Sokka released a long-held breath, the days were growing hotter and hotter still, making simple tasks like gathering food and firewood more difficult than they ought to be. He could swear that this kind of travel was so much easier when they were all just kids. He ran his left hand through his hair that had grown sweaty and sticky. He shuddered; Katara, Aang, and Toph could wait, he needed a good dive into the river. Stripping down to his underpants he near the water, paused briefly, and decided to remove the last of his clothing. Wet underwear was always a mildly unpleasant experience. "Who's gonna see me anyways? A badgerfrog."

He wadded his way into the water until he was chest deep and without a hint of grace dropped himself beneath the surface, rapidly scrubbing at his head. In being perfectly honest with himself he began to wonder if this little bath was doing any good at all, after all he hadn't brought any soaps with him. Grumbling to himself he made his way back to the shore, but stopped short upon realizing he was no longer—and perhaps was never—alone at all. Blushing to himself and covering his privets he scooted back in the water, just in case.

But Azula didn't seem to take any notice of him. In fact she was probably under the same impression he had been under, except with less thought of the badgerfrogs. He watched her let her hair down, setting the golden headpiece and the lace that tied it in place on a nearby rock.

He should have looked away right then and there. But he didn't and so he watched the princess remove her shoes and her armor, discarding it in the same place she had set down her hairpieces. She flicked her hair over her shoulder and tilted her head slightly to the side allowing the sun to glow off of her dark locks in just the right way. The right way? What was he thinking, is there even a right way with Azula? She sat herself down at the water's edge and dipped her toe in. Of course she had to test the water first, making Sokka feel somehow stupid that he didn't do so himself.

Azula murmured something to herself and slipped the rest of her foot into the water. It was strange, Sokka pondered, that she was somehow more attractive when she wasn't in armor and trying to kill him. When she was just sitting in a forest at the water's edge kicking softly at the water. It was odd to see the woman doing such an ordinary thing.

So odd in fact that he allowed his eyes and mind to wander. He was mostly fixated on her eyes, those sharp and slanted golden eyes. Eyes he could best compare to the rare golden firelily he had seen in the forest some time back.

Sokka noticed the princess' gaze fall on something beneath the slightly bobbing waves, probably a particular looking rock. Maybe a geode, the princess would be able to spot one of those. She observed whatever it was from beneath dark and perfectly styled eyelashes. After staring for another moment, Azula stood. She casually tugged her top off and laid it down a top her armor and then did so again with her pants. He should have given her a "hey!" or a "yo!" but he found himself both too shy and embarrassed and too incited. He gritted his teeth, angered by his own inaction.

Unaware, the princess smiled softly as a warm ray of sunlight that beamed down upon perfectly tanned skin. Perfect. Everything about her was perfect, Sokka noted. From that tanned skin to her petite frame that curved in all the right places. Sokka's cheeks grew redder. How hadn't he noticed before? It was the armor, he realized. It hid a lot.

Azula turned her back for him and crouched down to pick up her expensive soaps. Without warning, a bar of soap hit his head. "Next time bring your own." The fire princess scolded.

"You're not going to light me on fire for watching you?"

Azula shrugged. "I saw you first."

Of course she had. He shouldn't have underestimated her. And the red spread form his cheeks to the rest of his face.

"And I saw that you didn't even wash properly." She placed her hands on her hips, those flawlessly long manicured nails drumming softly over equally unblemished flesh. She stared him down with a startling intensity.

Sokka hesitated, trying to pick his words carefully. "Is that an invitation to join you."

"Make what you will of it." Azula answered with a dismissive wave.

"No, I want to make sure it's okay with you."

Azula blinked, apparently sudden acts of kindness or decency was the way to catch the princess off guard. Coming back to herself she replied, "we're taking baths, not having sex."

The word rolled off of her tongue in a way that was both befitting and unsuitable all at once. It was the kind of word he Sokka never associated with upper class women. But all the same he associated with a fierce woman, capable of track people around the world.

"Speaking of baths." Azula continued. "I'd appreciate it if you would help me wash my back."

Sokka edged closer.

"Slow down there." Azula instructed. "You wash your dirty peasant hands first."

"Hey!" Sokka snapped, feeling suddenly self-conscious. But he found himself rubbing the soap between his palms. "Good enough?"

Azula nodded and turned around again, moving her hair out of the way. He swiped the bar of soap over her spine, and then in sizable circles over her soft skin until he had ran the bar over every area on her back. Without thinking he slid his hands around her middle, gently massaging her belly with the soap. She placed a hand over his. He flinched expecting her to throw his hand off and slap him for overstepping boundaries. But instead she wordlessly moved his hands and the soap lower. She turned around, her bubble coated skin pressing lightly against his own. She smelled intoxicatingly elegant.

Tapping her pointer on his chest she leaned in an softly murmured, "I ought to bring you back to the palace, you're much better at this than the servants." When he didn't speak she added, "of course I'd never let the servants go that far." She pulled herself closer, and he became suddenly aware of her soft breasts on his chest. He swallowed nervously.

It would seem that his action was not lost on her, for she moved back again. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" There was a slight hint of offense in her voice and he wondered if she had an uncanny habit of coming on too strong. One that drove men off. And then he remembered that he chose to watch her undress.

And yet he confessed, "a little bit, yes."

Azula nodded and put some more space in between them, her hand slowly falling out of his and back to her side. "I figured as much." She was being surprisingly understanding.

"Also." Sokka added quickly, oddly he didn't want to offend her. "I didn't think you liked water peasants. I don't want you to do something you'll regret later." He rubbed the back of her head.

"Regret?" Azula muttered more to herself. "I regret a lot of things, but I don't think that would have been one of them." Her eyes fell upon his well sculpted abs, "no definitely wouldn't have."

Sokka took her hand in his again and pulled her into a hug. She didn't return the hug but sank deeper into it, mumbling softly and pleasured as he ran a hand through her wet hair. Again he was over powered by the oddity of it all. The weirdness of cradling a woman who had tried, on multiple occasions, to harm him. To see her so venerable and gentle and caring. And he wondered where it was coming from. Why she was being so unusually kind and calm. Perhaps she just wanted someone to hold her and care for her as Aang did with Katara and he did once did with Suki…

Suki!

"I forgot about her." Azula pulled herself away again. That's when he realized he had vocalized his striking realization.

"Don't worry about it." Sokka replied, but he didn't pull her back knowing that the moment had been well and killed. So he watched her saunter over to the rock and dry herself. He should probably put his pants back on too. "We had a disagreement a while back. Kind of went our separate ways, ya know?"

Azula thought briefly of Mai, "I know."

With her clothing back on, aside from the armor, she sat down on the rock staring at the sun as it sparkled on the water—calm and hot and glimmering with light. Sokka came behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. If he had startled her, she gave no sign. "Ya know, for a firebender you sure remind me of the water."

"Oh?" She cocked her head awaiting a follow up.

"No matter what happens to it, it just keeps flowing on a strong as ever." He didn't know exactly what had happened to her between the Forgetful Valley and the Kemurikage and now, but he knew something had.

"What about the rivers that dry up in a drought?"

"With help they usually come back again." Sokka answered. "Sometimes with a new direction or place to flow in."

"An interesting prospect." Azula replied, she felt his hand grip her shoulder more firmly. "Interesting indeed."