tyzula month prompt: promise

Let me love you again
Give me one more try
Oh, if the good Lord's willin' and the creek don't rise
"If the Creek Don't Rise" – Dylan LeBlanc

"Give me one more chance, Ty Lee. I promise I will work out this time," said Azula.

She stood on a doorstep, looking at her ex-fiancée, and expected an invitation back into Ty Lee's life. Azula knew she would get it if she worked up the courage to demand it. That was all it took; she believed so, at least.

"I'll give you five minutes to talk to me," Ty Lee said, crossing her arms.

Azula had never seen Ty Lee cold. She had seen her angry and sad and hateful at times, but never cold. It made Azula feel queasy.

"You are telling me to summarize my feelings of fifteen years in five minutes?" Azula demanded, scoffing and shaking her head.

Ty Lee was quiet for a few moments.

"Yes. That's what I'm telling you," she finally replied.

Azula had hoped Ty Lee would be more willing. She always came crawling back first. It was not supposed to be the other way around.

"I am not going to stop trying. You know that, right?" Azula said. It was not her best sweet line, but she had to start slow and work into it.

"You haven't tried super hard, actually," Ty Lee retorted, so calm. Azula had hoped for anger because it would have meant Ty Lee still felt something for her. "Like from somebody who conquered Ba Sing Se and stuff, you really haven't put your all into our relationship."

"I promise that will change," Azula said quickly.

"If I take you back," Ty Lee whispered, closing her eyes.

"Yes. Exactly," said Azula.

Ty Lee gazed down at her feet and Azula's heart leapt. She thought she was in for a moment, but Ty Lee took a deep breath.

"That was like a minute," she said. "Keep going."

Azula was fairly certain it was more than a minute, but she kept that to herself. It gave her more time to make her case. She did not have a case, per se, but she knew she could talk anyone into anything. Her ex-fiancée should be no different.

"You cross my mind all the time. I feel such remorse—"

"Please don't lie," Ty Lee interrupted, showing true emotion in the worst of ways at the worst of times. "I'll let you come inside and have tea and talk for fifteen minutes if you don't lie. I know you don't feel remorse."

"Okay, I absolutely don't. But I feel awful and I wish I had not lost you," Azula said honestly. Maybe the truth was all she had. Usually the truth was unpleasant and people would prefer lies, but maybe honesty would be her friend for once.

Ty Lee sighed and stepped aside. Azula accepted the invitation and glanced around at the lack of changes in their pretty lakeside mansion. It was perfect while it lasted. Then Azula screwed it up, and she would admit that if she had to.

She did have to now.

"You can't fix this that easily," Ty Lee said as she made her way further inside. Azula followed as Ty Lee softly asked a servant to make them tea.

That bought the princess time, so long as she did not get herself kicked out. She was not the type to swallow her pride, not the type to come back and beg. Other people did that; other people begged her for her divine forgiveness. It was a new position that she did not like being in.

"What can I do to fix it? I promise I will do anything."

"You can stop making promises that you never ever keep," Ty Lee said. "I'd really like that."

"I will keep them," Azula insisted vehemently. It might have been fake. She was never sure if her own reactions were real or rehearsed.

"Would you like me to recap all of the broken promises?" Ty Lee said, her eyebrows raised and her expression incredulous. "I promise I won't cheat on you ever again."

"You did accept that one," Azula said, and then she hastily sat down at the table. "And I should have kept it, but really it was her fault."

"How?" Ty Lee demanded, pulling out her chair so fiercely that it screamed.

"She was the distraught one. I was completely happy with our relationship and if she did seduce me, I never would have cheated on you. Again."

Ty Lee was agape and Azula did not know why. It was simple and not at all shocking.

"You could've said no. It's way worse and way different than the drunk one night stand when we were basically broken up," Ty Lee said sadly, and Azula saw that she was still hurting somehow. Very softly, she added, "Way worse."

Azula stared at her clasped hands and tried to figure out what to say. She had a thousand romantic speeches in her head that were exactly the words Ty Lee wanted to hear, but she did not know if they were enough this time.

"I could have said no, but I didn't, and I cannot take that back," Azula said, wondering if it would help her case. She was fairly certain it would hurt it, but she would do anything for one more try. "I think we are made for each other, and I think we would not have wanted each other for so long, regardless of betrayal after betrayal…"

"Those kinda wear on a person," Ty Lee admitted. She studied her fingers with great interest.

"You were behind half of them," Azula said, hoping to work the guilt angle. That seemed like it might be the best route.

"I know. I bet they wore on you too. Don't they?" Ty Lee replied.

"We run from them instead of confronting them, and when we stop running to catch our breath, we break up," Azula said. That was true. It felt like a line but it was true.

"Why do we get back together?" Ty Lee slumped and sighed and looked so defeated that Azula was almost speechless.

"Because eventually it will work out. I promise," Azula said.

"You can't promise that because you don't know that. You don't know what's gonna happen in the future. I don't either."

"Good things could happen. They rarely do for me, but you happened to me." It was stiff. Azula could do better than that.

"That's what I want to hear and not something you'd say if you really felt it. You don't say the romantic stuff you feel. You say the stuff you think will get you what you want. Saying the sweet stuff you feel would make you weak, I think. I know."

"I think that coming here and begging should count for something. I could find someone else."

"Yeah, what's up with her? Maybe you could get with the person you cheated on me with twice." Ty Lee sat up straight now. The anger behind her cold composure was beginning to show, and Azula knew she had a chance now.

"She has children and a terrible and disappointing marriage, but a marriage," Azula explained, envying that situation. It would be nice to have a reason to go back to someone. We have kids. We're married. What did Azula and Ty Lee have?

"And if we had one," Ty Lee said skeptically, "you think I'd let you back?"

"No. I think…" Azula did not know what she thought. Words should be easier. They always had been, but Ty Lee seemed to know her too well now. She knew her too well to be afraid or smitten or easy to play with. Azula despised that, but it was the one thing that made her want Ty Lee and no one else.

A servant girl serves the tea and it is too hot for Ty Lee to drink. Azula gets hers into her mouth as quickly as she can.

"I don't trust you," Ty Lee said.

"Did you ever?" Azula asked. She was out of tea and out of beautiful statements.

"Yeah," Ty Lee whispered, looking disappointed at herself.

"Well, that is your mistake," Azula said. "I think we can both agree."

"It was a mistake. I've had all I can stand. Is that…?" Ty Lee rubbed her face.

"I will not accept no for an answer," Azula said. Her mouth tasted of mint from the tea. She realized she did not notice what flavor it was until this moment. "You have to."

Ty Lee thought about it.

She thought she was pretty stupid, but no one ever told her she was smart.

"No promises," Ty Lee said and Azula felt more hopeful than she had in a long, long time.

"Good enough for me," Azula replied.

Ty Lee smiled at her.

It was not an excited grin, but it was encouraging nonetheless.

Azula promised herself she would not let this fall apart again.

i added a second chapter on 6/16/16 with the intent of continuing this story, but decided that i liked it best as a oneshot.