(Theme Seventy-Two) "Shut Up and Dance" - Walk the Moon

(As Prompted By) astraphobic kisses


[first trimester]


Azula is trying not to be angry about Ty Lee keeping her awake. She has subjected her long distance girlfriend to copious sleepless nights, but Azula must admit she has much more tolerance for her own actions than the actions of others. It has been three weeks since they dealt with Zei Goto, and now the fact that Ty Lee is actually pregnant has become much, much more obvious and real to everyone.

During their talk about their future, Azula said she wanted to help parent this baby. "Not as a mother," she said, "as a... fun aunt who also helps out."

Ty Lee did not protest to that, seeing as it is not Azula's baby. The offer to move into the palace and have a bastard child between a mercenary and drifter raised with the same luxuries as a prince or princess is a gift Ty Lee would never refuse. Not to mention she is quite liking living with Azula instead of waiting months to see her again.

Even if now Azula and Ty Lee have realized just how difficult it truly is to live with each other. But, they both shut up and accept the little quirks, and set that aside to be together. Almost like adults. Or people who are meant for each other. Even though Azula will deny it vehemently until the day she dies.

"I'm kind of worried," Ty Lee says softly as she tosses and turns, thinking about the possibility and the daunting task that would be baby-proofing the palace. All she can think about now is how many bad things can happen to the squishy, fragile little human she is going to bring into the world.

"Yes, they do have such fragile little necks..." The corner of Azula's lip twists and Ty Lee hits her in the face with a pillow.

"That's not funny," Ty Lee snaps, pouting her lips. "I've moved in here now and I'm going to be raising a child here."

Azula hesitates. "With me...? And my insane family. And these dangerous halls... You have an adorable death wish."

Ty Lee rolls her eyes. "I don't have a death wish. I have a destiny."

"Oh, so I am your special destiny?"

"No."

"You basically just said that I was your destiny and I refuse to acknowledge any other interpretation," Azula purrs, her smirk widening. Ty Lee rolls her eyes.

She does not know how this happened, for Agni's sake. But she is not going to dare look back, because she is diving headfirst into darkness with Azula and a baby, and hoping she will hit water or a net or cotton candy and not cement or pointy spikes.

"When did you know that we were destined for each other?" Azula whispers in Ty Lee's ear and she pushes Azula away again.

"Why do you want to do this with me, huh? Your destiny is probably better than this."

"Well, I thought my destiny was conquering the Earth Kingdom and reigning over the Fire Nation. So much for that. Might as well settle for raising a child that isn't even mine," Azula says, shrugging.

Ty Lee closes her eyes. "You don't have to tell me. I'm going to trust you."

"Famous last words," Azula mutters and Ty Lee shoves her again. "I kind of have to admit I like it when you're a little commanding and rough. I still remember drill sergeant Ty Lee who would make me get out of bed and brush my hair."

"You want me to be more controlling?" Ty Lee's eyes light up. "Oh, well, I want you to fuck me."

"You're holding back. That was weak." Azula sits up on her knees, climbing over the pillow that she was just assaulted with and lying down so close to Ty Lee that they can feel each other's breathing.

And then Ty Lee leans over and kisses her fiercely on the lips. "Shut up and sleep with me."

"Better."

Azula owes Ty Lee this because of that drive and vivacity that she has. Those things that were an incentive for Azula to attempt to have a future instead of just staring at the past until she died of starvation, as she had planned originally.

The least she can do is help raise her child.

But Azula will die before anyone knows that.


"Don't look back. Stop thinking about the past," Ty Lee orders like a drill sergeant at Pohai Stronghold. "I know you're upset right now, but it's going to be okay."

She has Azula's hands in hers and Azula would have broken free if she were able. Ty Lee's thumbs are resting very gently over a quite effective pressure point.

Azula was an utter wreck. And she was more upset by the fact that she was caught by an episode by total surprise, and after she thought she was in smooth sailing. But Ty Lee is having none of that negativity in her happily ever after.

Because, so help her, this dangerous, poisonous woman is her destiny.

"I can't."

"You are Princess Azula of the Fire Nation. There is nothing you can't do."

"Well, yes, but I don't want to."

"You don't want to feel better?"

Azula clenches her jaw and averts her eyes. She is trying to hide tears, and Ty Lee sees it, pulling them together.

"I do," Azula whispers, trying to sound strong. Oh, but she isn't. Oh, but that is one of the ridiculous and self-destructive things that Ty Lee loves about her.

"So stop whining and shut up and dance with me."

And she twists Azula around with soft, smooth steps.


"We are baby proofing the palace," Ty Lee declares after calling an urgent family meeting.

Zuko is sitting, looking concerned. Mai has a bored expression beside him, and Azula is unsure what to expect.

"What's a baby going to do to a palace?" Azula asks, her lips twitching with a smirk. Zuko looks at her with his eyebrows knit in concern. "I'm kidding, brother. Of course I know what baby-proofing is."

"You didn't know what a price tag was," Mai chimes in and Azula glares at her. "What? It's a fair assumption to think that you thought we were trying to keep the palace safe from the baby and not the other way around."

Ty Lee is sipping chamomile tea and still looking concerned. After noticing how annoying Azula's habits are, Ty Lee quickly noticed the much more alarming fact that this palace was not at all a safe place to raise a baby. It does actually lean more to the death trap side of things.

Azula then sighs, "You all realize that everything in this place is either decaying, poisonous, a weapon or a decaying poisonous weapon, right?"

Zuko groans and rubs his chin, knowing what a point she has. But this is an undertaking that he does not know if he will be able to accomplish, even with the help of the three women. Mai just shrugs, figuring that it will probably be pretty interesting to see what they dig up in these cobweb afflicted halls.

"Why are we doing this, anyway?" he asks and Mai shrugs.

"Think about what we could find in here. One time Azula showed me this secret passage."

Zuko adds, "One time Azula locked me in a secret passage."

"Mmmm, well, that's not what secret passages are for," Ty Lee contributes with a smug smirk. Azula laughs and Zuko cringes as Mai smirks wickedly. "Now before my baby gets stuck in a secret passage or one of those swords falls on its fragile little neck, we are baby-proofing!"

An hour or so later, the first room they clear is not very encouraging. Zuko lifts up some kind of rusted razor blade from the lower shelf of a bookshelf. Which also is coated with questionable white powder that Mai starts cleaning up.

"Azula," Zuko says, holding it up, "how did we survive until adulthood?"

And Azula just cocks an eyebrow. "Day's not over yet, ZuZu. Now shut up and baby-proof the palace with me."

To Be Continued...