last compliment… or perhaps she simply wanted to shut him up. Sokka chuckled against her lips, but the contact broke off once Azula picked up his fundoshi and pressed it to his pelvis.
"Come on. Your turn now," she said.
Sokka raised his hands in defeat, and Azula smiled approvingly as she took to fastening the loincloth around his waist. She smiled at the sight of his manhood, and Sokka eyed her with suspicion.
"See something you like?" he asked. She chuckled.
"I did. It's still blowing me away, Sokka… I never did imagine the day would come when the sight of a cock would make me so damn happy," she admitted. Sokka laughed as she finished hiding it away, proudly stashing it inside the cloth.
"Careful how you touch it. I might start getting excited again," he said. Azula snorted.
"That's bound to fade quickly as soon as we get to Mai's and your head hits the pillow," she said. Sokka pouted. "But fair enough, I won't turn you on intentionally and leave you in pain later, I won't…"
"Please, don't," Sokka said, with a small voice. Azula chuckled, wrapping her arms around his bare torso.
"You truly are a strange man, loving me quite as much as you do after all the terrible things I've done…" she said. He snorted.
"I'd have welcomed unfinished boners anytime over being away from you, love," he said, hugging her right back. "It's not even a mild inconvenience, compared with not being with you."
Azula sighed, tightening her grip around him. His lips pressed softly against the top of her head.
"Do you think… we'll get used to it again?" she asked. "Being together… starting a life like this, no longer hiding what we mean to each other?"
"Uh… we might. It's bound to take forever, though," Sokka admitted, with an awkward smile. Azula nodded, kissing his bare chest softly.
"I suppose that just means… we'll appreciate it properly and be thankful for it, for a very long time," she concluded, smiling up at him. Sokka nodded, bringing their lips together again.
Azula gathered his trousers and his shangshan tunic next: she couldn't help but smile as she clad him in them, reliving the countless times she had done the same in the past. Her hands moved gradually over the fastenings of his buttons, and they rested upon his strong chest afterwards. Sokka cradled her in his arms, reeling her close so they could sit on the side of the bed, to put on their shoes next.
"Call me crazy… but I'm not even kidding, I'm already wondering when we'll have a chance to do this again," Sokka smiled. Azula snorted.
"I admit, if your mind wasn't wandering in those directions? I wouldn't be certain that it's you anymore," she said. Sokka chuckled, leaning closer to her, kissing the side of her head. "If anything… I'm grateful you still want me that much. I…"
"I always will," Sokka said, earnestly. She smiled tearfully, pressing her head to his shoulder. "Like it or not, Princess."
"I like it. A lot," she said, wrapping an arm around his waist.
They held that position for a moment, comforted, taking in that simple, blissful instant of shared warmth… a reminder of easier times, too, back when their great struggle had been to return home after a wonderful week of traveling together. Back then, too, they had taken their seat this way, holding each other kindly, simply basking in the wonders of their love in grateful silence.
But unlike that day, there was someone very important waiting for them. That thought compelled them to gather themselves, sharing another smile, a tender kiss, before rising to their feet.
"It's going to be a long walk…" Sokka said, wrapping an arm around her waist as they left the room, making their way downstairs. "You're probably not wrong about how I'll pass out once we get back to Hotaru…"
"I figured," Azula said, her head resting against his shoulder. "I'm really tired, and I actually got more rest than you did…"
"You didn't get any rest. That's not really resting," Sokka scoffed. Azula laughed as they reached the stairs. "You were unconscious!"
"Isn't that what happens when you fall asleep?"
"Well, most people don't fall asleep after inhaling a ton of toxic, corrupt smoke," Sokka mumbled.
"True. Sounds like a bad habit," Azula said, with a careless smile. Sokka rolled his eyes and smiled down at her.
"We'll both rest properly now. Let's get to it as soon as possible," he said, kissing the top of her head, leading her towards the couch: he found their respective sashes there, and they took turns cladding each other with them. "Otherwise, we're not going to be strong enough to go for round two the next time we have a chance…"
"I'd stop counting on that quite as much…" Azula warned him. Sokka pouted. "I know, Sokka, that's how things were… but you have a baby to raise now. Any chances to sleep are sacred and must be respected."
"That's going to be a hard habit to get into," he admitted, with a guilty chuckle. Azula smiled, rolling her eyes as she finished fastening his sash.
"I figured you'd think so. No worries, a couple of days watching over Hotaru and you'll catch up with me in terms of exhaustion and needing to rest," she reassured him, patting his chest.
"I would like to think it won't be like that… but you'd know best. I've never really raised a kid, just babysat a few times," he said, caressing her face and kissing her brow before leading her to the front door. "But I still hope I can sleep with you once in a while, and if the chance comes up, I'm taking it."
"Well, I won't protest that, certainly. But… you'd best keep in mind that it might take a while before that happens," Azula said, with a sad smile: Sokka reached forward, pushing the front door open, guiding her outside: the world was still dark, but a beam of light in the horizon suggested that the sun wasn't far from rising. "Curses. We pulled an all-nighter."
"Eh… worse things have happened," Sokka smiled awkwardly. "We'll just tell all the important people that we're not going to be available until, uh… the afternoon, I guess."
"But we have to tell Jeong Jeong that I'll do the damn thing, and… ugh," Azula groaned, dropping her head on his shoulder again as they started their march through the city's streets. "How about we run to Shu Jing? That sounds like a better plan."
"Cool. We'll take Hotaru and Rei, if she wants to come, and make a run for it," Sokka said. Azula laughed. "Hey, it was your idea…"
"I wasn't expecting you to humor it, but that's on me, no doubt," she said. "I carelessly told you once that I dreamed of conquering the world with my partner, and then you went and did it all by yourself to prove you're my soulmate, I guess…"
"Heh. Did it work? You convinced yet?" Sokka smirked. Azula laughed, shaking her head.
"Clearly not. You have to try harder," she teased him. Sokka scoffed.
"Then I'm going to have to figure out how to fulfill any other outlandish wishes you may have, damn… how about I go for the Spirit World next? I'll bring it to heel…!"
"Honestly, I'd love to see that. Sokka, the Living King of the Spirit World…"
"Has a nice ring to it," Sokka pointed out. Azula chuckled.
"I love you," she said, hugging him snugly. Sokka smiled, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head.
"I… I love you too," he said, frowning as he gazed about himself with uncertainty, still holding her closely. "Hey. Hey now…"
"What is it?" Azula raised her head, finding Sokka smiling gradually.
"You wanted a partner who'd conquer the world… and I wanted to walk through this city while holding your hand."
Azula blinked blankly: she held onto him far more intimately than that, of course, but Sokka grinned at her with blissful joy that compelled her not to let go, not even to fulfill his wish to perfection.
"Guess we're pulling that off, huh?" he said, with a soft chuckle. Azula smiled. "I know, sure, we're hugging rather than holding hands, but hey… even better, right?"
"No one's around yet," Azula pointed out. "But… they might start to wake up by the time we're closer to Mai's place."
"If you want us to stop by then, we can stop…" Sokka smiled sadly, but Azula shook her head, tightening her grip around him.
"You ought to understand that I'd think this way, Sokka… you've said similar things so far. But if my people won't approve of you, then they're the ones who are unworthy of you, not the other way around," she said, closing her eyes as she kept up with his pace. "As far as Fire Nation values are concerned, no man could ever be worthier of marrying into the Royal Family than you are."
"Oh, really?" Sokka asked, with a weak grin. "How come do I embody those values all that well?"
"You conquered the world," Azula said, simply. Sokka snorted. "Laugh all you want, the Fire Lords spent over a hundred years trying to achieve what you pulled off in less than one. All those old farts I call my ancestors should bow in awe around you."
"I didn't… I mean, sure, but it's not like I fought on the same conditions they did. I had allies, and I didn't do it to unite everything under my tyrannical rule…" Sokka explained. Azula smirked.
"Meaning, you were smarter than any of them and did it by convincing people that joining you was better than fighting you. See? They're bound to be envying you to death, in whatever hell they might be stuck in. You're effective, intelligent, strategic, charismatic… and yes, handsome like no one else, I didn't forget that one."
"Why, thank you. That's the most important one," Sokka said. Azula chuckled. "I mean, going by all those heinous paintings, surely most of them were actually… uh. Sorry."
"Sorry?" Azula blinked blankly. Sokka grimaced.
"Well… ugly paintings are gone now, aren't they?"
"Huh… I hadn't thought about that," Azula frowned.
Sokka eyed her with uncertainty… surprised, though, when a mischievous smile spread over Azula's lips. She shrugged before long.
"The Temple's bound to have other copies of those paintings, but… if you want me to be honest? I'd say good riddance. You're not wrong, never were: they were heinous."
"Ha! I knew it!" Sokka laughed. She chuckled against his chest. "You have too much taste to think otherwise, Azula, I know you…"
"You also knew that I wasn't about to tell you that you were right," Azula smiled blissfully. "But… I think I must clarify that this isn't me approving of your intentions to paint my portrait, should I become Fire Lord."
"What?! Why not? That's just rude, Azula, you can't just boost a guy's spirits and hopes that way…"
"Because, Sokka… you'll draw me naked. I'm not going down in history as the naked Fire Lord Azula, mind you…"
"I… could start it off with you naked and add the clothes on top later on, if that really bothers you so much," Sokka pouted, rolling his eyes. Azula eyed him skeptically, though unable to mask her amusement. "I'd make two copies. One stays naked. It'll be for me to pin to the ceiling of our bed, and that way you'll always admire your perfect beauty before I ravish you each night…"
"That sounds horrifying. No, thank you," Azula smiled awkwardly. Sokka squeaked. "We already have an inappropriate painting of us, damn it, and I wouldn't pin it anywhere in our future room anyway. Curses, these threats of yours are almost scary enough to make me want to tell Zuko that the throne's all his…"
"What?! Just because you don't want me to draw you naked? Come on, Azula, where's your sense of adventure?"
"I suppose it got lost someplace, maybe along with your dignity?" she said. Sokka snorted.
"Joke's on you: I never had any of that one," he rebuffed, proudly: Azula burst out with laughter, burying her face in his chest.
Their casual, careless, easygoing banter kept them entertained, even energetic, as they progressed to Mai's house… though once they got there, they had been comfortably silent for several minutes, still holding each other closely. The sun was starting to rise beyond the jagged ridges of the city's crater, and the pair of them yawned as they entered the house as quietly as could be.
The inner garden gave away the location of Toph's sleeping arrangement, as one of her trademark earth tents stood among Mai's plants, while Aang and Katara nestled on the pillows, near the garden. It seemed that Ty Lee had gone home, for she and Haru were nowhere to be found. Rui Shi and Song cuddled on a couch in the living room, whereas Zuko had taken a sleeping bag and now rested in it, in the dining room. Upstairs, Mai's family, her servants and Rei had their own sleeping arrangements: Rei was asleep in a room near the one Azula had woken up in that morning, and Hotaru nestled on a crib right by her bedside.
Azula smiled as she approached her daughters: she placed a kind hand upon Rei's shoulder, and the girl woke up immediately over the contact.
"W-wha-…? Who…?"
"It's me," Azula said, softly. Rei's tension receded at once upon hearing her voice. "Sorry to wake you… but I figured I'd let you know that I'll take Hotaru now, okay?"
"R-right… right. The room… still empty. Yours…" Rei said, yawning. "Thought you might… come to rest, but we weren't sure…"
"Thank you," Azula said, leaning close and pressing a soft kiss to the side of Rei's head. The girl smiled. "Sleep some more now, dear. Thanks for watching over your sister."
"I didn't mind… I'm glad you're back," Rei said, softly. Azula smiled and stroked her hair affectionately.
After Rei seemed to settle into sleep again, Azula collected Hotaru in her arms as subtly as possible. The baby didn't squirm, didn't react, until they were on their way out of the room: Sokka waited outside, and his tired eyes lit up at the sight of his child.
"Hey… hey, Hotaru," he said. "We're back, kiddo."
The baby cooed softly as Azula closed the door to Rei's room. She sighed, eyeing Sokka warily.
"Don't be too excited now. If you are… she'll get infected by it, and you won't get any rest. I guarantee it," Azula warned him. He chuckled, but he spread his arms and Azula placed Hotaru on them carefully. "Take it easy, now…"
"I will, I will," Sokka hugged his daughter, following Azula into the empty room they had vacated that morning.
The bed was small, meant for one person, but Azula didn't care for such technicalities: she grabbed a fistful of Sokka's shangshan, reeling him towards the mattress and urging him to sit on it.
"Think we'll have to cuddle quite a bit to avoid falling off the bed, huh?" he said. Azula sighed dramatically.
"Perish the thought…" she said. Sokka chuckled. "As if we'd never shared small beds before. I know, I know, you're bulkier than ever, but…"
"I was thinking more about the fact that I don't want to let go of Hotaru. So… it'll be the three of us," he decided, beaming: Azula smiled too, shrugging at his eagerness.
"I can't say I mind," she whispered, cupping his face and leaning in to kiss his lips softly.
Hotaru whimpered, though, and Azula glanced down at her with a frown, quickly attempting to gauge the meaning of her daughter's latest sounds. After a moment, she shrugged and began undoing her upper body's clothes anew, something Sokka seemed to appreciate quite a bit.
"Said I shouldn't get her too hyped up, and yet look at what you're doing…"
"This isn't for your benefit, but you're free to watch," Azula smirked, pulling down her breast bindings too.
As teasing as he might be, Sokka's curiosity surged as Azula set up to nurse their daughter, fetching a cloth from her bags before taking her seat anew on the bed, pulling Hotaru to her chest. The baby's whimpers quieted down quickly as she latched onto her breast, and she began eating without wasting another moment. Azula smiled.
"See? Takes after you. If she's upset, it's most likely that she's hungry," she said. Sokka chuckled.
"Fair enough. But you're a glutton yourself, when it comes to some meals," he said, shoving off his shoes and leaning down to undo hers, too.
He helped Azula find a comfortable position on the bed, slipping behind her, wrapping his arms around her frame once his back was to the pillows. Azula sighed in bliss, relaxing on his chest as she held Hotaru carefully. Sokka stroked her hair soothingly, pressing kisses to her temples softly as they watched Hotaru's large eyes, taking in their smiles.
"This is a rather nice way to do it," Azula admitted, resting on Sokka's lap as she was. He grinned, rubbing her shoulder kindly.
"Hopefully, we'll be able to do it this way more often than not," he said. "Well, provided you want me to, of course. I'm sure I'll annoy you plenty in the coming days, so…"
"Don't take this as a challenge, but I doubt you could ever annoy me as much as to make me forbid this anytime soon," Azula smiled, relaxing in his chest. Sokka chuckled.
"Fine, fine. Maybe… for the next baby," he said, smirking. "You might just be back to not knowing whether you'd rather strangle or straddle me by then."
"Not likely," Azula smiled.
"Come on. Don't pretend now that there's no way I can…"
"I said it's not a challenge, damn you. Stop taking it as one," she laughed, kissing his lips softly. "I thought you liked it when we got along. Bored of being happy with me already, are you?"
"I thought arguing was part of our happiness, actually," Sokka chuckled, kissing her again. "Fine, fine. I'll stop being silly, if you really want me to. I… I'm just happy, honestly. For the first time in… in what feels like a lifetime, I'm truly happy, Azula."
She smiled fondly at him, pressing her brow to his. Sokka smiled and nudged her gently.
"Frankly… I relate," Azula said. "It's not that I never… never had moments of respite. I was happy, yes, once Hotaru was born, but… it's not the same, is it?"
"Nope," Sokka smiled, hugging her tightly. "All happiness ever since we were apart didn't feel complete, I guess. Now it does."
"Now it does," Azula said, softly, burying her face in his neck. "I… I love you, Sokka. I… I'll never be able to thank you enough for… for, well, everything, but…"
"I didn't do it so you'd thank me…" he said, teasingly. Azula laughed, shaking her head. "Wasn't that one of our usual lines?"
"That it was," she said, biting her lip. "But I don't really care if you're saying that for real or not… even if the journey was painful and messed up for the two of us, you're the one who went above and beyond to… to make sure this day could come. You even… fought against my stubbornness like only you can. You've brought us this far, Sokka… and we owe you every single moment that comes next."
"Well…" Sokka said, blinking blankly. "I… I mean, well… I wasn't really thinking about it that way. I just wanted…"
"I know," Azula smiled, gazing at him with heartfelt wonderment. "Guess that's part of what makes you so extraordinary. You achieved things nobody else could… and you still kept going, because you had a goal, a purpose to fulfill. You changed this world, Sokka… you as good as changed the stars, too. And… remember? We talked about that. You… you even asked if I wanted to change them with you. I didn't succeed at helping you so far, I know that, but…"
"You played your part… and you changed the most stubborn of them all, I'd say," Sokka sighed. "If there was one thing I never thought I'd be able to change… it was your father. But in the end, you did. The very final push… and it was your doing."
"That's not nearly as much work as what you did…" Azula said. Sokka scoffed.
"No, it's probably worse. I'd have failed at that one," Sokka said, bluntly. "In fact… I'd dare say that we just did what we always used to, right? You couldn't change the rest of the world… I couldn't change your father. But we could do what the other could not… and look at us now. We got this far, didn't we? And… we wouldn't have, if either of us had faltered when it mattered most."
"That's… a rather simplified way to see it," Azula pointed out. Sokka chuckled, shaking his head.
"If there were other paths, neither of us could find them before," he said, pressing his lips to her brow. "Some things could've been better, of course, but… I do think we did it this time. Rearranging, changing the stars? Feels… feels like the right way to describe what we achieved."
Azula pressed her face to his neck. Sokka rubbed her arm reassuringly, peppering more kisses upon her head… though he slowed down upon noticing the child on Azula's bosom had eased up, looking up at them with curiosity.
"Ah. Sorry. Did we distract you from your feast with all this grown-up talk?" Sokka asked. "Hope your mom's emotional state doesn't affect your drink, though…"
"I… wonder if it does," Azula blinked blankly, raising her eyebrows at that notion before shaking her head. "Oh, well. I expect we'll never know. She's not going to tell us, and once she can talk, she'll be long weaned, done feeding off me… and she'll forget about this stage of her life, too."
"I suppose so," Sokka smiled sadly, caressing Hotaru's back and scooping her into his arms as Azula cleaned herself up carefully. "Good girl. You're all happy now? Filled up properly? I hope so…"
He kissed Hotaru's forehead, and the baby cooed, raising her hand again to touch his chin: now, aware of why Azula would be so emotional upon seeing that happen, Sokka's smile gained a tinge of sadness. He relaxed, though, letting Hotaru play with his stubble while Azula finished rearranging her clothes. The Princess sighed after she was done, turning in Sokka's arms: he held her with the right, while Hotaru nestled in his left.
"Want to be held by your mom again?" Sokka asked the baby. Azula chuckled, shaking her head.
"She's having fun with your beard. I'm not that entertaining, mind you," she said. Sokka snorted, shaking his head.
"Your hair's longer…"
"But it's coming from the back of my head. She likes yours because it's on the front," Azula concluded. Sokka laughed, and she smiled teasingly at him. "You're a rarity she's trying to unravel. Has an insidious mind, much like her father does."
"Her mother does, too," he smiled, caressing the baby's back gently.
Despite her earlier teasing, Azula wrapped an arm around Hotaru too, kissing the baby's cheek softly.
"I'm sorry, dear… but I think I'm beat," she whispered. Hotaru cooed at her. "Yep. Mom's all tapped out of energy. Blame your dad for that one."
"Hey, now. You wanted to clear the air, we cleared the air…"
"And then we wound up practicing how to give Hotaru another sibling."
"That… is on the both of us. And you liked it."
"Obviously I liked it, doesn't mean it was the wisest choice to do it when we were so tired," Azula laughed, relaxing in his chest. "It was necessary, I'd be the first to admit it, but…"
"Of course it was," Sokka smiled, kissing the top of her head. "But we're about done here, huh? I… I can watch her a little longer anyway."
"You shouldn't," Azula sighed. "I'm the one who ought to so you can sleep…"
"Eh. I'm having fun being a new dad, you can't take that away from me," he said, teasingly. Azula chuckled. "Rest, love. I'll… doze off once she does, I guess. Are you sure it's okay if she sleeps right here too? With us?"
"Only if you promise you won't move around much. Or drool much. You do that sometimes," Azula smiled. Sokka scoffed.
"Me? With all my non-existent dignity? Perish the thought that I'd ever drool while I'm asleep…" he said, teasingly.
"I love you. Silly Gladiator," she said, her voice soft and tender. "Thank you… thank you for coming back for us. For… for saving us. Never mind anything else I've said. That's what you did, and… and I'll always be grateful for it."
Sokka smiled, all mirth gone as he raised Azula's chin delicately, kissing her fully. She closed her eyes tightly, her throat choked up by emotion, but she didn't ease up on that kiss, not for a second. Only when he pulled back did she relent, watching him with heartfelt gratitude…
"You know… it's only been a day," he said, with a disbelieving, tearful laugh. "One day with you… and life makes sense again. Everything does. I guess maybe you'll say I saved you, Hotaru, lots of people, but all in all, I… I just wanted to come home."
Azula swallowed hard, though tears spilled down her cheeks as she kissed him again. Sokka's grip around her strengthened, proving he wouldn't let go ever again… they'd be together forever. Whoever dared stand in their way again would pay a hefty price for it… but somehow, he suspected nobody would be quite as stupid as to risk their wrath. Intentionally or not… they truly had become the most daunting couple in the entire world. That was nothing to scoff at, he suspected, as he smiled a little into their kiss.
"T-then… welcome home," Azula said, with an earnest smile. "Even if… well, we're not in your house now, but…"
"We don't have to be. I love that place, you know I do, but…" Sokka smiled: his hand, looped around Hotaru, slid closer to Azula's chest, landing gently upon her heart. "That's the home I meant. This one, right here."
"I… I know. I know," Azula laughed, shaking her head as the tears spilled even more rapidly. "It's… it's always yours. Always has been. I can certainly say… it was a lot emptier without you. A little broken. But now… m-maybe it can actually start healing, right?"
"Right," Sokka smiled warmly, pressing his brow to hers. Azula breathed heavily, kissing him again.
"We're never getting a blink of sleep at this rate," she admitted. He laughed and nodded, his lips by her brow now.
"It's okay. Rest. We'll gush about each other some more in the… morning? Afternoon? Evening? Whenever the hell we wake up," he laughed. Azula smiled and nodded.
"Very well," she said: she would sleep in his arms, for the first time in so long… she would wake up to see his face, to kiss his lips first thing in the morning. The simple joy in such awareness pushed more tears down her face, and she pressed tightly to him, still holding Hotaru as well. "Good night… morning. Whatever it is."
"Good whatever. Yep, that sounds about right," Sokka grinned. She laughed, unable to resist moving in for one more kiss.
One day indeed… a single day with him, after that catastrophic battle, and the world no longer seemed so dark, so punishing, so cruel. One day, and she knew she would sleep more soundly, more comfortably, than she had in all the months they had been apart. Huddled warmly against him, an arm around him and their daughter, Azula settled into place, head on his chest, and she closed her eyes.
Sokka watched her with blissful joy of his own, relief flooding his heart: Hotaru made a soft sound, and Sokka brought a hand to his mouth, urging her to keep silent.
"Let's make sure mommy sleeps quietly, okay?" he whispered, reeling the baby close to kiss the top of her head. "You're a good, sweet little thing…"
He soothed Hotaru with his caresses, keeping her against his chest, right by her mother's side. The chance to hold them at all, that he actually had arrived on time to do it… that he had finally returned to them, was something he would never stop cherishing. Tears spilled down his cheeks, as a soothing warmth spread over his chest. He thought, inevitably, of the man who had urged him to begin this journey… the father who had known the meaninglessness of revenge, and urged him to fight for the future, for the woman he had loved, for she hadn't been beyond his reach. And she truly wasn't… she was right here once more, as unbelievable as that might be.
Hakoda would smile if he knew… he would be proud, Sokka believed. Where he had feared, long ago, that he might have disappointed Hakoda, this time, there was no such seed of doubt in his heart. He trusted his father, just as much as Hakoda had trusted him to succeed at this venture…
He'd come back to him one day. He'd ensure that his father would meet Azula and Hotaru… they'd be one family. Every hardship, every painful moment, every agonizing instant, seemed to revert into relief and joy at long last, so needed and sought…
He had done it. Last night, he had taken his seat by the bedside, anguished over Azula's fate… but tonight, he finally rested, for the first time in months, with the woman he loved and the daughter they would raise together, both firmly wrapped in his heartfelt, grateful embrace.