Ty Lee is called home mere hours after she had decided to leave the palace and go try to remember what the sun felt like. She has to be laden with guards, of course, every time she goes into public, being a princess now. But there are less than when she is with Azula, and she feels as if she could comfortably involve them in conversation without risking Azula's constant, poisonous jealousy.
But they get word of a problem at home. Ty Lee should have known that she would never escape the life that had her pinned down like an opponent in a spar gone wrong.
almost ten years ago
Azula looks so incredibly beautiful tonight.
Radiant, like the sun by beneath the indigo sky and basked in shadows. And there Ty Lee is, watching from afar, too afraid to go near her when they've been friends for so many years. She is talking to important politicians and the wealthy and boring elite about her conquest of Ba Sing Se and Ty Lee has never seen her look so happy.
Maybe Ty Lee just doesn't want to crush that happiness.
That night, it is hot and sweaty in the banquet hall and Ty Lee is thriving on the attention. Summer is near; to Azula that means the comet is approaching, to Ty Lee that means there is longing on the wind. A longing for Azula that she cannot quite describe, and she wonders if it is returned.
"This is so boring," Azula whispers in Ty Lee's ear and Ty Lee chokes slightly at how close her lips are. "Let's escape."
Ty Lee blushes as they creep out of the door, Mai and Zuko staring after them before deciding it is not worth their time. The two of them walk through the park, one of the only places in the Fire Nation untouched by industry ─ because rich people want some nice grass and flowers.
The grass is damp on Ty Lee's feet and she deeply regrets her open toed shoes. Although the tickling sensation is kind of nice.
"It's boring out here too," Azula sighs, sounding like Mai. Ty Lee leans beside her as Azula runs her finger along the damp bench and glares at the water dripping from her nail. "And there's nowhere to sit."
"At least it's colder," Ty Lee suggests, being optimistic again, which makes Azula roll her eyes. "We should explore. Or something. That garden is really pretty."
Azula shrugs. She supposes she has nothing better to do than entertain her friend's whims. Friend, just friend regardless of anything that happened in Ba Sing Se. Friend, just friend, regardless of that twisting sensation inside of Azula that she never experienced until she set out to prune the family tree with Ty Lee and Mai at her side.
Walking through flowers is not how Azula intends to spend her evening. But the party was boring and there have been so many, so many in which she watches father take credit for her brilliance and offers a smile and articulate words that support him.
It is a perpetual price to be paid as long as she craves the throne as much as she does.
"If I were to pick you a flower right now," Ty Lee says softly, "would you like it?"
Azula's eyes flicker around the garden, eyeing the vast array of flowers.
"Maybe," Azula suggests, shrugging, and shrugging and shrugging.
"It's a pretty common romantic gesture," Ty Lee says and Azula eyes her closely. Ty Lee thrusts the flowers she has plucked into Azula's hands.
They leave a sticky residue, and if it were anyone else, Azula would scold them or burn the gift. But instead, she attempts a thank you, but is not quite sure what one is supposed to sound like.
"If I were to," Ty Lee continues, trying her best to be brave, "Kiss you right now, would you like it?"
Azula hesitates, now looking uncomfortable. Ty Lee feels stupid, all of a sudden. She knew she was pushing it too far and now she is definitely the fool who will lose Azula in one mistake.
"I don't know," Azula says as she examines the flowers. She suddenly notices that they are dying in her hands now that Ty Lee severed them.
"Why not? We've been, uhm, dating, but we've never kissed," Ty Lee insists, deciding that, if she is going to ruin her relationship, she will at least speak her mind.
"I don't..." Azula looks at her feet. "It wouldn't be my first."
Ty Lee laughs and then feels like she is going to throw up. Marvelous, now she has just laughed at Azula's attempt at openness and honesty. Ty Lee could punch herself three or four times at this point.
"That doesn't matter. It would definitely be your best." Ty Lee tries to shift the situation, tries to be playful and cocky. Azula stares at her feet intently. "Was your first somebody you're still in love with?"
Azula hesitates. "No." And then she suddenly grabs Ty Lee by the wrists, the movement awkward, and jerky. Ty Lee is about to scream, thinking Azula is at last murdering her, but then Azula's lips collide with hers.
Her tongue presses against Ty Lee's teeth, and it is not the kind of kiss that Ty Lee imagined it would be. Ty Lee pulls away, pulls away as quickly as she can, admittedly horrified by the gesture.
Azula just drops the flowers, realizing what she has done.
"You're going to run away now," Azula says, still able to taste Ty Lee on her lips. "I figured."
Ty Lee gulps. "No, no, I just, maybe you... need a little practice."
Azula looks at her with unadulterated pity. "You don't want me. Let that kiss be a lesson."
It is Azula who runs away.
Ty Lee comes home to find, as she suspected, that she is expected to behave like the dragon tamers of lore. She is meant to calm Azula from her episode, but this does not look at all like her usual fits. She's just lying there, and Ty Lee feels her insides clench.
"I bet you're concerning her," Ty Lee says quickly to Zuko, giving him an apologetic look as she swiftly approaches Azula and kneels beside her. "Are you okay? Are you in there?"
almost five years ago
"Azula," Ty Lee says, the fifth night of consoling the princess successfully. She does, in fact, feel like the dragon tamer's of lore. "Can I kiss you?"
"What?" Azula still looks distant as she invites herself further and further into Ty Lee's tight embrace.
"I'm," and Ty Lee dares to take more initiative, "I'm going to kiss you now, okay?"
"Okay," Azula murmurs and Ty Lee hopes she is not takin advantage of the trembling woman in her arms. Once great, once powerful, now clinging.
Ty Lee's lips touch hers for the first time since Azula forced herself so roughly, beating their teeth against each other, invading her mouth, showing her why she did not want this. But Ty Lee wanted it all the same, even if their relationship ended abruptly that night.
It is a gentle kiss.
"Okay," Azula repeats, and Ty Lee thinks that it is the most romantic thing Azula has ever said.
"She seems a lot worse than usual," Mai says as she walks to Ty Lee and Azula. "We should do something."
Ty Lee nods. Love does not cure all, not brotherly, or friendship, or even Ty Lee and their beautiful nights counting stars and counting scars. Azula does need doctors and work and effort, but she also does need someone to stand beside her and remind her what is worth living for.
"Go send for someone," Ty Lee says affirmatively, noticing, as she does sometimes, what it feels like to be a princess, to be someone who needs to take decisive action and not just hide behind her bubbly mask.
She studies Azula more closely.
"I'm going to kiss you now, okay?" Ty Lee whispers.
There is no response.
And Ty Lee looks away.
Even in Azula's worst, there was always an 'okay'.
But not today. Ty Lee just takes her hand and gently holds it.
There will be more kisses, when the time is right.