Suki did her best to keep a stoic mask on as she entered the dining hall. Xing and Azula were already in their seats, along with Ty Lee, Mai, Aang and his friends, and Iroh and Zuko. The other bodyguards stood outside, making her the only one in that role to be in the oversized room. Or sitting at the huge, round dining table.

She did as Xing had suggested and walked at an even pace, acting like she wasn’t feeling at all embarrassed or self-conscious as she made for the seat reserved for her.

“Ah, Suki. Glad of you to join us.”

Azula’s greeting almost caused Suki’s overstrung facade to snap, but she rallied in time. She gave the princess a quick nod before picking up the pace and slipping into the chair right beside Xing. 

It took an unbelievable amount of willpower for the Kyoshi Warrior to keep her head up instead of curling up out of awkwardness. But nobody brought up the obvious, only giving polite greetings, with the worst of it being Katara trying to open a conversation about Kyoshi Island. That Suki could reply without stammering or breaking eye contact was a marvel, that still nobody mentioned anything even more so.

By the time the food came, some of Suki’s anxiety bled away, and she began to relax. She gladly let the table talk wash over her, hoping to be completely ignored so that she could focus on her meal instead of the impulse to feel her lips again.

It was supposed to be just a short conversation with Xing, while Azula was having a heart-to-heart with Ty Lee, one where Suki only felt a little ashamed that she offered no resistance at all when he brought up a potential future for her.

“It will take some effort in navigating and balancing, but Azula and I would like to offer you a place within our family. There will be some hierarchy to it, especially on the outside, but I can promise that I’ll at least do my part to keep things as…fair as I can.”

Suki understood the dynamics between royalty like them, and commoners like herself. Within most of the Earth Kingdom, people like Suki could only hope to be a favored concubine, relegated to a comfortable but severely restricted life within a gilded cage. At worst, they’d be promoted above their station to be their patron’s peer, and be forced to fight for their lives against jealous spouses and their lackeys in the battlefield of highborn politics. There’s enough sad stories sung and acted out about such things, where the maidens and farmhands involved often ended up dead or starting a new life after faking their deaths while their noble love interest wailed about their loss for a whole arc.

What Xing and Azula were offering went far beyond being a simple kept woman; the princess had made it clear that she’d like Suki to be actively part of their relationship. Instead of being a powerless concubine, she’d have her own roles and duties, and a say in family matters. She’d be made princess, but with the support of both Xing and Azula to keep the petty politicking at bay.

And as expected from the couple, they had made the relationship politically rational. Suki was a Kyoshi Warrior, and even if she left the sisterhood, that reputation would linger. And having a member of that order, former or not, be a member of Ba Sing Se’s palace was a big enough deal for Azula to be offering Suki guarantees about her freedoms on the few times the princess brought the topic up. Usually after they spent a quiet moment ‘acclimating’ with each others’ lips.

“If you want to be cynical about it,” the princess had explained on the first night traveling across the sea, “having the Avatar work with us really made your presence beside us highly significant. The Kyoshi Warriors being an order formed by one and all that. Simply by bringing you into the fold, we gain a measure of legitimacy from the common people of the Earth Kingdom that even a royal marriage between nations might not achieve.”

Suki remembered Azula’s grin back then. “However, for better or worse, we’re not so cynical in our intentions.”

Xing was far less calculative with his proposal. “While we’d be glad to have you join us quickly, I understand if you need time to mull it over. Actually…it’d be best if you did take your time thinking it through. This is a big decision, after all.”

He was being too considerate. Suki already had her answer ready. She already had too many days to mull over the matter ever since the couple brought it up. Too many days of phantom tingling on her lips as flashes of Xing kissing her distracted her from her normal tasks. 

And in the end, it was a very simple calculation.

Did she like Xing? Yes, very much so. More than just like, especially after having a taste.

Did she mind having to…work with Azula beyond mere kissing? Not really, no…and even then, it’d be a very small price to pay to be by Xing’s side.

So Suki simply gave her answer immediately, though for some reason her body was rigid with trepidation as she delivered a stiff nod. “I…I’d like to…to be with you…”

Xing then went on a spiel about whether she was really sure about her answer, that neither he nor Azula wanted Suki to have regrets.

Suki’s nerves and patience frayed, and she shut him up by taking a bold step forward to capture his face in her hands and bring her mouth to his. The look of surprise on Xing was satisfying, but not as satisfying as the experience of pressing her lips against his, or how they felt with her probing tongue.

“I know what I want, Xing,” she told him after she forced herself to break the kiss. “I want you, and I don’t mind sharing.”

His smile turned from polite and accommodating to a kind of delight that made Suki’s breath catch in her throat. They kissed again then, this time with Xing brushing her hair back and leaning in slowly. Suki instinctively applied the lessons she learned firsthand from Azula and worked her lips beyond just opening and closing her mouth or clumsily lashing her tongue out.

Xing reciprocated, and Suki lost herself in the giddy moment. At one point, she guided his hand up to her neck, and the prince…her prince gave a light squeeze, just the right amount to make her gasp and quiver with pleasure. She shuddered harder when his hand slipped under her dress and his fingers brushed against her bare skin. Strong hands, not the pincers from her dreams, held onto Suki, and it felt far, far better than what her subconscious had offered.

It might’ve gone further, but then someone had to knock at the door to inform them about dinner. Suki was panting lightly as Xing pulled away and stepped back, wearing a grin on his face that bore both amusement and satisfaction.

“We’ll continue later?”

“Y-Yeah,” she breathed out, and glancing down, noticed the state of disarray her attire was in.

“Do you need help?” he cheekily asked, and Suki felt her cheeks warm up as she shook her head.

“You can go on ahead,” she said with surprising evenness as she started to tidy herself up. “Don’t let me keep you from dinner.”

“‘My’ dinner?” Xing asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You mean ‘our’ dinner, right? Since you’ll be part of the family now.” At her gaping silence, the prince chuckled and began to move for the door. “I’ll go check on Azula. See you at the dining hall?”

Which led Suki to the present, doing her best to eat unobtrusively as she sat to the right of Xing. Azula was to his left, trading words with Ty Lee, Mai and Toph. The new Fire Lord Iroh bantered with Aang, while Zuko beside him engaged Xing and Sokka in conversation. Suki didn’t even try to keep up with what was being said by who. She also did her damnedest to not glance Xing’s way, as to avoid being drawn to his lips again.

The comfortable lack of notice didn’t last though. It was Zuko who, in the midst of replying to Xing, gave Suki a sideways glance, and rather than return to Xing, his eyes lingered for enough seconds that she could feel the puzzlement sprout behind his gaze.

“Zuzu, something the matter?” Azula interrupted in a sweet voice.

The prince snapped out of his staring and shook his head, but Suki caught the glance he gave both Xing and Azula. “Ah, it’s nothing. I was just…thinking.”

Regardless, the irregularity had been highlighted, and soon after Iroh was giving Suki a look, which was again interrupted by Azula. “Yes, dear uncle?” the princess challenged.

The Fire Lord frowned a little as he met his niece’s gaze. There was a silent question in his look, which was in turn answered in the way Azula’s head shifted vertically ever so slightly. Iroh passed that look to Xing, who shrugged, and then finally sighed with resignation. “It is nothing, Azula.”

“Oh? If you say so, uncle…”

Suki quickly finished her dinner as politely possible, but she couldn’t leave fast enough. Katara and Toph were just as quick to corner her in the hallways with worried frowns on their faces.

“Suki, are you alright?” the waterbender asked in a cautious half-whisper. Suki stared at the other girl as she fought back a welling embarrassment at the situation. “Xing isn’t making you do anything…weird, is he?”

Spirits, how she wished to curl up out of sight right now!

But instead Suki forced herself to answer, highly conscious of how her voice wavered nervously. “H-He’s not. We just, uh…”

“Is it Azula?”

“No! It’s not like that!”

The answer made Katara lean back a little and trade looks with Toph for a second. Then the Beifong girl fixed Suki with a speculative look. “Is it…both of them?”

She didn’t have to answer, because her expression was obvious enough that even the blind earthbender was grinning, and Katara was bringing a shocked hand up to her mouth. 

“They didn’t force you, did they?”

Suki shook her head meekly. “It was…an offer…”

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s true!” Suki asserted, staring at the smaller girl’s sightless eyes. “They didn’t threaten me or make me do anything. I just…” And then words failed her, as she realized what she was about to admit, and Suki had to break eye contact as her cheeks warmed up again.

“See? Told ya it was nothing to worry about, Princess Busybody.”

“I’m not a busybody!” Katara protested. “I was really worried for Suki!”

“Pfft. Xing and Azula might be a pain to deal with, but even I know they’re not that scummy. Right Suki?”

Spirits, why did Toph have to bring the conversation back to her?

“T-They’re not,” Suki confirmed nervously. “I mean, they make hard decisions, but they genuinely are good people.”

“So good that a Kyoshi Warrior is taking up their…’offer’?”

Suki felt like her face was burning up out of embarrassment as she nodded.

“I hope you’re not giving up too much…” Katara remarked warily, and horrifyingly, Toph’s amusement instantly switched to match the girl’s concern. 

“I heard stories about how-”

“Suki, are the Avatar’s friends harassing you?” Azula suddenly called out, and the trio turned to find the smirking princess and her equally smirking friends.

“No, they were just…asking…questions.”

Azula’s eyebrow went up.

“We’re not harassing her,” Katara replied, with vehemence initially, but then awkwardness settled in as she grasped the extent of the situation. “We just thought that Suki needed some help. But we were…wrong.”

“Indeed.” The princess walked over to them, her smirk growing sharper with amusement as it was fixed on the Water Tribe girl. “I trust you understand enough to not form…poorly assumed conclusions?”

Suki could hear Katara blink. “Uh, yeah.”

“Good.” Azula drew herself up with a soft inhale, and then took on a more formal voice. “On our part, know that we’ve not, and will not force Suki to…join us. If you’re worried about her well-being, she will not be consigned to be a mere bed warmer.” That last line got practically everyone blushing. Azula then smiled as she focused her attention on Suki. “I’ve grown to trust and like Suki as a dear friend, and I would like to retain that friendship.”

“Well,” Katara almost stammered, “If that’s…I mean…as long as you know what you’re getting into…”

“I am,” Suki answered with her rallying resolve.

“Great then,” the princess chimed in with a clap of her hands. “Now that the air is cleared, come, Suki...” And Azula stepped forwards with a hand brought to Suki’s cheek. Suki instinctively parted her lips and tilted her head to receive Azula’s kiss, ignoring the embarrassment of having an audience. If anything, the brief contact imparted a comforting warmth for Suki to anchor her nerves around.

Azula pulled away smoothly, and her hand slid down to hold Suki’s. “Xing’s waiting for us. We’ve got to hammer the details of your…promotion. Ty Lee, Mai, I trust you two can find your own entertainment in the meantime?”

Suki let herself be led off, wishing at the moment that she could ignore the looks she got from the other girls, particularly Katara and Mai. 

“Congrats, and all the best Suki!” And Ty Lee’s cheery, enthusiastic wave was somehow worse.