"Where have you been?" Katara questioned as Azara walked over to her sleeping bag.

"Kesuk was showing me around. Lost track of time," Azara shrugged, pulling off her coat, and folding it carefully next to her sleeping bag.

"How was it?" Katara prodded, a familiar smirk on her face. "Or, should I say, how was he?"

"He's very nice and respectful," Azara replied elusively, not sure what exactly to make of her sudden relationship with Kesuk. He was certainly attractive and she had yet to be disappointed by him, but they also just met each other. There was still plenty to learn about each other before she was ready to put an actual label on anything. 

Suddenly, Sokka burst into the room, flopping dramatically onto his bag. Azara raised an eyebrow at the action, but didn't say anything as Sokka remained face down on his sleeping bag. "How's warrior training going?" Katara asked her brother sighed.

"That bad, huh?"

"No, it's Princess Yue. I don't get it, one minute she wants to go out with me, and the next, she's telling me to get lost." Sokka sat up slightly, resting his weight on his elbows, before he turned to his sister. "So, how's waterbending going?" In response, Katara flopped onto her sleeping bag.

"Master Poophead won't teach her because she's a girl," Aang muttered, shaking his head.

"That's stupid. You're going to be a great waterbending master, Katara. I'm sure that there are plenty of other waterbending masters up here that could teach you," Azara spoke, her thoughts drifting off to Kesuk. Yue had mentioned that he was trying to get Pakku to teach women waterbending. 

"Why don't you just teach her, Aang?" Sokka suggested, staring ahead with a bored expression on his face.

"Why didn't I think of that? At night you can teach me whatever moves you learn from Master Pakku! That way, you have someone to practice with, and I get to learn waterbending! Everyone's happy!" Katara exclaimed, jumping to her feet. 

"I'm not happy," Sokka retorted as Katara shook her head.

"But you're never happy. Come on, Aang," Katara called as she dragged Aang out of the room with her. A moment of silence passed between them before Azara decided to speak up.

"So, what happened with Yue?" Azara asked, crawling into her sleeping bag.

"We agreed to meet at this bridge tonight. But then she shows up, tells me she made a mistake by asking me to meet her, and ran off. I don't get it," Sokka huffed, rolling over onto his back. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before shooting up suddenly, turning to Azara.

"Hey, you talked to her earlier this morning. Do you know what could have happened?" 

Azara glanced up at Sokka, deciding whether or not she should be the one to tell him that Yue was engaged or not. "Uh, she seemed fine this morning. Upbeat and everything," Azara replied quietly, staring at her hands as she spoke. She didn't know how she was going to break the news to him.

"Did she ask about me?" Sokka continued as Azara nodded after a moment. "Well, what did you tell her about me?"

"I said that we had our problems in the beginning, but now we're good friends. That you're trustworthy," Azara recounted, glancing up at Sokka through her hair.

"That's it? There must be something else," Sokka groaned, rubbing his face tiredly. Biting her lip, Azara clenched her teeth, before sighing, her shoulders slumping.

"I might know . . . but, I think you should really talk to Yue about it first. You deserve to hear it from her, and she deserves the right to tell you on her own terms," Azara spoke after a moment, causing Sokka to shoot up again.

"So, you know why?" Sokka accused, turning to face Azara. "But you won't tell me?"

"I have a suspicion, but I don't know for sure. The only person who does know is Yue, so I suggest you ask her," Azara sighed, looking up. "But, if it is what I think it is, you did nothing wrong, Sokka. I think if the problem were related to you, she would have told you."

"That's so helpful," Sokka scoffed as Azara sighed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Look, you deserve to know, but I don't think I'm the right person to tell you. Yue deserves the right and the chance to tell you herself."

"She had the chance and she didn't!" Sokka snapped suddenly, causing Azara's anger to spike. 

"I don't know what to tell you, Sokka!" Azara yelled, starting to get exasperated. She should have just kept her mouth shut and stayed out of it.

"You can start with what you think is bothering her!"

"I told you, it's just a suspicion! Kesuk was telling me about—"

"—Kesuk? The guy you were with today?" Sokka interrupted as Azara glared up at him, her frustration rising by the second to rather dangerous levels.

"Yes, what about him?" Azara asked defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"That's where you're getting your information from?"

"Where else would I get information on the Northern Water Tribe from?" Azara countered, her eyes narrowed.

"Fine, don't tell me. It's probably not true anyways," Sokka huffed, turning away as Azara felt like she was going to blow from anger. She wondered if steam was physically spewing out of her ears.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, the candles behind her rising dangerously.

"How do you know that he's not just telling you things to get closer to you? I mean, he sought you out at a dinner filled with a lot of people. Isn't that a little weird?" Sokka suggested as Azara shook her head at him.

"Yue says he's trustworthy, and I haven't seen him be anything less than kind and considerate of those around him! I wish I could say the same for you."

"Great! Glad to know everyone likes Kesuk then!" Sokka huffed, burying his face in his sleeping bag.

"What's your problem?" Azara scoffed, the candles continuing to rise with her anger.

"I don't have a problem!"

"Clearly you do," Azara returned, her golden eyes flashing.

"Why don't you go ask Kesuk? I'm sure he'd love to tell you all about everything going on in the Northern Water Tribe since he's so special," Sokka rolled his eyes as Azara's glare intensified.

"Look, I'm sorry you and Yue didn't work out like you wanted, but that doesn't give you a free pass to be rude to me and Kesuk. Forget I said anything and figure out your own problems!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!" Azara yelled as Katara and Aang shuffled in the room, jumping back at the candles spiking up with Azara's anger.

"What happened?" Aang asked cautiously, looking between Azara and Sokka worriedly.

"Nothing!" they snapped in unison, turning away from each other.

"How was waterbending training?" Azara questioned after a moment, glancing up at Katara and Aang.

"About that . . ." Aang sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

The next morning, Azara walked quietly behind Katara and Aang as they led the way to the palace to talk with Master Pakku and Chief Arnook. She begrudingly stood next to Sokka as Katara and Aang explained the situation to Arnook. 

"Well, what do you want me to do? Force Master Pakku to take the Avatar back as his student?" Chief Arnook asked after Katara and Aang finished their explanations."

"Yes . . . please," Katara added as an afterthought.

"I suspect that he might have a change of heart if you swallowed your pride and apologized to him," Chief Arnook suggested as the corners of Master Pakku's mouth start to crinkle. He was enjoying this. With one last glance at Aang, Katara turned back to the panel.

"Fine," she growled out, her hands clenched.

"I'm waiting, little girl," Master Pakku drawled, as Azara looked at Katara fearfully, waiting for her reaction.

"This isn't going to go well," she thought to herself as Katara stared up at the Council.

"No! No way am I apologizing to a sour old man like you!" she shouted, causing a few pots to break. "I'll be outside if you're man enough to fight me!" she challenged, stalking out of the room as everyone else in the room gaped at her.

"I'm sure she didn't mean that," Aang smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she did," Sokka corrected as Azara pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing in frustration at the two boys, before running after Katara.

"Katara, you're not going to win this fight!" Azara yelled as Katara threw her coat into her arms.

"I know! I don't care," Katara huffed, storming down the stairs.

"Katara, you don't have to do this for me. I can find another teacher," Aang pleaded as they reached the end of the stairs.

"I'm not doing it for you! Someone needs to smack some sense into that guy!" Katara vowed, turning around to face Master Pakku, who was descending the stairs. Kesuk walked behind him, shooting Azara an apologetic smile. 

"So, you decided to show up?" Katara snapped, glaring at the back of Pakku's head. Master Pakku, in response, blatantly ignored Katara and continued walking past her. Kesuk stopped at the base of the stairs, looking back at Azara. 

"Aren't you going to fight?" Katara continued as Pakku continued walking forwards. 

"Go back to the healing huts with the other woman where you belong," Master Pakku stated, not even sparing Katara a second glance. In a fit of rage, Katara whipped some water at Master Pakku, causing the older man to stop in his tracks. "Fine, you want to learn waterbending, study closely." He encircled water around himself and Katara, making her move closer to him to avoid the spinning water.

"Oh, this is going to end badly," Azara groaned, looking to the ground.

"Sorry about him. He doesn't take criticism well, I would know," Kesuk replied, staring at the fight that was unfolding in front of them. 

"It's not your fault," Azara shrugged, as Sokka glared at the two of them. Suddenly, a blast of water ricocheted and knocked Sokka backwards. He trudged back over as Katara was thrown into a fountain by Master Pakku's wave.

"Here, let me help you," Kesuk offered to dry off Sokka by bending the water out of his clothes.

"No thank you. I don't need your help," Sokka rudely brushed off, causing Azara to shoot him a look.

"Would you rather freeze to death in your ice coat?" Azara scoffed, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine," he muttered, allowing Kesuk to bend the water out of his coat. Katara was knocked to the ground, her braid undone, but her resolve unmatched. Master Pakku swirled water above her head as she stood up, before bending the water into ice spears. Using the ice, he trapped Katara, leaving her unharmed, but trapped. 

As she struggled to get free, Master Pakku started to walk away. "This fight is over."

"Come back here, I'm not finished yet," Katara growled, trying to break free of the ice jail again.

"Yes, you are," Master Pakku argued, before noticing something on the ground. As he bent down, Azara's eyes widened as she spotted Katara's necklace in his hands. "This is my necklace," he gasped, examining the necklace.

"No, it's not, it's mine! Now give it back," Katara demanded, continuing to struggle.

"I made this sixty years ago, for the love of my life, for Kanna," Master Pakku spoke wistfully as Katara melted the ice around her.

"My Gran Gran was supposed to marry you?" Katara gasped as Sokka eye's widened. The crowd dissipated as Yue and Chief Arnook descended the stairs.

"I carved this necklace for your grandmother when we got engaged. I thought that we would have a long, happy life together. I loved her," Master Pakku sighed, turning around.

"But she didn't love you, did she? It was an arranged marriage," Katara deduced, walking over to him. "Gran Gran wouldn't let your tribe's stupid customs run her life. That's why she left. It must have taken a lot of courage." 

As Katara finished her speech, Yue ran away, sobbing, Sokka chasing after her. "Kesuk, please try and locate my daughter," the Chief pleaded, turning to Kesuk as Yue disappeared around a corner, Sokka not far behind her. 

"Of course, Chief," Kesuk nodded, before turning to Azara. "I'll see you around?" 

"Definitely," Azare replied, a small smile on her face. Kesuk smiled back, before turning and running after Sokka and Yue. 

The sun dipped below the horizon, bathing the Northern Water Tribe in darkness. As Kesuk turned a corner, he spotted Yue and Sokka kissing on top of a bridge. He wasn't surprised nor taken aback by the scene. But, he still had his duty to Chief Arnook, and he had to carry that out, no matter how awkward this was going to be.

Walking quietly over, Kesuk leaned against them wall as he waited for them to finish their moment, looking away to give them some privacy. Sokka spotted Kesuk and pulled away from Yue, his eyes narrowing at Kesuk's presence. "Is he your fiancé?" Sokka asked, causing Yue to turn around to see Kesuk.

"No! He's not," Yue assured Sokka, placing a hand on his shoulder, as Kesuk walked closer.

"I was sent to make sure that Princess Yue returns safely to her quarters. Nothing more," Kesuk added, holding his hands up in surrender. Sokka relaxed at the statement, but deflated as Yue walked towards Kesuk. 

"I'm sorry, Sokka," Yue sighed, clasping her hands together in front of her.

"Yeah . . . me too," Sokka replied, looking into the canal as Yue walked away with Kesuk. Sighing, Sokka started the lonely trek back to their accommodation. 

He had fucked up, to put it simply. While they could debate whether Azara should have stayed out of Sokka and Yue's relationship, there was no arguing that Azara did have a point. Sokka wasn't sure how we would have reacted if Azara had told him Yue was engaged, but given their argument, he would have to assume not well. 

Azara deserved an apology and even if he didn't give her one, he was quite confident that Katara would drag him by the ear to apologize to her. Walking quietly into the accommodation, Sokka's eyes drifted over to Azara's figure.

She was curled up in her sleeping bag, a content smile on her face as she slept peacefully. Deciding he would apologize first thing in the morning, Sokka made his way back over to his sleeping bag and went to bed. 

A.N. So, there hasn't really been a lot of Sokka/Azara interactions lately and both of them have perhaps moved onto greener pastures for the moment. But, this is not the end to the Sokka/Azara train if anyone still wants them to get together. Stay tuned and thanks for the continued support!