When have I ever finished Advent on time? I'm not surprised about this year. Many thanks to electric gurrl for giving me a kick in the butt over PM yesterday. And double thanks to all of the readers of this story and for your patience!

CHAPTER THREE

(1)

HOMEWRECKER

Azula had never seen Ty Lee so angry. In fact, she did not think she had ever seen Ty Lee angry point blank.

"Calm down."

"Calm down? You ruined my marriage!"

"Calm down! That is an order from your princess!"

"You ruined my marriage!"

"You ruined your own marriage. You are just as responsible for the affair as I am."

Ty Lee launched into a rambling, nonsensical, exceptionally angry rant that turned her face pinker than her clothes. Yet, Azula was unintimidated by Ty Lee's rage, despite the saying that evil spirits even run when a kind man goes to war.

She tired of the rant quickly.

Azula stepped forward and shut her lover up with a passionate kiss on the lips.

(2)

IMMORTAL

"Do you ever wonder if we'd be together without a war? If we just had normal lives instead of being immortal in the history books?"

"No," seamlessly lied Azula. But Ty Lee, oh Ty Lee, happened to be the only person who could always see through the princess.

Ty Lee smiled to herself regardless of that answer. She twirled her hair around her finger as she said, "I think we would be."

"Why?" Azula dared to ask.

Ty Lee did not know the answer, so she simply kissed her in response.

(3)

LUCKY

Ty Lee should not have been feeling as lucky as she did today. It made her too bold. It made her decide the moment she woke up that she would talk to Azula about what had been bearing down on her chest like stones.

"We need to talk about what happened," said Ty Lee. "I'm really tired of… of hiding my feelings from you and I'm sorry and I love you and…"

"Spit it out," coolly commanded Azula.

"Losing the baby wasn't your fault. I know it's hard for us to do the extra steps to conceive, but nothing has ever been easy for us."

"Then perhaps we were never as meant to be together as you continue to insist."

The silence deafened.

Azula turned away so she would not have to look at Ty Lee's teary, pleading eyes. Daringly, still inexplicably feeling lucky, Ty Lee walked over and softly touched Azula's face.

And maybe she was lucky today, because while Azula said nothing, the princess did not reject the touch of the circus freak.

"Don't shut me out, Princess. Please, not now."

"It should take you exactly four seconds to cross from here to that door. I will give you two."

Ty Lee threw caution to the wind. She leaned in, and kissed Azula for the four seconds it would have taken to leave the room.

"You're lucky you're cute," said Azula as the kiss broke.

Ty Lee remained silent, just pulled her girlfriend into a suffocating embrace.

(4)

RESPECTABLE

All of the Fire Nation women looked respectable. They wore a pale shade of red to the tea party, hair impeccable, makeup perfect.

Ty Lee had never felt as out of place. Once upon a time she would have been one of those girls, and she was dressed as respectably as them, but she felt like they would see or smell her peasant life on Kyoshi Island.

Why did her sister have to throw this party while Ty Lee was in the Fire Nation to visit family.

Her sister tugged her aside and Ty Lee figured it was to tell her she looked like a peasant among these perfect Fire Nation ladies.

But instead, Ty Lee's sister whispered, "I invited a guest just for you."

She gestured at the most stunning girl with a crown in her hair. She seemed to shimmer and shine in the sunlight like something out of a dream.

"Why did you do this?" asked Ty Lee.

"Talk to her. Do it."

And, against all self preservation instinct, Ty Lee strode over to Azula and smiled at her.

"How are you doing?"

"As usual."

"That bad, huh?"

Azula laughed. "I would rather not be here."

"Same for me. I'm pretty miserable around successful people these days. I don't think they like me very much."

"Well you washed out of Fire Nation military training and then went on to help conquer Ba Sing Se and be a vital member of the princess's elite team. You are very good at proving people wrong."

"Am I?"

"I could help. For a price."

A price. That sounded terrifying, especially from Azula.

"What's the price?"

"Get out of this dull party with me and find me something fun to do."

"Okay. That sounds amazing."

"Good. Now let's prove these women wrong. They're oh so proud of their high status boyfriends and husbands. It's the only thing that makes them respectable and successful."

"Uh…"

Azula grabbed Ty Lee by the arms.

She kissed her passionately in plain view of every attendee.

And now Ty Lee had proven herself to be more successful than any woman at the party, Kyoshi Island peasant or not.

(5)

DETAILS

Ty Lee was trying to pack when Azula strode confidently into the room. Ty Lee rubbed her lips together and tried not to think about her feelings. They were a waste of time.

"I was thinking about our conversation earlier."

"Yes, princess?" Ty Lee held her breath for a heartbeat.

"Admit it, you're in love with me," said Azula, smirking smugly.

Ty Lee blinked. "I was once. But I've changed and you haven't."

"How?"

"You're still a conceited royal with a superiority complex. You're still twisted and wicked even though you pretend you're redeeming yourself to keep out of jail or a straitjacket."

"Bold words for someone who likes twisted and wicked women."

Ty Lee nervously cleared her throat and insisted, "I happen to like nice women."

Azula walked closer, and closer, and Ty Lee's heart thundered in her chest. "You think you do. But there are many, many things about me you cannot deny you miss."

"Maybe… maybe a few details."

"Like what?"

Ty Lee took a slow breath as Azula took a few menacing steps towards her. They were close enough to touch and Ty Lee lost her cool, lost her ability to deny any remaining feelings for her first love.

"Like your lips against mine," breathed Ty Lee.

Azula smirked.

And then gave her a little reminder of why those details she missed mattered.

(6)

LAST YEAR

Leaving this year is harder than leaving last year. The more Ty Lee rebuilds her relationship with the princess, the more difficult it is to leave the Fire Nation after her annual two weeks of leave from Kyoshi Island to visit her family.

"Why don't you stay?" asked Zuko. "We would all love having you here. Especially Azula."

"This is my old life. I don't belong here," said Ty Lee, although she wondered if she would feel differently if it were Azula who asked her to stay.

Initially unbeknownst to Ty Lee and Zuko, Azula lingered in the shadows in the back of the room. She intended to just privately watch Ty Lee leave again, but this year something changed in her.

She strode forward.

"Azula!" excitedly cried out Ty Lee.

Zuko remained silent and watched closely, hoping desperately for the best.

"I suppose this is goodbye for the year."

Azula stood perfectly still until Ty Lee pounced and hugged her.

Slowly, in a wild and foolish whirlwind, Ty Lee moved in to lock lips.

But Azula moved, crushing Ty Lee's heart with a single side step.

The Kyoshi Warrior left with a kiss on the cheek, and nothing more.

(7)

ALL YOU NEVER SAY

Azula stared at Ty Lee. She had not seen her since they broke up and Ty Lee went back to Kyoshi Island. That was over a year.

They went on a date. Azula had an engagement bracelet worthy of a princess made and fire lilies from an expensive greenhouse.

Ty Lee broke up with her before she could propose.

Azula threw the bracelet in the sea and left the fire lilies on the pier to die.

"I cannot begin to imagine why you are brave enough to come here. What do you have to say?"

"I'm here to tell you everything I never said."

"Tell me. Tell me what you never say."

"I see you in every sunrise. I miss you in every sunset. I thought I was right to leave you but I can't forget you. I never could, all the times I've tried over the years. I wanted freedom. I didn't want to be controlled by you. But freedom is nothing but missing you. It's half of what I do."

"Then why did you give up on us?"

"Because it's too painful to love someone so much and absolutely hate them for leaving you even before they've left."

In the following silence, she kissed her.

"I was never going to leave."

(8)

COZY

It began as a mistake at age fourteen, while on the ship returning from the Earth Kingdom.

Ty Lee crept through the eerie corridors of the ship and knocked twice on the door of the captain's quarters.

"Princess, are you awake?"

The voice the answered was oddly strangled.

"Yes. What do you want?"

"I had a nightmare. Could I… Can I… can I stay with you tonight?"

Silence. A poorly concealed sniffle.

Azula opened the door. "I suppose I can be a good friend and tolerate the company."

"Thank you!"

Ty Lee tried to act like her usual jovial self but it was obvious that Azula had been crying. It was not hard to notice that the parchment she set down was marked with the seal of correspondence directly from the Fire Lord himself.

The two girls became situated in the cozy bed.

They lay there in silence for ages before Ty Lee daringly asked, "Are you okay?"

"I am fine. I got injured during the battle. I can manage and it will heal soon enough."

Ty Lee rolled over and propped herself up on her elbow. She tentatively — truly terrified — lifted her free hand and rested it softly on Azula's shoulder.

"Where does it hurt?" whispered Ty Lee.

And in the dark, away from any light, in solitude save for one person who seemed like a candle, Azula found it in her to quietly answer.

"Everywhere. Everywhere."

"I'll take care of you until it doesn't hurt."

"That sounds like miserable work."

"Not to me. Not if it's you."

They leaned in, daring and wild and tempted and driven by those strong words.

Azula pressed her lips against those of Ty Lee.

And at least for a moment, all was well.

(9)

MATERIALISTIC

"I'm wearing this," said Mai in the middle of the shop.

She and her friends were on a shopping spree before an important political occasion.

"That?" asked Ty Lee.

"It's a protest of the rampant materialism in the post war Fire Nation."

"It's… beautiful," lied Ty Lee through smiling teeth.

"That is a terrible idea and I refuse to allow you to execute it."

"Excuse me?"

"You should listen to her. She can be very—"

"What?"

Ty Lee sniffed in sharply from pure terror and forced a smile. "Very right. Very right all the time."

Azula kissed her cheek smugly.

(10)

FAMILY

Azula had always been grandiose in every action she took and every word she spoke. It must have had to do with her background in royalty, or an ego from Ozai. Ty Lee always liked it and admired it, especially when it began to apply to their lavish and extravagant dating life. Azula was nowhere near romantic, but her gestures were always powerful.

Yet, the most important step she took was nowhere near what Ty Lee expected.

One morning, Ty Lee woke up beside her girlfriend in the palace and felt something chafing against her finger. She lifted her left hand and saw… a ring?

Gently, Ty Lee shook the princess awake, hoping she would not be the subject of a rage induced tantrum. Azula simply grunted and rolled over.

"What's this, Princess?"

"I put it on your finger last night. It's an engagement ring. We're getting married."

Ty Lee's heart swelled with an indescribable happiness. She almost hopped up and down but managed to get away with just a glistening smile.

"But you said…?"

"I know I said I did not want to get married. Yet, seeing Izumi…" Azula cleared her throat. She felt all too awkward being so open and deplorably soft. "I want to start a family with you, and any child of royalty ought to be legitimate. You will marry me."

Ty Lee had no response other than to roll on top of her lover, wrap her arms around Azula and kiss her passionately.

THE END