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COSMIC

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At a sleepover shortly after the bonfire on Ember Island, Ty Lee lays out on Azula's bed tiles with images and styled characters on them giving titles and words. Azula cannot help but faintly sneer at the excitement of her closest friend.

She had a slightly different idea of how this night on their mandatory vacation to Ember Island would go. After the bonfire, jealousy and anger transformed into something flirtatious and delicate and Azula would rather explore that intriguing development than silly superstition.

Ty Lee bats her eyelashes. "Do you wanna know what the cosmic cards say your future is, princess?"

Azula takes a breath. She gives Ty Lee a truly devastating and superior look that makes Ty Lee sweat like a cat on a pyre. Ty Lee weakly smiles, trying to shrug off how nervous she is.

Then Azula leans in close. Their hot breath intermingles in the thin layer of hot summer air between them.

"Fine. I am bored and therefore I shall indulge you, but this better be worth it." Azula leans back and sits on the tacky bed as if it is a throne.

Ty Lee breathes in and out. She knows she is about to take a risk that could get her killed but she cannot help herself. She desperately needs to figure out where she and Azula stand without directly asking.

"Uh, I'll shuffle them and you grab three tiles."

They go through those motions.

A tile for victory, a tile for betrayal, a tile for downfall. Ty Lee does not know how to make that flirtatious.

And so, with true terror and apprehension gripping her heart, Ty Lee says cheerily, "This card means you're beautiful. This card means you're a lesbian. This card means you should go on a date with me. Oh wow! The cosmos are so mysterious and surprising, aren't they?" Ty Lee shoots a goofy smile in Azula's direction.

"You're lucky I think you're funny or you'd be on the other side of a lightning bolt right now."

Ty Lee giggles.

Azula rises and closes the door.

"Mai and Zuko cannot know what I am about to do," says Azula. She trembles but tries to look as strong and confident as she always is.

She leans down and kisses Ty Lee forcefully on the lips.

"Azula?"

"I can tear down empires and challenge the greatest foes, but I doubt I stand a chance against my cosmic destiny." Azula smirks and sinks down to the floor to straddle her best friend.

They never tell Mai and Zuko.

And Ty Lee never tells Azula what those cosmic tiles really said.