Chapter 3

So…this is love

The young acrobat jolted, her eyes popping open quickly to find the alien darkness of the tent around her, the faint light of the morning sun barely broke through the shadows but it allowed her to see a the hazy outline of things. Her heart was pounding so fast as if she had been awake running laps instead of dreaming. She sighed deeply, it was just a dream.

She lay back calming her muscles once again, trying to get rid of the images of her nightmare. It wasn't very easy and she wasn't known for bravery. Instead she turned over to see her friend sleeping next to her. Azula's quiet breathing was the only thing that showed the princess was still alive, the fire bender hadn't moved in so long. Her quick glance soon became a long stare.

As she watched the princess breathe, suck in air so that she continued to live, Ty Lee's heart skipped a beat. The acrobat's teeth clenched and she forced herself to look away, closing her eyes. Her eyelids squeezed at the surface of her wet eyes causing a tear to fall. She had a boyfriend, she had him, and he was all she needed…or at least that's what she continued to try and convince herself. She had to stop thinking about what could have been and pay attention to what was. And the truth was, she was only Azula's friend no more, hopefully no less.

Her brain is telling her to move on and forget she ever held those feelings but her heart wants to stay in this moment. Because right now, at the crack of dawn before the world dare open its weary eyes, it was just her and the princess. Now, when no one would know but her, she could muster up the courage to call the princess hers.

So putting aside what thoughts her brain had, she listened to her heart. She observed the fire bender with caring eyes and nothing less. Azula, her friend, even though the girl treated her like she was invisible most days, was strong and confident and no matter what if Azula was a princess or a prisoner, single or not, would always be hers. As slowly and quietly as she could she broke the distance between then and pushed one of Azula's strands of hair behind the girl's ear. Maybe in another life, she thought.

The princess stirred before her eyelids pulled back to reveal those shiny gold irises. Before she could see, Ty Lee rolled onto her side pretending nothing happened. Azula yawned before noticing Ty Lee and placed a warm hand on the acrobat's shoulder. "Wake up lazy." The princess mumbled.

She shrugged knowing that she if she did wake up, she'd have to face her boyfriend who she cared for but she just didn't love him. It was just another random guy who she thought looked somewhat presentable, certainly no one who could replace Azula. She sat up frowning. "I'm not lazy."

"Sure whatever, Ty Lee." Azula said and the acrobat could tell there was a hint of a smile on the fire bender's face.

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Breakfast…never seemed so annoying. The soldiers had sent up small tables in the center of the camp so they didn't have to sit on the ground, she'd rather eat on the ground if it meant saving her eyes of the horrid display.

She was sitting on the furthest table next to a bunch of stinky smelly guards but even that didn't seem so bad. The acrobat had not sat across from her like normal instead she was at another table sitting next to her new "man candy" smiling at the boy as if no one else existed. Ty Lee sat there giving someone else her attention not caring at all whether Azula was alive or not, when just the other day Ty Lee acted that way towards her. It should have been her sitting there absorbing the many compliments not some low life guard.

It only got worse. His arm was wrapped around Ty Lee's shoulders, claiming his glorious prize which he was in no way worthy to have. The both of them just sat there laughing up a storm with no worries in the world, while she sat there ignored and alone. Suddenly she felt her appetite had vanished. She couldn't help but continue to think that it should be her in his place.

No matter how many times she told herself, she knew that it wouldn't happen. That goal was simply impossible. Ty Lee liked guys and there was no way around that. There were no clever words she could say to make the acrobat think otherwise. Ty Lee would never and nor does she want to in any way, want to the princess, all because Azula wasn't born a boy. The burning hatred in her starts to take over and her hands curl into fists. She was shut out completely and she couldn't even have a chance.

But him, that smiling idiot who probably doesn't even love her gets a chance? He gets the right to call Ty Lee his girlfriend and show her the love he doesn't have for her in public? It wasn't fair and it wasn't right! Why should he be able to have her property?

Sure it was true that she never treated Ty Lee very well and it was because of this! She couldn't stand it. Wouldn't Ty Lee ever notice that it wasn't any of her boyfriends' attention she wanted, it was Azula's? The acrobat was blind to the great opportunity placed before and there was nothing Azula could do to make Ty Lee notice that. So she was forced to sit there and watch what should have been hers.

What the hell was her deal anyway? Why was she so upset to see Ty Lee with her boyfriend in the first place? She should have been happy, grateful, now the annoying acrobat was busy bothering someone else. Why all of the sudden did she actually care about Ty Lee's attention? There was no reason why she should be upset. It wasn't like she liked Ty Lee more than a friend, nothing more…right?

Then just for a split second but that was all the princess needed, Ty Lee's gaze wandered over to her. Ty Lee's wide gray eyes never held so many secrets before. That look, she could tell in that instant, was different than all the others she'd received. There was something hidden behind those glossy irises, some secret longing. Could it be…? No, there was just no way.

Unable to bear it any longer the Princess of Fire stood up and walked away needing a moment to try and compose herself before she fell to pieces.

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Azula let out a deep breath as she paced back and forth on a hill about three miles away from the camp, far from Ty Lee. She was trying to short through this conflict in her, or at least trying to figure out what it was and what was causing it. She had to because it was never good to have inner turmoil, especially if you wanted to produce lightning.

She hated them. As individuals she found they were nice people, but them together as boyfriend and girlfriend, she hated their guts. Oh all the many ways she loathed him for taking Ty Lee, her Ty Lee, away from her. One second she was the most important thing on Ty Lee's mind and now that he showed up, it was like she didn't exist and she couldn't stand it. The only thing she wanted was to have Ty Lee's attention back on her, wanted, needed, those adorable gray eyes staring at her like she was the only person alive.

What did Ty Lee possibly see in this guy? Compared to her he was nothing! His eyes were bland and boring, hers were provocative and thrilling. Who preferred dirt colored fur for hair compared to inky black lush? Ty Lee already liked her smile better than anyone's! And as for the rest of her body, she won by far. So why Ty Lee wasted her time with that idiot was beyond her.

She couldn't believe it. She was jealous. But if she was jealous that meant…oh spirits…she couldn't…she couldn't possibly be, it all made sense now, especially this bizarre alien emotion which until now she hadn't noticed.

So…this is what love feels like. She blinked still not sure what to do at the moment.Okay so she was a little jealous at first. Okay she really, really about ready to kill someone kind of jealous. So what, it was a natural thing right? Natural to want to kill you're best friend's boyfriend because you want you're best friend all to yourself. Spirits, was she so desperate she was falling for Ty Lee? No, no one was desperate when they fell for a girl like Ty Lee. They were crazy.

But damn it she couldn't help it! Ty Lee was just urrgh there was no words yet so many that could explain it. If Azula was a cake Ty Lee would be the sweet frosting, and spirits knew how much she loved eating frosting. They were perfect together, aggression goes with sympathy right? Anger with cheerfulness? She still couldn't believe this was Ty Lee she was thinking about.

The only thing she couldn't stop wondering about was how right the fortuneteller was. She'd realized the truth when she was consumed in jealousy. She jealous of Ty Lee's boyfriend that was for sure, and the truth, well…she was in love…with Ty Lee. How unexpected was that?

This felt so odd, but it felt good to know what was happening to her. Felt good to know the cause that made her feel like she was loosing her mind for the past few days. Love, she never thought she'd see the day she'd be hit by it. Well now that she figured out what was going on, she decided she'd better get back to living life right? That's was people with crushes normally did right? Just continue to do normal stuff. Wow, this was really new, she had no idea what to do with herself.

Thank the spirits Ty Lee wasn't in there while she was shorting through all of this. Azula rubbed her forehead tiredly. Again this…love…was making her feel a bit uneasy. How did her hair look? Did she have good breath? Was there any dirt on her shoes? She didn't like feeling unconfident because that was just something she didn't do. But out of all of her abilities, fighting off love wasn't one of her talents. No love was a new enemy with weapons she'll never be able to fight.

Trying to feel as confident as she possibly could, she decided it was best to head back before (if) anyone worried about her. She had no idea how her eyes pulled it off but they targeted Ty Lee the second she turned around. There she was, the acrobat, making her way up the hill alone.

Ty Lee struck her as if someone physically hit her, she stood there mouth slightly open, her steady legs suddenly turned to jelly, and an unfamiliar tingling came from deep inside her stomach. A rush of pure happy poured into her veins and she felt weightless for a moment.

It was probably her because Ty Lee looked angelic as the sunlight bathed over her. That wide smile the acrobat usually wore really stood out for once. And those wide big gray eyes, seemed a little intimidating for once. Ty Lee's gaze came straight at her, Azula became paralyzed. Ty Lee looked at her hundreds of times, but never in a way it made Azula feel so, helpless. The acrobat waved quickly and ran over to her. Oh spirits…she's coming over to me. Whoa what do I do? She started to panic.

The pink wearing girl came over to her and wrapped one of her arms around the princess' neck and squeezed slightly. Azula's cheeks started burning from the rush of euphoria. Just look at the ground, just look down. Think down. Too late her eyes were already glued to Ty Lee's perfect face. The muscles in her neck jerked and she moved forward. At last second she swerved to right and her lips met Ty Lee's cheek saving her from kissing the girl on the mouth. Now if she could tear her lips from the girl's cheek-,

She pulled away quickly a stupid look on her face. "What was that for?" Ty Lee chuckled.

"Uh…." Say something you don't want her to think you're retarded! "I don't know, I just felt like it?" she answered to the best of her ability.

"Are you…okay?" Ty Lee wondered not too sure, Azula was acting a bit weird.

"I'm fine." The princess squeaked.

"Okay." Ty Lee nodded and let go of Azula's neck and turned to the wide fields. The moment Ty Lee couldn't see her she slapped her forehead. Such an idiot! If this was love, she could tell the two of them weren't going to get along very well.