So this is the final part. I'm torn on whether or not it seems abrupt. But at the same time, I feel like any more chapters would be needlessly drawing the fic out. So feel free to give me some feedback there. A huge thank you to everyone who read and enjoyed this fic, I had a lot of fun with it. :)
gemsofformenos:
"It seems that they are working on a new spam filter or something like this and have turned off the notifications at PM's for this. Don't know if this is true or not, but I'm disappointed that if this should be the truth, that there is no information on the main page..." That could be it, I'm not sure though. Sometimes I get notifications for new PM's and other times I don't.
"Very strong chapter! My favorite I think." Thank you. :) I'm rather fond of it myself. Though I still think I like the first chapter the most; I tend to like my first chapters the most lol. "You detailed description of emotions, dresses and locatuons here is well balanced in my opinion and so vivid." Thanks again! I find that high school AU's don't offer as many opportunities to describe scenery so I tried to take my chance when I got it. "I also love how you start to bring the plot around Azula and her face to a closure. Such a strong choise to let her wait to check her face until now." I feel like Azula would either rip the band-aid on something like that or really just draw it out until she can't anymore. Which is why when she finally saw it she kind of just broke down a bit. It's kind of that moment where reality really sets in. "Also perfect and so comforting, heart-warming and wonderful how Katara restores her confident." Which is (like you said) exactly why a kind word or two is so important. It isn't particularly easy for her, but Katara's compliments give her the boost she needs. "Wonderful to see, that Azula starts to feel happy again. You have written this moment with Katara so wonderful, the affection, the acceptance (from Azula) for this moment, this trust and love in it. Really great. Keep on having fun with your stories." Both women have earned their happy, fluffy moment that's for sure. And thank you again! Until the next fic...though I'm not sure what it's going to be yet lol. I might just do a couple of one shots for now so I can enjoy my Christmas break.
Katara doesn't see much of Azula for the next few weeks. With her lawsuit in full swing, she only gets to see the girl in class and only gets to have real conversations with her during lunch, that is if she is in school at all. A good handful of her court dates seem to take place during school hours. When she does have a day off, she spends it catching up on home and classwork. Katara feels awful for her, she doesn't seem to have any breaks. Not that it seems to bother her, she has mentioned once or twice that it helps keep her mind off of things to be bogged down with assignments.
And, for what it's worth, the trials are going flawlessly. Between her own testimonies and those of her former surgone's, Katara doubts that Kho has a chance.
Azula sits down next to her and hands her a brownie. It smells heavenly and looks just as amazing. She has topped it with a strawberry and a zigzag of chocolate syrup. Katara gives it a taste, finding that the flavor is absolutely rich. "I didn't realize that you were so good at cooking."
"I have many talents." Azula shrugs. "Hidden or otherwise." She smiles, and this time the smile reaches the right side of her face too. It doesn't seem to span as wide, but it is reassuring all the same. She can only imagine how thrilling that it must be for Azula.
She takes Azula's hand, "is everything still going well with the trials."
"Very." Azula confirms. "We'll be wrapping them up by the end of the week. And once I win I plan on celebrating with a trip to the mall. I promised that I'd buy TyLee a certain dress. She doesn't know it yet…"
"Why are you suing him if you can already pay for the damages yourself?" Chan asks upon sitting down.
"Spite." Mai answers for her. "A good old fashion vendetta. I admire that."
Yue drops into her chair next. She looks Azula over, "I think that your face looks less fucked up today." She comments.
Katara has never seen her girlfriend look less amused.
"Like, that was a compliment." Yue says.
"You have a way with words." Azula grumbles.
"I'm like one of those old guys that writes poetry. What are they called?"
Katara catches Toph giving her a thumbs up across the table, she can't imagine why.
Azula inhales deeply and casts an almost pleading look at Katara.
"Poets." Katara replies. "They're called poets."
Yue bursts out laughing. "Oh you guys should see the looks on your faces!"
"Does that mean that you know what a poet is?" Suki asks.
Yue nods, "Toph said that it would be funny to pretend like I didn't."
"And you thought that it would be a good idea to lead into that by insulting Azula's face?" Chan asks.
Azula gives a dismissive wave. "She hurt herself too."
"I did not."
"Yue, you just found out that we all think you really are that airheaded." Katara pointed out.
"Oh." She says softly. "Oh…"
"Wo-ow" Chan rolls his eyes.
Katara chuckles to herself. She wonders what she would have had to say about this a year prior. She can't imagine that a younger her would have ever anticipated sitting at a table with this clique-with Yue-muchless, having a pleasant conversation with her. She couldn't have predicted it any more than she would have guessed than Azula would be giving her little handmade gifts. Azula, who she had kind of just assumed was just like every other arrogant rich girl in the school. Katara supposes that maybe she had been, at least to a degree…
.oOo.
Katara wears a look, a distant one that Azula has trouble interpreting. "What are you thinking about?" She asks.
"Just that it's kind of weird to be sitting here."
Azula tilts her head but TyLee is the one who poses the question, "what do you mean, you fit in just fine."
"No, no, I mean…" She pauses, what does she mean? "I just didn't think that you guys would think that I'm...cool."
Another burst of laughter from Yue, followed by an, "oh, no, don't get any of us wrong, you're still a major dork." She pauses. "Like that key chain you always carry around with you and that dumb dolphin notebook...dork stuff. All of it. And only nerds like science and outer space."
Azula opens her mouth.
"Oh, you were under the impression that we didn't think you were also a dork this whole time." She gives it a moment to sink in. "Yeah, even before the surgeries...total…" she jabs her finger against Azula's forehead. "Geek."
"I hate you." Azula grumbles.
"Tell her, Chan!" Yue exclaims.
He rubs the back of his head, "yeah, you're pretty much a dork." He seems to consider for a moment. "But with style and personality."
Azula looks at TyLee who remains quiet. "You think so to don't you?"
TyLee nuzzles her cheek against Azula's. "Yeah, just a little."
"Why didn't you tell me?" She asks stiffly.
"Because you're kind of scary." Mai shrugs. Even she laughs, "geez, you look so victimized right now."
"I'm just trying to eat my lunch and you're telling me that I've been a nerd this whole time." Azula replies.
"Correct." Yue nods.
"But you're a cool nerd." Toph punches her bicep.
"This whole time…" Azula whispers to herself. This whole time and yet they had treated her like she belonged. Like she was the leader of their posse. She looks to Katara.
"They're your friends." Katara shrugs. "And they're all like you."
"This is what we've been trying to tell you." Chan says. "We didn't keep you around because you had looks and money. We talk to you because you're you. I don't think that I've met anyone quite like you before."
Suddenly the jesting gives way to something less entertaining. "Is that a good thing?"
"You get all of these straight A's but, Jesus, you're clueless about people." Mai replies.
"It's a good thing." TyLee smiles.
Azula's smile is significantly more sheepish when it comes back, "I suppose that that's good to know."
"Sounds like things are getting deep and gushy over here." Jet remarks. "Christ, I leave for a few weeks and all of you hop aboard the dweeb train. And you're trying to make it sound cute and quirky."
"Fuck off, Jet." Chan grumbles.
"I guess, with a face like that you have to settle for mediocre." Jet eyes Katara.
"I'm not dating you." Azula tries to raise a brow, momentarily forgetting that she can no longer do so. Instead she quirks the left one.
"Yeah, but I bought you a gift anyways." He drops a doll onto the table and turns it over. The plastic is gashed and beaten; clearly the boy had taken a screwdriver and possibly a hammer to its face. "Just thought I'd give you a doll that looks like you, we're all about inclusivity here, right lads?" He asks of his new gang.
Azula takes the mutilated doll, almost feeling sorry for it.
"So what's worse?" He asks Smellerbee, "plastic or broken plastic."
"It's all fake, Jet. At least when it's not broken, it looks good." Smellerbee shrugs.
Chan rises, but Azula holds him in place. "I can speak for myself, Chan."
"Then do it?" Yue says.
"I could." Azula replies. "I could remind Jet that he used to shove crayons up his own nose when he got mad. I could remind him that I remember every secret he shared when we were kids."
He goes tense.
"And the ones he told me last year." She turns to Smellerbee. "Has he shown you this picture yet?" She scrolls through her phone and finds the image she'd taken when they had gone to the beach that summer. "My dad had to drive into town and buy him new trunks because he couldn't seem to find his."
Azula thinks that the color in his face is in equal parts anger and humiliation. She digs through her shoulder bag and pulls out a red crayon. She holds it out to him, "you look pretty angry."
.oOo.
Toph is still laughing as they wander down the hallway, her face red with it. Occasionally she slaps a locker in delight. Not that Katara isn't feeling exactly the same. To know that Jet is probably feeling exactly as sick as he made her feel during homecoming.
She wonders how he had forgotten that he had told Azula so many embarrassing things about himself…
She can't help but feel somewhat sad. Dreary at the realization that he and Azula had been that close at one point. That they had been friends since they were children young enough to do ridiculous things like shove crayons into their noses in protest.
"It kind of sucks, doesn't it?"
"What?" Toph asks.
"That he used to be just another silly kid and now look at him."
"Don't get all sappy on me now, Katara!" Toph declares. "We just had a great victory."
"Yeah...I guess."
"And you're going to have another one in a few hours!"
It takes her a moment to realize that Toph is referring to the astronomy club. She spends the next several hours crossing her fingers and shooting silent prayers. She is jittery and antsy when she arrives in the classroom after hours. Azula slips into the chair next to her. "Nervous?"
Katara nods.
"Don't be."
Katara swallows. But how can she not be. This is her entire future. Her best opportunity to help bring her family out of a tight spot.
Pathik, awkward as ever stumbles before the whiteboard. He haphazardly lays down an arm full of papers and certificates. "So glad that you can all be here for our last meeting before winter break. This year, has been the most impressive yet. There are more faces here today than I've ever seen in this club. It's wonderful to see so many people enthusiastic about the mysteries of our galaxy." He pauses. "There have been so many grand achievements this year. We have people who didn't know a lick about astronomy suddenly passing my class with perfect test scores." He holds up a slip of paper and a hand held telescope with a painted silver moon. "Improvement like that is just as important as those who had straight A's from the start." He makes his way to Yue's desk and sets the certificate and telescope in front of her. "After I announce the honorable mentions and winners of our NIR-Ex trip and scholarship, we'll celebrate you achievement by going moon gazing!"
Yue's face lights up.
He leans towards Yue and says quieter, "you and I both know that you have a brilliant mind, you ought to show it to people."
He makes his way back to the front of the classroom. "It truly was hard to choose the winner of the scholarship and NIR-Ex trip. I have two pupils who are just as worthy. That is why I pushed for a double prize. NIR-Ex labs has been kind enough to allow two people to attend. Unfortunately, there will be only one recipient of the Lake Laogai scholarship."
Katara feels her face grow clammy. "Azula and Katara, I am pleased to tell you that your next date will be at NIR-Ex."
Katara rolls her eyes at the smoochy faces Yue and Sneers make as she and Azula walk to the front of the classroom.
"The two of you have been stellar pupils!" Pathik declares. "Absolute stars!"
Katara can't even count the number of eye rolls that has earned him.
"I truly do wish that I could pick both of you." He pauses. "Congratulations Azula..."
Katara's stomach reels. She wants to be happy for her girlfriend...she truly does. But she feels sick to her stomach. Nauseous as she smiles at Azula and pulls her into a congratulatory hug. Nauseous as she breaks the news to her mother and father.
She tells them not to be spiteful towards Azula when she brings her over next.
.oOo.
"Can I talk to you about something?" Azula asks. There is a tension in the air and it makes her uncomfortable. She hasn't seen Katara since winter break began and it is beginning to eat away at her. "There's a gazebo in the park if you want to meet there." She doesn't tell Katara that she is already sitting there. She just hopes that the other girl will show up.
Her hands tremble and it is not entirely the fault of the frosty gusts that rattle the gazebo. Azula fidgets with the garland that lines the gazebo railing a shimmer of silver and gold.
"Hey." Katara greets. Her eyes look puffy and forlorn.
Azula adjusts her hat and returns the greeting.
"What did you want to talk about?"
She pats the spot on the bench next to her and Katara sits. "A few things."
"I'm not mad at you." Katara says quickly. "You worked really hard for that scholarship."
"Yes." Azula replies. "But I can pay the tuition in full…" She trails off. "I can't give you the scholarship, but I can give you this." She slides Katara an envelope.
"Azula…" She trails off. "I can't take this."
"Then pretend like Kho is paying for it...technically he is." She shrugs.
"But this is your compensation."
Azula shrugs. "Father takes care of me well enough."
Azula has never seen such a wide smile on any one person's face. That hopeful and excited glimmer in Katara's eyes as she pulls her into what is probably the tightest hug that she has ever received is a gift. "I was going to wait until Christmas but I didn't want you to mope around for our entire break. It would have been bothersome."
"I love you too, Azula." Katara chuckles. She wipes at her eye. "What else did you have to tell me?"
Azula takes a deep breath. "I'm going to get it fixed."
Katara cocks her head.
She gestures to her face. "I talked to my old surgone, he does medical surgeries too. It won't happen for at least a year, but I'm going to have some reversal surgery."
"Azula." Katara's brows scrunch. "I thought that you were going to try to…"
"I am trying to accept myself." Azula replies. "That's why I'm having him bring my face back, my old face. Before the first surgeries." She pauses. "It's not a cosmetic thing this time. It's…" she thinks for a moment, "it's like having your face fixed after a bad car accident. He says that correcting some of the damaged facial structures will give me more movement again."
Katara nods, seeming to accept the explanation, but she isn't quite done. "He says that the surgery won't remove the scars and some of the lumps might still be there. That I can get a cosmetic procedure done to have those fixed…"
"Are you going to?"
Azula shakes her head. "Just the one that will help me get more movement in my face. I don't mind the scars."
"Or the lumps?"
"Those bother me." She confesses. "But I suppose that I'll get over it. If Zuzu can get over whatever is going on with his face, I can do the same."
"Really?" Katara laughs. "You're bringing him into this one."
"I'll insult him at every opportunity, it's what the two of us do." She pauses. "And I have to make the most of it because he's moving in with mother this summer. He says that his dream college is closer to her home."
"Why does he want to go to school so far away?"
"Uncle teaches there." She replies. "Culinary arts."
Katara nods.
"Anyways, I'm staying because there has to be at least one 'wild hormonal teenage nightmare' to drive father mad...and make sure he keeps going to his therapy appointments." She pauses. "Oh and there also might be someone else worth sticking around for."
"He's not angry with you for not getting the surgery?"
"I think that he might be a little disappointed, but that's not his call and he knows it." Azula pauses. "Mother is proud though."
Katara smiles, "so you fixed things with her then?"
"It's a work in progress."
Katara nods. After a few moments of silence she speaks again,
"I'm glad that you're sticking around. I don't know if I can tolerate Yue without you."
"Of course not." Azula tucks her bangs behind her ears.
"I guess things are going to be different next year…" Katara gazes up at the ceiling of the gazebo.
"Things are going to be different after winter break." She shrugs. "Hopefully this time they'll be a good different. " Katara leans into her and Azula strokes the top of her head.
"You're wearing gloves this time." Katara notes. "I think that they will be...a good different, I mean."