Ty Lee wasn't really sure why it happened. Why her heart beat faster in her chest when the Avatar appeared… or rather, when the Avatar's friends appeared. They were interesting, they were traveling with the Avatar after all, but that was no reason for her face to split into a mile-wide smile, or for her blood to rush up into her cheeks the moment she saw them.

The boy was cute, sure, but so were a lot of boys. He was funny, but so were a lot of people. Ty Lee dealt with boys all the time, and none of them made her feel this way, so he probably wasn't the reason.

It definitely wasn't the Earthbender either, she was icky. Dirty and barefoot and so tiny… there was nothing for her there.

So… was it the Waterbender? Ty Lee wasn't sure. She'd never felt anything like this for a girl before… well, admittedly she had had a bit of a crush on Azula when they were younger, before she'd turned into a cold, sociopathic monster. Still, that couldn't compare to rhythm of her heart or the sudden urge to jump in and just get right into the swing of things.

That was the funny thing, too… Ty Lee wasn't a fighter. She only did what she did for the mission because Azula had made it clear that she'd suffer if she didn't. Still, that didn't mean she was happy about having to hurt other people, especially people that had done her no wrong. That was why she'd spent so long learning her Tai Chi; if she was going to have to fight then she'd try her best to get it done fast, and with as little damage done as possible.

But for some reason, whenever Ty Lee saw her, she could feel her muscles start to stir, eager for the fray. She wasn't really sure why it happened.

…maybe it was because what they did was never really much of a fight.

Waterbending was a lot like dancing, after all.

The flow, the movement, the grace… watching it was like watching some form of elegant ballroom dance, something that Ty Lee missed, growing up in the Fire Nation. Everything there was harsh and focused on the muscle, on the force behind the motion. With Waterbending, the force was the motion, and it was beautiful.

Fighting with her… whatever her name was, was just like dancing.

And how could she complain, having such a wonderful partner?

Ty Lee had met people from other nations in the circus; it was a circus, after all. Among that eclectic group of misfits though, there had never once been a Waterbender. They weren't exactly a social bunch, living at the edge of the world like that, but upon meeting the girl Ty Lee couldn't wait for this whole war to be over, so she could take a vacation down to the South Pole. The Waterbender and her brother (who was, as previously stated, cute) were so unique when it came to looks that Ty Lee found it hard to look away. The dark skin, the long, wild hair and those eyes… oh Agni, those eyes…

She'd never seen eyes that beautiful before. And when they fought, the Waterbender's shined with fierce determination and a resilience that the young acrobat found intriguing. So blue and beautiful, it was like staring into the ocean.

So when they moved, Ty Lee swinging and spinning and smiling, she stared into those eyes, her heart hammering in her chest as water danced around her, lighting up like diamonds in the sky when the sun hit it just right, and she felt so alive! No one else made her feel that way; the boys that fawned over her, Azula with her feral stare, nor anybody else in the world could make her light up like this.

…and she didn't even know the other girl's name. That needed to change. Ty Lee was sure it was something exotic and beautiful. But how could she even get the chance? Whenever they were together, they were fighting. How could Ty Lee ever get the chance to talk to her?

She wanted to. She wanted to so badly.

Sometimes, when the fight was over or even before the fight had begun, Ty Lee would see the Waterbender give her friends the softest, kindest looks, like a protective mother hen watching over her roost. Rarer still were the tender looks she would share with the Avatar (which for some reason set an entirely different heat, a fiercer, jealous heat stirring inside her chest) every now and then. Ty Lee wanted to see that look when they were together, she wanted to see that kindness directed at her.

She doubted she'd ever get the chance though, but even though the thought made her sad it didn't stop the smile from coming to her face whenever they faced off.

They'd continue to dance, no matter what. Ty Lee wouldn't give that up for the world… because until this war was over, it was all she'd get.

After the war, though? That was another matter entirely.