Chapter 19: Walls

After a long silence, Azula let go of Aang and stepped back, her eyes avoiding his. "I'm... sorry," she said quietly, voice wavering. "For what I did before... and for everything else."

Aang, caught off guard, simply nodded. "It's fine... no worries." He wasn't the best in situations like this and struggled to find the right words. His gaze shifted awkwardly before he offered, "Would you like to take a shower? I can show you how it works and heat the water."

Azula winced slightly at the mention of heating the water. Firebending was something she no longer had control over. The reminder stung, but she swallowed it. She nodded and followed Aang as he led her toward the shower. He pointed out the lever, explaining the simple setup, and discreetly heated the water with one hand as he spoke, not wanting to show off.

Turning to leave, he suddenly felt her hand on his arm. He froze, blushing slightly, though he kept his back turned. "What do you need?" he asked.

Azula said something in a low voice he didn't catch.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked, turning around, his face still flushed.

She sighed. "Why are there no walls... or doors?"

Aang tilted his head. He hadn't really thought about it—it was facing the bay, and there wasn't anyone around to see. But as he noticed Azula's downcast expression and the slight tremor in her body, he realized that privacy meant something different to her.

"Hold on," Aang said quickly, stepping forward. "I can fix that." He motioned for her to step back into the shower and bent the earth around them, constructing three sturdy stone walls. After making a small opening, he ran off, returning moments later with a large plank of wood and a towel.

"Here, it's not the best door, but I'll make a proper one with hinges later. You can use this towel too. If you give me your clothes, I can—"

"No," Azula cut him off, her voice firmer. "I'll wash them myself."

"Right, yeah… no problem." Aang lingered awkwardly for a moment before laughing nervously and jogging off. As he rounded the corner, he smacked his forehead. What is wrong with me lately?

--

Azula watched him disappear and then glanced at the walls and makeshift door he had quickly put together. He had understood her, eventually, and solved the problem. It was thoughtful, something she hadn't expected. As she undressed, she hung up her clothes on a nearby hook to keep them dry and stepped into the warm water. The heat was soothing, but the memories it stirred weren't.

She ran her hand over her body, feeling the fading bruises and scars that told a story of a past she was trying to forget. The most prominent of these was the scar on her left breast, a burn she had received during one of her father's drunken rages. He had apologized afterward, probably because he still saw her as his heir and not as his daughter. It had been an accident, but it had never fully healed. She touched the scar and sighed, thinking of Zuko's similar burn. His had been deliberate. Hers wasn't... but it remained all the same.

And then there was the scar she had left on Aang. That one had been deliberate. She had wanted to kill him, not for any personal reason, but because it was expected of her. Her father had seen the Avatar as a threat, but even then, Azula had thought it was foolish to make enemies of people like him. She let the warm water wash over her, thinking of how she had felt safe in those few moments earlier, standing next to him. Safe with the Avatar.

That was something new. She didn't feel safe around people. But here, hidden behind these walls, she felt a sense of security she hadn't known in a long time.

Azula glanced at her discarded clothes. They were dirty, and normally, she would have put them back on without a second thought. But this time... she hesitated. For once, she didn't want to retreat into her old ways. She considered the towel Aang had given her. Could she really trust him? Trust him enough to walk to her room in just this?

The idea stirred an inner turmoil she wasn't used to. Her heart beat faster at the thought. She paced for a few moments, wondering if she was really ready to let her guard down, even this little bit. But eventually, she decided. With a deep breath, she wrapped the towel around herself and stepped out from the shower, walking around the corner.

--

Meanwhile, Aang paced the small rooms that Toph had built. These structures were only the beginning. They'd be adding more to the island soon, but for now, Toph had only created a couple of bedrooms, a common area, and the shower. She had also placed Azula's room a bit lower than his, in a small basement-like area that could be hidden if needed.

But now, Aang wasn't so sure about that. What if he wasn't here when she needed him? What if she got trapped down there? No, that didn't sit right with him. He planted his feet firmly and focused his bending, raising the room slowly from the ground until it was level with his own. It took a few attempts, but when he finished, her room was now beside his, no longer hidden away.

"Ahem."

Startled, Aang turned to see Azula standing behind him, wrapped in the towel. He blinked, surprised at her sudden appearance, and flushed slightly.

"Thanks," she said, her voice softer than usual. "I didn't want to say anything, but it was too dark down there."

"No problem," Aang replied quickly. Azula walked past him, heading toward her newly raised room. As she closed the door behind her, she glanced back at him for just a moment.

Aang, standing there dumbfounded, considered whether he might need another shower—this time, without the warm water.