Azula just had to take the plunge. That was the only option at that point, and even though it felt like the worst decision she could ever make, she knew she had to do it. She had to dive in headfirst and hope she would make it out alive.

The romantic attraction had transcended from the physical. It grew beyond wet dreams and stray thoughts she could push to the back of the mind. She would not call it love or something ridiculous like that. No, that could not be, it absolutely could not be.

Last night she dreamt that they were by the pier in Caldera, instead of in this horrible, cold Earth Kingdom forest. And it was deserted entirely, just them, just the two of them. The hunger was at last satisfied, until the burning, when she woke burning like she had a fever, and realized that these would stay dreams until they were forgotten.

She and her friends were sitting around a fire, Mai lying dangerously close to it, still complaining about being cold and wet. Azula was intently focused on the flames, absorbed in them as she tried to think about her next move. Ty Lee was staring at the stars of all things.

"The sky is really nice here," Ty Lee remarked and Mai looked unimpressed.

"The Earth Kingdom is gross and terrible and we should leave as soon as possible," Mai replied sharply and Ty Lee simply shrugged.

"But the stars are pretty," Ty Lee said and neither Azula nor Mai argued.

Azula was trying her absolute best to focus on the Avatar, on Zuko, on the fact that her uncle was wounded and that likely put them in a better position. But she kept glancing over at the girl staring at the sky like a moron and it made her want to throttle someone. Or throttle herself for that matter.

Ugh. Hormones. Yes it was hormones and she would simply have to ignore them.

That night, she lied down between her friends, edging closer to Mai than Ty Lee. The plague of dreams made it relatively awkward.

"This is really exciting," Ty Lee said and Azula breathed in slowly.

"I can't disagree with that," Mai said and both Azula and Ty Lee looked at her in bewilderment. "What? It's not boring. Sort of."

"Well, I love you guys, and we're going to capture the Avatar or Zuko whatever Azula decides and it will be really fun," Ty Lee said before closing her eyes and pretending to go to sleep.

"We love you too," Mai said dryly and Ty Lee smiled faintly.

Azula opened her mouth slightly to assent with Mai, but she did not want to look weak in front of them, so she closed it.

She did not say I love you.

They were in Ba Sing Se and Azula was still reeling from what had just happened. It was easier than she thought it would be; but maybe it was just easy because it was her doing it. She never found anything to be impossible. Everything was within reach, and she was finally going home.

"We did it!" shouted a girlish voice from behind her, and before she could do anything, she was pulled into a victory kiss.

It stunned her even more than Zuko siding with her in the end. Her lips pressed against Ty Lee's, warm, oddly perfect. It was her first real kiss at the far-too-old age of fourteen and she never wanted it to end, even if it suffocated her.

Her affections... were reciprocated. They... were reciprocated.

"You just won a war, princess," Ty Lee said brightly as she pulled her lips away and Azula cleared her throat, trying to regain her steely demeanor. "Come sit on the throne, come sit on the throne..."

"Of course," Azula said, unsure what else to say. She wanted desperately to say, I love you, but she knew far better than that. It would destroy the balance of the relationship; that was, Azula holding all of the tiles.

"It's moments like these I love," Ty Lee said, walking towards the throne room in which Mai and Zuko were talking awkwardly with their cheeks flushed. Azula tried not to smirk at their embarrassment.

"Moments like what?" Azula asked coolly and Ty Lee looked at her for a heartbeat.

"Moments where everything changes." But before Ty Lee could explain just what was changing; if she meant the war or her feelings, Zuko interrupted.

And Azula took her rightful place on the throne, avoiding the thought of her burning body at all costs.

She was bitter; Azula was incredibly bitter. Her hair smelled of beach and smoke, and her lips were twisted into an annoyed expression like a displeased cat. But she locked herself in her room, demanded no disturbances, and let everyone do as they pleased.

Tonight was dreadful, for a multitude of reasons.

"Can I come in?" Ty Lee knocked on the door and Azula clenched her jaw. No. "Azula, it's late and I want to go to sleep and all of my things are in there." Azula tightened her lips even further. "Azula, please. I'm sorry. Please let me in." Ty Lee received more silence from the princess. "Can you at least hand me my pajamas?"

Azula slowly rose, made her expression blank, and opened the door. "You can come in. But don't talk; I'm trying to sleep."

Ty Lee crept inside and obeyed the princess. Azula averted her eyes as Ty Lee changed her clothes, her face slightly flushed. And Ty Lee realized at that moment that she had started something incredibly unpleasant. Of course Azula was angry... as many mixed signals as Azula gave Ty Lee, Ty Lee gave to Azula.

"I know you said not to talk," Ty Lee blurted out, "but I... I thought you didn't like me. You've never... you never really did anything back. Or am I just assuming that? I feel ridiculous. Never mind."

Azula hesitated. I love you would be the appropriate choice of words, but Azula opted for, "I'm sorry for laughing at you."

"I," and Ty Lee looked as stunned as she would have if Azula had confessed her feelings, "thank you. It isn't... well, you're the princess you can do what you want."

"I know," Azula replied coldly, her throat hurting with the words she actually wanted to say. Sometimes she wondered what it would be like to be flighty, careless and never to think ahead or do what was best for her instead of what she actually wanted to do.

"This is one of those moments," Ty Lee said and Azula pretended she did not remember the kiss in Ba Sing Se.

But Ty Lee knew she did.

It was a long time after. Just after... after.

Azula had not seen her in years. She looked just as beautiful, although she repulsed Azula when she last laid eyes on her. When she betrayed her again and again and again and again. Azula wandered and now Ty Lee collided with her again.

"I never expected to see you here," Ty Lee said and it sounded like she was thrilled and enthused instead of angry or hurt. Azula supposed that was better than what she could have hoped for.

"Well, I do live here, Ty Lee," Azula replied with a smug smirk and Ty Lee felt a small relief inside of her. Azula was still Azula, no matter how hard she fell.

"I guess I should've expected then." Ty Lee scratched her head and shot Azula a smile. Azula was not entirely sure how to handle this. It had been too long. "Maybe, while I'm in Caldera, we could... do something."

"Like a date?" Azula asked and Ty Lee took a deep breath.

"Yeah, like a date," Ty Lee said before nodding feverishly. Azula suppressed a smile, tried to remain dignified despite losing her dignity long ago, and nodded.

"I have to admit it's a bit overdue," Azula remarked and Ty Lee grinned. I love you, I forgive you, a lot of things Azula could have said, but she simply replied, "I'll see you tonight, then. Look pretty," and walked away.

It was the first good moment Ty Lee had with Azula in years.

When it did happen, it was not during one of those magical moments. Those pivotal and magnificent moments in their relationship. And Ty Lee never forced it. She told Azula she loved her and that was how it went. Azula would say, "I know," and Ty Lee would take it as I love you in return.

It was casual and out of nowhere. There was nothing grand leading up to it, as Azula felt there should be. It would have been much more magnificent if it had happened after they took Ba Sing Se.

Ty Lee was just standing in Azula's room, rifling through her suitcase and trying to pick out an outfit, looking genuinely despaired.

"I forgot my good Fire Nation shirt," she sighed, pouting in frustration. "Do you have one?"

"I love you," Azula said forcefully and Ty Lee looked stunned for a moment.

"All I asked was if you had a shirt, but... I love you too."

"I know." She paused, contemplating what to do next. "I know that I love you too."

Ty Lee smiled faintly. Azula tried to pretend it did not happen.

She finally said I love you.