.17. Firstborn

"How far do you think we need to get away?" Ty Lee asks.

"I don't know. I've never done this before either," Azula replies, slipping around the corner.

They sneak through the shadowy corridors of the palace. They try to escape the bedroom of their firstborn child, while also avoiding the other occupants, and waking up Zuko's firstborn child, or generally making any other noise.

No one has slept in ages.

This seems even riskier.

"Well, I don't want to start a chain of screaming and stuff," Ty Lee hisses, rounding a corner away from the bedrooms. Now they just have to avoid getting seen by any guards or servants. "What do we do if that happens?"

"I also have no idea," Azula says. She stops. "How do you feel about dust?"

Ty Lee shrugs.

"Better than nothing, right?" She actually means that.

What has parenthood done to this family? What? It is horrifying.

They make it to an abandoned room. Perfect. Thank the spirits for an ill-kept palace, and double thank the spirits for Zuko not caring enough to do anything about it other than close off entire corridors.

The seating inside is nigh vacant, but there is a floor.

That seems good enough. Neither woman protests, at least.

What has parenthood done to this family? What? It is disheartening.

They kneel on the floor. Azula's leg bones crack and she again feels the panic that comes with age. And spirits does a child age you.

Ty Lee erases her thoughts when she slowly slips her hand inside of the soft undershirt she is wearing beneath the hastily wrapped-on robe and caresses Azula's rib with her cold hand. She takes a deeb breath and her stomach contracts under her wife's touch.

Azula strokes her hair with her hand. Slowly, oh so slowly, as if her perfect body stretched for miles, Ty Lee slides her hand up her shirt, grazing her breasts with her knuckles, then her fingertips.

They can hear each other's breathing intertwine. They feel joined at the breath.

Ty Lee kisses Azula's neck, her shoulders, raise her shirt further and removing it to taste the places her hands had been.

Azula coughs from the dust.

Ty Lee can't stop laughing when she pulls away.

Azula clamps her hand over Ty Lee's mouth and they both topple to the dusty floor.

"Do not wake our terrible family," Azula hisses in her ear.

Ty Lee laughs harder, although in forced silence.