(Theme Forty-Six) Awkward Tent Sharing

(As Prompted By) GuitarBOSS

Mai stares at the canvas tarp above her and seriously contemplates sleeping outside in the dirt. Or maybe she could commandeer one of the tents the multitude of soldiers accompanying them back from the failed drill attempt are sleeping in. That is always an option, instead of sleeping with Azula and Ty Lee in this cramped space, the level of sexual tension possible to cut with a knife.

What if they start touching each other? They would. They completely would. Mai thought she escaped this when Ozai called them back from chasing after Zuko to assault Ba Sing Se. If only they could travel all night and reach the ship they are taking back home...

Ty Lee bursts into the tent and Mai pretends to be asleep. But her pretend slumber is quickly interrupted by Ty Lee shaking her shoulders.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Mai announces, escaping Ty Lee's grip.

"She's super pissed," Ty Lee whispers as if Mai does not know. "She made War Minister Ching cry. I'm so scared right now. Let's make a break for it."

"It's not like it's our fault." Pause. "You know why I'm displeased about the sleeping arrangements?"

"Because I have never seen her this angry before ever?" Ty Lee breathes, glancing over her shoulder with her eyes wide. She looks kind of like a terrified flutter bat and Mai finds it mildly amusing.

"Because I completely noticed those longing, lustful gazes while you two were changing your clothes." Pause. "After dousing me in wall sludge juice... Azula hitting me with a rock was completely on purpose. But I digress. Please just have sex with each other and get it over with." Pause. "But, obviously not while we're sharing a tent. I don't think I could handle that."

"I was not gazing at her lustfully," Ty Lee snaps and Mai just shrugs. "It's not my fault that she looks really good with her clothes off. It's your fault that you can't appreciate it."

"This almost physically pains me. Another awkward night with your hormones," Mai groans as Ty Lee scowls and the tent rips open with a force that makes Mai and Ty Lee jump, hearts speeding up for a flicker of a second.

"I'm going to sleep," Azula declares regally, lying down without even getting into her sleeping bag. She does not look remotely well and Mai thinks perhaps she will be spared the discomfort of her two friends.

Mai manages to fall asleep despite the tensions in the camp. The failure at Ba Sing Se was humiliating, and likely they will all be punished.

But Mai flutters awake in the middle of the night, her eyes sore. Her nightmare was horrible and she moves to get up and find water. But she slowly lies back down, thankfully unnoticed. But she is thirsty; so thirsty she would cut off someone's finger for a glass of water.

This is the most awkward scenario of Mai's entire life. She lies very still, and looks only with her eyes at her friends knotted together. Their clothes are completely on, which Mai is glad of, but their lips are hooked together. With tongues. Ugh. Really? Tongues?

Mai closes her eyes and tries to ignore her crippling thirst. She is a soldier and she can handle it. Azula moans and Mai sits up quickly, and both of them jump apart like two cats fighting who have been caught by their owner.

"I'm going to go get water now," Mai says, bolting out of the tent wordlessly and not returning that night.

She does not think she will ever recover from this.

How far would this have gone without her waking up and interrupting them?

Mai just shivers and drinks a second cup of water.