After being inspired quite blatantly by the Olympics, I had the idea to write a long seven-parter story for the new Sokkla Free Writing Challenge. I'm rating it T for now, but the rating will likely change in the future. In any case, hope you enjoy!

"This is the worst idea you've had. It is. It's… where the hell did it even come from?"

"Oh, why so dramatic? One would think you're still sixteen years old, Fire Lord Zuko."

"One would think we've both learned a lot since I was sixteen, but after this, I'm not sure we have! Uncle, for crying out loud…"

"Sit back and just relax, nephew. Enjoying these events peacefully is one of the wonders of being Fire Lord, believe me."

Zuko scowled. He had no idea what Iroh's words meant, considering the old man had never been Fire Lord in the first place, but he was sure this event was as far from peaceful as the Hundred Year War had been. The main reason why he was certain of this was the ridiculous display taking place in the platform down below, in the fighting ring where the first rounds of the non-bending martial arts tournament were currently taking place.

He was sure that only a fool could expect an event like this one to go smoothly, and he took pride in not being one… or at least, not to that degree. How could he expect an all-out tournament between delegations of each nation to result in anything but utter chaos? How could ANYONE expect anything else to happen other than utter chaos?

But this was, according to Iroh, and to the White Lotus, the best way to keep rising tensions at bay and to prevent further wars. Zuko wasn't sure he could follow their logic, or lack thereof. From all he could see, King Kuei was beyond frustrated as he watched one of the main representatives of the Earth Kingdom in the middle of a crazed verbal fight with the Southern Water Tribe's favorite competitor: of course, the contestants in question would be two of Zuko's best friends. He sighed and shook his head as Toph yelled at the unfairness of the competition while Katara retorted that she needed to accept her loss fair and square…

"I didn't bend! I did not! That rock didn't move because of me!"

"No kidding, that's why it hit me square in the face, right?!"

"Maybe you just threw yourself at it, then!"

"Like I'd do that!"

Piandao, the Grand Lotus tasked with overseeing the non-bending events of the White Lotus' First International Games, was sighing in frustration as he tried to keep the angry girls apart. This was exactly why he had done his best to convince the other Grand Lotuses to keep the non-bending category exclusively for non-benders, instead of enforcing a ridiculous rule that stated benders could participate, so long as they didn't bend.

All Piandao could make of that rule was that benders, at least the more dishonest ones, would try to cheat and bend in the competition if they thought they could get away with it. And while Pakku didn't have to oversee that nobody cheated in the waterbending competitions, nor did Bumi with earthbending, or Jeong Jeong with firebending, Piandao had to be twice as agile, twice as careful, twice as observant, so as to judge whether the benders had cheated or not.

In this particular instance, it wasn't all that hard to tell that the earthbender had indeed cheated, whether intentionally or not. He was fortunate that she had taken it out on her friend instead of him, though, as they now argued bitterly and foolishly over what was fair and what wasn't. The next fight shouldn't be delayed, though, so Piandao needed to shepherd these two away immediately…

"Whatever's going on out there can't be good," Sokka said, as he glanced out through the archway from the stand-by area. Azula huffed.

"That depends on your point of view. As far as I'm concerned, your sister and friend can go ahead and wear each other out all they want. That way neither of them will be much of a challenge when I face them in the next round."

"When you what, now?" said Sokka, smirking at her. "That's awfully confident of you, partner. I wouldn't get ahead of myself like that if I were you."

"Oh, please. Do you really expect to beat me?" Azula asked, with raised eyebrows. Sokka smiled.

"I expect to show you not to underestimate me. I mean, here I thought you'd learned that lesson in the course of the last four years, but I guess being my White Lotus partner hasn't taught you much humility, has it?"

"On the contrary, I'm filled with pride," Azula said, sarcastically, as she smirked at him. "After having to live in close quarters with you for that long it has become apparent that I am a truly remarkable, extraordinary woman, regardless of the circumstances. Meanwhile, you are utterly ordinary and vulgar, regardless of the circumstances…"

"Which is why I can surprise people when I prove how competent I am, all while you're too busy showing off your great skills and abilities, my dear," he said, following her sarcastic game. Azula cringed.

"Terms of endearment? Really?"

"Hey, you were the one who kissed me the other day. Don't act like I'm all on my own in this," he said, winking at her. Azula blushed, an eyebrow twitching.

It had been a rather stressful situation. The heat of the moment, the relief of seeing him survive after their struggle to take back his lost sword, and the emotions boiling over within her had brought her to act too rashly. She wasn't entirely sure why she had kissed him… well, no, she knew why. She simply didn't want to acknowledge that she did because it would certainly complicate her life unnecessarily if she accepted that there were forces attraction driving her closer to her partner and friend with every passing day.

They hadn't always been partners, let alone had they been friends. Azula's life had been quite complicated for years after the war ended, and she had been an open enemy of Fire Lord Zuko until a group of rebels gathered enough forces to fight his rule. Azula's own group, the Kemurikage, had wanted to join in with them, and Azula had held them back. She'd distrusted the new rebels, for she had the feeling that they weren't working for the Fire Nation's sake at all. She had investigated them on her own, discovered they were funded by underhanded Earth Kingdom officials, and she had made certain to warn the Fire Lord of what was happening.

Zuko had thought it was a hoax, he had refused to believe the warnings Azula had initially issued to him in writing. Nevertheless, his advisors told him to prepare for everything, and so he did. When the staged rebellion fell apart with unexpected ease he realized his sister had been telling the truth. Despite his reservations, he thought he could forgive her for a few of her mistakes after all.

Only, Zuko forgot there was anything to forgive altogether when Azula showed up in the Fire Nation Palace a week later, in the worst shape he had ever seen her in.

Her friends had turned on her, again. She shut down for days, only allowing the physicians to treat her wounds, and only whispering her story most unwillingly to her sibling: the Kemurikage had discovered she had warned Zuko, and they had tried to rid themselves of her for her betrayal. They meant to make Zuko stronger or crush him in the process, and the lesson in humility the rebellion would have brought him could have achieved their goal. But when Azula had gone out of her way to stop the rebellion before it became a real threat, they had taken it as a sign of weakness and attempted to remove her from their leadership.

She had remained impassive on the most part: she had spoken with her mother for the first time in ages, but there was no peace to be found in her tormented heart after that either. She had only snapped out of her dark situation when the Kemurikage, led by a ferocious and wrathful Zirin, had attacked the Fire Nation Capital.

She had faced off against them, allied with people she had never expected to fight side-by-side with. But being on the same side as Team Avatar proved to bring better results than she had expected. She had dealt with Zirin herself, and in the end Zuko had granted her a pardon she had never thought she'd want. Her depression had weakened, even if it wasn't all gone yet, as she accepted their offer somewhat unwillingly. She knew it was the right thing to do – and perhaps that was the reason why she felt so unwilling to join him in the first place.

Being in the Palace hadn't helped her at all, though, and Zuko had noticed soon enough. He had given her the chance to go to Ba Sing Se, to help Iroh in his teashop… and it took a surge in her depression to convince her that it was the place to be, after several months of no longer being a public enemy in the Fire Nation.

It had come as no surprise to Zuko that Iroh would write to him to say Azula had been no help in the shop, and that instead she would sneak her way to Ba Sing Se University whenever she could to listen to the lectures, and even to hold some lectures of her own if she could get away with it. But it wasn't long before her bad reputation in the city caught up with her. When she came back to the shop after having another incident with angry earthbenders, asking to see her pay for her war crimes, Iroh came to the conclusion that they couldn't carry on this way.

He had reached out to the first place he could think of, the only group in the world – at the time – that could accept people regardless of their origin or past. Even so, it wasn't easy for Azula to earn the trust of the Order of the White Lotus. She had been initiated along with the newer members of the order, and given tasks and quests to uphold… but as she wasn't trustworthy just yet, she had no other choice but to work with someone she had never expected to join forces with.

Sokka had been fully initiated in the White Lotus a year earlier, after spending a few years in his Tribe, helping in its rebuilding and growth. He had been granted the honor of joining the White Lotus since his first encounter with Piandao, where the swordmaster had given him the White Lotus tile. In his hopes to become a better leader for his people, Sokka had decided fostering good relations with people from other cultures, people who were members of this large organization, was a good idea. So he had joined, and worked hard for them… and then he had been asked to keep an eye on the Fire Princess, who needed no eyes on her, going by what she'd said.

That hadn't stopped Sokka from eyeing her, though, and not just for the sake of keeping her safe – or for keeping the world safe from her, for that matter. After he and Suki had ended their relationship upon realizing that they spent more time apart than together, he had spent several years keeping his distance from the subject of love and focusing on his professional life instead. The result had been a lot more chaotic than he'd foreseen: upon seeing Azula again for the first time since their last fight in Hira'a, he had been unexpectedly susceptible to her remarkable beauty. He hadn't left behind his reservations about her, instinctive as they were, but as she teased him relentlessly by talking about all the vicious things she could do to him, she was setting him on fire in more ways than she realized.

Her attachment towards him had taken long to blossom for good, but he had felt responsible of her safety since the very start. The more he put her needs before his own, something he was used to doing with all his traveling companions, the more she felt drawn to the light he emanated from within. It wasn't a blinding, overwhelming sort of light… it was dim, subtle, warm. And she learned quickly that his light could grow cold, too. She had been the cause of that a few times, and while her pride had urged her to remain impassive over it, she had found she hated it when his darker side took hold of him. She had learned how to avoid it each time, understanding there were certain things that would trigger his cold rage if she pushed him too far.

So there was no talk about his fixation with the moon, for that was one of the first serious conflicts they had. No teasing over his lost sword, either. She hadn't been the cause of the third one, but after he had held a knife at a man's throat after being called a "son of a bitch" she had concluded it was better not to mention his mother either.

Eventually she had discovered other things she shouldn't say or do that triggered his bad side as well: she always saw a glimpse of that coldness when she acted recklessly, whether to save him or to succeed at whatever quest they had been undertaking. At a certain point she had asked him why did he hate her for doing what needed to be done: his response had left her speechless, as he grabbed her shoulders and told her that he couldn't lose anyone else.

It had taken a few more days for him to open up about what he meant. The loss of his mother, of his first love – and with that Azula understood what was behind his fixation with the moon –, and the many sacrifices he had made through his life had steeled him when it came to important things. She had assured him that she wasn't going to judge him for that: he whispered he was fortunate that she wouldn't.

As years passed, their bond tightened beyond all expectations. She had grown to trust him, and he was fully comfortable working with her by his side. They were one of the greatest teams in the Order once they'd grown used to their partnership, and soon enough they were achieving deeds that nobody would have expected from either one of them. They were in synch in ways few people could claim to be. They were unstoppable.

But that was so long as they were a team, as opposed to going up against each other.

The White Lotus International Games were an initiative proposed by Iroh upon careful analysis of the chaos the world was still submerged in, already over a decade after the war had ended. Kuei, despite his gentle-seeming demeanor, was still plagued by rage and grief over the loss of territories. Zuko had heavy suspicions that he had been underhandedly funding the latest rebellions against him, if just to test his leadership. The danger of another impending war was frightening for all, and it wasn't something Zuko wanted to jump into…

But the idea of the Games had been stupid to him from the start, and it still felt stupid as he watched them unfold from his privileged pavilion in the stands. Hakoda, Arnook and Kuei were there too, all the important heads of state gathered in this occasion to celebrate their great athletes and heroes together. Zuko got chills of the very worst kind just by standing next to Kuei, or anywhere near him for that matter. He couldn't help but wonder if his agreement to participate in the White Lotus's event was but a front to sneak in all sorts of assassins into the Fire Nation's lands…

Zuko's paranoia wasn't as well-founded as he might have thought it was, though. King Kuei, frustrated, confused and troubled as he was without anyone to turn to for sound advice (after his troubles with Long Feng, he feared that advisors only wanted to take advantage of him, and asking King Bumi for help wasn't going to be much good either way), had been more than thrilled to bring a massive delegation of Earth Kingdom fighters and athletes so he could finally thwart the Fire Nation in some way. Iroh's idea wasn't that farfetched: King Kuei felt the need to boost his people's morale, so they had good reasons to feel proud of their nation. And that was what he intended to achieve through participating in this event.

Arnook and Hakoda had joined too, both of them pleased to watch their fighters rising up to challenges through the event. Arnook had been elated to see the star of the Northern Water Tribe, the proud warrior Hahn, ace his first fight in the non-bending martial arts platform… but he had been discouraged quickly upon realizing Hahn's next opponent was none other than the Avatar himself. Hakoda's two children were the Southern Water Tribe's representatives, and he had high hopes for them both.

The Games had been separated into different categories: one for each kind of bender, one for non-benders, another for all kinds of bending, and the free for all category. The events were being held in the Fire Nation, which marked the first time in about two years since Azula had been in her birthplace. The Games had been organized and held there to reassure King Kuei and the two Tribal Chiefs that the Fire Nation would share their wealth and glory for certain now. It was also done so that they would hardly need to invest the money that Zuko had been forced to procure to pay for the accommodations and arrangements to make sure the Games could take place as Iroh wanted them to. Needless to say, Zuko had not been thrilled to do as much. But under the pressure from the Order of the White Lotus, along with the possibility that this would make Kuei use his time and efforts for something other than making Zuko look bad, he had caved in and followed Iroh's advice after all.

As the victory was officially granted to Katara, Toph was finally dragged away into the stand-by area again. She grumbled and shook off the White Lotus sentries that flanked her there, bending them away from her once she had a chance.

"Stupid Katara, she's getting what's coming…"

"You do know that's my sister you're talking about, right, Toph?" Sokka asked, amused. Toph huffed.

"What, you're taking her side?" she snapped. Sokka smiled.

"Pretty sure it's not me you'll have to worry about if you try to kick her ass," he said. "If she doesn't return the favor herself, Aang will."

"Oh, pfft. Like I'm scared of Twinkle Toes," she growled. Her eyebrow twitched as she heard an unpleasant sound: a chuckle, its source was the very woman standing next to Sokka. "And what the hell are you laughing at, Spicy?!"

"The fact that you're so worked up about a mere non-bending competition is, I must say, laughable," said Azula, smirking. "But never mind. You'll have several other opportunities to prove yourself, or to prove you're really not half as great as you always claim to be…"

"The hell did you just say to me?! The opportunity to do what, now?!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in volume and octaves.

"You heard me, or are your ears are all clotted up?" said Azula, smirking. "The Games are barely beginning, Beifong. You'll be able to make a fool of yourself in future events just fine…"

"Y-you… you're one to talk!" Toph exclaimed, pointing a finger at her. "I mean, you haven't made a fool of yourself yet, but just you wait! Just you wait!"

"Does that mean you're cheering for me?" Sokka asked, with a happy grin. Toph snorted before spitting on the ground unceremoniously. Azula made a grimace of disgust.

"I'm going to be cheering for anyone but you lot. Jerks, all of you. Go, Earth Kingdom!" she shouted, walking away. A few other Earth Kingdom representatives shouted along with her as Sokka and Azula watched her leave.

"She never struck me as someone who'd have it in her to be a nationalist," Azula said, raising her eyebrows. Sokka snickered.

"I think the competitiveness has caught up with her," he said. "If she can't beat us, she just hopes her comrades might manage to do it. I guess we'll have to stop teasing her if we want to stay friends with her after this insane event is over, eh?"

"I can understand the appeal of this event, from a political perspective," said Azula. "But it feels a bit convoluted and complicated, and it's hardly as organized as a massive enterprise like this ought to be. But what do I know…?"

"After being around you for four years, I think you know a lot more than you let on," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. She smirked. He smiled too. "Yep. Thought so."

"It's going to take a miracle for things to go well enough to stop either Zuko or Kuei from killing one another," she said. "And I'm only hoping your father and Chief Arnook will be more civil than them. They seem to be, but…"

"But that scumbag, Hahn, is here," Sokka muttered, his eyebrow twitching. "So even if Chief Arnook and my dad stay calm, I'm damn ready to give that jerk a piece of my mind as soon as I get a chance."

"There, there," said Azula, patting Sokka's shoulder. "If I can be stuck in the same team as Chan, you can bear with being enemies with Hahn, right?"

"Heh. I guess so," said Sokka. "It will be awkward for you though, right?"

"Possibly, but I think I won't have to team up with him for any upcoming group events," she said. "There's a group of guards who are participating, I'll be joining them if I must."

"Heh. Good," said Sokka, smiling. "So my old enemy is still my enemy, your old love interest is your ally against your will, and the two of us, partners as we are…"

"Have to go out there right now and give each other the beating of a lifetime," said Azula, smirking. "I won't lie, I've been waiting for a chance to beat you up without retributions for quite some time now…"

"Oh, now, why would you?" Sokka asked, pouting. Azula looked at him in disbelief and held out her hand, fingers outstretched.

"First, you deliberately disobeyed my command to stay put when we were about to raid the group of pillagers the other day, and placed yourself in unnecessary danger that I afterwards had to sort out on my own as you bled out like the fool you are…"

"O-oh, well, but you know that they had Space Sword and I just kinda…"

"Second, you walked in on me while I was bathing, and instead of showing the slightest bit of remorse, you just stood there and tried to get a better look!"

"Ah, well, now, it's not my fault that you're so…!"

"Third, I asked you to dispose of the garbage bag two weeks ago, and you forgot, and I had to do it myself."

"What the…? I did? Really?!"

"Fourth, you thought it was a hilarious idea to adopt a puppy who already had an owner, you grew attached to it and then I had to comfort you when the real owner showed up."

"But he and I had hit it off so well and…! And hey, you liked him too! Don't play aloof now because you know it's true."

"Ha, as if. Of course I didn't care for it."

"Yeah, you totally didn't, which is why you wanted to adopt another puppy the next day. But sure, whatever makes your life easier, Princess."

"Shut up. I didn't want to adopt anything. Anyways, fifth… you ate my pudding."

"Hey, that was MY pudding!"

"It was not yours! You had already eaten yours!"

"Of course I hadn't, I…!"

"Eh-hem."

The two were startled to find Piandao standing behind them, an eyebrow raised. That their White Lotus superior had approached them just now could only mean one thing.

"It's your turn," he said. "Please don't try to kill each other, remember you'll still need a partner after the Games are over."

"I… will try to hold back. Sure," said Sokka, shrugging. Azula snorted.

"Hold back?" she said. "Have you conveniently forgotten that I successfully dealt with you, Beifong and the Avatar during an eclipse?"

"Pfft, with pirouettes and evasion. You have no idea how to fight with your bare fists," said Sokka, smirking. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Ah. Or so you believe," she said, smirking as well as she followed Piandao out towards the platform.

"Oh, I don't believe it, I'm dead certain of it," said Sokka, proudly.

The crowds cheered as the two of them stepped out into the sun, following Piandao. The platform was all clean and perfect again, as though two girls hadn't been fighting in there hardly five minutes ago. Azula glanced up at the stands, finding the pavilion of the Heads of State with ease, for it stood out a lot. Upon confirming that Zuko seemed to be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, she smirked and climbed on the platform, waiting for Sokka to stand at the opposite corner from the one she had chosen.

"You do understand the rules, then?" Piandao said, before looking at Azula pointedly. "No bending, of any kind. If I have the slightest suspicion that you've so much as heated up the temperature of anything within this ring…"

"You'll disqualify me, I know, I know," said Azula, waving a hand carelessly. "I'm not quite as foolish as the blind girl you just dealt with, Piandao. I know how to abide by rules."

"I certainly hope so," said Piandao. Azula cleared her throat.

"But, uh, just in the off case that, I don't know, my opponent suddenly gets a case of, how do you call it? A case of… unpleasant heating and hardening in his pants, I guess, will you also disqualify me? I wouldn't quite be bending that particular rise of temperature, now, would I?"

Her question was met by disbelief and shock throughout the audience and in the ring, too. Piandao's jaw dropped, as Sokka lifted a fist, blushing.

"W-w-what the hell are you spouting, woman?!" he cried out, glaring at her.

"Well, you're not going to claim now that you're above that, or are you? I mean, a few weeks ago I was in the middle of giving a criminal a bad beating, and the next thing I knew you were excusing yourself just so you could…"

"Enough ridiculous chatter!" said Piandao, his hands on his forehead. "For crying out loud, you two. Behave! You're… you're members of the Order, aren't you?"

"Oh? So we can't make dirty jokes, but Bumi can declare Flopsie the winner of earthbending events because he just can?" Azula asked, sarcastically. Piandao dropped his hand and sighed.

"Yes. Yes he can. He's a Grand Lotus, you two are only Officer Lotuses," with that, he gestured at Sokka. "So until you two reach the top of the ranks in the Order, you will do as we say. As you swore to do when you joined in the first place."

Azula raised a questioning eyebrow, as though she had no recollection of pledging such oath to the White Lotus. Sokka smirked at the sight. Somehow she always stirred that force of attraction in him when she showed her rebellious nature towards anyone who dared be a figure of authority towards her.

"So, no bending. If one of you falls off the platform, the other wins by default," said Piandao. "And… try to be civil, please. It's a martial arts competition. Don't… gauge each other's eyes out or something of the sort."

"What? Are you serious? So my strategy is out of the question? Bummer…" said Azula, rolling her eyes. Sokka couldn't hold back from laughing this time. Piandao huffed and shook his head. These two were either the best or the worst team the Order had ever seen, but he had a lot of trouble deciding which one it was whenever he watched them in action.

"Just… perform your bows," he said. "Please."

"Our… bows," Azula repeated, raising her eyebrows before looking at Sokka. "Be my guest."

Sokka's eyebrow twitched. He would not. There was no way he would do that! He had never bowed his head to her, unless it was mockingly, and he wasn't about to start now. He knew her really well, well enough to understand she had no intentions to bow as well. He wasn't about to embarrass himself by bowing to her at all

So they both remained immobile, glaring intently at each other, albeit Azula was smirking ever so slightly. Sokka snarled, his nostrils flaring with irritation.

"I'm… I'm only going to bow if you bow!" he said. Azula's smirk widened.

"Well, then, let's do it, shall we?" she asked. Sokka jumped.

"You're not going to do it. You'll just stand upright like that, and you won't bow at all!" he exclaimed.

"My, oh, my! You're accusing me of such dishonorable behavior? Why, Sokka, aren't you rude!" Azula said, a hand on her forehead in a dramatic gesture. Sokka fumed.

"Azula…!"

"For crying out loud, will you both comply with this or will you be disrespectful fools instead?" Piandao asked. Sokka pouted and pointed at Azula.

"I won't bow until she's bowed!"

"Well, I'm not bowing by myself, that'd be embarrassing," she said, matter-of-factly. Piandao huffed and shook his head.

"Such a brilliant display of maturity by our most honorable members," he growled. "Never mind, forget the bowing."

"Sorry, Master," said Sokka, looking at him regretfully

"Just start fighting already," said Piandao, sighing. The sooner this was over with, the better for everyone.

Sokka smiled with remorse at him again before lifting his hands in a defensive position, bracing himself for any attack Azula might have been preparing to launch upon him.

Azula made no moves, though. She stood in place, watching Sokka with a raised eyebrow. He smirked and dropped his hands.

"Come on. Stop giving me that look. He said we could start."

"Well, I'm not saying otherwise, am I? I'm just watching you," she said. Sokka bit his lip.

"I suppose I am that handsome, aren't I?" he said, cockily. Azula's eyebrow twitched. "Well, then, keep watching, Princess. It's quite flattering that you're charmed by my handsome features…"

"Peasant features, rather," said Azula. Sokka's smirk widened.

"You're not denying you're charmed, though. Now my ego is really boosted."

She finally smiled and readied herself for combat. He had known she wouldn't let that slide if he played his cards right.

She was cautious and careful as she came closer to him, her hands held out at a distance from her face and chest. She was ready to catch any attacks he might throw her way, and to attack if he decided not to take the plunge himself.

But he did, with a quick jab that Azula deflected with one hand. She twirling against his outstretched arm, smacking him on the back of the head as she came to stand behind him. Sokka jumped out of her reach, turning around quickly to find Azula smirking happily, her hands raised again. Sokka pouted.

"Here I thought you'd go easier than that on your hopeless peasant partner," he said. Azula snorted.

"The fact that you're hopeless only means that my progress to the next round is practically guaranteed," she said. "I'd be a fool if I played around just to goad your ego."

"Funny, because you already goaded it, and now you're standing around, giving me weak hits and not going all out on me," said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "So… are you sure you're not a fool, Princess?"

Azula raised her eyebrows too before attacking again. Sokka smiled as he dodged and blocked her attacks, slipping in a few punches of his own. She deflected them too, taking the opportunities to stab at him with her outstretched fingers. She hadn't trimmed her nails, so if she got to him she might land very bad scratches across his body.

Not that Sokka would mind being scratched by her, though. If anything, he had often dreamt about how those fingers would feel as they dragged slowly over his back, leaving trails of red in their wake…

Whenever their hands touched he felt an electric spark of sorts, not unlike Azula's bending, but not quite as physical as that either. As Piandao had yet to declare that Azula was bending, Sokka guessed it was only the attraction between them playing games on his head again. Oh, but how he loved those games, especially when he was in close quarters with her…

She ducked to avoid one of his punches and tried to strike his elbow with her knuckles. Sokka pulled away quickly enough to evade the attack, and had the chance to kick at her, which he took quite regretfully. Azula jumped back to avoid the kick, and Sokka lunged forward again, almost reaching her before she twirled and evaded him again.

It was a fight to be sure, but it felt like a dance, too. The more danger he posed to her, the more she'd become evasive, slippery, not unlike fire. He couldn't help but watch in awe as she flowed through her motions, ducking, punching, kicking and jumping in the most graceful of ways… she was incredible. She compelled him to try harder, to fight to his fullest, and he could only hope he was doing the very same thing for her, too.

There was barely any animosity to be found in them as they fought. Despite the taunts and the jokes, which had served to motivate them into fighting, this felt like their training sparring instead. They would taunt each other then, too, though they would fight using weapons and bending instead of their bare fists. She would resort to underhanded techniques at times to beat him, and Sokka would lunge at her after she declared herself the victor, to tickle her if he was in the playful mood, or to pin her to the ground and demand a rematch if she'd cheated him too blatantly. Too often he had been tempted to kiss her then, but he had held back every time… but after the first kiss they had shared less than a week ago, he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold back the next time they were up close in the middle of their heated fights.

He only hoped that this next time wouldn't happen now, of course. He couldn't say for certain, but he doubted Azula would take kindly for him to kiss her in front of an international crowd, comprised by many important world leaders and by the two family members she was in amicable terms with. It'd be better to avoid upsetting her in any way if he really wanted to kiss her more often.

But as they continued to fight-dance he suspected she was allowing him to fall into a false sense of complacency right before delivering a finishing blow… and he wasn't wrong to believe as much.

She had him backed to the edge of the ring, but he shifted forward to avoid toppling over just in time. Azula was determined to keep him in his spot, casting a flurry of fists his way, but to her surprise, Sokka caught her right hand and pulled her towards him.

"Sorry, Princess!" he exclaimed. Azula's eyes widened.

He was going to throw her over the ring.

He was seriously going to do that.

In a desperate plight to stay on the ring, Azula stretched out her other hand and clasped Sokka's shoulder. Her legs, outstretched, struck his just before he could throw her off the ring…

The ring was surrounded, fortunately, by cushions that would soften anyone's fall. They would have to thank whoever had designed that, or they could have been injured quite badly as they collapsed, flying off the ring together, their limbs tangled, their eyes wide, their faces the picture of pure horror.

And they hit the cushions, hard, side by side.

Azula rolled over, aghast, as both her and Sokka breathed heavily. They looked at each other in chagrin, wondering if maybe they'd be given the chance to fight again, in order to choose the winner of the classifying stage…

Piandao's face suddenly appeared above them, up in the ring, and no surprise, he actually seemed amused. He raised his eyebrows as he regarded them both with a small smile.

"Well, that's a first. Two disqualified fighters in one go. I guess Katara will pass right into the third round thanks to your funny stunt," he said, as soft laughter echoed through the public.

Both Azula and Sokka grimaced and frowned, outraged, as a louder laugh rang not too far from where they were. The sound was quite familiar for them both.

"Hahaha! I knew you two would have to eat your words! Hahaha!" Toph shouted, doubling over as Katara and Aang snorted softly, standing next to her as they watched Sokka and Azula.

"Y-you… y-you made me fall." Sokka said, grimacing. Azula huffed.

"Like I was going to let you push me off alone!" she exclaimed. "If I'm going down, partner, you'll be going with me. That's how it works!"

"B-but that's…!" Sokka squeaked, as they pushed themselves up. "That's ridiculous! I demand a rematch! Rematch! We have to do it again!"

"Not going to happen," said Piandao, shaking his head slowly. "Accept the consequences of your foolishness."

"B-but…!" Sokka complained, pouting. Next to him, Azula shook her head and stormed off, brushing past Aang, Katara and Toph while fuming. Toph only snickered as she watched her leave.

"Well, that went smoothly," said Hakoda, chuckling in the pavilion. "But either way, one of my kids would have been out of the fight by the next round, so this way I'm spared the worries, eh?"

"I can't believe it. She's one of our best competitors and she just… she blew her fight? Just like that?!" Zuko exclaimed, looking at the ring in chagrin. Iroh chuckled.

"No worries. Lady Ty Lee is our best non-bender, she might just win the competition in the end," he said. Zuko sighed.

"I hope so…"

All in all, Hakoda, Kuei and Zuko had watched some of their best fighters fall today, so none of them could boast too much about the success of their teams. Perhaps their common displeasure over the results would be enough to ease the lingering bad blood between Kuei and Zuko…

"Azula! Azula, wait up!"

She didn't comply, intent as she was to continue walking through the trees, her hands firmly pressed into fists. Sokka chased after her, as they left behind the stadiums and locations that had been built for the Games. Nobody else followed, for they were all invested in watching the result of today's martial arts tournament.

Azula finally stopped when Sokka was only a few feet away from her. She turned around, lifting her hands again, readying herself to fight in the middle of a forest clearing, on grass instead of solid rock.

"Azu-…?"

"You're not about to tell me you're satisfied with the fight we just had, are you?" she snapped. "Well, then, we're finishing that right now. No platform, no Piandao, no rules, no crowd."

"No rules? So you're going to bend at me?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Only if you don't humor me," said Azula, with a small smirk.

Sokka smiled, despite himself. He bit his lip before lifting his hands again. And with that, they resumed their fight.

The trees were unpleasant obstacles, causing them to trip at times, or to crash against their trunks when the other pushed them against one. They were wilder than before, less interested in being elegant and impressive, determined to outdo the other in any way they could.

They fought ruthlessly, sweating as the efforts they were making took their toll on them. Azula gasped, even groaned at times, as she kicked and punched away with no mercy. Her movements would have been all the more beautiful had they been accompanied by her blue fire, Sokka thought… but he was fortunate that wasn't the case. Her bending would easily give her the victory, and he wasn't sure he was ready to let her win.

Sokka stepped back to avoid a punch, catching the next one with a hand… and he tripped with another stray root, causing him to topple down while still holding her fist. Before he knew it they had fallen again, and once more they were down together, but this time he had been the one to land on his back. She dropped atop him, breaking her fall with her free hand before she could support herself with the other one too, once Sokka released it.

They breathed heavily as they stared at each other, both too tired by now to carry on fighting. Sokka's previously defiant eyes had now softened, and unexpectedly, so had Azula's.

"Surrender?" she asked him. He smiled.

"To you?" he asked. "Don't I always?"

"You should," she whispered, her eyelids fluttering as she stared at him, dazed "You really should…"

Neither one could win on equal conditions, but they had never been equals on all levels. It was something they had accepted in due time, something they had embraced and that had turned them into a better team than they'd ever hoped to be. Whenever she felt weak, he was strong. Whenever he faltered, she stood her ground. They'd become partners in so many senses, expect for one they longed to join one another in…

Her lips trembled as she realized she was hovering too close to his lips. No, she couldn't do that, not again. He hadn't hated her for it, fortunately, but if she dared kiss him again he might not be so forgiving… but curses, she wanted to do it. She really did.

She found that losing her chance to take the first medal of the Games hadn't been what had enraged her so much. She had been angry because the accursed platform had been too small for her taste, because they had fallen off it before they could do anything to avoid it. Because their fight had gone unfinished… and she had longed to keep fighting with him, feeling that incredible kinship she did when they trained together. The interruption, rather than the loss, had been a disappointment.

And that was bothersome, to be sure. Since when had she grown so disinterested in victory? She hadn't, though… at least not always. The idea of conquering the ultimate prize for the Games had beckoned to her ever since she heard of it, and she truly wanted to be victorious. So maybe it was simply because this first event wasn't that important, to be sure. Maybe it was because she'd found it amusing that Sokka had been set up as her first opponent, and because she knew she'd have more chances to win later. So her ambitiousness wasn't gone, of course not. That would be ridiculous, right…?

All thoughts of her ambitions disappeared quickly, though. Her eyes widened when she felt his hand caressing her cheek gently, when she noticed his eyes were darkening with desire, not unlike her own.

She couldn't possibly put into words the feeling of relief that filled her when he pushed himself up just enough to kiss her. He was the one kissing her now! He truly was!

Her previous fears, born after the first kiss they'd shared, were dispelled at least for the moment. Even if it might not necessarily mean he had strong feelings for her, at least it meant he liked kissing her, and that was enough. It was all she needed right now.

She responded eagerly, as she felt him embrace her with an arm, his other hand still on her soft cheek. His lips were perfect, she found, as he kissed her repeatedly before daring request entrance into her mouth. She allowed it, going so far as to sliding her tongue past her lips so it could find his. She thought she heard him laugh in surprise, but he was quick to engulf her tongue with his opening mouth, and he held her in place as his tongue jousted against hers.

She dropped fully atop him, allowing herself the freedom to touch him with one hand. Her long nails caressed his cheek after her fingertips, and Sokka shivered in delight under their touch. She touched his neck too, trailing his shoulder gently with her hand… His hand slid a little lower than she expected it to, and cupped her buttock, prompting her to gasp again.

Sokka swallowed hard as the kiss was interrupted, his hand still on her rear. She gave him a curious look, and he could only smile guiltily, unwilling to pull his hand away at all.

"You're hopeless," she said, unable to stop from smiling as well as she pushed herself up.

Sokka grimaced and sighed. He had blown it, broken the boundaries when he wasn't supposed to. Damn it. He only hoped he hadn't gone so far that she would regret having kissed him altogether…

He sat up as well, finding she was breathing slowly, her eyes closed, her face flushed. He smiled before reaching out to brush one strand of her hair back into place.

"Sorry if that was… too sudden," he said, pulling away his hand with uncertainty. Azula raised her eyebrows.

"Which part? The falling off the platform? The kiss? You touching my hair?" she asked. Sokka smiled.

"All of it, maybe," he said. "I… really hoped I'd get to the next stage. I'm sorry for trying to send you flying off the platform…"

"No trying, you succeeded," she said, with a small smile. "But I suppose I have no choice but to forgive you, now, do I?"

Sokka smiled awkwardly too as Azula stood up. She extended a hand to help him up, and he took it without a second thought. He didn't let go of it right away, though, and to his delight, it didn't seem Azula minded that much.

"All things considered, I threw you down with me, so…" she said.

"So we fell together, and we screwed up ourselves and each other with that," said Sokka, with a weak grin. Azula sighed.

"I will try to avoid getting in your way in non-bending events. It's not like you can compete in firebending ones, so… it's only fair, isn't it?"

"Perhaps," said Sokka, shrugging. "But… I like competing with you after all, you know?"

"Heh. Is it that much fun being my enemy again? After all these years?" she asked. Sokka smiled

"It's just fun being around you. After all these years," he said, sliding his fingers between hers.

Azula's heart was racing, as Sokka leaned down again to kiss her anew. She responded slightly more shyly this time, but she was left longing for more once he pulled away. She swallowed hard.

"Sokka, are we…?" Azula started. He gritted his teeth and shrugged. "I mean, I know I… I overstepped unspoken boundaries a few days ago, but I…"

"Are you sorry for it?" he asked, looking at her hopelessly. She shook her head gently, and he breathed out in relief. "Heh. Good."

"Good? Is it, really?" she asked, looking at him in surprise. "Sokka…"

"Well, was I really that bad? I know I've lacked practice, but here I thought I'd made up for that first unresponsive kiss with this one…"

"N-no, you weren't bad, you… you did well," she said, lowering her gaze. Sokka smiled.

"Good to hear," he said. "And… well, I get it, you probably think it's weird for partners to do this sort of thing, or…"

"Or it's weird for us to do this sort of thing, regardless of our partnership," she whispered. "I mean, we're… we've been traveling together for a long time now. Should we… forsake all limits indeed? Is it wise to do it?"

"Well… we can take our time to decide whether it's wise or not. There's no need to make a bigger deal out of this than we have," he said, smiling. "Take it easy. If it's no good, it's no good. That's all there is to it."

"And if it's good?" Azula asked, looking at him again. Sokka smiled.

"If it's good… we'll figure out how to keep it good from now on, I guess," he said. She smiled a little.

"I wonder how that'd work," she said, as he chuckled and released her hand.

"So do I," he admitted, smiling kindly. "Well, then… we should likely go back. Someone might come after us and…"

"The target competition will be next," said Azula, nodding. "You need to prepare for it."

"Yeah, I'll be fine," he said, smiling. "Just have to go back to the inn, get my boomerang… you'll go watch?"

"Not like I have anything else to do, the firebending competitions are only starting tomorrow," said Azula, smiling a little. Sokka beamed.

"Alright, alright. Then I'll do my best to put on a worthy show for you," he said, stepping back and grinning. "I'll see you in a bit, then?"

"Of course," said Azula, nodding.

Her smile widened, though, when he arched forward, his body bowing down to her most ceremoniously before he stood upright again, smiling. He smiled as he saw her eyes gleam with disbelief, and he chuckled before taking off to the inn as intended.

They had fallen together, that was for sure, but not just off a platform. She surely had clutched at him in the desperate hope not to fall in the first place, trying to use him to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground, but she hadn't expected him to lose his footing too. And fallen they had, time over and time again, until there was nothing for them to do but thrive in the experience of growing completely smitten over someone, regardless of their flaws, their quirks, their mistakes, their past.

Things had changed between them, and Azula knew that, one way or another, their relationship would be different once the White Lotus Games ended. She hoped the change would be for the better, despite she dreaded it could also be for the worse.

But she had hopes, and that was already more than she had ever expected to have in the first place.