Azula leaned over the railing of her bedroom balcony. It was her thinking place, and she had a lot to think about. Her eyes skimmed over a midnight blue sky, in it swam a sea of stars strung like a net of diamonds over the city.

Her head was as cluttered as the stars themselves, not that she'd ever let anyone know of it—partly why she had chosen to come up on the balcony.

Azula had just finish piecing together one set of jumbled thoughts. A set that consisted of trying to deny feelings for her brother and trying to show him love all at once—such feeling manifested in the way she'd push him around and mock him. When she finally found it in herself to get her feeling straight, it became about accepting it. About learning to ignore the whisperings of the judgmental public. And also about whether or not he even loved her…

Of course he said he did. They're siblings. It took a fury of willpower to tell him that she didn't mean siblingly love, but romantic love. If she hadn't trained her body to keep up a sturdy composure she'd have probably been red-faced, shaking, and on the verge of embarrassed tears.

Instead she maintained her blank nonchalant demeanor…

Until he said, "yes, I mean the same".

For whatever reason, she broke down.

And now she faced another set of scattered pieces; did he really love her as he said?

She leaned further over the balcony, the wind tossing her hair all over and in her face.

Azula found her cheek wet with a tear she didn't remember calling forth. She forcefully wiped it away. And continued to stare down at the capital below. Why did she have to fall in love with her own brother, what was wrong with her? What was wrong with them…that is if he was being genuine.

For all she knew, this was his way of toying with her. Of tormenting her to get her back for all of the things she did when they were children.

And that's particularly what her mind kept circling around, over and over. Why would he love his sister when he could have Mai?

The more she thought about it the more her stomach lurched with woeful butterflies. This time she swallowed the tears down.

Good thing too, for the footsteps behind her gave away the presence of an uninvited guest.

"You alright?" Came his voice.

"Fine." Azula half spoke, half whispered. "You?"

"I'm well enough." Zuko smiled and placed his hands between her shoulder blades.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Nothing." Azula muttered. "What are you doing in my bedroom?"

"You mean our bedroom?"

"Whatever makes you happy…"

"Well you didn't come down for dinner. Father wasn't going to come check on you, so I thought I would." Zuko wrapped his arm around her.

"…Thanks."

"You in the mood for a dance beneath the stars?"

"Hmm…I suppose." Azula too his hand in hers. She felt his hand slid down to her waist. She leaned in closer as he swept her around in one of the Fire Nation's traditional ballroom dances.

They had no music to dance to, no rhythm or beat. Just the soft crooning of a choir of cricketmice and the alto croak of a few turtletoads. Just the sounds of the night around them. And that was all Azula needed for the time being…just the warmth of Zuko's hand in her hand, and the shuffle of their feet as they slowly circled the balcony.

It bought her a sense of reassurance. No dance could ever be this passionate if the love behind it wasn't the real thing. "I love you Zu-zu." She whispered.

He tugged her even closer. "I love you too."