A/N: I also have released an explicit version of this oneshot that includes the implied lemon. You can find it on my profile or in the M rated section of the archive.

P.S. This story has reached over three thousand reviews and I just want to say thank you so much. Your support means the world to me and I am humbled and thrilled by the response to this fic. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it.

P.P.S. This O/S is based on one of my favorite scenes from Battlestar Galactica.


#103: And Only the Ocean Heard Us

Prompted By: cranapplesurprise

On a cold night that revealed many feelings Azula cannot explain, Mai and Zuko vanish to go make out and Ty Lee turns to Azula. The fire dies without the benders tending to it, cooling and drying the sweat on Azula's ivory skin.

Ty Lee softly says, "Can I show you somewhere I found the other day, princess?"

Azula smirks and shrugs one shoulder.

"I have nothing better to do," she states, taking Ty Lee by the arm.

She leads, but Ty Lee guides.

They soon arrive at a muddy set of reeds on a neglected stretch of private beach. Azula cocks an eyebrow, trying to squeeze an explanation out of Ty Lee. She expected a cliff overlooking a gorgeous, picturesque image of the sea with an endless rainbow.

Ty Lee looks around at the insignificant area and proudly says, "This looks like a beautiful place. I always wanted to build a summer home on Ember Island."

Azula realizes the meaning of those words. After taking Ba Sing Se, the war is over. Azula will thwart an invasion and claim the world side by side with her father before the summer ends. She made many plans for after the worldwide battle, but none of them worked for her.

"You can," Azula say as she snaps back to reality from her anxious, swirling thoughts. "The war is over; we took Ba Sing Se. I suppose everyone will just couple up cutely like Mai and Zuko, and build their vacation villas." Azula looks around. "The reeds will be unappealing to visitors."

Ty Lee bats her eyelashes flirtatiously. "The reeds are a good place to hide." Azula rolls her eyes at the small sex joke. "You really think the war is over?"

"Everyone does," Azula says, turning up a palm. "I ended it. I won for us."

She regrets the word us. Azula meant the Fire Nation, not the girl standing before her. Ty Lee knows it, but she likes to pretend Azula intended to say the former.

Ty Lee looks at her possible plot of land and sighs. "I won't know what to do with myself."

"You can go back to the circus or," Azula says, gesturing at the thicket of reeds, "build your little, muddy house."

"Yeah." Ty Lee stares at her feet as Azula stares at the ocean. They lack words in such a romantically charged situation. "But what about the coupling up cutely part?"

"You have your pick," Azula spits, clenching her fists as the familiar feeling of acidic jealousy surges in her chest. She has felt it for this entire trip and Ty Lee keeps feeding that angry, possessive fire. "I learned that boys adore you. They will be falling over themselves."

Ty Lee forces herself to be brave. The glow of tonight has yet to wear off and she feels free to express silly fragments of pointless dreams. "Yeah, but the only person I want doesn't really show any interest."

Azula cannot hide her frown. "Is that why you want him?"

Ty Lee's eyes sparkle; Azula wants to punch her and rip out the throat of whoever she loves. "No. I want her because she's perfect and I know I don't deserve someone perfect but I want one. She makes me feel like I'm the most important person in the Universe just by looking at me and standing barefoot in dirty reeds."

Azula does not know how to respond at first. She might lack adolescent social conditioning but she has enough intuition to know who Ty Lee speaks of.

"So, what am I standing in now? The kitchen?" Azula asks, desperate to change the subject.

Ty Lee smiles. "The bedroom."

Azula takes a few steps away. "That is no place I want to go, or imagine, or be in."

Ty Lee sharply nods, swift as a bird pecking the ground. "Okay, princess."

"Give me a tour of the future life of Ty Lee," Azula suggests.

Ty Lee blinks back tears. "It'll be a lonely one, huh?"

"Where are we going with this?" Azula whispers, walking towards Ty Lee. It takes more courage than facing grown, powerful men.

"With this?" Ty Lee's eyelashes flutter. "I don't know. We have to think about our lives and how we wanna spend them and who we wanna spend them with. After the Comet comes, you know, it's all done and we just have to make lives like ordinary people."

"After tonight, I have had my fill of ordinary people. They are not worth my time," Azula says, glowering at the very thought.

"Am I ordinary?" Ty Lee squeaks, wringing her hands. Azula has never seen her so frightened by any prospect.

Azula shakes her head and earnestly replies, "No, not at all."

Ty Lee breathes a sigh of relief. "Good. Because there's nothing worse in the whole world than being ordinary."

"We are both extraordinary. Me more than you, but I would never count you out," Azula says, stepping forward.

Ty Lee stands there, afraid to lean in and kiss her. Azula takes the initiative, although she fears that she will make mistakes. They kiss again and again and again.

When their lips break apart, they murmur excuses to each other.

And only the ocean hears them.

[X]

After a glorious but messy first time together, Azula lies beside Ty Lee and stares up at the sky. They have not bothered to put their clothes back on. Why would they?

"I get so used to looking at stars outside of windows. I rarely go out at night; I prefer the sunrise. But when I am out at night and get a chance, I just stare and stare."

"Do you like the stars?" asks Ty Lee.

"No. I hate them. They make me feel so insignificant, no matter how many countries I conquer singlehandedly."

"I love your honesty. It's wonderful," Ty Lee breathes, and Azula ignores her. "If I knew I just had to have sex with you to get you to say personal things and not just orders and light comments I would have done it a really long time ago."

Azula smirks. It quickly fades. "What do we do after sunrise? We have to go back to Mai and Zuko and… Agni, Lo and Li. If they know I was out all night having sex on the beach, well… that is an uncomfortable thought."

Ty Lee grins. "I know what to do, princess, if I have permission to give a suggestion."

"Granted," whispers Azula.

"We tell them how we feel. We shout it to the skies."

"Oh come on. You would never," Azula mocks.

"You don't think I will, princess?" Ty Lee grins. She feels like a friend of Azula's again and not her wartime subordinate.

With a wicked glint in her golden eyes, Azula says, "Do it. Shout it to the whole world. That is a royal order."

Naked, Ty Lee stands, "MY NAME IS TY LEE AND I LOVE PRINCESS AZULA!"

Azula wants to tell her to stop but she stands. "Someone will hear."

"MY NAME IS TY LEE AND I LOVE PRINCESS AZULA AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS!"

Azula laughs and sits up. "I am five seconds from ordering you to stop but I think you embarrassing yourself is hysterical."

"MY NAME IS TY LEE AND—!"

Azula stands up and grabs her. "I changed my mind."

They lock lips. Ty Lee takes a small step back. "Can I beg my princess for something?"

"Yes."

"Will you do it too?"

Azula lingers for a moment. "MY-!" She stops herself. "MY NAME-!" Deep breath. "MY NAME IS PRINCESS AZULA AND I GUESS I TOLERATE THE PRESENCE OF TY LEE AND I DO NOT CARE WHO KNOWS!"

Ty Lee begins to giggle uncontrollably. She wraps herself around Azula, which makes the princess burst into raucous laughter as well.

And only the ocean hears them.