Steve pov

She got along with the group which put me at ease, and the group had a soft spot for Azula. Tony had told the group about the scars on her back and that Azula had told them her father did that, he also told the group that he suspected that her father had done worse, and to take it easy with the personal questions. I tried asking her about her family, but every time I did she would freeze up. Fury had decided that she would make a great addition to S.H.I.E.L.D, which also meant that I was her babysitter. It's had been a month since Azula decided to live with me in my Brooklyn apartment, and I found himself learning something new every day.

I got up for my usual morning workout, and made my way downstairs. Thank god that there was coffee already made, it took me three weeks to teach Azula about basic technology, but this cup of coffee was proof that it had been worth all the headaches. I walked to the opposite end of first floor and slid the metal door that separated the workout room from the rest of the first floor, and was awarded with the sight of Azula meditating. She was wearing yoga pants, and one of my sweaters. I won't ever admit it out loud, but I love it when Azula borrows my things, especially my sweaters because they smell like that lavender vanilla body wash she likes to use. We had decided to take things slow, so we're friends for now, but that doesn't mean that I can't admire her beauty. I stood in front her, it had become a routine by the time I would be done drinking my coffee she would also be done meditating, I would ask her a question about her world, and if she felt like answering they would sit and talk for half an hour.

"Good morning, Steve." I turned to look at her, her hair was in a loose bun, and my first thought was on how beautiful she looked. She had large beautiful amber colored eyes, framed by these long dark thick lashes, her nose had a couple of cute freckles and fuck I had a crush on her.

"Your always up at dawn." I couldn't help but smile at her raised eyebrow I have studied her facial features enough this month to know that she was amused/annoyed.

"Steve that's a statement not a question, but if you must know a firebender always rises with the sun." I sat close to her and for the first time this month she didn't move back. That was progress right? With Bucky it had been easier they had been childhood friends, so when their names came in it made the transition from friends to lovers simpler, but with Azula it was different they were strangers. Every time he made progress with her he felt this strange satisfaction.

"Steve?" Azula's voice sounded small, the only time it did was when she was uncomfortable with what she was about say or ask, so I braced myself.

"Yeah, ask away Zula?" She smiled when I used that nickname, and that smile was so rare I cherished it. She had smiled exactly six times this month, it made me a little smug to know I caused four of those six smiles (Bruce had been responsible for the other two).

"If James is both of our soulmates why isn't he here with us?" Fuck me, I knew it was a matter of time before she asked me where Bucky was.

"He died a long time ago, before you were ever born. I don't know why his name still appeared on you he's gone. I'm sorry it's just you and me, Zula." I felt her grip my hand, hers felt so tiny in mine.

"It's okay." She softly kissed my cheek. "I never imagined myself being anyone's soulmate, so I'm happy. Your kind, patient, believe it or not those are hard traits to find in my world, so Steve your more they than enough."

"What do you mean?" I needed to know more, she had explained the basics of her world but that was about it, so every time she spoke of her world everyone would stop what they were doing to listen to her.

"By the time I came to this world the one hundred year war had only been over for twelve years."

"Twelve years is a long time Azula."

"Twelve years is not long enough to heal all the injuries that a one hundred year war can cause, the Fire Nation almost wiped out all of the airbenders, except for one, like being the avatar isn't hard enough, let's add on future to Air Nation to the list. It's going to take a long time for the Air Nation to become whole again, and that was all thanks to Sozin. Sozin a man who left his best friend Avatar Roku to die, so that he could annihilate an entire culture, and start a war that lasted one hundred years." She let go of my hand and turned away from me.

"Growing up as a citizen of the Fire Nation we were taught that the Fire Nation was the greatest civilization, and that the war was our way of sharing our greatness, what a lie that turned out to be. So many of us were brainwashed into thinking that the awful things we did was for the good of the world, but we were wrong." Her voice wavered at the end, even though her back was facing me it didn't take a genus to figure out that the one hundred year war was a sensitive topic, but their was something that confused me.

"You said we, which meant that you were involved in this war."

"I was a soldier-"

"That doesn't make any sense, your twenty-six, the war ended twelve years ago, which means that you were fourteen-"

"Children have fought in wars before, and from the history I've been learning about this world, that shouldn't be news to you." She got up, and walked away without sparing me a glance. I pushed her too far again, which meant that I'll probably end up getting the silent treatment for the next couple of days. Two steps forward, one step back was still was a step forward in his eyes, and that was still progress. Right?