The Royal Barge didn't usually host so many people: it was the first time all the guest cabins in the tower would be occupied ever since Azula had started using the ship. Often, her guests would stay in the lower cabins within the ship, as was the case with Sokka, and as it had been with Toph too, but she didn't think that the small cabins would serve Ty Lee and Haru well, at least, not with the issues they were having as of late. Ty Lee had tried to be as enthusiastic and optimistic as her usual self when they trained again through the month leading up the Pairs Tournament, but Azula could sense something wasn't right between them, no matter if neither one would acknowledge it.
As for Song, Azula had quickly decided that she deserved to experience whatever luxuries she could offer her. The healer had the third floor of the tower to herself, right below Azula's own cabin. She had been overwhelmed by the beautiful, regal cabin, and she had rushed back to the deck after leaving her pack in the room: she had needed to gush to Rui Shi about how unbelievable the room was.
The oceans parted for the Barge, its new journey driving it through the blue waters that gleamed under a bright noon sun. It wasn't something Azula or Sokka weren't used to, but this trip felt different from those they had taken before: not only did they have more guests than usual, but the Royal Guards were no more: they had Imperial Guards instead, and while they were mostly the same men as ever underneath their new uniforms, this design was meant to make them far more intimidating. They felt unfamiliar, despite being the same people they had always traveled with.
At least, most of them were. Azula could barely control herself whenever she noticed Renkai amid the guards. She had always been able to differentiate her men by their physical characteristics: she had memorized their body types and height ever since she had hired them, allowing her to quickly identify each guard. Renkai's unfamiliar build stood out like a sore thumb for her, used as she was to the ten guards who had always watched over her.
"You should stop glaring at him," Sokka mused with a sing-song voice beside her. She grunted in acknowledgement, but didn't abide by his suggestion. "Seriously, the more uncomfortable you show yourself around him, the more he's going to think you have something to hide."
"I'm not comfortable. I think I have every right and reason to show it," she grumbled, finally tearing her eyes away from the man and turning to gaze at the water, imitating Sokka. "It's a good day for sailing, at the very least."
"It is. Such a shame that we're not in a boat I can sail myself, eh?" Sokka smirked. Azula bit the inside of her lip, trying but failing to stifle a smile.
"True. Maybe the next time we go to Ba Sing Se I'll force you to take a wooden boat while the rest of us take the Barge," she said, with a dry grin. Sokka snorted.
"I'll get there ten weeks later, sure, but if you're okay with that…" he teased. Azula chuckled.
"It would certainly be inconvenient," she said, shaking her head. "As a lot of things are. Such as…"
"Goodness, you're hung up on this," he sighed, throwing his head back. "Okay, we've only just taken off, but this settles it. We're going to spar."
"What, already?" Azula asked, glancing at him in surprise. Sokka huffed and walked away from the ship's enclosure, hands on his hips.
"I'd seek to distract you in other ways, but as we are, sparring is the least dangerous one I can think of," he said, smirking. Azula looked at him skeptically.
"Oh. Fighting each other with ridiculously sharp blades, on a ship that's speeding towards the open ocean, with the threat of my firebending ever looming over you, isn't all that dangerous?" she teased. Sokka raised his eyebrows.
"Compared to that other idea I have for how to distract you… yeah, that sounds about right," he said, smirking and moving towards the ship's tower. "Come on, get Wolf's Bane and we'll have ourselves a nice duel!"
Azula watched Sokka go, an eyebrow raised, but she smiled and followed soon enough, headed upstairs while he went downwards. She spared one more glance at the cluster of Imperial Guards on deck, eyes narrowing as Renkai apparently laughed at one thing or another. Sokka was right, she knew as much… but she couldn't shrug off the sense of unease that arose within her just over being in the same space as the Imperial Guard. She felt as though he were an invader of sorts, and she didn't have the power to do away with him.
She sighed and shook her head, moving to fetch her sword as Sokka had told her to. She would have to find a way to stop worrying about their obvious spy for the rest of the trip…
Training on deck would prove a little dangerous for other reasons, aside from the ones they had talked about. As the trip had only just begun, the Imperial Guards were mostly still on there, as were the three guests of this journey, and they would be in the line of fire once the Princess and her gladiator began their sparring. Rui Shi had stepped away from his colleagues for the time being, standing beside Song instead, his helmet off while Song and Ty Lee chatted amicably.
"I'm sorry, I was kind of blindsided by you at the Ball," Ty Lee laughed. "I had never seen you before, so for a moment I was afraid you were an actual threat to, uh… you know!"
"Yeah, absolutely not," Song smiled. "I get the feeling they're the only ones who can keep up with each other, no one should ever be as crazy as to try to get between them."
"It's true," Ty Lee giggled. "I remember when I first met Sokka I was absolutely ready to pounce on him, but even then… the crazy tension there was already so thick I knew I couldn't get in the way. They really have been like that since the start."
"I remember when they bought me, too," Song said, with a weak grin. "I was really confused by being bought by the Princess, and for her slave? I guess that was one of the first clues I had that they weren't… well, normal."
"And that's what makes them fun, of course," Ty Lee said, beaming.
Rui Shi hadn't missed the way Haru's stance had tensed when Ty Lee had gushed over Sokka. Either the man was as confused as Rui Shi was about whatever women found attractive in Sokka… or, perhaps, a display of jealousy? He knew he shouldn't interpret, let alone judge, people who might as well be complete strangers, but Rui Shi couldn't hold back from observing the earthbender.
"You must be a pretty great healer, though," said Ty Lee. "I didn't know Azula brought you with her whenever Sokka had fights abroad, but if she does, I guess you're that good at what you do…"
"Oh, well, she didn't bring me because of that," Song smiled. "In fact, she never brings me on these trips: it's the first time I'm ever on this ship. I usually just wait at home for them to come back, but…"
"But… oh, he asked for permission to bring you with him!" Ty Lee exclaimed, pointing at Rui Shi. He blushed and shook his head, smiling too.
"I didn't, though I probably should do that from now on," Rui Shi pointed out. "You do get awfully bored whenever we're traveling."
"I suppose I do," said Song, laughing and looking at Ty Lee again. "Well, you see… the last time they traveled to Ba Sing Se, Rui Shi discovered that, well… that my mother was working in their Palace."
"What?" for the first time, Haru spoke out loud. It was a simple word, but it made Ty Lee jump all the same. Surprisingly, Haru merely ignored her reaction. "Your… your mother?"
"Yeah. I know I'm unbelievably lucky for this… what were the chances that she would be taken there, of all places?" Song continued, with a shy smile. "We've been communicating through messenger hawk for around a year, but as the Princess hadn't returned to Ba Sing Se, I didn't even think about visiting my mother…"
"She didn't want to impose," Rui Shi explained. "But the Princess came up with the idea on her own, from what Sokka said. It's a gesture of gratefulness for everything you always do for everyone, and it's well deserved."
"Rui Shi…" Song laughed, blushing as he held her hand proudly.
"That's wonderful, though!" said Ty Lee, smiling brightly. "I'm glad Azula was this nice to you. Heh, she's nicer to you than she is to me, if I think about it…"
"That can't be, you're one of her best friends," Song chuckled, before noticing that Ty Lee's gladiator's head was hung. "Uh, Haru? Are you okay?"
Ty Lee jumped again, but this time to look at the earthbender. He seemed to snap out of his daze, though, and he smiled warmly at Song.
"Of course. I'm… I'm really glad you're going to see your mother. Most families were split during the Fire Nation's final invasion, after Sozin's Comet…" he said. Song swallowed and nodded.
"My father was dragged away before that, though," she said. Haru's eyes widened.
"Really? So was mine," he said, looking at her with curiosity. "Where did you live, exactly?"
"Oh, it was a small farming village, around the northwestern Earth Kingdom?" Song said. Haru's eyes lit up.
"I lived in a mining village, also in the western Earth Kingdom," he said. "Was your father an earthbender too? Whenever anyone in our town were revealed as earthbenders they would be taken away by Fire Nation soldiers…"
"No, for us it was just a battalion that trudged through the village," said Song, grimacing. "They did a lot of harm. They took most the men who lived there. It's… not a day I like to remember."
Rui Shi's hand on her shoulder helped keep Song steady. She smiled sweetly at him, reaching for his hand with hers, reassuring him that her pain over her experiences in the war never made her second-guess their relationship.
"I understand," said Haru, swallowing and nodding. "I'm sorry you had to go through something like that."
"I'm sorry you did, too," said Song, biting her lip. "Was your mother turned into a slave as well?"
"She was," Haru said, gritting his teeth. "We were taken together, but she… she thought I'd have a chance to live a better life if I was a gladiator. Rumors of the Superior League had reached the market we were kept at, and… well, she knew there were risks, but she decided the advantages outweighed them. So she just… revealed I was an earthbender to the slave owner who held us at the time. If she hadn't done that maybe I'd still be with her, but…"
"But you said they took away the earthbenders, like your father," said Rui Shi, frowning. "Wasn't it too risky to reveal it at all?"
"Not at that point," said Haru, shaking his head. "Whatever they did to the other earthbenders… I may never know. But the man who was selling us didn't care to turn me in to any soldier. He just sold me to my old sponsor, Tiao, as soon as the man asked if he had any available earthbenders. It was all about profit for him, and Tiao would have paid him better than any soldiers, so…"
"And that was the last you saw of your mother?" Song asked. Haru nodded.
"She kept promising me I'd have a better life, while I just tried to get her to come with me. But of course, my old sponsor would have never…" he said, gritting his teeth and breathing deeply. Thinking about that man brought unpleasant memories back to his mind. "At any rate, I… sorry, I didn't want to hog up the conversation. I'm just… glad that someone can reunite with their family. It's what all of us dream of, so… it's wonderful that you have that chance."
"Thank you," said Song, smiling gently at him.
The easygoing conversation had grown heavy, and the silence born after Song's last words was uncomfortable. Haru's eyes were set on the metallic deck, surely deep in thought, but Ty Lee, beside him, was staring at him in disbelief. The expression on her face caught both Rui Shi and Song by surprise.
"Um, well… it will be a long trip, but you packed properly, right, Song?" Rui Shi said, glancing at her. She smiled at him and nodded.
"I think I did," she said. "I'm somewhat avoiding my cabin for now, though. It's so luxurious it's overwhelming. I won't be able to get a blink of sleep…"
"Oh, you'll be fine," said Ty Lee, smiling and waving a hand in Song's direction. "The royal beds are by far the most comfortable in the world. And, uh… speaking of which? I think I'll go nap now, for a while. I'm a little tired, even if the trip just begun, so… you guys can stay out here and, uh, I guess you can watch those two sparring?"
All eyes turned to where Azula and Sokka stood, weapons raised and ready for a showdown. The distraction they represented gave Ty Lee the perfect chance to slip away practically unnoticed. She locked herself in her cabin as soon as she reached it, sounds of clashing blades and taunts following her until the door was closed behind her. There was too much on her mind and, for the time being, she wanted to be alone.
It was hours before someone knocked on her door, and by then Ty Lee had dozed off on her bed and woken up again several times. She groaned and moved towards the cabin's entrance, her heart drumming in her chest upon the anticipation of, hopefully, Haru's presence…
Her heart fell when she found the person on the other side of the door was Azula.
"I was told you might be here," she said. "You've been out of sight for a while now. Are you alright?"
Ty Lee smiled, but just barely. It was ridiculously easy to read through her lies as she spoke them:
"I'm fine, I just… I needed a break," she said, shrugging. "I, uh, didn't get much rest last night! I was so excited about this trip, I…"
"Hmm, you were tossing and turning all night?" Azula asked. Ty Lee huffed.
"Why, with Haru, of course!" she said, proudly. Azula raised her eyebrows.
"Is that so?" she said. Ty Lee grimaced. "You used to be a better liar than that."
The non-bender stopped pretending upon hearing those words. She sighed and lowered her gaze, as Azula stared at her worriedly. It wasn't every day that Ty Lee was miserable, and despite her initial suspicions, Azula might not be entirely responsible for that.
"Do you… want to talk about it?" Azula said, trying not to sound uncomfortable upon extending the suggestion to her friend. "You could come upstairs and have dinner in my cabin with me, if you want privacy…"
"I… yes!" Ty Lee said, promptly. Azula blinked blankly. "That's… that's perfect. That's ideal. Thank you!"
"Uh… okay?" said Azula, biting her lip. "Ty Lee…"
"I'll freshen up for it, and I'll meet you there!" Ty Lee exclaimed, smiling again before dashing off to fetch her luggage.
Azula followed her friend with her gaze and sighed before closing the door. She might regret this once Ty Lee started unloading all her sorrows on her, but her friend seemed to need support of some sort right now. Azula wasn't sure she could provide it, but she would try to, at the very least.
A couple of hours later, Azula and Ty Lee sat at a table in the topmost cabin in the Barge's tower. Their meal was as splendid as could be expected from a royal chef, and Ty Lee was fascinated as she tasted every course. Azula, accustomed to these meals as she was, barely batted an eyelash as she ate, watching Ty Lee carefully until her friend couldn't eat anymore.
"Oh, that's a good meal. Are they all going to be like that?" she asked, beaming. "It's a wonder you haven't put on weight, with food like that!"
"I don't eat more than I should, and I exercise plenty," Azula declared, sipping her drink. "In any case, I hope you enjoyed it. But alas, I did invite you because I assumed you wanted to talk about whatever is troubling you… but going by how you ate, I'm guessing you were miserable because you were hungry. Has Haru been starving you, by any chance?"
"N-no, he's… not really," she said. Azula raised an eyebrow.
"Not really? So sometimes? Ah, is it he thinks you're the one who's put on weight?" she asked, teasingly. Ty Lee tensed up, scowling at her. "I mean, you don't look it, but I guess he'd know…"
"Yeah, sure! I haven't gained weight, it's not funny!" she squealed, as Azula snickered with malice. "It's not about food!"
"Then what are you starved for?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Attention? Has he been neglecting his duties…?"
Ty Lee's crestfallen expression made Azula frown. She had hit the mark, then…
"It's not that simple," Ty Lee mumbled. "H-he hasn't really… well, not his real duties, but I mean… ugh. I don't know where to start."
"From the beginning, maybe?" Azula said, shrugging and pouring more wine on her own glass. "Why have you been in such an unusually bad mood lately? It's not too obvious, but it's clear enough for anyone who knows you, Ty Lee…"
The chi-blocker groaned and scowled, resting with an elbow on the table as Azula sipped on her lychee wine, an eyebrow raised. Ty Lee's eyes suddenly narrowed.
"Well, maybe it is your fault, after all…" she mumbled. It surprised her that Azula didn't react to that, despite having heard her.
"I somewhat figured as much. What, exactly, did I do?" Azula said. Ty Lee gritted her teeth and shook her head remorsefully now.
"Never mind, it's not really… oh, how can I be so selfish?" she sighed. "It's not your fault, Azula, not for real. I just… it's just, I… I was jealous."
"Jealous of… what, exactly?" Azula asked, looking at Ty Lee with confusion. "If you tell me you want Sokka for yourself after all, I might just…"
"What, throw me overboard?" Ty Lee asked. Azula smiled with dangerous malice.
"I'd certainly consider that," she said. Ty Lee huffed.
"Well, it's not that! You can keep him, heck, it's plain obvious you two are perfect together, jerks as you are!" she declared. "But the thing is, I… I don't want Sokka. But I do want, well… I never thought I wanted that, but the truth is, you two have something so strange that I just…! I just wondered what it would be like, experiencing a relationship like yours."
"Uh, you mean, sneaking around like stupid teenagers?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "Here I thought you'd had your fill of that with all your boyfriends from around ten years ago…"
"I don't mean that part," Ty Lee pouted. "I mean… everything he told us when he was preparing for your anniversary. He was so worried, and so dedicated to making things right. He wanted to surprise you, and he missed you, and the way he spoke about you… all of it was a little too much to bear."
"Mai said at the time that you were angry because I was usurping your position as the sexual deviant of our group," Azula said, with a soft laugh. Ty Lee scowled at her. "What, is it true?"
"W-well, I doubt it can be, you and Sokka can't possibly be that creative or filthy!" she declared proudly. "But… she's not wrong, in some ways. I did always hope you'd be in a good relationship, Azula, but… I never thought you'd find one that was so much better than anything I had ever experienced. I mean, you and Sokka… your partnership is so real and so strong, you two are together on every possible level and suit each other so well. And that night, when we were having dinner, the four of us, it just… got to me again."
"That my partnership with Sokka isn't ordinary?" Azula asked. Ty Lee nodded.
"You've been together for a year and you're still ridiculously passionate about each other," she said. "You… you two can talk, flirt, play around, tease each other all you want. Back in the day, when you weren't fully physical, it was kind of sad that you would mess with each other as you often did, because I knew you wanted more than that. But by now you have everything, and… I have no idea how to feel about that. Because I… I don't have the same thing."
"Haru isn't as suitable for you as Sokka is for me?" Azula asked now. "Is he… not that good in bed?"
"That's not what I was talking about, his performance there is fine!" Ty Lee pouted again. "I was talking about everything outside bed, really. That's… that's where I'm at a loss."
"How so?" Azula asked, stirring her drink carefully. "Haru looks so easy to get along with. How can you be troubled by your dynamics if he's so… calm? I honestly can't imagine anyone having a real conflict with him."
"Yeah, well, neither can I," said Ty Lee, with a dry grin. "Because he just… he does everything he's expected to. If I ask him to do the dishes, he does them. If I make him cook, he'll do it. If I tell him to clean the whole house, he won't even ask if I can cut him some slack. If asked if he has pet names for me, he lies just to protect my reputation, despite he's never used one…"
"Heh, I figured as much," Azula grimaced. "You looked pretty devastated when he said what he said. He was outright lying, after all?"
"To your faces. And to mine," Ty Lee huffed. "I mean… the fact that he doesn't use pet names already stings! But then he just… lied about it to save face? He supported me, but just because that was what he thought I wanted him to do, I assume…"
"I guess?" Azula said. "How is this a problem, though? A lot of women would kill for a man who'd lie for them as he does for you…"
"Well, they'd be stupid to do as much. Because as it is, I… I have no idea how he feels about me. I have no idea, really, I… I think he doesn't like me at all, Azula."
"What?" she said, eyes wide. "Ty Lee, that's… that's a big leap. Even if you don't know for sure, how could you assume…?"
"He's never said he likes me, or anything about me," Ty Lee said, gritting her teeth. Azula froze. "He doesn't talk about his life before he became my gladiator, he's never said a word about it to me, but… but just today? H-he talked about his mother, about his family, with your healer! He's met her, what, twice in his life? And yet he… he felt more compelled to share his life story with her than he did with me. I've been living with him for almost two years! And yet I don't know anything about him. I…"
"Have you ever shared your own story with him, though?" Azula asked, looking at her with uncertainty. "Knowing you, you've kept a lot of things to yourself, haven't you?"
"Well, sure! But I've mentioned I was in the circus, and he knows I'm childhood friends with you and Mai! That's much more than… than anything he's ever said to me. Do I just… look that unreliable to him? D-does he think I'm that awful a person that I wouldn't listen…?"
"I know this sounds really rich coming from someone like me," Azula said, rolling her eyes as she tapped the floor with a foot. "But you might find an answer to all those questions if you just… ask him?"
"I don't want to ask him anything," Ty Lee pouted. Azula looked at her derisively. "I mean it! If I ask, he'll think I'm forcing him to share his story, and I don't want him to feel that way!"
"Do you know for sure that he would?" Azula asked, looking at her in confusion. "Goodness, you're assuming a lot of things here, Ty Lee. I know it's easy to jump to conclusions, heavens know I did that with Sokka more times than anyone should be allowed to, but most times I'd been making monsters out of shadows just because I was too paranoid to see things clearly. Haru might be submissive, but it's possible that, if he didn't like the things you demand of him, he would have told you as much by now. You can't assume you know everything that crosses his mind, Ty Lee."
"See, I don't… I don't know. I want to think it's just his personality, but why does he feel at ease with Song and not with me?" said Ty Lee. "Sure, her story is so similar to his own, but I thought we were partners too. It feels like… like there's no substance to this, to us. Like he will do anything I want him to because he's afraid of the consequences if he doesn't. I guess his previous sponsor was horrible, but does he really think I'd be as bad as him if he disappointed me?"
"You can't know unless you talk," said Azula, sighing. "Sokka's experiences in the Amateur League were miles beyond disturbing. He lived a nightmare while he was there, a seemingly endless one at that. I didn't understand how bad it was, not for well over a year… and when he finally told me about it, I felt like scum for not asking him about it as soon as he had started trusting me. I didn't really understand him properly, even if I thought I did, until he told me about that.
"And the thing is, you can't expect him to want to share those experiences freely with you. Sokka only told me about it because I, like you, jumped to conclusions and assumed things I shouldn't have about what happened to him before I hired him. He forced himself to tell me so I would stop being as delusional as I had been until then. If Haru went through traumatic experiences with his previous sponsor, he, like Sokka, might just be focusing on the here and now and doing his best to put aside all thought of his past, unwilling to confront it unless it's necessary."
"Then… are you serious when you say I should just ask? I mean, I… I just don't want to force him," said Ty Lee, sighing and hanging her head. "It feels like that's all I do. Even in bed, I'm always the one with the initiative… it's not that he's lazy! But I, intentionally, didn't make any moves to have sex ever since we had the pet names argument, and he… he didn't do anything. We tried to talk but… we couldn't, not really. I wanted him to just act on whatever he was feeling, you know? But he didn't. I haven't really tried to do anything since, and… he never makes any moves himself."
"Well, it's possible that he, like you, jumped to conclusions and assumed you're tired of him," Azula asked, shrugging. "Either that or you overworked him in bed for too long, so he's taking this as a vacation of a sort…"
"That's just rude," Ty Lee pouted. Azula smirked. "I don't know, though. You could be right, but… what if he never liked me that way? What if, for all this time, he's been going along with it because he's a slave and I'm his owner, and he thinks he has to do everything I want him to? Is it that unlikely?"
"I… I admit, it's not," Azula said, biting her lip. "There's been enough cases of such situations. But… did you ever really force him? Did he ever seem reluctant to do anything you wanted to do?"
"I wouldn't say reluctant," Ty Lee admitted. "But surprised, at least. And, well… he never really takes the initiative, like I said. When given the chance to, he just… wants to sleep, going by what's been happening as of late. So, what am I supposed to take from this?"
"That men are complicated?" Azula said, with an amused smirk. "Curiously we're all told otherwise, but truthfully it can be harder to read them than it should be…"
"It can!" Ty Lee pouted. "And I mean, you must know all about how complicated they can be, seeing as Sokka is clearly no ordinary guy. But when it comes to you two… does he take the initiative in bed?"
"Uh… yes. Quite often," Azula admitted. Ty Lee groaned. "I'm sorry, but it's the truth. Sokka is far bolder and much more rebellious than Haru is, though… it's not that surprising that they act so differently in most regards."
"This is so sad," Ty Lee groaned, flopping on the table just as a soft sound startled Azula.
She glanced at the door, waiting to hear it again. It didn't take long for it to happen, and this time Ty Lee heard the knock too. She raised her head as Azula stood up.
"Were you expecting anyone?" she asked. Azula gestured at her to stay quiet as she moved to open the door.
She had dreaded that it would be him, just as much as she looked forward to his visit. If Ty Lee hadn't been there, she would have been fine with it… but as it was, being swept into one of Sokka's wild kisses, while he closed the door quickly with a kick, was rather embarrassing.
"Sokka…?" Azula asked, as he held her face between his hands.
"That Renkai guy's shift starts tomorrow at midmorning, we're safe from him," he said, before kissing her again.
"But Sokka…" Azula said, blushing madly as he pulled her close again.
His hands began moving over her body, unarmored as she was he could easily grope her bottom and breasts while guided by his carnal desires. Azula almost let him sweep her away with the power of his enthralling kisses, but her common sense was still stronger than her urge to be with him. She pulled away slightly, to his confusion and disappointment. He still sought her lips with his own, ready to nibble on her lower lip.
"We're not alone," she finally whispered. Sokka frowned.
Only then did he look over Azula's shoulder at wide-eyed, open-mouthed Ty Lee. He yelped, pulling away from Azula abruptly. The Princess had to swallow the fit of laughter over his reaction as she watched her usually shameless lover blushing crimson as he averted his gaze from Ty Lee's.
"I-I had no idea, I… shit. Sorry," he said, to both girls. Azula smiled somewhat embarrassedly too, her cheeks pink, but Ty Lee suddenly groaned and shook her head, smacking the table with frustration.
"Goodness, just look at that!" she exclaimed. "Why can't Haru manhandle me like that, damn it?!"
"Manhandle?" Azula repeated, her blush intensifying. "T-that wasn't…!"
"Wait, what? She wants Haru to… huh? Don't you two do this stuff all the time?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly. Ty Lee huffed angrily.
"No, we don't!" she growled, looking at him again. "Not the way you two do it, at any rate. But does anyone else do things the way you two do them? Debatable…"
Her words gave them a chance to give each other a glance of complicity. But Sokka was feeling rather guilty, too.
"Sorry," he whispered. Azula smiled and shook her head.
"Don't sweat it. I didn't expect you to arrive yet, if you showed up at all, and you didn't know she was here, so… never mind," she said, reaching to pat his arm reassuringly.
"What's going on, though?" Sokka asked, staring at Azula with uncertainty.
"Ty Lee's been pouring her heart out to me," Azula sighed, turning to look at her friend. "I suppose, seeing as you used to tell Haru everything, back in the day, you won't mind if I tell Sokka about your problems, right, Ty Lee?"
"I… ugh. He's going to think it's all ridiculous," she groaned, burying her face in her forearms. Azula snorted.
"And that didn't worry you when you told me? I mean…" she said, with a vicious smirk. Ty Lee scoffed.
"Azula!"
"I'm not going to judge anyone, alright?" said Sokka, breathing deeply. "Heck, maybe I could help, somehow?"
"You just want to help because you want me to leave so you two can get back to the heavy petting, don't you?" Ty Lee grumbled. Sokka blushed and scowled.
"W-what's the problem if that's the case? I mean, if you've been helped you should just be grateful rather than judging the motivations of whoever helped you…" he pouted. Azula rolled her eyes but smirked.
"She's having trouble communicating with Haru," she said. "Which has led her to jump to conclusions, such as that he actually doesn't like her at all… and as you're a man, and Haru's friend, I guess you might be able to clarify the situation, somewhat?"
"What, you mean, has he said anything like that to me?" Sokka said, before shaking his head. "I don't think so. Heck, I remember he was pretty ecstatic about being with her, back when we had our first training session together. There I was, flaunting that I'd kissed you, and he just…"
"You did WHAT?!" Azula exclaimed, eyes wide. "You didn't tell him that, did you?!"
"I… kind of let it slip," Sokka said, with an awkward smile. Ty Lee huffed.
"I knew it! I knew you two had gotten started ages before you admitted it! I should've won that bet forever ago!"
"Well, Haru was just asking if all noble ladies were like Ty Lee, and I just…" Sokka said, grimacing. "I assumed he was trying to say Ty Lee had made a move or two, I didn't think he meant they'd gone the whole way already."
"Ah, so you decided to compare conquests with him, is that it?" Azula asked, uncertain whether she was more amused or indignant right now. Sokka gulped.
"I wasn't comparing, I was just saying… that at least you seemed to like me enough to let me kiss you?" he said, shrugging. "And I sure didn't say anything bad about you! Heck, I told him there was no way you'd fall in love with the likes of me, because I was way below your league!"
"I suppose you were, considering you were gossiping with your new friend like a pair of old ladies," Azula said, with a sarcastic grin. Sokka sighed and hung his head.
"Fine. I concede defeat. I'm a hopeless loser," he said. Azula laughed and rolled her eyes.
"And don't you forget it," she said, pushing him lightly.
"But wait, this was… this was before what I saw, even! I caught you two kissing, I did!" Ty Lee squeaked. Azula rolled her eyes and sighed.
"I suppose pretending you were hallucinating had worked so well you still doubted your own eyes, to this day…" she said, with a smirk. Sokka only shrugged.
"I knew it! Oh, you pair of sneaky…!" Ty Lee exclaimed, shaking her head. "And then you denied it?! You just flat-out denied it?! I was so sad for you guys, thinking you were miserable because you couldn't be together, that that was your first slip, and it was the… what, the second?"
"Uh… more like the third," Sokka said, earning himself a glare from Azula
"The THIRD?!" Ty Lee bellowed, as Azula flicked Sokka's arm. He flinched.
"The hell are you trying to do? Are you seriously going to tell her our whole history right here and now?" she asked. Sokka opened his mouth, but closed it again, furrowing his brow as though deep in thought.
"Actually…" he said, turning to Ty Lee again. "It was the fourth! Turns out she kissed me when I…!"
"SOKKA!"
"Okay, okay, fine, I'll shut up…"
"You two seriously…!" Ty Lee said, but she fell silent again as she processed the true meaning of Sokka's words. She dropped against her chair's backrest again, ignoring the other two as Azula's fierce glare bore into Sokka's skull.
"What on earth is the matter with you?" Azula said, with her dangerously calm voice. Sokka inched away from her, holding his hands up in front of her to appease her.
"I'm reckless and hopeless and a little too proud of our relationship and every step we took towards being here and now…?"
"Keep being so proud and I'll go back to being the cold-hearted bitch who would make you sleep with mongoose lizards and chase you with my palanquin. Maybe you'll stop being so proud after that!" she said, with a threatening smirk. Sokka pouted.
"You wouldn't!" he moaned, throwing his arms around her neck. She shifted away from him, dashing out of his hold with quick movements. "Azulaaa!"
"You are definitely going back to your cabin tonight without any action whatsoever, you hear me! As you deserve, after this stunt!"
"Noooo!"
He dropped at her feet, surrounding her knees with his arms and begging for mercy. Again, his foolish behavior was funny but for now, Azula was far more irritated than amused.
At least, until she noticed how crestfallen Ty Lee was again.
"And what's the matter now, Ty Lee?" she asked, grimacing. Her friend sighed and shook her head.
"He knew. Haru knew about the bet, I told him about it eventually," she said. "And… he knew you and Sokka had kissed, because Sokka had said so. But… but he didn't tell me. Not even when I was so mad because you tried to make me think I was crazy… he could've just told me! Why didn't he?"
"Uh… maybe he felt it wasn't his secret to tell?" Sokka said, shrugging. Ty Lee groaned and shook her head.
"I don't know, but aren't you two making too many excuses for him as it is?" she sighed. "Something's not right with me and Haru, it never has been, and I don't know if it ever will be! After all this time, he doesn't trust me. He doesn't share anything with me, even if just for my benefit. So, the odds are that he just…"
"That he just doesn't feel like your equal."
Sokka's intervention surprised both Azula and Ty Lee. He pushed himself up to his feet, hands on his hips as he frowned a little more seriously this time.
"I've done my best to be rebellious and submit to no one," he said. "Even if I had to submit, I did everything in my power to show it wasn't willingly. I resented anyone who tried to break my spirit, and thus I hated Huang Li and, for a long time, I hated Azula, too. When she hired me, I expected more of the same horrific treatment I got in the Amateur Arena, to some degree… I thought she'd demand respect even if she wasn't ready to give any. But, to my surprise, that's not what happened. Even though she kept reminding me of the differences between us, even if she loved to emphasize her superiority, at the end of the day she gave me choices, she listened to me, she held my opinions as important. Whether when choosing new opponents, or whenever I had any ideas regarding the Rough Rhinos, or the White Lotus…"
"She always listened," Ty Lee said. Azula was blushing slightly by now, unable to hold Sokka's gaze. He smiled.
"She scolded me a lot for being inappropriate, yeah, but never to a point where I genuinely felt scared to be me," he said, proudly. "When Toph first wrecked me in the Royal Dome Azula carried me on her own, taking responsibility for the outcome of that fight even if she could have just as easily made her guards do it. When we found Xin Long, she could have had him carry me with his talons or so, but she brought me on board with her, as a rider like her, even if this was their first flight…"
"Well, granted the talons could have worked, but… it didn't even cross my mind," Azula said, folding her arms over her chest. Sokka chuckled.
"She made me feel like her equal in ways I never thought any noble would. In ways a scumbag like Huang Li, who's at the lowest social levels of the Fire Nation, never did," Sokka continued. "Weird as it may be, as much as I'm a slave… I've felt freer than I have in ages, heck, maybe in my whole life, ever since… well, ever since we figured out our rhythm and how to protect our partnership."
He smiled warmly at Azula, who sighed but nodded. After speeches like that, how could she possibly send him back to his cabin without a round or two…?
"So, while I doubt you've emphasized the difference between your social standing and his…" said Sokka, raising his eyebrows. "Haru is clearly not nearly as rebellious as I am by nature. So, he might really just have settled into the role of a slave without realizing that you want him to participate more actively in things and that you don't see him like that at all. It's not that farfetched, is it?"
"No, but… imagine you could have everything you've ever wanted, a few years from now. Absolutely anything you wanted," Ty Lee asked him. Sokka froze, eyes shifting towards Azula as he smiled eagerly. "What would your future look like, if that were the case?"
"Well, I'd definitely be married to her," he declared proudly. Azula sighed and shook her head, too flustered to even comment on his answer. "But… I'd also want the war to end. I'd like to… well, find closure with my family, at least, and if they wanted to be part of our lives, I'd love to have them around, too."
Azula looked at him meaningfully, and he shrugged.
"Heck, she asked if I could have anything I wanted, right? That's what I want," he said. She had to hold back the urge to embrace him. It was one thing to hear him admitting those things to her, in private. It was another to hear him blatantly telling Ty Lee that he'd choose her over everything else in his life.
"That's… painfully beautiful," Ty Lee sighed, flopping on the table. "You know exactly what you want, just how you want it. Meanwhile, when I asked Haru the other night what he wanted, right then and there, he didn't seem to know. He didn't answer me. It's like he has no idea what he wants! And… I guess, if he wanted me, he would have just said so. But he didn't, and I just…"
"Alright, it's true that Haru either is shy to the point of unreasonableness, or he just doesn't want you," Azula said, raising a hand towards Ty Lee. "But while we're at it, what about you, Ty Lee? Are you that crazy about him? Are you in love, seeing as he's causing you all this emotional turmoil? Because frankly, while I have seen you suffer over love, I can't remember you sulking about it like this in a very long time. Are you that much into him?"
"I…" Ty Lee said, eyes wide. "I don't… I don't know."
"Well, how reasonable is it to demand that Haru sorts out his feelings when you haven't done that with your own?" Azula asked, with a sarcastic smile.
"I just…" Ty Lee started. "It's not that simple. I mean… I have no idea how it is for him, but he's not the first lover I've ever had, you know? And, well… there's enough bad history there for me to outright say that this is the relationship to end all relationships, you know?"
"If that's so… why is it so heartbreaking if it doesn't work out with him?" Azula asked. Ty Lee's eyes widened. "I mean, I can understand how much it would hurt that someone you love would not care for you as much, or betray you, but… if you're as guarded as you say you are, if you don't dare take these feelings seriously, why exactly is this relationship all that important to you?"
"Well, he is her gladiator," Sokka interjected. Azula raised an eyebrow.
"That doesn't mean he has to be her soulmate," she said. Sokka pouted.
"It meant that with us…" he mumbled. She rolled her eyes.
"Haven't we established we're not the norm, Sokka?" she said. "My uncle and Toph don't have a relationship, do they? I know they're far from the best example, but I doubt there will be anything romantic between them, or rather, I hope not."
"Just the idea gives me bad shivers," Sokka said, eyebrow twitching.
"Another example, Zhao and Combustion Man," said Azula, shrugging. "As far as I know, they're not secret lovers… though I suppose if they were, I wouldn't know about it. But either way, the point is they probably aren't and don't have to be. Not everyone has a relationship with their gladiator, and if Ty Lee and Haru can't seem to connect on an emotional level, it's not out of the question that they could achieve what we promised but failed to accomplish."
"What's that?" Ty Lee asked. Azula gritted her teeth.
"That we would focus on our professional relationship rather than the personal one. Easier said than done," she whispered, hoping to hide that it had been rather difficult to say it, for starters. "But maybe that's what you need. I mean, in all fairness, everyone thought you'd end up charming some nobleman and marrying him, which would reinstate your social standing and help you get back to your family's good graces. Last I knew, that was, more or less, what you were hoping to achieve in your future. Did you lose all sight of that?"
"W-well, I… I didn't really care to do that anymore, you know?" she said, sighing. "I became a sponsor, and… and I had money, and I could get by. People whispered behind my back anyways, but I was used to it. Being a sponsor was something new that… well, I've liked it so far. It's wonderful to know that I can have a life regardless of the mistakes I made when I was younger. It's been… like finding purpose again, after floating in the ocean aimlessly for years."
"Right… I guess I can relate to that," said Azula. Sokka bit his lip.
"I do agree with Azula, you don't need to be involved with Haru to be a successful sponsor," he said. "But I also think… well, that you need to talk with him, first of all, and figure out where he really stands in all this. For all you know, that guy could be crazy about you and you're assuming otherwise because, uh, because he doesn't manhandle you?"
"It's not just that," Ty Lee pouted. Sokka smiled.
"I know, but still, my point is, if Azula had been jumping to conclusions like that I probably would've retaliated by giving her a…"
"If you dare finish that sentence, I'll hammer your tongue to the roof of your mouth with a rusty nail," Azula interrupted him, with a dangerous grin. Sokka squealed.
"Seriously? But I'd need my tongue to give you the…!"
"Shut up, I said!" Azula blushed, and Sokka huffed.
"Meanie. Well, whatever, the point is, hell, you have no idea how Haru feels, so it could be the worst-case scenario just as easily as it could be the best one. He could be head over heels for you, for all you know, and he just sucks at showing it. So… maybe don't jump to conclusions just like that. Talk to him, and that way you'll figure out what you mean to him, and what he means to you."
"Well, all indiscretions aside, I think Sokka is right," Azula said, looking at Ty Lee matter-of-factly. "I know that may not have been what you wanted to hear, but it's still true that you can't just break off an entire relationship over what you've perceived or assumed from your partner. It's just… ridiculous."
"It really is. So ridiculous even Azula and I wouldn't do that," Sokka said, smiling. Azula rolled her eyes and glared at him. He smirked at her now.
"All things considered, you two are a lot luckier than you know," Ty Lee mumbled. "I know you have to put up with a lot, what with hiding and sneaking around, but… isn't this the first real relationship both of you have had?"
"Yeah," Sokka said, nodding. Azula shrugged: Ty Lee knew the answer all too well in her case.
"I've dated properly at least six times now," Ty Lee said, with a weak grin. "And granted I wasn't always the victim, but my heart has been broken enough times that I… I just don't want to get hurt again. I thought Haru was too nice to ever hurt me, and truthfully, he is, but I still… I still got hurt because of all I've been assuming, I guess. I thought we were like you two, but we're not, and… it just wouldn't be the first time I liked someone more than I should have. I just never thought it'd happen with him."
"As Sokka said, you don't even know for sure that it did," Azula said. "So calm down, talk to him, and only once you know for certain that he doesn't want you, you'll act upon it, in whatever way you will. But for now… stop overthinking. Priceless as it may be to hear this sort of advice from me, just… don't do it. Half the time, things aren't remotely as bad as they look like when you're overthinking them."
"I guess…" said Ty Lee, sighing and standing up from the table. "It's just hard to do it, but… I'll try."
"And try to figure out how you really feel about him, too," Sokka said, raising his eyebrows. "If you find out he's crazy about you and then realize you're not nearly as interested in him, well… you'll be the heartbreaker instead, and he won't like that one bit, eh?"
"I suppose," said Ty Lee, smiling weakly. "Alright, alright… I'll do my best, you guys. I will. Though I have no idea what I'll do once I'm in our room with him, but…"
"As long as you don't start accusing him of not caring about you without any explanations, I suspect you should be fine," said Azula, with a shrug. Ty Lee smiled and nodded.
"Noted. Well… thanks for the talk, really," she said, moving to hug Azula. She didn't shove her off, instead patting her back as a response. "I also owe you both an apology, don't I? I've been so awful lately…"
"You have?" Sokka asked, blinking blankly. "Says who?"
"My conscience?" she said, with a grimace. "I've just been jealous of what you have, and… well, truthfully I'm very happy for you both. You'll never beat me at sexual deviancy, try as though you might…! But you two are a great couple. And I'm happy for every new detail I've learned about your relationship!"
Azula scowled at Sokka now, who grimaced and inched away from her as Ty Lee moved to the door. She giggled and waved at them once more.
"I'll see you both tomorrow. Don't tire each other out too much," she said. Azula smirked.
"No need to worry, I'm sure nailing his tongue to the roof of his mouth won't be all that exhausting," she declared, as Sokka gasped with indignation.
"You said you'd do that if I kept talking about it, but I didn't!" he squealed. Azula snickered, as Ty Lee closed the door behind her.
"Maybe you deserve it regardless of whether you keep talking about it or not," she said, smirking at him. "In all seriousness, Sokka, stop spilling our private matters to Ty Lee. I don't expect she'll run to tell anyone important, of course, but I don't like the idea of anyone intruding in our relationship, whether through conversations or otherwise."
"Because it is ours, and nobody else can get in the way," Sokka said dramatically, wrapping his arms around Azula's waist. She cocked an eyebrow, leering at him judgmentally. "Or am I mistaken, my Princess?"
"You're not. But you're annoying either way," she said, dryly. Sokka pouted.
"I thought you loved me regardless of my unforgivable flaws, such as spilling secrets I shouldn't…" he teased her, poking her nose with his. She grunted and stole a brusque kiss from his lips.
"I do, regardless of all of my common sense's warnings," she said. He pouted. "You're sure Renkai won't be in the way?"
"I can't say for sure that he wouldn't be, maybe he'll get up to find a snack when I'm on my way back to my cabin, but if not…"
"And you know his patrolling times how? Did Rui Shi give you the schedules?" Azula asked, with a smirk. Sokka smiled and shrugged enigmatically.
"It shall be my secret to disclose whenever I decide to disclose it," he snickered. "But for now… I think we ought to forget about that, and instead focus on exercising our not-yet-marital rights, don't you agree?"
Azula chuckled but kissed him willfully. It was up to him to steer them towards the bed and she fell amid the crimson sheets as she pulled Sokka into it, too. Their laughter and teasing didn't relent that night, only taking pauses whenever the rawest form of passion pulsed between the two joined lovers at the topmost room in the Barge's tower…
In the floor below the Princess's cabin, Ty Lee had breathed deeply before pushing the door open. Part of her was apprehensive, dreading that Haru would be nowhere in sight, but she was wrong to expect that: guilt flooded her when he stood up from the bed, looking at her anxiously.
"I thought you'd be here, but… when I got here after dinner you were nowhere around," he said. "I saved you some food, in case you hadn't eaten yet…"
"That… that's sweet," said Ty Lee, with a weak grin. Her guilt only grew stronger. "Thank you, Haru. I was upstairs, I had dinner with Azula…"
"Oh. Then… oh. Never mind, I'll return the food," he said, smiling awkwardly.
"Or you could eat it yourself, if you're hungry," said Ty Lee, shrugging. "It's not the worst idea, is it? You've been waiting a while, haven't you?"
"I suppose?" said Haru, blinking blankly. Ty Lee merely smiled and moved towards the closet they would be sharing through the trip.
He couldn't really tear his eyes away from her as she changed, hoping not to blush too brightly. She hadn't undressed in front of him in what felt like ages. Had her conversation with the Princess cheered her up enough that she would be back to the bold, deviously romantic woman she usually was?
It would not be so, regardless of Haru's wishes. He grimaced when she put on a sleeping gown, ready to jump into the bed that awaited them. She groaned and relaxed amid the pillows, a happy smile across her face.
"Did you feel how soft this is?" she said, gesturing at the pillow. "Royals really get everything they could ever need…"
"I guess it's something nice about being friends with the Princess," Haru said, smiling but hoping not to look too downcast over her change of subject. He fetched his own sleeping garments, and changed into them while Ty Lee lazily relaxed on the mattress.
She turned towards him once he slipped inside the bed as well. His heartbeat accelerated, as he felt his throat running dry under her gaze. She had made him nervous many times over their partnership, but never quite like this…
"Haru…" she said, holding his gaze insistently. He gulped. "Do you think we're equals?"
"We… what?" he said, blinking blankly. Ty Lee's eyes were sincere, and she expected the same honesty from him.
"Don't lie to spare my feelings," she said. "I want you to tell me the truth."
He gritted his teeth, terrified of her question, still sorely tempted to lie. But he wasn't sure what option would be worse right now. He licked his lips, though, and decided to abide by her demand.
"I… I don't," he said. Her eyes widened. "I never expected to be, though. You've… you've been too nice as it is, even when we're as different as we are, so… even if I don't feel like we're equals, I don't mind it…"
"You should, though," she said, frowning. "I mean, I… I want you to feel comfortable, Haru. To feel safe, and happy. But I don't know if you've ever felt any of those things…"
"I do, sometimes," he said. Her eyes widened again. "It's… it's easy to forget the bad things when I'm with you. But I can't forget them all the time."
"Which bad things?" Ty Lee asked. "You mean your old sponsor? Or whatever happened when the army occupied your home? Or…?"
To her surprise, Haru shook his head. She felt her heart sink, as he shut her down mid-sentence.
"I… I don't think you should know," he said. She was ready to protest immediately. "And even if I'm wrong, I… I can't bring myself to say much more than I did earlier today. I'm sorry, but… this is my burden to carry. I won't push it onto you."
"But I can help. I can at least try…" she said, gritting her teeth. "I want to be here for you, Haru. If you'll just let me…"
"Maybe I will, one day," he said, with a reassuring smile. "But… for now, is it okay if we just don't talk about this…?"
Ty Lee sighed. It was the first time they had ever made progress with a conversation, and he had already shut it down. It was too good to last, no doubt.
"Alright. If that's what you want," she whispered, pressing her face to the soft pillow and closing her eyes.
He watched her, remorseful. She didn't understand, of course she didn't: but she didn't know why he didn't want her to understand at all. For such a long time she had been cheerful, unburdened by anything other than petty grudges towards her friends on occasion. Understanding every detail about his story would mean the destruction of that innocence, of one of her most beautiful, wonderful traits. He didn't want to be responsible for that.
But he also didn't want to make her unhappy. His hand reached out tentatively, hoping to find hers under the covers. Hoping she wouldn't flinch away, if he did.
Her eyes opened when his fingers touched hers. She seemed genuinely surprised, especially when he didn't jerk his hand back shyly right away. Instead, he continued to give her the most remorseful face he could muster, hoping Ty Lee would forgive him for keeping his secrets.
He started to believe that she would once she closed the distance between them and kissed him lightly. His heart leapt: she didn't hate him, not for real. Even if she was mad, she wasn't mad enough that she wouldn't kiss him anymore. It was the first time she had kissed him for well over a month, though…
But just as quickly as it started, it had ended. She didn't smile, she merely lowered her head and sighed. His hands trembled, as he wondered if he ought to hold her or not. But considering that she was making no moves to be any closer to him, perhaps this was as good as it would get tonight…
He watched her sadly, feeling the distance between them was expanding, to an extent that scared him. Whatever was happening between him and Ty Lee couldn't mean anything good for their relationship, whether professional or otherwise. What on earth would he do if he lost her?
The thought made him tremble, but just so, another took its place: if Ty Lee had tired of him, if she decided the Gladiator League was no longer her concern, then… then perhaps he could ask one thing of her. Instead of taking him back to the Fire Nation and selling him to any willing sponsor… he could stay in the Earth Kingdom. If he stayed, perhaps he could track down his parents. Perhaps he could seek a way to bring his family together, just as Song intended to do with her own…
It felt treasonous to think Ty Lee's potential decision to forsake him could have any bright sides to it, but Haru could hardly help himself. If she was tired of him, and looking for ways to end their partnership, the least he could do was find a new purpose. He had lacked one for too many years now, and perhaps it was time to move forward. This could be his chance to take his life back into his own hands, regardless of all he would have to sacrifice to achieve it. But if it was what needed to be done, for his family's sake…
He'd tell her after the Tournament, he decided. He'd ask, once she was at the ends of her patience. There wasn't much else he could do, either way, if he was already going to lose her. He would do his best to move forward, and he would hope Ty Lee would find happiness again, in whatever form she would: he had no doubts that she deserved as much.