PRETENDER
Ty Lee began to wonder if Azula was only pretending. If Azula only pretended to like being with her, if she had some kind of ulterior motives that Ty Lee could not quite figure out. Ty Lee wished she was smarter, clever and manipulative like her girlfriend was so she could figure this problem out.
They were walking - hand in hand since no one could see them - through the beautiful palace gardens that once belonged to Ursa. Zuko made a point to grow them back after he became Fire Lord; Ozai let them fall into decay due to loathing of his wife.
Azula kissed Ty Lee's cheek, and then drifted her lips to her mouth. Ty Lee leaned closer to her as they wove their way back towards the tall rose bushes.
"Don't let the thorns prick you," said Azula softly as she started to undress her girlfriend.
They ended up on the grass, half naked and tearing at each other, biting and sucking and Ty Lee moaned.
"I love you," she cried out.
"Quiet. The gardeners will hear us," Azula whispered.
They returned to their tryst and Ty Lee hoped none of this was false affection.
Then again, it would still be pleasurable if it was.
SELFISH
"Our relationship is just physical, isn't it?" whispered Ty Lee, eyes downcast.
Azula never saw her look so sad, so defeated, even at the Boiling Rock.
"Of course not. I love to spend time with you," said Azula. "You mean something to me, and no one else does. I would set the world on fire and not let a flame touch you."
Ty Lee could not help but smile. "I love you too."
"I never said…" Azula trailed off and changed the subject.
MEMORIES
Sitting on the floor in the Fire Nation palace, sipping tea with her best friend in the whole wide world, Ty Lee asked an important question.
"Do you ever wonder if you're in love with the memories and not the person?" Ty Lee asked Mai.
"That was one of the reasons I left Zuko more than once. I loved the memories, not him. But when we made new memories, I did fall in love with the person. That's why we're together now," said Mai. "So tell me, do you like the new memories you make with Azula, or not?"
Ty Lee opened her mouth to speak but Azula walked in. Mai did nothing to hide that they were talking about her and it made the princess narrow her eyes.
"What is going on here?" Azula demanded.
"None of your business," said Mai and Azula clenched her fists.
Ty Lee leapt up. "I was just telling Mai how much I love you, princess, and she was making fun of me for how in love with you I am."
Ty Lee batted her eyelashes.
Azula felt like this was the moment. Maybe this was the stupid, small, but right time to say she loved Ty Lee.
Instead, she shrugged.
"I hope you are telling the truth."
