Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar.
Chapter 6
Engagement Party
It was unprofessional, unacceptable, and intolerable. He was late. For the third time that week. It was happening more and more frequently ever since they had all returned from summer break and it was beginning to really grate on her final nerve. The second he stepped through that front door, she was going to let him have it.
"My class begins in an hour, and I am not going to be late," Azula grumbled to herself.
"You know, you don't have to wait for him to get here," Mang told her. "Your uncle and I can take care of the place just fine."
"That's not the point!" Azula snapped. "He was hired to bake for our customers and our morning patrons are doing without. I've had enough of this!"
The bell that dangled just inside the front door began to ring as the man in question made his incredibly late morning appearance. Dwight put on his best smile as he tried to stifle a yawn before Azula grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the kitchen.
"If you don't give me a reasonable excuse in the next three seconds, you're fired!" she practically yelled.
"Man you're beautiful when you're angry," he said as he placed his hand on her cheek. She responded by grabbing his index finger and bending it the wrong way.
"I will hurt you."
"Think you just did, sweetheart," he smiled. "I'm sorry I'm late."
"Not an excuse," Azula warned.
"Things have been a little complicated recently," he told her. "I'll shape up. I promise."
"That's not much of an explanation," Azula glared at him. "I'm tired of you dodging the subject by only giving me vague answers."
"If you weren't so good at knowing when I was lying, then maybe I'd give you more details," he grinned at her.
"This coming from the man who wants me to open up and be vulnerable for him. You're not giving me much incentive to."
"I know, but you've got a class to get ready for."
"Lucky for you," she replied.
"I promise I'll tell you everything when you get back. How's that?"
"Better."
"Say hi to the girls for me," he said as she allowed him to kiss her cheek before she left.
* - * - * - * - *
"He's driving me completely insane," Azula said before taking a drink.
"And you're loving it," Mai commented.
Azula constantly wondered why she bothered to come to Ty Lee and Mai's school for lunch. This was one of the reasons she wondered.
"She has a point," Mai said. "People don't continue to do things or put up with them unless they get some kind of enjoyment out of it."
"Would you please stop quoting my psychology class back to me?" Azula said.
"Your fault for sharing," Mai returned.
"You've been uncharacteristically quiet today, Ty Lee," Azula attempted to change the subject.
"What? Oh, I'm glad you and Dwight have been having so much fun," her friend smiled in return.
"What's going on with you?" Mai asked. "Where's that obnoxious, over enthusiastic energy that you're usually driving me crazy with?"
"Nothing's going on," she clearly lied. "It's just that I've got things on my mind. Speaking of which, are you two going to the party at Jiayi's tonight?"
"The engagement party?" Azula asked. "I doubt it. It's not really something that I care about."
"But you could take Dwight!" Ty Lee argued. "It'd be so much fun!"
"You aren't going," Mai said to Ty Lee. "The gymnastics team has their first meet today."
"I think Tophy's engagement is more important!"
"Why aren't you going to the meet, Ty Lee?" Azula demanded as she took a bite of food.
Ty Lee sighed. "I'm not on the team anymore."
"Why not?" Azula asked in her calm, detached way.
"The other girls," Ty Lee said, trying not to tear up. "They told me I'm not allowed to sign up this year."
"Who cares what they say?" Mai asked.
"They ganged up on me at the sign up sheet," Ty Lee said. "They said that I always get the best competition spots and it's not fair. They told me I don't need to be on the team to get scholarships or anything because Daddy works for the Bei Fongs."
"What's that got to do with anything?" Azula asked.
"They said I could just let Mr. Bei Fong take care of me," Ty Lee replied. "I know he cares about me and everything, but I can't ask him to take care of me. It's too much to ask."
Azula and Mai traded glances knowing full well that Ty Lee did not understand what the other girls had been implying. Mai's grip on her plastic fork caused it to snap off onto the table. Azula was a little bit more calm.
"I'll go to the party," Azula said flatly. "I suppose it might be sort of fun."
"Guess I'll go too," Mai added.
"This is going to be so much fun!" Ty Lee beamed, tears nowhere in sight.
Azula could not get the image of Ty Lee nearly crying out of her mind for the rest of lunch. She decided she would be sure to stop by the gymnastics team's room on the way off of school grounds. There were only a few of the girls in there stretching during their free period, but a few were more than enough. Later she would tell Ty Lee honestly that she had not laid a single hand, foot, or any other part of her body in any kind of hurtful way on any of the gymnasts that were in the room. It was infinitely more satisfying to get inside their heads and totally break them just before their first meet of the year anyway.
The Jasmine Dragon was nearly empty by the time Azula had returned. Mang was going over the receipts and checks in during the dry spell as Azula had instructed her. She was not much for being able to think on her feet, but at least she could do as she was told.
"Welcome back," Dwight said as he carried an armful of cups and saucers back into the kitchen.
"We're going out," she told him as she followed him through the swinging door.
"Pretty slow on the uptake, aren't you sweetheart?" Dwight smirked. "I'm pretty sure we've been going out since summer."
"Get cleaned up you moron," she sighed. "We're going to an engagement party."
"Didn't think you were into that sort of thing," he said as he pulled off his apron.
"Just get ready."
Azula did not put too much stock into preparing for the event. She brushed her hair out and left it down before slipping into a comfortable pair of jeans and a spaghetti red spaghetti strap top. She debated with putting on make-up for a moment before deciding on a thin layer of lipstick. When she came down from her room she expected Dwight to be waiting for her, but he was not. She figured he had just gone to clean up but she had not heard him upstairs, nor was he in the bathroom. When Azula checked the kitchen she heard the faint sound of running water. She pushed open the back door that lead to the dumpster and found him shirtless on his knees with the store's hose pouring over his head.
"Are you almost done?" she asked.
He turned to face her, one eye closed from the water running over it. She could see just the smallest hint of shame in his eye before that smile covered it up. "Just about."
"Make it quick," she ordered. She did not bother to wait for his reply. She ran up the stairs leading to the house and slipped into Zuko's room. The two of them were nearly the same height so she stole of Zuko's more dressy shirts. When Dwight came up looking for her with his hair still damp she tossed it at him and instructed him to put it on.
"So why do you want to go again?"
"It doesn't matter," Azula told him. "We're going."
"Yes, ma'am," he smiled as he slid the shirt on. "Let's go then."
It was amazing just how lively Jiayi's tiny karaoke diner was with all of them in it. Nearly everyone was there. Toph and Aang of course were both retelling the story of Aang being told to ask her for the millionth time. Mister and Missus Bei Fong were sitting and talking with Gyatso and Iroh. Ty Lee was sitting at the counter watching Kuzon and Jiayi with a sappy looking on her face. Katara had managed to find the time to come down from the university and Zuko had even invited his partner Haru for everyone to finally meet him. He appeared to be just a little bit uncomfortable with all of the new faces, but almost everyone made sure he felt welcome. Sokka and Suki were the last to arrive and that was the signal for the real party to begin.
"A toast!" Mr. Bei Fong announced. "To my daughter and her fiancé. Though the road ahead may be filled with twists, turns, bumps, and dips, may you overcome."
"I'll drink to that!" Toph grinned widely.
Azula was surprised to hear that when Aang and Toph had told their parents they were both not only very respectful, but apparently they were very still and quiet. They had actually followed all of the older traditions of arranging their engagement.
"That would have been an entertaining sight," she had said to Mrs. Bei Fong.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't arrange a private party," Jiayi said to her patrons. "It's been a very busy week."
"Good for business," Mr. Bei Fong replied politely. Azula could tell he would have preferred a private celebration, but he was coping well.
"Lets have a song!" Sokka demanded.
"Yeah!" Katara agreed. "Something romantic!"
"This is supposed to be a party," Mai scowled. "How about something that won't make us sick or sleepy."
"I'll sing any song that Tophy and Aang want me to sing!" Ty Lee announced. "This is their party after all."
"I'm good with anything," Aang said with a smile. "Up to you, shorty."
"Let me think," she smiled as she elbowed his ribs. "Got it. Ty Lee, come here."
Toph whispered something into Ty Lee's ear. Aang began to get a little nervous when Ty Lee's face lit up brighter than their New Years kasplosion incident a couple of years back. He tried to ask what Toph had requested, but Ty Lee just shook her head and bounced over to the karaoke machine to find the song.
Before Ty Lee had even begun her performance, Toph placed her hand on Aang's and pulled him gently out of his seat. She walked him over to an open spot on the dining area floor and put her arms around him. A soft string introduction began to play as she placed her head on his chest and Ty Lee started to sing.
The Book of Love is long and boring
No one can lift the damn thing
It's full of charts and facts and figures
And instructions for dancing
And I
I love it when you read to me
And you
And you can read me anything
This was not at all the type of song that Aang was used to hearing Toph want to listen to, but he did not care. He could feel her heart beating against him as she clung to him like he was the most important thing in her world. He knew after all that she was the most important thing in his.
The Book of Love has music in it
In fact that's where music comes from
Some of it's just transcendental
Some of it's just really dumb
But I
I love it when you sing to me
And you
And you can sing me anything
As the music played Aang only smiled. The lyrics were fitting of Toph's ideas of romance and love. He laid his cheek gently on the top of her head as they swayed side to side. The fact was he knew she was trying to give him a romantic moment. He appreciated her for that. Even if she did not like these moments very much, she knew that he did.
The Book of Love is long and boring
And written very long ago
It's full of flowers and heart shaped boxes
And things we're all too young to know
But I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
And I
I love it when you give me things
And you
You ought to give me wedding rings
You ought to give me wedding rings
Azula watched as the two of them danced. She never really understood the romanticism that went into relationships. She never even bothered to try. It was not the romantic display that caused the moment to capture her attention though. It was the sacrifice. Toph did not do these kinds of things. It was out of character for her. Azula glanced over at Dwight who was smiling at their friends and wondered about that.
"Tell me what's going on," she whispered to him. He looked back at her with confusion written on his face. "I'm not good at these relationship things. You've probably had more than your fair share of women and that gives you a very small advantage over me in this. I'd like to tell you that I'll wait for you to tell me what's going on in your life that's making you late and act out of character, but that's not me."
"Honesty is best for a relationship," Dwight started, "but I don't want to dump my crap on you just yet."
"I'm a strong woman," Azula stated matter-of-factly. "I can take your crap. And if it's honesty you want then I should tell you I already know what's going on. I just thought I would let you tell me yourself."
"You already know?" Dwight asked. "Are you sure?"
"It's not all that hard to pick up on the fact that you're homeless right now."
"Wow. Tact. I love it," Dwight smirked.
"If you want, Uncle would give you a place to stay. Zuko's going to be moving out soon anyway."
"He is?"
"He doesn't know it yet, but I'll tell him tomorrow. He's the only one making a real living that has no bills to pay so it's about time he got out of the house."
"You'd kick your brother out for me," Dwight laughed. "That's sweet in a heartless kind of way. And you're better at this relationship stuff than you think."
"Why do you say that?"
"You already knew," Dwight told her. "You said you were trying to let me tell you myself. That's almost as important as being upfront and honest."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"So is it okay for me to give you a kiss right now?" Dwight asked.
"No."
Dwight did not listen, as usual in these situations. He leaned forward and placed his hand on the side of her face before kissing her gently on the lips. For once Azula did not pull away from him or hit him. She just put her hand on his arm and for once tried to kiss him back.
A/N: "The Book of Love" performed by Peter Gabriel. I highly recommend it. Comically I did not hear it from the movie it was released with or from the radio or anything like that. I actually heard it fo the first time of the show "Scrubs". I love that show.