They sit in the meadow, beneath trees with pink blossoms. A picnic, to which Azula very reluctantly agreed. Ty Lee is weaving things out of flowers as Azula picks grass apart with her sharp nails and watches it bleed green. Birds are singing, animals are rustling in the woods around the meadow, and it is an incredibly blissful summer day.
"I know why you took me here," Azula says and Ty Lee purses her lips, looking mildly concerned. Then her expression quickly shifts to the most innocent face she can make, which looks soft on her delicate face.
"Because I wanted to go on a beautiful date with you," Ty Lee says, batting her eyelashes as if it will make a difference. But Azula has been dating her for far too long to cave into that.
"Someday I'm going to teach you how to lie," Azula says, wiping off grass on her red shirt. "You took me here because it's the anniversary of the comet, that's why. And way out here in the middle of nowhere..."
Ty Lee examines the picnic basket as if it can get her out of this situation. She did not imagine that Azula would figure out, but she supposes that is a gross underestimation of Azula's analytical skills. She glances around at the meadow and looks for something to put a stop to this.
"Well, you may not be Fire Lord, but..." Ty Lee says before reaching to her side and picking up the crown a firelilies she has been weaving, "you can wear this awesome crown."
"What a consolation." Azula rolls her eyes, but her lips twitch.
Ty Lee sits up on her knees and places the crown on Azula's head. She sits back, examining her work and then reaching one hand out and adjusting the crown. There. Perfect.
She looks beautiful. Not just ordinary beautiful; genuinely beautiful. There is something about the cloudless sky and the way the sunlight pours that makes her look like something not of this world. The red flowers stand out against her pale skin and dark hair, and Ty Lee finds herself staring for too long. Sometimes the sun only seems to shine for her, in Ty Lee's eyes.
"It looks ridiculous, doesn't it?" Azula sighs, moving to take it off. Ty Lee shoots out one trained hand and stops her. She holds her wrist for a moment and Azula looks displeased, but she leans in and presses her lips against Azula's.
It is a blissful kiss in the meadow, on the anniversary of the worst day of Azula's life. She tries to think about the positive, and she thinks she can. The kiss breaks and Azula adjusts the crown of flowers in her hair. She supposes it will not hurt to wear it; it does look regal enough and it is her color.
"I kind of want this moment to last forever," Ty Lee murmurs, unsure what else to say. She did invite Azula out here in the countryside in order to keep her away from the celebrations that usually send her spiraling into either depression or violent rants at her brother.
"It's reasonably nice." Azula shrugs, but her nose is slightly pink. Ty Lee smirks in victory.
"And, if you play your tiles right, maybe Zuko will die and you can be Fire Lord until Izumi is old enough," Ty Lee suggests sweetly and Azula can only laugh.
"That's like what? Nine years?" Azula asks and Ty Lee tilts her palms up with her eyebrows raised hopefully. "I'll take it. Better then four weeks..."
"Even though I was in prison and really mad at you and wanted to block your chi and throw you in the ocean, I think you were a really good Fire Lord for those four weeks."
"Mhm." Azula rolls her eyes. "Someday I'm going to teach you how to lie."
Azula kisses her again.
"And, if you think about it," Ty Lee adds after catching her breath, "Zuko relies on you so much for advice. Even more than your uncle. The country would fall into disarray without your help. I mean, honestly, Zuko is basically your puppet."
"I want to tell you to stop, but please keep talking."
"And his daughter loves you so much. I bet she'll ask you for advice too. Azula, she follows you around tugging on your clothes all day. And you don't kick her. I'm very proud of you."
Azula rolls her eyes. This is getting more and more ridiculous, but a smile is creeping onto her lips.
"Even if you don't believe any of that, you are definitely the best dressed princess in history. Particularly with that crown."
"That I'll agree with."