Chapter 12: Imperfectly Aligned

Considering it was the middle of the night, the four weren't surprised to find the rest of the group sound asleep when they made it back to the campsite following their arduous journey, which involved scaling the inside of volcano, commandeering a Fire Nation cruiser, and walking until their feet were bloody and blistered. Deciding not to wake them, they quickly and quietly set up their tents and headed in for the night. Well… almost all of them.

Sokka snuck out of the tent he was sharing with his father and began to tiptoe over to Azula's. With only one thought in his mind, he didn't notice the firebender leaning not-so-inconspicuously against a tree on his way. That is, not until he felt someone grab the back of his shirt collar and yank him back.

"Where do you think you're going?" Zuko scorned.

"Oh, hey Zuko!" He gulped, blushing with embarrassment. "Well you see, I was just about to go to sleep, but then I saw a spider in my tent, so I just thought I'd – "

"Sokka…"

He grinned self-consciously, raising his shoulders to his ears.

"Just…" The prince let out an irritated grunt. "Be good to her, okay?"

"I will," he promised, straightening up.

"You'd better be," he warned semi-facetiously. "Or else I'll have to kill you."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'm an older brother too – "

"And Spirits help you if I ever see or hear you two..." Unable to finish that sentence, he shuddered melodramatically. "I'm going to bed."

"Hey." Without warning, he pulled Zuko in for a big bear hug.

"Uhhhh…"

"Thank you."

"Yeah… don't mention it." He patted Sokka on the back a few times, clearly uncomfortable with the hug. "Actually… thank you too." As soon as he was released, he shuffled his feet back to his side of the campsite.

The warrior lifted the flap of Azula's tent.

"Sokka!" she gasped, pretending to jolt awake. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't act so surprised," he teased.

She smirked, lifting her blanket as an invitation for him to join her.

He greedily accepted, crawling under the cover and cozying up next to her.

"So what gave you the impression I'd like company tonight?" she asked coyly.

"Oh, just had a hunch." He grinned. "And I figured I'd do you a favor since you seem to sleep so well next to me – "

She cut him off by putting her finger to his lips.

His heart nearly stopped.

"Hey Sokka," she whispered. "Do you… have any regrets?"

"About…?"

"Suki? Me?"

"No! Not at all! Azula…" He sighed. "Maybe this is naïve, maybe it's too soon, but right now… I feel like… everything is exactly the way it's supposed to be."

"Me too," she breathed, locking eyes with him.

His heart pounding, he leaned in.

She leaned in closer and closed her eyes.

Sparks flew as he finally pressed his lips to hers, longingly and ardently. How could a kiss so tender and fleeting leave them both completely breathless like this?

He brushed her hair back behind her ear. "I've wanted to do that to you for so long."

"What, a whole day?" she taunted playfully.

"I… I can't believe it's only been a day." He laughed. "It feels like forever ago."

Ten years later…

"He looks exactly like you," Azula smiled, beaming down at the little bundle in her arms.

Sokka's heart leapt, his stomach somersaulting and flipping with joy, as he leaned over his wife cradling their newborn son. "He… he really does," he exhaled. "But he has your eyes."

"Yes," she agreed, smiling proudly. "I have no doubt he'll be a firebender."

"A firebender," he repeated with disbelief, laughing and shaking his head. "Can I hold him?"

"Why, of course." Delicately, she handed the newborn over to him.

A tear streamed down his face. Rendered completely speechless, he gazed at the incredible mother of his child, who, even in a state of severe fatigue and with her hair matted with sweat, couldn't possibly be more stunning, and back at the baby. Cradling the newborn in his arms, all he could think was how he couldn't wait to tell his son the story of how he fell in love with the most beautiful woman in the most unexpected of places.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading! I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your taking the time out of your busy life to read my story. I am so thankful for each and every one of you. For more Sokkla, please check out my compilation of short Sokkla Saturday stories, "Blue Eyes, Blue Fire". Also, if you're interested in more entries for Sokkla Appreciation Day, please read "Would You Kindly" by Fanwright and "Shadow" by clarielparke. Or just read anything by Seyary-Minamoto!