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Daddy
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Azula wakes from the same nightmare again. Directly after her infant daughter started sleeping through the night, she starts having the night terrors again. Perhaps Azula is not destined to sleep.
She feels cold sweat dry on her skin and give her chills. For a moment, she feels oddly self-conscious; she wonders if Ty Lee can feel the soaked sheets. She turns over, having no desire to get up.
She then turns to face Ty Lee again, because she does not like it when she imagines the breath on her neck to be someone else.
"Azula," Ty Lee murmurs. "Why are you up?"
"No reason," Azula whispers. "About nothing that should concern you, sweetheart."
Ty Lee frowns.
"Are you mad at me? You were mad at me for hours and I thought maybe you were over it," Ty Lee says quietly.
"I am not," Azula says.
"I talked to your brother."
"Why?" Azula snaps, sitting up straight.
"He said he felt scared about some stuff with Izumi. I understand why you don't want to give her a bath and I'm not—"
"No. You don't understand."
"Yes. I do." Ty Lee closes her eyes. "Maybe I don't. I just hear about it. Are those rumors true? You don't have to say it." She holds out her hand and touches Azula's fingers to it. "Trace yes, trace no. I would never tell anybody. I keep your secrets and you keep mine. That's how we work."
Azula's heart races like she is in the middle of an Agni Kai. She thinks she might vomit; she gags. But she is no coward, so she traces yes.
Ty Lee is silent.
"I know that you're not him, even though everybody says you are, but I promise I will never let you feel uncomfortable again."
"You can protect me from our daughter but you can't protect me from my head."
"I wish I could. I always have wished I could."
Azula pretends to sleep.
Ty Lee takes her into her arms and does not let go.
Princess Azula has never felt so safe.