How The Currents Flow

bellatrixobsessed1:

Sexual themes. Sort of NSFW.

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.”