Learn every day
Ty-Lee sighed with relief as she heard the shouting inside Irohs tea shop finally reach its highest point. It meant that the almost nightly shouting match that went on inside was coming to a stop soon. Well not so much a match as much as a Azula airing her grievances for the day. Zuko had sent her here hoping her rough edges would get worn down by Iroh.
Or as Azula had put it. "Decided that she was better off crazy and Irohs ranting would put her there."
Technically her body guard Ty-lee had witnessed pretty much all that had happened the last few months and to be honest it was kind of funny. Azula was not designed to serve tea. Ty-Lee had been watching Azula get angry for years, but now that she was reduced to a humble tea server it was more funny then scary as Azula almost went out of her way to be angry at everything.
A slamming door preceded the growl of frustration as Azula stormed onto the patio where Ty-lee was enjoying the cool night air.
"What happened today Zula?" Ty-lee asked innocently. She knew the answer but Azula was fun to watch plus there wasn't much else to talk about and Ty-lee liked being a sympathetic ear to the crazy fire bender.
"I was told that I'm not aloud to be honest! Even though that's exactly what the old idiot said he wanted!" Azula began her rant. Apparently in an effort to be more honest Azula had been rather cruel to a few nobles children. Weather they were loud or dirty or just plain gross it didn't matter Azula had been honest and let them know her feelings about their problems…and the methods the parent where using to raise their children. She had been honest…which was a big step. Unfortunately the families whose children started crying did not recognize the break through.
A thought hit Ty-lee and she started to giggle to herself as Azula was still ranting. The thought was the idea of Azula actually being nice to a child. It would look ridicules. Her giggling got a little louder and Azula noticed it. "Is something funny!" She threatened. Ty-lee stopped and looked at her. "No nothing just a thought. But Azula you know that being a honest person doesn't mean you have to be…well that honest." Ty-le offered.
Azula put her head on the railing in defeat "Fuck will you people make up your minds." She gowned out. Ty- Lee got close and started rubbing circles on Azul's back. As had become more common Azula did not pull away.
"We're just trying to help you Azula. You can figure it out." Ty-lee said caringly. Azula bolted up right and moved fast enough to grab Ty-lees hand. She glared at the contact briefly before settling on Ty-lee.
"Of course I can! Do you think I'm an idiot or an air head!" Azula said angrily "Maybe I don't want to! Maybe I shouldn't have too!" Azula was getting very angry now and the hand holding Ty-Lee's tightly was starting to heat up.
Ty-lee hated this part of her job as she mentally got ready to stop Azula. She knew though that it would be a big step back so she decided to hold out as long as she could.
She was proud of her self though. The former minion was looking Azula right in the eye which was a big change from during the war, Ty-lee wasn't afraid anymore.
Weather it was that or something else though Azula seemed to get angrier as they glared at each other, and as such her hand got hotter untilTty-Lee couldn't help but let out a whipper as her skinned turned red.
She watched Azula's eye's widen then glance towards the contact before letting go. Ty-lee kept her glare up as Azula met her eyes again. She still looked angry…well as angry as ever…. But she opened her mouth to say something and after nothing came out she growled and turned away back towards inside. The slamming door as she went was not a surprise.
Once she was gone Ty-lee waited a moment to make sure she didn't come back.
"ow! ow! ow! ow! ow!" She blurted out waveing her still hot hand through the air. It wasn't burned but just felt as if she had touched a pieces of metal that had been left in the sun. it cooled off quickly in the night air and Ty-Lee was able to resume her sitting in one of the chairs on the porches. The cool air was still nice and she slumped in the chair to enjoy it.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Iroh asked innocently coming from the doorway. Ty-lee smiled and nodded honestly, Iroh was always good company. "Llovely night tonight." He began . "I must say the summers here are much more pleasant then back in the Fire Nation don't you agree?" he asked simply. Ty-lee sighed happily and nodded. "Is the cool air helping your hand?" He asked.
Ty-lee jerked to look at him with worry on her face but he was facing away so she could not tell what he thought of the incident. Iroh had a lot sway over Zuko and if a bad report got back to him Ty-Lee could be pulled out of here or worse…Azula could.
"Its fine" she said with fake innocents, "Just um spilled some tea on it?" She tried.
Iroh turned to look at her and she was relived to not see worry or sternness but it stead he looked kind of happy? "You know Zuko told me to let him know if Azula hurt anyone with her fire bending." He said calmly.
Ty-lee jumped to her feet. "No it was nothing seem I'm fine!" she said holding her hand up. It was still a little red….Iroh just smiled again which for a moment made her understand why Azula hated him.
"You care for her greatly don't you?" Iroh asked. Ty-lee was taken aback and stuttered for a moment for a response. "I yes. Yes I do I…" She looked around for a moment and got closer to Iroh. "I love her."
Iroh nodded. "Yes I see that you care for her but I think it goes deeper than that." He said sipping from a small tea cup. Ty-lee looked at him confused. After a moment he stopped sipping and there was a coughing sound before he coughed a bit . "Oh wait you did say that…I'm sorry last time I had this talk it was with Mai about Zuko…she was…less open."
Ty-lee laughed. "Yeah I bet. But I know how I feel and I've accepted that she's not gona feel the same way a long time ago. I just want to see her happy." She spoke confidently, she had enough sleepless nights thinking about this whole mess after the war and she had settled on her course.
"I have seen her when she's with you. You calm her and she acts different, maybe there's still hope." Iroh offered.
Ty-lee shrugged dismissively. "She always been like that."
Iroh smiled. "Good night Ty-lee." Ty-lee gave a nod and waved good night. She stayed out a little bit longer before retiring to her room.
The next day brought a nice late summer warmth and brightness to the great city. Ty-Lee had just gotten back from a shopping trip with Azula and for the first time in a while was glad to be back at Irohs tea shop. On there supply run for the shop Azula had been quitter then normal and seemed to constantly give her guard an annoyed look. Ty-lee thought that she had gotten past this phase. Oh well.
Ty-lee stopped at the porch of the Jasmin Dragon while Azula brought the supplies inside. She was only alone for a few minutes before Azula loomed over her.
"Oh hey, get all the stuff away?" she asked innocently. Azula did not respond and gave Ty-lee the same annoyed look. 'Ok' Ty-lee thought to herself. "Um since you're here could you-" She was cut off by Azula sitting down next to her and looking away. Ty-lee sighed. Everyday for the last few months she sat out here and waited until Azula took her tea order…and then eventually got around to giving it to her. Today though the firebender seemed to be in a particularly bad mood.
"Soooo…" Ty-lee started to break the silence. "Nice day huh and not to busy yet."
"Stop talking." Azula ordered. Ty-lee obeyed out of curiosity to see what was going on. "I have a question for you." Azula stated.
"Oh ok...how can I help!" Ty-lee offered enthusiastically, she smiled wide and noticed Azula glance at her before looking around.
"What.." Azula began before looking around again seeming to see if anyone was listening. "..is love?"
The question took Ty-lee back. Azula rarely showed any emotion except anger, and asking about something so….well not her was weird. "Its um well complicated." Ty-lee began.
"And what am I to stupid to understand it!" Azula scowled balling her fists.
"No no no! its just hard to explained." Ty-lee recovered. "It's just like a feeling." Azula looked at her skeptically. Ty-lee thought for a moment and tried again.
"It the good feeling you get when your just around a person you love. Its wanting to make sure they are happy even if it means doing stuff you don't want to do. It…it means helping the person even though they may have hurt you because you just want them to be happy." Ty-lee stopped talking as she felt her self getting choked up. She realized what she was saying was why she loved Azula, she may have made peace with those feeling a long time ago but it was always bad opening old wounds.
"Huh…" is all Azula said. And it kind of hurt Ty-lee, but in a way that reminded her of why she had chosen not to care about how Azula felt about her. "And how do you show love?" Azula asked. Ty-lee shook her head lightly. "Just be nice to them!" she offered steadying herself.. "and of course, make sure to kiss them!" she half joked.
"Kiss them? Why?" Azula questioned. Ty-lee rolled her eyes. "Cus it's the best way to tell someone that you love them!" she was kind having fun with this now. It was like the sleep over when they were kids.
"Oh ok." Azula said simply. She reached out with her hand and Ty-lee questioned what she was doing before having her collar grabbed and face pulled forward until her lips crashed against Azula's. It hurt at first and took a seconds awkward repositioning, but after that Azula was definitely kissing her. A single thought went through Ty-lees mind.
'pshgfpqnqpvhpaqwbntpqidhgqbwrnp….wwaaaaattt' was all she could processes as Azula's lips moved around her unmoving set. After a confused moment Azula pulled back. "hmp fine." She said annoyed as she stood to leave. Ty-lee was still frozen in confusion until Azula made it to the door of the shop.
"Wait!" She yelled as she tumbled over the table and leped next to Azula. "What was that!?"
Azula glared at her. "I was doing what you suggested to…express how I felt."
Ty-lee was still confused so very confused. "You…you love me..?"
Azula rolled her eyes annoyed. "Yes Ty-Lee." She said it so matter of factly. Like it was obvious. Her casualness to the whole thing was driving Ty-lee insane. Azula seemed to get more annoyed and tried to go inside but her acrobat jumped in front of her.
"Since when!" Ty-lee shouted. Part of knew that she should just be happy but old wounds had been ripped opened and there was always the chance that Azula was just messing with her, something she would not tolerate again.
Azula raised a questioning eye brow to Ty- lee's anger. "Well technically about 2 minutes ago, when you explained to me what it was." Ty-lee wanted to keep arguing. She wanted to yell but before she did what Azula had said had hit her.
"Wait what do you mean?" She asked.
Azula opened her mouth to answer but stopped to look around. Ty-lee thanked the sprites that that it was a slow day at the shop as no one was there at the moment.
"Affection ...and its parts was never really part of my education during the war." Azula said reluctantly.
Ty-Lee cocked her head in confusion. "But didn't your-" she was going to say family but decided it was not worth it as she mentally went thought the options.
Zuko- She hates him
Father- she hates him and hes too cruel
Mother-no no no don't get into that
"Um didn't Li and Lo teach you about stuff?"
Azula crossed her arms. "No they didn't I had no idea about what those feelings meant until you." she pointed a finger accusingly. "Answered my questions."
Ty-lees jaw dropped. "You...you mean you felt this way all this time and just didn't know what it meant..." her heart was racing. Part of her mind was still desperately trying to push the point that all of this was good news, but the shock had caused torrents to flood her mind and it hurt thinking about all that could have been different.
Azula seemed unfazed by her apparent lovers distress and started to pick at her nails boardly. "Basically, and frankly I'm a little disappointed. When I over heard you saying you loved me last night you made it sound like some big deal." She finished with her nails and proceeded to walk around the dumb struck acrobat. She put her had on the door before glaring back. "And to be honest if that kiss was any indication I don't see what big deal is."
That broke though Ty-lee's fog and she whipped around "We didn't do it right!"
Azula raised a questioning eye brow before Ty-Lee lunged at her. Azula did not move away and let Ty-Lee wrap her arms around her. Settled in her embrace Ty-Lee brought her lips to Azula's
This time Ty-Lee started it and this time it was less awkward, this time she was going to do it right. This time as there lips met Ty-Lee and Azula went together. Azula's tongue met hers and they each went for each other. Ty-Lee's heart leap when she felt Azula's arms wrap around her. They where not moving but it was a start, a wonderful start. The full weight of what was happening hit her and she leaned all the way into her fire bender.
'Mine.' Ty-Lee thought to her self as she felt Azula move backwards. Sure it was kinda of selfish but eh, kissing Azula was really fun and she waited long enough. It wasn't long till suddenly they stopped moving and she her heard the creek of a table sliding across the floor. She felt Azula stop kissing her and she took the opportunity to move to kiss her neck. She kept going until until she felt and heard Azula clear her throat.
She looked up and saw a very red and very confused Azula who was glancing around nervously. Apparently she had pushed Azula through the doors of Jasmin Dragon and it may have been a slow day but there where people there and they where all staring at the two of them, including a surprised Iroh. Azula seemed to be frozen with embarrassment but Ty-Lee just found it hilarious and smiled into Azula's neck. She felt Azula try to pull away but held on tight. She had waited for this for to long as was not gona let go now. Azula glanced down at her and looked her in the eye for a moment before apparently regaining confidence…. And showed it by suddenly grabbing a big hand full of Ty-Lee's left but cheek.
"EEEP!" Ty-lee let out.
"This is mine!" Azula said confidently to the bewildered stares. She tried to look regal but it was Ty-lee's turn to look embarrassed and Azula held her pose until she saw Ty-lees red face.
"is...was that right?" She whispered. Ty-lee opened her mouth to answer but shut it and just smiled brightly. It was a start.