Omashu

33. Snow

The snow in Azula's hair is one of the prettiest things Ty Lee has ever seen in her entire life. The way it rests against the raven locks, the way it caresses her ivory skin for a moment before melting and rolling from her skin. The way Azula looks at it has if it has come from some other realm.

"Ty Lee, shield me from this horrid ice," Azula snaps and Ty Lee moves to her, wrapping an arm around her waist and holding canvas over her as they continue walking into the fortress where they will be spending the night before they go pick up Mai in Omashu. "Palanquin bearers are pathetic."

"They are," Ty Lee says dreamily, although she has never been in a palanquin. She makes a note to herself that she will beg and plead Azula to let her ride in one someday.

So long as they can fix their relationship. Hot tea is handed to them quickly, as well as the nicest blankets in the entire fortress. Azula leans back with her eyes partially closed, and Ty Lee looks at her again.

Dazed, Ty Lee reaches forward and gently brushes the snow from Azula's hair.

The princess smiles faintly, but says nothing.

I love you, I love you, I love you, Ty Lee wants to scream. I love when the sun shines on you and when the snow falls on you and I would love you if you were soaked with rain. I love you, I love you, I love you.

But she is silent as she quickly makes the princess's tea how she likes it so that Azula does not cause a scene when she opens her eyes.

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34. Portrait

"That's a nice portrait," Ty Lee says as she tries to make the situation less uncomfortable. They are waiting to go to the hostage negotiation for Mai's brother and Azula is catching up with Mai.

She is looking at the haphazard additions of Fire Nation memorabilia over what once was the Earth Kingdom. Ty Lee thinks she likes seeing her nation dominate all of the rest.

It makes Ty Lee angry deep inside of her that Azula was so cold to her, but is so willing to be friendly (well, as friendly as Azula gets) with Mai. Ty Lee was shown Azula's special hiding place. Ty Lee and Azula were the close ones.

Something has changed, and Ty Lee does not know what.

No one heard Ty Lee when she commented on the portrait, so she pretends that she did not say anything at all.

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35. Cowardice

Azula does not ask if Mai and Ty Lee are alright, but Ty Lee does notice that Azula pulls her to her feet and abandons Mai to help her own self up.

They look at each other for a moment, and Ty Lee thinks she may kiss Azula, but she changes her mind.

Ty Lee is too much of a coward. Ty Lee is too afraid of rejection.

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36. Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones

Ty Lee is sore as she sits on Mai's bed, gently massaging her bruises and using her knowledge of chi and reiki to alleviate her pain. Azula is pacing and making notes on maps and in one of those manic episodes where Ty Lee and Mai give her space to work through her thoughts.

She is so much smarter than them, Ty Lee knows.

Mai takes off her shirt at Ty Lee's request, and the touch of Ty Lee's warm skin makes the pain fade much more quickly. Ty Lee intends to heal herself afterwards, but she is interrupted.

"What are you doing?" Azula snaps, clearly out of her own little world now. "What? What?"

Ty Lee is speechless as Mai puts back on her shirt.

"She was using pressure points to help with my sore body. Since the Avatar's bison kind of pushed us about twenty feet off of a ledge," Mai says sharply before exiting the room.

"Why does that bother you, Azula?" Ty Lee asks and Azula licks her lips. For the first time, Ty Lee can see that Azula is trying to think of a lie. It feels strange.

"I'm just uninterested in your love life. It is a distraction."

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37. But Words Will Never Hurt Me

Ty Lee realizes what Azula meant in the dead of the night.

It is a distraction. Azula was not talking about Mai. She was talking about Ty Lee.

Azula is being cold to Ty Lee because she is afraid of what might happen.

Ty Lee smiles into her pillow, even if that is a bit of a bad thing.

AN: Sorry for the small amount of drabbles in this chapter. I graduated from high school two days ago and had my hands super full, and this was all I had typed up. I promise to post a longer collection or even a short story on Friday.